ALBERT

Description: Ionic liquids (ILs) have been generally described as molten salts which are composed of asymmetric cations and anions. They exist in liquid state below 100 °C. Both ILs and their composite materials have been widely used in various fields. Attributed to the outstanding properties including the thermal and chemical stabilities, the negligible volatility, the high ionic conductivity, the wide electrochemical window, and the easy design in the construction, ILs have been applied in electrochemical applications including the electrocatalysis, the electrosynthesis, the electrodeposition, the electrochamical devices and sensors. In addition to the application in electrochemical sensors, ILs have also been used in biosensors because of their biocompatibiciy. Here, we review the recent developments for the applicaitons of ILs in electrochemical sensors and biosensors, including the corresponding properties of ILs suitable for electrochemical sensors. Electrochemical biosensors constructed by numorous composites are the emphasis in the review.

Description: An efficient panchromatic planar perovskite solar cell is developed based on highly uniform, lead-reduced CH 3 NH 3 Sn 0.5 Pb 0.5 I 3 perovskite films with full film-coverage on the substrates. We demonstrate here that full-coverage of the CH 3 NH 3 Sn 0.5 Pb 0.5 I 3 films can be developed by a facile chlorobenzene-assisted spin-coating method. A power conversion efficiency of ~7 % is achieved using low-temperature processes, which is among the best-reported performance for panchromatic planar perovskite solar cells with a light-absorption over 1,000 nm.

Description: We report on a simple yet efficient approach to fabricate soft piezoresistive pressure sensors using copper nanowires-based aerogels. The sensors exhibit excellent sensitivity and durability and can be easily scalable to form large-area sensing matrix for pressure mapping. This opens a low-cost strategy to wearable biomedical sensors.

Description: Global climate and environmental change studies require detailed land-use and land-cover (LULC) information about the past, present, and future. In this paper, we discuss a methodology for downscaling coarse-resolution (i.e., half-degree) future land use scenarios to finer (i.e., 1 km) resolutions at the global scale using a grid-based spatially explicit cellular automata (CA) model. We account for spatial heterogeneity from topography, climate, soils, and socioeconomic variables. The model uses a global 30 m land cover map (2010) as the base input, a variety of biogeographic and socioeconomic variables, and an empirical analysis to downscale coarse-resolution land use information (specifically urban, crop and pasture). The output of this model offers the most current and finest-scale future LULC dynamics from 2010 to 2100 (with four representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios—RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0, and RCP 8.5) at a 1 km resolution within a globally consistent framework. The data are freely available for download, and will enable researchers to study the impacts of LULC change at the local scale.

Description: The pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates remains the biggest unresolved mystery in condensed matter physics. To solve the problem, one of the most effective approaches is to investigate directly the superconducting CuO 2 layers. Here, by growing CuO 2 monolayer films on Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ δ substrates, we identify two distinct and spatially separated energy gaps centered at the Fermi energy, a smaller U-like gap and a larger V-like gap on the films, and study their interactions with alien atoms by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. The newly discovered U-like gap exhibits strong phase coherence and is immune to scattering by K, Cs and Ag atoms, suggesting its nature as a nodeless superconducting gap in the CuO 2 layers, whereas the V-like gap agrees with the well-known pseudogap state in the underdoped regime. Our results support an s -wave superconductivity in Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ δ , which, we propose, originates from the modulation-doping resultant two-dimensional hole liquid confined in the CuO 2 layers.

Description: Meiosis comprises two rounds of nuclear division following a single phase of DNA replication, leading to the production of haploid gametes and is essential for sexual reproduction in eukaryotes. Unlike mitosis, meiosis involves homologous chromosome pairing, synapsis, and recombination during prophase I. Meiotic recombination not only ensures the accurate segregation of homologs, but also redistributes alleles among offspring. DNA synthesis is a critical process during meiotic recombination, but our understanding of the proteins that execute and regulate it is limited. This review summarizes the recent advances in defining the role of DNA synthesis in meiotic recombination through analyses of DNA synthesis genes, with specific emphasis on DNA polymerases (e.g., Polε and Polδ), replication processivity factor RFC1 and translesion polymerases (e.g., Polζ). We also present a new double strand break repair model for meiotic recombination, which includes lagging strand DNA synthesis and leading strand elongation. Finally, we propose that DNA synthesis is one of critical factors for discriminating meiotic recombination pathways and that this differentiation may be conserved among eukaryotes.

Description: The mechanical failure of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) components may cause cracks with consequences such as gas leakage, structure instability and reduction of cell lifetime. A comprehensive 3D model of the thermal stresses of an anode-supported planar SOFC is presented in this work. The main objective of this paper is to get an interconnect optimized design by evaluating the thermal stresses of an anode-supported SOFC for different designs, which would be a new criterion for interconnect design. The model incorporates the momentum, mass, heat, ion and electron transport, as well as steady-state mechanics. Heat from methane steam reforming and water–gas shift reaction were considered in our model. The results examine the relationship between the interconnect structures and thermal stresses in SOFC at certain mechanical properties. A wider interconnect of the anode side lowers the stress obviously. The simulation results also indicate that thermal stress of coflow design is smaller than that of counterflow, corresponding to the temperature distribution. This study shows that it is possible to design interconnects for an optimum thermal stress performance of the cell.

Description: New U–Pb zircon geochronology data suggest that the Yintun Formation is younger than ~1895 Ma and is late Paleoproterozoic. The Yintun Formation may represent the first sedimentary cover of the North China Craton (NCC) based on its stratigraphic sequence and the ages of its sediments. Gravels in the conglomerates from the lower member of the Yintun Formation are characterized by obvious glacial origins. It is possible that these glacial gravels are the re-deposited sedimentary products of the Huronian Glaciation from the Indian continent. This can also provide sedimentary evidence for the relative location of the Indian continent and the NCC in the reconstruction of the Columbia supercontinent.

Description: A superarmoured lobopodian Collinsium sp. from the Cambrian (Stage 4) Wulongqing Formation in Kunming clearly exhibits dorsal sets of sclerotized spines, suspension feeding appendages with spiniform setae, and annulated walking limbs with a terminal claw. The distinctive body configuration reinforces the remarkable appendage specialization associated with feeding and locomotion and overall morphological disparity in lobopodians during the Cambrian explosion. This finding extends the geographic and stratigraphic ranges of “Collins’ monster”-like lobopodians, and provides additional information for a better understanding of the cryptic stem-group Onychophora.

Description: Developing high-efficient non-platinum (Pt) catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the key to reduce the usage of Pt and the palladium (Pd)-based catalyst is a promising alternative. Here, we presented a facile approach to core/shell FePd/Pd nanoparticle (NP) catalyst with the FePd core in chemically ordered face-centered tetragonal (fct-) structure and the shell in controlled thickness from 0.32 to 0.81 nm via the thermal annealing of FePd NP followed by an electro-anodization process. With a 0.71 nm-thick Pd shell, the fct-FePd/Pd shows a robust catalytic activity and durability for ORR with the mass activities at 0.85 and 0.90 V reaching 453 and 96.7 A/mg Pd , respectively, which are about 3.0 and 2.1 times higher than those of commercial Pt in alkaline media. This work presents a new class of non-Pt catalyst with superior performance to Pt for ORR catalysis, and the strategy demonstrated here can be extended to design high-efficient catalysts for other chemical reactions.

Description: Magnetic null points and flux ropes play important roles in the three-dimensional process of magnetic reconnection. In this study, a cluster of null points are reconstructed in the reconnection region in the magnetotail by applying a fitting-reconstruction method to measurements from the Cluster mission. The number of reconstructed null points varies rapidly, presenting a turbulent-like evolution of the magnetic structure. The electron density and the flux of the accelerated electrons were enhanced in this turbulent-like region. During this unstable reconnection process, a B – A s – B null structure was formed, showing flux rope features and resembling a secondary island in the observation.

