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Background: Pregnant women are a vulnerable population to COVID-19 given an increased susceptibility to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and pregnancy complications. However, few SARS-CoV-2 serological surveys have been performed among this population to assess the extent of the infection in sub-Saharan countries. The objectives of this study were to determine SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among Beninese pregnant women, to identify spatial seropositivity clusters and to analyse factors associated with the infection. Methods: A cross-sectional study including women in their third trimester of pregnancy attending the antenatal care (ANC) clinics at Allada (south Benin) and Natitingou (north Benin) was conducted. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for detection of IgG/IgM against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were performed using capillary blood. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associations between SARS-CoV-2 serostatus and maternal characteristics were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Spatial analyses were performed using the spatial scan statistics to identify spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: A total of 861 pregnant women were enrolled between May 4 and June 29, 2022. 58/861 (6.7%) participants reported having received COVID-19 vaccine. None of the participants had been diagnosed with COVID-19 during their pregnancy. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 607/802 (75.7%; 95% CI 72.56%–78.62%) of unvaccinated participants. Several urban and rural spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 cases were identified in Allada and one urban spatial cluster was identified in Natitingou. Unvaccinated participants from Allada with at least one previous morbidity were at a three-times higher risk of presenting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (OR = 2.89; 95%CI 1.19%-7.00%). Conclusion: Three out of four pregnant women had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, suggesting a high virus circulation among pregnant women in Benin, while COVID-19 vaccination coverage was low. Pregnant women with comorbidities may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This population should be prioritized for COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination in order to prevent its deleterious effects. Trial registration: NCT06170320 (retrospectively registered on December 21, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of invasive infections in newborns. The prevention of GBS neonatal disease relies on the administration of an intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis to GBS-colonized women. In recent years, rapid intrapartum detection of GBS vaginal colonization using real-time nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) emerged as an alternative to antenatal culture screening methods. Methods: We compared the performances of two loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) tests, the Ampliflash® GBS and the PlusLife® GBS tests, to standard culture for GBS detection in vaginal specimens from pregnant women. The study was conducted from April to July 2023 in a French hospital of the Paris area. Results: A total of 303 samples were analyzed, including 85 culture-positive samples (28.1%). The Ampliflash® GBS test and the PlusLife® GBS tests gave a result for 100% and 96.3% tests, respectively. The performances of the tests were as follows: sensitivity 87.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 78.3–92.6) and 98.7% (95% CI 93.0-99.8), specificity 99.1% (95% CI 96.7–99.8), and 91.9% (95% CI 87.3–95.0), respectively. False negative results of the Ampliflash® GBS test correlated with low-density GBS cultures. Time-to-results correlated with GBS culture density only for the PlusLife® GBS test (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Both techniques provide excellent analytical performances with high sensitivity and specificity together with a short turnaround time and results available in 10 to 35 min. Their potential to further reduce the burden of GBS neonatal disease compared with antenatal culture screening needs to be assessed in future clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Pregnant women are a vulnerable population to COVID-19 given an increased susceptibility to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and pregnancy complications. However, few SARS-CoV-2 serological surveys have been performed among this population to assess the extent of the infection in sub-Saharan countries. The objectives of this study were to determine SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among Beninese pregnant women, to identify spatial seropositivity clusters and to analyse factors associated with the infection. Methods A cross-sectional study including women in their third trimester of pregnancy attending the antenatal care (ANC) clinics at Allada (south Benin) and Natitingou (north Benin) was conducted. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for detection of IgG/IgM against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were performed using capillary blood. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associations between SARS-CoV-2 serostatus and maternal characteristics were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Spatial analyses were performed using the spatial scan statistics to identify spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results A total of 861 pregnant women were enrolled between May 4 and June 29, 2022. 58/861 (6.7%) participants reported having received COVID-19 vaccine. None of the participants had been diagnosed with COVID-19 during their pregnancy. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 607/802 (75.7%; 95% CI 72.56%–78.62%) of unvaccinated participants. Several urban and rural spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 cases were identified in Allada and one urban spatial cluster was identified in Natitingou. Unvaccinated participants from Allada with at least one previous morbidity were at a three-times higher risk of presenting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (OR = 2.89; 95%CI 1.19%-7.00%). Conclusion Three out of four pregnant women had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, suggesting a high virus circulation among pregnant women in Benin, while COVID-19 vaccination coverage was low. Pregnant women with comorbidities may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This population should be prioritized for COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination in order to prevent its deleterious effects. Trial registration NCT06170320 (retrospectively registered on December 21, 2023).

Abstract Purpose Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of invasive infections in newborns. The prevention of GBS neonatal disease relies on the administration of an intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis to GBS-colonized women. In recent years, rapid intrapartum detection of GBS vaginal colonization using real-time nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) emerged as an alternative to antenatal culture screening methods. Methods We compared the performances of two loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) tests, the Ampliflash® GBS and the PlusLife® GBS tests, to standard culture for GBS detection in vaginal specimens from pregnant women. The study was conducted from April to July 2023 in a French hospital of the Paris area. Results A total of 303 samples were analyzed, including 85 culture-positive samples (28.1%). The Ampliflash® GBS test and the PlusLife® GBS tests gave a result for 100% and 96.3% tests, respectively. The performances of the tests were as follows: sensitivity 87.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 78.3–92.6) and 98.7% (95% CI 93.0-99.8), specificity 99.1% (95% CI 96.7–99.8), and 91.9% (95% CI 87.3–95.0), respectively. False negative results of the Ampliflash® GBS test correlated with low-density GBS cultures. Time-to-results correlated with GBS culture density only for the PlusLife® GBS test (p

Natural-based materials represent green choices for biomedical applications. In this study, resin pulp capping restoration enclosing strengthening silica and bioactive portlandite nanofillers were prepared from industrial wastes. Silica nanoparticles were isolated from rice husk by heat treatment, followed by dissolution/precipitation treatment. Portlandite nanoparticles were prepared by calcination of carbonated lime waste followed by ultrasonic treatment. Both were characterized using x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray, and transmission electron microscopy. For preparing pulp capping restoration, silica (after silanization) and/or portlandite nanoparticles were mixed with 40/60 weight ratio of bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate. Groups A, B, and C enclosing 50 wt.% silica, 25 wt.% silica + 25 wt.% portlandite, and 50 wt.% portlandite, respectively, were prepared. All groups underwent microhardness, compressive strength, calcium release, pH, and apatite forming ability inspection in comparison to mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) positive control. In comparison to MTA, all experimental groups showed significantly higher compressive strength, group B showed comparable microhardness, and group C showed significantly higher calcium release. Groups B and C showed prominent hydroxyapatite formation. Thus, the preparation of economic, silica-fortified, bioactive pulp capping material from under-utilized agricultural residues (rice husk) and zero-value industrial waste (carbonated lime from sugar industry) could be achieved., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study promotes the use of nanobiochar (NBC) as an environmentally friendly substitute to conventional fillers to improve various properties of biopolymers such as their mechanical strength, thermal stability and crystallization properties. TGA analysis showed a slight increase in onset thermal degradation temperature of the composites by up to 5 °C with the addition of 4 wt% NBC. Non-isothermal DSC analysis determined that the addition of NBC into PHBHHx increases the crystallization temperature and degree of crystallinity of PHBHHx while isothermal DSC analysis demonstrated higher crystallization rate in PHBHHx/NBC composited by up to 54%. PHBHHx incorporated with NBC also exhibited superior tensile strength and modulus versus neat PHBHHx. Increase in mechanical strength was further proven via DMA where PHBHHx/NBC composites maintained higher storage modulus at higher temperatures when compared to neat PHBHHx. PHBHHx/NBC also exhibited no cytotoxicity effect against HaCat cells. This study demonstrates the ability of biochar to act as both nucleating agents and reinforcing agents in biodegradable polymers such as PHBHHx, which could be suitable for packaging application., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Lignin, a natural pol2ymer with a complex structure that is difficult to separate, is prone to C-C bond condensation during the separation process. To reduce the condensation of lignin, here, a novel method is proposed for separating the components by using a combination of maleic acid (MA)/ozone (O 3 ) to co-treat wheat straw. The removal of lignin, glucan, and xylan was 38.07 ± 0.2%, 31.44 ± 0.1%, and 71.98 ± 0.1%, respectively, under the conditions of ball-milling of wheat straw for 6 h, reaction temperature of 60 °C, and O 3 holding time of 9 min. Lignin-rich solutions were collected to extract the dissolved lignin (DL) after washing the treated samples. The DL obtained under MA/O 3 conditions had a carboxyl group (-COOH) content of 2.96 mmol/g. The carboxyl group of MA underwent esterification with the hydroxyl group (-OH) at the γ position of lignin and O 3 reacted on the positions of the lignin side chain or the phenolic ring, resulting in a break in the side chain and the opening of the phenolic ring to introduce the carboxyl group. The 2D-HSQC-NMR results revealed that the phenolic ring-opening reaction of lignin in the presence of O 3 was essentially free of β-β and β-5 condensation bonds.

