Growth Process Research Articles

In-line tempering eliminates the domain boundary in perovskite single crystals for high-energy resolution ionizing radiation detectors.

Metal halide perovskite single crystals (SCs) emerge as a promising candidate for ionizing radiation detection. The realization of top-performing radiation detectors typically relies on careful crystal selection from broad candidate groups, as residual strain remains unavoidable during the SC growth process, which often leads to the formation of ferroelastic domains with varied orientations. Here, we introduce an in-line tempering strategy to alleviate microstrain and homogenize the domain orientation across methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite SCs. The progressive strain relief during the phase transition in situ, demonstrated by the removal of ferroelastic domain walls, substantially enhances the crystallinity and the optoelectronic properties of the MAPbI3 SCs. As a result, the gamma-ray energy spectrum detector leveraging these strain-relaxed SCs achieves an energy resolution of 7.2% at 59.5 keV for a 241Am gamma-ray source, and the 25-pixel device performs highly uniformly with concentrated current distribution, which paves the way for its implementation in high-resolution radiation spectroscopy.

Unraveling the effects of polyhydroxyalkanoates accumulation in Pseudomonas extremaustralis growth and survival under different pH conditions.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are intracellular polymers that enhance bacterial fitness against various environmental stressors. Pseudomonas extremaustralis 14-3b is an Antarctic bacterium capable of accumulating, short-chain-length PHAs (sclPHAs), composed of C3-C5 monomers, as well as medium-chain-length PHAs (mclPHAs) containing ≥ C6 monomers. Since pH changes are pivotal in bacterial physiology, influencing microbial growth and metabolic processes, we propose that accumulated PHA increases P. extremaustralis fitness to cope with pH changes. To test this, we analyzed the production of sclPHA and mclPHA at different pH levels and its effect on bacterial survival against pH stress. P. extremaustralis was able to grow and accumulate PHA when the culture media pH ranged from 6.0 to 9.5, showing a marked loss of viability outside this range. Additionally, based on the analysis of different PHA-deficient mutants, we found that when exposed to both acidic and alkaline conditions, sclPHA and mclPHA conferred different protection against pH stress, with sclPHA making the main contribution. These results highlight the importance of PHA in supporting survival in pH-stressful environments.

Aspergillus nidulans cell wall integrity kinase, MpkA, impacts cellular phenotypes that alter mycelial-material mechanical properties

Mycelial materials are an emerging, natural material made from filamentous fungi that have the potential to replace unsustainable materials used in numerous commercial applications (e.g., packaging, textiles, construction). Efforts to change the mechanical properties of mycelial-materials have typically involved altering growth medium, processing approaches, or fungal species. Although these efforts have shown varying levels of success, all approaches have shown there is a strong correlation between phenotype (of both fungal mycelia and mycelial material’s assembly) and resultant mechanical properties. We hypothesize that genetic means can be used to generate specific fungal phenotypes, leading to mycelial materials with specific mechanical properties. To begin to test this hypothesis, we used a mutant of the model filamentous fungus, Aspergillus nidulans, with a deletion in the gene encoding the last kinase in the cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathway, mpkA. We generated one set of mycelial materials from the ΔmpkA deletion mutant (A1404), and another from its isogenic parent (A1405; control). When subjected to tensile testing, and compared to material generated from the control, ΔmpkA material has similar elastic modulus, but significantly increased ultimate tensile strength, and strain at failure. When subjected to a fragmentation assay (i.e., resistance to shear-stress), the ΔmpkA material also had higher relative mechanical strength. To determine possible causes for this behavior, we carried out a comprehensive set of phenotype assessments focused on: three-dimensional structure, hyphal morphology, hyphal growth behaviors, and conidial development. We found, compared to the control, material generated from the ΔmpkA mutant manifests significantly less development, a modified cell wall composition, larger diameter hyphae, more total biomass, higher water capacity and more densely packed material, which all appear to impact the altered mechanical properties.Graphical

