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In hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the reaction of hydrogens (H) located in the amino group of the organic A-site cations with their neighboring halides plays a central role in degradation. Inspired by the retarded biological activities of cells in heavy water, we replaced the light H atom with its abundant, twice-as-heavy, nonradioactive isotope, deuterium (D) to hamper the motion of H. This D substitution retarded the formation kinetics of the detrimental H halides in Pb-based PSCs, as well as the H bond-mediated oxidation of Sn2+ in Sn–Pb-based narrow-bandgap PSCs, evidenced by accelerated stability studies. A computational study indicated that the zero point energy of D-based formamidinium (FA) is lower than that of pristine FA. In addition, the smaller increase in entropy in D-based FA than in pristine FA accounts for the increased formation free energy of the Sn2+ vacancies, which leads to the retarded oxidation kinetics of Sn2+. In this study, we show that substituting active H with D in organic cations is an effective way to enhance the stability of PSCs without sacrificing photovoltaic (PV) performance. This approach is also adaptable to other stabilizing methods.

The utilization of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in photocatalysis applications requires light-responsive architectures with tunable optical bandgaps. Here, we demonstrate a facile approach to optical bandgap tuning via post-synthetic modifica-tions of pbz-MOF-1, a Zr-based MOF with polyphenylene ligands. A simple reaction of pbz-MOF-1 with FeCl3 was shown to induce three different chemical reactions of the ligands: oxidative dehydrogenation, chlorination and one/two electron oxi-dation of the ligands. The result of these reactions was a gradual decrease in the optical bandgap from 2.95 eV to as little as 0.69 eV. Time-resolved optical spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, coupled with density functional theory calculations provide insights into the mechanisms of bandgap tuning using chemical oxidation methods. The facile bandgap tuning report here has promising application in the utilization of photo-responsive MOFs in photocatalysis, sensing and other light-triggered applications.

The mechanism of photochemical CO2 reduction to formate by PCN-136, a Zr-based metal-organic framework (MOF) that incorporates light-harvesting nanographene ligands, has been investigated using steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The catalysis was found to proceed via a “photoreactive capture” mecha-nism, where Zr-based nodes serve to capture CO2 in the form of Zr-bicarbonates, while the nanographene ligands have a dual role to absorb light and to store one-electron equivalents needed for catalysis. We also find that the process occurs via a “two-for-one” route, where a single photon initiates a cascade of electron/hydrogen atom transfers from the sacrificial donor to the CO2-bound MOF. The mechanistic findings obtained here illustrate several advantages of MOF-based architectures in the molecular photocatalyst engineering and provide insights on ways to achieve high formate selectivity.

Methionine (Met) was introduced to modify the Li-Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) film prepared on 6063 aluminum alloy by in situ method for the first time. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction confirmed the successful insertion of Met into LDHs film and revealed that the introduction of Met could make the LDHs film much denser. Electrochemical tests illustrated that the corrosion rate of the Met modified LDHs film was reduced by more than an order of magnitude compared with the bare Al alloy. Moreover, the corrosion rate of the modified LDHs film after immersion in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution for 21 days was almost the same as that without immersion, which indicates that the modified film has good corrosion durability. The corrosion resistance of the scratched modified film could recover to the level without a scratch on the 14th day based on the scratch test results, meaning the modified film has a good self-healing property. Finally, the anti-corrosion mechanism of the Met was proved by molecular dynamic simulations and found that the enhanced corrosion resistance may be attributed to the addition of Met that slowed the diffusion of the corrosive medium Cl− and water molecules.

Perovskite oxides are an important class of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts in alkaline media, despite the elusive nature of their active sites. Here, we demonstrate that the origin of the OER activity in a La1-xSrxCoO3 model perovskite arises from a thin surface layer of Co hydr(oxy)oxide (CoOxHy) that interacts with trace-level Fe species present in the electrolyte, creating dynamically stable active sites. Generation of the hydr(oxy)oxide layer is a consequence of a surface evolution process driven by the A-site dissolution and O-vacancy creation. In turn, this imparts a 10-fold improvement in stability against Co dissolution and a 3-fold increase in the activity-stability factor for CoOxHy/LSCO when compared to nanoscale Co-hydr(oxy)oxides clusters. Our results suggest new design rules for active and stable perovskite oxide-based OER materials.

