Homeostatic IL-13 in healthy skin directs dendritic cell differentiation to promote TH2 and inhibit TH17 cell polarization.

The signals driving the adaptation of type 2 dendritic cells (DC2s) to diverse peripheral environments remain mostly undefined. We show that differentiation of CD11blo migratory DC2s-a DC2 population unique to the dermis-required IL-13 signaling dependent on the transcription factors STAT6 and KLF4, whereas DC2s in lung and small intestine were STAT6-independent. Similarly, human DC2s in skin expressed an IL-4 and IL-13 gene signature that was not found in blood, spleen and lung DCs. In mice, IL-13 was secreted homeostatically by dermal innate lymphoid cells and was independent of microbiota, TSLP or IL-33. In the absence of IL-13 signaling, dermal DC2s were stable in number but remained CD11bhi and showed defective activation in response to allergens, with diminished ability to support the development of IL-4+GATA3+ helper T cells (TH), whereas antifungal IL-17+RORγt+ TH cells were increased. Therefore, homeostatic IL-13 fosters a noninflammatory skin environment that supports allergic sensitization.

Unveiling synergy of strain and ligand effects in metallic aerogel for electrocatalytic polyethylene terephthalate upcycling.

Recently, there has been a notable surge in interest regarding reclaiming valuable chemicals from waste plastics. However, the energy-intensive conventional thermal catalysis does not align with the concept of sustainable development. Herein, we report a sustainable electrocatalytic approach allowing the selective synthesis of glycolic acid (GA) from waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) over a Pd67Ag33 alloy catalyst under ambient conditions. Notably, Pd67Ag33 delivers a high mass activity of 9.7 A mgPd-1 for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) and GA Faradaic efficiency of 92.7 %, representing the most active catalyst for selective GA synthesis. In situ experiments and computational simulations uncover that ligand effect induced by Ag incorporation enhances the GA selectivity by facilitating carbonyl intermediates desorption, while the lattice mismatch-triggered tensile strain optimizes the adsorption of *OH species to boost reaction kinetics. This work unveils the synergistic of strain and ligand effect in alloy catalyst and provides guidance for the design of future catalysts for PET upcycling. We further investigate the versatility of Pd67Ag33 catalyst on CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) and assemble EGOR//CO2RR integrated electrolyzer, presenting a pioneering demonstration for reforming waste carbon resource (i.e., PET and CO2) into high-value chemicals.

Cryptochrome 1b represses gibberellin signaling to enhance lodging resistance in maize.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important crops worldwide. Photoperiod, light quality, and light intensity in the environment can affect the growth, development, yield, and quality of maize. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), cryptochromes are blue-light receptors that mediate the photocontrol of stem elongation, leaf expansion, shade tolerance, and photoperiodic flowering. However, the function of maize cryptochrome ZmCRY in maize architecture and photomorphogenic development remains largely elusive. The ZmCRY1b transgene product can activate the light signaling pathway in Arabidopsis and complement the etiolation phenotype of the cry1-304 mutant. Our findings show that the loss-of-function mutant of ZmCRY1b in maize exhibits more etiolation phenotypes under low blue light and appears slender in the field compared with wild-type plants. Under blue and white light, overexpression of ZmCRY1b in maize substantially inhibits seedling etiolation and shade response by enhancing protein accumulation of the bZIP transcription factors ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (ZmHY5) and ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5-LIKE (ZmHY5L), which directly upregulate the expression of genes encoding gibberellin (GA) 2-oxidase to deactivate GA and repress plant height. More interestingly, ZmCRY1b enhances lodging resistance by reducing plant and ear heights and promoting root growth in both inbred lines and hybrids. In conclusion, ZmCRY1b contributes blue-light signaling upon seedling de-etiolation and integrates light signals with the GA metabolic pathway in maize, resulting in lodging resistance and providing information for improving maize varieties.

A genome-wide association study identifies genes associated with cuticular wax metabolism in maize.

