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The denitrification efficiency of carbon‐based zero valent iron catalyst (C‐ZFe) for low‐temperature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) (<140°C) highly depends on the structural species of iron oxide (FexOy) and the physicochemical properties of the catalyst. In the study, we investigated the main factors affecting the low‐temperature denitrification efficiency of C‐ZFe such as temperature, iron content and O2. The results showed that the average NOX conversion was 72.6 % at 135°C when the space velocity was 459 h−1 and the mass ratio of carbon to iron was 15 % to 85 %. The surface morphology and structure of C‐ZFe were characterized by the surface area and pore size distribution measurements, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicated that the iron on the catalyst surface was oxidized by O2 to Fe2O3, which could retain NO and then formed intermediate products. NO entered the mesoporous structure along C‐ZFe surface and proceeded a catalytic reduction reaction with the adjacent carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonunion is a challenging complication of fractures for the surgeon. Recently the Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu (KDEL) endoplasmic reticulum protein retention receptor 2 (KDELR2) has been found that involved in osteogenesis imperfecta. However, the exact mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we used lentivirus infection and mouse fracture model to investigate the role of KDELR2 in osteogenesis. Our results showed that KDELR2 knockdown inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of mBMSCs, whereas KDELR2 overexpression had the opposite effect. Furthermore, the levels of active-β-catenin and phospho-GSK3β (Ser9) were upregulated by KDELR2 overexpression and downregulated by KDELR2 knockdown. In the fracture model, mBMSCs overexpressing KDELR2 promoted healing. In conclusion, KDELR2 promotes the osteogenesis of mBMSCs by regulating the GSK3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present lithium‐ion battery technology competition almost focuses on finding new materials, while less effort is invested in electrode engineering improvement with low‐cost. This study proposes a simple method of modulating the preferred orientation of crystal phases in LiCoO2 electrode using a ≈500 mT magnetic‐field, cheaply and efficiently improving the performance of LiCoO2||graphite pouch full batteries, including cycling stability, rate performance, and thermal safety performance. Under 3.0 C and 45 °C strict test conditions, LiCoO2‐M⊥||graphite battery even outputs the capacity retention rate of 42.8% after 1000 cycles, while that of pure‐LiCoO2 battery is only 4.4%. Especially, the thermal runaway temperature of the battery needling experiment decreases by considerable 7.7 °C after magnetic‐field modulation. Comprehensive characterizations reveal that vertical magnetic field causes spin alignment of LiCoO2 crystals along the (003) direction. This arrangement effectively improves the Li+ diffusion dynamic and the interface compatibility of the electrode, suppressing the electrode polarization. During the cycling processes, the preferred orientation of LiCoO2 particles forms an enhanced conductive network due to the formation of cross‐linked "Li+ poor regions" on the surface, ultimately achieving significant performance improvement. This work can provide a potential low‐cost strategy for the production of commercial lithium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fracture nonunion and bone defects are challenging for orthopedic surgeons. Milk fat globule‐epidermal growth factor 8 (MFG‐E8), a glycoprotein possibly secreted by macrophages in a fracture hematoma, participates in bone development. However, the role of MFG‐E8 in the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is unclear. We investigated the osteogenic effect of MFG‐E8 in vitro and in vivo. The CCK‐8 assay was used to assess the effect of recombinant human MFG‐E8 (rhMFG‐E8) on the viability of hBMSCs. Osteogenesis was investigated using RT‐PCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alizarin red staining were used to evaluate ALP activity and mineralization, respectively. An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was conducted to evaluate the secretory MFG‐E8 concentration. Knockdown and overexpression of MFG‐E8 in hBMSCs were established via siRNA and lentivirus vector transfection, respectively. Exogenous rhMFG‐E8 was used to verify the in vivo therapeutic effect in a tibia bone defect model based on radiographic analysis and histological evaluation. Endogenous and secretory MFG‐E8 levels increased significantly during the early osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. Knockdown of MFG‐E8 inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. Overexpression of MFG‐E8 and rhMFG‐E8 protein increased the expression of osteogenesis‐related genes and proteins and enhanced calcium deposition. The active β‐catenin to total β‐catenin ratio and the p‐GSK3β protein level were increased by MFG‐E8. The MFG‐E8‐induced enhanced osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs was partially attenuated by a GSK3β/β‐catenin signaling inhibitor. Recombinant MFG‐E8 accelerated bone healing in a rat tibial‐defect model. In conclusion, MFG‐E8 promotes the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by regulating the GSK3β/β‐catenin signaling pathway and so, is a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidermal growth factor-like domain protein 7 (EGFL7) is a secreted protein that is differentially expressed in the bone microenvironment; however, the effect of EGFL7 on the osteogenesis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) is largely unknown. Methods: EGFL7 expression in the fracture microenvironment was analyzed based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Knockdown of EGFL7 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and in vitro stimulation with recombinant human EGFL7 (rhEGFL7) protein were used to assess alterations in downstream signaling and changes in the osteogenic differentiation and proliferation of hBMSCs. A γ-secretase inhibitor was used to further explore whether inhibition of Notch signaling rescued the osteogenic-inhibitory effect of EGFL7 knockdown in hBMSCs. A femoral defect model was established to verify the effect of recombinant mouse EGFL7 on bone healing in vivo. Results: EGFL7 expression increased during hBMSC osteogenesis. Knockdown of EGFL7 impaired hBMSC osteogenesis and activated Notch1/NICD/Hes1 signaling. rhEGFL7 promoted hBMSC osteogenesis and downregulated Notch1 signaling. The osteoblast-inhibitory effect of EGFL7 knockdown was rescued by Notch1 signaling inhibition. Recombinant EGFL7 led to enhanced bone healing in mice with femoral defects. Conclusions: EGFL7 promotes osteogenesis of hBMSCs partly via downregulation of Notch1 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cerebral autoregulation plays an important role in safeguarding adequate cerebral perfusion and reducing the risk of secondary brain injury, which is highly important for patients in the neurological intensive care unit (neuro-ICU). Although the consensus white paper suggests that a minimum of 5 min of data are needed for assessing dynamic cerebral autoregulation with transfer function analysis (TFA), it remains unknown if the length of these data is valid for patients in the neuro-ICU, of whom are notably different than the general populations. We aimed to investigate the effect of data length using transcranial Doppler ultrasound combined with invasive blood pressure measurement for the assessment of dynamic cerebral autoregulation in patients in the neuro-ICU. Methods: Twenty patients with various clinical conditions (severe acute encephalitis, ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain injury, cerebrovascular intervention operation, cerebral hemorrhage, intracranial space-occupying lesion, and toxic encephalopathy) were recruited for this study. Continuous invasive blood pressure, with a pressure catheter placed at the radial artery, and bilateral continuous cerebral blood flow velocity with transcranial Doppler ultrasound were simultaneously recorded for a length of 10 min for each patient. TFA was applied to derive phase shift, gain, and coherence function at all frequency bands from the first 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 min of the 10-min recordings in each patient on both hemispheres. The variability in the autoregulatory parameters in each hemisphere was investigated by repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Forty-one recordings (82 hemispheres) were included in the study. According to the critical values of coherence provided by the Cerebral Autoregulation Research Network white paper, acceptable rates for the data were 100% with a length ≥ 7 min. The final analysis included 68 hemispheres. The effects of data length on trends in phase shift in the very low frequency (VLF) band (F1.801,120.669 = 6.321, P = 0.003), in the LF band (F1.274,85.343 = 4.290, P = 0.032), and in the HF band (F1.391,93.189 = 3.868, P = 0.039) were significant for 3–7 min, for 4–7 min, and for 5–8 min, respectively. Effects were also significant on the gain in the VLF band (F1.927,129.134 = 3.215, P = 0.045) for 2–8 min and on the coherence function in all frequency bands (VLF F2.846,190.671 = 90.247, P < 0.001, LF F2.515,168.492 = 55.770, P < 0.001, HF F2.411, 161.542 = 33.833, P < 0.001) for 2–10 min. Conclusions: Considering the acceptable rates for the data and the variation in the TFA variables (phase shift and gain), we recommend recording data for a minimum length of 7 min for TFA in patients in the neuro-ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of depression is increasing, especially in the young adult population. Impaired cognitive function is one of the characteristics of depression, which