Molecular mapping of quantitative trait loci for three kernel-related traits in maize using a double haploid population

Kernel size and kernel weight are important factors possibly involved in the determination of grain yield in maize, so identifying the genetic basis of kernel-related traits provides insights into the breeding of high-yield maize varieties. Kernel length (KL), kernel width (KW) and hundred kernel weight (HKW) were evaluated in three various planting conditions for the 240 field-grown double haploid (DH) lines derived from the single-cross hybrid Xianyu335. Variations in KL, KW and HKW were observed among DH lines, and all three traits showed a broad sense heritability of 76%. A total of 964 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the MaizeSNP3072 chip was utilised to create a high-density genetic map of 1546.4 cM and to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Using composite interval mapping, a total of five, seven and five QTLs have been mapped for KL, KW and HKW, respectively. qkl1-2 and qkl4-1 explained 17.8% and 14.2% of the phenotypic variation in KL, respectively, and the other three QTLs contributed 3.2–4.0%. The phenotypic variation explained (PVE) of seven QTLs responsible for KW ranged from 3.3 to 9.5%. Three QTLs for HKW, qhkw1, qhkw5 and qhkw10 each explained more than 10% of the phenotypic variation, and qhkw4 and qhkw9 accounted for 3.0% and 6.0%, respectively. Due to their detection in multiple planting environments, the loci mapped here appear to be potential targets for the improvement of maize grain yield.     

Multi-actor multi-criteria sustainability assessment framework for energy and industrial systems in life cycle perspective under uncertainties. Part 1: weighting method

Purpose

Life cycle sustainability assessment is meaningful for the decision-makers/stakeholders to select the most sustainable option among multiple alternatives; however, there are usually various severe uncertainty problems in sustainability-oriented decision-making, i.e., the vagueness and ambiguity that existed in human judgments and the lack of information. This study aims at developing a novel life cycle multi-criteria sustainability assessment method for helping the decision-makers/stakeholders to determine the sustainability level of the industrial and energy systems. In part 1, an improved interval analytic hierarchy process (AHP) which allows multiple decision-makers/stakeholders to participate in the decision-making was developed to determine the weights of the criteria which were used in life cycle sustainability assessment.

Methods

It is usually difficult for the decision-makers/stakeholders to use the numbers from 1 to 9 and their reciprocals for determining the comparison matrix when using the traditional AHP method for weight calculation, because human judgments usually involve various uncertainties. In order to the overcome this weak point of the traditional AHP, an improved AHP, so-called interval AHP, in which, multiple decision-makers/stakeholders are allowed to participate in the decision-making and allowed to use interval numbers instead of crisp numbers to establish the comparison matrix for determining the weights of the criteria for life cycle sustainability assessment, has been developed.

Results and discussion

The proposed method was used to determine the weights of the four aspects for life cycle sustainability assessment including economic, safety, social, and environmental aspects. Five representative stakeholders were invited to participate in the decision-making. After Monte Carlo simulation, the final weights of the four aspects have been determined with the proposed interval AHP.

Conclusions and perspectives

An interval AHP method was developed for determining the weights of the criteria for life cycle sustainability assessment; the decision-makers are allowed to use interval numbers to establish the comparison matrix for weight calculation. The weighting coefficients determined by Monte Carlo method can accurately reflect the preferences and willingness of multi-actor comparing with the traditional AHP method. This paper merely presents a novel method to calculate the weights of the criteria for life cycle sustainability assessment, but the method for determining the sustainability performance has been presented in part 2.

     

The Combined Effects of Moss-Dominated Biocrusts and Vegetation on Erosion and Soil Moisture and Implications for Disturbance on the Loess Plateau,China

