Zebra-Patterned Stretchable Helical Yarn for Triboelectric Self-Powered Multifunctional Sensing.

Smart textiles capable of both energy harvesting and multifunctional sensing are highly desirable for next-generation portable electronics. However, there are still challenges that need to be conquered, such as the innovation of an energy-harvesting model and the optimization of interface bonding between fibers and active materials. Herein, inspired by the spiral structure of natural vines, a highly stretchable triboelectric helical yarn (TEHY) was manufactured by twisting the carbon nanotube/polyurethane nanofiber (CNT/PU NF) Janus membrane. The TEHY had a zebra-stripe-like design that was composed of black interval conductive CNTs and white insulative PU NFs. Due to the different electron affinity, the zebra-patterned TEHY realized a self-frictional triboelectric effect because the numerous microscopic CNT/PU triboelectric interfaces generated an alternating current in the external conductive circuit without extra external friction layers. The helical geometry combined with the elastic PU matrix endowed TEHY with superelastic stretchability and outstanding output stability after 1000 cycles of the stretch-release test. By virtue of the robust mechanical and electrical stability, the TEHY can not only be used as a high-entropy mechanical energy harvester but also serve as a self-powered sensor to monitor the stretching or deforming stimuli and human physiological activities in real time. These merits manifested the versatile applications of TEHY in smart fabrics, wearable power supplies, and human-machine interactions.

Unraveling genomic diversity and positive selection signatures of Qaidam cattle through whole-genome re-sequencing.

Qaidam cattle are a typical Chinese native breed inhabiting northwest China. They bear the characteristics of high cold and roughage tolerance, low-oxygen adaptability and good meat quality. To analyze the genetic diversity of Qaidam cattle, 60 samples were sequenced using whole-genome resequencing technology, along with 192 published sets of whole-genome sequencing data of Indian indicine cattle, Chinese indicine cattle, North Chinese cattle breeds, East Asian taurine cattle, Eurasian taurine cattle and European taurine cattle as controls. It was found that Qaidam cattle have rich genetic diversity in Bos taurus, but the degree of inbreeding is also high, which needs further protection. The phylogenetic analysis, principal component analysis and ancestral component analysis showed that Qaidam cattle mainly originated from East Asian taurine cattle. Qaidam cattle had a closer genetic relationship with the North Chinese cattle breeds and the least differentiation from Mongolian cattle. Annotating the selection signals obtained by composite likelihood ratio, nucleotide diversity analysis, integrated haplotype score, genetic differentiation index, genetic diversity ratio and cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity methods, several genes associated with immunity, reproduction, meat, milk, growth and adaptation showed strong selection signals. In general, this study provides genetic evidence for understanding the germplasm characteristics of Qaidam cattle. At the same time, it lays a foundation for the scientific and reasonable protection and utilization of genetic resources of Chinese local cattle breeds, which has great theoretical and practical significance.

Self-encapsulated ionic fibers based on stress-induced adaptive phase transition for non-contact depth-of-field camouflage sensing.

Ionically conductive fibers have promising applications; however, complex processing techniques and poor stability limit their practicality. To overcome these challenges, we proposed a stress-induced adaptive phase transition strategy to conveniently fabricate self-encapsulated hydrogel-based ionically conductive fibers (se-HICFs). se-HICFs can be produced simply by directly stretching ionic hydrogels with ultra-stretchable networks (us-IHs) or by dip-drawing from molten us-IHs. During this process, stress facilitated the directional migration and evaporation of water molecules in us-IHs, causing a phase transition in the surface layer of ionic fibers to achieve self-encapsulation. The resulting sheath-core structure of se-HICFs enhanced mechanical strength and stability while endowing se-HICFs with powerful non-contact electrostatic induction capabilities. Mimicking nature, se-HICFs were woven into spider web structures and camouflaged in wild environments to achieve high spatiotemporal resolution 3D depth-of-field sensing for different moving media. This work opens up a convenient route to fabricate stable functionalized ionic fibers.

Direct Mapping of Cytomechanical Homeostasis Destruction in Osteoarthritis Based on Silicon Nanopillar Array.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint degenerative disease characterized by chronic joint inflammation. The pathogenesis of OA has not been fully elucidated yet. Cartilage erosion is the most significant pathological feature in OA, which is considered the result of cytomechanical homeostasis destruction. The cytomechanical homeostasis is maintained by the dynamic interaction between cells and the extracellular matrix, which can be reflected by cell traction force (CTF). It is critical to assess the CTF to provide a deeper understanding of the cytomechanical homeostasis destruction and progression in OA. In this study, a silicon nanopillar array (Si-NP) with high spatial resolution and aspect ratio is fabricated to investigate the CTF in response to OA. It is discovered that the CTF is degraded in OA, which is attributed to the F-actin reorganization induced by the activation of RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. Si-NP also shows promising potential as a mechanopharmacological assessment platform for OA drug screening and evaluation.

