Transport Pathways Research Articles

Nanofibers endow NASICON-type Na3.3La0.3Zr1.7Si2PO12 electrolyte/Na4MnCr(PO4)3 cathode excellent electrochemical properties

All-solid-state sodium-ion batteries (ASSSIBs) using composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) are promising candidates for addressing the high cost, safety issues, and limited energy density of traditional lithium-ion batteries. The microstructure and morphology of active ceramic filler and cathode seriously affect the construction of ion/electron transport channels and electrochemical performance, while the contact tightness at the electrode/CPE interface determines the release of energy storage performance in ASSSIBs. Here, NASICON-type Na3.3La0.3Zr1.7Si2PO12 (NLZSP) ceramic nanofibers (NFs) and Na4MnCr(PO4)3@C (NMCP@C) NFs are prepared via electrospinning. NLZSP long NFs (L-NFs) can be uniformly dispersed in PVDF-HFP using ultrasonic treatment to create rapid ion transport pathways within the ceramic and polymer/ceramic interphases, enabling the CPE to achieve high ionic conductivity of 3.36 × 10−4 S·cm−1, wide electrochemical stability window (ESW) exceeding 5 V, low activation energy (Ea) of 0.28 eV and sodium-ion transference number (TNa+) of 0.65 at room temperature. Meanwhile, NMCP@C NFs can enhance electron conductivity and reduce the sodium ion migration path, and finally achieve a superhigh specific capacity (161 mAh·g−1) and energy density (534 Wh·kg−1) at 0.1C. Additionally, the integrated NMCP@C/CPE structure is incorporated into NMCP@C/CPE//Na solid state sodium metal batteries (SMBs), which exhibits excellent rate performance and high capacity retention of 78.8 % at 1C (1.4–4.3 V) and 70.5 % at 0.5C (1.4–4.6 V) after 200 cycles. This study offers valuable insights into constructing high-performance ASSSIBs.

The Influence of Airflow Transport Pathways on Precipitation during the Rainy Season in the Liupan Mountains of Northwest China

The Influence of Airflow Transport Pathways on Precipitation during the Rainy Season in the Liupan Mountains of Northwest China

Insights on the electrical conductivity enhancement mechanisms of carbon polymer dots (CPDs) reinforced Cu composites

Carbon polymer dots (CPDs) has represented unique potential in reconciling the incompatible properties of strength and electrical conductivity (EC) in copper matrix composites, while the mechanisms underlying EC improvement remain to be fully elucidated. 0.2CPDs/Cu composites prepared by conventional powder metallurgy processes achieves excellent mechanical and electrical conductivity simultaneously. Compared to pure Cu, CPDs not only participated in the construction of a better electronic transport pathway, but accelerated the twinning forming behavior, leading to outstanding strength(~423 MPa) and electrical conductivity(95%IACS). Here the conductive behavior of CPDs/Cu composites was revealed through characterizing the intrinsic electrical properties of CPDs and composites microstructure evolution. CPDs not only participated in the construction of a better electronic transport pathway, but accelerated the twinning forming behavior. Increased twinning domain leads to the remarkable amelioration of grain boundary resistance, meanwhile, the intragranular CPDs made a significant contribution on the enhanced mechanical strength via Orowan strengthening. This work makes up the lack of understanding on the mechanical and electrical enhancement mechanism in our prior research.

Taming hemoglobin chemistry—a new hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier engineered with both decreased rates of nitric oxide scavenging and lipid oxidation

The clinical utility of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC) is limited by adverse heme oxidative chemistry. A variety of tyrosine residues were inserted on the surface of the γ subunit of recombinant fetal hemoglobin to create novel electron transport pathways. This enhanced the ability of the physiological antioxidant ascorbate to reduce ferryl heme and decrease lipid peroxidation. The γL96Y mutation presented the best profile of oxidative protection unaccompanied by loss of protein stability and function. N-terminal deletions were constructed to facilitate the production of recombinant hemoglobin by fermentation and phenylalanine insertions in the heme pocket to decrease the rate of NO dioxygenation. The resultant mutant (αV1del. αL29F, γG1del. γV67F, γL96Y) significantly decreased NO scavenging and lipid peroxidation in vitro. Unlike native hemoglobin or a recombinant control (αV1del, γG1del), this mutation showed no increase in blood pressure immediately following infusion in a rat model of reperfusion injury, suggesting that it was also able to prevent NO scavenging in vivo. Infusion of the mutant also resulted in no meaningful adverse physiological effects apart from diuresis, and no increase in oxidative stress, as measured by urinary isoprostane levels. Following PEGylation via the Euro-PEG-Hb method to increase vascular retention, this novel protein construct was compared with saline in a severe rat reperfusion injury model (45% blood volume removal for 90 minutes followed by reinfusion to twice the volume of shed blood). Blood pressure and survival were followed for 4 h post-reperfusion. While there was no difference in blood pressure, the PEGylated Hb mutant significantly increased survival.

