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Context: Ginsenosides are primary active ingredients of ginseng, which are believed to have various health benefits. It is found that the biotransformation of ginsenosides mainly takes place in the gastrointestinal tract and the information about ginsenosides-exerted effects on intestinal contractility is not sufficient. Aims: The present study proposed that ginsenosides could exert stimulatory or inhibitory effects on intestinal motility depending on the assay condition-related intestinal contractile states and was to characterize the effects of ginsenosides on intestinal motility. Methods: Jejunal contractility determination, Western blotting analysis, and real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to test the effects of total ginsenosides isolated from Panax ginseng C. A. Mey (Araliaceae) root. Results: The results showed that ginsenosides at the fixed concentration of 20 mg/L exerted bidirectional regulation (BR) on the contractility of isolated jejunal segment (IJS), depending on the contractile states. The contractility of IJS was increased by ginsenosides in low contractile states, which were correlated to the cholinergic activation, and the contractility of IJS was decreased by ginsenosides in high contractile states, which were correlated to the adrenergic activation and nitric oxide related mechanisms. Ginsenosides-induced BR was abolished in the absence of Ca2+ or by using tetrodotoxin, implicating the requirement of Ca2+ and the enteric nervous system. Effects of ginsenosides on myosin light chain phosphorylation and the mRNA expression of myosin light chain kinase were also bidirectional. Discussion and conclusion: Results suggest that ginsenosides may have the potential clinical implication for reliving the symptoms of alternative hypo- and hyper-intestinal motility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The p47phox is a key regulatory subunit of Nox2-containing NADPH oxidase (Nox2) that by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in Angiotensin II (AngII)-induced cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. However, the signalling pathways of p47phox in the heart remains unclear. In this study, we used wild-type (WT) and p47phox knockout (KO) mice (C57BL/6, male, 7-month-old, n = 9) to investigate p47phox-dependent oxidant-signalling in AngII infusion (0.8 mg/kg/day, 14 days)-induced cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. AngII infusion resulted in remarkable high blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy in WT mice. However, these AngII-induced pathological changes were significantly reduced in p47phox KO mice. In WT hearts, AngII infusion increased significantly the levels of superoxide production, the expressions of Nox subunits, the expression of PKCα and C-Src and the activation of ASK1 (apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1), MKK3/6, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK and JNK signalling pathways together with an elevated expression of apoptotic markers, i.e., γH2AX and p53 in the cardiomyocytes. However, in the absence of p47phox, although PKCα expression was increased in the hearts after AngII infusion, there was no significant activation of ASK1, MKK3/6 and MAPKs signalling pathways and no increase in apoptosis biomarker expression in cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, p47phox-dependent redox-signalling through ASK1, MKK3/6 and MAPKs plays a crucial role in AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal nanoparticle composite hydrogels (MNCHs) have attracted considerable attention in the catalytic field because hydrogels can provide appropriate microenvironment and enable catalysts to be conveniently separated and recycled. Here, a novel and well-defined gallol-functionalized hydrogel Gel-G was synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). The resulting hydrogel Gel-G can be used as template to in situ prepare catalytically active gold nanoparticles hydrogel (AuNPs-Gel-G) and sliver nanoparticles hydrogel (AgNPs-Gel-G) without use of any external reductant based on the strong reducibility and coating property of the gallol moiety. The two MNCHs were well characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Both AuNPs-Gel-G and AgNPs-Gel-G exhibited high catalytic activity for the 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction to 4-aminophenol (4-AP), and can be easily separated and reused at least five times. [Display omitted] • Gallol-containing polymer hydrogels are synthesized by ROMP. • Gallol-containing polymer hydrogels are used for in situ fabrication of