Enhancing carbon emission efficiency is a critical pathway for advancing global climate governance and achieving the “Dual Carbon” goals. Precisely mapping the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of carbon emission efficiency in urban agglomerations and thoroughly analyzing the underlying driving mechanisms are of paramount importance for optimizing the nation’s overall carbon neutrality pathway. This study examines 26 cities within the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration from 2005 to 2023. Employing methods such as the Super-EBM model, exploratory spatiotemporal data analysis, and the Tobit model, it delves into the spatiotemporal evolution of carbon emission efficiency and its influencing factors. Key findings include: (1) Overall carbon emission efficiency remained stable at approximately 0.85 during the study period, with minor fluctuations. (2) Significant spatial disparities in carbon emission efficiency emerged, exhibiting gradually increasing convergence. (3) Local spatial structures of carbon emission efficiency were relatively dynamic yet demonstrated strong spatial dependence, while overall spatial structures remained stable with pronounced spatial cohesion. (4) Urbanization level, economic development level, population density, degree of openness, and technological innovation have a significant impact on improving carbon emission efficiencye, whereas industrial structure and environmental regulation showed no significant promotional impact.
Each King in their respective reigns attempted to shape visual culture according to their intellectual and ideological foundations. In some periods, these changes were explicit and evident, while in others, they were implicit and gradual. The Zand era also possesses distinctive artistic characteristics, including a particular type of Mihrab design. In other words, one of the identifying components of Zand-era visual culture is a type of "Mihrab" design. The Zand Mihrab design exhibits unique visual elements that serve as an iconic representation of the visual culture of that period, along with other visual components, forming the artistic characteristics of the era. The art of the Zand era is full of innovative designs, among which the repetition of a type of frame similar to the types of altars is thought-provoking. Introducing the mentioned frame as an identity identifier and searching for its frequency and how it is manifested in the Zand heritage is the concern of this article. The design of a mihrab with a corrugation, which is often seen in the art of the Zand, is a combination of two crescent and pointed arches, which has brought the upper part, especially the crown of the arch, to the fore in a new form. The mentioned design is an innovative frame in the Zend era and has a hybrid form that is inspired by two crescent and pointed arches in the crown part. The discovery of such distinctive markers necessitates research in this field, as the lack of attention to the study framework may result in misattributing artworks to the Zand era or the early years of the Qajar period without proper identification. The adoption of Mihrab designs imprinted on dateless artifacts and handicrafts of the Zand era will serve as an identity marker of that period. While motifs inspired by arches and muqarnas are prominent in Islamic art, the present study argues that the "Mihrab" design discussed here, is a distinguished visual characteristic of Zand-era art.Research Objective: The primary objective is to introduce, classify, and study the form of the "Mihrab" frame in Zand-era artworks to define one of its visual elements and cultural markers. The secondary objective is to establish the "Zand Mihrab" as an identity marker.Research Questions: How can the unique work of the "Zand Frame" be explained as an identity marker in artworks from the second half of the 12th century and the first half of the 13th century AH? How is the identity marker of the "Zand motif" interpreted in terms of innovation in the design of the Mihrab?In terms of the hypothesis it is assumed that the "Mihrab" design is an identity marker of the art in the Zand era.Research Methodology: This research is primarily theoretical, as it aims to explore the visual phenomenon known as the "Zand Mihrab" design and to elucidate its characteristics and qualities. The research employs a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing library research, document analysis, virtual observations, and field visits to collect information and concepts. Data was gathered through written texts and images, focusing on 19 samples of visual arts from the Zand period, including tiles of Vakil mosque, the pavilion, the Haft-Tanan mansion, as well as objects and artifacts such as carpets, tombstones, a wooden door located in the Qazvin Museum, and a fabric piece containing a "Mihrab" frame.Results: The quantitative findings of this research indicate a prevalence of the "Mihrab" design in the Vakil mosque compared to other architectural structures and artistic works of the mentioned period. The study of the chronological evolution of the "Zand Mihrab" design demonstrates its invention and flourishing in the second half of the 12th century AH and persisted during the first half of the 13th century AH.Another significant finding of this research is that, although the studied design carries spiritual meanings, it has been transformed in usage during the Zand period and manifested in non-religious architectural structures and artifacts. The "Mihrab" design is found in works such as the Vakil mosque (religious), the pavilion, and the Abdul Razzaq Khan mansion (palace), as well as in Vakil School (educational) and the decoration of objects and tombstones. The Zand-era artists, through innovation in the design and modern visual composition of the Mihrab arch by iterating and harmonizing the application of the motif, and ultimately the utilization of the principle of diversity, transformed the "Mihrab" design into an identity element of the Zand period. Thus, in addition to its original invention, the repetition and diverse application of this form in various arts and architectures have turned the spiritual figure of Mihrab design into a symbol of Zand's identity and an integral part of the visual culture.
