Highly Efficient Production of Cellulosic Ethanol from Poplar Using an Optimal C6/C5 Co-Fermentation Strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Cellulosic ethanol is the key technology to alleviate the pressure of energy supply and climate change. However, the ethanol production process, which is close to industrial production and has a high saccharification rate and ethanol yield, still needs to be developed. This study demonstrates the effective conversion of poplar wood waste into fuel-grade ethanol. By employing a two-step pretreatment using sodium chlorite (SC)-dilute sulfuric acid (DSA), the raw material achieved a sugar conversion rate exceeding 85% of the theoretical value. Under optimized conditions, brewing yeast co-utilizing C6/C5 enabled a yield of 35 g/L ethanol from 10% solid loading delignified poplar hydrolysate. We increased the solid loading to enhance the final ethanol concentration and optimized both the hydrolysis and fermentation stages. With 20% solid loading delignified poplar hydrolysate, the final ethanol concentration reached 60 g/L, a 71.4% increase from the 10% solid loading. Our work incorporates the pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation stages to establish a simple, crude poplar waste fuel ethanol process, expanding the range of feedstocks for second-generation fuel ethanol production.

Van der Waals polarity-engineered 3D integration of 2D complementary logic.

Vertical three-dimensional integration of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors holds great promise, as it offers the possibility to scale up logic layers in the z axis1-3. Indeed, vertical complementary field-effect transistors (CFETs) built with such mixed-dimensional heterostructures4,5, as well as hetero-2D layers with different carrier types6-8, have been demonstrated recently. However, so far, the lack of a controllable doping scheme (especially p-doped WSe2 (refs. 9-17) and MoS2 (refs. 11,18-28)) in 2D semiconductors, preferably in a stable and non-destructive manner, has greatly impeded the bottom-up scaling of complementary logic circuitries. Here we show that, by bringing transition metal dichalcogenides, such as MoS2, atop a van der Waals (vdW) antiferromagnetic insulator chromium oxychloride (CrOCl), the carrier polarity in MoS2 can be readily reconfigured from n- to p-type via strong vdW interfacial coupling. The consequential band alignment yields transistors with room-temperature hole mobilities up to approximately 425 cm2 V-1 s-1, on/off ratios reaching 106 and air-stable performance for over one year. Based on this approach, vertically constructed complementary logic, including inverters with 6 vdW layers, NANDs with 14 vdW layers and SRAMs with 14 vdW layers, are further demonstrated. Our findings of polarity-engineered p- and n-type 2D semiconductor channels with and without vdW intercalation are robust and universal to various materials and thus may throw light on future three-dimensional vertically integrated circuits based on 2D logic gates.

Targeting foamy macrophages by manipulating ABCA1 expression to facilitate lesion healing in the injured spinal cord.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) triggers a complex cascade of events, including myelin loss, neuronal damage, neuroinflammation, and the accumulation of damaged cells and debris at the injury site. Infiltrating bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMϕ) migrate to the epicenter of the SCI lesion, where they engulf cell debris including abundant myelin debris to become pro-inflammatory foamy macrophages (foamy Mϕ), participate neuroinflammation, and facilitate the progression of SCI. This study aimed to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the functional changes in foamy Mϕ and their potential implications for SCI. Contusion at T10 level of the spinal cord was induced using a New York University (NYU) impactor (5 g rod from a height of 6.25 mm) in male mice. ABCA1, an ATP-binding cassette transporter expressed by Mϕ, plays a crucial role in lipid efflux from foamy cells. We observed that foamy Mϕ lacking ABCA1 exhibited increased lipid accumulation and a higher presence of lipid-accumulated foamy Mϕ as well as elevated pro-inflammatory response in vitro and in injured spinal cord. We also found that both genetic and pharmacological enhancement of ABCA1 expression accelerated lipid efflux from foamy Mϕ, reduced lipid accumulation and inhibited the pro-inflammatory response of foamy Mϕ, and accelerated clearance of cell debris and necrotic cells, which resulted in functional recovery. Our study highlights the importance of understanding the pathologic role of foamy Mϕ in SCI progression and the potential of ABCA1 as a therapeutic target for modulating the inflammatory response, promoting lipid metabolism, and facilitating functional recovery in SCI.

