Achieving structurally stable O3-type layered oxide cathodes through site-specific cation-anion co-substitution for sodium-ion batteries

O3-type layered oxides have garnered great attention as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries because of their abundant reserves and high theoretical capacity.However,challenges persist in the form of uncontrollable phase transitions and intricate Na^(+)diffusion pathways during cycling,resulting in compromised structural stability and reduced capacity over cycles.This study introduces a special approach employing site-specific Ca/F co-substitution within the layered structure of O_(3)-NaNi_(0.5)Mn_(0.5)O_(2) to effectively address these issues.Herein,the strategically site-specific doping of Ca into Na sites and F into O sites not only expands the Na^(+)diffusion pathways but also orchestrates a mild phase transition by suppressing the Na^(+)/vacancy ordering and providing strong metal-oxygen bonding strength,respectively.The as-synthesized Na_(0.95)Ca_(0.05)Ni_(0.5)Mn_(0.5)O_(1.95)F_(0.05)(NNMO-CaF)exhibits a mild O3→O3+O'3→P3 phase transition with minimized interlayer distance variation,leading to enhanced structural integrity and stability over extended cycles.As a result,NNMO-CaF delivers a high specific capacity of 119.5 mA h g^(-1)at a current density of 120 mA g^(-1)with a capacity retention of 87.1%after 100 cycles.This study presents a promising strategy to mitigate the challenges posed by multiple phase transitions and augment Na^(+)diffusion kinetics,thus paving the way for high-performance layered cathode materials in sodium-ion batteries.

Effectiveness of hybrid ensemble machine learning models for landslide susceptibility analysis:Evidence from Shimla district of North-west Indian Himalayan region

The Indian Himalayan region is frequently experiencing climate change-induced landslides.Thus,landslide susceptibility assessment assumes greater significance for lessening the impact of a landslide hazard.This paper makes an attempt to assess landslide susceptibility in Shimla district of the northwest Indian Himalayan region.It examined the effectiveness of random forest(RF),multilayer perceptron(MLP),sequential minimal optimization regression(SMOreg)and bagging ensemble(B-RF,BSMOreg,B-MLP)models.A landslide inventory map comprising 1052 locations of past landslide occurrences was classified into training(70%)and testing(30%)datasets.The site-specific influencing factors were selected by employing a multicollinearity test.The relationship between past landslide occurrences and influencing factors was established using the frequency ratio method.The effectiveness of machine learning models was verified through performance assessors.The landslide susceptibility maps were validated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves(ROC-AUC),accuracy,precision,recall and F1-score.The key performance metrics and map validation demonstrated that the BRF model(correlation coefficient:0.988,mean absolute error:0.010,root mean square error:0.058,relative absolute error:2.964,ROC-AUC:0.947,accuracy:0.778,precision:0.819,recall:0.917 and F-1 score:0.865)outperformed the single classifiers and other bagging ensemble models for landslide susceptibility.The results show that the largest area was found under the very high susceptibility zone(33.87%),followed by the low(27.30%),high(20.68%)and moderate(18.16%)susceptibility zones.The factors,namely average annual rainfall,slope,lithology,soil texture and earthquake magnitude have been identified as the influencing factors for very high landslide susceptibility.Soil texture,lineament density and elevation have been attributed to high and moderate susceptibility.Thus,the study calls for devising suitable landslide mitigation measures in the study area.Structural measures,an immediate response system,community participation and coordination among stakeholders may help lessen the detrimental impact of landslides.The findings from this study could aid decision-makers in mitigating future catastrophes and devising suitable strategies in other geographical regions with similar geological characteristics.

