Plant economics spectrum governs leaf nitrogen and phosphorus resorption in subtropical transitional forests.

BACKGROUND: Leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption is a fundamental adaptation strategy for plant nutrient conservation. However, the relative roles that environmental factors and plant functional traits play in regulating N and P resorption remain largely unclear, and little is known about the underlying mechanism of plant functional traits affecting nutrient resorption. Here, we measured leaf N and P resorption and 13 plant functional traits of leaf, petiole, and twig for 101 representative broad-leaved tree species in our target subtropical transitional forests. We integrated these multiple functional traits into the plant economics spectrum (PES). We further explored whether and how elevation-related environmental factors and these functional traits collectively control leaf N and P resorption. RESULTS: We found that deciduous and evergreen trees exhibited highly diversified PES strategies, tending to be acquisitive and conservative, respectively. The effects of PES, rather than of environmental factors, dominated leaf N and P resorption patterns along the elevational gradient. Specifically, the photosynthesis and nutrient recourse utilization axis positively affected N and P resorption for both deciduous and evergreen trees, whereas the structural and functional investment axis positively affected leaf N and P resorption for evergreen species only. Specific leaf area and green leaf nutrient concentrations were the most influential traits driving leaf N and P resorption. CONCLUSIONS: Our study simultaneously elucidated the relative contributions of environmental factors and plant functional traits to leaf N and P resorption by including more representative tree species than previous studies, expanding our understanding beyond the relatively well-studied tropical and temperate forests. We highlight that prioritizing the fundamental role of traits related to leaf resource capture and defense contributes to the monitoring and modeling of leaf nutrient resorption. Therefore, we need to integrate PES effects on leaf nutrient resorption into the current nutrient cycling model framework to better advance our general understanding of the consequences of shifting tree species composition for nutrient cycles across diverse forests.

Non-native plants tend to be phylogenetically distant but functionally similar to native plants under intense disturbance at the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

Darwin's two opposing hypotheses, proposing that non-native species closely or distantly related to native species are more likely to succeed, are known as 'Darwin's Naturalization Conundrum'. Recently, invasion ecologists have sought to unravel these hypotheses. Studies that incorporate rich observational data in disturbed ecosystems that integrate phylogenetic and functional perspectives have potential to shed light on the conundrum. Using 313 invaded plant communities including 46 invasive plant species and 531 native plant species across the Three Gorges Reservoir Area in China, we aim to evaluate the coexistence mechanisms of invasive and native plants by integrating phylogenetic and functional dimensions at spatial and temporal scales. Our findings revealed that invasive plants tended to co-occur more frequently with native plant species that were phylogenetically distant but functionally similar in the reservoir riparian zone. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that the filtering of flood-dry-flood cycles played a significant role in deepening functional similarities of native communities and invasive-native species over time. Our study highlights the contrasting effects of phylogenetic relatedness and functional similarity between invasive and native species in highly flood-disturbed habitats, providing new sights into Darwin's Naturalization Conundrum.

Disentangling the role of environmental filtering and biotic resistance on alien invasions in a reservoir area.

Large-scale water conservancy projects benefit human life but have modified the landscape and provided opportunities for alien plant invasions. Understanding the environmental (e.g., climate), human-related (e.g., population density, proximity to human activities), and biotic (e.g., native plant, community structure) factors driving invasions is essential in the management of alien plants and biodiversity conservation in areas with intense human pressure. To this end, we investigated the spatial patterns of alien plant species distribution in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) of China and distinguished the role of the external environment and community characteristics in determining the occurrence of alien plants with differing levels of known invasion impacts in China using random forest analyses and structural equation models. A total of 102 alien plant species belonging to 30 families and 67 genera were recorded, the majority being annual and biennial herbs (65.7%). The results showed a negative diversity-invasibility relationship and supported the biotic resistance hypothesis. Moreover, percentage coverage of native plants was found to interact with native species richness and had a predominant role in resisting alien plant species. We found alien dominance was mainly the result of disturbance (e.g., changes in hydrological regime), which drove native plant loss. Our results also demonstrated that disturbance and temperature were more important for the occurrence of malignant invaders than all alien plants. Overall, our study highlights the importance of restoring diverse and productive native communities in resistance to invasion.

