Search

This study presents the development and testing of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) buoy designed for measuring the sea surface elevation and tide level. The precision-point-positioning (PPP) technology is adopted for precise observation. The design of the buoy body is optimized by stability and hydrodynamic calculations. A high-performance embedded data acquisition system with big storage and high-frequency sampling is developed for long-term observation. The GNSS buoy is deployed in a wind farm approximately 70 km offshore of China, and undergoes a 60-day ocean test. A comparison of the sea level elevations obtained from the GNSS buoy and the pressure sensor shows that there is a strong correlation between them, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99. A harmonic analysis is applied to derive the harmonic constants for four key tidal components (M2, S2, O1, and K1). The amplitude differences are −1.2 cm, 1.4 cm, −0.6 cm, and −1.2 cm, respectively, and the phase differences are 1.8°, 2.2°, −1.3°, and −2.9°, respectively. The strong correlation between the measurements of the GNSS buoy and the pressure sensor and the relatively small differences of the amplitude and phase of the main tidal components indicate that the compact GNSS buoy demonstrates a capability to continuously measure the sea surface elevation and tide level with an elevation reference in the open sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South Atlantic subtropical underwater (STUW) is a high-salinity water mass formed by subduction within the subtropical gyre. It is a major component of the subtropical cell and affects stratification in the downstream direction due to its high salinity characteristics. Understanding the interannual variability in STUW subduction is essential for quantifying the impact of subtropical variability on the tropical Atlantic. Using the output from the ocean state estimate of the Consortium for Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO), this study investigates the interannual variability in STUW subduction from 1992 to 2016. We find that heat fluxes, wind stress, and wind stress curl cause interannual variability in the subduction rate. Heat fluxes over the subduction area modulate the sea surface buoyancy and regulate the mixed layer depth (MLD) during its deepening and shoaling phases. Additionally, the wind stress curl and zonal wind stress can modulate the size of the subduction area by regulating the probability of particles entrained into the mixed layer within 1 year of tracing. This analysis evaluates the influence of subtropical wind patterns on the South Atlantic subsurface high-salinity water mass, highlighting the impact of heat and wind on the interannual changes in the oceanic component of the hydrological cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pestalotiopsis guepinii is a pathogenic fungus that causes grey blight on Camellia pitardii. In this study, we investigated the enzyme activity and kinetics of these cell‐wall‐degrading enzymes (CWDEs) produced by Pestalotiopsis guepinii in both C. pitardii leaves and culture medium. Our enzyme activity experiments revealed that the activities of xylanase, pectin methyl‐galacturonase (PMG), β‐1,4‐endoglucanase (Cx), and β‐glucosidase were high in both C. pitardii leaves and culture medium. These enzymes played a significant role in the pathogenic process. However, the activity of laccase was found to be very low and had a minor impact on the pathogenic process. Furthermore, our enzyme dynamics experiments demonstrated that the optimal reaction temperature for PMG and Cx was 50°C, while for β‐glucosidase and xylanase, it was 60°C. The optimal reaction pH for Cx, β‐glucosidase, and xylanase was 5.0, whereas for PMG, it ranged from 5.0 to 6.0. This indicates that these four enzymes prefer acidic conditions. Moreover, we observed that the activities of Cx, PMG, and xylanase decreased with increasing reaction time. On the other hand, the activity of β‐glucosidase initially increased sharply and then decreased slowly. The maximum reaction rates of the four cell‐wall‐degrading enzymes were ranked as follows: xylanase > PMG > β‐glucosidase > Cx. Additionally, the affinities of these enzymes with substrates were ranked as follows: PMG < Cx < xylanase < β‐glucosidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma-catalytic pyrolysis was developed for upgrading polypropylene (PP) pyrolysis volatiles to co-produce carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and hydrogen. To uncover the role of plasma on the plastic catalytic pyrolysis process, the pyrolysis of polypropylene (PP) over Fe/γ-Al 2 O 3 was carried out in a two-stage pyrolysis system with a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor. The results showed that the plastic pyrolysis volatiles were further cleaved and activated with plasma, resulting in more active carbon species for the growth of CNTs. Compared to conventional catalytic pyrolysis, plasma addition shifted the initial formation temperature of CNTs to a lower ambient temperature by ∼100 °C, and significantly promoted the conversion of liquid and gaseous products to CNTs and hydrogen, with higher carbon and hydrogen yields of ∼322 mg/g plastic and 30 mmol/g plastic , respectively. In addition, the degree of graphitization of the CNTs in the presence of the plasma was significantly enhanced with less defectivity. The influence of catalytic temperature variation caused by plasma on CNTs growth was also discussed from the perspective of volatile evolution. This work highlights the potential of plasma-catalytic pyrolysis for the production of hydrogen and high-value carbon materials from plastic waste. • Plastic was converted into CNTs and H 2 with yields of 322 mg/g plastic and 30 mmol/g plastic , respectively. • Plasma shifted the initial formation temperature of CNTs to lower temperature by ∼100 °C. • The effect of catalytic temperature on plastic pyrolysis volatiles was studied using APPI HRMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arthrinium phaeospermum (Corda) M.B. Ellis is a globally distributed pathogenic fungus with a wide host range; its hosts include not only plants, but also humans and animals. This study aimed to develop genomic resources for A. phaeospermum to provide solid data and a theoretical basis for further studies of its pathogenesis, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and RNA genomics. The genome was obtained from the mycelia of the strain AP-Z13 using a combination of analyses with the high-throughput Illumina HiSeq 4000 system and PacBio RSII LongRead sequencing platform. Functional annotation was performed by BLASTing protein sequences against those in different publicly available databases to obtain their corresponding annotations. The genome is 48.45 Mb in size, with an N90 scaffold size of 1,931,147 bp, and encodes 19,836 putative predicted genes. This is the first report of the genome-scale assembly and annotation for A. phaeospermum , the first species in the genus Arthrinium to be subjected to whole genome sequencing. • The genome of Arthrinium phaeospermum was sequenced, assembled and annotated. • The size of the genome is 48.45 Mb, ecoding 19,836 putative predicted genes. • The genome contains a large number of genes involved in vital movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the control performance of calcination zone temperature in a lime rotary kiln, a predictive control method based on a support vector machine (SVM) and improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed. As high-temperature thermal equipment, the lime rotary kiln requires accurate modelling because of its complex non-linearity and long delay characteristics. SVM has strong normalization and good learning ability compared with other modelling models such as neural network, partial least squares model and other non-linear regression models, which can avoid overfitting and local minimization problems. At the same time, it is sometimes difficult to obtain a large number of production sample data of lime rotary kiln. The modelling process based on SVM requires only a small amount of sample data. SVM is appropriate for the modelling of calcination zone temperature of the lime rotary kiln. The predictive control method in this paper utilizes SVM to establish a non-linear prediction model of calcination zone temperature of the lime rotary kiln. The calcination zone temperature can be achieved by output feedback of input control variables, the error and the error correction. The performance index function is established by the control deviations and control variables. An improved PSO algorithm with better convergence speed and accuracy is employed to obtain optimal control laws by rolling optimization. The stability of the control