Double-Shelled Fe-Fe3C Nanoparticles Embedded on a Porous Carbon Framework for Superior Lithium-Ion Half/Full Batteries.

Cost-effective and environmentally friendly Fe-based active materials offer exceptionally high energy capacity in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their multiple electron redox reactions. However, challenges, such as morphology degradation during cycling, cell pulverization, and electrochemical stability, have hindered their widespread use. Herein, we demonstrated a simple salt-assisted freeze-drying method to design a double-shelled Fe/Fe3C core tightly anchored on a porous carbon framework (FEC). The shell consists of a thin Fe3O4 layer (≈2 nm) and a carbon layer (≈10 nm) on the outermost part. Benefiting from the complex nanostructuring (porous carbon support, core-shell nanoparticles, and Fe3C incorporation), the FEC anode delivered a high discharge capacity of 947 mAh g-1 at 50 mA g-1 and a fast-rate capability of 305 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1. Notably, the FEC cell still showed 86% reversible capacity retention (794 mAh g-1 at 50 mA g-1) at a high cycling temperature of 80 °C, indicating superior structural integrity during cycling at extreme temperatures. Furthermore, we conducted a simple solid-state fluorination technique using the as-prepared FEC sample and excess NH4F to prepare iron fluoride-carbon composites (FeF2/C) as the positive electrode. The full cell configuration, consisting of the FEC anode and FeF2/C cathode, reached a remarkable capacity of 200 mAh g-1 at a 20 mA g-1 rate or an energy density of approximately 530 Wh kg-1. Thus, the straightforward and simple experimental design holds great potential as a revolutionary Fe-based cathodic-anodic pair candidate for high-energy LIBs.

Enhanced Energy Density in All-in-One Device Integrating Si Solar Cell and Supercapacitor Using [BMIm]Cl/PVA Gel Electrolyte.

All-in-one systems integrating solar cells and supercapacitors have recently received significant attention because of their high efficiency and portability. Unlike conventional solar photovoltaics, which require external wiring to connect to a battery for energy storage, integrated devices with solar cells and supercapacitors share one electrode, eliminating wiring resistance and facilitating charge transfer. In this work, we designed and fabricated all-in-one devices by combining a silicon solar cell and a supercapacitor with polymer gel electrolytes. Our all-in-one devices incorporating H3PO4/PVA and [BMIm]Cl/PVA exhibited areal capacitances of 452.5 and 550 mF·cm -2 at 0.1 mA·cm-2, respectively, following 100 s of photocharging. Notably, the [BMIm]Cl/PVA-based all-in-one device demonstrated significantly higher maximum energy density and power density compared to both the H3PO4/PVA-based all-in-one device and the values reported in literature. In addition, the cyclic photocharge/galvanostatic discharge process for the [BMIm]Cl/PVA-based all-in-one device represented consistent retention of areal capacitance, affirming its stability across charge-discharge cycles. After 100 s of photocharging, the [BMIm]Cl/PVA-based all-in-one device achieved a total energy efficiency of 1.85%, surpassing the 1.45% efficiency observed in the device using H3PO4/PVA. These results provide valuable insights for the design of self-charging all-in-one devices for portable and wearable applications.

