Ultrathin surface coating of conductive and zincophilic titanium oxynitride enables stable zinc anodes for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

The lifespan of aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIB) has been hindered by the instability of zinc anodes, encountering challenges such as irregular dendritic growth, corrosion and hydrogen evolution reactions. In this study, we address these challenges by employing atomic-layer deposition (ALD) to create an ultrathin, conductive titanium oxynitride (TiNxOy) coating with abundant zincophilic sites. This atomic-scale coating serves as a bi-functional barrier that isolates the zinc metal from the electrolyte, thereby reducing spontaneous corrosion and mitigating hydrogen evolution. Additionally, the TiNxOy layer improves the distribution of the interfacial electric field and promotes uniform zinc plating and stripping. As a result, the TiNxOy-coated zinc anode demonstrates a significantly reduced over-potential and enhanced cycling stability, maintaining performance over 1300 h at 1 mA cm-2 in a symmetric cell. When coupled with a MnO2 cathode, the full cell achieves a capacity of 85.3 mAh g-1 after 4500 cycles at a high current density of 10C.

Forkhead box protein FOXK1 disrupts the circadian rhythm to promote breast tumorigenesis in response to insulin resistance.

The dysregulation of circadian rhythm oscillation is a prominent feature of various solid tumors. Thus, clarifying the molecular mechanisms that maintain the circadian clock is important. In the present study, we revealed that the transcription factor forkhead box FOXK1 functions as an oncogene in breast cancer. We showed that FOXK1 recruits multiple transcription corepressor complexes, including NCoR/SMRT, SIN3A, NuRD, and REST/CoREST. Among them, the FOXK1/NCoR/SIN3A complex transcriptionally regulates a cohort of genes, including CLOCK, PER2, and CRY2, that are critically involved in the circadian rhythm. The complex promoted the proliferation of breast cancer cells by disturbing the circadian rhythm oscillation. Notably, the nuclear expression of FOXK1 was positively correlated with tumor grade. Insulin resistance gradually became more severe with tumor progression and was accompanied by the increased expression of OGT, which caused the nuclear translocation and increased expression of FOXK1. Additionally, we found that metformin downregulates FOXK1 and exports it from the nucleus, while HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) inhibit the FOXK1-related enzymatic activity. Combined treatment enhanced the expression of circadian clock genes through the regulation of FOXK1, thereby exerting an antitumor effect, indicating that highly nuclear FOXK1-expressing breast cancers are potential candidates for the combined application of metformin and HDACi.

3D Reconstruction from a Single Sketch via View-dependent Depth Sampling.

Reconstructing a 3D shape based on a single sketch image is challenging due to the inherent sparsity and ambiguity present in sketches. Existing methods lose fine details when extracting features to predict 3D objects from sketches. Upon analyzing the 3D-to-2D projection process, we observe that the density map, characterizing the distribution of 2D point clouds, can serve as a proxy to facilitate the reconstruction process. In this work, we propose a novel sketch-based 3D reconstruction model named SketchSampler. It initiates the process by translating a sketch through an image translation network into a more informative 2D representation, which is then used to generate a density map. Subsequently, a two-stage probabilistic sampling process is employed to reconstruct a 3D point cloud: firstly, recovering the 2D points (i.e., the x and y coordinates) by sampling the density map; and secondly, predicting the depth (i.e., the z coordinate) by sampling the depth values along the ray determined by each 2D point. Additionally, we convert the reconstructed point cloud into a 3D mesh for wider applications. To reduce ambiguity, we incorporate hidden lines in sketches. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach significantly outperforms other baseline methods.

Response of a simulated aquatic fungal community to nanoplastics exposure and functional consequence on leaf decomposition.

