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Comprehension and modulation of optical activity at nanoscale have attracted tremendous interest in the past decades due to its potential application in many fields including chemical/biological sensing, artificial metamaterials, asymmetric catalysis, and so forth. As for the conventional molecular materials, magnetic field is among the most effective routes in inducing and manipulating their optical activity; whereas the magnetic optical activity at nanoscale calls for deeper understanding, especially for anisotropic noble metal nanoparticles. In this work, distinctly different magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) responses are demonstrated in gold nanorods (GNRs) with a derivative-shaped MCD signal corresponding to the transverse surface plasmon resonance (TSPR) band and a Gaussian-shaped signal at the position of the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band. Furthermore, changing the aspect ratio of GNRs easily regulates such magnetoplasmonic CD response. More interestingly, GNR assemblies with different geometric configuration (end-to-end and side-by-side) show structure-sensitive magnetoplasmonic CD response. Armed with theoretical calculation, we clearly elucidate the intrinsic relationship of the resultant magnetoplasmonic CD response with the optical symmetry and geometry factor inside one-dimensional GNRs. This work not only greatly benefits our understanding toward the nature of SPR mode in anisotropic plasmonic nanostructures but also opens the way to achieve tunable magnetoplasmonic response, which will significantly advance the design and application of optical nanodevices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat shock transcription factor-1 (HSF1) protects against cardiac diseases such as ischemia/reperfusion injury and myocardial infarction. However, the mechanisms have not yet been fully characterized. In this study, we investigated the effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase-1 (ASK1) in HSF1-regulated cardiomyocyte protection. Cultured cardiomyocytes of neonatal rats were transfected with HSF1, ASK1 or both of them before exposure to HO, and the ROS generation, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity and apoptosis were examined. HO significantly increased intracellular ROS generation and apoptotic cells as expected, and all these cellular events were greatly inhibited by overexpression of HSF1. However, HO-induced increases in JNK phosphorylation and cell apoptosis were largely enhanced by ASK1 overexpression whereas the similar transfection did not affect the ROS generation in the cells. Moreover, inhibition of HO-increased ROS generation, JNK phosphorylation, and cellular apoptosis by overexpression of HSF1 tended to be disappeared, when the cells were co-transfected with ASK1. These results suggest that HSF1 protects cardiomyocytes from apoptosis under oxidative stress via down-regulation of intracellular ROS generation and inhibition of JNK phosphorylation. Although ASK1 itself has no effect on intracellular ROS generation, it may affect the inhibitory effects of HSF1 on ROS generation, JNK activity, and cardiomyocyte injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marker-free transgenic plants can be developed through transposon-mediated transgene reintegration, which allows intact transgene insertion with defined boundaries and requires only a few primary transformants. In this study, we improved the selection strategy and validated that the maize (Zea mays) Activator/Dissociation (Ds) transposable element can be routinely used to generate marker-free transgenic plants. A Ds-based gene of interest was linked to green fluorescent protein in transfer DNA (TDNA), and a green fluorescent protein-aided counterselection against T-DNA was used together with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based positive selection for the gene of interest to screen marker-free progeny. To test the efficacy of this strategy, we cloned the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) δ-endotoxin gene into the Ds elements and transformed transposon vectors into rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. PCR assays of the transposon empty donor site exhibited transposition in somatic cells in 60.5% to 100% of the rice transformants. Marker-free (T-DNA-free) transgenic rice plants derived from unlinked germinal transposition were obtained from the T1 generation of 26.1% of the primary transformants. Individual marker-free transgenic rice lines were subjected to thermal asymmetric interlaced-PCR to determine Ds(Bt) reintegration positions, reverse transcription-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect Bt expression levels, and bioassays to confirm resistance against the striped stem borer Chilo suppressalis. Overall, we efficiently generated marker-free transgenic plants with optimized transgene insertion and expression. The transposon-mediated marker-free platform established in this study can be used in rice and possibly in other important crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical tweezers are precise tools for translating and rotating micrometer-sized particles and are used widely in biology and physics. In a linearly polarized optical trap, Janus particles comprising