A LaCl3-based lithium superionic conductor compatible with lithium metal.

Inorganic superionic conductors possess high ionic conductivity and excellent thermal stability but their poor interfacial compatibility with lithium metal electrodes precludes application in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries1,2. Here we report a LaCl3-based lithium superionic conductor possessing excellent interfacial compatibility with lithium metal electrodes. In contrast to a Li3MCl6 (M = Y, In, Sc and Ho) electrolyte lattice3-6, the UCl3-type LaCl3 lattice has large, one-dimensional channels for rapid Li+ conduction, interconnected by La vacancies via Ta doping and resulting in a three-dimensional Li+ migration network. The optimized Li0.388Ta0.238La0.475Cl3 electrolyte exhibits Li+ conductivity of 3.02 mS cm-1 at 30 °C and a low activation energy of 0.197 eV. It also generates a gradient interfacial passivation layer to stabilize the Li metal electrode for long-term cycling of a Li-Li symmetric cell (1 mAh cm-2) for more than 5,000 h. When directly coupled with an uncoated LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode and bare Li metal anode, the Li0.388Ta0.238La0.475Cl3 electrolyte enables a solid battery to run for more than 100 cycles with a cutoff voltage of 4.35 V and areal capacity of more than 1 mAh cm-2. We also demonstrate rapid Li+ conduction in lanthanide metal chlorides (LnCl3; Ln = La, Ce, Nd, Sm and Gd), suggesting that the LnCl3 solid electrolyte system could provide further developments in conductivity and utility.

De- and Rearomatisation of Pyridine in Silylene Chemistry.

Traditional methods relying on metal-ligand cooperation for activating pyridine bonds in de- and rearomatisation are being challenged by the abundant metal-free element species as alternatives. Here, we investigate the de/re-aromatisation of pyridine facilitated by pyridylamino-functionalised silylene reactions with ketones and ketene. The reactivity outcome is highly dependent on the substituents on the ketones. By carefully tuning the steric demand of the ketone, each intermediate of the reaction sequence could be isolated. At room temperature, benzophenone and acetophenone substrates led to dearomatisation of the pyridine moiety, with the case of acetophenone showing an intermediate silaoxirane preceding dearomatisation. However, when subjected to acetone or diphenylketene, only silaoxiranes were formed without dearomatisation of the pyridine moiety. Notably, only benzophenone-derived dearomatised species demonstrate rearomatisation upon heating. Furthermore, the reduced steric bulk of the ketene facilitated further ring expansion with another equivalent of the substrate, forming sila-1,3-dioxolanes. Both steric hindrance and aromatic groups collectively influence the dearomatisation of pyridine in pyridylaminosilylene reactions.

An auxiliary diagnostic tool for common fundus diseases based on fundus color photography and light-weight classification models.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of two lightweight neural network models in the diagnosis of common fundus diseases and make comparison to another two classical models. METHODS: A total of 16,000 color fundus photography were collected, including 2000 each of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR), high myopia, central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), optic neuropathy, and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), in addition to 2000 normal fundus. Fundus photography was obtained from patients or physical examiners who visited the Ophthalmology Department of Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University. Each fundus photography has been diagnosed and labeled by two professional ophthalmologists. Two classical classification models (ResNet152 and DenseNet121), and two lightweight classification models (MobileNetV3 and ShufflenetV2), were trained. Area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were used to evaluate the performance of the four models. RESULTS: Compared with the classical classification model, the total size and number of parameters of the two lightweight classification models were significantly reduced, and the classification speed was sharply improved. Compared with the DenseNet121 model, the ShufflenetV2 model took 50.7% less time to make a diagnosis on a fundus photography. The classical models performed better than lightweight classification models, and Densenet121 showed highest AUC in five out of the seven common fundus diseases. However, the performance of lightweight classification models is satisfying. The AUCs using MobileNetV3 model to diagnose AMD, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, CRVO, high myopia, optic atrophy, and CSC were 0.805, 0.892, 0.866, 0.812, 0.887, 0.868, and 0.803, respectively. For ShufflenetV2model, the AUCs for the above seven diseases were 0.856, 0.893, 0.855, 0.884, 0.891, 0.867, and 0.844, respectively. CONCLUSION: The training of light-weight neural network models based on color fundus photography for the diagnosis of common fundus diseases is not only fast but also has a significant reduction in storage size and parameter number compared with the classical classification model, and can achieve satisfactory accuracy.

