Scalable integration of photoresponsive highly aligned nanochannels for self-powered ionic devices.

Artificial ionic nanochannels with light perception capabilities hold promise for creating ionic devices. Nevertheless, most research primarily focuses on regulating single nanochannels, leaving the cumulative effect of numerous nanochannels and their integration underexplored. We herein develop a biomimetic photoreceptor based on photoresponsive highly aligned nanochannels (pHANCs), which exhibit uniform channel heights, phototunable surface properties, and excellent compatibility with microfabrication techniques, enabling the scalable fabrication and integration into functional ionic devices.

Modular Micromotor Fabrication with Self-Focusing Lithography.

Synthetic Janus micro/nanomotors can efficiently convert ambient energy into asymmetrical self-propulsive force, overcoming random thermal fluctuations and enabling autonomous migration. Further modifications to the motors can equip them with different functional modules to meet different needs. However, developing a versatile and high-yield fabrication method for multifunctional Janus micromotors remains challenging.

Bipolar Photoelectrochemistry for Phase-Modulated Optoelectronic Hybrid Nanomotor.

Complex micro/nanorobots may be constructed by integrating several independent, controlled nanomotors for high degrees of freedom of maneuvering and manipulation. However, designing nanomotors with distinctive responses to the same global stimuli is challenging due to the nanomotors' simple structure and limited material composition. In this work, we demonstrate that a nanomotor can be designed with the same principles of electronic circuits, where the motion of semiconductor particles can be controlled with synchronized electric and optical signals.

Transport and risk of airborne pathogenic microorganisms in the process of decentralized sewage discharge and treatment.

Sewage treatment processes are a critical anthropogenic source of bioaerosols and may present significant health risks to plant workers. Compared with the specialization and scale of urban sewage treatment, many decentralized treatment models are flexible and extensive. These treatment facilities are usually close to residential areas owing to the pipe network layout and other restrictions.

Steering lithium and potassium storage mechanism in covalent organic frameworks by incorporating transition metal single atoms.

Organic electrodes mainly consisting of C, O, H, and N are promising candidates for advanced batteries. However, the sluggish ionic and electronic conductivity limit the full play of their high theoretical capacities. Here, we integrate the idea of metal-support interaction in single-atom catalysts with π-d hybridization into the design of organic electrode materials for the applications of lithium (LIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs).

Transforming growth factor-β receptors: versatile mechanisms of ligand activation.

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling is initiated by activation of transmembrane TGF-β receptors (TGFBR), which deploys Smad2/3 transcription factors to control cellular responses. Failure or dysregulation in the TGF-β signaling pathways leads to pathological conditions. TGF-β signaling is regulated at different levels along the pathways and begins with the liberation of TGF-β ligand from its latent form.

sp-Carbon-Conjugated Organic Polymer as Multifunctional Interfacial Layers for Ultra-Long Dendrite-Free Lithium Metal Batteries.

Fatal issues in lithium metal anodes (LMA), such as detrimental lithium dendrites growth and fragile solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) during the Li plating/stripping process, often hinder the practical application of Li metal batteries (LMBs). Herein, cobalt-coordinated sp-carbon-conjugated organic polymer (Co-spc-COP) is constructed as the protective layer for regulating the interface stability of LMA. The unique synergistic beneficial effect of organic functional groups (C≡C linkage, C=N units and aromatic rings) and Co sites not only regulate the Li coordination environment and rearrange Li concentration to facilitate its transport by optimizing the electronic density, enhancing the compatibility with electrolyte interface and supplying "external magnetic driving strategy", but also strengthens the interfacial stiffness with high Young's modulus to better withstand the mechanical stress.

Distribution characteristics and potential risks of bioaerosols during scattered farming.

In most economically underdeveloped areas, scattered farming and human‒livestock cohabitation are common. However, production of bioaerosols and their potential harm in these areas have not been previously researched. In this study, bioaerosol characteristics were analyzed in scattered farming areas in rural Northwest China.

