Apparent Efficiency Research Articles

Enhancing Nutrient Use Efficiency through Nano Urea in Pigeon Pea Based Intercropping System

A field experiment was conducted at Birsa Agricultural University Ranchi during the kharif seasons of 2021 and 2022 to evaluate N uptake and Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) for nitrogen as influenced by pigeon pea-based intercropping systems and nitrogen management. Pigeon pea + sweet corn intercropping systems with 100% recommended nitrogen (N1), recorded significantly higher total nitrogen uptake (196.6 kg/ha) which was at par with 50% RDN + 2 spray of nano urea (189.1 kg/ha). Whereas partial factor productivity (PFP), agronomic efficiency (AE), apparent recovery use efficiency (ARUE), economic nutrient use efficiency (ENUE), partial nutrient balance (PNB) of pigeon pea + sweet corn intercropping was recorded maximum (27.4 kg/kg, 13.4 kg/kg, 64.8 %, 1.66 kg yield/ ₹ invested in nitrogen & 0.88 kg/kg) respectively, while in nitrogen management, 50% RDN + 2 sprays of Nano urea performed better in terms of PFP, AE, ARUE, ENUE & PNB (52.5 kg/kg, 24.1 kg/kg, 115.4 %, 3.20 kg yield/ ₹ invested in nitrogen & 1.43 kg/kg respectively) when compared to the other nitrogen management.

Difructose Anhydride and Passive Immunity Effects on Passive Immune Transfer and Performance of Feeding Difructose Anhydride to Neonatal Calves.

The objective of this study was to assess the potential effects of supplementing difructose anyhdride III (DFAIII) during the first days of life on the absorption of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and growth performance of calves early in life fed colostrum with a high IgG concentration. Sixty-six healthy new-born Holstein calves were randomly assigned to three treatments consisting of no supplementation (control), supplementation of 12 g/d (DFA12), or 36 g/d (DFA36) of DFAIII during the first 7 d of life via colostrum and milk replacer (MR). Calves were separated from dams at birth and bottle-fed colostrum in two meals, each targeting 2.5 L within the first 18 h of birth. Colostrum had been previously collected from other dams (and preserved frozen) within the first 2 h of calving and had a Brix value ≥32%. Daily consumption of starter concentrate and MR (and colostrum on the first day) were individually monitored. Calves were body weighed using an electronic scale at birth and on a weekly basis thereafter until the end of study at 42 d of age. A sample of colostrum fed to each calf and a blood sample from the jugular vein of the calves were collected at 12 and 24 h of life to determine the IgG concentration. The mean colostrum IgG concentration fed in the current study was 110 ± 33.7 g/L (mean ± SD). No differences in animal performance were found among the treatments. Calves on all treatments consumed the same amount of colostrum with a similar concentration of IgG, and thus the amount of IgG consumed was also similar. Serum IgG concentrations were greater at 24 than at 12 h but did not differ among treatments. However, the apparent efficiency of absorption of colostral immunoglobulins was greater in DFA12 and DFA36 at 12 h of life than in control calves, with no differences observed at 24 h. Even when feeding high-quality colostrum, in terms of IgG concentration, supplementation with difructose anhydride III may pose an additional advantage in promoting the passive transfer of immunoglobulins in neonatal Holstein calves during the first 12 h of life.

Electrocatalytic ethanol-to-CO2 selectivity on the Ir electrode: A quasi-quantitative electrochemical infrared absorption spectroscopic investigation

