Perturbations of bounce inflation scenario from f(T)f(T) modified gravity revisited

In this work, we revisit the perturbations that are generated in the bounce inflation scenario constructed within the framework of $f(T)$ theory. It has been well known that pure $f(T)$ theory cannot give rise to bounce inflation behavior, so aside from the gravity part, we also employ a canonical scalar field for minimal extension. We calculate the perturbations in $f(T)$ theory using the well-established ADM formalism, and find various conditions to avoid their pathologies. We find that it is indeed very difficult to obtain a healthy model without those pathologies, however, one may find a way out if a potential requirement, say, to keep every function continuous, is abandoned.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figures. Comments are welcom

Screw Thread-Like Platinum–Copper Nanowires Bounded with High-Index Facets for Efficient Electrocatalysis

Introducing high-index facets into nanocrystals (NCs) is an effective way for boosting the electrocatalytic intrinsic activity. However, the established NCs with high-index facets usually have a big diameter, which makes them exhibit a very limited surface area, thus finally limited mass activity. To embody the advantage of high-index facets in enhancing electrocatalysis well, the better nanostructures should meet the requirement of both high surface area and high-density high-index facets. Herein, we report our important advances in making the unique three-dimensional screw thread-like platinum–copper (Pt–Cu) alloy nanowires (NWs) with high-density high-index facets and controlled composition. Such special NWs with a high surface area of 46.90 m² g^–1 exhibit much better performance than the PtCu nanoparticles (NPs) in alcohol electrooxidations. This work opens a new way for maximizing the electrocatalytic performance by introducing high-index facets into high-surface-area stable bimetallic NWs

Trimetallic PtSnRh Wavy Nanowires as Efficient Nanoelectrocatalysts for Alcohol Electrooxidation

The design and creation of efficient catalysts for alcohol oxidation reaction has attracted great research attention because alcohols are promising fuels for direct fuel cell reactions because of their high energy density, easy storage, and transportation. We herein report an efficient strategy that allows the preparation of ternary PtSnM (M = Co, Ni, and Rh) wavy nanowires (WNWs) with ultrathin diameter of only around 2 nm and tunable compositions in high yield. Detailed catalytic studies show that all the ternary WNWs exhibit high performance for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), and their performance shows interesting composition-dependent electrocatalytic activity with PtSnRh WNWs having the best activity for both EOR and MOR. The PtSnRh WNWs are also more stable than commercial Pt/C catalyst, as revealed by long-time chronoamperometric (CA) measurements. The present work highlights the use of multimetallic WNWs as highly active and durable nanocatalysts in enhancing alcohol electrooxidation, which will open a new way in tuning 1D multimetallic nanostructures for boosting other fuel cell reactions, various heterogeneous reactions, and beyond

Additional file 2 of Pyramiding of Low Chalkiness QTLs Is an Effective Way to Reduce Rice Chalkiness

Supplementary Material 2: Table S1 QTLs for PGC and their position in the substitution segments in SSSLs. Table S2 Substitution segments carrying QTLs for PGC in pyramiding lines. Table S3 The phenotypes of rice chalkiness in 1QLs to 4QLs. Table S4 Additive effects of QTL combinations on PGC in 1QLs to 4QLs. Table S5 Epistatic effects of QTL combinations on PGC in pyramiding lines. Table S6 Average temperatures of 30 days after rice flowering in different cropping season

Additional file 1 of Pyramiding of Low Chalkiness QTLs Is an Effective Way to Reduce Rice Chalkiness

Supplementary Material 1: Fig. S1 QTLs for PGC and their positions in the substitution segments in SSSLs. Fig. S2 Development of pyramiding lines with different QTL combinations for PGC. Fig. S3 QTLs for PGC and their substitution segments in 2QLs. Fig. S4 QTLs for PGC and their substitution segments in 3QLs. Fig. S5 QTLs for PGC and their substitution segments in 4QL

