Bioinspired Hydrophobicity Coupled with Single Fe-N4 Sites Promotes Oxygen Diffusion for Efficient Zinc-Air Batteries.

The poor oxygen diffusion and sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics at multiphase interfaces in the cathode suppress the practical application of zinc-air batteries. Developing effective strategies to tackle the issue is of great significance for overcoming the performance bottleneck but remains challenging. Here, a multiscale hydrophobic surface is designed on the iron single-atom catalyst via a gas-phase fluorination-assisted method inspired by the structure of gas-trapping mastoids on lotus leaves. The hydrophobic Fe-FNC attains a higher peak power density of up to 226 mW cm-2 , a long durability of up close to 140 h, and better cyclic durability of up to 300 cycles compared to the corresponding Pt/C-based Zn-air battery. Experiments and theoretical calculations indicate that the formed more triple-phase interfaces and exposed isolated Fe-N4 sites are proposed as the governing factors in boosting electrocatalytic ORR activity and remarkable cycling durability for Zn-air batteries.

Voltage-controlled liquid crystal Pancharatnam-Berry phase lens with broadband operation and high photo-stability.

Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements (PBOEs) have received much attention due to their ability to generate complex structured light or to manipulate the shape of a light beam. This work demonstrates a tunable liquid crystal (LC) Pancharatnam-Berry (LCPB) lens using a simple and cost-effective PB phase hologram optical setup and thermal polymerization to form an irreversible photo-patterning alignment layer. The LCPB lens with high photo-stability supports ultra-broadband operation and provides a diffraction efficiency of ∼90% throughout the visible spectral range, achieved by applying the appropriate voltages. The LCPB lens functions as a convex or a concave lens, depending on the handedness of the circularly polarized incident light, so its image reduction and magnification functions are demonstrated, and its photo-stability is characterized. The fabrication of the proposed LC PBOEs is simpler and more cost-effective than previous methods, and the irreversible photo-patterning alignment layer that is formed by thermal polymerization allows larger operational bandwidths, supporting new applications.

Nanoimprint Lithography-Directed Self-Assembly of Bimetallic Iron-M (M=Palladium, Platinum) Complexes for Magnetic Patterning.

Self-assembly of d8 metal polypyridine systems is a well-established approach for the creation of 1D organometallic assemblies but there are still challenges for the large-scale construction of nanostructured patterns from these building blocks. We describe herein the use of high-throughput nanoimprint lithography (NIL) to direct the self-assembly of the bimetallic complexes [4'-ferrocenyl-(2,2':6',2''-terpyridine)M(OAc)]+ (OAc)- (M=Pd or Pt; OAc=acetate). Uniform nanorods are fabricated from the molecular self-organization and evidenced by morphological characterization. More importantly, when top-down NIL is coupled with the bottom-up self-assembly of the organometallic building blocks, regular arrays of nanorods can be accessed and the patterns can be controlled by changing the lithographic stamp, where the mold imposes a confinement effect on the nanorod growth. In addition, patterns consisting of the products formed after pyrolysis are studied. The resulting arrays of ferromagnetic FeM alloy nanorods suggest promising potential for the scalable production of ordered magnetic arrays and fabrication of magnetic bit-patterned media.

Estimating city-level energy consumption of residential buildings: A life-cycle dynamic simulation model.

The residential building sector consumes a large amount of energy and is recognized as a high potential area where urban energy consumption and carbon emission can be reduced. To reduce the residential energy consumption, relevant policies and measures have been formulated in different places. However, due to the lack of adequate information in the process of policy formulation, the effectiveness of most energy-saving policies for residential buildings seems to be unsatisfactory. Although previous studies have analyzed the energy consumption for a single building or for the whole construction industry at the national level, few of them investigated the life-cycle energy consumption of residential buildings at the city level. Since municipal governments are the key implementers for the reduction of urban energy consumption, a city-level analysis on the energy consumption of residential buildings is highly needed for the policy making. To fill the research gap, this paper develops a life-cycle dynamic simulation model to fully reveal the characteristics of energy consumption of residential buildings at the city level. This easy-to-use model is validated by a case study of Beijing, which demonstrates its applicability and capability to help analyze multiple indicators of residential energy consumption and the dynamic trends of these indicators for municipal governments. Furthermore, the model can be used under the condition of limited input data, and can provide the situation analysis and simulation results of energy consumption of urban residential buildings for facilitating the policy making by municipal governments.

System dynamics model of taxi management in metropolises: Economic and environmental implications for Beijing.

