TiS as an Advanced Conversion Electrode for Sodium-Ion Batteries with Ultra-High Capacity and Long-Cycle Life.

Titanium disulfide (TiS) is investigated as an advanced conversion electrode for sodium (Na)-ion batteries (NIB) in an ether-based electrolyte (NaPF/glyme (DME)). The as-prepared TiS demonstrates a high reversible capacity of 1040 mA h g at 0.2 A g with the capacity contribution of 521 mA h g in the voltage region below 1.

Pseudocapacitive Li-ion storage boosts high-capacity and long-life performance in multi-layer CoFeO/rGO/C composite.

Due to the intrinsic low electrical conductivity and large volume expansion of the CoFeO based active materials, designing more novel structures is still one of the most important challenges for its lithium ion battery application. In this work, the CoFeO/reduced graphene oxide/carbon (CFO/rGO/C) composite with integrated multi-layer structure has been synthesized through a facial two-step hydrothermal method. Benefiting from the introduction of the graphene network and amorphous carbon coating layer, as well as the accompanying synergistic effect, this composite can exhibit fast and reversible lithium intercalation/deintercalation reactions.

Design, Microwave-Assisted Synthesis and in Vitro Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of 2,5-Disubstituted Benzimidazole.

Seventeen novel 2,5-disubstituted benzimidazole derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial activities. The tested compounds B1-B4 and C2-C6 exhibited not only good antifungal activity but also favorable broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Also, the lowest MIC of antibacterial and antifungal activity was 2 μg/mL and 4 μg/mL, respectively.

WNT6 is an effective marker for osteosarcoma diagnosis and prognosis.

Wingless-Type MMTV Integration Site Family, Member 6 (WNT6) is a member of the Wnt family and its expression is abnormal in different human cancer cell lines. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of WNT6 in osteosarcoma.The levels of WNT6 mRNA and protein in tissue and serum were detected through quantitative real-time polymorperase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Enzyme Lined Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), respectively.

Unravelling the genetic loci for growth and carcass traits in Chinese Bamaxiang pigs based on a 1.4 million SNP array.

Bamaxiang pig is from Guangxi province in China, characterized by its small body size and two-end black coat colour. It is an important indigenous breed for local pork market and excellent animal model for biomedical research. In this study, we performed genomewide association studies (GWAS) on 43 growth and carcass traits in 315 purebred Bamaxiang pigs based on a 1.

A conjugated carbon-dot-tyrosinase bioprobe for highly selective and sensitive detection of dopamine.

In this work, a bioprobe for the detection of dopamine was designed and fabricated through covalently linking fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) and tyrosinase (TYR). The bioprobe (named CDs-TYR) can catalyze oxidation of dopamine and produce dopaquinone, and consequently the fluorescence of the CDs was quenched due to an efficient electron transfer mechanism from excited CDs to dopaquinone. The fluorescence intensity of CDs decreased in a dopamine-concentration-dependent manner, which built the foundation of dopamine quantification.

Development of polymorphic microsatellite markers by using de novo transcriptome assembly of Calanthe masuca and C. sinica (Orchidaceae).

Background: Calanthe masuca and C. sinica are two genetically closely related species in Orchidaceae. C.

Triazole Ureas Covalently Bind to Strigolactone Receptor and Antagonize Strigolactone Responses.

Strigolactones, a class of plant hormones with multiple functions, mediate plant-plant and plant-microorganism communications in the rhizosphere. In this study, we developed potent strigolactone antagonists, which covalently bind to the strigolactone receptor D14, by preparing an array of triazole urea compounds. Using yeast two-hybrid and rice-tillering assays, we identified a triazole urea compound KK094 as a potent inhibitor of strigolactone receptors.

Enhance the Discrimination Precision of Graphene Gas Sensors with a Hidden Markov Model.

