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Efficacy of three conifer release treatments, i) single application of glyphosate (Visionâ¢) herbicide, ii) multiple application of glyphosate herbicide, and iii) motor-manual brush cutting for controlling competing plants, particularly trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica), green alder (Alnus viridis spp. crispa), and beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta spp. cornuta), was studied in a seven-year-old jack pine (Pinus banksiana) plantation in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The single and multiple glyphosate applications were equally effective in controlling trembling aspen and pin cherry, causing over 90% stem mortality. The brushsaw treatment caused an initial decrease followed by an increase in stem density of these two species. A high degree of stem thinning by natural mortality in the untreated control plots was observed in trembling aspen (23â46%) and pin cherry (41â69%) over four years. As with trembling aspen and pin cherry, stem density of green alder and beaked hazel initially decreased and then increased following the brushsaw treatment, mainly due to resprouting. Stem mortality in green alder and beaked hazel was 45% and 97%, respectively, two years after the operational glyphosate treatment. Competition index (CI) was low (mean CI = 52, ranging from 18 to 115) in all the plots including the untreated control. There was a significant increase in basal diameter of jack pine in the brushsaw and herbicide-treated plots compared to the control three years after the treatments. Jack pine seedlings in the brushsaw and glyphosate treated plots were taller compared to that of control but differences were not significant. Lower species richness and diversity were recorded in the herbicide-treated plots compared to the brushsaw and control plots in the third growing season following treatment.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry diverse biomolecules (e. g. nucleic acids, proteins) for intercellular communication, serving as important markers for diseases. Analyzing nucleic acids derived from EVs enables non‐invasive disease diagnosis and prognosis evaluation. Membrane fusion, a fundamental cellular process wherein two lipid membranes merge, facilitates cell communication and cargo transport. Building on this natural phenomenon, recent years have witnessed the emergence of membrane fusion‐based strategies for the detection of nucleic acids within EVs. These strategies entail the encapsulation of detection probes within either artificial or natural vesicles, followed by the induction of membrane fusion with EVs to deliver probes. This innovative approach not only enables in situ detection of nucleic acids within EVs but also ensures the maintenance of structural integrity of EVs, thus preventing nucleic acid degradation and minimizing the interference from free nucleic acids. This concept categorizes approaches into universal and targeted membrane fusion strategies, and discusses their application potential, and challenges and future prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular heterogeneity is a universal property of living systems, and the interrogation of single cells facilitates in-depth understanding of distinct cellular states and functions in various biological processes. Co-analysis of transcripts and proteins from the same single cells opens the way to decipher complex RNA regulatory frameworks and phenotypes, facilitating the understanding of cellular fate and function regulations, discovery of novel cell types, and construction of a high-resolution cell atlas. Herein, we review the state-of-art advances in the development of methodologies for co-analysis of single-cell transcripts and proteins. First, imaging-based methods are summarized with particular emphasis on optical and mass spectrometry imaging. Next, sequencing-based approaches for high-throughput and sensitive co-analysis of single-cell transcripts and proteins are described, including droplet-, microwell-, and split-pool-based platforms. Subsequently, combined methods with more flexibility and universality are discussed. These methods commonly employ different strategies or reactions to convert transcripts and proteins of single cells into distinct signals simultaneously, which can be detected by different instruments or platforms. Lastly, some perspectives on the future challenges and development trends in this field are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of energy crisis and stringent emission regulations, natural gas (NG)/diesel dual‐fuel engines have entered the popular view. In this paper, the accurate boundary conditions are determined by the Converge model and the transient parameters were introduced into the chemical kinetics model to make the operating conditions more closely match the actual engine operating conditions. The effects of different methane/n‐heptane ratios, initial temperatures, initial pressures, and equivalence ratios on the IDT of methane/n‐heptane fuel mixtures were analyzed using comprehensive chemical kinetic tools such as mole fraction analysis, ROP analysis, and sensitivity analysis. The IDT of methane/n‐heptane mixture decreased significantly with increasing the equivalence ratio, initial pressure, and the proportion of n‐heptane in the mixture, but the change of temperature was more complicated for the IDT. The NTC behavior of methane/n‐heptane mixture was also affected by the NTC behavior of n‐heptane. With the increase of initial temperature, the consumption of methane and n‐heptane appeared to be significantly accelerated. The peak of radicals and intermediate groups appeared earliest and had the highest radical concentration when the n‐heptane content was 30%. With the increase of initial pressure, the peak moments of the six radicals were further advanced, but the mole concentrations of O, OH, H radicals decreased significantly. This paper not only provides a reference for the design of NG/diesel dual‐fuel engines, but also provides a theoretical basis and data support for improving the ignition and initial condition setting strategies of the engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The service life of an artificial hip joint is limited to 10–15 years, which is not ideal for young patients. To extend the lifespan of these prostheses, the coefficient of friction and wear resistance of metallic femoral heads must be improved. In this study, a Cu‐doped titanium nitride (TiNX–Cu) film with "autoantifriction" properties is deposited on a CoCrMo alloy via magnetron sputtering. When delivered in a protein‐containing lubricating medium, the Cu in TiNX–Cu quickly and consistently binds to the protein molecules in the microenvironment, resulting in the formation of a stable protein layer. The proteins adsorbed on the TiNX–Cu surface decompose into hydrocarbon fragments owing to the shear stress between the Al2O3/TiNX–Cu tribopair. The synergistic effect of the catalysis of Cu and shear stress between the Al2O3/TiNX–Cu tribopair transforms these fragments into graphite‐like carbon tribofilms with an antifriction property. These tribofilms can simultaneously reduce the friction coefficient of the Al2O3/TiNX–Cu tribopair and enhance the wear resistance of the TiNX–Cu film. Based on these findings, it is believed that the autoantifriction film can drive the generation of antifriction tribofilms for lubricating and increasing the wear resistance of prosthetic devices, thereby prolonging their lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we introduce a novel nanotubular-aerogel/hydrogel hybrid (NAHH), a promising material for wearable motion sensors, which combines poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) hydrogel with a polypyrrole (PPy) nanotubular-aerogel network to form a hierarchically porous structure. The NAHH outperforms its individual components in terms of mechanical properties, with an fracture toughness of ∼97 kPa for NAHH-1, compared to ∼1.8 kPa and ∼15.3 kPa for PPy nanotubular-aerogel and PAA hydrogel, respectively. The hybrid material also exhibits robust adhesion to a variety of substrates, including porcine skin, with tensile and shear adhesive strengths of ∼54.7 ± 8.4 kPa and ∼58.1 ± 4.4 kPa, respectively. The incorporation of didecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) imbues the NAHH with effective antibacterial properties against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The biocompatibility of the NAHH is further confirmed through a live/dead assay using murine fibroblast 3T3 cells. The NAHH-based motion sensors excel in real-time monitoring of bending and extending motions across various human joints, underscoring their potential for wearable electronic applications. This study presents a versatile platform for the creation of advanced multifunctional materials, with implications for the future of wearable electronics, bioelectronics, and tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]