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In this paper, we first introduce a class of quartic Boolean functions. And then, the construction of weightwise perfectly balanced Boolean functions on \begin{document}$ 2^m $\end{document} variables are given by modifying the support of the quartic functions, where \begin{document}$ m $\end{document} is a positive integer. The algebraic degree, the weightwise nonlinearity, and the algebraic immunity of the newly constructed weightwise perfectly balanced functions are discussed at the end of this paper.

The instability of saline soil foundation affects the safety of artificial construction, and may cause ground collapse, building destruction and road damage. It is fundamental to reduce the potential engineering geological disasters by exploring the dynamic evolution of saline soil. Most of the previous researches of saline soil were conducted by simulated experiments and traditional geodetic surveying methods. Restricted to the limited sampling points, the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of saline soil were difficult to find out in a large scale. This paper exploited SBAS-InSAR method to extract the deformation of the Qarhan Salt Lake (in Qinghai, China) section along Qinghai-Tibet railway, based on 119 image data acquired by Sentinel-1A from 2015 to 2020. The results showed that the deformation trends varied frequently in this saline mud flat. Between the adjacent areas with different deformation trends along Qinghai-Tibet railway, discontinuities caused by uplift and subsidence were very obvious. Besides, among the areas with brine exploitation or artificial construction, the maximum subsidence rate reached50 mm/yr, and the maximum cumulative subsidence exceeded 320 mm in the latest 5 years. In the saline mud flat closed to the rivers and lakes, the deformation trend was continuous uplift. Nevertheless, there were obvious seasonal deformation characteristics in those areas far away from the water body. Further analysis found out a sharply subsidence caused by the salt collapsibility appeared in rainy seasons. While an uplift trend induced by the salt swelling or frost heave was remarkable in dry seasons. Subsequently, the relationships were analyzed between the time series deformation and external environmental factors. Furthermore, the deformation mechanism of saline soilin the Qarhan Salt Lake region was interpreted then. In general, this study provides complete spatiotemporal evolution information of saline soil, and demonstrates the deformation characteristics of saline soil in the Qarhan Salt Lake region successfully. Related results would contribute to the safety monitoring for large-scale infrastructure construction in the saline soil areas.

Soil inorganic phosphate (Pi) levels are frequently suboptimal for the growth and development of crop plants. Although MADS-box genes participate in diverse plant developmental processes, their involvement in phosphate starvation responses (PSRs) remains unclear. We identified a type I MADS-box transcription factor gene, TaMADS2-3D, which was rapidly induced under low-Pi stress in roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum). A TaMADS2-3D-GFP fusion protein was found located in the nucleus. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing TaMADS2-3D (TaMADS2-3DOE) showed shortened primary roots, increased lateral root density, and retarded seedling growth under high-Pi (HP) conditions, accompanied by increased Pi contents in their shoots and roots. The Arabidopsis TaMADS2-3DOE plants showed similar PSR phenotypes under low Pi (LP) conditions. These results indicate constitutive activation of PSRs by overexpression of TaMADS2-3D in Arabidopsis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), H2O2 and O2−, levels were increased in root tips of Arabidopsis TaMADS2-3DOE plants under HP conditions. Transcriptome analysis of Arabidopsis TaMADS2-3DOE plants under different Pi regimes revealed expression changes for a variety of PSR genes including AtZAT6. Overexpression of TaMADS2-3D in wheat also led to constitutive activation of PSRs. We propose that TaMADS2-3D regulates plant PSRs probably by modulating ROS homeostasis, root development, PSR gene expression, and Pi uptake. This study increases our understanding of plant PSR regulation and provides a valuable gene for improving phosphorus-use efficiency in wheat and other crops.

As a worldwide public health issue, chronic kidney disease still lacks of effective therapeutic approaches due to the challenges in conventional organ transplantation and dialysis. Renal tissue engineering offers an advantageous therapeutic or regenerative option over typical donor organ. However, despite the great progress of decellularized extracellular matrix based scaffold for the renal regeneration, several safety concerns and complex composition still remain to be addressed. Herein, the extracellular matrix-mimicking hydrogel scaffolds were developed through covalent and physical cross-linking between swim bladder-derived natural collagen (COL) and anti-fibrosis chondroitin sulfate (CS) derivatives. The biomimetic hydrogels showed proper mechanical property, excellent thermal stability and high biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo, by altering the mass ratio of COL and CS. When implanted in partially nephrectomized rat model, the 1COL/2CS scaffold enable it recruit more native kidney cells, reduce the tubular damage, and even induce the regeneration of renal tubular-like tissue and restore renal metabolic function more effectively comparing with the pure 2COL and 2CS scaffold. These results suggest that the biomimetic scaffold is a promising functional platform for treating renal diseases.

International audience; CRISPR-based genome editing systems have been successfully and effectively used in many organisms. However, only a few studies have reported the comparison between CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cpf1 systems in the whole-genome applications. Although many web-based toolkits are available, there is still a shortage of comprehensive, user-friendly, and plant-specific CRISPR databases and desktop software. In this study, we identified and analyzed the similarities and differences between CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cpf1 systems by considering the abundance of proto-spacer adjacent motif (PAM) sites, effects of GC content, optimal proto-spacer length, potential universality within the plant kingdom, PAM-rich region (PARR) inhibiting ratio, and effects of G-quadruplex (G-Q) structures. Using this information, we built a comprehensive CRISPR database (including 138 plant genome data sources, www.grapeworld.cn/pc/index.html), which provides search tools for the identification of CRISPR editing sites in both CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cpf1 systems. We also developed a desktop software on the basis of Perl/TK tool, which facilitates and improves the detection and analysis of CRISPR editing sites at the whole-genome level on Linux and/or Windows platform. Therefore, this study provides helpful data and software for easy selection and application of CRISPR-based genome editing systems in plants.

This work demonstrates a streamlined method to engineer a rod-like porous carbon framework (RPC) confined magnetite nanoparticles composite (Fe3O4/RPC) starting from metallic iron and gallic acid (GA) solution. First, a mild redox reaction was triggered between Fe and GA to prepare a rod-shaped metal–organic framework (MOF) ferric gallate sample (Fe-GA). Then, the Fe-GA sample was calcinated to obtain a prototypic RPC supported metal iron nanoparticle intermediate sample (Fe/RPC). Finally, the Fe3O4/RPC composite was synthesized after a simple hydrothermal reaction. The Fe3O4/RPC composite exhibited competitive electrochemical behaviors, which has a high gravimetric capacity of 1140 mAh·g−1 at a high charge and discharge current of 1000 mA·g−1 after 300 cycles. The engineered RPC supportive matrix not only offers adequate voids to buffer the volume expansion from inside well-dispersed Fe3O4 nanoparticles, but also facilitates both the ionic and electronic transport during the electrochemical reactions. The overall material synthesis involves of no hazardous or expensive chemicals, which can be regarded to be a scalable and green approach. The obtained samples have a good potential to be further developed for wider applications.