AuNPs and AgNPs composites. • AuNPs and AgNPs hydrogel composites exhibit good catalytic activity and reusability for 4-nitrophenol reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furthermore, the Supplementary Information file published with this Article contained an error, where the raw data of the Phos-p47 SP phox sp immunoblot was an inadvertent duplication of the Iba-1 raw data immunoblot (both shown in Figure 3, panel A). Correction to: I Scientific Reports i https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58422-8, published online 31 January 2020 The original version of this Article contained an error in Figure 3, panel A, where the P-p47 SP phox sp immunoblot was inadvertently duplicated from the Iba-1 immunoblot. (B) p47phox phosphorylation (red) was detected using a phosphorylation specific antibody against p47phox (Ser359) and double stained with antibody against Iba-1 (green) by immunofluorescence. [Extracted from the article]

Due to their high catalytic activity, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been exploited as green and efficient catalysts in various chemical reactions, such as the oxidation of CO to CO 2 , aerobic oxidation of alcohols, C C coupling reactions and reduction reactions through transfer hydrogenation. Here, we report an efficient dendritic stabilizer for AuNPs. The dendritic stabilizer is a ferrocene-containing amphiphilic dendronized random copolymer that is synthesized by the ring-opening metathesis polymerization. And, the obtained amphiphilic copolymer can self-assemble into spherical micelles in aqueous solution, resulting in the formation of efficient nanoreactors for AuNPs in the 4-nitrophenol reduction to 4-aminophenol by NaBH 4. It is found that AuNPs obtained by using NaBH 4 as reductant have obviously smaller size and higher catalytic activity than those fabricated by using the ferrocene-based groups as reductant. The reusable experiment indicates that the small-sized AuNPs can be reused at least for fifteen times. We report ferrocene-containing amphiphilic dendronized random copolymer as efficient stabilizer for reusable gold nanoparticles in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroptosis is a novel form of membrane-dependent cell death that differs from other cell death modalities such as necrosis, apoptosis, and autophagy. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system primarily affecting brain and spinal cord neurons. Although the pathogenesis of these two conditions may seem unrelated, recent studies have indicated a connection between ferroptosis and multiple sclerosis. In fact, ferroptosis plays a significant role in the development of MS, as evidenced by the presence of elevated iron levels and iron metabolism abnormalities in the brains, spinal cords, and other neurons of MS patients. These abnormalities disrupt iron homeostasis within cells, leading to the occurrence of ferroptosis. However, there is currently a lack of research on the diagnostic value of ferroptosis-related genes in multiple sclerosis. In this study, we employed bioinformatics methods to identify ferroptosis-related genes (ATM, GSK3B, HMGCR, KLF2, MAPK1, NFE2L1, NRAS, PCBP1, PIK3CA, RPL8, VDAC3) associated with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and constructed a diagnostic model. The results demonstrated that the diagnostic model accurately identified the patients’ condition. Subsequently, subgroup analysis was performed based on the expression levels of ferroptosis-related genes, dividing patients into high and low expression groups. The results showed differences in immune function and immune cell infiltration between the two groups. Our study not only confirms the correlation between ferroptosis and multiple sclerosis but also demonstrates the diagnostic value of ferroptosis-related genes in the disease. This provides guidance for clinical practice and direction for further mechanistic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyro-phototronic effect plays an important role in improving the photodetection performance of ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs). Here, a novel pyro-phototronic effect between TiO 2 nanoarrays (TiO 2 NRs) and the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy selenophene) (PEDOS) is applied to fabricate a self-powered UV PD with the enhanced photodetection ability. The self-powered p-n heterojunction UV PD is fabricated by a face-to-face hybrid of acid (HCl and H 2 SO 4)-treated TiO 2 NRs with PEDOS. Interestingly, a pyro-phototronic effect is found between TiO 2 NRs/FTO and PEDOS/FTO, and the acid treatment of TiO 2 NRs can dramatically enhance the