Silver nanoparticles bridging liquid metal for wearable electromagnetic interference fabric

Stretchable conductive fibers are essential for the advancement of wearable electronic textiles. However, a significant challenge arises as their conductivity sharply decreases when stretched due to disruptions in electronic transport. Coating fibers with soft liquid metal (LM) has emerged as a promising solution. Despite this, there remains an urgent need to develop methods that enhance LM adhesion to substrates while facilitating efficient electron transport pathways. This study demonstrates a novel Ag-LM conductive network strategy for fabricating a thermoplastic polyurethane/polydopamine/silver-LM (TPU/PDA/Ag-LM) fiber membrane. This membrane exhibits outstanding stretchable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance and is produced through straightforward electrospinning, electroless depositing, and LM coating and activation. The TPU/PDA/Ag fiber membrane is initially prepared via polydopamine-assisted deposition of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on electrospun TPU fibers. The presence of AgNPs on the surface of TPU/PDA fibers enhances LM adhesion to the substrate and bridges adjacent LM to establish efficient conductive paths. This interaction benefits from the reactive alloying between AgNPs and LM, where the LM infiltrates the gaps among AgNPs, forming a distinctive LM-Ag alloy layer that uniformly coats the surface of TPU fibers. As anticipated, the unique three-dimensional (3D) interconnected LM-Ag conductive network remains intact during stretching, ensuring strain-invariant conductivity. The fabricated TPU/PDA/Ag-LM fiber membrane demonstrates exceptional EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 77.4 dB within the frequency range of 8.2–12.8 GHz and maintains an excellent EMI SE of 37.2 dB under extensive tensile deformation of 300%. Furthermore, the TPU/PDA/Ag-LM fiber membrane shows remarkable mechanical properties and stable Joule heating performance even under significant stretching.

Molecular mechanisms for the nanoplastic heteroaggregation with multi-component crude oil

Nanoplastic (NP) and crude oil co-contamination can affect the environmental transport and toxicity of individual NP and oil, but little is known about NP-oil heteroaggregation mechanism so far. In this study, three stages were recognized during NP-oil coalescence process including unstable fluctuation stage, fast coalescense stage and slowly mixing stage. Polyethylene and polypropylene preferred to bind to the aliphatic oil zone, while polystyrene adsorption started on the aromatic zone formed by asphaltenes and aromatics. Polyethylene and polypropylene aggregated with oil via surface dispersing mode by continuously spreading on oil surface and penetrating inside the oil droplet, but polystyrene adsorbed by surface wrapping mode where the rigid polyethylene cluster twisted as a whole until wrapping the oil surface. Heteroaggregates formed by these two modes had different coalescense rate, hydrophobicity and mobility, which might influence the envrionmental transport pathways. Overall results provided theoretical basis for developing environmental fate models for NP-oil co-contaminants.

Microplastic and Associated Black Particles From Road‐Tire Wear: Implications for Radiative Effects Across the Cryosphere and in the Atmosphere

AbstractThe environmental effects of airborne micro‐ and nano‐size plastic particles are poorly understood. Microscopy and chemical analyses of atmospherically deposited particles on snow surfaces at high elevation (2,865–3,690 m) in the Upper Colorado River basin (UCRB; Colorado Rocky Mountains) revealed the presence of black substances intimately associated with microplastic fibers, particles interpreted to have originated as tire matter. Identical and similar particles occur in shredded tires and road‐surface samples. The substance responsible for the black color of all tires is carbon black, a graphitic light‐absorbing tire additive produced by hydrocarbon combustion that homogeneously permeates the mixture of tire polymers and other additives. Such black tire matter may thus exert radiative effects closely similar to those of black carbon. The presence in snow of many organic compound types common to tires, measured by two‐dimensional gas chromatography, suggests that atmospherically deposited black road‐tire‐wear matter is among the light‐absorbing particulates that advance the onset and rate of snow melt in the UCRB. The mass of road‐tire‐wear particles shed from vehicles may be estimated by multiplying measured amounts of eroded tire‐per‐distance traveled by vehicular distances. Under a combination of measurements and assumptions about the amounts and radiative properties of atmospheric tire‐wear particles, the radiative effects of these particles might add about 10%–30% to those effects from black carbon, an estimate ripe for revision. On regional and global scales, the amounts and effects of emitted and deposited tire‐wear matter likely vary by factors of geographic source, transport pathway, and depositional setting.

