Modulation of active center distance of hybrid perovskite for boosting photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to ethylene.

Solar-driven photocatalytic CO2 reduction is an energy-efficient and sustainable strategy to mitigate CO2 levels in the atmosphere. However, efficient and selective conversion of CO2 into multi-carbon products, like C2H4, remains a great challenge due to slow multi-electron-proton transfer and sluggish C-C coupling. Herein, a two-dimensional thin-layered hybrid perovskite is fabricated through filling of oxygen into iodine vacancy in pristine DMASnI3 (DMA = dimethylammonium). The rational-designed DMASnI3(O) induces shrinkage of active sites distance and facilitates dimerization of C-C coupling of intermediates. Upon simulated solar irradiation, the DMASnI3(O) photocatalyst achieves a high selectivity of 74.5%, corresponding to an impressive electron selectivity of 94.6%, for CO2 to C2H4 conversion and an effective C2H4 yield of 11.2 µmol g-1 h-1. In addition, the DMASnI3(O) inherits excellent water stability and implements long-term photocatalytic CO2 reduction to C2H4 in a water medium. This work establishes a unique paradigm to convert CO2 to C2+ hydrocarbons in a perovskite-based photocatalytic system.

Observation of Weyl exceptional rings in thermal diffusion.

SignificanceThermal diffusion is dissipative and strongly related to non-Hermitian physics. At the same time, non-Hermitian Weyl systems have spurred tremendous interest across photonics and acoustics. This correlation has been long ignored and hence shed little light upon the question of whether the Weyl exceptional ring (WER) in thermal diffusion could exist. Intuitively, thermal diffusion provides no real parameter dimensions, thus prohibiting a topological nature and WER. This work breaks this perception by imitating synthetic dimensions via two spatiotemporal advection pairs. The WER is achieved in thermal diffusive systems. Both surface-like and bulk states are demonstrated by coupling two WERs with opposite topological charges. These findings extend topological notions to diffusions and motivate investigation of non-Hermitian diffusive and dissipative control.

Embryo sac development relies on symplastic signals from ovular integuments in Arabidopsis.

Ovules are female reproductive organs of angiosperms, consisting of sporophytic integuments surrounding female gametophytes, that is, embryo sacs. Synchronization between integument growth and embryo sac development requires intracellular communication. However, signaling routes through which cells of the two generations communicate are unclear. We report that symplastic signals through plasmodesmata (PDs) of integuments are critical for the development of female gametophytes. Genetic interferences of PD biogenesis either by functional loss of CHOLINE TRANSPORTER-LIKE1 (CTL1) or by integument-specific expression of a mutated CALLOSE SYNTHASE 3 (cals3m) compromised PD formation in integuments and reduced fertility. Close examination of pINO:cals3m or ctl1 ovules indicated that female gametophytic development was either arrested at various stages after the formation of functional megaspores. In both cases, defective ovules could not attract pollen tubes, leading to the failure of fertilization. Results presented here demonstrate a key role of the symplastic route in sporophytic control of female gametophytic development.

OsCBL5-CIPK1-PP23 module enhances rice grain size and weight through the gibberellin pathway.

Grain size is a key factor in determining rice (Oryza sativa) yield, and exploring new pathways to regulate grain size has immense potential to improve yield. In this study, we report that OsCBL5 encodes a calcineurin B subunit protein that significantly promotes grain size and weight. oscbl5 plants produced obviously smaller and lighter seeds. We further revealed that OsCBL5 promotes grain size by affecting cell expansion in the spikelet hull. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that CBL5 interacts with CIPK1 and PP23. Furthermore, double and triple mutations were induced using CRISPR/Cas9 (cr) to analyze the genetic relationship. It was found that the cr-cbl5/cipk1 phenotype was similar to that of cr-cipk1 and that the cr-cbl5/pp23, cr-cipk1/pp23, and cr-cbl5/cipk1/pp23 phenotype was similar to that of cr-pp23, indicating that OsCBL5, CIPK1, and PP23 act as a molecular module influencing seed size. In addition, the results show that both CBL5 and CIPK1 are involved in the gibberellic acid (GA) pathway and significantly affect the accumulation of endogenous active GA4 . PP23 participates in GA signal transduction. In brief, this study identified a new module that affects rice grain size, OsCBL5-CIPK1-PP23, which could potentially be targeted to improve rice yield.

