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Long-term cultivation tends to cause thinning and even partial disappearance of Mollisols, which largely limits the sustainable development of agriculture. Cultivation duration greatly affects soil pore structure and biochemical properties of Mollisols. This study aims to elucidate the response of aggregate pore structure, stability, and biochemical properties of soil during degradation under long-term cultivation in Mollisols. The study involved four croplands with different cultivation durations (20, 40, 60, and 100 years; designated as AL20, AL40, AL60, and AL100, respectively) and one undisturbed forest land (FR). Samples were collected from three soil depths (0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm). Pore structure and biochemical properties were analyzed by X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) and standard method. As a result, the aggregate stability and biochemical properties of soil showed different degrees of degradation with the extension of cultivation duration. The mean weight diameter, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and microbial biomass carbon followed the order of AL20 > FR > AL40 > AL60 > AL100, while the soil bulk density exhibited an opposite trend. FR and AL20 showed significant differences from other sites (P < 0.05). The CT results revealed that total porosity and pore number approximately decreased with cultivation duration, with their maximum appearing in FR and minimum occurring in AL100. The pore shape and pore size of aggregates were dominated by elongated pores (> 65%) and porosity > 100 µm, respectively, both of which declined with increasing cultivation duration. Similarly, the fractal dimension and connectivity were the highest in FR. These results demonstrated that the pore structure of soil aggregates tended to be "simplified" with increasing cultivation duration. Soil structure index, which varied significantly with cultivation duration, was used to comprehensively evaluate the soil structure. The results provide important insights into soil structural degradation caused by long-term cultivation. [Display omitted] • X-ray CT can be used to investigate aggregate pore structure. • Long-term tillage restrained SOC content, pore development, and aggregate stability. • Elongated pore and P >100 µm were the main pore shape and pore size respectively. • Aggregate pore structure tended to be "simplified" with increasing cultivation duration. • MWD, FD, P 30–75 μm , P 75–100 μm , and DA, and MSF were selected to construct SSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of farmers' energy-saving behaviors can help policy-makers to formulate effective energy policies to reduce energy consumption in rural areas. This study explores the impacts of livelihood capital on farmers' energy-saving behaviors in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, China. A total of 471 questionnaires were obtained from randomly sampled households. The results show that there are differences between the implementation of different types of energy-saving behaviors. Farmers' livelihood capital plays a significant role in implementing energy-saving behaviors. Specifically, natural capital and human capital have a significantly negative effect on the implementation of energy-saving behaviors. Physical capital and social capital are conducive to implement energy-saving behaviors. The effect of financial capital varies with different energy-saving behaviors. The findings of this study can contribute to the existing body of knowledge about determinants of farmers' energy-saving behaviors by confirming the role of livelihood capital. The empirical results provide a reference for stakeholders involved in strengthening rural residents' energy-saving behaviors in developing countries like China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multiplex immunofluorescence and tissue imaging analyses were performed. • Comprehensive personal 58 immune parameters of tongue SCC (TSCC) were assessed. • Personal immune profiling of TSCC is highly diverse. • Most cases of immune profiling in TSCC are immune suppressed. • CD163+ M2 macrophage is a possible prediction biomarker for R/M in the T1 stage. Understanding the tumor immune microenvironment is becoming increasingly necessary for risk prediction and treatment selection. In particular, oral cancer has various immunosuppressive characteristics in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, we comprehensively assessed the immune profiles of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). Multiplex immunofluorescence and tissue imaging analyses were performed to evaluate immune profiles at the invasive tumor front of 60 OTSCC surgical specimens. We analyzed 58 immune parameters including the density and proportion (%) of total leukocytes (Leu) and T cells, six subsets of T and myeloid cells, and the expression of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1). The density, proportion, and location of CD45+ Leu, three T cell subsets (CD8+, Foxp3–CD4+ conventional, and Foxp3+CD4+ regulatory T cells), CD163-CD68+ M1 and CD163+CD68+ M2 macrophages, and neutrophils were highly variable at the individual level. The density and proportion of M2 macrophages were significantly lower in the T1 stage group. Risk prediction analyses for recurrence and/or metastasis (R/M) showed that R/M (+) T1 cases had significantly higher M2 density and percentages. The immune profiles of OTSCC patients are diverse and cannot be predicted from clinicopathological information alone. The M2 macrophage abundance is a potential candidate biomarker for R/M in the