Pseudohalogen Resurfaced CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals for Bright, Efficient, and Stable Green-Light-Emitting Diodes.

Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHP NCs) are regarded as promising emitters for next-generation ultrahigh-definition displays due to their high color purity and wide color gamut. Recently, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of LHP NC based light-emitting diodes (PNC LEDs) has been rapidly improved to a level required by practical applications. However, the poor operational stability of the device, caused by halide ion migration at the grain boundary of LHP NC thin films, remains a great challenge. Herein, we report a resurfacing strategy via pseudohalogen ions to mitigate detrimental halide ion migration, aiming to stabilize PNC LEDs. We employ a thiocyanate solution processed post-treatment method to efficiently resurface CsPbBr3 NCs and demonstrate that the thiocyanate ions can effectively inhibit bromide ion migration in LHP NC thin films. Owing to thiocyanate resurfacing, we fabricated LEDs with a high EQE of 17.3%, a maximum brightness of 48000 cd m-2, and an excellent operation half-life time.

Halide Superionic Conductors with Non-Close-Packed Anion Frameworks.

Halide superionic conductors (SICs) are drawing significant research attention for their potential applications in all-solid-state batteries. A key challenge in developing such SICs is to explore and design halide structural frameworks that enable rapid ion movement. In this work, we show that the close-packed anion frameworks shared by traditional halide ionic conductors face intrinsic limitations in fast ion conduction, regardless of structural regulation. Beyond the close-packed anion frameworks, we identify that the non-close-packed anion frameworks have great potential to achieve superionic conductivity. Notably, we unravel that the non-close-packed UCl3-type framework exhibit superionic conductivity for a diverse range of carrier ions, including Li+, Na+, K+, and Ag+, which are validated through both ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and experimental measurements. We elucidate that the remarkable ionic conductivity observed in the UCl3-type framework structure stems from its significantly more distorted site and larger diffusion channel than its close-packed counterparts. By employing the non-close-packed anion framework as the key feature for high-throughput computational screening, we also identify LiGaCl3 as a promising candidate for halide SICs. These discoveries provide crucial insights for the exploration and design of novel halide SICs.

Amorphous Chloride Solid Electrolytes with High Li-Ion Conductivity for Stable Cycling of All-Solid-State High-Nickel Cathodes.

Solid electrolytes (SEs) are central components that enable high-performance, all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs). Amorphous SEs hold great potential for ASSLBs because their grain-boundary-free characteristics facilitate intact solid-solid contact and uniform Li-ion conduction for high-performance cathodes. However, amorphous oxide SEs with limited ionic conductivities and glassy sulfide SEs with narrow electrochemical windows cannot sustain high-nickel cathodes. Herein, we report a class of amorphous Li-Ta-Cl-based chloride SEs possessing high Li-ion conductivity (up to 7.16 mS cm-1) and low Young's modulus (approximately 3 GPa) to enable excellent Li-ion conduction and intact physical contact among rigid components in ASSLBs. We reveal that the amorphous Li-Ta-Cl matrix is composed of LiCl43-, LiCl54-, LiCl65- polyhedra, and TaCl6- octahedra via machine-learning simulation, solid-state 7Li nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-ray absorption analysis. Attractively, our amorphous chloride SEs exhibit excellent compatibility with high-nickel cathodes. We demonstrate that ASSLBs comprising amorphous chloride SEs and high-nickel single-crystal cathodes (LiNi0.88Co0.07Mn0.05O2) exhibit ∼99% capacity retention after 800 cycles at ∼3 C under 1 mA h cm-2 and ∼80% capacity retention after 75 cycles at 0.2 C under a high areal capacity of 5 mA h cm-2. Most importantly, a stable operation of up to 9800 cycles with a capacity retention of ∼77% at a high rate of 3.4 C can be achieved in a freezing environment of -10 °C. Our amorphous chloride SEs will pave the way to realize high-performance high-nickel cathodes for high-energy-density ASSLBs.

