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Cadmium‐free AgInZnS (AIZS) quantum dots (QDs) have garnered significant research interest for applications in light‐emitting diodes (LEDs); however, their performance remains limited by insulating long‐chain ligands. In this study, highly fluorescent orange‐emitting AIZS QDs are synthesized by replacing long‐chain 1‐dodecanethiol (DDT) with short‐chain 1‐octanethiol (OTT), achieving photoluminescence quantum yields of up to 80% in solution and 60% in film. The incorporation of OTT in combination with oleic acid and oleylamine as co‐capping ligands enabled excellent dispersion of the QDs in non‐polar solvents. The resulting OTT‐capped AIZS QDs exhibited improved film smoothness and reduced nonradiative recombination. Furthermore, all‐solution‐processed QD light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs) are fabricated comprising indium tin oxide/poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate/hole transporting layer/AIZS QDs/ZnO electron transporting layer/Al. The effects of OTT capping and the thickness of the AIZS emitting layer on device performance are systematically evaluated. As a result, the QLEDs demonstrated enhanced luminance and current efficiency, reaching 515 cd m−2 and 0.4 cd A−1 respectively, representing improvements of over 50% and 33% compared to devices utilizing DDT‐capped AIZS QDs. This study presents a facile and effective approach for developing high‐brightness AIZS QLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the physicochemical and functional properties of goat milk whey with heat and non‐heat treatments (pasteurisation, high‐temperature heating, ultrasonic treatment and microwave heating) and lactose hydrolysis. The optimal lactose hydrolysis conditions were obtained through orthogonal test. The results revealed the lactose and glucose in low‐lactose goat milk whey remained largely unchanged through all four treatments, while high‐temperature and microwave treatments induced protein structure alteration. The foaming and emulsifying properties of low‐lactose whey powder were enhanced by heating and ultrasonic treatments, although foam stability decreased. Our findings provide valuable insights into exploiting more nutritional goat milk products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of immunotherapy for cancer treatment is limited by the presence of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME); Therefore, identifying novel targets to that can reverse this immunosuppressive TME and enhance immunotherapy efficacy is essential. In this study, enrichment analysis based on publicly available single‐cell and bulk RNA sequencing data from gastric cancer patients are conducted, and found that tumor‐intrinsic interferon (IFN) plays a central role in TME regulation. The results shows that KDM3A over‐expression suppresses the tumor‐intrinsic IFN response and inhibits KDM3A, either genomically or pharmacologically, which effectively promotes IFN responses by activating endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). KDM3A ablation reconfigures the dsRNA‐MAVS‐IFN axis by modulating H3K4me2, enhancing the infiltration and function of CD8 T cells, and simultaneously reducing the presence of regulatory T cells, resulting in a reshaped TME in vivo. In addition, combining anti‐PD1 therapy with KDM3A inhibition effectively inhibited tumor growth. In conclusions, this study highlights KDM3A as a potential target for TME remodeling and the enhancement of antitumor immunity in gastric cancer through the regulation of the ERV‐MAVS‐IFN axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the ongoing arms race between rice and Magnaporthe oryzae, the pathogen employs effectors to evade the immune response, while the host develops resistance genes to recognise these effectors and confer resistance. In this study, we identified a novel Pik allele, Pik‐W25, from wild rice WR25 through bulked‐segregant analysis, creating the Pik‐W25 NIL (Near‐isogenic Lines) named G9. Pik‐W25 conferred resistance to isolates expressing AvrPik‐C/D/E alleles. CRISPR‐Cas9 editing was used to generate transgenic lines with a loss of function in Pik‐W25‐1 and Pik‐W25‐2, resulting in loss of resistance in G9 to isolates expressing the three alleles, confirming that Pik‐W25‐induced immunity required both Pik‐W25‐1 and Pik‐W25‐2. Yeast two‐hybrid (Y2H) and split luciferase complementation assays showed interactions between Pik‐W25‐1 and the three alleles, while Pik‐W25‐2 could not interact with AvrPik‐C, ‐D, and ‐E alleles with Y2H assay, indicating Pik‐W25‐1 acts as an adaptor and Pik‐W25‐2 transduces the signal to trigger resistance. The Pik‐W25 NIL exhibited enhanced field resistance to leaf and panicle blast without significant changes in morphology or development compared to the parent variety CO39, suggesting its potential for resistance breeding. These findings advance our knowledge of rice blast resistance mechanisms and offer valuable resources for effective and sustainable control strategies. Summary statement: We employed BSA‐seq to identify a novel Pik allele, Pik‐W25, from the wild rice WR25. Pik‐W25 can recognise AvrPik‐C, ‐D, or ‐E alleles and trigger resistance. Notably, the Pik‐W25 NIL showed enhanced field resistance to leaf and panicle blast without significant morphological or developmental differences. These findings advance our knowledge of rice blast resistance mechanisms and offer valuable resources for effective and sustainable rice blast control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong metal‐support interaction (SMSI) is crucial to modulating the nature of metal species, yet the SMSI behaviors of sub‐nanometer metal clusters