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A 3D interconnected topological hydrogel was proposed with abundant hydrophilic capillary nanochannels and weak water-polymer polarity interaction, enabling a significant decrease of evaporation enthalpy. As a result, the hybrid hydrogel delivered a boosting water evaporation rate of 3.55 kg m−2h−1 under 1 sun irradiation and an excellent self-evaporation rate of 0.49 kg m−2h−1. More importantly, such hydrogel exhibited superior evaporation performance under weak solar irradiation and high humidity, endowing it enormous potential for practical water treatment. [Display omitted] • Porous CNT hydrogel was constructed via a topological interface engineering strategy. • The resultant hydrogel featured confined capillary channels and modulable hydration. • The unique architecture favored water transport, low enthalpy and thermal management. • CNT hydrogel delivered superior water evaporation in weak sunlight or high humidity. Photothermal hydrogel, with an inherently modifiable hydrated network, has been widely demonstrated as a promising candidate for efficient water treatment. However, there are still great challenges in architecting abundant interfacial mass transfer channels and avoiding excessive polarity interaction in polymeric hydrogels. Here, a 3D interconnected topological porous hydrogel was proposed to enable cellular carbon nanotube (CNT) structures filled with hydrophilic and thermosensitive nanonetworks via infiltration and crosslinking of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethyleneimine (PEI) and carbon black particles (CBs). A detailed comparative investigation revealed that hosting with CBs/PVA/PEI polymeric nanonetworks in CNT cellular structures facilitated the interfacial dehydration and the decrease of evaporation enthalpy, confirming that such a novel topological structure leaded to a remarkable increase in hydratable and heatable interfaces. In this regard, the obtained hybrid hydrogel achieved a high water evaporation rate of 3.55 kg m−2h−1 with an efficiency of 92.0 % under 1 sun irradiation, and particularly a superior self-evaporation rate of 0.49 kg m−2h−1 in the dark. More importantly, such hybrid hydrogel demonstrated excellent evaporation performance in weak sunlight and highly humid environments. This work has shed light on new insights to manufacture porous and low-enthalpy photothermal hydrogels for advanced solar-driven water treatment technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale carbon nanotube (CNT) films fabricated by floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) are promising reinforcement materials for high performance composites. However, little research has been reported on the four independent in-plane engineering constants of FCCVD CNT films, which are essential for understanding and prediction of mechanical behavior of FCCVD CNT film-based structures. The tensile strength in CNT-oriented direction is 127 MPa and the tensile modulus in oriented and transverse directions are 3.0 and 0.3 GPa, respectively. These mechanical properties are mainly attributed to the as-grown CNT-to-CNT contacts in the films. The Poisson's ratio in the oriented direction at 5 % strain is 0.75. A negative Poisson's ratio of −0.99 is observed at 0.1 % strain in CNT-oriented direction. The in-plane shear modulus is 0.57 GPa, which is derived from the coordinate transformation between the on-axis and 45° off-axis compliance matrices. The in-situ scanning electron microscopy is adopted to observe the microstructure at different tensile strains. During the tensile testing, the reorientation of CNT bundles in CNT film is evaluated by numerical image processing and Raman spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotube (CNT) films have shown many promising advantages in the development of high-performance flexible supercapacitors in terms of electrode specific area, mechanical reliability under bending and stretching, electron and ionic mobility tailored for high-rate performance etc. In this review, the recent progress in the design, preparation and functionalization of CNT film based electrodes for the fabrication of high-performance flexible supercapacitors are introduced in details, including the synthesis of conductive CNT films for the electrodes of supercapacitors, and the functionalizations of CNT film with other high-capacitance materials by both mixing and in situ growth strategies for high-performance composite electrodes. Furthermore, we also discussed the assembly strategies, prototypes and electrochemical performance of flexible supercapacitors based on CNT film composite electrodes. At last, the challenges and trends of the CNT film based flexible supercapacitors are prospected as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultra strong bismaleimide (BMI)/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite film with super-aligned and tightly compacted structure was prepared from CNT array by combining the techniques of polymer spraying, stretching and hot pressing. The BMI curing process was optimized and the obtained stretched-BMI/CNT film exhibited a tensile strength and modulus up to 4.50 and 275 GPa, respectively, with a CNT load reaching up to 65.5wt% and an electrical conductivity of 2.45 × 10 4 S/m. It was demonstrated that the super-aligned and tightly packing structure of CNT film, mainly resulting from the straightened long double-walled CNT structure, good wetting property of BMI solution with CNT film, and high CNT alignment degree. Based on the experimental characterizations for CNT films, a polymer-CNT interpenetrating network mode was proposed to illustrate the unique properties and microstructure of this BMI/CNT film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interlocked carbon nanotube (CNT) networks formed by floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition method is found to show greatly enhanced damping ratio (0.37–0.42) and much higher storage modulus (>11.0 GPa) compared to most of engineering damping materials and any other kinds of CNT networks and composites ever reported. Interestingly, its damping performance is frequency-dependent with damping ratio and dynamic moduli increasing obviously when frequency varies from 1 to 200 Hz. The structural analysis reveals that excellent energy dissipation ability of the CNT networks is mainly ascribed to abundant inter-bundle stick–slip motions throughout the interlocked CNT networks. Additionally, the presence of catalyst particles at network junctions leads to the strengthening of inter-bundle contacts and therefore high storage modulus. Such networked structures can be tailored with improved mechanical properties via suitable stretching. The simultaneous possession of high damping ratio and storage modulus for the CNT networks, together with its light-weight, high-temperature endurance, good thermal conductivity and scalable production, enables itself a promising new damping materials potentially useful for many applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective and reliable methane detection is essential and critical to environment protection, and life and property safety. However, how to enable a sensing platform for methane monitoring with high sensitivity and stability, and meanwhile with excellent structural flexibility and ease of integration remains a significant challenge. Herein, an integrated coaxial yarn-shaped self-powered photoelectrochemical methane sensor was successfully designed and constructed by employing wet-spun graphene (G) fiber as the inner electrode, G-based mixed-dimensional materials hybridization as the outer electrode, and a polymer gel coated in-between as the electrolyte separator. The high surface roughness and significant transmittance of obtained device enabled effective adsorption capacity and essential light penetration. A continuous and thin gel electrolyte interlayer in the sensor and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-bridged interconnected conductive network in a multidimensional hybrid facilitated fast ion/electron transport. Ascribed to above structural merits, the resulting sensor delivered a wide linear range from 0.05% to 0.47% and a low detection limit of 0.02%, while maintaining rapid response (0.3 s), outstanding selectivity and perfect working performance during bending. This work provides useful guidelines for designing and fabricating photoelectrochemical sensors toward highly sensitive gas detection. [Display omitted] • An integrated coaxial yarn-shaped self-powered G@PVA@GST photoelectrochemical methane sensor was constructed. • The sensor featured high surface roughness and transmittance, thin electrolyte interlayer and superior conductive network. • The unique architecture favored methane adsorption, light absorption, ion/electron transport and structure stability. • Constructed methane sensor exhibited exceptional sensitivity, selectivity, bending stability and sensing reproducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Fiber-reinforced cement-based grouting material has triggered strong interest owing to its promising application in coal mining. However, how to enable a combined feature of great robustness, exceptional electrical and thermal behaviors, which is crucial for high-performance realization, still remains a significant challenge. Herein, an effective and facile strategy to address the issue was proposed by manufacturing functionalized carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers featuring prominent flexibility, excellent water dispersibility, superior tensile strength and electrical conductivity. Benefiting from the chemical bonds generated between cement hydration product and CNT-COOH fiber effectively embedded into cement matrix, the obtained fiber-cement hybrid with water-cement ratio of 0.8 and 0.5% fiber content was integrated into a whole, with flexural strength (4.8 MPa) and compressive strength (27 MPa) increased by 50% and 30%, respectively, compared to control sample after curing for 28 days. Meanwhile, attributing to the formation of interconnected network architecture built by CNT-COOH fibers in the cement matrix, the hybrid featured a significantly enhanced performance in heat transfer and electrical conductivity, which was further improved under loading. This work has shed light on new strategies for manufacturing carbon-based fiber reinforced cement-based grouting materials with great robustness, prominent electrical and thermal behaviors toward future uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel concept of liquid "polymer-in-salt" electrolyte is proposed. • Nonflammable electrolyte with fast Li+ mobility is achieved. • A robust organic/inorganic dual layer solid electrolyte interface is constructed. • Excellent electrochemical performance is presented in lithium metal battery. Lithium-metal batterie (LMB) is regarded as one the most promising high energy battery systems, however the safety concern from lithium dendrites and organic liquid electrolytes seriously impedes its widely application. Herein, a non-flammable liquid "polymer-in-salt" composite electrolyte with superior dendrite-suppression capability is well designed and achieved by using lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt, polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether (PEGDME) and 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropylether (TTE). Non-flammable TTE used here is on one hand to reduce the high viscosity of this "PEGDME polymer in LiTFSI salt" electrolyte (PISE), and thus enhance its wettability; on the other hand, to maintain the merits of highly contented salt. By taking advantage of these localized highly concentrated lithium salts, aggregated ion clusters are generated in this PISE-TTE system, which construct fast ionic transportation channels, and thus accelerates Li+ transportation. Furthermore, this PISE-TTE electrolyte system interacts with Li anode forming a robust organic/inorganic dual layer solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer. With the assistance of this tough SEI, the optimized PISE 0.7 -TTE 90 exhibits outstanding anti-dendrite growth behavior in Li/Li and Li/Cu cells. Moreover, PISE 0.7 -TTE 90 also delivers an impressive performance in both Li/LiFePO 4 (LFP, a capacity of 150 mAh g−1 at 0.5C after 150 cycles) and Li@Cu/LFP (electrochemically deposited Li on Cu current collector, a capacity of 150 mAh g−1 at 0.5C after 50 cycles) cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous activated carbon is an attractive supercapacitor electrode