Description: Detection of a.c. magnetic field is consequential for many developments in physical and biological sciences, and various designs of magnetometer have been proposed recently. However, the large size of sensor and the extreme measurement conditions required strongly limit their application. It remains a challenge to reconstruct the vector of a.c. field with nanoscale spatial resolution using a single spin under ambient conditions. In this work, we choose the radio-frequency (RF) field as a typical case and realize the measurement of RF field based on a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond. We build a solid sensor through measuring the effect of RF field on NV electron spin energy levels and the transition between them. Both of the phase and amplitude (including the transverse and longitudinal components) are measured by this new approach.

Description: China harbors a rich variety of forest types and forest-associated biodiversity, linked to both historical and contemporary environmental factors. However, being a country with a large population and rapid economic development, its diverse forest is facing unprecedent challenges. The Chinese Forest Biodiversity Network (CForBio) was initiated 12 years ago to study the maintenance of biodiversity in China’s forest ecosystems. In this review, we first summarize research progress in CForBio, and then give suggestions for future research. In the past 12 years, the research based on CForBio mainly focused on local ecological factors, such as environment filtering, biotic interactions and small-scale dispersal limitation. We suggest that future studies in CForBio should (1) continue research on trees, but expand more on insects, birds, mammals, microbes and other organism groups; (2) investigate the effects of widespread defaunation on forest biodiversity, structure and functioning; (3) evaluate the diverse effects of climate change on forest composition, structure and functioning; (4) include new technologies, such as remote sensing, to better monitor and study forest biodiversity change and maintenance.

Description: Although the type and etiology of cancers are different, pathways in glucose metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and glutamine metabolism have been reprogrammed in cancer cells to adapt to their rapid growth and proliferation. Recent research has also shown that multiple lipid metabolic pathways are altered in cancer cells. Here, we provide a brief review for the role of fatty acid metabolism in cancer development with a special focus on fatty acid uptake and de novo synthesis, triglycerides synthesis, storage and degradation. Reprogramming in fatty acid metabolism plays important roles in providing energy, macromolecules for membrane synthesis and lipid signals during cancer development. Understanding the mechanism of deregulated lipid metabolic pathways in cancer cells would reveal novel therapeutic approaches to combat cancer.

Description: Here we report a new approach referred as “soft-to-hard templating” strategy via the copolymerization of carbon source (dopamine) and silica source (tetraethyl orthosilicate) for the synthesis of well dispersed N-doped mesoporous carbon nanospheres (MCNs), which exhibit high performance for electrochemical supercapacitor. This method overcomes the shortcoming of uncontrolled dispersity and complicated procedures of soft- or hard-templating methods, respectively. Moreover, the synthesized MCNs feature enriched heteroatom N-doping and easy functionalization by noble-metal nanoparticles during the one-pot synthesis. All the above characters make the as-prepared MCNs a promising platform in a variety of applications. To demonstrate the applicability of the synthesized nitrogen-doped MCNs, this material has been employed as an electrode for high-performance electrochemical supercapacitor, which shows a capacitance of 223 and 140 F/g at current densities of 0.5 and 10 A/g in 1 mol/L KOH electrolyte, respectively.

Description: 摘要 2016年4月7日,位于东南极维多利亚地的南森冰架前端崩解为C33和C33b两个冰山。本文利用Landsat-7 ETM + ,Landsat-8 OLI,Envisat ASAR, Sentinel-1A SAR,CryoSat-2雷达测高计数据与Bedmap-2数据集等多源卫星数据监测南森冰架崩解过程与崩解后冰山的运动特征,分析了南森冰架崩解的原因以及该崩解事件对于周边环境的影响。结果显示南森冰架崩解量为37Gt;导致南森冰架崩解的裂隙的初始位置位于冰架前端中部,2011年开始沿着南北向生长,2014年后宽度开始扩张;C33b冰山的搁浅会导致固定冰的快速生长,严重影响附近南极科考活动。本研究有助于分析冰架崩解与局地环境的关联,以及为中国新的南极科考站的选址和附近科考活动提供了信息及预警。

Description: The endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), as a new gasotransmitter, participates in many plant physiological processes. In this study, we found that both ethylene and drought strongly induced H 2 S synthetase AtD - CDes gene expression and enzymatic activity. H 2 S synthesis inhibitors restrained the ethylene and drought induced stomatal closure in Arabidopsis . The H 2 S synthetase mutant Atd - cdes was insensitive to ethylene and drought, and overexpression of AtD - CDes conferred the transgenic plants more sensitive to ethylene and drought. Sequence analysis of AtD - CDes promoter showed that it contained ethylene response cis element ERE, and abiotic stress responsive cis elements MBS, LTR, and ABRE. The AtD - CDes promoter fused with GUS was transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana to get AtD - CDes promoter:: GUS transgenic plants. When treated with ethylene and drought stress, the enzymatic activity of β -glucuronidase was higher in the leaves and stomata of transgenic Arabidopsis. Analyses of GUS activity from the transgenic plants harboring different fragments of the promoter shows that the key section of AtD - CDes promoter response to ethylene was from the −697 to −408 bp, and the key section response to drought stress was from −90 to −1 bp. These results suggested that the H 2 S produced from AtD-CDes may mediate ethylene and drought-induced stomatal movement.

Description: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), which has been documented in 190,000 cases of BSE-infected cattle, to our knowledge, has not been reported in buffalo. Prion protein (PrP) is critical to susceptibility and development of BSE. Moreover, a new PrP-like protein, Shadoo (Sho), has been shown to have overlapping expression patterns and shared functions with PrP. Therefore, we hypothesize that differences in expression at the transcriptional level and/or the post-transcriptional level of the two genes may be associated with these specific differences between cattle and buffalo. We compared the relative mRNA expression of the prion protein gene ( PRNP ) and the Shadoo gene ( SPRN ) in 396 RNA samples using real-time PCR. We also analyzed PrP/Sho protein from 96 samples by Western blot. Our results demonstrated significantly lower PrP expression in the cerebellum, obex, mesenteric lymph node, and bronchial lymph node tissues, but higher relative expression of Sho in the cerebrum and spleen in buffalos compared with cattles. Although these results support our primary assumption, Sho and PrP expressions did not correlate with corresponding mRNA expression, suggesting that the biological modulations of both PrP and Sho proteins are at post-translational levels. Moreover, positive correlations between PRNP and SPRN were found in cattle and buffalo cerebrum as well as in buffalo obex. Conversely, negative correlations between PrP and Sho were detected in buffalo cerebellum and obex tissues. These findings suggest that additional post-transcriptional studies are warranted to elucidate mechanisms behind prion diseases.

Description: The construction of a secondary cell wall is an important and necessary developmental decision that supports cell function and plant stature. Unlike the primary cell walls, which are initiated during cell division and develop along with the expansion of the cells, secondary cell walls are constructed after the cells have stopped growing. Hence, the transition from primary to secondary wall synthesis marks an important and distinct metabolic investment by the plant. This transition requires a coordinated change of a plethora of cellular processes, including hormonal, transcriptional and post-transcriptional activities, metabolic flux re-distributions and enzymatic activities. In this review, we briefly summarize the hormonal and transcriptional control of the primary to secondary wall transition, and highlight important gaps in our understanding of the metabolic framework that support the transition. Several tools that may aid in future research efforts to better understand the changes in cell wall synthesis during the trans-differentiation are also discussed.

