Ultrahigh Potassium Storage Capacity of Ca2Si Monolayer with Orderly Multilayered Growth Mechanism.

As the rising renewable energy demands and lithium scarcity, developing high-capacity anode materials to improve the energy density of potassium-based batteries (PBBs) is increasingly crucial. In this work, a unique orderly multilayered growth (OMLG) mechanism on a 2D-Ca2Si monolayer is theoretically demonstrated for potassium storage by first-principles calculations. The global-energy-minimum Ca2Si monolayer is a semiconductor with isotropic mechanical properties and remarkable electrochemical properties, such as a low potassium ion migration energy barrier of 0.07 eV and a low open circuit voltage ranging from 0.224 to 0.003 V. Most notably, 2D-Ca2Si demonstrates an ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity of 5459 mAh g-1 and a total specific capacity of 610 mAh g-1, reaching up to 89% of the capacity of a potassium metal anode. Remarkably, the OMLG mechanism facilitates stable, dendrite-free deposition of hcp-K metal layers on the 2D-Ca2Si surface, where the ultrahigh and gradually converging lattice match as the layers increase is the key to achieving theoretically near-infinite growth. The study theoretically demonstrates the Ca2Si monolayer a highly promising anode material, and offers a novel potassium storage strategy for designing 2D anode materials with high specific capacity, rapid potassium-ion migration, and good safety.

Using a Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study Based on Genome-Wide Association Studies to Assess and Demonstrate the Causal Effects of Allergic Rhinitis on Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases and Lung Function.

INTRODUCTION: Observational studies have reported that allergic rhinitis (AR) was associated with chronic lower respiratory diseases (CLRDs) and lung function; however, their causal effects remain elusive. Therefore, to investigate the causal effects of AR on CLRDs and lung function, we conducted the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. METHODS: The data for AR, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio were obtained from genome-wide association studies, which were large sample studies on people of European ancestry. In this study, single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with AR were considered instrumental variables. We employed the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method with random effects to evaluate causal effects, and the weighted median and MR-Egger methods were used for sensitivity analyses. Significant causal associations were attempted for replication and meta-analysis. RESULTS: In the discovery stage, we found that AR exhibited a significant causal effect on asthma (IVW, odds ratio [OR] = 16.91, 95% CI, 8.03-35.65, p < 0.001) and a suggestive effect on FEV1/FVC ratio (IVW, OR = 0.82, 95% CI, 0.68-0.99, p = 0.039). No causal effect of AR was observed on COPD, bronchiectasis, and IPF. In the replication stage, the causal effect of AR on asthma was replicated (IVW, OR = 11.57, 95% CI, 4.90-27.37, p < 0.001). The meta-analysis demonstrated that the combined OR of AR on asthma was 14.37 (IVW, 95% CI, 8.18-25.24, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated and measured the causal effects of AR on asthma (OR = 14.37) and FEV1/FVC ratio (OR = 0.82), while there was no evidence to support a causal effect of AR on COPD, bronchiectasis, and IPF. These results suggest that AR tends to have a causal effect on lower airway disease of similar inflammatory types and can provide high-quality causal evidence for clinical practice as well as the pathogenesis and prevention of AR and asthma.

Causal relationships between potential risk factors and chronic rhinosinusitis: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

PURPOSE: Smoking, alcohol consumption, allergic rhinitis (AR), asthma, and obesity are associated with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), albeit the causal relationships between them remain elusive. Therefore, we conducted a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate the bidirectional causal effects between these potential risk factors and CRS. METHODS: The data for daily cigarette consumption, age of smoking initiation, weekly alcohol consumption, AR, asthma, body mass index (BMI), and CRS were drawn from large sample size genome-wide association studies. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with each exposure were considered instrumental variables in this study. We investigated causal effects by using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method with random effects, and weighted median and MR-Egger methods were used for sensitivity analyses. Pleiotropic effects were detected and corrected by the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier test and MR-Egger model. RESULTS: We found the causal effects of daily cigarette consumption (IVW, OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.00-1.32, p = 0.046), AR (IVW, OR = 4.77, 95% CI 1.61-14.13, p = 0.005), asthma (IVW, OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.31 - 1.60, p < 0.001), and BMI (IVW, OR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.00-1.09, p = 0.028) on CRS. Furthermore, we found a causal effect of CRS on asthma (IVW OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.12, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the causal effects of daily cigarette consumption, AR, asthma, and BMI on CRS, and the causal effect of CRS on asthma, while no causal relationship between age of smoking initiation, weekly alcohol consumption, and CRS was found. These findings are expected to provide high-quality causal evidence for clinical practice and the pathogenesis of CRS and asthma.

