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In this paper, we propose and analyze two highly efficient compact finite difference schemes for coupled nonlinear wave equations containing coupled sine-Gordon equations and coupled Klein-Gordon equations. To construct energy-preserving, high-order accurate and linear numerical methods, we first utilize the scalar auxiliary variable (SAV) approach and introduce three auxiliary functions to rewrite the original problem as a new equivalent system. Then we make use of the compact finite difference method and the Crank-Nicolson method to propose an efficient fully-discrete scheme (SAV-CFD-CN). The modified energy conservation and the convergence of the SAV-CFD-CN scheme are proved in detail, which has fourth-order convergence in space and second-order convergence in time. In order to preserve the discrete energy of original system, we further combine Lagrange multiplier approach, compact finite difference method and the Crank-Nicolson method to propose the second fully-discrete scheme (LM-CFD-CN). The proposed two schemes are high-order accurate, linear and highly efficient, only four symmetric positive definite systems with constant coefficients are required to be solved at each time level. Numerical experiments for the coupled nonlinear wave equations are given to confirm theoretical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In garnet phase ceramics Y 2.9 M 0.1 Al 4.9 Si 0.1 O 12 (M = Mg2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+), rattling effects occur when M = Mg2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Mn2+ ions with smaller ionic radius (<1Å) occupy the dodecahedron lattice lattices. This results in an abnormally high dielectric constant, in contrast to the larger ionic radius (>1 Å) of M = Ca2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+, which deviate from the theoretical values calculated using the Clausius-Mosotti formula according to each ion's polarizability. The optimal microwave dielectric properties for Y 2.9 Mg 0.1 Al 4.9 Si 0.1 O 12 was obtained by sintering at 1575 °C for 5 h (Q × f = 51,382 GHz, ε r = 9.74, and τ f = −30.12 ppm/°C). Additionally, a thermal stable Y 2.9 Mg 0.1 Al 4.9 Si 0.1 O 12 -6 wt%TiO 2 composite ceramic was developed. Based on this composite, a Wifi6E/7 patch antenna operating at 6.3 GHz and a millimeter-wave resonant antenna functioning at 27.1 GHz were designed and validated. This indicates the potential application prospects of garnet ceramics in 5G/6G radio communication technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microneedle patches are emerging multifunctional platforms for transdermal diagnostics and drug delivery. However, it still remains challenging to develop smart microneedles integrated with customization, sensing, detection and drug delivery by 3D printing strategy. Here, we present an innovative but facile strategy to rationally design and fabricate multifunctional eutectogel microneedle (EMN) patches via multi-material 3D printing. Polymerizable deep eutectic solvents (PDES) were selected as printing inks for rapid one-step fabrication of 3D printing functional EMN patches due to fast photopolymerization rate and ultrahigh drug solubility. Moreover, stretchable EMN patches incorporating rigid needles and flexible backing layers were easily realized by changing PDES compositions of multi-material 3D printing. Meanwhile, we developed multifunctional smart multi-material EMN patches capable of performing wireless monitoring of body movements, painless colorimetric glucose detection, and controlled transdermal drug delivery. Thus, such multi-material EMN system could provide an effective platform for the painless diagnosis, detection, and therapy of a variety of diseases. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the role of K and steam in upgrading syngas quality over biochar in a two-stage fixed-bed reactor. The integration of K-char catalyst and steam greatly increased syngas (H 2 +CO) and H 2 production. The syngas products yield (19.76 mmol/g biomass) and a H 2 yield (11.14 mmol/g biomass) were achieved when K-char was used as catalyst in the presence of steam. In general, four ways could be concluded to promote volatiles reforming to improve syngas quality by K and steam: Firstly, K and steam interaction with biochar increased the surface area and developed the porous structure of biochar, providing the pyrolytic intermediates with full complete contact with the char surface, and improving the chance of contact with the active sites. Secondly, the condensation reactions of biochar were inhibited by K and steam, thus preventing the reduction of active groups on the aromatic ring of biochar. Thirdly, K and steam promoted the formation of O-containing groups with high reactive activity on the char surface, such as –COO and –CO. Moreover, volatile K migrated in biochar matrix during catalytic reforming, and steam inhibited the release of K in biochar, resulting in more K retaining on the char surface in the form of -COK and -COOK acting as the active sites, which ultimately improved the catalytic activity of biochar, and promoted tar destruction and hydrocarbon reforming. [Display omitted] • K-form char combined with steam greatly increased syngas (H 2 +CO) and H 2 production. • Steam, carbon skeleton and K in biochar improved the secondary catalytic reforming reaction efficiency. • The catalytic effect of biochar is related to its surface area, O-containing groups and K migration. • Mechanism of K-form char combined with steam to improve syngas quality is well discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High dense Al 4 SiC 4 –SiC ceramic composites with different SiC contents were hot pressed using self-synthesized Al 4 SiC 4 and commercial SiC powders without any sintering additives. The effect of SiC contents on the densification, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Al 4 SiC 4 -based ceramics was investigated. The anisotropic growth of Al 4 SiC 4 grains was inhibited by the pinning effect of the introduced SiC particles, while the weakly bonded interfaces were formed due to the thermal expansion mismatch between Al 4 SiC 4 and SiC. As a consequence, the mechanical properties of Al 4 SiC 4 -based ceramics were improved significantly. With the SiC contents increasing from 0 to 30 wt%, the flexural strength increased from 314 ± 7 to 466 ± 18 MPa and the fracture toughness increased from 4.8 ± 0.4 to 7.3 ± 0.3 MPa m1/2, respectively. The flexural strengths of Al 4 SiC 4 –SiC composites at elevated temperatures were also tested under an argon atmosphere. No strength degradation of Al 4 SiC 4 –SiC composites was observed at 1200 °C and a high strength retention rate of 96.3 % at 1400 °C was obtained. The above results demonstrate the application prospects of Al 4 SiC 4 –SiC ceramics as high-temperature structural materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New ultra-low loss, temperature-stable composite ceramics, (1- x) Mg 1.99 Ga 0.01 Si 0.99 Al 0.01 O 4 - x CaTiO 3 , have been developed with a view to expanding the portfolio of low-cost, MW dielectrics available for 5 G/6 G telecommunications, currently dominated by 95 wt%MgTiO 3 -5 wt%CaTiO 3 , (Mg,Ca)TiO 3 (relative permittivity, ε r ∼ 21, quality factor, Q × f ∼ 56,000 GHz and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency, τ f ∼ 0 ppm/°C). Compared with (Mg,Ca)TiO 3 , 89 wt%Mg 1.99 Ga 0.01 Si 0.99 Al 0.01 O 4 -11 wt%CaTiO 3 ceramics are also temperature stable (τ f = −2.72 ppm/°C) but have lower ε r (∼8.55) and a higher Q × f (∼ 72,900 GHz @ 12 GHz and 80,900 GHz @ 26 GHz), better suited to the higher frequencies earmarked for 6 G millimeter-wave (mm-wave) applications. To demonstrate its potential for 5 G/6 G telecommunications, a waveguide filter with novel negative coupling structure was fabricated based on simulated results. The filter had low insertion loss (0.43 dB) at the center frequency (4.8 GHz) and high selectivity with a roll-off rate of 576/375 dB/GHz. The S-parameters matched well at 25 °C and 85 °C, demonstrating that the filter had excellent temperature stability and was therefore suitable for future 5 G/6 G microwave and mm-wave communication devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geogenic arsenic has become a globally-distributed groundwater contaminant, liberated from the weathering of arsenic-bearing sulfide minerals and often transported to aquifer sediments adsorbed to iron oxides. Among the iron oxides, goethite (α-FeOOH) is uniquely important for the fate of arsenic because of its widespread abundance, stability, and high affinity for binding arsenic. Goethite is ubiquitous in soils and sediments and often contains substituted elements, including manganese. Structural manganese may affect the surface reactivity and redox capacity of goethite and alter the mechanisms of recrystallization catalyzed by dissolved Fe(II), potentially affecting arsenic adsorption. This study examined the fate of As(V) during the interactions between dissolved Fe(II) and Mn-substituted goethites at pH 4 and 7 as well as associated changes in arsenic speciation. At pH 7, the addition of dissolved Fe(II) initially increases the adsorption of As(V) onto Mn-bearing and Mn-free goethites. For the Mn-substituted goethites, the adsorbed As(V) slowly releases to solution at longer aging times. Fe(II) addition at pH 4 slightly increases As(V) uptake by Mn-substituted goethites, with differences in total sorption correlating with the Mn content in goethite. The addition of Fe(II) releases substantial dissolved manganese but the amount solubilized is higher at pH 4 compared to 7, suggesting that the presence of adsorbed As(V) may substantially promote the Mn release at pH 4. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy shows that arsenic is stabilized as As(V) in all the samples and adsorbed on goethite via a bidentate binuclear mechanism. Fitting results show that the binding distance and coordination numbers are stable in Mn-free goethite and Mn-substituted goethite samples; the effect of substituted Mn on the surface complex structure is minor. High resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction confirm that no secondary ferrous arsenate minerals precipitate under both pH conditions. This study improves our understanding of the Fe(II)-As(V) interactions on iron oxides, and demonstrates that the substituted cations such as manganese may quantitatively alter the geochemical fate of arsenic during the reaction of dissolved Fe(II) with Fe(III) oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous SiC–Si 3 N 4 ceramics with various pore structures were prepared by adding different amounts and sizes of pore-forming agents (Polymethyl methacrylate, PMMA). The dielectric and wave absorption properties of porous ceramics were investigated over a wide temperature and frequency range. Increasing the porosity reduced the frequency dependence of complex permittivity. When the porosity increased from 50.97% to 54.59%, the loss tangent was slightly enhanced due to pore-induced polarization. An optimal pore size range enhanced the dielectric properties, beyond which a lower loss tangent was exhibited. Increasing the porosity reduced the temperature dependence of the loss tangent, and the peak of the change rate of the loss tangent moved to a higher temperature. The minimum reflection loss at room temperature can reach - 49.61 dB at 11.91 GHz for a 1.9 mm-thick sample. The minimum reflection loss at 9.72 GHz for 25 vol% PMMA-added porous ceramic with a 2.1 mm-thick material can be as low as - 65.92 dB at 300 °C. The porosity can be changed to achieve selective electromagnetic wave absorption at different temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly densified Al 4 SiC 4 ceramics with a relative density of 96.1% were prepared by pressureless sintering using 2 wt% Y 2 O 3 as additives. The densification mechanism, phase composition, microstructures and mechanical properties of Al 4 SiC 4 ceramics were investigated. Y 2 O 3 in-situ reacted with the oxygen impurities in Al 4 SiC 4 powder to form a yttrium aluminate liquid phase during sintering, which promoted the densification and anisotropic grain growth. The final Al 4 SiC 4 ceramics were composed of equiaxed grains and columnar grains, and presented a bimodal grain distribution. The mechanical properties of the pressureless sintered Al 4 SiC 4 ceramics were better than those reported for hot pressed Al 4 SiC 4 , including a flexural strength of 369 ± 24 MPa, fracture toughness of 4.8 ± 0.1 MPa m1/2 and Vickers hardness of 11.3 ± 0.2 GPa. Pressureless sintering of Al 4 SiC 4 ceramics is of great significance for the development and practical application of Al 4 SiC 4 ceramic parts, especially with big size and complex shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A formula for characterizing the excitation condition of the nth-order Bragg resonance is derived. • The influence of various bed parameters on wave reflection, including Bragg resonant reflection, is investigated. • Zero reflections are closely related to the zero points of the Chebyshev polynomial of the second kind. • When there is no slope, there are N − 1 zero reflections between two Bragg peaks, otherwise all zero reflections disappear. • Higher-order Bragg resonance peaks beat faster, and the nth-order Bragg resonance peak has n local maxima. For water waves propagating over a finite periodic array of congruent trapezoidal bars on a sloping seabed or trenches dug on a sloping seabed, an analytical solution in terms of Taylor series to the modified mild-slope equation (MMSE) is constructed. Based on the analytical solution, influences of various topographic parameters (e.g., the slope of seabed, bar/trench number, bar height or trench depth, and bar/trench width) on the peak value, peak phase and zero reflection of Bragg resonances are investigated. Especially, starting from the original definition of Bragg resonances, a modified Bragg's law for characterizing the excitation condition of the n th order Bragg resonance is derived, which shows that the excitation of Bragg resonances depends entirely on the average phase velocity of the water wave within the bar/trench field. When the influence of the bar/trench field on the average phase velocity is quite small, the modified Bragg's law degenerates into the traditional Bragg's law borrowed from X-ray crystallography, which also reflects the essential difference between the water wave as a mechanical wave and the non-mechanical X-ray wave. In addition, for N bars/trenches on a flat seabed, there are at least N − 1 zero reflections between any two adjacent Bragg resonance peaks. When the bars are very low or the trenches are very shallow, the phase of the N − 1 zero reflections in those zero reflections is exactly the position of the N − 1 zero points of the Chebyshev polynomial of the second kind, U N − 1 (cos k 0 d) , where k 0 is the wavenumber on the flat seabed and d is the bar/trench spacing. However, once a sloping seabed is added, all these N − 1 zero reflections disappear possibly due to the destruction of the symmetry of the background bar/trench field. Finally, regardless of the number of bars/trenches, when the bar/trench width varies, the peak value of the n th order Bragg resonance oscillates periodically, leading to n local maxima. A comparative study shows that these characteristics are consistent with the band structure shown in the Bloch periodic gap map (PGM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water shortage crisis has been paid attention to and many efforts have been conducted to find proper and applicable solutions to it through developing desalination systems. Commonly, being simple in construction and easy operation, solar stills (SSs) have been developed to meet the freshwater need; especially, in arid areas. However, their productivity and efficiency improvement are still a challenge. Accordingly, the current work aimed to enhance the thermo-economic performance of a pyramid SS (PSS) by augmenting the evaporation and condensation processes. For obtaining high vapor generation, evacuated tubes and ultrasonic foggers were integrated into the developed PSS (DPSS) as a first case (DPSS-I), in which different operation times of the foggers were tested. Then, Co 3 O 4 nanofluid (1.5 wt%) was added as a basin fluid in the second case (DPSS-II). Finally, in the third case (DPSS-III), a glass cooling was used for boosting the condensation rate. Besides the experiments, a complete thermo-economic performance analysis was done via calculating the energetic and exergetic efficiencies and freshwater cost (per liter). All these performance indicators of DPSS were compared to that of traditional PSS (TPSS). As resulted, integrating all the proposed additives (DPSS-III) could enhance freshwater production, energy efficiency, and exergy efficiency by 83.87%, 18.29% and 38.86%, respectively. Additionally, the production cost, per freshwater liter, was reduced by 11.61%. These results showed the applicability, sustainability, and feasibility of the proposed additives in the field of solar desalination, particularly SSs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supported Cu nanoparticle catalysts are the main players in hydrogenation of CO 2 to methanol, however, the challenges in selectivity and catalyst stability have not been properly addressed due to the reverse water-gas shift reaction initiated by Cu nanoparticles and their sintering/oxidation. Here, we have developed a series of Cu,Zn-codoped ZrO 2 catalyst, in which Cu and Zn are highly dispersed into the matrix of ZrO 2. The optimal Cu,Zn-codoped ZrO 2 catalyst demonstrates outstanding performance compared with Cu-doped ZrO 2 , Zn-doped ZrO 2 and Cu-doped ZnO catalysts. Chemisorption, H 2 -D 2 exchange and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy analyses reveal that the synergy interaction between the doped Zn and Cu plays a crucial role in boosting the selective production of methanol synthesis via promoting CO 2 adsorption and H 2 dissociation. This study provides an intriguing example for the development of selective and stable Cu-catalyst for the CO 2 hydrogenation via metal-doping strategy. [Display omitted] • An efficient CO 2 -to-methanol catalyst were prepared by co-doping Cu/Zn in ZrO 2. • Co-doping Cu/Zn improved the catalytic performance of methanol formation. • Synergy interaction of Cu/Zn sites promoted CO 2 adsorption and H 2 dissociation. • Methanol formation proceeded via HCOO* -intermediated path way. • The hydrogenation of HCOO* to CH 3 O* were enhanced by co-doping Cu and Zn sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assemblies of as called "chitosan hydrogel-liposome" are expected for overcoming the burst effect in drug release from chitosan (CS) hydrogels. Herein, a hydrogel delivery system made of chitosan incorporated fatty acid vesicles was constructed for protective sustained release of curcumin (Cur). The curcumin was encapsulated in the prepared oligo-conjugated linoleic acid vesicles (OCLAVs), and then the drug-embedded vesicles were constructed to Cur-OCLAVs-CS hydrogels with CS solution. The fabricated Cur-OCLAVs-CS hydrogel was fluidic at room temperature and could be rapidly gelled at 37 °C. Morphology study proves that the OCLAVs stayed as nano-vesicles in the gel. The Cur-OCLAVs-CS hydrogels effectively declined the burst effect with enhanced antioxidant activity. The Cur (400 μM)-OCLAVs-CS gel presented a cumulative release rate of 51.23 % of curcumin in 96 h, comparing to 93.37 % of that from the Cur-CS gel. Moreover, the corporation of OCLAVs and CS made the gel exhibited strong synergistic effect on the antioxidant activity, with an enhancement of up to 148.1 % on the ferric reducing power. Therefore, the hydrogel carrier made of incorporated fatty acid vesicles-chitosan can be served as an injectable or 3D printable drug delivery system, which may provide a hint to overcome the burst effect that existed in chitosan and other polysaccharide-based gels. • An injectable chitosan (CS) incorporated liposome hydrogel was constructed. • The oligo-conjugate linoleic acid vesicles (OCLAVs) stay as liposome in the gel. • The OCLAVs-CS gel provided protective sustain