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This paper explores the variations in cross-correlations among the carbon trading market, geopolitical risk (GPR) and economic policy uncertainty (EPU), focusing on their multifractality and asymmetric properties. Therefore, the study employs the multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis (MF-DCCA) and multifractal asymmetric detrended cross-correlation analysis (MF-ADCCA) approaches to examine these relationships from a three-dimensional perspective. Also, the study looks into cross-correlations at different phases of carbon trading. Our findings reveal that the multifractal cross-correlations between the carbon trading market and GPR or EPU exhibit anti-persistence and asymmetry. The anti-persistent cross-correlations are notably stronger when GPR experiences a downtrend or when EPU undergoes an uptrend. Furthermore, distinct fluctuation patterns emerge across various trends and scales on Hurst surfaces. In the short term, the carbon trading market exhibits heightened sensitivity to changes in GPR or EPU when they rise or fall. The cross-correlations remain multifractal, anti-persistent and asymmetric across different stages of carbon trading. Notably, the multifractality of cross-correlations is most pronounced for the series pair EUA/GPR in Phase II and for the series pair EUA/UK EPU in Phase III and Phase IV. Except for the series pair EUA/UK EPU in Phase II, the anti-persistent cross-correlations are more pronounced during uptrend than downtrend for the other series pairs. Moreover, the series pair EUA/UK EPU exhibits the highest degree of asymmetry at all stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The segmentation of abnormal regions is vital in smart manufacturing. The blurring sauce-packet leakage segmentation task (BSLST) is designed to distinguish the sauce packet and the leakage's foreground and background at the pixel level. However, the existing segmentation system for detecting sauce-packet leakage on intelligent sensors encounters an issue of imaging blurring caused by uneven illumination. This issue adversely affects segmentation performance, thereby hindering the measurements of leakage area and impeding the automated sauce-packet production. To alleviate this issue, we propose the two-stage illumination-aware sauce-packet leakage segmentation (ISLS) method for intelligent sensors. The ISLS comprises two main stages: illumination-aware region enhancement and leakage region segmentation. In the first stage, YOLO-Fastestv2 is employed to capture the Region of Interest (ROI), which reduces redundancy computations. Additionally, we propose image enhancement to relieve the impact of uneven illumination, enhancing the texture details of the ROI. In the second stage, we propose a novel feature extraction network. Specifically, we propose the multi-scale feature fusion module (MFFM) and the Sequential Self-Attention Mechanism (SSAM) to capture discriminative representations of leakage. The multi-level features are fused by the MFFM with a small number of parameters, which capture leakage semantics at different scales. The SSAM realizes the enhancement of valid features and the suppression of invalid features by the adaptive weighting of spatial and channel dimensions. Furthermore, we generate a self-built dataset of sauce packets, including 606 images with various leakage areas. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate that our ISLS method shows better results than several state-of-the-art methods, with additional performance analyses deployed on intelligent sensors to affirm the effectiveness of our proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractTo study the interaction of moving cracks and pre-cracks of plexiglass (PMMA) under impact loading, a three-point bending experiment was carried out using dynamic caustics experimental system. Research showed that when the offset distance between the pre-crack and the defect is 9 mm, the failure mode of the crack is the most complicated. When the offset distance is 0 mm, the crack experiences the attraction force of the defect, the stress intensity factor and the crack growth speed increase gradually, and the peak value is reached when the defect and the crack intersect. When the offset distance is greater than 6 mm, the attraction effect of the defect on the crack is no longer significant, and the crack propagates toward the drop hammer location until it penetrates the specimen. As the crack propagates, the caustic speckle rotates counterclockwise and is subjected to compression and shear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mulberry branch can be used as a renewable biomass resource for the production of biofuels since it contains a significant amount of lignocellulose. However, the rapid deactivation of enzymes during lignocellulose degradation in a high-temperature environment leads to high costs and low efficiency of enzymatic saccharification. In this study, xylanase was modified by rational design, and xylanase and cellulase were used to synergistically degrade mulberry branches pretreated with seawater. The fermentable sugar yield and degree of synergy (DS) were determined. The dominant mutant S21Y/N318W of Hortaea werneckii xylanase Hwxyl10A was obtained with improved thermostability (T 50 increased by 12 °C, t 1/2 is 17-fold that of WT). Meanwhile, the specific activity at 75 °C increased from 1470 to 1901 U/mg. Under the condition of seawater immersion pretreatment, the highest yield of fermentable sugar was 313.5 μmol/g, and the highest DS was 1.57 after enzymatic hydrolysis of mulberry branches by cellulase and S21Y/N318W at 50 °C. Therefore, the biotransformation of mulberry branches reducing sugar has been significantly improved, which provides an efficient method of biomass saccharification for biofuel production. [Display omitted] • An efficient xylanase with improved properties was obtained by rational design technology. • The thermal stability of mutants were improved by enhancing the rigidity of flexible region. • The specific activity at 75 °C of xylanase mutant S21Y/N318W was increased by 29%. • The half-life of xylanase mutant S21Y/N318W was prolonged by 17 times. • The degradation was strengthened by the synergistic catalysis of S21Y/N318W and cellulase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the presence and asymmetry of cross-correlations between agricultural futures markets in China and the US as well as the impact of price support policies and public emergencies (Sino–US trade conflict and COVID-19 pandemic) on the cross-correlations by the multifractal methods. The results show that the fluctuation characteristics and conduction directions of cross-correlations are asymmetric. The price fluctuations of soybean and corn futures in China are easier to be affected by the US soybean and corn futures. We find that the cross-correlations are multifractal under different price support policies and pubic emergencies. The price support policies with greater interventions on soybean and corn prices have aggravated the complexity of cross-correlations between the two futures markets in China and the US. The soybean and corn futures in China are hardly correlated to the US futures under the dual effect of the Sino–US trade conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sino–US trade conflict strengthens the complexity of cross-correlation for soybean futures and weakens it for corn futures, while the COVID-19 pandemic enhances the complexity of cross-correlations for soybean and corn futures. In addition, the fat-tailed probability distributions in different price support policy and public emergency periods have a dominant influence on the multifractality of cross-correlations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal imaging pedestrian-detection system has excellent performance in different lighting scenarios, but there are problems regarding weak texture, object occlusion, and small objects. Meanwhile, large high-performance models have higher latency on edge devices with limited computing power. To solve the above problems, in this paper, we propose a real-time thermal imaging pedestrian-detection method for edge computing devices. Firstly, we utilize multi-scale mosaic data augmentation to enhance the diversity and texture of objects, which alleviates the impact of complex environments. Then, the parameter-free attention mechanism is introduced into the network to enhance features, which barely increases the computing cost of the network. Finally, we accelerate multi-channel video detection through quantization and multi-threading techniques on edge computing devices. Additionally, we create a high-quality thermal infrared dataset to facilitate the research. The comparative experiments on the self-built dataset, YDTIP, and three public datasets, with other methods show that our method also has certain advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the fluctuation characteristics and asymmetry of cross-correlations between economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and agricultural futures prices in China and the US by using the multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis (MF-X-DFA) and multifractal asymmetric detrended cross-correlation analysis (MF-ADCCA). We find that the multifractal cross-correlations exist between EPU and agricultural futures prices, and the cross-correlations are anti-persistent and asymmetric. The anti-persistent cross-correlations in China are