Affinity and storage capacity for zinc ions of the electrode materials are crucial factors on the properties of zinc ion hybrid capacitors (ZHICs). Wasted pulping liquor with abundant carbohydrates, lignin and inorganic matter served as a unique precursor to produce embedded oxygen-doped hierarchical porous carbon directly through a one-step carbonization process in this investigation. In carbonization process, lignin can serve effectively as the carbon framework, carbohydrates not only act as sacrificial templates but also offer a plentiful oxygen source which can increase the affinity for Zn 2+ , and sodium-containing inorganic substances plays a role as hard templates to optimize the pore structure. The resulting porous carbon under carbonization temperature of 800 °C shows a high specifical area of 2186 m 2 g -1 with oxygen content of 4.8 %, which can reduce the adsorption energy of Zn 2+ from -0.16 eV to -0.32 eV through electrochemical techniques and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the incorporation of oxygen was demonstrated to enhance the adsorption and desorption kinetics of Zn 2+ , suggesting a bright future for application in the domain of energy storage. The resulting ZIHC assembly showcases a notable energy density of 84.6 Wh kg -1 at a power density of 359 W kg -1 . Remarkably, even after 10,000 charge and discharge cycles, it exhibits exceptional cycle stability with retaining 86.56 % of its capacity. Consequently, this approach provides fresh insights for exploring the facile and commercial fabrication of biomass-derived cathodes for ZIHCs, thereby propelling the progress of eco-friendly energy storage devices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The scarcity of freshwater resources and increasing demand for drinking water have driven the development of durable and sustainable desalination technologies. Although MXene composites have shown promise due to their excellent photothermal conversion and high thermal conductivity, their high hydrophilicity often leads to salt precipitation and low durability. In this study, we present a novel Cellulose (CF)/MXene paper with a Janus hydrophobic/hydrophilic configuration for long-term and efficient solar-driven desalination. The paper features a dual-layer structure, with the upper hydrophobic layer composed of CF/MXene paper exhibiting convexness to serve as a photothermal layer with exceptional salt rejection properties. Simultaneously, the bottom porous layer made of CF acts as an efficient thermal insulation. This unique design effectively minimizes heat loss and facilitates efficient water transportation. The Janus CF/MXene paper demonstrates a high evaporation rate of 1.11 kg m -2 h -1 and solar thermal conversion efficiency of 82.52 % under 1 sun irradiation. Importantly, even after 2500 h of operation in a simulated seawater environment, the paper maintains a stable evaporation rate without significant salt deposition and biodegradation due to an antibacterial rate exceeding 90 %. These findings highlight the potential of the Janus CF/MXene paper for scalable manufacturing and practical applications in solar-driven desalination., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This work deals with promoting the efficiency of removing the cationic and ionic dyes by new aerogel-carbon nanostructures. For cleaner production the rice straw-pulping black liquors, which regards serious environmental risk during routine disposing, is used in preparing the aerogel precursors. These aerogels (AGBs) depend on using pulping black liquor in hybrid with resorcinol and the less carcinogenic formaldehyde butyraldehyde. Black liquors from five pulping processes are used, Elemental, thermogravimetric (TGA and DTG), and FTIR-ATR analyses are used to characterize the carbon precursors. While their adsorption behavior toward cationic and anionic dyes are accessed via iodine-value, adsorption capacity and kinetic models, textural characterization, and SEM. The TGA measurements reveal that AGBs from BLs of neutral sulfite and soda-borohydride pulping reagents have higher activation and degradation energies than other aerogels. In terms of cationic and anionic dyes adsorption as well as textural characterization, the AGB-CNSs surpass that made from BLs. The discarded KOH/NH 4 OH black liquor is used to synthesize the best aerogel precursor for producing cationic methylene blue dye (MB) adsorbent, where it provides an adsorption capacity 242.1 mg/g. The maximum anionic brilliant blue dye (BB) adsorption capacity, 162.6 mg/g, is noticed by Kraft BL-aerogel-CNSs. These finding data overcome the literature carbon adsorbents based on lignin precursors. All examined CNSs toward MB dye follow the Langmuir adsorption equilibrium; while primarily the Freundlich model for BB dye. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model well fits the adsorption kinetics of investigated AGB-CNSs. The textural characterization and SEM revealed a mixture of mesoporous and micro porous features in the CNSs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A W/ZSM-5 zeolite was successfully prepared by incorporating tungsten transition metal into a zeolite structure using a conventional impregnation method. The as-obtained W/ZSM-5 zeolite was characterized using several characterization techniques such as XRD, IR and SEM-EDS. The catalyst was then applied to a cascade, single-batch reaction to synthesize bio-polyol from sunflower oils using H 2 O 2 in isopropanol solvent. The obtained results indicated that the W/ZSM-5 zeolite had high catalytic efficiency in the epoxidation of the double bond of vegetable oil and the epoxy ring opening reaction to form bio-polyol. The effect of different reaction conditions on bio-polyol synthesis, such as the dosage of the catalyst and reaction time, were investigated. Bio-polyol was obtained from sunflower oil with a hydroxyl number of 160 mg KOH per g and functionality of 2.9 OH groups per mol. The as-synthesized sunflower oil-based polyol was used to replace fossil-based polyol in the fabrication of a bio-polyurethane-based composite with high oil uptake capacity. The oil adsorption capacity of the porous polyurethane-corn stalk composite was relatively high, up to 15.07 g g -1 . In comparison with neat polyurethane and lignocellulosic materials, the new porous bio-composite had higher oil uptake capacity., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) with active metals dispersed atomically have shown great potential in heterogeneous catalysis due to the high atomic utilization and superior selectivity/stability. Synthesis of SACs using carbon-neutral biomass and its components as the feedstocks provides a promising strategy to realize the sustainable and cost-effective SACs preparation as well as the valorization of underused biomass resources. Herein, we begin by describing the general background and status quo of carbon-based SACs derived from biomass. A detailed enumeration of the common biomass feedstocks (e.g., lignin, cellulose, chitosan, etc.) for the SACs preparation is then offered. The interactions between metal atoms and biomass-derived carbon carriers are summarized to give general rules on how to stabilize the atomic metal centers and rationalize porous carbon structures. Furthermore, the widespread adoption of catalysts in diverse domains (e.g., chemocatalysis, electrocatalysis and photocatalysis, etc.) is comprehensively introduced. The structure-property relationships and the underlying catalytic mechanisms are also addressed, including the influences of metal sites on the activity and stability, and the impact of the unique structure of single-atom centers modulated by metal/biomass feedstocks interactions on catalytic activity and selectivity. Finally, we end this review with a look into the remaining challenges and future perspectives of biomass-based SACs. We expect to shed some light on the forthcoming research of carbon-based SACs derived from biomass, manifestly stimulating the development in this emerging research area., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Hypothesis: Electronic paper displays rely on electrokinetic effects in nonpolar solvents to drive the displacement of colloidal particles within a fluidic cell. While Electrophoresis (EP) is a well-established and frequently employed phenomenon, electro-osmosis (EO), which drives fluid flow along charged solid surfaces, has not been studied as extensively. We hypothesize that by exploiting the interplay between these effects, an enhanced particle transport can be achieved., Experiments: In this study, we experimentally investigate the combined effects of EP and EO for colloidal particles in non-polar solvents, driven by an electric field. We use astigmatism micro-particle tracking velocimetry (A-μPTV) to measure the motion of charged particles within model fluidic cells. Using a simple approach that relies on basic fluid flow properties we extract the contributions due to EP and EO, finding that EO contributes significantly to particle transport. The validity of our approach is confirmed by measurements on particles with different magnitudes of charge, and by comparison to numerical simulations., Findings: We find that EO flows can play a dominant role in the transport of particles in electrokinetic display devices. This can be exploited to speed up particle transport, potentially yielding displays with significantly faster switching times., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Environment-friendly and biodegradable packaging materials have attracted widespread attention. Development of green solutions to extend the fruit shelf life and address fruit preservation thus has a far-reaching impact. In this study, high-barrier white cardboard (WC) was prepared by a facile coating method. Compared with the WC substrate, the WVP value of the polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) emulsion-coated WC (3.46 × 10 -11 g m m -2 s -1 kPa -1 ) decreased 73.8% and the OP value (14.8 cm 3 m -2 day -1 ·Pa -1 ) decreased 61.9%. In addition, the mechanical properties of the PVDC emulsion-coated WC increased significantly. The weight loss rate and decay rate of the stored fruits packaged with PVDC emulsion-coated WC decreased by about 5%. The high barrier PVDC emulsion-coated WC with excellent mechanical properties, good barrier effect, and preservation function was successfully prepared. Benefitting from these investigated characteristics, the obtained coated WC can be used to package fruits to reduce water loss and delay ripening, and thus extend their shelf life, exhibiting a favorable effect on blueberry and grape storage. Overall, the fabricated eco-friendly coated white cardboard has shown great potential for biodegradable packaging applications. We believe the current work presents an approach to address perishable fruit preservation and provide a supplement alternative., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The antibacterial characteristics of graphene oxide (GO-SB) nano-sheets generated by charring sugarcane bagasse (SB) are described in this study. The antibacterial capability of GO-SB was improved when it was grafted with ethyl cellulose (EC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to form GO-SB/EC/PVA hydrogels. Characterization of GO-SB nanosheets and GO-SB/EC/PVA hydrogels was accomplished by using FTIR, SEM, XRD, and thermal studies. The antimicrobial activity was carried out against Gram positive bacteria [Micrococcus leutus & Staphylococcus aureus], Gram negative bacteria [Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa] and pathogenic fungal yeast [Candida albicans] applying the disc diffusion method. The disc diffusion method results showed that the improved GO-SB/EC/PVA exhibited a reasonable level of antimicrobial capability against Micrococcus leutus, demonstrating that the antimicrobial improvement of GO-SB was more effective in the GO-SB/EC/PVA hydrogels by increasing the inhibition zone of Gram-positive bacteria, Micrococcus leutus from (13.0 to 16.0 mm)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