Lignin is a potential renewable raw material for synthesis of aromatic molecules and materials. Particularly, Kraft-type lignins are abundantly available as a byproduct of wood and paper industries. Currently, there are practically no valuable products made using this highly complex polymer. Within this work, we have investigated the straightforward, high-yield depolymerization of two different technical lignins (Indulin AT and alkaline lignin) using only a mixture of green short-chain (C-1-C-3) alcohols and water as solvents. As shown here, at a temperature of 220 degrees C, autogenous pressure, and isopropanol/water as a co-solvent medium, it is possible to cleave Kraft lignin without char-forming side reactions. The obtained so-called "light" oil contains guaiacol-based monomeric units of 23 wt % yield together with liquid oligomers of 13 wt % yield combining liquid-liquid and solid-liquid extraction. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of lignin residues showed that the isopropanol/water treatment caused a marked breakdown of the intermolecular beta-O-4 and beta-beta bonds; thus, the depolymerization produced monomers and lignin residues with lower molecular weight. The results suggested a synergistic effect between isopropanol and water. No sign of repolymerization reactions could be observed with this process.

A hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)-bonded porous silicon oxynitride (Si2N2O) composite with a low dielectric constant, low thermal diffusivity, and high thermal shock resistance was fabricated by pressureless sintering, and the phase, microstructure, oxidation resistance, and mechanical and dielectric properties of the composites were investigated. The results demonstrated that Na2CO3 facilitated http://www.youdao.com/w/eng/facilitated/javascript:void(0) ; the generation of Si2N2O. With the subsequent volatilisation of Na2O at high temperatures, near-pure porous Si2N2O ceramics was obtained. However, in the presence of excess Na2CO3 (above 6 wt%), Si2N2O decomposed into Si3N4. The hardness of the Si2N2O/h-BN composite decreased from 1.4 ± 0.15 GPa to 0.4 ± 0.13 GPa with the addition of h-BN, which significantly improved the workability of the material. Moreover, the material exhibited a stable thermal expansion coefficient (3.36 × 10 −6 K−1 at 200 °C and 4.08 × 10 −6 K−1 at 1300 °C), low dielectric constant, and low dielectric loss (e = 3.26, tan δ = 3.21 × 10−3 at a h-BN content of 9 wt%). Thus, it is a potential wave-transparent and thermal insulation material for microwave sintering furnaces.

Non-layered two-dimensional (2D) carbon complexes manifest great potential in energy-related applications owing to their exotic electronic structures, large electrochemically active surface, and intriguing synergistic effects. However, reliable method for mass production and thickness manipulation of 2D carbon complexes remains great challenges. Here, inspired by blowing chewing gum into bubbles, a “tailored gel expanding” strategy is proposed for high-yield synthesis of non-layered 2D carbon complexes with tailored thickness from ~12 nm to ~1 μm, by controllable pyrolysis of metal-polymeric gel with adequate crosslinking degree. The key feature for thickness manipulation is introducing NH4NO3 in sol–gel process, which tailors the expansion behavior of gel precursor during subsequent pyrolysis. Various of 2D sheets with intimately coupled N,O-doped carbon (NOC) and NiCo-based (NiCo, (NiCo)S2, (NiCo)Se2, NiCo2O4, (NiCo)(PO3)2) nanocrystals are obtained on a large scale and without any impurities. Moreover, these 2D products are branched with in-situ grown CNTs on the surface, accelerating electrons transfer and preventing the nanosheets from stacking. As a demonstration, the 2D (NiCo)S2/NOC with optimized thickness manifests excellent lithium storage properties in both half and full cells. This method paves a new path for massive and controlled production of non-layered 2D materials with tailored thickness and robust structure stability for energy-related applications.

The sudden drop of ionic conductivity of GDC (Gd0.1Ce0·9O1.95) electrolyte in ceramic fuel cells with NCAL (Ni0·8Co0·15Al0·05LiO2) as electrode at low temperature was studied. It is found that the peak power density (PPD) of the cell with GDC electrolyte decreases linearly with the decreasing of the operation temperature above 400 °C. However, when the operation temperature drops to 400 °C, the cell PPD decreases significantly. EIS results show that the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte decreases linearly with the decrease of cell operating temperature. When the temperature decreases to approximately 400 °C, the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte decreases from 0.251 S cm−1 at 425 °C to 0.026 S cm−1 at 400 °C. The rapid decrease of the electrolyte ionic conductivity is considered to be the direct cause of the sudden decrease of the PPD. According to the results of XPS, FTIR and TG-DSC, LiOH/Li2CO3 formed in the NCAL anode diffuses into the electrolyte and melts at 419 °C or above, which is the reason for the high ionic conductivity of the electrolyte. The reason for the sudden drop of ionic conductivity is that LiOH/Li2CO3 and other compounds solidify in molten salts below 419 °C.

A novel Ti cored wire containing TiB2, Al60V40 and Ti6Al4V mixed powders was developed for wire-feed arc deposition of TiB/Ti composite coating, to enhance the hardness and wear resistance of Ti alloy. Results showed that after experiencing several chemical reactions, the wire was melted in the arc zone and turned into nonuniform droplets composed of Ti-Al-V-B melt and undecomposed TiB2 particles. With the increase of welding current, the detachment time of droplet shortened while the transfer frequency accelerated, accompanied by the improvement in coating surface quality. The spatial distribution of TiB whiskers in coating was governed by welding current. A uniform distribution could be achieved as welding current was sufficient at the expense of elevated dilution ratio, while increasing wire feeding speed could compensate the dilution loss of TiB whisker to some extent. The decomposition process of TiB2 particles and the microstructure evolution mechanism of coating was discussed in detail. The optimum coating possessed uniform microstructure, relatively low dilution ratio, and high hardness (639.1 HV0.5) as compared with Ti6Al4V substrate (326 HV0.5). Indentation morphology analysis verified the excellent performance was ascribed to the load-sharing strengthening of TiB whiskers. This study provides a high-efficiency fabrication method for the ever-developing titanium matrix composites (TMCs) coating.

