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Migration from rhizosphere to rhizoplane is a key selecting process in root microbiome assembly, but not fully understood. Rhizobiales members are overrepresented in the core root microbiome of terrestrial plants, and here we report a genome-wide transposon-sequencing of rhizoplane fitness genes of beneficial Sinorhizobium fredii on wild soybean, cultivated soybean, rice, and maize. There were few genes involved in broad-host-range rhizoplane colonization. The fadL mutant lacking a fatty acid transporter exhibited high colonization rates, while mutations in exoFQP (encoding membrane proteins directing exopolysaccharide polymerization and secretion), but not those in exo genes essential for exopolysaccharide biosynthesis, led to severely impaired colonization rates. This variation was not explainable by their rhizosphere and rhizoplane survivability, and associated biofilm and exopolysaccharide production, but consistent with their migration ability toward rhizoplane, and associated surface motility and the mixture of quorum-sensing AHLs (N-acylated-L-homoserine lactones). Genetics and physiology evidences suggested that FadL mediated long-chain AHL uptake while ExoF mediated the secretion of short-chain AHLs which negatively affected long-chain AHL biosynthesis. The fadL and exoF mutants had elevated and depleted extracellular long-chain AHLs, respectively. A synthetic mixture of long-chain AHLs mimicking that of the fadL mutant can improve rhizobial surface motility. When this AHL mixture was spotted into rhizosphere, the migration toward roots and rhizoplane colonization of S. fredii were enhanced in a diffusible way. This work adds novel parts managing extracellular AHLs, which modulate bacterial migration toward rhizoplane. The FadL-ExoFQP system is conserved in Alphaproteobacteria and may shape the “home life” of diverse keystone rhizobacteria.

Newborn neurons from the subventricular zone (SVZ) are essential to functional recovery following ischemic stroke. However, most of these newly generated neurons die quickly and fail to form functional connections with surrounding neurons. Thus, methods to promote neurogenesis and the survival of newborn neurons are of significance to post-stroke recovery. Adiponectin could increase neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus in neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, we wonder whether adiponectin could also promote neurogenesis in SVZ and improve functional recovery after ischemic stroke. In addition, the critical role of astrocyte-derived BDNF in promotion of the neurogenesis should be verified. Here, we adopted the middle cerebral artery occlusion model of mice, and started the adiponectin treatment on day 3 of reperfusion. Neurogenesis and brain atrophy were analyzed by morphological methods, and neurological function was assessed by the adhesive removal test and the forepaw grip strength. The levels of BDNF and p-STAT3 were detected by western blotting. The adeno associated virus-encoded BDNF shRNA with GFAP promoter and a STAT3 inhibitor Stattic were used. We found that adiponectin improved neurological recovery, reduced brain atrophy, and increased both the doublecortin-positive cells and NeuN/BrdU double-positive cells. Mechanically, adiponectin increased the protein levels of p-STAT3 and BDNF in astrocytes, while silence of BDNF diminished the adiponectin-induced neurogenesis and functional recovery. Moreover, inhibition of STAT3 not only reversed the increase of BDNF but also the neurogenesis and functional recovery. Collectively, we conclude that adiponectin enhances neurogenesis and functional recovery after ischemic stroke via STAT3/BDNF pathway in astrocytes.

Background The pathological phenotype of perineural invasion (PNI) in squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is prevalent but highly heterogeneous. Methods Postoperative specimens from all patients with ESCC at Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital were evaluated for PNI using haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and S100 immunohistochemistry (IHC). We determined the correlation between PNI status and clinical outcomes. Results Among 349 ESCC cases, PNI was identified in 127 patients (36.3%), and four subtypes of PNI were identified in our study. Correlation analysis confirmed that PNI was related to tumour invasion depth (pT stage) and lymph node status (pN stage) (P P = 0.001) was an independent factor affecting disease-free survival (DFS) in ESCC, and a similar result was found for overall survival (OS) (P = 0.017). Further analysis revealed that PNI status was a prognostic factor of DFS (P P = 0.003) exclusively in pN-negative patients. We also found that patients with the PNI-a subtype had better DFS (P = 0.002) and OS (P = 0.002) than patients with the other three subtypes (PNI-b, c, d). Conclusion The pathological phenotypes of PNI are diverse, and the identification of PNI subtypes has important clinical guiding value.

