Changes in serum Ca, PHOS2 and PTH during pregnancy (n = 50).

<p>Data are presented as boxplots. Serum Ca levels of the 2^nd and the 3^rd trimester were significantly lower than the 1^st trimester (p = 0.000), and with no changes during the latter two trimesters (p = 0.334) (A). No significant changes were observed in levels of PHOS2 (p = 0.288) (B) and PTH (p>0.279) (C) during pregnancy. Ca, calcium; PHOS2, phosphate; PTH, parathyroid hormone; •, outliers; ○, extreme values.</p

Changes of vitamin D status during pregnancy.

<p>Abbreviation: 25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D.</p><p>25(OH)D≤50, vitamin D deficiency; 50<25(OH)D<75, vitamin D insufficiency; 25(OH)D≥75, vitamin D sufficiency;</p><p>*, p<0.01 compared to the 2^nd and the 3^rd trimester.</p

Three-Dimensional Conductive Gel Network as an Effective Binder for High-Performance Si Electrodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Silicon (Si) has been widely investigated as a candidate for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its extremely high specific capacity. The binders play a key role in fabricating high-performance Si electrodes which usually suffer from the huge volume expansion associated with the alloying and dealloying processes. Here we develop a facile route to prepare a three-dimensional (3D) conductive interpenetrated gel network as a novel binder for high-performance Si anodes through chemically cross-linking of acrylic acid monomer followed by the in situ polymerization of aniline. The excellent electrical conductivity, strong mechanical adhesion and high electrolyte uptake render the conductive gel network a potential binder for high-performance Si anodes. The resultant Si anodes exhibit excellent cycling stability, high Coulombic efficiency and superior rate capability, revealing better electrochemical properties compared to the Si anodes with conventional binders. The 3D conductive gel binder could not only accommodate the volume expansion and maintain electric connectivity, but also assist in the formation of stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) films. Such a strategy sheds light on the design of polymer binders in LIBs, especially for high-capacity electrode materials with huge volume changes during long-term cycling

Changes in 25(OH)D during pregnancy.

<p>Data are presented as boxplots. 25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; T, total; S, summer; W, winter; NS, not significant; •, outliers; *, p = 0.005; **, p = 0.000; #, p = 0.031 when the significance level one-tailed.</p

Synthesis, Hardness, and Electronic Properties of Stoichiometric VN and CrN

We report synthesis of single-crystal VN and CrN through high-pressure ion-exchange reaction routes. The final products are stoichiometric and have crystallite sizes in the range of 50–120 μm. We also prepared VN and TiN crystals using high-pressure sintering of nitride powders. On the basis of single-crystal indentation testing, the determined asymptotic Vickers hardness for TiN, VN, and CrN is 18 (1), 10 (1), and 16 (1) GPa, respectively. The relatively low hardness in VN indicates that the metallic bonding prevails due to the overfilled metallic σ bonds, although the cation−anion covalent hybridization in this compound is much stronger than that in TiN and CrN. All three nitrides are intrinsically excellent metals at ambient pressure. In particular, VN exhibits superconducting transition at <i>T</i>_c ≈ 7.8 K, which is slightly lower than the reported values for nitrogen-deficient or crystalline-disordered samples due to unsuppressed “spin fluctuation” in the well-crystallized stoichiometric VN. The magnetostructural transition in CrN correlates with a metal–metal transition at T_N = 240­(5) K and is accompanied by a ∼40% drop in electrical resistivity. In addition, more detailed electronic properties are presented with new insights into these nitrides

Study parameters.

<p>Abbreviations: 25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; S, summer; W, winter; Ca, calcium; PHOS2, phosphate; PTH, parathyroid hormone; TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone; FT₃, free triiodothyronine; FT₄, free thyroxine; TPOAb, thyroid peroxidase antibody; TgAb, thyroglobulin antibody.</p><p>Data are given as medians with the 25^th and the 75^th percentiles in parentheses unless indicated otherwise; #, data are presented as means with 95% confidence intervals in parentheses;</p><p>*, data do not conform to a normal distribution.</p

Image_2_Suppression of SlMBP15 Inhibits Plant Vegetative Growth and Delays Fruit Ripening in Tomato.TIF

