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Palladium (Pd) hydride-based catalysts have been reported to have excellent performance in the CO2reduction reaction (CO2RR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Our previous work on doped PdH and Pd alloy hydrides showed that Ti-doped and Ti-alloyed Pd hydrides could improve the performance of the CO2reduction reaction compared with pure Pd hydride. Compositions and chemical orderings of the surfaces with only one adsorbate under certain reaction conditions are linked to their stability, activity, and selectivity toward the CO2RR and HER, as shown in our previous work. In fact, various coverages, types, and mixtures of the adsorbates, as well as state variables such as temperature, pressure, applied potential, and chemical potential, could impact their stability, activity, and selectivity. However, these factors are usually fixed at common values to reduce the complexity of the structures and the complexity of the reaction conditions in most theoretical work. To address the complexities above and the huge search space, we apply a deep learning-assisted multitasking genetic algorithm to screen for PdxTi1–xHysurfaces containing multiple adsorbates for CO2RR under different reaction conditions. The ensemble deep learning model can greatly speed up the structure relaxations and retain a high accuracy and low uncertainty of the energy and forces. The multitasking genetic algorithm simultaneously finds globally stable surface structures under each reaction condition. Finally, 23 stable structures are screened out under different reaction conditions. Among these, Pd0.56Ti0.44H1.06+ 25%CO, Pd0.31Ti0.69H1.25+ 50%CO, Pd0.31Ti0.69H1.25+ 25%CO, and Pd0.88Ti0.12H1.06+ 25%CO are found to be very active for CO2RR and suitable to generate syngas consisting of CO and H2.

Solar-driven water evaporation can alleviate the severe water scarcity situation in a nonpolluting and sustainable manner. Although the design of integrated three-dimensional (3D) solar evaporators has been proven to be effective in achieving ultrahigh evaporation rates and energy efficiency, their scalable application is still hindered by complex manufacturing processes and poor portability. Herein, we report a highly portable shape-memory 3D solar evaporator by depositing MXene on low-cost lignin-cellulosic sponges for freshwater production. When not in use, the 3D evaporator can be compressed into a thin film with up to 89.3% volume reduction, ensuring minimal space occupation and high portability. When needed, due to the shape-memory effect, the 3D structure can be rapidly restored by swelling the compressed film in water, resulting in an efficient 3D solar evaporator. This 3D evaporator exhibits not only a high evaporation rate of 2.48 kg m–2h–1under 1 sun illumination but also excellent long-term stability and recyclability. In addition, the 3D evaporator itself can serve as a water reservoir without requiring a continuous water supply during evaporation, showing remarkable application flexibility. This work opens a new perspective for manufacturing highly portable and efficient 3D solar evaporators and may facilitate their progress from the laboratory to commercial applications.

Improving the drug loading and delivery efficiency of biodegradable nanomaterials used for targeting prostate cancer (PCa) remains a challenging task. To accomplish this task, herein, a new surface molecularly imprinted polymer (ZIF-8/DOX-HA@MIP) was designed and constructed with a hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) metal–organic framework loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) as a substrate and a responsive molecularly imprinted polymer film as a shell. Owing to the large surface area of ZIF-8, DOX was successfully loaded into the ZIF-8/DOX-HA@MIP with a high drug loading efficiency (more than 88%). In vitro cell experiments have shown that the strengthened targeting ability of ZIF-8/DOX-HA@MIP to PCa cells was realized through the synergistic effect of HA and the molecularly imprinted membrane. Under the condition of simulated tumor microenvironment solution, Zn species were released and the particle size of ZIF-8/DOX-HA@MIP decreased gradually by the synergistic effect of hyaluronidase, pH, and glutathione, showing excellent biodegradability. In vivo antitumor research indicated the excellent antitumor activity and biocompatibility of ZIF-8/DOX-HA@MIP. The multifunctional ZIF-8/DOX-HA@MIP constructed herein provides a novel impetus for the development of targeted drug delivery in PCa treatment and a new strategy for treating other tumors.

The adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy has been widely applied to mouse models for deafness. But, AAVs could transduce non-targeted organs after inner ear delivery due to their low cell-type specificity. This study compares transgene expression and biodistribution of AAV1, AAV2, Anc80L65, AAV9, AAV-PHP.B, and AAV-PHP.eB after round window membrane (RWM) injection in neonatal mice. The highest virus concentration was detected in the injected cochlea. AAV2, Anc80L65, AAV9, AAV-PHP.B, and AAV-PHP.eB transduced both inner hair cells (IHCs) and outer hair cells (OHCs) with high efficiency, while AAV1 transduced IHCs with high efficiency but OHCs with low efficiency. All AAV subtypes finitely transduced contralateral inner ear, brain, heart, and liver compared with the injected cochlea. In most brain regions, the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression of AAV1 and AAV2 was lower than that of other four subtypes. We suggested the cochlear aqueduct might be one of routes for vectors instantaneously infiltrating into the brain from the cochlea through a dye tracking test. In summary, our results provide available data for further investigating the biodistribution of vectors through local inner ear injection and afford a reference for selecting AAV serotypes for gene therapy toward deafness.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been widely used as a sensitive molecular spectroscopy technology in food safety detection. Precise morphology control of plasmonic nanoparticles for high sensitivity and high uniformity SERS substrates remains challenging. Herein, silver decahedral nanoparticles (AgDeNPs) with uniform and adjustable sizes were synthesized by a photochemical seed-mediated method and utilized as SERS substrates for pesticide residue detection. The SERS sensitivity was demonstrated by using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) as a typical model molecule, and the limit of detection (LOD) reached 1.0 × 10−13M. The pesticide residue detection of thiram in aqueous solution and on fruit peels was successfully realized; the LODs were 1.0 × 10−11M and 0.96 ng cm−2, respectively, and SERS repeatability was also proved. Overall, size-tunable AgDeNPs show attractive SERS performances and are expected to hold potential application in sensitive food and environmental safety detection.