The electronic transport properties of PAl12-based cluster complexes are investigated by density functional theory (DFT) in combination with the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method. Joining two PAl12 clusters via a germanium linker creates a stable semiconducting complex with a large HOMO–LUMO gap. Sequential attachment of an electron-donating ligand, N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone, to one of the two linked clusters results in the shifting of the electronic spectrum of the ligated cluster while the energy levels of the unligated cluster are mostly unchanged. Using this approach, one can eventually align the HOMO of the ligated cluster to the LUMO of the non-ligated cluster, thereby significantly reducing the HOMO–LUMO gap of the complex. As a result, the transport properties of the complex are highly dependent on the number of attached ligands. Although a single ligand is observed to generally decrease the current, the inclusion of two or more ligands shows a significant increase in the amount of current at most voltages. The resulting increase of the current can be attributed to two factors, first the reduction in the HOMO–LUMO gap due to ligand attachment which has moved the transmission orbitals into the bias window. Secondly, when two or more ligands are attached to the complex, the HOMOs become delocalized across the scattering region, and this significantly enhances the currents.

Traditional transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) have been widely used for various optoelectronic applications, but have the trade-off between conductivity and transmittance. Recently, perovskite oxides, with structural and chemical stability, have exhibited excellent physical properties as new TCOs. We focus on SrVO3-based perovskites with a high carrier concentration and BaSnO3-based perovskites with a high mobility for n-type TCOs. In addition, p-type perovskites are discussed, which can serve as potential future options to couple with n-type perovskites to design full perovskite based devices.

Background. Side effects of the use of opioid analgesics during painless delivery are the main factors that affect rapid postpartum recovery. Opioid use can result in dangerous respiratory depression in the patient. Opioids can also disrupt the baby’s breathing and heart rate. The nonopioid analgesic dexmedetomidine, a new a2-adrenergic agonist, possesses higher selectivity, greater analgesic effects, and fewer side effects. Moreover, epidural administration of dexmedetomidine also reduces local anesthetic consumption. Objective. Our study aims to compare the analgesic effects as well as the side effects of ropivacaine with dexmedetomidine against sufentanyl as an epidural labor analgesia. Methods. This study is a randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial (registration no. ChiCTR2200055360) involving 120 primiparous (a woman who has given birth once), singleton pregnancy women who are greater than 38 weeks into gestation and have requested epidural labor analgesia. The participants were randomized to receive 0.1% ropivacaine with sufentanyl (0.4 μg/ml) or dexmedetomidine (0.4 μg/ml). The primary outcomes included Visual Analogue Score (VAS), duration of first epidural infusions, the requirement of additional PCEA bolus, and adverse reactions during labor analgesia. Results. Of the 120 subjects who consented, 91 parturient women (women in the condition of labor) had complete data for analysis. Demographics and VAS, as well as maternal and fetal outcomes, were similar between the groups. The duration of first epidural infusions in dexmedetomidine was significantly longer than sufentanyl (median value: 115 vs 68 min, P P P

Perovskite solar cells, as an emerging high-efficiency and low-cost photovoltaic technology1–6, face obstacles on their way towards commercialization. Substantial improvements have been made to device stability7–10, but potential issues with lead toxicity and leaching from devices remain relatively unexplored11–16. The potential for lead leakage could be perceived as an environmental and public health risk when using perovskite solar cells in building-integrated photovoltaics17–23. Here we present a chemical approach for on-device sequestration of more than 96 per cent of lead leakage caused by severe device damage. A coating of lead-absorbing material is applied to the front and back sides of the device stack. On the glass side of the front transparent conducting electrode, we use a transparent lead-absorbing molecular film containing phosphonic acid groups that bind strongly to lead. On the back (metal) electrode side, we place a polymer film blended with lead-chelating agents between the metal electrode and a standard photovoltaic packing film. The lead-absorbing films on both sides swell to absorb the lead, rather than dissolve, when subjected to water soaking, thus retaining structural integrity for easy collection of lead after damage. Using lead-absorbing materials to coat the front and back of perovskite solar cells can prevent lead leaching from damaged devices, without affecting the device performance or long-term operation stability.

