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Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted great attentions due to their high specific capacity. However, the poor cycle stability caused by polysulfide shuttles, volume expansion and formation of lithium dendrites limit their practical applications. In the present work, to tackle the poor stability and unstable rate capability, a MOF-doping strategy is developed to construct a hollow porous carbon framework，which consists of Ni, Co particles and CNT on a N-doped shell surface (Ni/Co-CNT/NHPC). This hollow framework increases the load of S, slows down the volume changes, and can physically entrap soluble polysulfide. It is found that the CNT-coated network structure is beneficial for optimizing the conductivity and wettability of the material, which accelerates the reaction kinetics. Moreover, synergistic effect of abundant defects and Ni, Co nanoparticles strengthens the chemisorption of polysulfides, which suppresses the shuttle effect. As a consequence, the Ni/Co-CNT/NHPC-S cathode harvests a high specific capacity (1352 mA h g-1), and shows an excellent cycling stability at 1 C with low capacity decay of 0.094% over 500 cycles.

Hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells have attracted widespread attention, owing to their high performance, and have undergone rapid development. In perovskite solar cells, the charge transfer layer plays an important role for separating and transferring photogenerated carriers. In this work, an efficient YCl3 -treated TiO2 electron transfer layer (ETL) is used to fabricate perovskite solar cells with enhanced photovoltaic performance and less hysteresis. The YCl3 -treated TiO2 layers bring about an upward shift of the conduction band minimum (ECBM ), which results in a better energy level alignment for photogenerated electron transfer and extraction from the perovskite into the TiO2 layer. After optimization, perovskite solar cells based on the YCl3 -treated TiO2 layers achieve a maximum power conversion efficiency of about 19.99 % (19.29 % at forward scan) and a steady-state power output of about 19.6 %. Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements and impedance spectroscopy are carried out to investigate the charge transfer and recombination dynamics between the perovskite and the TiO2 electron transfer layer interface. The improved perovskite/TiO2 ETL interface with YCl3 treatment is found to separate and extract photogenerated charge rapidly and suppress recombination effectively, which leads to the improved performance.

Purpose To measure changes in anterior chamber structure before and after exercise in healthy individuals using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT). Methods Thirty-two healthy young individuals performed jogging for 20 min. Eye blinking rate was recorded during rest and exercise. The anterior chamber angle (ACA), angle opening distance at 500 μm from the scleral spur (AOD500), trabecular-iris space area at 500 μm from the scleral spur (TISA500), iris concavity (IC), iris concavity ratio (CR), iris thickness at 750 μm from the scleral spur (IT750), anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber width (ACW), pupil diameter (PD), intraocular pressure (IOP), blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded before and after exercise. Anterior chamber angle (ACA), AOD500, TISA500, IC, IT750, ACD, ACW and PD were measured with ASOCT. Results Compared with rest, the blinking rate during exercise did not change significantly (13.04 ± 5.80 versus 13.52 ± 5.87 blinks/min, p = 0.645). The average IOP (15.4 ± 2.4 versus 12.4 ± 2.1 mmHg), ACA (35.96 ± 11.35 versus 40.25 ± 12.64 degrees), AOD500 (0.800 ± 0.348 versus 0.942 ± 0.387 mm), TISA500 (0.308 ± 0.155 versus 0.374 ± 0.193 mm2), IC (−0.078 ± 0.148 versus −0.153 ± 0.159 mm) and CR (−0.027 ± 0.050 versus −0.054 ± 0.056) changed significantly (all p

Designing and optimizing the electrode materials and studying the electrochemical performance or cycle life of the supercapacitor under different working conditions are crucial to its practical application. Herein, we proposed a rational design of 3D-graphene/CoMoO4 nanoplates by a facile two-step hydrothermal method. Owing to the high electron transfer rate of graphene and the high activity of the CoMoO4 nanoplates, the three-dimensional electrode architectures achieved remarkable electrochemical performances with high areal specific capacitance (1255.24F/g at 1A/g) and superior cycling stability (91.3% of the original specific capacitance after 3000 cycles at 1A/g). The all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor composed of 3D-graphene/CoMoO4 and activated carbon (AC) exhibited a specific capacitance of 109F/g at 0.2A/g and an excellent cycling stability with only 12.1% of the initial specific capacitance off after 3000 cycles at 2A/g. The effects of temperature and charge-discharge current densities on the charge storage capacity of the supercapacitor were also investigated in detail for practical applications.