two hemispheres with different refractive indexes can be rotated about the beam axis following the polarization direction. In previous research, the position and orientation of a Janus particle relative to the polarization direction were simulated using the T-matrix method, whereas this paper is focused on accurate experimental measurements. The position and orientation of a Janus particle are extracted by image processing, and the polarization direction is controlled by a motor-driven half-wave plate (HWP). The particle's orientation and the polarization direction are related via the HWP's rotation angle. However, rotating the HWP not only rotates the polarization direction but also causes the trap center to fluctuate positionally because of the inevitable misalignment between the HWP's rotation axis and the optical axis. Both the trap center and the polarization direction affect the particle's position, but the influence of the former is removed with the aid of a homogeneous microsphere. The experimental results show that the Janus particle rotates following the polarization direction to keep the interface between its two hemispheres always parallel to the polarization direction. Also, the particle's centroid moves in a circular orbit around the trap center to hold the trap center in the hemisphere with the higher refractive index. The experimental results agree with the previous simulation results and are of use for future applications. ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS: • The centroid and orientation of a Janus particle are extracted by image processing. • The polarization direction is calibrated, and the particle's orientation relative to it is measured. • The position of the trap center is calibrated, and the particle's centroid relative to it is measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate an optical method to realize controllable formation and precise manipulation of microdroplet using optical tweezers (OT). With the irradiation of a highly focused laser into the mixture of inorganic phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and organic solvent isopropanol, a microdroplet was gradually formed at the center of the trap. The size and the growth rate of the microdroplet could be precisely controlled by regulating the laser power and the proportion of two solvents in the mixture. Furthermore, the microdroplet could be manipulated by OT to build microstructures on the slide. We also discuss the possible mechanism behind our observations and the potential usage of such discoveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Intelligent Agriculture Mechanization is the property of Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Materiae Compositae Sinica is the property of Acta Materiea Compositae Sinica Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Railway Science & Engineering is the property of Journal of Railway Science & Engineering Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To study the structure and function of soil microbial community in healthy and susceptible tobacco fields, one healthy and two susceptible(to black shank, bacterial wilt and root rot) tobacco fields with continuous cropping for 10 years in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture were selected as research subjects, and the soil bacterial community structure was analyzed by metagenomic technology. The results showed that there were significant differences in soil bacterial community structure between the healthy and susceptible tobacco fields. The dominant phyla with relative abundance greater than 4% in tobacco field soils were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi. The relative abundance of the dominant beneficial genera Streptomyces, Bradyrhizobium, and Mycobacterium was significantly higher in the healthy tobacco fields than in the susceptible tobacco fields. The relative abundance of the potential pathogen Rhodanobacter was significantly higher in the susceptible tobacco fields than in the healthy tobacco fields. Protease activity was significantly higher in the healthy tobacco fields than in the susceptible tobacco fields. The relative abundance of key enzyme genes in the carbon metabolism pathway was higher in the healthy tobacco fields than in the susceptible tobacco fields. In the nitrogen metabolism pathway, the abundance of enzyme genes during denitrification was lower in the healthy tobacco fields than in the susceptible tobacco fields. Therefore, there are differences in the bacterial community composition, enzyme activity and abundance of key enzyme genes in the process of carbon and nitrogen metabolism in the healthy and susceptible tobacco fields to varying degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been applied in transplantation to treat intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) but with limited efficacy. Accumulated evidence has shown that glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) plays a crucial part in neuronal protection and functional recovery of the brain after ICH; however, GDNF has difficulty crossing the blood–brain barrier, which limits its application. In this study, we investigated the influences of MSCs overexpressing GDNF (MSCs/GDNF) on the brain structure as well as gait of rats after ICH and explored the possible mechanisms. We