early stage of OTSCC. Personal immune profiling may provide beneficial information for risk prediction and treatment selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead(II)-benzohydroxamic acid (lead-BHA) is a metal-organic complex system used as a highly selective collector in the flotation separation of oxide minerals. In the current study, the surface microstructures and adsorption mechanism of lead-BHA on mineral surfaces were comprehensively investigated using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and first-principles calculations. The characteristic Raman peak indicated that lead-BHA adsorbs on mica surfaces. The AFM topography of a mica surface (0 0 1) treated with lead-BHA at a ratio of 1:1 showed many local adsorption layers, but no obvious adsorption layer was observed for the same surface treated with lead-BHA at a ratio of 1:2, which suggests that Pb(BHA) + might be the effective species for mineral flotation. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of Pb(BHA) + was mainly localized on the lead atom, while the LUMO of Pb(BHA) 2 was distributed over the whole molecule, implying that Pb(BHA) + exhibits better affinity to the mica surface than Pb(BHA) 2 , and further suggesting that Pb(BHA) + might be an effective specie. The further first-principle calculation, from the molecular level on mica surface, showed that the Pb(BHA) + could produce a higher adsorption energy than Pb(BHA) 2 , revealing that the Pb(BHA) + should be an effective specie that can efficiently adsorb onto the mica surface. This work may shed new light on the effective species of metal-organic complex collectors on oxide mineral surfaces in flotation separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The phenomenon of cooking fuel stacking is common in rural households. • Livelihood capital plays an important role in affecting the cooking fuel choice. • Higher natural capital restrains rural households' acceptance of clean cooking. • Higher financial capital promotes household adoption of clean cooking fuels. Identifying the effects of household livelihood on cooking fuel choices is key to promoting rural household energy transitions. However, the available evidence is limited. To fill the gap, this study aims to explore the effects of livelihood capital on clean cooking. Based on the survey data from 485 rural households, the boosted regression trees model was employed to identify these effects. The results signify that firewood predominated among all the cooking fuel types in the study area. Firewood consumption accounted for 82% of the total cooking fuel consumption. The per capita cooking fuel consumption in the study area was 358.39kgce in 2021 and it rose with the increase of household income. Most importantly, physical capital, financial capital, human capital, and social capital significantly facilitated household acceptance of clean cooking fuels with a relative influence of 34.58%, 21.38%, 15.29%, and 13.94%. However, natural capital restrained household adoption of clean cooking fuels. Our findings highlight the importance of livelihood capital in affecting clean cooking, provide a distinct study perspective for exploring other energy decisions in developing countries, and shed some light for the local government on formulating effective policies to promote the cooking energy transition of rural households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is believed that dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an important role in carrying metal ions through global cycle and distribution, while this point has not yet been elucidated clearly as DOM is extremely heterogeneous and site-specific. In this study, optical properties of DOM in 53 surface freshwater sites all over China were recorded by UV–Vis absorbance spectroscopy in pH range 3–11. The subtle processes of protonation-deprotonation of DOM were quantified by tracking the changes of DOM spectra. The binding capacities of DOMs-binding sites and affinity constants-were interpreted by introducing a spectral parameter, differential log-transformed differential absorbance at 400 nm (DlnA 400 ) in combination with Non-Ideal Competitive Adsorption (NICA) Model. It is found that the presence of dissolved Zn, Hg and Ni in the examined waters show strong correlation with total binding sites in DOMs. However, the presence of some other metals with high affinities to DOM, e.g. Cu, Fe and so on, have not demonstrated strong correlation with the total binding sites in DOMs. This indicates the presence of these metals may be seriously influenced by other factors besides DOM. This study demonstrates that the spectroscopic titration approach could potentially provide more structure-specific in situ information about DOM and help to understand the role of DOM in the speciation and bioavailability of toxic metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, seven model compounds containing typical functional groups (phenolic and carboxylic groups) present in nature organic matter (NOM) were used to ascertain the nature of the characteristic bands in differential absorbance spectra (DAS) of NOM that are induced by metal ion binding. Some similarities were found between the DAS of the examined model compounds, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, esculetin and myricetin and those of NOM. The binding of Cu(II) with carboxylic group might produce two peaks, A1 and A2, while the binding of Cu(II) with phenolic group might produce all four Gaussian peaks, from A1 to A4 displayed in the DAS of NOM. The UV–visible spectra predicted using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT)-based methods met well with