Sensors are the key element to enable smart electronics and will play an important role in the emerging big data era. In this work, we reported an experimental study and a data-analytical characterization method to enhance the precision of discriminating chemically and structurally similar gases. Graphene sensors were fabricated by conventional photolithography and measured with feature analysis against different chemicals.

Strigolactone-induced senescence of a bamboo leaf in the dark is alleviated by exogenous sugar.

Strigolactones (SLs) are a series of sesquiterpene lactones that serve as plant hormones to regulate plant growth and development, such as shoot branching, lateral root formation, and root hair elongation. Recently, SLs have been reported to accelerate the leaf senescence, which is also regulated by sugar signals. In this study, we utilized segments of a bamboo leaf to observe leaf senescence and confirmed that SL accelerates leaf senescence and triggers cell death under a dark condition rather than under a light condition.

Micelles directed preparation of ternary cobalt hydroxide carbonate-nickel hydroxide-reduced graphene oxide composite porous nanowire arrays with superior faradic capacitance performance.

Electrode material is the key component of a supercapacitor, the highly accessible surface area, efficient electrons/ions migration channels, robust structural stability and redox activity of electrode material are pivotal prerequisites for harvesting optimal capacitive performance. Herein, a ternary cobalt hydroxide carbonate-nickle hydroxide-reduced graphene oxide composite (CN-rGO) with porous nanowire arrays architecture was deposited onto Ni foam substrate through confined hydrothermal reaction directed by surfactant micelles. The as-prepared CN-rGO nanowire arrays exhibit mesoporous texture with high specific surface area, which allows sufficient soaking of electrolyte with short diffusion path length.

A model of mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB in pigs.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB) is a rare genetic disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the gene. Pigs are an ideal large animal model for human diseases; however, a porcine model of MPS IIIB has not been reported. We have previously generated a heterozygous -deficient ( ) Large White boar via a transgenic approach.

HNF6 promotes tumor growth in colorectal cancer and enhances liver metastasis in mouse model.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 6 (HNF6), as a transcription factor, has been reported to be involved in cell proliferation, carcinogenesis, and tumor metastasis. Here, we demonstrated the role of HNF6 in tumor growth and liver metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Through bioinformatics and clinical samples analysis, we found HNF6 messenger RNA was upregulated both in CRC primary sites and liver metastases, and its high expression indicated poor survival in CRC patients.

Asymmetric substitution changes the UV-induced nonradiative decay pathway and the spectra behaviors of β-diketones.

Asymmetric substitution has not been termed as an essential factor in studying photo-induced ultrafast dynamics of molecular system. Asymmetric 4-hydroxybut-3-en-2-one (HEO), together with symmetric malonaldehyde (MA) and acetylacetone (AA), have been provided as target sample to study the nonradiative decay (ND) processes of β-diketones. An effective ND pathway of the three molecules is presented that their excited second (S) states transfer to first (S) state by nonadiabatic surface hopping, and then transfer to triplet (T) state by crossing minimum energy crossing point (MECP), after which decay to ground (S) state through MECP.

Fluorescent and photoacoustic bifunctional probe for the detection of ascorbic acid in biological fluids, living cells and in vivo.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) has emerged as a promising clinical technology, thanks to its high-resolution in deep tissues. However, the lack of specificity towards analytes limits further application of the PA probe in molecular imaging. To this end, we herein report a PA and fluorescence (FL) dual-modal probe for the selective detection of ascorbic acid (AA).

Endothelial cell fitness dictates the source of regenerating liver vasculature.

Neoangiogenesis plays a key role in diverse pathophysiological conditions, including liver regeneration. Yet, the source of new endothelial cells (ECs) remains elusive. By analyzing the regeneration of the liver vasculature in irradiation-based myeloablative and nonmyeloablative bone marrow transplantation mouse models, we discovered that neoangiogenesis in livers with intact endothelium was solely mediated by proliferation of resident ECs.

Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of two dimensional BiOCl/MoS with tunable band gap and fast charge separation for enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light.

