Henan Normal University

Evolview is an interactive tree visualization tool designed to help researchers in visualizing phylogenetic trees and in annotating these with additional information. It offers the user with a platform to upload trees in most common tree formats, such as Newick/Phylip, Nexus, Nhx and PhyloXML, and provides a range of visualization options, using fifteen types of custom annotation datasets. The new version of Evolview was designed to provide simple tree uploads, manipulation and viewing options with additional annotation types. The 'dataset system' used for visualizing tree information has evolved substantially from the previous version, and the user can draw on a wide range of additional example visualizations. Developments since the last public release include a complete redesign of the user interface, new annotation dataset types, additional tree visualization styles, full-text search of the documentation, and some backend updates. The project management aspect of Evolview was also updated, with a unified approach to tree and project management and sharing. Evolview is freely available at: https://www.evolgenius.info/evolview/.

This review summarizes the recent progress in the design, fabrication, and application of visible light-responsive photocatalysts.

The inherent structure tunability, good affinity with CO2, and nonvolatility of ionic liquids (ILs) drive their exploration and exploitation in CO2 separation field, and has attracted remarkable interest from both industries and academia. The aim of this Review is to give a detailed overview on the recent advances on IL-based materials, including pure ILs, IL-based solvents, and IL-based membranes for CO2 capture and separation from the viewpoint of molecule to engineering. The effects of anions, cations and functional groups on CO2 solubility and selectivity of ILs, as well as the studies on degradability of ILs are reviewed, and the recent developments on functionalized ILs, IL-based solvents, and IL-based membranes are also discussed. CO2 separation mechanism with IL-based solvents and IL-based membranes are explained by combining molecular simulation and experimental characterization. Taking into consideration of the applications and industrialization, the recent achievements and developments on the transport properties of IL fluids and the process design of IL-based processes are highlighted. Finally, the future research challenges and perspectives of the commercialization of CO2 capture and separation with IL-based materials are posed.

China's terrestrial ecosystems have functioned as important carbon sinks. However, previous estimates of carbon budgets have included large uncertainties owing to the limitations of sample size, multiple data sources, and inconsistent methodologies. In this study, we conducted an intensive field campaign involving 14,371 field plots to investigate all sectors of carbon stocks in China's forests, shrublands, grasslands, and croplands to better estimate the regional and national carbon pools and to explore the biogeographical patterns and potential drivers of these pools. The total carbon pool in these four ecosystems was 79.24 ± 2.42 Pg C, of which 82.9% was stored in soil (to a depth of 1 m), 16.5% in biomass, and 0.60% in litter. Forests, shrublands, grasslands, and croplands contained 30.83 ± 1.57 Pg C, 6.69 ± 0.32 Pg C, 25.40 ± 1.49 Pg C, and 16.32 ± 0.41 Pg C, respectively. When all terrestrial ecosystems are taken into account, the country's total carbon pool is 89.27 ± 1.05 Pg C. The carbon density of the forests, shrublands, and grasslands exhibited a strong correlation with climate: it decreased with increasing temperature but increased with increasing precipitation. Our analysis also suggests a significant sequestration potential of 1.9-3.4 Pg C in forest biomass in the next 10-20 years assuming no removals, mainly because of forest growth. Our results update the estimates of carbon pools in China's terrestrial ecosystems based on direct field measurements, and these estimates are essential to the validation and parameterization of carbon models in China and globally.

We study the process ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ at a center-of-mass energy of 4.260 GeV using a $525\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{pb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ data sample collected with the BESIII detector operating at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider. The Born cross section is measured to be $(62.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.7)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{pb}$, consistent with the production of the $Y(4260)$. We observe a structure at around $3.9\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}/{c}^{2}$ in the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ mass spectrum, which we refer to as the ${Z}_{c}(3900)$. If interpreted as a new particle, it is unusual in that it carries an electric charge and couples to charmonium. A fit to the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ invariant mass spectrum, neglecting interference, results in a mass of $(3899.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.9)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}/{c}^{2}$ and a width of $(46\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$. Its production ratio is measured to be $R=(\ensuremath{\sigma}\mathbf{(}{e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}{Z}_{c}(3900{)}^{\ensuremath{\mp}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}J/\ensuremath{\psi}\mathbf{)}/\ensuremath{\sigma}({e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}J/\ensuremath{\psi}))=(21.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}7.5)%$. In all measurements the first errors are statistical and the second are systematic.