Growth mechanism and process intensification of Ni‐Al‐layered double hydroxide synthesized via coprecipitation

AbstractThis work systematically investigated the crystallization process of NiAl‐layered double hydroxide (NiAl‐LDH) with a Ni(II)/Al(III) ratio of 3 under different crystallization conditions. The results showed that the prepared NiAl‐LDH first exhibits sheet‐like morphology, which transforms into a hexagonal platelet with further growth. The lateral size and thickness of the prepared NiAl‐LDH are ~10–284 nm and ~2–31 nm, respectively. Based on the evolution of morphology, particle size and crystallinity, the growth mechanism of NiAl‐LDH was first proposed. The growth of NiAl‐LDH in the lateral dimension was governed by Ostwald ripening, while the increase in c direction was dominated by oriented particle attachment before precipitation and dissolution equilibrium. Afterward, the growth of NiAl‐LDH was dominated by the oriented particle attachment, leading to further growth of NiAl‐LDH. Moreover, a rotating packed bed (RPB) was first adopted to crystallize NiAl‐LDH. The results show that RPB can greatly enhance the growth of NiAl‐LDH.

Room Temperature Synthesis of Gradient-Distributed Ni/Fe Sites in Layered Double Hydroxides for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

NiFe-based materials, especially NiFe layered double hydroxides (LDHs), are recognized as the most promising non-precious metal electrocatalysts for alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the precisely designed distribution of active sites for enhancing activities is still significantly restricted due to the lack of reasonable modulation strategies. Herein, sulfur doped Ni/Fe gradient-distributed LDH (GD-NiFe LDH/S) is fabricated by facile air-induced strategy at room temperature. This strategy accelerates the growth process with abundant CO2 and O2 in air, which promotes the inward migration of Fe species, resulting in gradient distribution with Ni/Fe-rich edge/planar. This allows significant enhancement of Ni/Fe synergistic effect, which plays a vital role in OER. Moreover, the sharp pine-like morphology of GD-NiFe LDH/S endows superhydrophilicity/aerophobicity characteristics, facilitating electrolyte penetrating and oxygen releasing. The optimized GD-NiFe LDH/S delivers superior OER performance with low overpotentials of 234 and 270mV at 10 and 100mA cm-2. The assembled anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer only requires 1.90V at 1.0 A cm-2 and 2.10V at 1.5 A cm-2 with robust stability for at least 130 h. This work introduces a facile air-induced strategy under room temperature to controllably design active site distributions of LDH for enhanced OER performance.

Retention of α-pinene oxidation products and nitro-aromatic compounds during riming

Abstract. Riming is an important growth process of graupel and hailstones in the mixed-phase zones of clouds, during which supercooled liquid droplets freeze on the surface of ice particles by contact. Compounds dissolved in the supercooled cloud droplets can remain in the ice or be released to the gas phase during freezing, which might play an important role in the vertical redistribution of these compounds in the atmosphere by convective cloud processes. This is important for estimating the availability of these compounds in the upper troposphere, where organic matter can promote new particle formation and growth. The amount of organic material remaining in the ice phase can be described by the retention coefficient. Experiments were performed in the Mainz vertical wind tunnel under dry and wet growth conditions (temperature from −12 to −3 °C and a liquid water content (LWC) of 0.9±0.2 g m−3 and 2.2±0.2 g m−3) as well as with different pH values (4 and 5.6) to obtain the retention coefficients of α-pinene oxidation products and nitro-aromatic compounds. For cis-pinic acid, cis-pinonic acid, and (−)-pinanediol, mean retention coefficients of 0.96±0.07, 0.92±0.11, and 0.98±0.08 were obtained. 4-Nitrophenol, 4-nitrocatechol, 2-nitrobenzoic acid, and 2-nitrophenol showed mean retention coefficients of 1.01±0.07, 1.01±0.14, 0.99±0.04, and 0.21±0.12. Only the retention coefficient of 2-nitrophenol showed a dependence on temperature, growth regime, and pH. This is in accordance with previous studies, which showed a dependence between the dimensionless effective Henry's law constant H* and the retention coefficient for inorganic and small organic molecules. Our results reveal that this correlation can also be applied to more complex organic molecules and that retention under these conditions is not a significant factor for molecules with H* below 103, while retention close to 1 can be expected for compounds with H* above 108.

