Impact of mechanical stimulation on the life cycle of horticultural plant

Mechanical stimulation technology is critical in agricultural crop production because it is constantly regarded as a developing green technology to regulate plants to meet people's need for green and healthy agricultural products. Various environmental mechanical stimulation impacts seed germination, seedling growth, flowering date, fruit quantity, and fruit quality throughout the life cycle of a horticultural plant. This study first outlines the basic characteristics of six types of common mechanical stimulation in nature:precipitation, wind, gravity,touch, sound, and vibration. The effects of various mechanical stimulation types on the seed, seedling, flowering, and fruit of horticultural plants throughout their whole life cycle are then presented, as reviewed in the recent 100 years of existing literature. Finally, potential future study directions are discussed. The main challenge in mechanical stimulation technology is to uncover its potential capabilities for regulating and controlling plant development and fruit quality in green agriculture instead of agricultural chemicals.

Synergistic passivation of MAPbI_(3) perovskite solar cells by compositional engineering using acetamidinium bromide additives

For the global commercialization of highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells(PSCs),it is necessary to effectively suppress the formation of various defects acting as nonradiative recombination sources in perovskite light-harvesting materials.Interfacial defects between the charge-selective layer and the perovskite are easily formed in the solution process used to fabricate perovskite films.In addition,owing to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the substrate and the perovskite film,internal residual tensile stress inevitably occurs,resulting in increased nonradiative recombination.Herein,a simple compositional engineering scheme for realizing efficient and stable PSCs,which incorporates acetamidinium bromide(AABr)as an additive into the MAPbI_(3) lattice,is proposed.As an additive,AABr has been found to provide synergistic multiple passivation for both internal and interfacial defects.AABr was found to effectively release the tensile strain of the MAPbI_(3) film by forming a structure stabilized by NH-I hydrogen bonds,as evidenced by calculations based on density functional theory(DFT).Furthermore,the incorporated AABr additives created a charge carrier recombination barrier to enhance charge collection capability by reducing interfacial defects.Accordingly,a power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 20.18%was achieved using a planar device employing AABr-incorporated MAPbI_(3).This was substantially higher than the 18.32% PCE of a pristine MAPbI_(3)-based device.Notably,unencapsulated PSCs using AABr-incorporated MAPbI_(3) absorbers exhibited excellent long-term stability,maintaining>95% of initial PCE up to 1200 hours in ambient air.

Nanoconfinement effect of nanoporous carbon electrodes for ionic liquid-based aluminum metal anode

Rechargeable aluminum batteries(RABs),which use earth-abundant and high-volumetric-capacity metal anodes(8040 m Ah cm-3),have great potential as next-generation power sources because they use cheaper resources to deliver higher energies,compared to current lithium ion batteries.However,the mechanism of charge delivery in the newly developed,ionic liquid-based electrolytic system for RABs differs from that in conventional organic electrolytes.Thus,targeted research efforts are required to address the large overpotentials and cycling decay encountered in the ionic liquid-based electrolytic system.In this study,a nanoporous carbon(NPC)electrode with well-developed nanopores is used to develop a high-performance aluminum anode.The negatively charged nanopores can provide quenched dynamics of electrolyte molecules in the aluminum deposition process,resulting in an increased collision rate.The fast chemical equilibrium of anionic species induced by the facilitated anionic collisions leads to more favorable reduction reactions that form aluminum metals.The nanoconfinement effect causes separated nucleation and growth of aluminum nanoparticles in the multiple confined nanopores,leading to higher coulombic efficiencies and more stable cycling performance compared with macroporous carbon black and 2D stainless steel electrodes.

