Insights into a hydration regulating system in Cupressus pollen grains

Background and Aims

Hydration, rupture and exine opening due to the sudden and large expansion of intine are typical of taxoid-type pollen grains. A hemispheric outgrowth external to the exine was observed on Cupressus and Juniperus pollen grains before the intine swelling and exine release. However, the actual existence of this permanent or temporary structure and its precise role in pollen hydration is still being debated. The aim of this paper is to collect information on the actual presence of this peculiar outgrowth on the surface of the Cupressus pollen grain, its structure, composition and function.

Methods

Pollen grains of several Cupressus species were observed using various techniques and methodologies, under light and fluorescence microscopy, phase-contrast microscopy, confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and an environmental scanning electron microscope. Observations were also performed on other species with taxoid-type pollen grains.

Key Results

A temporary structure located just above the pore was observed on Cupressus pollen grains, as well as on other taxoid-type pollens. It is hemispheric, layered, and consists of polysaccharides and proteins. The latter are confined to its inner part. Its presence seems to regulate the entrance of water into the grains at the beginning of pollen hydration.

Conclusions

The presence of a temporary structure over the pore of taxoid-type pollen grains was confirmed and its structure was resolved using several stains and observation techniques. This structure plays a role in the first phases of pollen hydration.     

Improving Structural Order for a High‐Performance Diketopyrrolopyrrole‐Based Polymer Solar Cell with a Thick Active Layer

A series of low‐bandgap polymers based on thienyl benzodithiophene (BDTT) and furan‐substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole (FDPP) units with different side chains are presented. By replacing the branched ethylhexyl group on the FDPP unit with linear side chains, the structural order and carrier mobility of the modified polymers are enhanced accordingly. The power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of single‐junction devices based on polymers of this series are improved from ≈5% to ≈7%. More importantly, devices made from the modified polymers show excellent photovoltaic performance with a thick active layer of up to 360 nm, a very promising characteristic for the industrial implementation of polymer solar cell devices.     

Highly Efficient Polymer Tandem Cells and Semitransparent Cells for Solar Energy

Highly efficient tandem and semitransparent (ST) polymer solar cells utilizing the same donor polymer blended with [6,6]‐phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₆₁BM) and [6,6]‐phenyl‐C₇₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM) as active layers are demonstrated. A high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.5% and a record high open‐circuit voltage of 1.71 V are achieved for a tandem cell based on a medium bandgap polymer poly(indacenodithiophene‐co‐phananthrene‐quinoxaline) (PIDT‐phanQ). In addition, this approach can also be applied to a low bandgap polymer poly[2,6‐(4,4‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)‐4H‐cyclopenta[2,1‐b;3,4‐b′]dithiophene)‐alt‐4,7‐(5‐fluoro‐2,1,3‐benzothia‐diazole)] (PCPDTFBT), and PCEs up to 7.9% are achieved. Due to the very thin total active layer thickness, a highly efficient ST tandem cell based on PIDT‐phanQ exhibits a high PCE of 7.4%, which is the highest value reported to date for a ST solar cell. The ST device also possesses a desirable average visible transmittance (≈40%) and an excellent color rendering index (≈100), permitting its use in power‐generating window applications.     

Inverted Tandem Polymer Solar Cells with Polyethylenimine‐Modified MoOX/Al2O3:ZnO Nanolaminate as the Charge Recombination Layers

A new charge recombination layer for inverted tandem polymer solar cells is reported. A bilayer of MoO_X/Al₂O₃:ZnO nanolaminate is shown to enable efficient charge recombination in inverted tandem cells. A polymer surface modification on the MoO_X/Al₂O₃:ZnO nanolaminate bilayer increases the work function contrast between the two outward surfaces of the charge recombination layer, further improving the performance of tandem solar cells. An analysis of the electrical, optical, and surface properties of the charge recombination layer is presented. Inverted tandem polymer solar cells, with two photoactive layers comprising poly (3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT):indene‐C₆₀ bisadduct (IC₆₀BA) for the bottom cell and poly[(4,8‐bis‐(2‐ethylhexyloxy)‐benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b']dithiophene)‐2,6‐diyl‐alt‐(4‐(2‐ethylhexanoyl)‐thieno[3,4‐b]thiophene))‐2,6‐diyl] (PBDTTT‐C):[6,6]‐phenyl C₆₁ butyric acid methyl ester (PC₆₀BM) for the top cell, yield an open‐circuit voltage of 1481 mV ± 15 mV, a short‐circuit current density of 7.1 mA cm^?2 ± 0.1 mA cm^?2, and a fill factor of 0.62 ± 0.01, resulting in a power conversion efficiency of 6.5% ± 0.1% under simulated AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm^?2 illumination.     