Metal telluride nanosheets by scalable solid lithiation and exfoliation.

Transition metal tellurides (TMTs) have been ideal materials for exploring exotic properties in condensed-matter physics, chemistry and materials science1-3. Although TMT nanosheets have been produced by top-down exfoliation, their scale is below the gram level and requires a long processing time, restricting their effective application from laboratory to market4-8. We report the fast and scalable synthesis of a wide variety of MTe2 (M = Nb, Mo, W, Ta, Ti) nanosheets by the solid lithiation of bulk MTe2 within 10 min and their subsequent hydrolysis within seconds. Using NbTe2 as a representative, we produced more than a hundred grams (108 g) of NbTe2 nanosheets with 3.2 nm mean thickness, 6.2 µm mean lateral size and a high yield (>80%). Several interesting quantum phenomena, such as quantum oscillations and giant magnetoresistance, were observed that are generally restricted to highly crystalline MTe2 nanosheets. The TMT nanosheets also perform well as electrocatalysts for lithium-oxygen batteries and electrodes for microsupercapacitors (MSCs). Moreover, this synthesis method is efficient for preparing alloyed telluride, selenide and sulfide nanosheets. Our work opens new opportunities for the universal and scalable synthesis of TMT nanosheets for exploring new quantum phenomena, potential applications and commercialization.

Sex Differences in Immune Cell Infiltration and Hematuria in SCI-Induced Hemorrhagic Cystitis.

Rats manifest a condition called hemorrhagic cystitis after spinal cord injury (SCI). The mechanism of this condition is unknown, but it is more severe in male rats than in female rats. We assessed the role of sex regarding hemorrhagic cystitis and pathological chronic changes in the bladder. We analyzed the urine of male and female Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344 rats after experimental spinal cord contusion, including unstained microscopic inspections of the urine, differential white blood cell counts colored by the Wright stain, and total leukocyte counts using fluorescent nuclear stains. We examined bladder histological changes in acute and chronic phases of SCI, using principal component analysis (PCA) and clustered heatmaps of Pearson correlation coefficients to interpret how measured variables correlated with each other. Male rats showed a distinct pattern of macroscopic hematuria after spinal cord injury. They had higher numbers of red blood cells with significantly more leukocytes and neutrophils than female rats, particularly hypersegmented neutrophils. The histological examination of the bladders revealed a distinct line of apoptotic umbrella cells and disrupted bladder vessels early after SCI and progressive pathological changes in multiple bladder layers in the chronic phase. Multivariate analyses indicated immune cell infiltration in the bladder, especially hypersegmented neutrophils, that correlated with red blood cell counts in male rats. Our study highlights a hitherto unreported sex difference of hematuria and pathological changes in males and females' bladders after SCI, suggesting an important role of immune cell infiltration, especially neutrophils, in SCI-induced hemorrhagic cystitis.

Carrier Transport Regulation of Pixel Graphene Transparent Electrodes for Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode Display.

Integrating a graphene transparent electrode (TE) matrix with driving circuits is essential for the practical use of graphene in optoelectronics such as active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, however it is disabled by the transport of carriers between graphene pixels after deposition of a semiconductor functional layer caused by the atomic thickness of graphene. Here, the carrier transport regulation of a graphene TE matrix by using an insulating polyethyleneimine (PEIE) layer is reported. The PEIE forms an ultrathin uniform film (≤10 nm) to fill the gap of the graphene matrix, blocking horizontal electron transport between graphene pixels. Meanwhile, it can reduce the work function of graphene, improving the vertical electron injection through electron tunneling. This enables the fabrication of inverted OLED pixels with record high current and power efficiencies of 90.7 cd A-1 and 89.1 lm W-1 , respectively. By integrating these inverted OLED pixels with a carbon nanotube-based thin-film transistor (CNT-TFT)-driven circuit, an inch-size flexible active-matrix OLED display is demonstrated, in which all OLED pixels are independently controlled by CNT-TFTs. This research paves a way for the application of graphene-like atomically thin TE pixels in flexible optoelectronics such as displays, smart wearables, and free-form surface lighting.