Understanding the Consumption of Antimicrobial Resistance-Related Content on Social Media: Twitter Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing concerns in our society. Today, social media can function as an important channel to disseminate information about AMR. The way in which this information is engaged with depends on a number of factors, including the target audience and the content of the social media post. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to better understand how AMR-related content is consumed on the social media platform Twitter and to understand some of the drivers of engagement. This is essential to designing effective public health strategies, raising awareness about antimicrobial stewardship, and enabling academics to effectively promote their research on social media. METHODS: We took advantage of unrestricted access to the metrics associated with the Twitter bot @AntibioticResis, which has over 13,900 followers. This bot posts the latest AMR research in the format of a title and a URL link to the PubMed page for an article. The tweets do not contain other attributes such as author, affiliation, or journal. Therefore, engagement with the tweets is only affected by the words used in the titles. Using negative binomial regression models, we measured the impact of pathogen names in paper titles, academic attention inferred from publication counts, and general attention estimated from Twitter on URL clicks to AMR research papers. RESULTS: Followers of @AntibioticResis consisted primarily of health care professionals and academic researchers whose interests comprised mainly AMR, infectious diseases, microbiology, and public health. Three World Health Organization (WHO) critical priority pathogens-Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae-were positively associated with URL clicks. Papers with shorter titles tended to have more engagements. We also described some key linguistic characteristics that should be considered when a researcher is trying to maximize engagement with their publication. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding suggests that specific pathogens gain more attention on Twitter than others and that the levels of attention do not necessarily correspond to their status on the WHO priority pathogen list. This suggests that more targeted public health strategies may be needed to raise awareness about AMR among specific pathogens. Analysis of follower data suggests that in the busy schedules of health care professionals, social media offers a fast and accessible gateway to staying abreast of the latest developments in this field.

Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species during Salt Stress in Plants and Their Crosstalk with Other Signaling Molecules-Current Perspectives and Future Directions.

Salt stress is a severe type of environmental stress. It adversely affects agricultural production worldwide. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the most frequent phenomenon during salt stress. ROS are extremely reactive and, in high amounts, noxious, leading to destructive processes and causing cellular damage. However, at lower concentrations, ROS function as secondary messengers, playing a critical role as signaling molecules, ensuring regulation of growth and adjustment to multifactorial stresses. Plants contain several enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants that can detoxify ROS. The production of ROS and their scavenging are important aspects of the plant's normal response to adverse conditions. Recently, this field has attracted immense attention from plant scientists; however, ROS-induced signaling pathways during salt stress remain largely unknown. In this review, we will discuss the critical role of different antioxidants in salt stress tolerance. We also summarize the recent advances on the detrimental effects of ROS, on the antioxidant machinery scavenging ROS under salt stress, and on the crosstalk between ROS and other various signaling molecules, including nitric oxide, hydrogen sulfide, calcium, and phytohormones. Moreover, the utilization of "-omic" approaches to improve the ROS-regulating antioxidant system during the adaptation process to salt stress is also described.

Ni/Co/Co3O4@C nanorods derived from a MOF@MOF hybrid for efficient overall water splitting.

The design of nanostructured materials for efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts has gained tremendous attention, yet developing a fast and effective synthesis strategy remains a challenge. Here, we present a fast and scalable synthetic method of Ni/Co/Co3O4@C nanorods for efficient overall water splitting. Using microwave synthesis, we first produced a unique Ni-MOF@Co-MOF in a few minutes. Subsequently, we transformed the MOF@MOF into hybrid Ni/Co/Co3O4 nanoparticles covered with graphitic carbon in a few seconds using laser-scribing. The prepared bimetallic catalysts showed remarkably low overpotentials of 246 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and 143 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at a current density of 30 mA cm-2. An electrolyzer assembled with the bimetallic catalysts delivered a high current density of 20 mA cm-2 at a voltage of 1.6 V and exhibited good durability (nearly 91.6% retention even after a long-running operation of 24 h at a voltage of 1.52 V). Our proposed method could serve as a powerful method for creating various multimetallic hybrid nanocatalysts with unique hierarchical structures from diverse MOFs.

Host-Guest Encapsulation to Promote the Formation of a Multicomponent Trigonal-Prismatic Metallacage.

An inclusion complex of a trigonal-prismatic metallacage with two coronene guests was constructed by multicomponent coordination-driven self-assembly from a 90° platinum(II) acceptor [cis-Pt(PEt3)2(OTf)2], disodium terephthalate, and 2,4,6-tri(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine in the presence of excess coronene. This platinum(II)-based trigonal prism was found to be a highly matched host to simultaneously encapsulate two coronene molecules. The encapsulation of coronene can effectively promote the formation of a pure single-prismatic metallacage and can stabilize the self-assembled structure via strong π-π-stacking interactions between coronene and the metallacage.

COVID-19 confines recreational gatherings in Seoul to familiar, less crowded, and neighboring urban areas.