Aggregate engineering of non-covalent networks endows supramolecular polymers with thermo-mechanical versatility, stimuli-responsive phase transitions and intrinsic damage-healing capabilities. However, most non-covalent networks are vulnerable at elevated temperatures, which suppresses the robustness of supramolecular polymers. Herein, ureidocytosine (UCy) motifs, which are capable of forming extensive non-covalent networks and thus robust molecular aggregates via multivalent hydrogen bonds and aromatic stackings, are proposed to enable precise programming of the thermo-mechanical versatility. Molecular simulations reveal that the enthalpic contributions from the UCy aggregates play dominant roles to compensate the entropic loss from the redistributions of polymeric spacers and stabilize the non-covalent networks over wide temperature windows. Such aggregate-level strategy offers prospects for applications which require thermo-mechanical versatility of supramolecular polymers, such as 3D printing, microfabrication and damage-healing coating.

Rare-earth (RE)-doped tungstate LiSrGd1−x(WO4)3:xEu red-emitting phosphors were prepared by traditional high-temperature solid-state reaction method. These samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and photoluminescence (PL). PL spectrum exhibited characteristic luminescent 5D0/7FJ (J = 0–4) intra-4f shell Eu3+ ion transitions. Eu3+-activated LiSrGd(WO4)3 phosphors could be excited by near-ultraviolet (NUV) light of 393 nm and blue light of 464 nm and showed excellent red emission lying around 616 nm (5D0 → 7F2). Eu3+-doped concentration in LiSrGd1−x(WO4)3:xEu was x = 0.3. Arising temperature to 393 K, the red emission intensity of LiSrGd1−x(WO4)3:xEu phosphor decayed by only 13.57 and 19.53 $$\%$$ relative to room temperature, which indicates that the phosphor possesses good temperature stability. The evaluated Commission International de l’Eclairage (CIE) color coordinates of these phosphors were close to the standard red CIE color coordinate published by the National Television Systems Committee. Hence LiSrGd1−x(WO4)3:xEu phosphor is promising with potential for white LED.

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of ten major functional flavonoids (isoorientin, orientin, vitexin, isovitexin, apigenin, luteolin, tricin, quercetin, rutin, and kaempferol) in different bamboo species was developed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a reversed-phase C-18 column with acetonitrile and water as the mobile phases. Detection was performed in negative ion electrospray ionization mode using multiple reaction monitoring mode. The correlation coefficients for the calibration curves ranged from 0.9955 to 0.9997. The limit of detection ranged from 1 to 45 ng/ml. The applicability of this analytical approach was confirmed by the successful analysis of real leaf samples of four bamboo species, family Poaceae: Pleioblastus amarus (Keng) Keng f., Phyllostachys glauca McClure, Phyllostachys edullis (Carrière) J.Houz, and Indocalamus latifolius (Keng) McClure. The total flavonoid contents were 3321.09, 3095.96, 4037.33, and 2808.42 mg/kg for P. amarus, P. glauca, P. edullis, and I. latifolius, respectively. Graphical abstract

Several therapeutic options have been developed to address the obesity epidemic and treat associated metabolic diseases. Despite the beneficial effects of surgery and drugs, effective therapeutic solutions have been held back by the poor long-term efficiency and detrimental side effects. The development of alternative approaches is thus urgently required. Fat transplantation is common practice in many surgical procedures, including aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, and is a budding future direction for treating obesity-related metabolic defects. This review focuses on adipose tissue transplantation and the recent development of cell-based therapies to boost the mass of energy-expenditure cells. Brown adipocyte transplantation is a promising novel therapy to manage obesity and associated metabolic disorders, but the need to have an abundant and relevant source of brown fat tissue or brown adipocytes for transplantation is a major hurdle to overcome. Current studies have focused on the rodent model to obtain a proof of concept of a tissue-transplantation strategy able to achieve effective long-term effects to reverse metabolic defects in obese patients. Future perspectives and opportunities to develop innovative human fat tissue models and 3D engineered hiPSC-adipocytes are discussed.

