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Inverted (pin) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) afford improved operating stability in comparison to their nip counterparts but have lagged in power conversion efficiency (PCE). The energetic losses responsible for this PCE deficit in pin PSCs occur primarily at the interfaces between the perovskite and the charge-transport layers. Additive and surface treatments that use passivating ligands usually bind to a single active binding site: This dense packing of electrically resistive passivants perpendicular to the surface may limit the fill factor in pin PSCs. We identified ligands that bind two neighboring lead(II) ion (Pb2+) defect sites in a planar ligand orientation on the perovskite. We fabricated pin PSCs and report a certified quasi–steady state PCE of 26.15 and 24.74% for 0.05– and 1.04–square centimeter illuminated areas, respectively. The devices retain 95% of their initial PCE after 1200 hours of continuous 1 sun maximum power point operation at 65°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on our discovery of the radio pulsar, PSR J2016+3711, in supernova remnant (SNR) CTB 87, with a ∼10.8σ significance of pulses, which confirms the compact nature of the X-ray point source in CTB 87. It is the first pulsar discovered in SNRs using Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Its integrated radio pulse profile can be well described by a single component, with a width at 50 per cent of the peak flux density of about 28.1○ and an effective width of about 32.2○. The mean flux density at 1.25 GHz is estimated to be about 15.5  |$\mu$| Jy. Combined with the non-detection of the radio pulse at lower frequencies, the radio spectral index of the pulsar is constrained to be ≲2.3. We also present the timing solution based on 28 follow-up FAST observations. Our results reveal a period of 50.81 ms, period derivative of 7.2 × 10−14 s s−1, and dispersion measure of 428 pc cm−3. The strength of the equatorial surface magnetic dipole magnetic field is inferred to be about 1.9 × 1012 G. Using the ephemeris obtained from the radio observations, we searched Fermi -LAT data for gamma-ray pulsations but detected no pulsed signal. We also searched for radio pulses with FAST towards the X-ray counterpart of the gamma-ray binary HESS J1832−093 proximate to SNR G22.7−00.2 but found no signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serine(S)/threonine(T)-glutamine(Q) cluster domains (SCDs), polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts and polyglutamine/asparagine (polyQ/N) tracts are Q-rich motifs found in many proteins. SCDs often are intrinsically disordered regions that mediate protein phosphorylation and protein-protein interactions. PolyQ and polyQ/N tracts are structurally flexible sequences that trigger protein aggregation. We report that due to their high percentages of STQ or STQN amino acid content, four SCDs and three prion-causing Q/N-rich motifs of yeast proteins possess autonomous protein expression-enhancing activities. Since these Q-rich motifs can endow proteins with structural and functional plasticity, we suggest that they represent useful toolkits for evolutionary novelty. Comparative Gene Ontology (GO) analyses of the near-complete proteomes of 26 representative model eukaryotes reveal that Q-rich motifs prevail in proteins involved in specialized biological processes, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA-mediated transposition and pseudohyphal growth, Candida albicans filamentous growth, ciliate peptidyl-glutamic acid modification and microtubule-based movement, Tetrahymena thermophila xylan catabolism and meiosis, Dictyostelium discoideum development and sexual cycles, Plasmodium falciparum infection, and the nervous systems of Drosophila melanogaster, Mus musculus and Homo sapiens. We also show that Q-rich-motif proteins are expanded massively in 10 ciliates with reassigned TAAQ and TAGQ codons. Notably, the usage frequency of CAGQ is much lower in ciliates with reassigned TAAQ and TAGQ codons than in organisms with expanded and unstable Q runs (e.g. D. melanogaster and H. sapiens), indicating that the use of noncanonical stop codons in ciliates may have coevolved with codon usage biases to avoid triplet repeat disorders mediated by CAG/GTC replication slippage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slickwater fracturing fluids have gained widespread application in the development of tight oil reservoirs. After the fracturing process, the active components present in slickwater can directly induce spontaneous imbibition within the reservoir. Several variables influence the eventual recovery rate within this procedure, including slickwater composition, formation temperature, degree of reservoir fracture development, and the reservoir characteristics. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms governing these influences remain relatively understudied. In this investigation, using the Chang-7 block of the Changqing Oilfield as the study site, we employ EM-30 slickwater fracturing fluid to explore the effects of the drag-reducing agent concentration, imbibition temperature, core permeability, and core fracture development on spontaneous imbibition. An elevated drag-reducing agent concentration is observed to diminish the degree of medium and small pore utilization. Furthermore, higher temperatures and an augmented permeability enhance the fluid flow properties, thereby contributing to an increased utilization rate across all pore sizes. Reduced fracture development results in a lower fluid utilization across diverse pore types. This study deepens our understanding of the pivotal factors affecting spontaneous imbibition in tight reservoirs following fracturing. The findings act as theoretical, technical, and scientific foundations for optimizing fracturing strategies in tight oil reservoir transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Intracranial aneurysm (IA) represents a devastating disease with high rates of disability and mortality, which is initiated by dysfunction of endothelial cells (ECs). Evidence suggests the dysregulation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase family during EC injury. In this work, the role of an E3 ubiquitin ligase, casitas B lymphoma-B (CBLB), was explored in human brain microvascular EC (HBMEC) function through the NLRP3 pathway. Methods: In vitro IA model was induced by treating HBMECs with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). The levels of CBLB and pyroptosis-related proteins NLRP3, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, and GSDME-N were determined by real-time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. HBMEC apoptosis, proliferation, and migration were evaluated by flow cytometry, MTT, and scratch tests. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was conducted to measure interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 levels in cell culture supernatant. The ubiquitination of NLRP3 was detected by co-immunoprecipitation. Results: NLRP3 was highly expressed while CBL-B was weakly expressed in ox-LDL-treated HBMECs. Cell apoptosis was enhanced, proliferation and migration were weakened, NLRP3 inflammasome was activated, and levels of gasdermin E-N, IL-1β, and IL-18 were increased in ox-LDL-induced HBMECs. The above tendencies were counteracted by NLRP3 knockdown or CBL-B overexpression. Additionally, CBL-B overexpression increased NLRP3 ubiquitination, suggesting that CBL-B hampered the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome by ubiquitinating NLRP3. Conclusion: E3 ubiquitin ligase CBL-B accelerates NLRP3 degradation to impede HBMEC pyroptosis, thus palliating vascular EC injury in IA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the high complementarity between global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) and visual-inertial odometry (VIO), integrated GNSS-VIO navigation technology has been the subject of increased attention in recent years. In this paper, we propose an embedded high-precision multi-sensor fusion suite that includes a multi-frequency and multi-constellation GNSS module, a consumption-grade inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a grayscale camera. The suite uses an NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX as the host and develops a Field Programmable Gate Array-based controller for hardware time synchronization between heterogeneous sensors. A multi-state constraint Kalman filter is used to generate the tightly-coupled estimation from the camera and the IMU. As a result, the GNSS output is loosely coupled to facilitate the acquisition of the global drift-free estimation. Results from the calibration reveal that the time synchronization accuracy of the suite is better than 30 ^s (standard deviation [STD]) and that the projection error of camera-IMU is less than 0.1 pixels (STD); these results highlight the advantage of this hardware time synchronization mechanism. Results from the vehicle-mounted tests reveal reductions in the three-dimensional (3D) positioning error from 8.455 m to 5.751 m (root mean square) on experimental urban roads, which significantly improves the accuracy and continuity of GNSS individual positioning. In underground sites where the satellite signal is completely unavailable, the 3D position error drift of the suite is only 1.58 %o, which also shows excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with the n-i-p structure, inverted (p-i-n) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) promise increased operating stability, but these photovoltaic cells often exhibit lower power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) because of nonradiative recombination losses, particularly at the perovskite/C60 interface. We passivated surface defects and enabled reflection of minority carriers from the interface into the bulk using two types of functional molecules. We used sulfur-modified methylthio molecules to passivate surface defects and suppress recombination through strong coordination and hydrogen bonding, along with diammonium molecules to repel minority carriers and reduce contact-induced interface recombination achieved through field-effect passivation. This approach led to a fivefold longer carrier lifetime and one-third the photoluminescence quantum yield loss and enabled a certified quasi-steady-state PCE of 25.1% for inverted PSCs with stable operation at 65°C for >2000 hours in ambient air. We also fabricated monolithic all-perovskite tandem solar cells with 28.1% PCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitreola viridiflora, a new endemic species from southern Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to M. crystallina, M. pedicellata and M. reticulata, but can be distinguished from them by its urceolate yellow-green corolla, ovate-triangular corolla lobes, stamens inserted near middle of corolla tube, style much longer than ovary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of a thermally stable ionic liquid, [PPN][TFSI], to improve the synthesis and stability of all-inorganic CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The ionic liquid retards the solid-state reaction, enhances grain size, reduces defect densities, and prevents undesired phase degradation, resulting in PSCs with a power conversion efficiency of 20.64% and long-term operational stability.

Argostemma ehuangzhangense, a new Rubiaceae species from E'huangzhang Nature Reserve, Guangdong Province, China, is here described and illustrated. A morphological comparison between the new species and its putative relatives, A. lamxayanum, A. laotica and A. verticillatum, is presented. The new species is mostly similar to A. laotica, but they can be distinguished from each other since Argostemma ehuangzhangense presents solitary flower (vs. 2-flowered inflorescences), flower lobes 4 (vs. 5) and anthers opening by longitudinal slits (vs. apical pores). In a preliminary IUCN Red List status of Argostemma ehuangzhangense this species is assigned as Vulnerable (VU). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The KEOPS complex is an evolutionarily conserved protein complex in all three domains of life (Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya). In budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the KEOPS complex (ScKEOPS) consists of five subunits, which are Kae1, Bud32, Cgi121, Pcc1, and Gon7. The KEOPS complex is an ATPase and is required for tRNA N6-threonylcarbamoyladenosine modification, telomere length maintenance, and efficient DNA repair. Here, recombinant ScKEOPS full complex and Kae1–Pcc1–Gon7 and Bud32–Cgi121 subcomplexes were purified and their biochemical activities were examined. KEOPS was observed to have ATPase and GTPase activities, which are predominantly attributed to the Bud32 subunit, as catalytically dead Bud32, but not catalytically dead Kae1, largely eliminated the ATPase/GTPase activity of KEOPS. In addition, KEOPS could hydrolyze ADP to adenosine or GDP to guanosine, and produce PPi, indicating that KEOPS is an ADP/GDP nucleotidase. Further mutagenesis characterization of Bud32 and Kae1 subunits revealed that Kae1, but not Bud32, is responsible for the ADP/GDP nucleotidase activity. In addition, the Kae1V309D mutant exhibited decreased ADP/GDP nucleotidase activity in vitro and shortened telomeres in vivo, but showed only a limited defect in t6A modification, suggesting that the ADP/GDP nucleotidase activity of KEOPS contributes to telomere length regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) plays versatile roles in various cardiovascular diseases. Its connection to doxorubicin (DOX)-related cardiomyopathy, however, remains elusive. To determine the role of ANGPTL2, an adeno-associated viral vector was used to overexpress ANGPTL2 in the murine heart 4 weeks before DOX treatment (15 mg/kg). Moreover, mice were injected with adenoviral vectors to knock down ANGPTL2 in the myocardium. Echocardiography and hemodynamics were used to determine the cardiac function. The effect of ANGPTL2 and its downstream target were elucidated by applying molecular and biochemical strategies. We found that ANGPTL2 expression was significantly increased in response to DOX stimulation. Moreover, cardiac-specific ANGPTL2 overexpression exacerbated DOX-related cardiac dysfunction, myocardial apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Mechanistically, ANGPTL2 aggravated DOX-induced cardiac injury via inhibiting the dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) pathway and DUSP1 overexpression significantly impeded DOX-induced cardiomyopathy in ANGPTL2-overexpressed mice. Altogether, ANGPTL2 aggravated DOX-related cardiac injury by suppressing the DUSP1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose schemes of direct concurrence measurement for two-qubit phononic states from quantized mechanical vibration. By combining the Machâ€"Zehnder interferometer with the optomechanical cross-Kerr nonlinear effect, direct concurrence measurement schemes for two-qubit phononic entangled states are achieved with the help of photon detection with respect to the output of the interferometer. For different types of entangled states, diversified quantum devices and operations are designed accordingly. The final analysis shows reasonable performance under the current parameter conditions. Our schemes may be useful for potential phonon-based quantum computation and information in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentasacme malipoense C. Liu & Y.H. Tan and P. tubulosum C. Liu, X.J. Hu & Y.H. Tan are two new species from Yunnan, China, which are described and illustrated in