may be related to impaired cerebral autoregulation (CA). We investigated the characteristics of CA in young adults with mild depression, as well as its validity for identifying patients with depression. Patients (aged 18–35 years) with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores ranging from 8 to 17 and a first episode of mild depression were enrolled in this study. Healthy volunteers were recruited as controls. Noninvasive continuous arterial blood pressure and bilateral middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity were simultaneously recorded from each subject. Transfer function analysis was applied to derive phase difference, gain, coherence and rate of recovery for the assessment of CA. Forty‐three patients and 43 healthy controls were enrolled. Phase difference values were significantly compromised in young adults with mild depression and were negatively correlated with HAMD scores. Rate of recovery values estimated from depressed patients was significantly lower. The validity in identifying patients with depression was favorable for the phase difference. The cutoff phase difference value was 29.66. Our findings suggest that dynamic CA was impaired in young patients with mild depression and negatively correlated with HAMD scores. CA represented by phase difference can be used as an objective auxiliary examination of depression, and has clinical diagnostic value for the early identification of patients with depression. Cognitive impairment is one of the most common features of depression, which may be related to impaired cerebral autoregulation (CA). The current study, for the first time, investigated the characteristics of CA in young adults with mild depression. The findings suggested that dynamic CA was compromised in young patients with mild depression. CA represented by phase difference has clinical diagnostic value for the early identification of patients with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to optimize the simulation result of the WOFOST model and explore the possibility of assimilating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery into this model. Field images of wheat during its key growth stages are acquired with a UAV, and the corresponding leaf area index (LAI), biomass, and final yield are experimentally measured. LAI data is retrieved from the UAV imagery and assimilated into a localized WOFOST model using least squares optimization. Sensitive parameters, i.e., specific leaf area (SLATB0, SLATB0.5, SLATB2) and maximum CO2 assimilation rate (AMAXTB1, AMAXTB1.3) are adjusted to minimize the discrepancy between the LAI obtained from the model simulation and inversion of the UAV data. The results show that the assimilated model provides a better estimation of the growth and development of winter wheat in the study area. The R2, RMSE, and NRMSE of winter wheat LAI simulated with the assimilated WOFOST model are 0.8812, 0.49, and 23.5% respectively. The R2, RMSE, and NRMSE of the simulated yield are 0.9489, 327.06 kg·hm−2, and 6.5%. The accuracy in model simulation of winter wheat growth is improved, which demonstrates the feasibility of integrating UAV data into crop models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clear and complete reporting of the components of complex interventions is required in clinical trials to ensure that research can be reliably replicated and successfully translated into clinical practice. Movement-based mind–body exercises, such as Tai Chi, qigong, and Yoga (TQY), are considered complex interventions and recommended for individuals with osteoarthritis in the latest guidelines of the American College of Rheumatology. This review analyzes the intervention reporting of randomized controlled trials of TQY to guide the implementation in osteoarthritis exercise programs. Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE for TQY exercise trials in osteoarthritis between 2000 and 2020. Pairs of researchers independently screened the records, extracted study characteristics, and assessed 19 items on the Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT) checklist. For each of these items, the numbers of studies that clearly reported the item were calculated. We then identified the items in the studies that are key to delivering home-based exercises for further analysis. Results: We included 27 publications reporting 22 TQY interventions in the analysis. None of the studies reported sufficient details on all the 19 CERT items. The median completeness of reporting score was 11 and ranged from 6 to 15 of 19. The most frequently incompletely reported items (number reporting and percentage of studies) were "starting level rule" (n = 1, 5%) and "progression rule" (n = 1, 5%). Other incompletely reported items included "fidelity or adherence (planned)" (n = 9, 41%), "motivations" (n = 9, 41%), and "progression description" (n = 5, 23%). Conclusions: The content analysis highlights motivational strategies for long-term adherence to home-based exercises, which may help clinicians develop interventions for their patients. Details of TQY exercises interventions for osteoarthritis are incompletely reported in the included studies. The study suggests that improvements in content reporting are especially needed on items related to exercise intensity and program progression decisions, and motivational strategies in future implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The overall genetic distribution and divergence of cloned genes among bread wheat varieties that have occurred during the breeding process over the past few decades in Ningxia Province, China, are poorly understood. Here, we report the genetic diversities of 44 important genes related to grain yield, quality, adaptation and resistance in 121 Ningxia and 86 introduced wheat cultivars and advanced lines. Results: The population structure indicated characteristics of genetic components of Ningxia wheat, including landraces of particular genetic resources, introduced varieties with rich genetic diversities and modern cultivars in different periods. Analysis of allele frequencies showed that the dwarfing alleles Rht-B1b at Rht-B1 and Rht-D1b at Rht-D1, 1BL/1RS translocation, Hap-1 at GW2-6B and Hap-H at Sus2-2B are very frequently present in modern Ningxia cultivars and in introduced varieties from other regions but absent in landraces. This indicates that the introduced wheat germplasm with numerous beneficial genes is vital for broadening the genetic diversity of Ningxia wheat varieties. Large population differentiation between modern cultivars and landraces has occurred in adaptation genes. Founder parents carry excellent allele combinations of important genes, with a higher number of favorable alleles than modern cultivars. Gene flow analysis showed that six founder parents have greatly contributed to breeding improvement in Ningxia Province, particularly Zhou 8425B, for yield-related genes. Conclusions: Varieties introduced from other regions with rich genetic diversity and landraces with well-adapted genetic resources have been applied to improve modern cultivars. Founder parents, particularly Zhou 8425B, for yield-related genes have contributed greatly to wheat breeding improvement in Ningxia Province. These findings will greatly benefit bread wheat breeding in Ningxia Province as well as other areas with similar ecological environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of 0.75Ba (1− x) La 2 x /3 TiO 3 -0.25Bi(Mg 0.5 Ti 0.5)O 3 (x = 0–0.2) ceramics have been synthesized by doping La 2 O 3 into 0.75BaTiO 3 -0.25Bi(Mg 0.5 Ti 0.5)O 3 (0.75BT-0.25BMT), and their structure and dielectric properties investigated. Upon characterizing the structural properties, the single-phase perovskite structure is identified for all the samples and the long-range order of 0.75BT-0.25BMT is verified to be further destroyed with the addition of La 2 O 3. Moreover, it is found that the density of 0.75BT-0.25BMT can be improved by doping with La 2 O 3 , which also promotes the grain growth. Regarding the dielectric properties, the peak shifting effect induced by La3+ improves the permittivity-temperature stability of 0.75BT-0.25BMT remarkably by strengthening its relaxation behavior. Among all the samples, 0.75Ba 0.8 La 0.4/3 TiO 3 -0.25Bi(Mg 0.5 Ti 0.5)O 3 shows the most outstanding permittivity-temperature stability with ε r = 572 ± 15% (compared with ε r at 25 °C) over the temperature range −70°C–238 °C at 1 kHz, which is notably better than that of 0.75BT-0.25BMT (−4°C–58 °C) and satisfies the specification of the X9R multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC). Our work provides one promising option for selecting an alternative dielectric material in terms of permittivity-temperature stability, which advances the development of the X9R MLCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