material, but its problems, i.e., lengthened ion paths inside large particles, unsatisfactory conductivity caused by the use of insulating binder and rather low packing density, greatly limit their gravimetric/volumetric performance especially at ultrahigh charging rate. Herein, a novel, free-standing, compact carbon paper electrode (0.8 g cm−3) with ultrahigh conductivity (198 S cm−1) and porosity (1098 m2 g−1) is designed by layer-stacking the bio-derived porous carbon tile (CT) with ca. 0.7 μm in wall thickness together with a few of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Ascribed to its kinetically fast ion/charge transfer paths, i.e., ion access shortcuts in plane of quasi-2D layered CTs, interconnected interlayer channels and SWNT-bridged conductive network, this compact laminate electrode delivers remarkable rate performance without sacrificing volumetric capacitance (218 F g−1/174 F cm−3 at 20 A g−1). Significantly, such outstanding rate capability is till maintained in as-assembled symmetric supercapacitor in aqueous (60% capacitance retention at 3000 mV s−1) and organic (60% capacitance retention at 1000 mV s−1) electrolyte, suggesting great promising of our designed carbon electrode for ultrafast charging. [Display omitted] • Freestanding carbon paper is constructed by layer-stacking quasi-2D CTs with SWNTs. • Porous CTs and interlayer-spacing enable ample channels for ultrafast ion transport. • SWNT-bridged 3D architecture guarantees adequate pathways for rapid charge transfer. • Assembled supercapacitor shows outstanding rate capability in various electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lengthened ion pathway in porous carbon cathode, especially under high mass loading and packing state, severely impeded the ion transport, thus leading to a far unsatisfactory energy/power out of Zn//C capacitors. Here, we report a novel kapok-derived quasi-2D thin-walled porous carbon tile (CT) with proper curvature and rich doping used as stacked bricks. Together with high conductivity single-walled carbon nanotubes, a porous yet relatively packed self-standing carbon cathode was constructed, which features a hierarchical ion path including short ion pathways inside thin-walled porous CTs and adequate channels "highways" caused by rational sub-micron interlayer spacing, thus leading to an excellent combination of rate and gravimetric/volumetric/areal performance at practical mass loading (12 mg cm−2). [Display omitted] • A porous thin-walled layered carbon tile with proper curvature was prepared as bricks. • Porous yet packed cathode feathers hierarchical paths for fast ion/charge transfer. • High rate and gravimetric/volumetric capacity remain in high loading cathode. • The areal capacity increases linearly with the mass loading of cathode. Long ion pathway inside large-sized carbon particle or stacked 2D assembly greatly limit the electrochemical performance of practical carbon cathode (>10 mg cm−2) in Zn//C capacitors. Highly porous activated carbon and holy graphene can alleviate such ion-transport issue, but usually suffer from a far lower packing density and severe restacking, respectively. Herein, a kapok-derived quasi-2D thin-walled microporous carbon tile (CT) with optimized curvature and rich doping was developed and used as bricks. Assisted with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), a porous yet relatively packed paper cathode was constructed. The unique doped thin wall (∼700 nm) can effectively shorten the ion-penetration pathways from electrolyte deep into pore structure inside CTs, and thus enlarge ion-accessible surface areas. Combined with rational sub-micron interlayer spacing among proper-curved CTs and bridged-like SWNTs, the continuous ion/charge transport "highways" are fabricated. As a result, such self-standing carbon cathode delivers outstanding rate and gravimetric/areal performance (114 mAh g−1/1.37 mAh cm−2) without sacrificing volumetric capacity even at high mass loading (12 mg cm−2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CM-CNT/graphene electrode was directly constructed by core-sheath 3D printing. • Electrode features hierarchical pores and highly interconnected conductive network. • Electrode enables adequate channel and pathway for ultrafast ion/electron transport. • Pseudocapacitor exhibits prominent stability and electrochemical performance. Pseudocapacitance holds great promise for energy density improvement of supercapacitors. However, how to enable a pseudocapacitor with combined feature of high mass loading of pseudocapacitive material, efficient ion/electron transport, as well as facile and scalable manufacturing, still remains a significant challenge. Herein, we demonstrated an efficient and scalable extrusion-based core-sheath 3D printing strategy for directly and controllably constructing pseudocapacitive carbon nanotube (CNT)- MoS 2 (CM)-CNT/graphene electrode, with high mass loading up to 55% and uniform distribution of MoS 2 , hierarchically porous configuration and highly interconnected conductive network framework built by coupling graphene scaffold located in shell layer and CNTs situated in core layer. The unique architecture featuring adequate channels and pathways can act as a "superhighway" for ultrafast ion diffusion and electron transport throughout the entire device, thereby enabling fast kinetics of Faradaic reactions and abundant availability of electrochemical active sites. A symmetric pseudocapacitor assembled with 3D-printed electrode and in situ electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofiber separator delivered high specific capacitance (558 mF cm−2) and energy density (49 µWh cm−2), remarkable cycling stability (87% after 8000 cycles), and superior capacity even at large electrode thickness. This work has shed light on new strategies for designing and fabricating high-performance pseudocapacitors toward future uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fe and carbonaceous particles are the main impurities in a carbon nanotube fiber (CNTF) fabricated by the floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) method, which have an adverse effect on various applications, leading to strong demand for purification process to obtain high-purity CNTFs. However, the commonly used purification methods combining oxidation and acid refluxing cannot remove the impurities thoroughly, and will introduce undesired damage onto CNT wall at the same time. Herein, we propose an efficient purification strategy involving an isothermal annealing process under high vacuum to achieve mass preparation of CNTFs with high purity and mechanical/electrical properties. The Fe and carbonaceous impurities can be almost completely removed after vacuum annealing at 1800 °C. The purified CNTFs exhibit enhanced oxidation resistance due to the removal of Fe catalyst particles. The diffusion and evaporation of Fe atoms are most likely responsible for the removal of Fe particles enclosed with graphitic shells. The purified CNTF shows a high specific tensile strength of 1.82 ± 0.04 N/tex due to the high alignment of the CNT bundles within fibers, which can retain 80% of the value for pristine CNTF. The purified CNTF exhibits similar trends of electrical conductivity as the specific tensile strength and has a high conductivity of 3.65 ± 0.11 × 105 S/m. The large-scale preparation of high-purity CNTFs with high-performance will promote the real application of CNTFs. [Display omitted] • A novel vacuum-annealing purification technique was introduced to remove Fe and C impurities in carbon nanotube fibers. • Carbon nanotube fibers with near 100% purity was obtained. • High mechanical/electrical properties of carbon nanotube fibers were retained after purification. • The purification process can be utilized for large-scale preparation of high-purity carbon nanotube fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating catalytic chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) is an attractive method for synthesizing carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers of high strength, toughness and electrical conductivity. During the process of CNT fibers synthesis, the assembly structure, such as the CNT orientation, CNT length, and the inter-tube particle impurity inside the CNT fibers, are key factors to determine the mechanical properties of CNT fibers. However, the regulation mechanism of the assembly structure during the process of CNT fiber synthesis is still unclear. Herein, in order to obtain high-strength CNT fibers, we demonstrated the synergistic relationship between the orientation and length of CNT inside the CNT fibers during the FCCVD growth process by adjusting the winding rate (5–30 m/min) and the length of the high-temperature reaction zone (660–1060 mm). It also revealed that the particle impurities inside the fibers could greatly reduce mechanical strength of CNT fibers. By optimizing the assembly structure of CNT fibers, the stable and continuous synthesis was realized, with the specific tensile strength of 3.1 N/tex (~ 3.5 GPa) without any post-treatment process. [Display omitted] • The synergistic relationship between CNT orientation and CNT length inside a FCCVD-derived CNT fiber was disclosed. • The CNT orientation degree was enhanced by adjusting the winding rate. • The constituent CNT length was enlarged by using longer high-temperature reaction zone. • A high-strength raw CNT fiber was fabricated with specific tensile strength as high as 3.1 N/tex without post-treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water transport in hydrogel has been proven to be critical for water evaporation, water treatment and moisture-wicking. However, confined with the regulation of pore structure, challenges remain in constructing fast water transport channels especially in harsh water environment. Herein, we demonstrate a simple strategy for fabrication of fast water transport carbon nanotube/poly (vinyl alcohol) (CNT/PVA) hydrogels via efficiently interior infiltration and decoration of CNT cellular structures with PVA. The CNT/PVA double-network structures favor the generation of hierarchical micro/nanochannels and strong capillary forces, leading to water transport throughout the hydrogel up to ~15.8 g g−1s−1, recorded highest among reported hydrogels. The as-formed elastic hybrid hydrogels present a reversible absorbing/shrinking behavior, an excellent capacity in water absorption (216 g g−1), and high adaptability in salty water, acid and alkaline solutions as well as boiling water. Moreover, a multifunctional sport headband has been designed based on fast water transport and conductive framework, which can perform fantabulous moisture-wicking and health monitor. This work proposes a new route for developing fast water transport hydrogels towards versatile flexible electronic devices and multifunctional sport management systems. Image 1 • CNT/PVA hybrid hydrogel with hierarchical vascular-like micro-nano channels was fabricated. • The hydrogel enabled ultrafast water transport. • The hydrogel featured reversible adaptability to extreme environments. • The hydrogel performed fast moisture-wicking and sport monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A simple and green method through steam is developed to form sulfur nanoparticles. • The nano S/G based Li-S battery shows enhanced charge transfer kinetics. • The nano S/G based Li-S battery exhibits outstanding rate performance. Although tremendous progress has been made in preparing sulfur nanoparticles to achieve high-rate lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries, the synthetic methods involved are usually toxic, complicated and costly. To solve the above problem, a simple and green method through high pressure steam is developed to prepare sulfur nanoparticles (<10 nm) on graphene (nano S/G) as high-performance cathode of Li-S batteries. Owing to the nano-size effect, the nano S/G based Li-S battery exhibits enhanced charge transfer kinetics, achieving a high reversible capacity of 639 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at the high rate of 5 C. More impressively, at an ultra-high rate of 10 C, the nano S/G based Li-S battery can still deliver a stable capacity of 527 mAh g−1. It's believed that this facile and environmental-friendly cathode preparation method for high-rate performance will boost the commercialization of Li-S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An all-in-one battery design was proposed for structural and device integration. • The integration system was achieved by liquid metal-air batteries (LMABs). • The discharge performance of LMABs is comparable to other energy storage devices. • LMABs could detect humidity, gas and liquid with high time resolution. • LMABs could directly convert physical signals into digital signals. Self-powered integration is an effective way of promoting efficiency and miniaturizing in portable intelligent electronic systems. Conventional battery design focuses on the improvement of charge–discharge property, and energy storage units usually design independently from energy consumption units including sensing or transmitting device. Here, an unusual battery design in which the batteries possess the function of ener gy stora g e, sens i ng, and s ignal transduc er , called all-in-one ENERGISER, is integrated for the first time, which is realized by fabricating a gallium-based liquid metal-air battery (LMAB) without any other extra electronic components. Gallium-based liquid metals (LMs) wetted on the coppered-coated carbon fibers act as anode and air electrode acts as the cathode, the chemical activity of LMs and the sensitivity of gallium oxide layer are utilized for sensing function. For the discharge performance of LMABs, the energy density of LMABs changes from 1.52 to 0.79 mWh/cm2 while the corresponding power densities range from 0.36 to 2.05 mW/cm2. Additionally, the function of sensing environmental parameters achieves selectively detecting main components of air and distinguishing liquid type. Remarkably, the physical signals, such as humidity, is converted into low and high-potential signals, and further encoded into digital signals. Eventually, the all-in-one battery strategy is validated and shows excellent energy storage capacity, marvelous sensing function, and superb signal transmitting activity. The all-in-one battery design concept may open up a new direction for the exploitation of state-of-the-art functional and highly integrated battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a gram-positive coccus that causes disease in humans and animals. The codon usage pattern of bacteria reveals a range of evolutionary changes that assist them to enhance tolerance to environments. To better understand the genetic features during the evolution of S. suis , we performed codon usage analysis. Nine pathogenic strains of different serotypes and different geographical distribution were analyzed to better understand the differences in their evolutionary process. Nucleotide compositions and relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) analysis revealed that A/T-ending codons are dominant in S. suis. Neutrality analysis, correspondence analysis and ENC-plot results revealed that natural selection is the predominant element prompting codon usage. Cluster analysis based on RSCU was roughly consistent with the dendrogram rooted genomic BLAST analysis. Comparison of synonymous codon usage pattern between S. suis and susceptible hosts (H. sapiens and S. scrofa) revealed that the codon usage of S. suis is separated from the synonymous codon usage of susceptible hosts. The CAI values implied that S. suis includes a series of predicted highly expressed coding sequences contained in metabolism and transcriptional regulation, revealing the necessity of this pathogen to deal with various environmental conditions. The study of codon usage in S. suis may provide evidence involving the molecular evolution of bacteria and a better understanding of evolutionary relationships between S. suis and its corresponding hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater vibration detectors have aroused intensive attention due to the promising applications in personal security, environmental protection and military defense. However, how to enable an underwater detector with combined feature of excellent structural flexibility and robustness as well as high detection sensitivity and stability, still remains a significant challenge. Herein, we successfully designed and developed a pitch-modulated spring with photoelectric response to its tiny deformation, via intercalating hydrogenated TiO 2 (H–TiO 2) nanoparticles between mutual contacting graphene sheets as the skeleton. Thanks to the intercalated spring architecture, the as-fabricated H–TiO 2 /graphene spring achieved good visible light absorption, fast shape recovery (<1 s), excellent shape-memory repeatability (>1000 cycles) at 30% stretching, as well as high structural and electrical stability even in saline solution over 10 days. Importantly, resulted from the variation of effective illumination area under stretching and compressing, the spring featured a significant fluctuation of photocurrent. Thus, the spring detector delivered high sensitivity and stability in monitoring underwater microvibration induced by bubble rising, and the underwater microvibration amplitude could be detected by the output photocurrent signal. This work has shed light on new strategies for designing and fabricating robust underwater microvibration detectors with high sensing performance toward future uses. Underwater microvibration detectors with high photosensitivity and photoelectric response, fast recoverable shape-memory property, prominent structural and electrical stability, and significant fluctuation of photocurrent to tiny deformation, which are designed and fabricated by a relatively compact H–TiO 2 /graphene spring with uniform intercalation of H–TiO 2 nanoparticles between mutual contacting graphene sheets, show a highly sensitive, stable and reliable detection of underwater microvibration. Image 1 • Underwater microvibration detector was designed and fabricated by a relatively compact H-TiO 2 /graphene spring. • The intercalated spring architecture enabled high photoelectric response, fast recoverability and prominent stability. • The spring detector delivered high sensitivity and stability in monitoring underwater microvibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coaxial fiber supercapacitor with PVDF nanofiber separator was directly fabricated. • PVDF nanofiber separator featured interconnected, thin and wrinkled architecture. • Separator enabled good electrode reduction, contact interface and ion transport. • Fiber supercapacitor exhibited prominent mechanical and electrochemical performance. Coaxial graphene fiber-based supercapacitors have many enticing advantages in terms of large electrode/electrolyte contact interface area, short ion-transport path and high stability, but the polymer electrolyte separators upon which these supercapacitors are based typically lead to high resistance and the risk of short circuit upon severe deformations. To address these challenges, we have developed an efficient and controllable wet-spinning strategy for making poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofiber separator with modulated thickness to directly fabricate high-performance coaxial fiber-shaped supercapacitors. The porous PVDF nanofiber separator tightly sandwiched in between graphene fiber electrodes featured an interconnected, thin and highly wrinkled network architecture, thereby enabling sufficient chemical reduction of electrode without concomitant destruction of the separator structure, good contact interface, and rapid infiltration and transport of electrolyte ions to the electrode without risk of short circuit. The coaxial fiber supercapacitor made using the wet-spun PVDF nanofiber separator delivered a remarkable specific capacitance of 346.5 mF cm−2 and energy density of 30.8 µWh cm−2, while maintaining high structural toughness and long cycling life (94% retention after 10,000 cycles). This coaxial architectural design with PVDF nanofiber as separator represents a promising strategy to fabricate high-performance fiber supercapacitors for flexible energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the high cure shrinkage, inadequate degree of cure, and toxicity, dimethacrylate dental resins have remained the dominant matrices for dental composites. Bisphenol-A free cycloaliphatic epoxy resins have lower shrinkages due to the ring-opening nature; however, its mechanical strength needs to be improved. In order to reduce cure shrinkage and toxicity simultaneously improve mechanical strength, which has long been a challenge, a hydroxyl-containing hyperbranched polymer (HBP–OH) was synthesized and used as a multi-purpose modifier for a cycloaliphatic dental epoxy system. Results show that cure shrinkage of neat dental epoxy (3.46%) is about half of that of the dimethacrylate dental resin (7.65%); HBP–OH modified epoxy further reduces shrinkage to ca. 2%. Addition of HBP–OH also reduces cytotoxicity and increases the flexural strength. Addition of 7 wt% HBP–OH increases the flexural strength of the dental epoxy from 90.8 to 109.8 MPa. In addition, effects of HBP–OH addition on the reactivity, glass transition temperature, and water uptake were also reported. Results suggest that HBP–OH shows great potentials as a multi-purpose modifier for dental epoxy resins. Unlabelled Image • Addition of HBP–OH simultaneously improved several properties of the dental epoxy. • Addition of HBP–OH further reduced the cure shrinkage of dental epoxy to ca. 2%. • The cytotoxicity of cured dental epoxy was effectively reduced by adding HBP–OH. • The flexural strength of curing system was also improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: PRIS has been documented in epilepsy patients treated with propofol. But the clinical features associated with the occurrence of PRIS in patients with epilepsy remain incompletely elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between epilepsy, antiepileptic drugs, and PRIS and draw conclusions about its clinical features., Methods: Extracted PRIS reports documented in the FAERS (January 2013 to December 2023). Epilepsy patients and non-epilepsy patients were distinguished based on the indication information. We performed multivariate analyses for demography, epilepsy status, and the use of antiepileptic drugs between these two populations. Additionally, we collected all published reports on propofol usage that resulted in PRIS. We focused on the differences in clinical manifestations of PRIS between epilepsy patients and non-epilepsy patients and analyzed them retrospectively., Results: For 349 PRIS cases in the FAERS database, 94 cases involved epilepsy. Epilepsy was a significant risk factor for PRIS development (ROR = 3.89) and death outcomes (ROR = 1.997). Further analysis of antiepileptic drug regimens revealed that valproic acid was associated with an increased risk of PRIS (ROR = 3.264) and adverse outcomes (ROR = 2.518). For 185 PRIS cases in this review, 49 demonstrated a history of epilepsy. Patients with epilepsy displayed a lower median infusion rate of propofol than those without but a higher median cumulative dose., Conclusion: When using propofol, epilepsy patients are at high risk of PRIS and are vulnerable to death. Therefore, patients with epilepsy must be closely monitored for safety during treatment, especially when they using valproic acid., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest We declare that all authors disclosed no relevant relationships.We have no financial and personal relationships with other people ororganizations that can inappropriately influence our work., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: To gain an improved comprehension of inclisiran safety in real-world settings by data mining from FAERS., Methods: Data were gathered between 1 December 2020 and 31 December 2023. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) corresponding preferred term (PT) and system organ class (SOC) were used to categorize adverse medication reactions in AE reports (AERs). By using reported odds ratio (ROR) method, positive signals were identified., Results: There were 2,652 reports of inclisiran, and 150 of those AEs had significant disproportionality. Among the 44 PTs with moderate clinical priority, 35 PTs were discovered on the medicine label, including 12 IMEs and 2 DMEs. Of note, 9 PTs were unanticipated AEs that were not discovered in the medication label or reported clinical studies, such as movement disorder (ROR: 3.05; 95%CI: 1.73,5.37), aphonia (ROR: 3.77; 95%CI: 1.79,7.91), and pulmonary congestion (ROR: 3.47; 95%CI: 1.44,8.34). Inclisiran was found to be related to 12 serious AEs. The median TTO of 1896 cases was 13.5 (IQR 0-100) days., Conclusion: We identified not only known AEs, but also new AE signals such as movement disorder. However, signals does not reveal actual risk, prospective clinical trials are still required to verify their causal connection.

