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KFeSO4F (KFSF) is considered a potential cathode due to the large capacity and low cost. However, the inferior electronic conductivity leads to poor electrochemical performance. Defect engineering can facilitate the electron/ion transfer by tuning electronic structure, thus providing favorable electrochemical performance. Herein, through the regulation of surface defect engineering in reduced graphene oxide (rGO), the Fe–C bonds were formed between KFSF and rGO. The Fe–C bonds formed work in regulating the Fe-3d orbital as well as promoting the migration ability of K ions and increasing the electronic conductivity of KFSF. Thus, the KFSF@rGO delivers a high capacity of 119.6 mAh g−1. When matched with a graphite@pitch-derived S-doped carbon anode, the full cell delivers an energy density of 250.5 Wh kg−1 and a capacity retention of 81.5% after 400 cycles. This work offers a simple and valid method to develop high-performance cathodes by tuning defect sites.

Abstract The Asian ladybeetle, Coccinella septempunctata, is an important insect of predatory natural enemy, which has a strong control effect and application prospects for aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, and other small-sized pests of agriculture and forestry crops. Gut microbiota composition posed impacts on development of insects. In order to clarify the effect of artificial feed feeding on the intestinal microbial species and structure of C. septempunctata, we compared the intestinal microbial flora of C. septempunctata reared on bean aphids and artificial food for 15 days. Results show that Proteobacteria was the dominant component in all groups at phylum level, Rhodobacter, Methylovigula, Burkholderia, and Bradyrhizobium were the dominant bacteria among all groups at genus level. As to the differences in bacterial community structure and diversity, there is no significant difference between Shannon index and Simpson index, the principal components analysis of the bacterial communities, and the samples were roughly distributed in different regions. After 15 days of feeding, artificial diet did not significantly reduce the microbial diversity of the gut of C. septempunctata compared to the aphid group, and there was no significant effect on the abundance of dominant flora in the gut of C. septempunctata, C. septempunctata gut has a similar core microbiota. This study clarifies the effects in intestinal microbial diversity and composition structure of the C. septempunctata with artificial diet, and provides a theoretical basis for understanding the intestinal microorganisms and optimizating the artificial diet of C. septempunctata.

Abstract Classical and quantum space-to-ground communications necessitate highly sensitive receivers capable of extracting information from modulated photons to extend the communication distance from near-earth orbits to deep space explorations. To achieve gigabit data rates while mitigating strong background noise photons and beam drift in a highly attenuated free-space channel, a comprehensive design of a multi-functional detector is indispensable. In this study, we present an innovative compact multi-pixel superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array that integrates near-unity detection efficiency (91.6%), high photon counting rate (1.61 Gcps), large dynamic range for resolving different photon numbers (1–24), and four-quadrant position sensing function all within one device. Furthermore, we have constructed a communication testbed to validate the advantages offered by such an architecture. Through 8-PPM (pulse position modulation) format communication experiments, we have achieved an impressive maximum data rate of 1.5 Gbps, demonstrating sensitivities surpassing previous benchmarks at respective speeds. By incorporating photon number information into error correction codes, the receiver can tolerate maximum background noise levels equivalent to 0.8 photons/slot at a data rate of 120 Mbps—showcasing a great potential for daylight operation scenarios. Additionally, preliminary beam tracking tests were conducted through open-loop scanning techniques, which revealed clear quantitative dependence indicating sensitivity variations based on beam location. Based on the device characterizations and communication results, we anticipate that this device architecture, along with its corresponding signal processing and coding techniques, will be applicable in future space-to-ground communication tasks.

Abstract The giant ladybug Megalocaria dilatata (Fabricius) is a potential biocontrol agent and a valuable model for coccinellid genomics and evolutionary biology. However, the lack of a reference genome for M. dilatata has impeded further explorations into its evolution and constrained its use in pest management. Here, we assembled and annotated a high-quality, chromosome-level genome of M. dilatata. The resulting assembly spans 772.3 Mb, with a scaffold N50 of 72.48 Mb and a GC content of 34.23%. The Hi-C data aided in anchoring the assembly onto 10 chromosomes ranging from 43.35 to 108.16 Mb. We identified 493.33 Mb of repeat sequences, accounting for 63.88% of the assembled genome. Our gene prediction identified 25,346 genes, with 81.89% annotated in public protein databases. The genome data will provide a valuable resource for studying the biology and evolution of Coccinellidae, aiding in pest control strategies and advancing research in the field.

