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Calcium‐ion batteries (CIBs) are considered as potential next‐generation energy storage systems due to their abundant reserves and relatively low cost. However, irreversible structural changes and weak conductivity still hinder in current CIBs cathode materials. Herein, an organic molecular intercalation strategy is proposed, in which V2O5 regulated with quinoline, pyridine, and water molecules are studied as cathode material to provide fast ion diffusion channels, large storage host, and high conductivity for Ca ions. Among them, V2O5‐quinoline (QVO) owns the largest interplanar spacing of 1.25 nm and the V‐O chains are connected with organic molecular by hydrogen bond, which stabilizes the crystal structure. As a result, QVO exhibits a specific capacity of 168 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 and capacity retention of 80% after 500 cycles at 5 A g−1 than the other materials. Furthermore, X‐Ray diffraction and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy results reveal a reversible order‐disorder transformation mechanism of Ca2+ for QVO, which can make full use of the abundant active sites for high capacity and simultaneously achieve fast reaction kinetics for excellent rate performance. These results demonstrate that QVO is a promising cathode material for CIBs, providing more choices for the development of high‐performance CIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium ion batteries (CIBs) are considered as an important candidate for post‐lithium energy storage devices due to their abundance of resources and low cost. However, CIBs still suffer from slow kinetics due to the large solvation structure and high desolvation energy of Ca2+ ions. Here, a solvation regulation strategy based on donor number (DN) is reported to achieve easy‐desolvation and rapid storage of Ca2+ in sodium vanadate (Na2V6O16·2H2O, NVO). Specially, the solvent with a low DN, represented by propylene carbonate (PC), forms the first solvation shell of calcium ions with weak binding energy and small shell structure, which facilitates the migration of Ca2+ in the electrolyte. More importantly, the low DN solvent is preferentially desolvated at the cathode/electrolyte interface, promoting the insertion of Ca2+ into the NVO electrode. Mechanism studies further confirm the highly reversible uptake/release of Ca2+ in the NVO cathode, along with the VO distance change in the coordination structure. Therefore, the NVO cathode achieves high capacity (376 mAh g−1 at 0.3 A g−1) and high‐rate performance (151 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1). The weak solvation effect strategy further improves the electrochemical performance and provides great importance for the design of the long‐term development of CIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadate materials are feasible cathodes for metal–ion batteries due to their stable layered structure, abundant valence states, and high capacity. However, much uncertainty still exists about precisely modulating intercalants to facilitate ion storage. Here, V2O5 pre‐intercalated with various transition metal ions M2+ (M═Ni, Co, Mn) are developed as model materials to analyze the coupling effect between guest ions and host material. Through density functional theory simulations, it is found that M2+ interacts with V–O chain via M 3d‐O 2p covalent bonds, and extended X‐ray absorption fine structure reveals the Ni─O interatomic distance at 1.56 Å shorter than Co─O (1.60 Å) and Mn─O (1.72 Å), suggesting the M–O band type with different covalency degree can optimize VOx polyhedron and local electronic structure. Furthermore, NiVO cathode materials with the smallest layer spacing shows higher redox voltage and better rate/cycling performance for Ca2+ storage than CoVO/MnVO, elucidating that Ni has stronger tendency to attract electrons and bonds with V–O layer tightly, thus supplying a reliable ion diffusion channel for Ca2+. Through ions pre‐intercalated techniques, this work highlights both layer spacing and physicochemical properties of intercalants affect electrochemical process, which is significant for developing high‐performance vanadate cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐atom Fe‐N‐C (denoted as Fe1‐N‐C) catalysts exhibit inadequate bifunctional activities to conquer the sluggish oxygen reduction and evolution reaction (ORR/OER), hindering their practical applications in rechargeable Zn‐air batteries (ZABs). Here, by employing Fe1‐N‐C hollow nanorods as ORR‐active support, OER‐active NiFe‐layered double hydroxide (NiFe‐LDH) nanodots are evenly decorated through a spatially confined process to form NiFe‐LDH/Fe1‐N‐C heterostructure hollow nanorods with abundant accessible catalytic sites. The NiFe‐LDH/Fe1‐N‐C heterostructure not only enhances the ORR activity of pristine Fe1‐N‐C but also realizes efficient bifunctional ORR/OER activity in one monolithic catalyst. Theoretical calculations reveal that introducing NiFe‐LDH nanodots results in donation of electrons to the Fe1‐N‐C matrix and thus lowers the Fe‐d band center of the Fe‐N4 sites, dramatically narrowing the energy barriers of the ORR rate‐limiting steps. As a result, NiFe‐LDH/Fe1‐N‐C nanorods deliver remarkable ORR activity with a half‐wave potential of 0.90 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, surpassing bare Fe1‐N‐C and commercial Pt/C. Impressively, the integrated NiFe‐LDH/Fe1‐N‐C catalysts show