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Core/shell nanorods of MnO 2 /carbon embedded with Ag nanoparticles (MCA) were successfully fabricated via a facile and effective hydrothermal and reduction method in situ. Typically, a MCA-1.5 sample (1.5 g·L −1 glucose reactant) exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 628 F·g −1 at the current density of 1 A·g −1 in three-electrode systems. Particularly, a fabricated asymmetric supercapacitor, using MCA-1.5 and active carbon as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, delivered a maximum energy density of 48.3 W·h·kg −1 at power density of 851.7 W·kg −1 and exhibited a superior, long cycle life, showing ∼98.5% specific capacitance retention after 2000 cycles. The practical energy-storage applicability of this device was demonstrated by the operation of an LED bulb when a duo of two such devices was charged. These results indicated that synthesized ternary nanocomposites have potential applications as supercapacitor electrodes in energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we prepared calcium ferrite (CaFe 2 O 4 ) nanocrystal clusters by a solvothermal method and evaluated their application potential in magnetorheological (MR) fluid. The morphology, composition, microstructure and magnetic properties of the CaFe 2 O 4 nanocrystal clusters were investigated in detail. The as-prepared CaFe 2 O 4 -based MR fluid showed typical Bingham fluid behavior, changing from a liquid-like to a solid-like structure under an external magnetic field. Compared with carbonyl iron (CI) particles, the MR fluid based on CaFe 2 O 4 nanocrystal clusters showed enhanced sedimentation stability, which can be mainly due to the reduced density mismatch between dispersed phase and carrier fluid. In conclusion, the as-prepared CaFe 2 O 4 nanocrystal clusters are considered as a promising candidate for high-performance MR fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable efforts have been devoted to the design and synthesis of advanced electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs), it is still a huge challenge to achieve high-performance electrode materials with the large practical capacity and high rate capability. Herein, novel self-supported MnCo 2 O 4 @Ni 3 S 2 core–shell heterostructures (CSHs) as a binder-free electrode are rationally designed and constructed by homogeneously growing Ni 3 S 2 nanosheets onto the hexagonal prism-like MnCo 2 O 4 microstructures on Ni foam (NF). Impressively, compared with the pristine MnCo 2 O 4 and Ni 3 S 2 electrodes, the prepared MnCo 2 O 4 @Ni 3 S 2 CSHs electrode demonstrates a remarkably enhanced specific capacitance (2807 F g −1 at 3 A g −1 ) along with a significantly improved rate capability (69% capacitance retention at 30 A g −1 ). These findings not only suggest the promising application of self-supported MnCo 2 O 4 @Ni 3 S 2 CSHs as advanced SCs electrode materials but also provide an alternative way for constructing next-generation high-performance SCs with remarkably improved electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this reported work, flower-like Ni x Co 3-x O 4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.5) microstructures with different Ni/Co molar ratios were synthesized via a facile solvothermal method followed by calcination. Varying the Ni/Co molar ratio in the solvothermal reaction was found to have a significant influence on the microstructures, surface area and electrochemical performances of the resulting flower-like Ni x Co 3-x O 4 products. When the Ni/Co molar ratio was 1:1, the resulting flower-like Ni 1.5 Co 1.5 O 4 as an electrode for supercapacitor exhibited a high specific capacity of 502.8C g −1 at 1 A g −1 , and the highest capacity retention of 85.7% can be achieved at a high current density of 10 A g −1 . Moreover, to further demonstrate the practical application of these materials, an asymmetric supercapacitor was also assembled using the the flower-like Ni 1.5 Co 1.5 O 4 as the positive electrode and active carbon as the negative electrode. The asymmetric supercapacitor device delivered a remarkable energy density of 47.5 Wh kg −1 at a power density of 855 W kg −1 , showing the great promise of these novel materials for potential applications in energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogel actuators with fast responsive speed, large driving power, diverse motions, superior mechanical properties and good environmental adaptability could be a suitable candidate for complex-task scenarios. However, a complete aggregation of these above characteristics is rarely reported, due to limitations from processing methods, raw materials and structural configuration of present hydrogel actuators. Herein we designed and fabricated complex-chamber-structure hydrogel actuators basing on soft interfacial adhesion of aluminum hydroxide nanocomposite hydrogels without any mold, template and valuable equipment, demonstrating that this method possessed simple, facile and inexpensive features. These composite hydrogels showed high tensile (0.5–1.0 MPa) and compressive (2–15 MPa) resistance properties, much higher than those of previously reported fluid-driven hydrogel actuators, which meant that our hydrogel actuators could have a higher cargo loading capacity. The