Langbeinite type compounds are a large kind of oxometallate with good flexibility structure. Herein, we synthesized a new langbeinite type compound K2Dy1.5Ta0.5(PO4)3, in which the Dy3+ and Ta5+ were blended to occupy the same crystallographic sites. Simultaneously, solid solutions of K2Dy1.5–xEuxTa0.5(PO4)3 (x = 0–1.5) were prepared and their photoluminescence properties were investigated. Due to energy transfer from Dy3+ to Eu3+, both Dy3+ and Eu3+ characteristic emissions are observed under 393 nm light excitation. The emitting color of K2Dy1.5–xEuxTa0.5(PO4)3 turns from green through yellow to red by simply adjusting the Eu3+ concentration from 0 to 0.4. Moreover, K2Dy1.48Eu0.02Ta0.5 (PO4)3 phosphor possesses excellent fluorescence thermal stability and exhibits zero thermal quenching at 150 °C. These results manifest that K2Dy1.5–xEuxTa0.5(PO4)3 solutions are promising multi-color emitting phosphors candidate for near-UV LED.

Photocarriers and reactants are two crucial factors in photocatalytic reactions, the divergence between them severely limits the photocatalytic performance. Herein, we proposed a light-controlled method to converge photocarriers and reactants to the same location. Based on energy band engineering, we adjust the wavelength of the irradiated light to selectively grow cocatalyst in the desired position in a semiconductor. The pinpointed growth of the cocatalyst serves as a bridge between the photocarriers and the reactants, and thus improves the photocatalytic efficiency. We applied this strategy to the Ag/Cu2O photocatalyst, and the Ag was selectively grown on the edge, {1 1 1} facet and {1 0 0} facet of Cu2O, respectively. Benefiting from the synergy of the photocarriers and the reactants, the edge-preferred growth of Ag/Cu2O showed 30-fold increased degradation rate for MO and 6-fold increased photocurrent density for water splitting at 0 V vs. RHE compared with the bare Cu2O. This strategy has also been successfully applied to Pt/BiVO4, Ag/BiVO4 and MnOx/BiVO4 systems. This method opens up a new way for the rational design of high-performance photocatalysts.

Sewage sludge was subjected to hydrothermal fueling (HTF) (330 °C for 40 min), obtaining hydrochar at 13.5 MJ kg−1. The higher heating value (HHV) of the raw sludge was related to its fatty acid content. The results showed that although the higher heating value (HHV) of the raw sludge was related to its fatty acid content, with the intensification of HTF, the increase in aliphatic/cyclic amino acids determined the production of HHV in the hydrochar. In order to increase the content of fatty acids and amino acids, the sludge was fermented. However, the Bacteroidetes consumed the organic matter too early, which was detrimental to the production of HHV. Therefore, appropriate sludge fermentation is recommended to restrict excessive Bacteroidetes proliferation, decompose lipids to saturated fatty acids, and convert proteins to aliphatic/cyclic amino acids to increase the efficiency of converting sludge to fuel. HIGHLIGHTS Hydrochar of 13.5 MJ/kg produced at 330 °C for 40 min can be used as fuel.; HHV of sludge relates to fatty acids, while HHV of hydrochar relates to amino acids.; Saturated fatty acids, aliphatic & cyclic amino acids play a role in HHV production.; Over-proliferation of Bacteroidetes harmful to HHV production is to be controlled.

The performances of 1–3 piezocomposite materials under various poling conditions were compared and analysed. The dielectric, piezoelectric, and electromechanical properties of 1–3 piezocomposite materials were studied with variations in the electric field amplitude (Ep), poling frequency (f), and number of cycles (C). It was found that the piezoelectric coefficient (d33), free dielectric constant ( e 33 T / e 0 ), and electromechanical coupling factor (kt) of 1–3 piezocomposite materials exhibit an increase of 21.4%, 13%, and 10.7%, respectively, under the optimum alternating current poling (ACP) condition (f = 1.25 Hz, Ep = 2 kV/mm, C = 16), compared with that of the samples poled using the direct current polarisation (DCP) method. The studies of the domain pattern indicate that the performance enhancement originates from the remarkable regularly striped domain structure and high domain wall density in ACP-poled samples. Our results suggest that the ACP method is effective in enhancing the performance of composite piezoelectric materials, which possess great benefits and potential for application in acoustic/medical transducers.

In this study, Ni–Al spinel catalyst prepared with glycine-nitrate combustion method and treated by DBD plasma in different atmospheres have been investigated for propane steam reforming (PSR). It is revealed by H2-TPR that compared with traditional calcination method, NiO/Ni particles have much stronger interaction with the supports on the plasma-treated Ni–Al spinel catalysts. Therefore, catalysts with smaller NiO/Ni grains sizes, higher metallic Ni active surface areas can be achieved, as evidenced by XRD and H2 adsorption-desorption measurements. NH3-TPD results demonstrate that the plasma treatment led to a decrease of the acidity of the Ni–Al spinel catalyst. Furthermore, larger quantities of surface active oxygen sites are also formed after plasma treatment, as testified by the O2-TPD and XPS results. As a consequence, the plasma-treated catalysts show significantly improved catalytic activities and coke resistance. Plasma treatment in H2/Ar atmosphere after calcination process is considered to be the best route to prepare NiAl2O4 catalysts, which could be employed to obtain PSR catalysts with the highest catalytic activity and best anti-coking performance. It is believed that the higher metallic Ni active surface area and much more surface active oxygen sites induced by plasma treatment are the inherent reasons accounting for the enhanced catalytic performance of the Ni–Al spinel catalysts.

High salinity in soil affects the strawberry production and fruit quality. Auxin-primed plants have enhanced responses to soil salinization. In this study, we report that exogenous application of IAA can partially relieve stress responses of strawberry seedlings. Cytological analysis showed that the ultrastructure of root tip and leaf cells in strawberry seedlings were altered under high salinity condition, which was partially recovered after the application of IAA. The study showed that the ultrastructure of root tip and leaf cells in strawberry seedlings were altered under salt stress condition, which was partially recovered after the application of IAA. Exogenous IAA ameliorated deleterious effects on seedling growth under salinity were attributed to accelerated Na+ fluxes, decreased the contents of Na+ to maintain the ion homeostasis, protect root growth, and promote the absorption of nutrients for improved photosynthetic efficiency in strawberry.