pyro-phototronic effect. H 2 SO 4 treatment can improve the p-n heterojunction, while HCl treatment can increase carrier concentration due to the introduction of surface oxygen vacancies on the surface of TiO 2 NRs. Under UV light illumination and 0 bias voltage, the rise time (T rise) and fall time (T fall) of UV PD from the face-to-face hybrid of PEDOS/FTO with TiO 2 (HCl)/FTO are 0.080 s and 0.079 s, while the responsivity (R) and detectivity (D*) are 58.706 mA/W and 3.627 × 1011 Jones, respectively. The face-to-face fabrication of UV PDs and the matching of the energy levels between PEDOS and TiO 2 NRs cause the pyro-phototronic effect due to temperature change and pyroelectric effect of TiO 2 NRs under the UV light illumination. This work gives a new idea to generate pyro-phototronic effect between TiO 2 NRs and conducting polymers for application in UV PDs field. [Display omitted] • The UV PD is fabricated by a face-to-face hybrid of TiO 2 NRs/FTO and PEDOS/FTO. • A pyro-phototronic effect is proved between TiO 2 NRs/FTO and PEDOS/FTO. • A simple acid treatment can dramatically enhance the photodetection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We present the controlled synthesis of the polynorbornene-based well-defined block copolymer PNFc- b -PNAd side-chain containing ferrocene (Fc) and adamantane (Ad) units by the ring-opening metathesis polymerization using the 3rd generation Grubbs catalyst. A polycationic amphiphilic block copolymer PNFcium- b -PNAd was then fabricated by the stoichiometric oxidation of Fc into ferricinium (Fcium) cations, and its redox-controlled reversible self-assembly behavior in water was demonstrated by SEM and DLS with glutathione as reductant and FeCl 3 as oxidant. By using benzocaine (BA) as model cargo, the loading ability of the cationic micelles formed by PNFcium- b -PNAd was investigated and confirmed, and the reduction of Fcium could lead to the rapid release of loaded payloads. A new supramolecular copolymer PNFc- b -PNAd@β-CD was further prepared by simply mixing PNFc- b -PNAd and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) with equimolar quantity to Ad units, in which host-guest interactions were mainly observed between β-CD and pendant Ad. Owing to the formation of hydrophilic inclusion complexes, PNFc- b -PNAd@β-CD possesses amphiphilic property and exhibits redox-controlled self-assembly behavior in water, too. The oxidation-triggered release of loaded-BA from the supramolecular micelles was observed in a slow and durable way. The present novel redox-responsive micelles provide innovative examples of rational design for stimuli-responsive carriers by using Fc-containing polymers. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extruded Mg–4Zn–1Mn alloy was prepared and its in vitro corrosion behavior in different physiological solutions of simulated body fluid (SBF), artificial saliva (AS) and artificial urine (AU) was investigated for biomedical applications. The microstructural characterization by optical microscope (OM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) showed that the alloy with an average grain size of approximate 20 ​μm was mainly composed of α-Mg matrix phase along with some MgZn 2 and α-Mn precipitates. The results of electrochemical corrosion and immersion corrosion tests revealed a distinct corrosion behavior for the alloy in different solutions with increasing immersion time. The corrosion morphologies were featured with flocculent precipitates in the SBF, flower-like clusters in the AS and columnar crystals in the AU. The alloy exhibited highest corrosion resistance and lowest corrosion rate in the AS compared with the SBF and the AU, which was attributed to the formation of a stable corrosion products layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels with stimuli-responsive behavior have been of great interest to researchers from many fields, such as biotechnology, drug delivery, and sensors, owing to their "smart" change in properties under external stimuli such as temperature, pH, pressure, redox, magnetic and electric fields. In this work, using the third generation Grubbs' catalyst as the initiator, both temperature and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) stimuli-responsive ferrocenyl hydrogels were prepared with different proportions of hydrophilic norbornene monomer NTEG , ferrocene-containing monomer NFc and crosslinker 1 by using one-pot ROMP (ring-opening metathesis polymerization) reaction. Based on the mechanical and rheological tests, it was found that NFc not only played a crucial role in maintaining the structure of ferrocenyl hydrogels, but also enhanced their physical