Nanoplastics pose a potential threat to a wide variety of aquatic organisms. Despite the awareness of this existing hazard, the impact of nanoplastics on natural fungal communities remains a research gap. In this study, five dominant fungi species, isolated from a stream ecosystem, were used to explore the effects of different nano-polystyrene (nano-PS) particles concentrations on a simulated fungal community. Specifically, the evaluation was conducted regarding the fungal growth, reproductivity, structural composition, and ecological function in leaf litter decomposition. A 15-day exposure experiment showed that 100 µg/L nano-PS significantly reduced the microcosm pH. The extracellular enzyme activities of ß-glucosidase, leucine-aminopeptidase, and peroxidase were significantly promoted by nano-PS exposure for 5 days or 15 days. Total sporulation rate significantly decreased after the 15-day exposure to 1 and 100 µg/L nano-PS and significantly increased under 10 µg/L nano-PS. In contrast, nano-PS concentrations had no effects on fungal biomass. In addition, the reduced relative abundance of Geotrichum candidum lowered its contribution to leaf decomposition, resulting in a decreased litter decomposition rate of a 24.5-27.9 % after exposure. This suggests that 1-100 µg/L nano-PS inhibited leaf decomposition by inhibiting fungal reproduction and reducing the contribution of specific fungal species. In addition, the findings highlight the importance of exploring the potential mechanisms of the interaction between nanoplastics and fungal species.

Effects of nanoplastic exposure routes on leaf decomposition in streams.

Polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) released from plastic products have been demonstrated to pose a threat to leaf litter decomposition in streams. Given the multitrophic systems of species interactions, the effects of PS NPs through different exposure routes on ecosystem functioning remain unclear. Especially dietary exposure, a frequently overlooked pathway leading to toxicity, deserves more attention. A microcosm experiment was conducted in this study to assess the effects of waterborne and dietary exposure to PS NPs on the litter-based food chain involving leaves, microbial decomposers, and detritivores (river snails). Compared to waterborne contamination, dietary contamination resulted in lower microbial enzyme activities and a significantly higher decrease in the lipid content of leaves. For river snails, their antioxidant activity was significantly increased by 20.21%-69.93%, and their leaf consumption rate was significantly reduced by 16.60% through the dietary route due to the lower lipid content of leaves. Besides, the significantly decreased nutritional quality of river snails would negatively influence their palatability to predators. The findings of this study indicate that dietary exposure to PS NPs significantly impacts microbial and detritivore activities, thus affecting their functions in the detritus food chain as well as nutrient cycling.

Longitudinal manipulation of local nonseparability in vector beams.

The inherent nonseparability of vector beams presents a unique opportunity to explore novel optical functionalities, expanding new degrees of freedom for optical information processing. In this Letter, we introduce a novel, to the best of our knowledge, method for tailoring the local nonseparability along the propagation axis of vector beams. Employing higher-order Bessel vector beams, the longitudinal control over the local nonseparability is achieved through targeted amplitude modulation of constituent orthogonal polarization components within the main ring region. Experimental demonstrations of diverse longitudinal nonseparability profiles corroborate the efficacy and versatility of our approach, opening avenues for further exploration of the nonseparability manipulation in vector beams.

Potential diagnostic markers shared between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis determined by machine learning and bioinformatic analysis.