High-sensitivity strain sensing elements with a wide strain range, fast response, high stability, and small sensing areas are desirable for constructing strain sensor arrays with high temporospatial resolution. However, current strain sensors rely on crack-based conductive materials having an inherent tradeoff between their sensing area and performance. Here, we present a molecular-level crack modulation strategy in which we use layer-by-layer assembly to introduce strong, dynamic, and reversible coordination bonds in an MXene and silver nanowire-matrixed conductive film. We use this approach to fabricate a crack-based stretchable strain sensor with a very small sensing area (0.25 mm 2 ). It also exhibits an ultrawide working strain range (0.001-37%), high sensitivity (gauge factor ~500 at 0.001% and >150,000 at 35%), fast response time, low hysteresis, and excellent long-term stability. Based on this high-performance sensing element and facile assembly process, a stretchable strain sensor array with a device density of 100 sensors per cm 2 is realized. We demonstrate the practical use of the high-density strain sensor array as a multichannel pulse sensing system for monitoring pulses in terms of their spatiotemporal resolution., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Porphyromonas gingivalis is crucial for the pathogenesis of periodontitis. This research investigated the effects of the fruit-derived flavonoid phloretin and its analogs on the growth of pure P. gingivalis and the flora of P. gingivalis mixed with the symbiotic oral pathogens Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus mitis . The results showed that the tested flavonoids had little effect on the biofilm amount of pure P. gingivalis , but significantly reduced the biofilm amount of mixed flora to 83.6~89.1%. Biofilm viability decreased to 86.7~92.8% in both the pure- and mixed-bacterial groups after naringenin and phloretin treatments. SEM showed that phloretin and phlorizin displayed a similar and remarkable destructive effect on P. gingivalis and the mixed biofilms. Transcriptome analysis confirmed that biofilm formation was inhibited by these flavonoids, and phloretin significantly regulated the transcription of quorum sensing. Phlorizin and phloretin reduced AI-2 activity to 45.9% and 55.4%, respectively, independent of the regulation of related gene transcription. This research marks the first finding that these flavonoids possess anti-biofilm properties against P. gingivalis and its intricate bacterial community, and the observed performance variations, driven by structural differences, underscore the existence of intriguing structure-activity relationships.

