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With an extremely high dimensionality, the spatial degree of freedom of entangled photons is a key tool for quantum foundation and applied quantum techniques. To fully utilize the feature, the essential task is to experimentally characterize the multiphoton spatial wave function including the entangled amplitude and phase information at different evolutionary stages. However, there is no effective method to measure it. Quantum state tomography is costly, and quantum holography requires additional references. Here, we introduce quantum Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing to perform efficient and reference-free measurement of the biphoton spatial wave function. The joint probability distribution of photon pairs at the back focal plane of a microlens array is measured and used for amplitude extraction and phase reconstruction. In the experiment, we observe that the biphoton amplitude correlation becomes weak while phase correlation shows up during free-space propagation. Our work is a crucial step in quantum physical and adaptive optics and paves the way for characterizing quantum optical fields with high-order correlations or topological patterns.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-associated death globally. Liver transplantation (LT) has emerged as a key treatment for patients with HCC, and the Milan criteria have been adopted as the cornerstone of the selection policy. To allow more patients to benefit from LT, a number of expanded criteria have been proposed, many of which use radiologic morphological characteristics with larger and more tumors as surrogates to predict outcomes. Other groups developed indices incorporating biological variables and dynamic markers of response to locoregional treatment. These expanded selection criteria achieved satisfactory results with limited liver supplies. In addition, a number of prognostic models have been developed using clinicopathological characteristics, imaging radiomics features, genetic data, and advanced techniques such as artificial intelligence. These models could improve prognostic estimation, establish surveillance strategies, and bolster long-term outcomes in patients with HCC. In this study, we reviewed the latest findings and achievements regarding the selection criteria and post-transplant prognostic models for LT in patients with HCC.
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BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported that helix B surface polypeptide (HBSP), an erythropoietin derivative, exhibits strong tissue protective effects, independent of erythropoietic effects, in a renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury model. Meanwhile, the transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) superfamily member glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) demonstrated protective effect on podocytes in vitro. Using a rat puromycin aminonucleoside nephropathy (PAN) model, this study observed the renal protective effect of HBSP and investigated its renal protective effect on podocytes and mechanism related to GDNF. METHODS: Rats nephropathy model was induced by injection of 60 mg/kg of PAN via the tail vein. Rats in the PAN + HBSP group were injected intraperitoneally with HBSP (8 nmol/kg) 4 h before the model was induced, followed by intraperitoneal injections of HBSP once every 24 h for 7 consecutive days. The 24-hour urinary protein level was measured once every other day, and blood and renal tissue samples were collected on the 7th day for the examination of renal function, complete blood count, renal pathological changes and the expression levels of GDNF. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the PAN nephropathy rat model showed a large amount of urinary protein. The pathological manifestations were mainly extensive fusion and disappearance of foot processes, along with vacuolar degeneration of podocytes and their separation from the glomerular basement membrane. GDNF expression was upregulated. Compared with the PAN + vehicle group, the PAN + HBSP group showed decreased urinary protein (p < 0.05). Pathological examination revealed ameliorated glomerular injury and vacuolar degeneration of podocytes. The expression of GDNF in the PAN nephropathy group was increased, when compared with the control group. The greatest expression of GDNF observed in the PAN + HBSP group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of GDNF in the kidney of PAN rat model was increased. HBSP reduced urinary protein, ameliorated pathological changes in renal podocytes, increased the expression of GDNF in the PAN rat model. HBSP is likely to exert its protective effects on podocytes through upregulation of GDNF expression.
