Ultrathin Zincophilic Interphase Regulated Electric Double Layer Enabling Highly Stable Aqueous Zinc‑Ion Batteries

The practical application of aqueous zinc-ion batteries for large-grid scale systems is still hindered by uncontrolled zinc dendrite and side reactions.Regulating the elec-trical double layer via the electrode/electrolyte interface layer is an effective strategy to improve the stability of Zn anodes.Herein,we report an ultrathin zincophilic ZnS layer as a model regu-lator.At a given cycling current,the cell with Zn@ZnS electrode displays a lower potential drop over the Helmholtz layer(stern layer)and a suppressed diffuse layer,indicating the regulated charge distribution and decreased electric double layer repulsion force.Boosted zinc adsorption sites are also expected as proved by the enhanced electric double-layer capacitance.Consequently,the symmetric cell with the ZnS protection layer can stably cycle for around 3,000 h at 1 mA cm^(-2) with a lower overpotential of 25 mV.When coupled with an I2/AC cathode,the cell demonstrates a high rate performance of 160 mAh g^(-1) at 0.1 A g^(-1) and long cycling stability of over 10,000 cycles at 10 A g^(-1).The Zn||MnO_(2) also sustains both high capacity and long cycling stability of 130 mAh g^(-1) after 1,200 cycles at 0.5 A g^(-1).

Revealing the role of mo doping in promoting oxygen reduction reaction performance of Pt_(3)Co nanowires

Highly active and durable electrocatalysts towards oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)are imperative for the commercialization application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells.By manipulating ligand effect,structural control,and strain effect,we report here the precise preparation of Mo-doped Pt_(3)Co alloy nanowires(Pt_(3)Co-Mo NWs)as the efficient catalyst towards ORR with high specific activity(0.596 mA cm^(−2))and mass activity(MA,0.84 A mg^(−1)_(Pt)),much higher than those of undoped counterparts.Besides activity,Pt_(3)Co-Mo NWs also demonstrate excellent structural stability and cyclic durability even after 50,000 cycles,again surpassing control samples without Mo dopants.According to the strain maps and DFT calculations,Mo dopants could modify the electronic structure of both Pt and Co to achieve not only optimized oxygen-intermediate binding energy on the interface but also increased the vacancy formation energy of Co,together leading to enhanced activity and durability.This work provides not only a facile methodology but also an in-depth investigation of the relationship between structure and properties to provide general guidance for future design and optimization.

Screening of Microalgae for Biodiesel Feedstock

Three heterotrophic microalgae identified as Scenedesmus sp. Y5, Scenedesmus sp. Y7 and Chorellasp. Y9 were isolated and screened from natural water based on biomass yield and lipid productivity. Fatty acids’ composition analysis showed that both Y5 and Y7 mainly contained C16:0, C18:1 (n - 9), C18:2 (n - 6) and C18:3 (n - 3) and Y9 mainly contained C16:0, C18:0 and C18:2 (n - 6), suggesting that these microalgae can be ideal feedstock for biodiesel. Considering the specific growth rate and lipid productivity, the culture conditions were optimized for Scenedesmus sp. Y5, Scenedesmus sp. Y7 and Chorellasp. Y9. Based on the optimization of cultural conditions, all of these three microalgae were tested in fed-batch fermentation, and their biomass productivities were 4.960 g·L-1·d-1, 5.907 g·L-1·d-1 and 4.038 g·L-1·d-1;lipid productivities reached 1.5120 g·L-1·d-1, 1.233 g·L-1·d-1 and 0.8112 g·L-1·d-1, respectively.

Time-dependent deviation of bridge pile foundations caused by adjacent large-area surcharge loads in soft soils and its preventive measures

Time-dependent characteristics(TDCs)have been neglected in most previous studies investigating the deviation mechanisms of bridge pile foundations and evaluating the effectiveness of preventive measures.In this study,the stress-strain-time characteristics of soft soils were illustrated by consolidation-creep tests based on a typical engineering case.An extended Koppejan model was developed and then embedded in a finite element(FE)model via a user-material subroutine(UMAT).Based on the validated FE model,the time-dependent deformation mechanism of the pile foundation was revealed,and the preventive effect of applying micropiles and stress-release holes to control the deviation was investigated.The results show that the calculated maximum lateral displacement of the cap differs from the measured one by 6.5%,indicating that the derived extended Koppejan model reproduced the deviation process of the bridge cap-pile foundation with time.The additional load acting on the pile side caused by soil lateral deformation was mainly concentrated within the soft soil layer and increased with the increase in load duration.Compared with t=3 d(where t is surcharge time),the maximum lateral additional pressure acting on Pile 2#increased by approximately 47.0%at t=224 d.For bridge pile foundation deviation in deep soft soils,stress-release holes can provide better prevention compared to micropiles and are therefore recommended.

