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ObjectivesTo evaluate the image quality of ultralow-dose computed tomography (ULDCT) reconstructed with knowledge-based iterative model reconstruction (IMR) in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).MethodsThis IRB-approved prospective study enrolled 59 consecutive patients (mean age, 43.9 ± 16.6 years; F:M 18:41) with known or suspected pulmonary TB. Patients underwent a low-dose CT (LDCT) using automatic tube current modulation followed by an ULDCT using fixed tube current. Raw image data were reconstructed with filtered-back projection (FBP), hybrid iterative reconstruction (iDose), and IMR. Objective measurements including CT attenuation, image noise, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were assessed and compared using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Overall image quality and visualization of normal and pathological findings were subjectively scored on a five-point scale. Radiation output and subjective scores were compared by the paired Student t test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test, respectively.ResultsCompared with FBP and iDose, IMR yielded significantly lower noise and higher CNR values at both dose levels (p < 0.01). Subjective ratings for pathological findings including centrilobular nodules, consolidation, tree-in-bud, and cavity were significantly better with ULDCT IMR images than those with LDCT iDose images (p < 0.01), but blurred edges were observed. With IMR implementation, a 59% reduction of the mean effective dose was achieved with ULDCT (0.28 ± 0.02 mSv) compared with LDCT (0.69 ± 0.15 mSv) without impairing image quality (p < 0.001).ConclusionsIMR offers considerable noise reduction and improvement in image quality for patients with pulmonary TB undergoing chest ULDCT at an effective dose of 0.28 mSv.Key Points• Radiation dose is a major concern for tuberculosis patients requiring repeated follow-up CT.• IMR allows substantial radiation dose reduction in chest CT without compromising image quality.• ULDCT reconstructed with IMR allows accurate depiction of CT features of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Charge carriers are fundamental components of batteries that determine battery chemistry and performance. Non-metallic charge carriers provide an alternative to metallic charge carriers in aqueous batteries, enabling fast kinetics, long cyclic lifetime and low manufacturing costs. Non-metallic charge carriers not only can be inserted into the electrode framework, where they establish covalent–ionic bonds, but can also serve as reversible redox centres for charge transfer, resulting in superior performance compared with metallic charge carrier-based devices. In this Review, we discuss cationic and anionic non-metallic charge carriers, their physicochemical properties, charge storage mechanisms and electrode interactions. We examine battery configurations of non-metallic charge carrier-based devices and analyse battery performance based on costs, capacity, working potential, rate capability and cycling stability. Finally, we highlight design strategies for aqueous batteries based on non-metallic charge carriers and future applications. This Review discusses non-metallic charge carriers for aqueous batteries, investigating fundamental mechanisms of charge storage and electrode interactions, as well as battery design and performance.

Thanks to a stable fluorinated interphase formed on top of a Zn metal anode, a Zn metal battery shows 99.9% Coulombic efficiency and record-high Zn utilization.

Aqueous graphite-based dual ion batteries have unique superiorities in stationary energy storage systems due to their non-transition metal configuration and safety properties. However, there is an absence of thorough study of the interactions between anions and water molecules and between anions and electrode materials, which is essential to achieve high output voltage. Here we reveal the four-stage intercalation process and energy conversion in a graphite cathode of anions with different configurations. The difference between the intercalation energy and hydration energy of bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide makes the best use of the electrochemical stability window of its electrolyte and delivers a high intercalation potential, while BF 4 − and CF 3 SO 3 − do not exhibit a satisfactory potential because the graphite intercalation potential of BF 4 − is inferior and the graphite intercalation potential of CF 3 SO 3 − exceeds the voltage window of its electrolyte. An aqueous dual ion battery based on the intercalation behaviors of bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide anions into a graphite cathode exhibits a high voltage of 2.2 V together with a specific energy of 242.74 Wh kg −1 . This work provides clear guidance for the voltage plateau manipulation of anion intercalation into two-dimensional materials. The interactions between water molecules, electrode materials and anions are essential yet challenging for aqueous dual ion batteries. Here, the authors demonstrate the voltage manipulation of dual ion batteries through matching intercalation energy and solvation energy of different anions.

The chlorine-based redox reaction (ClRR) could be exploited to produce secondary high-energy aqueous batteries. However, efficient and reversible ClRR is challenging, and it is affected by parasitic reactions such as Cl 2 gas evolution and electrolyte decomposition. Here, to circumvent these issues, we use iodine as positive electrode active material in a battery system comprising a Zn metal negative electrode and a concentrated (e.g., 30 molal) ZnCl 2 aqueous electrolyte solution. During cell discharge, the iodine at the positive electrode interacts with the chloride ions from the electrolyte to enable interhalogen coordinating chemistry and forming ICl 3 - . In this way, the redox-active halogen atoms allow a reversible three-electrons transfer reaction which, at the lab-scale cell level, translates into an initial specific discharge capacity of 612.5 mAh g I2 −1 at 0.5 A g I2 −1 and 25 °C (corresponding to a calculated specific energy of 905 Wh kg I2 −1 ). We also report the assembly and testing of a Zn | |Cl-I pouch cell prototype demonstrating a discharge capacity retention of about 74% after 300 cycles at 200 mA and 25 °C (final discharge capacity of about 92 mAh). Cl-redox reactions cannot be fully exploited in batteries because of the Cl2 gas evolution. Here, reversible high-energy interhalogen reactions are demonstrated by using a iodine-based cathode in combination with a Zn anode and a Cl-containing aqueous electrolyte solution.