The present study carried out with a field plot experiment and light environment simulation experiment in 2017 to assess the effect of spectral distribution on internode elongation in soybean canopy. Henong 60 and Heinong 48 were used as the experimental materials. The spectral distribution in the soybean canopy was studied under four planting densities 200,000(D20), 300,000(D30), 400,000(D40) and 500,000(D50) plant ha−1. Meanwhile, a pot experiment of light environment simulation with light-emitting diode (LED) was carried out to further analyze the effects of light quantity and quality on the elongation of soybean seedlings. The results showed that the intensity of PAR, blue light, red light and far-red light in soybean canopy decreased by varying degrees with density and canopy depth increasing, and the decrease of PAR and R/FR led to significant elongation of internodes and plant height in high density. The spectral intensity in the middle and base of the canopy was strongly reduced, resulting in the strongest internode elongation in the middle of soybean stem. The increase in soybean plant height was also mainly due to the internode elongation in the middle at high density. In addition, the mono-light of far-red light could promote the internode elongation, while the red light and blue light acted as inhibitors and the inhibitory effect of blue light was even greater.

Eleven new iridoids, brachybones A-K (1-11), were isolated from the twigs of Viburnum brachybotryum. Their structures including absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic data analysis and from the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. All of the compounds 1-11 possess one or two acetoxysenecioate substituents. Furthermore, compounds 5-7 and 11 feature a Cl atom in the molecule, while compounds 9-11 exhibit a cagelike rigid skeleton through an unusual oxo bridge from C-3 to C-8 or C-10. The isolates were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against the HCT-116, A549, and Hela cell lines, and the results showed compounds 10 and 11 to be active against HCT-116 cells.

In this study, a new Fe-6Mn-4Al-0.4C high strength medium manganese hot rolled steel sheet was designed. The influence mechanism of the intercritical annealing (IA) temperature on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of experimental steel were studied by SEM and XRD. The experimental steel was held for 30 minutes at 640°C, 680°C, 720°C, 760°C, 800°C, respectively. When the annealing temperature was 640°C, cementite particles precipitated between the austenite and ferrite phase boundary. As the annealing temperature increased, the cementite gradually dissolved and disappeared, the fraction of lamellar austenite increased significantly. When the annealing temperature is 800°C, the coarse equiaxed austenite and ferrite appeared. The yield strength (YS) decreased, the product of strength and elongation (PSE) and total elongation (TE) both increased first and then decreased, while the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) showed the opposite trend. The experimental steel exhibited excellent comprehensive mechanical properties after held at 760°C for 30 min. The UTS was 870 MPa, the YS was 703 MPa, and the TE was 77 %, the PSE was 67 GPa·%.

Amines are widely employed as additives for improving the performance of metal halide perovskite optoelectronic devices. However, amines are well-known for their high chemical reactivity, the impact of which has yet to receive enough attention from the perovskite light-emitting diode community. Here, by investigating an unusual positive aging effect of CH3NH3I/CsI/PbI2 precursor solutions as an example, we reveal that amines gradually undergo N-formylation in perovskite precursors over time. This reaction is initialized by hydrolysis of dimethylformamide in the acidic chemical environment. Further investigations suggest that the reaction products collectively impact perovskite crystallization and eventually lead to significantly enhanced external quantum efficiency values, increasing from similar to 2% for fresh solutions to greater than or similar to 12% for aged ones. While this case study provides a positive aging effect, a negative aging effect is possible in other perovksite systems. Our findings pave the way for more reliable and reproducible device fabrication and call for further attention to underlying chemical reactions within the perovskite inks once amine additives are included. Funding Agencies|ERCEuropean Research Council (ERC)European Commission [717026]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University [SFO-Mat-LiU 2009-00971]; National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [51472164, 62005126]; 1000 Talents Program for Young Scientists of China; Shenzhen Peacock Plan [KQTD2016053112042971]; Educational Commission of Guangdong Province [2015KGJHZ006]; Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO)FWO [12Y7221N]

Highly efficient electrical heaters along with excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties are urgently required for the progress of miniaturization electronics, artificial intelligence, and smart heating management setups. Herein, lignin removal, which comprises two efficient and versatile steps, followed by carbonization produces multifunctional carbon monoliths derived from natural wood. The obtained carbonized wood exhibits a high specific surface area (655.14 m2/g) and electrical (17.5 S/cm) and thermal conductivity (0.58 W/m·K), superhydrophilicity (contact angle of ∼0°), and excellent EMI shielding ability and Joule heating performance. The high electrical conductivity renders a low-voltage-actuated Joule heating performance and fascinating EMI shielding effectiveness of 55 dB, primarily resulting from the absorption mechanism. Moreover, regulation of the carbonized woods derived from the longitudinal to the radial direction enables transformation of hydrophilicity, strong thermal conductivity, and absorption-dominated EMI shielding to hydrophobicity, thermal insulation, and reflection-dominated EMI shielding. This is attributed to the unique anisotropic microstructure of carbon scaffolds. It is believed that these multifunctional carbon scaffolds can be used for intelligent electronics, EMI shielding, and thermal heating instruments.

Ti3C2 is the first member of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbide or carbonitride (MXene) with excellent photothermal effect in disease treatment on an animal model, which shows a potential prospect on clinical application. However, in-depth details on the biosafety of MXene were insufficient. Metabolomics approach has offered an excellent alternative with numerous bioinformation, which can demonstrate the response of an organism to external stimuli at the molecular level. In this study, two different concentrations (100 and 500 mg/L) of MXene were used to treat human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and under both conditions, no obvious acute cytotoxicity was observed by cell proliferation and apoptosis measurement. We used a platform combining LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and bioinformatics to analyze the changes of HUVECs metabolome after treatment with different concentrations of MXene, and the results indicated that —high concentrations (500 mg/L) of MXene can cause significant changes in the energy metabolism of HUVECs, showing obvious inhibition of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle with the enhancement of glycolysis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and lipid accumulation, which are closely related to the functional disorder of mitochondria. The metabolomics results of the novel MXene-cell system extend the knowledge on the biological effect of MXene, possibly enabling technological innovations and material modifications.