The effect of the crystal orientations and precipitates on the corrosion behavior of Al-Cu-Li single crystals was studied by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, optical microscopy, immersion testing in exfoliation corrosion solution, and electrochemical testing. The results show that the corrosion rates of different orientations of the aged Al-Cu-Li alloy increase in the order of (001) < (101) < (111), which are different from those of the as-quenched alloy in the increasing order of (111) < (001) < (101). The precipitation of the T1phase deteriorated the corrosion resistance of the Al-Cu-Li alloy, and the degree of deterioration differed in different crystal plane orientations. The severe localized corrosion of the aged alloy propagates along the crystallography and extends along the {111}Alplane in the form of corrosion bands.

• The incipient plasticity and dislocation behavior in nanocrystalline (NC) CrCoNi alloy were systematically investigated and compared with its coarse-grained (CG) counterpart and NC Ni. • Multiple pop-ins appear in the P-h curves of NC and CG CrCoNi alloys but disappear in the curves of NC Ni. • The incipient plasticity is mediated by dislocation nucleation in NC CrCoNi alloy but by GBs in NC Ni. • Chemically complex GBs in NC CrCoNi alloy facilitate dislocation nucleation but impede dislocation propagation. • Spatial restrictions from GBs in NC CrCoNi alloy induce size-dependent pop-in behaviors. The incipient plasticity and dislocation behavior in a nanocrystalline (NC) CrCoNi medium-entropy alloy were systematically investigated in terms of pop-in events during instrumental nano-indentation tests. Quantitative statistical analysis and molecular dynamic simulations were performed to reveal the effects of grain boundaries (GBs) on initial stages of plastic deformation. Multiple pop-in events appeared during loading on the NC CrCoNi. The first pop-in that represents the initial yielding was identified to be controlled by dislocation nucleation, which is in sharp contrast to the continuous elastic-plastic transition mediated by GB mechanisms in NC pure metals. This can be attributed to the sluggish kinetics of the chemically complex GBs (CCGBs) in the NC CrCoNi that hinders diffusive GB activities but facilitates dislocation nucleation. Subsequent pop-ins were also found to be closely related to the extra dragging effects imposed by the CCGBs on dislocation propagation in the NC alloy. Moreover, the extremely small grain sizes and the consequent high-volume fraction of GBs in the NC alloy severely restrict the lengths of dislocation source and the radii of dislocation loop, giving rise to a higher critical stress, smaller activation volume and lower pop-in width as compared with its coarse-grained counterpart. These results provide new insights into the onset of nano-plasticity in concentrated multi-principal element alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuronal activation is required for the formation of drug-associated memory, which is critical for the development, persistence, and relapse of drug addiction. Nevertheless, the metabolic mechanisms underlying energy production for neuronal activation remain poorly understood. In the study, a large-scale proteomics analysis of lysine crotonylation (Kcr), a type of protein posttranslational modification (PTM), reveals that cocaine promoted protein Kcr in the hippocampal dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG). We find that Kcr is predominantly discovered in a few enzymes critical for mitochondrial energy metabolism; in particular, pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex E1 subunit α (PDHA1) is crotonylated at the lysine 39 (K39) residue through P300 catalysis. Crotonylated PDHA1 promotes pyruvate metabolism by activating PDH to increase ATP production, thus providing energy for hippocampal neuronal activation and promoting cocaine-associated memory recall. Our findings identify Kcr of PDHA1 as a PTM that promotes pyruvate metabolism to enhance neuronal activity for cocaine-associated memory.

ABSTRACTOvarian granulosa cells (GCs) proliferate and differentiate along with follicular growth, and this is indispensable for oocyte development and female fertility. Although the role of macroautophagy/autophagy in ovarian function has been reported, its contribution to the regulation of GC characteristics remains elusive. The siRNA-mediated knockdown of two key autophagy-related genes ATG5and BECN1and the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine were used to interfere with autophagy in GCs. Inhibition of autophagy both genetically and pharmacologically resulted in decreased expression of genes associated with GC differentiation, including CYP19A1/Aromataseand FSHR, as well as in reduced estradiol synthesis. Mechanistically, when autophagy was disrupted, the transcription factor WT1 accumulated in GCs due to its insufficient degradation by the autophagic pathway, and this inhibited GC differentiation. Finally, decreased expression of several autophagy-related genes, as well as reduced LC3-II:LC3-I and elevated SQSTM1/p62 protein levels, which are indications of decreased autophagy, were detected in GCs from biochemical premature ovarian insufficiency patients. In summary, our study reveals that autophagy regulates the differentiation of ovarian GCs by degrading WT1 and that insufficient autophagy might be involved in ovarian dysfunction.Abbreviations:ATG: autophagy related; bPOI: biochemical premature ovarian insufficiency; CHX: cycloheximide; Co-IP: co-immunoprecipitation; CQ: chloroquine; E2: estradiol; FSH: follicle stimulating hormone; FSHR: follicle stimulating hormone receptor; GC: granulosa cell; LIR: LC3-interacting region; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; POI: premature ovarian insufficiency; RAP: rapamycin; siRNA: small interfering RNA; WT1: WT1 transcription factor