Ir has long been regarded as an alternative ethanol-to-CO2 electrocatalyst, but little is known about the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) mechanism on Ir, especially the C1 pathway selectivity. Thereby, in situ quasi-quantitative electrochemical infrared absorption spectroscopy (QEIAS), consisting of total-reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS), infrared absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), and transmission infrared absorption spectroscopy (TIAS) with a thin-layer flow cell, is established to probe it. Initially, the well-accepted EOR dual-pathway mechanism is confirmed via ATR-SEIRAS and IRAS. Ir-Had species (ca. 2040 cm−1), originating from the ethanol dissociation at low potentials, are observed for the first time to replenish the reaction process. Based on it, the apparent Faradaic efficiency of the C1 pathway (FEC1) is readily estimated to be as high as 76.4% (0.7 V) in acidic media. The quantitative analysis of reaction residual verifies these FEC1 results through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and a relative error of only 2–9% exists between the two methods. Thus, Ir might be more efficient for ethanol complete oxidation than other Pt-group metallic catalysts, especially in acidic media. This work could be necessary for the rational design of Ir-based EOR catalysts with high C1 pathway selectivity and low over-potential for direct ethanol fuel cells.

Enhanced photoelectrochemistry water splitting based on the bi-piezoelectric Z-scheme pn heterojunction of an n-CdTe/p-ZnO nanorods array

An n-type Cd-excess CdTe (n-CdTeCd)/p-type Sb-doped ZnO nanorods (p-ZnONR,Sb)/indium tin oxide photocathode with a bi-piezoelectric Z-scheme pn heterojunction is prepared by hydrothermal method and electrodeposition for photoelectrochemistry (PEC) water splitting. At 0 V vs RHE under 100 mW cm−2 Xe lamp illumination in 0.5 M aqueous Na2SO4 stirred at 1500 rpm, the photocurrent density, H2 (O2 evolved at a Pt anode) yield, and the apparent Faradaic efficiency for this photocathode are −3.86 mA cm−2, 58.5 (28.6) μmol cm−2 h−1 and 84.7%, respectively. After examining the other similar semiconductor combinations of n-CdTeCd or p-type Te-excess CdTe (p-CdTeTe) with n-type ZnO nanorods (n-ZnONR) or p-ZnOSb,NR, the co-effects of bi-piezoelectric and pn-junction electric fields on the separation and transfer of photogenerated charges for PEC water splitting are discussed in detail. This work may help to better understand various heterojunctions and the electric-field-modulated photogenerated charges’ separation and transfer for the development of relevant fields.

Potassium Use Efficiency of Natural Zeolite-Based Potassium Fertilizer in Oil Palm Seedlings (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Using Peat Soil Media

Potassium is the most needed macronutrient for oil palm. However, the efficiency of potassium fertilization on peatlands is low due to leaching. One of the exertions to improve this fertilization's efficiency is peat soil amelioration and engineering fertilizer technology so that plants can absorb nutrients more efficiently. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of zeka fertilizer, a modified potassium fertilizer made from natural zeolite, on oil palm seedlings in peat soil. The study used a completely randomized design with five treatments and three replications. The treatments were (1) K0 = Control/no fertilizer; (2) K1 = standard fertilizer, namely: urea + TSP + KCl + dolomite; (3) K2 = urea + TSP + zeka-1 + dolomite; K3 = urea + TSP + zeka-2 + dolomite; K4 = urea + TSP + zeka-3 + dolomite. The results proved that, in general, zeka fertilizer (K2, K3, and K4) produced better seedling growth and nutrient use efficiency than the standard fertilization treatment of oil palm seedlings (K1). The best treatment (K3) resulted in the highest growth and nutrient efficiency. K3 treatment resulted in seedling height and stem diameter by 7.7% and 9.2%, respectively, compared to K1. Furthermore, the dry biomass of the shoot and roots produced by the K3 treatment was 39.2% and 33.9% higher, respectively, than that produced by the K1 treatment. The agronomic efficiency, Apparent Recovery efficiency, Physiological efficiency, and Partial Factor Productivity of K3 treatment were 59.91%, 33.23%, 18.57%, and 39.16% higher than K1, respectively.

Canopy Structure, Light Intensity, Temperature and Photosynthetic Performance of Winter Wheat under Different Irrigation Conditions.