ABSTRACT The field of soil science has seen significant advancements in recent years, largely due to the integration of computational tools and statistical methods. Among these resources, the programming language R has emerged as a powerful and versatile platform for soil scientists, aiding in a spectrum of tasks from data analysis and modeling to visualization. Nonetheless, the broader trends and specific patterns of R usage in soil research have not been thoroughly documented. Our study investigated the prevalence of R and its package usage in 25,888 research articles published in 10 leading soil science journals over a decade, from 2014 to 2023. A considerable number of these articles, 7899 (or 30.5%), named R as their primary data analysis tool. The use of R has followed a steady linear growth pattern, rising from 13.9% in 2014 to 46.5% in 2023. The most commonly used R packages were “vegan,” “ggplot2,” “lme4,” “nlme,” and “randomForest,” with each journal showcasing unique research focuses, resulting in varying frequencies of R package applications across different publications. Furthermore, there was a notable increase in the average number of R packages used per article throughout the study period. This research highlights the pivotal role of R, armed with its robust statistical and visualization capabilities, in enabling soil scientists to conduct comprehensive analyses and gain in‐depth insights into the complex dimensions of soil science.
Hammami Saber, Romdhane Hela, Soualmia Amel
et al.
Sediment transport plays a vital role in river management and flood protection, particularly in regions prone to erosion and deposition. The study aims to assess the impact of roughness modification on the sediment transport process in the Medjerda, Tunisia’s longest perennial river, following a decade of dredging activities implemented for flood protection measures in the Boussalem city. We used the Telemac Sisyphe model to stimulate sediment 17.8 km section, which regularly undergoes dredging crossing the city of Boussalem. This section contains two distinct parts: first a smooth riverbed followed by the variable roughness on both sides of the banks, which is influenced by the existing vegetation cover. The study developed four simulation scenarios, with a smooth riverbed maintained in call cases while the roughness of the second part increasing from smooth to rough. The model-generated outputs facilitated a comprehensive longitudinal and transverse comparative analysis, focusing on flow velocity, shear stress, and bed evolution profile in response to varying roughness levels. The results show a reduction in erosion and deposition phenomena as the roughness as the bank’s roughness increases. this the crucial role of vegetation in stabilizing river banks by, strengthening the cohesion of the riverbed, thus minimizing erosion risks and excessive sediment transport, ultimately maintaining the riverbed’s integrity. These findings contribute to understanding of sedimentation patterns in the Medjerda River and facilitated the prediction of potential impacts on its fluvial morphology.
Revealing the spatial-temporal evolution and interactions of ecosystem services (ESs) in mining area is critical for sustainable environmental management. The temporal and spatial characteristics and changing trends of six ESs in Yuzhong mining area from 2000 to 2020 were analyzed. Pearson correlation analysis explored and elucidated the intricate tradeoffs and synergies that manifest across diverse ecosystems. The integrated ecosystem service landscape index (IESLI) was constructed on this basis, and 8 factors (both natural and human) were selected to identify the driving forces. The findings indicated that: 1) Over the past two decades, five categories of ESs have exhibited a declining trend, with water yield experiencing the most significant reduction, reaching 38.7% . 2) Among the 15 ESs pairings, tradeoffs were predominantly negatively correlated. 3) The interaction between land use/land cover and precipitation (54.5% ) emerged as the primary driving force behind the spatial heterogeneity of ESs. 4) The IESLI showed a general downward trend, decreasing from 0.51 in 2005 to 0.44 in 2020. This study provides quantitative evidence of ecosystem degradation and the intricate interrelationships among ESs in mining landscapes, highlighting the critical role of coupled spatial models in uncovering underlying patterns and mechanisms. The findings offer a scientific foundation for ecological restoration and policy-making in mining regions.