Influence of Number and Strength of Hydrogen Bonds on Fracture Property and Microscopic Mechanisms of Associative Hydrogen-Bonded Polymers via Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

A coarse-grained model combining the acceptor-hydrogen-donor 3-body potential is first developed in this work to explore the fracture property and microscopic mechanisms of associative hydrogen-bonded polymers (AHBPs). Next, a triaxial deformation mode is performed to reveal that the fracture toughness of AHBPs initially improves and then is reduced as the number of active groups increases. By characterizing the stress decomposition, the strong hydrogen bond (HB) network improves the maximum stress but reduces the elongation. The destructive process of the HB network is described by quantifying the broken number and reduced energy of HBs. Interestingly, the strength of a single HB first decreases and then rises with strain. The initial decrease is mainly caused by the disruption of strong/moderate HBs, while the following rise is due to the further breakage of weak HBs and partial recovery of strong/moderate HBs. Meanwhile, the formed clusters of HBs due to the self-attraction act as the physical cross-links, whose evolution process is recorded by analyzing their number and size. Following it, the orientation degree and asphericity factor are calculated with strain to reflect the change in chain configuration, which is influenced by the HB network. Subsequently, the nucleation and growth process of voids is quantified. More than 90% of voids are nucleated in the polymer region, while others are in the HB region, which can be proved by the local elastic modulus and snapshots. The growth and coalescence rate of the voids can be suppressed by the strong HB network. Finally, the fracture toughness of AHBPs exhibits a continuous increase with improving strength of HBs due to the strong HB network. In summary, our work presents a clear and novel comprehension of the fracture property of AHBPs at the molecular scale.

An Effective Precursor‐Solutioned Strategy for Developing Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)4 Thin Film Toward High Efficiency Solar Cell

AbstractEnhancing the efficiency of Cu2ZnSn (S, Se)4 (CZTSSe) thin‐film solar cells requires the development of well‐crystallized light‐absorbing layers. A deep understanding of the role of precursor solution chemistry in film nucleation and crystal growth processes is essential. Insights into these processes enable the development of innovative strategies to enhance absorber quality, minimize detrimental bulk defects, and ultimately improve device performance. This study elucidates the condensation reactions between thiourea and metal cations, as well as the alcoholysis of 2‐methoxyethanol (MOE), at different concentrations of precursor solutions. The primary focus of this study is implementing a simple and environmentally friendly innovative spin‐coating strategy, aimed at optimizing Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) precursor films and adjusting the Se content within the film bulk to promote grain growth during selenization. This strategy effectively improves absorber morphology while suppressing the formation of deep‐level defects, thereby enhancing carrier transport in both interfacial and bulk regions of the absorber layer. Consequently, CZTSSe absorbers with enhanced crystallinity and reduced defects are synthesized, resulting in a solar cell with an impressive efficiency of 14.10%. These findings underscore the potential for creating highly efficient kesterite CZTSSe solar cells through the manipulation of precursor solution chemistry using environmentally friendly solvents.

