Constructing Adsorption Site-Enhanced Vo-BiOCl/rGO Heterostructures for Efficient Response to NO2/NH3 Gases at Room Temperature.

Real-time detection of harmful gases at room temperature has become a serious problem in public health and environmental monitoring. Two-dimensional materials with semiconductor properties BiOCl is a promising gas-sensitive material due to its large specific surface area and adjustable band gap as well as outstanding safety characteristics. However, limited by the weak gas adsorption sites and sluggish charge-transfer ability, the performance of BiOCl could not be fully exploited. Oxygen vacancy (Vo) engineering can introduce lattice defects, thereby significantly increasing the local charge density and enhancing the adsorption of gases, which is an effective strategy to enhance the gas-sensing performance. In this work, we composite BiOCl with a vacancy (Vo-BiOCl) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to construct a Vo-BiOCl/rGO heterostructure with enhanced gas adsorption sites. Experimental and theoretical calculations show that Vo can enhance the adsorption of gases and the introduction of rGO forms a high-quality heterostructure with BiOCl, which can effectively reduce the band gap of BiOCl and promote electron transfer, thereby improving the sensitivity of the sensor. Benefiting from above, Vo-BiOCl/rGO achieves the ability to detect low concentrations of NO2/NH3 at room temperature, with high sensitivity (55% at 1 ppm of NO2 and -28% at 1 ppm of NH3), fast response time (40 s at 1 ppm of NO2 and 2 s at 1 ppm of NH3), good stability (over 150 days), and fully recoverable gas sensitivity.

Self-Powered Visible-Blind Ultraviolet Photodetector Based on Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Copper Halide [N(C2H5)4]2[Cu2Br4].

Organic-inorganic hybrid ternary copper halides offer a broader spectrum of structural possibilities for finely tuning their optoelectronic properties. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time the potential of [N(C2H5)4]2[Cu2Br4], a zero-dimensional hybrid copper halide [(TEA)2Cu2Br4], for ultraviolet (UV) photodetection. A self-powered, visible-blind UV photodetector based on a (TEA)2Cu2Br4/GaN heterojunction architecture is developed, exhibiting a high responsivity, a high detectivity, and fast response speeds. The device demonstrates exceptional stability against environmental oxygen/moisture, heat, and UV light illumination, surpassing the stability of reported copper-based UV photodetectors. Our work highlights the significant potential of (TEA)2Cu2Br4 as a lead-free, stable, and efficient material for next-generation UV photodetection technology.

Fabrication of a modified bacterial cellulose with different alkyl chains and its prevention of abdominal adhesion.

Abdominal hernia mesh is a common product which is used for prevention of abdominal adhesion and repairing abdominal wall defect. Currently, designing and preparing a novel bio-mesh material with prevention of adhesion, promoting repair and good biocompatibility simultaneously remain a great bottleneck. In this study, a novel siloxane-modified bacterial cellulose (BC) was designed and fabricated by chemical vapor deposition silylation, then the effects of different alkyl chains length of siloxane on surface properties and cell behaviors were explored. The effect of preventing of abdominal adhesion and repairing abdominal wall defect in rats with the siloxane-modified BC was evaluated. As the grafted alkyl chains become longer, the surface of the siloxane-modified BC can be transformed from super hydrophilic to hydrophobic. In vivo results showed that BC-C16 had good long-term anti-adhesion effect, good tissue adaptability and histocompatibility, which is expected to be used as a new anti-adhesion hernia repair material in clinic.

2D Graphene Oxide Films Expand Functionality of Photonic Chips.

On-chip integration of 2D materials with unique structures and properties endow integrated devices with new functionalities and improved performance. With high flexibility in ways to modify its properties and compatibility with integrated platforms, graphene oxide (GO) is an exceptionally attractive 2D material for hybrid integrated photonic chips. Here, by harnessing unique property changes induced by photothermal effects in 2D GO films, novel functionalities beyond the capability of photonic integrated circuits are demonstrated. These include all-optical control and tuning, optical power limiting, and nonreciprocal light transmission. The 2D layered GO films are integrated onto photonic chips with precise control of their thickness and size. Benefitting from the broadband optical response of 2D GO films, all three functionalities feature a very wide operational optical bandwidth. By fitting the experimental results with theory, the changes in GO film properties induced by the photothermal effects are analyzed, revealing interesting insights about the physics of 2D GO films. These results highlight the versatility of 2D GO films in implementing new functions for integrated photonic devices for a wide range of applications.