The BeiDou global navigation satellite system (BDS-3) has established the Ka-band inter-satellite link (ISL) to realize a two-way ranging function between satellites, which provides a new observation technology for the orbit determination of BDS-3 satellites. Therefore, this study presents a BDS satellite orbit determination model based on ground tracking station (GTS) observations and ISL ranging observations firstly to analyze the impact of the ISL ranging observations on the orbit determination of BDS-3 satellites. Subsequently, considering the data fusion processing, the variance component estimation (VCE) algorithm is applied to the parameter estimation process of the satellite orbit determination. Finally, using the measured data from China’s regional GTS observations and BDS-3 ISL ranging observations, the effects of ISL ranging observations on the orbit determination accuracy of BDS-3 satellites are analyzed. Moreover, the impact of the VCE algorithm on the fusion data processing is evaluated from the aspects of orbit determination accuracy, Ka-band hardware delay parameter stability, and ISL ranging observation residuals. The results show that for China’s regional GTSs, the addition of BDS-3 ISL ranging observations can significantly improve the orbit determination accuracy of BDS-3 satellites. The observed orbit determination accuracy of satellite radial component is improved from 48 cm to 4.1 cm. In addition, when the initial weight ratio between GTS observations and ISL ranging observations is not appropriate, the various indicators which include orbit determination accuracy, ISL hardware delay, and ISL observation residuals were observed to have improved after the adjustment of the VCE algorithm. These results validate the effectiveness of the VCE algorithm for the fusion data processing of the GTS observations and ISL ranging observations.

The effects of strain rate on the microstructural evolution and deformation mechanism of a Ni-Co based superalloy were investigated by isothermal compression tests performed at γ′ sub-solvus (1090 °C) and γ′ super-solvus temperatures (1150 °C) with a wide strain rate range from 0.001 to 10 s-1 under a true strain of 0.693. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques were used to characterize the microstructures. The results revealed that the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) volume fraction increased and stored energy of the γ matrix grains decreased with increasing the strain rate during γ′ sub-solvus temperature deformation, while the opposite phenomena were observed during γ′ super-solvus temperature deformation. The comprehensive effect of initial grain size, primary γ′ phase, twins and adiabatic temperature rise led to these results. The primary γ′ particles undergone the deformation behavior within itself and obviously accelerated the DRX of the matrix. The microstructural evolution proved that discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) was the dominant mechanism during the hot deformation carried out at both γ′ sub-solvus and γ′ super-solvus temperatures. Primary γ′ particles obviously accelerated the nucleation step and retarded the growth step of DDRX during γ′ sub-solvus temperature deformation. Besides, the acceleration effect of primary γ′ particles on DDRX increased with the increase of strain rate. Continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) was confirmed to be an assistant mechanism during γ′ super-solvus temperature deformation and was promoted with the increase of strain rate.

Triclosan (TCS) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are known to have both endocrine disrupting and developmental toxicity effects on zebrafish embryos. Currently, potential molecular mechanisms underlying these toxicological phenomena require further studies. To address this gap in the literature, we used whole transcriptome microarrays to being to address the potential molecular mechanisms underlying developmental toxicity of TCS and PFOS on zebrafish embryos. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 300 μg/L TCS and 500 μg/L PFOS from 4 to 120 h post fertilization (hpf). Phenotypically, the hatching rate of zebrafish embryos was significantly reduced after TCS exposure at 72 hpf. Additionally, body length was significantly decreased in the TCS treatment group at 120 hpf. Gene ontology analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed that lipid metabolism, steroid metabolism, and organ development-related biological processes were significantly enriched in TCS- and PFOS-treated zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, signaling network analysis indicated that the steroid biosynthesis process was the most significant biological process disrupted by TCS in 120 hpf zebrafish embryos, while organ development was the most significant biological process disrupted by PFOS exposure. Our findings enhance the understanding of the specific types of embryotoxicity elicited by TCS and PFOS, and also provide information that can be used to inform future mechanistic studies.

The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is characterized by high speed and heavy load when running. Its intertarsal joint (Fig. 1A) with double-nutrient foramina (DNF) exhibits excellent ability to withstand high impact during running, and is characterized by lightweight. We investigated the effect of DNF on the biomechanical properties of the intertarsal joints of the ostrich. The intertarsal joint was reconstructed according to computed tomography images, and four models were established to uncover the separate and combined effects of the compositional parameters (geometric features, material properties) on stress concentration reduction. We have revised the formula that can be used to predict the elasticity modulus (E) of ostrich bones and verified the accuracy of the formula with nano-indentation equipment. The results were analyzed by t tests, and the p value is less than 0.05. The finite element analysis was performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of the PT and models. Compared to the Filled model (DNF was filled), the maximum stress at the lateral and medial fossa in the Initial model was reduced by 15.4%, although there was no significant difference in the medial maximum stress. Compared with the stress value of models without holes, the models with holes have lower stress, with a reduction of 4.0%. Reasonable design of holes can improve the efficiency of material utilization. This paper investigated the mechanism of high mechanical properties of the intertarsal joints of ostrich and developed four bionic-bearing parts based on the characteristics of DNF and heterogeneity materials, which may provide ideas for the design of aircraft and robot parts with lightweight and high strength.

Green bond is a relatively new fixed-income financial instrument created to fund sustainable development projects. Since green and conventional bonds can both bring benefits to investors and given that China has become an important but unique green bond market, it is of great significance to explore the relationship between Chinese green and conventional bond markets. Using the monthly data from 2010 to 2019, we investigate the dependence structure between Chinese green bond market and five conventional bond markets, namely treasury, interbank, financial, high-yield corporate, and enterprise bond markets. The dependence structure is investigated using Gumbel Rotated Gumbel (GRG) copula with Markov-switching that allows for a more thorough analysis. The dependence under extreme market conditions is analyzed using tail dependence coefficients, whereas the dependence under normal market conditions is examined using quantile-based dependence measures. The results show that although the green bond market is positively correlated with all the five conventional bond markets, the degree of positive dependence differs under extreme and normal market conditions.

International audience; While the generation of aryl radicals by photoredox catalysis is well-documented under reductive conditions, it has remained challenging under an oxidative pathway. Because of the easy photooxidation of alkyl bis-catecholato silicates, a general study on phenyl silicates bearing substituted catecholate ligands has been achieved. The newly synthesized phenyl silicates have been fully characterized and their reactivity has been explored. It was found that thanks to the substitution of the catecholate moiety and notably with the 4-cyanocatecholato ligand, the phenyl radical could be generated and trapped. Computational studies provided a rationale for these findings.