Gene co-expression network and differential expression analyses reveal key genes for weaning weight in Simmental-Holstein crossbred cattle

Weaning weight is a key indicator of the early growth performance of cattle. An understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying weaning weight will help increase the accuracy of selection of breeding animals. In order to identify candidate genes associated with weaning weight in Simmental-Holstein crossbred cattle, this study generated RNA-Sequencing (RNA-seq) data from 86 crossbred calves (37 males and 49 famales) and measured their weaning weight and body size traits (wither height, body length, chest girth, rump width, and rump length). Differential gene expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed. A total of 498 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the low weaning weight (LWW) group and the high weaning weight (HWW) group. Weaning weight was transcriptionally correlated (FDR < 0.05) with four of the eleven co-expression gene modules. By intersecting DEGs and hub genes of the four modules, we identified a final set of 37 candidate genes enriched in growth, development, or immune-related processes. In addition, one co-expression module was significantly correlated with all the five body size traits (P < 0.05), from which MX1 was identified as a key candidate gene through protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis of hub genes. Further evidence from cattle transcriptome-wide association study analysis (TWAS) and human phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) validated significant associations of CACNA1S, SEMA7A, VCAN, CD101, CD19, and CSF2RB with growth and development traits (P < 0.05). Notably, CACNA1S and CD19 were also associated with typical immune traits such as B cell proliferation, differentiation, and activation. In conclusion, this study reveals new candidate genes significantly associated with weaning weight in Simmental-Holstein crossbred cattle, providing a basis for further exploration of the genetic mechanisms behind growth traits of cattle.

Physiological Evaluation of Salt Tolerance in Sunflower Seedlings Across Different Genotypes

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important oilseed crop cultivated extensively across the globe. High salinity adversely impacts plant growth and physiological processes. In this study, the data on the phenotypes, physiological indices, and expression of relevant genes from different pathways responding to the stress were collected to clarify the physiological mechanisms underlying sunflower’s salt tolerance with the seedlings of two salt-tolerant (182265 and 182283) and two salt-sensitive (182093 and 186096) genotypes, which were exposed to 350 mM NaCl for 5 days. The findings revealed that, during the seedling stage, salt-tolerant sunflowers accumulated less Na+ and more K+, resulting in a higher K+/Na+ ratio that mitigated ionic toxicity throughout the plants, compared to the salt-sensitive resources. Furthermore, the salt-tolerant germplasms also exerted salt tolerance through the following several pathways: they maintained robust osmotic regulation by accumulating higher levels of proline, soluble sugars, and other osmolytes; they neutralized reactive oxygen species (ROS) by elevating the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as POD, SOD, CAT, APX, and GR; and they sustained optimal growth by boosting photosynthesis. Taken together, this study provided a more comprehensive assessment of the sunflower’s physiological salt tolerance, providing insights that will inform further molecular studies on salt tolerance and accelerating the breeding process for sunflower varieties with improved salt resilience.

Exogenously Applied Triacontanol Mitigates Cadmium Toxicity in Vigna radiata L. by Optimizing Growth, Nutritional Orchestration, and Metal Accumulation

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the foremost phytotoxic elements. Its proportion in agricultural soil is increasing critically due to anthropogenic activities. Cd stress is a major crop production threat affecting food security globally. Triacontanol (TRIA) is a phytohormone that promotes growth, development, and metabolic processes in plants. The current study explicates the mitigation of Cd toxicity in Vigna radiata L. (mung bean) seedlings through the application of TRIA by a seed priming technique under Cd stress. The role of TRIA in improving metabolic processes to promote Vigna radiata (mung bean, green gram) vegetative growth and performance under both stressed and unstressed conditions was examined during this study. To accomplish this, three doses of TRIA (10, 20, and 30 µmol L−1) were used to pretreat V. radiata seeds before they were allowed to grow for 40 days in soil contaminated with 20 mg kg−1 Cd. Cd stress lowered seed germination, morphological growth, and biomass in V. radiata plants. The maximum root and shoot lengths, fresh and dry weights of roots, and shoot and seed germination rates were recorded for TRIA2 compared with those of TRIA1 and TRIA3 under Cd stress. In Cd-stressed V. radiata plants, TRIA2 increased the content of chlorophyll a (2.1-fold) and b (3.1-fold), carotenoid (4.3-fold), total chlorophyll (3.1-fold), and gas exchange attributes, such as the photosynthetic rate (2.9-fold), stomatal conductance (6.0-fold), and transpiration rate (3.5-fold), compared with those in plants treated with only Cd. TRIA seed priming increased nutrient uptake (K1+, Na1+, Mg2+, and Zn2+), total phenolic content, total soluble protein content, and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) activity. Additionally, TRIA2 significantly reduced the quantity of Cd in the plants (3.0-fold) and increased the metal tolerance index (6.6-fold) in plants contrasted with those in the Cd-treated plants. However, TRIA2 promoted plant growth and biomass production by lowering Cd-induced stress through modifying the plant antioxidant machinery and reducing oxidative stress. The improved yield characteristics of V. radiata seedlings treated with TRIA suggest that exogenous TRIA may be used to increase plant tolerance to Cd stress.

