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[Display omitted] • Novel urchin-like (NH 4) 2 V 10 O 25 ·8H 2 O are synthesized by solvothermal method. • The enlarged interlayer spacing speeds up the Zn2+ insertion/extraction. • The interlayer pillaring facilitates rapid and stable zinc ion storage. • NH 4 + provides a flexible framework structure. • The urchin-like morphology maintains the structural stability during (dis)charging. The practical application of zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) can be facilitated by designing cathode materials with unique structures that can overcome the critical problems of slow reaction kinetics and large volume expansion associated with the intercalation reaction of divalent zinc ions. In this study, a novel urchin-like (NH 4) 2 V 10 O 25 ·8H 2 O assembled from nanorods was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method, noted as U-NVO. The interlayer organic pillar of cetyltrimethylammonium cation (CTAB) has been intercalated between layers to regulate the interlayer microstructure and expand the interlayer spacing to 1.32 nm, which effectively increased the contact between the electrode and electrolyte interface and shortened the diffusion path of electrolyte ions. The interlayer pillars of structural H 2 O and NH 4 + provide a flexible framework structure and enhance the cohesion of the layered structure, which helps to maintain structural stability during the charging and discharging process, resulting in long-term durability. These unique properties result in the U-NVO cathodes demonstrating high specific capacity (401.7 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1), excellent rate capability (99.6 % retention from 0.1 to 5 A g−1 and back to 0.1 A g−1), and long-term cycling performance (∼87.5 % capacity retention after 2600 cycles). These results offer valuable insights into the design of high-performance vanadium oxide cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Transition-metal sulfides (TMS) have piqued a great deal of interest due to their unprecious nature and high intrinsic catalytic activity for water splitting. In this work, a low-cost and efficient route was developed, which included electrodeposition to prepare Ni-Co layered double hydroxide (NiCo-LDH) followed by ion exchange to form nickel cobalt sulfide (NiCoS x). Electrochemical reduction was used to modulate sulfur vacancies in order to produce sulfur vacancies-rich NiCoS x with nanosheet arrays on -three-dimensional nickel foam (NiCoS x -0.4/NF) with a large area of more than 250 cm2. Combining data from experiments and density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations reveals that engineered sulfur vacancies change the electronic structure, electron transfer property, and surface electron density of NiCoS x , significantly improving the free energy of water adsorption and boosting electrocatalytic activity. The developed NiCoS x -0.4/NF has long-term stability of more than 300 h at 500 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH at ambient temperature and only needs a 289 mV overpotential at 100 mA cm−2. Remarkably, the synthesized electrocatalyst rich in sulfur vacancies, exhibits exceptional performance with a high current density of up to 1.9 A cm−2 and 1 A cm−2 in 6 M KOH and leads to overpotentials of 286 mV at 80 °C and 358 mV at 60 °C, respectively. The catalyst's practicability under quasi-industrial conditions (60 °C, 6 M KOH) is further demonstrated by its long-term stability for 220 h with only a 3.9 % potential increase at 500 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) as materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have received a lot of interest because of their large theoretical capacity and unique layered structure. However, the sluggish kinetics and inferior cyclic stability limit the usefulness of ZIBs. In the present investigation, the interlayer spacing enlarged MoSe 2 hollow nanospheres comprised of nanosheets with ultrathin shells have been successfully synthesized through a combined strategy of template assistance and anion-exchange reaction. The hierarchical ultrathin nanosheets and hollow structure effectively suppress the agglomeration of pure nanosheets and ameliorate volume fluctuations induced by ion migration during (dis)charging/charging. The interlayer expansion provides good channels for the transport of Zn2+ ions and speeds up the insertion/extraction of Zn2+. In addition, in-situ carbon modification can significantly improve electronic conductivity. Therefore, the electrode prepared from MoSe 2 hollow nanospheres with enlarged interlayer spacing not only exhibits outstanding cycle stability (capacity retention of 94.5% after 1600 cycles) but also exhibits high-rate capability (266.1 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and 203.6 mA h g−1 at 3 A g−1). This work could provide new insights into the design of cathode using TMDs of hollow structure for Zn2+ storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is imperative to develop efficient and environmentally friendly oil-spill cleanup materials to solve the problems raised by frequent oil spillages and industrial discharge of organic solvents. Here, we present a bioinspired one-step construction of hierarchical