Zwitterions for Organic/Perovskite Solar Cells,Light‐Emitting Devices,and Lithium Ion Batteries: Recent Progress and Perspectives

Zwitterions, a class of materials that contain covalently bonded cations and anions, have been extensively studied in the past decades owing to their special features, such as excellent solubility in polar solvents, for solution processing and dipole formation for the transfer of carriers and ions. Recently, zwitterions have been developed as electrode modifiers for organic solar cells (OSCs), perovskite solar cells (PVSCs), and organic light‐emitting devices (OLEDs), as well as electrolyte additives for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). With the rapid advances of zwitterionic materials, high‐performance devices have been constructed with enhanced efficiencies by introducing them as interface layers and electrolyte additives. In this review, recent progress in OSCs, PVSCs, OLEDs, and LIBs by using zwitterions is highlighted. The authors also elaborate the role of various zwitterionic materials as interfacial layers and additives for highly efficient OSCs, PVSCs, OLEDs, and LIBs. This article presents an overview of device performance of zwitterionic materials. The structure–property relationship is also discussed. Finally, the prospects of zwitterion materials are also addressed.     

Palynological indications of environmental changes during the Late Cretaceous–Eocene on the southern continental margin of Laurasia, Xizang (Tibet)

A palynostratigraphic and palynofacies study of a geological section at Cuojiangding in Zhongba County has provided a basis for discussing the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the southern continental margin of Laurasia in Xizang (Tibet) towards the end of the Cretaceous Period and during the Paleogene. It is the only record of fossil spores and pollen grains from collision- and convergence-related sediments close to the major Yarlung Zangbo Suture. Deposits of the Padana Formation at the base of the section through the Qubeiya, Quxia, and Jialazi formations to the Rujiao Zangbo Conglomerate at the top are considered to range in age from Santonian to Eocene or possibly Oligocene. During this period the India plate collided with, and continued to push against, Laurasia plate. Two spore and pollen zones and three palynofacies types are recognized. These are correlated with two transgressive–regressive cycles associated with the collision, periods of geologically rapid uplift being reflected by the molasse-like sediments of the upper Quxia Formation and the Rujiao Zangbo Conglomerate, which accumulated during the Late Paleocene and Eocene–Oligocene respectively. The first regression led to intermittent subaerial exposure and erosion of the Cuojiangding area. The second ended the marine history of the area and led first to the development of swamps in a subtropical climate, now preserved in the coal-bearing Qiuwu Formation, and later to the development of mountainous terrain, with a cooler climate at higher elevations.     

Joint analysis of longitudinal data and recurrent episodes data with application to medical cost analysis

This paper discusses regression analysis of longitudinal data in which the observation process may be related to the longitudinal process of interest. Such data have recently attracted a great deal of attention and some methods have been developed. However, most of those methods treat the observation process as a recurrent event process, which assumes that one observation can immediately follow another. Sometimes, this is not the case, as there may be some delay or observation duration. Such a process is often referred to as a recurrent episode process. One example is the medical cost related to hospitalization, where each hospitalization serves as a single observation. For the problem, we present a joint analysis approach for regression analysis of both longitudinal and observation processes and a simulation study is conducted that assesses the finite sample performance of the approach. The asymptotic properties of the proposed estimates are also given and the method is applied to the medical cost data that motivated this study.     

牙龈卟啉单胞菌HA2基因和白细胞介素IL-15基因重组质粒的构建

构建抗牙龈卟啉单胞菌的牙周炎基因疫苗p VAX1-HA2、pVAX1-HA2/IL-15,体外检测其在293T细胞的表达。以HA2基因(牙龈卟啉单胞菌牙龈素—血凝素基因编码区的核心功能区)为目的基因与IL-15基因为免疫佐剂构建真核表达质粒,用Lip2000介导瞬时转染293T细胞,RT-PCR检测目的基因mRNA水平及酶联免疫吸附试验检测IL-15蛋白表达水平。重组质粒p VAX1-HA2、pVAX1-HA2/IL-15经酶切及DNA测序鉴定构建正确,转染的293T细胞能够检测到目的基因的表达,也可以检测到IL-15蛋白的表达。说明我们成功构建了真核共表达质粒pVAX1-HA2和p VAX1-HA2/IL-15,为下一步研制抗牙龈卟啉单胞菌DNA疫苗奠定了基础。     

TREM-1 deficiency attenuates the inflammatory responses in LPS-induced murine endometritis