Taxis are an important component of urban passenger transport. Research on the daily dispatching of taxis and the utility of governmental management is important for the improvement of passenger travel, taxi driver income and environmental impacts. However, urban taxi management is a complex and dynamic system that is affected by many factors, and positive/negative feedback relationships and nonlinear interactions exist between each subsystem and variable. Therefore, conventional research methods can hardly depict its characteristics comprehensively. To bridge this gap, this paper develops a system dynamics model of urban taxi management, in which the empty-loaded rate and total demand are selected as key factors affecting taxi dispatching, and the impacts of taxi fares on driver income and travel demand are taken into account. After the validation of the model, taxi operations data derived from a prior analysis of origin-destination data of Beijing taxis are used as input for the model to simulate the taxi market in Beijing. Finally, economic and environmental implications are provided for the government to optimise policies on taxi management.

GA(3) enhances root responsiveness to exogenous IAA by modulating auxin transport and signalling in Arabidopsis.

KEY MESSAGE: We used auxin-signalling mutants, auxin transport mutants, and auxin-related marker lines to show that exogenously applied GA enhances auxin-induced root inhibition by affecting auxin signalling and transport. Variation in root elongation is valuable when studying the interactions of phytohormones. Auxins influence the biosynthesis and signalling of gibberellins (GAs), but the influence of GAs on auxins in root elongation is poorly understood. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of GA3 on Arabidopsis root elongation in the presence of auxin. Root elongation was inhibited in roots treated with both IAA and GA3, compared to IAA alone, and the effect was dose dependent. Further experiments showed that GA3 could modulate auxin signalling based on root elongation in auxin-signalling mutants and the expression of auxin-responsive reporters. The GA3-enhanced inhibition of root elongation observed in the wild type was not found in the auxin-signalling mutants tir1-1 and axr1-3. GA3 increased DR5::GUS expression in the root meristem and elongation zones, and IAA2::GUS in the columella. The DR5rev::GFP signal was enhanced in columella cells of the root caps and in the elongation zone in GA3-treated seedling roots. A reduction was observed in the stele of PAC-treated roots. We also examined the effect of GA3 on auxin transport. The enhanced responsiveness caused by GA3 was not observed in the auxin influx mutant aux1-7 or the efflux mutant eir1-1. Additional molecular data demonstrated that GA3 could promote auxin transport via AUX1 and PIN proteins. However, GA3-induced PIN gene expression did not fully explain GA-enhanced PIN protein accumulation. These results suggest that GA3 is involved in auxin-mediated primary root elongation by modulating auxin signalling and transport, and thus enhances root responsiveness to exogenous IAA.

Plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase is involved in methyl jasmonate-induced root hair formation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seedlings.

KEY MESSAGE: Our results show that methyl jasmonate induces plasma membrane H (+) -ATPase activity and subsequently influences the apoplastic pH of trichoblasts to maintain a cell wall pH environment appropriate for root hair development. Root hairs, which arise from root epidermal cells, are tubular structures that increase the efficiency of water absorption and nutrient uptake. Plant hormones are critical regulators of root hair development. In this study, we investigated the regulatory role of the plasma membrane (PM) H(+)-ATPase in methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-induced root hair formation. We found that MeJA had a pronounced effect on the promotion of root hair formation in lettuce seedlings, but that this effect was blocked by the PM H(+)-ATPase inhibitor vanadate. Furthermore, MeJA treatment increased PM H(+)-ATPase activity in parallel with H(+) efflux from the root tips of lettuce seedlings and rhizosphere acidification. Our results also showed that MeJA-induced root hair formation was accompanied by hydrogen peroxide accumulation. The apoplastic acidification acted in concert with reactive oxygen species to modulate root hair formation. Our results suggest that the effect of MeJA on root hair formation is mediated by modulation of PM H(+)-ATPase activity.

Nanopyramid structure for ultrathin c-Si tandem solar cells.

Recently, ultrathin crystalline silicon solar cells have gained tremendous interest because they are deemed to dramatically reduce material usage. However, the resulting conversion efficiency is still limited by the incomplete light absorption in such ultrathin devices. In this letter, we propose ultrathin a-Si/c-Si tandem solar cells with an efficient light trapping design, where a nanopyramid structure is introduced between the top and bottom cells. The superior light harvesting results in a 48% and 35% remarkable improvement of the short-circuit current density for the top and bottom cells, respectively. Meanwhile, the use of SiOx mixed-phase nanomaterial helps to provide the maximum light trapping without paying the price of reduced electrical performance, and conversion efficiencies of up to 13.3% have been achieved for the ultrathin tandem cell employing only 8 µm of silicon, which is 29% higher than the result obtained for the planar cell.