remain unknown due to the difficulties in constructing SMSI at cluster scale. Herein, we achieve the successful construction of the SMSI between Pt clusters and amorphous TiO2 nanosheets by vacuum annealing, which requires a relatively low temperature that avoids the aggregation of small clusters. In situ scanning transmission electron microscopy observation is employed to explore the SMSI behaviors, and the results reveal the dynamic rearrangement of Pt atoms upon annealing for the first time. The originally disordered Pt atoms become ordered as the crystallizing of the amorphous TiO2 support, forming an epitaxial interface between Pt and TiO2. Such a SMSI state can remain stable in oxidation environment even at 400 °C. Further investigations prove that the electron transfer from TiO2 to Pt occupies the Pt 5d orbitals, which is responsible for the disappeared CO adsorption ability of Pt/TiO2 after forming SMSI. This work not only opens a new avenue for constructing SMSI at cluster scale but also provides in‐depth understanding on the unique SMSI behavior, which would stimulate the development of supported metal clusters for catalysis applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene knock‐in refers to the insertion of exogenous functional genes into a target genome to achieve continuous expression. Currently, most knock‐in tools are based on site‐directed nucleases, which can induce double‐strand breaks (DSBs) at the target, following which the designed donors carrying functional genes can be inserted via the endogenous gene repair pathway. The size of donor genes is limited by the characteristics of gene repair, and the DSBs induce risks like genotoxicity. New generation tools, such as prime editing, transposase, and integrase, can insert larger gene fragments while minimizing or eliminating the risk of DSBs, opening new avenues in the development of animal models and gene therapy. However, the elimination of off‐target events and the production of delivery carriers with precise requirements remain challenging, restricting the application of the current knock‐in treatments to mainly in vitro settings. Here, a comprehensive review of the knock‐in tools that do not/minimally rely on DSBs and use other mechanisms is provided. Moreover, the challenges and recent advances of in vivo knock‐in treatments in terms of the therapeutic process is discussed. Collectively, the new generation of DSBs‐minimizing and large‐fragment knock‐in tools has revolutionized the field of gene editing, from basic research to clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy stress, characterized by the reduction of intracellular ATP, has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer. Here, we show that energy stress promotes the formation of P-bodies in a ubiquitin-dependent manner. Upon ATP depletion, the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM23 catalyzes lysine-63 (K63)-linked polyubiquitination of HCLS1-associated protein X-1 (HAX1). HAX1 ubiquitination triggers its liquid‒liquid phase separation (LLPS) and contributes to P-bodies assembly induced by energy stress. Ubiquitinated HAX1 also interacts with the essential P-body proteins, DDX6 and LSM14A, promoting their condensation. Moreover, we find that this TRIM23/HAX1 pathway is critical for the inhibition of global protein synthesis under energy stress conditions. Furthermore, high HAX1 ubiquitination, and increased cytoplasmic localization of TRIM23 along with elevated HAX1 levels, promotes colorectal cancer (CRC)-cell proliferation and correlates with poor prognosis in CRC patients. Our data not only elucidate a ubiquitination-dependent LLPS mechanism in RNP granules induced by energy stress but also propose a promising target for CRC therapy. Synopsis: Global translation inhibition is a hallmark of the cellular response to energy stress, but the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated. This study shows that energy stress promotes P-body formation in a TRIM23/HAX1-dependent manner to restrain protein synthesis. Energy stress enhances P-body formation through ubiquitination mediated by TRIM23. TRIM23 regulates HAX1 ubiquitination to support the LLPS of HAX1 and the condensation of LSM14A and DDX6. TRIM23/HAX1 is essential for the inhibition of global protein synthesis under energy stress conditions. The TRIM23/HAX1 pathway is critical for the tumorigenicity of colorectal cancer. Ubiquitination of HAX1 promotes the formation of P-bodies and is required for global translation downregulation during energy stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li‐ and Mn‐rich layered oxides (LMROs) are promising cathode materials for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high capacity and high energy density. However, they suffer from severe capacity and voltage fading during cycling, where the irreversible oxygen release during cycle is deemed to a severe factor. Herein, this put forward a general oxygen release suppression strategy by introducing small amounts of sodium chalcogenides during cathode slurry preparation. The formed unstable surface peroxide ions O22− of LMRO during charging is reduced to stable O2− by chalcogen ion and couples the formation of sodium chalcogenic oxides, which is reduced to sodium chalcogenides and O2− during discharging. As a result, the oxygen release is significantly suppressed and the structural stability of LMRO is greatly enhanced. Meanwhile, abundant surface oxygen vacancies are generated coupling with evidently increased carrier concentration and mobility, thus enhancing electronic conductivity significantly. The Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2 cathode with 3 wt% Na2Se shows a capacity retention as