The low-cost inorganic–organic lead halide perovskite materials become particularly promising for solar cells with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency. The uniform and pinhole-free perovskite films play an important role for high-performance solar cells. We demonstrate an antisolvent treatment by controlling the PbI2 morphology to enhance the perovskite conversion and photophysical properties, including high absorption, crystallinity, and rapid carrier transfer. The fabricated perovskite solar cells show tremendous PCE improvement to about 16.1% from 12% with less hysteresis, and retain over 90% initial PCE after 30 days in ambient and dark atmosphere. In prospect, this antisolvent treatment will be a feasible route to prepare high-quality perovskite films including favorite photophysical properties.

Fiber supercapacitors (FSCs) have great application potential in future smart textiles and portable and wearable electronics because of their flexibility, tiny volume and wearability. Their main limitation, however, is the low energy density when compared with batteries, which seriously restricts their practical application. How to enhance their energy densities while retaining their high power densities is a critical challenge for fiber-shaped supercapacitor development. Here, we first fabricated three-dimensional CNT sponge (3DCS) by a facile electrochemical activation and freeze-drying method and then synthesized 3DCS/polyaniline nanocomposite fibers by in situ electro-polymerization. Through a rational nanoscale electrode engineering design, the resultant fibers show a specific capacitance as high as 242.9 F cm−1 in 1 M H2SO4. Furthermore, a fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitor (FASC) was assembled using 3DCS/P as the positive electrode and 3DCS as the negative electrode. After optimization, the FASC delivers a high energy density of 30.92 μW h cm−2, which is about 2 times higher than that of the highest reported previously, and maintains a maximum power density (1.78 mW cm−2) more than two orders of magnitude higher than those of micro-batteries and an outstanding mechanical stability with 90.2% specific capacitance retained after 1000 bending cycles. In view of the excellent electrochemical characteristics and the simple manufacturing of the highly conductive and flexible 3DCS/P, it offers new opportunities for designing long-life wearable FSCs with high energy density and high power density.

Doping semiconductor nanowires (NWs) for altering their electrical and optical properties is a critical strategy for tailoring the performance of nanodevices. Here, we prepared in situ Al-doped ZnO nanowire arrays by using continuous flow injection (CFI) hydrothermal method to promote the conductivity. This reasonable method offers highly stable precursor concentration for doping that effectively avoid the appearance of the low conductivity ZnO nanosheets. Benefit from this, three orders of magnitude rise of the carrier concentration from 1016cm-3 to 1019cm-3 can be achieved compared with the common hydrothermal (CH) mothed in Mott-Schottky measurement. Possible effect of Al-doping was discussed by first-principle theory. On this basis, Al-doped ZnO nanowire arrays was developed as a binder-free conductive support for supercapacitor electrodes and high capacitance was triggered. It is owing to the dramatically decreased transfer resistance induced by the growing free-moving electrons and holes. Our results have a profound significance not merely in the controlled synthesis of other doping nanomaterials by co-precipitation method but also in the application of binder-free energy materials or other materials.

