The evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis and the novel weapons hypothesis (NWH) are two non-mutually exclusive mechanisms for exotic plant invasions, but few studies have ...simultaneously tested these hypotheses. Here we aimed to integrate them in the context of Chromolaena odorata invasion.
We conducted two common garden experiments in order to test the EICA hypothesis, and two laboratory experiments in order to test the NWH.
In common conditions, C. odorata plants from the nonnative range were better competitors but not larger than plants from the native range, either with or without the experimental manipulation of consumers. Chromolaena odorata plants from the nonnative range were more poorly defended against aboveground herbivores but better defended against soilborne enemies. Chromolaena odorata plants from the nonnative range produced more odoratin (Eupatorium) (a unique compound of C. odorata with both allelopathic and defensive activities) and elicited stronger allelopathic effects on species native to China, the nonnative range of the invader, than on natives of Mexico, the native range of the invader.
Our results suggest that invasive plants may evolve increased competitive ability after being introduced by increasing the production of novel allelochemicals, potentially in response to naïve competitors and new enemy regimes.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NMLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Herein, we designed an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor with SnS2 quantum dots (SnS2 QDs) as novel emitters for the ultrasensitive assay of cytomegalovirus pp65 antibody (anti-CMV pp65) via ...smart circular peptide-DNA nanomachine amplification. First, the novel ECL biosensing platform was constructed by self-assembly of water-soluble, nontoxic, and earth-abundant SnS2 QDs on the 3D hierarchical silver nanoflowers (Ag NFs) surface, where the Ag NFs, as coreaction accelerator in the ECL ternary (SnS2 QDs/S2O8 2–/Ag NFs) system, could efficiently boost the ECL intensity of SnS2 QDs. Furthermore, we designed a specific nucleic acid sequence labeled antigenic peptide to act as multifunctionalized capture probe (CP), which could specifically recognize the target antibody assisting with two auxiliary DNA strands via the proximity hybridization of DNA motifs to form a smart circular peptide-DNA nanomachine. Then, with the aid of nuclease, the resultant circular peptide-DNA nanomachine could initiate the subsequent cascade recycling amplification to output massive DNA products as mimic target (MT). As a result, the proposed ECL biosensor for anti-CMV pp65 detection exhibited high sensitivity with a wide linear range from 1 fM to 100 nM and a low detection limit (0.33 fM). Importantly, this work not only first utilized SnS2 QDs as promising ECL emitters for biosensing platform construction but also opened an efficient way for highly sensitive and selective detection of antibody in disease diagnosis and clinical analysis.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have been considered to be robust adsorbent for the removing heavy metal ions from wastewater due to their unique properties such as large active sites, high specific ...surface area and high porosity, etc., however, their practical engineering application faces the problem of serious agglomeration. In this work, a new strategy of chitosan (CS) assisting MOF dispersion was proposed to develop the new generation of MOF-based adsorbents, namely, CS grafted UiO-66-NH2 composite materials (CGUNCM). The UiO-66-NH2 was selected and it was grafted onto the main chains of CS through covalent bonding interaction with the aid of glutaraldehyde, which was totally different from the common method that grafting molecular chains on the surface of MOFs resulting in the dramatic reduction of active adsorption sites. The results show that grafting MOFs onto CS main chains not only greatly improves the dispersion of MOFs but also reserves the morphology of MOFs as much as possible. The adsorption performances toward Cu(II) and Pb(II) were intensively studied by varying adsorbate concentration, ionic strength, the contact time, adsorption temperature and pH value of solution. The results show that the composite adsorbent exhibits high adsorption efficiency and the adsorption equilibrium can be reached within 45 min, and the maximum adsorption capacity toward Cu(II) and Pb(II) achieve 364.96 mg/g and 555.56 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, the composite adsorbent shows good reusability. This work provides a new method of fabricating the MOF-based adsorbent and paves the way for the practical application of such adsorbents in wastewater treatment.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Highly efficient oil/water separation ability is a prerequisite for the actual application of the membranes in oily sewage treatment, which is closely related to the surface feature and the porous ...structure of the membranes. In this work, the electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) porous fibers were firstly fabricated through blend-electrospinning with poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and then treating in distilled water. The results showed that the fibers exhibited the sponge-like porous structure, and a few PVP was reserved in the fibers due to the relatively good interaction between PVDF and PVP. The fibrous membrane exhibited high porosity, super-wettability with freely switchable super-lipophilicity and super-hydrophilicity. The oil adsorption capacities as well as the oil and water fluxes were measured, and the oil adsorption capacities were varied in the range of 22.7–76.0 g/g, and oil and water fluxes were 54,737.3 and 56,869.9 L/(m2h), respectively. Specifically, the PVDF porous fibrous membranes showed excellent separation abilities and they could highly efficiently separate oil from oil-in-water emulsions or separate water from water-in-oil emulsions, accompanied with the extremely high water or oil flux. This work confirms that the PVDF membranes composed of the porous fibers can be used in wastewater treatment.