Designing 3D SnS@Cu-Ni Nanoporous Column Array Electrode for High-Capacity and High-Rate Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Sn-based materials with high capacity showcase great potential for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Yet, the large volume change and limited ion/electron transfer efficiency of Sn-based materials upon operation significantly compromises the battery performance. In this study, a unique 3D copper-nickel nanoporous column array current collector is rationally developed via a facile template-free galvanostatic electrodeposition method, followed by electrodepositing SnS active material onto it (denoted as 3D SnS@CNCA). Excitingly, the morphology of the 3D SnS@CNCA electrode perfectly inherited the nanoporous column array structure of the 3D current collector, which not only endows the electrode with a large specific surface area to provide more active sites and sufficient ion/electron transport pathways, but also effectively alleviates the volume expansion of SnS upon repeated charge-discharge cycles. Therefore, the binder-free 3D SnS@CNCA electrode showcases a significantly enhanced Li storage performance, showing a high initial reversible capacity of 1019.7 mAh g-1 with noteworthy cycling stability (a capacity retention rate of 89.4% after 200 cycles). Moreover, the designed electrode also manifests high rate performance with a high capacity of 570.6 mAh g-1 at 4 A g-1. This work provides a novel design idea for the preparation of high-performance electrodes beyond LIBs.

Corrosion Behavior of 20G and TP347H in Molten LiCl-NaCl-KCl Salt.

The corrosion behavior of 20G and TP347H materials was investigated in molten LiCl-NaCl-KCl salt. The corrosion rates of these materials in molten chloride salt are high and are strongly affected by the alloying surface oxide formation. The 20G shows uniform surface corrosion with almost no protective oxide formation on the surface. In contrast, the austenitic steel TP347H exhibits better corrosion resistance in molten chloride salts due to its high Cr content. Owing to the highly corrosive nature of molten chloride salts, the Cl- in molten salt could react with oxides and alloy, inducing intergranular corrosion of austenitic steel in molten chloride salt environments.

A Type of Stable Amides Behaves as Acyl Transfer Reagents upon Visible-Light Irradiation through Self-Aromatization.

Organic molecules with light-modifiable reactivity are important in many fields because they can serve as the "switch" for light to trigger chemical processes. Herein, we disclose a new type of stable non-twisted amides, the reactivity of which can be turned on by light as acyl transfer reagents. Upon photo-activation, these amides react with various nucleophiles including amines, phenols, hydroxide, thiols, boronic acids, and alkynes either under metal-free or metal-catalysis conditions. This reactivity hinges on the design and synthesis of a photo-activatable reagent (7-nitro-5,6-dihydrophenanthridine), which undergoes self-aromatization enabled by an internal oxidant under light. This masked acyl donor group is anticipated to be useful in scenarios where light is preferred to trigger a chemical process.

Remodeling and Regenerative Properties of Fully Absorbable Meshes for Abdominal Wall Defect Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Animal Studies.

Fully absorbable meshes can repair abdominal wall defects and effectively reduce the incidence of complications, but different types of fully absorbable meshes have different remodeling and regeneration effects. In order to investigate and compare the effects of different fully absorbable meshes on remodeling and regeneration in animals and reduce the biological risk of clinical translation, SYRCLE was adopted to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies, and GRADE and ConQual were used to evaluate the quality of evidence. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 22 studies related to fully absorbable meshes were included in this systematic review. These results showed that fiber-based synthetic materials and fiber-based natural materials exhibited better restorative and regenerative effects indicated by infiltration and neovascularization, when compared with a porcine acellular dermal matrix. In addition, the human acellular dermal matrix was found to have a similar regenerative effect on the host extracellular matrix and scaffold degradation compared to the porcine acellular dermal matrix, porcine intestinal submucosa, and fiber-based natural materials, but it offered higher tensile strength than the other three. The quality of the evidence in this field was found to be poor. The reasons for downgrading were analyzed, and recommendations for future research included more rigor in study design, more transparency in result reporting, more standardization of animal models and follow-up time for better evaluation of the remodeling and regenerative performance of abdominal wall hernia repair meshes, and less biological risk in clinical translation.

Towards Understanding Formation Mechanism of Cellular Structures in Laser Powder Bed Fused AlSi10Mg.

