Search

BackgroundFusariumear rot (FER) caused byFusarium verticillioidesis a major disease of maize that reduces grain yield and quality globally. However, there have been few reports of major loci for FER were verified and cloned.ResultTo gain a comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis of natural variation in FER resistance, a recombinant inbred lines (RIL) population and one panel of inbred lines were used to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance. As a result, a total of 10 QTL were identified by linkage mapping under four environments, which were located on six chromosomes and explained 1.0–7.1% of the phenotypic variation. Epistatic mapping detected four pairs of QTL that showed significant epistasis effects, explaining 2.1–3.0% of the phenotypic variation. Additionally, 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified across the whole genome by genome-wide association study (GWAS) under five environments. Compared linkage and association mapping revealed five common intervals located on chromosomes 3, 4, and 5 associated with FER resistance, four of which were verified in different near-isogenic lines (NILs) populations. GWAS identified three candidate genes in these consistent intervals, which belonged to the Glutaredoxin protein family, actin-depolymerizing factors (ADFs), and AMP-binding proteins. In addition, two verified FER QTL regions were found consistent withFusariumcob rot (FCR) andFusariumseed rot (FSR).ConclusionsThese results revealed that multi pathways were involved in FER resistance, which was a complex trait that was controlled by multiple genes with minor effects, and provided important QTL and genes, which could be used in molecular breeding for resistance.

The storm water management models were established at three spatial scales (large, medium, and small) based on a sponge city pilot area in China to explore the hydrological and environmental effects of rainfall conditions and development modes. Results showed the following. (1) Total runoff reduction rates increased from 26.7% to 53.9% for the rainfall event of a 2-year recurrence period as the scale increased. For 5-year and above recurrence periods, total runoff reduction rates were 19.5–49.4%. These rates increased from the small to medium scale and slightly decreased from the medium to large scale. (2) The runoff coefficients were 0.87–0.29, which decreased from the small to medium scale and were basically constant from the medium to large scale. (3) The peak flow reduction rates decreased with increased recurrence periods. The rates increased initially and then decreased at the small scale, whereas the opposite trend occurred at the medium scale. (4) The reduction rates of pollutants were negatively correlated with recurrence periods under the three spatial scales. The pollution load reduction rates were 19.5–54.7%, which increased from the small to medium scale and were basically constant from the medium to large scale.

It is predicted that high-temperature stress will increasingly affect crop yields worldwide as a result of climate change. In order to determine the genetic basis of thermotolerance of seed-set in maize under field conditions, we performed mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population using a collection of 8329 specifically developed high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, combined with a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 261 diverse maize lines using 259 973 SNPs. In total, four QTLs and 17 genes associated with 42 SNPs related to thermotolerance of seed-set were identified. Among them, four candidate genes were found in both linkage mapping and GWAS. Thermotolerance of seed-set was increased significantly in near-isogenic lines (NILs) that incorporated the four candidate genes in a susceptible parent background. The expression profiles of two of the four genes showed that they were induced by high temperatures in the maize tassel in a tolerant parent background. Our results indicate that thermotolerance of maize seed-set is regulated by multiple genes each of which has minor effects, with calcium signaling playing a central role. The genes identified may be exploited in breeding programs to improve seed-set and yield of maize under heat stress.

For the different harvest targets, the requirement for the prolificacy trait of maize was also different, so prolificacy is of great significance for modern production. Although some QTLs and genes associated with prolificacy in teosinte have been reported, the genetic mechanism of prolificacy in maize has not been fully elucidated. In this study, two RIL populations and GWAS population were used to genetic research of prolificacy trait in maize, with multi-environment. Combine linkage analysis and Genome-wide association study has identified a total of 13 QTLs and 8 significant SNPs. There were two genes related to tissue differentiation in the stable QTL qP9-2, and two significant SNPs corresponding to three genes were in QTL qP5-1 and QTL qP7-1, respectively. Four candidate genes GRMZM2G317262, GRMZM2G317584, GRMZM5G882364 and GRMZM2G141679 were finally screened out by qRT-PCR analysis. Based on the function of candidate genes, ethylene signaling pathway plays an important role in the formation of prolificacy in maize. It has deepened our understanding of the formation mechanism of prolificacy and laid a foundation for breeding new varieties with various prolificacy in maize.

