Search

Abstract It was recently discovered that nanocrystals could be generated in glass anodes by Li-ion insertion, and thereby the cycling stability of Li-ion batteries was enhanced. Here we reveal the origins of both the nanocrystal formation and the enhancement of battery performances by exploring phase transitions, redox reactions, and structural heterogeneity in glass anodes. We infer that Li+ ions interact with the higher energy domains of structural network during discharging/charging, and some of the Li ions are incorporated into the structural network, and thereby the potential energy is lowered through nanocrystal formation. Upon 5000 discharging/charging cycles at a high current density of 1 A g−1, the nanocrystals in the 40TeO 2 –60V 2 O 5 glass were identified to be γ -Li 3 VO 4. Owing to the metastable nature of the γ- Li 3 VO 4 phase, the glass anode becomes electrochemically active and highly ionic conductive. Simultaneously, the cycling stability is greatly enhanced by the nanostructured glass since the nanocrystals could suppress the propagation of micro-cracks generated by volume changes in glass matrix. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • We clarified the Li-insertion induced nucleation in glass anode of Li-ion batteries. • Ionic conductivity and cycling stability were enhanced by nanocrystal formation. • The nanocrystals in 40TeO2-60V2O5 glass were identified to be γ-Li3VO4 phase. • γ-Li3VO4 is a metastable phase benefiting the enhancement of Li-ion conductivity. • We explained the origin of the remarkable electrochemical performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial remediation is a green and sustainable technology, but harsh environmental conditions could lead to microbial dormancy, such as entering a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. However, the evidence of VBNC is controversial and limited. In this study, heat stress (60 °C), one of the leading challenges for mesophilic degrading bacteria, was mimicked to investigate the physiological response of Rhodococcus biphenylivorans TG9. After 2 h of heat stress, the culturable TG9 cell count decreased from 108 cells/mL to undetectable while the viable cell count was still 105 cells/mL. The biphenyl degradation efficiency of stressed TG9 dropped by 50% compared to that of cells at logarithmic phase. During heat stress, the respiratory activity of TG9 declined dramatically while the intracellular ATP level initially increased and then decreased. Notably, the corresponding indicators recovered when restored to 30 °C. These characteristics were in consistent with bacteria entering into VBNC state. Furthermore, fluorescence activated cell sorting together with single cell as seed culture detection verified the unculturability and viability of VBNC state of TG9 cells. Also, we found that single cells in VBNC state could resuscitate and regrowth with significantly extended lag phase (LP). Our results highlight the potential of TG9 for microbial remediation and hint LP duration as an indicator for survival state of bacteria. [Display omitted] • High temperature induced TG9 into VBNC state with low degradation efficiency. • The degradation ability of TG9 could recover after resuscitation. • Unculturability, resuscitability of VBNC state were revealed at single-cell level. • The lag phase could effectively distinguish the physiological state of bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemokines play an important role in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. We aimed to investigate CXCR3, CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11 to explore the correlation between the severity of tubal tuberculosis and chemokines. 26 patients with tubal tuberculosis diagnosed in our hospital from 2016 to 2019 were selected as the experimental group, and 18 female patients who underwent high-risk pregnancy supervision in our hospital from 2016 to 2018 were selected as the control group. The pathological manifestations of tubal tuberculosis were observed by HE staining, the expressions of CXCR3 and its ligands in fallopian tubes were detected by immunohistochemistry. Typical granulomatous structure of tubal tuberculosis was observed by HE staining and most of them were accompanied by massive necrosis in the experimental group, while no granulomatous lesions were found in the control group. The results of immunohistochemical staining showed that CXCR3 and its ligands were expressed in the cytoplasm and nucleus of oviduct epithelial cells and inflammatory cells, in the granuloma area. CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11 were related to the severity of the disease. CXCR3 and its ligands were positively expressed in tubal tuberculosis, especially CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11 were positively correlated with the severity of fallopian tube disease. It is helpful for clinical diagnosis and treatment detection, and provides a new therapeutic target for the study of female genital tuberculosis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant microbial removal of highly chlorinated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) requires the cooperation of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria. During