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A binary metal sulfide hybrid consisting of nanowire-assembled and polypyrrole-coated Co3S4/Cu2S spheres after nitrogen-doped carbon coating (Co3S4/Cu2S@NC) is developed as an anode, which displays a capacity exceeding 412.3 mA h g−1 after 550 cycles under 1.0 A g−1. Recoverable rate-performance and good temperature tolerance under 50 °C and −10 °C are achievable; a full cell delivers 339.5 mA h g−1, indicating promising potential for applications in various conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-three cigarette paper samples were selected as the research object. Headspace-gas chromatography-ion migration spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) was used to detect their aroma components. The differences and changes of aroma components in different samples were analyzed based on fingerprint, and the stability of cigarette paper was evaluated by principal component analysis and chemical measurement method. The results showed that a total of 29 compounds were identified from different scented cigarette paper, and the alcohols and ketones were the most. The aromatic components of cigarette paper samples from different manufacturers had their own characteristic peak regions, showing obvious differences. The cumulative contribution rate of the principal components of cigarette paper was 84. 07%. Cigarette paper from different manufacturers could be distinguished according to the characteristic components. The method could analyze the difference of aromatic components among different scented cigarette paper, and provide theoretical basis and technical support for quality stability maintenance and identification of the products processed in different places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A foldable battery with high flexibility provides great potential in various wearable electronic devices for health and fitness tracking, chronic disease management, performance monitoring, navigation tracking, and portable gears for soldiers. We report a highly flexible, self‐healing Zn‐ion battery with a free‐standing cathode that is composed of a 3D gear‐like NH4V4O10@C composite on carbon paper. The battery retained a capacity of up to 102.4 mAh g−1 even after being folded 60 times with a high angle of 180°. An aqueous hydrogel consisting polyvinyl alcohol, glycerin and Zn(CF3SO3)2 was used as electrolyte, which showed as high as 580 % tensile strain under a loading weight of 78 N. The battery exhibited a better capacity retention of over 100 mAh g−1 and Coulombic efficiency of over 99.8 % after cutting and twisting to 90°, thereby indicating a great self‐healing performance. The gear‐like geometry greatly improved the volume accommodation due to the increased interval space between the blades and the outward configuration. Meanwhile the Zn2+ ionic conductivity was improved by rapid re‐binding of many existing hydroxy groups from the electrolyte and the enhanced contact surface area and diffusion route from the cathode material. The highly flexible, safe aqueous Zn‐ion battery opens a practical way to power various carry‐on electronics under mechanical agitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering energy-storage materials possessing high-speed electronic and ionic transport properties for secondary batteries is significant. Here, we develop a ternary one-dimensional mesostructured anode composed of MoS2 nanosheets grown in situ on SnP0.94 nanotubes infilled with Fe2P nanospheres, which is prepared by magnetic-field-induced self-assembly. The mesostructure provides fast transport pathways for electrons, as verified through a galvanostatic intermittent titration technique; and the voids effectively alleviate the volume change, enabling long-term cycling stability. The Fe2P@SnP0.94@MoS2 anode displays a high capacity of 797.5 mA h g−1 after cycling 800 times at 2 A g−1, a coulombic efficiency of 99.4%, and stable rate-performance after three rounds of cycling. Furthermore, the anode shows high capacities at different temperatures, indicating that the composite presented here has a promising potential for use in real conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shuttling behavior and slow conversion kinetics of the intermediate lithium polysulfides are the severe obstacles for the application of lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries over a wide temperature range. Here, an engineered lamellar yolk–shell structure of In2O3@void@carbon for the Li‐S battery cathode is developed for the first time to construct a powerful barrier that effectively inhibits the shuttling of polysulfides. On the basis of the unique nanochannel‐containing morphology, the continuous kinetic transformation of sulfur and polysulfides is confined in a stable framework, which is demonstrated by using X‐ray nanotomography. The constructed Li‐S battery exhibits a high cycling capability over 1000 cycles at 1.0 C with a capacity decay rate as low as 0.038% per cycle, good rate performance, and temperature tolerance at −10, 25, and 50 °C. A nondestructive in situ monitoring method of the interfacial reaction resistance in different cycling stages is proposed, which provides a new analysis perspective for the development of emerging electrochemical energy‐storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel microcapsule composed of Cu9S5 and SnS2 quantum dots (QDs)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) prepared through a microfluidic approach was developed for a Li-ion battery anode. CNTs enhance the conductivity, while pores in the shell facilitate electrolyte penetration, and void in the microcapsule buffers the volume change. The microcapsule-based anode displayed stable capacity, a Coulombic efficiency of 99.9%, and reversible rate-performance at temperatures of −10 °C and 45 °C, which are significant for developing high-performance energy-storage materials and battery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pseudogenes are sequences that have lost the ability to transcribe RNA molecules or encode truncated but possibly functional proteins. While they were once considered to be meaningless remnants of evolution, recent researches have shown that pseudogenes play important roles in various biological processes. However, the studies of pseudogenes in the silkworm, an important model organism, are limited and have focused on single or only a few specific genes. Objective: To fill these gaps, we present a systematic genome-wide studies of pseudogenes in the silkworm. Methods: We identified the pseudogenes in the silkworm using the silkworm genome assemblies, transcriptome, protein