high as 96.2% and a capacity of 225 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 1 C, coupling with a high capacity of 135 mAh g−1 at 10 C. The relevant mechanism for the improved electrochemical properties is revealed, which is hopefully helpful for novel strategy design to high‐performance LMRO cathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ras GTPase‐activating proteins (Ras GAPs) act as negative regulators for Ras proteins and are involved in various signalling processes that influence cellular functions. Here, the function of four Ras GAPs, UvGap1 to UvGap4, was identified and analysed in Ustilaginoidea virens, the causal agent of rice false smut disease. Disruption of UvGAP1 or UvGAP2 resulted in reduced mycelial growth and an increased percentage of larger or dumbbell‐shaped conidia. Notably, the mutant ΔUvgap1 completely lost its pathogenicity. Compared to the wild‐type strain, the mutants ΔUvgap1, ΔUvgap2 and ΔUvgap3 exhibited reduced tolerance to H2O2 oxidative stress. In particular, the ΔUvgap1 mutant was barely able to grow on the H2O2 plate, and UvGAP1 was found to influence the expression level of genes involved in reactive oxygen species synthesis and scavenging. The intracellular cAMP level in the ΔUvgap1 mutant was elevated, as UvGap1 plays an important role in maintaining the intracellular cAMP level by affecting the expression of phosphodiesterases, which are linked to cAMP degradation in U. virens. In a yeast two‐hybrid assay, UvRas1 and UvRasGef (Ras guanyl nucleotide exchange factor) physically interacted with UvGap1. UvRas2 was identified as an interacting partner of UvGap1 through a bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay and affinity capture‐mass spectrometry analysis. Taken together, these findings suggest that the UvGAP1‐mediated Ras pathway is essential for the development and pathogenicity of U. virens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All‐solid‐state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) have become a recent research hotspot because of their excellent safety performance. In order to better reflect their superiority, high‐voltage cathodes should be applied to enhance the energy density of solid batteries to compete with commercial liquid batteries. However, the introduction of high‐voltage cathodes suffers from many problems, such as low electrochemical stability, inferior interface chemical stability between cathode and electrolyte, poor mechanical contact, and gas evolution. These drawbacks significantly influence the battery performance, even causing battery failure and hindering the commercialization of solid‐state batteries. This paper first reviews the above failure mechanisms of high‐voltage cathode‐based ASSLBs from different perspectives. Then, recent advances in solid‐state electrolytes for ASSLBs are summarized, mainly including polymer solid electrolytes, sulfide solid electrolytes, and oxide solid electrolytes. In addition, the influence of the cathode materials is also highly critical, and strategies to improve electrochemical performance are put forward, which can be divided into coating protection, synthesis modification, and structure improvement. Finally, guidelines for the future development of solid‐state batteries are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garnet‐type oxide Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) features superior ionic conductivity and good stability toward lithium (Li) metal, but requires high‐temperature sintering (≈1200 °C) that induces high fabrication cost, poor mechanical processability, and high interface resistance. Here, a novel high‐performance tricomponent composite solid electrolyte (CSE) comprising LLZTO−4LiBH4/xLi3BN2H8 is reported, which is prepared by ball milling the LLZTO−4LiBH4 mixture followed by hand milling with Li3BN2H8. Green pellets fabricated by heating the cold‐pressed CSE powders at 120 °C offer ultrafast room‐temperature ionic conductivity (≈1.73 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 30 °C) and ultrahigh Li‐ion transference number (≈0.9999), which enable the Li|Li symmetrical cells to cycle over 1600 h at 30 °C with only 30 mV of overpotential. Moreover, the Li|CSE|TiS2 full cells deliver 201 mAh g−1 of capacity with long cyclability. These outstanding performances are due to the low open porosity in the electrolyte pellets as well as the high intrinsic ionic conductivity and easy deformability of Li3BN2H8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the global carbon neutrality initiative, carbon emissions from the transportation sector are becoming increasingly prominent due to the growth in vehicle ownership. And electric mobility may be a potentially effective measure to reduce road traffic carbon emissions and achieve a green transformation of transportation. This paper systematically collates the relevant carbon accounting standards for the automotive industry and elaborates the current status of road transport greenhouse gas emissions by combining the data from the International Energy Agency. And by comparing the lifecycle carbon footprint of various energy types of vehicles, the necessity and feasibility of electric mobility to reduce carbon emissions are discussed. However, the comparison of vehicle lifecycle carbon footprints shows that electric vehicles (EVs) are not as environmentally friendly as expected, although they can significantly reduce road traffic carbon emissions. The high carbon emissions from the manufacturing process of the core components of EVs, especially the power battery, reduce the low‐carbon potential of electric mobility. Therefore, the carbon emission reduction strategies and outcomes of automakers in the