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Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) as an exterior reinforcement material are generally utilized to enhance the effectiveness of the current and new structures. FRP-confined concrete is characterized by its better mechanical properties. Accurately predicting the ultimate conditions and stress–strain responses of FRP-confined concrete make sense to achieve superior reliability and optimized functionality of structures. In this study, four prediction models based on machine learning, containing support vector regression (SVR), back-propagation neural network (BPNN), generalized regression neural network (GRNN) and extreme learning machine (ELM), were established, and their prediction performance were compared to achieve accurate prediction of the ultimate conditions of FRP-confined concrete. Moreover, a BPNN-based model to predict the stress–strain responses of FRP-confined concrete was proposed. A carefully evaluated and scrutinized database containing 384 FRP-confined concrete specimens under compressive load from various open-access sources was used to train these models. The results showed that these prediction models were more accurate in their predictions than the design-oriented models. Moreover, GRNN and SVR had superior prediction accuracy, followed by BPNN. The machine learning-based predictive models proposed in this study served as a valuable reference for the rapid prediction on the mechanical properties of FRP-confined concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the connection between the beams and slabs adopting composite layers is cast on-site, which is laborious and time-consuming. In this study, a new type of precast concrete (PC) beam and PC slab connection, which was connected by stud/channel steel connectors, was proposed to enhance the efficiency of prefabricated construction. Push-out tests were carried out on 5 PC beam-slab specimens connected with studs and 3 PC beam-slab specimens with channel steel connectors. The test variables were the connecting methods of beam-slab, the connector reinforcement ratio and the connecting width between two slabs. The failure process, load and slip of the beam-slab connection were recorded. Then, the slip behavior, shear capacity and shear stiffness of the PC beam-slab connection were analyzed. The results showed that the new type of PC beam-slab connection proposed in this study was an effective form for transferring force between the beam and slabs. Based on the push-out test results, the shear mechanism of connectors was analyzed and the calculation formulas for shear strength of stud/channel steel connectors were put forward. The calculated values obtained from the proposed formula demonstrated a strong correlation with the test results, providing an accurate measurement of shear strength of the new type of PC beam-slab connection. This study offers a reference for realizing the fast-full assembly construction of PC frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores recent advancements in the field of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) exhibited by small and isolated organic molecules. The development and application of small CPL molecule are systematically reviewed through eight different chiral skeleton sections. Investigating the intricate interplay between molecular structure and CPL properties, the paper aims at providing and enlighting novel strategies for CPL‐based applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thus, we aimed to develop the APGRC (Asian PCa Germline Risk Calculator), a risk assessment nomogram for predicting the probability of carrying germline PVs in 14 PCa predisposition DDR genes. Dear Editor, Prostate cancer (PCa) is a prominent global cancer among men, estimated at 1.3 million diagnoses and 359 thousand deaths in 2018,[1] with a strong hereditary component. [Extracted from the article]

Fe/Co/N co-doped multi-channel interpenetrating three-dimensional graphene catalyst (FeCo–N-3D-HG) with good oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic performances is prepared by a facile method, using poly (2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI), iron salt, cobalt salt and nanometer CaCO 3 (template). ABPBI forms a complex with iron and cobalt ions and the complex is coated on the surface of CaCO 3. The pyrolysis process is carried out in an Ar gas protection, the template is removed by acid to obtain FeCo–N-3D-HG. The results show that FeCo–N-3D-HG is three-dimensional multi-layered graphene structure with multi-channels. The catalytic performance of ORR (E 1/2 = 0.860 V vs RHE) is better than 20 wt% Pt/C in O 2 saturated 0.1 M KOH electrolyte. The catalyst also shows similar OER performance with the RuO 2 in 1 M KOH solution. The prepared zinc-air battery exhibits outstanding peak power density (261.7 mW cm−2), preeminent specific capacity (760.1 mAh g−1), and good cycle durability (150 h). High nitrogen-containing Fe/Co/N co-doped three-dimensional graphene bifunctional oxygen catalysts is prepared by one-step pyrolysis for zinc air battery. The bimetallic synergistic effect, three-dimensional porous structure of graphene and the high nitrogen content greatly improve the catalytic performance. [Display omitted] • FeCo–N-3D-HG with multistage perforated is prepared by nano CaCO 3. • High N, Fe and Co content is achieved by complex of ABPBI with Fe3+ and Co3+. • The synergistic effect of FeCo–N-3D-HG can enhance the catalytic performance. • The zinc air battery with this catalyst shows high power density and durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroluminescence of porous silicon carbide is achieved in a forward-biased SiC p–i–n junction. A broad green spectral feature centered at ∼510 nm is shown to arise from porous SiC. A large SiC surface area in the vicinity of the junction is created by diamond cutting followed by an electrochemically enhanced hydrogen fluoride etch that produces a layer of porous SiC. Photoluminescence is shown not to be responsible for the green emission. This supports the model of carrier recombination at the porous region via lateral bipolar diffusion of carriers. A lateral bipolar diffusion model is presented in which mobile carriers diffuse laterally from the junction toward the porous SiC surface region driven by a lateral carrier concentration gradient. Lateral bipolar diffusion in conjunction with suitable radiative recombination centers provides a possible pathway to achieve high quantum efficiencies in future SiC p–n homojunction or double heterojunction light-emitting diodes. Competing recombination processes and associated ideality factors in 4H-SiC diodes are also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective moisture (EM) distribution in the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) region is strongly related to regional topography. An understanding of climate change and the interactions between climate variables can help predict future climate variations. Here, we reconstruct a stack EM record for Southwest China over the past 90 kyr using environmental magnetism in lake sediment. The EM in Southwest China at the orbital scale was closely linked to precession‐induced change in North Hemisphere solar insolation, as well as the ISM variability. However, at the glacial‐interglacial scale, it was decoupled with ISM intensity, being wetter during glacial periods (weakened ISM) and drier during interglacial periods (enhanced ISM). Combined with modern meteorological observations, we suggest that the topographical barrier effect and temperature induced dryness are responsible for the decoupling between ISM intensity and EM. The terrestrial topography and temperature strongly influence EM distribution by altering the dynamics of onshore airflow and evapotranspiration. Plain Language Summary: Effective moisture (EM) directly affects hydrological cycle and wider‐scale socio‐economic development. Reconstruction of prehistoric EM levels is essential for deeper understanding of the global climate system, developing climate models and improving prediction of future climate variations. Here, we reconstruct a high‐resolution EM record over the past ∼90,000 years from lake sediments in Tengchong, Yunnan province, Southwest China. We found that the variation of precession (shifts in the rotational axis of the Earth) and solar insolation are the key contributors to the EM variability at the orbital scale. Unusually, a wetter climate during the glacial period and relatively drier interglacial periods were observed in our records, which is opposite to those found in previous studies (arid glacial and humid interglacial) in monsoon regions, indicating a decoupling pattern between monsoon intensity and EM in study region. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the modern meteorological observations, we conclude that the topography and temperature exert a considerable role in modulating EM distribution and response to the decoupling pattern. Key Points: The long‐term effective moisture (EM) record in Southwest China since ∼90 kyr was reconstructedThe EM variability at the orbital scale in terrestrial Indian summer monsoon region is primarily dominated by precessionThe topographic barrier and temperature induced aridification contribute to the decoupling of monsoon intensity and EM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence‐based interventions are essential for school‐aged children with intellectual disabilities to facilitate development and promote future independence. Methods: Using a PRISMA approach, systematic screening of five databases was undertaken. Original randomised controlled studies with psychosocial‐behavioural interventions were included where participants were school aged (5‐18 yrs) with documented intellectual disability. Study methodology was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. Results: Two thousand three hundred and three records were screened with 27 studies included. Studies mainly included primary school participants with mild intellectual disabilities. Most interventions focused on intellectual skills (e.g., memory, attention, literacy and mathematics) followed by adaptive skills (e.g., daily living, communication, social and education/vocation) and some focused on a combination of these. Conclusion: This review highlights the gap in evidence‐base for social, communication and education/vocation interventions with school‐aged children with moderate and severe intellectual disability. Future RCTs that bridge this knowledge gap across ages and ability are required for best practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ranging accuracy is a critical parameter in time-based indoor positioning systems. Indoor environments often have complex structures, which make centimeter-level-accurate ranging a challenging task. This study proposes a new distance measurement method to decrease the ranging error in multipath environment. Our method uses an artificial neural network that utilizes the received signal strength indicator along with a signal's angle of arrival to calculate the line-of-sight distance. This combination results in a significant reduction of the error caused by multipath effects that common RSSI-based methods suffer from. It outperforms traditional ranging methods while the implementation complexity is kept low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most important phenolic biopolymer in nature, lignin shows promising application potentialities in various bioactivities in vivo and in vitro, mainly including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, and antidiabetic control. In this work, several carbon-based solid acids were synthesized to catalyze the fragmentation of organosolv lignin (OL). The generated lignin fragments, with controllable molecular weight and functional groups, were further evaluated for their application in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The results suggested that the urea-doped catalyst (SUPC) showed a more excellent catalytic performance in producing diethyl ether insoluble lignin (DEIL) and diethyl ether soluble lignin (DESL). In addition, the lignin fragments have a good therapeutic effect on the cell model of T2DM. Compared with the insulin resistance model, DEIL obtained by catalytic depolymerization of OL with SUPC could improve the glucose consumption of insulin-resistant cells. Moreover, low-concentration samples (50 μg/mL) can promote glucose consumption (19.7 mM) more than the traditional drug rosiglitazone (17.5 mM). This work demonstrates the prospect of depolymerized lignin for the prevention and treatment of T2DM and provides a new application field for lignin degradation products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the evolution of the magnetic flux lobes in terms of location and intensity has been attributed to paleosecular variation of the geomagnetic field, reflecting outer‐core fluid convection close to the core‐mantle boundary. However, most results were based on observational data for the past 400 years supplemented by sparse archeomagnetic studies with data for approximately 3 kyr. In this paper, we construct a relative paleointensity (RPI) record and an inclination record spanning the past ∼90 kyr based on two cores from Tengchong Qinghai Lake (Yunnan Province, China), a closed crater lake that formed in the late Pleistocene. The evolution of flux lobes and the non‐dipole field can be assessed on a much longer time scale. Although the concentration and domain state of magnetic grains in the cores vary significantly, the RPI record is still representative of geomagnetic field features in the region of Yunnan Province, China. The contrasting trends in RPI with the records for eastern China since the late Holocene indicate the southeastward migration of the Siberian flux lobe. During the last glacial period, the RPI records of Tengchong Qinghai Lake and the North Atlantic Ocean show opposite trends, denoting the diverse and strong influence of the two flux lobe systems. The strong reverse flux lobe in the North Atlantic Ocean strengthened the non‐dipole field, while the weak normal flux lobe in Tengchong weakened the non‐dipole field. Plain Language Summary: Earth's magnetic field is composed of two main field components: a dipole field and a non‐dipole field. Although the non‐dipole field constitutes a minor component of the geomagnetic field, its variations in strength and location over different time scales have a significant influence on the surface expression of the geomagnetic field. The flux lobes arising from the fluid convection at the boundary between the core and mantle may produce the main components of the non‐dipole field. In recent years, the distribution of magnetic flux has been discussed based mainly on instrumental data and archeomagnetic data spanning a few kyr, which limits our understanding of flux lobe evolution on a much longer time scale. In this paper, we reconstruct a relative paleointensity (RPI) and an inclination records over the past ∼90 kyr from sediments of a closed volcanic lake in Tengchong, Yunnan Province, China. The results show that the RPI in the Tengchong area differs from the records for eastern China in the Holocene and from the records in the North Atlantic Ocean during the last glacial period. We conclude that a flux lobe may have played an important role in the non‐dipole field in the Tengchong and in the North Atlantic Ocean. Key Points: High‐resolution paleosecular variation records, including relative paleointensity (RPI) and inclination for the past 90 kyr, are derived from sediments in a closed lake in ChinaThe Holocene RPI trend obtained differs from records from records from eastern China, indicating the movement and intensification of the Siberian flux lobeThe opposing RPI patterns from the lake and the North Atlantic Ocean during the last glacial period indicate the influence of flux lobe systems on the non‐dipole field [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Inhibitors of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARPi) has been shown in multiple clinical trials to benefit survival in patients with homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene mutations in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Fluzoparib has been approved for the treatment of ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal cancers, but no data have been reported for prostate cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fluzoparib in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer. Methods: The clinical data of 13 mCRPC patients treated with fluzoparib alone or fluzoparib combined with abiraterone or SHR3680 (androgen receptor antagonist) in 9 hospitals nationwide including Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from January 1, 2020 to February 1, 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Genetic mutation data, survival data, adverse reactions and other data were obtained through outpatient cases or telephone follow-up. Results: Among the 13 patients, 3 patients were treated with fluzoparib alone, 8 patients were treated with fluzoparib combined with abiraterone, and 2 patients were treated with fluzoparib combined with SHR3680. All the 3 patients treated with monotherapy carried HRR gene mutations, and all had prostate-specific antigen (PSA); among those, 2 patients (66.7%) had PSA decrease of more than 50%. All the 8 patients treated with fluzoparib combined with abiraterone had been resistant to abiraterone at the earlier stage, and the genetic testing results showed that 2 patients did not carry HRR pathogenic mutation, and 1 patient did not receive genetic testing. Among the 8 patients, only 1 patient without HRR pathogenic mutation had an increase in PSA after receiving the combined treatment, while the remaining 7 patients (87.5%) had a decrease in PSA. PSA decreased by more than 50% in 