The graphene sensor tested with the LoRa nodes developed allows the detection of NO2 pollution in just 5 min as well as enables monitoring sudden changes in the background level of this pollutant in the atmosphere. The capability of the system of detecting both reducing and oxidizing pollutant agents, alongside its low-cost, low-power, and real-time monitoring features, makes this a solution suitable to be used in wireless AQM and early warning systems.During the few last years, indoor and outdoor Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) has gained a lot of interest among the scientific community due to its direct relation with human health. The Internet of Things (IoT) and, especially, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) have given rise to the development of wireless AQM portable systems. This paper presents the development of a LoRa (short for long-range) based sensor network for AQM and gas leakage events detection. The combination of both a commercial gas sensor and a resistance measurement channel for graphene chemoresistive sensors allows both the calculation of an Air Quality Index based on the concentration of reducing species such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and CO, and it also makes possible the detection of NO X, CO, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [According to the World Health Organisation, in 2016, household and ambient air pollution were responsible for seven million deaths ,4,5,6 ans (VOCs) ,15,16,17s (VOCs) . Thus, iThe conventional and most common techniques for air quality monitoring consist of stationary stations equipped with different instrumental techniques or manual sampling at different locations followed by analysis in specialised laboratories. These techniques can be very accurate but require the use of bulky, power-hungry, and expensive instruments ,20. ThusIn the last few years, several authors have reported the use of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) for air quality monitoring systems ,22. In tAmong the promising technologies used in the LPWAN space are Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Sigfox from Sigfox, Labège, France, and LoRa. While NB-IoT presents the largest data rate and payload size of these three technologies, it operates in licensed Long-Term Evolution (LTE) frequency bands. Thus, the use of NB-IoT was not considered to keep costs low. The Sigfox presents a higher transmission range than LoRa , but Sigfox is deployed by network operators, so users need to pay subscription charges for every node installed. Moreover, Sigfox transmits messages multiple times to improve reliability, resulting in high energy consumption. Hence, LoRa and LoRaWAN protocol were selected to develop the network ,50,58,59LoRa is a spread spectrum modulation technique derived from chirp spread spectrum (CSS) technology. This physical layer technology works in the unlicensed sub-GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band. Depending on the spreading factor (SF) and the channel bandwidth (BW) settings, the data rate supported by LoRa varies from 300 bps to 50 kbps. The transmission power (TP), SF, coding rate (CR), and preamble length define the signal airtime and power consumption .LoRaWAN is a media access control (MAC) protocol for wide area networks designed to allow low-powered devices to communicate with Internet-connected applications over long-range wireless connections. Innovative LoRaWAN features include support for redundant operation, geolocation, low-cost, and low-power applications. Devices can even run on energy harvesting technologies  enabling the mobility and ease use of IoT. LoRaWAN protocol provides origin authentication, integrity protection, replay protection, and full end-to-end encryption ,60. The 2), released to the atmosphere mainly from automotive exhausts [2 at trace levels [The aim of the present paper is to discuss the development of an IoT implementation for inexpensive indoor air quality monitoring  and real-time pollutant detection. This consists of a wireless sensing network in which its sensing nodes include both commercial and lab-made  cloud server, the gateway was ready to forward the uplink and downlink messages sent from the nodes to the server and vice versa. Nodes perform measurements, codify the information, and send the data at every sampling period and then go to deep sleep mode. The data received in the cloud server is processed and stored for later visualisation. Front-end web and desktop applications were developed to access and visualise the data stored in the cloud server. The sensor network is devised for monitoring indoor air quality (nodes were distributed in different locations at the University campus), the gateway selected was The Things Indoor Gateway (TTIG) from The Things Industries. TTIG is a low-cost, fully compliant LoRaWAN gateway, which uses Wi-Fi as backhaul. It has a Semtech SX1308 LoRa chipset from Semtech Corporation, Irvine CA, USA, which presents a receiver sensitivity of −140 dBm and uses the 868 MHz frequency band (in the European Union). This indoor gateway has an integrated antenna and presents the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and European Economic Area (CE) certifications. The software running on the gateway makes it act as a bridge between the LoRa nodes and TTN cloud server.LoRa nodes b developThe sensing board a developDD main supply voltage that ranges from 1.2 to 3.6 V, which matches with the supply voltage of the microcontroller used. The IAQ value calculated using this sensor and the Bosch Sensortec Environmental Cluster (BSEC) library gives an indication of the total amount of VOCs and other reducing gases such as CO present in the studied atmosphere. The output is based on an intelligent algorithm that includes not only the resistance value of the metal oxide sensor the BME680 includes, but also humidity, temperature, and the measurement history values stored in the sensor state. The sensor state is stored after each measurement to be used in the sensor calibration for later IAQ value calculations. The sensor calibration typically encompasses up to 4 days of measurements. This index ranges between 0 and 500  [The BME680 is a 4-in-1 digital low-power gas, pressure, temperature, and humidity sensor, which with the proper configuration and software libraries, presents a direct index for air quality (IAQ) output. The sensor has a Vy index) . Some pry index) ,66,67,68The program running on the LoRa nodes was developed using C language in Arduino IDE from Arduino, Somerville, MA, USA. Once the nodes are powered up, reset, or woken up from deep sleep mode, the first step is to initialise the BME680 sensor and the ADC channel for the resistance measurements of the lab-made sensor. If the microcontroller unit (MCU) is reset or just powered up, the second step is to perform a measurement with the sensors. On the other hand, if the MCU wakes up from deep sleep mode, the previous state  request.For developing the front-end application, a set of Open-Source Software (OSS) was used, thus, saving money from the overall cost of the solution by avoiding licensing and software maintenance fees. The visualisation data solution presented in this section consists of a local server that stores the sensor data locally and makes it available to be visualised in a web service accessible from any device having internet access. The server could be deployed in any system running a Linux distribution . Telegraf  is a server agent used to collect sensor data arriving to the TTN Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) broker through an MQTT consumer. With this purpose, a Mosquitto  client is set to connect with the TTN broker. The data collected by the Telegraf instance is stored in InfluxDB (from InfluxData), which is a time series database. For the visualisation of the data, Grafana was selected, which is an analytics and monitoring solution from Grafana Labs, New York, NY, USA. A graphene-based gas sensor was fabricated by preparing a solution with 1 mg of graphene nanoplatelets from Strem Chemicals, Inc., Newburyport, MA, USA, dispersed in 10 mL of toluene. Afterwards, graphene nanoplatelets were exfoliated during one hour at high frequency (35 kHz) by using an ultrasonic bath . Then, the solution was deposited onto the screen-printed platinum electrode area of an alumina substrate by the spray-coating technique. During this deposition, the substrate was placed in a hotplate at 125 °C in order to obtain a more homogeneous sensitive layer. Finally, the sensor was dried in an oven at 130 °C to ensure the complete removal of the solvent. A picture of the coated alumina substrate is shown in the supporting information .The graphene used was characterised by several techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field-effect scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM).The graphene crystallinity was evaluated using a Raman spectrometer from Renishaw, plc.  coupled to a confocal Leica DM2500 microscope from Leica Microsystems GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany. The laser employed had a wavelength of 514 nm. The chemical composition of graphene was obtained by using an XPS spectrometer from SPECS GmbH, Berlin, Germany equipped with a non-monochromatic X-ray source (Al). Graphene morphology was studied using a FESEM and HR-TEM. In particular, graphene porosity and layer homogeneity were studied using a FESEM from Carl Zeiss AG, Oberkochen, Germany; meanwhile, graphene sheet sizes were observed via HR-TEM from Jeol Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.2/g and electrical conductivity of 107 and 102 S/m . Regarding the lateral size, different graphene nanoplatelets are stacked with an interplanar distance of 3.35 Å, while the overall graphene nanoplatelet aggregates have a thickness of a few nanometers.According to the graphene manufacturer, this nanomaterial has a surface area of 750 m−1, which indicates the presence of defects  in the crystalline structure. Conversely, the G band located at 1572 cm−1 reveals the stretching of C–C bonds, which are related to in-plane oscillations of sp2 configuration [D/IG is commonly used as an indicator of the crystallinity in carbon nanomaterials [D peak), being translated in highly crystalline graphene [D/IG ratio of 0.79, indicating moderate graphene crystallinity. However, this fact is interesting from the gas sensing point of view, because these defects usually act as active sites for gas interaction and are also useful for further graphene functionalisation.A Raman analysis was conducted in order to study the graphene crystallinity. guration . In consaterials . In thatgraphene . However2 carbon configuration. Nevertheless, according to the low crystallinity registered in the Raman analysis, a significant peak related to amorphous carbon or sp3 configuration can be found at 285.1 eV [2) functional groups grafted at the graphene surface.Additionally, an XPS was performed to obtain the elemental quantification. Regarding this, the graphene employed presents 89.99, 9.46 and 0.55% of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, respectively. The fitting analysis of the C1s peak, centred at 284.4 eV, is represented in 285.1 eV . Further285.1 eV ; meanwhi285.1 eV . FinallyImages obtained by field-effect scanning electron microscope (FESEM) show a high porosity at the graphene surface a, which The characterisation of the gas sensing properties for the graphene sensor was performed in two different tests. First, laboratory conditions were set to test the sensor performance under fully controlled conditions, and next, real conditions were simulated to check its reliability for real-life applications. Results obtained from sensor characterisation tests run under laboratory conditions can be found in the supporting information.3. NO2 and CO calibrated cylinders of 1 ppm and 100 ppm, respectively , mixed with ambient air were used to set the desired gas concentrations. Gas flows were set by using a mass-flow controller system (EL-FLOW®) from Bronkhorst High-Tech, Ruurlo, Netherlands, and Flow View and Flow Plot software from the same company were employed, while a rotameter was used to control the ambient air flow. A total flow of 600 mL/min was kept across the chamber. The flow established was selected to simulate a gas diffusion process through the chamber avoiding the direct flow incidence on the sensors, which can influence the measurements. According to the inner volume of the acrylic chamber and the total flow through it, the time needed to renovate completely the atmosphere inside the chamber was about 8 min. Hence, the gas pulses implemented were programmed with a separation significantly higher than 8 min. Results from this test are shown and discussed in The tests performed under close to real conditions were implemented using the graphene sensor connected to the LoRa node resistance measurement channel, which was placed in an acrylic chamber with an inner volume of about 4900 cm2 carbon configuration, is usually reported as a material with very poor sensitivity [3 carbon configuration and oxygen functional groups. Thus, graphene nanoplatelets show significant sensitivity to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) [2 (an electron-withdrawing species), a decrease in the film resistance is recorded due to the increased concentration of positive charge carriers.Pristine graphene, with its characteristic spsitivity . Howeverde (NO2) . This gade (NO2) . Therefo2 cannot be completely ruled out, which involves the exchange of higher amounts of charge between adsorbed gas species