Talaromyces sedimenticola sp. nov., isolated from the Mariana Trench.

Two fungal strains (K-2T and S1) were isolated from the deepest ocean sediment of the Challenger Deep located in the Mariana Trench. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequences of the isolates K-2T and S1 differed from those of closely related species, such as Talaromyces assiutensis and T. trachyspermus. Phylogenetic analyses based on single and concatenated alignments of the genes, namely ITS, ß-tubulin (benA), calmodulin (cam), and the second-largest subunit fragment of the RNA polymerase II (rpb2) showed that the isolates K-2T and S1 were clustered together with other Talaromyces species, such as T. trachyspermus and T. assiutensis, as evidenced by the position on a terminal branch with high bootstrap support. They could also be distinguished from their closest relatives with valid published names via morphological and physiological characteristics, for example, growth at 4 °C-50 °C with a pH in the range of 1.5-12. Based on their phylogenetic, morphological, and physicochemical properties, the isolates K-2T and S1 represent a novel species in the genus Talaromyces, and the proposed name is Talaromyces sedimenticola sp. nov. The type strain is K-2T (= GDMCC 3.746T = JCM 39451T).

Effects of Cd(II) on nitrogen removal by a heterotrophic nitrification aerobic denitrification bacterium Pseudomonas sp. XF-4.

Simultaneous heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification (SND) is gaining tremendous attention due to its high efficiency and low cost in water treatment. However, SND on an industrial scale is still immature since effects of coexisting pollutants, for example, heavy metals, on nitrogen removal remains largely unresolved. In this study, a HNAD bacterium (Pseudomonas sp. XF-4) was isolated. It could almost completely remove ammonium and nitrate at pH 5-9 and temperature 20 ℃-35 ℃ within 10 h, and also showed excellently simultaneous nitrification and denitrification efficiency under the coexistence of any two of inorganic nitrogen sources with no intermediate accumulation. XF-4 could rapidly grow again after ammonium vanish when nitrite or nitrate existed. There was no significant effects on nitrification and denitrification when Cd(II) was lower than 10 mg/L, and 95 % of Cd(II) was removed by XF-4. However, electron carrier and electron transport system activity was inhibited, especially at high concentration of Cd(II). Overall, this study reported a novel strain capable of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification coupled with Cd(II) removal efficiently. The results provided new insights into treatment of groundwater or wastewater contaminated by heavy metals and nitrogen.

Achieving Ultralong-Cycle Zinc-Ion Battery via Synergistically Electronic and Structural Regulation of a MnO2 Nanocrystal-Carbon Hybrid Framework.

Aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted burgeoning interests owing to the prospect in large-scale and safe energy storage application. Although manganese oxides are one of the typical cathodes of ZIBs, their practical usage is still hindered by poor service life and rate performance. Here, a MnO2 -carbon hybrid framework is reported, which is obtained in a reaction between the dimethylimidazole ligand from a rational designed MOF array and potassium permanganate, achieving ultralong-cycle-life ZIBs. The unique structural feature of uniform MnO2 nanocrystals which are well-distributed in the carbon matrix leads to a 90.4% capacity retention after 50 000 cycles. In situ characterization and theoretical calculations verify the co-ions intercalation with boosted reaction kinetics. The hybridization between MnO2 and carbon endows the hybrid with enhanced electrons/ions transport kinetics and robust structural stability. This work provides a facile strategy to enhance the battery performance of manganese oxide-based ZIBs.

Stress hyperglycemia ratio: an independent predictor for in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in patients with st-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: To assess the predictive accuracy of the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) for in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: A total of 1,944 patients were enrolled within 24 h of a new STEMI diagnosis. The SHR was obtained by dividing the blood glucose level at admission by the estimated average glucose. MACCE were defined as acute cerebral infarction, mechanical complications of myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, and all-cause death. Patients were then categorized into the MACCE and non-MACCE groups according to the occurrence of in-hospital MACCE. Propensity score matching was used to balance confounding factors, and logistic regression was used to identify the potential predictive factors for MACCE. RESULTS: A total of 276 patients were included after 1:1 matching, and the confounding factors were balanced between the two groups. The SHR was an independent predictor of in-hospital MACCE (odds ratio = 10.06, 95% confidence interval: 4.16-27.64, P < 0.001), while blood glucose at admission was not. The SHR was also an independent predictor for in-hospital MACCE in nondiabetic patients with STEMI (odds ratio = 11.26, 95% confidence interval: 3.05-55.21, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: SHR is an independent predictor of in-hospital MACCE in patients with acute STEMI, especially in nondiabetic patients.

