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This study aims to understand the functional component compositions of traditional herbal health beverages made from Polygonatum cyrtonema rhizomes and to reveal the pharmacodynamic chemical basis for their claimed health benefits. Two traditional methods, rhizome decoction and rhizome infusion, were used to make health herbal beverages, including "Huangjin" tea and "Huangjin" wine, respectively. The secondary metabolites of "Huangjin" beverages were investigated and compared by widely targeted metabolomics. The results clearly showed that the major functional components in "Huangjin" beverages were phenolic acids, flavonoids, and alkaloids. The "Huangjin" wine has a greater variety of flavonoids and alkaloids than "Huangjin" tea, and the functional components in "Huangjin" wine were more abundant than those in "Huangjin" tea. Homoisoflavones and amide alkaloids were the dominating flavonoids and alkaloids in "Huangjin" wine, respectively. Continuous rhizome infusion could not increase the content of functional components in "Huangjin" wine. In conclusion, this study not only provides primary evidence to support the claimed health benefits of "Huangjin" beverages but also suggests that making traditional herbal beverages by rhizome infusion has superior health benefits than making them by rhizome decoction, which is attributed to the higher yields of functional components extracted by Chinese liquor than hot water. Therefore, Chinese liquor shows advantages in its use as a superior binary ethanol–water solvent in making herbal health beverages to enhance the solubility of poorly water-soluble functional components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid rice (Oryza sativa) generally outperforms its inbred parents in yield and stress tolerance, a phenomenon termed heterosis, but the underlying mechanism is not completely understood. Here, we combined transcriptome, proteome, physiological, and heterosis analyses to examine the salt response of super hybrid rice Chaoyou1000 (CY1000). In addition to surpassing the mean values for its two parents (mid‐parent heterosis), CY1000 exhibited a higher reactive oxygen species scavenging ability than both its parents (over‐parent heterosis or heterobeltiosis). Nonadditive expression and allele‐specific gene expression assays showed that the glutathione S‐transferase gene OsGSTU26 and the amino acid transporter gene OsAAT30 may have major roles in heterosis for salt tolerance, acting in an overdominant fashion in CY1000. Furthermore, we identified OsWRKY72 as a common transcription factor that binds and regulates OsGSTU26 and OsAAT30. The salt‐sensitive phenotypes were associated with the OsWRKY72paternal genotype or the OsAAT30maternal genotype in core rice germplasm varieties. OsWRKY72paternal specifically repressed the expression of OsGSTU26 under salt stress, leading to salinity sensitivity, while OsWRKY72maternal specifically repressed OsAAT30, resulting in salinity tolerance. These results suggest that the OsWRKY72–OsAAT30/OsGSTU26 module may play an important role in heterosis for salt tolerance in an overdominant fashion in CY1000 hybrid rice, providing valuable clues to elucidate the mechanism of heterosis for salinity tolerance in hybrid rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is one of the most important abiotic stresses which can seriously affect the growth and development of rice, leading to the decrease in or even loss of a rice harvest. Increasing the rice yield of saline soil is a key issue for agricultural production. The utilization of heterosis could significantly increase crop biomass and yield, which might be an effective way to meet the demand for rice cultivation in saline soil. In this study, to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of rice hybrids and their parents that respond to salt stress, we investigated the phenotypic characteristics, physiological and biochemical indexes, and expression level of salt-related genes at the seedling stage. In this study, two sets of materials, encapsulating the most significant differences between the rice hybrids and their parents, were screened using the salt damage index and a hybrid superiority analysis. Compared with their parents, the rice hybrids Guang-Ba-You-Hua-Zhan (BB1) and Y-Liang-You-900 (GD1) exhibited much better salt tolerance, including an increased fresh weight and higher survival rate, a better scavenging ability towards reactive oxygen species (ROS), better ionic homeostasis with lower content of Na+ in their Na+/K+ ratio, and a higher expression of salt-stress-responsive genes. These results indicated that rice hybrids developed complex regulatory mechanisms involving multiple pathways and genes to adapt to salt stress and provided a physiological basis for the utilization of heterosis for improving the yield of rice under salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the output power and efficiency of