method has also been demonstrated. The proof process shows that the control method of this paper is asymptotically stable. The simulation results show that the prediction error of calcination zone temperature based on SVM is within ±20°C and the prediction accuracy is better. The model of calcination zone temperature in the lime rotary kiln based on SVM has good performance. The proposed predictive control method can make the output value of the calcination zone temperature of the lime rotary kiln fast and stable to track the change of the reference value. At the same time, in the presence of interference, the system can also track the reference value. The average single step rolling optimization time of the control variables needs to be 0.29 s, which can be used for the practical applications. The simulation results show that the proposed control method is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunda Strait is the outflow strait of the South China Sea branch of the Pacific to Indian Ocean Throughflow. The annual mean volume transport through the Sunda Strait is around 0.25 Sv from the Java Sea to the eastern Indian Ocean, only 2.5% of the IndonesianThroughflow, and thus has been ignored by previous investigations. However, the Nutrient concentrations in the Sunda Strait and its vicinity are found highly related to the water transport through the Sunda Strait. Particularly, our observation shows significant intraseasonal variability (ISV) of currents at period around 25–45 days in the Sunda Strait. Both remote and local wind forcing contribute to the ISVs in the Sunda Strait. The intraseasonal oscillation of sea surface wind in the central Indian Ocean drives upwelling/downwelling equatorial Kelvin waves to propagate along the equator and subsequently along the Sumatra-Java coasts, resulting in negative/positive sea level anomalies in the south of the Sunda Strait. The local intraseasonal sea surface wind anomalies also tend to induce negative/positive sea level anomalies in the south of the Sunda Strait by offshore/onshore Ekman transport while there are upwelling/downwelling events. The ensuring sea level gradient associated with the sea level anomalies in the south of the Sunda Strait induces intraseasonal outflow (from Indian Ocean to Java Sea) and inflow (from Java Sea to Indian Ocean) through the strait. Analyses also show that the chlorophyll-a concentrations in the south of the Sunda Strait are lower/higher during the inflow/outflow period of the ISV events in March through May. The mechanism attributes to both the nutrient-rich water transported by the intraseasonal flow in the Sunda Strait and by the upwelling and Ekman transport driven by the local sea surface wind anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scheduling method based on fuzzy feedback priority and variable sampling period for a networked control system with resource constraints is proposed in this paper. Firstly, each control loop weight is adjusted dynamically according to a control loop data transmission error through a quadratic square root mapping function. A different weight is given for each loop. A fuzzy feedback priority scheduling strategy is designed combined with dynamic weight, system output and system output error rate. The priority of each control loop is adjusted dynamically. Then, considering the current network status, the new network utilization is predicted through proportional control. A least-squares support vector machine (LSSVM) algorithm is used for controlled loop packet transmission time prediction. A variable sampling period for each control loop is determined by using a controlled loop dynamic weight, network utilization and data transmission time. Finally, a fuzzy feedback priority scheduler and variable sampling period scheduler are combined. The merits of the two schedulers are utilized to achieve the optimization goal. A simulation experiment is carried out using the True Time toolbox. Simulation results show that the scheduling method can make the network utilization rate converge to the desired value under resource constraints, improve the output response performance of the control loop, reduce the integral absolute error value of the control loop and decrease the data transmission time of the control loop. The networked control system performance is improved and the scheduling method of this paper is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global ocean mass has significantly changed during recent decades, which may induce changes in the abyssal ocean circulation. Due to the lack of in situ observations, the response of the abyssal South China Sea (SCS) circulation to ocean mass changes remains unclear. The ocean state estimate, Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO), provides the long‐term ocean mass changes in terms of ocean bottom pressure (OBP). Here we use the ECCO OBP data to quantify decadal changes in the abyssal SCS circulation and reveal a weakening trend. The OBP gradient trend manifests in forms of an anomalous anticyclonic circulation that is intensified by topographic effects along the continental slopes to reduce the existing abyssal circulation. The weakening abyssal circulation corresponds to the weakening Luzon Strait overflow that yields a decreasing vorticity budget in the abyssal SCS. Plain Language Summary: Caused by global warming, ice melt and long‐term atmospheric forcing changes, ocean mass has been increased and redistributed over the past decades. The changes in ocean mass distribution may lead to changes in abyssal ocean circulation. The changes in the abyssal South China Sea (SCS) circulation remains unclear due to the lack of in situ observations. This study uses the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) ocean state estimate to quantify decadal changes in the abyssal SCS circulation. Our analysis of the ECCO ocean bottom pressure data reveals a weakening trend in the abyssal SCS circulation that is consistent with the recently ascertained weakening Luzon Strait overflow. Key Points: Trends in the ECCO ocean bottom pressure (OBP) gradients indicate a decadal weakening abyssal South China Sea (SCS) circulationThe weakening circulation coincides with the weakening Luzon Strait overflow that yields a decreasing vorticity budget in the abyssal SCSThe anomalous anticyclonic circulation is dominated by OBP gradient trends and intensified by topographic effects along continental slopes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neofusicoccum parvum can cause twig blight of the walnut (Juglans spp.), resulting in great economic losses and ecological damage. We performed proteomic tandem mass tags (TMT) quantification of two Neofusicoccum parvum strains with different substrates, BH01 in walnut substrate (SW) and sterile water (SK), and BH03 in walnut substrate (WW) and sterile water (WK), in order to identify differentially expressed proteins. We identified 998, 95, and 489 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between the SK vs. WK, SW vs. SK, and WW vs. WK comparison groups, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis was performed to classify the ABC transporter proteins annotated in the TMT protein quantification into eight groups. Physicochemical and structural analyses of the 24 ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins revealed that 14 of them had transmembrane structures. To elucidate the functions of these transmembrane proteins, we determined the relative expression levels of ABC transporter genes in strains cultured in sodium chloride, hydrogen peroxide, copper sulfate, and carbendazim mediums, in comparison with pure medium; analysis revealed differential upregulation. To verify the expression results, we knocked out the NpABC2 gene and compared the wild-type and knockout mutant strains. The knockout mutant strains exhibited a higher sensitivity to antifungal drugs. Furthermore, the virulence of the knockout mutant strains was significantly lower than the wild-type strains, thus implying that NpABC2 plays a role in the drug resistance of N. parvum and affects its virulence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand the mechanism of carbon deposition, the ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis of polyethylene (PE) was explored over a FeNi/Al 2 O 3 catalyst, and the evolution of volatiles as well as the yield and structure of carbon products at different temperatures were analyzed in depth by an in-situ atmospheric pressure photoionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (APPI HRMS) combined with a fixed-bed reactor. The results show that raising the pyrolysis temperature (from 500 to 800 °C) reduces carbon product yield and H 2 production, and the proportion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the carbon products decreases. The