this study. Molecular phylogenies using the nrITS, rps16 and trnT-F datasets support these two new species formed a clade in the genus Pentasacme, then as the sister to P. caudatum, which is the only Chinese species hitherto included in phylogenetic studies. Pentasacme tubulosum can be clearly distinguished from the other five recognized species of this genus by its tubular corolla and tube much longer than lobes. Pentasacme malipoense is characterized by having campanulate and deeply lobed corolla, tube much shorter than lobes, corolline coronas present and inverted conical style-head, which is remarkably different from its sister species P. tubulosum. In addition, P. malipoense differs from P. caudatum by the reddish pedicels and calyces, oblong-lanceolate corolla lobes, staminal coronas present and inverted conical style-head, and from P. wallichii and P. shanense by its lanceolate leaf blades, reddish pedicels and calyces, both corolline coronas and staminal coronas present, purple-red anther appendages and inverted conical style-head. Furthermore, for illustrating the two species, diagnostic characters, photographs, morphological descriptions, distribution, and habitat are also provided, as well as the geographical distribution and the diagnostic key to all recognized species of Pentasacme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caveolae are small plasma membrane invaginations, important for control of membrane tension, signaling cascades, and lipid sorting. The caveola coat protein Cavin1 is essential for shaping such high curvature membrane structures. Yet, a mechanistic understanding of how Cavin1 assembles at the membrane interface is lacking. Here, we used model membranes combined with biophysical dissection and computational modeling to show that Cavin1 inserts into membranes. We establish that initial phosphatidylinositol (4, 5) bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]-dependent membrane adsorption of the trimeric helical region 1 (HR1) of Cavin1 mediates the subsequent partial separation and membrane insertion of the individual helices. Insertion kinetics of HR1 is further enhanced by the presence of flanking negatively charged disordered regions, which was found important for the coassembly of Cavin1 with Caveolin1 in living cells. We propose that this intricate mechanism potentiates membrane curvature generation and facilitates dynamic rounds of assembly and disassembly of Cavin1 at the membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shield double-layer lining structure is used to bear large internal water pressure in water conveyance tunnel engineering, but the mechanism of joint stress of structure and force transmission between linings is still unclear. In this paper, a stress calculation model of the double-layer lining structure of shield water conveyance tunnel considering the influence of transition layer between the inner lining and the outer lining is presented. By analyzing the inner lining and outer lining separately, the calculation formulas of radial displacement and circumferential stress are obtained. Then, according to the deformation coordination condition, the relationship between the inner and outer lining radial displacements is established. Thus, the magnitude of the unknown interaction force among the structures is calculated. Finally, through the stress analysis of the lining structure, the axial force, shear force, and bending moment acted on the structure are obtained. By comparing finite element calculation results with analytical calculation results, the rationality of analytical solutions is verified. Based on the proposed analytical method, the influence of inner lining thickness and material parameters of transition layer on the internal force and deformation of lining structure is analyzed. The results show that with the increase of the thickness of the inner lining, the axial force and bending moment increase, while the internal pressure shared by the outer lining decreases. The larger the elastic modulus of the transition material, the smaller the difference between the internal force and deformation of the inner and outer linings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitreola liuyanii, a new species from Guizhou Province, China, are described and illustrated in this study. Morphologically, it is most similar to M. pingtaoi but can be distinguished from the latter in the characteristics of leaves arranged in a basal rosette or clustered at the stem or branch apex, shorter stem internodes and petioles, smaller narrowly oblanceolate leaf blades with ciliate margin, narrowly lanceolate bracts and glabrous capsules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990 s, sporadic explosion accidents have occurred in the chemical industry. Accidents related to nitrification reactions or nitrification substances have had the most severe consequences. One reason for this phenomenon is the high risk of nitrification by-products, which are liable to combust and explode. Special attention must be paid to the production, collection, storage, and disposal of nitrification by-products. This study examined the thermal stabilities of the phenolic by-products created during nitrobenzene formation. The thermal stabilities of three representative aromatic nitrophenol by-products were determined using differential scanning calorimetry, accelerating rate calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. Advanced thermodynamic models were established for calculation and fitting, which provided reliable data support for exploring the intrinsic stability of nitrification by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In forensic cases suspected to involve Papaver somniferum, species identification is key to the investigation. To accurately detect and identify P. somniferum as well as common adulterants of the same genus, 19 internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequences of P. somniferum (256 bp), Papaver canescens (254 bp), Papaver nudicaule (254 bp), Papaver pavoninum (250 bp), Papaver radicatum (254 bp), and Papaver rhoeas (256 bp) were obtained. Based on the ITS2 sequence, similarity analysis via BLAST, the nearest Kimura‐2‐parameter (K2P) genetic distances were calculated, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA X software for the identification of six species of Papaver. Finally, differences in the ITS2 secondary structure between species were analyzed. The best matches of the P. somniferum ITS2 sequence were of other P. somniferum from different sources. The nearest K2P genetic distances between P. somniferum and its counterparts from other sources were zero, which was the smallest pairwise genetic distance among distances from the other five Papaver species. Various sources of P. somniferum clustered into an independent branch in the phylogenetic tree. The secondary structures of P. somniferum and P. rhoeas were significantly different from those of the other four species of Papaver. In summary, P. somniferum can be effectively distinguished from five closely related plants of the same genus by using ITS2 as a DNA barcode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new zinc(II) and one vanadium(V) complexes, [Zn2Cl2L2] (1), [Zn2I2L2] (2), [ZnCl2(HL)] (3), and [V2O2(μ-O)2L2] (4), where L is 5-bromo-2-((2-(methylamino)ethylimino)methyl)phenolate, have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR and UV-Vis spectra, as well as molar conductivity. Structures of the complexes were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Complexes 1 and 2 are isostructural dinuclear zinc compounds, with the Zn atoms in square pyramidal coordination. The Zn atoms in the mononuclear complex 3 are in tetrahedral coordination. Complex 4 is a dinuclear vanadium(V) compound, with the V atoms in octahedral coordination. The complexes were assayed