broad-area diode lasers is a prerequisite for the further development of fiber lasers, solid-state laser industries, and direct semiconductor laser applications. At present, the large amount of Joule heat generated by large drive currents and limited wall-plug efficiency presents the largest challenge for improving these lasers. In this paper, a multi-junction cascade laser with low Joule heat generation is demonstrated, showing large power and conversion efficiency. We fabricated devices with different junction numbers and compared their output power. We present double-junction lasers emitting at ~915 nm with an emitter width of 500 μm, delivering 132.5 W continuous wave output power at 70 A, which is the highest power reported so far for any single-emitter laser. The power conversion efficiencies are 66.7% and 60%, at 100 W and 132 W, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World-wide, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important food source, and its production is often adversely affected by salinity. Therefore, to ensure stable rice yields for global food security, it is necessary to understand the salt tolerance mechanism of rice. The present study focused on the expression pattern of the rice mismatch repair gene post-meiotic segregation 1 (OsPMS1), studied the physiological properties and performed transcriptome analysis of ospms1 mutant seedlings in response to salt stress. Under normal conditions, the wild-type and ospms1 mutant seedlings showed no significant differences in growth and physiological indexes. However, after exposure to salt stress, compared with wild-type seedlings, the ospms1 mutant seedlings exhibited increased relative water content, relative chlorophyll content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, K+ and abscisic acid (ABA) content, and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content, Na+ content, and Na+/K+ ratio, as well as decreased superoxide anion (O2−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of ospms1 mutant seedlings treated with 0 mM and 150 mM NaCl showed significant enrichment in biological and cytological processes, such as peroxidase activity and ribosomes. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathway analysis showed that the DEGs specifically enriched ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and glutathione metabolism pathways. Further quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed significant changes in the transcription levels of genes related to abscisic acid signaling (OsbZIP23, OsSAPK6, OsNCED4, OsbZIP66), reactive oxygen scavenging (OsTZF1, OsDHAR1, SIT1), ion transport (OsHAK5), and osmoregulation (OsLEA3-2). Thus, the study's findings suggest that the ospms1 mutant tolerates salt stress at the seedling stage by inhibiting the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, maintaining Na+ and K+ homeostasis, and promoting ABA biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: μ-receptor opioids are associated with unwanted gastrointestinal side effects and respiratory depression. A long-acting non-μ-receptor parenteral opioid is not currently available for management of acute and chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP). This double-blind clinical trial tested an extended-release κ-receptor agonist, sebacoyl dinalbuphine ester (SDE, Naldebain®) for management of surgical pain after laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Materials and Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive a single intramuscular injection of SDE (150 mg, n = 30) or vehicle solution (n = 30) at > 12 h before surgery. All patients received standard perioperative multimodal analgesia (MMA). The primary endpoint was the pain intensity in the beginning 7 days after operation. The secondary endpoints were adverse reactions up to 7 days and incidence of CPSP at 3 months after surgery. Results: Compared with placebos, the area under curves of visual analog scale (VAS) for 0–48 h after operation were significantly reduced in SDE group (143.3 ± 65.4 and 105.9 ± 36.3, P = 0.025). There were significantly fewer patients in the SDE group who had moderate-to-severe pain (VAS ≥ 4) (16.7% vs 50%; P = 0.012) at postoperative 48 h. Pain intensities were similar between the two groups at 72 h and 7 days postoperatively. The incidence of CPSP at 3 months was not different. SDE did not increase drug-related systemic adverse events. Conclusion: In addition to the standard perioperative MMA, a single-dose injection of long-acting κ-receptor agonist SDE provides significantly better pain management for 48 h following laparoscopic bariatric surgery. A long-acting κ-receptor agonist opioid could improve in-hospital pain management and potentiate early discharge after operation without increasing drug-related systemic complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report the growth of (Sr, Ca) Nd2Fe2O7 single crystals with the Ruddlesden–Popper structure using an