Effective utilization of abundant solar energy for desalination of seawater and purification of wastewater is one of sustainable techniques for production of clean water, helping relieve global water resource shortage. Herein, we fabricate a vertically aligned reduced graphene oxide/Ti3C2Tx MXene (A-RGO/MX) hybrid hydrogel with aligned channels as an independent solar steam generation device for highly efficient solar steam generation. The vertically aligned channels, generated by a liquid nitrogen-assisted directional-freezing process, not only rapidly transport water upward to the evaporation surface for efficient solar steam generation, but also facilitate multiple reflections of solar light inside the channels for efficient solar light absorption. The deliberate slight reduction endows the RGO with plenty of polar groups, decreasing the water vaporization enthalpy effectively and hence accelerating water evaporation efficiently. The MXene sheets, infiltrated inside the A-RGO hydrogel on the basis of Marangoni effect, enhance light absorption capacity and photothermal conversion performance. As a result, the A-RGO/MX hybrid hydrogel achieves a water evaporation rate of 2.09 kg·m−2·h−1 with a high conversion efficiency of 93.5% under 1-sun irradiation. Additionally, this photothermal conversion hydrogel rapidly desalinates seawater and purifies wastewater to generate clean water with outstanding ion rejection rates of above 99% for most ions.

Two new 3D fluorescence metal–organic frameworks, namely [Zn2(p-bdc)4(dfdp)2]n (1) and [Cd2(p-bdc)4(dfdp)4]n (2) (p-H2bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid; dfdp = 4,4′-(2,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene)dipyridine) have been synthesized under solvothermal conditions and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra, TG, UV–Vis spectra, fluorescence spectra, single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 shows a 3D framework constructed by infinite [Zn2(p-bdc)4]n layer as nodes and the dfdp ligands as connected linkers. Compound 2 reveals a different structure from compound 1 which can be mainly attributed to different coordination numbers of dfdp linkers. Compared with compound 2, UV–vis spectrum of compound 1 is 25 nm red-shifted. Both compounds show strong solid-state luminescence at about 400 nm. Of particular interest is that the quantum yield of compound 1 is 11.73. Two novel 3D fluorescence metal–organic frameworks [Zn2(p-bdc)4(dfdp)2]n (1) and [Cd2(p-bdc)4(dfdp)4]n (2) have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 1 show strong solid-state purple luminescence with 11.73 quantum yield (QY).

Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped CaBi4Ti4O15 (CBT) bismuth layer structured ferroelectric ceramics were synthesized by a solid state reaction method and their microstructural and up-conversion (UC) luminescence properties were studied. Under 980-nm laser excitation, a strong blue light (475 nm) and a weaker red (650 nm) UC emission band were obtained, in which a three-photon UC mechanism is dominant, contributing to the transitions of 1G4 → 3H6, and 1G4 → 3F4. The optimal UC emission intensity was observed in the CBT: 0.005Tm3+/0.04Yb3+ samples. The transition 1G4 → (3H6, 3F4) of Tm3+ indicated a temperature-dependent behavior in the 163–503 K range. The maximum sensitivity was found to be 0.016 K−1 at 503 K based on the blue and red emissions. This indicates that CBT: 0.005Tm3+/0.04Yb3+ ferroelectric ceramics have great potential for applications in optical temperature sensors.

Coprinus comatus, widely known as “Jituigu”, is an important commodity and food in China. The yield of C. comatus, however, is substantially reduced by the autolysis of the fruiting bodies after harvest. To gain insight into the molecular mechanism underlying this autolysis, we divided the growth of C. comatus fruiting bodies into four stages: infant stage (I), mature stage (M), discolored stage (D), and autolysis stage (A). We then subjected these stages to de novo transcriptomic analysis using high-throughput Illumina sequencing. A total of 12,946 unigenes were annotated and analyzed with the Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). We analyzed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between stages I and M, M and D, and D and A. Because the changes from M to D are thought to be related to autolysis, we focused on the DEGs between these two stages. We found that the pathways related to metabolic activity began to vary in the transition from M to D, including pathways named as autophagy—yeast, peroxisome, and starch and sucrose metabolism. This study also speculates the possible process of the autolysis of Coprinus comatus. In addition, 20 genes of interest were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR to verify their expression profiles at the four developmental stages. This study, which is the first to describe the transcriptome of C. comatus, provides a foundation for future studies concerning the molecular basis of the autolysis of its fruiting bodies.