Lighting accounts for one-fifth of global electricity consumption 1 . Single materials with efficient and stable white-light emission are ideal for lighting applications, but photon emission covering the entire visible spectrum is difficult to achieve using a single material. Metal halide perovskites have outstanding emission properties 2 , 3 ; however, the best-performing materials of this type contain lead and have unsatisfactory stability. Here we report a lead-free double perovskite that exhibits efficient and stable white-light emission via self-trapped excitons that originate from the Jahn–Teller distortion of the AgCl 6 octahedron in the excited state. By alloying sodium cations into Cs 2 AgInCl 6 , we break the dark transition (the inversion-symmetry-induced parity-forbidden transition) by manipulating the parity of the wavefunction of the self-trapped exciton and reduce the electronic dimensionality of the semiconductor 4 . This leads to an increase in photoluminescence efficiency by three orders of magnitude compared to pure Cs 2 AgInCl 6 . The optimally alloyed Cs 2 (Ag 0.60 Na 0.40 )InCl 6 with 0.04 per cent bismuth doping emits warm-white light with 86 ± 5 per cent quantum efficiency and works for over 1,000 hours. We anticipate that these results will stimulate research on single-emitter-based white-light-emitting phosphors and diodes for next-generation lighting and display technologies. After alloying with metal cations, a lead-free halide double perovskite shows stable performance and remarkably efficient white-light emission, with possible applications in lighting and display technologies.

The diverse and tunable surface and bulk chemistry of MXenes affords valuable and distinctive properties, which can be useful across many components of energy storage devices. MXenes offer diverse functions in batteries and supercapacitors, including double-layer and redox-type ion storage, ion transfer regulation, steric hindrance, ion redistribution, electrocatalysts, electrodeposition substrates and so on. They have been utilized to enhance the stability and performance of electrodes, electrolytes and separators. In this Review, we present a discussion on the roles of MXene bulk and surface chemistries across various energy storage devices and clarify the correlations between their chemical properties and the required functions. We also provide guidelines for the utilization of MXene surface terminations to control the properties and improve the performance of batteries and supercapacitors. Finally, we conclude with a perspective on the challenges and opportunities of MXene-based energy storage components towards future practical applications. Dramatic innovations in surface and bulk chemistry enable MXenes to flourish in electrochemical applications. This Review analyses the recorded footprints of MXene components for energy storage, with particular attention paid to a coherent understanding of the fundamental relationship between MXene components and their qualified roles from a nuanced chemical perspective.

Most current research is devoted to electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction for ammonia synthesis under alkaline/neutral media while the investigation of nitrate reduction under acidic conditions is rarely reported. In this work, we demonstrate the potential of TiO 2 nanosheet with intrinsically poor hydrogen-evolution activity for selective and rapid nitrate reduction to ammonia under acidic conditions. Hybridized with iron phthalocyanine, the resulting catalyst displays remarkably improved efficiency toward ammonia formation owing to the enhanced nitrate adsorption, suppressed hydrogen evolution and lowered energy barrier for the rate-determining step. Then, an alkaline-acid hybrid Zn-nitrate battery was developed with high open-circuit voltage of 1.99 V and power density of 91.4 mW cm –2 . Further, the environmental sulfur recovery can be powered by above hybrid battery and the hydrazine-nitrate fuel cell can be developed for simultaneously hydrazine/nitrate conversion and electricity generation. This work demonstrates the attractive potential of acidic nitrate reduction for ammonia electrosynthesis and broadens the field of energy conversion. Research on electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia in acidic conditions has been less extensive than that conducted in alkaline conditions. Here, the authors report a hybrid of iron phthalocyanine and TiO 2 catalyst with improved efficiency toward acidic nitrate reduction and its application in Zn-nitrate batteries and high-voltage pollutes-based fuel cell.

A cell-specific delivery vehicle is required to achieve gene editing of the disease-associated cells, so the hereditable genome editing reactions are confined within these cells without affecting healthy cells. A hybrid exosome-based nano-sized delivery vehicle derived by fusion of engineered exosomes and liposomes will be able to encapsulate and deliver CRISPR/Cas9 plasmids selectively to chondrocytes embedded in articular cartilage and attenuate the condition of cartilage damage. Chondrocyte-targeting exosomes (CAP-Exo) were constructed by genetically fusing a chondrocyte affinity peptide (CAP) at the N-terminus of the exosomal surface protein Lamp2b. Membrane fusion of the CAP-Exo with liposomes formed hybrid CAP-exosomes (hybrid CAP-Exo) which were used to encapsulate CRISPR/Cas9 plasmids. By intra-articular (IA) administration, hybrid CAP-Exo/Cas9 sgMMP-13 entered the chondrocytes of rats with cartilage damages that mimicked the condition of osteoarthritis. The hybrid CAP-Exo entered the deep region of the cartilage matrix in arthritic rats on IA administration, delivered the plasmid Cas9 sgMMP-13 to chondrocytes, knocked down the matrix metalloproteinase 13 ( ), efficiently ablated the expression of in chondrocytes, and attenuated the hydrolytic degradation of the extracellular matrix proteins in the cartilage. Chondrocyte-specific knockdown of mitigates or prevents cartilage degradation in arthritic rats, showing that hybrid CAP-Exo/Cas9 sgMMP-13 may alleviate osteoarthritis.