Recreational gatherings are sources of the spread of infectious diseases. Understanding the dynamics of recreational gatherings is essential to building effective public health policies but challenging as the interaction between people and recreational places is complex. Recreational activities are concentrated in a set of urban areas and establish a recreational hierarchy. In this hierarchy, higher-level regions attract more people than lower-level regions for recreational purposes. Here, using customers' motel booking records which are highly associated with recreational activities in Korea, we identify that recreational hierarchy, geographical distance, and attachment to a location are crucial factors of recreational gatherings in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Our analyses show that after the COVID-19 outbreak, people are more likely to visit familiar recreational places, avoid the highest level of the recreational hierarchy, and travel close distances. Interestingly, the recreational visitations were reduced not only in the highest but also in low-level regions. Urban areas at low levels of the recreational hierarchy were more severely affected by COVID-19 than urban areas at high and middle levels of the recreational hierarchy.

Construction of Multiple Guide RNAs in CRISPR/Cas9 Vector Using Stepwise or Simultaneous Golden Gate Cloning: Case Study for Targeting the FAD2 and FATB Multigene in Soybean.

CRISPR/Cas9 is a commonly used technique in reverse-genetics research to knock out a gene of interest. However, when targeting a multigene family or multiple genes, it is necessary to construct a vector with multiple single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) that can navigate the Cas9 protein to the target site. In this protocol, the Golden Gate cloning method was used to generate multiple sgRNAs in the Cas9 vector. The vectors used were pHEE401E_UBQ_Bar and pBAtC_tRNA, which employ a one-promoter/one-sgRNA and a polycistronic-tRNA-gRNA strategy, respectively. Golden Gate cloning was performed with type IIS restriction enzymes to generate gRNA polymers for vector inserts. Four sgRNAs containing the pHEE401E_UBQ_Bar vector and four to six sgRNAs containing the pBAtC_tRNA vector were constructed. In practice, we constructed multiple sgRNAs targeting multiple genes of FAD2 and FATB in soybean using this protocol. These three vectors were transformed into soybeans using the Agrobacterium-mediated method. Using deep sequencing, we confirmed that the T0 generation transgenic soybean was edited at various indel ratios in the predicted target regions of the FAD2 and FATB multigenes. This protocol is a specific guide that allows researchers to easily follow the cloning of multiple sgRNAs into commonly used CRISPR/Cas9 vectors for plants.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the Brassinazole-resistant (BZR) Gene Family and Its Expression in the Various Developmental Stage and Stress Conditions in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Brassinosteroids (BRs) play crucial roles in various biological processes, including plant developmental processes and response to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. However, no information is currently available about this gene family in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In the present investigation, we identified the BZR gene family in wheat to understand the evolution and their role in diverse developmental processes and under different stress conditions. In this study, we performed the genome-wide analysis of the BZR gene family in the bread wheat and identified 20 TaBZR genes through a homology search and further characterized them to understand their structure, function, and distribution across various tissues. Phylogenetic analyses lead to the classification of TaBZR genes into five different groups or subfamilies, providing evidence of evolutionary relationship with Arabidopsis thaliana, Zea mays, Glycine max, and Oryza sativa. A gene exon/intron structure analysis showed a distinct evolutionary path and predicted the possible gene duplication events. Further, the physical and biochemical properties, conserved motifs, chromosomal, subcellular localization, and cis-acting regulatory elements were also examined using various computational approaches. In addition, an analysis of public RNA-seq data also shows that TaBZR genes may be involved in diverse developmental processes and stress tolerance mechanisms. Moreover, qRT-PCR results also showed similar expression with slight variation. Collectively, these results suggest that TaBZR genes might play an important role in plant developmental processes and various stress conditions. Therefore, this work provides valuable information for further elucidate the precise role of BZR family members in wheat.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) Gene Family Reveals Role in Developmental and Various Stress Conditions in Triticum aestivum L.

