Comparative analysis of the application with the combination of CMA and karyotype in routine and late amniocentesis.

PURPOSE: This is a retrospective comparative study. We aimed to analyze the results of karyotype and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) of amniotic fluid across different gestational weeks and evaluate the clinical value in prenatal diagnosis, particularly in the late pregnancies. METHODS: Samples from 580 pregnant women of 18-23 weeks of gestation (mid-gestation group) and 196 pregnant women of 24-32 weeks of gestation (late group) were performed both standard G-band karyotype analysis and CMA. RESULTS: Among the 580 pregnant women in the routine group, the most common indications were positive Down's screening (213/580, 36.7%), followed by advanced maternal age (196/580, 33.8%); while fetal structural anomalies on ultrasonography were the top reason for amniocentesis in the late group (56/196, 28.6%). In the routine group, the total detection rate was 12.1% (70/580), of which 4.1% (24/580) were identified by karyotype analysis and 11.2% (65/580) by CMA. The total detection rate was 15.3% (30/196) in the late group, of which 5.1% (10/196) were detected by karyotype analysis, and 14.3% (28/196) by CMA. CONCLUSION: Karyotype analysis and CMA are complementary in detecting chromosomal abnormalities. Amniotic cavity puncture in the karyotype analysis in 18-23 weeks of gestation and 24-32 weeks of gestation is safe and effective, more obvious effect on the latter.

Analysis of co-expression and gene regulatory networks associated with sterile lemma development in rice.

BACKGROUND: The sterile lemma is a unique organ of the rice (Oryza sativa L.) spikelet. However, the characteristics and origin of the rice sterile lemma have not been determined unequivocally, so it is important to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the development of the sterile lemma. RESULTS: In the paper, we outline the regulatory mechanism of sterile lemma development by LONG STERILE LEMMA1 (G1), which has been identified as the gene controlling sterile lemma development. Based on the comprehensive analyses of transcriptome dynamics during sterile lemma development with G1 alleles between wild-type (WT) and mutant (MT) in rice, we obtained co-expression data and regulatory networks related to sterile lemma development. Co-transfection assays of rice protoplasts confirmed that G1 affects the expression of various phytohormone-related genes by regulating a number of critical transcription factors, such as OsLBD37 and OSH1. The hormone levels in sterile lemmas from WT and MT of rice supports the hypotheses that lower auxin, lower gibberellin, and higher cytokinin concentrations are required to maintain a normal phenotype of sterile lemmas. CONCLUSION: The regulatory networks have considerable reference value, and some of the regulatory relationships exhibiting strong correlations are worthy of further study. Taken together, these work provided a detailed guide for further studies into the molecular mechanism of sterile lemma development.

Rolipram suppresses migration and invasion of human choriocarcinoma cells by inhibiting phosphodiesterase 4-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Rolipram is a selective phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitor. The effect of rolipram on the metastasis of choriocarcinoma is barely known. Here, we evaluated the role of rolipram in the migration and invasion of human choriocarcinoma cells in vitro. Human choriocarcinoma cells lines JEG3 and JAR were used in this study. The expression profile of PDE4 subfamily members in choriocarcinoma cells was evaluated using real-time PCR. The migration and invasion properties of choriocarcinoma cells before and after inhibition of PDE4 by rolipram or RNAi-directed knockdown were evaluated in vitro. Expression levels of MMP9, TIMP1, E-cadherin, vimentin, TGFß1, SMAD1, and SMAD4 of choriocarcinoma cells were compared before and after rolipram treatment, RNAi-directed knockdown of PDE4D, and overexpression of PDE4D. We found PDE4D was the most commonly expressed isoform of PDE4 both in JEG3 and JAR cells. Rolipram and knockdown of PDE4D were efficient to inhibit the migration and invasion of choriocarcinoma cells in vitro, accompanied by decreased expression of MMP9 and TIMP1. Furthermore, rolipram and knockdown of PDE4D promoted the expression of E-cadherin but reduced the expression of vimentin in choriocarcinoma cells, and overexpression of PDE4D decreased the expression of E-cadherin but promoted the expression of vimentin. Rolipram suppressed migration and invasion of human choriocarcinoma cells in vitro, possibly by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition through PDE4 inhibition.

Ubiquitylomes and proteomes analyses provide a new interpretation of the molecular mechanisms of rice leaf senescence.