3 patients (37.5%) and 90% in 2 patients (25.0%). The 2 patients treated with fluzoparib combined with SHR3680 had been resistant to abiraterone and docetaxel at the earlier stage, one patient had no genetic test and no PSA response, and the other patient had no DNA damage repair (DDR) gene mutation, however, decreased by more than 50%. At the same time, 61.5% (8/13) of the patients showed different degrees of adverse reactions, the main adverse reactions were anemia, joint pain, loss of appetite and fatigue; 23.1% (3/13) of the patients developed grade 3 anemia, of whom 1 patient terminated the treatment. Conclusion: Fluzoparib shows promising clinical prospects, and is well tolerated in both monotherapy and combination therapy. However, this conclusion needs to be further confirmed in prospective clinical studies with larger sample size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A defect‐rich interconnected hierarchical three‐dimensional Fe and N co‐doped graphene has been prepared by a facile synthesis with poly (2,5‐benzimidazole) (ABPBI) as nitrogen and carbon sources and CaCO3 as the template. ABPBI possesses abundant nitrogen, and pyrolysis of ABPBI is helpful to form graphene structure. CaCO3 and its decomposition products CO2 can promote the formation of interconnected hierarchical porous three‐dimensional graphene, which possesses more defects and exposed active sites. Benefiting from the defective catalysis mechanism, rich defect catalysts are applied as electrode materials to enhance the catalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Electrochemically, the half‐wave potential (E1/2) of Fe‐3D‐NG#800 is 0.84 V (vs. RHE), and the accelerated durability tests shows the E1/2 of Fe‐3D‐NG#800 shifted by a 21 mV drop after cyclic voltammetry scanning for 5000 cycles. Therefore, Fe‐3D‐NG#800 has excellent activity and durability than 20 wt % Pt/C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• α-MnO 2 nanorods have been in-situ supported on 3D-G via a facile hydrothermal method. • α-MnO 2 nanorods are evenly deposited on 3D-G surface which possesses more defects. • The synergistic interaction between α-MnO 2 nanorods and 3D-G improve ORR performance. • α-MnO 2 /3D-G catalyst exhibites excellent activity and durability for ORR in MFCs. Magnesium-air fuel cells are considered as a potential energy conversion device owing to a high theoretical specific capability, economic viability and environmental friendliness. In this work, α-MnO 2 nanorods are supported on three-dimensional graphene (3D-G) which is fabricated with coal tar pitch as the carbon precursor and MgO as the template via hydrothermal reaction. The synergistic interactions between α-MnO 2 nanorods and 3D-G improve the activity and durability performance for oxygen reduction reaction in 0.1 mol L−1 KOH solution. α-MnO 2 /3D-G exhibits a high half-wave potential (0.81 V) and superior to α-MnO 2 /C (0.72 V) and α-MnO 2 /rGO (0.76 V), and close to 20 wt% Pt/C (0.83 V). α-MnO 2 /3D-G also possesses higher durability than commercial Pt/C. Furthermore, the magnesium-air fuel cells based on α-MnO 2 /3D-G, air-cathode display the peak power density (106.2 mW cm−2), and continuously durability (discharge for 16 h at 50 mA cm−2 with the mere decay of cell voltage by 7.6%). These results prove that α-MnO 2 /3D-G catalyst with high activity and durability can be a promising electrocatalyst in magnesium-air fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel sulfonated chitosan-derived carbon-based catalyst was successfully prepared via isoamyl nitrite-assisted sulfanilic acid sulfonation, and its catalytic activity was examined using dehydration of fructose. The structural and chemical properties of sulfonated chitosan-derived carbon were characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD, XPS, element analysis, N 2 adsorption-desorption experiment, and acid-base titration experiment. KOH was used as activating agent in the synthesizing of carbon supports, and it was found that properly increasing the dose of KOH during activation stage had a positive effect on the subsequent sulfonation of prepared activated carbon. 4KSCC, with the highest sulfonation degree (2.04 mmol/g), exhibited high performance for the conversion of fructose to HMF in various solvent, and an optimal HMF yield of 80.9% was obtained at 140 °C in 40 min. In addition, the reusability of 4KSCC for fructose dehydration was fairly good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of archives that span the past ~2000 years suggest that recent variability in hydroclimatic conditions that are influenced by the Asian monsoon in China are unusual in the longer term context. However, the lack of high-resolution precipitation records over this period hampered our ability to characterize and constrain the forcing mechanism(s) of the recent humidity variations. Here, we present the ratio of hematite to goethite (Hm/Gt) derived from the semiquantitative evaluation of the diffuse reflectance spectroscopic analysis as a reliable and effective precipitation proxy to reconstruct the humidity variations during the past 1400 years deduced from Tengchongqinghai Lake sediments, southwestern China. Hm/Gt varied synchronously with variations of Chinese temperature reconstructed from the historical documents and sunspot activity index over the past 1400 years. Critical periodicities of ~450 and ~250 years show that solar activity is the dominant control on precipitation change on centennial scales. However, the relationship determined from Hm/Gt in this study contradicts the stalagmite δ18O interpretations from different regions of China, which exhibit a more complex precipitation pattern that is influenced by the strength of westerly jet in addition to the Asian monsoon. The increased westerly jet during the 'Little Ice Age' (LIA) caused a humid climate in southern China and dry conditions in northern and western China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The proposed trial is to examine the feasibility of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)-guided cytoreduction plus apalutamide and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for newly diagnosed metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) at oligometastatic state. Methods: CHAMPION (NCT05717582) is an open-label, single-arm, phase II trial, planning to enroll newly diagnosed mHSPC cases with oligometastases (≤ 10 distant metastatic sites in conventional imaging). Patients will receive 6 cycles of apalutamide plus ADT. Patients with oligometastatic disease at PSMA PET/CT after 3 treatment cycles will receive cytoreductive radical prostatectomy. PSMA PET/CT-guided metastasis-directed external radiation therapy will be determined by the investigators. Apalutamide plus ADT will be continued for 2 weeks postoperatively. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients with undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA), no disease progression, and no symptom deterioration after 6 cycles of apalutamide plus ADT. Secondary endpoints include the percentage of patients with PSA ≤ 0.2 ng/mL and oligometastases by the end of 3 treatment cycles, PSA response rate, and safety. Fleming's two-stage group sequential design will be adopted in the study, where the null hypothesis is that the rate of patients with an undetectable PSA is ≤ 40% after 6 cycles of treatment, while the alternate hypothesis is an undetectable PSA of > 60%; with one-sided α = 0.05, power = 0.80, and an assumed dropout rate of 10%, the required number of patients for an effective analysis is 47. Enrolment in the study commenced in May 2023. Discussion: The multi-modal therapy based on treatment response may improve the prognosis of newly diagnosed mHSPC patients with oligometastases. Trial registration: The study is registered with Clinical Trials.Gov (NCT05717582). Registered on 8th February 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integrated refinery-petrochemical plant produces multiple oil products and petrochemical materials, which process consumes large amounts of energy and generates considerable quantities of C O 2 . Meanwhile, due to the long production chain, and a wide variety of carbon emissions sources, the C O 2 generated by the production process is difficult to be quantified accurately. To achieve the low-carbon and energy-saving targets, a multi-objective production planning model for the integrated refinery-petrochemical plant is developed in this work. Firstly, an accurate top-down carbon accounting model is established. Then, a multi-aspects process carbon efficiency index is proposed, considering production capacity and energy consumption. A multi-objective production planning model aiming at maximizing total profit and process carbon efficiency is constructed and formulated as a large-scale MINLP problem. Additionally, the FP-growth algorithm is used to analyze the multi-level coupling of emission-material-energy, identifying