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High-entropy alloys/compounds have large configurational entropy by introducing multiple components, showing improved functional properties that exceed those of conventional materials. However, how increasing entropy impacts the thermodynamic/kinetic properties in liquids that are ambiguous. Here we show this strategy in liquid electrolytes for rechargeable lithium batteries, demonstrating the substantial impact of raising the entropy of electrolytes by introducing multiple salts. Unlike all liquid electrolytes so far reported, the participation of several anionic groups in this electrolyte induces a larger diversity in solvation structures, unexpectedly decreasing solvation strengths between lithium ions and solvents/anions, facilitating lithium-ion diffusivity and the formation of stable interphase passivation layers. In comparison to the single-salt electrolytes, a low-concentration dimethyl ether electrolyte with four salts shows an enhanced cycling stability and rate capability. These findings, rationalized by the fundamental relationship between entropy-dominated solvation structures and ion transport, bring forward high-entropy electrolytes as a composition-rich and unexplored space for lithium batteries and beyond. Electrolytes, function as an ion conducting membrane between battery electrodes, are essential for rechargeable batteries. Here, the authors report high-entropy liquid electrolytes and reveal substantial impact of the increasing entropy on lithium-ion solvation structures for highly reversible lithium batteries.

The current Li-based battery technology is limited in terms of energy contents. Therefore, several approaches are considered to improve the energy density of these energy storage devices. Here, we report the combination of a heteroatom-based gel polymer electrolyte with a hybrid cathode comprising of a Li-rich oxide active material and graphite conductive agent to produce a high-energy “shuttle-relay” Li metal battery, where additional capacity is generated from the electrolyte’s anion shuttling at high voltages. The gel polymer electrolyte, prepared via in situ polymerization in an all-fluorinated electrolyte, shows adequate ionic conductivity (around 2 mS cm −1 at 25 °C), oxidation stability (up to 5.5 V vs Li/Li + ), compatibility with Li metal and safety aspects (i.e., non-flammability). The polymeric electrolyte allows for a reversible insertion of hexafluorophosphate anions into the conductive graphite (i.e., dual-ion mechanism) after the removal of Li ions from Li-rich oxide (i.e., rocking-chair mechanism). The energy content increase is of paramount importance for the development of future Li-based batteries. Here, the authors propose a gel polymer electrolyte in combination with a positive electrode comprising of a Li-rich oxide active material and graphite to produce a high-energy Li metal cell.

In this study, a fixed-bed biofilm membrane bioreactor was used to assess denitrification and carbon removal performance, membrane fouling, composition, and the dynamics of microbial communities across 10 salinity levels. As salinity levels increased (from 0 to 30 g/L), the removal efficiency of total nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand decreased from 98 and 86% in Phase I to 25 and 45% in Phase X, respectively. Beyond a salinity level of 10 g/L, membrane fouling accelerated considerably. The analysis of fouling resistance distribution suggested that soluble microbial products (SMPs) were the primary cause of this phenomenon. The irregularity in microbial community succession reflected the varying adaptability of different bacteria to different salinity levels. The relative abundance of Sulfuritalea, Lentimircobium, Thauera, and Pseudomonas increased from 20.2 to 47.7% as the experiments progressed. Extracellular polymeric substances-related analysis suggested that Azospirillum plays a positive role in preserving the structural integrity of the biofilm carrier. The SMP-related analysis showed a positive correlation between Lentimircobium, Thauera, Pseudomonas, and the SMP content. These results suggested that these three bacterial genera significantly promoted the release of SMP under salt stress, which in turn led to severe membrane fouling.

It is well−established that plants are sessile and photoautotrophic organisms that rely on light throughout their entire life cycle. Light quality (spectral composition) is especially important as it provides energy for photosynthesis and influences signaling pathways that regulate plant development in the complex process of photomorphogenesis. During previous years, significant progress has been made in light quality’s physiological and biochemical effects on crops. However, understanding how light quality modulates plant growth and development remains a complex challenge. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of light quality in regulating the early development of plants, encompassing processes such as seed germination, seedling de−etiolation, and seedling establishment. These insights can be harnessed to improve production planning and crop quality by producing high−quality seedlings in plant factories and improving the theoretical framework for modern agriculture.