outstanding bifunctional performance with a small overpotential gap of only 0.65 V. The liquid‐state ZABs with NiFe‐LDH/Fe1‐N‐C as an air‐cathode catalyst deliver a peak power density of 205 mW cm−2 and long‐term cycling stability of up to 400 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next‐generation ultrahigh power density proton exchange membrane fuel cells rely not only on high‐performance membrane electrode assembly (MEA) but also on an optimal cell structure. To this end, this work comprehensively investigates the cell performance under various structures, and it is revealed that there is unexploited performance improvement in structure design because its positive effect enhancing gas supply is often inhibited by worse proton/electron conduction. Utilizing fine channel/rib or the porous flow field is feasible to eliminate the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and hence increase the power density significantly due to the decrease of cell thickness and gas/electron transfer resistances. The cell structure combining fine channel/rib, GDL elimination and double‐cell structure is believed to increase the power density from 4.4 to 6.52 kW L−1 with the existing MEA, showing nearly equal importance with the new MEA development in achieving the target of 9.0 kW L−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandwich structures with good mechanical performance can be manufactured by continuous carbon‐fiber‐reinforced composites (CCFRC) via the fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology. Poor inter‐thread bonding is a major reason for the failure of these sandwich structures. In the present study, a novel fiber‐interleaved printing pattern has been proposed to improve the bonding property between printing threads. And panel/core integrated sandwich structures were fabricated via the FFF technology. The manufacturing quality was examined by microscopic examination and non‐destructive computed tomography (CT) scanning. The results indicated that manufacturing voids are mainly concentrated in the printed carbon fiber bundles, resulting from inadequate infiltration between the reinforcement and the matrix. Flatwise compression tests were conducted to compare the mechanical performance of sandwich structures with the fiber‐adjacent and fiber‐interleaved core. The results clearly demonstrated that the fiber‐interleaved design can significantly improve the mechanical performance of the sandwich structures (i.e., 44% higher in elastic modulus and 119% higher in strength). Furthermore, three‐point bending tests were conducted to investigate the flexural behavior. Fractographic analysis demonstrated that the main failure modes under these loading conditions include fiber pull‐out and breakage, delamination, local core crushing, fiber/matrix and panel/core debonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefiting from the advantageous features of structural diversity and resource renewability, organic electroactive compounds are considered as attractive cathode materials for aqueous Zn‐ion batteries (ZIBs). In this review, we discuss the recent developments of organic electrode materials for aqueous ZIBs. Although the proton (H+) storage chemistry in aqueous Zn‐organic batteries has triggered an overwhelming literature surge in recent years, this topic remains controversial. Therefore, our review focuses on this significant issue and summarizes the reported electrochemical mechanisms, including pure Zn2+ intercalation, pure H+ storage, and H+/Zn2+ co‐storage. Moreover, the impact of H+ storage on the electrochemical performance of aqueous ZIBs is discussed systematically. Given the significance of H+ storage, we also highlight the relevant characterization methods employed. Finally, perspectives and directions on further understanding the charge storage mechanisms of organic materials are outlined. We hope that this review will stimulate more attention on the H+ storage chemistry of organic electrode materials to advance our understanding and further its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of clean hydrogen energy is becoming more feasible for the sustainable development of this society. Considering the safety issues in the hydrogen production, storage, and utilization, a sensitive hydrogen sensor for reliable detection is essential and highly important. Though various gas sensor devices are developed based on tin oxide, tungsten trioxide, or other oxides, the relatively high working temperature, unsatisfactory response time, and detection limitation still affect the extensive applications. In the current study, an amorphous tungsten trioxide (a‐WO3) layer is deposited on a phase‐change vanadium dioxide film to fabricate a phase transition controlled Pd/a‐WO3/VO2 hydrogen sensor for hydrogen detection. Results show that both the response time and sensitivity of the hydrogen sensor are improved greatly if increasing the working temperature over the transition temperature of VO2. Theoretical calculations also reveal that the charge transfer at VO2/a‐WO3 interface becomes more pronounced once the VO2 layer transforms to the metal state, which will affect the migration barrier of H atoms in a‐WO3 layer and thus improve the sensor performance. The current study not only realizes a hydrogen sensor with ultrahigh performance based on VO2 layer, but also provides some clues for designing other gas sensors with phase‐change material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in