l Al3+ and Al 13 were converted into amorphous Al(OH) 3 at high alkalinity. l Different mechanisms governed sludge conditioning at different alkalinity. l Binding strength of aluminum hydroxyl to EPS affected sludge conditioning efficiency. l Al 13 and Al 30 caused significant change of the secondary structure of protein molecule. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) form a stable gel-like structure to combine with water molecules through steric hindrance, making the mechanical dewatering of wastewater sludge considerably difficult. Coagulation/flocculation has been widely applied in improving the sludge dewatering performance, while sludge properties (organic fraction and solution chemistry conditions) are highly changeable and have important effects on sludge flocculation process. In this work, the alkalinity effects on sludge conditioning with hydroxy-aluminum were comprehensively investigated, and the interaction mechanisms between EPS and hydroxy-aluminum with different speciation were unraveled. The results showed that the effectiveness of hydroxy-aluminum conditioning gradually deteriorated with increase in alkalinity. Meanwhile, the polymeric hydroxy-aluminum (Al 13) and highly polymerized hydroxy-aluminum (Al 30) were hydrolysed and converted into amorphous aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH) 3), which changed the flocculation mechanism from charge neutralization and complexing adsorption to hydrogen bond interaction. Additionally, both Al 13 and Al 30 showed higher binding capacity for proteins and polysaccharides in EPS than monomeric aluminum and Al(OH) 3. Al 13 and Al 30 coagulation changed the secondary structure of proteins in EPS, which caused a gelation reaction to increase molecular hydrophobicity of proteins and consequently sludge dewaterability. This study provided a guidance for optimizing the hydroxy-aluminum flocculation conditioning of sludge with high solution alkalinity. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Although as an advanced energy utilization approach, the performance of combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system is susceptible to its configuration and operation strategy. Energy price will also affect the system performance indirectly by influencing the system's design scheme. In this paper, a linear programming (LP) based optimization model is formulated to obtain the optimal design scheme that minimizes the annual total cost of typical CCHP systems, and a comprehensive assessment framework involving economic, energy, exergy, and ecological (4E) aspects is established to assess the system performance roundly. Taking a CCHP project in Xian, China as the specific case, the design and assessment of the CCHP system are completed and sensitivity analyses for two steps, namely configuration design step and operation strategy design step, are carried out to explore the impacts of energy price fluctuation on the design scheme and performance of the system. In this process, the coupling relationship between the purchase price of natural gas and electricity are considered, and as a special form of energy price, the effects of the feed‐in tariff are also discussed. The results show that the performance of the CCHP system is superior to the separate generation (SG) system in 4E aspects, reducing the running and maintenance cost, primary energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions by 18.63%, 24.77%, and 31.88%, respectively, and promoting the exergy efficiency by 30.87%. The feed‐in tariff lower than or equal to the electricity price will have positive effects on the overall performance of the CCHP system, and a lower natural gas price and a higher electricity price are benefit for playing the advantages of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The directed energy deposition (DED) process enables the production of near net shape parts in the starting form of either powder or wire melted by a focused energy source, such as laser. The target geometry is then built layer by layer. In theory, engineering components with complex shapes can be fabricated with a single setup using a hybrid CNC machine tool, which has capabilities of both DED and traditional subtractive machining processes. However, the issue of inaccurate DED deposited geometry and insufficient material deposition results in the repetition of the hybrid process to achieve the goal geometric dimension. This paper presents a generalized strategy for different materials that plan DED toolpath for the planar geometric feature to achieve its required final geometric dimension by using only a single hybrid manufacturing cycle based on simulated results and validate the strategy experimentally by using a hybrid CNC machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interesting attempt to develop low temperature sintering glass-ceramic/ceramic composite based on La 2 O 3 -B 2 O 3 -CaO (LBC) glass-ceramic and LaBO 3 ceramic, which was reported to be the main crystalline phase precipitated from La 2 O 3 -B 2 O 3 -based glass-ceramics, has been taken. The sintering behavior, phase evolution, microstructures and dielectric properties of LBC/LaBO 3 composites have been studied. The densification of LBC/LaBO 3 composite is achieved by partially reactive sintering. The LaBO 3 filler is directly involved in the sintering process of glass/ceramic composite as additional liquid phase provider at high sintering temperature, and it will suppress the formation of other crystalline phases so that the produced LBC/LaBO 3 composites exhibit unusual simple phase structures, which is beneficial to regulate the performance of composites. LBC/LaBO 3 composite with 50 wt% LaBO 3 sintered at 950 ºC for 2 h has a dielectric constant ε r = 10.12, a dielectric loss tan δ = 1.82 × 10―3, a Q × f = 9312 GHz (at 16.95 GHz), and shows good chemical compatibility while co-firing with Ag electrode. This indicates that LBC glass/LaBO 3 ceramic composites have a potential to meet the requirements of microwave LTCC applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cofiring process of Au paste containing various amount of glass additive with different properties and CaO–B 2 O 3 –SiO 2 (CBS) green tapes was investigated. The initial shrinkage temperature of Au paste was strongly associated with the softening point and the content of glass additive. The swell of sample and its mechanism during cofiring process was reported. The sheet resistivity of Au electrode was greatly depended on the content of CBS glass additive. When the content of CBS glass additive with the softening point of 704 °C was 3 wt %, the Au electrode exhibited the highest conductivity with the sheet resistivity of 2.4 mΩ/sq. The results obtained in this paper revealed the relationship between the glass additive and cofiring defects of Au electrode in the metal/ceramic multilayer structure, which gave an avenue to manufacture Low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) modules with good quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A laser-induced fluorescence spectrum was observed in the 500–560 nm region when a mixture of 1,4-cyclohexadiene and oxalyl chloride was photolyzed at 193 nm. The observed excitation spectrum was assigned to the à 2A2←X 2B1 transition of the cyclohexadienyl radical c-C6H7, produced by abstraction of a hydrogen atom from 1,4-cyclohexadiene by Cl atoms. The origin of the Ã←X transition of c-C6H7 was at 18 207 cm-1. From measurements of the dispersed fluorescence spectra and ab initio calculations, the frequencies of several vibrational modes in both the ground and excited states of c-C6H7 were determined: ν5(C[Single_Bond]H in-plane bend)=1571, ν8(C[Single_Bond]Hin-plane bend)=1174, ν10(C[Single_Bond]C[Single_Bond]C in-plane bend)=981, ν12(C[Single_Bond]C[Single_Bond]C in-plane bend)=559, ν16(C[Single_Bond]C[Single_Bond]C out-of-plane bend)=375, and ν33(C[Single_Bond]C[Single_Bond]C in-plane bend)=600 cm-1 for the ground state and ν8=1118, ν10=967, ν12=502, ν16=172, and ν33=536 cm-1 for the excited states. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sewage sludge, the major by-product during the primary treatment and subsequent biotreatment of wastewater, is increasingly generated around the world. KMnO 4 Fe(II) consists both oxidation properties of KMnO 4 and flocculation ability by in-situ formed Fe(III) and is widely used in water treatment. In this study, KMnO 4 Fe(II) was used as chemical conditioners to synchronously improve sludge dewatering performance and catalyze the biomass pyrolysis of waste activated sludge for preparing multi-functional material to remedy arsenic containing groundwater. The results showed that the sludge dewaterability was significantly improved due to the moderate pre-oxidation of extracellular polymeric substances by KMnO 4 , and then the sludge particles were re-flocculated by Fe(III) generated from KMnO 4 Fe(II). The conditioned sludge cake was then utilized for preparing sludge-based carbon (Fe-Mn-SBC) which was systematically characterized. The surface area of Fe-Mn-SBC was characteristic of high surface area (100.08 m2/g) which had a great adsorption capacity on arsenic. Besides, Fe-Mn-SBC could effectively oxidize As(III) to As(V), and addition of low dose of H 2 O 2 can further improve total arsenic removal due to catalytic peroxidation of Fe-Mn-SBC. Besides, it was found that the presence of humic acid could inhibit the hydroxy iron formation and compete for the active adsorption sites and then resulted in the decrease in arsenic removal, and the co-existing humic acid could also be removed by adsorption of Fe-Mn-SBC. This work proposed a novel sludge treatment process by combining enhanced sludge dewatering with catalytic pyrolysis for preparing multi-functional materials, and they are promising in treatment of water containing combined pollutants. Image 1 • KMnO 4 Fe(II) was effective in improving the sludge dewaterability. • Both oxidation and coagulation were responsible for KMnO 4 Fe(II) conditioning. • Fe-Mn-SBC performed well in combined pollutants (arsenic and HA) removal in groundwater. • Oxidation and adsorption showed synergetic effects in arsenic removal under Fe-Mn-SBC treatment. • HA inhibited the arsenic removal by competing adsorption sites and slowing down the hydrolysis of ferric ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) with both an ultra-large-active area and a high count rate (CR) are challenging from the design and fabrication. Here, we develop a NbN SNSPD with a circular active area of 300 μm-in-diameter and use multiple approaches to boost the maximal count rate (MCR). This large-active-area SNSPD is divided into nine pixels (parts). Each pixel consists of serially connected two superconducting nanowire avalanche photodetectors (SC-2SNAP), which yielded a four-fold reduction in the kinetic inductance of a single pixel. To further increase MCR, an optimized series resistance of about 380 Ω is added to each pixel, reducing the full recovery time of each pixel from a few microseconds to approximately 90 ns. All nine pixels