Pollution arising from ammonia volatilization in paddy fields could be reduced by using slow-release nitrogen fertilizers. In recent years, slow-release nitrogen fertilizers have been commonly used to replace conventional nitrogen fertilizers in the Taihu Lake region to reduce ammonia volatilization and improve nitrogen-use efficiency. To compare ammonia volatilization losses and examine the effects of different factors (N rates, types, field water NH 4 + , pH, and rainfall) between conventional nitrogen fertilizer and slow-release nitrogen fertilizer, paddy field experiments were conducted using conventional urea and sulfur-coated urea (SCU) fertilizers. The results indicated that ammonia volatilization flux positively increased with N application rate following an exponent function and depended on field water NH 4 + concentration and pH. The ammonia volatilization under SCU treatment was 37.95–70.48 kg/hm 2 , accounting for 40.66–52.86% of the fertilizer application rate. Compared with the same N input, the ammonia volatilization loss rate was 11.53–25.33% lower under the SCU treatment. Besides, SCU produced an unfavorable environment for ammonia volatilization, with a 1.15–2.61% decrease in pH and a 40.83–43.58% decrease in field water NH 4 + concentration.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key molecules in human cancer. Highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC), an lncRNA, has recently been revealed to be involved in hepatocellular carcinoma development and progression. It remains unclear, however, whether HULC plays an oncogenic role in human gastric cancer (GC). In the present study, we demonstrated that HULC was significantly overexpressed in GC cell lines and GC tissues compared with normal controls, and this overexpression was correlated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and advanced tumor node metastasis stages. In addition, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to evaluate the diagnostic values and the area under the ROC curve of HULC was up to 0.769. To uncover its functional importance, gain- and loss-of-function studies were performed to evaluate the effect of HULC on cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion in vitro. Overexpression of HULC promoted proliferation and invasion and inhibited cell apoptosis in SGC7901 cells, while knockdown of HULC in SGC7901 cells showed the opposite effect. Mechanistically, we discovered that overexpression of HULC could induce patterns of autophagy in SGC7901 cells; more importantly, autophagy inhibition increased overexpression of HULC cell apoptosis. We also determined that silencing of HULC effectively reversed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype. In summary, our results suggest that HULC may play an important role in the growth and tumorigenesis of human GC, which provides us with a new biomarker in GC and perhaps a potential target for GC prevention, diagnosis and therapeutic treatment.

The low mechanical strength and insufficient lithium-ion conductivity of solid-electrolyte interphase will incur inhomogeneous lithium deposition and eventually cause battery failure, hindering practical application of lithium metal batteries. Combining multiple characterization techniques and COMSOL simulation, here we report that the commonly-adopted constant current charge protocol would result in formation of highly porous lithium metal negative electrode, leading to severe parasitic reactions. To ameliorate this problem, we propose a middle peak current charge protocol with a peak current in the middle of charging step, which could guide the nucleation and growth of densified lithium deposition with the derived solid-electrolyte interphase possessing significantly improved mechanical strength and Li + ion conductivity. Therefore, coin-type initially anode-free lithium metal batteries could be stably cycled for 80 cycles (with 3 hours of charging and state-of-charge of ~70%). A 1.5 Ah initially anode-free Li metal pouch cell which delivers a specific energy of 400 Wh kg -1 at 225 mA and with a capacity retention of 80% for 298 cycles (with 3 hours of charging and state-of-charge of 80%) is also demonstrated. The low mechanical strength and insufficient lithium-ion conductivity of the solid-electrolyte interphase result in inhomogeneous lithium deposition. Here, the authors propose a new middle peak current charging protocol, guiding the nucleation and growth of densified lithium deposition and a solid-electrolyte interphase with improved mechanical strength and Li + ion conductivity.