The extension of the cosmic-ray spectrum beyond 1 petaelectronvolt (PeV; 1015 electronvolts) indicates the existence of the so-called PeVatrons—cosmic-ray factories that accelerate particles to PeV energies. We need to locate and identify such objects to find the origin of Galactic cosmic rays1. The principal signature of both electron and proton PeVatrons is ultrahigh-energy (exceeding 100 TeV) γ radiation. Evidence of the presence of a proton PeVatron has been found in the Galactic Centre, according to the detection of a hard-spectrum radiation extending to 0.04 PeV (ref. 2). Although γ-rays with energies slightly higher than 0.1 PeV have been reported from a few objects in the Galactic plane3–6, unbiased identification and in-depth exploration of PeVatrons requires detection of γ-rays with energies well above 0.1 PeV. Here we report the detection of more than 530 photons at energies above 100 teraelectronvolts and up to 1.4 PeV from 12 ultrahigh-energy γ-ray sources with a statistical significance greater than seven standard deviations. Despite having several potential counterparts in their proximity, including pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants and star-forming regions, the PeVatrons responsible for the ultrahigh-energy γ-rays have not yet been firmly localized and identified (except for the Crab Nebula), leaving open the origin of these extreme accelerators. Observations of γ-rays with energies up to 1.4 PeV find that 12 sources in the Galaxy are PeVatrons, one of which is the Crab Nebula.

To make comprehensive assessments of some rheumatoid diseases, a more reliable imaging method for evaluating joint lesions is required. Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is a state-of-the-art imaging technique, providing new options for diagnosing joint disease. In light of the recent preclinical studies, detailed morphological structures and micro-vessels of small joints, especially the finger joints, could be visualized by PAI with high spatial resolution and optical contrast using different PA implementations. By measuring the signals of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin through dual-wavelength PAI, oxygenation of local tissues can be identified, thus enabling functional PA imaging. Notably, among various PA systems, the co-registration of PAI into high-end commercial US units with a special-designed handheld PA/US probe can be of great value in further clinical application. Molecular PAI of small joints can also be performed using exogenous PA chromophores. In this article, we aim to inform readers of this new technique in joint imaging and its potential use, to impart a deeper understanding of medical imaging in this field.

Despite advances in stent technology for vascular interventions, in-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a main complication. The corrosion of cobalt-chromium (CoCr) alloy coronary stents has been identified to be associated with ISR, whereas its role in ISR has not been elucidated. In the current work, CoCr nanoparticles, simulated corrosion products of CoCr alloy, were used to investigate their effect on the endothelial cells. It has been demonstrated that the cell viability declines and the cell membrane is damaged, indicating the cytotoxicity of CoCr nanoparticles. The expression of GRP78, CHOP, and cleaved-caspase12 proteins has increased when exposed to CoCr nanoparticles, suggesting that CoCr nanoparticles induced cell apoptosis through endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptotic pathway. An increased release of adhesion and inflammatory mediators was also induced by CoCr nanoparticles, including ICAM-1, VCAM-1, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Our results demonstrated that CoCr nanoparticles could trigger apoptosis, adhesion, and inflammation. These findings indicated potential damaging effects of CoCr nanoparticles on the vascular endothelium, which suggested corrosion of CoCr alloy may promote the progression and development of ISR.

Two novel coordination polymers (where Cu for the complex 1 and the Co for the complex 2) with distinct transition metal ions containing 4-(3,5-dicarboxylphenyl)-2-methylpyridine (H2L), the pyridyl-dicarboxylic acid ligand, have been produced under the solvothermal reaction conditions, and the two compounds’ performances and architectures were also characterized. The chemical formulae determined of two complexes are respectively [Cu(L)(H2O)]·H2O (1) and [Co3(L)2Cl2(H2O)2]·2H2O (2). Complex 1 exhibits a 2D network with a (3,6)-connected kgd topology based on the dinuclear [Cu2O2] units. In complex 2, the linear trinuclear [Co3(μ-Ocarboxylate)2(COO)2Cl2] units with mixed carboxylate and μ-Cl triple bridges are cross-linked by the L ligands into a 3D framework with a (3,6)-connected rtl topology. The complexes’ magnetic performances reflected that between consecutive metal ions, there exists the antiferromagnetic coupling. Their treatment activities on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) via focused high-intensity ultrasound were evaluated. Firstly, the Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining was implemented for the assessment of the apoptotic neurons percentage after compounds treatment. Next, the Aβ accumulation in the neurons was also detected via employing the western blotting assay.

In this paper, the content and density of adsorbed water in fine-grained soil are determined. According to the test results, the calculation method of compaction degree of the solid-phase and void ration of soil is improved. Four kinds of fine-grained soils from different regions in China were selected, and the adsorbed water content and density of four kinds of fine-grained soils were determined by thermogravimetry and volumetric flask method. Furthermore, SEM and XRD experiments were used to analyze the differences in the ability of each soil sample to absorb water. In order to study the compression characteristics of adsorbed water, four saturated soil samples were tested by consolidation method. The results show that the desorption temperature range of the adsorbed water and its density were equal to 100–115 °C and 1.30 g/cm3, respectively. Adsorbed water plays a positive role in keeping the compressibility of fine-grained soil at a low rate when it has high water content. Besides, adsorbed water can be a stable parameter and is difficult to discharge during the operation period of subgrade. The settlement of fine-grained soil embankment is predicted by engineering example, and compared with the result of conventional calculation method. The results show that it is more close to the field monitoring results by using the improved void ratio of soil as the parameter.

Digenite (Cu1.8S) as a potential p-type thermoelectric (TE) material has attracted extensive attention due to its environmental benign, abundant resources and low cost of component elements. In this study, the TE properties of MnxCu1.8S bulk samples prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) combined with spark plasma sintering (SPS) were investigated. Doping Mn would initially substitute Cu and tune the band structure of Cu1.8S with an enlarged band gap Eg. However, if Mn content is beyond the solubility limit of x = 0.01 in Cu1.8S will cause the formation of MnS, which contributes to the formation of Cu-rich phases at 0.02 ≤ x ≤ 0.08. Benefiting from the synergetic scattering effect of point defects ( Mn Cu • , V S • • ) and MnS, Cu1.96S, Cu1.97S, Cu2S phases, the lowest thermal conductivity κ value of 0.75 W m−1K−1 was obtained at 773 K for Mn0.08Cu1.8S. Along with the decreased κ, the highest figure of merit ZT value of 0.92 at 773 K achieved in Mn0.08Cu1.8S bulk sample. A maximum engineering ZTeng of 0.3 and its efficiency ηmax of about 6% were obtained at 323–773 K, which is almost 3 times than that of the pristine Cu1.8S (ηmax = 2.2%). Introducing Mn in Cu1.8S is an effective and convenient strategy to improve TE performance.

