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Cobalt disulfide (CoS2) has attracted much attention as anodes of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, the serious volume variation and polysulfide dissolution issues during cycling usually lead to poor electrochemical performance, greatly limiting its application. Here, by employing a CuCo-based metal organic framework (MOF) and bacterial cellulose (BC) as precursor and template, we have fabricated heterostructured CoS2/CuCo2S4 particles anchoring on an N-doped carbon framework (denoted as CuCo-S/NC) through ion adsorption and exchange reaction with a subsequent thermal annealing process. The generation of a CoS2/CuCo2S4 heterostructure which can boost the charge transfer rate in the hybrid composite has been investigated, while the introduction of an N-doped carbon framework derived from the BC could not only enhance the electrical conductivity but also improve the structural integrity by mitigating the mechanical stress and inhibiting the aggregation of active materials. Benefitting from the designed composition and structure, the optimal CuCo-S/NC electrode exhibits a high capacity of 889 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and an outstanding rate capability of 394 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1. The results achieved in this work indicate the great potential of this bimetallic MOF-derived template method for the rational design and fabrication of novel hybrid composite anodes for high-performance SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops for human beings, with seeds being the tissue of highly economic value. Various morphogenetic and metabolic processes are exclusively associated with seed maturation. The goal of this study was to screen and identify genes specifically expressed in the developing seed of wheat with an integrative utilization of digital differential display (DDD) and available online microarray databases. Results A total of 201 unigenes were identified as the results of DDD screening and microarray database searching. The expressions of 6 of these were shown to be seed-specific by qRT-PCR analysis. Further GO enrichment analysis indicated that seed-specific genes were mainly associated with defense response, response to stress, multi-organism process, pathogenesis, extracellular region, nutrient reservoir activity, enzyme inhibitor activity, antioxidant activity and oxidoreductase activity. A comparison of this set of genes with the rice (Oryza sativa) genome was also performed and approximately three-fifths of them have rice counterparts. Between the counterparts, around 63% showed similar expression patterns according to the microarray data. Conclusions In conclusion, the DDD screening combined with microarray data analysis is an effective strategy for the identification of seed-specific expressed genes in wheat. These seed-specific genes screened during this study will provide valuable information for further studies about the functions of these genes in wheat.

Abstract Background Multiple proteins containing BURP domain have been identified in many different plant species, but not in any other organisms. To date, the molecular function of the BURP domain is still unknown, and no systematic analysis and expression profiling of the gene family in soybean (Glycine max) has been reported. Results In this study, multiple bioinformatics approaches were employed to identify all the members of BURP family genes in soybean. A total of 23 BURP gene types were identified. These genes had diverse structures and were distributed on chromosome 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 18. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that these BURP family genes could be classified into 5 subfamilies, and one of which defines a new subfamily, BURPV. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of transcript levels showed that 15 of the 23 genes had no expression specificity; 7 of them were specifically expressed in some of the tissues; and one of them was not expressed in any of the tissues or organs studied. The results of stress treatments showed that 17 of the 23 identified BURP family genes responded to at least one of the three stress treatments; 6 of them were not influenced by stress treatments even though a stress related cis-element was identified in the promoter region. No stress related cis-elements were found in promoter region of any BURPV member. However, qRT-PCR results indicated that all members from BURPV responded to at least one of the three stress treatments. More significantly, the members from the RD22-like subfamily showed no tissue-specific expression and they all responded to each of the three stress treatments. Conclusions We have identified and classified all the BURP domain-containing genes in soybean. Their expression patterns in different tissues and under different stress treatments were detected using qRT-PCR. 15 out of 23 BURP genes in soybean had no tissue-specific expression, while 17 out of them were stress-responsive. The data provided an insight into the evolution of the gene family and suggested that many BURP family genes may be important for plants responding to stress conditions.

BACKGROUND: High‐molecular‐weight glutenin subunits (HMW‐GSs) have important effects on bread‐making quality. Allelic variations of HMW‐GS in bread wheat varieties contribute in different ways to dough properties and bread volume. However, no systematic analysis has been done on the effects of allelic variation on bread‐crumb structure, an important parameter when evaluating bread‐making quality. In this study, seven Glu‐1 deletion lines and one intact line harboring different encoding loci and derived from a cross between two spring wheat cultivars were used to investigate the contribution of a single Glu‐1 locus, or combination of Glu‐1 loci, to the crumb structure. RESULTS: Deletion of HMW‐GS locus combinations resulted in a decline in slice size, brightness, and fineness of the bread crumb. A desirable crumb structure correlated well with preferred subunit combinations: high levels of GMPs, superior dough properties, and loaf volume. The effects of the HMW‐GS combinations were ranked as Dx5 + Dy10 > Bx17 + By18 > Ax1 + Null. The Ax1 + Null allele affected the crumb structure by interacting with the Bx17 + By18 or Dx5 + Dy10. CONCLUSION: High‐molecular‐weight glutenin subunits had significant effects on the loaf volume and crumb structure; varying effects from different subunit combinations were observed. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient methodology to access a library of 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles from a broad range of amidines and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes/ketones via a C(sp2)-H amination has been developed. This method represents a new and simple way to prepare highly substituted imidazoles from easily available starting materials, inexpensive catalysts, and with good functional group tolerance in good to excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]