Search

• MgAl-Cys-LDH had plentiful groups beneficial for the adsorption of metal ions. • Mechanisms included precipitation, surface complexation and isomorphic substitution. • MgAl-Cys-LDH presented higher removal efficiencies in real water environment. To understand the interaction mechanisms between heavy metals and functional groups modified nanomaterials, the l -cysteine (Cys) intercalated MgAl-layered double hydroxide (MgAl-Cys-LDH) was designed by a facile co-precipitation method and used to remove Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) in water solutions. The XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, EDS and XPS characterization analyses proved the carboxyl, thio and amido groups were successfully introduced into MgAl-LDH. The possible mechanisms were analyzed by the XPS and XRD spectra and involved the precipitation of metal hydroxides or sulfides, surface complexation with abundant surface groups, and the isomorphic substitution of Mg(II). The adsorption kinetics and isotherms data of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) on MgAl-Cys-LDH were well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation and the Langmuir model. The influence factors such as initial solution pH of heavy metals, dosage of MgAl-Cys-LDH, adsorption time and various types of water were investigated, and the results suggested that MgAl-Cys-LDH had potential applications in real wastewater treatment containing heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bifunctional separator modified by Al 2 O 3 and CNTs was successfully prepared by a facile method, The separator not only act as a physical barrier to prevent the diffusion of polysulfides, but also restrain the growth of lithium dendrites, It show excellent cycling stability (760.4 mA h g−1 at 0.2 C after 100 cycles) and promising rate performance. Severe "Shuttle effect" and uncontrollable lithium-dendrite growth are ongoing challenges that hinder the practical application of Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Herein, a bifunctional separator was modified by Al 2 O 3 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via a facile method. Li-S battery assembled with the modified separator shows excellent cycling stability (760.4 mA h g−1 at 0.2 C after 100 cycles) and promising rate performance. The reason is ascribed to synergistic effect of CNTs and Al 2 O 3 double coating layers, the strong physicochemical interaction between Al 2 O 3 and the polysulfides could alleviate the shuttle effect, and the high conductivity of CNTs can facilitate the reaction kinetics of sulfur and its corresponding discharge products, respectively, which can improve the utilization ratio of sulfur. In addition, the double protection layers improve the hardness of the separator, as well as regulate Li+ ion deposition, which can effectively prevent the formation of lithium dendrites, thus the safety of the batteries are significant improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmentally switched superwetting surfaces that can be used for separating various oil/water mixtures are of particular interest due to the increasing difficulty and complexity in oily wastewater treatment. Here, a novel fluorine-free pH-responsive coating is prepared by surface modification of SiO 2 nanoparticles with dimethyloctadecyl [3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl] ammonium chloride and (N, N-dimethyl-3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane. With the assistance of polyethylene imine as a binder, such coating can be used for different porous substrates, e. g. cotton fabric and filter paper, to develop separation materials having tunable superhydrophilicity/superhydrophobicity and high antibacterial property. Due to the well-controlled surface wettability upon the pH variation, the as-prepared materials can effectively separate various types of oil/water mixtures with efficiency higher than 99.9%, including the layered oil/water mixture, water-in-oil emulsions and oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by different types of surfactants. Additionally, the materials can resist strong acid/base solutions and various organic solvents as well as 50-cycle mechanical abrasion and 120-cycle tape-peeling without losing anti-wetting performance. Featuring the tunable surface wettability, chemical/mechanical robustness, and antibacterial activity, such coating holds promising applications for treating various oil/water mixtures in harsh and biological-contamination conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysing the vertical distribution of nutrient salts and estimating the total mass of lake nutrients is helpful for the management of lake nutrient status and the formulation of drainage standards in basins. However, studies on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in lakes have focused on obtaining measures of N and P concentrations, but no understanding exists on the vertical distribution of N and P in the entire water column. The present study proposes algorithms for estimating the total masses of N/P per unit water column (ALGO-TN mass /ALGO-TP mass) for shallow eutrophic lakes. Using Lake Taihu as an example, the total masses of nutrients in Lake Taihu in the historical period were obtained, and the algorithm performance was discussed. The results showed that the vertical distribution of nutrients decreased with increasing depth and exhibited a quadratic distribution. Surface nutrients and chlorophyll- a concentrations play important roles in the vertical distribution of nutrients. Based on conventional surface water quality indicators, algorithms for the vertical nutrient concentration in Lake Taihu were proposed. Both algorithms had good accuracy (ALGO-TN mass R2 > 0.75, RMSE <0.57; ALGO-TP mass R2 > 0.80, RMSE ≤0.50), the ALGO-TP mass had better applicability than the ALGO-TN mass , and had good accuracy in other shallow lakes. Therefore, deducing the TP mass using conventional water quality indicators in surface water, which not only simplifies the sampling process but also provides an opportunity for remote sensing technology to monitor the total masses of nutrients, is feasible. The long-term average total mass of N was 11,727 t, showing a gradual downward trend before 2010, after which it stabilised. The maximum and minimum intra-annual total N masses were observed in May and November, respectively. The long-term average total mass of P was 512 t, showing a gradual downward trend before 2010, and a slow upward trend thereafter. The maximum and minimum intra-annual total masses of P occurred in August and February or May, respectively. The correlation between the total mass of N and meteorological conditions was not obvious, whereas some influence on the total mass of P was evident, particularly water level and wind speed. [Display omitted] • The TN/TP concentration decreased with the increase of depth, showing a quadratic function distribution. • It is feasible to deduce the vertical nutrients by surface nutrients and Chl a. • The algorithms for estimating the total mass of N/P in shallow lake were proposed. • The ALGO-TP mass had better applicability than the ALGO-TN mass in shallow lakes. • The total masses of nutrients in the historical period of Taihu Lake was estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the pungent flavor quality of soilless cultivated Chinese chives (Allium tuberosum Rottler), the effect of foliar spraying with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was studied. Electronic nose analysis showed that 500 μM MeJA significantly promoted the accumulation of aromatic compounds and organic sulfides in soilless-cultivated Chinese chives, as well as the content of pungent flavor metabolites, such as enzymatic pyruvic acid (24.9%–69.9%) and the garlic odor compounds alliin (22.1%–51.4%) and methionine (8.0%–62.7%). Using the HS-SPME-GC-MS technique, fifteen species of 186 volatile metabolites were detected in Chinese chive leaves treated with MeJA, and the sulfur compounds were dominating between them (49.6%–61.7%). Metabolomics and chemometrics analysis identified the volatile biomarkers of MeJA-treated substrate culture and hydroponic Chinese chives as dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl tetrasulfide, diallyl disulphide and allyl methyl sulfide, and methyl 2- propenyl disulfide, dimethyl tetrasulfide compound, respectively. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis indicated that MeJA treatment enhanced the pungency of Allium tuberosum mainly by increasing the accumulation of dimethyl sulfide and allyl sulfide compounds. Current study provides theoretical and technical basis for improving the pungent flavor quality of soilless-cultivated Chinese chives. • E-nose analysis confirmed that MeJA promoted an increase sulfide (1.8%). • MeJA enhanced pungent flavor of Chinese chives (47.4%). • MeJA enhanced garlic odor compounds alliin (36.8%) and methionine (35.4%). • Dimethyl and allyl sulfide as biomarkers of pungent in substrate-grown Chinese chive. • Dimethyl sulfide as a biomarker of pungent in hydroponic Chinese chive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li fruits (PFFs) are a traditional food with multiple health benefits. Considering the limited information about how drying methods affect chemical and functional properties, this study aimed to determine the effects of hot-air drying (HAD), far-infrared drying (FIRD), vacuum drying (VD), freeze drying (FD), and sun drying (SD) on the appearance, microstructure, and chemical and functional properties of PFFs. Results showed that the qualities changed considerably with different methods. FD fruits had comparable chemicals (phenolics and flavonoids) and bioactivities (antioxidant activities and digestive enzyme-inhibitory effects) to fresh samples. SD and HAD at 40 °C did not trigger serious degradation of bioactivities. Conversely, higher temperatures (60 °C and 80 °C) resulted in remarkable shrinkage and microstructure damage. HAD60, FIRD60, VD60, and HAD80 decreased the contents of free phenolics (by 59.6%, 58.4%, 56.0%, and 61.0%, respectively, P < 0.05) and flavonoids (by 41.8%, 39.8%, 34.7%, and 48.5%, respectively, P < 0.05) compared with the contents in fresh samples. Heat treatment also reduced bioactivities. Principal component and clustering analyses revealed the relationship between samples and properties, indicating that FD, HAD40, and SD preserved chemicals and bioactivities. Generally, the results suggested that the suitable drying technique for PFFs was low-temperature drying. [Display omitted] • The effects of seven drying methods on P. fortuneana fruits were compared. • Drying temperature and technique significantly impacted the quality of the fruits. • Freeze drying had the least impact on the appearance and chemical and functional properties. • HAD80 reduced the antioxidant activity and digestive enzyme inhibition. • A low temperature effectively preserved the chemical composition and bioactivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • We successfully synthesized sea urchin-like ternary cobalt phosphosulfide (CoPS). • CoPS is a high-efficiency bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. • DFT calculations reveal the mechanism that CoPS has favorable performance for OER and HER. Abstract The development of efficient non-noble bifunctional electrocatalysts for the overall water splitting is a pressing and challenging task. In this work, we report a sea urchin-like cobalt phosphosulfide (CoPS) ternary compound for overall water splitting. Because CoPS contains more than one nonmetallic element, ternary compounds possess dianions might lead to modulated electronic structure and thus modified their electrocatalytic properties. Our DFT calculation results reveal that the ternary CoPS exhibits favorable performance for both the oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction. Experimentally set as cathode and anode in a full cell for overall water splitting, the CoPS cell needs a voltage of only ∼1.59 V to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and has outstanding stability. Our results open up a path to search for alternative bifunctional electrocatalyst materials to substitute for noble metals in overall water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soy whey is an abundant, nutrient-rich and safe wastewater produced in tofu processing, so it is necessary to valorize it instead of discarding it as sewage. Whether soy whey can be used as a fertilizer substitute for agricultural production is unclear. In this study, the effects of soy whey serving as a nitrogen source to substitute urea on soil NH 3 volatilization, dissolved organic matter (DOM) components and cherry tomato qualities were investigated by soil column experiment. Results showed that the soil NH 4 +-N concentrations and pH values of the 50% soy whey fertilizer combined with 50% urea (50%-SW) and 100% soy whey fertilizer (100%-SW) treatments were lower than those of 100% urea treatment (CKU). Compared with CKU, 50%-SW and 100%-SW treatments increased the abundance of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) by 6.52–100.89%, protease activity by 66.22–83.78%, the contents of total organic carbon (TOC) by 16.97–35.64%, humification index (HIX) of soil DOM by 13.57–17.99%, and average weight per fruit of cherry tomato by 13.46–18.56%, respectively. Moreover, soy whey as liquid organic fertilizer reduced the soil NH 3 volatilization by 18.65–25.27% and the fertilization cost by 25.94–51.87% compared with CKU. This study provides a promising option with economic and environmental benefits for soy whey utilization and cherry tomato production, which contributes to the win-win effectiveness of sustainable production for both the soy products industry and agriculture. • 50% and 100% substitution of urea by soy whey mitigated the soil NH 3 volatilization. • Soy whey improved soil dissolved organic matter content and soil fertility. • Soy whey enhanced the average weight per fruit of cherry tomato compared with the urea application. • Soy whey reduced the fertilization cost of cherry tomato production by 25.94–51.87%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni/Mo 2 C hetero-sheet arrays are grown vertically on nickel foam skeleton to utilize the advantages of Ni and Mo 2 C on promotion of HER kinetics and 3D structure on mass transfer and accessibility and only 151 and 271 mV overpotentials are needed to deliver 100 and 1000 mA/cm2 HER, respectively. [Display omitted] • Ni-doped Mo 2 C nanosheet arrays are grown vertically on nickel foam skeleton. • Polyvinylpyrrolidone is used as soft template for catalyst preparation. • 151 and 271 mV overpotentials are needed to deliver 100 and 1000 mA/cm2 HER. • The HER can stably operate for more than 500 h. Practical structural design and electronic regulation are significant for synthesising efficient electrocatalysts. Therefore, a facile soft-template approach has been applied to successfully grow Ni/Mo 2 C heterojunction nanosheet arrays on nickel foam (NF) skeleton (NS-Ni/Mo 2 C@NF) using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a soft template. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that abundant Ni/Mo 2 C heterojunction in NS-Ni/Mo 2 C@NF can provide many active sites with a moderate hydrogen adsorption free energy (ΔG H* , 0.037 eV). Benefiting from this nanosheet array structure and abundant Ni/Mo 2 C heterojunctions, the NS-Ni/Mo 2 C@NF catalyst can efficiently catalyze HER, especially at large current densities. As a result, only 151 and 271 mV overpotentials are needed to deliver 100 and 1000 mA/cm2 HER, respectively. More importantly, the hydrogen production testing with NS-Ni/Mo 2 C@NF as the working electrode can run stably for 500 h without activity decay under the current density of 500 mA/cm2 commonly used in industrial water electrolyzers, indicating that NS-Ni/Mo 2 C@NF has broad application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Aqueous rechargeable Ni/Fe batteries are appropriate energy storage devices for portable and wearable electronics due to their outstanding safety and cost-effectiveness. However, their energy storage properties are limited by the sluggish kinetics of iron-based anodes. Herein, we design and construct a high-performance iron-based material with a hierarchical structure developed by electrodepositing iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3) nanosheets on titanium carbide (Ti 3 C 2 T x) MXene nanoplates modified carbon fiber (3D-MXene/Fe 2 O 3). Taking advantage of the interaction between Fe 2 O 3 and the terminal functional groups on Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene, such a hierarchical structure offers improved conductivity, enhanced ion-diffusion paths, and high electrochemical stability. The fabricated 3D-MXene/Fe 2 O 3 anode delivers a high volumetric specific capacity of 38.2 mAh cm−3, and improved capacity retention. After being coupled with NiCoO cathode, the fibrous Ni/Fe battery shows a maximum volumetric specific capacity of 35.1 mAh cm−3 and an extraordinary energy density of 56.2 mWh cm−3. Meanwhile, the as-prepared Ni/Fe battery confirms good cycling durability (92.9% for 12,500 cycles), and mechanical flexibility also verifies the potential practical application of our device. Thus, this study can provide a powerful route toward high-performance anodes for next-generation wearable energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic surfaces with micro-/nanohierarchical structures are mechanically weak. Generally, organic solvents are used to dissolve or disperse organic adhesives and modifiers to enhance the mechanical strength of superhydrophobic surfaces. In this work, an all-water-based spraying solution is developed for the preparation of robust superhydrophobic surfaces, which contains ZnO nanoparticles, aluminum phosphate as an inorganic adhesive, and polytetrafluoroethylene with low surface energy. The all-water-based system is appreciated for low price and less pollution. Importantly, the prepared superhydrophobic surfaces are durable enough against various harsh conditions (such as UV irradiation for 12 h, pH values from 1 to 13, and temperatures from −10 to 300 °C for 12 h) and physical damages (including sandpaper abrasion and sand impact tests for 50 cycles). In addition, the obtained interfacial materials show promise for practical applications such as anti-icing and oil-water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, transitional metal dichalcogenides quantum dots have attracted much interest as a potential candidate for the application of fluorescent materials. However, little work has been done on tuning their band gap by varying functional groups. Here, we report a band-gap tunability of 1 eV in the MoS 2 quantum dots (QDs) modified by different functional groups. In our results, it has also been confirmed that a tunable band gap in the MoS 2 QDs can be achieved by monotonically varying the concentration of a functional group. A mechanism has also been proposed to explain the enhanced photoluminescence behaviors in the functionalized MoS 2 QDs. Our work provides a general guideline to develop other semiconducting QDs to be future impressive fluorescent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorogenic acid (CA), a natural polyphenolic antioxidant, is used in meat products to prevent spoilage due to oxidation. Transglutaminase (TGase) is an effective protein cross-linking agent applied to meat gel products to increase the elasticity of the protein gel. The present study illustrated the effect of CA at various additions (5, 20, and 100 μmol/g protein) and/or TGase (0.2 g/100g protein) on physicochemical and gel characteristics of myofibrillar protein (MP). Texture and rheological results demonstrated that the TGase improved the gel structures of oxidized MP treated with CA (5 and 20 μmol/g protein). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) result showed that TGase addition made the gel network orderly, and overcame the phenomenon induced by excessive aggregation of proteins by CA at a high dose (100 μmol/g protein). In addition, water-holding capability (WHC) and low-field NMR (LF-NMR) results demonstrated that the TGase dramatically enhanced the water-holding capability of oxidized MP gel treated with CA (P < 0.05), and the moisture distribution became uniform. FT-IR analysis showed that reduced α-helix structure contributed to improving gel properties. SDS-PAGE indicated that TGase enhanced cross-linking of proteins. Conclusionally, TGase improved the physicochemical and gel properties of CA-modified oxidized myofibrillar proteins. [Display omitted] • CA greatly reduced carbonyls formed by MP oxidation. • TGase ameliorated the gel deterioration caused by a high dose of CA. • CA and TGase enhanced the texture of meat gel products. • Delaying oxidation and promoting crosslinking improved MP gel properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Solar-assisted electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a key role in energy conversion and storage technology. Herein, we provide the novel design and synthesis of an advanced category of CeO 2 /CoS 2 heterostructures, which combines the local photothermal effect (LPTE) action of CeO 2 and the photoelectric effect CoS 2 to boost OER. Interestingly, the hollow framework, rich heterointerface, coupled local photothermal effect and photoelectric effect equip CeO 2 /CoS 2 with remarkably excellent electrocatalytic OER performance. As a result, the optimized CeO 2 /CoS 2 -6 only needs an overpotential of 283 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2 as well as a smaller Tafel slop of 33.2 mV dec-1, outperforming the RuO 2 catalyst (323 mA @ 10 mA cm−2). Upon combination of experimental data and mechanistic study, it is revealed that the enhanced OER performance is primarily ascribed to the photo-induced local thermal. partly resulting from photoelectric effect, where the photogenerated electron flow from CeO 2 to CoS 2 can photogenerated holes in CeO 2 to boost water oxidation. This work is extremely expected to offer a novel avenue for the rational design and fabrication of outstanding OER electrocatalysts upon LPTE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 variants have posed significant challenges to the hopes of using ancestral strain-based vaccines to address the risk of breakthrough infection by variants. We designed and developed a bivalent vaccine based on SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Beta variants (named SCTV01C). SCTV01C antigens were stable at 25 oC for at least 6 months. In the presence of a squalene-based oil-in-water adjuvant SCT-VA02B, SCTV01C showed significant protection efficacy against antigen-matched Beta variant, with favorable safety profiles in rodents. Notably, SCTV01C exhibited cross-neutralization capacity against Omicron subvariants (BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.3, and BA.4/5) in mice, superior to a WT (D614G)-based vaccine, which reinforced our previously published findings that SCTV01C exhibited broad-spectrum neutralizing potencies against over a dozen pre-Omicron variants and the Omicron BA.1 variant. In summary, variant-based multivalent protein vaccine could be a platform approach to address the challenging issues of emerging variants, vaccine hesitancy and the needs of affordable and thermal stable vaccines. • SCTV01C antigens were stable at 25 oC for at least 6 months. • Potent efficacy of SCTV01C against antigen-matched SARS-CoV-2 variant strain. • Superior cross-neutralizing potency of SCTV01C against Omicron subvariants. • SCTV01C exhibited favorable safety profiles in preclinical safety studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a graph of order n and λ 1 ≥ λ 2 ≥ ⋯ ≥ λ n be the eigenvalues of G . The energy of G is defined as E ( G ) = ∑ k = 1 n | λ k | . A well-known result regarding the energy of graphs is the Coulson integral formula, which defines the relationship between the energy and the characteristic polynomial of graphs. Let μ 1 ≥ μ 2 ≥ ⋯ ≥ μ n = 0 be the Laplacian eigenvalues of G . The general Laplacian energy-like invariant of G , denoted by L E L α ( G ) , is defined as ∑ μ k ≠ 0 μ k α when μ 1 ≠ 0 , and 0 when μ 1 = 0 , where α is a real number. In this study, we give some Coulson-type integral formulas for the general Laplacian energy-like invariant of graphs in the case where α is a rational number. Based on this result, we also give some Coulson-type integral formulas for the general energy and general Laplacian energy of graphs in the case where α is a rational number. We also show that our formulas hold when α is an irrational number where 0 < | α | < 1 , whereas they do not hold when | α | > 1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the preparation of nearly monodispersed and hierarchical Cu x ZnO y (6 < x < 100) hollow microspheres as catalysts for the Rochow reaction. The composites were synthesized by a facile one-pot and template-free hydrothermal method, which showed intergrowth and coexistence of the two components throughout the whole structure. The high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) analysis confirmed the formation of intimate hetero-interfaces between CuO and ZnO in these composites. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H 2 -temperature programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR) and Raman spectra results revealed the presence of a strong interaction between the two oxide components. The inclusion of Zn into the system increased electron density of Cu cores, leaving substantial holes on the surface of ZnO, thus forming the charge transferable channels between the two phases. These well-defined Cu x ZnO y samples were further utilized as model catalysts to investigate the relationship between structure modulation and catalytic performance. It was observed that the catalytic property can be easily tuned upon a systematic composition variation. Among CuO and various Cu x ZnO y samples, Cu 10 ZnO y exhibited the highest dimethyldichlorosilane (M2) selectivity and Si conversion in the Rochow reaction, mainly due to the formation of effective charge transfer interfaces as a result of intergrowth and coexistence effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Volcano-like relationship between activity and surface defect level of CeO 2 for CO 2 hydrogenation. • Redox mechanism demonstrated by in-situ DRIFTS and isotope switch experiments. • Surface oxygen vacancy as a key factor for tuning competitive adsorption and activation of H 2 and CO 2 on CeO 2. Catalytic CO 2 hydrogenation on metal oxides is attractive to realize carbon neutrality initiatives. Understanding roles of oxygen vacancies of oxide-based catalysts is critical for the catalytic mechanism of CO 2 hydrogenation. Herein, we used CO 2 hydrogenation as model reaction on CeO 2 to investigate the effects of oxygen vacancies and provided direct spectroscopic evidence for redox mechanism via in-situ DRIFTS and isotope switch experiments. A volcano-type activity curve was found for CO 2 hydrogenation to CO on CeO 2 upon the continuous variation of the surface defect concentration of oxygen vacancy. Kinetic analysis and ex-situ techniques indicate that surface oxygen contributes to H 2 activation and oxygen vacancy accelerates the dissociation of CO 2 , emphasizing the unique roles of surface oxygen and oxygen vacancies, respectively. These results enrich the understanding of surface defect chemistry of CeO 2 and lay an important theory foundation for design of oxide-based catalysts for hydrogenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial deformation and interfacial rheology behaviour of prolamin particles are relevant factors affecting their emulsification performance but have not yet been paid considerable attention to. Based on the finding that CMC modification significantly improved the emulsifying property of gliadin colloid particles (GCPs), the present study combined in situ observation and interfacial rheology as a tool to investigate the effect of CMC on the structure characteristics, interfacial deformation and interfacial rheology behaviour of GCPs and their correlation with emulsifying performance. The results demonstrated that gliadin/CMC complex particles (GCCPs) presented looser core-shell structures than GCPs. The interfacial deformation of particles and the formation of smooth interfaces were observed for both GCPs and GCCPs, and GCCPs exhibited faster deformation behaviour, which should correlate to the looser structure. Although GCCPs showed lower surface pressure and viscoelasticity modulus, the existence of CMC promoted the initial adsorption of particles and accelerated the formation of viscoelastic interfacial films, which contributed to