sequences from silkworm and its related species. Then we used transcriptome datasets from 832 RNA-seq analyses to construct spatio-temporal expression profiles for these pseudogenes. Additionally, we identified tissue-specifically expressed and differentially expressed pseudogenes to further understand their characteristics. Finally, the functional roles of pseudogenes as lncRNAs were systematically analyzed. Results: We identified a total of 4410 pseudogenes, which were grouped into 4 groups, including duplications (DUPs), unitary pseudogenes (Unitary), processed pseudogenes (retropseudogenes, RETs), and fragments (FRAGs). The most of pseudogenes in the domestic silkworm were generated before the divergence of wild and domestic silkworm, however, the domestication may also involve in the accumulation of pseudogenes. These pseudogenes were clearly divided into 2 cluster, a highly expressed and a lowly expressed, and the posterior silk gland was the tissue with the most tissue-specific pseudogenes (199), implying these pseudogenes may be involved in the development and function of silkgland. We identified 3299 lncRNAs in these pseudogenes, and the target genes of these lncRNAs in silkworm pseudogenes were enriched in the egg formation and olfactory function. Conclusions: This study replenishes the genome annotations for silkworm, provide valuable insights into the biological roles of pseudogenes. It will also contribute to our understanding of the complex gene regulatory networks in the silkworm and will potentially have implications for other organisms as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐healing and flexibility are significant for many emerging applications of secondary batteries, which have attracted broad attention. Herein, a self‐healing flexible quasi‐solid Zn‐ion battery composing of flexible all‐in‐one cathode (VS2 nanosheets growing on carbon cloth) and anode (electrochemically deposited Zn nanowires), and a self‐healing hydrogel electrolyte, is presented. The free‐standing all‐in‐one electrodes enable a high capacity and robust structure during flexible transformation of the battery, and the hydrogel electrolyte possesses a good self‐healing performance. The presented battery remains as a high retention potential even after healing from being cut into six pieces. When bending at 60°, 90°, and 180°, the battery capacities remain 124, 125, and 114 mAh g−1, respectively, cycling at a current density of 50 mA g−1. Moreover, after cutting and healing twice, the battery still delivers a stable capacity, indicating a potential use of self‐healing and wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium batteries have been considered promising candidates for next‐generation energy storage systems owing to their high energy density, good safety without dendrite formation, and low cost of magnesium resources. However, high‐performance cathodes with stable capacity, good conductivity, and fast ions transport are needed, since many conventional cathodes possess a low performance and poor preparation controllability. Herein, a liquid‐driven coaxial flow focusing (LDCFF) approach for preparing a novel microcapsule system with controllable size, high loading, and stable magnesium‐storage performance is presented. Taking the MoS2‐infilled microcapsule as a case study, the magnesium battery cathode based on the microcapsules displays a capacity of 100 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles. High capacity retention is achieved at both low and high temperatures of −10, ‒5, and 45 °C, and a stable rate‐performance is also obtained. The influences of the liquid flow rates on the size and shell thickness of the microcapsules are investigated; and electron and ion diffusion properties are also studied by first‐principle calculations. The presented LDCFF method is quite general, and the high performance of the microcapsules enables them to find broad applications for making emerging energy‐storage materials and secondary battery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide has attracted considerable attention owing to its physics and abundant polymorphs. Despite decades of extensive experiments and theoretical simulations, the structure and properties of carbon dioxide under extreme pressures and temperatures are yet to be properly understood. Particularly, the intermediate phase IV of solid carbon dioxide, which separates the molecular phases at low pressures from the non‐molecular phases at high pressures, has not been fully investigated, and its structure remains controversial. Here, based on the second‐order Møller‐Plesset perturbation (MP2) theory and the embedded fragment method, we study the crystal structure, equation of state, and Raman spectra of solid carbon dioxide phase IV at high pressures and temperatures. We demonstrate that the solid carbon dioxide phase IV is a molecular structure that remains in a molecular state rather than the bent state shown in other literature works, which is consistent with the experimental work by Datchi et al and denies the observed results by Park et al. The proposed work is of great significance in determining the structure of the high‐pressure phases of carbon dioxide and further exploring the new phase of molecular crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microencapsulated materials are receiving broad attention for applications as diverse as energy storage and conversion, biomedicine, self‐healing materials, and electronics. Here, a general microfluidic approach is presented to prepare phase‐change material‐infilled microcapsules with unique thermal and mechanical properties. Aqueous sodium acetate solutions are encapsulated by an acrylate‐based shell via a microfluidic method. To understand and optimize microcapsule formation, flow behavior during the encapsulation is numerically simulated. When the microcapsules are embedded in an acrylate matrix (same composition as the shell wall material), the microcapsules exhibit a significant 46.6 ºC difference between the crystallization and melting temperatures as determined by differential scanning calorimetry at a rate of 10 ºC per min. Variable temperature dynamic mechanical analysis over the range of 50 to ‐90 ºC reveals up to a 50% change in the composite's elastic modulus at a given temperature, depending on if the sample is being cooled or heated, due to significant undercooling of the core material crystallization as shown by X‐ray diffraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shuttle effect of polysulfides is a serious issue for lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, because it leads to rapid capacity decay. Herein, we