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The construction of a hybrid hierarchical architecture is a promising strategy for optimizing the electrocatalytic activity and the performance of flexible Zn-air battery. However, it still remains a challenging task. This study reports on the use of a simple approach in the preparation of a flexible 3D self-supporting bifunctional catalyst. Ultrathin NiFe-based layered double hydroxide nanosheets (NiFe-LDH) have in this approach been strongly coupled to a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived carbon nanoflake array, to be used in flexible Zn-air batteries. Importantly, the introduction of Co nanoparticles that were anchored onto the nitrogen-doped porous carbon (Co-NC) nanoflakes provided an abundance of active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Moreover, the catalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) process was improved by altering the local electronic structure of the Ni and Fe species in NiFe-LDH. The 3D interconnected conductive network structure, in addition to the strong coupling between NiFe-LDH and Co-NC, was found to give a catalyst with superior electrocatalytic OER performances. The overpotential was only 284 mV at 50 mA cm−2 in an alkaline medium, which is a result that outperforms the commercial RuO 2 catalyst. This bifunctional catalyst did also exhibit a good catalytic performance that is comparable to that of commercial Pt/C towards ORR. Interestingly, when this catalyst was used as binder-free air cathode, the assembled flexible solid-state Zn-air battery demonstrated a favorable power density, cycling stability, and mechanical flexibility. The present work offers a facile and efficient strategy for the development and construction of self-supporting bifunctional OER/ORR electrocatalysts, to be used in wearable and flexible electronic devices. [Display omitted] • A 3D self-supporting bifunctional catalyst is reported for flexible Zn-air batteries. • The as-prepared catalyst displays superb electrocatalytic ability for OER/ORR. • This work offers an efficient strategy of structural engineering for constructing new catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study used RT-qPCR to investigate the rhythmicity of muscle rhythmic genes and functional genes associated with mackerel tuna under varying weather conditions. The study revealed that rhythmic and functional genes in mackerel tuna showed daily rhythmicity in their expression levels. These findings indicated that rhythmic genes regulate functional genes in mackerel tuna, which displayed vigorous daily rhythmicity under the influence of weather and time of day. The study will serve as a reference for the artificial breeding of mackerel tuna in the future. The aim of this study was to investigate the circadian rhythm of muscle-related gene expression in mackerel tuna under different weather conditions. The experiment was carried out under two weather conditions at four sampling times (6:00, 12:00, 18:00, and 24:00) to determine the expression of growth, function, and rhythm genes: white muscle rhythm genes were rhythmic on sunny and cloudy days, except for PER3 and RORA; all functional genes had daily rhythmicity. Red muscle had daily rhythmicity on both sunny and cloudy days; functional genes had daily rhythmicity except for MBNL. The expression levels of the rhythm gene PER1 were determined to be significantly different by independent t-test samples in white muscle at 6:00, 12:00, 18:00, and 24:00 under different weather conditions; the expression levels of the functional genes MBNL and MSTN were both significantly different. In the red muscle, the expression of the rhythm genes PER3, REVERBA, and BMAL1 was determined by independent t-test samples at 6:00, 12:00, 18:00, and 24:00 on cloudy and sunny days; the functional gene MBNL was significantly different. The present study showed that mackerel tuna muscle rhythm genes and functional genes varied significantly in expression levels depending on weather, time of day, and light intensity and that the expression levels of myogenic genes were closely related to clock gene expression. The fish were also able to adapt to changes in light intensity in different weather conditions through positive physiological regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction to: Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals the regulatory mechanism of the gibberellic acid pathway of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals the regulatory mechanism of the gibberellic acid pathway of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) B Correction to: BMC Plant Biol 21, 206 (2021) b B https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-021-02978-8 b Following publication of the original article [[1]], the authors identified an error in the author's affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

Samples from two outcrop sections, MGS1 and DGS1 of Milanggouwan and Dishaogouwan in the Salawusu River Basin, were studied in terms of grain size using end-member model. Results show that: 1) MGS1 layer particles are more concentrated, better sorting, and smaller skewness and kurtosis values than those of DGS1. Whereas in the upper part of the DGS1 section, the grain size of the paleodune is coarser, with better sorting and sharper peak, comparing with the lower lacustrine sediments. 2) Three end-member components, EM1 (end-member 1), EM2 (end-member 2) and EM3 (end-member 3), which reflect sedimentary dynamic characteristics, are extracted by end-member analysis. The EM1 indicates the hydrodynamic force with great variation, EM2 indicates transporting force by flowing water and EM3 indicates the depositional environment closely related to the wind activity. 3) According to the accumulation processes of MGS1 and DGS1 strata, a total of four climate periods can be identified, namely early warming period, Holocene peak period, fluctuating transition to cold period and unstable cooling period. Moreover, EM1 of MGS1 and DGS1 is basically consistent with both the sea surface temperature (SST) in the western tropical Pacific and global temperature trends during the Holocene, suggesting that the environmental fluctuations recorded by MGS1 and DGS1 can be correlated with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The restraint history of the concrete wall at the early age was investigated. • A new restraint model for the concrete structure was proposed. • A new calculation method of the thermal stress was proposed. The restraint degree of the early-age concrete structure is an important factor for the generation of the thermal stress. When the concrete cannot deform freely as a result of the restrained deformation, the thermal stress, will generate until it increases to the degree that is great enough to affect the service life and safety of the concrete structure. Therefore, a new prediction method based on the time-restraint is proposed in this study. In the field test, a combination of the strain history of the newly cast concrete