the improvement of emulsifying performance. In addition, CMC endowed the interfacial layers with moderate viscosity and fluidity to resist the destabilisation induced by oil droplet deformation. The present study should provide insights for intuitive understanding and fine regulation of the interfacial behaviour of protein particles. • Gliadin/CMC complex particles present a relatively "softer" core-shell structure. • "Softer" structure is easier to unfold and deform at the oil-water interface. • Faster interfacial deformation of particles benefits the emulsifying performance. • CMC promotes the initial adsorption and accelerates the formation of interface layers. • Moderate interfacial viscosity and fluidity facilitates the stability of oil droplets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorological factors have been confirmed to affect the COVID-19 transmission, but current studied conclusions varied greatly. The underlying causes of the variance remain unclear. Here, we proposed two scientific questions: (1) whether meteorological factors have a consistent influence on virus transmission after combining all the data from the studies; (2) whether the impact of meteorological factors on the COVID-19 transmission can be influenced by season, geospatial scale and latitude. We employed a meta-analysis to address these two questions using results from 2813 published articles. Our results showed that, the influence of meteorological factors on the newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases varied greatly among existing studies, and no consistent conclusion can be drawn. After grouping outbreak time into cold and warm seasons, we found daily maximum and daily minimum temperatures have significant positive influences on the newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases in cold season, while significant negative influences in warm season. After dividing the scope of the outbreak into national and urban scales, relative humidity significantly inhibited the COVID-19 transmission at the national scale, but no effect on the urban scale. The negative impact of relative humidity, and the positive impacts of maximum temperatures and wind speed on the newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases increased with latitude. The relationship of maximum and minimum temperatures with the newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases were more susceptible to season, while relative humidity's relationship was more affected by latitude and geospatial scale. Our results suggested that relationship between meteorological factors and the COVID-19 transmission can be affected by season, geospatial scale and latitude. A rise in temperature would promote virus transmission in cold seasons. We suggested that the formulation and implementation of epidemic prevention and control should mainly refer to studies at the urban scale. The control measures should be developed according to local meteorological properties for individual city. • Existing conclusions were inconsistent on the impact of meteorological factors on the COVID-19 transmission. • Maximum and minimum temperatures affected differentially newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases in cold and warm seasons. • Influence of relative humidity on newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases varied across geospatial scales. • Influences of maximum temperatures, relative humidity and wind speed on virus transmission increased with latitude. • A rise in temperature promoted virus transmission in cold seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the preparation of novel leaflike Cu–O–Sn nanosheet catalysts for the Rochow reaction. The catalysts were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal approach using CuSO 4 ·3H 2 O and SnCl 4 ·5H 2 O as the precursors, but without the use of any template. When used for the Rochow reaction to synthesize dimethyldichlorosilane (M2), the as-prepared 0.1 wt.% Cu–O–Sn nanosheet exhibited a much higher M2 selectivity (93.3%), Si conversion (68.4%), and stability than the catalysts of CuO or SnO 2 alone, the Cu–O–Sn catalysts with different compositions, and the commercial catalysts. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed reduction analyses. Surface segregation of Sn was observed, and the quantities of chemisorbed oxygen species and cation vacancies were well correlated with the activity of the catalysts. It is concluded that small crystal size, high chemisorbed oxygen species concentration, more cation vacancies, and strong interaction between Cu and Sn are responsible for the excellent catalytic performance of 0.1 wt.% Cu–O–Sn catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents the physicochemical property of the mixtures induced by blending konjac glucomannan (KGM) and welan gum (WL). The effects of the ratio and concentration on the rheological properties of the KGM and WL mixtures, such as shear rate and strain (large-amplitude oscillatory shear, frequency, temperature, time, stress relaxation, and creep), were studied. The combination analysis of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermodynamic differential scanning calorimetry, water mobility, and distribution property analyses through low-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to determine the authenticity of gels. Finally, a model of the interaction force was constructed to elucidate the interaction mechanism when heating. The result showed that the mixtures of KGM and WL were pseudogel. The synergy effect was positively correlated with concentration, which was the strongest when the KGM (g/kg): WL (g/kg) ratio was 2:8. Abnormal temperature sensitivity (sudden drop of modulus around 30 °C) was observed at the ratio, and the mixture owned good temperature reversibility in 3 cycles. This work expanded the application scope of KGM and WL and provides a method for the determination of gels. • Strong synergistic interaction occurred between the Konjac glucomannan and Welan gum. • Abnormal temperature-sensitive phenomenon appeared for the mixture at a certain radio. • Abnormal phase separation during heating was caused by physical interaction. • Different characterization methods were combined to determine the pseudo-gel accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermosensitive and tumor microenvironment activated nanotheranostic can be used as a promising nanoplatform for highly efficient chemodynamic/photothermal therapy of colorectal tumor. [Display omitted] This research proposes the one-pot preparation of polydopamine (PDA) decorated mesoporous silica nanoparticle (PMSN) for the thermal and tumor micro-environment (TME) responsive colorectal tumor therapy. The pores of PMSN were used for the Fe3+ loading. Lauric acid (LA), a phase-change ligand, was selected as a "doorkeeper" to coat the surface of Fe3+-loaded PMSN and prevent the undesired leakage of Fe3+. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was selected as a stabilizer to endow the PMSN-Fe-LA-BSA nanopartilces (PMFLB) with colloidal stability. Under the near infrared laser, the light-sensitive PDA produced significant heat to kill the colorectal cancer cells via hyperthermia. Moreover, the heat induced the phase-change of LA and triggered the release of Fe3+, which further reacted with the endogenous H 2 S in the colorectal TME. After that, the Fe3+ was transformed into Fe2+, which triggered the Fenton reaction with the H 2 O 2 in the TME and effectively generated hydroxyl radical (·OH). Finally, the Fe2+ was transformed into Fe3+, which repeatedly reacted with the H 2 S and produced more ·OH to enhance the chemodynamic therapy of colorectal tumor. Such a thermosensitive PMFLB which operates in synergy with the colorectal TME opens an alternative avenue for the rational design of multifunctional nano-therapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Jobs can arrive online. • Reallocate core fast during job execution. • Use work-stealing to execute each parallel job. • Support cache partitioning and memory bandwidth allocation. • External scheduler can control resource used by AMCilk. Modern parallel platforms, such as clouds or servers, are often shared among many different jobs. However, existing parallel programming runtime systems are designed and optimized for running a single parallel job, so it is generally hard to directly use them to schedule multiple parallel jobs without incurring high overhead and inefficiency. In this work, we develop AMCilk (Adaptive Multiprogrammed Cilk), a novel runtime system framework, designed to support multiprogrammed parallel workloads. AMCilk has client-server architecture where users can dynamically submit parallel jobs to the system. AMCilk has a single runtime system that runs these jobs while dynamically reallocating cores, last-level cache, and memory bandwidth among these jobs according to the scheduling policy. AMCilk exposes the interface to the system designer, which allows the designer to easily build different scheduling policies meeting the requirements of various application scenarios and performance metrics, while AMCilk transparently (to designers) enforces the scheduling policy. AMCilk also enables its use in cloud environment where other processes may be sharing the system with AMCilk. In this scenario, an external scheduler can change the resource availability for AMCilk and AMCilk seamlessly adapts to these changes. The primary feature of AMCilk is the low-overhead and responsive preemption mechanism that allows fast reallocation of cores between jobs. Our empirical evaluation indicates that