Backshoring and nearshoring: An overview

Increasingly, economies that have traditionally benefited from offshoring are losing some of their strategical advantages, with a consequent increase in backshoring by developed economies. This paper describes the phenomenon and tries to shed light on the current challenges, trends, and debates in the area, and on the main determinants of backshoring. A new phenomenon known as nearshoring is also analysed—this consists of relocating some previously offshored manufacturing activities so that they are now close to previous core locations, but not so close as to suffer from disagglomeration effects. This combines the advantages of offshoring and backshoring.     

Spatial–temporal evolution of the port–hinterland relationship: A case study of the Midstream Yangtze River,China

Most scientific attention on port studies centers on deep sea ports, especially container ports. In this paper, in contrast, attention is focused on the spatial–temporal development of inland waterway ports on the Midstream Yangtze River from 2001 to 2013. The aim of this study is to assess two relevant and complementary questions of the hinterland evolution: its geographical extent and the coordination relationship with the inland port. To conduct the study, it was necessary to first identify the boundaries of the ports' hinterlands within the given timeframe. Then, the coupling coordination degree model was introduced to explore the underlying relationship between the port service and hinterland economy. Furthermore, to better depict the intricate economic characteristics of the hinterland, the development stage theory was applied in the models. The results highlight the emergence of a discontinuous hinterland at Wuhan Port and its reinforcement of primacy with respect to fierce hinterland rivalry. It also demonstrates that an interplay between major ports and their corresponding hinterlands evolves from the transitional stage, characterized by lagging port service, to the multi‐stage, wherein the supply of ports partly outstrips hinterland demand.     

The role of ear environment in postharvest susceptibility of maize to toxigenic Aspergillus flavus

A kernel screening assay (KSA) was used to assess the genetic and environmental effects on the vulnerability of maize to aflatoxin accumulation. Kernels of 26 inbred lines that had been grown in seven environments, and 190 lines of the Intermated B73xMo17 (IBM) population grown in one location in the United States, were inoculated with a toxigenic strain of A. flavus and incubated in the dark at 30°C for 6 days. Percent kernel colonization (PKC), sporulation and aflatoxin were influenced by the maize genotypes (G), the location (“ear environment” or E) and the GxE interactions. Overall, low broad‐sense heritabilities were observed for PKC, sporulation and aflatoxin. PKC was significantly correlated with sporulation in all environments. Aflatoxin was positively correlated with colonization for two and with sporulation for all ear environments. Higher grain sulphur or magnesium in IBM was associated with less colonization or aflatoxin. Postharvest susceptibility of maize to aflatoxin is thus influenced by factors that are modulated by the ear environment. In a KSA, sporulation could be a proxy test for aflatoxin accumulation.     

Development of colchicine‐induced tetraploid St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) lines

St. Augustinegrass is well suited for lawns and commercial landscapes. While many genotypes are cross‐fertile, all cultivars are propagated vegetatively in sod production. To ensure varietal purity, development of sterile triploid hybrids by crossing tetraploid and diploid genotypes has been successfully used in other warm‐season turfgrasses. Applying this model in St. Augustinegrass would be beneficial to sod producers and turf managers who require purity for certification and uniformity for performance, respectively. This study was conducted to develop colchicine‐induced tetraploid lines of St. Augustinegrass. Seeds of cultivar ‘Raleigh’ were treated with four colchicine concentrations at four exposure times. A non‐treated control was included among the treatments. Seedlings that germinated were screened for genome size changes using flow cytometry. Line DSA 13005 and two progeny lines derived through selfing, DSA 16001 and DSA 16016, were corroborated as tetraploids (2n = 4x = 36) through chromosome counts. These lines will be used in future breeding efforts to attempt development of sterile triploid cultivars of St. Augustinegrass.     

基于玻璃化转变的稻谷变温热风干燥工艺研究

为保证稻谷干燥后品质、提高干燥效率,基于不同含水率稻谷的玻璃化转变温度,提出变温热风干燥工艺。采用三因素五水平中心组合试验方法,以稻谷温度、初始含水率和热风风速为影响因素,以稻谷爆腰指数、整精米率和干燥时间为评价指标,研究稻谷玻璃化转变温度、恒温和变温干燥特性,模拟解析稻谷干燥过程中传热传质规律,以5、10、15℃的变温幅度进行变温干燥试验。结果表明,稻谷玻璃化转变温度与其含水率呈负相关,恒温干燥最佳工艺参数为稻谷温度47℃、初始含水率22.0%、热风风速0.50 m/s,干燥后稻谷爆腰指数70、整精米率57.67%、干燥时间195 min;与恒温干燥相比,以5℃和10℃为变温幅度的变温干燥工艺,干燥后稻谷爆腰指数分别降低了20和10,整精米率提高12.6、7.7个百分点,干燥时间缩短30 min和60 min。研究表明,基于玻璃化转变的稻谷变温热风干燥工艺明显改善了稻谷干燥后品质,提高了干燥效率。     