PIN-FORMED (PIN) genes play a crucial role in regulating polar auxin distribution in diverse developmental processes, including tropic responses, embryogenesis, tissue differentiation, and organogenesis. However, the role of PIN-mediated auxin transport in various plant species is poorly understood. Currently, no information is available about this gene family in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In the present investigation, we identified the PIN gene family in wheat to understand the evolution of PIN-mediated auxin transport and its role in various developmental processes and under different biotic and abiotic stress conditions. In this study, we performed genome-wide analysis of the PIN gene family in common wheat and identified 44 TaPIN genes through a homology search, further characterizing them to understand their structure, function, and distribution across various tissues. Phylogenetic analyses led to the classification of TaPIN genes into seven different groups, providing evidence of an evolutionary relationship with Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa. A gene exon/intron structure analysis showed a distinct evolutionary path and predicted the possible gene duplication events. Further, the physical and biochemical properties, conserved motifs, chromosomal, subcellular localization, transmembrane domains, and three-dimensional (3D) structure were also examined using various computational approaches. Cis-elements analysis of TaPIN genes showed that TaPIN promoters consist of phytohormone, plant growth and development, and stress-related cis-elements. In addition, expression profile analysis also revealed that the expression patterns of the TaPIN genes were different in different tissues and developmental stages. Several members of the TaPIN family were induced during biotic and abiotic stress. Moreover, the expression patterns of TaPIN genes were verified by qRT-PCR. The qRT-PCR results also show a similar expression with slight variation. Therefore, the outcome of this study provides basic genomic information on the expression of the TaPIN gene family and will pave the way for dissecting the precise role of TaPINs in plant developmental processes and different stress conditions.

Graphitic Carbon with MnO/Mn7 C3 Prepared by Laser-Scribing of MOF for Versatile Supercapacitor Electrodes.

Pseudocapacitive materials encapsulated in conductive carbon matrix are of paramount importance to develop energy storage devices with high performance and long lifespan. Here, via simple laser-scribing, the Mn-based metal-organic framework [EG-MOF-74(Mn)] is transformed into pseudocapacitive hybrid MnO/Mn7 C3 encapsulated in highly conductive graphitic carbon. It is revealed that the rapid carbothermic reduction of MnO (C + MnO → C' + Mn7 C3 + CO) leads to the formation of the intermediate pseudocapacitive MnO/Mn7 C3 and the concurrent catalytic graphitization of disordered carbon. This reaction produces a new type of pseudocapacitive material in the form of MnO/Mn7 C3 fully embedded in highly conductive graphitic carbon. Thanks to the synergistic effect of the MnO/Mn7 C3 nanoparticles and the graphitic carbon, the composite exhibits a high specific capacitance of 403 F g-1 with excellent stability. Asymmetric coin-cell supercapacitors based on the composite demonstrate high energy (29.2 Wh kg-1 ) and power densities (8000 W kg-1 ) with a long lifespan. Prototypes of flexible paper-based supercapacitors made of the composite also show great potential toward applications of flexible electronics.

Chloroplast Localized FIBRILLIN11 Is Involved in the Osmotic Stress Response during Arabidopsis Seed Germination.

Plants live in ever-changing environments, facing adverse environmental conditions including pathogen infection, herbivore attack, drought, high temperature, low temperature, nutrient deficiency, toxic metal soil contamination, high salt, and osmotic imbalance that inhibit overall plant growth and development. Plants have evolved mechanisms to cope with these stresses. In this study, we found that the FIBRILLIN11 (FBN11) gene in Arabidopsis, which has a lipid-binding FBN domain and a kinase domain, is involved in the plant's response to abiotic stressors, including salt and osmotic stresses. FBN11 protein localizes to the chloroplast. FBN11 gene expression significantly changed when plants were exposed to the abiotic stress response mediators such as abscisic acid (ABA), sodium chloride (NaCl), and mannitol. The seed germination rates of fbn11 homozygous mutants in different concentrations of mannitol and NaCl were significantly reduced compared to wild type. ABA-dependent and -independent stress response regulatory genes were differentially expressed in the fbn11 mutant compared with wild type when grown in mannitol medium. These results suggest a clear role for chloroplast-localized FBN11 in mediating osmotic stress tolerance via the stress response regulatory signaling pathway in the nucleus.

