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Herein, we show that P-doped Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets can effectively catalyze the NO3RR-to-NH3 conversion with a high faradaic efficiency of 95% and a yield rate of 5.39 mg h−1 mgcat.−1. Moreover, the catalyst achieves an impressive high current density of −1200 mA cm−2 at a low potential of −1.51 V, accompanied by an NH3 productivity of 123.5 mg h−1 mgcat.−1. Theoretical calculations further reveal that phosphorous dopants facilitate the adsorption and activation of reactants/intermediates and thus lower the energy barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon‐based anode has high theoretical capacity but suffers from poor electrical conductivity, large volume expansion, and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Adding carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon coatings are both very effective methods for addressing the above issues. The intrinsic sp2 covalent structure endows CNTs with excellent electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and chemical stability, which makes them suitable for various energy storage applications, such as in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Apart from the conductive network, CNTs can serve as current collectors, mechanical probes, and mechanical frameworks, and they have potential in the construction of next‐generation battery architectures. Carbon coatings are mixed ionic‐electronic conductors with good chemical stability that provide mechanical support and mitigate the volume expansion of Si‐based materials. This review outlines the advances in CNTs and carbon coatings as conductive networks in Si‐based anodes, as well as insights into their future development. It provides an in‐depth analysis of the percolation and mechanical mechanism of conductive networks, highlights the importance of flexible long‐range conductivity, and decouples the relationships between stress, interface stability, and electron/ion transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity in the petal morphology of chrysanthemums makes this species an excellent model for investigating the regulation mechanisms of petal size. However, our understanding of the molecular regulation of petal growth in chrysanthemums remains limited. The GASA (gibberellic acid [GA]-stimulated Arabidopsis) protein plays a significant role in various aspects of plant growth and development. Previous studies have indicated that GEG (a gerbera homolog of the gibberellin-stimulated transcript 1 [GAST1] from tomato) is involved in regulating ray petal growth by inhibiting cell expansion in gerberas. In this study, we successfully cloned the GASA family gene from chrysanthemums, naming it CmGEG, which shares 81.4% homology with GEG. Our spatiotemporal expression analysis revealed that CmGEG is expressed in all tissues, with the highest expression levels observed in the ray florets, particularly during the later stages of development. Through transformation experiments, we demonstrated that CmGEG inhibits petal elongation in chrysanthemums. Further observations indicated that CmGEG restricts cell elongation in the top, middle, and basal regions of the petals. To investigate the relationship between CmGEG and GA in petal growth, we conducted a hormone treatment assay using detached chrysanthemum petals. Our results showed that GA promotes petal elongation while downregulating CmGEG expression. In conclusion, the constrained growth of chrysanthemum petals may be attributed to the inhibition of cell elongation by CmGEG, a process regulated by GA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An excessive proliferation of skin fibroblasts usually results in different skin fibrotic diseases. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is regarded as an important endogenous gasotransmitter with various functions. The study aimed to investigate the roles and mechanisms of H2S on primary mice skin fibroblasts proliferation. Cell proliferation and collagen synthesis were assessed with the expression of α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Collagen I and Collagen III. The degree of oxidative stress was evaluated by dihydroethidium (DHE) and MitoSOX staining. Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) was detected by JC‐1 staining. Necroptosis was evaluated with TDT‐mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) and expression of receptor‐interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), RIPK3 and mixed lineage kinase domain‐like protein (MLKL). The present study found that α‐SMA, PCNA, Collagen I and Collagen III expression were increased, oxidative stress was promoted, ΔΨm was impaired and positive rate of TUNEL staining, RIPK1 and RIPK3 expression as well as MLKL phosphorylation were all enhanced in skin fibroblasts from cystathionine γ‐lyase (CSE) knockout (KO) mice or transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1, 10 ng/mL)‐stimulated mice skin fibroblasts, which was restored by exogenous sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS, 50 μmol/L). In conclusion, endogenous H2S production impairment in CSE‐deficient mice accelerated skin fibroblasts proliferation via promoted necroptosis, which was attenuated by exogenous H2S. Exogenous H2S supplement alleviated proliferation of skin fibroblasts with TGF‐β1 stimulation via necroptosis inhibition. This study provides evidence for H2S as a candidate agent to prevent and treat