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[Display omitted] • CuCeO x /HZSM-5 complex catalyst is prepared by impregnation-pyrolysis method. • Carboxylated HZSM-5 promotes better contact with MOFs, forming a core–shell structure. • Using MOFs as precursors enables uniform deposition of CuCeO x on HZSM-5. • Acid and redox properties have an important influence on CAHs catalytic oxidation. The catalytic elimination of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons is the frontier of catalytic oxidation of organic pollutants, and the screen of efficient catalysts (low cost, high activity, durability and selectivity) remains challenging. In this work, the CuCeO x derived from metal-organic frameworks supported on H-zeolite socony mobile-5 (HZSM-5) complex catalyst (CuCeO x -H-C) was prepared through impregnation combined with pyrolysis and applied in the catalytic oxidation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene. The results indicate that the introduction of carboxyl groups on the surface of HZSM-5 is crucial for the formation of Ce-MOF/HZSM-COOH core–shell structure. This introduction facilitates the uniform deposition of CuCeO x on HZSM-5 and significantly enhances the overall acidity. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of Cu-Ce significantly enhanced the catalyst's activity at low temperatures. Therefore, CuCeO x -H-C exhibited the highest activity, with a T 90 of 236 °C. Additionally, the CuCeO x -H-C catalyst showed high selectivity for HCl and suppressed the generation of chlorinated by-products. The differences in catalyst activity among various catalysts arise from multiple factors, including specific surface area, dispersion of active species, oxygen mobility, oxygen storage capacity, redox properties, and others. Under the synergetic effects of above-mentioned factors, the activity of CuCeO x -H-C is remarkably enhanced and would be promising for potential industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil microbiome, which is shaped by gut-related activities of earthworms, is affected by microplastic contamination. However, the influence of microplastics on earthworm gut and cast microbiomes has been poorly explored. Here, we investigated the influence of microplastics (1% in soil, w/w) on soil physicochemical properties and bacterial communities during gut passage and cast aging of Lumbricus terrestris. Microplastics used in agricultural film production were selected, i.e., low density polyethylene, polylactic acid and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT). Different niches, including pre-ingestion soil, gut content and aged casts (from 0 to 180 days), were studied. Results showed that microplastics possibly enhanced the gut passage-derived difference between pre-ingestion soil and fresh cast in terms of pH, ammonium, nitrate and nitrite, and dissolved organic carbon. But such effects mostly faded out after 180 days of aging. The composition, as well as the alpha and beta diversity of both the total (DNA) and active (RNA) bacterial communities were decisively shaped by their niche (R2: 0.22–0.63, p < 0.001, PERMANOVA), rather than the presence/absence or the types of MPs. Nevertheless, biomarkers indicative of PBAT treatment were identified, and functional prediction for the active community showed that bacterial communities of this treatment had higher potentials for hydrocarbon degradation (4.9–7.8 times that of the microplastic-free treatment in gut and aged casts). We also identified a "Soil-related core community" and a "Gut-related core community" (contributing to 39.2%–50.2% of the cast microbiome), which possibly neutralized microplastic impacts and maintained the structure and function of bacterial communities during the soil–gut–cast transit. Our findings indicate that the tested microplastics exerted a minor influence on the bacterial communities during the cast aging process, microplastics in aged casts might not necessarily have significant additional influence on the soil microbiome when they are incorporated into soils. Future studies testing different soils, polymers, and earthworm species, under field conditions are recommended to help enhance current knowledge of the influence of microplastics on earthworm cast microbiomes. [Display omitted] • Microplastics (MPs) influence on the aging of earthworm casts was studied. • MPs affected the physicochemical properties of fresh casts but not in the long term. • PBAT MPs had minor influence on the active community (RNA). • Soil- and Gut-related core communities were likely to buffer the impacts of MPs. • MP-containing casts may not cause additional effects on the soil microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mechanism of accident spreading process and risk transmission on complex industrial system network is explained. • A dynamic model of accident propagation on complex industrial