MAIN CONCLUSION: We identified a typical rice premature senescence leaf mutant 86 (psl86) and exhibited the first global ubiquitination data during rice leaf senescence. Premature leaf senescence affects the yield and quality of rice, causing irreparable agricultural economic losses. In this study, we reported a rice premature senescence leaf mutant 86 (psl86) in the population lines of rice (Oryza sativa) japonica cultivar 'Yunyin' (YY) mutagenized using ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) treatment. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that a higher ubiquitination level in the psl86 mutant compared with YY. Thus, we performed the proteome and ubiquitylome analyses to identify the differential abundance proteins and ubiquitinated proteins (sites) related to leaf senescence. Among 885 quantified lysine ubiquitination (Kub) sites in 492 proteins, 116 sites in 94 proteins were classified as up-regulated targets and seven sites in six proteins were classified as down-regulated targets at a threshold of 1.5. Proteins with up-regulated Kub sites were mainly enriched in the carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and the pentose phosphate pathway. Notably, 14 up-regulated Kub sites in 11 proteins were enriched in the carbon fixation in photosynthetic organism pathway, and seven proteins (rbcL, PGK, GAPA, FBA5, ALDP, CFBP1 and GGAT) were down-regulated, indicating this pathway is tightly regulated by ubiquitination during leaf senescence. To our knowledge, we present the first global data on ubiquitination during rice leaf senescence.

RNA-seq profiling of primary calli induced by different media and photoperiods for japonica rice 'Yunyin'.

The induction of embryogenic calli plays a vital role in the genetic transformation and regeneration of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Despite progress in rice tissue culture, the molecular mechanisms of embryogenic callus induction remain unknown. In this study, gene expression profiles associated with calli were comprehensively analyzed during callus induction of japonica rice 'Yunyin'. We first confirmed that NMB medium with 24 h of light and 0 h of dark (NMB-L) was the optimal condition for 'Yunyin' callus induction, while J3 medium with 0 h of light and 24 h of dark (J3-D) was the worst condition. After transcriptome analysis, 33,597 unigenes were assembled, among which we identified 6,063 DEGs (Differentially Expressed Genes) related to media and seven DEGs related to photoperiod. Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal, and starch and sucrose metabolism were the top three pathways affected by media, while the circadian rhythm-plant pathway was associated with photoperiod. Furthermore, we identified two candidate genes, Os01g0965900 and Os12g0555200, affected by both medium and photoperiod. Statistical analysis of RNA-seq libraries showed that the expression levels of these two genes in J3-D calli were over 2.5 times higher than those in NMB-L calli, which was further proved by RT-qPCR analysis. Based on FPKM (Fragments Per Kilobase of transcript Per Million mapped reads), unigenes belonging to the NMB-L group were mainly assigned to ribosome, carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways. We transformed Os12g0555200Nip and Os12g05552009311 into 'Nipponbare' calli and observed their effects on the growth and development process of rice calli using TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). Observations showed that Os12g05552009311 was more disadvantageous to rice callus growth than Os12g0555200Nip. Our results reveal that the Os12g0555200, identified from transcriptomic profiles, has a negative influence during 'Yunyin' callus induction. Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-022-01283-y.

PEPC of sugarcane regulated glutathione S-transferase and altered carbon-nitrogen metabolism under different N source concentrations in Oryza sativa.

BACKGROUND: Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) plays an important role in the primary metabolism of higher plants. Several studies have revealed the critical importance of PEPC in the interaction of carbon and nitrogen metabolism. However, the function mechanism of PEPC in nitrogen metabolism is unclear and needs further investigation. RESULTS: This study indicates that transgenic rice expressing the sugarcane C4-PEPC gene displayed shorter primary roots and fewer crown roots at the seedling stage. However, total nitrogen content was significantly higher in transgenic rice than in wild type (WT) plants. Proteomic analysis revealed that there were more differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) responding to nitrogen changes in transgenic rice. In particular, the most enriched pathway "glutathione (GSH) metabolism", which mainly contains GSH S-transferase (GST), was identified in transgenic rice. The expression of endogenous PEPC, GST and several genes involved in the TCA cycle, glycolysis and nitrogen assimilation changed in transgenic rice. Correspondingly, the activity of enzymes including GST, citrate synthase, 6-phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase and ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase significantly changed. In addition, the levels of organic acids in the TCA cycle and carbohydrates including sucrose, starch and soluble sugar altered in transgenic rice under different nitrogen source concentrations. GSH that the substrate of GST and its components including glutamic acid, cysteine and glycine accumulated in transgenic rice. Moreover, the levels of phytohormones including indoleacetic acid (IAA), zeatin (ZT) and isopentenyladenosine (2ip) were lower in the roots of transgenic rice under total nutrients. Taken together, the phenotype, physiological and biochemical characteristics of transgenic rice expressing C4-PEPC were different from WT under different nitrogen levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed the possibility that PEPC affects nitrogen metabolism through regulating GST, which provide a new direction and concepts for the further study of the PEPC functional mechanism in nitrogen metabolism.