AMCilk incurs small overheads and provides significant benefits on application-specific criteria for a set of 4 practical applications due to its fast and low-overhead core reallocation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The “universal adsorption theory” (UAT) extends the principle of corresponding states for gas compressibility to describe the excess density of an adsorbed phase at comparable reduced conditions. The UAT helps to describe experimental trends and provide predictive capacity for extrapolation from one adsorption isotherm to that of a different adsorbate. Here, we extend the UAT to a flexible metal–organic framework (MOF) as a function of adsorbate, temperature, and pressure. When considered via the UAT, the adsorption capacity and GO pressure of multiple gases to Cu(dhbc) 2 (4,4′-bpy) [H 2 dhbc = 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, bpy = bipyridine] show quantifiable trends over a considerable temperature and pressure range, despite the chemical and structural heterogeneity of the adsorbent. Exceptions include quantum gases (such as H 2 ) and prediction of maximum capacity for large and/or polar adsorbates. A method to derive the heat of gate opening and heat of expansion from experimental trends is also presented, and the parameters can be treated as separable and independent over the temperature and pressure range studied. We demonstrate the relationship between the UAT and the common Dubinin analysis, which was not previously noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new spin crossover coordination polymer (SCO-CPs) of Fe(II)-4,4′-bipyridine (4,4′-bipy) family: {Fe(4,4′-bipy) 2 (H 2 O) 2 }·(4,4′-bipy)· 8(H 2 O)·2(ClO 4 ) ( 3 ), which displays half spin transitions between 100 and 300 K, has been synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 3 featured with two-dimensional (2-D) grids connected by hydrogen bonds and π … π packing between one-dimensional (1-D) chains, the 2-D grids expand to three-dimensional (3-D) architecture supported by a “S-shaped holder” involving lattice 4-4′-bipy, water molecules and perchlorate anion. We compared 3 with the other two analogous complexes: ({Fe(4,4′-bipy) (H 2 O) 2 (NCS) 2 }·4,4′-bipy, 1 and {Fe(4,4′-bipy) 2 (NCS) 2 }·mSolv, 2 ) through Hirshfeld surfaces analysis, which revealed that the low ligand field strength (NCS − ) and lone-pair…H contacts contribute to the stabilization of HS (high-spin) state of the Fe(II) ion, while the high ligand field strength (4,4′-bipy) and strong intermolecular contacts (hydrogen bonds and π … π packing interactions) make for the LS (low-spin) state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hibiscus latent Singapore virus (HLSV) mutants were constructed to study roles of its internal poly(A) tract (IPAT) in viral replication and coat protein (CP) expression. Shortening of the IPAT resulted in reduced HLSV RNA accumulation and its minimal length required for HLSV CP expression in plants was 24 nt. Disruption of a putative long range RNA-RNA interacting structure between 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions of HLSV-22A and −24A resulted in reduced viral RNA and undetectable CP accumulation in inoculated leaves. Replacement of the IPAT in HLSV with an upstream pseudoknot domain (UPD) of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) or insertion of the UPD to the immediate downstream of a 24 nt IPAT in HLSV resulted in drastically reduced viral RNA replication. Plants infected with a TMV mutant by replacement of the UPD with 43 nt IPAT exhibited milder mosaic symptoms without necrosis. We have proposed a model for HLSV replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fe 2 O 3 - c and Fe 2 O 3 - h nanocrystals were prepared through the calcination of Fe-MOF. • Fe 2 O 3 - c nanocrystals have better DOMF performance than Fe 2 O 3 - h nanocrystals. • The phase engineering of Fe 2 O 3 affects CH 4 adsorption ability during DOMF process. The direct oxidation of methane (CH 4) under mild conditions is a highly desirable technology to achieve the low-carbon and atom-economic production of high-value-added C1 oxygenates. However, the difficult activation of the C H bond of CH 4 and the overoxidation of C1 oxygenates to carbon dioxide (CO 2) are still the major bottlenecks. Herein, we systematically investigate the phase engineering of Fe 2 O 3 in dependence on the performance of the direct oxidation of CH 4. The cubic phase of Fe 2 O 3 (Fe 2 O 3 - c) nanocrystals enables the direct oxidation of CH 4 to HCOOH (DOMF) under mild aqueous conditions, and the HCOOH yield and selectivity could reach 6.315 mmol g cat −1 h−1 and 89.4%, which are 69.3 and 1.34 times higher than those of the hexagonal phase of Fe 2 O 3 (Fe 2 O 3 - h) nanocrystals. Mechanism experiments indicate that Fe 2 O 3 - c nanocrystals can optimal CH 4 adsorption behavior, favoring to the occurrence of the DOMF. In addition, in situ DRIFTS demonstrates that the DOMF is the radical reaction process that the activation of C H bond is caused by the ·OH radical. Subsequently, the unstable CH 3 OOH and stable CH 3 OH intermediates undergo further oxidation to form HCOOH. This work offers the phase engineering strategy to enhance the catalytic performance and reveal the reaction mechanism for the direct oxidation of CH 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast development of farming practices in China is projected to result in additional carbon emissions and thus affect farmland ecosystems' environmental performance. Based on 454 farm surveys on the North and Northeast China Plain, the carbon footprint (CF) of two farmland ecosystems (irrigated system for wheat and maize on the North China Plain and rainfed system for maize on the Northeast Plain) were assessed and emission reduction pathways explored by quantifying greenhouse gas emissions of agricultural inputs and farm practices during the entire crop growing seasons with an agricultural footprint model. The results demonstrated that the GHG emissions from wheat and maize rotation in the irrigated system were 7.63 t CO 2 eq ha−1 and 3.17 t CO 2 eq ha−1 for single season maize in the rainfed system. While energy consumption accounted for 12.5%–21.3% of the carbon footprint in both systems, the group assessment found that the largest difference in GHG emissions between the high and low emission groups came from mechanical energy consumption. Approximately 50.6% and 39.2% of the mechanical carbon footprint of wheat and maize, respectively, were caused by irrigation practices in the irrigated system. Regarding the rainfed system, where 46.6% of mechanical carbon emissions were generated by maize tillage operations. In addition, scenario analysis indicated that the mechanical carbon footprint could be reduced to 56 kg CO 2 eq t−1 for NCP-wheat and 26 kg CO 2 eq t−1 for NCP-maize, respectively, by optimizing yields and irrigation practices in irrigated systems and that the mechanical carbon footprint of NEP-maize could be reduced to 25 kg CO 2 eq t−1 by optimizing yields and tillage practices in rainfed systems. Therefore, improvement in mechanization in irrigation and tillage practices can contribute to reduce GHG emissions in China. Water-saving irrigation technology is recommended in irrigated area and conservation tillage is recommended in rainfed agricultural area to reduce carbon footprints. [Display omitted] • Carbon footprint of farming practices was studied on the North and Northeast China Plains. • Irrigation practice affects the carbon footprint of the winter wheat–summer maize system. • Tillage practice determines the carbon footprint of the rain-fed spring maize system. • Promoting drip irrigation in irrigated system and strip-tillage in rainfed system could reduce the carbon intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of mixotrophic microalgae in enhancing the recovery of waste nutrients has been well established; however, the recovery rate is crucial in meeting the needs of field applications. This study evaluated the impact of media characteristics on nutrient recovery under mixotrophic conditions. The mixotrophic N recovery rate with S. acuminatus in modified BG-11 reached 2.59 mg L−1h−1. A mixotrophic growth optimization strategy was applied to achieve a high-rate nutrient recovery from municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents. The contribution of waste chemical oxygen demand (COD) to nutrient recovery was assessed using secondary effluent (SE) under heterotrophy. The results highlighted a significant increase in total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) recovery rates when glucose was supplied, indicating the additional carbon requirements for efficient nutrient recovery. The TN and TP recovery rates under mixotrophic conditions with the addition of trace metals and high cell density were enhanced by 91.94% and 92.53%, respectively, resulting in recovery rates of 3.43 mg L−1h−1 and 0.30 mg L−1h−1. The same conditions were used for nutrient recovery from primary effluent (PE), and the results were more satisfactory as the TN and TP recovery rates reached 4.79 and 0.55 mg L−1h−1, respectively. Additionally, the study estimated the carbon footprints (C-footprints) and areal footprints of mixotrophy-based nitrogen recovery. The findings revealed carbon footprints and areal footprints of −15.93 ± 4.57 tCO 2 e t−1 N recovery and 0.53 ± 0.19 m3 m−2d−1 wastewater, respectively. This high-rate nutrient recovery, achieved under a carbon-negative (C-negative) budget through mixotrophy, presents a novel strategy for efficiently recovering resources from municipal wastewater, thus facilitating resource recycling and ensuring environmental sustainability. [Display omitted] • Modified BG-11 enhanced mixotrophic N recovery to 2.59 mg L−1h−1. • Mixotrophic TN and TP recovery in secondary effluent reached 3.43 and 0.3 mg L−1h−1. • Higher mixotrophic recovery rates achieved for primary effluent than secondary effluent. • Negative C-footprints of 15.93 tCO 2 e t−1 N recovery estimated for mixotrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Apigenin analogs (L1–L27) were designed and synthesized. • The synthetic molecules were screened for α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. • Compound L22 was found to be the most active compound. • L22 presented in vivo hypoglycemic activity in STZ-induced diabetic mice. This study investigated the inhibitory potential of a series of synthesized compounds (L1-L27) on α-glucosidase. Among them, compound L22 showed significant inhibitory effect. Through enzymatic kinetics studies, we demonstrated that L22 acts via a non-competitive inhibition mode with a K i value of 2.61 μM, highlighting its high affinity for the enzyme. Molecular docking studies revealed the formation of hydrogen bonds between L22 and α-glucosidase and diverse interactions with neighboring amino acid residues. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stability of the L22-α-glucosidase complex. In a mouse model of type 2 diabetes, treatment with L22 significantly lowered fasting blood glucose levels, and reduced insulin resistance, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, L22 showed a protective effect against oxidative stress in the liver and alleviated liver and pancreatic abnormalities. These results provide valuable insights into the mechanism of action of L22 and its potential applications to treat type 2 diabetes, and improve liver health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-confinement synthesized Ni@Mo 2 C/CN can stalely achieve 10 mA/cm2 overall urea oxidation with 1.51 V applied voltage due to the mutual promotion effect of Ni and Mo 2 C on UOR activity and HER activity. [Display omitted] • Ni@Mo 2 C/CN catalyst was synthesized via an in situ self-confinement strategy. • A mutual promotion effect of Ni and Mo 2 C on UOR activity and HER activity exists. • An applied voltage of 1.51 V can achieve 10 m A/cm2 stable overall urea oxidation. Efficient hydrogen production from water splitting is crucial for sustainable energy and yet impeded by sluggish anodic water oxidation. Urea oxidation had been considered as an alternative reaction due to its much lower oxidation potential. Rational design of highly efficient cost-effective electrocatalysts for urea oxidation is therefore urgent for hydrogen production from overall urea oxidation. Here, the Ni/Mo 2 C@CN catalyst consisting of a porous carbon shell and a heterojunction Ni/Mo 2 C core was constructed by an in situ self-confinement synthesis strategy. The mutual promotion effect of Ni and Mo 2 C can boost the urea oxidation and hydrogen evolution reactions at the same time. Only 1.51 V applied potential was needed to achieve stable 10 mA/cm2 overall urea oxidation on the Ni/Mo 2 C@CN catalyst. By considering the great stability resulting from the protective effect of the carbon shell, a practical application potential of Ni/Mo 2 C@CN in overall urea oxidation was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The semiconducting quantum dot CuInS2 was used as barrier layer material for DSSCs. [•] The CuInS2 layer can prevent electron recombination and improve Voc effectively. [•] The CuInS2 layer can increase Jsc for dye/CuInS2/TiO2-based solar cells. [•] DSSCs based on BTF dye/CuInS2/TiO2 showed performance of 7.20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Eu3+ doped Gd4Al2O9 (GdAM), GdAlO3 (GdAP), and Gd3Al5O12 (GdAG, containing 10at% of Lu3+ for lattice stabilization) have been developed in this work as efficient red-emitting phosphors. With coprecipitated carbonate precursors, phase evolution studies found minimum processing temperatures of ~1000, 1100, and 1300°C for the three phosphors to crystallize as pure phases, respectively. Compared with their yttrium aluminate counterparts, the gadolinium-based phosphors exhibit red-shifted O2−–Eu3+ charge transfer excitation band (CTB) centers due to the lower electronegativity of Gd3+ and appreciably higher quantum yields of photoluminescence owing to the occurrence of efficient Gd3+→Eu3+energy transfer. The optimal Eu3+ contents were determined to be ~7.5at% for GdAM and 5.0at% for both GdAP and GdAG, and concentration quenching of luminescence was suggested to be due to exchange interactions. Fluorescence decay analysis found a shorter lifetime for the phosphor powder processed at a higher temperature or with a higher Eu3+ content, and the underlying mechanism was discussed. Fluorescence lifetimes were also compared between the yttrium and gadolinium phosphor systems for the dominant emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Stable O/W Pickering emulsions synergistically stabilized by heat-induced soy protein isolate (HSPI) and bacterial cellulose nanofibrils (BCNFs) were fabricated, and spray-dried to obtain edible oil powders. The emulsions with 0.2 wt% BCNFs and 2 wt% HSPI displayed homogeneous droplets size (<1 μm) and narrow size distributions, and had no obvious droplet aggregates at different oil phase ratios (10–20%) with 2 wt% beeswax. After spray drying, the obtained stable oil powders (35.9–56.8%) presented hollow smooth spherical structure with small and uniform size. The moisture content, flowability, bulk density and encapsulation efficiency of oil powders were improved by tuning the BCNFs contents and oil-to-water ratios of emulsions. Furthermore, the presence of BCNFs partially inhibited lipid hydrolysis, and oil powders with 0.1 wt% BCNFs performed optimum anti-digestibility with the minimum released FFA values of 72.5%. This work combined spray drying technique with Pickering emulsions for oil encapsulation, and optimized the emulsions properties to address the limitations of spray drying for liquid oil microencapsulation, which would provide some guidance for oil powders development. • Stable O/W Pickering emulsion stabilized by HSPI/BCNFs complexes was fabricated. • Edible soybean oil powders were successfully prepared after spray drying. • Oil powders with 10% soybean oil had relatively low SO and high EE values. • Oil powders with BCNFs had improved physical properties and anti-digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel TiO2 double-layer (DL) film consisting of TiO2 hollow spheres (HSs) as overlayer and single-crystalline TiO2 nanorod arrays (RAs) as underlayer was designed as the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This new-typed TiO2 HS/RA DL film could significantly improve the efficiency of DSSCs owing to its synergic effects, i.e. the relatively large specific surface area of TiO2 HSs for effective dye adsorption, enhanced light harvesting capability originated from TiO2 RA film, and rapid interfacial electron transport in one-dimensional TiO2 nanorod arrays. The overall energy-conversion efficiency of 4.57% was achieved by the formation of TiO2 DL film, which is 16% higher than that formed by TiO2 HS film and far larger than that formed by TiO2 RA film (η =0.99%). The light absorption and interfacial electron transport, which play important roles in the efficiency of DSSCs, were investigated by UV–vis absorption spectra and electrochemical impedance spectra. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Time-dependent evolution experiments were performed by intercepting intermediate products at different reaction stages to reveal the formation mechanism of novel core/shell-structured Cu 2 O@CuO mesocrystals (Cu 2 O@CuO MC) with hexapod morphology. • Novel core/shell-structured Cu 2 O@CuO mesocrystals (Cu 2 O@CuO MC) were synthesized. • The formation mechanism of Cu 2 O@CuO MC is revealed. • The Cu 2 O@CuO MC exhibit much-enhanced catalytic property. As compared with conventional nanocrystal systems, Cu-based mesocrystals have demonstrated distinct advantages in catalytic applications. Here, we report the preparation of a novel architectural Cu 2 O@CuO catalyst system integrated with the core/shell and mesocrystal structures (Cu 2 O@CuO MC) via a facile solvothermal process followed by calcination. The formation mechanism of the Cu 2 O@CuO MC with hexapod morphology was deciphered based on a series of time-dependent experiments and characterizations. When applied as a Cu-based catalyst to produce trichlorosilane (TCS) via Si hydrochlorination reaction, the Cu 2 O@CuO MC exhibited a much higher Si conversion, TCS selectivity, and stability than the catalyst-free industrial process and the Cu 2 O@CuO catalyst with a core-shell nanostructure. The enhanced catalytic efficiency of the former is attributed to the collective effects from its quite rough surface for providing abundant adsorption sites, the ordered nanoparticle arrangement in the core and shell for generating strong synergistic effects, and the micrometer size for the improved structural stability. This work demonstrates a practical route for designing sophisticated architectural structures that combine several structural functions within one catalyst system and their catalysis applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The crystal structures of ephedrine hydrochloride and N-methylephedrine hydrochloride have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The molar enthalpies of dissolution of the two compounds with various molalities were measured at T =298.15K in