optical floating-zone method. A significantly anisotropic magneto-dielectric effect (MD), ab-plane and c-axial MD coefficients reaching −12.3% and −8.4% measured at 103 Hz in a 1 T magnetic field, can be obtained in a SrNd2Fe2O7 crystal at room temperature. The corresponding anisotropic MD ratio can be reached as high as 1.46. With an increase in the Ca concentration, the MD effect decreases dramatically and is eventually completely suppressed in both directions. Analysis of magnetic properties and 57Fe Mössbauer spectra suggests that the anisotropic MD effects in SrNd2Fe2O7 can be attributed to polaronic hopping between two neighboring Fe3+ ions through oxygen vacancies in an anisotropically antiferromagnetic matrix; the disappearance of the MD effect in Ca-doped SrNd2Fe2O7 is a consequence of the suppression of the antiferromagnetism. Our work suggests that the significantly anisotropic MD effect in SrNd2Fe2O7 crystals at room temperature can be used in magneto-dielectric controlled devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct magnetoelectric (ME) coupling between magnetic and ferroelectric orders can be realized in spiral magnets. In this work, Jahn–Teller Cu2+ ions and Ti4+ ions were introduced in SrFe12O19 to destroy the collinear magnetic structure. It is found that Cu2+ ions mainly enter into the 2a and 4f1 sites of the spinel block, causing local enhanced Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (DM) interaction and lattice distortion and therefore resulting in the appearance of conical spin order. Ti4+ ions at 4f2 and 2b sites also induce a local uncompensated D vector and benefit the formation of conical spin order, while their non-magnetic nature hinders the spin propagation. Based on the proposed DM interaction model, the Jahn–Teller distortion and d–p hybridization mechanism were considered to be responsible for the enhanced ME effect. The present results highlight the role of the Jahn–Teller effect in the induction of conical spin order in M-type hexaferrite and the enhancement of ME coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We attempt to modify the magnetoelectric properties of antiferromagnetic Bi2Fe4O9 nanograins by substituting multivalent Mn ions at Fe sites. The doped Bi2Fe4O9 nanograins are synthesized by a hydrothermal method with a different Mn content x (x is the mole ratio of Mn to Mn plus Fe; x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.10). Among them, the x = 0.04 sample shows the anomalous decrease of lattice parameters a and b, the lowest antiferromagnetic transition temperature, and the largest saturated magnetization. Besides, the magneto-dielectric effect (Δɛ/ɛ ∼ −4.9%) and the magneto-striction constant (λ ∼ −1.1 × 10−4) of the x = 0.04 sample are also the largest compared with others (220 K and 0.6 T). Combined with Raman scattering and x-ray photoelectron measurement, it is considered that the substitution site of Mn ions varies with an increase of doping amount x, which also leads to the change of valence state of Mn ions and the lattice structure, and further affects the strength of magnetic interaction and spin-lattice coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnO2:Cu memristor devices were fabricated to investigate the influence of Frenkel defects on endurance behavior. We controlled the oxygen pressure during pulsed laser deposition to obtain different Frenkel defect conditions. For SnO2:Cu devices with homogeneous Frenkel defects, high-resistance state (HRS) fatigue was observed with increasing switching cycles due to the reduction of interfacial barriers caused by unrecoverable fragments of conductive filaments. In bilayer SnO2:Cu devices with Frenkel defect concentration gradients, the vertical Fick force resulting from the concentration gradient can drive mobile oxygen ions to restrain the formation of unrecoverable fragments. Thus, HRS fatigue was improved by restraining the reduction of interfacial barriers. When the gradient becomes large, the bilayer devices demonstrate HRS rise and stuck switching in several switching cycles. In this case, the Fick force may dominate the diffusion of mobile oxygen ions, leading to the overfilling of oxygen vacancies at the interface and an increase in interfacial barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prefabricated concrete structures are driving the development of green buildings, and the connection between prefabricated components is the main factor affecting the safety performance of these structures. Grouted sleeve technology can effectively improve the safety performance of precast component connections. In the process of grouting operation, the grouted sleeves are affected by the construction environment and often have various defects. In this work, to study the influence of defects on the mechanical properties of half-grouted steel sleeve connections, 33 specimens (10 groups of defective specimens (three in each group) and 1 standard group) were prepared and subjected