In network inference applications, it is often desirable to detect community structure, namely to cluster vertices into groups, or blocks, according to some measure of similarity. Beyond mere adjacency matrices, many real networks also involve vertex covariates that carry key information about underlying block structure in graphs. To assess the effects of such covariates on block recovery, we present a comparative analysis of two model-based spectral algorithms for clustering vertices in stochastic blockmodel graphs with vertex covariates. The first algorithm uses only the adjacency matrix, and directly estimates the block assignments. The second algorithm incorporates both the adjacency matrix and the vertex covariates into the estimation of block assignments, and moreover quantifies the explicit impact of the vertex covariates on the resulting estimate of the block assignments. We employ Chernoff information to analytically compare the algorithms' performance and derive the information-theoretic Chernoff ratio for certain models of interest. Analytic results and simulations suggest that the second algorithm is often preferred: we can often better estimate the induced block assignments by first estimating the effect of vertex covariates. In addition, real data examples also indicate that the second algorithm has the advantages of revealing underlying block structure and taking observed vertex heterogeneity into account in real applications. Our findings emphasize the importance of distinguishing between observed and unobserved factors that can affect block structure in graphs., Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures

In this work, electronic structures of two-dimensional (2D) g-C 3 N 4 /CdS heterojunction are systematically investigated by means of the first-principles calculations. Our results indicate that g-C 3 N 4 monolayer and CdS monolayer form a standard type-Ⅱ heterojunction, with both the valence band maximum (VBM) and the conduction band minimum (CBM) of CdS monolayer higher than those of g-C 3 N 4 monolayer, and the water reduction and oxidation potentials lie in-between the VBM and CBM of g-C 3 N 4 /CdS heterojunction. Moreover, the charge density difference of g-C 3 N 4 /CdS heterojunction indicates that an internal electric field forms between g-C 3 N 4 monolayer and CdS monolayer, which will further restrain the recombination of photogenerated carriers. These results suggest that g-C 3 N 4 /CdS heterojunction is beneficial to enhance the efficiency of photocatalytic water splitting under visible-light irradiation.

GeSe has emerged as an appealing photovoltaic material due to the desirable electronic and optical properties as well as being an earth-abundant constituent element. We systematically explore for the first time the contact properties of bilayer GeSe with commonly used back electrode metals in detail, such as the geometric features, electronic properties, Schottky barrier, tunneling barrier, and band alignment. Our results reveal that the metals investigated, especially Au, Pt, and Ni, show great potential in forming favorable contacts with GeSe due to a low Schottky barrier and tunneling barrier. More importantly, we find that when a SnS monolayer is superimposed with GeSe layers, the combined system can be used as an effective solar cell material with type-II heterostructure alignment. The power conversion efficiency is predicted to be as high as ∼18%, which is comparable or even higher than that of previously reported solar cells. Our results not only provide microscopic insights into the characteristics between layered GeSe and metals, but also pave the way for further experimental improvements of GeSe thin-film solar cells.