skin fibrotic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Influence of interface conductive network on ionic transport and mechanical stability under fast charging is explored for the first time. The mitigation of interface polarization is precisely revealed by the combination of 2D modeling simulation and Cryo-TEM observation, which can be attributed to a higher fraction formation of conductive inorganic species in bilayer SEI, and primarily contributes to a linear decrease in ionic diffusion energy barrier. The improved stress dissipation presented by AFM and Raman shift is critical for the linear reduction in electrode residual stress and thickness swelling. Progress in the fast charging of high-capacity silicon monoxide (SiO)-based anode is currently hindered by insufficient conductivity and notable volume expansion. The construction of an interface conductive network effectively addresses the aforementioned problems; however, the impact of its quality on lithium-ion transfer and structure durability is yet to be explored. Herein, the influence of an interface conductive network on ionic transport and mechanical stability under fast charging is explored for the first time. 2D modeling simulation and Cryo-transmission electron microscopy precisely reveal the mitigation of interface polarization owing to a higher fraction of conductive inorganic species formation in bilayer solid electrolyte interphase is mainly responsible for a linear decrease in ionic diffusion energy barrier. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy and Raman shift exhibit substantial stress dissipation generated by a complete conductive network, which is critical to the linear reduction of electrode residual stress. This study provides insights into the rational design of optimized interface SiO-based anodes with reinforced fast-charging performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a daily consumable, wet wipes are mostly synthetic fibers, which are incinerated or landfilled after use. The nanoplastics generated during this process will lead to environmental pollution. The application of flushable wet wipes, which are dispersible and fully degradable, is of great significance. The main raw material for flushable wipes is wood pulp, which has a long growth cycle and high cost. Corn is widely planted and has a short growth cycle. Currently most corn stalk is treated by incineration, which produces a lot of smoke that pollutes the environment. Therefore, using corn stalk as the raw material for flushable wet wipes, replacing wood pulp, is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. In this study, aiming at industrial production, we explored the full process of producing flushable wet wipes from corn stalk to pulp board, then to the final wipes. The corn stalk was treated using alkali and a bleaching agent to obtain corn stalk pulp, which was then made into pulp board through the nonwoven wet-laid process. The optimal parameters for the alkali treatment and bleaching were obtained. The properties of the corn stalk pulp board were compared with the commercial wood pulp board. Further, we mixed the corn stalk pulp with Lyocell fiber to prepare wet-laid webs, which were then bonded using a chemical binder poloxamer. Then, the evenness of the web, mechanical properties, absorption, and dispersibility of the flushable wipes were characterized. Results showed that the pulp obtained using the optimal treatment process has a high yield and better whiteness. The properties of the corn stalk pulp board are comparable with the commercial wood pulp board, which can therefore potentially be replaced by the corn stalk board prepared in our study. The prepared flushable wet wipes had good evenness and their water absorption rate was more than 600%. The mechanical strength in dry and wet states achieved 595.94 N/m and 179.00 N/m, respectively. Most importantly, the wet wipes can completely disperse under the standardized testing method. A good balance of dispersibility and wet strength of the wet wipes was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal blue carbon (C) ecosystems are recognized as efficient natural C sinks and play key roles in mitigating global climate change. Microbially driven C, nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) cycles are crucial for ecosystem functioning, but how microorganisms drive C sink formation and C sequestration in coastal sediments remains unclear.In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of amino sugars, C, N and S cycling genes/pathways and their associated taxa in coastal sediments of native (Cyperus malaccensis and Kandelia obovata) and alien (Spartina alterniflora and Sonneratia apetala) vegetation.Compared to the alien‐vegetated coastal sediment, the native‐vegetated coastal sediment had significantly (p < 0.05) higher microbial necromass C and higher functional potentials of chemoautotrophic C fixation, C degradation, methane cycling, N2 fixation, S oxidation and sulphate reduction. Also, our analysis of coastal sediment microbiomes showed that S oxidation could be coupled with C fixation and/or nitrate/nitrite reduction. S oxidation, C degradation and C fixation were found to be key functional pathways for predicting sediment microbial necromass C. Additionally, the sulphur‐oxidizing Burkholderiales metagenome‐assembled genomes (MAGs) were a key functional group that dominated chemoautotrophic C fixation in coastal sediments.These results suggested that chemoautotrophic S oxidizers, in particular Burkholderiales with a novel lineage, might be the key microbial group that dominates microbial necromass C formation in coastal sediments through microbial anabolism (C fixation);the coupling of microbially driven C, N and S cycling processes; and the deposition of microbially derived C. This study provides novel insights into the importance of chemoautotrophic S oxidizers for microbial necromass formation and shed new light on the microbial mechanism of C sink formation in coastal ecosystems, which also has important implications for enhancing C sequestration in coastal wetlands. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon‐based anodes are considered ideal candidate materials for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries due to their high capacity. However, the low conductivity and large volume variations during cycling inevitably result in inferior cyclic stability. Herein, a dry method without binders is designed to fabricate Si‐based electrodes with single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) network and to explore the different mechanisms between SWCNT and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a conductive network. As expected, higher initial discharge capacity (1785 mAh g−1), higher initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE, 81.52%) and outstanding cyclic stability are obtained from the SiOx@C|SWCNT anodes. Furthermore, its lithium‐ion diffusion coefficient (DLi+) is 3–4 orders of magnitude higher than that of SiOx@C|MWCNT. The underlying mechanism is clarified by in situ Raman spectroscopy and theoretical analysis. It is found that the SWCNTs can maintain good contact with SiOx@C even under tensile stresses up to 6.2 GPa, while the MWCNTs lose electrical contact due to alternating compressive stress up to 8.9 GPa and tensile stress up to 2.5 GPa during long‐term cycling. Under such very large stresses, the more flexible SWCNTs and their stronger van der Waals forces ensure that SiOx@C still has good contact with SWCNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon‐based anodes have been considered as ideal candidates for next‐generation Li‐ion batteries. However, the rapid cyclability decay due to significant volume expansion limits its commercialization. Besides, the instable interface further aggravates the degradation. Carbon coating is one effective way to improve the electrochemical performance.The coating integrity may be a critical index for core–shell structure electrode materials. Herein, the coating integrity of SiOx@C composite is tested by a developed selective alkali dissolution, further quantitatively depicted by a proposed index of alkali solubility α. The effect of coating integrity on electrochemical performance reveals that SiOx dissolution loss has a significant impact on the overall electrode structure stability and interface property. Because of the side reaction between uncoated active SiOx and electrolyte, the quadratic decrease of initial coulombic efficiency and increase of solid electrolyte interphase thickness with the rise of alkali solubility are closely related to the generated F content induced by active material loss, further supported by the obvious linear rise of Li2SiF6 fraction, leads to the linear increase of interface impedance and volume expansion rate, which may take primarily responsibility for the performance decay. This work propels the fundamental understanding on the interface failure mechnism and inspires rational high‐performance electrode material design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has achieved nearly universal social health insurance (SHI) coverage by implementing three statutory schemes, but gaps and differences in benefit levels are apparent. There is wide agreement that China should merge the three schemes into a universal and uniform SHI. However, data on the medical expenses of all inpatients in 2014 at a public Tier-three hospital suggests that supply-induced demand (SID) is a serious concern and that, under the design of the current schemes, a higher benefit level has a greater impact on the total expenses of insured patients. Thus, if SID is not effectively controlled, a universal and uniform SHI may be more harmful than beneficial in China. Finally, we suggest that China should substitute the existing fee-for-service design with a suite of bundled provider payment methods; furthermore, China should replace its current system of pricing drugs that encourages hospitals and doctors to use costlier medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The FitzHugh-Nagumo neural system driven by non-Gaussian Lévy noise is presented. • A novel statistical quantity called maximal likely trajectory is used to characterize the escape paths of the stochastic FitzHugh-Nagumo model. • In some situations Lévy noise makes the FitzHugh-Nagumo system excited in shorter time compared with Brownian case. • The maximal likely trajectory depict the rough shape of the middle part of the separatrix of the stochastic FitzHugh-Nagumo model. This paper considers about the escape paths of the FitzHugh–Nagumo neural system driven by symmetric α -stable Lévy noise (non-Gaussian noise). The existing research has shown that noise can make this system produce a spike pulse, which corresponds to a state transition. To analyze the effects of Lévy noise on the state transition, a novel statistical quantity called maximal likely trajectory, which is obtained by recording