Grain refinement to the nanocrystalline regime is the most effective way to strengthen materials but this often deteriorates the grain-size thermal stability and plasticity. Here we manufactured a nanocrystalline face centred cubic CrCoNi medium entropy alloy with columnar grains via magnetron sputtering. Compression of CrCoNi pillars with diameters of ∼ 1 µm revealed a record high yield strength of ∼5 GPa for pillars with face centred cubic structures and engineering plastic strain of > 30%. The alloy possessed an outstanding grain-size thermal stability even at 1073 K. Both nanocrystalline grain size and a high density of nanotwins/stacking faults are critical to the exceptional yield strength. Deformation twinning, grains refinement during deformation, grain boundary sliding and random grain orientation all contribute to the large plasticity. The outstanding thermal stability is attributed to the sluggish diffusion effect and the low energy of twin boundaries. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metals with nanocrystalline grains have ultrahigh strengths approaching two gigapascals. However, such extreme grain-boundary strengthening results in the loss of almost all tensile ductility, even when the metal has a face-centred-cubic structure—the most ductile of all crystal structures1–3. Here we demonstrate that nanocrystalline nickel–cobalt solid solutions, although still a face-centred-cubic single phase, show tensile strengths of about 2.3 gigapascals with a respectable ductility of about 16 per cent elongation to failure. This unusual combination of tensile strength and ductility is achieved by compositional undulation in a highly concentrated solid solution. The undulation renders the stacking fault energy and the lattice strains spatially varying over length scales in the range of one to ten nanometres, such that the motion of dislocations is thus significantly affected. The motion of dislocations becomes sluggish, promoting their interaction, interlocking and accumulation, despite the severely limited space inside the nanocrystalline grains. As a result, the flow stress is increased, and the dislocation storage is promoted at the same time, which increases the strain hardening and hence the ductility. Meanwhile, the segment detrapping along the dislocation line entails a small activation volume and hence an increased strain-rate sensitivity, which also stabilizes the tensile flow. As such, an undulating landscape resisting dislocation propagation provides a strengthening mechanism that preserves tensile ductility at high flow stresses.

Persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes have been widely considered efficient remediation methods, and ferrite is a satisfactory activator of persulfate (PS) for the removal of environmental pollutants. Herein, cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (nano-CoFe2O4) were synthesized by the co-precipitation method and used to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of Congo red (CR) in aqueous solution. The results of characterization analysis showed that these nanoparticles exhibit an average crystallite size in the range of 13.96–25.17 nm, with a spherical structure, rich functional groups on their surfaces, and excellent magnetic and thermal stability. Furthermore, degradation experiments were designed to investigate the effects of a single factor, including the initial CR concentration, PMS concentration, catalyst dosage, initial pH and coexisting ions. The corresponding removal behaviour is in good agreement with the pseudo-first-order dynamics model. In addition, in the nano-CoFe2O4/PMS system, according to the identification results of reactive oxygen species, superoxide radical (•O2–) and singlet oxygen radical (1O2) species were the major active species that degraded CR, and the mechanism of PMS activation was comprehensively proposed. Meanwhile, after nano-CoFe2O4was used five times continuously, the CR removal efficiency in the nano-CoFe2O4/PMS system decreased by only 7%, indicating that the prepared catalyst has excellent reusability. Therefore, the nano-CoFe2O4synthesized in this research represents a novel, economical and efficient activator of PMS for the degradation of organic dyes in industrial wastewater.

Wind power, solar power, and electrical load forecasting are essential works to ensure the safe and stable operation of the electric power system. With the increasing permeability of new energy and the rising demand response load, the uncertainty on the production and load sides are both increased, bringing new challenges to the forecasting work and putting forward higher requirements to the forecasting accuracy. Most review/survey papers focus on one specific forecasting object (wind, solar, or load), a few involve the above two or three objects, but the forecasting objects are surveyed separately. Some papers predict at least two kinds of objects simultaneously to cope with the increasing uncertainty at both production and load sides. However, there is no corresponding review at present. Hence, our study provides a comprehensive review of wind, solar, and electrical load forecasting methods. Furthermore, the survey of Numerical Weather Prediction wind speed/irradiance correction methods is also included in this manuscript. Challenges and future research directions are discussed at last.

p-Cresol is a harmful phenolic substance that can cause serious effects on human health even at a low concentration in water. Therefore, the detection of p-cresol in a water environment is particularly important. In this paper, a novel zeolite imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) material with regular morphology was prepared on the surface of graphene oxide doped with silver nanoparticles. The composite was modified on the glassy carbon electrode surface to increase the specific surface area, accelerate the electron transfer rate, enhance the current response and improve the performance of electrochemical sensors. Furthermore, a layer of p-cresol-molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared on the surface of the modified electrode by electropolymerization for the selective, rapid and sensitive detection of p-cresol, which greatly improved the specific recognition of p-cresol. Under optimal conditions, the prepared sensor had a good linear range of 1.0 × 10−10M to 1.0 × 10−5M with a detection limit as low as 5.4 × 10−11M, and it presented excellent reproducibility, stability and selectivity. Moreover, the sensor was successfully applied for the detection of trace p-cresol in a real water environment, providing a reliable assay for sensitive, rapid and selective detection of p-cresol in complex samples.

The fresh groundwater in the Loess Plateau serves as a major source of water required for the production and livelihood of local residents and is greatly significant for regional economic and social development and ecological protection. This paper analyzes the hydrogeological conditions and groundwater characteristics in the Loess Plateau, expatiates on the types and distribution characteristics of the fresh groundwater in the plateau, and analyzes the influencing factors and mechanisms in the formation of the fresh groundwater in the plateau as a priority. Based on this, it summarizes the impacts of human activities and climatic change on the regional fresh groundwater. The groundwater in Loess Plateau features uneven temporal-spatial distribution, with the distribution space of the fresh groundwater closely relating to precipitation. The groundwater shows a distinct zoning pattern of hydrochemical types. It is fresh water in shallow parts and is salt water in deep parts overall, while the fresh water of exploration value is distributed only in a small range. The storage space and migration pathways of fresh groundwater in the loess area feature dual voids, vertical multilayers, variable structure, poor renewability, complex recharge processes, and distinct spatial differences. In general, the total dissolved solids (TDS) of the same type of groundwater tends to gradually increase from recharge areas to discharge areas. Conditions favorable for the formation of fresh groundwater in loess tablelands include the low content of soluble salts in strata, weak evaporation, and special hydrodynamic conditions. Owing to climate change and human activities, the resource quantity of regional fresh water tends to decrease overall, and the groundwater dynamic field and the recharge-discharge relationships between groundwater and surface water have changed in local areas. Human activities have a small impact on the water quality but slightly affect the water quantity of the groundwater in loess.