Efficient 38.8 W/m2 solar pumped laser with a Ce:Nd:YAG crystal and a Fresnel lens.

Herein, we report a significant improvement in solar-pumped laser collection efficiency based on end-side pumping a 6-mm-diameter 95-mm-length Ce:Nd:YAG/YAG grooved bonded crystal rod. A Fresnel lens, quartz cooling-water tube, and gold-plated conical cavity constituted the solar-energy collection and concentration system, which was designed to maximum pump light absorption and minimize thermal effects in the Ce:Nd:YAG laser medium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a Ce:Nd:YAG crystal has been pumped by a Fresnel-lens solar-energy collection and concentration system. The 0.69-m2 effective solar-collection area produced 26.93 W of continuous-wave laser power, corresponding to 6.33% slope efficiency. The collection efficiency (38.8 W/m2) was 1.21 times higher than the highest previously reported value for Fresnel-lens solar collection, and is a record for single-beam solar-pumped lasers.

Complex structured beam direct generation by coherent superposition of a complete set of degenerate eigenmodes.

Structured beams have played an important role in many fields due to their rich spatial characteristics. The microchip cavity with a large Fresnel number can directly generate structured beams with complex spatial intensity distribution, which provides convenience for further exploring the formation mechanism of structured beams and realizing low-cost applications. In this article, theoretical and experimental studies are carried out on complex structured beams directly generated by the microchip cavity. It is demonstrated that the complex beams generated by the microchip cavity can be expressed by the coherent superposition of whole transverse eigenmodes within the same order, thus forming the eigenmode spectrum. The mode component analysis of complex propagation-invariant structured beams can be realized by the degenerate eigenmode spectral analysis described in this article.

The surface charge induced high activity of oxygen reduction reaction on the PdTe2 bilayer.

Developing transition metal dichalcogenides as electrocatalysts has attracted great interest due to their tunable electronic properties and good thermal stabilities. Herein, we propose a PdTe2 bilayer as a promising electrocatalyst candidate towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), based on extensive investigation of the electronic properties of PdTe2 thin films as well as atomic-level reaction kinetics at explicit electrode potentials. We verify that under electrochemical reducing conditions, the electron emerging on the electrode surface is directly transferred to O2 adsorbed on the PdTe2 bilayer, which greatly reduces the dissociation barrier of O2, and thereby facilitates the ORR to proceed via a dissociative pathway. Moreover, the barriers of the electrochemical steps in this pathway are all found to be less than 0.1 eV at the ORR limiting potential, demonstrating fast ORR kinetics at ambient conditions. This unique mechanism offers excellent energy efficiency and four-electron selectivity for the PdTe2 bilayer, and it is identified as a promising candidate for fuel cell applications.

Error analysis and optimization for a full-Stokes division-of-space polarimeter.

A generalized four-channel, full-Stokes division-of-space (DoSP) error propagation model and its version with a reference optical path are presented in this paper, covering all potential error sources such as the main detector noise, intensity fluctuations, and instrument matrix error. Based on the model, a classical division-of-amplitude polarimeter (DoAmP) structure consisting of a partially polarized beam splitter (PPBS), PBS, and wave plates is thoroughly evaluated. By optimizing the PPBS and azimuth of the wave plates, several optimal parameter configurations are identified where the condition number is 1.84, and the maximum wavelength deviation range is limited to (-3.4n m, 3.62 nm), where the degree of polarization and polarized angle errors do not exceed 0.03 and 0.3°, respectively, and the instrument matrix deterioration effect is minimal enough to be disregarded. In addition to the DoAmP structure, this error propagation model can be directly extended to other arbitrary four-channel DoSP structures such as division-of-focal-plane and division-of-aperture systems, which have guidance values for system structural design, error optimization, and discovering multi-wavelength compatibility of the instrument.