A Photolithography-Free Fabrication Strategy for Perovskite Photodetector Array with High-Security Imaging Application.

Metal halide perovskites have attracted significant attention for high-performance and cost-effective photodetector (PD) arrays in recent years. Traditional perovskite photodetector arrays typically rely on planar structure and photolithography, which limit resolution and involve complex, costly processes. To address these challenges, an innovative, lithography-free fabrication strategy is proposed utilizing direct laser writing ablation and a surface energy-assisted selective growth process. A 10 × 10 self-powered perovskite photodetector array is demonstrated with a vertical cross-bar structure fabricated on a laser-ablated textured Indium-Tin Oxide (ITO) substrate which improves the device performance. The device exhibits a fast photoresponse and effective imaging capability. Moreover, the intrinsic physical disorder and randomness of perovskite provide highly secure entropy sources, making the photodetector array suitable for physical unclonable function (PUF) devices. This method offers a promising opportunity for simplifying the fabrication process, enhancing manufacturability, and advancing the application of perovskite PD arrays in secure imaging systems.

Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Capping Layer for High Efficiency FAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells with Long-Term Stability.

Ionic liquid salts (ILs) are generally recognized as additives in perovskite precursor solutions to enhance the efficiency and stability of solar cells. However, the success of ILs incorporation as additives is highly dependent on the precursor formulation and perovskite crystallization process, posing challenges for industrial-scale implementation. In this study, a room-temperature spin-coated IL, n-butylamine acetate (BAAc), is identified as an ideal passivation agent for formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) films. Compared with other passivation methods, the room-temperature BAAc capping layer (BAAc RT) demonstrates more uniform and thorough passivation of surface defects in the FAPbI3 perovskite. Additionally, it provides better energy level alignment for hole extraction. As a result, the champion n-i-p perovskite solar cell with a BAAc capping layer exhibits a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.76%, with an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.19 V, and a Voc loss of ≈330 mV. The PCE of the perovskite mini-module with BAAc RT reaches 20.47%, showcasing the effectiveness and viability of this method for manufacturing large-area perovskite solar cells. Moreover, the BAAc passivation layer also improves the long-term stability of unencapsulated FAPbI3 perovskite solar cells, enabling a T80 lifetime of  3500 h when stored at 35% relative humidity at room temperature in an air atmosphere.

Stable, Scalable, and Free-Standing Perovskite Quantum Dots Composite Reinforced by Cellulose Fibers.

Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have attracted emerging attention as fluorescent and light-absorbing materials for next-generation optoelectronics due to their outstanding properties and cost-efficiency. However, PQD thin film suffers significant instability due to structure and material failures, which hinders their application in flexible and reliable PQD-based advanced wearable devices. Herein, we use commercial cellulose fiber-based filter paper as a substrate to synthesize PQDs in situ and fabricate PQD-paper free-standing flexible composite film. The abundant hydroxy capping ligands of cellulose fibers and the unique dense network structure of the filter paper can facilitate confined crystallization, forming strong interactions between the PQDs and substrate, the unpackaged PQD composite film showed extraordinary stability (>30 days) in the air with high humidity (90%). Meanwhile, the strong interaction between PQDs and paper enables an ultrasimple drop-cast synthesis process with excellent process tolerance, making it customizable and easy to scale up (10 cm in diameter). Due to the uniformly dispersed PQDs on cellulose fibers of the substrate, the composite demonstrates impressive photo-responsive properties. Photodetector (PD) arrays were designed on free-standing PQD paper and flexible graphitic electrodes, and circuits were fabricated by drawing. The PD arrays can work as optical and electrical dual-mode image sensors with incredible bending robustness, enduring up to 100,000 cycles at 180°.

Correction: High-performance p-i-n perovskite photodetectors and image sensors with long-term operational stability enabled by a corrosion-resistant titanium nitride back electrode.

Correction for 'High-performance p-i-n perovskite photodetectors and image sensors with long-term operational stability enabled by a corrosion-resistant titanium nitride back electrode' by Tian Sun et al., Nanoscale, 2023, 15, 7803-7811, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3NR00410D.

High-performance p-i-n perovskite photodetectors and image sensors with long-term operational stability enabled by a corrosion-resistant titanium nitride back electrode.