the sequencing process of anaerobic dechlorination and aerobic degradation of PCBs, aerobic degrading bacteria have to undergo anaerobic stress. However, the survival strategy of aerobic degrading bacteria under anaerobic condition is not well-understood. In this study, the culturable cells of Rhodococcus biphenylivorans TG9 decreased from 108 CFU/mL to values below the detection limit after 60 days of anaerobic stress while the viable cells remained 105–106 cells/mL, indicating that anaerobic condition induced TG9 entering into the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state. Cell resuscitation was observed when oxygen was supplied further confirming the VBNC state of TG9. The results of single-cell Raman spectroscopy combined with heavy water indicated the significant decrease of metabolic activity after TG9 entering into the VBNC state. Additionally, the degradation ability of TG9 in the VBNC state was also significantly reduced, while it recovered after resuscitation. Our research proved that entering into the VBNC state is a survival strategy of TG9 under anaerobic conditions, and the limited culturability and degrading capacity could be overcome by resuscitation. The present study provides new insights for improving the remediation efficiency of PCBs contamination. Unlabelled Image • Anaerobic condition could induce TG9 into the VBNC state. • Raman spectroscopy was used to detect the metabolic activity of TG9. • The degradation ability of TG9 in the VBNC state was sharply reduced. • The degradation ability of TG9 could be recovered after resuscitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pore structure of anammox granule was characterized with Micro-CT. • Pore distribution was observed to vary largely with increase of granule size. • Permeability was revealed to correlate negatively with granule size. • Permeability was found to deteriorate due to pore plugging by cell and EPS. Anammox granular sludge bed technology has been widely applied for its attractive advantages. Efficient mass transfer is an important factor for the anammox granules to play their role. In this study, steady-state anammox granules were used to investigate the correlation between the permeability and granule size with the granule pore as pivot. The results of size distribution showed that the anammox granules could be divided into 6 groups: 200–500 µm (I), 500–1000 µm (II), 1000–1500 µm (III), 1500–2000 µm (IV), 2000–3000 µm (V) and ≥3000 µm (VI). The results of settling experiment demonstrated that the permeability of anammox granules was negatively correlated with the granule size. The fluid collection efficiency declined from 39.4% to 9.3% for granule group I to III, and further to 0 for granule group IV to VI (granule size was larger than 1.5 mm). The observation of micro-CT revealed that the pore structure of anammox granules varied significantly with the increase of granule size, forming a denser surface layer and sparser interior. The chemical analysis and microscopic observation indicated that the pore plugging of surface layer by cell proliferation and EPS secretion was the main cause for the permeability deterioration. The findings of this study will help to understand the mass transfer of anammox granules and promote the development of anammox processes. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) occurs slowly when the degrading bacteria enter a low activity state, such as a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state, under unfavorable environmental conditions. The introduction of resuscitation-promoting factor (Rpf) can re-activate VBNC bacteria. This study tested the feasibility of enhancing PCB biodegradation via supplementing Rpf in liquid culture and soil microcosms inoculated with Rhodococcus biphenylivorans strain TG9T. Exogenous Rpf resuscitated TG9T cells that had previously entered the VBNC state after 90 d of nutrient starvation, resulting in the significantly enhanced degradation of PCB by 24.3% over 60 h in liquid medium that originally contained 50 mg L−1 Aroclor 1242. In soil microcosms containing 50 mg kg−1 Aroclor 1242 and inoculated with VBNC TG9T cells, after 49 d of supplementation with Rpf, degradation efficiency of PCB reached 34.2%, which was significantly higher than the control. Our results confirmed that exogenous Rpf resuscitated VBNC TG9T cells by stimulating endogenous expression of rpf gene orthologs. The enhanced PCB-degrading capability was likely due to the increased cell numbers and the strong expression of PCB catabolic genes. This study demonstrated the role of Rpf in enhancing PCB degradation via resuscitating PCB-degrading bacteria, indicating a promising approach for the remediation of PCB contamination. Image 1 • VBNC state was studied for Rhodococcus biphenylivorans strain TG9T. • Rpf resuscitated VBNC TG9T cells and enhanced PCB biodegradation. • Exogenous Rpf stimulated endogenous expression of rpf and PCB catabolic genes. • Results highlight the feasibility of enhancing aerobic PCB degradation using Rpf. Results highlight the role of Rpf in enhancing PCB degradation via resuscitating PCB-degrading bacteria, indicating a promising approach for the remediation of PCB contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel extraction process to recover lithium ions from simulated salt lake brines with high Mg/Li ratio was developed. Tributyl phosphate (TBP), FeCl 3 and diethyl succinate were used as extractant, co-extraction agent and diluent, respectively. Effects of extraction conditions containing the volume concentration of TBP, Fe/Li molar ratio and O/A phase ratio on extraction performances were studied. The highest one-stage extraction efficiency of lithium ions and separation factor were about 65% and 350, respectively. In addition, the third phase did not appear over all the volume concentrations of TBP. HCl + MgCl 2 and HCl + NaCl were used as washing and stripping agents, respectively. Effects of washing and stripping conditions on washing and stripping performances were investigated too. Mg(OH) 2 and MgCO 3 were used as regeneration agents to regenerate the organic phase. The extraction efficiency of lithium ions remained at about 53% during reusing the organic phase ten times, demonstrating that the proposed extraction system had good stability and reusability. • A new separation process to extract lithium ions from salt lake brines was developed. • Diethyl succinate used as diluent could effectively eliminate the third phase. • Mg(OH) 2 and MgCO 3 used as regeneration agents showed excellent regeneration ability. • The proposed novel extraction system showed good stability and reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dots (CDs) are emerging nanomaterial in medicine and pharmacy. To explore the impact of physicochemical characteristics on their safety, we synthesized a library of 35 CDs exhibiting different size, charge, chemical composition and surface coating, using various starting materials (carbon source and passivation reagent) and carbonization procedures. The 35 CDs triggered different levels of viability loss when incubated with human macrophages at 3–200 µg/mL for 24 h. The smaller NPs (10–20 nm) were more toxic that larger ones (40–100 nm), whereas NPs that aggregated in culture medium were more toxic than dispersed ones. A positive correlation was found between CD charge or nitrogen content and toxicity. Furthermore, a greater toxicity was observed for CDs prepared from high molecular weight polyamines, suggesting a role of the CD global density of positive charges, rather than the charge at the CD surface, in the CD toxicity. At last, PEG decoration decreased the toxicity of cationic NPs. In conclusion, the size, aggregation in culture medium, charge, nitrogen content, nature of the passivation agent and synthesis procedure were found to influence CD toxicity, making it difficult to predict CD safety from a single characteristic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis are associated with cardiac remodeling and heart failure. We have previously shown that miRNA-217 , embedded within the third intron of MIR217HG , aggravates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy by targeting phosphatase and tensin homolog. However, whether the MIR217HG transcript itself plays a role in cardiac remodeling remains unknown. Real-time PCR assays and RNA in situ hybridization were performed to detect MIR217HG expression. Lentiviruses and adeno-associated viruses with a cardiac-specific promoter (cTnT) were used to control MIR217HG expression in vitro and in vivo. Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery was performed to develop cardiac remodeling models. Cardiac structure and function were analyzed using echocardiography and invasive pressure-volume analysis. MIR217HG expression was increased in patients with heart failure. MIR217HG overexpression aggravated pressure-overload-induced myocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis both in vivo and in vitro , whereas MIR217HG knockdown reversed these phenotypes. Mechanistically, MIR217HG increased THBS1 expression by sponging miR-138. MiR-138 recognized the 3'UTR of THBS1 and repressed THBS1 expression in the absence of MIR217HG. Silencing THBS1 expression reversed MIR217HG -induced cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling. MIR217HG acts as a potent inducer of cardiac remodeling that may contribute to heart failure by activating the miR-138/THBS1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need for developing "low-carbon" synthesis technology to prepare aerogel composites with both high mechanical strength and efficient thermal insulation for applications of modern aerospace and energy saving. Herein, we propose a strategy for fabricating lightweight phenolic aerogel composites with thick-united connected nano-structure and good aerogel-fiber interfacial compatibility. The specific micro-nano structure and optimized material synergism endow the aerogel composites with an ultrahigh tensile strength (12.84 ± 0.64 MPa), bending strength (24.69 ± 1.96 MPa) and compressive strength (1.7 ± 0.053 MPa under 5 % strain), as well as low thermal conductivity (0.0541 ± 0.0003 W/(m·K)). The aerogel composites behave excellent ablation-resistance under the flame of 1200 °C within 30 min and maintain a cold-side temperature of 56.07 °C without any shape change. The rigid-flexible comminated aerogel composites open up a new