Disorder in Mn+1AXn phases at the atomic scale.

Atomic disordering in materials alters their physical and chemical properties and can subsequently affect their performance. In complex ceramic materials, it is a challenge to understand the nature of structural disordering, due to the difficulty of direct, atomic-scale experimental observations. Here we report the direct imaging of ion irradiation-induced antisite defects in Mn+1AXn phases using double CS-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and provide compelling evidence of order-to-disorder phase transformations, overturning the conventional view that irradiation causes phase decomposition to binary fcc-structured Mn+1Xn. With the formation of uniformly distributed cation antisite defects and the rearrangement of X anions, disordered solid solution γ-(Mn+1A)Xn phases are formed at low ion fluences, followed by gradual transitions to solid solution fcc-structured (Mn+1A)Xn phases. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the order-to-disorder transformations in Mn+1AXn phases and proposes a method for the synthesis of new solid solution (Mn+1A)Xn phases by tailoring the disorder

Identification and characterization of miRNA169 family members in banana (Musa acuminata L.) that respond to fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense infection in banana cultivars

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in plant resistance to pathogen infections. However, little is known about the role of miRNAs in banana Fusarium wilt, which is the most economically devastating disease in banana production. In the present study, we identified and characterized a total of 18 miR169 family members in banana (Musa acuminata L.) based on small RNA sequencing. The banana miR169 family clustered into two groups based on miRNA evolutionary analysis. Multiple sequence alignment indicated a high degree of sequence conservation in miRNA169 family members across 28 plant species. Computational target prediction algorithms were used to identify 25 targets of miR169 family members in banana. These targets were enriched in various metabolic pathways that include the following molecules: glycine, serine, threonine, pentose, glycerolipids, nucleotide sugars, starch, and sucrose. Through miRNA transcriptomic analysis, we found that ma-miR169a and ma-miR169b displayed high expression levels, whereas the other 16 ma-miR169 members exhibited low expression in the HG and Baxi banana cultivars. Further experiments indicate that there were negative relationships between ma-miR169a, ma-miR169b and their targets basing on their expression levels to Foc4 (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4) infection in resistant cultivars. But they were low expressed in susceptive cultivars. These results suggested that the expression levels of ma-miR169a and ma-miR169b were consistent with the resistance degree of the banana cultivars to Foc4. The analysis presented here constitutes a starting point to understand ma-miR169-mediated Fusarium wilt resistance at the transcriptional level in banana and predicts possible candidate targets for the genetic improvement of banana resistance to Foc4

Promoting Sino-UK Collaboration on Developing Low Carbon and Sustainable Methodologies for Brownfields and Marginal Land Re-use in China

The authors are grateful to all partners of the SPF project which include a wide team of collaborators and advisors across China and UK for their useful discussions and contribution during the project. Ming Liu and Chris He (Department of Science, Technology & Innovation, British Consulate-General Guangzhou), Rongxia Liu and Xia Yang (Administrative Centre for China’s Agenda21), Kate Canning (Arup) and David Middleton (Department for Environment and Rural Affairs, UK) helped discussion and revision of the report. We acknowledge the financial support from the Foreign Common Office’s Prosperity Fund programme. We also are grateful to the contribution of the University of Brighton and the Land Trust who supported the PSRP case study development project and shared its findings with this project. This report is one of the outputs of the China Prosperity Strategic Programme Fund (SPF) on “Promoting Sino-UK collaboration on developing low carbon and sustainable methodologies for Brownfields and marginal land re-use in China” (project 16AG15)Rapid urbanisation and changes in land use resulting from industrial change has left a legacy of vast polluted industrial and commercial areas (also called brownfields) and marginal land areas. Recent evidence from the UK, EU and USA indicate that these land areas may have considerable potential for renewables production, for example from solar, wind or biomass. In parallel there are opportunities for carbon storage in rehabilitated soil, as well as substitution by the production of renewables. The UK is also leading the understanding in the wider parallel benefits that can be achieved from ecosystem services and public health benefits from improved provision of green space. These multiple services can be provided together, in synergy, from soft re-uses of post-industrial sites, and in this way the post-industrial regeneration areas in China should be seen as a major opportunity for new enterprise, society and the wider environment. The improving bankability of renewable energy projects, and the possibility of creating a voluntary carbon offset business, means that revenue streams may be sufficient to pay for ongoing land management over time as a profit generating activity. In terms of fastest benefit to UK PLC and China, the likelihood is that combination of renewable energies with “dual use” for habitat will provide both more readily commercial brownfield re-use opportunities for cities in China in the short term, and also create better carbon management opportunities, as well as a variety of wider sustainability benefits. Thus this type of re-uses will create a platform for rapid commercial exchange and development between Chinese and UK companies. Considering that China is preparing an action plan for managing soil pollution and remediation across the country estimated to be RMB 7tn which is equivalent to one-third of the national exchange reserves, this report on developing low carbon and sustainable methodologies for brownfields and marginal land re-use in China provides timely information that will support the decision making for sustainable remediation opportunities in China. The report is intended to serve as a tool and resource guide to stakeholders involved in land remediation willing to engage in sustainable remediation implementation for renewable energy and carbon management applications. It is intended to inform remediation stakeholders unfamiliar with sustainable remediation about the concept, practices, and available resources. The report capitalises on UK leadership positions on the sustainable rehabilitation of brownfields land (SURF-UK), the soft re-use of brownfields (e.g. for energy or amenity rather than buildings); effective end-use directed risk management for contaminated land, and sustainable remediation.Foreign Common Office’s Prosperity Fund programme SPF project 16AG1

