Persuing both high energy and power density in one supercapacitor at low cost is very challenging to date. Here, we report the fabrication of nitorgen and Sulphur co-doped graphene (GN) modified ...lignin/polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon nanofiber (ACNFs) from mainly the biomass of lignin following a process of electrospinning, carbonization and activation. GN is used as nitrogen/sulphur immobilization agent to successfully capture HCN, NH3 and SO2 released from lignin and PAN during carbonization, and thus the content of heteroatoms of N and S in ACNFs is increased. The resulting ACNF with 0.30 wt% GN content possesses the maximum specific surface area of 2439 m2 g−1. It shows a typical three-dimensional porous network structures with the highest heteroatom doping content and high degree of crystallinity. The assembled supercapacitor exhibits superior electrochemical performance with ultra-high specific capacitance of 267.32 F g−1, low equivalent series resistance of 5.67 Ω, and outstanding cycling stability of 96.7% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles of charge/discharge in a two-electrode system with 6 mol L−1 KOH as electrolyte. Most importantly, the assembled symmetric supercapacitor shows that ACNFs doping with GNs increases the energy density from 4.12 to 9.28 Wh kg−1 and at the same time with barely reduced power density.
•Using GNs as an adsorbent to capture HCN, NH3, SO2 released in carbonization.•Proposing the water wetting behaviour to evaluation the supercapacitor performance.•Elucidated the mechanism between heteroatom doping and electrochemical properties.
Understanding the genetic changes underlying phenotypic variation in sheep (Ovis aries) may facilitate our efforts towards further improvement. Here, we report the deep resequencing of 248 sheep ...including the wild ancestor (O. orientalis), landraces, and improved breeds. We explored the sheep variome and selection signatures. We detected genomic regions harboring genes associated with distinct morphological and agronomic traits, which may be past and potential future targets of domestication, breeding, and selection. Furthermore, we found non-synonymous mutations in a set of plausible candidate genes and significant differences in their allele frequency distributions across breeds. We identified PDGFD as a likely causal gene for fat deposition in the tails of sheep through transcriptome, RT-PCR, qPCR, and Western blot analyses. Our results provide insights into the demographic history of sheep and a valuable genomic resource for future genetic studies and improved genome-assisted breeding of sheep and other domestic animals.
Convenient generation of stable superatomic silver clusters and their systematic site-specific tailoring and directional assembly present an enduring and significant challenge. In this work, we ...prepared a face-centered cubic (fcc) array of Ag14 superatoms protected by face-capping 1,2-dithiolate-o-carborane (C2B10H10S2) ligands, each produced from 1-thiol-o-carborane in crystallization with simultaneous reduction of Ag+ to Ag0. We find that the corner N-donor ligands contribute predominately to the stability and luminescence of the Ag14 superatom. As the first-formed nanocluster Ag14(C2B10H10S2)6(CH3CN)8·4CH3CN (NC-1) with labile vertex-coordinated CH3CN ligands is highly unstable, monodendate pyridine ligands were used to replace these CH3CN species site-specifically, giving Ag14(C2B10H10S2)6(pyridine/p-methylpyridine)8 (NCs-2,3) in gram scale with its core structure intact, which features ultrastability up to 150 °C in air. Moreover, using bidentate N-containing ligands to bridge the superatomic Ag14 building blocks, we constructed an unprecedented hierarchical series of 1D-to-3D superatomic silver cluster-assembled materials (SCAM-1,2,3,4), and SCAM-4 is air-stable up to 220 °C. Furthermore, this series of stable solid-state superatomic-nanocluster materials exhibit tunable dual emission with wide-range thermochromism. The present study constitutes a major step toward the development of ligand-modulation of the structure, stability, assembly, and functionality of superatomic silver nanoclusters.