for antibacterial activities by MTT method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new and similar cobalt(III) complexes, [CoL2] ⋅ NO3 (1) and [CoL2] ⋅ Cl (2), where L is 5-bromo-2-((2-(phenylamino)ethylimino)methyl)phenolate, have been synthesized and characterized by IR and UV-Vis spectra. Structures of the complexes were confirmed by single crystal X-ray determination. The Co atoms in the complexes are in octahedral coordination, with the donor atoms come from the two Schiff base ligands, viz. phenolate oxygen, and imino and amino nitrogen. The anions of the cobalt salts crystallized as counteranions in the complexes. The complexes were assayed for antibacterial activities by MTT method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of AlInN-delta-GaN quantum wells (QWs) active region for ultraviolet (UV) laser with wavelength (λ)∼250-300 nm was proposed and investigated in this work. The design of active region consists of 24 Å staggered Al0.91In0.09N/Al0.82In0.18N layers with a 3Å lattice-matched GaN delta layer, which enables dominant conduction band (C) to heavy hole (HH) subband transition. In addition, the insertion of the ultra-thin delta GaN layer will strongly localize the electron-hole wave functions toward the center of the QW, which leads to large transverse electric (TE) polarized optical gain. In comparison to the use of a conventional AlGaN QW system, the proposed AlInN-delta-GaN QW structure results in ~3 times improvement in TE-gain at 255 nm. By tuning the delta-GaN thickness, the TE-polarized optical gain up to 3700 cm-1 can be obtained for λ~280-300 nm, which is very promising to serve as an alternative active region for high-efficiency UV lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide a molecular phylogeny of Asian pit vipers (the genus Gloydius) based on four mitochondrial genes (12S, 16S, ND4, and cytb). Sequences of Gloydius himalayanus, the only member of the genus that occurs south of the Himalayan range, are included for the first time. In addition, two new species of the genus Gloydius are described based on specimens collected from Zayu, Tibet, west of the Nujiang River and Heishui, Sichuan, east of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The new species, Gloydius lipipengi sp. nov., can be differentiated from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: the third supralabial not reaching the orbit (separated from it by a suborbital scale); wide, black-bordered greyish postorbital stripe extending from the posterior margin of the orbit (not separated by the postoculars, covering most of the anterior temporal scale) to the ventral surface of the neck; irregular black annular crossbands on the mid-body; 23-21-15 dorsal scales; 165 ventral scales, and 46 subcaudal scales. Gloydius swild sp. nov. can be differentiated from its congeners by the narrower postorbital stripe (only half the width of the anterior temporal scale, the lower edge is approximately straight and bordered with white); a pair of arched stripes on the occiput; lateral body lakes black spots; a pair of round spots on the parietal scales; 21 rows of midbody dorsal scales; zigzag dark brown stripes on the dorsum; 168--170 ventral scales, and 43--46 subcaudal scales. The molecular phylogeny in this study supports the sister relationship between G. lipipengi sp. nov. and G. rubromaculatus, another recently described species from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, more than 500 km away, and indicate the basal position of G. himalayanus within the genus and relatively distant relationship to its congeners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytes have the ability to improve plant nutrition alongside their agronomic performance, among which arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi provide the most benefits to their host. Previously, we reported for the first time that an arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungus Piriformospora indica had the ability to colonize roots of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) and conferred positive effects on nutrient acquisition. Present study showed the changes in fatty acids and sugars to unravel the physiological and symbiotic association of trifoliate orange with P. indica and an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Funneliformis mosseae singly or in combination. All the endophytic fungi collectively increased fructose, glucose, and sucrose content in leaves and roots, along with a relatively higher increase with P. indica inoculation than with F. mosseae alone or dual inoculation. Treatment with P. indica increased the concentration of part unsaturated fatty acids such as C18:3N6, C20:2, C20:3N6, C20:4N6, C20:3N3, C20:5N3, C22:1N9, and C24:1. Additionally, P. indica induced the increase in the concentration of part saturated fatty acids such as C6:0, C8:0, C13:0, C14:0, and C24:0. F. mosseae hardly changed the content of fatty acids, except for increase in C14:0 and C20:5N3. Double inoculation only reduced the C21:0, C10:0, C12:0, C18:3N3, and C18:1 content and increased the C20:5N3 content. These endophytic fungi up-regulated the root PtFAD2, PtFAD6, PtD9, and PtD15 gene expression level, coupled with a higher expression of PtFAD2 and PtD9 by P. indica than by F. mosseae. It was concluded that P. indica exhibited a stronger response, for sugars and fatty acids, than F. mosseae on trifoliate orange. Such results also reveal the Pi (an in vitro culturable fungus) as a bio-stimulator applying to citriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to use short breaks to accelerate post-exercise recovery in sports. Previous studies have revealed that vibration can reduce post-exercise muscle soreness. However, there is still high heterogeneity in the effects of vibration on cardiovascular autonomic activities, and most studies to date have focused on highfrequency vibration. This study aimed to investigate the effect of low-frequency lower-body vibration (LBV) on post-exercise changes in heart rate variability and peripheral arterial tone. Ten men and 9 women aged 20 to 25 were recruited for this study. Each subject visited the testing room three times with at least 2 days in between. Each time, the subject received one of the three different vibration frequencies (0, 5, and 15 Hz) in a random order in the sitting position for 10 minutes. LBV was performed immediately after a static standing (control) test and 3-min-step test. Heart rate variability and digital volume pulse wave were recorded during the vibration phase (V1: vibration 0-5 minutes; V2: 6-10 minutes) and the recovery phase (Rc1: recovery phase 11- 15 minutes; Rc2: 16-20 minutes). The result of digital pulse wave analysis showed that the reflection index (RI) under 15 Hz decreased during V1. Heart rate of the 15-Hz group also decreased during Rc1 and Rc2. According to the analysis of heart rate variability, low-frequency power/high-frequency power (LF/HF) decreased and normalized high-frequency power (nHF) increased during V2, Rc1 and Rc2 under 15 Hz and, during Rc2 under 5 Hz vibration. This study confirmed that the application of low-frequency LBV after exercise can reduce peripheral vascular tone, accelerate heart rate recovery, decrease cardiac sympathetic nerve activity, and promote parasympathetic nerve activity. The effect was more pronounced at 15 Hz than at 5 Hz. The findings provide a method to accelerate cardiovascular autonomic recovery after exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been well established ex vivo that melanin has the ability of scavenging free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS), besides other functions. Therefore, we propose to utilize nanonized melanin as medication against acute oxidative stress. For this purpose, we developed and characterized two techniques based on mechanical