China's soil and groundwater management challenges: Lessons from the UK's experience and opportunities for China

There are a number of specific opportunities for UK and China to work together on contaminated land management issues as China lacks comprehensive and systematic planning for sustainable risk based land management, encompassing both contaminated soil and groundwater and recycling and reuse of soil. It also lacks comprehensive risk assessment systems, structures to support risk management decision making, processes for verification of remediation outcome, systems for record keeping and preservation and integration of contamination issues into land use planning, along with procedures for ensuring effective health and safety considerations during remediation projects, and effective evaluation of costs versus benefits and overall sustainability. A consequence of the absence of these overarching frameworks has been that remediation takes place on an ad hoc basis. At a specific site management level, China lacks capabilities in site investigation and consequent risk assessment systems, in particular related to conceptual modelling and risk evaluation. There is also a lack of shared experience of practical deployment of remediation technologies in China, analogous to the situation before the establishment of the independent, non-profit organisation CL:AIRE (Contaminated Land: Applications In Real Environments) in 1999 in the UK. Many local technology developments are at lab-scale or pilot-scale stage without being widely put into use. Therefore, a shared endeavour is needed to promote the development of technically and scientifically sound land management as well as soil and human health protection to improve the sustainability of the rapid urbanisation in China

Roadmap on commercialization of metal halide perovskite photovoltaics

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) represent one of the most promising emerging photovoltaic technologies due to their high power conversion efficiency. However, despite the huge progress made not only in terms of the efficiency achieved, but also fundamental understanding of the relevant physics of the devices and issues which affect their efficiency and stability, there are still unresolved problems and obstacles on the path toward commercialization of this promising technology. In this roadmap, we aim to provide a concise and up to date summary of outstanding issues and challenges, and the progress made toward addressing these issues. While the format of this article is not meant to be a comprehensive review of the topic, it provides a collection of the viewpoints of the experts in the field, which covers a broad range of topics related to PSC commercialization, including those relevant for manufacturing (scaling up, different types of devices), operation and stability (various factors), and environmental issues (in particular the use of lead). We hope that the article will provide a useful resource for researchers in the field and that it will facilitate discussions and move forward toward addressing the outstanding challenges in this fast-developing field

Summary of Laurasiatheria (Mammalia) Phylogeny

Laurasiatheria is one of the richest and most diverse superorders of placental mammals. Because this group had a rapid evolutionary radiation, the phylogenetic relationships among the six orders of Laurasiatheria remain a subject of heated debate and several issues related to its phylogeny remain open. Reconstructing the true phylogenetic relationships of Laurasiatheria is a significant case study in evolutionary biology due to the diversity of this suborder and such research will have significant implications for biodiversity conservation. We review the higher-level (inter-ordinal) phylogenies of Laurasiatheria based on previous cytogenetic, morphological and molecular data, and discuss the controversies of its phylogenetic relationship. This review aims to outline future researches on Laurasiatheria phylogeny and adaptive evolution

A Facile Route to Fabricate CS/GO Composite Film for the Application of Therapeutic Contact Lenses

Traditional contact lenses bring convenience for ophthalmic drug delivery. However, either as contact lenses or as drug carriers, traditional materials have still some drawbacks in the field. Therefore, a transparent film was designed and investigated for the application of therapeutic contact lenses. Chitosan (CS)/graphene oxide (GO) composite film and CS film were fabricated with acceptable transparent and tensile properties by simple casting flow method. Although swelling ratio of CS/GO composite film was higher than that of CS film with significant difference, both formed films had suitable swelling ratio for contact lens application. Both CS/GO composite film and CS film exhibited typical CS infrared characteristic peaks. CS/GO composite film had significant greater breaking strength than CS film, but its elongation at break was a little lower than CS film. Either CS/GO composite film or CS film exhibited good hydrophilic property with a contact angle of around 20 degree. Ofloxacin as a model drug was loaded into films by adsorption diffusion method. Loaded drug amount in CS/GO composite film was a little larger than that in CS film, but without significant difference. The drug release behaviors from CS/GO composite film or CS film were investigated and revealed that the loaded drug could be controlled to release in the first hour. Two kinds of cells were used to evaluate the biocompatibility of films by in vitro method. It was found that both CS/GO composite film and CS film could support human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) growth. But for human epidermal fibroblasts (HSF) cells, CS/GO composite film could promote HSF cells growth and proliferation much better than CS film