Universal understanding of self-healing and transformation of complex structured beams based on eigenmode superposition.

The self-healing property of laser beams with special spatial structures is of great interest. We take the Hermite-Gaussian (HG) eigenmode as an example, theoretically and experimentally investigating the self-healing and transformation characteristics of complex structured beams composed of incoherent or coherent superposition of multiple eigenmodes. It is found that a partially blocked single HG mode can recover the original structure or transfer to a lower order distribution in the far field. When the obstacle retains one pair of edged bright spots of the HG mode in each direction of two symmetry axes, the beam structure information (number of knot lines) along each axis can be restored. Otherwise, it will transfer to the corresponding low-order mode or multi-interference fringes in the far field, according to the interval of the two most-edged remaining spots. It is proved that the above effect is induced by the diffraction and interference results of the partially retained light field. This principle is also applicable to other scale-invariant structured beams such as Laguerre-Gauss (LG) beams. The self-healing and transformation characteristics of multi-eigenmode composed beams with specially customized structures can be intuitively investigated based on eigenmode superposition theory. It is found that the HG mode incoherently composed structured beams have a stronger ability to recover themselves in the far field after occlusion. These investigations can expand the applications of optical lattice structures of laser communication, atom optical capture, and optical imaging.

Anthropogenic activities explained the difference in exotic plants invasion between protected and non-protected areas at a northern subtropics biodiversity hotspot.

Biological invasion poses a major threat to biodiversity and conservation efforts in protected areas. The Greater Shennongjia Area (GSA) is one of China's 16 key areas for biodiversity, as stated in the China National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan. However, the local authorities lack appropriate data on the extent and impact of exotic species in protected areas, as well as lack the capacity and motivation to properly plan for exotic species strategy and action plan to support both prevention, control as well as management of exotic plants in their jurisdiction. In addition, while most previous studies have focused on exotic species in protected areas, little effort has been devoted to specifying which environmental factors contribute to the difference between protected and non-protected areas. Here, we explored the current distribution pattern of the richness and abundance of exotic species in relation to environmental variables within the GSA. In total, we found 84 exotic plant species, of which 41 exotic species within the protected areas, in 64 genera and 27 families, predominately from Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae. The generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) revealed that the protection status and the distance to human settlements were the most important predictors of exotic plant richness and abundance in the GSA. Our results showed that the average exotic plant richness and coverage in the protected areas were 22% and 31% lower than outside the protected areas, respectively. Such differences were probably the result of anthropogenic activities (e.g., proximity to human settlements and the proportion of cropland). Although protected areas provide an important barrier against plant invasions, invasion may be a tricky issue for protected area management in the future. The Alliance of Protected areas in Western Hubei and Eastern Chongqing will need to further consider stringent control and management strategies for the entry of exotic species into protected areas to effectively maintain the continuity and integrity of the GSA's biodiversity and ecosystems. Our results provided guidance and support to enhance the capacity of scientific and effective management and sustainable development of the Shennongjia World Natural Heritage Site and other protected areas.

Optical properties and energy transfer performances in high quality Cr,Nd: YAG transparent laser ceramics for solar pumped lasers.

Realizing a high solar light conversion magnitude in Cr,Nd: YAG transparent ceramic is crucial to its applications in solar pumped solid state lasers. In this study, high quality Cr,Nd:YAG transparent laser ceramics with homogeneous microstructure and theoretical transmittance were fabricated, and an efficient laser oscillation of watt-level was realized by pumping ceramic at 808 nm. There were no any characteristic absorptions corresponding to Cr2+ or Cr4+ ions detected, even when the Cr3+ ion doping concentration reached 0.6 at.%. Increasing Cr3+ and Nd3+ doping concentrations significantly enhanced the emission intensity of ceramics at 1.06 µm, and energy transfer efficiency of the 0.3 at.% Cr,Nd: YAG ceramics was increased from 14.9% to 36.9% when increasing Nd3+ ion concentration from 0.3 at.% to 1.0 at.%, with an increasing magnitude of 247.6%. The results indicated that Cr,Nd: YAG transparent ceramic is a promising gain medium for solar pumped solid state lasers.