show uniform superconducting critical temperatures of ∼7.4 K and switching currents in the range of 15.3–16.7 μA. When the detector coupled to a single-mode fiber and illuminated with 1064-nm photons, the single-pixel exhibits a well-saturated system detection efficiency (SDE) of 67% at a dark CR of 30 Hz, and its CR exceeds 10 MHz with an SDE of 50%. When coupled to a 200-μm multi-mode fiber, the total SDE of nine pixels is approximately 42% and the total MCR exceeds 43 MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective screening is important for public mental health services. Although the primary care PTSD screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5) is useful in screening for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults, its reliability and validity for use in children remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the performance characteristics of the Chinese PC-PTSD-5 for children in children aged 8 to 16 years.Methods: 4,022 rural children from Grades 4 to 9 in China were included in this study. All participants were assessed for PTSD using the Chinese PC-PTSD-5 for children and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and assessed for anxiety using the Chinese version of the State Anxiety Scale for Children (CSAS-C), and for depression using the Children's Depression Inventory - Short Form (CDI-S). The performance characteristics of the PC-PTSD-5 for children were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic analyses.Results: The mean scores on the PCL-5 and the PC-PTSD-5 were 17.45 (SD = 14.78) and 1.78 (SD = 1.33), respectively. There was a significant correlation between the PC-PTSD-5 and PCL-5 (r = 0.54, p < 0.001), and small but significant correlations of the PC-PTSD-5 with the CSAS-C (r = 0.31, p < 0.001) and CDI-S (r = 0.27, p < 0.001). In this study, 2 and 3 were both found to be acceptable cutoff values. A cutoff value of 2 yielded a sensitivity of 0.87 and a specificity of 0.52, while a cutoff of 3 had sensitivity = 0.57, and specificity = 0.77.Limitations: A clinical interview was not used to validated diagnostic findings.Conclusions: The reliability and validity of the Chinese PC-PTSD-5 were statistically acceptable for screening for probable PTSD in children. Additionally, the Chinese PC-PTSD-5 had a favorable sensitivity at a cut off 2 and a favorable specificity at a cut off 3, based on PCL-5 results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Anaerobically digested sludge is generally difficult to dewater due to the release of sticky soluble microbial products in anaerobic digestion. Traditional flocculation processes have the disadvantages of high chemical dosing and solid increase, thus affecting subsequent land application. Therefore, it is desirable to develop low-cost, biodegradable, nontoxic and environmentally friendly sludge conditioners. In this work, the chitosan (CTS) was chemically modified by incorporating functional groups (amino group and the carboxyl group) to improve its water solubility and flocculation efficiency, and the anaerobically digested sludge conditioning effectiveness of different chitosan based flocculants were comparatively investigated. Results indicated that aminated chitosan (CTS-DMDAAC) and CTS performed well in sludge dewatering improvement in terms of specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and Capillary suction time (CST), which decreased to a minimum when the concentration of conditioner reached to 35 mg/g TSS. Flocs conditioned by CTS-DMDAAC were more compact and aggregated more efficiently than that flocculated with CTS and C-CTS (carboxylated chitosan). CTS-DMDAAC and CTS interacted with extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) by charge neutralization and complexation adsorption, which caused the densification of gel-like structure and enhancement of floc strength of sludge. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed that after CTS-DMDAAC treatment, there were plentiful large pores distributed on floc surface, which provided channels for water release under pressure filtration. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) confirmed that protein-like substances were agglomerated under flocculation conditioning, which was responsible for the promotion of sludge dewatering performance. This study provides a green and promising solution for the improvement of anaerobically digested sludge dewatering performance. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Biodegradable CTS based flocculants were used in sludge conditioning. • Molecular structure and charge property are of great importance to flocculation. • Gel-like structure of sludge was compressed under flocculation conditioning. • Protein molecules aggregation was responsible for sludge conditioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Low-softening-point La 2 O 3 -B 2 O 3 -CaO-P 2 O 5 (LBCP) glass-ceramic/cordierite composite systems have been prepared in this work. Influence of the ratio of La 2 O 3 to B 2 O 3 and the content of cordierite on the sintering behavior, microstructure, sintering quality, thermal properties and dielectric properties of composites are studied. The results show that high La 2 O 3 /B 2 O 3 ratio improves the crystalline quality of LBCP glass-ceramic, but also narrows its process window. The increase of cordierite content reduces the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) value of composites obviously. However, excess cordierite is detrimental to the densification of the composite microstructure, and too low cordierite content causes serious foaming. Sample containing 30 wt% LBCP1 glass-ceramic and 70 wt% cordierite sintered at 850 °C shows excellent properties: relative density of 95.26%, CTE value of 4.12 ppm/°C, dielectric constant of 4.78 (1 MHz)/4.52 (12.8 GHz), dielectric loss of 2.3 × 10−3 (1 MHz)/2.5 × 10−3 (12.8 GHz) and the ability to co-fire with silver, which suggests that LBCP glass/cordierite composite system has potential to meet the requirements of LTCC substrate material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the effect of CaO/SiO2 (molar ratio) and B2O3 content on the structure and sintering contraction behaviors of Calcium borosilicate (CaO–B2O3–SiO2, CBS) glass-ceramic through the dilatometer and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results show that the sintering-shrinkage of CBS glass-ceramics is promoted dramatically with the increase of CaO/SiO2 to 1.14, and then keeps nearly constant as the CaO/SiO2 further increases. This phenomenon is correlated with the degree of polymerization (DOP) of the Si–O network structure modulated by the CaO/SiO2, additionally, two sintering shrinkage peaks, corresponding to two-step depolymerization, are detected in the sintering-shrinkage curves of the CBS glass-ceramic as the B2O3 content is elevated to 13.6 mol%. Meanwhile, the shrinking rate of CBS glass-ceramics is increased from 8 × 10 − 3 to 37 × 10 − 3  min − 1 and the softening point is decreased from 736 ∘ C to 691 ∘ C with the increase of B2O3 content from 6.8 to 20.8 mol⋅%. This is due to the introduction of BO3 trihedral into Si–O–Si three-dimensional structure, which greatly reduces the uniformity and symmetry of the networks, inducing the decrease of the strength for the whole Si–O–Si network structures. The results obtained in this paper reveal the relationship between the glass structure and sintering behavior of the CBS glass-ceramic, which gives an avenue to improve its physical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Waste activated sludge (WAS) contains many anionic functional groups which can interact with heavy metal ions through electrostatic action and complexation reactions. The transition metals adsorbed in WAS can catalyze sludge pyrolysis in anaerobic conditions and improve structural properties of organic matter. In this work, a multistage WAS utilization process for preparing the carbon-based Fenton-like catalysis materials is proposed. More specifically, WAS is firstly used as an adsorbent for heavy metals (Cu and Ni) removal, and then complexes are converted into heterogeneous Fenton-like carbon-based catalysts through oxygen-free pyrolysis. The mechanisms of interactions between extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and metals are investigated, and the physicochemical properties of sludge-based carbons (SBC) are comprehensively characterized using varies techniques. It is found that WAS is an excellent adsorbent for Cu and Ni removal, which is mainly due to the coordination and electrostatic interactions between EPS and heavy metals. Cu and Ni adsorbed in WAS significantly improved the porous structure of SBC. Both adsorption and catalytic oxidization of Cu/Ni-SBC contribute the removal of E2 in real wastewater. The E2 removal mechanism is explored by electron-spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) analysis, and it is found that both of .O 2 − and .OH radicals are responsible for E2 degradation in Cu(II)-SBC-H 2 O 2 , while .O 2 − radicals contributes to E2 degradation in Ni(II)-SBC-H 2 O 2 system, so the former performed better than the latter in total removal of E2. Besides, Cu(II) and Cu(I) are both formed in Cu(II)-SBC during the oxidation process, while only Ni(II) is found in the Ni(II)-SBC-H 2 O 2 process, confirming that different catalytic oxidation reactions are occurred in the Cu(II)-SBC-H 2 O 2 and Ni(II)-SBC-H 2 O 2 processes. This study facilitates a great strategy to the sludge multi-stage circulating utilization and a better understanding about the role of the Cu/Ni existed in SBC during the estrogens removal process. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Proposed multistage WAS process to initiate carbon-based Fenton-like catalysis for the first time. • Cu(II)/Ni(II) adsorbed in sludge improved the porous structure of SBC materials. • The coordination interactions mechanisms between EPS and heavy metals were determined. • The combination of Cu(II)/Ni(II) and sludge carbon (SBC) enhanced E2 removal from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a compact design of a printed antenna for the wireless USB dongle over the mobile‐telecoms spectrum is presented. This antenna, which has a small dimension of 21 × 11 mm2, is directly printed on the FR4 substrate, consisting of 2 rectangular patches, 2 parasitic branches and a lumped inductor. In this design, the lumped inductor is used to create a resonant mode at around 770 MHz for LTE700/GSM850/900 bands. The 2 patches and 2 parasitic branches introduce two resonance frequencies that cover 1700‐2700 MHz communication bands. The measured results show a radiation efficiency of >58% and a gain above 1.9 dBi, signifying a good accordance with the simulated ones. Therefore, the proposed antenna is expected to be a good candidate in wireless USB dongle communication applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been widely used in sludge treatment for biogas recovery, organic fraction stabilization, and sludge reduction. However, after AD, sludge filterability is extremely deteriorated due to the release of biopolymers and the formation of fine particles. AD sludge is generally rich in nutrients, mainly ammonium nitrogen and phosphates, that result from biopolymer degradation. We designed a conditioning process that combines the in-situ crystallization of magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP), as a skeleton builder, with organic polymer flocculation. We show that crystallized MAP can bind with extracellular polymeric substance fractions to increase sludge floc density. The molecular structure and electrical charge of organic polymers importantly influence sludge particle flocculation and aggregation. We found that cationic polyacrylamides form flocs that aggregate with branching structures which are characterized by a larger size and a more compact structure. Simultaneous crystallization and flocculation produced by a magnesium–organic polymer gel improved AD dewaterability more than the separate addition of magnesium ions and organic polymers. The method of sludge conditioning that we propose was tested by extensive use in different AD sludge conditioning protocols. The method reduces the ammonium nitrogen load in AD liquor and increases the suitability of the biosolids for use as land fertilizer. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A novel AD sludge dewatering improvement process was proposed. • In-situ formed struvite could function as skeleton builders. • Molecular structure and charge property of PAM had important effects on sludge conditioning. • Mg-CPAM gel exhibited a synergistic effect in improving AD sludge dewaterability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater sludge is difficult to dewater because the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) it contains are highly hydrated and sticky. Anaerobic digestion generally results in further deterioration of sludge dewaterability due to the release of large quantities of biopolymers and fine particles. Chemical conditioning is required prior to mechanical dewatering and is of great importance in the operation of the dewatering process. In this work, a novel anaerobically digested (AD) sludge conditioning process that combines sludge based activated carbon (SBAC) as a skeleton builder with organic polymers (cationic polyacrylamide, CPAM, and chitosan, CTS) for flocculation is proposed to simultaneously remove soluble biopolymers and improve sludge dewaterability. Results indicate that the specific resistance to filtration (SRF) of AD sludge was decreased and that tryptophan-like proteins and humic substances in soluble EPS and loosely-bound EPS were effectively removed by SBAC adsorption through hydrophobic interaction. Flocs formed through CTS conditioning were smaller but aggregated more strongly and formed less compressible cake than those formed through CPAM conditioning. SBAC and cationic organic polymers showed a significant synergistic effect in improving sludge dewatering. The incorporation of SBAC into conditioning with organic polymers increased the strength of sludge floc aggregation and improved recover ability from mechanical shearing. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that conditioning with SBAC in combination with organic polymers resulted in protein molecules forming large aggregates, while polysaccharide molecules were uniformly distributed in sludge floc. This work provides a green and promising strategy for improved AD biosolid dewatering using sludge based activated carbon in combination with CTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maximum count rate is a crucial parameter of superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) for quantum communication and laser communication. However, when increasing the incident photon flux, the SNSPD device with small active area is apt to latch due to the AC coupling of room temperature amplifier in the readout circuit, which limits SNSPD to reach a high count rate. We proposed a simple way by inserting an electrical attenuator in series with small-active area SNSPD to avoid the latching effect, thus improving maximum count rate effectively. The count rate with the system detection efficiency reduced by half increased by 6 times for SNSPD with an active area of Φ15 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel low-fouling shape memory scaffold is applied for vascularized adipose construction. • The scaffold possesses angiogenesis property by driving cells aggregating in-situ through its low-fouling surface. • The scaffold could recover shape after mild heating showing both low cytotoxicity and minimally invasive delivery property. Vascularization is of great importance for the adipose tissue engineering. Although shape memory scaffolds have exhibited advantages in minimally invasive approach, lacking angiogenesis property is the major barrier of such smart material applied for vascularized adipose construction. Here, low-fouling shape memory scaffolds as the advanced carrier of stem cells to promote the vascularized adipose regeneration is innovatively developed based on crosslinking poly(ω-pentandecalactone) (PPDL) with poly(L-glutamic acid)- g -poly(ε-caprolactone) (PLGA- g -PCL), and modification by dopamine modified poly(ethylene glycol) (DA-PEG). The scaffolds exhibited adipose-mimicking elastic moduli through PPDL adjustment. More importantly, the scaffold with DA-PEG low-fouling coating could prevent adipose derived stem cells (ASCs) adhesion, while driving ASCs to form aggregates. In vitro angiogenesis and adipogenesis analysis revealed that the low-fouling shape memory scaffold exhibited better performance in the expression of angiogenic and adipogenic factors. In vivo evaluation showed that scaffold carrying ASCs aggregates could promote regeneration of vascularized adipose. Therefore, these results have presented a newly low-fouling shape memory scaffold with great potential in the application of vascularized adipose construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work evaluated the algae cells removal efficiency using titanium salt coagulants with different degree of polymerization (PTCs), and the algae cells aggregates and extracellular organic matter (EOM) under chemical flocculation were investigated. The results indicated that PTCs performed well in algae cells flocculation and separation. The main mechanism using PTCs of low alkalisation degree for algae flocculation was associated with charge neutralization, while adsorption bridging and sweep flocculation was mainly responsible for algae removal by PTCs of high alkalisation degree treatment. In addition, the flocs formed by PTC 1.0 showed the best filtration property, and EOM reached the minimum at this time, indicating the flocs formed by PTC 1.0 were more compact than other PTCs, which can be confirmed by SEM analysis. Three-dimensional excitation emission matrix fluorescence (3D-EEM) and high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) revealed that the EOMs were removed under PTCs flocculation, which improved floc filterability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sludge treatment and disposal have become important environmental issues in China. Mechanical dewatering is widely used to reduce the amount of sludge to be disposed and relieve the rapid growth pressure of waste sludge. In comparison to traditional sludge dewatering processes, pressure electro-osmotic dewatering has many advantages on sludge dewatering efficiency, low conditioner dosage and concentrated cake are both beneficial to further recycling of waste sludge. In general, complex electrochemical effects (eg. electrochemical oxidation, ohmic heating and pH gradient effect) are accompanied by the pressure electro-osmotic dewatering process. These electrochemical effects will inevitably cause solubilization and/or degradation of key constituents of wastewater sludge - extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). In this study, the effects of voltage, pH and ionic strength on sludge electro-osmotic dewatering performance and electrochemical effects were investigated. The solubilization and degradation of EPS were analyzed by examining the variation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the filtrate, and the relationships between microstructural properties of sludge cake and DOM and electro-osmosis dewatering performance in electro-dewatering process was examined. It was found that electro-dewatering properties were improved by raising the operating voltage or decreasing the pH value, while dewatering rate initially increased at low ionic strength it decreases with increased ionic strength. In addition, the porous structure of cathodic cake was more plentiful than that at the anode. At the cathode, the EPS dissolution was mainly related to alkalization, while the oxidation and acidification were responsible for release of EPS at the anode. Meanwhile, electrophoresis effect was able to promote migration of EPS toward the anode. The average electro-osmotic dewatering rate at the anode (R 2 .