Regulatory Effects of Diverse DSF Family Quorum-Sensing Signals in Plant-Associated Bacteria.

Numerous bacterial species employ diffusible signal factor (DSF)-based quorum sensing (QS) as a widely conserved cell-cell signaling communication system to collectively regulate various behaviors crucial for responding to environmental changes. cis-11-Methyl-dodecenoic acid, known as DSF, was first identified as a signaling molecule in Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Subsequently, many structurally related molecules have been identified in different bacterial species. This review aims to provide an overview of current understanding regarding the biosynthesis and regulatory role of DSF signals in both pathogenic bacteria and a biocontrol bacterium. Recent studies have revealed that the DSF-based QS system regulates antimicrobial factor production in a cyclic dimeric GMP-independent manner in the biocontrol bacterium Lysobacter enzymogenes. Additionally, the DSF family signals have been found to be involved in suppressing plant innate immunity. The discovery of these diverse signaling mechanisms holds significant promise for developing novel strategies to combat stubborn plant pathogens. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Unipolar Solution Flow in Calcium-Organic Frameworks for Seawater-Evaporation-Induced Electricity Generation.

Seawater-flow- and -evaporation-induced electricity generation holds significant promise in advancing next-generation sustainable energy technologies. This method relies on the electrokinetic effect but faces substantial limitations when operating in a highly ion-concentrated environment, for example, natural seawater. We present herein a novel solution using calcium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs, C12H6Ca2O19·2H2O) for seawater-evaporation-induced electricity generation. Remarkably, Ca-MOFs show an open-circuit voltage of 0.4 V and a short-circuit current of 14 µA when immersed in seawater under natural conditions. Our experiments and simulations revealed that sodium (Na) ions selectively transport within sub-nanochannels of these synthetic superhydrophilic MOFs. This selective ion transport engenders a unipolar solution flow, which drives the electricity generation behavior in seawater. This work not only showcases an effective Ca-MOF for electricity generation through seawater flow/evaporation but also contributes significantly to our understanding of water-driven energy harvesting technologies and their potential applications beyond this specific context.

Oncogenic and immunological roles of RACGAP1 in pan-cancer and its potential value in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

A particular GTPase-activating protein called RACGAP1 is involved in apoptosis, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance in a variety of malignancies. Nevertheless, the role of RACGAP1 in pan-cancer was less studied, and its value of the expression and prognostic of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has not been explored. Hence, the goal of this study was to investigate the oncogenic and immunological roles of RACGAP1 in various cancers and its potential value in NPC. We comprehensively analyzed RACGAP1 expression, prognostic value, function, methylation levels, relationship with immune cells, immune infiltration, and immunotherapy response in pan-cancer utilizing multiple databases. The results discovered that RACGAP1 expression was elevated in most cancers and suggested poor prognosis, which could be related to the involvement of RACGAP1 in various cancer-related pathways such as the cell cycle and correlated with RACGAP1 methylation levels, immune cell infiltration and reaction to immunotherapy, and chemoresistance. RACGAP1 could inhibit anti-tumor immunity and immunotherapy responses by fostering immune cell infiltration and cytotoxic T lymphocyte dysfunction. Significantly, we validated that RACGAP1 mRNA and protein were highly expressed in NPC. The Gene Expression Omnibus database revealed that elevated RACGAP1 expression was associated with shorter PFS in patients with NPC, and RACGAP1 potentially influenced cell cycle progression, DNA replication, metabolism, and immune-related pathways, resulting in the recurrence and metastasis of NPC. This study indicated that RACGAP1 could be a potential biomarker in pan-cancer and NPC.

High-Throughput Multitarget Molecular Detection in an Automatic Light-Addressable Photoelectrochemical Sensing Platform.