Dendritic sp Carbon-Conjugated Benzothiadiazole-Based Polymers with Synergistic Multi-Active Groups for High-Performance Lithium Organic Batteries.

Green organic materials composed of C, H, O, and N elements are receiving more and more attention worldwide. However, the high solubility, poor electrical conductivity, and long activation time limit the development of organic materials in practice. Herein, two stable covalent organic materials with alkynyl linkage between benzene rings and benzothiadiazole groups with different amounts of fluorine atoms modification (defined as BOP-0F and BOP-2F), are designed for lithium-ion batteries.

Tunable Self-Thermophoretic Nanomotors with Polymeric Coating.

Thermophoretic micro/nanomotors (MNMs) generate self-propulsion without a chemical reaction. Intrinsically, this promises excellent biocompatibility and is thus suitable for biomedical applications. However, their propulsion efficiency is severely limited due to the poor understanding of the thermophoretic process, which dominates the conversion from thermal energy into mechanical movement.

Effect and environmental behaviour of microplastics in soil.

Soil microplastic pollution is currently a worldwide concern. Microplastics are organic pollutants that are abundant in the natural environment, are persistent and difficult to degrade and may endanger human health while harming the environment. This article offers a bibliometric analysis of the environmental behaviour of microplastics in soils, as well as a thorough statistical analysis of research goals and trends in this field.

Alkynyl Boosted High-Performance Lithium Storage and Mechanism in Covalent Phenanthroline Framework.

The poor conductivity of the pristine bulk covalent organic material is the main challenge for its application in energy storage. The mechanism of symmetric alkynyl bonds (C≡C) in covalent organic materials for lithium storage is still rarely reported. Herein, a nanosized (≈80 nm) alkynyl-linked covalent phenanthroline framework (Alkynyl-CPF) is synthesized for the first time to improve the intrinsic charge conductivity and the insolubility of the covalent organic material in lithium-ion batteries.

Dispersion characteristics of bioaerosols during treatment of rural solid waste in northwest China.

In rural China, the release of bioaerosols containing pathogens from solid waste dumps poses a potential health risk to the local population. Here, we sampled bioaerosols from rural solid waste-treatment in four provinces of northwest China to investigate their emission and dispersion characteristics in order to provide a scientific basis for control and risk reduction of bioaerosols released from rural sanitation facilities. The airborne bioaerosol concentrations and particle size distributions were calculated using an Anderson six-stage airborne microbial sampler and counting with its internal Petri dish culture.

Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework for High-Performance Lithium/Sodium-Iodine Organic Batteries.

The rechargeable lithium/sodium-iodine battery (Li/Na-I ) is a promising candidate for meeting the growing energy demand. Herein, a flexible hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) linked to the Ti C T MXene complex (HOF@Ti C T ) has been presented for iodine loading. HOF is self-assembled by organic monomers through hydrogen bonding interactions between each monomer.

Boosted π-Li Cation Effect in the Stabilized Small Organic Molecule Electrode via Hydrogen Bonding with MXene.

The high solubility of the small organic molecule materials in organic electrolytes hinders their development in rechargeable batteries. Hence, this work designs an ultrarobust hydrogen-bonded organic-inorganic hybrid material: the small organic unit of the 1,3,6,8-tetrakis (p-benzoic acid) pyrene (TBAP) molecule connected with the hydroxylated TiCT MXene through hydrogen bonds between the terminal groups of -COOH and -OH. The robust and elastic hydrogen bonds can empower the TBAP, despite being a low-molecule organic chemical, with unusually low solubility in organic electrolytes and thermal stability.

Rational Construction of Yolk-Shell Bimetal-Modified Quinonyl-Rich Covalent Organic Polymers with Ultralong Lithium-Storage Mechanism.