A high-quality canopy architecture is central to obtaining high crop yields. A field experiment was carried out at the Wuqiao Experimental Station from 2015 to 2019 under four irrigation schemes (W0, no irrigation after sowing; W1, 75 mm irrigation at jointing stage; W2, 75 mm irrigation at jointing and anthesis stages, respectively; W3, 75 mm irrigation at tillering, jointing and anthesis stages, respectively) to investigate the canopy structure, canopy apparent photosynthesis (CAP), canopy temperature (CT), yield and water use efficiency (WUE). The results showed that increasing irrigation times improved the leaf area index (LAI), non-leaf area index (NLAI) and light interception (LI) of the spike and total canopy but decreased the canopy temperature (CT) after anthesis. The CAP in the W3 treatment was consistently lower than that in the W1 treatment, suggesting lower effective utilization of light energy under the W3 treatment. Increasing irrigation times improved wheat yield, but the W2 treatment had no significant difference in yield compared to the W3 treatment. In addition, the W1 and W2 treatments had higher WUEs. The CT, organ temperature and LI were closely positively associated with each other, but they were all strongly negatively related to the yield. Overall, the W2 treatment was the best irrigation scheme for constructing a reasonable canopy architecture for winter wheat, obtaining more efficient water use and yield in the North China Plain (NCP). CT and organ temperature can be used as proxy parameters to estimate the canopy structure.

Leaf shape, planting density, and nitrogen application affect soybean yield by changing direct and diffuse light distribution in the canopy

When attempting to maximize the crop yield from field-grown soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) by means of improving the light conditions for photosynthesis in the canopy, it is crucial to find the optimal planting density and nitrogen application rate. The soybean plants that were the subject of our experiment were cultivated in N-dense mutual pairs, and included two cultivars with different leaf shapes; one cultivar sported ovate leaves (O-type) and the other lanceolate leaves (L-type). We analyzed the results quantitatively to determine the amount of spatial variation in light distribution and photosynthetic efficiency across the canopy, and to gauge the effect of the experimental parameters on the yield as well as the photosynthetic light and nitrogen use efficiency of the crop. Results indicate that the different leaf shapes were responsible for significant disparities between the photosynthetic utilization of direct and diffuse light. As the nitrogen fertilizer rate and the planting density increased, the soybean plants responded by adjusting leaf morphology in order to maximize the canopy apparent photosynthetic light use efficiency, which in turn affected the leaf nitrogen distribution in the canopy. Despite the fact that the light interception rate of the canopy of the L-type cultivar was lower than that of the canopy of the O-type cultivar, we found its canopy apparent photosynthetic nitrogen and light use efficiency were higher. It was interesting to note, however, that the nitrogen and light use efficiency contributions associated with exposure to diffuse light were greater for the latter than for the former.

Information in feedback ratchets.

Feedback control uses the state information of the system to actuate on it. The information used implies an effective entropy reduction of the controlled system, potentially increasing its performance. How to compute this entropy reduction has been formally shown for a general system and has been explicitly computed for spatially discrete systems. Here, we address a relevant example of how to compute the entropy reduction by information in a spatially continuous feedback-controlled system. Specifically, we consider a feedback flashing ratchet, which constitutes a paradigmatic example for the role of information and feedback in the dynamics and thermodynamics of transport induced by the rectification of Brownian motion. A Brownian particle moves in a periodic potential that is switched on and off by a controller. The controller measures the position of the particle at regular intervals and performs the switching depending on the result of the measurement. This system reaches a long-time dynamical regime with a nonzero mean particle velocity, even for a symmetric potential. Here, we calculate the efficiency at maximum power in this long-time regime, computing all the required contributions. We show how the entropy reduction can be evaluated from the entropy of the non-Markovian sequence of control actions, and we also discuss the required sampling effort for its accurate computation. Moreover, the output power developed by the particle against an external force is investigated, which-for some values of the system parameters-is shown to become larger than the input power provided by the switching of the potential. The apparent efficiency of the ratchet thus becomes higher than one, if the entropy reduction contribution is not considered. This result highlights the relevance of including the entropy reduction by information in the thermodynamic balance of feedback-controlled devices, specifically when writing the second principle. The inclusion of the entropy reduction by information leads to a well-behaved efficiency over all the range of parameters investigated.

