Comprehensive reutilization of herbal waste:Coproduction of magnolol,honokiol,and β-amyrin from Magnolia officinalis residue

Herbal extraction residues(HERs)cause serious environmental pollution and resource waste.In this study,a novel green route was designed for the comprehensive reutilization of all components in HERs,taking Magnolia officinalis residues(MOR)as an example.The reluctant structure of MOR was first destroyed by alkali pretreatment to release the functional ingredients(magnolol and honokiol)originally remaining in MOR and to make MOR more accessible for hydrolysis.A metal–organic frame material MIL-101(Cr)with a maximum absorption capacity of 255.64 mg g^(-1)was synthesized to absorb the released honokiol and magnolol from the pretreated MOR solutions,and 40 g L^(-1)reducing sugars were obtained with 81.8%enzymatic hydrolysis rate at 10%MOR solid loading.Finally,382 mg L-1β-amyrin was produced from MOR hydrolysates by an engineered yeast strain.In total,1 kg honokiol,8 kg magnolol,and 7.64 kg β-amyrin could produce from 1 ton MOR by this cleaner process with a total economic output of 170,700 RMB.

A Class of Smoothing Modulus-Based Iterative Method for Solving Implicit Complementarity Problems

In this paper, a class of smoothing modulus-based iterative method was presented for solving implicit complementarity problems. The main idea was to transform the implicit complementarity problem into an equivalent implicit fixed-point equation, then introduces a smoothing function to obtain its approximation solutions. The convergence analysis of the algorithm was given, and the efficiency of the algorithms was verified by numerical experiments.

Catalyzing the polysulfide conversion for promoting lithium sulfur battery performances:A review

Lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs)are being recognized as potential successor to ubiquitous LIBs in daily life due to their higher theoretical energy density and lower cost effectiveness.However,the development of the LSB is beset with some tenacious issues,mainly including the insulation nature of the S or Li_(2)S(the discharged product),the unavoidable dissolution of the reaction intermediate products(mainly as lithium polysulfides(LiPSs)),and the subsequent LiPSs shuttling across the separator,resulting in the continuous loss of active material,anode passivation,and low coulombic efficiency.Containment methods by introducing the high-electrical conductivity host are commonly used in improving the electrochemical performances of LSBs.However,such prevalent technologies are in the price of reduced energy density since they require more addition of amount of host materials.Adding trace of catalysts that catalyze the redox reaction between S/Li_(2)S and Li_(2)Sn(3<n≤8),shows ingenious design,which not only accelerates the conversion reaction between the solid S species and dissolved S species,alleviating the shuttle effect,but also expedites the electron transport thus reducing the polarization of the electrode.In this review,the redox reaction process during Li-S chemistry are firstly highlighted.Recent developed catalysts,including transitionmetal oxides,chalcogenides,phosphides,nitrides,and carbides/borides are then outlined to better understand the role of catalyst additives during the polysulfide conversion.Finally,the critical issues,challenges,and perspectives are discussed to demonstrate the potential development of LSBs.

Impacts of the Three Gorges Project and Converting Farmland into Lake on the Microtus fortis Population in Dongting Lake Region

The outbreak of Yantze vole ( Microtus fortis) population in Dongting Lake region is closely related to the evolvement of lake beaches,because the deposition of lake sediments results in the expansion of lake beaches,which provides the possibility of the increase of the vole's population. Reclaiming farmland from lake via building cofferdams,eliminating snails by building cofferdams for eradicating schistosomiasis,and over-hunting predators in the region cause the voles becoming a pest after the 1970s. In recent years,the Three Gorges Project and the conversion from farmland into lake have had deep impacts on the environment in the lake region. The dispatching of the down flow rate by the project has induced the expansion of the low and medium level beaches in the lake region,while converting farmland into lake directly has induced the expansion of the lake beaches,both of which have expanded the potential habitats of the vole's population. Therefore,more attention should be paid to the quantitative variation trend of the vole's population in the future.

Triterpenoid Saponins from the Seeds of Aesculus chinensis and Their Cytotoxicities

Six new triterpenoid saponins,aesculusosides A-F(1-6),together with 19 known ones,were isolated from the seeds of Aesculus chinensis.The new structures were elucidated through extensive spectroscopic analyses and by comparison with previously reported data.Some of the isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against MCF-7 cell line by an MTT assay,and compounds 15,16,19,and 23-25 exhibited inhibitory activities against MCF-7 with IC50 values ranging from 7.1 to 31.3μM.

