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• Carbon fiber tensile strength was enhanced using silane coupling agent. • Non-destructive binding of fibers to sulfonated graphene was achieved by electrostatic self-assembly. • Sulfonated graphene improves fiber dispersion in composites. • Cross-linking of sulfonic acid groups with CTP inhibited crack formation. • Incorporation of assemblies improved mechanical properties and oxidation resistance of carbon/carbon composites. The application prospects of carbon/carbon composites are greatly limited by interfacial cracks and pores caused by binder pitch displacement and cracking during high-temperature carbonization. In this study, silane coupling agent was coated on the surface of oxygen plasma-treated carbon fibers (CFs) and subsequently electrostatically self-assembled with sulfonated graphene (SG) to improve the interfacial bonding between filler and CTP. The results indicate that the tensile strength of carbon fiber treated with silane coupling agent increased by 19 % compared to untreated CF. This increase in strength may be related to the layer of silane coupling agent that repaired the grooves and imperfections on the CF surface. The addition of SG not only improves the distribution characteristics of the fibers, allowing the silane-treated CF to play a greater role in the matrix, but also creates a three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded cross-linking between the SG and the coal tar pitch (CTP) on the surface of the fibers. This inhibits CTP displacement and pyrolysis, achieving a tight bonding of the fiber to the matrix. The composites' structural integrity and mechanical properties were significantly improved due to the synergistic effect of silane-treated CF and SG. The compressive strength was 216.98 MPa, with a flexural strength of 54.78 MPa, 250 % higher than the untreated carbon fiber-reinforced composites. Additionally, the porosity decreased by 31.5 %, and the antioxidant properties increased. The study presents a potential solution to improve the performance of carbon/carbon composites by using the silane-treated CF-SG multiscale reinforced phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Preparation of novel photocured polyurethane materials based on thiourethane bonds. • More than 90% self-healing efficiency can be achieved under near infrared light. • The material can be applied to the field of flexible electronic substrates. In this work, a photopolymerizable polyurethane oligomer (PETU) with thiourethane bonds was designed and synthesized. Afterwards, the near-infrared responsive self-healing polyurethane films (PETU-HI-X) were fabricated by photopolymerization using homemade PETU, polydopamine (PDA), and commercially available isobornyl acrylate (IBOA) and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA). PETU-HI-X have good photopolymerization and photothermal conversion performance. The as-prepared near-infrared responsive self-healing polyurethane polymer PETU-HI-1.0 exhibited a tensile stress of 1.06 MPa, strain of 1021 %, initial decomposition temperature of 290 °C. In addition, the temperature of the material can rise to more than 100 °C after irradiation with near-infrared light for 3 min, showing excellent photothermal conversion performance, based on which the material shows more than 90 % self-healing efficiency after irradiation with near-infrared light for 30 min. More importantly, the near-infrared responsive self-healing polyurethane polymer PETU-HI-1.0 also has an excellent degradation property. The self-healing polyurethane films have also been used to prepare the flexible electronic device that can be healed and fully restored their conductivity after getting damaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the widespread use of anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) to improve soil health, its impact on soil antibiotics, human pathogenic bacteria (HPB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted an incubation study in manure-amended soil with three treatments: no treatment (CK), crop straw only (CS), and CS combined with water flooding and plastic covering (ASD). The results showed that ASD increased the concentrations of tetracycline by 27 % and β-lactam by 22 %, while depleting macrolide by 51 %. Furthermore, ASD increased the numbers of potential HPB species and genes by 4.1 % and 23 %, respectively. Co-occurrence network analysis demonstrated intensified cooperation and competition among HPB and HNPB (human non-pathogenic bacteria) species under ASD, favoring the prevalence of HPB species such as Escherichia coli , Streptococcus equi , Clostridium tetani , and Bacillus anthracis. Potential HPB species in Proteobacteria exhibited negative correlations with macrolide and β-lactam antibiotics, whereas those in Firmicutes showed positive correlations with tetracycline antibiotics, suggesting that specific bacterial taxa contributed to the production and degradation of antibiotics in response to ASD. Interestingly, CS mitigated the presence of ARGs in soil, while ASD further amplified this reduction, almost eliminating nalC , acrB , OXA-60 , VIM-7 , tetL , and tetQ. The variation in ARG profiles (91.7 %) could be explained by antibiotics, HPB, and HNPB species, indicating their collective contribution to reducing soil ARGs under ASD. Moreover, host prediction and network analysis revealed that, compared with CK, where potential HPB species were the main carriers of ARGs, soil ARGs were less frequently carried by potential HPB species after ASD, indicating a reduction in the collaborative dissemination of HPB and ARGs in manured soil. In conclusion, ASD provides a promising strategy for mitigation of soil biologic contamination, which can have profound significance for environmental safety and agricultural sustainability. • ASD altered soil distribution of tetracycline, β-lactam and macrolide antibiotics. • ASD enriched soil potential HPB species by enhancing connections between HPB and HNPB species. • ASD removed most of the common ARGs, which was weakly correlated with soil antibiotics. • Most potential HPB species boosted by ASD were not the hosts of ARGs in soil. • ASD decreased the risks of synchronous dissemination of HPB and ARGs in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • DON-induced gut toxicity is partly mediated by gut microbiota. • L. murinus is a potential probiotic against DON. • L. murinus and its EVs effectively alleviated DON-induced intestinal barrier disorder. • LmEVs upregulate TLR2 to promote M2 macrophage polarization to protect the gut barrier. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common environmental pollutant that poses a serious health risk to humans worldwide. This study was aim to explore whether gut microbiota is involved in DON-induced intestinal toxicity as well as to reveal effect of probiotics derived from gut microbiota in protecting intestinal barrier and to elucidate mechanism. We found that DON caused disturbed gut microbiota, particularly Lactobacillus murinus (L. murinus) deficiency. DON enhanced M1 macrophage polarization and decreased tight junction protein expression. Microbiota transplantation experiments showed that transfer of DON-disrupted microbiota to healthy mice resulted in delivery of DON-induced intestinal toxicity. Besides, DON lost its damaging effect on macrophage and intestinal barrier in antibiotic-treated mice. Further intervention experiments revealed that L. murinus induce macrophage conversion from M1 to M2 phenotype through secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) to alleviate DON-induced intestinal barrier disruption. Mechanistically, EVs activate TLR2 to promote M2 macrophage polarization and release IL-10, which in turn enhances intestinal barrier function. Upon successful translation of its efficacy into clinical practice, EVs created from L. murinus could be a novel possible treatment strategy for DON-induced gut disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A salt-tolerant polyelectrolyte hydrogel was fabricated. • Mutual interactions of adjacent cations and aromatic rings endow the hydrogel with salt-tolerant properties. • The composite gradient hydrogels present enhanced adsorption and catalytic performance. • The gradient hydrogel matrix demonstrates good stability and reusability used in the saline solutions. The integration of nanostructured materials into hydrogel matrix with chemical gradient holds great promise in gathering the pollutants and enhancing their adsorption or photocatalytic performance. However, the electric potentials rooting in the common gradient polyelectrolyte hydrogel are almost completely shielded by the co-existing counter-ions. In this study, a salt-tolerant gradient polycationic electrolyte hydrogel was fabricated by free radical copolymerization under the induction of unilateral UV illumination, which was used as nanofillers matrix. The cation-π interactions between the adjacent cations and aromatic rings endow the gradient polycationic electrolyte hydrogels deserving the salt-tolerant properties. Thus, the build-in electric potentials are still reactive on enrichment of the anionic heavy metals in highly concentrated salt solutions, altering the defects of the common gradient polyelectrolyte hydrogel. Using Sb(V) adsorption and Cr(VI) photocatalytic reduction as target reactions, the gradient composite hydrogels always display fast and high removal capacities towards these anionic pollutants in the saline solutions of 500 mM, as well as good stability and reusability. This salt-tolerant hydrogel matrix provides a smart material platform with self-driven forces in the fields of pollutant enrichment and removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A low-cost multifunctional fabric was made from waste cotton fabrics and carbon fibers. • The multifunctional composite fabric shows excellent X-band EMI rating of 82.63 dB. • The multifunctional composite fabric possesses outstanding infrared stealth property. • The multifunctional composite fabric has outstanding flame-retardant property. The challenge of developing multifunctional military tent fabrics with low-cost, stable electromagnetic shielding and infrared stealth in complicated environments is enormous. Herein, a novel aluminium-flammability carbonized waste cotton-carbon felt (A-FCWCF) composite fabric consisting of hydrophobic flame-retardant fabric, carbonized waste cotton felt and carbon fiber felt was prepared via a simple yet low-cost stitching process. The resulting composite fabric was extensively investigated for its stability and applicability in a complicated environment. Due to the significant conductivity and impedance mismatches, the A-FCWCF composite fabric displayed exceptional EMI-shielding properties, plus an X-band EMI rating of 82.63 dB. Moreover, the A-FCWCF composite fabric presented excellent infrared stealth performance at room and extremely cold outdoor temperatures, owing to its high porosity and low emissivity. The functional finishing on the A-FCWCF composite fabric also made it stable flame retardate and hydrophobic. Furthermore, the EMI-shielding and infrared stealth performances of A-FCWCF composite fabric were almost unaffected even if subjected to environmental stability, mechanical properties and weather resistance tests, making it a promising candidate for tough natural environments. Overall, this low-cost and simple preparation strategy of multi-layer stitched multifunctional fabric can revolutionize the production of military materials, improving functionality even in the most complex environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) is a widely practiced strategy for remediating soil degradation that seriously threatens crop production and sustainable agriculture. However, the soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and its underlying mechanisms induced by RSD remain unknown. To clarify this problem, a field experiment explored the SOC dynamics under degraded soils (C 3) remediated with CK (untreated) and RSD (combination of added maize straw (C 4), water flooding, and plastic mulch). The relationships