Search

The inhomogeneous plating/stripping of Zn anode, attributed to dendrite growth and parasitic reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface, severely restricts its cycling life‐span. Here, trace zwitterions (trifluoroacetate pyridine, TFAPD) are introduced into the aqueous electrolyte to construct a multifunctional interface that enhances the reversibility of Zn anode. The TFA− anions with strong specific adsorption adhere onto the Zn surface to reconstruct the inner Helmholtz plane (IHP), preventing the hydrogen evolution and corrosion side reactions caused by free H2O. The Py+ cations accumulate on the outer Helmholtz plane (OHP) of Zn anode with the force of electric field during Zn2+ plating, forming a shielding layer to uniformize the deposition of Zn2+. Besides, the adsorbed TFA− and Py+ promote the desolvation process of Zn2+ resulting in fast reaction kinetics. Thus, the Zn||Zn cells present an outstanding cycling performance of more than 10000 hours. And even at 85 % utilization rate of Zn, it can stably cycle for over 200 hours at 10 mA cm−2 and 10 mAh cm−2. The Zn||I2 full cell exhibits a capacity retention of over 95 % even after 30000 cycles. Remarkably, the Zn||I2 pouch cells (95 mAh) deliver a high‐capacity retention of 99 % after 750 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Understanding spatial and temporal variability of absolute and relative profit within fields provides a basis for site-specific management of limited agricultural inputs such as water. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the pattern of spatial and temporal variation of cotton profitability and to assess the stability of profit in management zones (MZs) created based on soil properties and topography. Methods: This study analyzed profitability patterns in eight commercially managed fields in the Southern High Plains from 2000 to 2003. Each field was divided into 30 m grids and soil physical properties, topography, and lint yield were collected for each grid. Based on the input cost and output prices, profit was also calculated for each grid. Clusters or MZs based on soil and topographic properties were created for each field using the partitioning around medoids (PAM) clustering algorithm. ANOVA and Least Significant Difference tests were conducted to determine the difference in profit among the clusters over multiple years. Results: In four of the eight fields, the spatial pattern of profit was consistent across multiple years, indicating the potential of using MZs for site-specific input management. For the rest of the fields, the profit pattern in clusters was inconsistent across multiple years, indicating the need for within-season dynamic MZs. Conclusion: The variability in soil and topographic properties influenced the profitability of management zones within a field across multiple years. Hence, this study indicates that understanding the variability in profit patterns in management zones can help to determine the best strategy for field-specific and year-specific precision input management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low capacity and poor cycle stability greatly inhibit the development of zinc‐iodine batteries. Herein, a high‐performance Zn‐iodine battery has been reached by designing and optimizing both electrode and electrolyte. The Br− is introduced as the activator to trigger I+, and coupled with I+ forming interhalogen to stabilize I+ to achieve a four‐electron reaction, which greatly promotes the capacity. And the Ni−Fe−I LDH nanoflowers serve as the confinement host to enable the reactions of I−/I+ occurring in the layer due to the spacious and stable interlayer spacing of Ni−Fe−I LDH, which effectively suppresses the iodine‐species shuttle ensuring high cycling stability. As a result, the electrochemical performance is greatly enhanced, especially in specific capacity (as high as 350 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 far higher than two‐electron transfer Zn‐iodine batteries) and cycling performance (94.6 % capacity retention after 10000 cycles). This strategy provides a new way to realize high capacity and long‐term stability of Zn‐iodine batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low capacity and poor cycle stability greatly inhibit the development of zinc‐iodine batteries. Herein, a high‐performance Zn‐iodine battery has been reached by designing and optimizing both electrode and electrolyte. The Br− is introduced as the activator to trigger I+, and coupled with I+ forming interhalogen to stabilize I+ to achieve a four‐electron reaction, which greatly promotes the capacity. And the Ni−Fe−I LDH nanoflowers serve as the confinement host to enable the reactions of I−/I+ occurring in the layer due to the spacious and stable interlayer spacing of Ni−Fe−I LDH, which effectively suppresses the iodine‐species shuttle ensuring high cycling stability. As a result, the electrochemical performance is greatly enhanced, especially in specific capacity (as high as 350 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 far higher than two‐electron transfer Zn‐iodine batteries) and cycling performance (94.6 % capacity retention after 10000 cycles). This strategy provides a new way to realize high capacity and long‐term stability of Zn‐iodine batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A complementary label specifies one of the classes that an instance does not belong to. Complementary label learning only uses training instances each assigned a complementary label to train a classifier that can predict a ground-truth label for each testing instance. Though many surrogate loss functions have been proposed for complementary label learning, the mean square error (MSE) surrogate loss function, widely used in the standard classification paradigm, cannot provide classifier consistency in complementary label learning. However, classifier consistency not only guarantees the converged model is the optimal classifier that can be found in the searching space but also indicates that standard backpropagation is enough to search for the optimal classifier without needing model selection. This paper designs an effective square loss for complementary label learning under unbiased and biased assumptions. We also theoretically demonstrate that our method assurances that the optimal classifier under complementary labels is also the optimal classifier under ordinary labels. Finally, we test our method on different benchmark datasets with biased and unbiased assumptions to verify the effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microspore embryogenesis is an extraordinarily complicated process, comprehensively regulated by a composite network of physiological and molecular factors, among which hormone is one of the most crucial factors. Auxin is required for stress-induced microspore reprogramming, however, the mechanism of its regulation of microspore embryogenesis is still unclear. Results: In this study, we found exogenously spraying 100 mg·L− 1 IAA on the buds of Wucai significantly increased the rate of microspore embryogenesis, and moreover accelerated the process of embryogenesis. Physiological and biochemical tests showed that the contents of amino acids, soluble total sugar, soluble protein, and starch were significantly increased after IAA treatment. Furthermore, exogenously spraying 100 mg·L− 1 IAA significantly enhanced IAA, GA4, and GA9 content, increased catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity, and reduced abscisic acid (ABA), MDA and soluble protopectin content, H2O2 and O2·− production rate in the bud with the largest population of late-uninucleate-stage microspores. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on buds respectively treated with 100 mg·L− 1 IAA and fresh water. A total of 2004 DEGs were identified, of which 79 were involved in micropores development, embryonic development and cell wall formation and modification, most of which were upregulated. KEGG and GO analysis revealed that 9.52% of DEGs were enriched in plant hormone synthesis and signal transduction pathways, pentose and glucuronic acid exchange pathways, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Conclusions: These findings indicated that exogenous IAA altered the contents of endogenous hormone content, total soluble sugar, amino acid, starch, soluble protein, MDA and protopectin, the activities of CAT and peroxidase (POD), and the production rate of H2O2 and O2·−. Combined with transcriptome analysis, it was found that most genes related to gibberellin (GA) and Auxin (IAA) synthesis and signal transduction, pectin methylase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PGs) genes and genes related to ATP synthesis and electron transport chain were upregulated, and genes related to ABA synthesis and signal transduction were downregulated. These results indicated that exogenous IAA treatment could change the balance of endogenous hormones, accelerate cell wall degradation, promote ATP synthesis and nutrient accumulation, inhibit ROS accumulation, which ultimately promote microspore embryogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wucai (Brassica campestris L.) is a leafy vegetable that originated in China, its soluble sugars accumulate significantly to improve taste quality during maturation, and it is widely accepted by consumers. In this study, we investigated the soluble sugar content at different developmental stages. Two periods including 34 days after planting (DAP) and 46 DAP, which represent the period prior to and after sugar accumulation, respectively, were selected for metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling. Differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were mainly enriched in the pentose phosphate pathway, galactose metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and fructose and mannose metabolism. By orthogonal projection to latent structures-discriminant s-plot (OPLS-DA S-plot) and MetaboAnalyst analyses, D-galactose and β-D-glucose were identified as the major components of sugar accumulation in wucai. Combined with the transcriptome, the pathway of sugar accumulation and the interact network between 26 DEGs and the two sugars were mapped. CWINV4, CEL1, BGLU16, and BraA03g023380.3C had positive correlations with the accumulation of sugar accumulation in wucai. The lower expression of BraA06g003260.3C, BraA08g002960.3C, BraA05g019040.3C, and BraA05g027230.3C promoted sugar accumulation during the ripening of wucai. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying sugar accumulation during commodity maturity, providing a basis for the breeding of sugar-rich wucai cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we focused on the impacts of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) low-level jet (LLJ) on the horizontal distribution, vertical development, and 3D structure of urban heat island (UHI). Observational datasets were collected from 224 automatic weather stations (AWSs), and an intensive sounding experiment was conducted in Beijing from 28 August to 2 September 2016. Three-dimensional simulations were operated by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. The results show the following: Ri was smaller than 0.25 at both urban and suburban stations near the surface when the LLJ was present. Through turbulent mixing, the LLJ extended the horizontal distribution of the canopy UHI downwind and increased the total UHI area by approximately 1 × 103 km2. The temperature lapse rate in the urban area was 0.7°C (100 m)−1 with the LLJ, twice that in the absence of an LLJ. The jet enhanced the vertical mixing above the urban area, accompanied by a near-surface TKE up to 0.52 m2 s−2, elevating the vertical UHI development height to 200 m. The LLJ is capable of increasing the temperature of the downwind urban area by a maximum of 8.5°C h−1 through warm advection. The temperature advection in the upper air caused by the LLJ also tilted the 3D UHI structure as a plume. Results reproduced the process by which the LLJ affect the 3D UHI structure through turbulence and advection, and could also provide ideas regarding the influence of the LLJ in other PBL processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an article published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, researchers Xijin Xu, Huiqiao Li, and their team discuss a method to enhance the energy density of aqueous zinc ion batteries. They introduce Br- as a mediator to activate and stabilize a reversible four-electron redox reaction between I- and I+, which improves the capacity and cycling stability of the batteries. This research addresses the challenges posed by the low energy density, low potential, and low power density of the cathode material in aqueous zinc ion batteries. [Extracted from the article]

The energy density of aqueous zinc ion batteries is greatly affected by the low energy density, low potential and low power density of the cathode material. In their Research Article (e202403187), Xijin Xu, Huiqiao Li et al. report a method to activate and stabilize a highly reversible four‐electron redox reaction between I− and I+ by introducing Br− as a mediator, which greatly promotes the capacity and effectively suppresses iodine shuttling for high cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent research article published in Angewandte Chemie, Xijin Xu, Huiqiao Li, and their team discuss a method to enhance the energy density of aqueous zinc ion batteries. The researchers introduce Br- as a mediator to activate and stabilize a reversible four-electron redox reaction between I- and I+, which improves the capacity and suppresses iodine shuttling for high cycling stability. This finding has significant implications for the development of more efficient and stable cathode materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries. [Extracted from the article]

Rechargeable proton batteries are attractive, because protons as a charge carrier have a small ionic radius, a lightest mass, and a high abundance on Earth. MoO3, as one of the promising anode materials in rechargeable proton batteries, suffers from the severe dissolution in acidic electrolytes upon cycling. Here, an ultrathin TiO2 shell is coated on MoO3 nanorods to suppress the detrimental dissolution during cycles. TiO2 also lowers the desolvation energy of hydrated protons, promoting the reaction kinetics. As a result, MoO3@TiO2 displays outstanding electrochemical performance, especially at high rates (171.0 mAh g−1 at 30 A g−1) and at high mass loadings (17 mAh cm−2 at 104 mg cm−2). The full cells constructed with MnO2 deliver an energy density up to 252.9 Wh kg−1 and a power density of 18.3 kW kg−1. Ex situ X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate that protons shuttle back and forth between different monoclinic phases. The results offer a simple way to achieve the high performance of MoO3 in a diluted acidic solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we consider the problem of optimally selecting a subset of transmitters from a transmitter set available to a multiple-input and multiple-output radar network. The aim is to minimize the location estimation error of underlying targets under a power constraint. We formulate it as a minimum-variance estimation problem and show that the underlying variance reduction function is submodular. From the properties of submodularity, we present a balanced selection policy which minimizes the worst-case error value using a minimax strategy. A greedy algorithm with guaranteed performance with respect to optimal solutions is given to efficiently implement the scheduling policy. The effectiveness and the efficiency