present a metal organic foam-derived ZnCo 2 S 4 that is capable of forming polar bonds with soluble polysulfides and improving the binding force to suppress the shuttle effect. The ZnCo 2 S 4 also has a smaller Li ion diffusion barrier energy than ZnCo 2 O 4. ZnCo 2 S 4 grown on conductive carbon cloth facilitates fast electron transfer, while its hierarchical structure accommodates the volumetric expansion of sulfur in Li–S batteries. The ZnCo 2 S 4 /S cathodes exhibit a stable capacity of 833 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.1C and a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.9%, along with a high rate-performance after repeated tests; these features indicate a good potential for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel hierarchical composite consisting of an ordered NiCo2O4 nanowire array growing on the lateral side of a Fe2O3 microdisc is presented, which was confirmed by X-ray holography technology on a synchrotron radiation station. The composite-based Li-ion battery anode exhibits a high capacity of 1528 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.2C, a recoverable rate-performance after repeated tests, and robust mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneously achieving a high conductivity and a good volume-change accommodation for sulfur cathode in lithium‑sulfur batteries is highly required. Herein, we present a unique porous sulfur composite consisting of a porous sulfur particle coating with conductive hydrogel polypyrrole, which is prepared through a templated method. The pores inside the sulfur particles offer a good buffering space for the volume expansion of sulfur upon lithiation; while the external polypyrrole coating improves the conductivity and suppress the transfer of polysulfides. The porous sulfur@polypyrrole composite exhibits a capacity of about 900 mAh g−1 after cycling for 100 times at 0.12 C, along with a good Coulombic efficiency around 99.9%, which is much better than the polypyrrole-coated non-porous sulfur particles and pure sulfur particles. When cycled for 500 times, the capacity fading rate is as low as 0.09% per cycle. After three rounds of rate-performance measurements, the capacity retention of the sulfur@polypyrrole at different rates remain above 97%. The density functional theory calculations and electrochemical impedance spectra demonstrate a polysulfide-adsorptive and a stable electric transportation surface of the sulfur@polypyrrole composite, respectively. Unlabelled Image • A novel porous sulfur@hydrogel composite cathode is reported. • The Li-S batteries exhibit high electrochemical performance. • The cathodes enable accommodable volume-change and improved conductivity. • High proportion of capacitive contribution in overall capacity is achievable. • Density functional theory calculations demonstrate polysulfides adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging power batteries with both high volumetric energy density and fast charge/discharge kinetics are required for electric vehicles. The rapid ion/electron transport of mesostructured electrodes enables a high electrochemical activity in secondary batteries. However, the typical low fraction of active materials leads to a low volumetric energy density. Herein, we report a novel biomimetic “bee pupa infilled honeycomb”-structured 3D mesoporous cathode. We found previously the maximum active material filing fraction of an opal template before pinch-off was about 25%, whereas it could be increased to ∼90% with the bee pupa-infilled honeycomb-like architecture. Importantly, even with a high infilling fraction, fast Li+/e− transport kinetics and robust mechanical property were achievable. As the demonstration, a bee pupa infilled honeycomb-shaped Li2MnSiO4/C cathode was constructed, which delivered a high volumetric energy density of 2443 W h L−1. The presented biomimetic bee pupa infilled honeycomb configuration is applicable for a broad set of both cathodes and anodes in high energy density batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional all-in-one Sn–Co alloy anode is reported for the first time, which delivers a high capacity along with a stable coulombic efficiency as well as good temperature tolerance. The binder-free electrode eliminates the complexity of conventional slurry preparation while maintaining an integrated scaffold, which provides space to accommodate volume expansion, as confirmed by an in situ transmission electron microscopy study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Highly efficient adsorbents for drinking water purification are demanded since the contaminants are generally in a low concentration which makes it difficult for conventional adsorbents. Herein, we present a novel biomimetic SiO 2 @chitosan composite as adsorbent with a high adsorption capability towards heavy metal ions including As(V) and Hg(II). The hollow leaf-like SiO 2 scaffold within the adsorbent has a stable chemical property; while on the surface SiO 2 , the chitosan nanoparticle provide a large amount of active sites such as amino and hydroxyl groups for adsorbing heavy metal ions. The special SiO 2 structure also prevents the agglomeration and loss of chitosan, which enables the efficient contact between the functional groups of chitosan and heavy metal ions. The SiO 2 @chitosan composite exhibits maximum adsorption capacities of 204.1 and 198.6 mg g−1 towards Hg(II) and As(V), respectively. In addition, the removal efficiency reaches over 60% within 2 min. The adsorption performance enables the presented biomimetic adsorbent suitable for adsorbing low-concentration heavy metal ions, especially possessing a promising potential for drinking water purification. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • A unique biomimetic SiO 2 @chitosan composite adsorbent is prepared. • Leaf-like SiO 2 @chitosan shows high adsorption performance toward As(V) and Hg(II). • Agglomeration and loss of adsorbents are reduced by biomimetic structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • A biomimetic composite cathode is fabricated. • The cathode shows high capacity and good low-temperature performance. • Enhanced electron transfer is confirmed by first-principle modeling. • Highly-stable large capacity battery is achievable. Abstract High capacity and good safety secondary batteries are desired for portable electronics and electric vehicles. Currently, an effective method for simultaneously improving the intrinsically poor conductivity and the low capacity of cathodes remains a challenge. Here we present a biomimetic composite consisting of novel litchi-like LiFePO 4 spheres assembled by 20 nm nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxides (rGO). In particular, this biomimetic cathode provides short electron transfer pathways inside the LiFePO 4 spheres (through the hierarchical structure) and on the surface (by the interconnected rGO scaffold). The composite shows a high capacity of 161 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles, accompanying with a good Coulombic efficiency of about 100%. In addition, the composite retains a capacity of 93 mAh g−1 after cycling for 400 times, and shows a good capacity retention when cycling at −5 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A free-standing NiCo 2 O 4 nanowires/ginkgo biloba composite is developed for Li-ion battery anode. • Surface growth on biomass achieves a low interfacial reaction barrier for energy-storage. • Nanowires/ginkgo biloba composite displays high performance at different temperatures. • The developed composite system is applicable for other metal oxide nanomaterials. The low cost and special structure of biomass materials enable them to be applicable for many energy-storage systems. Here, we develop NiCo 2 O 4 nanowires growing on carbonized ginkgo biloba to form free-standing anodes of Li-ion battery. The porous NiCo 2 O 4 nanowires have a high capacity, and they are able to accommodate the expansion of volume in cycling. Low surface reaction barrier of the NiCo 2 O 4 /ginkgo biloba anode is confirmed by galvanostatic intermittent titration technique analysis. The NiCo 2 O 4 /ginkgo biloba anode displays recoverable rate-performance and good stability when cycling at different current densities, which remains 2.6 mAh cm−2 after 350 cycles at room temperature. The Coulombic efficiency is about 99 % under −10 °C at 1 mA cm−2, and the capacity remains 1.28 mAh cm−2 after cycling 200 times. Capacity keeps 1.83 mA cm−2 under 45 °C, exhibiting a good Li-storage performance. The NiCo 2 O 4 /ginkgo biloba anode displays a better cycling performance than NiCo 2 O 4 /nickel foam and NiCo 2 O 4 /carbon cloth. The cost-effective synthesis strategy provides extensible applications for metal oxide/ginkgo biloba-based composites. Growing other binary metal oxides on the carbonized ginkgo biloba is also achievable such as ZnCo 2 O 4 , indicating the developed composite system is promising for preparing other free-standing energy-storage composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO 2 -based anodes are highly desired because of their significant safety with good structural stability during charge/discharge. However, the intrinsic poor conductivity of TiO 2 restricts its capacity cycling at a high rate. Herein, we present a good rate-performance anode consisting of Ni-encapsulated TiO 2 nanotube array growing on three-dimensional Ni scaffold. By using atomic layer deposition (ALD), a TiO 2 layer was coated onto Ni nanotubes which were fabricated using ZnO nanorod array template. The Ni-encapsulated TiO 2 nanotube array anode shows a capacity of 188 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles at 0.5 C. The metal Ni encapsulated in the TiO 2 nanotubes provides an efficient pathway for rapid electron transfer. It is believed that the metal-encapsulated composite design presented here would be significant for many possible anodes and cathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel battery hybrid composite anode consisting of tin nanoparticles encapsulated by double nets of carbon matrixes is presented. The improved electron transfer and volume change accommodation are confirmed via density functional theory modeling and in situ transmission electron microscopy observations, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method has been developed in this work for the mechanical manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). A helical curve was designed as the capture path to pick up and remove the target nanoparticle on a mica surface by a magnetic probe based on the magnetic force microscope (MFM). There were magnetic, tangential and pushing forces acting on the target particle during the approaching process when the tip followed the helical curve as the capture path. The magnetic force was significant when the tip was closer to the particle. The target particle can be attached on the surface of the magnetic probe tip and then be picked up after the tip retracted from the mica surface. Theoretical analysis and experimental results were presented for the pick-up and removal of MNPs. With this method, the precision and flexibility of manipulation of MNPs were improved significantly compared to the pushing or sliding of the target object away from the corresponding original location following a planned path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was found that the results of magnetic force microscope (MFM) imaging were different with the probe scanning directions. This paper studied the effect of scanning directions on the MFM imaging, and a method for the distortion compensation was proposed to reduce the errors. In the study, three different scanning directions with the angles of 0°, 45° and 90° were used to measure the magnetic domain structures distributions of magnetic sample. The experimental results have shown that the scanning direction parallel to the magnetic domain structure will cause a minimum phase shift difference and lead to a structure distortion. A method for compensating the distortions was proposed. With this method, the distorted structures were corrected and the effect of scanning directions on the MFM imaging was significantly reduced. This work provides a way for the acquisition of the correct images of magnetic structures using an MFM and the improvement of imaging quality in a wide range of MFM applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeF2 is considered a promising conversion compound for the positive electrode in lithium-ion batteries due to its high thermodynamic reduction potential (2.66 V vs Li/Li+) and high theoretical specific capacity (571 mA h g−1). However, the sluggish reaction kinetics and rapid capacity decay caused by side reactions during cycling limit its practical application. Here, the fabrication of Ni-supported 3D Al2O3-coated FeF2 electrodes is presented, and it is shown that these structured electrodes significantly overcome these limitations. The electrodes are prepared by iron electrodeposition on a Ni support, followed by a facile fluorination process and Al2O3 coating by atomic layer deposition. The 3D FeF2 electrode delivers an initial discharge capacity of 380 mA h g−1 at a current density of 200 mA g−1 at room temperature. The 3D scaffold improves the reaction kinetics and