<p>MADS-box genes have been demonstrated to participate in a number of processes in tomato development, especially fruit ripening. In this study, we reported a novel MADS-box gene, SlMBP15, which is implicated in fruit ripening. Based on statistical analysis, the ripening time of SlMBP15-silenced tomato was delayed by 2–4 days compared with that of the wild-type (WT). The accumulation of carotenoids and biosynthesis of ethylene in fruits were decreased in SlMBP15-silenced tomato. Genes related to carotenoid and ethylene biosynthesis were greatly repressed. SlMBP15 can interact with RIN, a MADS-box regulator affecting the carotenoid accumulation and ethylene biosynthesis in tomato. In addition, SlMBP15-silenced tomato produced dark green leaves, and its plant height was reduced. The gibberellin (GA) content of transgenic plants was lower than that of the WT and GA biosynthesis genes were repressed. These results demonstrated that SlMBP15 not only positively regulated tomato fruit ripening but also affected the morphogenesis of the vegetative organs.</p

Table_3_Suppression of SlMBP15 Inhibits Plant Vegetative Growth and Delays Fruit Ripening in Tomato.DOCX

<p>MADS-box genes have been demonstrated to participate in a number of processes in tomato development, especially fruit ripening. In this study, we reported a novel MADS-box gene, SlMBP15, which is implicated in fruit ripening. Based on statistical analysis, the ripening time of SlMBP15-silenced tomato was delayed by 2–4 days compared with that of the wild-type (WT). The accumulation of carotenoids and biosynthesis of ethylene in fruits were decreased in SlMBP15-silenced tomato. Genes related to carotenoid and ethylene biosynthesis were greatly repressed. SlMBP15 can interact with RIN, a MADS-box regulator affecting the carotenoid accumulation and ethylene biosynthesis in tomato. In addition, SlMBP15-silenced tomato produced dark green leaves, and its plant height was reduced. The gibberellin (GA) content of transgenic plants was lower than that of the WT and GA biosynthesis genes were repressed. These results demonstrated that SlMBP15 not only positively regulated tomato fruit ripening but also affected the morphogenesis of the vegetative organs.</p

Table_4_Suppression of SlMBP15 Inhibits Plant Vegetative Growth and Delays Fruit Ripening in Tomato.DOCX

<p>MADS-box genes have been demonstrated to participate in a number of processes in tomato development, especially fruit ripening. In this study, we reported a novel MADS-box gene, SlMBP15, which is implicated in fruit ripening. Based on statistical analysis, the ripening time of SlMBP15-silenced tomato was delayed by 2–4 days compared with that of the wild-type (WT). The accumulation of carotenoids and biosynthesis of ethylene in fruits were decreased in SlMBP15-silenced tomato. Genes related to carotenoid and ethylene biosynthesis were greatly repressed. SlMBP15 can interact with RIN, a MADS-box regulator affecting the carotenoid accumulation and ethylene biosynthesis in tomato. In addition, SlMBP15-silenced tomato produced dark green leaves, and its plant height was reduced. The gibberellin (GA) content of transgenic plants was lower than that of the WT and GA biosynthesis genes were repressed. These results demonstrated that SlMBP15 not only positively regulated tomato fruit ripening but also affected the morphogenesis of the vegetative organs.</p

Table_1_Suppression of SlMBP15 Inhibits Plant Vegetative Growth and Delays Fruit Ripening in Tomato.DOCX

<p>MADS-box genes have been demonstrated to participate in a number of processes in tomato development, especially fruit ripening. In this study, we reported a novel MADS-box gene, SlMBP15, which is implicated in fruit ripening. Based on statistical analysis, the ripening time of SlMBP15-silenced tomato was delayed by 2–4 days compared with that of the wild-type (WT). The accumulation of carotenoids and biosynthesis of ethylene in fruits were decreased in SlMBP15-silenced tomato. Genes related to carotenoid and ethylene biosynthesis were greatly repressed. SlMBP15 can interact with RIN, a MADS-box regulator affecting the carotenoid accumulation and ethylene biosynthesis in tomato. In addition, SlMBP15-silenced tomato produced dark green leaves, and its plant height was reduced. The gibberellin (GA) content of transgenic plants was lower than that of the WT and GA biosynthesis genes were repressed. These results demonstrated that SlMBP15 not only positively regulated tomato fruit ripening but also affected the morphogenesis of the vegetative organs.</p