all stronger than those in the US. The multifractal degree of cross-correlation between EPU and soybean futures price is lower in China than in the US, while the multifractal degree of cross-correlation between EPU and soybean meal, soybean oil or corn futures price is higher in China than in the US. Moreover, China's soybean futures price is more susceptible to the upward and downward trends in China's EPU, while the US soybean meal, soybean oil, and corn futures prices are more susceptible to them in the US EPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) in shellfish products have led to severe risks to human health. To monitor the risk, the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program has been collecting longitudinal PST measurements in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria) samples in six coastal provinces of Canada. The spatial distributions of major temporal variation patterns were studied via Functional Principal Component Analysis. Seasonal increases in PST contamination were found to vary the most in terms of magnitude along the coastlines, which provides support for location-specific management of the time-sensitive PST contamination. In British Columbia, the first functional principal component (FPC1) indicated the variance among the magnitudes, while FPC2 indicated the seasonality of the PST levels. The temporal variations tended to be positively correlated with the abundance of dianoflagellates Alexandrium spp., and negatively with precipitation and inorganic nutrients. These findings indicate the underlying mechanism of PST variation in various geographical settings. In New Brunswick, Prince Edward, and Nova Scotia, the top FPCs indicated that the PST contamination differed mostly in the seasonal increase of the PST level during summer. • Multi-decade Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST) in Canada were analyzed. • Shellfish harvesting sites differed the most in seasonal elevation of PST levels. • The spring-to-autumn period of increased PST was found in BC, QC, NB, and NS. • Rainfall, Alexandrium spp., nitrate/nitrite, and phosphate correlated with PST. • Higher seasonal increases tended to occur at locations of strong water mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• As the angle between the blastholes widens, the fractal dimension of the crushing zone and blasting crack among the blast borehole decreases accordingly, suppressed the blasting effect of the blasted medium. • The von Mises strain-time curve of the specimen initially increases and then decreases. As the angle between the blastholes widens, the peak strain diminishes, and the time to reach peak strain lengthens. • On the central axis between the two holes, the stress superposition becomes more obvious in the direction away from the initiation point, and the peak value of strain is the highest at the bottom of the blastholes. • When the angle between the blastholes is 30°, the strain in the specimen takes the longest to decline from peak to valley, thus maximizing the use of blasting energy. The drilling and blasting method is extensively employed in various industries such as mining and infrastructure construction. In the majority of blasting operations, strip-charges are predominantly utilized, while blastholes often exhibit an angled orientation in practical engineering scenarios. To investigate the stress wave superposition effect and the crack propagation law among blastholes at varying angles, this study employs a high-speed digital image correlation system to conduct blasting model experiments. The results indicate that: the fractal dimension of the crack propagation trajectory decreases progressively as the angle increases. the von Mises strain-time curve of the specimen initially increases and then decreases. As the angle between the blastholes widens, the fractal dimension of the crushing zone and blasting crack among the blast borehole decreases accordingly, suppressed the blasting effect of the blasted medium. On the central axis between the two holes, the stress superposition becomes more obvious in the direction away from the initiation point, and the peak value of strain is the highest at the bottom of the blastholes. When the angle between the blastholes is 30°, the strain in the specimen takes the longest to decline from peak to valley, and the blasting stress wave sustains its influence for an extended duration, thus maximizing the use of blasting energy. Conversely, when the angle between the blastholes is 0°, the specimen experiences the shortest duration of blasting action and the least efficient energy utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluctuation characteristics of the correlations between China and the US agricultural futures markets have attracted extensive attention from academic circles and government departments. As the main factor that affects the agricultural futures price, the impact of international crude oil futures price on the correlations of the Sino-US agricultural futures markets is also worth discussing. Therefore, this paper adopts the multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis (MF-X-DFA) and multifractal detrended partial cross-correlation analysis (MF-DPXA) to explore the fluctuation characteristics of cross-correlations for China and the US agricultural futures markets before and after removing the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures price as well as the impact on the cross-correlations. The results show that the fluctuation characteristics of the cross-correlations and partial cross-correlations between the corresponding varieties of China and the US agricultural futures markets as well as among the varieties within the markets are multifractal. The cross-correlation behaviors and the cross-market risks are all affected to varying degrees by the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures weaken the cross-market risk of the Sino-US soybean futures, while strengthening the cross-market risk of the Sino-US corn and wheat futures. In addition, the impact of the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures on the cross-market risks among China agricultural futures is greater than those among the US corresponding agricultural futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of economic globalization, the stock markets in China and the US are increasingly linked. The fluctuation features and cross-correlations of the two countries' markets have attracted extensive attention from market investors and researchers. In this paper, the fractal analysis methods including multifractal asymmetric detrended cross-correlation analysis (MF-ADCCA) and coupled detrended cross-correlation analysis (CDCCA) are applied to explore the volatilities of CSI300 and SP500 sector stock indexes as well as the cross-correlations and coupling cross-correlations between the two corresponding sector stock indexes. The results show that the auto-correlations, cross-correlations and coupling cross-correlations have multifractal fluctuation characteristics, and that the cross-correlations are asymmetric. Additionally, the coupling cross-correlation strengths are distinct due to the different influence of long-range correlations and fat-tailed distribution. Further, the co-movement between China and the US sector stock markets is susceptible to external market factors such as major economic events and national policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Xylanase, an important accessory enzyme that acts in synergy with cellulase, is widely used to degrade lignocellulosic biomass. Thermostable enzymes with good catalytic activity at lower temperatures have great potential for future applications in the feed and fuel industries, which have distinct demands; however, the potential of the enzymes is yet to be researched. Results: In this study, a structure-based semi-rational design strategy was applied to enhance the low-temperature catalytic performance of Bispora sp. MEY-1 XYL10C_∆N wild-type (WT). Screening and comparisons were performed for the WT and mutant strains. Compared to the WT, the mutant M53S/F54L/N207G exhibited higher specific activity (2.9-fold; 2090 vs. 710 U/mg) and catalytic efficiency (2.8-fold; 1530 vs. 550 mL/s mg) at 40 °C, and also showed higher thermostability (the melting temperature and temperature of 50% activity loss after 30 min treatment increased by 7.7 °C and 3.5 °C, respectively). Compared with the cellulase-only treatment, combined treatment with M53S/F54L/N207G and cellulase increased the reducing sugar contents from corn stalk, wheat bran, and corn cob by 1.6-, 1.2-, and 1.4-folds, with 1.9, 1.2, and 1.6 as the highest degrees of synergy, respectively. Conclusions: This study provides useful insights into the underlying mechanism and methods of xylanase modification for industrial utilization. We identified loop2 as a key functional area affecting the low-temperature catalytic efficiency of GH10 xylanase. The thermostable mutant M53S/F54L/N207G was selected for the highest low-temperature catalytic efficiency and reducing sugar yield in synergy with cellulase in the degradation of different types of lignocellulosic biomass. Highlights: Key sites were proved to promote low-temperature catalytic efficiency of xylanase. Thermostable mutant with improved catalytic efficiency at 40 °C was obtained. Synergistic hydrolysis was dramatically improved between the mutant and cellulase. Agricultural wastes were converted into fermentable sugars by enzymolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most laparoscopic surgeries under general anesthesia are performed in noisy environments, although the effect of intraoperative noise reduction on postoperative pain remains uncertain. This study aimed to explore whether postoperative pain could be reduced through the intraoperative use of noise-cancelling headphones. This study was conducted as a prospective parallel-group randomized clinical trial. Operating room and surgery room. Ninety patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. In the intervention group, noise-cancelling headphones were used to reduce noise intensity during laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. The primary outcome was the maximum movement-evoked pain intensity within 24 h post-surgery, measured using a 10-point numeric rating scale. Secondary outcomes included the maximum resting pain score and total opioid consumption during the 24-h period post-surgery. Mean intraoperative noise and the proportion of intraoperative time with noise intensity ≥70 dB were recorded. The maximum movement-evoked pain score was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (mean score [SD], 2.7 [1.0] and 4.0 [1.0], respectively; P < 0.001). The intervention group required significantly fewer opioids than the control group (mean [SD], 44.2 [12.8] and 51.3 [17.5] mg, respectively; P = 0.032). In the control group, but not the intervention group, all postoperative pain scores were significantly associated with the proportion of intraoperative time with noise intensity ≥70 dB, which was an independent risk factor for postoperative pain. During laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia, intraoperative noise isolation using noise-cancelling headphones is a safe and effective strategy for relieving postoperative pain and decreasing total opioid analgesic consumption. [Display omitted] • Noise-cancelling headphones during surgery reduced postoperative pain scores. • Noise-cancelling headphones during surgery reduced postoperative opioid consumption. • Reduction of hyperpathia contributes to the beneficial effect of noise-cancelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, a novel one-step solution approach is developed to prepare high quality methylammonium lead trihalide (MAPbI 3) perovskite films. This approach employs methanol as additive, which is added into the perovskite precursor solution. The use of methanol can enhance the absorption of MAPbI 3 and significantly improve the coverage of MAPbI 3 on a planar substrate. The fabricated perovskite solar cell (PSC) with methanol exhibits a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared with that without methanol (19.51% vs 16.53%). Furthermore, the power conversion efficiencies of devices with methanol are still high after kept in dark under ambient environment for 30 days. This work provides a method to prepare high quality perovskite films for planar perovskite solar cells with high performance. Graphical abstract A novel one-step solution is reported to prepare perovskite films by adding methanol into the perovskite precursor solution. The use of methanol can enhance the absorption of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 and significantly improve the coverage of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 on a planar substrate. The fabricated perovskite solar cell with methanol exhibits a higher power conversion efficiency compared with that without methanol (19.51% vs 16.53%). Image 1 Highlights • Methanol was employed as additive successfully for perovskite solar cells. • The methanol-treated PSCs showed remarkable efficiency and enhanced stability. • The methanol-treated method can suppress the hysteresis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylanase is widely used for the degradation lignocellulosic biomass as an important accessory enzyme. But productive hydrolysis of the recalcitrant lignocellulose also requires for applicable pretreatment with environmental friendliness. Meanwhile, the complicated industrial processes also demand for catalytically efficient enzymes with more resistance to both pH and heating conditions, which barely exist for the wild types. In this study, the dominant mutant H51K/Q118A from Gloeophyllum trabeum derived GtXyn10 (WT) was obtained by directed evolution. Compared to the WT, apart from the impressive pH resistance from pH 1.0–9.0, the dominant mutant H51K/Q118A also exhibited higher specific activity (2.5-fold; 2510 vs. 1010 U/mg), higher catalytic efficiency (2.4-fold; 460 vs. 190 mL/s‧mg), and better thermostability (with t 1/2 at 80 °C extend by 10 min). When 'Seawater + Feton' pretreatment was applied, the lignin clearance rate reached 62.5%, 86.6% higher than that of feton pretreatment (33.5%). After pretreatment of 'Seawater + Feton', Compared with the cellulase-only treatment (159 μmol/g), synergistic hydrolysis with both H51K/Q118A and cellulase (236 μmol/g) increased the fermentable sugar yields from bagasse by 48.4%. In combination with the optimized pretreatment and synergistic hydrolysis of the modified xylanase and cellulase, the fermentable sugar production for green bio-energy was realized with efficiency. [Display omitted] • An efficient xylanase with improved properties was obtained by directed evolution. • Steric hindrance elimination was a possible mechanism for catalytic enhancement. • 'Seawater + Feton' pretreatment promoted the removal of lignin in bagasse. • Synergistic hydrolysis (H51K/Q118A + cellulase) realized the optimal degradation. • Biomass utilization for fermentable sugars was optimized by combined strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce intrinsic defect density in perovskite films, various additives are often added into the precursor solution. In this paper, a novel solution, in which isopropanol (IPA) was added into the precursor solution, was developed for the preparation of normal planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs). A champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.70 % was achieved with this approach. By adding IPA into the precursor solution, CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite showed better crystallization and stability, indicating improved film quality. Because of the improved morphology of perovskite crystal, the PCE of PSCs increased. In addition, the unencapsulated PSCs retained high output for up to 40 days in air at room temperature, indicating the stability of PSCs. These results may provide a new avenue for manufacturing high efficiency and high stability PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoquercitrin of great pharmaceutical value can be transformed from plant-derived rutin by the key enzyme α - L -rhamnosidase. However, the disposable hydrolyzation process and the unsatisfactory properties of α - L -rhamnosidase limit the production of isoquercitrin. In this study, we obtained a mutant of GH78 family RhaB1, RhaB1-ΔN, with improved thermostability and catalytic activity by deleting the domain N. Concretely speaking, the T 50 for 30 min and melting temperature (T m) raised 5.0 °C and 6.2 °C compared with those of RhaB1. Meanwhile, the specific activities were 103 %, 44 %, and 74 % higher than those of the wild type with pNPR, rutin, and naringin as substrates, respectively. With RhaB1-ΔN as a whole-cell catalyst, conversion of isoquercitrin reached 96.6 % within 1.5 h, 8.5 h less than that for free RhaB1. In the 6th recovery, the yield of whole-cell catalyst reached 62.3 % of the maximum, 18.9 times that of the free enzyme (3.3 %). The combined strategies of enzyme modification and whole-cell catalyst helped to realize more recyclable and efficient isoquercitrin production. [Display omitted] • The catalytic efficiency and thermostability of RhaB1 are enhanced by removing its domain N. • The domains D, E, and C of RhaB1 are required for its catalytic activity. • Removal of domain N improves the enzyme's binding to the substrate. • The whole-cell catalyst retained > 60 % activity after six repeated use. • Isoquercitrin yield reached 96.6 % within 1.5 h for the truncated enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The pre-crack initiates anew when the horizontal distance between the moving crack and the semicircular arc pre-crack is small. When the distance increases to 8.33 mm, the crack no longer penetrates the semicircular arc pre-crack, and the pre-crack attracts the crack first and then repels it. When d = 11.67 mm, the pre-crack has no considerable effect on the moving crack. • The crack deflection angle and the horizontal offset distance of the two groups of experiments conform to a linear function. • Setting the semicircular arc pre-crack outside the protected medium can effectively protect the medium from impact load. When the moving crack is outside the arc, the medium inside the arc pre-cracks are in the stress relief zone, which can be well protected. In this paper, a plexiglass (PMMA) specimen is designed for dynamic impact testing based on the digital laser dynamic caustics experimental system. The impact of offset distance on dynamic fracture behavior of PMMA specimens with semicircular arc pre-cracks in two different directions is investigated. Research shows that: the pre-crack initiates anew when the horizontal distance between the moving crack and the semicircular arc pre-crack is small. With the increase of horizontal distance, the pre-crack attracts the crack first and then repels it. When the distance reaches a critical