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Background: The floral scents of plants play a key role in plant reproduction through the communication between plants and pollinators. Aquilegia as a model species for studying evolution, however, there have been few studies on the floral scents and relationships between floral scents and pollination for Aquilegia taxa. Methods: In this study, three types of solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) fiber coatings (DVB/PDMS, CAR/PDMS, DVB/CAR/PDMS) were evaluated for their performance in extracting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from flowers of Aquilegia amurensis, which can contribute to the future studies of elucidating the role of floral scents in the pollination process. Results: In total, 55 VOCs were identified, and among them, 50, 47 and 45 VOCs were extracted by the DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber, CAR/PDMS fiber and DVB/PDMS fibers, respectively. Only 30 VOCs were detected in A. japonica taxa. Furthermore, the relative contents of 8 VOCs were significant different (VIP > 1 and p < 0.05) between the A. amurensis and A. japonica. Conclusions: The results can be applied in new studies of the relationships between the chemical composition of floral scents and the processes of attraction of pollinator. It may provide new ideas for rapid evolution and frequent interspecific hybridization of Aquilegia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic oscillations during the last glacial maximum (LGM) significantly affected the distribution patterns and genetic structure of extant plants. Northeast China (NEC) is a major biodiversity center in East Asia, and the influence of historical climate change on NEC populations is critical for understanding species responses to future climate change. However, only a few phylogeographic studies of cool temperate deciduous tree species have been conducted in the area, and results are inconsistent for species with different niches or distribution areas. We employed multiple chloroplast and nuclear markers to investigate the genetic structure of two ecologically contrasting species, Betula platyphylla and B. ermanii, in NEC. Rare haplotypes were identified in the chloroplast genome of these species, and both exhibited high levels of nucleotide diversity based on a fragment of the nuclear gene G3PDH and microsatellites. Moreover, significant phylogeographic structure was detected for B. platyphylla, suggesting that these populations had recolonized from independent glacial refuges, whereas no genetic structure was found for B. ermanii. OPEN RESEARCH BADGES: The nSSR datasets used in the current study and the table of pairwise FST (below diagonal) and its standardized F'ST (above diagonal) among 25 populations based on seven SSRs are available from the Dryad (DOI: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.230d176). Sequences generated from this study were deposited in GenBank under Accession nos. KY199568–KY200162 and MK819541–MK819970. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elucidating the mechanisms underlying the genetic divergence between closely related species is crucial to understanding the origin and evolution of biodiversity. The genus Aquilegia L. has undergone rapid adaptive radiation, generating about 70 well-recognized species that are specialized to distinct habitats and pollinators. In this study, to address the underlying evolutionary mechanisms that drive the genetic divergence, we analyzed the whole genomes of two ecologically isolated Aquilegia species, A. oxysepala and A. japonica as well as their putative hybrid. Our comparative genomic analyses reveal that while the two species diverged only recently and experienced recurrent gene flow, a high level of genetic divergence is observed in their nuclear genomes. In particular, candidate genomic regions that show signature of selection differ dramatically between the two species. Given that the splitting time of the two species is broadly matched with the decrease in effective population sizes, we propose that allopatric isolation together with natural selection have preceded the interspecific gene flow in the process of speciation. The observed high genetic divergence is likely an outcome of combined effects of natural selection, genetic drift and divergent sorting of ancestral polymorphisms. Our study provides a genome-wide view of how genetic divergence has evolved between closely related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of the Study: Acer (Aceraceae) is an important genus in forest ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere. In China, 151 species have been reported, and approximately 61 species are endemic. Thus, China is considered to host the greatest diversity of Acer, but markers are needed to evaluate the genetic structure and genetic diversity of these populations of wild Acer species. Methods and Results: Using an enriched genomic library, we developed and