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Exploiting a photocatalyst with high stability and excellent activity for Cr(VI) reduction under mild conditions is crucial yet challenging. Herein, the rigid aromatic multicarboxylate ligand with chromophore anthracene was selected to coordinate with multivalent metal ion manganese and to obtain a stable two-dimensional (2D) Mn-based metal–organic framework (MOF), LCUH-120, which can efficiently and quickly convert Cr(VI) into Cr(III) under light without the need for any additional photosensitizer. The efficient photosensitive anthracene group serves as a photosensitizer center and multivalent Mn(II) ion as a photocatalyst center in LCUH-120, and the conversion of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) can be realized completely in just 40 min. Specifically, the rate constant (k) and reduction rate of the Cr(VI) photocatalytic reaction can be high up to 0.134 min–1and 2.50 mgCr(VI)g–1catamin–1in an acidic environment (pH = 2), respectively. Compared to our previously reported three-dimensional (3D) Sm-MOF, LCUH-120exhibits a significantly higher catalytic reaction rate, which might be ascribed to the fact that the photocatalyst center Mn node can improve the rate of electron transfer and promote the separation of holes and photogenerated electrons. In an acidic environment, the reaction mechanism can be verified through various contrast experiments and theoretical simulations.

In this work, based on the previous paper, the scattering center expression is discussed to represent the scattered field of perfect electric conducting (PEC) targets under the quadratic patch subdivision with the stationary phase method (SPM). The scattered field of target discretized by quadratic patches is simulated with the fast physical optics (FPOs) method, which considers the physical mechanism and can adopt large-sized proportional subdivision. The bistatic attributed scattering center (BASC) model is applied to extract the scattering centers of targets. To solve the ill-posed problem and reduce computational time and precision errors while estimating the parameters of BASC, we present a sparse method that combines the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) with adaptive differential evolution (JADE). Numerical examples have demonstrated that the proposed method effectively and precisely extracts scattering centers from complex targets within 2-dB reconstruction error, while the number of patches is greatly reduced by 3 or 4 digits at 10 GHz, from 4352028 to 4606 for the glider model especially.

Because of the high safety and environmental friendliness, aqueous zinc-ion batteries have gained a lot of attention in recent years. Prussian blue and its analogues are regarded as a promising cathode material of zinc-ion batteries. Manganese hexacyanoferrate is appropriate among them due to its high operating voltage, large capacity, and cheap price. However, the poor cycling stability of manganese hexacyanoferrate, mainly caused by transition metal dissolution, side reaction, and phase transition, greatly restricts its practical application. In this work, gelatin is used to limit the content of free water in the electrolyte, thus reducing the dissolution effect of transition metal manganese. The introduction of gelatin improves the durability of the Zn anode as well. The optimized MnHCF/gel-0.3/Zn battery displays a high reversible capacity (120 mAh·g–1at 0.1 A·g–1), an excellent rate performance (42.7 mAh·g–1at 2 A·g–1), and a good capacity retention (65% at 0.5 A·g–1after 1000 cycles).

The cathodic product Li2CO3, due to its high decomposition potential, has hindered the practical application of rechargeable Li-CO2/O2batteries. To overcome this bottleneck, a Pt/FeNC cathodic catalyst is fabricated by dispersing Pt nanoparticles (NPs) with a uniform size of 2.4 nm and 8.3 wt % loading amount into a porous microcube FeNC support for high-performance rechargeable Li-CO2/O2batteries. The FeNC matrix is composed of numerous two-dimensional (2D) carbon nanosheets, which is derived from an Fe-doping zinc metal–organic framework (Zn-MOF). Importantly, using Pt/FeNC as the cathodic catalyst, the Li-CO2/O2(VCO2/VO2= 4:1) battery displays the lowest overpotential of 0.54 V and a long-term stability of 142 cycles, which is superior to batteries with FeNC (1.67 V, 47 cycles) and NC (1.87 V, 23 cycles) catalysts. The FeNC matrix and Pt NPs can exert a synergetic effect to decrease the decomposition potential of Li2CO3and thus enhance the battery performance. In situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy further confirms that Li2CO3can be completely decomposed under a low potential of 3.3 V using the Pt/FeNC catalyst. Impressively, Li2CO3exhibits a film structure on the surface of the Pt/FeNC catalysts by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and its size can be limited by the confined space between the carbon sheets in Pt/FeNC, which enlarges the better contacting interface. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the Pt and FeNC catalysts show a higher adsorption energy for Li2CO3and Li2CO4intermediates compared to the NC catalyst, and the possible discharge pathways are deeply investigated. The synergetic effect between the FeNC support and Pt active sites makes the Li-CO2/O2battery achieve optimal performance.

The development of high-efficiency catalysts plays a crucial role in advancing CO2electroreduction techniques. Among potential candidates, diamond-based electrocatalysts show promise due to their broad electrochemical windows, which effectively suppress competitive hydrogen evolution and ensure high CO2reduction efficiency. In this study, we report an integrated electrode composed of oxygen-terminated diamond nanocone (ODcone) with CoPc-molecules anchoring (CoPc/ODcone). The CoPc/ODconeelectrodes exhibited remarkable performance, achieving a maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 94.1% for CO at −0.97 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), and maintaining an FECOhigher than 80% over a wide potential range of −0.67 V to −1.07 V vs RHE. The outstanding performance of the CoPc/ODconeelectrode can be attributed to the synergistic effects between the nanostructured diamond surface and the CoPc catalyst. The hydroxyl-rich nature of the diamond surface facilitates the anchoring of CoPc molecules and bonding with Co atoms in CoPc. Simultaneously, the nanostructured diamond with sharp tips enhances CO2adsorption, thereby improving the catalyst's performance. This study provides valuable insights into the utilization of non-metallic carbon materials, particularly diamond, as metal-free catalysts in CO2electrochemical reduction and tackles challenges such as low current density and poor Faradaic efficiency, thus contributing to the advancement of more effective catalysts for CO2electroreduction.