Analysis of an Ar plasma jet in a dielectric barrier discharge conjugated with a microsecond pulse

In this work, an Ar plasma jet generated by an AC-microsecond-pulse-driven dielectric barrier discharge reactor, which had two ring-shaped electrodes isolated from the ambient atmosphere by transformer oil, was investigated. By special design of the oil insulation, a chemically active Ar plasma jet along with a safe and stable plasma process as well as low emission of CO and NOxwere successfully achieved. The results indicated that applied voltage and frequency were basic factors influencing the jet temperature, discharge power, and jet length, which increased significantly with the two operating parameters. Meanwhile, gas velocity affected the jet temperature in a reverse direction. In comparison with a He plasma jet, the Ar plasma jet had relatively low jet temperature under the same level of the input parameters, being preferable for bio-applications. The Ar plasma jet has been tested to interact with human skin within 5 min without the perception of burnt skin and electrical shock.

Antistatic coating material consisting of poly (butylacrylate-co-styrene) core-nickel shell particle

A transparent and antistatic coating material consisting of polymer core-metal shell particle was prepared. As a polymer core, poly(butylacrylate-co-styrene)s ([P(BA-co-sty)s]) with various compositions of butylacrylate and styrene were synthesized by emulsion polymerization. And the effect of comonomer composition on the thermal property of polymer core particle was investigated. By electroless plating method, the nickel particles were formed and deposited on the surface of P(BA-co-Sty) particles to form P(BA-co-Sty) core-nickel shell composite particles. SEM observation confirms that the nickel particles with size of 15 nm are distributed on the surface of the polymer core particles. The surface resistance of P(BA-co-Sty) core-nickel shell composite is 0.8×108Ω/cm2, enough to act as antistatic coating material.

High-performance solid-solution potassium-ion intercalation mechanism of multilayered turbostratic graphene nanosheets

The solid-solution reaction between an alkali cation and an active host material is known as a singlephase redox mechanism,and it is typically accompanied by a continuous voltage change.It is distinct from the typical alkali cation intercalation reaction at an equivalent site of the active host material,which exhibits a voltage plateau.Herein,we report an unusual solid-solution potassium-ion intercalation mechanism with a low-voltage plateau capacity on multilayered turbostratic graphene nanosheets(T-GNSs).Despite the disordered graphitic structure with a broad range of d-spacings(3.65–4.18À),the T-GNSs showed a reversible plateau capacity of~200 m A h g^(-1),which is higher than that of a well-ordered graphite nanoplate(~120 m A h g^(-1)).In addition,a sloping capacity of~220 m A h g^(-1)was delivered with the plateau capacity,and higher rate capabilities,better reversibility,and a more stable cycling performance were confirmed on the turbostratic microstructure.First-principles calculations suggest that the multitudinous lattice domains of the T-GNSs contain diverse intercalation sites with strong binding energies,which could be the origin of the high-performance solid-solution potassium-ion intercalation behavior when the turbostratic graphene stacks have a d-spacing smaller than that of equilibrium potassium–graphite intercalation compounds(5.35À).

Pyranine Fluorescence Quenching for the Characterization of Solutions

Fluorescence quenching of pyranine by tryptophan, phenylalanine, and nicotinic acid was investigated by using steady state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. On a comparative basis, nicotinic acid is a very strong quencher of pyranine fluorescence, tryptophan is a moderate quencher and phenylalanine is a weak quencher. The strong quenching is the result of the hydrogen bonding complex between pyranine and amine which existed in both tryptophan and nicotinic acid. Contact complex will form between phenylalanine and pyranine which is the reason of quenching of pyranine by phenylalanine. Associates will form in tryptophan and phenylalanine due to the zwitterion +H3NRCOO- or/and hydrogen bond. Higher concentrations favor the formation of aggregates in the supersaturated solution which made the quenching curve different from unsaturated solution dramatically.