Background: Evidence indicates that chronic non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can increase the risk of atherosclerosis (AS), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Objective: This study is intended for confirming key genes shared between NAFLD and AS, and their clinical diagnostic value to establish a foundation for searching novel therapeutic targets. Methods: We downloaded the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets, GSE48452 and GSE89632 for NAFLD and GSE100927, GSE40231 and GSE28829 for AS. The progression of NAFLD co-expression gene modules were recognized via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). We screened for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with AS and identified common genes associated with NAFLD and AS using Venn diagrams. We investigated the most significant core genes between NAFLD and AS using machine learning algorithms. We then constructed a diagnostic model by creating a nomogram and evaluating its performance using ROC curves. Furthermore, the CIBERSORT algorithm was utilized to explore the immune cell infiltration between the two diseases, and evaluate the relationship between diagnostic genes and immune cells. Results: The WGCNA findings associated 1,129 key genes with NAFLD, and the difference analysis results identified 625 DEGs in AS, and 47 genes that were common to both diseases. We screened the core RPS6KA1 and SERPINA3 genes associated with NAFLD and AS using three machine learning algorithms. A nomogram and ROC curves demonstrated that these genes had great clinical meaning. We found differential expression of RPS6KA1 in patients with steatosis and NASH, and of SERPINA3 only in those with NASH compared with normal individuals. Immune infiltration findings revealed that macrophage and mast cell infiltration play important roles in the development of NAFLD and AS. Notably, SERPINA3 correlated negatively, whereas RPS6KA1 correlated positively with macrophages and mast cells. Conclusion: We identified RPS6KA1 and SERPINA3 as potential diagnostic markers for NAFLD and AS. The most promising marker for a diagnosis of NAFLD and AS might be RPS6KA1, whereas SERPINA3 is the most closely related gene for NASH and AS. We believe that further exploration of these core genes will reveal the etiology and a pathological relationship between NAFLD and AS.

Lagging pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the rebuilt e-waste site: From the perspective of characteristics, sources, and risk assessment.

Little information is known regarding how the lagged pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) influenced the environment and human health after an e-waste dismantling site was rebuilt. This study investigated the characteristics, sources, and risk assessment of PAHs in a rebuilt e-waste site and its surrounding farmland by analyzing the samples of soil, dust, water, and vegetable. Concentrations of PAHs in soil, vegetable and water in the rebuilt site were relatively higher than in its surrounding farmland. The concentrations in surface soils, soil columns, dust, vegetables, and water varied from 55.4 to 3990 ng g-1, 1.65 to 5060 ng g-1, 2190 to 2420 ng g-1, 2670 to 10,300 ng g-1, and 46.8 to 110 µg L-1 in the e-waste site, respectively. On the farmland, PAH concentrations in surface soils, vegetables, and water ranged from 41.5 to 2760 ng g-1, 506 to 7640 ng g-1, and 56.6 to 89.2 µg L-1, respectively. A higher proportion of high-molecular-weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs) appeared in all multimedia compared with low-molecular-weight PAHs (LMW-PAHs). Diagnostic ratio together with positive matrix factorization (PMF) revealed that vehicle emission was the primary source in this area, and the activity of e-waste disposal was another important source in the rebuilt e-waste site. Based on the deterministic health risks, people working in the reconstructed e-waste site were exposed to low risks, whereas the residents living near the surrounding farmland were exposed to low risk. Sensitivity analyses indicated that exposure frequency and PAH concentrations were the main factors that influenced exposure risk. This study provides valuable insight into the comprehension of the lagging pollution effects of PAH on the environment and human health after the e-waste site was rebuilt.

Impaired meningeal lymphatic drainage in Listeria monocytogenes infection.

Previous studies have demonstrated an association between lymphatic vessels and diseases caused by bacterial infections. Listeria monocytogenes (LM) bacterial infection can affect multiple organs, including the intestine, brain, liver and spleen, which can be fatal. However, the impacts of LM infection on morphological and functional changes of lymphatic vessels remain unexplored. In this study, we found that LM infection not only induces meningeal and mesenteric lymphangiogenesis in mice, but also impairs meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs)-mediated macromolecules drainage. Interestingly, we found that the genes associated with lymphatic vessel development and function, such as Gata2 and Foxc2, were downregulated, suggesting that LM infection may affect cellular polarization and valve development. On the other hand, photodynamic ablation of MLVs exacerbated inflammation and bacterial load in the brain of mice with LM infection. Overall, our findings indicate that LM infection induces lymphangiogenesis and may affect cell polarization, cavity formation, and valve development during lymphangiogenesis, ultimately impairing MLVs drainage.