new energy power generation and the continuous augment in the penetration rate of electric vehicles, it is of crucial importance to use electric vehicles as energy storage devices to promote the consumption of new energy. Aiming at the uncertainty of electric vehicles, this paper proposes a method based on multiobjective optimization for electric vehicle‐supercapacitor hybrid energy storage system to track PV project output. The hybrid system consists of electric vehicles and supercapacitor. Electric vehicles and supercapacitors supplement the deviation of PV actual power and predicted power by charging and discharging. The electric vehicle is regarded as a nonspecific way to label a piece of equipment that can store energy. First and foremost, on the basis of traditional method of predicting PV output, a PSO‐BP prediction method based on PCA is proposed to improve the accuracy of PV output prediction. Secondarily, according to the different characteristics of electric vehicles and supercapacitors, the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method is used to decompose the deviation that the hybrid energy storage system needs to bear with the purpose of initially allocating the energy. Furthermore, a multiobjective optimization model is established for the precise energy distribution of the hybrid energy storage system, and the NSGA‐III algorithm is used to solve it. Ultimately, the data of a domestic PV power station are used for simulation. After optimized control, the result shows that the standard deviation of the system output is reduced from 1967 to 75.77. The research in this article provides a theoretical basis for the application of electric vehicle virtual energy storage technology in the field of auxiliary new energy grid connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A computer‐aided detection (CADe) scheme, relying on a large number of high‐quality images with annotations, could help radiologists effectively detect lung nodules. However, such medical data are generally difficult to obtain. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel method based on a conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN) to generate new samples for data augmentation (DA). This method employs a 3D CGAN based on a squeeze‐and‐excitation mechanism and residual learning to synthesize realistic and diverse lung nodules in chest computed tomography (CT) images to improve the performance of the CADe system. To evaluate the proposed method, this paper uses synthetic samples for DA to train the lung nodule detection network. The results indicate that these synthetic samples, which cover a part of the data distribution unfilled by the original data, can boost the overall performance of the nodule detection network at fixed false positive (FP) rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal nitrides and quasi‐metallic compounds have been extensively employed as sulfur hosts for confining polysulfide shuttling and improving the electronic conductivity. Their electronic structures and surface chemical bonds significantly determine the adsorption and catalytic abilities for polysulfide. However, the surface compositions of the reported metal nitrides and their sulfur anchoring mechanisms are still controversial. Herein, the authors demonstrate the anion‐substituted mechanism from vanadium oxide, oxynitride to nitride during ammonia‐annealing process and systematically unravel the long‐range disorder rock‐salt structure of vanadium oxynitride with abundant vanadium (V) and nitrogen (N) vacancies by synchrotron X‐ray absorption spectra, atomic pair distribution function, and density functional theory calculation. The defect‐rich vanadium oxynitride that is previously considered as vanadium nitride possesses the enhanced electron delocalization of V, N, and oxygen (O) atoms. It strengthens the polar LiN/O and VS bonds, especially near V vacancy, resulting in a strong polar adsorption for polysulfide. Meanwhile, the vanadium oxynitride effectively catalyzes the breaking and conversion of polysulfide, improving the reduction kinetics during discharge process. The bifunctional effects render the excellent cycling and rate performances. This work deeply understands the sulfur redox mechanisms on vanadium oxynitride and nitride and promotes the developments of the quasi‐metallic compounds/sulfur cathodes in Lithium‐sulfur battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precambrian microcontinents represent key tectonic units in the accretionary collages of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (ECAOB), and possess a wealth of information about the geological evolution. Here, we describe newly discovered late Neoarchean amphibolite of the Huangsong Group collected from drillhole ZK4301 at the Sishanlinchang gold mining area in the Jiamusi–Khanka Block. LA–ICP–MS U–Pb dating for zircons from the amphibolite yields a weighted‐mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 2539 ± 4 Ma, which can be referred to as its protolithic age. Zircons in the 2.54‐Ga amphibolite show high and positive εHf(t) values ranging from +4.2 to +6.8 and single‐stage Hf model ages (TDM1) of 2.60 to 2.68 Ga, suggesting that a depleted mantle source might have been metasomatized by fluids/melts from subducted crustal materials. The amphibolite displays low SiO2 and alkalis, and high TFe2O3 and Mg# (0.50–0.52), and is classified as a subalkaline series, medium‐ to high‐K calc‐alkaline basaltic