Mixed dimensional assembly of biodegradable and antifouling wood-based covalent organic framework composite membranes for rapid and efficient dye/salt separation

Manipulating materials of different dimensions into heterogeneous nanofiltration membranes with unique physicochemical properties and molecular sieving channels provides an effective way for accurate and fast molecular separation. Here we introduce a heterogeneous structure hybrid connection strategy to fabricate biodegradable wood-based covalent organic framework (COF) composite membranes. As a proof of concept, 3D Picea jezoensis (Siebold & Zucc.) Carrière was selected as the substrate of the membrane and in situ growth of 2D iCOF selective layers. Effective modulation of iCOF layers by 1D sulfonated polyaryletherketone (SPEEK-Na) using the “needle and thread” method. The rearrangement of the above multidimensional materials formed charge-regulated properties of laminar nano-channels and smooth hydrophilic contact area, thereby endowing specific molecular transport pathways and sieving capability for efficient dye/salt separation under ultra-low pressure of 0.5 bar. The wood-based heterostructured membranes exhibited high dye rejection (>97 %), low salt rejection (<10 %), and high permeance (172.34 L m−2 h−1 bar−1), which is superior to many reported dye/salt separation membrane materials. In addition, the system exhibited a certain degree of operational stability, good antifouling, and soil biodegradability. Overall, this work enables the design and fabrication of heterostructured separation membranes to be obtained from nature and used in nature, resulting in efficient and sustainable water purification applications.

Gonadal Development and Differentiation of Hybrid F1 Line of Ctenopharyngodon idella (♀) × Squaliobarbus curriculus (♂)

The hybrid F1 offspring of Ctenopharyngodon idella (♂) and Squaliobarbus curriculus (♀) exhibit heterosis in disease resistance and also show abnormal sex differentiation. To understand the mechanism behind gonadal differentiation in the hybrid F1, we analyzed the transcriptomes of C. idella, S. curriculus, and the hybrid F1; screened for genes related to gonad development in these samples; and measured their expression levels. Our results revealed that compared to either C. idella or S. curriculus, the gene expressions in most sub-pathways of the SNARE interactions in the vesicular transport pathway in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonadal tissues of their hybrid F1 offspring were significantly up-regulated. Furthermore, insufficient transcription of genes involved in oocyte meiosis may be the main reason for the insufficient reproductive ability of the hybrid F1 offspring. Through transcriptome screening, we identified key molecules involved in gonad development, including HSD3B7, HSD17B1, HSD17B3, HSD20B2, CYP17A2, CYP1B1, CYP2AA12, UGT2A1, UGT1A1, and FSHR, which showed significant differences in expression levels in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonads of these fish. Notably, the expression levels of UGT1A1 in the gonads of the hybrid F1 were significantly higher than those in C. idella and S. curriculus. These results provide a scientific basis for further research on the gonadal differentiation mechanism of hybrid F1 offspring.

Root endodermal suberization induced by nitrate stress regulate apoplastic pathway rather than nitrate uptake in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Nitrogen levels and distribution in the rhizosphere strongly regulate the root architecture. Nitrate is an essential nutrient and an important signaling molecule for plant growth and development. Hydroponic experiments were conducted to investigate the differences in endodermal suberization in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) roots at three nitrate levels. Nitrogen accumulation was detected in the roots, shoots, and xylem sap. Nitrate influx on the root surface was also measured using the non-invasive self-referencing microsensor technique (SRMT). RNA-Seq analysis was performed to identify the genes related to endodermal suberization, nitrate transport, and endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. The results showed that root length, root-shoot ratio, nitrate influx on the root surface, and NiA and NRT2.4 genes were regulated to maintain the nitrogen nutrient supply in tobacco under low nitrate conditions. Low nitrate levels enhanced root endodermal suberization and hence reduced the apoplastic transport pathway, and genes from the KCS, FAR, PAS2, and CYP86 families were upregulated. The results of exogenous fluridone, an ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, indicated that suberization of the tobacco root endodermis had no relevance to radial nitrate transport and accumulation. However, ABA enhances suberization, relating to ABA biosynthesis genes in the CCD family and degradation gene ABA8ox1.