The plant cuticle is essential in plant defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. To systematically elucidate the genetic architecture of maize (Zea mays L.) cuticular wax metabolism, 2 cuticular wax-related traits, the chlorophyll extraction rate (CER) and water loss rate (WLR) of 389 maize inbred lines, were investigated and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using 1.25 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In total, 57 nonredundant quantitative trait loci (QTL) explaining 5.57% to 15.07% of the phenotypic variation for each QTL were identified. These QTLs contained 183 genes, among which 21 strong candidates were identified based on functional annotations and previous publications. Remarkably, 3 candidate genes that express differentially during cuticle development encode ß-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS). While ZmKCS19 was known to be involved in cuticle wax metabolism, ZmKCS12 and ZmKCS3 functions were not reported. The association between ZmKCS12 and WLR was confirmed by resequencing 106 inbred lines, and the variation of WLR was significant between different haplotypes of ZmKCS12. In this study, the loss-of-function mutant of ZmKCS12 exhibited wrinkled leaf morphology, altered wax crystal morphology, and decreased C32 wax monomer levels, causing an increased WLR and sensitivity to drought. These results confirm that ZmKCS12 plays a vital role in maize C32 wax monomer synthesis and is critical for drought tolerance. In sum, through GWAS of 2 cuticular wax-associated traits, this study reveals comprehensively the genetic architecture in maize cuticular wax metabolism and provides a valuable reference for the genetic improvement of stress tolerance in maize.

Natural variations of heterosis-related allele-specific expression genes in promoter regions lead to allele-specific expression in maize.

BACKGROUND: Heterosis has successfully enhanced maize productivity and quality. Although significant progress has been made in delineating the genetic basis of heterosis, the molecular mechanisms underlying its genetic components remain less explored. Allele-specific expression (ASE), the imbalanced expression between two parental alleles in hybrids, is increasingly being recognized as a factor contributing to heterosis. ASE is a complex process regulated by both epigenetic and genetic variations in response to developmental and environmental conditions. RESULTS: In this study, we explored the differential characteristics of ASE by analyzing the transcriptome data of two maize hybrids and their parents under four light conditions. On the basis of allele expression patterns in different hybrids under various conditions, ASE genes were divided into three categories: bias-consistent genes involved in basal metabolic processes in a functionally complementary manner, bias-reversal genes adapting to the light environment, and bias-specific genes maintaining cell homeostasis. We observed that 758 ASE genes (ASEGs) were significantly overlapped with heterosis quantitative trait loci (QTLs), and high-frequency variations in the promoter regions of heterosis-related ASEGs were identified between parents. In addition, 10 heterosis-related ASEGs participating in yield heterosis were selected during domestication. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive analysis of ASEGs offers a distinctive perspective on how light quality influences gene expression patterns and gene-environment interactions, with implications for the identification of heterosis-related ASEGs to enhance maize yield.

Polyaniline/Tungsten Trioxide Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Anode for Aqueous Proton Batteries.

Aqueous proton batteries have received increasing attention due to their outstanding rate performance, stability and high capacity. However, the selection of anode materials in strongly acidic electrolytes poses a challenge in achieving high-performance aqueous proton batteries. This study optimized the proton reaction kinetics of layered metal oxide WO3 by introducing interlayer structural water and coating polyaniline (PANI) on its surface to prepare organic-inorganic hybrid material (WO3 ⋅ 2H2O@PANI). We constructed an aqueous proton battery with WO3 ⋅ 2H2O@PANI anode and MnO2@GF cathode. After 1500 cycles at a current density of 10 A g-1, the capacity retention rate can still reach 80.2 %. These results can inspire the development of new aqueous proton batteries.

Bioinspired Tandem Electrode for Selective Electrocatalytic Synthesis of Ammonia from Aqueous Nitrate.

