Harnessing the Hybridization of a Metal-Organic Framework and Superbase-Derived Ionic Liquid for High-Performance Direct Air Capture of CO2.

Direct air capture (DAC) of CO2 has emerged as the most promising "negative carbon emission" technologies. Despite being state-of-the-art, sorbents deploying alkali hydroxides/amine solutions or amine-modified materials still suffer from unsolved high energy consumption and stability issues. In this work, composite sorbents are crafted by hybridizing a robust metal-organic framework (Ni-MOF) with superbase-derived ionic liquid (SIL), possessing well maintained crystallinity and chemical structures. The low-pressure (0.4 mbar) volumetric CO2 capture assessment and a fixed-bed breakthrough examination with 400 ppm CO2 gas flow reveal high-performance DAC of CO2 (CO2 uptake capacity of up to 0.58 mmol g-1 at 298 K) and exceptional cycling stability. Operando spectroscopy analysis reveals the rapid (400 ppm) CO2 capture kinetics and energy-efficient/fast CO2 releasing behaviors. The theoretical calculation and small-angle X-ray scattering demonstrate that the confinement effect of the MOF cavity enhances the interaction strength of reactive sites in SIL with CO2 , indicating great efficacy of the hybridization. The achievements in this study showcase the exceptional capabilities of SIL-derived sorbents in carbon capture from ambient air in terms of rapid carbon capture kinetics, facile CO2 releasing, and good cycling performance.

Recent Advances in the Reverse Water-Gas Conversion Reaction.

The increase in carbon dioxide emissions has significantly impacted human society and the global environment. As carbon dioxide is the most abundant and cheap C1 resource, the conversion and utilization of carbon dioxide have received extensive attention from researchers. Among the many carbon dioxide conversion and utilization methods, the reverse water-gas conversion (RWGS) reaction is considered one of the most effective. This review discusses the research progress made in RWGS with various heterogeneous metal catalyst types, covering topics such as catalyst performance, thermodynamic analysis, kinetics and reaction mechanisms, and catalyst design and preparation, and suggests future research on RWGS heterogeneous catalysts.

Iridium-Catalysed Transfer Hydrogenation of 1,8-Naphthyridine with Indoline: Access to Functionalized N-Heteroarenes.

An iridium-catalysed hydrogen transfer strategy, enabling straightforward access to tetrahydro pyridine derivatives from aryl-1,8-naphthyridines and indolines, was developed. This method proceeds with unprecedented synthetic effectiveness including high step-economic fashion together with the advantages of having no by-product and no need for external high-pressure H2 gas, offering an important basis for the transformation of 1,8-naphthyridines and indolines into functionalized products.

Direct Regioselective C-H Cyanation of Purines.

A direct regioselective C-H cyanation of purines was developed through a sequential triflic anhydride activation, nucleophilic cyanation with TMSCN, followed by a process of base-mediated elimination of triflous acid (CF3SO2H). In most cases, the direct C-H cyanation occurred on the electron-rich imidazole motif of purines, affording 8-cyanated purine derivatives in moderate to excellent yields. Various functional groups, including allyl, alkynyl, ketone, ester, nitro et al. were tolerated and acted as a C8 directing group. The electron-donating 6-diethylamino, as C2-directing group substituent, can switch the regioselectivity of purine from 8- to 2-position, enabling the synthesis of 8- and 2-cyano 6-dialkylaminopurines from corresponding 6-chloropurine in different reaction order. Further functional manipulations of the cyano group allow the conversions of 8-cyanopurines to corresponding purine amides, imidates, imidothioates, imidamides, oxazolines, and isothiazoles.

High-Value Oil-Water Separation Materials Prepared from Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate.