cavity-structure soft actuators owned superior sealability and self-recoverability, and could give rapid uniaxial expansion and multidirectional large-scale bending under fluid actuation. Furthermore, those actuators with sucker structure were able to transfer heavy objects (e.g. 80 g glass plate and 180 g billiard ball) from water to air, and also move a plastic plate from back to right in three-dimensional space, indicating that this complex-cavity hydrogel actuators could suit to multi-task scenarios. The exquisitely assembled process of intricate chamber structure will offer a novel approach for hydrogel actuators with diversified driving functions. [Display omitted] • Interfacial adhesion enables fabrication of various hydrogel actuators. • Cavity-type hydrogel actuators transfer heavier object than other hydrogel ones. • Multi-chamber hydrogel actuators exhibit multidirectional bending by fluid actuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A dual-mode pyrene-based Zr-MOF was constructed to realize fluorescence "turn-on" in alkaline, and "turn-off" in acidic conditions. • The pyrene-based Zr-MOF fluorescence detection of alkaline pH liquid was established. • Detection method of pH film sensor by embedding the MOF particles into the PVA substrate was developed using smartphone detector. Rapid detection of on-the-spot water sample pH has become an urgent problem to resolve, and developing a method with the characters of fast, convenient and low-cost is significant. In this study, an amino functionalized pyrene-based Zr-MOF (NU-1000-NH 2) was synthesized by solvent-assisted ligand incorporation (SALI) method, in which the Zr 6 metal cluster, fluorescent pyrene-based H 4 TBAPy and p -aminobenzoic acid were acted as node, linker and modulator, respectively. The as-synthesized NU-1000-NH 2 possessed the pH-dependent fluorescence enhancement property at 450 nm emission under alkaline condition, thus a convenient fluorescence "turn-on" pH sensor was fabricated. Upon introduction of OH–, the carboxylate groups in NU-1000-NH 2 could react with it, and the deprotonation and gradual collapse of the NU-1000-NH 2 crystal were occurred, resulting in the release of the fluorescent H 4 TBAPy ligand and fluorescence enhancement. Moreover, to solve the difficulties of on-the-spot pH detection, the solid-phase pH film sensor was successfully constructed by embedding the NU-1000-NH 2 particles into the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), combining with the RGB model and smartphone detector. The proposed fluorescent MOF-based pH sensor with dual-mode detection is expected to achieve on-the-spot pH monitoring in the field of environmental monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hierarchical structured MnFe 2 O 4 nanospheres were prepared through a solvothermal method. • Uniform particle size, mesoporous characteristic and superparamagnetic behavior. • A high performance magnetorheological fluid based on MnFe 2 O 4 nanospheres. • Typical magnetorheological effect and improved sedimentation stability were achieved. In this research, novel hierarchically structured cauliflower-shaped MnFe 2 O 4 nanospheres were synthesized via a simple solvothermal method and their potential application for high performance magnetorheological fluids was investigated. The samples were comprehensively characterized using FE-SEM, TEM, FTIR, XRD, BET, TGA, XPS and VSM. It was revealed that the prepared MnFe 2 O 4 nanospheres exhibited hierarchical cauliflower-like morphology and the average particle size was found to be 182 nm. More importantly, the MnFe 2 O 4 nanospheres demonstrated typical mesoporous structure, high specific surface area of 30.3 m2/g and moderate saturation magnetization of 29.3 emu/g, which were suitable for preparation of a uniform and stable MR suspension. The rheological performances comprising shear stress, viscosity, storage modulus and loss modulus of MR fluid under different external magnetic fields were measured using a dynamic rotational rheometer. The results indicated that the MR fluid possessed enhanced MR responses as the magnetic field intensity increased, which were attributed to the rapid formation of robust chain-like structures composed of MnFe 2 O 4 nanospheres inside the MR suspension. In addition, it was observed that the sedimentation stability of MR fluid containing MnFe 2 O 4 nanospheres was much more prominent than that of the suspension based on spherical carbonyl iron particles in the same testing period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ternary NiCo 2 Al 0.02 -LDH/ N - Cc @PANI electrode have been synthesized. • A novel porous hollow capsule structure of nitrogen-doped carbon is designed and used as a conductive matrix material. • NiCo 2 Al 0.02 -LDH/ N - Cc @PANI electrode exhibits a fascinating capacitance of up to 1630F/g. • The assembled device could easily power a LED bulb. This paper designs and produces ternary NiCo 2 Al x -LDH grown directly on a novel porous hollow structure of nitrogen-doped carbon capsule (N - Cc) conducting matrix with a PANI coating layer. The carefully designed NiCo 2 Al x -LDH/ N - Cc @PANI electrodes exhibit electrochemical properties that are highly prized for their energy storage utility: specifically, a gravimetric capacitance of 1630F/g, an energy