A multifunctional electrolyte additive for zinc-ion capacitors with low temperature resistant and long lifespan

Aqueous zinc-ion capacitors (ZICs) are considered as potential candidates for next generation electrochemical energy storage devices due to their high safety and low cost.However,the existing aqueous ZICs usually have the problems of zinc dendrite growth and unsatisfactory performance at low temperature.Herein,an erythritol (Eryt) additive with inhibition of zinc dendrites and anti-freezing capability was introduced into the ZnSO4electrolyte.The experimental characterization and theoretical calculation confirm that the Eryt adsorbed on the surface of zinc anodes regulates the deposition orientation of Zn^(2+) and inhibits the formation of dendrites.It also reconstructs the solvation structure in the electrolyte to reduce water activity,enabling the electrolyte to have a lower freezing point for operation at low temperature.With the assistance of Eryt,the Zn||Zn symmetric cell exhibits a long cycle life of 2000 h,while the ZIC assembled with activated carbon (AC) cathode and zinc anode (Zn||AC) maintains a capacity retention of 98.2% after 30,000 cycles at a current density of 10 A g^(-1)(even after 10,000 cycles at-20°C,the capacity retention rate reached 94.8%.).This work provides a highly scalable,low-cost and effective strategy for the protection of the anodes of low-temperature aqueous ZICs.

Bipolar ionomer electrolytes with desirable self-discharge suppression for supercapacitors

Supercapacitors based on electric double layers are prone to serious self-discharge due to electrolyte ion desorption and the resulting energy loss severely limits the application range of supercapacitors.Rational design of polymer electrolyte systems to address this problem shows considerable generality and high feasibility.Herein,we reported a quasi-solid-state bipolar ionomer electrolyte prepared by an in-situ layer-by-layer ultraviolet-curing method,which has an integrated Janus structure with an intermediate binding layer.Based on the synergistic effect of confining impurity ions by ionizable groups and electrostatic repulsion to stabilize the electric double layers and superimposing synergies on both sides,the assembled device not only possesses ideal supercapacitor characteristics,but also exhibits an ultrahigh voltage retention of 71% after being left to stand for 100 h after being fully charged.Furthermore,through the quasi-in-situ energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy linear scanning,the characteristics of ion diffusion in this ionomer electrolyte are revealed,suggesting its correlation with self-discharge behavior.

Endangered Wildlife Conservation Enhances Regional Economic Development: A Case Study of Tibetan Macaque (<i>Macaca thibetana</i>) and Fuxi Village in Mount Huangshan, China

The economic development of key biodiversity conservation areas and their conservation measures are underpinned by a mutually complementary and synergistic development model. Regional economic development depends on conservation awareness in biodiversity conservation areas. Moreover, the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation can be indicated by endangered wildlife conservation. This study investigated the current conservation of Huangshan Tibetan macaque (Macaca thibetana)—an endemic endangered species in the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area located in a biodiversity conservation hotspot in China, the conservation awareness of residents and visitors, and changes in local economic income through field survey. It provides inspiration and a characteristic demonstration to build a synergistic model of endangered wildlife conservation, biodiversity maintenance, and sustainable regional economic development.

EGFR/TP53/RB1三重突变的小细胞肺癌转化研究及治疗进展

表皮生长因子受体(epidermal growth factor receptor,EGFR)突变型非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)患者在接受EGFR酪氨酸激酶抑制剂(tyrosine kinase inhibitors,TKIs)靶向治疗后能获得临床获益,但之后会不可避免地出现获得性耐药,而发生小细胞肺癌(small cell lung cancer,SCLC)组织学转化被认为是一种罕见的耐药机制。随着二代基因检测(next-generation sequencing,NGS)技术的快速发展及广泛应用,研究者发现存在EGFR/TP53/RB1三重突变的NSCLC经靶向治疗后更容易发生SCLC组织学转化,并且转化型SCLC疗效及预后较差。本文对近年来关于EGFR突变的NSCLC发生SCLC组织学转化的研究作一综述,涉及相关的转化机制、可能有效的新型药物及治疗策略,为EGFR/TP53/RB1三重突变的转化型SCLC患者提供更多潜在的临床治疗选择。