GL9 from Oryza glumaepatula controls grain size and chalkiness in rice

Grain size is a key factor influencing grain yield and appearance quality in rice. We identified twelve quantitative trait loci (QTL) for grain length (GL), nine for grain width (GW), and nine for 1000-kernel weight (TKW) using GLU-SSSLs, which are single-segment substitution lines with Oryza glumaepatula as donor parent and Huajingxian 74 (HJX74) as recipient parent. Among the QTL, qGL1-2, qGL1-4, qGL9-2, qGW2-2, qGW9-1 and qTKW9-2 contributed to high grain yield. GL9 was identified as a candidate gene for qGL9-2 by map-based cloning and sequencing, and is a novel allele of GS9. The kernel of NIL-gl9 was slenderer and longer than that of HJX74, and the TKW and grain yield per plant of NIL-gl9 were higher than those of HJX74. The proportion of grain chalkiness of NIL-gl9 was much lower than that of HJX74. Thus, gl9 increased grain yield and appearance quality simultaneously. Three pyramid lines, NIL-gs3/gl9, NIL-GW7/gl9 and NIL-gw8/gl9, were developed and the kernel of each was longer than that of the corresponding recipient parent lines. The gl9 allele may be beneficial for breeding rice varieties with high grain yield and good appearance quality

DataSheet_1_Grain shape is a factor affecting the stigma exsertion rate in rice.docx

Stigma exsertion rate (SER) is an index of outcrossing ability in rice and is a key trait of male sterile lines (MSLs) in hybrid rice. In this study, it was found that the maintainer lines carrying gs3 and gs3/gw8 showed higher SER. Single-segment substitution lines (SSSLs) carrying gs3, gw5, GW7 or gw8 genes for grain shape and gene pyramiding lines were used to reveal the relationship between grain shape and SER. The results showed that the grain shape regulatory genes had pleiotropic effects on SER. The SERs were affected by grain shapes including grain length, grain width and the ratio of length to width (RLW) not only in low SER background, but also in high SER background. The coefficients of determination (R2) between grain length and SER, grain width and SER, and grain RLW and SER were 0.78, 0.72, and 0.91 respectively. The grain RLW was the most important parameter affecting SER, and a larger grain RLW was beneficial to stigma exsertion. The pyramiding line PL-gs3/GW7/gw8 showed the largest grain RLW and the highest SER, which will be a fine breeding resource. Further research showed that the grain shape regulatory genes had pleiotropic effects on stigma shape, although the R2 values between grain shape and stigma shape, and stigma shape and SER were lower. Our results demonstrate that grain shape is a factor affecting SER in rice, in part by affecting stigma shape. This finding will be helpful for breeding MSLs with high SER in hybrid rice.</p

Table_1_Grain shape is a factor affecting the stigma exsertion rate in rice.xlsx

Stigma exsertion rate (SER) is an index of outcrossing ability in rice and is a key trait of male sterile lines (MSLs) in hybrid rice. In this study, it was found that the maintainer lines carrying gs3 and gs3/gw8 showed higher SER. Single-segment substitution lines (SSSLs) carrying gs3, gw5, GW7 or gw8 genes for grain shape and gene pyramiding lines were used to reveal the relationship between grain shape and SER. The results showed that the grain shape regulatory genes had pleiotropic effects on SER. The SERs were affected by grain shapes including grain length, grain width and the ratio of length to width (RLW) not only in low SER background, but also in high SER background. The coefficients of determination (R2) between grain length and SER, grain width and SER, and grain RLW and SER were 0.78, 0.72, and 0.91 respectively. The grain RLW was the most important parameter affecting SER, and a larger grain RLW was beneficial to stigma exsertion. The pyramiding line PL-gs3/GW7/gw8 showed the largest grain RLW and the highest SER, which will be a fine breeding resource. Further research showed that the grain shape regulatory genes had pleiotropic effects on stigma shape, although the R2 values between grain shape and stigma shape, and stigma shape and SER were lower. Our results demonstrate that grain shape is a factor affecting SER in rice, in part by affecting stigma shape. This finding will be helpful for breeding MSLs with high SER in hybrid rice.</p