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The oxidative potential (OP) of ambient particulate matter (PM) is a common metric for estimating PM toxicity and linking PM exposure to adverse health effects. Organic aerosol (OA), a dominant fraction of ambient PM worldwide, may significantly contribute to PM toxicity. Here, we investigated the source‐based OA components contributing to the OP of PM in the urban (Beijing, summer and winter) and rural (Gucheng, winter) environments of the North China Plain (NCP). Various OA components as identified by the aerosol mass spectrometer/aerosol chemical speciation monitor (AMS/ACSM), transition metals, and black carbon were compared with the OP of PM measured by dithiothreitol assays. The results consistently demonstrate the importance of OA as a contributor to PM's OP in both urban and rural NCP environments. Higher intrinsic OP was observed in winter Beijing than in summer, possibly due to OA being predominantly from anthropogenic sources in winter. Furthermore, different OA components were found to drive the response of OP in the two environments. More‐oxidized oxygenated OA (MO‐OOA), cooking OA, and oxidized primary OA (during winter) are the OA contributors to OP in the urban environment, with a dominant contribution from MO‐OOA. In contrast, biomass burning OA (BBOA) and OOA play a major role in the OP in the rural environment, with BBOA making the largest contribution. Overall, this work highlights the significance of OA in determining PM's OP and calls for more work to reveal the sources and characteristics of OA components contributing to OP across different regions. Plain Language Summary: Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a top risk factor for human health. The oxidative potential (OP) of PM2.5 is widely used to estimate PM2.5 toxicity and link PM2.5 exposure with its adverse health effects. Organic aerosol (OA) constitutes a major fraction of PM2.5 and can contribute substantially to the OP of PM2.5. But OA is also a complex mixture comprised of thousands of compounds each with widely different health effects. Here, we reveal the key OA components driving the OP in the urban and rural environments of the NCP. We find that more‐oxidized oxygenated OA, which is highly oxidized and can be formed from multiple atmospheric processes, is a dominant contributor to the OP in the urban environment. In contrast, biomass burning OA makes the largest contribution to the OP in the rural environment. In sum, different OA components are found to be the main drivers of the OP in the two environments. More studies are warranted to further our understanding of the causes, sources, and characteristics of the PM2.5 OP over a wide range of geographical regions. Key Points: Seasonal and spatial variations of oxidative potential (OP) of ambient particulate matter are foundOrganic aerosol (OA) is an important contributor to the oxidative potential in both urban and rural environmentsMore‐oxidized oxygenated OA and biomass burning OA have a dominant contribution to the OP in urban and rural environments, respectively [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-hydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes using electrochemical approaches is an appealing alternative to conventional thermocatalytic strategies, as it efficiently utilizes water as the hydrogen source at ambient temperature. However, the precise modulation of atomic and electronic structures of catalytic Pd active sites remains a persistent challenge, particularly in enhancing the conversion yield of alkynes and improving the selectivity of alkenes. Here, we synthesize Pd nanoparticles anchored onto the surface of the defective two-dimensional Fe2O3 support, referred to as Pd/Fe2O3 catalysts, to conduct the electrocatalytic semi-hydrogenation of alkynes. Intriguingly, we observed the reconstruction of the atomic structure and configuration of Pd nanoparticles in the Pd/Fe2O3 catalysts due to metal–support interaction, caused by the hybridization of Pd d and O p orbitals. This interaction significantly weakens the binding strength of Pd sites in the Pd/Fe2O3 catalysts to the chemisorbed 4-aminophenylacetylene and reactive hydrogen intermediates. Consequently, Pd/Fe2O3 catalysts achieve a high conversion rate (99%) and selectivity (99%) in the semi-hydrogenation of 4-aminophenylacetylene coupled with high faradaic efficiency, outperforming both benchmark commercial Pd/C and other reference catalysts. Additionally, terminal alkynes featuring diverse functionalized groups, including those with easily reducible or passivated functionalities, can be efficiently semi-hydrogenated using Pd/Fe2O3 catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C−C linked glutarimide‐containing structures with direct utility in the preparation of cereblon‐based degraders (PROTACs, CELMoDs) can be assessed in a single step from inexpensive, commercial α‐bromoglutarimide through a unique Brønsted‐acid assisted Ni‐electrocatalytic approach. The reaction tolerates a broad array of functional groups that are historically problematic and can be applied to the simplified synthesis of dozens of known compounds that have only been procured through laborious, wasteful, multi‐step sequences. The reaction is scalable in both batch and flow and features a trivial procedure wherein the most time‐consuming aspect of reaction setup is weighing out the starting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C−C linked glutarimide‐containing structures with direct utility in the preparation of cereblon‐based degraders (PROTACs, CELMoDs) can be assessed in a single step from inexpensive, commercial α‐bromoglutarimide through a unique Brønsted‐acid assisted Ni‐electrocatalytic approach. The reaction tolerates a broad array of functional groups that are historically problematic and can be applied to the simplified synthesis of dozens of known compounds that have only been procured through laborious, wasteful, multi‐step sequences. The reaction is scalable in both batch and flow and features a trivial procedure wherein the most time‐consuming aspect of reaction setup is weighing out the starting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variance or complete loss of the avirulence gene (Avr) enables the