stir and photo-fragmentation using femtosecond laser pulses, respectively, for disintegration of suspended melanin powder to produce nanometersized and water-dispersible melanin. This resolves a major obstacle in the medical and industrial applications of melanin. The viabilities of cultured retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells exposed to exogenous H2O2 stress and treated with various conditions of melanin and irradiation were compared. It was found that melanin could be nanonized very effectively with the techniques, and nanonized melanin exhibited a much stronger effect than unprocessed melanin on raising the viability of cultured RPE cells under acute ROS stress. The effect was even more prominent without simultaneous light irradiation, promising for effective in vivo application to the whole body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tibet Plateau (TP) plays an essential role in modulating regional and global climate, and its influence on climate is affected also by human-related processes, including changes in atmospheric composition. However, observations of atmospheric composition, especially vertical profile observations, remain sparse and rare on the TP, due to extremely high altitude, topographical heterogeneity and grinding environment. Accordingly, the forcing and feedback of atmospheric composition from rapidly changing surrounding regions to regional environmental and climate change in the TP remains poorly understood. This paper introduces a high time-resolution (~15 min) vertical profile observational dataset of atmospheric composition (aerosol, NO2, HCHO and HONO) on the TP for more than one year (2017-2019) using a passive remote sensing technique. The diurnal pattern, vertical distribution and seasonal variations of these pollutants are documented here in detail. The sharing of this dataset would benefit scientific community in exploring source-receptor relationships, forcing and feedback of atmospheric composition on the TP to regional and global climate. It also provides potentials to improve satellite retrievals, and to facilitate the development and improvement of models in cold regions. The dataset is freely available at Zenodo [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is developing its BeiDou Satellite‐Based Augmentation System (BDSBAS) in accordance with international standards, and it has provided initial Single Frequency (SF) and Dual‐Frequency Multi‐Constellation (DFMC) services since July 2020. This paper gives a comprehensive introduction to BDSBAS from the aspects of its general design, system time datum, coordinate reference system and signal characteristics. The performance requirements and internationalization endeavors of BDSBAS also are presented. Additionally, the initial performance tests of BDSBAS SF service had been carried out based on the first two BDSBAS Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites, including the quality of signal‐in‐space, and initial accuracy, integrity and availability. The results show that the characteristics of BDSBAS signal‐in‐space can well meet the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the initial performance of BDSBAS SF service can basically meet the requirements of Approach with Vertical guidance I (APV‐I). Finally, before the application of BDSBAS services into civil aviation uses, testing and certification will be organized by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and carried out in three steps. In the future, China will continue to promote the development of BDSBAS in a steady manner in order to provide aviation integrity services compatible with the ICAO standards in China and the surrounding areas as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the existence of at least two non-trivial solutions for a class of p(x)-Laplacian equations with perturbation in the whole space. Using Ekeland's variational principle and the mountain pass theorem, under appropriate assumptions, we prove the existence of two solutions for the equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring and modeling/predicting air pollution are crucial to understanding the links between emissions and air pollution levels, to supporting air quality management, and to reducing human exposure. Yet, current monitoring networks and modeling capabilities are unfortunately inadequate to understand the physical and chemical processes above ground and to support attribution of sources. We highlight the need for the development of an international stereoscopic monitoring strategy that can depict three-dimensional (3D) distribution of atmospheric composition to reduce the uncertainties and to advance diagnostic understanding and prediction of air pollution. There are three reasons for the implementation of stereoscopic monitoring: 1) current observation networks provide only partial view of air pollution, and this can lead to misleading air quality management actions; 2) satellite retrievals of air pollutants are widely used in air pollution studies, but too often users do not acknowledge that they have large uncertainties, which can be reduced with measurements of vertical profiles; and 3) air quality modeling and forecasting require 3D observational constraints. We call on researchers and policymakers to establish stereoscopic monitoring networks and share monitoring data to better characterize the formation of air pollution, optimize air quality management, and protect human health. Future directions for advancing monitoring and modeling/predicting air pollution are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Octanuclear polyoxomolybdenum-based porous materials, Na8[Mo8O8(µ2-O)8(µ2-OH)8(3-apz)4]2·26H2O (1, 3-Hapz = 3-aminopyrazole), K8[Mo8O8(µ2-O)8(µ2-OH)8(3-apz)4]2·7H2O (2) and (NH4)4[Mo8O8(µ2- O)8(µ2-OH)4(3-apz)8]·20.5H2O (3), have been successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method and fully characterized. X-ray structural analyses show that microporous materials 1-3 contain round pores formed by octanuclear molybdenum-oxygen groups connected sequentially with pore sizes of 4.0, 4.0, and 4.8 Å, respectively. Both 1 and 2 are composed of two {Mo8} rings, which are connected by strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds between bridging hydroxy groups and oxygen atoms to form dimeric structures. The central pores in 1 and 2 are occupied by Na+ and K+, respectively, while they are empty in 3. This reflects the structural expansion and contraction effects induced by different cations. Through intermolecular stacking, 1-3 also exhibit channels with sizes of 14.0 × 6.4, 4.6 × 2.6, and 5.4 × 5.4 Å, respectively, which were used for the studies of gas adsorption. The results show that 1-3 can selectively adsorb CO2 and O2, including the empty hole in 3, while they show little or no affinity for gases H2, N2, and CH4. Moreover, an additional polyoxomolybdenum-based species (Mo8O26)n·4n(3-H2apz) (4) has been obtained with protonated 3-aminopyrazole in the absence of a reducing agent, which can serve as an intermediate for the polyoxomolybdenum-based porous products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that explores highly selective and high-performance osmotic power generators in subnanochannel membranes enabled by metal-organic frameworks. It mentions the efforts for achieving ultrahigh selective and ultrafast osmotic transport in ion channel–mimetic MOF-based membranes.