characterized 15 microsatellite primers for A. triflorum, 10 of which were polymorphic. The number of alleles varied from one to nine. The levels of observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity per locus ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and 0.000 to 0.826, respectively. Most primers also successfully amplified in A. ginnala, A. griseum, A. mandshuricum, A. pseudosieboldianum, A. sinopurpurascens, A. tegmentosum, and A. ukurunduense. Conclusions: These markers from A. triflorum will provide an opportunity to study genetic diversity and genetic structure in the genus Acer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In lithium-ion batteries (LIB), cobalt oxide is considered an ideal anode material because of its theoretical specific capacity of up to 890 mAh g−1, abundant resources, and low price. However, the volume expansion during the charging and discharging process and its lower conductivity have hindered its development. In this work, a metal-organic framework (MOF) was used as an initial template, encapsulated in graphene aerogels (GA) by hydrothermal and programmed temperature-controlled annealing and eventually formed into Co 3 O 4 microcubes@GA composite. GA acts as a three-dimensional conductive network and mechanical skeleton, providing high electrical conductivity and structural stability to the composites. Moreover, the precursor's high porosity and stable structure are retained after annealing treatment. As an anode, the best long cycle life of Co 3 O 4 microcubes@GA was achieved when the graphene oxide (GO) concentration was 3.0 mg ml−1, reaching 1234.9 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 1 A g−1 with a coulomb efficiency (CE) of 98.97%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural selection is thought to be a driving force that can cause the evolution of reproductive isolation. The genus Aquilegia is a model system to address how natural selection promotes the process of speciation., Morphological differences between A. oxysepala, A. japonica and their hybrids were quantified for two vegetative (plant height and leaf area) and three floral morphological (sepal area, corolla length and diameter) traits. We also evaluated the genetic variability of the two species and their hybrids based on two chloroplast (1225 bp), four nuclear (5811 bp) genes and 15 microsatellites., Our results revealed that differentiation of A. japonica and A. oxysepala at the ecological and morphological levels also involved divergence at the genetic level. In addition, the analysis of nucleotide variation patterns showed that the two species possessed numerous fixation sites at nuclear genes gAA4, gA7 and gAA12. Furthermore, we found that all of the phenotypic hybrids also showed a genetically admixed ancestry., These findings suggest that natural selection has indeed facilitated the formation of distinct genetic variation patterns in the two Aquilegia species and habitat adaptation has been driving the ecologically based evolution of reproductive isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cultivated bananas are large, vegetatively-propagated members of the genus Musa. More than 1,000 cultivars are grown worldwide and they are major economic and food resources in numerous developing countries. It has been suggested that cultivated bananas originated from the islands of Southeast Asia (ISEA) and have been developed through complex geodomestication pathways. However, the maternal and parental donors of most cultivars are unknown, and the pattern of nucleotide diversity in domesticated banana has not been fully resolved. Methodology/Principal Findings: We studied the genetics of 16 cultivated and 18 wild Musa accessions using two single-copy nuclear (granule-bound starch synthase I, GBSS I, also known as Waxy, and alcohol dehydrogenase 1, Adh1) and two chloroplast (maturase K, matK, and the trnL-F gene cluster) genes. The results of phylogenetic analyses showed that all A-genome haplotypes of cultivated bananas were grouped together with those of ISEA subspecies of M. acuminata (A-genome). Similarly, the B- and S-genome haplotypes of cultivated bananas clustered with the wild species M. balbisiana (B-genome) and M. schizocarpa (S-genome), respectively. Notably, it has been shown that distinct haplotypes of each cultivar (A-genome group) were nested together to different ISEA subspecies M. acuminata. Analyses of nucleotide polymorphism in the Waxy and Adh1 genes revealed that, in comparison to the wild relatives, cultivated banana exhibited slightly lower nucleotide diversity both across all sites and specifically at silent sites. However, dramatically reduced nucleotide diversity was found at nonsynonymous sites for cultivated bananas. Conclusions/Significance: Our study not only confirmed the origin of cultivated banana as arising from multiple intra- and inter-specific hybridization events, but also showed that cultivated banana may have not suffered a severe genetic bottleneck