Subject(s)
Disease Models, Animal , Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor , Kidney Diseases , Podocytes , Puromycin Aminonucleoside , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Animals , Rats , Podocytes/drug effects , Podocytes/pathology , Podocytes/metabolism , Male , Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism , Kidney Diseases/chemically induced , Kidney Diseases/prevention & control , Kidney Diseases/pathology , Kidney/pathology , Kidney/drug effects , Reperfusion Injury/prevention & control , Reperfusion Injury/metabolism , Erythropoietin , Peptide FragmentsABSTRACT
Two novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, and non-motile strains, designated FZY0004T and YYF002T, were isolated from an agar-degrading co-culture, which was obtained from seawater of the intertidal zone of Yancheng City, the Yellow Sea of China. Strain FZY0004T optimally grew at 28 °C, pH 7.0, and 2-6% NaCl, while strain YYF002T optimally grew at 28 °C, pH 7.5, and 2-4% NaCl. Strain FZY0004T possessed Q-9 as the major respiratory quinone, and its major fatty acids (> 10%) were summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c), C16:0, and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c). The polar lipids identified in strain FZY0004T were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and several unidentified phospholipids (PL) and lipids (L). On the other hand, strain YYF002T had MK-6 as the predominant respiratory quinone and its major fatty acids consisted of iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1 G, and iso-C15:0 3-OH. The polar lipids identified in strain YYF002T were aminolipid (AL), PE, and several unidentified lipids. Strain FZY0004T shared 99.5% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and 90.1% average nucleotide identity (ANI) with T. povalilytica Zumi 95T, and strain YYF002T shared 99.2% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and 88.2% ANI with W. poriferorum JCM 12885T. The genomic DNA G + C contents of strains FZY0004T and YYF002T were 54.5% and 33.5%, respectively. The phylogenetic, phenotypic, and physiological characteristics permitted the distinction of the two strains from their neighbors, and we thus propose the names Thalassospira aquimaris sp. nov. (type strain FZY0004T = JCM 35895T = MCCC 1K08380T) and Winogradskyella marincola sp. nov. (type strain YYF002T = JCM 35950T = MCCC 1K08382T).
Subject(s)
Agar , DNA, Bacterial , Fatty Acids , Phylogeny , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S , Seawater , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Seawater/microbiology , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , Agar/metabolism , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Base Composition , Bacterial Typing Techniques , China , Phospholipids/metabolism , Coculture Techniques , Sequence Analysis, DNAABSTRACT
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP)/graphite batteries have long dominated the energy storage battery market and are anticipated to become the dominant technology in the global power battery market. However, the poor fast-charging capability and low-temperature performance of LFP/graphite batteries seriously hinder their further spread. These limitations are strongly associated with the interfacial Li-ion transport. Here we report a wide-temperature-range ester-based electrolyte that exhibits high ionic conductivity, fast interfacial kinetics and excellent film-forming ability by regulating the anion chemistry of Li salt. The interfacial barrier of the battery is quantitatively unraveled by employing three-electrode system and distribution of relaxation time technique. The superior role of the proposed electrolyte in preventing Li0 plating and sustaining homogeneous and stable interphases are also systematically investigated. The LFP/graphite cells exhibit rechargeability in an ultrawide temperature range of -80°C to 80°C and outstanding fast-charging capability without compromising lifespan. Specially, the practical LFP/graphite pouch cells achieve 80.2% capacity retention after 1200 cycles (2 C) and 10-min charge to 89% (5 C) at 25°C and provides reliable power even at -80°C.
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We have previously reported that the expression of miR-34c-5p was up-regulated during acupuncture treatment in the setting of a cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI), indicating that miR-34c-5p plays an important role in healing from a CIRI-induced brain injury. This study sought to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on miR-34c-5p expression and autophagy in the forward and reverse directions using a rat focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model. After 120â¯minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion, rats were treated with acupuncture at the "Dazhui" (DU20), "Baihui" (DU26) and "Renzhong" (DU14) points. Neurologic function deficit score, cerebral infarct area ratio, neuronal apoptosis and miR-34c-5p expression were evaluated 72â¯hr after treatment. The autophagy agonist RAPA and the antagonist 3MA were used to evaluate the neuro protective effects of autophagy-mediated acupuncture. We found that acupuncture treatment improved autophagy in the brain tissue of CIRI rats. Acupuncture reversed the negative effects of 3MA on CIRI, and acupuncture combined with RAPA further enhanced autophagy. We also found that acupuncture could increase miR-34c-5p expression in hippocampal neurons after ischemia/reperfusion. Acupuncture and a miR-34c agomir were able to enhance autophagy, improve neurologic deficits, and reduce the cerebral infarct area ratio and apoptosis rate by promoting the expression of miR-34c-5p. Silencing miR-34c resulted in a significantly reduced activating effect of acupuncture on autophagy and increased apoptosis, neurologic deficit symptoms, and cerebral infarct area ratio. This confirms that acupuncture can upregulate miR-34c-5p expression, which is beneficial in the treatment of CIRI.