A novel PVDF-TiO2@g-C3N4 composite electrospun fiber for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline under visible light irradiation.

A novel composite electrospun fiber with high photocatalytic efficiency, good stability, strong hydrophobicity, good pollution resistance, and easy separation and recovery was synthesized. The TiO2@g-C3N4 (TCN) with special core-shell structure (5-10 nm shell) facilitated the separation of photogenerated electron-holes and had high photocatalytic performance. The poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) electrospun fiber immobilized with TCN was successfully fabricated (PVDF-TCN) with uniform distribution and size of nanofibers by using electrospinning, which was used for degrading tetracycline under visible-light irradiation (> 400 nm). A special rougher surface of electrospun fiber obtained by washing of sacrificial PVP increased the specific surface area, which became more conducive to the adhesion of the catalyst. The water contact angle and FTIR results demonstrated that the electrospun fiber became extremely hydrophilic after adding TCN catalyst, which could effectively mitigate the fiber pollution. The PVDF-TCN-0.2g electrospun fiber exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance and the degradation efficiency of tetracycline was up to 97% in 300 min under visible-light irradiation. The mechanism of PVDF-TCN electrospun fiber degradation of tetracycline in the photocatalytic process was also proposed. In addition, the PVDF-TCN-0.2g exhibited a stable activity after 4 cycles experiments since the degradation efficiency remained about 90%. Therefore, we believed this study provided a new strategy in catalyst immobilization and wastewater treatment.

Effects of substrate types on the transformation of heavy metal speciation and bioavailability in an anaerobic digestion system.

Chemical speciation can fundamentally affect the potential toxicity and bioavailability of heavy metals. The transformation of heavy metal speciation and change of bioavailability were investigated in an anaerobic digestion (AD) system using four different substrates (pig manure (PM), cattle manure (CAM), chicken manure (CHM) and rice straw (RS)). The results obtained indicated that the total contents of heavy metals in PM, CHM and CAM were higher than in RS and decreased in the order Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb > As > Cd in all substrates. Moreover, the speciation with the largest proportion for each heavy metal was the same both in the different substrates and the biogas residues. Among them, Zn, Ni, Cd and As were mainly in the reducible fraction (F2), while Cu was mainly in the oxidizable fraction (F3) and Pb occurred predominantly in the residual fraction (F4). Our results further indicated that the AD process had a greater effect on the speciation of heavy metals in CHM and PM, but less on CAM and RS. The rates of change in bioavailability followed the order PM > CHM > CAM > RS. Changes in organic matter, humic acid or local metal ion environment as a result of AD were inferred as likely mechanisms leading to the transformation of heavy metal speciation. These results enhanced our understanding of the behavior of heavy metals in AD and provided a new perspective for the treatment and disposal of the substrates.

[Multi-center randomized double-blind controlled study on children's anorexia (spleen-stomach disharmony) treated with Child Compound Endothelium Corneum].