Despite the impressive developments in perovskite optoelectronic devices, their long-term stability remains a major challenge. Chemical reactions and ion exchange at the metal/perovskite contact interface are two significant factors that lead to the failure of perovskite devices. To address this issue, a titanium nitride (TiN) layer is introduced as a robust corrosion-resistant coating between perovskite films and metal electrodes. By introducing TiN layer, a perovskite photodiode with dark current down to 3.25 × 10-11 A cm-2 is realized. Consequently, the TiN-based perovskite photodiode shows a specific detectivity of 1.21 × 1014 cm W-1 Hz1/2, which is approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of the control device without a TiN layer. Under continuous illumination of a 520 nm green light for 576 000 cycles, the responsivity of the TiN-based photodetector remains at 94.27% of its initial value. The TiN-based photodetector exhibits superior stability under thermal stress. After aging at 85 °C for 572 h, the TiN-based photodetector retains 72% of its initial responsivity. Using the TiN-based photodiode, a perovskite image sensor containing 64 × 64 pixelated perovskite photodiodes is constructed over an amorphous silicon thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane. The perovskite image sensor exhibits real-time imaging capability and long-term stability for over 6 months. This study highlights the importance of using metallic nitrides to achieve high-performance and air-stable perovskite devices for optoelectronic applications.

Seasonal Dynamics of the Upper Respiratory Tract Microbiome in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Introduction: Increasing evidence suggests that seasonal changes can trigger the alternation of airway microbiome. However, the dynamics of the upper airway bacterial ecology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients across different seasons remains unclear. Methods: In this study, we present a 16S ribosomal RNA survey of the airway microbiome on 72 swab samples collected in different months (March, May, July, September, and November) in 2019 from 18 COPD patients and from six resampled patients in November in 2020. Results: Our study uncovered a dynamic airway microbiota where changes appeared to be associated with seasonal alternation in COPD patients. Twelve clusters of temporal patterns were displayed by differential and clustering analysis along the time course, systematically revealing distinct microbial taxa that prefer to grow in cool and warm seasons, respectively. Moreover, the upper airway microbiome composition was relatively stable in the same season in different years. Discussion: Given the tight association between airway microbiome and COPD disease progression, this study can provide useful information for clinically understanding the seasonal trend of disease phenotypes in COPD patients.

Multifunctional and Multicolor Perovskite-CdSe Quantum Dots Diodes for Pulse Oximetry.

A conventional pulse oximeter system is composed of two light sources with different peak emission wavelengths and a photodetector. Integrating these three independent components into one single device will absolutely simplify the system design and create a miniaturized size of the product. Here, we demonstrate a bilayer perovskite-CdSe quantum dot (hereafter perovskite-QD) diode capable of voltage-tunable green/red emission and photodetection. The proposed diode also presents an intriguing feature of simultaneous light emission and detection, which is explored as regards the diode being used as a photoconductor when the positive bias is larger than the built-in voltage. The multifunctional and multicolor diode is further employed in a reflective pulse oximeter system, as either the multicolor light sources or the sensing unit in the system provide accepted and trustful results for heart rate and arterial blood oxygenation. Our work provides a possible avenue for the simplification of the pulse oximetry with a compact and miniaturized design in the future.

[Clinical significance of combined detection of thinprep cytology test and high risk human papillomavirus hybrid capture 2 assay in the screening and recurrence predication of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of combined detection of TCT and HR-HPV-HC2 assay in the screening and recurrence prediction of CIN. METHODS: A total of 725 patients with suspected cervical abnormalities received TCT plus HR-HPV-HC2 detection and histopathological examinations.203 CINII-III patients received TCT and HC2 detection and histopathological examinations after treated with loop electrosurgical excision procedure or cold knife conization operation. The results of pathological examinations were gold standard. The sensitivity and specificity of TCT, HR-HPV-HC2 and TCT plus HR-HPV-HC2 were analyzed. RESULTS: The missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis rate of TCT and HC2 alone were 19.23%, 12.50% and 48.15%, 74.07% and sensitivity and specificity 90.02%, 97.01% and 51.85%, 17.76% respectively. The sensitivity, missed diagnosis rate and negative predictive value were 98.25%, 1.75% and 89.70% when TCT or HR-HPV-HC2 met the CIN diagnostic criteria. The specificity and positive predictive value were 58.95% and 72.80% when TCT and HR-HPV-HC2 met the CIN diagnostic criteria. The specificity of TCT or HR-HPV-HC2 alone was 80% for the prediction of recurrence at Month 6 postoperation. The specificity of TCT plus HR-HPV-HC2 was 98.27% for the prediction of recurrence at Month 3 postoperation and the negative predictive value was 98.75% at Month 6 postoperation. The sensitivity of TCT or HR-HPV-HC2 was 97.22% for the prediction of recurrence at Month 3/6. And the negative predictive value was 99.17% at Month 6 postoperation. CONCLUSION: The combined detection of TCT and HR-HPV-HC2 may improve the sensitivity and specificity of CIN and the predication of its postoperative recurrence.