Assessing the relevant time frame for temperature acclimation of leaf dark respiration: A test with 10 boreal and temperate species.

Plants often adjust their leaf mitochondrial ("dark") respiration (Rd ) measured at a standardized temperature such as 20°C (R20 ) downward after experiencing warmer temperatures and upward after experiencing cooler temperatures. These responses may help leaves maintain advantageous photosynthetic capacity and/or be a response to recent photosynthate accumulation, and can occur within days after a change in thermal regime. It is not clear, however, how the sensitivity and magnitude of this response change over time, or which time period prior to a given measurement best predicts R20 . Nor is it known whether nighttime, daytime, or 24-hour temperatures should be most influential. To address these issues, we used data from 1620 Rd temperature response curves of 10 temperate and boreal tree species in a long-term field experiment in Minnesota, USA to assess how the observed nearly complete acclimation of R20 was related to past temperatures during periods of differing lengths. We hypothesized that R20 would be best related to prior midday temperatures associated with both photosynthetic biochemistry and peak carbon uptake rates that drive carbohydrate accumulation. Inconsistent with this hypothesis, prior night temperatures were the best predictors of R20 for all species. We had also hypothesized that recent (prior 3-10 days) temperatures should best predict R20 because they likely have stronger residual impacts on leaf-level physiology than periods extending further back in time, whereas a prior 1- to 2-day period might be a span shorter than one to which photosynthetic capacity and Rd adjust. There was little to no support for this idea, as for angiosperms, long time windows (prior 30-60 nights) were the best predictors, while for gymnosperms both near-term (prior 3-8 nights for pines, prior 10-14 nights for spruce/fir) and longer-term periods (prior 45 nights) were the best predictors. The importance of nighttime temperatures, the relatively long "time-averaging" that best explained acclimation, and dual peaks of temporal acclimation responsiveness in some species were all results that were unanticipated.

Optical frequency-to-time mapping using a phase-modulated frequency-shifting loop.

A real-time spectral analysis is demonstrated experimentally with a frequency-shifting loop that includes an electro-optic phase modulator. When a single-frequency laser seeds the loop, pulse doublets are emitted if the integer Talbot condition is satisfied. With a polychromatic seed, frequency-to-time mapping is demonstrated, namely the temporal output of the loop maps the spectral power of the seed, with a resolution of 400 kHz. Due to the phase modulation function, the mapping is shown to be nonlinear. The results are in agreement with the theoretical predictions of [H. Yang et al., J. Opt. Soc. Am. B37, 3162 (2020)JOBPDE0740-322410.1364/JOSAB.389801]. The extension to integrated systems for applications is discussed.

Evaluation of the anticarcinogenic potential of the endophyte, Streptomyces sp. LRE541 isolated from Lilium davidii var. unicolor (Hoog) Cotton.