technical track for developing lightweight thermal protective composites with high strength, toughness, and efficient thermal insulation demanded in extreme environments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fowl adenovirus serotype 8b (FAdV-8b), as causative agent of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH), poses a great threat to the poultry industry. Considering the importance of innate immune response in host against viral infections, we investigated pathogenicity of a FAdV-8b strain HLJ/151129 in 1-mo-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens and immune responses of host to FAdV-8b infection in this study. The results demonstrated that no obvious clinical signs were observed in infected birds. Neither mobility nor mortality was observed in both FAdV-8b infected and control chickens, as well. However, hepatic necrosis and a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration were observed by pathological analysis. Viral load was detected in bursa of Fabricius, cecal tonsils, liver, heart, spleen, Harderian glands, and thymus. Virus shedding and viremia generated as early as 3 days postinfection (dpi) (9/10) and reached the peak at 7 dpi (10/10). In addition, the infected birds had developed FAdV-specific antibodies at 7 dpi, and the antibody titers reached the peak at 14 dpi. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the mRNA expression levels of most of toll-like receptors ( TLRs ), most of avian β-defensins ( AvBDs ), and cytokines [interleukin ( IL )-2, IL-6 , and interferon ( IFN )-γ], were significantly upregulated in most tissues at early phases of FAdV-8b infection, especially in liver and spleen. In contrast, FAdV-8b infection results in downregulation of TLR4, TLR5 , and TLR21 expressions in some tissues of infected chickens. In addition, FAdV-8b infection upregulated myeloid differentiation factor 88 ( MyD88 ), nuclear factor-kappa B ( NF-κB ) p65, and TIR-domain-containing adapter inducing interferon-β ( TRIF ) expression in some tissues, while decreased NF-κB p65 and TRIF in spleen at both 72 hpi and 21 dpi. Taken together, these results confirmed that FAdV-8b could replicate in all investigated tissues of infected birds, and then, result in production of FAdV-specific antibody titers. Meanwhile, the FAdV-8b infection induces strong innate immune responses at early stage in chickens, which may associate with the viral pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is a crucial mediator of the immune system. In this study, we evaluated the effect of oral vitamin A supplementation on host immune responses to infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) infection in chickens. Forty 1-day-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were fed a basal diet and randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 20 birds per group). Chickens in the experimental group were treated orally with vitamin A (dissolved in 0.1 mL soybean oil, at a dose of 8,000 IU per kg diet) daily. Birds in the control group were orally administered 0.1 mL soybean oil without vitamin A until 21 d of age. On d 21 after birth, all chickens were infected with 0.1 mL of 106.5 50% median embryo infectious dose of a pathogenic IBV strain (CK/CH/LDL/091022) by intraocular and intranasal routes. The results demonstrated that oral vitamin A supplementation did not affect the clinical course of disease and growth performance of SPF chickens. However, vitamin A supplementation increased the IBV-specific IgG serum levels and decreased the viral load in some tissues of IBV-infected chickens. In addition, the results demonstrated that vitamin A supplementation decreased the expression levels of most immune-related molecules in some tissues of IBV-infected chickens. Vitamin A supplementation decreased the mRNA expression levels of some avian β-defensins (AvBD2, 3, 6, 7, 11 , and 13) and increased the expression levels of AvBD9 and AvBD12 in some tissues of IBV-infected chickens. Similarly, vitamin A supplementation decreased the mRNA expression levels of some cytokines (interferon-γ, interleukin-1β [ IL-1β ], and IL-6) and increased the mRNA expression levels of IL-2 in some tissues of IBV-infected chickens. Furthermore, vitamin A supplementation decreased the mRNA expression levels of myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88, nuclear factor-κB p65, toll-like receptor 3, toll-like receptor 7 , and CD4. In summary, the present study suggests that vitamin A supplementation enhances the immune function of SPF chickens against IBV infection by inhibiting viral replication, increasing the IBV-specific antibody titer, and suppressing the excessive inflammatory responses to IBV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophenols (CPs), nitrophenols (NPs), and sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) are three types of environmental pollutants that are of great concern because of their prevalence and toxicity. In this study, three laccase isoenzymes obtained from Pleurotus ostreatus HAUCC 162 were heterologously expressed and characterized with respect to their ability to degrade CPs, NPs, and, SAs. The three recombinant laccases can efficiently degrade the three types of considered pollutants