rock. Our geochemical and geochronological data reveal that a late Archean tectono‐magmatic event is preserved in the Jiamusi–Khanka Block, providing robust evidence for the existence of an Early Precambrian basement. The 2.54‐Ga basaltic magmatism likely took place in an active continental margin/island arc setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HCHO has been confirmed as an active intermediate in the methanol‐to‐hydrocarbon (MTH) reaction, and is critical for interpreting the mechanisms of coke formation. Here, HCHO was detected and quantified during the MTH process over HSAPO‐34 and HZSM‐5 by in situ synchrotron radiation photoionization mass spectrometry. Compared with conventional methods, excellent time‐resolved profiles were obtained to study the formation and fate of HCHO, and other products during the induction, steady‐state reaction, and deactivation periods. Similar formation trends of HCHO and methane, and their close correlation in yields suggest that they are derived from disproportionation of methanol at acidic sites. In the presence of Y2O3, the amount of HCHO changes, affecting the hydrogen‐transfer processes of olefins into aromatics and aromatics into cokes. The yield of HCHO affects the aromatic‐based cycle and the formation of ethylene, indicating that ethylene is mainly formed from the aromatic‐based cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge doping is an effective way to induce the metal–insulator transition (MIT) in correlated materials for many important utilizations, which is however practically limited by problem of low stability. An electron–proton co‐doping mechanism is used to achieve pronounced phase modulation of monoclinic vanadium dioxide (VO2) at room temperature. Using l‐ascorbic acid (AA) solution to treat VO2, the ionized AA− species donate electrons to the adsorbed VO2 surface. Charges then electrostatically attract surrounding protons to penetrate, and eventually results in stable hydrogen‐doped metallic VO2. The variations of electronic structures, especially the electron occupancy of V 3d/O 2p hybrid orbitals, were examined by synchrotron characterizations and first‐principle theoretical simulations. The adsorbed molecules protect hydrogen dopants from escaping out of lattice and thereby stabilize the metallic phase for VO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iodine‐125 seed brachytherapy has great potential in the treatment of malignant tumors. However, the success of this treatment is highly dependent on the ability to accurately position the coplanar template. The aim of this study was to develop an auto‐positioning system for the template with a design focus on efficiency and accuracy. In this study, an auto‐positioning system was presented, which was composed of a treatment planning system (TPS) and a robot‐assisted system. The TPS was developed as a control system for the robot‐assisted system. Then, the robot‐assisted system was driven by the output of the TPS to position the template. Contrast experiments for error validation were carried out in a computed tomography environment to compare with the traditional positioning method (TPM). Animal experiments on Sprague–Dawley rats were also carried out to evaluate the auto‐positioning system. The error validation experiments and animal experiments with this auto‐positioning system were successfully carried out with improved efficiency and accuracy. The error validation experiments achieved a positioning error of 1.04 ± 0.19 mm and a positioning time of 23.15 ± 2.52 min, demonstrating a great improvement compared with the TPM (2.55 ± 0.21 mm and 40.35 ± 2.99 min, respectively). The animal experiments demonstrated that the mean deviation of the seed position was 0.75 mm. The dose‐volume histogram of the preoperative planning showed the same as the postoperative dosimetry validation. A novel auto‐positioning system driven by preoperative planning was established, which exhibited higher efficiency and accuracy compared with the TPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The development of efficient catalysts for both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER)) is central to regenerative fuel cells and rechargeable metal–air batteries. It is highly desirable to achieve the efficient integration of dual active components into the catalysts and to understand the interaction between the dual components. Here, a facile approach is demonstrated to construct defective carbon–CoP nanoparticle hybrids as bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts, and further probe the interfacial charge distribution behavior. By combining multiple synchrotron‐based X‐ray spectroscopic characterizations with density functional theory calculations, the interfacial charge polarization with the electrons gathering at the defective carbon surface and the holes gathering at the CoP surface due to strong interfacial coupling is revealed, which simultaneously facilitates the ORR and OER with remarkable bifunctional oxygen electrode activities. This work not only offers a bifunctional oxygen catalyst with outstanding performance, but also unravels the promoting factor of the hybrids from the view of interfacial charge distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aqueous Zn‐ion batteries (ZIBs) have received incremental attention because of their cost‐effectiveness and the materials abundance. They are a promising choice for large‐scale energy storage applications. However, developing