of SOC dynamics with microbial community composition and activities of C-related hydrolase were also disentangled using structural equation model (SEM) and variation partitioning analysis (VPA). Results indicated that the SOC concentration under CK treatment decreased by 0.96 g C kg−1 compared with that in the initial soil, while the SOC concentration under RSD treatment increased by 1.26 g C kg−1 because of old SOC loss (0.56 g C kg−1) and new SOC formation (1.82 g C kg−1). Compared to the CK, the RSD increased the soil dissolved organic C (DOC), but decreased the microbial biomass C (MBC) and abundances of bacteria and fungi. The soil microbial community shifted from Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria to Firmicutes and Ascomycota after RSD treatment, and the activities of C-related hydrolase were also enhanced, such as β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, β-xylosidase, and invertase. The SEM and VPA suggested that the new SOC formation and the reduced old SOC loss under RSD treatment were collaboratively driven by soil properties (i.e. , redox potential, DOC, and MBC), microbial taxa (i.e. , Arthobacter , Symbiobacterium) and hydrolase activities (i.e. , BG and CBH). Meanwhile, the RSD doubled the yield of subsequent tomato by mitigating soil degradation (i.e. , salinization and Fusarium oxysporum) and increasing the SOC concentration. In summary, RSD, as a remediation strategy for soil degradation, can increase SOC concentration by modifying microbial community and C-related hydrolase activities. • Reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) increased soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration. • RSD promoted formation of new SOC and reduced the loss of old SOC. • The SOC dynamics had stronger response to bacterial than fungal community under RSD. • The SOC increase was linked to activities of β-xylosidase and cellobiohydrolase. • RSD doubled tomato yield as soil degradation was mitigated and SOC concentration increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OMABS not only effectively initiates photopolymerization of methacrylates, but also reduces their volume shrinkage by reversible "breaking-recovering" of S S bonds under LED irradiation. [Display omitted] • A photopolymerizable dithioaniline derivative (OMABS) was synthesized. • OMABS effectively initiates polymerization of methacrylates under LED irradiation. • OMABS obviously reduces volume shrinkage of methacrylates under LED irradiation. This work reports a photopolymerizable dithioaniline derivative (OMABS), having the double functions of reducing volume shrinkage and initiating polymerization under light emitting diode (LED) irradiation. Its photochemistry and photoinitiation properties were investigated by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), real-time infrared spectroscopy (RTIR) and confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy. OMABS shows a weak absorption around 385 nm and 405 nm, but can generate arylthiyl radicals to effectively initiate the polymerization of bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate (Bis-GMA)/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) system and itself under 385 and 405 nm LED irradiation, and the double bond conversion reaches up to 83.2 %. Significantly, OMABS can obviously reduce the volume shrinkage of Bis-GMA/TEGDMA system, and the volume shrinkage (4.89 %) of Bis-GMA/TEGDMA with OMABS system declines by almost half compared with that (8.10 %) without OMABS system due to the existence of dynamic reversible S S bond and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction. Moreover, OMABS has little influence on the gel yield, thermal stability and frictional resistance of the Bis-GMA/TEGDMA system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Elevation is the most important regional-scale predictor of phylogenetic distance. • Resource availability shapes community assembly and diversity at the regional level. • Local and regional patterns of diversity are different because of shift in assembly. • It is vital to establish a complex gradient to dissect assembly mechanism. Diversity and its maintaining mechanism (community assembly) shift along resource availability gradients at local and regional levels. It is necessary to identify key natural factors shaping community assembly or diversity patterns, so that understanding the patterns of diversity and assembly along these factors across local to regional scales. In this study, we investigated the six local sites of plant community in Qinling Mountains region. Based on the relative importance of environmental factors in shaping the phylogenetic diversity, a complex resource availability gradient was established to assess taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity and assembly patterns along it at local or regional scale separately. Phylogenetic analyses and the biodiversity index were estimated along environmental gradients as well, to assess the difference between change tendencies along natural environmental and resource availability gradients. We found that 1) elevation was the most important regional-scale environmental predictor of phylogeny of community; 2) taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity studies showed similar patterns along both resource and elevational gradients at regional scale, and that diversity at local scale may differ regardless of gradients; 3) at the regional level, phylogenetic structures revealed convergent tendencies along the elevational gradient across different species pools. Phylogenetic assembly patterns along the elevation gradient at the local scale differed from the patterns at the regional scale, with consistent clustering tending to overspread along the resource availability gradient. In conclusion, resource availability shaped community assembly at the regional level. Local patterns of diversity influenced regional patterns differently because of variation in the colonization history or assembly process. Owing to varying assembly patterns along simple environmental