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Highly permeable particulate matter (PM) can carry various bacteria, viruses and toxics and pose a serious threat to public health. Nevertheless, current respirators typically sacrifice their thickness and base weight for high-performance filtration, which inevitably causes wearing discomfort and significant consumption of raw materials. Here, we show a facile yet massive splitting eletrospinning strategy to prepare an ultrathin, ultralight and radiative cooling dual-scale fiber membrane with about 80% infrared transmittance for high-protective, comfortable and sustainable air filter. By tailoring antibacterial surfactant-triggered splitting of charged jets, the dual-scale fibrous filter consisting of continuous nanofibers (44 ± 12 nm) and submicron-fibers (159 ± 32 nm) is formed. It presents ultralow thickness (1.49 μm) and base weight (0.57 g m −2 ) but superior protective performances (about 99.95% PM 0.3 removal, durable antibacterial ability) and wearing comfort of low air resistance, high heat dissipation and moisture permeability. Moreover, the ultralight filter can save over 97% polymers than commercial N95 respirator, enabling itself to be sustainable and economical. This work paves the way for designing advanced and sustainable protective materials. Development of high-performance, comfortable and sustainable air filters is challenging. Here, authors design an ultrathin, ultralight dual scale fiber mat composed of true nanofibers and submicron-fibers to integrate the high protection, thermal wet comfort and save raw materials.

Supramolecular polymeric materials have exhibited attractive features such as self-healing, reversibility, and stimuli-responsiveness. However, on account of the weak bonding nature of most noncovalent interactions, it remains a great challenge to construct supramolecular polymeric materials with high robustness. Moreover, high usage of supramolecular units is usually necessary to promote the formation of robust supramolecular polymeric materials, which restrains their applications. Herein, we describe the construction of highly robust supramolecular polymer networks by using only a tiny amount of metallacycles as the supramolecular crosslinkers. A norbornene ring-opening metathesis copolymer with a 120° dipyridine ligand is prepared and self-assembled with a 60° or 120° Pt(II) acceptor to fabricate the metallacycle-crosslinked polymer networks. With only 0.28 mol% or less pendant dipyridine units to form the metallacycle crosslinkers, the mechanical properties of the polymers are significantly enhanced. The tensile strengths, Young’s moduli, and toughness of the reinforced polymers reach up to more than 20 MPa, 600 MPa, and 150 MJ/m 3 , respectively. Controllable destruction and reconstruction of the metallacycle-crosslinked polymer networks are further demonstrated by the sequential addition of tetrabutylammonium bromide and silver triflate, indicative of good stimuli-responsiveness of the networks. These remarkable performances are attributed to the thermodynamically stable, but dynamic metallacycle-based supramolecular coordination complexes that offer strong linkages with good adaptive characteristics. Supramolecular polymeric materials have exhibited attractive features such as self-healing, reversibility and stimuli-responsiveness but because of the weak bonding nature of most noncovalent interactions, constructing supramolecular polymer materials with high robustness remains challenging. Here, the authors describe the construction of highly robust stimuli-responsive supramolecular polymer networks by using only a tiny amount of metallacycles as the supramolecular crosslinkers.

Hydrogen production from water splitting by photo/photoelectron‐catalytic process is a promising route to solve both fossil fuel depletion and environmental pollution at the same time. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes have attracted much interest due to their large specific surface area and highly ordered structure, which has led to promising potential applications in photocatalytic degradation, photoreduction of CO2, water splitting, supercapacitors, dye‐sensitized solar cells, lithium‐ion batteries and biomedical devices. Nanotubes can be fabricated via facile hydrothermal method, solvothermal method, template technique and electrochemical anodic oxidation. In this report, we provide a comprehensive review on recent progress of the synthesis and modification of TiO2 nanotubes to be used for photo/photoelectro‐catalytic water splitting. The future development of TiO2 nanotubes is also discussed. Hydrogen production from water splitting by photo/photoelectron‐catalytic process is one promising route to solve both energy depletion and environmental pollution at the same time. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes have attracted much interest and show potential applications in photocatalytic degradation, water splitting and lithium‐ion batteries etc. In this review, the recent progress of TiO2 nanotubes in the synthesis processes and modification used to improve the performance of photo/photoelectrocatalytic water splitting is comprehensively reviewed. The future development of TiO2 nanotubes is also briefly discussed and addressed.