Profiling Olefins in Gasoline by Bromination Using GC×GC-TOFMS Followed by Discovery-Based Comparative Analysis.

An analytical workflow for the analysis of olefins in gasoline that combines selective bromination and comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) with discovery-based analysis is reported. First, a standard mix containing n-alkanes, 1-alkenes, and aromatic species was brominated and quantified using % reacted as a metric for each compound class, defined as the difference in the total peak area between the brominated and original samples normalized to the original sample. The average % reacted (1 s.d.) values were -1.45% (2.8%) for the alkanes, 99.5% (0.4%) for the alkenes, and 6.7% (11.6%) for the aromatics, demonstrating excellent selectivity toward the alkenes with only minor aromatic bromination. The bromination chemistry was then applied to gasoline, followed by GC×GC-TOFMS analysis of the original and brominated gasoline. This GC×GC-TOFMS data set was then submitted to the supervised discovery tool tile-based F-ratio analysis (FRA), which reduced the large data set to only the chromatographic regions which distinguish between the original and brominated gasoline samples. FRA discovered 314 hits, 56 of which were determined statistically significant using combinatorial null distribution analysis (CNDA), a permutation-based significance test. Since the brominated olefins elute in an uncrowded region of the 2D chromatogram and have no signal in the original sample, their discoverability was greatly increased relative to the original olefins. By combining the information gained from brominated olefin standards and the structured patterns of the GC×GC separations, the top hits were identified as the dibromoalkane products of mono-olefins, with five C5 mono-olefins identified on a species level. The analytical workflow has broad implications for using selective reaction chemistries to facilitate supervised discovery by targeting desired compound classes.

Directional Water Transport Janus Composite Nanofiber Membranes for Comfortable Bioprotection.

The Janus membrane has a huge prospect for personal comfortable protection. However, there still is a huge imbalance between the comfort and protection of the existing Janus membrane. There is an urgent need to further improve the comprehensive performance of the protective membrane to realize both protection and comfort. Herein, we report the Janus membrane with directional water transport capacity and dust rejection performance by compounding the polyvinyl chloride hydrophobic nanofiber membrane and polyamide-6 blended polyvinyl pyrrolidone hydrophilic nanofiber membrane. This Janus composite nanofiber membrane exhibited an excellent dust rejection efficiency of 99.99%, air permeability of 42.15 mm/s, which was 76 times that of the commercial waterproof and breathable PTFE membrane, water vapor transmission rate of 4.89 kg/(m2 × 24 h), and accumulative one-way transport capacity of 888.7%. In addition, the breakthrough pressure of the Janus membrane in the reverse direction (i.e., hydrophilic layer to hydrophobic layer) was four times that in the positive direction (i.e., hydrophobic layer to hydrophilic layer), suggesting it to be a potential substrate for comfortable bioprotection with a comprehensive protection capability.

Anisotropic electrene T'-Ca2P with electron gas magnetic coupling as anode material for Na/K ion batteries.

There is an urgent need for high-performance rechargeable electrical storage devices as a supplement or a substitution for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to the shortage of lithium in nature. Herein we propose a stable 2D electrene T'-Ca2P as an anode material for Na/K ion batteries developed using first principles calculations. Our calculated results show that the T'-Ca2P monolayer is an antiferromagnetic semiconducting electrene with a spin-polarized electron gas. It exhibits suitable adsorption for both Na and K atoms, and its anisotropic migration energy barriers are 0.050/0.101 eV and 0.037/0.091 eV in the b/a direction, respectively. The theoretical capacities for Na and K are both 482 MA h g-1, whereas the average working voltage platforms are 0.171-0.226 V and 0.013-0.267 V, respectively. All the results reveal that the T'-Ca2P monolayer has promising prospects for application as an anode material for Na/K ion batteries.