Genetic Analysis of Multiple Paternity in an Endangered Ovoviviparous Lizard Shinisaurus crocodilurus

The crocodile lizard(Shinisaurus crocodilurus) is an ovoviviparous lizard belonging to a monotypic family that originated during the end of the quaternary ice age. A rare species in the wild, the crocodile lizard was listed in CITES Appendix II. Knowledge of the reproductive biology and mating system of this species is important for designing conservation strategies and improving genetic variation. To investigate the paternity of the crocodile lizards and to interpret their reproductive behaviour, we collected saliva from females, potential fathers and offspring in a seminatural enclosure experiment and analyzed the paternity of the crocodile lizard using 12 microsatellite genetic loci. The overall observed incidence of multiple paternity was 42.9%(6 of 14 clutches) and Fis was 0.089 ± 0.056. These results indicate that the primary mating mode of the crocodile lizard is that males are polygynous while with females are polyandrous, and there is multiple paternity among offspring of the same mother.

Bifunctional Liquid Metals Allow Electrical Insulating Phase Change Materials to Dual-Mode Thermal Manage the Li-Ion Batteries

Phase change materials(PCMs)are expected to achieve dual-mode thermal management for heating and cooling Li-ion batteries(LIBs)according to real-time thermal conditions,guaranteeing the reliable operation of LIBs in both cold and hot environments.Herein,we report a liquid metal(LM)modified polyethylene glycol/LM/boron nitride PCM,capable of dual-mode thermal managing the LIBs through photothermal effect and passive thermal conduction.Its geometrical conformation and thermal pathways fabricated through ice-template strategy are conformable to the LIB’s structure and heat-conduction characteristic.Typically,soft and deformable LMs are modified on the boron nitride surface,serving as thermal bridges to reduce the contact thermal resistance among adjacent fillers to realize high thermal conductivity of 8.8 and 7.6 W m^(−1) K^(−1) in the vertical and in-plane directions,respectively.In addition,LM with excellent photothermal performance provides the PCM with efficient battery heating capability if employing a controllable lighting system.As a proof-of-concept,this PCM is manifested to heat battery to an appropriate temperature range in a cold environment and lower the working temperature of the LIBs by more than 10℃ at high charging/discharging rate,opening opportunities for LIBs with durable working performance and evitable risk of thermal runaway.

N-glucosyltransferase GbNGT1 from ginkgo complements the auxin metabolic pathway

As auxins are among the most important phytohormones,the regulation of auxin homeostasis is complex.Generally,auxin conjugates,especially IAA glucosides,are predominant at high auxin levels.Previous research on terminal glucosylation focused mainly on the O-position,while IAA-N-glucoside and IAA-Asp-N-glucoside have been neglected since their discovery in 2001.In our study,IAA-Asp-N-glucoside was found to be specifically abundant(as high as 4.13 mg/g)in the seeds of 58 ginkgo cultivars.Furthermore,a novel N-glucosyltransferase,termed GbNGT1,was identified via differential transcriptome analysis and in vitro enzymatic testing.It was found that GbNGT1 could catalyze IAA-Asp and IAA to form their corresponding N-glucosides.The enzyme was demonstrated to possess a specific catalytic capacity toward the N-position of the IAA-amino acid or IAA from 52 substrates.Docking and site-directed mutagenesis of this enzyme confirmed that the E15G mutant could almost completely abolish its N-glucosylation ability toward IAA-Asp and IAA in vitro and in vivo.The IAA modification of GbNGT1 and GbGH3.5 was verified by transient expression assay in Nicotiana benthamiana.The effect of GbNGT1 on IAA distribution promotes root growth in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Theoretical Simulation of the Temporal Behavior of Bragg Diffraction Derived from Lattice Deformation

A theoretical study on the structural dynamics of the temporal behavior of Bragg diffraction is presented and compared with experimental results obtained via ultrafast electron crystallography.In order to describe the time-dependent lattices and calculate the Bragg diffraction intensity,we introduce the basic vector offset matrix,which can be used to quantify the shortening,lengthening and rotation of the three lattice vectors(i.e.,lattice deformation).Extensive simulations are performed to evaluate the four-dimensional electron crystallography model.The results elucidate the connection between structural deformations and changes in diffraction peaks,and sheds light on the quantitative analysis and comprehensive understanding of the structural dynamics.