The ongoing unprecedented severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak worldwide has highlighted the need for understanding viral-host interactions involved in mechanisms of virulence. Here, we show that the virulence factor Nsp1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 interacts with the host messenger RNA (mRNA) export receptor heterodimer NXF1-NXT1, which is responsible for nuclear export of cellular mRNAs. Nsp1 prevents proper binding of NXF1 to mRNA export adaptors and NXF1 docking at the nuclear pore complex. As a result, a significant number of cellular mRNAs are retained in the nucleus during infection. Increased levels of NXF1 rescues the Nsp1-mediated mRNA export block and inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, antagonizing the Nsp1 inhibitory function on mRNA export may represent a strategy to restoring proper antiviral host gene expression in infected cells.

The study aims to explore the distribution characteristics and influencing factors of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and association rules of eye diseases in these patients. Data were obtained from 1284 DM patients at Henan Provincial People’s Hospital. Association rules were employed to calculate the probability of the common occurrence of eye-related diseases in DM patients. A web visualization network diagram was used to display the association rules of the eye-related diseases in DM patients. DR prevalence in people aged P P

Relaxation makes ferroelectrics a critical component in sensors, actuators and ultrasound devices, with large electromechanical coupling effects. Although various studies of ferroelectric relaxation have been undertaken, much remains to be investigated regarding the related the properties and mechanisms, with limited studies involving low frequency relaxation characteristics. In this study, an alternative mechanical method using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) was applied to investigate the low frequency relaxor behavior of PZT-4 ceramics, compared with conventional electric method. Ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transitions were clearly detected and an obvious low frequency relaxor behavior was characterized, induced by Debye relaxation. Then, the activation energy of each relaxation peak and relaxation limit time was theoretically analyzed using the Arrhenius relationship. In addition, the switching of 90° domains was shown to be responsible for relaxor behavior. In contrast, no low frequency relaxor behavior was detected by dielectric measurements, which meant that the mechanical method was more sensitive to internal structural changes. This study deepened the current knowledge on relaxor ferroelectrics, and offered the potential for provide new insights into the investigation of low frequency relaxor characterization.

Background Cancer cells cooperate with cells that compose their environment to promote tumor growth and invasion. Among them, adipocytes provide lipids used as a source of energy by cancer cells and adipokines that contribute to tumor expansion. Mechanisms supporting the dynamic interactions between cancer cells and stromal adipocytes, however, remain unclear. Methods We set-up a co-culture model with breast cancer cells grown in 3D as mammospheres and human adipocytes to accurately recapitulate intrinsic features of tumors, such as hypoxia and cancer cell–adipocytes interactions. Results Herein, we observed that the lipid droplets’ size was reduced in adipocytes adjacent to the mammospheres, mimicking adipocyte morphology on histological sections. We showed that the uncoupling protein UCP1 was expressed in adipocytes close to tumor cells on breast cancer histological sections as well as in adipocytes in contact with the mammospheres. Mammospheres produced adrenomedullin (ADM), a multifactorial hypoxia-inducible peptide while ADM receptors were detected in adipocytes. Stimulation of adipocytes with ADM promoted UCP1 expression and increased HSL phosphorylation, which activated lipolysis. Invalidation of ADM in breast cancer cells dramatically reduced UCP1 expression in adipocytes. Conclusions Breast tumor cells secreted ADM that modified cancer–associated adipocytes through paracrine signaling, leading to metabolic changes and delipidation. Hence, ADM appears to be crucial in controlling the interactions between cancer cells and adipocytes and represents an excellent target to hinder them.

Background There are conflicting research results about the survival differences between hemodialysis(HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). The present study estimated the survival and the relative mortality hazard for incident HD and PD patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) in eastern China. Methods This study examined a cohort of patients with ESRD who initiated dialysis therapy in Zhejiang province between Jan of 2010 and Dec of 2014, followed up until the end of 2015. PD patients were matched in a 1:1 fashion with HD patients, and Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to explore the survival of them. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was applied to identify the factors that predict survival by treatment modality. Subgroup analyses were conducted by stratifying patients according to gender, age, causes of ESRD and comorbidities. Results Among a total of 22,379 enrolled patients (17,029 HD patients and 5350 PD patients), 5350 matched pairs were identified, and followed for a median of 29 months (3 ~ 72 months). Kaplan-Meier survival curve revealed that overall mortality rate was significantly higher in HD patients than in PD patients (log-rank test, P Conclusions ESRD patients who initiated dialysis with PD yielded superior survival rates compared to HD. Increased use of PD as initial dialysis modality in ESRD patients could be encouraged in Chinese population.