Identification of a novel TNNI3 synonymous variant causing intron retention in autosomal recessive dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Dilated cardiomyopathy type 2A (DCM2A, MIM: #611880) is a rare autosomal recessive heart disease leading to heart failure and sudden cardiac death. However, the causative role of TNNI3 in DCM2A is still questioned due to few cases reported and the conflicting molecular biological evidence. METHODS: Trio whole-exome sequencing (trio-WES) was performed in a Chinese family with dilated cardiomyopathy. Sanger sequencing and real-time quantitative PCR were used to confirm the variants identified. Expression outcome caused by the synonymous mutation was validated by minigene splicing analyses. RESULTS: The one-year-old girl presented severe left ventricular enlargement and significantly reduced left ventricular systolic function and she died of respiratory and heart failure soon after her diagnosis. Trio-WES revealed a compound heterozygous variants of TNNI3, a novel c.24G＞A (p.Ala8Ala) (NM_000363.4) in exon 2 and a deletion of entire gene. Minigene splicing analyses showed it led to an intron retention (c.24 + 1_24 + 45ins) by intron 2 cryptic splicing. CONCLUSIONS: Our study describes and characterizes a synonymous mutation in TNNI3 gene, supporting the clinical diagnosis of an autosomal recessive DCM. Our study emphasizes the importance of functional analysis to assess the potential pathogenicity of synonymous mutations, especially when the synonymous variants are not annotated as benign.

Uniform self-rectifying resistive random-access memory based on an MXene-TiO2 Schottky junction.

For filamentary resistive random-access memory (RRAM) devices, the switching behavior between different resistance states usually occurs abruptly, while the random formation of conductive filaments usually results in large fluctuations in resistance states, leading to poor uniformity. Schottky barrier modulation enables resistive switching through charge trapping/de-trapping at the top-electrode/oxide interface, which is effective for improving the uniformity of RRAM devices. Here, we report a uniform RRAM device based on a MXene-TiO2 Schottky junction. The defect traps within the MXene formed during its fabricating process can trap and release the charges at the MXene-TiO2 interface to modulate the Schottky barrier for the resistive switching behavior. Our devices exhibit excellent current on-off ratio uniformity, device-to-device reproducibility, long-term retention, and endurance reliability. Due to the different carrier-blocking abilities of the MXene-TiO2 and TiO2-Si interface barriers, a self-rectifying behavior can be obtained with a rectifying ratio of 103, which offers great potential for large-scale RRAM applications based on MXene materials.

Case report: Efficacy analysis of radiofrequency catheter ablation combined with atrial appendage resection for atrial tachycardia originating from the atrial appendage in children.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) combined with atrial appendage (AA) resection to treat atrial tachycardia (AT) originating from the AA in children. Materials and methods: Using the Ensite three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping system, three children with AT originating from the AA were diagnosed. Clinical features and electrocardiographic (ECG) manifestations were analyzed. Ablations were performed using a cold saline-infused catheter at appendages targeting loci of AT origin under the guidance of the Ensite system. Atrial appendage resection was performed in combination with cardiac surgery, and the curative effect was evaluated. Results: The ages of the three patients were 3.5, 5.75, and 12.9 years. Two cases originated from the right atrial appendage (RAA) and one originated from the left atrial appendage (LAA). The ECG characteristics of AT from the RAA were as follows: (1) negative P waves in lead V1; (2) positive P waves in leads II, III, and aVF; (3) positive P wave in lead I with varying shapes in lead aVL; and (4) prolonged PR interval with no QRS wave after some P waves. The ECG of the LAA was characterized by (1) positive P waves in lead V1 with a bimodal pattern; (2) positive P waves in leads II, III, and aVF; and (3) negative P waves in leads I and aVL. Preoperative echocardiography showed cardiac enlargement and a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in all three cases. One case was cured after RFCA, and the remaining two cases required AA resection after RFCA. No recurrence was detected at 1-18 months of follow-up, and the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and LVEF returned to normal. Conclusion: Atrial tachycardia originating from the AA in children showed a characteristic P-wave presentation on ECG, and sustained episodes of AT resulted in tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy. Children who are not successfully controlled by RFCA or who have a recurrence after RFCA could benefit from AA resection.

