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Mn iso-reticular coordination polymers of 2,5-dihydroxyterphthalic acid (IL@Mn-MOF-47[I]), 4,4′-dioxido-3,3′-biphenyldicarboxylate (IL@Mn-MOF-47[II]), and 4,4´-(anthracene-9,10-diyl)bis(2-hydroxybenzoic acid) (IL@Mn-MOF-47[III]) can be rapidly obtained under room temperature and aqueous conditions using either ammonium hydroxide as the bases to deprotonate the linker. The combination of IL@Mn-MOF-47[I], IL@Mn-MOF-47[II] or IL@Mn-MOF-47[III] and fibrous phosphosilicate (FPS) in nanospaces presents a potentially unprecedented opportunity for the creation of bifunctional nanocatalysts (IL@Mn-MOF-47[I]/FPS, IL@Mn-MOF-47[II]/FPS, and IL@Mn-MOF-47[III]/FPS). This achievement was made possible through a straightforward approach, resulting in the creation of a large distinctive external surface that was assembled through a 3D hierarchical architecture. Furthermore, the catalyst’s structural heterogeneity was examined using various methods, including FT-IR, TGA, SEM, XPS, and TEM. This remarkable catalyst demonstrated significant efficacy in facilitating the reaction between methanol and carbon dioxide. Further investigations revealed the broad applicability of this catalytic system in various substrates. The primary products obtained from this reaction were compounds with favourable to excellent yields.

Seed predation by rodents relies on the abundance of available seeds and seed traits like sizes and tannin-content. Here, by tracking the fates of 2400 tagged seeds of two sympatric tree species Quercus wutaishanica and Corylus heterophylla with varying size and tannin content, we assessed rodents’ preference for specific seed traits. Meanwhile, we set the ratio of large to small seeds within species as 9:1, 7:3, 5:5, 3:7, and 1:9, respectively, to examine rodent behavior in response to seed relative frequencies. We found that: 1) rodents preferentially hoarded C. heterophylla seeds with lower-tannins after dispersal while Q. wutaishanica seeds with higher-tannins are more often eaten in situ or after dispersal. Peeling seed coat is an adaptive strategy for rodents to avoid high tannins, particularly for Q. wutaishanica. 2) Rodents prioritize small seeds over large ones for Q. wutaishanica whereas significant differences were not observed for C. heterophylla. Rodents commonly eat small seeds after successful dispersal and prefer to hoard larger ones over long distances. 3) Positive frequency-dependent selection was observed for both seed types. Our results suggest that the selection of seeds by rodents is determined by seed tannins and sizes, and changes in seed size frequencies could alter the interaction between trees and rodents from predation towards mutualism.

Seed dispersal is an important ecological process and has important implications for plant population expansion and regeneration. Seed dispersal not only reduces the probability of death due to seed density but also facilitates seedling establishment. Many studies have focused on the effect of one or two factors on seed dispersal. However, little is known about studies on the effect of multiple factors and their interactions on seed dispersal. Here, we conducted a field experiment to explore how seed size, soil burial, and seed peeling affect the dispersal and hoarding of seeds of Quercus liaotungensis in dispersal animals. We found that large seeds were preferentially selected by animals, and the predation after dispersal, hoarding after dispersal, predation distance after dispersal, and hoarding distance after dispersal of large seeds were significantly greater than small seeds, which is more beneficial to the plant expansion and regeneration. Soil burial increased the time of seed intact in situ, significantly increased predation in situ, and reduced predation after dispersal, predation distance after dispersal, and hoarding distance after dispersal, which is not beneficial to the plant population expansion and regeneration. Seed peeling reduced the time of seed intact in situ, and the predation after dispersal was significantly greater than that of unpeeled seeds, which is not beneficial to the plant population. We did not find the interactions between seed size, soil burial, and seed peeling on dispersal. The effects of a single factor may be more than their interactions between seed size, soil burial and seed peeling on dispersal. These results implied that seed size, soil burial and seed peeling may affect plant population expansion and regeneration by affecting the dispersal and hoarding of animals.