the maximizer of the probability density function at every moment, is used to characterize the escape paths of the equilibrium and revel the relationship between state transition and noise intensity or Lévy motion index. The numerical experiments show that for fixed Lévy motion index, the larger noise intensity can promote this neural system to an excitatory state. In addition, the influence of Lévy motion index on the state transition depends on the selection of noise intensity in this neural system. Meanwhile, as a comparison, the case driven by Brownian motion (Gaussian noise) is also taken into account, which shows that in some situations Lévy noise makes the FitzHugh–Nagumo system excited in shorter time. In addition, the maximal likely trajectory provides us with a new perspective to show the existence of a separatrix in the stochastic setting of the FitzHugh–Nagumo model and also depict the rough shape of the middle part of this separatrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims at understanding the slow dynamics of a nonlocal fast-slow stochastic evolutionary system with stable Lévy noise. Slow manifolds along with the exponential tracking property for a nonlocal fast-slow stochastic evolutionary system with stable Lévy noise are constructed, and two examples with numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroatom doped carbon dots, due to their excellent fluorescence properties and potential applications in the biological and photo-electronic industry, have attracted great attention recently. In this work, we reported a single-step synthesis of nitrogen carbon dots (N-CDs) using a simple and straightforward hydrothermal method. The luminescence properties of the synthesized N-CDs were correlated with the precursor ratio (aniline and ethylenediamine ratio of (1 : 5) in CDs). To further investigate the fluorescence properties and related mechanisms of N-CDs, different characterization techniques were applied, including fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, the as-prepared N-CDs exhibit strong emission at 510 nm when excited at 410 nm, and emit bright green fluorescence under 365 nm UV radiation. N-CDs exhibited a strong selectivity for Hg2+ in the range of 0–70 μM, and can be used for the rapid detection of Hg2+ in biomedical applications. The sample of N-CDs as a probe was used for fluorescence bioimaging of zebrafish, validating the potential of N-CDs as a probe in bioimaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Current dental diagnosis, especially tooth abnormalities, relies largely on X‐ray–based imaging, a technique that requires specialized skills and suffers from ionizing radiation. Here, we present a pilot study in rats of an efficient, ionizing‐radiation–free and easy‐to‐use alternative for dental imaging. Postnatal rats at different ages were injected with indocyanine green and molars were imaged by a laboratory‐designed endoscopic near‐infrared (NIR) dental imaging system. The results indicate that the endoscopic NIR dental imaging can be used to observe the morphology of postnatal rat molars, especially at early postnatal stages when morphology of the molar is indistinguishable under visible conditions. A small abnormal cusp was observed and distinguished from the normal cusps by the NIR dental imaging system. Dental structures, such as unerupted molars, can be imaged as soon as 10 min after the injection of indocyanine green; imaging after 24 h shows improved imaging contrast. Overall, the endoscopic NIR fluorescence dental imaging system described here may be useful in dental research; this technique may serve as a safe, real‐time imaging tool for dental diagnosis and treatment beyond experimental systems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Back Cover In article number 2201623, Zhang, Wei, and co‐workers show that coating integrity is a critical index for core‐shell structural electrode materials. Inspired by the resistance of the ancient Chinese Great Wall to invasion, the high‐quality coating layer can serve as the protective shield, which is able to effectively impede the interface failure induced by the contact between the external electrolyte and internal active material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite carbon sequestration being an important service of mangrove ecosystems, many mangrove reforestation projects have little consideration of the carbon sequestration capacity of species to be planted. Species selection is mostly based on growth rate and convenience in planting. In this study, to compare the quantity and quality of carbon stored in soil, four habitats were selected in Haijiang River Estuary, southern China to assess the contribution by different mangrove species to sediment carbon pool. Two 12-year-old mangrove forests of the exotic Sonneratia apetala and native Kandelia obovata , respectively, and the adjacent sandflat and mudflat as unvegetated referencing sites had been studied. The total sedimentary organic carbon and active sedimentary organic content in sediment suggested that after 12 years of growth, (1) mangrove forests significantly increased the organic carbon content of sediment; (2) total organic carbon in the K. obovata forest was higher than that of the S. apetala forest; but (3) the carbon pool of the K. obovata forest was less stable than that of the S. apetala forest. These results corroborated with other studies that the sediment carbon pool of S. apetala forests reached a stable state