Subject(s)
Acupuncture Therapy , Autophagy , Brain Ischemia , MicroRNAs , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Reperfusion Injury , Animals , MicroRNAs/metabolism , MicroRNAs/genetics , Reperfusion Injury/metabolism , Reperfusion Injury/therapy , Autophagy/physiology , Male , Acupuncture Therapy/methods , Rats , Brain Ischemia/metabolism , Brain Ischemia/therapy , Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery/therapy , Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery/metabolism , Apoptosis/physiology , Neurons/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Brain/metabolismABSTRACT
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), characterized by its non-destructive and in-situ nature, plays a crucial role in comprehending the thermodynamic and kinetic processes occurring with Li-ion batteries. However, there is a lack of consistent and coherent physical interpretations for the EIS of porous electrodes. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct thorough investigations into the underlying physical mechanisms of EIS. Herein, by employing reference electrode in batteries, we revisit the associated physical interpretation of EIS at different frequency. Combining different battery configurations, temperature-dependent experiments, and elaborated distribution of relaxation time analysis, we find that the ion transport in porous electrode channels and pseudo-capacitance behavior dominate the high-frequency and mid-frequency impedance arcs, respectively. This work offers a perspective for the physical interpretation of EIS and also sheds light on the understanding of EIS characteristics in other advanced energy storage systems.
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OBJECTIVE: To compare the treatment outcomes among percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) with AngioJet, Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT), and a combination of both. METHODS: One hundred forty nine patients with acute or sub-acute iliac-femoral vein thrombosis accepting CDT and/or PMT were divided into three groups respectively: PMT group, CDT group, PMT + CDT group (PMT followed by CDT). The severity of thrombosis was evaluated by venographic scoring system. Technical success was defined as restored patent deep venous blood flow after CDT and/or PMT. Clinical follow-up were assessed by ultrasound or venography imaging. The primary endpoints were recurrence of DVT, and severity level of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) during the follow-up. RESULTS: Technical success and immediate clinical improvements were achieved on all patients. The proportion of sub-acute DVT and the venographic scoring in PMT + CDT group were significantly higher than that in CDT group and PMT group (proportion of sub-acute DVT: p = 0.032 and p = 0.005, respectively; venographic scoring: p < 0.001, respectively). The proportion of May-Thurner Syndrome was lower in PMT group than that in CDT and PMT + CDT group (p = 0.026 and p = 0.005, respectively). The proportion of DVT recurrence/stent thrombosis was significantly higher in CDT group than that in PMT + CDT group (p = 0.04). The severity of PTS was the highest in CDT group ( χ2 = 14.459, p = 0.006) compared to PMT group (p = 0.029) and PMT + CDT group (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Patients with sub-acute DVT, high SVS scoring and combined May-Thurner Syndrome were recommended to take PMT + CDT treatment and might have lower rate of DVT recurrence/stent thrombosis and severe PTS. Our study provided evidence detailing of PMT + CDT therapy.
Subject(s)
Thrombectomy , Thrombolytic Therapy , Venous Thrombosis , Humans , Male , Venous Thrombosis/therapy , Female , Middle Aged , Thrombolytic Therapy/methods , Thrombectomy/methods , Treatment Outcome , Adult , Retrospective Studies , Aged , Iliac Vein/surgery , Iliac Vein/diagnostic imaging , Combined Modality Therapy , Femoral Vein , Postthrombotic Syndrome , Mechanical Thrombolysis/methods , PhlebographyABSTRACT
Rice husk is a locally available biomass for preparation of adsorbents to deal with cadmium (Cd) contamination in paddy system. In this study, phosphorylation of rice husk using H3PO4 and NH4H2PO4 was carried out in the presence of urea at 165â to obtain APB-C and NPB-C, respectively. According to the material characterizations, phosphonyl groups were successfully grafted on the rice husk. Both APB-C and NPB-C had high performance for Cd(II) adsorption with the capacities of 146 and 129 mg/g, respectively. The main mechanism of Cd(II) adsorption was ion exchange with NH4+. The adsorption capacity was linearly corelated with phosphorus content (R2 = 0.9997), while the Langmuir constant had high correlation efficient (R2 = 0.996) with phosphonyl group percentage. Further quantum chemical calculation showed higher interaction energy between Cd(II) and phosphonyl group than other groups. These results indicated that phosphonyl group governed Cd(II) adsorption on phosphorylated biomass.