Many approaches have been described to address challenges in metallic Li anodes; but they rarely modulate the inherent chemical reactivities. Here we describe a general approach for modulating Li metal properties and enabling stable metal batteries by doping with ∼0.1 at% Ag or Al. The dopants were atomically dispersed in the vacant face-centered sites of the body-centered cubic Li crystals and pull electrons strongly due to higher electronegativity (Ag: 1.98; Al: 1.61 vs. Li: 0.98). As a result, the doped Li anodes have increased work function with reduced chemical reactivity and remained shiny in dry air for months. They also exhibited enhanced Li+/Li redox kinetics and generated thinner but stronger solid-electrolyte interphases in carbonate electrolytes. The dopant atoms are lithophilic and have stronger binding with Li adatoms, which guide uniform Li deposition and ensures dendrite-free Li interface during battery cycling. Overall, the doped anodes enabled stable operations of not only high current symmetric cells but also practical full cells in which Ni-rich layered cathodes were paired with 30 μm anodes and 7 μL electrolytes. The doping approach is facile and scalable, and opens up new and promising opportunities for designing practical high energy density metal batteries.

First-principles calculation based on density functional theory (DFT) were employed to theoretically study the influence of partially replacing Sn4+ by Mg2+ on the electronic structure and optical properties of SnO2. The calculation results revealed that the Femi level shifted into the valence band, thereby indicating a p-type conductivity character. The energy band gap for SnO2 was found to be narrowed due to Mg2+ doping. Considering that the energy level for Mg 3s orbitals is comparable to that of O 2p orbitals, the localization behavior in the SnO2 valence band was modified. The imaginary part of dielectric functions' spectrum shifted towards lower energy after doping SnO2 with Mg2+, accompanied by an obvious redshift of the absorption edge. Furthermore, the absorption intensity for the doped systems was larger than that of pure SnO2 matrix in the low-energy region.

Background: Sheep is an important meat-producing animal, and low tail fat deposition level has become one of the main targets of meat production. LncRNAs have recently received special attention due to their critical role in many important biological processes. There are few reports on its regulatory function in ovine fat deposition. In this study, two sheep populations with different tail types in Xinjiang, Bashby sheep (fat-tailed) and the hybrid population of Bashby sheep and wild argali (small-tailed), were selected for whole transcriptome resequencing from their tail tissues. Results: First, 728 differentially expressed lncRNA (DElncRNAs) of tail fat between Bashby and F2 sheep were identified by RNA-seq. Second, the tissue expression profile and relative expression difference between Bashby and F2 sheep of 7 of 728 DE lncRNAs were analyzed by RT-PCR. We conclude that MSTRG.37980, MSTRG.38164, MSTRG.36912 and MSTRG.36913 positively regulate fat deposition, while MSTRG.8169, MSTRG.24995 and MSTRG.31389 inhibit fat deposition. Third, GO and KEGG analysis revealed that lncRNA targets were mainly participated in energy metabolism, growth and development and immunity, such as viral carcinogenesis, Chemokine signaling pathway, B cell receptor signaling pathway. And the expression pattern of target genes in each tissue was similar to that of the corresponding lncRNAs, which required us to conduct further research on target genes. Conclusions: This study was the first to systematically identify fat deposition-associated lncRNAs in ovine tail fat and construct DElncRNAs profiles. Our findings will help understand the molecular mechanism of fat deposition from transcriptomic perspectives.