Enhancing lactose recognition of a key enzyme in 2'-fucosyllactose synthesis: α-1,2-fucosyltransferase.

BACKGROUND: 2'-Fucosyllactose, a representative oligosaccharide in human milk, is an emerging and promising food and pharmaceutical ingredient due to its powerful health benefits, such as participating in immune regulation, regulation of intestinal flora, etc. To enable economically viable production of 2'-fucosyllactose, different biosynthesis strategies using precursors and pathway enzymes have been developed. The α-1,2-fucosyltransferases are an essential part involved in these strategies, but their strict substrate selectivity and unsatisfactory substrate tolerance are one of the key roadblocks limiting biosynthesis. RESULTS: To tackle this issue, a semi-rational manipulation combining computer-aided designing and screening with biochemical experiments were adopted. The mutant had a 100-fold increase in catalytic efficiency compared to the wild-type. The highest 2'-fucosyllactose yield was up to 0.65 mol mol-1 lactose with a productivity of 2.56 g mL-1  h-1 performed by enzymatic catalysis in vitro. Further analysis revealed that the interactions between the mutant and substrates were reduced. The crucial contributions of wild-type and mutant to substrate recognition ability were closely related to their distinct phylotypes in terms of amino acid preference. CONCLUSION: It is envisioned that the engineered α-1,2-fucosyltransferase could be harnessed to relieve constraints imposed on the bioproduction of 2'-fucosyllactose and lay a theoretical foundation for elucidating the substrate recognition mechanisms of fucosyltransferases. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Genetic testing and clinical analysis of a patient with Dilated cardiomyopathy due to variant of FLNC gene].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a patient with Dilated cardiomyopathy. METHODS: A patient admitted to Beijing Anzhen Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University in April 2022 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data and family history of the patient was collected. Targeted exome sequencing was carried out. Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis based on guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). RESULTS: DNA sequencing revealed that the patient has harbored a heterozygous c.5044dupG frameshift variant of the FLNC gene. Based on the ACMG guidelines, the variant was predicted to be likely pathogenic (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PP4). CONCLUSION: The heterozygous c.5044dupG variant of the FLNC gene probably underlay the pathogenesis in this patient, which has provided a basis for the genetic counseling for his family.

Transcriptome analysis and identification of abscisic acid and gibberellin-related genes during seed development of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

BACKGROUND: Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a widely cultivated plant. Unlike many crops, the main goal of breeding alfalfa is to increase its aboveground biomass rather than the biomass of its seeds. However, the low yield of alfalfa seeds limits alfalfa production. Many studies have explored the factors affecting seed development, in which phytohormones, especially ABA and GAs, play an important role in seed development. RESULTS: Here, we performed a transcriptome analysis of alfalfa seeds at five development stages. A total of 16,899 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and classified into 10 clusters, and the enriched Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were determined. The contents of ABA, GA1, GA3, GA4 and GA7 in alfalfa seeds at five development stages were determined. In addition, 14 ABA-related DEGs and 20 GA-related DEGs were identified and analysed. These DEGs are involved in plant hormone pathways and play an important role in seed development. Moreover, morphological and physiological analyses revealed the dynamic changes during the development of alfalfa seeds. CONCLUSION: Overall, our study is the first to analyse the transcriptome across various stages of seed development in alfalfa. The results of our study could be used to improve alfalfa seed yield. The key ABA and GA related-genes are potential targets for improving alfalfa seed yield via genetic engineering in the future.

Achieving Highly Reversible Zinc Anodes via N, N-Dimethylacetamide Enabled Zn-Ion Solvation Regulation.