wall and the linear logarithmic creep model was adopted to calculate the thermal stresses. Compared with the traditional method, the complex structural restraint development can be described by a restraint model. The restraint coefficient of a specified location in the concrete wall changes from complete restraint to non-complete restraint, which can be transformed into a function of restraint coefficient related to the curing age. Compared with previous restraint evaluations, the restraint model reflects the restraint development of early-age concrete structures more authentically. Combined with the new restraint model, the thermal stress can be estimated with the completely restrained stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and sensitive sensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with nitrogen-rich porous carbon (P-NC) has been developed for the detection of acetaminophen (APAP). The nanocomposite P-NC was prepared by the assisted carbonization of the zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-8 using poly(vinylpyrrolidone), and its morphology and surface structure were thoroughly characterized. The results revealed that the P-NC prepared has a uniform pore size distribution with a high superficial area. The electrochemical properties of P–NC–modified electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and differential pulse voltammetry. It was found that the modified electrode has a high catalytic activity for APAP and exhibits good linearity for the 3–110 μM concentration range with a minimum detection limit of 0.5 μM (S/N = 3). In addition, the constructed sensor exhibits good repeatability, stability, recovery, and selectivity, allowing it to be successfully applied to the detection of APAP in real-world human urine samples. Image 1 • The electrochemical detection of APAP by P-NC/GCE was reported for the first time. • P-NC/GCE features facile preparation, low reagent consumption and cost effectiveness. • The P-NC based electrochemical sensors exhibited excellent analytical performances. • The method has been successfully applied to the detection of acetaminophen in human urine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollow molybdenum-dopamine spheres were synthesized and thermally annealed to form hollow Mo2C/C spheres. The morphology, composition and electrochemical behavior of spheres were characterized. A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with the spheres and then used for simultaneous detection of hydroquinone (HQ), catechol (CC), and resorcinol (RS). Distinct oxidation peaks can be observed for HQ, CC and RS at potentials of −0.004 V, 0.10 V and 0.44 V (vs. SCE). The responses to HQ, CC and RS are linear in the concentration ranges of 0.3~1000 μM, 2~2000 μM and 3~600 μM, respectively. The corresponding detection limits are 0.12, 0.19 and 1.1 μM (at S/N = 3). The sensor was then applied to quantify HQ, CC, and RS in tap water, river water and vegetable juice. Recoveries ranged from 93.5% to 106.5%. The modified GCE is repeatable, reproducible, stable and selective for HQ, CC and RS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural resources are highly cost-effective adsorbents to reduce the indoor air pollution. However, there is a lack of understanding how the presence of several odor types affect their adsorption behavior. This study systematically investigates the adsorption selectivity and capacity of wool powder towards three typical odor types (acetic acid, ethanol and acetaldehyde) under single, binary and ternary systems through time-resolved spectral analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Wool powder showed different adsorption capacities for selected odor types in the single-component system. These findings were further manifested by DFT calculations to confirm the adsorption energy and surface adsorption sites between wool powder and odors. Acetic acid showed the highest competitivity among the tested odor types, followed by ethanol, which could be attributed to its high molecular weight and strong adsorption energy. This work provides new insights into adsorption mechanisms through adsorption energy analysis, promoting the application of natural proteaceous adsorbents. [Display omitted] • Competitive adsorption was investigated by spectral analysis and DFT calculations. • Adsorption capacity of wool powder followed acetic acid > ethanol > acetaldehyde. • Wool powder shows strong selectivity towards acetic acid among odor mixtures. • DFT calculation was employed to confirm the adsorption energy and binding sites. • This study can predict adsorption ability and selectivity of proteaceous adsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rigid hull encasing Tartary buckwheat seeds necessitates a laborious dehulling process before flour milling, resulting in considerable nutrient loss. Investigation of lignin composition is pivotal in understanding the structural properties of tartary buckwheat seeds hulls, as lignin is key determinant of rigidity in plant cell walls, thus directly impacting the dehulling process. Here, the lignin composition of seed hulls from 274 Tartary buckwheat accessions is analyzed, unveiling a unique lignin chemotype primarily consisting of G lignin, a common feature in gymnosperms. Furthermore, the hardness of the seed hull showed a strong negative correlation with the S lignin content. Genome‐wide detection of selective sweeps uncovered that genes governing the biosynthesis of S lignin, specifically two caffeic acid O‐methyltransferases (COMTs) and one ferulate 5‐hydroxylases, are selected during domestication. This likely contributed to the increased S lignin content and decreased hardness of seed hulls from more domesticated varieties. Genome‐wide association studies identified robust associations between FtCOMT1 and the accumulation of S lignin in seed hull. Transgenic Arabidopsis comt1 plants expressing FtCOMT1 successfully reinstated S lignin content, confirming its conserved function across plant species. These findings provide valuable metabolic and genetic insights for the potential redesign of Tartary buckwheat seed hulls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lectins are a large family of carbohydrate-binding proteins that play important roles in the innate immune response of various organisms. Although C-type lectin domain family 3 member B (CLEC3B), an important member of C-type lectin, has been well documented in humans and several other higher vertebrates, little is currently known about this molecule in economically important marine fish species. In this study, through transcriptomic and BLAST screening, a novel CLEC3B gene was identified in the golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). The T. ovatus CLEC3B (ToCLEC3B) was subsequently characterized by bioinformatic analysis and compared with those reported in other species. In addition, the expression patterns of ToCLEC3B in different tissues under normal condition and at different times post pathogen challenge were assessed. Furthermore, the