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Iodine‐based Sn‐Pb mixed perovskite single crystals (SCs) are promising candidates for near‐infrared (NIR) narrowband photodetectors due to their low bandgaps. However, they are highly defective when grown in ambient air due to the extremely poor air stability of Sn2+ ions in precursor solutions. It is discovered that the oxidation of Sn2+ to Sn4+ ions not only consumes Sn2+ ions but also increases the precursor solution viscosity. The increased viscosity slows down the solute diffusion and hinders the anisotropic growth of SCs, leading to Sn‐Pb perovskite SCs with curved convex surfaces and unevenly distributed composition. By preventing the solute‐diffusion‐limited growth mode with hypophosphorous acid (H3PO2), high‐quality Sn‐Pb perovskite SCs can be robustly grown in ambient air with low trap density of 6.58 × 109 cm−3 and high carrier mobility‐lifetime product (µτ) of 1.5 × 10−3 cm2 V−1. Accordingly, a series of filterless NIR narrowband photodetectors with gradually tuned detection centers and dual detection modes has been achieved, delivering a maximum external quantum efficiency of 15.2% and detectivity of 1.19 × 1010 Jones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As for nonlayered 2D polymorphic materials, especially for Cr‐based chalcogenides, large‐area thin film growth with phase control is considered the most important synthesis challenge for magnetic, electronic, and optoelectronic devices. However, the synthesis methods of large continuous thin films for nonlayered 2D materials are still limited and rarely reported, also for the phase control growth, which is inhibited by isotropic 3D growth and similar Gibbs free energy for different phases. Herein, enhanced mass transport chemical vapor deposition is established to achieve the control synthesis of trigonal Cr2S3 thin films, in which the stable boundary layer supplies the continuous reaction species and tunes the reaction kinetics. The trigonal phase formation is confirmed by atomic structure characterization, optical absorption and piezoelectric measurements, demonstrating unique physical properties different from rhombohedral phase. The trigonal Cr2S3 thin films show obvious layer independent and dissimilar angle‐resolved harmonic generation, indicating the surface broken symmetry that can be understood by the combination of negligible piezoelectric response for bulk. The work presents the large‐area synthesized strategy by the modification of mass transport for nonlayered 2D materials with new phase formation and establishes the surface symmetry breaking dominated SHG mechanism for future nonlinear optical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bandpass photodetectors have tremendous applications in colorimetric analysis, light communication, imaging and machine vision systems. Compared to broadband photodetectors combined with external optical filters, solution‐processed filterless bandpass photodetectors enjoy high integration density and low cost, but suffer from broadened response edges and insufficient spectral rejection ratios (SRRs). Here, prototype filterless bandpass photodetectors with near square‐shape photoresponse are developed based on (CmH2m+1NH3)2PbI4/MAPbI3 (m = 4–8) and (CmH2m+1NH3)2PbBr4/MAPbBr3 (m = 2–8) perovskite heterojunctions. The strong and sharp excitonic absorption of 2D perovskites defines the ultranarrow response onset widths of 10 ± 1 nm. Besides, the strong photoluminescence (PL) self‐absorption of 2D perovskites suppresses the PL leakage from the front absorber to the back photoactive region, which is crucial to the achieved record high SRR of >2000. By integrating Br‐based 2D/3D perovskite photodetectors with onset edge wavelength discrimination of ≈20 nm, a multiple‐channel optical communication system with low spectral crosstalk is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Thiamine (vitamin B1) biosynthesis involves key enzymes known as thiazole moieties (THI1/THI2), which have been shown to participate in plant responses to abiotic stress. However, the role of THI1/THI2 in plant immunity remains unclear. In this study, we cloned TaTHI2 from wheat and investigated its function in Chinese wheat mosaic virus (CWMV) infection. Overexpression of TaTHI2 (TaTHI2‐OE) inhibited CWMV infection, while TaTHI2 silencing enhanced viral infection in wheat. Interestingly, the membrane‐localized TaTHI2 protein was increased during CWMV infection. TaTHI2 also interacted with the Ca2+‐dependent protein kinase 5 (TaCPK5), which is localized in the plasma membrane, and promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by repressing TaCPK5‐mediated activity of the catalase protein TaCAT1. CWMV CP disrupted the interaction between TaTHI2 and TaCAT1, reducing ROS accumulation and facilitating viral infection. Additionally, transgenic plants overexpressing TaTHI2 showed increased seed number per ear and 1000‐kernel weight compared to control plants. Our findings reveal a novel function of TaTHI2 in plant immunity and suggest its potential as a valuable gene for balancing disease resistance and wheat yield. Furthermore, the disruption of the TaTHI2‐mediated plant immune pathway by CWMV CP provides further evidence for the evolutionary arms race between plants and viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high‐performance nanofluidic fibers with synergetic ionic and electric conductivities is promising for human–machine interface interaction. In such a scenario, inter‐ and intra‐forces in constituent flakes are recognized as crucial factors in determining the derived nanofluidic fiber performance. In this work, the rheological properties of Ti3C2Tx MXene solution are systematically optimized by regulating the electrostatic interaction via introducing multivalent metal cations. As a result, such multivalent cations trigger ionic crosslinking and remarkably strengthen the interaction force between nanosheets, which even forms into a tight fiber‐shaped gel network. A series of cations, such as K+, Na+, Mg2+, Zn2+, and Al3+, are introduced to enhance the ionic cross‐linking between interconnected flakes. The thus‐prepared Zn2+‐Ti3C2Tx fiber exhibits a remarkable electrical conductivity of 11 200 S cm−1, a tensile strength of 252 MPa, and an ionic conductivity of 2.51 × 10−3 S cm−1. This multivalent cation crosslinking strategy could offer some insights into developing functional nanofluidic fibers for wearable or healthcare applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial cellulose is a natural biopolymer with an ultrafine nanofibrous reticulated matrix and crosslinking active sites. In this work, composite silica aerogels were