pathogen to escape resistance protein (R) recognition. The field resistance effectiveness of the R gene is determined by its corresponding Avr gene in field isolates. To effectively deploy the rice blast R gene Pi54, the distribution, variation and evolution of the corresponding Avr gene, AvrPi54, were determined through PCR amplification, pathogenicity assay, gene sequences and evolutionary analysis. Among 451 Pyricularia isolates from rice and non-rice hosts, including Oryza rufipogon, Digitaria sanguinalis, Eleusine coracana, E. indica and Musa sp. in Yunnan province, the PCR amplification result showed that AvrPi54 alleles existed among 218 (48.3%) isolates including rice isolates, O. rufipogon isolates and E. coracana isolates. Pathogenicity assay showed that 336 (74.5%) isolates were avirulent to Tetep (holding Pi54). Five AvrPi54 haplotypes were identified among 142 isolates through the gene sequence. These haplotypes were determined to be avirulent to Pi54 through pathogenicity assay. Four novel haplotypes (H2 to H5) of the AvrPi54 gene would provide new target sites for rice blast control. Haplotype diversity analysis indicated that there existed a lower genetic diversity of AvrPi54 for P. oryzae populations (five haplotypes, Hd = 0.127, π = 2.9 × 10−4) in this study. Neutrality tests showed that AvrPi54's genetic variation was affected by purified selection. Haplotype network and phylogeny analysis showed that H1 was an ancestral haplotype and was widely distributed in rice isolates and O. rufipogon isolates, while H5 diverged early and evolved independently. These results indicate that the gene evolves slowly and stably and is a comparatively conserved Avr gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global crises such as COVID-19 become more frequent, many projects, which can be called blitz projects, will need to be completed extremely quickly in response. However, there remains a lack of theoretical support for their implementation as well as systematic strategies for managing their schedules. This article examines the responses to COVID-19 by three specialty field hospitals in China. Through reviews and cross-analysis of the influential factors and practices, and their effects on extreme schedule management, this article proposes a systematic strategic framework including the elements of mission, solution and innovation, organization and culture, communication, resources, dynamics, and adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A kind of adsorbent (Hydrogel-I) derived from sodium alginate and modified alkaline lignin (MAL) has been proved to possess a good adsorption performance for Pb(II)-loaded wastewater based on batch experiments. However, practical removal of Pb(II)-loaded-wastewater is a continuous and dynamic process. Herein, Hydrogel-I was further evaluated by packing it into a fixed-bed column. The breakthrough curves were established under different inflow rates (0.159–0.318 L/min), inflow directions (down-inflow mode and top-inflow mode), initial concentrations (5–20 mg/L) of Pb(II), and bed depths (20–60 cm). The results indicated that the slower inflow rate (0.159 L/min), down-inflow mode, lower initial concentration (5 mg/L), and higher bed depth (60 cm) prolonged breakthrough times (tb) and saturation times (ts). Compared to the top-inflow mode, the down-inflow mode guaranteed enough contact between Hydrogel-I and Pb(II). The values of adsorption capacity at tb, ts, and the removal efficiency under the down-inflow mode were higher than that under top-inflow mode by 2.33, 0.78, and 0.07 times, respectively. Hydrogel-I beads exhibited better adsorption performance than other adsorbents by comparing the rate constant (kAB) and the adsorption capacity (N0). The kAB and N0 of Hydrogel-I beads were calculated to be 0.0034 L/(mg·min−1) and 678 mg/L. Hydrogel-I beads showed good regeneration ability in a three-adsorption-desorption cycle. Meanwhile, FT-IR analysis showed that the groups of –NH/–NH2, C=S, and C–S were proved to be the adsorption sites. This study could prove valuable insight into the practical application of Hydrogel-I for dynamic removal of Pb(II) in an inflow-through column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitcoin has attracted significant attention from investors over recent years. Due to infrequent jumps in Bitcoin prices, this paper employs the ARJI model of Chan and Maheu (2002) to describe jump risks of Bitcoin prices, and to examine the possible influencing factors of jump risks. Empirical results find that the jump component is the most important driving force of the volatility of Bitcoin returns, and that two investor sentiment indicators (the Bitcoin trading volumes and the number of Bitcoin unique addresses) are positive related to the jump risk of Bitcoin returns. These findings provide an important insight into the investment risk of Bitcoin prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates four tail relationships between the U.S. dollar and S&P 500 returns by a dynamic mixture copula model with a link between the dependence structure and dependence intensity. The empirical results find that four tail relationships are evident and time-varying. Regarding the negative dependence, the tail relationship is prominently stronger in the situation where the U.S. dollar depreciates and the stock index increases than in the situation where the U.S. dollar appreciates and the stock index declines. Regarding the positive dependence, the situation of two returns increase occurs slightly more frequently than the situation of two returns decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron-modified biochar adsorbent shows its promise for removing Cr(VI) from water. However, the traditional dry-grinding modification methods to prepare iron-modified biochar (DFeBC) usually result in the aggregation of iron oxide particles, thus impeding the adsorption capacity. Herein, blue-green algae waste derived biochar modified in a wet process by K2FeO4 (WFeBC) was developed, and it showed well-distributed iron oxide on the surface of the biochar. As a result, WFeBC displayed a larger theoretical adsorption capacity of 66.22 mg/g than that of DFeBC (48.54 mg/g). It was found that the uniform-distributed iron oxide and abundant oxygen