automotive industry chain have been further reviewed. Finally, focusing on vehicle power batteries, this article reviews the technologies such as refined management and echelon utilization that can make EVs more environmentally friendly and promote carbon neutrality in the transportation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high‐performance binders is a simple but effective approach to address the rapid capacity decay of high‐capacity anodes caused by large volume change upon lithiation/delithiation. Herein, we demonstrate a unique organic/inorganic hybrid binder system that enables an efficient in situ crosslinking of aqueous binders (e.g., sodium alginate (SA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)) by reacting with an inorganic crosslinker (sodium metaborate hydrate (SMH)) upon vacuum drying. The resultant 3D interconnected networks endow the binders with strong adhesion and outstanding self‐healing capability, which effectively improve the electrode integrity by preventing fracturing and exfoliation during cycling and facilitate Li+ ion transfer. SiO anodes fabricated from the commercial microsized powders with the SA/0.2SMH binder maintain 1470 mAh g−1 of specific capacity at 100 mA g−1 after 200 cycles, which is 5 times higher than that fabricated with SA binder alone (293 mAh g−1). Nearly, no capacity loss was observed over 500 cycles when limiting discharge capacity at 1500 mAh g−1. The new binders also dramatically improved the performance of Fe2O3, Fe3O4, NiO, and Si electrodes, indicating the excellent applicability. This finding represents a novel strategy in developing high‐performance aqueous binders and improves the prospect of using high‐capacity anode materials in Li‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peptide hormone angiotensin II regulates blood pressure mainly through the type 1 angiotensin II receptor AT1R and its downstream signaling proteins Gq and β‐arrestin. AT1R blockers, clinically used as antihypertensive drugs, inhibit both signaling pathways, whereas AT1R β‐arrestin‐biased agonists have shown great potential for the treatment of acute heart failure. Here, we present a cryo‐electron microscopy (cryo‐EM) structure of the human AT1R in complex with a balanced agonist, Sar1‐AngII, and Gq protein at 2.9 Å resolution. This structure, together with extensive functional assays and computational modeling, reveals the molecular mechanisms for AT1R signaling modulation and suggests that a major hydrogen bond network (MHN) inside the receptor serves as a key regulator of AT1R signal transduction from the ligand‐binding pocket to both Gq and β‐arrestin pathways. Specifically, we found that the MHN mutations N1113.35A and N2947.45A induce biased signaling to Gq and β‐arrestin, respectively. These insights should facilitate AT1R structure‐based drug discovery for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Synopsis: Angiotensin (Ang) II hormone binding to AT1R receptors activates both Gq and β‐arrestin signaling to elevate blood pressure and confer heart protection, respectively. The AT1R‐Gq‐Sar1‐AngII structure combined with functional and computational studies reveals that the crucial role of a major hydrogen bond network in biasing AT1R in either direction. A Cryo‐EM structure depicts human angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1R) activated by the balanced agonist Sar1‐AngII and coupled to its canonical transducer Gq at 2.9 Å resolution.A combination of BRET assays and molecular dynamic simulations defines the structural characteristics of Gq‐biased agonists TRV055/TRV056.A major hydrogen bond network (MHN) in the core of AT1R is crucial for AT1R signaling modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sluggish kinetics of hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) is one of the critical challenges for anion exchange membrane fuel cells. Here, we report epitaxial growth of Ir nanoclusters (<2 nm) on a MoS2 surface (Ir/MoS2) and optimize the alkaline HOR activity via tailoring interfacial charge transfer between Ir clusters and MoS2. The electron transfer from MoS2 to Ir clusters can effectively prevent the oxidation of Ir clusters, which is not the case for carbon‐supported Ir nanoclusters (Ir/C) synthesized using the same method. Moreover, the HOR performance of the Ir/MoS2 can be further optimized by tuning the hydrogen binding energy (HBE) via a precise annealing treatment. A substantial exchange current density of 1.28 mA cmECSA−2 is achieved in the alkaline medium, which is ∼10 times over that of Ir/C. The HOR mass‐specific activity of Ir/MoS2 heterostructure is as high as 182 mA mgIr−1. The experimental results and density functional theory calculations reveal that the significant improved HOR activity is attributed to the decreased HBE, which highlights epitaxial growth is an effective way for boosting catalytic activity of heterostructured catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Rice false smut caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is becoming one of the most recalcitrant rice diseases worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying rice immunity against U. virens remain unknown.Using genetic, biochemical and disease resistance assays, we demonstrated that the xb24 knockout lines generated in non‐Xa21 rice background exhibit an enhanced susceptibility to the fungal pathogens U. virens and Magnaporthe oryzae. Consistently, flg22‐ and chitin‐induced oxidative burst and expression of pathogenesis‐related genes in the xb24 knockout lines were greatly attenuated.As a central mediator of energy signaling, SnRK1A interacts with and phosphorylates XB24 at Thr83 residue to promote ATPase activity. SnRK1A