A perspective on energy chemistry of low-temperature lithium metal batteries

Dendrite growth of lithium (Li) metal anode severely hinders its practical application, while the situation becomes more serious at low temperatures due to the sluggish kinetics of Li-ion diffusion. This perspective is intended to clearly understand the energy chemistry of low-temperature Li metal batteries (LMBs). The low-temperature chemistries between LMBs and traditional Li-ion batteries are firstly compared to figure out the features of the low-temperature LMBs. Li deposition behaviors at low temperatures are then discussed concerning the variation in Li-ion diffusion behaviors and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) features. Subsequently, the strategies to enhance the diffusion kinetics of Li ions and suppress dendrite growth including designing electrolytes and electrode/electrolyte interfaces are analyzed. Finally, conclusions and outlooks are drawn to shed lights on the future design of high-performance low-temperature LMBs

Pericardial Patch Angioplasty Heals via an Ephrin-B2 and CD34 Positive Cell Mediated Mechanism

Pericardial patches are commonly used in vascular surgery to close arteriotomies. The mechanism of early healing after patch implantation is still not well defined. We used a rat aortic patch model to assess pericardial patch healing and examined Ephrin-B2, a marker of arterial identity, expression within the post-implantation patch. We also determined whether endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) are associated with early patch healing in the arterial environment.Wistar rats (200-250 grams) underwent infrarenal aortic arteriotomy and then closure via bovine or porcine pericardial patch angioplasty. Control groups included subcutaneously implanted patches. Patches were harvested at 0-30 days and analyzed by histology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and Western blot as well as quantitative PCR.Prior to implantation, pericardial patches are largely composed of collagen and are acellular. Following arterial implantation, increasing numbers of CD68-positive cells as well as Ephrin-B2 and CD34 dual-positive cells are found within both bovine and porcine pericardial patches, whereas the infiltrating cells are negative for vWF and α-actin. Porcine patches have a luminal monolayer of cells at day 7, compared to bovine patches that have fewer luminal cells. Subcutaneously implanted patches do not attract Ephrin-B2/CD34-positive cells. By day 30, both bovine and porcine pericardial patches develop a neointima that contains Ephrin-B2, CD34, and VEGFR2-positive cells.Both CD68-positive and Ephrin-B2 and CD34 dual-positive cells infiltrate the pericardial patch early after implantation. Arteriotomy closure via pericardial patch angioplasty shows patch adaptation to the arterial environment that may involve a foreign body response as well as localization of EPC. Arterial remodeling of pericardial patches support endothelialization and may represent a paradigm of healing of scaffolds used for tissue engineering

Multidimensional signals and analytic flexibility: Estimating degrees of freedom in human speech analyses

Recent empirical studies have highlighted the large degree of analytic flexibility in data analysis which can lead to substantially different conclusions based on the same data set. Thus, researchers have expressed their concerns that these researcher degrees of freedom might facilitate bias and can lead to claims that do not stand the test of time. Even greater flexibility is to be expected in fields in which the primary data lend themselves to a variety of possible operationalizations. The multidimensional, temporally extended nature of speech constitutes an ideal testing ground for assessing the variability in analytic approaches, which derives not only from aspects of statistical modeling, but also from decisions regarding the quantification of the measured behavior. In the present study, we gave the same speech production data set to 46 teams of researchers and asked them to answer the same research question, resulting insubstantial variability in reported effect sizes and their interpretation. Using Bayesian meta-analytic tools, we further find little to no evidence that the observed variability can be explained by analysts’ prior beliefs, expertise or the perceived quality of their analyses. In light of this idiosyncratic variability, we recommend that researchers more transparently share details of their analysis, strengthen the link between theoretical construct and quantitative system and calibrate their (un)certainty in their conclusions