Practical study on the impact of injection conditions in gradient elution mode for the analysis of therapeutic proteins when using very short columns

The impact of injected sample volume on apparent efficiency has been studied for very short columns in a systematic way. For large molecules such as therapeutic proteins, it was found that relatively large volumes can be injected onto ultra-short RPLC and IEX columns (i.e. L < 50 mm) without significantly affecting the quality of the separation. This favourable behavior is due to the on-off elution mechanism of large molecules and to the fact that therapeutic protein samples are formulated in aqueous-based media, which is the weakest solvent in RPLC and IEX. Therefore, their peak is strongly focused at the column inlet even when large volume is injected, and pre-column peak dispersion is compensated. However, ultra-short HILIC columns do not seem to be favorable, as they require for very low injection volume to avoid detrimental peak splitting and breakthrough effects. Such peak distortion is related to the inherent solvent mismatch between sample diluent (aqueous) and mobile phase strength (highly organic in HILIC). When studying mass load, the ranking of the elution modes was the same, and the largest relative mass could be injected onto IEX columns (as large as 10% sample to sorbent mass), without affecting the separation quality.

Enhancing photosynthetic CO2 fixation by assembling metal-organic frameworks on Chlorella pyrenoidosa

The CO2 concentration at ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is crucial to improve photosynthetic efficiency for biomass yield. However, how to concentrate and transport atmospheric CO2 towards the Rubisco carboxylation is a big challenge. Herein, we report the self-assembly of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) on the surface of the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa that can greatly enhance the photosynthetic carbon fixation. The chemical CO2 concentrating approach improves the apparent photo conversion efficiency to about 1.9 folds, which is up to 9.8% in ambient air from an intrinsic 5.1%. We find that the efficient carbon fixation lies in the conversion of the captured CO2 to the transportable HCO3− species at bio-organic interface. This work demonstrates a chemical approach of concentrating atmospheric CO2 for enhancing biomass yield of photosynthesis.

Glycerol Electrooxidation at Industrially Relevant Current Densities Using Electrodeposited PdNi/Nifoam Catalysts in Aerated Alkaline Media

Through glycerol electrooxidation, we demonstrate the viability of using a PdNi catalyst electrodeposited on Ni foam to facilitate industrially relevant rates of hydrogen generation while concurrently providing valuable organic chemicals as glycerol oxidation products. This electrocatalyst, in a solution of 2 M NaOH and 1 M glycerol at 80 °C, enabled current densities above 2000 mA cm−2 (in a voltammetric sweep) to be obtained in atmospheres of both air and N2. Repeated potential cycling under an aerated atmosphere to these exceptional current densities indicated a high stability of the catalyst. Through steady state polarisation curves, 1000 mA cm−2 was reached below an anodic potential of 0.8 V vs RHE. Chronoamperometry showed glycerate and lactate being the major oxidation products, with increased selectivity for lactate at the expense of glycerate in aerated systems. Aerated atmospheres were demonstrated to consistently increase the apparent Faradaic efficiency to >100%, as determined by the concentration of oxidation products in solution. The excellent performance of PdNi/Ni in aerated solutions suggests that O2 removal from the electrolyte is not needed for an industrial glycerol electrooxidation process, and that combining electrochemical and chemical glycerol oxidation, in the presence of dissolved O2, presents an important process advantage.

Mapping roles of active site residues in the acceptor site of the PA3944 Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase enzyme.