Abnormal resting-state functional connectivity of the insula in medication-free patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: The function of the insula has been increasingly mentioned in neurocircuitry models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for its role in affective processing and regulating anxiety and its wide interactions with the classic cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit. However, the insular resting-state functional connectivity patterns in OCD remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate characteristic intrinsic connectivity alterations of the insula in OCD and their associations with clinical features. METHODS: We obtained resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 85 drug-free OCD patients and 85 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). We performed a general linear model to compare the whole-brain intrinsic functional connectivity maps of the bilateral insula between the OCD and HC groups. In addition, we further explored the relationship between the intrinsic functional connectivity alterations of the insula and clinical features using Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis. RESULTS: Compared with HCs, patients with OCD exhibited increased intrinsic connectivity between the bilateral insula and bilateral precuneus gyrus extending to the inferior parietal lobule and supplementary motor area. Decreased intrinsic connectivity was only found between the right insula and bilateral lingual gyrus in OCD patients relative to HC subjects, which was negatively correlated with the severity of depression symptoms in the OCD group. CONCLUSION: In the current study, we identified impaired insular intrinsic connectivity in OCD patients and the dysconnectivity of the right insula and bilateral lingual gyrus associated with the depressive severity of OCD patients. These findings provide neuroimaging evidence for the involvement of the insula in OCD and suggest its potential role in the depressive symptoms of OCD.

Persistent myopathy despite release of partial obstruction: in vivo reversal of dysfunction and transcriptional responses using rapamycin.

Current and potential medical therapy for obstruction-induced myopathic bladder dysfunction (from benign prostatic hyperplasia or posterior urethral valves) focuses on symptoms. The persistent tissue pathology and dysfunction after release of obstruction is often deemed irreversible without any systematic therapeutic approaches. As rapamycin can attenuate bladder smooth muscle hypertrophy and dysfunction during the genesis of partial obstruction in vivo, we tested whether rapamycin could improve persistent function after release of obstruction (de-obstruction or REL). Female Sprague-Dawley rat bladders were partially obstructed (PBO) by suturing around both the urethra and a para-urethral steel rod, then removing the rod. One day prior to release of obstruction (preREL), voiding parameters and residual urine volume of preREL+future rapa, preREL+future veh groups were recorded. Release of obstruction (REL) was performed by suture removal following 6 weeks of PBO. For 4 more weeks after the de-obstruction, REL animals were randomized to rapamycin (REL+rapa) or vehicle (REL+veh). PBO for 6 weeks were used as positive controls. In shams, the urethra was exposed, but no suture tied. Voiding parameters and residual urine volume were measured prior to sacrifice of sham and REL+veh or REL+rapa, and PBO. Rapamycin efficacy was tested by pair-wise comparison of changes in individual voiding data from preREL+future veh or preREL+future rapa versus REL+veh or REL+rapa, respectively, as well as by comparisons of REL+veh to REL+rapa groups. Bladders were weighed and processed for a high-throughput QPCR array, and histopathology. Bladder/body mass ratios with PBO increased significantly and remained higher in the release phase in REL+veh animals. REL+rapa versus REL+veh improved residual volumes and micturition fractions toward sham levels. Three genes encoding extracellular proteins, BMP2, SOD3, and IGFBP7, correlated with functional improvement by Pearson's correlations. The promoters of these genes showed enrichment for several motifs including circadian E-boxes. While obstruction and REL augmented CLOCK and NPAS2 expression above sham levels, rapamycin treatment during release significantly blocked their expression. This experimental design of pharmaco-intervention during the de-obstruction phase revealed a novel pathway dysregulated during the clinically relevant treatment phase of obstructive bladder myopathy.

Three-dimensional composite electrospun nanofibrous membrane by multi-jet electrospinning with sheath gas for high-efficiency antibiosis air filtration.