The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) has recently emerged as a promising technique for readily converting aqueous nitrate (NO3-) pollutants into valuable ammonia (NH3). It is vital to thoroughly understand the mechanism of the reaction to rationally design and construct advanced electrocatalytic systems that can effectively and selectively drive the NO3RR. There are several natural enzymes that incorporate molybdenum (Mo) and that can activate NO3-. Based on this, a cadmium (Cd) single-atom anchored Mo2TiC2Tx electrocatalyst (referred to as CdSA-Mo2TiC2Tx) through the NO3RR to generate NH3 was rationally designed and demonstrated. In an H-type electrolysis cell and at a current density of 42.5 mA cm-2, the electrocatalyst had a Faradaic efficiency of >95% and an impressive NH3 yield rate of 48.5 mg h-1 cm-2. Moreover, the conversion of NO3- to NH3 on the CdSA-Mo2TiC2Tx surface was further revealed by operando attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and an electrochemical differential mass spectrometer. The electrocatalyst significantly outperformed Mo2TiC2Tx as well as reported state-of-the-art catalysts. Density functional theory calculations revealed that CdSA-Mo2TiC2Tx decreased the ability of the d-p orbital to hybridize with NH3* intermediates, thereby decreasing the activation energy of the potential-determining step. This work not only highlights the application prospects of heavy metal single-atom catalysts in the NO3RR but also provides examples of bio-inspired electrocatalysts for the synthesis of NH3.

Iridium-Catalyzed Double Convergent 1,3-Rearrangement/Hydrogenation of Allylic Alcohols.

Enantioconvergent catalysis has the potential to convert different isomers of a starting material to a single highly enantioenriched product. Here we report a novel enantioselective double convergent 1,3-rearrangement/hydrogenation of allylic alcohols using an Ir-N,P catalyst. A variety of allylic alcohols, each consisting of a 1:1:1:1 mixture of four isomers, were converted to the corresponding tertiary alcohols with two contiguous stereogenic centers, in up to 99% ee and 99:1 d.r. DFT calculations, and control experiments suggest that the 1,3-rearrangement is the crucial stereodetermining element of the reaction.

Combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis reveals the effects of light quality on maize hybrids.

BACKGROUND: Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, refers to the phenotypic superiority of an F1 hybrid relative to its parents in terms of growth rate, biomass production, grain yield, and stress tolerance. Light is an energy source and main environmental cue with marked impacts on heterosis in plants. Research into the production applications and mechanism of heterosis has been conducted for over a century and a half, but little is known about the effect of light on plant heterosis. RESULTS: In this study, an integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis was performed using maize (Zea mays L.) inbred parents, B73 and Mo17, and their hybrids, B73 × Mo17 (BM) and Mo17 × B73 (MB), grown in darkness or under far-red, red, or blue light. Most differentially expressed genes (73.72-92.50%) and differentially accumulated metabolites (84.74-94.32%) exhibited non-additive effects in BM and MB hybrids. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that differential genes and metabolites were involved in glutathione transfer, carbohydrate transport, terpenoid biosynthesis, and photosynthesis. The darkness, far-red, red, and blue light treatments were all associated with phenylpropanoid-flavonoid biosynthesis by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis. Five genes and seven metabolites related to phenylpropanoid-flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were identified as potential contributors to the interactions between maize heterosis and light conditions. Consistent with the strong mid-parent heterosis observed for metabolites, significant increases in both fresh and dry weights were found in the MB and BM hybrids compared with their inbred parents. Unexpectedly, increasing light intensity resulted in higher biomass heterosis in MB, but lower biomass heterosis in BM. CONCLUSIONS: The transcriptomic and metabolomic results provide unique insights into the effects of light quality on gene expression patterns and genotype-environment interactions, and have implications for gene mining of heterotic loci to improve maize production.

Moiré Superlattice Structure in Two-Dimensional Catalysts: Synthesis, Property and Activity.