gradients, it is vital to establish a complex resource availability gradient to dissect the real assembly mechanism or biodiversity patterns operating in local to regional-scale processes. These findings may provide valuable reference about forest restoration and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the global challenge of traffic crashes necessitates transcending traditional statistical models, which often fail to fully capture the interactions between factors causing crashes. This oversight restricts the predictive accuracy and adaptability of current methodologies. Additionally, there is a notable gap in research that examines the links between behavior-cause relationships and crash injury severity. Our study deploys Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Frequent Pattern (FP) growth algorithm to mine crash narratives for behavior-cause connections, combines with the predictive strength of eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and the interpretative clarity offered by SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), our approach not only predicts crash injury severity with satisfactory precision but also explains the influence of specific behavior-cause and environment conditions on crash outcomes. The integration of NLP and XGBoost, complemented by SHAP insights, has shown promising results with an accuracy of 0.79, outperforming traditional discrete choice models and competes closely with other machine learning approaches, including Support Vector Machines, Random Forest, Categorical Boosting (CatBoost), and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM). Through detailed textual analysis and the establishment of a behavior-cause matrix, identifying five broad crash causes linked to 141 specific crash cause with behaviors, we uncover critical patterns such as the prominence of distracted driving in severe crashes. This comprehensive approach not only fills a critical research gap by linking behavior-cause relationships with injury severity but also sets the stage for developing targeted interventions to enhance road safety. • Merges NLP and XGBoost model for crash injury severity prediction. • Identifies crash causes and related driver behaviors using NLP and FP-growth. • Aids in developing traffic safety interventions based on SHAP interpretability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Various AOPs in improving SCFAs production from WAS were reviewed and compared. • CaO 2 and K 2 FeO 4 have received increasing attention on SCFAs production. • The positive effects of emerging contaminants on SCFAs production were evaluated. • Knowledge gaps and prospects of AOPs techniques in SCFAs production were discussed. • An integrated solution in SCFAs production from WAS in WWTPs was constructed. Applying advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in waste activated sludge (WAS) to enhance short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from anaerobic fermentation has attracted much interest. The current review critically evaluated the efficiency of AOPs in improving the SCFAs production from WAS. Various oxidants (including CaO 2 , peracetic acid, sodium percarbonate, O 3 , persulfate, sulfite, K 2 FeO 4 , KMnO 4 and periodate) can generate different types of highly reactive species to promote the release of biodegradable substrates, and SCFAs yield. Moreover, the positive effects of emerging contaminants (ECs) on SCFAs production were fully investigated, and the efficiencies of AOPs for ECs removal from WAS were analyzed. Finally, intrinsic limitations and opportunities of AOPs-based conditioning techniques in SCFAs production from WAS were proposed. Based on these developments and challenges, an integrated solution in SCFAs production from WAS in wastewater treatment plants was constructed to realize the transition from "linear economy" to "circular economy". This review provides theoretical support for the development of practical engineering with more economical, environmentally friendly and high efficiency regarding the application of AOPs in SCFAs production from WAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Polyanion-π interaction endow the hydrogels with salt-tolerant property. • Gradient hydrogels deserve ionic diode effect and low ionic resistance. • The hydrogel demonstrate anti-swelling and cation selectivity properties. • The gradient polyelectrolyte hydrogel demonstrates a power density of 16.4 W/m2. Harvesting ocean salinity energy has attracted large attentions based on different kinds of asymmetric ionic membranes. Gradient polyelectrolyte hydrogels demonstrated superior power generation capacity due to their abundant charged groups and rectification behaviors. However, they generally suffer from the electrostatic screening and dramatic swelling, leading to unsatisfactory energy conversion performance. Here, an anti-swelling, salt-tolerant gradient polyanion hydrogel is reported for high-efficiency osmotic energy conversion. The gradient polyanion hydrogel is prepared by ultraviolet (UV) induced copolymerization of anionic monomer and aromatic monomer. Benefiting from the mutual electrostatic interaction and π-π conjugation interaction, the gradient polyanion hydrogel presents the outstanding anti-electrostatic screening and anti-swelling performance. As a result, they can maintain excellent cation selectivity and ionic diode effect for providing an ultrahigh power density of 16.4 W/m2 when mixing artificial seawater and river water. This new salt-tolerant gradient polyelectrolyte hydrogel provides a promising way to recover energy from seawater and wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play significant roles in a diverse range of biological progress and have been regarded as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. Here, we develop a rapid and sensitive miRNA assay on the basis of exponential isothermal amplification in combination with the hairpin probes, which was designed for sensitive detection of miRNA. The binding of target miRNA with a linear DNA template initiates