to uniaxial tensile tests. The failure modes, load–displacement curves, stress distribution, and other mechanical properties of the specimens were studied. Sleeves with different defects were simulated, and the simulation results were compared with the experimental results. The experimental results showed that the failure modes are rebar fracture and rebar pull-out. In the strengthening stage, the specimens exhibited a large slip. The critical length for failure mode transition was 2.5 d (defect length). The middle defects and uniform defects had the most unfavorable effect on the ultimate bearing capacity of the specimens. The stress transfer was blocked in specimens with end and middle defects. The numerical simulation results were consistent with the experimental results, thus verifying the accuracy and feasibility of the simulation method for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-frequency noise characteristics of ZnO nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs) are presented at temperatures down to 10 K. The carrier number fluctuation (CNF) model and Hooge’s model are used to analyze the low-frequency noise in the studied devices. From 293 down to 200 K, the normalized noise power spectrum density (PSD) is proportional to (gm/Id)2 due to CNF caused by the trapping and detrapping process between the channel carriers and oxide traps near the semiconductor and the dielectrics interface. In this case, the low-frequency noise is induced by flat-band voltage fluctuation. The density of the traps in the gate dielectrics near the Fermi level ranges from 9.4 × 1010 to 3.8 × 1010 cm−2 eV−1 from 293 and 200 K. At lower temperatures, from 150 down to 100 K, the noise mechanism is mobility fluctuation, attributed to electron and space-charge scattering due to the hoping process and slow motions of electrons. The extracted Hooge’s parameter in this temperature ranges in the order of 10−3 to 10−2. In the temperature range from 30 down to 10 K, the low-frequency noise is dominated by both CNF and mobility fluctuation caused by Coulomb scattering between oxide traps and electrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The development of embryo sacs is crucial for seed production in plants, but the genetic basis regulating the meiotic crossover formation in the macrospore and microspore mother cells remains largely unclear. Here, we report the characterization of a spontaneous rice female sterile variation 1 mutant (fsv1) that showed severe embryo sacs abortion with low seed‐setting rate. Through map‐based cloning and functional analyses, we isolated the causal gene of fsv1, OsMLH3 encoding a MutL‐homolog 3 protein, an ortholog of HvMLH3 in barley and AtMLH3 in Arabidopsis. OsMLH3 and OsMLH1 (MutL‐homolog 1) interact to form a heterodimer (MutLγ) to promote crossover formation in the macrospore and microspore mother cells and development of functional megaspore during meiosis, defective OsMLH3 or OsMLH1 in fsv1 and CRISPR/Cas9‐based knockout lines results in reduced type I crossover and bivalent frequency. The fsv1 and OsMLH3‐knockout lines are valuable germplasms for development of female sterile restorer lines for mechanized seed production of hybrid rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct magnetoelectric (ME) coupling between magnetic and ferroelectric orders, which can be realized in spiral magnets, is vital in technological applications of multifunctional materials. Multisusceptible BaFe12O19 is noteworthy for its excellent magnetic, dielectric properties and thus the application in high‐density information storage, while its collinear spin structure limits the emergence of ferroelectrics and ME coupling. In this work, nonzero Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (DM) interaction is created by partial substitution of the spin‐down Fe3+ sites to induce conical spin structure in BaFe12O19. Larger In3+ ions are introduced and prefer to occupy the spin‐down 4f1 and 4f2 lattice sites. The evolution of magnetization versus temperature adduces evidence of conical magnetic structure. As a result, direct ME and magnetodielectric coupling are obtained in In‐doped BaFe12O19 ceramics. An interlayer DM interaction model is built to discuss the intrinsic relationship among crystal structure, noncollinear magnetic structure, and ionic substitution. Moreover, BaZn0.9Zr0.9Fe10.2O19 ceramics are also prepared, and exhibit noncollinear magnetic structure and direct ME coupling since Zn2+ and Zr4+ also possess larger radii than Fe3+ and prefer to enter the spin‐down sites. The present result provides a feasible avenue to develop multiferroic and magnetoelectric coupling in ubiquitous M‐type hexaferrite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Benzobicyclon (BBC) is a β-triketone herbicide (bTH) used in rice paddy fields. It has the advantages of high efficiency, low toxicity, high crop safety, and good environmental compatibility, and shows efficacy against paddy weeds