Reshaping the Endogenous Electric Field to Boost Wound Repair via Electrogenerative Dressing.

The endogenous electric field (EF) generated by transepithelial potential difference plays a decisive role in wound reepithelialization. For patients with large or chronic wounds, negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is the most effective clinical method in inflammation control by continuously removing the necrotic tissues or infected substances, thus creating a proproliferative microenvironment beneficial for wound reepithelialization. However, continuous negative-pressure drainage causes electrolyte loss and weakens the endogenous EF, which in turn hinders wound reepithelialization. Here, an electrogenerative dressing (EGD) is developed by integrating triboelectric nanogenerators with NPWT. By converting the negative-pressure-induced mechanical deformation into electricity, EGD produces a stable and high-safety EF that can trigger a robust epithelial electrotactic response and drive the macrophages toward a reparative M2 phenotype in vitro. Translational medicine studies confirm that EGD completely reshapes the wound EF weakened by NPWT, and promotes wound closure by facilitating an earlier transition of inflammation/proliferation and guiding epithelial migration and proliferation to accelerate reepithelialization. Long-term EGD therapy remarkably advances tissue remodeling with mature epithelium, orderly extracellular matrix, and less scar formation. Compared with the golden standard of NPWT, EGD orchestrates all the essential wound stages in a noninvasive manner, presenting an excellent prospect in clinical wound therapy.

Hybrid nanogenerator based closed-loop self-powered low-level vagus nerve stimulation system for atrial fibrillation treatment.

Atrial fibrillation is an "invisible killer" of human health. It often induces high-risk diseases, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure. Fortunately, atrial fibrillation can be diagnosed and treated early. Low-level vagus nerve stimulation (LL-VNS) is a promising therapeutic method for atrial fibrillation. However, some fundamental challenges still need to be overcome in terms of flexibility, miniaturization, and long-term service of bioelectric stimulation devices. Here, we designed a closed-loop self-powered LL-VNS system that can monitor the patient's pulse wave status in real time and conduct stimulation impulses automatically during the development of atrial fibrillation. The implant is a hybrid nanogenerator (H-NG), which is flexible, light weight, and simple, even without electronic circuits, components, and batteries. The maximum output of the H-NG was 14.8 V and 17.8 µA (peak to peak). In the in vivo effect verification study, the atrial fibrillation duration significantly decreased by 90% after LL-VNS therapy, and myocardial fibrosis and atrial connexin levels were effectively improved. Notably, the anti-inflammatory effect triggered by mediating the NF-κB and AP-1 pathways in our therapeutic system is observed. Overall, this implantable bioelectronic device is expected to be used for self-powerability, intelligentization, portability for management, and therapy of chronic diseases.

Improved pharmacodynamics of epidermal growth factor via microneedles-based self-powered transcutaneous electrical stimulation.

Epidermal growth factor is an excellent drug for promoting wound healing; however, its conventional administration strategies are associated with pharmacodynamic challenges, such as low transdermal permeability, reduction, and receptor desensitization. Here, we develop a microneedle-based self-powered transcutaneous electrical stimulation system (mn-STESS) by integrating a sliding free-standing triboelectric nanogenerator with a microneedle patch to achieve improved epidermal growth factor pharmacodynamics. We show that the mn-STESS facilitates drug penetration and utilization by using microneedles to pierce the stratum corneum. More importantly, we find that it converts the mechanical energy of finger sliding into electricity and mediates transcutaneous electrical stimulation through microneedles. We demonstrate that the electrical stimulation applied by mn-STESS acts as an "adjuvant" that suppresses the reduction of epidermal growth factor by glutathione and upregulates its receptor expression in keratinocyte cells, successfully compensating for receptor desensitization. Collectively, this work highlights the promise of self-powered electrical adjuvants in improving drug pharmacodynamics, creating combinatorial therapeutic strategies for traditional drugs.

An Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Blood Pressure Monitor Wristband Based on Piezoelectric Nanogenerator.

Hypertensive patients account for about 16% to 37% of the global population, and about 9.4 million people die each year from hypertension and its complications. Blood pressure is an important indicator for diagnosing hypertension. Currently, blood pressure measurement methods are mainly based on mercury sphygmomanometers in hospitals or electronic sphygmomanometers at home. However, people's blood pressure changes with time, and using only the blood pressure value at the current moment to judge hypertension may cause misdiagnosis. Continuous blood pressure measurement can monitor sudden increases in blood pressure, and can also provide physicians with long-term continuous blood pressure changes as a diagnostic reference. In this article, we design an artificial intelligence-enhanced blood pressure monitoring wristband. The wristband's sensors are based on piezoelectric nanogenerators, with a high signal-to-noise ratio of 29.7 dB. Through the transformer deep learning model, the wristband can predict blood pressure readings, and the loss value is lower than 4 mmHg. By wearing this blood pressure monitoring wristband, we realized three days of continuous blood pressure monitoring of the subjects. The blood pressure monitoring wristband is lightweight, has profound significance for the prevention and treatment of hypertension, and has wide application prospects in medical, military, aerospace and other fields.