Critical factors to inhibit water-splitting side reaction in carbon-based electrode materials for zinc metal anodes

Zinc metal anodes(ZMA)have high theoretical capacities(820 mAh g−1 and 5855 mAh cm−3)and redox potential(−0.76 V vs.standard hydrogen electrode),similar to the electrochemical voltage window of the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)in a mild acidic electrolyte system,facilitating aqueous zinc batteries competitive in next-generation energy storage devices.However,the HER and byproduct formation effectuated by water-splitting deteriorate the electrochemical performance of ZMA,limiting their application.In this study,a key factor in promoting the HER in carbon-based electrode materials(CEMs),which can provide a larger active surface area and guide uniform zinc metal deposition,was investigated using a series of threedimensional structured templating carbon electrodes(3D-TCEs)with different local graphitic orderings,pore structures,and surface properties.The ultramicropores of CEMs are the determining critical factors in initiating HER and clogging active surfaces by Zn(OH)2 byproduct formation,through a systematic comparative study based on the 3D-TCE series samples.When the 3D-TCEs had a proper graphitic structure with few ultramicropores,they showed highly stable cycling performances over 2000 cycles with average Coulombic efficiencies of≥99%.These results suggest that a well-designed CEM can lead to high-performance ZMA in aqueous zinc batteries.

Biodegradation of Crystal Violet by Agrobacterium radiobacter

Agrobacterium radiobacter MTCC 8161 completely decolorized the Crystal Violet with 8 hr （10 mg/L） at static anoxic conditions. The decreased decolorization capability by A. radiobacter was observed, when the Crystal Violet concentration was increased from 10 to 100 mg/L. Semi-synthetic medium containing 1% yeast extract and 0.1% NH4C1 has shown 100% decolorization of Crystal Violet within 5 hr. A complete degradation of Crystal Violet by A. radiobacter was observed up to 7 cycles of repeated addition （10 rag/L）. When the effect of increasing inoculum concentration on decolorization of Crystal Violet （100 mg/L） was studied, maximum decolorization was observed with 15% inoculum concentration. A significant increase in the activities of laccase （184%） and aminopyrine N-demethylase （300%） in cells obtained after decolorization indicated the involvement of these enzymes in decolorization process. The intermediates formed during the degradation of Crystal Violet were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy （GC/MS）. It was detected the presence of N,N,N＇,N＂-tetramethylpararosarfiline, IN, N-dimethylaminophenyl] [N-methylaminophenyl] benzophenone, N, N-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde, 4-methyl amino phenol and phenol. We proposed the hypothetical metabolic pathway of Crystal Violet biodegradation by A. radiobacter. Phytotoxicity and microbial toxicity study showed that Crystal Violet biodegradation metabolites were less toxic to bacteria （A. radiobacter, P. aurugenosa and A. vinelandii） contributing to soil fertility and for four kinds of plants （Sorghum bicolor, Vigna radiata, Lens culinaris and Triticum aestivum） which are most sensitive, fast growing and commonly used in Indian agriculture.

Inorganic shell nanostructures to enhance performance and stability of metal nanoparticles in catalytic applications

In this article,we review the recent progress and our research activity on the synthesis of inorganic shell nanostructures to enhance the catalytic performance and stability of metal nanoparticles in catalytic applications.First,we introduce general synthetic strategies for the fabrication of inorganic nanoscale shell layers,including template-assisted sol-gel coating,hydrothermal(or solvothermal)synthesis and the self-templating process.We also discuss recent examples of metal nanoparticles(NPs)with nanoscale shell layers,namely core-shell,yolk-shell and multiple NPs-embedded nanoscale shell.We then discuss the performance and stability of metal particles in practical catalytic applications.Finally,we conclude with a summary and perspective on the further progress of inorganic nanostructure with nanoscale shell layers for catalytic applications.