Subject(s)
Cadmium , Oryza , Oryza/chemistry , Cadmium/chemistry , Adsorption , Phosphorylation , Kinetics , Hydrogen-Ion ConcentrationABSTRACT
Fe oxide or Fe0-based materials display weak removal capacity for Pb(II), especially in the presence of Cd(II), and the electronic-scale mechanisms are not reported. In this study, Fe3C(220) modified black carbon (BC) [Fe3C(220)@BC] with high adsorption and selectivity for Pb(II) from industrial wastewater with Cd(II) was developed. The quantitative experiment suggested that Fe species accounted for 80.5-100 and 18.4-33.8% of Pb(II) and Cd(II) removal, respectively. Based on X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis, 57.3% of adsorbed Pb2+ was reduced to Pb0; however, 61.6% of Cd2+ existed on Fe3C@BC. Density functional theory simulation unraveled that Cd(II) adsorption was attributed to the cation-π interaction with BC, whereas that of Pb(II) was ascribed to the stronger interactions with different Fe phases following the order: Fe3C(220) > Fe0(110) > Fe3O4(311). Crystal orbital bond index and Hamilton population analyses were innovatively applied in the adsorption system and displayed a unique discovery: the stronger Pb(II) adsorption on Fe phases was mediated by a combination of covalent and ionic bonding, whereas ionic bonding was mainly accounted for Cd(II) adsorption. These findings open a new chapter in understanding the functions of different Fe phases in mediating the fate and transport of heavy metals in both natural and engineered systems.
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The Microbiome Protocols eBook (MPB) serves as a crucial bridge, filling gaps in microbiome protocols for both wet experiments and data analysis. The first edition, launched in 2020, featured 152 meticulously curated protocols, garnering widespread acclaim. We now extend a sincere invitation to researchers to participate in the upcoming 2nd version of MPB, contributing their valuable protocols to advance microbiome research.
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INTRODUCTION: Bacterial vaginitis (BV) is a common vaginal disease. Vitamin E has been shown to reduce BV by enhancing immune function, but no studies have analyzed the relationship between vitamin E and BV at different BMIs and ages. METHOD: This study used 2242 participants from four cycles of NHANES 1999-2006 in American. Participants' vitamin E levels were divided into four groups, and analyses such as study population description, stratified analysis, multiple logistic regression analysis, and curve fitting were performed. To perform data processing, the researchers used the statistical package R (The R Foundation; http://www.r-project.org ; version 3.6.3) and Empower Stats software ( www.empowerstats.net , X&Y solutions, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts). RESULT: The concentrations of serum vitamin E were negatively correlated with the risk of BV, especially when vitamin E were at 1198-5459ug/dL with (OR = -0.443, 95%CI = 0.447-0.923, P = 0.032) or without (OR = -0.521, 95%CI = 0.421-0.837, P = 0.006) adjustment for variables. At the same time, at lower levels, there was no significant association. Vitamin E supplementation may significantly reduce the risk of BV (p < 0.001). In addition, the risk of having BV decreased and then increased with increasing vitamin E concentrations at high BMI levels (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Vitamin E at moderate to high concentrations may significantly reduce BV risk, says the study, providing clinical evidence for the prevention and the treatment of BV.