Successively emerged high-throughput multitarget molecular detection methods bring significant development tides in chemical, biological, and environmental fields. However, several persistent challenges of intricate sample preparation, expensive instruments, and tedious and skilled operations still need to be further addressed. Here, we propose an automatic light-addressable photoelectrochemical (ALA-PEC) sensing platform for sensitive and selective detection of multitarget molecules. With Au nanoparticle-decorated TiO2 nanotube photonic crystals (Au-TiO2 NTPCs) as a photoelectrode and 8 kinds of antibiotics as target molecules, the ALA-PEC sensing system implements automatic detection of multimolecules in a short time with high sensitivity and good selectivity. Random samples with different amounts of antibiotics have been well-distinguished in the ALA-PEC system, and both the chemical components and concentrations have been well-illustrated in a pattern recognition model. It is worth noting that 8 samples are not the limit of the ALA-PEC sensing platform, which can be easily expanded to more complex detection arrays based on practical needs. The emerging ALA-PEC sensing platform provides a new solution for rapid screening and detection of multitarget and high-throughput substances and potentially brings the automatic, portable, sensitive, high-throughput, and cost-effective detection technique to an entire new realm.

Optical Fiber Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor for Glyceryl Tributyrate Detection Based on the PAA/CS Composite Hydrogel Embedding Protease Method.

Glycerol tributyrate as a low-density lipoprotein plays a crucial role in drug development and food safety. In this work, a novel high-stability fiber optic sensor for glyceryl tributyrate based on the poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and chitosan (CS) composite hydrogel embedding method is first proposed. Compared with traditional functionalization, the lipase in a polymer network structure used in this article can not only avoid chemical reactions that cause damage to the enzyme structure but also avoid the instability of ionic bonds and physical adsorption. Therefore, the PAA/CS hydrogel method proposed in this article can effectively retain enzyme structure. First, the impact of different layers (one to five layers) of PAA/CS on pH sensing performance was explored, and it was determined that layers 1-3 could be used for subsequent sensing experiments. Within the linear detection range of 0.5-10 mM, the detection sensitivities of the one to three layers of the biosensor are divided into 0.65, 0.95, and 1.51 nm/mM, respectively, with the three layers having the best effect. When the number of coating layers is three, the detection limit of the sensor is 0.47 mM, meeting the millimole level detection standard for anticancer requirement. Furthermore, the stability and selectivity of the sensor (in the presence of hemoglobin, urea, cholesterol, acetylcholine, and glucose) were analyzed. The three-layer sensor is used for sample detection. At concentrations of 1-10 mM, the absolute value of the recovery percentage (%) is 82-99%, which can accurately detect samples. The sensor proposed in this paper has the advantages of low sample consumption, high sensitivity, simple structure, and label-free measurement. The enzyme-embedding method provides a new route for rapid and reliable glyceryl tributyrate detection, which has potential applications in food safety as well as the development of anticancer drugs.

Nanoconfined Silver Nanoclusters Combined with X-Shaped DNA Recognizer-Triggered Cascade Amplification for Electrochemiluminescence Detection of APE1.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), as a vital base excision repair enzyme, is essential for maintaining genomic integrity and stability, and its abnormal expression is closely associated with malignant tumors. Herein, we constructed an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor for detecting APE1 activity by combining nanoconfined ECL silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) with X-shaped DNA recognizer-triggered cascade amplification. Specifically, the Ag NCs were prepared and confined in the glutaraldehyde-cross-linked chitosan hydrogel network using the one-pot method, resulting in a strong ECL response and exceptional stability in comparison with discrete Ag NCs. Furthermore, the self-assembled X-shaped DNA recognizers were designed for APE1 detection, which not only improved reaction kinetics due to the ordered arrangement of recognition sites but also achieved high sensitivity by utilizing the recognizer-triggered cascade amplification of strand displacement amplification (SDA) and DNAzyme catalysis. As expected, this biosensor achieved sensitive ECL detection of APE1 in the range of 1.0 × 10-3 U·µL-1 to 1.0 × 10-10 U·µL-1 with the detection limit of 2.21 × 10-11 U·µL-1, rendering it a desirable approach for biomarker detection.