Covalent organic polymers are attracting more and more attention for energy storage devices due to their lightweight, molecular viable design, stable structure, and environmental benignity. However, low charge-carrier mobility of pristine covalent organic materials is the main drawback for their application in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, a yolk-shell bimetal-modified quinonyl-rich covalent organic material, Co@2AQ-MnO, has been designed and synthesized by loading of petal-like nanosized MnO and coordinating with Co centers, with the aim to improve the charge conductivity of the covalent organic polymer and activate its Li-storage sites.

An AIE-Active Ultrathin Polymeric Self-Assembled Monolayer Sensor for Trace Volatile Explosive Detection.

This work has prepared polymeric self-assembled monolayer (SAM) sensors for the detection of trace volatile nitroaromatic compound (NAC) explosives by fluorescence quenching. A typical aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogen 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylethene (TPE) polymerizes into PTPE to increase the fluorescence intensity in the SAMs, and the phosphoric acid acts as the anchor group to form stable covalent bonds with the Al O substrate. This design takes advantage of the high sensitivity and good stability of SAMs, and high fluorescence intensity, and "wire effect" of the conjugated polymers.

YY-11, a camel milk-derived peptide, inhibits TGF-β-mediated atherogenic signaling in human vascular smooth muscle cells.

Atherosclerosis, the major underlying pathology of cardiovascular disease, commences with the binding and trapping of lipids on modified proteoglycans, with hyperelongated glycosaminoglycan chains. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β stimulates glycosaminoglycan elongation in vascular smooth muscle cells. We have recently shown that this TGF-β signaling pathway involves reactive oxygen species (ROS).

A Formaldehyde Sensor Based on Self-Assembled Monolayers of Oxidized Thiophene Derivatives.

High-performance formaldehyde sensors play an important role in air quality assessment. Herein, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) sensor for trace formaldehyde (FA) is fabricated based on the fluorescence enhancement of oxidized thiophene derivatives. In the primary SAM molecules, the functional backbone trithiophene (3T) links to the anchor through an -propyl group.

Temperature-Sensitive Lipid-Coated Carbon Nanotubes for Synergistic Photothermal Therapy and Gene Therapy.

The combination of photothermal therapy (PTT) and gene therapy (GT) shows great potential to achieve synergistic anti-tumor activity. However, the lack of a controlled release of genes from carriers remains a severe hindrance. Herein, peptide lipid (PL) and sucrose laurate (SL) were used to coat single-walled carbon nanotubes (SCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MCNTs) to form bifunctional delivery systems (denoted SCNT-PS and MCNT-PS, respectively) with excellent temperature-sensitivity and photothermal performance.

Interaction kinetics of peptide lipids-mediated gene delivery.

Background: During the course of gene transfection, the interaction kinetics between liposomes and DNA is speculated to play very important role for blood stability, cellular uptake, DNA release and finally transfection efficiency.

Results: As cationic peptide liposomes exhibited great gene transfer activities both in vitro and in vivo, two peptide lipids, containing a tri-ornithine head (LOrn3) and a mono-ornithine head (LOrn1), were chosen to further clarify the process of liposome-mediated gene delivery in this study. The results show that the electrostatically-driven binding between DNA and liposomes reached nearly 100% at equilibrium, and high affinity of LOrn3 to DNA led to fast binding rate between them.

Lysophosphatidic acid receptor 5 transactivation of TGFBR1 stimulates the mRNA expression of proteoglycan synthesizing genes XYLT1 and CHST3.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) via transactivation dependent signalling pathways contributes to a plethora of physiological and pathophysiological responses. In the vasculature, hyperelongation of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains on proteoglycans leads to lipid retention in the intima resulting in the early pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Therefore, we investigated and defined the contribution of transactivation dependent signalling in LPA mediated GAG chain hyperelongation in human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).

Epidemiological investigation on the cervical health of lesbians in Beijing, China.

Objective: To investigate human papillomavirus (HPV) infection status and influencing factors among lesbians.

Methods: In August to October 2018, 300 lesbians were recruited in Beijing using snowball sampling. Sociodemographic characteristics, behavioural indices and HPV status were measured.