[Value evaluation of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in the diagnosis of precocious puberty in girls by ROC curve analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the value of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and LH/FSH ratio in the diagnosis of precocious puberty in girls by ROC curve analysis. METHODS: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test was performed on 220 girls with pseudo-sexual precocity and 61 girls with true sexual precocity. Blood LH and FSH levels were measured before and after 30 and 60 minutes of taking the GnRH test. The ratio of LH to FSH was calculated. Sensitivity and best point for the diagnosis of precocity according to LH, FSH and LH/FSH ratio were analyzed by ROC curve analysis. RESULTS: The area under the ROC curve was 0.90 and 0.95 according to LH level and LH/FSH ratio respectively for the diagnosis of precocity. The best point for diagnosis by LH was 10.15 IU/L, with a sensitivity of 0.92 and specificity of 0.89. The best point for diagnosis by LH/FSH ratio was 0.60, with a missed diagnosis rate of 6.0% and specificity of 0.91. When true sexual precocity was diagnosed based on one index between LH>10.15 IU/L and LH/FSH ratio>0.60, sensitivity was 0.97 and specificity was 0.94. When the diagnosis of true sexual precocity was diagnosed based on both LH>10.15 IU/L and LH/FSH>0.60, sensitivity was 0.85 and specificity was 1.00. CONCLUSIONS: True sexual precocity can be diagnosed when both LH>10.15 IU/L and LH/FSH ratio>0.60. Only one of the two indexes for the diagnosis of true sexual precocity is presented, further observation is necessary to decrease missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.

Synthesis of cesium lead halide perovskite/zinc oxide (CsPbX3/ZnO, X= Br, I) as heterostructure photocatalyst with improved activity for heavy metal degradation.

Inorganic perovskites have been recognized as highly potent materials for the display and medical industries due to their outstanding features. However, there haven't been many reports on their implications as a photocatalyst for the removal of heavy metals. Photocatalysis has been regarded as a significant approach for the removal of pollutants because of its great sustainability, improved efficiency, and reduced energy consumption. Here, we applied inorganic cesium lead halides (Br and I) with zinc oxide heterostructure as a photocatalyst for the first time. The heterostructure has been synthesized by the traditional hot injection strategy and its photocatalytic activity was systematically investigated. Interestingly, the CsPbX3/ZnO heterostructure as a photocatalyst has a homogeneous geometry and possesses an excellent degradation efficiency of over 50% under xenon UV-Visible light. The CsPbX3/ZnO catalyst carries superior oxidation/reduction properties and ionic conductivity due to the synergistic photogenerated charge carrier and interaction between CsPbX3 and ZnO. The recycling experiment showed the good stability of the catalysts. These findings suggest that inorganic lead halide heterostructure has the potential to be used for heavy metal degradation and water pollution removal catalysts.

Stokes Shift in Inorganic Lead Halide Perovskites: Current Status and Perspective.

Inorganic metal halide perovskite system is considered as a promising candidate for applications from display to biomedical industry. Intrinsic inorganic lead halides possess small Stokes shift or self-absorption, providing negative impact for both photo voltaic and biomedical applications. Therefore, the development of an inorganic halide perovskite system with large Stokes shift is a significant venture. This review aims to provide an updated survey of the Stokes shift phenomena in the inorganic lead halide perovskites. The first section focuses about the mechanism, the second section gives different approaches in preparing inorganic perovskites with distinct Stokes shift, while the third section highlights the potential applications in both photovoltaic and biomedical areas. This review provides deep insight about the importance and usefulness of such phenomena in inorganic lead halides, essential for various applications.

Synaptic plasticity in self-powered artificial striate cortex for binocular orientation selectivity.

Get in-depth understanding of each part of visual pathway yields insights to conquer the challenges that classic computer vision is facing. Here, we first report the bioinspired striate cortex with binocular and orientation selective receptive field based on the crossbar array of self-powered memristors which is solution-processed monolithic all-perovskite system with each cross-point containing one CsFAPbI3 solar cell directly stacking on the CsPbBr2I memristor. The plasticity of self-powered memristor can be modulated by optical stimuli following triplet-STDP rules. Furthermore, plasticity of 3 × 3 flexible crossbar array of self-powered memristors has been successfully modulated based on generalized BCM learning rule for optical-encoded pattern recognition. Finally, we implemented artificial striate cortex with binocularity and orientation selectivity based on two simulated 9 × 9 self-powered memristors networks. The emulation of striate cortex with binocular and orientation selectivity will facilitate the brisk edge and corner detection for machine vision in the future applications.