Background: Fusarium ear rot (FER) caused by Fusarium verticillioides is a major disease of maize that reduces grain yield and quality globally. However, there have been few reports of major loci for FER were verified and cloned. Result: To gain a comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis of natural variation in FER resistance, a recombinant inbred lines (RIL) population and one panel of inbred lines were used to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance. As a result, a total of 10 QTL were identified by linkage mapping under four environments, which were located on six chromosomes and explained 1.0%-7.1% of the phenotypic variation. Epistatic mapping detected four pairs of QTL that showed significant epistasis effects, explaining 2.1%-3.0% of the phenotypic variation. Additionally, 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified across the whole genome by genome-wide association study (GWAS) under five environments. Compared linkage and association mapping revealed five common intervals located on chromosomes 3, 4, and 5 associated with FER resistance, four of which were verified in different near-isogenic lines (NILs) populations. GWAS identified three candidate genes in these consistent intervals, which belonged to the Glutaredoxin protein family , actin-depolymerizing factors (ADFs), and AMP-binding proteins. In addition, two verified FER QTL regions were found consistent with Fusarium cob rot (FCR) and Fusarium seed rot (FSR). Conclusions: These results revealed that multi pathways were involved in FER resistance, which was a complex trait that was controlled by multiple genes with minor effects, and provided important QTL and genes, which could be used in molecular breeding for resistance.

Ear length (EL) is an important trait in maize ( L.) because it is positively correlated with grain yield. To understand the genetic basis of natural EL variation, a F, a four-way cross and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) population were used to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and candidate EL genes. Linkage mapping identified 14 QTLs in two types of populations from multiple environments. Six of them were located in three common genomic regions considered "stable QTLs". Candidate genes for the three stable QTLs were identified by the GWAS results. These were related to auxin transport, cell proliferation, and developmental regulation. These results confirm that maize EL is under strong genetic control by many small-effect genes. They also improve our understanding of the genetic basis of maize EL.

We lay the foundation for further research on maize resistance to Fusarium verticillioides cob rot by identifying a candidate resistance gene. Fusarium verticillioides ear rot is the most common type of maize ear rot in the Huanghuaihai Plain of China. Ear rot resistance includes cob and kernel resistance. Most of the current literature concentrates on kernel resistance, and genetic studies on cob resistance are scarce. We aimed on identifying the QTLs responsible for F. verticillioides cob rot (FCR) resistance. Twenty-eight genes associated with 48 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified (P

Based on the pilot area of a sponge city in Northwest China, the MIKE FLOOD models of urban flood and nonpoint source pollution are established. The uncertainty analysis of model shows that such parameters as hydrological reduction factor, imperviousness, and decay constant have big influences on the total runoff, peak flow, and water quality. The measured data of the rainfall events 20160724 and 20160623 are used to calibrate and validate the model. The correlation coefficients (R 2 ) and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (Ens) are both over 0.65. The changes in urban rainwater runoff and water quality for different rainfall conditions under traditional development (TD) and low impact development (LID) modes are simulated. The results show that: (1) Compared with TD mode, for different rainfall conditions under LID mode, the reduction rates of overflow and the overload pipes are, respectively, 22.4–100 and 0–54.55% when the area proportion of LID measures is 17.76%. The total runoff reduction rate is 64.01–81.52%, the peak flow reduction rate is 0–69.09%, and the flood peak time is delayed by 0–48 min. (2) Compared with TD mode, after adding LID measures, the load reduction rates of total suspended solids (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) are increased by 19.20–68.71, 19.19–67.78, 18.72–60.91, and 19.89–68.75%, respectively. The effluent reduction rates of the event mean concentrations (EMCs) of SS, COD, TN, and TP are increased by 0.65–42.07, 0.65–40.34, 0.06–27.62, and 1.51–42.14%, respectively. (3) The LID measures have certain control on waterlogging situation, and the submerged area under different water depths and flooding durations are decreased by 11.11–100 and 32.23–100%, respectively. For 19.2 mm rainfall event, under the LID mode, the SS load reduction rate achieves 60%, and rainfall runoff is all assimilated without discharge and waterlogging phenomena. LID measures have a better control effect on water quality and water quantity of urban rainstorm runoff; however, the effect of LID measures will reduce with the increase in recurrence interval.

Maize ear rot is a worldwide fungal disease mainly caused by Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium graminearum. Maize planted in the field was inoculated with Fusarium verticillioides at the filling stage, 15 days after pollination. Two milliliters of spore suspension with a concentration of 5 x 106/ml was injected into the middle of the top ear using pricking ear method to cause maize ear rot. The thirty days after inoculation was the most suitable time for phenotypic evaluation of Fusarium resistance.

The performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (pemfc) is greatly influenced by the characteristics of gas diffusion layer (gdl). herein, in situ grown carbon nanotubes (cnts) on carbon paper as a gas diffusion layer (gdl) were fabricated by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (pecvd) process. fuel cells using cnt-based gdls with nickel (ii) nitrate loading of 1.6 mg cm(-2) show better performance compared with the gdls which employ vulcan xc-72 as the mpl. the pore size distribution and the gas permeability results revealed that the increasing density of cnt layer had two main effects on the pore structure of gdl: firstly, the increasing density of cnt layer decreased the macro pore volume and the open through pore volume of cnt-based gdl; secondly, the increasing density of cnt layer decreased the micro pore diameter of cnt-based gdl. the data obtained from the vapor permeability and the fuel cell performance tests indicated that the water flooding can be reduced by applying cnt-based gdls. the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (eis) confirmed that the cnt-based gdl can effectively promote the mass transfer in the fcs which was attributed to its suitable hydrophobicity and proper structure. copyright (c) 2015, hydrogen energy publications, llc. published by elsevier ltd. all rights reserved.

This work reports on the electrochemical oxidation of sulfur dioxide on nitrogen-doped graphite (NG) in acidic media. The NG samples were prepared via one-step pyrolysis of the mixtures of sugar and urea at 700–1000 °C in argon atmosphere. Mechanism analysis indicated that the electrochemical oxidation reaction of sulfur dioxide on NG was irreversible and diffusion controlled. Moreover, the influence of pyrolysis temperature on the electrocatalytic activity of NG was also investigated. The electrochemical measurement and physical characterization results revealed that elevating the pyrolysis temperature could enhance the electrocatalytic activity of NG, which might ascribe to the improved surface area, graphitization degree and electrical conductivity.

The effect of strategic leadership on organizational performance has been a hot topic of research for decades, and the general consensus has been reached in recent years: strategic leadership is essential in organization growth and development in the complex and increasingly competitive environment. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the relationship between characteristics of strategic leadership and organizational effectiveness. After analyzing the theory of the nature and mechanism of strategic leadership, this study was presented that since the decision made by the leader can only be implemented on condition that team members cooperate with each other to carry out the plan, the strategic leadership cannot directly influence the team effectiveness and vitality, therefore, the intermediary variable is supposed to be included to guarantee the plausibility of the hypothesis. The research has discussed that strategic leadership is mirrored from three aspects: leaders' qualities, organizational abilities and interaction abilities; and team members also need three processes from obtaining information to implementation: perception, listening and execution as a theoretical model to study the mechanism of strategic leadership. In this study, the league of legends team competition as a research case, the game players conducted a questionnaire survey. A total of 300 valid questionnaires were collected. The statistical analysis, correlation analysis and intermediary regression analysis were used in order to verify through empirical research all of the interactions between elements.