Phosphors with red emission have attracted increasing interests due to their high contrast and low interferences of fluorescence background which play a vital role in visualizing latent fingerprints (LFPs) in forensic science. In this work, red-emissive fluorescent nanocomposites of copper nanoclusters conjugated silica (CuNCs/silica) are prepared simply by sol-gel method in one pot for visualizing the LFPs through powder-dusting method. The CuNCs/silica exhibits the red fluorescence with an emission wavelength of 628 nm under the excitation of 292 nm and can have sufficient affinity with the LFPs ridges. The CuNCs/silica with the photoluminescence properties can precisely visualize and capture the clear patterns and the well-defined details of the LFPs ridges on the non-porous and semi-porous surfaces of different substrates (including copper foil, compact disc, tiles, stainless steel, aluminum foil, glass slide, Hong Kong currency, colored plastic packing, colored paper and leather) even with fluorescent background. The ridge details of the aged LFPs can also be clearly identified. These suggest the great potential of the CuNCs/silica as phosphors for visualizing the LFPs in criminal investigations.

The development of high-performance solid polymer electrolytes is crucial for producing all-solid-state lithium metal batteries with high safety and high energy density. However, the low ionic conductivity of solid polymer electrolytes and their unstable electrolyte/electrode interfaces have hindered their widespread utilization. To address these critical challenges, a strong Lewis acid (aluminum fluoride (AlF3)) with dual functionality is introduced into polyethylene oxide) (PEO)-based polymer electrolyte. The AlF3facilitates the dissociation of lithium salt, increasing the iontransfer efficiency due to the Lewis acid-base interaction; further the in-situformation of lithium fluoride-rich interfacial layer is promoted, which suppresses the uneven lithium deposition and continuous undesired reactions between the Li metal and PEO matrix. Benefiting from our rational design, the symmetric Li/Li battery with the modified electrolyte exhibits much longer cycling stability (over 3600 h) than that of the pure PEO/lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) electrolyte (550 h). Furthermore, the all-solid-state LiFePO4full cell with the composite electrolyte displays a much higher Coulombic efficiency (98.4% after 150 cycles) than that of the electrolyte without the AlF3additive (63.3% after 150 cycles) at a large voltage window of 2.4–4.2 V, demonstrating the improved interface and cycling stability of solid polymer lithium metal batteries.

The self-assembly of polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) at the liquid/liquid interface has been systematically investigated to develop a series of primary morphologies of the aggregates. The block copolymers self-assembled into large areas of nanodot arrays, parallel nanostrands, layered films, parallel nanobelts, honeycomb monolayers, and foams by reacting with chloroauric acid, depending on the molecular structure of the block copolymers and the amount of chloroauric acid. The formation of the first four ordered structures resulted from interfacial adsorption and self-assembly, and nucleation and epitaxial growth. The latter two structures were attributed to the water hole templating effect and spontaneous interfacial emulsification, respectively. This work provides insight into the self-assembly behavior of block copolymers at the interface and provides a facile approach for fabricating functional structures.

The controlled anisotropic growth of two-dimensional (2D) materials along a specific crystal axis is very crucial to explore the axis-dependent performance, which derives from the difference of atom arrangement in different crystal axes, while the relevant research is still insufficient. Here, we demonstrated a systematic investigation on the controllable anisotropic growth of 2D SnSe along different axis directions from both the experimental and theoretical perspectives. The anisotropy growth of 2D SnSe was attributed to the difference in atomic structures and bonding features between the zigzag edge (along the b-axis) and armchair edge (along the c-axis), as well as the chemical inertness of the base plane in the a-axis. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images further verified that the long side of rectangular 2D SnSe is an armchair edge and the short side is a zigzag edge. The growth rates along the b- and c-axes could be effectively adjusted by hydrogen, attributed to the difference in desorption energy between hydrogen and different edge structures. The higher hydrogen concentration led to a shorter b-axis and a longer c-axis. The morphologies of 2D SnSe could be regulated in the range from square nanosheets to linear nanowires. In terms of the a-axis, 2D SnSe was precisely limited to a minimum value of 7.42 nm viaa one-step rapid cooling method and could be further thinned to a bilayer using a two-step method with an additional annealing etching step. This study has demonstrated a facile strategy toward the structure-dependent controllable growth of 2D anisotropic materials, which shed new light on the orientation judgment and axis-dependent mechanism of the crystal axis of anisotropic materials.

To diagnose the ring chromosome 13 (r(13)) in a fetus, and analyze the genotype–phenotype correlation.

To retrospectively analyze the incidence of chromosomal polymorphisms in prenatal cytogenetic diagnostic cases and the effect of the clinical manifestation of these fetuses.

We characterized a maternally inherited small supernumerary marker chromosome (sSMC) derived from chromosome 15 according to prenatal detection and made a review on the prenatal sSMC(15) cases with mosaic maternal inheritance.