resistant to other types of herbicides. However, as some important indica rice varieties are susceptible to BBC, BBC is currently only registered and applied in japonica rice cultivation areas. Results: By analyzing haplotypes of the bTHs broad-spectrum resistance gene HIS1 and phenotypes for BBC in 493 major indica rice accessions in China, we identified a novel non-functional allelic variant of HIS1 in addition to the previously reported 28-bp deletion. Through detection with markers specific to the two non-functional mutations, it was clear that 25.4% of indica conventional varieties, 59.9% of fertility restorers, and 15.9% of sterile lines were susceptible to BBC. In addition, due to natural allelic variations of the HIS1 gene in the sterile and restorer lines, some two-line hybrid sterile lines were sensitive to bTHs, and the corresponding restorers were resistant. We showed the potential effectiveness of using bTHs to address the issue of two-line hybrid rice seed purity stemming from the self-crossing of sterile lines during hybrid rice seed production. Finally, allelic variations of the HIS1 gene may also play an important role in the mechanized seed production of hybrid rice. Conclusions: Our findings offer guidance for the application of BBC in indica rice areas and provide a non-transgenic approach to address the seed purity issue of two-line hybrid rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis experiments of pine nut shells (PNSs) were carried out in a screw reactor at 300–700°C with approximately 98% energy yields. The analysis results showed that higher temperatures result in elevated heating values (HVs) of products but reduced biochar and bio-oil yields. The HVs of pyrolytic gas were remarkably influenced by proportions of CH4 and H2. Bio-oil of PNSs consisted primarily of phenols, acids, aldehydes, ketones, furans, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Five hundred degree Celsius was considered as optimal temperature for PNS pyrolysis, and biochar was the primary product with a yield of 37.11% and better Cu2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+ adsorption properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversities or favorable genes within distantly related species are the important resources for crop genetic improvement and germplasm innovation. Spike-Stalk injection method (SSI) has long been applied in rice genetic improvement by directly introducing genetic materials from non-mating donor species, while its inheritance patterns and the underlying mechanisms are poorly elucidated. In this study, a rice variant ERV1 with improved yield-related traits was screened out in the way of introducing genomic DNA of Oryza eichingeri (2n=24, CC genome) into RH78 (Oryza sativa L. 2n=24, AA genome) using SSI method. Genome-wide comparison revealed that the genomic heterozygosity of ERV1 was approximately 8-fold higher than RH78. Restriction-site associated DNA sequencing technology (RAD-seq) and association analysis of the ERV1 inbred F2 population identified 5 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) regions responsible for these yield-related traits, and found that genomic heterozygosity of ERV1 inbred lines was significantly lower than ERV1 , while spontaneous mutation rate of the ERV1 inbred lines was significantly higher than ERV1. Our results preliminarily uncovered the inheritance patterns of SSI variant rice, and the potential genomic regions for traits changes, which yielded novel insights into the mechanisms of SSI method, and may accelerate our understanding of plant genome evolution, domestication, and speciation in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companion planting is one of the most common and effective planting methods in modern agriculture. White clover (Trifolium repens L.) and orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) are two typical pastures planted together to promote each other's growth. However, the detailed biological foundations of companion planting remain unclear. In this study, we screened typical microbiome profiles under separate and combination planting conditions using 16s RNA gene sequencing techniques. We identified the typical distinctive microorganism subtypes based on the microbiome profiles and recognized the enriched functions of top abundant microorganisms in soil using different planting strategies with the help of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Clusters of Orthologous Groups annotation. This analysis confirmed that the optimal microorganisms and screened functional annotations are correlated with nitrogen fixation; thus, companion planting may improve the yield and efficacy of plants by improving the efficiency of nitrogen fixation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to silicon counterparts, silicon carbide (SiC) power mosfets have lower on-state resistance and faster switching speed, which in turn makes them better candidates for high-voltage power