exponential isothermal amplification reaction (EXPAR) and generates the universal triggers which are complementary to the 3′ protruding end of hairpin probe1(HP1). These triggers function not only as the primers to unfold the hairpin probes through catalysed hairpin assembly(CHA), generating distinct fluorescence signals, but also as the primer to initiate the next EXPAR. Moreover, CHA can release new triggers to initiate EXPAR or CHA. Thus this hairpin probes-mediated exponential isothermal amplification assay exhibits high sensitivity with a detection limit of 3.0×10 −15 M. More importantly, the isothermal condition and simple fluorescence measurement would greatly promote the development of a fast, point-of-care detection system. It can be completed in an hour which can effectively avoid miRNA from degradation. This hairpin probe-based circular exponential amplification assay holds a great promise for further application in biomedical research and early clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a rapidly increasing global prevalence. Early unstable and immature microbiota are often observed in ASD patients, resulting in neurobehavioral dysfunction. Since the establishment of stable gut microbiota in early life falls into the same critical time window as neurodevelopment, manipulations of the gut microbiota during early life could become a promising strategy for ASD. Melatonin is an endogenous hormone and can restore gut microbial dysbiosis under various disease conditions. Here, we explored the effects of melatonin supplementation during early life on the gut microbiota of the offspring and the subsequent impact on ASD-associated behaviors. Using the valproic acid (VPA) - induced mouse model of autism, we found that melatonin supplementation during late gestation and early postnatal development rescued the social deficits of the offspring. In addition, melatonin restored gut microbial dysbiosis in the VPA-exposed offspring, which was characterized by the significant upregulation of Akkermansia spp. Furthermore, supplementation of Akkermansia spp. alleviated the social deficits induced by VPA exposure via activating the dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area. These findings discover a novel mechanism underlying the gut microbiota regulation of social behaviors and provide the biological basis for developing gut microbiota-based therapeutics for ASD [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of Zn fertilizer can improve cereal Zn concentration, and affect soil microbial ecology by increasing soil Zn concentration. We investigated the effects of three-year continuous applications of different Zn fertilizers (i.e. , ZnSO 4 and ZnEDTA) on wheat Zn biofortification, soil Zn fractions and bacterial community on a Zn deficient calcareous soil. The results showed that ZnEDTA application induced a higher grain Zn concentration and bioavailability than those in the case of ZnSO 4 application, which met the target of wheat Zn biofortification within three years. Correspondingly, ZnEDTA application resulted in a higher Zn availability in soil than ZnSO 4 application by facilitating Zn transformation into exchangeable and organic matter loosely bound fractions. Bacterial diversity and richness were not affected, but the bacterial community was altered after three years Zn applications. ZnEDTA application significantly decreased the relative abundances of Nocardioides , Arthrobacter , Blastococcus , Gemmatimonas , and Streptomyces as compared with ZnSO 4 application. Meanwhile, ZnEDTA application lowered α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, and β-xylosidase activities in soil as compared with ZnSO 4 application. These results indicated that ZnEDTA application is an effective practice to achieve wheat Zn biofortification, but attention needs to be paid to the potential environmental risks associated with the decreased activities of microbes and enzymes in soil. • ZnEDTA realized wheat Zn biofortification by higher soil Zn availability than ZnSO4. • ZnEDTA maintained higher soil Zn levels in EX-Zn and LOM-Zn fractions. • Both ZnEDTA and ZnSO4 showed no effects on soil bacterial α-diversity. • ZnEDTA adversely affected soil enzyme activities and bacterial community composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Analysis of long-term exposure to PM 2.5 major components and overall mortality among the elderly in the southeastern United States. • A large-scale population-based cohort study by leveraging fine-resolution PM 2.5 components data and the Medicare population. • We observed elevated all-cause mortality associated with long-term exposure to black carbon, organic matters, nitrate, and soil particles. • Better understanding of component-specific effects of PM 2.5 on all-cause mortality could inform pollution control policies on specific sources. Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) mass has been associated with adverse health effects. However, the health effects of PM 2.5 components have been less studied. There is a pressing need to better understand the relative contribution of components of PM 2.5 , which can lay the scientific basis for designing effective policies and targeted interventions. We conducted a population-based cohort study, comprising all Medicare enrollees aged 65 or older in the southeastern United States from 2000 to 2016, to explore the associations between long-term exposure to PM 2.5 major components and all-cause mortality among the elderly. Based on well-validated prediction models, we estimated ZIP code-level annual mean concentrations for five major PM 2.5 components, including black carbon (BC), nitrate (NIT), organic matter (OM), sulfate (SO 4), and soil particles. Data were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for potential confounders. The cohort comprised 13,590,387 Medicare enrollees and a total of 107,191,652 person-years. In single-component models, all five major PM 2.5 components were significantly associated with elevated all-cause mortality. The hazard ratios (HR) per interquartile range (IQR) increase in exposure were 1.027 (95% CI: 1.025–1.030), 1.012 (95% CI: 1.010–1.013), 1.018 (95% CI: 1.017–1.020), 1.021 (95% CI: 1.017–1.024), and 1.004 (95% CI: 1.003–1.006) for BC, NIT, OM, SO 4 , and soil particles, respectively. While the effect estimate of soil component was statistically significant, it is much smaller than those of combustion-related components. Our study provides epidemiological evidence that long-term exposure to major PM 2.5 components is significantly associated with elevated mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Facile antigen/adjuvant co-loaded nanovaccine made by convenient green preparation. • The immunological activity of the antigen and adjuvant was maximally preserved. • The minimalist nanovaccine had excellent stability and antitumor immune activation. • Nanovaccine combined with PD-1 antibody synergistically enhanced therapy outcome. • Good practicability for expanding clinical translation and personalized therapy. Tumor vaccine has been a research boom for cancer immunotherapy, while its therapeutic outcome is severely depressed by the vulnerable in vivo delivery efficiency. Moreover, tumor immune escape is also another intractable issue, which has badly whittled down the therapeutic efficiency. Our study aims to solve the above dilemmas by cooperating minimalist nanovaccine with PD-1 blockade for effective and feasible cancer immunotherapy. The minimalist antigen and adjuvant co-delivery nanovaccine was developed by employing natural polycationic protamine (PRT) to carry the electronegative ovalbumin (OVA) antigen and unmethylated Cytosine-phosphorothioate-Guanine (CpG) adjuvant via convenient chemical bench-free "green" preparation without chemical-synthesis and no organic solvent was required, which could preserve the immunological activities of the antigens and adjuvants. On that basis, PD-1 antibody (aPD-1) was utilized to block the tumor immune escape and cooperate with the nanovaccine by maintaining the tumoricidal-activity of the vaccine-induced T cells. Benefited from the polycationic PRT, the facile PRT/CpG/OVA nanovaccine displayed satisfactory delivery performance, involving enhanced cellular uptake in dendritic cells (DCs), realizable endosomal escape and promoted stimulation for DCs' maturation. These features would be helpful for the antitumor immunotherapeutic efficiency of the nanovaccine. Furthermore, the cooperation of the nanovaccine with aPD-1 synergistically improved the immunotherapy outcome, profiting by the cooperation of the "T cell induction" competency of the nanovaccine and the "T cell maintenance" function of the aPD-1. This study will provide new concepts for the design and construction of facile nanovaccines, and contribute valuable scientific basis for cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability of geological environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) has experienced severe challenges due to the 30 m hydro-fluctuation belt (HFB). The vertical dissolution features vary with the mechanism of water and rock interaction. Although dissolution features have been adequately explained by physical and mechanical parameters, the characterization of chemical changes in dissolution is vital but frequently neglected information. For this purpose, the hyperspectral characteristics and mineralogical composition variation of rock HFB in different areas of the Triassic Daye Formation are tested to elucidate the dissolution behaviors. Then, the deterioration degree of dissolution is quantified by a multi-objective data integration based on Random Forest Regression (RFR) model. The spatial distribution of dissolution and the seasonal deterioration characteristics are identified depending on the spectral response of carbonate. Specifically, the dissolution degree is proportional to elevation, and inverse to the bedding angle at 0–40° in the investigated stratum. Combined with the hydrological characteristics of study area, the corresponding regional phenomena can be distinguished as reservoir water dominated, rainfall dominated, and coupled action. Affected by reservoir water and acid rainfall, the HFB may deteriorate most severely from January to April. In addition, the contribution of RFR model integrated spectral and geometric data to the deterioration evaluation of the HFB is discussed, which can effectively enhance the identification of rock mass boundary in a single spectral data model. Thus, these results are conducive to the rapid evaluation of regional geomorphological characteristics and the monitoring of geological disasters in the TGRA. • Dissolution of hydro-fluctuation belt is characterized by hyperspectral response. • Reservoir level and rainfall have different effects on carbonate rock dissolution. • Deterioration mechanism of rock with seasonal hydrological feature is revealed. • A rock deterioration evaluation model based on spectra and geometry is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Based on the theory of low-carbon economy, this article introduces the theory and method of synergetics and puts forward an interdisciplinary theoretical framework based on the dynamic perspective of complexity science to analyze the evolution principles of regional low-carbon innovation system targeting sustainable development. Earlier studies tended to demonstrate a single variable, such as the role of R & D of low-carbon technologies in improving the output of regional low-carbon innovation systems, ignoring the impacts that interactions among variables may have on systems. Different from the existing literature, we rigorously identify multiple state variables that make up a regional low-carbon innovation system and establish a Logistics equation that describes the relationships among variables. Large quantities of data and simulations are used to make the order parameters, the nonlinear forms and evolution principles of different variables explicit. Our research confirms the impact of changes in government support on regional low-carbon innovation systems, clarifies the evolutionary trends of different