Description: Insulin resistance and dysregulated lipid metabolism are major causes of type 2 diabetes. Insulin and inflammatory signal pathways play key roles in insulin resistance and fat accumulation. Specifically, adapter proteins transduce signals from insulin or cytokine receptors to the downstream pathways and may contribute to insulin resistance and disordered lipid metabolism in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Here, the recent advances in understanding the roles of adapter proteins in insulin resistance and lipid homeostasis are discussed.

Description: The rapid development and production of nanomaterials has created some concerns about their potential hazard on the environment, human health and safety. However, since the list of materials that may generate such concerns is very long, it is impossible to test them all. It is therefore usually recommended to use some small compositional nanomaterial libraries to perform initial toxicity screening, based on which combinatorial libraries are then introduced for more in-depth studies. All nanomaterials in the compositional and combinatorial libraries must be rigorously characterized before any biological studies. In this review, several major categories of physicochemical properties that must be characterized are discussed, along with different analytical techniques that are commonly used. Some case studies from the University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology are also chosen to demonstrate the effective use of compositional and combinatorial nanomaterials libraries to identify the role of some key physicochemical properties and to establish true quantitative structure–activity relationships. Examples on how to use the knowledge generated from those studies to design safer nanomaterials for improved biological applications are also presented.

Description: The development of nitrogen-rich biomass-derived carbon catalysts provides an attractive perspective to substitute for Pt-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). We here report a facile strategy for synthesis of a nitrogen-doped biocarbon/graphene-like composite electrocatalyst by pyrolyzing a solid-state mixture of coprinus comatus biomass and melamine under nitrogen protection. The graphtic carbon nitride formed by polycondensation of melamine at 600 °C acts as a self-sacrificing template to generate the nitrogen-doped graphene-like sheet, which can function as an inserting agent and self-generating support. The composite catalyst exhibits the most promising catalytic activity towards the four-electron ORR with a half-wave potential of around 0.83 V (vs. RHE), and more excellent stability and tolerance to methanol/ethanol compared to the commercial Pt/C catalyst. It is interestingly found that both a higher content of nitrogen and a larger ratio of graphitic-nitrogen species, which may derive from self-addition of graphene-like support into the catalyst, can effectively improve the electrocatalytic activity. The planar N group may be the nitrogen functionality that is most responsible for maintaining the ORR activity in alkaline medium. This study can largely encourage the exploration of high-performance carbon-based catalysts from economical and sustainable fungus biomass.

Description: The present study reports a systematic computational analysis of the performance of solid oxide metal-air redox battery operated at 800 and 550 °C using a recently developed high-fidelity multiphysics model. Two sets of parameters are particularly investigated: (1) operational parameters including current density and depth of discharge; (2) performance parameters including the chemical reaction kinetic rate constant of the redox cycle unit and exchange current density of the regenerative solid oxide fuel cell. These two groups of parameters are particularly analyzed with the goal to achieve high specific energy and round trip efficiency for SOIARB operated at different operating temperatures.

Description: Here we report the discovery of superconductivity in the ternary LaRu 2 As 2 compound. The polycrystalline LaRu 2 As 2 samples were synthesized by the conventional solid state reaction method. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that LaRu 2 As 2 crystallizes in the ThCr 2 Si 2 -type crystal structure with the space group I 4/ mmm (No. 139), and the refined lattice parameters are a  = 4.182(6) Å and c  = 10.590(3) Å. The temperature dependent resistivity measurement shows a clear superconducting transition with the onset T c (critical temperature) at 7.8 K, and zero resistivity happens at 6.8 K. The upper critical field at zero temperature μ 0 H c2 (0) was estimated to be 1.6 T from the resistivity measurement. DC magnetic susceptibility measurement shows a bulk superconducting Meissner transition at 7.0 K, and the isothermal magnetization measurement indicates that LaRu 2 As 2 is a type-II superconductor.

Description: Laminar flame speed is one of the most important intrinsic properties of a combustible mixture. Due to its importance, different methods have been developed to measure the laminar flame speed. This paper reviews the constant-volume propagating spherical flame method for laminar flame speed measurement. This method can be used to measure laminar flame speed at high pressures and temperatures which are close to engine-relevant conditions. First, the propagating spherical flame method is introduced and the constant-volume method (CVM) and constant-pressure method (CPM) are compared. Then, main groups using the constant-volume propagating spherical flame method are introduced and large discrepancies in laminar flame speeds measured by different groups for the same mixture are identified. The sources of discrepancies in laminar flame speed measured by CVM are discussed and special attention is devoted to the error encountered in data processing. Different correlations among burned mass fraction, pressure, temperature and flame speed, which are used by different researchers to obtain laminar flame speed, are summarized. The performance of these correlations are examined, based on which recommendations are given. Finally, recommendations for future studies on the constant-volume propagating spherical flame method for laminar flame speed measurement are presented.

Description: Due to the presence of graphite flake cascades, the real graphite anode of Li-ion battery shows non-isotropic characteristic. The present work developed an ellipsoid-based simulated annealing method and numerically reconstructed the three-dimensional microstructure of a graphite anode. The reconstructed anode is a composite of three clearly distinguished phases: pore (or electrolyte), graphite, and solid additives, well representing the non-isotropic heterogeneous characteristic of real graphite anode. Characterization analysis of the reconstructed electrode gives information such as the connectivity of individual phase, the specific interfacial area between solid and pore phase, and the pore size distribution. The effects of the ellipsoid size on the structural characteristics of graphite anode were particularly studied. As the size of the ellipsoidal particle slightly increases, the average pore diameter increases and as a result the specific interfacial area between the solid and pore phase in the reconstructed area decreases; compared with the equatorial radius, the polar radius of ellipsoidal graphite particles has more significant influence on the characteristics of electrode microstructure.

Description: Band offset is a dominant factor affecting the photocatalytic performance of heterostructure photocatalysts. Therefore, controlling the band gap structure of semiconductors is a key challenge in the development of efficient photocatalysts. We used a typical in situ-method to prepare diverse graphite-phase carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) samples from melamine, thiourea, and a mixture thereof, and found that they exhibited band gaps between 2.3–2.8 eV. From UV–Vis spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, we determined that the g-C 3 N 4 samples exhibited different band gap values and valence band positions. On this basis, we constructed g-C 3 N 4 /m-LaVO 4 heterojunctions with different band offsets. UV–Vis spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements revealed that the valence band offsets (VBOs) of the different heterojunctions were similar, but their conduction band offsets (CBOs) were significantly different. Photocatalytic experiments revealed that the reaction rate was enhanced with an increase in the CBO value. Furthermore, the three-phase g-C 3 N 4 /g-C3N 4 /m-LaVO 4 heterojunction composed of m-LaVO 4 and mixed g-C 3 N 4 showed the highest photocatalytic activity, which was mainly due to the construction of a multilevel structure. This work investigates the influence of the band offset on heterojunction photoelectrochemical properties and provides a new strategy to improve the photocatalytic activity by constructing multilevel structures.

Description: Mesoscopic lead halide perovskite solar cells typically use TiO 2 nanoparticle films as the scaffolds for electron-transport pathway and perovskite deposition. Here, we demonstrate that swelling-induced mesoporous block copolymers can be templates for producing three-dimensional TiO 2 networks by combining the atomic layer deposition technique. Thickness adjustable TiO 2 network is an excellent alternative scaffold material for efficient perovskite solar cells. Our best performing cells using such a 270 nm thick template have achieved a high efficiency of 12.5 % with pristine poly-3-hexylthiophene as a hole transport material. The high performance is attributed to the direct transport pathway and high absorption of scaffolds, small leakage current and largely reduced recombination rate at interfaces. The results show that TiO 2 network architecture is a promising scaffold for mesoscopic perovskite solar cells.