Influence of proximity to the Qinghai-Tibet highway and railway on variations of soil heavy metal concentrations and bacterial community diversity on the Tibetan Plateau

An understanding of soil microbial communities is crucial in roadside soil environmental assessments.The 16S rRNA se quencing of a stressed microbial community in soil adjacent to the Qinghai-Tibet Highway(QTH)revealed that the accu mulation of heavy metals(over about 10 years)has affected the diversity of bacterial abundance and microbial community structure.The proximity of a sampling site to the QTH/Qinghai-Tibet Railway(QTR),which is effectively a measure of the density of human engineering,was the dominant factor influencing bacterial community diversity.The diversity of bacterial communities shows that 16S rRNA gene abundance decreased in relation to proximity to the QTH and QTR in both alpine wetland and meadow areas.The dominant phyla across all samples were Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria.The concentration of Cr and Cd in the soil were positively correlated with proximity to the QTH and QTR(MC/WC sam pling sites),and Ni,Co,and V were positively correlated with proximity to the QTH and QTR(MA/WA sampling sites).The results presented in this study provide an insight into the relationships among heavy metals and soil microbial commu nities,and have important implications for assessing and predicting the impacts of human-induced activities from the QTH and QTR in such an extreme and fragile environment.

A comparative study of polymer nanocomposites containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoplatelets

Featuring exceptional mechanical and functional performance, MWCNTs and graphene(nano)platelets(GNPs or Gn Ps;each platelet below 10 nm in thickness) have been increasingly used for the development of polymer nanocomposites. Since MWCNTs are now cost-effective at US$30 per kg for industrial applications, this work starts by briefly reviewing the disentanglement and surface modification of MWCNTs as well as the properties of the resulting polymer nanocomposites. GNPs can be made through the thermal treatment of graphite intercalation compounds followed by ultrasonication;GNPs would have lower cost yet higher electrical conductivity over 1,400 S cmthan MWCNTs. Through proper surface modification and compounding techniques, both types of fillers can reinforce or toughen polymers and simultaneously add anti-static performance. A high ratio of MWCNTs to GNPs would increase the synergy for polymers. Green, solvent-free systhesis methods are desired for polymer nanocomposites. Perspectives on the limitations, current challenges and future prospects are provided.

Numerical study of the flow structures in flat plate and the wall-mounted hump induced by the unsteady DBD plasma

In this work,the dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuator was employed to study the flow structures induced by the plasma actuator over a flat plate and a wall-mounted hump.A phenomenological dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma model which regarded the plasma effect as the body force was implemented into the Navier–Stokes equations solved by the method of large eddy simulations.The results show that a series of vortex pairs,which indicated dipole formation and periodicity distribution were generated in the boundary layer when the plasma was applied to the flow over a flat plane.They would enhance the energy exchanged between the near wall region and the free stream.Besides,their spatial trajectories are deeply affected by the actuation strength.When the actuator was engaged in the flow over a wall-mounted hump,the vortex pairs were also produced,which was able to delay flow separation as well as to promote flow reattachment and reduce the generation of a vortex,achieving the goal of reducing dissipation and decreasing flow resistance.

Temperature dependence of pattern transitions on water surface in contact with DC microplasmas

The DC-driven atmospheric-pressure microplasma is generated in a helium gas flowing through the metal tube cathode and is brought into contact with the surface of the water with the immersed Pt anode.By adjusting the gas flow,discharge current and gap distance,self-organized patterns are observed and varied sequentially from the homogeneous spot to the ring-like shape,distinct spot shape and the gearwheel shape on the water surface.The electrode temperature is measured and the gas temperature of the plasma discharge is calculated through the numericalfitting of the second positive system of the spectrum of N2 molecules.It is shown that the pattern transition is related to the electrode and gas temperatures of the plasma.Moreover,specific discretization features of the patterns are shown to appear at certain gas temperatures.