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have been widely used as catalysts due to their high specific surface area, large fraction of uncoordinated surface atoms, and high charge carrier mobility. Moiré superlattice emerges in 2D layered materials with twist angle or lattice mismatch. By manipulating the moiré superlattice structure, 2D layered materials present modulated electronic band structure, topological edge states, and unconventional superconductivity which are tightly associated with the performance of catalysts. Hence, engineering moiré superlattice structures are proposed to be an important technology in modifying 2D layered materials for improved catalytic properties. However, currently, the investigation of moiré superlattice structure in a catalytic application is still in its infancy. This perspective starts with the discussion of structural features and fabrication strategy of 2D materials with moiré superlattice structure. Afterward, the catalytic applications, including electrocatalytic and photocatalytic applications, are summarized. In particular, the promotion mechanism of the catalytic performance caused by the moiré superlattice structure is proposed. Finally, the perspective is concluded by outlining the remaining challenges and possible solutions for the future development of 2D materials with moiré superlattice structure towards the catalytic applications.

A Membrane-Free Decoupled Water Electrolyzer Operating at Simulated Fluctuating Renewables with Tri-Functional NiCo-P Electrode.

Water electrolysis has been considered a promising technology for the conversion of renewables to hydrogen. However, preventing mixing of products (H2 and O2 ) and exploring cost-efficient electrolysis components remains challenging for conventional water electrolyzers. Herein, we designed a membrane-free decoupled water electrolysis system by using graphite felt supported nickel-cobalt phosphate (GF@Nix Coy -P) material as a tri-functional (redox mediator, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER)) electrode. The versatile GF@Ni1 Co1 -P electrode obtained by a one-step electrodeposition not only exhibits high specific capacity (176 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 ) and long cycle life (80 % capacity retention after 3000 cycles) as a redox mediator, but also has relatively outstanding catalytic activities for HER and OER. The excellent properties of the GF@Nix Coy -P electrode endow this decoupled system with more flexibility for H2 production by fluctuating renewable energies. This work provides guidance for multifunctional applications of transition metal compounds between energy storage and electrocatalysis.

Self-Constructing 100% Water-Resistant Metal Sulfides through In Situ Acid Etching for Effective Elemental Mercury (Hg0) Capture.

Metal sulfides (MSs) can efficiently entrap thiophilic components, such as elemental mercury (Hg0), and realize environmental remediation. However, there is still a critical problem challenging the extensive application of MSs in related areas, i.e., how to self-regulate their water (H2O) resistance without complexing the sorbent preparation procedure. This work for the first time developed an in situ acid-etching method that self-engineered the water affinity of MSs through changing the interfacial interaction between MSs and Hg0/H2O. The introduction of abundant, undercoordinated sulfur onto the sorbent surface was the primary reason accounting for the significantly improved H2O resistance. The high surface coverage of undercoordinated sulfur induced the formation of polysulfur chains (Sx2-) that stabilized Hg0 via a bridging bond and repelled H2O, attributed to the favorable electron configurations. These properties made the surface of MSs highly hydrophobic and increased the adsorption selectivity toward Hg0 over H2O. The MSs exhibited 100% H2O resistance even in the presence of 20% H2O, which is much higher than the H2O concentration under most practical scenarios. From these perspectives, this work for the first time overcame the detrimental effects of H2O on MSs through a self-regulating way that is scalable and negligibly complexes the sorbent preparation pathway. The highly water-resistant and cost-effective MSs as prepared can serve as efficient Hg0 removal from industrial flue gas in the future.

Fluidic MXene Electrode Functionalized with Iron Single Atoms for Selective Electrocatalytic Nitrate Transformation to Ammonia.