Two-dimensional (2D) lamellar nanostructures have attracted much interest due to their unique structure and properties. Various fabrication methods have been developed in recent years, including solution self-assembly, exfoliation, and Langmuir monolayer and Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) deposition. In this work, two kinds of facile methods were applied to fabricate lamellar structures of amphiphilic molecules, such as 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA). In method I, the amphiphilic molecules were introduced into aqueous solutions with dimethylformamide (DMF), a solvent miscible with water, through a mass transfer process across a planar liquid/liquid interface; in method II, the DMF solution of the amphiphilic molecules was added directly onto the aqueous solution surface. With the spread and diffusion of DMF, nanosheets with lamellar structures formed in the aqueous solution and at the air/liquid interface, respectively. It is very interesting that the nanosheets obtained through these two methods consist of an even number and odd number of PCDA monolayers, respectively, reflecting different fabrication mechanisms. Method I provides an approach to gently mix organic solutions with aqueous solutions, while method II can be regarded as an extension of the Langmuir monolayer technique, which combines the interfacial assembly with that in solution. These methods have been extended to a series of amphiphilic molecules, and ordered layered structures have been obtained successfully.

To indigenize the median of Down syndrome (DS) screening markers for first and second trimester, and compare the impact of the indigenized and built-in median data on the efficiency of DS screening.

Aqueous rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (ARLIBs) as alternative energy storage devices have attracted tremendous attention because of their low cost and high safety. However, it is still a significant challenge to develop flexible high-performance ARLIBs for powering wearable devices because of the lack of all binder-free electrode materials. In this study, we develop one-step hydro-/solvothermal methods to design binder-free electrodes of LiCoO2polygonal-sheeted arrays and rugby ball-shaped NaTi2(PO4)3on carbon nanotube fibers as the cathode (LCO@CNTF) and the anode (NTP@CNTF). Both the electrodes are prepared at low temperatures without an extra calcination process, which is a great improvement for the growth process. The electrodes deliver remarkable capacity and extraordinary rate performance in a saturated Li2SO4solution. Meanwhile, because of the synergy of LCO@CNTF and NTP@CNTF, an impressive capacity of 45.24 mA h cm–3and an admirable energy density of 67.86 mW h cm–3are achieved for the assembled quasi-solid-state fiber-shaped flexible ARLIB (FARLIB), which outperform most reported fiber-shaped aqueous rechargeable batteries. More encouragingly, our FARLIB possesses good flexibility, with a 94.74% capacity retention after bending 3000 times. Thus, this work represents a significant step toward developing FARLIBs and provides a new prospect in the design of wearable energy storage devices.

Constructing an effective therapeutic cancer vaccine is very attractive and promising for cancer immunotherapy. However, the poor immunogenicity of tumor antigens and suppression of the immune system in the tumor microenvironment are two major obstacles for developing effective cancer vaccines. Invariant NKT cells (iNKT cells), which are essential bridges between the innate and adaptive immune systems, can be rapidly activated by their agonists and, consequently, evoke whole immune systems. Herein, we conjugated a potent agonist of the iNKT cell, α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), with the tumor-associated MUC1 glycopeptide antigens as novel self-adjuvanting cancer vaccines through click chemistry. Immunological studies revealed that the mouse immune system was potently evoked and that high levels of tumor-specific IgG antibodies were elicited by vaccine conjugates without an external adjuvant. The produced antibodies could specifically recognize and bind to antigen-expressing cancer cells and, subsequently, induce cytotoxicity through complement-dependent cytotoxicity. Thus, the insertion of α-GalCer significantly improved the immunogenicity of the MUC1 glycopeptide and induced strong antigen-specific antitumor responses, indicating that α-GalCer is an effective built-in adjuvant for constructing potent chemical synthetic antitumor vaccines.

Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), agonists of stimulator of interferon genes (STING), are promising agents for immunotherapy. However, the application of CDNs has been limited by their instability and low transmembrane efficiency. Here, we introduced a conjugated adjuvant of STING and TLR1/2, Pam3CSK4-CDGSF. Conjugating CDGSFwith Pam3CSK4increased the stability and intracellular delivery. In addition, by synergistically activating the STING and TLR pathways, Pam3CSK4-CDGSFwas able to enhance immune activation. Both humoral and cellular immune responses were triggered by Pam3CSK4-CDGSFplus OVA (V4), and tumor growth was significantly inhibited after V4 administration. More importantly, V4 can also boost the antigen-specific CD8+ T cell response for cancer cell killing. Thus, the conjugated STING and TLR1/2 agonist Pam3CSK4-CDGSFcan serve as a potent adjuvant for vaccine construction to augment antitumor immunotherapy.

ABSTRACTCellular aging occurs as a cell loses its ability to maintain homeostasis. Aging cells eliminate damaged cellular compartments and other senescence factors via self-renewal. The mechanism that regulates cellular rejuvenation remains to be further elucidated. Using budding yeast gametogenesis as a model, we show here that the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) III regulates nuclear envelope organization. During gametogenesis, the nuclear pore complex (NPC) and other senescence factors are sequestered away from the prospore nuclei. We show that the LEM-domain protein Heh1 (Src1) facilitates the nuclear recruitment of ESCRT-III, which is required for meiotic NPC sequestration and nuclear envelope remodeling. Furthermore, ESCRT-III-mediated nuclear reorganization appears to be critical for gamete rejuvenation, as hindering this process curtails either directly or indirectly the replicative lifespan in gametes. Our findings demonstrate the importance of ESCRT-III in nuclear envelope remodeling and its potential role in eliminating senescence factors during gametogenesis.

