High Stability Hypha-Like Core-Shell Nanostructure by In Situ Induced Phase Inversion for Zinc Metal Batteries.

Nanomaterials are widely used in many fields for their unique physical and chemical properties and especially demonstrate irreplaceability in energy storage systems. In this paper, a novel composite of copper sulfide with hypha-like core-shell nano-structure is synthesized by in situ phase inversion method, which serves as high stability negative electrode materials of zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). The unique structure facilitates efficient electron and ion transport, enhances the kinetics of electrochemical reactions, and effectively suppresses the undesired expansion and decomposition of transition metal compounds. As a result, the half battery exhibits high specific capacity (250.2 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1), reliable rate performance, and cycle stability (98.3 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 500 cycles). Additionally, when assembled with ZnxMnO2 positive to form a full battery, it demonstrates good cycling capacity at an intermediate current density of 2 A g-1, while maintaining excellent structural stability over 5,000 cycles (61% retention).

Evaluation of the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of an inactivated vaccine candidate for sheep infected with ovine parainfluenza virus type 3.

Respiratory diseases constitute a major health problem for ruminants, resulting in considerable economic losses throughout the world. Parainfluenza type 3 virus (PIV3) is one of the most important respiratory pathogens of ruminants. The pathogenicity and phylogenetic analyses of PIV3 virus have been reported in sheep and goats. However, there are no recent studies of the vaccination of sheep or goats against PIV3. Here, we developed a purified inactivated ovine parainfluenza virus type 3 (OPIV3) vaccine candidate. In addition, we immunized sheep with the inactivated OPIV3 vaccine and evaluated the immune response and pathological outcomes associated with OPIV3 TX01 infection. The vaccinated sheep demonstrated no obvious symptoms of respiratory tract infection, and there were no gross lesions or pathological changes in the lungs. The average body weight gain significantly differed between the vaccinated group and the control group (P < 0.01). The serum neutralization antibody levels rapidly increased in sheep post-vaccination and post-challenge with OPIV3. Furthermore, viral shedding in nasal swabs and viral loads in the lungs were reduced. The results of this study suggest that vaccination with this candidate vaccine induces the production of neutralizing antibodies and provides significant protection against OPIV3 infection. These results may be helpful for further studies on prevention and control strategies for OPIV3 infections.

Genetic characterization of bovine coronavirus strain isolated in Inner Mongolia of China.

BACKGROUND: Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is implicated in severe diarrhea in calves and contributes to the bovine respiratory disease complex; it shares a close relationship with human coronavirus. Similar to other coronaviruses, remarkable variability was found in the genome and biology of the BCoV. In 2022, samples of feces were collected from a cattle farm. A virus was isolated from 7-day-old newborn calves. In this study, we present the genetic characteristics of a new BCoV isolate. The complete genomic, spike protein, and nucleocapsid protein gene sequences of the BCoV strain, along with those of other coronaviruses, were obtained from the GenBank database. Genetic analysis was conducted using MEGA7.0 and the Neighbor-Joining (NJ) method. The reference strains' related genes were retrieved from GenBank for comparison and analysis using DNAMAN. RESULTS: The phylogenetic tree and whole genome consistency analysis showed that it belonged to the GIIb subgroup, which is epidemic in Asia and America, and was quite similar to the Chinese strains in the same cluster. Significantly, the S gene was highly consistent with QH1 (MH810151.1) isolated from yak. This suggests that the strain may have originated from interspecies transmission involving mutations of wild strains. The N gene was conserved and showed high sequence identity with the epidemic strains in China and the USA. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic characterization suggests that the isolated strain could be a new mutant from a wild-type lineage, which is in the same cluster as most Chinese epidemic strains but on a new branch.

Optimization of Electrode Materials Using Nanocarboxylic Polystyrene Promotes Accumulation for Chromium in Zea mays from Water and Soil Contamination.

Chromium is a multivalent metal with great development in the energy storage field because it can effectively improve the electrochemical performance of the material. However, chromium(VI) is soluble in water and toxic, which causes serious metal pollution in the environment. In addition, nanoplastics are difficult to degrade and easy to accumulate, which is an urgent environmental problem to be solved. Therefore, we choose Zea mays to absorb chromium ions, nanopolystyrene, nanocarboxylic polystyrene, and their complexes, which can coordinate and decompose with various polymers in Z. mays, and produce coordination, conjugation, mixed valence, and adjacent group effects. Due to the above effects, the UV-vis spectrum of the material is blueshifted; the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy peaks of Cr 2p have a chemical shift; the pore structure is optimized; the graphitization degree is improved; the content of N, O, and Cr in the material increases; and the elements are evenly distributed. The series of optimization processes makes the electrodes exhibit excellent electrochemical performance in both supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries. At 0.5 A·g-1, the specific capacitance of the electrode reaches 490 F·g-1. After 10,000 cycles, its specific capacitance remains at 429.3 F·g-1, and the Coulombic efficiency is 89.9%. In lithium-ion batteries, the initial discharging capacity of the electrode is 1071.7 mAh·g-1 at 0.05 A·g-1. After 5000 cycles, its specific capacity can still reach 242 mAh·g-1 at 0.2 A·g-1, and the Coulombic efficiency is above 95%.