An increased understanding of how the acceptor site in Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) enzymes recognizes various substrates provides important clues for GNAT functional annotation and their use as chemical tools. In this study, we explored how the PA3944 enzyme from Pseudomonas aeruginosa recognizes three different acceptor substrates, including aspartame, NANMO, and polymyxin B, and identified acceptor residues that are critical for substrate specificity. To achieve this, we performed a series of molecular docking simulations and tested methods to identify acceptor substrate binding modes that are catalytically relevant. We found that traditional selection of best docking poses by lowest S scores did not reveal acceptor substrate binding modes that were generally close enough to the donor for productive acetylation. Instead, sorting poses based on distance between the acceptor amine nitrogen atom and donor carbonyl carbon atom placed these acceptor substrates near residues that contribute to substrate specificity and catalysis. To assess whether these residues are indeed contributors to substrate specificity, we mutated seven amino acid residues to alanine and determined their kinetic parameters. We identified several residues that improved the apparent affinity and catalytic efficiency of PA3944, especially for NANMO and/or polymyxin B. Additionally, one mutant (R106A) exhibited substrate inhibition toward NANMO, and we propose scenarios for the cause of this inhibition based on additional substrate docking studies with R106A. Ultimately, we propose that this residue is a key gatekeeper between the acceptor and donor sites by restricting and orienting the acceptor substrate within the acceptor site.

Effect of TNAU-Water Soluble Fertilizers (TNAU-WSF) on Nutrient Uptake and Nutrient Use Efficiencies of Small Onion (Allium cepa var. aggregatum)

To achieve sustainability in agricultural crop production, water-soluble fertilizers were produced around the world. With this view, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, has produced TNAU-Water Soluble Fertilizers (TNAU-WSF). The field experiment was carried out in the farmer’s field at Devarayapuram, Coimbatore, to assess the effect of newly synthesized TNAU-Water Soluble Fertilizers (TNAU-WSF) on nutrient uptake and nutrient use efficiencies of small onions. The experiment was conducted in Randomized block design (RBD), which includes eight treatments of different nutrient levels of soil test based application from 125%, 100% and 75% NPK as TNAU-WSF with sulphur and TNAU Multi Micronutrient (TNAU-LMM). The results were obtained as the soil test based application of 125% NPK as TNAU-WSF with sulphur and TNAU-LMM recorded higher nutrient uptake (N, P, K, and micronutrients) and nutrient use efficiencies (agronomic efficiency and apparent nutrient use efficiency) compared to other nutrient levels (100% and 75%).

Removal of Phenols by Highly Active Periodate on Carbon Nanotubes: A Mechanistic Investigation.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their derivatives have been widely exploited to activate various oxidants for environmental remediation. However, the intrinsic mechanism of CNTs-driven periodate (PI) activation remains ambiguous, which significantly impedes their scientific progress toward practical application. Here, we found that CNTs can strongly boost PI activation for the oxidation of various phenols. Reactive oxygen species analysis, in situ Raman characterization, galvanic oxidation process experiments, and electrochemical tests revealed that CNTs could activate PI to form high-potential metastable intermediates (CNTs-PI*) rather than produce free radicals and 1O2, thereby facilitating direct electron transfer from the pollutants to PI. Additionally, we analyzed quantitative structure-activity relationships between rate constants of phenols oxidation and double descriptors (e.g., Hammett constants and logarithm of the octanol-water partition coefficient). The adsorption of phenols on CNT surfaces and their electronic properties are critical factors affecting the oxidation process. Besides, in the CNTs/PI system, phenol adsorbed the CNT surfaces was oxidized by the CNTs-PI* complexes, and products were mainly generated via the coupling reaction of phenoxyl radical. Most of the products adsorbed and accumulated on the CNT surfaces realized phenol removal from the bulk solution. Such a unique non-mineralization removal process achieved an extremely high apparent electron utilization efficiency of 378%. The activity evaluation and theoretical calculations of CNT derivatives confirmed that the carbonyl/ketonic functional groups and double-vacancy defects of the CNTs were the primary active sites, where high-oxidation-potential CNTs-PI* were formed. Further, the PI species could achieve a stoichiometric decomposition into iodate, a safe sink of iodine species, without the generation of typical iodinated byproducts. Our discovery provides new mechanistic insight into CNTs-driven PI activation for the green future of environmental remediation.

Nitrogen Fertilization Improves the Agro-Morphological and Yield Attributes of Sinapis alba L.