Description: Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are critical members in both innate and adaptive immunity, and the association between their polymorphism and disease resistance has been reported in many teleosts. In the present study, we first investigated the genetic variation at the MHC II β gene in orange-spotted grouper ( Epinephelus coioides ) after a challenge with Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV). The results reveal that a high polymorphism level of the MHC II β gene ( H  = 1.000; K  = 20.206; π  = 0.081) and at least three loci exist in grouper. The rate of d N/ d S in the peptide-binding region (PBR) and non-PBR were both 〉1, suggesting the loci were evolving under positive selection. A high ratio of heterozygous individuals (37.26 %) and high rate of d N/ d S were discovered, suggesting that both heterozygote advantage and frequency-dependent selection might result in the high polymorphism levels in MHC II β genes in grouper. A total of 33 MHC II β alleles were identified from 40 high-susceptibility (HS) and 40 high-resistance group (HR) individuals, and 15 alleles were used in the association analysis. Three alleles, EPCO-DBB*0302, EPCO-DBB*0307, EPCO-DBB*0603, and EPCO-DBB*1001 were significantly associated with resistance ability to SGIV, and the EPCO-DBB*0607 and EPCO-DBB*1303 alleles were associated with susceptibility ( P  〈 0.05). To further confirm the association, another independent challenge experiment was performed. The result of association analysis in the verification test found that only EPCO-DBB*1001 alleles were significantly associated with resistance to SGIV ( P  〈 0.05), while the other alleles showed no significance ( P  〉 0.05) in the frequency distribution between HR and HS groups. Therefore, the EPCO-DBB*1001 alleles could be used as a disease resistance-related MHC marker in the molecular marker-assisted selective breeding program of grouper.

Description: Colon-targeted oral delivery is crucial for the treatment of colon-related diseases, as this delivery strategy enables precise drug administration to the diseased site, enhances drug bioavailability, and improves patient compliance. In particular, nanoparticle-based oral formulations shield drugs from the harsh gastrointestinal environment, and selectively increase drug concentration inside diseased colon cells, thus elevating therapeutic efficacy while reducing systemic toxicity. In this review, we elaborate recent progress in this area, with emphasis on the pathophysiological characteristics of colon site and design strategies to take advantage of these characteristics for colon targeting.

Description: A relative humidity series of April–August during 1825–2009 AD was reconstructed based on tree-ring width of Pinus sylvestris var . mongolica for the Hulunbuir area. During the past 185 years, 25 humid years and 26 arid years were identified in the reconstruction, as well as 6 wet periods and 6 dry periods. The relative humidity has decreased since approximately the 1950s, suggesting a warm and dry climate trend in the study area. The reconstruction can be compared with those of the surrounding tree ring reconstructed precipitation and relative humidity series at the decadal scale, reflecting the consistency of the regional climate variations. Besides, significant positive correlations are revealed between the reconstruction and the normalized difference vegetation index of the Hulunbuir grassland. And the decrease in relative humidity will cause negative impacts on the Hulunbuir grassland. Comparisons between the sandstorm records and the relative humidity of the study area indicate that strong sandstorms occurred more frequently in Hulunbuir when the relative humidity was low. Therefore, under the downward trend in relative humidity, more effort should be made to protect the grassland ecology and treat the bare sand land for the local and surrounding areas.

Description: This work investigated the response of Cu 46 Zr 42 Al 7 Y 5 glass ribbons to both dynamic and static heating using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The DSC curve manifests three exothermic responses to dynamic heating, among which the first and the third one are the signatures of the normal sub- T g ( T g , glass transition temperature) relaxation and the crystallization process, respectively. The second one is attributed to a partial overlap between the endothermic response to the glass transition and the exothermic response to the formation of ordered clusters. The cluster ordering, which begins at the final stage of glass transition, has been verified by the differences in the activation energy of the sub- T g relaxation, the cluster ordering and primary crystallization for both the as-spun and annealed ribbons. The cluster ordering could be driven by the large difference between the Zr–Y mixing enthalpy and the Al–Y (or Cu–Y) mixing enthalpy. The findings contribute to distinguishing between phase separation and clusters motion scenarios.

Description: Understanding the correlation between the lifetime, mobility and diffusion length of photoinduced charge carriers in organolead halide perovskite is essential to successful perovskite-based solar cells. In this paper, through mapping the local photoluminescence (PL) dynamics using laser/PL-scanned confocal imaging microscopy and simulating the carrier diffusion process in an individual CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 single-crystalline particle, we report that the rapid diffusion of charge carriers can produce a fast local PL kinetics when the perovskite is partially excited. This result indicates that using PL kinetics to estimate the carrier lifetime in perovskite single crystals needs to exclude the effect of carrier diffusion.

Description: Single-particle tracking photoactivated localization microscopy (sptPALM) has recently emerged as a powerful tool for high-density imaging and tracking of individual molecules in living cells. In this work, we have monitored and compared the diffusion dynamics of TGF-β type II receptor (TβRII) at high expression level using both traditional single-particle tracking (SPT) and sptPALM. The ligand-induced aggregation of TβRII oligomers was further indicated by sptPALM. Due to the capacity of distinguishing and tracking single molecules within diffraction limit, sptPALM outperforms traditional SPT by providing more accurate biophysical information.

Description: Estimation of genomic breeding values is important in genomic selection. Bayesian and BLUP methods are the main techniques employed. In this study, we conducted a comparative study of BayesA, BayesB, BayesCπ and GBLUP methods in simulated data and real data of Chinese Holstein cattle. Results showed that, in simulated data, the accuracies of all methods were all similarly elevated with the increase of reference population size, but they made different responses to the changes of marker number or QTL number. In real data of Chinese Holstein cattle, BayesA generated the highest accuracy almost for all six traits, and GBLUP performed as well as BayesA for the traits of milk yield, fat yield and protein yield, while for the trait of fat percentage, protein percentage and somatic cell score, three Bayesian methods showed superior to GBLUP. Comprehensively analyzing above results, it can be speculated that accuracies of the three Bayesian methods are not only influenced by the absolute value of QTL number or marker number, but may also be influenced by the ratio of QTL number to marker number. And there is at least one kind of Bayesian methods performing better than GBLUP, when the ratio of QTL number versus marker number is very small or involving large-effect QTL.

Description: Tortuosity is an important parameter for characterizing transport properties within porous materials and is of interest in a broad range of fields, such as energy storage and conversion materials. One of the parameters that impacts the tortuosity value is the geometry of the solid phase which, in this study, is considered as stochastically-placed rectangular particles. Through lattice Boltzmann modelling (LBM), we determined the impact of particle aspect ratio on the intrinsic tortuosity–porosity relationships of two-dimensional porous media composed of rectangular particles. These relationships were isolated for materials with grain (particle) aspect ratios of ∈ {1, 2, 3} and porosities from [0.55 – 0.95]. We determined that a minimum of 6, 8 and 10 stochastic simulations, respectively, were required to calculate these average tortuosity values in laminar flow ( \( Re \ll 1 \) ). This novel application of the LBM to study the effects of porosity and aspect ratio of rectangular grains on tortuosity can be used in the tailoring of materials for clean energy.

Description: Artemisinin, the key ingredient of first-line antimalarial drugs, has large demand every year. The native plant, which produces small quantities of artemisinin, remains as its main source and thus results in a short supply of artemisinin. Intensified efforts have been carried out to elevate artemisinin production. However, the routine metabolic engineering strategy, via overexpressing or down-regulating genes in artemisinin biosynthesis branch pathways, was not very effective as desired. Glandular secretory trichomes, sites of artemisinin biosynthesis on the surface of Artemisia annua L. ( A. annua ), are the new target for increasing artemisinin yield. In general, the population and morphology of glandular secretory trichomes in A. annua ( Aa GSTs) are often positively correlated with artemisinin content. Improved understanding of Aa GSTs will shed light on the opportunities for increasing plant-derived artemisinin. This review article will refresh classification of trichomes in A. annua and provide an overview of the recent achievements regarding Aa GSTs and artemisinin. To have a full understanding of Aa GSTs, factors that are associated with trichome morphology and density will have to be further investigated, such as genes, microRNAs and phytohormones. The purpose of this review was to (1) update the knowledge of the relation between Aa GSTs and artemisinin, and (2) propose new avenues to increase artemisinin yield by harnessing the potential biofactories, Aa GSTs.