association and synergy effects. Finally, a case study on a practical integrated refinery-petrochemical plant with a 16000 kilotons annual processing capacity is presented. The results are: (1) Introducing the process carbon efficiency index is able to increase C O 2 emissions reduction potential while ensuring more profit. Specifically, C O 2 emissions are significantly reduced by 10%, and energy consumption is reduced by 289.1 tce after optimization. (2) The FCC unit generates the highest C O 2 emissions, accounting for 34.4% of overall C O 2 emissions. The highest proportion of C O 2 emissions from process emission sources exceeded 75% of the total emissions. (3) The integrated reforming-hydrogenation unit has the highest C O 2 emissions reduction potential, with the unit's C O 2 emissions reduced by 25.3%, and energy consumption reduced by 3.15 tce after optimization. The refinery is proven to have higher C O 2 emissions reduction potential than the chemical plant, achieving a C O 2 emissions reduction of 11.4%. (4) The multi-level association analysis for emission-material-energy can provide qualitative and quantitative information for decision-makers. • An accurate top-down carbon accounting model is established. • The PCE index is proposed to measure the interplay between each production condition. • A multi-objective production planning model aiming at maximizing profit and PCE. • Multi-aspects coupled association analysis is performed to identify synergy effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An Al3+-modified formaldehyde-p-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid resin catalyst (Al-SPFR) was synthesized through a hydrothermal method. N 2 adsorption–desorption experiment and acid–base titration revealed that the Al-SPFR catalyst had better texture properties and higher strong acid content than the previously prepared unmodified SPFR. The effects of reaction time and temperature, catalyst loading, and water content in water/GVL mixture were investigated for glucose dehydration using Al-SPFR as the catalyst. An HMF yield of 47.4% was obtained at 170 °C for 2 h in the biphasic GVL/H 2 O medium. Further performing a five-cycle experiment, the HMF yield initially decreased and then remained fairly constant, and the recyclability of the Al-SPFR was reasonable. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • An Al3+ modified PHSA-formaldehyde resin acid was successfully prepared. • Introducing Al3+ into PHSA-formaldehyde resin improved its texture properties. • Al3+ modified resin exhibited better performance for glucose-HMF conversion. • An optimal HMF yield of 47.4% was obtained at 170 °C for 2.0 h in GVL/H 2 O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Spinel CoFe 2 O 4 supported on three dimensional graphene (3DG) is prepared by hydrothermal reaction, which is denoted as CoFe 2 O 4 /3DG. The 3DG is prepared by the templated method, where coal tar pitch (CTP) and MgO are used as the carbon source and the template, respectively. The microstructure and composition of the resultant have been investigated by X-ray diffraction as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicating the formation of spinel CoFe 2 O 4 and composite of CoFe 2 O 4 /3DG. The multilayer structure of 3DG and CoFe 2 O 4 /3DG is also examined by the Raman spectra. Electrochemically, CoFe 2 O 4 /3DG shows high-performance half-wave potential is 0.80 V vs. RHE in O 2 -saturated 0.1 M KOH, which is compared to 20 wt% Pt/C. When evaluated for OER activity, CoFe 2 O 4 /3DG obtains a low overpotential 1.63 V vs. RHE (at j = 10 mA cm−2), which is 180 mV better than 20 wt% Pt/C. Moreover, it possesses excellent durability superior to 20 wt% Pt/C. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • CoFe 2 O 4 /3DG catalyst was prepared by hydrothermal reaction using 3DG as support. • CoFe 2 O 4 is uniformly deposited on 3DG surface due to the more defects of 3D-G. • CoFe 2 O 4 /3DG with 3D porous structure was conducive to improve mass transfer. • CoFe 2 O 4 /3DG exhibited superior bi-functional catalytic activity in alkaline media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling disease of joint with no clear treatment. The finding of medicine be of benefit to joint is an important topic for osteoarthritis prevention and treatment. The present study was designed to explore the therapeutic effects and possible underlying mechanism of dioscin, a natural steroidal saponin, on osteoarthritis. Methods OA models were created via intra-joint injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) in rats. After the administration of dioscin, the effects of dioscin were estimated with western blotting, qRT-PCR and histologic staining. Results The results showed that dioscin exerted cartilage and extracelluar matrix (ECM) protective effects via suppressing ER-stress, oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation. More significantly, it also ameliorated the progress of OA via inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin pathway and up-regulating PPAR-γ expression. Conclusion Our work showed the good protective effects of dioscin on MIA-induced OA for the first time. Dioscin is a promising drug on OA treatment although further researches are needed in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Sulfomethylated tannic acids (STA) with different sulfonation degrees were prepared. • STA was used as additive to improve enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated wheat straw. • The highest yield of glucose reached 97.9% by adding an appropriate amount of STA. • Free protein in hydrolysate increased significantly with STA addition. • Hydrolysis efficiency was closely related to the sulfonation degree of STA. Sulfonated lignin can significantly enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose substrates. Lignin is a type of polyphenol, therefore, sulfonated polyphenol, such as tannic acid, is likely to have similar effects. In order to obtain a low-cost and high-efficiency additive to improve enzymatic hydrolysis, sulfomethylated tannic acids (STAs) with different sulfonation degrees were prepared and their impact on enzymatic saccharification of sodium hydroxide-pretreated wheat straw were investigated. Tannic acid strongly inhibited, while STAs strongly promoted the substrate enzymatic digestibility. While adding 0.04 g/g-substrate STA containing 2.4 mmol/g sulfonate group, the glucose yield increased from 60.6% to 97.9% at a low cellulase dosage (5 FPU/g-glucan). The concentration of protein in enzymatic hydrolysate significantly increased with the added STAs, indicating that cellulase preferentially adsorbed with STAs, thereby reducing the amount of cellulase nonproductively anchored on substrate lignin. This result provides a reliable approach for establishing an efficient lignocellulosic enzyme hydrolysis system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pt/DMS with controlled size and unique central-radial pore structures was used as an ethylene scavenger to promote the catalytic oxidation of ethylene and extend the shelf life of fruits. [Display omitted] • Pt/DMS catalyst with center-radial pore structure is prepared for C 2 H 4 oxidation. • DMS size can be adjusted easily by changing the molar ratio of NaSal/CTAB(φ) • Pt/DMS-1.5 maintains high effectiveness and stability even at 0 °C for 200 min. • As-prepared ethylene scavenger delayed postharvest decay and browning of fruits. Platinum-loaded dendritic mesoporous silica catalysts (Pt/DMS) with the size controlled by changing the molar ratio of NaSal/CTAB (φ) were successfully prepared using an incipient impregnating method. The resulting catalysts with high specific surface areas and distinctive central-radial pore channels exhibited excellent ethylene catalytic oxidation at low temperatures, enabling the complete ethylene conversion at 25 °C for 60 h and even at 0 °C for 200 min. The φ value plays an important role in controlling the DMS support structure and Pt activity. The high efficiency of low-temperature ethylene oxidation and long-term stability for Pt/DMS are attributed to high Pt dispersion, small Pt size, high Pt0 content and the rapid CO oxidation process. As an ethylene scavenger, Pt/DMS delayed the postharvest decay, deterioration, and storage quality loss of bananas and avocados, demonstrating the significant potential of as-prepared catalysts in the applications associated with fruit and vegetable (F&V) preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, p-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid-formaldehyde resin acid catalyst (MSPFR), was synthesized by a hydrothermal method, and employed for the furfural production from raw corn stover. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N 2 adsorption-desorption, elemental analysis (EA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to characterize the MSPFR. The effects of reaction time, temperature, solvents and corn stover loading were investigated. The MSPFR presented high catalytic activity for the formation of furfural from corn stover. When the MSPFR/corn stover mass loading ratio was 0.5, a higher furfural yield of 43.4% could be achieved at 190 °C in 100 min with 30.7% 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) yield. Additionally, quite importantly, the recyclability of the MSPFR for xylose dehydration is good, and for the conversion of corn stover was reasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A sulfonated sn-containing dendritic mesoporous silica was designed and synthesized. • The modification of sn-20DMS with -SO 3 H groups obviously increased the catalytic selectivity of HMF. • The recyclability of sn-20DMS-SO 3 H for the dehydration of glucose was good. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a vital platform molecule for the synthesis of a wide variety of lignocellulosic-based biochemicals and biofuels. However, it is hard to prepare HMF from glucose, and a good match between the acid properties of the catalyst and the reaction requirements is necessary. Herein, sn-doped dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (sn-xDMS) were synthesized through a simple in-situ co-assembly method. The uniform incorporation of Sn species onto the silica matrix created effective Lewis acid sites for the isomerization of glucose to fructose. Moreover, appropriately increasing the Sn loading amount was conducive to increasing the densities of Lewis acid sites. In the monophasic DMSO medium, the combination of sn-20DMS and HCl could selectively catalyze the tandem reactions of the isomerization of glucose to fructose intermediate and the dehydration of fructose to HMF. Besides, acceptable HMF yields were also achieved when sn-20DMS was used together with diluted H 2 SO 4 , sulfonated polymer, or sulfonated activated carbon. Due to the lack of suitable Brønsted acid sites, the catalytic performance of sole sn-20DMS was much inferior to those of Brønsted acid catalyst-sn-20DMS combinations. Therefore, the sulfonated sn-20DMS (sn-20DMS-SO 3 H) with enhanced Brønsted acidity was successfully prepared. sn-20DMS-SO 3 H exhibited much higher catalytic selectivity toward HMF than sn-20DMS. More importantly, the catalyst reuse experiment confirmed the good recyclability of sn-20DMS-SO 3 H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel carbon solid acid catalyst was synthesized by the sulfonation of carbonaceous material which was prepared by carbonization of sucrose using 4-BDS as a sulfonating agent. TEM, N 2 adsorption–desorption, elemental analysis, XPS and FT-IR were used to characterize the catalyst. Then, the catalyst was applied for the conversion of xylose and corn stalk into furfural in GVL. The influence of the reaction time, temperature and dosage of catalyst on xylose dehydration were also investigated. The Brønsted acid catalyst exhibited high activity in the dehydration of xylose, with a high furfural yield of 78.5% at 170 °C in 30 min. What’s more, a 60.6% furfural yield from corn stalk was achieved in 100 min at 200 °C. The recyclability of the sulfonated carbon catalyst was perfect, and it could be reused for 5 times without the loss of furfural yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • MnCo 2 O 4 /3DNG catalyst was prepared by hydrothermal method using 3DNG as support. • 3DNG with hierarchical porous structure possessed enrich the defects and expose more active sites. • MnCo 2 O 4 /3DNG with hierarchical porous structure contributed to improve mass transfer. • MnCo 2 O 4 /3DNG demonstrated excellent ORR activity and higher durability than 20% Pt/C. We designed and synthesized spinel MnCo 2 O 4 nanoparticles supported on three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) with interconnected hierarchical porous nanostructure, in which polymer (2, 5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI) was used as the nitrogen precursor and the carbon precursor. Unique properties of ABPBI including nitrogen-rich aromaticity and rigid plane molecule were conductive to form NG structures through the pyrolysis dehydrogenative and carbonization. The as-prepared MnCo 2 O 4 -3DNG with interconnected hierarchical porous graphene structure possessed enriched defects and more exposed active sites, accelerating mass transport and facilitating diffusion kinetics for better catalytic ORR performance. MnCo 2 O 4 -3DNG exhibited a higher half-wave potential (0.85 V vs RHE) than 20 wt% Pt/C (0.83 V vs RHE). Moreover, the accelerated durability test and i-t chronoamperometry of MnCo 2 O 4 -3DNG revealed more excellent durability than 20 wt% Pt/C. The electrochemical tests results demonstrated that MnCo 2 O 4 -3DNG was promising as a cost-effective non-noble metal catalyst for ORR in fuel cell technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The feedstock types for furfural production from biomass were summarized. • The roles of different types of solvents were discussed. • The current advanced researches were classified and reviewed by acid catalyst type. • The techno-economic analysis for furfural production were summarized. Furfural is a vital biomass-derived platform molecule, which can be used to synthesize a wide range of value-added chemicals. Furfural and its derivatives are promising alternatives to conventional petroleum chemicals. However, recent industrial production of furfural existed some thorny problems, including low efficiency, energy waste, and environmental pollution. Therefore, tremendous and continuous efforts have been made by researchers to develop novel furfural production processes with high economic viability, production efficiency, and sustainability. This review summarized the merits and shortcomings of disparate catalytic systems for the synthesis of furfural from biomass and biomass pretreatment hydrolysate on the basis of recently published literature. Furthermore, the suggestions for furfural production research were put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of microindentation on the electroluminescence of silicon carbide was studied in forward-biased 4H SiC p-i-n junctions. Four spectral regions at approximately 390, 420, 445 and 500 nm initially observed on virgin samples strongly depend, in regard to magnitude, on the condition of the starting die. These spectral regions may be interpreted as arising from either phonon-assisted band-to-band transitions or from defect-related transitions. The same SiC die were then subjected to mechanical damage brought about by a series of closely spaced microindentations directed approximately perpendicular to the c-axis. The spectra taken after a first set and subsequently a second set of microindentations are distinct from the initial spectra in all cases, and differences are interpreted as being due to the modification of existing defects or additional defects being generated mechanically. The influence of microindentation on the ideality factor is measured and discussed. Measured light flux with respect to a standard light source is also shown at each microindentation stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mn 3 O 4 /3DHG catalyst was prepared by hydrothermal method using 3DHG as support. • 3DHG with hierarchical porous structure possessed more defects and expose more active sites. • Mn 3 O 4 /3DHG with hierarchical porous structure was beneficial to enhance mass transfer. • Mn 3 O 4 /3DHG demonstrated superior ORR activity and higher durability than Pt/C. Manganese-based oxides are promising as a cost-effective replacement of precious-metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, we designed a high-performance Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles supported on three-dimensional graphene with interconnected hierarchical porous structure by a hydrothermal method, in which coal tar pitch and CaCO 3 were used as the carbon precursor and the template, respectively. The as-prepared Mn 3 O 4 /3DHG with micropore, mesopore and macropore structure of graphene exhibited more defects and exposed more active sites, which was favorable to improve the electrocatalytic performance. Mn 3 O 4 /3DHG showed a higher half-wave potential (0.833 V vs RHE) than 20 wt% Pt/C (0.828 V vs RHE). The accelerated durability tests exhibited half-wave potential of Mn 3 O 4 /3DHG shifted by an 18 mV drop after 5000 cycles of cyclic voltammetry scanning, which was smaller than that of 20 wt% Pt/C (8 mV). The electrochemical test results revealed that Mn 3 O 4 /3DHG had better catalytic ORR performance than 20 wt% Pt/C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel hierarchical sulfonated carbon solid acid was synthesized. • Furfural yield of 78.8% from wheat straw was achieved. • The recyclability of the SSAC-800 for wheat straw and xylan decomposition is reasonable. In this study, sulfonated hierarchical sucrose-based activated carbon (SSAC) and N-doped SSAC (SSUAC) were synthesized using urea, calcium carbonate/potassium oxalate, and sulfanilic acid as the N-source, pore-forming, and sulfonating agent. The catalysts were evaluated for the catalytic production of furfural from wheat straw. The combined calcium carbonate template/potassium oxalate activation created abundant porosity for the activated carbon and guaranteed the successful sulfonation of activated carbon. Besides, although introducing urea improved the textural properties of sucrose-based activated carbon and graft of benzenesulfonic acid groups, it might be due to the severe blockage of pore channels, the catalytic performance of SSUAC was reverse inferior to that of SSAC. A fairly high furfural yield of 78.8% was achieved at 180 °C for 90 min over SSAC-800. Furthermore, the SSAC-800 catalyst exhibited reasonable recyclability for the production of furfural from xylan and wheat straw. Illustration of the synthesis of furfural over sulfonated hierarchically porous carbon. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By reviewing changes in relationships during the past 50 years among cities in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, the author explores underlying forces affecting the relationship between a service center (Shanghai) and manufacturing bases (cities in the region surrounding Shanghai). Key internal factors, such as the development stage of cities and the government's promotion policies, together with external factors, including national politics and policy shifts and the strategy of foreign direct investment, are found to be influential in the dynamic relationship. Suggestions based on the Chinese case are offered for a regional alliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is in transition not only in the economic sense but also in restructuring its decision-making system. The research examines impacts of decentralization as a top-down initiative and localization as a bottom-up response to maximize local interests in the decision-making structure in urban development in Shanghai. The study reveals the emergence of a quasi-participatory decision structure in urban development in the form of 'expert consulting' within municipal government, sub-districts' (street offices) active involvement in local development issues, and the newly created owners associations at the neighborhood level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heating load prediction plays an important role in supporting the operation of a residential district energy station. To find out the most suitable prediction algorithm, seven popular machine learning algorithms are applied in a district heating load dataset from Shanghai, China. The data derived from electric power sensor, thermal sensor and meteorological sensor, weather forecast are combined into four input selections to evaluate model performance. Research on the length setting of prediction time horizon for prediction target and the length of historical time series data for input selection are also conducted to investigate corresponding performance changes. The results show that Support Vector Regression (SVR) performs best in Mean Average Percentage Error (MAPE) with 5.21%. XGBoost performs best in Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) with 59.75 kW. However, SVR, XGBoost and Long Short Term Memory neural network (LSTM) have similar performance. Further investigation shows that the consistent increase in the length of historical data sets does not help to improve the performance. The length of historical data sets is recommended to be 28 h. Meanwhile, the span of prediction horizon has slight influence on the performance. It is also found that model performance is primarily influenced by the weather forecasting data. [Display omitted] • Heating load is essential for operation policy making of district energy station. • Seven machine learning algorithms are used to predict heating load. • SVR, XGBoost and LSTM are in the top three in terms of performance. • Weather Forecast data has the greatest impact on the prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge within wheat production chain data has multiple levels and complex semantic relationships, making it difficult to extract knowledge from them. Therefore, this paper proposes a fine-grained knowledge extraction method for the wheat production chain based on ontology. For the first time, the conceptual layers of ploughing, planting, managing, and harvesting were defined around the main agricultural activities of the wheat production chain. Based on this, the entities, relationships, and attributes in the conceptual layers were defined at a fine-grained level, and a spatial–temporal association pattern layer with four conceptual layers, twenty-eight entities, and forty-two relationships was constructed. Then, based on the characteristics of the self-constructed dataset, the Word2vec-BiLSTM-CRF model was designed for extracting the knowledge within it, i.e., the entity–relationship–attribute model and the Word2vec-BiLSTM-CRF model in this paper were compared with the four SOTA models. The results show that the accuracy and F1 value improved by 8.44% and 8.89%, respectively, compared with the BiLSTM-CRF model. Furthermore, the entities of the pest and disease dataset were divided into two different granularities for the comparison experiment; the results show that for entities with "disease names" and "pest names", the recognition accuracy at the fine-grained level is improved by 32.71% and 31.58%, respectively, compared to the coarse-grained level, and the recognition performance of various fine-grained entities has been improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, silica-tin oxide composites (xSiSnO) and a H 3 PO 4 modified 20SiSnO (SiSnPO) have been synthesized via a simple procedure and evaluated for the catalytic dehydration of glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). FTIR, XPS, UV–vis, NH 3 -TPD, and Py-FTIR characterizations revealed that Sn species were possibly inserted into the framework structure of silica to generate weak-to-medium Lewis acid sites; besides, calcining H 3 PO 4 impregnated 20SiSnO obviously improved the Brønsted acid sites. When the 20SiSnO/HCl combined catalysts were used, a high HMF yield of 75.5% was achieved in DMSO/H 2 O at 160 °C for 60 min, and the 20SiSnO showed relatively high stability even under thermal acidic environment. By utilizing the multifunctional SiSnPO as catalyst, an inspiringly high HMF yield was also reached (70.3%), and the SiSnPO exhibited reasonable recyclability for glucose dehydration. Furthermore, the possible reaction pathway of glucose dehydration over SiSnPO catalyst has been discussed. Image 1 • Efficient H 3 PO 4 modified silica-tin oxide catalyst with dual Brønsted/Lewis acidity was synthesized via a simple protocol. • xSiSnO/HCl and SiSnPO showed superior catalytic performance and stability in the conversion of glucose to HMF. • The optimal HMF yields of 75.5% and 70.3% were achieved over 20SiSnO/HCl and SiSnPO in a monophasic solvent. • Weak-to-medium Lewis acidity could effectively isomerize glucose into fructose with less promotion of side reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HMF production from glucose-based feedstocks via concerted catalysis strategy [Display omitted] • The production mechanisms of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural have been well summarized. • The current advanced studies have been classified by solvent and carefully reviewed. • The effective strategies of inhibiting undesired reactions have been discussed. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), derived from renewable lignocelluloses, has been certified as a vital platform molecule for biorefining process. However, it has been difficult to balance the factors (including HMF selectivity, cost, energy consumption, and environmental friendliness) involved in the production of HMF. Therefore, significant challenges still remain for producing HMF from abundant and cost-effective glucose-based materials efficiently. To address those challenges, various approaches have been developed in the past decade. Summarized in this review are key findings related to the exploring of efficient catalysts and the screening of solvents system. The recent advanced researches presented in the current review have been classified according to solvent type, including water, organic solvent, water/organic solvent, ionic liquid, organic solvent/ionic liquid. Special attentions have also been paid to the dehydration mechanisms of glucose, the effective strategies on the inhibition of undesired side reactions, and some common issues or synergetic effects among various catalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A "turn-on" fluorescence probe (PNL) based on a novel hypochlorous acid (HOCl)-induced cyclization response mechanism is developed. • PNL features short response time (10 s), excellent selectivity, low cytotoxicity and reliability at a wide range of pH values (3.0–11.5). • Quantitative determination of HOCl in real water samples has been achieved via the smartphone utilizing PNL as a probe. • Applications of PNL in fluorescence imaging of HOCl in vitro and visualization of HOCl in an inflammatory model are successfully demonstrated. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), as an important reactive oxygen species (ROS), plays key roles in normal physiological activities. Simultaneously, HOCl is also an efficient and strong oxidant, and is widely used in disease prevention and disinfection. Nevertheless, abnormal expression or excessive intake of HOCl may cause some serious diseases. Accordingly, the high sensitivity and specificity detection of HOCl in organisms and the environment is significant for understanding its roles in biology and environmental protection. Herein, a novel responsive 1,8-naphthalimide-based fluorescence probe PNL for the detection of HOCl was reported by a novel recognition mechanism. In the presence of HOCl, the PET effect of PNL was inhibited by the HOCl-induced cyclization reaction, leading to the "turn-on" fluorescence response. The recognition mechanism of PNL towards HOCl was determined by HR-MS, and the fluorescence "turn-on" sensing mechanism was rationalized via DFT calculation. PNL possesses the advantages of short response time (10 s), excellent selectivity, low cytotoxicity and reliability at a wide range of pH (3.0–11.5). Furthermore, the quantitative determinations of HOCl in practical water samples were achieved via the smartphone using PNL as the probe. Most importantly, the applications of PNL in fluorescent imaging of HOCl in vitro and the visualization of HOCl in an inflammatory model were successfully demonstrated. The development of PNL would also provide more abundant design strategies for the construction of HOCl fluorescence probes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significance: Visible light optical coherence tomography (OCT) is emerging for spectroscopic and ultrahigh resolution imaging, but challenges remain. Depth-dependent dispersion limits retinal image quality and current correction approaches are cumbersome. Inconsistent group refractive indices during image reconstruction also limit reproducibility. Aim: To introduce and evaluate water wavenumber calibration (WWC), which corrects depth-dependent dispersion and provides an accurate depth axis in water. Approach: Enabled by a visible light OCT spectrometer configuration with a 3- to 4-dB sensitivity roll-off over 1 mm in air across a 90-nm bandwidth, we determine the spectral phase of a 1-mm water cell, an affine function of water wavenumber. Via WWC, we reconstruct visible light OCT human retinal images with 1.3-μm depth resolution in water. Results: Images clearly reveal Bruch's membrane, inner plexiform layer lamination, and a thin nerve fiber layer in the temporal parafovea. WWC halves the processing time, while achieving the same image definition as an assumption-free gold standard approach, suggesting that water wavenumber is a suitable proxy for tissue wavenumber. WWC also provides a depth axis in water without explicitly assuming a group refractive index. Conclusions: WWC is a simple method that helps to realize the full potential of visible light OCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistent increase in forest pest outbreaks requires timely detection methods to monitor the disaster precisely. However, early detection is challenging due to insufficient temporal observation and subtle tree changes. This article proposed a novel framework that collaborates multi-source remote sensing data and uses a change detection algorithm to archive early detection of infestation caused by Dendrolimus tabulaeformis Tsai et Liu (D. tabulaeformis) attacks. First, all available Sentinel-2 images with less than 20% cloud cover were utilized. During periods with long intervals (>16 days) between Sentinel-2 images, Landsat-8 images with less than 20% cloud cover were downscaled to a spatial resolution of 10 m using a deep learning algorithm to meet the requirement for a high temporal frequency of clear observations. Second, the spectral index differences between healthy and infested trees were examined to address the challenge of detecting subtle changes in pest attacks. The Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) was selected for early defoliation detection. On this basis, the EWMACD (Exponentially Weighted Moving Average Change Detection) algorithm, which is sensitive to subtle changes, was enhanced to improve the capability of detecting early D. tabulaeformis attacks. The assessment showed that the overall accuracy of the change detection (F1 score) reached 0.86 during the early stage and 0.88 during the late stage. The temporal accuracy (Precision) was 84.1% during the early stage. The accuracy significantly improved compared to using a single remote sensing data source. This study presents a new framework capable of monitoring early forest defoliation caused by D. tabulaeformis attacks and offering opportunities for predicting future outbreaks and implementing preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the flexural and cracking performance of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) beams reinforced with high-strength steel reinforcement (HSSR) is investigated. Four beam specimens, including two UHPC beams and two normal-strength concrete (NSC) beams with different HSSR ratios were tested under flexure. The effect of concrete type and HSSR ratio on the flexural behaviour was evaluated. The failure mode, load-deflection response, stiffness, ductility and strain of the concrete and HSSR were discussed. Test results show that UHPC coupled with HSSR achieved better flexural performance and the ability to limit the development of the crack. The flexural capacity, deflection and stiffness for the UHPC beams were increased but the ductility was decreased as the HSSR ratio increased. The flexural behaviors of UHPC beams were predicted by section analysis. The flexural performance of HSSR-UHPC beams should consider the contribution of steel fibre to the tensile strength. Considering the influence of steel fibre, an equation was proposed to predict the average crack spacing. UHPC beams showed excellent agreement with the experimental results. The maximum crack width of 630 MPa reinforced UHPC beams was calculated by NF P 18-710 in accordance with the test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, new N, O-codoped chitosan-derived carbon adsorbents (CKC-x, x refer to the calcination temperature) were synthesized over a simple process of chitosan-KOH aerogel production and simultaneous carbonization/activation of the aerogel. CKC-700 was characterized by sheet-like morphology (even containing a portion of carbon nano-sheet of 3 nm thickness), high porosity and specific surface area (1702.1 m2/g), and pyridinic/pyrrolic/graphitic N groups. The simultaneous carbonization/activation of chitosan-KOH aerogel prepared by top-down coagulation of chitosan aqueous solution by KOH aqueous solution rendered these beneficial characteristics. CKC-700 exhibited a superior adsorption capacity for Rhodamine B (RhB) to other chitosan-derived carbon adsorbents, and the maximum adsorption capacity for RhB of 594 mg/g was achieved at 55 °C. CKC-700 also possessed reasonable reusability for the removal of RhB, and the removal efficiency was still above 95 % in the fifth cycle. The effects of adsorption temperature and time, adsorbent dose, organic dye concentration, and solution pH on the adsorption capacity of CKC-700 were studied. Moreover, the adsorption isotherm, kinetics, thermodynamics, and the adsorption mechanism of RhB on CKC-700 were discussed. In addition, CKC-700 also showed favorable adsorption performance for methylene blue (441 mg/g), methyl orange (457 mg/g), and congo red (500 mg/g) at around 25 °C. [Display omitted] • A new route to prepare N, O-codoped chitosan-based porous sheet-like carbon (CKC-700) • The new process even produced carbon nano-sheet. • One step carbonization/activation of chitosan-KOH aerogel at 700 °C produced CKC-700. • The top-down coagulation of chitosan sol by KOH solution produced the aerogel. • CKC-700 adsorbent showed good adsorption capacity and reusability for Rhodamine B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negative impact of glass fibre-reinforced polymers (GFRP), slag and fly ash on the environment has garnered significant attention; therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the possibility of replacing cementitious materials with GFRP powder, slag and fly ash to develop mortar with better thermal insulation and mechanical properties. The use of GFRP powder to replace cementitious materials was investigated. The experimental variables were the substrate, fly ash, and GFRP powder content. To analyse the mortar materials and specimens, various tests including X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and mechanical and thermal property testing were