the experimental DAS of model compounds at different stages of Cu(II) binding. It demonstrates that the features in absorbance spectra are chiefly caused by HOMO (Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital) - LUMO (Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital) transitions in the molecule and that the appearance of peaks in DAS reflects the changes of the molecular orbitals around reactive functional groups in a molecule before and after metal ion binding. The basis of the DAS features of NOM that are induced by metal ion binding could be identified primarily by the frontier molecular orbital theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 (NVP) is a very promising cathode material in sodium ion battery for rapidly emerging large-scale energy storage with its classical 3D NASCION structure. However, the cycling life and rate performances are restricted its low electronic conductivity. To overcome these, the double carbon-wrapped Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 composite is firstly designed through rheological phase approach, delivering enhanced electrochemical properties. The unique double carbon layers are composed of uniform amorphous carbons as protecting framework for stabilizing the structure, as well as the graphitized carbon sheets playing the role of conductive network for better electronic conductivity. This double carbon-wrapped Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 composite exhibits a high reversible capacity of 99.8 mAh g −1 over 500 cycles at 1 C (110 mA g −1 ), yielding the coulombic efficiency of ∼99.8%. Meanwhile, it displays an initial capacity of 73 mAh g −1 at 100 C and remains 55 mAh g −1 at an ultra-rate of 200 C. Even after cycling at 200 C over 12 000 cycles, the Na + -storage capacity of 40 mAh g −1 with a retention of 72.7% is still obtained, highlighting its excellent long cycling life and remarkable rate performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerogels are usually synthesized from supercritical drying of wet-gels. High quality aerogels are usually characterized with high specific surface area (measured by BET method here) and high degree of polymerization of silicate (characterized by 29 Si NMR here). The quality of the aerogels depends highly on the quality of the corresponding wet-gels because the skeletal structure in the wet-gels changes only slightly in the supercritical drying process. Here we present a simple method to predict the quality of the desired silica aerogels before the supercritical drying. We found that the relative optical transmittance of the silica wet-gels at 500 nm had good linear correlation with the specific surface area and the degree of silicate polymerization in the corresponding aerogels. We can assess the quality and screen out the low-quality wet-gels from supercritical drying operation, and greatly reduce the cost for aerogel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A H 2 O 2 mediated oxidation mechanism of pyrite (0 0 1) surface in the presence of oxygen and water is reported based on first principles calculation studies. • Decomposition of the H 2 O 2 release O atom to promote the oxidation of pyrite. • The newly proposed oxidation pathway well explained the earlier isotopic composition experimental findings about the source of O atom in the SO 4 2- during the pyrite oxidation in presence of oxygen and water. Pyrite (FeS 2) is the most common metal sulfide in nature. The oxidation mechanism of the pyrite has attracted intensive research attentions. It has been determined that this process involves multi-step electron transfer reactions between the FeS 2 surface and the adsorbed O 2 and H 2 O. In this process, sulfoxide (such as S 2 O 3 2−, SO 4 2−) and ferrous (Fe2+) are released into solution, and intermediate by-products, such as hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) and other reactive oxygen species (ROS), are produced. However, our understanding of the formation and transformation of these transient species is still limited. In this study, oxidation pathways by O 2 and H 2 O on the pyrite (0 0 1) surface are explored by means of density functional theory (DFT) simulation. The oxidation pathway including the H 2 O 2 forms as the intermediate is reported for the first time. It is found that the H 2 O 2 molecule forms with low activation energy barriers when the O 2 and H 2 O are co-absorbed on the pyrite surface. The H 2 O 2 dissociates and releases the O atom to promote the sulfur oxidation. The product distribution resulted by the H 2 O 2 mediated oxidation pathway agrees with the isotopic composition experiment that a minor amount of O 2 is permanently incorporated into SO 4 2– during pyrite oxidation (O in SO 4 2– is mainly derived from water). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • C1 compounds are sustainable nonfood sugar feedstocks for biomanufacturing. • Native and synthetic microbes utilizing C1 compounds are introduced. • Engineering strategies for C1 utilization are compiled and reviewed. • Application of C1 compound in the synthesis of valuable compounds is summarized. One-carbon (C1) compounds have emerged as a key research focus due to the growth of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology as affordable and sustainable nonfood sugar feedstocks for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly biomanufacturing. This paper summarizes and discusses current developments in C1 compounds for biomanufacturing. First, two primary groups of microbes that use C1 compounds (native and synthetic) are introduced, and the traits, categorization, and functions of C1 microbes are