A novel CARD11 germline mutation in a Chinese patient of B cell expansion with NF-κB and T cell anergy (BENTA) and literature review.

Germline gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in the CARD11 gene lead to a rare primary immunodeficiency disease known as B cell expansion with NF-κB and T cell anergy (BENTA). Affected patients present with a polyclonal expansion of B cells, lymphadenopathy, and splenomegaly. Herein, we report a novel germline in-frame three base-pair deletion (c.1030_1032del, p.K344del) in the CARD11 gene in a patient with atypical BENTA, presenting with a recurrent fever and B cell lymphocytosis. This mutation was inherited from his mother, who is clinically asymptomatic and had a recurrent respiratory tract infection in her childhood. In vitro functional analysis demonstrated that this variant decreased the expression level of the CARD11 protein and activated the NF-κB signal pathway, leading to a higher expression of several NF-κB target gene transcripts in HCT116 cells transfected with mutant CARD11 (K344del-CARD11) as revealed by RNA sequencing analysis. To our knowledge, only 23 BENTA patients have been identified and carried seven distinct GOF mutations in CARD11. The clinical manifestations of patients are highly heterogeneous and there was no significant correlation between genotype and phenotype. In summary, we identified a novel in-frame three base-pair deletion that may be responsible for the pathogenesis of atypical BENTA in a Chinese family. Our study expands the mutational spectrum of the CARD11 gene and may be helpful in the understanding of diseases caused by CARD11 mutations and the clinical management of BENTA.

A photon-controlled diode with a new signal-processing behavior.

The photodetector is a key component in optoelectronic integrated circuits. Although there are various device structures and mechanisms, the output current changes either from rectified to fully-on or from fully-off to fully-on after illumination. A device that changes the output current from fully-off to rectified should be possible. We report the first photon-controlled diode based on a n/n- molybdenum disulfide junction. Schottky junctions formed at the cathode and anode either prevent or allow the device to be rectifying, so that the output current of the device changes from fully-off to rectified. By increasing the thickness of the photogating layer, the behavior of the device changes from a photodetector to a multifunctional photomemory with the highest non-volatile responsivity of 4.8 × 107 A/W and the longest retention time of 6.5 × 106 s reported so far. Furthermore, a 3 × 3 photomemory array without selectors shows no crosstalk between adjacent devices and has optical signal-processing functions including wavelength and power-density selectivity.

A polymer electrolyte design enables ultralow-work-function electrode for high-performance optoelectronics.

Ambient solution-processed conductive materials with a sufficient low work function are essential to facilitate electron injection in electronic and optoelectronic devices but are challenging. Here, we design an electrically conducting and ambient-stable polymer electrolyte with an ultralow work function down to 2.2 eV, which arises from heavy n-doping of dissolved salts to polymer matrix. Such materials can be solution processed into uniform and smooth films on various conductors including graphene, conductive metal oxides, conducting polymers and metals to substantially improve their electron injection, enabling high-performance blue light-emitting diodes and transparent light-emitting diodes. This work provides a universal strategy to design a wide range of stable charge injection materials with tunable work function. As an example, we also synthesize a high-work-function polymer electrolyte material for high-performance solar cells.

Engineering Graphene Grain Boundaries for Plasmonic Multi-Excitation and Hotspots.