Effects of Site-Specific Nitrogen Management on Yield and Dry Matter Accumulation of Rice from Cold Areas of Northeastern China

The effects of yield increase and mechanism of site-specific nitrogen management （SSNM） in five rice varieties from cold areas of northeastern China were studied. Plot experiment for critical SPAD value and experiments of two fertilization methods, SSNM and farmer＇s fertilization practice （FFP） were conducted to study their effects on the quality and dry matter accumulation of rice population, as well as N uptake. Compared with FFP, SSNM significantly decreased the average N rate by 33.8%, significantly increased average ear-bearing tiller rate and LAI for grain-filling stage by 12.3% and 14.1-27.6%, correspondingly, improved dry matter weight and N uptake after heading period by 4.3-29.1% and 11.8-55.1% （P 〈 0.05）, and heightened recovery efficiency and agronomic efficiency by 38.5-133.4% （P 〈 0.05） and 39.8-194.3% （P 〈 0.05）, respectively, as well as increased the average yield by 9.8% in 2004 and 2005. The results indicated that the accumulation rate of dry matter and N increased the rice yield and N use efficiency, because of improving rice population quality and increasing LAI after heading period.

Spatial variability of soil properties in red soil and its implications for site-specific fertilizer management

Assessing spatial variability and mapping of soil properties constitute important prerequisites for soil and crop management in agricultural areas. To explore the relationship between soil spatial variability and land management, 256 samples were randomly collected at two depths (surface layer 0–20 cm and subsurface layer 20–40 cm) under different land use types and soil parent materials in Yujiang County, Jiangxi Province, a red soil region of China. The pH, soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and base saturation (BS) of the soil samples were examined and mapped. The results indicated that soils in Yujiang were acidified, with an average pH of 4.87 (4.03–6.46) in the surface layer and 4.99 (4.03–6.24) in the subsurface layer. SOM and TN were significantly higher in the surface layer (27.6 and 1.50 g kg–1, respectively) than in the subsurface layer (12.1 and 0.70 g kg–1, respectively), while both CEC and BS were low (9.0 and 8.0 cmol kg–1, 29 and 38% for surface and subsurface layers, respectively). Paddy soil had higher pH (mean 4.99) than upland and forest soils, while soil derived from river alluvial deposits (RAD) had higher pH (mean 5.05) than the other three parent materials in both layers. Geostatistical analysis revealed that the best fit models were exponential for pH and TN, and spherical for BS in both layers, while spherical and Gaussian were the best fitted for SOM and CEC in the surface and subsurface layers. Spatial dependency varied from weak to strong for the different soil properties in both soil layers. The maps produced by selecting the best predictive variables showed that SOM, TN, and CEC had moderate levels in most parts of the study area. This study highlights the importance of site-specific agricultural management and suggests guidelines for appropriate land management decisions.

Construction of Marker-Free GFP Transgenic Tobacco by Cre/lox Site-Specific Recombination System

Marker-free GFP transgenic tobacco plants were constructed based on Cre/lox site-specific recombination system. A GFP gene was introduced into the tobacco genome using the Bar gene as a linked selectable marker flanked by recombination sites in a directed orientation. The Bar gene expression box was subsequently excised from the plant genome by a strategy of Cre gene retransformation. After removal of the Cre-NPT Ⅱ locus by genetic segregation through self-cross, plants that incorporated only the GFP transgene were obtained. Transgenic tobacco plants mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens were obtained, which resisted herbicide Basta and GFP expressed well, then the Cre gene was subsequently introduced into 5 plants of them, respectively, by retransformation. The leaf disks from Cre transgenic plants were used to test the resistance to Basta on the medium with 8 mg L-1 of PPT. The results showed that few discs were able to regenerate normally, and the excision at 76-100% efficiency depended on individual retransformation events. Evidence for a precise recombination event was confirmed by cloning the nucleotides sequence surrounding the lox sites of the Basta sensitive plants. The result indicated that the excision event in the recombination sites was precise and conservative, without loss or alteration of any submarginal nucleotides of the recombination sites. Bar gene excised plants were selfpollinated to allow segregation of the GFP gene from the Cre-NPT Ⅱ locus. The progenies from self-pollinated plants were scored for Kan senstivity, then the segregation of GFP gene from Cre-NPT Ⅱ locus in the Kan senstive plants were confirmed by PCR analysis subsequently. Hence, constructing marker-free transgenic tobacco plants by Cre/lox sitespecific recombination system was reliable, and the strategy presented here should be applicable to other plants for the construction of marker-free transgenic plants as well.