For optical temperature sensor, high luminescence intensity is as important as high temperature sensing sensitivity. In this work, research on rare-earth ions Er3+/Yb3+ codoped KY(WO4)2–K2WO4 multiphase phosphors for optical temperature sensing application was first proposed by material design. Under a 980 nm excitation, the upconversion luminescence intensity of multiphase materials was much higher than that of pure phase materials. For the 0.6KYW–0.4KW multiphase material, excellent temperature sensing property that the maximal sensitivity was 14.7 × 10− 3 K−1 at 643 K in a broad temperature range from 83 to 663 K was simultaneously obtained. These results indicate that KY(WO4)2–K2WO4 multiphase phosphors with excellent upconversion luminescence and temperature sensing properties are promising candidates for optical temperature sensors.

Asymmetrical equivalent circuits, making φmH as magnetic part for the direct magnetoelectric (DME) effect of magnetoelectric laminate composites of longitudinally magnetized and poled (L–L) mode, have been reported recently. In this paper, we developed a symmetrical magnetic–mechanical–electric equivalent circuit to study both the DME and converse magnetoelectric (CME) effects equivalently, predicting the DME and CME coefficients near the resonance frequency. The theoretical values are in good agreement with the corresponding experiments. The L–L mode laminate composites have higher DME voltage coefficient and CME coefficient in comparison with the longitudinally magnetized and transversely poled (L–T) mode. In particular, its voltage coefficient is almost ten times as large as that of the L–T mode composite. The results are significant for the fabrication of magnetoelectric transducer, energy capture device, electronically controlled magnetometers and magnetic field sensors.

In this article, (Al1−0.02−xSi0.02Tix)2Oy (x = 0.2, 0.9 and 2%) thin films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates using sol–gel technique. The dielectric properties of undoped and Si–Ti co-doped Al2O3 thin films were investigated. The leakage current of (Al0.971Si0.02Ti0.009)2Oy thin film is reduced by 2 orders of magnitude compared with Al2O3 film. Meanwhile, the modified sample exhibits the ultrahigh energy density of 14.01 J/cm3 under the breakdown strength of 647 MV/m, which is an enhancement of 11.26 J/cm3 over that of the undoped Al2O3 film. The improvement of dielectric properties is ascribed to the forming of Al–O–Si, Al–O–Ti bonds and the anodic oxidation of Ti3+, which could strengthen the stability of Al2O3 structure and self-repair the defects of the films under applied electric field. Another reason is that cation vacancies generated by Si–Ti co-doping could effectively prevent the formation of oxygen vacancies and decrease the breakdown probability of the films. This work provides a promising route to dielectric thin films materials for electrical energy storage applications.

A simple, rapid response time and ultrahigh sensitive chemiluminescence (CL) DNA assay based on Fe3O4@SiO2@Au-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (Au-MNPs) was developed for detection of p53 tumor suppressor gene. In this study, 2′,6′-dimethylcarbonylphenyl-10-sulfopropyl acridinium-9-carboxylate 4′-NHS ester (NSP-DMAE-NHS), as a new kind of highly efficient luminescence reagent, was immobilized on the complementary sequence of the wild-type p53 (ssDNA) to improve the detection sensitivity. The optimal concentration of ssDNA-(NSP-DMAE-NHS) conjugates mixed with the wild-type p53 (wtp53) samples respectively. Then, the wtp53-Au-MNPs conjugates were added to continue the competitive reaction in the above solution. Subsequently, the Au-MNPs separated under magnetic field, measured by a homemade luminescent measurement system. Under optimal conditions, the method exhibited ultrasensitive sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.001 ng mL−1 (0.16 pM), a wide range of liner response from 0.001 ng mL−1~6.6 μg mL−1. Therefore, the immunomagnetic nanocomposites-based detection strategy was rapid, low-cost, and highly sensitive that can be easily extended to the early diagnosis of cancer development and monitoring of patient therapy.