BACKGROUND: Endophytic actinomycetes, as emerging sources of bioactive metabolites, have been paid great attention over the years. Recent reports demonstrated that endophytic streptomycetes could yield compounds with potent anticancer properties that may be developed as chemotherapeutic drugs. RESULTS: Here, a total of 15 actinomycete-like isolates were obtained from the root tissues of Lilium davidii var. unicolor (Hoog) Cotton based on their morphological appearance, mycelia coloration and diffusible pigments. The preliminary screening of antagonistic capabilities of the 15 isolates showed that isolate LRE541 displayed antimicrobial activities against all of the seven tested pathogenic microorganisms. Further in vitro cytotoxicity test of the LRE541 extract revealed that this isolate possesses potent anticancer activities with IC50 values of 0.021, 0.2904, 1.484, 4.861, 6.986, 8.106, 10.87, 12.98, and 16.94 µg/mL against cancer cell lines RKO, 7901, HepG2, CAL-27, MCF-7, K562, Hela, SW1990, and A549, respectively. LRE541 was characterized and identified as belonging to the genus Streptomyces based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. It produced extensively branched red substrate and vivid pink aerial hyphae that changed into amaranth, with elliptic spores sessile to the aerial mycelia. To further explore the mechanism underlying the decrease of cancer cell viability following the LRE541 extract treatment, cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest assays were conducted in two cancer cell lines, RKO and 7901. The result demonstrated that LRE541 extract inhibited cell proliferation of RKO and 7901 by causing cell cycle arrest both at the S phase and inducing apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The chemical profile of LRE541 extract performed by the UHPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of thirty-nine antitumor compounds in the extract. Further chemical investigation of the LRE541 extract led to the discovery of one prenylated indole diketopiperazine (DKP) alkaloid, elucidated as neoechinulin A, a known antitumor agent firstly detected in Streptomyces; two anthraquinones 4-deoxy-ε-pyrromycinone (1) and epsilon-pyrromycinone (2) both displaying anticancer activities against RKO, SW1990, A549, and HepG2 with IC50 values of 14.96 ± 2.6 - 20.42 ± 4.24 µg/mL for (1); 12.9 ± 2.13, 19.3 ± 4.32, 16.8 ± 0.75, and 18.6 ± 3.03 µg/mL for (2), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our work evaluated the anticarcinogenic potential of the endophyte, Streptomyces sp. LRE541 and obtained one prenylated indole diketopiperazine alkaloid and two anthraquinones. Neoechinulin A, as a known antitumor agent, was identified for the first time in Streptomyces. Though previously found in Streptomyces, epsilon-pyrromycinone and 4-deoxy-ε-pyrromycinone were firstly shown to possess anticancer activities.

The capacity of ion adsorption and purification for coniferous forests is stronger than that of broad-leaved forests.

In the past few decades, industrialization has caused a large number of pollutants to be released into the atmosphere. Forest ecosystems play an important function in regulating the biogeochemistry and the circulation of metal ions pollutants. Forest ecosystems affect the absorption of pollutants and dissolution of nutrients from the atmosphere and vegetation canopy, thereby influencing the content and composition of forest floor leachate and soil solution. This study examined changes in acid anions (NO3-, SO42-, Cl-) and metal cations (K+, Ca2+, Na2+, Mg2+, Fe3+, Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+) in rainfall, throughfall, stemflow, and forest floor leachate for five different forests (Larix principis-rupprechtii, Picea wilsonii, Picea crassifolia, Betula platyphylla and Rhododendron communities). The results showed that the enrichment capacity of acid anions and metal cations in the vegetation canopy of the coniferous forests (L. principis-rupprechtii, P. wilsonii, P. crassifolia) was stronger than that of the broad-leaved forests (B. platyphylla and Rhododendron communities). The content of acid anions and metal cations in stemflow of coniferous forests were 3.7-5.6 times and 0-9.3 times higher than those of broad-leaved forests, respectively. Corresponding values in throughfall were 1-1.4 times and 0.3-2.4 times, respectively. The contents of NO3-, Cl-, K+, Mg2+, Fe3+, Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ in leachate filtered from the soil layers that are deepening gradually showed consistent decreasing trend for all the forest stands. In addition, NO3-, Cl-, K+, Mg2+, Fe3+, and Pb2+ were also concentrated in the topsoil, except for Cu2+ and Cd2+. Nevertheless, SO42- and Na+ were concentrated in the subsoil, whereas Ca2+ was concentrated in the upper soil layers. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in coniferous forest stands were 20-37% and 34-63% higher than those in broad-leaved forest stands, respectively. This results also shown that the contents of OC and TN has a strong correlation with the content of partial metal cations in soil and litter, indicating that coniferous forest stands had stronger ion scavenging and adsorption capacity in soil layer and litter layer than broad-leaved forest stands. Therefore, L. principis-rupprechtii, P. wilsonii, P. crassifolia had higher air pollutant adsorption and soil pollution remediation capacities than the other two forests. Thus, we recommend planting coniferous tree species (L. principis-rupprechtii, P. wilsonii and P. crassifolia) for eco-rehabilitation and water purification to improve the ecological service function of forest ecosystems.