As steric hindrance, methoxy groups are limiting the valorization of hardwood lignin. This paper reports a novel method of self-cross-linking of the syringaldehyde with activated methoxy groups (-OCH 3 ) via cross-coupling reaction to obtain thermosetting polymers for lignin-based wood adhesives. The methoxy groups of syringaldehyde have been activated via cross-coupling reaction by substituting Ar-OCH 3 with Ar-CH 2 -SiMe 3 , and dichloromethane, leading to cross-linking via methylene bridges to build a thermosetting polymer. FTIR spectra showed a decrease in the intensity of a -CH 3 and -OH group, owing to the substitution of the methoxy group. 13 C NMR spectra also supported these results with the -SiMe 3 signal that disappeared after the cross-linking reaction. Furthermore, cross-linking between the activated methoxy groups was confirmed with a strong exothermic peak at 130 °C, resulting in an increase in the adhesion strength as hot-pressing temperature increased from 160 to 180 °C. These results suggest that the cross-linking between the activated methoxy groups of syringaldehyde is an important understanding of valorizing hardwood lignin via building thermosetting polymers for lignin-based adhesives., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Guided nanowires grown on polymer surfaces facilitate their seamless integration as flexible devices without post-growth processing steps. However, this is challenging due to the inability of polymer films to provide the required lattice-matching effect. In this work, this challenge is addressed by replicating highly aligned nanogrooves from a compact disc (CD) onto a casted flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface. Leveraging the replicated nanogrooves, copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (F 16 CuPc) and various metal phthalocyanines are guided into large-area, self-aligned nanowires. Subsequently, by employing specifically designed shadow masks during electrode deposition, these nanowires are seamlessly integrated as either a monolithic flexible photodetector with a large sensing area or on-chip flexible photodetector arrays. The resulting flexible photodetectors exhibit millisecond and long-term stable response to UV-vis-NIR light. Notably, they demonstrate exceptional bending stability, retaining stable and sensitive photoresponse even at a curvature radius as low as 0.5 cm and after enduring 1000 bending cycles. Furthermore, the photodetector array showcases consistent sensitivity and response speed across the entire array. This work not only proves the viability of guided nanowire growth on flexible polymer surfaces by replicating CD nanogrooves but also underscores the potential for large-scale monolithic integration of guided nanowires as flexible devices., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Iron-nitrogen co-doped carbon materials as heterogeneous catalysts have attracted much attention in advanced oxidation processes involving peroxymonosulfate (PMS) due to their unique structure and enormous catalytic potential. However, there is limited research on the influence of different coordination structures on the central iron atoms. Through simple pyrolysis, we introduced oxygen atoms into the Fe-N coordination structure, constructing Fe-N/O@C catalysts with Fe-N 2 O 2 coordination structure, and achieved efficient degradation of bisphenol A (BPA). Quenching experiments, electron paramagnetic resonance, and electrochemical analysis indicate that compared to the free radical activation pathway of Fe-N@C, high-valent iron-oxo species (≡Fe(Ⅳ) = O) are the main reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the Fe-N/O@C/PMS system. Meanwhile, we compared the differences in the oxidation states of Fe atoms and electron density in different coordination structures, revealing the formation of high-valent iron-oxo species and the mechanism of interfacial electron transfer. Therefore, this study provides new insights into the design and development of Fe-N co-doped catalysts for resource-efficient and environmentally friendly catalytic oxidation systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Anionic carboxylated cellulose nanofibers (CNF) are effective media to remove cationic contaminants from water. In this study, sustainable cationic CNF-based adsorbents capable of removing anionic contaminants were demonstrated using a simple approach. Specifically, the zero-waste nitro-oxidization process was used to produce carboxylated CNF (NOCNF), which was subsequently converted into a cationic scaffold by crosslinking with aluminum ions. The system, termed Al-CNF, is found to be effective for the removal of fluoride ions from water. Using the Langmuir isotherm model, the fluoride adsorption study indicates that Al-CNF has a maximum adsorption capacity of 43.3 mg/g, which is significantly higher than that of alumina-based adsorbents such as activated alumina (16.3 mg/g). The selectivity of fluoride adsorption in the presence of other anionic species (nitrate or sulfate) by Al-CNF at different pH values was also evaluated. The results indicate that Al-CNF can maintain a relatively high selectivity towards the adsorption of fluoride. Finally, the sequential applicability of using spent Al-CNF after the fluoride adsorption to further remove cationic contaminant such as Basic Red 2 dye was demonstrated. The low cost and relatively high adsorption capacity of Al-CNF make it suitable for practical applications in fluoride removal from water.

As increasing fiber hydrophobicity can significantly improve the paper dewatering process, we found that replacing SBKP and HBKP with 0.5% superhydrophobic CPGMA can significantly improve the dewatering of paper sheets. Therefore, it can be concluded that if CPGMA has little effect on paper properties, it will have potential industrial value in the papermaking industry. Consequently, it is necessary to further study the effect of the CPGMAs@CPAM/SiO 2 /APAM system on paper properties. To evaluate the application potential of the system in the papermaking industry, we investigated the effects of CPGMAs, which replaced the fibers in the stocks, on the paper properties in the CPAM/SiO 2 /APAM system. The findings demonstrate that as the CPGMA replacement increased, the paper's tensile strength, bursting strength, tear resistance, and folding endurance all declined. The trend can be segmented into two phases: a rapid decrease for substitution amounts below 0.5% and a gradual decline for substitution amounts exceeding 0.5%. When replaced with a small amount of CPGMAs, there was a negligible effect on these properties. Second, the paper air permeability increased with the CPGMA substitution amount in the stock. Furthermore, the trend of paper air permeability can be divided into two stages-a rapid stage with a substitution amount of <0.5% and a slow stage with a substitution amount of >0.5%. A small amount of CPGMAs could distinctly improve the paper's air permeability. Third, CPGMAs, which replaced fibers in the stock, minutely affected the paper formation. A small amount of CPGMAs substantially boosted the efficacy of the process of paper manufacture and certain characteristics of the paper, and it had a negligible impact on the strength of paper. The CPGMAs@CPAM/SiO 2 /APAM technology has the potential to improve the retention and filtration performance of CPAM/SiO 2 /APAM.

Developing a high-performance activator is crucial for the practical application of peroxymonosulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PMS-AOPs). High-entropy oxides (HEOs) have attracted increasing attention due to their stable crystal structure, flexible composition and unique functionality. However, research into the mechanisms by which HEOs function as PMS activators for degrading organic pollutants remains insufficient, and the relationship between entropy and the catalytic performance of HEOs has yet to be clarified. In this study, we synthesized NiMgZnCuCoO x with different levels of entropy as PMS activators for acetaminophen (APAP) degradation, and observed a significant effect for entropy on the catalytic performance. Sulfate radicals (SO 4 • ‒ ) were identified as the primary reactive oxygen species (ROS), while hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) act as secondary ROS during APAP degradation. Both the Co 2+ contents and the oxygen vacancy concentration in NiMgZnCuCoO x are found to increase with the entropy. An increase in the Co 2+ sites leads to more activation sites for PMS activation, while excessive oxygen vacancies consume PMS, producing weak oxidation species, and affect the electron-donating ability of Co 2+ . Consequently, the NiMgZnCuCoO x with middle level of entropy exhibits the optimal performance with APAP degradation rate and mineralization rate reaching 100% and 74.22%, respectively. Furthermore, the degradation intermediates and their toxicities were assessed through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis. This work is expected to provide critical insight into the impact of the HEOs entropy on the PMS activation and guide the rational design of highly efficient peroxymonosulfate activators for environmental applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Persistent endodontic infections (PEIs) mediated by bacterial biofilm mainly cause persistent periapical inflammation, resulting in recurrent periapical abscesses and progressive bone destruction. However, conventional root canal disinfectants are highly damaging to the tooth and periodontal tissue and ineffective in treating persistent root canal infections. Antimicrobial materials that are biocompatible with apical tissues and can eliminate PEIs-associated bacteria are urgently needed., Methods: Here, ε-poly (L-lysine) derived carbon quantum dots (PL-CQDs) are fabricated using pyrolysis to remove PEIs-associated bacterial biofilms., Results: Due to their ultra-small size, high positive charge, and active reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation capacity, PL-CQDs exhibit highly effective antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis ), which is greatly dependent on PL-CQDs concentrations. 100 µg/mL PL-CQDs could kill E. faecalis in 5 min. Importantly, PL-CQDs effectively achieved a reduction of biofilms in the isolated teeth model, disrupting the dense structure of biofilms. PL-CQDs have acceptable cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility in vitro and good biosafety in vivo., Discussion: Thus, PL-CQDs provide a new strategy for treating E. faecalis -associated PEIs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 Xu et al.)