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•Sponge-like PVDF porous fibers are fabricated through electrospinning.•The membranes have freely switchable super-lipophilicity and super-hydrophilicity.•The fibrous membranes exhibit high oil adsorption capacities.•Extremely high oil and water fluxes are achieved.•High efficiency in separating emulsified oil/water mixtures is achieved.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The realization of optical non-reciprocity is crucial for many applications, and also of fundamental importance for manipulating and protecting the photons with desired time-reversal symmetry. ...Recently, various new mechanisms of magnetic-free non-reciprocity have been proposed and implemented, avoiding the limitation of the strong magnetic field imposed by the Faraday effect. However, due to the difficulties in separating the signal photons from the drive laser and the noise photons induced by the drive laser, these devices exhibit limited isolation performances and their quantum noise properties are rarely studied. Here, we demonstrate an approach of magnetic-free non-reciprocity by optically-induced magnetization in an atom ensemble. Excellent isolation (highest isolation ratio is Formula: see text) is observed over a power dynamic range of 7 orders of magnitude, with the noiseless property verified by quantum statistics measurements. The approach is applicable to other atoms and atom-like emitters, paving the way for future studies of integrated photonic non-reciprocal devices.
Recently, several studies assessed the effectiveness of Tai Chi for Parkinson's disease (PD), but the role of Tai Chi in the management of PD remained controversial. Therefore, the purpose of this ...systematic review is to evaluate the evidence on the efficacy of Tai Chi for PD.
Six English and Chinese electronic databases, up to April 2014, were searched to identify relevant studies. The risk of bias in eligible studies was assessed by Cochrane Collaboration's tools. The primary outcomes were motor function, balance and gait in individuals with PD. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of random-effect model were calculated. And heterogeneity was assessed based on the I2 statistic.
7 randomized controlled trials and 1 non-randomized controlled trial were eligible. The aggregated results suggested that Tai Chi showed beneficial effects in improving motor function (SMD, -0.57; 95% CI -1.11 to -0.04; p = 0.03), balance (SMD, 1.22; 95% CI 0.80 to 1.65; p<0.00001) and functional mobility (SMD, 1.06; 95% CI 0.68 to 1.44; p<0.00001) in patients with PD, but not in improving gait velocity (SMD, -0.02; 95% CI -0.58 to 0.54; p = 0.94), step length (SMD, -0.00; 95% CI -0.57 to 0.56; p = 0.99), or gait endurance (SMD, 0.53; 95% CI -0.07 to 1.12; p = 0.08). Comparing with other active therapies, however, Tai Chi only showed better effects in improving balance (SMD, 0.74; 95% CI 0.38 to 1.10; p<0.0001).
Tai Chi should be a valid complementary and alternative therapy for PD, especially in improving motor function and balance. However, more studies with long follow-up are warrant to confirm the current finding of Tai Chi for PD.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cancer will soon become the leading cause of death in every country in the twenty-first century. This study aimed to analyze the mortality and morbidity of 29 types of cancer in 204 countries or ...regions from 1990 to 2019 to guide global cancer prevention and control.
Detailed information for 29 cancer groups was collected from the Global Burden of Disease Study in 2019. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized death rate (ASDR) of the 29 cancer groups were calculated based on sex, age, region, and country. In addition, separate analyses were performed for major cancer types.
In 2019, more than 10 million people died from cancer, which was approximately twice the number in 1990. Tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancers collectively showed the highest death rate, and the ASDR of pancreatic cancer increased by 24%, which was cancer with the highest case fatality rate (CFR). The global cancer ASIR showed an increasing trend, with testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, and malignant skin melanoma showing a significant increase. The ASDR and ASIR of cancer in males were about 1.5 times higher than that in females. Individuals over 50 years had the highest risk of developing cancer, with incidences and deaths in this age group accounting for more than 85% of cancers in all age groups. Asia has the heaviest cancer burden due to its high population density, with esophageal cancer in this region accounting for 53% of the total fatalities related to this type of cancer in the world. In addition, the mortality and morbidity of most cancers increased with the increase in the development or socio-demographic index (SDI) in the SDI regions based on the World Bank's Human Development Index (HDI), with cancer characteristics varying in the different countries globally.