system network is established. • The changes of risk propagation speed threshold and risk propagation scale under multiple factors are studied. • The effectiveness of the proposed model is verified by numerical simulation and an application. Due to the increasing complexity of complex industrial systems, it's indispensable to analyze the process of accident spread and risk propagation on complex systems. An epidemiological model was used to study the phenomena of accident spread and risk propagation in complex industrial systems. It explains the mechanism and pattern of accident spread and risk propagation in complex industrial network, establishes a dynamic model for risk propagation in complex industrial network. The research findings are as follows: (1) In complex industrial systems networks, risk decreases when risk propagation velocity is below a threshold, but it increases and approaches a nonzero equilibrium point when risk propagation exceeds the threshold. (2) The risk propagation threshold is positively linked to information integrity, system robustness, and resilience, while it is negatively associated with the risk preference of management personnel. The risk propagation range decreases as the risk propagation threshold increases. (3) A higher average network degree leads to a higher risk propagation threshold and a smaller risk propagation range. Conversely, network heterogeneity has the opposite effect on the risk propagation threshold and range compared to the average degree. The research conclusions have important theoretical and practical implications for risk management in complex industrial systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant challenge faced by Li–O 2 batteries (LOBs) lies in their slow oxygen reduction and evolution kinetics, which greatly necessitates the development of highly active catalysts. Herein, we report a high-performance oxygen cathode (RuCo-NC) that is achieved by uniformly dispersing the nanoalloy of noble metal Ru and transition metal Co on the three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous carbon. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a prominent electron transfer process between Ru and Co, along with a substantial abundance of electron transfer sites on RuCo-NC. These characteristics contribute to a strong positive equilibrium effect on the formation and decomposition of Li 2 O 2 , which is crucial for LOBs. Furthermore, the calculated Gibbs free energy change during the oxygen reduction and evolution processes indicates that RuCo-NC exhibits the smallest overpotential compared to single metal catalysts. As a result, this RuCo-NC cathode enables the resulting LOB with a larger discharge specific capacity, lower overpotential for efficient oxygen reduction and evolution, and excellent cycling stability. This work introduces an effective method for fabricating nanoalloy catalysts with enhanced efficiency, promising advancements in energy applications. • The highly dispersed RuCo nanoalloy uniformly dispersed on nanoporous carbon was prepared. • In-depth sights into the transfer process between Ru and Co, leading to high performance. • The RuCo-NC oxygen cathode shows high battery performance and cycle stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the mechanism of lignin degradation during sesame roasting, structural transformations of milled wood lignin (MWL) from sesame seed hull samples roasted at 190–250 °C for 30 min were investigated. The findings revealed that, with increasing temperature, the degradation extent of carbohydrates from lignin carbohydrate complex in the fractions deepened, which reduced total sugar content (from 8.59 % to 0.45 %). Compared to that of the original sesame seed hull lignin (LSSH), the molecular weight of MWL fractions showed a tendency to decline (M w 4377–2235 Da) with the rise of roasting temperature (210–250 °C). During roasting, lignins in the sesame seed hull underwent degradation and condensation. Due to demethoxylation, the H-type lignin proportion increased from 2.7 % to 26.1 %. Compared to G- and C-type lignin, S-type lignin was more stable. The β-O-4 linkages decreased from 5.8 to 1.2/100 Ar due to C O bond breaking, and β-β linkages from 26.3 to 9.6/100 Ar decreased due to condensation of C C. As the roasting temperature increased, more chemical bonds between lignin structural units were broken, resulting in the generation of more phenolic hydroxyl groups (1.80–2.53 mmol/g). This study helps to elucidate the contribution of lignin degradation during roasting to the oxidative stability of sesame oil. [Display omitted] • Structural changes of sesame seed hull lignin roasted at 190–250 °C were investigated. • C- and G/S-type lignin co-existed in sesame seed hull. • Comparing to S- and C-type lignin, G-type lignin was more stable. • More phenolic hydroxyl groups were generated in lignin as roasting