Fluorescent Noncovalent Organic Framework for Supporting Gold Nanoparticles as Heterogeneous Catalyst with Merits of Easy Detection and Recycle.

A porous noncovalent organic framework with AIE effect is designed and synthesized as the support for gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The framework is fabricated through the electrostatic complexation between carboxymethyl cellulose and tetraphenylethene-containing ammonium surfactant, which can complex AuNPs via the noncovalent interactions to offer a heterogeneous catalyst. Compared to the covalent modification on cellulose, this noncovalent framework gains superiorities in the catalyst synthesis and the size control of AuNPs. The AIE property and water-insolubility allow such heterogeneous catalysts to be easily detected, separated, and recycled, opening a new pathway for the reduction of nitrobenzene compounds and some dye compounds in aqueous conditions, which present the features of green chemistry. The use of cellulose for developing new heterogeneous metal catalysts, especially in a noncovalent way, would promote the value-added utilization of cellulose. This work provides a design strategy for gaining heterogeneous metal catalysts by taking advantage of natural bioresources.

4.1 W continuous-wave and broadly wavelength tunable Tm-doped laser in 2.1-2.4 µm spectral region based on vibronic and electronic transitions.

Efficient diode-pumped continuous-wave (CW) and wavelength tunable Tm:YAP lasers based on the vibronic and electronic transitions are investigated. A total maximum output power of 4.1 W is achieved with multi-wavelength output around 2162 nm and 2274 nm, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 29.8% for a 3 at. % Tm:YAP crystal. A maximum output power of 2.48 W with a slope efficiency of 25.4% is obtained at 2146 nm for a 4 at. % Tm:YAP crystal. Using a birefringent filter (BF), the emission wavelengths of the Tm:YAP laser are tuned over spectral ranges of 59 nm from 2115 nm to 2174 nm and 127 nm from 2267 nm to 2394 nm, respectively, which is the first demonstration of wavelength tunable Tm:YAP laser based on the electronic transition 3H4→3H5 and vibronic transition 3F4→3H6, to the best of our knowledge. The results show great potentials of the Tm:YAP crystal for realizing efficient lasers in the spectral range of 2.1-2.4 µm.

Serum NLRP3: A potential marker for identifying high-risk coronary arterial aneurysm in children with Kawasaki disease.

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a vasculitis of unknown etiology in children aged under 5 years. Coronary arterial aneurysm (CAA) is the major complication of KD. It is no longer though to be a self-limiting disease because its cardiovascular sequelae might persist into adulthood. NLRP3 is a key protein of the NLRP3 inflammasome that participates in sterile inflammatory disease. This study investigated the serum levels of NLRP3 in patients with KD at different stages to explore the relationships between serum NLRP3 and clinical parameters. METHODS: A total of 247 children enrolled in this study. There were 123 patients in the acute stage of KD, and 93 healthy children made up the healthy control (HC) group. Among the acute KD patients, 52 had coronary arterial aneurysm (KD-CAA) and 71 did not (KD-NCAA). 36 patient samples were collected after IVIG and aspirin treatment. Additionally, 29 patients were in the cardiovascular sequelae stage. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure serum NLRP3 levels in all subjects. RESULTS: Serum NLRP3 was elevated in the KD group and was even higher in the KD-CAA subgroup than in the KD-NCAA subgroup of acute-stage patients. Serum NLRP3 declined when the patients were treated with IVIG and aspirin, but during the convalescent (coronary sequelae) stage, serum NLRP3 re-increased. Serum NLRP3 was higher in the ≥ 6-mm-coronary-arterial-diameter group than that the < 6-mm-diameter group. The ROC curve of serum NLRP3 indicated its utility in the prediction of both KD and KD-CAA. CONCLUSIONS: NLRP3 may be involved in the development of KD and CAA in children with KD. Targeting NLRP3 might mitigate CAA, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in adulthood.

Multi-wavelength second-harmonic generation in a double-clad high nonlinear fiber induced by multiple phase-matching.