Mobility and bioavailability of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in agricultural soils are affected by interactions between Cr(VI) and returned crop straws. However, the effect of straw decomposition on Cr(VI) removal and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, Cr(VI) removal by pristine and decomposed rice/rape straws was investigated by batch experiments and a series of spectroscopies. The results showed that straw decomposition inhibited Cr(VI) removal, regardless of straw types. However, the potential mechanisms of the inhibition were distinct for the two straws. For the rice straw, a lower zeta potential after decomposition suppressed Cr(VI) sorption and subsequent reduction. In addition, less Cr(VI) was reduced by the decomposed rice straw-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) than the pristine one. In contrast, for the rape straw, due to the increased zeta potential after decomposition, the decreased Cr(VI) removal was mainly ascribed to less Cr(VI) reduction by the rape straw-derived DOM. These results emphasized the significant roles of straw surface potential and DOM in Cr(VI) removal, depending on straw types and decomposition, which facilitate the fundamental understanding of Cr(VI) removal by straws and are helpful for predicting the environmental risk of Cr and rational straw return in Cr(VI)-contaminated fields., 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.)

Supramolecular chirality has gained immense attention for great potential, in which the rational engineering strategy facilitates unique helical stacking/assembly, high chiroptical behavior, and prime biomedical activity. In this study, we reported a novel chiral organic donor-acceptor cocrystal based on asymmetrical components of benzo( b )naphtho(1,2- d )thiophene (BNT) and 9-oxo-9H-indeno(1,2- b )pyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitrile (DCAF) that exhibited red emission using a simple solution approach. During the self-assembly, a kinetically controlled growth of polar solvent or substrate induction led to the chiral packing and helical morphology twisted by the cooperation of electrostatic potential energy and chirality. Intriguingly, a "seeding-control" mechanism was newly developed for the production of c -BNT-DCAF helical crystals with a defined uniform chiral form, which enables chirality transfer and amplification from the microscopic to macroscopic level via supramolecular stacking. By introducing chiral additives or even a small break at the edge, the first nucleus acted as a chiral seeding to guide the donor/acceptor molecule alignment into the same handedness. A remarkably high dissymmetry factor ( g lum ) value of 0.1 was demonstrated on the chiral manipulated ribbons, which is the highest among the reported charge-transfer complexes. This work offers us more paths for the design of chiral supramolecular systems for vital applications in organic optoelectronics, micro/nanomechanics, and biomimetics.

