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The solar-driven interfacial evaporation （SDIE） can efficiently convert liquid water into steam using solar energy， providing a foundation for the development of eco-friendly and cost-effective freshwater production technologies. The photothermal material is the key platform for energy conversion， and the generated heat can be directly used for evaporation. In recent years， significant efforts have been made to enhance the efficiency of solar-driven water evaporation. Numerous innovative solar-thermal materials have been employed to achieve controlled and efficient solar-thermal conversion to meet energy-water challenges ranging from the microscale to the molecular level. On this basis， the latest research progress in carbon-based photothermal materials for SDIE technology is reviewed， focusing on the design， synthesis， and application of graphene， carbon nanotubes， natural plant-based carbon materials， carbon-based composite materials， and other photothermal materials that are currently widely used in the field of SDIE. Research findings related to the evaporation water collection rate were summarized. This aims to provide a reference for designing low-cost， efficient light absorption， chemical stability， and reusable and broad-spectrum absorption SDIE devices for off-grid desalination. Finally， the future development prospects of carbon-based materials for SDIE combined with artificial intelligence， power generation， sterilization， and all-weather operation are envisioned， to achieve eco-friendly， efficient， and multi-purpose water treatment and purification technologies.

As the problem of global environmental pollution becomes more and more serious, freshwater resources are increasingly scare, desalination has become a research hotspot. The traditional desalination energy consumption is high, solar interface evaporation technology can directly use renewable energy, which is clean and environmentally friendly. It is an environmentally friendly off-grid desalination process that can achieve the goals of reducing the cost of seawater desalination and zero carbon emissions. The research significance and prospects of off-grid desalination technology, the basic connotation of solar interface evaporation technology, and various efficient photothermal conversion materials were introduced. Photothermal conversion materials mainly included photothermal carbon materials, metals and oxides, polymer materials and its related materials. Various interface evaporation desalination processes driven by solar energy were summarized, mainly including solar interface multi-stage flash evaporation and multi-effect distillation technology, membrane distillation technology, greenhouse seawater desalination technology, solar humidification and dehumidification technology, and multi energy coupling desalination technology. Finally, the future research directions of utilizing solar interface evaporation technology for off-grid desalination were discussed in response to current global environmental and energy problems.

Legumes are important grains and forages, providing high-quality proteins, vitamins, and micronutrients to humans and animals. Medicago truncatula is a close relative of alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT), a key gene that is identified to be essential for melatonin synthesis, plays a significant role in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. However, a systematic study on the COMT gene family in M. truncatula has still not been reported. In this study, 63 MtCOMT genes were identified and categorized into three groups. Gene structure and conserved motif analyses revealed the relative conservation of closely clustered MtCOMTs within each group. Duplicated events in MtCOMT members were identified, and segmental duplication was the main mean. Cis-acting element prediction revealed the involvement of MtCOMTs in growth and development and response to light, stress, and plant hormones. RNA-seq data analysis showed that 57 MtCOMTs varied under salt and drought stresses. The RT-qPCR expression patterns showed that MtCOMT9, MtCOMT13, MtCOMT22, MtCOMT24, MtCOMT43, and MtCOMT46 were related to salt and drought responses in M. truncatula. Additionally, Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing MtCOMT13 displayed superior plant growth phenotypes and enhanced tolerance to salt and drought stresses through higher photosynthetic parameters and activities of antioxidant enzymes, which indicated that MtCOMT13 played an important role in positively regulating plant salt and drought tolerance. These findings contribute to an improved understanding of MtCOMTs' roles in abiotic stress responses in M. truncatula, providing an important theoretical basis and genetic resource for legume species resistance breeding in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature is the most common abiotic factor that usually occurs during the seed germination of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). However, the potential regulatory mechanisms involved in alfalfa seed germination under low temperature stress are still ambiguous. Therefore, to determine the relevant key genes and pathways, the phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses of low-temperature sensitive (Instict) and low-temperature tolerant (Sardi10) alfalfa were conducted at 6 and 15 h of seed germination under normal (20 °C) and low (10 °C) temperature conditions. Germination phenotypic results showed that Sardi10 had the strongest germination ability under low temperatures, which was manifested by the higher germination-related indicators. Further transcriptome analysis indicated that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in galactose metabolism and carbon metabolism pathways, which were the most commonly enriched in two alfalfa genotypes. Additionally, fatty acid metabolism and glutathione metabolism pathways were preferably enriched in Sardi10 alfalfa. The Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) suggested that genes were closely related to galactose metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and glutathione metabolism in Sardi10 alfalfa at the module with the highest correlation (6 h of germination under low temperature). Finally, qRT-PCR analysis further validated the related genes involved in the above pathways, which might play crucial roles in regulating seed germination of alfalfa under low temperature conditions. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of seed germination underlying the low temperature stress in alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new cell culture system expressing the entire HCV genorne has been established in vitro. To initiate transcription of HCV RNA, HeLa cells were transfected with a recombinant plasmid containing full-length HCV cDNA genome by using lipofectamine 2000, followed by infection with recombinant vaccinia virus vTF7-3 containing the T7 RNA polymerase gene. Synthesis of positive-strand HCV RNA could be detected in the transfected cells by RT-PCR. Western blot analysis revealed that HCV structural and non-structural proteins were correctly processed. In transfected HeLa cells 47 nm virus-like particles were assembled, which could be recognized by anti-HCV E2 antibodies. The titer of HCV was 107 copies/mL in our cell culture system, which was significantly higher than that of infected patients' sera and that from all reported cell culture systems. Supernatant from transfected HeLa cells were infectious to Huh7 cells and the titer of HCV was 106 copies/mL. Moreover, negative-strand RNA of HCV in Huh7 cells could be detected by using strand-specific RT-PCR, which demonstrated that replication of HCV occurred in the permissive cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]