strength. Comparatively, the increase of the NTEG content in the hydrogel system can improve the toughness of the resulting hydrogels. Furthermore, Results of the swelling ratio test demonstrated that these hydrogels possessed temperature-responsiveness, in which the NTEG block, which contained dendritic oligoethylene glycol structures in the side chain, played a decisive role. Simultaneously, it is worth noting that these ferrocenyl hydrogels also exhibited responsive behavior to β-CD solution due to the host-guest interaction of ferrocene unit with β-CD macromolecule. Therefore, we believe that this study provides a new idea for the design of covalently crosslinked ferrocenyl stimuli-responsive smart hydrogels. Thermo/β-cyclodextrin-responsive ferrocenyl hydrogels were constructed by the ROMP reaction of a hydrophilic norbornene monomer containing dendritic oligoethylene glycol structures in the side chain and a hydrophobic side-chain ferrocene-containing monomer, and their mechanical and swelling properties could regulated by the hydrophilic-hydrophobic ratio, environmental temperature and the addition of β-cyclodextrin. [Display omitted] • Hydrogels with pendent ferrocene and dendritic oligoethylene glycol were prepared. • Ferrocenyl hydrogels were covalently cross-linked through the ROMP reaction. • Ferrocenyl hydrogels had excellent toughness and compression resilience. • Mechanical/swelling behavior of hydrogels can be regulated by changing feed ratio. • Ferrocenyl hydrogels possessed dual-responsiveness to temperature and β-CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A high performance self-powered UV PD was designed based on a sandwich configuration and with p-n junction, which is consisting of ZnO as the bottom n- layer, PEDOS as the top of p-layer, and ZnSe as the insertion layer. • The study suggestion that the ZnSe layer acts a key role in the superior property of the obtained device. • A high detectivity (1.42 × 1011) and a responsivity (5.44 mA/W) values were achieved under low light power (0.32 mW/cm2). • This study presented a new idea to efficiently enhance the properties of the organic–inorganic p-n heterojunction UV PDs. In the present work, a novel self-powered hybrid ultraviolet (UV) photodetector (PD) based on ZnO @ZnSe nanoarrays/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxyselenophene) (PEDOS) was fabricated and systematically investigated. The designed PD is based on a sandwich configuration and with p-n junction, which is consisting of ZnO as the bottom n- layer, PEDOS as the top of p-layer, and ZnSe as the insertion layer. The results of the study on the performances of UV PD under different conditions optical power density shows that the ZnO@ZnSe/PEDOS exhibits excellent detection of UV light, the device achieves the excellent responsivity (R) 5.44 mA/W and high detectivity (D*) 1.42 × 1011 Jones under the weaker optical power density (0.32 mW/cm2). The study concludes with a suggestion that the ZnSe layer acts a key role in the superior property of the obtained device, which is introduction of ZnSe layer between the p-PEDOS and n-ZnO layers reduces band migration and thus effectively enhances carrier transport within them, and demonstrating that the responsivity (R) of ZnO@ZnSe/PEDOS is almost 18 times that of the device without the ZnSe layer (0.3 mA/W). On the other hand, as the p- types PEDOS, which enhances the junction quality by reducing the composite center of the carrier, expanding the depletion region and providing a step energy level between the band edges of ZnO and ZnSe, improving the overall collection of photogenerated carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to develop and validate radiomics signatures based on MRI for preoperative prediction of Ki-67 proliferative index (PI) expression in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). A total of 341 patients with PCNSL were retrospectively analyzed, including 286 patients in one center as the training set and 55 patients in another two centers as the external validation set. Radiomics features were extracted and selected from preoperative contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images, fluid attenuation inversion recovery to build radiomics signatures according to the Ki-67 PI. The predictive performances of the radiomics model were evaluated using four classifiers including random forest, K-Nearest Neighbors, Neural Network and Decision Tree. A combined model was built by incorporating radiomics signature, clinical variables and MRI radiological characteristics using multivariate logistic regression analysis, and a nomogram was established to predict the