found that cell transplantation could reverse the neurological dysfunction and brain damage caused by ICH to a certain extent, and MSCs/GDNF transplantation was superior to MSCs transplantation. Moreover, Transplantation of MSCs overexpressing GDNF effectively reduced the volume of bleeding foci and increased the level of glucose uptake in rats with ICH, which could be related to improving mitochondrial quality. Furthermore, GDNF produced by transplanted MSCs/GDNF further inhibited neuroinflammation, improved mitochondrial quality and function, promoted angiogenesis and the survival of neurons and oligodendrocytes, and enhanced synaptic plasticity in ICH rats when compared with simple MSC transplantation. Overall, our data indicate that GDNF overexpression heightens the curative effect of MSC implantation in treating rats following ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Podocyte injury plays a key role in the production of proteinuria and is closely related to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Alleviating podocyte injury is beneficial to prevent the occurrence and development of CKD. tRNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) are associated with podocytes injury processes such as protein binding, cell adhesion, synapses, the actin cytoskeleton. Our previous data showed that tRF-003634 tightly correlated with podocyte injury, while its effect remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of tRF-003634 in podocyte injury and the potential mechanisms. The expression level of tRF-003634, nephrin, podocin and tRF-003634 targeted toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in podocytes and kidney tissues were examined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry. The biochemical indices were monitored and renal pathological changes were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin PAS staining. Furthermore, potential target genes of tRF-003634 were screened using high-throughput mRNA sequencing, and then confirmed by RNA pulse-chase analysis. The results showed that tRF-003634 was downregulated in adriamycin (Adr)-induced podocyte injury. Overexpression of tRF-003634 increased the expression of nephrin and podocin in vivo and in vitro and alleviated podocyte injury. Meanwhile, overexpression of tRF-003634 alleviated proteinuria and renal pathological damage. In addition, high-throughput sequencing after overexpression of tRF-003634 showed that TLR4 might be a downstream target gene. tRF-003634 can alleviate podocyte injury by reducing the stability of TLR4 mRNA, possibly by competing with TLR4 mRNA to bind to YTH domain-containing protein 1 (YTHDC1). In conclusion, tRF-003634 was underexpressed in Adr-induced podocyte injury, and its overexpression alleviated podocyte injury in vitro and in vivo by reducing the stability of TLR4 mRNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, a novel dithiomaleimides (DTM) based tetra-antennary GalNAc conjugate was developed, which enable both efficient siRNA delivery and good traceability, without incorporating extra fluorophores. This conjugate can be readily constructed by three click-type reactions, that is, amidations, thiol-dibromomaleimide addition and copper catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). And it also has comparable siRNA delivery efficiency, with a GalNAc L96 standard to mTTR target. Additionally, due to the internal DTMs, a highly fluorescent emission was observed, which benefited delivery tracking and reduced the cost and side effects of the extra addition of hydrophobic dye molecules. In all, the simple incorporation of DTMs to the GalNAc conjugate structure has potential in gene therapy and tracking applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption capacity of natural low-methoxy pectin from sunflower heads on heavy metal copper ions (Cu2+) in aqueous solution was studied, and the effects of dosage, pH, adsorption temperature and time, and coexisting ions were investigated. Our results indicated that with increasing the pectin dosage, the removal rate of Cu2+ was continuously increased, whereas the adsorption capacity was initially increased and then decreased. Both adsorption capacity and removal rate increased initially and then remained unchanged with the increase in adsorption temperature or time. Similarly, both increased initially and then decreased with the increase in pH of pectin, whereas they decreased with the increase in concentration of divalent metal ions (coexisting ions) owing to the effect of coexisting ions. When the initial concentration of Cu2+ was in the range of 0~200 mg/L, the Langmuir isothermal equation was used to obtain the maximum Cu2+ adsorption capacity of pectin, which was 29.94 mg/g. Thermodynamic analysis showed that the adsorption process was a spontaneous and endothermic reaction with increasing entropy. Kinetics analysis revealed that the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation with electrostatic attraction and complexation as the main driving force. Thus, pectin derived from sunflower heads exhibits a strong Cu2+ sption capacity, making it a viable option as a safe, effective, and eco-friendly biosorption material for the treatment of Cu2+-contaminated wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Coal Geology & Exploration is the property of Xian