A new approach is proposed that identifies three different zones of the Si-rich network structure (the cellular structure) in laser powder bed fused (LPBF) AlSi10Mg alloy, based on the variation in morphology, grain growth transition, and melt pool solidification conditions. The three identified zones are denoted in the present work as the liquid solidification zone (LSZ), the mushy solidification zone (MSZ), and the heat affected zone (HAZ). The LSZ is the result of liquid-solid transformation, showing small planar growth at the boundary and large cellular growth in the center, while the MSZ is related to a semisolid reaction, and the HAZ arises from a short-time aging process. The boundary between the LSZ and MSZ is identified by the change of grain growth direction and the Si-rich network advancing direction. The boundary between MSZ and HAZ is identified by the start of the breakdown of the Si-rich network. In addition, it is found that the fracture is generated in and propagates along the HAZ during tensile tests.

Hydromassage of macular hole edges for large and persistent full-thickness macular holes.

AIM: To introduce the macular hole (MH) hydromassage technique as a potentially beneficial approach for the treatment of large or persistent MH. METHODS: This retrospective observational case series comprised 16 consecutive patients (17 eyes) diagnosed with MH. Inclusion criteria involved a hole aperture diameter larger than 600 µm or the presence of an unclosed MH larger than 600 µm following the previous vitrectomy. Standard MH repair procedures were administered in all cases, involving the manipulation and aspiration of the hole margin through the application of water flow with a soft-tip flute needle. A comprehensive assessment was conducted for each case before and after surgery, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were captured at every follow-up point. RESULTS: The mean preoperative aperture diameter was 747±156 µm (range 611-1180 µm), with a mean base diameter of 1390±435 µm (range 578-2220 µm). Following surgery, all cases achieved complete anatomical closure of MH, with 13 cases (76.5%) exhibiting type 1 closure and 4 cases (23.5%) demonstrating type 2 closure. No significant differences were observed in the preoperative OCT variables between the two closure types. Eyes with type 1 closure showed a significantly improved visual acuity (0.70±0.10, range 0.50-0.80) compared to those with type 2 closure (0.90±0.12, range 0.80-1.00, P=0.014). CONCLUSION: The MH hydromassage technique demonstrates promising results, achieving acceptable closure rates in cases of large or persistent MH. This technique may serve as an effective adjunctive maneuver during challenging MH surgery.

Multi-omics analysis of a case of congenital microtia reveals aldob and oxidative stress associated with microtia etiology.

BACKGROUND: Microtia is reported to be one of the most common congenital craniofacial malformations. Due to the complex etiology and the ethical barrier of embryonic study, the precise mechanisms of microtia remain unclear. Here we report a rare case of microtia with costal chondrodysplasia based on bioinformatics analysis and further verifications on other sporadic microtia patients. RESULTS: One hundred fourteen deleterious insert and deletion (InDel) and 646 deleterious SNPs were screened out by WES, candidate genes were ranked in descending order according to their relative impact with microtia. Label-free proteomic analysis showed that proteins significantly different between the groups were related with oxidative stress and energy metabolism. By real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, we further verified the candidate genes between other sporadic microtia and normal ear chondrocytes, which showed threonine aspartase, cadherin-13, aldolase B and adiponectin were significantly upregulated in mRNA levels but were significantly lower in protein levels. ROS detection and mitochondrial membrane potential (∆ Ψ m) detection proved that oxidative stress exists in microtia chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results not only spot new candidate genes by WES and label-free proteomics, but also speculate for the first time that metabolism and oxidative stress may disturb cartilage development and this might become therapeutic targets and potential biomarkers with clinical usefulness in the future.

From Quaternary Carbon to Tertiary C(sp3)-Si and C(sp3)-Ge Bonds: Decyanative Coupling of Malononitriles with Chlorosilanes and Chlorogermanes Enabled by Ni/Ti Dual Catalysis.

Transition-metal-catalyzed C-Si/Ge cross-coupling offers promising avenues for the synthesis of organosilanes/organogermanes, yet it is fraught with long-standing challenges. A Ni/Ti-catalyzed strategy is reported here, allowing the use of disubstituted malononitriles as tertiary C(sp3) coupling partners to couple with chlorosilanes and chlorogermanes, respectively. This method enables the catalytic cleavage of the C(sp3)-CN bond of the quaternary carbon followed by the formation of C(sp3)-Si/C(sp3)-Ge bonds from ubiquitously available starting materials. The efficiency and generality are showcased by a broad scope for both of the coupling partners, therefore holding the potential to synthesize structurally diverse quaternary organosilanes and organogermanes that were difficult to access previously.