The growth of renewable energy industries and the ongoing need for fertilizer in agriculture have created a need for sustainable production of ammonia (NH3) using low-cost, environment-friendly techniques. The electrocatalytic nitrate (NO3-) reduction reaction (NO3RR) has the potential to improve both the management of environmental nitrogen and the recycling of synthetic nutrients. However, NO3RR is frequently hindered by the incomplete NO3- conversion, sluggish reaction kinetics, and suppression of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Inspired by specific local electronic structures that are adjustable for single-atom catalysts, this work presents a nanohybrid electrocatalytic filter with iron single atoms (FeSA) immobilized on MXene. The fabricated FeSA/MXene filter exhibited maximum NH3 Faradaic efficiency and selectivity (82.9 and 99.2%, respectively) that were higher than those for filters made of Fe nanoparticles anchored on MXene (FeNP/MXene) (69.2 and 81.3%, respectively) and MXene alone (32.8 and 52.4%, respectively), measured at an initial pH of 7 and an applied potential of -1.4 V vs Ag/AgCl. Density functional theory calculations revealed that, compared to the FeNP/MXene filter, the FeSA/MXene filter prevented the competition from the HER and reduced the activation energy of the potential-limiting step (*NO to *NHO) that made the NH3 synthesis thermodynamically favorable . This work highlights an alternative strategy for achieving a synergistic NO3- removal and nutrient recovery with durable catalytic activity and stability.

Interpretable prediction of 3-year all-cause mortality in patients with chronic heart failure based on machine learning.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of machine learning models and create an interpretable machine learning model that adequately explained 3-year all-cause mortality in patients with chronic heart failure. METHODS: The data in this paper were selected from patients with chronic heart failure who were hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, from 2017 to 2019 with cardiac function class III-IV. The dataset was explored using six different machine learning models, including logistic regression, naive Bayes, random forest classifier, extreme gradient boost, K-nearest neighbor, and decision tree. Finally, interpretable methods based on machine learning, such as SHAP value, permutation importance, and partial dependence plots, were used to estimate the 3-year all-cause mortality risk and produce individual interpretations of the model's conclusions. RESULT: In this paper, random forest was identified as the optimal aools lgorithm for this dataset. We also incorporated relevant machine learning interpretable tand techniques to improve disease prognosis, including permutation importance, PDP plots and SHAP values for analysis. From this study, we can see that the number of hospitalizations, age, glomerular filtration rate, BNP, NYHA cardiac function classification, lymphocyte absolute value, serum albumin, hemoglobin, total cholesterol, pulmonary artery systolic pressure and so on were important for providing an optimal risk assessment and were important predictive factors of chronic heart failure. CONCLUSION: The machine learning-based cardiovascular risk models could be used to accurately assess and stratify the 3-year risk of all-cause mortality among CHF patients. Machine learning in combination with permutation importance, PDP plots, and the SHAP value could offer a clear explanation of individual risk prediction and give doctors an intuitive knowledge of the functions of important model components.

Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate - a step towards a sustainable nitrogen cycle.

Nitrate enrichment, which is mainly caused by the over-utilization of fertilisers and industrial sewage discharge, is a major global engineering challenge because of its negative influence on the environment and human health. To solve this serious problem, many technologies, such as the activated sludge method, reverse osmosis, ion exchange, adsorption, and electrodialysis, have been developed to reduce the nitrate levels in water bodies. However, the applications of these traditional techniques are limited by several drawbacks, such as a long sludge retention time, slow kinetics, and undesirable by-products. From an environmental perspective, the most promising nitrate reduction technology is enabled to convert nitrate into benign N2, and features low cost, high efficiency, and environmental friendliness. Recently, electrocatalytic nitrate reduction has been proven by satisfactory research achievements to be one of the most promising methods among these technologies. This review provides a comprehensive account of nitrate reduction using electrocatalysis methods. The fundamentals of electrocatalytic nitrate reduction, including the reaction mechanisms, reactor design principles, product detection methods, and performance evaluation methods, have been systematically summarised. A detailed introduction to electrocatalytic nitrate reduction on transition metals, especially noble metals and alloys, Cu-based electrocatalysts, and Fe-based electrocatalysts is provided, as they are essential for the accurate reporting of experimental results. The current challenges and potential opportunities in this field, including the innovation of material design systems, value-added product yields, and challenges for products beyond N2 and large-scale sewage treatment, are highlighted.

Arabidopsis phytochromes A and B synergistically repress SPA1 under blue light.