Amantadine (AMA), commonly used to treat viral infections in livestock and poultry, has been banned owing to its potential hazards to human well-being. To detect unauthorized AMA usage in livestock, we developed a polyclonal antibody with a high affinity for the specific recognition of AMA through a rational design based on a structure similar to AMA and revealed the availability of the hapten design by computational chemistry analysis. Using this antibody, we established a highly responsive time-resolved fluorescence immunochromatographic assay (TRFICA). The visual detection limit of the assay is 0.6 μg/kg, and the quantitative detection limit is 0.05 μg/kg. The TRFICA also showed good recovery rates ranging from 94.5 to 109.9%, with variability coefficients not exceeding 10%. The outcomes of undisclosed sample examinations aligned with those of HPLC-MS/MS analyses, indicating that this approach can function as an ideal screening and monitoring tool for detecting illegal AMA in chicken muscle.

Based on the size and surface properties of dimethomorph and flumorph, we used a computer simulation-assisted size exclusion hapten design strategy to develop group-specific monoclonal antibodies that can simultaneously recognize dimethomorph and flumorph. For this, we performed quantitative and visual semi-quantitative time-resolved fluorescence immunochromatography (TRFICA) to simultaneously detect dimethomorph and flumorph in potatoes and apples. In potato samples, the visual limit of detection (vLOD) for dimethomorph and flumorph was 4 ng/mL and 8 ng/mL, respectively, whereas the quantitative limit of detection (qLOD) for dimethomorph and flumorph was 0.26 and 0.33 ng/mL, respectively. The vLOD of dimethomorph and flumorph in apple samples was 8 ng/mL, whereas the qLOD of dimethomorph and flumorph was 0.17 and 0.38 ng/mL, respectively. The average recovery of potato and apple samples ranged from 77.5% to 121.7%, which indicated that the method can be used to rapidly detect dimethomorph and flumorph in food samples., 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 © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