threshold, the pre-crack has no considerable effect on the moving crack. The above conclusions are not affected by the direction of the semicircular arc pre-crack. Furthermore, the crack deflection angle and the horizontal offset distance of the two groups of experiments conform to a linear function. When the horizontal offset distance is small, the middle part of the pre-crack initiates again. When the moving crack is outside the arc pre-crack, the medium in the pre-crack is the stress relief zone, according to the numerical data. The ability of the medium to resist impact damage can be effectively boosted by placing acceptable pre-cracks on the medium's periphery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfluidic biocatalytic reactors have attracted widespread attention in recent years, but the production cost is generally high, which makes it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale industrial production. Developing a low-cost, green fluid reactor has become an urgent requirement. Here, inspired by the three-dimensional hierarchical structure of natural wood, a cellulose-based bionic microfluidic biocatalytic reactor with vertically aligned channels and a porous inner wall is reported for the continuous fluid catalytic conversion of polydatin to resveratrol. NiO nanoparticles were immobilized on cellulose-based bionic materials as metal arms to adsorb poly-histidine-tagged enzymes to form a stable and efficient biocatalytic reactor. Due to the unidirectionally aligned channels and porous inner wall, the fluid in different channels of the bionic xylem reactor is disturbed through the porous inner wall, which greatly prolongs the residence time for the fluid inside the reactor and increases the probability for contact with the enzyme, improving the internal mass and heat transfer efficiency to achieve high catalytic activity (98.69% treatment efficiency) and excellent stability (maintain a conversion rate of more than 90% within 15 days). Because of the good and stable enzyme immobilization and high catalytic activity of the reactor, it can greatly simplify industrial upstream and downstream production and has broad application prospects for catalytic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mutant from XYL10C_ΔN with improved catalytic activity was obtained through protein engineering. • Synergistic hydrolysis with the engineered xylanase and cellulase excelled other enzyme treatments. • Seawater immersion was helpful for biomass hydrolysis as chemical pretreatment. • Ramulus mori was converted into fermentable sugars with lower energy consumption. Biorefinery of Ramulus mori with lower energy consumption through improved enzyme and pretreatment strategies was reported. Directed evolution and saturation mutagenesis were used for the modification of xylanase, the yield of fermentable sugars and the degree of synergy (DS) were determined for different pretreatment (seawater/non-seawater) and enzyme treatment groups (xylanase/cellulase/co-treatment). The dominant mutant I133A/Q143Y of Bispora sp. xylanase XYL10C_ΔN was obtained with improved specific activity (1860 U/mg), catalytic efficiency (1150 mL/s∙mg) at 40 °C, and thermostability (T 50 increased by 7 °C). With the pretreatment of seawater immersion, the highest yield of fermentable sugars for Ramulus mori at 40 °C reached 199 μmol/g when hydrolyzed with cellulase and I133A/Q143Y, with the highest DS of 2.6; this was 4.5-fold that of the group hydrolyzed by cellulase alone with non-seawater pretreatment. Thus, bioconversion of reducing sugar from Ramulus mori was improved significantly at lower temperatures, which provides an efficient and energy-saving way for biofuel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An efficient bagasse biorefinery with low energy consumption was realized. • A thermostable xylanase mutant was engineered for catalysis under mild conditions. • Seawater following steam explosion promotes the enzymatic hydrolyzation of bagasse. • Synergistic hydrolysis of high activity xylanase and cellulase was optimal. Lignocellulosic biorefining for producing biofuels poses technical challenges. It is usually conducted over a long time using heat, making it energy intensive. In this study, we lowered the energy consumption of this process through an optimized enzyme and pretreatment strategy. First, the dominant mutant M137E/N269G of Bispora sp. MEY-1 XYL10C_ΔN was obtained by directed evolution with high catalytic efficiency (970 mL/s∙mg) and specific activity (2090 U/mg) at 37 °C, and thermostability was improved (T 50 increased by 5 °C). After pretreatment with seawater immersion following steam explosion, bagasse was co-treated with cellulase and M137E/N269G under mild conditions (37 °C), the resulting highest yield of fermentable sugars reached 219 µmol/g of bagasse, 46% higher than that of the non-seawater treatment group, with the highest degree of synergy of 2.0. Pretreatment with seawater following steam explosion and synergistic hydrolysis through high activity xylanase and cellulase helped to achieve low energy degradation of lignocellulosic biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to changes in illumination, adverse weather conditions, and interference from signs similar to real traffic signs, the false detection of traffic signs is possible. Nevertheless, in order to improve the detection effect of small targets, baseline SSD (single shot multibox detector) adopts a multi-scale feature detection method to improve the detection effect to some extent. The detection effect of small targets is improved, but the number of calculations needed for the baseline SSD network is large. To this end, we propose a lightweight SSD network algorithm. This method uses some 1 × 1 convolution kernels to replace some of the 3 × 3 convolution kernels in the baseline network and deletes some convolutional layers to reduce the calculation load of the baseline SSD network. Then the color detection algorithm based on the phase difference method and the connected component calculation are used to further filter the detection results, and finally, the data enhancement strategy based on the image appearance transformation is used to improve the balance of the dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed method is 3% more accurate than the baseline SSD network, and more importantly, the detection speed is also increased by 1.2 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing circular economy is the only way to improve the efficiency of resource utilization. Whole-cell catalysis is an effective method to recycle enzymes, improve catalytic efficiency, and reduce production costs. The enzyme, α -L-rhamnosidase has considerable application prospects in the field of biocatalysis as it can hydrolyze a variety of α -L rhamnoses. In the present study, the genes for α -L-rhamnosidase (rhaB1) and enhanced fluorescent protein (EGFP) were co-expressed using a bi-promoter expression vector pRSFDuet1 and their enzymatic properties were evaluated. To our knowledge, this study has established an effective rhamnosidase-fluorescent indicator and whole-cell catalytic system for the first time. Moreover, we analyzed the change in the activity of the crude rhaB1-EGFP as well as its whole-cell during the biocatalysis process using fluorescence intensity. Recombinant rhaB1-EGFP as a product which contains rhaB1 and EGFP showed higher thermal stability, pH stability, and conversion efficiency than rhaB1, and its optimum temperature for rutin catalysis was ideal for industrial applications. Moreover, under the optimal conditions of a rutin concentration of 0.05 g/L, pH of 6.0, temperature of 40 °C, a yield of 92.5% was obtained. Furthermore, we demonstrated the relationship between the fluorescence intensity and enzyme activity. This study established a highly efficient whole-cell catalytic system whose activity can be evaluated by fluorescence intensity, providing a reference for enzyme recycling. Unlabelled Image • Two genes of rhaB1 and EGFP were firstly co-expressed by a bi-promoter expression vector. • Crude rhaB1-EGFP possessed higher thermal and pH stabilities than those of crude rhaB1. • Expression vector activity could be quantitatively detected by measuring fluorescence intensity. • Affinity of rhaB1-EGFP to substrate was not significantly reduced confirmed by SPR assay. • A labeled and recycling whole-cell catalyst was developed for flavonoids transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Xylanase is one of the most extensively used biocatalysts for biomass degradation. However, its low catalytic efficiency and poor thermostability limit its applications. Therefore, improving the properties of xylanases to enable synergistic degradation of lignocellulosic biomass with cellulase is of considerable significance in the field of bioenergy. Results: Using fragment replacement, we improved the catalytic performance and thermostability of a GH10 xylanase, XylE. Of the ten hybrid enzymes obtained, seven showed xylanase activity. Substitution of fragments, M3, M6, M9, and their combinations enhanced the catalytic efficiency (by 2.4- to fourfold) as well as the specific activity (by 1.2- to 3.3-fold) of XylE. The hybrids, XylE-M3, XylE-M3/M6, XylE-M3/M9, and XylE-M3/M6/M9, showed enhanced thermostability, as observed by the increase in the T50 (3–4.7 °C) and Tm (1.1–4.7 °C), and extended t1/2 (by 1.8–2.3 h). In addition, the synergistic effect of the mutant xylanase and cellulase on the degradation of mulberry bark showed that