functional groups of WFeBC played an important role in the removal process of Cr(VI). In the adsorption process, the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by Fe(II) promoted the removal of hexavalent chromium. The Cr(VI) will be attracted by protonated oxygen functional groups through electrostatic interaction and complexation in an acid environment. All the results show that the wet modification of biochar by K2FeO4 can effectively improve the removal ability of WFeBC to Cr(VI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This work supplies a systematical comparison study on various typical noble metal catalysts with an exploration of the potential for CVOC destruction, which would supply an overall view of universal applicability for the practical operation of noble metals. Understanding the reaction path and mechanism of chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) destruction is important for designing efficient catalysts, especially for the application of noble metal-based materials. Herein, several typical noble metals, Ru, Rh, Pt, Pd, Au, and Ir, supported on γ-Al2O3 catalysts were synthesized by the hydrazine hydrate reduction method for 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) elimination. Various character measurements were conducted, and the results suggest that the high-valence state of noble metals is beneficial for the 1,2-DCE reaction as it enables the enhancement of the mobility of the surficial active oxygen species of catalysts. Among the noble metals, Ru/γ-Al2O3 expresses superior catalytic reactivity, with a 90% pollutant conversion rate at 337 °C, and competitive CO2 selectivity, 99.15% at the temperature of total oxidation. The distribution of by-products and the degradation routes were analyzed online by GC-ECD and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy, which may provide helpful insight for the future application of noble metal-based catalysts for CVOC elimination in industrial fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective catalytic oxidation of NH3 (NH3-SCO) is a promising method to reduce NH3 pollution. The Pt-based catalysts exhibited excellent activity in the NH3-SCO reaction under low temperatures. However, it was easy for the NH3 to be oxidized to N2O and NOx (NO and NO2) over the Pt-based catalyst, causing a low N2 selectivity. The CuSO4, which could supply both Brønsted and Lewis acid sites on the catalyst, was used to promote N2 selectivity. The N2 adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), NH3-temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD), H2-temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR) and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) were used to characterize the catalyst. The addition of CuSO4 could suppress the formation of N2O and NOx, thus the highest N2 selectivity on the catalyst increased from 21.2% to 78.1%. An imide mechanism was the main reaction mechanism on the Pt/TiO2 catalyst. After adding CuSO4, the NH3-SCO reaction over the CuSO4-Pt/TiO2 catalyst mainly followed an i-SCR mechanism where NH3 was oxidized to N2O and NOx, and then the newly formed N2O and NOx were reacted with NH3/NH4+ adsorbed on the Lewis and Brønsted acid sites via an NH3-SCR reaction over the catalyst, and finally N2 was formed. The acid sites performed an important role in the formation of N2 and this work should provide an effective method to promote N2 selectivity in a NH3-SCO reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modular total synthesis of kibdelomycin is disclosed that should enable structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies of this interesting class of antibiotics. The route uses simple building blocks and addresses lingering questions about its structural assignment and relationship to amycolamicin, a recently described natural product reported to have a similar structure. Initial antibacterial assays reveal that both C‐22 epimers (the N‐glycosidic linkage) of the natural product have similar activity while structurally truncated analogs lose activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modular total synthesis of kibdelomycin is disclosed that should enable structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies of this interesting class of antibiotics. The route uses simple building blocks and addresses lingering questions about its structural assignment and relationship to amycolamicin, a recently described natural product reported to have a similar structure. Initial antibacterial assays reveal that both C‐22 epimers (the N‐glycosidic linkage) of the natural product have similar activity while structurally truncated analogs lose activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exact roles of many metabolic regulators in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are to be clarified. This study aimed to further characterize the impacts of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) status changes on this disease. Methods: Fluctuation pattern of SIRT1 expression in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats was monitored using periodically collected white blood cells. Another bath of AIA rats were treated by SIRT1 agonist resveratrol. Blood from these rats was used to separate monocytes and plasma, which were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and biochemical analyses. Clinical implication of SIRT1 activation was verified by treating AIA rat monocytes with SIRT1 agonist and overexpression vector in vitro. Results: SIRT1 deficiency occurred in AIA rats, which was accompanied with down-regulation of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and arginase-1 (ARG-1). Resveratrol eased oxidative stress and increased IL-10 production in vivo. Results of ELISA analysis demonstrated that resveratrol attenuated AIA severity in rats. Furthermore, it restored the altered levels of triglyceride, lactate and pyruvate in blood. Resveratrol promoted IL-10 production, and suppressed glycolysis of AIA monocytes cultured in vitro. SIRT1 overexpression similarly reshaped differentiation profile of AIA monocytes, evidenced by changes in metabolism indicators, IL-10 production and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway status. Although overexpressing SIRT1 