Carbide materials are interesting and useful functional materials, such as for thermal barrier coatings and wide-band-gap semiconductors. In this paper, a novel molybdenum carbide material, MoC4crystals, was obtained using the chemical vapor transport (CVT) method. MoC4crystals have a monoclinic structure, and their space group is P21/n(No. 14) (a= 5.5347(14) Å, b= 4.8498(7) Å, c= 5.6013(14) Å, and V= 130.91(6) Å3). The electrical properties of MoC4crystal demonstrate the metallic behavior that the Bloch–Grüneisen model can well describe. A Hall measurement shows that MoC4has a high hole carrier concentration of up to 0.6 × 1023cm–3on average and carrier mobility of μ = 76–125 cm2V–1s–1. In addition, MoC4was found to be thermodynamically stable above 1500 °C, and so it may be used as high-temperature conductors or electrodes.

It is well known that cell can response to various chemical and mechanical stimuli. Therefore, flow pressure variation induced by sample loading and elution should be small enough to ignore the physical impact on cells when we use a Chip-SPE-MS system for cells. However, most existent Chip-SPE-MS systems ignored the pressure alternation because it is extremely difficult to develop a homogeneous-flow-pressure hyphenated module. Herein, we developed an interesting fluidic isolation-assisted homogeneous-flow-pressure Chip-SPE-MS system and demonstrated that it is adequate for online high-throughput determination and quantification of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D3(25(OH)D3) biotransformation in different cells. Briefly, the homogeneous ambient flow pressure is achieved by fluidic isolation between the cell culture channel and the SPE column, and an automatic sampling probe could accomplish the sample loading and dispensing to fulfill online pretreatment of the sample. Through this new system, the expression levels of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3(24,25(OH)2D3) can be determined in real time with a detection limit of 2.54 nM. In addition, the results revealed that 25(OH)D3metabolic activity differed significantly between normal L-02 cells and cancerous HepG2 cells. Treatment of L-02 cells with a high dose of 25(OH)D3was found to increase significant formation of 24,25(OH)2D3, but this change was not apparent in HepG2 cells. The presented system promises to be a versatile tool for online accurate molecule biotransformation investigation and drug screening processes.

Using the new technology of internet of things, big data and cloud computing, an intelligent sponge city platform with the functions of monitoring, data transmission, early warning and management is built. The hardware system based on NB-IoT and STM32 and the software system of T-S fuzzy neural network and BP neural network are designed. The BP and T-S fuzzy neural network are respectively used for data calculation and analysis, monitoring and early warning. The results show that the employment of the smart platform has reduced the annual runoff of Wenzhou City by 40%, the concentration of the suspended solids in river rainwater has been reduced by more than 40%, and the concentration of the chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen and total phosphorus has been reduced by more than 30%, which reduces the economy loss by five million yuan and improved the aqueous environment to some extent.

Textile and dyeing wastewater is the major source of environmental water pollution all over the world, which has complex composition so that conventional methods are difficult to remove and degrade. Based on the relevant research, this paper proposes to add further treatment by using macroporous resins on the basic of the conventional treatment and explore the effects of the adsorption and desorption, such as the pH value, initial concentration of , temperature and the flow rate. The performance of six kinds of macroporous resins (DA-2, D280, DA201, D3520, AB-8 and DA-201) for the advanced treatment in the textile and dyeing wastewater has been evaluated. The adsorption and desorption properties of the contaminants, which tested by the six kinds of the macroporous resins in the textile and dyeing, have been compared. According to the results, D3520 resin holds the highest adsorption and desorption capacity. (15.6mg/g for adsorption capacity, 15.1mg/g for desorption capacity). The effects of the pH value, initial concentration of , temperature and the flow rate on removal of by D3520 macroporous resin have been tested. The results showed that the removal of increased with the pH value and initial concentration of COD increasing and the data of its adsorption fitted the Langmuir isotherm best. Besides, 92.49% could be removed after 8h of adsorption at 25 °C. Dynamic adsorption and desorption experiments have been carried out on the packed column of D3520 resins as a reference for engineering applications, the results showed that the D3520 resin could still reach 79.5% removal rate after adsorptions-regeneration for five times.

The high value-added utilization of fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) slurry has always been full of challenges and has important practical significance. Ultralight N-rich porous graphene nanosheets (N-PGNs) have been synthesized via a chemical vapor deposition method using FCC slurry as a carbon source and g-C3N4as a substrate. The N-PGNs integrate interesting features including high N doping and large surface area with ultrahigh pore volume, which leads to intriguing performance in electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) along with broad absorption bandwidth. When the ratio of FCC slurry and g-C3N4continues to optimize, the maximum reflection loss of the N-PGNs can reach −53 dB with a low filler loading of only 3 wt %, and the effective absorption bandwidth exceeding −10 dB is 6.8 GHz with a thickness of 3 mm. The excellent property of the N-PGNs and their extraordinary EMWA performance develop a new pathway for the high value-added utilization of FCC slurry.

Solar-driven water evaporation has been proposed as a renewable and sustainable strategy for the generation of clean water from seawater or wastewater. To enable such technologies, development of photothermal materials that enable efficient solar steam generation is essential. The current challenge is to manufacture such photothermal materials cost-effectively and at scale. Furthermore, the photothermal materials should be strongly hydrophilic and environmentally stable. Herein, we demonstrate facile and scalable fabrication of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based photothermal nanocomposite foam by igniting an ethanol solution of ferric acetylacetonate [Fe(acac)3] absorbed within nickel (Ni) foam under ambient conditions. The Fe(acac)3precursor provides carbon and the zero-valent iron catalyst for growing CNTs on the Ni foam, while ethanol facilitates the dispersion of Fe(acac)3on the Ni foam and supplies heat energy for the growth of CNTs by its burning. A forest of dense and uniform CNTs decorated with Fe2O3nanoparticles is generated within seconds. The resultant Fe2O3/CNT/Ni nanocomposite foam exhibits “superhydrophilicity” and high light absorption capacity, ensuring rapid transport and fast evaporation of water within the entire foam. Efficient light-to-heat conversion causes the surface temperature of the foam to reach ∼83.1 °C under 1 sun irradiation. The average water evaporation rates of such foam are as high as ∼1.48 and ∼4.27 kg m–2h–1with light-to-heat conversion efficiencies of ∼81.3 and ∼93.8% under 1 sun and 3 sun irradiation, respectively. Moreover, the versatile and scalable combustion synthesis strategy presented here can be realized on various substrates, exhibiting high adaptability for different applications.