and the sensor surface (see Supporting Information).Considering the room temperature working conditions, the sensing mechanisms are probably ruled by the physisorption of gas molecules involving small charge transfers between nitrogen dioxide and the sensor surface. However, the slow baseline recovery indicates that the chemisorption of NO2) due to the exposure of the sensitive film to air should be considered. Adsorbed atmospheric oxygen could eventually withdraw free electrons from the conduction band of graphene, resulting in an electron-depleted surface layer and the chemisorption of oxygen species [2 [In this regard, the physisorption of molecular oxygen  than for CO (0.01|e|) [2 and H2O are simultaneously present, an additive effect is shown due to their electron-withdrawing behaviour over a mild p-type semiconductor such as graphene [2 response in humid atmosphere induces a larger increase in the conductivity. This fact is derived first from the charge transfer from graphene to water molecules when they are adsorbed in the sensor surface. Then, the subsequent water-mediated adsorption of NO2 can occur, further increasing the conductance change. This mechanism is especially worthy in measurements at room temperature. Indeed, Hall measurements have revealed that water molecules act as electron-withdrawing agents at room temperature [2O and CO molecules could significantly reduce the conductance changes recorded when these two analytes are present simultaneously. Nevertheless, the integration and combination of graphene sensors with other chemoresistive sensors such as metal oxides offer a great opportunity for better discriminating between electron donor and withdrawing gases.Conversely, CO measurements reveal a lack of sensitivity for the bare graphene sensor. This agrees with theoretical calculations that report higher charge transfer (Q) upon adsorption for NO0.01|e|) . Nitroge0.01|e|) . Howevergraphene . In otheperature , while CThe LoRa sensor network was deployed in different locations at the University Campus with the purpose of testing the communication performance between different nodes and gateway configurations. Thus, the indoor gateway position was set in one location, while nodes were placed at different distances from the gateway, using different transmission powers. All the combinations used the rest of the network configuration parameters, namely carrier frequency (CF), BW, SF, CR and preamble length were set fixed. The CF used was 868 MHz, which is one of the two license-free sub-gigahertz radio frequency bands for Europe. The bandwidth was established in 125 kHz, thus ensuring enough bitrate and sensitivity for the detection of the signal. The spreading factor value of 7, which is the lowest possible, linked to a coding of 4/5 to allow the minimum time on air of the signal, and consequently a lower power consumption. The preamble length was also selected as the lowest possible value to guarantee the lowest power consumption. During the test period (around 2 weeks for each pair TP and distance), the weather conditions were changing, and this is reflected in the package loss percentage shown in Locations were selected according to two different scenarios. In the first one, the nodes were placed near the gateway, which were separated one from each other by several offices inside the same building. This configuration allows avoiding interferences provoked by unfavourable weather conditions, while the transmission power used can remain low, thus saving power without affecting the network performance. In the second location, the nodes were placed at 115–130 m away from the gateway (in different buildings), with non-straight sight and structural obstacles between them. This ensures the analysis of the network performance when conditions are not the most favourable for the communication. The transmission power was set at 12 dB, 14 dB, and 20 dB to compare the RSSI and package loss values obtained when the TP increases. All RSSI values obtained for the pairs distance–transmission power were higher than the sensitivity of the gateway. For nodes placed in the same building, the package loss rate was less than 1% using a TP of 12 dB. This means just 1 or 2 package losses during 24 h of measurements in the worst case. For longer distances, the TP was increased from 12 to 20 dB (which is the maximum possible) to compare the performance of the network. Referring to Although nodes have been powered up through a standard wall socket, all the design and configuration characteristics were considered to use the nodes in a low-power mode. This enables powering up the nodes employing batteries. Using a TP of 12 dB and the rest of transmission parameters as mentioned above, the average power consumption for 1 h is about 1 mA. Thus, considering the use of a 2200 mAh battery, and assuming a total discharge of 85%, the estimated battery lifetime would be about 75 days.The network is fully scalable  without the need of modifying any parameter on the gateway side. Thus, after the first deployment, the gateway can run continuously, and just each new node should be registered on the cloud server in order to assign the unique authentication parameters it needs to become part of the network. This allows enlarging the number of nodes at any time without affecting the global network performance.2 at concentrations near the threshold limit value (TLV). With that, it was possible to simulate events of gas leakage or sudden increases in concentration when the concentration changes from the background level of the target species in the atmosphere to values above the TLV established by the European US agencies [2 concentration was set at 200 ppb. Pulse duration randomly varied between 5 and 15 min. As measurements were performed under real conditions, the relative humidity (RH) and temperature were variable during the test period, with average values about 50% and 30 °C, respectively.Both commercial (BME680) and lab-made (graphene) sensors where placed in the LoRa node and exposed to gas pulses of CO or NOagencies ,85. For Results obtained for exposures to CO at 35 and 50 ppm during periods between 10 and 15 min show how the BME680 MOX sensor resistance and IAQ value follow the changes in gas concentration. In the same way, after every gas pulse, the BME680 sensor resistance starts recovering its initial value.On the other hand, the graphene lab-made sensor resistance does not experience a significant variation during the exposures to CO. This does not mean that the sensor resistance remains constant, but the resolution of the resistance measurement channel, given by the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) resolution, is not high enough for detecting the very small resistance variations suffered by the graphene sensors in the presence of CO at the concentrations and pulse durations tested.2 pulses of 200 ppb applied during periods of 5, 10, and 15 min.2 changes, the IAQ value does not reflect this variation, or even worse, it decreases in the presence of this pollutant gas. This is an expected result, as the BME680 is meant to be used for detecting VOCs and CO, which are reducing gases, while NO2 is an oxidising gas.The results presented in 2 pulses is fully detectable by the readout circuitry implemented in the nodes. Resistance variations produced during the gas exposure have values of about 30 Ω for a 5-min exposure period. This variation is at least three times the noise background level and resistance drift when the sensor is exposed to the background air. This result makes the system suitable for the detection of a sudden increase in NO2 concentration.Conversely, the graphene lab-made sensor response to NOThe BME680 sensor is used as a general-purpose gas sensor through the IAQ value, with poor selectivity, and the IAQ value calculated is just negatively affected by reducing gases. The additional resistance measurement channel designed allows using a wide range of gas sensitive materials, thus giving selectivity and widening the set of target gases and applications where the sensor network can be applied. Further gas sensing response results can be found in 2 background level present in the atmosphere. The sensor response was compared with the historical data registered by the automatic stations from the Network for the Surveillance and Forecast of Atmospheric Pollution in Catalonia obtained from [2 background level and the NO2 concentration registered every 1 h by the nearest air quality station to this node in Tarragona. The evolution of ambient humidity and temperature during this test is shown in 2 concentration data obtained from these stations. Finally, a 36 h continuous measurement experiment was conducted one month later than the one shown in 2 levels in the Tarragona area. These results are shown in 2 concentration in the ambient.For longer exposure time analysis, the graphene sensor was left for about 1 day connected to the LoRa node (placed indoors) reacting with the NOned from . Figure 2 concentration increased in the Tarragona area  correlate very well with episodes in which the outdoor NO2 in the range from 50 to 250 ppb obtained for the graphene sensor. These results indicate that our system shows potential for performing a quantitative analysis, but further work beyond the scope of this paper is necessary.If a quantitative rather than a qualitative analysis of nitrogen dioxide would be envisaged using the graphene sensor and the wireless network discussed here, the use of heating for periodically restoring the sensor surface and recovering its baseline would be needed. In addition, performing a calibration procedure would be needed as well. This work presents the development of a LoRa-based, scalable, low-cost, and low-power sensor network for air quality monitoring and gas leakage events detection in real time. The ability of the network of hot-plugging nodes allows the continuous operation and its easy scalability by just registering nodes on the cloud server application.2 . The limitations associated to the use of the IAQ value when an oxidising gas is present can be overcome using the lab-made graphene sensor. Graphene and the commercial sensors used in the sensor nodes development allow identifying the presence of pollutant reducing and oxidising gases through the IAQ value variation and the qualitative information obtained from the resistance variation of the graphene sensor, respectively. The graphene sensor developed not only enables the detection of sudden increases in NO2 concentrations but also makes the system suitable to follow the surrounding NO2 concentration trend in ambient air. The possibility of functionalising the graphene sensor presented here or the use of other gas sensitive materials can help modify the selectivity to different target gases, making this system suitable for being deployed in different application scenarios.The commercial gas sensor used enables the detection of reducing gases such as VOCs and CO, and the calculation of an Index for Air Quality according to the total concentration of these pollutant species in the surroundings. However, this sensor is not able to give a proper IAQ value in the presence of oxidising pollutant gases, as the IAQ value decreases when the sensor reacts with NODespite the use of an inexpensive indoor gateway and 2 dBi omnidirectional antennas at the nodes, and having placed the nodes and gateway at different locations and distances, the RSSI values obtained were always above the sensitivity level, and the package loss rate was under 7% for every configuration tested.2 concentrations variation in a qualitative way, but it also shows the evolution of ambient humidity and temperature.The user-friendly web service developed for accessing the data remotely not only allows checking the values of the IAQ and the NOFurther graphene functionalisation  is possible to enhance the results presented here. In addition, not limited to this, different gas sensing materials  can be also adapted to the sensing nodes when other requirements are needed. This means that our sensing nodes present many possibilities to be improved and high versatility for being employed in different applications.2 concentration.Future work will be focused in the quantitation of the target gases measured with chemoresistive sensors integrated in the sensing nodes. For example, by using heating for periodically restoring the sensor surface and recovering the baseline and by employing a calibration procedure, the graphene sensor could be used for quantitatively determining NO


Asian Americans (AAs) are frequently diagnosed with dementia in advanced disease stages and have difficulty accessing services. The NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health, set out to culturally adapt The Kickstart-Assess-Evaluate-Refer (KAER) framework to support earlier detection of dementia in AA communities. Working with Bangladeshi, Chinese, and Korean senior centers, we used a participatory action approach to assess cultural relevancy, usability and acceptability of KAER to improve timely diagnosis and access to care. We found that community-based organizations (CBOs), not physicians, were often “first responders” in identifying and managing dementia. However, CBO staff felt unprepared to “Kickstart” discussions, found certain KAER questions were not culturally appropriate, and encountered barriers in communicating their concerns to physicians. Adaptations to KAER can maximize its impact and reach in AA communities. Suggestions include group education, as opposed to individualized screening, and stronger linkages between physicians and CBOs to ensure care continuity.