Purpose To investigate the microstructure of the lacrimal canaliculus and the characteristics of lacrimal canalicular diseases by 80-MHz ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). Methods This study included 33 participants: 20 normal subjects (40 eyes), 2 patients with chronic lacrimal canaliculitis (4 eyes), 10 patients with chronic dacryocystitis (16 eyes), and 1 patient with lacrimal punctum atresia (2 eyes). All participants underwent 80-MHz UBM; disease-specific features were noted. Results On 80-MHz UBM of the lacrimal canaliculi (vertical section) in normal subjects, low echo of the lacrimal canalicular lumen and high echo of the lacrimal canalicular wall were observed. The uniform low echo near the wall was the mucosal epithelium. The outermost layer of medium-to-high echo was the subepithelial elastic fibrous layer. In the horizontal section, the lumen was continuous. Two linear high echoes parallel to the canalicular wall could be observed at the center of the lacrimal canaliculus, which were sometimes attached and sometimes separated. When separated, the center of the lacrimal canaliculus was a low echo area (lumen). Lacrimal canaliculitis (vertical section) showed obvious ectasia of the lacrimal canalicular lumen, with a high echo mass shadow, which might have been calculi, and uneven thickness of the mucosal epithelium with a slightly high echo shadow. In the horizontal section, the lumen varied in size with clear boundaries of medium and high echoes. The central linear high echoes of the lumen were absent, and the echoes of the mucosal epithelium were discontinuous. In chronic dacryocystitis, the lacrimal canalicular lumen was extensively enlarged, with continuous echoes and uniform thickness of the mucosal epithelium and homogeneous patches of slightly higher echoes. Lacrimal punctum atresia indicated that the lacrimal canaliculus existed in both eyes and its structure was normal. Conclusions The 80-MHz UBM is a new non-invasive technique that can be used for clear visualization of the fine structure of the lacrimal canaliculus, including the mucosal epithelium and subepithelial elastic fiber layer. The use of this approach will improve understanding of the hierarchical structure of the lacrimal canaliculi and provide a comprehensive basis for diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment plan in patients with lacrimal passage diseases.

To evaluate post-miosis changes in the anterior chamber structures in various angle-closure glaucomas (ACG). Totally 14 eyes of primary chronic angle-closure glaucoma (PCACG), 12 eyes of lens-induced secondary chronic angle-closure glaucoma (LSACG) and 14 healthy eyes were recruited. After miosis, for PCACG group, intraocular pressure (IOP) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) changed not significantly, while anterior chamber angle widened significantly. LSACG group showed a significant increase in IOP, decrease in ACD, and narrowing in anterior chamber angle. Healthy eyes showed significant decreases in IOP and anterior chamber parameters. Thus, miosis could widen the anterior chamber angle of patients with PCACG, while increase the narrowing of anterior chamber angle and IOP of patients with LSACG. We should pay attention to the distinction between PCACG and LSACG patients and the proper administration of pilocarpine in the treatment of patients with chronic ACG.

Teaching of English for Academic Purpose (EAP) has caught great attention to developing the academic literacy of doctoral candidates. Therefore, it is a necessity to investigate their learning needs towards EAP courses. The paper did a survey on 105 doctoral candidates from 9 dimensions to investigate their overall situation of EAP learning needs. Teaching implications on EAP course concern teacher qualities, curriculum design and teaching practice.

Bone defects are usually caused by trauma, infection, tumor resection or congenital diseases, and they attract many researchers’ attention to fabricate biomaterials to promote bone regeneration. In this report, we prepared double-network hydrogel by one-step mixing method, in which anion polysaccharide gellan gum (GG) was used as the first network and polymerizable monomer in the presence of crosslinking agent was acted as the second network. Among then, a synthesized monomer named as 2-methacrylamidoethyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP) with phosphate group was introduced in the second network to promote in situ mineralization. The addition of the second network can significantly increase the mechanical properties of the hydrogel, including both the compressive modulus and ultimate stress of hydrogels increase compared to uncrosslinked groups. To certify the potential application of double-network hydrogel to act as scaffold in bone regeneration, the double-network hydrogels was incubated in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 2 weeks to explore the in situ mineralization capacity of hydrogels. The hydroxyapatite can be observed on the surface of hydrogels, as confirmed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) test and X-ray diffraction test (XRD). In addition, the results of thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and colorimetric test indicate that as the concentration of monomer MDP increased, both the quantity and the rate of the generation of hydroxyapatite on the surface of hydrogels increased. The cytotoxicity of hydrogels was also tested by preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cell line. Therefore, the double-network hydrogels can act as a potential scaffold material in bone regeneration.