agglutinating activity of To CLEC3B with and without Ca2+ against different bacteria and blood cells of donor species were verified using the recombinant T. ovatus CLEC3B (r To CLEC3B). Our results demonstrated that To CLEC3B is a Ca2+-dependent galactose-binding lectin with a single copy of carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). Similar to CLEC3B reported in other species, the CRD domain of To CLEC3B consists of two α-helices, six β-sheets, and four loops, forming two Ca2+- and a galactose-binding sites. According to the phylogenetic analysis, the ToCLEC3B was highly similar (similarity at 95.00%) to that of its relative, the greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili). The expression of ToCLEC3B was detected in all tissues examined under normal condition and was significantly up-regulated by injection of pathogenic microbes. In addition, the r To CLEC3B exhibited strong agglutinating activity against different bacteria and blood cells of donor species in the presence of Ca2+. Our results indicate that To CLEC3B is a constitutive and inducible acute-phase immune factor in the host's innate immune response of T. ovatus. • A novel CLEC3B gene (ToCLEC3B) was identified in the marine fish T. ovatus. • To CLEC3B had a carbohydrate recognition domain with Ca2+ and galactose-binding sites. • ToCLEC3B expression was shown to be significantly up-regulated by pathogen challenge. • Recombinant To CLEC3B showed strong agglutinating activity against alien substances. • Results indicate To CLEC3B is a constitutive and inducible acute-phase immune factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, by analyzing the correlation between various components of health-related physical fitness (HPF) and liver function indicators, the indicators of physical fitness that were highly correlated with liver function and could be monitored at home were screened to prevent more serious liver disease in the future, and to provide experimental basis for prescribing personalized exercise. Methods: A total of 330 faculties (female = 198) of a university were recruited. The indicators of HPF and liver function were measured. Spearman correlation analysis, multivariate linear regression, and cross-lagged panel model was used to data statistics. Results: In males, body fat (BF) was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT); vital capacity and the vital capacity index were positively correlated with albumin; and vertical jump was positively correlated with globulin and negatively correlated with the albumin-globulin ratio (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant correlation among all indicators controlled confounding factors. In females, BF was negatively correlated with direct bilirubin; VO2max was positively correlated with indirect bilirubin; and vertical jump was positively correlated with the albumin-globulin ratio and significantly negatively correlated with globulin (P < 0.05). Controlled confounding factors, body fat percentage was positively correlated with globulin (β = 0.174) and negatively correlated with direct bilirubin (β = –0.431), and VO2max was positively correlated with indirect bilirubin (β = 0.238, P < 0.05). Cross-lagged panel analysis showed that BF percentage can negatively predict direct bilirubin levels with great significance (β = -0.055, P < 0.05). Conclusions: HPF may play a crucial role in liver function screening, particularly for female faculty members. For males, BF, vertical jump, vital capacity and vital capacity index could be associated with liver function but are susceptible to complex factors such as age, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension. In females, BF percentage is an important predictor of abnormal liver function in addition to VO2max and vertical jump, which are not affected by complex factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is an important food and medicine crop plant, which has been cultivated for 4000 years. A nuclear genome has been generated for this species, while an intraspecific pan-plastome has yet to be produced. As such a detailed understanding of the maternal genealogy of Tartary buckwheat has not been thoroughly investigated. Results: In this study, we de novo assembled 513 complete plastomes of Fagopyrum and compared with 8 complete plastomes of Fagopyrum downloaded from the NCBI database to construct a pan-plastome for F. tartaricum and resolve genomic variation. The complete plastomes of the 513 newly assembled Fagopyrum plastome sizes ranged from 159,253 bp to 159,576 bp with total GC contents ranged from 37.76 to 37.97%. These plastomes all maintained the typical quadripartite structure, consisting of a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRA and IRB) separated by a large single copy region (LSC) and a small single copy region (SSC). Although the structure and gene content of the Fagopyrum plastomes are conserved, numerous nucleotide variations were detected from which population structure could be resolved. The nucleotide variants were most abundant in the non-coding regions of the genome and of those the intergenic regions had the most. Mutational hotspots were primarily found in the LSC regions. The complete 521 Fagopyrum plastomes were divided into five genetic clusters, among which 509 Tartary buckwheat plastomes were divided into three genetic clusters (Ft-I/Ft-II/Ft-III). The genetic diversity in the Tartary buckwheat genetic clusters was the greatest in Ft-III, and the genetic distance between Ft-I and Ft-II was the largest. Based on the results of population structure and genetic diversity analysis, Ft-III was further subdivided into three subgroups Ft-IIIa, Ft-IIIb, and Ft-IIIc. Divergence time estimation indicated that the genera Fagopyrum and Rheum (rhubarb) shared a common ancestor about 48 million years ago (mya) and that intraspecies divergence in Tartary buckwheat began around 0.42 mya. Conclusions: The resolution of pan-plastome diversity in Tartary buckwheat provides an important resource for future projects such as marker-assisted breeding and germplasm preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum L. Gaertn., TB) is an ancient minor crop and an important food source for humans to supplement nutrients such as flavonoids and essential amino acids. Amino acid transporters (AATs) play critical roles in plant growth and development through the transport of amino acids. In this study, 104 AATs were identified in TB genome and divided into 11 subfamilies by phylogenetic relationships. Tandem and segmental duplications promoted the expansion of FtAAT gene family, and the variations of gene sequence, protein structure and expression pattern were the main reasons for the functional differentiation of FtAAT s. Based on RNA-seq and qRT-PCR, the expression patterns of FtAATs in different tissues and under different abiotic stresses were analyzed, and several candidate FtAAT s that might affect grain development and response to abiotic stresses were identified, such as FtAAP12 and FtCAT7. Finally, combined with the previous studies, the expression patterns and phylogenetic relationships of AATs in multiple species, the functions of multiple high-confidence FtAAT genes were predicted, and the schematic diagram of FtAATs in TB was initially drawn. Overall, this work provided a framework for further functional analysis of FtAAT genes and important clues for the improvement of TB quality and stress resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Depending on the severity, scoliosis usually decreases lung function and results in asymmetric lung function. • Spirometry/plethysmography cannot show the asymmetry of lung function. • Electrical impedance tomography is a non-invasive, bedside radiation-free examination for lung ventilation and perfusion. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive non-radiological regional lung function measurement. The aim of the study was to examine the feasibility of assessing ventilation distribution with EIT in scoliosis patients using generic and individual thorax shape. Eight subjects were measured with EIT before scoliosis surgery. Reconstructions with two different forward models were compared: the generic shape and the individual thorax shapes. Three EIT-based parameters measuring ventilation distribution were calculated: left lung to overall ratio, center of ventilation (CoV), global inhomogeneity index. EIT measurements were successfully conducted in all subjects. No statistical differences were found in the EIT-based parameters using the different reconstruction models. CoV based on the generic shape was significantly correlated to the main Cobb angle (r=-0.84, p < 0.01). It was feasible to monitor regional ventilation distribution in scoliosis patients with EIT. Individual thorax shapes might not be required for reliable patient assessment in a clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The yield of hexanoic acid increased by 58% with the addition MgCO 3. • Mg2+ and NH 4 + mitigated the excessive ethanol oxidation, while Ca2+ facilitated it. • Batch addition of NaHCO 3 enhanced the synthesis of hexanoic acid. • High CO 2 concentration facilitated the proliferation of Uribacillus and Prevotella. • Clostridium_sensus_stricto_ 12 was the main hexanoic acid-producing bacterium. Carbon dioxide (CO 2) plays a crucial role in carbon chain elongation with ethanol serving as an electron donor. In this study, the impacts of various carbonates on CO 2 concentration, hexanoic acid production, and microbial communities during ethanol-butyric acid fermentation were explored. The results showed that the addition of MgCO 3 provided sustained inorganic carbon and facilitated interspecific electron transfer, thereby increasing hexanoic acid yield by 58%. MgCO 3 and NH 4 HCO 3 inhibited the excessive ethanol oxidation and decreased the yield of acetic acid by 51% and 42%, respectively. The yields of hexanoic acid and acetic acid in the CaCO 3 group increased by 19% and 15%, respectively. The NaHCO 3 group exhibited high headspace CO 2 concentration, promoting acetogenic bacteria enrichment while reducing the abundance of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_ 12. The batch addition of NaHCO 3 accelerated the synthesis of hexanoic acid and increased its production by 26%. The relative abundance of Clostridium_sensus_stricto_ 12 was positively correlated with hexanoic acid production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tartary buckwheat (TB) starch is a low-glycaemic-index food source. Analysis of genotype-by-environment effects on starch content is needed to improve high-quality TB production. However, an accurate and high-throughput evaluation method for starch content is a bottleneck for the analysis of genotype-by-environment effects on starch content. In the current study, a rapid and non-destructive method for detecting starch was developed based on near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy. Overall, 281 varieties were planted in three environments for 2 years and measured. The coefficient of correlation between the laboratory-determined and NIR model-predicted starch content values was 0.9577. The average starch content of TB varieties had higher variants among the three environments. The genotype-by-environment interaction analysis showed the significant impact of environmental factors on TB starch content. Of them, two varieties (Ft155 and Ft184) with stable and relatively high starch contents (733.43 and 689.16 mg/g) were identified. The amylose content, structure character, thermal properties and pasting character revealed that these physicochemical properties of TB starch were distinct from those of potato and rice. Moreover, Ft155 was more difficult to gelatinise, and Ft184 has desired high-starch-quality cooking properties. These assessments provide robust nutritional quality evaluation approaches and food processing materials. • A nondestructive inspection method was established for starch content in TB to tackle the bottleneck of massive analysis. • High starch content and stable performance were identified from 281 TB varieties. • The climate and soil factors impact starch accumulation in TB grain. • Two elite varieties were selected for physical-chemistry property analysis, which will benefit future breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tartary buckwheat is an important minor crop species with high nutritional and medicinal value and is widely planted worldwide. Cultivated Tartary buckwheat plants are tall and have hollow stems that lodge easily, which severely affects their yield and hinders the development of the Tartary buckwheat industry. Methods: Heifeng No. 1 seeds were treated with ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) to generate a mutant library. The dwarf mutant ftdm was selected from the mutagenized population, and the agronomic characteristics giving rise to the dwarf phenotype were evaluated. Ultra-fast liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-ESI–MS/MS) was performed to determine the factors underlying the different phenotypes between the wild-type (WT) and ftdm plants. In addition, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed via the HiSeq 2000 platform, and the resulting transcriptomic data were analysed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant analysis revealed possible sites associated with dwarfism. The expression levels of the potential DEGs between the WT and ftdm mutant were then measured via qRT-PCR and fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads (FPKM). Result: The plant height (PH) of the ftdm mutant decreased to 42% of that of the WT, and compared with the WT, the mutant and had a higher breaking force (BF) and lower lodging index (LI). Lower GA4 and GA7 contents and higher contents of jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA) and brassinolactone (BR) were detected in the stems of the ftdm mutant compared with the WT. Exogenous application of GAs could not revert the dwarfism of the ftdm mutant. On the basis of the transcriptomic analysis, 146 homozygous SNP loci were