In this study, multi-wavelength second-harmonic generation (SHG) based on self-phase modulation (SPM) broadband supercontinuum (SC) was observed by employing a double-clad high nonlinear optical fiber (HNLF) in conjunction with a femtosecond laser. At a wavelength of 1050 nm and an average pump power of 320 mW, multiple phase-matching conditions were achieved, and SH signals of central wavelengths ∼530.7 nm, ∼525.1 nm, ∼503.5 nm, and ∼478.7 nm were observed, with SHG efficiency reaching ∼1.34 × 10-4. The SHG in this experiment can be attributed to the utilization of a doped optical fiber, where dopants create defect states, facilitating optical-chemical transformation and enhancing second-order polarization susceptibility. Additionally, theoretical simulations were conducted, aligning closely with the experimental findings. To the best of our knowledge, this work marks the first demonstration of multi-wavelength SHG in optical fibers. It offers a distinctive avenue for customizing multi-wavelength ultrafast light sources, exhibiting great application potential in the fields of medical diagnostics and optical sensing.

Cooperation between the Cu+ and Cu2+ species in CuCoAl layered double hydroxide and the substrate promoting effect afford a really simple protocol for the efficient synthesis of quinazolines.

In this study, a really simple and efficient catalytic protocol for the construction of quinazolines from alcohol and diamine has been developed based on CuCoAl layered double hydroxide (CuCoAl-LDH). The developed CuCoAl-LDH catalyst could accelerate the cascade reactions without any additives and tolerate various alcohols with satisfactory yields. Cooperation between the Cu+ and Cu2+ species in CuCoAl-LDH was observed in the cascade reaction, and they are believed to be responsible for the oxidation of alcohol and dehydrogenation of the intermediate, respectively. The promoting effect of the substrate diamine was observed in the oxidation of alcohol, which simplifies the reaction system by eliminating the requirement for a base additive. The catalytic system exhibited highly practical potential for the synthesis of quinazolines, as demonstrated through recyclability investigations and scale-up experiments. A possible catalytic mechanism has been proposed based on a series of control experiments and EPR analysis.

Long-term follow-up of comparative study of open and endoscopic lymphadenectomy in patients with penile carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Penile carcinoma is an uncommon cancer that develops in the penis tissue. The standard surgical method to manage regional lymph nodes after local excision is radical inguinal lymphadenectomy, but it has a high rate of complications. The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the long-term outcomes of endoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy and open inguinal lymphadenectomy in patients with penile carcinoma. METHODS: The study included patients diagnosed with penile carcinoma who underwent open inguinal lymphadenectomy (n = 23) or endoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy (n = 27) at a single hospital between January 2013 and January 2021. Operation time, blood loss, drainage, hospital stay, postoperative complications, and survival rates were assessed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The two groups were comparable in terms of age, tumor size and stage, inguinal lymph nodes, and follow-up. The endoscopic group had significantly lower blood loss (27.1 ± 1.5 ml vs 55.0 ± 2.7 ml, P < 0.05), shorter drainage time and hospital stay (4.7 ± 1.1 days vs 8.1 ± 2.2 days, and 13.4 ± 1.0 days vs 19 ± 2.0 days, respectively, P < 0.05), and longer operation time compared to the open group (82.2 ± 4.3 min in endoscopic group vs 53.1 ± 2.2 min in open group, P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the incidence of incisional infection, necrosis, and lymphorrhagia in both groups (4 vs 0, 4 vs 0, and 2 vs 0, respectively, P < 0.05). The inguinal lymph node harvested was comparable between the two groups. The mean follow-up time was similar for both groups (60.4 ± 7.7 m vs 59.8 ± 7.3 m), and the recurrence mortality rates were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that both open and endoscopic methods work well for controlling penile carcinoma in the long term. But the endoscopic approach is better because it has fewer severe complications. So, the choice of surgery method might depend on factors like the surgeon's experience, what they like, and what resources are available.