Three-dimensional (3D) composite polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) electrospun nanofibrous membranes combining both thick and thin nanofibers have been fabricated by the method of multi-jet electrospinning with sheath gas to realize high-efficiency air filtration under a low pressure drop. The thin PAN nanofibers form a dense membrane, with a strong capturing ability on the ultra-fine particles, while the thick PVDF nanofibers play a 3D supporting effect on the thin PAN nanofibers. In this case, the combination results in a fluffy membrane with higher porosity, which could achieve the airflow passing through the membrane without the air pressure drop. The effects of the composite manner of thick nanofibers and thin nanofibers are investigated, in order to optimize the air filtration performance of the 3D composite nanofibrous membrane. As a result, the maximum quality factor for air filtration could reach up to 0.398 Pa-1. The particle-fiber interaction model was used to simulate the air filtration process as well, and the simulation results were fairly consistent with the experimental results, providing a guidance method for the optimization of composite nanofibrous membrane for high-efficiency air filtration. More interestingly, a cationic poly[2-(N,N-dimethyl amino) ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) was added in the PVDF solution to obtain a composite air filtration membrane with excellent antibiosis performance, which achieved the highest inhibition rate of approximately 90%. In short, this work provides an effective way to promote antibiosis air filtration performance by using an electrospun nanofibrous membrane, and might also effectively accelerate the biological protection application of current air filtration membranes.

Estimation of salt intake assessed by 24-h urinary sodium level among adults speaking different dialects from the Chaoshan region of southern China.

OBJECTIVE: Dietary salt intake may vary depending on different lifestyles. We aimed to estimate the different salt intakes and evaluate the knowledge and self-awareness about salt among people speaking the Teochew, Teochew-Hakka and Hakka dialects in the Chaoshan region of southern China. DESIGN: The study followed a cluster sampling of residents in Chaoshan region. General characteristics, lifestyles, health status as well as knowledge and self-awareness related to salt intake were investigated using a questionnaire. Anthropometric variables as well as Na and K excretion in a 24-h urine collection were measured. SETTING: Chaoshan region of China. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred fifteen adults who spoke only one of these three dialects. RESULTS: The salt intake of adults who spoke the Teochew, Teochew-Hakka and Hakka dialects was 7·19 (interquartile range (IQR) 5·29-10·17), 9·03 (IQR 6·62-11·54) and 10·12 (IQR 7·61-12·82) g/d, respectively, with significant differences between Teochew and Teochew-Hakka speakers and between Teochew and Hakka speakers (both P < 0·05). The Na:K ratio for adults who spoke the three dialects was 3·00 (IQR 2·00-4·11), 3·50 (IQR 2·64-4·82) and 4·52 (IQR 3·35-5·97), respectively, and differed significantly among the groups (all P < 0·05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed increased Na:K ratio associated with hypertension (ß = 0·71, P = 0·043) in Hakka speakers. Knowledge and self-awareness about salt intake were poor in this population. CONCLUSIONS: Salt intake was closely related to lifestyles and was higher than the upper limit (5 g/d) recommended by the WHO in adults of Chaoshan, especially those speaking the Hakka dialect.

DNA Methylation Reduces the Yes-Associated Protein 1/WW Domain Containing Transcription Regulator 1 Pathway and Prevents Pathologic Remodeling during Bladder Obstruction by Limiting Expression of BDNF.