of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated in simulated examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the scale of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) continues to expand, more and more scholars have begun to discuss the influence of OFDI on enterprise technological innovation. In order to be able to deeply explore the impact of enterprises' OFDI activities on enterprise technological innovation, this paper combines relevant enterprise data from 2015 to 2017 and uses the new method to test the "technological innovation effect" produced by the OFDI of Chinese enterprises. Finally, this paper concluded that the development of OFDI activities of enterprises can promote the improvement of the level of technological innovation of enterprises, and this promotion has a lag effect. R&D-type OFDI activities play a vital role in promoting the ability of technological innovation of enterprises. Compared with low-income host countries, investment in high-income host countries has a greater effect on promoting the ability of technological innovation of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), treatment using ticagrelor demonstrated significant ischemic benefits over clopidogrel; however, it was associated with increased bleeding complications leading to frequent de-escalation to clopidogrel. The objective of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of de-escalation in early and late phase after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We performed a retrospective study of 4678 ACS patients from March 2016 to April 2017 who initially received ticagrelor then de-escalated to clopidogrel and categorized them into Group 1: early phase (1–30 days) and Group 2: late phase (>30 days–1 year) switching groups. The primary efficacy endpoints included cardiovascular death, definite/probable stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, unplanned revascularization, and stroke. The safety endpoint was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium classification 3 or 5 bleeding events within 1 year after PCI. The incidence of switching occurred in 1019 patients; 380 (37.3%) in Group 1 (median 14 days, interquartile range 4–30 days) versus 639 (62.7%) in Group 2 (median 180 days, interquartile range 90–270 days). The ischemic endpoints occurred in 53 (13.9%) patients in Group 1 versus 35 (5.4%) in Group 2 (HR 1.93,95%CI 1.22–3.08, p <.0001). There were no significant differences of major bleeding events (HR 0.91; 95%CI, 0.58–1.43, p =.90) seen between the groups. The main cause for switching between the two groups was due to BARC 1 or 2 bleeding types. Early de-escalation from ticagrelor to clopidogrel during the initial 30 days after ACS was associated with higher risk of ischemic events when compared with switching beyond 30 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety and stability are two primary factors that affect the task execution performance of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), especially when they operate in a disturbed environment. The unknown disturbances and unmodeled dynamics will severely degrade the performance, resulting in unsafe and unstable behaviors. This paper presents a safety-critical control framework for AUVs in the presence of unknown disturbances using a neural network function approximator. The high-order control barrier functions (CBFs) are utilized to address the safe constraints of relative degree two. A nominal controller is designed in which the unknown lumped disturbances are compensated by a radial basis function neural network, thus ensuring that the tracking errors are uniformly ultimately bounded. Besides, the function approximation and the associated bounded approximation errors are adopted to estimate the unknown lumped disturbance terms in the second-order derivative of CBFs, which alleviates the mismatch of the forward invariance condition for the safety set. The minimally invasive quadratic program (QP) is formulated to make minimal sacrifice on the performance of nominal controller. The proposed method encompasses a straightforward structure for disturbance estimation, alongside a highly efficient explicit estimating rule that promotes rapid convergence. Integrated with computationally efficient QP, the proposed method demonstrates substantial promise for real-time implementation. Comparative numerical results with disturbance observer and input-to-state safety-based robust methods reveal an improved trade-off between safety and control performance. • A simple structure function approximator is proposed to address the safety-critical control problem with unknown disturbance. • The explicit updating law ensures efficient convergence. • The conservatism of the proposed method is reduced compared with the worst-case compensation. • The approximation error bound of the nominal controller is utilized to estimate the high-order CBF condition, resulting in a better trade-off between safety and control performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A great challenge for agricultural production is to produce more food with less water, which can be possibly achieved by increasing crop water use efficiency (WUE). This study systematically reviewed 52 cases from 49 empirical studies with field experimental results on wheat and cotton. This research investigated yield-water use relations under both furrow and micro irrigation systems, compared optimal water use to achieve maximum WUE and maximum yield, calculated water saving potentials under various scenarios, and evaluated the effects of influential factors using meta-regression analysis. The results suggest that to achieve maximum WUE rather than maximum yield, water use for wheat can be reduced by 30.4% with a grain yield decrease of 14.8%, and water use for cotton can decrease by 51.4% with a yield reduction of 51.7%. Compared with furrow irrigation, micro irrigation reduces wheat water use by 22.7% and increases yield by 36.7%. While for cotton, micro irrigation reduces water use by 36.8% and decrease yield by 21.4%. Under the scenario of a 10% yield reduction, water use decreases by 25% for wheat and by 20–22% for cotton. Compared with maximum yield, other yield levels reduce water use by 2–15% on average for wheat, and by 15–17% for cotton. Achieving maximum WUE reduces water use by 14–31% compared with other sub-optimal WUE levels. The meta-regression analysis showed adoption of micro irrigation systems, and farm management practices on soil and water significantly improved wheat and cotton WUE. Assessments of the publication selection bias and genuine effects illustrate the application of weighted least squares in conducting meta-regression analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: DEFORMED ROOT AND LEAVES1 (DRL1) is an Arabidopsis homologue of the yeast TOXIN TARGET4 (TOT4)/KILLER TOXIN‐INSENSITIVE12 (KTI12) protein that is physically associated with the RNA polymerase II‐interacting protein complex named Elongator. Mutations in DRL1 and Elongator lead to similar morphological and molecular phenotypes, suggesting that DRL1 and Elongator may functionally overlap in Arabidopsis. We have shown previously that Elongator plays an important role in both salicylic acid (SA)‐ and jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET)‐mediated defence responses. Here, we tested whether DRL1 also plays a similar role as Elongator in plant immune responses. Our results show that, although DRL1 partially contributes to SA‐induced cytotoxicity, it does not play a significant role in SA‐mediated expression of PATHOGENESIS‐RELATED genes and resistance to the virulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola ES4326. In contrast, DRL1 is required for JA/ET‐ and necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea‐induced defence gene expression and for resistance