after 13 years of growth, while that of K. obovata forests gradually stabilised upon long-term (>13 years) growth. Our study confirms that K. obovata is more conducive to capture carbon in long-term mangrove reforestation projects, demonstrating that the provision of this service may not be directly related to apparently relevant plant traits such as growth rate. Unlabelled Image • The sediment carbon of 12-year mangrove plantations was studied. • Mangrove forests significantly increased the organic carbon content of sediment. • Higher soil organic carbon was found in native Kandelia forest. • More stable soil carbon pool existed in exotic Sonneratia forest. • Kandelia is more conducive to carbon capture in long-term afforestation projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel enzyme-activable modulated synthesis fluorescent CdTe quantum dots (QDs) method. • Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) can activate the thio-ligand via enzymolysis thus trigger the growth of luminescent QDs. • BChE can be selectively and label-free visual detected during monitoring the in situ growth of CdTe QDs. • This system also presented a fluorescent "turn off" detection for the parathion, which is an inhibitor of BChE activity. • Visual detection was realized for BChE and parathion in this strategy. An enzyme-activable modulated synthesis of fluorescent CdTe quantum dots (QDs) strategy was developed in this work. Monitoring the in-situ growth of CdTe QDs is shown to be a novel route to label-free and visual detect butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), an important enzyme in human bodies. BChE can catalyze butyrylcholine (BTCh) to produce thiocholine (TCh), which is an excellent thio-ligand during CdTe QDs growths. Therefore, BChE can activate the thio-ligand via enzymolysis thus trigger the growth of luminescent QDs. As the BChE concentration was proportional to the fluorescence intensity of the QDs, the activity of BChE was detected accordingly. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) of BChE was found to be 0.96 U L−1. The relative standard deviation (RSD) (n = 7) was 1.8%. What's more, parathion, one of the organophosphorus pesticides (OPs), which inhibits the activity of BChE, was used to prevent the generation of thiocholine and therefore inhibits the growth of QDs. As a result, this sensing system can also present a turn off mode for the parathion detection with highly sensitivity (LOD = 0.38 ng mL−1). Furthermore, visual detection was realized for BChE and parathion in this strategy, 40 U L−1 of BChE and 2 ng mL−1 of parathion can be discriminated from the blank solution with the naked eye, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting the autophagy process is considered to be a promising new strategy for drug treatment of ovarian cancer. α-Tomatine, a steroidal alkaloid extracted, is mainly isolated from leaves, roots and immature green tomatoes. α-Tomatine has biological activities such as anticancer, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory. The study aimed to explore the effects of α-tomatine on proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy and the underlying mechanisms in ovarian cancer Skov3 cells. After treatment with different concentrations of α-tomatine (0, 0.75, 1 and 1.5 μM) in Skov3 cells for 24 h, proliferation was determined by the CCK-8 assay, and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometric analysis. Autophagy in cells was determined by the number of fluorescent spots using confocal fluorescence microscopy after mRFP-GFP-LC3 transfection. The relationship between autophagy and apoptosis was proved by Beclin-1 overexpression. The protein expression levels were tested by western blotting. The results demonstrated that α-tomatine effectively repressed proliferation, exerted a proapoptotic effect and inhibited early-stage autophagy in Skov3 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Additionally, Beclin-1 overexpression significantly suppressed α-tomatine-treated apoptosis in Skov3 cells, indicating that α-tomatine inhibits autophagy to induce apoptosis. We also found α-tomatine inhibited the protein expression levels of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. However, the autophagy inhibition of α-tomatine could be reversed obviously by Beclin-1 overexpression. Taken together, α-tomatine inhibited autophagy through Beclin-1. Our study suggests that α-tomatine, as a novel early-stage autophagy inhibitor, might be a potential drug for further treatment of ovarian cancer by inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis. [Display omitted] • α-Tomatine inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in Skov3 cells. • α-Tomatine is a novel early-stage autophagy inhibitor. • α-Tomatine inhibits autophagy through Beclin-1. • α-Tomatine inhibits autophagy to induce apoptosis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we show that P-doped Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene nanosheets can effectively catalyze the NO 3 RR-to-NH 3 conversion with a high faradaic efficiency of 95% and a yield rate of 5.39 mg h -1 mg cat. -1 . Moreover, the catalyst achieves an impressive high current density of -1200 mA cm -2 at a low potential of -1.51 V, accompanied by an NH 3 productivity of 123.5 mg h -1 mg cat. -1 . Theoretical calculations further reveal that phosphorous dopants facilitate the adsorption and activation of reactants/intermediates and thus lower the energy barrier.