The carrier screening effect occurs commonly in dielectric materials. It reduces the electric potential gradient, thus negatively affecting the functionality of resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices. An Au/ZnO film/Al-doped ZnO device fabricated in this work exhibited no resistive switching (RS), which was attributed to the carrier screening effect. Therefore, annealing was used for alleviating the screening effect, significantly enhancing the RS property. In addition, different on/off ratios were obtained for various bias values, and the screening effect was accounted for by investigating electron transport mechanisms. Furthermore, different annealing temperatures were employed to modulate the free carrier concentration in ZnO films to alleviate the screening effect. The maximal on/off ratio reached 105 at an annealing temperature of 600 °C, yielding the lowest number of free carriers and the weakest screening effect in ZnO films. This work investigates the screening effect in RS devices. The screening effect not only modulates the characteristics of memory devices but also provides insight into the mechanism of RS in these devices.

Hydrological sensitivity is the change in global-mean precipitation per degree of global-mean temperature change. This paper shows that the hydrological sensitivity of the response to anthropogenic aerosol forcing is distinct from that of the combined response to all other forcings and that this difference is sufficient to infer the associated cooling in global-mean temperature. This result is demonstrated using temperature and precipitation data generated by climate models and is robust across different climate models. Remarkably, greenhouse gas warming and aerosol cooling can be estimated in a model without using any spatial or temporal gradient information in the response, provided temperature data are augmented by precipitation data. Over the late twentieth century, the hydrological sensitivities of climate models differ significantly from that of observations. Whether this discrepancy can be attributed to observational error, which is substantial as different estimates of global-mean precipitation are not even significantly correlated with each other, or to model error is unclear. The results highlight the urgency to construct accurate estimates of global precipitation from past observations and for reducing model uncertainty in hydrological sensitivity. This paper also clarifies that previous estimates of hydrological sensitivity are limited in that standard regression methods neglect temperature–precipitation relations that occur through internal variability. An alternative method for estimating hydrological sensitivity that overcomes this limitation is presented.

Transparent and high efficient power sources harvesting energy from ambient environment is a desirable solution to on-site energy demand for organic electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here we report an integrated multi-unit transparent triboelectric nanogenerator (MT-TENG) for harvesting clean energy from ambient water motions. The instantaneous output power density reaches 27.86 mW/m2, which is 11.6 times of that generated from individual T-TENG with the same working dimension. The output of the MT-TENG can be further enhanced by miniaturizing the size of each single unit. In addition, the rational design of the MT-TENG increases the safety for future practical applications. The influence of temperature and pH value of water on the electric outputs is also systematically studied in consideration of different application environment. Given the compelling features, such as, high efficiency, cost-effective, easily implemented, it has great potential of integrating with building, vehicle or silicon-based solar cell to harvest clean energy from raindrop for powering electronics and constructing smart systems.

This paper shows that joint temperature–precipitation information over a global domain provides a more accurate estimate of aerosol forced responses in climate models than does any other combination of temperature, precipitation, or sea level pressure. This fact is demonstrated using a new quantity called potential detectability, which measures the extent to which a forced response can be detected in a model. In particular, this measure can be evaluated independently of observations and therefore permits efficient exploration of a large number of variable combinations before performing optimal fingerprinting on observations. This paper also shows that the response to anthropogenic aerosol forcing can be separated from that of other forcings using only spatial structure alone, leaving the time variation of the response to be inferred from data, thereby demonstrating that temporal information is not necessary for detection. The spatial structure of the forced response is derived by maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio. For single variables, the north–south hemispheric gradient and equator-to-pole latitudinal gradient are important spatial structures for detecting anthropogenic aerosols in some models but not all. Sea level pressure is not an independent detection variable because it is derived partly from surface temperature. In no case does sea level pressure significantly enhance potential detectability beyond that already possible using surface temperature. Including seasonal or land–sea contrast information does not significantly enhance detectability of anthropogenic aerosol responses relative to annual means over global domains.

ZnFe2O4 modified CdS quantum dots/ZnO nanorods core/shell structured photoanode has been designed and successfully fabricated. With the decoration of ZnFe2O4, both the photoelectrochemical performance and the stability of the CdS/ZnO photoanode were enhanced. The improved photoelectrochemical performance can be attributed to the typical stair-like type-II band alignment between ZnFe2O4, CdS and ZnO. The heterojunction between ZnFe2O4, CdS and ZnO can enhance the separation efficiency of the charge carriers. In addition, ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can serve as holes receptor of CdS and act as a protective layer which will reduce the photocorrosion of CdS and improve the stability of the photoanode. The optimized photoanode exhibited a remarkable solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 4.4% which was 15.7 times than that of the pristine ZnO photoanode. This work provides a strategy for designing and fabricating stable and efficient photoanode.