The electrooxidation of phenolic groups of caffeic acid and rutin promote anodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) luminol substantially. A sensitive, and cost-effective ECL method has thus been developed to detect caffeic acid, ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 μM, with a detection limit of 0.1 μM and rutin ranging from 0.2 to 25 μM with a detection limit of 0.12 μM. Contrarily, phenolic compounds quench the weak cathodic ECL of luminol. Both of anodic and cathodic ECL mechanisms of luminol in the presence of phenolic compounds are analyzed. The method based on the boomed anodic ECL of luminol is comparable to those based on Ru(bpy)3 2+ and S2O8 2–/O2 systems. A lower onset potential and price than the other ECL reagents would realize its widely applications in the detection of phenolic compounds in food and medicine.

In order to achieve the detection ability of distributed targets in wireless sensor networks, a passive tracking method of distributed targets in wireless sensor networks based on potential game is proposed. The distributed nodes of wireless sensor network are designed by uniform array distributed networking method, and passive tracking signals are collected in the link model of wireless sensor network. The feature of passive tracking signal is extracted by the method of fuzzy recognition. The potential game model is established, and the potential game objective function for passive tracking of distributed targets is constructed. Using the distributed target parameter estimation method, combined with signal detection and optimisation, the passive tracking and recognition of distributed targets in wireless sensor networks are realised. The simulation results show that the method has high accuracy and parameter identification accuracy for distributed target tracking, and improves the tracking and detection ability.

A two-dimensional (2D) molecularly imprinted photonic crystal (MIPC) sensor for the detection of tetracycline in foods was fabricated. The MIPCs were prepared by a thermal polymerization method with polystyrene 2D photonic crystals (2D-PCs) as the template, tetracycline as the template molecule, acrylamide as the functional monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the crosslinking agent. The detection of tetracycline (TC) using the fabricated MIPC sensor was performed through a visual change in the Debye diffraction ring. Typically, the color of the MIPC turned from red to blue with an 11 mm increase in the diameter of the Debye ring when the TC concentration increased to 10−6mol L−1. The fabricated sensor exhibited high selectivity for TC with a response time less than 10 min compared to that for similar compounds. The sensor maintained high sensitivity after five recycles with recoveries of TC around 88.4% and 91.0% in pork and milk samples respectively. We envision that the MIPC sensor could be applied for the detection of TC in food samples and other complicated systems.

Objective In this meta-analysis, we aimed to compare efficacy and clinical outcomes of tolvaptan in treating acute heart failure (AHF).Methods Using MEDLINE, we searched relevant clinical studies using tolvaptan that investigated clinical effects in treating AHF. We performed meta-analysis for potentially extractable clinical outcomes such as body weight reduction, change in serum sodium levels, and clinical or safety events including worsening heart failure, worsening renal function (WRF), all-cause mortality, rehospitalization, and dyspnea improvement.Results The results showed that tolvaptan significantly reduced body weight (mean change: −1.28 kg, 95% credible interval (CI): −1.58–0.98), increased serum sodium levels (mean change: 3.48 mmol/L; 95% Cl: 3.22–3.74), and improved dyspnea function (odds ratio (OR): 1.43; 95% CI: 1.26–1.62) versus conventional therapy. The event risk of WRF was also significantly reduced (OR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.15–0.80). Low, intermediate, and high tolvaptan doses did not reduce mortality and rehospitalization risks. No significant publication bias was observed regarding effects on mortality and rehospitalization.Conclusion Current evidence indicates that using tolvaptan as add-on therapy can decrease body weight, increase sodium levels, improve dyspnea function, and reverse WRF, which may circumvent loop diuretics overdose and improve outcomes in patients with AHF.

ABSTRACTNanoindentation tests of the high nitrogen nickel-free austenitic stainless steel (HNS) were performed with peak load in a wide range of 100–600 mN to investigate the nanoindentation creep deformation behaviours. The results of the nanoindentation creep tests have demonstrated that the load plateaus, creep strain rate and creep stress of the cold-rolled HNS are larger and its creep stress exponent is smaller than the solution-treated HNS. The analysis reveals that the obvious creep deformation behaviour in the cold-rolled HNS arises from the rapidly relaxed dislocation structures in the initial transition regime, while the small creep deformation behaviour of the solution-treatedHNS is mainly attributed to that the stable dislocation structures for the intensive interactions between dislocations.

We demonstrate in this article the first synthesis of a class of hyperbranched and star polyketones by Pd-catalyzed terpolymerization of 4-tertbutylstyrene (TBS), divinylbenzene (DVB), and carbon monoxide (CO), where TBS/DVB undergoes alternating copolymerization with CO. Hyperbranched polyketones are first synthesized by direct one-pot terpolymerization, where difunctional DVB monomer serves as the branching agent. A simple variation of the feed ratio of TBS and DVB facilitates the efficient tuning of the branching density in the hyperbranched polymers. The success of the terpolymerization enables the subsequent one-pot synthesis of star polyketones by both “core-first” and “arm-first” strategies. In the “core-first” strategy, multinuclear Pd-containing hyperbranched cross-linked polyketone cores are first formed by TBS/DVB/CO terpolymerization and serve as multifunctional initiating cores for subsequent multidirectional arm growth upon TBS addition. In the “arm-first” strategy, “living” TBS/CO alternating copolymerization is first carried out to grow linear polyketone arms, followed by the addition of DVB for star formation by cross-linking the linear arms. Tuning the polymerization parameters in both strategies allows the efficient design of star polyketones of varying arm lengths and average arm numbers.

