Transverse localization of Tamm plasmon in metal-DBR structure with disordered layer

Transverse localization of the optical Tamm plasmon （OTP） is studied in a metal-distributed Bragg reflector （DBR） structure with a one-dimensional disordered layer embedded at the interface between the metal and the DBR. The embed- ded disordered layer induces multiple scattering and interference of light, forming the light localization in the transverse direction. This together with the formation of Tamm plasmonic modes at the metal-DBR interface （i.e., the confinement of light in the longitudinal direction）, gives birth to the so called transverse-localized Tamm plasmon. It is shown that for both transverse electric （TE） and transverse magnetic （TM） polarized light injection, the excited transverse-localized Tamm plas- mon broadens and splits the dispersion curve due to spatial incoherence in the transverse direction, thus proving the stronger light confinement especially in the TE polarized injection. By adding the gain medium, specific random lasing modes are observed. The proposed study could be an efficient way of trapping and locally enhancing light on a subwavelength scale, which is useful in applications of random lasers, optical sensing, and imaging.

Can Dexmedetomidine Improve Arterial Oxygenation and Intrapulmonary Shunt during One-lung Ventilation in Adults Undergoing Thoracic Surgery？ A Meta-analysis of Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trials

Background：One-lung ventilation （OLV） is a common ventilation technology during thoracic surgery that can cause serious clinical problems.We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to compare oxygenation and intrapulmonary shunt during OLV in adults undergoing thoracic surgery with dexmedetomidine （Dex） versus placebo to assess the influence and safety of using Dex.Methods：Randomized controlled trials comparing lung protection in patients who underwent thoracic surgery with Dex or a placebo were retrieved from PubMed,EMBASE,MEDLINE,Cochrane Library,and China CNKI database.The following information was extracted from the paper：arterial oxygen partial pressure （PaO2）,PaO2/inspired oxygen concentration （PaO2/FiO2,oxygenation index [OI]）,intrapulmonary shunt （calculated as Qs/Qt）,mean arterial pressure （MAP）,heart rate （HR）,tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）,interleukin （IL）-6,superoxide dismutase （SOD）,and malondialdehyde （MDA）.Results：Fourteen randomized controlled trials were included containing a total of 625 patients.Compared with placebo group,Dex significantly increased PaO2/FiO2 （standard mean difference [SMD] =0.98,95% confidence interval [CI] [0.72,1.23],P 〈 0.00001）.Besides,Qs/Qt （SMD=-1.22,95% CI [-2.20,-0.23],P =0.020）,HR （SMD=-0.69,95% CI [-1.20,0.17],P =0.009）,MAP （SMD=-0.44,95% CI [-0.84,0.04],P =0.030）,the concentrations ofTNF-α （SMD =-1.55,95% CI [-2.16,-0.95],P 〈0.001）,and IL-6 （SMD =-1.53,95% CI [-2.37,-0.70],P =0.0003） were decreased in the treated group,when compared to placebo group.No significant difference was found in MDA （SMD =-1.14,95% CI [-3.48,1.20],P =0.340） and SOD （SMD =0.41,95% CI [-0.29,1.10],P =0.250） between the Dex group and the placebo group.Funnel plots did not detect any significant publication bias.Conclusions：Dex may improve OI and reduce intrapulmonary shunt during OLV in adults undergoing thoracic surgery.However,this conclusion might be weakened by the limited number of pooled studies and patients.

Ectopic Expression of a Bacterium NhaD-type Na^+/H^+ Antiporter Leads to Increased Tolerance to Combined Salt/Alkali Stresses

AaNhaD, a gene isolated from the soda lake alkaliphile Alkalimonas amylolytica, encodes a Na＋/H＋ antiporter crucial for the bacterium＇s resistance to salt/alkali stresses. However, it remains unknown whether this type of bacterial gene may be able to increase the tolerance of flowering plants to salt/alkali stresses. To investigate the use of extremophile genetic resources in higher plants, transgenic tobacco BY-2 cells and plants harboring AaNhaDwere generated and their stress tolerance was evaluated. Ectopic expression of AaNhaD enhanced the salt tolerance of the transgenic BY-2 cells in a pH-dependent manner. Compared to wild-type controls, the transgenic cells exhibited increased Na＋ concentrations and pH levels in the vacuoles. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that AaNhaD-GFP fusion proteins were primarily localized in the tonoplasts. Similar to the transgenic BY-2 cells, AaNhaD.overexpressing tobacco plants displayed enhanced stress tolerance when grown in saline-alkali soil. These results indicate that AaNhaD functions as a pH-dependent tonoplast Na＋/H＋ antiporter in plant cells, thus presenting a new avenue for the genetic improvement of salinity/alkalinity tolerance.

Template-free preparation of porous Co microfibers from spent lithium-ion batteries as a promising microwave absorber

In order to take full advantage of the secondary resources,in this paper,we reported a template-free process to prepare porous Co microfibers from spent lithiumion batteries(LIBs).First,the waste LiCoO_(2) powders were leached by oxalic acid at a suitable temperature,and rodlike cobalt oxalate powders were obtained.Second,the porous Co microfibers were prepared by using the cobalt oxalate as precursors through a thermal decomposition at420 ℃ under nitrogen atmosphere.The prepared Co microfibers possess diameters of 1-2 μm,and each microfiber consists of small particles with size of100-200 nm.The Co microfibers(25 wt%)/paraffin composite exhibited excellent microwave absorption performance.When the sample thickness is 4.5 mm,the reflection losses reach-36.14 and-38.20 dB at 4.16 and 17.60 GHz,respectively,and the effective bandwidth reaches up to 5.52 GHz.This indicates that the Co microfibers can be used as a promising microwave absorber.Therefore,this paper demonstrates a novel process to make a high value-added product through recycling from the spent lithium-ion batteries.In addition,it is advantageous to eliminate the hazard of spent lithium-ion batteries and electromagnetic radiation to environment and human health.

The RING Finger Protein Nt RCP1 Is Involved in the Floral Transition in Tobacco(Nicotiana tabacum)

The transition from the vegetative phase to the reproductive phase is a major developmental process in flowering plants.The underlying mechanism controlling this cellular process remains a research focus in the field of plant molecular biology.In the present work,we identified a gene encoding the C3H2C3-type RING finger protein Nt RCP1 from tobacco BY-2 cells.Enzymatic analysis demonstrated that Nt RCP1 is a functional E3 ubiquitin ligase.In tobacco plants,expression level of Nt RCP1 was higher in the reproductive shoot apices than in the vegetative ones.Nt RCP1-overexpressing plants underwent a more rapid transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase and flowered markedly earlier than the wild-type control.Histological analysis revealed that the shoot apical meristem of Nt RCP1-overexpressing plants initiated inflorescence primordia precociously compared to the wild-type plant due to accelerated cell division.Overexpression of Nt RCP1 in BY-2 suspension cells promoted cell division,which was a consequence of the shortened G2 phase in the cell cycle.Together,our data suggest that Nt RCP1 may act as a regulator of the phase transition,possibly through its role in cell cycle regulation,during vegetative/reproductive development in tobacco plant.