Ti-based Metal-organic frameworks (Ti-MOF) have been extensively investigated for producing hydrogen via solar water splitting, while their intrinsic activities are still retarded by the poor performance of photocarriers separation and utilization. Herein, a donor-acceptor (D-A) supramolecular photocatalyst is successfully constructed via encapsulating fullerene (C 60 ) into MIL-125-NH 2 and meanwhile depositing individual Pt atoms as cocatalyst. The as-prepared C 60 @MIL-125-NH 2 -Pt exhibits remarkable activity in photocatalytic water splitting, with a H 2 formation rate of 1180 μmol g -1 h -1 , which is ∼ 12 times higher than that of the pristine MIL-125-NH 2 . Further investigations indicate that the host-guest interactions between C 60 and MIL-125-NH 2 strengthen the built-in electric field, which greatly facilitates the separation and migration of photogenerated charge carriers. In addition, the cocatalyst of individual Pt atoms not only further promotes the separation and transport of carriers but also enhances the contact between water and the catalyst. All of these factors directly contribute to the superior activity of C 60 @MIL-125-NH 2 -Pt. This work provides a new perspective for constructing D-A supramolecular photocatalysts for enhanced charge separation and making full use of photoelectrons to realize efficient hydrogen production., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Developing artificial leaves to address the environmental burden of CO 2 is pivotal for advancing our Net Zero Future. In this study, we introduce EcoLeaf, an artificial leaf that closely mimics the characteristics of natural leaves. It harnesses visible light as its sole energy source and orchestrates the controlled expansion and contraction of stomata and the exchange of petiole materials to govern the rate of CO 2 sequestration from the atmosphere. Furthermore, EcoLeaf has a cellulose composition and mechanical strength similar to those of natural leaves, allowing it to seamlessly integrate into the ecosystem during use and participate in natural degradation and nutrient cycling processes at the end of its life. We propose that the carbon sequestration pathway within EcoLeaf is adaptable and can serve as a versatile biomimetic platform for diverse biogenic carbon sequestration pathways in the future., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Psilocybin and related tryptamines have come into the spotlight in recent years as potential therapeutics for depression. Research on the mechanisms of these effects has historically focused on the direct effects of these drugs on neural processes. However, in addition to such neural effects, alterations in peripheral physiology may also contribute to their therapeutic effects. In particular, substantial support exists for a gut microbiome-mediated pathway for the antidepressant efficacy of other drug classes, but no prior studies have determined the effects of tryptamines on microbiota., Methods: To address this gap, in this preliminary study, male Long Evans rats were treated with varying dosages of oral psilocybin (0.2 or 2 mg/kg), norbaeocystin (0.25 or 2.52 mg/kg), or vehicle and their fecal samples were collected 1 week and 3 weeks after exposure for microbiome analysis using integrated 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing to determine gut microbiome composition., Results: We found that although treatment with neither psilocybin nor norbaeocystin significantly affected overall microbiome diversity, it did cause significant dose- and time-dependent changes in bacterial abundance at the phylum level, including increases in Verrucomicrobia and Actinobacteria , and decreases in Proteobacteria ., Conclusion and Implications: These preliminary findings support the idea that psilocybin and other tryptamines may act on the gut microbiome in a dose- and time-dependent manner, potentially identifying a novel peripheral mechanism for their antidepressant activity. The results from this preliminary study also suggest that norbaeocystin may warrant further investigation as a potential antidepressant, given the similarity of its effects to psilocybin., Competing Interests: J. Andrew Jones is a significant stakeholder at PsyBio Therapeutics. PsyBio Therapeutics has licensed tryptamine biosynthesis-related technology from Miami University. J. Andrew Jones and Matthew S. McMurray are co-inventors on several patent applications related to tryptamine biosynthesis and the impacts of tryptamines on animal behavior. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 Xu et al.)

Despite the rapid development of mobile health based on wearable devices in recent years, lack of access to biochemical detection remains a vital challenge for most commercial wearable devices, which hinders the provision of effective electronic health records (EHRs) for disease control strategies, and further constraining the development of personalized precision medicine. Herein, we propose a strategy to graft biochemical detection function onto commercial bracelet. Different from the conventional development process of designing a completely new wearable biochemical device, we prefer to upgrade existing commercial wearable device to achieve simpler, faster, and more effective research and commercialization processes. An affordable and user-friendly biochemical button module has been designed that enables to integrate sensitive, specific, and rapid biochemical detection function into the idle space on the strap of the bracelet without increasing the size of the main body. This "Smart Bracelet Plus" shows the ability to simultaneously monitor physical and biochemical signals, and will serve as a reliable and systematic personal diagnostics and monitoring platform for providing real-time EHRs for disease control strategies and improving the efficiency of the healthcare system., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Xunshun Tao have a significant interest in Nanjing Ziqishun Biotechnology Co., Ltd, a company that have a commercial interest in the detailed mechanical and electrical design of this system. The potential individual conflict of interest has been reviewed and managed by South China University of Technology. Junhao Chen and Junfei Tian have potential interest in the results of this research and technology. Other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Butyl butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid ester (C8) with a fruity aroma. It has broad prospects in the fields of foods, cosmetics and biofuels. At present, butyl butyrate is produced by chemical synthesis in the industry, but it is highly dependent on petroleum-based products. The growing concerns regarding the future scarcity of fossil fuels have been strongly promoted the transition from traditional fossil fuels and products to renewable bioenergy and biochemicals. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a green biochemical technology to replace traditional petroleum-based materials. In recent years, microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Clostridium have been engineered to serve as cell factories for the sustainable one-pot production of short-chain fatty acid esters, including butyl butyrate. This opinion highlights the recent development in the use of lipases and alcohol acyltransferases (AATs) for butyl butyrate production in microbial fermentation, as well as future perspectives., (© 2024 The Author(s). Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Photo-rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (PRZIBs) have attracted much attention in the field of energy storage due to their high safety and dexterity compared with currently integrated lithium-ion batteries and solar cells. However, challenges remain toward their practical applications, originating from the unsatisfactory structural design of photocathodes, which results in low photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE). Herein, a flexible MoS 2 /SnO 2 -based photocathode is developed via constructing a sunflower-shaped light-trapping nanostructure with 3D hierarchical and self-supporting properties, enabled by the hierarchical embellishment of MoS 2 nanosheets and SnO 2 quantum dots on carbon cloth (MoS 2 /SnO 2 QDs@CC). This structural design provides a favorable pathway for the effective separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and the efficient storage of Zn 2+ on photocathodes. Consequently, the PRZIB assembled with MoS 2 /SnO 2 QDs@CC delivers a desirable capacity of 366 mAh g -1 under a light intensity of 100 mW cm -2 , and achieves an ultra-high PCE of 2.7% at a current density of 0.125 mA cm -2 . In practice, an integrated battery system consisting of four series-connected quasi-solid-state PRZIBs is successfully applied as a wearable wristband of smartwatches, which opens a new door for the application of PRZIBs in next-generation flexible energy storage devices., (© 2024 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