Objective Pile-soil interaction plays a critical role in slope support engineering. Since the contact surface represents the weakest link in the system, analyzing the influence of the soil shear area on the mechanical properties and the constitutive model of the contact surface between soil and structure enhances the understanding of pile-soil interactions.Methods Three sets of ring-shaped samples are initially cast to evaluate the impact of the soil shear area on the interface strength characteristics between soil and structure. Each sample has a height of 1.00 cm, an outer diameter of 6.12 cm, and inner diameters of 0 cm, 3.50 cm, and 4.98 cm, respectively. Subsequently, corresponding segments of 300-mesh sandpaper are adhered to the sample surfaces using a robust adhesive. The remolded soil is then dried, pulverized, sieved through a 2 mm mesh, and adjusted to a moisture content of 20%. It is cured for 24 hours prior to sample preparation. Different soil-structure interface samples with varying soil shear areas are then fabricated using specially designed equipment, and shear tests are conducted using the electric ZLB-1 strain-controlled direct shear apparatus manufactured by Nanjing Soil Instrument Co., Ltd. The test employs the fast shear method, with a shear rate of 0.8 mm/min and a shear displacement of 7 mm. During the tests, the soil shear area ratio (<italic>ρ</italic>) at the interface between soil and structure is controlled at 0, 0.33, 0.66, and 1.00, with normal stresses of 100, 200, 300, and 400 kPa, respectively.Results and Discussions The peak strength of the soil-structure interface increases linearly with increasing normal stress and soil shear area ratio. The shear area ratio of soil significantly influences the stress-strain curve of the sample. When the soil shear area ratio is <italic>ρ</italic> = 0 or <italic>ρ</italic> = 1.00, the shear stress-displacement curve of the sample exhibits a hardening behavior. Conversely, when the shear area ratio is 0 < <italic>ρ</italic> < 1.00, the curve demonstrates a softening behavior. This primarily occurs because the soil strength exceeds the interface strength between the soil and the structure. Under various soil shear area conditions, the strength at the soil-structure interface initially derives from the soil itself. Once the soil’s shear strength reaches its maximum, the sample’s shear stress is substantially reduced, exhibiting a stress-softening phenomenon. As the soil shear area ratio at the soil-structure interface gradually increases, the shear strength at the interface approaches that of the soil. Consequently, the interface effect leads to a decrease in shear strength compared to that of the soil shear surface. The shear strength of the soil shear surface primarily arises from the interactions between soil particles, including rotation, interlocking, and biting. In contrast, the shear strength at the soil-structure interface comprises two components: one part is generated by the friction, interlocking, and biting between the soil particles and the structure’s surface, while the other arises from the interactions among soil particles near the shear zone on the structure’s surface. During the shear process of the specimen, the proportion of shear strength is contributed by inter-particle shear resistance within the soil, and the interface shear resistance undergoes dynamic changes, exhibiting variability in the shear strength mechanism at the soil-structure interface. The total damage to the soil shear surface results from loading damage, whereas the total damage at the soil-structure interface is divided into equivalent initial damage, loading damage, and coupling damage caused by the interaction of the two. The smaller the soil shear area ratio <italic>ρ</italic>, the greater the equivalent initial damage at the soil-structure interface. By establishing a damage evolution relationship between the soil shear surface and the soil-structure interface, the latter is equated to the soil shear surface with initial damage, describing the influence of soil shear area on the strength characteristics of the interface. Based on the assumption that the strength of both the soil-structure interface and the soil shear surface follows a two-parameter Weibull probability distribution during the shear process of the sample, a damage strength model of the soil-structure interface based on equivalent damage is proposed using statistical damage theory. This model primarily consists of the fitting parameter <italic>B</italic>, which controls peak strength, and the fitting parameter <italic>C</italic>, which controls softening characteristics. Compared to the soil shear plane, the pre-set interface leads to significant changes in pores and microcracks during the shear process of the soil-structure interface. Consequently, the total damage to the soil-structure interface is considerably higher than that of the soil shear plane initially, and the macroscopic performance is that the strength of the soil-structure interface is significantly lower than that of the soil shear plane. The proposed model is validated by comparing it with experimental data, demonstrating that it accurately represents both softening and hardening stress-strain behaviors at the soil-structure interface.Conclusions This study explores how the soil shear area influences the mechanical properties of the soil-structure interface and proposes a zero-thickness interface model to predict this behavior, supported by experimental evidence. This model effectively fits the nonlinear relationship at the soil-structure interface under different soil shear area ratios, making it suitable for programmed calculations in finite element software.