source of carbon products gradually shifts from liquid-phase carbon sources to gaseous-phase carbon sources. Below 700 °C, both the outer diameter and carbon interlayer spacing of CNTs decrease, while above 700 °C, they both increase along with increased distortion of carbon layers. It is also observed that the carbon layers are connected to the catalyst lattice stripes, and the interlayer spacing of carbon layers is greater than the catalyst lattice spacing. In situ mass spectrometry reveals a significant increase in the carbon number and double bond equivalent (DBE) values of volatiles with increasing pyrolysis temperature, but the rate of increase slows down after 700 °C. Volatiles from lower pyrolysis temperatures undergo severe polymerization, upon entering the catalytic zone at higher temperatures, minimizing temperature-induced distinctions. Nevertheless, it remains evident that volatiles from lower pyrolysis temperatures exhibit less pronounced polymerization when exposed to higher catalytic temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative and effective approach for screw design and optimization has been proposed, derived from multi-field synergy to address a growing challenge affected by the inadequate mixing and thermal management in plasticizing process of extrusion or injection. Dimensionless field synergy equations for incompressible non-Newtonian viscous polymers were established, and subsequently, two new types of screw structures—field synergy torsion element (FST) and field synergy elongation element (FSE)—were designed, fabricated, and validated through both simulation and experiment. Spiral and elongational flows were established in the newly designed screws owing to their unique structures of torsion channel and convergent channel, promoting the shear and stretch ductile deformations of polymer melt, documented to be a meaningful progress on flow patterns generated by conventional screw. A comparative investigation in this work of the newly designed screw with a conventional one showed that the newly proposed screws equipped with FSTs or FSEs performed better mixing and improved heat transfer and thermal uniformity. Multi-field synergy analysis revealed that the spiral and elongational flow enhanced the radial convection, improved the dependence of velocity and velocity gradient fields to facilitate melt stretching deformation as well as the dependence of velocity and temperature gradient fields to achieve heat transfer enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis blight, caused by Arthrinium phaeospermum , is one of the most common and serious diseases in bamboo and occurs in the newly born twigs. Bamboo has suffered large dead areas, including more than 3000 hm2, which greatly threatens the process of returning farmlands to forests and the construction of ecological barriers. To identify differential metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with B. pervariabilis × D. grandis to A. phaeospermum , ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and quadrupole-time of flight (Q-TOF) Mass Spectrometry (MS) combined with a data-dependent acquisition method was used to analyse the entire sample spectrum. In total, 13223 positive ion peaks and 10616 negative ion peaks were extracted. OPLS-DA and several other analyses were performed using the original data. The OPLS-DA models showed good quality and had strong predictive power, indicating clear trends in the analyses of the treatment and control groups. Clustering and KEGG pathway analyses were used to screen the differential metabolites in the treatment and control groups from the three B. pervariabilis × D. grandis varieties and reflected their metabolic responses induced by A. phaeospermum infection. The results showed that the three B. pervariabilis × D. grandis varieties mode showed significant changes in the following six resistance-related metabolites after A. phaeospermum invasion in positive and negative ion modes: proline, glutamine, dictamnine, apigenin 7-O-neohesperidoside, glutamate, and cis-Aconitate. The following four main metabolic pathways are involved: Arginine and proline metabolism, Glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, Biosynthesis of alkaloids derived from shikimate pathway, and Flavone and flavonol biosynthesis. This study lays a foundation for the later detection of differential metabolites and metabolic pathways for targeting, and provides a theoretical basis for disease-resistant breeding and the control of B. pervariabilis × D. grandis blight. Image 1 • The application methods of UPLC-Q-TOF MS in plant metabolomics are reviewed. • Non-targeted metabolomics can characterize all metabolites as much as possible. • Differential metabolomics are associated with the fungal stress in bamboo varieties. • Six metabolites and four metabolic pathways in resistance have significant changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2018, leaf spots with circular or irregular brown lesions on Gentiana rhodantha leaves were widespread in Liupanshui, Guizhou Province, China. Three strains of Pestalotiopsis spp. were found by single-spore isolation to be associated with the lesions. Based on asexual and sexual characteristics and multilocus (ITS, TUB, tef-1) phylogenic data, strains were identified as Pestalotiopsis trachicarpicola Y.M.Zhang & K.D.Hyde. This is the first report of G. rhodantha leaf spot caused by P. trachicarpicola. In culture tests, the optimum for mycelial growth was 20–25 °C at pH 7–9 and for conidial germination 25–30 °C and pH 6–9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arthrinium phaeospermum is the major pathogen responsible for the significant stem disease "blight" in B. pervariabilis × D. grandis. The interacting proteins of the key pathogenic factor ApCtf1β, BDUbc and BDSKL1, have previously been obtained by two-hybrid, BiFC, GST pull-down yeast assays. However, the functions of these interacting proteins remain unknown. This study successfully obtained transgenic plants overexpressing BDUbc, BDSKL1, and BDUbc + BDSKL1 via Agrobacterium-mediated gene overexpression. qRT-PCR analysis revealed significantly increased expression levels of BDUbc and BDSKL1 in the transgenic plants. After infection with the pathogenic spore suspension, the disease incidence and severity index significantly decreased across all three transgenic plants, accompanied by a marked increase in defense enzyme levels. Notably, the co-transformed plant, OE-BDUbc + BDSKL1, demonstrated the lowest disease incidence and severity index among the transgenic variants. These results not only indicate that BDUbc and BDSKL1 are disease-resistant genes, but also that these two genes may exhibit a synergistic enhancement effect, which further improves the resistance to blight in Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf spot is a common disease of Zanthoxylum schinifolium (Z. schinifolium), which can seriously harm the plant's ability to grow, flower, and fruit. Therefore, it is important to identify the mechanism of leaf spot caused by Pestalotiopsis kenyana (P. kenyana) for thorough comprehension and disease control. In this study, to verify whether the mycotoxins produced by P. kenyana cause leaf spot disease, the best medium for P. kenyana, namely PDB, was used. The mycotoxins were determined by ammonium sulfate precipitation as non-protein substances. The crude mycotoxin of P. kenyana was prepared, and the optimal eluent was eluted with petroleum either/ethyle acetate (3:1, v/v) and purified by silica gel column chromatography and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography to obtain the pure mycotoxins PK-1, PK-2, and PK-3. The PK-3 had the highest toxicity to Z. schinifolium, which may be the primary mycotoxin, according to the biological activity test using the spray method. The physiological and biochemical indexes of Z. schinifolium plants treated with PK-3 mycotoxin were determined. Within 35 days after mycotoxin treatment, the results showed that the protein content and malondialdehyde content of leaves increased over time. The soluble sugar and chlorophyll content decreased over time. The superoxide dismutase activity and catalase activity of the leaves increased first and then decreased, and the above changes were the same as those of Z. schinifolium inoculated with the spore suspension of the pathogen. Therefore, it is believed that the mycotoxin pestalopyrone could be a virulence factor that helps P. kenyana induce the infection of Z. schinifolium. In this study, the pathogenic mechanism of Z. schinifolium leaf spot was discussed, offering a theoretical foundation for improved disease prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many fungi in the Diaporthe genus across the world are pathogenic. Diaporthe capsici. is a pathogenic fungus that can