prepared using a two‐step acid‐base catalysis and ambient pressure drying, with methyltriethoxysilane as the silica precursor and a trace amount of bacterial cellulose as the silicon skeleton reinforcement. The preparation was carried out in water without the addition of other organic solvents and without solvent replacement. The preparation conditions were optimized, and the prepared composite aerogels were characterized using SEM, BET, FTIR, a contact angle meter, and GA‐DTA. The results showed that the introduction of a trace amount of bacterial cellulose could obviously change the morphology and hydrophilicity of the aerogels, and increase its compressive strength up to 5 MPa without significant changes in its specific surface area and density. The addition of bacterial cellulose helped the aerogels maintain its original shape after being heated at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐dimensional multiplexing technology is of importance in the on‐chip photonic interconnections and challenging to design within ultracompact footprint. Herein, high‐dimensional demultiplexers are proposed and demonstrated to enable wavelength‐division and mode‐division simultaneously. The functional regions of digital metamaterials are obtained by inverse design individually and are cascaded to work as high‐dimensional demultiplexers. The gradient‐based inverse design is carried out with an efficient method combining finite‐element method, density method, and method of moving asymptotes. The performances are simulated by 3D finite difference time domain with silicon‐on‐insulator configuration. The proposed demultiplexer with four‐channel has ultracompact footprint of 4.1 × 3.65 μm2. Its average transmission efficiency is 38.7% and contrast ratios are higher than 13.0 dB. Besides, the proposed demultiplexer with six‐channel has a footprint of 4.55 × 5.55 μm2. Its average transmission efficiency is 24.3% and contrast ratios are higher than 11.8 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Hydrogel bioadhesives represent promising and efficient alternatives to sutures or staples for gastrointestinal (GI) perforation management. However, several concerns remain for the existing bioadhesives including slow and/or weak adhesive, poor mechanical strength, low biocompatibility, and poor biodegradability, which largely limit their clinical application in GI perforation repair. In this work, we introduce an in situ injectable Tetra‐PEG hydrogel bioadhesive (SS) composed of tetra‐armed poly(ethylene glycol) amine (Tetra‐PEG‐NH2) and tetra‐armed poly(ethylene glycol) succinimidyl succinate (Tetra‐PEG‐SS) for the sutureless repair of GI defects. The SS hydrogel exhibits rapid gelation behavior and high burst pressure and is capable of providing instant robust adhesion and fluid‐tight sealing in the ex vivo porcine intestinal and gastric models. Importantly, the succinyl ester linkers in the SS hydrogel endow the bioadhesive with suitable in vivo degradability to match the new GI tissue formation. The in vivo evaluation in the rat GI injured model further demonstrates the successful sutureless sealing and repair of the intestine and stomach by the SS hydrogel with the advantages of neglectable postsurgical adhesion, suppressed inflammation, and enhanced angiogenesis. Together, our results support potential clinical applications of the SS bioadhesive for the high‐efficient repair of GI perforation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As for 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, the creation of proper active defects concentrations is considered as the efficient strategy for improving hydrogen evolution performance. However, the synthesis methods of large‐area MoS2 catalysts with controllable active defects are limited, also for its working mechanism. Herein, thermochemical generation of active defects for MoS2 catalysts has established by annealing sodium hypophosphite, in which the phosphine is spontaneously generated and chemically tailors the MoS2 lattice. The defects formation is confirmed by the investigation of slightly‐changed surface structure and unpaired electrons for the annealed samples. The hydrogen evolution reaction performances of horizontally/vertically grown MoS2 films are improved by controlling reaction conditions, indicating the active defects could form in the basal plane and edges with retained crystal structure. The overpotential of MoS2 samples converted from 10 nm Mo reduces from −520 to −265 mV with largely decreased Tafel slope. The electrochemical microreactor studies reveal the protons adsorption of active sites shows much more significant contribution, than interfacial charge transfer with the enhanced remarkable performance (−100 mV at 10 mA cm−2). This study presents the large‐area synthesized strategy for MoS2 based catalysts with controllable defects concentration and helps establish rational design principles for future MoS2 family electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn electrodeposition mechanism is a cornerstone of dendritic issue exploration in Zn‐ion battery. Investigation of the inherent early‐stage Zn plating kinetics and its dependence on the reactivity of anode‐electrolyte interphase is crucial. Herein, the kinetic evolution of Zn plating on three characteristic substrates is quantified: fresh Zn, commercial Zn foil, and Zn foil with spontaneously generated solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI). Using scanning electrochemical microscopy analysis, the original interphase regulation of Zn deposit orientation and the competitive reaction between Zn deposition and SEI passivation are studied in situ. Furthermore, the SEI layer can suppress the dendrite growth at initial state by guiding the horizontal alignment of Zn flakes and promote Zn plating process. This approach provided a feasible consideration into interphase engineering of various metal anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A new blackbox technique has been presented in this article for model estimation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for providing better results. The proposed method is based on a hierarchical radial basis function (HRBF). The presented method is then developed by a new modified metaheuristic called developed coronavirus herd immunity algorithm (DCHIA). The suggested model has been named DCHIA‐HRBF. The proposed model is then trained by some data and prepared for identification and prediction. The model is then analyzed and put in comparison with several latest techniques for validation of the efficiency of the technique. It is also verified by the empirical data to prove its validation with the real data. The