Nonwoven rGO Fiber‐Aramid Separator for High‐Speed Charging and Discharging of Li Metal Anode

Li metal, which has a high theoretical specific capacity and low redox potential, is considered to the most promising anode material for next‐generation Li ion‐based batteries. However, it also exhibits a disadvantageous solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer problem that needs to be resolved. Herein, an advanced separator composed of reduced graphene oxide fiber attached to aramid paper (rGOF‐A) is introduced. When rGOF‐A is applied, F^? anions, generated from the decomposition of the LiPF₆ electrolyte during the SEI layer formation process form semi‐ionic C? F bonds along the surface of rGOF. As Li⁺ ions are plated, the “F‐doped” rGO surface induces the formation of LiF, which is known as a component of a chemically stable SEI, therefore it helps the Li metal anode to operate stably at a high current of 20 mA cm^?2 with a high capacity of 20 mAh cm^?2. The proposed rGOF‐A separator successfully achieves a stable SEI layer that could resolve the interfacial issues of the Li metal anode.     

Evidence of compliance with and effectiveness of guidelines for noninvasive prenatal testing in China: a retrospective study of 189,809 cases

In China,the medical guidelines recommend performing noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) with caution for pregnant women aged 35 years or older.However,the Mother and Child Health Care Law suggests that all primiparous women whose age is older than 35 years undergo prenatal diagnosis.These two inconsistent suggestions/recommendations have made obstetricians confused about whether to offer NIPT to these older pregnant women.To face this issue and find out the solution we performed a retrospective study of 189,809 NIPT samples collected from 28 provincial-leveled administrative units in China.Of 1,564women with high-risk pregnancies who underwent NIPT,459 (29.3%) did not participate in follow-up.The compound sensitivity and specificity of NIPT for trisomies 21,18 and 13 detection was 99.1%(95%CI,98.0%-99.6%) and 99.9%(95%CI,98.8%-99.9%),respectively.In secundiparous women,NIPT showed high sensitivity and specificity similar to that in primiparous women.The observed risk for trisomies 21 and 18 significantly increased when the maternal age was 39 and older.After the publication of the current NIPT policy,the follow-up rate at our center was 97.9%;however,a large number of women are not in maternal and infant care networks nationwide,and that makes the follow-up rate outside our center relatively low.Our study shows that to balance the prevention of major aneuploidies and the limited resources for prenatal diagnosis,the cut-off age of 35for invasive prenatal diagnosis might be unnecessary.Although the NIPT guidelines are well written,how to practice it effectively,especially in less industrialized areas,is worth discussing.     

Noninvasive ultrasound deep brain stimulation of nucleus accumbens induces behavioral avoidance

Ultrasound stimulation is an emerging noninvasive option in treating neuropsychiatric disorders. The present study investigates the behavioral alterations resulting from ultrasound stimulation on the nucleus accumbens(NAc) in freely moving mice. Our results show that an acute ultrasound stimulation on the NAc, rather than the visual cortex or auditory cortex, led to a pronounced avoidance behavior, while repeated NAc ultrasound stimulation resulted in an obvious conditioned place aversion with changes in synaptic protein(Glu A1/2 subunit) expression. Notably, NAc ultrasound stimulation suppressed the morphine-induced conditioned place preference. The results provide evidence that NAc ultrasound stimulation can be applied as a potential noninvasive therapeutic option in treating psychiatric disorders.     

Could urinary ACE2 protein level help identify individuals susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and complication?

Science China Life Sciences -     

An innovative protein expression system using RNA polymerase I for large-scale screening of high-nucleic-acid content Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the preferred source of RNA derivatives, which are widely used as supplements for foods and pharmaceuticals. As the most abundant RNAs, the ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) transcribed by RNA polymerase I (Pol I) have no 5′ caps, thus cannot be translated to proteins. To screen high-nucleic-acid content yeasts more efficiently, a cap-independent protein expression system mediated by Pol I has been designed and established to monitor the regulatory changes of rRNA synthesis by observing the variation in the reporter genes expression. The elements including Pol I-recognized rDNA promoter, the internal ribosome entry site from cricket paralytic virus which can recruit ribosomes internally, reporter genes (URA3 and yEGFP3), oligo-dT and an rDNA terminator were ligated to a yeast episomal plasmid. This system based on the URA3 gene worked well by observing the growth phenotype and did not require the disruption of cap-dependent initiation factors. The fluorescence intensity of strains expressing the yEGFP3 gene increased and drifted after mutagenesis. Combined with flow cytometry, cells with higher GFP level were sorted out. A strain showed 58% improvement in RNA content and exhibited no sequence alteration in the whole expression cassette introduced. This study provides a novel strategy for breeding high-nucleic-acid content yeasts.     

Dominance complementation of Hd1 and Ghd8 contributes to extremely late flowering in two rice hybrids

Molecular Breeding - Lack of seed dormancy, a major cause of pre-harvest sprouting in rice and other cereal crops, causes significant reductions in grain yield and quality. Weedy rice is often...     

Development and characterization of a continuous cell line (EL) from the liver of European eel Anguilla anguilla

In the present study, a new hepatic tissue‐origin cell line from European eel Anguilla anguilla has been developed and characterized. This cell line designated EL has been maintained in Leibovitz L‐15 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum over 72 months, and subcultured more than 90 times. The EL cell line consisted predominantly of fibroblast‐like cells, which could survive over 100 days in vitro, and could grow at 15–32°C. The optimum temperature for growth was 27°C. The chromosome analysis revealed a modal diploid karyotype of 2n = 38. The origin of this cell line was confirmed by the 18S recombinant (r)RNA sequencing. The susceptibility test indicated significant cytopathic effects in the EL cells with regard to the Rana grylio virus and the Herpesvirus anguillae. The viral replication was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and polymerase chain reaction analysis. Following poly (I:C) exposure, the expression levels of the immune‐related molecules interferon regulatory factor‐7 (irf7) and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) were downregulated in EL cells, whereas the expression levels of the rf3 and the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) were upregulated. All four genes were significantly upregulated following inflammation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These data suggested the application of EL cell line for viral identification, as well as for immunodiagnosis and pharmacological targeting.     

Factors Affecting the Mixotrophic Flagellate Poterioochromonas malhamensis Grazing on Chlorella Cells

Grazing behaviour between protozoa and phytoplankton exists widely in planktonic ecosystems. Poterioochromonas malhamensis is a well‐known and widespread mixotrophic flagellate, which is recognized to play an important role within marine and freshwater planktonic ecosystems and regarded as the greatest contamination threat for mass algal cultures of Chlorella. In this study, a comprehensive range of factors, including morphological characters, biochemical compositions, and specific growth rate of ten species or strains of Chlorella, were evaluated for their effect on the feeding ability of P. malhamensis, which was assessed by two parameters: the clearance rate of P. malhamensis on Chlorella spp. and the specific growth rate of P. malhamensis. The results showed that the clearance rate of P. malhamensis was negatively correlated with cell wall thickness and specific growth rate of Chlorella spp., while the specific growth rate of P. malhamensis was positively correlated with carbohydrate percentage and C/N ratio and negatively correlated with protein, lipid percentage, and nitrogen mass. In conclusion, the factors influencing feeding selectivity include not only the morphological character and chemical composition of Chlorella, but also its population dynamics. Our study provides useful insights into the key factors that affect the feeding selectivity of P. malhamensis and provides basic and constructive data to help in screening for grazing‐resistant microalgae.