Investigating the mechanism of auxin-mediated fulvic acid-regulated root growth in Oryza sativa through physiological and transcriptomic analyses.

As rice is one of the most crucial staple food sources worldwide, enhancing rice yield is paramount for ensuring global food security. Fulvic acid (FA), serving as a plant growth promoter and organic fertilizer, holds significant practical importance in studying its impact on rice root growth for improving rice yield and quality. This study investigated the effects of different concentrations of FA on the growth of rice seedlings. The results indicated that 0.05 g/L FA could promote the growth of rice seedlings, while 0.5 g/L FA inhibited root growth, reduced cell activity and enzyme activity in the root tips, and accumulated reactive oxygen species in root cells. To further elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects, we performed transcriptomic analysis and found that auxin (Aux) may be involved in the growth process mediated by FA. Furthermore, transcriptome heatmap analysis revealed a significant upregulation of the Aux/indoleacetic acid (Aux/IAA) gene family after FA treatment, suggesting that this gene family plays a crucial role in the impact of FA on root growth. Additionally, by detecting endogenous Aux content and adding exogenous Aux inhibitors, we confirmed the involvement of FA in rice seedling root growth as well as in the synthesis and transduction pathway of Aux.

Low temperature catalytic growth graphene with V2O5 prepared with the oxidation method and its application in optoelectronic devices

Based on our previous research on the phase transition property of non-metallic vanadium oxide for low-temperature catalytic growth of graphene, we further propose that V thin films can be deposited by sputtering and then V2O5 thin films can be prepared by oxidizing the V thin films at 400 °C in a rapid annealing furnace with oxygen, which has a better crystalline structure and surface than the V2O5 thin films directly deposited by sputtering. The V2O5 prepared by oxidation was used to catalyze the growth of graphene at 300 °C in a PECVD furnace. During the growth process, a 10-fold increase in the H2 flow rate (200 sccm) was used to repair and eliminate the suspension bonds and defects of graphene, and the quality of graphene films was improved. Due to the high resistivity of V2O5 at room temperature, V2O5 can be directly used as the interlayer of the device, and the graphene-V2O5-Si (GVS) structure photodetector is proposed, which avoids the damage and impact of the transfer process and catalytic layer removal process in the conventional graphene device process. Additionally, because of the negative temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of vanadium oxide materials, the optical response of the GVS device is further extended to 1550 nm.

Stochastic Models for Ontogenetic Growth

Based on allometric theory and scaling laws, numerous mathematical models have been proposed to study ontogenetic growth patterns of animals. Although deterministic models have provided valuable insight into growth dynamics, animal growth often deviates from strict deterministic patterns due to stochastic factors such as genetic variation and environmental fluctuations. In this study, we extend a general model for ontogenetic growth proposed by West et al. to stochastic models for ontogenetic growth by incorporating stochasticity using white noise. According to data variance fitting for stochasticity, we propose two stochastic models for ontogenetic growth, one is for determinate growth and one is for indeterminate growth. To develop a universal stochastic process for ontogenetic growth across diverse species, we approximate stochastic trajectories of two stochastic models, apply random time change, and obtain a geometric Brownian motion with a multiplier of an exponential time factor. We conduct detailed mathematical analysis and numerical analysis for our stochastic models. Our stochastic models not only predict average growth well but also variations in growth within species. This stochastic framework may be extended to studies of other growth phenomena.