Research Institute of China Coal Research Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Land surface temperature(LST) is an important indicator to study climate change and test the performance of regional climate model simulation. RegCM4.6 is the representative version of regional climate model RegCM, which is coupled with advanced third-generation land surface model NCAR CLM4.5. Currently, RegCM4.6 has become an important tool to study regional climate change in China. However, its ability to simulate land surface temperature in mainland China and the reasons for its deviation have not been systematically studied, and targeted improvement work is lacking. The present study is the first to employ LST data collected from 809 Chinese meteorological stations from the last 30 years to comprehensively assess the ability of CLM4.5 to simulate LST. Sensitivity tests of soil thermal conductivity (STC) were carried out to improve the model. Although the coupled regional climate model could accurately simulate the temporal and spatial variation of LST, a cold bias of 2~8 °C existed for all of mainland China, which was larger in seasons with more precipitation and greater soil moisture than other seasons. Deviation increased from southeast to northwest. which was caused by the incoming long-wave radiation, sensible heat, and latent heat simulated. There was a significant linear relationship between the observed and simulated LSTs, with correlation coefficients for all the stations ranged from 0.75 to 0.9 (P < 0.001). The observed LST increased at a rate of 0.58 °C/decade, but the simulated LST increased at a lower rate. Assessment of three different STC schemes showed that the Lu-Ren scheme was the most suitable for LST simulation in mainland China. Developing a new STC scheme that considers the role of water vapor can effectively improve the model when used in mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underlying surface was the important media of air-lake interaction by transferring energy. The deployment of photovoltaic arrays on the lake has formed a new underlying surface type. But the new underlying surface is different from the natural lake. The impact of fishery complementary photovoltaic (FPV) power plants on the radiation, energy flux, and driving force is unclear. Therefore, the analysis of radiation, energy flux, and driving force by comparing the difference in the two sites under various synoptic conditions. The results indicated that the radiation components are not significantly different in the two sites under diverse synoptic conditions. The downward shortwave radiation (DSR) and net radiation ( R n ) were presented with one peak on a sunny day. The daily average DSR and Rn in the two sites were 279.1 W·m−2, 209.3 W·m−2, respectively. The daily average (cloudy day and rainy day) sensible heat flux in the two sites was 39.5 W·m−2 (FPV site), 19.2 W·m−2 (REF site), respectively. The latent heat flux was 53.2 W·m−2 and 75.2 W·m−2 on counterpart. The water body generally absorbs heat from the air (daily average ∆Q was 16.6 W·m−2) in the FPV site on a sunny day. The driving force of sensible heat flux in the FPV site was governed by the temperature of the FPV panel under sunny and cloudy conditions. The latent heat flux was determined by the product between wind speed and water-atmosphere temperature difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Most Pseudomonas spp. are iron (Fe) redox cycling bacteria, which are common in the rhizosphere of wetland plants. The purpose of this work was to investigate the influence of P. sp. SCSWA09, a Fe reducing bacterium isolated from mangrove plant Kandelia obovata, on the development of Fe plaques as well as the accumulation and translocation of heavy metals (HMs) in K. obovata. Methods: A controlled experiment was conducted in a climate chamber using K. obovata as model plants to evaluate the effect of P. sp. SCSWA09 on the development of Fe plaque and the plants' response to HM stress under periodic flooding conditions. Results: The results demonstrated that SCSWA09 had a clear capacity to reduce Fe (III). K. obovata seedlings inoculated with SCSWA09 showed considerably lower levels of Fe plaque production than uninoculated seedlings, notably the amorphous Fe plaque. Periodic flooding accelerated the transformation of amorphous Fe (hydrogen) oxide into crystalline Fe (hydrogen) oxide in Fe plaque, and SCSWA09 inoculation accelerated this process. The buildup of Cr and Cu in K. obovata roots steadily reduced as the flooding period rose, but SCSWA09 inoculation significantly increased Cr translocation to K. obovata leaves. Conclusion: Both SCSWA09 and periodic flooding enhanced the crystallinity of iron (hydr-) oxides in the treatment solution and Fe plaque, which influenced HM absorption and translocation in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating security materials that carry distinct information with numerous optical characteristics enables enhanced anticounterfeiting levels to deter forgery ranging from currencies to pharmaceuticals. Circularly polarized long afterglow (CPLA) has attracted extensive attention in anticounterfeiting owing to its multiple and unusual optical properties (i.e., long afterglow and circular polarization), introducing intensity variation into the time dimension. However, constructing