To date, surgical resection is the mainstay for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol), one of the most commonly used intravenous anaesthetic agents, has been ...reported to be involved in modulating the malignancy of a variety of human cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, using a cell counting kit (CCK-8), flow cytometry, and caspase-3 cleavage assays, we found that propofol promoted cell apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation in both Colo205 and SW620 cells, through the down-regulation of HOXA11-AS and up-regulation of let-7i. Moreover, gain-of-function studies of HOXA11-AS or loss-of-function studies of let-7i also revealed a negative correlation between HOXA11-AS and let-7i in propofol-mediated biological functions of CRC cells. Furthermore, our mechanistic experiments revealed that HOXA11-AS acts as a molecular sponge for let-7i, thereby regulating the expression of ABCC10. We investigate the theory that propofol suppresses colorectal cancer tumorigenesis by modulating the HOXA11-AS–let-7i–ABCC10 regulatory network, indicating the potential for propofol to control CRC development.
•Proposing a new perspective of CS use in dyes selective and effective removal.•Constructing water- and acid-stablility composite film with simple physical modification.•Elucidating the mechanism of ...adsorption performance by CNF/CS films.
To effectively and selectively remove toxic anionic dyes which are heavily discharged and to promote them recovery, a sustainable cellulose nanofiber/chitosan (CNF/CS) composite film was elaborately designed through a facile procedure. Based on the strong supporting effect of CNF and excellent compatibility between CNF and CS, the composite film presents low swelling and acid-proof properties, which can prevent the adsorption process from the disintegration of adsorbent. Moreover, the positive electrical property of CNF/CS film increases the discrepancy in adsorption capacities for anionic and cationic dyes. The maximum adsorption capacity of anionic methyl orange (MO) on CNF/CS film reaches 655.23 mg/g with a desirable recyclability. The adsorption behavior attributed to a physico-chemical and monolayer adsorption process. This work opens a new route for the development of eco-friendly and highly efficient adsorbents on selective removal and recycling of anionic dyes from wastewater.
Flexible strain sensors have attracted a great amount of attention for promising applications in next-generation artificially intelligent devices. However, it is difficult for conventional planar ...strain sensors to meet the requirements of miniature size and light weight for flexible electronics. Herein, a highly sensitive and stretchable fiber strain sensor with a millimeter diameter was innovatively fabricated by the capillary tube method to integrate silver nanowires (AgNWs) in polyurethane (PU) fibers. Scanning electron microscopy results demonstrate that AgNWs were embedded into the surface layer of PU fibers and formed completely conductive networks. The unique AgNW networks endow the PU/AgNW fibers with superior electrical conductivity of 3.1 S/cm, high elongation at break of 265%, wide response range of 43%, high gauge factor of 87.6 up to 22% strain, fast response time of 49 ms, and excellent reliability and stability. Such satisfactory stretchability and sensitivity is attributed to the combination of the highly stretchable PU matrix and the embedded architecture of the AgNW conductive network. Moreover, PU/AgNW fibers can be employed as wearable devices to detect various human motions and to drive light-emitting diodes at a lower voltage (2.7 V).
To identify susceptibility loci for schizophrenia, we performed a two-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS) of schizophrenia in the Han Chinese population (GWAS: 746 individuals with ...schizophrenia and 1,599 healthy controls; validation: 4,027 individuals with schizophrenia and 5,603 healthy controls). We identified two susceptibility loci for schizophrenia at 6p21-p22.1 (rs1233710 in an intron of ZKSCAN4, P(combined) = 4.76 × 10(-11), odds ratio (OR) = 0.79; rs1635 in an exon of NKAPL, P(combined) = 6.91 × 10(-12), OR = 0.78; rs2142731 in an intron of PGBD1, P(combined) = 5.14 × 10(-10), OR = 0.79) and 11p11.2 (rs11038167 near the 5' UTR of TSPAN18, P(combined) = 1.09 × 10(-11), OR = 1.29; rs11038172, P(combined) = 7.21 × 10(-10), OR = 1.25; rs835784, P(combined) = 2.73 × 10(-11), OR = 1.27). These results add to previous evidence of susceptibility loci for schizophrenia at 6p21-p22.1 in the Han Chinese population. We found that NKAPL and ZKSCAN4 were expressed in postnatal day 0 (P0) mouse brain. These findings may lead to new insights into the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
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•Ultra-thin carbon coated TiO2 photocatalyst (TiO2@C) was constructed using Kraft lignin as carbon source.•TiO2@C possesses extension of absorption region from UV to visible light and ...enhanced separation of photoelectron-hole pairs.•TiO2@C exhibits extraordinary photocatalytic activity towards methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline (TC).