>0.79, p < 0.02) and at the cathode (R 2 .>0.87, p < 0.03) strongly correlated with the volume of pore of sludge cake. There was no correlation between the total content of anodic DOM (R 2 <0.31, p>0.08) and electro-osmotic dewatering rate at the anode, however, the content of cathodic DOM (R 2 > 0.62, p < 0.09) negatively correlated with average electro-osmosis dewatering rate of cathode. Since cathode is the main water-permeable side in sludge electro-dewatering, and the sticky biopolymers (proteins and humic subtances) could not be converted into small molecules, higher EPS release was associated with worse sludge filterability. As for the anode, the biopolymers were degraded into small molecules due to electrochemical oxidation, which greatly reduced the impact of DOM on dewatering effect. Therefore, the operating conditions (voltage, pH and ionic strength) caused changes in electrochemical effects, which played a crucial role in compartmentalization of sludge EPS dissolution and consequently sludge electro-dewatering behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, magnetic Fe 3 O 4 was utilized to immobilize horseradish peroxidase (IM-HRP) in order to improve its stability and reusability by crosslinking method process with glutaraldehyde. The physicochemical properties of NH 2 Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 and IM-HRP were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal stability of immobilized-HRP was considerably improved in comparison with free counterpart. The catalytic performance of IM-HRP for estrogens removal from aqueous solution was evaluated, it was found that the presence of natural organic matters (NOM) have no significant effects on E2 removal and the E2 enzyme-degradation reached around 80% when pH = 7.0 with 0.552 × 10 −3 ratio of IM-HRP/H 2 O 2. In addition, the active radicals responsible for estrogens degradation were identified with electro-spin resonance spectra (ESR). It was found that immobilization process on Fe 3 O 4 showed no adverse effects on catalytic performance on HRP, estrogens degradation could be fitted well with pseudo–second kinetic equation. Estrogens degradation efficiency was reduced in the presence of humic substances. Both O 2 − and OH were detected in IM-HRP catalyzed H 2 O 2 system and radicals quenching test indicated O 2 − played a more important role in estrogens removal. IM-HRP exhibited excellent stability and E2 removal efficiency could reach 45.41% after use seven times. Therefore, HRP enzymes immobilized on NH 2 Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 by cross-linking method in glutaraldehyde solutions was an effective way to improve stability and reusability of HRP, and which could avoid potential secondary pollution in water environment caused by free HRP after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has attracted strong interest as sustainable technology by converting solar energy into hydrogen. The semiconductor photoelectrodes play an important role to increase the solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion efficiency. Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is an excellent candidate as a photoanode material for PEC water oxidation because of its visible light absorption, suitable band edge location, high stability and low cost. However, BiVO4 alone may undergo short carrier diffusion length, rapid recombination of photo‐induced charge carriers and photocorrosion. The heterojunction strategy established by combining two or more materials has provided an outstanding technique to address these issues. This Review focuses on recent important works with respect to BiVO4 heterojunction photoanodes for PEC water oxidation reactions, including interface junction and surface functional junction formation. Additionally, challenges faced and prospects for future research on BiVO4 heterojunction photoanodes in the field of solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation and recovery of valuable metals including silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) from electronic waste mixtures are of great economic and environmental importance. Recent years, semiconductor photocatalysts have been investigated intensively for the removal of Ag from wastewater. Few studies have been carried out on the effect of pH and co-exist metal ions such as Cu on Ag. In this study, ZnO and TiO2 were applied as photocatalysts to target on the selective recovery Ag and Cu from its mixtures under UV light. The effects of pH, catalyst, ethylene-diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the Ag and Cu photo-reduction were studied. Modeling of Ag and Cu with and without EDTA distribution together with metal precipitations was plotted against pH to understand the chemistry involved in photocatalysis. Experimental results showed that Ag photo-reduction was nearly completed by ZnO and TiO2 to Ag metal, while Cu photo-reduction to Cu2O only occurs by ZnO in the presence of EDTA. This work illustrates that semiconductor photocatalysts are suitable for selective recovery of Ag and Cu from wastewaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of chemical conditioning using titanium salt coagulants (TSCs) of different hydrolysis speciation in combination with magnetic nano-particles on dewatering performance of waste activated sludge were evaluated by means of specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and capillary suction time (CST). The morphological and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) properties under chemical conditioning were investigated in detail to understand the reaction mechanisms involved. The results showed that the TSC with basicity of 0.5 performed better in improving sludge dewatering performance than other TSCs. Sludge floc formed by TSC 0.5 treatment was characterized by larger floc size and higher floc strength than that conditioned by other TSCs. EPS compression and densification were the major mechanisms of sludge conditioning, and TSC 0.5 had better performance in compressing EPS structure. In addition, reduction of soluble EPS concentration, especially protein-like substances contributed to improvement of sludge filterability under conditioning. Furthermore, addition of Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles could further improve dewatering performance and decrease compressibility of sludge system by acting as skeleton builders and enhancing floc strength. The sludge particles aggregation efficiency was effectively improved with addition of nano-Fe 2 O 3 . They also were able to bind with protein-like substance in EPS component, which might contribute to promotion of sludge filterability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) was synthesized in the laboratory by the borohydride reduction method. nZVI was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scan electronic microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). In addition, the degradation performance of norfloxacin (NOR) in nZVI/H 2 O 2 Fenton-like system was investigated in detail under various experimental conditions. It was found that the removal of NOR depended on its initial concentration, initial pH, temperature, H 2 O 2 concentration and nZVI dose. At the ambient temperature, the degradation rate of NOR by nZVI/H 2 O 2 Fenton-like reaction under the acidic medium (pH = 3–4) was more than 95% within 40 min of the reaction time, and the mineralization degree was around 50% in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) measurement. Optimal temperature for NOR removal was 308 K, and higher temperature would cause useless decomposition of H 2 O 2 and consequently reduction of NOR degradation. The degradation rate and total removal efficiency of NOR were favored by increasing the nZVI and H 2 O 2 dosages. The optimal conditions for NOR degradation were: initial pH = 4.0, H 2 O 2 concentration = 20 mmol/L, nZVI dose = 100 mg/L, temperature = 308 K. The rate constants ( K ob s ) of NOR degradation could be fitted well with a pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. Several degradation intermediates of NOR were detected and confirmed, including C 15 H 20 FN 3 O ( m / z 278), C 9 H 11 FN 2 ( m / z 167), C 7 H 7 FN 2 ( m / z 139), and C 7 H 8 FN ( m / z 126), respectively. Based on the identified intermediates and the Gaussian quantum statistics molecular bonding energy calculation, the possible pathway for NOR degradation under nZVI/H 2 O 2 Fenton-like reaction was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Subsoiling managements improved soil microstructure in the whole soil profile. • Subsoiling with straw favored microbial growth and SOC sequestration in the whole soil profile. • Bacteria and macropore porosity mainly drive the variation in topsoil C within aggregates. • Bacteria and micropore porosity mainly drive the variation in subsoil C within aggregates. • Microbe contributed more to regulate SOC than soil microstructure did. Soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation is easily susceptible to tillage managements, which strongly affect soil structure and microbial community structure. Subsoiling is developed for mitigating soil compaction and thus improving soil structure. Coupled with straw residue incorporation, it is expected not only to enhance this improvement but also to promote organic carbon (C) storage in soil. However, how subsoiling tillage managements change soil aggregate microstructure, microbial community structure and SOC fractions, and how soil aggregate microstructure and microbial community structure affect SOC in the topsoil and subsoil layers are equally unknown. An in-situ incubation field experiment was conducted in a Mollisol in northeastern China and included conventional tillage (CT), subsoiling tillage (ST) and