identified. In total, 12 DEGs with nonsynonymous mutations were ultimately identified, which were considered potential candidate genes related to the dwarf trait. When the sequences of eight genes whose expression was downregulated and four genes whose expression was upregulated were compared, SKIP14, an F-box protein whose sequence is 85% homologous to that of SLY1 in Arabidopsis, presented an amino acid change (from Ser to Asn) and was expressed at a lower level in the stems of the ftdm mutant compared with the WT. Hence, we speculated that this amino acid change in SKIP14 resulted in a disruption in GA signal transduction, indirectly decreasing the GA content and downregulating the expression of genes involved in GA biosynthesis or the GA response. Further studies are needed to determine the molecular basis underlying the dwarf phenotype of the ftdm mutant. Conclusion: We report a Tartary buckwheat EMS dwarf mutant, ftdm, suitable for high-density planting and commercial farming. A significant decrease in GA4 and GA7 levels was detected in the ftdm mutant, and 12 DEGs expressed in the stems of the ftdm mutant were selected as candidates of the dwarfing gene. One nonsynonymous mutation was detected in the SKIP14 gene in the ftdm mutant, and this gene had a lower transcript level compared with that in the WT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Male sterility (MS) has important applications in hybrid seed production, and the abortion of anthers has been observed in many plant species. While most studies have focused on the genetic factors affecting male sterility, the dynamic gene expression patterns of pollen abortion in male sterile lines have not been fully elucidated. In addition, there is still no hybrid oat that is commercially planted due to the lack of a suitable system of male sterility for hybrid breeding. Results: In this study, we cultivated a male sterile oat line and a near-isogenic line by crossbreeding to elucidate the expression patterns of genes that may be involved in sterility. The first reported CA male sterile (CAMS) oat line was used for cross-testing and hybridization experiments and was confirmed to exhibit a type of nuclear sterility controlled by recessive genes. Oat stamens of two lines were sampled at four different developmental stages separately. Paired-end RNA sequencing was performed for each sample and generated 252.84 Gb sequences. There were 295,462 unigenes annotated in public databases in all samples, and we compared the histological characteristics and transcriptomes of oat stamens from the two oat lines at different developmental stages. Our results demonstrate that the sterility of the male sterile oat line occurs in the early stage of stamen development and is primarily attributable to abnormal meiosis and the excessive accumulation of superoxide. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to decipher the dynamic expression profiles of pollen abortion CAMS and CA male fertile (CAMF) oat lines, which may represent a valuable resource for further studies attempting to understand pollen abortion and anther development in oats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Fan delta systems have long been studied as a kind of good hydrocarbon reservoirs. Although many models have been raised according to their local conditions, there still exists some controversies regarding the formations of the ones developed in continental syn-rift settings. Taking Paleogene Es 3 2+3 of Gaobei Slope Belt as an example, this paper conducted a comprehensive geological study and a forward depositional modeling. The results show that the sediment within the study area came mainly from the northeastern Baigezhuang uplift and the northwestern Xinanzhuang uplift over a short distance. The sedimentary system is characterized by subaerial debris flow, subaerial braided channels, subaqueous distributary channels, front sand bars and front sand sheets. Furthermore, the study area is a balance-filled basin that experienced a 3rd order normal regression followed by a transgression during the development of the study interval. The results also show that, a stable subsidence rate with small-magnitude climate changes would be a plausible explain for the entire sequence of the fan delta system in the study area. The tectonic subsidence was indeed the dominant driving force to a continental syn-rift fan delta system, although the climate, sediment supply or lake level might bring some lower order (e.g., 4th and 5th order) superimpositions. This paper proposed a likely model for fan deltas developed in continental syn-rift settings, which is expected to gain some insights into the forming mechanism and provide some supports for the reservoir characterization of similar and correlative sedimentary systems. Highlights • The sediments within the study area came mainly from the northeastern and the northwestern uplifts over a short distance. • The subsidence of the boundary faults was the main driving force for the creation of accommodation space. • Stable subsidence rate with lower-order climate changes would be a plausible explain for the formation of the fan delta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The theoretical dynamic model of optical measuring volume (OMV) with gas temperature is established. • The application condition of OPC is extended to 650 °C. • An optical measurement method of non-spherical particle based on high temperature melting technique is proposed. Optical particle counter (OPC) is always used to measure particles in high-temperature gas pipelines through gas cooling, leading to the original molten droplets condensing into irregular solid particles. To solve the problem, an optical measurement method of non-spherical particle size and concentration based on high-temperature melting technique is proposed. By establishing the theoretical dynamic model of optical measuring volume (OMV) of commercial OPC (Welas 3000, PALAS GMBH, Germany) with changing gas temperature and studying the thermal expansion characteristics of aerosol conduit, the influence of gas temperature on OPC optical sensor is analyzed, and OPC is applied at 650 °C. On this foundation, irregular glass particles are melted into spherical shape by high-temperature melting technique to realize the optical measurement of particle size and mass concentration. By comparing the online and off-line results of mass concentration, the deviation between them is less than 5%, verifying the feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a highly aggressive neoplasm of lymphatic system that represent 38-58 % of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Chemoresistance and immune escape constitute the major obstacles to the treatment of patients. Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) is involved in multiple processes of cancer. Up to now, little research focuses on its function in DLBCL. In the current research, GEPIA and human Protein Atlas databases confirmed high expression of SphK1 in DLBCL tissues. Analogously, increased expression of SphK1 were determined in DLBCL tissues and cells. Intriguingly, knockdown of SphK1 suppressed DLBCL cell viability and increased chemosensitivity to doxorubicin by decreasing cell viability and increasing caspase-3 activity. Reversely, SphK1 elevation facilitated cancer cell resistance to doxorubicin. Furthermore, loss of SphK1 increased the productions of inflammatory cytokine IFN-γ and TNF-α, but reduced IL-10 levels in co-culture model of CD8 + T cells and DLBCL cells. Importantly, SphK1 knockdown enhanced T cell cytotoxicity to DLBCL cells, while its elevation restrained the ability of T cells to kill cancer cells. Concomitantly, targeting SphK1 enhanced the percentage of CD8 + T cells and attenuated co-culture-evoked CD8 + T cell apoptosis, indicating the important roles in T cell escape. Mechanically, SphK1 overexpression enhanced and its knockdown suppressed activation of the PI3K/AKT/PD-L1 pathway. After blockage of this pathway by its antagonist, the beneficial effects of SpHK1 on chemoresistance and immune escape were abrogated. In vivo, targeting SphK1 inhibited tumor growth and enhanced the anti-tumor efficacy of doxorubicin in DLBCL xenograft tumor, concomitant with the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/PD-L1 signaling. Collectively, SphK1 knockdown counteracted chemoresistance and immune escape from T cell killing by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/PD-L1 pathway. Therefore, targeting SphK1 may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for overcoming chemoresistance and immune escape in DLBCL., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted growing attention in electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems (e.g., Zn-air batteries, ZABs) owing to their structural tunability, ordered porosity and high specific surface area. In this work, for the first time, the three-dimensional (3D) highly open catalyst (CNFs/CoZn-MOF@COF) possessing hierarchical porous structure and high-density active sites of uniform cobalt (Co) nanoparticles and metal-N x (M-N x , M = Co and Zn) is demonstrated, which is fabricated using electrospinning technique in combination with MOF/COF hybridization strategy and direct pyrolysis. Benefiting from the well-designed branch-leaf nanostructures, plentiful and uniform active sites on the MOF/COF-derived carbon frameworks, as well as the synergistic effect of multiple active sites, CNFs/CoZn-MOF@COF catalyst achieves superior electrocatalytic activity and stability towards both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with a small potential gap (ΔE = 0.75 V). In situ Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that the CoOOH intermediates are the main active species during OER/ORR. Significantly, both aqueous and all-solid-state rechargeable ZABs assembled with CNFs/CoZn-MOF@COF as the air cathode show high open-circuit potential, outstanding peak power density, large capacity and long cycle life. More impressively, the obtained all-solid-state ZAB also displays superb mechanical flexibility and device stability under different, showcasing great application deformations potential in portable and wearable electronics. This work provides a new insight into the design and exploitation of bifunctional catalysts from MOF/COF hybrid materials for energy storage and conversion devices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Recently, composite materials consisting of ionic liquids (ILs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted a great deal of attention due to their fantastic properties. Many theoretical studies have been performed on their special structures and gas separation applications. Yet, the mechanism for the diffusion of ILs inside MOF channels still remains unclear. Here, the DFT calculations (e.g., rigid and relaxed potential energy surface, PES, scan) together with frontier orbital analysis, natural charge analysis, and energy decomposition analysis were performed to investigate the diffusion behavior of a typical IL, [C 4 mim][PF 6 ], into the ZIF-8 SOD cage. The PES profiles indicate that it is quite difficult for the cation [C 4 min] + to diffuse into the cage of ZIF-8 through the pristine pores because of the large imidazole steric hindrance, which results in a large energy barrier of ca. 40 kcal·mol -1 at the least. Interestingly, the PES reveals that a successful diffusion could be obtained by thermal contributions, which enlarge the pore size through swing effects at higher temperatures. For example, both [C 4 mim] + and [PF 6 ] - could easily diffuse through the channel of the ZIF-8 SOD cage when the pore size was increased to 6.9 Å. Subsequently, electronic structure analyses reveal that the main interactions between [PF 6 ] - or [C 4 mim] + and ZIF-8 are the steric repulsion interactions. Finally, the effects of the amounts of [C 4 mim][PF 6 ] on the ZIF-8 structures were investigated, and the results show that two pairs of [C 4 mim][PF 6 ] per SOD cage are the most stable in terms of the interaction between energies and structural changes. With these findings, we propose that the high-temperature technique could be employed during the synthesis of IL@MOF membranes, to enrich their family members and their industrial applications.

The identification of drug-target interactions (DTIs) is an essential step in drug discovery. In vitro experimental methods are expensive, laborious, and time-consuming. Deep learning has witnessed promising progress in DTI prediction. However, how to precisely represent drug and protein features is a major challenge for DTI prediction. Here, we developed an end-to-end DTI identification framework called BINDTI based on bi-directional Intention network. First, drug features are encoded with graph convolutional networks based on its 2D molecular graph obtained by its SMILES string. Next, protein features are encoded based on its amino acid sequence through a mixed model called ACmix, which integrates self-attention mechanism and convolution. Third, drug and target features are fused through bi-directional Intention network, which combines Intention and multi-head attention. Finally, unknown drug-target (DT) pairs are classified through multilayer perceptron based on the fused DT features. The results demonstrate that BINDTI greatly outperformed four baseline methods (i.e., CPI-GNN, TransfomerCPI, MolTrans, and IIFDTI) on the BindingDB, BioSNAP, DrugBank, and Human datasets. More importantly, it was more appropriate to predict new DTIs than the four baseline methods on imbalanced datasets. Ablation experimental results elucidated that both bi-directional Intention and ACmix could greatly advance DTI prediction. The fused feature visualization and case studies manifested that the predicted results by BINDTI were basically consistent with the true ones. We anticipate that the proposed BINDTI framework can find new low-cost drug candidates, improve drugs' virtual screening, and further facilitate drug repositioning as well as drug discovery. BINDTI is publicly available at https://github.com/plhhnu/BINDTI.