infect peppers and walnuts, causing their death. The aim of this study was to develop a genomic resource to provide substantial data and a theoretical basis for research on molecular pathogenesis, transcriptome, proteome, and metabonome of D. capsici. The whole genome of D. capsici was sequenced using the PacBio RSII sequencing platform, and functional annotation was performed using different public databases. The genome was found to be 57.56 Mb in size, with an N50 contig size of 5,171,887 bp, and encodes 14,425 putative genes. This is the first genome-scale assembly and annotation for D. capsici , which is the eighth species in Diaporthe to be sequenced. • The genome of Diaporthe capsici was sequenced, assembled and annotated. • The size of the genome is 57.56 Mb, ecoding 14,425 putative predicted genes. • The genes that may be involved in pathogenicity were searched throughout the genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the almost output regulation model reference adaptive control problem for switched systems with parametric uncertainties and multiple types of disturbances. By the almost output regulation model reference adaptive control strategy, the parametric uncertainties are suppressed and the multiple types of disturbances are rejected, simultaneously. In order to improve the transient performance of switched systems, the combined model reference adaptive control strategy is applied. A key point is to set up the almost output regulation model reference adaptive control strategy to achieve the tracking and the disturbance rejection performance. First, we design a switched identification model to estimate the plant uncertain parameters, by which more accurate plant parameters will be obtained. Secondly, based on the switched identification model, controllers with combined adaptive laws and a state-dependent switching law are designed to solve the almost output regulation model reference adaptive control problem for switched systems. Finally, a sufficient condition is given, which guarantees that the problem of the almost output regulation model reference adaptive control for switched systems is solvable in spite of the problem of almost output regulation model reference adaptive control for each subsystem is not solvable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese pepper rust is a live parasitic fungal disease caused by Coleosporium zanthoxyli, which seriously affects the cultivation and industrial development of Z. armatum. Cultivating and planting resistant cultivars is considered the most economical and environmentally friendly strategy to control this disease. Therefore, the mining of excellent genes for rust resistance and the analysis of the mechanism of rust resistance are the key strategies to achieve the targeted breeding of rust resistance. However, there is no relevant report on pepper rust resistance at present. The aim of the present study was to further explore the resistance mechanism of pepper by screening the rust-resistant germplasm resources in the early stage. Combined with the analysis of plant pathology, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, we found that compared with susceptible cultivar TJ, resistant cultivar YK had 2752 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 1253 up-, and 1499 downregulated) and 321 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs, 133 up- and 188 down-accumulated) after pathogen infection. And the genes and metabolites related to phenylpropanoid metabolism were highly enriched in resistant varieties, which indicated that phenylpropanoid metabolism might mediate the resistance of Z. armatum. This finding was further confirmed by a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, which revealed that the expression levels of core genes involved in phenylpropane metabolism in disease-resistant varieties were high. In addition, the difference in flavonoid and MeJA contents in the leaves between resistant and susceptible varieties further supported the conclusion that the flavonoid pathway and methyl jasmonate may be involved in the formation of Chinese pepper resistance. Our research results not only help to better understand the resistance mechanism of Z. armatum rust but also contribute to the breeding and utilization of resistant varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc finger protein (ZFP) transcription factors play a pivotal role in regulating plant growth, development, and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Although extensively characterized in model organisms, these genes have yet to be reported in bamboo plants, and their expression information is lacking. Therefore, we identified 21 B-box (BBX) genes from a transcriptome analysis of Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis. Consequently, multiple sequence alignments and an analysis of conserved motifs showed that they all had highly similar structures. The BBX genes were divided into four subgroups according to their phylogenetic relationships and conserved domains. A GO analysis predicted multiple functions of the BBX genes in photomorphogenesis, metabolic processes, and biological regulation. We assessed the expression profiles of 21 BBX genes via qRT-PCR under different adversity conditions. Among them, eight genes were significantly up-regulated under water deficit stress (BBX4, BBX10, BBX11, BBX14, BBX15, BBX16, BBX17, and BBX21), nine under salt stress (BBX2, BBX3, BBX7, BBX9, BBX10, BBX12, BBX15, BBX16, and BBX21), twelve under cold stress (BBX1, BBX2, BBX4, BBX7, BBX10, BBX12, BBX14, BBX15, BBX17, BBX18, BBX19, and BBX21), and twelve under pathogen infestation stress (BBX1, BBX2, BBX4, BBX7, BBX10, BBX12, BBX14, BBX15, BBX17, BBX18, BBX19, and BBX21). Three genes (BBX10, BBX15, and BBX21) were significantly up-regulated under both biotic and abiotic stresses. These results suggest that the BBX gene family is integral to plant growth, development, and response to multivariate stresses. In conclusion, we have comprehensively analyzed the BDBBX genes under various adversity stress conditions, thus providing valuable information for further functional studies of this gene family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Phyllosphere‐associated microbes play a crucial role in plant–pathogen interactions while their composition and diversity are strongly influenced by drought stress. As dioecious plant species exhibited secondary dimorphism between the two sexes in response to drought stress, whether such difference will lead to sex‐specific differences in phyllosphere microbiome and associated pathogen resistance between male and female conspecifics is still unknown. In this study, we subjected female and male full siblings of a dioecious poplar species to a short period of drought treatment followed by artificial infection of a leaf pathogenic fungus. Our results showed that male plants grew better than females with or without drought stress. Female control plants had more leaf lesion area than males after pathogen infection, whereas drought stress reversed such a difference. Further correlation and in vitro toxicity tests suggested that drought‐mediated sexual differences in pathogen resistance between the two plant sexes could be attributed to the shifts in structure and function of phyllosphere‐associated microbiome rather than the amount of leaf main defensive chemicals contained in plant leaves. Supportively, the microbiome analysis through high‐throughput sequencing indicated that female phyllosphere enriched a higher abundance of ecologically beneficial microbes that serve as biological plant protectants, while males harbored abundant phytopathogens under drought‐stressed conditions. The results could provide potential implications for the selection of suitable poplar sex to plants in drought or semi‐drought habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangoes (Mangifera indica L.) are an important kind of perennial fruit tree, but their biochemical testing method and transformation technology were insufficient and had not been rigorously explored. The protoplast technology is an excellent method for creating a rapid and effective tool for transient expression and transformation assays, particularly in plants that lack an Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation system. This study optimized the conditions of the protoplast isolation and transformation system, which can provide a lot of help in the gene expression regulation study of mango. The most beneficial protoplast isolation conditions were 150 mg/mL of cellulase R-10 and 180 mg/mL of macerozyme R-10 in the digestion solution at pH 5.6 and 12 h of digestion time. The 0.16 M and 0.08 M mannitol in wash solution (WI) and suspension for counting (MMG), respectively, were optimal for the protoplast isolation yield. The