Chronic bladder obstruction and bladder smooth muscle cell (SMC) stretch provide fibrotic and mechanical environments that can lead to epigenetic change. Therefore, we examined the role of DNA methylation in bladder pathology and transcriptional control. Sprague-Dawley female rats underwent partial bladder obstruction by ligation of a silk suture around the proximal urethra next to a 0.9-mm steel rod. Sham operation comprised passing the suture around the urethra. After 2 weeks, rats were randomized to normal saline or DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (DAC) at 1 mg/kg, three times/week intraperitoneally. After 6 weeks, bladders were weighed and divided for histology and RNA analysis by high-throughput real-time quantitative PCR arrays. DAC treatment during obstruction in vivo profoundly augmented brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression compared with the obstruction with vehicle group, which was statistically correlated with pathophysiologic parameters. BDNF, cysteine rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61), and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression clustered tightly together using Pearson's correlation analysis. Their promoters were associated with the TEA domain family member 1 (TEAD1) and Yes-associated protein 1/WW domain containing transcription regulator 1 pathways. Interestingly, DAC treatment increased BDNF expression in bladder SMCs (P < 0.0002). Stretch-induced BDNF was inhibited by the YAP/WWTR1 inhibitor verteporfin. Verteporfin improved the SMC phenotype (proliferative markers and SMC marker expression), in part by reducing BDNF. Expression of BDNF is limited by DNA methylation and associated with pathophysiologic changes during partial bladder outlet obstruction and SMC phenotypic change in vitro.

Covalent modification of soy protein isolate by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate: effects on structural and emulsifying properties.

BACKGROUND: Soy protein isolate (SPI) has promising applications in various food products because of its excellent functional properties and nutritional quality. The structural and emulsifying properties of covalently modified SPI by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) were investigated. RESULTS: SPI was covalently modified by EGCG under alkaline conditions. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that EGCG modification caused crosslinking of SPI proteins. Circular dichroism spectra demonstrated that the secondary structure of SPI proteins was changed by EGCG modification. In addition, the modifications resulted in the perturbation of the tertiary structure of SPI as evidenced by intrinsic fluorescence spectra and surface hydrophobicity measurements. Oil-in-water emulsions of modified SPI had smaller droplet sizes and better creaming stability compared to those from unmodified SPI. CONCLUSION: The covalent modification by EGCG improved the emulsifying property of SPI. This study therefore provided an innovative approach for improving the emulsifying properties of proteins. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Iron binding capacity of dephytinised soy protein isolate hydrolysate as influenced by the degree of hydrolysis and enzyme type.

Soy protein is increasingly used in extended meat products and dairy type products due to the presence of high quality proteins with excellent functional properties. However, it has been shown to inhibit iron bioavailability because of phytic acid present in the protein. This present study investigated the effects of dephytinise from soy protein isolate (SPI) on iron binding capacity and degree of hydrolysis. Also the effects of enzyme type and degree of hydrolysis on iron binding capacity were studied. It was demonstrated that phytase and anion exchange resin could remove effectively the phytate from SPI. The dephytinise would decrease the degree of hydrolysis of SPI. The enzyme type and degree of hydrolysis influenced significantly the iron binding capacity of the hydrolysate. Flavourzyme might be the best choice for producing peptides with iron binding capacity from SPI and middle degree of hydrolysis would be benefitable to this process.

Xuanfu Daizhe Tang alleviates reflux esophagitis in rats by inhibiting the STAT1/TREM-1 pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Reflux esophagitis (RE) is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the esophageal mucosa with a high prevalence and recurrence rate, for which a satisfactory therapeutic strategy is still lacking. Chinese medicine has its characteristics and advantages in treating RE, and the clinical application of Xuanfu Daizhe Tang (XDT) in treating RE has achieved sound therapeutic effects. However, there needs to be more research on its mechanism of action. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present work aimed to investigate the mechanism of XDT action in RE through the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT1)/Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The main active components of XDT were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS). The effect of XDT on RE was evaluated in a rat model of RE induced by "Cardioplasty + pyloric ligation + Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy". Each administration group was treated by gavage. The degree of damage to the esophageal mucosa was evaluated by visual observation, and the Potential of Hydrogen (PH) method and Hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE) staining were performed. Serum levels of Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α), and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) were measured by ELISA. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR), Western Blot (WB), and Immunofluorescence (IF) methods were used to detect Claudin-4, Claudin-5, TREM-1, and p-STAT1 in esophageal tissues for studying the mechanism of action and signaling pathway of XDT. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was used to detect the expression of TREM-1 and CD68 in esophageal tissues. Flow Cytometry (FC) was used to detect the polarization of macrophages in the blood. After conducting preliminary experiments to verify our hypothesis, we performed molecular docking between the active component of XDT and STAT1 derived from rats and parallel experiments with STAT1 inhibitor. The selective increaser of STAT1 transcription (2-NP) group was used to validate the mechanism by which XDT acts. RESULTS: XDT alleviated esophageal injury and attenuated histopathological changes in RE rats. XDT also inhibited the inflammatory response and decreased serum IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS levels in RE rats. qPCR and WB results revealed that XDT inhibited the expression of Claudin-4, Claudin-5, TREM-1, and STAT1 in the esophageal mucosa of RE rats. IHC and FC results showed that XDT reduced TREM-1 levels in esophageal tissues and polarized macrophages toward M2. The molecular docking results showed that rat-derived STAT1 can strongly bind to Isochronogenic acid A in XDT. The parallel experimental results of STAT1 inhibitor showed that XDT has anti-inflammatory effects similar to STAT1 inhibitors. The 2-NP group confirmed that XDT exerts its therapeutic effect on reflux esophagitis through the STAT1/TREM-1 pathway, with STAT1 as the upstream protein. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that XDT may treat reflux esophagitis by modulating the STAT1/TREM-1 pathway.