Subject(s)
Vaginosis, Bacterial , Vitamin E , Humans , Female , Vitamin E/blood , Vitamin E/therapeutic use , Cross-Sectional Studies , Adult , Vaginosis, Bacterial/blood , Vaginosis, Bacterial/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Body Mass Index , Nutrition Surveys , Young Adult , United States/epidemiology , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Shiraia-like fungi, which are rare parasitic fungi found around bamboo, play an important role in traditional medicine. Their main active component, hypocrellin, is widely used in medicine, food, and cosmetics. By comparing strains with different hypocrellin yields, we identified a transcription factor (SbTF) in the hypocrellin biosynthesis pathway. SbTF from high-yielding zzz816 and low-yielding CNUCC C72 differed in its protein structure. Subsequently, SbTF from high-yielding zzz816 was overexpressed in several strains. This stabilised the yield in zzz816 and significantly increased the yield in low-yielding CNUCC C72. Comparing downstream non-essential genes between wild type and SbTF-overexpressing CNUCC C72 showed that SbMNF was significantly up-regulated. Therefore, it was selected for further study. SbMNF overexpression increased the hypocrellin yield in low-yielding CNUCC C72 and altered the composition of compounds in high-yielding CNUCC 1353PR and zzz816. This involved an increased elsinochrome C yield in CNUCC 1353PR and an increased hypocrellin B yield in zzz816 (by 2 and 70.3 times that in the corresponding wild type, respectively). This study is the first to alter hypocrellin synthesis to alter the levels of one bioactive agent compared to another. The results provide new insights regarding genetic modification and will help to optimise fungal fermentation.
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Exposure of articular cartilage to excessive mechanical loading is closely related to the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). However, the exact molecular mechanism by which excessive mechanical loading drives OA remains unclear. In vitro, primary chondrocytes were exposed to cyclic tensile strain at 0.5 Hz and 10 % elongation for 30 min to simulate excessive mechanical loading in OA. In vivo experiments involved mice undergoing anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) to model OA, followed by interventions on Rcn2 expression through adeno-associated virus (AAV) injection and tamoxifen-induced gene deletion. 10 µL AAV2/5 containing AAV-Rcn2 or AAV-shRcn2 was administered to the mice by articular injection at 1 week post ACLT surgery, and Col2a1-creERT: Rcn2flox/flox mice were injected with tamoxifen intraperitoneally to obtain Rcn2-conditional knockout mice. Finally, we explored the mechanism of Rcn2 affecting OA. Here, we identified reticulocalbin-2 (Rcn2) as a mechanosensitive factor in chondrocytes, which was significantly elevated in chondrocytes under mechanical overloading. PIEZO type mechanosensitive ion channel component 1 (Piezo1) is a critical mechanosensitive ion channel, which mediates the effect of mechanical loading on chondrocytes, and we found that increased Rcn2 could be suppressed through knocking down Piezo1 under excessive mechanical loading. Furthermore, chondrocyte-specific deletion of Rcn2 in adult mice alleviated OA progression in the mice receiving the surgery of ACLT. On the contrary, articular injection of Rcn2-expressing adeno-associated virus (AAV) accelerated the progression of ACLT-induced OA in mice. Mechanistically, Rcn2 accelerated the progression of OA through promoting the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3).
Subject(s)
Chondrocytes , Mice, Knockout , Osteoarthritis , Animals , Male , Mice , Calcium-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Calcium-Binding Proteins/genetics , Cartilage, Articular/metabolism , Cartilage, Articular/pathology , Chondrocytes/metabolism , Chondrocytes/pathology , Disease Models, Animal , Ion Channels/metabolism , Ion Channels/genetics , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Osteoarthritis/pathology , Osteoarthritis/metabolism , Osteoarthritis/genetics , STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism , STAT3 Transcription Factor/genetics , Stress, Mechanical , Up-Regulation , Weight-BearingABSTRACT
Mechanical loading is required for bone homeostasis, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Our previous studies revealed that the mechanical protein polycystin-1 (PC1, encoded by Pkd1) is critical for bone formation. However, the role of PC1 in bone resorption is unknown. Here, we found that PC1 directly regulates osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. The conditional deletion of Pkd1 in the osteoclast lineage resulted in a reduced number of osteoclasts, decreased bone resorption, and increased bone mass. A cohort study of 32,500 patients further revealed that autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, which is mainly caused by loss-of-function mutation of the PKD1 gene, is associated with a lower risk of hip fracture than those with other chronic kidney diseases. Moreover, mice with osteoclast-specific knockout of Pkd1 showed complete resistance to unloading-induced bone loss. A mechanistic study revealed that PC1 facilitated TAZ nuclear translocation via the C-terminal tail-TAZ complex and that conditional deletion of Taz in the osteoclast lineage resulted in reduced osteoclastogenesis and increased bone mass. Pharmacological regulation of the PC1-TAZ axis alleviated unloading- and estrogen deficiency- induced bone loss. Thus, the PC1-TAZ axis may be a potential therapeutic target for osteoclast-related osteoporosis.