suitable cathode materials for ZIBs remains a great challenge. In this work, pioneering work on the designing and construction of aqueous Zn//Na0.33V2O5 batteries is reported. The Na0.33V2O5 (NVO) electrode delivers a high capacity of 367.1 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, and exhibits long‐term cyclic stability with a capacity retention over 93% for 1000 cycles. The improvement of electrical conductivity, resulting from the intercalation of sodium ions between the [V4O12]n layers, is demonstrated by single nanowire device. Furthermore, the reversible intercalation reaction mechanism is confirmed by X‐ray diffraction, Raman, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The outstanding performance can be attributed to the stable layered structure and high conductivity of NVO. This work also indicates that layered structural materials show great potential as the cathode of ZIBs, and the indigenous ions can act as pillars to stabilize the layered structure, thereby ensuring an enhanced cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Berezitovoe deposit is a large-sized Au-Ag-Zn-Pb deposit in the east of the Selenga-Stanovoi superterrane, Russia. Au-Ag orebodies are hosted by tourmaline-garnet-quartz-muscovite metasomatic rocks; Zn-Pb orebodies are hosted by granodiorites, porphyritic granites and tourmaline-garnet-quartz-muscovite metasomatic rocks. These orebodies are surrounded by wall rocks dominated by the Tukuringra Complex granodiorites, porphyritic granites, and gneissic granodiorites. The alteration includes silicification and garnet, sericitization chloritization, carbonatization and kaollinization. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon dating indicates that the gold mineralization can be divided into two stages in the Berezitovoe polymetallic gold deposit (at 363.5 ± 1.5 Ma, and 133.4 ± 0.5). Hornblende-plagioclase gneisses of the Mogocha Group in the study area underwent Paleoproterozoic metamorphism (at 1870 ± 7.8 and 2400 ± 13 Ma), gneissic granodiorite of the Tukuringra Complex yields a late Paleozoic magmatic age (at 379.2 ± 1.1 Ma), and subalkaline porphyritic granitoid of the Amudzhikan Complex yield late Mesozoic magmatic ages (133-139 and 150-163 Ma). Granodiorites of the Tukuringra Complex in the study area have high concentrations of SiO2 (average of 60.9 wt%), are aluminum-oversaturated (average A/CNK of 1.49), are enriched in the large ion lithophile elements (e.g., K, Rb, and Ba), U, Th, and Pb, are depleted in high field strength elements (e.g., Ta, Nb, and Ti), and have slightly negative Eu and no Ce anomalies in chondrite-normalized rare earth element diagrams. Fluid inclusions from quartz veins include three types: aqueous two-phase, CO2-bearing three-phase, and pure CO2. Aqueous two-phase inclusions homogenize at 167°C-249°C and have salinities of 4.32%-9.47% NaCl equivalent, densities of 0.86-0.95 g/cm3, and formed at depths of 0.52-0.94 km. In comparison, the CO2-bearing three-phase inclusions have homogenization temperatures of 265°C-346°C, salinities of 7.14%-11.57% NaCl equivalent, and total densities of 0.62-0.67 g/cm3. The geochemical and zircon U-Pb data and the regional tectonic evolution of the study area, show that the Berezitovoe polymetallic gold deposit formed in an island arc or active continental margin setting, most probably related to late Paleozoic subduction of Okhotsk Ocean crust beneath the Siberian Plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An aqueous Zn/VS2 battery is designed, which consists of a VS2 cathode, a zinc anode, and a mild ZnSO4 aqueous electrolyte. The battery delivers a high capacity, and exhibits long‐term cyclic stability due to the large layer spacing and high conductivity of VS2. A reversible insertion/extraction of Zn2+ is observed during the discharge/charge process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control of voltage window has been considered as a universal strategy in improving the cycling stability of cathode materials, which is supposed and explained by avoiding side reactions. To address the conjecture, the detailed structure evolution of Na0.76V6O15 nanorods is investigated with different electrochemical reaction voltage windows. High time resolution in situ X-ray diffraction, ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ex situ Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy demonstrate the amorphization of Na0.76V6O15 nanorods and formation of ionized oxygen in nanorods, leading to the increased polarization voltage and fast capacity fading. The amorphization and diffusion of ionized oxygen in nanorods is controlled by optimizing the voltage window, resulting in the great increase of capacity retention from 26% to 80%. It is demonstrated that controlling the voltage window and corresponding ionized oxygen diffusion can mitigate the fast capacity fading to achieve long lasting lithium ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distributions of bird species have changed over the past 50 years in China. To evaluate whether the changes can be attributed to the changing climate, we analyzed the distributions of 20 subspecies of resident birds in relation to climate change. Long-term records of bird distributions, gray relational analysis, fuzzy-set classification techniques, and attribution methods were used. Among the 20 subspecies of resident birds, the northern limits of over half of the subspecies have shifted northward since the 