As one of the most common forms of waste, waste PET is a serious pollutant in natural and human living environments. There is an urgent need to recycle PET. For this study, the complete degradation of PET was realized at a low temperature. A lipophilic hydrophobic membrane was formed on the surface of a stainless steel mesh (SSM) using a simple dip coating method, and an oil-water separation material was successfully prepared. After loading with degradation products, the surface roughness of SSM increased from 19.09 µm to 62.33 µm. The surface changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, and the water contact angle increased to 123°. The oil-water separation flux of the modified SSM was 9825 L/(m2·h), and the separation efficiency was 98.99%. The modified SSM had good reuse performance. This hydrophobic modification method can also be used to modify other porous substrates, such as activated carbon, filter paper, foam, and other materials. The porous substrate modified by the degradation product of waste PET was used to prepare oil-water separation materials, not only solving the problem of white pollution but also reducing the dependence on non-renewable resources in the conventional methods used for the preparation of oil-water separation materials. This study provides new raw materials and methods for the industrial production of oil-water separation materials, which have important application prospects.

CO2 Chemisorption Behavior in Conjugated Carbanion-Derived Ionic Liquids via Carboxylic Acid Formation.

Superbase-derived task-specific ionic liquids (STSILs) represent one of the most attractive and extensively studied systems in carbon capture via chemisorption, in which the obtained CO2 uptake capacity has a strong relationship with the basicity of the anions. High energy input in desorption and side reactions caused by the strong basicity of the anions are still unsolved issues. The development of other customized STSILs leveraging an alternative driving force to achieve efficient CO2 chemisorption/desorption is highly desirable yet challenging. In this work, carbanion-derived STSILs were developed for efficient CO2 chemisorption via a carboxylic acid formation pathway. The STSIL with the deprotonated malononitrile molecule ([MN]) as the anion exhibited much higher CO2 uptake capacity than the one derived from 2-methylmalononitrile ([MMN]). Notably, this trend was opposite to their basicity ([MN] < [MMN]). Detailed characterization of the products, supported by density functional theory simulations of spectra and calculations of the reaction energetics, demonstrated that carboxylic acid was formed upon reacting with CO2 via proton transfer in [MN]-derived STSILs but not in the case of [MMN] due to lack of an α-H. The preference of the carboxylic acid product over carboxylate formation was driven by the extended conjugation among the central sp2 carbon, the as-formed carboxylic acid, and the two nitrile groups. The achievements made in this work provide an alternative design principle of STSILs by leveraging the extended conjugation in the CO2-integrated product.

Performance of heterodyne differential phase-shift-keying underwater wireless optical communication systems in gamma-gamma-distributed turbulence.

The analytical expressions for the average bit error rate and the outage probability of a heterodyne differential phase-shift-keying underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system are derived with proper consideration of all of the channel-degrading effects, including absorption, scattering, and turbulence-induced fading. The scintillation index of a spherical wave is evaluated in order to quantify the underwater system performance in a strong turbulence regime. The spherical wave propagating through the strong underwater turbulence environment is modeled as gamma-gamma distribution. Then, the system performance is simulated for various variations of the underwater turbulence, i.e., the rate of dissipation of kinetic energy per unit mass of fluid, the ratio of temperature to salinity contributions to the refractive index spectrum, and the UWOC system link length. The results show that the analytical expressions for describing the system performance are valid.

Complex amplitude reconstruction for dynamic beam quality M2 factor measurement with self-referencing interferometer wavefront sensor.

A real-time complex amplitude reconstruction method for determining the dynamic beam quality M2 factor based on a Mach-Zehnder self-referencing interferometer wavefront sensor is developed. By using the proposed complex amplitude reconstruction method, full characterization of the laser beam, including amplitude (intensity profile) and phase information, can be reconstructed from a single interference pattern with the Fourier fringe pattern analysis method in a one-shot measurement. With the reconstructed complex amplitude, the beam fields at any position z along its propagation direction can be obtained by first utilizing the diffraction integral theory. Then the beam quality M2 factor of the dynamic beam is calculated according to the specified method of the Standard ISO11146. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated with the theoretical analysis and experiment, including the static and dynamic beam process. The experimental method is simple, fast, and operates without movable parts and is allowed in order to investigate the laser beam in inaccessible conditions using existing methods.