Background Overcrowding, abuse of antibiotics and increasing antimicrobial resistance negatively affect neonatal survival rates in developing countries. We aimed to define pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of early-onset sepsis (EOS), hospital-acquired late-onset sepsis (HALOS) and community-acquired late-onset sepsis (CALOS) in 25 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in China. Study design This retrospective descriptive study included pathogens and their AMR from all neonates with bloodstream infections (BSIs) admitted to 25 tertiary hospitals in China from January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2019. We defined EOS as the occurrence of BSI at or before 72 h of life and late-onset sepsis (LOS) if BSI occurred after 72 h of life. LOS were classified as CALOS if occurrence of BSI was ≤ 48 h after admission, and HALOS, if occurrence was > 48 h after admission. Results We identified 1092 pathogens of BSIs in 1088 infants from 25 NICUs. Thirty-two percent of all pathogens were responsible for EOS, 64.3% HALOS, and 3.7% CALOS. Gram-negative (GN) bacteria accounted for a majority of pathogens in EOS (56.7%) and HALOS (62.2%). The most frequent pathogens causing EOS were Escherichia coli (27.2%) and group B streptococcus (GBS; 14.6%) whereas in CALOS they were GBS (46.3%) and Staphylococcus aureus (41.5%). Klebsiella pneumoniae (27.9%), Escherichia coli (15.7%) and Fungi (12.8%) were the top three isolates in HALOS. Third-generation cephalosporin resistance rates in GN bacteria ranged from 9.7 to 55.6% in EOS and 26% to 63.3% in HALOS. Carbapenem resistance rates in GN bacteria ranged from 2.7 to 31.3% in HALOS and only six isolates in EOS were carbapenem resistant. High rates of multidrug resistance were observed in Klebsiella pneumoniae (60.7%) in HALOS and in Escherichia coli (44.4%) in EOS. All gram-positive bacteria were susceptible to vancomycin except for three Enterococcus faecalis in HALOS. All-cause mortality was higher among neonates with EOS than HALOS (7.4% VS 4.4%, [OR] 0.577, 95% CI 0.337–0.989; P = 0.045). Conclusions Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and GBS were the leading pathogens in EOS, HALOS and CALOS, respectively. The high proportion of pathogens and high degree of antimicrobial resistance in HALOS underscore understanding of the pathogenesis and emphasise the need to devise effective interventions in developing countries.

The electronic transport properties of PAl

[Image: see text] A novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α/δ dual agonist 5c was developed with an EC(50) of 8 nM for PPARα, 5 nM for PPARδ, and >300-fold selectivity against PPARγ (EC(50) = 2939 nM), respectively. Further ADME and pharmacokinetic studies indicated 5c possessed distinguished in vitro and in vivo profiles. The excellent in vivo efficacy of compound 5c was demonstrated by the rat primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) model.

The design of low-cost yet high-efficiency electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) over a wide pH range is highly challenging. We now report a hierarchical co-assembly of interacting MoS2 and Co9S8 nanosheets attached on Ni3S2 nanorod arrays which are supported on nickel foam (NF). This tiered structure endows high performance toward HER and OER over a very broad pH range. By adjusting the molar ratio of the Co:Mo precursors, we have created CoMoNiS-NF- xy composites ( x: y means Co:Mo molar ratios ranging from 5:1 to 1:3) with controllable morphology and composition. The three-dimensional composites have an abundance of active sites capable of universal pH catalytic HER and OER activity. The CoMoNiS-NF-31 demonstrates the best electrocatalytic activity, giving ultralow overpotentials (113, 103, and 117 mV for HER and 166, 228, and 405 mV for OER) to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in alkaline, acidic, and neutral electrolytes, respectively. It also shows a remarkable balance between electrocatalytic activity and stability. Based on the distinguished catalytic performance of CoMoNiS-NF-31 toward HER and OER, we demonstrate a two-electrode electrolyzer performing water electrolysis over a wide pH range, with low cell voltages of 1.54, 1.45, and 1.80 V at 10 mA cm-2 in alkaline, acidic, and neutral media, respectively. First-principles calculations suggest that the high OER activity arises from electron transfer from Co9S8 to MoS2 at the interface, which alters the binding energies of adsorbed species and decreases overpotentials. Our results demonstrate that hierarchical metal sulfides can serve as highly efficient all-pH (pH = 0-14) electrocatalysts for overall water splitting.

A systematic theoretically study is performed for violet phosphorus monolayer nanosheet with the objective of improving its photocatalytic activity in water splitting under visible light by isoelectronic elements (N, As, Sb, and Bi) doping and strain engineering. The results show that compared with N-, As-, and Sb-doping, the introduced Bi impurity can effectively enhance visible light absorption efficiency. By applying an in-layer strain for Bi-doping violet phosphorene, the modulation of band edges further narrows the band gap. In particular, for compressive strain, the absorption extends into the overall visible region, greatly increasing the visible light absorption efficiency, which could be attributed to the significant reduced band gap and highly dispersive electronic states around the topmost valence band. Moreover, the band alignments for Bi-doped violet phosphorus monolayer are well positioned for the feasibility of both photo-oxidation and photo-reduction of water within the range of 0 to −3% biaxial strains and 0 to −7% uniaxial strains. Hence, compressive strained Bi-doped violet phosphorus monolayer can be a promising metal-free photocatalyst for water splitting owing to its improved visible light activity as well as the high carrier mobility.