expression of Ki-67 individually. The predictive performances of the models were evaluated using area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis (DCA). Radiomics signatures were independent predictors of the expression level of Ki-67 (OR: 2.523, P < 0.001). RF radiomics models had the highest accuracy (0.934 in the training set and 0.811 in the external validation set) and F1 Score (0.920 in the training set and 0.836 in the external validation set). The clinic-radiologic-radiomics nomogram showed better predictive performance with AUCs of 0.877(95 % CI: 0.837–0.918) in the training set and 0.866(95 % CI: 0.774–0.957) in the external validation set. The calibration curve and DCA demonstrated goodness-of-fit and improved benefits in clinical practice of the nomogram. Nomograms integrating MRI-based radiomics and clinical-radiological characteristics could effectively predict Ki-67 PI in primary PCNSL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L-Tryptophan (L-Trp) is essential for the human body and can only be obtained externally. It is important to develop a method to efficiently detect L-Trp in food. In this work, ionic liquid (IL) modified poly(3,4-ethylendioxythiophene)/ Titanium carbide (PEDOT/Ti 3 C 2 T X) was used as a substrate material to improve detection sensitivity. Molecular imprinted polymers (MIP) film for specific recognition of L-Trp was fabricated on the surface of modified electrodes using electrochemical polymerization. The monitoring results showed that the molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensors (MIECS) exhibited good linearity ranges (10−6 - 0.1 μM and 0.1–100 μM) with a low detection limit (LOD) of 2.09 × 10−7 μM. In addition, the MIECS exhibited remarkable stability, reproducibility, and immunity to interference. A good recovery (93.54–99.59%) was demonstrated in the detection of milk. The sensor was expected to be developed as a highly selective and sensitive portable assay, and applied to the detection of L-Trp in food. • Construction of a 3D conductive framework of PEDOT/Ti 3 C 2 T x /IL as a substrate material to improve the sensitivity of the sensor. • The sensor has good immunity and selectivity for various amino acids and biomolecules. • The sensor enables stable detection of L-Trp for 15 consecutive times. • The sensor has a detection limit of 2.09 × 10−7 μM in the range of 10−6-0.1 and 0.1-100 μM, enabling pic-omolar detection of L-Trp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetaminophen (APAP, also known as paracetamol) is a commonly used antipyretic and analgesic that is considered safe to use during pregnancy. However, a growing body of research indicates that gestational administration of APAP increased the risk of neurodevelopmental, reproductive and genitourinary disorders in offspring, alongside impairments in placental development. Notably, over-dosed APAP exhibits direct toxicity to endothelial cells, but there is very limited research investigating the impact of APAP on placental angiogenesis, a gap we aim to address in this study. Pregnant mice were gavaged with APAP (15, 50 and 150 mg/kg/d) from embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5) to E13.5. Administration of 150 mg/kg/d APAP leads to low birth weight (LBW) of the offspring and disordered vascular structures within the labyrinthine (Lab) layer of the placenta. This disruption is accompanied by a significant increase in Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 (SOCS3) level, a negative regulator of the Janus kinase signal transducer 1 and activator of the transcription 3 (JAK1/STAT3) signaling. Meanwhile, Human umbilical vein endothelial Cells (HUVECs) with the treatment of 3 mM APAP exhibited reduced cell viability, whereas 1 mM APAP significantly affected the proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenic capacities of HUVECs. Further, SOCS3 was up-regulated in HUVECs, accompanied by inhibition of JAK1/STAT3 pathways. Knocking-down SOCS3 in HUVECs restored the nuclear translocation of STAT3 and efficiently promoted cellular capacity of tube formation. Overall, short-term maternal administration of overdosed APAP impairs angiogenic capacities of fetal endothelial cells via SOCS3/JAK1/STAT3 pathway in the mouse placenta. This study reveals that overdose of APAP during pregnancy may adversely affect placental angiogenesis, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the safe principles of smallest effective dose for the shortest required durations. [Display omitted] • Exposure to acetaminophen (APAP) disrupted placental development in mice. • APAP exposure caused abnormal vascular structures in the placenta. • APAP