switching applications. This creates a growing need to develop device models for such SiC power devices. The models that are currently being used are mostly physics-based models, which require all the physical parameters of the device and are not so suitable for real time hardware in loop simulations. In this article, we show a subcircuit model based on the analytical study using nonlinear curve fitting method for modeling of dynamic switching behavior. Using a 1.2 kV, 17 A mosfet as a testbed, this subcircuit model is validated by implementing the model into Synopsys Saber in comparison with the measured dc characteristics, the Saber mosfet Tool model, and the manufacturer's model. The switching behavior of the device at 800 V/17 A and 800 V/5.5 A based on the subcircuit model were also compared and validated with experimental measurements, the Saber mosfet model, and manufacturer's model. Excellent agreements were achieved on both dc characteristics and switching behaviors. On the LTspice platform, the computation time of the analytical subcircuit model is 4.5 times faster than the manufacturer's model. This subcircuit model is adoptable and suitable for real time hardware in loop simulations and power converter designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A special unsaturated Fe-doping method is applied to ferroelectric Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 ceramics. With the help of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, and electrical measurements, we recognize that paraelectric cubic phase and ferroelectric tetragonal phase coexist in the doped ceramics Ba0.8Sr0.2Ti0.9Fe0.1O3, Ba0.8Sr0.18Ti0.9Fe0.1O3−δ and Ba0.8Sr0.18Ti0.92Fe0.1O3−δ with Fe mainly occupy Ti sites. Meanwhile, obvious room temperature ferromagnetism and magnetodielectric effect present, attributed to the substitution of Fe ions (with variable valence) for both Ti and Sr. In addition, there appears dipole glass and spin glass at low-temperature. As more Fe ions enter into Sr sites, ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism and magnetodielectric effect increase slightly, which is related to the increase of dipoles formed between oxygen vacancies and low-valent Fe ions off-center at Sr sites, as well as the enhancement of ferromagnetic interaction between non-equivalent Fe ions. This work manifests the uncommonly used unsaturated Fe-doping as an effective method for tailoring the electric and magnetic properties and realizing magnetoelectric coupling in traditional ferroelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To make better use of global germplasm resources for improving the eating quality of hybrid rice, using the resequencing data from the 3,000 rice genomes project (3K RGP), the allelic variations of the rice Wx locus were analysed. With the exception of five rare alleles discovered for the first time in our study, most of these alleles were known alleles of Wx. Furthermore, a set of Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers based on these Wx alleles have been developed, and thirty-six main parents of hybrid rice from 1976 to 2018 were selected for Wx genotyping. The results showed that only three Wx alleles existed in the main parents of hybrids, and the allelic combination of the hybrids changed from Wxa/Wxb and Wxlv/Wxb to Wxb/Wxb with the development of hybrid rice. Wxb is widely used in the male parents of hybrid rice. Wxa and Wxlv were used in the female parents of early hybrid rice, and they were gradually replaced by Wxb. In the future, more favourable Wx alleles from cultivated rice should be identified, introduced, and effectively used to improve hybrid rice quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbiomes are integral microflora located in the human intestine with particular symbiosis. Among all microorganisms in the human intestine, bacteria are the most significant subgroup that contains many unique and functional species. The distribution patterns of bacteria in the human intestine not only reflect the different microenvironments in different sections of the intestine but also indicate that bacteria may have unique biological functions corresponding to their proper regions of the intestine. However, describing the functional differences between the bacterial subgroups and their distributions in different individuals is difficult using traditional computational approaches. Here, we first attempted to introduce four effective sets of bacterial features from independent databases. We then presented a novel computational approach to identify potential distinctive features among bacterial subgroups based on a systematic dataset on the gut microbiome from approximately 1,500 human gut bacterial strains. We also established a group of quantitative rules for explaining such distinctions. Results may reveal the microstructural characteristics of the intestinal flora and deepen our understanding on the regulatory role of bacterial subgroups in the human intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, electric, and magnetic properties were investigated in multisusceptible BaAlxFe12−xO19 (x = 0, 1, 2, and 3) ceramics. It is found that the magnetic domain structure changes abruptly with the increase in the Al3+ concentration, which is responsible for the abnormal coercivity enhancement and the distinct initial magnetization behavior. Smaller Al3+ doping increases the off-center displacement of Fe3+ ions at the trigonal bipyramid by introducing compressive strain, which thus enhances the stability of the ferroelectric phase and improves the ferroelectric Curie temperature of BaFe12O19. Moreover, more stable Al3+ ions can increase the resistance of BaFe12O19. The present results highlight the possible application of Al3+ doped BaFe12O19 ceramics as a multisusceptible single-phase material on multifunctional electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To investigate the influence of support morphology on NH3-SCR activities of MnO2 catalysts supported on CeO2 Rob, octahedron and cube shape CeO2 supporting MnO2 catalysts were successfully synthesized by the immersion method. The results of NH3-SCR activity show that Cube-like CeO2 supporting MnO2 exhibits the best activity and N2 selectivity. According to the results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H2-temperature programed reduction(H2-TPR), NH3-temperature programmed desorption(NH3-TPD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), cube-like CeO2 supporting MnO2 has more Ce4+ ions on its surface, which can oxidize absorbed NH3 and NO on catalyst surface to --NH2 and NO2. NO2 can enhance the catalytic activity of cube-like CeO2 supporting MnO2 via making NH3-SCR on catalyst proceed through a "fast-SCR" pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: This study investigated signaling pathways via which extracellular histones induce the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α) release from the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 and the anti-inflammatory efficacy of the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). Methods: ELISA and western blotting analyses were conducted to detect the release of TNF-α from histone-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and the associated phospho-activation of MAPKs (ERK and p38) and NF-κB p65. The effects of ALA on the release of TNF-α and phospho-activation of the MAPKs and NF-κB p65 were studied. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Extracellular histones dose-dependently induced TNF-α release from RAW 264.7 cells and increased the phosphorylation of p38, ERK, and NF-κB p65. TNF-α release was markedly suppressed by p38, ERK, and NF-κB inhibitors. ALA reduced histone-induced TNF-α release, ERK/p38 MAPK activation, and NF-κB activation without affecting macrophage viability. Conclusion: Histones induce TNF-α release from macrophages by activating the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways, while ALA suppresses this response by inhibiting ERK, p38 and NF-κB. These findings identify potentially critical inflammatory signaling pathways in sepsis and molecular targets for sepsis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, magnetic and magnetoelectric properties were investigated for sol–gel prepared BaFe12O19 nanorods and plate-like nanoparticles. Based on comparative experiments with bulk ceramics, it is found that larger structural distortion is present in nanostructures, which could cause the enhancement of magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the off-center displacement of Fe3+ ions, and thus result in improved magnetic and magnetoelectric properties in BaFe12O19 plate-like nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the local (Fe2+–Fe3+) dipoles, which usually appear during a high temperature sintering process, can also contribute to the negative magnetoelectric effect of BaFe12O19 nanorods and a large room temperature magnetodielectric coefficient of about −13% is observed at 104 Hz and 9 kOe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of rice breeding will likely be built on the basis of the further utilization of heterosis between elite cultivars and genetic resources from distant subspecies of rice. Previous studies have proved that exogenous genomic DNA transformation methods can be used to transfer genetic information from distant relatives (donor) into cultivated rice (recipient). However, the mechanism underlying this form of genetic transfer is poorly characterized, and the genes that cause the phenotypic changes in these variants are typically difficult to identify. This study examined YVB, a stable variant line with greatly improved grain quality traits that was derived from an indica variety (V20B) by transferring genomic DNA of O.minuta through the 'spike-stalk injection method (SIM)'. We used restriction-site associated DNA sequencing technology (RAD-seq) to evaluate a population of BCF backcross lines (YVB × V20B); the RAD-seq data were used to construct a genetic linkage map with high-density SNPs for use in association analysis exploring genotype-phenotype relationships at the whole-genome level. A total of 17 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for rice quality traits were mapped to chromosomes 3, 5, 6, 8, and 9. 