Titania (TiO2) is a material of choice for energy-related applications, such as photovoltaics and photocatalysis. The presence of a large band gap and fast electron–hole recombination occurring in the lattice significantly reduce the material's quantum efficiency, and therefore limit industrial-scale applications. In this article, we investigate whether silicene can be a viable substrate for TiO2 nanostructures in photocatalytic applications. Calculations based on density functional theory find a strong electronic coupling between silicene and oxide nanostructures. Electron transfer from silicene to the nanostructures results in the production of active photoreduction sites involving Ti3+ ions in the system. The hybrid TiO2/silicene system also exhibits modification of optical characteristics with the capability of absorbing light in the visible range and spatially separating charges, thus displaying superior photocatalytic activity relative to pristine TiO2 for energy-related applications.

Bimetallic catalysts are attractive alternatives to extend the parameter space that can be tuned for support interactions and catalytic performance. In this study, we have investigated the smallest bimetallic catalysts—dimers—supported on defective graphene for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CH4 based on a first-principles approach and the computational hydrogen electrode model. The monometallic and bimetallic dimers formed from Group 10 (Ni, Pd, Pt) and group 11 (Cu, Ag, Au) elements are characterized by a positively charged anchoring atom occupying the vacancy site of graphene and a neutral or slightly negatively charged antenna atom sticking out from the graphene surface. The strong selective binding of these dimers ensures their high stability. Possible rate-limiting steps are identified from the full reaction pathways to generate CH4. Overall, Pt2, AgNi, Pd2, and AgPt are the best candidates with the lowest overpotential values of 0.37, 0.69, 0.69, and 0.76 V, respectively. It is found that ...

ObjectivesTo describe pathogens distribution and their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of neonatal bloodstream infections (BSIs) at 25 NICUs in eastern China, 2016-2019.Study designWe conducted a multicentre retrospective descriptive analysis of all positive blood cultures collected at 25 NICUs of tertiary hospitals between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2019. ResultsFrom 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2019, a total of 1092 pathogenic bacteria isolates were met inclusion criteria among 66516 specimens. 349 (32%) isolates were responsible for early-onset sepsis (EOS), 702 (64.2%) hospital-acquired late-onset sepsis (HALOS), and 41(3.8%) community-acquired late-onset sepsis (CALOS). The majority isolates causing EOS (198/349, 56.7%) and HALOS (437/702, 62.2%) were gram-negative bacteria; The most frequent pathogens causing EOS were Escherichia coli (95/349, 27.2) and group B streptococcus (GBS; 51/349, 14.6%). E coli were primarily identified among preterm infants (58/95, 61.1%) with GBS primarily among term infants (43/51, 84.3%). GBS and Staphylococcus aureus were responsible for 46.3% (19/36) and 41.5% (17/36) of episodes of CALOS. Isolates causing HALOS were more often resistant than isolates causing EOS and CALOS. K. pneumoniae (196/702, 27.9%) as the most common isolates responsible for HALOS were more likely to be resistant to third-generation cephalosporins (124/196, 63.3%), gentamicin (41/196, 20.9%) and carbapenem (26/196, 13.3%). Conclusions Escherichia coli, K. pneumonia and GBS were the most common pathogens in EOS, HALOS and CALOS, respectively. High AMR in K. pneumoniae causing HALOS warrants continued study and devise measures to prevent it in low-income and middle-income countries.

Based on the numerical analysis that covariance exhibits superior statistical precision than cumulant and variance, a new SOFI algorithm by calculating the n orders covariance for each pixel is presented with an almost 2 n -fold resolution improvement, which can be enhanced to 2n via deconvolution. An optimized deconvolution is also proposed by calculating the (n + 1) order SD associated with each n order covariance pixel, and introducing the results into the deconvolution as a damping factor to suppress noise generation. Moreover, a re-deconvolution of the covariance image with the covariance-equivalent point spread function is used to further increase the final resolution by above 2-fold. Simulated and experimental results show that this algorithm can significantly increase the temporal-spatial resolution of SOFI, meanwhile, preserve the sample's structure. Thus, a resolution of 58 nm is achieved for 20 experimental images, and the corresponding acquisition time is 0.8 seconds.