Natural aerosols in pristine regions form the baseline used to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on climate. Sea spray aerosol (SSA) is a major component of natural aerosols. Despite its importance, the abundance of SSA is poorly constrained. It is generally accepted that wind-driven wave breaking is the principle governing SSA production. This mechanism alone, however, is insufficient to explain the variability of SSA concentration at given wind speed. The role of other parameters, such as sea surface temperature (SST), remains controversial. Here, we show that higher SST promotes SSA mass generation at a wide range of wind speed levels over the remote Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, in addition to demonstrating the wind-driven SSA production mechanism. The results are from a global scale dataset of airborne SSA measurements at 150 to 200 m above the ocean surface during the NASA Atmospheric Tomography Mission. Statistical analysis suggests that accounting for SST greatly enhances the predictability of the observed SSA concentration compared to using wind speed alone. Our results support implementing SST into SSA source functions in global models to better understand the atmospheric burdens of SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When plants are exposed to high-light conditions, the potentially harmful excess energy is dissipated as heat, a process called non-photochemical quenching. Efficient energy dissipation can also be induced in the major light-harvesting complex of photosystem II (LHCII) in vitro, by altering the structure and interactions of several bound cofactors. In both cases, the extent of quenching has been correlated with conformational changes (twisting) affecting two bound carotenoids, neoxanthin, and one of the two luteins (in site L1). This lutein is directly involved in the quenching process, whereas neoxanthin senses the overall change in state without playing a direct role in energy dissipation. Here we describe the isolation of an intermediate state of LHCII, using the detergent ndodecyl-a-D-maltoside, which exhibits the twisting of neoxanthin (along with changes in chlorophyll-protein interactions), in the absence of the L1 change or corresponding quenching. We demonstrate that neoxanthin is actually a reporter of the LHCII environment--probably reflecting a largescale conformational change in the protein--whereas the appearance of excitation energy quenching is concomitant with the configuration change of the L1 carotenoid only, reflecting changes on a smaller scale. This unquenched LHCII intermediate, described here for the first time, provides for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism of quenching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the nonlinear output characteristics of photovoltaic cells, combined with artificial intelligence algorithmthe the MPPT(Maximum Power Point Tracking)control algorithm based on fuzzy variable step size is proposed, which enables the system to quickly track the maximum power point and improve the energy conversion efficiency of photovoltaic system. This paper designs a small-scale photovoltaic power generation system. The main circuit of the system consists of Perovskite Solar Panels, DC voltage regulator circuit, storage battery and one-way full bridge inverter circuit. The control circuit consists of sun-seeking, inverter and maximum power tracking on constant voltage. Proteus simulation software is used to simulate the sun-seeking part, the inverting part, the general control unit, the keys and the display interface. The results indicate that the functions of the small-scale photovoltaic power generation system can be achieved very well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southern lesser pomfret (Pampus minor) is an economically important fish, and its numbers are declining because of overfishing and environmental pollution. In addition, owing to the similarities of its external morphological characteristics to other species in the genus Pampus, it is often mistaken for grey pomfret (P. cinereus) or silver pomfret (P. argenteus) juveniles. In this study, the genetic diversity and structure of 264 P. minor individuals from 11 populations in China and Malaysia coastal waters were evaluated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, using mitochondrial cytochrome b fragments. The results showed that P. minor had moderate haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity. Furthermore, two divergent lineages were detected within the populations, but the phylogenetic structure corresponded imperfectly with geographical location; thus, the populations may have diverged in different glacial refugia during the Pleistocene low sea levels. Analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) showed that genetic variation originated primarily from individuals within the population. Pairwise FST results showed significant differentiation between the Chinese and Malaysian populations. Except for the Xiamen population, which was classified as a marginal population, the genetic differentiation among the other Chinese populations was not significant. During the Late Pleistocene, P. minor experienced a population expansion event starting from the South China Sea refugium that expanded outward, and derivative populations quickly occupied and adapted to the new habitat. The results of this study will provide genetic information for the scientific conservation and management of P. minor resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to look for optimal preparation of hydrolysates of desalted duck egg white powder (DDEWP) by the three different proteases and to investigate their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Methods: DDEWP was hydrolyzed by three proteases, including pepsin (PEP), Bacillus spp. (BA) and natokinase (NAT) with three different enzyme concentrations (0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%), individually. The important key hydrolysis parameters such as hydrolysis degree, yield, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity were evaluated in this experiment. Results: The results showed that the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of all treatments increased with increasing hydrolysis time and protease concentrations. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the hydrolysates were affected by type and concentration of protease as well as hydrolysis time. Hydrolysis of PEP significantly (p<0.05) obtained the highest yield of hydrolysates, however, both of BA and NAT showed substantially lower DH values and still did not exceed 5% by the end of hydrolysis. Among the different hydrolysates, PEP exhibited significantly higher 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity than BA and NAT. All DDEWP hydrolysates from PEP had low ferrous ion chelating activity (<37%) that was significantly lower than that of NAT (>37% to 92%) and BA (30% to 79%). Besides, DDEWP hydrolysates of PEP presented significantly higher reducing power than BA and NAT. In antimicrobial activities, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were not effectively inhibited by any DDEWP hydrolysates of PEP except for Staphylococcus aureus. Especially, the excellent antibacterial activity against S. aureus only was displayed in DDEWP hydrolysates of PEP 0.1%. Conclusion: DDEWP hydrolysates from PEP demonstrated significantly better DH, yield, DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power, furthermore, had excellent inhibitory on S. aureus due to large clear zone and moderated inhibitory in bactericidal inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MoS2 is a promising photo-catalyst for the degradation of organic pollution due to its large surface area, low cost, easy preparation, and earth abundance. However, their limited quantity of active sites, high recombination of photo-generated charge, and poor conductivity has hampered the efficiency of photo-degradation. In this work, P heteroatoms were doped into the plane of ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets via a facile hydrothermal method, which introduce the new active sites in the inert basal plane of MoS2, improve the separation efficiency of photo-generated