Pseudomonas fluorescens which diversifies into coexisting niche‐specialist morphotypes. We first evolved replicate populations for ~40 generations and then isolated evolved genotypes. In a series of competition trials, we determined if using coevolved versus random genotypes affected the relative performance of “communities” of single and multiple genotypes. We found no effect of coevolutionary history on either genotype fitness or community performance, which suggests parallel (co)evolution between communities. However, fitness was enhanced by the presence of other genotypes of the same strain type , indicative of local adaptation with respect to genetic background. Our results are the first to investigate the effect of (co)evolution on the outcome of coalescence and suggest that when input populations are functionally similar and added at equal mixing ratios, the outcome community may not be asymmetrically dominated by either input population.Community coalescence, the mixing of multiple communities, is ubiquitous in natural microbial communities. During coalescence, theory suggests the success of a population will be enhanced by the presence of species it has coevolved with (relative to foreign species), because coevolution will result in greater resource specialization to minimize competition. Thus, more coevolved communities should dominate over less coevolved communities during coalescence events. We test these hypotheses using the bacterium  Serial 100‐fold dilutions (60 μl into 6 ml KB) took place every 4 days for a total of 20 days , microcosms were paired between and within strains. This resulted in three blocks of four communities (two wild‐type and two LacZ populations in each block) from which coevolved and randomly assembled communities for the competition trials were designed. Within each block, competition trials were designed for all combinations of coevolutionary history (coevolved or randomly assembled) and levels of morphotype diversity  and subsequently plated onto KB agar containing 40 μg/ml of X‐gal . Competition trials were inoculated into KB medium under the same conditions as the initial serial dilutions. After 4 days, cultures were frozen as above and subsequently plated on agar containing X‐gal where LacZ colonies can be distinguished by their blue colour. Morphotype density (CFUs/ml) was calculated by counting the number of colony‐forming units (CFUs) after 2 days of growth at 28°C. Relative fitness was defined as the fitness of one LacZ morph versus the same wild‐type morph . Relative community performance was defined as the performance of the whole LacZ community relative to the competing wild‐type community. Both relative fitness and community performance were calculated from the ratio of the estimated Malthusian parameters, mLacZ:mwild‐type, which were calculated as m = ln(N1/N0), where N1 is the final density and N0 is the starting density  with optical density normalized to ~0.1 OD2.3R  was added as a potentially interacting factor to look for asymmetric effects between morphs. We then selected trials where SM and WS morphotypes were present in both LacZ and wild‐type communities to investigate whether coevolved communities were more successful than randomly assembled communities during community coalescence. In this model, coevolutionary history of LacZ and wild‐type communities were included as potentially interacting factors.R package “emmeans” . Model simplification was done using likelihood ratio tests, and Tukey's post hoc multiple comparison tests were done on the most parsimonious model using the ” Lenth, . We also3p‐values > 0.05). As the presence of coevolved genotypes had no impact on genotypic relative fitness, we then determined whether LacZ/wild‐type genotypic fitness was influenced by the presence of additional LacZ/wild‐type genotypes per se. The results were inconsistent across genotypes  from different communities was not influenced by the presence of coevolved genotypes versus a random genotype or the absence of additional genotypes  whereas LacZ communities were dominated by SM .Given that LacZ SM fitness was influenced by whether a LacZ or wild‐type WS was present, we investigated in more detail diversification of populations during the 20‐day coevolution period. Across all populations and consistent through transfers, wild‐type communities were dominated by WS morphotypes . However, this effect was highly inconsistent, with only LacZ SM benefiting from the presence of LacZ WS. Unsurprisingly, given the genotype‐level results, coevolutionary history did not increase community cohesion and performance. Our results have implications for the niche‐packing hypothesis with respect to how resource partitioning occurs across allopatric populations and how evolutionary interactions within communities influence community coalescence.Niche‐packing and resource specialization should be optimized when individuals have coevolved together, as coevolution drives adaptive radiations and character displacements  suggests that SM benefited from WS by exploiting additional resources from this morph. Previous research on this experimental system shows that SM can invade WS biofilms , suggesting a lack of evolved interactions between morphs as WS fitness is independent of its community evolved in parallel across allopatric communities  of communities into fresh media, an abiotic environment that both strains evolved in for 20 days. Thus, priority effects which can result in the resident community dominating are minimized evolutionary history in the outcome of community coalescence. This allowed us to control the complexity in the experiment, but most importantly guaranteed us genotypes that came from a coexisting population that had shared a (co)evolutionary history. This approach has been used previously to study evolution and the maintenance of ecological diversity evolution occurs in parallel. The importance of these specific (co)evolutionary relationships in driving performance at the community level highlights the need to consider interactions at lower organizational levels when studying community coalescence.D.P., A.B. and M.C. conceived the study and designed the experimental work. D.P. and M.C. conducted the experiments and D.P. analysed the data. All authors contributed equally to the writing of the manuscript. Click here for additional data file.


The results of both methods are compared with experimental data. We discover that metallic screening by the Pt layer converts the square-root dispersion of the Dirac plasmon into a linear acoustic-like plasmon dispersion. In the long-wavelength limit, the Pt d electron excitations completely quench the The excitation spectrum in the region of the intraband (Dirac plasmon) and interband ( Epitaxial growth on graphene represents the most suitable method to achieve large-scale samples of graphene with high crystalline quality. Moreover, graphene/metal contacts are unavoidable components in each graphene-based device. An abundant number of applications are based on collective electronic excitations, i.e., plasmonic modes. The intensity and dispersion relations of electronic excitations in supported graphene depend on the strength of the graphene interaction with the substrate ,5,6,7,8.d electrons on the ultraviolet (UV) graphene plasmons, such as the interband d states [Another relevant open issue regarding plasmons in graphene/metal interfaces is related on the influence of screening by the metallic d states ,28,29 and states ,7,8. ThiThe EELS spectra in the MIR/NIR range are dominated by the Dirac and acoustic plasmons ,30, whical atoms ,18,19,20al atoms , typicalConversely, the UV plasmonic response of graphene is dominated by a peak termed ubstrate ,4,8. The spectra ,32,33 an spectra ,34, seveansition ,34,35. IIn this work, we present a joint experimental and theoretical study of electronic excitations in graphene monolayer deposited on a Pt-skin-terminated PtOn the other hand, for the high-energy e fluids ,36. Suche fluids ,38. Thise fluids .e is the electronic charge, m is the mass of electron. The graphene/Pt-skin-terminated PtThe rest of the paper is organized as follows. In Monolayer graphene was grown on Pt-skin terminated Pt in Ref. . Angle-rThe system we study here is shown in z direction) are The crystal structure of the Pt-skin surface is modeled by 4 atomic layers, with three atomic layers representing the PtQuantum Espresso (QE) package [The ground-state structural optimization and the electronic density calculations were performed using the  package ,42. The  package . The str package . The groint mesh , respect[h=3.3 Å .h results in negligible electronic overlap between the graphene layer and the topmost Pt layer, allowing us to perform separate calculations of the non-interacting electron response functions of graphene and the Pt-skin, thereby considerably reducing the unit cell size and saving the computational time and memory requirements. The graphene and the Pt-skin non-interacting electron response functions areThe large equilibrium distance ions areχi0=v in =w=v/, the, the5), ith oscillator, and Our calculations show that, in the long-wavelength regime, illators ,(9)ϵPt frequencies, the Pt-skin surface responds instantaneously  ,54, wherQ, it exhibits a square-root dispersion relation. This transitional behavior of the  in Ref. , in unsuin Refs. ,55, and It can be noticed in ubstrate , suggestQ, the effective dielectric function in the long-wavelength limit becomesThe ic model , which gction in  and retaQ. When the Pt-skin surface is present, even though at frequencies Without the Pt-skin surface   Dirac plasmon in doped graphene, and the high-energy (UV)


Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease with poor prognosis with short lifespan following diagnosis as patients have limited effective treatment options. A fundamental limitation is a lack of knowledge of the underlying collagen alterations in the disease, as this could lead to better diagnostics, prognostics, and measures of treatment efficacy. While the fibroses is the primary presentation of the disease, the collagen architecture has not been well studied beyond standard histology. Here, we used several metrics based on second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy and optical scattering measurements to characterize the subresolution collagen assembly in human IPF and normal lung tissues. Using SHG directional analysis, we found that while collagen synthesis is increased in IPF, the resulting average fibril architecture is more disordered than in normal tissue. Wavelength-dependent optical scattering measurements lead to the same conclusion, and both optical approaches are consistent with ultrastructural analysis. SHG circular dichroism revealed significant differences in the net chirality between the fibrotic and normal collagen, where the former has a more randomized helical structure. Collectively, the measurements reveal significant changes in the collagen macro/supramolecular structure in the abnormal fibrotic collagen, and we suggest these alterations can serve as biomarkers for IPF diagnosis and progression. These techniques often lack the sensitivity and specificity needed to examine the extracellular matrix (ECM) changes and their role in IPF progression. For example, when the classic radiographic pattern is present, IPF can be diagnosed via HRCT.There remains a clear need for better diagnostics as well as prognostic indicators. We suggest that probing the underlying macro/supramolecular changes in collagen presents such a new direction. Perhaps counterintuitively, the specific collagen changes in this fibrosis have not received significant attention beyond conventional H&E staining, showing increased deposition. As an alternative, second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy offers considerable opportunities to study collagen alterations and provide insight into both disease etiology and progression. We previously showed that SHG combined with machine learning based on two-dimensional wavelet transforms/principal component analysis of the fiber morphology classified normal and IPF tissues with near 100% accuracy.