A Novel Hollow Graphene/Polydimethylsiloxane Composite for Pressure Sensors with High Sensitivity and Superhydrophobicity.

Flexible pressure sensors have attracted great interest as they play an important role in various fields such as health monitoring and human-machine interactions. The design of the pressure sensors still faces challenges in achieving a high sensitivity for a wide sensing range, and the interference of water restricts the applications of the sensors. Herein, we developed a graphene-polydimethylsiloxane film combining a hierarchical surface with nanowrinkles on it and a hollow structure. The microstructure design of the composite can be facilely controlled to improve the sensing and hydrophobic performance by tailoring the microsphere building units. Attributed to the irregular surface and hollow structure of the sensing layer, the optimized sensor exhibits a superior sensitivity of 1085 kPa-1 in a 50 kPa linear range. For practical applications, the nanowrinkles on the surface of the microspheres and the polymer coating endow the composite with waterproof properties. Inspired by the dual receptors of the skin, two designed microstructured films can simply integrate into one with double-sided microstructures. The sensing performance and the water-repellence property allow the sensor to detect physiological signals under both ambient and underwater conditions. Furthermore, underwater stimuli detection and communication are demonstrated. This method of fabricating a flexible sensor shows great potential in wearable and robotic fields.

Grooving and Absorption on Substrates to Reduce the Bulk Acoustic Wave for Surface Acoustic Wave Micro-Force Sensors.

Improving measurement accuracy is the core issue with surface acoustic wave (SAW) micro-force sensors. An electrode transducer can stimulate not only the SAW but also the bulk acoustic wave (BAW). A portion of the BAW can be picked up by the receiving transducer, leading to an unwanted or spurious signal. This can harm the device's frequency response characteristics, thereby potentially reducing the precision of the micro-force sensor's measurements. This paper examines the influence of anisotropy on wave propagation, and it also performs a phase-matching analysis between interdigital transducers (IDTs) and bulk waves. Two solutions are shown to reduce the influence of BAW for SAW micro sensors, which are arranged with acoustic absorbers at the ends of the substrate and in grooving in the piezoelectric substrate. Three different types of sensors were manufactured, and the test results showed that the sidelobes of the SAW micro-force sensor could be effectively inhibited (3.32 dB), thereby enhancing the sensitivity and performance of sensor detection. The SAW micro-force sensor manufactured using the new process was tested and the following results were obtained: the center frequency was 59.83 MHz, the fractional bandwidth was 1.33%, the range was 0-1000 mN, the linearity was 1.02%, the hysteresis was 0.59%, the repeatability was 1.11%, and the accuracy was 1.34%.

Construction and characterization of recombinant senecavirus A expressing secreted luciferase for antiviral screening.

Senecavirus A (SVA) is a newly identified picornavirus associated with swine vesicular disease and neonatal mortality. The development of an SVA incorporating an exogenous reporter gene provides a powerful tool for viral research. In this study, we successfully constructed a recombinant SVA expressing Gaussia Luciferase (Gluc), termed rSVA-Gluc. The growth kinetics of rSVA-Gluc in BHK-21 cells were found to be comparable to those of the parental virus, and Gluc activity paralleled the virus growth curve. Genetic analysis revealed stable inheritance of the inserted reporter protein genes for at least six generations. We evaluated the utility of rSVA-Gluc in antiviral drug screening, and the results highlighted its potential as an effective tool for such purposes against SVA. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT: The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

The CsPbs2-interacting protein oxalate decarboxylase CsOxdC3 modulates morphosporogenesis, virulence, and fungicide resistance in Colletotrichum siamense.