Development of a radiolabeled site-specific single-domain antibody positron emission tomography probe for monitoring PD-L1 expression in cancer

Despite advances in immunotherapy for the treatment of cancers,not all patients can benefit from programmed cell death ligand 1(PD-L1)immune checkpoint blockade therapy.Anti-PD-L1 therapeutic effects reportedly correlate with the PD-L1 expression level;hence,accurate detection of PD-L1 expression can guide immunotherapy to achieve better therapeutic effects.Therefore,based on the high affinity antibody Nb109,a new site-specifically radiolabeled tracer,^(68)Ga-NODA-cysteine,aspartic acid,and valine(CDV)-Nb109,was designed and synthesized to accurately monitor PD-L1 expression.The tracer ^(68)Ga-NODA-CDV-Nb109 was obtained using a site-specific conjugation strategy with a radiochemical yield of about 95%and radiochemical purity of 97%.It showed high affinity for PD-L1 with a dissociation constant of 12.34±1.65 nM.Both the cell uptake assay and positron emission tomography(PET)imaging revealed higher tracer uptake in PD-L1-positive A375-hPD-L1 and U87 tumor cells than in PD-L1-negative A375 tumor cells.Meanwhile,dynamic PET imaging of a NCI-H1299 xenograft indicated that doxorubicin could upregulate PD-L1 expression,allowing timely interventional immunotherapy.In conclusion,this tracer could sensitively and dynamically monitor changes in PD-L1 expression levels in different cancers and help screen patients who can benefit from anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy.

The Site-Specific Hydrolysis of l-β-Hydroxybaccatin Ⅱ by Aspergillus Niger

The site-specific microbiological hydrolysis of a natural 1β-hydroxybaccatin I, with the culture of Aspergillus niger. is described.

Application of site-specific biomass models to quantify spatial distribution of stocks and historical emissions from deforestation in a tropical forest ecosystem

Allometric equations developed for the Lama forest, located in southern Benin, West Africa, were applied to estimate carbon stocks of three vegetation types：undisturbed forest, degraded forest, and fallow. Carbon stock of the undisturbed forest was 2.7 times higher than that in the degraded forest and 3.4 times higher than that in fallow. The structure of the forest suggests that the individual species were generally concentrated in lower diameter classes. Carbon stock was positively correlated to basal area and negatively related to tree density, suggesting that trees in higher diameter classes contributed significantly to the total carbon stock. The study demonstrated that large trees constitute an important component to include in the sampling approach to achieve accurate carbon quantification in forestry. Historical emissions from deforestation that converted more than 30% of the Lama forest into cropland between the years 1946 and 1987 amounted to 260,563.17 tons of carbon per year（t CO2/year） for the biomass pool only. The study explained the application of biomass models and ground truth data to estimate reference carbon stock of forests.

Study on Site-specific Nutrient Management in Cotton Field

The study on the characteristics of spatial variability of soil nutrients and fertilizer recommendations in cotton field under certain conditions of agricultural management was conducted with GIS and systematic approach for soil nutrient constrains. The results showed that of the spatial variability of soil nutrient was greatly related to the management condition of previous crops. Grid sampling and variable rate application technology (VRAT) were the tools that would hopefully increase fertilizer efficiency. The fertilizers were applied where they were needed and at proper rate. Balance fertilization demonstration showed that fertilizer recommendations according to the available nutrient level in soil could decrease fertilizer cost with 657.4 yuan / ha and increase seed cotton yield by 19.8%. A net profit of the balanced fertilization was 5314.9 yuan / ha higher than that of local fertilization practice.

Development of rabbit monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies for detection of site-specific histone modifications and their application in analyzing overall modification levels

In addition to DNA sequence information, site-specific histone modifications are another important determinant of gene expression in a eukaryotic organism. We selected four modification sites in common histones that are known to significantly impact chromatin function and generated monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies that recognize each of those site-specific modifications. We used these antibodies to demonstrate that the site-specific histone modification levels remain relatively constant in different organs of the same organism. We also compared the levels of selected histone modifications among several representative organisms and found that site-specific modifications are highly variable among different organisms, providing new insight into the evolutionary divergence of specific histone modifications.