Aiming to overcome the limitation of manufacturing technology at atomic scale, “More than Moore’s law” has been recognized as a promising route to develop the next generation micro-nano electronics in the recent years. These new devices have been designed to minimize the non-digital units to nanoscale and to integrate these units into a multifunctional electronic system. The non-digital units usually contain the power source, sensing units, charge transfer devices, switches, amplifier and etc.

Performance modulation of ZnO optoelectronic devices in the presence of proper piezoelectric polarization charges has been widely reported, whereas relatively less work has been performed about the influence of photoexcitation on piezotronics. In this study, we experimentally investigated the performance evolution of ZnO piezotronic strain sensor under various 365 nm UV irradiation densities. The device demonstrated a response ratio of ~200 under no illumination and under −0.53% compressive strain, and the response time is approximately 0.3 s. However, tremendous performance degradation was observed with the increase in the illumination density, which is attributed to the UV-modulated change in the free electron concentration and Schottky barrier height. It was observed that increased carrier density intensifies the screening effect and thus, the modulation ability of piezo-polarization charges weakens. Meanwhile, the deterioration of rectifying behavior at the interface under UV illumination also jeopardizes the device performance.

The design and optimization of supercapacitors electrodes nanostructures are critically important since the properties of supercapacitors can be dramatically enhanced by tunable ion transport channels. Herein, we demonstrate high-performance supercapacitor electrodes materials based on α-Fe2O3 by rationally designing the electrode microstructure. The large solid–liquid reaction interfaces induced by hollow nanoshuttle-like structures not only provide more active sites for faradic reactions but also facilitate the diffusion of the electrolyte into electrodes. These result in the optimized electrodes with high capacitance of 249 F g−1 at a discharging current density of 0.5 A g−1 as well as good cycle stability. In addition, the relationship between charge storage and the operating temperature has been researched. The specific capacitance has no significant change when the working temperature increased from 20 °C to 60 °C (e.g. 203 F g−1 and 234 F g−1 at 20 °C and 60 °C, respectively), manifesting the electrodes can work stably in a wide temperature range. These findings here elucidate the α-Fe2O3 hollow nanoshuttles can be applied as a promising supercapacitor electrode material for the efficient energy storage at various potential temperatures.

Sandwich-style memristor devices were synthesized by electrochemical deposition with a ZnO film serving as the active layer between Al-doped ZnO (AZO) and Au electrodes. The carrier concentration of the ZnO films is controlled by adding HNO3 during the growth process. A resulting increase in carrier concentration from 1017 to 1019 cm–3 was observed, along with a corresponding drop in the on–off ratio from 6,437% to 100%. The resistive switching characteristics completely disappeared when the carrier concentration was above 1019 cm–3, making it unsuitable for a memory device. The decreasing switching ratio is attributed to a reduction in the driving force for oxygen vacancy drift. Systematic analysis of the migration of oxygen vacancies is presented, including the concentration gradient and electrical potential gradient. Such oxygen vacancy migration dynamics provide insight into the mechanisms of the oxygen vacancy drift and provide valuable information for industrial production of memristor devices.

Strain-induced piezoelectric potential (piezopotential) within wurtzite-structured ZnO can engineer the energy-band structure at a contact or a junction and, thus, enhance the performance of corresponding optoelectronic devices by effectively tuning the charge carriers' separation and transport. Here, we report the fabrication of a flexible self-powered ZnO/Spiro-MeOTAD hybrid heterojunction ultraviolet photodetector (UV PD). The obtained device has a fast and stable response to the UV light illumination at zero bias. Together with responsivity and detectivity, the photocurrent can be increased about 1-fold upon applying a 0.753% tensile strain. The enhanced performance can be attributed to more efficient separation and transport of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which is favored by the positive piezopotential modulated energy-band structure at the ZnO-Spiro-MeOTAD interface. This study demonstrates a promising approach to optimize the performance of a photodetector made of piezoelectric semiconductor materials through straining.