during the domestication process. Importantly, our findings suggested that multiple maternal origins and a reduction in nucleotide diversity at nonsynonymous sites are general attributes of cultivated bananas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Both conversion of interface and polymerization of polymer matrix occur in situ after a simple liquid injection process. • Cosolvent sulfolane acts as a plasticizer and significantly increases ionic conductivity and ion migration of the system. • The quasi solid electrolyte shows excellent capacity in rate performance and 5C fast charging. The practical application of lithium metal batteries with high energy density are difficult to apply due to the problem of uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth with commercial liquid electrolytes. Herein, we designed a poly 1,3-dioxolane (PDOL) based quasi solid polymer electrolyte with in-situ polymerization. A small amount of lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) provides cationic initiation center for the polymerization of dioxolane (DOL). Sulfolane (SL) were further introduced into the system as a cosolvent and the ionic conductivity was increased to 3.22 × 10-4 S cm-1followed with a high Li+ transfer number of 0.73 at room temperature. Trace amount of SbF 3 was introduced to form a robustness inorganic-rich hybrid interface that reduces the decomposition of electrolyte components and retards the formation of lithium dendrites during cycling. The superior rate performance and stable 5C long cycle performance are obtained in LiFePO 4 ||Li full cell owing to the interaction between Li+, SL and PDOL. This work expands the choice of components in quasi solid electrolytes to manufacture qualified LMBs with enhanced performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Both Cu 3 Si and NC of Si@Cu 3 Si-Cu@NC are formed during the carbonization of dopamine. • Core-double shell structured Si@Cu3Si-Cu@NC nanoparticles can effectively enhance the stability of Si-based anode. • Si@Cu3Si-Cu@NC nanoparticles shows a high performance (1105.5 mAh/g) under 5A/g as LIB anode. Silicon based anode material is regarded as a promising candidate for Lithium ionic batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical specific capacity. Nevertheless, the capacity degradation triggered by high volume expansion has seriously hindered its application in LIBs. Herein, a novel structure of core–shell structured Si@Cu 3 Si-Cu nanoparticles coated by N -doped carbon (Si@Cu 3 Si-Cu@NC) is designed and synthesized via a two-step thermal reduction process. In this design, the copper shell and N -doped carbon can significantly limit and accommodate the volume change of Si during cycling. The in-situ formation of Cu 3 Si at the interface further improves the structural stability. The doping of N in carbon is conducive to the rapid transmission of electrons and ions as well as optimizes the electrochemical performance of the material. Therefore, the optimized Si@Cu 3 Si-Cu@NC nanocomposite anode shows prominent rate performance and delivers a reversible capacity of 1105.5 mAh/g after 100 cycles at a high current density of 5 A/g, which exhibits the great potential of the nanocomposite as high-performance LIBs anode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In reproductive-aged women, the incidence of atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) or endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC) is rising globally. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of hysteroscopic curettage followed by megestrol acetate (MA) plus metformin as conservative treatment in AEH and early EEC. Methods: We retrospectively studied AEH and stage IA, grade 1 EEC patients treated with hysteroscopic curettage followed by MA (160 mg/d) plus metformin (1500 mg/d) from January 2010 to December 2020 at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Treatment outcomes were assessed by complete response (CR) rate, recurrence rate, and pregnancy outcomes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed via the logistic regression model. Results: The study included 79 patients, 31 (39.2%) with AEH and 48 (60.8%) with EEC. The medians of age (years) and follow-up time (months) were 30 and 39.5, respectively. Seventy-six patients (96.2%) finally achieved CR. The median time to CR was 3.6 (3.0-20.6) months. The CR rate after 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year was 55 (69.6%), 67 (84.8%), and 72 (91.1%), respectively. Recurrence occurred in 26 (34.2%) patients. Treatment duration ⩾9 months was associated with a lower recurrence rate after CR (P =.012). Fourteen (93.3%) of the 15 recurrent patients who received progestin re-treatment achieved CR again. Finally, 29 patients delivered live births. Conclusions: Hysteroscopy followed by MA plus metformin can achieve CR in short time and is overall safe. Consolidation treatment should be prolonged to decrease the recurrence rate, despite a shorter time to