state variables and their correlation with each other, and identifies the shortcomings in the evolution of regional low-carbon innovation systems. The results of this study provide the basis for managers to make more targeted policies to promote the evolution of regional low-carbon innovation systems. And the proposed interdisciplinary research framework is also applicable to other fields such as strategic alliances and complex networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sulfur cycle-based bioprocess for co-treatment of wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) wastes with freshwater sewage has been developed. In this process the removal of organic carbon is mainly associated with biological sulfate or sulfite reduction. Thiosulfate is a major intermediate during biological sulfate/sulfite reduction, and its reduction to sulfide is the rate-limiting step. In this study, the impacts of saline sulfite (the ionized form: HSO 3 − + SO 3 2− ) and free sulfurous acid (FSA, the unionized form: H 2 SO 3 ) sourced from WGFD wastes on the biological thiosulfate reduction (BTR) activities were thoroughly investigated. The BTR activity and sulfate/sulfite-reducing bacteria (SRB) populations in the thiosulfate-reducing up-flow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor decreased when the FSA was added to the UASB influent. Batch experiment results confirmed that FSA, instead of saline sulfite, was the true inhibitor of BTR. And BTR activities dropped by 50% as the FSA concentrations were increased from 8.0 × 10 −8 to 2.0 × 10 −4 mg H 2 SO 3 -S/L. From an engineering perspective, the findings of this study provide some hints on how to ensure effective thiosulfate accumulation in biological sulfate/sulfite reduction for the subsequent denitrification/denitritation. Such manipulation would result in higher nitrogen removal rates in this co-treatment process of WFGD wastes with municipal sewage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe-based composites improved the energy utilization efficiency of plasma for removing contaminants through multi-catalysis have received much attention. However, the energy efficiency and catalytic activity are compromised by the slow transformation from Fe (Ⅲ) to Fe (Ⅱ). Here, given the electron-donating ability of reducing sulfur species, as well as the acidic environment generated by FeS 2 , single FeS 2 was introduced into the glow discharge plasma (GDP) reactor for the removal of tylosin (TYL). The results showed that a significant synergistic effect between FeS 2 and GDP improved the energy efficiency of plasma and the removal efficiency of TYL (99.7%). FeS 2 boosted the generation of radicals (·OH, ·O 2 −) and nonradicals (h+, e−) rather than H 2 O 2 and O 3 , which played an important role in TYL abatement. Moreover, the electrons donating sulfur and iron species from FeS 2 can accelerate the conversion of Fe(III) to Fe(II), which was conducive to the generation of radicals. Besides, acid solution self-adjustment resulted from the oxidation of FeS 2 improved heterogeneous Fenton reaction, the oxidation potential of ·OH and adsorption of positive charged TYL. The plausible degradation pathways of TYL were proposed in GDP/FeS 2 system. In summary, enhanced removal of TYL was mainly attributed to the catalytic pathway altered by FeS 2 through high-energy electrons, photocatalysis, heterogeneous Fenton and O 3 catalysis in the GDP system simultaneously. The strategy of integrating GDP with FeS 2 proposed in this work is expected to offer a feasible and potential technique for organic wastewater treatment. [Display omitted] • FeS 2 improves the energy utilization efficiency of plasma and the removal efficiency of TYL. • Enhanced removal of TYL is mainly attributed to the catalytic pathway altered by FeS 2. • The electrons donating sulfur and iron species can accelerate the conversion of Fe(III) to Fe(II). • The acid solution regulated by oxidation process of FeS 2 is conducive to degradation. • Plausible degradation pathways of TYL in synergistic system are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Source apportionment is key to water quality protection, but most researches ignore the specific location of non-point sources and the source-transfer-sink processes that led to inaccurate results of source apportionment. Thus, a new source apportionment method was developed by integrating the location information and the interaction of sources as well as the source-transfer-sink processes. The source layers were generated by the integrated disparate and spatially distributed datasets that included remote sensing data, low-cost information, and considered the interaction between sources. The transfer layers were generated by the application of a physics-based model with derived inputs from models. The sink layer was constructed based on a laconic matrix calculation. The new method was applied in the Hangbu River of Chaohu Lake basin, China. Based on the results, the new method showed advantages of a more precise location, such as the sub-watershed No. 4 was no longer the key source area of total nitrogen (TN) using traditional method. The planting industry was the largest source accounting for 37.33% of TN contribution and 37.40% of total phosphorus (TP) contribution. The concise structure of the new method can also reduce the operation time by 93%. The hotspot grids were identified, which only cover 27.52% and 21.97% of the total watershed but contribute to over half of the TN and TP loads. This new method can be applied to other large watersheds, and provide management advice that span farm-gird-watershed scales for landowners and producers. [Display omitted] • New source-transfer-sink method was proposed for source apportionment. • Remote sensing and the source interaction were considered for precise source information. • The physical-based model and matrix calculation were integrated for multiple processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A modified ES framework based on the logic of soil nutrient balance was proposed. • The modified