•A daylighting model and an energy simulation model of the vacuum PV glazing were developed.•The applicability and limitation of the vacuum PV glazing in different climates were investigated.•The ...vacuum PV glazing improves the energy performance of typical PV glazing.•The vacuum PV glazing can balance the daylighting availability and visual comfort.•The reversed and the reversible vacuum PV glazing can enhance the potential of the application.
Amorphous silicon-based semi-transparent photovoltaic windows can produce renewable electricity and offer a certain amount of natural daylight for occupants. However, it has a deficiency as the absorbed solar energy would be partially transferred into additional cooling demand in summer. In this respect, a novel semi-transparent photovoltaic vacuum glazing is proposed to improve energy performance. The selection of appropriate glazing of an energy-efficient building should take into consideration the specific climate conditions. The daylighting behaviour of the glazing will also affect the daylighting performance as well as the lighting consumption. In this paper, the thermal performance, daylighting performance and overall energy performance of the proposed vacuum PV glazing in different climate regions have been investigated. A daylighting model was conducted by DAYSIM to evaluate the annual daylighting performance. It was found that the vacuum PV glazing can balance daylighting availability and visual comfort by providing sufficient daylight in the anterior half of the room and reducing daylight glare to the minimum level. The energy simulation by EnergyPlus demonstrated that the vacuum PV glazing has the energy-saving potential up to 43.4%, 66.0%, 48.8%, and 35.0% in Harbin, Beijing, Wuhan and Hong Kong, respectively. However, the applications of the vacuum glazing lead to additional cooling consumption in the moderate climate zone, such as Kunming. The results advanced the understanding on the applicability and limitation of the vacuum PV glazing in different climate backgrounds. Furthermore, the reversed and the reversible vacuum PV glazing were proposed to enhance the adaptability. The results suggest that the reversible vacuum PV glazing can act energy response in a more efficient way and fully utilize the energy-saving potential of the integration of the PV glazing and the vacuum glazing.
It was confirmed that simulated microgravity (SMG) led to ultrastructural alterations and apoptosis in many types of microvascular endothelial cells. However, whether SMG would also affect choroidal ...vascular endothelial cells (CVECs) remains unknown. This study was designed to investigate the effects of SMG on ultrastructure and apoptosis of CVECs.
The rotary cell culture system (RCCS) was utilized to simulate microgravity condition. Human CVECs were cultured under normal gravity (NG) or SMG condition for 3 days. The ultrastructure was viewed under transmission electron microscopy, and the organization of F-actin was observed by immunofluorescence staining. Additionally, the apoptosis percentage was calculated using flow cytometry. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression of BAX, Bcl-2, Caspase3, Cytochrome C, p-AKT, and p-PI3K were detected with quantitative PCR and Western blot at different exposure time.
In the SMG group, CVECs presented with a shrunk cell body, chromatin condensation and margination, mitochondria vacuolization, and apoptotic bodies. The amount of F-actin decreased, and the filaments of F-actin were sparse or even partly discontinuous after cultivation under SMG for 72 h. The proportions of apoptotic CVECs in SMG groups at 24 and 72 h were significantly higher than those in the NG group (
< 0.001). The mRNA and protein expression of Bax, Caspase3, and Cytochrome C of CVECs in SMG groups at 24 and 72 h significantly increased than those of the NG group, respectively (
< 0.001). The alterations of p-AKT and p-PI3K protein expression possessed similar trends. On the contrary, the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 in CVECs under SMG at 24 and 72 h were significantly less than that of the NG group, respectively (
< 0.001).
Simulated microgravity conditions can lead the alterations of the F-actin structure and apoptosis of CVECs. The Bcl-2 apoptosis pathway and PI3K/AKT pathway may participate in the damage of CVECs caused by SMG.
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO
NPs) are among the most widely used inorganic nanomaterials in industry, medicine and food additives. There are increasing concerns regarding their potential risks ...to plants and the environment. Mulberry trees are widely grown in China due to their high survival rate and ability to aid ecological recovery.
Herein, the effects of TiO
NPs with different concentrations (100, 200, 400 and 800 mg/L) on the growth and physiology of the mulberry tree were systematically evaluated in aspects of physiology, transcriptomics and metabolomics.
Results showed that TiO
NPs could be absorbed by the mulberry sapling root system and be transferred to the plant shoot. This results in the destruction of mulberry sapling root and leaf tissue. Furthermore, the number of chloroplasts and their pigment contents were reduced and the homeostasis of metal ions was disrupted. The toxic effects of TiO
NPs attenuated the mulberry sapling's stress resistance, the contents of malondialdehyde in 100 mg/L, 200 mg/L 400 mg/L and 800 mg/L treatment groups increased by 87.70%, 91.36%, 96.57% and 192.19% respectively compared with the control group. The transcriptomic data showed that TiO
NPs treatment mainly affected the expression of genes related to energy synthesis and transport, protein metabolism, and response to stress. Meanwhile, the results of metabolomics showed that 42 metabolites produced significant differences in mulberry, of which 26 differential metabolites were up-regulated in expression and 16 differential metabolites were down-regulated, mainly including metabolic pathways such as secondary metabolite biosynthesis, citric acid cycle, and tricarboxylic acid cycle, and was not conducive to the seed germination and or growth of the mulberry sapling.