subsoiling tillage with straw residue incorporation (ST + S). The methods of synchrotron-based X-ray micro-computed tomography scanning, phospholipid fatty acid and SOC density fractionation were used to analyze aggregate pore characteristics, microbial community structure and SOC fractions, respectively. The results showed that both ST and especially ST + S not only improved soil aggregate microstructure but also enhanced microbial biomass and then favored SOC accrual in the topsoil (0–20 cm). In the subsoil (20–35 cm), ST + S exerted similar positive effects as those in the topsoil. However, ST only improved soil aggregate microstructure but decreased microbial community biomass and SOC in the subsoil. Moreover, soil aggregate structure characteristics explained (solely explained 6 % in the topsoil and 12 % in the subsoil, respectively) a smaller part of the variation in SOC within aggregates than soil microbial characteristics did (solely explained 15 % in the topsoil and 25 % in the subsoil, respectively). Specifically, bacteria explained 26 % and 66 % of the variation in SOC within aggregates in the topsoil and subsoil, respectively. The porosity of macropores (>100 μm) also explained 25 % of the variation in SOC within aggregates in the topsoil, whereas the porosity of micropores (<30 μm) explained more variation (12 %) than that of macropores (3 %) in the subsoil. Notably, the substantially different interaction mechanism-processed of pore characteristics, microbial structure and SOC between topsoil and subsoil was probably traceable for the variation in the influx of organic C, pore size distribution and microbial adaptability in soil layers. These results would provide new insights on tillage managements strategies for improving soil conditions in terms of optimizing soil aggregate microstructure–microbes–SOC interactions in the topsoil and subsoil layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical conditioning is one of the most important processes for improve the performance of sludge dewatering device. Aluminum salt coagulant has been widely used in wastewater and sludge treatment. It is generally accepted that pre-formed speciation of aluminum salt coagulants (ASC) has an important influence on coagulation/flocculation performance. In this study, the interaction mechanisms between sludge particles and aluminum salt coagulants with different speciation of hydroxy aluminum were investigated by characterizing the changes in morphological and EPS properties. It was found that middle polymer state aluminum (Al b ) and high polymer state aluminum (Al c ) performed better than monomer aluminum and oligomeric state aluminum (Al a ) in reduction of specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and compressibility of wastewater sludge due to their higher charge neutralization and formed more compact flocs. Sludge was significantly acidified after addition Al a , while pH was much more stable under Al b and Al c conditioning due to their hydrolysis stability. The size of sludge flocs conditioned with Al b and Al c was small but flocs structure was denser and more compact, and floc strength is higher, while that formed from Al a is relatively large, but floc structure was loose, floc strength is relatively lower. Scanning environmental microscope analysis revealed that sludge flocs conditioned by Al b and Al c (especially PAC 2.5 and Al 13 ) exhibited obvious botryoidal structure, this is because sludge flocs formed by Al b and Al c were more compact and floc strength is high, it was easy generated plentiful tiny channels for water release. In addition, polymeric aluminum salt coagulant (Al b , Al c ) had better performance in compressing extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) structure and removing sticky protein-like substances from soluble EPS fraction, contributing to improvement of sludge filtration performance. Therefore, this study provides a novel solution for improving sludge dewatering property by controlling aluminum speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The binding motif of BF2*15 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I was explored by analyzing the interaction between an infectious bronchitis virus octapeptide and BF2*15, and the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope from the nucleoprotein (NP) of H5N1 virus was identified using experimental methods. Computational methods, including homology modeling, molecular dynamics simulation, and molecular docking analysis, were used. The recombinant plasmid pCAGGS-NP was constructed, and NP expression was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence and Western blot in transfected 293T cells. Antibodies against NP in pCAGGS-NP-inoculated specific-pathogen-free chickens were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Interferon γ (IFN-γ) mRNA was quantified, and IFN-γ production was evaluated using quantitative reverse transcription PCR and capture ELISA, respectively. CD8 T-lymphocyte proliferation was detected using flow cytometric analysis. The BF2*15 MHC class I binding motif 'x-Arg/Lys-x-x-x-Arg/Lys' was explored. Quantification of chicken IFN-γ mRNA, evaluation of IFN-γ production, and measurement of CD8 T-lymphocyte proliferation confirmed that the peptide NP of H5N1 was the BF2*15 MHC-class-I-restricted CTL epitope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of combined calcium peroxide (CaO 2 ) oxidation with chemical re-flocculation on dewatering performance and physicochemical properties of waste activated sludge was investigated in this study. The evolutions of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) distribution, composition and morphological properties were analyzed to unravel the sludge conditioning mechanism. It was found that sludge filtration performance was enhanced by calcium peroxide oxidation with the optimal dosage of 20 mg/gTSS. However, this enhancement was not observed at lower dosages due to the absence of oxidation and the performance deteriorated at higher dosages because of the release of excess EPS, mainly as protein-like substances. The variation in soluble EPS (SEPS) component can be fitted well with pseudo-zero-order kinetic model under CaO 2 treatment. At the same time, extractable EPS content (SEPS and loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS)) were dramatically increased, indicating sludge flocs were effectively broken and their structure became looser after CaO 2 addition. The sludge floc structure was reconstructed and sludge dewaterability was significantly enhanced using chemical re-flocculation (polyaluminium chloride (PACl), ferric iron (FeCl 3 ) and polyacrylamide (PAM)). The inorganic coagulants performed better in improving sludge filtration dewatering performance and reducing cake moisture content than organic polymer, since they could act as skeleton builders and decrease the sludge compressibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, sintering process and contact formation process of PTO glass containing pastes were studied by interrupting the firings at different temperatures. Microstructures of contact fingers fabricated using pastes with PTO glass by interrupted firings were obtained by FIB/SEM technology and the sintering process of pastes was studied. The sintering process of pastes can be divided into three stages, the initial stage, intermediate stage and final stage, respectively. Only during the initial stage and intermediate stage of sintering, Ag-containing glass-phase is able to flow downward to the interface of Ag/Si through the continuous pore channels between Ag particles due to the great densification of Ag in the final stage of sintering. The great disharmony between the flow process of glass-phase and Ag densification would cause much glass trapped in densified Ag and thereby non-uniform etching of Si wafers. Contact formation process of pastes was studied by observing the Ag contact and Si emitter interface. Ag precipitates can be observed in the interfacial glass-phase at low firing temperature. Ag crystallites embedded in Si emitter appear at relative high temperature, along with the decreased number of Ag precipitates located in the interfacial glass-phase. Lower viscosity and higher ion diffusion velocities of interfacial glass-phase will make Ag crystallites appear at lower temperature. The increased interfacial glass layer thickness and abnormal growth of Ag crystallites, together with the decreased number of Ag precipitates cause the increase of contact resistance with the increase of sintering temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fenton oxidation is generally inhibited in the presence of a high concentration of chloride ions. This study investigated the feasibility of using benzoquinone (BQ) and hydroxylamine hydrochloride (HA) as Fenton enhancers for the removal of glycerin from saline water under ambient temperature by accelerating the ferric system. It was found that organics removal was not obviously affected by chloride ions of low concentration (less than 0.1 mol/L), while the mineralization rate was strongly inhibited in the presence of a large amount of chloride ions. In addition, ferric hydrolysis–precipitation was significantly alleviated in the presence of HA and BQ, and HA was more effective in reducing ferric ions into ferrous ions than HA, while the H 2 O 2 decomposition rate was higher in the BQ-Fenton system. Electron spin resonance analysis revealed that OH production was reduced in high salinity conditions, while it was enhanced after the addition of HA and BQ (especially HA). This study provided a possible solution to control and alleviate the inhibitory effect of chloride ions on the Fenton process for organics removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of pH on chemical conditioning with potassium ferrate (K 2 FeO 4 ) for improving sludge filtration dewatering performance has been studied. The variation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in