Biological soil crusts (BSCs, or biocrusts) have important positive ecological functions such as erosion control and soil fertility improvement, and they may also have negative effects on soil moisture in some cases. Simultaneous discussions of the two-sided impacts of BSCs are key to the rational use of this resource. This study focused on the contribution of BSCs while combining with specific types of vegetation to erosion reduction and their effects on soil moisture, and it addressed the feasibility of removal or raking disturbance. Twelve plots measuring 4 m × 2 m and six treatments (two plots for each) were established on a 15° slope in a small watershed in the Loess Plateau using BSCs, bare land (as a control, BL), Stipa bungeana Trin. (STBU), Caragana korshinskii Kom. (CAKO), STBU planted with BSCs (STBU+BSCs) and CAKO planted with BSCs (CAKO+BSCs). The runoff, soil loss and soil moisture to a depth of 3 m were measured throughout the rainy season (from June to September) of 2010. The results showed that BSCs significantly reduced runoff by 37.3% and soil loss by 81.0% and increased infiltration by 12.4% in comparison with BL. However, when combined with STBU or CAKO, BSCs only made negligible contributions to erosion control (a runoff reduction of 7.4% and 5.7% and a soil loss reduction of 0.7% and 0.3%). Generally, the soil moisture of the vegetation plots was lower in the upper layer than that of the BL plots, although when accompanied with a higher amount of infiltration, this soil moisture consumption phenomenon was much clearer when combining vegetation with BSCs. Because of the trivial contributions from BSCs to erosion control and the remaining exacerbated consumption of soil water, moderate disturbance by BSCs should be considered in plots with adequate vegetation cover to improve soil moisture levels without a significant erosion increase, which was implied to be necessary and feasible.     

氨氮对中华小长臂虾的急性毒性及非特异性免疫指标的影响

采用生物毒性实验方法研究了氨氮对中华小长臂虾的急性毒性作用, 结果表明: 在温度为(18±1)℃, pH为7.3±0.1条件下, 氨氮对中华小长臂虾24h、48h、72h、96h 的半致死浓度(LC₅₀)分别为565.47、371.16、291.16和272.50 mg/L, 安全浓度为 27.25 mg/L。转化为非离子氨的LC₅₀分别为3.74、2.45、1.93 和1.80 mg/L, 安全浓度为0.18 mg/L。根据96h 的LC₅₀和安全浓度按照等差数列设置5个氨氮浓度梯度, 分别60、100、140、180和220 mg/L, 研究氨氮胁迫对中华小长臂虾非特异性免疫指标的影响。结果显示: 在24h时, 除了220 mg/L的肌肉组织, 中华小长臂虾肝胰腺和肌肉中的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性显著性高于对照组, 并具有明显的剂量效应, 在48—96h均回落到正常水平; 在24h时, 中华小长臂虾氨氮处理组中肝胰腺的酸性磷酸酶(ACP)与对照组未发生显著变化, 而碱性磷酸酶(AKP)则显著高于对照组, 在48—96h两者的140、180和220 mg/L处理组均显著低于对照组; 除了140 mg/L 处理组的ACP活性外, 肌肉中的ACP和AKP活性从24h开始就出现了显著性下降, 始终低于对照组。研究获得了氨氮对中华小长臂虾的急性毒性结果和在高氨氮胁迫下非特异性免疫指标的变化规律, 发现中华小长臂虾对氨氮具有较强的耐受性, 但高浓度的氨氮会对中华小长臂虾的免疫酶活性产生抑制作用, 研究结果可为中华小长臂虾健康养殖发展提供科学依据。     

MoS2‐Based All‐Purpose Fibrous Electrode and Self‐Powering Energy Fiber for Efficient Energy Harvesting and Storage

Here an all‐purpose fibrous electrode based on MoS₂ is demonstrated, which can be employed for versatile energy harvesting and storage applications. In this coaxial electrode, ultrathin MoS₂ nanofilms are grown on TiO₂ nanoparticles coated carbon fiber. The high electrochemical activity of MoS₂ and good conductivity of carbon fiber synergistically lead to the remarkable performances of this novel composite electrode in fibrous dye‐sensitized solar cells (showing a record‐breaking conversion efficiency of 9.5%) and high‐capacity fibrous supercapacitors. Furthermore, a self‐powering energy fiber is fabricated by combining a fibrous dye‐sensitized solar cell and a fibrous supercapacitor into a single device, showing very fast charging capability (charging in 7 s under AM1.5G solar illumination) and an overall photochemical‐electricity energy conversion efficiency as high as 1.8%. In addition, this wire‐shaped electrode can also be used for fibrous Li‐ion batteries and electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions. These applications indicate that the MoS₂‐based all‐purpose fibrous electrode has great potential for the construction of high‐performance flexible and wearable energy devices.