This study enriches the understanding of the effects of TiO
NPs on plants and provides a reference for the comprehensive scientific assessment of the potential risks of nanomaterials on plants.
Mulberry (
L.) is an economically important plant for the silk industry and has the possibility of contributing immensely to Chinese pharmacopeia because of its health benefits. Domesticated ...silkworms feed only on mulberry leaves, meaning that the worms' survival depends on the mulberry tree. Mulberry production is threatened by climate change and global warming. However, the regulatory mechanisms of mulberry responses to heat are poorly understood. We performed transcriptome analysis of high-temperature-stressed (42 °C)
seedlings using RNA-Seq technologies. A total of 703 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered from 18,989 unigenes. Among these, 356 were up-regulated, and 347 were down-regulated. KEGG analysis revealed that most DEGs were enriched in valine, leucine and isoleucine degradation, and in starch and sucrose metabolism, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, carotenoid biosynthesis and galactose metabolism, among others. In addition, TFs such as the NAC, HSF, IAA1, MYB, AP2, GATA, WRKY, HLH and TCP families were actively involved in response to high temperatures. Moreover, we used RT-qPCR to confirm the expression changes of eight genes under heat stress observed in the RNA-Seq analysis. This study provides
transcriptome profiles under heat stress and provides theoretical bases to researchers for better understanding mulberry heat response mechanisms and breeding heat-tolerant mulberry plants.
In recent years, building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) windows have drawn attention from both the building industry and academic society. As a multifunctional application of photovoltaic ...technologies, semi-transparent BIPV panels can generate renewable energy in situ and play the role of typical windows. Unlike those PV windows made by crystalline silicon solar cells, the semi-transparent cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (STPV) windows can admit natural daylight with a certain degree of transmittance without any shading. Therefore, it can provide better visual comfort to occupants. However, typical BIPV windows are not suitable for cold regions due to inadequate thermal insulation. To improve the thermal performance of the BIPV glazing, a novel CdTe-based vacuum PV glazing (VPV) is developed with a highly integrated three-layer structure. To fully understand the dynamic heat transfer process and thermal behaviour, this study developed a mathematical heat transfer model for the CdTe-based VPV. The dynamic heat transfer model was validated with laboratory tests. To investigate the whole year performance of the VPV, a dynamic coupling approach is proposed to integrate the transit heat transfer model with a whole building simulation model conducted by EnergyPlus to obtain more accurate simulation results. Comparing the simulation results of the decoupled and coupled methods, it was found that EnergyPlus tends to slightly underestimate the cooling energy consumption and overestimate the heating energy consumption to a considerable level. Therefore, the dynamic coupling approach is more reliable than the EnergyPlus model, especially in the heating-dominated regions.
•A dynamic heat transfer model for the CdTe-based vacuum PV glazing was developed.•A validation experiment was conducted to verify the heat transfer model.•Wo coupling methods were proposed to integrate the heat transfer model with BES.•Reliable annual simulations for VPV were obtained by the dynamic co-simulation.
Drought stress has been a key environmental factor affecting plant growth and development. The plant genome is capable of producing long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). To better understand white mulberry ...(Morus alba L.) drought response mechanism, we conducted a comparative transcriptome study comparing two treatments: drought‐stressed (EG) and well‐watered (CK) plants. A total of 674 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were identified. In addition, 782 differentially expressed messenger RNAs (DEmRNAs) were identified. We conducted Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analyses focusing on the differential lncRNAs cis‐target genes. The target genes of the DElncRNAs were most significantly involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Gene regulatory networks of the target genes involving DElncRNAs–mRNAs–DEmRNAs and DElncRNA–miRNA–DEmRNA were constructed. In the DElncRNAs–DEmRNAs network, 30 DEmRNAs involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites are collocated with 46 DElncRNAs. The interaction between DElncRNAs and candidate genes was identified using LncTar. In summary, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) validated nine candidate genes and seven target lncRNAs including those identified by LncTar. We predicted that the DElncRNAs–DEmRNAs might recruit microRNAs (miRNAs) to interact with gene regulatory networks under the drought stress response in mulberry. The findings will contribute to our understanding of the regulatory functions of lncRNAs under drought stress and will shed new light on the mulberry–drought stress interactions.
Core Ideas
Mulberry response to drought stress reveals 674 differentially expressed lncRNAs.
Target genes of the DElncRNAs were significantly enriched in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites.
Gene network reveals lncRNAs–miRNAs–mRNAs regulatory network involved in mulberry response to drought stress.
Long noncoding RNAs participate in the host response to drought stress and interact with the target mRNAs.