FOXK1 promotes hormonally responsive breast carcinogenesis by suppressing apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: Globally, breast cancer constitutes the predominant malignancy in women. Abnormal regulation of epigenetic factors plays a key role in the development of tumors. Anti-apoptosis is a characteristic of tumor cells. Therefore, exploring and identifying relevant epigenetic factors that regulate the apoptosis of tumor cells is the foundation for clarifying the pathogenesis of tumors and achieving precision antitumor therapy. METHOD: This study focused on exploring the epigenetic mechanism of FOXK1 in the development of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+ ) breast cancer. We used overexpressing FLAG-FOXK1 MCF-7 cells to perform silver staining mass spectrometry analysis and conducted Co-IP experiments to verify the interactions. ChIP-seq was conducted on MCF-7 cells to examine FOXK1's binding across the genome and its transcriptional target sites. To validate the ChIP-seq results, qChIP, western blotting, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were performed. Through TUNEL assay, cell counting assay, colony formation assay, and the mouse xenograft models, the effect of FOXK1 on breast cancer progression was detected. Finally, by analyzing online databases, the correlation between FOXK1 and the survival of breast cancer patients was examined. RESULTS: FOXK1 interacts with the REST/CoREST transcriptional corepression complex to transcriptionally inhibit target genes representing the apoptotic pathway. Abnormally high expression of FOXK1 prevents the apoptosis of ER+ breast cancer cells in vitro and promotes ER+ breast tumor progression in vivo. Furthermore, the expression of FOXK1 is negatively correlated with the survival of ER+ breast cancer patients. CONCLUSION: FOXK1 promotes ER+ breast carcinogenesis through anti-apoptosis and acts as a potential target for ER+ breast cancer treatment.

Single-shot measurement of the Jones matrix for anisotropic media using four-channel digital polarization holography.

Dynamic measurement of the Jones matrix is crucial in investigating polarization light fields, which have wide applications in biophysics, chemistry, and mineralogy. However, acquiring the four elements of the Jones matrix instantly is difficult, hindering the characterization of random media and transient processes. In this study, we propose a single-shot measurement method of the Jones matrix for anisotropic media called "four-channel digital polarization holography" (FC-DPH). The FC-DPH system is created by a slightly off-axis superposition of reference light waves, which are modulated by a spatial light modulator (SLM), and signal light waves that pass through a Ronchi grating. The SLM enables flexible adjustment of the spatial carrier frequency, which can be adapted to different anisotropic media. The four elements of the Jones matrix can be obtained from the interferogram through the inverse Fourier transform. Optical experiments on anisotropic objects validate the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed method.

Berry Curvature and Bulk-Boundary Correspondence from Transport Measurement for Photonic Chern Bands.

Berry curvature is a fundamental element to characterize topological quantum physics, while a full measurement of Berry curvature in momentum space was not reported for topological states. Here we achieve two-dimensional Berry curvature reconstruction in a photonic quantum anomalous Hall system via Hall transport measurement of a momentum-resolved wave packet. Integrating measured Berry curvature over the two-dimensional Brillouin zone, we obtain Chern numbers corresponding to -1 and 0. Further, we identify bulk-boundary correspondence by measuring topology-linked chiral edge states at the boundary. The full topological characterization of photonic Chern bands from Berry curvature, Chern number, and edge transport measurements enables our photonic system to serve as a versatile platform for further in-depth study of novel topological physics.

Effects of Heated Drinking Water during the Cold Season on Serum Biochemistry, Ruminal Fermentation, Bacterial Community, and Metabolome of Beef Cattle.