is activated by pathogen‐associated molecular patterns and positively regulates plant immune responses and disease resistance. Furthermore, the virulence effector SCRE1 in U. virens targets host ATPase XB24. The interaction inhibits ATPase activity of XB24 by blocking ATP binding to XB24. Meanwhile, SCRE1 outcompetes SnRK1A for XB24 binding, and thereby suppresses SnRK1A‐mediated phosphorylation and ATPase activity of XB24.Our results indicate that the conserved SnRK1A‐XB24 module in multiple crop plants positively contributes to plant immunity and uncover an unidentified molecular strategy to promote infection in U. virens and a novel host target in fungal pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light‐emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) comprising metal‐free molecules that emit by the process of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) can be both sustainable and low cost. However, the blue emission performance of current TADF‐LECs is unfortunately poor, which effectively prohibits their utilization in important applications, such as illumination and full‐color displays. Here, this drawback is addressed through the development of a TADF‐LEC, which delivers blue light emission (peak wavelength = 475 nm) with a high external quantum efficiency of 5.0%, corresponding to a current efficacy of 9.6 cd A‐1. It is notable that this high efficiency is attained at bright luminance of 740 cd m‐2, and that the device turn‐on is very fast. It is demonstrated that this accomplishment is enabled by the blending of a carbazole‐based 9‐(4‐(4,6‐diphenyl‐1,3,5‐triazin‐2‐yl)‐2‐methylphenyl)‐3,6‐dimethyl‐9H‐carbazole guest emitter with a compatible carbazole‐based tris(4‐carbazoyl‐9‐ylphenyl)amine:2,6‐bis(3‐(carbazol‐9‐yl)phenyl)pyridine blend‐host for the attainment of bipolar electrochemical doping, balanced electron/hole transport, and exciplex‐effectuated host‐to‐guest energy transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: To investigate the inner mechanisms of meat quality differences between high‐quality (HQ) and low‐quality (LQ), a comparative quantitative study between longissimus thoracis and external intercostals of goat muscle was performed from proteome to phosphorylated proteome using RP‐HPLC in combination with the 'isobaric tag' for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) labelling strategy. Altogether, 1441 proteins were identified in our study, of which 673 were phosphoproteins, and a total of twenty were common differentially expressed proteins. Myosin, carbonic anhydrase, and phosphoglucomutase could be used as proteins marker for HQ and LQ meat. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these proteins exhibited different rates for glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation reaction, thus causing the different pH and NADH change rates, and resulting in better colour, tenderness, and water retention in HQ meat. The release of Ca2+ and adenosine triphosphate changed the meat quality through calcium signalling. Our finding provides a comprehensive view of proteome changes and their phosphorylation levels in goat muscle, involved in producing meats of different muscle parts. It also gives a better understanding of the regulation of protein on various biological processes that determine the final meat quality attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study aimed to use high‐throughput Illumina Hiseq4000 sequencing to reveal transcriptome changes of longissimus thoracis of goats in frozen storage (−20 to −18°C, FS), ice‐temperature storage (−1.5 to −0.5°C, IS) and chilled storage (2–4°C, CS) within 7 days postmortem. Hierarchical cluster and correlation analysis showed that transcriptome of FS changed little, and IS was suitable for 7 days' storage. There were 27 continuously differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (fold change ≥2, P < 0.05) over time, and 10 genes were up‐regulated and 17 genes were down‐regulated. Among them, expression amounts of WTIP, PLK3, LOC108635411 and NHSL1 were negatively correlated with shear force, L*, a* and b*, respectively, and CD3E was positively correlated with a*. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that DEGs with increasing storage temperature were mainly involved in energy production and conversion, phosphorylation and apoptosis. This study provided a new perspective for understanding the underlying mechanism of goat meat quality after slaughter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Pyricularia oryzae is a multi‐host pathogen causing cereal disease, including the devastating rice blast. Panicle blast is a serious stage, leading to severe yield loss. Thirty‐one isolates (average 4.1%) were collected from the rice panicle lesions at nine locations covering Jiangsu province from 2010 to 2017. These isolates were characterized as Pyricularia sp. jiangsuensis distinct from known Pyricularia species. The representative strain 18‐2 can infect rice panicle, root and five kinds of grasses. Intriguingly, strain 18‐2 can co‐infect rice leaf with P. oryzae Guy11. The whole genome of P. sp. jiangsuensis 18‐2 was sequenced. Nine effectors were distributed in translocation or inversion region, which may link to the rapid evolution of effectors. Twenty‐one homologues of known blast‐effectors were identified in strain 18‐2, seven effectors including the homologues of SLP1, BAS2, BAS113, CDIP2/3, MoHEG16 and Avr‐Pi54, were upregulated in the sample of inoculated panicle with strain 18‐2 at 24 hpi compared with inoculation at 8 hpi. Our results provide evidences that P. sp. jiangsuensis represents an addition to the mycobiota of blast disease. This study advances our understanding of