temperature increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo fiber (BF) possesses advantages such as environmental friendliness, renewability, economic viability, and favorable mechanical properties, making it a promising material for improving the brittleness and tensile strength of concrete. Previous investigations have demonstrated a limited exploration of BF-reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC). Current study concentrates on investigating the mechanical properties and stress-strain relationship of BF-reinforced LWAC. To achieve this, 7 groups of BF-reinforced LWAC specimens were subjected to compressive tests, splitting tensile tests, and prism compressive tests. The influence of BF content and length on the compressive performance, failure modes and stress-strain curves was studied. BFs effectively suppressed the development of internal cracks in LWAC, playing a role in crack resistance and toughness enhancement. Furthermore, BFs significantly improved the splitting tensile strength of concrete, while the compressive strength slightly decreased with the increase of BF content. After adding BFs, the splitting tensile strength of concrete increased by 8.2∼23.7%, and the compressive strength decreased by 3.6∼11.1%. Moreover, the BF length had almost no effect on the compressive strength of concrete, while when the BF length was 10–30 mm, the tensile strength increased by 5.3∼17.6%. Based on existing researches, strength conversion equations and stress-strain constitutive models of BF-reinforced LWAC were proposed, and the models provide a theoretical basis for the calculation and analysis of BF-reinforced LWAC components and structures. • Bamboo fiber (BF)-reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) was examined. • BFs significantly improved the splitting tensile strength and ductility of LWAC. • The failure modes of specimens were analyzed based on SEM images and DIC technology. • The stress-strain models of BF-reinforced LWAC were established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 20-day sludge biodrying process was coupled with photocatalysis to improve biodrying efficiency and investigate the effect of photocatalysis on biodegradation. After biodrying, the moisture content in the coupled photocatalytic group (T CA) and the control group (T UCA) decreased from 63.61% to 50.82% and 52.94%, respectively, and the volatile solids content decreased from 73.18% to 63.42% and 64.39%, respectively. Neutral proteinase activity decreased by 9.38% and 28.69%, and lipase activity decreased by 6.12% and 26.17%, respectively, indicating that photocatalysis helped maintain neutral proteinase and lipase activities. The Chao1 and Shannon indices showed that photocatalysis increased fungal diversity and reduced bacterial richness and diversity. The β diversity clustering analysis indicated that the bacterial community structure during the thermophilic phase in T CA differed from that in T UCA. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes annotation showed that photocatalysis has the potential to promote the synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies. Biodrying coupled with photocatalysis can improve the dewatering of sludge without negatively affecting biodegradation. [Display omitted] • Photocatalysis was applied to sludge biodrying. • The negative effects of TiO 2 addition on biodegradation and microbial communities were not observed. • Coupled photocatalysis helped the maintenance of enzyme activity. • The functional metabolism of microorganisms was analyzed using KEGG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 11 clinical and subclinical cardiovascular indicators were assessed in 62,128 participants from Nanjing. • Heat waves can induce a variety of early cardiovascular risks or injuries within a week. • Risks or injuries included changes in blood pressure, heart rate, inflammation, blood viscosity, and cardiac enzymes. • Females and males showed distinct susceptibilities in different indicators. • Individuals with older age, abnormal BMI, or diabetes should be tightly concerned. Previous studies have related heat waves to morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases; however, potential mechanisms remained limited. Our aims were to investigate the short-term effects of heat waves on a series of clinical/subclinical indicators associated with cardiovascular health. Our study used 80,574 health examination records from the Health Management Center of Nanjing Zhongda Hospital during the warm seasons of 2019–2021, including 62,128 participants. A total of 11 recognized indicators of cardiovascular risk or injury were assessed. Air pollution and meteorological data were obtained from the Nanjing Ecological Environment Bureau and the China Meteorological Data Network, respectively. Heat waves were defined as a daily average temperature over the 95th