Since 2007, many cases of fever, thrombocytopenia and leukopenia syndrome (FTLS) have emerged in Henan Province, China. Patient reports of tick bites suggested that infection could contribute to FTLS. Many tick-transmitted microbial pathogens were tested for by PCR/RT-PCR and/or indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). However, only 8% (24/285) of samples collected from 2007 to 2010 tested positive for human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), suggesting that other pathogens could be involved. Here, we used an unbiased metagenomic approach to screen and survey for microbes possibly associated with FTLS. BLASTx analysis of deduced protein sequences revealed that a novel bunyavirus (36% identity to Tehran virus, accession: HQ412604) was present only in sera from FTLS patients. A phylogenetic analysis further showed that, although closely related to Uukuniemi virus of the Phlebovirus genus, this virus was distinct. The candidate virus was examined for association with FTLS among samples collected from Henan province during 2007–2010. RT-PCR, viral cultures, and a seroepidemiologic survey were undertaken. RT-PCR results showed that 223 of 285 (78.24%) acute-phase serum samples contained viral RNA. Of 95 patients for whom paired acute and convalescent sera were available, 73 had serologic evidence of infection, with 52 seroconversions and 21 exhibiting a 4-fold increase in antibody titer to the virus. The new virus was isolated from patient acute-phase serum samples and named Henan Fever Virus (HNF virus). Whole-genome sequencing confirmed that the virus was a novel bunyavirus with genetic similarity to known bunyaviruses, and was most closely related to the Uukuniemi virus (34%, 24%, and 29% of maximum identity, respectively, for segment L, M, S at maximum query coverage). After the release of the GenBank sequences of SFTSV, we found that they were nearly identical (>99% identity). These results show that the novel bunyavirus (HNF virus) is strongly correlated with FTLS.

Water contamination is generally considered to be detrimental to the performance of aprotic lithium-air batteries, whereas this view is challenged by recent contrasting observations. This has provoked a range of discussions on the role of water and its impact on batteries. In this work, a distinct battery chemistry that prevails in water-contaminated aprotic lithium-oxygen batteries is revealed. Both lithium ions and protons are found to be involved in the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, and lithium hydroperoxide and lithium hydroxide are identified as predominant discharge products. The crystallographic and spectroscopic characteristics of lithium hydroperoxide monohydrate are scrutinized both experimentally and theoretically. Intriguingly, the reaction of lithium hydroperoxide with triiodide exhibits a faster kinetics, which enables a considerably lower overpotential during the charging process. The battery chemistry unveiled in this mechanistic study could provide important insights into the understanding of nominally aprotic lithium-oxygen batteries and help to tackle the critical issues confronted.

Solid-state fast ionic conductors are of great interest due to their application potential enabling the development of safer high-performance energy and conversion systems ranging from batteries through supercapacitors to fuel cells, electrolyzers, and novel neuromorphic devices. However, identifying fast ion conductors has remained a slow trial-and-error search process. High-throughput computational screening methods such as our bond valence site energy method can significantly accelerate this materials design, but their implementation not only needs to be computationally efficient and dependable but also simple to be used by experimentalists in order to find widespread usage for guiding experimental efforts to promising classes of candidate materials. To bridge the current gap between computational method developers and application-oriented users, we combine the computationally low-cost bond valence site energy calculations in our softBV software tool using a new automated pathway analysis toolthe bond valence pathway analyzer (BVPA). The integration of BVPA gives rapid comprehensive access to and simplifies the visualization of the desired information on the characteristics of ion transport properties in candidate materials. Examples for the main application of identifying suitable structure types for fast ion transport as solid electrolytes or mixed conducting electrode materials with high-rate capability are given. A new dopant predictor further simplifies defect engineering of the candidate systems by automatically suggesting suitable substitutional dopants for each site in the structure based on a new machine-learned approach.

We investigated an outbreak of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) that occurred during May and June 2010, to identify the mode of transmission. Contact with the index patient's blood was significantly associated with development of SFTS (P = .01, by the χ(2) test for linear trend); the frequency of contact with the index patient's blood increased the risk of SFTS in a dose-response manner (P = .03, by the χ(2) test for linear trend). We concluded that human-to-human transmission caused this cluster of cases.

Solar-powered water evaporation is a straightforward, practical approach to use solar energy for water desalination. Solar absorbers made from photothermal materials capable of effectively confining heat and pumping water to the evaporation surface are essential for a high energy efficiency. However, separate designs of water transport routes and thermal insulating layers are required to simultaneously achieve desired water and thermal managements. This work reports an integrated design for efficient multifunctional capabilities through rational assembly of spectrally modified Ti 3 C 2 T x (SM-Ti 3 C 2 T x ) nanosheets and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) into a multiscale 3D aerogel with a feather-like microstructure. The aerogel contains longitudinal struts with transversely parallel ligaments developed at an angle of ≈60° from the struts, resembling the microstructure of down feathers in penguins and thus leading to excellent thermal insulation. The hydrophilic porous ligaments serve as upward water transport channels, pumping the water to the evaporation surface while confining it within the ligaments to avoid oversaturation. These functional features endow the composite aerogel with a high energy efficiency of 88.52% and an evaporation rate of 0.92 kg m −2 h −1 at a weak solar irradiance of 0.5-sun, indicating its great potential for practical solar-powered water desalination under natural sunlight.