Paclitaxel is a potent anti-cancer drug that is mainly produced through semi-synthesis, which still requires plant materials as precursors. The content of paclitaxel and 10-deacetyl baccatin III (10-DAB) in Taxus yunnanensis has been found to differ from that of other Taxus species, but there is little research on the mechanism underlying the variation in paclitaxel content in T. yunnanensis of different provenances. In this experiment, the contents of taxoids and precursors in twigs between a high paclitaxel-yielding individual (TG) and a low paclitaxel-yielding individual (TD) of T. yunnanensis were compared, and comparative analyses of transcriptomes as well as chloroplast genomes were performed. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) detection showed that 10-DAB and baccatin III contents in TG were 18 and 47 times those in TD, respectively. Transcriptomic analysis results indicated that genes encoding key enzymes in the paclitaxel biosynthesis pathway, such as taxane 10-β-hydroxylase (T10βH), 10-deacetylbaccatin III 10-O-acetyltransferase (DBAT), and debenzoyl paclitaxel N-benzoyl transferase (DBTNBT), exhibited higher expression levels in TG. Additionally, qRT-PCR showed that the relative expression level of T10βH and DBAT in TG were 29 and 13 times those in TD, respectively. In addition, six putative transcription factors were identified that may be involved in paclitaxel biosynthesis from transcriptome data. Comparative analysis of plastid genomes showed that the TD chloroplast contained a duplicate of rps12, leading to a longer plastid genome length in TD relative to TG. Fifteen mutation hotspot regions were identified between the two plastid genomes that can serve as candidate DNA barcodes for identifying high-paclitaxel-yield individuals. This experiment provides insight into the difference in paclitaxel accumulation among different provenances of T. yunnanensis individuals.

Thirteen kojic acid-coumarin derivatives were synthesized using the principle of molecular hybridization, and their structures were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. In vitro enzyme inhibition experiments showed that all newly synthesized derivatives have excellent inhibition of tyrosinase (TYR) activity. As a mixed inhibitor, compound 6f has the strongest activity, with an IC50 value of 0.88 ± 0.10 µM. Multispectral experiments have confirmed that the mode of action of compound 6f on TYR was static quenching. In addition, compound 6f formed a new complex with TYR, which increased the hydrophobicity of the enzyme microenvironment, reduced the content of the α-helix in the enzyme, and changed the secondary structure. The experimental results showed that compound 6f effectively inhibited the browning of lotus root slices and had low cytotoxicity. Therefore, compound 6f is believed to have great development potential as a TYR inhibitor in the food industry.

Summary: Background: Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a lethal malignancy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) showed great clinical benefits for patients with ESCC. We aimed to construct a model predicting prognosis and response to ICIs by integrating diverse programmed cell death (PCD) forms. Methods: Genes related to 14 PCDs were collected to generate multi-gene signatures, including apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis. Bulk and single-cell RNA transcriptome datasets were used to develop and validate the model. We assessed the functions of two necroptosis-related genes in ESCC cells by Western blot, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), LDH release assay, CCK-8, and migration assay, followed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining on samples of patients with ESCC (n = 67). Findings: We built and validated a 16-gene prognostic combined cell death index (CCDI) by combining immunogenic cell death (ICD) and necroptosis signatures. The CCDI could also predict response to ICIs in cancer, as shown by Tumour Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) analysis, confirmed in four independent ICI clinical trials. Trajectory analysis revealed that HOOK1 and CUL4A might affect ESCC cell fate. We found that HOOK1 induced necroptosis and inhibited the proliferation and migration of ESCC cells, while CUL4A exhibited the opposite effects. Co-IP assay confirmed that HOOK1 and CUL4A promoted and reduced necrosome formation in ESCC cells. Data from patients with ESCC further supported that HOOK1 and CUL4A might be a tumour suppressor and oncogene, respectively. Interpretation: We constructed a CCDI model with potential in predicting prognosis and response to ICIs in cancer. HOOK1 and CUL4A in the CCDI model are crucial prognostic biomarkers in ESCC. Funding: The Natural Science Foundation of China [82172786], The National Cancer Center Climbing Fund of China [NCC201908B06], The Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province [LH2021H077].

In this paper, inhomogeneous copper matrix composite with carbon nanotube reinforced copper foam (CNTs/Cuf) as the three-dimensional (3-D) skeleton is designed to overcome the paradox between strength and ductility or conductivity. The open cell composite foams with uniformly embedded CNTs are filled with dense copper phase in the foam pores by spark plasma sintering (SPS) to form the inhomogeneous composites. The inhomogeneous composite reinforced with CNTs/Cuf shows a combination of high electrical conductivity (93.4% IACS), tensile strength (366.7 MPa), and fracture elongation (31.78%) with a quite low CNTs content (0.2414 vol%). In addition, the polarization curves and AC impedance (EIS) tests show that the best corrosion resistance is achieved with the CNTs content of 0.2414 vol%, and the corrosion rate is reduced by 71.9% and 49.1% compared with the Cu and Cuf®Cu samples, respectively.