CR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • MXene provides a robust conducting network via the self-assembly route. • Heterogeneous interface motivates fast ion/electron transport channels. • Stable structure remains even under high current charging and discharging. • VS 4 /SnS 2 @MXene performs superbly in both half and full cells. Designing and constructing electrochemically reversible and stable anode materials is crucial in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Presently, the unsatisfactory transport kinetics still limits its further commercial applications. Therefore, scientific structural optimization and surface modification are urgently needed to solve this puzzle. Herein, bimetallic sulfides with heterostructure confined in MXene nanosheets (VS 4 /SnS 2 @MXene) are successfully synthesized. The distinguished electrochemical properties combined with the theory calculation confirm that the establishment of the heterogeneous interface effectively speeds up the transit of ions and electrons, enhancing the reaction kinetics of the electrode. In addition, the flexible MXene boosts the conductivity of the electrodes while mitigating volume expansion. Surprisingly, LIBs can attain an acceptable capacity of 898 mA h g−1 at 5 A/g. Additionally, a full cell with the VS 4 /SnS 2 @MXene anode has a thrilling reversible capacity of 125 mA h g−1 at 0.5 C. Furthermore, it performs better in SIBs (187 mA h g−1 at 5 A/g) as well. An innovative idea for producing metal sulfide anode materials is presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The novel Fe 3 O 4 /GON/CA-CDP composite was prepared. • The Fe 3 O 4 /GON/CA-CDP composite exhibited good MB adsorption ability and magnetism. • The MB adsorption of composite obeyed Sips model and intraparticle diffusion model. A novel composite basing on the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle, the graphite oxide nanosheet (GON), and the citric acid-crosslinked β-cyclodextrin polymer (CA-CDP) was prepared for the purpose of removing the methylene blue (MB) dye from water. The structure of the resultant Fe 3 O 4 /GON/CA-CDP composite was investigated by the scanning electron microscope, the two dimensional EDS mapping, the thermal gravimetric analyzer, the Fourier transform infrared spectroscope, the wide angle X-ray diffraction, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscope, and the zeta potential measurement. The Fe 3 O 4 /GON/CA-CDP composite not only had a good MB adsorption capacity of 173 mg/g but also a high saturation magnetization of 36.4 emu/g. It was found that the MB adsorption capacity of the Fe 3 O 4 /GON/CA-CDP composite increased with the increasing initial MB solution pH value especially in the low-pH-value range. Moreover, the MB adsorption mechanism, the MB adsorption isotherm, and the MB adsorption kinetic of the Fe 3 O 4 /GON/CA-CDP composite were investigated. It was found that 1) the good adsorption ability of the Fe 3 O 4 /GON/CA-CDP composite for the MB dye originated from the electrostatic attraction, the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction, the host-guest supramolecular interaction and the π-π interaction, and 2) the MB adsorption isotherm and the MB adsorption kinetic of the Fe 3 O 4 /GON/CA-CDP composite could be well explained by the Sips model and the intraparticle diffusion model, correspondingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new algorithm for the error correction of scanning positions in ptychographic microscopy. Since the scanning positions are varied mechanically by moving the illuminating probes laterally, the scanning errors will accumulate at multiple positions, greatly reducing the reconstruction quality of a sample. To correct the scanning errors, we use the correlation analysis for the diffractive data combining with the additional constraint of dual wavelengths. This significantly improves the quality of ptychographic microscopy. Optical experiments verify the proposed algorithm for two samples including a resolution target and a fibroblast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New-type, morphology controllable ZnSe/CoSe 2 @PDA composite was synthesized as anode via a simple annealing method. • ZnSe/CoSe 2 @PDA can efficiently cope with volumetric expansion of electrode materials during the cyclic process. • ZnSe/CoSe 2 @PDA possesses outstanding electrochemical performance and excellent structural stability in SIBs/PIBs. Benefiting from the enriched resources and satisfactory electrochemical performance, sodium/potassium ion batteries (SIBs/PIBs) are attracting significant attention and promising to be an ideal energy storage alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Transition metal selenides are regarded as ideal anodes on account of their high theoretical capacity. Yet the weak reaction kinetics and the volume expansion still hinder its further development. Reasonable structural design and surface optimization are commonly used to address