exposure impaired angiogenesis via SOCS3/JAK1/STAT3 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • TiO 2 NRs/BiOCl//TiO 2 NRs/BiOCl UV PD produces pyro-phototronic effect by a face-to-face assembly method. • BiOCl increases the surface oxygen vacancies of TiO 2 NRs, reducing the dark current of UV PD. • The Cl ions combined with Se increase the photosensitivity of the material, thus increasing UV PD performance. This study presents the construction of an organic–inorganic heterojunction ultraviolet (UV) photodetector (PD) through face-to-face assembly. The synergistic effects of bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) and titanium dioxide nanorods (TiO 2 NRs) improve carrier transport efficiency and enhance the performance of the UV photodetector. The combination of BiOCl with TiO 2 NRs generates a pyro-phototronic effect and increases the surface oxygen vacancies of TiO 2 NRs, resulting in enhanced carrier transport efficiency, increased transient photocurrent, and reduced dark current in TiO 2 -based UV photodetectors. The enhanced photosensitivity of chloride (Cl) ions bound to selenium (Se) ions promotes easy electron injection from poly (3,4-ethylene dioxyselenophene) (PEDOS) into BiOCl, leading to accelerated electron transfer and a shortened response time. Compared to TiO 2 NRs/BiOCl//TiO 2 NRs/BiOCl, the TiO 2 NRs/BiOCl//PEDOS heterojunction exhibits a fast photoresponse with a rise time of 0.0802 s and a fall time of 79.8 ms. The responsivity is significantly improved from 11.0 mA/W to 108.8 mA/W (a 10-fold enhancement), and the detectivity is increased from 0.67 × 1011 Jones to 1.25 × 1011 Jones at 365 nanomaterials (0 V). These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanism by which BiOCl nanosheets enhance the photodetection performance of devices, contributing to the advancement of UV photodetector technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable biomass-based materials have a huge potential to replace petroleum-based products in food packaging. Herein, pectin/gelatin films loaded with curcumin and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are prepared by solution-pouring technology to serve as antimicrobial multifunctional food packaging films. AgNPs and curcumin are found to equally distribute in the films. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) reveal the hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction among curcumin, AgNPs, pectin and gelatin. The composite films show good antioxidant activity, mechanical performance, hydrophobicity and antibacterial ability. The films of P-G C A 0.5 showed 99.57 ± 0.16 % and 100 % inhibition against E. coli and S. aureus , respectively. The films also demonstrate excellent water vapor barrier qualities. In addition, the composite films possess pH-responsive color change behaviors from yellow (pH 3–8) to light red (pH 8–9) to dark red (pH 11–12), which is suitable for monitoring the freshness of shrimp packaging based on pH changes during deterioration process. As sustainable biomass-based materials, the multifunctional composite films are promising in intelligent food packaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-based molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensors have attracted widespread attention for monitoring contaminants in food and the environment. However, there are still problems such as poor hydrophilicity, easy agglomeration, and low selectivity in its preparation. In this work, a novel molecularly imprinted composite hollow sphere was prepared by a molecular imprinting technique using nitrogen-doped hollow carbon spheres as matrix material, and PEDOT and poly(methacrylic acid) as monomers. The selective binding capabilities and mechanism of the material to norfloxacin (NOR) were systematically investigated. Then the material-based sensor was constructed, and its electrochemical detection performance toward NOR was thoroughly studied. The sensor exhibited a wide linear range (0.0005–31 μM), a low detection limit (0.061 nM), satisfactory immunity to interference and stability. Besides, the sensor displayed better sensitivity and reliability (spiked recoveries of 98.0–105.2%, relative standard deviation of 3.45–5.69%) for detecting NOR in lake water, honey, and milk than high-performance liquid chromatography. This work provides a new strategy for developing poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-based molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although polymers based on polylactic acid (PLA) are considered by researchers as prime candidates for replacing traditional plastics, they are confronted with challenges