enables a high specific capacity by providing an efficient electron pathway to the insulating FeF2 and short Li diffusion lengths. The Al2O3 coating significantly improves the cycle life, probably by preventing side reactions through limiting direct electrode-electrolyte contact. The fabrication method presented here can also be applied for synthesis of other metal fluoride materials on different 3D conductive templates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanowire-on-microrod structured polyaniline (PANI)@FeS2 hybrid was developed via a facile metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived chemical method. The in situ grown PANI nanowires on the surface of pyramidal FeS2 microrods displayed better mechanical flexibility and improved Al-storage performance. The PANI nanowires not only enhanced electron transfer during the electrochemical reaction, but also accommodated the volume expansion of FeS2 during discharge. The PANI@FeS2 hybrid as the cathode in AIBs delivered a reliable battery capacity of 152.8 mA h g−1 along with a Coulombic efficiency of >96.5% after 500 cycles at a current density of 1.5 A g−1. In addition, a high capacity retention of 160.2 mA h g−1 after 150 cycles at 0.5 A g−1 at −10 °C was achieved. These findings provide a feasible strategy by constructing a nanowire-on-microrod hybrid that can be applied in high-performance secondary batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When magnetic samples are tested with a magnetic force microscope (MFM), the probe tip can inevitably be contaminated and magnetic particles are often adhered to the tip surface. The probe with magnetic contamination will seriously affect the quality of morphological and magnetic imaging. In the work, a method for the cleaning of contaminated magnetic probe tips was developed by the use of a biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film together with an external magnet field in an MFM system. In the experiments, an MFM system was used for manipulating the tip to push into the BOPP film with a depth of 50–100 nm under a magnetic field and hold for 5 s, and the relationships between loading forces and separating forces were studied. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images have shown that the use of the BOPP film together with an external magnet field is effective for the cleaning of contaminated MFM probes. This method can greatly improve the quality of magnetic imaging, prolong the service life of magnetic probes and reduce the experimental costs in many MFM applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deletion of chromosome 17p with a loss of p53 is an unfavorable cytogenetic change in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with poor clinical outcome. Since p53 affects mitochondrial function and integrity, we examined possible mitochondrial changes in CLL mice with TCL1-Tg/p53 −/− and TCL1-Tg/p53 +/+ genotypes and in primary leukemia cells from CLL patients with or without 17p-deletion. Although the expression of mitochondrial COX1, ND2, and ND6 decreased in p53 −/− CLL cells, there was an increase in mitochondrial biogenesis as evidenced by higher mitochondrial mass and mtDNA copy number associated with an elevated expression of TFAM and PGC-1α. Surprisingly, the overall mitochondrial respiratory activity and maximum reserved capacity increased in p53 −/− CLL cells. Our study suggests that leukemia cells lacking p53 seem able to maintain respiratory function by compensatory increase in mitochondrial biogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbatteries are increasingly important for powering electronic systems, however, the volumetric energy density of microbatteries lags behind that of conventional format batteries. This paper reports a primary microbattery with energy density 45.5 μWh cm −2 μm −1 and peak power 5300 μW cm −2 μm −1 , enabled by the integration of large volume fractions of high capacity anode and cathode chemistry into porous micro-architectures. The interdigitated battery electrodes consist of a lithium metal anode and a mesoporous manganese oxide cathode. The key enabler of the high energy and power density is the integration of the high capacity manganese oxide conversion chemistry into a mesostructured high power interdigitated bicontinuous cathode architecture and an electrodeposited dense lithium metal anode. The resultant energy density is greater than previously reported three-dimensional microbatteries and is comparable to commercial conventional format lithium-based batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in secondary batteries are required for realization of many technologies. In particular, there remains a need for stable higher energy batteries. Here we suggest a new anode concept consisting of an ultrathin Co 3 O 4 nanosheet-coated Ni inverse opal which provides high charge–discharge rate performance using a material system with potential for high energy densities. Via a hydrothermal process, about 4 nm thick Co 3 O 4 nanosheets were grown throughout a three-dimensional Ni scaffold. This architecture provides efficient pathways for both lithium and electron transfer, enabling high charge–discharge rate performance. The scaffold also accommodates volume changes during cycling, which serves to reduce capacity fade. Because the scaffold has a low electrical resistance, and is three-dimensionally porous, it enables most of the electrochemically active nanomaterials to take part in lithiation–delithiation reactions, resulting in a near-theoretical capacity. On a Co 3 O 4 basis, the Ni@Co 3 O 4 electrode possesses a capacity of about 726 mAh g −1 at a current density of 500 mA g −1 after 50 cycles, which is about twice the theoretical capacity of graphite. The capacity is 487 mAh g −1 , even at a current density of 1786 mA g −1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on lung cancer automatic detection using deep learning algorithms has achieved good results but, due to the complexity of tumor edge features and possible changes in tumor positions, it is still a great challenge to diagnose patients with lung tumors based on computed tomography (CT) images. In order to solve the problem of scales and meet the requirements of real-time detection, an efficient one-stage model for automatic lung tumor detection in CT Images, called ELCT-YOLO, is presented in this paper. Instead of deepening the backbone or relying on a complex feature fusion network, ELCT-YOLO uses a specially designed neck structure, which is suitable to enhance the multi-scale representation ability of the entire feature layer. At the same time, in order to solve the problem of lacking