isolated leaf protoplasts (~5.4 × 105 cells/10 mL) were transfected for 30 min mediated by 40% calcium-chloride-based polyethylene glycol (PEG)-4000-CaCl2, from which 84.38% of the protoplasts were transformed. About 0.08 M and 0.12 M of mannitol concentration in MMG and transfection solutions, respectively, were optimal for protoplast viability. Under the florescence signal, GFP was seen in the transformed protoplasts. This showed that the target gene was successfully induced into the protoplast and that it can be transcribed and translated. Experimental results in this paper show that our high-efficiency protoplast isolation and PEG-mediated transformation protocols can provide excellent new methods for creating a rapid and effective tool for the molecular mechanism study of mangoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of interaction proteins of the pathogen A. phaeospermum effector protein is an important means to analyze the disease-resistance mechanism of Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis shoot blight. To obtain the proteins interacting with the effector ApCE22 of A. phaeospermum, 27 proteins interacting with the effector ApCE22 were initially identified via a yeast two-hybrid assay, of which four interaction proteins were obtained after one-to-one validation. The B2 protein and the chaperone protein DnaJ chloroplast protein were then verified to interact with the ApCE22 effector protein by bimolecular fluorescence complementation and GST pull-down methods. Advanced structure prediction showed that the B2 protein contained the DCD functional domain related to plant development and cell death, and the DnaJ protein contained the DnaJ domain related to stress resistance. The results showed that both the B2 protein and DnaJ protein in B. pervariabilis × D. grandis were the target interaction proteins of the ApCE22 effector of A. phaeospermum and related to the stress resistance of the host B. pervariabilis × D. grandis. The successful identification of the pathogen effector interaction target protein in B. pervariabilis × D. grandis plays an important role in the mechanism of pathogen–host interaction, thus providing a theoretical basis for the control of B. pervariabilis × D. grandis shoot blight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms associated with the phyllosphere play a crucial role in protecting plants from diseases, and their composition and diversity are strongly influenced by heavy metal contaminants. Dioecious plants are known to exhibit sexual dimorphism in metal accumulation and tolerance between male and female individuals. Hence, in this study we used male and female full-siblings of Populus deltoides to investigate whether the two sexes present differences in their phyllosphere microbiome structures and in their associated resistance to the leaf pathogenic fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora after exposure to excess soil cadmium (Cd). We found that Cd-treated male plants grew better and accumulated more leaf Cd than females. Cd stress reduced the lesion areas on leaves of both sexes after pathogen infection, but male plants exhibited better resistance than females. More importantly, Cd exposure differentially altered the structure and function of the phyllosphere microbiomes between the male and female plants, with more abundant ecologically beneficial microbes and decreased pathogenic fungal taxa harbored by male plants. In vitro toxicity tests suggested that the sexual difference in pathogen resistance could be attribute to both direct Cd toxicity and indirect shifts in the phyllosphere microbiome. This study provides new information relevant for understanding the underlying mechanisms of the effects of heavy metals involved in plant–pathogen interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophyll and heme are essential molecules for photosynthesis and respiration, which are competing branches of the porphyrin metabolism pathway. Chlorophyll and heme balance regulation is very important for the growth and development of plants. The chimeric leaves of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus were composed of central photosynthetic tissue (PT) and marginal albino tissue (AT), which were ideal materials for the study of porphyrin metabolism mechanisms. In this study, the regulatory function of ALA content on porphyrin metabolism (chlorophyll and heme balance) was revealed by comparing PT and AT, 5-Aminolevulinic Acid (ALA) exogenous supply, and interference of hemA expression. The AT remained similar in porphyrin metabolism flow level to the PT by keeping an equal ALA content in both tissues, which was very important for the normal growth of the chimeric leaves. As the chlorophyll biosynthesis in AT was significantly inhibited, the porphyrin metabolism flow was directed more toward the heme branch. Both tissues had similar Mg2+ contents; however, Fe2+ content was significantly increased in the AT. The chlorophyll biosynthesis inhibition in the white tissue was not due to a lack of Mg2+ and ALA. A 1.5-fold increase in ALA content inhibited chlorophyll biosynthesis while promoting heme biosynthesis and hemA expression. The doubling of ALA content boosted chlorophyll biosynthesis while decreasing hemA expression and heme content. HemA expression interference resulted in a higher ALA content and a lower chlorophyll content, while the heme content remained at a relatively low and stable level. Conclusively, a certain amount of ALA was important for the stability of porphyrin metabolism and the normal growth of plants. The ALA content appears to be able to regulate chlorophyll and heme content by bidirectionally regulating porphyrin metabolism branch direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phomopsis capsici (P. capsici) causes branch blight of walnuts, which leads to significant economic loss. The molecular mechanism behind the response of walnuts remains unknown. Paraffin sectioning and transcriptome and metabolome analyses were performed to explore the changes in tissue structure, gene expression, and metabolic processes in walnut after infection with P. capsici. We found that P. capsici caused serious damage to xylem vessels during the infestation of walnut branches, destroying the structure and function of the vessels and creating obstacles to the transport of nutrients and water to the branches. The transcriptome results showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly annotated in carbon metabolism and ribosomes. Further metabolome analyses verified the specific induction of carbohydrate and amino acid biosynthesis by P. capsici. Finally, association analysis was performed for DEGs and differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs), which focused on the synthesis and metabolic pathways of amino acids, carbon metabolism, and secondary metabolites and cofactors. Three significant metabolites were identified: succinic semialdehyde acid, fumaric acid, and phosphoenolpyruvic acid. In conclusion, this study provides data reference on the pathogenesis of walnut branch blight and direction for breeding walnut to enhance its disease resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are important in plant pathogenic resistance and comprise 17 families, including the PR4 family, with antifungal and anti-pathogenic functions. PR4 proteins contain a C-terminal Barwin domain and are divided into Classes I and II based on the presence of an N-terminal chitin-binding domain (CBD). This study is the first to isolate two PR4 genes, PaPR4-a and PaPR4-b, from Picea asperata, encoding PaPR4-a and PaPR4-b, respectively. Sequence analyses suggested that they were Class II proteins, owing to the presence of an N-terminal signal peptide and a C-terminal Barwin domain, but no CBD. Tertiary structure analyses using the Barwin-like protein of papaya as a template revealed structural similarity, and therefore, functional similarity between the proteins. Predictive results revealed an N-terminal transmembrane domain, and subcellular localization studies confirmed its location on cell membrane and nuclei. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) demonstrated that PaPR4-a and PaPR4-b expression levels were upregulated following infection with Lophodermium piceae. Additionally, PaPR4-a and PaPR4-b were induced in Escherichia coli, where the recombinant proteins existed in inclusion bodies. The renatured purified proteins showed antifungal activity. Furthermore, transgenic tobacco overexpressing PaPR4-a and PaPR4-b exhibited improved resistance to fungal infection. The study can provide a basis for further molecular mechanistic insights into PR4-induced defense responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shoot blight of Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis caused by Arthrinium phaeospermum made bamboo die in a large area, resulting in serious ecological and economic losses. Dual RNA-seq was used to sequence and analyze the transcriptome data of A. phaeospermum and B. pervariabilis × D. grandis in the four periods after the pathogen infected the host and to screen the candidate effectors of the pathogen related to the infection. After the identification of the effectors by the tobacco transient expression system, the functions of these effectors were verified by gene knockout. Fifty-three differentially expressed candidate effectors were obtained by differential gene expression analysis and effector prediction. Among them, the effectors ApCE12 and ApCE22 can cause programmed cell death in tobacco. The disease index of B. pervariabilis × D. grandis inoculated with mutant ΔApCE12 and mutant ΔApCE22 strains were 52.5% and 47.5%, respectively, which was significantly lower than that of the wild-type strains (80%), the ApCE12 complementary strain (77.5%), and the ApCE22 complementary strain (75%). The tolerance of the mutant ΔApCE12 and mutant ΔApCE22 strains to H2O2 and NaCl stress was significantly lower than that of the wild-type strain and the ApCE12 complementary and ApCE22 complementary strains, but there was no difference in their tolerance to Congo red. Therefore, this study shows that the effectors ApCE12 and ApCE22 play an important role in A. phaeospermum virulence and response to H2O2 and NaCl stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus velezensis is a known antifungal bacteria. To understand the role of β-1, 3-1, 4-glucanase played on B. velezensis about the mechanism which exerts effect on fungi, we isolated and cloned the β-1, 3-1, 4-glucanase gene ( Bglu1) from B. velezensis ZJ20. The Bglu1 open reading frame was 732 bp that encoded a protein with 243 amino acids and a calculated molecular weight of 27.3 kDa. The same gene without the signal peptide, termed Bglu2, was also cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21. Among the two variants, only Bglu2 protein was expressed. Purified Bglu2 could be eluted with imidazole solution at concentrations ranging from 100 to 500 mM although the highest expression was observed at 150 and 200 mM and the purest was at 500 mM. In addition, activity of the crude enzyme was 1527 U ml and the highest activity of the purified enzyme was 1706 U ml. The purified β-1, 3-1, 4-glucanase had activity on a wide range of pH and temperatures and displayed optimal activity at pH 5.0 and 35 °C. More importantly, the mycelial morphology of three pathogenic fungi was destroyed by the purified β-1, 3-1, 4-glucanase. In conclusion, β-1, 3-1, 4-glucanase from B. velezensis ZJ20 can be highly expressed in E. coli BL21 and the recombinant protein is pathogenic to fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis shoot blight caused by Arthrinium phaeospermum is a fungal disease that has affected a large area in China in recent years. However, it is not clear which genes are responsible for the disease resistance of B. pervariabilis × D. grandis. Based on the analysis of transcriptome and proteome data, two genes, CCoAOMT2 and CAD5, which may be involved in disease resistance, were screened. Two gene expression-interfering varieties, COF RNAi and CAD RNAi were successfully obtained using RNAi technology. Quantitative real-time fluorescence (qRT-PCR) results showed that CCoAOMT2 gene, CAD5 gene and seven related genes expression was down-regulated in the transformed varieties. After inoculating pathogen spore suspension, the incidence and disease index of cof-RNAi and cad-RNAi transformed plants increased significantly. At the same time, it was found that the content of total lignin and flavonoids in the two transformed varieties were significantly lower than that of the wild-type. The subcellular localization results showed that both CCoAOMT2 and CAD5 were localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm. The above results confirm that the CCoAOMT2 and CAD5 genes are involved in the resistance of B. pervariabilis × D.grandis to shoot blight through regulating the synthesis of lignin and flavonoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Luzon Strait overflow is a deep current of dense water flowing persistently into the South China Sea (SCS) from the Pacific. It is the primary driving force of the deep SCS circulation and potentially influenced by ocean mass changes. Limited by the lengths of in situ observations, long‐term changes in the Luzon Strait overflow transport (LSOT) have not been ascertained. Based on 14 years of satellite‐based ocean bottom pressure (OBP) time series, here we provide an evidence of a weakening of the LSOT by −0.43 Sv decade−1 between 2003 and 2016. Moreover, both OBP data and mooring time series reveal a large annual cycle in the LSOT. The weakening trend in the LSOT may profoundly influence the deep SCS circulation, as well as heat and mass fluxes between the SCS and surrounding oceans. Plain Language Summary: Deep ocean circulation has been changed for recent decades. Limited by in situ observations, long‐term changes in the Luzon Strait overflow transport (LSOT) is unknown yet. However, it is of great importance as the LSOT is the main driving force of the deep South China Sea circulation. Based on 14‐year ocean bottom pressure data, here we initially provide a satellite‐based evidence on the LSOT changes and reveal a robust weakening trend of −0.43 Sv decade−1 in the LSOT over the past two decades. Key Points: A satellite‐based evidence on changes in the Luzon Strait overflow transport (LSOT) is initially provided and validated by mooring dataChanges in ocean bottom pressure reveal a robust weakening trend of −0.43 Sv decade−1 in the LSOT over the past two decadesAnnual variation is the dominant component in the LSOT and regulated by bottom pressure difference along and across the Luzon Strait [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Devastating fungi are one of the most important biotic factors associated with numerous infectious diseases not only in plants but in animals and humans too. Arthrinium rasikravindrae a devastating fungus is responsible for severe infections in a large number of host plants all over the world. In the present study, we analyzed the whole genome sequence of devastating fungus A. rasikravindrae strain AQZ-20, using Illumina Technology from the Novogene Bio-informatics Co., Ltd. Beijing, China. To identify associated annotation results, various corresponding functional annotations databases were utilized. The genome size was 48.24 MB with an N90 (scaffolds) length of 2,184,859 bp and encoded putative genes were 11,101, respectively. In addition, we evaluated the comparative genomic analyses with 4 fungal strains of Ascomycetes. Two related species showed a strong correlation while others exhibited a weak correlation with the A. rasikravindrae AQZ-20 fungus. This study is a discovery of the genome-scale assembly, as well as annotation for A. rasikravindrae. The results obtained from the whole genome sequencing and genomic resources developed in this study will contribute significantly to genetic improvement applications against diseases caused by A. rasikravindrae. In addition, the phylogenetic tree, followed by genomic RNA, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolic, as well as pathogenic data reported in current research will provide deep insight for further studies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the microbial diversity of the Indian Ocean has been extensively investigated, little is known about the community composition of microbes in the Southern Indian Ocean. In the present study, we divided 60 water column samples on the Ninety-East Ridge (NER) into five water masses according to the temperature-salinity curves. We presented, for the first time, a full description of the microbial biodiversity on NER through high-throughput amplicon sequencing approach, including bacteria, archaea, and fungi. We found that bacteria exhibited higher richness and diversity than archaea and fungi across the water masses on NER. More importantly, each water mass on NER featured distinct prokaryotic microbial communities, as indicated by the results of non-metric multidimensional scaling. In contrast, fungi were eurybathic across the water masses. Redundancy analysis results demonstrated that environmental factors might play a pivotal role in the formation and stability of prokaryotic communities in each water mass, especially that of archaea. In addition, indicator species might be used as fingerprints to identify corresponding water masses on NER. These results provide new insights into the vertical distribution, structure, and diversity of microorganisms on NER from the perspective of water mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southern