Quantitative study on the water vapor transport characteristics of an extreme precipitation event in North China

AbstractNorth China experienced an extreme precipitation event from July 29 to August 1, 2023 (i.e., the “23.7” event) causing severe floods, significant infrastructure damage and multiple fatalities. To enhance comprehension of the mechanism behind the extreme precipitation of the “23.7” event, water vapor transport paths and sources were determined, and water vapor contribution of each source was quantitatively evaluated based on Lagrangian methods. Results showed that the extreme precipitation of the “23.7” event was closely related to large‐scale water vapor transport and convergence from low‐latitude oceans. There were five main water vapor sources which corresponded to five transport pathways. Path 1 was derived from tropical West Pacific, containing the most trajectories (195), carrying the most water vapor (69.3%) and contributing the most to the extreme precipitation of the “23.7” event (45.7%). Path 2 was guided by the cross‐equatorial flow through South China Sea, contributing to 10.1% of the precipitation. Path 3 originating from eastern tropical Indian Ocean and Path 4 from the west source near the Caspian Sea contributed less to the precipitation. Last but not the least, water vapor evaporation from eastern China contributed more than 30% to the extreme precipitation, making this region another important water vapor source.

Genomic Landscape and Regulation of RNA Editing in Pekin Ducks Susceptible to Duck Hepatitis A Virus Genotype 3 Infection.

RNA editing is increasingly recognized as a post-transcriptional modification that directly affects viral infection by regulating RNA stability and recoding proteins. the duck hepatitis A virus genotype 3 (DHAV-3) infection is seriously detrimental to the Asian duck industry. However, the landscape and roles of RNA editing in the susceptibility and resistance of Pekin ducks to DHAV-3 remain unclear. Here, we profiled dynamic RNA editing events in liver tissue and investigated their potential functions during DHAV-3 infection in Pekin ducks. We identified 11,067 informative RNA editing sites in liver tissue from DHAV-3-susceptible and -resistant ducklings at three time points during virus infection. Differential RNA editing sites (DRESs) between S and R ducks were dynamically changed during infection, which were enriched in genes associated with vesicle-mediated transport and immune-related pathways. Moreover, we predicted and experimentally verified that RNA editing events in 3'-UTR could result in loss or gain of miRNA-mRNA interactions, thereby changing the expression of target genes. We also found a few DRESs in coding sequences (CDSs) that altered the amino acid sequences of several proteins that were vital for viral infection. Taken together, these data suggest that dynamic RNA editing has significant potential to tune physiological processes in response to virus infection in Pekin ducks, thus contributing to host differential susceptibility to DHAV-3.

Evaluating Effects of Cerium Concentration and Water Content on Diffusivity of Cerium Ions in PEFC Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We investigated effects of cerium concentrations and water content on diffusivity of cerium ions in Nafion membrane. The diffusion coefficients of cerium ions were taken, and the structural features that could change diffusivity were analyzed. Results show that difference in concentrations in this study is independent of diffusivity. Although there was a slight difference in structure depending on the concentration, it was suggested that this depended on the initial position of the cerium ion. The diffusion of cerium ions was found to be greatly affected by water content. When water content is 3, cerium ions coordinate with sulfonic acid group because of luck of water around cerium ion. As water content increase, cerium ions are fully hydrated, and they may have high diffusivity. The growth of water clusters, which are the transport pathway for the ions, is also thought to be the cause of the significantly larger diffusion coefficient.

The role of chloroplast SRP54 domains and its C-terminal tail region in post- and co-translational protein transport in vivo.

In the chloroplast, the 54 kDa subunit of the signal recognition particle (cpSRP54) is involved in the post-translational transport of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins (LHCPs) and the co-translational transport of plastid-encoded subunits of the photosynthetic complexes to the thylakoid membrane. It forms a high-affinity complex with plastid-specific cpSRP43 for post-translational transport, while a ribosome-associated pool coordinates its co-translational function. CpSRP54 constitutes a conserved multidomain protein, comprising a GTPase (NG) and a methionine-rich (M) domain linked by a flexible region. It is further characterized by a plastid-specific C-terminal tail region containing the cpSRP43-binding motif. To characterize the physiological role of the various regions of cpSRP54 in thylakoid membrane protein transport, we generated Arabidopsis cpSRP54 knockout (ffc1-2) lines producing truncated cpSRP54 variants or a GTPase point mutation variant. Phenotypic characterization of the complementation lines demonstrated that the C-terminal tail region of cpSRP54 plays an important role exclusively in post-translational LHCP transport. Furthermore, we show that the GTPase activity of cpSRP54 plays an essential role in the transport pathways for both nuclear as well as plastid-encoded proteins. In addition, our data revealed that plants expressing cpSRP54 without the C-terminal region exhibit a strongly increased accumulation of a photosystem I assembly intermediate.