Antibacterial mechanism of inosine against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris.

Inosine could potentially become a novel antibacterial agent against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris as low doses of inosine can prevent its contamination. However, until now the antibacterial mechanism of inosine targeting A. acidoterrestris is still unknown. In this study, to unravel the mechanism of inosine against A. acidoterrestris puzzle, the effects of inosine on bacterial surface hydrophobicity, intracellular protein content, cell membrane damage extent, and permeability of the A. acidoterrestris were investigated. The results showed that inosine can effectively inhibit the growth and reproduction of A. acidoterrestris by destroying the integrity of cell membrane and increasing its permeability, causing the leakage of intracellular nutrients. Furthermore, the interaction networks of inosine target proteins were analyzed. The interaction networks further revealed that damage to bacterial cell membranes might be relevant to inosine's effect on bacterial DNA replication and cell energy metabolism through regulating nucleotide synthesis and metabolism and the activity of translation initiation factors. Finally, the antibacterial mechanism of inosine against A. acidoterrestris was proposed.

Microstress for metal halide perovskite solar cells: from source to influence and management.

The power conversion efficiency of metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has increased dramatically in recent years, but there are still major bottlenecks in the commercial application of such materials, including intrinsic instability caused by external stimuli such as water, oxygen, and radiation, as well as local stress generated inside the perovskite and external stress caused by poor interlayer contact. However, some crucial sources of instability cannot be overcome by conventional encapsulation engineering. Among them, the tensile strain can weaken the chemical bonds in the perovskite lattice, thereby reducing the defects formation energy and activation energy of ion migration and accelerating the degradation rate of the perovskite crystal. This review expounds the latest in-depth understanding of microstrain in perovskite film from the thermodynamic sources and influences on the perovskite physicochemical structure and photoelectric performance. Furthermore, it also summarizes the effective strategies for strain regulation and interlayer contact performance improvement, which are conducive to the improvement of photovoltaic performance and internal stability of PSCs. Finally, we present a prospective outlook on how to achieve more stable and higher efficiency PSCs through strain engineering.

"Fast-Charging" Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries from Perspective of Ion Diffusion in Crystal Structure.

"Fast-charging" lithium-ion batteries have gained a multitude of attention in recent years since they could be applied to energy storage areas like electric vehicles, grids, and subsea operations. Unfortunately, the excellent energy density could fail to sustain optimally while lithium-ion batteries are exposed to fast-charging conditions. In actuality, the crystal structure of electrode materials represents the critical factor for influencing the electrode performance. Accordingly, employing anode materials with low diffusion barrier could improve the "fast-charging" performance of the lithium-ion battery. In this Review, first, the "fast-charging" principle of lithium-ion battery and ion diffusion path in the crystal are briefly outlined. Next, the application prospects of "fast-charging" anode materials with various crystal structures are evaluated to search "fast-charging" anode materials with stable, safe, and long lifespan, solving the remaining challenges associated with high power and high safety. Finally, summarizing recent research advances for typical "fast-charging" anode materials, including preparation methods for advanced morphologies and the latest techniques for ameliorating performance. Furthermore, an outlook is given on the ongoing breakthroughs for "fast-charging" anode materials of lithium-ion batteries. Intercalated materials (niobium-based, carbon-based, titanium-based, vanadium-based) with favorable cycling stability are predominantly limited by undesired electronic conductivity and theoretical specific capacity. Accordingly, addressing the electrical conductivity of these materials constitutes an effective trend for realizing fast-charging. The conversion-type transition metal oxide and phosphorus-based materials with high theoretical specific capacity typically undergoes significant volume variation during charging and discharging. Consequently, alleviating the volume expansion could significantly fulfill the application of these materials in fast-charging batteries.

Development of polysaccharide-coated layered double hydroxide nanocomposites for enhanced oral insulin delivery.

Oral insulin (INS) is predicted to have the most therapeutic advantages in treating diabetes to repress hepatic glucose production through its potential to mimic the endogenous insulin pathway. Many oral insulin delivery systems have been investigated. Layered double hydroxide (LDH) as an inorganic material has been widely used in drug delivery thanks to its appealing features such as good biocompatibility, low toxicity, and excellent loading capability. However, when used in oral drug delivery, the effectiveness of LDH is limited due to the acidic degradation in the stomach. In this study, to overcome these challenges, chitosan (Chi) and alginate (Alg) dual-coated LDH nanocomposites with the loading of insulin (Alg-Chi-LDH@INS) were developed by the layered-by-layered method for oral insulin delivery with dynamic size of ~ 350.8 nm, negative charge of ~ - 13.0 mV, and dispersity index 0.228. The insulin release profile was evaluated by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The drug release profiles evidenced that alginate and chitosan coating partially protect insulin release from a burst release in acidic conditions. The analysis using flow cytometry showed that chitosan coating significantly enhanced the uptake of LDH@INS by Caco-2 cells compared to unmodified LDH and free insulin. Further in the in vivo study in streptozocin-induced diabetic mice, a significant hypoglycemic effect was maintained following oral administration with great biocompatibility (~ 50% blood glucose level reduction at 4 h). This research has thus provided a potential nanocomposite system for oral delivery of insulin.