Airflow Synergistic Needleless Electrospinning of Instant Noodle-like Curly Nanofibrous Membranes for High-Efficiency Air Filtration.

Particulate matter (PM) pollution has become a serious environmental concern. Nanofibrous filters are widely reported to remove PM from polluted air. Herein, efficient and lightweight PM air filters are presented using airflow synergistic needleless electrospinning composed of auxiliary fields such as an airflow field and a secondary inductive electric field. Compared to needleless electrospinning with other spinnerets, it significantly improves productivity, fiber diameter, and porosity of fibrous air filters. The instant noodle-like nanofiber structure can also be controlled by adjusting the airflow velocity. These air filters exhibit high (2.5 µm particulate matter) PM2.5 removal efficiency (99.9%) and high (0.3 µm particulate matter) PM0.3 removal efficiency (99.1%), low pressure drop (56 Pa for PM2.5 and 78 Pa for PM0.3 ), and large dust holding capacitance (the maximum value is 168 g m-2 for PM2.5 , while 102 g m-2 for PM0.3 ). Meanwhile, the proposed PM filters are also tested suitable and stable to other polluted air filtrations such as cigarette smoke and sawdust. The large-scale synthesis of such an attractive nanofiber structure presents the great potential of high-performance filtration/separation materials.

Identification and Allele Combination Analysis of Rice Grain Shape-Related Genes by Genome-Wide Association Study.

Grain shape is an important agronomic character of rice, which affects the appearance, processing, and the edible quality. Screening and identifying more new genes associated with grain shape is beneficial to further understanding the genetic basis of grain shape and provides more gene resources for genetic breeding. This study has a natural population containing 623 indica rice cultivars. Genome-wide association studies/GWAS of several traits related to grain shape (grain length/GL, grain width/GW, grain length to width ratio/GLWR, grain circumferences/GC, and grain size/grain area/GS) were conducted by combining phenotypic data from four environments and the second-generation resequencing data, which have identified 39 important Quantitative trait locus/QTLs. We analyzed the 39 QTLs using three methods: gene-based association analysis, haplotype analysis, and functional annotation and identified three cloned genes (GS3, GW5, OsDER1) and seven new candidate genes in the candidate interval. At the same time, to effectively utilize the genes in the grain shape-related gene bank, we have also analyzed the allelic combinations of the three cloned genes. Finally, the extreme allele combination corresponding to each trait was found through statistical analysis. This study's novel candidate genes and allele combinations will provide a valuable reference for future breeding work.

Rationalizing the Effect of Oxygen Vacancy on Oxygen Electrocatalysis in Li-O2 Battery.

Albeit the effectiveness of surface oxygen vacancy in improving oxygen redox reactions in Li-O2 battery, the underpinning reason behind this improvement remains ambiguous. Herein, the concentration of oxygen vacancy in spinel NiCo2 O4 is first regulated via magnetron sputtering and its relationship with catalytic activity is comprehensively studied in Li-O2 battery based on experiment and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The positive effect posed by oxygen vacancy originates from the up shifted antibond orbital relative to Fermi level (Ef ), which provides extra electronic state around Ef , eventually enhancing oxygen adsorption and charge transfer during oxygen redox reactions. However, with excessive oxygen vacancy, the negative effect emerges because the metal ions are mostly reduced to low valence based on the electrical neutral principle, which not only destabilizes the crystal structure but also weakens the ability to capture electrons from the antibond orbit of Li2 O2 , leading to poor catalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Uniparental chicken offsprings derived from oogenesis of chicken primordial germ cells (ZZ).

Cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer) in avian species has proven unachievable due to the physical structure of the avian oocyte. Here, the sexual differentiation of primordial germ cells with genetic sex ZZ (ZZ PGCs) was investigated in female germline chimeric chicken hosts with the aim to produce uniparental offspring. ZZ PGCs were expanded in culture and transplanted into the same and opposite sex chicken embryos which were partially sterilized using irradiation. All tested chimeric roosters (ZZ/ZZ) showed germline transmission with transmission rates of 3.2%-91.4%. Unexpectedly, functional oogenesis of chicken ZZ PGCs was found in three chimeric hens, resulting in a transmission rate of 2.3%-27.8%. Matings were conducted between the germline chimeras (ZZ/ZZ and ZZ/ZW) which derived from the same ZZ PGCs line. Paternal uniparental chicken offspring were obtained with a transmission rate up to 28.4% and as expected, all uniparental offspring were phenotypic male (ZZ). Genotype analysis of uniparental offsprings was performed using 13 microsatellite markers. The genotype profile showed that uniparental offspring were 100% genetically identical to the donor ZZ PGC line, shared 69.2%-88.5% identity with the donor bird. Homozygosity of the tested birds varied from 61.5% to 84.6%, which was higher than the donor bird (38.5%). These results demonstrate that male avian ZZ PGCs can differentiate into functional ova in an ovary, and uniparental avian clones are possible. This technology suggests novel approaches for generating genetically similar flocks of birds and for the conservation of avian genetic resources.

High-Resolution X-ray Image from Copper-Based Perovskite Hybrid Polymer.