the pathogenicity of P. sp. jiangsuensis to hosts, which sheds new light on the adaptability in the co‐evolution of pathogen and host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panicle blast, caused by the fungus Magnaportheoryzae (syn. Pyricularia oryzae), directly contributes to yield loss in the field. The effects of panicle development stage and temperature on panicle blast were studied and the infection process of M. oryzae in panicles was visualized. Rice panicles at different development stages from three rice cultivars were inoculated with a conidial suspension in vitro. The rice cultivar Lijiangxintuanheigu was highly susceptible to panicle blast at 5 days postinoculation (dpi) when the pulvinus distance was 15–20 cm. Nanjing 9108 was moderately susceptible to panicle blast when the pulvinus distance was 8–10 cm, but Yliangyou 800 was resistant. The effect of temperature on panicle blast was determined under 22–35 °C temperature treatments. Inoculated panicles placed at temperatures of 28 and 30 °C showed the highest lesion grade based on lesion length at 5 dpi. The infection process of M. oryzae in rice panicles was observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). M. oryzae initially formed the appressorium to invade through the epidermis of rice panicles at 24 hours postinoculation (hpi). As the disease progressed, the invasive hyphae formed dense mycelial networks in the inner parenchyma cells at 60 hpi. Our results will contribute to the understanding of panicle development stage and temperature effects on panicle blast and improve resistance evaluation methods. Additionally, visualization of the infection process by CLSM and TEM are valuable methods to observe M. oryzae invasive hyphae inside rice panicle cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrolyte has been considered as a key factor toward higher energy density for Li‐ion and Li‐metal batteries. However, conventional electrolytes suffer from uncontrolled interfacial reactions and irreversible decomposition causing performance deterioration and potential safety hazard. Organosilicon compounds have attracted great interest as promising electrolyte components due to facile chemical modifications, low glass transition temperatures (Tg), superior chemical, and thermal stabilities. Considerable investigation efforts have been devoted to developing better overall performance of organosilicon‐based electrolytes in the past few years. Herein, the recent research progress of organosilicon‐based functional electrolytes for the development of liquid, gel, and solid state electrolytes in Li‐ion and Li‐metal batteries is summarized. Attention is devoted to various types of organosilicon such as silane, siloxane, polysiloxane, and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes in terms of molecular design, ionic conductivity, functions shown in batteries, thermal, chemical, electrochemical stability, safety, etc. The feasible strategies are also discussed that may promote the comprehensive electrochemical performances of organosilicon‐based electrolytes in different types of electrolytes and batteries. Finally, the challenges facing organosilicon‐based electrolytes and proposed their possible solutions are presented alongside promising development directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garnet‐type oxide Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) has attracted considerable attention as a highly promising solid state electrolyte. However, its high ionic conductivity is achievable only after high temperature sintering (≈1200 °C) to form dense pellets but with detrimental brittleness and poor contact with electrodes. Herein, a novel strategy to achieve high Li+ ion conductivity of LLZTO without sintering is demonstrated. This is realized by ball milling LLZTO together with LiBH4, which results in a LLZTO composite with unique amorphous dual coating: LiBO2 as the inner layer and LiBH4 as the outer layer. After cold pressing the LLZTO composite powders under 300 MPa to form electrolyte pellets, a high Li+ ion conductivity of 8.02 × 10–5 S cm–1 is obtained at 30 °C, which is four orders of magnitude higher than that of the non‐sintered pristine LLZTO pellets (4.17 × 10–9 S cm–1). The composite electrolyte displays an ultrahigh Li+ transference number of 0.9999 and enables symmetric Li–Li cells to be cycled for 1000 h at 60 °C and 300 h at 30 °C. The significant improvements are attributed to the continuous ionic conductive network among LLZTO particles facilitated by LiBH4 that is chemically compatible and electrochemically stable with Li metal electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The biotrophic fungal pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens causes rice false smut, a newly emerging plant disease that has become epidemic worldwide in recent years. The U. virens genome encodes many putative effector proteins that, based on the study of other pathosystems, could play an essential role in fungal virulence. However, few studies have been reported on virulence functions of individual U. virens effectors. Here, we report our identification and characterization of the secreted cysteine‐rich protein SCRE1, which is an essential virulence effector in U. virens. When SCRE1 was heterologously expressed in Magnaporthe oryzae, the protein was secreted and translocated into plant cells during infection. SCRE1 suppresses the immunity‐associated hypersensitive response in the nonhost plant Nicotiana benthamiana. Induced expression of SCRE1 in rice also inhibits pattern‐triggered immunity and enhances disease susceptibility to rice bacterial and fungal pathogens. The immunosuppressive activity is localized to a small