Abstract The new energy vehicle market has grown rapidly due to the promotion of electric vehicles. Considering the average effective lives and calendar lives of power batteries, the world is gradually ushering in the retirement peak of spent lithium‐ion batteries (SLIBs). Without proper disposal, such a large number of SLIBs can be grievous waste of resources and serious pollution for the environment. This review provides a systematic overview of current solutions for SLIBs recycling, ranging from battery failure assessment, disassembly, and component separation to derived material recovery and reuse. In this review, several pretreatment methods for SLIBs are introduced. Subsequently, novel recovery and reuse processes are discussed to develop sustainable and efficient recycling processes. Finally, different scientific approaches are investigated, aiming at promoting the transformation of the SLIBs recycling industry to a circular economy. Based on this review, it is possible to improve existing processes or develop sustainable environmentally friendly and efficient alternative processes for recycling end‐of‐life batteries.

Abstract Based on the favorable ionic conductivity and structural stability, sodium superionic conductor (NASICON) materials especially utilizing multivalent redox reaction of vanadium are one of the most promising cathodes in sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). To further boost their application in large‐scale energy storage production, a rational strategy is to tailor vanadium with earth‐abundant and cheap elements (such as Fe, Mn), reducing the cost and toxicity of vanadium‐based NASICON materials. Here, the Na3.05V1.03Fe0.97(PO4)3 (NVFP) is synthesized with highly conductive Ketjen Black (KB) by ball‐milling assisted sol‐gel method. The pearl‐like KB branch chains encircle the NVFP (p‐NVFP), the segregated particles possess promoted overall conductivity, balanced charge, and modulated crystal structure during electrochemical progress. The p‐NVFP obtains significantly enhanced ion diffusion ability and low volume change (2.99%). Meanwhile, it delivers a durable cycling performance (87.7% capacity retention over 5000 cycles at 5 C) in half cells. Surprisingly, the full cells of p‐NVFP reveal a remarkable capability of 84.9 mAh g−1 at 20 C with good cycling performance (capacity decay rate is 0.016% per cycle at 2 C). The structure modulation of the p‐NVFP provides a rational design on the superiority of others to be put into practice.

Abstract The accelerating electrification has sparked an explosion in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) consumption. As the lifespan declines, the substantial LIBs will flow into the recycling market and promise to spawn a giant recycling system. Nonetheless, since the lack of unified guiding standard and nontraceability, the recycling of end‐of‐life LIBs has fallen into the dilemma of low recycling rate, poor recycling efficiency, and insignificant benefits. Herein, tapping into summarizing and analyzing the current status and challenges of recycling LIBs, this outlook provides insights for the future course of full lifecycle management of LIBs, proposing gradient utilization and recycling‐target predesign strategy. Further, we acknowledge some recommendations for recycling waste LIBs and anticipate a collaborative effort to advance sustainable and reliable recycling routes.

The amount of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is constantly increasing as their popularity grows. It is important to develop a recycling method that cannot only convert large amounts of waste anode graphite into high value-added products but is also simple and environmentally friendly. In this work, spent graphite from an anode was transformed into a cathode for dual-ion batteries (DIBs) through a two-step treatment. This method enables the crystal structure and morphology of spent graphite to recover from the adverse effects of long cycling and be restored to a regular layered structure with appropriate layer spacing for anion intercalation. In addition, pyrolysis of the solid electrolyte interphase into an amorphous carbon layer prevents the electrode from degrading and improves its cycling performance. The recycled negative graphite has a high reversible capacity of 87 mAh g−1 at 200 ​mA ​g−1, and its rate performance when used as a cathode in DIBs is comparable to that of commercial graphite. This simple recycling idea turns spent anode graphite into a cathode material with attractive potential and superior electrochemical performance, genuinely achieving sustainable energy use. It also provides a new method for recovering exhausted batteries.