Reactive oxygen species production and Brugia pahangi survivorship in Aedes polynesiensis with artificial Wolbachia infection types.

Heterologous transinfection with the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia has been shown previously to induce pathogen interference phenotypes in mosquito hosts. Here we examine an artificially infected strain of Aedes polynesiensis, the primary vector of Wuchereria bancrofti, which is the causative agent of Lymphatic filariasis (LF) throughout much of the South Pacific. Embryonic microinjection was used to transfer the wAlbB infection from Aedes albopictus into an aposymbiotic strain of Ae. polynesiensis. The resulting strain (designated "MTB") experiences a stable artificial infection with high maternal inheritance. Reciprocal crosses of MTB with naturally infected wild-type Ae. polynesiensis demonstrate strong bidirectional incompatibility. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the MTB strain differ significantly relative to that of the wild-type, indicating an impaired ability to regulate oxidative stress. Following a challenge with Brugia pahangi, the number of filarial worms achieving the infective stage is significantly reduced in MTB as compared to the naturally infected and aposymbiotic strains. Survivorship of MTB differed significantly from that of the wild-type, with an interactive effect between survivorship and blood feeding. The results demonstrate a direct correlation between decreased ROS levels and decreased survival of adult female Aedes polynesiensis. The results are discussed in relation to the interaction of Wolbachia with ROS production and antioxidant expression, iron homeostasis and the insect immune system. We discuss the potential applied use of the MTB strain for impacting Ae. polynesiensis populations and strategies for reducing LF incidence in the South Pacific.

Interspecific Transfer of a Wolbachia Infection Into Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Yields a Novel Phenotype Capable of Rescuing a Superinfection.

Wolbachia are maternally transmitted obligate bacteria that occur naturally in many arthropods. The phenotype observed in mosquitoes is known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), which results in reduced or absent egg hatch in crosses between individuals with different infection types. Applied mosquito control strategies propose that by releasing individuals infected with a Wolbachia strain that differs from that in the natural host population, CI could be used to suppress or replace mosquito populations. Here, using tetracycline treatment and embryonic microinjection, Aedes albopictus (Skuse) was cleared of its natural Wolbachia infection and artificially infected with a Wolbachia strain originating from Aedes riversi Bohart & Ingram. Crossing experiments were carried out to determine whether CI could be observed between the artificially infected strain (UC), naturally infected (wild type), and uninfected strains of Ae. albopictus. Crosses between UC males and uninfected females resulted in no egg hatch, a classic unidirectional CI pattern. Crosses between the wild-type and UC strain also exhibited a unidirectional pattern of CI, demonstrating that the UC strain is compatible with both of the Wolbachia types that occur within Ae. albopictus and that wild-type Wolbachia infections are unable to fully rescue the UC Wolbachia type. Crosses between the UC strain and another artificially infected Ae. albopictus strain (ARwP), were bidirectionally incompatible, demonstrating that the UC strain is not compatible with all Wolbachia types. The CI patterns observed in this study were atypical and the opposite of that typically observed with superinfections.

Development of Electrolytes under Lean Condition in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries stand out as one of the promising candidates for next-generation electrochemical energy storage technologies. A key requirement to realize high-specific-energy Li-S batteries is to implement low amount of electrolyte, often characterized by the electrolyte/sulfur (E/S) ratio. Low E/S ratio aggravates the known challenges for Li-S batteries and introduces new ones originated from the high concentration of polysulfides in limited electrolyte reservoir. In this review, the connections between the fundamental properties of electrolytes and the electrochemical/chemical reactions in Li-S batteries under lean electrolyte condition are elucidated. The emphasis is on how the solvating properties of the electrolyte affect the fate of polysulfides. Built upon the mechanistic analysis, different strategies to design lean electrolytes to improve the overall process of Li-S reactions and Li anode protection are discussed.

An overview of the functions of p53 and drugs acting either on wild- or mutant-type p53.