Fibroblast growth factor receptors are growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases, exerting their roles in embryogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and development of breast cancer. Recent genetic studies have identified some subtypes of fibroblast growth factor receptors as strong genetic loci associated with breast cancer. In this article, we review the recent epidemiological findings and experiment results of fibroblast growth factor receptors in breast cancer. First, we summarized the structure and physiological function of fibroblast growth factor receptors in humans. Then, we discussed the common genetic variations in fibroblast growth factor receptors that affect breast cancer risk. In addition, we also introduced the potential roles of each fibroblast growth factor receptors isoform in breast cancer. Finally, we explored the potential therapeutics targeting fibroblast growth factor receptors for breast cancer. Based on the biological mechanisms of fibroblast growth factor receptors leading to the pathogenesis in breast cancer, targeting fibroblast growth factor receptors may provide new opportunities for breast cancer therapeutic strategies.

Chenopodium quinoa is a relatively new and excellent crop, and its growth is frequently threatened by abiotic stress. GRAS genes are considered to be a plant-specific transcriptional regulatory family, which is essential for controlling aboveground and root development, as well as enhancing tolerance to abiotic stress. Phylogeny, gene structure, genomic location, conserved motif, cis-element, protein interaction, and expression pattern were all comprehensively investigated in this research of the quinoa GRAS genes. According to its structure and phylogenetic characteristics, the identified quinoa 54 GRAS members were divided into 10 subgroups. The distribution of CqGRAS genes on 19 quinoa chromosomes is uneven, with Chr07 and Chr18 having the largest number of genes. The quinoa GRAS family’s evolution has been driven by duplication and collinearity among members. Under abiotic stress, 12 selected CqGRAS genes showed significant differential expression. CqGRAS1 and 19 were most sensitive to low temperatures, H 2 O 2 treatment highly induced the expression of CqGASS20 , and Na 2 CO 3 treatment highly induced the expression of CqGRAS23 . After conducting tissue quantification, we found that some CqGRAS genes exhibit tissue-specific expression patterns, with CqGRAS19 and 45 being highly expressed in stems and CqGRAS3 and 32 being highly expressed in leaves. In summary, this work gives valuable information for a comprehensive understanding of the functional analysis of the Chenopodium quinoa genome’s GRAS gene family and the identification of candidate genes to improve quinoa’s resistance to abiotic stress.

Large amounts of atmospheric N deposition cause negative effects on ecosystems. Effective mitigation strategies require the sources of N deposition to be identified and the contributions from individual sources to be quantified. Determination of the isotopic composition represents a useful approach in source apportionment. In this study, the δ¹⁵N-NHₓ of wet and dry atmospheric deposition and the main NH₃ emission sources were analyzed at an urban, a suburban and a rural site in the Taihu Lake region of China. The 2-year average δ 15 N-NH 4 + of precipitation was – 3.0 ± 2.3, – 3.1 ± 2.8 and – 0.5 ± 2.8‰ for the urban, suburban and rural sites, respectively. These values were much lower than the corresponding values for particulate NH 4 + (15.9, 15.2 and 14.3‰ at the urban, suburban and rural sites, respectively), and much higher than those of gaseous δ¹⁵N-NH₃ (– 16.7, – 18.2 and – 17.4‰ at the urban, suburban and rural sites, respectively). The δ¹⁵N-NH₃ of NH₃ from the main emission sources ranged from – 30.8 to – 3.3‰ for volatilized fertilizer, from – 35.1 to – 10.5‰ for emissions from a pig farm, and – 24.7 to – 11.3‰ for emissions from a dairy farm. Temporal variations of deposition δ¹⁵N-NHₓ indicated that δ¹⁵N-NHₓ values were lower in summer and autumn, but higher in winter and spring for both precipitation NH 4 + -N and gaseous NH₃-N. Weather conditions such as temperature and precipitation significantly influenced the spatial and temporal distribution of isotope values of the deposition. Analysis of δ¹⁵N-NHₓ in deposition and emission sources identified volatilized fertilizer and livestock wastes as the origins of both gaseous NH₃-N and precipitation NH 4 + -N over the region. A stable isotope mixing model estimated that volatilized fertilizer and animal excreta contributed more than 65 % to precipitation NH 4 + -N , more than 60% to particulate NH 4 + -N , and more than 75% to gaseous NH₃-N.