Abstract As a cathode for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), Na3V2(PO4)2F3 (NVPF) with 3D open framework is a promising candidate due to its high working voltage and large theoretical capacity. However, the severe capacity degradation and poor rate capability hinder its practical applications. The present study demonstrated the optimization of Na‐storage performance of NVPF via delicate lattice modulation. Aliovalent substitution of V3+ at Na+ in NVPF induces the generation of electronic defects and expansion of Na+‐migration channels, resulting in the enhancement in electronic conductivity and acceleration of Na+‐migration kinetics. It is disclosed that the formed stronger NaO bonds with high ionicity than VO bonds lead to the significant increase in structural stability and ionicity in the Na+‐substituted NVPF (NVPF‐Nax). The aforementioned effects of Na+ substitution achieve the unprecedented electrochemical performance in the optimized Na3.14V1.93Na0.07(PO4)2F3 (NVPF‐Na0.07). As a result, NVPF‐Na0.07 delivers a high‐rate capability (77.5 mAh g−1 at 20 C) and ultralong cycle life (only 0.027% capacity decay per cycle over 1000 cycles at 10 C). Sodium‐ion full cells are designed using NVPF‐Na0.07 as cathode and Se@reduced graphene oxide as anode. The full cells exhibit excellent wide‐temperature electrochemical performance from −25 to 25°C with an outstanding rate capability (96.3 mAh g−1 at 20 C). Furthermore, it delivered an excellent cycling performance over 300 cycles with a capacity retention exceeding 90% at 0.5 C under different temperatures. This study demonstrates a feasible strategy for the development of advanced cathode materials with excellent electrochemical properties to achieve high‐efficiency energy storage.

Abstract Background Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) of the thyroid are extremely rare soft-tissue tumors. In the literature, IMTs are sometimes called plasma cell granulomas (PCGs) or inflammatory pseudotumors, which often causes ambiguity. To date, 17 cases of PCGs and five cases of thyroid IMTs have been reported. These cases reveal that IMTs of the thyroid are often negative for the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK-1) gene. To provide further information on this rare lesion, we present a case of an ALK-1-positive thyroid IMT and a review of IMTs of the thyroid. Case presentation A 34-year-old Chinese woman presented with a painless neck mass that had persisted for over a month. Ultrasonography revealed a 4.28 × 2.53 cm2 hypoechoic mass, in the left lobe of the thyroid gland. Serum levels of thyroglobulin and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies were high. Subsequently, left lobectomy was performed. Macroscopically, the lesion was a gray-brown nodular mass with a partial envelope. Histologically, two different lesion types were observed. The first lesion showed classic spindle cell proliferation, with spindle cells arranged in fascicles, accompanied by mature inflammatory cells. The other lesion showed a large number of infiltrating lymphocytes, with lymphoid follicles in the remaining thyroid gland, which was atrophic. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the spindle cells were negative for CK19, CyclinD1, Gelectin-3, EMA, CD34, S100, Bcl-2, and STAT-6, but strongly positive for ALK-1, vimentin, and TTF1. CK was focally expressed, and the Ki-67 index was 5%. A diagnosis of IMT was proposed according to immunohistochemical findings and morphology. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was confirmed according to serum levels of thyroglobulin and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies and morphology. The patient did not receive adjuvant therapy. She remained alive without disease recurrence for 10 months after lobectomy. Conclusions IMTs should be considered in the diagnosis when spindle cell proliferation accompanied by mature inflammatory cells is observed, spindle cells are mildly atypical, and myofibroblast differentiation is present in the thyroid. A uniform diagnostic term is crucial to avoid ambiguity. Clinicians and pathologists should be aware of the necessity for long-term follow-up, especially in ALK-positive cases. The therapeutic potential of ALK-1 positivity should be explored further.

Summary: The development of high-performance cathodes for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) is one key issue required for the success of large-scale energy storage systems. In addition to performance degradation during cycling, electrode materials are usually hampered by instability when stored in various environments severely restricting their practical application. Here, we report a stable cathode material that shows no obvious capacity attenuation in various storage conditions. The cathode is composed of regular and homogeneous Na3V2(PO4)2O2F0.99Cl0.01 (NVPFCl) microcubes, with electrochemical properties, including high specific capacity (128.2 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C), excellent rate capability (79.8 mA h g-1 at 20 C), long-term cycle life, and all-climate performance. Studies using in/ex situ characterization and electrode kinetics are implemented to reveal the possible reasons for the stability and electrochemical activity of NVPFCl. This work may provide a pathway for the development of all-climate and storage-stable SIB cathode materials.

The black citrus aphid, Aphis aurantiiBoyer de Fonscolombe, 1841, is one of the most destructive pests in commercial tea plantations and gardens in China. In this study, we investigated the population genetic structure of A. aurantii based on the concatenated sequences of two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) and cytochrome b (cytb). A total of 166 haplotypes were identified from 177 individuals collected at 11 locations in China. The whole Chinese A. aurantii population showed a low nucleotide diversity (0.00968) and a high population diversity (haplotype diversity; 0.9991). The haplotypes of the 11 local populations were widely distributed in the neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree and haplotype network diagram, whereas no apparent lineages were detected. Gene flow analysis showed gene exchanges among local populations. The pairwise Fst values revealed a certain amount of genetic difference among local populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) reflected genetic differences both within and among populations. The isolation by distance (IBD) analysis revealed a high positive correlation between the geographic distance and genetic distance of the different populations. Neutral test and mismatch distribution suggested that A. aurantii may have experienced recent population expansion events.