This study explored the effects of drinking heated water in the cold seasons on the serum metabolism, rumen microbial fermentation, and metabolome of beef cattle. Twelve fattening cattle (642 ± 14.6 kg) aged 21 to 22 months were randomly and equally divided into two groups based on body weight: one receiving room-temperature water (RTW; average 4.39 ± 2.55 °C) and the other heated water (HW; average 26.3 ± 1.70 °C). The HW group displayed a significant decrease in serum glucose (p < 0.01) and non-esterified fatty acid (p < 0.01), but increases in insulin (p = 0.04) and high-density lipoprotein (p = 0.03). The rumen fermentation parameters of the HW group showed substantial elevations in acetate (p = 0.04), propionate (p < 0.01), isobutyrate (p = 0.02), and total volatile fatty acids (p < 0.01). Distinct bacterial composition differences were found between RTW and HW at the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level (R = 0.20, p = 0.01). Compared to RTW, the HW mainly had a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes (p = 0.07) at the phylum level and had a lower abundance of Prevotella (p < 0.01), norank_f_p-215-o5 (p = 0.03), and a higher abundance of NK4A214_group (p = 0.01) and Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group (p = 0.05) at the genus level. In addition, NK4A214_group and Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group were significantly positively correlated with the rumen propionate and isovalerate (r > 0.63, p < 0.05). Prevotella was negatively correlated with rumen propionate and total volatile fatty acids (r = -0.61, p < 0.05). In terms of the main differential metabolites, compared to the RTW group, the expression of Cynaroside A, N-acetyl-L-glutamic acid, N-acetyl-L-glutamate-5-semialdehyde, and Pantothenic acid was significantly upregulated in HW. The differentially regulated metabolic pathways were primarily enriched in nitrogen metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and linoleic acid metabolism. Prevotella was significantly positively correlated with suberic acid and [6]-Gingerdiol 3,5-diacetate (r > 0.59, p < 0.05) and was negatively correlated with Pantothenic acid and isoleucyl-aspartate (r < -0.65, p < 0.05). NK4A214_group was positively correlated with L-Methionine and glycylproline (r > 0.57, p < 0.05). Overall, our research demonstrates the important relationship between drinking water temperature and metabolic and physiological responses in beef cattle. Heating drinking water during cold seasons plays a pivotal role in modulating internal energy processes. These findings underscore the potential benefits of using heated water as a strategic approach to optimize energy utilization in beef cattle during the cold seasons.

Polystyrene size-dependent impacts on microbial decomposers and nutrient cycling in streams.

The particle size of plastic is one of the most important factors influencing its ecotoxicity, but we are unclear about the effect of polystyrene (PS) particle size on microbial decomposers and consequent nutrient cycling in streams. Here, using microcosm experiments, we assessed how three PS sizes (50 nm, 1 µm, and 20 µm) influenced the process and consequences of leaf litter decomposition. Under acute exposure to 1 µm and 20 µm PS, fungal biomass significantly decreased, but microbial biomass significantly increased, indicating compensations may work between fungi and other microbial decomposers. After chronic exposure to 50 nm and 1 µm PS, the leaf decomposition rate decreased by 19.27 % and 15.22 %, respectively, due to the reduced microbial enzyme activity, fungal diversity, and dominance of Anguillospora. As a result, the regeneration of nutrients, especially phosphorus, was significantly depressed, which might influence the primary productivity of streams. Therefore, our results suggest that nanoscale PS has a greater impact on microbial activity, thus affecting their functioning in leaf litter decomposition and consequent nutrient cycling. The findings provide a data support for the risk assessment of plastic pollution in freshwater systems.

Spatio-temporal structuring control of a vectorial focal field.

Focal field modulation has attracted a lot of interest due to its potential in many applications such as optical tweezers or laser processing, and it has recently been facilitated by spatial light modulators (SLMs) owing to their dynamic modulation abilities. However, capabilities for manipulating focal fields are limited by the space-bandwidth product of SLMs. This difficulty can be alleviated by taking advantage of the high-speed modulation ability of digital micromirror devices (DMDs), i.e., trading time for space to achieve fine focus shaping. In this paper, we propose a new, to the best of our knowledge, technique for achieving four-dimensional focal field modulation, which allows for independent manipulation of the focal field's parameters (including amplitude, phase, and polarization) in both the space and time domains. This technique combines a DMD and a vector field synthesis system based on a 4-f system. The high-speed modulation ability of DMDs enables versatile focus patterns to be fast switchable during the exposure time of the detector, forming multiple patterns in a single recording frame. By generating different kinds of focal spots and lines at different moments during the exposure time of the detector, we can finally get complete multifocal spots and lines. Our proposed method is effective at improving the flexibility and speed of the focal field modulation, which is beneficial to applications.

