In this study, we investigated the effects of aging treatment on the physicochemical, mechanical, and barrier properties of edible composite films prepared from shellac (Sh) and cellulose nanofiber (CNF) with different blending ratios. Sh–CNF films (0%, 20%, and 50% CNF) were fabricated and subjected to aging for 7 days at 40°C and 53% relative humidity. Film thickness was found to decline with both CNF incorporation and aging, whereas there were corresponding increases in opacity, particularly in Sh-rich films. In addition, the moisture content and water solubility of films declined at higher CNF ratios, and aging contributed to further reductions in moisture content, although had no significant effects on water solubility. Color analysis revealed that aging promoted the yellowing of pure Sh films, whereas the addition of CNF mitigated these changes. The findings of mechanical analysis revealed that CNF enhanced tensile strength, yield stress, Young’s modulus, and work of break, although reduced elongation at break. Aging contributed to further enhancements of strength and stiffness, along with a reduction in flexibility, although the magnitude of change diminished at higher CNF contents. Furthermore, the findings of gas barrier analysis indicated that CNF was associated with reductions in oxygen permeability, although promoted increases in water vapor permeability, with aging having the opposite effects. Collectively, these findings revealed that the functional properties of Sh–CNF films can be tailored via controlled aging and blending, thereby highlighting the potential utility of these films as edible packaging materials.

A novel, ultra-high sensitivity electrochemical aptamer biosensor (EAB) was fabricated by immobilising gold nanoparticles (Au) on a nano-confined interface of N-doped carbon nanofibers/carbon fibers (N-CNFs/CFs). Gold nanoparticle-thiol (Au–S) conjugates, coupled with aptamer-specific recognition technology, were used to immobilise aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The nanoconfined interface of N-CNFs/CFs provides more binding sites for Au with its unique spatial structure and electroactive surface area, enhancing the electrochemical performance of the matrix. Compared to the existing sensor detection limit, the limit of detection(LOD) of the EAB was approximately 6.4 pg/mL. The dynamic detection ranged from 10.0 to 1.0 × 108 pg/ mL. Furthermore, AFB1 was also successfully detected in Chinese Materia Medica decoction pieces(CMMDP) using the prepared EAB, with recoveries ranging from 96.18 to 112.87%. These results demonstrate the proposed EAB’s potential as a reliable tool for rapid and efficient detection of AFB1 in complex matrices.

Area-selective atomic layer deposition (AS-ALD) is a bottom-up process that selectively deposits thin films onto specific areas of a wafer surface. The surface reactions of AS-ALD are controlled by blocking the adsorption of precursors using inhibitors such as self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) or small molecule inhibitors. To increase selectivity during the AS-ALD process, the design of both the inhibitor and the precursor is crucial. Both inhibitors and precursors vary in reactivity and size, and surface reactions are blocked through interactions between precursor molecules and surface functional groups. However, challenges in the conventional SAM-based AS-ALD method include thermal instability and potential damage to substrates during the removal of residual SAMs after the process. To address these issues, recent studies have proposed alternative inhibitors and process design strategies.

Hallucinations represent a transdiagnostic phenomenon observed in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, substance use disorder and substance-induced psychotic conditions. Despite their clinical prevalence, objective assessment remains challenging due to its subjective nature, underscoring the critical need for validated translational models. The present study explores the biological mechanisms underlying hallucinations, evaluates the animal models developed to date, and discusses methods for analyzing these models along specific pathways. Hallucinations are primarily mediated through glutamatergic and/or serotonergic pathways. Numerous animal models for assessing hallucinations have been extensively reported; however, these models have mainly been designed to investigate specific neurotransmitter mechanisms, rather than encompassing all relevant pathways. Therefore, this study systematically examines currently established animal models based on the aforementioned neurotransmitter mechanisms and proposes future directions for developing universal animal models capable of comprehensively evaluating hallucinatory phenomena. The present study aims to provide deeper insights for future research involving animal models of hallucination.

As increasing markets for Lithium‒ion battery (LiB), several environmental issues have attained great attention. Especially, the organic solvent N‒Methyl‒2‒Pyrrolidone (NMP), commonly used in the traditional slurry casting process for fabricating LiB electrodes, will be about to be regulated due to its toxicity and the environmental concerns. Therefore, the production of LiB electrodes by a dry process without using NMP organic solvents is of special interest nowadays. In the dry process, it is generally accepted that 1‒dimensional carbon materials like carbon nanotubes (CNT) are beneficial than conventional carbon conductor such as carbon blacks (CB). However, CB is inevitably included during the CNT production, simultaneously as an impurity. Refining CNT from CNT/CB mixture can cause another cost obviously. On the other hand, there have been limited information to study dispersion of carbon materials in electrode with respect to dispersion method and types of carbon conductor. Here, we systematically test the effect of dispersibility of carbon conductor in electrode according to dispersion method and type of carbon conductors. In addition, effect of CB amount in carbon conductor are also elucidated on manufacturing procedure, properties of electrode and their electrochemical performances.