Cs3Cu2I5 nanocrystals (NCs) are considered to be promising materials due to their high photoluminescence efficiency, lack of lead toxicity, and X-ray responsiveness. However, during the crystallization process, NCs are prone to agglomeration and exhibit uneven size distribution, resulting in several light scattering that severely affect their imaging resolution. Herein, we successfully developed a high-resolution scintillator film by growing copper-based perovskite NCs within a hybrid polymer matrix. By leveraging the ingenious integration of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), the size and distribution uniformity of Cs3Cu2I5 NCs can be effectively controlled. Consequently, a high spatial resolution of 14.3 lp mm-1 and a low detection limit of 105 nGy s-1 are achieved, and the scintillator film has excellent flexibility and stability. These results highlight the promising application of Cs3Cu2I5 scintillator films in low-cost, flexible, and high-performance medical imaging.

Effects of vitamin A on intramuscular fat development in beef cattle: A meta-analysis.

Vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin, is the basic substance required to maintain healthy vision and the main physiological functions of cattle. The results from previous studies regarding the effect of vitamin A on intramuscular fat varied. This meta-analysis aimed to generate a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between vitamin A and intramuscular fat content and to provide potential clues for future research and commercial practice. Electronic databases such as MEDLINE and Ovid were systematically searched, and studies investigating the relationship between vitamin A and intramuscular fat content were included. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) in intramuscular fat percentage and intramuscular fat score, with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were calculated. The heterogeneity and publication bias were evaluated. A total of 152 articles were identified through searches of databases. Seven articles were confirmed for inclusion in this meta-analysis. The SMD of IMF percentage derived from the analysis was-0.78 (-2.68, 1.12) (Q = 246.84, p < 0.01). The SMD of the IMF score was 1.25 (-2.75, 5.25) (Q = 87.20, p < 0.01). Our meta-analysis indicates that the addition of vitamin A could decrease intramuscular fat in cattle steers.

Production of chicken progeny (Gallus gallus domesticus) from interspecies germline chimeric duck (Anas domesticus) by primordial germ cell transfer.

The present study aimed to investigate the differentiation of chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) primordial germ cells (PGCs) in duck (Anas domesticus) gonads. Chimeric ducks were produced by transferring chicken PGCs into duck embryos. Transfer of 200 and 400 PGCs resulted in the detection of a total number of 63.0 ± 54.3 and 116.8 ± 47.1 chicken PGCs in the gonads of 7-day-old duck embryos, respectively. The chimeric rate of ducks prior to hatching was 52.9% and 90.9%, respectively. Chicken germ cells were assessed in the gonad of chimeric ducks with chicken-specific DNA probes. Chicken spermatogonia were detected in the seminiferous tubules of duck testis. Chicken oogonia, primitive and primary follicles, and chicken-derived oocytes were also found in the ovaries of chimeric ducks, indicating that chicken PGCs are able to migrate, proliferate, and differentiate in duck ovaries and participate in the progression of duck ovarian folliculogenesis. Chicken DNA was detected using PCR from the semen of chimeric ducks. A total number of 1057 chicken eggs were laid by Barred Rock hens after they were inseminated with chimeric duck semen, of which four chicken offspring hatched and one chicken embryo did not hatch. Female chimeric ducks were inseminated with chicken semen; however, no fertile eggs were obtained. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that chicken PGCs could interact with duck germinal epithelium and complete spermatogenesis and eventually give rise to functional sperm. The PGC-mediated germline chimera technology may provide a novel system for conserving endangered avian species.

Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Pure Aluminum upon Multi-Pass Caliber Rolling.

The paper presents the microstructure and mechanical property of pure aluminum (Al) fabricated by multi-pass caliber rolling at room temperature. The finite element modeling (FEM) simulation was performed to explore the changes in rolling force, effective stress and strain, and temperature under various rolling passes. As the number of rolling passes increased, the overall temperature, effective stress, and strain gradually increased, while the maximum rolling force decreased. In addition, due to the dynamic recrystallization (DRX), the average grain size reduced from 1 mm to 14 µm with the increase in rolling passes. The dislocation density increased and it gradually evolved into the high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs). Moreover, the initial cubic texture rotated to the brass component and finally changed to a mixture of Cube and Brass types. The highest tensile yield strength (TYS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation (El.) of caliber rolled pure Al (116 MPa, 135 MPa, and 17%, respectively) can be achieved after 13 rolling passes, which mainly attributed to grain refinement.

Thermoelectric performances for both p- and n-type GeSe.

In this paper, the thermoelectric properties of p-type and n-type GeSe are studied systematically by using first principles and Boltzmann transport theory. The calculation includes electronic structure, electron relaxation time, lattice thermal conductivity and thermoelectric transport properties. The results show that GeSe is an indirect band gap semiconductor with band gap 1.34 eV. Though p-type GeSe has a high density of states near Fermi level, the electronic conductivity is relative low because there is no carrier transport pathway along the a-axis direction. For n-type GeSe, a charge density channel is formed near conduction band minimum, which improves the electrical conductivity of n-type GeSe along the a-axis direction. At 700 K, the optimal ZT value reaches 2.5 at 4 × 1019 cm-3 for n-type GeSe, while that is 0.6 at 1 × 1020 cm-3 for p-type GeSe. The results show n-type GeSe has better thermoelectric properties than p-type GeSe, indicating that n-type GeSe is a promising thermoelectric material in middle temperature.