Insight into the Gut-Brain Axis and the Productive Performance and Egg Quality Response to Kudzu Leaf Flavonoid Supplementation in Late-Laying Hens.

(1) Background: Improving feed efficiency and the vitality of the reproductive system in the late stage of the egg-laying period is of great significance for prolonging the egg-laying cycle and improving egg quality. In the present study, a new flavonoid, which was extracted from kudzu leaf, was chosen to investigate its effects on the productive performance and egg quality of late-laying hens. (2) Methods: A total of 360 500-day-old Hy-Line Brown layer hens were randomly divided into a control treatment group (no KLF supplementation), and groups that received 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0% KLF supplement treatments. Each treatment contained 6 replicates, with 10 hens in each replicate. Productive performance metrics, including the daily egg production, egg weight, the number of deformed eggs, egg quality, egg density, egg shape index, eggshell strength, yolk color, and the Haugh unit, were meticulously recorded for each replicate. Furthermore, microbial communities and hypothalamus gene expressions were investigated based on the results of the productive performance and egg quality. (3) Results: KLF supplementation significantly decreased the deformity rate while significantly increasing the eggshell strength in the finishing phase afterward (p < 0.05). Specifically, hens supplemented with 0.6% KLF possessed the lowest deformed egg rate. KLF supplementation significantly increased the relative abundances of Bifidobacterium sp., Blautia sp., Lactococcus sp., and Lactobacillus sp., while significantly decreasing Parasutterella sp. and Escherichia-Shigella sp. (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the interactive analysis showed the hypothalamus gene expression mainly interacted with probiotics, such as Bifidobacterium sp. and Lactobacillus sp., through ribosome biogenesis, nucleocytoplasmic transport, and cAMP signaling pathways. (4) Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicate that KLF supplementation significantly proliferated probiotics, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, which may have further interacted with hypothalamus genes, thus decreasing the deformity rate while increasing eggshell strength in the finishing phase.

Using MIR and XRF spectroscopy to develop a heavy metal leaching potential model in Irish top soils

The European Union aim to have all soils healthy by 2050. However, a major challenge to soil health monitoring is identifying key metrics for soil health indicators. Moreover, how to analyse numerous soil properties which are time-consuming, labour intensive and expensive. MIR spectroscopy is a rapid, non-destructive cheaper alternative to wet chemical methods. Here, we combined known soil properties that limit transport of heavy metals (i.e. drainage class, depth, organic matter, particle size/texture, bulk density and cation-exchange-capacity) to develop a topsoil (≤50 cm) leaching potential model (n = 3,515). The study area consisted of mostly grassland soils which had mainly high and moderately low leaching potential (43 and 36 %, respectively), with lower coverage of high and intermediate classes (10 and 11 %, respectively). However, known topsoil prediction models of 5–25 cm (n = 4759) were extrapolated to deeper samples 30–50 cm. As a result, 26 % of samples were identified as ‘out of control’ in peatland transition areas. For full spatial coverage for environmental modelling from spectral data, reference values are needed for the deeper samples in peatland transition areas.Furthermore, this study used a geological survey of the northern half of Ireland at ≤4 km2 resolution to map regions of naturally high levels of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb by ICP and XRF spectroscopy. Geospatial clipping of heavy metal thresholds showed high coverage of As and Ni in Eastern regions, and Cd in the Midland regions of Ireland. Therefore, it would be useful to include fertiliser loadings, transport pathways or any source/recipient data to assess heavy metal movement throughout the soil profile, particularly in these regions.

