Revisiting Nyquist-Like Impedance-Based Criteria for Converter-Based AC Systems

Multiple types of Nyquist-like impedance-based criteria are utilized for the small-signal stability analysis of converter-based AC systems. It is usually considered that the determinant-based criterion can determine the overall stability of a system while the eigenvalue-based criterion can give more insights into the mechanism of the instability. This paper specifies such understandings starting with the zero-pole calculation of impedance matrices obtained by state-spaces with the Smith-McMillan form, then clarifying the absolute reliability of determinant-based criterion with the common assumption for impedance-based analysis that each subsystem can stably operate before the interconnection. However, ambiguities do exist for the eigenvalue-based criterion when an anticlockwise encirclement around the origin is observed in the Nyquist plot. To this end, a logarithmic derivative-based criterion to directly identify the system modes using the frequency responses of loop impedances is proposed, which owns a solid theoretical basis of the Schur complement of transfer function matrices. The theoretical analysis is validated using a PSCAD simulation of a grid-connected two-level voltage source converter.Comment: Accepted by CSEE JPE

A Simple and Low-Cost Strategy to Improve Conidial Yield and Stress Resistance of Trichoderma guizhouense through Optimizing Illumination Conditions

Light is perceived by photoreceptors in fungi and further integrated into the stress-activated MAPK HOG pathway, and thereby potentially activates the expression of genes for stress responses. This indicates that the precise control of light conditions can likely improve the conidial yield and stress resistance to guarantee the low cost and long shelf life of Trichoderma-based biocontrol agents and biofertilizers. In this study, effects of wavelengths and intensities of light on conidial yield and stress tolerance to osmotic, oxidative and pH stresses in Trichoderma guizhouense were investigated. We found that 2 μmol photons/(m$^{2}$ × s) of blue light increased the conidial yield more than 1000 folds as compared to dark condition and simultaneously enhanced conidial stress resistance. The enhanced conidial stress resistance is probably due to the upregulated stress-related genes in blue light, which is under the control of the blue light receptor BLR1 and the MAP kinase HOG1

The Critical Role of Potassium in Plant Stress Response

Abstract: Agricultural production continues to be constrained by a number of biotic and abiotic factors that can reduce crop yield quantity and quality. Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient that affects most of the biochemical and physiological processes that influence plant growth and metabolism. It also contributes to the survival of plants exposed to various biotic and abiotic stresses. The following review focuses on the emerging role of K in defending against a number of biotic and abiotic stresses, including diseases, pests, drought, salinity, cold and frost and waterlogging. The availability of K and its effects on plant growth, anatomy, morphology and plant metabolism are discussed. The physiological and molecular mechanisms of K function in plant stress resistance are reviewed. This article also evaluates the potential for improving plant stress resistance by modifying K fertilizer inputs and highlights the future needs for research about the role of K in agriculture

A complete chloroplast genome of bamboo cultivar Phyllostachys edulis f. bicolor (Poaceae: Bambusoideae)

Phyllostachys edulis f. bicolor, a beautiful ornamental bamboo species, is a new variant of P. edulis, with yellow stems and green grooves between nodes. In this study, we assembled and annotated the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of this variety for the first time. The complete cp genome size of P. edulis f. bicolor was 139,678 bp in length and a total of 130 unique genes were annotated, including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA encoding genes, and eight rRNA encoding genes. Phylogenetic analysis results provided evidence that P. edulis f. bicolor was closely related to P. edulis ‘heterocycla’. This study contributes to better understanding of intraspecific type evolution of P. edulis

Impacts of fertilization regimes on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) community composition were correlated with organic matter composition in maize rhizosphere soil

The understanding of the response of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community composition to fertilization is of great significance in sustainable agriculture. However, how fertilization influences AMF diversity and composition is not well established yet. A field experiment located in northeast China in typical black soil (Chernozem) was conducted and high-throughput sequencing approach was used to investigate the effects of different fertilizations on the variation of AMF community in the rhizosphere soil of maize crop. The results showed that AMF diversity in the maize rhizosphere was significantly altered by different fertilization regimes. As revealed by redundancy analysis, the application of organic manure was the most important factor impacting AMF community composition between samples with and without organic manure, followed by N fertilizer and P fertilizer inputs. Moreover, the organic matter composition in the rhizosphere, determined by GC-MS, was significantly altered by the organic manure amendment. Many of the chemical components displayed significant relationships with the AMF community composition according to the Mantel test, among those, 2-ethylnaphthalene explained the highest percentage (54.2%) of the variation. The relative contents of 2-ethylnaphthalene and 2, 6, 10-trimethyltetradecane had a negative correlation with Glomus relative abundance, while the relative content of 3-methylbiphenyl displayed a positive correlation with Rhizophagus. The co-occurrence patterns in treatments with and without organic manure amendment were analysed, and more hubs were detected in the network of soils with organic manure amendment. Additionally, three OTUs belonging to Glomerales were identified as hubs in all treatments, indicating these OTUs likely occupied broad ecological niches and were always active for mediating AMF species interaction in the maize rhizosphere. Taken together, impacts of fertilization regimes on AMF community composition were correlated with organic matter composition in maize rhizosphere soil and the application of manure could activate more AMF species to interact with other species in the maize rhizosphere. This knowledge can be valuable in regulating the symbiotic system of plants and AMF, maintaining the health and high yields of crops and providing a primary basis for rational fertilization