In order to improve aerodynamic deceleration efficiency, deep space reentry capsules generally adopt large blunt windward shape and ablative heat protection system. However, factors such as the flat forebody shape and the sharp increase in surface roughness caused by aerothermodynamic heating and ablation easily lead to the instability of the windward flowfield of the capsule, resulting in the transition or even evolution into turbulence, which greatly changes the distribution of the surface heat flux and brings great challenges to the safety of the capsule. Formerly the studies on the instability mechanism and simulation for the transition of hypersonic boundary layer under the change of microscopic morphology of large blunt heat shield are relatively unexplored. Using the γ-Reθ transition model and k-ω-γtransition model based on hypersonic and rough element correction, the intermittent factors of rough element equivalent roughness height, incoming Reynolds number, angle of attack and chemical non-equilibrium basic flow on the windward surface of the large blunt heat shield were analyzed. The development law of hypersonic boundary layer transition and aerothermodynamic effect on ablative rough surfaces of deep space reentry capsules were studied.
Gas puff modulation experiments are performed at ASDEX Upgrade in L-mode, EDA H-mode and quasi-continuous exhaust discharges. Plasma density and temperatures are measured and their temporal development is analyzed simultaneously, revealing that both heat and particle transport are strongly influenced by the modulation. As a consequence, the particle transport coefficients are underdetermined. In the transport modelling, the pedestal cannot be treated as a single region, but the pedestal foot must be allowed to increase its transport with gas puff modulation independently. The analysis of the temporal behaviours of the heat and particle diffusivities shows that they are strongly correlated. Considering the heat diffusivity as a proxy for the particle diffusivity, allows interpretation of the density evolution: a pinch is not required for any of the discharges. An analysis with the gyrokinetic turbulence code GENE identifies dominant instabilities and reproduces several experimentally found trends. Despite all uncertainties concerning particle transport, one can expect a future reactor featuring a weak edge density gradient even with purely diffusive transport.
Nuclear and particle physics. Atomic energy. Radioactivity
Heena Rajani, Dharmendra Kumar Singh, Saurabh Suman
et al.
Evolution and functional necessities have compelled the great toe of the foot and its embryological kin, thumb, to have some tendoligamentous differences with a similar basic anatomical structure. This provides biomechanical advantage to these joints: the thumb is apposable and more mobile, ensuring hand dexterity and tool-handling, whereas the great toe is less mobile and more stable, ensuring weight bearing, strength, and stability for bipedal locomotion. This pictorial review will methodically illustrate the similarities and dissimilarities of the joint morphology and its tendoligamentous attachments at the level of carpometacarpal joint, metacarpophalangeal joint, and interphalangeal joints of thumb compared with tarsometatarsal joint, metatarsophalangeal joint, and interphalangeal joints of great toe. It intends to provide a comprehensive understanding of the normal anatomy of great toe and thumb to the radiologists, enabling better interpretation of the pathologies.