coast of Java is known as one of the most productive fishing grounds for tuna, feeding by nutrient-rich water along the coast caused by the subsurface water upwelling. This primary productivity can be evidenced by the high sea surface chlorophyll-a concentration (SSC). Based on satellite remote sensing products, we investigate the multi-scale variability in SSC along the Sumatra-Java coast. The results show that seasonal variability of SSCs is primarily due to monsoon-driven upwelling and rainfall in the Indian Ocean and Indonesian seas sides of the Sumatra and Java Islands, respectively. Local Ekman pumping plays a secondary role, while rainfall input to the ocean has little effect. Coastally trapped Kelvin waves and mesoscale eddies are responsible for the intraseasonal SSC anomalies in regions along the south coast of Java and off the Sunda and Lombok Straits, respectively. The interannual variability in SSC is caused by the anomalous upwelling related to the Indian Ocean Dipole. There was a weak increasing trend of ~0.1–0.2 mg/m3 per decade, above the global averaged trend, which may be related to enhanced local Ekman pumping. These analyses provide an overall description of SSC variations based on satellite observations; however, further investigations based on in situ observations are needed to achieve better quantification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Enhanced diapycnal mixing in SCS generates a three-layer flow in Luzon Strait. • The three-layer potential vorticity flux induces a sandwiched circulation in SCS. • Circulation in the upper layer varies more frequently than that in the lower layers. • The seasonal variability of the SCS circulation in the lower layers is disputable. The South China Sea (SCS) is a semi-enclosed ocean basin, with its sole deepwater renewal channel in the northeast, the Luzon Strait, connected to the northwestern Pacific. The circulation in the SCS is endowed with a distinctive multi-layer structure, which is influenced by the seasonally reversing Southeast Asian monsoon at the surface, modulated Kuroshio intrusion in the upper layer, and enhanced diapycnal mixing and persistent Luzon Strait deepwater overflow in the deep layer. After being diapycnally mixed by energetic internal tides, internal waves, and mesoscale eddies, waters entering the SCS in the upper and deep layers through the Luzon Strait are returned to the northwestern Pacific in the intermediate layer. This inflow-outflow-inflow structure in vertical induces net inflows of potential vorticity in the upper and deep layers and a net outflow of potential vorticity in the intermediate layer of the Luzon Strait, which are believed to be closely related with the circulation structure in the SCS. A sandwiched circulation in the SCS, namely, anticyclonic in the intermediate layer and cyclonic in the upper and deeper layers, was recently reported, but controversial issues still remain on its spatial pattern and temporal variability. To ascertain this sandwiched circulation and reveal its driving mechanism is of much scientific interest to the on-going discussion on the SCS circulation and its role in regional climate. Different from previous review articles focusing on eddies or circulation in a specific layer or area, we overview the full-depth circulation of the SCS layer-by-layer and outline its possible forcing mechanisms, and furthermore, provide perspectives for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of bottom-up factors (resource, hydrography, and environmental factors) on the phytoplankton and tintinnid microzooplankton communities, the research voyage was conducted in September 2017 at the East China Sea. An aggregate of 273 taxa of phytoplankton and 65 taxa of tintinnids were identified. Diatoms and dinoflagellates were the major groups of phytoplankton observed while the chain-forming diatoms were the most dominant group present in the study area. The coastal water and Kuroshio water influenced the concentration of dissolved inorganic nutrients as well as phytoplankton abundance. The concentration of dissolved inorganic nutrients increased vertically with the water depth while the phytoplankton and tintinnid abundance diminished. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted to analyze the relationship between the planktonic community and the ecological components. The RDA analysis between phytoplankton abundance and nutrients concentration showed that phytoplankton abundance increased with the increase in concentration of ammonium while a negative relationship was observed between phytoplankton abundance and nitrate, phosphate, and silicate. There was a significant positive correlation between the tintinnid microzooplankton and nanophytoplankton abundance as well as in their species richness which indicated that the tintinnid community depended upon nanophytoplankton for their feeding habit and growth rather than nutrients. • Coastal water and Kuroshio water influence the concentrations of dissolved inorganic nutrients. • The concentration of dissolved inorganic nutrients increased vertically with the water depth while the phytoplankton and tintinnid abundance diminished. • Phytoplankton have a negative correlation with the concentrations of nitrate, phosphate, and silicate • There is a strong correlation between phytoplankton and N:P ratios while the N:Si ratios don't have any correlation with the phytoplankton abundance. • Tintinnid microzooplankton shows a significant positive correlation with the nanophytoplankton abundance as well as in their species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the occurrence and severity of soil-borne diseases are strongly season-dependent, the ecological processes that shift plant microbiome compositions and functions upon pathogen infection in different seasons are rarely studied. In this study, we compared the differences in fungal and bacterial communities in rhizosphere soil between healthy and diseased bamboo plants throughout the four seasons at the main bamboo production site in China and investigated how basal rot disease caused by Fusarium proliferatum affected the composition, structure and ecological functions of rhizosphere-associated microorganisms. The results showed that diseased bamboo plants enriched the highest abundance of Fusarium genus in rhizosphere soil while receiving largely increased stem lesion area in summer. Microbiome analysis further proved that healthy bamboo plants harbored more ecologically beneficial microbial taxa that might function as biological protectants in their rhizosphere soil than diseased plants at the same season. Three individual strains with biocontrol potentials were further isolated and identified as Trichoderma spirale, Bacillus velezensis and Streptomyces mirabilis. The antagonistic tests further demonstrated their inhibition effects on the growth and pathogenicity of the pathogenic fungus F. proliferatum in vitro and in vivo. This study advances our understanding of soil-borne pathogen mediated changes in microbiome structure and function in plant rhizosphere soil and provides potential biocontrol strains for increasing plant resistance against basal rot disease. • The rhizosphere soil of diseased plants enriched the highest abundance of Fusarium genus in summer. • The stem lesion area of diseased plants was largely increased in summer. • Healthy plants harbored more ecologically beneficial microbes than diseased plants. • The biocontrol strains were identified as Trichoderma spirale, Bacillus velezensis and Streptomyces mirabilis. • The antagonistic effects of the strains against pathogen were tested in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination status and transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the seawater of the Indian Ocean (IO) and an adjacent subregion of the Northwest Pacific Ocean (NWPO) were investigated. Eight legacy PFASs were widely distributed in the surface seawater, and perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were the two predominant PFASs. ΣPFAS concentration decreased in the following order: NWPO>Joining area of Asia and Indian-Pacific Oceans (JAIPO)>Northeast Indian Ocean>Southwest Indian Ocean. Hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid, a replacement surfactant for PFOA was extensively detected in the IO (~34.8 pg/L) for the first time, showing an early sign of emerging PFAS spread in global open oceans. Eight depth profiles across the JAIPO (down to 5433 m depth) revealed a "surface-enrichment" and "depth-depletion" pattern for PFASs in the water column, and two noticeable fluctuations were mainly located at depths of 150–200 and 200–500 m. Physical processes, including eddy diffusion, and the origin and trajectory of water mass were crucial factors for structuring PFAS vertical profiles. Mass transport