Surface plasmons, merging photonics and electronics in nanoscale dimensions, have been the cornerstones in integrated informatics, precision detection, high-resolution imaging, and energy conversion. Arising from the exceptional Fermi-Dirac tunability, ultrafast carrier mobility, and high-field confinement, graphene offers excellent advantages for plasmon technologies and enables a variety of state-of-the-art optoelectronic applications ranging from tight-field-enhanced light sources, modulators, and photodetectors to biochemical sensors. However, it is challenging to co-excite multiple graphene plasmons on one single graphene sheet with high density, a key step toward plasmonic wavelength-division multiplexing and next-generation dynamical optoelectronics. Here, we report the heteroepitaxial growth of a polycrystalline graphene monolayer with patterned gradient grain boundary density, which is synthesized by creating diverse nanosized local growth environments on a centimeter-scale substrate with a polycrystalline graphene ring seed in chemical vapor deposition. Such geometry enables plasmonic co-excitation with varied wavelength diversification in the nanoscale. Via using high-resolution scanning near-field optical microscopy, we demonstrate rich plasmon standing waves, even bright plasmonic hotspots with a size up to 3 µm. Moreover, by changing the grain boundary density and annealing, we find the local plasmonic wavelengths are widely tunable, from 70 to 300 nm. Theoretical modeling supports that such plasmonic versatility is due to the grain boundary-induced plasmon-phonon interactions through random phase approximation. The seed-induced heteroepitaxial growth provides a promising way for the grain boundary engineering of two-dimensional materials, and the controllable grain boundary-based plasmon co-generation and manipulation in one single graphene monolayer will facilitate the applications of graphene for plasmonics and nanophotonics.

Key factors for ultra-high on/off ratio thin-film transistors using as-grown carbon nanotube networks.

Approximately 30% of as-grown carbon nanotube (CNT) networks are metallic, usually leading to a trade-off between carrier mobility and on/off ratio in CNT thin-film transistors (TFTs). Figuring out the key factors of ultra-high on/off ratio in CNT TFTs should be considerably essential for the development of large-scale electronic devices in the future. Here ultra-high on/off ratios of 107-108 are realized for CNT TFTs with mobility of ∼500 cm2 V-1 s-1. We propose that one of the key factors to achieve the high on/off ratio is a clean CNT thin film without charge traps and doping due to residual dispersant used in conventional solution processes. Moreover, on/off ratio degradation under operation voltage is significantly suppressed by decreasing the diameter of CNTs.

High-performance gold/graphene/germanium photodetector based on a graphene-on-germanium wafer.

The metal/germanium (Ge) photodetectors have attracted much attention for their potential applications in on-chip optoelectronics. One critical issue is the relatively large dark current due to the limited Schottky potential barrier height of the metal/germanium junction, which is mainly caused by the small bandgap of Ge and the Fermi energy level pinning effect between the metal and Ge. The main technique to solve this problem is to insert a thin interlayer between the metal and Ge. However, so far, the dark current of the photodetectors is still large when using a bulk-material insertion layer, while when using a two-dimensional insertion layer, the area of the insertion layer is too small to support a mass production. Here, we report a gold/graphene/germanium photodetector with a wafer-scale graphene insertion layer using a 4 inch graphene-on-germanium wafer. The insertion layer significantly increases the potential barrier height, leading to a dark current as low as 1.6 mA cm-2, and a responsivity of 1.82 A W-1which are the best results for metal/Ge photodetectors reported so far. Our work contributes to the mass production of high-performance metal/Ge photodetectors.

Fine-Mapping and Functional Analyses of a Candidate Gene Controlling Isoflavone Content in Soybeans Seed.

Isoflavones, one of the most important secondary metabolites produced by soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), are important for a variety of biological processes, and are beneficial for human health. To identify genetic loci underlying soybean isoflavone content, a mapping population containing 119 F5:18 recombinant inbred lines, derived by crossing soybean cultivar "Zhongdou27" with "Dongong8004," was used. We identified 15 QTLs associated with isoflavone contents. A novel loci, qISO19-1, was mapped onto soybean chromosome 19 and was fine-mapped to a 62.8 kb region using a BC2F2 population. We considered GmMT1 as a candidate gene for the qISO19-1 locus due to the significant positive correlation recovered between its expression level and isoflavone content in the seeds of 43 soybean germplasms. Overexpression of GmMT1 in Arabidopsis and soybean cultivars increased isoflavone contents. Transgenic soybeans overexpressing GmMT1 also exhibited improved resistance to pathogenic infection, while transgenic Arabidopsis resisted salt and drought stress.