Although aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are promising for scalable energy storage application, the actual performance of ZIBs is hampered by the irreversibility. Optimization of electrolyte composition is a relatively practical and facile way to improve coulombic efficiency (CE) and Zn plating/stripping reversibility of ZIBs. N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMA) has a higher Gutmann donor number (DN) than that of H2 O, abundant polar groups, and economic price. Herein, a mixture electrolyte containing 10 vol% DMA and ZnSO4 , which has an enhanced Zn reversibility almost fourfold higher than that of pure ZnSO4 electrolyte, is demonstrated. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation and spectroscopic analysis reveal DMA has the ability to reconstruct the solvation structure of Zn2+ and capture free water molecules via forming Hbonds. The inhibited dendrite growth on Zn anode is further clarified by an in situ characterization. This work provides a feasible way for the development of long-lifespan ZIBs.

Bidirectional lncRNA Transfer between Cuscuta Parasites and Their Host Plant.

Dodder species (Cuscuta spp.) are holoparasites that have extensive material exchange with their host plants through vascular connections. Recent studies on cross-species transfer have provided breakthrough insights, but little is known about the interaction mechanisms of the inter-plant mobile substances in parasitic systems. We sequenced the transcriptomes of dodder growing on soybean hosts to characterize the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transfer between the two species, and found that lncRNAs can move in high numbers (365 dodder lncRNAs and 14 soybean lncRNAs) in a bidirectional manner. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction further confirmed that individual lncRNAs were trafficked in the dodder-soybean parasitic system. To reveal the potential functions of mobile transcripts, the Gene Ontology terms of mobile lncRNA target genes were predicted, and mobile dodder target genes were found to be mainly enriched in "metabolic process", "catalytic activity", "signaling", and "response to stimulus" categories, whereas mobile soybean target genes were enriched in organelle-related categories, indicating that specific mobile lncRNAs may be important in regulating dodder parasitism. Our findings reveal that lncRNAs are transferred between dodder and its host soybean plants, which may act as critical regulators to coordinate the host-dodder interaction at the whole parasitic level.

Genome-Wide Identification of ERF Transcription Factor Family and Functional Analysis of the Drought Stress-Responsive Genes in Melilotus albus.

As an important forage legume with high values in feed and medicine, Melilotus albus has been widely cultivated. The AP2/ERF transcription factor has been shown to play an important regulatory role in plant drought resistance, but it has not been reported in the legume forage crop M. albus. To digger the genes of M. albus in response to drought stress, we identified and analyzed the ERF gene family of M. albus at the genome-wide level. A total of 100 MaERF genes containing a single AP2 domain sequence were identified in this study, named MaERF001 to MaERF100, and bioinformatics analysis was performed. Collinearity analysis indicated that segmental duplication may play a key role in the expansion of the M. albus ERF gene family. Cis-acting element predictions suggest that MaERF genes are involved in various hormonal responses and abiotic stresses. The expression patterns indicated that MaERFs responded to drought stress to varying degrees. Furthermore, four up-regulated ERFs (MaERF008, MaERF037, MaERF054 and MaERF058) under drought stress were overexpressed in yeast and indicated their biological functions to confer the tolerance to drought. This work will advance the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the drought response in M. albus. Further study of the promising potential candidate genes identified in this study will provide a valuable resource as the next step in functional genomics studies and improve the possibility of improving drought tolerance in M. albus by transgenic approaches.

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Root and Leaf Transcript Profiles Reveals the Coordinated Mechanisms in Response to Salinity Stress in Common Vetch.

Owing to its strong environmental suitability to adverse abiotic stress conditions, common vetch (Vicia sativa) is grown worldwide for both forage and green manure purposes and is an important protein source for human consumption and livestock feed. The germination of common vetch seeds and growth of seedlings are severely affected by salinity stress, and the response of common vetch to salinity stress at the molecular level is still poorly understood. In this study, we report the first comparative transcriptomic analysis of the leaves and roots of common vetch under salinity stress. A total of 6361 differentially expressed genes were identified in leaves and roots. In the roots, the stress response was dominated by genes involved in peroxidase activity. However, the genes in leaves focused mainly on Ca2+ transport. Overexpression of six salinity-inducible transcription factors in yeast further confirmed their biological functions in the salinity stress response. Our study provides the most comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of common vetch leaf and root responses to salinity stress. Our findings broaden the knowledge of the common and distinct intrinsic molecular mechanisms within the leaves and roots of common vetch and could help to develop common vetch cultivars with high salinity tolerance.