Abstract Developing flexible electrodes with high active materials loading and excellent mechanical stability is of importance to flexible electronics, yet remains challenging. Herein, robust flexible electrodes with an encapsulated core‐multishell structure are developed via a spraying‐hydrothermal process. The multilayer electrode possesses an architecture of substrate/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/bimetallic complex/rGO/bimetallic complex/rGO from the inside to the outside, where the cellulosic fibers serve as the substrate, namely, the core; and the multiple layers of rGO and bimetallic complex, are used as active materials, namely, the shells. The inner two rGO interlayers function as the cement that chemically bind to two adjacent layers, while the two outer rGO layers encapsulate the inside structure effectively protecting the electrode from materials detachment or electrolyte corrosion. The electrodes with a unique core‐multishell structure exhibit excellent cycle stability and exceptional temperature tolerance (−25 to 40 °C) for lithium and sodium storage. A combination of experimental and theoretical investigations are carried out to gain insights into the synergetic effects of cobalt‐molybdenum‐sulfide (CMS) materials (the bimetallic complex), which will provide guidance for future exploration of bimetallic sulfides. This strategy is further demonstrated in other substrates, showing general applicability and great potential in the development of flexible energy storage devices.

The fluorophosphate NaVPO4F (NVPF) is a good candidate of cathode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high theoretical specific capacity, high working voltage and stable structure. However, due to the low electronic conductivity of NVPF, its electrochemical properties are difficult to demonstrate. In order to address the insufficient and then enhance its electrochemical performance, a 3D carbon networks constructed NaVPO4F/C/rGO (NVPF/C/rGO) nanocomposite is prepared by freeze-drying assisted high-temperature solid-state method. When used as a cathode material for SIBs, the prepared NVPF/C/rGO can deliver a capacity of about 108.7 mA h g−1 at 0.05 C. Moreover, NVPF/C/rGO nanocomposite also exhibits the excellent electrochemical performance, including superior rate capacities (about 65.8 mA h g−1 specific capacity at 10 C) and outstanding cycling performance (~95.1% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 0.05 C), which can be attribute to the 3D carbon networks and the nanoparticles in NVPF/C/rGO nanocomposite. The preliminary results illustrate that the 3D carbon networks constructed NVPF/C/rGO could be a promising cathode material for SIBs.

Summary: Long decoherence time is a key consideration for molecular magnets in the application of the quantum computation. Although previous studies have shown that the local symmetry of spin carriers plays a crucial part in the spin-lattice relaxation process, its role in the spin decoherence is still unclear. Herein, two nine-coordinated capped square antiprism neodymium moieties [Nd(CO3)4H2O]5– with slightly different local symmetries, C1 versus C4 (1 and 2), are reported, which feature in the easy-plane magnetic anisotropy as shown by the high-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) studies. Detailed analysis of the relaxation time suggests that the phonon bottleneck effect is essential to the magnetic relaxation in the crystalline samples of 1 and 2. The 240 GHz Pulsed EPR studies show that the higher symmetry results in longer decoherence times, which is supported by the first principle calculations. : Materials Property; Molecules; Quantum Chemical Calculations Subject Areas: Materials Property, Molecules, Quantum Chemical Calculations

KFeSO4F (KFSF) is considered a potential cathode due to the large capacity and low cost. However, the inferior electronic conductivity leads to poor electrochemical performance. Defect engineering can facilitate the electron/ion transfer by tuning electronic structure, thus providing favorable electrochemical performance. Herein, through the regulation of surface defect engineering in reduced graphene oxide (rGO), the Fe-C bonds were formed between KFSF and rGO. The Fe-C bonds formed work in regulating the Fe-3d orbital as well as promoting the migration ability of K ions and increasing the electronic conductivity of KFSF. Thus, the KFSF@rGO delivers a high capacity of 119.6 mAh g-1. When matched with a graphite@pitch-derived S-doped carbon anode, the full cell delivers an energy density of 250.5 Wh kg-1 and a capacity retention of 81.5% after 400 cycles. This work offers a simple and valid method to develop high-performance cathodes by tuning defect sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]