distilled water by means of isoperibol solution-reaction calorimeter, respectively. According to the theory of Pitzer, the molar enthalpies of dissolution of the two compounds at infinite dilution, , and Pitzer’s parameters , were obtained. Then the values of apparent relative molar enthalpies , hydration heat, and relative partial molar enthalpies of the two compounds were derived from the experimental results of the enthalpies of dissolution of the two compounds. Finally, the ionic radius of the cations can be calculated from the data of the corresponding effective volume of the cations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Spherical Ru(bpy)2+ 3-doped silica (RuSi) nanoparticles were prepared via a water-in-oil microemulsion approach. The electrochemical and electrochemiluminescent properties of the RuSi nanoparticles immobilized on an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode were investigated. Further, electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of the RuSi nanoparticles with covalently coated biomacromolecules was studied. By covalent cross-linking with glutaraldehyde, γ-(aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES)-pretreated RuSi nanoparticles were coupled with different concentrations of bovine serum albumin (BSA), hemoglobin, and myoglobin, respectively. ECL from these biomacromolecule-coated RuSi nanoparticles decreased with the increase of the loading of biomacromolecules. Moreover, the ECL of coreactants with different sizes was studied. The ECL decrease could be assigned to the steric hindrance and limited diffusion of coreactant molecules into the RuSi nanoparticles after biomacromolecule conjugation. Since tens of thousands of Ru(bpy)2+ 3 molecules are contained in the silica particles and the RuSi nanoparticle surface modification could improve their biocompatibility, the biomacromolecule-coated RuSi nanoparticles could be readily used as efficient and stable ECL tag materials in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The surface tension of ionic liquid (IL) C5MIBF4 (1-methyl-3-pentylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) with various amount of water was measured by the forced bubble method at 278.15 to . In terms of standard addition method, the surface tension of pure IL C5MIBF4 was obtained. The properties of surface for pure C5MIBF4 were discussed in terms of the principle of independent surface action and Glasser''s theory of lattice energy. Using the surface tension data, the interstice model was examined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) nanocomposites are under the limelight due to their unique electronic, optical, and surface properties for various applications. Plasmonic MOFs enabled by noble metal nanostructures are an emerging class of MOF nanocomposites with efficient solar light-harvesting capability. However, major concerns such as poor photostability, sophisticated synthesis processes, and high fabrication cost are raised. Here, we develop a novel plasmonic MOF nanocomposite consisting of the ultra-thin degenerately doped molybdenum oxide core and the flexible iron MOF (FeMOF) shell through a hydrothermal growth, featuring low cost, facile synthesis, and non-toxicity. More importantly, the incorporation of plasmonic oxides in the highly porous MOF structure enhances the visible light absorbability, demonstrating improved photobleaching performances of various azo and non-azo dyes compared to that of pure FeMOF without the incorporation of oxidative agents. Furthermore, the nanocomposite exhibits enhanced sensitivity and selectivity towards NO 2 gas at room temperature, attributed to the electron-rich surface of plasmonic oxides. This work possibly broadens the exploration of plasmonic MOF nanocomposites for practical and efficient solar energy harvesting, environmental remediation, and environmental monitoring applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • MgAl-LDH was synthesized in situ by increasing temperature and introducing ethanol. • Synthesis time of in situ MgAl-LDH was shortened to one-eighth of the original. • The process of in situ growth of MgAl-LDH on the surface of η -Al 2 O 3 was revealed. • Excellent hydrolysis performance is due to small crystalline size and high basicity. • Urea removal rate and the basicity show a good linear relationship. A rapid and efficient synthesis strategy of MgAl-LDH was proposed. MgAl-LDH with high specific surface area was synthesized in situ by using η -Al 2 O 3 as carrier, and the synthesis time was greatly shortened by both increasing temperature and introducing ethanol as co-solvent. Besides, the growth process of MgAl-LDH on the surface of η -Al 2 O 3 is also revealed. Under optimized conditions, the specific surface area of the MgAl-LDH is as high as 172.4 m2/g, the crystalline size is as small as 12.82 nm, and the basicity can reach 1.795 mmol/g. The urea wastewater was degraded from 8000 mg/L to 6.85 mg/L over the catalyst synthesized by the rapid method, and the catalyst still maintains high activity after four uses. Also, it was found that there is a good linear relationship between the urea removal rate and the basicity of MgAl-LDH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognized that air pollution exerts substantial detrimental effects in human health and the economy. The potential for harm is closely linked to the concentrations of pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) and ozone (O 3), as well as their collective oxidative potential (O X). Yet, due to the challenges of directly monitoring O X as an independent factor and the influences of different substances' varying ability to contain or convey O X , uncertainties persist regarding its actual impact. To provide further evidence to the association between short-term exposures to NO 2 , O 3 , and O X and mortality, this study conducted multi-county time-series analyses with over-dispersed generalized additive models and random-effects meta-analyses to estimate the mortality data from 2014 to 2020 in Jiangsu, China. The findings reveal that short-term exposures to these pollutants are linked to increased risks of all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality, where NO 2 demonstrates 2.11% (95% confidence interval: 1.79%, 2.42%), 2.28% (1.91%, 2.66%), and 2.91% (2.13%, 3.69%) respectively per every 10 ppb increase in concentration, and the effect of O 3 is 1.11% (0.98%, 1.24%), 1.39% (1.19%, 1.59%), and 1.82% (1.39%, 2.26%), and O X is 1.77% (1.58%, 1.97%), 2.19% (1.90%, 2.48%), and 2.90% (2.29%, 3.52%). Notably, women and individuals aged over 75 years exhibit higher susceptibility to these pollutants, with NO 2 showing a greater impact, especially during the warm seasons. The elevated mortality rates associated with NO 2 , O 3 , and O X underscore the significance of addressing air pollution as a pressing public health issue, especially in controlling NO 2 and O 3 together. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and possible influential factors of these effects. • The latest study about short-term exposure to NO 2 , O 3 , and O X on daily mortality. • A large dataset of 4,276,989 participants collected over 7 years. • Multi-county time-series analyses with a 2-step statistical model. • NO 2 has the largest effect, and O 3 and O X shows similar significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of Monascus pigments in the food industry is hindered by their vulnerability to light, yet the underlying mechanism of their light-induced fading remains unclear. In this study, Monascus pigments sourced from Monascus rice were employed to investigate their stability under distinct light treatments, including visible light, UV light, and sunlight. The research demonstrates a clear connection between the light stability of Monascus pigments and their composition. Among the various light sources, simulated sunlight emerges as the most deleterious to the red Monascus pigment, whereas UV light inflicts greater damage on the yellow Monascus pigment compared to other sources. Employing density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent DFT (TDDFT), we deduced the mechanism of Monascus pigments' photolysis by comparing E HOMO , E LUMO , △E, λ max , and E λmax of the six original Monascus pigments. The outcomes reveal a distinct photo-stability sequence for different pigments: red Monascus pigment < orange Monascus pigment < yellow Monascus pigment. Furthermore, our study proposes electron transfer from the c = c double bond to the c-c single bond as a component of the photolysis mechanism. This research contributes theoretical and experimental evidence on the photo-stability and mechanisms governing diverse Monascus pigments under various light conditions. These insights are crucial for optimizing the integration of these pigments in the food industry, with implications for packaging and storage considerations. • The impact of various lights on the stability of Monascus pigments was explored. • A relation between Monascus pigments' light stability and their composition was identified. • The electron transfer during the Monascus pigment photo-degradation was elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our study first applied a novel similarity network method (MIND) to investigate the intricate interplay between brain macrostructure abnormalities and specific transcriptional expression patterns for EOS patients. • Major MIND differences of EOS patients focused on the orbitofrontal cortex, pericalcarine cortex, lingual gyrus, and multiple networks. • PLS2- genes were enriched in metabolism-related