Description: Two stereomers of bisadduct analogues of [6, 6]-phenyl-C 71 -butyric acid methyl ester (bisPC 71 BM) were synthesized and their geometrical structures with cis - or trans -configuration were identified by X-ray crystallography. Although both of the bisPC 71 BM have similar spectrometric and electrochemical properties, the spatial orientation of the two addition groups on C 70 has impact on crystal packing and molecular assembly of bisPC 71 BM isomers and, in turn, photovoltaic performance in polymer solar cell based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) (with power conversion efficiency of 1.72 % and 1.84 % for the solar cells involving cis - and trans -bisPC 71 BM, respectively). Although the power conversion efficiency remains to be improved, this work exemplifies that the photovoltaic properties of fullerene-based electron acceptors are influenced by aggregation of the stereomeric molecules and thus extends the guidelines for rational design of efficient fullerene acceptor.

Description: The communication reports an exploratory experimental study on the effects of nitrogen annealing on lithium ion intercalation in nickel-doped lithium trivanadate cathodic electrodes for lithium ion batteries. It shows good rate performance with discharge capacities of 348.6, 252.6, 191.9 and 96.7 mAh g −1 at 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 5 C, respectively. Nitrogen annealing resulted in the formation of parasitic secondary-phase LiV 2 O 5 and appreciably increased tetravalent vanadium ions compensated with oxygen vacancies, which would enhance the electronic conductivity and lithium ion diffusivity and promote the interface interaction and deintercalation process, and thus lead to the enhanced lithium ion intercalation properties. The possible impacts of the parasitic secondary-phase LiV 2 O 5 on the lithium ion intercalation performance have also been discussed.

Description: Schrödinger’s thought experiment to prepare a cat in a superposition of both alive and dead states reveals profound consequences of quantum mechanics and has attracted enormous interests. Here we propose a straightforward method to create quantum superposition states of a living microorganism by putting a small cryopreserved bacterium on top of an electromechanical oscillator. Our proposal is based on recent developments that the center-of-mass oscillation of a 15-μm-diameter aluminum membrane has been cooled to its quantum ground state (Teufel et al. in Nature 475:359, 2011 ), and entangled with a microwave field (Palomaki et al. in Science 342:710, 2013 ). A microorganism with a mass much smaller than the mass of the electromechanical membrane will not significantly affect the quality factor of the membrane and can be cooled to the quantum ground state together with the membrane. Quantum superposition and teleportation of its center-of-mass motion state can be realized with the help of superconducting microwave circuits. More importantly, the internal states of a microorganism, such as the electron spin of a glycine radical, can be entangled with its center-of-mass motion and teleported to a remote microorganism. Our proposal can be realized with state-of-the-art technologies. The proposed setup is a quantum-limited magnetic resonance force microscope. Since internal states of an organism contain information, our proposal also provides a scheme for teleporting information or memories between two remote organisms.

Description: A novel sensitive semi-quantitative virus detection technique was developed using the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as an example, through dark-field light scattering imaging of the surface state of the virus-invaded host cells. In this method, anti-RSV-antibody modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) could bind with the invading virus on the cell membrane of the infected host cells through the specific antibody-antigen binding. Then, the host cells could be imaged by the localized surface plasmon resonance light scattering properties of AuNPs under a dark-field light scattering microscopy, which could be further used to semi-quantify the invading virus.

Description: Self-made conventional nickel–yttria-stabilized zirconia composite anodes after reduction and 500 h operation were analyzed by three-dimensional microstructure reconstruction based on focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy technique. Interfacial area, three-phases-boundary density and phase volume fraction were measured based on the three-dimensional microstructure reconstruction to quantitatively study the statistical characterization of solid oxide fuel cell nickel–yttria-stabilized-zirconia anode microstructure before and after operation. It is found that for anode operated with long time, it is necessary to increase the corresponding three-dimensional reconstruction size to suppress the influence of microstructure variation caused by Ni agglomeration in order to obtain more accurate microstructural quantification information.

Description: In addition to white adipose tissue (WAT) that stores energy, human and small mammals also have brown adipose tissue (BAT) that dissipates chemical energy for thermogenesis. BAT contains multilocular lipid droplets and much higher numbers of mitochondria than WAT. The mitochondria in BAT uncouple large amounts of fuel oxidation from ATP for heat generation. Accumulating evidences have demonstrated that increased activity and/or amount of BAT can reverse obesity and improve insulin resistance, which highlights that BAT plays an important role in energy metabolism. In this review, we summarized recent findings that shows advantageous effects of BAT activation in metabolic diseases. In addition, we presented the function and role of brown and beige fat cells and regulatory factors for them. Finally, we discussed the potential application of brown adipocytes-based therapy and pharmacological intervention to increase BAT activity for the treatment of obesity and related diseases including insulin resistance, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.

Description: Some drugs exert curative effects intracellularly, but their hydrophilic property prohibits the membrane-penetrating process and thus limits the curative efficacies, although this property guarantee their solubility in aqueous phase. An example is sodium tanshinone II-A sulfonate (DS-201), a derivative of Chinese medical herb Danshen ( Salvia miltiorrhiza ) which is a BK Ca channel opener and a vasodilator. This study established and optimized a liposome delivery system which could pack and deliver DS-201 into HEK293 cells transfected with BK Ca channels, and DS-201 given this way significantly increased the open probability of BK Ca channel from baseline 0.013 ± 0.004 to 0.036 ± 0.011 at +40 mV membrane potential ( P  〈 0.05) in single-channel attached study, and also increased the current density from baseline 23.2 ± 4.4 to 66.0 ± 15.2 pA/pF at +40 mV membrane potential ( P  〈 0.05), compared with the direct extracellular administration of this drug. Moreover, showing a ~60 % inhibition of the PE or PGF2a induced vascular constriction, the DS-201 liposomes did posses significantly enhanced vasorelaxant effect on rat mesenteric artery, compared with ~20 % inhibition of the directly administration of this drug ( P  〈 0.05), suggesting that DS-201 delivered by liposomes significantly improved the drug’s vasorelaxing effect. Taken together, the optimized DS-201 liposomes in our study successfully delivered DS-201 into cells and thus significantly activated BK Ca channels to reverse the contraction induced by PE and PGF2α, attesting the enhanced bioavailability.

Description: Abstrac t For the first time we investigate the basal thermal condition in the upper area of Jima Yangzong Glacier, the headstream of Yarlung Zangbo River, using ground-penetrating radar techniques. With common offset and common mid-point surveys we analyze the radar velocities in ice with respect to cold-temperate ice transition surface (0.1751 ± 0.0028 m ns −1 ) and ice-bedrock interface (0.1657 ± 0.0033 m ns −1 ), indicating a radar velocity of 0.1410 ± 0.0154 m ns −1 for the temperate ice layer (16.6 ± 1.8 m). We estimate that the temperate ice layer has a water content of around 6 % ± 4 %, suggesting that the Jima Yangzong Glacier, previously known as continental-type, now possibly becomes polythermal.