treatment with both XylE-M3/M6 and cellulase exhibited the highest synergistic effect. In this case, the degree of synergy reached 1.3, and the reducing sugar production and dry matter reduction increased by 148% and 185%, respectively, compared to treatment with only cellulase. Conclusions: This study provides a successful strategy to improve the catalytic properties and thermostability of enzymes. We identified several xylanase candidates for applications in bioenergy and biorefinery. Synergistic degradation experiments elucidated a possible mechanism of cellulase inhibition by xylan and xylo-oligomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, microfluidic bioreactors have become important in chemical production; however, the production cost is high, and it becomes difficult to balance scale, efficiency, and cost. Therefore, a low-cost, efficient, high-delivery-capacity, green-fluid reactor is urgently required. Herein, a cellulose bioreactor with dual-scale directional channels and a porous inner wall is reported for the continuous catalytic conversion of polydatin into resveratrol. The dual-scale directional channel structure endows the reactor with high mass transfer speed and large transport capacity, resulting in fast fluid diffusion rate and more severe "disturbance" inside the reactor. It accelerates the mass transfer state of the whole reaction and further improves the catalytic performance compared to the uniform channel reactor. The reactor can achieve a high conversion rate of 98.58% of resveratrol within 2 h and exhibits excellent stability, owing to which it has broad application prospects in catalytic reactions, and helps derive a new approach for constructing fluid catalysis bioreactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing preference for incorporating microbial aspartic proteases in industries is due to their high catalytic function and high degree of substrate selectivity. These properties, however, are attributable to molecular alterations in their structure and a variety of other characteristics. Molecular tools, functional genomics, and genome editing technologies coupled with other biotechnological approaches have aided in improving the potential of industrially important microbial proteases by addressing some of their major limitations, such as: low catalytic efficiency, low conversion rates, low thermostability, and less enzyme yield. However, the native folding within their full domain is dependent on a surrounding structure which challenges their functionality in substrate conversion, mainly due to their mutual interactions in the context of complex systems. Hence, manipulating their structure and controlling their expression systems could potentially produce enzymes with high selectivity and catalytic functions. The proteins produced by microbial aspartic proteases are industrially capable and far-reaching in regulating certain harmful distinctive industrial processes and the benefits of being eco-friendly. This review provides: an update on current trends and gaps in microbial protease biotechnology, exploring the relevant recombinant strategies and molecular technologies widely used in expression platforms for engineering microbial aspartic proteases, as well as their potential industrial and biotechnological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: With the requirements of environmental, cost and economic sustainability, new sources of alternative proteins in the livestock industry are receiving increasing attention. Mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves are a unique feed resource because of their high protein content and large availability. Therefore, mining sustainable protein suitable for the animal husbandry industry in sericulture resources could achieve a win–win situation. RESULTS: The protein content in mulberry leaves is 232.10–386.16 g kg−1, and the mean value of crude fat content is 43.76 ± 8.48 g kg−1, which has the advantages of protein content and energy. In addition, the average content of phytic acid in mulberry leaves is only 1.88 ± 0.56 g kg−1, which means that it is not inhibited in terms of nutrient absorption. Meanwhile, the digestibility of protein was Bean pulp > Sample 8 ≈ Alfalfa ≈ Sample 13 ≈ Cottonseed meal > Fish meal, and the β‐turn and particle size of mulberry leaf protein are more conducive to digestion in vitro. Furthermore, the protein of Sample 13 had the richest essential amino acids (252.00 g kg−1) and the highest essential amino acid index (EAAI), which was superior to conventional feed protein. In addition, the partial substitution of mulberry leaf protein (15%) significantly increased the EAAI value of conventional feed protein. However, to balance nutrition, it is necessary to combine mulberry leaf protein with other proteins to further broaden its application field. CONCLUSION: Mulberry leaves are a new source of feed protein, which helps to alleviate the two major problems of mulberry resource surplus and feed protein resource shortage. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the traditional blasting theory and practice, the slotted cartridge blasting can form straight cracks extending along the slot direction and achieve directional fracture. In this paper, an experimental study has been carried out to determine the influence of incident stress waves and reflected stress waves. Under the influence of stress waves, the propagation path of the main crack in slotted cartridge blasting is not straight, and the directional fracture effect is inadequate. Under the experimental conditions in this paper, the propagation of main cracks mainly experienced three stages: directional propagation stage, counterclockwise deflecting propagation stage, and clockwise deflecting propagation stage. The difference between incident stress waves and reflected stress waves results in the difference in the deflecting direction, transforming the main crack into a wing shape. In rock roadway drilling and blasting engineering, the propagation path of main cracks produced by peripheral boreholes using the slotted cartridge blasting is also affected by the incident and reflected stress waves. These stress waves are inevitably generated from free faces and adjacent boreholes; however, these are rarely considered in the design of blasting parameters. Therefore, the design and optimization of blasting parameters considering the interaction of stress waves and main cracks in the slotted cartridge blasting need to be further developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving the hydrolytic performance of hemicellulases to degrade lignocellulosic biomass is of considerable importance for second-generation biorefinery. Xylanase, as the crucial hemicellulase, must be thermostable and have high activity for its potential use in the bioethanol industry. To obtain excellent xylanase candidates, it is necessary to understand the structure–function relationships to provide a meaningful reference to improve the enzyme properties. This study aimed to investigate the catalytic mechanism of a highly active hyperthermophilic xylanase variant, XYL10C-ΔN, for hemicellulose degradation. Results: By removing the N-terminal 66 amino acids, the variant XYL10C-ΔN showed a 1.8-fold improvement in catalytic efficiency and could hydrolyze corn stover more efficiently in hydrolysis of corn stover; however, it retained similar thermostability to the wild-type XYL10C. Based on the crystal structures of XYL10C-ΔN and its complex with xylobiose, Glu175 located on loop 3 was found to be specific to GH10 xylanases and probably accounts for the excellent enzyme properties by interacting with Lys135 and Met137 on loop 2. Site-saturation mutagenesis confirmed that XYL10C-ΔN with glutamate acid at position 175 had the highest catalytic efficiency, specific activity, and the broadest pH-activity profile. The functional roles of Glu175 were also verified in the mutants of another two GH10 xylanases, XylE and XynE2, which showed increased catalytic efficiencies and wider pH-activity profiles. Conclusions: XYL10C-ΔN, with excellent thermostability, high catalytic efficiency, and great lignocellulose-degrading capability, is a valuable candidate xylanase for the biofuel industry. The mechanism underlying improved activity of XYN10C-ΔN was thus investigated through structural analysis and functional verification, and Glu175 was identified to play the key role in the improved catalytic efficiency. This study revealed the importance of a key residue (Glu175) in XYN10C-ΔN and provides a reference to modify GH10 xylanases for improved catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reaching the full potential of solar cells based on photo‐absorbers of organic‐inorganic hybrid perovskites requires highly efficient charge extraction at the interface between perovskite and charge transporting layer. This demand is generally challenged by the presence of under‐coordinated metal or halogen ions, causing surface charge trapping and resultant recombination losses. These problems can be tackled by introducing a small molecule interfacial anchor layer based on dimethylbiguanide (DMBG). Benefitting from interactions between the nitrogen‐containing functional groups in DMBG and unsaturated ions in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskites, the electron extraction of TiO2 is dramatically improved in association with reduced Schottky–Read–Hall recombination, as revealed by photoluminescence spectroscopy. As a consequence, the power conversion