release of curcumin. • The OCLAVs-CS gel has synergistic antioxidant activity with curcumin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, highly efficient Ti-containing zeolite catalyst (Ti/Al-HSZ) has been prepared by an active catalysis species surface implanting strategy (ACS-SIS) through the combination of precedent acid treatment and subsequent recrystallization. Compared with commercial titanosilicate zeolite catalysts and Ti-HSZ catalyst synthesized by one-step method, Ti/Al-HSZ- c - 3.5d-AT catalyst presents highly enhanced catalytic activity and turnover number values in the epoxidation of linear and cycloalkenes by using 30% H 2 O 2 as oxygen agent under mild reaction conditions. Particularly for the conversion of bulky linear alkene and cycloalkene (1-dodecene and cycloheptene), the catalytic activity of Ti/Al-HSZ- 4M‐3.5d‐AT can attained more than three times than that over Ti-HSZ- 3.5d-AT. Based on systematical comparison and analysis, on one hand, the excellent catalytic performance of Ti/Al-HSZ is ascribed to its unique hollownest morphology that acts as ideal reaction space by providing with plenty of hierarchical porous structure and high external surface, which is beneficial for the diffusion and mass transfer of bulky substrate. On the other hand, the high content of active open Ti species locating on the surface of catalyst is particularly beneficial for the formation of transition state to accelerate the epoxidation reaction. Not only the Ti source utilization rate but also the Ti open incorporated rate of Ti/Al-HSZ- 4M‐3.5d‐AT prepared by ACS-SIS is much higher than that of Ti-HSZ prepared by one-step hydrothermal synthesis route. The effects of acid treatment and recrystallization on the zeolite framework, morphology, chemical composition, and Ti coordination states have been thoroughly discussed. The ACS-SIS is believed to be an effective route to construct excellent solid heterogeneous catalyst to meet the urgent need of green chemistry for sustainable development. [Display omitted] • Construction of Ti-containing zeolite by active species surface implanting strategy. • Highly enhanced Ti source utilization efficiency and catalytic activity. • Synergistic effect of acid treatment and recrystallization. • Nanosheets with high content of active open Ti species and hollownest morphology. • Epoxidation of linear and cycloalkenes with 30% H 2 O 2 under mild condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The growing demand of advanced electrochemical energy storage devices for various applications, including portable electronic products, electric vehicles, and large-scale energy storage grids, has triggered extensive research interests and efforts on various rechargeable batteries such as lithium/sodium-ion batteries (LIBs/NIBs), aluminium-ion batteries (AIBs), liquid metal batteries (LMBs), and molten-air batteries (MABs) in the past decades. A key issue to push forward the development of these batteries is the exploration of high-performance electrodes and electrolytes, which calls for efficient and versatile synthetic methods. Molten salts (MSs), liquid-phase ionic compounds or mixtures, provide an effective platform to widen the reaction temperatures and enrich the chemical environments for the synthesis of novel electrode materials and electrolytes. In this review, the general principles of molten salts and recent research progresses on molten salt-based battery materials are surveyed. Molten-salt synthesis of electrode materials, including sintering and electrolysis, are emerging as competitive substitutes for conventional synthesis techniques. These methods have shown their effectiveness and uniqueness in adjusting the crystal structure, morphology, and performance of electrode materials for LIBs/NIBs, as suggested by recent progresses and applications of diverse cathodes (layered oxides, spinel oxides, polyanions, etc.) and anodes (metal oxides, alloys, carbons, etc.). Furthermore, the applications of molten salts as effective electrolytes are demonstrated in representative new-type secondary batteries including AIBs, LMBs and MABs. Finally, the emerging opportunities, challenges, and interesting research trends are envisioned to promote the further development of molten-salt methodology for rechargeable batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-purity SiC ceramic devices are applied in semiconductor industry owing to their outstanding properties. Nevertheless, it is difficult to densify SiC ceramics without any sintering additive even by HP sintering. In this work, high-purity and dense SiC ceramics were fabricated by HP sintering with very low amounts of sintering aids. Residual B content was only 556 ppm and relative density was more than 99.5%. Furthermore, thermal conductivity of as-prepared SiC ceramics was improved from 155 W m−1 K−1 to 167 W m−1 K−1 by increasing holding time and their plasma corrosion resistance was promoted in the meantime. The as-prepared high-purity SiC ceramics have broad application prospects in the field of semiconductor industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An IoT entity recommendation method based on adaptive preference transfer is proposed. • A lightweight user feedback feature embedding method is proposed to solve the problem of sparse user feedback. • The rigorous experiments are designed to verify the validity of the proposed method. Internet of Things (IoT) recommendation can effectively improve the convenience and intelligence of users in obtaining information about interested physical entities in a huge entity search space. However, existing transfer learning-based recommendation methods mainly focus on Internet resources and services, lack personalized transfer weight consideration for different user preferences, and fail to address the entity rating matrix sparsity problem, resulting in limited IoT entity recommendation performance. Thus, we design an adaptive preference transfer IoT entity (APTE) recommendation method in this paper. Firstly, considering various user preference characteristics, an adaptive dual-domain transfer model for item domain and social domain is designed to meet users' personalized requirements. Then, a lightweight user feedback embedding method is proposed to mine the explicit and implicit features and to embed the entity rating matrix to solve the problem of sparse user feedback information. Simulation results demonstrate that APTE can effectively improve the recommendation performance compared with state-of-the-art baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garnet-typed ceramics of Y 3 Mg 1- x Mn x Al 3 SiO 12 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) have been synthesized using the traditional solid-state reaction method. The optimal microwave dielectric properties (ε r = 10.73, Q׃ = 62,824 GHz, τ f = −34.8 ppm/°C) are obtained for Y 3 Mg 0.9 Mn 0.1 Al 3 SiO 12 (x = 0.1) sintered at 1575 °C for 5h. A millimeter-wave dielectric resonator antenna is designed and fabricated using Y 3 Mg 0.9 Mn 0.1 Al 3 SiO 12 as a dielectric unit due to its excellent characteristics of low dielectric constant and high Q׃. The designed DRA resonates at 24.94 GHz with a bandwidth ∼2.20 GHz (S 11 < −10 dB). The simulated gain and efficiency are 6.64 dBi and 91.08%, respectively. The results indicate that the Y 3 Mg 0.9 Mn 0.1 Al 3 SiO 12 ceramic has a potential application as an antenna for the 5G/6G millimeter wave frequency band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-phase Al 4 SiC 4 powder with a low neutron absorption cross section was synthesized and mixed with SiC powder to fabricate highly densified SiC ceramics by hot pressing. The densification of SiC ceramics was greatly improved by the decomposition of Al 4 SiC 4 and the formation of aluminosilicate liquid phase during the sintering process. The resulting SiC ceramics were composed of fine equiaxed grains with an average grain size of 2.0 μm and exhibited excellent mechanical properties in terms of a high flexure strength of 593 ± 55 MPa and a fracture toughness of 6.9 ± 0.2 MPa m1/2. Furthermore, the ion-irradiation damage in SiC ceramics was investigated by irradiating with 1.2 MeV Si5+ ions at 650 °C using a fluence of 1.1 × 1016 ions/cm2, which corresponds to 6.3 displacements per atom (dpa). The evolution of the microstructure was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The breaking of Si–C bonds and the segregation of C elements on the irradiated surface was revealed by XPS, whereas the formation of Si–Si and C–C homonuclear bonds within the Si–C network of SiC grains was detected by Raman spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugar alcohols are a type of organic solid-liquid phase-change materials with high latent heat-storage capacity and low cost and have been considered as a promising candidate for low-to-medium temperature thermal energy storage. Nevertheless, sugar alcohols show inherent defects, such as low thermal conductivity, high supercooling, low thermal reliability, and easy exudation and leakage in their melting state. To overcome these inherent defects, four strategies have been summarized in this review to optimize their comprehensive performance, which include nanoadditives, porous impregnation, encapsulation technology, and molecular structure design. Combining sugar alcohols with nanoadditives was determined as the simplest and most effective way to improve the thermal response of sugar alcohols. Porous materials could enhance the thermal stability of sugar alcohols and depress their supercooling. Microencapsulation technology was determined to be an effective way to prevent the leakage of sugar alcohols during their phase transitions. The molecular structure design provided an effective method to decrease the phase-change temperatures of sugar alcohols. After the optimization by different strategies, sugar alcohols exhibit great application potential in low-to-medium temperature waste heat recovery, solar cookers, and thermoelectric power generation for industrial waste heat and solar energy storage. This review presents better understanding of designing and fabricating