茶树蛋白激酶基因CsCIPK的克隆与表达特性分析

以茶树品种‘龙井43’作为材料,利用RT-PCR方法,从茶树的cDNA中克隆得到1个编码蛋白激酶的基因,命名为CsCIPK。序列分析表明,CsCIPK开放阅读框长度为1 341 bp,编码446个氨基酸,蛋白质分子量为414234。蛋白功能域预测和多重对比显示,CsCIPK蛋白含有1个保守的N端激酶结构域和1个相对不保守的C端调节结构域,即丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶结构域和NAF结构域。理化性质、亲/疏水性、无序化分析显示,CsCIPK属于疏水性蛋白,理论等电点为7.04,有4段无序化区域,其二级结构分析显示主要由α螺旋、不规则卷曲组成。通过实时荧光定量PCR对‘龙井43’和‘安吉白茶’中的CsCIPK表达特性进行分析。结果显示‘龙井43’中CsCIPK的相对表达量在高温、干旱及盐处理4 h、低温处理24 h时达到最高。‘安吉白茶’中CsCIPK的相对表达量在高温及盐处理4 h、低温及干旱处理1h时达到最高。CsCIPK在‘龙井43’的根中,‘安吉白茶’茎中表达量最高。不同浓度的GA和IBA处理‘龙井43’茶苗,结果显示0.2 mmol·L-1 GA处理后,CsCIPK表达量先升高后下降,6 d时处理组为对照组的62倍;0.6 mmol·L-1 IBA处理后,CsCIPK的表达量在3 d时显著高于对照组;不同浓度GA和IBA处理后,9 d时CsCIPK表达量均显著低于对照。     

The microbial diversity and structure in peatland forest in Indonesia

The microbial community structure and function under forest in tropical peatlands are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the microbial community structure and diversity in natural peat swamp forest soil, disturbed peat soil and mineral soil in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, using 454 pyrosequencing. The results showed that the natural peat soil had the greatest fungal species richness (Chao1), which was significantly (p < .05) larger than that in the other two soils. Community structure of both fungi and bacteria in natural peat soil differed significantly from that in the disturbed peat soil (p = .039 and p = .045, respectively). Ascomycota (40.5%) was the most abundant phylum across the three soils followed by Basidiomycota (18.8%), Zygomycota (<0.1%) and Glomeromycota (<0.1%). The linear discriminant analysis with effect size (LEfSe) showed that Ascomycota (p < .05) and genus Gliocephalotrichum (p < .05) dominated in natural peat soil. Functionally, pathotrophs were more abundant in disturbed peat soil (p < .05). Proteobacteria (43.8%) were the most abundant phylum followed by Acidobacteria (32.6%), Actinobacteria (9.8%), Planctomycetes (1.7%). Methylocystis, Telmatospirillum, Syntrophobacter, Sorangium and Opitutus were the more abundant genera in disturbed peat soil, whereas Nevskia and Schlesneria were more abundant in mineral soil and natural peat soil, respectively. The natural peat forest soil supported a more diverse microbiology; however, the land use of such a soil can change its microbial community structure. The results provide evidence that the disturbance of tropical peat land could lead to the introduction and spread of a large number of fungal diseases     

Identification,characterization and full-length sequence analysis of a novel endornavirus in common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

To identify the possible quarantine viruses in seven common sunflower varieties imported from the United States of America and the Netherlands, we tested total RNAs extracted from the leaf tissues using next-generation sequencing of small RNAs. After analysis of small RNA sequencing data, no any quarantine virus was found, but a double-stranded RNA(dsRNA) molecule showing typical genomic features of endornavirus was detected in two varieties, X3939 and SH1108. Full-length sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed that it is a novel endornavirus, temporarily named as Helianthus annuus alphaendornavirus(HaEV). Its full genome corresponds to a 14 662-bp dsRNA segment, including a 21-nt 5′ untranslated region(UTR), 3' UTR ending with the unique sequence CCCCCCCC and lacking a poly(A) tail. An open reading frame(ORF) that encodes a deduced 4 867 amino acids(aa) polyprotein with three domains: RdRP, Hel and UGT(UDP-glycosyltransferase). HaEV mainly distributed in the cytoplasm but less in the nucleus of leaf cells by fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) experiment. This virus has a high seed infection rate in the five varieties, X3907, X3939, A231, SH1108 and SR1320. To our knowledge, this is the first report about the virus of the family Endornaviridae in the common sunflower.     

优质国审棉品种——ZHM19

概述了ZHM19的选育过程、特征特性、产量、纤维品质和抗病性等特点及主要栽培技术措施。     

The efficiency of nitrogen in cattle manures when applied to a double‐annual forage cropping system

The use of cattle manure (CM) for fertilization presents challenges for optimizing nitrogen (N) use. Our work aimed to assess N efficiencies, in a 6‐year experiment with three biennial rotations of four crops: oat–sorghum (first year) and ryegrass–maize (second year) in a rainfed humid Mediterranean area of Spain. Fertilization treatments included the following: control (no N), 250 kg mineral N ha^?1 year^?1 (250MN), three CM rates (supplying 170, 250 and 500 kg N ha^?1 year^?1) and four treatments where the two lowest CM rates were complemented with either 80 or 160 kg mineral N ha^?1 year^?1. Treatments were distributed randomly in each of three blocks. Maximum dry‐matter yield (~44–49 t ha^?1 rotation^?1) was achieved in the third rotation, and only the control and the 170CM yielded significantly less. Within the limitations of the EU Nitrate Directive, the N steady state supply of 170CM always requires a complement of mineral N (80 kg N ha^?1) to maximize N agronomic efficiency. The maximum N‐fertilizer replacement value (250CM vs. 250MN) was 0·67, without significant differences between the two treatments in other N‐related efficiency indexes, which indicates that plants took advantage of residual‐N effects. Nitrogen losses by leaching in the 250CM treatment were around 5–7% of the N applied. This reinforces the sustainability of manure recycling in long cropping seasons.