1960s, and most changes have been related to the thermal index. Driven by climate change over the past 50 years, the suitable range and latitude or longitude of the distribution centers of certain birds have exhibited increased fluctuations. The northern boundaries of over half of the subspecies have shifted northward compared with those in the 1960s. The consistency between the observed and predicted changes in the range limits was quite high for some subspecies. The changes in the northern boundaries or the latitudes of the centers of distribution of nearly half of the subspecies can be attributed to climate change. The results suggest that climate change has affected the distributions of particular birds. The method used to attribute changes in bird distributions to climate change may also be effective for other animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two linear rod-like platinum complexes, which only differed in the linkage, were prepared. They both self-assemble into metallogels in nonpolar solvents; however, a very big contrast was observed. Unexpectedly, a much weaker gel was acquired upon replacing the ester linkage by an amide group. The intermolecular hydrogen bonding offered by the amide motif leads to a different stacking fashion and mechanism. The results demonstrated herein contribute to the rational design of metallogels as well as other functional supramolecular materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF) proteins play crucial roles in plant development and response to abiotic stress. Here, we present genetic evidence that SEVEN IN ABSENTIA 2 ( SINA2), a TRAF-like family protein, is involved in abscisic acid ( ABA)-related drought stress signaling in Arabidopsis., Gene expression, protein subcellular localization, protein-protein interaction, and a transient transcription dual-luciferase assay were performed. The drought tolerance of SINA2 loss-of-function mutants and SINA2-overexpressing plants was investigated., In Arabidopsis, SINA2 was significantly induced by ABA and drought treatment. The SINA2- YFP fusion protein was predominately localized in the nuclei and cytoplasm. Loss of function of SINA2 ( sina2) reduced drought tolerance, whereas overexpression of SINA2 increased stomatal closure, decreased water loss, and therefore improved drought resistance in transgenic plants. Upon ABA treatment, expression of some key ABA- and stress-responsive genes decreased in the sina2 mutant, but increased in SINA2-overexpressing plants. Furthermore, SINA2 was induced in the ABA-deficient mutant by ABA, but not by drought stress. Thus, the drought response of SINA2 was ABA-dependent. Pro SINA2:: LUC expression in Arabidopsis protoplasts further revealed that ABA-responsive element (ABRE) binding (AREB) protein 1 (AREB1) AREB2 and ABRE-binding factor 3 (ABF3) might regulate SINA2 expression at the transcriptional level., Our results indicate that SINA2 functions as a positive molecular link between drought tolerance and ABA signaling in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two structurally similar trans-bis(pyridine) dichloropalladium(II)- and platinum(II)-type complexes were synthesized and characterized. They both self-assemble in n-hexane to form viscous fluids at lower concentrations, but form metallogels at sufficient concentrations. The viscous solutions were studied by capillary viscosity measurements and UV/Vis absorption spectra monitored during the disassembly process indicated that a metallophilic interaction was involved in the supramolecular polymerization process. For the two supramolecular assemblies, uncommon continuous porous networks were observed by using SEM and TEM revealed that they were built from nanofibers that fused and crosslinked with the increase of concentration. The xerogels of the palladium and platinum complexes were carefully studied by using synchrotron radiation WAXD and EXAFS. The WAXD data show close stacking distances driven by π-π and metal-metal interactions and an evident dimer structure for the platinum complex was found. The coordination bond lengths were extracted from fitting of the EXAFS data. Moreover, close PtII-PtII (PdII-PdII) and PtCl (PdCl) interactions proposed from DFT calculations in the reported oligo(phenylene ethynylene) (OPE)-based palladium(II) pyridyl supramolecular polymers were also confirmed by using EXAFS. The PtII-PtII interaction is more feasible for supramolecular interaction than the PdII-PdII interaction in our simple case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual-mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolite with highly b axis oriented large mesopores was synthesized by using nonionic copolymer F127 and cationic surfactant CTAB as co-templates. The product contains two types of mesopores-smaller wormlike ones of 3.3 nm in size and highly oriented larger ones of 30-50 nm in diameter along the b axis-and both of them interpenetrate throughout the zeolite crystals and interconnect with zeolite microporosity. The dual-mesoporous zeolite exhibits excellent catalytic performance in the condensation of benzaldehyde with ethanol and greater than 99 % selectivity for benzoin ethyl ether at room temperature, which can be ascribed to the zeolite lattice structure offering catalytically active sites and the hierarchical and oriented mesoporous structure providing fast access of reactants to these sites in the catalytic reaction. The excellent recyclability and high catalytic stability