density of 55.75 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 750 W kg−1, and cyclic stability that achieves capacitance retention of 93.1 % after 5000 uninterrupted charge–discharge cycles. It should be noted that the electrode's excellent storage performance benefitted from the use of Al, which was crucial in stabilizing the LDH structure. It should also be pointed out that the 3D interconnected porous structure composed of N - Cc provides a greater accessible surface area and shortens the ion/electron transport distance, whilst PANI ensuring the LDHs remain firmly in contact with the conductive substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollow mesoporous PPy@MnO 2 composites were successfully synthesized by a low-temperature redox reaction. The synthesized hollow mesoporous PPy@MnO 2 electrode has outstanding electrochemical properties with a specific capacitance of 713 F g−1 at 1 A/g and a 92% retention rate after 5000 cycles at 4 A/g. The asymmetric supercapacitor constructed using PPy@MnO 2 as the positive electrode material achieved a high energy density of 40.8 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 720 W kg−1, and the capacitance retention rate can be maintained at 90.5% after 5000 charge/discharge cycles at 5 A/g. [Display omitted] • Hollow mesoporous PPy@MnO 2 composite were successfully synthesized by a low-temperature redox reaction. • PPy@MnO 2 composite with hollow mesoporous core–shell structure had good performance in supercapacitor. • The asymmetric supercapacitor devices assembled with PPy@MnO 2 composite possess remarkable cycling stability (90.5 % after 5000 cycles at 5 A g−1) and high energy density (40.8 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 720 W kg−1). In this work, hollow mesoporous PPy microspheres were prepared by using mesoporous SiO 2 as a hard template, and hollow mesoporous PPy@MnO 2 composites were successfully synthesized by a low-temperature redox reaction. The unique heterogeneous structure can realize the complementary advantages of the two materials. PPy can be used as a template to support the whole structure, and the design of the hollow structure will further buffer the volume change during cycling. In addition, the mesoporous structure will further increase its specific surface area and porosity, thereby enhancing the stability of its overall structure and internal electron transport, and significantly increasing the number of active sites. Thus, the synthesized hollow mesoporous PPy@MnO 2 electrode has outstanding electrochemical properties with a specific capacitance of 713 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and a 92 % retention rate after 5000 cycles at 4 A g−1. The asymmetric supercapacitor constructed using PPy@MnO 2 as the positive electrode material achieved a high energy density of 40.8 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 720 W kg−1. This work inspires a simple idea for designing hollow mesoporous nanocomposite electrodes with excellent electrochemical performance and provides a high-performance supercapacitor material for its practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructure and tensile properties of a new α/β Ti–47Zr–5Al–3V (wt%) alloy are investigated in the present study. Both α/β and β thermal annealing at 650 °C–800 °C for 1 h and subsequent aging at 450 °C for 2 h are introduced to investigate the effect of thermal annealing and aging on the microstructure and tensile properties of the Ti–47Zr–5Al–3V alloy after cold rolling. After thermal annealing, a fully equiaxed microstructure, a bi-modal microstructure and a fully lamellar microstructure are obtained with increasing the annealing temperature (650–800 °C), respectively. The 450 °C/2 h aging leads to further precipitation of extremely fine α platelets from the annealed samples. With increasing the annealing temperature, the tensile strength ( σ b ) of annealed samples increases gradually from ∼1350 to 1420 MPa, whereas the elongation to failure ( ε f ) first increases and then decreases and the highest ε f ∼10.6% is attained at 750 °C. For all annealed samples, the 450 °C/2 h aging leads to increased strength and decreased ductility and the 750 °C/1 h annealing plus 450 °C/2 h aging results in the best combination of ultrahigh strength ( σ b ∼1510 MPa) and good ductility ( ε f ∼9.3%). The ultrahigh strength results from the strengthening of fine secondary α platelets, while the good ductility is attributed to the formation of large primary α p grains and the fine β grain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, manganese ferrite/graphene oxide (MnFe 2 O 4 /GO) nanocomposites as controlled targeted drug delivery were prepared by a facile sonochemical method. It was found that GO nanosheets were fully exfoliated and decorated with MnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles having diameters of 5–13 nm. The field-dependent magnetization curve indicated superparamagnetic behavior of the obtained MnFe 2 O 4 /GO with saturation magnetization of 34.9 emu/g at room temperature. The in vitro cytotoxicity testing exhibited negligible cytotoxicity of as-prepared MnFe 2 O 4 /GO even at the concentration as high as 150 μg/mL. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as an anti-tumor model drug was utilized to explore the application potential of MnFe 2 O 4 /GO for controlled drug delivery. The drug loading capacity of this nanocarrier was as high as 0.97 mg/mg and the drug release behavior showed a sustained and pH-responsive way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe 3 O 4 @PPy@MnO 2 ternary core-shell nanospheres are synthesized by facile solvothermal, in-situ polymerization, and redox reactions.The nanocomposite exhibits excellent electrochemical performance with specific capacitance of 751F g−1 at 1 A/g and remarkable cycling stability (87.0% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles at 4 A/g). The asymmetric supercapacitor devices assembled with Fe 3 O 4 @PPy@MnO 2 nanocomosite possess remarkable cycling stability (95.2% after 5000 cycles at 5 A/g) and high energy density (71.3 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 750 W kg−1). [Display omitted] • Fe 3 O 4 @PPy@MnO 2 ternary core-shell nanospheres are synthesized. • The electrode exhibits high specific capacitance and good cycling stability. • The asymmetric supercapacitor devices possess high energy density. The rapid development of supercapacitors has led to increasing demand for electrode materials with excellent electrochemical properties. In this study, Fe 3 O 4 @PPy@MnO 2 nanocomposites with porous core and double-shell layers were successfully synthesized and utilized as supercapacitor electrode materials. Specifically, a dense PPy coating is formed on the porous Fe 3 O 4 surface to ensure high structural stability, and a MnO 2 shell layer could be easily introduced on the PPy surface through the redox reaction between PPy and KMnO 4. The prepared composite electrode material has the advantages of high specific surface area, short diffusion distance of electrolyte ions, good electron transfer, and fast and reversible Faraday reaction. The Fe 3 O 4 @PPy@MnO 2 electrode not only exhibits high specific capacitance (751F g−1 at 1 A/g), but also exhibits excellent cycling stability (87.0 % capacitance retention after 5000 cycles at 4 A/g). This is owing to the synergistic effect of the porous Fe 3 O 4 core, the dense PPy coating, and the MnO 2 nanosheet shell. Furthermore, the asymmetric supercapacitor devices assembled with Fe 3 O 4 @PPy@MnO 2 nanocomosite possess remarkable cycling stability (95.2 % after 5000 cycles at 5 A/g) and high energy density (71.3 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 750 W kg−1). These results demonstrate the great potential of Fe 3 O 4 @PPy@MnO 2 nanocomposites with porous cores and double shells as electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Amorphous CoS x nanoparticles are anchored onto N-CNTs to form nanocomposites. • A diffusion-controlled charge storage behavior prevails in CoS x /N-CNTs electrodes. • CoS x /N-CNTs nanocomposites exhibit enhanced rate capabilities and cyclic stability. • Amorphous CoS x and N-CNTs work together to improve the energy storage property. ga1 Cobalt sulfide has been considered as one kind of promising battery-type electrode material (BTEM) for hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs). However, unsatisfactory rate capability and cyclic stability still hinder its further practical application in high-performance HSCs. Here, amorphous CoS x nanoparticles are anchored onto N-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) to form CoS x /N-CNTs nanocomposites by a chemical bath deposition (CBD) and subsequent sulfurization reaction. Originating from the synergistic effect of amorphous CoS x nanoparticles and flexible N-CNTs conductive backbones in the nanocomposites, the prepared CoS x /N-CNTs nanocomposites exhibit enhanced specific capacities (899 C g−1 at 3 A g−1 and 611 C g−1 at 20 A g−1) and long-term cyclic stability (initial capacity retention of 94% after 5000 cycles at 10 A g−1) compared with CoS x and N-CNTs electrodes. In addition, a HSC device is fabricated using CoS x /N-CNTs and N-CNTs as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, which can deliver an energy density of 51.9 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 800 W kg−1. Therefore, the constructed CoS x /N-CNTs nanocomposites hold promise for designing high-performance cobalt sulfide-based electrode materials for further practical application in HSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • On-going progresses and chanllenges of Transition metal compounds in SCs was reviewed. • The strategies on improving the electrochemcial behaviors of TMCs were deeply discussed. • The charge storage mechanisms of SCs are catagorized to solve the confusion about pseudocapacitor and battery. • The perspectives about the future directions of TMCs were subjectively present. Supercapacitors (SCs), as an attractive energy storage device, have drawn great interests on basis of large power density, fast charging/discharging capability and good cycling performance. Transition metal compounds (TMCs) have promised as electrode materials of supercapacitors to raise the insufficient energy density by the reverse reaction among their multiple oxidation states. To further the rational design of TMCs-based electrode materials, this review looks into advances and challenges in their applications of SCs. The witnessed active TMCs including transition metal oxides, transition metal