渐进与突变:我国养老保险制度变迁的逻辑

养老保险改革是中国社会保障改革的重头戏。文章在综述现有养老保险改革研究文献的基础上,从改革力度和制度变迁幅度的角度对我国养老保险政策演变的过程重新进行了梳理和分析,发现这是一个同时兼具渐进与突变特征的制度变迁过程。文章认为,对计划经济福利体制反思过度和国外行动者的参与导致了养老保险的突变,而制度内在的路径依赖则使得改革具有深刻的渐进主义特征。

Counteraction of ABA-Mediated Inhibition of Seed Germination and Seedling Establishment by ABA Signaling Terminator in Arabidopsis

Seed germination and seedling establishment are important for the reproductive success of plants,but seeds and seedlings typically encounter constantly changing environmental conditions.By inhibiting seed germination and post-germinative growth through the PYR1/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors and PP2C co-receptors,the phytohormone abscisic acid(ABA)prevents premature germination and seedling growth under unfavorable conditions.However,little is known about how the ABA-mediated inhibition of seed germination and seedling establishment is thwarted.Here,we report that ABA Signaling Terminator(ABT),a WD40 protein,efficiently switches off ABA signaling and is critical for seed germination and seedling establishment.ABT is induced by ABA in a PYR1/PYL/RCAR-PP2C-dependent manner.Overexpression of ABT promotes seed germination and seedling greening in the presence of ABA,whereas knockout of ABT has the opposite effect.We found that ABT interacts with the PYR1/PYL/RCAR and PP2C proteins,interferes with the interaction between PYR1/PYL4 and ABI1/ABI2,and hampers the inhibition of ABI1/ABI2 by ABA-bound PYR1/PYL4,thereby terminating ABA signaling.Taken together,our results reveal a core mechanism of ABA signaling termination that is critical for seed germination and seedling establishment in Arabidopsis.

Mechanism investigation of enhanced electrochemical H_(2)O_(2) production performance on oxygen-rich hollow porous carbon spheres

Electrochemical oxygen reduction is a promising approach for the sustainable decentralized production of H_(2)O_(2),but its viable commercialization is hindered by the insufficient development of efficient electrocatalysts.Here,we demonstrate a promising carbon-based catalyst,consisting of oxygen-rich hollow mesoporous carbon spheres(HMCSs),for selective oxygen reduction to H_(2)O_(2).The as-prepared HMCS exhibits high onset potential(0.82 V)and half-wave potential(0.76 V),delivering a significant positive shift compared with its oxygen-scarce counterparts and commercial Vulcan carbon.Moreover,excellent H2O2 selectivity(above 95%)and electrochemical stability(7%attenuation after 10 h operation)make this material a state-of-the-art catalyst for electrochemical H_(2)O_(2) production.The outstanding performance arises from a combination of several aspects,such as porous structure-facilitation of mass transport,large surface area,and proper distribution of oxygen-containing functional groups modification on the surface.Furthermore,the proposed oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)mechanism on HMCS surface reveals that-OH functional groups help promote the first electron transfer process while other oxygen modification facilitate the second electron transfer.

Ultrafine molybdenum carbide nanoparticles supported on nitrogen doped carbon nanosheets for hydrogen evolution reaction

Molybdenum carbides(Mo_xC)/nitrogen doped carbon nanosheets(NCS) composites are synthesized via simple mixing melamine and ammonia molybdate, followed by a high-temperature treatment. Metal carbide nanoparticles with ultra-small size(13nm) are uniformly supported on nitrogen doped carbon nanosheets. The hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) is investigated in both 0.5 mol/L H_2SO_4 and 1 mol/L KOH media. Mo_2C/NCS-10(melamine/ammonia molybdate weight ratio of 10:1) exhibits excellent performance with a low overpotential of 130 mV in 0.5 mol/L H_2SO_4 solution and 108 mVin 1mol/L KOH solution at the current density of 10 mA/cm^2. The better electrocatalytic activity could be ascribed to Ndoped carbon nanosheets, small particle size, mesoporous structure, and large specific surface area,which could provide the large electrochemical active surface area and facilitate mass transport.

Proteomic Study Identifies Proteins Involved in Brassinosteroid Regulation of Rice Growth

Brassinosteroids （BRs） are essential hormones for growth and development of plant. In rice, BRs regulate multiple developmental processes and affect many important traits such as height, leaf angle, fertility and seed filling. We identified brassinosteroid-regulated proteins in rice using proteomic approaches and performed functional analysis of some BR-regulated proteins by overexpression experiments. Using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis （2-D DIGE） followed by protein identification by mass spectrometry, we compared proteomic differences in the shoots and roots of the BR-insensitive mutant d61-4 and BR-deficient mutant brd1-3. We identified a large number of proteins differentially expressed in the mutants compared with wild type control. These include a glycine-rich RNA-binding protein （OsGRP1） and a DREPP2 protein, which showed reduced levels in the BR mutants. Overexpression of these two proteins partially suppressed the dwarf phenotype of the Arabidopsis BR-insensitive mutant bri1-5. In contrast to the reduced protein level, the RNA level of OsGRP1 was not significantly affected in the BR mutants or by BR treatment, suggesting BR regulation of OsGRP1 at the posttranslational level. This study identifies many BR-regulated proteins and demonstrates that OsGRP1 functions downstream in the BR signal transduction pathway to promote cell expansion.