of the catalyst suggest prospective applications of such unique mesoporous zeolites in the chemical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern rust ( Puccinia polysora Underw.) is a major disease that can cause severe yield losses in maize ( Zea mays L.). In our previous study, a major gene RppP25 that confers resistance to southern rust was identified in inbred line P25. Here, we report the fine mapping and candidate gene analysis of RppP25 from the near-isogenic line F939, which harbors RppP25 in the genetic background of the susceptible inbred line F349. The inheritance of resistance to southern rust was investigated in the BC1F1 and BC3F1 populations, which were derived from a cross between F939 and F349 (as the recurrent parent). The 1:1 segregation ratio of resistance to susceptible plants in these two populations indicated that the resistance is controlled by a single dominant gene. Ten markers, including three simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and seven insertion/deletion (InDel) markers, were developed in the RppP25 region. RppP25 was delimited to an interval between P091 and M271, with an estimated length of 40 kb based on the physical map of B73. In this region, a candidate gene was identified that was predicted to encode a putative nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) protein. Two co-segregated markers will aid in pyramiding diverse southern rust resistance alleles into elite materials, and thereby improve southern rust resistance worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rice field eel, Monopterus albus (Zuiew), is an important aquaculture fish in many Asian countries. Productivity, however, is limited by low fecundity as a result of sex reversal of female juveniles of this fish. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of estradiol valerate on the sex reversal process of this fish by determining sex changes of initial 2-yr-old female eels (26.5 ± 2.6 cm, 21.9 ± 2.1 g) treated with three concentrations of estradiol valerate: 0 mg/kg (Control, Group A), 10 mg/kg (Group B), and 50 mg/kg (Group C). In Group A, sex reversal took place with significantly higher percentage of sex change: about 45% of female eels to intersexes and males. Only about 22% of female eels changed to intersexes and males in Group B, but no sex reversal occurred in Group C during the experimental period. The result also indicated that the gonadal development and the concentrations of serum estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) varied significantly with different concentrations of dietary estradiol valerate. Serum T significantly reduced but serum E2 significantly increased in Group C compared to the control Group A. The results demonstrated that estradiol valerate affected the secretion of sex steroid hormones in rice field eels and thus inhibited the sex reversal process at a low concentration (10 mg/kg) or stopped the sex reversal process at a high concentration (50 mg/kg) of estradiol valerate. These results suggest that a higher yield of mature female eels could be achieved by treatments with estradiol valerate, thus enhancing the fecundity of this rice field eel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel KIR2DL4*037 allele differs from the closest allele KIR2DL4*00501 by a single missense mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel KIR2DL4*00603 allele differs from the closest allele KIR2DL4*00602 by a silent mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel KIR3DL3*02602 allele differs from the closest allele KIR3DL3*02601 by a single silent mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel KIR3DL3*063 allele differs from the closest allele KIR3DL3*04802 by a single missense mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new bluish-white long-lasting phosphorescent material, Hf4+-doped b-Zn3(PO4)2, was prepared by the conventional high-temperature solid-state method. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum reveals that it exhibits a strong blue emission band centred at 470 nm, with asymmetry on the long wavelength side; this material emits bluish-white light and shows strong afterglow phosphorescence after it is excited with a 254 nm UV lamp. The phosphorescence lasts nearly 40 min in the light perception of the dark-adapted human eye (0.32 mcd/m2). The possible phosphorescence mechanism is also analysed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the shortage of fossil energy and the rapid development of Internet of things nowadays, renewable and clean energy is becoming valuable and necessary. One renewable energy source, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), has been proved to effectively harvest energy from vibration, walking, and even sphygmus. TENGs based on contact–separation mode are foremost and fundamental, and the input stimuli for TENGs are strictly limited by constant amplitude and uniaxial direction of motion, which limits many practical applications. Therefore, it is extremely meaningful to develop a kind of TENG to collect random energy, which ubiquitously exists in the ambient environment. Here, an elastic rubber is placed inside the structure of an elastic TENG (E‐TENG). With this novel structure, the output signals of the TENG are almost independent of the amplitude of the external stimuli due to the elasticity of rubber. Moreover, the E‐TENG shows good performance on angle detection without the limitation of the direction of stimuli. It