Flexible Printed Ultraviolet-to-Near-Infrared Broadband Optoelectronic Carbon Nanotube Synaptic Transistors for Fast and Energy-Efficient Neuromorphic Vision Systems.

To simulate biological visual systems and surpass their functions and performance, it is essential to develop high-performance optoelectronic neuromorphic electronics with broadband response, low power consumption, and fast response speed. Among these, optoelectronic synaptic transistors have emerged as promising candidates for constructing neuromorphic visual systems. In this work, flexible printed broadband (from 275 to 1050 nm) optoelectronic carbon nanotube synaptic transistors with good stability, high response speed (3.14 ms), and low-power consumption (as low as 0.1 fJ per event with the 1050 nm pulse illumination) using PbS quantum dots (QDs) modified semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWCNTs) as active layers are developed. In response to optical pulses within the ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelength range, the optoelectronic neuromorphic devices exhibit excitatory postsynaptic current, paired-pulse facilitation, and a transition from short-term plasticity to long-term plasticity, and other optical synaptic behaviors. Furthermore, a simplified neural morphology visual array is developed to simulate integrated functions such as image perception, memory, and preprocessing. More importantly, it can also emulate other complicated bionic functions, such as the infrared perception of salmon eyes and the warning behavior of reindeer in different environments. This work holds immense significance in advancing the development of artificial neural visual systems.

High-sensitivity and energy-efficient chloride ion sensors based on flexible printed carbon nanotube thin-film transistors for wearable electronics.

The advent of flexible single-walled carbon nanotube thin-film transistors (SWCNT-TFTs) has transformed electronics, providing significant benefits like low operating voltage, reduced power consumption, cost-effectiveness, and improved signal amplification. This study focuses on leveraging these attributes to develop a novel flexible high-sensitivity and energy-efficient chloride ion sensors based on printed flexible SWCNT-TFTs utilizing polymers-sorted semiconducting SWCNTs (sc-SWCNTs) as the active layers and ion liquids-poly(4-vinylphenol as dielectric layers along with the evaporated deposition of aluminum electrodes and printed silver electrodes as the gate and source-drain electrodes, respectively. The sensors exhibit several operational advantages, including low voltage requirements (≤1 V), rapid response speed (5.32 s), significant signal amplification (Up to 702.6 %), low power consumption (0.31 µJ at 1 mmol chloride ion), good repeatability, high sensitivity for both low and high concentrations of chloride ion (up to 100 mmol/L) and excellent mechanical flexibility (No obvious changes after bending for 10,000 times with a 5 mm radius). The detection mechanism of chloride ions was analyzed using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that chloride ions react with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to form silver chloride (AgCl) on printed electrodes, impeding carrier transport and reducing the currents in SWCNT TFTs. Importantly, our sensors' compatibility with smart devices allows for real-time monitoring of chloride ion levels in human sweat, offering significant potential for daily health monitoring.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of pollutants in environmental media.

Environmental pollutants are ubiquitous in our environmental media, resulting in detrimental impacts on both humans and the environment. An evidence-based review, particularly a systematic review and meta-analysis, performs a crucial function in assessing the pollution status of pollutants in environmental media at national and global scales. We selected and thoroughly investigated 76 papers focusing on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of contaminants in environmental media. The need to broaden the scope of studies was observed with an increase in the total number of publications, and there were greater focuses on food safety, water pollution, biological pollution, and environmental risks. Furthermore, this review outlined the fundamental procedures involved in a systematic review and meta-analysis, including literature searching, screening of articles, study quality analysis, data extraction and synthesis, and meta-analysis. A meta-analysis typically comprises fixed- and/or random-effects meta-analysis, identifying and measuring heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis, publication bias, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression. We specifically explored the application of meta-analysis to assess the presence of contaminants in environmental media based on two different pollutant categories, namely, non-biological and biological pollutants. The mean value is commonly utilized to assess the pooled concentration of non-biological pollutants, while the prevalence serves as the effect size of biological pollutants. Additionally, we summarized the innovative applications, frequent misuses, and problems encountered in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Finally, we proposed several suggestions for future research endeavors.

Molecular identification of Bambusa changningensis is the natural bamboo hybrid of B. rigida × Dendrocalamus farinosus.

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants commonly used in food, fibre, paper, biofuel, ornamental and medicinal industries. Natural hybridization in bamboo is rare due to its long vegetative period followed by gregarious flowering and death of the entire population. In the current study, a new bamboo species, Bambusa changningensis, shows intermediate characteristics of Dendrocalamus farinosus and B. rigida morphologically, but it is unknown whether B. changningensis is a natural hybrid. Moreover, B. changningensis has been identified as a superior variety of Sichuan Province with high pulping yield, fibre length and width. Therefore, we analyzed the morphological characteristics, DNA markers, DNA barcoding and chloroplast genomes to identify the hybrid origin of B. changningensis and possible maternal parent. We have developed the transcriptomic data for B. changningensis and mined the SSR loci. The putative parental lines and hybrid were screened for 64 SSR makers and identified that SSR14, SSR28, SSR31 and SSR34 markers showed both alleles of the parental species in B. changningensis, proving heterozygosity. Sequencing nuclear gene GBSSI partial regions and phylogenetic analysis also confirm the hybrid nature of B. changningensis. Further, we have generated the complete chloroplast genome sequence (139505 bp) of B. changningensis. By analyzing the cp genomes of both parents and B. changningensis, we identified that B. rigida might be the female parent. In conclusion, our study identified that B. changningensis is a natural hybrid, providing evidence for bamboo's natural hybridization. This is the first report on confirming a natural bamboo hybrid and its parents through SSR and chloroplast genome sequence.