Fusarium verticillioides can be transmitted via seeds and cause systemic infection in maize (Zea mays L.); its mycotoxin has harmful effects on animal and human health. We combined QTL mapping in recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations with a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 217 diverse maize lines using 224,152 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) under controlled conditions to determine the genetic architecture of F. verticillioides seed rot (FSR) resistance. Our study identified 8 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and 43 genes associated with 57 SNPs that were correlated with FSR resistance through linkage mapping and GWAS, respectively. Among these, there were three candidate genes, namely GRMZM2G0081223, AC213654.3_FG004, and GRMZM2G099255, which were detected in both linkage mapping and GWAS. Furthermore, the near-isogenic lines (NILs) containing GRMZM2G0081223, which also had a susceptible parent background, were found to have a significantly improved level of resistance. In addition, the expression profile of the three candidate genes revealed that they all respond to the infection following inoculation with F. verticillioides. These genetic analyses indicate that FSR resistance is controlled by loci with minor effect, and the polymerization breeding of lines with beneficial alleles and candidate genes could improve FSR resistance in maize.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are essential phytohormones for plant growth and development. BRs are perceived by the cell surface receptor kinase BRI1, and downstream signal transduction through multiple components leads to activation of the transcription factors BZR1 and BZR2/BES1. BZR1 activity is highly controlled by BR through reversible phosphorylation, protein degradation, and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. To further understand the molecular function of BZR1, we performed tandem affinity purification of the BZR1 complex and identified BZR1-associated proteins using mass spectrometry. These BZR1-associated proteins included several known BR signaling components, such as BIN2, BSK1, 14-3-3λ, and PP2A, as well as a large number of proteins with previously unknown functions in BR signal transduction, including the kinases MKK5 and MAPK4, histone deacetylase 19, cysteine proteinase inhibitor 6, a DEAD-box RNA helicase, cysteine endopeptidases RD21A and RD21B, calmodulin-binding transcription activator 5, ubiquitin protease 12, cyclophilin 59, and phospholipid-binding protein synaptotagmin A. Their interactions with BZR1 were confirmed by in vivo and in vitro assays. Furthermore, MKK5 was found to phosphorylate BZR1 in vitro. This study demonstrates an effective method for purifying proteins associated with low-abundance transcription factors, and identifies new BZR1-interacting proteins with potentially important roles in BR response.

In-plane heterostructure of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) means the formation of one-dimensional (1D) interfaces, and promises exciting properties. The electronic properties of in-plane heterostructure of WS2/WSe2/MoS2 are studied by means of the first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). We find that the band gap can be continuously tuned by changing the length of the components of the in-plane heterostructure, which can be explained by confinement effects. Lattice mismatch induced strain play a crucial role in determining the electronic properties, such as direct-indirect band gap transition, band alignment and the band offset of band edge. Our results suggest that the rich and tunable electronic properties endow in-plane heterostructure of WS2/WSe2/MoS2 great potential in applications in such as light emitting and photovoltaics.

It is important to study the adsorption properties of single Ag atom and Ag clusters on monolayer MoS2 as well as the energy transfer mechanism, in order to understand the stability and the high photocatalytic activity of Ag-MoS2 composite systems. It has been confirmed that Ag nanoparticles on monolayer MoS2 are presented as active reduction and oxidation sites, playing a role in mediating charge transfer from electron-rich MoS2 to target species. It is of interest that the band structure changes little upon Ag nanoparticle adsorption, although impurity states between bulk VBM and CBM do appear. In comparison to bare single-layer MoS2, as a result, the intensity of light absorption can be enhanced and the range of light absorption can be extended to the near infrared region. It is found that the reduction ability could be improved due to Ag nanoparticle adsorption. The present study may be useful for developing 2D materials with single metal atoms or metal nanoparticles deposited for photocatalysis.

Multiple omnidirectional resonances are found in a sandwich structure consisting of a left-handed metamaterial cavity and two single-negative-permittivity reflection walls. These resonances appear because the phase shift of left-handed metamaterial can cancel the reflection phase shift of single-negative-permittivity metamaterials at every incidence angle. By using such particular structure, a kind of structure possessing multiple omnidirectional resonances in both polarizations has been designed. In addition, issues associated with energy loss are discussed.

