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The fast penetration of electrification in rural areas calls for the development of competitive decentralized approaches. A promising solution is represented by low-cost and compact integrated solar flow batteries; however, obtaining high energy conversion performance and long device lifetime simultaneously in these systems has been challenging. Here, we use high-efficiency perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells and redox flow batteries based on robust BTMAP-Vi/N Me -TEMPO redox couples to realize a high-performance and stable solar flow battery device. Numerical analysis methods enable the rational design of both components, achieving an optimal voltage match. These efforts led to a solar-to-output electricity efficiency of 20.1% for solar flow batteries, as well as improved device lifetime, solar power conversion utilization ratio and capacity utilization rate. The conceptual design strategy presented here also suggests general future optimization approaches for integrated solar energy conversion and storage systems. Voltage matching and rational design of redox couples enable high solar-to-output electricity efficiency and extended operational lifetime in a redox flow battery integrated with a perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell.

Aqueous polysulfide/iodide redox flow batteries are attractive for scalable energy storage due to their high energy density and low cost. However, their energy efficiency and power density are usually limited by poor electrochemical kinetics of the redox reactions of polysulfide/iodide ions on graphite electrodes, which has become the main obstacle for their practical applications. Here, CoS 2 /CoS heterojunction nanoparticles with uneven charge distribution, which are synthesized in situ on graphite felt by a one-step solvothermal process, can significantly boost electrocatalytic activities of I − /I 3 − and S 2− /S x 2− redox reactions by improving absorptivity of charged ions and promoting charge transfer. The polysulfide/iodide flow battery with the graphene felt-CoS 2 /CoS heterojunction can deliver a high energy efficiency of 84.5% at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 , a power density of 86.2 mW cm −2 and a stable energy efficiency retention of 96% after approximately 1000 h of continuous operation. Polysulfide/iodide redox flow batteries are promising due to low cost and high-solubility components, but are limited by energy efficiency and power density. Here the authors fabricate heterojunction electrocatalysts to achieve improved performance in a polysulfide/iodide redox flow battery.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that affects mucin-producing body organs such as the lungs. Characteristic of CF is the production of thick, viscous mucus, containing the glycoprotein mucin, that can lead to progressive airway obstruction. Recently, we demonstrated that the presence of mucin induced a rapid surface adaptation in motile bacteria termed surfing motility, which data presented here indicates is very different from swarming motility. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the main colonizing pathogen in CF, employs several stress coping mechanisms to survive the highly viscous environment of the CF lung. We used motility-based assays and RNA-Seq to study the stringent stress response in the hypervirulent CF isolate LESB58 (Liverpool Epidemic Strain). Motility experiments revealed that an LESB58 stringent response mutant (ΔrelAΔspoT) was unable to surf. Transcriptional profiling of ΔrelAΔspoT mutant cells from surfing agar plates, when compared to wild-type cells from the surfing edge, revealed 2,584 dysregulated genes. Gene Ontology and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed effects of the stringent response on amino acid, nucleic acid and fatty acid metabolism, TCA cycle and glycolysis, type VI secretion, as well as chemotaxis, cell communication, iron transport, nitrogen metabolic processes and cyclic-di-GMP signalling. Screening of the ordered PA14 transposon library revealed 224 mutants unable to surf and very limited overlap with genes required for swarming. Mutants affecting surfing included two downstream effector genes of the stringent stress response, the copper regulator cueR and the quinolone synthase pqsH. Both the cueR and pqsH cloned genes complemented the surfing deficiency of ΔrelAΔspoT. Our study revealed insights into stringent stress dependency in LESB58 and showed that surfing motility is stringently-controlled via the expression of cueR and pqsH. Downstream factors of the stringent stress response are important to investigate in order to fully understand its ability to colonize and persist in the CF lung.

