For significantly increasing the energy densities to satisfy the growing demands, new battery materials and electrochemical chemistry beyond conventional rocking-chair based Li-ion batteries should be developed urgently. Rechargeable aluminum batteries (RABs) with the features of low cost, high safety, easy fabrication, environmental friendliness, and long cycling life have gained increasing attention. Although there are pronounced advantages of utilizing earth-abundant Al metals as negative electrodes for high energy density, such RAB technologies are still in the preliminary stage and considerable efforts will be made to further promote the fundamental and practical issues. For providing a full scope in this review, we summarize the development history of Al batteries and analyze the thermodynamics and electrode kinetics of nonaqueous RABs. The progresses on the cutting-edge of the nonaqueous RABs as well as the advanced characterizations and simulation technologies for understanding the mechanism are discussed. Furthermore, major challenges of the critical battery components and the corresponding feasible strategies toward addressing these issues are proposed, aiming to guide for promoting electrochemical performance (high voltage, high capacity, large rate capability, and long cycling life) and safety of RABs. Finally, the perspectives for the possible future efforts in this field are analyzed to thrust the progresses of the state-of-the-art RABs, with expectation of bridging the gap between laboratory exploration and practical applications.

Rapid urbanization is resulting in large-scale land-use conversion and the impact on ecosystem services value is a key issue for sustainability-particularly in China-a global urbanization hotspot. Impacts of land-use change on ecosystem services value in China have been varied, ranging from strong decreases to modest increases, suggesting that bespoke analyses are required to support local and regional planning for sustainability. We quantified land-use change and valued the impact on ecosystem services from 1990 -2010 in the rapidly urbanizing Guangzhou-Foshan Metropolitan Area, southern China. We quantified land-use change from Landsat satellite imagery and calculated the value of ecosystem services using the well-established unit-value transfer method. Over one quarter of the study area changed land-use between 1990 and 2010 with Built-up, Orchard, and Waterbody land-uses expanding, and Cropland and Forestland contracting. However, the net decline in ecosystem services value was only 4.4% (US$201.5 million). This modest overall decline masked more complex and extreme dynamics in the value of individual ecosystem services. Substantial declines in the value of gas regulation (US$115.4 million, -28%) soil formation and retention (US$90.5 million, -16%), and climate regulation (US$44.6 million, -8%), while waste treatment (US$68.5 million, +10%) and recreation and culture (US$45.7 million, +12%) increased in value. Decision analysis is required to support land-use planning to ensure the sustainability of ecosystem services for the wellbeing of the people of Guangzhou-Foshan and other rapidly urbanizing areas in China and globally.

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Pax-6 is an evolutionarily conserved transcription factor and acts high up in the regulatory hierarchy controlling eye and brain development in humans, mice, zebrafish, and Drosophila. Previous studies have shown that Pax-6 is a phosphoprotein, and its phosphorylation by ERK, p38, and homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 greatly enhances its transactivation activity. However, the protein phosphatases responsible for the dephosphorylation of Pax-6 remain unknown. Here, we present both in vitro and in vivo evidence to show that protein serine/threonine phosphatase-1 is a

Fortifying food and beverage products with combinations of bioactive agents is a major initiative within the food industry because of their potentially additive or even synergistic benefits for human health. Coix seed oil (CSO) has been reported to possess anticancer activity, whereas β-carotene (βC) is a natural antioxidant that may also exhibit anticancer activity. However, both of these bioactives are insoluble in water and have poor oral bioavailability. The aim of this study was to overcome these obstacles by encapsulating both βC and CSO into liposomes (L-βC−CSO). The effect of different combinations of these two bioactive agents on the physiochemical properties, stability, release, antioxidant activity, and anticancer activity of the liposomes was then determined. Increasing the CSO level decreased the βC entrapment efficiency, increased the particle size, reduced the polydispersity, and raised the magnitude of the surface potential of the bioactive-loaded liposomes. Moreover, the βC and CSO levels affected their orientation within the lipid bilayer, which also influences the physiochemical properties, stability, and in vitro release behavior of the system. Compared to liposomes containing single bioactive types, the combined systems exhibited higher bioavailability and increased anticancer and antioxidant activity. These results suggest that the combined bioactive-loaded liposomes could be an efficient formulation for potential applications in functional foods and supplements.