History and Prospects for the Application of X-Ray Diffraction Analysis in Seed Breeding and Seed Study

Introduction. X-ray analysis has been applied for visualizing the internal structure of various objects for over 100 years. However, this method began to be used for assessing the quality of plant seeds only in the early 1980s. The main impediment was a lack of specialized instruments, particularly X-ray sources, that could provide informative images. Advancements in the field of microfocus radiography allowed significant results to be achieved, including the preparation of the National Standard GOST R 596032021 "Agricultural Seeds. Methods of digital radiography".Aim. An analytical review of Russian research studies in the field of X-ray diffraction analysis of plant seeds.Materials and methods. Key stages in the development of microfocus X-ray diffraction analysis of seeds and individual parts of plants for agricultural and other purposes are considered. The design of instruments, including digital ones, created for the implementation of the method are described.Results. In order to obtain informative X-ray diffraction images of plant seeds, which objects are generally characterized by small sizes and small density, the focal spot of the X-ray tube should not exceed several tens of microns under the voltage of not higher than several tens of kilovolts. As a system for visualizing a latent X-ray image, it is preferable to use image receivers based on a screen with a photostimulated phosphor or flat-panel solid-state X-ray detectors. These instruments have been successfully used to identify and describe the radiographic signs of a normal seed and nine main types of defects for 600 plant species.Conclusion. In comparison with the conventional contact radiography, microfocus radiography produces X-ray images of seeds with a projection magnification of the image up to several tens of times. Such images permit highly detailed visualization of the structure of seeds that differ slightly in density.

Analysis of the possibility for seismic early warning in the Balkan Peninsula

This study analyses the possibility for seismic early warning (EW) in the Balkan Peninsula. A number of characteristics of seismic record were evaluated for EW utility. Some tests checked the possibility to locate events reliably by Golitsyn’s method, using one seismic station (SS). The distance and relevant travel time from some crustal faults to the nearest SS and big towns were appraised. EW procedures for most of the seismic zones in the Balkan Peninsula are not reliable, excepting the Vrancea zone, because of the small density of the SS, crustal depth of the earthquakes and fault crowdedness of the region.

Omics for the Improvement of Abiotic, Biotic, and Agronomic Traits in Major Cereal Crops: Applications, Challenges, and Prospects

Omics technologies, namely genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics, are becoming an integral part of virtually every commercial cereal crop breeding program, as they provide substantial dividends per unit time in both pre-breeding and breeding phases. Continuous advances in omics assure time efficiency and cost benefits to improve cereal crops. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the established omics methods in five major cereals, namely rice, sorghum, maize, barley, and bread wheat. We cover the evolution of technologies in each omics section independently and concentrate on their use to improve economically important agronomic as well as biotic and abiotic stress-related traits. Advancements in the (1) identification, mapping, and sequencing of molecular/structural variants; (2) high-density transcriptomics data to study gene expression patterns; (3) global and targeted proteome profiling to study protein structure and interaction; (4) metabolomic profiling to quantify organ-level, small-density metabolites, and their composition; and (5) high-resolution, high-throughput, image-based phenomics approaches are surveyed in this review.

Acoustic oscillations in cigar-shaped logarithmic Bose–Einstein condensate in the Thomas–Fermi approximation

We consider the dynamical properties of density fluctuations in the cigar-shaped Bose–Einstein condensate described by the logarithmic wave equation with a constant nonlinear coupling by using the Thomas–Fermi and linear approximations. It is shown that the propagation of small density fluctuations along the long axis of a condensed lump in a strongly anisotropic trap is essentially one-dimensional, while the trapping potential can be disregarded in the linear regime. Depending on the sign of nonlinear coupling, the fluctuations either take the form of translationally symmetric pulses and standing waves or become oscillations with varying amplitudes. We also study the condensate in an axial harmonic trap, by using elasticity theory’s notions. Linear particle density and energy also behave differently depending on the nonlinear coupling’s value. If it is negative, the density monotonously grows along with lump’s radius, while energy is a monotonous function of density. For the positive coupling, the density is bound from above, whereas energy grows monotonously as a function of density until it reaches its global maximum.