charges and help improve the intrinsic electronic conductivity, leading to a significantly improved activity for photo-degradation of RhB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focused on investigation of application properties of organoclay-modified natural rubber (NR) composites. This organoclay, flame-retardant (FR) dendrimer-modified organic montmorillonite (G-OMMT), was composed of dendrimer and montmorillonite. Different generations of G-OMMT were prepared. G3.0-OMMT was selected and FR composites were fabricated. Their tensile properties, thermal stability, flame-retardance, and other properties were compared. The tensile strength and elongation at break of NR/G3.0-OMMT-15 were 18.8 MPa and 586%, respectively, which were about 12.6% and 23.6% higher than that of pure NR, 16.7 MPa and 474%. In addition, when 10 phr of G3.0-OMMT was added, the wearing loss volume was 0.231 cm3, which was 42.4% lower compared with that of pure NR, 0.401 cm3. The NR composites also possessed better thermal stability. When the amount of this organoclay was 10 phr, T 5% and T 10% were 306.4°C and 349.5°C, respectively. They were 102.3°C and 29.2°C higher than that of pure NR. Moreover, the burning rate was decreased from 30.15 mm min−1 for pure NR to 19.48 mm min−1 for NR/G3.0-OMMT-20, and the limited oxygen index value was increased from about 18% for pure NR to about 28% for NR/G3.0-OMMT-20. Scanning electron microscopy analysis demonstrated that the layered silicates dispersed uniformly in these composites and possessed a good compatibility with the polymeric matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let the self-affine measure μM,D be generated by an expanding real matrix M = diag(ρ1-1, ρ2-1) and an integer digit set D = {(0, 0)t, (α1, α2)t, (β1, β2)t} with α1β2 - α2β1 ≠ 0. In this paper, the sufficient and necessary conditions for L2(μM,D) to contain an infinite orthogonal set of exponential functions are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Galactic aberration effect, also known as the secular aberration drift, is a consequence of the centripetal acceleration of the Solar System Barycenter in the circular orbit around the Galactic center. It causes distance-independent apparent proper motions (the amplitude is about 5 μ as · yr − 1) for extragalactic sources which were regarded as motionless before 21th century. As the very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) has been greatly developed, and the ESA (European Space Agency) space mission Gaia has provided ultra high-precision astrometric data, the Galactic aberration effect has becoming important. It causes slow spin of the reference frame due to the non-uniform distribution of extragalactic sources. Therefore systematic corrections have to be applied to the Earth rotation parameters. For the precession rate, the correction is about 1 μ as · yr − 1. For the very high accurate VLBI and Gaia reference frames, the Galactic aberration effect will introduce small distortion which is a crucial systematic effect for the link of the two reference frames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) plays an important role in the formation of fine particulate matter, leading to severe environmental degradation and human health issues. In this work, ground-based FTIR observations are used to obtain the total columns and vertical profiles of atmospheric NH3 at a measurement site in Hefei, China, from December 2016 to November 2018. The spatial distribution and temporal variation, seasonal trend, emission sources and potential sources of NH3 are analyzed. The time series of ammonia columns show that FTIR observations captured the seasonal cycle of NH3 over the two years of measurement, with a 22.14 % yr-1 annual increase rate over the Hefei site. We used IASI satellite data to compare with the FTIR data, and the correlation coefficients (R) between the two datasets are 0.86 and 0.78 for IASI-A and IASI-B, respectively. The results demonstrate the IASI data are in broad agreement with our FTIR data. To examine the contribution of traffic to NH3 columns, we analyze the relationship of NH3 columns with CO surface concentrations. NH3 columns show high correlation (R = 0.77) with CO concentrations in summer, indicating that the elevated NH3 columns are partly caused by urban emissions from vehicles. Further, high correlation of NH3 columns with air temperature is obvious from their diurnal variation during the observation period. In addition, the clear correlation between NH3 columns and air temperature in spring and autumn over Hefei, suggests that agriculture was indeed the main source of ammonia in spring and autumn. Furthermore, the back trajectories of air masses calculated by the HYSPLIT model confirmed that agriculture was the dominant source of ammonia in spring, autumn and winter, while urban anthropogenic emissions contributed to the high level of NH3 in summer over the Hefei site. The potential source areas influencing the NH3 columns were distributed in the local area of Hefei, the northern part of Anhui province, as well as Shangdong, Jiangsu and Henan provinces. This study helps to identify the emission sources and potential sources that contribute to NH3 columns over Hefei, a highly populated and polluted area. This is the first time that ground-based FTIR remote sensing of NH3 columns and comparison with satellite data are reported in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Modaomen Estuary has evolved from a runoff-dominated to runoff-and-wave-dominated estuary; thus, waves have become an important dynamic force. However, the nearshore irregular waves and wave-induced currents in the Modaomen Estuary have not been well studied. For the first time, a coupled wave-current model was developed in which the wave properties were calculated by the hyperbolic mild-slope equation, and the flow motion was simulated using a depth-averaged shallow water equation that was modified by introducing wave radiation stresses. The computational capability of this model was well calibrated by laboratory data from published references. Subsequently, the validated model was employed to analyze the wave height distributions, flow field characteristics and residual current under irregular waves, as well as to determine the differences in the above results with the scenarios under pure wave or pure tide. The results showed that the irregular wave heights reach 0.75 m near the sand bar and its surrounding shoals, reach 0.7 m in the main channel, and are approximately 0.3 m in the wave shadow area behind the Sisha shoal, which is more powerful than that under regular waves. The effect of waves on the current at the maximum ebb tide is greater than that at the maximum flood tide, especially in the estuarine shoal zone. Compared with the current velocity under pure tide, the residual current velocity is larger, and the vortex scale and the sediment transport route are all prominent under the combined wave and tide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve our current understanding of tsunami-like solitary waves interacting with sandy beach, a nonlinear three-dimensional numerical model based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool OpenFOAM® is first self-developed to better describe the wave propagation, sediment transport, and the morphological responses of seabed during wave runup and drawdown. The finite volume method (FVM) is employed to discretize the governing equations of Navier-Stokes equations, combining with an improved volume of fluid (VOF) method to track the free surface and a k-e model to resolve the turbulence. The computational capability of the hydrodynamics and the sediment transport module is well calibrated by laboratory data from different published references. The results verify that the present numerical model can satisfactorily reproduce