peptide region that contains an important 'cysteine‐proline‐alanine‐arginine‐serine' motif. Furthermore, the scre1 knockout mutant generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system is attenuated in U. virens virulence to rice, which is greatly complemented by the full‐length SCRE1 gene. Collectively, this study indicates that the effector SCRE1 is able to inhibit host immunity and is required for full virulence of U. virens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 10.1002/cnl2.81, the researchers organize the carbon accounting standards of the automotive industry and compare the lifecycle carbon emissions of various types of vehicles, pointing out the advantages of EV in reducing carbon emissions, as well as the concentration of carbon emissions in EV lifecycle. B Back cover image: b The electric mobility is considered to be a key step towards achieving the vision of carbon neutrality, and the high carbon footprint of electric vehicle (EV) power batteries is a critical factor affecting the ability of EV to reduce carbon emissions. Finally, focusing on power batteries, it concludes that fine management, echelon utilization, and efficient recycling are ways to reduce their contribution to the carbon emissions of EV. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: A series of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) hybrid materials resulting from the hybridization of MOFs and attapulgite were constructed using a facile reflux route under relatively low reaction temperature, and characterized by FTIR spectra, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, XRD and TGA. For the first time, MOFs hybridizing with attapulgite were employed to enrich peptides with high adsorption selectivity for glutathione reduced on the basis of three selected model peptides (glutathione reduced, bradykinin and insulin from bovine pancreas) due to pore structure, change in microenvironment and composition of the prepared MOFs materials, and molecular size of the selected peptides. RESULTS: The adsorption capacities of MOFs materials prepared at three different temperatures for glutathione reduced were 66.80, 88.91 and 79.55 mg g–1 in turn, while those of MOFs hybridization materials greatly enhanced, were 83.49, 99.64 and 97.47 mg g–1, respectively. The prepared MOFs materials exhibited excellent reusability. The results of FTIR spectra and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that hydrogen bonding, the sieving effect, p‐π and the coordination effect were involved in the adsorption process. CONCLUSIONS: The excellent adsorption property and selectivity make the present materials highly promising and potentially useful in practical application as adsorbents for peptides with small molecular size such as glutathione reduced. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of three common heat treatments (pasteurisation, boiling and autoclaving) on milk physicochemical properties and DNA quality were investigated. Milk composition, colour and pH value varied significantly during the heating process. The heat treatment also affected the DNA quality of the milk and, in particular, reduced the content of both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA). These reached their lowest values when autoclaving was conducted, but the content of nDNA was never greater than that of mtDNA. The physicochemical and DNA quality changes in milk are crucial factors in any authentication process using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a new facile and scalable strategy to effectively suppress the initial capacity fading of iron oxides is demonstrated by reacting with lithium borohydride (LiBH4) to form a B-containing nanocomposite. Multielement, multiphase B-containing iron oxide nanocomposites are successfully prepared by ball-milling Fe2O3 with LiBH4, followed by a thermochemical reaction at 25-350 °C. The resulting products exhibit a remarkably superior electrochemical performance as anode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs), including a high reversible capacity, good rate capability, and long cycling durability. When cycling is conducted at 100 mA g−1, the sample prepared from Fe2O3-0.2LiBH4 delivers an initial discharge capacity of 1387 mAh g−1. After 200 cycles, the reversible capacity remains at 1148 mAh g−1, which is significantly higher than that of pristine Fe2O3 (525 mAh g−1) and Fe3O4 (552 mAh g−1). At 2000 mA g−1, a reversible capacity as high as 660 mAh g−1 is obtained for the B-containing nanocomposite. The remarkably improved electrochemical lithium storage performance can mainly be attributed to the enhanced surface reactivity, increased Li+ ion diffusivity, stabilized solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) film, and depressed particle pulverization and fracture, as measured by a series of compositional, structural, and electrochemical techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor cycling stability is one of the key scientific issues needing to be solved for Li- and Mn-rich layered oxide cathode. In this paper, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is first used as a novel binder in Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2 cathode to enhance its cycling stability. Electrochemical performance is conducted by galvanostatic charge and discharge. Structure and morphology are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results reveal that the CMC as binder can not only stabilize the electrode structure by preventing the electrode materials to detach from the current collector but also suppress the voltage fading of the Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2 cathode due to Na+ ions doping. Most