Weyl Fermions in VI3 Monolayer.

We report the presence of a Weyl fermion in VI3 monolayer. The material shows a sandwich-like hexagonal structure and stable phonon spectrum. It has a half-metal band structure, where only the bands in one spin channel cross the Fermi level. There are three pairs of Weyl points slightly below the Fermi level in spin-up channel. The Weyl points show a clean band structure and are characterized by clear Fermi arcs edge state. The effects of spin-orbit coupling, electron correlation, and lattice strain on the electronic band structure were investigated. We find that the half-metallicity and Weyl points are robust against these perturbations. Our work suggests VI3 monolayer is an excellent Weyl half-metal.

Solid-phase extraction of ursolic acid from herb using beta-cyclodextrin-based molecularly imprinted microspheres.

A new method was employed to solid-phase extract ursolic acid from Ilex kudingcha C. J. Tseng using molecularly imprinted microspheres (MIMs) as the sorbent. Using a surface molecular imprinting technique, MIMs for ursolic acid were prepared with bonded beta-CD and acrylamide in combination based on functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres (F-PGMA). Compared with non-MIMs (NIMs), MIMs showed high adsorption capacity, significant selectivity, and good site accessibility for ursolic acid. The maximum static adsorption capacities of the MIMs and NIMs for ursolic acid were 42.5 and 4.9 micromol/g, respectively. Chromatographic analysis shows that ursolic acid and oleanolic acid could be separated well when MIMs were used as the stationary phase of HPLC. The conditions of molecularly imprinted SPE (MISPE) of ursolic acid from the herb extract were optimized using different concentrations of ethanol solutions as loading, washing, and eluting solutions. The successful extraction of ursolic acid by MIMs provided a possible innovative approach to separate ursolic acid from herb.

Pyrazine-diium bis-(3-carb-oxy-4-hydroxy-benzene-sulfonate) dihydrate.

Pyrazine and 5-sulfosalicylic acid crystallize from a methanol solution containing water as the title salt, C(4)H(6)N(2) (2+)·2C(7)H(5)O(6)S(-)·2H(2)O. The pyrazine-diium cation sits on an inversion center. The component ions and water mol-ecules are linked by inter-molecular O-H⋯O, N-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into layers running parallel to the (10) plane.

[A case report of giant cemento-ossifying fibroma].

Cemento-ossifying fibroma is a rare benign tumor from periodontium, which usually occurs in mandible body and mandible ramus. It consists of collagen fibrils, fibroblast, and cementoblast. This article reported a case of giant cemento-ossifying fibroma and discussed the clinical features and treatment.

Primordial germ cell-mediated chimera technology produces viable pure-line Houbara bustard offspring: potential for repopulating an endangered species.

BACKGROUND: The Houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata) is a wild seasonal breeding bird populating arid sandy semi-desert habitats in North Africa and the Middle East. Its population has declined drastically during the last two decades and it is classified as vulnerable. Captive breeding programmes have, hitherto, been unsuccessful in reviving population numbers and thus radical technological solutions are essential for the long term survival of this species. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of primordial germ cell-mediated chimera technology to produce viable Houbara bustard offspring. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Embryonic gonadal tissue was dissected from Houbara bustard embryos at eight days post-incubation. Subsequently, Houbara tissue containing gonadal primordial germ cells (gPGCs) was injected into White Leghorn chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) embryos, producing 83/138 surviving male chimeric embryos, of which 35 chimeric roosters reached sexual maturity after 5 months. The incorporation and differentiation of Houbara gPGCs in chimeric chicken testis were assessed by PCR with Houbara-specific primers and 31.3% (5/16) gonads collected from the injected chicken embryos showed the presence of donor Houbara cells. A total of 302 semen samples from 34 chimeric roosters were analyzed and eight were confirmed as germline chimeras. Semen samples from these eight roosters were used to artificially inseminate three female Houbara bustards. Subsequently, 45 Houbara eggs were obtained and incubated, two of which were fertile. One egg hatched as a male live born Houbara; the other was female but died before hatching. Genotyping confirmed that the male chick was a pure-line Houbara derived from a chimeric rooster. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates for the first time that Houbara gPGCs can migrate, differentiate and eventually give rise to functional sperm in the chimeric chicken testis. This approach may provide a promising tool for propagation and conservation of endangered avian species that cannot breed in captivity.

Influence of simulated microgravity on avian primordial germ cell migration and reproductive capacity.

Fertilized eggs of chicken and quail were incubated under the simulated microgravity condition provided by a clinostat. The number of Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs) was counted in early embryogenesis, and the reproductive capacity of quail hatched following the simulated microgravity was investigated. Simulated microgravity caused significant decline of PGCs in the blood of early chicken embryos and in the gonads. The numbers of spermatogonia in the hatchling testis were also fewer than those in the control groups. Therefore, simulated microgravity may retard gonadial development and reduce the reproductive capacity.