Stretchable and multifunctional sensors can be applied in multifunctional sensing devices, safety forewarning equipment, and multiparametric sensing platforms. However, a stretchable and multifunctional sensor was hard to fabricate until now. Herein, a scalable and efficient fabrication strategy is adopted to yield a sensor consisting of ZnO nanowires and polyurethane fibers. The device integrates high stretchability (tolerable strain up to 150%) with three different sensing capabilities, i.e., strain, temperature, and UV. Typically achieved specifications for strain detection are a fast response time of 38 ms, a gauge factor of 15.2, and a high stability of >10 000 cyclic loading tests. Temperature is detected with a high temperature sensitivity of 39.3% °C−1, while UV monitoring features a large ON/OFF ratio of 158.2. With its fiber geometry, mechanical flexibility, and high stretchability, the sensor holds tremendous prospect for multiparametric sensing platforms, including wearable devices.

In this paper, an adaptive interface electronic band structure was proposed for improving the capacitance of nano-architectured Ni(OH)2 by introducing a TiO2 embedding layer at the ZnO/Ni(OH)2 interface. A stair-like band alignment was designed to reduce the electron interface transport barrier and induce efficient electron-injection through the interface to the reaction region when it is charging. Consequently, the activation energy of reduction dropped, which further brought about a decreased equilibrium potential (Eeq) depending on the Butler–Volmer model of electrode kinetics. As expected, a superior capacitance of 1981 F g−1 at 2 A g−1 was triggered. After that, this advanced electrode was assembled in an asymmetric cell with a ZnO@Fe2O3 based negative electrode; the as-fabricated device delivered a high energy density of 52.2 W h kg−1 at a power density of 1.3 kW kg−1 within the voltage range of 0–1.6 V as well as a good cycling performance (96.6% capacity retention after 5000 cycles). These features demonstrate that suitable interface engineering may open up new opportunities in the development of high-performance supercapacitors.

Fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSCs) have attracted significant interest owing to their unique advantages of small size, light weight, high flexibility, and capability of being integrated into wearable electronics and smart textiles. Their main limitation, however, is their low energy density when compared with batteries. Here a fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitor (FASC) with high energy density has been developed successfully using CNT@ZnO-NWs@MnO2 fibers as the positive electrode and CNT fibers as the negative electrode. Due to the high capacitances and excellent rate performances of CNT@ZnO-NWs@MnO2 fibers and CNT fibers, such an asymmetric cell exhibits superior electrochemical performances. An optimized FASC can be cycled reversibly in the voltage range of 0–1.8 V, and exhibits a maximum energy density of 13.25 μW h cm−2, which is much higher than those reported for fiber-shaped supercapacitors. Owing to the rational structure design, the all-solid-state FASCs demonstrate excellent mechanical and electrochemical stability. Over 1000 bending cycles, 96.7% of the initial capacitance can still be retained.

Cu2O/AlOOH/rGO nanocomposites were synthesized by employing AlOOH/rGO as the support for Cu2O catalysts and then the nanocomposites were used for fabricating nonenzymatic glucose sensors. The morphology and composition of the nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Electrochemical investigations indicate that the nanocomposites possess an excellent performance toward glucose with a wide linear range of 5.0 μM to 14.77 mM, a sensitivity of 155.1 μA mM−1 cm−2 and a low detection limit of 2.6 μM. These results indicated that the Cu2O/AlOOH/rGO modified electrode can act as a promising non-enzymatic sensor for glucose detection.

Photoanodes, which are used in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, have been shown to be applicable in the construction of a PEC biosensing platform. This was realized by replacing water oxidization with oxidation of an appropriate test molecule. Here, we have demonstrated the feasibility of adopting photoanodes consisting of zinc oxide nanorods arrays decorated with plasmonic gold nanoparticles (Au NPs@ZnO NRs) for the self-powered PEC bioanalysis of glutathione (GSH) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at an applied bias potential of 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl. This heterostructure exhibited enhanced PEC properties because of the introduction of the Au/ZnO interface. Under visible light illumination, hot electrons from surface-plasmon resonance (SPR) at the Au NP surface were injected into the adjacent ZnO and subsequently driven to the photocathode. Under ultraviolet (UV) light illumination, the photogenerated electrons in ZnO tended to transfer to the fluorine-doped tin oxide due to the step-wise energy band structure and the upward energy band bending at the ZnO/ electrolyte interface. These results indicate that plasmonic metal/semiconductor heterostructure photoanodes have great potential for self-powered PEC bioanalysis applications and extended field of other photovoltaic beacons.