TP53, also known as the "guardian of the genome," is an important tumor suppressor gene. It is encoded by the human genome and is associated with the development of diverse cancers. The p53 protein, encoded by TP53, functions in the cell to monitor DNA damage and prompts the cell to respond appropriately. When DNA is damaged, p53 halts the cell cycle, allowing cells to enter the repair state. If the repair is ineffective, p53 induces cell death via apoptosis. This prevents DNA damage transmission during cell division and reduces cancer risk. However, the p53 gene mutation compromises its function. This leads to the inability of cells to respond properly to DNA damage, which may result in cancer development. Mutations in p53 are widespread in diverse cancers, especially highly prevalent cancers, including breast, colon, and lung cancers. Despite the association between p53 mutations and cancer, researchers have discovered drugs and treatments that may reactivate mutated p53 function. Therefore, p53 remains an important area of research in cancer treatment and holds promise as a new direction for cancer therapy. In summary, TP53 is a vital tumor suppressor gene responsible for monitoring DNA damage and prompting cells to respond appropriately. This article summarizes drugs related to p53 and diverse strategies for discovering drugs that act on either wide or mutant p53. Herein, p53 is categorized into two types: wild and mutant type. Drugs are also classified according to diverse treatment strategies, enabling readers to differentiate between the two types of p53 and aiding in selecting the appropriate research direction. Additionally, this review offers a valuable reference for drug design.

Surpassing the Performance of Phenolate-derived Ionic Liquids in CO2 Chemisorption by Harnessing the Robust Nature of Pyrazolonates.

Superbase-derived ionic liquids (SILs) are promising sorbents to tackle the carbon challenge featured by tunable interaction strength with CO2 via structural engineering, particularly the oxygenate-derived counterparts (e. g., phenolate). However, for the widely deployed phenolate-derived SILs, unsolved stability issues severely limited their applications leading to unfavorable and diminished CO2 chemisorption performance caused by ylide formation-involved side reactions and the phenolate-quinone transformation via auto-oxidation. In this work, robust pyrazolonate-derived SILs possessing anti-oxidation nature were developed by introducing aza-fused rings in the oxygenate-derived anions, which delivered promising and tunable CO2 uptake capacity surpassing the phenolate-based SIL via a carbonate formation pathway (O-C bond formation), as illustrated by detailed spectroscopy studies. Further theoretical calculations and experimental comparisons demonstrated the more favorable reaction enthalpy and improved anti-oxidation properties of the pyrazolonate-derived SILs compared with phenolate anions. The achievements being made in this work provides a promising approach to achieve efficient carbon capture by combining the benefits of strong interaction strength of oxygenate species with CO2 and the stability improvement enabled by aza-fused rings introduction.

Laser speckle contrast imaging based on spatial frequency domain filtering.

We proposed a novel method to separate static and dynamic speckles based on spatial frequency domain filtering. First, the raw speckle image sequence is processed frame by frame through 2D Fourier transform, low-pass and high-pass filtering in the spatial frequency domain, and inverse Fourier transform. Then, we can obtain low- and high-frequency image sequences in the spatial domain. Second, we averaged both sequences in the time domain. After the above processing, we obtain the mean intensities of the dynamic and static speckle components in the spatial domain. Finally, we calculated the time-averaged modulation depth to map the 2-D blood flow distribution. Both phantom and vivo experiments demonstrated that the proposed method could effectively suppress the background non-uniformity and has the advantage of high computational efficiency. It also can effectively improve image contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio, and imaging dynamic range.