With the increasing proportion of wind power integration, the volatility of wind power brings huge challenges to the safe and stable operation of the electric power system. At present, the indexes commonly used to evaluate the volatility of wind power only consider its overall characteristics, such as the standard deviation of wind power, the average of power variables, etc., while ignoring the detailed volatility of wind power, that is, the features of the frequency distribution of power variables. However, how to accurately describe the detailed volatility of wind power is the key foundation to reduce its adverse influences. To address this, a quantitative method for evaluating the detailed volatility of wind power at multiple temporal-spatial scales is proposed. First, the volatility indexes which can evaluate the detailed fluctuation characteristics of wind power are presented, including the upper confidence limit, lower confidence limit and confidence interval of power variables under the certain confidence level. Then, the actual wind power data from a location in northern China is used to illustrate the application of the proposed indexes at multiple temporal (year-season-month-day) and spatial scales (wind turbine-wind turbines-wind farm-wind farms) using the calculation time windows of 10 min, 30 min, 1 h, and 4 h. Finally, the relationships between wind power forecasting accuracy and its corresponding detailed volatility are analyzed to further verify the effectiveness of the proposed indexes. The results show that the proposed volatility indexes can effectively characterize the detailed fluctuations of wind power at multiple temporal-spatial scales. It is anticipated that the results of this study will serve as an important reference for the reserve capacity planning and optimization dispatch in the electric power system which with a high proportion of renewable energy.

In this study, a sialic acid (SA) and transferrin (TF) imprinted biodegradable disulfide bridging organosilicas‐based drug delivery system (SS‐DMONS/DOX‐Ce6@MIPs) for targeted cancer therapy is constructed, for the first time. Disulfide bridged dendritic mesoporous organosilicas nanoparticles (SS‐DMONs) not only enhance drug loading as the drug repository, but also provide enough specific surface area for the molecular imprinting shell to expose more degradation and imprinted sites on the surface. In addition, SS can be disturbed in a highly reducing tumor microenvironment to achieve degradation. The biodegradable imprinting film, prepared with customized 2‐amino‐N‐(3,4‐dihydroxyphenethyl)‐3‐mercaptopropanamide and 4‐mercaptophenylboronic acid as functional monomers, endows SS‐DMONs with active targeting capacity, and responsive drug release through degradation under acidic and highly reductive tumor microenvironment. SS‐DMONS/DOX‐Ce6@MIPs after binding of TF can target tumor cells actively through multiple interactions, including the affinity between antigen and antibody, and the specific recognition between molecularly imprinted polymers and template molecules. Under laser irradiation the loaded chlorin e6 (Ce6) that can produce toxic reactive oxygen, combined with the doxorubicin (DOX), achieves chemical/photodynamic synergistic anticancer effects. SS‐DMONS/DOX‐Ce6@MIPs present excellent tumor targeting and dual‐responsive drug release, which provides an effective strategy for chemical/photodynamic antitumor therapy. A double template‐imprinted polymers is successfully prepared on the surface of disulfide bridged dendritic silicon using biodegradable biomaterials as functional monomer. Biological experimental results show that this nanoparticle can actively target tumor by multiple actions and effectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells through synergistic treatment without noticeable side effects and accumulation in vivo.

This study presented a quantitative investigation of deformation behavior and dynamic recrystallization of low-alloy high-strength Ni–Cr–Mo–V steels during hot deformation. A series of isothermal compression experiments were performed at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1200 °C and strain rates from 0.01 to 10 s−1with a height reduction of 60%. A complete Arrhenius constitutive model and processing maps were developed. The results showed that the constitutive model had the ability to predict the flow stress with an average absolute relative error of < 5.7%. The processing maps constructed at strains of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 showed that flow instability was prone to occur at higher strain. Dynamic recrystallization tended to take place at higher temperatures (900–1200 °C) and lower strain rates (0.01–1 s−1). The critical strain for the onset of dynamic recrystallization was determined, and a kinetics model was developed. The predicted results for recrystallization volume fraction and flow stress were compared with the experimental data, which indicated that the model was accurate and reliable.

High activity and long-term stability are particularly important for peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-based degradation processes in wastewater treatment, especially under a flowing state. However, if the highly active nanomaterials are in a powder form, they could disperse well in water but would not be convenient for application under varied flow rates. A metal oxide/bacterial cellulose hybrid membrane fixed in a flowing bed is expected to solve these problems. Herein, α-Fe2O3nanodisk/bacterial cellulose hybrid membranes as high-performance sulfate-radical-based visible light photocatalysts are synthesized for the first time. The bacterial cellulose with excellent mechanical stability and film-forming feature not only benefits the formation of a stable membrane to avoid the separation and recycling problems but also helps disperse and accommodate α-Fe2O3nanodisks and thus enhances the visible light absorption performances, leading to an excellent PMS-based visible light degradation efficiency under both stirring and flowing states. Particularly, the optimized hybrid membrane photocatalyzes both cationic and anionic organic dyes under a flowing bed state for at least 84 h with the catalytic efficiency up to 100% and can be easily separated after the reaction, confirming its remarkable catalytic performance and long-term stability. Even under varied flow rates during the continuous process, it efficiently degrades rhodamine B and orange II from 3 to 16 mL h–1. When the flow rate goes back from high to low, the hybrid membrane quickly recovers its original performance, demonstrating the high activity and stability of the α-Fe2O3/bacterial cellulose membrane.

A novel turn-on fluorescent sensor for the detection of ascorbic acid (AA) has been developed based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and squaric acid (SQA)-iron(iii). In this assay, iron(iii) can rapidly coordinate with the SQA to produce SQA-iron(iii). The absorbance band of SQA-iron(iii) could be largely overlapped with the emission band of GQDs, thus resulting in the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-induced fluorescence quenching of GQDs. Moreover, the fluorescence of GQDs can be sensitively turned on by AA through the oxidation-reduction between iron(iii) and AA. After the transformation of SQA-iron(iii) to SQA-iron(ii), because the absorbance of the solution reduces, the FRET decreases. This FRET-based nanosensor shows high selective and sensitive response in the concentration of AA ranging from 1.0 to 95 μM with the detection limit as lower as 200 nM, which is lower than that of other fluorescent assays. Finally, the proposed sensing system was successfully applied to the direct analysis of AA in the real samples with satisfactory results.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most devastating brain tumors with poor prognosis and high mortality. Although radical surgical treatment with subsequent radiation and chemotherapy can improve the survival, the efficacy of such regimens is insufficient because the GBM cells can spread and destroy normal brain structures. Moreover, these non-specific treatments may damage adjacent healthy brain tissue. It is thus imperative to develop novel therapies to precisely target invasive tumor cells without damaging normal tissues. Immunotherapy is a promising approach due to its capability to suppress the growth of various tumors in preclinical model and clinical trials. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using T cells engineered with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting an ideal molecular marker in GBM, e.g. epidermal growth factor receptor type III (EGFRvIII) has demonstrated a satisfactory efficacy in treating malignant brain tumors. Here we summarize the recent progresses in immunotherapeutic strategy using CAR-modified T cells oriented to EGFRvIII against GBM.