Spinel cobalt oxides (Co3O4) have emerged as a promising class of catalysts for the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (eNO3RR) to ammonia, offering advantages such as low cost, high activity, and selectivity. However, the specific role of crystallographic facets in determining the catalysts’ performance remains elusive, impeding the development of efficient catalysts. In this study, we have synthesized various Co3O4nanostructures with exposed facets of {100}, {111}, {110}, and {112}, aiming to investigate the dependence of the eNO3RR activity on the crystallographic facets. Among the catalysts tested, Co3O4{111} shows the best performance, achieving an ammonia Faradaic efficiency of 99.1 ± 1.8% with a yield rate of 35.2 ± 0.6 mg h–1cm–2at −0.6 V vs RHE. Experimental and theoretical results reveal a transformation process in which the active phases evolve from Co3O4to Co3O4–xwith oxygen vacancy (Ov), followed by a Co3O4–x-Ov/Co(OH)2hybrid, and finally Co(OH)2. This process is observed for all facets, but the formation of Ovand Co(OH)2is the most rapid on the (111) surface. The presence of Ovsignificantly reduces the free energy of the *NH2intermediate formation from 1.81 to −0.53 eV, and plentiful active sites on the densely reconstructed Co(OH)2make Co3O4{111} an ideal catalyst for ammonia synthesis via eNO3RR. This work provides insights into the understanding of the realistic active components, offers a strategy for developing highly efficient Co-based spinel catalysts for ammonia synthesis through tuning the exposed facets, and helps further advance the design and optimization of catalysts in the field of eNO3RR.

Lithium–oxygen (Li–O2) batteries have obtained widespread attention as next-generation energy storage systems due to their extremely high energy density. However, the high charge overpotential, attributed to the insulating property of Li2O2, significantly limits the energy efficiency and triggers solvent degradation. The high electrochemical activities of oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) on the cathode are crucial for alleviating the high charging polarizations and enhancing the lifetime of Li–O2batteries, which are also top challenges of state-of-art research. In this review, the scientific challenges and the proposed solutions in the development of cathode catalysts have been summarized. The recent research advancements on the nanoengineering of cathode catalysts for Li–O2batteries have been comprehensively discussed, and the perspectives on the structure optimization are presented. Meanwhile, we have elucidated the structure–performance relationship between the electronic state and performance of the cathode catalysts at the nanoscale level. This review intends to provide guidelines for the design and construction of cathode catalysts in advanced Li–O2batteries.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) serves as an essential biomarker for early detection and diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It has received a great deal of attention recently in efforts to develop an accurate and effective method for detecting low levels of FGF21 in complex biological settings. Herein, we demonstrate a label-free, simple and high-sensitive field-effect transistor (FET) biosensor for FGF21 detection in a nonaqueous environment, directly utilizing two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) without additional absorption layers. By immobilizing anti-FGF21 on MoS2surface, this biosensor can achieve the detection of trace FGF21 at less than 10 fg mL−1. High consistency and satisfactory reproducibility were demonstrated through multiple sets of parallel experiments for the MoS2FETs. Furthermore, the biosensor has great sensitivity to detect the target FGF21 in complex serum samples, which demonstrates its great potential application in disease diagnosis of NAFLD. Overall, this study shows that thin-layered transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can be used as a potential alternative platform for developing novel electrical biosensors with high sensitivity and selectivity. 成纤维细胞生长因子21(FGF21) 是一种用于早期检测和诊断 非酒精性脂肪肝病(NAFLD)的必需生物标志物.最近,开发在复杂 生物环境中准确有效地检测血液中低浓度FGF21的方法受到了极 大的关注.本文展示了一种无标记、简单和高灵敏度的场效应晶 体管 (FET)生物传感器,用于在非水环境中检测FGF21. 通过对二硫 化钼(MoS2)表面进行功能化将抗FGF21牢固地固定在MoS2材料上, 使该生物传感器实现检测FGF21的检测限小于10 fg mL−1.多组平 行实验证明了MoS2FET 的高度一致性和令人满意的再现性.此外, 生物传感器对复杂血清样品中的目标FGF21具有很高的敏感度,这 表明其在NAFLD疾病诊断中具有巨大的潜在应用前景.

Objective This study aimed to re-evaluate the clinical value of a 4% cut-off threshold of sperm morphology in in vitrofertilization (IVF) in a cohort of a Northeastern Chinese population.Methods A total of 375 IVF cycles that met strict inclusion criteria were included. These cycles were conducted with semen analysis and oocyte fertilization. A total of 188 embryo-transferred cycles proceeded. According to sperm morphology, 375 cycles were divided into group 1 (329 cycles, <4% normal sperm morphology rate [NSMR]) and group 2 (46 cycles, ≥4% NSMR), and 188 transferred cycles into group A (151 cycles, < 4% NSMR) and group B (37 cycles, ≥4% NSMR).Results The fertilization and normal fertilization rates were significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2. The normal fertilization rate was significantly correlated with an NSMR < 4% or ≥4%, but the fertilization rate was not significantly correlated with the NSMR. No significant differences were found in pregnancy outcomes between groups A and B.Conclusions This study suggests that infertile patients with an NSMR < 4% are more likely to have a poor normal fertilization status in IVF.

A prospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a specific vasoactive herbal formula, Huo Xue Tong Luo capsule (HXTL capsule), for the treatment of patients with asymptomatic osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH).