Transcriptome and Coexpression Network Analyses Provide In-Sights into the Molecular Mechanisms of Hydrogen Cyanide Synthesis during Seed Development in Common Vetch (Vicia sativa L.).

The common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) seed is an ideal plant-based protein food for humans, but its edible value is mainly limited by the presence of cyanogenic glycosides that hydrolyze to produce toxic hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and the genes that regulate HCN synthesis in common vetch are unknown. In this study, seeds from common vetch at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 days after anthesis were sampled, and the seven stages were further divided into five developmental stages, S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5, based on morphological and transcriptome analyses. A total of 16,403 differentially expressed genes were identified in the five developmental stages. The HCN contents of seeds in these five stages were determined by alkaline titration, and weighted gene coexpression network analysis was used to explain the molecular regulatory mechanism of HCN synthesis in common vetch seeds. Eighteen key regulatory genes for HCN synthesis were identified, including the VsGT2, VsGT17 and CYP71A genes, as well as the VsGT1 gene family. VsGT1, VsGT2, VsGT17 and CYP71A jointly promoted HCN synthesis, from 5 to 25 days after anthesis, with VsGT1-1, VsGT1-4, VsGT1-11 and VsGT1-14 playing major roles. The HCN synthesis was mainly regulated by VsGT1, from 25 to 35 days after anthesis. As the expression level of VsGT1 decreased, the HCN content no longer increased. In-depth elucidation of seed HCN synthesis lays the foundations for breeding common vetch with low HCN content.

Enhancing heterologous expression of a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of 2'-fucosyllactose.

BACKGROUND: 2'-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL) is the most abundant human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) in human milk and has important physiological functions. The market demand of 2'-FL is continuing to grow, but high production cost has limited its availability. To solve the dilemma, biosynthesis of 2'-FL has been proposed and is considered the most promising pathway for massive production. α-1,2-Fucosyltransferase is one of the key elements involved in its biosynthesis, but the limited intracellular accumulation and unstable properties of α-1,2-fucosyltransferases when expressed in host strains have become a major hurdle for the effective biosynthesis of 2'-FL. RESULTS: A combinatorial engineering strategy of synergic modification of ribosome binding site, fusion peptide and enzyme gene was leveraged to enhance the soluble expression of α-1,2-fucosyltransferases and promote enzyme activity. The preferable combination was to employ an optimized ribosome binding site region to drive 3 × FLAG as a fusion partner along with the α-1,2-fucosyltransferase for expression in Escherichia coli (DE3) PlySs, and protein yield and enzyme activity were remarkably improved by 11.51-fold and 13.72-fold, respectively. CONCLUSION: After finely tuning the synergy among different elements, the abundant protein yield and high enzyme activity confirmed that the drawbacks of heterologous expression in α-1,2-fucosyltransferase had been properly addressed. A suitable external environment further drives the efficient synthesis of α-1,2-fucosyltransferases. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a systematic and effective modification of α-1,2-fucosyltransferase expression, which could potentially serve as a guideline for industrial application. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Cardiac cycle time-corrected electromechanical activation time greater than 15% is an independent risk factor for major adverse cardiovascular events in chronic heart failure outpatients.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of cardiac cycle time-corrected electromechanical activation time (EMATc) for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in outpatients with chronic heart failure (CHF) in comparison with other clinic indexes. Methods: This prospective observational study at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 01, 2015 to January 01 2018 enrolled 120 CHF patients who were admitted for acute onset of CHF and followed up after discharge for 616.5 days (range: 202.75-875.25 days). Based on the different endpoints, cardiogenic death, all-cause death, and HF-related readmission, patients were assigned to the following groups: cardiogenic death and non-cardiogenic death groups, all-cause death and survival groups, and HF readmission and non-readmission groups. EMATc and other clinic indexes were measured and compared between these groups. Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for MACEs. Results: The hazard ratio for EMATc>15% for cardiogenic death was 3.493 (P=0.046), suggesting that an EMATc>15% was an independent risk factor for cardiogenic death in CHF patients. The hazard ratios for B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) >400 ng/L for all-cause death and CHF readmission were 3.810 (P=0.008) and 2.764 (P=0.031), respectively. Thus, BNP >400 ng/L was an independent risk factor for all-cause death and readmission for CHF. EF<40% was not found to be a significant risk factor for MACEs. Conclusions: BNP level can predict the risk for poor prognosis in CHF patients. EMATc>15% is an independent risk factor for cardiogenic death and should be considered as a supplement to serum BNP level and other clinical indexes for predicting cardiogenic death in CHF outpatients.