8 major QTLs controlling different phenotypic variations were mapped to the same region of chromosome 5. This region contained the GS5 gene for grain weight and the qSW5/ GW5 gene for grain width. This study provides new resources and insights into the molecular mechanisms of grain trait phenotypic variation and the transmission of genetic information via the introduction of genomic DNA to a distantly related crop relative species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanowires (NWs) have attracted considerable interests for electronic and optoelectronic device applications. However, the carrier transport mechanisms in these NW devices have not been well understood. Here we present the electron transport of ZnO NWs field effect transistors (FETs). Our results show that the electron transport of ZnO NW FETs is governed by the space charge limited model at temperatures below a trap temperature. Above the trap temperature, the electron transport is thermionic emission dominated. Based on the space charge limited model, an accurate method is developed for field effect mobility extraction. The extracted electron carrier mobility is strongly dependent on temperature with a peak value of 51 cm^2/Vs at 167 K. Under the space-charge limited transport, the field mobility is lower in comparison with the values extracted from the thermionic emission model. The electron mobility due to space charge scattering has a value of 483 cm^2/Vs at the trap temperature with temperature dependence of T^4\sim 5. The interface state density between the back gate dielectric and ZnO NWs is in the range 9.03\times 10^6/cm-8.72\times 10^7/cm at temperatures ranging from 77 to 227 K. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We report the low threshold current density operation of strain-compensated In0.64Ga0.36As/In0.38Al0.62As quantum cascade lasers emitting near 4.94 um. By employing an enlarged strain-compensated structure and optimizing the injector doping density, a rather low threshold current density of 0.57 kA/cm2 at 80 K is achieved for an uncoated 20-um-wide and 2.5-mm-long laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cd1−xZnxTe films were deposited by simultaneous evaporation of CdTe and ZnTe. These Cd1−xZnxTe films were of cubic phase, and strongly (1 1 1) oriented as deposited. Predominant direct optical transitions were observed and the band gap varied with zinc content in a non-linear way. A structure development of CdS/CdTe/ZnTe : Cu solar cells with a Cd1−xZnxTe buffer layer was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of suspension array for multiplex analysis has been proposed by using polarized luminescent ratios of dichroic dyes as the encoding elements, which provided highly stable codes and advantages of label-free detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe‐doped (Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3‐Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 (BCZT) ceramics are prepared by a conventional solid‐state reaction method, and their structure, multiferroic, and coupling properties are investigated. Ferromagnetism and magnetoelectric coupling are successfully realized by Fe3+ doping. Meanwhile, Fe3+ doping in BCZT results in a gradual transition from typical ferroelectrics to relaxor ferroelectrics or even quantum paraelectrics. In consequence, obvious magnetodielectric (MD) effect is observed only among the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) temperature range. For (Ba1.7Ca0.3)(Zr0.2Ti1.7Fe0.1)O6 ceramics, the coexistence of ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism along with a large MD effect is obtained below 200 K. Herein, the results highlight the role of MPB on the magnetoelectric coupling of ferroelectrics with a percolating of magnetic ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

III-N semiconductor resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) have attracted great research interest because of their potential high speed performance. Thin film III-N RTDs are challenging due to high dislocation densities resulted from large lattice and thermal expansion coefficient mismatches to substrates. Here the authors present the growth and fabrication of AlN/GaN double barrier nanowire RTDs. The AlN/GaN double barrier nanowire RTDs show clear negative differential resistance with an onset voltage between 3.5 V and 4.5 V at both room and cryogenic temperatures. The bipolar tunneling and temperature dependent device performance suggest that the electron transport of these devices is based on resonant tunneling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]