Lithium metal is an ideal anode for lithium batteries due to its low electrochemical potential and high theoretical capacity. However, safety issues arising from lithium dendrite growth have significantly reduced the practical applicability of lithium metal batteries. Here, we report the addition of octaphenyl polyoxyethylene as an electrolyte additive to enable a stable complex layer on the surface of the lithium anode. This surface layer not only promotes uniform lithium deposition, but also facilitates the formation of a robust solid-electrolyte interface film comprising cross-linked polymer. As a result, lithium|lithium symmetric cells constructed using the octaphenyl polyoxyethylene additive exhibit excellent cycling stability over 400 cycles at 1 mA cm-2, and outstanding rate performance up to 4 mA cm-2. Full cells assembled with a LiFePO4 cathode exhibit high rate capability and impressive cyclability, with capacity decay of only 0.023% per cycle.Ilyonectria robusta causes rusty root rot, the most devastating chronic disease of ginseng. Here, we for the first time report the high-quality genome of the I. robusta strain CD-56. Time-course (36 h, 72 h, and 144 h) dual RNA-Seq analysis of the infection process was performed, and many genes, including candidate effectors, were found to be associated with the progression and success of infection. The gene expression profile of CD-56 showed a trend of initial inhibition and then gradually returned to a profile similar to that of the control. Analyses of the gene expression patterns and functions of pathogenicity-related genes, especially candidate effector genes, indicated that the stress response changed to an adaptive response during the infection process. For ginseng, gene expression patterns were highly related to physiological conditions. Specifically, the results showed that ginseng defenses were activated by CD-56 infection and persisted for at least 144 h thereafter but that the mechanisms invoked were not effective in preventing CD-56 growth. Moreover, CD-56 did not appear to fully suppress plant defenses, even in late stages after infection. Our results provide new insight into the chronic pathogenesis of CD-56 and the comprehensive and complex inducible defense responses of ginseng root to I. robusta infection.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by loss of motor neurons and degeneration of neuromuscular junctions. To improve disease progression, previous studies have suggested many options that have shown beneficial effects in diseases, especially stem cell therapy. In this study, we used repeated intramuscular transplantation of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) and observed positive effects on muscle atrophy and oxidative stress. In an in vivo study, motor function, body weight and survival rate were assessed, and skeletal muscle tissues were analyzed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. After intramuscular transplantation, the hUCB-MSCs survived within the skeletal muscle for at least 1 week. Transplantation ameliorated muscle atrophy and the rate of neuromuscular degeneration in skeletal muscle through reductions in intracellular ROS levels. Both expression of skeletal muscle atrophy markers, muscle atrophy F-box (MAFbx)/atrogin1 and muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF1), were also reduced; however, the reductions were not significant. Moreover, transplantation of hUCB-MSCs improved protein synthesis and inhibited the iNOS/NO signaling pathway through AMPK activation. Our results suggest that repeated intramuscular transplantation of hUCB-MSCs can be a practical option for stem cell therapy for ALS.Inadequate water quality can mean that water is unsuitable for a variety of human uses, thus exacerbating freshwater scarcity. Previous large-scale water scarcity assessments mostly focused on the availability of sufficient freshwater quantity for providing supplies, but neglected the quality constraints on water usability. Here we report a comprehensive nationwide water scarcity assessment in China, which explicitly includes quality requirements for human water uses. We highlight the necessity of incorporating water scarcity assessment at multiple temporal and geographic scales. Our results show that inadequate water quality exacerbates China's water scarcity, which is unevenly distributed across the country. North China often suffers water scarcity throughout the year, whereas South China, despite sufficient quantities, experiences seasonal water scarcity due to inadequate quality. Over half of the population are affected by water scarcity, pointing to an urgent need for improving freshwater quantity and quality management to cope with water scarcity.Acanthamoeba spp. are predominant free-living amoebae of water and soil.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/rin1.html  They have been used as tools for the isolation and culture of microbes that resist after their phagocytosis, such as Legionella-like bacteria, and, more recently giant viruses for which differences in permissiveness have been reported. However, problems have been reported regarding their identification at the species level. The present work implemented specific PCR systems for the detection and identification of Acanthamoeba species through comparison of sequences and phylogenetic analyses. Thirty-three Acanthamoeba isolates were studied, including 20 reference strains and 13 isolates retrieved from water, soil or clinical samples. Previous delineation of a core genome encompassing 826 genes based on draft genome sequences from 14 Acanthamoeba species allowed designing PCR systems for one of these core genes that encodes an alanine-tRNA ligase. These primers allowed an efficient and specific screening to detect Acanthamoeba presence. In addition, they identified all 20 reference strains, while partial and complete sequences coding for 18S ribosomal RNA identified only 11 (55%). We found that four isolates may be considered as new Acanthamoeba species. Consistent with previous studies, we demonstrated that some Acanthamoeba isolates were incorrectly assigned to species using the 18S rDNA sequences. Our implemented tool may help determining which Acanthamoeba strains are the most efficient for the isolation of associated microorganisms.