–,SHG microscopy can also be used to probe subresolution aspects of collagen architecture. For example, SHG polarization-resolved methods  can extract information on the helical structure of collagen  were obtained from lung transplant recipients at UW Hospital Madison, Wisconsin, under a current IRB-approved protocol. The normal tissues were from pathologist-defined normal adjacent tissue from biopsies of patients without fibrotic lung disease. All IPF samples were from patients with advanced or highly progressed IPF. Tissues were fixed in 4% formalin and sectioned using a vibratome (Leica VT1200) to 2.2Using a Sirius Red Collagen Detection Kit , collagen concentration of collagen type I standards  mounted in the infinity space.2.42.4.1Polarization-dependent measurements were performed as previously described,2.4.2,,SHG-CD analysis was used to interrogate the overall chirality of the human lung tissues; the method has been described previously.2.5The spectral dependence of the single scattering anisotropy, The scattering anisotropy, 2.6,The emission or creation directionality  were performed in Origin 9.1 . One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Student’s 33.1We first present an overall comparison of the collagen content in normal and IPF lung tissues. The top row of ,We next verified that we were interrogating fibrotic regions, where this is important given the heterogeneity of the collagen morphology in both types of tissues. A standard marker for fibrosis is increased We further measured the collagen concentrations for IPF and normal lung tissues using a Sirius Red detection kit. The Sirius Red dye binds to the repeating Gly-X-Y pattern that forms the majority sequence in the fibrillar collagen triple helix. The measured concentrations are shown in 3.2We further characterized the respective normal and IPF tissue structures through the wavelength dependence of the scattering coefficient, ,For quantitation, we compare the spectral dependence of the reduced scattering coefficient, 3.3SHG in tissues is characterized by nonideal phase-matching, i.e., The measured F/B versus depth and best simulation for the creation ratio, We propose that the lower organization of collagen in IPF is either due to fibrosis  or other changes in the ECM that affect the collagen morphology. This finding is in agreement with previous SEM studies that showed that the collagen fibrils were more irregular in IPF than in normal tissue.3.4,,There are previous accounts using immunostaining that showed the relative proportion of Col I and Col III is different in IPF relative to normal lung. Specifically, Col III is relatively increased in early stage disease, and then Col I is more prevalent in later stages, corresponding to an older scar.To examine this proposed change in relative collagen isoform abundance, we employed SHG polarization analysis based on the single-axis molecular model, which is sensitive to the Applying this same polarization-resolved SHG technique to image human lung tissues [Eq. (1)], we obtained pitch angles  of 48.25We further analyzed the helical properties of normal and IPF tissues via the SHG-CD protocol as described previously [Eq. (2)].4While seemingly paradoxical, the collagen macro/supramolecular changes in IPF are not well studied. SHG can directly visualize the collagen assembly, is sensitive to morphological changes within the assembly, and has significant potential, especially when coupled with polarization-resolved approaches and further with optical scattering measurements.We did not find any differences in the respective  tissues , consist–Interestingly, we found a similar trend in our work on ovarian cancer, where Col III was also reported to be increased.5IPF prognosis is poor due to the lack of effective treatment options, limited knowledge of the disease etiology and underlying molecular and temporal changes associated with disease progression.


Graphene with atomic thickness possesses excellent mechanical and electrical properties, which hold great potential for high performance pressure sensing. The exposed electron of graphene is always cross-sensitive to any pollution absorbed or desorbed on the surface, from which the long-term stability of the graphene pressure sensor suffers a lot. This is one of the main obstacles towards graphene commercial applications. In this paper, we utilized polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)/graphene heterostructure to isolate graphene from the ambient environment and enhance its strength simultaneously. PMMA/graphene pressure sensors, with the finite-depth cavities and the through-hole cavities separately, were made for comparative study. The through-hole device obtained a comparable sensitivity per unit area to the state of the art of the bare graphene pressure sensor, since there were no leaking cracks or defects. Both the sensitivity and stability of the through-hole sensor are better than those of the sensor with 285-nm-deep cavities, which is due to the sealed gas effect in the pressure cavity. A modified piezoresistive model was derived by considering the pressure change of the sealed gas in the pressure cavity. The calculated result of the new model is consistent with the experimental results. Our findings point out a promising route for performance optimization of graphene pressure sensors. Graphene, as natural atomic material, is an ideal option as a sensing membrane of pressure sensors. Pressure sensors are used in a tremendous range of applications, from our daily life to industrial monitoring ,2. The cThe graphene-based piezoresistive pressure sensor has been demonstrated by several research groups worldwide in recent years. The first prototype was built by J. Scott Bunch et al.  to test In this work, we applied our polymer-assisted scheme to two different pressure sensor structures to study the sealed gas effect in the pressure cavity. One is the most reported structure, in which the pressure cavity has a finite depth. The other is with a through-hole design. Their performances were measured and analyzed. An improved piezoresistive model was built to explain the increased performance in the sensor with the through-hole cavity.To study the effect of the sealed gas in the pressure cavity, PMMA/graphene pressure sensors with a 285-nm-deep cavities and through-hole cavities were designed on the same chip. The fabrication process flow is schematically depicted in First, the silicon substrate, capped with thermally grown 285 nm-thick SiO2, was cleaned and pretreated with Hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) to modify its surface hydrophilicity, which was followed by spin-coating a layer of AZ1500 photoresist. Standard ultraviolet lithography was applied to transfer the pressure cavity pattern to the photoresist. The cavities of 285 nm depth were etched by buffered oxide etchant (BOE). To make the through-hole, we introduced twice reactive ion etch (RIE) processes, since the substrate was too thick to etch through. Firstly, a new layer of photoresist was spin-coated after removing the old resist. Then, only the through-hole cavities were patterned. After the first RIE process, about 40-μm-thick Si in the cavity was removed. Then, it was turned upside down to apply the second RIE process. A thicker photoresist with 7 μm thickness was used as a mask for a long time RIE. Rectangle windows with size larger than the through-hole cavity regime were patterned. After the second RIE process, all cavities connected to the backside windows formed through-hole structure, as shown in 3) to remove the copper, followed by repeatedly rinsing in deionized water (DI). Then, the cleaned PMMA/graphene (PMMA/Gra) membrane was scooped up by the prepared substrate and baked at 150 °C for several minutes to remove the interface water between graphene and the substrate, and also make the membrane stick to the substrate surface well. The transferred membrane is shown in Since graphene is only one atom layer, protecting graphene from cracks and collapse is one of the most important issues towards high yield fabrication and practical applications. Herein, instead of removing the PMMA support layer after transfer, as described in the traditional transfer process in most articles, we kept the thin layer of PMMA forming PMMA/graphene heterostructure to enhance the suspended membrane strength. The transfer flow of PMMA/graphene heterostructure is presented in 2 plasma etching, the LOR and AZ 1500 bilayer was removed by rinsing in 3038 solvent. Finally, the sample was cleaned in DI water and blown dry gently using N2 gas. To pattern graphene, we introduced a bilayer resist as the mask, which consists of a LOR 10A resist layer and a AZ 1500 resist layer. Experimental tests found that the LOR-10A resist is well compatible with PMMA, while AZ 1500 will attack the PMMA layer. Thus, a layer of LOR-10A resist was inserted between AZ 1500 and PMMA for isolation. Developer 3083 was well chosen as both a developer and remover for the bilayer mask because it is a good remover for LOR. The graphene pattern was transferred by ultraviolet lithography. After OAll the processes above are compatible to the traditional CMOS process and suitable for large-scale fabrication, which holds great potential to bridge lab research to commercial application. Following our fabrication scheme, our PMMA/graphene pressure sensor fabrication achieves an almost 100% yield.Our measurement scheme is illustrated in During several venting and pumping cycles, the time-dependent responses of both sensors were monitored, as shown in S is the sensitivity, R the initial resistance. The sensitivity of the PMMA/Gra pressure sensor is calculated to be S = 7.42 × 105 kPa−1. For quantitative assessment, we kept the pressure constant at several steps and measured the time trace of each sensor a. Under As simulated in reference , the appWe attribute the sensitivity difference to the volume change of the sealed gas in the 285-nm-deep pressure cavity. By taking the deflection-induced volume change into consideration, an improved piezoresistive model is derived in this paper. R to the strain ε:First, the gauge factor (GF), a measure of piezoresistive effect, is defined as the ratio of relative change in electrical resistance According to the theoretical analysis and experiments in reference , the GF P and deflection d for a circular membrane is given as [t and r are the graphene thickness and radius, respectively, E and υ are Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of graphene, respectively, d is the deflection in the center of the membrane. Since the deflection is much smaller than the diameter of the suspended graphene membrane, an approximative relation of the strain and the deflection can be obtained [The relation of the pressure given as : (3)|P−Pobtained .(4)ε≈2dd, we get the classical piezoresistive model as: By plugging Equations (2) and (4) into (3) to substitute the parameter d. Herein, we accurately calculate the volume change In most literature, the hange ΔV  in cavitAccording to the equation of state of a hypothetical ideal gas (Boyle’s law) , the preThe relative resistance change ratio The high-yield fabrication process by utilizing PMMA to support and seal the atomic graphene sheet was applied to two different pressure sensor structures: through-hole type and finite-depth type. The PMMA/graphene pressure sensor with the through-hole cavity operates as fast as the commercial pressure sensor. Even though the PMMA/graphene membrane is hundreds of times thicker than single layer graphene, our sensor exhibits a comparable sensitivity per unit area to the state of the art of the graphene pressure sensor without the PMMA supporting layer, which hints that the gas leakage from cracks or defects of the graphene sheet severely affects the device performance. Further, the performance of PMMA/graphene pressure sensors with a 285-nm-deep cavities and through-hole cavities are comparatively studied. The device with the 285-nm-deep cavity shows worse sensitivity and stability due to the volume-induced pressure change of the sealed gas in the pressure cavity. By taking the pressure change into consideration, an improved piezoresistive model is derived. The results deduced from the new model are consist with our experimental results. Our findings point out a promising route for better performance of graphene-based pressure sensors.