using a laccase-mediator system (LMS). Their specific efficiencies for the removal of 2NP, 3NP, 4NP, 4CP, 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP), 2,6-DCP, sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamethazine (SMZ), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) over 60 min were 59.21%, 47.91%, 60.24%, 74.9%, 28.9%, 35.1%, 98.1%, 97.5%, and 97.8%, respectively. Based on the analysis of the oxidation products of the CPs, NPs, and SAs, pollutant removal pathways are proposed, namely, the production of 3-nitromuconate and 3-chloromuconate as the key intermediates of 4-NP and 2, 4-DCP; and oxidative coupling for the transformation of SDZ by LMS. The results of present work indicated the laccases could efficiently remove NPs, CPs, and SAs in LMS, which offers an opportunity to apply P. ostreatus HAUCC 162 laccase in the field of environmental biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although heterogeneous bone scaffolds have shown potential in bone defect repair, their capability of aiding bone regeneration need to be further enhanced. Strontium, one important trace element in bone, has a well-known favorable effect on bone repair. Here a strontium containing scaffold (CPB/PCL/Sr) based on superficially porous calcined porcine bone (CPB) was obtained straightforwardly by sequential coating of SrCl 2 and polycaprolactone (PCL). The basic characterization revealed that PCL coating could simultaneously improve the mechanical properties and, more importantly, restrain strontium release. Moreover, in vitro behaviors of human MSCs on CPB, CPB/PCL, and CPB/PCL/Sr were studied in detail. The comprehensive results of proliferation, osteogenic gene expression, ALP staining, and ALP activity demonstrated that PCL coating slightly impaired the bone repair potential of CPB. In contrast, CPB/PCL/Sr better supported the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs than CPB，highlighting the role of strontium. The in vivo test confirmed a better new bone formation of CPB/PCL/Sr than CPB and CPB/PCL. These results verified the superiority of incorporating strontium to improve the bone-forming ability of CPB, offering a promising alternative for bone defect repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The spread of antibiotic resistant pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment poses a serious threat to public health. However, existing methods are difficult to effectively remove antibiotic resistant pathogens and ARGs from the environment. In this study, we synthesized a new acridine-based photosensitizer, 2,7-dibromo-9-mesityl-10-methylacridinium perchlorate (YM-3), by the heavy atom effect, which could photodynamically inactivate antibiotic resistant pathogens and reduce ARGs by generating singlet oxygen (1O 2) in an aqueous environment. The 1O 2 yield of YM-3 was 4.9 times that of its modified precursor. YM-3 could reduce the culturable number and even the viable counts of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii to 0 (inactivation rate > 99.99999%) after 2 and 8 h of low-intensity blue light (15 W/m2) irradiation, respectively. After 20 h of light exposure, the copy numbers of ARGs in both bacteria were reduced by 5.80 and 4.48 log, respectively, which might indicate that ARGs had been degraded. In addition, YM-3 still had an efficient bactericidal effect after five inactivation cycle. These characteristics of ultra-low light intensity requirement and efficient bactericidal ability make YM-3 have good application prospects for disinfection in indoor and sunlight environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing lightweight and efficient ablation-resistant materials with thermal insulation and conformability over 2500 °C is extremely important for the thermal protection of hypervelocity aerospace vehicles, but significant challenges remain. Herein, a unique lightweight heat protection and insulation integrated composite (QCF/SPA) is developed by a hierarchical construction strategy, integrating macro-scale quartz/carbon hybrid fiber preform, micro-scale silicone aerogel, and nanoscale phenolic aerogel. The QCF/SPA with the macro-micro-nano multiscale structure has the advantages of low-density nature (0.33 ± 0.02 g/cm3), superior insulation (0.050–0.063 W/(m·K)), excellent thermal stability, and mechanical strength. More importantly, the QCF/SPA has outstanding ablation resistance and thermal insulation based on the efficient dual silicon & dual carbon multiple synergistic mechanism originally proposed in this work. The line ablation rate and mass ablation rate reached 0.058 mm/s and 0.014 g/s under the 3.62 MW/m2 oxyacetylene assessment. The as-fabricated QCF/SPA with these combined properties is ideal for thermal protection systems of hypervelocity spacecraft, space re-entry vehicles, rocket propulsion devices, and missile launchers. [Display omitted] • The lightweight QCF/SPA ablator was developed by a hierarchical construction strategy. • The multiscale structure provides excellent resistance to oxidation and thermal insulation. • The hybrid multi-component design gives excellent thermomechanical properties. • The synergistic reinforcement of QCF/SPA shows outstanding ablation resistance