results show that the best cost for the performance index which is the network error, is achieved by the proposed developed coronavirus herd immunity algorithm with about 119.442, which is satisfying for the considered function and target against the other state‐of‐the‐art methods. As a result, the simulation results specified that the suggested DCHIA‐HRBF delivers high effectiveness as an identifier and prediction tool for the SOFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: GDP‐L‐galactose phosphorylase (VTC2) catalyses the conversion of GDP‐L‐galactose to L‐galactose‐1‐P, a vital step of ascorbic acid (AsA) biosynthesis in plants. AsA is well known for its function in the amelioration of oxidative stress caused by most pathogen infection, but its function against viral infection remains unclear. Here, we have identified a VTC2 gene in wheat named as TaVTC2 and investigated its function in association with the wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV) infection. Our results showed that overexpression of TaVTC2 significantly increased viral accumulation, whereas knocking down TaVTC2 inhibited the viral infection in wheat, suggesting a positive regulation on viral infection by TaVTC2. Moreover, less AsA was produced in TaVTC2 knocking down plants (TaVTC2‐RNAi) which due to the reduction in TaVTC2 expression and subsequently in TaVTC2 activity, resulting in a reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst in leaves. Furthermore, the enhanced WYMV resistance in TaVTC2‐RNAi plants was diminished by exogenously applied AsA. We further demonstrated that WYMV NIb directly bound to TaVTC2 and inhibited TaVTC2 enzymatic activity in vitro. The effect of TaVTC2 on ROS scavenge was suppressed by NIb in a dosage‐dependent manner, indicating the ROS scavenging was highly regulated by the interaction of TaVTC2 with NIb. Furthermore, TaVTC2 RNAi plants conferred broad‐spectrum disease resistance. Therefore, the data indicate that TaVTC2 recruits WYMV NIb to down‐regulate its own enzymatic activity, reducing AsA accumulation to elicit a burst of ROS which confers the resistance to WYMV infection. Thus, a new mechanism of the formation of plant innate immunity was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorption‐based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) holds huge potential due to its freshwater capabilities for alleviating water scarcity stress. The two essential parts, sorbent material and system structure, dominate the water sorption–desorption performance and the total water productivity for SAWH system together. Attributed to the superiorities in aspects of sorption–desorption performance, scalability, and compatibility in practical SAWH devices, hygroscopic porous polymers (HPPs) as next‐generation sorbents are recently going through a vast surge. However, as HPPs' sorption mechanism, performance, and applied potential lack comprehensive and accurate guidelines, SAWH's subsequent development is restricted. To address the aforementioned problems, this review introduces HPPs' recent development related to mechanism, performance, and application. Furthermore, corresponding optimized strategies for both HPP‐based sorbent bed and coupling structural design are proposed. Finally, original research routes are directed to develop next‐generation HPP‐based SAWH systems. The presented guidelines and insights can influence and inspire the future development of SAWH technology, further achieving SAWH's practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Levulinic acid, an important platform compound, is extensively used in textiles, dyes, antifreeze, animal feed, solvents and food additives. However, the use of lignocellulosic biomass to produce levulinic acid is difficult because of poor accessibility to cellulose and low hydrolytic yield. Thus a viable hydrolysis strategy and a suitable catalyst must be developed. RESULTS: In this study, a bifunctional solid acid catalyst (HTC‐SO3H) containing both cellulose binding sites (Cl, COOH and OH) and catalytic sites (SO3H) was prepared by a carbonization–grafting–oxidization method. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared characterization confirmed the existence of Cl and the successful modification of the SO3H grafted hydrothermal carbon. The hydrogen bonds formed between cellulose and the binding sites (Cl, OH and COOH) in the catalyst showed synergistic effects with the catalytic sites (SO3H), leading to efficient hydrolysis of the furfural residue. A total of 74.81% (non‐magnetic) and 70.18% (magnetic) levulinic acid yields were obtained after hydrolysis at 190 °C and 180 min in γ‐valerolactone–H2O (1:1, v/v). Magnetic catalysts were synthesized using a co‐precipitation method. Catalysts were recycled without any obvious reduction in catalytic activity. CONCLUSION: Using sucralose as a raw material, the as‐synthesized bifunctional solid acid catalyst improved the accessibility to cellulose and increased levulinic acid yield. Moreover, the grafted SO3H formed by hydroxyl hydration condensation exhibited superior stability. This study provides a valuable strategy for the efficient hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: As a multigenic trait, rice tillering can optimize plant architecture for the maximum agronomic yield. SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN‐LIKE14 (OsSPL14) has been demonstrated to be necessary and sufficient to inhibit rice branching, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unclear. Here, we demonstrated that OsSPL14, which is cleaved by miR529 and miR156, inhibits tillering by fine‐tuning auxin transport in rice. RNA interference of OsSPL14 or miR529 and miR156 overexpression significantly increased the tiller number, whereas OsSPL14 overexpression decreased the tiller number. Histological analysis revealed that the OsSPL14‐overexpressing line had normal initiation of axillary buds but inhibited outgrowth of tillers. Moreover, OsSPL14 was found to be responsive to indole‐acetic acid and 1‐naphthylphthalamic acid, and RNA interference of OsSPL14 reduced polar auxin transport and increased 1‐naphthylphthalamic acid sensitivity of rice plants. Further analysis revealed that OsSPL14 directly binds to the promoter of PIN‐FORMED 1b (OsPIN1b) and PIN‐LIKE6b (PILS6b) to regulate their expression positively. OsPIN1b and PILS6b were highly expressed in axillary buds and proved involved in bud outgrowth. Loss of function of OsPIN1b or PILS6b increased the tiller number of rice. Taken together, our findings suggested that OsSPL14 could control axillary bud outgrowth and tiller number by activating the expression of OsPIN1b and PILS6b to fine‐tune auxin transport