Phosphorus Oxidation Controls Epitaxial Shell Growth in InP/ZnSe Quantum Dots.

InP/ZnSe/ZnS core/shell/shell quantum dots are the most investigated quantum dot material for commercial applications involving visible light emission. The inner InP/ZnSe interface is complex since it is not charge balanced, and the InP surface is prone to oxidation. The role of oxidative defects at this interface has remained a topic of debate, with conflicting reports of both detrimental and beneficial effects on the quantum dot properties.

Plant protein dominant enteral nutrition, containing soy and pea, is non-coagulating after gastric digestion in contrast to casein dominant enteral nutrition.

Enteral Nutrition (EN) is used for the dietary management of patients requiring tube feed and who are at risk of disease related malnutrition. Previously, EN with a dairy-dominant p4 protein blend (DD-P4: 20% soy, 20% pea, 25% casein and 35% whey) was shown to not coagulate in the stomach, increase gastric emptying rate and reduce gastric residual volume compared to EN with casein-dominant protein blends (CD; 80% casein and 20% whey), which is relevant for upper gastrointestinal tolerance. In line with the EAT-Lancet report, a new plant-dominant protein blend (PD-P4: 46% soy, 32% pea, 16% casein and 6% whey) was developed.

Dibenzodioxin-Based Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity with Enhanced Transport Properties for Lithium Ions in Aqueous Media.

Boosting the transport and selectivity properties of membranes based on polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) toward one specific working analyte of interest is challenging. In this work, a novel family of PIM membranes, prepared by casting and exhibiting optima mechanical properties and high thermal stability, was synthesized from 4,4'-(2,2,2-trifluoro-1-phenylethane-1,1-diyl) bis(benzene-1,2-diol) and two tetrafluoro-nitrile derivatives. Gas permeability measurements evidenced a CO/CH selectivity up to 170% relative to the reference polymer, PIM-1, in agreement with their calculated fractional free volume and the analysis of the textural properties by N and CO gas adsorption.

Effect of Preparation Methods on the Interface of LiBH/SiO Nanocomposite Solid Electrolytes.

Nanocomposites of complex metal hydrides and oxides are promising solid state electrolytes. The interaction of the metal hydride with the oxide results in a highly conducting interface layer. Up until now it has been assumed that the interface chemistry is independent of the nanoconfinement method.

Tunneling Interpenetrative Lithium Ion Conduction Channels in Polymer-in-Ceramic Composite Solid Electrolytes.

Polymer-in-ceramic composite solid electrolytes (PIC-CSEs) provide important advantages over individual organic or inorganic solid electrolytes. In conventional PIC-CSEs, the ion conduction pathway is primarily confined to the ceramics, while the faster routes associated with the ceramic-polymer interface remain blocked. This challenge is associated with two key factors: (i) the difficulty in establishing extensive and uninterrupted ceramic-polymer interfaces due to ceramic aggregation; (ii) the ceramic-polymer interfaces are unresponsive to conducting ions because of their inherent incompatibility.

Single-cell transcriptional dynamics in a living vertebrate.

The ability to quantify transcriptional dynamics in individual cells via live imaging has revolutionized our understanding of gene regulation. However, such measurements are lacking in the context of vertebrate embryos. We addressed this deficit by applying MS2-MCP mRNA labeling to the quantification of transcription in zebrafish, a model vertebrate.

Re-investigating the structure-property relationship of the solid electrolytes Li In Zr Cl and the impact of In-Zr(iv) substitution.

Chloride-based solid electrolytes are considered interesting candidates for catholytes in all-solid-state batteries due to their high electrochemical stability, which allows the use of high-voltage cathodes without protective coatings. Aliovalent Zr(iv) substitution is a widely applicable strategy to increase the ionic conductivity of LiM(iii)Cl solid electrolytes. In this study, we investigate how Zr(iv) substitution affects the structure and ion conduction in Li In Zr Cl (0 ≤ ≤ 0.

