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It is still a grand challenge to develop a highly efficient nonprecious-metal electrocatalyst to replace the Pt-based catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here, we propose a surfactant-assisted method to synthesize single-atom iron catalysts (SA-Fe/NG). The halfwave potential of SA-Fe/NG is only 30 mV less than 20% Pt/C in acidic medium, while it is 30 mV superior to 20% Pt/C in alkaline medium. Moreover, SA-Fe/NG shows extremely high stability with only 12 mV and 15 mV negative shifts after 5,000 cycles in acidic and alkaline media, respectively. Impressively, the SA-Fe/NG-based acidic proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) exhibits a high power density of 823 mW cm−2. Combining experimental results and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, we further reveal that the origin of high-ORR activity of SA-Fe/NG is from the Fe-pyrrolic-N species, because such molecular incorporation is the key, leading to the active site increase in an order of magnitude which successfully clarifies the bottleneck puzzle of why a small amount of iron in the SA-Fe catalysts can exhibit extremely superior ORR activity.

Being overweight or obese can predispose people to chronic diseases and metabolic disorders such as cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer, which are costly public health problems and leading causes of mortality worldwide. Many people hope to solve this problem by using food supplements, as they can be self-prescribed, contain molecules of natural origin considered to be incapable of causing damage to health, and the only sacrifice they require is economic. The market offers supplements containing food plant-derived molecules (e.g., primary and secondary metabolites, vitamins, and fibers), microbes (probiotics), and microbial-derived fractions (postbiotics). They can control lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, reduce appetite (interacting with the central nervous system) and adipogenesis, influence intestinal microbiota activity, and increase energy expenditure. Unfortunately, the copious choice of products and different legislation on food supplements worldwide can confuse consumers. This review summarizes the activity and toxicity of dietary supplements for weight control to clarify their potentiality and adverse reactions. A lack of research regarding commercially available supplements has been noted. Supplements containing postbiotic moieties are of particular interest. They are easier to store and transport and are safe even for people with a deficient immune system.

Fruit and vegetable intake has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Quercetin and kaempferol are among the most ubiquitous polyphenols in fruit and vegetables. Most of the quercetin and kaempferol in plants is attached to sugar moieties rather than in the free form. The types and attachments of sugars impact bioavailability, and thus bioactivity. This article aims to review the current literature on the bioavailability of quercetin and kaempferol from food sources and evaluate the potential cardiovascular effects in humans. Foods with the highest concentrations of quercetin and kaempferol in plants are not necessarily the most bioavailable sources. Glucoside conjugates which are found in onions appear to have the highest bioavailability in humans. The absorbed quercetin and kaempferol are rapidly metabolized in the liver and circulate as methyl, glucuronide, and sulfate metabolites. These metabolites can be measured in the blood and urine to assess bioactivity in human trials. The optimal effective dose of quercetin reported to have beneficial effect of lowering blood pressure and inflammation is 500 mg of the aglycone form. Few clinical studies have examined the potential cardiovascular effects of high intakes of quercetin- and kaempferol-rich plants. However, it is possible that a lower dosage from plant sources could be effective due to of its higher bioavailability compared to the aglycone form. Studies are needed to evaluate the potential cardiovascular benefits of plants rich in quercetin and kaempferol glycoside conjugates.

Rational design of bifunctional efficient electrocatalysts for both oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) is desirable—while highly challenging—for development of rechargeable metal–air batteries. Herein, an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst is designed and fabricated by encapsulating Co nanoparticles in interconnected N‐doped hollow porous carbon nanofibers (designated as Co@N‐C/PCNF) using an ultrafast high‐temperature shock technology. Benefiting from the synergistic effect and intrinsic activity of the CoNC moiety, as well as porous structure of carbon nanofibers, the Co@N‐C/PCNF composite shows high bifunctional electrocatalytic activities for both OER (289 mV at 10 mA cm−2) and ORR (half‐wave potential of 0.85 V). The CoNC moiety in the composite can modulate the local environmental and electrical structure of the catalysts, thus optimizing the adsorption/desorption kinetics and decreasing the reaction barriers for promoting the reversible oxygen electrocatalysis. Co@N‐C/PCNF‐based aqueous Zn–air batteries (AZAB) provide high power density of 292 mW cm−2, and the assembled flexible ZAB can power wearable devices. Benefiting from the CoNC moiety exposure in the well‐coupled interfaces and its highly porous structure, composites based on core–shell Co nanoparticles encapsulated by N‐doped carbon distributed within porous carbon nanofibers show efficient bifunctional electrocatalytic activities. Aqueous Zn–air batteries based on those composites provide high power density and long‐term cycling, and the flexible Zn–air batteries can power digital devices.