Endometritis, which is usually caused by bacterial infection, is characterized by high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and a high infertility rate. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) has been recognized as a potent amplifier of inflammatory reactions. Studies have demonstrated reduced inflammatory responses and mortality rates of animals with bacterial infection due to the blocking of TREM-1 expression. However, whether TREM-1 deficiency could alleviate the inflammatory reaction in bacterial endometritis is still unclear. Here, TREM-1 knock-out (Trem-1^−/−) mice were used to inhibit TREM-1 signalling to evaluate its role in inflammatory reactions after a highly pathogenic LPS infection in mice uteri. The results demonstrated that TREM-1 deficiency attenuated the inflammation in mice uteri; markedly reduced the number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils; and suppressed interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations in serum as well as their production in inflamed uteri after LPS stimulation. Our results illustrate an anticipated pathogenic impact of TREM-1 on endometritis during LPS infection and indicate that blocking of TREM-1 in LPS-induced endometritis holds considerable promise for blunting excessive inflammation.     

ATL3 Is a Tubular ER-Phagy Receptor for GABARAP-Mediated Selective Autophagy

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北方风沙区生态修复的科学原理、工程实践和恢复效果

北方风沙区位于欧亚草原的东部,是我国生态环境最为脆弱的地区之一,其在北方生态安全屏障和丝绸之路经济带建设中具有十分重要的战略地位。在国家一系列生态保育工程的支持下,该地区的生态环境得到明显改善。但是,由于受人类活动和全球气候变化的影响,该地区仍然面临着严峻的环境压力。在中国科学院科技服务网络计划(STS计划)等项目支持下,开展了北方风沙区土地沙化成因及退化土地空间分布研究,集成了北方风沙区重点脆弱区生态恢复的理论和技术体系,以内蒙古中部的阴山北麓地区、内蒙古浑善达克沙地和蒙辽交界的科尔沁沙地为重点研究区域,进行了高效人工草地建植、天然草地恢复和管理、沙化草地治理等相关工程技术的示范,开展生态恢复模式的效果跟踪监测和生态效益评估,确定生态恢复技术和模式的技术参数和指标,明确不同集成技术与模式在北方风沙区的适用区域和范围,为技术模式的推广应用提供科学依据。通过上述研究,可以为中央和地方政府制定生态系统管理和退化生态系统恢复政策、建立我国北方生态安全屏障提供决策依据,为生态修复产业提供技术指南,为相关研究提供全面系统的基础数据支撑。     

Optimization of defined medium for recombinant Komagataella phaffii expressing cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase

The cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) is an important enzyme for cyclodextrin (CD) production, and is also widely used in the biotechnology, food, and pharmaceuticals industries. Secretory CGTase production by recombinant Komagataella phaffii using defined medium is a promising approach because of low cost, less impurity protein. It was found that no CGTase was expressed using traditional defined medium (basal salt medium [BSM]) because of pH value decreasing significantly. CGTase was expressed by recombinant K. phaffii through pH maintenance in range of 5.5–7.0. β-CGTase activity increased to 122.0 U/mL after optimization of glycerol, phosphate buffer, pH value, ammonium sulfate, temperature, methanol, and additives based on BSM, establishing a modified defined medium. These results showed that it was necessary to establish recombinant K. phaffii-based special defined medium although the same host cell used for different heterologous protein expression.     

Fine-scale spatial distribution of soil organic carbon and its fractions after afforestation with Pinus sylvestris and Salix psammophila in a semiarid desert of China

半干旱沙漠中樟子松和沙柳造林后土壤有机碳及其组分的小尺度空间分布 半干旱沙漠造林有助于改善土壤功能以及增加土壤有机碳(SOC)固定,但人们对造林后SOC及其不稳定(LOC)组分的小尺度空间分布了解甚少。本研究以毛乌素沙地东南缘樟子松(Pinus sylvestris)和沙柳 (Salix psammophila)为研究对象,量化了距离树体20、80、150和240 cm处SOC、LOC组分及其相关变量的小尺度空间分布。研究结果表明,沙柳和樟子松造林显著提高了SOC、总氮(TN)、可溶性有机碳 (DOC)、微生物碳(MBC)和易氧化有机碳(ROOC)含量;在距离树体20 cm处,0–100 cm土层樟子松SOC 储量比沙柳高27.21%;在距离树体80和150 cm处,沙柳SOC储量分别比樟子松高5.50%和5.66%;与流 沙地相比,在距离树体20、80、150 和240 cm处,沙柳和樟子松SOC储量显著增加了94.90%、39.50%、 27.10%和18.50%;沙柳和樟子松ROOC分别占SOC的14.09%和18.93%。总之,造林促进了半干旱流沙地SOC的积累,樟子松比沙柳分配更多的有机质到距离树体<80 cm范围内的土体中。