Graphene aerogel fibers (GAFs) with low density, high specific surface area, and high porosity can be used as the host material to incorporate another component and thus form multifunctional fibers, which have potential applications in wearable devices, thermoregulating apparatus, sensors, and so forth. However, the intrinsically low electric conductivity of GAFs hampers them in the fields of electrothermal heating and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Herein, we report a new aerogel fiber composed by graphene sheets and nickel nanoparticles with low density (55–192 mg/cm3), high electric conductivity (0.8 × 103to 4.5 × 104S/m), and high specific surface area (49–105 m2/g). The graphene/Ni aerogel fibers (GNAFs) were synthesized initially from reduced graphene oxide hydrogel fibers followed by an electroless plating process. Further investigations have demonstrated that the resulting GNAFs possess excellent electrothermal property, faster electrothermal response, high mechanical and electrical stability as the electric wire, and excellent EMI shielding performance as the composite filler. The saturated temperature of GNAFs can reach 174 °C with an applied voltage of only 5 V, and the heating rate surpasses those of commercial Kanthaland Nichromewires about 2.1 times and 2.6 times, respectively. The EMI shielding effectiveness of GNAFs is higher than 30 dB at the long bandwidth of 12.5–20 GHz. Specifically, it can shield more than 99.99% of the incident wave at the bandwidth of 15–20 GHz.

The use of solar energy to convert highly toxic Cr(VI) into hypotoxic Cr(III) is an attractive strategy to address heavy metal pollution. In this work, a facile method for the preparation of carbon nanodot–SnS2nanocomposites (SnSCD) is reported. In this system, CDs serve as excellent photosensitizers in combination with SnS2. The photogenerated electrons produced by the conduction band of SnS2could be easily injected into the CDs, which suppress the charge recombination, and thus show improved photocatalytic activity. Meanwhile, the SnSCD-5 sample with a CD content of 5 wt % showed the highest catalytic activity in the photocatalytic removal of Cr(VI) under visible light. The total Cr(VI) removal rate and the reaction kinetic coefficient of the SnSCD-5 photocatalyst were found to be 77.34% and 6.95 min–1, respectively. These values were 4.15 and 6.56 times higher than pure SnS2, respectively. Furthermore, the high stability and durability of SnSCD-5 were demonstrated by three cycling experiments. The first-principles density functional theory calculations were performed to study the energy band and electron–hole density distribution of SnS2and SnSCD photocatalysts. The calculation results were consistent with our experimental results, it further confirms that CDs play a vital role in this system. In general, this study highlights the highly efficient charge transfer and separation and the potential application of the SnSCD photocatalyst in the removal of Cr(VI).

ABSTRACTThe nucleus is enclosed by a double-membrane structure, the nuclear envelope, which separates the nucleoplasm from the cytoplasm. The outer nuclear membrane is continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), whereas the inner nuclear membrane (INM) is a specialized compartment with a unique proteome. In order to ensure compartmental homeostasis, INM-associated degradation (INMAD) is required for both protein quality control and regulated proteolysis of INM proteins. INMAD shares similarities with ER-associated degradation (ERAD). The mechanism of ERAD is well characterized, whereas the INMAD pathway requires further definition. Here we review the three different branches of INMAD, mediated by their respective E3 ubiquitin ligases: Doa10, Asi1-3, and APC/C. We clarify the distinction between ERAD and INMAD, their substrate recognition signals, and the subsequent processing by their respective degradation machineries. We also discuss the significance of cell-cycle and developmental regulation of protein clearance at the INM, and its relationship to human disease.

Overproduction of the half-bridge component Kar1 induces premature centrosome separation and overduplication to form supernumerary centrosomes, leading to chromosome missegregation in budding yeast meiosis. This work reveals an unexpected role of Kar1 in licensing centrosome duplication in budding yeast.

Bulk graphene aerogels with high electrical conductivity, ultralow density, and high specific surface area have attracted significant attention because of their fascinating performances in energy storage, catalysis, absorption, sensor, electromagnetic shielding, etc. However, graphene aerogel microgranules (i.e., reducing the size of the bulk aerogels into microscale) and their performances in the electromagnetic field have been ignored. Herein, we report a new strategy to make floatable graphene aerogel microgranules with high hydrophobicity (137°), low density (13.5 mg/cm3), and high specific surface area (516 m2/g). These microgranules were synthesized initially from reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hydrogel microparticles and then in situ-modified by silica nanoparticles. Further investigations have demonstrated that the resulting silica-modified rGO aerogel microgranules possess highly efficient static electromagnetic screening (average 30.3 dB in 8–18 GHz) and dynamic infrared shielding (higher than 10 dB during floatation in air for 15 min) properties. The work reported here should give much inspiration to make more functional aerogel microgranules used in various emerging fields.

The strong desire for a clean and secure energy future has stimulated great interest in searching for low-cost, highly efficient electrocatalysts for regenerative fuel cells and rechargeable metal-air batteries. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) play a paramount role in the operation of these devices, but are notoriously sluggish even with precious metals-based catalysts. Here we report our findings in the development of a bifunctional catalyst based on phosphorus-doped LaFeO3-δfor ORR and OER in alkaline solutions. The remarkable electrocatalytic performance is attributed to larger amount of O22−/O−species, trace amount of Fe4+species, and optimized egelectron filling (≈ 1), benefiting from the doping effect of phosphorus. Both the mass activity and the specific activity are nearly doubled after P-doping. Density functional theory calculations also confirm that the increase in valence state of Fe ions is due mainly to phosphorus doping. These results demonstrate that non-metal element doping is an effective approach to optimizing the electronic configuration, changing valence states of ions, and thus enhancing activities of perovskite electrocatalysts.