performance above 2500 °C. • The efficient dual silicon & dual carbon multiple synergistic mechanism was originally proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile polymer heat treatment and reflux method are used for developing growth of flower-like BiOCl (BiOCl NFs) on 3D honeycomb-like N-doped graphitic carbon (N-GC) to form BiOCl/N-GC composites. The N-GC hierarchical structure effectively heightened the dispersion of BiOCl NFs, which increased the contacted area for the NO x gas molecule. Benefiting from the hierarchical structure, the (102) plane of BiOCl has a suitable adsorption energy for NO x , synergistic effect of large specific surface area and mesopores of N-GC, the formation of p-p heterojunctions, Bi–C interfacial bond, N-doping and the role of chemisorbed oxygen. The BiOCl/N-GC composites have satisfactory response and selectivity for NO x gas at room temperature. It reveals an exceptionally excellent response and response time of 52.54 and 3.2 s for NO x gas. It also exhibits a low detection limit (10 ppb) and a long-stability of 12 weeks. Thus, the BiOCl/N-GC nanocomposites are one of the most potential materials in gas sensor. [Display omitted] • N-GC with high specific surface area was obtained via by a simple polymer heat treatment approach. • DFT was used to calculate the NO x adsorption energy of flower-like BiOCl at room temperature. • The mesoporous structure of BiOCl/N-GC composites significantly improved the performance of gas sensor. • BiOCl/N-GC sensor presents high sensitivity (52.54), fast response and recovery time (2.3/58.13 s) to 100 ppm NO x. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytes significantly improve salt-alkaline resistance of rice seedlings and promote their growth, but the definite mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study aimed to understand the molecular players behind the endophytic benefits for rice seedlings under salt-alkaline stress. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on the roots and shoots of rice seedling (Oryza sativa L.) with/without endophytic infection under 10 mM Na 2 CO 3 -treatment. The differential expression genes (DEGs) resulting from endophytic infection were analyzed, and the functions of DEGs were annotated using gene ontology (GO) enrichment and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Results showed endophytic infection significantly promoted the growth of rice seedlings under salt-alkaline stress. Through RNA-seq, many genes were shown to be potentially involved in the endophytic benefits for rice seedlings. At one day of endophytic infection, RNA-seq identified 3469 DEGs in rice seedling roots and 572 DEGs in shoots, whereas five days of endophytic infection led to 297 and 257 DEGs in roots and shoots, respectively. According to the GO and KEGG annotation of DEGs, the growth-promotion processes correlating with the beneficial endophyte-rice interplay involve a multitude of molecular events, including biosynthesis, energy metabolism, enzyme activity, photosynthesis, ROS-scavenging system, and hormonal signaling, etc. Together, this work presents evidence of plant-microbe interaction that extends insights into the mechanisms underlying the endophyte-rice association. • The endophyte orchestrates phenotypic traits of rice seedlings under salt-alkaline stress. • The endophyte affects a multitude of gene expression in rice plant. • Endophytic benefit is a cumulative outcome of differential expression genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to effectively increase gas adsorption active sites and boost the electrical conductivity of the materials, we synthesized ultra-thin BiOCl nanosheets with the uniform dispersion on reduced graphene oxide by a facile hot-injection method for detection of the concentration of the pollutant NO 2. The size of BiOCl nanosheet was controlled within 25–30 nm. TEM, EPR and XPS unveil the presence of oxygen vacancy (V O) in the composite. The optimum BiG-3 sensor (the mass ratio of BiOCl/rGO is 1/3) exhibits a high sensitivity, elevated selectivity and remarkable long-term stability with the response (S = R a /R g) of 12.95–5 ppm NO 2 , response/recovery time of 9.3 s and 63 s, and as long as 60 days of stability at room temperature. The significant improvement in gas sensing performance of BiG-3 nanocomposite was mainly due to the highest selectivity with the higher adsorption energy of highly exposed (110) crystal planes for NO 2 , and a large number of oxygen vacancies providing additional active sites. Large areas of effective contact between ultra-thin BiOCl nanosheets and rGO can synergistically promote electron transport. Hence, the high sensing performance sensing material may be inspirations for actual productions. [Display omitted] • Ultra-thin BiOCl nanosheets with rich oxygen vacancies was obtained via by a simple hot-injection strategy. • Both the highly dispersed on rGO and oxygen-rich holes can significantly improve the gas sensitivity to NO 2. • NO 2 gas sensing mechanism of oxygen vacancy over BiOCl/rGO was revealed. • Optimized BiOCl/rGO sensor presents high sensitivity (12.95), fast response and recovery time (9.3/63.0 s) to 5 ppm NO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]