Light People: Prof. Eric Mazur speaks about ultrafast optics and education

Editorial Prof. Eric Mazur is a great influencer over and beyond the optics community. As a physicist, he is a pioneer of ultrafast optics and was one of the inventors of colliding-pulse mode-locked laser. As an educator, he not only gave talks to thousands, but also revolutionized teaching with his globally renowned methodology “Peer Instruction”. As a leader and entrepreneur, he co-founded several companies and was President of Optica (formerly the Optical Society) and currently is the Chair of the Optica Foundation. Here, Light: Science & Applications talked with Prof. Eric Mazur about his opinions on research, education and industry. The full interview video can be found in the Supplementary File

Ecological Efficiency of Urban Industrial Land in Metropolitan Areas: Evidence from China

Industrial land is an indispensable strategic resource in urban development that plays an indispensable role in ensuring the industrial space of urban construction and development. Measuring and analyzing the eco-efficiency of industrial land utilization (ECILU) can provide insights into how to maximize the input–output ratio of industrial land and ensure the sustainable development of land resources and economies. Based on the undesirable output slacks-based measure (SBM) model, choosing land, capital, and labor as input indicators, and the industrial added value and carbon emissions as desirable and undesirable output indicators, this study measured the ECILUs in 78 cities and 13 metropolitan areas in four Chinese major economic zones from 2007 to 2018, analyzed their spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and regional differences, and constructed a Tobit regression model to test the influence mechanism of each variable on the ECILUs in different regions. This has important theoretical and practical significance for the Chinese government in formulating relevant policies and realizing the green utilization of urban land in the future. Empirical results showed that the ECILUs in most cities were low and that the differences between regions were large. The ECILU in the Western Economic Zone was relatively high, followed by the Eastern, Central, and Northeastern Economic Zones. According to the ECILU value and urban synergy degree of each metropolitan area, this study divided the 13 metropolitan areas into four categories. The regression analysis results showed that the variables had different effects on the ECILUs of all cities and the four economic zones in China. It is suggested that all economic zones should reinforce the optimization of industrial structure, control industrial pollutant discharge, and solve the phenomenon of labor surplus. The Eastern Zone should maintain the growth of its economy while focusing on soil quality. The Central Zone should focus on the efficient use of infrastructure, and the Western, Northeastern, and Central Zones should balance the green coverage area and the industrial land area to ensure the efficient use of urban industrial land

Progress in Biological Functions of NBAS Gene and Related Diseases

Neuroblastoma-amplified sequence (NBAS) is a highly conserved gene firstly found in neuroblastoma, targeting on the human chromosome 2 p24.3 and encodes a protein that is a subunit of the Syntaxin 18 complex. The functions of NBAS include the involvement in transport of Golgi-to-Endoplasmic Reticulum retrograde and degradation of nonsense-mediated mRNA. NBAS gene is widely expressed in more than 30 tissues, suggesting that it may play an important role in human body. In 2010 and 2015, NBAS was identified successively as the pathogenic gene of SOPH syndrome and fever-related liver failure respectively. Recent studies shows that NBAS gene mutations can involve immune system and cause immune deficiency. In this paper, we review the biological function of NBAS, NBAS gene mutation-related diseases and their pathogenesis in recent years

Ecological Efficiency of Urban Industrial Land in Metropolitan Areas: Evidence from China