ES framework could reflect the difference of agricultural practices. • Chemical fertilizer with biochar improved the sustainability of sweet maize system. • Expected to promote the use of the ES on agricultural system at the farm level. Emergy synthesis (ES) is a powerful tool to assess the sustainability of agricultural eco-economic system. However, based on the traditional ES framework (TES), the sustainability of cropping system under different agricultural practices could not be reasonably compared, because the real contribution of soil storage was not rationally calculated while only the emergy input derived from topsoil loss was considered. This study proposed a modified ES framework (MES) based on the logic of soil nutrient balance to reflect the contribution of soil storage in the ES under different agricultural practices at farm level. A field experiment of sweet maize cropping system under different fertilization practices in South China was took as a case to compare the emergy-based indices under the TES and MES frameworks. According to the MES framework, the changes of soil nutrients including the SOM, N, P and K in the farming system were considered. The emergy flows of them were calculated by involving the measured data on field. The results of emergy-based indices demonstrated that the MES approach could reflect the difference of cropping system under different agricultural practices at farm level. Meanwhile, the results also indicated that the application of chemical fertilizer with biochar was the best practice for improving the sustainability of sweet maize production system in South China based on the MES approach. This study was expected to promote the application of the ES method on the sustainability assessment of agricultural system at the farm level. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Excellent comprehensive energy-storage performances of W rec of ~5.2 J/cm3 and large η of ~88%. • Relaxor AFE with medium permittivity and expanded linear polarization response. • Outstanding temperature and frequency stability of W rec in 0.84BNT-0.16KN. • Enhanced dielectric breakdown strength induced by sub-micron grains. Dielectric materials with both high recoverable energy-storage density W rec and efficiency η have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. Permittivity plays a crucial role in simultaneously achieving high polarization strength and large applied electric fields for any kinds of dielectric materials, among which antiferroelectric ceramics exhibit giant potentials in energy storage. Adjustment of permittivity has seemed to be more in linear dielectrics, but much less cared about in polar dielectrics so far for high-power energy-storage applications. In this work, a novel lead-free solid solution of (1- x)(Bi 0.5 Na 0.5)TiO 3 - x KNbO 3 was reported to show excellent comprehensive energy-storage performances of W rec of ~5.2 J/cm3, large η of ~88%, fast discharge rate of t 0.9 < 200 ns and outstanding temperature and frequency stability at x = 0.16. The X-ray, Raman spectra and scanning electron microscopy and so on demonstrate that it was basically ascribed to the formation of relaxor antiferroelectric phases with temperature-stable dielectric response and expanded linear polarization response, as well as enhanced dielectric breakdown strength induced by sub-micron grains. Particularly, selection of an appropriately medium permittivity value of about one thousand enables the studied AFE composition bring its superiority into full play in energy-storage properties, as demonstrated by a comparison between W rec values of most previously-reported lead-free ceramics and theoretically predicted ones for linear dielectrics. These findings achieved in current work would provide an important guidance for compositionally designing high-performance energy-storage dielectrics in terms of modifying dielectric properties and polarization responses, particularly for relaxor antiferroelectrics with linear-like characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xuezhikang (XZK), a red yeast rice extract with lipid-lowering effect, contains a family of naturally statins, such as lovastatin. In recent years, its effect beyond the regulation of lipids has also been received increasing attention. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the protective effects and possible molecular mechanisms of XZK on brain injury after cardiac arrest (CA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and to investigate whether it has a dose-dependent effect and the difference with lovastatin. Rats were treated with low-dose XZK (XZK-L, 20 mg/kg/d), high-dose XZK (XZK-H, 200 mg/kg/d) and lovastatin by gavage once daily for 2 weeks before CA. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were evaluated at 1, 4, and 72 h post-CA/CPR. The survival rate, neurological deficit score (NDS), and expression of TLR4, phosphorylated NF-κB and TNF-α in hippocampal tissues were evaluated at 72 h post-CA/CPR. CA/CPR induced a significant increase in serum TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, as well as increased expressions of TLR4, phosphorylated NF-κB and TNF-α in the hippocampus. Both low-dose and high-dose XZK treatment inhibited the expression of these inflammatory cytokines. In addition, it reduced the number of defibrillations and shortened the duration of CPR required for return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). XZK treatment also improved neurological function and 72-hour survival rate in rats. However, high-dose XZK was superior to lovastatin in the suppression of IL-1β mRNA level and TNF-α protein level in hippocampal tissue after CPR. There were no significant differences observed among high-dose XZK, low-dose XZK and lovastatin groups in other respects. These results indicated that XZK had a protective effect against brain injury post-CA/CPR. The mechanisms underlying the protective effects of XZK may be related to the suppressing of CA/CPR-induced inflammatory response through the inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]