Effects of Long-term Site-specific Fertilization on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties and Nutrients in Dry Farmland

In order to investigate the variation in soil physical and chemical properties and nutrients in the mountainous areas in southern Ningxia, and to provide a theoretical basis for fertilization management in local farmland, the soil p H, total salt content,crop root length, root weight, soil organic matter, available nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorous and total potassium in different fertilization treatments were measured from 2010 to 2016. Multiple comparisons of the data were performed using Duncan's new multiple range test. The results indicated that in the 0-20 cm soil layer, soil p H value and total salt content changed in different patterns, and varied greatly from 2010 to 2016(P<0.05). The changes of both root length and root weight of millet over time fitted S-shaped curves. The root length and root weight in the four fertilization treatments(Treatment 2 to Treatment5) increased faster than those in the control(Treatment 1). The soil organic matter content in all the five treatments gradually increased from 2010 to 2016. The content of alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen in soil rapidly increased in the first two to three years of the experiment, followed by a slow increase or decrease in 2013, and then raised rapidly again from 2014 to 2016.The soil total nitrogen content varied significantly from 2010 to 2016. The total phosphorus content in soil changed in a different pattern from that of total nitrogen content. The seven-year field trails revealed that soil p H, total salt content, root length, root weight and soil nutrient all changed with the increase of fertilizer level, and that long-term fertilization is of significance for maintaining soil fertility, improving soil quality and reducing soil salinization.

Chemotactic Activity of Site-Specific Multivalent Conjugates of Stromal Cell-Derived Factor 1<i>α</i>on Branched Nanoparticles

Stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF1α) is a potent chemokine for the recruitment of stem cells. A challenge is to maintain its activity and control its release. In this study, we engineered a recombinant cysteine-SDF1α (cysSDF1α) protein, and performed multivalent conjugation of cysSDF1 through the maleimide functional group to two forms of branched nanoparticles: multi-arm poly (ethylene glycol) (MA-PEG) and hyaluronic acid (HA). We characterized the chemotactic activity of the conjugates, and determined how the molecular weight (MW) of MA-PEG and HA affected the chemotactic activity. CysSDF1α had similar efficiency to wild-type SDF1α in cell recruitment. Multivalent conjugation of cysSDF1α to low MW MA-PEG (~18 nm) did not significantly affect the chemotactic activity, while the conjugation of cysSDF1α to high MW MA-PEG (~72 nm) lowered the efficiency, possibly due to the larger spacing between conjugated SDF1α molecules. HA has a linear backbone and a high density of multivalent binding sites;however, the chemotactic activity of HA-linked cys-SDF1α was much lower, which further decreased with the increase of HA MW from 200 kDa (~0.78 μm) to 700 kDa (~2.7 μm). Digestion of HA into smaller fragments using hyaluronidase partially recovered the chemotactic activity of cysSDF1α, suggesting that high MW HA might exert steric hindrance for SDF1α binding to its receptors on cell surface and that HA could be used as a depot for SDF1α storage and release. These results demonstrate that multivalent conjugates of SDF1α to nanoparticles may be used to engineer SDF1α delivery for cell recruitment and tissue regeneration.

Site-specific recombination in Escherichia coli mediated by actinomyces phage R4 integrase

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that actinomyces phage R4 integrase Sre protein efficiently mediate site-specific recombination in Escherichia coll. An intramolecular recombination assay system in E. coli was constructed. The plasmid pBZP contains attB and attP sites in direct orientation flanking a lacZ gene. When pBZP was introduced into E. coli cells, in which the plasmid pSREA containing sre gene was resident, Sre protein catalyzed integration of attP into attB site, resulting in excision of the lacZ gene. This integration changed bacteria colonies from blue to white on agar plates containing X-Gal, which showed that the lacZ was removed. The integrant DNAs were identified by enzyme digestion, PCR and DNA sequencing. The minimal sizes of attB and attP were 50 bp and 47 bp for 100% recombination efficiency. The phage recombinase Sre efficiently integrated attP into attB site to create attR and attL in E. coli host environment without Streptomyces specific cofactors. This intrmolecular assay system is a simple and efficient system for Sre-mediated recombination in E. coll.