Physiological and iTRAQ based proteomic analysis provided new insights into potassium deficiency stress response in alligator weed root. Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) has a strong ability to adapt to potassium deficiency (LK) stress. Proteomic changes in response to this stress are largely unknown in alligator weed. In this study, we investigated physiological and molecular mechanisms under LK using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation to characterize proteome-level changes in this plant. First, root physiology, 2, 3, 5-Triphenyl-trazolium chloride (TTC) assay and peroxidase activity were significantly altered after 10 and 15 days of LK treatment. The comparative proteomic analysis suggested a total of 375 proteins were differential abundance proteins. The proteomic results were verified by western blot assays and quantitative real-time PCR. Correlation analysis of transcription and proteomics suggested protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, endocytosis, and spliceosome pathways were significantly enriched. The protein responsible for energy metabolism, signal sensing and transduction and protein degradation played crucial roles in this stress. Twelve ubiquitin pathway related proteins were identified in our study, among them 11 proteins were up-regulated. All protein ubiquitination of lysine using pan antibodies were also increased after LK treatment. Our study provide a valuable insights of molecular mechanism underlying LK stress response in alligator weed roots and afford a vital basis to further study potassium nutrition molecular breeding of other plant species.

Maximizing tuber number and yield in an aeroponics production system is imperative to make it cost effective and to make the best use of all facilities and inputs. Manipulating the plants hormonal makeup is a strategy. GA3(GA), Calcium Nitrate(CaN) and their combination were foliarly applied several times to potato plants of cvs. Favorita and Mira during both the autumn and spring growing seasons in a semi tropical setting in Sichuan. A contrasting treatment of an anti-gibberellin(Anti) was also studied in both seasons. Significant differences in plants height, stem diameter, chlorophyll content, leaf area index, the number of stolons, the number of stolon branches and tuber production were observed among different treatments and cultivars. For the cv. Favorita, CaN + GA and GA increased tuber weight per plant by 63 and 49% in autumn and 53 and 73% in spring respectively as compared to the control(CK); tuber number per plant under CaN + GA and GA treatments increased by 90 and 85% in autumn and 35 and 52% in spring respectively. For cv. Mira, the trend was similar but not as dramatic. Tuber numbers over 1400 per square meter were harvested with cv. Mira during the spring season with the GA and CaN + GA treatments.

Germline stem cells (GSCs) play an indispensable role in establishing the fertility of an organism. The isolation and culture of adult female GSCs (FGSCs) have provided a robust foundation to study the development of female germ cells in rodents. However, many problems still need to be identified, such as the origin and location of FGSCs and the specific markers for screening. In this study, we acquired FGSCs that stably expressed Oct4 from Oct4 promoter-GFP transgenic mouse ovarian surface epithelium and cortical layer, and identified the cells possessing the representative features including the expression of GSCs marker genes and the potentiality of differentiation into all three germ layers in vitro. Moreover, rapamycin was confirmed to promote proliferation of mouse FGSCs and inhibit the differentiation capability in vivo. In addition to the reported disinfection function, rapamycin inhibited the activation of primordial follicles, as the inhibitor of mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway. These results will contribute to the study on folliculogenesis or oogenesis mechanism and have important implications on developing new technology and therapeutic approach in medicine for premature ovarian failure, infertility and even ovary remodelling in future. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s10616-018-0196-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Alumina is the great potential material for the high-energy-storage application. Annealing temperature, ambient humidity and temperature are crucial parameters for further investigations of alumina dielectrics. Highly dense and uniform amorphous alumina thin films were prepared by sol–gel and spin-coating technology. The effects of annealing temperature, relative ambient humidity and temperature on dielectric properties of amorphous alumina thin films were first investigated. The annealing temperature varied from 450 to 700 °C. The ambient humidities of 20, 40, 60 and 80% were chosen. The leakage current density of film annealed at 450 °C showed strong dependence on the ambient humidity. However, the effect of ambient humidity on leakage current density weakened as the annealing temperature rising. At the constant ambient humidity, films annealed at 450 and 500 °C showed lower leakage current densities than films annealed at 600 and 700 °C. The various annealing temperatures made little influence on dielectric loss but can enhance slightly the dielectric constant at 500 °C. The annealing temperature of 500 °C was reasonable and the resulting films exhibited stable conduction mechanism at various ambient temperatures. Moreover, the annealing temperature, ambient humidity and temperature did not make the remarkable influence on the breakdown strength.