Self-organized hetero-nanodomains actuating super Li conduction in glass ceramics.

Easy-to-manufacture LiS-PS glass ceramics are the key to large-scale all-solid-state lithium batteries from an industrial point of view, while their commercialization is greatly hampered by the low room temperature Li conductivity, especially due to the lack of solutions. Herein, we propose a nanocrystallization strategy to fabricate super Li-conductive glass ceramics. Through regulating the nucleation energy, the crystallites within glass ceramics can self-organize into hetero-nanodomains during the solid-state reaction.

Aluminium ion doping mechanism of lithium thiophosphate based solid electrolytes revealed with solid-state NMR.

We investigate the impact of Al incorporation on the structure and dynamics of Al-doped lithium thiophosphates (LiAlPS) based on β-LiPS. Al and Li magic-angle spinning NMR spectra confirm that Al ions occupy octahedral sites in the structure. Quantitative analyses of Al NMR spectra show that the maximum Al incorporation is = 0.

A Water-Free In Situ HF Treatment for Ultrabright InP Quantum Dots.

Indium phosphide quantum dots are the main alternative for toxic and restricted Cd-based quantum dots for lighting and display applications, but in the absence of protecting ZnSe and/or ZnS shells, InP quantum dots suffer from low photoluminescence quantum yields. Traditionally, HF treatments have been used to improve the quantum yield of InP to ∼50%, but these treatments are dangerous and not well understood. Here, we develop a postsynthetic treatment that forms HF in situ from benzoyl fluoride, which can be used to strongly increase the quantum yield of InP core-only quantum dots.

Real-time single-cell characterization of the eukaryotic transcription cycle reveals correlations between RNA initiation, elongation, and cleavage.

The eukaryotic transcription cycle consists of three main steps: initiation, elongation, and cleavage of the nascent RNA transcript. Although each of these steps can be regulated as well as coupled with each other, their in vivo dissection has remained challenging because available experimental readouts lack sufficient spatiotemporal resolution to separate the contributions from each of these steps. Here, we describe a novel application of Bayesian inference techniques to simultaneously infer the effective parameters of the transcription cycle in real time and at the single-cell level using a two-color MS2/PP7 reporter gene and the developing fruit fly embryo as a case study.

Survivorship of a Medialized Glenoid and Lateralized Onlay Humerus Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty Is High at Midterm Follow-up.

Background: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is a common treatment of a variety of disabling shoulder conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine revision-free survivorship after RSA using a medialized glenoid and lateralized onlay-type humerus implant and to identify etiologies of revision.

Methods: All RSAs performed using the Comprehensive Reverse Shoulder System (Zimmer Biomet, Inc.

Quantitative dissection of transcription in development yields evidence for transcription-factor-driven chromatin accessibility.

Thermodynamic models of gene regulation can predict transcriptional regulation in bacteria, but in eukaryotes, chromatin accessibility and energy expenditure may call for a different framework. Here, we systematically tested the predictive power of models of DNA accessibility based on the Monod-Wyman-Changeux (MWC) model of allostery, which posits that chromatin fluctuates between accessible and inaccessible states. We dissected the regulatory dynamics of by the activator Bicoid and the pioneer-like transcription factor Zelda in living embryos and showed that no thermodynamic or non-equilibrium MWC model can recapitulate transcription.

Marketplaces as Public Spaces in Times of The Covid-19 Coronavirus Outbreak: First Reflections.

Marketplaces are regarded as quintessential public spaces, providing not only access to fresh produce but also functioning as important social infrastructures. However, many marketplaces closed down or changed fundamentally in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. In this paper, we reflect on the effects of the crisis on Dutch marketplaces from two interdependent analytical levels.

Multicore Liquid Perfluorocarbon-Loaded Multimodal Nanoparticles for Stable Ultrasound and F MRI Applied to In Vivo Cell Tracking.