this challenge. Herein, a yolk-shell heterostructured bimetallic selenide derived from metal-organic framework (MOF) and confined in polydopamine plastic layer (ZnSe/CoSe 2 @PDA) is successfully synthesized. The unique structure and the polydopamine layer can release internal stress during the cycling process and effectively relieve the volume expansion. The construction of heterostructure can bring abundant active energy storage sites for Na+/ K + while shortening the diffusion paths of ions/electrons, thereby accelerating the reaction kinetics. Consequently, the ZnSe/CoSe 2 @PDA electrode exhibits an extremely high capacity of 914 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 in SIBs. Furthermore, it also possesses 182 mA h g−11 at 1 A g−1 after 250 cycles in PIBs. This strategy significantly increases the energy density of the anodes. Providing a new way for metal selenide anodes toward high-performance SIBs/PIBs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cope with volume expansion, poor silicon conductivity and capacity decay due to solid electrolyte interface rupture, rational design of silicon negative electrode is an effective means to cope with the above challenges. We designed a graphene confined Si@Cu core-shell structure (Si@Cu@rGO) as integrated anode, in which the copper shell on the Si nanosurface enhances the electronic conductivity between the silicon particles and graphene. Meanwhile, the flexibility of the copper shell and graphene help suppress the change of electrode morphology during cycling and keep good contact between electrode material and collector. The graphene cladding not only effectively prevents the aggregation of Si@Cu nanoparticles, but also provides enough space for the expansion of silicon during lithiation, while the three-dimensional redox graphene layer builds a conductive structure that accelerates the reaction kinetics of the cell. Thanks to this design, Si@Cu@rGO has a satisfactory electrochemical performance. After 70 cycles in the rate performance test, the specific capacity of Si@Cu@rGO reached 2243.1 mAh g−1. [Display omitted] • Si@Cu@rGO anode material facilitates electron migration. • Si@Cu@rGO composites can effectively buffer the volume expansion during battery operation. • Dual confinement of copper shell and graphene network gives the anode excellent electrochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic oscillations during the last glacial maximum (LGM) have played important roles in the distributions and genetic structures of extant species. Here, we investigated the population structure of a deciduous shrub species, Rhododendron dauricum L., across its current geographic distribution in northeastern China based on six chloroplast regions ( trnS-trnfM, trnL-ndhJ, rpoC1-rpoB, trnS-trnG, trnH-psbA, and trnK-matK). A total of 11 haplotypes were identified. The results showed a significant geographic distribution pattern ( NST > GST p < 0.01) in northeastern China. In addition, our results showed that there were high levels of genetic diversity in R. dauricum and that more than 70% of the genetic variability was distributed among groups. Furthermore, results from the neutrality test failed to identify population expansion at the whole-species level. These findings together suggested that R. dauricum shows spatial genetic structure and that the LGM has had profound impacts on the geographic distribution and genetic variability of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of curettage with hysteroscopy followed by megestrol acetate (MA) for well-differentiated endometrioid carcinoma (EC) confined to the endometrium and for atypical hyperplasia (AH) in young women. Patients and methods: Fourteen patients with EC and 12 patients with AH were prospectively enrolled in this study. All of the patients received at least 12 weeks of oral MA (160 mg/day) following thorough curettage with hysteroscopy. The response was assessed histologically every 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the complete response rate. Adverse events, pregnancy rates and recurrence rates were secondary end points. Results: Twenty-one (80.8 %) patients responded to treatment. The median time to response was 12 weeks. After a median follow-up of 32 months, 6 patients had recurrences. Significantly, more patients with infertility or PCOS experienced recurrence ( P = 0.040, P = 0.015). Eight patients attempted to conceive after complete response; two spontaneous conceptions and one normal delivery were achieved. No disease-related or treatment-related deaths were observed. Conclusions: Fertility-sparing treatment with MA following entirely hysteroscopic curettage is effective, demonstrating the least toxicity for rigorously selected young women with well-differentiated EC confined to the endometrium or with AH; however, close follow-up is required for the potential consequences of improper patient selection and a substantial rate of recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]