Oilseed crops play a vital role in the economy of Pakistan, yet the production of oilseeds is far less than the demand for them. White mustard (Sinapis alba L.) is an emerging crop, that belongs to the Brassicaceae family. It is considered to be an alternative to all other oilseed crops for dry temperate climates. White mustard develops rapidly, and has a large canopy and deep rooting system; hence, it can draw up nutrients from deeper layers. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of nitrogen on S. alba agro-morphological attributes and enhance nutrient use efficiencies. During the Rabi seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21, an experiment was conducted at the University Research Farm, Chakwal Road, Rawalpindi. The study included seven treatments, i.e., T1-Control, T2-20, T3-40, T4-60, T5-80, T6-100, and T7-120 kg·ha−1. Each treatment was replicated three times, and the study utilized a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The results revealed that nitrogen at 100 kg·ha−1 was the optimal concentration and significantly increased the agro-morphological parameters, i.e., plant height (47.01%), primary branches (41.36%), secondary branches (45.33%), 1000 seed weight (54.35%), siliques/plant (41.57%), seeds/silique (52.30%) biological yield (68.38%), seed yield (54.90%), harvest index (11%), and oil yield (38.84%), as compared to the control. Moreover, protein contents and oil contents were significantly increased (5.15% and 6%, respectively), as compared to the control, while glucosinolate content was decreased (4.36%). Similarly, maximum agronomic efficiency (AE), apparent recovery efficiency (ARE) (53%), physiological efficiency (PE), and nutrient use efficiency (NUE) were also improved, as compared to the control. Hence, N application at a concentration of 100 kg·ha−1 can be recommended for S. alba under the present cropping system of Pothwar.

The Regulation of Lithium Plating Behavior by State of Stripping in Working Lithium Metal Anode

AbstractThe enthusiasm of reviving lithium metal anodes has motivated the battery community to pursue higher Li utilization. To this end, an exhaustively complete stripping pattern (C‐stripping) is conventionally adopted to obtain a higher apparent Coulombic efficiency (CE) in individual cycles while ignoring the effects of Li stripping state on subsequent Li plating behavior. In this contribution, a partial stripping (P‐stripping) protocol, in which a tiny amount of active Li is intentionally reserved, is validated as beneficial for an improved realistic Li reversibility. Compared to the C‐stripping protocol, the partially reserved active Li in P‐stripping mode serves critically as nucleation sites for following Li plating, which not only reduces the nucleation overpotential for flattened Li deposition morphology, but also favorably facilitates the re‐utilization of the original solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). This explains the lower growth rates of both “dead Li” and SEI‐Li+ under the P‐stripping protocol. Benefitting from the intrinsically more reversible Li cycling, the anode‐free Cu||LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cells using the P‐stripping protocol acquire higher available capacities in long‐term cycles. This work uncovers the crucial significance of the former state of Li stripping on regulating the following Li plating manner and SEI re‐utilization, providing fresh design implications toward more sustainable cycling of Li anodes.

Effect of time-invariant pressure gradients on peak formation and efficiency in ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography

In chromatography, pressure can affect the retention factors of compounds significantly. In liquid chromatography, this effect is primarily related to the change in the molecular volume of solute during adsorption that is remarkably high for large biomolecules such as peptides and proteins. As a result, the migration velocities of chromatographic bands vary spatially through the column affecting the degree of band broadening. In this work, based on theoretical considerations, chromatographic efficiencies are studied under pressure-induced gradient conditions. The retention factor and migration velocity of different components are examined, and it is shown that components with the same retention time can have different migration patterns. The width of the initial band after injection is affected by the pressure gradient, providing significantly thinner initial bands for compounds with higher pressure sensitivity. In addition to classical band broadening phenomena, the influence of pressure gradients on band broadening is remarkable. The positive velocity gradient leads to extra band broadening. Our results clearly demonstrate that the zones are significantly wider at the end of the column if the change of molar volume of solute during adsorption is large. If the pressure drop is increasing, this effect becomes more significant. In the same time, the high release velocity of the bands somewhat counteracts the extra band broadening effect, however, it can not offset it perfectly. As a result, the separation efficiency of large biomolecules is decreased significantly due to the chromatographic pressure gradient. Under UHPLC conditions, the extent of apparent efficiency loss can reach up to 50% compared to the intrinsic efficiency of the column.