In addressing the severe energy crisis, adopting efficient and reliable strategies is crucial. Photocatalysis technology, utilizing solar energy to convert it into hydrogen, offers an effective pathway to alleviate energy issues. In this study, we have successfully developed the TiO2/CdSxSe1–x-Diethylenetriamine (abbreviated as DETA) nanocomposites with an S-scheme heterojunction structure. By precisely adjusting the value of x (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 or 1.00), we optimized the charge transfer process, achieving efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction. Specifically, the sample containing 20% (in mass) TiO2, denoted as 20-TO, exhibited the best photocatalytic activity. In particular, the activity of 20% (in mass) TiO2/CdS0.25Se0.75-DETA (abbreviated as 20-TO/CS0.25E0.75) reached 32.7 mmol·g−1·h−1, maintaining high hydrogen evolution performance over ten consecutive cycles (totaling 40 h). We used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS), femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fs-TAS) and theoretical calculations to comprehensively confirm that the heterojunctions in all nanocomposites conform to the S-scheme mechanism. This mechanism provides an optimal path for charge transfer. Comparative analysis through theoretical calculations revealed that the charge transfer efficiency between TO and CS0.25E0.75 was the highest, which correlates well with the experimental results of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. This innovative nanocomposites enhances new energy technologies with its efficient charge transfer.

GaN-on-diamond wafers are investigated to overcome the heat accumulation issues in GaN-based electronic devices. Until now, growing the high-quality GaN film on the diamond for device manufacture is still a great challenge. In this study, a new strategy of high-quality GaN on (111) diamond was proposed for the realization of high-performance GaN-on-diamond devices. The nano-patterned buffer engineering was utilized to greatly improved the GaN film on (111) diamond. The Al0.78Ga0.22N nano-patterned buffer reformed the morphology, ensuring that c orientation is the primary growth direction. The subsequent overgrowth of Al0.47Ga0.53N broadened the nano pillars and introduced stacking faults, improving the coalescence process and dislocations blockage. In addition, the coalescence process of the Al0.26Ga0.74N layer bent the treading dislocations, inducing the dislocations to annihilate. As a result, we could obtain remarkably high-quality GaN films on (111) diamond. The high-resolution X-ray diffraction rocking curve showed a full width at half maximum (FWHM) value of 770/986 arcsec at (002)/(102), which is the narrowest result reported. To the best of our knowledge, the RC FWHM at (102) of epitaxial GaN on diamond is reported firstly. Overall, this study provided a new strategy for obtaining high-quality GaN films on (111) diamonds for high-performance GaN-on-diamond devices.

Chlorpyrifos is a widely used organophosphorus insecticide because of its high efficiency and overall effectiveness, and it is commonly detected in aquatic ecosystems. However, at present, the impact of chlorpyrifos on the aquatic micro-ecological environment is still poorly understood. Here, we established aquatic microcosm systems treated with 0.2 and 2.0 µg/L chlorpyrifos, and employed omics biotechnology, including metagenomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, to investigate the effect of chlorpyrifos on the composition and functional potential of the aquatic and zebrafish intestinal microbiomes after 7 d and 14 d chlorpyrifos treatment. After 14 d chlorpyrifos treatment, the aquatic microbial community was adversely affected in terms of its composition, structure, and stability, while its diversity showed only a slight impact. Most functions, especially capacities for environmental information processing and metabolism, were destroyed by chlorpyrifos treatment for 14 d. We observed that chlorpyrifos increased the number of risky antibiotic resistance genes and aggravated the growth of human pathogens. Although no clear effects on the structure of the zebrafish intestinal microbial community were observed, chlorpyrifos treatment did alter the metabolic capacity of the zebrafish. Our study highlights the ecological risk of chlorpyrifos to the aquatic environment and provides a theoretical basis for the rational use of pesticides in agricultural production.

The state of lithium-ion battery is a key indicator for the battery management system (BMS) of electric vehicles (EVs). State of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) of the power cell are the main parameters of the BMS during operation. In this paper, an adaptive unscented Kalman filter algorithm (AUKF) is presented for the joint estimation of SOC and SOH of lithium-ion batteries. Firstly, this paper develops a 2-RC equivalent circuit model and identifies the model parameters using recursive least squares algorithm with forgetting factor. Then, the SOC and SOH of the battery are estimated simultaneously by AUKF. Finally, the accuracy of the proposed method is verified under different operating conditions. The experiment results show that the maximum SOC estimation error is under 0.08% by the proposed method. Compared with the unscented Kalman filtering (UKF), it is shown that the proposed method is more accurate and reliable. An effective method is provided for state estimation for battery management system.