in rice. Significance Statement: The hormone auxin regulates many aspects of plant life. We have proposed a working model, in which OsSPL14 functions as a transcription factor that works directly upstream of OsPIN1b and PILS6b in the auxin signaling pathway to regulate the tiller number in rice. These findings provide a novel association between auxins and tiller development, which may represent a new strategy to manipulate plant architecture in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low work function surfaces are crucial to electron extraction and injection in organic electronic devices. One of the challenges is developing general surface modifiers compatible with various organic semiconductors and device structures. Two novel nucleobase polymers are synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The nucleobase polymers show strong molecular dipole moments and superior film‐forming property as surface modifiers, which universally reduce work functions of common conductive electrodes. The integration of these nucleobase polymers into conventional or inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) boosts efficiencies of the devices to 17.25%, which is the highest in OSCs containing biomass‐derived interlayer materials. These nucleobase polymers are efficient and stable surface modifiers to remove energy barriers of diodes and transistors, improving electron transport between metal electrodes and organic semiconductors, which provide a new material platform for introducing biomass‐derivatives to produce low work function surfaces for high‐performance organic electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of luminescent frameworks was synthesized from the selective combination of aggregation induced emission (AIE)‐linker tetra‐(4‐carboxylphenyl)ethylene (H4TCPE) and Zn2+. Complex 1 was formed by the close packing of Zn‐TCPE hinge, and isostructural complexes 2–5 were constructed by the linkage of Zn‐TCPE layer and pillar ligands. These complexes exhibit highly efficient multiphoton excited photoluminescence (MEPL) and concomitant third‐harmonic generation (THG). The multiphoton absorption (MPA) parameters of 1 are superior to other multiphoton emission materials including the perovskite nanocrystals. The incorporation of pillar linkers slows down the charge transfer between layers of Zn‐TCPE, and the aromatic core of pillar linkers has a great influence on the MPA performance of the corresponding frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wound healing may be disrupted by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and excessive oxidative stress, which can lead to undesirable consequences. The haematopoietic cell‐specific protein 1‐associated protein X‐1 (HAX‐1) is a mitochondrial matrix protein that regulates mitochondrial function. This study aimed to comprehensively identify the role of HAX‐1 in the inhibition of LPS‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). HAX‐1 expression was assessed in the HDF‐a cell line using real‐time polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining. The viability, migration, and apoptosis of HDF‐a cells were evaluated using the water‐soluble tetrazolium‐1 assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Mitochondrial function was evaluated based on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Our results demonstrated that LPS stimulation markedly repressed HAX‐1 expression in HDFs and silencing of HAX‐1 led to mitochondrial ROS accumulation, ΔΨm disruption, and abnormal mitochondrial morphology. Accordingly, overexpression of HAX‐1 or administration of metformin enhanced mitochondrial fusion and normalized mitochondrial dynamics, thereby reversing LPS‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction, fibroblast apoptosis, and viability and migration inhibition in HDF‐a cells. These data support a mechanism wherein HAX‐1 plays a crucial role in LPS‐induced fibroblast apoptosis in a mitochondria‐dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Moderately rolled leaf is one of the target traits of the ideal plant architecture in rice breeding. Many genes, including homeodomain leucine zipper IV transcription factors ROC5 and ROC8, regulating rice leaf rolling have been cloned and functionally analysed. However, the molecular mechanism by which these genes modulate leaf‐rolling remains largely elusive. In this study, we demonstrated the transcription activation activity of both ROC8 and ROC5. Overexpressing ROC8 caused adaxially rolled leaves due to decreased number and size of bulliform cells, whereas knockout of ROC8 induced abaxially rolled leaves due to increased number and size of bulliform cells. ROC8 and ROC5 each could form homodimer, but ROC8 interacted preferably with ROC5 to forms a heterodimer. Importantly, we showed that the ROC8‐ROC5 heterodimer rather than the homodimer of ROC8 or ROC5 was functional as neither overexpressing ROC8 in the ROC5 mutant nor overexpressing ROC5 in the ROC8‐knockout line could rescue the mutant phenotype. This was further partially supported by the identification of a large number of common differentially expressed genes in single and double mutants of roc8 and roc5. ROC8 and ROC5 were functionally additive as the phenotype of abaxially rolled leaves was stronger in the roc5roc8 double mutant than in their single mutants. Our results provide evidence for the role of dimerization of ROC members in regulating leaf rolling of rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group‐IV monochalcogenide ferroelectric materials possess fascinating nonlinear optical properties and electro‐optical effects which play a vital role in 2D ferroelectrics, multiferroics and nonlinear optoelectronics. However, the studies of nonlinear optical properties of group‐IV monochalcogenides are still in their infancy stage. Herein, the preparation of few‐layer SnS by the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) method is reported and the efficient second harmonic generation (SHG) of SnS monochalcogenide is systematically scrutinized by using ultrafast nonlinear optical spectroscopy. The obtained thickness‐dependent SHG is highly related with the coherence length. Second‐order nonlinear susceptibility of few‐layer SnS is also obtained. Polarization‐dependent SHG studies reveal its intrinsic anisotropy pattern and can be utilized to identify the crystalline orientation of few‐layer SnS film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to reconstruct the hidden network structure from the infection status change of an information propagation process for evidence‐based spatial decision‐making. Unlike previous work, we not only consider the