Ultra-Fast and Scalable Saline Immersion Strategy Enabling Uniform Zn Nucleation and Deposition for High-Performance Zn-Ion Batteries.

Although aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) with low cost and high safety show great potential in large-scale energy storage system, metallic Zn anode still suffers from unsatisfactory cycle stability due to unregulated growth of Zn dendrites, corrosion, and formation of various side products during electrochemical reaction. Here, an ultrafast and simple method to achieve a stable Zn anode is developed. By simply immersing a Zn plate into an aqueous solution of CuSO4 for only 10-60 s, a uniform and robust protective layer (Zn4 SO4 (OH)6 ·5H2 O/Cu2 O) is formed on commercial Zn plate (Zn/ZCO), which enables uniform electric field distribution and controllable dendrite growth, leading to a long-term cycle life of over 1400 h and high average Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.2% at 2.0 mA cm-2 and 2.0 mAh cm-2 . These excellent characteristics of the prepared Zn anode show great potential in practical applications for high-performance aqueous Zn-ion batteries.

Unlocking active metal site of Ti-MOF for boosted heterogeneous catalysis via a facile coordinative reconstruction.

Constructing sophisticated hollow structure and exposing more metal sites in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can not only enhance their catalytic performance but also endow them with new functions. Herein, we present a facile coordinative reconstruction strategy to transform Ti-MOF polyhedron into nanosheet-assembled hollow structure with a large amount of exposed metal sites. Importantly, the reconstruction process relies on the esterification reaction between the organic solvent, i.e. ethanol and the carboxylic acid ligand, allowing the conversion of MOF without the addition of any other modulators and/or surfactants. Moreover, the surface and internal structure of the reconstructed MOF can be well tuned via altering the conversion time. Impressively, the reconstructed MOF exhibits ∼5.1-fold rate constant compared to the pristine one in an important desulfurization reaction for clean fuels production, i.e. the oxidation of dibenzothiophene.

Acute kidney injury predicts poor left ventricular function for patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors associated with a poor left ventricular (LV) function among patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and to determine the influence of acute kidney injury (AKI) on the LV function of the patients. METHODS: Sixty patients with PPCM were recruited between January 2007 and June 2018, among which 11 had AKI. The participants were divided into two groups, the recovery group (32 cases) and the nonrecovery group (28 cases), with their clinical features, echocardiography and electrocardiogram findings, laboratory results, and treatments compared between groups. We further determined the risk factors associated with nonrecovery and the influence posed by AKI on the LV function of the patients. RESULTS: Compared with the patients in the recovery group, those in the nonrecovery group had higher proportions of multiparity [78.6% (22/28) vs. 43.8% (14/32)], function class III- IV heart failure [92.9% (26/28) vs. 71.9% (23/32)], and a higher incidence of AKI [35.7% (10/28) vs. 3.1% (1/32)]. Logistic regression analysis showed that having AKI [odds ratio (OR): 10.556; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.177-94.654; P = 0.035] and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40% [OR: 4.533; 95% CI 1.118-18.382; P = 0.034] were independently associated with nonrecovery of PPCM. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of patients with PPCM and AKI during hospitalization was poor compared to those without AKI; therefore, clinicians should pay more attention to this phenomenon.

Boosting Electrocatalytic Activity of 3d-Block Metal (Hydro)oxides by Ligand-Induced Conversion.