Child Compound Endothelium Corneum(CCEC)has the effects in invigorating the spleen and appetizing the appetite, and dissolving the accumulation of food. The recent studies have proved that it could improve gastrointestinal motility, restore physiological gastrointestinal peristalsis, increase gastrointestinal digestive motility, and enhance appetite. This trial aimed to evaluate its clinical efficacy and safety in the treatment of children's anorexia(spleen-stomach disharmony). A total of 240 children with anorexia in line with the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected and randomly divided into experimental group and control group, with 120 in each group. Patients in the experimental group took CCEC and Erpixing Granules simulant. Patients in the control group took Erpi-xing Granules and CCEC simulant. After 21 days of treatment, there was no statistical difference in the recovery rate of anorexia, reduced food intake, eating time, weight change, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome effect, single symptom effect, and trace element Zn recovery rate between the two groups. Based on the non-inferiority test, the experimental group was not inferior to the control group in efficacy. How-ever, the effect of CCEC in reducing appetite in children with anorexia was better than that of control drugs(P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of adverse events and adverse reactions between the two groups during the trial. This experiment confirmed the efficacy and safety of CCEC in the treatment of children's anorexia(spleen-stomach disharmony), with a safety and re-liability in clinical application. In addition, it was a better choice for children with anorexia who were mainly manifested by reduced appetite. Meanwhile, compared with granule, chewable tablets were more convenient to take in clinic. Therefore, the efficacy and safety of CCEC for the treatment of children's anorexia(spleen-stomach disharmony) were not inferior to those of Erpixing Granules, with a safety and reliability in clnic. However, due to the small sample size of this trial, the efficacy results only show a trend. It is suggested to further carry out a large-sample-size clinical study to define the clinical advantages of CCEC.

[Identification of Chinese medicine sea snake based on cytochrome B (Cytb)].

The identification of species primordium has been one of the hot issues in the identification of traditional Chinese medicine. Sea snake is one of the most valuable Chinese medicinal materials in China. In order to understand the origin and varieties of sea snake in the market, we studied the molecular identification of 46 sea snakes by cytochrome B(Cytb). After comparison and manual correction, the sequence length was 582 bp, and the content of A+T(58.9%) was higher than that of G+C(41.1%). There exist 197 variable sites and 179 parsimony-informative sites of the sequence. There are 44 kinds of sequence alignment with consistency equal to 100%, and 2 kinds equal to 96%. A total of 408 Cytb effective sequences were downloaded from GenBank database, with a total of 68 species. Phylogenetic tree of a total of 454 sea snake sequences with the samples in this study were constructed by neighbor-joining trees and Bayesian inference method, respectively, which can identify 42 samples of medicinal materials, while 4 samples can not be identified because of their low node support. The results showed that the species of the sea snake medicine were at least from 2 genera and 5 species, namely, Aipysurus eydouxii, Hydrophis curtus, H. caerulescen, H. curtus, H. ornatus and H. spiralis. This study suggested that the original species of commercial sea snake are very complex and can provide insight into the identification of sea snakes.

The influence of variables on the bioavailability of heavy metals during the anaerobic digestion of swine manure.

The speciation of heavy metals, besides the total concentrations, urgently need to be considered when assessing the eco-toxicity and the bioavailability of heavy metals in environment. This paper aims to investigate the distribution and chemical speciation (e.g. the acid extractable fraction (F1), the reducible fraction (F2), the oxidizable fraction (F3), and the residual fraction (F4)) of heavy metals during the anaerobic digestion process of swine manure. The majority of six heavy metals from the manure was located in biogas residue in the order of decreasing concentration Zn > Cu > Ni > As > Pb > Cd. The transformation of heavy metals among four fractions was observed during the digestion process, and the change of bioavailable fraction of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, As and Pb were 9.71%, -6.04%, -19.24%, 13.62%, -16.48% and -7.22%, respectively. The heat map of correlation coefficients and the stepwise linear regressions model were established to describe the correlation between the bioavailability of the metals and the given digestion variables to predict the influence of the selected variables on the bioavailability of heavy metals. The variations of heavy metal bioavailable fractions are attributed to three key digestion variables, NH4+-N concentration, CH4% in biogas daily yield and pH. These results provide a new perspective for analysis and control of heavy metals during the anaerobic digestion process.

Identification of Long Non-Coding RNAs and the Regulatory Network Responsive to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Colonization in Maize Roots.

Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as vital regulators of many biological processes in animals and plants. However, to our knowledge no investigations on plant lncRNAs which respond to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have been reported thus far. In this study, maize roots colonized with AM fungus were analyzed by strand-specific RNA-Seq to identify AM fungi-responsive lncRNAs and construct an associated regulatory network. A total of 1837 differentially expressed protein coding genes (DEGs) were identified from maize roots with Rhizophagus irregularis inoculation. Many AM fungi-responsive genes were homologs to MtPt4, STR, STR2, MtFatM, and enriched pathways such as fatty acid biosynthesis, response to phosphate starvation, and nitrogen metabolism are consistent with previous studies. In total, 5941 lncRNAs were identified, of which more than 3000 were new. Of those, 63 lncRNAs were differentially expressed. The putative target genes of differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were mainly related to phosphate ion transmembrane transport, cellular response to potassium ion starvation, and lipid catabolic processes. Regulatory network analysis showed that DELs might be involved in the regulation of bidirectional nutrient exchange between plant and AM fungi as mimicry of microRNA targets. The results of this study can broaden our knowledge on the interaction between plant and AM fungi.