To isolate the collagen phagocytic subpopulation of fibroblast (CPSF) and non-collagen phagocytic subpopulation of fibroblast (nCPSF) and to identify their differentially expressed genes. The CPSF and nCPSF was isolated by using collagen-fluorescein-isothiocynate-latex bead (COL-FITC-LB) phagocytosis technique and FCM sorting method. Microarray analysis was used to screen the differentially expressed genes, which were verified by real-time PCR. CPSF and nCPSF was successfully isolated. Seventeen differentially expressed genes were identified. Compared with nCPSF, the expression of 12 or 5 genes was up-regulated or down-regulated in CPSF. Three of the 12 up-regulated genes were urokinase plasminogen activator receptor-associated protein (uPARAP), cytochrome b-245, beta polypeptide (CYBB) and Hook homolog 1 (HOOK1), which were confirmed by real-time PCR. uPARAP mRNA expression level in CPSF was 2788 times of that in nCPSF. CYBB mRNA expression in CPSF was only 0.85 times of that in nCPSF. HOOK1 mRNA expression in CPSF was 1.96 times of that in nCPSF (P0.05). A novel method is successfully established to isolate CPSF and nCPSF. uPARAP is the main differentially expressed gene in CPSF and nCPSF, which is obviously involved in the fibroblast collagen phagocytosis. It might be a potential biomarker for treatment of collagen diseases.目的：探讨建立新的分离人成纤维细胞胶原吞噬亚群(CPSF)和成纤维细胞非胶原吞噬亚群(nCPSF)的方法，并筛选两者差异表达基因。方法：根据CPSF和nCPSF吞噬功能的差异，联合应用胶原包被的异硫氰酸荧光乳胶微球(COL-FITC-LB)吞噬技术和流式细胞分离技术分离二者，并通过生物芯片技术和real-time PCR筛选、验证两者差异表达基因，寻找CPSF和nCPSF具有特征性的分子标志物。结果：成功分离CPSF和nCPSF，并对其基因差异性分析，得到17个差异表达基因。与nCPSF比较，CPSF中有12个基因表达上调，5个表达下调。对其中与胶原吞噬功能可能相关的3个基因进行验证，即纤溶酶原激活物受体相关蛋白(urokinase plasminogen activator receptor-associated protein，uPARAP)、细胞色素b-245，β多肽(cytochrome b-245, beta polypeptide，CYBB)和同源物1(Hook homolog 1，HOOK1)，CPSF中uPARAP表达量为nCPSF的2 788倍；CPSF中CYBB表达量为nCPSF的0.85倍；CPSF中HOOK1表达量为nCPSF的1.96倍，差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论：建立了分离CPSF和nCPSF的新方法。CPSF和nCPSF最主要的差异表达基因是uPARAP，对成纤维细胞胶原吞噬功能具有重要影响，是治疗胶原代谢疾病新的候选靶分子之一。.

A novel method is presented to inject the light of millimeter-sized high-brightness blue LEDs into light guides of submillimeter thickness. Use is made of an interference filter that is designed to pass only those modes that will propagate in the light guide by total internal reflection. Other modes are reflected back to the LED cavity and recycled, leading to an increased brightness. With this method a collimator has been designed and made that is only 1mm thick, with a diameter of 6.5mm. It creates a beam of 26deg Full Width at Half Maximum. Presently, collimators with these characteristics have a thickness of 10-20mm and a diameter of 20-30mm and require careful mounting and alignment. The new collimator contains a 4.5micron thick interference filter made of 54 layers of Nb2O5 and SiO2 layers. The filter is optically coupled to the LED with Silicone adhesive which makes the configuration very robust. A cylindrical lightguide, tapered from 6.5mm to 2.5mm diameter and 1mm thick captures the light that passes the filter, folds the light path and redirects the beam. Measurements on collimator prototypes show good agreement with the designed characteristics. This promising approach enables much more compact collimators optics that offer material cost savings and design freedom.

A new approach is described to couple light from high-power blue LEDs (1x1mm2) into a thin large area light guide using a dielectric interference multilayer as an angular filter. The goal is to achieve large area luminaires such as backlight systems. The method overcomes the drawback of structuring holes or recessions in light guides when using a system with side-emitting LEDs. Several new LED-masking filters have been designed to improve the polarization dependency and coupling efficiency from a previous design that used a stack of inorganic bi-layers. Firstly, a polymeric multilayer manages to increase the coupling efficiency from 52% to 69%. Secondly, a birefringent multilayer filter enables to fully suppress the Brewster’s angle effect and to realize identical behaviour for both s- and p- polarized light at large angles. Thirdly, by adding layers of a third inorganic material to the original bi-layer stack with refractive index in between the other two, the transmittance equality is improved and the coupling efficiency can reach up to 63%. A novel angular filter is proposed for a large area planar collimating luminaire. A planar collimator of 2x18o cone angle with scalable and simplified structure is demonstrated. It has a thickness of only 5mm. Compact collimators and planar collimators have been analyzed with the ray tracing software LightTools. Measurements on this collimator filter and optical designs match well with the predicted performance. A new approach to thin film filter design, the so called saddle-point method of global optimization was explored and showed promising initial results. A 40-layer collimator filter with a 30% lower merit function was obtained and is discussed.