The all-flexible TENG has been employed as a self-powered humidity sensor to investigate the effect of raising humidity on the output voltage and current by applying mechanical agitation in two forms of using a tapping device and finger tapping. Due to the presence of superficial functional groups on the GO paper, water molecules are inclined to be adsorbed, resulting in a considerable reduction in both generated voltage (from 144 V to 14 V) and current (from 23 µA to 3.7 µA) within the range of relative humidity of 20% to 99%. These results provide a promising applicability of the first suggested sensitive self-powered GO TENG humidity sensor in portable/wearable electronics.Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) offer an emerging market of self-sufficient power sources, converting the mechanical energy of the environment to electricity. Recently reported high power densities for the TENGs provide new applications opportunities, such as self-powered sensors. Here in this research, a flexible graphene oxide (GO) paper was fabricated through a straightforward method and utilized as the electrode of TENGs. Outstanding power density as high as 1.3 W.m In the last decade, nanogenerators have been introduced as sustainable self-sufficient power sources, converting energy from the environment into electrical energy2. They can be categorized to piezoelectric3, triboelectric4, and pyroelectric5 nanogenerators. Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) works on the basis of accumulation of electrostatic charges produced on the surface of two dissimilar materials while they are brought into a physical contact4. When the surfaces are separated by a mechanical force, the induced triboelectric charges generate a potential drop, leading to produce electric current6. Since their invention in 20127, TENGs have shown a rapid development in diversity of structures, amount of output power, and range of application, such as self-powered sensors9, biomedical monitoring10, and electronic skin11.Energy harvesting is an area of tremendous attention because of the huge worldwide energy demands motivating considerable research on self-powered and autonomous systems12. It has been demonstrated that the reactive oxygen functional groups of graphene oxide (GO), beside its high specific surface, makes it a good candidate as an energy-related material13. Moreover, high intrinsic mechanical strength of GO provides the ability of producing a flexible and stable thin layer, which let the induced charges achieve to the back contact in TENGs. Tian and his co-workers reported a flexible electrostatic nanogenerator based on GO film, with a multilayer structure of Al/PI/GO/PI/ITO with the output power of 60 nW14. The fabricated GO-TENG was able to generate a peak voltage of 2 V and a current of 30 nA upon the applying of a 15 N force at a rate of 1 Hz. Very recently, Wang’s group proposed a GO single-electrode-based TENG with maximum power of 5 mW (power density = 3.13 W/m2) at 3 Hz15. The short circuit current (Isc) of 55 μA and the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1100 V were obtained with latex-gloved hand patting. Moreover, the dynamic force sensing and the sterilizing performance of the aforementioned TENG were investigated. There are also several researches on designing novel TENGs containing GO which demonstrate weaker results and utilize more sophisticated fabrication processes17.Among the various energy-related materials, graphene-based materials have been studied extensively in the field of energy harvesting in recent years18. Humidity sensing plays a key role in domestic control, medical care, agricultural moisture monitoring, and industrial applications19. GO-based humidity sensors have been widely under attention due to notable properties such as simple, low-cost, and large-scale preparation of GO material along with high proton-conductivity in exposure to water molecules20. GO humidity sensors operate on the basis of detecting the variation of impedance or capacitance due to the inclination of the water molecules to adsorb on the surface of GO26. Both types possess the ability of fast response humidity sensing with high sensitivity in a wide range of relative humidity (RH). Impedance sensors detect a relatively low humidity over a wide frequency range, but generally require professional high-performance impedance spectroscopy. On the other hand, the capacitive sensors detect the humidity by measuring the capacitance change which consists of the interdigitated conductive electrodes and GO-based sensing materials as the dielectric connected to the LCR meter. For practical usage of a humidity sensor, not only the sensing performance such as fast response and high sensitivity, but also low cost, easy fabrication, facile integration, and good flexibility are significant factors, which are generally depends on the sensing materials and fabrication methods20. In spite of various investigations demonstrated the effect of utilization of polymers28, metal oxides31 and 2D materials33 alongside GO, with the purpose of enhancement of humidity sensing, the fabrication method has become relatively more sophisticated. Moreover, the recent development of the Internet of Things (IoT) provides a progressive research field on integrating numerous sensors, which demands a new approach to the power supply issue19.Beside energy harvesting field, detecting humidity is from promising applications of GO because of the strong interactions between water molecules and oxygen functional groups on the surface2. In spite of the fact that TENGs are considered as a promising option for self-powered sensors2, limited numbers of self-powered humidity sensors based on TENGs have been reported36. In the reported TENG-based humidity sensors, the TENG is generally used as an external power source connected to a humidity-sensitive electrode, analogous to a resistive sensor. In spite of being battery-free, there are some limitations in utilizing these sensors, such as low sensitivity and confined range of RH39. Moreover, the only value which demonstrates the amount of RH is the output voltage and no current variation was observed35. Beside the sensing properties, flexibility is a key factor for utilizing a sensor in wearable electronics, which was not considered in many previous studies of TENG-based humidity sensors. Therefore, the direct implementation of a humidity sensitive flexible material as one of the TENG electrodes may offer a self-powered humidity sensor with a less complicated structure as well as higher sensitivity and wider range of detection.In order to eliminate the drawbacks of utilizing the batteries as power sources in sensors , considerable investigations have been launched into the fabrication of self-powered sensorsIn this research, a sustainable GO-based TENG has been introduced, which shows superior power density and high sensitivity of humidity sensing, in comparison with the previous studies. Using the modified Hummer’s method, as well as drop casting technique for the synthesis of GO sheets and construction of the electrode, the whole procedure of production is extremely straightforward. Besides, utilizing GO paper and Kapton film as the electrodes, makes the GO TENG an appropriate candidate for wearable electronics, due to its flexibility and low weight. Applying the as-fabricated GO TENG as a self-powered humidity sensor is reported for the first time in this paper. Here, the GO electrode directly senses the amount of relative humidity, while corporates in signal generation as well. The results demonstrate considerable variation in the amount of both voltage and current at different values of RH. Investigations of humidity sensing were performed on large and small sizes of the electrodes, which present the fabricated TENG as an applicable option for portable devices, as well as industrial implementations. Therefore, our suggested GO TENG provides flexibility and high sensitivity of dual sensing in a wide range of RH and can be conveniently applied as a routine battery-free humidity sensor in desired places.The SEM and TEM images of the produced GO suspension Fig. , obvious40 as well as various kinds of sensors. The thickness of the layer is obtained to be around 32 µm /V, while V0 and V correspond to the voltage value at RH = 20% and the desired RH, respectively. Both of the response diagrams  of the GO surface through double hydrogen bondingime Fig. .21. In that case, a continuous water layer creates a uniform barrier layer for induction of positive charges on the GO surface, which results in the formation of a continuous depletion region and would lead to a more rapid decrease of current at higher RH. Calculated amount of the induced charge on the surface under various RH  has been fabricated, through a straightforward method. The outstanding Isc and Voc with the values of 90 µA and 870 V, respectively, at a frequency of 4 Hz are obtained. Applying the fabricated TENG as a self-powered humidity sensor demonstrates promising results. Increasing the relative humidity of the environment, gradually reduced the generated voltage from 144 V at RH = 20% to about 14 V at RH = 99%, while short-circuit current reduced from 23 to 3.7 µA. Performing sensing tests under finger tapping presents a lightweight self-powered humidity sensor. This first-suggested wide-range GO TENG humidity sensor with a high sensitivity of 500% (V/V-%RH) can be utilized in portable electronics, as well as industrial applications.In summary, a sustainable GO-based TENG which shows superior power density (1.3 W/m4), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), H2O2 (30 wt%), sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) were bought from Chem Lab Co., Belgium. All chemicals were of analytical grade and used as received without further purification. The aqueous solutions were prepared using deionized water .Graphite powder with particle size <45 μm was purchased from Sigma Aldrich. All other reagents including potassium permanganate  and then stirred for 1 h at 80 °C. Subsequently, 80 mL of H2SO4 was added to the mixture and the beaker was placed in an ice-bath followed by the addition of NaNO3 (2 g) while stirring for 10 min. Afterwards, 8 g of KMnO4 (4 wt %) was slowly added to the solution under vigorous stirring for additional 15 min. The green paste was then transferred to an oil bath (38–40 °C) followed by 90 min stirring. The resulted brownish solution was diluted with 160 mL of deionized (DI) water and heated at 95 °C for 30 min. Finally, the oxidation process was stopped by the addition of 400 mL DI water and H2O2 . The orange-golden suspension was filtered and washed with diluted HCl and then DI water until the neutral pH (~5–6) was achieved. The filtered brown dough was redispersed in a certain amount of DI water and cleansed by centrifugation at 2500 rpm for 15 min and then 4000 rpm for 30 min to remove any un-exfoliated and tiny graphite sheets, respectively. Finally, GO nanosheets were prepared by sonication of the filtered graphite oxide suspension using an ultrasonic bath for 30 minutes.Graphene oxide was synthesized from natural graphite powder via a modified Hummers method as previously