Influence of a UV-ozone treatment on amorphous SnO_(2) electron selective layers for highly efficient planar MAPbI3 perovskite solar cells

The effect of ultraviolet-ozone(UVO)irradiation on amorphous(am)SnO_(2) and its impact on the photoconversion efficiency of MAPbI3-based perovskite solar cells were investigated in detail.UVO treatment was found to increase the amount of chemisorbed oxygen on the am-SnO_(2) surface,reducing the surface energy and contact angle.Physicochemical changes in the am-SnO_(2) surface lowered the Gibbs free energy for the densification of perovskite films and facilitated the formation of homogeneous perovskite grains.In addition,the Fermi energy of the UVO-treated am-SnO_(2) shifted upwards to achieve an ideal band offset for MAPbI3,which was verified by theoretical calculations based on the density functional theory.We achieved a champion efficiency of 19.01% with a statistical reproducibility of 17.01±1.34% owing to improved perovskite film densification and enhanced charge transport/extraction,which is considerably higher than the 13.78±2.15% of the counterpart.Furthermore,UVO-treated,am-SnO_(2)-based devices showed improved stability and less hysteresis,which is encouraging for the future application of up-scaled perovskite solar cells.

The rpoS deficiency suppresses acetate accumulation in glucose-enriched culture of Escherichia coli under an aerobic condition

The role ofEscherichia coli rpoS on the central carbon metabolism was investigated through analyzing the deficiency of this regulon gene under aerobic and glucose- enriched culture conditions. The experimental results showed that while the wild type cells exhibited an overflow metabolism effect, the rpoS-deleting mutation alleviated this effect with the significant suppression of acetate accumulation under a high glucose condition. This gene deletion also induced the twofold upregulation ofgltA and one-tenth downregulation of poxB, respectively. The overflow metabolism effect was confirmed to be recovered by re-introducing rpoS gene into the mutant. These results demonstrated rpoS changed the central carbon metabolism toward acetate overflow through dehydrogenation of pyruvate and reduction of TCA cycle activity.

Rapid detection of influenza A(H1N1)virus by conductive polymer-based nanoparticle via optical response to virus-specific binding

A recurrent pandemic with unpredictable viral nature has implied the need for a rapid diagnostic technology to facilitate timely and appropriate countermeasures against viral infections.In this study,conductive polymer-based nanoparticles have been developed as a tool for rapid diagnosis of influenza A(H1N1)virus.The distinctive property of a conductive polymer that transduces stimulus to respond,enabled immediate optical signal processing for the specific recognition of H1N1 virus.Conductive poly(aniline-co-pyrrole)-encapsulated polymeric vesicles,functionalized with peptides,were fabricated for the specific recognition of H1N1 virus.The low solubility of conductive polymers was successfully improved by employing vesicles consisting of amphiphilic copolymers,facilitating the viral titer-dependent production of the optical response.The optical response of the detection system to the binding event with H1N1,a mechanical stimulation,was extensively analyzed and provided concordant information on viral titers of H1N1 virus in 15 min.The specificity toward the H1N1 virus was experimentally demonstrated via a negative optical response against the control group,H3N2.Therefore,the designed system that transduces the optical response to the target-specific binding can be a rapid tool for the diagnosis of H1N1.

Unconventional assemblies of bisacylhydrazones:The role of water for circularly polarized luminescence

Understanding the precise molecular arrangement of chiral supramolecular polymers is essential not only to comprehend complex superstructures like proteins and DNA but also for the development of next-generation optoelectronic materials,including materials displaying high-performance circularly polarized luminescence(CPL).Herein,we report the first chiral supramolecular polymer systems based on hydrazone–pyridinium conjugates comprising alkyl chains of different lengths,which afforded control of the apparent supramolecular chirality.Although supramolecular chirality is governed basically by the remote chiral centers of alkyl chains,helicity inversion was achieved by controlling the conditions under which the hydrazone building blocks underwent aggregation(i.e.,solvent compositions or temperature).More importantly,the addition of water to the system led to aggregationinduced hydrazone deprotonation,which resulted in a completely different selfassembly behavior.Structural water molecules played an essential role,forming the assembly’s channel-like backbone,around which hydrazone molecules gathered as a result of hydrogen bonding interactions.Further co-assembly of an achiral hydrazone luminophore with the given supramolecular polymer system allowed the fabrication of a novel CPL-active hydrazone-based material exhibiting a high maximum value for the photoluminescence dissymmetry factor of -2.6×10^(-2).