to B. cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola. Furthermore, unlike the TOT4/KTI12 gene which, when overexpressed in yeast, confers zymocin resistance, a phenotype of the tot4/kti12 mutant, overexpression of DRL1 does not change B. cinerea‐induced defence gene expression and resistance to this pathogen. Finally, DRL1 contains an N‐terminal P‐loop and a C‐terminal calmodulin (CaM)‐binding domain and is a CaM‐binding protein. We demonstrate that both the P‐loop and the CaM‐binding domain are essential for the function of DRL1 in B. cinerea‐induced expression of PDF1.2 and ORA59, and in resistance to B. cinerea, suggesting that the function of DRL1 in plant immunity may be regulated by ATP/GTP and CaM binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high thermodynamic instability and side reactions of Zn‐metal anode (ZMA), especially at high current densities, greatly impede the commercialization of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs). Herein, a fluorine‐rich double protective layer strategy is proposed to obtain the high reversibility of AZIBs through the introduction of a versatile tetradecafluorononane‐1,9‐diol (TDFND) additive in aqueous electrolyte. TDFND molecule with large adsorption energy (−1.51 eV) preferentially absorbs on the Zn anode surface to form a Zn(OR)2− (R=−CH2−(CF2)7−CH2−) cross‐linking complex network, which balances space electric field and controls the Zn2+ ion flux, thus enabling the uniform and compact deposition of Zn (002) crystal planes. Meanwhile, TDFND with low Lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO, 0.10 eV) energy level is priorly decomposed to regulate the interfacial chemistry of ZMA by building a ZnF2‐rich solid electrode/electrolyte interface (SEI) layer. It is found that a 14 nm‐thick SEI layer delivers excellent structural integrity to suppress parasitic reactions by blocking the direct contact of active water and ZMA. Consequently, the Zn electrode exhibits a superior cycling life over 430 h at 10 mA cm−2 and a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.8 % at 5 mA cm−2. Furthermore, a 68 mAh pouch cell delivers 80.3 % capacity retention for 1000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high thermodynamic instability and side reactions of Zn‐metal anode (ZMA), especially at high current densities, greatly impede the commercialization of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs). Herein, a fluorine‐rich double protective layer strategy is proposed to obtain the high reversibility of AZIBs through the introduction of a versatile tetradecafluorononane‐1,9‐diol (TDFND) additive in aqueous electrolyte. TDFND molecule with large adsorption energy (−1.51 eV) preferentially absorbs on the Zn anode surface to form a Zn(OR)2− (R=−CH2−(CF2)7−CH2−) cross‐linking complex network, which balances space electric field and controls the Zn2+ ion flux, thus enabling the uniform and compact deposition of Zn (002) crystal planes. Meanwhile, TDFND with low Lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO, 0.10 eV) energy level is priorly decomposed to regulate the interfacial chemistry of ZMA by building a ZnF2‐rich solid electrode/electrolyte interface (SEI) layer. It is found that a 14 nm‐thick SEI layer delivers excellent structural integrity to suppress parasitic reactions by blocking the direct contact of active water and ZMA. Consequently, the Zn electrode exhibits a superior cycling life over 430 h at 10 mA cm−2 and a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.8 % at 5 mA cm−2. Furthermore, a 68 mAh pouch cell delivers 80.3 % capacity retention for 1000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D-networked, ultrathin, and porous Ni3S2/CoNi2S4 on Ni foam (NF) is successfully designed and synthesized by a simple sulfidation process from 3D Ni-Co precursors. Interestingly, the edge site-enriched Ni3S2/CoNi2S4/NF 3D-network is realized by the etching-like effect of S2− ions, which made the surfaces of Ni3S2/CoNi2S4/NF with a ridge-like feature. The intriguing structural/compositional/componental advantages endow 3D-networked-free-standing Ni3S2/CoNi2S4/NF electrodes better electrochemical performance with specific capacitance of 2435 F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1 and an excellent rate capability of 80% at 20 A g−1. The corresponding asymmetric supercapacitor achieves a high energy density of 40.0 W h kg−1 at an superhigh power density of 17.3 kW kg−1, excellent specific capacitance (175 F g−1 at 1A g−1), and electrochemical cycling stability (92.8% retention after 6000 cycles) with Ni3S2/CoNi2S4/NF as the positive electrode and activated carbon/NF as the negative electrode. Moreover, the temperature dependences of cyclic voltammetry curve polarization and specific capacitances are carefully investigated, and become more obvious and higher, respectively, with the increase of test temperature. These can be attributed to the components' synergetic effect assuring rich redox reactions, high conductivity as well as highly porous but robust architectures. This work provides a general, low-cost route to produce high performance electrode materials for portable supercapacitor applications on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ni 0.5 Co 0.5 (OH) 2 nanosheets coated CuCo 2 O 4 nanoneedles arrays were successfully designed and synthesized on carbon fabric. The core/shell nanoarchitectures directly served as the binder-free electrode with a superior capacity of 295.6 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1, which still maintained 220 mAh g−1 even at the high current density of 40 A g−1, manifesting their enormous potential in hybrid supercapacitor devices. The as-assembled CuCo 2 O 4 @Ni 0.5 Co 0.5 (OH) 2 //AC hybrid supercapacitor device exhibited favorable properties with the specific capacitance as high as 90 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and the high energy density of 32 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 800 W kg−1. Furthermore, the as-assembled device also delivered excellent cycling performance (retaining 91.9% of the initial capacitance after 12,000 cycles at 8 A g−1) and robust mechanical stability and flexibility, implying the huge potential of present hierarchical electrodes in energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although in recent years nonhost resistance has attracted considerable attention for its broad spectrum and durability, the genetic and mechanistic components of nonhost resistance have not been fully understood., We used molecular and histochemical approaches including quantitative PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and 3,3′-diaminobenzidine and aniline blue staining., The evolutionarily conserved histone acetyltransferase complex Elongator was identified as a major component of nonhost resistance against Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri ( Xcc) and Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola ( Psp) NPS3121. Mutations in Elongator genes inhibit Xcc-, Psp NPS3121- and/or flg22-induced defense responses including defense gene expression, callose deposition, and reactive oxygen species ( ROS) and salicylic acid ( SA) accumulation. Mutations in Elongator also attenuate the ROS- SA amplification loop. We show that suppressed ROS and SA accumulation in Elongator mutants is correlated with reduced expression of the Arabidopsis respiratory burst oxidase homologue AtrbohD and the SA biosynthesis gene ISOCHORISMATE SYNTHASE1 ( ICS1). Furthermore, we found that the Elongator subunit ELP2 is associated with the chromatin of AtrbohD and ICS1 and is required for maintaining basal histone H3 acetylation levels in these key defense genes., As both AtrbohD and ICS1 contribute to nonhost resistance against Xcc, our results reveal an epigenetic mechanism by which Elongator regulates