in normal cells did not affect glycolysis significantly, it attenuated AMPK antagonist-caused abnormality. Conclusion: SIRT1 deficiency is implicated in AIA-related immune abnormality and metabolism alteration. Activating this signaling with resveratrol would impair the inflammatory polarization of monocytes, and consequently ease the severity of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of highly active single‐atom catalysts (SACs) and identifying their intrinsic active sites in oxidizing industrial hazardous hydrocarbons are challenging prospects. Tuning the electronic metal‐support interactions (EMSIs) is valid for modulating the catalytic performance of SACs. We propose that the modulation of the EMSIs in a Pt1−CuO SAC significantly promotes the activity of the catalyst in acetone oxidation. The EMSIs promote charge redistribution through the unified Pt−O−Cu moieties, which modulates the d‐band structure of atomic Pt sites, and strengthens the adsorption and activation of reactants. The positively charged Pt atoms are superior for activating acetone at low temperatures, and the stretched Cu−O bonds facilitate the activation of lattice oxygen atoms to participate in subsequent oxidation. We believe that this work will guide researchers to engineer efficient SACs for application in hydrocarbon oxidation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of highly active single‐atom catalysts (SACs) and identifying their intrinsic active sites in oxidizing industrial hazardous hydrocarbons are challenging prospects. Tuning the electronic metal‐support interactions (EMSIs) is valid for modulating the catalytic performance of SACs. We propose that the modulation of the EMSIs in a Pt1−CuO SAC significantly promotes the activity of the catalyst in acetone oxidation. The EMSIs promote charge redistribution through the unified Pt−O−Cu moieties, which modulates the d‐band structure of atomic Pt sites, and strengthens the adsorption and activation of reactants. The positively charged Pt atoms are superior for activating acetone at low temperatures, and the stretched Cu−O bonds facilitate the activation of lattice oxygen atoms to participate in subsequent oxidation. We believe that this work will guide researchers to engineer efficient SACs for application in hydrocarbon oxidation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is one of the most important food crops worldwide. Even though wheat yields have increased considerably in recent years, future wheat production is predicted to face enormous challenges due to global climate change and new versions of diseases. CRISPR/Cas technology is a clean gene technology and can be efficiently used to target genes prone to biotic stress in wheat genome. Herein, the published research papers reporting the genetic factors corresponding to stripe rust, leaf rust, stem rust, powdery mildew, fusarium head blight and some insect pests were critically reviewed to identify negative genetic factors (Susceptible, S genes) in bread wheat. Out of all reported genetic factors related to these disease, 33 genetic factors (S genes) were found as negative regulators implying that their down-regulation, deletion or silencing improved disease tolerance/resistance. The results of the published studies provided the concept of proof that these 33 genetic factors are potential targets for CRISPR/Cas knockdowns to improve genetic tolerance/resistance against these diseases in wheat. The sequences of the 33 genes were retrieved and re-mapped on the latest wheat reference genome IWGSC RefSeq v2.1. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that pathogens causing the same type of disease had some common conserved motifs and were closely related. Considering the significance of these disease on wheat yield, the S genes identified in this study are suggested to be disrupted using CRISPR/Cas system in wheat. The knockdown mutants of these S genes will add to genetic resources for improving biotic stress resistance in wheat crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer (CC) is a common malignancy in gynecology. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) act as vital mediators in CC. However, the roles of circRNA ring finger protein 121 (circRNF121) in CC are largely unknown. Herein, we focused on the exact function and underlying mechanism of circRNF121 in CC development. Our results showed that circRNF121 was highly expressed in CC tissues and cells. Knockdown of circRNF121 suppressed cell growth, metastasis, epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), autophagy, and wnt/β‐catenin pathway in CC cells in vitro and blocked tumor formation in vivo. For mechanism investigation, circRNF121 could affect activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) expression by decoying miR‐153‐3p, thereby accelerating CC cell development. In conclusion, circRNF121 exerted the tumor‐suppressive role in CC progression by altering miR‐153‐3p/ATF2 axis. These results suggested that circRNF121 might be a possible circ‐targeted therapy for patients with CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorinated volatile organic compounds (Cl-VOCs) are characterized by severe toxicity, high chemical stability, and low biodegradability. As such, they are regarded as hazardous gas pollutants. However, Cl substitution brings higher tendency in catalyst deactivation by Cl deposition, and different behaviors with the presence of water, other VOCs, NOx, SO2, and heavy metals. In this review, we provide a systematic summary on the progress and achievements in Cl-VOC catalytic degradation from a holistic perspective. Six types of Cl-VOCs, that is dichloromethane, dichloroethane, vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene, chlorobenzene, and dichlorobenzene are selected to represent chlorinated alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics. Variations in degradation efficiency, long-term stability, and the effects of water and other components are summarized to provide an insight into the intrinsic process involved in Cl-VOC catalytic degradation. This review also highlights strategies for alleviating Cl poisoning to provide guidances on the development of catalysts for Cl-VOC efficient elimination under practical application conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolite-confined metal nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted much attention owing to their superior sintering resistance and broad applications for thermal and environmental catalytic reactions. However, the pore size of the conventional zeolites is usually below 2 nm, and reactants are easily blocked to access the active sites. Herein, a facile in situ mesoporogen-free strategy is developed to design and synthesize palladium (Pd) NPs enveloped in a single-crystalline zeolite (silicalite-1, S-1) with intra-mesopores (termed Pd@IM-S-1). Pd@IM-S-1 exhibited remarkable light alkanes deep oxidation performances, and it should be attributed to the confinement and guarding effect of the zeolite shell and the improvement in mass-transfer efficiency and active metal sites accessibility. The Pd−PdO interfaces as a new active site can provide active oxygen species to the first C−H cleavage of light alkanes. This work exemplifies a promising strategy to design other high-performance intra-crystalline mesoporous zeolite-confined metal/metal oxide catalysts for high-temperature industrial thermal catalysis. Zeolite-confined metal nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted much attention owing to their superior sintering resistance and broad applications. Here the authors develop a facile in situ mesoporogen-free strategy to design and synthesize palladium NPs enveloped within a single-crystalline zeolite with intra-mesopores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photochromic materials coupled with photoswitchable luminescence functionalities are of particular interest due to their potential applications in switches and optical memory devices. However, the construction of such materials, especially those with two-color emission states, is still challenging. In this context, a rare Zn7 cluster-based host–guest MOF material, (bbmp)[Zn7(IPA)6(OH)4(H2O)2] (1) (H2IPA = isophthalic acid, bbmp·2I = 4,4′-([1,1′-biphenyl]-4,4′-diyl)bis(1-methylpyridin-1-ium) diiodide), was prepared by encapsulating an organic cation into an anionic MOF produced from zinc cations and isophthalic acid ligands, which exhibits reversible naked detectable photochromic properties varying from yellow to green upon UV-Vis light irradiation. The photoactive guest bbmp2+ and the short O⋯N+ distances between the oxygen atoms of the carboxylate groups and the pyridine ring play a crucial role in the photochromism of this compound. More interestingly, the luminescence color of this cluster-based host–guest material can be reversibly switched from green to blue upon irradiation, exhibiting photoswitchable luminescence properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of plasma‐activated water (PAW) treatment is a promising technology that has many advantages, such as high efficiency, flexibility, environmental safety, and no residue. Thus, PAW has been applied in the agriculture industry to increase agricultural production. The application of PAW technology in agricultural production should emphasize its systematic nature, controllability, and operability, making it practical. This review systematically illustrates the production of PAW and the factors influencing it. The application of PAW in agriculture and its mechanism are discussed, including the effect on seed germination, the promotion of plant growth, and the control of plant diseases and pests. The implications of PAW for agriculture production and some of the related challenges are discussed. This review provides a deeper understanding of the viability of PAW technology in agriculture production. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuO@TiO2 core–shell nanostructure catalyst with CuO core and TiO2 shell was prepared by a two-step method and then used in NH3-SCR reaction. FE-SEM, TEM and element mapping were used to investigate the morphologies of the sample. Their results indicated CuO nanorods were coated with TiO2 and thus forming a core–shell nanostructure. According to the results of N2 adsorption–desorption, XRD, Raman, XPS, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR and in situ DRIFTS, the core–shell nanostructure would benefit the formation of better redox ability, more oxygen vacancies, more acid sites and abundant adsorbed NOx species on the catalyst. Thus, the core–shell nanostructure catalyst presented significantly higher activity than pure CuO and TiO2. NH3-SCR reaction on CuO@TiO2 core–shell catalyst should follow both Eley–Rideal (E-R) mechanism and Langmuir-Hinshewood (L–H) mechanism. These findings may promote the development of the new effective non-vanadium-based SCR catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a new kind of CdS–ZnO core–shell nanorods with controlled ZnO shell are first synthesized by a simple chemical deposition method in aqueous solution. The thickness and distribution of the ZnO shell can be accurately adjusted, and intimate contact interfaces between CdS and ZnO are well constructed. The optimal CSZ0.5 core–shell heterostructure exhibits a photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 805.5 μmol h−1 without co-catalysts (3 mg of catalyst, equal to 268.5 mmol g−1 h−1), which is 12 and 895 times higher than that of CdS and ZnO, respectively, and is the maximum value among CdS-based photocatalysts under similar experimental conditions. The significant enhancement in the photocatalytic H2 evolution rate can be mainly attributed to three positive factors: the single-crystalline structure of CdS, the Z-scheme mechanism formed between CdS and ZnO, and the introduced ascorbic acid. The first two factors effectively promote the separation and migration of charge carriers, and the latter factor realizes efficient hydrogen spillover for CdS/ZnO to accelerate the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction. In addition, the homogeneous ZnO shell grown on the CdS core efficiently suppresses the photo-corrosion of CdS, which endows CdS/ZnO with outstanding photostability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a robust water treatment technique due to its energy-efficient, low cost, and environmentally safe features. Recently, the utilization of faradaic electrode materials to construct hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI) is considered to be one of the effective ways to address the drawbacks of the inferior desalination capacity of conventional CDI. Here, for the first time, a Na3MnTi(PO4)3/C (NTMP/C) composite was prepared via a sol–gel-calcination method and used as a faradaic electrode in HCDI. The NTMP nanoparticles were encapsulated in a carbon matrix, which could reduce the ion diffusion distance as well as ensure rapid ion transmission. In addition, taking the advantage of the high ratio of pseudo-capacitive performance and the two-species redox reaction of Ti4+/Ti3+ and Mn3+/Mn2+ couples, the obtained NTMP/C composite displayed a large ion removal capacity (72.2 mg g−1) (IRC), ultrafast ion removal rate (IRR) (21.6 mg g−1 min−1) and excellent cycle stability. Moreover, the mechanism of the Na+ removal of NTMP/C in the desalination process was investigated via electrochemical and ex situ structural characterization. This study indicates that NTMP/C can be an alternative faradaic electrode material towards CDI applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages comprise the front line of defense against various pathogens. Classically activated macrophages (M1), induced by IFN-γ and LPS, highly express inflammatory cytokines and contribute to inflammatory processes. By contrast, alternatively activated macrophages (M2) are induced by IL-4 and IL-13, produce IL-10, and display anti-inflammatory activity. Adenylate kinase 4 (Ak4), an enzyme that transfers phosphate group among ATP/GTP, AMP, and ADP, is a key modulator of ATP and maintains the homeostasis of cellular nucleotides which is essential for cell functions. However, its role in regulating the function of macrophages is not fully understood. Here we report that Ak4 expression is induced in M1 but not M2 macrophages. Suppressing the expression of Ak4 in M1 macrophages with shRNA or siRNA enhances ATP production and decreases ROS production, bactericidal ability and glycolysis in M1 cells. Moreover, Ak4 regulates the expression of inflammation genes, including Il1b, Il6, Tnfa, Nos2, Nox2 , and Hif1a , in M1 macrophages. We further demonstrate that Ak4 inhibits the activation of AMPK and forms a positive feedback loop with Hif1α to promote the expression of inflammation-related genes in M1 cells. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis demonstrates that Ak4 also regulates other biological processes in addition to the expression of inflammation-related genes in M1 cells. Interestingly, Ak4 does not regulate M1/M2 polarization. Taken together, our study uncovers a potential mechanism linking energy consumption and inflammation in macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel homometallic Ru−Ru and heterometallic Ru−Os dimers and trimers, [MII(bpy)2(4‐tpy‐4′‐methyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine)MII(tpy)]4+ and [MII(bpy)2](4‐tpy‐4′‐tpy‐2,2′‐bipyridine)(MII(tpy))2]6+, have been first prepared and characterized. Electrochemical properties of the metal‐based reversible oxidation and ligand‐based reduction are measured. Spectroscopic analysis of these complexes exhibits for every Ru‐ or Os‐based subunit an individual intense absorption spectrum extended over the entire UV and visible region. The heteronuclear complexes [RuII(bpy)2(4‐tpy‐4′‐methyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine)OsII(tpy)]4+, [RuII(bpy)2](4‐tpy‐4′‐tpy‐2,2′‐bipyridine)(OsII(tpy))2]6+, and [OsII(bpy)2](4‐tpy‐4′‐tpy‐2,2′‐bipyridine)(RuII(tpy))2]6+ display a weak emission spectrum in the near‐infrared region (NIR). The luminescence of the polynuclear assemblies is quantitatively quenched, by intramolecular energy transfer to the lower‐lying metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (3MLCT) and metal‐centered (3MC) state of the Os(II)‐based center or Ru(II)‐terpyridine moiety at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we fabricated thin-film resistors using CuMn and yttrium targets by DC/RF magnetron cosputtering. CuMnY-resistive thin films were deposited onto glass and Al2O3 substrates. The electrical properties and microstructures of CuMn alloy films with different yttrium content were investigated. The CuMnY films were annealed at temperature ranging from 250°C to 350°C in N2 atmosphere. The phase variation, microstructure, film thickness, and constitutional analysis of CuMnY films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and related energy dispersive X-ray analyses (XRD, FESEM, and HRTEM/EDX). It was found that CuMnY alloy films separated into two parts after annealing. The first part is the MnO phase on the bottom side of the film. The second part is an amorphous structure on the upper side of the film. The MnO phase is a microcrystalline that exists in CuMn films, which is dependent on the Y content and annealing temperature. CuMn alloy films with 15.7% yttrium addition annealed at 300°C exhibited higher resistivity ∼4000 μΩ-cm with −41 ppm/°C of temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐assembly of transition metal ions with different N‐donor ligands and 3,3′‐azodibenzoic acid (3,3′‐H2ADB) yielded five novel metal‐organic frameworks. All the 3,3′‐ADB2– anions got oxidized into 3,3′‐AO2DB2– and 3,3′‐AODB2– under solvothermal conditions. Compound 1 has a 3D 6‐connected pcu architecture based on [Mn3(COO)6] SBU. Compound 2 exhibits 3D threefold interpenetrating framework based on paddlewheel [Mn2(COO)4] SBU with 41263 topological configuration. Compound 3 bears zigzag double chains, which are then connected by π–π stacking interactions into 2D porous structure. Compound 4 features 2D network with self‐penetrating feature. Compound 5 exhibits a fivefold interpenetrating architecture with dia type. Magnetic measurements show that 1, 2 and 5 exhibit antiferromagnetic behavior. In addition, compound 3 displays significant adsorption towards methylene blue in aqueous solution. Thermogravimetric analyses for 1–5 and the luminescence properties of 3 and 4 have also been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: During planting, storage and transportation of maize excessive amounts of pesticides are used to ensure production, resulting in pesticide residues on the maize that can threaten human health. Plasma, compared with other technologies, has