Pure quantum gradient descent algorithm and full quantum variational eigensolver

Optimization problems are prevalent in various fields,and the gradient-based gradient descent algorithm is a widely adopted optimization method.However,in classical computing,computing the numerical gradient for a function with variables necessitates at least d+1 function evaluations,resulting in a computational complexity of O(d).As the number of variables increases,the classical gradient estimation methods require substantial resources,ultimately surpassing the capabilities of classical computers.Fortunately,leveraging the principles of superposition and entanglement in quantum mechanics,quantum computers can achieve genuine parallel computing,leading to exponential acceleration over classical algorithms in some cases.In this paper,we propose a novel quantum-based gradient calculation method that requires only a single oracle calculation to obtain the numerical gradient result for a multivariate function.The complexity of this algorithm is just O(1).Building upon this approach,we successfully implemented the quantum gradient descent algorithm and applied it to the variational quantum eigensolver(VQE),creating a pure quantum variational optimization algorithm.Compared with classical gradient-based optimization algorithm,this quantum optimization algorithm has remarkable complexity advantages,providing an efficient solution to optimization problems.The proposed quantum-based method shows promise in enhancing the performance of optimization algorithms,highlighting the potential of quantum computing in this field.

JUNO sensitivity on proton decay p→νK^(+)searches

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory(JUNO)is a large liquid scintillator detector designed to explore many topics in fundamental physics.In this study,the potential of searching for proton decay in the p→νK^(+)mode with JUNO is investigated.The kaon and its decay particles feature a clear three-fold coincidence signature that results in a high efficiency for identification.Moreover,the excellent energy resolution of JUNO permits suppression of the sizable background caused by other delayed signals.Based on these advantages,the detection efficiency for the proton decay via p→νK^(+)is 36.9%±4.9%with a background level of 0.2±0.05(syst)±0.2(stat)events after 10 years of data collection.The estimated sensitivity based on 200 kton-years of exposure is 9.6×1033 years,which is competitive with the current best limits on the proton lifetime in this channel and complements the use of different detection technologies.

Vertically aligned montmorillonite aerogel-encapsulated polyethylene glycol with directional heat transfer paths for efficient solar thermal energy harvesting and storage

The conversion and storage of photothermal energy using phase change materials(PCMs)represent an optimal approach for harnessing clean and sustainable solar energy.Herein,we encapsulated polyethylene glycol(PEG)in montmorillonite aerogels(3D-Mt)through vacuum impregnation to prepare 3D-Mt/PEG composite PCMs.When used as a support matrix,3D-Mt can effectively prevent PEG leakage and act as a flame-retardant barrier to reduce the flammability of PEG.Simultaneously,3D-Mt/PEG demonstrates outstanding shape retention,increased thermal energy storage density,and commendable thermal and chemical stability.The phase transition enthalpy of 3D-Mt/PEG can reach 167.53 J/g and remains stable even after 50 heating-cooling cycles.Furthermore,the vertical sheet-like structure of 3D-Mt establishes directional heat transport channels,facilitating efficient phonon transfer.This configuration results in highly anisotropic thermal conductivities that ensure swift thermal responses and efficient heat conduction.This study addresses the shortcomings of PCMs,including the issues of leakage and inadequate flame retardancy.It achieves the development and design of 3D-Mt/PEG with ultrahigh strength,superior flame retardancy,and directional heat transfer.Therefore,this work offers a design strategy for the preparation of high-performance composite PCMs.The 3D-Mt/PEG with vertically aligned and well-ordered array structure developed in this research shows great potential for thermal management and photothermal conversion applications.

Small mammal community succession on the beach of Dongting Lake,China after the Three Gorges Project

Although the Three Gorges Project(TGP)may have affected the population structure and distribution of plant and animal communities,few studies have analyzed the effect of this project on small mammal communities.Therefore,the present paper compares the small mammal communities inhabiting the beaches of Dongting Lake using field investigations spanning a 20-year period,both before and after the TGP was implemented.Snap traps were used throughout the census.The results indicate that the TGP caused major changes to the structure of the small mammal community at a lake downstream of the dam.First,species abundance on the beaches in­creased after the project commenced.The striped field mouse(Apodemus agrarius)and the Norway rat(Rat­tus norvegicus),which rarely inhabited the beach before the TGP,became abundant(with marked population growth)once water was impounded by the Three Gorges Reservoir.Second,dominant species concentration in­dices exhibited a stepwise decline,indicating that the community structure changed from a single dominant spe­cies to a more diverse species mix after TGP implementation.Third,the regulation of water discharge release by the TGP might have caused an increase in the species diversity of the animal community on the beaches.A sig­nificant difference in diversity indices was obtained before and after the TGP operation.Similarity indices also indicate a gradual increase in species numbers.Hence,a long-term project should be established to monitor the population fluctuations of the Yangtze vole(Microtus fortis),the striped field mouse and the Norway rat to safe­guard against population outbreaks(similar to the Yangtze vole outbreak in 2007),which could cause crop dam­age to adjacent farmland,in addition to documenting the succession process of the small mammal community inhabiting the beaches of Dongting Lake.