γ-Glutamyl carboxylase mutations differentially affect the biological function of vitamin K-dependent proteins.

γ-Glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX) is an integral membrane protein that catalyzes posttranslational carboxylation of a number of vitamin K-dependent (VKD) proteins involved in a wide variety of physiologic processes, including blood coagulation, vascular calcification, and bone metabolism. Naturally occurring GGCX mutations are associated with multiple distinct clinical phenotypes. However, the genotype-phenotype correlation of GGCX remains elusive. Here, we systematically examined the effect of all naturally occurring GGCX mutations on the carboxylation of 3 structure-function distinct VKD proteins in a cellular environment. GGCX mutations were transiently introduced into GGCX-deficient human embryonic kidney 293 cells stably expressing chimeric coagulation factor, matrix Gla protein (MGP), or osteocalcin as VKD reporter proteins, and then the carboxylation efficiency of these reporter proteins was evaluated. Our results show that GGCX mutations differentially affect the carboxylation of these reporter proteins and the efficiency of using vitamin K as a cofactor. Carboxylation of these reporter proteins by a C-terminal truncation mutation (R704X) implies that GGCX's C terminus plays a critical role in the binding of osteocalcin but not in the binding of coagulation factors and MGP. This has been confirmed by probing the protein-protein interaction between GGCX and its protein substrates in live cells using bimolecular fluorescence complementation and chemical cross-linking assays. Additionally, using a minigene splicing assay, we demonstrated that several GGCX missense mutations affect GGCX's pre-messenger RNA splicing rather than altering the corresponding amino acid residues. Results from this study interpreted the correlation of GGCX's genotype and its clinical phenotypes and clarified why vitamin K administration rectified bleeding disorders but not nonbleeding disorders.

Diverse Reactions of Formazanate/Formazan with Tetrylenes: Reduction, C-H Bond Activation, Substitution and Addition.

The reactivity of the formazanate potassium salt [LtBu K(thf)] (LtBu= PhNNC(4-t BuPh)NNPh) with the group 14 chlorotetrylenes [{PhC(t BuN)2 }ECl] (E=Si, Ge, Sn) was investigated. Three corresponding compounds with unique configurations were formed, demonstrating the diverse reactivity of the system. In addition to the anticipated salt metathesis reactions of the potassium salt with the chlorine function of tetrylenes, unexpected reduction/insertion steps into the N=N bond of the formazanate (Si, Ge) and subsequent C-H activation (Ge) were also observed. Furthermore, when the neutral formazan ligand [LtBu H] was exposed to silylenes [{PhC(t BuN)2 }SiCl] and [LPh SiNMePy], substitution and addition reactions occurred. These discoveries significantly enrich the diversity of formazanate/formazan redox chemistry, opening up new avenues for exploration in this field.

Transfer Learning of Full Molecular Weight Distributions via High-Throughput Computer-Controlled Polymerization.

The skew and shape of the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of polymers have a significant impact on polymer physical properties. Standard summary metrics statistically derived from the MWD only provide an incomplete picture of the polymer MWD. Machine learning (ML) methods coupled with high-throughput experimentation (HTE) could potentially allow for the prediction of the entire polymer MWD without information loss. In our work, we demonstrate a computer-controlled HTE platform that is able to run up to 8 unique variable conditions in parallel for the free radical polymerization of styrene. The segmented-flow HTE system was equipped with an inline Raman spectrometer and offline size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to obtain time-dependent conversion and MWD, respectively. Using ML forward models, we first predict monomer conversion, intrinsically learning varying polymerization kinetics that change for each experimental condition. In addition, we predict entire MWDs including the skew and shape as well as SHAP analysis to interpret the dependence on reagent concentrations and reaction time. We then used a transfer learning approach to use the data from our high-throughput flow reactor to predict batch polymerization MWDs with only three additional data points. Overall, we demonstrate that the combination of HTE and ML provides a high level of predictive accuracy in determining polymerization outcomes. Transfer learning can allow exploration outside existing parameter spaces efficiently, providing polymer chemists with the ability to target the synthesis of polymers with desired properties.