efficiency of CH3NH3PbI3 solar cells is boosted from 17.14 to 19.1 %, showing appreciably reduced hysteresis. The demonstrated molecular strategy based on DMBG enables one to achieve meliorations on key figures of merit in halide perovskite solar cells with improved stability. Surface traps: Incorporating a dimethylbiguanide (DMBG) anchoring layer in between the compact TiO2 and perovskite photo‐absorber leads to an effective passivation of surface traps with reduced Shockley–Read–Hall recombination, such that the power conversion efficiency of CH3NH3PbI3 solar cells is boosted to 19.1 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study investigates the control mechanism of blasting damage to surrounding rock and conducts a quantitative evaluation of the damage using laboratory experimentation and field test. A comprehensive evaluation system of blasting damage for roadway contour quality and internal damage of surrounding rock is established using digital image processing, multifractal spectrum calculation, CT scanning, borehole televiewer, and acoustic testing. The results show that the evolution of blasting damage conforms with fractal law, and the relationship between blasting damage area and fractal dimension follows a power function. Slit charge blasting causes the initiation and propagation of two straight main cracks along the slit. The peak velocity measured at the center of the slit charge is found to be 1.74 times that of the ordinary charge. The slit charge can effectively reduce the blasting damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self‐assembled hole transporting molecules (SAHTMs) bearing anchoring groups have been established as the hole transporting layers (HTLs) for highly efficient p–i–n perovskite solar cells (PSCs), yet their stability and engineering at the molecular level remain challenging. A topological design of highly anisotropic aligned SAHTM‐based HTLs for operationally stable PSCs that exhibit exceptional solar‐to‐electric power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) is demonstrated. The judiciously designed multifunctional self‐assembled molecules comprise the donor–acceptor subunit for hole transporting and the phosphonic acid group for anchoring, realizing face‐on π‐stacking parallel to the transparent conductive oxide substrate. The high affinity of SAHTMs to the multi‐crystalline perovskite thin film benefits passivating the perovskite buried interface, strengthening interfacial contact while facilitating interfacial hole transfer. Consequently, highly efficient p–i–n PSC devices are obtained with a champion PCE of 23.24% and outstanding operational stability toward various environmental factors including long‐term full sunlight soaking at evaluated temperatures. Perovskite solar modules with a champion efficiency approaching 20% are also fabricated for an active device area above 17 cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formulation in which biochemical enzymes are administered in polymer science plays a key role in retaining their catalytic activity. The one-step synthesis of polymers with highly sequence-controlled enzymes is a strategy employed to provide enzymes with higher catalytic activity and thermostability in material sustainability. Enzyme-catalyzed chain growth polymerization reactions using activated monomers, protein–polymer complexation techniques, covalent and non-covalent interaction, and electrostatic interactions can provide means to develop formulations that maintain the stability of the enzyme during complex material processes. Multifarious applications of catalytic enzymes are usually attributed to their efficiency, pH, and temperature, thus, progressing with a critical structure-controlled synthesis of polymer materials. Due to the obvious economics of manufacturing and environmental sustainability, the green synthesis of enzyme-catalyzed materials has attracted significant interest. Several enzymes from microorganisms and plants via enzyme-mediated material synthesis have provided a viable alternative for the appropriate synthesis of polymers, effectively utilizing the one-step approach. This review analyzes more and deeper strategies and material technologies widely used in multi-enzyme cascade platforms for engineering polymer materials, as well as their potential industrial applications, to provide an update on current trends and gaps in the one-step synthesis of materials using catalytic enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pupae is one of the most valuable components of the silkworm, a by-product of silk reeling. Employing them as a raw material to create valued products will help to recycle and reuse silkworm pupae, as well as contribute to the food industry's long-term development. Silkworm pupae protein (SPP) and pupae oil (SPO) are high in nutritional and bioactive components that have a variety of applications in the food industry as well as health-promoting characteristics. In this review, we first elaborate on the modification, nutritional, and functional properties of silkworm pupae in terms of requirements for protein and lipids processing as well as current extraction technology. In the subsequent sections, we summarize the modification techniques including the science and technology involved in attaining fatty acid components of SPO. Finally, we focus on recent studies related to the utilization of SPP and SPO subject to their inclusion in foods for their health benefits. The key to silkworm pupae product design may be to fully exploit and utilize the inherent characteristics of the pupae to produce functional peptides and structural lipids with high nutritional content, which may necessitate further improvements in the bioactive and functional properties. Designing more ecologically friendly, low-cost, and efficient processes for producing protein and oil from silkworm pupae is also a trend in technology. This may further provide new insights into the mechanisms behind modifying silkworm pupae as food and its health advantages. [Display omitted] • Modifications and functions of silkworm pupae protein (SPP) and oil (SPO) were reviewed. • Modification of SPP and SPO reveal valuable nutritional properties. • Inclusion of SPP and SPO in food and feed applications were summarized. • Peptide composition in silkworm pupae aid in valuable biological activities. • Further research to compare SPP and SPO with standard proteins and oils is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silkworm pupae, by-product of sericulture industry, is massively discarded. The degradation rate of silkworm pupae protein is critical to further employment, which reduces the impact of waste on the environment. Herein, magnetic Janus mesoporous silica nanoparticles immobilized proteinase K mutant T206M and Mucor circinelloides aspartic protease were employed in the co-degradation. The thermostability of T206M improved by enhancing structural rigidity (t 1/2 by 30 min and T 50 by 5 °C), prompting the degradation efficiency. At 65 °C and pH 7, degradation rate reached the highest of 61.7%, which improved by 26% compared with single free protease degradation. Besides, the immobilized protease is easy to separate and reuse, which maintains 50% activity after 10 recycles. Therefore, immobilized protease co-degradation was first applied to the development and utilization of silkworm pupae resulting in the release of promising antioxidant properties and reduces the environmental impact by utilizing a natural and renewable resource. [Display omitted] • A novel approach for co-degrading silkworm pupae protein with Prok and MCAP was developed. • Prok mutant with improved pH and heat stability for co-degradation of silkworm pupae protein. • Mutant activity was maintained with improved thermostability (t 1/2 by 30 min and T 50 by 5 °C). • Silkworm pupae protein degradation rate was improved by 26% compared to single free Prok. • Antioxidant capacity of peptides was improved by 20% and 100% compared to Prok and CA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel scheme for efficient conversion of flavonoid glycosides by biofilms was developed. • Gene regulation and carrier modification are promising strategies to enhance biofilm catalysis. • The biomass of biofilms from csg D overexpressed strain significantly increased by 79.35 %. • The biofilms adhesion of E. coli in strong oxidant modified carrier was increased by 105.80 %. • The catalytic efficiency of E. coli biofilms enhanced bi-directional was increased by 247.85 %. The biofilm of an engineered strain is limited by slow growth and low yield, resulting in an unsatisfactory ability to resist external stress and promote catalytic efficiency. Here, biofilms used as robust living catalysts were manipulated through dual functionalized gene regulation and carrier modification strategies. The results showed that gene overexpression regulates the autoinducer-2 activity, extracellular polymeric substance content and colony behavior of Escherichia coli , and the biofilm yield of csg D overexpressed strains increased by 79.35 % compared to that of the wild type strains (p < 0.05). In addition, the hydrophilicity of polyurethane fibres modified with potassium dichromate increased significantly, and biofilm adhesion increased by 105.80 %. Finally, the isoquercitrin yield in the catalytic reaction of the biofilm reinforced by the csg D overexpression strain and the modified carrier was 247.85 % higher than that of the untreated group. Overall, this study has developed engineered strains