Purpose: Non-acute vertebral ostial occlusion (VOO) is a debilitating condition with significant mortality and morbidity rates. However, currently, there is no consensus on the optimal treatment strategy for VOO. This study aims to examine the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of endovascular recanalization in patients with VOO., Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of data from 21 consecutive patients with VOO who underwent endovascular recanalization between May 2018 and August 2023. The patients were divided into two groups based on a new angiographic classification proposed by Gao et al. Type I (tapered stump group) included patients with non-acute extracranial vertebral artery ostial occlusion presenting a tapered occlusion stump. Type II (nontapered stump group) consisted of patients with a nontapered occlusion stump. We collected data on recanalization rates, perioperative complications, and follow-up outcomes., Results: Our analysis included data from a total of 21 patients (22 lesions) with a mean age of 64.6 ± 10.6 years. The technical success rate was 66.7 % (14/21), and the rate of periprocedural complications was 14.3 % (3/21). The success rate of transitioning from the tapered stump group to the nontapered stump group was 90.9 % (10/11) and 40 % (4/10), respectively (P = 0.024). The perioperative complication rate for type I and type II patients was 18.2 % (2/11) and 10 % (1/10), respectively. Among these patients, 18 cases underwent endovascular recanalization using transfemoral access, while 3 patients underwent transradial access after failed transfemoral access, with successful outcomes for two patients., Conclusions: This study suggests that endovascular recanalization may offer a safe, effective, and feasible treatment option for VOO patients. Additionally, the proposed angiographic classification may serve as a useful guide in selecting suitable candidates for surgery., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Recent research indicates that clopidogrel resistance is connected with a patient's future ischemia risk, hence increasing the likelihood of recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Thromboelastographic and clopidogrel gene polymorphism testing can be used to see how a person responds to antiplatelet therapy and change the treatment plan accordingly. This may be a good way to make antiplatelet aggregation therapy more effective and safer., Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of dual antiplatelet aggregation therapy in patients with symptomatic intracranial large artery stenosis being resistant to clopidogrel tablets. The thromboelastographic and gene polymorphism bimodality detection techniques were used to analyze the clopidogrel resistance influencing factors., Methods: 89 patients with symptomatic intracranial large arterial stenosis who were admitted to our hospital from February 2021 to February 2022 were selected, classified as large artery atherosclerotic type by TOAST, and confirmed as having severe intracranial large arterial stenosis (70 % to 99 %) by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), computed tomographic angiography (CTA), and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). All patients were treated with dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel, and thromboelastography and clopidogrel gene polymorphism were monitored 1 week later., Results: 44 of 89 patients were clopidogrel-resistant. Among 44 patients, 20 were ticagrelorresistant and 24 were cilostazol-resistant. Clopidogrel had a resistance rate of 49.4%. The recurrence of ischemic cerebrovascular disease in the three groups was statistically significant (P<0.05) after 3 months of follow-up treatment, but bleeding (intracranial, gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary, and mucocutaneous) and dyspnea were not. The clopidogrel-resistant group had a higher number of females, as well as higher levels of hypertension, diabetes, and platelet count than the sensitive group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in age, smoking, alcohol consumption, previous stroke, glycosylated haemoglobin, creatinine, or low-density cholesterol., Conclusion: Using thromboelastographic and gene polymorphism bimodality detection, we found switching to ticagrelor antiplatelet aggregation therapy as better than switching to cilostazol in patients with symptomatic intracranial large artery stenosis being resistant to clopidogrel tablets. The results may be biased due to the study being a single-centre study and having a limited sample size., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Abstract: Growth factor independence 1 (GFI1) is a DNA-binding transcription factor and a key regulator of hematopoiesis. GFI1-36N is a germ line variant, causing a change of serine (S) to asparagine (N) at position 36. We previously reported that the GFI1-36N allele has a prevalence of 10% to 15% among patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 5% to 7% among healthy Caucasians and promotes the development of this disease. Using a multiomics approach, we show here that GFI1-36N expression is associated with increased frequencies of chromosomal aberrations, mutational burden, and mutational signatures in both murine and human AML and impedes homologous recombination (HR)-directed DNA repair in leukemic cells. GFI1-36N exhibits impaired binding to N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (Ndrg1) regulatory elements, causing decreased NDRG1 levels, which leads to a reduction of O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) expression levels, as illustrated by both transcriptome and proteome analyses. Targeting MGMT via temozolomide, a DNA alkylating drug, and HR via olaparib, a poly-ADP ribose polymerase 1 inhibitor, caused synthetic lethality in human and murine AML samples expressing GFI1-36N, whereas the effects were insignificant in nonmalignant GFI1-36S or GFI1-36N cells. In addition, mice that received transplantation with GFI1-36N leukemic cells treated with a combination of temozolomide and olaparib had significantly longer AML-free survival than mice that received transplantation with GFI1-36S leukemic cells. This suggests that reduced MGMT expression leaves GFI1-36N leukemic cells particularly vulnerable to DNA damage initiating chemotherapeutics. Our data provide critical insights into novel options to treat patients with AML carrying the GFI1-36N variant., (© 2023 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Recent studies highlighted the role of transcription factors in metabolic regulation during hematopoiesis and leukemia development. GFI1B is a transcriptional repressor that plays a critical role in hematopoiesis, and its expression is negatively related to the prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. We earlier reported a change in the metabolic state of hematopoietic stem cells upon Gfi1b deletion. Here we explored the role of Gfi1b in metabolism reprogramming during hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. We demonstrated that Gfi1b deletion remarkably activated mitochondrial respiration and altered energy metabolism dependence toward oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Mitochondrial substrate dependency was shifted from glucose to fatty acids upon Gfi1b deletion via upregulating fatty acid oxidation (FAO). On a molecular level, Gfi1b epigenetically regulated multiple FAO-related genes. Moreover, we observed that metabolic phenotypes evolved as cells progressed from preleukemia to leukemia, and the correlation between Gfi1b expression level and metabolic phenotype was affected by genetic variations in AML cells. FAO or OXPHOS inhibition significantly impeded leukemia progression of Gfi1b-KO MLL/AF9 cells. Finally, we showed that Gfi1b-deficient AML cells were more sensitive to metformin as well as drugs implicated in OXPHOS and FAO inhibition, opening new potential therapeutic strategies., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The Ordos Basin is a sedimentary basin located in Inner Mongolia, China, where coal and uranium coexist. Water inrush disasters have always been one of the main disasters that threaten the safety of coal mine production, and thus, the study and division of