In this study, three sequencing batch biofilter granular reactors (SBBGRs) were employed to treat model lignin wastewater containing different lignin models (2,6-dimethoxyphenol, 4-methoxyphenol, and vanillin). After 40 days of cultivation, uniform-shaped aerobic granular sludge (AGS) was successfully developed through nutrient supplementation with synthetic wastewater. During the acclimation stage, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction efficiencies of the three reactors showed a trend of initial decreasing (5-20%) and then recovering to a high reduction efficiency (exceeding 90%) in a short period of time. During the stable operation stage, all three reactors achieved COD reduction efficiencies exceeding 90%. These findings indicated the cultivated AGS's robust resistance to changes in lignin models in water. UV-Vis spectra analysis confirmed the effective degradation of the three lignin models. Microbiological analysis showed that Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were always the dominant phyla. At the genus level, while Acinetobacter (15.46%) dominated in the inoculation sludge, Kapabacteriales (7.93%), SBR1031 (11.77%), and Chlorobium (25.37%) were dominant in the three reactors (for 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, 4-methoxyphenol, and vanillin) after degradation, respectively. These findings demonstrate that AGS cultured with SBBGR effectively degrades lignin models, with different dominant strains observed for various lignin models., Competing Interests: The authors declare there is no conflict., (© 2024 The Authors This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0), which permits copying, adaptation and redistribution, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Polymers have become an important part of everyday life, but most of the polymers currently used are petroleum-based. This poses an environmental problem, especially with respect to products that are quickly discarded. For this reason, current packaging development focuses on sustainable materials as an alternative to synthetic ones. Nanocellulose, a relatively new material derived from cellulose, has unique properties such as high strength, low density, high surface area, and good barrier properties, making it popular in various applications. Additionally, 3D printing technologies have become an important part of industrial and commercial processes, enabling the realization of innovative ideas and functionalities. The main aim of this research was to develop a hydrogel of bacterial nanocellulose with suitable rheological properties for the 3D printing of polymer foils. Three variations of bacterial nanocellulose hydrogel differing in ratios of bacterial nanocellulose to cationic starch were produced. The rheological studies confirmed the suitability of the hydrogels for 3D printing. Foils were successfully 3D-printed using a modified 3D printer. The physical-mechanical, surface, and optical properties of the foils were determined. All foils were homogeneous with adequate mechanical properties. The 3D-printed foils with the highest amount of cationic starch were the most homogeneous and transparent and, despite their rigidity, very strong. All foils were semi-transparent, had a non-glossy surface, and retained poor water wettability.

The aim of this work was to develop and characterize a thin films composed of hyaluronic acid/ellagic acid for potential medical application. Its principal novelty, distinct from the prior literature in terms of hyaluronic acid films supplemented with phenolic acids, resides in the predominant incorporation of ellagic acid-a distinguished compound-as the primary constituent of the films. Herein, ellagic acid was dissolved in two different solvents, i.e., acetic acid (AcOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and the surface properties of the resultant films were assessed using atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurements. Additionally, various physicochemical parameters were evaluated including moisture content, antioxidant activity, and release of ellagic acid in phosphate buffered saline. Furthermore, the evaluation of films' biocompatibility was conducted using human epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and human amelanotic melanoma cells (A375 and G361), and the antimicrobial activity was elucidated accordingly against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442. Our results showed that the films exhibited prominent antibacterial properties particularly against Staphylococcus aureus , with the 80HA/20EA/AcOH film indicating the strong biocidal activity against this strain leading to a significant reduction in viable cells. Comparatively, the 50HA/50EA/AcOH film also displayed biocidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus . This experimental approach could be a promising technique for future applications in regenerative dermatology or novel strategies in terms of bioengineering.

All-inorganic metal halide perovskite is promising for highly efficient and thermally stable perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs). However, there is still great room for improvement in the film quality, including low coverage and high trap density, which play a vital role in achieving high-efficiency PeLEDs. In this work, lead acetate (Pb(Ac) 2 ) was introduced into the perovskite precursor solution as an additive. Experimental results show that perovskite films deposited from a one-step anti-solvent free solution process with increased surface coverage and reduced trap density were obtained, leading to enhanced photoluminescence (PL) intensity. More than that, the valence band maximum (VBM) of perovskite films was reduced, bringing about a better energy level matching the work function of the hole-injection layer (HIL) poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS), which is facilitated for the hole injection, leading to a decrease in the turn-on voltage (V th ) of PeLEDs from 3.4 V for the control device to 2.6 V. Finally, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the sky blue PeLEDs (at 484 nm) increased from 0.09% to 0.66%. The principles of Pb(Ac) 2 were thoroughly investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). This work provides a simple and effective strategy for improving the morphology of perovskite and therefore the performance of PeLEDs.