estimates revealed a remarkable PFOA contribution through the JAIPO to IO carried by the Indonesian Throughflow, and a nonnegligible PFHpA contribution from Antarctic Immediate Water to deep water of the JAIPO driven by thermohaline circulation. [Display omitted] This study clarified that legacy and emerging PFASs in the different open areas of the Indian Ocean (IO), contributing to the understanding of the contamination status, transport, and interbasin exchange of PFASs in global open oceans. HFPO-DA was extensively detected in the IO, showing an early sign of emerging PFASs spread in global open oceans. Our results demonstrated the effect of physical processes, including oceanic circulation, eddy diffusion, and origin and trajectory of water mass, on the structuring of large-scale transport and fate of PFASs and found the remarkable contribution of PFASs from the Pacific Ocean to the IO. • The total PFASs concentration decreased in an order of NWPO>JAIPO>NWIO>SWIO. • PFOA and PFHpA contamination in the Indian Ocean are more prominent than PFOS. • HFPO-DA are detected extensively for the first time in the Indian Ocean. • PFASs vertical profiles show a "surface-enrichment and depth-depletion" pattern. • A remarkable PFOA contribution from the JAIPO to the Indian Ocean is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-inertial currents (SICs) over the continental shelf of the northern South China Sea (NSCS) are investigated using the in-situ current observations of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) mooring arrays off the Pearl River Estuary in 2006 and 2007. The survey was carried out in four separate time periods: summer, winter, spring (before the onset of the southwesterly monsoon), and fall (after the establishment of the northeasterly monsoon). The observations showed that the current directions were generally along the shelf, consistent with the directions of monsoonal winds. The currents were also affected by a few of mesoscale eddy events. In summer 2006, the volume transport was northeastward with a mean magnitude of 1.4 Sv through a cross-shelf section from the site of the depth of 135 m to the coast; in winter 2006/2007, spring 2007 and fall 2007, the volume transports were all southwestward with magnitudes of 2.0, 2.1, and 0.9 Sv, respectively, through a cross-shelf section from the site of the depth of 290 m to the coast. The standard deviations of the SICs were generally smaller than the velocities of the mean currents, and the variability of SICs showed significant correlation with the local sea surface winds. No persistent counter-wind currents were observed in the study area during the fall and winter observational periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arthrinium phaeospermum can cause branch wilting of Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis, causing great economic losses and ecological damage. A. phaeospermum was sequenced in sterile deionized water (CK), rice tissue (T1) and B. pervariabilis × D. grandis (T2) fluid by RNA-Seq, and the function of Ctf1β 1 and Ctf1β 2 was verified by gene knockout. There were 424, 471 and 396 differentially expressed genes between the T2 and CK, T2 and T1, and CK and T1 groups, respectively. Thirty DEGs had verified the change in expression by fluorescent quantitative PCR. Twenty-nine DEGs were the same as the expression level in RNA-Seq. In addition, ΔApCtf1β 1 and ΔApCtf1β 2 showed weaker virulence by gene knockout, and the complementary strains Ctf1β 1 and Ctf1β 2 showed the same virulence as the wild-type strains. Relative growth inhibition of ΔApCtf1β 1 and ΔApCtf1β was significantly decreased by 21.4% and 19.2%, respectively, by adding H2O2 compared to the estimates from the wild-type strain and decreased by 25% and 19.4%, respectively, by adding Congo red. The disease index of B. pervariabilis × D. grandis infected by two mutants was significantly lower than that of wild type. This suggested that Ctf1β genes are required for the stress response and virulence of A. phaeospermum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a practical method to optimize in-building section of centralized Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) systems which consist of indoor air loops and chilled water loops. First, through component characteristic analysis, mathematical models associated with cooling loads and energy consumption for heat exchangers and energy consuming devices are established. By considering variation of cooling load of each end user, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is employed to model duct and pipe networks and obtain optimal differential pressure (DP) set points based on limited sensor information. A mix-integer nonlinear constraint optimization of system energy is formulated and solved by a modified genetic algorithm. The main feature of our paper is a systematic approach in optimizing the overall system energy consumption rather than that of individual component. A simulation study for a typical centralized HVAC system is provided to compare the proposed optimization method with traditional ones. The results show that the proposed method indeed improves the system performance significantly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a model-based optimization strategy for the condenser water loop of centralized heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Through analyzing each component characteristics and interactions within and between cooling towers and chillers, the optimization problem is formulated as that of minimizing the total operating cost of all energy consuming devices with mechanical limitations, component interactions, outdoor environment and indoor cooling load demands as constraints. A modified genetic algorithm for this particular problem is proposed to obtain the optimal set points of the process. Simulations and experimental results on a centralized HVAC pilot plant show that the operating cost of the condenser water loop can be substantially reduced compared with conventional operation strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A total of 201,855,606 Clean reads and 22.4 G data were obtained. • 6375 and 2024 differentially expressed genes were annotated in several databases. • DEGs included secondary metabolites of flavonoids, lignin synthesis, calmodulin, etc. • The synthesis of lignin, phytoprotegerin and oxidoreductase in D-J and S-J increased. • 29 genes in RT-qPCR were consistent with those of transcriptome sequencing. Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis , a fast-growing and easily propagated bamboo species, has been extensively planted in the southern China, resulting in huge ecological benefits. In recent years, it was found that the pathogenic fungus Arthrinium phaeospermum caused the death of a large amount of bamboo. In this study, the transcriptome of B. pervariabilis × D. grandis , induced by inactivated protein AP-toxin from A. phaeospermum was sequenced and analyzed, to reveal the resistance mechanism induced by biotic agents of B. pervariabilis × D. grandis against A. phaeospermum at the gene level. Transcriptome sequencing was performed by Illumina HiSeq 2000 in order to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of B. pervariabilis × D. grandis in response to different treatment conditions. In total, 201,875,606 clean reads were obtained, and the percentage of Q30 bases in each sample was more than 94.21%. There were 6398 DEGs in the D-J group (inoculation with a pathogenic spore suspension after three days of AP-toxin induction) compared to the S-J group (inoculation with a pathogenic spore suspension after inoculation of sterile water for three days) with 3297 up-regulated and 3101 down-regulated genes. For the D-S group (inoculation with sterile water after inoculation of AP-toxin for three days), there were 2032 DEGs in comparison to the S-S group (inoculation with sterile water only), with 1035 up-regulated genes and 997 down-regulated genes. These identified genes were mainly involved in lignin and phytoprotein synthesis, tetrapyrrole synthesis, redox reactions, photosynthesis, and other processes. The fluorescence quantitative results showed that 22 pairs of primer amplification products were up-regulated and 7 were down-regulated. The rate of similarity between these results and the sequencing results of the transcription group was 100%, which confirmed the authenticity of the transcriptome sequencing results. Redox proteins, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, and S-adenosine-L-methionine synthetase, among others, were highly expressed; these results may indicate the level of disease resistance of the bamboo. These results provide a foundation for the further exploration of resistance genes and their functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]