sugar alcohol-based composites for efficient thermal energy storage, conversion, and utilization. The future research and development direction of sugar alcohols are also prospected for designing sugar alcohol-based composites with a high latent heat capacity, a low supercooling degree, enhanced thermal conductance, and multiple functions for efficient utilization. [Display omitted] • Physical and chemical characteristics of sugar alcohol-based PCMs are summarized. • The thermal response of sugar alcohols can be improved by introducing nanoadditives. • Porous materials can effectively depress the supercooling of sugar alcohols. • Microencapsulation can prevent sugar alcohols from leaking and flowing. • Challenges and prospects in the development of sugar alcohols are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notch signaling regulates cartilage formation and homeostasis. Kashin-Beck Disease (KBD), an endemic osteochondropathy, is characterized by severe cartilage degradation. The etiology of KBD is related to the exposure of HT-2 toxin, a mycotoxin and primary metabolite of T-2 toxin. This study aims to explore the role of HT-2 toxin in the Notch signaling regulation and extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism of hiPSCs-Chondrocytes. Immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were employed to investigate the expression of Notch pathway molecules in KBD articular cartilage and primary chondrocytes. hiPSCs-Chondrocytes, derived from hiPSCs, were treated with 100 ng/mL HT-2 toxin and the γ-secretase inhibitor (DAPT) for 48h, respectively. The markers related to the Notch signaling pathway and ECM were assessed using qRT-PCR and Western blot. Notch pathway dysregulation was prominent in KBD cartilage. HT-2 toxin exposure caused cytotoxicity in hiPSCs-Chondrocytes, and activated Notch signaling by increasing the mRNA and protein levels of NOTCH1 and HES1. HT-2 toxin also upregulated ECM catabolic enzymes and downregulated ECM components (COL2A1 and ACAN), indicating ECM degradation. DAPT-mediated Notch signaling inhibition suppressed the mRNA and protein level of ADAMTS5 expression while enhancing ECM component expression in hiPSCs-Chondrocytes. This study suggests that HT-2 toxin may induce ECM degradation in hiPSCs-Chondrocytes through activating Notch signaling. • Notch pathway dysregulation was prominent in cartilage from patients with Kashin-beck disease. • HT-2 toxin activates Notch pathway, degrading extracellular matrix in hiPSCs-Chondrocytes. • Notch signaling inhibition enhances extracellular matrix expression in hiPSCs-Chondrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A spatially confined cavitation with sonoluminescence (SL) was taken to study the erosion resistance of metals. • The erosion effect is intensified with deeper pit depth and appearance of melting effect under high hydrostatic pressure. • A method for evaluating materials' erosion resistance with measurable SL intensity was established. • This work is benefit to predict and avoid the cavitation erosion in deep-sea applications. Cavitation erosion is a general phenomenon in the fields of aviation, navigation, hydraulic machinery, and so on, causing great damage to fluid machinery. With the vast requirements in deep ocean applications, it is urgent to study the mechanism of cavitation erosion and the cavitation erosion resistance of different materials under high hydrostatic pressure to predict and avoid the effect of cavitation erosion. In this work, the spatially confined cavitation bubble cloud associated with Gaussian-like intensity distribution sonoluminescence (SL) was produced by a spherically focused ultrasound transducer with two opening ends near metallic plates under different hydrostatic pressures (0.1, 3, 6, and 10 MPa). The cavitation erosion effects on copper, 17-4PH stainless steel and tungsten plates were studied. Through coupling analysis towards the SL intensity distribution, the macro/micro morphology of cavitation erosion, and the physical parameters of different metallic materials (hardness, yield strength, and melting point), it is found that with increasing hydrostatic pressure, the erosion effect is intensified, the depth of cavitation pits increases, the phenomenon of melting can be observed on materials with relatively low melting points, and the cavitation erosion experienced an evolution process from high-temperature creep to fracture. This work has also established a method for the evaluation of materials' cavitation erosion resistance with measurable SL intensity distribution, which is promising to promote the designing and selection of anti-cavitation materials in deep-sea applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We prepare photoconductive films composed of PbS quantum dots with multiple excitonic peaks. • Mixed quantum dots films shows adjustable absorbance. • Mixed quantum dots films were successfully used to fabricate dual-band photodetectors. • Photoconductors based on mixed quantum dots film have a significantly higher responsivity. Dual-band infrared detection offers enhanced spectral information crucial for improved target identification. Traditional dual-band infrared photodetectors have often relied on expensive epitaxial growth bulk materials, limiting their widespread use in civilian applications. Colloidal quantum dots present an affordable alternative for dual-band infrared detection, owing to their spectral tunability and solution processability. In this study, we have developed an approach utilizing mixed lead sulfide quantum dot films to achieve dual-band infrared detection spanning the NIR (Near Infrared) and SWIR (Short Wave Infrared) ranges. These films exhibit a broad absorption spectrum, ranging from 400 to 1600 nm. When operating within the near-infrared band, the device based on mixed quantum dot films demonstrates an responsivity of 0.18A/W and specific detectivity of 2.38 × 109 c m ∙ H z 1 / 2 / W near 900 nm.While operated in the SWIR band, the detector has responsivity of 0.17A/W and specific detectivity of 2.11 × 109 c m ∙ H z 1 / 2 / W near 1600 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Improvement potential of deep IGCtH are first assessed by advanced exergy analysis. • Efficiency of deep IGCtH are measured and compared by CExC per kg hydrogen as index. • CExC per kg hydrogen reduction by 16.4% for deep IGCtH compared with Lurgi SGCtH. • Lowest cost by deep IGCtH and better ability to resist market risk than Lurgi SGCtH. • Carbon tax of 132 RMB/t CO 2 for deep IGCtH with 80% CR equalize cost of without CCS. The deep in-situ gasification based coal-to-hydrogen (deep IGCtH) is attracting attention for its unique advantage in utilizing unrecoverable coal seam. In this paper, its improvement scope in energy conversion and utilization is analyzed using advanced exergy analysis, and the efficiency from cumulative exergy consumption (CExC) perspective and economic competitiveness with Lurgi surface gasification based coal-to-hydrogen (Lurgi SGCtH), coke-oven gas-to-hydrogen (COGtH) and natural gas-to-hydrogen (NGtH) are compared. Results indicate 39.9 % and 25.1 % of the exergy destruction of deep IGCtH and Lurgi SGCtH are unavoidable, while steam methane reforming and coal gasification possess the largest improvable potential, with avoidable endogenous/exogenous destruction of 96.63 MW/81.58 MW and 162.52 MW/151.19 MW, suggesting thermodynamic improvement can also be achieved by improving other components or optimizing process structure in addition to increasing its own efficiency. The CExC of deep IGCtH outputting 1 kg hydrogen is only 83.6 % that of Lurgi SGCtH, indicating it is more efficient route with significantly energy consumption reduction and can better demonstrate its efficiency advantage under large production capacity condition. The deep IGCtH shows only 68.7 % that of Lurgi SGCtH in investment and also presents significant advantage in cost. However, its profitability advantage over NGtH loses with hydrogen price increasing and there exists lower limit on capacity of 0.46 billion Nm3 to maintain cost and profitability competitiveness over COGtH. Furthermore, deep IGCtH shows emission reduction cost advantage over Lurgi SGCtH when capture rate exceeds 80 %, and profitability will not be limited by carbon tax and coal seam thickness within the considered range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Species distribution of Na & Cl in kitchen waste and hydrothermal products was quantified. • Feedstocks and cooking method had little effect on Na & Cl migration. • All Na and inorganic Cl ionically flow into liquid phase during hydrothermal carbonization. • The content of organic chlorine retained in hydrochar was 0.21–0.32 wt%. • 90% of organic Cl can be removed by adding Na 2 CO 3 solution or pyrolysis treatment. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a sustainable approach to recover nutrients from kitchen waste (KW) to realize the applications of hydrochar as fuel, soil amendment and so on. However, the salt content of KW can be as high as 5 wt%, which brings potential risks for product utilization. Thus, the migration path of endogenous (from ingredients) and exogenous (from condiments) Na & Cl in KW during HTC process was investigated. Results showed that the endogenous and total Na element in KW was 0.03–2.98 wt% and 2.97–4.82 wt%, respectively. The main form of sodium was water-soluble (48–82%). The KW feedstocks and cooking methods had little effect on the migration of Na & Cl. During HTC treatment, all sodium element was transformed into water-soluble state, subsequently about 97% was dissolved into the liquid phase. The content of Na element in hydrochar was only below 0.05 wt%, so its negative effect can be negligible. As for the fate of chlorine, the endogenous and total Cl element in KW was 0.31–1.62 wt% and 1.82–3.19 wt%, respectively, and the main form was inorganic Cl accounting for 83–91%. During HTC treatment, about 40–75% of endogenous organochlorine was converted into inorganic Cl by breaking C-Cl bonds, and all inorganic Cl was leached into the liquid phase. In this pattern, partial organochlorine remained in hydrochar with a content of 0.21–0.32 wt%, which need to be further reduced. Methods of adding Na 2 CO 3 solution or HTC-pyrolysis were effective, and approximately 90% of the organic Cl can be removed. Based on the above findings, this study can provide theoretical guidance for the value-added conversion of solid waste with high moisture and high salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • VMA-CDs exhibit good inhibitory ability to G+ bacteria. • VMA-CDs were used as fluorescent probe to realize selective imaging of S. aureus. • The detection of Au3+ was realized with VMA-CDs as fluorescent sensing platform. • V-SP inherits the excellent fluorescent and antibacterial properties of VMA-CDs. • V-SP hydrogel with the assistance of smartphone realized the detection of Au3+. The carbon dots (CDs) with excellent optical properties and their hydrogel complex are of great significance in biomedicine, healthcare and biochemical detection fields. This paper reports the preparation of green-emitting CDs (MA-CDs) through one-step hydrothermal route with citric acid as reducing agent, L-malic acid as carbon source and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine as nitrogen source. To expand its application in biology, MA-CDs were coupled with vancomycin to obtain multifunctional CDs (VMA-CDs). The prepared VMA-CDs exhibit selective antibacterial behavior to Gram-positive bacteria, and it could be used as a fluorescent probe to selectively label Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Moreover, thanks to the excellent optical properties of VMA-CDs, it has been used as a fluorescent sensor to detect Au3+ with detection range of 6.50 nM–21.93 μM and detection limit 3.98 nM. By introducing the fluorescence of CDs as the reference signal, and VMA-CDs as a response signal, the hydrogel (V-SP) was prepared and realized the detection of Au3+ in microfluidics with assistance of a smartphone to collect and analyze data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Current therapeutic options for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are very limited, which is largely due to inadequate comprehension of molecular pathological mechanisms as well as RCC's resistance to chemotherapy. Dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) has been associated with numerous human diseases. However, its role in RCC is not well understood. Here, we show that diminished DUSP6 expression is linked to RCC progression and unfavorable prognosis. Mechanistically, DUSP6 serves as a tumor suppressor in RCC by intervening the TAF10 and BSCL2 via the ERK-AKT pathway. Further, DUSP6 is also transcriptionally regulated by HNF-4a. Moreover, docking experiments have indicated that DUSP6 expression is enhanced when bound by Calcium saccharate, which also inhibits RCC cell proliferation, metabolic rewiring, and sunitinib resistance. In conclusion, our study identifies Calcium saccharate as a prospective pharmacological therapeutic approach for RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Real-time visualization of beef deterioration distribution by fluorescence imaging. • Fluorescence property of porphyrin was highly correlated with beef spoilage. • Gompertz growth curves for TVC at different storage temperatures were built. • Quantitative model for predicting microbial indicator was built by SVR algorithm. • Establish classification models for beef freshness by SVM, KNN and RF algorithms. This study presents a novel fluorescence imaging method for the real-time monitoring of beef quality deterioration and freshness. The fluorescence property of porphyrin in the form of heme can be used to characterize quality changes in beef during storage. Therefore, a fluorescence imaging system with an excitation light source of 440 nm and a CCD camera with a specific wavelength filter of 595 nm was constructed, and the porphyrin fluorescence images of beef samples stored at different temperatures were then collected. The quantitative model for predicting the microbial freshness indicator (TVC) of beef was built with the support vector machine regression (SVR) algorithm and produced satisfactory results with R c 2 and R p 2 of 0.858 and 0.812, respectively. The classification model based on the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm classified beef freshness into "fresh" and "spoiled", with calibration and prediction accuracy of 100 % and 90.9 %, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) are environmental contaminants with potential endocrine disrupting effects. However, there is limited research on the mechanisms and intervention of combined NP and OP exposure-induced neurotoxicity. This study aims to explore the cytotoxicity of combined NP and OP exposure and evaluate the potential of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) in mitigating the aforementioned toxicity. In present study, LBP (62.5, 125 and 250 µg/mL) were applied to intervene rat adrenal pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells treated with combined NP and OP (NP: OP = 4:1, w/w; 1, 2, 4 and 8 µg/mL). The results showed that NP and OP induced oxidative stress, disrupted the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and cholinergic systems in PC-12 cells. Additionally, they activated the p38 protein kinase (p38) and suppressed the expression of silent information regulation type 1 (SIRT1), monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), phosphorylated cyclic-AMP response binding protein (p-CREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated tropomyosin-related kinase receptor type B (p-TrkB). However, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) treatment counteracted the changes of signalling molecule p38, SIRT1/MAOA and CREB/BDNF/TrkB pathways-related proteins induced by NP and OP. LBP pretreatment ameliorated combined NP and OP exposure-induced oxidative stress and neurotransmitter imbalances. Furthermore, the application of LBP and administration of a p38 inhibitor both reversed the alterations in the signaling molecule p38, as well as the proteins associated to the SIRT1/MAOA and CREB/BDNF/TrkB pathways. These results implied that LBP may have neuroprotective effects via p38-mediated SIRT1/MAOA and CREB/BDNF/TrkB pathways. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of cryogenic treatment time on the mechanical properties and the microstructure of the AZ31 Mg alloy sheets, the different times of cryogenic treatment after two-pass cross-rolling were carried out at air-cooling, 1 hour, 3 hours and 6 hours. The consequences of the tensile experiment illustrated that the cross-rolling Mg alloy with 1-hour cryogenic treatment showed the highest ultimate tensile strength (343 MPa), which was 9.6%, 9.6% and 11.7% higher than air-cooling, 3-hour cryogenic and 6-hour cryogenic samples. The primary reasons for this include fine-grained strengthening, twin strengthening, low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) strengthening, dislocation strengthening and precipitation strengthening. The internal grain of the magnesium alloy sheet after 1 hour of cryogenic treatment was refined to 5.2 μm. The {10−11} contraction twin, {10−12} extension twin and {10−12}-{10−11} double twin were surveyed according to the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) results. On the <11–20> axis, all the four samples exhibited the {0001} basal texture. And the sample of 1-hour cryogenic treatment exhibited the highest basal texture intensity. According to the micro-structure observation, high-density dislocation and several precipitates were illustrated in the sample of 1-hour cryogenic treatment. • Cryogenic treatment after two-pass cross-rolling were proposed. • Mechanical properties, microstructure and texture was improved. • High-density dislocation, twinning behavior and several precipitates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermal processing is promising to enhance P reclamation from sewage sludge. • Practical strategies for P reclamation from sewage sludge have been proposed. • Thermal treatment facilitated transformation of non-apatite P to apatite P. • P can be effectively extracted from thermal products using 1 M H 2 SO 4. • Sewage sludge ash is promising resource for P recovery after acid leaching. In the context of circular economy and global shortage of phosphorus (P) fertilizer production, it is crucial to effectively recover P during the treatment and disposal of sewage sludge (SS). Although thermal treatment of SS has been widely applied, a targeted P reclamation route is not yet well established. This study has comprehensively investigated and compared the physicochemical properties of SS and solid residues (hydrochar (HC), biochar (BC), sewage sludge ash (SSA), hydrochar ash (HCA), and biochar ash (BCA)) after application of three typical thermal treatment techniques (i.e., hydrothermal carbonization (180‒240 °C), pyrolysis (400‒600 °C) and combustion (850 ℃). P speciation and transformation during thermal processes were extensively explored followed by a rational proposal of effective P reclamation routes. Specifically, thermal processing decomposed organic P and converted non-apatite P to apatite P. Orthophosphate-P was found to be the main species in all samples. Physicochemical properties of the resulting thermal-derived products were significantly affected by the thermal techniques applied, thereby determining their feasibility for different P reclamation purposes. In particular, ash is not recommended for agricultural use due to higher harmful metals content, while acid leaching can be an alternative solution to synthesize non-Fe-containing P products because of the lower co-dissolved Fe content in the leachate. HC and BC offer the option for synthesis of Fe containing products. Eventually, HC and BC demonstrate great potential for agriculture application, however, a comprehensive risk assessment should be conducted before their real-world applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Municipal sludge composition significantly affects biodegradability of HTL aqueous. • Higher SS ratio in mixed sludge increases COD and ammonia in HTL aqueous. • Aqueous biodegradability: 69–78% aerobic, 58–70% mesophilic, 42–56% thermophilic. • High SS ratio in mixed sludge led to more biodegradable HTL aqueous. • Protein content in sludge correlates with aerobic biodegradability of HTL aqueous. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) aqueous phases derived from mixed sludge and digested sludge of two wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) were characterized considering variations in primary-secondary sludge ratios, an aspect previously overlooked in the literature. Mixed sludge was obtained by mixing primary and secondary sludge to simulate high primary sludge, average, and high secondary sludge cases. Aerobic and mesophilic/thermophilic anaerobic biodegradability tests were conducted. Higher chemical oxygen demand, total ammonium-N, orthophosphate-P, fatty acids, and N-heterocycles in HTL aqueous samples were detected as the secondary sludge ratio increased in mixed sludge. A similar trend was observed in the biodegradability tests. Characteristics of HTL aqueous derived from mixed sludge of WWTP 1 showed much higher variation, whereas WWTP 2 mixed sludge was not affected significantly by primary-secondary sludge ratios. Finally, the biodegradability levels of HTL aqueous samples were determined to be 69–78 % under aerobic, 58–70 % under mesophilic anaerobic, and 42–56 % under thermophilic anaerobic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health monitoring of robot manipulators is crucial for their long-term reliable operation. Since the feedback data provided by the controller of robot manipulators are most often from the actuator's side, health monitoring of rotate-vector (RV) reducers housed on the output of actuators is challenging. To avoid the increased cost and complexity of adding sensors to robot manipulators, this paper investigates the long-term health monitoring of RV reducers, using only feedback data from the controller. A generic model for RV reducers is first developed to characterize their nonlinear behaviours and performance degradation. The model is then extended to robot manipulators to analyse their dynamic response under the time-varying excitation generated by healthy and faulty RV reducers. Next, a new motor-torque-based residual together with an adaptive threshold is proposed for the health monitoring of RV reducers, taking payload, measurement noise and friction disturbance into account. The proposed threshold depends only on the variance of measurement noise, and is therefore easy to implement in practice. Extensive simulations and experiments are conducted on two robot manipulators to validate the proposed model, residual and threshold. The results show that the proposed model is able to account for the effects of faults and nonlinear behaviours of RV reducers on the motor performance. The proposed residual with an adaptive threshold is sensitive to faults in RV reducers and robust to friction disturbance and time-varying payload, and it outperforms conventional momentum-based residuals. • RV reducers generic model with nonlinear behaviour & performance degradation • Manipulator dynamics including excitations caused by normal & faulty RV reducers • Torque-based residual w. adaptive threshold for RV reducers health monitoring [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key corrosive media and coupling corrosion mechanism in waste incinerators were investigated. The presence of H 2 O(g) and the fluctuation of HCl/SO 2 concentration significantly affect corrosion by affecting chemical reactions rather than molten phase formation·H 2 O(g) had higher adsorption energy (−40.67 kJ/mol) on NaCl (100) surface than O 2 (−7.95 kJ/mol), generating more HCl than Cl 2 and inhibiting corrosion. Oxidation of HCl was catalyzed by alkali salts in waste incineration ash, enhancing the production of Cl 2 by 110% and accelerating corrosion. SO 2 participated in the sulfidation of NaCl/KCl to form Cl 2 and increased the corrosion weight gain by about 1–2.5 times. [Display omitted] • H2O(g)/HCl/SO2 are the key corrosive media during gas-deposit coupling corrosion. • H2O(g) is preferentially adsorbed on NaCl(100) than O2, thus inhibiting corrosion. • Alkali salts catalyze the conversion of HCl to Cl2(+110%) and accelerated corrosion. • SO2 promoted NaCl/KCl sulfidation and enhanced the corrosion rate by 1–2.5 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) are food ingredients proven to be beneficial in a large number of health issues. However, there is no literature systematic review about the effects and corresponding mechanisms of NSPs on the prevention and remediation of cognitive impairment. In this review, studies on prevention and remediation of NSPs for cognitive deficit caused by diseases, menopause, ageing, chronic stress and environmental pollutants were summarized and the corresponding mechanisms were established. The anti-cognitive deficit effects of NSPs were associated with the modulation of amyloid β (Aβ) deposition, p-Tau aggregation, oxidative stress, inflammation, neuron apoptosis, neurogenesis, neurotransmitters, synaptic plasticity, autophagy and gut microbiota. Although the structure-function relationship has not been elucidated, several structural properties of NSPs such as molecular weight, sulfate content, hydroxyl group content, monosaccharide composition and molecular chain linkage might be crucial for the anti-cognitive deficit property. Notably, this review revealed that NSPs had a positive effect on cognitive impairment and proposed the future perspectives for further research on the anti-cognitive dysfunction effects of NSPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B 4 C-based composites were synthesized by spark plasma sintering using B 4 C、Ti 3 SiC 2 、Si as starting materials. The effects of sintering temperature and second phase content on mechanical performance and microstructure of composites were studied. Full dense B 4 C-based composites were obtained at a low sintering temperature of 1800 °C. The B 4 C-based composite with 10 wt% (TiB 2 +SiC) shows excellent mechanical properties: the Vickers hardness, fracture toughness, and flexural strength are 33 GPa, 8 MPa m1/2, 569 MPa, respectively. High hardness and flexural strength were attributed to the high relative density and grain refinement, the high fracture toughness was owing to the crack deflection and uniform distribution of the second phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, X-band microwave absorbing properties of gelcasted SiC-Si 3 N 4 ceramics with different hierarchical pore structures at both room temperature and high temperature were reported for the first time. Effects of pore structures, sample thickness and temperature on complex permittivity and microwave absorption performance of SiC-Si 3 N 4 ceramics were investigated systemically. The results suggested that the introduction of appropriate hierarchical pore structure was beneficial to improve the absorbing performance of the material. The minimum reflection loss value can reach -59.2 dB for the 3.8 mm thick sample at 8.35 GHz and room temperature. By elevating the temperature, the effective absorption bandwidth of porous SiC-Si 3 N 4 with a thickness of 3.0 mm covers the entire X-band. The excellent microwave absorbing property of porous SiC-Si 3 N 4 ceramics was attributed to the multiple reflections brought about by the existence of hierarchical pores, interfacial polarization between SiC and Si 3 N 4 grains, and defect dipole polarization in grains and grain boundaries. The good absorbing property and the clarification of absorbing mechanism of porous gelcasted SiC-Si 3 N 4 ceramics will provide a solid foundation for the development of porous SiC-based absorbing parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A pH- & redox-responsive system was developed for CPT delivery. • CPT@Zein-FA improves the bioactivity of CPT against lepidopteran pests. • CPT@Zein-FA has baiting properties that accelerate the death of pests. Pesticides are critical to securing crop yields, but the extremely low utilization of conventional pesticides puts a serious strain on human development and the environment. Natural product pesticides meet the needs of sustainable development, but challenges like high costs and slow efficacy hinder their widespread use. Camptothecin (CPT) is a natural product with potent bioactivity for various insect pests, but its bioactivity for lepidopteran pests is limited due to the ring-opening in their alkaline midgut. To enhance CPT's efficacy, a nanopesticide CPT@Zein-FA, which consists of the plant-derived zein and ferulic acid (FA), was designed and verified to be able to improve the bioactivity of CPT against lepidopteran pests including Ostrinia furnacalis , Spodoptera frugiperda and Mythimna separata. The nanopesticide CPT@Zein-FA approximately 100 nm in size, exhibited uniform dispersion, strong adhesion, and stability. CPT@Zein-FA utilizes pH and redox dual response mechanisms to achieve protection in the midgut environment and release in the hemocoel/intracellular environment. With the help of zein bait, CPT@Zein-FA can also promote the feeding of insects and accelerate their death. Metabolomic analysis revealed CPT's lethal impact on insect metabolism by inhibiting nucleotide synthesis, disrupting body size and development through lipid metabolism and insect hormone synthesis inhibition. This work provides new ideas for the large-scale application of natural product pesticides and contributes to the sustainable development of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A rigorous theoretical model is developed for 3D stress concentration around a circular hole under remote biaxial loading. • The influences of stress ratio, thickness, and Poisson's ratio on stress concentration factor are investigated systematically. • The extension of the model to consider remote bending is discussed in detail. In this study, a theoretical model is proposed to analyze the stress concentration in a plate of finite thickness containing a circular hole under remote biaxial loading. The stresses in a plate with