is believed that the E‐TENG will contribute to developing next‐generation flexible TENGs and self‐powered sensors in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niobium pentoxides (Nb2O5) have attracted extensive interest for ultrafast lithium‐ion batteries due to their impressive rate/capacity performance and high safety as intercalation anodes. However, the intrinsic insulating properties and unrevealed mechanisms of complex phases limit their further applications. Here, a facile and efficient method is developed to construct three typical carbon‐confined Nb2O5 (TT‐Nb2O5@C, T‐Nb2O5@C, and H‐Nb2O5@C) nanoparticles via a mismatched coordination reaction during the solvothermal process and subsequent controlled heat treatment, and different phase effects are investigated on their lithium storage properties on the basis of both experimental and computational approaches. The thin carbon coating and nanoscale size can endow Nb2O5 with a high surface area, high conductivity, and short diffusion length. As a proof‐of‐concept application, when employed as LIB anode materials, the resulting T‐Nb2O5@C nanoparticles display higher rate capability and better cycling stability as compared with TT‐Nb2O5@C and H‐Nb2O5@C nanoparticles. Furthermore, a synergistic effect is investigated and demonstrated between fast diffusion pathways and stable hosts in T‐Nb2O5 for ultrafast and stable lithium storage, based on crystal structure analysis, in situ X‐ray diffraction analysis, and density functional theoretical calculations. Therefore, the proposed synthetic strategy and obtained deep insights will stimulate the development of Nb2O5 for ultrafast and long‐life LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accompanied by the development and utilization of renewable energy sources, efficient energy storage has become a key topic. Electrochemical energy storage devices are considered to be one of the most practical energy storage devices capable of converting and storing electrical energy generated by renewable resources, which are also used as the power source of electric vehicles and portable electronic devices. The ultimate goals of electrochemical energy storage devices are long lifespan, high safety, high power, and high energy density. To achieve the above goals, researchers have attempted to use various nanomaterials to improve electrochemical performance. Among these, 1D materials play a critical role. This review classifies nanowires according to morphologies (simple nanowires, core–shell/coated nanowires, hierarchical/heterostructured nanowires, porous/mesoporous nanowires, hollow structures) and combined forms (nanowire arrays, nanowire networks, nanowire bundles) and introduces their characteristics and corresponding synthetic methods. The characteristics and advantages of nanowires in lithium‐ion, sodium‐ion and zinc‐ion batteries, and supercapacitors, along with in situ characterization of nanowire electrode are reflected in the application examples. In the summary and outlook section, some comments are presented to provide directions for further exploring nanowire based electrochemical energy storage in the future. Nanowires possess the advantages of 1D nanoarchitecture and various combinations to further enhance the performance of electrochemical energy storage devices. The current status of nanowires, including methods for controllable synthesis, and their significant applications in lithium‐ion, sodium‐ion and zinc‐ion batteries, and supercapacitors, is presented. Meanwhile, in situ characterization of nanowire electrodes is also mentioned as an efficient approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploiting novel devices for either collecting energy or self‐powered sensors is vital for Internet of Things, sensor networks, and big data. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been proved as an effective solution for both energy harvesting and self‐powered sensing. The traditional triboelectric nanogenerators are usually based on four modes: contact‐separation mode, lateral sliding mode, single‐electrode mode, and freestanding triboelectric‐layer mode. Since the reciprocating displacement/force is necessary for all working modes, developing efficient elastic TENG is going to be important and urgent. Here, a kind of elastic‐beam TENG with arc‐stainless steel foil is developed, whose structure is quite simple, and its working states depend on the contact area and separating distance as proved by experiments and theoretical calculations. This structure is different from traditional structures, e.g., direct sliding or contact‐separation structures, whose working states mainly depend on contact area or separating distance. This triboelectric nanogenerator shows advanced mechanical and electrical performance, such as high sensitivity, elasticity, and ultrahigh frequency response, which encourage applications as a force sensor, sensitivity scale, acceleration sensor, vibration sensor, and intelligent keyboard. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are becoming an efficient and novel technology for energy harvesting and self‐powered sensing. Since the reciprocating displacement/force is necessary for TENG, an elastic‐beam TENG with arc‐stainless steel foil is developed in this work, which shows advanced performance and can be used as force sensor, sensitive scale, acceleration sensor, vibration sensor, and intelligent keyboard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]