The objective, accurate, and standardized evaluation of tumor response to treatment is an indispensable procedure in clinical oncology. Compared to manual measurement, computer-assisted linear measurement can significantly improve the accuracy and reproducibility of tumor burden quantification. For irregular-shaped and infiltrating or diffuse tumors, which are difficult to quantify by linear measurement, computer-assisted volumetric measurement may provide a more objective and sensitive quantification to evaluate tumor response to treatment than linear measurement does. In the evaluation of tumor response to novel oncologic treatments such as targeted therapy, changes in overall tumor size do not necessarily reflect tumor response to therapy due to the presence of internal necrosis or hemorrhages. This leads to a new generation of imaging biomarkers to evaluate tumor response by using texture analysis methods, also called radiomics. Computer-assisted texture analysis technology offers a more comprehensive and in-depth imaging biomarker to evaluate tumor response. The application of computer-assisted quantitative imaging analysis techniques not only reduces the inaccuracy and improves the reliability in tumor burden quantification, but facilitates the development of more comprehensive and intelligent approaches to evaluate treatment response, and hence promotes precision imaging in the evaluation of tumor response in clinical oncology. This article summarizes the state-of-the-art technical developments and clinical applications of quantitative imaging analysis in evaluation of tumor response in clinical oncology.

Two robust metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), {H4[Ni(π-H2O)2]2[Ni(rt-H2O)2]8Ni4(Tri)24}[VIVW12O40]2·24H2O (1) and {H[Ni(π-O)2]2[Ni(rt-H2O)2]8Ni4(Tri)24}[VIVW10VV2O40V2][VIVW9VV3O40VIV2]·24H2O (2) (Tri = 1,2,4-triazole), composed of polyoxometalates (POMs) and metal–organic units, were designed and synthesized by a hydrothermal method. Structure analysis indicates that there is a metal–organic crown [{Ni3(Tri)6(H2O)4}4] ({Ni12}) in these two compounds. In 1, the {Ni12}crown embraces four pendant Tri ligands that could capture a cationic [Ni(H2O)2]2+group, resulting in the Ni13-Tri building unit [Ni(H2O)2{Ni3(Tri)6(H2O)4}4] ({Ni13}). The {Ni13}building unit was fused together by Tri bridges into the 2D metal–organic layers, which are pillared by a typical Keggin-type POM [VW12O40]4–to construct a 3D supramolecular framework via the hydrogen bonds. Interestingly, the 2D metal–organic layer in 1was successfully transferred into a 3D covalent MOF via extension of the length of the pillars by capping a Keggin-type POM with V–O units. Moreover, electrochemical behaviors and electrocatalytic properties of these two compounds were both studied, which can act as bifunctional electrocatalysts toward the reduction of H2O2and oxidation of nitrite in neutral aqueous solution.

The high nickel layer cathode LiNi0.80Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) has excellent discharge capacity and better cycling performance. However, the NCA cathode still has the following disadvantages such as harsh synthesis conditions, cation mixing and poor thermal stability. A spherical fluorine modified gradient NCA is successfully prepared by a simple solid phase method. The F-modification NCA has a good spherical shape which shows a gradient distribution with high surface F and Al contents, and high nickel content in the core. XRD results reveal that F-modification NCA sample has well-ordered layer structure. However, there is a slight decrease in the cell parameters and interlayer spacing with the F doping into the NCA crystal lattice, due to the small F[?] radius and the largest electronegativity. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX) analysis reveals that fluorine ions are successfully substituted in the lattice. The cycling stability of the F-modification NCA samples are enhanced, especially at high rates. At 2C rate, the initial discharge specific capacity is 142.34 mAh g[?]1, and compared with that of 107.73 mAh g[?]1 after 200 cycles, the capacity losses only 24%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) further indicates that F-modification could help inhibit the increasing of polarization and change the kinetics of NCA cathode.

Objectives To investigate azoospermic factor (AZF) microdeletions in infertile men from northeastern China with karyotypic Y chromosome abnormalities.Methods G-banding of metaphase chromosomes and karyotype analysis were performed in all infertile male patients. Genomic DNA was isolated and used to analyze classical AZF microdeletions by PCR. The regions and sequence-tagged sites of AZFa (SY86, SY84), AZFb (SY127, SY134, SY143), and AZFc (SY152, SY254, SY255, SY157) were sequenced by multiplex PCR.Results A total of 190 Y chromosome abnormality carriers were found, of whom 35 had AZF microdeletions. These were most common in 46,X,Yqh− patients, followed by 45,X/46,XY patients. Most microdeletions were detected in the AZFb + c region, including 48.57% of all AZF microdeletion cases. AZF partial deletions were also seen in these patients. Overall, AZF microdeletions were detected in 38.5% Y chromosome abnormality carriers, and most were observed in 46,X,Yqh− individuals. Loss of SY152 was seen in all 35 patients, with SY254/SY255 detected in 34 of 35 patients.Conclusions AZF microdeletions were detected in 38.5% of Y chromosome abnormality carriers. This indicates that AZF microdeletion screening is advisable for individuals with karyotypic Y chromosome abnormalities.

