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A wide variety of unusual mantle has been reported from podiform chromitite orebodies Cr-31 and Cr-74 in the Luobusa (罗布莎) ophiolite, Tibet. A detailed investigation of chromitite orebody Cr-11, located in the Kangjinla (康金拉) district at the eastern end of the ophiolite, has revealed many of the same minerals, including diamond, moissanite, and some native elements, alloys, oxides, sulphides, silicates, carbonates, and tungstates. This orebody is particularly rich in diamonds, with over 1 000 grains recovered from about 1 100 kg sample of chromitite. More detailed studies and experiments are needed to understand the origin and significance of these unusual minerals because they have not been found in situ. It is a great breakthrough in mineralogical research that we have picked up more than 40 kinds of minerals from the Kangjinla chromite deposit in Luobusa. It is notable that a large amount of diamonds were firstly discovered from the Kangjinla chromite deposit as well as many other unusual minerals, such as moissanites, rutiles, native irons, and metal alloys. Especially, that diamond was found again in different chromitites in the same ophiolite belt provided new key evidence for discussing the origin of the diamond and the hosted chromitite and ophiolite. The mantle mineral group in Tibet has great significance in mineralogy and geodynamics.

The origin of native Si-Fe alloy mineral is thought to be related with mantle and aerolite. The native Si-Fe alloy minerals from podiform chromites of the Luobusha ophiolite in the Yarlong Zangbo suture zone were examined by a new method for powder-like diffractograms of small single crystals, using an SMART APEX-CCD area-detector X-ray diffractometer. The powder diffraction pattern shows that the minerals are composed of FeSi, FeSi^sub 2^, β-FeSi^sub 2^ and native silicon. The association of these minerals suggests that the crystallization order of the mineral may be from early to late FeSi[arrow right]FeSi^sub 2^[arrow right]native silicon, accompanied by gradually increasing deoxidization.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

(Fe4Cr4Ni)9C4 is a metal carbide mineral formed by combination of Fe, Cr and Ni with C. It occurs in a chromite deposit in the Luobusha ophiolite, Tibet. Based on the determination of its crystal structure, the empirical formula is (Fe4.12Cr3.84Ni0.96)8.92C3.70 and the simplified formula is (Fe4Cr4Ni)4C9. The mineral is hexagonal with a = 1.38392(2) nm, c = 0.44690(9) nm, pace group P63 m c, Z=6 and the calculated specific gravity Dx = 7.089 g/cm3. Fe, Cr and Ni occupy different crystallographic sites and their coordination numbers are approximately 12, forming an alternate stacking sequence of flat and puckered layers along the c axis. Some metallic atoms have a defect structure. The interatomic distances of Fe, Cr and Ni are 0.2525-0.2666 nm, and the distances between Fe, Cr, Ni and C are 0.1893-0.2169 nm. The coordination number of carbon is 6. It occurs in interstices of the metallic atoms Fe, Cr and Ni to form trigonalprismatically coordinated polyhedra. These coordination polyhedra are linked with each other via shared corners or shared edges into a new type of metal carbide structure.

Single-crystal cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries have attracted increasing interest in providing greater capacity retention than their polycrystalline counterparts. However, after being cycled at high voltages, these single-crystal materials exhibit severe structural instability and capacity fade. Understanding how the surface structural changes determine the performance degradation over cycling is crucial, but remains elusive. Here, we investigate the correlation of the surface structure, internal strain, and capacity deterioration by using operando X-ray spectroscopy imaging and nano-tomography. We directly observe a close correlation between surface chemistry and phase distribution from homogeneity to heterogeneity, which induces heterogeneous internal strain within the particle and the resulting structural/performance degradation during cycling. We also discover that surface chemistry can significantly enhance the cyclic performance. Our modified process effectively regulates the performance fade issue of single-crystal cathode and provides new insights for improved design of high-capacity battery materials. Performance improvement of cathode materials represents one of the most critical technological challenges for lithium-ion batteries. Here the authors show a close correlation between surface chemistry and phase distribution from homogeneity to heterogeneity, and its impact on the cyclic performance.

Interfacial issues commonly exist in solid-state batteries, and the microstructural complexity combines with the chemical heterogeneity to govern the local interfacial chemistry. The conventional wisdom suggests that “point-to-point” ion diffusion at the interface determines the ion transport kinetics. Here, we show that solid-solid ion transport kinetics are not only impacted by the physical interfacial contact but are also closely associated with the interior local environments within polycrystalline particles. In spite of the initial discrete interfacial contact, solid-state batteries may still display homogeneous lithium-ion transportation owing to the chemical potential force to achieve an ionic-electronic equilibrium. Nevertheless, once the interior local environment within secondary particle is disrupted upon cycling, it triggers charge distribution from homogeneity to heterogeneity and leads to fast capacity fading. Our work highlights the importance of interior local environment within polycrystalline particles for electrochemical reactions in solid-state batteries and provides crucial insights into underlying mechanism in interfacial transport. Solid state battery is regarded as one of the most promising next generation energy storage systems due to high safety and high energy density. Here, authors demonstrate the importance of interfacial local environment in polycrystalline cathodes for electrochemical reactions in solid-state batteries.