a visualized CPLA—meeting the requirements toward practical applications—is still a challenge. Here, a cementation‐coupling strategy is designed to combine chiral photonic membranes with phosphor films for building full‐colored CPLA architectures. The CPLA systems achieve desired performance with a largest afterglow dissymmetry value (gCPLA) of −0.67 and a longest visualization time (tvis) of 40 min simultaneously, satisfying practical demands for information security. As‐prepared CPLA materials are further patterned to work as optical labels in security fields. The resulting multidimensional variations in both time and intensity increase the complexity of information encryption, offering potentials for advanced security technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial board of JGR Atmospheres thanks reviewers who refereed papers in 2022. Plain Language Summary: The editorial board of JGR Atmospheres thanks reviewers who refereed papers in 2022. Key Point: The editors thank the 2022 peer reviewers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global warming effect has been accelerating rapidly and poses a threat to human survival and health. The top priority to solve this problem is to provide reliable renewable energy. To achieve this goal, it is important to provide fast and accurate solar radiation predictions based on limited observation data. In this study, a fast and accurate solar radiation nowcasting method is proposed by combining FY-4A satellite data and the McClear clear sky model under the condition of only radiation observation. The results show that the random forest (RF) performed better than the support vector regression (SVR) model and the reference model (Clim-Pers), with the smallest normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) values (between 13.90% and 33.80%), smallest normalized mean absolute error (nMAE) values (between 7.50% and 24.77%), smallest normalized mean bias error (nMBE) values (between −1.17% and 0.7%) and highest R2 values (between 0.76 and 0.95) under different time horizons. In addition, it can be summarized that remote sensing data can significantly improve the radiation forecasting performance and can effectively guarantee the stability of radiation predictions when the time horizon exceeds 60 min. Furthermore, to obtain the optimal operation efficiency, the prediction results were interpreted by introducing the latest SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method. From the interpretation results, we selected the three key channels of an FY-4A and then made the model lightweight. Compared with the original input model, the new one predicted the results more rapidly. For instance, the lightweight parameter input model needed only 0.3084 s (compared to 0.5591 s for full parameter input) per single data point on average for the 10 min global solar radiation forecast in Yuzhong. Meanwhile, the prediction effect also remained stable and reliable. Overall, the new method showed its advantages in radiation prediction under the condition that only solar radiation observations were available. This is very important for radiation prediction in cities with scarce meteorological observation, and it can provide a reference for the location planning of photovoltaic power stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing novel adsorbents for efficient U(VI) adsorption from wastewater is of great significance in both nuclear energy development and environmental protection. Herein, a novel functional resin (AO67/MA33-resin) with large particle size (100–200 μm) was controllably synthesized and employed for U(VI) elimination. The AO67/MA33-resin overcomes the shortcoming of small particle size of traditional adsorbents and shows strong antacid and high-temperature resistance stability and reusability. Meanwhile, the AO67/MA33-resin also exhibits excellent U(VI) removal ability including wide pH adaptability, fast adsorption kinetic, and high adsorption capacity. The adsorption mechanism was determined to involve chelation between amidoxime carboxyl functional groups and uranyl ions. A further application for U(VI) removal from real uranium mine wastewater was evaluated by dynamic column experiments. The present work indicated that the AO67/MA33-resin would be a promising adsorbent material for uranium removal from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on endogenous neural precursor cells (NPCs) in brain regions of rats with cerebral hemorrhage, NPC proliferation and time differentiation. After the division of rats into cerebral hemorrhage, sham-surgery and blank control groups, and subjection of the first two to blood injection and surgery respectively, it was found that bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells existed both in the peripheral hemorrhagic region and the lateral septal nucleus. It is concluded that endogenous NPCs can be induced by cerebral hemorrhage.