OsPRX2 contributes to stomatal closure and improves potassium deficiency tolerance in rice.

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) which are thiol-based peroxidases have been implicated in the toxic reduction and intracellular concentration regulation of hydrogen peroxide. In Arabidopsis thaliana At2-CysPrxB (At5g06290) has been demonstrated to be essential in maintaining the water-water cycle for proper H2O2 scavenging. Although the mechanisms of 2-Cys Prxs have been extensively studied in Arabidopsis thaliana, the function of 2-Cys Prxs in rice is unclear. In this study, a rice homologue gene of At2-CysPrxB, OsPRX2 was investigated aiming to characterize the effect of 2-Cys Prxs on the K+-deficiency tolerance in rice. We found that OsPRX2 was localized in the chloroplast. Overexpressed OsPRX2 causes the stomatal closing and K+-deficiency tolerance increasing, while knockout of OsPRX2 lead to serious defects in leaves phenotype and the stomatal opening under the K+-deficiency tolerance. Detection of K+ accumulation, antioxidant activity of transgenic plants under the starvation of potassium, further confirmed that OsPRX2 is a potential target for engineering plants with improved potassium deficiency tolerance.

A Dendritic Supramolecular Complex as Uniform Hybrid Micelle with Dual Structure for Bimodal In Vivo Imaging.

In this study, a uniform complex dual micelle bearing a gadolinium-substituted polyoxometalate core, a hydrophobic middle, and a biocompatible organic shell, which exhibits a uniform size and definite molecular weight and chemical composition, is constructed through a simple two-step process for use as a fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. A paramagnetic polyoxometalate cluster, K13 [Gd(ß2 -SiW11 O39 )2 ], is first encapsulated with a cationic 3-generation dendron (D-3) bearing triethylene glycol monomethyl ether terminal groups through ionic substitution. The formed electrostatic complex, (D-3)13 [Gd(ß2 -SiW11 O39 )2 ] (D-GdSiW), which displays an ambivalent micellar structure, is then demonstrated to act as a suitable carrier for the uptake of cationic fluorescent dyes, forming a loaded complex. The dye-loaded complex D-GdSiW-D is thus proven to display high relaxivity as a contrast agent, maintaining its structural stability under physiological conditions with low cell cytotoxicity. Confocal laser scanning microscopic observation also demonstrates the fluorescence imaging property of the prepared complex upon consumption by MCF-7 cells. Both in vivo fluorescence imaging and MRI further confirm that the complex micelle with dual micellar structure may be a suitable liver-specific contrast agent for clinical diagnosis.

Role of laparoscopy as a minimally invasive procedure in treatment of ruptured uterine scar during second-trimester induction of abortion.

Uterine rupture is an uncommon complication following termination of pregnancy and is usually accompanied by severe lower abdominal pain and shock caused by intra-abdominal hemorrhage. Laparotomy should be carried out promptly in order to repair the uterus or even to resect the uterus. Here we present a case of uterine rupture of a scarred uterus, which occurred during a second-trimester induced abortion. The patient was successfully treated by laparoscopy with the help of laparoscopic ultrasound. This case suggests an alternative, effective approach to the diagnosis and treatment of uterine rupture.

Uterine rupture disguised by urinary retention following a second trimester induced abortion: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Uterine rupture classically presents with severe abdominal pain, loss of fetal station, vaginal bleeding, and shock. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of uterine rupture presenting as significant urinary retention that occurred following a second trimester abortion induced with mifepristone and misoprostol. Uterine rupture was discovered unexpectedly on diagnostic laparoscopy. The uterine rupture was contained by dense adhesions between the omentum and bladder with the previous uterine cesarean hysterotomy scar. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the difficulties in diagnosis of abnormal placentation and an unusual presentation of uterine rupture. This case was managed successfully laparoscopically.

Irreducibility of sensory experiences: Dual representations lead to dual context biases.