Nano-selenium enhances sugarcane resistance to Xanthomonas albilineans infection and improvement of juice quality.

Selenium is an important trace element that is beneficial to human health and can enhance plant resistance and crop quality. The occurrence of up-to-date nanotechnology greatly promotes the beneficial efficiency of this trace element on crops. The discovery of nano-Se increased the crop quality and reduced plant disease in different plant. In this study, we reduced sugarcane leaf scald disease incidence by exogenously spraying different concentrations (5 mg/L and 10 mg/L) of nano-Se. Additional studies revealed that spraying of nano-Se reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and H2O2 accumulation, and increased antioxidant enzyme activities in sugarcane. The nano-selenium treatments also increased the content of jasmonic acid (JA) and the expression of JA pathway genes. Furthermore, we also found that use nano-Se treatment in an appropriate way can enhance the quality of cane juice. The brix of the cane juice of the selenium-enriched treatment was significantly higher than that of the control group, which was 10.98% and 20.81% higher than that of the CK group, respectively. Meanwhile, the content of certain beneficial amino acids was increased, with the highest being 3.9 times higher than the control. Taken together, our findings inferred that nano-Se could act as a potential eco-fungicide to protect sugarcane from can be used as a potential ecological bactericide to protect sugarcane from Xanthomonas albilineans infections, and improve sugarcane quality. The results arising from this study not only introduces an ecological method to control X. albilineans, but also provides a deep insight into this trace elements for improving juice quality.

The effect of chlorogenic acid, a potential botanical insecticide, on gene transcription and protein expression of carboxylesterases in the armyworm (Mythimna separata).

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a potential botanical insecticide metabolite that naturally occurs in various plants. Our previous studies revealed CGA is sufficient to control the armyworm Mythimna separata. In this study, we conducted a proteomic analysis of saliva collected from M. separata following exposure to CGA and found that differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) treated with CGA for 6 h and 24 h were primarily enriched in glutathione metabolism and the pentose phosphate pathway. Notably, we observed six carboxylesterase (CarE) proteins that were enriched at both time points. Additionally, these corresponding genes were expressed at levels 5.05 to 130.25 times higher in our laboratory-selected resistance strains. We also noted a significant increase in the enzyme activity of carboxylesterase following treatments with varying CGA concentrations. Finally, we confirmed that knockdown of MsCarE14, MsCarE28, and MsCCE001h decreased the susceptibility to CGA in resistance strain, indicating three CarE genes play crucial roles in CGA detoxification. This study presents the first report on the salivary proteomics of M. separata, offering valuable insights into the role of salivary proteins. Moreover, the determination of CarE mediated susceptibility change to CGA provides new targets for agricultural pest control and highlights the potential insecticide resistance mechanism for pest resistance management.

Stable All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries Enabled by Machine Learning Simulation Designed Halide Electrolytes.

Solid electrolytes (SEs) with superionic conductivity and interfacial stability are highly desirable for stable all-solid-state Li-metal batteries (ASSLMBs). Here, we employ neural network potential to simulate materials composed of Li, Zr/Hf, and Cl using stochastic surface walking method and identify two potential unique layered halide SEs, named Li2ZrCl6 and Li2HfCl6, for stable ASSLMBs. The predicted halide SEs possess high Li+ conductivity and outstanding compatibility with Li metal anodes. We synthesize these SEs and demonstrate their superior stability against Li metal anodes with a record performance of 4000 h of steady lithium plating/stripping. We further fabricate the prototype stable ASSLMBs using these halide SEs without any interfacial modifications, showing small internal cathode/SE resistance (19.48 Ω cm2), high average Coulombic efficiency (∼99.48%), good rate capability (63 mAh g-1 at 1.5 C), and unprecedented cycling stability (87% capacity retention for 70 cycles at 0.5 C).