superhydrophobic surfaces on various commercial porous materials by immersing the materials into an alkaline aqueous mixture consisting of dopamine (DA) and dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTMS). The self-polymerization of DA constructs the bumpy surfaces, while the DTMS coatings enhance the hydrophobicity of the surfaces. The combined use of both results in the hierarchical superhydrophobic surfaces. This surface modification of porous materials allows them as the potential candidates for collecting a wide variety of oils/organic solvents from water in a highly efficient, recyclable, and durable way. This approach proposes a general, yet green path for constructing superhydrophobic surfaces, which can be further adapted to prepare economic oil/organic solvents absorbents applied in the fields of oil/water separation, wastewater remediation, and organics recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To investigate the relationship between the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and autophagy in lung tissue cells in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. Materials and methods Thirty-two male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to four different treatment groups: control (C), LPS (L), rapamycin (R), and LPS + rapamycin (LR). Optical and electron microscopy were used to detect lung injury and autophagy. Tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6, and p62 in lung tissues and IgM concentrations and total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. LC3Ⅱ, LC3Ⅰ, ribosomal protein p70S6 kinase1 (p70S6K1), and phosphorylation of ribosomal protein p70S6 kinase1(P-p70S6K1) in lung tissues were measured by Western blot. Results The L group had an increased ALI index ( P < 0.05) compared with the C group, but there were no differences between the L and the LR groups or the C and R groups (all P > 0.05). According to the index of autophagy, the L, the R and C groups, the level of autophagy were in descending order ( P < 0.05), there were no differences between the L and the LR groups ( P > 0.05). The expression of P-p70S6K1 declined after rapamycin treatment, showing that the signaling pathway of mTOR is inhibited by rapamycin. Conclusions LPS could trigger the mTOR signaling pathway and autophagy of lung tissue cells in LPS-induced ALI in mice; The mTOR signaling pathway did not play a major role in lung injury and autophagy of lung tissue cells induced by LPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermophilic spore-forming bacteria are common contaminations in milk powder processing lines. In this study, a remarkable change of bacterial community structure was observed after heat sterilization, and thermophilic bacteria took significant advantages after high temperature treatment. Some culturable thermophilic spores survived from pasteurization and even ultra-high temperature sterilization. Feed tank before spraying drying proved to be a key point for controlling thermophilic bacteria. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is an effective disinfectant to remove biofilms formed by the isolated dominant species, Bacillus licheniformis. The synergistic reduction of B. licheniformis biofilm on stainless steel in skimmed milk was 3.89 log CFU/cm2 after combined treatment by 0.0625% (v/v) BAC and cleaning-in-place (CIP). This research provided meaningful proposals on determinations of critical control points in a milk powder processing line and removal strategies of B. licheniformis biofilm, which are of valuable significance on quality guarantees for dairy industry. • Thermophilic bacteria took advantages after high temperature treatment. • Feed tank before spraying drying was a key point for controlling thermophilic bacteria. • Bacillus licheniformis was the most prevailing species in this milk powder processing line. • Routine CIP regime was not efficacious enough to remove B. licheniformis biofilms. • 0.0625% of BAC conjoined with CIP reduced 3.89 log CFU/cm2 of B. licheniformis biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRF-like diuretic hormone receptor (CRF/DHR), also known as DH44R in insects, are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that play a role in regulating osmotic balance in various insect species. These receptors have the potential to be targeted for the development of insecticides. However, our understanding of the role of DHR genes in aphids, including Rhopalosiphum padi , a major wheat pest, is currently limited. In this study, we isolated and characterized two R. padi DHRs (RpDHR1 and RpDHR2). The expression levels of RpDHR1 increased after starvation and were restored after re-feeding. The expression levels of RpDHR1 gene decreased significantly 24 h after injection of dsRNA targeting the gene. Knockdown of RpDHR1 increased aphid mortality under starvation conditions (24, 36, 48 and 60 h). Under starvation and desiccation condition, the aphid mortality decreased after knockdown of RpDHR1. This is the first study to report the role of DHR genes in the starvation and desiccation response of aphids. The results suggest that RpDHR1 is involved in the resistance of R. padi to starvation and dehydration, making it a potential target for insecticide development. Novel insecticides could