Subject(s)
Bone Resorption , Mice, Knockout , Osteoclasts , Osteogenesis , TRPP Cation Channels , Animals , TRPP Cation Channels/genetics , TRPP Cation Channels/metabolism , Bone Resorption/metabolism , Bone Resorption/genetics , Bone Resorption/pathology , Osteoclasts/metabolism , Mice , Humans , Osteoporosis/genetics , Osteoporosis/metabolism , Osteoporosis/pathology , Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant/genetics , Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant/metabolism , Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant/pathology , Male , Female , Adaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingABSTRACT
Aglaonema commutatum is a famous species in the Aglaonema genus, which has important ornamental and economic value. However, its chloroplast genome information and phylogenetic relationships among popular green cultivars of Aglaonema in southern China have not been reported. Herein, chloroplast genomes of one variety of A. commutatum and seven green cultivars of Aglaonema, namely, A. commutatum 'San Remo', 'Kai Sa', 'Pattaya Beauty', 'Sapphire', 'Silver Queen', 'Snow White', 'White Gem', and 'White Horse Prince', were sequenced and assembled for comparative analysis and phylogeny. These eight genomes possessed a typical quadripartite structure that consisted of a LSC region (90,799-91,486 bp), an SSC region (20,508-21,137 bp) and a pair of IR regions (26,661-26,750 bp). Each genome contained 112 different genes, comprising 79 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. The gene orders, GC contents, codon usage frequency, and IR/SC boundaries were highly conserved among these eight genomes. Long repeats, SSRs, SNPs and indels were analyzed among these eight genomes. Comparative analysis of 15 Aglaonema chloroplast genomes identified 7 highly variable regions, including trnH-GUG-exon1-psbA, trnS-GCU-trnG-UCC-exon1, trnY-GUA-trnE-UUC, psbC-trnS-UGA, trnF-GAA-ndhJ, ccsA-ndhD, and rps15-ycf1-D2. Reconstruction of the phylogenetic trees based on chloroplast genomes, strongly supported that Aglaonema was a sister to Anchomanes, and that the Aglaonema genus was classified into two sister clades including clade I and clade II, which corresponded to two sections, Aglaonema and Chamaecaulon, respectively. One variety and five cultivars, including A. commutatum 'San Remo', 'Kai Sa', 'Pattaya Beauty', 'Silver Queen', 'Snow White', and 'White Horse Prince', were classified into clade I; and the rest of the two cultivars, including 'Sapphire' and 'White Gem', were classified into clade II. Positive selection was observed in 34 protein-coding genes at the level of the amino acid sites among 77 chloroplast genomes of the Araceae family. Based on the highly variable regions and SSRs, 4 DNA markers were developed to differentiate the clade I and clade II in Aglaonema. In conclusion, this study provided chloroplast genomic resources for Aglaonema, which were useful for its classification and phylogeny.