percentile for three or more consecutive days from May to September. We used a combination of linear mixed effects models and distributed lag nonlinear models to assess the lagged effects of heat waves on clinical and subclinical cardiovascular indicators. Stratified analyses based on individuals' characteristics, including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, and hypertension, were also performed. Heat waves were related to significant changes in most indicators, with the magnitude of effects generally peaking at a lag of 0 to 3 days. Moreover, the cumulative percentage changes over lag 0–7 days were –0.82 % to –2.55 % in blood pressure, 1.32 % in heart rate, 0.20 % to 2.66 % in systemic inflammation markers, 0.36 % in a blood viscosity parameter, 9.36 % in homocysteine, and 1.35 % to 3.25 % in injuring myocardial enzymes. Interestingly, females and males showed distinct susceptibilities in different indicators. Stronger effects were also found in participants aged 50 years or over, individuals with abnormal BMI status, and patients with diabetes. Short-term exposure to heat waves could significantly alter clinical/subclinical cardiovascular indicator profiles, including blood pressure changes, increased heart rate, acute systemic inflammation, elevated blood viscosity, and myocardial injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Wind farm layout and collector system optimization are integrated in a double-layer joint-optimization framework. • Essential factors are modelled and integrated , including 3D seabed, multiple substations, and wind turbines' fatigue. • Layer-wise design of solving algorithms is implemented to suit the different problem natures. • The effectiveness of proposed method is verified by reducing the leverlized cost of energy on a benchmark offshore wind farm. Offshore wind power is continuously developing for renewable energy generation. Generally, the overall planning work of offshore wind farms (OWFs) is divided into wind farm layout optimization (WFLO) and wind farm collector system optimization (WFCSO), which focus on wind turbines' (WT) micro-siting and sea cables' network design, respectively. Traditionally, the optimizations on these two subproblems are isolated, which lacks the integral consideration of their co-effect on the optimal planning solution. Moreover, the practicability of these optimizations also remains at a low level, with key practical factors being largely overlooked for the sake of model simplicity. To fill these gaps, this article proposes a complete modelling of the joint-optimization problem for OWF planning with a double-layer optimization framework. It not only considers the interplay between WFLO and WFCSO, but also well integrates all the essential and practical parts together, including the impacts of 3D seabed geography, the scalability to multiple offshore substations, the reliability concerns of WTs' fatigue, and the layer-wise selection of solving algorithms to suit the different problem natures. The proposed optimization method is tested on a 50 WTs system through comparative studies, and the results verify the necessity of each designed part in the proposed joint planning model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A phenology-based method was developed for rice-crayfish field (RCF) mapping. • The RCF mapping method showed high accuracy and generalization ability over years. • DNDC model was used to assess the impact of RCF expansion on regional CH 4 emission. • RCF generated the least CH 4 flux in comparison to traditional rice cropping systems. • Evaluation results provided valuable insights for agricultural land use planning. The rice-crayfish field (i.e., RCF), a recently emerged rice cultivation pattern, has experienced remarkable growth in China over the last decade due to its significant socioeconomic advantages. However, the impacts of expanding RCF areas on the regional-scale ecological environment, particularly concerning methane (CH 4) emissions, remain unclear. A major obstacle in addressing this knowledge gap is the absence of accurate and up-to-date spatial distribution information on RCF across years. Here, we selected Jianghan Plain which has the largest RCF area in China as the study area. First, we developed a phenology-based identification algorithm using Landsat-7/8 satellite data, which considered the distinctive flooding signatures of RCF during the rice fallow periods, to identify RCF at the regional scale. Second, we employed the DeNitrification–DeComposition (DNDC) model to simulate the CH 4 fluxes of various rice cropping systems, including RCF, rice monoculture (RM), rice-rapeseed rotation (RR), and rice-wheat rotation (RW). Finally, the effects of RCF expansion during 2014–2019 on regional CH 4 emissions were analyzed by comparing six scenarios that simulated the conversion of different rice cropping systems to RCF. Results