Ultrasound is the most commonly used clinical imaging modality. However, in applications requiring cell-labeling, the large size and short active lifetime of ultrasound contrast agents limit their longitudinal use. Here, 100 nm radius, clinically applicable, polymeric nanoparticles containing a liquid perfluorocarbon, which enhance ultrasound contrast during repeated ultrasound imaging over the course of at least 48 h, are described.

Manipulating the Optical Properties of Carbon Dots by Fine-Tuning their Structural Features.

As a new class of sustainable carbon material, "carbon dots" is an umbrella term covering many types of materials. Herein, a broad range of techniques was used to develop the understanding of hydrothermally synthesized carbon dots, and it is shown how fine-tuning the structural features by simple reduction/oxidation reactions can drastically affect their excited-state properties. Structural and spectroscopic studies found that photoluminescence originates from direct excitation of localized fluorophores involving oxygen functional groups, whereas excitation at graphene-like features leads to ultrafast phonon-assisted relaxation and largely quenches the fluorescent quantum yields.

The Drosophila Pioneer Factor Zelda Modulates the Nuclear Microenvironment of a Dorsal Target Enhancer to Potentiate Transcriptional Output.

Connecting the developmental patterning of tissues to the mechanistic control of RNA polymerase II remains a long-term goal of developmental biology. Many key elements have been identified in the establishment of spatial-temporal control of transcription in the early Drosophila embryo, a model system for transcriptional regulation. The dorsal-ventral axis of the Drosophila embryo is determined by the graded distribution of Dorsal (Dl), a homolog of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) family of transcriptional activators found in humans [1, 2].

The Rich Solid-State Phase Behavior of l-Phenylalanine: Disappearing Polymorphs and High Temperature Forms.

After years of controversy over the solid state structure of the essential amino acid l-phenylalanine, four different polymorphic forms were published recently. The common form I has symmetry 2 with four molecules in the asymmetric unit (' = 4), similar to form III, but with a different arrangement of molecular bilayers. Form II, obtained from the hydrate at very low humidity, is unrelated to forms I and III, as is the high-density form IV.

The Rich Solid-State Phase Behavior of dl-Aminoheptanoic Acid: Five Polymorphic Forms and Their Phase Transitions.

The rich landscape of enantiotropically related polymorphic forms and their solid-state phase transitions of dl-2-aminoheptanoic acid (dl-AHE) has been explored using a range of complementary characterization techniques, and is largely exemplary of the polymorphic behavior of linear aliphatic amino acids. As many as five new polymorphic forms were found, connected by four fully reversible solid-state phase transitions. Two low temperature forms were refined in a high ' crystal structure, which is a new phenomenon for linear aliphatic amino acids.

Facile Synthesis toward the Optimal Structure-Conductivity Characteristics of the Argyrodite LiPSCl Solid-State Electrolyte.

The high Li-ion conductivity of the argyrodite LiPSCl makes it a promising solid electrolyte candidate for all-solid-state Li-ion batteries. For future application, it is essential to identify facile synthesis procedures and to relate the synthesis conditions to the solid electrolyte material performance. Here, a simple optimized synthesis route is investigated that avoids intensive ball milling by direct annealing of the mixed precursors at 550 °C for 10 h, resulting in argyrodite LiPSCl with a high Li-ion conductivity of up to 4.

Probing Interactions between Electron Donors and the Support in MgCl-Supported Ziegler-Natta Catalysts.

Olefin polymerization using Ziegler-Natta catalysts (ZNCs) is an important industrial process. Despite this, fundamental insight into the inner working mechanisms of these catalysts remains scarce. Here, we focus on the low-γ nuclei Mg and Cl for an in-depth solid-state NMR and density functional theory (DFT) study of the catalyst's MgCl support in binary adducts prepared by ball-milling.

Structural Characterization of Electron Donors in Ziegler-Natta Catalysts.

Ziegler-Natta catalysis is a very important industrial process for the production of polyolefins. However, the catalysts are not well-understood at the molecular level. Yet, atomic-scale structural information is of pivotal importance for rational catalyst development.