Cuprous oxide is a highly efficient p-type semiconductor, which has high absorption efficiency in the visible region, making it ideal for the use as a photocathode material for hydrogen evolution reaction. However, the theoretical efficiency of cuprous oxide is still unachievable in practical situations, due to the severe photocorrosion and the high recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. In this work, ultra-thin TiO2 deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used as a protection layer, and rGO/NiFe-LDH was loaded as a catalyst decoration on Cu2O photocathode. The protection layer led to suppression of photocorrosion of Cu2O, and the catalyst promoted chemical reaction kinetics. The photo-generated current density reached −3.71 mA/cm2, and the photoelectric conversion efficiency reached 0.41%. The effect of catalyst on the built-in electric field of photocathode and the transport mechanism of carrier were also investigated in detail. This work hereby provides a new idea of the application of Cu2O in the domain of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting.

This article uses powder metallurgy technology to prepare foamed aluminum and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) / foamed aluminum composites. The laser thermal diffusion analyzer, thermal analyzer, and transfer function sound absorption coefficient test system were used to study the thermal conductivity and sound absorption properties of aluminum foam and its composites, respectively. The results show that the thermal conductivity of aluminum foam with 79% porosity is only 5W · m−1·K−1, which is much smaller than the thermal conductivity of aluminum. So it can be used as an ideal thermal insulation material; The thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) / foamed aluminum-based composites increases first and then decreases with the increase in the mass fraction of CNTs. As the test temperature increases, the thermal conductivity of the material gradually increases. When the mass fraction of CNTs is 0.75%, the thermal conductivity of foamed aluminum-based composites reaches the maximum. As the test frequency increases, the sound absorption performance of foamed aluminum first increases, then decreases, and then gradually increases, reaching a maximum value around 1000 Hz. The sound absorption performance of CNTs / foam aluminum matrix composites decreases at lower test frequencies as the mass fraction of CNTs increases. At higher frequencies, as the mass fraction of CNTs increases, the sound absorption coefficient of foamed aluminum decreases first and then increases.

This article uses powder metallurgy to prepare aluminum foam and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) / foam aluminum composites. The effects of the surface treatment of carbon nanotubes, the amount of pore-forming agent, and the amount of carbon nanotubes on the microstructure of aluminum foam and its composites were studied by means of infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the mixed acid treatment of CNTs can effectively disperse CNTs and introduce new functional groups on their surfaces. Using NH4HCO3 as a pore-forming agent and using powder metallurgy, a porosity of 41% to 79%, Cellular pure foam aluminum material and CNTs / foam aluminum matrix composite with 60% porosity.

The guidance effect of teacher feedback in contemporary English writing has been a hot topic for research. More and more researches focus on the effect of teacher feedback in senior high schools or universities. This research analyzed the supervisor feedback on 32 undergraduate thesis revisions from 8 students from three aspects: error feedback, non-error feedback and the focus of supervisor feedback. The results show that both error feedback and non-error feedback can significantly improve the overall expression of papers; while their focuses are quite distinctive. Suggestions on how to optimize teacher feedback are put forward.

