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Zinc-based aqueous rechargeable batteries have attracted extensive attention due to their low cost, safety, and environmental friendliness. However, dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution of Zn anodes limit their large-scale application. A new strategy to produce a polyacrylamide/reduced graphene oxide (PAM@rGO) molecular nanobrush coating and control Zn electrolyte interface engineering is proposed for use in highly reversible Zn plating/stripping. Hydrogen evolution is inhibited, and Zn deposition is consolidated using the rich zincophilic functional groups of the branched polyacrylamide chain and the high conductivity of rGO. Due to the synergistic effects of corrosion resistance and dendrite-free growth, PAM@rGO/Zn provides prolonged and reversible Zn plating/stripping. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations expand on homogenized nucleation. The PAM@rGO/Zn‖activated carbon (AC) capacitor exhibits long cyclic stability, fast ion transfer, and minimal interfacial impedance. This study provides experimental and theoretical bases for the structural design of Zn anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid evolution of resistance in agricultural pest poses a serious threat to global food security. However, the mechanisms of resistance through metabolic regulation are largely unknown. Here, we found that a GST gene cluster was strongly selected in North China (NTC) population, and it was significantly genetically-linked to lambda-cyhalothrin resistance. Knockout of the GST cluster using CRISPR/Cas9 significantly increased the sensitivity of the knockout strain to lambda-cyhalothrin. Haplotype analysis revealed no non-synonymous mutations or structural variations in the GST cluster, whereas GST_119 and GST_121 were significantly overexpressed in the NTC population. Silencing of GST_119 or co-silencing of GST_119 and GST_121 with RNAi significantly increased larval sensitivity to lambda-cyhalothrin. We also identified additional GATAe transcription factor binding sites in the promoter of NTC_GST_119. Transient expression of GATAe in Hi5 cells activated NTC_GST_119 and Xinjiang (XJ)_GST_119 transcription, but the transcriptional activity of NTC_GST_119 was significantly higher than that of XJ_GST_119. These results demonstrate that variations in the regulatory region result in complex expression changes in the GST cluster, which enhances lambda-cyhalothrin resistance in field-populations. This study deepens our knowledge of the evolutionary mechanism of pest adaptation under environmental stress and provides potential targets for monitoring pest resistance and integrated management. A glutathione S-transferase gene cluster in the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, contributes to natural insecticide resistance in this agricultural pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]