pathways, specific astrocytes, cortical layers, and posterior developmental stages. • PLS2+ genes were enriched in synapses signaling-related pathways and early developmental stages but not in special cell types or layers. Early-onset Schizophrenia (EOS) is a profoundly progressive psychiatric disorder characterized by both positive and negative symptoms, whose pathogenesis is influenced by genes, environment and brain structure development. In this study, the MIND (Morphometric Inverse Divergence) network was employed to explore the relationship between morphological similarity and specific transcriptional expression patterns in EOS patients. This study involved a cohort of 187 participants aged between 7 and 17 years, consisting of 97 EOS patients and 90 healthy controls (HC). Multiple morphological features were used to construct the MIND network for all participants. Furthermore, we explored the associations between MIND network and brain-wide gene expression in EOS patients through partial least squares (PLS) regression, shared genetic predispositions with other psychiatric disorders, functional enrichment of PLS weighted genes, as well as transcriptional signature assessment of cell types, cortical layers, and developmental stages. The MIND showed similarity differences in the orbitofrontal cortex, pericalcarine cortex, lingual gyrus, and multiple networks in EOS patients compared to HC. Moreover, our exploration revealed a significant overlap of PLS2 weighted genes linking to EOS-related MIND differences and the dysregulated genes reported in other psychiatric diseases. Interestingly, genes correlated with MIND changes (PLS2-) exhibited a significant enrichment not only in metabolism-related pathways, but also in specific astrocytes, cortical layers (specifically layer I and III), and posterior developmental stages (late infancy to young adulthood stages). However, PLS2+ genes were primarily enriched in synapses signaling-related pathways and early developmental stages (from early-mid fetal to neonatal early infancy) but not in special cell types or layers. These findings provide a novel perspective on the intricate relationship between macroscopic morphometric structural abnormalities and microscopic transcriptional patterns during the onset and progression of EOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological restoration practices have been widely adopted to increase soil carbon stocks by improving soil organic carbon (SOC). However, the effects of these practices on the other important soil carbon component, soil inorganic carbon (SIC), remain unclear. To address this, a meta-analysis based on 45 publications and 37 sites was conducted to quantitatively assess the dynamic changes in SIC stocks due to typical restoration practices, including conversion of cropland to forest (C–F), cropland to grassland (C–G), desert to cropland (D–C), conservation agriculture (CA), and desert to forest (D–F). Results showed that, among the restoration practices increasing the SOC stocks, the SIC stocks decreased after the C–F (−34.7%) and C–G (−15.8%) conversions and CA (−6.8%), but increased after the conversion of D–C (2.6%) and D–F (46.9%). Additionally, in terms of recovery duration, the negative effect of C–G on SIC stocks may vanish with increased recovery duration, whereas SIC stocks showed a prominent increase initially after CA and then decreased over time; the response to D–F conversion of SIC stocks remained consistently positive over time. Furthermore, the non-synergistic changes with SIC and SOC could be due to variations in edaphic factors, while the effects edaphic factors on SIC stocks were different under various ecological restoration practices. Among all the impact factors, mean annual temperature, initial SIC stocks, and types of ecological restoration practice, were the most crucial factors explaining the variation in SIC stocks with ecological restoration. Collectively, the results highlight that the change in SIC stocks is asynchronous with the increase in SOC stocks in space and time after ecological restoration, further indicating that changes in SIC stocks should be paid more attention when assessing and predicting carbon sequestration following various ecological restoration practices. [Display omitted] • Not all restoration practices that increased SOC stocks increased SIC stocks. • The changes in SIC and SOC stocks with time were non-linear and asynchronous. • The negative effect of converting cropland to grassland on SIC may vanish with time. • Carbon assessment should use practice-specific SIC values whenever possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coastal area of Yancheng, China, is one of the hotspots for ecological research. Under the coupling of human and natural ecosystems, the region has gradually evolved into a coexistence of aquatic, agricultural and mudflat ecosystems. What are the patterns of natural and artificial resource inputs and patterns of change in ecosystems? How can ecological flows be analyzed at a uniform scale? Here, we selected six typical local ecosystems, namely, rice‒wheat for enterprises (RWE), rice‒wheat for smallholder households (RWS), chrysanthemum‒wheat (CW), fish polyculture (FP), juvenile crab farming (JF) and clam polyculture (CP), and analyzed their energy flow flux and sustainability based on emergy theory. The results showed that anthropogenic resource inputs were higher than natural resource inputs in all ecosystems, and the inputs of aquatic ecosystems were greater than those of agroecosystems. The greatest total input was 2.0 E+17 seJ/ha/yr for FP, and the lowest was 1.9 E+16 seJ/ha/yr for RWE. The proportions of renewable and artificial inputs for RWE, RWS, CW, FP, JF and CP were 32.8% vs. 96.1%, 40.3% vs. 96.5%, 34.7% vs. 97.0%, 32.6% vs. 99.4%, 55.1% vs. 98.5%, and 62.5% vs. 98.6%, respectively. The highest input to agroecosystems was nitrogen fertilizer, while in JF and CP, it was water, and feed (63.3%) accounted for the highest percentage of input in FP. JF and CP had lower environmental loads and higher sustainability than other ecosystems, but this still represents a high input compared to agroecosystems. Human-led resource coupling profoundly affects ecosystem sustainability, and various thresholds of energy use and ecological sustainability need to be studied in depth. Continuous exploration of methods and mechanisms for the maintenance and evolution of ecosystems with low total inputs and low inputs of non-renewable resources can contribute to high-quality sustainable development of an area or region. • Multi-systems are sustained by various forms of natural and artificial resources. • The total emergy input to the aquatic ecosystem is 1.9 E+16∼2.4 E+16 seJ/ha/yr. • Agroecosystems have a total emergy input of 7.7 E+16∼2.0 E+17 seJ/ha/yr. • The range of renewable resources in aquatic ecosystems of coastal area is 34.7–47.4%. • The percentage of renewable resources in agricultural systems is 32.6–62.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) have been widely used for parentage testing, marker-assisted selection, and evolutionary studies. The insufficient availability of SSR markers in Bactrian camels partially accounts for the lack of systematic breeding. Therefore, we aimed to establish a comprehensive SSR dataset for the Bactrian camel. Our approach involved genome searching to locate every SSR in the genome, SSR-enriched sequencing to acquire polymorphism information, and literature research to collect published data. The resulting dataset contains 213,711 SSRs and details their characteristics, including genome coordinates, motifs, lengths, annotations, PCR primers, and polymorphism information. The dataset reveals a biased distribution of SSRs in the Bactrian camel genome, reflecting the mutation mechanism and complex evolution of SSRs. In practice, we successfully demonstrated the utility of the dataset through parentage testing using 15 randomly selected SSRs. This comprehensive dataset can facilitate systematic breeding and enable QTL mapping and GWAS of the Bactrian camel. • A genome-wide SSR dataset for the Bactrian camel was established. • Utility of the dataset was assessed through parentage testing using 15 randomly selected SSRs. • A biased distribution of SSRs in the Bactrian camel genome reflects the complex evolution of SSRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distribution of fluid molecules in a vicinity of three-phase contact-line. The mechanisms of dynamic wetting of solid–liquid-liquid (SLL) system, especially the viscosity effects of two liquids, can be investigated by the molecular kinetic theory (MKT). The molecular kinetic theory combined with published data was used to study the roles of a fluid viscosity and a solid surface in dynamic wetting. First, the MKT on dynamic wetting was introduced and its limitation was analyzed. Second, a viscosity effect and a solid surface effect were considered. The viscosity effect was divided into three parts for the first time, including two pure liquid zones and a mixing zone. Third, a coefficient activation free energy model was proposed, considering the effects of mixing liquids and a solid surface. Finally, the key parameters in the MKT and the application and validation of the coefficient activation free energy model were discussed in detail. This model can explain the energy dissipation in a vicinity of a three-phase contact-line successfully in a SLL wetting system. This work sheds light on the physical mechanisms of fluid and solid surface properties on the dynamic wetting in a SLL system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]