hydroxides, and their derivatives, are selectively and individually discussed in detail. To deeply illuminate the mechanistic understanding into charge storage, fundamentals of supercapacitors have been categorized into three typical types including electric double layer, pseudocapacitive and asymmetrical storage, where battery-type and pseudocapacitive electrodes are also distinguished by giving two crucial criterions. As a dynamically advancing research frontier for energy storage, we therefore provide a relatively long perspective to identify great opportunities and obstacles in the practical scale up of SCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microwave dielectric and optical properties of YAG ceramic are concurrently studied. • Dielectric and optical properties of YAG ceramic can be effectively coordinated. • Sintering parameters affect both microwave dielectric and optical properties. • Change trends of dielectric and optical properties are not exactly the same. Current studies on yttrium aluminum garnet (Y 3 Al 5 O 12 , YAG) ceramic are mainly focused on its optical properties and hardly pay attention to its microwave dielectric properties. This work systematically studies the coordination of the microwave dielectric and optical properties of YAG ceramics by exploring the effects of heating rate, sintering temperature, and holding time on the microstructure, dielectric properties, and transmittance of YAG ceramics fabricated by spark plasma sintering. Results show that the sintering parameters affect the microstructure of YAG ceramics, thereby affecting their microwave dielectric properties and transmittance. However, the change trends of the microwave dielectric and optical properties with the changes in sintering parameters are not exactly the same. The microwave dielectric and optical properties of YAG ceramics can be effectively coordinated by regulating the sintering parameters. The tunable ranges of the satisfactory transmittance, Q × f, ε r , and τ f are 80.1%–82.0% at 1064 nm wavelengths, 88,587–105,934 GHz, 10.5–10.7, and −53.5–−54.6 ppm/°C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we show a facile process to fabricate a TiO 2 @MoS 2 hollow microtubes that MoS 2 nanosheets were uniform coated on the surface of the TiO 2 microtubes. Owing to one dimensional hierarchical structure and synergistic effect between TiO 2 and MoS 2 , the composites exhibit large specific surface areas and excellent adsorption capacity on RhB. • One dimensional hierarchical TiO 2 @MoS 2 microtubes is successfully prepared. • TiO 2 @MoS 2 microtubes possess large specific surface areas. • TiO 2 @MoS 2 microtubes show excellent adsorption capacity on RhB than that of individual component (TiO 2 , MoS 2). In this study, hierarchical TiO 2 @MoS 2 microtubes were prepared through facile processes of a hydrothermal method, sol-gel process and final sulfidation reaction, which was evaluated as good adsorbents for the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB). Owing to one-dimensional hierarchical hollow microtubes, and the synergistic adsorption between the MoS 2 nanosheets and mesoporous TiO 2 , the resulting composites showed large specific surface areas and excellent high adsorption capacity of 94.01 mg g−1 on RhB than that of an individual component (TiO 2 , MoS 2). Adsorption behavior of TiO 2 @MoS 2 exhibits a better fitting to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir model. Furthermore, the high adsorption capacity renders the TiO 2 @MoS 2 hollow microtubes good property in practicability for the removal of organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense polycrystalline LiTaO 3 (LTO) ceramics have rarely been reported due to their poor sinterability, although LTO single crystals are among the well-known piezoelectric and ferroelectric. In this study, LiTaO 3 -based ceramics with 3 wt% and 5 wt% MnO 2 (referred to 3MLT and 5MLT, respectively) are prepared by pressure-less sintering at different temperatures of 1200 °C, 1250 °C, 1300 °C and 1350 °C, respectively, and the effects of sintering temperature on the sinterability, microstructure development and dielectric properties are investigated. The sintered density of the LiTaO 3 -based ceramics increases significantly at first with increasing of sintering temperature, and then decreases afterwards. Sintered densities of ∼92.6% and 93.1% were achieved for 3MLT and 5MLT sintered at 1250 °C, respectively, and both compositions show a rather homogeneous and well-developed grained microstructure. A moderate amount of MnO 2 was entered into the LiTaO 3 lattice to form a solid solution, however, Mn 3 O 4 was formed at the grain boundaries and junctions when excess amount of MnO 2 added, where the solid solubility is dependent on the sintering temperature. The dielectric properties of both 3MLT and 5MLT ceramics, studied as a function of frequency, show a strong dependence on sintering temperature, where the dielectric constant increases first and then decreases with the increasing of sintering temperature. The dielectric loss first decreases and then increases with the increasing of sintering temperature. Both 3MLT and 5MLT demonstrate a maximum in dielectric constant when sintered at 1250 °C and 1350 °C, respectively. The lowest dielectric loss could be