Medical physics. Medical radiology. Nuclear medicine
Daiki X. Sato, Yukiko U. Inoue, Nahoko Kuga
et al.
Summary: The human vesicular monoamine transporter 1 (VMAT1) harbors unique substitutions (Asn136Thr/Ile) that affect monoamine uptake into synaptic vesicles. These substitutions are absent in all known mammals, suggesting their contributions to distinct aspects of human behavior modulated by monoaminergic transmissions, such as emotion and cognition. To directly test the impact of these human-specific mutations, we introduced the humanized residues into mouse Vmat1 via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing and examined changes at the behavioral, neurophysiological, and molecular levels. Behavioral tests revealed reduced anxiety-related traits of Vmat1Ile mice, consistent with human studies, and electrophysiological recordings showed altered oscillatory activity in the amygdala under anxiogenic conditions. Transcriptome analyses further identified changes in gene expressions in the amygdala involved in neurodevelopment and emotional regulation, which may corroborate the observed phenotypes. This knock-in mouse model hence provides compelling evidence that the mutations affecting monoaminergic signaling and amygdala circuits have contributed to the evolution of human socio-emotional behaviors.
Studying the structures, properties and origins of the Earth's internal discontinuities is an important part in the efforts to understand the physical and chemical properties of the layered Earth, as well as to explore the dynamic processes and driving mechanisms of plate tectonics and the whole Earth system. Receiver function imaging is a well-known and widely-adopted seismological method in extracting the structural information of the Earth's internal discontinuities, and has become an indispensable tool to investigate the layering in structure and composition, and the thermal states and deformation behaviors of the crust and upper mantle, lithosphere-asthenosphere, mantle transition zone, and even shallow part of the lower mantle in the deep Earth. Since the receiver function method was proposed about half a century ago, great progress has been made in both methodology and application, targeting to subsurface structures of various spatial scales and from one- to three-dimension. In particular, with more and more seismic arrays being deployed in global and regional scales, and the continuous advancement of computing power and imaging theory during the last two decades, receiver function imaging has only become more powerful to constrain the subsurface structures. In this paper, we first briefly review the development history of the receiver function method. After introducing the basic principles involved, we then outline the major progress made during the last two decades in both methodology and application of this method, including but not limited to receiver function construction and forward modeling, receiver functions analysis for complex media or detailed discontinuity structures (e.g., anisotropy, dipping structures, irregular topography, sharpness of discontinuities), ray and wave-equation based receiver function migration in imaging crustal and upper mantle discontinuities, velocity inversion of receiver functions as well as its combination with other types of data. We focus mainly on the following three aspects: deconvolution techniques to construct receiver functions, imaging of discontinuity structures and inversion of velocity structures using receiver functions, with specific emphasis on the recent advances, challenges, and possible solutions. In the light of the emerging and future trends in seismology, we finally discuss the directions of receiver function studies from the viewpoints of both methodology and application.
Radu-Stefan Miftode, Antoniu Octavian Petriș, Viviana Onofrei Aursulesei
et al.
The increasing incidence of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and its polymorphic clinical manifestations due to local and systemic inflammation represent a high burden for many public health systems. Multiple evidence revealed the interdependence between the presence of cardiovascular comorbidities and a severe course of COVID-19, with heart failure (HF) being incriminated as an independent predictor of mortality. Suppression of tumorigenicity-2 ST2 has emerged as one of the most promising biomarkers in assessing the evolution and prognosis of patients with HF. The uniqueness of ST2 is determined by its structural particularities. Its transmembrane isoform exerts cardioprotective effects, while the soluble isoform (sST2), which is detectable in serum, is associated with myocardial fibrosis and poor outcome in patients with HF. Some recent data also suggested the potential role of sST2 as a marker of inflammation, while other studies highlighted it as a valuable prognostic factor in patients with COVID-19. In this review, we summarized the pathways by which sST2 is related to myocardial injury and its connection to the severity of inflammation in patients with COVID-19. Also, we reviewed possible perspectives of using it as a dual cardio-inflammatory biomarker, for both early diagnosis, risk stratification and prognosis assessment of patients with concomitant HF and COVID-19.