Bioorthogonal Engineered Virus‑Like Nanoparticles for Efficient Gene Therapy

Gene therapy offers potentially transformative strategies for major human diseases.However,one of the key challenges in gene therapy is developing an effective strategy that could deliver genes into the specific tissue.Here,we report a novel virus-like nanoparticle,the bioorthgonal engineered viruslike recombinant biosome(reBiosome),for efficient gene therapies of cancer and inflammatory diseases.The mutant virus-like biosome(mBiosome)is first prepared by site-specific codon mutation for displaying 4-azido-L-phenylalanine on vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein of eBiosome at a rational site,and the reBiosome is then prepared by clicking weak acid-responsive hydrophilic polymer onto the mBiosome via bioorthogonal chemistry.The results show that the reBiosome exhibits reduced virus-like immunogenicity,prolonged blood circulation time and enhanced gene delivery efficiency to weakly acidic foci(like tumor and arthritic tissue).Furthermore,reBiosome demonstrates robust therapeutic efficacy in breast cancer and arthritis by delivering gene editing and silencing systems,respectively.In conclusion,this study develops a universal,safe and efficient platform for gene therapies for cancer and inflammatory diseases.

Recent Advances on the Technologies to Increase Fertilizer Use Efficiency

To increase fertilizer use efficiency （FUE） and to minimize its negative impact on environment have been the focal points in the world for a long time. It is very important to increase FUE in China for its relatively low FUE and serious losses of nutrients. Recent advances of the technologies to increase FUE are reviewed in this article. These include site-specific and real-time nitrogen management, non-destructive quick test of the nitrogen status of plants, new types of slow release and controlled release fertilizers, site-specific nutrient management, and use of urease inhibitor and nitrification inhibitor to decrease nitrogen losses. Future outlook in technologies related to FUE improvement is also discussed.

Spatial Variability of Soil Chemical Properties in the Reclaiming Marine Foreland to Yellow Sea of China

Precise information about the spatial variability of soil properties is essential in developing site-specific soil management, such as variable rate application of fertilizers. In this study the sampling grid of 100 m × 100 m was established to collect 1 703 soil samples at the depth of 0-20 cm, and examine spatial patterns including 13 soil chemical properties （pH, OM, NH4^＋, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn） in a 1 760 ha rice field in Haifeng farm, China, from 6th to 22nd of April, 2006, before fertilizer application and planting. Soil analysis was performed by ASI （Agro Services International） and data were analyzed both statistically and geostatistically. Results showed that the contents of soil OM, NH4^＋, and Zn in Haifeng farm were very low for rice production and those of others were enough to meet the need for rice cultivation. The spatial distribution model and spatial dependence level for 13 soil chemical properties varied in the field. Soil Mg and B showed strong spatial variability on both descriptive statistics and geostatistics, and other properties showed moderate spatial variability. The maximum ranges for K, Ca, Mg, S, Cu and Mn were all - 3 990.6 m and the minimum ranges for soil pH, OM, NH4^＋, P, Fe, and Zn ranged from 516.7 to 1 166.2 m. Clear patchy distribution of N, P, K, Mg, S, B, Mn, and Zn were found from their spatial distribution maps. This proved that sampling strategy for estimating variability should be adapted to the different soil chemical properties and field management. Therefore, the spatial variability of soil chemical properties with strong spatial dependence could be readily managed and a site-specific fertilization scheme for precision farming could be easily developed.

Genome editing opens a new era of genetic improvement in polyploid crops

Sequence-specific nucleases(SSN) that generate double-stranded DNA breaks(DSBs) in genes of interest are the key to site-specific genome editing in plants. Genome editing has developed into one method of reducing undesirable traits in crops by the induction of knockout mutations. Different SSN-mediated genome-editing systems, including LAGLIDADG homing endonucleases or meganucleases, zinc-finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, are emerging as robust tools for introducing functional mutations in polyploid crops including citrus, wheat, cotton, soybean, rapeseed, potato, grapes, Camelina sativa,dandelion, and tobacco. The approach utilizes knowledge of biological mechanisms for targeted induction of DSBs and their error-prone repair, allowing highly specific changes at designated genome loci. In this review, we briefly describe genome-editing technologies and their application to genetic improvement of polyploid crops.