Purpose To investigate the roles of vasoactive intestinal peptides (VIPs) in regulating the morphology and F-actin distribution of Schlemm's canal (SC) of rat eyes. Methods Chronic intraocular pressure (IOP) hypertension models with episcleral venous cauterization (EVC) were treated with topical VIP or PG99-465 (vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors 2 [VPAC2] antagonist). IOPs were measured with Tono-Pen, and the SC parameters, including the cross-section area, circumference, and length, were statistically evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin and CD31 immunohistochemical staining. Immunofluorescence was performed to detect the distribution of F-actin in the SC. Moreover, the distribution of filamentous actin (F-actin) and globular actin (G-actin) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was studied under a pressure system by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Results Increased expressions of VIP and VPAC2 receptors, as well as a disordered distribution of F-actin were found in SC endothelial cells (SCEs) in the EVC model. Moreover, topical VIP maintained the normal distribution of F-actin in SCEs, expanded the collapsed SC, and induced a significant decrease in IOP in the EVC model. In in vitro HUVECs, the F-actin/G-actin ratio increased significantly under stress stimulation for 30 minutes. A total of 50 μM VIP helped maintain the normal F-actin/G-actin ratio of HUVECs against stress stimulation. Conclusions VIP regulates the distribution of F-actin in SCEs via the VPAC2 receptor in order to induce a decrease in IOP. VIP may represent a new target for antiglaucoma drugs.

In recent years, the rapid development of portable and wearable electronic products has promoted the prosperity of fiber supercapacitors (FSCs), which serve as flexible and lightweight energy supply devices. However, research on FSCs is still in its infancy and the energy density of FSCs is far below the level of lithium-ion batteries. Here, we report a facile method to prepare a novel fibrous CNT-aerogel by electrochemical activation and freeze-drying. The fibrous CNT-aerogel electrode possesses a large specific surface area, high mechanical strength, excellent electrical conductivity, as well as a high specific capacitance of 160.8 F g-1 at 0.5 mA and long cycling stability. Then we assembled a non-faradaic FSC based on a fibrous CNT-aerogel as the electrode and a P(VDF-HFP)/EMIMBF4 ionogel as the electrolyte. The introduction of the ionogel electrolyte increases the operating voltage of the FSC to 3 V, and makes the device combine the intrinsic high power density (27.3 kW kg-1) of non-faradaic SCs with an ultrahigh energy density of 29.6 W h kg-1. More importantly, the assembled FSCs show excellent flexibility and bending-stability, and can still operate normally within a wide working temperature window (0-80 °C). The outstanding electrochemical performance and the mechanical/thermal stability indicate that the assembled FSC device is a promising power source for flexible electronics.

Aim: To observe post-exercise changes in the lens and Schlemm’s canal (SC) in healthy individuals using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Methods: Thirty-five healthy, young individuals were recruited and performed aerobic exercise by jogging for 20 minutes. The SC area, SC perimeter, trabecular meshwork (TM) length, TM thickness, lens vault (LV), and lens thickness (LT) were assessed by SS-OCT before and after exercise. Results: Following aerobic exercise, SC area (4260.85 ± 1476.02 vs. 5158.24 ± 1527.42 μm2, p p p p = 0.004) increased significantly, while LV (−0.134 ± 0.198 vs. −0.195 ± 0.198 mm, p p = 0.801). Moreover, post-exercise changes in SC area were significantly associated with post-exercise changes in LV (β = −6487.83; p = 0.040). Conclusions: Aerobic exercise induces both backward axial displacement of the lens and SC expansion. This backward axial displacement of the lens could be an important causative factor of the post-exercise SC expansion via the lens-zonular-ciliotrabecular vector and the connecting fibrils between ciliary body and SC.

Observed Atlantic major hurricane frequency has exhibited pronounced multidecadal variability since the 1940s. However, the cause of this variability is debated. Using observations and a coupled earth system model (GFDL-ESM2G), here we show that the decline of the Atlantic major hurricane frequency during 2005–2015 is associated with a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) inferred from ocean observations. Directly observed North Atlantic sulfate aerosol optical depth has not increased (but shows a modest decline) over this period, suggesting the decline of the Atlantic major hurricane frequency during 2005–2015 is not likely due to recent changes in anthropogenic sulfate aerosols. Instead, we find coherent multidecadal variations involving the inferred AMOC and Atlantic major hurricane frequency, along with indices of Atlantic Multidecadal Variability and inverted vertical wind shear. Our results provide evidence for an important role of the AMOC in the recent decline of Atlantic major hurricane frequency., The reason for the decline in frequency of Atlantic major hurricanes since 2005 is still debated. Here the authors combine observations with model simulations to show that this decline is largely due to changes in the Atlantic ocean meridional overturning circulation.