groundwater potential regions are of great significance for the prevention of water inrush disasters and in situ leaching of sandstone-type uranium ore. A new method combining truncated Gaussian simulation and sedimentary facies control was established to predict the groundwater potential area. Taking a typical aquifer, the Zhiluo Formation, as an example, based on high-resolution sequence stratigraphy, geophysics, sedimentary geology, and geostatistical theory, the plane distribution of sand bodies was predicted. Furthermore, the relationship between rock porosity and electricity porosity was established to calculate the regional porosity. Combined with truncated Gaussian simulation and facies-controlled modeling methods, a facies-controlled heterogeneous property model was established to analyze the heterogeneous effective porosity of the aquifer in the study area. Groundwater potential areas were quantitatively evaluated by 3D modeling analysis. The results of the evaluated model were verified by actual data and provide a geological guarantee for the accurate mining of deep coal and uranium ore. A 3D distributed model of chemical elements, which is meaningful for in situ leaching uranium mining, is expected in future research., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

The Huizhou Depression in the Pearl River Mouth basin has prospective hydrocarbon potential, with Miocene sandstones as its main oil and gas-bearing reservoir. The sandstones in Miocene formation of the Z21 offshore oil-gas field composed of medium-grained, moderately sorted subarkose and lithic arkose. In this study, a total of six depositional lithofacies, namely Massive fine- to medium-grained sandstone (Sm), ripple cross-laminated fine-grained sandstone (Sr), parallel-laminated siltstone and claystone (Fl), lenticular siltstone (Sl), parallel-bedded fine-grained sandstone (Sp), wavy laminated siltstone (Sw), and two depositional systems, namely nearshore sand bar (SB) and sand sheet (SS) were identified based on core observations and seismic study. Distributions of the porosity (13.9%) and permeability (35.8 mD) reveal that the Miocene sandstones have characteristics of low porosity and low permeability, with high heterogeneity. The sedimentary system, primary texture and diagenesis jointly control the reservoir quality. Sandstones with sand bars as well coarse-grained tend to exhibit a higher quality. Mechanical compaction and calcite (average 6.81%) cementation are the major determinants to reductions in porosity and permeability. The total clay minerals (average 5.27%) generally lead to reduction of porosity, whereas chlorite coatings and illite within a certain content range may enhance the preservation of porosity in eodiagenesis. Dissolution of feldspar and debris contribute significantly to improving the reservoir quality., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The gel was prepared by thermal induction of egg yolk powder as raw material in this study. Firstly, the lipid component of egg yolk powder gel and the correlation between the gel strength of egg yolk powder and Texture Profile Analysis were analyzed, and then the changes of oxidation products. The method of principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the relationship between secondary oxidation products and fatty acids content. Moreover, Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to study the relationship between fatty acids, Phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), peroxide value (POV) in Egg Yolk Gel. Result indicated, Lipid content of egg yolk powder gel was lower than egg yolk powder, the gel strength was positively correlated with hardness, adhesion, viscosity and masticatory ( p  < 0.01), and had a significant negative correlation with recovery ( p  < 0.01). In the nuclear magnetic map, the signal of primary oxidation product E, E-conjugate form was at 5.70 ppm, the signal of secondary oxidation product n-aldehyde was at 9.75 ppm. Combined with PCA and RDA, the results showed that the changes of fatty acid content were negatively correlated with the changes of peroxide value, while the changes of PC and PE were positively correlated, and the contents of fatty acids, PE, PI and PC were negatively correlated with the changes of POV, of which PE and POV were the most correlated., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-021-05027-2., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interestThe authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2021.)

Spikelet rot disease (SRD) is an emerging disease of the grain surface of naked oat in China that affects both grain yield and quality. The typical symptom is discoloration from the black structures of the causal fungi. Here, we investigated the fungal communities on the grain surfaces of cultivar Bayou 13 grown in ten ecological oat-producing regions of China, to identify the main pathogens of naked oat SRD. Our results showed that the growth of Alternaria spp. and Davidiella spp. exhibited a competitive relationship and was mainly affected by the elevations of all 10 ecological regions. The dominant pathogens were Davidiella spp. in Shannan Prefecture in Tibet and Haidong Prefecture in Qinghai Province and Alternaria spp. in the other eight regions. The ratios of black pathogens of interest to all pathogens in Shannan Prefecture and Haidong Prefecture were significantly lower than those of the other eight regions, thus indicating that SRD mainly occurred in regions below 2000 m (elevation). We isolated black fungal pathogens from grain surfaces and deduced that they were Alternaria spp. by sequence comparison. The blackened appearance of the grain surfaces was more evident under spray inoculation with a spore suspension of Alternaria than under the control in greenhouse experiments. The recovered pathogen was the same as the pathogen used for inoculation. We thus concluded that Alternaria alone causes naked oat SRD and mainly infects naked oat in regions below 2000 m, which provides a basis for the recognition and management of SRD of naked oat.

We demonstrate a facile electrochemical sensor (CNCo/GCE) based on N,Co-doped porous carbon (CNCo) as electrode materials for detection of uric acid (UA). The porous carbon materials were prepared via the direct carbonization of bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (BMZIFs) based on ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 with an appropriate molar ratio of Zn/Co at 900 °C in an N 2 atmosphere. The properties of the BMZIFs and CNCo were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS. The electrochemical behaviors of the CNCo-modified electrode were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), impedance analysis (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and showed enhanced electrochemical catalytic activity toward UA. DPV was conducted for the determination of UA with a linear range of 2.0-110 μM and a low detection limit of 0.83 μM at an S/N = 3. Furthermore, the CNCo/GCE electrode showed good reproducibility and repeatability with RSDs of 3.07% and 3.26%, respectively. Additionally, the sensor was successfully employed to quantify UA in human serum samples with satisfactory recoveries, suggesting it is a promising candidate for biological applications., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We have measured the single-molecule conductance of 1,n-alkanedithiol molecular bridges (n = 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) on a graphene substrate using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)-formed electrical junctions. The conductance values of this homologous series ranged from 2.3 nS (n = 12) to 53 nS (n = 4), with a decay constant β n of 0.40 per methylene (-CH 2 ) group. This result is explained by a combination of density functional theory (DFT) and Keldysh-Green function calculations. The obtained decay, which is much lower than the one obtained for symmetric gold junctions, is related to the weak coupling at the molecule-graphene interface and the electronic structure of graphene. As a consequence, we show that using graphene nonsymmetric junctions and appropriate anchoring groups may lead to a much-lower decay constant and more-conductive molecular junctions at longer lengths.