reported in the literatureLarge scale GO papers were prepared via a facile method. For this purpose, a plastic mold with desired dimensions was made. 20 mL of concentrated GO suspension (~7 mg/mL) was then poured into the mold and let it dry under ambient condition without any disturbance. Using this straightforward approach, one can prepare large scale GO papers with demanded sizes and control the thickness by adjusting the concentration as well as the volume of the GO suspension.2 and spacing of 2 cm between two electrodes. For humidity sensing, the size of electrodes reduced to 2 × 2 cm2 in order to enhance the accuracy of the GO TENG sensor.Aluminum tape was used as the back-contact for GO paper as well as for the Kapton film to construct lower and upper electrodes, respectively. Two electrodes can be connected to the gauges of a tapping device , by which can regulate the frequency and the force of tapping, as well as the spacing between two electrodes. The tests were performed under the vertical force of 8.3 N at frequencies from 1 up to 4 Hz. Electrodes had rectangular shape with the size of 8 × 8 cm2 and 2 × 2 cm2. The vertical tapping was applied using two approaches, utilizing a tapping device at the frequency of 2 Hz and the force of 8.3 N and also tapping by a human finger.The ambient humidity was regulated by a typical humidifier. To report the amount of relative humidity (RH), a hygrometer was situated quite close to the surface of GO electrode. Humidity sensing tests were performed on the GO electrodes with the size of 8 × 8 cmTEM images were obtained with a Zeiss (EM10C-80KV) instrument. The morphology of the prepared GO nanosheets and also GO paper was studied by a field emission scanning electron microscope . UV–Vis spectroscopy was performed on a Lambda25  spectrophotometer using a 1.0 cm quartz cell. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern was recorded using a STOE (STADI P) instrument operating with Cu–Kα radiation (λ = 1.54178 A°) at 40 kV/30 mA. An Ivium Compactstat and an oscilloscope (DSO1022A) were used for current and voltage recording, respectively.Supplementary Information.Supplementary Information 2.Supplementary Information 3.


Coleochaete scutata strain SAG 110.80M. This mitogenome is the largest among the streptophyte green algae examined to date. At 242,024 bp, it is 4.3-fold larger than the mitogenome of Chaetosphaeridium globosum, the only other mitogenome available for the Coleochaetophyceae. This size difference is mainly explained by differences in the abundance of introns and in the length of intergenic regions containing vestiges of coding sequences thought to be of foreign origin. With 31 group I and 26 group II introns, the C. scutata mitogenome is the most intron-rich organelle genome known among streptophyte algae.We have sequenced the mitogenome of  Chaetosphaeridium globosum) had been examined . Paired-end reads were generated on the Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform by the ‘Plateforme d’Analyses Génomiques’ of Laval University. Reads (3.4 million) were assembled using Ray version 2.1.0  is 4.3-fold larger than its Chaetosphaeridium homolog, but its gene repertoire is essentially the same. It possesses 67 distinct genes, three of which  and trnP(ugg)) are duplicated or triplicated. The rpl6 gene is missing from C. scutata, which represents the main difference in gene content between the two coleochaetophycean mitogenomes. Gene order is highly scrambled between these genomes. The larger size of the C. scutata mitogenome is mostly accounted for by a higher abundance of introns (57 versus 11 in Chaetosphaeridium) and by the presence of longer intergenic regions near rns (56.1 kb versus 8.3 kb). In both algae, the latter regions harbor ORFs showing similarities  with recognized domains of phage/plasmid DNA primase and phage integrase. Considering that genes with these functions are not usually found in green algal mitochondria, we suggest that they were acquired by lateral transfers before the emergence of the Coleochaetophyceae. The C. scutata mitogenome contains 31 group I and 26 group II introns, a significant proportion of which (11 group I and 20 group II introns) encode LAGLIDADG homing endonucleases and reverse transcriptases/intron maturases, respectively. The cox1 and rnl genes alone exhibit a total of 19 and 14 introns, respectively. Twenty-four of the C. scutata introns are inserted at sites where no introns have been observed in any of the currently available mitogenomes of streptophyte algae, supporting the view that mitochondrial introns proliferated in the Coleochaetaceae.At 242,024 bp, the A maximum-likelihood phylogeny was inferred from 40 concatenated mitogenome-encoded proteins of 22 streptophyte taxa using RAxML version 8.2.3 (Stamatakis


Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown origin that has variable clinical course and can affect nearly any organ. It has a chronic course in about 25% of patients. Corticosteroids (CS) are the cornerstone of therapy but their long-term use is associated with cumulative toxicity. Commonly used CS-sparing agents include methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, and mycophenolate mofetil. Twenty to forty percentage of sarcoidosis patients are refractory to these therapies or develop severe adverse events. Therefore, additional and targeted CS-sparing agents are needed for chronic sarcoidosis. Macrophage activation, interferon response, and formation of the granuloma are mainly mediated by T helper-1 responses. Different pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-8, IL-12, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) have been shown to be highly expressed in sarcoidosis-affected tissues. As a result of increased production of these cytokines, Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling is constitutively active in sarcoidosis. Several studies of biological agents that target TNF-α have reported their efficacy and appear today as a second line option in refractory sarcoidosis. Some case series report a positive effect of tocilizumab an anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibody in this setting. More recently, JAK inhibition appears as a new promising strategy. This review highlights key advances on the management of chronic refractory sarcoidosis. Novel therapeutic strategies and treatment agents to manage the disease are described. Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease that can involve virtually any organ though the lungs and the lymphatics are the most commonly affected sites . The disA summary of the current data on the potential therapeutic targets in refractory sarcoidosis is available in TNF-α plays a crucial role in the development of noncaseating granulomas in a variety of diseases. Previous studies showed that high levels of TNF-α from alveolar macrophages correlated with disease progression . Two ran+ effector T cell population called T helper 17 (Th17), which express a transcription factor known as retinoic acid-related orphan receptor (ROR)γι, has been described in sarcoid lesions  and sarilumab (SAR)] that have been approved for the treatment of different inflammatory rheumatic conditions. Despite robust evidence on the role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis, data on the use of anti-IL-6 agents in sarcoidosis are scarce. Previous case reports showed clinical improvement under TCZ in patients with chronic sarcoidosis associated with Castleman's disease  and StilInterleukin-1 (IL-1) is a cytokine with potent pro-inflammatory properties that has been shown to be implicated in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis . An imba+ T cells in peripheral blood was found in patients with ocular sarcoidosis  . In Crohn's disease, which is another disorder characterized by granuloma formation, IL-17 inhibition can exacerbate the inflammatory disease. In sarcoidosis patients, the role of IL-17 inhibition is less clear . Most ofn = 4) . FurtherSarcoid granuloma formation is characterized by an influx of Th1 cells which spontaneously express IL-2 receptors and release interferon γ (IFN-γ), TNF-α, and IL-2 . IL-12 tUstekinumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the shared p40 unity of human IL-12 and IL-23, thus blocking Th1 and Th17 responses, respectively. It is approved for the treatment of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis . In a phCytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) is a costimulatory molecule that is an important regulator of T cell activation and proliferation. CTLA-4 polymorphisms were shown to significantly influence phenotypes of sarcoidosis . Abatace+ B cell population. RTX was first approved for the treatment of non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma and later for rheumatoid arthritis and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis. Despite several case reports of the effectiveness of RTX in patients with refractory sarcoidosis  , 93. IFNn = 3; tofacitinib n = 3; baricitinib n = 1) in cases of refractory sarcoidosis. Ruxolitinib, a JAK 1 and 2 inhibitor, improved multivisceral involvement in three patients with sarcoidosis among whom two were treated for concomitant polycythemia vera (n = 3) and granuloma annular (n = 1) , psoriatic arthritis and ulcerative colitis; and baricitinib, upadacitinib and filgotinib for RA. Our literature review identified 7 reports concerning JAK inhibitors use (ruxolitinib mia vera –101. Dammia vera . The pos (n = 1) . Tofacit (n = 1) . In this (n = 1) . Due to Inhibition of PDEA4 prevents cyclic AMP (cAMP) being hydrolysed to AMP resulting in increased intracellular levels of cAMP and inhibiting the expression of proinflammatory cytokines . ApremilRefractory sarcoidosis, broadly defined as failure to attain clinical remission after appropriate treatment with corticosteroids and conventional immunosuppressant, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. At present, TNF antagonists can be considered standard-of-care therapy in severe cases of refractory sarcoidosis. However, treatment options in patients with multidrug-refractory sarcoidosis failing initial anti-TNF therapy is a challenging issue in clinical practice. In the clinical practice, assessing adherence, ruling out differential diagnosis, checking anti-TNF blood concentrations and testing for anti-drug antibodies, should be done before classifying patients as refractory and intensifying treatment. In this setting, new potential useful agents including IL-6, IL-17, and JAK inhibitors with evidence consisting largely of observation or uncontrolled studies are the most promising ones. Data from ongoing prospective clinical trials should give further information on clinical effects of these agents in refractory sarcoidosis.All authors were involved in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, and approved the final version to be submitted for publication. PC had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.PC has received consulting and lecturing fees from Abbvie, Alnylam, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Glaxo Smith Kline, Innotech, Janssen, Servier and Vifor. DS has received consulting and lecturing fees from from Medimmune, Abbvie, Bristol Meyer Squibb, Celgene, Sanofi, Roche, Servier, Gilead, AstraZeneca and Glaxo Smith Kline. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Azadirachta indica leaves by 40 and 41% atEjura-Sekyedumase district as well as 45 and 20% at Atebubu-Amantin district for2016 and 2017 respectfully. Plots of seed yams treated with neem recordedreduced pests and damages in terms of parameters measured and subsequentlytranslated into yield. It is paramount to seed yam producers to adopt neem leafpowder as pre-treatment for higher productivity.Pests and diseases infested material of seed yams have led to sub optimal yieldlevels. Neem was applied as substitute for chemical pesticides and asenvironmentally safe bio-pesticide to reduce the crops annual loss due toherbivore pests and their resulting diseases. Field trials were conducted duringthe 2016 and 2017 major planting seasons in four communities each ofEjura-Sekyedumase and Atebubu-Amantin districts of the Ashanti and Brong Ahaforegions respectively. Yam minisetts sizes were pre-treated with Mancozeb at arate of 100 g and Lambda cyhalothrin at 40 ml in 10 L water as cocktail. Yamminisetts of 30 g each were planted on ridges at 100 cm between and 30 cm withinrows on a 20 m × 20 m plot size. Neem leaf powder was applied on fiverows per plot and another five served as check for assessment. Harvesting wasdone approximately 6 to 7 months after planting. Scale insects, mealybugs,beetles, termites and millipedes infestations. Galling due to root-knotnematodes, cracks, soft and wet rot were assessed on a scale of 1-5. Tuberyields were also assessed. Neem treated plots were observed to havesignificantly reduced arthropod pest populations and nematode galling as well asdamage signs compared to the control plots. Yields of seed yam were higher onthe neem treated plots than the control, probably due to the reduced damage onthe treated plots. Seed yam yield increased for plots treated with Dioscorea spp.) is one of the most important root and tuberbearing crop in the world and an important source of energy. More importantly, yamtubers have organoleptic qualities which make them the preferred carbohydrate stapleand can contribute up to 350 dietary calories per person each day  notonly enrich the diet of consumers but also make them ethnomedicinally important as traditionalproducts for crop protection  seed hasinsecticidal and medicinal properties  and Lambdacyhalothrin (insecticide) at 40 ml in 10 L of water mixed as cocktail. Mini sett sizes, 30 g each were planted on ridges at 100 cmbetween and 30 cm within rows on a 20 m × 20 m plot size. Neem leafpowder was applied to the soil on five rows per plot and another five served ascheck (control) for assessment. Air-dried neem leaves were milled using cornmill  and applied at 20 g perhill, which was placed in the planting hole and covered with a little soilbefore placing the yam minisett. The trial was weeded three times manually  before harvesting. Harvesting was done approximately sixto seven months after planting with the aid of hoe and cutlass.Aspidiella hartii), mealybugs(Planococcus citri), beetles (Heteroligusmeles), termites (Isoptera: Termitidae) and millipedes (Plethocrossus sp)(Diplopoda: Odontopygidae) infestations as well as nematode galling, cracks,soft and wet rot were assessed on the scale of 1-5; where 1 = free from attack,2 = 1-25%, 3 = 26-50%, 4 = 51-75% and 5 = 76-100%. The tuber yield ton perhectare (t/ha) was also assessed and recorded.Twenty seed yams were randomly selected and harvested from the neem treated andthe control plots. Scale insects (x +1) transformation. Percentage datawas transformed using arcsine of x prior to analysis. Meanswere separated using Tukey´s test at 0.05 probability level.Data obtained on number of feeding holes created by scale insects, mealy bugs,beetles, termites and millipedes infestations on tubers and tuber weightexpressed in yield were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) withSAS, PROC GLM  Cockerel, the mealy bug P. citri (Risso)(Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), yam tuber beetle (H. meles Billberger)holes, termites  and millipedes(Plethocrossus sp) holes.Major soil arthropods and their damages recorded in this study from bothEjura-Sekyedumse and Atebubu districts included scale insects The results from Ejura-Sekyedumse district in 2016 indicated that, neem applicationhad no significant effect (p > 0.05) on the scale insects and millipedeholes. However, a significant difference (p<0.05) on the number of mealybugs, termites and tuber beetle holes was observed when neem was applied . Considep > 0.05) effect on the scale insects, termiteand millipede holes. However, significant (p < 0.05) difference on the numberof mealy bugs and tuber beetle holes was observed when neem was applied (Results from Atebubu- Amantin district in 2016 indicated that neem application had nosignificant ( applied . At Ejur applied .P > 0.05) effect on the scale insectsand mealy bugs.The results from Ejura-Sekyedumse district in 2017 indicated that, neem applicationhad no significant  difference for three parameters;termite tuber beetle holes and millipede holes when neem was applied . For nemp > 0.05) effect on the scale insectsand tuber beetle holes. Mealy bugs, termite and millipede holes, however, showedsignificant (P < 0.05) difference as parameters when neemwas applied  between the neem treated plots and the control. Yieldsof seed yam/tubers were higher on the neem treated plots than the control . GeneralS. bradys, Pratylenchus spp. andMeloidogyne spp.) were responsible for tuber damages. Theyprobably might have served as primary invaders which facilitated fungal  pathogen tuber infection in the field. Theresulting damages that occurred in the field might have led to reducing the quality,quantity of food and planting material if neem were not applied. Similar findingshave been earlier reported by Amusa et al. (Meloidogyne spp. (root-knot nematodes),Rhizoctonia root-rot fungus and rice stunt virus , as well as increasing the food security in Africa.We also observed that late harvesting predisposes tubers to bruises and attack soseed yam producers are advised to be early to attain maturity.


This review acmes the latest developments of composites of metal oxides/sulfide comprising of graphene and its analogues as electrode materials in the construction of the next generation of supercapacitors (SCs). SCs have become an indispensable device of energy-storage modes. A prompt increase in the number of scientific accomplishments in this field, including publications, patents, and device fabrication, has evidenced the immense attention they have attracted from scientific communities. These efforts have resulted in rapid advancements in the field of SCs, focusing on the development of electrode materials with features of high performance, economic viability, and robustness. It has been demonstrated that carbon-based electrode materials mixed with metal oxides and sulfoxides can perform extremely well in terms of energy density, durability, and exceptional cyclic stability. Herein, the state-of-the-art technologies relevant to the fabrication, characterization, and property assessment of graphene-based SCs are discussed in detail, especially for the composite forms when mixing with metal sulfide, metal oxides, metal foams, and nanohybrids. Effective synthetic methodologies for the nanocomposite fabrications via intercalation, coating, wrapping, and covalent interactions will be reviewed. We will first introduce some fundamental aspects of SCs, and briefly highlight the impact of graphene-based nanostructures on the basic principle of SCs, and then the recent progress in graphene-based electrodes, electrolytes, and all-solid-state SCs will be covered. The important surface properties of the metal oxides/sulfides electrode materials  will be described in each section as per requirement. Finally, we will show that composites of graphene-based electrodes are promising for the construction of the next generation of high performance, robust SCs that hold the prospects for practical applications. To obtain molybdenum hexacarbonyl, a halide precursor (MoCl5) and H2S as a chemical reactant were deposited on the MoS2 films at an elevated temperature of 300 °C [2S plasma as the chemical reactant. After a very comprehensive investigation of the properties of these nanomaterials and of their growth on the 3D Ni foam, the electrochemical studies were carried out, to realize the potential of plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) MoS2 as an electrode in asymmetric SCs. The efficiency of the materials developed in terms of capacitance retention was reported, as shown in Very recently, Nandi et al. reported a direct growth of MoSications . They adf 300 °C . Therefo2 for SC applications, therefore we selectively summarize some excellent investigations on MoS2 based electrode materials, in addition to other graphene-based and hybrid composites, as enlisted in It is difficult to review all published work related to MoSCompared with metal/metal oxide nanocomposites, conducting polymers (CPs) show some advantages as electrode materials, such as low cost and ease of large-scale production . Such hy2 nanosheets as a cathode and carbonized iron cations adsorbed on polyaniline (C-Fe/PANI) as an anode [2 nanosheets using a hydrothermal method, and then the fabrication of the C-Fe/PANI electrode material by direct pyrolysis of the Fe-PANI mixture coated onto a 3D Ni foam, in a tube furnace under N2 atmosphere. The synthesis procedure is depicted in Additional hybrid CPs with metal/metal oxides as pseudocapacitive materials for SCs are also very promising. Rantho et al. successfully synthesized an asymmetric SC using VSan anode . Using 6an anode . In theian anode . They ad2 sample was composed of a large number of nanosheets. However, in the case of C-Fe/PANI, as shown in The surface morphology of the nanostructured material was revealed by SEM analyses. 