Efficacy of atezolizumab to treat non-small-cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis based on randomized clinical trials.

Purpose: Atezolizumab, an immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody against PD-L1, is accepted to treat advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our systematic review aims to evaluate survival efficacy of atezolizumab, overall and in subgroups defined by PD-L1 expression. Materials and Methods: Search the trials on efficacy of atezolizumab in advanced NSCLC based on online electronic databases from their dates of inception up to June 2019, including PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library databases. After rigorous reviewing of quality, the data of the PFS and OS were measured as outcomes. Results: Six trials including seven researches were included. Overall, 4722 subjects involving 2488 patients received atezolizumab and 2234 patients received investigator's choice chemotherapy were retrieved. For the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, the pooled ORs for overall survival (OS) was 0.81 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.75-0.87; P<0.00001) and progression-free survival benefit (PFS) was 0.65 (95 % CI 0.59-0.73; P<0.00001), respectively. For the subgroups PD-L1 expression (negative and high), there were benefits both observed in the PFS and OS in two sub-groups with atezolizumab (P 0.05). However, in the low expression of PD-L1 group, the subjects who received atezolizumab achieved PFS (OR 0.70; 95% CI: 0.58-0.84, P=0.0002) advantage but OS advantage (OR 0.91; 95% CI: 0.62-1.33, P=0.62). Conclusion: In low expression of PD-L1 subgroups, a benefit was observed for PFS but OS. However, the status of PD-L1 expression cannot be recommend as prognostic biomarker to support the decision who will benefit from atezolizumab.

A1 astrocytes contribute to murine depression-like behavior and cognitive dysfunction, which can be alleviated by IL-10 or fluorocitrate treatment.

BACKGROUND: Astrocytes are crucial regulators in the central nervous system. Abnormal activation of astrocytes contributes to some behavior deficits. However, mechanisms underlying the effects remain unclear. Here, we studied the activation of A1 astrocytes and their contribution to murine behavior deficits. METHODS: A1 astrocytes were induced by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro. The functional phenotype of astrocytes was determined by quantitative RT-PCR, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry. To assess the role of A1 astrocytes in vivo, mice were injected intraperitoneally with LPS. Then, murine behaviors were tested, and the hippocampus and cortex were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry. The function of IL-10 and fluorocitrate on A1 astrocyte activation was also examined. RESULTS: Our results show that astrocytes isolated from B6.129S6-Il10tm1Flv/J homozygotes (IL-10tm1/tm1) were prone to characteristics of A1 reactive astrocytes. Compared with their wild-type counterparts, IL-10tm1/tm1 astrocytes exhibited higher expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Whether or not they were stimulated with LPS, IL-10tm1/tm1 astrocytes exhibited enhanced expression of A1-specific transcripts and proinflammatory factors IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNFα. In addition, IL-10tm1/tm1 astrocytes demonstrated hyperphosphorylation of STAT3. Moreover, astrocytes from IL-10tm1/tm1 mice showed attenuated phagocytic ability and were neurotoxic. IL-10tm1/tm1 mice demonstrated increased immobility time in the forced swim test and defective learning and memory behavior in the Morris water maze test. Moreover, enhanced neuroinflammation was found in the hippocampus and cortex of IL-10tm1/tm1 mice, accompanying with more GFAP-positive astrocytes and severe neuron loss in the hippocampus. Pretreatment IL-10tm1/tm1 mice with IL-10 or fluorocitrate decreased the expression of proinflammatory factors and A1-specific transcripts in the hippocampus and cortex, and then alleviated LPS-induced depressive-like behavior. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that astrocytes isolated from B6.129S6-Il10tm1Flv/J homozygotes are prone to A1 phenotype and contribute to the depression-like behavior and memory deficits. Inhibiting A1 astrocyte activation may be an attractive therapeutic strategy in some neurodegenerative diseases.