Prediction of Halogenated MXenes as Electrode Materials for Halide-Ion Batteries.

Exploring and developing new rechargeable halide-ion batteries plays an important role in the advancement and growth of the ion battery family. Here, we systematically explored the feasibility of single-layer MXenes and their hydrogenated derivatives as electrode materials for halide-ion batteries via first-principles theory. The calculated results indicate that halide ions (T ions) can be stably and efficiently adsorbed on the surfaces of M2X and M2XH2, with theoretical specific capacities ranging from 227 to 497 mAh g-1. The diffusion barriers of the T ion on MXenes are from 0.55 to 0.10 eV, comparable to those of the Li ion in graphite and LiCoO2. The electronegativity of halide anions displays significant impacts on their discharge voltage plateaus on M2X, with the highest voltage up to 5.60 V for the F ion. As a comparison, the hydrogenation of M2XH2 with less surface activity raises a 2-3 V voltage reduction. All MXene-based full cells of TxTi2C|TyTi2CH2 (where x = 0-2 and y = 2-0) and TxTi2N|TyTi2NH2 (where x = 0-2 and y = 2-0) demonstrated high full battery specific energies for F-, Cl-, and Br-ion batteries, up to 462 Wh kg-1. These results demonstrate the potential of new halide-ion battery designs, paving the way for future research and innovation in battery technology.

Identification and dynamic monitoring of electrospinning jet assisted by coaxial laser.

The accurate and rapid detection and recognition of jet features are key to dynamic monitoring and online control of the electrospinning process. In this study, a real-time recognition system based on OpenCV was introduced into a coaxial laser-assisted electrospinning system to solve the difficulties of accurate jet recognition and to promote an image processing algorithm response. The jet images with laser assistance were more clearly visible than those without laser assistance, and a significant contrast in grayscale levels existed in the jet image to help distinguish jet features. Subsequently, separate algorithms were designed for the jet visible length calculation, and the recognized visible length of the jet and algorithm running speed were compared. The average visible length of the jet with laser assistance was 11.49 mm, which increased by 1.59 mm compared to that without laser assistance. In addition, the running time of the algorithm with laser assistance was 24.89 ms, reduced by 14.84 ms compared to that without laser assistance, indicating the effectiveness of laser assistance to promote the accuracy and running speed of the jet image recognition process. Additionally, real-time detection of the jet angles was achieved to identify instances of excessive deflection during the electrospinning process. Overall, this study has significant potential to promote the dynamic monitoring of an electrospinning jet.

Ethyl cellulose/gelatin/ß-cyclodextrin/curcumin nanofibrous membrane with antibacterial and formaldehyde adsorbable capabilities for lightweight and high-performance air filtration.