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Future climate change is usually projected by coupled earth system models under specific emission scenarios designed by integrated assessment models (IAMs), and this offline approach means there is no interaction between the coupled earth system models and the IAMs. This paper introduces a new method to design possible future emission scenarios and corresponding climate change, in which a simple economic and climate damage component is added to the coupled earth system model of Beijing Normal University (BNU-ESM). With the growth of population and technological expertise and the declining emission-to-output ratio described in the Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy model, the projected carbon emission is 13.7 Gt C, resulting in a 2.4 °C warming by the end of the twenty-first century (2080–2099) compared with 1980–1999. This paper also suggests the importance of the land and ocean carbon cycle in determining the CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 concentration in the atmosphere. It is hoped that in the near future the next generation of coupled earth system models that include both the natural system and the social dimension will be developed.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Plant height and tillering are crucial factors determining rice plant architecture and influencing rice grain production. In this study, 〈em〉multi〈/em〉-〈em〉tillering dwarf1〈/em〉 (〈em〉mtd1〈/em〉), a stable multi-tiller and dwarf mutant, was screened from the ethylmethane sulfonate-treated 〈em〉japonica〈/em〉 rice variety Wuyunging7. Compared with the wild type, 〈em〉mtd1〈/em〉 mutant exhibited pleiotropic phenotypes, including dwarfism, more tillers, brittle culms and delayed heading date. By employing map-based cloning strategy, the gene 〈em〉MTD1〈/em〉 was finally mapped to an approximately 66-kb region on the short arm of chromosome 9. Sequencing results showed that the gene 〈em〉LOC_Os09g02650〈/em〉 (〈em〉BC12〈/em〉) in 〈em〉mtd1〈/em〉 mutant had a single nucleotide substitution (G to A), which generated a premature translation stop. Over-expressing 〈em〉MTD1〈/em〉/〈em〉BC12〈/em〉 coding sequence rescued all the phenotypes of 〈em〉mtd1〈/em〉 mutants including plant height and tillers, which confirms that 〈em〉BC12〈/em〉 is the mutated gene in 〈em〉mtd1〈/em〉 mutant. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed that 〈em〉MTD1〈/em〉/〈em〉BC12〈/em〉 could negatively regulate the expression of 〈em〉MONOCULM 1〈/em〉, 〈em〉IDEAL PLANT ARCHITECTURE1〈/em〉 and 〈em〉Tillering and Dwarf 1〈/em〉, and control rice tillering. Remarkably, α-amylase activity analysis and gibberellic acid (GA) treatment showed that the dwarf phenotype of 〈em〉mtd1〈/em〉 mutant was dependent on GA biosynthesis pathway. These results facilitated to further uncover the molecular mechanism of the growth and development in rice.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉One of the biggest puzzles concerning the cuprate high temperature superconductors is what determines the maximum transition temperature (〈em〉T〈/em〉 〈sub〉c,max〈/sub〉), which varies from less than 30 to above 130 K in different compounds. Despite this dramatic variation, a robust trend is that within each family, the double-layer compound always has higher 〈em〉T〈/em〉 〈sub〉c,max〈/sub〉 than the single-layer counterpart. Here we use scanning tunneling microscopy to investigate the electronic structure of four cuprate parent compounds belonging to two different families. We find that within each family, the double layer compound has a much smaller charge transfer gap size (〈em〉Δ〈/em〉 〈sub〉CT〈/sub〉), indicating a clear anticorrelation between 〈em〉Δ〈/em〉 〈sub〉CT〈/sub〉 and 〈em〉T〈/em〉 〈sub〉c,max〈/sub〉. These results suggest that the charge transfer gap plays a key role in the superconducting physics of cuprates, which shed important new light on the high 〈em〉T〈/em〉 〈sub〉c〈/sub〉 mechanism from doped Mott insulator perspective. 〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet the underlying neural mechanisms of this disease state remain unclear. We investigated alterations in the spontaneous brain activity of PD patients with MCI (PD-MCI) relative to cognitively normal PD patients (PD-CN) and healthy control (HC) subjects. In this work, 13 PD-MCI patients, 16 PD-CN patients, and 16 HC subjects completed resting state functional MRI. Spontaneous brain activity was measured by calculating amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values across the whole brain. Between-group differences and correlations between ALFF values and cognitive test scores were analyzed. ALFF values decreased in the right superior temporal gyrus and increased in the left middle temporal gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus of PD-MCI patients compared with PD-CN patients. In the PD-MCI group, ALFF values in the left middle temporal gyrus were negatively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment and vocabulary test scores, and the ALFF values in the left superior frontal gyrus were negatively correlated with vocabulary test scores. Our study demonstrates that PD-MCI is associated with abnormal spontaneous brain activity in the temporal and frontal lobes. These findings inform the underlying neural mechanism of cognitive impairment in PD.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Activating transcription factor 5 (ATF5) is a member of the activating transcription factor/cAMP response element binding protein (ATF/CREB) family, and is highly expressed in liver and adipose tissue. Previous reports have shown that ATF5 promoted 3T3-L1 preadipocytes differentiation. In this study, we found that ATF5 was highly expressed in mature adipocytes, suggesting a potential role of ATF5 in mature adipocytes, which has not been reported previously. To understand the function of ATF5 in mature adipocytes, we knocked down the expression of ATF5 in 3T3-L1 mature adipocytes and observed decreased lipid droplets. Consistent with the in vitro experiment, the knockdown of ATF5 in white adipose tissue led to less adipose tissue and smaller adipocytes size. Further research revealed that the inhibition of ATF5 diminished the adipocytes size via the inhibition of fatty acid synthetase, stearyl coenzyme A desaturation enzyme 1, and the induction of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1, one key enzyme of lipid metabolism. In addition, ATF5 knockdown in inguinal white adipose tissue improved whole body insulin sensitivity. Our work provides a new understanding of ATF5 function in mature adipocytes and a potential therapeutic target of diabetes.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Heart failure is a major public health problem worldwide. Despite advances in the therapy and care of heart failure, morbidity and mortality remain persistently high. Recent years have witnessed major breakthroughs in the investigations of pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of heart failure in China. It is noteworthy that the continuing and growing support from funding agencies in China including the National Natural Science Foundation of China has yielded substantial effects on the basic and clinical research in heart failure in the last decade. In this review, we provide an update on the current status of heart failure research, both basic and translational/clinical, in China, including funding and publications. We also discuss the future challenges and possible strategies in improving our understanding and management of heart failure in China.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉A brain network consisting of two key parietal nodes, the precuneus and the posterior cingulate cortex, has emerged from recent fMRI studies. Though it is anatomically adjacent to and spatially overlaps with the default mode network (DMN), its function has been associated with memory processing, and it has been referred to as the parietal memory network (PMN). Independent component analysis (ICA) is the most common data-driven method used to extract PMN and DMN simultaneously. However, the effects of data preprocessing and parameter determination in ICA on PMN–DMN segregation are completely unknown. Here, we employ three typical algorithms of group ICA to assess how spatial smoothing and model order influence the degree of PMN–DMN segregation. Our findings indicate that PMN and DMN can only be stably separated using a combination of low-level spatial smoothing and high model order across the three ICA algorithms. We thus argue for more considerations on parametric settings for interpreting DMN data.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Here we report a hydrothermal approach to build and tailor the hierarchical structure of brookite TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 crystal under multiple hierarchical scales. Benefiting from the hierarchical structure and the existence of oxygen vacancy, these as-prepared hierarchical brookite TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 crystals can not only enhance photocatalytic activity, but also demonstrate their potential in the treatment of superficial malignant tumor.〈/p〉

Description: Organic thin-film transistor constructs the headstone of flexible electronic world such as conformable sensor arrays and flexible active-matrix displays. With solution-processed methods, it forges ahead toward large-area, low-cost manufacturing goals. As an indispensable complement to traditional silicon-based transistors, organic thin-film field-effect transistors have made great progress in materials, performance, bending capacity, and integrated circuits in recent few years. Flexible transistors and circuitry have extremely promising application prospects and possess irreplaceable status in foldable displays, artificial skins and bendable smart cards. In this review, we will discuss the evolution of flexible organic transistors and integrated circuits in terms of material, fabrication as well as application.