2D PbS Nanosheets with Zigzag Edges for Efficient CO2 Photoconversion.

The rational design of transition-metal sulfide with two-dimensional (2D) structure and tunable edges on the nanoscale can effectively improve their activity for variously catalytic reactions. Herein, the 2D PbS nanosheets with abundant zigzag edges (e-PbS NS), which exhibited an excellent performance for CO2 photoconversion to CO, were constructed. The zigzag edges on the PbS NS are beneficial for exposing more active sites and promoting charge separation, thereby accelerating the kinetics process of CO2 photoreduction. This study provides a strategy to regulate structure with effective edge sites for the CO2 reduction.

Soil fungal taxonomic diversity along an elevation gradient on the semi-arid Xinglong Mountain, Northwest China.

Elevation gradients, often regarded as "natural experiments or laboratories", can be used to study changes in the distribution of microbial diversity related to changes in environmental conditions that typically occur over small geographical scales. We exploited this feature by characterizing fungal composition and diversity along an elevation gradient on Xinglong Mountain, northwest China. For this, we used MiSeq sequencing to obtain fungal sequences and clustered them into operational taxonomic units (OTUs). In total, we obtained 1,203,302 reads, 133,700 on average in each sample of soil collected at three selected elevations (2807, 3046, and 3536 m). The reads were assigned to 2192 OTUs. Inconsistent variations were observed in fungal alpha-diversity in samples from the three elevations. However, Principal Coordinate Analysis based on Bray-Curtis and UniFrac (weighted and unweighted) distance metrics revealed that fungal communities in soil samples from 3046 and 3536 m elevations were most similar. Principal Component Analysis based on relative abundances of shared OTUs confirmed that OTUs in samples from 3536 m elevation were more closely related to OTUs from 3046 m than samples from 2807 m elevation. Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Glomeromycota, Cercozoa and Chytridiomycota were the most abundant fungal phyla across the elevation gradient. Our study also provides valuable indications of relations between fungal communities and an array of soil chemical properties, and variations in fungal taxonomic diversity across a substantial elevation gradient.

The effect of DMPO on the formation of hydroxyl radicals on the rutile TiO2(110) surface.

Unraveling the formation mechanism of hydroxyl radicals (OH˙) is one of the outstanding issues in photocatalytic reactions, where 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) is widely utilized as a trapping agent to detect OH˙ radicals in experiments. In this study, we carry out density functional theory calculations to reveal the origin and formation process of OH˙ radicals by investigating the interaction of water with DMPO on a rutile TiO2(110) surface. Our results clearly show that the OH˙ radicals trapped by DMPO stem from water upon illumination. The charge compensation mechanism dominates the formation of DMPO-OH from the reaction between DMPO and water on the rutile TiO2(110) surface. These findings provide new insights into the photocatalytic mechanism and may achieve new frontiers in photocatalytic research.

Engineering the Electronic Structure of Submonolayer Pt on Intermetallic Pd3Pb via Charge Transfer Boosts the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The efficient electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) plays a key role in accelerating sustainable H2 production from water electrolysis, but its large-scale applications are hindered by the high cost of the state-of-the-art Pt catalyst. In this work, submonolayer Pt was controllably deposited on an intermetallic Pd3Pb nanoplate (AL-Pt/Pd3Pb). The atomic efficiency and electronic structure of the active surface Pt layer were largely optimized, greatly enhancing the acidic HER. AL-Pt/Pd3Pb exhibits an outstanding HER activity with an overpotential of only 13.8 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and a high mass activity of 7834 A/gPd+Pt at -0.05 V, both largely surpassing those of commercial Pt/C (30 mV, 1486 A/gPt). In addition, AL-Pt/Pd3Pb shows excellent stability and robustness. Theoretical calculations show that the improved activity is mainly derived from the charge transfer from Pd3Pb to Pt, resulting in a strong electrostatic interaction that can stabilize the transition state and lower the barrier.