Heating Drinking Water in Cold Season Improves Growth Performance via Enhancing Antioxidant Capacity and Rumen Fermentation Function of Beef Cattle.

The research aimed to investigate the suitable drinking water temperature in winter and its effect on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and rumen fermentation function of beef cattle. A total of 40 beef cattle (640 ± 19.2 kg) were randomly divided into five treatments with eight cattle in each treatment raised in one pen according to initial body weight. Each treatment differed only in the temperature of drinking water, including the room-temperature water and four different heat water groups named RTW, HW_1, HW_2, HW_3, and HW_4. The measured water temperatures were 4.39 ± 2.546 °C, 10.6 ± 1.29 °C, 18.6 ± 1.52 °C, 26.3 ± 1.70 °C, and 32.5 ± 2.62 °C, respectively. The average daily gain (ADG) showed a significant linear increase during d 0 to 60 and a quadratic increase during d 31 to 60 with rising water temperature (p < 0.05), and the highest ADG of 1.1911 kg/d was calculated at a water temperature of 23.98 °C (R2 = 0.898). The average rectal temperature on d 30 (p = 0.01) and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (p < 0.01) increased linearly with increasing water temperature. Additionally, HW_2 reduced serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and malondialdehyde (p < 0.05), and increased serum total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05) compared with RTW. Compared with HW_2, RTW had unfavorable effects on ruminal propionate, total volatile fatty acids, and cellulase concentrations (p < 0.05), and lower relative mRNA expression levels of claudin-4 (p < 0.01), occludin (p = 0.02), and zonula occludens-1 (p = 0.01) in the ruminal epithelium. Furthermore, RTW had a higher abundance of Prevotella (p = 0.04), Succinivibrionaceae_UCG-002 (p = 0.03), and Lachnospiraceae_UCG-004 (p = 0.03), and a lower abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae (p < 0.01) and Marinilabiliaceae (p = 0.05) in rumen compared to HW_2. Taken together, heated drinking water in cold climates could positively impact the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, and rumen fermentation function of beef cattle. The optimal water temperature for maximizing ADG was calculated to be 23.98 °C under our conditions. Ruminal propionate and its producing bacteria including Prevotella, Succinivibrionaceae, and Lachnospiraceae might be important regulators of rumen fermentation of beef cattle drinking RTW under cold conditions.

The Oxysterol Receptor EBI2 Links Innate and Adaptive Immunity to Limit IFN Response and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with abnormal activation of the immune system. Recent attention is increasing about how aberrant lipid and cholesterol metabolism is linked together with type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling in the regulation of the pathogenesis of SLE. Here, a metabonomic analysis is performed and increased plasma concentrations of oxysterols, especially 7α, 25-dihydroxycholesterol (7α, 25-OHC), are identified in SLE patients. The authors find that 7α, 25-OHC binding to its receptor Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 2 (EBI2) in macrophages can suppress STAT activation and the production of IFN-ß, chemokines, and cytokines. Importantly, monocytes/macrophages from SLE patients and mice show significantly reduced EBI2 expression, which can be triggered by IFN-γ produced in activated T cells. Previous findings suggest that EBI2 enhances immune cell migration. Opposite to this effect, the authors demonstrate that EBI2-deficient macrophages produce higher levels of chemokines and cytokines, which recruits and activates myeloid cells,T and B lymphocytes to exacerbate tetramethylpentadecane-induced SLE. Together, via sensing the oxysterol 7α, 25-OHC, EBI2 in macrophages can modulate innate and adaptive immune responses, which may be used as a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for SLE.