Dielectric Al2−x B x OY thin films were deposited onto Pt (100)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates via sol–gel and spin-coating technology. The microstructural transition occurred at ~500 °C due to boron loading was confirmed by DSC and XRD. FTIR, 27Al MAS NMR and XPS measurements were employed to investigate the microstructural transition caused by different boron concentrations. The results revealed that Al–O–B bonds and [AlO4] tetrahedrons were produced resulting in the reinforcement of structure with relatively low boron concentrations. With the increase of boron concentration, [BO3] chains and new surfaces crossing over the internal structure gradually produced and disrupted the structural stability. Meanwhile, hydroxyl groups were accumulated in the internal structure owing to the hydrophilic property of boron. According to the reinforced structure with low boron concentrations, the current density decreased and the breakdown strength was enhanced. Typically, the current density was decreased two orders of magnitude at 100 MV m−1 and the breakdown strength of the 0.5 mol% B-doped alumina thin film was increased by 59% (from 293 to 465 MV m−1) in comparison with that of the undoped alumina thin film, whereas the dielectric properties gradually become poor due to the weak structure with the increase of boron concentration. Moreover, the dielectric constant increased owing to hydroxyl groups when the boron doping increased. This work may provide a general strategy for enhancing dielectric properties of the alumina thin film.

A novel green emitted phosphor Li2Sr1−xBaxSiO4:Eu2+ (LSBS:Eu) has been synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. Its crystal structure and grain morphology have been investigated by a powder X-ray diffractometer and a scanning electronic microscope, respectively. A green emission peak around 566 nm was observed under the excitation ranged from 225 to 500 nm, which covers the emission spectra of blue and near UV LEDs. The optimal emission intensity was obtained when the Ba content was 0.6 and Eu2+ doping level was 0.003 mol. Furthermore, the investigation of the temperature dependence of luminescence and quantum efficiency indicate that LSBS:Eu phosphors are highly thermally stable and energy saving. The lifetime decay curves and chromaticity coordinates were also obtained. The results show that Li2Sr1−xBaxSiO4:Eu2+ would be a promising green phosphor candidate for UV-chip-based multiphosphor converted white LEDs.

Alligator weed is reported to have a strong ability to adapt to potassium deficiency stress. Proteomic changes in response to this stress are largely unknown in alligator weed seedlings. In this study, we performed physiological and comparative proteomics of alligator weed seedlings between normal growth (CK) and potassium deficiency (LK) stress using 2-DE techniques, including root, stem and leaf tissues. Seedling height, soluble sugar content, PGK activity and H2O2 contents were significantly altered after 15 d of LK treatment. A total of 206 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. There were 72 DEPs in the root, 79 in the stem, and 55 in the leaves. The proteomic results were verified using western blot and qRT-PCR assays. The most represented KEGG pathway was “Carbohydrate and energy metabolism” in the three samples. The “Protein degradation” pathway only existed in the stem and root, and the “Cell cycle” pathway only existed in the root. Protein-protein interaction analysis demonstrated that the interacting proteins detected were the most common in the stem, with 18 proteins. Our study highlights protein changes in alligator weed seedling under LK stress and provides new information on the comprehensive analysis of the protein network in plant potassium nutrition.

Amorphous SrTiO3 thin films were fabricated on Pt (100)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by sol–gel and spin-coating technology and their surface and cross-section morphology were characterized by using field emission scanning electron microscopy. A broad absorption band at about 3390 cm−1 owing to the stretching vibrations of hydroxyl groups in the absorbed water was observed from fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. J–E measurements were used to investigate the electrical characteristics of SrTiO3 films. The breakdown characteristics and leakage current are strongly dependent upon their electrode materials. SrTiO3 films with Al top electrodes exhibit significantly higher breakdown strength and much lower leakage current than those with Au top electrodes. Moreover, samples with Al electrodes exhibit distinct electrical characteristics when a negative voltage was applied under different testing conditions. The surface chemical state of aluminum was analyzed by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, indicating that the 45 nm thick Al electrode was completely transformed into aluminum oxide layer when a positive voltage was applied. These results show that the anodic oxidation of the Al electrodes and films is suggested to be responsible for the enhanced electrical characteristics of SrTiO3 thin films.

When the valve metal is used as anode material, the dielectric properties of sol–gel-derived thin film are greatly enhanced. That is because anodized self-healing occurs at the interface of the anode and the thin film. An oxide insulating layer with a good dielectric property is generated. Anodization heals the defects and the breakdown spots of thin film. Other than anodized self-healing, electrode contact is also an important factor, affecting the dielectric characteristics of the thin film capacitor, which cannot be ignored, especially when both factors exist in one film device. In this study, the sol–gel-derived strontium titanate thin film is used as dielectric material in the film capacitor, and platinum and aluminum as electrode materials. We find that the Schottky barrier at the interface of platinum and strontium titanate greatly reduces the leakage current. However the interface barrier restricts the anodizing of aluminum electrode and the further enhancement of the dielectric strength of the thin film capacitor.