Soils play an essential role in the global cycling of carbon and understanding the stabilisation mechanisms behind the preservation of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools is of globally recognised significance. Until recently, research into SOC stabilisation has predominantly focused on acidic soil environments and the interactions between SOC and aluminium (Al) or iron (Fe). The interactions between SOC and calcium (Ca) have typically received less attention, with fewer studies conducted in alkaline soils. Although it has widely been established that exchangeable Ca (CaExch) positively correlates with SOC concentration and its resistance to oxidation, the exact mechanisms behind this relationship remain largely unidentified. This synthesis paper critically assesses available evidence on the potential role of Ca in the stabilisation of SOC and identifies research topics that warrant further investigation. Contrary to the common view of the chemistry of base cations in soils, chemical modelling indicates that Ca²⁺ can readily exchange its hydration shell and create inner sphere complexes with organic functional groups. This review therefore argues that both inner- and outer-sphere bridging by Ca²⁺ can play an active role in the stabilisation of SOC. Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) can influence occluded SOC stability through its role in the stabilisation of aggregates; however, it could also play an unaccounted role in the direct sorption and inclusion of SOC. Finally, this review highlights the importance of pH as a potential predictor of SOC stabilisation mechanisms mediated by Al- or Fe- to Ca, and their respective effects on SOC dynamics.

This review briefly describes carotenogenesis and provides an update on strigolactone biosynthesis, focusing on the substrate specificity and reactions catalyzed by the different biosynthetic enzymes. Abstract Strigolactones are phytohormones that regulate various plant developmental and adaptation processes. When released into soil, strigolactones act as chemical signals, attracting symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and inducing seed germination in root-parasitic weeds. Strigolactones are carotenoid derivatives, characterized by the presence of a butenolide ring that is connected by an enol ether bridge to a less conserved second moiety. Carotenoids are isopenoid pigments that differ in structure, number of conjugated double bonds, and stereoconfiguration. Genetic analysis and enzymatic studies have demonstrated that strigolactones originate from all-trans-β-carotene in a pathway that involves the all-trans-/9-cis-β-carotene isomerase DWARF27 and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 7 and 8 (CCD7, 8). The CCD7-mediated, regiospecific and stereospecific double-bond cleavage of 9-cis-β-carotene leads to a 9-cis-configured intermediate that is converted by CCD8 via a combination of reactions into the central metabolite carlactone. By catalyzing repeated oxygenation reactions that can be coupled to ring closure, CYP711 enzymes convert carlactone into tricyclic-ring-containing canonical and non-canonical strigolactones. Modifying enzymes, which are mostly unknown, further increase the diversity of strigolactones. This review explores carotenogenesis, provides an update on strigolactone biosynthesis, with emphasis on the substrate specificity and reactions catalyzed by the different enzymes, and describes the regulation of the biosynthetic pathway.