A cell-based high-throughput screen identifies drugs that cause bleeding disorders by off-targeting the vitamin K cycle.

Drug-induced bleeding disorders contribute to substantial morbidity and mortality. Antithrombotic agents that cause unintended bleeding of obvious cause are relatively easy to control. However, the mechanisms of most drug-induced bleeding disorders are poorly understood, which makes intervention more difficult. As most bleeding disorders are associated with the dysfunction of coagulation factors, we adapted our recently established cell-based assay to identify drugs that affect the biosynthesis of active vitamin K-dependent (VKD) coagulation factors with possible adverse off-target results. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Collection (NCC) library containing 727 drugs was screened, and 9 drugs were identified, including the most commonly prescribed anticoagulant warfarin. Bleeding complications associated with most of these drugs have been clinically reported, but the pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear. Further characterization of the 9 top-hit drugs on the inhibition of VKD carboxylation suggests that warfarin, lansoprazole, and nitazoxanide mainly target vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR), whereas idebenone, clofazimine, and AM404 mainly target vitamin K reductase (VKR) in vitamin K redox cycling. The other 3 drugs mainly affect vitamin K availability within the cells. The molecular mechanisms underlying the inactivation of VKOR and VKR by these drugs are clarified. Results from both cell-based and animal model studies suggest that the anticoagulation effect of drugs that target VKOR, but not VKR, can be rescued by the administration of vitamin K. These findings provide insights into the prevention and management of drug-induced bleeding disorders. The established cell-based, high-throughput screening approach provides a powerful tool for identifying new vitamin K antagonists that function as anticoagulants.

The association of myopia progression with the morphological changes of optic disc and ß-peripapillary atrophy in primary school students.

PURPOSE: To study the association of myopia progression with the morphological changes of optic disc and ß-peripapillary atrophy (ß-PPA) in 8-11 years old primary school students. METHODS: This study was a prospective, school-based investigation. This study included 610 children (1008 eyes) who were continuously observed and had data available from 2016 to 2017 in the Sanhe Cohort Study of the Risk Factors for Myopia (SCSRFM). The children underwent a comprehensive eye examination including measurement of visual acuity, autorefractometry, and posterior segment of the eye. ß-PPA regions and optic disc ovality index were identified and measured on the fundus photographs. RESULTS: The prevalence of myopia was 72.62% (732/1008) in 2016. In myopic children, the prevalence of the vertical ß-PPA, the horizontal ß-PPA, and the oval optic disc were 75.68% (554/732), 75.96% (556/732) and, 11.61% (85/732) respectively. From 2016 to 2017, with the progression of vertical ß-PPA, horizontal ß-PPA, area of ß-PPA, and optic disc ovality index, the myopic diopter and the axial length (AL) were increased. The progression of horizontal ß-PPA was significantly correlated with the progression of myopic diopter and AL (all p < 0.05). The analysis on the distribution of progression rate of parameters in different groups found that the progression rate of horizontal ß-PPA, area of ß-PPA, and optic disc ovality index increased with the increase of the progression of diopter and AL. The progression of horizontal ß-PPA, area of ß-PPA, optic disc ovality index, and diopter in girls were greater than that in boys, and the progression of optic disc ovality index and diopter had a statistical significance (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The 1-year follow-up study of the third-grade primary school students showed that with the progression of myopia and the growth of AL, ß-PPA and optic disc ovality index also changed. There was a positive correlation between the change of ß-PPA and optic disc ovality index and the progression of myopia diopter and AL.

Comparison of different pupil dilatation methods for phacoemulsification in eyes with a small pupil.