A practical and efficient method to access polysubstituted aryl sulfides has been discovered via a Lewis acid-catalyzed reaction between alkynyl sulfide and 2-pyrone, involving a Diels-Alder/retro-Diels-Alder pathway. Alkynyl sulfide as an electron-rich dienophile and 2-pyrones as electron-poor dienes are conjunctively transformed into a series of polysubstituted aryl sulfides with broad functional group compatibility in good to excellent yields (40 examples, 43-88% yield). The robustness and practicality of the protocol has been demonstrated through gram-scale synthesis and the ease of transformation of the resulting products.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with controlled porosity, high crystallinity, diverse designability and excellent stability are very attractive in metal-free heterogeneous photocatalysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) degradation. In order to construct the high optimal performance COFs under feasible and universal conditions, herein, the visible light-driven hollow COF TAPB-PDA (H-COF TAPB-PDA ) microcapsule was designed by a facile dual-ligand regulated sacrificial template method. The H-COF TAPB-PDA microcapsule possesses improved surface area, high crystallinity, broad absorption range and high stability, which enables enhanced substrates and visible light adsorption, photogenerated electrons-holes separation and transfer, and facilitate the generation of reactive radicals. Importantly, it was found to be a highly efficient photocatalyst for toluene degradation under visible-light irradiation compared with the solid COF TAPB-PDA , and the degradation efficiency of toluene reached 91.8 % within 180 min with the conversion rate of CO 2 was 68.9 %. Additionally, the H-COF TAPB-PDA presented good recyclability and long-term stability after multiple photocatalytic reuses. Furthermore, the active sites of H-COF TAPB-PDA in photocatalytic degradation of toluene was proposed by XPS and DFT calculations, and the degradation pathway and mechanism was proposed and analyzed. The result presented great prospect of morphologic design of hollow COFs in metal-free heterogeneous photocatalysis for VOCs degradation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To address the challenges associated with formaldehyde emissions in engineered wood adhesives and simultaneously enhance adhesive properties related to water resistance, fire resistance, and mold resistance, a novel environmentally sustainable biomass-based adhesive was formulated. In this work, kraft lignin was carboxymethylated and then blended with the soy protein isolate (SPI)-based adhesive, the dry and wet shear strength of the plywood bonded by the resultant adhesive was enhanced from 1.10 and 0.63 MPa to 1.73 and 1.23 MPa, respectively, resulting in improvements of 157% and 195%. Carboxymethylated lignin (CML) significantly improved the mold resistance and flame-resistance residual rate of the adhesive and decreased the water absorption rate from 190% to 108%. Furthermore, the adhesive exhibits outstanding flame-retardancy, with self-extinguishing capability rendering it suitable for industrial production. In addition, we also evaluated the performances of resulting adhesives cured with different diepoxides and triepoxides, and the comparisons of the adhesive in this work to commercial urea glue and soy protein-based adhesives were conducted. To our delight, the SPI-10CML adhesive presented comparable or even improved performances, showing its promising practical applications such as for fire doors., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Thermosensitive hydrogels have found extensive applications in soft devices, but they often suffer from limited functionalities, low response rate and small response amplitude. In this work, double layered asymmetrical hydrogels composed of a thermosensitive layer and a non-thermosensitive layer are developed to simultaneously achieve high-performance mechanosensing and actuating properties in a single hydrogel. In thermosensitive layer, thermosensitive microgels are introduced to construct hierarchical structure, which accounts for the enhanced thermosensitive behaviors by cooperative responsiveness. In non-thermosensitive layer, poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (P(AM-co-AA)) hydrogel is constructed. KCl is introduced as conductive component. Mechanosensors for monitoring various mechanical stimuli in daily life have been fabricated utilizing such hydrogels and high gauge factors (GF) have been achieved, 0.38 for resistive strain sensors, 9.40 kPa -1 for piezoresistive pressure sensors and 3.92 kPa -1 for capacitive pressure sensors. Because of the asymmetrical structure, such hydrogels also exhibit outstanding actuating properties with a fast response rate of 863°/min and a bending amplitude about 360°. Interestingly, grasping-releasing of target objects utilizing an octopus-shaped hydrogel actuator and temperature alerting based on hydrogel actuator are also demonstrated. Overall, the double layered asymmetrical ionic hydrogels have provided a new clue to construct hydrogel devices with multiple functionalities and enhanced response properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies have suggested that macrophages are present during lens regeneration in newts, but their role in the process is yet to be elucidated., Methods: Here we generated a transgenic reporter line using the newt, Pleurodeles waltl, that traces macrophages during lens regeneration. Furthermore, we assessed early changes in gene expression during lens regeneration using two newt species, Notophthalmus viridescens and Pleurodeles waltl. Finally, we used clodronate liposomes to deplete macrophages during lens regeneration in both species and tested the effect of a subsequent secondary injury after macrophage recovery., Results: Macrophage depletion abrogated lens regeneration, induced the formation of scar-like tissue, led to inflammation, decreased iris pigment epithelial cell (iPEC) proliferation, and increased rates of apoptosis in the eye. Some of these phenotypes persisted throughout the last observation period of 100 days and could be attenuated by exogenous FGF2 administration. A distinct transcript profile encoding acute inflammatory effectors was established for the dorsal iris. Reinjury of the newt eye alleviated the effects of macrophage depletion, including the resolution of scar-like tissue, and re-initiated the regeneration process., Conclusions: Together, our findings highlight the importance of macrophages for facilitating a pro-regenerative environment in the newt eye by regulating fibrotic responses, modulating the overall inflammatory landscape, and maintaining the proper balance of early proliferation and late apoptosis of the iPECs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) hold great promise for diverse applications when combined with polymers. However, a persistent challenge lies in the susceptibility of exposed MOF pores to molecule and polymer penetration, compromising the porosity and overall performance. Here, we design a molecular-caged MOF (MC-MOF) to achieve contracted window without sacrificing the MOF porosity by torsional conjugated ligands. These molecular cages effectively shield against the undesired molecule penetration during polymerization, thereby preserving the pristine porosity of MC-MOF and providing outstanding light and thermal management to the composites. The polymer containing 0.5 wt % MC-MOF achieves an 83% transmittance and an exceptional haze of 93% at 550 nanometers, coupled with remarkable thermal insulation. These MC-MOF/polymer composites offer the potential for more uniform daylighting and reduced energy consumption in sustainable buildings when compared to traditional glass materials. This work delivers a general method to uphold MOF porosity in polymers through molecular cage design, advancing MOF-polymer applications in energy and sustainability.

Drainage and deforestation of tropical peat swamp forests (PSF) in Southeast Asia cause carbon emissions and biodiversity loss of global concern. Restoration efforts to mitigate these impacts usually involve peatland rewetting by blocking canals. However, there have been no studies to date of the optimal rewetting approach that will reduce carbon emission whilst also promoting PSF regeneration. Here we present results of a large-scale restoration trial in Sumatra (Indonesia), monitored for 7.5 years. Water levels in a former plantation were raised over an area of 4800 ha by constructing 257 compacted peat dams in canals. We find peat surface subsidence rates in the rewetted restoration area and adjoining PSF to be halved where water tables were raised from ~ - 0.6 m to ~ - 0.3 m, demonstrating the success of rewetting in reducing carbon emission. A total of 57 native PSF tree species were found to spontaneously grow in the most rewetted conditions and in high densities, indicating that forest regrowth is underway. Based on our findings we propose that an effective PSF restoration strategy should follow stepwise rewetting to achieve substantial carbon emission reduction alongside unassisted regrowth of PSF, thereby enabling the peat, forest and canal vegetation to establish a new nature-based ecosystem balance., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In order to prepare biomass-derived carbon materials with high specific capacitance at a low activation temperature (≤700 °C), nanoporous carbon materials were prepared from zanthoxylum bungeanum peels and seeds via the pyrolysis and KOH-activation processes. The results show that the optimal activation temperatures are 700 °C and 600 °C for peels and seeds. Benefiting from the hierarchical pore structure (micropores, mesopores, and macropores), the abundant heteroatoms (N, S, and O) containing functional groups, and plentiful electrochemical active sites, the PAC-700 and SAC-600 derive the large capacities of ~211.0 and ~219.7 F g -1 at 1.0 A g -1 in 6 M KOH within the three-electrode configuration. Furthermore, the symmetrical supercapacitors display a high energy density of 22.9 and 22.4 Wh kg -1 at 7500 W kg -1 assembled with PAC-700 and SAC-600, along with exceptional capacitance retention of 99.1% and 93.4% over 10,000 cycles at 1.0 A g -1 . More significantly, the contribution here will stimulate the extensive development of low-temperature activation processes and nanoporous carbon materials for electrochemical energy storage and beyond.

Compared with conventional electrochemical supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries, the novel amorphous cellulose nanofibre (ACF) supercapacitor demonstrates superior electric storage capacity with a high-power density, owing to its fast-charging capability and high-voltage performance. This study unveils introduces an ACF supercapacitor characterised by a substantial energy density. This is achieved by integrating a singular layer of pseudo-solid water molecules (electrical resistivity of 1.11 × 10 8  Ω cm) with cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), establishing forming an electric double layer at the electrode interface. The enhanced energy storage in these high-energy density capacitors (8.55 J/m 2 ) is explicated through the polarisation of protons and lone pair electrons on oxygen atoms during water electrolysis, commencing at 1.23 V. Improvements in energy density are attainable through CNF density enhancements and charging-current optimisation. The proposed ACF supercapacitor offers substantial promise for integration into the power sources of flexible and renewable paper-based electronic devices., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Biopolymers are biodegradable and renewable and can significantly reduce environmental impacts. For this reason, biocomposites based on a plasticized starch and cross-linker matrix and with a microfibrillated OCC cardboard cellulose reinforcement were developed. Biocomposites were prepared by suspension casting with varied amounts of microfibrillated cellulose: 0, 4, 8, and 12 wt%. Polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) was used as a cross-linking, water-soluble, and non-toxic agent. Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) from OCC cardboard showed appropriate properties and potential for good performance as a reinforcement. In general, microfiber incorporation and matrix cross-linking increased crystallization, reduced water adsorption, and improved the physical and tensile properties of the plasticized starch. Biocomposites cross-linked with PEGDE and reinforced with 12 wt% MFC showed the best properties. The chemical and structural changes induced by the cross-linking of starch chains and MFC reinforcement were confirmed by FTIR, NMR, and XRD. Biodegradation higher than 80% was achieved for most biocomposites in 15 days of laboratory compost.