Using data observed at a photovoltaic (PV) power plant at the edge of the Gurbantünggüt Desert and at an undeveloped site in the Gobi desert in the summers of 2019 and 2020, we compared and analyzed the variations of radiation and surface albedo in various wavelength bands. Components of the solar radiation received by the surface of the arid regions of China were ranked infrared (IR) > visible (VIS) > ultraviolet (UV). The observed surface albedo of the PV site was significantly lower than that at the undeveloped desert site. The mean surface albedo values for shortwave broadband (SW), IR, VIS, and UV at the PV site were 0.14, 0.15, 0.13, and 0.08, respectively, and the corresponding values for the undeveloped site were 0.22, 0.23, 0.23, and 0.10, respectively. We also developed a parametric formula for the surface albedo at the PV plant given data observed on typical sunny days. We then validated the parametric formula using observations taken in the summers of 2019 and 2020. The results showed that the parametric formula could precisely simulate variations of the surface albedo and reflected radiation of the PV plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relatively sparse literature has documented various challenges international migration poses to martial stability, yet we know little about immigrant women's experiences with marital breakdown. Drawing data from a qualitative study of Chinese economic immigrants to Canada, this article explores women's experiences of navigating the processes of this life circumstance, and of how gender—including their senses of changing gender roles in post-immigration and postmarital contexts—plays out in these trajectories. The results of this exploratory study illustrate the value of transcending dichotomous conceptions of the relationship between gender and migration, and of opening spaces in which to better understand immigrant women's increasingly diversified life trajectories and the range of barriers they encounter along the way. The study also reveals multiple opportunities for social work contributions: tackling systematic barriers to settlement, facilitating social support in the community, and recognizing individuals' diverse trajectory potentials (including the potential for this typically unwelcome event to be integrated as personal growth and transition). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Biotechnologists seeking to develop marker-free transgenic plants have established co-transformation methods. For co-transformation using mixed Agrobacterium strains, the mix ratio of Agrobacterium strains and selection scheme may influence co-transformation frequency. This study used fluorescent GFP and RFP markers to compose different selection schemes for observation of the selective dynamics of transformed rice cells and to investigate the factors affecting co-transformation efficiency. Methods and results: We utilized GFP and RFP markers in co-transformation and tested the combinations of an antibiotic-selectable vector (pGFP-HPT) and a single RFP vector (pRFP) and of two antibiotic-selectable vectors (pGFP-HPT and pRFP-HPT) in rice. The pGFP-HPT/pRFP combination resulted in 70.9% to 81.2% of co-transformation frequencies while lower frequencies (56.6% on average) were obtained with the pGFP-HPT/pRFP-HPT combination. Based on GFP/RFP segregation patterns, 55% of the pGFP-HPT/pRFP co-transformants contained unlinked T-DNAs and segregated single RFP progeny, which simulated the selection process of marker-free transgenic plants that carry an actual gene of interest. Transgene expression levels in the rice lines varied as revealed by RT-PCR, and tandem-linked T-DNAs were detected in co-transformants, suggesting that transgene expression might be affected by duplicated T-DNA structures. Conclusion: Co-transformation via mixed Agrobacterium strains is feasible, and approximately 55% of the pGFP-HPT/pRFP co-transformants contained unlinked T-DNAs and segregated single RFP progeny. The pGFP-HPT/pRFP and the pGFP-HPT/pRFP-HPT vector combinations showed distinctive selective dynamics of transformed rice cells, suggesting that co-transformation efficiency depends on both vector system and selection scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Syngas to dimethyl oxalate (DMO) followed by hydrogenation to methyl glycolate (MG) is considered to be an environmentally friendly and economical route. However, the catalyst with super performance and low cost for this route is still challenging. In this work, a simple and low‐lost fabrication method was developed to prepare a Ru/activated carbon (AC) catalyst and was used for DMO hydrogenation to MG under mild reaction conditions. RESULTS: The Ru/AC catalyst showed the best performance in the low‐temperature hydrogenation of DMO to MG compared to Ru/SiO2 and Ru/Al2O3. A series of characterization results showed that the super catalytic properties of Ru/AC catalyst might be attributed to the higher dispersion of Ru on support and its smallest nanoparticles size, weak surface acidity and electron‐deficient state of Ru species. The key parameters such as Ru loading, temperature, weight hourly space velocity, and pressure, were comprehensively investigated. MG selectivity of 94.6% with DMO conversion of 97.2% were obtained over the 4.0 Ru/AC catalyst at 90 °C. The 4.0Ru/AC catalyst showed excellent stability and there was no obvious deactivation after 1032 h test. CONCLUSIONS: The Ru/AC catalyst is effective for the DMO hydrogenation to MG under mild conditions and has great promise for industrial applications because of its low cost, simple preparation, high efficiency, and long life. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral semiconductor nanostructures have received enormous attention due to their emerging circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) properties. However, compared with well‐studied photoluminescence (PL), the reported CPL is much weaker and more challenging to be modulated. Herein, we describe a new approach for acquiring the intense and tunable CPL from inorganic chiral photonic crystals (CPCs) doped with semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Unprecedentedly, the sign, position and intensity of CPL peaks can be precisely controlled by manipulating either the photonic band gap of CPCs or luminescence wavelength of QDs and a giant absolute dissymmetry factor |glum| up to 0.25 is obtained. More importantly, the origin of the CPL modulation is clearly elucidated by both experiment and theory. This work lays the foundation for the construction of next‐generation high‐performance CPL‐based devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii can result in a serious pulmonary infection, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, in immunocompetent hosts. The diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia has long been a major clinical concern, and there are limitations with the currently utilized immunostaining and polymerase chain reaction diagnosis/detection technologies (e.g. , insufficient sensitivity and accuracy). Hence, we sought to establish a rapid and RNA-specific transcription mediated amplification and CRISPR/Cas13a-based diagnostics targeted P. jirovecii -mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA. Methods: The procedure of the diagnostics included amplification of the extracted RNA samples by transcription mediated amplification, followed by CRISPR/Cas13 detection, and ultimately, the judgment of the results after 30 minutes of fluorescence signal. Later, the diagnostic performance of the CRISPR/Cas13-based diagnostics were tested on the 62 surplus clinical samples. Results: This CRISPR/Cas13-based diagnostics achieved limits of detection of approximately 2 copies/µL transcribed RNA templates, with no cross reaction to other respiratory pathogens, including bacteria and fungi. Similar to in-house quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, CRISPR/Cas13-based diagnostics was still positive in 243-fold diluted bronchial alveolar lavage fluid. A preliminary evaluation of 62 surplus bronchial alveolar lavage fluid samples from patients suspected of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia showed that CRISPR/Cas13-based diagnostics achieved a 78.9% sensitivity and a 97.7% specificity in the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that the CRISPR/Cas13-based diagnostics technique has good performance for the accurate and specific diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Materiae Compositae Sinica is the property of Acta Materiea Compositae Sinica Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We used the data of observational site in photovoltaic power plant (PV site) and reference site in summer 2020 to compare the characteristics of surface energy flux of PV site and Gobi underlying surface. We defined the photovoltaic virtual flux and calculated the proportion of photovoltaic power generation in the net radiation by using daily power generation and generating hours. The results show that the net radiation of PV site was larger than that of reference site throughout the day. Compared with the reference site, the sensible heat flux and latent heat flux of PV site increased by 6.0% and 53.5%, respectively. Sensible heat flux, soil heat flux, latent heat flux, and photovoltaic virtual flux accounted for 43.2%, 14.5%, 8.6%, and 6.1% of the net radiation, respectively. The sensible heat accounted for the largest proportion; the energy balance closure increased from 0.60 to 0.67 in the daytime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Point: The editors thank the 2021 peer reviewersThe journal received 1581 submitted manuscripts2510 scientists reviewed for the journal in 2021 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly focused laser beam is capable of confining micro-sized particle in its focus. This is widely known as optical trapping. The Janus particle is composed of two hemispheres with different refractive indexes. In a linearly polarized optical trap, the Janus particle tends to align itself to an orientation where the interface of the two hemispheres is parallel to the laser propagation as well as the polarization direction. This enables a controllable approach that rotates the trapped particle with fine accuracy and could be used in partial measurement. However, due to the complexity of the interaction of the optical field and refractive index distribution, the trapping trajectory of the Janus particle in the linearly polarized optical trap is still uncovered. In this paper, we focus on the dynamic trapping process and the steady position and orientation of the Janus particle in the optical trap from both simulation and experimental aspects. The trapping process recorded by a high speed camera coincides with the simulation result calculated using the T-matrix model, which not only reveals the trapping trajectory, but also provides a practical simulation solution for more complicated structures and trapping motions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]