summarized. Second, engineering strategies for C1 utilization are compiled and reviewed, including reconstruction of C1-utilization pathway, enzyme engineering, cofactor engineering, genome-scale modeling, and adaptive laboratory evolution. Third, a review of C1 compounds' uses in the synthesis of biofuels and high-value compounds is presented. Finally, potential obstacles to C1-based biomanufacturing are highlighted along with future research initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENG) have attracted wide attention because of their great potential in solving the power supply problem of wearable electronic devices. In order to expand the applications of PENG, high quality (Na 0.5 Bi 0.5)TiO 3 -0.06BaTiO 3 (NBT-0.06BT: x Er3+) nanofibers doped with different Er3+ concentrations were prepared by the gel-sol electrostatic spinning method. The morphology and phase structure of the prepared nanofibers were characterized. Dense nanofibers with good crystallization have been obtained. The local ferroelectric properties of the nanofibers were characterized by PFM. It is found the prepared nanofibers have a strong upconversion (UC) photoluminescence (PL) property. Utilizing the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) technique, the temperature sensing properties of the nanofibers has been investigated, showing a maximum sensitivity of 0.0043 K−1. Finally, the flexible PENG was prepared by encapsulating NBT-0.06BT:0.01Er3+ nanofibers, interdigital electrode and PDMS. The maximum voltage output of PENG is 97 V. The present investigation integrates the luminescence characteristics and electrical properties of nanofibers into the flexible PENG, which may greatly expand its application field. • NBT-0.06BT: x Er3+ nanofibers with high quality have been successfully prepared. • NBT-0.06BT: x Er3+ nanofibers have excellent temperature sensing properties. • The present PENG has a potential application in optics. • The output voltage of the PENG reaches a high value of 97 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Ni/SiC as a catalyst, bagasse was microwave-assisted pyrolysis in a homemade quartz reactor. The results showed that with the continuous increase of Ni content, the experimental catalytic pyrolysis effect on bio-oil became more and more obvious, and the hydrogen yield gradually increased. When Ni content exceeded 8%, the hydrogen yield and bio-oil catalytic pyrolysis efficiency decreased, and the lowest bio-oil yield was 9.55% when Ni content was 15%, With the increase of power, the catalytic cracking efficiency and hydrogen yield of bio-oil increased, With the increase of catalyst dosage, the catalytic efficiency and the hydrogen yield increase gradually. When the catalyst quality exceeds 1/4 of the material, the growth rate of catalytic efficiency decreases, after alkali treatment, the variation law of hydrogen yield and bio-oil is consistent with that without alkali treatment. In contrast, more hydrogen can be produced after alkali treatment. Under the optimum conditions, the hydrogen yield was 35.85 g/kg biomass. • Microwave heating method have a higher biomass pyrolysis rate. • Microwave heating method can increase biomass cracking degree and hydrogen yield. • The hydrogen yield is as high as 38.13 g/kg biomass under the Ni/SiC catalytic. • The bio-oil yield is as low as 9.55% under the Ni/SiC catalytic in the microwave assisted pyrolysis system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five triphenylamine derivatives containing cyclohexyl have been designed and synthesized with a solvent-free green procedure. The compounds possess high quantum yields both in solution and solid state. Our investigation shows that the steric effects of the chair conformation cyclohexyl and strong intramolecular hydrogen bond play a key role for the high emission. Moreover, a conjugated triphenylamine core and strong polar groups (pyridinyl and hydroxy) and their location in the molecule formed a typical non-planar push–pull electronic structure. This special chemical structure endows the molecules with solvatochromic effect and exhibit interesting fluorescent behavior in binary solvent systems of THF-H 2 O due to the strong intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), which has been confirmed by DFT calculation, absorption and fluorescence spectra of the compounds in different polar solvents. In addition, their high emission characters, both in solution and solid state are utilized for picric acid (PA) detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calmodulin 2 (CALM2) belongs to the highly conserved calcium-binding protein family, implicated in the pathogenesis of various malignant tumors. However, its involvement in breast cancer (BRCA) remains unclear. This study aimed to examine CALM2 expression in BRCA and its associations with prognosis, clinicopathological features, protein-protein interactions, and immune cell infiltration. Online bioinformatics tools were employed to assess CALM2 expression and its clinical relevance in BRCA. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were utilized to evaluate CALM2 expression in BRCA cell lines and tissues. Logistic regression was applied to analyze the relationship between CALM2 expression levels and clinicopathological parameters. Transwell assay was performed to validate the role of CALM2 in BRCA migration and invasion. CALM2 expression was significantly elevated in BRCA, with increased levels predicting poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Moreover, high CALM2 expression correlated with poorer DFS specifically in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). CALM2 expression in BRCA showed significant associations with lymph node metastasis, TP53 mutation status, and menopause status. Silencing CALM2 in BRCA cells demonstrated inhibition of cell migration and invasion in vitro. CALM2 is overexpressed in BRCA and its upregulation is significantly correlated with poor patient prognosis. Elevated CALM2 expression holds promise as a potential molecular marker for predicting poor survival and as a therapeutic target in BRCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large double stranded DNA arbovirus that is highly contagious and seriously endangers domestic and wild pigs. In the past decade, African swine fever (ASF) has spread in many countries in the Caucasus, Russian Federation, Eastern Europe and Asia, causing significant losses to the pig industry. At present, there is a lack of effective vaccine and treatment for ASF. Therefore, the rapid and accurate detection is crucial for ASF prevention and control. In this study, we have developed a portable lateral flow strip (LFS) detection mediated by recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and CRISPR/LwCas13a, which is performed at 37 ℃ and visualized by eyes without the need for complex instruments. This RPA-LwCas13a-LFS is based on the ASFV structural protein p17 gene (D117L), with a detection sensitivity up to 2 gene copies. This method is highly specific and has no cross reactivity to 7 other pig viruses. In the detection of two batches of 100 clinical samples, the p17 (D117L) RPA-LwCas13a-LFS had 100% coincidence with conventional quantitative PCR (qPCR). These findings demonstrate the potential of this simple, rapid, sensitive, and specific ASFV detection method for on-site ASFV detection. • The RPA-Cas13a-LFS detection method was developed based on ASFV p17 gene. • The LFS method exhibited a high sensitivity and specificity in detection of ASFV. • The RPA-LwCas13a-LFS had 100% coincidence with conventional qPCR in the detection of 100 clinical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Biodegradable active CPP hydrogel packaging film was prepared by one-pot method. • Multiple covalent and hydrogen bonds drive the construction of CPP hydrogels. • The hydrogel has high tensile strength, degradability, transparency and biosafety. • CPP packaging film delays the browning, dehydration and softening process of banana. • CPP hydrogel retards the nutrient consumption, ripening and senescence of fruits. Climacteric bananas are susceptible to endogenous ethylene and temperature, resulting in dehydration, accelerated senescence and deterioration. The widely-used plastic cling films is particularly complicated due to their high consumption and non-degradability. Herein, this study proposed to fabricate a carboxymethyl cellulose/polyvinyl alcohol/pyrazoic acid (CPP) hydrogel for postharvest banana preservation. The hydrogel demonstrated excellent potential as a packaging film, including natural degradability (complete degradation within 50 days), high tensile performance, transparent visibility and biosafety. As a validation experiment, bananas in a 30 °C environment confirmed the effectiveness of CPP hydrogels in banana postharvest preservation. Compared with the blank control and CP hydrogel, CPP packaging film delayed the processes of browning, dehydration, softening, nutrients loss, ripening and senescence in bananas, thereby maintaining their commercial value. Accordingly, this study demonstrates the potential of hydrogel materials as an alternative strategy to climacteric fruit preservation and plastic film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D printed silicones have demonstrated great potential in diverse areas such as soft robots, tissue engineering, flexible sensors and energy dissipation. However, most silicone inks face inevitable curing issue once it is prepared. During the materials extrusion based printing process, the curing-related viscosity change in silicone inks hamper the ink stability and printing controllability, leading to complex relationship among ink properties and printing parameters, as well as printing structures and material properties of final products. Herein, this work presents active mixing of two component silicone ink to realize stable printing, achieving exact and continuous match of ink properties and printing parameters. Using a specially formulated ink containing separate starting components with reactive groups, catalyst and thixotropic agents, this work studies the active mixing process thoroughly for the first time from molecular level to materials performances under various conditions regarding inlet flow rates, impeller rotation speed and component ratios. Besides, cellular silicones with controlled distribution of component ratios and tailored gradient structures are printed, leading to integrated manufacturing of compression performance and shape morphing property. This work will pave way for active mixing and printing of two-component silicones, and provide guidance for other reactive multi-material 3D printing systems. Active mixing of two-component viscoelastic silicone inks is studied, to solve the inevitable curing issue of mixture silicone ink, and to improve printing stability for continuous 3D printing of cellular silicones. Under optimal parameters, good mixing effects are achieved, from molecular distribution to mechanical performances. Furthermore, printed cellular silicones with tunable gradient compositions show adjustable compression and shape-morphing properties. [Display omitted] • Active mixing of two-component viscoelastic silicone inks is studied to improve printing stability for DIW printing of cellular silicones. • Under optimal parameters, good mixing effects