With the widespread use of electronic devices, electromagnetic interference (EMI) has become an increasingly severe issue, adversely affecting device performance and human health. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are recognized for their electrical conductivity, flexibility, and stability, making them promising candidates for EMI shielding applications. This research developed hierarchical porous-structured CNT/carbon composites for enhancing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties. Featuring a CNT film with nano-scale pores and an amorphous carbon layer with micro-scale pores, the CNT/carbon composites are strategically arranged to promote the penetration of EM waves into the composite's interior and facilitate multiple reflections, thereby improving the EMI shielding performance. An impressive EMI shielding effectiveness of 61.4 dB was achieved by the CNT/carbon composites, marking a significant improvement over the 36.5 dB measured for the pristine CNT film. Owing to the micro pores in the amorphous carbon layer, a notable reduction in the reflection shielding efficiency (SER) but, concurrently, a substantial increase in the absorption shielding efficiency (SEA) compared with the pristine CNT film was realized in the composites. This study successfully validated the effectiveness of the hierarchical porous structure in enhancing the EMI shielding performance, providing a promising new strategy for the development of lightweight, flexible, and efficient EMI shielding materials.

High dynamic strength is of fundamental importance for fibrous materials that are used in high-strain rate environments. Carbon nanotube fibers are one of the most promising candidates. Using a strategy to optimize hierarchical structures, we fabricated carbon nanotube fibers with a dynamic strength of 14 gigapascals (GPa) and excellent energy absorption. The dynamic performance of the fibers is attributed to the simultaneous breakage of individual nanotubes and delocalization of impact energy that occurs during the high-strain rate loading process; these behaviors are due to improvements in interfacial interactions, nanotube alignment, and densification therein. This work presents an effective strategy to utilize the strength of individual carbon nanotubes at the macroscale and provides fresh mechanism insights.

Florfenicol (FF), with its broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, is frequently abused in the livestock and poultry industries and has aroused the growing public concern. Owing to structural similarities and varying maximum residue limits between florfenicol and other chloramphenicol (CAP)-type antibiotics, including thiamphenicol (TAP) and chloramphenicol (CAP), there is an urgent need for a rapid and effective immunoassay method to distinguish them, in order to minimize the risk of false positives. Fortunately, a highly specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), named as SF11, has been developed using hybridoma technology. Molecular simulations have revealed that the mAb SF11's specificity in recognizing florfenicol stems from the π-π stacking interaction between florfenicol and the mAb SF11 binding pocket. Using this highly specific mAb, a sensitive time-resolved fluorescence immunochromatographic assay (TRFICA) strip for rapid florfenicol detection has been developed. Under optimal conditions, this TRFICA demonstrated good analytical performance for the detection of florfenicol in milk and eggs samples, with the half-maximal inhibition concentration (IC 50 ) values of 1.89 and 2.86 ng mL -1 , the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.23 and 0.48 ng mL -1 , the cut-off values of 62.50 and 31.25 ng mL -1 , and the testing time of approximately thirteen minutes. Spiked recoveries in the milk and eggs samples ranged from 104.7 % to 112.3 % and 95.3 % to 116.4 %, respectively, with no obvious cross-reactions with the other analogues observed. The TRFICA results correlated well with those of high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for real samples, indicating that the developed TRFICA method was sensitive, accurate and adapted for the rapid determination of florfenicol in milk and egg samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to examine the mechanism of occipital condyle fractures (OCFs), their clinical symptoms, computer tomography (CT) scan findings, treatment options, and classification., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 43 patients with OCFs who were admitted to our neurosurgery center between 2017 and 2023., Results: The investigation covered their clinical symptoms, CT scan results, and treatment outcomes. It was found that 25.6% of the patients suffered from severe craniocerebral injuries with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 3-8 points, 9.3% had moderate injuries with GCS scores of 9-12 points, and 65.1% exhibited mild injuries with GCS scores of 13-15 points. Of these patients, 90.7% showed improvement upon discharge, 4.7% succumbed to their injuries, and another 4.7% developed paraplegia. Symptoms indicative of OCF in individuals with CCJ injuries included neck pain, swelling, cranial nerve palsy, and posterior pharyngeal wall swelling. Frequently observed complications in OCF patients included cerebral contusion, occipital bone fractures, and skull base fractures. Employing thin-layer CT scans of the CCJ area, along with sagittal and coronal CT reconstructions, is essential for identifying OCFs. The fractures were classified into 3 types based on the Anderson-Montesano classification, which, when modified, provides enhanced treatment guidance., Conclusions: OCFs are predominantly present in cases of high-energy trauma, with high-resolution thin-layer CT scans serving as the preferred diagnostic method. The application of the modified Anderson-Montesano classification, distinguishing between stable and unstable fractures, facilitates the determination of suitable treatment strategies. Stable OCFs can be managed using a rigid neck brace, while unstable OCFs may require Halo-vest frame fixation or surgical intervention., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Trimethoprim (TMP), functioning as a synergistic antibacterial agent, is utilized in diagnosing and treating diseases affecting livestock and poultry. Human consumption of the medication indirectly may lead to its drug accumulation in the body and increase drug resistance due to its prolonged metabolic duration in livestock and poultry, presenting significant health hazards. Most reported immunoassay techniques, such as ELISA and immunochromatographic assay (ICA), find it challenging to achieve the dual advantages of high sensitivity, simplicity of operation, and a wide detection range. Consequently, an open droplet microchannel-based magnetosensor for immunofluorometric assay (OMM-IFA) of trimethoprim was created, featuring a gel imager to provide a signal output derived from the highly specific antibody (Ab) targeting trimethoprim. The method exhibited high sensitivity in chicken and pork samples, with LODs of 0.300 and 0.017 ng/mL, respectively, and a wide linear range, covering trimethoprim's total maximum residue limits (MRLs). Additionally, the spiked recoveries in chicken and pork specimens varied between 81.6% and 107.9%, maintaining an acceptable variation coefficient below 15%, aligning well with the findings from the ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) technique. The developed method achieved a much wider linear range of about 5 orders of magnitude of 10 -2 -10 3 levels with grayscale signals as the output signal, which exhibited high sensitivity, excellent applicability and simple operability based on magnetic automation.