showed the phenology-based algorithm performed well in extracting RCFs, achieving an overall accuracy >92 % for all years based on 1025 RCF and 2096 non-RCF validation samples. RCF generated the least CH 4 flux, followed by RM, RR, and RW. Moreover, shifting from traditional rice cropping systems to RCF reduced CH 4 emissions across all cases, with mitigation rates ranging from 4.82 % to 21.85 %, indicating RCF's substantial CH 4 mitigation potential. These findings significantly improve our understanding of the ecological effects of RCF cultivation, which is critical for advancing land use planning and decision-making for sustainable agricultural development in China. Our presented evaluation method of integrating the remote sensing mapping algorithm and DNDC model can be easily generalized for other crop types in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • In WT mice, 24 h of Db11 infection induced severe acute pneumonia, characterized by severe acute lung injury and high bacterial load. Nlrp3 deletion provided protection against acute Sm pneumonia. • Deletion of Nlrp3 suppressesed NLRP3 inflammasome activation, subsequently reduced pyroptosis of macrophages, and decreased PD-1 and PD-L1 expression in these cells. • The frequency of PD-1+ interstitial macrophage and MARCO+ alveolar macrophages was notably correlated with bacterial load, while IL-1β level was significantly associated with acute lung injury. Antibiotic-resistant Serratia marcescens (Sm) is known to cause bloodstream infections, pneumonia, etc. The nod-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), has been implicated in various lung infections. Yet, its role in Sm -induced pneumonia was not well understood. In our study, we discovered that deletion of Nlrp3 in mice significantly improved Sm -induced survival rates, reduced bacterial loads in the lungs, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and bloodstream, and mitigated the severity of acute lung injury (ALI) compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Mechanistically, we observed that 24 h post- Sm infection, NLRP3 inflammasome activation occurred, leading to gasdermin D NH2-terminal (GSDMD-NT)-induced pyroptosis in macrophages and IL-1β secretion. The NLRP3 or NLRP3 inflammasome influenced the expression PD-L1 and PD-1, as well as the count of PD-L1 or PD-1-expressing macrophages, alveolar macrophages, interstitial macrophages, PD-L1-expressing neutrophils, and the count of macrophage receptors with collagenous structure (MARCO)-expressing macrophages, particularly MARCO+ alveolar macrophages. The frequency of MARCO+ alveolar macrophages, PD-1 expression, particularly PD-1+ interstitial macrophages were negatively or positively correlated with the Sm load, respectively. Additionally, IL-1β levels in BALF correlated with three features of acute lung injury: histologic score, protein concentration and neutrophil count in BALF. Consequently, our findings suggest that Nlrp3 deletion offers protection agaisnt acute Sm pneumonia in mice by inhibiting inflammasome activation and reducing Sm infection-induced PD-L1/PD-1 or MARCO expression, particularly in macrophages. This highlights potential therapeutic targets for Sm and other gram-negative bacteria-induced acute pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Varieties of plant species may affect the composition and structures of the polysaccharides, thus have an impact on their chemical properties and biological activities. Herein, the present study comparatively evaluated the differences in the chemical composition, morphological structures, antioxidant activity, and anti-inflammatory activity of the stem and peel polysaccharides from different varieties of pitaya. The FT-IR and NMR spectra indicated that the six polysaccharides had similar structural features, whereas the physicochemical characterization showed that they differed significantly in terms of the monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and surface morphology. In addition, different varieties of pitaya polysaccharides exhibited different antioxidant activities and similar anti-inflammatory activities. These data suggested that varietal differences resulted in pitaya stem and peel polysaccharides with different monosaccharide compositions and molecular weights, thus led to different antioxidant activities and protection against oxidative damage, while similar structural features were closely related to their similar anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, the study of the stem and peel polysaccharides from different varieties of pitaya can help us to better understand the relationship between their composition and structure and their biological activities. In addition, pitaya stem and peel polysaccharides have the potential to act as antioxidants or to treat inflammatory damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]