The HOG MAPK pathway mediates diverse cellular and physiological processes, including osmoregulation and fungicide sensitivity, in phytopathogenic fungi. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying HOG MAPK pathway-associated stress homeostasis and pathophysiological developmental events are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that the oxalate decarboxylase CsOxdC3 in Colletotrichum siamense interacts with the protein kinase kinase CsPbs2, a component of the HOG MAPK pathway. The expression of the CsOxdC3 gene was significantly suppressed in response to phenylpyrrole and tebuconazole fungicide treatments, while that of CsPbs2 was upregulated by phenylpyrrole and not affected by tebuconazole. We showed that targeted gene deletion of CsOxdC3 suppressed mycelial growth, reduced conidial length, and triggered a marginal reduction in the sporulation characteristics of the ΔCsOxdC3 strains. Interestingly, the ΔCsOxdC3 strain was significantly sensitive to fungicides, including phenylpyrrole and tebuconazole, while the CsPbs2-defective strain was sensitive to tebuconazole but resistant to phenylpyrrole. Additionally, infection assessment revealed a significant reduction in the virulence of the ΔCsOxdC3 strains when inoculated on the leaves of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). From these observations, we inferred that CsOxdC3 crucially modulates HOG MAPK pathway-dependent processes, including morphogenesis, stress homeostasis, fungicide resistance, and virulence, in C. siamense by facilitating direct physical interactions with CsPbs2. This study provides insights into the molecular regulators of the HOG MAPK pathway and underscores the potential of deploying OxdCs as potent targets for developing fungicides.

"Active carbon" is more advantageous to the bacterial community in the rice rhizosphere than "stable carbon".

Carbon materials are commonly used for soil carbon sequestration and fertilization, which can also affect crop growth by manipulating the rhizosphere bacterial community. However, the comparison of the differences between active carbon (e.g., organic fertilizers) and stable carbon (e.g., biochar) on rhizosphere microdomains is still unclear. Hence, a trial was implemented to explore the influence of control (CK, no fertilizer; NPK, chemical fertilizer), organic fertilizer (CF-O, organic fertilizer; CF-BO, biochar-based organic fertilizer) and biochar material (CF-B, perishable garbage biochar; CF-PMB, pig manure biochar) on the diversity, composition, and interaction of rice rhizosphere bacterial community through 16 S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing. Our results demonstrate that organic fertilizer increases bacterial alpha-diversity compared to no-carbon supply treatment to the extend, whereas biochar has the opposite effect. The rhizosphere bacterial community composition showed pronounced variations among the various fertilization treatments. The relative abundance in Firmicutes decreased with organic fertilizer application, whereas that in Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria decreased with biochar application. Bacterial network analysis demonstrate that organic fertilizer enhances the complexity and key taxa of bacterial interactions, while biochar exhibits an opposing trend. The findings of our study indicate that organic fertilizer may contribute to a positive and advantageous impact on bacterial diversity and interaction in rice rhizosphere, whereas the influence of biochar is not as favorable and constructive. This study lays the foundation for elucidating the fate of the rhizosphere bacterial community following different carbon material inputs in the context of sustainable agricultural development.

Spatial-temporal combination and multi-head flow-attention network for traffic flow prediction.

Traffic flow prediction based on spatial-temporal data plays a vital role in traffic management. However, it still faces serious challenges due to the complex spatial-temporal correlation in nonlinear spatial-temporal data. Some previous methods have limited ability to capture spatial-temporal correlation, and ignore the quadratic complexity problem in the traditional attention mechanism. To this end, we propose a novel spatial-temporal combination and multi-head flow-attention network (STCMFA) to model the spatial-temporal correlation in road networks. Firstly, we design a temporal sequence multi-head flow attention (TS-MFA), in which the unique source competition mechanism and sink allocation mechanism make the model avoid attention degradation without being affected by inductive biases. Secondly, we use GRU instead of the linear layer in traditional attention to map the input sequence, which further enhances the temporal modeling ability of the model. Finally, we combine the GCN with the TS-MFA module to capture the spatial-temporal correlation, and introduce residual mechanism and feature aggregation strategy to further improve the performance of STCMFA. Extensive experiments on four real-world traffic datasets show that our model has excellent performance and is always significantly better than other baselines.

Targeting the chromatin structural changes of antitumor immunity.

Epigenomic imbalance drives abnormal transcriptional processes, promoting the onset and progression of cancer. Although defective gene regulation generally affects carcinogenesis and tumor suppression networks, tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses may also be affected by epigenomic changes, which may have significant implications for the development and application of epigenetic therapy, cancer immunotherapy, and their combinations. Herein, we focus on the impact of epigenetic regulation on tumor immune cell function and the role of key abnormal epigenetic processes, DNA methylation, histone post-translational modification, and chromatin structure in tumor immunogenicity, and introduce these epigenetic research methods. We emphasize the value of small-molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modulators in enhancing antitumor immune responses and discuss the challenges of developing treatment plans that combine epigenetic therapy and immunotherapy through the complex interaction between cancer epigenetics and cancer immunology.