Crystallization processes of sol–gel derived SrTiO3 films have been investigated systematically. The crystallization processes included two stages, firstly, the coordination of the cations changed from the carboxylate groups to the carbonate groups; secondly, the resulting pervskite SrTiO3 was crystallized by the decomposition of the carbonate groups. The intermediate with carbonate groups has also been observed in the SrTiO3 films annealed at 500 °C by the Raman peak shift near 1071 cm−1. The stoichiometry of the intermediate, close to Sr2Ti2O5CO3, has been further confirmed by the TG-DSC and XPS results.

Highly homogeneous and dense Mg-doped Al2O3 films were prepared using sol–gel method. Similar trends occur in the current–voltage characteristics of Al1−xMgxO3−δ series (x = 0, 0.5, 2 and 10 %) films, while 7.7 and 33.3 % Mg-doped Al2O3 films exhibit different trends, and the 33.3 % Mg-doped Al2O3 films have the lowest leakage current, which almost linearly increases with the applied voltage. The dielectric strength of the Al1−xMgxO3−δ series (x = 0.5, 2 and 10 %) films are slightly lower than that of undoped Al2O3 films, while the 7.7 and 33.3 % Mg-doped Al2O3 films possess higher dielectric strength than the undoped Al2O3 films. The Ohmic conduction dominates the leakage current of Al1−xMgxO3−δ (x = 0, 7.7 and 33.3 %) films under lower electric field, while the space-charge-limited-current and Schottky emission, and even other conduction mechanisms, could co-exist under higher electric field.

Amorphous Yttrium-doped aluminum oxide thin films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by sol–gel. It was observed by field emission scanning electron microscope that the surface morphology was smooth and homogeneous. From Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, a broad absorption band at 700–1000 cm−1 owing to vibrations of aluminum oxide was observed. The absorption peaks strength relating to hydroxyl group decreased with the increase of Y doping concentration. The electrical properties were investigated in terms of Y doping content and relative humidity. The results show that the existence of hydroxyl and absorbed water makes a significant influence on the electric properties of films. The electric conduction characteristics and dielectric breakdown properties are modified by the decrease of content of hydroxyl and absorbed water, leading to a lower leakage current and higher dielectric strength. It can be seen that the leakage current of films decreases with the Y doping, and could be reasonably deduced that leakage current can be effectively tuned by Y doping.

Aurivillius oxide Na0.5Bi2.5Ta2O9 inserted by Na0.5Er0.5TiO3 ((1 − x)NBTa-xNET, x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5) was synthesized by the conventional solid-state method. The ceramic samples with moderate addition of Na0.5Er0.5TiO3 showed strong green and red emissions under 980 nm radiation excitation at room temperature. In the up-conversion luminous spectra, the sample of x = 0.3 had the strongest green emission. Study on how up-conversion luminous intensity varying with excitation power indicated that the green and red up-conversion luminescence (UCL) were both two-photon absorption processes. The dependence of luminescence intensity on temperature was measured in the temperature range of 83–583 K. It was observed that the fluorescence intensity ratio R(I533.6/I546.8) changed with temperature. The maximum temperature sensitivity was found to be about 20.2 × 10−4 K−1 (425 K). It is believed that Er3+ doped in Na0.5Bi2.5Ta2O9 by the form of perovskite-structured Na0.5Er0.5TiO3 is an effective method to improve the UCL property of this ceramic, which has potential application in optical temperature sensor.

Dielectric breakdown behavior of sol–gel derived SrTiO3 films has been studied systematically. The dielectric strength and leakage characteristics of SrTiO3 films were observed to have a strong dependence on the top electrode materials. Compared with films with Ti or Al electrode, SrTiO3 films with Au electrode exhibited relatively low dielectric breakdown strength. Simultaneously, a broad area of damage occurred in the Au electrode after breakdown, which is closely related to the self-healing breakdown mechanism. The corresponding leakage current kept the same order of magnitude when the electric field was higher than 100 MV/m. The higher dielectric strength of the films with Ti or Al electrode is attributed to anodic oxidation of metal electrode.