Changes in Grain Yield of Rice and Emission of Greenhouse Gases from Paddy Fields after Application of Organic Fertilizers Made from Maize Straw

A field experiment was conducted at the farm of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China, to study the effects of organic fertilizers made from maize straw on rice grain yield and the emission of greenhouse gases. Four organic fertilizer treatments were as follows： maize straw （MS）, compost made from maize straw （MC）, methane-generating maize residue （MR）, and black carbon made from maize straw （BC）. These organic fertilizers were applied separately to paddy fields before rice transplanting. No organic fertilizer was applied to the control （CK）. The effects of each organic fertilizer on rice grain yield and emission of greenhouse gases were investigated under two conditions, namely, no nitrogen （N） application （ON） and site-specific N management （SSNM）. Rice grain yields were significantly higher in the MS, MC and MR treatments than those in CK under either ON or SSNM. The MS treatment resulted in the highest grain yield and agronomic N use efficiency. However, no significant difference was observed for these parameters between the BC treatment and CK. The changes in the emissions of methane （CH4） carbon dioxide （CO2）, or nitrous oxide （N20） from the fields were similar among all organic fertilizer treatments during the entire rice growing season. The application of each organic fertilizer significantly increased the emission of each greenhouse gas （except N20 emission in the BC treatment） and global warming potential （GWP）. Emissions of all the greenhouse gases and GWP increased under the same organic fertilizer treatment in the presence of N fertilizer, whereas GWP per unit grain yield decreased. The results indicate that the application of organic fertilizer （MS, MC or MR） could increase grain yield, but also could enhance the emissions of greenhouse gases from paddy fields. High grain yield and environmental efficiency could be achieved by applying SSNM with MR.

DESIGN OF FARMLAND GIS FOR PRECISION AGRICULTURE

Precision Agriculture, also known as Precision Farming, or Prescription Farming, is a modern agriculture technology system, which brings ' precision' into agriculture system. All concepts of Precision Agriculture are established on the collection and management of variable cropland information. As the tool of collecting, managing and analyzing spatial data, GIS is the key technology of integrated Precision Agriculture system. This article puts forward the concept of Farmland GIS and designs Farmland GIS into five modules, and specifies the functions of the each module, which builds the foundation for practical development of the software. The study and development of Farmland GIS will propel the spreading of Precision Agriculture technology in China.

Remote Monitoring of Wheat Streak Mosaic Progression Using Sub-Pixel Classification of Landsat 5 TM Imagery for Site Specific Disease Management in Winter Wheat

Wheat streak mosaic (WSM), caused by Wheat streak mosaic virus is a viral disease that affects wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), other grains, and numerous grasses over large geographical areas around the world. To improve disease management and crop production, it is essential to have adequate methods for monitoring disease epidemics at various scales and multiple times. Remote sensing has become an essential tool for monitoring and quantifying crop stress due to biotic and abiotic factors. The objective of our study was to explore the utility of Landsat 5 TM imagery for detecting, quantifying, and mapping the occurrence of WSM in irrigated commercial wheat fields. The infection and progression of WSM was biweekly assessed in the Texas Panhandle during the 2007-2008 crop years. Diseased-wheat was separated from uninfected wheat on the images using a sub-pixel classifier. The overall classification accuracies were >91% with kappa coefficient between 0.80 and 0.94 for disease detection were achieved. Omission errors varied between 2% and 14%, while commission errors ranged from 1% to 21%. These results indicate that the TM image can be used to accurately detect and quantify disease for site-specific WSM management. Remote detection of WSM using geospatial imagery may substantially improve monitoring, planning, and management practices by overcoming some of the shortcomings of the ground-based surveys such as observer bias and inaccessibility. Remote sensing techniques for accurate disease mapping offer a unique set of advantages including repeatability, large area coverage, and cost-effectiveness over the ground-based methods. Hence, remote detection is particularly and practically critical for repeated disease mo- nitoring and mapping over time and space during the course of a growing season.