the flow characteristics, and sediment transport processes under a tsunami-like solitary wave. The water-sediment transport module is then applied to investigate the effects of prominent factors, such as wave height, water depth, and beach slope, in affecting the beach profile change. Finally, a dimensionless empirical equation is proposed to describe the transport volume of onshore sediment based on simulation results, and some proper parameters are recommended through the regression. The results can be significantly helpful to evaluate the process of transported sediment by a tsunami event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new vanadium(V) complex, [VOL(OMe)(MeOH)]·MeOH (1·MeOH), was prepared by the reaction of VO(acac)2 with 2-chloro-N'-(5-fluoro-2-hydroxybenzylidene)benzohydrazide (H2L) in methanol. By addition of salicylhydroxamic acid (HSHA) to the methanolic solution of 1, a new salicylhydroxamate-coordinated vanadium(V) complex, [VOL(SHA)]·H2O (2·H2O), was obtained. Both complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 crystallizes with methanol molecule as a solvate, and complex 2 as a monohydrate. The V atoms in the complexes are in octahedral coordination. In the crystal structure of 1·MeOH, the vanadium complexes are linked by methanol solvate molecules through intermolecular O-H···N and O-H···O hydrogen bonds to form chains along the c axis. In the crystal structure of 2·H2O, the vanadium complexes are linked by water molecules through intermolecular O-H···O hydrogen bonds, to form 1D chains along the a axis. The chains are further linked through intermolecular O-H···N and O-H···O hydrogen bonds in the c direction to form 2D layers. The antimicrobial activities of the complexes against K. pneumoniae, S. aureus, P. aeroginosa, E. coli, and B. subtilis were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sr1-xPrxTiO3 ceramics (0.00⩽x⩽0.03) were prepared by a traditional solid-state reaction method. Two relaxation processes (marked as A and B) of the Sr0.09Pr0.01TiO3 ceramics were investigated by analyzing the Ea values obtained from the Arrhenius law. Colossal dielectric constant (CDC) was first obtained in Sr0.09Pr0.01TiO3 ceramics, whose permittivity was up to 3000 (1 kHz, room temperature), greater than that of pure SrTiO3 ceramics and samples with more Pr addition (x =0.02 and 0.03). This CDC behavior was related to the internal barrier layer capacitance mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic and magnetic properties of BiCoO3 have been investigated using the ab initio density-functional calculations with local spin density approximation (LSDA) and LSDA+U methods. The structural stability and the origin of the multiferroism for ferroelectronic and ferromagnetic existence were addressed. It was shown that the stability of the C-type antiferromagnetic (C-AFM) structure is better than that of other possible configurations. The hybridization between Bi–O and Co–O with interplay and a local magnetic moment on the Co3+ play important roles for the nature of the ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism. Theoretical calculations predict the insulating ground state with a band gap of 2.11 eV in the C-AFM ordering for BiCoO3 originated from the antiferromagnetic interaction in the ab plane, which is in well agreement with experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructed wetlands (CWs) represent the most viable artificial wastewater treatment system that works on the principles of natural wetlands. Filter media are integrally linked to CWs and have substantial impacts on their performance for pollutant removal. Carbon-derived substrates have been in the spotlight for decades due to their abundance, sustainability, reusability, and potential to treat complex contaminants. However, the efficiency and feasibility of carbon substrates have not been fully explored, and there are only a few studies that have rigorously analyzed their performance for wastewater treatment. This critical synthesis of the literature review offers comprehensive insights into the utilization of carbon-derived substrates in the context of pollutant removal, intending to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of CWs. It also compares several carbon-based substrates with non-carbon substrates with respect to physiochemical properties, pollutant removal efficiency, and cost-benefit analysis. Furthermore, it addresses the concerns and possible remedies about carbon filtration materials such as configuration, clogging minimization, modification, and reusability to improve the efficacy of substrates and CWs. Recommendations made to address these challenges include pretreatment of wastewater, use of a substrate with smaller pore size, incorporation of multiple filter media, the introduction of earthworms, and cultivation of plants. A current scientific scenario has been presented for identifying the research gaps to investigate the functional mechanisms of modified carbon substrates and their interaction with other CW components. [Display omitted] • Carbon-derived substrate in CW for municipal sewage treatment minimizes solid waste and maintains the C/N ratio. • Easy accessibility, low cost, and unique physiochemical characteristics distinguish carbon substrates from non-carbon ones. • Synergism, smart configuration, and modification could increase the carbon substrate efficiency in CW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofilm–based systems have efficient stability to cope–up influent shock loading with protective and abundant microbial assemblage, which are extensively exploited for biodegradation of recalcitrant antibiotics from wastewater. The system performance is subject to biofilm types, chemical composition, growth and thickness maintenance. The present study elaborates discussion on different type of biofilms and their formation mechanism involving extracellular polymeric substances secreted by microbes when exposed to antibiotics–laden wastewater. The biofilm models applied for estimation/prediction of biofilm–based systems performance are explored to classify the application feasibility. Further, the critical review of antibiotics removal efficiency, design and operation of different biofilm–based systems (e.g. rotating biological contactor, membrane biofilm bioreactor etc.) is performed. Extending the information on effect of various process parameters (e.g. hydraulic retention time, pH, biocarrier filling ratio etc.), the microbial community dynamics responsible of antibiotics biodegradation in biofilms, the technological problems, related prospective and key future research directions are demonstrated. The biofilm–based system with biocarriers filling ratio of ∼50–70% and predominantly enriched with bacterial species of phylum Proteobacteria protected under biofilm thickness of ∼1600 μm is effectively utilized for antibiotic biodegradation (>90%) when operated at DO concentration ≥3 mg/L. The C/N ratio ≥1 is best suitable condition to eliminate antibiotic pollution from biofilm–based systems. Considering the significance of biofilm–based systems, this review study could be beneficial for the researchers targeting to develop sustainable biofilm–based technologies with feasible regulatory strategies for treatment of mixed antibiotics–laden real wastewater. [Display omitted] • Biofilms and their formation mechanism involve microbial extracellular polymeric substances • Biofilm models are applied for evaluation/prediction of biofilm–based systems performance • Antibiotics removal efficiency varies with design and operation of different biofilm systems • Biocarrier filling ratio, hydraulic retention time and biofilm–thickness affects the performance • Strategies should be developed to mitigate bio–fouling and prohibit bad–biofilm growth [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]