Effects of lysine and leucine in free and different dipeptide forms on the growth, amino acid profile and transcription of intestinal peptide, and amino acid transporters in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus).

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different dipeptides (lysine-leucine, lysine-glycine, and leucine-glycine) and free amino acids (lysine and leucine) on the growth, gene expression of intestinal peptide and amino acid transporters, and serum free amino acid concentrations in turbot. Fish (11.98 ± 0.03 g) were fed four experimental diets supplementing with crystalline amino acids (CAA), lysine-leucine (Lys-Leu), lysine-glycine (Lys-Gly), and leucine-glycine (Gly-Leu). Fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) containing a mixture of free amino acids and small peptides was designed as a positive control diet. There was no significant difference in the growth and feed utilization among three dipeptide diets (Lys-Leu, Lys-Gly, and Gly-Leu). Compared with the CAA group, feed efficiency ratio was significantly higher in the Lys-Leu and Lys-Gly groups, and protein efficiency ratio was significantly higher in the Lys-Leu group. For peptide transporter, oligopeptide transporter 1 (PepT1) mRNA level was not affected by dietary treatments. For amino acid transporters, lower expression of B0 neutral amino acid transporter 1 (B0AT1) and proton-coupled amino acid transporter 1 (PAT1) were observed in fish fed the dipeptide and FPH diets compared with the CAA diet. In conclusion, juvenile turbot fed Lys-Leu, Gly-Leu, and Lys-Gly had a similar growth performance, whereas lysine and leucine in the Lys-Leu form can be utilized more efficiently for feed utilization than those in free amino acid from. In addition, compared to free amino acids, dipeptides and fish protein hydrolysate in diets may down-regulate the expression of amino acid transporters but did not affect the expression of PepT1.

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of Bambusa rigida (Bambuseae).

Bambusa rigida is a tropical woody bamboo widely distributed in Sichuan and southeastern of China with important economic and ecological values. We performed a complete chloroplast (cp) genome of B. rigida using Illumina NovaSeq PE150 platform. The length of complete cp sequence is 139,500 bp in size with a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 43,587 bp, which separates a large single-copy (LSC) region of 83,036 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 12,875 bp. Plastid genome contains 132 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 40 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on 30 cp genomes indicates that B. rigida is closely related to Bambusa ventricosa in Bambuseae.

Ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor based on the oligonucleotide self-assembled monolayer-mediated immunosensing interface.

Highly sensitive and selective quantitation of a variety of proteins over a wide concentration range is highly desirable for increased accuracy of biomarker detection or for multidisease diagnostics. In the present contribution, using human immunoglobulin G (HIgG) as the model target protein, an electrochemical ultrasensitive immunosensing platform was developed based on the oligonucleotide self-assembled monolayer-mediated (OSAM) sensing interface. For this immunosensor, the "signal-on" signaling mechanism and enzymatic signal amplification effect were integrated into one sensing architecture. Moreover, the thiolated flexible single-stranded DNAs immobilized onto gold electrode surface not only performs the wobbling motion to facilitate the electron transfer between the electrode surface and biosensing layer but also fundamentally prohibiting the direct interaction of proteins with gold substrate. Thus, the electrochemical signal could be efficiently enhanced and the unspecific adsorption or cross-reaction might be eliminated. As a result, utilizing the newly-proposed immunosensor, the HIgG can be detected down to 0.5 ng/mL, and the high detection specificity is offered. The successful design of OSAM and the highly desirable detection capability of new immunosensor are expected to provide a perspective for fabricating new robust immunosensing platform and for promising potential of oligonucleotide probe in biological research and biomedical diagnosis.

[Preparation of three capsaicinoid components using preparative high performance liquid chromatography].

A method was established for the isolation of three capsaicinoid components from capsaicinoids using preparative high performance liquid chromatography (Pre-HPLC). A preparative PRC-ODS column (250 mm x 21.5 mm, 13 microm) was used in the preparation process. By isocratic elution with methanol-water (70 : 30, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 15 mL/min followed by concentration, three capsaicinoid components were obtained from 80% capsaicinoids, and subsequently identified by 1H NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and EI-MS (electron impact-mass spectrometry) as nordihydrocapsaicin, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, and the purities of the three components analyzed by HPLC were 98.12%, 99.93% and 100.7% with yields of 60.1%, 58.9% and 72.3%, respectively.