heterogeneity of the propagation agents, but also incorporate the heterogeneity of the text contents of information within the propagation process. In addition, the infection status is no longer restricted to the binary type (infected or not), and we allow the number of pieces of information texts to be counted which represents the degree of infection. The resulting model is a network‐based multivariate recurrent event model, in which the interactions between different types of text, between different agents, between agents and text types, and their mutual impacts on the whole propagation process can be comprehensively investigated. On that basis, a nonparametric mean‐field equation is derived to govern the propagation process, and a compressive sensing algorithm is provided to infer the hidden spatial propagation network from the infection status data. Finally, the proposed methodology is tested through synthetic data and a real data set of information diffusion on Twitter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce (Asparagaceae, Asparagales) is a widely cultivated medicinal herb in China. However, this useful herb is understudied despite being known as a medicinal resource with top grade medical and edible properties since long. In this study, P. odoratum and four cultivars were investigated. The variations in morphological characteristics and vegetative phases of each cultivar were observed. For genetic aspect, the plastid genome of P. odoratum varies in length from 154,569 bp to 155,491 bp, containing a large single‐copy region of 83,486–84,459 bp, a small single‐copy region of 18,292–18,471 bp, and two inverted repeats of 26,302–26,370 bp. A total of 131 genes were predicted, including 85 protein‐coding, 38 tRNA, and eight rRNA genes. Genome comparisons revealed a slight variation in the sequence across the five accessions, but two highly variable regions (trnC‐petN and rpl32‐trnL) were detected when comparing the four different cultivars. For the RAD‐seq markers, a total of 33.64 Gb of clean data, with an average value of 1.08 Gb per sample, were analyzed for the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Well‐resolved phylogenies of the P. odoratum cultivars are constructed; the nonmonophyletic relationship in the plastome‐based phylogenetic trees, yet monophyletic form in the RAD‐based linkage map suggested possibility of hybrid cultivar for P. odoratum "Dazhu" (GDDZ), which was further supported by morphological observations. Quality assessment based on the standards of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia on Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma (POR) on the four cultivars used in this study recorded that PORs from P. odoratum "Zhongzhu" (GDZZ) met the minimum criteria for the acceptance as raw material for medicinal drug production. This study has provided insights on the morphological variations, genetic background, and medicinal qualities of P. odoratum cultivars that could be explored for future genetic improvement as well as breeding programs of P. odoratum for POR production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Rice tiller angle determines plant growth density and further contributes grain production. Although a few genes have been characterized to regulate tiller angle in rice, the molecular mechanism underlying the control of tiller angle via microRNA is poorly understood. Here, we report that rice tiller angle is controlled by OsmiR167a‐targeted auxin response factors OsARF12, OsARF17 and OsARF25. In the overexpression of OsMIR167a plants, the expression of OsARF12, OsARF17 and OsARF25 was severely repressed and displayed larger tiller angle as well as the osarf12/osarf17 and osarf12/ osarf25 plants. In addition, those plants showed compromised abnormal auxin distribution and less sensitive to gravity. We also demonstrate that OsARF12, OsARF17 and OsARF25 function redundantly and might be involved in HSFA2D and LAZY1‐dependent asymmetric auxin distribution pathway to control rice tiller angle. Our results reveal that OsmiR167a represses its targets, OsARF12, OsARF17 and OsARF25, to control rice tiller angle by fine‐tuning auxin asymmetric distribution in shoots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional (2D) organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs), a natural multiple‐quantum‐well structure with quasi‐2D electronic properties, have recently emerged as a promising class of semiconducting materials for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications. However, facile synthesis of high‐quality 2D OIHPs single crystals is still lacking. The layer dependence of the exciton binding energy of (C4H9NH3)2PbI4 (C4PI), a widely studied 2D OIHP, is still debated. Herein, a novel synthesis technique based on inverse temperature crystallization in a binary‐solvent system is used to prepare 2D OIHPs and a systematic study of excitonic states of the synthesized 2D OIHPs by two‐photon excitation (TPE) spectroscopy is conducted. The obtained TPE spectra indicate that the exciton binding energies are similar for C4PI nanosheets and bulk crystals with different number of layers, most likely due to the intrinsically weak interlayer coupling. Further, the dark excitonic 2p states of (C6H5(CH2)2NH3)2PbI4 (PEPI) and C4PI are also observed by TPE spectroscopy. The results provide a novel synthesis protocol and insight into exciton properties of 2D OIHPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylanase is a member of an important family of enzymes that has been used in many biotechnological processes. However, the overall cost of enzyme production has been the main problem in the industrial application of enzymes. To obtain maximum xylanase production, statistical approaches based on the Plackett–Burman design and response surface methodology were employed. The results of the statistical analyses demonstrated that the optimal conditions for increased xylanase production were the following: inoculum size, 3.8%; maize meal, 4.5%; histidine, 0.6%; methanol, 1%; culture volume, 20%; bean pulp, 30 g L−1; and Tween‐80, 0.8%; and pH 5.0. Verification of the optimization demonstrated that 3273 U mL−1 xylanase was observed under the optimal conditions in shake flask experiments. SDS–PAGE results showed that the size of xylanase protein was about 23 kDa. The results showed that the xylanase produced by fermentation came from Aspergillus Niger by MALDI‐TOF‐MS. The optimized medium resulted in 2.1‐ and 1.4‐fold higher the activity of xylanase compared with the unoptimized medium (the main nutrients are maize meal and bean pulp) and laboratory medium (the main nutrients are yeast extract and peptone), respectively. The