Durable superhydrophobic anti‐erosion/anticorrosion coatings are highly demanded across various applications. However, achieving coatings with exceptional superhydrophobicity, mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance remains a grand challenge. Herein, a robust microstructure coating, inspired by the cylindrical structures situated on the surface of conch shell, for mitigating erosion and corrosion damages in gas transportation pipelines is reported. Specifically, citric acid monohydrate as a pore‐forming agent is leveraged to create a porous structure between layers, effectively buffering the impact on the surface. As a result, the coating demonstrates remarkable wear resistance and water repellency. Importantly, even after abrasion by sandpaper and an erosion loop test, the resulting superhydrophobic surfaces retain the water repellency. The design strategy offers a promising route to manufacturing multifunctional materials with desired features and structural complexities, thereby enabling effective self‐cleaning and antifouling abilities in harsh operating environments for an array of applications, including self‐cleaning windows, antifouling coatings for medical devices, and anti‐erosion/anticorrosion protection, among other areas. Inspired by the cylindrical structures situated on the conch shell, a flexible and sturdy anti‐erosion/anticorrosion superhydrophobic coating is synthesized. The coating exhibited a remarkable 71％ reduction in erosion rate, measuring at 27.22 nm/s in contrast to the 316L steel substrate. Additionally, the coating increased the corrosion potential from −0.08 V to −0.02 V, underscoring its impressive performance in combating erosion/corrosion.

To investigate the perceived-stigma level of COVID-19 patients in the early stage of the epidemic and analysed related factors and correlations that affected the stigma levels. The COVID-19 patients were selected using the convenience sampling method. Perceived-stigma level was evaluated using the Social Impact Scale (SIS). Frequency was used to describe the general information and disease investigation status of COVID-19 patients; mean and standard deviation were used for describing stigma levels, Wilcoxon signed-ranks test (nonparametric test) was applied for pairwise comparison. Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test for grade data, and Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner test for multiple comparative analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed, and statistically significant indicators in single-factor analysis were included to investigate the independent factors of stigma. The p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. SIS score of the 122 COVID-19 patients averaged 57.37±9.99 points. There were statistically significant differences in perceived-stigma levels among patients of different ages (p = 0.008), occupation (p <0.001), marital status (p = 0.009), and disease severity (p = 0.020). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age was the main influencing factor of stigma (p<0.05). The overall perceived-stigma level of COVID-19 patients in the early stage of the epidemic was moderate. Younger, unmarried, and severely ill patients had a higher level of perceived-stigma, with age being the main factor. More attention should be given to the young COVID-19 patients.

Illness-related costs experienced by tuberculosis patients produce a severe economic impact on households, especially poor families. Few studies have investigated the full costs, including direct and indirect costs, at the patient and household levels in south-east China. A case follow-up study was conducted in the Bao'an district of Shenzhen City, China. Eligible new and previously treated individuals with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) during January 1.sup.st 2013 to June 30.sup.th 2013 were enrolled. Medical and non-medical costs as well as income loss were calculated in diagnosis and treatment periods, respectively. Factors associated with costs due to TB diagnosis, treatment and TB care (diagnosis + treatment) were explored respectively with a linear regression model. Of the total 514 TB patients enrolled, 95% were from the migrant population, and 65% were males, with a mean age of 32.25 (±10.11). The median costs due to TB diagnosis and TB treatment were 79 United States dollar (USD), 748USD (6.2897 China Yuan (CNY) = 1USD, 2013) per patient, respectively. The median costs due to TB care (diagnosis and treatment) per patient was 1218USD, corresponding to 26% of patients' annual income pre-illness. Those who visited more times to health facilities, hospitalized, received higher education, or occupied in national civil servant/services/retired staff might expense more before diagnosis. Costs due to TB treatment was significantly higher among migrant patients, sputum smear positive patients, and widowed/divorced population. Factors associated with less total costs were native patients, fewer times of visiting to health-care facilities and those with no hospitalization history due to TB. Although a free TB control policy is in force, patients with TB are still facing a heavy economic burden. More available interventions to reduce the financial burden on tuberculosis patients are urgently needed.

Cryptosporidium spp. are significant opportunistic pathogens causing diarrhoea in humans and animals. Pigs are one of the most important potential hosts for Cryptosporidium. We evaluated the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs globally using published information and a random-effects model. In total, 131 datasets from 36 countries were included in the final quantitative analysis. The global prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs was 16.3% (8560/64 809; 95% confidence interval [CI] 15.0–17.6%). The highest prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs was 40.8% (478/1271) in Africa. Post-weaned pigs had a significantly higher prevalence (25.8%; 2739/11 824) than pre-weaned, fattening and adult pigs. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium was higher in pigs with no diarrhoea (12.2%; 371/3501) than in pigs that had diarrhoea (8.0%; 348/4874). Seven Cryptosporidium species (Cryptosporidium scrofarum, Cryptosporidium suis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium muris, Cryptosporidium tyzzeri, Cryptosporidium andersoni and Cryptosporidium struthioni) were detected in pigs globally. The proportion of C. scrofarum was 34.3% (1491/4351); the proportion of C. suis was 31.8% (1385/4351) and the proportion of C. parvum was 2.3% (98/4351). The influence of different geographic factors (latitude, longitude, mean yearly temperature, mean yearly relative humidity and mean yearly precipitation) on the infection rate of Cryptosporidium in pigs was also analysed. The results indicate that C. suis is the dominant species in pre-weaned pigs, while C. scrofarum is the dominant species in fattening and adult pigs. The findings highlight the role of pigs as possible potential hosts of zoonotic cryptosporidiosis and the need for additional studies on the prevalence, transmission and control of Cryptosporidium in pigs.