BRD2 protects the rat H9C2 cardiomyocytes from hypoxia­reoxygenation injury by targeting Nrf2/HO­1 signaling pathway.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common complication of acute myocardial infarction following percutaneous coronary intervention, but there are currently no effective pharmacological targets for adjuvant therapy due to a lack of knowledge of I/R injury mechanisms in cardiomyocytes. To evaluate the effects of hypoxia-reoxygenation on the plasma proteome of cardiomyocytes and prospective therapeutic targets, five sets of H9C2 cardiomyocytes from rats were cultured under various hypoxic circumstances. Using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and lactose dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays, the cell viability and LDH release of H9C2 cells were analyzed. Proteome sequencing was then performed on cardiomyocytes to show the quantitative protein changes during the I/R injury process. After hypoxia/reoxygenation, bromodomain-containing protein 2 (BRD2) expression was evaluated. After administering the BRD2 inhibitor dBET1, the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/haem oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1) was identified. The results showed that in the group exposed to 4 h of hypoxia followed by 4 h of reoxygenation (H/R4), the cell survival rate was dramatically reduced, although the apoptotic rate and LDH were much higher than in the normal oxygen group. In addition, the expressions of 2,325 proteins differed considerably between these two groups, with 128 upregulated and 122 downregulated proteins being discovered in the H/R4 group. After 4 h of reoxygenation, the BRD2 expression was increased. Following the addition of dBET1 to suppress BRD2, the expression of Nrf2/HO-1 was reduced, but the rate of apoptosis increased. In conclusion, through the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, BRD2 protects cardiomyocytes from damage caused by hypoxia/reoxygenation. This may have implications for novel treatment targets to minimize I/R damage to the myocardium.

Effect of inactivated COVID-19 vaccination on pregnancy outcomes following frozen-thawed embryo transfer: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of inactivated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination on frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 1,210 patients undergoing FET cycles in a single university-affiliated hospital between July 1, 2021, and May 1, 2022. Of them, 387 women with two full doses of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (CoronaVac or BBIBP-CorV) after oocyte retrieval were assigned to the vaccinated group, while 823 were unvaccinated as controls. Propensity score matching and multiple regression analysis were applied to control for baseline and cycle characteristics (19 covariates in total). RESULTS: There were 265 patients in each group after matching. The rates of clinical pregnancy (58.5% vs. 60.8%; P = 0.595) and live birth (44.4% vs. 48.8%; P = 0.693) were similar between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, with adjusted odds ratios of 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61-1.29) and 1.31 (95% CI 0.37-4.56), respectively. Consistently, no significant differences were found in serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels as well as biochemical pregnancy, biochemical pregnancy loss, and embryo implantation rates. Based on the time interval from vaccination to FET, vaccinated patients were further subdivided into two categories of ≤2 months and >2 months, and the outcomes remained comparable. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that inactivated COVID-19 vaccination in women did not have measurable detrimental impact on implantation performance and live birth outcome during FET treatment cycles. This finding denies the impairment of endometrial receptivity and trophoblast function by vaccine-induced antibodies at the clinical level.

Embryo Rescue Protocol for Interspecific Hybridization in Squash.

Interspecific hybridization in Cucurbita crops (squash) is desirable for widening genetic variation and for the introgression of useful alleles. Immature embryos generated from these wide crosses must be regenerated using appropriate embryo rescue techniques. Although this technique is well established for many crops, a detailed description of the appropriate methodology for squash that would allow its routine application is lacking. Here, we describe an embryo rescue protocol useful for interspecific hybridization of C. pepo and C. moschata. To identify viable combinations for embryo rescue, 24 interspecific crosses were performed. Fruit set was obtained from twenty-two crosses, indicating a 92% success rate. However, most of the fruits obtained were parthenocarpic, with seeds devoid of embryos (empty seeds). Only one cross combination contained immature embryos that could be regenerated using basal plant growth media. A total of 10 embryos were rescued from the interspecific F1 fruit, and the success rate of embryo rescue was 80%. The embryo rescue protocol developed here will be useful for interspecific hybridization in squash breeding programs.

Whole Genome Re-sequencing and Bulk Segregant Analysis Reveals Chromosomal Location for Papaya Ringspot Virus W Resistance in Squash.