Copolymers with fluorescence properties in mesoporous silica SBA-15:Synthesis and characterization

A novel copolymer with fluorescence properties in mesoporous silica SBA-15 was prepared via a combination of surface-initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer(RAFT) polymerization and "click" chemistry.A sufficient amount of peroxide groups were introduced into mesoporous silica SBA-15 channel pores and were further used to initiate the RAFT polymerization of styrene and 4-vinylbenzyl azide,resulting in SBA-15 supported polystyrene-co-poly(4-vinylbenzyl azide) copolymer(PS-co-PVBA/SBA-15) hybrid material.The samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),thermogravimetry analysis(TGA),N_2 adsorption-desorption isotherms and X-ray diffraction(XRD),respectively.The results show that the styrene and 4-vinylbenzyl azide had copolymerized inside mesoporous silica SBA-15.Subsequently,Npropargyl-carbazole(PC) was connected to PS-co-PVBA/SBA-15 hybrid material via "click" reaction,resulting in PS-co-PVBC/SBA-15 with carbazole side groups hybrid material.The fluorescence spectrum is dominated by a broad band from 350 nm to 400 nm in narrow region and the maximum peak is 362 nm,indicating the characteristic absorption of the carbazole group of PS-co-PVBC/SBA-15 hybrid material.

Trait-mediated seed predation, dispersal and survival among frugivore-dispersed plants in a fragmented subtropical forest, Southwest China

By tracking the fate of individual seeds from 6 frugivore-dispersed plants with contrasting seed traits in a frag­mented subtropical forest in Southwest China,we explored how rodent seed predation and hoarding were influ­enced by seed traits such as seed size,seed coat hardness and seed profitability.Post-dispersal seed fates var­ied significantly among the 6 seed species and 3 patterns were witnessed:large-seeded species with a hard seed coat(i.e.Choerospoadias axillaries and Diospyros kaki var.silvestris)had more seeds removed,cached and then surviving at caches,and they also had fewer seeds predated but a higher proportion of seeds surviving at the source;medium-sized species with higher profitability and thinner seed coat(i.e.Phoebe zhennan and Pa­dus braohypoda)were first harvested and had the lowest probability of seeds surviving either at the source or at caches due to higher predation before or after removal;and small-seeded species with lower profitability(i.e.Elaeocarpus japonicas and Cornus controversa)had the highest probability of seeds surviving at the source but the lowest probability of seeds surviving at caches due to lower predation at the source and lower hoarding at caches.Our study indicates that patterns of seed predation,dispersal and survival among frugivore-dispersed plants are highly determined by seed traits such as seed size,seed defense and seed profitability due to selective predation and hoarding by seed-eating rodents.Therefore,trait-mediated seed predation,dispersal and survival via seed-eating rodents can largely affect population and community dynamics of frugivore-dispersed plants in fragmented forests.

Scatter-hoarding rodents as secondary seed dispersers of a frugivore-dispersed tree Scleropyrum wallichianum in a defaunated Xishuangbanna tropical forest, China

Local extinction or population decline of large frugivorous vertebrates as primary seed dispersers,caused by hu-man disturbance and habitat change,might lead to dispersal limitation of many large-seeded fruit trees.However,it is not known whether or not scatter-hoarding rodents as secondary seed dispersers can help maintain natural regeneration(e.g.seed dispersal)of these frugivore-dispersed trees in the face of the functional reduction or loss of primary seed dispersers.In the present study,we investigated how scatter-hoarding rodents affect the fate of tagged seeds of a large-seeded fruit tree(Scleropyrum wallichianum Arnott,1838,Santalaceae)from seed fall to seedling establishment in a heavily defaunated tropical forest in the Xishuangbanna region of Yunnan Province,in south-west China,in 2007 and 2008.Our results show that:(i)rodents removed nearly all S.wallichianum seeds in both years;(ii)a large proportion(2007,75%;2008,67.5%)of the tagged seeds were cached individually in the surface soil or under leaf litters;(iii)dispersal distance of primary caches was further in 2007(19.6±14.6 m)than that in 2008(14.1±11.6 m),and distance increased as rodents recovered and moved seeds from primary caches into subsequent caching sites;and(iv)part of the cached seeds(2007,3.2%;2008,2%)survived to the seedling stage each year.Our study suggests that by taking roles of both primary and secondary seed dispersers,scatter-hoarding rodents can play a significant role in maintaining seedling establishment of S.wallichianum,and are able to at least partly compensate for the loss of large frugivorous vertebrates in seed dispersal.