conditioning process was investigated in detail to unravel the reaction mechanism. The results indicated that sludge dewaterability was improved by decreasing solution pH in terms of filtration rate and cake solids content. At acid conditions, protonation of EPS resulted in reduction of negative charge and densification of sludge floc. Sludge conditioning efficiency was improved with decrease in pH. Ferrate can solubilize EPS through oxidation process and also remove a portion of soluble EPS (SEPS) by charge neutralization and interfacial adsorption of hydrolyzed ferric ions, consequently compressing EPS and decreasing total extractable EPS content. In addition, when pH and potassium ferrate were 3 and 0.1 g/gTSS, the sludge filtration dewatering rate and extent reached the maximum. Deterioration of sludge dewaterability was observed as the ferrate was overdosed (>0.2 g/gTSS). This could be attributed to the release of a large amount of bound EPS (BEPS) as a result of ferrate oxidation, consequently increasing the sludge filtration resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inkjet printing technology has been an attractive alternative to conventional photolithography to fabricate flexible electronics, owing to its advantages including easy control and low cost. However, development of an appropriate ink possessing low cost, high conductivity and good dispersivity for inkjet printing is still a big challenge. In this work, the well dispersed Ag/RGO composite was obtained by anchoring silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheet, which served as one of promising conductive ink fillers for printable flexible electronics. The synthesized Ag/RGO composite improved the conductivity of ink with Ag NPs and promoted the dispersivity of RGO to avoid nozzle jam, which offered a proper solution to the two critical issues of conductive ink: conductivity and dispersivity. The Ag/RGO composite was attested to be a suitable material for fabricating printable flexible electronics at 100 °C and developing graphene-based functional electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are highly hydrated biopolymers and play important roles in bioflocculation, floc stability, and solid-water separation processes. Destroying EPS structure will result in sludge reduction and release of trapped water. In this study, the effects of combined process of peracetic acid (PAA) pre-oxidation and chemical re-flocculation on morphological properties and distribution and composition of EPS of the resultant sludge flocs were investigated in detail to gain insights into the mechanism involved in sludge treatment. It was found that sludge particles were effectively solubilized and protein-like substances were degraded into small molecules after PAA oxidation. A higher degradation of protein-like substances was observed at acid environments under PAA oxidation. Microscopic analysis revealed that no integral sludge floc was observed after oxidation with PAA at high doses. The floc was reconstructed with addition of inorganic coagulants (polyaluminium chloride (PACl) and ferric chloride (FeCl 3 )) and PACl performed better in flocculation due to its higher charge neutralization and bridging ability. Combined oxidative lysis and chemical re-flocculation provide a novel solution for sludge treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, the influences of Pb–Te–O (PTO) glasses with different Pb/Te ratios on silver screen-printed contact formation in crystalline silicon solar cells were investigated. Thermal properties of PTO glasses such as crystallization behavior, liquidus temperature and viscosity–temperature features are determined by Pb/Te ratio. Glass etching reaction, Ag dissolution–precipitation process and all key processes of Ag thick-film contact to crystalline silicon solar cells, are closely related to glass chemistry and Pb/Te ratio of PTO glasses. The dissolution process of Ag in PTO glasses with different Pb/Te ratio was studied. XPS measurement shows that Ag + is the dominant form of silver dissolved in PTO glass melts. TG and XRD results reveal that the formation of a new B-rich liquid glassy-phase, induced by the crystallization of glass, accelerates the dissolution of Ag at lower temperature. Glass with higher Pb/Te ratio has a weaker glass etching reaction ability and is expected to have a high high-temperature viscosity, resulting in higher Ag-precipitate density in the glassy-phase. The observed microstructures, I – V electrical performance and contact resistance maps lead to a better understanding of the relationship between glass properties and contact resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since China has successfully built her first Experimental Advanced Superconducting TOKAMAK (EAST) several years ago, great interest and demand have been increasing in robotic in-vessel inspection/operation systems, by which an observation of in-vessel physical phenomenon, collection of visual information, 3D mapping and localization, even maintenance are to be possible. However, it has been raising many challenges to implement a practical and robust robotic system, due to a lot of complex constraints and expectations, e.g., high remanent working temperature (100 °C) and vacuum (10 −3 pa) environment even in the rest interval between plasma discharge experiments, close-up and precise inspection, operation efficiency, besides a general kinematic requirement of D shape irregular vessel. In this paper we propose an upgraded robotic system with redundant degrees of freedom (DOF) manipulator combined with a binocular vision system at the tip and a virtual reality system. A comprehensive comparison and discussion are given on the necessity and main function of the binocular vision system, path planning for inspection, fast localization, inspection efficiency and success rate in time, optimization of kinematic configuration, and the possibility of underactuated mechanism. A detailed design, implementation, and experiments of the binocular vision system together with the recent development progress of the whole robotic system are reported in the later part of the paper, while, future work and expectation are described in the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of combined process of composite enzymatic treatment and chemical flocculation with inorganic salt coagulants was investigated in this study. The evolution of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) distribution, composition and morphological properties were analyzed to unravel the sludge conditioning mechanism. It was found that sludge filtration performance was deteriorated due to release of a large amount of biopolymers after enzymatic treatment. The change in EPS followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic equation well under enzymatic treatment. The feeding modes of enzymes had a significant influence on sludge lysis efficiency under compound enzymes treatment. Alpha amylase + protease was more effective in solubilization than other two addition modes (protease + α-amylase or simultaneous addition). The sludge floc re-formed and macromolecule biopolymers were effectively removed through coagulation process. At the same time, both of filtration rate and cake solid content of sludge treated with enzymes were improved with increasing dosage of coagulants, and ferric iron (FeCl 3 ) had better performance in sludge dewaterability enhancement than polyaluminium chloride (PACl). In addition, sludge filtration property was slightly deteriorated, while the cake moisture reduction was favored at the optimal dosage of inorganic coagulants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The microorganism E. coli in sludge was effectively inactivated by NaClO treatment. • Lignin and N-compounds in sludge were major precursors for Cl-DBPs generation. • N-compounds played the leading role in the generation of Cl-DBPs. • Acidic condition prevented Cl-DBPs generation by lowering the N-compounds production. Chlorination disinfection has been widely used to kill the pathogenic microorganisms in wastewater sludge during the special Covid-19 period, but sludge chlorination might cause the generation of harmful disinfection byproducts (DBPs). In this work, the transformation of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and mechanisms of Cl-DBPs generation during sludge disinfection by sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) were investigated using multispectral analysis in combination with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS). The microorganism Escherichia coli (E. coli) was effectively inactivated by active chlorine generated from NaClO. However, a high diversity of Cl-DBPs were produced with the addition of NaClO into sludge, causing the increase of acute toxicity on Q67 luminous bacteria of chlorinated EPS. A variety of N-containing molecular formulas were produced after chlorination, but N-containing DBPs were not detected, which might be the indicative of the dissociation of –NH 2 groups after Cl-DBPs generated. Additionally, the release of N-containing compounds was increased in alkaline environment caused by NaClO addition, resulted in more Cl-DBPs generation via nucleophilic substitutions. Whereas, less N-compounds and Cl-DBPs were detected after EPS chlorination under acidic environment, leading to lower cell cytotoxicity. Therefore, N-containing compounds of lignin derivatives in sludge were the major Cl-DBPs precursors, and acidic environment could control the release of N-compounds by eliminating the dissociation of functional groups in lignin derivatives, consequently reducing the generation and cytotoxicity of Cl-DBPs. This study highlights the importance to control the alkalinity of sludge to reduce Cl-DBPs generation prior to chlorination disinfection process, and ensure the safety of subsequential disposal for wastewater sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]