a receptive field after decoupling, the proposed model uses a novel Cascaded Refinement Scheme (CRS), composed of two different types of receptive field enhancement modules (RFEMs), which enables expanding the effective receptive field and aggregate multi-scale context information, thus improving the tumor detection performance of the model. The experimental results show that the proposed ELCT-YOLO model has strong ability in expressing multi-scale information and good robustness in detecting lung tumors of various sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method for differential magnetic force microscope imaging based on a two-pass scanning procedure to extract differential magnetic forces and eliminate or significantly reduce background forces with reversed tip magnetization. In the work, the difference of two scanned images with reversed tip magnetization was used to express the local magnetic forces. The magnetic sample was first scanned with a low lift distance between the MFM tip and the sample surface, and the magnetization direction of the probe was then changed after the first scan to perform the second scan. The differential magnetic force image was obtained through the subtraction of the two images from the two scans. The theoretical and experimental results have shown that the proposed method for differential magnetic force microscope imaging is able to reduce the effect of background or environment interference forces, and offers an improved image contrast and signal to noise ratio (SNR). SCANNING 37:112-115, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term stable secondary batteries are highly required. Here, we report a unique microcapsule encapsulated with metal organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived Co3O4 nanocages for a Li-S battery, which displays good lithium-storage properties. ZIF-67 dodecahedra are prepared at room temperature then converted to porous Co3O4 nanocages, which are infilled into microcapsules through a microfluidic technique. After loading sulfur, the Co3O4/S-infilled microcapsules are obtained, which display a specific capacity of 935 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.5C in Li-S batteries. A Coulombic efficiency of about 100% is achieved. The constructed Li-S battery possesses a high rate-performance during three rounds of cycling. Moreover, stable performance is verified under both high and low temperatures of 50 °C and −10 °C. Density functional theory calculations show that the Co3O4 dodecahedra display large binding energies with polysulfides, which are able to suppress shuttle effect of polysulfides and enable a stable electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to develop a gas sensor with improved gas-diffusing performance, a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical CdO nanostructure with a novel bio-inspired morphology was reported. The CdO nanostructures which exhibit a profile of natural leaveleaf were synthesized via a solvothermal approach combining with an annealing process. The solvothermally synthesized CdS precursors were converted into CdO under an optimal annealing condition. In gas-sensing measurements, acetone and diethyl ether were employed as target gases. The results show that the as-fabricated gas sensor exhibits fast response and recovery speeds toward analytes. The mechanism for the improved performance was demonstrated from the gas diffusion through the 3D hierarchical nanostructure. The kinetic processes of gas adsorption and desorption show that the 3D leaveleaf-shaped structure is significant to achieve an enhanced diffusing property. Additionally, a principal component analysis method was used to investigate the recognizable ability of the presented sensor. It is found that acetone and diethyl ether can be distinguished clearly. These findings indicate that the bio-inspired CdO nanostructure can be a promising candidate for the development of fast-responding gas sensors. Moreover, such bio-inspired structure would be also valuable for the design of some other novel nanomaterials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A coral-like SnO2 nanostructure densely-modified with TiO2 nanoparticles was reported for developing a self-cleaning gas sensor. The density of the TiO2 nanoparticles in the TiO2/SnO2 nanocomposites can be greatly improved via a plasma-based modification (PM) on SnO2/carbonaceous precursors before introducing Ti sources. In gas-sensing measurements, benzene and toluene were employed as target analytes. The results show that the gas sensor based on the TiO2/SnO2 nanostructures with PM exhibits a remarkably improved stability after detecting for many cycles compared with the ones based on TiO2/SnO2 without PM and pure SnO2 nanostructures. The mechanism for the stable performance has been demonstrated from the self-cleaning degradation of TiO2 nanoparticles towards the adsorbed organic species. Furthermore, the recognizable ability towards targets was also investigated by using some algorithmic recognition methods including principal component analysis (PCA) and nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF). The fascinating gas-sensing properties including enhanced stability, sensitivity, and recognizable ability enable the presented TiO2/SnO2 nanocomposites to be a promising candidate for fabricating self-cleaning gas sensor which can be applied for detecting environmental gas contaminants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

From 2002 to 2007, a bilateral project on labor in China was undertaken with support from the U. S. Department of Labor and in cooperation with China's Ministry of Labor and Social Security (now the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security). One element was a demonstration project in the city of Qingdao that created worker-management committees in companies to discuss and resolve workplace issues. Over an 18-month period, elected worker representatives and management appointees met bimonthly. An analysis of the records of these meetings and examples of workers' strategies for gaining agreement provide a window on both the kinds of issues of concern to workers and also the tactics used by workers to seek agreement. The worker-management meetings provide a possible approach to introducing greater workers' voice into the management routines of Chinese companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are greatly noxious chemicals in environment, and they can cumulate in organisms and transfer between different species. Therefore, it is significant to detect POPs for both environmental evaluation and further treatment. However, developing facile approach for the detection of POPs still remains a challenge so far. In this paper, we report an innovative method for facile detection of POPs using gas sensor for the first time. Porous SnO2 nanostructures with a special tri-walled structure prepared via hydrothermal route and annealing process, were employed as gas-sensing materials. Through gas measurements, it was revealed that the as-fabricated gas sensor exhibited highly sensitive performance towards target POPs, including methoxychlor, mirex, p,p′-DDT, and aldrin. Moreover, we found that target POPs were distinguishable by extracting characteristics in kinetic curves of gas adsorption–desorption. As the presented detecting approach is facile without the requirements of complex operations, expensive and bulky instruments, it is expected that it would be developed as a promising method for the detection of POPs, and thereby showing its significance for environmental monitoring. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Novel radial single-crystalline ZnS nanowire bundles were successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal route in the presence of triethylenetetramine (TETA). TETA, which was employed for the first time as a growth-orientator for nanoarchitectures, plays a significant role not only for the development of one-dimensional nanostructures, but also in favor of the formation of radial profile. A dynamic ligand-assisted growth mechanism was proposed and demonstrated in detail. Furthermore, the photoluminescence properties of the as-prepared products were studied. The radial ZnS nanowire bundles were found to exhibit enhanced photoluminescence emissions in visible region compared with that of parallel ones and their bulk counterparts, indicating their potential applications for fabricating novel optoelectronic devices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cyclohexylidenebishydroperoxide was successfully used as the oxygen source for the oxidation of α,β-unsaturated ketones for the first time. The corresponding epoxides were obtained in excellent yields under the Weitz–Scheffer reaction conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We model histories between two cohorts of urban Chinese couples (N = 1,191) of a rarely studied living arrangement—coresidence with the wife's parents—using a dynamic life history analysis in contrast to previous cross-sectional studies of coresidence. We examine patterns of entry into and exit from coresidence with the wife's parents, comparing the predictive power of modernization theory to the effect of demographic change and the resources and needs of each generation. Given China's well-known patrilineal family system, we find a surprisingly high number of couples ever residing nonnormatively, and significant differences between cohorts in what determines the pattern of coresidence. Resources and needs that reflect conscious choices to coreside most strongly influence nonnormative coresidence. Its importance may increase as the children of the One-Child Family Policy grow up and marry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultrahigh-performance magnesium/sodium hybrid-ion battery (MNHB) is developed using ternary CoSe/NiSe2/CuSe2 (CNCS) "micro-flowers" as cathode materials, working with a coordinative [Mg2Cl2][AlCl4]2 and bis(trifluoroethylsulfonyl)imide anionic sodium salt in triglyme electrolyte. After 2000 cycles at 2.0 A g−1, the MNHB shows a stable capacity of 115.5 mA h g−1 and a high Coulombic efficiency exceeding 99.8%. The battery shows very rapid charging, and good stability in extreme environments, providing new opportunities to develop other hybrid-ion systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A unique coral-like porous SnO2hollow architecture with enhanced photovoltaic property for dye-sensitized solar cell application was prepared, and a biomimetic swallowing growth mechanism for the formation of the special structure was also proposed for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many binary metal oxides possess poor conductivity and ion diffusion efficiency, even though they have a high theoretical capacity as secondary battery anodes. Herein, we present a double binary metal sulfide composing of ZnCo 2 S 4 /NiCo 2 S 4 growing on carbon cloth, which was derived from a Zn–Co–Ni metal organic foam. Compared to the ZnCo 2 O 4 /NiCo 2 O 4 , the ZnCo 2 S 4 /NiCo 2 S 4 anodes exhibit an obviously improved electrochemical performance including a high areal capacity of 2.4 mAh cm−2 after cycling for 100 times at 0.36 mA cm−2, and a Coulombic efficiency of 99.9%. A well-recoverable rate-performance is also presented. In addition, the enhancement mechanism is investigated by using density functional theory simulations, which show the density of states and Li ion diffusion energies of the ZnCo 2 S 4 /NiCo 2 S 4 are improved compared to ZnCo 2 O 4 /NiCo 2 O 4. It is expected that the high-performance hybrid and the theoretical enhancement mechanism would enable them to find important applications for developing emerging energy-storage materials. A fast electron-transfer and ion-diffusion binary metal sulfide hybrid anode consisting of ZnCo 2 S 4 /NiCo 2 S 4 derived from MOFs was presented. Image 1 • A novel binary metal sulfide hybrid is reported. • Binary metal sulfides derived from MOFs are achieved. • Sulfide hybrid anodes exhibit a high lithium-storage performance. • DFT simulations confirm improvement of electron and ion transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volume-change and poor conductivity issues of sulfur severely restrict the performance of lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries. Herein, we present a novel spring-shaped composite in which the sulfur is coated on helix-structured SiO 2 @hydrogel nanowires. The helix composite provides a buffer space for the volume-change of sulfur during charge and discharge; and the hydrogel polyaniline (PANI) coating improves the conductivity of the electrode and enables interaction with sulfides which is demonstrated by first-principle modelling. The prepared SiO 2 @C@PANI/S nanowires exhibit a stable capacity of 940 mAh g−1 after 120 cycles at a rate of 0.1C, along with a good Coulombic efficiency of 99.8%. The nanowires-based cathode also shows a high rate-performance even after three rounds of repeated measurements. The high performance and the general preparation method would enable the composite to be able to find significant applications for electrochemical energy-storage. Image 1 • A novel helix-structured nanowire is presented. • Composite cathodes exhibit a high electrochemical performance. • Helix structure enables