PURPOSE: To compare 6 methods for intraoperative pupil dilatation in eyes with insufficient pupil size during phacoemulsification. METHODS: This was a prospective case-control study. 99 microcoria cataract patients (120 eyes) were collected and were divided into 6 groups(20 eyes each group), and their pupils were dilated by bimanual stretching pupil (group I), pupil radial cut open(group II), mechanical pupil dilatation with iris-retractor hooks (group III), OASIS iris expander (group IV), and Malyguin-ring (Microsurgical company, America) (group V), B-HEX Pupil Expander (Med Invent Devics, India)(group VI),respectively. 3.0 mm clear corneal incision were used in phacoemulsification. All cases were followed up at 1 week and 1, 3, 6 months after the surgery. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure(IOP), corneal endothelium cell density(ECD), pupil diameter(PD) of before and after surgery were compared. RESULTS: One same doctor finished all cataract surgeries successfully. The eyes' condition before surgery and at 6 months after surgery were compared. There were no significant statistical differences for the conditions of the eyes before surgery among six groups. The ECDs were better at 6 months postoperatively in group III and V, median values: 2114/mm2, 1961/mm2. PD was largest in group II (median value: 5.5 mm), which was significantly larger than other groups (Padjusted < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: All 6 methods used in this study were effective for the mechanical dilatation of small pupils and didn't affect the postoperative visual acuity and intraocular pressure in microcoria cataract phacoemulsification. Iris-retractor hooks and the Malyugin Ring can reduce intraoperative corneal endothelium cell loss. Postoperative PD is larger when the iris was cut open radially.

Spirocyclohexadienone-Type Neolignans with Neuroprotective and Neurite Outgrowth Enhancing Activities from Magnolia liliiflora.

Three rare spirocyclohexadienone-type neolignans, magnoflorins A-C (1-3), and three known analogs (4-6), were isolated from the leaves of Magnolia liliiflora. Magnoflorin D (4) was obtained from natural resources for the first time. The chemical structures and absolute configurations of 1-4 were elucidated through detailed analysis of HR-ESI-MS, IR, 1 H, 13 C, and 2D NMR, and ECD experiments. The absolute configuration of 5 were characterized by X-ray crystallography in present study. Moreover, compounds 4 and 5 displayed moderate neuroprotective activity against corticosterone-induced PC12 cells injury at 20 µM with cell viability of 71.5±0.99 % and 73.0±1.42 %, respectively, compared to the model group with 60.83±0.93 %. Compound 6 could enhance neurite outgrowth of nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced PC12 cells at 10 µM with the differentiation rate of 11.98 %, compared with 20.49 % of 50 ng/ml NGF.

Synergistic Effects of Organosilicon and Cu(OH)2 in Controlling Sugarcane Leaf Scald Disease.

Sugarcane leaf scald is a systemic disease caused by Xanthomonas albilineans that limits sugarcane yield and quality. Previous research has shown that exogenous application of copper hydroxide to plants is effective in controlling this disease. However, long-term bactericide use causes serious "3R" problems: resistance, resurgence, and residue. It is therefore urgent to discover new methods for the improvement of bactericide efficiency and efficacy. In the present study, disease index values for leaf scald were measured in sugarcane seedlings over time to determine the effects of different concentrations of copper hydroxide, types of silicon additive, and treatment timing after inoculation with X. albilineans on controlling sugarcane leaf scald disease. Our results show copper hydroxide mixed with organosilicon additive could improve the bactericide efficiency and efficacy and reduce the growth of pathogenic bacteria, even at a reduced concentration in both laboratory and field conditions. This study provides an important practical model for controlling sugarcane leaf scald disease by reducing the concentration of bactericide and increasing its efficacy in sugarcane fields.

Polarization- and Electrode-Optimized Polyvinylidene Fluoride Films for Harsh Environmental Piezoelectric Nanogenerator Applications.