5种裸子植物花粉外壁成分及结构分析比较

利用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪对银杏、日本冷杉等5种裸子植物的花粉外壁成分进行测定分析,结果表明,这5种裸子植物花粉外壁的红外光谱主要由蛋白质、脂类及多糖类物质的特征吸收峰组成。但不同科属间的花粉外壁主要成分含量存在较大差异,其中银杏科的银杏花粉外壁以蛋白质含量最为丰富;松科的雪松花粉外壁以脂类物质较为丰富;杉科的日本冷杉、杉木和日本柳杉花粉外壁成分以多糖类物质为主,但种间花粉外壁成分仍存在差异。采用扫描电镜观察5种裸子植物花粉,显示银杏、柳杉和杉木花粉粒体积较小,不具气囊,银杏花粉粒外壁表面具较均一条纹状纹饰,日本柳杉和杉木花粉粒外壁具颗粒状突起。雪松和日本冷杉花粉粒具气囊,体积较大,花粉外壁分别是粗糙具小穴状纹理以及表面光滑具微穿孔。     

Screening the ability of rice roots to overcome the mechanical impedance of wax layers: importance of test conditions and measurement criteria

The development of a wax layer method for screening the ability of rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots to overcome mechanical impedance is described. Wax layers (3 mm thick) made of mixtures of white soft paraffin and paraffin wax were installed 50 mm deep in tubes of sand. The sand was watered with nutrient solution and planted with 3-d old rice seedlings. The numbers of root axes per plant that had penetrated the wax layers 24 d after planting were counted. The ratio of penetrated to total root axes per plant gave a misleading measure of root penetration ability, as rice varieties differed in the ratio of penetrated to total axes in a low impedance (3% wax) control. In non-flooded conditions, a 60% wax layer decreased root penetration (number of roots penetrating the wax layer per plant) to a mean of 74% of the low impedance control, whereas an 80% wax layer decreased mean root penetration to 31% of the control. The best measure of root penetration in non-flooded conditions was the number of axes penetrating an 80% wax layer. Flooding decreased root penetration of a 60% wax layer to a mean of 26% of the low impedance control. The best measure of root penetration in flooded conditions was the number of axes penetrating a 60% wax layer.     

High frequency plant regeneration from thin cell layer explants of Brassica napus

Explants composed of the epidermis and 4–9 layers of subepidermal cells were excised from internodes of Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera cv. Westar and cultured on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The three or four terminal internodes excised from plants at an early stage (before any flower buds had opened) were shown to be the best explant source. Both cytokinin and auxin were required for induction of shoot organogenesis. Of six auxins tested, only naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) was effective in shoot bud initiation. All four cytokinins tested (when associated with 0.5 mgl^-1 NAA) promoted organogenesis, but at differing frequencies. The highest shoot induction frequency was obtained at 10–15 mgl^-1 benzyladenine (BA). The organogenic response was strongly affected by the nitrogen content of the medium. The best response was observed when NO₃ ^- was the sole nitrogen source (supplied as KNO₃) in the range 30–90 mM. Sucrose and glucose were equally supportive in shoot regeneration with the optimal levels at 0.12 M and 0.15 M, respectively. Shoots were rooted on medium free of growth regulators and mature plants were grown in the greenhouse. Plants were also recovered from leafy structures which differed morphologically and histologically from shoot buds.     

14种石斛属(兰科)植物的花粉团形态及分类学意义

利用体式显微镜和扫描电镜观察了14种石斛的花粉团形态及其表面纹饰超微特征,为该属的物种划分和系统演化提供花粉形态证据。解剖镜下,14种石斛的花药里有4枚花粉团,表面金黄油亮呈蜡质,质地坚硬。根据每种石斛的4枚花粉团的总体轮廓形态和大小,可分为3种形态(心形、近心形和长心形)和4种类型(极小花粉团,小花粉团,大花粉团和超大花粉团)。根据单个花粉团边界轮廓的曲直,可将其分为4种类型(月牙型、弓型、棍状和米粒型)。扫描电镜下,14种石斛的花粉团表面纹饰类型有5种(光滑平整型、光滑带丝状突起型、光滑不平整型、粗网纹状型和皱波状型),在广东石斛和球花石斛的花粉团表面观察到晶体的存在。花粉团的形态大小和外壁纹饰特征在种间变化明显,对澄清石斛属的分类学问题有一定意义。     

Assessment of trends in predation pressure on insects across temperate forest microhabitats

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