stable energy-storage. • Ultra-stable rate-performance is achievable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrode materials optimization is one of the keys to improving the energy storage characteristics of secondary batteries. Herein, a VO2@carbon@SnS2 composite is developed by coating SnS2 quantum dots (QDs) on lamellar VO2@carbon nanorods, yielding a high-performance aluminum-ion battery cathode. SnS2 QDs embedded in VO2@carbon accelerate electron transport, while the in situ coating of carbon improves cycling stability. When cycling at 0.5 A g−1, capacity is maintained at 157.6 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles. Even at 1.0 A g−1, the cathode can be stably cycled 1000 times. Capacity remains at 176.3 mA h g−1 and coulombic efficiency is 99.1% at temperatures below −10 °C after 100 cycles. These findings provide new ideas for the development of QD-modified composites for application in secondary batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safe and high‐performance secondary batteries using for all‐climate conditions with different temperatures are highly required. Here, we develop a three‐dimensional ball cactus‐like MgV2O4 as cathode material for magnesium‐ion (Mg‐ion) batteries. After cycling 300 times, the capacity maintains 111.7 mAh g−1, while Coulombic efficiency stabilizes at about 100 %. Under temperatures of 45 °C and −5 °C, the capacities remain stable after 200 cycles. After three rounds of rate‐performance tests, the capacity keeps quite stable. It is ascribed to the ball cactus‐like morphology buffers the volumetric change during Mg2+ insertion/extraction, and provides sufficient pathways for ion diffusion, which has been verified by constant‐current intermittent titration technology. It is believed that the good performance enables the Mg‐ion batteries to have a all‐climate capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastic pressure sensors play a crucial role in the digital economy, such as in health care systems and human–machine interfacing. However, the low sensitivity of these sensors restricts their further development and wider application prospects. This issue can be resolved by introducing microstructures in flexible pressure-sensitive materials as a common method to improve their sensitivity. However, complex processes limit such strategies. Herein, a cost-effective and simple process was developed for manufacturing surface microstructures of flexible pressure-sensitive films. The strategy involved the combination of MXene–single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) with mass-produced Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microspheres to form advanced microstructures. Next, the conductive silica gel films with pitted microstructures were obtained through a 3D-printed mold as flexible electrodes, and assembled into flexible resistive pressure sensors. The sensor exhibited a sensitivity reaching 2.6 kPa−1 with a short response time of 56 ms and a detection limit of 5.1 Pa. The sensor also displayed good cyclic stability and time stability, offering promising features for human health monitoring applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among many types of batteries, Li-ion and Li-S batteries have been of great interest because of their high energy density, low self-discharge, and non-memory effect, among other aspects. Emerging applications require batteries with higher performance factors, such as capacity and cycling life, which have motivated many research efforts on constructing high-performance anode and cathode materials. Herein, recent research about cathode materials are particularly focused on. Low electron and ion conductivities and poor electrode stability remain great challenges. Three-dimensional (3D) porous nanostructures commonly exhibit unique properties, such as good Li+ ion diffusion, short electron transfer pathway, robust mechanical strength, and sufficient space for volume change accommodation during charge/discharge, which make them promising for high-performance cathodes in batteries. A comprehensive summary about some cutting-edge investigations of Li-ion and Li-S battery cathodes is presented. As demonstrative examples, LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiFePO4, V2O5, and LiNi1−x−yCoxMnyO2 in pristine and modified forms with a 3D porous structure for Li-ion batteries are introduced, with a particular focus on their preparation methods. Additionally, S loaded on 3D scaffolds for Li-S batteries is discussed. In addition, the main challenges and potential directions for next generation cathodes have been indicated, which would be beneficial to researchers and engineers developing high-performance electrodes for advanced secondary batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encapsulating under-cooling materials has been a promising strategy to address the compatibility issue with a surrounding matrix. Herein, we present the synthesis of a uniform alkane-infilled capsule system that shows obvious under-cooling properties. As demonstrating examples, n-hexadecane was selected as a liquid alkane and n-eicosane as a solid in our systems as core materials via in-situ polymerization, respectively. The under-cooling properties of capsules were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, real-time optical observations with two polarizers, and molecular modeling. The n-hexadecane encapsulated capsules exhibited a large under-cooling temperature range of 20 °C between melt and crystallization, indicating potential applications for structure-transformation energy storage. In addition, molecular modeling calculations confirmed that the solid forms of n-hexadecane and n-eicosane are more stable than their liquid forms. From liquid to solid form, the n-hexadecane and n-eicosane release energies were 4.63 × 103 and 4.95 × 103 J·g−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-cost and safe batteries are considered to be promising energy-storage systems. Here, a metal organic framework (MOF)-derived octahedral Cu1.95S@CoS2 composite is developed as a high-performance cathode of aluminium-ion (Al-ion) batteries. CoS2 nanoparticles on Cu1.95S provide active sites, making AlCl4− intercalation/deintercalation highly reversible, and reducing polarization. Cycling at 0.5 A g−1, Cu1.95S@CoS2 maintains stable capacities of 136.6 and 122.4 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at room temperature and −10 °C, respectively. Stable rate-performance is also achieved. These findings will accelerate the application of Al-ion batteries and MOF-derived energy-storage composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]