A series of diphenylboron-chelating N-substituent 8-aminoquinoline, 5-aminoquinoxaline, and 1-aminophenazine were prepared. They exhibit lowest energy absorption peaks of 444–766 nm, emission peaks of 563–820 nm, and quantum yields of up to 46.5%. Electrochemical and theoretical studies indicate that the N-substituent mainly determines the HOMO and the framework determines the LUMO, thus allowing for a wide-tuning of absorptions/emissions. Intramolecular charge transfer transition leads to large Stokes shifts of up to 166 nm. One selected compound showed satisfactory cytocompatibility and cytoplasm-targeting cell imaging ability.

Carbon neutrality has become the global consensus, and wind power is one of the key technologies to achieve carbon neutrality in the power system. However, the randomness and fluctuation of wind energy pose a great challenge to the safe and stable operation of the power system. Accurate wind power prediction results can effectively reduce the adverse effects of wind power uncertainty on power system operation. The high proportion of wind power connected to the grid requires higher prediction accuracy. However, the existing wind power prediction methods exist the problems of inaccurate classification of numerical weather prediction (NWP) and insufficient consideration of actual characteristics. Therefore, a short-term wind power prediction method based on deep clustering-improved Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN) is proposed in this paper. First, 22 typical features of NWP are extracted (including maximum and minimum wind speed, maximum and minimum temperature, etc.). Then, a deep clustering model based on Categorical Generative Adversarial Network is constructed to classify the extracted NWP features accurately. Finally, to address the problem of partial feature loss in the training process of traditional TCN, a gating mechanism is introduced to improve the activation function of its residual block, and an improved TCN prediction model for each class is established. The actual operation data of three wind farms are used to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed wind power prediction method. The results show that the proposed method can reduce the prediction error (Root Mean Square Error) from 7.18% to 12.87% in three wind farms, compared with other traditional prediction methods.

In this paper, the martensitic transformation temperature, the microstructure and the crystal structure of the complicated martensitic phases of Ni56-xFe19Ga25Cox (x =0, 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6) alloys were investigated by DSC, XRD, SEM and TEM techniques. DSC results show that the martensitic transformation temperature Tm, which is above the room temperature, decreases with the increasing Co content. The microstructure of the Ni56-xFe19Ga25Cox (x =0, 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6) alloys is composed by the martensitic lath and randomly distributed γ phase. The 6M+14M mixed modulated martensite and the γ second phase were detected in the Ni53Fe19Ga25Co3 alloy by XRD and TEM tests.

Molting is an essential physiological process that occurs during crustacean development, with cuticle hardening integral to the process. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying calcification processes in crustaceans. In this study, we cloned a novel calcification-related peptide gene from the cuticle of the oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense(Mn-CRP), including mRNA and genomic DNA sequences. The full-length Mn-CRPcDNA was 551 bp and encoded 100 amino acids (AAs). The genomic DNA sequence was 1307 bp and consisted of two introns separating three exons. The deduced AA sequence had a typical chitin-binding 4 domain conserved structure. To examine Mn-CRPfunction, gene expression patterns in different tissues and molting cycle stages were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Mn-CRPexpression was significantly higher in the cuticle than in other tissues and at post-molt stages than in other molt cycle stages, where exoskeleton calcification occurred. Furthermore, silenced Mn-CRPexpression by RNA interference (RNAi) effectively inhibited molting and slowed M. nipponensegrowth rates. These data showed Mn-CRP had an important role in M. nipponenseexoskeleton calcification. This study laid the foundation for further research on the molecular mechanisms underpinning molting in crustaceans.

Terpenoids, including aromatic volatile monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids, function in defense against pathogens and herbivores. Phoebetrees are remarkable for their scented wood and decay resistance. Unlike other Lauraceae species investigated to date, Phoebespecies predominantly accumulate sesquiterpenoids instead of monoterpenoids. Limited genomic data restrict the elucidation of terpenoid variation and functions. Here, we present a chromosome-scale genome assembly of a Lauraceae tree, Phoebe bournei, and identify 72 full-length terpene synthase (TPS) genes. Genome-level comparison shows pervasive lineage-specific duplication and contraction of TPS subfamilies, which have contributed to the extreme terpenoid variation within Lauraceae species. Although the TPS-a and TPS-b subfamilies were both expanded via tandem duplication in P. bournei, more TPS-a copies were retained and constitutively expressed, whereas more TPS-b copies were lost. The TPS-a genes on chromosome 8 functionally diverged to synthesize eight highly accumulated sesquiterpenes in P. bournei. The essential oil of P. bourneiand its main component, β-caryophyllene, exhibited antifungal activities against the three most widespread canker pathogens of trees. The TPS-a and TPS-b subfamilies have experienced contrasting fates over the evolution of P. bournei.The abundant sesquiterpenoids produced by TPS-a proteins contribute to the excellent pathogen resistance of P. bourneitrees. Overall, this study sheds light on the evolution and adaptation of terpenoids in Lauraceae and provides valuable resources for boosting plant immunity against pathogens in various trees and crops.