Ultra-Stretchable and Fast Self-Healing Ionic Hydrogel in Cryogenic Environments for Artificial Nerve Fiber.

Self-healing materials behave with irreplaceable advantages in biomimetic intelligent robots (BIR) for avoiding or reducing safety hazards and economic losses from accidental damage during service. However, the self-healing ability is unreservedly lost and even becomes rigid and fragile in the cryogenic environment where BIR are precisely needed. Here, the authors report a versatile ionic hydrogel with fast self-healing ability, ultra-stretchability, and stable conductivity, even at -80 °C. The hydrogel is systematically optimized to improve a hydrogen-bonded network nanostructure, coordinated achieving a quick self-healing ability within 10 min, large deformation tolerance of over 7000%, superior conductivity of 11.76 S cm-1 and anti-freezing ability, which is difficult to obtain simultaneously. Such a hydrogel provides new opportunities for artificial electronic devices in harsh environments. As a prospective application, they fabricate an artificial nerve fiber by mimicking the structure and functions of the myelinated axon, exhibiting the property of fast and potential-gated signal transmission. This artificial nerve fiber is integrated into a robot for demonstrating a real-time high fidelity and high throughput information interaction under big deformation and cryogenic temperature. The hydrogel and bionic device will bring pioneering functions for robots and open a broad application scenario in extreme conditions.

Ultrathin Stretchable Triboelectric Nanogenerators Improved by Postcharging Electrode Material.

Sustainable ultrathin stretchable power sources have emerged with the development of wearable electronics. They obtain energy from living organisms and the environment to drive these wearable electronics. Here, an ultrathin stretchable and triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) improved by chargeable carbon black (CB)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composite material (CT-TENG) is proposed for mechanical energy harvesting and physiological signal sensing. The CB/TPU composite can act as both a stretchable electrode and a triboelectric layer due to the coexistence of conductive CB and dielectric TPU. The CT-TENG demonstrates good stretchability (≈646%), ultrathin thickness (≈50 µm), and a lightweight (≈62 mg). The triboelectric electrode material can be improved by postcharging treatment. With the corona charging process, the output performance of the CT-TENG was improved eightfold and reached 41 V. Moreover, the CT-TENG with a self-powered sensing capability can inspect the amplitude and frequency of different physiological movements. Consequently, the CT-TENG is promising in promoting the development of electronic skins, wearable systems of self-powered sensors, human-machine interactions, soft robotics, and artificial intelligence applications.

An Ultra-Simple Charge Supplementary Strategy for High Performance Rotary Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

Free-standing rotary triboelectric nanogenerators (rTENG) can accomplish special tasks which require both high voltage and high frequency. However, the reported high performance rTENG all have complex structures for output enhancement. In this work, an ultra-simple strategy to build high performance rTENG is developed. With only one small paper strip added to the conventional structure, the output of the TENG is promoted hugely. The voltage is triplicated to 2.3 kV, and the current and charge are quintupled to 133 µA and 197 nC, respectively. The small paper strip, with the merits of ultra-simplicity, wide availability, easy accessibility and low cost, functions as a super-effective charge supplement. This simple and delicate structure enables ultra-high durability with the 2.3 kV voltage output 100% maintained after 1 000 000 cycles. This charge supplementary strategy is universally effective for many other materials, and decouples the output enhancement from any friction or contact on the metal electrodes, emphasizing a critical working principle for the rTENG. Atmospheric cold plasma is generated using the paper strip rTENG (ps-rTENG), which demonstrates strong ability to do bacteria sterilization. This simple and persistent charge supplementary strategy can be easily adopted by other designs to promote the output even further.

Stretchable, Self-Healing, and Skin-Mounted Active Sensor for Multipoint Muscle Function Assessment.

Assessment of muscle function is an essential indicator for estimating elderly health, evaluating motor function, and instructing rehabilitation training, which also sets urgent requirements for mechanical sensors with superior quantification, accuracy, and reliability. To overcome the rigidity and vulnerability of traditional metallic electrodes, we synthesize an ionic hydrogel with large deformation tolerance and fast self-healing ability. And we propose a stretchable, self-healing, and skin-mounted (Triple S) active sensor (TSAS) based on the principles of electrostatic induction and electrostatic coupling. The skin modulus-matched TSAS provides outstanding sensing properties: maximum output voltage of 78.44 V, minimal detection limit of 0.2 mN, fast response time of 1.03 ms, high signal-to-noise ratio and excellent long-term service stability. In training of arm muscle, the functional signals of biceps and triceps brachii muscles as well as the joint dexterity of bending angle can be acquired simultaneously through TSAS. The signal can also be sent wirelessly to a terminal for analysis. With the characteristics of high sensitivity, reliability, convenience, and low-cost, TSAS shows its potential to be the next-generation procedure for real-time assessment of muscle function and rehabilitation training.