obtained at 1250 °C, which was selected as the optimum sintering temperature for both compositions. • Difficult-to-sinter LiTaO 3 ceramics are prepared by pressure-less sintering. • Addition of MnO 2 improves densification and dielectric properties of LiTaO 3 ceramic. • Effects of temperature and MnO 2 content on properties are systematically studied. • Relationships between structure and dielectric properties are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A hydrogenated TiO 2 ceramic membrane is first developed for surface water treatment. • The hydrogenated TiO 2 membrane shows enhanced humic acids removal during UV-pretreatment. • In subsequent filtration test, the membrane also demonstrates much improved fouling resistance. • The origin of the performance enhancements is examined. A supported Ti3+ self-doped anatase TiO 2 membrane is developed by facile partial-sintering and hydrogenation, and its photocatalytically enhanced anti-fouling in ultrafiltration of surface water is explored. The hydrogenated membranes demonstrate much enhanced photocatalytic activity towards humic acid (HA) degradation, and better anti-fouling capability as compared to the pristine TiO 2 membrane. Upon UV irradiation, the hydrogenated TiO 2 membrane (TiO 2 _H30, by 30 h of hydrogenation) shows 60% higher HA removal efficiency, compared with pristine TiO 2. During subsequent filtration tests, the TiO 2 _H30 membrane with UV pre-treatment shows a 50% enhancement of residue normalized flux over that of pristine TiO 2 , and a tripling of residue normalized flux as compared to tests performed without UV pre-treatment. The enhanced fouling resistance of the hydrogenated TiO 2 membranes is directly correlated to the boosted photocatalytic activity, which is attributed to the improved carrier trapping, inhibited recombination, and improved conductivity, due to the hydrogenation-induced surface disorder and Ti3+ self-doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Interface diffusion assisted chemical deposition (ID-CD) was proposed for surface modification of ceramic membranes. • The modification was well-confined on the alumina grains at the membrane surface. • The hydrophilicity, permeability and fouling resistance of the membranes were improved. Surface modification has been widely adopted to regulate the surface properties of ceramic membranes in order to improve their permeability and fouling resistance in water and wastewater treatment. In this work, an interfacial diffusion assisted chemical deposition (ID-CD) strategy was formulated to realize the confined surface modification of ceramic membranes. The process involves the hydrolysis of TEOS precursor and the subsequent deposition of SiO 2 nanolayers on the surface of pre-saturated ceramic membranes, followed by a calcination at low temperature. The confined surface modification has successfully demonstrated by the combined analysis of microstructure, chemical composition and mass loading. Through a deliberate control of the deposition process, an ultrathin SiO 2 layer was purposely coated on the alumina grains at the membrane surface, rather than the whole membrane body. Compared with the conventional chemical deposition (CCD), where the dry ceramic membranes were straightforwardly immersed into the precursor-containing solution, the ID-CD process was able to reduce the mass loading of SiO 2 to about 1/4, and notably increase the permeability of modified ceramic membranes. Significantly, the modified alumina membranes showed an improved flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 93.7% after static adsorption fouling in HA solution, due to the improved hydrophilicity (WCA = 9.7–10.2°) and negative charged membrane surface. Under the cross-flow filtration with a HA solution (50 mg/L), the surface modified alumina membranes showed improved antifouling properties with the successful conversion of irreversible fouling dominated (51.61%) in pristine membranes to reversible fouling dominated (59.51%), without changing the fouling mechanism of intermediate pore blocking model. Therefore, we believe that the ID-CD strategy could be extensively adopted for confined surface modification, in order to develop antifouling and high-permeable ceramic membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, ternary synergetic-system cathode materials have been recognized as effective kinetic processes for improving the performance of lithium-ion batteries. Here, novel one-dimensional carbon/MoO 2 @MoS 2 ternary synergetic-system heterostructures are successfully synthesized by constructing MoO 2 @MoS 2 heterojunction structures onto electrospun carbon fibers. The effective self-built electric fields in MoO 2 @MoS 2 heterojunction interfaces and high conductive performance of carbon fibers insure high reversible specific capacity (1052.4 mAh/g at 500 mA/g) and high rate performance (670 mAh/g at 10 A/g) as anodes in lithium ion batteries. Finally, the mechanism of this ternary synergetic system for enhancement of electrochemical performance is discussed in detail, based on effective self-built electric fields caused by different band energies between MoO 2 and MoS 2. Unlabelled Image • Carbon/MoO 2 @MoS 2 ternary synergetic systems have been synthesized. • The composites exhibit high specific capacitance and rate