In this paper, hydrogen terminated metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) having a sub-micron gate length were fabricated on a single crystalline diamond sample using the 300 °C ALD grown Al2O3 as gate dielectric and passivation layer. The device shows a maximum output current density of 942 mA/mm and a lowest on-resistance of 6.2 Ω·mm at a VGS of −3 V. A maximum transconductance of 284 mS/mm was achieved. In addition, a high cut-off frequency of 41.3 GHz and a maximum oscillation frequency of 80.6 GHz were achieved. These are the highest values among the reported H-diamond MOSFETs with high temperature (>200 °C) grown dielectrics. The hole mobility is estimated to be 138 cm2/Vs at VGS = -3 V. The high carrier mobility contributes to the achievement of the high output current density. These results demonstrate that the high temperature grown Al2O3 dielectric has also a great potential to be used in high frequency H-diamond MOSFETs.

The GaN films are grown on 4° miscut to (110) and (100) orientation (111) diamond substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition respectively. The ordinary (111) diamond substrate is used as reference. The morphology and crystal quality of the three GaN films are characterized by atomic force microscope, scanning electron microscope, Raman spectra, photoluminescence, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The GaN epilayer on miscut to (110) orientation (111) diamond presents a superior quality with smooth surface, clear A1(LO) peak of Raman shift and XRD rocking curve with full width half maximum of 1357 arcsec, which is a remarkable result reported. Through the analysis, we found that when GaN grows on miscut to (110) orientation (111) diamond substrates, non-c orientation grain would be greatly suppressed so that c orientation buffers easier to grow laterally and merge into thin films. The non-c orientation suppression process greatly improves the quality of GaN film on (111) diamond.

Rodents attack oak (Quercus wutaishanica) seeds based on their sizes and frequencies before germination. However, the predation of oak seeds post-germination (seedling cotyledons) is not well studied. Here, we not only tested the preference of rodents for oak seedlings from different-sized seeds, but also traced the seedling fate under different litter treatments. We transplanted seedlings with frequency of large and small seed (FLSD) ratios as 1:9, 3:7, 5:5, 7:3, and 9:1, respectively, with each set treated with the litter cleared and covered. Our results showed that small-seeded seedlings were more preferred when the FLSD was 1:9 and 3:7, whereas large-seeded seedlings had a higher preference when the FLSD was 9:1 and 7:3. Moreover, the predation and survival rates of the seedlings decreased when covered with litter, thus indicating that, although forest litter prevented the seedling predation by rodents, it was unfavorable for seedling survival. Furthermore, we found that cotyledon predation by rodents had no significant effect on seedling performance, but their growth was severely inhibited when the apical bud was bitten off, thus suggesting that the apical bud loss was the main cause of seedling recruitment failure. Our study indicates that positive frequency-dependent predation helps maintain the polymorphism of germination type of Q. wutaishanica seedlings. Additionally, in the forest, the presence of litter may change the predation behavior of rodents, which consequently affects the growth and survival of the seedlings. Moreover, future studies should focus on how the forest species’ specific predatory habits and the litter of different thicknesses affect the growth and survival of the oak seedlings, to better understand the renewal mechanism of the oak trees.

Generally, individual microplastics (MPs) or lead (Pb) exposure could initiate ovarian toxicity. However, their combined effects on the ovary and its mechanism in mammals remained unclear. Female C57BL/6 mice were used in this study to investigate the combined ovarian toxicity of polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs, 0.1 mg/d/mouse) and Pb (1 g/L) for 28 days. Results showed that co-exposure to PS-MPs and Pb increased the accumulation of Pb in ovaries, the histopathological damage in ovaries and uterus, the serum malondialdehyde levels and decreased serum superoxide dismutase and sex hormone levels significantly when compared with single PS-MPs and Pb exposure. These observations indicated that co-exposure exerted more severe toxicity to mouse ovaries and uterus. Furthermore, co-exposure to PS-MPs and Pb caused endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by activating the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway in the ovary, which resulted in apoptosis. However, the oxidative and ovarian damage were alleviated, and the mRNA levels of genes related to the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway were down-regulated to levels of the control mice in the PS-MPs and Pb co-exposed mice administered with ER stress inhibitor (Salubrinal, Sal) or the antioxidant (N-acetyl-cysteine, NAC). In conclusion, our findings suggested that the combination of PS-MPs and Pb aggravated ovarian toxicity in mice by inducing oxidative stress and activating the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway, thereby providing a basis for future studies into the combined toxic mechanism of PS-MPs and Pb in mammals.