a circular hole under remote biaxial loading is a superposition of the stresses in the unperforated plate and the released stresses induced by opening the hole. For the latter, the stresses at the edge of the hole can be further decomposed into a spherical component and a deviatoric component. The solution due to a spherical component can be readily obtained but the solution due to a deviatoric component is hard to find. According to the literature, the solution of three-dimensional stress distributions in a plate of finite thickness containing a circular hole can be found by four potential functions. The available fundamental solutions of the potential functions satisfying the boundary conditions on the surfaces of the plate contain numerous complicated integrals, which limits their application to the current problem. Nevertheless, these fundamental solutions can be found explicitly by constructing the orthogonal function, which is composed of the Bessel functions. A system of linear equations is established to satisfy the boundary conditions at the edge of the hole. Therefore, the stresses due to a deviatoric component are obtained by solving the linear simultaneous equations. The stress concentration factor calculated by the proposed model is validated with the available numerical and theoretical solutions. It is concluded that the stress ratio, the thickness of the plate, and Poisson's ratio have an important influence on the distribution of the stress concentration factor along the thickness of the plate, especially on the distribution near the surface. Moreover, the proposed model can be extended to analyze the stress concentration at the edge of a circular hole in a plate of finite thickness under remote bending. The model is efficient and reliable, and it can provide a powerful analytical method to analyze three-dimensional stress concentrations around holes under various remote loading in engineering. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compounds 1 − 3 exhibit good photosensitivity and thermal sensitivity. • Compounds 1 − 3 exhibit amine induced color change properties. • A mixed matrix membrane was prepared as a UV chromophore. • Compounds 1 − 3 can serve as ink free and erasable printing media. Three polyoxometalate-viologen (POMV)-based organic-inorganic hybrid compounds were constructed, namely [CuII(Cbipy) 2 (4,4′ - bipy)](SiW 1 2 O 40)·1.5C 2 H 5 OH·2.5H 2 O (1), (HCbipy) 2 ·(β - Mo 8 O 26) (2) and (HCbipy) 2 ·(SiMo 1 2 O 40) (3). Compound 1 shows a leaf like Cu-Cbipy chain with Keggin anions occupying the grid. Compounds 2 and 3 are discrete structures. These compounds exhibit color-changing properties by different external stimuli, such as photochromic and thermochromism as well as detecting organic amines and even UV-light. This article characterized the phase purity and stability of the compound using PXRD and FT-IR, and characterized the photochromic and thermochromic properties of the compound using UV–vis absorption spectrum, EPR, XPS and DFT calculations. And the compound was subjected to different amine atmospheres for amine discoloration research. Finally, the photochromic performance is applied to inkless erasable printing, where the desired pattern can be clearly printed through ultraviolet radiation. These observations provide valuable insights into design and synthesize electrostatic attraction drove POMV-based crystalline materials as color-changing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel double-layered hydrogel based on the polyacrylamide matrix, pen ink, and phase-change microcapsules was developed to construct a hydrogel-based evaporator for efficient and continuous seawater desalination. The n -eicosane (core)@crystalline TiO 2 (shell) phase-change microcapsules were fabricated through interfacial polycondensation, and the resulting phase-change microcapsules obtained a considerably high latent-heat capacity of 187 J·g−1. The upper layer of the hydrogel exhibits a high solar absorptivity of over 90 % due to the introduction of pen ink as a solar absorber, which helps the hydrogel-based evaporator to gain an excellent photothermal energy conversion capability. A high evaporation efficiency of 93.89 % was obtained for the developed hydrogel-based evaporator along with a high evaporation rate of 1.85 kg·m−2·h−1 under one-sun illumination. The phase-change microcapsules dispersed in the lower layer of the hydrogel can act as a latent heat-storage unit to store a great quantity of photothermal energy through melting phase change by the phase change material core. This imparts a consecutive evaporation capability to the developed hydrogel-based evaporator. As a result, its water production was increased by 11 % under 50-min one-sun illumination and 50-min non-illumination. [Display omitted] • We developed a new double-layered hydrogel based on polyacrylamide, phase-change microcapsules, and pen ink. • The hydrogel was used to fabricate a solar-driven evaporator for continuous and efficient desalination. • Pen ink and phase-change microcapsules enhance the solar energy utilization efficiency of the evaporator. • The hydrogel-based evaporator exhibits an improved yield in clean water under intermittent solar illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives (1,4-DHPs) are a class of drugs used to treat cardiovascular diseases, but these drugs can cause liver injury. To reveal the toxicity characteristics of these compounds, we used a series of assays, including cell viability, enzyme activity detection, and western blotting, to investigate the toxicity of seven kinds of 1,4-DHPs (0–100 μM) on HepG2 cells and establish 3D-QSAR model based on relevant toxicity data. After HepG2 cells were treated with 1,4-DHPs for 24 h, high-dose (100 μM) 1,4-DHPs decreased cell viability to varying degrees, while ROS and MDA contents were significantly increased, and ATP content was reduced. Moreover, with the concentration of 100 μM 1,4-DHPs (Nimodipine, Nitrendipine, Cilnidipine, and Manidipine) were markedly inhibited the phosphorylation levels of mTOR protein. The results of the 3D-QSAR model showed that the non-cross validation coefficient (R2) and cross validation coefficient (Q2) of the model were 0.982 and 0.652, respectively. Combined with external validation and the Williams diagram, the model showed good predictability and application domain. Based on the CoMSIA 3D contour map, the introduction of large volume and hydrogen bond receptor groups on the carbonyl oxygen side chains of the 1,4-DHPs ring 3- and 5- was beneficial for reducing the toxicity of 1,4-DHPs. The results of this study could supplement information on the cytotoxicity of 1,4-DHPs, and could provide theoretical support for predicting the toxicity of 1,4-DHPs. [Display omitted] • The model of 1,4-DHPs toxicity prediction is established by cytotoxicity test. • The method is used to predict the toxicity of 1,4-DHPs. • The model is built by the CoMSIA with good stability and predictive ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of biofilm is one of the important factors for bacteria to develop drug-resistant. A series of halogenated-pyrroles or pyrazoles containing thiazole groups as antibacterial agents were designed and synthesized to target biofilms. Among them, compound 8c showed antibacterial activity against various Gram-positive bacteria, particularly against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (MIC ≤0.125 μg/mL). Additionally, this compound significantly inhibited biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at sub-MIC doses. Furthermore, compound 8c exhibited significantly lower mammalian cell toxicity compared to pyrrolomycin C and its hepatic microsomal metabolic stability in various species was also evaluated. Further experiment on the infection model of Galleria mellonella proved that the compound was effective in vivo. [Display omitted] • Thiazolyl-halogenated pyrroles or pyrazoles were synthesized for the first time and displayed good antibacterial activity. • Compound 8c , 9b , 10a and 10b effectively inhibited staphylococcal and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation at sub-MICs. • Compound 8c showed acceptable PK property, reduced toxicity and effective in vivo activity on Galleria mellonella model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key step in disposal and reutilization, sludge dewatering is very difficult, since extracellular polymers substances (EPS) binds the water, and compressible organic matter deforms and causes water filtration channels to collapse. Sludge dewaterability was demonstrated to enhance by carbonaceous skeleton (CSkel)-assisted thermal hydrolysis in our previously study. This work further investigated the assisting role of different types of CSkel in EPS decomposition during sludge thermal hydrolysis stage and channels reformation during press filtration stage. Two major types of CSkel, lignocellulosic waste (waste sawdust, waste straw, processing by-product) and protein-rich waste (shrimp shells, jatropha oil cake), were selected. The experimental results showed that in the thermal hydrolysis stage, the decomposition of lignocellulosic waste would increase fatty acids production by 28%, resulting in an acidic environment that reduced the total amount of three hydrophilic amino acids, i.e., glycine, serine and threonine. These promoted the release of water from the sludge. In the press filtration stage, average pore size of sludge was reduced by approximately 87% and nanoscale holes began to appear and increase. Assisting of CSkel rebuilt the filtration channels which brought good connectivity between the pores in sludge cake. Lignocellulosic waste proved significantly more effective than protein-rich waste in achieving a water removal rate of 88.63% under 1 MPa. This study provided a basis for selecting suitable CSkel to optimize sludge dewatering for subsequent utilization. [Display omitted] • After thermal hydrolysis assisted by lignocellulosic waste, the water removal rate of the sludge can be increased to 88.63% at 1 MPa, outperforming protein-rich waste in this respect. • In thermal hydrolysis stage, the