In order to clarify the regulation of granule cell stimulating factor (GCSF) on granulosa cells, we studied the effect of GCSF on proliferation and apoptosis of in vitro cultured granulosa cells for research on GCSF used in sheep reproduction and breeding. Sheep GCSF protein was prokaryotic expressed and purified. Its bio-activity was measured with M-NSF60 cells. The purified GCSF was added in cell culture medium in experiment groups with non-added as control. Alarmarblue was used to measure cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycles and apoptosis. Sheep GCSF could be expressed and purified. Cell activity increased with GCSF concentration from 0.06 to 600 ng/mL at 24 h and 48 h. Cell cycles were significantly different between experiment and control groups at 24 h. Cell ratio of S was significantly reduced (P0.05) and G2/M phase significantly increased (P0.05). The apoptosis ratio of experiment group was significantly reduced (P0.05) at 48 h. In conclusion, GCSF could enhance cell proliferation, inhibit apoptosis, and regulate cell cycles on in vitro cultured sheep granulosa cells.文中旨在研究粒细胞集落刺激因子 (Granule cell stimulating factor，GCSF) 对绵羊颗粒细胞体外培养过程中细胞增殖和凋亡的影响，明确GCSF 对绵羊颗粒细胞生存的调节作用，为今后该蛋白用于羊繁育方面的研究奠定基础。原核克隆表达纯化羊GCSF 蛋白，纯化的蛋白用M-NSF60 细胞检测生物学活性，将纯化的GCSF 添加到颗粒细胞培养基中作为试验组，以培养基中未添加GCSF 的细胞为对照，利用 Alarmarblue 检测细胞增殖情况，流式细胞仪检测细胞周期和凋亡的变化。结果表明，羊GCSF 可以原核表达并纯化，并且具有生物学活性。在24 h 和48 h 时，在0.06–600 ng/mL 的范围内随着加入GCSF 的终浓度增加，细胞活力升高。试验组颗粒细胞体外培养24 h 后，与阴性对照相比，细胞周期的分布显著改变，S 期细胞比例显著减少 (P0.05)，G2/M 期细胞比例显著增多 (P0.05)。试验组凋亡率和对照组相比，48 h检测时凋亡率显著降低 (P0.05)。综上表明，GCSF 在体外培养的绵羊颗粒细胞中，可调控绵羊颗粒细胞周期，促进细胞增殖，抑制细胞凋亡。.

Fat tail is one of the most important domesticated characteristics in sheep; however its molecular mechanism is poorly understood. Here we took small-tailed F2 hybrid of wild Argali sheep and typical fat-tailed Bashby sheep as research object. First, histological analysis revealed that the mean diameter and area in tail and subcutaneous fat cells, and surface density in tail fat in Bashby sheep were significantly larger than that in F2 sheep, and surface density of fat in subcutaneous fat in Bashby sheep was significantly lower than that in F2 sheep. Second, 873 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of tail fat between Bashby and F2 sheep were identified by RNA-seq. Third, the tissue expression profile and relative expression difference between Bashby and F2 sheep of 7 of 873 DEGs were analyzed by RT-PCR. SCD, ESR1, EMR1, PHYH, STAT3 and GPAM genes were highly expressed in fat, muscle and liver, and ALDH1A1 were highly expressed in small intestine. In addition, the expressions of SCD, PHYH and CPAM genes in tail fat of F2 sheep were lower than that of Bashby sheep, while the expression patterns of ESR1 and EMR1 were reversed. Our findings will not only help understand molecular mechanism of fat tail, but also provide theoretical material in sheep evolution.

We describe here the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a macrocyclic peptidomimetic as a potent agent targeting enterovirus A71 (EV71). The compound has a 15-membered macrocyclic ring in a defined conformation. Yamaguchi esterification reaction was used to close the 15-membered macrocycle instead of the typical Ru-catalyzed ring-closing olefin metathesis reaction. The crystallographic characterization of the complex between this compound and its target, 3C protease from EV71, validated the design and paved the way for the generation of a new series of anti-EV71 agents.