nonhost resistance in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different Bi 2 S 3 nanoarchitectures (nanorods and nanobelts) were successfully synthesized with a facile solvothermal method at different temperature. The nanobelts transformed into nanorods when the temperature was 200 °C increased from 150 °C. The nanorod-morphology was kept even the temperature was further increased. The galvanostatic charge/discharge performance showed that the prepared Bi 2 S 3 nanorods had good performance of discharge efficiency at current density from 1 A g −1 to 4 A g −1 . The specific capacitance was 270 F g −1 at a current density of 1 A g −1 . Furthermore, the nanorods were also used as the efficient UV-light photocatalysts for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), which showed almost complete degradation (∼87%) of RhB dye at 100 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum dioxide (MoO 2 ) nanoparticles were synthesized on carbon fibers by a facile hydrothermal method. The XRD results reveal that the obtained nanoparticles have a monoclinic phase with diameter in the range of tens of nanometers, which could be directly functionalized for application in the lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The annealed MoO 2 nanoparticles exhibit high specific capacity and excellent cycling stability. A high discharge capacity of 1117 mA h g −1 can maintain after 50 cycles at the rate of 0.5 C. In view of the excellent lithium storage properties and the ease in large-scale preparation, the as-synthesized MoO 2 nanoparticles might be used as promising anode materials for high-performance LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical nickel oxide/graphene oxide (NiO/GO) and nickel oxide/graphene oxide/silver (NiO/GO/Ag) heterostructures were sucessfully fabricated as high-performance supercapacitors electrode materials by using a hydrothermal process and a photoreduction process. The experimental results showed that the NiO/GO/Ag heterostructure electrodes showed better electrochemical performance than those of NiO/GO and bare NiO nanosheets. The NiO/GO/Ag electrode exhibited a higher specific capacitance of 229 F g −1 at a current density of 1 A g −1 , higher than that of 161 F g −1 for NiO/GO composites. Furthermore, NiO/GO/Ag electrode also showed good rate capability (still 200 F g −1 at 6 A g −1 ) and cycling stability (24% loss after 2000 repetitive cycles at a scan rate of 20 mV s −1 ). The enhanced capacitive performance of the NiO/GO/Ag composites was mainly attributed to the introduction of Ag nanoparticles, which increased the electrical conductivities of the composites, and promoted the electron transfer between the active components. This study suggested that NiO/GO/Ag composites were a promising class of electrode materials for high performance energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum dioxide (MoO 2 ) nanoparticles with the size of 200 nm in diameter were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The nanoparticles were directly functionalized as supercapacitors (SCs) electrodes and photocatalysts. The electrochemical studies showed that the SCs demonstrated high capacitance of 621 F g −1 , which was 3 times larger than previous reports. Furthermore, they exhibited good cyclic performance with 90% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at a current density of 1 A g −1 . The photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB), respectively, and the nanoparticles demonstrated preferred selectivity on the degradation of RhB (70%) than that of MB (30%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the most common cause of death among women. KIF3C, a member of kinesin superfamily, functions as a motor protein involved in axonal transport in neuronal cells. To explore the expression, regulation and mechanism of KIF3C in breast cancer, 4 breast cancer cell lines and 93 cases of primary breast cancer and paired adjacent tissues were examined. Immunohistochemistry, Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot, flow cytometry, short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), colony formation techniques and xenograft mice model were used. We found that KIF3C was over-expressed in breast cancer tissues and such high KIF3C expression was also associated with tumor recurrence and lymph node metastasis. Silencing of KIF3C by shRNA inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis by inhibiting TGF-β signaling and suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation through inducing G 2 /M phase arrest. The tumor size was smaller and the number of lung metastatic nodules was less in KIF3C depletion MDA-MB-231 cell xenograft mice than in negative control group. These results suggested that high expression of KIF3C in breast cancer may be associated with the tumor progression and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese food security policy is anchored increasingly on the conviction that domestic grain production should be greatly enhanced, and the best way to do so is to expand farm production scale. To that end, an increasing stream of public investment has been directed to the grain sector, in the form for example of farm expansion subsidies. Our purpose is to assess the potential impacts of China’s farm-scale expansion on both yields and per-hectare economic returns. Analysis of a large sample of farm household production data finds (with some exceptions) that grain yields likely will decline as farm size grows, compromising food self-sufficiency targets. More importantly, in only isolated cases would per-hectare economic returns decline with size. Thus, an emphasis on reducing farmland transactions costs may stimulate cropland consolidation and achieve the desired long-term structural transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolutionarily conserved Elongator complex functions in diverse biological processes including salicylic acid-mediated immune response. However, how Elongator functions in jasmonic acid ( JA)/ethylene ( ET)-mediated defense is unknown. Here, we show that Elongator is required for full induction of the JA/ ET defense pathway marker gene PLANT DEFENSIN1.2 ( PDF1.2) and for resistance to the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola. A loss-of-function mutation in the Arabidopsis Elongator subunit 2 ( ELP2) alters B. cinerea-induced transcriptome reprogramming. Interestingly, in elp2, expression of WRKY33, OCTADECANOID- RESPONSIVE ARABIDOPSIS AP2/ ERF59 ( ORA59), and PDF1.2 is inhibited, whereas transcription of MYC2 and its target genes is enhanced. However, overexpression of WRKY33 or ORA59 and mutation of MYC2 fail to restore PDF1.2 expression and B. cinerea resistance in elp2, suggesting that ELP2 is required for induction of not only WRKY33 and ORA59 but also PDF1.2. Moreover, elp2 is as susceptible as coronatine-insensitive1 ( coi1) and ethylene-insensitive2 ( ein2) to B. cinerea, indicating that ELP2 is an important player in B. cinerea resistance. Further analysis of the lesion sizes on the double mutants elp2 coi1 and elp2 ein2 and the corresponding single mutants revealed that the function of ELP2 overlaps with COI1 and is additive to EIN2 for B. cinerea resistance. Finally, basal histone acetylation levels in the coding regions of WRKY33, ORA59, and PDF1.2 are reduced in elp2 and a functional ELP2- GFP fusion protein binds to the chromatin of these genes, suggesting that constitutive ELP2-mediated histone acetylation may be required for full activation of the WRKY33/ ORA59/ PDF1.2 transcriptional cascade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Nipple adenoma is a rare and benign type of breast tumour. Because of the lack of proper understanding, it is easily overlooked and misdiagnosed by doctors. The aim of the study is to improve clinicians' awareness of the