The 3d-transition-metal (hydro)oxides belong to a group of highly efficient, scalable and inexpensive electrocatalysts for widespread energy-related applications that feature easily tailorable crystal and electronic structures. We propose a general strategy to further boost their electrocatalytic activities by introducing organic ligands into the framework, considering that most 3d-metal (hydro)oxides usually exhibit quite strong binding with reaction intermediates and thus compromised activity due to the scaling relations. Involving weakly bonded ligands downshifts the d-band center, which narrows the band gap, and optimizes the adsorption of these intermediates. For example, the activity of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) can be greatly promoted by ≈5.7 times over a NiCo layered double hydroxide (LDH) after a terephthalic acid (TPA)-induced conversion process, arising from the reduced energy barrier of the deprotonation of OH* to O*. Impressively, the proposed ligand-induced conversion strategy is applicable to a series of 3d-block metal (hydro)oxides, including NiFe2 O4 , NiCo2 O4 , and NiZn LDH, providing a general structural upgrading scheme for existing high-performance electrocatalytic systems.

Coordinated mechanisms of leaves and roots in response to drought stress underlying full-length transcriptome profiling in Vicia sativa L.

BACKGROUND: Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is an important self-pollinating annual forage legume and is of interest for drought prone regions as a protein source to feed livestock and human consumption. However, the development and production of common vetch are negatively affected by drought stress. Plants have evolved common or distinct metabolic pathways between the aboveground and underground in response to drought stress. Little is known regarding the coordinated response of aboveground and underground tissues of common vetch to drought stress. RESULTS: Our results showed that a total of 30,427 full-length transcripts were identified in 12 samples, with an average length of 2278.89 bp. Global transcriptional profiles of the above 12 samples were then analysed via Illumina-Seq. A total of 3464 and 3062 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the leaves and roots, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses identified that the dehydrin genes and Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase were induced for the biosynthesis of proline and water conservation. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis results indicated that the DEGs were significantly enriched in hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, and arginine and proline metabolism, and various drought response candidate genes were also identified. Abscisic acid (ABA; the AREB/ABF-SnRK2 pathway) regulates the activity of AMY3 and BAM1 to induce starch degradation in leaves and increase carbon export to roots, which may be associated with the drought stress responses in common vetch. Among the co-induced transcription factors (TFs), AREB/ABF, bHLH, MYB, WRKY, and AP2/ERF had divergent expression patterns and may be key in the crosstalk between leaves and roots during adaption to drought stress. In transgenic yeast, the overexpression of four TFs increased yeast tolerance to osmotic stresses. CONCLUSION: The multipronged approach identified in the leaves and roots broadens our understanding of the coordinated mechanisms of drought response in common vetch, and further provides targets to improve drought resistance through genetic engineering.

Non-3d Metal Modulation of a 2D Ni-Co Heterostructure Array as Multifunctional Electrocatalyst for Portable Overall Water Splitting.

Portable water splitting devices driven by rechargeable metal-air batteries or solar cells are promising, however, their scalable usages are still hindered by lack of suitable multifunctional electrocatalysts. Here, a highly efficient multifunctional electrocatalyst is demonstrated, i.e., 2D nanosheet array of Mo-doped NiCo2 O4 /Co5.47 N heterostructure deposited on nickel foam (Mo-NiCo2 O4 /Co5.47 N/NF). The successful doping of non-3d high-valence metal into a heterostructured nanosheet array, which is directly grown on a conductive substrate endows the resultant catalyst with balanced electronic structure, highly exposed active sites, and binder-free electrode architecture. As a result, the Mo-NiCo2 O4 /Co5.47 N/NF exhibits remarkable catalytic activity toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), affording high current densities of 50 mA cm-2 at low overpotentials of 310 mV for OER, and 170 mV for HER, respectively. Moreover, a low voltage of 1.56 V is achieved for the Mo-NiCo2 O4 /Co5.47 N/NF-based water splitting cell to reach 10 mA cm-2 . More importantly, a portable overall water splitting device is demonstrated through the integration of a water-splitting cell and two Zn-air batteries (open-circuit voltage of 1.43 V), which are all fabricated based on Mo-NiCo2 O4 /Co5.47 N/NF, demonstrating a low-cost way to generate fuel energy. This work offers an effective strategy to develop high-performance metal-doped heterostructured electrode.