There are three views of cognitive representation: the amodal, strong-embodiment, and weak-embodiment views of cognition. The present research provides support for the weak-embodiment view by demonstrating that two representational systems, one conceptual and one perceptual, underlie the cognitive processing of sensory experiences. We find that an initial sensory experience can exert two independent influences on judgments about a subsequent sensory experience. Specifically, we show that the conceptual representation of an initial sensory experience creates an expectation that biases judgments of the subsequent experience toward the initial experience (i.e., an assimilation bias), while the perceptual representation of an initial sensory experience creates a comparison standard that biases judgments of the subsequent experience away from the initial experience (i.e., a contrast bias). Documenting concurrent assimilation and contrast biases supports the claim of a dual representational system espoused by the weak-embodiment view. In so doing, we update the classic literature on context effects and contribute to the debate on representational systems in cognition.

Progress and Opportunities in Photocatalytic, Electrocatalytic, and Photoelectrocatalytic Production of Hydrogen Peroxide Coupled with Biomass Valorization.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been considered an energy carrier (fuel) and oxidizer for various chemical synthesis and environmental remediation processes. Biomass valorization can generate high-value-added products in a green and pollution-free way to solve the energy and environmental crisis. The biomass valorization coupled with H2O2 generation via photo-, electro-, and photoelectrocatalysis plays a positive role in sustainable targets, which can maximize energy utilization and realize the production of value-added products and fuel synthesis. Recently, catalyst design and mechanism studies in H2O2 generation coupled with biomass valorization are in the infancy stage. Herein, this review begins with a background on photo-, electro-, and photoelectrocatalytic techniques for H2O2 generation, biomass valorization, and the H2O2 generation couples with biomass valorization. Meanwhile, the progress and reaction mechanism are reviewed. Finally, the prospects and challenges of a synergistic coupled system of H2O2 synthesis and value-added biomass in achieving high conversion, selectivity, and reaction efficiency are envisioned.

Aluminum/Graphene Thermal Interface Materials with Positive Temperature Dependence.

Graphene is widely used in excellent thermal interface materials (TIMs), thanks to its remarkably high in-plane thermal conductivity (k∥). However, the poor through-plane thermal conductivity (k⊥) limits its further application. Here, we developed a simple in situ growth method to prepare graphene-based thermal interface composites with positively temperature-dependent thermal conductivity, which loaded aluminum (Al) nanoparticles onto graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). To evaluate the variations in thermal performance, we determined the thermal diffusivity and specific heat capacity of the composites using a laser-flash analyzer and a differential scanning calorimeter, respectively. The Al nanoparticles act as bridges between the nanoplatelets, enhancing the k⊥ of the 1.3-Al/GNPs composite to 11.70 W·m-1·K-1 at 25 °C. Even more remarkably, those nanoparticles led to a unique increase in k⊥ with temperature, reaching 20.93 W·m-1·K-1 at 100 °C. Additionally, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the thermal conductivity mechanism of the Al/GNPs composites. The exceptional heat transport property enabled the composites to exhibit a superior heat dissipation performance in simulated practical applications. This work provides valuable insights into utilizing graphene in composites with Al nanoparticles, which have special thermal conductivity properties, and offers a promising pathway to enhance the k⊥ of graphene-based TIMs.

Construction of dual driving force in carbon nitride for highly efficient hydrogen evolution: Simultaneously manipulating carriers transport in intra- and interlayer.

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is widely recognized as an environmentally friendly approach to address future energy crises and environmental issues. However, rapid recombination of photo-induced charges over carbon nitride in lateral and vertical direction hinder this process. Herein, we proposed an effective strategy involving the embedding of benzene rings and the intercalation of platinum atoms on carbon nitride for a controlled intralayer and interlayer charges flow. Modified carbon nitride exhibits a significant higher hydrogen evolution rate (6288.5 µmol/g/h), which is 42 times greater than that of pristine carbon nitride. Both experiments and simulations collectively indicate that the improved photocatalytic activities can be attributed to the adjustment of the highly symmetric structure of carbon nitride, achieved by embedding benzene rings to induce the formation of an intralayer build-in electric field and intercalating Pt atoms to enhance interlayer polarization, which simultaneously accelerate lateral and vertical charges migration. This dual-direction charges separation mechanism in carbon nitride provides valuable insights for the development of highly active photocatalysis.