In Arabidopsis, although studies have demonstrated that phytochrome A (phyA) and phyB are involved in blue light signaling, how blue light-activated phytochromes modulate the activity of the CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1)-SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA-105 (SPA1) E3 complex remains largely unknown. Here, we show that phyA responds to early and weak blue light, whereas phyB responds to sustainable and strong blue light. Activation of both phyA and phyB by blue light inhibits SPA1 activity. Specifically, blue light irradiation promoted the nuclear import of both phytochromes to stimulate their binding to SPA1, abolishing SPA1's interaction with LONG HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) to release HY5, which promoted seedling photomorphogenesis.

HY5-HDA9 orchestrates the transcription of HsfA2 to modulate salt stress response in Arabidopsis.

Integration of light signaling and diverse abiotic stress responses contribute to plant survival in a changing environment. Some reports have indicated that light signals contribute a plant's ability to deal with heat, cold, and stress. However, the molecular link between light signaling and the salt-response pathways remains unclear. We demonstrate here that increasing light intensity elevates the salt stress tolerance of plants. Depletion of HY5, a key component of light signaling, causes Arabidopsis thaliana to become salinity sensitive. Interestingly, the small heat shock protein (sHsp) family genes are upregulated in hy5-215 mutant plants, and HsfA2 is commonly involved in the regulation of these sHsps. We found that HY5 directly binds to the G-box motifs in the HsfA2 promoter, with the cooperation of HISTONE DEACETYLASE 9 (HDA9), to repress its expression. Furthermore, the accumulation of HDA9 and the interaction between HY5 and HDA9 are significantly enhanced by salt stress. On the contrary, high temperature triggers HY5 and HDA9 degradation, which leads to dissociation of HY5-HDA9 from the HsfA2 promoter, thereby reducing salt tolerance. Under salt and heat stress conditions, fine tuning of protein accumulation and an interaction between HY5 and HDA9 regulate HsfA2 expression. This implies that HY5, HDA9, and HsfA2 play important roles in the integration of light signaling with salt stress and heat shock response.

Iron Nanoparticles Protected by Chainmail-structured Graphene for Durable Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Nitrogen.

The electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3 RR) is an appealing technology for regulating the nitrogen cycle. Metallic iron is one of the well-known electrocatalysts for NO3 RR, but it suffers from poor durability due to leaching and oxidation of iron during the electrocatalytic process. In this work, a graphene-nanochainmail-protected iron nanoparticle (Fe@Gnc) electrocatalyst is reported. It displays superior nitrate removal efficiency and high nitrogen selectivity. Notably, the catalyst delivers exceptional stability and durability, with the nitrate removal rate and nitrogen selectivity remained ≈96 % of that of the first time after up to 40 cycles (24 h for one cycle). As expected, the conductive graphene nanochainmail provides robust protection for the internal iron active sites, allowing Fe@Gnc to maintain its long-lasting electrochemical nitrate catalytic activity. This research proposes a workable solution for the scientific challenge of poor lasting ability of iron-based electrocatalysts in large-scale industrialization.

Phenazine-based Compound Realizing Separate Hydrogen and Oxygen Production in Electrolytic Water Splitting.

Electrocatalytic water splitting powered by renewable energy is a sustainable approach for hydrogen production. However, conventional water electrolysis may suffer from gas mixing, and the different kinetics between hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) will limit the direct use of unstable renewable energies, leading to increased cost of H2 production. Herein, a novel phenazine-based compound is synthesized to develop the solid-state redox mediator associated water splititng process, and thus decoupling the H2 and O2 production in acid solution without the use of membrane. Excitingly, this organic redox mediator exhibits high specific capacity (290 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 ), excellent rate performance (186 mAh g-1 at 30 A g-1 ) and long cycle life (3000 cycles) due to its π-conjugated aromatic structure and the fast kinetics of H+ storage/release process. Furthermore, a membrane-free decoupled water electrolysis architecture driven by solar energy is achieved, demonstrating high-purity H2 production at different times.