Subject(s)
Genome, Chloroplast , Phylogeny , Genomics/methods , Genetic Markers , Chloroplasts/genetics , Base Composition , Microsatellite Repeats/geneticsABSTRACT
The high-performance hole transporting material (HTM) is one of the most important components for the perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in promoting power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, the low conductivity of HTMs and their additional requirements for doping and post-oxidation greatly limits the device performance. In this work, three novel pyrene-based derivatives containing methoxy-substituted triphenylamines units (PyTPA, PyTPA-OH and PyTPA-2OH) are designed and synthesized, where different numbers of hydroxyl groups are connected at the 2- or 2,7-positions of the pyrene core. These hydroxyl groups at the 2- or 2,7-positions of pyrene play a significantly role to enhance the intermolecular interactions that are able to generate in situ radicals with the assistance of visible light irradiation, resulting in enhanced hole transferring ability, as well as an enhanced conductivity and suppressed recombination. These pyrene-core based HTMs exhibit excellent performance in PSCs, which possess a higher PCE than those control devices using the traditional spiro-OMeTAD as the HTM. The best performance can be found in the devices with PyTPA-2OH. It has an average PCE of 23.44% (PCEmax = 23.50%), which is the highest PCE among the reported PSCs with the pyrene-core based HTMs up to date. This research offers a novel avenue to design a dopant-free HTM by the combination of the pyrene core, methoxy triphenylamines, and hydroxy groups.
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Surface-catalyzed reactions have been used to synthesize carbon nanomaterials with atomically predefined structures. The recent discovery of a gold surface-catalyzed [3 + 3] cycloaromatization of isopropyl substituted arenes has enabled the on-surface synthesis of arylene-phenylene copolymers, where the surface activates the isopropyl substituents to form phenylene rings by intermolecular coupling. However, the resulting polymers suffered from undesired cross-linking when more than two molecules reacted at a single site. Here we show that such cross-links can be prevented through steric protection by attaching the isopropyl groups to larger arene cores. Upon thermal activation of isopropyl-substituted 8,9-dioxa-8a-borabenzo[fg]tetracene on Au(111), cycloaromatization is observed to occur exclusively between the two molecules. The cycloaromatization intermediate formed by the covalent linking of two molecules is prevented from reacting with further molecules by the wide benzotetracene core, resulting in highly selective one-to-one coupling. Our findings extend the versatility of the [3 + 3] cycloaromatization of isopropyl substituents and point toward steric protection as a powerful concept for suppressing competing reaction pathways in on-surface synthesis.
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It is a long-standing scientific controversy to achieve anti-Kasha-type multiple emissions by tuning the structures at a molecular level. Although it is known that some conjugated structures have excitation-dependent multiple emissions, no all-benzenoid molecules have yet been reported, the emissions of which originate from different excited states. Herein, we report the design of two symmetry-breaking heterogeneous carbon bisnanohoops that in solution become multiple fluorescent emitters with unusual anti-Kasha characteristics. This phenomenon can be spectroscopically and theoretically explained and will find applications in a wide range of sensing and imaging technologies.
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An inverse opal structure of SnO2 with a honeycomb morphology is introduced as the framework for the attached perovskite materials and functional layers in the hybrid perovskite-based solar cells simultaneously. Three different pore sizes of polystyrene microsphere layers, with diameters of 350, 480, and 600 nm, were fabricated through a vertical self-assembly vaporization technique. The polystyrene (PS) layer served as the sacrificial template for the inverse opal structure. By controlling the spinning parameters, the inverse opal-structured SnO2 layer was used to constrain them into a single-layer stacking structure. These layers with varying pore sizes were subsequently applied onto a dense electron transport layer that is in contact with the perovskite layer. A carbon electrode is used as photovoltaic solar cells. The major benefits of this approach were systematically analyzed through structural characterizations and various means. The semiphotonic crystal layer induces modulation effects, resulting in increased light absorption and surface area, which leads to a substantial increase in short-circuit density. By studying the electrochemical properties in the dark to exclude the influence of optical effects, we attribute the slight increase in the fill factor to the increased surface area, which enhances carrier transport. Among the different layers, the inverse opal layer prepared with 480 nm polystyrene microspheres displayed superior photovoltaic performance parameters due to its appropriate surface area and relatively higher light absorption. The power conversion efficiency of the MAPbI3 perovskite solar cell showed a relative enhancement of 55%. Additionally, aging tests demonstrated that devices with the additional structural layer exhibited good endurance under conventional atmospheric conditions after 1440 h of aging.