Graphene Implanted Shape Memory Polymers with Dielectric Gene Dominated Highly Efficient Microwave Drive

AbstractMicrowave‐driven strategy shows many advantages including selective energization, uniform heating, and high penetration depth, which is a hot topic in wireless actuators. Understanding microwave stimulus‐response mechanisms is the key to developing universal construction strategies for advanced microwave‐driven actuators. Herein, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with specified dielectric genes and thermal properties is implanted into the shape memory polymer, liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) as an example, to construct soft, reversible, and sensitive microwave actuators. Based on the analysis of microstructure and dielectric properties, LCE‐rGO composites exhibit excellent polarization relaxation‐dominated dielectric loss and electromagnetic (EM) energy conversion ability. The maximum dielectric loss factor (ε″) and loss tangent (tan δe) of LCE‐rGO are dramatically increased by 216% and 87.5% compared to pure LCE, respectively, and the optimum apparent energy harvest efficiency is 19.4 times higher than that of LCE. In addition, the implantation of rGO significantly lowers the microwave actuation threshold of LCE‐rGO composites and reinforces their stimulus‐response capacity. Response time under 750 W microwave irradiation of LCE‐rGO is shortened to &lt;10s. These findings can provide a solid basis for the design and fabrication of highly efficient microwave stimuli‐responsive polymers and enlighten a new approach to wireless actuated smart devices.

Absence of aluminium compromises root integrity, reduces leaf hydration and Rubisco performance in Qualea grandiflora, an Al-accumulating species.

Aluminium (Al) is toxic to most plants. Nevertheless, some species accumulate Al without showing toxicity symptoms. Previous studies have evidenced Al in chloroplasts of Al-accumulating species from the Cerrado vegetation in South America. We ask whether Al increases carbon assimilation through enhanced apparent efficiency of Rubisco. Seedlings of the Al-accumulator Qualea grandiflora (Vochysiaceae) were grown in nutrient solution with 0, 740, and 1480 μm Al. Growth parameters, relative leaf water content, Al concentration in organs, gas exchange and apparent carboxylation efficiency (measured from A/Ci curves) were evaluated for 60 days. Plants without Al showed no root growth, necrotic roots, low gas exchange rates, and decreased apparent carboxylation efficiency. Al-treated plants, however, showed new white roots and increased root biomass leading to higher leaf hydration, and apparent carboxylation efficiency was higher in these plants. Increased Al available in the nutrient solution increased Al accumulation in plant organs. Absence of Al compromised root integrity in Q. grandiflora, thus limiting leaf hydration. No positive direct effect of Al on Rubisco was evidenced in Al-treated plants.

Long-circulating gambogic acid-loaded nanodiamond composite nanosystem with inhibition of cell migration for tumor therapy

Herein, ultra dispersed and stably suspended nanodiamonds (NDs) were demonstrated to have a high load capacity, sustained release, and ability to serve as a biocompatible vehicle for delivery anticancer drugs. NDs with size of 50–100 nm exhibited good biocompatibility in normal human liver (L-02) cells. In particular, 50 nm ND not only promoted the noticeable proliferation of the L-02 cells but also can effectively inhibited the migration of human liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells. The gambogic acid-loaded nanodiamond (ND/GA) complex assembled by π–π stacking exhibits ultrasensitive and apparent suppression efficiency on the proliferation of HepG2 cells through high internalization and less efflux compared to free GA. More importantly, the ND/GA system can significantly increase the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in HepG2 cells and thus induce the cell apoptosis. The increase in intracellular ROS levels causes damage to the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and activates cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (Caspase-3) and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 9 (Caspase-9), which leads to the occurrence of apoptosis. In vivo experiments also confirmed that the ND/GA complex has a much higher anti-tumor capability than free GA. Thus, the current ND/GA system is promising for cancer therapy.