2SO4. However, the results revealed that the composites had a better current response in 6 M KOH electrolyte, and the relevant explanation for such an observation was also suggested by Rantho et al. They reported the specific capacitance of 516.5 F/g for VS2 and 486.5 F/g for C-Fe/PANI. To further explore the electrochemical performance of VS2 and C-Fe/PANI electrodes, an asymmetric device was constructed by Rantho et al. The VS2/C-Fe/PANI asymmetric device offered a high-energy-density of 27.8 Wh/kg and a power density of 2991.5 W/kg at a current density of 2 A/g, as discussed in details elsewhere [The electrochemical characterization of the composite materials was carried out in 6 M KOH, and in Nalsewhere .In the same line, Adhikari et al. reported a polyaniline (PANI)-stabilized structure containing ferrocene (Fc) and graphene as the electrode material for SCs . Their wLeakage;Corrosion of electrodes;Limited geometry shape and high flammability.It is very important to note that supercapacitors using liquid electrolytes can provide better ion conductivity, but they also encounter several disadvantages, such as volatility, narrow potential window, and high flammability. Further, supercapacitors involving a liquid electrolyte do not offer the flexible feature and are generally bulky. For modern electronic gadgets, mobility and flexibility constitute the two essential characteristics. Hence, researchers are keen to seek suitable forms of electrolyte that offers high efficient, good flexibility, light in weight, and high mobility for SCs. The SC devices based on liquid electrolytes suffer from different disadvantages that limit their applications. These disadvantages include :Leakage;Improved stability, safety, flexibility and mechanical stability.Significantly streamline the packaging and make the specific separator needless.Improved gravimetric or volumetric energy densities of the devices.Gel polymer electrolytes however can partly assuage the disadvantages of the liquid electrolytes, but the issues related to the liquid component in the electrolyte still exist, including the leakage and ionic reduction due to the solvent evaporation. The strategy that can be used to tackle these issues associated with the solvent based electrolytes is to develop solvent-free polymer solid electrolytes, which offer advantages, such as :ImprovedThe increasing demands for wearable and lightweight energy-storage devices have brought about the necessity to design novel, efficient, and compatible energy-storage modes. Solid-state SCs (SSSCs) are proven to be very apt for applications in modern electronic gadgets. SSSCs are characterized by high power density and very stable cyclic performance with considerably fast charge/discharge rates ,158,159.(i) Facile electrode preparation: The electrodes can be easily fabricated by several approaches.(ii) Easy electrolyte preparation that allows for the device compactness: Conventionally, liquid-electrolyte-based SCs are not practical options for mobile and compact electronic applications, as they are problematic to house the other elements and to achieve flexibility. In this context, the SSSCs are much more advantageous, since the all-solid-state property is not as itinerant as the liquid electrolytes, and the solid electrolyte can be easily kept separate from the other device parts.(iii) SSSCs devices are perfectly compatible with modern-day flexible, lightweight, and compact electronic gadgets.(iv) SSSCs can be fabricated into various flexible forms, such as thin films or fiber-shaped forms, or can be imbued with other novel properties. All these properties can widen the applications of SSSCs in many specific fields.(v) Finally, and most importantly, SSSCs are equipped with properties like environmental friendliness, portability, mobility, and cost effectiveness, which can broaden the application area of SCs . TherefoRecently, abundant carbon-based materials have been studied and evaluated for possible developments of SSSCs, in order to meet the demand of requisite energy storage. Example attempts include activated carbon ,161, porAmong the above long list, graphene-based electrodes are much more attractive and have been widely investigated. In addition, the yield of the aforementioned method is very low, and the cost involved in making graphene on a large scale remains high. A possible solution to the problem of large-scale synthesis of graphene is to use graphene oxide as a precursor. However, the performance of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide as electrode material is still limited, because of the limited surface areas of the electrode as a whole . Zhang e2O3)/graphene aerogel hybrids as a flexible SSSC electrode, and achieved an impressive capacitance of 440 F/g [3O4 composite aerogel electrode, and reported a high areal energy density of 35.92 μWh cm−2 [Various methods have been reported to assemble graphene into films, to prevent serious stacking aggregation, and to maintain their large specific surface areas while being lightweight. Khattak et al. reported the use of 3D . Other attempts included the fabrication of 3D graphene aerogel first and then combining it with other redox materials, such as combining PANI and MnO2, to create all-solid-state flexible asymmetric SCs, which exhibited a specific capacitance of 111 F/g at the current density of 1 A/g [To eliminate the drawbacks of aerogels  in SSSCs, several attempts have been documented to develop 3D hydrogels ,190. Forof 1 A/g .Despite their various advantages, graphene-based electrode materials suffer from limited charge-storage capacity, owing to the surface storage mechanism, as seen in other carbon-based electrode materials. Moreover, the charge storage is largely limited by the unused electrode active surface of the graphene and by the large resistance to ion transport within graphene-based electrodes. Consequently, the value of the gravimetric capacitance of the reported SSSCs lies mostly below 300 F/g, far below its theoretical value . The fab2 nanorods spread over the graphene surface, and reported a specific capacitance of 759 F/g [−2 at a current density of 1 A cm−2 [3O4 nanocrystal hybrid electrodes and used a scalable wet spinning approach to achieve the flexible electrodes. By adopting this process, Chen et al. further revealed that the Mn3O4 nanocrystals were strongly anchored over the rGO nanosheets, which effectively avoided further aggregation of the nanocrystals. The regular fibrous-network-like structure was found to be favorable for flexible SCs [3O4 nanocrystal-based SCs is schematically presented in To counter the above issues and boost the performance of graphene-based SSSCs, solutions including integrating graphene with other pseudocapacitive materials or doping it with various heteroatoms have been proposed ,175,176. 759 F/g . Using f1 A cm−2 . Chen et1 A cm−2 . They stible SCs . The pro3O4 nanocrystals, the tensile strength, flexibility, and capacitive performance of the electrode materials were thoroughly investigated [3O4 nanocrystals. The CV and EIS studies showed that the synergistic interaction between rGO sheets and the optimal amount of Mn3O4 crystals led to an excellent capacitive performance (3O4 crystals also offered an electrochemically active surface area with more electronic conduction channels. The flexible electrode offered a maximum volumetric capacitance of 311 F cm−3 in 1 M KOH electrolyte and 45.5 F cm−3 in PVA/H3PO4 gel electrolyte. It has good cycling stability of 85% over 10,000 cycles, and a high tendency to incur bending fatigue. Therefore, this approach can be considered as a successful example to achieve highly efficient energy-storage for the next generation of flexible electronics.By varying the amounts of the Mnstigated . It was formance . The Mn32SO4, and PVA/H3PO4, and they are summarized above in Numerous reports are available on SCs that use ionic, organic, and aqueous electrolytes. In the case of SSSCs, the electrolytes used are mostly in an aqueous or aqueous ion gel state, such as PVA/KOH, PVA/HGao et al. reported a direct laser writing technique for the fabrication of rGO/GO micro-SCs in which GO was used as a solid electrolyte . Yang et2SO4-intercalated GO as electrolyte/separator by coupling with pseudocapacitive rGO electrodes [−2 and a volumetric energy density of 1.24 mWh cm−3.The use of rGO as a separator has been gaining research attention. Shulga et al. reported that they achieved a specific capacitance of 200 F/g by using such a separator ; their dectrodes . This deThis review accounted for the recent progress in graphene and its 2D analogues based metal oxide/sulfide nanocomposites for applications in supercapacitors, with special focus on the developments incurred within the last 3–4 years. A comprehensive discussion has been included to link the surface morphology of the composites consisting of metal oxides, sulfides, metal foams, and metal containing polymers, with the performance for them acting as the electrode materials in SC applications. We have shown that these new nanocomposites have exhibited huge commercial applicability with easy processing features. A brief introduction to the basic principles for the supercapacitors has also been comprised, elaborated along with the current scenario in supercapacitors research. The properties of electrodes, separator, and electrolyte can be tuned separately and optimized together to realize ultimate improvements in the performance of the SCs. Furthermore, by using important schematic diagrams, figures, and tables, we created a comparative account on the state-of-the-art in SC research, so to help to achieve a deepened understanding and promote further thinking. By citing the most recent references in each section of this review, we have shown the ongoing cutting-edge research around the globe on supercapacitors, and also pointed out the potential directions where challenges remain for further exploration.2SO4 or ionic BMIPF6 electrolytes have resulted in maximum capacitance values of 348 and 158 F/g, respectively, projecting the excellent performance of rGO in aqueous and/ionic electrolytes [Graphene-based porous nanostructures are a class of materials of the utmost importance in the future development of high performance, portable, and flexible SCs. Since they can enhance the ion transportation rate in supercapacitors, consequently augmenting the power and energy density and the stability of supercapacitors. As recorded previously, rGO nanosheets working in aqueous Htrolytes ,27,28,29However, the cyclic stability remains a challenge, and it is prophesied to be improved along with the specific capacitance by the use of hybrid composites consisting of the newly discovered two-dimensional materials such as MXene and inorganic graphene ,155,156.Nevertheless, it has been reported that graphene and other 2D material-based separators suffer from damages with time, which opens another big challenge for future study. Research in this field should also be more focused on their commercial viability and provide technical details towards their commercialization. Most importantly, flexibility based on nanostructures of graphene and its analogues, in the form of nanocomposites, paper sheets or aerogel, becomes possible, however commercial production poses a big task of the near future, mainly owing to the cost and technical barriers. Over-claim of their advantages and selectively ignore their shortcomings and realistic viability could be detrimental for building up consumer confidence and therefore for their wide commercialization.Given the huge amount of joint efforts globally, the great investments in R&D, and the rapid paces of development in this area, we believe that these technical barriers and challenges could be solved in the short term. By combining the experimental selection of materials and parameters refinements with high-performance computer simulations at the molecular level, solutions to the challenges and optimizations to the performance of the SCs could be achieved much faster than working alone by materials scientists and chemists. We believe that SC, particularly low cost, lightweight, high power and energy density, flexible, and robust SCs will be realized very soon, not only in the lab but also produced in a commercial scale. We also believe that these next-generation SCs would contribute significantly to the future sustainable society.