decomposition of lignocellulosic waste promoted the production of fatty acids and amino acids, creating an acidic environment. • In an acidic environment, cell rupture was facilitated and the production of hydrophilic amino acids was inhibited, both of which favored water release. • With the assistance of CSkel, the average pore size of the sludge cake reduced by 87% and interconnected micro-/nano-pores served as rigid channels for water removal from sludge during press filtration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower-like In(OH) 3 was synthesized by a facile homogeneous precipitation method and subsequently calcined at 300 °C to prepare nanosheets assembled 3D flower-like mesoporous In 2 O 3 , which was then modified with Au nanoparticles via sol-immobilization method to produce 3D hierarchical mesoporous Au/In 2 O 3 for ethanol detection. The as-prepared Au/In 2 O 3 were carefully characterized by XRD, SEM, HRTEM and XPS techniques. The flower-like structure was assembled by many ultrathin coarse mesoporous In 2 O 3 nanosheets, and Au nanoparticles with an average size of 3.3 nm were evenly dispersed on In 2 O 3 nanosheets. The 3D flower-like mesoporous 1%Au/In 2 O 3 has a high specific surface area of about 130 m2 g−1 and shows the best sensitivity to ethanol among the flower-like mesoporous Au/In 2 O 3 materials. It can sensitively detect ethanol gas at a relatively low temperature of 160 °C with a response of 115–50 ppm ethanol, increased by nearly 11 times compared to In 2 O 3 at 210 °C. The 3D flower-like mesoporous 1%Au/In 2 O 3 also has good selectivity to ethanol with response about 9.4, 26.1, 20.9 and 29.5 times higher than that to acetone, methanol, toluene and xylene, and it displays excellent linear relationship between the response and the ethanol concentration. The markedly improved sensitivity and selectivity of the 3D flower-like mesoporous 1%Au/In 2 O 3 results from both the electronic sensitization and chemical sensitization effects of Au nanoparticles. In short, the 3D flower-like mesoporous 1%Au/In 2 O 3 possesses excellent sensitivity, selectivity, repeatability, linear relationship and long-term stability at 160 °C. Therefore, the obtained 3D flower-like mesoporous 1%Au/In 2 O 3 has great potential for ethanol gas detection. [Display omitted] • 3D flower-like mesoporous In 2 O 3 was synthesized via facile precipitation and calcination process. • 3D flower-like mesoporous Au/In 2 O 3 was prepared by sol-immobilization method. • 3D flower-like mesoporous Au/In 2 O 3 showed excellent ethanol sensing performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Presenting anchor point alignment technique for strawberry ripeness detection. • Incorporating the Swin-B attention mechanism into the strawberry feature extraction model. • Employing the CARAFE module to upsample the detailed strawberry feature maps at the neck region. • Proposing the multi-scale training approach to improve the accuracy of identifying mini strawberry objects. • Proposed model surpasses the current models in terms of accuracy, while exhibiting reasonable parameter range and FLOPs. With the wave of agricultural modernization, deep learning technology has brought revolutionary changes to the vision system of strawberry picking robots. Yet, the morphological diversity of strawberries, small and dense targets, and high overlap scenes make the detection and ripeness classification of strawberries a great challenge. To solve these problems, we introduce a new task-aligned one-stage object detection (TOOD) mechanism. Firstly, we incorporate the Swin-B (Swin-Base) transformer module to enhance the feature extraction performance in the backbone network. Secondly, we replace the original feature pyramid network (FPN) with CARAFE-FPN, which utilizes advanced upsampling methods to enhance detection at different scales. A multi-scale training (MST) approach is applied to capture the small targets effectively. Additionally, the Augmentations library is utilized for dataset augmentation to enhance the model's generalization. Lastly, we refine the task alignment learning head and propose simple anchor alignment metric (S-aam) to reduce the impact of parameters on network performance for finding the optimal solutions. We collected a complex strawberry image dataset of more than 90,000 instances to test the method effectiveness in detecting strawberry ripeness. The results show that our model achieves 74.1% average precision (AP), 93.9% AP 50 , and 84.1% AP 75 , respectively. Our model shows the superior detection performance compared to most of models with fewer parameters and lower FLOPs. In addition, our model obtained the highest accuracy in detecting small strawberry targets. To prove the generalization of the model, we also verify it on COCO dataset, and the results show that the performance has been enhanced by 0.7% compared to the baseline. In summary, our proposed methods can be used to accurately identify ripe strawberries, which has the potential to be applied in strawberry picking robot system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Comparing MBBR and BCO start-up with HN-AD bacteria and activated sludge inoculation. • Startup time reduced by 80%, while TN removal rate increased by 27.6%. • The key HN-AD bacteria Alcaligenes were enriched by bacteria inoculation in MBBR. • Hydroxylamine reductase differentiates the nitrogen removal pathways in BCO and MBBR. To overcome poor ammonia tolerance and removal performance of bio-contact oxidation (BCO) reactor inoculated with activated sludge for high-ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 + -N) chemical wastewater treatment, this study compared inoculating heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) bacteria in moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) with activated sludge inoculation in BCO reactor under simulated high NH 4 + -N conditions. Results revealed that MBBR achieved faster biofilm formation (20 days vs. 100 days for BCO) with notable advantages: 27.6 % higher total nitrogen (TN) and 29.9 % higher NH 4 + -N removal efficiency than BCO. Microbial analysis indicated optimal enrichment of the key nitrogen removal (NR) bacterium Alcaligenes , leading to increased expression of NR enzymes hydroxylamine reductase, ensuring the superior NR efficiency of the MBBR. Additionally, functional enzymes and genes analysis speculated that the NR pathway in MBBR was: NH 4 + -N → NH 2 OH → NO 3 - -N → NO 2 - -N → NO → N 2 O → N 2. This research offers a practical and theoretical foundation for extending HN-AD bacteria-inoculated MBBR processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Urine pretreatment is utilized to boost the MCFAs production for the first time. • 25% urine pretreatment promotes MCFAs production and selectivity by up to 4.3 times. • Urine pretreatment improves WAS degradation in anaerobic fermentation. • Urine pretreatment promotes the electron transfer efficiency from WAS to MCFAs. • Urine pretreatment boosts the solubilization, hydrolysis, acidification, and CE steps. Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) represent a promising form of energy recovered from waste activated sludge (WAS) through anaerobic fermentation. However, the low WAS degradability hindered the MCFAs generation from WAS. In this study, urine pretreatment of 5 – 25 wt% was applied to enhance the MCFAs production in anerobic WAS fermentation with ethanol as an electron donor. Urine pretreatment (5 – 25 wt%) dose-dependently improved the MCFAs production by 0.8 – 3.3 times (from 2.4 to 4.4 – 12.8 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L) and enhanced the MCFAs selectivity by 0.8 – 3.5 times (from 12.2 % to 21.4 % – 54.4 %). Urine pretreatment (5 – 25 wt%) improved WAS degradation by up to 54.8 % and enhanced electron transfer efficiency from substrates (i.e. WAS and ethanol) to MCFAs by up to 18.6 %, which contributed to the improvement in MCFAs production. According to model-based analysis, the MCFAs production potential (P m) rose from 2.71 ± 0.09 g COD/L with 0 % urine pretreatment to 4.51 – 13.11 g COD/L with 5 – 25 wt% urine pretreatment, while the lag phase (λ) decreased from 5.30 d to 4.67 – 3.08 d, which may be the reason for the improved MCFAs production. Additionally, urine pretreatment significantly facilitated each step involved in the MCFAs generation, i.e. solubilization, hydrolysis, acidification, and chain elongation, by up to 600 %, 51 %, 17 %, and 42 %, respectively. This study for the first time reported an innovative method, urine pretreatment, enhances energy recovery by MCFAs from WAS through anaerobic fermentation, which potentially brings wastewater treatment plants economic and environmental profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A rapid and sensitive colorimetric method was validated for determining tannins. • Fe@CN-20 was synthesized and mimicked activities of oxidase and laccase. • Detecting tannin in brandy required only dilution as pre-treatment. Traditional methods of tannins detection suffer from complex pretreatment, long detection time, and limited sensitivity. Modern techniques like liquid chromatography require expertise, involve tedious result processing, and lack effective data visualization. Therefore, there is a need for an alternative detection method that simplifies pretreatment and detection steps, reduces analysis time, and provides visualized results. In this study, a novel colorimetric sensor based on single-atom Fe nanozyme (Fe@CN-20) was developed for tannins detection. Fe@CN-20 exhibited laccase-like and oxidase-like activities, enabling simultaneous oxidation of tannins and a substrate called TMB. Tannins competed with TMB, allowing quantification of tannins content. The Fe@CN-20/TMB system provided a detection range of 5–100 mg/L tannic acid, with a detection limit of 0.13 mg/L (S/N = 3). Analysis time was approximately 30 min. The platform successfully quantified tannins in brandy, showing less than 5% deviation compared to the standard method. The sensor was simple, sensitive, rapid, and provided strong visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]