disease. Methods Evaluation of the complaints such as blood discharge or nodules on the nipple was done with physical examination, ultrasonography and cytologic evaluation (discharge cytology and curettage cytology). Resection of part of the nipple containing the tumour was performed in 11 of the 12 patients included in this study. Results Physical examination revealed nodules palpable inside the nipples in all 12 cases. However, a hypoechoic nodule was detected unilaterally inside the nipple only in three of 11 patients examined by ultrasonography. It was worth noting that six patients had cytology performed (one case on nipple discharge and five cases on curettage) and that all six had abnormal results. Cytology is often atypical or suspicious but the ultimate pathology is benign. No post-operative recurrence was observed in any of the patients. Conclusions Physical examination and diagnostic studies are important part of the diagnostic workup, but since cytological assessment often yields atypical cells, surgical treatment and pathologic evaluation are the only approach for definitive diagnosis to rule out a potential malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel diatomite/chitosan–Fe(III) composite (Fe(III)/Cs@Dia) was synthesized successfully to use as an adsorbent for the removal of anionic azo dye. The composite was further characterized by SEM, FTIR, XPS, and C 13 / Si 29 NMR, and then the adsorption batch experiments were carried out as a function of initial dye concentrations, pH values, contact time and temperatures to determine the adsorption capacities of Fe(III)/Cs@Dia. Compared with several typical isotherm models, the adsorption isotherms were all best-fitted by the Langmuir model, with a maximal 2GL dye uptake of 1250 mg g −1 at pH 6 and 298 K. In addition, kinetic studies followed the pseudo-second-order model and thermodynamic studies revealed that the uptake was exothermic in nature. The adsorption mechanisms were proposed with observation that electrostatic interaction and complexation played the key roles in adsorption process. Moreover, the composite also showed favorable adsorption properties for other four anionic azo dyes (direct yellow R, congo red, methyl orange and direct red 23). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreasing water availability for agricultural production has prompted researchers to focus on comparing and evaluating water use efficiency ( WUE ) of different crops in various water management strategies. A field survey was conducted to investigate the amount of irrigation water, inputs and yields of eight crops (spring wheat, maize, onion, cotton, hot pepper, sunflower, melons and fennel) grown under furrow irrigation systems in an arid region, Minqin county, Northwestern China (NWC). Previous publications reporting crop WUE were identified and major statistics of evapotranspiration ( ET ), yield ( Y ) and WUE were calculated for each crop. By comparing with literature reporting, the mean WUE of onion (8.71 kg m −3 ), cotton (0.56 kg m −3 ), sunflower seed (0.78 kg m −3 ) and fennel (0.51 kg m −3 ) grown in NWC were at the same high levels; while WUE of wheat (0.87 kg m −3 ) and maize (1.17 kg m −3 ) were slightly lower and WUE of hot pepper (2.68 kg m −3 ) and melons (3.27 kg m −3 ) were extremely low. Great potential of saving water could be achieved to realize increased or ideal WUE values for crops in NWC. The total net profit per household of cotton (1606.62 $ hh −1 ) was significantly larger and of onion (−3132.30 $ hh −1 ) significantly lower than that of other crops. Cotton, sunflower seed, melons and hot pepper had significantly higher crop production values per unit water than other crops, 0.39 $ m −3 , 0.36 $ m −3 , 0.32 $ m −3 and 0.31 $ m −3 , respectively. The net household profits were significantly higher when excluding onion production for its extremely low price in 2011. With simulation based on different combinations of onion production and increase of migrant workers, the average net household profit could be optimized to provide benefits to local farmers and policy makers regarding income increase and rural policy design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The great migration from Chinese farms to cities during the past several decades ranks among the most economically consequential of modern population movements. We use a national sample of rice-producing Chinese households to examine the effects of that migration on agricultural production. Our assessment involves evaluating four alternative theories of labour market equilibrium in the framework of an expanded agricultural household model. Migration’s farm production impacts appear to be slight, not on account of farm labour market perfections or remittance-financed technological improvements, but by substituting a reduction in leisure and other low-return activities for lost labour. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Solvothermal reactions of 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate (H2tdc) and N-auxiliary ligands in the presence of cobalt(ii), zinc(ii) and cadmium(ii) salts have given rise to seven new metal–organic frameworks, namely, [Co2(tdc)2(bpp)2(H2O)·(H2O)]n (bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane) (1), [Cd(tdc)(bpp)(H2O)·(H2O)2]n (2), [Zn2(tdc)2(bbi)2·(H2O)2]n (bbi = 1,1′-(1,4-butanediyl)bis(imidazole)) (3), [Co4(tdc)3(bimb)4(H2O)5·(tdc)·(DMF)·(H2O)2]n (bimb = 4,4′-bis(1-imidazolyl)biphenyl) (4), [Zn4(O)(tdc)3(bimb)4·(H2O)5.25·(CH3OH)]n (5), [Cd4(tdc)4(bimb)6·(H2O)2·(CH3OH)2·(DMF)4] (6) and [Co2(tdc)2(tib)2·(H2tdc)·(DMF)2] (tib = 1,3,5-tris(1-imidazolyl)benzene) (7), which exhibit structural diversity. Compounds 1–3 display 3D 2-fold interpenetrating 8-connected tsi net, 2D 4-connected sql net, and 3D 5-fold interpenetrating 4-connected dia net, respectively; while compound 4 features an extremely rare 3D 7-connected hxg-d cationic net and compound 5 adopts a 3D trinodal (4,4,6)-connected net with a new topology structure. For compounds 6 and 7, the topology in the structures were determined as 3D 3-fold interpenetrating 5-connected bnn net and 3D 2-fold interpenetrating binodal (3,5)-connected net, respectively. In the solid state, complexes 1, 4 and 5 exhibit nonlinear optical properties, and complex 5 has also been evaluated as a promising visible-light-driven photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants. The magnetic investigation of complexes 1 and 4 shows that there exists spin-canted antiferromagnetism for 1, whereas strong antiferromagnetic interaction and/or the depopulation of the higher energy Kramers doublets of the Co(ii) centers are dominant in 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a long-lasting plant immunity against a broad spectrum of pathogens. Biological induction of SAR requires the signal molecule salicylic acid (SA) and involves profound transcriptional changes that are largely controlled by the transcription coactivator NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES1 (NPR1). However, it is unclear how SAR signals are transduced from the NPR1 signaling node to the general transcription machinery. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis   thaliana Mediator subunit16 (MED16) is an essential positive regulator of SAR. Mutations in MED16 reduced NPR1 protein levels and completely compromised biological induction of SAR. These mutations also significantly suppressed SA -induced defense responses, altered the transcriptional changes induced by the avirulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (Pst) DC3000/ avrRpt2 , and rendered plants susceptible to both Pst DC3000/ avrRpt2 and Pst DC3000. In addition, mutations in MED16 blocked the induction of several jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET)–responsive genes and compromised resistance to the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola. The Mediator complex acts as a bridge between specific transcriptional activators and the RNA polymerase II transcription machinery; therefore, our data suggest that MED16 may be a signaling component in the gap between the NPR1 signaling node and the general transcription machinery and may relay signals from both the SA and the JA / ET pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A high-performance DC electric field sensor (EFS) based on the mode localization phenomenon is presented. • The noise, resolution, and stability of the mode-localized EFS are 11.5 (V/m)/√Hz, 22.9 V/m, and 9.1 V/m, respectively. • This work identifies another application opportunity for mode-localized sensors. [Display omitted] This paper reports a DC electric field sensor (EFS) based on the mode localization phenomenon. The EFS consists of 3-degrees-of-freedom weakly coupled resonators (WCRs) and two capacitor arrays that are electrostatically coupled with the WCRs. The capacitor arrays sense the electric field and produce a stiffness perturbation that causes an amplitude ratio change of the WCRs. The EFS is fabricated using a silicon-on-insulator process and evaluated in a vacuum chamber. The amplitude ratio of the resonators changes from 2.2 to 7.5 as the electric field strength ranges from 0 to 7 kV/m, with a sensitivity of 0.76 /(kV/m). The noise, resolution, and stability of the mode-localized EFS are 11.5 (V/m)/√Hz, 22.9 V/m, and 9.1 V/m, respectively, which are competitive compared with that of other high-performance micromachined EFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combination of a cationic complex [Ni(phen)3]2+ and an anionic complex [Ni(mnt)2]- has resulted in a novel mixed-valence complex [Ni(phen)3]2[Ni(mnt)2]3·2DMF (phen=1,10′-phenathroline, mnt=1,2-dicyanovinylene-1,2-dithiolato, DMF=N,N-dimethylformamide). Its crystal structure consists of two different types of [Ni(mnt)2] units: [Ni(mnt)2]- and [Ni(mnt)2]2-, the arrangement of the [Ni(mnt)2] anion is found to be quite different from segregated stack layers often found for [Ni(mnt)2]-based compounds. Infrared and electronic spectra also confirmed the existence of both [Ni(mnt)2]- and [Ni(mnt)2]2- units. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

N2-2-Hydroxybenzalmethylene-O,O′-diethylphosphorohydrazonothionate (HL) and its three complexes (ML2·H2O) with nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) have been prepared and identified. The crystal structure of NiL2·H2O has been determined. Crystal data: triclinic, space group P1, a=12.064(4), b=8.692(2), c=7.184(2) Å, α=101.34(3), β=94.92(3), γ=103.81(0)°, Z=1, V=710.3(3) Å3, Dc= 1.448 g·cm-3,µ=1.65 mm-1, R=0.065, Rw=0.068. The coordination geometry of Ni(II) in the complex is almost a square-planar. The test results of biological activity have shown that these compounds possess some activities of scavenging superoxide free radicals, as acaricides and insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cas9-sgRNA RNP complexes can provide targeted gene disruption of the Ssoah1 locus. • Endogenous U6 promoter to drive sgRNA transcription increases mutation frequency. • The Sspks12 gene is required for pigment accumulation in apothecia and sclerotia. We previously reported on a CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system for the necrotrophic fungal plant pathogen Sclerotinia scleroti orum. This system (the TrpC-sgRNA system), based on an RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) promoter (TrpC) to drive sgRNA transcription in vivo , was successful in creating gene insertion mutants. However, relatively low efficiency targeted gene editing hampered the application of this method for functional genomic research in S. sclerotiorum. To further optimize the CRISPR-Cas9 system, a plasmid-free Cas9 protein/sgRNA ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-mediated system (the RNP system) and a plasmid-based RNA polymerase III promoter (U6)-driven sgRNA transcription system (the U6-sgRNA system) were established and evaluated. The previously characterized oxaloacetate acetylhydrolase (Ssoah1) locus and a new locus encoding polyketide synthase12 (Sspks12) were targeted in this study to create loss-of-function mutants. The RNP system, similar to the TrpC-sgRNA system we previously reported, creates mutations at the Ssoah1 gene locus with comparable efficiency. However, neither system successfully generated mutations at the Sspks12 gene locus. The U6-sgRNA system exhibited a significantly higher efficiency of gene mutation at both loci. This technology provides a simple and efficient strategy for targeted gene mutation and thereby will accelerating the pace of research of pathogenicity and development in this economically important plant pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen coat proteins (PCPs) are cysteine-rich small-molecule proteins, which exhibit high levels of polymorphism and are expressed in gametocytes. Previous investigations have revealed that PCP genes are involved in pollen wall synthesis, pollen-stigma recognition, and pollen development and germination. However, gene expression and function of PCP family in pollen development is not well understood in Wucai (Brassica campestris L.). In this study, genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the BcPCP gene family members were conducted, including their physical and chemical properties, chromosome localization, phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, and tertiary structure. A total of 20 BcPCP genes were identified and classified into three subfamilies showing high homology to Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression pattern analysis indicated that the BcPCP gene family exhibits higher expression levels in reproductive organs, suggesting their potential involvement in the reproductive development. Notably, BraA02g002400.3 C, potentially associated with male sterility, was identified through multiple transcriptomic and proteomic datasets. Subsequently, sequence analysis revealed its homology with the Arabidopsis GRP20 gene, and thus it was named BcGRP20. Functional analysis of this gene showed that overexpression of BcGRP20 gene in the Arabidopsis grp20 mutant could restore anther fertility. Overall, our findings indicate that BcGRP20 plays a critical role in pollen development and may be the causative gene for male sterility in Wucai. This study provides candidate genes for further functional identification of BcPCP genes in Wucai, which are crucial for anther development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn dendrite growth and parasitic reactions at the interface of zinc anode/electrolyte in aqueous zinc batteries severely hinder its lifespan in application. Herein, the zinc anode is effectively stabilized by introducing trace amounts of 4‐aminobutane‐1‐phosphate (ABPA) into the ZnSO4 electrolyte. The ABPA adsorbs onto the surface of zinc anode and then further decomposes to a high conductive organic/inorganic composite in situ SEI layer including amino, partial carbon chain, and zinc phosphate. In the SEI layer, the residual undecomposed carbon chain promotes the desolvation of Zn2+, the amino induces uniform Zn2+ plating and zinc phosphate facilitates the migration of Zn2+. Thus, this in situ SEI layer not only suppresses water‐related side reactions but also enhances the Zn2+ transport kinetics. As a result, Zn||Zn symmetric cell delivers an ultralong cycle life of over 13 000 cycles at 50 mA cm−2 and 1 mAh cm−2. A high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.72% is achieved in over 1000 cycles in Zn||Cu half‐cell. The Zn||I2 full cell delivers a high‐capacity retention of 91.42% after 40,000 cycles. Moreover, a 49 mAh Zn||I2 pouch cell maintains 80.28% capacity retention over 300 cycles and 61.22% after 