Description: Aerophobetes (or CD12) is a recently defined bacterial phylum, of which the metabolic processes and ecological importance remain unclear. In the present study, we obtained the draft genome of an Aerophobetes bacterium TCS1 from saline sediment near the Thuwal cold seep in the Red Sea using a genome binning method. Analysis of 16S rRNA genes of TCS1 and close relatives revealed wide distribution of Aerophobetes in deep-sea sediments. Phylogenetic relationships showed affinity between Aerophobetes TCS1 and some thermophilic bacterial phyla. The genome of TCS1 (at least 1.27 Mbp) contains a full set of genes encoding core metabolic pathways, including glycolysis and pyruvate fermentation to produce acetyl-CoA and acetate. The identification of cross-membrane sugar transporter genes further indicates its potential ability to consume carbohydrates preserved in the sediment under the microbial mat. Aerophobetes bacterium TCS1 therefore probably carried out saccharolytic and fermentative metabolism. The genes responsible for autotrophic synthesis of acetyl-CoA via the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway were also found in the genome. Phylogenetic study of the essential genes for the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway implied relative independence of Aerophobetes bacterium from the known acetogens and methanogens. Compared with genomes of acetogenic bacteria, Aerophobetes bacterium TCS1 genome lacks the genes involved in nitrogen metabolism, sulfur metabolism, signal transduction and cell motility. The metabolic activities of TCS1 might depend on geochemical conditions such as supplies of CO 2 , hydrogen and sugars, and therefore the TCS1 might be a facultative bacterium in anaerobic saline sediments near cold seeps.

Description: 摘要 燃料电池被认为是未来电动汽车及其他民用场合最有希望的化学电源。然而,其碳载铂催化剂活性与稳定性仍难满足燃料电池大规模商业化要求,制约了燃料电池发展。本文报道一种新型层状结构燃料电池铂催化剂,利用刻蚀的多孔蒙脱土层间纳米空间锚定纳米铂颗粒抑制纳米铂的迁移和团聚,利用蒙脱土/纳米颗粒强相互作用调变铂电子结构提高催化活性。结果表明:该新型多孔层状结构催化剂相比商业化铂碳催化剂的氧还原催化活性和稳定性分别提升了1.8和1.6倍。

Description: Originated from the pore space segmentation modification of a reported metal–organic framework (MOF) (NOTT-125), a new porous MOF ZnX was obtained and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and TGA. The ZnX exhibits remarkable selective CO 2 adsorption property compared with that of the NOTT-125, which should be attributed to the enhanced gas-framework interactions induced by the fragmented pore space in ZnX.

Description: We review recent developments in the use of magnetic lattices as a complementary tool to optical lattices for trapping periodic arrays of ultracold atoms and degenerate quantum gases. Recent advances include the realisation of Bose–Einstein condensation in multiple sites of a magnetic lattice of one-dimensional microtraps, the trapping of ultracold atoms in square and triangular magnetic lattices, and the fabrication of magnetic lattice structures with sub-micron period suitable for quantum tunnelling experiments. Finally, we describe a proposal to utilise long-range interacting Rydberg atoms in a large spacing magnetic lattice to create interactions between atoms on neighbouring sites.

Description: This paper established a numerical model for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) button cell, focusing on the effects of finger-like channels on the gas transport process in the anode support. The current densities of channelled button cell and un-channelled button cell are compared at different operating temperature and voltage with H 2 as the fuel. The H 2 transport is discussed in detail, such as the mole fraction distribution of H 2 in the porous layer, the diffusion flux and convective flux of H 2 . It is found that the performance of SOFC can be improved by 2.60 % at 800 °C, 0.5 V, compared with un-channelled SOFC due to the improved gas transport by the finger-like channels. Then, the model is further extended to study 2D-planar SOFC fuelled with syngas. The mole fraction gradients of H 2 , CO, CH 4 and CO are all substantially reduced by the finger-like channels compared to un-channelled planar cell. It is found that the SOFC performance is improved by 5.93 % at 800 °C, 0.5 V, when syngas fuel is used. The present study clearly demonstrated that the use of finger-like channels in the anode support is effective in improving the gas transport and the SOFC performance. The present model can be employed for subsequent optimization of the channel configuration for further performance improvement.

Description: Thioredoxin is a redox protein while adiponectin is an adipokine. Their relationship has been less appreciated. Here we show that in serum of patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive Pulmonary Disease, decreased activity of thioredoxin coexists with increased level of adiponectin as partial pressure of arterial oxygen decreases. From the results with adiponectin-knockout mice and in vitro experiments, we have found a reciprocal inhibitory relationship, by which adiponectin inhibits cytosolic thioredoxin ( Trx1 ) expression, whereas serum Trx1 influences adiponectin multimerization. The association between extracellular Trx1 and adiponectin attenuates their functions. This relationship is dynamic, and correlated with a body’s physiological conditions.

Description: Plants are the ultimate source of nutrients in the human diet. To ensure adequate availability of high quality food for an increasing world population, traits including improved tolerance of stresses and nutrient levels need to be selected in crops, both individually and in combination. Here we report the identification of SlMX1 encoding a MIXTA-like MYB transcription factor in tomato that simultaneously modulates drought resistance and metabolic processes through regulating key structural and regulatory genes of the corresponding pathways. Over-expression of SlMX1 results in substantially increased drought tolerance and improved fruit quality, while knocking down SlMX1 resulted in the opposite phenotypes. Our study indicates an effective way with multiple beneficial traits by genetic engineering of a single regulatory gene and can be a novel approach to breeding crops.

Description: Responsive photonic crystals (RPCs) constructed by periodic two/three-dimensional (2D/3D) photonic crystals (PCs) and responsive-material hosts, are important visualized optical sensors. Their optical diffraction color can be tuned reversibly by external stimuli, such as pH, metal ions, biomolecules, vapors and solvents, hence leading to wide applications as visualized sensors. This review introduces the recent progress of RPCs based on 2D/3D PCs for visual detection of chemical and biological analytes, including the preparation of 2D PCs, 3D PCs films, 3D PCs microbeads and their applications as visualized sensors. The different cases of detecting various chemical and biological analytes by naked eyes are presented. Emphasis is given to the description of their respective sensing mechanisms with the different systems for chemical and biological analytes. Compared with 3D RPCs sensors, 2D RPCs sensors have shorter response time, better stabilization and higher production efficiency, however, the diffraction intensity of 2D RPCs based on monolayered 2D polystyrene (PS) microsphere array are weak. 2D RPCs sensors based on 2D Au nanosphere can significantly improve the diffraction intensity compared with traditional 2D RPCs sensors based on monolayered PS microsphere array. The much higher scattering cross section of Au nanosphere leads to 2D Au nanosphere array with ultrahigh optical diffraction intensity, which are highly helpful for their practical application as visual sensors and further quantitative detection by monitoring the diffraction peak position and intensity.

Description: Superconductivity (SC) and ferromagnetism (FM) are in general antagonistic, which makes their coexistence very rare. Following our recent discovery of robust coexistence of SC and FM in \(\hbox {RbEuFe}_4\hbox {As}_4\) (Liu et al. in Phys Rev B 93:214503, 2016 ), here we report another example of such a coexistence in its sister compound \(\hbox {CsEuFe}_4\hbox {As}_4\) , synthesized for the first time. The new material exhibits bulk SC at 35.2 K and \(\hbox {Eu}^{2+}\) -spin ferromagnetic ordering at 15.5 K, demonstrating that it is a new robust ferromagnetic superconductor.