are achieved, from molecular distribution to mechanical performances. • Printed cellular silicones with tunable gradient compositions show adjustable compression and shape-morphing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel CPV/T module using asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator was built. • The average total efficiency of the CPV/T system achieves 66.3%. • The concentrator tilt angle of 30° is most conducive to optimizing the performance. • The system has the best applicability in high latitude areas. Aiming at the problem that the efficiency of traditional photovoltaic thermal system is not high enough and the grade of heat energy generated is low, a novel concentrated photovoltaic-thermal system with asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator (ACPC-PV/T) integrated with facade was proposed. The system maximizes the contact area between the channel and the solar cell, which is beneficial for improving heat transfer efficiency. A comprehensive performance study was conducted on the proposed system and optimization methods were proposed. Through the experiments and simulation, the results show that the electrical efficiency of the system is 5% and 7.6% higher than that of traditional modules in summer and winter, respectively, and the thermal efficiency in summer and winter is 51% and 42%, respectively. Further research was conducted on the impact of different tilt angles of concentrators on thermoelectric performance and the global applicability of the device. The results showed that in Chengdu, a concentrator tilt angle of around 30 degrees can most effectively improve module performance. On a global scale, this module has shown good performance, even in areas with lower radiation level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid sliding in a rock avalanche may occur from strain- and strain-rate- weakening of the rupture-surface strength. However, existing research on rock-avalanche dynamics pays little attention to rupture-surface weakening. In this paper, we used high-speed-friction tests on limestone and shale of the Qixia Formation to determine strain- and strain-rate- weakening of the rupture surface of the Jiweishan rock avalanche. The strain- and strain-rate- weakening model inferred that the friction coefficient of the rupture surface decreased rapidly to a residual value of <0.1 within a short interval after rock-avalanche failure, which was collectively determined by shear rate and shear displacement. We used this rate-weakening in a numerical model to investigate the dynamics of the rock avalanche, and compared it with another model that used a constant value of friction. Our model results suggested that rupture-surface weakening could cause the disintegration of the sliding body and influence the post-failure motion of the Jiweishan rock avalanche. With strain- and strain-rate- weakening, a larger sliding-out velocity (~ 13–27 m/s) of the rock mass was modelled due to reduction of frictional energy consumption causing by rupture-surface weakening. Hence a strain and strain-rate- weakened rock mass could both fly farther in the air and strike the ground at a lower angle maintaining more kinetic energy. The transport distance of such a sliding rock mass would have been ~50–500 m longer than in a model without weakening. Our study suggested that strain- and strain-rate- weakening behavior of a rupture surface would significantly increase the rock-avalanche transport distance. Use of such a model might provide more accurate prediction of the disaster reach of rock avalanches. • Rupture-surface strength decreases rapidly after rock-avalanche initiation. • Rupture-surface strength is quantitatively studied by numerical modeling. • Rupture-surface strength weakening promotes the disintegration of a rock avalanche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Exploring the inhibitory effect of combination depressant for galena. • Exploring the enhancement effect of Na 2 SiO 3 on combination depressant. • Revealing the inhibition mechanism of combination depressant. • Revealing the enhancing mechanism of Na 2 SiO 3 to combination depressant. A combination depressant SHI was composed of sodium sulfite (Na 2 SO 3) and sulfonated lignin (SL) in a 5:1 M ratio. In this study, SHI and sodium silicate (Na 2 SiO 3) were employed to inhibit the floatability of galena, and the synergies between agents was explored. Micro-flotation results shown that after 2.4 × 10−4 mol/L SHI was added, the recovery of galena and fine-galena declined by 53% and 36%, respectively. SHI exhibited excellent depressing efficiency toward galena. In the presence of Na 2 SiO 3 , the inhibitory effect of SHI was more obvious. Zeta potential measurements indicates that SHI and Na 2 SiO 3 altered the potential of galena surface through chemical reaction or adsorption action. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results demonstrate that Na 2 SO 3 in the SHI were reacted with Pb ions on the galena surface and formed PbSO 3 , the SL was adsorbed by the galena surface through hydrogen bonding. In parallel, Na 2 SiO 3 interacted with the mineral surface by generating PbSiO 3. The addition of inhibitors increased the oxidation rate of the galena surface, thereby reducing the adsorption of collectors. Density functional theory simulations shown that Na 2 SiO 3 reduced the bonding energy between the galena surfaces and Na 2 SO 3 , and improved the stability of adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the accuracy of the assessment of different neoplasias in the adnexa (ADNEX) model in the differential diagnosis of malignant and benign ovarian tumors, the optimal cutoff value and the accuracy in diagnosing ovarian tumors at different stages, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases were retrieved to search literature with per-patient analysis until publication of the last study in November 2021. STATA 14.1, Meta-Disc 1.4 and Revman software 5.3 were used in the performance of meta-analysis. To explore sources of heterogeneity, a subgroup analysis was conducted for the ADNEX model. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, positive likelihood, negative likelihood ratio and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89-0.93), 0.84 (95% CI: 0.80-0.88), 55.55 (95% CI: 40.47-76.26), 5.71 (95% CI: 4.49-7.26), 0.10 (95% CI: 0.08-0.13) and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.92-0.96) in differentiating benign and malignant ovarian tumors, respectively. The area under the curve in identifying benign, borderline, stage I and stages II-IV were 0.93, 0.73, 0.27 and 0.92. The ADNEX model had high diagnostic performance was influential in the diagnosis of benign and stage II-IV ovarian tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Machine learning (ML) showed great potential in the screening of flotation reagents with an extremely low time cost. • A combined ML and quantum chemistry (QC) model was proposed to accelerate the screening of solidophilic flotation reagents. • 15 QC feature descriptors of an ethyl-functional group set involving 47 molecules and 4 ML algorithms were adopted to establish the high throughput ML screening model. Flotation reagents are critical to realizing selective separation of different minerals in the flotation process. The current "trial and error" strategy for screening effective flotation reagents is time-consuming and inefficient. Herein, a combined machine learning (ML) + quantum chemistry (QC) model has been proposed to accelerate the screening of solidophilic flotation reagents. The accurate QC features of an ethyl-functional group (EFG) set involving 47 molecules have been obtained and collected as a database to describe their bonding reactions with the surface Cu(II), Fe(II), and Cu(I) ions at the B3LYP/def2-TZVP level under solvation effects. 15 QC feature descriptors and 4 ML algorithms have been adopted to establish the high throughput ML screening. QC results show the affinity of EFG molecule with Cu(II) is the strongest, followed by Fe(II), and the weakest is Cu(I). ML results show that the gradient boosting regression can successfully predict these molecules with the highest selective bonding index. The atom type, frontier molecular orbital, molecule charge, and dipole moment have significant effects on the bonding interactions. ML has shown an extremely lower time cost than the QC-based models. This work sheds new light on the development and discovery of efficient, selective, and green flotation reagents by accurate and low-cost artificial intelligence-based computational methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient removal of Ni (Ⅱ) chelated by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) from wastewater remains an important but challenging environmental problem. Therefore, a novel strategy of Fe3+ replacement–chelating precipitation was proposed to remove Ni (Ⅱ) chelated by EDTA from simulated Ni-EDTA wastewater and real electroless nickel plating wastewater. The strategy was proved to be thermodynamically feasible by DFT calculation. Regardless of the simulated Ni-EDTA wastewater or the real electroless nickel plating wastewater, the residual nickel in the wastewater was less than 0.1 mg/L that satisfied the discharge standard after being treated under optimal conditions using this strategy. Moreover, the strong acidity and Fe3+ could increase the proportion of free Ni2+ in Ni-EDTA wastewater, thereby enhancing the Ni removal efficiency. Additionally, the total amount of EDTA in wastewater was basically unchanged, since the structure of EDTA was not destroyed by this strategy, while its chemical form changed from Ni-EDTA complex to Fe3+-EDTA complex. Furthermore, the mechanism was systematically studied by electronic structure analysis, solution chemistry, UV-Vis spectral, FT-IR spectral and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. At last, this strategy is a promising approach and it can provide a reference for the treatment of other similar heavy metal wastewater. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel process for preparing aerogel from waste tire rubber powder. • Rubber aerogel demonstrates outstanding stability in compression resistance. • The resulting rubber aerogel demonstrates a notable thermal insulation capability. • Rubber aerogel exhibits favorable hydrophobicity and recyclability. Given the annual generation of approximately 1.5 billion tons of waste tires, there is an urgent need for sustainable and environmentally friendly recycling technologies to facilitate the circular economy. Here, this work developed a novel methodology for the synthesis of rubber aerogel (RA) using waste tire rubber powder. The fabrication process employs cost-effective freeze-drying technology to combine rubber powder with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), glutaraldehyde (GA), and xanthan gum (XG) to successfully fabricate RA with a 3D network porous structure. The density and porosity of RA obtained under the relatively optimized experimental parameters were 0.0697 g/cm3 and 94.36 %, respectively. Furthermore, the size of RAs was adjusted by molds to meet specific application requirements. RAs exhibit good compression characteristics, with a Young's modulus of 162.9 kPa. They also demonstrated excellent thermal