Context: Due to their excellent biocompatibility and degradability, cellulose/spider silk protein composites hold a significant value in biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and medical dressings. The interfacial interactions between cellulose and spider silk protein affect the properties of the composite. Therefore, it is important to understand the interfacial interactions between spider silk protein and cellulose to guide the design and optimization of composites. The study of the adsorption of protein on specific surfaces of cellulose crystal can be very complex using experimental methods. Molecular dynamics simulations allow the exploration of various physical and chemical changes at the atomic level of the material and enable an atomic description of the interactions between cellulose crystal planes and spider silk protein. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the interfacial interactions between spider silk protein (NTD) and cellulose surfaces. Findings of RMSD, RMSF, and secondary structure showed that the structure of NTD proteins remained unchanged during the adsorption process. Cellulose contact numbers and hydrogen bonding trends on different crystalline surfaces suggest that van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding interactions drive the binding of proteins to cellulose. These findings reveal the interaction between cellulose and protein at the molecular level and provide theoretical guidance for the design and synthesis of cellulose/spider silk protein composites., Methods: MD simulations were all performed using the GROMACS-5.1 software package and run with CHARMM36 carbohydrate force field. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed for 500 ns for the simulated system., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The development of a strong and tough conductive hydrogel capable of meeting the strict requirements of the electrode of a hydrogel-based triboelectric nanogenerator (H-TENG) remains an enormous challenge. Herein, a robust conductive polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel is designed via a three-step method: (1) grafting with 3,4-dihydroxy benzaldehyde, (2) metal complexation using ferric chloride (FeCl 3 ) and (3) salting-out using sodium citrate. The hydrogel contains robust crystalline PVA domains and reversible/high-density non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions and Fe 3+ -catechol complexations. Benefiting from the crystalline domains, the hydrogel can resist external forces to the hydrogel network; meanwhile, the reversible/high-density of non-covalent interactions can impart gradual and persistent energy dissipation during deformation. The hydrogel possesses multiple cross-linked networks, with 6.47 MPa tensile stress, 1000 % strain, 35.24 MJ/m 3 toughness and 37.59 kJ/m 2 fracture energy. Furthermore, the inter-connected porous hydrogel has an ideal structure for ionic-conducing channels. The hydrogel is assembled into an H-TENG, which can generate open circuit voltage of ∼ 150 V, short-circuit current of ∼ 3.0 μA, with superb damage immunity. Subsequently, road traffic monitoring systems are innovatively developed and demonstrated by using the H-TENG. This study provides a novel strategy to prepare superiorly strong and tough hydrogels that can meet the high demand for H-TENGs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Plastics offer many advantages and are widely used in various fields. Nevertheless, most plastics derived from petroleum are slow to degrade due to their stable polymer structure, posing serious threats to organisms and ecosystems. Thus, developing environmentally friendly and biodegradable plastics is imperative. In this study, biodegradable cellulose/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MCNT) hybrid gels and films with improved ultraviolet-shielding properties were successfully prepared using cotton textile waste as a resource. It was proven that MCNTs can be dispersed evenly in cellulose without any chemical or physical pretreatment. It was found that the contents of MCNTs had obvious effects on the structures and properties of hybrid films. Particularly, the averaged transmittance of cellulose/MCNT composite films in the range of 320-400 nm (T 320-400 ) and 290-320 nm (T 290-320 ) can be as low as 19.91% and 16.09%, when the content of MCNTs was 4.0%, much lower than those of pure cellulose films (T 320-400 : 84.12% and T 290-320 : 80.03%). Meanwhile, the water contact angles of the cellulose/MCNT films were increased by increasing the content of MCNTs. Most importantly, the mechanical performance of cellulose/MCNT films could be controlled by the additives of glycerol and MCNTs. The tensile strength of the cellulose/MCNT films was able to reach as high as 20.58 MPa, while the elongation at break was about 31.35%. To summarize, transparent cellulose/MCNT composites with enhanced ultraviolet-shielding properties can be manufactured successfully from low-cost cotton textile waste, which is beneficial not only in terms of environmental protection, but also the utilization of natural resources.

The demand for paper and paper-based packaging has seen a massive increase in past years, resulting in accelerated deforestation to meet the rising demand, negatively impacting the environment, and there is a need to look towards different non-woody raw materials. Kraft pulping (KP) is widely used in paper making, for which the chemical dose, temperature, time, and energy required must be optimized, for which many insignificant experimental trials are performed. An effort is made to solve this problem by developing the regression equations with the help of Excel using One Factor at a Time Analysis (OFAT), followed by carrying out design of experiments (DoE) using orthogonal approach and regression analysis in Minitab software. Life cycle Assessment (LCA) using the Open-LCA software estimates the effect of chemicals and energy required during pulping on human health, ecosystem quality, and resource depletion. Using regression analysis, the equations for predicting kappa number, yield (%), total energy consumed, and mechanical properties of the paper sheet showed a good fit with an R 2 value in the range of 0.90-0.99. Apart from that, the mechanical properties, namely tensile index (41.43 Nm/g), tear index (6.96 mN m 2 /g), bending stiffness (0.5 mN m), and burst index (3.92 kPa m 2 /g) of the unbeaten sheet, were determined experimentally at optimized conditions. Based on the Open-LCA result, the optimized pulping conditions had less impact on human health, ecosystem quality, and resource depletion. Industries can use the model to predict the values of kappa number, yield, mechanical properties, and energy consumption without performing optimization experiments that may impact the industry's economy to a greater extent., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by a chronic inflammation of the intestine, which significantly affects patients' quality of life. As a perennial plant with the homology of medicine and food, Panax ginseng is known for its substantial anti-inflammatory effects in various inflammatory disorders. Ginsenosides, the main bioactive compounds of P. ginseng, are recognized for their efficacy in ameliorating inflammation., Purpose: Over the past decade, approximately 150 studies have investigated the effects of P. ginseng and ginsenosides on IBD treatment and new issues have arisen. However, there has yet to be a comprehensive review assessing the potential roles of ginsenosides in IBD therapy., Method: This manuscript strictly adheres to the PRISMA guidelines, thereby guaranteeing systematic synthesis of data. The research articles referenced were sourced from major scientific databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science. The search strategy employed keywords such as "ginsenoside", "IBD", "colitis", "UC", "inflammation", "gut microbiota", and "intestinal barrier". For image creation, Figdraw 2.0 was methodically employed., Results: Treatment with various ginsenosides markedly alleviated clinical IBD symptoms. These compounds have been observed to restore intestinal epithelia, modulate cellular immunity, regulate gut microbiota, and suppress inflammatory signaling pathways., Conclusion: An increasing body of research supports the potential of ginsenosides in treating IBD. Ginsenosides have emerged as promising therapeutic agents for IBD, attributed to their remarkable efficacy, safety, and absence of side effects. Nevertheless, their limited bioavailability presents a substantial challenge. Thus, efforts to enhance the bioavailability of ginsenosides represent a crucial and promising direction for future IBD research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)