importantly, the dissolution of metal elements from the cathode materials into the electrolyte is also inhibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an amorphous Li2CO3-coated nanocrystalline α-Fe2O3 hierarchical structure is synthesized for the first time using a facile one-step mechanochemical process at room temperature, taking advantage of the concurrence of repeated fracture-cold welding of material's particles and a gas-solid redox reaction. The conformal coating and hierarchical structure significantly increase the cycling durability and rate capability. Typically, a 1-3 nm thick amorphous Li2CO3 layer is conformally coated on Fe2O3 nanocrystallines (≈10 nm in size) that form hierarchically aggregated particles 400-800 nm in size by ball milling α-Fe2O3 with LiH in CO2. The prepared Li2CO3-coated nanocrystalline α-Fe2O3 exhibits highly stable long-term cyclability as it delivers a reversible capacity of 975 mAh g−1 with 99% of retention after 400 cycles at 100 mA g−1. At a high rate of 3000 mA g−1, its reversible capacity still remains at 537 mAh g−1, superior to the uncoated counterpart (311 mAh g−1). Moreover, amorphous Li2O and Li2CO3 coatings are also similarly produced on Fe2O3 and NiO nanocrystallines, respectively, representing the general applicability of this mechanochemical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium alanate (NaAlH4) has attracted intense interest as a prototypical high-density hydrogen-storage material. However, poor reversibility and slow kinetics limit its practical applications. Herein, a nanocrystalline ZrO2@C catalyst was synthesized by using Uio-66(Zr) as a precursor and furfuryl alcohol (FA) as a carbon source. The as-synthesized ZrO2@C exhibits good catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation and hydrogenation of NaAlH4. The NaAlH4-7 wt % ZrO2@C sample released hydrogen starting from 126 °C and reabsorbed it starting from 54 °C, and these temperatures are lower by 71 and 36 °C, respectively, relative to pristine NaAlH4. At 160 °C, approximately 5.0 wt % of hydrogen was released from the NaAlH4-7 wt % ZrO2@C sample within 250 min, and the dehydrogenation product reabsorbed approximately 4.9 wt % within 35 min at 140 °C and 100 bar of hydrogen. The catalytic function of the Zr-based active species is believed to contribute to the significantly reduced operating temperatures and enhanced kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-state hydrogen storage using various materials is expected to provide the ultimate solution for safe and efficient on-board storage. Complex hydrides have attracted increasing attention over the past two decades due to their high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen densities. In this account, we review studies from our lab on tailoring the thermodynamics and kinetics for hydrogen storage in complex hydrides, including metal alanates, borohydrides and amides. By changing the material composition and structure, developing feasible preparation methods, doping high-performance catalysts, optimizing multifunctional additives, creating nanostructures and understanding the interaction mechanisms with hydrogen, the operating temperatures for hydrogen storage in metal amides, alanates and borohydrides are remarkably reduced. This temperature reduction is associated with enhanced reaction kinetics and improved reversibility. The examples discussed in this review are expected to provide new inspiration for the development of complex hydrides with high hydrogen capacity and appropriate thermodynamics and kinetics for hydrogen storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanocrystalline CeO2@C-containing NaAlH4 composite is successfully synthesized in situ by hydrogenating a NaH-Al mixture doped with CeO2@C. Compared with NaAlH4, the as-prepared CeO2@C-containing NaAlH4 composite, with a minor amount of excess Al, exhibits significantly improved hydrogen storage properties. The dehydrogenation onset temperature of the hydrogenated [NaH-Al-7 wt% CeO2@C]-0.04Al sample is 77°C lower than that of the pristine sample because of a reduced kinetic barrier. More importantly, the dehydrogenated sample absorbs ~4.7 wt% hydrogen within 35 min at 100 °C and 10 MPa of hydrogen. Compositional and structural analyses reveal that CeO2 is converted to CeH2 during ball milling and that the newly formed CeH2 works with the excess of Al to synergistically improve the hydrogen storage properties of NaAlH4. Our findings will aid in the rational design of novel catalyst- doped complex hydride systems with low operating temperatures, fast kinetics, and long-term cyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, an initial attempt to understand the relationships between hydrogen storage properties, reaction pathways, and material compositions in LiBH4- x Mg(AlH4)2 composites is demonstrated. The hydrogen storage properties and the reaction pathways for hydrogen release from LiBH4- x Mg(AlH4)2 composites with x=1/6, 1/4, and 1/2 were systematically investigated. All of the composites exhibit a four-step dehydrogenation event upon heating, but the pathways for hydrogen desorption/absorption are varied with decreasing LiBH4/Mg(AlH4)2 molar ratios. Thermodynamic and kinetic investigations reveal that different x values lead to different enthalpy changes for the third and fourth dehydrogenation steps and varied apparent activation energies for the first, second, and third dehydrogenation steps. Thermodynamic and kinetic destabilization caused by the presence of Mg(AlH4)2 is likely to be responsible for the different hydrogen desorption/absorption performances of the LiBH4- x Mg(AlH4)2 composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]