This review discusses the evolution, biosynthesis, perception, and biological relevance of the structural diversity in the strigolactones, important endogenous (hormone) and exogenous (rhizosphere) signalling molecules in plants Abstract Strigolactones (SLs) are a class of signalling molecules secreted by the roots of plants into the rhizosphere. On the one hand, they serve as the signal for recruiting arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi which have a symbiotic relationship with plants. On the other hand, they are also host detection signals for the non-symbiotic, pathogenic, root parasitic plants, which use the SLs as germination stimulants. Finally, recently the SLs were discovered to be a new class of plant hormones that regulate processes such as branching/tillering and root architecture. Intriguingly, >25 different SLs have already been discovered that all have the so-called D-ring but otherwise display many differences in structure and functional groups. In this review, we will critically discuss the structural diversity in the SLs. How are they synthesized in plants; how has this structural diversity possibly evolved; what is the biological relevance of this diversity; and what does this imply for the perception of the SLs by receptors in the plant itself and in other organisms? Finally, we conclude that only little is known about the biological significance of this structural diversity, and we will give an outlook on how to elucidate their importance further.

Background and aims Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been shown to reduce abiotic stress on plants, but these effects have not been quantitatively synthesized. We evaluated the degree to which plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) improve plant performance with and without drought stress. Methods We used meta-analysis to summarize 52 published articles on the effects of PGPR on root mass, shoot mass and yield under well-watered and drought conditions. We also asked whether fertilization treatments, experimental conditions, inoculum taxonomic complexity, plant functional group, or inoculum delivery method introduce variation in the effect size of PGPR. Results Across all treatments, plants were highly responsive to PGPR; under well-watered conditions, root mass increased by 35%, shoot mass increased by 28%, and reproductive yield increased by 19%. Under drought conditions, the effect was even higher: root mass increased by 43%, shoot mass increased by 45%, and reproductive yield increased by 40%. The effect of PGPR was significantly larger under drought for shoot mass (p < 0.05) and reproductive yield (p < 0.05), but not for root mass. PGPR responsiveness also varied according to plant functional group, with C3 grass shoot production responding the least strongly to PGPR. Conclusions We demonstrate that PGPR are highly effective for improving plant growth, with a greater effect under drought for above ground traits. While previously known for their bio-control abilities, we show that PGPR may also contribute to drought amelioration and water conservation.

• Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) has been used widely to infer intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) of C₃ plants, a key parameter linking carbon and water fluxes. Despite the essential role of mesophyll conductance (g m) in photosynthesis and Δ, its effect on Δ-based predictions of iWUE has generally been neglected. • Here, we derive a mathematical expression of iWUE as a function of Δ that includes g m (iWUEmes) and exploits the g m-stomatal conductance (g sc) relationship across drought-stress levels and plant functional groups (deciduous or semideciduous woody, evergreen woody and herbaceous species) in a global database. iWUEmes was further validated with an independent dataset of online-Δ and CO₂ and H₂O gas exchange measurements with seven species. • Drought stress reduced g sc and g m by nearly one-half across all plant functional groups, but had no significant effect on the g sc : g m ratio, with a well supported value of 0.79 ± 0.07 (95% CI, n = 198). g m was negatively correlated to iWUE. Incorporating the g sc : g m ratio greatly improved estimates of iWUE, compared with calculations that assumed infinite g m. • The inclusion of the g sc : g m ratio, fixed at 0.79 when g m was unknown, proved desirable to eliminate significant errors in estimating iWUE from Δ across various C₃ vegetation types.

As the most abundant biopolymer in nature, cellulose has become a fascinating building block for the design of functional nanomaterials. Owing to the presence of numerous hydroxyl groups, cellulose provides a unique platform for the preparation of new materials via versatile chemical modifications. This critical review aims to present the advances about nanomaterials based on cellulose derivatives with the focus on cellulose esters within the last two decades, including the chemistry and application of these nanostructured materials. This review starts with the introduction on first fundamental aspects about diverse esterification techniques used up to now to modify cellulose. The in situ esterification for the isolation of nanocelluloses and diverse post esterification methods of nanocelluloses for the surface functionalization were highlighted in the following description. Various esterification strategies and further nanostructure constructions have been developed aiming to confer specific properties to cellulose esters, extending therefore their feasibility for highly sophisticated applications, which were summarized with respect to the categories of the introduced ester moieties. Thus, this review assembles and emphasizes the state-of-art knowledge of functional nanomaterials derived from diverse esterified cellulose compounds.