performed. The mortar with 20% GFRP powder using the ordinary Portland cement or alkali-activated slag as cementitious material exhibited excellent mechanical and thermal properties at 0.6 water-cement ratio. The use of fly ash as a substitute for cement resulted in a decrease in flexural strength by approximately 50%, compressive strength by 30%, and thermal conductivity by 66.3%. The use of fly ash and GFRP powder instead of cement reduced thermal conductivity of the mortar but decreased its flexural and compressive strengths by up to 40%. • Properties and microstructure of insulated concrete with GFRP powder were studied. • Test variables included the substrate, fly ash, and GFRP powder admixture. • Developed insulated concrete showed good mechanical properties. • GFRP powder used in concrete had excellent thermal insulation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Podocyte dysfunction has been identified as a crucial pathological characteristic of diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, the regulatory effects of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in this process have not been fully elucidated. Here, we performed an unbiased RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of renal tissues and identified a significantly upregulated long non-coding RNA, ENST00000585189.1 (lncRNA 585189), in patients with DN. Furthermore, lncRNA 585189 was positively correlated with renal insufficiency and was upregulated in both DN patients and high-glucose-induced human podocytes. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments revealed that silencing lncRNA 585189 decreased the production of ROS, rescued aberrant mitochondrial morphology and membrane potential, and alleviated podocyte damage caused by high glucose. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis predicted an interaction between lncRNA 585189 and hnRNP A1, which was subsequently confirmed by RIP, pull-down, and EMSA assays. Further investigation revealed that lncRNA 585189 destabilizes the hnRNP A1 protein, leading to the downregulation of its expression. Conversely, hnRNP A1 promoted the expression of lncRNA 585189. Moreover, both RIP and pull-down assays demonstrated a direct interaction between hnRNP A1 and SIRT1, which enhanced SIRT1 mRNA stability. Our findings suggest that lncRNA 585189 suppresses SIRT1 through hnRNP A1, thereby hindering the recovery from mitochondrial abnormalities and podocyte damage. In summary, targeting lncRNA 585189 is a promising strategy for reversing mitochondrial dysfunction and treating DN. • LncRNA 585189 significantly upregulated in the renal tissues of DN patients. • The silence of lncRNA 585189 rescued high-glucose caused mitochondria dysfunction and podocyte damage. • LncRNA 585189 interacted and destabilized the hnRNP A1 protein, while hnRNP A1 interacted and stabilized SIRT1 mRNA. • LncRNA 585189 suppressed SIRT1 through hnRNP A1, thereby hindering the recovery of mitochondrial abnormalities and podocyte damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate whether and how gut microbiota‐meditated metabolites regulate alveolar bone homeostasis in diabetic periodontitis (DP). Materials and Methods: Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) was employed as a positive modulator of gut microbiota in DP mice. The destruction of alveolar bone was evaluated. Untargeted metabolomics was conducted to screen out the pivotal metabolites. A co‐housing experiment was conducted to determine the connection between the gut microbiota and alpha‐tocopherol acetate (α‐TA). α‐TA was applied to DP mice to investigate its effect against alveolar bone loss. Human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) and human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) were extracted for the in vitro experiment. Transcriptomic analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed to detect the major affected signalling pathways. Results: Positive regulation of the gut microbiota significantly attenuated alveolar bone loss and increased the serum α‐TA level. The alteration in gut microbiota composition could affect the serum α‐T (the hydrolysates of α‐TA) level. α‐TA could alleviate alveolar bone destruction in DP mice and α‐T exert beneficial effects on hPDLCs and HGFs. Mechanistically, the STAT3 signalling pathway was the pivotal pathway involved in the protective role of α‐TA. Conclusions: The gut microbiota–α‐TA–STAT3 axis plays an important role in the regulation of diabetic alveolar bone homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gut microbiota is a bridge linking periodontitis and systemic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus (DM). The probiotic Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588 (CBM588) is reportedly an effective therapeutic approach for gut dysbiosis. Here, in a mouse model, we explored the therapeutic effect of CBM588 on periodontal bone destruction in DM and DM‐associated periodontitis (DMP), as well as the underlying mechanism. Micro‐computed tomography revealed that DM and DMP both aggravated periodontal bone destruction, which was alleviated by intragastric supplementation with CBM588. Moreover, 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolite analysis indicated that CBM588 ameliorated DMP‐triggered dysbiosis and led to reduced oxidative stress associated with elevated 4‐hydroxybenzenemethanol (4‐HBA) in serum. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments found that the metabolite 4‐HBA promoted nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling activation and modulated the polarization of macrophages, thus ameliorating inflammatory bone destruction in DMP. Our study demonstrates the protective effects of CBM588 in DM‐induced mice, with and without ligature‐induced periodontitis. The mechanism involves regulation of the gut microbiota and restoration of the integrity of the gut barrier to alleviate oxidative damage by elevating serum 4‐HBA. This study suggests the possibility of CBM588 as a therapeutic adjuvant for periodontal treatment in diabetes patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • High yield of total aldol products was achieved over potassium-promoted Sn-MFI compared with pure Sn-MFI. • The introduction of K improved the hydrothermal stability of the catalyst. • The introduction of K enhanced the F 2 Ac selectivity. Abstract Liquid fuel intermediates can be produced via aldol condensation reactions between furfural and acetone. It was found that potassium-promoted Lewis acid zeolite Sn-MFI performed superior catalytic performance for C C bond coupling by aldol condensation reactions of furfural with acetone. The presence of K in Sn-MFI catalyst improves the catalytic activity of the catalyst likely due to increased basicity. The product distribution of aldol condensation was also changed remarkably with the addition of K. Besides 4-(2-furyl)-3-buten-2-one (FAc), 1, 5-di-2-furanyl-1, 4-pentadien-3-one (F 2 Ac) was also formed in the existence of K compared with pure Sn-MFI. It was also found that the K-promoted Sn-MFI catalyst is more resistant to water and exhibits enhanced selectivity to F 2 Ac. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pt/DMS with unique central-radial pore structures was used as ethylene scavenger to extend the shelf life of Musa nana banana. [Display omitted] • Dendritic mesoporous silica-supported Platinum (Pt/DMS) catalyst with center-radial pore structure is prepared for C 2 H 4 oxidation. • Pt/DMS exhibits a suitable high degree of ethylene scavenging performance for banana storage. • Pt/DMS maintains high effectiveness at 25 ℃ over 50 h and 0 ℃ for 100 min during 14 days of banana storage. Ethylene, released from fruits and vegetables (F&V) after harvest and during storage, often accelerates the ripening or over-ripening and may be caused decay, leading to substantial economic loss. Dendritic mesoporous silica supported (DMS) platinum (Pt/DMS) catalyst as ethylene scavenger was prepared and various characterization results indicated that the as-prepared Pt/DMS with ultra-low Pt loading exhibited excellent ethylene scavenging performance, which could maintain the complete ethylene conversion (100%) over 50 h at 25 °C and even 0 °C for 100 min with superior consecutive cycles by repeating the use of Pt/DMS. The presence of Pt/DMS delayed banana softening, and browning, reduced weight loss and kept the freshness for 14 days. In conclusion, the active packaging incorporated with Pt/DMS catalysts with high ethylene scavenging efficiency is expected to be extremely beneficial to the post-harvest storage life of other fruits and vegetables that needs further related investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fe7S8@C nanospheres with diameters of 30—40 nm are synthesized by solid state reaction of ferrocene and (NH4)2S2O8 (autoclave, 230 °C, 1 h) followed by calcination at 500 °C for 2 h in a flow of Ar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]