The global cancer burden continues to increase, with substantial mortality and morbidity differences among the different regions, ages, countries, gender, and cancer types. Effective and locally tailored cancer prevention and control measures are essential in reducing the global cancer burden in the future.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
2D van der Waals (vdW) semiconductors hold great potentials for more‐than‐Moore field‐effect transistors (FETs), and the efficient utilization of their theoretical performance requires compatible ...high‐k dielectrics to guarantee the high gate coupling efficiency. The deposition of traditional high‐k dielectric oxide films on 2D materials usually generates interface concerns, thereby causing the carrier scattering and degeneration of device performance. Here, utilizing a space‐confined epitaxy growth approach, the authors successfully obtained air‐stable ultrathin indium phosphorus sulfide (In2P3S9) nanosheets, the thickness of which can be scaled down to monolayer limit (≈0.69 nm) due to its layered structure. 2D In2P3S9 exhibits excellent insulating properties, with a high dielectric constant (≈24) and large breakdown voltage (≈8.1 MV cm−1) at room temperature. Serving as gate insulator, ultrathin In2P3S9 nanosheet can be integrated into MoS2 FETs with high‐quality dielectric/semiconductor interface, thus providing a competitive electrical performance of device with subthreshold swings (SS) down to 88 mV dec−1 and a high ON/OFF ratio of 105. This study proves an important strategy to prepare 2D vdW high‐k dielectrics, and greatly facilitates the ongoing research of 2D materials for functional electronics.
Ultrathin indium phosphorus sulfide (In2P3S9) nanosheets are obtained utilizing a space‐confined epitaxy growth approach, which exhibits a high dielectric constant (≈24) and large breakdown voltage (≈8.1 MV cm−1) at room temperature. The excellent insulating properties make it suitable for integration into 2D field‐effect transistors as dielectric layer, which can provide an efficient modulation for the carrier density in a semiconducting channel.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Selective laser melting (SLM) can effectively replace traditional processing methods to prepare parts with arbitrary complex shapes through layer-by-layer accumulation. However, SLM Ti-6Al-4V alloy ...typically exhibits low ductility and significant mechanical properties anisotropy due to the presence of acicular α′ martensite and columnar prior β grains. Post-heat treatment is frequently used to obtain superior mechanical properties by decomposing acicular α′ martensite into an equilibrium α + β phase. In this study, the microstructure and tensile properties of SLM Ti-6Al-4V alloy before and after various heat treatments were systematically investigated. The microstructure of the as-fabricated Ti-6Al-4V sample was composed of columnar prior β grains and acicular α′ martensite, which led to high strength (~1400 MPa) but low ductility (~5%) as well as significantly tensile anisotropy. The single heat treatment samples with lamellar α + β microstructure exhibited improved elongation to 6.8–13.1% with a sacrifice of strength of 100–200 MPa, while the tensile anisotropy was weakened. A trimodal microstructure was achieved through multi-step high-to-low-temperature (HLT) heat treatment, resulting in an excellent combination of strength (~1090 MPa) and ductility (~17%), while the tensile anisotropy was almost eliminated. The comprehensive mechanical properties of the HLT samples were superior to that of the conventional manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Exotic plant invasion has been changing the vegetation composition and function of terrestrial ecosystems. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are often the limiting nutrients for terrestrial plants. ...However, under invasive pressure, in situ plant N and P usage mechanisms remain poorly understood but are pivotal for a better understanding of plant invasion and coexistence in invaded ecosystems.
Nitrogen and P concentrations, natural 15N abundance (δ15N values) were investigated in leaves and soils under different invasive pressures (here expressed as the biomass percentages of invasive plants in each plot) for two invasive species (Chromolaena odorata and Ageratina adenophora) in Xishuangbanna in tropical China.
Soil N and P concentrations revealed the relatively N‐rich but P‐poor status of our study site. Under invasion, soil inorganic N (dominated by ammonium) and available P did not increase significantly. The leaf N and P of invasive plants increased, while leaf N increased but P decreased for native species. Natural δ15N mass balance between leaves and soil inorganic N sources revealed that ammonium dominated N utilization in both natives and invaders. Invasive plants showed ammonium utilization with increasing leaf N levels, while native plants under no invasion showed nitrate utilization with increasing leaf N levels.
Synthesis. Increased soil ammonium availability contributed to preferential ammonium utilization by invasive plants and elevated ammonium utilization in natives, but the P competition of natives decreased in invaded ecosystems. These novel insights into nutrient dynamics in invaded ecosystems enhance our understanding of plant invasion and coexistence mechanisms.
Species number decreased but productivity increased with invasive pressure. The abilities of invaders to use N and P resources were higher than those of natives and increased with invasive pressure, although soil N and P availabilities increased insignificantly. Nitrogen utilization (mainly ammonium) increased but P competition decreased for natives under invasion. These results enriched mechanisms of plant invasion and coexistence.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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