Background: In addition to supportive therapy, antiviral therapy is an effective treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of favipiravir and umifenovir (Arbidol) to treat COVID-19 patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label multicenter trial involving adult patients with COVID-19. Enrolled patients with initial symptoms within 12 days were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive conventional therapy plus Arbidol (200 mg*3/day) or favipiravir (1600 mg*2/first day followed by 600 mg*2/day) for 7 days. The primary outcome was the clinical recovery rate at day 7 of drug administration (relief for pyrexia and cough, respiratory frequency ≤24 times/min; oxygen saturation ≥98%). Latency to relief for pyrexia and cough and the rate of auxiliary oxygen therapy (AOT) or noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NMV)/mechanical ventilation (MV) were the secondary outcomes. Safety data were collected for 17 days. Results: A total of 240 enrolled COVID-19 patients underwent randomization; 120 patients were assigned to receive favipiravir (116 assessed), and 120 patients were assigned to receive Arbidol (120 assessed). The clinical recovery rate at day 7 of drug administration did not significantly differ between the favipiravir group (71/116) and Arbidol group (62/120) ( p = 0.1396, difference in recovery rate: 0.0954; 95% CI: −0.0305∼0.2213). Favipiravir contributed to relief for both pyrexia (difference: 1.70 days, p < 0.0001) and cough (difference: 1.75 days, p < 0.0001). No difference was observed in the AOT or NMV/MV rate (both p > 0.05). The most frequently observed favipiravir-associated adverse event was increased serum uric acid (16/116, OR: 5.52, p = 0.0014). Conclusion: Among patients with COVID-19, favipiravir, compared to Arbidol, did not significantly improve the clinical recovery rate at day 7. Favipiravir significantly improved the latency to relieve pyrexia and cough. Adverse effects caused by favipiravir are mild and manageable.

Background Cryptosporidium parvum is an enteric protozoan parasite with zoonotic importance and can cause cryptosporidiosis in humans as well as domestic and wild animals worldwide. The IId subtype family (SF) is one of the most prevalent subtypes of C. parvum . Some clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) protein systems have been developed to detect nucleic acid with high flexibility, sensitivity and specificity. Methods By integrating recombinase polymerase amplification and the C as12a/crRNA trans - c leavage system (termed ReCTC), we established end-point diagnostics by observing fluorescence readouts with the naked eye under blue light and on-site diagnostics using a lateral flow strip (LFS) biosensor. Results Our ReCTC-based diagnoses can detect as little as a single copy of a cloned C. parvum 60-kDa glycoprotein (GP60) gene, 10 oocysts per gram (OPG), clinical fecal sample without tedious extraction of genomic DNA and have no cross-reactivity with other SFs of C. parvum or other common enteric parasitic protozoa. Conclusions This study provided a new strategy for direct identification of the IId SF of C. parvum free of highly trained operators and expensive special equipment. Graphical Abstract

Shuhui Li, Tianxue Zhu, Jianying Huang, Qingqing Guo, Guoqiang Chen, Yuekun Lai National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China Abstract: A facile method was developed to endow cotton fabric with remarkable antibacterial and ultraviolet (UV)-protective properties. The flower-like TiO2 micro-nanoparticles were first deposited onto cotton fabric surface via hydrothermal deposition method. Then, the Ag NPs with a high deposition density were evenly formed onto TiO2@cotton surface by sodium hydroxide solution pretreatment and followed by in situ reduction of ANO3. This work focused on the influence of different hydrothermal reaction durations and the concentration of AgNO3 on antibacterial activity against relevant microorganisms in medicine as well as on the UV-blocking property. Ag NPs-loaded TiO2@cotton exhibited high antibacterial activity with an inhibition rate higher than 99% against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. Moreover, the as-prepared cotton fabric coated with Ag NPs and TiO2 NPs demonstrated outstanding UV protective ability with a high ultraviolet protection factor value of 56.39. Morphological image of the cells revealed a likely loss of viability as a result of the synergistically biocidal effects of TiO2 and Ag on attached bacteria. These results demonstrate a facile and robust synthesis technology for fabricating multifunctional textiles with a promising biocidal activity against common Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Keywords: TiO2 nanoparticles, Ag nanoparticles, fabric, antibacterial, UV-shielding, biomedical