Industrial land is an indispensable strategic resource in urban development that plays an indispensable role in ensuring the industrial space of urban construction and development. Measuring and analyzing the eco-efficiency of industrial land utilization (ECILU) can provide insights into how to maximize the input–output ratio of industrial land and ensure the sustainable development of land resources and economies. Based on the undesirable output slacks-based measure (SBM) model, choosing land, capital, and labor as input indicators, and the industrial added value and carbon emissions as desirable and undesirable output indicators, this study measured the ECILUs in 78 cities and 13 metropolitan areas in four Chinese major economic zones from 2007 to 2018, analyzed their spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and regional differences, and constructed a Tobit regression model to test the influence mechanism of each variable on the ECILUs in different regions. This has important theoretical and practical significance for the Chinese government in formulating relevant policies and realizing the green utilization of urban land in the future. Empirical results showed that the ECILUs in most cities were low and that the differences between regions were large. The ECILU in the Western Economic Zone was relatively high, followed by the Eastern, Central, and Northeastern Economic Zones. According to the ECILU value and urban synergy degree of each metropolitan area, this study divided the 13 metropolitan areas into four categories. The regression analysis results showed that the variables had different effects on the ECILUs of all cities and the four economic zones in China. It is suggested that all economic zones should reinforce the optimization of industrial structure, control industrial pollutant discharge, and solve the phenomenon of labor surplus. The Eastern Zone should maintain the growth of its economy while focusing on soil quality. The Central Zone should focus on the efficient use of infrastructure, and the Western, Northeastern, and Central Zones should balance the green coverage area and the industrial land area to ensure the efficient use of urban industrial land

The Probable Critical Role of Early Holocene Monsoon Activity in Siting the Origins of Rice Agriculture in China

The long process of rice domestication likely started 10,000-8,000 years ago in China, and the pre-existing hunter-gatherer communities gradually adopted more sedentary lifestyles with the dependence of rice agricultural economies. The archeological evidence builds a strong case for the first domestication of rice to Oryza sativa centered in the Middle-Lower Yangtze Valley during the early Holocene. The genetic evidence identifies the main ancestor of O. sativa was O. rufipogon, however, this now occurs naturally south of the Yangtze where its distribution is limited by summer temperatures and mean annual temperature. The mismatch between occurrence of ancestors and presumed sites of early cultivation leads to a number of hypotheses. These include that first domestication actually took place further south, such as in the Pearl River valley but archeological evidence is currently lacking for this. Or domestication took place, when O. rufipogon had a more extensive natural range in the past. Early to mid-Holocene palaeoclimate reconstructions show that the East Asian Summer Monsoon was more active in the early Holocene and estimates show that the temperature requirements for O. rufipogon were met for a substantial area of northeast China at the time. This would mean that earliest known domestication sites and presumed ancestor distribution coincided for several millennia. Thus early records of rice farming in Henan and Shandong were easily accommodated by early to mid Holocene climates

S-glutathionylation proteome profiling reveals a crucial role of a thioredoxin-like protein in interspecies competition and cariogenecity of Streptococcus mutans.

S-glutathionylation is an important post-translational modification (PTM) process that targets protein cysteine thiols by the addition of glutathione (GSH). This modification can prevent proteolysis caused by the excessive oxidation of protein cysteine residues under oxidative or nitrosative stress conditions. Recent studies have suggested that protein S-glutathionylation plays an essential role in the control of cell-signaling pathways by affecting the protein function in bacteria and even humans. In this study, we investigated the effects of S-glutathionylation on physiological regulation within Streptococcus mutans, the primary etiological agent of human dental caries. To determine the S-glutathionylated proteins in bacteria, the Cys reactive isobaric reagent iodoacetyl Tandem Mass Tag (iodoTMT) was used to label the S-glutathionylated Cys site, and an anti-TMT antibody-conjugated resin was used to enrich the modified peptides. Proteome profiling identified a total of 357 glutathionylated cysteine residues on 239 proteins. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that these S-glutathionylated proteins were involved in diverse important biological processes, such as pyruvate metabolism and glycolysis. Furthermore, we studied a thioredoxin-like protein (Tlp) to explore the effect of S-glutathionylation on interspecies competition between oral streptococcal biofilms. Through site mutagenesis, it was proved that glutathionylation on Cys41 residue of Tlp is crucial to protect S. mutans from oxidative stress and compete with S. sanguinis and S. gordonii. An addition rat caries model showed that the loss of S-glutathionylation attenuated the cariogenicity of S. mutans. Taken together, our study provides an insight into the S-glutathionylation of bacterial proteins and the regulation of oxidative stress resistance and interspecies competition