Introduction:Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by excessive lipid deposition in the arterial intima. MicroRNA (miR)-107 was reported to inhibit the development of atherosclerosis, but it is unclear whether miR-107 regulate lipid phagocytosis of macrophages.Hypothesis:In the present study, we hypothesized that the potential interaction of lncAPATand miR-107 may regulates the development of atherosclerosis.Methods and results:We used real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to determine the expression levels of miR-107 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with coronary artery atherosclerosis and control subjects without plaque. Bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were used to verify the interaction between lncRNA atherosclerotic plaque instability-associated transcript (lncAPAT) and miR-107. We found that miR-107 was highly expressed in the PBMCs of patients with atherosclerotic plaques, and that lncAPATacted as a competing endogenous RNA to decrease the expression of miR-107. In addition, miR-107 inhibited monocyte adhesion and lipid phagocytosis of macrophages, while lncAPATpromoted monocyte adhesion and lipid phagocytosis via binding with miR-107. Further experiments identified neuron-derived orphan receptor 1 (NOR1) as a downstream target of miR-107 that was up-regulated by lncAPAT. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that lncAPATpromoted monocyte adhesion and lipid phagocytosis of macrophages by functioning as a ceRNA to up-regulate NOR1 by sponging miR-107.Conclusions:Our study demonstrates that lncAPATregulates the miR-107/NOR1 axis to promote lipid phagocytosis by macrophages, indicating that it may serve as a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerotic disease.

The effects of Cr addition on the crystal structure, phase stability and magnetic properties of Ni8Mn4-xGa4Crx (x=0, 1 and 2) ferromagnetic shape memory alloys are systematically investigated by ab-initio calculations. The formation energy results indicate that the added Cr preferentially occupies the Mn sites in Ni2MnGa alloy due to the lowest formation energy. The evaluated Curie temperature decreases with increasing Cr content are derived from the decrease of the total energy difference between the paramagnetic and the ferromagnetic austenite.

Due to strong photoluminescence, extraordinary photostability, excellent biocompatibility, and good water-solubility, metal nanoclusters have attracted enormous attention since discovered. They are found to be novel fluorescence labels for biological applications and environmental monitoring. Recently the chemiluminescence (CL) or electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of metal nanoclusters has received increasing attention. This review covers recent vibrant developments in this field of the past 5 years, and highlights different functions of metal nanoclusters in various CL and ECL systems, such as luminophores, catalysts, and quenchers. Latest synthetic methods of metal nanoclusters used in CL or ECL are also summarized. Furthermore, we discuss some perspectives and critical challenges of this field in the near future.

To fully utilize deoiled end-cut (DOE) from selective asphaltene extraction process, Venezuela n-pentane DOE was subjected to hydroconversion in an autoclave reactor using tetralin as hydrogen donor. Venezuela DOE and its hydroconversion products were separated into gas, n-heptane maltenes (HM), n-heptane asphaltenes (HAs), and coke. The effects of reaction conditions including reaction temperature, solvent-to-feedstock (S/F) weight ratio, and reaction time on product distribution were investigated. High temperature, large S/F ratio, and long time benefited the generation of gas, HM, and coke to some extent. Under optimal conditions, over 50 wt % HAs in DOE was converted into HM fraction, with less than 3 wt % coke yield. The elemental compositions and molecular weights of HAs and HM, along with reaction time, were also analyzed. The hydrogen-to-carbon (H/C) ratio of HAs declined from 1.115 to 0.871, indicating that HAs underwent dehydrogenation and dealkylation reactions. However, the H/C ratio of HM initially increased from 1.405 to 1.548, showing that hydrogenation reaction occurred, and then decreased to 1.374 because of the cracking of HAs into HM and/or the secondary cracking of HM. The average molecular-weight decrease both for HAs and HM confirmed disaggregation and cracking reactions. The molecular composition and transformation of nitrogen and sulfur compounds before and after hydroconversion were determined by negative- and positive-ion electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion-cyclotron–resonance mass spectrometry, respectively. N1, S1, and O2classes were dominant in the feedstock. After hydroconversion, N1and S2compounds decreased in HAs, indicating that they were reactive species. N1compounds mainly cracked into small N1compounds and also condensed into N2compounds, while S2compounds generally decomposed into S1compounds.

With synthetic wastewater, the adsorption characteristics of acid carmoisine B (AC B) on fly ash/chitosan (FA/CTS) composite material prepared by FA loaded with CTS were investigated using a lab-scale batch experiment technique. The optimum preparation conditions for FA/CTS composite were obtained and the composite was further characterized by SEM. The adsorption rate of AC B onto FA/CTS is very fast and the adsorption can reach equilibrium in 60 minutes. Temperature may accelerate the adsorption rate. Equilibrium experimental data are well fitted to linear Langmuir model with the saturated adsorption capacity of 232.56 mg/g at 25°C and the nature of a monolayer adsorption. Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm model was applied to describe the nature of AC B sorption, and it has been found that AC B sorption mainly occurred chemically, but physisorption also exists at same time. The values of thermodynamic parameters, the change of free energy (ΔG◦), enthalpy (ΔH◦) and entropy (ΔS◦) of sorption calculated, show that the sorption process of AC B on FA/CTS is spontaneous and endothermic at 25~55°C. The results indicate that there is significant potential for FA/CTS as an effective adsorbent material for AC B removal from dye wastewater.

Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrogen is a simple, green and sustainable method for the production of NH3, so it is very necessary to find an efficient and low-cost electrocatalyst. Here, we systematically studied the catalytic performance of two 3d transition metal (TM = Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) atoms loaded on C2N monolayer. Through density functional theory calculations and systematic theoretical screening, it is known that Sc and Ti loaded structures can undergo nitrogen reduction reactions (NRR). Unfortunately, the limiting potential (UL) of NRR is not very friendly and is not conducive to the production of NH3. In order to reduce the ULof NRR, we further studied the structure of B and Ti co-doping (B-Ti2@C2N). As expected, the ULof the B-Ti2@C2N via the consecutive pathway is 0.10 eV, with high electrocatalytic activity, which effectively inhibiting the competition of the hydrogen evolution reaction. This theoretical research not only adds a new member to the family of electrocatalysts for nitrogen fixation, but also further increases our physical insights on adjusting catalytic activity, which is expected to guide the rational design of improving the catalyst activity of NRR.