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of recently improved carbon dioxide (CO2) separation and capture systems, used in power plants and other industrial processes. Different approaches for CO2 capture are pre-combustion, post-combustion capture, and oxy-combustion systems, which are reviewed, along with their advantages and disadvantages. New technologies and prospective “breakthrough technologies”, for instance: novel solvents, sorbents, and membranes for gas separation are examined. Other technologies including chemical looping technology (reaction between metal oxides and fuels, creating metal particles, carbon dioxide, and water vapor) and cryogenic separation processes (based on different phase change temperatures for various gases to separate them) are reviewed as well. Furthermore, the major CO2 separation technologies, such as absorption (using a liquid solvent to absorb the CO2), adsorption (using solid materials with surface affinity to CO2 molecules), and membranes (using a thin film to selectively permeate gases) are extensively discussed, though issues and technologies related to CO2 transport and storage are not considered in this paper.

The infrared spectrum (IR) characteristic peaks of amide I, amide II, and amide III bands are marked as amide or peptide characteristic peaks. Through the nuclear magnetic resonance study, N-methylacetamide has been determined to have six fine components, which include protonation, hydration, and hydroxy structures. Then the independent IR spectrum of every component in N-methylacetamide is calculated by using the density functional theory quantum chemistry method, and the contribution of each component to amide I, II, and III bands is analyzed. The results of this research can help to explain the formation of the amide infrared spectrum, which has positive significance in organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and chemical biology.

MoS₂ nanocage anodes synthesized by a bubble-template-assisted method can provide a large expandable area to stabilize the electrode structure during cycling.

By exploiting recent developments associated with coupled microcavities, we introduce the concept of the PT-symmetric phonon laser with balanced gain and loss. This is accomplished by introducing gain to one of the microcavities such that it balances the passive loss of the other. In the vicinity of the gain-loss balance, a strong nonlinear relation emerges between the intracavity-photon intensity and the input power. This then leads to a giant enhancement of both optical pressure and mechanical gain, resulting in a highly efficient phonon-lasing action. These results provide a promising approach for manipulating optomechanical systems through PT-symmetric concepts. Potential applications range from enhancing mechanical cooling to designing phonon-laser amplifiers.

Polarization-sensitive photodetection in a broad spectrum range is highly desired due to the great significance in military and civilian applications. Palladium diselenide (PdSe2), a newly explored air-stable, group 10 two-dimensional (2D) noble metal dichalcogenide with a puckered pentagonal structure, holds promise for polarization-sensitive photodetection. Herein, we report a highly polarization-sensitive, broadband, self-powered photodetector based on graphene/PdSe2/germanium heterojunction. Owing to the enhanced light absorption of the mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterojunction and the effective carrier collection with graphene transparent electrode, the photodetector exhibits superior device performance in terms of a large photoresponsivity, a high specific detectivity, a fast response speed to follow nanosecond pulsed light signal, and a broadband photosensitivity ranging from deep ultraviolet (DUV) to mid-infrared (MIR). Significantly, highly polarization-sensitive broadband photodetection with an ultrahigh polarization sensitivity of 112.2 is achieved, which represents the best result for 2D layered material-based photodetectors. Further, we demonstrated the high-resolution polarization imaging based on the heterojunction device. This work reveals the great potential of 2D PdSe2 for high-performance, air-stable, and polarization-sensitive broadband photodetectors.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered to be the main sources of microplastic contaminants in the aquatic environment, and an in-depth understanding of the behavior of microplastics among the critical treatment technologies in WWTPs is urgently needed. In this paper, the characteristics and removal of microplastics in 38 WWTPs in 11 countries worldwide were reviewed. The abundance of microplastics in the influent, effluent, and sludge was compared. Then, based on existing data, the removal efficiency of microplastics in critical treatment technologies were compared by quantitative analysis. Particularly, detailed mechanisms of critical treatment technologies including primary settling treatment with flocculation, bioreactor system, advanced oxidation and membrane filtration were discussed. Thereafter, the abundance load and ecological hazard of the microplastics discharged from WWTPs into the aquatic and soil environments were summarized. The abundance of microplastics in the influent ranged from 0.28 particles L−1 to 3.14 × 104 particles L−1, while that in the effluent ranged from 0.01 particles L−1 to 2.97 × 102 particles L−1. The microplastic abundance in the sludge within the range of 4.40 × 103–2.40 × 105 particles kg−1. In addition, there are still 5.00 × 105–1.39 × 1010 microplastic particles discharged into the aquatic environment each day Moreover, among the critical treatment technologies, the quantitative analysis revealed that filter-based treatment technologies exhibited the best microplastics removal efficiency. Fibers and microplastics with large particle sizes (0.5–5 mm) were easily separated by primary settling. Polyethene and small-particle size microplastics (<0.5 mm) were easily trapped by bacteria in the activated sludge of bioreactor system. The negative impact of microplastics from wastewater treatment plant was worthy of attention. Moreover, unknown transformation products of microplastics and their corresponding toxicity need in-depth research.