While piezoelectric nanogenerators have demonstrated the effective conversion of tiny mechanical vibrations to electricity, their performances are rarely examined under harsh environmental conditions. Here, a multilayered polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film-based piezoelectric nanogenerator (ML-PENG) is demonstrated to generate considerable and stable power outputs even at extremely low temperatures and pressures, and under strong UV. Up-/down-polarized PVDF films are alternately stacked, and Ag electrodes are intercalated between the two adjacent films. At -266 °C and 10-5  Torr, the ML-PENG generates an open-circuit voltage of 1.1 V, a short-circuit current density of 8 nA cm-2 , and a power density of 4.4 nW cm-2 . The piezoelectric outputs are quite stable against prolonged illumination of UV, large temperature- and pressure-variations, and excessive mechanical vibrations. The piezoelectric power density is greatly enhanced above the freezing and glass transition temperatures of PVDF and recorded to be 10, 105, and 282 nW cm-2 at -73, 0, and 77 °C, respectively. The ML-PENG generates sufficient power to operate five light-emitting diodes by harvesting biomechanical energy under simulated Martian conditions. This work suggests that polarization- and electrode-optimized ML-PENG can serve as a reliable and economic power source in harsh and inaccessible environments like polar areas of Earth and extraterrestrial Mars.

Characterization and functional analysis of a ß-adrenergic-like octopamine receptor from the oriental armyworm (Mythimna separata Walker).

The ß-adrenergic-like octopamine receptor (OA2B2), which binds the biogenic amine octopamine, belongs to the class of G-protein coupled receptors and significantly regulates many physiological and behavioral processes in insects. In this study, the putative open reading frame sequence of the MsOA2B2 gene in Mythimna separata was cloned, the full-length complementary DNA was 1191 bp and it encoded a 396-amino acid protein (GenBank accession number MN822800). Orthologous sequence alignment, phylogenetic tree analysis, and protein sequence analysis all showed that the cloned receptor belongs to the OA2B2 protein family. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction of spatial and temporal expression analysis revealed that the MsOAB2 gene was expressed in all developmental stages of M. separata and was most abundant in egg stages and second and fourth instars compared with other developmental stages, while the expression level during the pupal stage was much lower than that at the other stages. Further analysis with sixth instar M. separata larvae showed that the MsOA2B2 gene was expressed 1.81 times higher in the head than in integument and gut tissues. Dietary ingestion of dsMsOA2B2 significantly reduced the messenger RNA level of MsOA2B2 and decreased mortality following amitraz treatment. This study provides both a pharmacological characterization and the gene expression patterns of OA2B2 in M. separata, facilitating further research for insecticides using MsOA2B2 as a target.

The effect of retaining intact posterior capsule in congenital cataract surgery in children aged 4-8 years.

BACKGROUND: The present study sought to observe the effect of retaining intact posterior capsule in congenital cataract surgery in children aged 4-8 years. METHODS: This is a retrospective case control study. Seventy-seven children (130 eyes) aged from 4 to 8 years who underwent cataract surgery were divided into two groups. In Group A, 50 eyes underwent phacoemulsification, intraocular lens implantation and posterior capsule capsulotomy combined with anterior vitrectomy. In Group B, 80 eyes underwent cataract phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. The postoperative visual acuity and the rate of complications were compared. RESULTS: In all patients, cataract surgeries were performed evenly without intraoperative complications. The follow-up time ranged from 6 months to 42 months. No apparent visual axis opacity was detected in group A during the follow-up. By the last visit, apparent visual axis opacity was detected in 31 eyes (38.75%) in group B. Among them, 9 eyes (29.03%) with mild posterior capsule opacification (PCO) were treated with Nd:YAG laser, 3 eyes (9.68%) with thick proliferative membranes were treated with posterior capsule capsulotomy combined with anterior vitrectomy and proliferative membranes in 19 eyes (61.29%) were completely aspired and the posterior capsule was retained. During follow-up, only 2 (6.45%) eyes had PCO recurrence and were treated with Nd:YAG laser. The visual acuity was significantly higher than that before surgery in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: For older children, the incidence of PCO will be low even if intact posterior capsule is retained. Either Nd:YAG laser or surgical treatment for PCO will be able to maintain good vision.