Phase change materials, changing from solid to liquid and vice versa, are capable of storing and releasing a large amount of thermal energy during the phase change, and thus hold promise for numerous applications including thermal protection of electronic devices. Shaping these materials into microspheres for additional fascinating properties is efficient but challenging. In this regard, a novel phase change microsphere with the design for electrical-regulation and thermal storage/release properties was fabricated via the combination of monodispersed graphene aerogel microsphere (GAM) and phase change paraffin. A programmable method, i.e., coupling ink jetting–liquid marbling–supercritical drying (ILS) techniques, was demonstrated to produce monodispersed graphene aerogel microspheres (GAMs) with precise size-control. The resulting GAMs showed ultralow density, low electrical resistance, and high specific surface area with only ca. 5% diameter variation coefficient, and exhibited promising performance in smart switches. The phase change microspheres were obtained by capillary filling of phase change paraffin inside the GAMs and exhibited excellent properties, such as low electrical resistance, high latent heat, well sphericity, and thermal buffering. Assembling the phase change microsphere into the microcircuit, we found that this tiny device was quite sensitive and could respond to heat as low as 0.027 J.

Potassium (K) metal batteries have attracted great attention owing to their low price, widespread distribution, and comparable energy density. However, the arbitrary dendrite growth and side reactions of K metal are attributed to high environmental sensitivity, which is the Achilles’ heel of its commercial development. Interface engineering between the current collector and K metal can tailor the surface properties for K-ion flux accommodation, dendrite growth inhibition, parasitic reaction suppression, etc. We have designed bifunctional layers via prepassivation, which can be recognized as an O/F-rich Sn–K alloy and a preformed solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer. This Sn–K alloy with high substrate-related binding energy and Fermi level demonstrates strong potassiophilicity to homogeneously guide K metal deposition. Simultaneously, the preformed SEI layer can effectually eliminate side reactions initially, which is beneficial for the spatially and temporally KF-rich SEI layer on K metal. K metal deposition and protection can be implemented by the bifunctional layers, delivering great performance with a low nucleation overpotential of 0.066 V, a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.1%, and durable stability of more than 900 h (1 mA cm–2, 1 mAh cm–2). Furthermore, the high-voltage platform, energy, and power densities of K metal batteries can be realized with a conventional Prussian blue analogue cathode. This work provides a paradigm to passivate fragile interfaces for alkali metal anodes.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries offer the advantages of greater security and lower fabrication costs over their lithium-ion counterparts. However, their further advancement and practical application are hindered by the drastic decay in their performance due to the uncontrollable dendrite growth on Zn anodes. In this study, we fabricated a versatile three-dimensional (3D) interfacial layer (3D PVDF–Zn(TFO)2(PVDF: poly(vinylidene fluoride); TFO: trifluoromethanesulfonate), which simultaneously formed porous Zn-metal anodes (PZn) with an enhanced (002) texture, via a in situetching scheme. The 3D PVDF–Zn(TFO)2@PZn symmetrical cells leverage the advantages of surface coating and 3D porous architectures to yield extra-long cyclic lifetimes of over 5300 h (0.1 mA cm–2). The fabricated anodes were found to be compatible with MnO2cathodes, and the resulting full batteries delivered an outstanding capacity of 336 mAh g–1at 0.1 A g–1and exhibited impressive long-term reversibility with a capacity retention of 78.7% for 2000 cycles. The proposed coating strategy is viable for developing porous structures with cutting-edge designs and for textured surface engineering.

Muscle fibers are the main component of skeletal muscle and undergo maturation through myotubes. During early development, a population of skeletal muscle satellite cells (SSCs) proliferate into myoblasts. The myoblasts then undergo further differentiate and fusion events, leading to the development of myotubes. However, the mechanisms involved in the transition from SSCs to myotube formation remain unclear. We have here characterized changes in the proteomic and transcriptomic expression profiles of SSCs, myoblasts (differentiation 2 d), and myotubes (differentiation 10 d). Proteomic analysis identified SLMAP and STOM as potentially associated with myotube formation. In addition, some different changes in MyoD, MyoG, Myosin7and Desminoccurred after silencing SLMAPand STOM, suggesting that they may affect changes of myogenic marker. GO analysis indicated that the differentiation and migration factors SVIL, ENSCHIG00000026624 (AQP1), SERPINE1 enhanced the transition from SSCs to myoblasts, accompanied by changes in the apoptotic balance. In the myoblast vs myotube group, candidates related to cell adhesion and signal transduction were highly expressed in the myotubes. Additionally, CCN2, TGFB1, MYL2 and MYL4 were identified as hub-candidates in this group. These data enhance our existing understanding of myotube formation during early development and repair.

Solar vapor generation, a cost-effective way to harvest solar energy for purifying polluted or saline water, has attracted great attention in recent years. However, during the harsh environment (e.g. high-salinity brine), challenges still remain in limited water evaporation, complicated/compromised systems between water transport, evapor area and salt accumulation. Herein, graphene aerogel hollow fibers (GAHF) are developed and assembled into a solar steam generator which demonstrates exceptionally high efficiency for water evaporation and salt rejection under sun irradiation. Inspired from the capillary water transportation system in trees, the mesophase-ordered GAHFs are spun from their liquid crystalline suspension, and subsequently assembled into a roll of unidirectionally aligned bundles and then embedded in a transparent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. The synergistic effects between GAHFs, serving as 1D-confining micro-channels for water transport and broadband solar absorbers, and PDMS matrix, as an light refractor and “canyons”-like evaporation area, improve the water flow and absorption of solar energy and maximize the evaporation surface area. As a result, the GAHF arrays expedite remarkable transpiration, achieving continuous steam generation (∼3.29 kg m−2 h−1) and outstanding salt-rejection performance for high-salinity brine (e.g. saturated solution) desalination. This GAHF based solar steam generation system provides a facile and high-performance device for self-generating seawater desalination.