Strategies Toward Stretchable Aqueous Zn-based Batteries for Wearable Electronics from Components to Devices.

Recently, aqueous Zn-based batteries (AZBs) are receiving increased attention in wearable and implantable electronics due to the low cost, high safety, high eco-efficiency, and relatively high energy density. However, it is still a big challenge to develop stretchable AZBs (SAZBs) which can be conformally folded, crumpled, and stretched with human body motions. Although a lot of efforts have been dedicated to constructions of SAZBs, a comprehensive review which focuses on summarizing stretchable materials, device configurations and challenges of SAZBs is needed. Herein, this review attempts to critically review the latest developments and progress in stretchable electrodes, electrolytes, packaging materials and device configurations in detail. Furthermore, these challenges and potential future research directions in the field of SAZBs are also discussed.

Ion Diffusion-Directed Assembly of an Artificial Electronic-Ionic Conductor Layer with Zn-Ion Selective Channels for Highly Reversible Zinc Anodes.

Although aqueous zinc-ion batteries have attracted much attention due to their high safety, low cost, and relatively high energy density, their practical applications are severely limited by the uncontrollable dendrite growth and side reactions at the zinc anode. Herein, we design an electronic-ionic conductor artificial layer with Zn-ion selective channels on the Zn surface to regulate the Zn plating/stripping behavior through a one-step ion diffusion-directed assembly strategy using the commercially available conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). Significantly, the functional PEDOT:PSS-Zn2+ (PPZ) layer with abundant selective Zn-ion channels works as both an electron regulator and an ion regulator that could not only simultaneously uniformize the electrical and Zn2+ concentration field on the Zn surface and accelerate the Zn2+ transport kinetics but also block the access of SO42- and H2O. With such a synergy effect, the PEDOT:PSS-Zn2+-modified Zn anode (2PPZ@Zn) achieves a long lifespan of 2400 h of the symmetrical cell at a current density of 3 mA cm-2 (1 mA h cm-2). Additionally, a long-term lifespan of 500 h is harvested even at a high current of 5 mA cm-2 with a high capacity of 3 mA h cm-2. Furthermore, combined with a manganese dioxide cathode, a full cell similarly provides a cycling stability of over 1500 cycles with 75% capacity retention at a high rate of 10 C (1 C = 308 mA h g-1).

Can titanium dioxide nanoparticles modulate the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on aquatic leaf litter decomposition?

The potential impacts of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) at environmental levels on freshwater ecosystems cannot be ignored due to their frequent release. The most widely used metallic oxide, ZnO NPs and TiO2 NPs (100 ng L-1) were applied to explore their single and combined effects on leaf litter decomposition. Although ZnO NPs and TiO2 NPs alone or in combination increased 22.68%-41.17% of the leaf decomposition rate, they performed different toxic mechanisms in ecological processes. The microbial mass and enzyme activities significantly increased after acute exposure, but significantly decreased after chronic exposure to ZnO NPs. The activity of BG was the most sensitive factor that was decreased by 66.22%, 56.97%, and 39.39% after 21-day exposure to ZnO NPs, TiO2 NPs, and in combination, respectively. In addition, the analysis of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested a novel perspective on understanding the promoting mechanism. The promotion effect of ZnO NPs relied on the enhanced decomposition of refractory organics and easily degradable substances due to the contribution of Anguillospora, Pyrenochaetopsis, and Bipolaris. The single exposure to TiO2 NPs and combined exposure with ZnO NPs promoted microbial mass and hydrolase activities, with the stimulating effect attributed to the enhanced decomposition of soluble substances. Therefore, the results highlight the importance of chemical analysis of decomposed leaves to evaluate the potential threat of metallic NPs to the function of freshwater ecosystems.