The combination of nanostructures with biomolecules leading to the generation of functional nanosystems holds great promise for biotechnological and biomedical applications. As a naturally occurring biomacromolecule, DNA exhibits excellent biocompatibility and programmability. Also, scalable synthesis can be readily realized through automated instruments. Such unique properties, together with Watson-Crick base-pairing interactions, make DNA a particularly promising candidate to be used as a building block material for a wide variety of nanostructures. In the past few decades, various DNA nanostructures have been developed, including one-, two- and three-dimensional nanomaterials. Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules selected by Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX), with specific recognition abilities to their targets. Therefore, integrating aptamers into DNA nanostructures results in powerful tools for biosensing and bioimaging applications. Furthermore, owing to their high loading capability, aptamer-modified DNA nanostructures have also been altered to play the role of drug nanocarriers for in vivo applications and targeted cancer therapy. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the design of aptamers and related DNA molecule-integrated DNA nanostructures as well as their applications in biosensing, bioimaging and cancer therapy. To begin with, we first introduce the SELEX technology. Subsequently, the methodologies for the preparation of aptamer-integrated DNA nanostructures are presented. Then, we highlight their applications in biosensing and bioimaging for various targets, as well as targeted cancer therapy applications. Finally, we discuss several challenges and further opportunities in this emerging field.

Lower-cost thermoelectrics Thermoelectric materials convert heat to electricity, making them attractive for heat harvesting or cooling applications. However, many high-performance thermoelectrics are made of expensive or toxic materials. He et al. found that a material composed of primarily tin and sulfur could be optimized to have relatively good thermoelectric properties. Introducing about 10% selenium to tin sulfide helped tune these properties by electronic band manipulation. This material is a step toward more earth-abundant, less toxic, and lower-cost thermoelectrics than the telluride-based materials currently in use. Science , this issue p. 1418

Over the past decade, the surging interest for higher-energy-density, cheaper, and safer battery technology has spurred tremendous research efforts in the development of improved rechargeable zinc-air batteries. Current zinc-air batteries suffer from poor energy efficiency and cycle life, owing mainly to the poor rechargeability of zinc and air electrodes. To achieve high utilization and cyclability in the zinc anode, construction of conductive porous framework through elegant optimization strategies and adaptation of alternate active material are employed. Equally, there is a need to design new and improved bifunctional oxygen catalysts with high activity and stability to increase battery energy efficiency and lifetime. Efforts to engineer catalyst materials to increase the reactivity and/or number of bifunctional active sites are effective for improving air electrode performance. Here, recent key advances in material development for rechargeable zinc-air batteries are described. By improving fundamental understanding of materials properties relevant to the rechargeable zinc and air electrodes, zinc-air batteries will be able to make a significant impact on the future energy storage for electric vehicle application. To conclude, a brief discussion on noteworthy concepts of advanced electrode and electrolyte systems that are beyond the current state-of-the-art zinc-air battery chemistry, is presented.

Monitoring and assessing the effects of contaminants in the aquatic eco-environment is critical in protecting human health and the environment. The zebrafish has been widely used as a prominent model organism in different fields because of its small size, low cost, diverse adaptability, short breeding cycle, high fecundity, and transparent embryos. Recent studies have demonstrated that zebrafish sensitivity can aid in monitoring environmental contaminants, especially with the application of transgenic technology in this area. The present review provides a brief overview of recent studies on wild-type and transgenic zebrafish as a model system to monitor toxic heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, and organic pollutants for toxicology. The authors address the new direction of developing high-throughput detection of genetically modified transparent zebrafish to open a new window for monitoring environmental pollutants.