Effect of ENSO-driven precipitation on population irruptions of the Yangtze vole Microtus fortis calamorum in the Dongting Lake region of China

The Yangtze vole(Microtus fortis Buechner,1889)is a small herbivore species that inhabits lake beaches in the Dongting Lake region along the Yangtze River in Southern China.Its population shows strong oscillations during the wet season due to summer precipitation-induced immigration away from the lake into adjacent rice fields.The effect of El Niño-Southern Oscillation-driven precipitation on population abundance and growth of the vole species is not fully understood.We undertook an analysis of the combined data of 4 time series covering 1981–2006 from 4 different sites and a separate analysis on a single time series(1981–2006)from one site.Our results demonstrate that a dual effect of El Niño-Southern Oscillation-driven precipitation on the population abundance of voles is timedependent:precipitation in the current year has a positive effect,whereas precipitation in the previous year has a negative effect.The dual effect of precipitation on vole population is well explained by the unique interactions among vole population,precipitation water level and the lake beach habitat around Dongting Lake.We found that drier than average weather of the previous year benefited voles because their breeding habitats,lake beaches,were exposed for long stretches of time.Wet weather was found to increase the number of voles inhabiting rice fields because as the water level of the lake rose they were forced from beaches into surrounding rice fields.Summer precipitation in the Dongting Lake region was found to be positively associated with the sea surface temperature(SST)of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean of the previous year and winter SST and spring SST of the current year.Annual rates of increase in the vole population of the reconstructed time series are negatively associated with the vole abundance and autumn precipitation of the previous year and winter precipitation of the current years.These results suggest that both extrinsic and density-dependent intrinsic factors may affect population dynamics of the Yangtze voles.

Revealing the real-time diversity and abundance of small mammals by using an Intelligent Animal Monitoring System(IAMS)

It is challenging to reveal the real-time spatio-temporal change of diversity and abundance of animals in natural systems by using traditional methods.The rapid advancement of new technologies such as the Internet of Things,artificial intelligence,and big-data processing,provide opportunities for developing novel technologies for moni-toring biodiversity and population abundance of animals with high efficacy and accuracy.In this study,by using a recently developed Intelligent Animal Monitoring System,named“Vector Intelligent Monitoring System(VIMS)”,we investigated the real-time diversity and abundance of small mammals in the Banruosi forest,Dujiangyan region,southwest China.To make a comparison of the VIMS with traditional methods,we also surveyed the diversity and abundance of small mammals using wired live traps.Compared to live traps,the VIMS has several advantages such as automatic data collection,intelligent identification of species,data visualization,whole-day and all-weather op-eration,little disturbance to animals,real-time monitoring,and is capable of revealing more small mammal species.However,the VIMS also has several disadvantages over live traps such as lower trapping efficiency and being more expensive than live traps.Our results suggest that the VIMS can be a complementary method to traditional ones in monitoring the real-time spatio-temporal change of diversity and abundance of small mammals(especially rare species).In addition,the VIMS is useful in monitoring other small animals like small carnivores,birds,amphibians,and reptiles.

Fluctuation in seed abundance has contrasting effects on the fate of seeds from two rapidly germinating tree species in an Asian tropical forest

The seed predator satiation hypothesis states that high seed abundance can satiate seed predators or seed dispersers,thus promoting seed survival.However,for rapidly germinating seeds in tropical forests,high seed abundance may limit dispersal as the seeds usually remain under parent trees for long periods,which may lead to high mortality due to rodent predation or fungal infestations.By tracking 2 species of rapidly germinating seeds(Pittosporopsis kerrii,family Icacinaceae;Camellia kissi,family Theaceae),which depend on dispersal by scatter-hoarding rodents,we investigated the effects of seed abundance at the community level on predation and seed dispersal in the tropical forest of Xishuangbanna Prefecture,Southwest China.We found that high seed abundance at the community level was associated with delayed and reduced seed removal,decreased dispersal distance and increased pre-dispersal seed survival for both plant species.High seed abundance was also associated with reduced seed caching of C.kissi,but it showed little effect on seed caching of P.kerrii.However,post-dispersal seed survival for the 2 plant species followed the reverse pattern.High seed abundance in the community was associated with higher post-dispersal survival of P.kerrii seeds,but with lower post-dispersal survival of C.kissi seeds.Our results suggest that different plant species derive benefit from fluctuations in seed production in different ways.