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SQUAMOSA Promoter-Binding Protein-Like (SPL) genes encode plant-specific transcription factors that play important roles in plant phase transition, flower and fruit development, plant architecture, gibberellins signaling, sporogenesis, and response to copper and fungal toxins. In Arabidopsis, many SPL genes are post-transcriptionally regulated by the microRNA (miRNA) miR156, among which AtSPL9 in turn positively regulates the expression of the second miRNA miR172. This miR156-AtSPL9-miR172 regulatory pathway plays critical roles during juvenile to adult leaf development and the miR156-SPLs feedback interaction persists all through the plant development, which may be conserved in other plants. In the present paper, we provide a concise review on the most recent progress in the regulatory mechanisms associated with plant SPL transcription factors, especially in relation to miRNAs. The potential application of these discoveries in agriculture is briefly discussed.

Photocatalysis is believed to be one of the best methods to realize sustainable H2 production. However, achieving this through heterogeneous photocatalysis still remains a great challenge owing to the absence of active sites, sluggish surface reaction kinetics, insufficient charge separation, and a high thermodynamic barrier. Therefore, cocatalysts are necessary and of great significance in boosting photocatalytic H2 generation. This review will focus on the promising and appealing low-cost Ni-based H2-generation cocatalysts as the alternatives for the high-cost and low-abundance noble metal cocatalysts. Special emphasis has been placed on the design principle, modification strategies for further enhancing the activity and stability of Ni-based cocatalysts, and identification of the exact active sites and surface reaction mechanisms. Particularly, four types of modification strategies based on increased light harvesting, enhanced charge separation, strengthened interface interaction, and improved electrocatalytic activity have been thoroughly discussed and compared in detail. This review may open a new avenue for designing highly active and durable Ni-based cocatalysts for photocatalytic H2 generation.

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Shale oil has attracted more attention, as a very important substitutable fuel resource. In the present research, the classes and structures of nitrogen species in hydrotreated and untreated Fushun shale oil (FSO) are characterized by electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Experimental results have demonstrated that most of the nitrogen compounds in FSO are removed effectively during the hydrotreatment. N1 and N2 classes are dominant in FSO, and their structures are deduced in terms of the double bond equivalent (DBE) values and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. N1 class species in FSO are probably pyridines, indoles, carbazoles, benzocarbazoles, and their derivatives. After hydrotreating, the N1 class species in hydrotreated Fushun shale oil (HFSO) extend over a wider range of DBE values and carbon numbers than in the original FSO. It can be concluded that the N1 class species in HFSO are generated from compounds containing two or more heteroatoms, such as N2, N1O1, N1O2, N1O1S1, N1S1, and N2S1 class species.

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is important for both fundamental studies and technical applications. Here we present laser power dependence Raman spectroscopic studies of rutile TiO 2 to reveal the response of various Raman-active lattice vibrations. Apparently, different vibrational modes display distinctive and reversible trends with the change of laser power. The Ti−O bond strength involved with different vibrational modes changes differently as the laser power changes. The relaxation time becomes shorter as the laser power increases. The changes of the bond strength and relaxation time can be related to the local temperature change with the laser power. The observed different behaviors in the vibrational modes suggest that the lattice movements along various directions face different temperature environments under the same light irradiation.

Iron phosphide (FeP) has been recently demonstrated as a very attractive electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the understanding of its properties is far from satisfactory. Herein, we report the HER performance of FeP nanoparticles is enhanced after a stability test due to reduced surface-charge-transfer resistance in the HER process. The synthetic temperature and reactant ratio are important for surface-charge-transfer resistance, the electrochemically active surface area, and HER activity. Hydrogenation apparently improves the HER performance of FeP nanoparticles by reducing the surface-charge-transfer resistance, overpotential, and Tafel slope. Enhanced HER performance is observed after a stability test for both bare and hydrogenated FeP nanoparticles in the HER due to reduced surface-charge-transfer resistance. Thus, this study may enrich our knowledge and understanding to advance HER catalysis for electrochemical hydrogen generation.

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