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is considered a promising photocatalyst due to its remarkable properties, such as photostability, low energy consumption and non-toxicity. However, some intrinsic drawbacks of TiO2 including high band gap energy and easy recombination of electron-hole pairs seriously hinder its practical application in photocatalysis. In this study, a 1-nm-thick carbon coating layer was introduced onto the surface of TiO2 (TiO2@C) by carbonizing kraft lignin to improve the photocatalytic performance. Compared with TiO2, TiO2@C shows absorption in both visible-light and UV-light regions, a decrease in band gap energy from 3.31 to 3.27 eV and excellent electronic conductivity, which favour the generation and separation of photo-generated carriers. In addition, the ultra-thin carbon coating can guarantee the penetration of sunlight, and TiO2@C, which remains afloat on the water, can contact with wastewater and absorb sufficient sunlight due to the hydrophobicity and loose structure. The investigation of photocatalytic degradation towards methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline (TC) under artificial visible-light irradiation demonstrates that the prepared TiO2@C has relatively superior photocatalytic activity. The absorbed MB and TC are almost completely degraded by TiO2@C within 10 min and 35 min, respectively. Given the simple modification and excellent photocatalysis, the prepared TiO2@C exhibits great potential applications in contaminated water treatment. This study provides a feasible carbon-coating strategy to improve the photocatalytic performance of TiO2, which can be extended to the rational design of other photocatalysts.
Studies on elevational gradients in biodiversity have accumulated in recent decades. However, few studies have compared the elevational patterns of diversity between the different slopes of a single ...mountain. We investigated the elevational distribution of rodent diversity (alpha and beta diversity) and its underlying mechanisms along the southern and northern slopes of Mt. Taibai, the highest mountain in the Qinling Mountains, China. The species richness of rodents on the two slopes showed distinct distribution patterns, with a monotonically decreasing pattern found along the southern slope and a hump-shaped elevational pattern evident along the northern slope. Multi-model inference suggested that temperature was an important explanatory factor for the richness pattern along the southern slope, and the mid-domain effect (MDE) was important in explaining the richness pattern along the northern slope. The two slopes also greatly differed in the elevational patterns of species turnover, with the southern slope demonstrating a U-shaped curve and the northern slope possessing a roughly hump-shaped pattern. Our results suggest that even within the same mountain, organisms inhabiting different slopes may possess distinct diversity patterns, and the underlying mechanisms may also differ. The potential role of the factors associated with slope aspect in shaping diversity, therefore, cannot be ignored.
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•Constructing a unique hierarchical porous carbon composite material.•Anchoring 2-D GNS and 1-D CNT on 3-D carbon skeleton.•Elucidating the mechanism between CGCM@GNS&CNT and ...electrochemical performance.
In recent years, biomass-derived carbon electrode materials for energy storage have attracted intensive attention in terms of their natural unique structure, widespread availability and low cost. Herein, a unique hierarchical porous carbon composite material (CGCM@GNS&CNT) was facilely constructed on 3-D carbon skeleton by anchoring 2-D graphene nanosheet (GNS) and 1-D carbon nanotube (CNT) through self-assembling method. The CGs with abundant macroscopic pores were utilized as 3D carbon skeleton, CNT and GNS anchored on them were applied to enhance the specific surface area (SSA) and electrical conductivity. The composite material exhibits large SSA of 460 m2 g−1, interconnected conductive network and inherent N, O doping. The CGCM@GNS&CNT electrode achieves a high areal capacitance of 441 mF cm−2 and volumetric capacitance of 90 F cm−3 at 1 mA cm−2 in 1.5 M Na2SO4 electrolyte. More importantly, the CGCM@GNS&CNT-based symmetric supercapacitor affords a remarkable energy density of 31 μWh cm−2 at a power density of 800 μW cm−2 in 1.5 M Na2SO4. The capacitance retention and coulombic efficiency can retain 102.5% and 100.5% over 2000 cycles, respectively, confirming its superb charge/discharge stability and long-term reversibility. These signify that CGCM@GNS&CNT material holds a considerable promise for electrode application in high-performance supercapacitor.
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