With the spread of digital surveillance technologies from the domains of military and medical to those of personal and everyday, we have seen invention of novel metaphors to conceptualise our daily practices as well as our selves in relation to such emerging technologies as Big Data, which aggregate, crunch and sort our personal information collected from the sensors and cameras embedded ubiquitously now in our living environment, known as an ‘infosphere.’ They sort our selves in a new way, thus altering our self-concept and informing a new, data-driven self culture.\ud The epitome of this trend is the Quantified Self (QS) movement. The participants, known as QSers and who are prosumers, seek ‘self knowledge through numbers’ generated by commercial self-monitoring devices, such as Fitbit and Mi Band. They put their bodily activities under self-surveillance for becoming the experts of self-management and self-optimisation. The global popularisation of QS culture has three implications for our human condition. First, it creates a sham utopia. The platform economy brings into being a precariat, who struggle daily for security and success. In response, the QS gadget companies advertise to a white, middle-class clientele that they can offer them both. Second, it promotes neoliberal reflexive practices and discourse of selfhood. QS culture is historically rooted in the American success culture, which prizes individual success made through self-reliance and continuous self-reinvention. This culture foregrounds personal agency in influencing individuals’ living conditions and life chances, while discounting social structural factors. Third, it makes privacy, hence self-reinvention, problematic.\ud When it comes to the issue of ownership of QSers’ self-data, it is ambiguous to whom they belong and whether the QSers can still enjoy ‘the right to forget’ once the data are uploaded to the cloud.\ud Sociologists have studied the QS culture and its relations to neoliberalism, but they have not tackled the QSers’ subjective experience, particularly their own discourse and mind, in a systematic manner. Meanwhile, although cognitive linguists have had the tools to probe QSers’ discourse, mind and culture, or the cognitive schemas and structures that influence QSers’ beliefs and behaviours, they have not done so, either. Therefore, my thesis contributes to the QS research by cross-fertilising, or transgressing the boundaries of, the disciplines, adding to it another dimension of cognitively-informed critical metaphor analysis of QSers’ mind.\ud I have applied critical discourse analysis for both literature review and empirical analysis. For the empirical chapters, I have systematically mapped out the relations between a QSer’s use of conceptual metaphors in a blog post and the underlying cognitive schemas, which constitute a cultural model of Quantified Self for a sample consisting of a small corpus (52,177 words in total). I used the methods of MIP and SMA to identify the linguistic, conceptual and systematic metaphors in a prototypical blog post, sampled from my proprietary corpus of 40 unique QSers’ blog texts. Based on the identifications, I further traced three metaphor trajectories, or the blogger’s thought patterns, that involved the self, QS tools and data. I found that 1) the blogger thought his HEALTH CONDITIONS WERE OBJECTS that could be managed and controlled with hard work and help from self-monitoring devices, thus giving him a sense of self-made success and being in control. 2) He thought the QS TOOLS WERE PEOPLE, who were productive, capable, intelligent and friendly. This reflects the infosphere’s structural influence on people’s cognition, which decentres the humans and places them on par with other informational agents. 3) He conceived that his DATA WERE VALUABLE RESOURCES, whose ownership was unclear. Meanwhile, alternative metaphors that were relegated to the background by the QS culture were revived and discussed along these trajectories. Altogether, they have demonstrated the framing effects of QS metaphors, i.e. the metaphors can both enable and constrain a QSer’s conceptualisation of self in connection with data and self-control.