Janus shaped BiOCl/MoS composites with two dimensional configuration are successfully prepared via a facile pulse ultrasonic assisted method, which spontaneously introduces oxygen vacancies on the BiOCl surface and builds well-defined heterojuction at the BiOCl/MoS interfaces. The as-prepared BiOCl/MoS composites possess reduced band gap and defect energy levels due to the incorporation of MoS and the oxygen vacancies, which permits the enhanced light harvesting efficiency in the visible range. In addition, because of the formed BiS bonds at the BiOCl/MoS interface, the composites demonstrate improved charge separation of the photo-generated carriers.

Electrocatalysis of polysulfide conversion by conductive RuO nano dots for lithium-sulfur batteries.

The practical use of the rechargeable lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is still restricted by poor cycle life and rate performance caused by the shuttle of soluble redox intermediates and low conductivity of S/Li2S. A comprehensive approach is to tune the multi-electron redox reactions and construct reversible chemical bonds with polysulfide intermediates. In this study, RuO2 nano dots (NDs) are proposed to anchor polysulfides, trigger the surface-mediated reduction of polysulfides and to facilitate the formation of Li2S2/Li2S through its catalytic effect for the first time.

Discovery and biogeochemistry of asphalt seeps in the North São Paulo Plateau, Brazilian Margin.

An initial multiple biogeochemical dataset was acquired from the first discovered asphalt seeps in the Brazil margin during deep-sea dive surveys in 2013 using a manned submersible. These surveys were conducted on the outer escarpment of the North São Paulo Plateau. Sediment cores taken from the submersible were processed for pore water and sediment biogeochemistry.

Natural sunlight driven highly efficient photocatalysis for simultaneous degradation of rhodamine B and methyl orange using I/C codoped TiO photocatalyst.

Increasing the efficiency of dye degradation is a critical issue for the application for photocatalysis. It is one of the greatest challenges to enhance the utilization of photo generated carriers in semiconductor, especially for sunlight irradiation. In this study, I/C-codoped TiO was synthesized by a simple solvothermal-calcination method.

Manipulating Behaviors from Heavy Tungsten Doping on Interband Electronic Transition and Orbital Structure Variation of Vanadium Dioxide Films.

Vanadium dioxide (VO) with a metal-insulator transition (MIT) has been supposed as a candidate for optoelectronic devices. However, the MIT temperature ( T) above room temperature limits its application scope. Here, high-quality VW O films have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition.

Alpha-Synuclein Modulates the Physical Properties of DNA.

Fundamental research on Parkinson's disease (PD) most often focuses on the ability of α-synuclein (aS) to form oligomers and amyloids, and how such species promote brain cell death. However, there are indications that aS also plays a gene-regulatory role in the cell nucleus. Here, the interaction between monomeric aS and DNA in vitro has been investigated with single-molecule techniques.

In situ exploration of the thermodynamic evolution properties in the type II interface from the WSe-WS lateral heterojunction.

The mutual interaction of the type II heterointerface can be very susceptible to the variation of electron states, introducing differences into the band structure and the band alignment in comparison to their pristine states. Here, the thermal evolution of the exciton transition and electronic properties inside the covalently bonded type II interface of the atomically planar WSe-WS lateral heterojunction has been studied. With the aid of luminescence and electronic evolution, it was found that the coupling at the heterointerface is strong, and that the change in the photon-electron transition with temperature is weak.

Multiparametric MRI detects longitudinal evolution of folic acid-induced nephropathy in mice.

The rodent model of folic acid (FA)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) provides a useful model for studying human AKI, but little is known about longitudinal changes in renal hemodynamics and evolution of renal fibrosis in vivo. In this work, we aimed to longitudinally assess renal structural and functional changes using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ten adult mice were injected with FA, after which a multiparametric MRI was used to measure kidney volume, hypoxia index R*, magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), perfusion, T, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at 2 wk posttreatment.