Non-Covalent Interaction-Directed Coordination-Driven Self-Assembly of Non-Trivial Supramolecular Topologies.

The design of molecules with non-trivial topologies is an essential step in the development of methods to mimic biological transformation in artificial systems. However, the generation of supramolecular topologies of increasing complexity, such as [n]catenanes, rotaxanes, knots and links, is relatively rare and challenging. Primarily, selective and quantitative synthesis of supramolecular topologies is a formidable challenge. Template-free, non-covalent interaction-directed coordination-driven self-assembly provides an alternative approach for constructing non-trivial topologies in selective and quantitative manner. This review briefly summarizes and provides a comprehensive insight into non-trivial topologies obtained via template-free, coordination and non-covalent interaction-driven self-assembly.

Laser Synthesis of MOF-Derived Ni@Carbon for High-Performance Pseudocapacitors.

Although nanosizing of multiphase pseudocapacitive nanomaterials could dramatically improve their electrochemical properties, a proper way to simultaneously control both the size and the phase of the pseudocapacitive materials is still elusive. Herein, we employed a commercial CO2 laser engraver to do the transformation of a metal-organic framework (MOF-74(Ni)) into size-controlled Ni nanoparticles (4-12 nm) in porous carbon. The produced Ni@carbon hybrid showed the best specific capacitance of 925 F/g with excellent cycling stability when the particle size is 5.5 nm. We found that the highly redox-active α-Ni(OH)2 is more predominantly formed than the less redox-active ß-Ni(OH)2 as the particle size becomes smaller. Our results substantiate that various MOFs could be created into high-performance pseudocapacitive materials with the controlled size and phase. It is believed that the laser-based synthesis could also serve as a powerful tool for the discovery of new MOF-derived materials in the field of energy storage and catalysis.

Micellization-induced amplified fluorescence response for highly sensitive detection of heparin in serum.

Fluorescence-based assays should be feasible in aqueous media for effectively detecting the biological factors. However, numerous sensors have limited signal transductions and low fluorescence quantum yields due to the ingerently reduced excited state energy of fluorophores in aqueous solution, which reduces their sensitivity. This necessitates a smart sensing approach with an amplified fluorescence response for analytes in aqueous solution. Herein, a new building block which self-assembles in aqueous media, giving a micellar sturcuture with the hydrophobic π-extended conjugated system at the core and hydrophilic groups at the periphery, was devised for the first time. We demonstrated that the aggregated fluorophores in a micelle induce amplified fluorescence quenching, in which the excited electron efficiently migrates through π-extended conjugated system in a micelle, as in a polymeric system. Such feature differentiates this sensing approach from the numerous fluorescence-based tools previously developed for sensitive detection. This new system exhibited highly sensitive signal transduction for specific analytes even under actual bioanalytical conditions.

The First Quantitative Synthesis of a Closed Three-Link Chain (613) Using Coordination and Noncovalent Interactions-Driven Self-Assembly.

Engineering of supramolecular topologies offers potential opportunities for tailoring their properties to various function and applications. However, the synthesis of interlocked or intertwined compounds, catenanes, links or knots, is a challenge. Previously, we used coordination-driven self-assembly and noncovalent interactions (NCIs) between metal-based acceptors and multipyridyl donors to create supramolecular topologies with increasing complexity. Self-assembling components of fixed length and geometry have been utilized for the production of topologies such as Borromean rings, Solomon links, Hopf's link, "rectangle in rectangle", and an 818 molecular knot. However, recent synthesis of a linear [3]catenane by us witnessed the importance of flexible ligands along with coordination-driven self-assembly and NCIs in self-assembling units. This flexibility provides distinctive angularity for the recognition of various NCIs and thus offers tremendous possibilities for realizing complex supramolecular topologies. This study proposed a selective and quantitative synthesis, and also the first X-ray characterization of a closed three-link chain (a prime link of [3]catenane with 6 crossings) via two component coordination-driven self-assembly. The experiments based upon concentration, guest template, and solvent effects were systematically presented. Furthermore, the experimental finding was supported by density functional theory calculations, which highlighted the necessity of the multiple NCIs along with appropriate geometry of the [2 + 2] rings.