Prestack seismic inversion usually suffers from a lower signal-to-noise ratio, which could result in unstable inversion results. The conventional multitrace lateral constrained inversion blurs steeply dipping layers, whereas the simple structural constrained inversion is affected by noise. To solve this issue, an inversion method with multiple constraints is proposed, which include (1) a local smoothing operator is used to suppress the inversion anomalies caused by data noise, (2) a difference operator is used to protect the stratum boundary, and (3) a structural dipping constraint is used to enhance the characterization of the possible dipping stratum. The multiconstraint inversion (MCI) method suppresses the inversion anomalies caused by data noise without blurring the stratum boundary. The effects of different constraints in the inversion process and the influence of noise on the inversion results are analyzed. In MCI, the regularization coefficient of each constraint operator is dynamically changed, thereby controlling the significance of each regularization term in the inversion. The proposed algorithm is tested on synthetic and field data, which demonstrate its effectiveness and improved accuracy on the inversion results.

Hybrid aerogels combination of dielectric loss composition and magnetic loss constituent are supposed to be the appealing microwave absorption materials due to the synergy between dielectric and magnetic constituents, lightweight feature as well as multiple scattering. Herein, hybrid graphene aerogels with decoration of 1D CoNi chains and CNTs (GA-CNT-CoNi) were fabricated via a facile freeze-drying method and followed by thermal reduction. Compared with GA and GA-CoNi aerogels, 4 wt% GA-CNT-CoNi immersed in polydimethylsiloxane matrix reveals the strongest microwave absorption properties. The optimal reflection loss (RL) value is −50.8 dB at only thickness of 1.8 mm, and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL below −10 dB) can achieve 8.5 GHz (18–26.5 GHz) covering the whole K band. High ohmic loss induced by 3D macroscopic conductive network, multiple polarization as well as eddy current loss are responsible for the boosted microwave absorption. The results demonstrate that GA-CNT-CoNi aerogel reveals the characteristics of ultra-low filler content, strong absorption, ultra-wideband, small thickness and lightweight, which is considered as a promising microwave absorbing candidate.

Many long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been suggested to play critical roles in acute lung injury (ALI) pathogenesis, including lncRNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1). We aimed to further elucidate the functions and molecular mechanism of NEAT1 in ALI. Human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells (HPAEpiCs) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were served as a cellular model of ALI. Cell viability and cell apoptosis were determined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of NEAT1, microRNA-424-5p (miR-424-5p), and mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (MAPK14) was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or western blot analysis. Caspase activity was determined by caspase activity kit. The inflammatory responses were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The oxidative stress factors were analyzed by corresponding kits. NEAT1 was upregulated in LPS-stimulated HPAEpiCs. NEAT1 knockdown weakened LPS-induced injury by inhibiting apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress in HPAEpiCs. Moreover, miR-424-5p was a direct target of NEAT1, and its knockdown reversed the effects caused by NEAT1 knockdown in LPS-induced HPAEpiCs. Furthermore, MAPK14 was a downstream target of miR-424-5p, and its overexpression attenuated the effects of miR-424-5p on reduction of LPS-induced injury in HPAEpiCs. Besides, NEAT1 acted as a sponge of miR-424-5p to regulate MAPK14 expression. NEAT1 knockdown alleviated LPS-induced injury of HPAEpiCs by regulating miR-424-5p/MAPK14 axis, which provided a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ALI.

Conventional absorption spectroscopy falls short in complexity and measurement speed. Here, a new type of compressive sensing absorption spectroscopy technique employing a photoelastic modulator (PEM) is presented to address these challenges. The PEM is used to modulate the input spectrum and create multiple harmonic orders as the measurement channels. A sensing matrix is formed by randomly selecting elements from the modulation matrix. The measurement results of different frequency channels are simultaneously captured via a single-pixel photodetector without changing the physical parameters (such as PEM configurations or modulation frequencies). In a measurement example, the first five orders of harmonics are selected, and the input optical spectrum is successfully measured with a compression ratio of 1/16. To further verify the utility of our approach, the infrared spectrum with CO2 absorption is successfully reconstructed with low error.

To investigate the combined effects of excess boron (B) and high salinity on the growth of freshwater algal species, Chlorella vulgaris and Microcystis aeruginosa were cultured in the medium with different B and salinities. The results show that high levels of B and salinity inhibited the growth of the two algal species. For C. vulgaris, low levels of B can alleviate the growth inhibition induced by salinity, and low levels of salinity can also relieve the growth inhibition induced by B. In contrast, high levels of salinity have little effect on B toxicity, while high levels of B aggravate salinity stress. For M. aeruginosa, salinity aggravates B toxicity, regardless of salinity levels. B supply worsens salinity stress on M. aeruginosa, regardless of supply doses. These results suggest that it may be possible to control algal bloom by regulating B or salinities.

Cocatalysts play a vital role in accelerating the reaction kinetics and improving the charge separation of photocatalysts for solar hydrogen production. The promotion of the photocatalytic activity largely relies on the loading approach of the cocatalysts. Herein, we introduce a metal-seed assistant photodeposition approach to load the hydrogen evolution cocatalyst of platinum onto the surface of Ta3N5 photocatalyst, which exhibits about 3.6 times of higher photocatalytic proton reduction activity with respect to the corresponding impregnation or photodeposition loading. Based on our characterizations, the increscent contact area of the cocatalyst/semiconductor interface with metal-seed assistant photodeposition method is proposed to be responsible for the promoted charge separation as well as enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution activity. It is interesting to note that this innovative deposition strategy can be easily extended to loading of platinum cocatalyst with other noble or non-noble metal seeds for promoted activities, demonstrating its good generality. Our work may provide an alternative way of depositing cocatalyst for better photocatalytic performances.

β-SiC rods were synthesized by microwave heating using activated carbon, boric acid, and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as raw materials. A sol–gel method was carried out to coat silicon dioxide (SiO2) on activated carbon and mix with boric acid. The mixed raw powders were pre-formed by uniaxial pressing into cylindrical pellets in the dimension of Φ 30 × 25 mm. The heating temperature was 1100 °C with different holding times of 10 min, 20 min, and 30 min, respectively. Techniques of XRD, SEM, DSC-TG were carried out to characterize samples. It was found that β-SiC rods can be prepared by microwave heating with the presence of liquid phase. Hybrid microwave thermal effects give rise to complicated physical and chemical reactions at high temperature. Microwave plasma and microwave coupling effects occurred due to the gases and liquid during the reaction. The growth of SiC is realized by the diffusion–precipitation mechanism. SiC rods are well formed under sufficient atomic diffusion on the surface and within the sample by self-coupling. Perfect homogeneous growth occurs with no stack fault appearing within prepared SiC rods.

It is highly desirable to develop all-pH-compatible hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts that can be used universally in a variety of different electrolyzers and operated in different...