optimization of fermentation conditions is an effective means to reduce production cost and improve xylanase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single crystals of a butterfly‐shaped carbonyl‐bridged twistarene 3 were obtained by slow diffusion of methanol into its chloroform solution. The single‐crystal structure analysis indicated that 3 crystallized in a triclinic space group (P‐1). The two‐photon absorption (TPA) and nonlinear optical properties of single crystal of 3 were investigated in the range of 400 nm ∼650 nm. This is the first example of the TPA study based on single crystals made from the carbonyl‐bridged twistarene. The corresponding TPA cross‐section was found to be 3.69 GM at 800 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpenetration in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is an intriguing phenomenon with significant impacts on their properties, and functional applications. Herein, we show that a 7‐fold interpenetrated MOF (1) is transformed into an 8‐fold interpenetrated MOF by the loss of DMF in a single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal manner. This is accompanied by a giant enhancement of the second harmonic generation (SHG ca. 125 times) and two‐photon photoluminescence (ca. 14 times). The strengthened π–π interaction between the individual diamondoid networks and intensified oscillator strength of the molecules aid the augment of dipole moments and boost the nonlinear optical conversion efficiency. Large positive and negative thermal expansions of 1 occur at 30–150 °C before the loss of DMF. These results offer an avenue to manipulate the NLO properties of MOFs using interpenetration and provide access to tunable single‐crystal NLO devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imine‐linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are garnering substantial interest in resistive random‐access memory, attributed to their superior crystallinity, excellent chemical and thermal stability, and modifiable molecular structures. However, the development of high‐performance COF‐based memristors impeded by challenges such as low conjugation degree of imine bonds and poor electron delocalization ability. Herein, we report a protonation strategy to modify the imine bonds of donor‐acceptor (D‐A) type COFs. This modification significantly enhances the electron delocalization capability of imine bonds, lowers the energy barriers for electron injection from electrodes, and stabilizes the conductive charge transfer state, thus markedly improving device performance. The protonated COF‐BTT‐BPy and COF‐BTT‐TAPT thin films‐based memristors show remarkable device performance with a high ON/OFF current ratio of 105, a low driving voltage, and outstanding endurance exceeding 600 and 1300 cycles, respectively, which is nearly twice the durability of analogous non‐protonated COFs‐based memristors. Notably, the protonated COF‐BTT‐TAPT‐based memristor exhibit the highest number of cycles reported at present. This work not only unprecedentedly enhances the performance of COF‐based memristors, but also provides a universal and promising approach for the molecular design and potential application of D‐A type imine‐linked COFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A persistent challenge in classical photocatalyst systems with extended light absorption is the unavoidable trade‐off between maximizing light harvesting and sustaining high photoredox capability. Alternatively, cooperative energy conversion through photothermic activation and photocatalytic redox is a promising yet unmet scientific proposition that critically demands a spectrum‐tailored catalyst system. Here, we construct a solar thermal‐promoted photocatalyst, an ultrathin "biphasic" ordered–disordered D‐HNb3O8 junction, which performs two disparate spectral selective functions of photoexcitation by ordered structure and thermal activated conversion via disordered lattice for combinatorial photothermal mediated catalysis. This in situ synthetically immobilized lattice distortion, constrained to a single‐entity monolayer structure not only circumvents interfacial incompatibility but also triggers near‐field temperature rise at the catalyst–reactant complexes' proximity to promote photoreaction. Ultimately, a generic full solar conversion improvement for H2 fuel production, organic transformation and water purification is realized. Let the sunshine in: Single‐entity ordered–disordered monolayer D‐HNb3O8 nanosheets were engineered to realize full solar spectrum (250–2500 nm) utilization. The crystalline domains absorb UV photons to generate charge carriers, while the disordered "nanoislands" capture the full spectrum for solar heating to thermally boost the reaction kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three dimensional (3D) hybrid organic–inorganic lead halide perovskites (HOIP) have emerged in recent years as promising materials for a wide variety of optoelectronic applications. However, the photoluminescence energies in bromide‐based HOIP have been reported to vary in the range from 2.16 to 2.35 eV. The occurrence of surface reconstructions due to uncompensated surface ionic charges may change the photo‐physical properties of the surface regions, but this has not been studied in detail. Herein, by performing angle‐dependent photoluminescence (PL) and spectroscopic ellipsometry of single‐crystal as well as polycrystalline HOIP crystals, the intrinsic excitonic emissions from the surface and bulk regions are clearly identified. It is verified that the high energy PL at 2.31 eV originates from a phase‐modified surface region. The large absorption coefficient of perovskite results in signal depletion of the lower energy PL at 2.16 eV, which originates from the bulk. High resolution synchrotron X‐ray diffraction reveals that air‐exposed HOIP crystals form a multilayer structure consisting of PbBr2, and an interfacial layer of orthorhombic phase, while the bulk crystal remains cubic phase. This study provides the unambiguous identification of a phase‐modified surface region with a larger band gap than the bulk and which dominates the excitonic emission in HOIP crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Ample evidences demonstrate that cytochrome P450 epoxygenase‐derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) exert diverse biological activities, which include potent vasodilatory, anti‐inflammatory, and cardiovascular protective effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of endothelium‐specific CYP2J2 overexpression on age‐related insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction. Endothelium‐specific targeting of the human CYP