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Separators are key components that physically separate and chemically connect the anode and cathode to guarantee the safety and cycle stability of batteries. Herein, based on the building concept of a bird's nest, we have developed separators comprising SiO2 nanowires reinforced with poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF‐HFP). In particular, the hybrid separators with 39% of PVDF‐HFP exhibit much enhanced tensile strength, Young's moduli, flexibility, and elongation as a result of a strong crosslink effect, compared to bare SiO2 nanowire separator, while yet maintaining excellent electrolyte wettability, high ionic conductivity, and wide electrochemical window. Moreover, the hybrid separators also demonstrate excellent thermal stability and dendrite suppression capability. Lithium metal batteries assembled using the hybrid separators with LiFePO4 as the cathode achieve excellent rate performance and cyclic stability. The discharge capacities attained at a current density equivalent to 0.2 C and 2 C rate are 157 and 126 mAh g−1, respectively. A capacity of 99 mAh g−1 is still maintained at 2 C rate after 500 cycles. This study illuminates SiO2 nanowires reinforced with PVDF‐HFP as promising separators for high‐energy, high‐power and safe lithium batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hundred and forty-six highly polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of 196 peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) cultivars which had been extensively planted in different regions in China. These SSR markers amplified 440 polymorphic bands with an average of 2.99, and the average gene diversity index was 0.11. Eighty-six rare alleles with a frequency of less than 1% were identified in these cultivars. The largest Fst or genetic distance was found between the cultivars that adapted to the south regions and those to the north regions in China. A neighbor-joining tree of cultivars adapted to different ecological regions was constructed based on pairwise Nei’s genetic distances, which showed a significant difference between cultivars from the south and the north regions. A model-based population structure analysis divided these peanut cultivars into five subpopulations (P1a, P1b, P2, P3a and P3b). P1a and P1b included most the cultivars from the southern provinces including Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian. P2 population consisted of the cultivars from Hubei province and parts from Shandong and Henan. P3a and P3b had cultivars from the northern provinces including Shandong, Anhui, Henan, Hebei, Jiangsu and the Yangtze River region including Sichuan province. The cluster analysis, PCoA and PCA based on the marker genotypes, revealed five distinct clusters for the entire population that were related to their germplasm regions. The results indicated that there were obvious genetic variations between cultivars from the south and the north, and there were distinct genetic differentiation among individual cultivars from the south and the north. Taken together, these results provided a molecular basis for understanding genetic diversity of Chinese peanut cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ta-si RNA pathway is required for lateral organ development, including leaf patterning, flower differentiation and lateral root growth. Legumes can develop novel lateral root organs - nodules - resulting from symbiotic interactions with rhizobia. However, ta-si RNA regulation in nodule formation remains unknown. To explore ta-si RNA regulation in nodule formation, we investigated the roles of REL3, a key component of TAS3 ta-si RNA biogenesis, during nodulation in Lotus japonicus., We characterized the symbiotic phenotypes of the TAS3 ta-si RNA defective rel3 mutant, and analyzed the responses of the rel3 mutant to auxin and ethylene in order to gain insight into TAS3 ta-si RNA regulation of nodulation., The rel3 mutant produced fewer pink nitrogen-fixing nodules, with substantially decreased infection frequency and nodule initiation. Moreover, the rel3 mutant was more resistant than wild-type to 1-naphthaleneacetic acid ( NAA) and N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid ( NPA) in root growth, and exhibited insensitivity to auxins but greater sensitivity to auxin transport inhibitors during nodulation. Furthermore, the rel3 mutant has enhanced root-specific ethylene sensitivity and altered responses to ethylene during nodulation; the low-nodulating phenotype of the rel3 mutant can be restored by ethylene synthesis inhibitor L-α-(2-aminoethoxyvinyl)-glycine ( AVG) or action inhibitor Ag+., The REL3-mediated TAS3 ta-si RNA pathway regulates nodulation by integrating ethylene and auxin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ta-siRNA pathway is required for lateral organ development, including leaf patterning, flower differentiation and lateral root growth. Legumes can develop novel lateral root organs--nodules--resulting from symbiotic interactions with rhizobia. However, ta-siRNA regulation in nodule formation remains unknown. To explore ta-siRNA regulation in nodule formation, we investigated the roles of REL3, a key component of TAS3 ta-siRNA biogenesis, during nodulation in Lotus japonicus. We characterized the symbiotic phenotypes of the TAS3 ta-siRNA defective rel3 mutant, and analyzed the responses of the rel3 mutant to auxin and ethylene in order to gain insight into TAS3 ta-siRNA regulation of nodulation. The rel3 mutant produced fewer pink nitrogen-fixing nodules, with substantially decreased infection frequency and nodule initiation. Moreover, the rel3 mutant was more resistant than wild-type to 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) in root growth, and exhibited insensitivity to auxins but greater sensitivity to auxin transport inhibitors during nodulation. Furthermore, the rel3 mutant has enhanced root-specific ethylene sensitivity and altered responses to ethylene during nodulation; the low-nodulating phenotype of the rel3 mutant can be restored by ethylene synthesis inhibitor L-α-(2-aminoethoxyvinyl)-glycine (AVG) or action inhibitor Ag(+). The REL3-mediated TAS3 ta-siRNA pathway regulates nodulation by integrating ethylene and auxin signaling., (© 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.)