Preclinical Development of a Genetically Engineered Albumin‐Binding Nanoparticle of Paclitaxel

Nab‐paclitaxel (Abraxane), an albumin‐bound solvent‐free paclitaxel (PTX) formulation that takes advantage of the endogenous albumin transport pathway, is the current gold standard for treatment of solid tumors with PTX. However, nab‐paclitaxel has several limitations, including complex manufacturing, immunogenicity, slow drug‐release, and a narrow therapeutic window. Nevertheless, no other PTX formulation has gained the Food and Drug Administration approval since Abraxane's 18‐year reign. Addressing these concerns, herein, a PTX‐loaded nanoparticle of a recombinant polypeptide that—like nab‐paclitaxel—capitalizes on the long in vivo half‐life of albumin is reported. This genetically engineered nanoparticle packages PTX in the core of the nanoparticle and displays an albumin‐binding domain on the exterior of the nanoparticle. Upon in vivo administration, the drug‐loaded nanoparticle binds albumin with nanomolar affinity, and acquires an albumin‐corona, which eliminates the need to use exogenous albumin. The nanoparticles can be stored at subzero temperature as lyophilized powder without any cryoprotectants for upto a year and can be reconstituted on‐demand in aqueous buffer at high concentration, thus greatly simplifying formulation processes. These albumin‐binding nanoparticles improve the therapeutic window by at least twofold compared to nonalbumin‐binding counterpart and outperform nab‐paclitaxel in multiple murine tumor models, results that have been independently replicated by a contract research organization.

Prothioconazole Stress Reduces Bacterial Richness and Alters Enzyme Activity in Soybean Rhizosphere.

Prothioconazole (PTC) is currently a popular triazole fungicide. In recent years, as the use of PTC has increased, there has been growing concern about its environmental and toxicological effects. Here, we studied the effect of PTC on the growth of soybean plants and further analyzed the enzyme activity and microbial community of rhizosphere soil after PTC treatment through 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and fungal ITS. Changes in structural diversity and species richness were measured using Simpson's diversity index, Shannon's diversity index and the Chao1 and ACE algorithms. The statistical t-test was applied to test whether the index values were significantly different between the two groups. The results showed that the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 increased after the recommended dose of PTC, indicating that PTC has a strong toxic effect on plant growth, thus affecting the healthy growth of plants. In the presence of PTC, the species richness of fungi and bacteria decreased in all three soil types (black soil, yellow earth and red earth), and the community structure also changed significantly (the p-values were all less than 0.05). Proteobacteria, Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota and Acidobacteriota were the main bacteria, and the abundance of Acidobacteriota and Chloroflexi increased. The dominant fungal communities were Ascomycota and Mortierellomycota. The increased abundance of potentially beneficial microorganisms, such as Sphingomonadaceae, suggested that plants may be resistant to PTC stress by recruiting beneficial microorganisms. PICRUSt analysis showed that the metabolism-related functions and membrane transport pathway of rhizosphere bacterial community were inhibited after PTC stress. Spearman correlation analysis revealed a weak correlation between key fungal taxa and rhizosphere variables in the presence of PTC. Therefore, compared with those in the fungal community, the bacterial community was more likely to help plants resist PTC stress, indicating that these key fungal groups may indirectly help soybean growth under PTC stress by affecting the bacterial community.

Edge‐Enriched MoS2 as a High‐Performance Cathode for Aqueous Zn‐Ion Batteries

AbstractRechargeable aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) with the advantages in low cost, high safety, and environmental friendliness have broad application prospects in the field of energy storage. However, the slow diffusion kinetics of multivalent Zn2+ in materials make it hard to find a suitable cathode. Herein, HNO3 etched MoS2 with edge‐enriched feature is proved to be a promising cathode for high‐performance AZIBs. The highly exposed edges with superior electrochemical activity can not only offer more reactive sites for zinc storage but also facilitate electrolyte accessibility and shortens the ion transport pathway, thus accelerating reaction kinetics. As a result, the edge‐enriched MoS2 cathode exhibited higher specific capacity of 187 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and outstanding cycling performance (89 % capacity retention after 700 cycles at 1 A g−1).

Mathematical Models of Drug Delivery via a Contact Lens During Wear

AbstractIn this work we develop and investigate mathematical and computational models that describe drug delivery from a contact lens during wear. Our models are designed to predict the dynamics of drug release from the contact lens and subsequent transport into the adjacent pre-lens tear film and post-lens tear film as well as into the ocular tissue (e.g. cornea), into the eyelid, and out of these regions. These processes are modeled by one dimensional diffusion out of the lens coupled to compartment-type models for drug concentrations in the various accompanying regions. In addition to numerical solutions that are compared with experimental data on drug release in an in vitro eye model, we also identify a large diffusion limit model for which analytical solutions can be written down for all quantities of interest, such as cumulative release of the drug from the contact lens. We use our models to make assessments about possible mechanisms and drug transport pathways through the pre-lens and post-lens tear films and provide interpretation of experimental observations. We discuss successes and limitations of our models as well as their potential to guide further research to help understand the dynamics of ophthalmic drug delivery via drug-eluting contact lenses.