Description: Ecological impact caused by transgene flow from genetically engineered (GE) crops to their wild relatives is largely determined by the fitness effect brought by a transgene. To estimate such impact is critical for the ecological risk assessment prior to the commercialization of GE crops. We produced F 1 and F 2 hybrid descendants from crosses of two insect-resistant GE rice lines ( Bt , Bt / CpTI ) and their non-GE rice parent with a wild rice ( Oryza rufipogon ) population to estimate the transgenic fitness. Insect damages and life-cycle fitness of GE and non-GE crop–wild hybrid descendants as well as their wild parent were examined in a common-garden experiment. No significant differences in insect damages were observed between the wild rice parent and GE hybrid descendants under high-insect pressure. The wild parent showed significantly greater relative survival-regeneration ratios than its GE and non-GE hybrid descendants under both high- and low-insect pressure. However, more seeds were produced in GE hybrid descendants than their non-GE counterparts under high-insect pressure. Given that the introduction of Bt and Bt / CpTI transgenes did not provide greater insect resistance to crop–wild hybrid descendants than their wild parent, we predict that transgene flow from GE insect-resistant rice to wild rice populations may not cause considerable ecological risks.

Description: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mediates multiple signaling pathways that regulate cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Adaptor protein APPL1 has been reported to function as a downstream effector of EGFR signaling pathway. However, molecular mechanisms underlying the role of APPL1 downstream of EGFR signaling remains elusive. Here, we identified APPL1 as a critical molecule that interacts with EGFR. Suppression of APPL1 by siRNA inhibited EGF-stimulated Akt phosphorylation. Functionally, EGF stimulation of cells caused phosphorylation of APPL1 at Ser636, which subsequently promoted the interaction between APPL1 and EGFR, indicating that APPL1 sensitizes EGF stimulation by acting at a site downstream of the EGFR signaling. Importantly, non-phosphorylatable mutant of APPL1 reduced cell migration compared with wild-type APPL1 in an Akt-dependent manner. Our study reveals a novel function of APPL1 in EGF signaling and defines a novel molecular mechanism by which phosphorylation of APPL1 upon EGF stimulation regulates cell migration underlying EGF-stimulated Akt pathway.

Description: Over the past decade, ultrathin lanthanide oxides (Ln 2 O 3 , Ln = La to Lu) nanomaterials have been intensively studied in the fields of rare earth materials science. This unique class of nanomaterials has shown many unprecedented properties (big surface area, high surface effect, physical and chemical activities) and is thus being explored for numerous promising applications. In this review, a brief introduction of ultrathin Ln 2 O 3 nanomaterials was given and their unique advantages were highlighted. Then, the typical synthetic methodologies were summarized and compared (thermal decomposition, solvothermal, soft template, co-precipition and microwave etc.). Due to the high surface effect, some promising applications of ultrathin Ln 2 O 3 nanomaterials, such as drug delivery and catalysis of CO oxidation, were reviewed. Finally, on the basis of current achievements on ultrathin Ln 2 O 3 nanomaterials, personal perspectives and challenges on future research directions were proposed.

Description: Integrating letters and sounds are essential for successful reading in alphabetic languages. It remains unclear if native speakers of non-alphabetic languages integrate letters and sounds in reading an alphabetic language in the same way as native alphabetic readers do. Chinese is a morpho-syllabic system (each character corresponds to one syllable) and contrasts sharply with alphabetic languages such as English. Several fMRI studies have shown that native Chinese speakers apply their native language system to read English words. By using the cross-modal mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm, we directly investigated letter–sound integration for reading in English among native Chinese speakers. To investigate the effect of native language background on letter–sound integration in second language reading, a group of native Korean English learners served as a comparison group. We compared MMN responses between an auditory only condition (only vowels presented) and two audiovisual conditions (AV0, vowel presented synchronously with the corresponding letter; AV200, the letter presented 200 ms before the corresponding vowel) for both native Chinese and native Korean speakers. Native Chinese speakers demonstrated significantly attenuated MMN amplitudes in audiovisual conditions compared with the auditory only condition, regardless of their phonological decoding speed. In contrast, native Korean speakers showed amplified amplitude MMN in AV200 compared with that in the auditory only condition. The results suggest that native language may shape the brain responses of second language learners to reading a second language in the early stages. Native non-alphabetic language speakers may be unable to use visual information to facilitate their phonological processing in the early stage while native alphabetic language speakers are capable of integrating letter sounds automatically.

Description: Sterols and triterpenes are structurally diverse bioactive molecules generated through cyclization of linear 2,3-oxidosqualene. Based on carbocationic intermediates generated during initial substrate preorganization step, oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) are roughly segregated into protosteryl cation group that mainly catalyzes tetracyclic products and dammarenyl cation group which mostly generates pentacyclic products. However, in contrast to well-studied cascade of ring-forming reactions, little is known about the mechanism underlying the initial substrate folding process. Previously, we have identified a cucurbitadienol synthase (Bi) and its null allele bi (C393Y) from cucumber. By integration of homology modeling, residue coevolution and site-directed mutagenesis, we discover that four covarying amino acids including C393 constitute a dynamic domain that may be involved in substrate folding process for Bi. We also reveal a group of co-conserved residues that closely associated with the segregation of plant OSCs. These residues may act collaboratively in choice of specific substrate folding intermediate for OSCs. Thus, our findings open a door to engineer plant OSCs from four-ringed skeleton catalysts into five-ringed producer.

Description: It has been documented that human activities are causing the rapid loss of taxonomic, phylogenetic, genetic and functional diversity in soils. However, it remains unclear how modern intensive rice cultivation impacts the soil microbiome and its functionality. Here we examined the microbial composition and function differences between a buried Neolithic paddy soil and an adjacent, currently-cultivated paddy soil using high throughput metagenomics technologies. Our results showed that the currently cultivated soil contained about 10-fold more microbial biomass than the buried one. Analyses based on both 16S rRNA genes and functional gene array showed that the currently cultivated soil had significantly higher phylogenetic diversity, but less functional diversity than the buried Neolithic one. The community structures were significantly different between modern and ancient soils, with functional structure shifting towards accelerated organic carbon (C) degradation and nitrogen (N) transformation in the modern soils. This study implies that, modern intensive rice cultivation has substantially altered soil microbial functional structure, leading to functional homogenization and the promotion of soil ecological functions related to the acceleration of nutrient cycling which is necessary for high crop yields.

Description: In this paper, we apply the K-theory scheme of classifying the topological insulators/superconductors to classify the topological classes of the massive multi-flavor fermions in anti-de Sitter (AdS) space. In the context of AdS/conformal field theory (CFT) correspondence, the multi-flavor fermionic mass matrix is dual to the pattern of operator mixing in the boundary CFT. Thus, our results classify the possible patterns of operator mixings among fermionic operators in the holographic CFT.

Description: Urban growth models have been developed and extensively adopted to study urban expansion and its impact on the ambient environment. These models can be employed in urban policymaking or analyses of development scenarios. In this paper, we provide a systematic review of urban growth models, including the evolution of urban models and associated theories and the common framework of different models and their applications. Three typical classes of urban growth models, namely, the land use/transportation model, the cellular automata (CA) model and the agent-based model, were introduced. Their relationships were explained, considering their modelling mechanisms, data requirements and application scales. Based on the extensively utilized urban CA models, we proposed four perspectives for improvements, including the adjustment of the basic spatial unit, the incorporation of temporal contexts, public platforms to support model comparison, and scenario analyses. New opportunities (e.g., open social data and integrated assessment models) have emerged to assist model development and application.