be created by utilizing DHR agonists to disrupt the physiological processes of insect pests. [Display omitted] • Two DH44R genes were identified in Rhopalosiphum padi. • Starvation and desiccation the expression of RpDHR1 , but do not affect RpDHR2. • R. padi adults significantly increased water content after knockdown of the RpDHR1. • Novel insecticides could be developed by targeting RpDHR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy spoilage caused by psychrotrophic bacteria has been reported to be regulated by acyl-homoserine-lactones (AHLs)-based quorum sensing (QS) system. However, the precise role of AHLs produced by psychrotrophic bacteria in dairy spoilage remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of AHLs on dairy spoilage caused by Pseudomonas azotoformans and Serrita liquefaciens at the transcriptional level. The particle size and volatile compounds of milk were selected as spoilage indicators for investigating the involvement of AHLs in dairy spoilage. Furthermore, the in situ gene expressions of psychrotrophic bacteria in AHLs-treated milk during cold storage were explored by RNA sequencing for the first time. The results revealed that the milk particle size and content of acids in milk were increased by exogenous AHLs, which confirm the enhancing effect of AHLs on the quality deterioration of milk. Transcriptome analysis revealed that a number of core genes of strains were significantly differentially expressed when treated with exogenous AHLs, and QS coordinate the metabolic processes within tested strains. Most of genes involving in the bacterial growth and metabolism, enzymes production, and stress response were up-regulated by exogenous AHLs. The results elucidate the potential involvement of AHLs in dairy spoilage caused by psychrotrophic bacteria. This would give clue for novel strategy of controlling microbial spoilage in dairy products. • Exogenous AHLs caused a higher proteolysis and increased the milk particle size. • Exogenous AHLs caused a higher lipolysis and increased the content of acids in milk. • QS regulates bacterial growth and metabolism, enzymes production and stress response. • QS regulation is a strain- and signal molecule type-dependent process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of electronic communications, coated fabrics with EMI shielding capability have attracted increasing attention due to their broad applications in military, civilian, and commercial fields. The coating structure plays a vital role in EMI shielding performance and the fundamental understanding of how the coating structure affects the EMI shielding performance of the coated fabric is urgently needed. In this work, the coating structure has been systematically modulated to study its effects on the shielding performance of the corresponding coated fabric for the rational design of the high-performance EMI shielding materials. Owing to the multiple reflections of the electromagnetic waves triggered by the graphene oxide (GO)/ polypyrrole (PPy) interfaces, the shielding effectiveness (SE) of the coated fabric reaches 39.1 dB by increasing the amount of interface in the coating. Furthermore, more GO/PPy interfaces in the coating results in stronger EMI shielding enhancement once the conductive network is built. This work provides a guideline for the judicious design of shields to achieve excellent EMI shielding performances and offers opportunities for new-generation portable and wearable EMI shielding products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of mesoporous (Fe/Ni)(P/S) dendritic nanorods on commercial 304L stainless steel mesh (SSM) was accomplished by initial anodic oxidation and subsequent co-sulfuration/phosphorization process. The mesoporous (Fe/Ni)(P/S) dendritic nanorods were obtained as a freestanding and stable catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The mechanism of formation of mesoprous structure with nanorods is due to in-situ removal of Cr atoms (from the hard template of SSM) while the O 2 bubbles released during OER served as dynamic bubble template (soft template). The as-prepared sample exhibited overpotentials of 173 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and 270 mV at 100 mA cm−2, which exceeded those that were recently reported using surface modified stainless steel-based catalysts for OER in alkaline condition. Moreover, the (Fe/Ni)(P/S) nanorods showed a remarkable Tafel slope of 65.7 mV dec−1 with stable activity beyond two months with only 2.5% fluctuation. The above outstanding performance could be attributed to the unique morphology with highly exposed active sites and the control of electronic structure by co-treatment with P and S. This work presents an efficient way to modify SSM for use as an inexpensive and durable OER catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and environmentally friendly approach was proposed to decorate Ag nanoparticles on melamine-formaldehyde (MF) colloidal particles (MF/Ag composite microspheres). In this approach, monodisperse MF colloidal particles were prepared via a two-step organic sol-gel process and served as the active templates for the decoration of Ag nanoparticles. Then, the [Ag(NH 3 ) 2 ] + ions as the Ag precursors can be adsorbed onto the surfaces of the MF colloidal particles and were in situ reduced into metallic Ag nanoparticles, forming MF/Ag composite microspheres. During this synthesis, neither presurface activation nor extra reductants were necessary. These MF/Ag composite microspheres can be used as the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrates for the trace detection of organic compounds, e.g., 4-aminobenzenethiol (4-ABT) and penicillin G sodium. Furthermore, these MF/Ag composite microspheres also showed excellent antibacterial activities against both Escherichia coli ( E. coli , gram-negative bacteria) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus, gram-positive bacteria). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep loss activates microglia. • Activated microglia release inflammatory cytokines. • Activated microglia exhibit a weakened ability to eliminate amyloid β (Aβ) plaques. Although both nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep loss and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep loss exacerbate Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression, they exert different effects. Microglial activation can be beneficial or detrimental to AD patients under different conditions. However, few studies have investigated which sleep stage is the main regulator of microglial activation or the downstream effects of this activation. We aimed to explore the roles of different sleep phases in microglial activation and to investigate the possible effect of microglial activation on AD pathology. In this study, thirty-six 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice were equally divided into 3 groups: the stress control (SC), total sleep deprivation (TSD), and REM deprivation (RD) groups. All mice underwent a 48-hour intervention before their spatial memory was assessed using a Morris water maze (MWM). Then, microglial morphology, activation- and synapse-related protein expression, and inflammatory cytokine and amyloid β (Aβ) levels in hippocampal tissues were measured. We found that the RD and TSD groups exhibited worse spatial memory in the MWM tests. In addition, the RD and TSD groups showed greater microglial activation, higher inflammatory cytokine levels, lower synapse-related protein expression and more severe Aβ accumulation than the SC group, but there were no significant differences between the RD and TSD groups. This study demonstrates that disturbance of REM sleep may activate microglia in APP/PS1 mice. These activated microglia may promote neuroinflammation and engulf synapses but show a weakened ability to clear plaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaporin 1(AQP1) and AQP5 have an important role in eliminating extravascular lung water, an increase of which contributes to lung injury in patients with sepsis and its consequent mortality. It has been reported that hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) has protective effects against sepsis-related lung injury. In this study, we hypothesized that the protective effect occurred by preserving the expression of AQP1 and AQP5. To test this hypothesis, male Sprague–Dawley rats received intratracheal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) followed by intraperitoneal injection of HRS. Lung function, wet-to-dry weight ratio, and histopathology scores were determined. The expression of AQP1 and AQP5 at the messenger RNA and protein levels, as well as the involved pathways, was explored by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. LPS significantly impaired lung function and downregulated the expression of AQP1 and AQP5 in the rat lung, all of which were attenuated by HRS treatment. Moreover, HRS treatment inhibited LPS-induced activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and jun N-terminal kinase, which is associated with LPS-induced downregulation of AQP1 and AQP5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Thermodynamic properties of KBr in PEG 4000 + H 2 O were studied at (288.2, 298.2, and 308.2) K. • Experimental data were fitted to the extended Debye-Hückel and Pitzer models. • Good agreement between experimental and correlated data was obtained by both models. • Activity coefficients, the standard free energy of transference, and primary hydration number were reported. The goal of this research is to evaluate the mean ion activity coefficients (γ ±) of the mixtures containing KBr + PEG 4000 + H 2 O (PEG stands for poly(ethylene glycol)) as well as some other thermodynamic quantities including solvent osmotic coefficients (φ), excess Gibbs energies (G E), standard Gibbs energies of transference (Δ G t 0), and primary hydration number (n hydr). The experiment was employed by potentiometric measurement using the cell with two ion-selective electrodes (abbreviated as ISE) at (288.2, 298.2, and 308.2) K, and the mass fraction of PEG 4000 ranged from w = (0 to 0.20) with an increment of 0.05. The type of the cell is as follows: K–ISE | KBr (m), PEG 4000 (w), H 2 O (1- w) | Br–ISE. Nernst's equation was used to combine the Debye-Hückel and Pitzer models with potentiometric values. Pitzer ion interaction parameters (β 0, β 1, and C φ) and Debye-Hückel model parameter (a) were evaluated. Moreover, the Bjerrum parameter (q) was calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]