In the eastern coastal region of China, many operating highways built over soft ground are vulnerable to severe post-construction settlement. In this study, a technique using jet grouted piles is developed to mitigate post-construction settlement. The piles are installed by drilling boreholes throughout the embankment. The principal stages of the construction process are described, and two field tests in China, on the Lianyan and Linhai highways, are presented. The results revealed that ground heaves of up to 219 mm and 337 mm induced during a short construction period were able to mitigate the settlement of the embankment. The average settling rate was significantly reduced from 60 mm/y to 9 mm/y on the Lianyan highway. Lateral ground displacement on the Linhai highway increased with time during construction, but after construction showed a slight reduction associated with the dissipation of excess pore water pressure. An analytical method was adopted to describe the ground heave due to the jet grouted piles. The ground heave increased with grout pump pressure, but decreased as the embankment load and distance from the pile center increased.

We investigate theoretically and experimentally thermal light ghost imaging where the light transmitted through the object as the seed light is amplified by an optical parametric amplifier (OPA). In conventional lens imaging systems with OPA, the spectral bandwidth of OPA dominates the image resolution. Theoretically, we prove that in ghost imaging via optical parametric amplification (GIOPA) the bandwidth of OPA will not affect the image resolution. The experimental results show that for weak seed light the image quality in GIOPA is better than that of conventional ghost imaging. Our work may be valuable in remote sensing with ghost imaging technique, where the light passed through the object is weak after a long-distance propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of rituximab (RTX) plus recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) with RTX alone in patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who had failed to respond to corticosteroids or relapsed. Recruited patients were randomized at a ratio of 2:1 into 2 groups: the combination group (RTX + rhTPO, n = 77) and the monotherapy group (RTX, n = 38). Overall response was achieved in 79.2% of patients in the combination group vs 71.1% in the monotherapy group (P = .36), and the complete response (CR) rate was 45.4% in the combination group compared with 23.7% in the monotherapy group (P = .026). The combination group had significantly shorter time to response (TTR; median and range, 7 and 4-28 days) compared with the monotherapy group (28 and 4-90 days) (P < .01). There was no difference between these 2 groups in terms of the long-term response (P = .12). Our findings demonstrated that the combination of RTX and rhTPO significantly increased the CR rate and shortened TTR compared with RTX monotherapy in the treatment of corticosteroid-resistant or relapsed ITP but failed to show a beneficial effect on the long-lasting response. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01525836.

Loss of gray level is a usual phenomenon in tone transformation of digital image. In order to improve the effect of tone transformation, original image is segmented into blocks, which consist of some pixels. In tone transformation, average value of gray levels, which belong to the pixels of every image block, is computed. According to the different average values of image blocks, different curve for the tone transformation is selected and the pixels of the block are processed correspondingly. If the transformation curves for the processing are enough, the loss of gray level is relative fewer. Although some of the gray levels of different image block are lost, but the lost gray levels of different image block are disperse and are not always coincident. Therefore, compared with the tone transform with one single curve for whole image, the loss of the gray level in image, which is transformed with block-segmentation and with different curves, is much fewer and the quality of processed image is relative better. The principle, as well as the algorithm is described, and the results of processed images are analyzed.

Along with the developing of color imaging technique, the application of digital multilevel imaging device increases, such as digital printing press, color printer, electronic engraver for gravure printing and so on. Based on multilevel halftoning technique, some important items, i.e. count of color element, area percentage of color elements, relationship between the percentages of color element and multilevel dots are studied and summarized. Finally, based on Neugebauer equation, a theoretical color model under the condition of multilevel halftoning is constructed.

Software architectures of video games have evolved radically over the past decade. Researchers and practitioners have proposed architectural patterns such as stand-alone configuration, peer-to-peer, client server and hybrid, and some of them have successfully been used in commercial game titles. A conceptual framework for game architectures--Game Worlds Graph (GWG)--is presented in this paper for three purposes: 1) classifying existing architectures, 2) communicating and sense-making of game architectures, and 3) exploring and discovering future game architectures. The framework is based on the Game World and the World Connector concepts, which reveal some essential characteristics of game architectures--thus can be more descriptive and informative than existing taxonomies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Condensin undergoes a sequestration, release, and reloading cycle at the rDNA array in budding yeast meiosis. It regulates rDNA stability by suppressing double-strand break (DSB) formation and promoting DSB processing.

This paper presents a detailed analysis of chip morphology through an experimental study of high-speed milling of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with PCD tools. Milling tests were conducted for cutting speed range from 125 m/min to 2000 m/min with water-soluble cutting fluid. The collected chips were firstly examined with a digital cameras and the free surface of the chips was analyzed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Geographical parameters of chip morphologies were described in saw-tooth/lamella frequency on the free surface and chip width. Experimental results show that the variation of chips in high-speed end milling of Ti-6Al-4V alloy is as follows, long and straight-shaped → spiral-shaped → curly-shaped → irregular-shaped. The free surface of chips exhibits saw-tooth lamella structures. The lamella becomes clearer and more obvious at higher cutting speeds. Within the same measurement distance, there is a sharp decrease in the lamella number within same measuring range. This should be attributed to the enhancement of the thermal mechanical coupled field applied to the chip formation processes.