Fermi-Level Depinning in Metal/Ge Junctions by Inserting a Carbon Nanotube Layer.

Germanium (Ge)-based devices are recognized as one of the most promising next-generation technologies for extending Moore's law. However, one of the critical issues is Fermi-level pinning (FLP) at the metal/n-Ge interface, and the resulting large contact resistance seriously degrades their performance. The insertion of a thin layer is one main technique for FLP modulation; however, the contact resistance is still limited by the remaining barrier height and the resistance induced by the insertion layer. In addition, the proposed depinning mechanisms are also controversial. Here, the authors report a wafer-scale carbon nanotube (CNT) insertion method to alleviate FLP. The inserted conductive film reduces the effective Schottky barrier height without inducing a large resistance, leading to ohmic contact and the smallest contact resistance between a metal and a lightly doped n-Ge. These devices also indicate that the metal-induced gap states mechanism is responsible for the pinning. Based on the proposed technology, a wafer-scale planar diode array is fabricated at room temperature without using the traditional ion-implantation and annealing technology, achieving an on-to-off current ratio of 4.59 × 104 . This work provides a new way of FLP modulation that helps to improve device performance with new materials.

Laminated three-dimensional carbon nanotube integrated circuits.

The fabrication procedure for each layer of the device in monolithic three-dimensional (3D) integration still follows the design philosophy of traditional planar silicon-based circuits, and such integrated circuits will ultimately be limited by the same scaling constraints that face silicon field-effect transistors. We report the direct formation of laminated 3D integrated circuits by the layer-by-layer stacking of each component through two different techniques. One is to use carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the channels of thin-film transistors because of their low-temperature fabrication and layer-to-layer transfer capabilities. The other is to use a suitable separator between every two layers to isolate them, because the separator is not only able to maintain the stability of the performance of each component after coating, but is also a good insulator that can prevent interlayer interactions. A 5-stage CNT ring oscillator laminated onto a single inverter is finally reported, which can reduce the device area by approximately 80%, and should be greatly helpful for the continuous improvement of device functionality and integration.

A monolithically sculpted van der Waals nano-opto-electro-mechanical coupler.

The nano-opto-electro-mechanical systems (NOEMS) are a class of hybrid solid devices that hold promises in both classical and quantum manipulations of the interplay between one or more degrees of freedom in optical, electrical and mechanical modes. To date, studies of NOEMS using van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures are very limited, although vdW materials are known for emerging phenomena such as spin, valley, and topological physics. Here, we devise a universal method to easily and robustly fabricate vdW heterostructures into an architecture that hosts opto-electro-mechanical couplings in one single device. We demonstrated several functionalities, including nano-mechanical resonator, vacuum channel diodes, and ultrafast thermo-radiator, using monolithically sculpted graphene NOEMS as a platform. Optical readout of electric and magnetic field tuning of mechanical resonance in a CrOCl/graphene vdW NOEMS is further demonstrated. Our results suggest that the introduction of the vdW heterostructure into the NOEMS family will be of particular potential for the development of novel lab-on-a-chip systems.

Patterning of Wafer-Scale MXene Films for High-Performance Image Sensor Arrays.

As a rapidly growing family of 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides, MXenes are recognized as promising materials for the development of future electronics and optoelectronics. So far, the reported patterning methods for MXene films lack efficiency, resolution, and compatibility, resulting in limited device integration and performance. Here, a high-performance MXene image sensor array fabricated by a wafer-scale combination patterning method of an MXene film is reported. This method combines MXene centrifugation, spin-coating, photolithography, and dry-etching and is highly compatible with mainstream semiconductor processing, with a resolution up to 2 µm, which is at least 100 times higher than other large-area patterning methods reported previously. As a result, a high-density integrated array of 1024-pixel Ti3 C2 Tx /Si photodetectors with a detectivity of 7.73 × 1014 Jones and a light-dark current ratio (Ilight /Idark ) of 6.22 × 106 , which is the ultrahigh value among all reported MXene-based photodetectors, is fabricated. This patterning technique paves a way for large-scale high-performance MXetronics compatible with mainstream semiconductor processes.