The enhancement of separation processes and electrochemical technologies such as water electrolysers 1 , 2 , fuel cells 3 , 4 , redox flow batteries 5 , 6 and ion-capture electrodialysis 7 depends on the development of low-resistance and high-selectivity ion-transport membranes. The transport of ions through these membranes depends on the overall energy barriers imposed by the collective interplay of pore architecture and pore–analyte interaction 8 , 9 . However, it remains challenging to design efficient, scaleable and low-cost selective ion-transport membranes that provide ion channels for low-energy-barrier transport. Here we pursue a strategy that allows the diffusion limit of ions in water to be approached for large-area, free-standing, synthetic membranes using covalently bonded polymer frameworks with rigidity-confined ion channels. The near-frictionless ion flow is synergistically fulfilled by robust micropore confinement and multi-interaction between ion and membrane, which afford, for instance, a Na + diffusion coefficient of 1.18 × 10 −9  m 2  s –1 , close to the value in pure water at infinite dilution, and an area-specific membrane resistance as low as 0.17 Ω cm 2 . We demonstrate highly efficient membranes in rapidly charging aqueous organic redox flow batteries that deliver both high energy efficiency and high-capacity utilization at extremely high current densities (up to 500 mA cm –2 ), and also that avoid crossover-induced capacity decay. This membrane design concept may be broadly applicable to membranes for a wide range of electrochemical devices and for precise molecular separation. The authors develop a strategy that allows the diffusion limit of ions in water to be approached for large-area, free-standing, synthetic membranes using covalently bonded polymer frameworks with rigidity-confined ion channels.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) 1 is one of four isozymes that inhibit the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA via pyruvate dehydrogenase. PDK activity is elevated in fasting or starvation conditions to conserve carbohydrate reserves. PDK has also been shown to increase mitochondrial fatty acid utilization. In cardiomyocytes, metabolic flexibility is crucial for the fulfillment of high energy requirements. The PDK1 isoform is abundant in cardiomyocytes, but its specific contribution to cardiomyocyte metabolism is unclear. Here we show that PDK1 regulates cardiomyocyte fuel preference by mediating triacylglycerol turnover in differentiated H9c2 myoblasts using lentiviral shRNA to knockdown . Somewhat surprisingly, PDK1 loss did not affect overall PDH activity, basal glycolysis, or glucose oxidation revealed by oxygen consumption rate experiments and C glucose labelling. On the other hand, we observed decreased triacylglycerol turnover in H9c2 cells with PDK1 knockdown, which was accompanied by decreased mitochondrial fatty acid utilization following nutrient deprivation. C palmitate tracing of uniformly labelled acyl chains revealed minimal acyl chain shuffling within triacylglycerol, indicating that the triacylglycerol hydrolysis, and not re-esterification, was dysfunctional in PDK1 suppressed cells. Importantly, PDK1 loss did not significantly impact the cellular lipidome or triacylglycerol accumulation following palmitic acid treatment, suggesting that effects of PDK1 on lipid metabolism were specific to the nutrient-deprived state. We validated that PDK1 loss decreased triacylglycerol turnover in knockout mice. Together, these findings implicate a novel role for PDK1 in lipid metabolism in cardiomyocytes, independent of its canonical roles in glucose metabolism.

Merits and drawbacks of representative inorganic and organic redox active electrolytes used in aqueous redox flow batteries are discussed. Appropriate assessment and reporting methods of the cycling stability of electrolyte materials are recommended. Future directions in developing advanced electrolyte materials are presented. Redox flow batteries represent a viable technology for scalable energy storage. However, widespread market adoption of flow battery technologies is significantly impeded by the lack of robust, low-cost redox active electrolyte materials. In this perspective, we highlight the merits and drawbacks of representative inorganic and organic redox active electrolytes. We also provide a number of research strategies to develop high-performance redox active electrolytes to enable energy dense, durable, low-cost flow battery technologies. Graphical abstract

Aqueous polysulfide/iodide redox flow batteries are attractive for scalable energy storage due to their high energy density and low cost. However, their energy efficiency and power density are usually limited by poor electrochemical kinetics of the redox reactions of polysulfide/iodide ions on graphite electrodes, which has become the main obstacle for their practical applications. Here, CoS /CoS heterojunction nanoparticles with uneven charge distribution, which are synthesized in situ on graphite felt by a one-step solvothermal process, can significantly boost electrocatalytic activities of I /I and S /S redox reactions by improving absorptivity of charged ions and promoting charge transfer. The polysulfide/iodide flow battery with the graphene felt-CoS /CoS heterojunction can deliver a high energy efficiency of 84.5% at a current density of 10 mA cm , a power density of 86.2 mW cm and a stable energy efficiency retention of 96% after approximately 1000 h of continuous operation.

We report detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) in an asymptomatic, fully vaccinated traveler in a quarantine hotel in Hong Kong, China. The Omicron variant was also detected in a fully vaccinated traveler staying in a room across the corridor from the index patient, suggesting transmission despite strict quarantine precautions.

Several zoonotic influenza A viruses detected in humans contain genes derived from avian H9N2 subtypes. We uncovered a Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus with polymerase basic 1 and matrix gene segments derived from the H9N2 subtype, suggesting that H9N2 viruses are infecting pigs and reassorting with swine influenza viruses in China.