performance. • An effective self-built electric fields is formed between MoO 2 and MoS 2 interface. • The synergistic effect results in excellent electrochemical performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been utilized to deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) to treat acute liver injury. However, LNPs exhibit suboptimal lysosomal escape capabilities and biodegradability. To address these limitations, we have designed triglyceride-mimetic ionizable lipids by conjugating N , N -dimethyl tertiary amine head groups to the sn-2 position of triglyceride (TG) through ester bonds. These ionizable lipids were abbreviated as 2C-TG, 3C-TG, and 4C-TG, with N , N -dimethyl tertiary amine head groups located in the β-, γ-, and δ-positions of the ester linkage bond, respectively. The uniform-size LNPs were prepared by using the ethanol dilution method. Notably, the position of the tertiary amine head group within the carbon chain of triglyceride-mimetic ionizable lipids is found to significantly influence critical parameters, including the encapsulation rate, p K a , cellular uptake, lysosomal escape, lipase release, and gene silencing efficiency. Our findings hold promise for improving the efficacy and safety of LNP-based siRNA therapeutics.

This study evaluates convective cell properties and their relationships with convective and stratiform rainfall within a season-long convection-permitting weather research and forecasting simulation over central Argentina using radar, satellite, and radiosonde measurements from the RELAMPAGO-CACTI field campaign. The simulation slightly underestimates radar-estimated rainfall over the ∼3.5-month evaluation period but underestimates stratiform rainfall by 46% and overestimates convective rainfall by 43%. As convective available potential energy (CAPE) increases, the convective rainfall overestimation decreases, but the stratiform rainfall underestimation increases such that the contribution of convective to total rainfall remains constantly high biased by ∼26%. Overestimated convective rainfall arises from the simulation generating 2.6 times more precipitating convective cells (14,299) than observed by radar (5,662) despite similar observed and simulated cell growth processes, with relatively wide cells contributing mostly to excessive convective rainfall. Relatively shallow cells, typically reaching heights of 4-7 km, contribute most to the cell number bias. This cell number bias increases as CAPE decreases, potentially because cells and their updrafts become narrower and more under-resolved as CAPE decreases. The gross overproduction of precipitating shallow cells leads to overly efficient precipitation and inadequate detrainment of ice aloft, thereby diminishing the formation of robust stratiform rainfall regions. Decreasing model horizontal grid spacing from 3 to 1 or 0.333 km for low (<300 J kg -1 ) and high CAPE (>1,000 J kg -1 ) cases results in minimal change to cell number, depth, and convective-to-stratiform partitioning biases. This suggests that improving prediction of these convective properties depends on factors beyond solely increasing model resolution., (© 2024 Battelle Memorial Institute.)

Neurodegenerative diseases are complex disorders that significantly challenge human health, with their incidence increasing with age. A key pathological feature of these diseases is the accumulation of misfolded proteins. The underlying mechanisms involve an imbalance in calcium homeostasis and disturbances in autophagy, indicating a likely correlation between them. As the most important second messenger, Ca2+ plays a vital role in regulating various cell activities, including autophagy. Different organelles within cells serve as Ca2+ storage chambers and regulate Ca2+ levels under different conditions. Ca2+ in these compartments can affect autophagy via Ca2+ channels or other related signaling proteins. Researchers propose that Ca2+ regulates autophagy through distinct signal transduction mechanisms, under normal or stressful conditions, and thereby contributing to the occurrence and development of neurodegenerative diseases. This review provides a systematic examination of the regulatory mechanisms of Ca2+ in cell membranes and different organelles, as well as its downstream pathways that influence autophagy and its implications for neurodegenerative diseases. This comprehensive analysis may facilitate the development of new drugs and provide more precise treatments for neurodegenerative diseases., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Improved vaccination requires better delivery of antigens and activation of the natural immune response. Here we report a lipid nanoparticle system with the capacity to carry antigens, including mRNA and proteins, which is formed into a virus-like structure by surface decoration with spike proteins, demonstrating application against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The strategy uses S1 protein from Omicron BA.1 on the surface to deliver mRNA of S1 protein from XBB.1. The virus-like particle enables specific augmentation of mRNAs expressed in human respiratory epithelial cells and macrophages via the interaction the surface S1 protein with ACE2 or DC-SIGN receptors. Activation of macrophages and dendritic cells is demonstrated