New insights into component matching mechanism in the compression system of double bypass engine

Variable cycle engine(VCE)is one of the most promising technologies for the next-generation aircraft,the matching of different components in the compression system is a key difficulty VCE faced.To investigate the component matching mechanisms in the VCE compression system,an advanced throughflow program is employed to calculate the characteristic lines of each component,and a zero-dimensional method is developed to cap-ture the component performance deviation during the coupling working process.By setting the compressor stall and choke conditions as the boundary,the operation range of the compression system isfirst clarified,and the aerodynamic performance in the operation zone is discussed,thus providing a theoretical basis for optimization of the engine operating con-trol scheme.Results show that the efficiency of the coreflow is optimum at the left-bottom corner of the operation region,while the total pressure ratio peaks at the right-top area,hence a balance is needed when deciding the matching point.Regulations of component control pa-rameters will change the position of the operation zone,as well as the corresponding aerody-namic performance.Decreasing the core driven fan stage rotating speed can improve the total bypass ratio,yet the total pressure ratio of the coreflow will be decreased.Closing the core driven fan stage inlet guide vane can increase the total bypass ratio without changing the core flow aerodynamic performance significantly.The bypass ratio of the compression system can also be increased by increasing the fan stall margin or decreasing its rotating speed,both ways will decrease the total pressure ratio of the core flow.Results of the study will benefit the variable cycle engine design process in operation point evaluation and thermodynamic cycle optimization.

Enzyme Commission Number Prediction and Benchmarking with Hierarchical Dual-core Multitask Learning Framework

Enzyme commission(EC)numbers,which associate a protein sequence with the biochemical reactions it catalyzes,are essential for the accurate understanding of enzyme functions and cellular metabolism.Many ab initio computational approaches were proposed to predict EC numbers for given input protein sequences.However,the prediction performance(accuracy,recall,and precision),usability,and efficiency of existing methods decreased seriously when dealing with recently discovered proteins,thus still having much room to be improved.Here,we report HDMLF,a hierarchical dual-core multitask learning framework for accurately predicting EC numbers based on novel deep learning techniques.HDMLF is composed of an embedding core and a learning core;the embedding core adopts the latest protein language model for protein sequence embedding,and the learning core conducts the EC number prediction.Specifically,HDMLF is designed on the basis of a gated recurrent unit framework to perform EC number prediction in the multi-objective hierarchy,multitasking manner.Additionally,we introduced an attention layer to optimize the EC prediction and employed a greedy strategy to integrate and fine-tune the final model.Comparative analyses against 4 representative methods demonstrate that HDMLF stably delivers the highest performance,which improves accuracy and F1 score by 60%and 40%over the state of the art,respectively.An additional case study of tyrB predicted to compensate for the loss of aspartate aminotransferase aspC,as reported in a previous experimental study,shows that our model can also be used to uncover the enzyme promiscuity.Finally,we established a web platform,namely,ECRECer(https://ecrecer.biodesign.ac.cn),using an entirely could-based serverless architecture and provided an offline bundle to improve usability.

pUGTdb:A comprehensive database of plant UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases

Dear Editor,Plant UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases(UGTs),belonging to the carbohydrate-active enzyme glycosyltransferase 1 family(Louveau and Osbourn,2019),not only play important roles in adaptation to various environments(Cai et al.,2020;Pastorczyk-Szlenkier and Bednarek,2021)but also endow plant natural products with great pharmaceutical and ecological significance(Margolin et al.,2020).In recent years,an increasing number of plant UGTs have been characterized to function in the biosynthesis of many bioactive compounds such as ginsenosides(Wei et al.,2015),breviscapine(Liu et al.,2018),and rubusoside(Xu et al.,2022).