epoxygenase, CYP2J2, transgenic mice (Tie2‐CYP2J2‐Tr mice) was utilized. The effects of endothelium‐specific CYP2J2 overexpression on aging‐associated obesity, inflammation, and peripheral insulin resistance were evaluated by assessing metabolic parameters in young (3 months old) and aged (16 months old) adult male Tie2‐CYP2J2‐Tr mice. Decreased insulin sensitivity and attenuated insulin signaling in aged skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and liver were observed in aged adult male mice, and moreover, these effects were partly inhibited in 16‐month‐old CYP2J2‐Tr mice. In addition, CYP2J2 overexpression‐mediated insulin sensitization in aged mice was associated with the amelioration of inflammatory state. Notably, the aging‐associated increases in fat mass and adipocyte size were only observed in 16‐month‐old wild‐type mice, and CYP2J2 overexpression markedly prevented the increase in fat mass and adipocyte size in aged Tie2‐CYP2J2‐Tr mice, which was associated with increased energy expenditure and decreased lipogenic genes expression. Furthermore, these antiaging phenotypes of Tie2‐CYP2J2‐Tr mice were also associated with increased muscle blood flow, enhanced active‐phase locomotor activity, and improved mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle. Collectively, our findings indicated that endothelium‐specific CYP2J2 overexpression alleviated age‐related insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction, which highlighted CYP epoxygenase‐EET system as a potential target for combating aging‐related metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Due to the high sugar content, fresh mulberry fruit was limited to the wide application in diet supplement designs for managing diabetes. Three kinds of microbial fermentation methods (lactobacillus, yeast aerobic, and yeast anaerobic fermentation) were compared to analysis the sugar reducing process of mulberry pulp in the present study. Based on the determination of nutrition and function bioactive components during the sugar reducing process, the evaluation models of principal component analysis were established to select the best method. The results showed that among the three kinds of fermentation methods, the optimum fermentation condition was selected for 96 hr by lactobacillus, with a degradation rate of 86.49% for fructose and 66.12% for glucose. During this process, lactic acid, and acetic acid were produced accordingly. The viable content of Leuconostoc mesenteroides was 818 lg CFU/ml at this point. The contents of C3G, C3R Pg3G and DNJ in mulberry pulp were 889.42, 857.16, 20.61, 27.92 mg/ml, respectively. In addition, the ORAC value was 45.07 µmol TE/ml and α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity reached 44.2% after 96 hr of fermentation. In general, compared with yeast fermentation, lactobacillus fermentation had lower utilization rate of sugar but less degradation effect on functional ingredients in mulberry pulp. Yeast fermentation had higher sugar utilization rate and greater effect on functional ingredients. Practical applications: Three microbial fermentation methods were compared to select the optimal process. The purpose was to consume sugar components and retain the original hypoglycemic functional factors in mulberry pulp as far as possible. The results will provide possible application in diet designs for managing diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to examine the effects of maternal exposure to zearalenone (ZEN) on the intestines of pregnant sows and offspring on postnatal days (PD) 1, 21 and 188. Eighteen pregnant sows (six per treatment) were fed a control diet (ZEN, 0.03 mg kg−1), ZEN diet (ZEN, 2.77 mg kg−1) and ZEN + 1% modified halloysite nanotube (MHNT) diet (ZEN, 2.76 mg kg−1) respectively from gestation days (GD) 35 to 70. At the end of the experiment, three sows of each group on GD70 and the offspring on PD1, PD21 and PD188 were killed to analyze the changes of intestines. RESULTS The results showed that ZEN caused oxidative stress, an inflammatory response, changes in the structure of jejunum and alterations of the bacterial numbers in cecal digesta in pregnant sows and PD1 and PD21 piglets. On PD188, bacterial numbers were also altered. MHNTs supplementation reduced the amount of ZEN in the intestine and reversed to a large extent the effects induced by ZEN on the intestines of pregnant sows and offspring. CONCLUSION The results obtained from this study indicated that MHNTs treatment was beneficial for the adsorption of ZEN in the intestine of sows. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In this work, we report the synthesis, characterization, and application of two regioirregular naphthalenediimide (NDI)-based alternating conjugated polymers, namely P1 and P2, in which nitrile-substituted moiety, 2,3-bis(thiophen-2-yl)acrylonitrile and NDI moiety act as donor and acceptor unit, respectively. The two regioirregular polymers possess low-lying LUMO energy levels of −3.92 eV for P1 and −3.96 eV for P2. Both polymers possess typical dual-band UV−Vis−NIR absorption profiles of NDI-based polymers, and show broadened and red-shifted absorption spectra in the solid state compared with those in solutions. Field-effect transistor devices with top-gate bottom-contact configuration were used to evaluate the polymers' semiconducting properties. The two polymers exhibited promising and air-stable ambipolar charge transport characteristics. Thin film microstructure investigations (AFM and 2D-GIXRD) suggest both polymers formed continuous and smooth thin films, and adopted predominantly face-on molecular packing in the solid state. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 3627-3635 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish a structure-property relationship between polymer backbone structures and field-effect transistor performance has emerged as a new topic in organic electronics. The tunability and diversity of organic semiconductors provide the feasibility of controlling the electrical properties. Herein the characterization of thienothiophene-, dithiophenylethene-, biselenophene-, and diselenophenylethene-containing azaisoindigo copolymers is presented. As suggested by both theoretical calculations and experimental results, backbone electronic structure and linearity, density of side chains, aggregation, and thin film microstructure are involved in the differences in optical and electrical properties of these polymers. As the conjugation lengthens, n-type behaviors of the polymer semiconductors are suppressed, leading to a variation from nearly balanced ambipolar behaviors to predominant p-type characteristics. The effect of heteroatom