Facile One-Pot Synthesis of Bimetallic Co/Mn-MOFs@Rice Husks, and its Carbonization for Supercapacitor Electrodes.

Novel hybrid nanomaterials comprising metal-organic framework compounds carbonised in the presence of biomass material derived from rice husk have been investigated as a new class of sustainable supercapacitor materials for electrochemical energy storage. Specifically, two synthetic routes were employed to grow Co/Mn metal-organic framework compounds in the channels of rice husks, which had been activated previously by heat treatment in air at 400 °C to produce a highly porous network. Pyrolysis of these hybrid materials under nitrogen at 700 °C for 6 h produced metal-containing phases within the nanocarbon, comprising intimate mixtures of Co, MnO and CoMn2O4. The materials thus produced are characterized in detail using a range of physical methods including XRD, electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The synthetic pathway to the metal-organic framework compound is shown to influence significantly the physical properties of the resulting material. Electrochemical evaluation of the materials fabricated revealed that higher specific capacitances were obtained when smaller crystallite sized bimetallic Co/Mn-MOFs were grown inside the rice husks channels compared to larger crystallite sizes. This was in-part due to increased metal oxide loading into the rice husk owing to the smaller crystallite size as well as the increased pseudocapacitance exhibited by the smaller crystallite sizes and increased porosity.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of a Ti-based metal-organic framework for hydrogen production: Hybridization with ZnCr-LDH nanosheets.

Novel hybrid composites of NH2-MIL-125(Ti) and ZnCr-layered double hydroxide nanosheets (ZnCr-LDH NSs) are developed for use as visible-light-active photocatalysts for hydrogen production based on water photolysis. The hybrid composites are obtained by growing NH2-MIL-125(Ti) in the presence of exfoliated ZnCr-LDH NSs using a solvothermal reaction. Hybridization of NH2-MIL-125(Ti) with exfoliated ZnCr-LDH NSs leads to significant effects on the morphology and optical properties of NH2-MIL-125(Ti). To find the optimum photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production by the hybrid composite photocatalysts, the content of ZnCr-LDH in this work is controlled. Compared to that of pristine NH2-MIL-125(Ti) and ZnCr-LDH, the hybrid composites exhibit an improved photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production under visible-light irradiation. In addition, the hybrid composite photocatalyst shows excellent photo-chemical stability. The improved photocatalytic activity is believed to benefit from the synergy of strong electronic coupling between NH2-MIL-125(Ti) and ZnCr-LDH NSs, expanded light absorption and band alignment to enhance the lifetime of photo-induced electrons and holes.

Selective and quantitative synthesis of a linear [3]catenane by two component coordination-driven self-assembly.

Here we report the synthesis of a linear [3]catenane comprised of three interlocking rings, by coordination-driven self-assembly. Naphthalene-based acceptor A1 and triazole-based donor L1 were utilized for the self-assembly reaction, which facilitated the formation of linear [3]catenane topology through synergistic non-covalent intercycler interactions (π-π, CH-π and CH-N).

Measuring national capability over big science's multidisciplinarity: A case study of nuclear fusion research.

In the era of big science, countries allocate big research and development budgets to large scientific facilities that boost collaboration and research capability. A nuclear fusion device called the "tokamak" is a source of great interest for many countries because it ideally generates sustainable energy expected to solve the energy crisis in the future. Here, to explore the scientific effects of tokamaks, we map a country's research capability in nuclear fusion research with normalized revealed comparative advantage on five topical clusters-material, plasma, device, diagnostics, and simulation-detected through a dynamic topic model. Our approach captures not only the growth of China, India, and the Republic of Korea but also the decline of Canada, Japan, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Time points of their rise and fall are related to tokamak operation, highlighting the importance of large facilities in big science. The gravity model points out that two countries collaborate less in device, diagnostics, and plasma research if they have comparative advantages in different topics. This relation is a unique feature of nuclear fusion compared to other science fields. Our results can be used and extended when building national policies for big science.