Background: Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) presents a significant clinical challenge, leading to enduring sensory-motor impairments. While mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy holds promise for PNI treatment, enhancing its neurotrophic effects remains crucial. Platelet-rich plasma-derived exosomes (PRP-Exo), rich in bioactive molecules for intercellular communication, offer potential for modulating cellular biological activity., Methods: PRP-Exo was isolated, and its impact on MSC viability was evaluated. The effects of PRP-Exo-treated MSCs (MSC PExo ) on Schwann cells (SCs) from injured sciatic nerves and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were assessed. Furthermore, the conditioned medium from MSC PExo (MSC PExo -CM) was analyzed using a cytokine array and validated through ELISA and Western blot., Results: PRP-Exo enhanced MSC viability. Coculturing MSC PExo with SCs ameliorated apoptosis and promoted SC proliferation following PNI. Similarly, MSC PExo -CM exhibited pro-proliferative, migratory, and angiogenic effects. Cytokine array analysis identified 440 proteins in the MSC PExo secretome, with 155 showing upregulation and 6 showing downregulation, many demonstrating potent pro-regenerative properties. ELISA confirmed the enrichment of several angiotrophic and neurotrophic factors. Additionally, Western blot analysis revealed the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in MSC PExo ., Conclusion: Preconditioning MSCs with PRP-Exo enhanced the paracrine function, particularly augmenting neurotrophic and pro-angiogenic secretions, demonstrating an improved potential for neural repair., 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.)

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) remains a severe clinical problem with debilitating consequences. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy is promising, but the problems of poor engraftment and insufficient neurotrophic effects need to be overcome. Herein, we isolated platelet-rich plasma-derived exosomes (PRP-Exos), which contain abundant bioactive molecules, and investigated their potential to increase the regenerative capacity of MSCs. We observed that PRP-Exos significantly increased MSC proliferation, viability, and mobility, decreased MSC apoptosis under stress, maintained MSC stemness, and attenuated MSC senescence. In vivo, PRP-Exo-treated MSCs (pExo-MSCs) exhibited an increased retention rate and heightened therapeutic efficacy, as indicated by increased axonal regeneration, remyelination, and recovery of neurological function in a PNI model. In vitro, pExo-MSCs coculture promoted Schwann cell proliferation and dorsal root ganglion axon growth. Moreover, the increased neurotrophic behaviour of pExo-MSCs was mediated by trophic factors, particularly glia-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and PRP-Exos activated the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway in MSCs, leading to the observed phenotypes. These findings demonstrate that PRP-Exos may be novel agents for increasing the ability of MSCs to promote neural repair and regeneration in patients with PNI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Picoxystrobin (PIC) is a fungicide extensively used for disease control in both crops and vegetables. Residues of PIC in vegetables pose a potential threat to human health due to their accumulation in the food chain. In this study, a specific PIC monoclonal antibody (mAb) was developed by introducing a carboxylic acid arm into PIC and subsequently preparing a hapten and an artificial antigen. A sensitive and rapid time-resolved fluorescence immunochromatographic assay (TRFICA) was established based on the mAb. Subsequently, using a time-resolved fluorescent microsphere (TRFM) as signal probe, mAbs and microspheres were covalently coupled. The activated pH, the mAb diluents, the mAb amount, and the probe amount were optimized. Under optimized conditions, the quantitative limits of detection (qLOD) of PIC in cucumber, green pepper, and tomato using TRFICA were established at 0.61, 0.26, and 3.44 ng/mL, respectively; the 50% inhibiting concentrations (IC 50 ) were 11.76, 5.29, and 37.68 ng/mL, respectively. The linear ranges were 1.81-76.71, 0.80-35.04, and 8.32-170.55 ng/mL, respectively. The average recovery in cucumber, green pepper, and tomato samples ranged from 79.8% to 105.0%, and the corresponding coefficients of variation (CV) were below 14.2%. In addition, 15 vegetable samples were selected and compared with the results obtained using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results revealed a high degree of concordance between the proposed method and UPLC-MS/MS. In conclusion, the devised TRFICA method is a valuable tool for rapid, on-site, and highly sensitive detection of PIC residues in vegetables.

Peripheral nerve injury is prevalent and has a high disability rate in clinical settings. Current therapeutic methods have not achieved satisfactory efficacy, underscoring the need for novel approaches to nerve restoration that remains an active area of research in neuroscience and regenerative medicine. In this study, we isolated platelet-rich plasma-derived exosomes (PRP-exos) and found that they can significantly enhance the proliferation, migration, and secretion of trophic factors by Schwann cells (SCs). In addition, there were marked changes in transcriptional and expression profiles of SCs, particularly via the upregulation of genes related to biological functions involved in nerve regeneration and repair. In the rat model of sciatic nerve crush injury, ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) enhanced the efficiency of PRP-exos delivery to the injury site. This approach ensured a high concentration of PRP-exos in the injured nerve and improved the therapeutic outcomes. In conclusion, PRP-exos may promote nerve regeneration and repair, and UTMD may increase the effectiveness of targeted PRP-exos delivery to the injured nerve and enhance the therapeutic effect.

Stress graphitization is a unique phenomenon at the carbon nanotube (CNT)-matrix interfaces in CNT/carbon matrix (CNT/C) composites. A lack of fundamental atomistic understanding of its evolution mechanisms and a gap between the theoretical and experimental research have hindered the pursuit of utilizing this phenomenon for producing ultrahigh-performance CNT/C composites. Here, we performed reactive molecular dynamics simulations along with an experimental study to explore stress graphitization mechanisms of a CNT/polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon matrix composite. Different CNT contents in the composite were considered, while the nanotube alignment was controlled in one direction in the simulations. We observe that the system with a higher CNT content exhibits higher localized stress concentration in the periphery of CNTs, causing alignment of the nitrile groups in the PAN matrix along the CNTs, which subsequently results in preferential dehydrogenation and clustering of carbon rings and eventually graphitization of the PAN matrix when carbonized at 1500 K. These simulation results have been validated by experimentally produced CNT/PAN-based carbon matrix composite films, with transmission electron microscopy images showing the formation of additional graphitic layers converted by the PAN matrix around CNTs, where 82 and 144% improvements of the tensile strength and Young's modulus are achieved, respectively. The presented atomistic details of stress graphitization can provide guidance for further optimizing CNT-matrix interfaces in a more predictive and controllable way for the development of novel CNT/C composites with high performance.