substitution is also investigated. Notably, high hole and electron mobilities of 1.14 and 1.54 cm2 V−1 s−1 extracted from approximately ideal I- V curves are achieved with the top-gate/bottom-contact configuration transistors, demonstrating the potential of 7,7′-diazaisoindigo-based semiconducting polymers for applications in organic electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fine periodic growth patterns on shell surfaces have been widely used for studies in the ecology and evolution of scallops. Modern X-ray CT scanners and digital cameras can provide high-resolution image data that contain abundant information such as the shell formation rate, ontogenetic age, and life span of shellfish organisms. We introduced a novel multiscale image processing method based on matched filters with Gaussian kernels and partial differential equation ( PDE) multiscale hierarchical decomposition to segment the small tubular and periodic structures in scallop shell images. The periodic patterns of structures (consisting of bifurcation points, crossover points of the rings and ribs, and the connected lines) could be found by our Space-based Depth-First Search ( SDFS) algorithm. We created a MATLAB package to implement our method of periodic pattern extraction and pattern matching on the CT and digital scallop images available in this study. The results confirmed the hypothesis that the shell cyclic structure patterns encompass genetically specific information that can be used as an effective invariable biomarker for biological individual recognition. The package is available with a quick-start guide and includes three examples: . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials are one of the most promising types of candidates for energy-storage applications due to confined thicknesses and high surface areas, which would play an essential role in enhanced reaction kinetics. Herein, a universal process that can be extended for scale up is developed to synthesise ultrathin cobalt-/nickel-based hydroxides and oxides. The sodium and lithium storage capabilities of Co3O4 nanosheets are evaluated in detail. For sodium storage, the Co3O4 nanosheets exhibit excellent rate capability (e.g., 179 mA h g−1 at 7.0 A g−1 and 150 mA h g−1 at 10.0 A g−1) and promising cycling performance (404 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g−1). Meanwhile, very impressive lithium storage performance is also achieved, which is maintained at 1029 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 A g−1. NiO and NiCo2O4 nanosheets are also successfully prepared through the same synthetic approach, and both deliver very encouraging lithium storage performances. In addition to rechargeable batteries, 2D cobalt-/nickel-based hydroxides and oxides are also anticipated to have great potential applications in supercapacitors, electrocatalysis and other energy-storage-/-conversion-related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover Picture: Highly Efficient Multiphoton Absorption of Zinc-AIEgen Metal-Organic Frameworks (Angew. Keywords: Metal-Organic Frameworks; Multiphoton Absorption; Multiphoton Excited Photoluminescence; Nonlinear Optics; Third-Harmonic Generation EN Metal-Organic Frameworks Multiphoton Absorption Multiphoton Excited Photoluminescence Nonlinear Optics Third-Harmonic Generation 1 1 1 03/11/22 20220314 NES 220314 B Zn-AIEgen crystalline frameworks b exhibit highly efficient multiphoton excited photoluminescence and concomitant third-harmonic generation. Metal-Organic Frameworks, Multiphoton Absorption, Multiphoton Excited Photoluminescence, Nonlinear Optics, Third-Harmonic Generation. [Extracted from the article]

Metal-Organic Frameworks, Multiphoton Absorption, Multiphoton Excited Photoluminescence, Nonlinear Optics, Third-Harmonic Generation Keywords: Metal-Organic Frameworks; Multiphoton Absorption; Multiphoton Excited Photoluminescence; Nonlinear Optics; Third-Harmonic Generation EN Metal-Organic Frameworks Multiphoton Absorption Multiphoton Excited Photoluminescence Nonlinear Optics Third-Harmonic Generation 1 1 1 03/11/22 20220314 NES 220314 B Kristalline Zn-AIEgen-Gerüste b zeigen eine hocheffiziente multiphotonenangeregte Photolumineszenz einhergehend mit Obertonbildung. Die Erforschung der strukturell-optischen Beziehungen liefert eine nützliche Methodik für die Entwicklung besserer Hochleistungs-Multiphotonenabsorptionsmaterialien, wie Jagadese J. Vittal, Jianzhuang Jiang et al. in ihrem Forschungsartikel erläutern (e202115205). [Extracted from the article]

Annealing Pb(Zr1− xTi x)O3 (PZT) thin films in the hydrogen ambient can result in the unacceptable degradation of ferroelectric properties due to interaction of H2 forming gas with the ferroelectric materials. Since the understanding of this degradation mechanism is limited, this issue arouses a big problem for the application of PZT in high-density non-volatile ferroelectric random access memories (NVFRAM). In order to resolve this problem, we investigate Pt/PZT/Pt capacitors before and after H2 annealing at various temperatures. The capacitors lost their ferroelectric properties during hydrogen annealing. The measurements of polarization hysteresis loops and leakage currents suggest that there are different degradation mechanisms for the reduced PZT films. Although hydrogen induced degradation can be partially recovered by post-annealing of the thin films in the O2 ambient, all the remanent polarizations after recovery are much smaller than their virgin values, which indicates the irreversible damage of the ferroelectricity during the forming gas annealing (FGA) process. In order to investigate the degradation mechanism, X-ray diffraction was performed before and after FGA, and atomic force microscopy images were taken to observe the topograghy and microstructure changes. A conductive Pt-coated piezoelectric force microscope probe was used as a mobile top electrode to check ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties within microregions of PZT films before and after FGA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innenrücktitelbild: Giant Enhancement of Second Harmonic Generation Accompanied by the Structural Transformation of 7-Fold to 8-Fold Interpenetrated Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) (Angew. In diesem Fall zeigt ein achtfach interpenetriertes MOF eine enorme Verstärkung in der Frequenzverdopplung im Vergleich zum siebenfach interpenetrierten Vorläufer-MOF. Xu, J. J. Vittal et al. in ihrem Forschungsartikel auf S. 843 zeigen, resultiert das achtfach interpenetrierte MOF aus der Entfernung von DMF aus dem Kanal in einer Einkristall-zu-Einkristall-Umwandlung. [Extracted from the article]