Magnetization reversal of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy multilayers on polymeric substrates for flexible spintronics applications

Earlier demonstrations of spintronic functionality on flexible substrates have highlighted the potential for spintronics in flexible electronics applications. However, for device applications, the relationship between global magnetization reversal, as measured by hysteresis, and the local reversal processes of nucleation and growth of magnetic domains need to be understood for magnetic systems on flexible substrates. This study compares the local magnetization reversal behavior of perpendicularly magnetized Pt/CoFeB/Pt and Pt/Co/Pt on rigid and flexible polymeric substrates using magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometry and microscopy. It is shown that while the magnetic hysteresis is comparable, the local details of the nucleation and field driven reversal are quite different and are attributed to the greater variability of the surface structures of the polymeric substrates, which has implications for consistency in device performance.

Analysis of The Urbanization Expansion Process After the Implementation of the Federal University of Fronteira Sul Campus in The City of Realeza-PR

Objective: This study uses remote sensing to map the urban expansion of Realeza-PR with the implementation of the Federal University of Fronteira Sul (UFFS) campus, and changes in land use and occupation. Theoretical Framework: Currently, 54% of the world's population is urban, with a forecast of 68% by 2050. To mitigate the impacts of urbanization, urban planning is increasingly on the agenda. Universities are important drivers of the process of physical growth and economic and social development. Method: Bibliographic sources and maps produced and processed in QGIS software were used to identify land use classes based on images from 2009, 2017 and 2024 from the RapidEye satellite. Results and Discussion: Between 2010 and 2022, there was a population increase of 17.80% in the municipality. The images showed urban expansion directed towards the south of the city, where the UFFS was installed, with, between 2009 and 2017, a reduction of 1.74 km² in forest areas and 5.67 km² in soil areas, and an increase of 1.08 km² of asphalt areas, 0.72 km² of grass and 2.15 km² of buildings. Research Implications: The study reveals the impact of the campus on the urban expansion of Realeza, highlighting the effectiveness of QGIS and satellite images for an accurate diagnosis of land use. Originality/Value: This study evaluates the impact of implementing a higher education institution on the urban development of small and medium-sized municipalities, and in the Brazilian context no similar relevant works were found.

Investigating the relationship between the type of occlusion and mandibular radiomorphometric indices in patients with normal facial height.

The ability to predict the extent and direction of horizontal growth of the patient's face at an early age allows clinicians to timely identify cases that require treatment during the growth period and to ensure that appropriate treatment can be administered. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the antegonial angle, gonial angle, antegonial notch depth, and the type of the antegonial notch on predicting horizontal facial growth in individuals with normal facial height. In this descriptive analytic study, lateral and panoramic radiographs of 180 patients aged 17-30 years with normal facial height who were referred to the School of Dentistry of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences and private dental clinics were investigated. The indices of the gonial angle, antegonial angle, type of antegonial notch, and antegonial notch depth were plotted bilaterally on tracing paper and subsequently measured using panoramic radiographs. Additionally, the relationship between the desired radiomorphometric indices and the occlusion class in the samples was investigated. There was a statistically significant relationship between the occlusion class and the antegonial notch depth (analysis of variance (ANOVA), p = 0.048), as well as the antegonial angle (Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.002). The results of this study indicate that the antegonial notch depth and angle indices can be clinically valuable in predicting the process of mandibular growth and developing appropriate treatment plans.

Suppression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor by Erlotinib Attenuates Carvacrol-induced Skin Inflammation.

Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) regulate the growth and repair process of epithelia, as well as carcinogenesis. Activation of TRPV3 by carvacrol stimulates skin inflammation and epidermal hyperplasia; the latter can be suppressed by EGFR inhibition. However, whether EGFR signalling is responsible for skin inflammation remains elusive. The current study investigated the effect of erlotinib, an EGFR inhibitor, on skin inflammation in a carvacrol-induced atopic dermatitis mouse model. It was observed that erlotinib significantly attenuated carvacrol-induced overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines and suppressed peripheral blood mononuclear cell recruitment in HaCaT keratinocytes. In addition, it was demonstrated that erlotinib suppressed carvacrol-induced Akt and NF-κB signalling pathways. Furthermore, inhibition of Akt and NF-κB signalling pathways also attenuated the carvacrol-induced keratinocyte proinflammatory response. Finally, it was demonstrated that erlotinib treatment alleviated carvacrol-induced dermatitis. These data demonstrate that erlotinib ameliorates skin inflammation by regulating Akt and NF-κB-mediated keratinocyte proinflammation, suggesting the therapeutic potential of erlotinib, a clinically used EGFR inhibitor, in skin inflammatory diseases.

Direct In Situ Fabrication of Strong Bonding ZIF-8 Film on Zinc Substrate and Its Formation Mechanism

There is much promise for creating metal organic framework (MOF) films on metal substrates in fields including sensing and electrical conduction. For these applications, direct production of MOF films with strong bonding on metal substrates is extremely desirable. In this study, a simple one-step method without the need for additives or pre-modification is used to directly create zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) films with strong bonding on zinc substrate. The formation mechanisms of ZIF-8 film are analyzed. The strong bonding ZIF-8 film can be attributed to an in-situ grown ZnO interlayer between the ZIF-8 and substrate. The growth process shows the formation time of zinc oxide on the substrate, which is subsequently covered by ZIF-8 crystals. The ZnO interlayer results from a combination of decomposition products of the solvent and the zinc ions. Furthermore, the ZnO interlayer serves as a sacrificial precursor for the in-situ nucleation and continuous growth of ZIF-8 film. It serves as an anchoring site between ZIF-8 film and substrate, resulting in strong adhesion. This paper describes a simple and straightforward production process that is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the laboratory preparation of ZIF films.

Phytol-induced interplant signaling in maize facilitates EXP-A20-driven resistance through ACO31-dependent ethylene accumulation against Ostrinia furnacalis.

Plants have evolved sophisticated defense mechanisms against insect herbivores, including cell wall fortification through lignin biosynthesis. Insect attack primes systemic acquired resistance in plants, preparing them to respond more swiftly and vigorously to subsequent insect assaults. Here, we found that Beauveria bassiana-exposed maize plants can emit phytol upon infestation by Spodoptera frugiperda, inducing plant-to-plant (PTP) communication of alert signals for neighboring plants, and revealed the expansin protein EXP-A20 as a pivotal node mediating maize defense responses in neighboring plants against the destructive pest Ostrinia furnacalis via stimulation of ethylene (ET) synthesis and lignin production. Through virus-induced gene silencing, we showed that EXP-A20 is essential for maize resistance, while downregulating ET and lignin pathways. Critically, protein-protein interactions determined via luciferase complementation and yeast two-hybrid assays demonstrated that EXP-A20 binds to and likely activates the ET-forming enzyme gene ACO31 to initiate defense signaling cascades, representing a novel signaling modality for expansins. Treatment with the plant volatile phytol has known insecticidal/priming activity, but we found that its effectiveness requires EXP-A20. This finding highlights the importance of EXP-A20 upstream of hormone-cell wall crosstalk in defense activation by volatiles. Overall, our multifaceted dissection of EXP-A20 revealed key molecular intersections underlying inducible maize immunity against herbivores. Furthermore, we provide functional evidence that extensive cell growth processes directly stimulate defense programs in plants. Our work opens new avenues for enhancing durable, broad-spectrum pest resistance in maize through the use of volatile organic compounds and PTP interactions.