1000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous Zn‐metal batteries are of great interest due to their high material abundance, low production cost, and excellent safety. However, they suffer from severe side reactions and notorious dendrite growth closely related to electrolytes. Here, in situ generated zwitterionic polymers are used as gel electrolytes to overcome these problems. It is shown that anions and H2O, but not anions and cations, are preferentially immobilized at different sites of zwitterionic polymers, facilitating the free migration of Zn2+ and reducing the side reactions. This immobilization can be associated with the dipole moment of zwitterionic polymers. As a result, poly[3‐dimethyl(methacryloyloxy ethyl) ammonium propane sulfonate] (PDMAPS) stands out from a series of zwitterionic polymers and outperforms the other candidates in electrochemical performance. The symmetric cells using PDMAPS smoothly operate ~9000 h at 0.5 mA cm−2 for 0.5 mAh cm−2, much better than the controls. Moreover, PDMAPS enables an Ah‐level pouch cell for continuous cycling. These results not only benefit the rational molecular design of advanced electrolytes, but also demonstrate the promising potential of zwitterionic polymers in aqueous Zn‐metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability of the Zn metal anode is significantly affected by the various parasitic reactions during plating/stripping. Here, sodium 4‐aminobenzenesulfonate (SABS) is a functional electrolyte additive to modulate the electrode/electrolyte interface to protect the Zn metal. An electrical double layer (EDL) reconstruction of the interface is affected by providing hydrogen bond sites through nitrogen and oxygen elements with lone pair electrons in SABS molecules. These strong hydrogen bonds not only limit the corrosion of free H2O molecules on the surface of Zn anode but also promote the desolvation process. Besides, the SABS can be further in situ decomposed into a solid electrode/electrolyte interface (SEI) layer to regulate the plating/stripping behavior of Zn2+. As a result, based on the synergism of organic–inorganic hybrid SEI layer and the EDL reconstruction, the Zn//Zn symmetric cells exceptionally survive lasting for 6500 hours at 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mAh cm−2, and over 900 cycles even at 40 mA cm−2 and 10 mAh cm−2. The Zn‐I2 full cell maintains excellent cycle stability of 92.4% after 20000 cycles. Remarkably, the pouch cell maintains a capacity retention of over 99.1% (63 mAh) for 820 cycles at 5 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinearity is a common problem for many types of microgrippers and can make it difficult to achieve high precision control over the entire input variation range. This paper presents a linear electrostatic driving scheme consisting of a bidirectional rotary actuator and a divider circuit for microgrippers. Different from the conventional approach, the rotary actuator in the linear electrostatic driving scheme is driven by two differential driving voltages provided by the divider circuit. Using the linear electrostatic driving scheme, the displacement of the microgripper's jaw is proportional to the resistance of potentiometer of the divider circuit. The experiment shows that the jaw gap of the microgripper varies from 0 to 220 μm when the potentiometer rotates from 300° to 3240°. The nonlinear error of the rotatory microgripper is 0.14%, which is an improvement of over 100 times compared with the conventional driving scheme. In addition, a pick–release grasping experiment on glass spheres is performed to prove the capability of the rotatory microgripper in handling micro objects. [Display omitted] • A new linear electrostatic driving (LED) scheme is presented for microgrippers to solve nonlinear problems. • The linear motion of the rotatory microgripper is proved theoretically and experimentally. • A grasping experiment is performed to prove the capability of the microgripper in handling micro objects. • The LED scheme promotes control accuracy and provides higher driving efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bou Dahar Pb-Zn district, located in the Moroccan High Atlas, is a typical carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn ore district (>30 Mt at 4 wt.% Pb, 4 wt.% Zn). In situ trace element analysis was performed using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) on galena and cerussite from different ore types. The galena is generally enriched in Ag and Sb, secondarily enriched in Cu, with a trace amount of Cd and As, but extremely depleted in Bi and Tl. The main substitution mechanism in galena is (Ag, Cu)+ + Sb3+ ↔ 2Pb2+, and at high Sb concentrations, the further substitution of 2Sb3+ + □ ↔ 3Pb2+ (where □ represents a vacancy) took place. Micro-inclusions of Cu-Sb-bearing minerals (such as tetrahedrite) and Ag-bearing minerals (such as acanthite) may exist in some situations. The features of trace elements in galena show the existence of different coupled substitutions in vein-related ore, breccia-related ore, and strata-bound ore. This suggests that the Bou Dahar district experienced multistage mineralization. The MVT model alone cannot fully explain the ore-forming process. The cerussite replacing strata-bound galena is enriched in Sr, Ba, Ag, and Cu, with minor Sb, As, and Tl. Strontium and Ba are directly substituted with Pb in the cerussite lattice. Copper and Ag are likely present in cerussite as nano-inclusions, which differs from the coupled substitution mechanism of the original galena. High concentrations of Ag may occur due to minor electrum inclusions. The enrichment of Ag, Cu, and Au in cerussite during the oxidation process may guide the optimization of ore processing, especially in extracting valuable trace/minor elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of compound probiotics on the growth performance, non-specific immunity, intestinal digestive enzyme, and microbiota of Conger myriaster in a 10-week trial conducted in a recirculating aquaculture system. The control group (CI) was fed diets with added saline, while the test group (PI) was fed diets with compound probiotics (4.2 × 107 CFU/g). The results showed that the growth performance of C. myriaster in the PI group was significantly higher than that in the CI group (P < 0.05). The non-specific immunity and intestinal digestive enzyme activity in the PI group were significantly higher than those in the CI group (P < 0.05). The community richness and diversity of intestinal microbiota in the PI group were significantly higher than those in the CI group (P < 0.05). At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteriota significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the relative abundance of Spirochaetota significantly decreased in the PI group (P < 0.05). At the genus level, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Acinetobacter, Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, and Bifidobacterium was significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the relative abundance of Vibrio and Mycoplasma was significantly decreased in the PI group (P < 0.05). Based on the KEGG functional prediction analysis, the relative abundance of carbohydrate metabolism function in the PI group was significantly higher than in the CI group (P < 0.05). Based on the COG functional prediction analysis, the relative abundance of carbohydrate transport and metabolism function in the PI group was significantly higher than in the CI group (P < 0.05). These results indicate that the dietary supplementation of compound probiotics (4.2 × 107 CFU/g) provided better growth performance, non-specific immunity activity, and intestinal digestive enzyme activity and regulated the homeostasis of intestinal microbiota in C. myriaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]