been widely regarded as a green, safe and promising technology for surface decontamination to ensure maize safety and quality. RESULTS: The aim of this study is to discuss plasma effects on the degradation of chlorpyrifos and carbaryl on maize surface and the changes of treated maize quality. Results achieved the largest degradation efficiency of chlorpyrifos and carbaryl, up to 91.5% and 73.1%, respectively. The physical changes of maize were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), showing a decrease in contact angle, an increase in surface free energy and polar component, leading to improved hydrophilicity of the treated maize. There was no significant change of vitamin B2 content of maize. A significant increase of acid value and decrease of moisture content and starch content were observed within acceptable limits. CONCLUSION: It is reasonable to believe that argon plasma treatment enhances the edible safety of maize while maintaining maize quality. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective extraction and detection of pollutants in the environment have been important issues in analytical science. Cellulosic materials, composed of both functionalized and composited components, have been recently identified as promising solid-phase extraction adsorbents for various applications. Due to their alluring properties such as renewability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, high strength and stiffness and easy modification, this unique class of materials exhibits excellent extraction and enrichment performance for numerous target analytes. Herein, we review recent significant advances in solid-phase extraction using cellulosic sorbents for organic and inorganic pollutants in environmental matrices. The development of new cellulose-based sorbents and related solid-phase extraction (SPE) patterns, including cartridge SPE (c-SPE), disk SPE, dispersive SPE, magnetic SPE, molecularly imprinted SPE, on-line SPE, SPE spectroscopy/spectrometry and thin film microextraction (TFME), were discussed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel strategy, one-step vulcanization of Cd(OH)Cl nanorods in the presence of ZnCl2 and Na2PdCl4, is successfully developed to synthesize CdS/ZnS/PdS nanotubes (NTs) for the first time. In this method, the three components (CdS, ZnS and PdS) are fully combined together at the nano-scale in the CdS/ZnS/PdS NTs, creating a large number of intimate contact interfaces. As a result, the optimized CdS/ZnS/PdS NTs exhibit a significantly enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 1021.1 μmol h−1 (10 mg of catalyst), which is 11.4 and 16.3 times higher than that of pristine CdS NTs and ZnS nanoparticles (NPs), respectively, and is the maximum reported value for CdS-based photocatalysts under similar experimental conditions. Moreover, the apparent quantum efficiency of the optimal sample can reach 26.1% at 365 nm wavelength. The improved photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the synergistic effects of the hollow tubular structure, the CdS/ZnS heterostructure and the PdS co-catalyst. Due to the hollow tubular structure, both the inner and outer surfaces of CdS/ZnS/PdS NTs can act as reaction sites to rapidly consume electrons and holes, effectively suppressing their recombination. Both the CdS/ZnS heterostructure and PdS co-catalyst can efficiently promote the separation and transfer of charge carriers. This work may provide a new method for the design and construction of new photocatalysts with highly efficient H2 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The specific findings of this research will deep our understanding for the mechanisms of bio-decontamination from material surfaces by plasma technology. The main objective of this work was to fully understand the bio-decontamination process in a reduced-pressure oxygen plasma. Gram-negative Escherichia coli species was chosen as the target microorganism in this test. The comparison of decontamination efficacy between plasma total and UV radiation individually under various treatment parameters and tests of DNA agarose electrophoresis were made to evaluate the inactivation effect of UV radiation. The quantity of protein leakage and the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), which are markers of the end products of lipid peroxidation, in bacterial suspension after treatment were determined to estimate the contribution of both charged particles and free radicals for bacterial death. In addition, a scanning electronic microscope was used to visualize the plasma effect on microorganisms. The results showed that the essential action of the oxygen plasma on Escherichia coli is believed to be attributed to the fast and intense etching on cell membrane by electrons and ions. Attacks on polyunsaturation fatty acid (PUFA) in the cell membrane by oxygen free radicals and the destruction of the DNA in the cell by UV radiation are accessorial during an effective decontamination process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal oxides@MOFs core‐shell materials were developed for selective catalytic reduction of NOx by NH3 (NH3‐SCR). A novel CuO@Cu‐MOFs core‐shell material with CuO as the core and Cu3(BTC)2 as the shell were rationally designed and synthesized by an in situ growth method and used in NH3‐SCR reaction. The prepared CuO@Cu‐MOFs materials combined physicochemical properties of CuO (high NO adsorption stability and excellent surface reducibility) and Cu3(BTC)2 (large specific surface area and abundant acid sites). In addition, the core‐shell materials held large amounts of Brønsted acid sites and abundant adsorbed NOx intermediate species, which benefited NH3‐SCR reaction under low‐temperature. Experimental results demonstrated that CuO@Cu‐MOFs possessed higher low‐temperature catalytic activity than that of pure CuO and Cu3(BTC)2. Importantly, CuO@Cu‐MOFs performed satisfied stability in NH3‐SCR reaction, which made it to be a potential and promising low‐temperature SCR catalyst. All grown up! CuO@Cu3(BTC)2 core‐shell materials which combined the advantages of CuO and Cu3(BTC)2 perform superb low‐temperature catalytic activity in NH3‐SCR reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, hollow mesoporous silica samples (HMSs) with uniform diameter (≈ 400 nm), high specific surface area (1138–1742 m2/g) and stable structure were successfully synthesized. The shell of synthesized HMSs displays the well-ordered cubic Ia3d mesostructure with uniform mesopores of ca. 2.7 nm, and the shell thickness is easily adjusted in range from 30 to 80 nm. More importantly, the potential applications of HMSs are further demonstrated for adsorption capacity, toluene as the model molecule. HMSs exhibit remarkably higher adsorption capacity, especially HMS-3. The saturated adsorption amount toward toluene of HMS-3 can reach as high as 5.93 mmol/g that is almost two times larger than that of MCM-48 (2.74 mmol/g). In addition, Henry constants and adsorption kinetics date on HMS-3 and MCM-48 for toluene were also evaluated in detail. By a contrastive analysis, the good sorption capacity of HMS-3 for toluene could be ascribed to the unique interior voids and strong adsorption energy with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diastereoselective approach for the total synthesis of an unusual atropisomer of the Schisandra triterpenoid (±)‐schiglautone A is described. The efficient synthetic strategy features three key transformations: 1) two sequential titanium(III)‐catalyzed radical cyclization/homologation reactions to construct the trans‐fused [6,7] bicycle as well as install the quaternary carbons at C10 and C14 with the desired stereochemistry; 2) a Claisen rearrangement followed by a ring‐closing metathesis to forge the strained nine‐membered ring; and 3) a substrate‐controlled Michael addition to enable the introduction of the C17 side‐chain with good diastereoselectivity. One is not like the other: A diastereoselective approach for the total synthesis of an unusual atropisomer of the Schisandra triterpenoid schiglautone A is described. The key features are two sequential TiIII‐catalyzed radical reactions, a ring‐closing metathesis, and a substrate‐controlled Michael addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aims. The study is aimed at studying the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and exploring the potential predictor for AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis. Methods. A retrospective study adopting a stratified cohort sampling design was performed in a cohort of patients (n=237) diagnosed with acute pancreatitis without any renal injury. The following information including age, gender, serum creatinine, serum urea nitrogen, serum uric acid, serum cystatin C, fasting serum glucose, serum amylase, serum lipase, serum choline esterase, total protein, albumin, globulin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, total bile acids, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase were collected from each patient when they were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Student t-test was conducted to figure out the difference between patients with and without AKI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used for investigating the predictors for AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis. Results. 18 (7.6%) patients in total had developed AKI among the study group. Compared with patients without AKI (1.01 ± 0.26 mg/L), the level of baseline serum cystatin C (CYS-C) was significantly higher in patients with AKI (3.64 ± 2.17 mg/L, P<0.001). Baseline serum CYS-C (OR=203.594, P<0.001) was the independent and significant predictor for AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis. AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis could be identified with a sensitivity of 88.9% at specificity of 100% (AUC=0.948, 95% CI 0.879–1.000) by baseline serum CYS-C (cut-off value = 1.865 mg/L). Conclusions. Baseline serum CYS-C shall be adopted to predict the potential risk of AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mining is a common source of metals in aquatic ecosystems. Metal loading in the environment is thought to be a selective pressure that induces compositional and functional changes within the affected microbial community in the sediment. This study aims to explore shifts in the diversity, structure, and functional gene abundance of microbial communities in the sediment of the copper mining-induced contaminated lakes in Finland.Materials and methods: The sediment microbial community structures and abundance of the functional groups involved in carbon/nitrogen/sulfur cycling in four lakes located downstream from metal mines (Kirkkoselkä (KS), Junttiselkä (JS), Laakajärvi (LJ), and Sysmäjärvi (SJ)) and one reference lake (Parkkimanjärvi (PJ)) in Finland were compared using high throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR.Results and discussion: Compared to the PJ reference lake sediment, the relative abundances were higher for Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes, Acidobacteria, and Nitrospirae but lower for Firmicutes and Alphaproteobacteria in the mine-contaminated sediment samples. The number of copies of copper-resistant genes (copA) in the two copper-contaminated sediments (5.34 × 106 and 4.95 × 106 copies ng−1 DNA for KS and JS, respectively) was significantly higher than that in the PJ sediment (1.33 × 106 copies ng−1 DNA). Methanogens (mcrA gene) accounted for 5.09-11.5% of the total archaea (16S rRNA) in these lake sediments. In addition, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (amoA gene) in the LJ sediment accounted for 36.0% of the total archaea but only 0.83-1.63% in the sediment of other lakes. The abundance of eight investigated functional groups accounted for 28.8% of the total bacteria in the PJ sediment but less than 1.3% in the metal-contaminated sediments. The canonical correspondence analysis showed that the microbial community structure of Lake LJ was scattered far from the other lakes and was significantly correlated with nitrate; the community structural change in the JS and KS sediments was positively correlated with copper or negatively correlated with nitrate concentration.Conclusions: These results indicate that the sedimentary indigenous microbial community may shift its composition and structure as well as its function to increase its adaptability and/or resistance to metal-contaminated freshwater sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]