The genus Microphysogobio was established by Mori [Mori, T. (1934). The fresh water fishes of Jehol. In Report of the first scientific expedition to Manchoukuo. 1: pp. 1-61] based on a single specimen (Microphysogobio hsinglungshanensis) collected in the Luanhe River basin, Xinglong County, Hebei Province, China. Because the genus characteristics were derived from its type species, M. hsinglungshanensis, the detailed description is essential. In addition, to distinguish M. hsinglungshanensis and Microphysogobio chinssuensis, the description based on holotype and more specimens is needed. M. hsinglungshanensis can be distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: mouth shallow arc shaped and inferior; medial pad on lower lip inverted trapezoid and usually grooved; barbel short, 6.9%-14.3% in head length; lateral-line scales 38-39; ventral region between pectoral-fin origin and pelvic-fin origin scaleless; scales above lateral line 4-4.5; predorsal scales 10-11; vertebrae 4 + 32 - 34; caudal-fin membrane with two or three rows of irregular black spots. The characteristics of this genus were redefined based on M. hsinglungshanensis in this study.

Nowadays, multi-shelled mesoporous hollow metal oxide nanospheres have drawn a lot of attention due to their large internal space, nanometer scaled shell thickness, high specific surface area and well-defined mesopores, of which unique nanostructure endows metallic oxides with enhanced properties. In this thesis, we have studied and proposed a versatile ligand-assisted cooperative template method to synthesize multi-shelled mesoporous hollow metal hydroxides and oxides nanospheres, in which silica nanospheres act as sacrificial templates and the coordination interaction between metal ions and surfactant can be cooperatively amplified by using chelating ligand (ascorbic acid) as a co-template. The synthesized metal hydroxides and oxides nanospheres possess stable hollow structure, uniform spherical morphology and tunable diameter from 270 to 690 nm. All the multi-shelled mesoporous hollow metal hydroxide and metal oxide nanospheres exhibit high surface areas (up to 640 m2/g). The obtained Au nanoparticles loaded composited nanospheres exhibit excellent reactivity for solvent-free aerobic oxidation of ethylbenzene with high activity (28.2%) and selectivity (87%).

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a potential inhibitor of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). ACE2 and its co-expressed proteins are SARS-CoV-2 receptors, which have been linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection and considered as the key target of SARS-CoV-2 in entering target cells. Here, network pharmacology was used to investigate the mechanism by which CGA affected COVID-19. A total of 70 potential targets related to the treatment of COVID-19 were obtained, among which NFE2L2, PPARG, ESR1, ACE, IL6, and HMOX1 might be the main potential targets. Finally, CGA and potential target proteins were scored by molecular docking, and the prediction results of network pharmacology were preliminarily verified. Moreover, CGA had potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity via integrating three common receptors in clinical practice compared with clinical trial drugs registered for the treatment of COVID-19, as shown by molecular docking. The mechanism of CGA against COVID-19 was initially investigated using network pharmacology, followed by molecular docking.

In this paper, crystallized core–shell Co@CoO nanocluster assembled thin films with different thicknesses were prepared by magnetron sputtering. A large zero-field-cooled exchange bias (ZEB) around...

Seashore habitats are located between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, which are a hotspot for anthropogenic impacts. Shenzhen is one of the most developed cities in south China, but the microbial functions of its coastal ecosystems remain poorly understood. The study applied 16S rRNA gene sequencing methods to identify the bacterial community from twenty sites of Shenzhen inshore waters. The microbial structure of the samples between eastern Shenzhen and western Shenzhen seashores is notably different, suggesting the spatial variability. Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were dominant phyla in the community, and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was significantly higher in eastern seashores. Specifically, samples from western Shenzhen contained much more Prochlorococcus, while Synechococcus was more abundant in eastern samples. Moreover, the metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides, and transport and catabolism were significantly more abundant in eastern samples, while antibiotic-resistant pathways were enriched in western samples. The results have important significance to understand bacterial ecosystem of coastal water and promote water quality management and protection activity in Shenzhen. This study can also help developing an optimal strategy for the green economy development and the policy planning of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The spatial interpolation of meteorological data have important applications in ecological environment monitoring, such as soil erosion, ecological vulnerability evaluation. However, there are significant differences in the interpolation accuracy of climatic elements under different topographic and geomorphic conditions. Based on data of 810 meteorological stations across the country, five typical interpolation methods, namely ordinary Kriging method, inverse distance weight method, spline function method, natural neighborhood method and trend surface method, were utilized in this paper to analyze and compare the interpolation accuracy of five climate factors, namely temperature, precipitation, accumulated temperature(>10°),wind speed and sunshine hours, under different topographic and geomorphological conditions. The results showed that: (1) Ordinary kriging method of temperature had better applicability in plain, hill and medium-large undulating mountain areas for temperature while the inverse distance weight method and spline function method had higher interpolation accuracy in the platform area and the small undulating mountain area, respectively. (2) The optimal interpolation of the precipitation in plain, platform and medium-large undulating mountain areas was ordinary kriging method while the inverse distance weight method and spline function method had better applicability in small undulating mountain area. (3) For accumulated temperature (>10 °C), the spline function method had higher interpolation accuracy in plain and platform areas, while ordinary kriging method had better applicability in hilly, small and medium-large undulating mountain area al (4) The optimal spatial interpolation of wind speed in plain and hilly areas was the inverse distance weight method. The natural neighborhood method and the spline function method had the best applicability in plateau, medium-large undulating mountainous areas and small undulating mountain areas, respectively. (5) For sunshine hours, the optimal spatial interpolations in plain and hilly areas were natural neighborhood method and spline function method, respectively, while the ordinary kriging method and the inverse distance weighting method had better applicability in platform, large undulating mountainous areas and small undulating mountainous areas, respectively .

Introducing oxygen vacancy (Vo) has been considered as an effective and significant method to accelerate the sluggish electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). In this work, a series of bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks based on ZIF-67 and ZIF-8 with varied ratios of Co/Zn have been applied as precursors to prepare Vo-rich Zn-doped Co3O4 nanopolyhedrons (Zn-Co3O4) by a low-temperature oxidation strategy. Zn-Co3O4 presents an ammonia yield of 22.71 μg h-1 mgcat.-1 with a high faradaic efficiency of 11.9% for NRR under ambient conditions. The remarkable catalytic performances are believed to result from the plentiful Vo as the Lewis acid sites and electron-rich Co sites to promote the adsorption and dissociation of N2 molecules. Remarkably, Zn-Co3O4 also demonstrates a high electrochemical stability. This work presents a guiding method for developing a stable and efficient electrocatalyst for the NRR.