A large Rabi splitting (∼145 meV) is demonstrated in a plasmonic nanocavity coupled to a WS2 monolayer at room temperature. The nanocavity is composed of a silver nanocube and a silver film with an Al2O3 spacer of a few nanometers, which belongs to a nanoparticle on mirror (NPoM) type. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the nanocavity can be tuned by controlling the thickness of nanogap and the size of silver nanocubes, which allows to successively adjust the SPR to accurately match the exciton energy of WS2 monolayers (2.02 eV). A mode splitting can be clearly observed from the dark-field scattering spectrum of the single hybrid nanocavity, which is ascribed to a strong coupling between the nanocavity mode and the excitonic mode. Furthermore, the anticrossing curves of the hybrid system are obtained by recording the scattering spectra with varied sizes of silver nanocubes, which further validate the interaction regime. It presents a strong coupling platform for two-dimensional monolayers, which is of potential applications of the development of hybrid nanostructure devices.

A novel SiO(2)/TiO(2) composite monolithic capillary column was prepared by sol-gel technology and successfully applied to enrich phosphopeptides as a metal oxide affinity chromatography (MOAC) material. For the monolith preparation, tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and tetrabutoxytitanium (TBOT) were used as silica and titania source, respectively, and glycerol was introduced to attenuate the activity of titanium precursor, which provided a mild synthetic condition. The prepared monolith was characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results revealed an approximate 1/2 molar ratio of titanium to silica as well as an atom-scale homogeneity in the framework. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results demonstrated an excellent anchorage between the column and the inner capillary wall, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments showed a bimodal porosity with a narrow mesopore distribution around 3.6 nm. The prepared monolith was then applied for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides from the digestion mixture of phosphoproteins and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as well as human blood serum, nonfat milk, and egg white using an in-tube solid phase microextraction (SPME) system. Our results showed that SiO(2)/TiO(2) composite monolithic capillary column could efficiently enrich the phosphopeptides from complex matrixes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt for preparing the silica-metal composite monolithic capillary column, which offers the promising application of the monolith on phosphoproteomics study.

A hierarchical fibrous SnO2 /carbon nanocomposite composed of fine SnO2 nanocrystallites immobilized as a thin layer on a carbon nanofiber surface was synthesized employing natural cellulose substance as both scaffold and carbon source. It was achieved by calcination/carbonization of the as-deposited SnO2 -gel/cellulose hybrid in an argon atmosphere. As being employed as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the porous structures, small SnO2 crystallite sizes, and the carbon buffering matrix possessed by the nanocomposite facilitate the electrode-electrolyte contact, promote the electron transfer and Li(+) diffusion, and relieve the severe volume change and aggregation of the active particles during the charge/discharge cycles. Hence, the nanocomposite showed high reversible capacity, significant cycling stability, and rate capability that are superior to the nanotubular SnO2 and SnO2 sol-gel powder counter materials. For such a composite with 27.8 wt % SnO2 content and 346.4 m(2)  g(-1) specific surface area, a capacity of 623 mAh g(-1) was delivered after 120 cycles at 0.2 C. Further coating of the SnO2 /carbon nanofibers with an additional carbon layer resulted in an improved cycling stability and rate performance.

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The black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) is a teleost in which eggs are fertilized internally and retained in the maternal reproductive system, where they undergo development until live birth (viviparity). In the present study, we report a chromosome‐level black rockfish genome assembly. High‐throughput transcriptome analysis (RNA‐seq and ATAC‐seq) coupled with in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunofluorescence reveal several candidate genes for maternal preparation, sperm storage and release, and hatching. We propose that zona pellucida (ZP) proteins retain sperm at the oocyte envelope, while genes in two distinct astacin metalloproteinase subfamilies serve to release sperm from the ZP and free the embryo from chorion at prehatching stage. We present a model of black rockfish reproduction, and propose that the rockfish ovarian wall has a similar function to the uterus of mammals. Together, these genomic data reveal unprecedented insights into the evolution of an unusual teleost life history strategy, and provide a sound foundation for studying viviparity in nonmammalian vertebrates and an invaluable resource for rockfish ecological and evolutionary research.