Exploration of acceptable operating range for a compression system in a double bypass engine

The variable cycle engine is distinguished by its highly adjustable compression system,whose aerodynamic characteristic is extremely complex.To explore the regulation range of a double bypass engine compression system,a multi-dimensional analysis method is developed,through which the coupling mechanism between the compressor component and the bypass is examined.The operation zones of the compressor components and the bypass system are proposed,and the operation range of the compression system is obtained by calculating the overlapping part of the operation zones.The results show that in the double bypass mode,there exists a minimum mode selector valve area and a minimum core driven fan stage stall margin that ensures a feasible bypass flow,the two parameters correspond to each other.Under the given fan and core driven fan stage conditions,the maximum value of the inner bypass ratio is restricted by the upper limit of the forward variable area bypass injector and the maximum Mach number in the total bypass,while the minimum value of the inner bypass ratio depends on the lower limit of the forward variable area bypass injector geometry and the system recirculation margin.The single bypass mode is a unique condition of the double bypass mode,as the operation zone of the compressor component degenerates from a two-dimensional surface to a straight line.There are multiple bypass states available in the single bypass mode,while the regulation range of the bypass ratio is jointly restricted by the operation range of the high pressure compressor and the aerodynamic boundary of the forward variable area bypass injector.

Improving pathway prediction accuracy of constraints-based metabolic network models by treating enzymes as microcompartments

Metabolic network models have become increasingly precise and accurate as the most widespread and practical digital representations of living cells.The prediction functions were significantly expanded by integrating cellular resources and abiotic constraints in recent years.However,if unreasonable modeling methods were adopted due to a lack of consideration of biological knowledge,the conflicts between stoichiometric and other constraints,such as thermodynamic feasibility and enzyme resource availability,would lead to distorted predictions.In this work,we investigated a prediction anomaly of EcoETM,a constraints-based metabolic network model,and introduced the idea of enzyme compartmentalization into the analysis process.Through rational combination of reactions,we avoid the false prediction of pathway feasibility caused by the unrealistic assumption of free intermediate metabolites.This allowed us to correct the pathway structures of L-serine and L-tryptophan.A specific analysis explains the application method of the EcoETM-like model and demonstrates its potential and value in correcting the prediction results in pathway structure by resolving the conflict between different constraints and incorporating the evolved roles of enzymes as reaction compartments.Notably,this work also reveals the trade-off between product yield and thermodynamic feasibility.Our work is of great value for the structural improvement of constraints-based models.

Combined and synergistic effects of climate change and urbanization on water quality in the Wolf Bay watershed,southern Alabama

This study investigated potential changes in flow, total suspended solid（TSS） and nutrient（nitrogen and phosphorous） loadings under future climate change, land use/cover（LULC）change and combined change scenarios in the Wolf Bay watershed, southern Alabama,USA. Four Global Circulation Models（GCMs） under three Special Report Emission Scenarios（SRES） of greenhouse gas were used to assess the future climate change（2016–2040）. Three projected LULC maps（2030） were employed to reflect different extents of urbanization in future. The individual, combined and synergistic impacts of LULC and climate change on water quantity/quality were analyzed by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool（SWAT）.Under the ＂climate change only＂ scenario, monthly distribution and projected variation of TSS are expected to follow a pattern similar to streamflow. Nutrients are influenced both by flow and management practices. The variation of Total Nitrogen（TN） and Total Phosphorous（TP） generally follow the flow trend as well. No evident difference in the N：P ratio was projected. Under the ＂LULC change only＂ scenario, TN was projected to decrease,mainly due to the shrinkage of croplands. TP will increase in fall and winter. The N：P ratio shows a strong decreasing potential. Under the ＂combined change＂ scenario, LULC and climate change effect were considered simultaneously. Results indicate that if future loadings are expected to increase/decrease under any individual scenario, then the combined change will intensify that trend. Conversely, if their effects are in opposite directions, an offsetting effect occurs. Science-based management practices are needed to reduce nutrient loadings to the Bay.

Fast and uniform growth of graphene glass using confined-flow chemical vapor deposition and its unique applications

Fast and uniform growth of high-quality graphene on conventional glass is of great importance for practical applications of graphene glass. We report herein a confined-flow chemical vapor deposition （CVD） approach for the high- efficiency fabrication of graphene glass. The key feature of our approach is the fabrication of a 2-4 μm wide gap above the glass substrate, with plenty of stumbling blocks; this gap was found to significantly increase the collision probability of the carbon precursors and reactive fragments between one another and with the glass surface. As a result, the growth rate of graphene glass increased remarkably, together with an improvement in the growth quality and uniformity as compared to those in the conventional gas flow CVD technique. These high-quality graphene glasses exhibited an excellent defogging performance with much higher defogging speed and higher stability compared to those previously reported. The graphene sapphire glass was found to be an ideal substrate for growing uniform and ultra-smooth aluminum nitride thin films without the tedious pre-deposition of a buffer layer. The presented confined- flow CVD approach offers a simple and low-cost route for the mass production of graphene glass, which is believed to promote the practical applications of various graphene glasses.