Catalytic and Photocatalytic Electrospun Nanofibers for Hydrogen Generation from Ammonia Borane Complex: A Review

Hydrogen (H2) is a promising renewable energy source that can replace fossil fuels since it can solve several environmental and economic issues. However, the widespread usage of H2 is constrained by its storage and safety issues. Many researchers consider solid materials with an excellent capacity for H2 storage and generation as the solution for most H2-related issues. Among solid materials, ammonia borane (abbreviated hereafter as AB) is considered one of the best hydrogen storage materials due to its extraordinary H2 content and small density. However, the process must be conducted in the presence of efficient catalysts to obtain a reasonable amount of generated H2. Electrospun nanofibrous catalysts are a new class of efficient catalysts that involves the usage of polymers. Here, a comprehensive review of the ceramic-supported electrospun NF catalysts for AB hydrolysis is presented, with a special focus on catalytic and photolytic performance and preparation steps. Photocatalytic AB hydrolysis was discussed in detail due to its importance and promising results. AB photocatalytic hydrolysis mechanisms under light were also explained. Electrospun catalysts show excellent activity for AB hydrolysis with good recyclability. Kinetics studies show that the AB hydrolysis reaction is independent of AB concentration and the first-order reaction of NF catalysts.

Omics in Major Cereals: Applications, Challenges, and Prospects

Omics technologies, viz., genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics, are becoming an integral part of virtually every commercial cereal breeding program because they provide substantial dividends per unit time in both pre-breeding and breeding phases. Continuous advances in cereal-omics promise—in combination with time efficiency—the cost benefits. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the established cereal-omics methods in five major cereals, viz., rice, sorghum, maize, barley, and bread wheat. We cover the evolution of technologies in each omics section independently and concentrate on their use to improve economically important agronomic as well as biotic and abiotic stress-related traits. Advancements in the (1) identification, mapping, and sequencing of molecular/structural variants, (2) high-density transcriptomics data to study gene expression patterns, (3) global and targeted proteome profiling to study protein structure and interaction, (4) metabolomic profiling to quantify organ level small-density metabolites and their composition, and (5) high-resolution high-throughput image-based phenomics approaches are surveyed in this review.

Rinnenkarren systems and the development of their main channels

In this study, the development of rinnenkarren systems is analyzed. During the field studies, 36 rinnenkarren systems were investigated. The width and depth were measured at every 10 cm on the main channels and then shape was calculated to these places (the quotient of channel width and depth). Water flow was performed on artificial rinnenkarren system. A relation was looked for between the density of tributary channels and the average shape of the main channel, between the distance of tributary channels from each other and the shape of a given place of the main channel. The density and total length of the tributary channels on the lower and upper sections of the main channels being narrow at their lower end (11 pieces) and being wide at their lower end (10 pieces) of the rinnenkarren systems were calculated as well as their average proportional distance from the lower end of the main channel. The number of channel hollows was determined on the lower and upper sections of these main channels. It can be stated that the average shape of the main channel calculated to its total length depends on the density of the tributary channels and on the distance of tributary channels from each other. The main channel shape is smaller if less water flows on the floor for a long time because of the small density of the tributary channels and the great distance between the tributary channels. In this case, the channel deepens, but it does not widen. The width of the main channel depends on the number and location of the rivulets developing on channel-free relief. The main channel becomes narrow towards its lower end if the tributary rivulets are denser and longer on the upper part of the main rivulet developing on the channel-free, plain terrain and their distance is larger compared to the lower end. The channel hollows develop mainly at those places where the later developing tributary channels are hanging above the floor of the main channel. Thus, the former ones are younger than the latter ones. It can be stated that the morphology of the main channels (shape, channel hollows, and width changes of the main channel) is determined by the tributary channels (their number, location and age).