by the same receptor binding. The combination of protein and mRNA increases the antibody response in BALB/c mice compared with mRNA and protein vaccines alone. Our exploration of the mechanism of this robust immunity suggests it might involve cross-presentation to diverse subsets of dendritic cells ranging from activated innate immune signals to adaptive immune signals., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In the context of global high temperature, the harm of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions caused by frequent forest fires to the environment cannot be ignored. Existing research only calculates the GHG generated by the burning of forest vegetation, ignoring the GHG generated by the fire-driven social rescue activities. Taking the forest fire in Beibei District, Chongqing City, China , as an example, this paper studies and establishes the GHG emission accounting method for the whole process of forest fire from ignition to fire extinguishing through three processes: vegetation burning, rescue transportation, and on-site fire extinguishing. It covers three GHG calculation types: biomass burning, traffic activity level comprehensive energy consumption, and machine energy consumption. Among them, the CO 2 produced by the burning of coniferous forest, the support transportation of rescue teams in Yunnan province, and the motorcycle transportation at the fire extinguishing site accounted for a relatively high proportion in the corresponding processes, reaching 12,761.445 t, 118.750 t, and 1056.980 t, respectively. Finally, through data analysis, suggestions on GHG emission reduction related to forest tree regulation and optimization of rescue and fire extinguishing management are put forward, which provides a direction for future research on carbon reduction in the whole process of forest fire events., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Coding metasurfaces based on random-flip structures have attracted great attention due to their ability to achieve distortion-free transmission and diffuse reflection simultaneously. However, previous implementation based on 1-bit coding metasurface has a narrow bandwidth and insufficient bandwidth coverage in the near infrared region. Here, we propose a novel vertical 2-bit coding metasurface composed of double-layer random-flip meta-atoms (DLRFM). while the main transmission lobe is unchanged, the zero-order diffraction intensity of DLRFM's reflection direction is less than 10% of the total reflection in the range of 0°∼ 30° incidence angle, which proves its excellent diffuse reflection and distortion-free transmission effect. Such design strategy can be extended to multiple wide band coverage in near-infrared regime by tailoring the geometric parameters, which indicates good application potential in advanced display and lens designs.

Objective: To summarize the clinical features, imaging characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of a case with central nervous system infection caused by Exophiala dermatitidis, as well as to review the related literature., Method: Associated literature and clinical data of an 8-year-old boy who was diagnosed as central nervous system infection caused by Exophiala dermatitidis in Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University and hospitalized twice from 2012 to 2014 were analyzed retrospectively., Result: The boy was 8 years old with the chief complaint of dizziness for 2 months, intermittent fever for 1 month accompanied with spasm twice. He was diagnosed as bile ducts space-occupying lesions 2 years ago, when the pathological diagnosis was fungal infection. The boy was treated with irregular anti-fungal therapy. Then the boy developed nervous symptoms, impaired consciousness and abnormal physical activity that developed gradually. After hospitalization the cerebral MRI of the boy showed space-occupying lesions accompanied with edema of surrounding area. Filamentous fungi was found by brain biopsy, which was culture positive for Exophiala dermatitidis. After diagnosis the boy was treated with amphotericin B (AMB), voriconazole and 5-Fu, as well as symptomatic treatment. The state of the boy was improved gradually. Two months later, the boy could communicate with others normally and move personally. The lesions and edema seen on the MRI was decreased moderately. Accordingly, the boy was treated with oral voriconazole maintenance treatment for about 1 year and 4 months after discharge. During this period, the state of him was stable without symptoms. The lesions shown by MRI did not disappear but decreased on regular examination. However, recently the disease of the boy progressed again, with dizziness, neck pain, headache and progressive nervous symptoms (intermittent spasm, inability to cough, and impaired consciousness). The boy died at last, even with the active treatment at the second hospitalization. Exophiala dermatitidis was culture-positive again in his CSF, and was confirmed by PCR successfully., Conclusion: The central nervous system infection caused by Exophiala dermatitidis is rare. Clinical features of this disease were similar to those of other fungal CNS infection, cerebral MRI of which could show the similar lumpy lesions. Diagnosis of the disease should be based on pathology and culture.