Nonmetallic ammonium ions that feature high safety, low molar mass, and small hydrated radius properties have shown great advantages in wearable aqueous supercapacitors. The construction of high-energy-density flexible ammonium-ion asymmetric supercapacitors (AASCs) is promising but still challenging due to the lack of high-capacitance pseudocapacitive anodes. Herein, freestanding core-shell heterostructures supported on carbon nanotube fibers were designed by anchoring MoS 2 nanosheets on nanowires (MoS 2 @TiN/CNTF) as anodes for AASCs. With contributions of abundant active sites and conspicuous synergistic effects of multiple components for arrayed heterostructure engineering, the developed MoS 2 @TiN/CNTF anodes exhibit a specific capacitance of 1102.5 mF cm -2 at 2 mA cm -2 . Theoretical calculations confirm the dramatic enhancement of the binding strength of ammonium ions on the MoS 2 shell layer at the heterostructure, where a built-in electric field exists to accelerate the charge transfer. By utilizing a MnO 2 /CNTF cathode and NH 4 Cl/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a gel electrolyte, quasi-solid-state fiber-shaped AASCs were successfully constructed, achieving a specific capacitance of 351.2 mF cm -2 and an energy density of 195.1 μWh cm -2 , outperforming most recently reported fiber-shaped supercapacitors. This work provides a promising strategy to rationally design heterostructure engineering of MoS 2 @TiN nanoarrays toward advanced anodes for application in next-generation AASCs.

Benefiting from the abundant solar energy and the emergence of photothermal conversion equipment, solar-driven water evaporation has shown great potential in seawater desalination. One common problem for solar-thermal evaporation is that the salt crystallized on the surface of solar absorbers during the seawater evaporation process will significantly deteriorate the continuity and efficiency of the evaporation process. In most reports, efforts have been made to transfer the accumulated salts, while the studies on preventing salt crystallization, which leads to better continuity of the production, are limited. Herein, a spontaneous salt-preventing solar-thermal water evaporator was designed, utilizing a dual-mode water transfer structure consisting of in-plane diffusion and in-tube migration. The dual-mode structural system gave rise to uniform and continuous water transfer, efficiently suppressing the salt concentration in the evaporator. As a result, salt crystallization was scarcely found on the surface of the evaporator under 1 sun irradiation for an ultralong time (200 h), demonstrating its high efficiency in inhibiting salt crystallization. In addition, the small contact area between the water and the evaporator could reduce the heat loss during the solar-thermal evaporation process, which further improved the water evaporation rate (1.64 kg m -2 h -1 ).

Porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD), caused by porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), has ravaged the pig industry, causing huge economic loss. At present, PCV2b and PCV2d are highly prevalent genotypes worldwide, while in China, in addition to PCV2b and PCV2d, a newly emerged PCV2e genotype detected in the Fujian province has attracted attention, indicating that PCV2 genotypes in China are more abundant. A preliminary study was conducted to better understand the genetic diversity and prevalence of PCV2 genotypes in southern China. We collected 79 random lung samples from pigs with respiratory signs, from 2018 to 2021. We found a PCV2-positivity rate of 29.1%, and frequent co-infections of PCV2 with PCV3, Streptococcus suis ( S. suis ), and other porcine pathogens. All PCV2-positive samples were sequenced and subjected to whole-genome analysis. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the PCV2 ORF2 gene and complete genomes, found that PCV2 strains identified in this study belonged to genotypes PCV2a (1), PCV2b (6), PCV2d (10), and PCV2e (6). Importantly, PCV2e was identified for the first time in some provinces, including Guangdong and Jiangxi. Additionally, we found two positively selected sites in the ORF2 region, located on the previously reported antigenic epitopes. Moreover, codon 63, one of the positively selected sites, has different types of amino acids in different genotypes. In conclusion, this study shows that PCV2e is an emerging genotype circulating in southern China, which warrants urgent, specific surveillance to aid the development of prevention and control strategies in China.

Functional phase-change fabrics hold great promise as wearable clothing. However, how to enable a phase-change fabric with the combined features of excellent structural flexibility and robustness, integrated multifunctionality, superior stability, and durability, as well as facile and scalable manufacturing, still remains a significant challenge. Herein, we demonstrated a scalable and controllable three-dimensional (3D) printing strategy for manufacturing flexible, thin, and robust phase-change nonwoven fabric (PCNF), with abundant and regular breathable pores as well as uniform and tight embedment of highly interconnected single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) into hydrophobic filaments built by intertwining solid-solid phase-change polymer chains together. The remarkable architectural features enabled an integral whole of the fabric, ready air exchange, superior water impermeability, highly efficient heat harvesting and storage, and effective absorption and reflection of electromagnetic waves, thereby delivering an exceptional combined function of breathability, waterproofness, thermal regulation, and radiation resistance, and meanwhile featuring superior thermal stability and outstanding resistance to stretching/folding fatigue even at cycles up to 2000. This work sheds light on effective strategies for manufacturing wearable phase-change fabrics with multifunctionality and high stability in a scalable manner toward future uses.

To date, it has been a great challenge to design high-performance flexible energy storage devices for sufficient loading of redox species in the electrode assemblies, with well-maintained mechanical robustness and enhanced electron/ionic transport during charge/discharge cycles. An electrochemical activation strategy is demonstrated for the facile regeneration of carbon nanotube (CNT) film prepared via floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition strategy into a flexible, robust, and highly conductive hydrogel-like film, which is promising as electrode matrix for efficient loading of redox species and the fabrication of high-performance flexible pseudosupercapacitors. The strong and conductive CNT films can be effectively expanded and activated by electrochemical anodic oxygen evolution reaction, presenting greatly enhanced internal space and surface wettability with well-maintained strength, flexibility, and conductivity. The as-formed hydrogel-like film is quite favorable for electrochemical deposition of manganese dioxide (MnO2 ) with loading mass up to 93 wt% and electrode capacitance kept around 300 F g(-1) (areal capacitance of 1.2 F cm(-2) ). This hybrid film was further used to assemble a flexible symmetric pseudosupercapacitor without using any other current collectors and conductive additives. The assembled flexible supercapacitors exhibited good rate performance, with the areal capacitance of more than 300 mF cm(-2) , much superior to other reported MnO2 based flexible thin-film supercapacitors., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Heating-induced micelle to vesicle transition (MVT), which has been rarely reported in surfactant systems, was systemically studied in a number of mixed cationic-anionic surfactant systems. According to the turbidity measurements, the investigated systems can be divided into two classes: Class A and B. Heating-induced MVT was observed in Class A at certain total surfactant concentrations and mixed surfactant ratios, while no such transition was found in Class B. Further investigations revealed that the heating-induced MVT is more likely to take place in the cationic-anionic surfactant systems with relatively stronger molecule interaction and larger micelle aggregation number. The effects of several physicochemical factors, such as the variation of mixed surfactant ratios and the addition of n-decanol on the heating-induced MVT, were also studied.