Functionalization of bio-based nanofibers is the development tendency of high-performance air filter. However, the conventional structural optimization strategy based on high solution conductivity greatly hinders the development of fully bio-based air filter, and not conducive to sustainable development. This work fabricated fully bio-based nanofibrous membrane with formaldehyde-adsorbable and antibacterial capabilities by electrospinning low-conductivity solution for high-performance air filtration and applied to lightweight mask. The "water-like" ethyl cellulose (EC) was selected as the base polymer to "nourish" functional materials of gelatin (GE), ß-cyclodextrin (ßCD), and curcumin (Cur), thus forming a solution system with high binding energy differences and electrospinning into ultrafine bimodal nanofibers. The filtration efficiency for 0.3 µm NaCl particles, pressure drop, and quality factor were 99.25 %, 53 Pa, and 0.092 Pa-1, respectively; the bacteriostatic rates against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 99.9 % and 99.4 %, respectively; the formaldehyde adsorption capacity was 442 µg/g. This is the first report on antibacterial and formaldehyde-adsorbable high-performance air filter entirely made from bio-based materials. This simple strategy will greatly broaden the selection of materials for preparing high-performance multifunctional air filter, and promote the development of bio-based air filter.

Review of Droplet Printing Technologies for Flexible Electronic Devices: Materials, Control, and Applications.

Flexible devices have extensive applications in areas including wearable sensors, healthcare, smart packaging, energy, automotive and aerospace sectors, and other related fields. Droplet printing technology can be utilized to print flexible electronic components with micro/nanostructures on various scales, exhibiting good compatibility and wide material applicability for device production. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current research status of droplet printing technologies and their applications across various domains, aiming to offer a valuable reference for researchers in related areas.

Two-dimensional heterojunction layered graphene oxide/graphitic carbon nitride photocatalyst for removal of toxic environmental dye methylene blue.

The direct thermal polymerization techniques were applied to prepare the graphene oxide (GO)-graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) hybrid structure. The prepared hybrid heterojunction GO-gCN nanosheets were utilized as a photocatalyst to remove model pollutants methylene blue (MB) dye. The basic physio-chemical properties of GO-gCN layered materials have been analyzed by various characterization techniques. In addition, the proposed materials have a higher photocatalytic ability toward the degradation of aqueous solution of MB dye under visible light irradiation within a short treatment time. This is because it's the synergistic effects of GO-gCN layer-by-layer structures produced by π─π stacking with charge-transfer interactions. The gCN with GO composite can able to enhance the charge transfer and light-harvesting properties. Under the influence of photocatalyst, the surface of Graphene oxide undergoes the separation and combination of carbonyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals, epoxy radicals, and electron-hole pairs. This enhances the absorption of visible light and improves the degradation of MB, when GO is incorporated into gCN. The removal efficiency of MB reached up to 82.311% within the short treatment time.

High-Performance Zinc-Ion Hybrid Supercapacitor from Guilin Sanhua Liquor Lees-Derived Carbon Materials.

Aqueous zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSCs) have attracted considerable attention because they are inexpensive and safe. However, the inadequate energy densities, power densities, and cycling performance of current ZHSC energy-storage devices are impediments that need to be overcome to enable the further development and commercialization of this technology. To address these issues, in this study, we prepared carbon-based ZHSCs using a series of porous carbon materials derived from Sanhua liquor lees (SLPCs). Among them, the best performance was observed for SLPC-A13, which exhibited excellent properties and a high-surface-area structure (2667 m2 g-1) with abundant micropores. The Zn//SLPC-A13 device was assembled by using 2 mol L-1 ZnSO4, SLPC-A13, and Zn foil as the electrolyte, cathode, and anode, respectively. The Zn//SLPC-A13 device delivered an ultrahigh energy density of 137 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 462 W kg-1. Remarkably, Zn//SLPC-A13 retained 100% of its specific capacitance after 120,000 cycles of long-term charge/discharge testing, with 62% retained after 250,000 cycles. This outstanding performance is primarily attributed to the SLPC-A13 carbon material, which promotes the rapid adsorption and desorption of ions, and the charge-discharge process, which roughens the Zn anode in a manner that improves reversible Zn-ion plating/stripping efficiency. This study provides ideas for the preparation of ZHSC cathode materials.