Zincophilic Nanospheres Assembled as Solid-Electrolyte Interphase on Zn Metal Anodes for Reversible High-rate Zn-Ion Storage.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are considered to be one of the most promising energy storage devices in the post-lithium-ion era with fast ionic conductivity, safety, and low cost. However, excessive accumulation of zinc dendrites will fracture and produce dead zinc, resulting in the unsatisfied utilization rate of Zn anodes, which greatly restricts the lifespan of the battery and reduces the reversibility. In this paper, by constructing a protective layer of ZnSnO3 hollow nanospheres in situ growth on the surface of the Zn anode, more zincophilic sites are established on the electrode surface. It demonstrates that uniform deposition of Zn ions by deepening the binding energy with Zn ion and its unique hollow structure shortens the diffusion distance of Zn ions and enhances the reaction kinetics. The assembled Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitor (ZHSC) of ZnSnO3@Zn//AC achieved a long-term lifespan with 4000 cycles at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 with a Coulombic efficiency of 99.31% and capacity retention of 79.6%. This work offers a new path for advanced Zn anodes interphase supporting the long cycle life with large capacities and improving electrochemical reversibility.

Iterative Strategy for Sorting Single-Chirality Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes from Aqueous to Organic Systems.

Significant advancements in electronic devices and integrated circuits have been facilitated by semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) sorted by conjugated polymers (CPs). However, the variety of CPs with single-chirality selectivity is limited, and the sorting results are strongly dependent on the chiral distribution of the starting materials. To address this, we develop an iterative strategy to achieve single-chirality SWCNT separation from aqueous to organic systems, based on a multistep tandem extraction technique that allows a gentle and nondestructive separation of surfactants from SWCNTs, ensuring an efficient system transfer. In parallel, we refined the iterative sorting process between CPs. Employing two starting materials with narrow diameter distributions, using three CPs, we successfully sorted out five single-chirality SWCNTs of the (9,5), (8,6), (10,5), (8,7), and (11,3) species in organic systems. This strategy bridges the gap between aqueous and organic separation systems, achieving efficient complementarity between them.

Spatial transcriptomics uncover sucrose post-phloem transport during maize kernel development.

Maize kernels are complex biological systems composed of three genetic sources, namely maternal tissues, progeny embryos, and progeny endosperms. The lack of gene expression profiles with spatial information has limited the understanding of the specific functions of each cell population, and hindered the exploration of superior genes in kernels. In our study, we conduct microscopic sectioning and spatial transcriptomics analysis during the grain filling stage of maize kernels. This enables us to visualize the expression patterns of all genes through electronical RNA in situ hybridization, and identify 11 cell populations and 332 molecular marker genes. Furthermore, we systematically elucidate the spatial storage mechanisms of the three major substances in maize kernels: starch, protein, and oil. These findings provide valuable insights into the functional genes that control agronomic traits in maize kernels.

Lignin-derived red-emitting carbon dots for colorimetric and sensitive fluorometric detection of water in organic solvents.

Water contained in organic solvents or products in chemical industries, as contaminants, poses an adverse risk in chemical reaction, life or environmental safety. However, conventional fluorescent water sensing suffers from drawbacks, including limited organic solvents, narrow linear range, lack of visual detection, single detection strategy, and others. Herein, a novel type of red-emitting carbon dots (RCDs) has been created via one-step solvothermal synthesis based on biomass (e.g., lignin) as the carbon source and p-phenylenediamine (PPD) as the nitrogen source. Colorimetric and fluorometric detection of water in organic solvents has been demonstrated. The RCDs showed excitation-independent photoluminescence (PL) in different solvents and solvatochromic behavior, red in water, orange in ethanol, yellow in N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), and green in acetone. Remarkably, detection of water content in six organic solvents, including polar solvents (ethanol, acetone, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and DMF) and apolar solvent (ether), was performed. With increasing water content in solvents, emission colors changed from green to red, or yellow to red, offering qualitative sensing of water. Furthermore, a broad linear detection range (10-90%), low limits of detection (LOD) (e.g., 0.36% for ethanol and 0.082% for acetone), and good generality for various organic solvent systems were realized. Particularly, dual sensing strategies, including PL quenching and shift with water in various solvents, were achieved simultaneously, showing great potential for the development of advanced optical sensors with high performance.

Linking the low-density lipoprotein receptor-binding segment enables the therapeutic 5-YHEDA peptide to cross the blood-brain barrier and scavenge excess iron and radicals in the brain of senescent mice.

INTRODUCTION: Iron accumulates in the brain during aging, which catalyzes radical formation, causing neuronal impairment, and is thus considered a pathogenic factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To scavenge excess iron-catalyzed radicals and thereby protect the brain and decrease the incidence of AD, we synthesized a soluble pro-iron 5-YHEDA peptide. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) blocks large drug molecules from entering the brain and thus strongly reduces their therapeutic effects. However, alternative receptor- or transporter-mediated approaches are possible. METHODS: A low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR)-binding segment of Apolipoprotein B-100 was linked to the 5-YHEDA peptide (bs-5-YHEDA) and intracardially injected into senescent (SN) mice that displayed symptoms of cognitive impairment similar to those of people with AD. RESULTS: We successfully delivered 5-YHEDA across the BBB into the brains of the SN mice via vascular epithelium LDLR-mediated endocytosis. The data showed that excess brain iron and radical-induced neuronal necrosis were reduced after the bs-5-YHEDA treatment, together with cognitive amelioration in the SN mouse, and that the senescence-associated ferritin and transferrin increase, anemia and inflammation reversed without kidney or liver injury. DISCUSSION: bs-5-YHEDA may be a mild and safe iron remover that can cross the BBB and enter the brain to relieve excessive iron- and radical-induced cognitive disorders.

Effects of Air Pollution on Hospital Emergency Room Visits for Respiratory Diseases: Urban-Suburban Differences in Eastern China.

A study on the relationships between ambient air pollutants (PM2.5, SO2 and NO2) and hospital emergency room visits (ERVs) for respiratory diseases from 2013 to 2014 was performed in both urban and suburban areas of Jinan, a heavily air-polluted city in Eastern China. This research was analyzed using generalized additive models (GAM) with Poisson regression, which controls for long-time trends, the "day of the week" effect and meteorological parameters. An increase of 10 µg/m³ in PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 corresponded to a 1.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7%, 2.1%), 1.2% (95% CI: 0.5%, 1.9%), and 2.5% (95%: 0.8%, 4.2%) growth in ERVs for the urban population, respectively, and a 1.5% (95%: 0.4%, 2.6%), 0.8% (95%: -0.7%, 2.3%), and 3.1% (95%: 0.5%, 5.7%) rise in ERVs for the suburban population, respectively. It was found that females were more susceptible than males to air pollution in the urban area when the analysis was stratified by gender, and the reverse result was seen in the suburban area. Our results suggest that the increase in ERVs for respiratory illnesses is linked to the levels of air pollutants in Jinan, and there may be some urban-suburban discrepancies in health outcomes from air pollutant exposure.