The poor activity and stability of electrode materials for the oxygen evolution reaction are the main bottlenecks in the water-splitting reaction for H2 production. Here, by studying the activity–stability trends for the oxygen evolution reaction on conductive M1OxHy, Fe–M1OxHy and Fe–M1M2OxHy hydr(oxy)oxide clusters (M1 = Ni, Co, Fe; M2 = Mn, Co, Cu), we show that balancing the rates of Fe dissolution and redeposition over a MOxHy host establishes dynamically stable Fe active sites. Together with tuning the Fe content of the electrolyte, the strong interaction of Fe with the MOxHy host is the key to controlling the average number of Fe active sites present at the solid/liquid interface. We suggest that the Fe–M adsorption energy can therefore serve as a reaction descriptor that unifies oxygen evolution reaction catalysis on 3d transition-metal hydr(oxy)oxides in alkaline media. Thus, the introduction of dynamically stable active sites extends the design rules for creating active and stable interfaces. Understanding what underpins the activity and stability of oxygen evolution catalysts is an ongoing issue in the field of water splitting. Now, researchers show that balancing the rate of Fe dissolution and deposition over a metal hydr(oxy)oxide host yields dynamically stable Fe active sites, with the Fe–host interaction key to the performance.

The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) regulates the maturation, proliferation, and differentiation of precursor cells of neutrophilic granulocytes, and has been widely studied in several species. To investigate the function of variants of sheep GCSF (sGCSF), this study compared difference in their mRNA expression levels. Both the activity and mRNA expression level of GCSFv2 were higher than those of GCSFv1. Their sequences were aligned, which showed that they had the highest homology with bovine GCSF. Then, predicted ovine GCSF isoforms and their constant C-terminals were cloned and expressed, which were stably expressed in mammalian cells. After purification, all GCSF functions were different both in vitro and in vivo, and the GCSF C-terminal was best. These results indicated that the ability to stimulate both the proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells and to activate the maturation of neutrophils could be used for research of efficacious non-antibiotic protein drugs. Furthermore, GCSF can be used as candidate target of genetic breeding to specifically improve sheep immunity.

A series of caspase inhibitors containing γ-amino acid moiety have been synthesized. A systemic study on their structure-activity relationship of anti-apoptotic cellular activity is presented. These efforts led to the discovery of compound 20o as a potent caspase inhibitor, which demonstrated preclinical ameliorating total bilirubin efficacy with a significantly improved pharmacokinetic profile.

The reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline has broad applications in chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The high reaction temperatures and pressures and unavoidable hazardous chemicals of current metal catalysts call for more environmentally friendly non-metal catalysts. In this study, the plausibility of silicene as a potential catalyst for nitrobenzene reduction is investigated with a focus on the distinct reaction mechanism based on the density functional theory. The direct reaction pathway was shown to be distinctly different from the Haber mechanism following PhNO2∗ → PhNO∗ → PhNHO∗ → PhNH2O∗ → PhNH2∗. The hydroxyl groups remain bound to silicene after aniline is formed and acquire a high activation barrier to remove.

Stimuli-responsive materials with switchable wettability for bidirectional oil-water separation show great potential in practical applications. Inspired by mussels, we use dopamine as an anchor molecule to construct a polydopamine (PDA) coating on the surface of copper foam (CF). Silver particles are deposited on the PDA coated surface to construct a multiscale composite structure, and the long-chain alkylthiol with carboxyl and methyl groups at the end is subsequently self-assembled to the modified copper foam surface. The as-modified copper foam has unique pH responsiveness, that is, the water contact angle (WCA) is measured to be about 140° under acidic and neutral conditions, while alkaline conditions radically change the surface property from superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic due to the measured WCA turning to 0°. It can be used efficiently for the bidirectional separation of an oil-water mixture, e.g., the separation efficiency of a 1,2-dichloroethane/water mixture can reach as high as 98.2%. Besides, it maintains 98% separation efficiency and stable wettability for an octane/water mixture, together with excellent mechanical durability; the WCA of the surface maintains at about 130° after ten wear cycles.