Alicia Arnott, Jenny Draper, Rebecca J. Rockett
et al.
Abstract Objective To adapt ‘fishplots’ to describe real-time evolution of SARS-CoV-2 genomic clusters. Results This novel analysis adapted the fishplot to depict the size and duration of circulating genomic clusters over time in New South Wales, Australia. It illuminated the effectiveness of interventions on the emergence, spread and eventual elimination of clusters and distilled genomic data into clear information to inform public health action.
The Barthel index evolution was analyzed in a sample of older people with osteoporotic hip fracture in order to verify the influence of comorbidities and cognitive impairment on the physical recovery of those patients, during the first year following the fracture. A prospective observational study was carried out between October 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013. A sample of 247 individuals was initially selected. After a primary revision, 39 participants were excluded (clearly not meeting inclusion criteria, lack of data, or not agree to participate in the study), and finally a total of 208 participants were included in the analysis, 166 women, with an average age of 84.59 years, and 42 men, with an average age of 82.05. 54.80% of all cases were older than 85 years. The mean Barthel index value prior to fracture was 76.63, decreasing to 64.91 at one-year follow-up. Only 22.12% of patients achieved a full recovery for activities of daily living. A statistical analysis was performed by comparing Barthel index recovery depending on the values of Charlson and Pfeiffer indexes, respectively. The mean differences in Barthel index drop between the one-year follow-up and the hospital admission values were found statistical significant (p<0.01). These findings indicate that Charlson and Pfeiffer indexes clearly influence the Barthel index recovery. Low values of Charlson and Pfeiffer indexes resulted in better Barthel index recovery. In conclusion, the Barthel index is a good tool to evaluate the physical recovery after osteoporotic hip fracture.
Domenico Lombardo, Luigi Pasqua, Mikhail A. Kiselev
During the last decades the progresses of nanoscience and nanotechnology for biomedical application stimulated the transition from traditional drug delivery systems to the development of smart integrated nanosystems with stimuli-responsive characteristics. A wide range of smart integrated nanosystems have proven their effectiveness for various types of biomedical tasks, including stimuli-responsive liposomes, polymeric and metal nanoparticles, silica and hybrid (organic/inorganic) nanostructures. Moreover, these nano-platforms include the possibility to develop within the same nano-platform a diagnostic imaging system with the monitoring of the temporal evolution of the molecular response of a disease for each patient. This theranostic approach could enable the selection of the appropriate treatment therapy planning, thus paving the way for the modern approach of the personalized medicine. However, these nano-structured platforms present lack of toxicity assessment tests, and lack of experience between the pre-clinical and clinical studies, thus resulting in the huge difficulties to obtain regulatory and ethics approval. As a result, most of these relatively complex stimulus-sensitive/responsive nano-platforms are not currently approved for clinical use.
In this article we review the main breakthroughs for the rational design of theranostic nano-systems for therapeutic treatment in nanomedicine. We also discuss the open questions with the aim of offering possible novel insights to overcame the critical issues which are still present when we want to translate theranostic approaches into the clinical practise.
Abstract The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia infects a wide range of arthropods and their relatives. It is an intracellular parasite transmitted through the egg from mother to offspring. Wolbachia can spread and persist through various means of host reproductive manipulation. How these different mechanisms of host manipulation evolved in Wolbachia is unclear. Which host reproductive phenotype is most likely to be ancestral and whether evolutionary transitions between some host phenotypes are more common than others remain unanswered questions. Recent studies have revealed multiple cases where the same Wolbachia strain can induce different reproductive phenotypes in different hosts, raising the question to what degree the induced host phenotype should be regarded as a trait of Wolbachia. In this study, we constructed a phylogenetic tree of Wolbachia and analyzed the patterns of host phenotypes along that tree. We were able to detect a phylogenetic signal of host phenotypes on the Wolbachia tree, indicating that the induced host phenotype can be regarded as a Wolbachia trait. However, we found no clear support for the previously stated hypothesis that cytoplasmic incompatibility is ancestral to Wolbachia in arthropods. Our analysis provides evidence for heterogeneous transition rates between host phenotypes.