Cemented sand gravel (CSG) dams, as a newly-developing dam type, has attracted great attention in dam construction industry around the world due to its environmental friendliness and economic efficiency. However, there has been no uniform design specification for its construction yet due to insufficient application research. Based on the design theories of concrete dam and earth-rock dam, this paper quantified the impact and control factors of the foundation with reference to the sluice design theory, proposed the structural failure mode and optimal profile of four 100 m CSG dams with different cementing material content under different foundation conditions, and analyzed the profile design criteria of 100 m CSG dams. Results showed that: (1) the failure modes of CSG dams may include overall instable failure along the dam foundation plane, instable failure of dam slope and local stress failure of dam or dam foundation, etc.; (2) if CSG materials were used in rock foundation, the dam body stress should be used as the control criterion; while on extremely soft rock foundation, the control criterion should be based on the amount of CSG materials; (3) if CSG materials were used on rock-soil foundation, bearing capacity and anti-sliding stability of the foundation should be used as the control criterion; while on gravelly soil foundation, the control criterion should be based on the amount of CSG materials. These results may be used as a reference for designers, laying a foundation for the extension and application of CSG dams.

Male immune infertility is a kind of disease that damages family life and happiness. The development of novel methods treating male immune infertility is of great significance. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of Chinese medicine Xiaokang Liuwei Dihuang decoction on immune infertility of male rats and explored the involved mechanisms. Model rats were established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. Anti-sperm antibody (AsAb) was detected by ELISA assay and testicular cell apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL staining to verify the successful model establishment and screen suitable doses of Xiaokang Liuwei Dihuang decoction. Thirty rats were then divided into five groups (n = 6 per group): Control, LPS, Xiaokang Liuwei Dihuang decoction (15.12 g/kg, 30.24 g/kg and 45.36 g/kg). Results of HE staining showed that compared with LPS group, Xiaokang Liuwei Dihuang decoction treatments gradually improved the morphology of seminiferous tubules and elevated the number of spermatogenic cells as the doses increased. The sperm number and the levels of testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in the serum of 15.12 g/kg, 30.24 g/kg and 45.36 g/kg Xiaokang Liuwei Dihuang decoction groups were much higher than those in LPS group. Results of TUNEL staining, ELISA assay and western blot showed that compared with LPS group, the testicular cell apoptosis and the levels of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), AsAb, malondialdehyde (MDA) and toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in the testicular tissue significantly decreased in three Xiaokang Liuwei Dihuang decoction groups. Compared with LPS group, Bax expression in the 30.24 g/kg and 45.36 g/kg Xiaokang Liuwei Dihuang decoction groups was significantly down-regulated as well. In conclusion, Xiaokang Liuwei Dihuang decoction might ameliorate the immune infertility of male rats induced by LPS through regulating the levels of sex hormones, reactive oxygen species, pro-apoptotic and immune factors.

In this work, normally-off p-channel and n-channel heterojunction field-effect transistors (HFETs) were fabricated based on a p-GaN gate Al0.2Ga0.8N/Al0.05Ga0.95N HFET platform. For p-channel HFETs, normally-off operation and low gate leakage were obtained by using a recessed-gate structure and a 20 nm Al2O3 thin film grown by thermal atomic layer deposition as the gate insulator. The normally-off p-channel HFETs exhibited a threshold voltage of 105. By introducing an Al0.05Ga0.95N channel instead of a conventional GaN channel layer, the threshold voltage increased from 1.1 V to 1.5 V and the breakdown voltage almost doubled from 270 to 580 V for n-channel HFETs. These results indicate that n-channel and p-channel HFETs based on p-GaN/Al0.2Ga0.8N/Al0.05Ga0.95N heterostructures have a great potential for monolithic integration.

The normally-off hydrogen-terminated diamond metal–semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs) with a MoO3 passivation layer were fabricated on the CVD grown polycrystalline diamond substrate. The characteristics of the device at room temperature and 100 °C, 150 °C and 200 °C were investigated. The device with a 2-μm gate shows a threshold voltage of −0.38 V, the maximum output current of 35 mA/mm and the transconductance of 17.4 mS/mm. The device can still work normally until 150 °C, which shows great potential to be used in high temperature in the future.

Presented here are data from Next-Generation Sequencing of differential micrococcal nuclease digestions of formaldehyde-crosslinked chromatin in selected tissues of maize (Zea mays) inbred line B73. Supplemental materials include a wet-bench protocol for making DNS-seq libraries, the DNS-seq data processing pipeline for producing genome browser tracks. This report also includes the peak-calling pipeline using the iSeg algorithm to segment positive and negative peaks from the DNS-seq difference profiles. The data repository for the sequence data is the NCBI SRA, BioProject Accession PRJNA445708.