biofilm with special functions, providing possibilities for catalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study improves the RHT constitutive model based on some shortcomings, and the main improvements work are as follows: (1) hyperbolic function is used to make up for the deficiency of tensile strain rate enhancement factor of RHT constitutive model at high strain rate; (2) considering the constant change of hydrostatic pressure, the initial damage value of rock is introduced into the constitutive model, and the improved damage accumulation expression is derived based on this value. (3) In the equation of residual failure surface, the influence of the Lode angle factor is considered, the RHT constitutive parameters of crystalline limestone are determined by the SHPB experiment, and the difference in rock failure forms before and after the correction of constitutive parameters is simulated by ANSYS/LS-DYNA software. The results show that the improved constitutive parameters can effectively represent the yield strength surface and residual strength surface of the rock, which verifies the rationality of the improved RHT constitutive model, and also shows that it is an effective and simple method to obtain RHT constitutive parameters by SHPB experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐term stability has become the major obstacle for the successful large‐scale application of perovskites devices. Owing to the ionic nature of metal‐halide perovskites, the interfacial ion diffusion can induce irreversible degradation under operational conditions, which presents a great challenge to realize stable perovskite solar modules. Here, a diphenylphosphine oxide compound, ethane‐1,2‐diylbis(diphenylphosphine oxide) (DPPO) is introduced to coordinate with lead iodide and form a cross‐linked 1D Pb3I6‐DPPO (1D‐PbI2) complex. These judiciously designed cross‐linked nonionic low‐dimensional lead halide/organic adducts can passivate the defects of perovskite while acting as a robust ion diffusion barrier, thus significantly improving the electronic quality and intrinsic stability of perovskite films. As a result, high‐performance inverted (p‐i‐n) solar modules with a champion efficiency approaching 19% (a certified stabilized efficiency of 17.8%) for active device areas above 17 cm2 without the use of antisolvents, accompanied by outstanding operational stability under heat stress and continuous illumination are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TEC induced on the top of PCBM have been studied as the cathode-interfacial layer (CIL) and the CIL/perovskite interface is modified with a well-matched energy band alignment and suppressed defects. Enhanced power conversion efficiency with negligible hysteresis is obtained for planar perovskite solar cells. • A seamless PCBM@TEC capped perovskite film for the inverted planar PSCs. • PCBM@TEC CIL induced obvious efficiency enhancement for inverted PSCs. • Non-encapsulated devices based on the hydrophobic PCBM@TEC CIL improved stability of planar PSCs. • These improvements in performance and stability highlight the merit of using PCBM@TEC as interfacial layer in planar PSCs. Among the factors that lead to the reduction of the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) using [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) versus those of conventional structure, is the difficulty involved in realizing a high-quality film, and the non-radiative recombination that takes place at the interface between PCBM and perovskite. Our present work proposes a fabrication technique capable of overcoming these issues. Organic small molecule material was introduced along with PCBM, to obtain a homogeneously seamless film that plays the role of a dipole layer. The incorporated triethyl citrate (TEC) boosts the power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 14.56% to 17.86% with suppressed hysteresis, which originates primarily from the efficient electron transfer between the perovskite/PCBM and the Ag cathode interface. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements imply efficient electron transfer, low series resistance, and large recombination resistance in the photovoltaic device employing PCBM@TEC as the cathode interfacial layer. Specifically, the highly hydrophobic PCBM@TEC cathode interfacial layer (CIL) showed higher resistance to moisture, leading to a more environmentally-stable device. The results also showed the efficiency of the device retained 84% of its initial value after 30 days of operation under ambient conditions, which shows a visibly superior stability compared to a reference device that, under the same environment, retained only 37% its initial efficiency. Such advancement in the operational efficiency and stability of the device, will contribute to the longevity and cost-effectiveness of inverted PSC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer (LC) is a serious disease with high morbidity and mortality. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have garnered attention because they participate in diverse human disorders, including cancer. Our study examined the long intergenic noncoding RNA 00707 (LINC00707). The effects of LINC00707 on lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) and molecular mechanisms are unclear. This study is aimed to investigate the role of LINC00707 in the malignant processes of LAD. Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to examine the expression level of LINC00707 in tissues and cell lines. The association of LINC00707 expression and postoperative prognosis was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Cell proliferation was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Transwell assays were performed to examine cell migration. Cell cycle and apoptosis was determined by flow-cytometric and western blot analyses. Microarray analysis was conducted to screen for the downstream target gene Cdc42 of LINC00707, which was identified by qRT-PCR, functional analysis, and rescue experiment. Results: The expression level of LINC00707 was clearly upregulated in LAD tissues compared to that in corresponding normal tissues. Its overexpression was related to advanced TNM stage, larger tumor size, lymphatic metastasis, and poor prognosis. Functional assays revealed that LINC00707 knockdown repressed LAD cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. This process may involve the inducing of G1 arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, cell migration was impaired after LINC00707 inhibition. Microarray analysis and rescue assays suggested that Cdc42 is an important target gene involved in the carcinogenesis of LINC00707. Conclusions: In summary, LINC00707 is a noncoding oncogene that exerts important regulatory functions in LAD, suggesting its potential as a biomarker in the prognosis and treatment of LAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extremophilic xylanases have attracted great scientific and industrial interest. In this study, a GH10 xylanase-encoding gene, Xyl10E, was cloned from Bispora sp. MEY-1 and expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. Deduced Xyl10E shares the highest identities of 62% and 57% with characterized family GH10 xylanases from Talaromyces leycettanus and Penicillium canescens (structure 4F8X), respectively. Xyl10E was most active at 93 to 95°C and pH 4.0, retained more than 75% or 48% of the initial activity when heated at 80°C or 90°C for 30 min, respectively, and hardly lost activity at pH 1.0 to 7.0, but was completely inhibited by SDS. Two residues, A160 and A161, located on loop 4, were identified to play roles in catalysis. Mutants A160D/E demonstrated higher affinity to substrate with lower Km values, while mutants A161D/E mainly displayed elevated Vmax values. All of these mutants had significantly improved catalytic efficiency. According to the molecular dynamics simulation, the mutation of A160E was able to affect the important substrate binding site Y204 and then improve the substrate affinity, and the mutation of A161D was capable of forming a hydrogen bond with the substrate to promote the substrate binding or accelerate the product release. This study introduces a highly thermophilic fungal xylanase and reveals the importance of loop 4 for catalytic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient hydrolysis of pectic materials to sugars requires the synergistic action of endo- and exo-polygalacturonases. Two novel polygalacturonases (exo- Te PG28a and endo- Te PG28b) were identified in Talaromyces leycettanus JCM12802, overexpressed in Pichia pastoris , and characterized in this report. The specific activities of Te PG28a and Te PG28b towards polygalacturonic acid were 280 ± 9 and 25,900 ± 502 U/mg, respectively. Both enzymes exhibited optimal activities at pH 3.5 and retained highly stable over a broad pH range of 2.0–7.0. Distinct from most fungal polygalacturonases that have low temperature optima, Te PG28a and Te PG28b were optimally active at 70 °C. When treated the grape juice with the enzyme combination (the unit ratio of Te PG28a: Te PG28b was 1:4), higher pectin-degrading efficiency (up to 140%) was achieved, and light transmittance was improved from 14% to 82%. These favorable enzymatic properties make Te PG28a and Te PG28b attractive for the applications in the juice industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction with CNPs@Cu-Trypsin (CAE) was proposed. • Catalytic reinforcement of Cu2+ on the trypsin immobilized on CNPs