Oxidative stress-induced lipid accumulation is mediated by lipid droplets (LDs) homeostasis, which sequester vulnerable unsaturated triglycerides into LDs to prevent further peroxidation. Here we identify the upregulation of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and its trafficking through LDs as a mechanism for modulating LD homeostasis in response to oxidative stress. Our results suggest that LBP induces lipid accumulation by controlling lipid-redox homeostasis through its lipid-capture activity, sorting unsaturated triglycerides into LDs. N-acetyl-L-cysteine treatment reduces LBP-mediated triglycerides accumulation by phospholipid/triglycerides competition and Peroxiredoxin 4, a redox state sensor of LBP that regulates the shuttle of LBP from LDs. Furthermore, chronic stress upregulates LBP expression, leading to insulin resistance and obesity. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the role of LBP in regulating LD homeostasis and against cellular peroxidative injury. These insights could inform the development of redox-based therapies for alleviating oxidative stress-induced metabolic dysfunction. Oxidative stress triggers lipid accumulation in cells by sequestering triglycerides in lipid droplets. Here, the authors show that lipopolysaccharide-binding protein interacts with redox sensor PRDX4 to control lipid-redox balance and promotes triglyceride accumulation in droplets by capturing unsaturated lipids.

Chromosome translocation is a major cause of the onset and progression of diverse types of cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. Here, we identified a non-homologous end-joining protein, IFFO1, which structurally forms a heterotetramer with XRCC4. IFFO1 is recruited to the sites of DNA damage by XRCC4 and promotes the repair of DNA double-strand breaks in a parallel pathway with XLF. Interestingly, IFFO1 interacts with lamin A/C, forming an interior nucleoskeleton. Inactivating IFFO1 or its interaction with XRCC4 or lamin A/C leads to increases in both the mobility of broken ends and the frequency of chromosome translocation. Importantly, the destruction of this nucleoskeleton accounts for the elevated frequency of chromosome translocation in many types of cancer cells. Our results reveal that the lamin A/C–IFFO1-constituted nucleoskeleton prevents chromosome translocation by immobilizing broken DNA ends during tumorigenesis. Li et al. find that IFFO1 bridges the core NHEJ factor XRCC4 and lamin A/C, thus reducing the mobility of broken DNA ends to prevent chromosomal translocation in cancer cells.

Summary The optimization of plant architecture in order to breed high‐yielding soya bean cultivars is a goal of researchers. Tall plants bearing many long branches are desired, but only modest success in reaching these goals has been achieved. MicroRNA156 (miR156)‐SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN‐LIKE (SPL) gene modules play pivotal roles in controlling shoot architecture and other traits in crops like rice and wheat. However, the effects of miR156‐SPL modules on soya bean architecture and yield, and the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects, remain largely unknown. In this study, we achieved substantial improvements in soya bean architecture and yield by overexpressing GmmiR156b. Transgenic plants produced significantly increased numbers of long branches, nodes and pods, and they exhibited an increased 100‐seed weight, resulting in a 46%–63% increase in yield per plant. Intriguingly, GmmiR156b overexpression had no significant impact on plant height in a growth room or under field conditions; however, it increased stem thickness significantly. Our data indicate that GmmiR156b modulates these traits mainly via the direct cleavage of SPL transcripts. Moreover, we found that GmSPL9d is expressed in the shoot apical meristem and axillary meristems (AMs) of soya bean, and that GmSPL9d may regulate axillary bud formation and branching by physically interacting with the homeobox gene WUSCHEL (WUS), a central regulator of AM formation. Together, our results identify GmmiR156b as a promising target for the improvement of soya bean plant architecture and yields, and they reveal a new and conserved regulatory cascade involving miR156‐SPL‐WUS that will help researchers decipher the genetic basis of plant architecture.

In this study, the response surface method (RSM) was used to optimize the deproteinization process of polysaccharides from Vitis vinifera L. SuoSuo (VTP). The antioxidant capacities of polysaccharides before and after deproteinization were evaluated. The structure of deproteinized VTP (DVTP), which has relatively strong antioxidant activity, was characterized, and the protective effect of DVTP on H2O2-induced HT22 cell damage was evaluated. The results of the RSM experiment revealed that the ideal parameters for deproteinization included a chloroform/n-butanol ratio (v/v) of 4.6:1, a polysaccharide/Sevage reagent (v/v) ratio of 2:1, a shaking time of 25 min, and five rounds of deproteinization. Preliminary characterization revealed that the DVTP was an acidic heteropolysaccharide composed of seven monosaccharides, among which the molar ratio of galacturonic acid was 40.65. FT-IR and the determination of uronic acid content revealed that DVTP contained abundant uronic acid and that the content was greater than that of VTP. In vitro, the antioxidant activity assay revealed that the hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity and total antioxidant capacity of DVTP were greater than those of VTP. In the range of 0.6~0.8 mg/mL, the DPPH scavenging capacities of VTP and DVTP were greater than that of vitamin C. In addition, cell viability was measured via a CCK-8 assay, which revealed that DVTP had a strong defense effect on H2O2-induced damage to HT22 cells. These findings suggest that DVTP has high antioxidant activity and could be used as a natural antioxidant in functional foods and medicines.

The stimulus-responsive drug delivery system has attracted increasing attention due to its ability to enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce side effects. Herein, a pH and glutathione (GSH) dually responsive drug carrier, hollow silica–-polyelectrolyte composite nanoparticle, was successfully prepared by using a template of spherical polyelectrolyte brush (SPB) which consists of a polystyrene (PS) core and a densely grafted linear poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) shell. The existence of PAA chains and introduction of disulfide bonds in silica framework endow the composite nanoparticles with pH and GSH dually responsive properties which were confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). With doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as the model drug, the loading content and encapsulation efficiency could reach up to 43% and 96%, respectively. The drug release behavior was investigated under various environments, showing that the drug release rate increased with the decrease in pH value and the increase in GSH concentration. The prepared hollow SiO2–PAA composite nanoparticles possess a great potential as carriers for controlled drug delivery.