including high production costs, limited thermal stability, and inferior impact resistance. In this study, novel composites with exceptional impact resistance, robust thermal stability, and satisfactory crystalline properties were fabricated by using PLA and polypropylene (PP) as raw materials, PP- g -MAH was employed as a compatibilizer to enhance the compatibility between the individual components. by adjusting the quantity of discarded cotton stalk fibers (CSF). The optimal mass ratio of CSF was determined to be 20%, resulting in a composite that exhibited a moderate increase of 56.31% in impact strength and a remarkable improvement of 23.05% in Vicat softening temperature. While the crystallinity was enhanced and the crystallization temperature (T c) value decreased, the storage modulus also increased. Furthermore, the observed increase in storage modulus within the temperature range of 80 °C–100 °C was attributed to the influence of polymer cold crystallization. The hydrophobicity of the composite was enhanced. Significantly, this strategy can be extended to the application of other plant fibers, improving the crystalline properties of semi-crystalline polymers such as PLA and exemplifying the true 'valorization of waste' through the secondary utilization of discarded CSF. [Display omitted] • Utilizing discarded cotton stalk fibers, a PLA-based composite was fabricated. • Composite have high impact resistance, thermal stability, and crystalline performance. • The utilization of discarded CSF enhances various properties of PLA-based composites. • It presents a novel strategy for cost-effective applications of PLA-based plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supercapacitors play a crucial role in energy storage applications due to their high energy and power densities. In this context, synthesizing composites such as: poly(3,4propylenedioxythiophene)/CoNi 2 S 4 @hollow carbon sphere (PProDOT/CoNi 2 S 4 @HCS) through solid-state thermal polymerization and hydrothermal ion exchange has gained significant attention. The PProDOT/CoNi 2 S 4 @HCS composite exhibits exceptional electrochemical performance, including a high specific capacitance of 1054 C g−1 and an initial capacity retention rate of 83.3% at 20 A g−1. This signifies that the composite can effectively store and deliver electrical energy. The composite possesses a three-dimensional core-shell structure, wherein HCS acts as a carbon-based substrate that prevents the aggregation of CoNi 2 S 4 nanoparticles. Simultaneously, the PProDOT film ensures the structural integrity of CoNi 2 S 4 and facilitates efficient electron/ion transfer within the composite. Furthermore, researchers have assembled a quasi-solid-state supercapacitor using the PProDOT/CoNi 2 S 4 @HCS composite and a gel electrolyte composed of polyvinyl alcohol/sulfonated cellulose/gelatin (PVA/sCMC/GEL/KOH). This supercapacitor demonstrates outstanding characteristics, such as a high energy density of 85.3 Wh kg−1, a high power density of 7957 W kg−1, and a capacity retention rate of 87.56% after 15,000 cycles at 4 A g−1. These results indicate that the composite-based supercapacitor can provide long-term stability and reliable performance under demanding operating conditions. [Display omitted] • A ternary core-shell material with ultra-high capacity retention at high current density has been realized. • The conductive polymer coating was prepared by in-situ solid-state thermal polymerization. • Designed a gel electrolyte with high ionic conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion behaviour of WE43 alloy in artificial saliva containing different fluoride ion concentrations were investigated in association with microstructural evolution. The WE43 alloy with an average grain size of 10–30 µm was mainly composed of α-Mg matrix and some RE-containing precipitates. The results of electrochemical corrosion and immersion corrosion tests indicated that the corrosion behaviour of WE43 alloy was continuously deteriorated with increasing F- concentration. This deterioration was attributed to the undesirable alterations in thickness, surface morphology and phase constitution of the corrosion products layer with the presence of F-, which damaged its corrosion protection effect in some degree. • Effect of F- on corrosion behaviour of WE43 alloy in artificial saliva was studied. • The WE43 alloy was mainly composed of α-Mg matrix and RE-containing precipitates. • The corrosion behaviour of WE43 alloy was worsened with increasing F- concentration. • Two possible corrosion mechanisms of WE43 alloy with and without F- were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]