Aspergillus fumigatus escape mechanisms from its harsh survival environments.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous pathogenic mold and causes several diseases, including mycotoxicosis, allergic reactions, and systemic diseases (invasive aspergillosis), with high mortality rates. In its ecological niche, the fungus has evolved and mastered many reply strategies to resist and survive against negative threats, including harsh environmental stress and deficiency of essential nutrients from natural environments, immunity responses and drug treatments in host, and competition from symbiotic microorganisms. Hence, treating A. fumigatus infection is a growing challenge. In this review, we summarized A. fumigatus reply strategies and escape mechanisms and clarified the main competitive or symbiotic relationships between A. fumigatus, viruses, bacteria, or fungi in host microecology. Additionally, we discussed the contemporary drug repertoire used to treat A. fumigatus and the latest evidence of potential resistance mechanisms. This review provides valuable knowledge which will stimulate further investigations and clinical applications for treating and preventing A. fumigatus infections. KEY POINTS: • Harsh living environment was a great challenge for A. fumigatus survival. • A. fumigatus has evolved multiple strategies to escape host immune responses. • A. fumigatus withstands antifungal drugs via intrinsic escape mechanisms.

Unveiling the Role of Diffusible Signal Factor-Family Quorum Sensing Signals in Regulating Behavior of Xanthomonas and Lysobacter.

Diffusible signal factor (DSF) family signals represent a unique group of quorum sensing (QS) chemicals that modulate a wide range of behaviors for bacteria to adapt to different environments. However, whether DSF-mediated QS signaling acts as a public language to regulate the behavior of biocontrol and pathogenic bacteria remains unknown. In this study, we present groundbreaking evidence demonstrating that RpfFXc1 or RpfFOH11 could be a conserved DSF-family signal synthase in Xanthomonas campestris or Lysobacter enzymogenes. Interestingly, we found that both RpfFOH11 and RpfFXc1 have the ability to synthesize DSF and BDSF signaling molecules. DSF and BDSF positively regulate the biosynthesis of an antifungal factor (heat-stable antifungal factor, HSAF) in L. enzymogenes. Finally, we show that RpfFXc1 and RpfFOH11 have similar functions in regulating HSAF production in L. enzymogenes, as well as the virulence, synthesis of virulence factors, biofilm formation, and extracellular polysaccharide production in X. campestris. These findings reveal a previously uncharacterized mechanism of DSF-mediated regulation in both biocontrol and pathogenic bacteria.

Er3+/Yb3+/Ho3+ tri-doped no-core fiber temperature sensor based on fluorescence intensity ratio technology: towards high stability and accurate measurements.

In this paper, the green upconversion (UC) fluorescence emission from E r 3+/Y b 3+/H o 3+ tri-doped tellurite glass is investigated for temperature sensing. The doping of H o 3+ ions not only enhances the chance of energy level transition but also avoids the influence of the thermal effect caused by the proximity of 2 H 11/2 and 4 S 3/2 energy levels. The luminescence characteristics at different Y b 3+ and H o 3+ ion concentration doping molar ratios were investigated, and the strongest luminescence characteristics were exhibited when the Y b 3+ ion concentration was at 5 mol% and H o 3+ at 0.2 mol%. Based on this, a tri-doped T e O 2-Z n O-B i 2 O 3 (TZB) no-core fiber was fabricated and connected with multimode fibers (MMFs) to form a temperature sensor. The temperature sensing performance of the tri-doped TZB temperature sensor was evaluated in detail over the temperature range of 255-365 K. The repeatability and stability of the temperature sensor was experimentally verified. The E r 3+/Y b 3+/H o 3+ tri-doped sensor can be used for noninvasive optical temperature sensing in the fields of environmental monitoring, biological sensing, and industrial process temperature control, etc.

All-solid-state ultrafast 2 µm laser with 1.83 W output power.

In this paper, a high-power all-solid-state ultrafast 2 µm mode-locked laser is investigated. The particularity of this laser is the simultaneous utilization of two Tm:YAP crystals in the same resonant cavity, independently pumped by two laser diodes. Using a 20% output coupler, pulses with output power as high as 1.83 W are achieved at a wavelength of 1938 nm with a pulse duration of 1.97 ps and a pulse repetition frequency of 100 MHz. To our knowledge, this mode-locked laser achieves the highest output power of any mode-locked Tm:YAP ultrafast laser reported to date. In addition, this paper provides a new approach to solve the problem of low output power due to multi-mode low-brightness laser diode pumping.