was firstly revealed. • Hydrolysis activity and K cat / K m value of the new catalyst was increased by 6.16 and 1.7 times. • The CAE technique simultaneously utilizes oil and protein from biomass without solvents. • The CAE technique ensured products quality and the new catalyst can be reused ten times. Edible insects are rich in oil and protein resources, and has it become increasingly important to develop them reasonably when resources are increasingly scarce. However, due to the challenges in recovering enzymes in the enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction technique and the remaining organic solvents in the extraction process based on organic solvent, it is difficult to achieve simultaneous utilization of oil and protein from edible insects. Hence, an improved enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction process based on the assistance of chitosan cross-linked Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (CNPs) immobilized enzymes and divalent copper ions chelation, CNPs@Cu-Trypsin-assisted aqueous extraction technique, was first proposed. The hydrolysis activity was significantly increased by 6.16 times, and the value of K cat / K m was increased by 1.7 times for the results of the formation of the hydrophilic microenvironment. Furthermore, the extraction ratio of silkworm pupae oil extracted via CNPs@Cu-Trypsin-assisted aqueous extraction technique could be increased to 93%, and the oil extraction rate could be maintained above 65% after 10 times reused. Improvement of enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction under the addition of divalent copper ions could achieve an ideal effect of oil extracted from silkworm pupae with less time. Additionally, the quality of silkworm pupae oil was significantly improved and the silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate also showed improved biological activity. Therefore, the enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction enhancement by trypsin immobilization and divalent copper ion chelation is a promising strategy for the green and sustainable exploration of edible insect oil and protein without the use of organic solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the relationship between state pension and intergenerational monetary transfers received by older parents in urban China. We used data from the Follow-up Sampling Survey of the Aged Population in Urban/Rural China (FUSSAPUR), a nationwide study of people age 60 and older from 20 provinces. Results indicate that the amount of pension was negatively correlated to the probability of receiving transfers, which are consistent with both altruism and exchange hypotheses. We apply a semiparametric method to identify the nonparametric responsiveness of transfers to recipients’ pension while still taking into account how the (linear) covariates affect such responsiveness. We found crowding out was not an important feature of transfer behavior, but crowding in was. There was initially a negligible negative relationship between the amount of transfer received and pension for the elderly at low pension income level. The correlation became significantly positive for older parents at median and high pension income level. Our findings suggest a coexistence of transfer motives, where the exchange motive and its implication, crowding-in effect of pension, dominate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A xylanase gene of GH 10, Tlxyn10A , was cloned from Talaromyces leycettanus JCM12802 and expressed in Pichia pastoris . Purified recombinant Tl Xyn10A was acidic and hyperthermophilic, and retained stable over the pH range of 2.0–6.0 and at 90 °C. Sequence analysis of Tl Xyn10A identified seven residues probably involved in substrate contacting. Three mutants ( Tl Xyn10A_P, _N and _C) were then constructed by substituting some or all of the residues with corresponding ones of hyperthermal Xyl10C from Bispora sp. MEY-1. Tl Xyn10A_P with mutations at subsites +2 to +4 exhibited improved specific activity (by 0.44-fold) and pH stability (2.0–10.0). Molecular dynamics simulation analysis indicated that mutations E229I and F232E probably weaken the substrate affinity at subsites +3 to +4, and G149D may introduce a new hydrogen bond. These modifications altogether account for the improved performance of Tl Xyn10A_P. Moreover, Tl Xyn10A_P was able to hydrolyze wheat straw persistently, and has the application potentials in various industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-1,3–1,4-Glucanase is an indispensable biocatalyst in barley brewing industry for its crucial effect in reducing the viscosity of mash. However, the unsatisfactory thermostability greatly limited its application performance. In this study, structure-based surface charge engineering was conducted aiming at thermostability improvement of BisGlu16B, a highly active β-1,3–1,4-glucanase from Bispora sp. MEY-1. By applying the enzyme thermal stability system (ETSS), residues D47, D213, and D253 were inferred to be critical sites for thermal properties. Single (D47A, D213A, and D253A) and combination (D47A/D213A/D253A) mutants were generated and compared with BisGlu16B. Among all improved mutants, D47A/D213A/D253A outstanded in thermostability. In comparison with BisGlu16B, its T 50 and T m were respectively increased by 7.0 °C and 4.3 °C, while the t 1/2 at 70 °C was 8.1 times that of the wild type. Furthermore, the catalytic activity of D47A/D213A/D253A also increased by 42.5%, compared with BisGlu16B (42,900 ± 300 U/mg vs. 30,100 ± 800 U/mg). Comparing with BisGlu16B and commercial enzyme treatment groups, under simulated malting conditions, efficiency improvement was observed in decreasement of viscosity (35.5% and 90.7%) and filtration time (30.9% and 34.6%) for D47A/D213A/D253A treatment group. Molecular dynamics simulation showed that mutation sites A47, A213, and A253 increased the protein rigidity by lowering the overall root mean square deviation (RMSD). This study may bring optimization of technology and improvement of producing efficiency to the present brewing industry. [Display omitted] • Surface charge engineering protects the catalytic core during modification. • The β-glucanase activity was improved besides the intended higher thermostability. • Reduced mash viscosity and filtration time was observed during barley malting. • The study provided a more efficient catalyst for brewing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microwave-assisted and phosphine-mediated Tomita Zipper cyclization of dicyanomethylideneoxindoles and ynones has been developed. Various functionalized spirooxindoles with five-membered carbocyclic ring can be obtained in moderate to good yields with moderate to excellent diastereoselectivities through in situ generation of α-nucleophile (up to 87% yield, >20:1 dr). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A xylanase gene of glycoside hydrolase family 10, Gt Xyn10, was cloned from Gloeophyllum trabeum CBS 900.73 and expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. Purified recombinant Gt Xyn10 exhibited significant activities to xylan (100.0%), lichenan (11.2%), glucan (15.2%) and p -nitrophenol-β-cellobiose (18.6%), demonstrated the maximum xylanase and glucanase activities at pH 4.5–5.0 and 75 °C, retained stability over the pH range of 2.0–7.5 and at 70 °C, and was resistant to pepsin and trypsin, most metal ions and SDS. Multiple sequence alignment and modeled-structure analysis identified a unique Gly48 in Gt Xyn10, and site-directed mutagenesis of Gly48 to Lys improved the temperature optimum up to 80 °C. Under simulated mashing conditions, Gt Xyn10 (80 U) reduced the mash viscosity by 12.8% and improved the filtration rate by 31.3%. All these properties above make Gt Xyn10 attractive for potential applications in the feed and brewing industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • PNCs-radical core/shell structure was prepared by P -type organic radical polymer. • This structure improves the stability of PNCs with charge transfer processes. • The stable PNCs-radical core/shell complex demonstrate superb reduction ability. • This strategy could promote the performance of PNCs based n-i-p solar cells. Balancing the stability and interfacial charge transfer (CT) ability of perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) are the most challenging issue confronting their practical application in photoelectrochemistry (PEC) fields. Here, an efficient surface capping strategy is introduced relying on a set of air-stable nitroxide-based organic radical polymers with well-matched energy levels towards CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals. The native ligand oleyl amine and oleic acid were readily replaced by radical polymers because of their high-affinity properties. The resulting radical polymer coated PNCs exhibit exceptional tolerance to water, thermal, and UV illumination with remarkable CT processes. The versatility and immense practical utility of such stable PNCs-radical core/shell structure are showcased by the halogen exchange between PNCs/radical and aryl chlorides at ambient temperature, demonstrating superb reduction ability of this complex. Besides, this strategy was also employed to improve the power conversion efficiency and stability of PNCs based solar cells. This approach imparts exceptional photoelectrochemical stability and catalytic activity to the nanocrystals with excellent interfacial CT efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]