Earth-abundant metal sulfides attracts large attention in recent years for hydrogen production via electrocatalytic water splitting. However, most works have been limited to the acidic condition, whereas the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline condition has rarely been discussed. Here we present an effective strategy for the growing of Co-Mo-S catalysts on carbon cloth via the controllable incorporation of cobalt into MoS2 with L-cysteine and phosphomolybdic acid to achieve the synergistic interaction of CoS2 and MoS2. The optimized Co-Mo-S catalysts (Co:Mo=1:2) showed a largely improved HER activity with an overpotential of 92 mV at current density of 10 mA cm-2 and Tafel slope of 82 mV dec-1. The origin of the activity enhancement was investigated through a series of characterizations, where the synergetic effect of the intrinsic fast HER kinetics of metallic CoS2 and the high active surface area of MoS2 plays a crucial role. With appropriate amount of cobalt, the Co-Mo-S catalysts show a relatively uniform distribution on the carbon cloth to ensure the large surface area, whereas excessive cobalt results in the formation of the large CoS2 particles with low HER activity from the low active surface area. Further electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the combination of larger exchange current density of CoS2 and the high electrochemical double–layer capacitance (proportional to the active surface area) of MoS2 together contributed to the HER activity enhancement of the Co-Mo-S catalysts. The Co-Mo-S/CC catalysts also show robust stability in alkaline solution. Our work provides a more profound understanding and an interesting view for the design of efficient ternary transition metal sulfide HER catalysts in alkaline condition by synergetic optimization of the intrinsic HER kinetics and the electrochemical active surface area.
Industrial electrochemistry, Physical and theoretical chemistry
Besides having a large capacity for taking up organic molecules, clay minerals can catalyze a variety of organic reactions. Derived from rock weathering, clay minerals would have been abundant in the early Earth. As such, they might be expected to play a role in chemical evolution. The interactions of clay minerals with biopolymers, including RNA, have been the subject of many investigations. The behavior of RNA components at clay mineral surfaces needs to be assessed if we are to appreciate how clays might catalyze the formation of nucleosides, nucleotides and polynucleotides in the “RNA world”. The adsorption of purines, pyrimidines and nucleosides from aqueous solution to clay minerals is affected by suspension pH. With montmorillonite, adsorption is also influenced by the nature of the exchangeable cations. Here, we review the interactions of some clay minerals with RNA components.
Nagayasu Nakanishi, Anthony C Camara, David C Yuan
et al.
In Bilateria, Pax6, Six, Eya and Dach families of transcription factors underlie the development and evolution of morphologically and phyletically distinct eyes, including the compound eyes in Drosophila and the camera-type eyes in vertebrates, indicating that bilaterian eyes evolved under the strong influence of ancestral developmental gene regulation. However the conservation in eye developmental genetics deeper in the Eumetazoa, and the origin of the conserved gene regulatory apparatus controlling eye development remain unclear due to limited comparative developmental data from Cnidaria. Here we show in the eye-bearing scyphozoan cnidarian Aurelia that the ectodermal photosensory domain of the developing medusa sensory structure known as the rhopalium expresses sine oculis (so)/six1/2 and eyes absent/eya, but not optix/six3/6 or pax (A&B). In addition, the so and eya co-expression domain encompasses the region of active cell proliferation, neurogenesis, and mechanoreceptor development in rhopalia. Consistent with the role of so and eya in rhopalial development, developmental transcriptome data across Aurelia life cycle stages show upregulation of so and eya, but not optix or pax (A&B), during medusa formation. Moreover, pax6 and dach are absent in the Aurelia genome, and thus are not required for eye development in Aurelia. Our data are consistent with so and eya, but not optix, pax or dach, having conserved functions in sensory structure specification across Eumetazoa. The lability of developmental components including Pax genes relative to so-eya is consistent with a model of sense organ development and evolution that involved the lineage specific modification of a combinatorial code that specifies animal sense organs.