Mulberry is an economically significant crop for the sericulture industry worldwide. Stresses such as drought exposure have a significant influence on plant survival. Because metabolome directly ...reflects plant physiological condition, performing a global metabolomic analysis is one technique to examine this influence. Using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique based on an untargeted metabolomic approach, the effect of drought stress on mulberry Yu-711 metabolic balance was examined. For this objective, Yu-711 leaves were subjected to two weeks of drought stress treatment and control without drought stress. Numerous differentially accumulated metabolic components in response to drought stress treatment were revealed by multivariate and univariate statistical analysis. Drought stress treatment (EG) revealed a more differentiated metabolite response than the control (CK). We found that the levels of total lipids, galactolipids, and phospholipids (PC, PA, PE) were significantly altered, producing 48% of the total differentially expressed metabolites. Fatty acyls components were the most abundant lipids expressed and decreased considerably by 73.6%. On the other hand, the prenol lipids class of lipids increased in drought leaves. Other classes of metabolites, including polyphenols (flavonoids and cinnamic acid), organic acid (amino acids), carbohydrates, benzenoids, and organoheterocyclic, had a dynamic trend in response to the drought stress. However, their levels under drought stress decreased significantly compared to the control. These findings give an overview for the understanding of global plant metabolic changes in defense mechanisms by revealing the mulberry plant metabolic profile through differentially accumulated compounds.
Mulberry fruits are rich in bioactive components renowned for their antioxidant properties and potential health benefits. This study thoroughly investigated the impact of cultivation modes on the ...phenological stages, yield, bioactive components, and antioxidant activity of two mulberry cultivars, Yueshen Dashi (YS-DS) and Xinjiang Baisang (XJ-BS). Notably, greenhouse cultivation led to earlier phenology and shorter fruit development maturation durations compared to field cultivation. Despite a decrease in fruit production and firmness, the greenhouse-grown mulberries exhibited higher individual fruit fresh weight. The content of bioactive components, encompassing anthocyanins, polyphenols, flavonoids, and vitamin C, and of antioxidant activity (measured in the FRAP and DPPH radical scavenging assays) was found to be lower in the greenhouse-grown mulberries than in those cultivated in the field. The contents of total polyphenols and flavonoids showed robust positive correlations in the FRAP and DPPH radical scavenging assays, which suggests that the antioxidant activity of mulberry fruit might be primarily attributable to the bioactive components of total polyphenols and flavonoids. Interestingly, the sugar content and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (HRSA) displayed an inverse relationship between the two cultivars in the greenhouse versus field conditions. The multivariate analysis highlighted distinct patterns for different cultivars under varying cultivation modes. This study underscores the potential to enhance bioactive components and antioxidant activity through effective manipulation of climate conditions, thereby unlocking the full nutritional potential of mulberry fruits on a large scale in greenhouse environments.
Low temperatures limit crop growth, yield, and quality in cold areas, and cold tolerance is the only strategy for plants to survive in those areas. However, mulberry’s (
Morus alba
L.) molecular ...regulatory mechanisms in response to cold remain poorly understood. In this report, four cDNA libraries were built from two groups, the cold-treated group and the control group, and evaluated by RNA-Seq analysis. A total of 3593 differential expression genes (DEGs) were identified from 20,279 unigenes. Among these, 2337 up-regulated and 1256 down-regulated DEGs were identified under this standard (corrected
p
value < 0.05, log2fold change > 0.0). Most of these DEGs are involved in plant hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling pathway, ubiquinone, and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. A series of candidate genes related to cold stress were screened out and discussed based on these results. Furthermore, the expression changes of 8 genes under cold stress from RNA-Seq analysis were further validated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. This research reflects
Morus alba
L. transcriptome data and may help elucidate the cold response mechanisms of mulberry trees and would be useful in breeding cold-tolerant mulberry plants.
Drought stress remains one of the most detrimental environmental cues affecting plant growth and survival. In this work, the DNA methylome changes in mulberry leaves under drought stress (EG) and ...control (CK) and their impact on gene regulation were investigated by MethylRAD sequencing. The results show 138,464 (37.37%) and 56,241 (28.81%) methylation at the CG and CWG sites (W = A or T), respectively, in the mulberry genome between drought stress and control. The distribution of the methylome was prevalent in the intergenic, exonic, intronic and downstream regions of the mulberry plant genome. In addition, we discovered 170 DMGs (129 in CG sites and 41 in CWG sites) and 581 DMS (413 in CG sites and 168 in CWG sites). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis indicates that phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, spliceosome, amino acid biosynthesis, carbon metabolism, RNA transport, plant hormone, signal transduction pathways, and quorum sensing play a crucial role in mulberry response to drought stress. Furthermore, the qRT-PCR analysis indicates that the selected 23 genes enriched in the KEGG pathways are differentially expressed, and 86.96% of the genes share downregulated methylation and 13.04% share upregulation methylation status, indicating the complex link between DNA methylation and gene regulation. This study serves as fundamentals in discovering the epigenomic status and the pathways that will significantly enhance mulberry breeding for adaptation to a wide range of environments.
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