A dual-band sensor based on a planar rectangular cavity loaded with pairs of improved planar resonator is used to measure the permittivity difference of liquids with a small volume (2.5 ul). The planar cavity is connected by two microstrip transmission lines, constituting a two-port device with two branches. A pair of interdigital capacitor (IDC)-based split ring resonator (SRR) is coupled to the middle part of each branch. The distance between the IDC-SRRs is large, and their coupling can be neglected. Thus, two resonance frequencies are produced (4.15 GHz and 9.18 GHz). One frequency is generated from the resonance of the two IDC-based SRRs (4.15 GHz), whereas the other results from the coupling of the rectangular cavity and the two IDC-based SRRs (9.18 GHz). Frequency splitting is used to detect changes in the dielectric characteristics of the liquids. If the two branches (IDC-based SRRs) of the proposed sensor are placed on the same liquid, only two resonance frequencies are obtained. When two different liquids are loaded by the sensor, the resonance frequency will be split into four. A planar rectangular cavity is used instead of a splitter configuration to motivate the two IDC-SRRs. This novel design affords a dual-band miniaturized sensor.

Abstract Rational design and synthesis of highly active and robust bifunctional non‐noble electrocatalysts for both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are urgently required for efficient rechargeable metal–air batteries. Herein, abundant MnO/Co heterointerfaces are engineered in porous graphitic carbon (MnO/Co/PGC) polyhedrons via a facile hydrothermal‐calcination route with a bimetal–organic framework as the precursor. The in situ generated Co nanocrystals not only create well‐defined heterointerfaces with high conductivity to overcome the poor OER activity but also promote the formation of robust graphitic carbon. Owing to the desired composition and formation of the heterostructures, the resulting MnO/Co/PGC exhibits superior activity and stability toward both OER and ORR, which makes it an efficient air cathode for the rechargeable Zn–air battery. Importantly, the homemade Zn–air battery is able to deliver excellent performance including a peak power density of 172 mW cm −2 and a specific capacity of 872 mAh g −1 , as well as excellent cycling stability (350 cycles), outperforming commercial mixed Pt/C||RuO 2 catalysts. This work highlights the synergy from heterointerfaces in oxygen electrocatalysis, thus providing a promising approach for advanced metal–air cathode materials.

The sodium storage mechanism of hard carbon, optimization strategies of electrochemical performance, and the scientific challenges towards the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries were systematically summarized and analyzed.

The microenvironment (local environment), including viscosity, temperature, polarity, hypoxia, and acidic-basic status (pH), plays indispensable roles in cellular processes. Significantly, organelles require an appropriate microenvironment to perform their specific physiological functions, and disruption of the microenvironmental homeostasis could lead to malfunctions of organelles, resulting in disorder and disease development. Consequently, monitoring the microenvironment within specific organelles is vital to understand organelle-related physiopathology. Over the past few years, many fluorescent probes have been developed to help reveal variations in the microenvironment within specific cellular regions. Given that a comprehensive understanding of the microenvironment in a particular cellular region is of great significance for further exploration of life events, a thorough summary of this topic is urgently required. However, there has not been a comprehensive and critical review published recently on small-molecule fluorescent chemosensors for the cellular microenvironment. With this review, we summarize the recent progress since 2015 towards small-molecule based fluorescent probes for imaging the microenvironment within specific cellular regions, including the mitochondria, lysosomes, lipid drops, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi, nucleus, cytoplasmic matrix and cell membrane. Further classifications at the suborganelle level, according to detection of microenvironmental factors by probes, including polarity, viscosity, temperature, pH and hypoxia, are presented. Notably, in each category, design principles, chemical synthesis, recognition mechanism, fluorescent signals, and bio-imaging applications are summarized and compared. In addition, the limitations of the current microenvironment-sensitive probes are analyzed and the prospects for future developments are outlined. In a nutshell, this review comprehensively summarizes and highlights recent progress towards small molecule based fluorescent probes for sensing and imaging the microenvironment within specific cellular regions since 2015. We anticipate that this summary will facilitate a deeper understanding of the topic and encourage research directed towards the development of probes for the detection of cellular microenvironments.

Transition-metal-catalyzed, coordination-assisted C(sp3)–H functionalization has revolutionized synthetic planning over the past few decades as the use of these directing groups has allowed for increased access to many strategic positions in organic molecules. Nonetheless, several challenges remain preeminent, such as the requirement for high temperatures, the difficulty in removing or converting directing groups, and, although many metals provide some reactivity, the difficulty in employing metals outside of palladium. This review aims to give a comprehensive overview of coordination-assisted, transition-metal-catalyzed, direct functionalization of nonactivated C(sp3)–H bonds by covering the literature since 2004 in order to demonstrate the current state-of-the-art methods as well as the current limitations. For clarity, this review has been divided into nine sections by the transition metal catalyst with subdivisions by the type of bond formation. Synthetic applications and reaction mechanism are discussed where appropriate.