Squash (Cucurbita moschata) is among the most important cucurbit crops grown worldwide. Plant pathogen, Papaya ringspot virus W (PRSV-W) causes significant yield loss in commercial squash production globally. The development of virus-resistant cultivars can complement integrated disease management and mitigate losses due to viral infections. However, the genetic loci and molecular markers linked to PRSV-W resistance that could facilitate marker-assisted selection (MAS) for accelerated cultivar development are unknown. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTL), molecular markers, and candidate genes associated with PRSV-W resistance in squash were identified in an F2 population (n = 118) derived from a cross between Nigerian Local accession (resistant) and Butterbush cultivar (susceptible). Whole genome re-sequencing-based bulked segregant analysis (QTLseq method; n = 10 for each bulk) and non-parametric interval mapping were used to identify a major QTL associated with PRSV-W resistance on chromosome 9 (QtlPRSV-C09) (p < 0.05) of C. moschata. QtlPRSV-C09 extended from 785,532 to 5,093,314 bp and harbored 12,245 SNPs among which 94 were high-effect variants. To validate QtlPRSV-C09, 13 SNP markers were assayed as Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers in the F2 population and tested for the association with PRSV-W resistance. Among these, two KASP markers (Ch09_2080834 and Ch09_5023865-1) showed significant association with PRSV-W resistance (p < 0.05). The two SNPs were located within exons of putative disease-resistant genes encoding the clathrin assembly family and actin cytoskeleton-regulatory complex proteins, which are implicated in disease resistance across plant species. The findings of this study will facilitate MAS for PRSV-W resistance in squash and allow further understanding of the functional mechanisms underlying potyvirus resistance in Cucurbita species.

Computational Insights into Malononitrile-Based Carbanions for CO2 Capture.

Although anionic N and O sites have been widely used in chemisorption of CO2, carbanions are much less explored for CO2 capture. Here we employ ab initio calculations and quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to examine the interaction between CO2 and the malononitrile carbanion, [CH(CN)2]-. We have explored the potential energy surface of CO2 binding by scanning the C-C distance between CO2 and the central C site of the carbanion. We find that CO2 prefers to bind to the nitrile group physically rather than to form a C-C bond via the carboxylation reaction at the sp2 C site. Moreover, the two -CN groups can attract two CO2 molecules at equal strength. The presence of an alkali metal ion enhances both physical and chemical interactions of CO2 with the malononitrile carbanion. QM/MM MD simulations further confirm the preference of physical interaction in the condensed ionic liquid phase with a phosphonium cation. Our findings suggest that ionic liquids based on the malononitrile carbanion may have a high CO2 solubility for carbon capture.

Genomic Position and Markers Associated with the Hull-Less Seed Trait in Pumpkin.

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) seeds are nutritious and valued as a source of vegetable oil, protein, healthy fatty acids, and minerals. Pumpkin seeds that are naturally devoid of the seedcoat (hull-less) are preferred by the industry as they eliminate the need for de-hulling prior to use. A single recessive gene, designated as n or h, controls the hull-less seed trait in pumpkin. Visual selection for the trait is easy, however, it is resource intensive when applied to large breeding populations. High throughput genotyping assays can aid in the identification of suitable individuals in segregating populations through marker-assisted selection. In the current study, the QTL-seq approach was used to identify genetic loci, SNP markers and candidate genes associated with the hull-less trait in a segregating F2 population (n = 143) derived from a cross between Kakai (hull-less) × Table Gold Acorn (hulled). The segregation of the hull-less trait in the F2 population fit a 3:1 ratio (p < 0.05). QTL-seq analysis detected a single QTL on chromosome 12 (Qtlhull-less-C12) which was significantly associated with the hull-less trait in C. pepo. Twenty-eight SNPs were genotyped in the population, two among which (Ch12_3412046 and Ch12_3417142) were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the hull-less trait in cultivars and accessions of diverse genetic background. Several candidate genes fall within the Qtlhull-less-C12 interval, among them is the No Apical meristem (NAC) domain-containing protein and a Fiber Protein fb11 gene involved in lignin accumulation and cell wall deposition across plant species, respectively. The findings of this study will facilitate the marker-assisted selection for the hull-less seed trait in pumpkin and further our understanding of the functional mechanisms underlying the trait across cucurbit crops.