The key role of CYC2 during meiosis in Tetrahymena thermophila

Meiotic recombination is carried out through a special- ized pathway for the formation and repair of DNA dou- ble-strand breaks （DSBs） made by the Spo11 protein. The present study shed light on the functional role of cyclin, CYC2, in Tetrahymena thermophila which has transcriptionally high expression level during meiosis process. Knocking out the CYC2 gene results in arrest of meiotic conjugation process at 2.5-3.5 h after conjugation initiation, before the meiosis division starts, and in company with the absence of DSBs. To investigate the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon, a complete transcriptome profile was performed between wild-type strain and CYC2 knock-out strain. Functional analysis of RNA-Seq results identifies related differentially expressed genes （DEGs） including SP011 and these DEGs are enriched in DNA repair/mismatch repair （MMR） terms in homologous recombination （HR）, which indicates that CYC2 could play a crucial role in meiosis by regulating SP011 and participating in HR.

Label-free colorimetric nanosensor with improved sensitivity for Pb^2+ in water by using a truncated 8-17 DNAzyme

Water pollution accidents, such as the Flint water crisis in the United States, caused by lead contamination have raised concern on the safety of drinking water distribution systems. Thus, the routine monitoring of lead in water is highly required and demands efficient, sensitive, cost-effective, and reliable lead detection methods. This study reports a label-free colorimetric nanosensor that uses unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as indicators to enable rapid and ultra-sensitive detection of lead in environmental water. The 8-17 DNAzyme was truncated in this study to facilitate the detachment of single-stranded DNA fragments after substrate cleavage in the presence of Pb「. The detached fragments were adsorbed over AuNPs and protected against salt concentration-induced aggregation. Accordingly, high Pb^2+ would result in rapid color change from blue to pink. The established sensing principle achieved a sensitive limit of detection of 0.2×10^-9mol/L Pb^2+. with a linear working range of two orders of magnitude from 0.5×10^-9mol/L to 5×10^-9mol/L. The selectivity of the nanosensor was demonstrated by evaluating the interfering metal ions. The developed nanosensor can serve as a substitute for the rapid analysis and monitoring of trace lead levels under the drinking water distribution system and even other environmental water samples.

SOX9-transactived long non-coding RNA NEAT1 promotes the self-renewal of liver cancer stem cells through PKA/Hippo signaling

Dear Editor,Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),the most common pathological type of primary liver cancer,ranks as the third deadliest cancer.Despite the progress of surgical resection in recent years,the 5-year survival of HCC patients is still unsatisfactory due to the frequent relapse and chemoresistance.Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that liver cancer stem cells(CSCs)are critical for HCC chemoresistance and recurrence.Nevertheless,the molecular mechanisms of liver CSC regulation remain unclear,which hampers the development of the therapeutic strategy that targets liver CSCs.

Local Governments＇ Fiscal Pressure and the Dependence on Polluting Industries in China

Using a large, unique county-level panel dataset for China from 1998 to 2006, this paper investigates the relationship between local governments ＇fiscal pressure and their preference for developing polluting industries. The results show that there exist fiscal pressure effects; namely, a positive link between the fiscal pressure faced by a county and its industrial tax dependence on polluting industries. We also investigate the heterogeneity of the fiscal pressure effects and find that fiscal pressure effects are significant only when local fiscal pressure is sufficiently high up to a certain point, and when there are more earmarked transfers. In contrast to the situation in east China, fiscal pressure effects in central and west China are more pronounced Therefore, when dealing with environmental problems, policy-makers need to take local governments＇ fiscal conditions into account.