insulation characteristics, and remained stable at temperatures below 200 ℃. The RAs modified through surface modification technique, had a water contact angle of 146° and demonstrated hydrophobic stability. This study presented a sustainable and environmentally-friendly technological approach for recycling waste tires, and established the groundwork for the development of RAs as a heat preservation material, oil adsorbent and other potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The adsorption of collectors and ilmenite involves the hybrid of O 2p and Ti 3d. • Arsenic and phosphorous acids are the most efficient collectors of ilmenite. • This work is instructive to design efficient flotation collectors for ilmenite. Flotation is the main method to purify ilmenite, the success of flotation is closely related to the effective adsorption of collectors on the mineral surface. Herein, the coordination chemistry adsorption mechanism of the commonly used collectors with oxygen-containing functional groups on ilmenite surface were systematically investigated by first-principles DFT calculations. Adsorption energy results shows that the O bearing pnictogen compounds are the best for ilmenite beneficiation among all the oxygen-containing collectors. In the O-bearing pnictogen compounds, the collection performance of arsenic acid is the best, followed by phosphorous acid and phosphoric acid ester. The frontier molecular orbital analysis predicted that the collectors possessed a good chemical bonding ability with ilmenite, which is confirmed by the charge population analysis that there is significant electron transfer (bonding evidence) between collectors and ilmenite. Partial density of states analysis further confirmed that the physicochemical nature of the adsorption of the collectors on the surface Ti site were ascribed to the hybridization of O 2p and Ti 3d, in which the O 2p electrons of the collectors occupied the empty orbital of Ti 3d to complete the coordination shell of surface Ti atom. This work sheds new light on the screening of solidophilic functional groups for the collector design of ilmenite beneficiation and helps to explain the adsorption mechanism of oxygen-containing collectors on the oxidized mineral surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fluorescence-labeled self-healing microcapsules healed microcracks in cement-based materials. • The visualization of healing path of microcracks inside the matrix was realized by using fluorescent microcapsule probe technique. • The crack healing efficiency was quantified by the changes in the width and depth of microcracks. • A new method to detect and heal the internal microcracks of the matrix was provided. Fluorescence-labeled self-healing microcapsules demonstrate the excellent ability to heal microcracks, and can also visualize the healing process of microcracks. The healing process of internal and external microcracks was visualized and quantified with laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) and step profiler. When 3.0 wt% microcapsules were incorporated into cement-based materials, the strength recovery rate was the highest, reaching 35.8%, and the healing effect of external microcracks reached 19.2%. When microcracks appear inside the resin matrix, fluorescence-labeled self-healing microcapsules can not only detect the specific location of the microcracks but also repair them, and quantify the width of microcracks. The change in the pore structure of cement-based self-healing materials is mainly due to the release of core materials into the microcracks and pores, thereby achieving the healing effect. It provides a unique insight into the visualization and quantification of self-healing behaviors of microcracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Flotation recovery of silver resources. • Surface nature of silver and its common carrier mineral galena. • Summary on the common and potential reagents for silver beneficiation. • The pros and cons of the commonly used processes for silver-bearing lead–zinc ores. Silver (Ag), atomic number 47, is a rare metal resource with dull-white color. In nature, most of the silver resources are associated with Lead-Zinc ores, except for a small portion in the form of simple substance or silver minerals. Therefore, the acquisition of metallic silver is relatively difficult. Flotation is the principal beneficiation method to concentrate silver minerals. In previous flotation practice, the collection of associated silver was usually neglected by focusing on the recovery of carrier minerals (normally lead–zinc sulfides). To alter the current situation, we conducted a systematic overview of mineral structure, surface nature, fundamental research on silver flotation, and flotation reagents. Particularly, the specific applications of the commonly used flotation processes for silver-bearing lead–zinc ores are seriously discussed, whereby the advantages and application conditions of the preferential flotation process, zinc-sulfur bulk flotation process and lead–sulfur bulk flotation process are briefly summarized. The objective of the current work is to present a detailed and referenceable source on the flotation of silver resources, thereby providing useful guidance for their future development and a further improvement on the flotation performance of silver resources, with a view to achieve efficient recovery of refractory silver resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First study on recycling Cu(II) in complexing copper wastewater by CMC-FeS. • CMC-FeS is a promising strategy to treat complexing copper wastewater. • The stability of FeS and the recycling Cu(II) in wastewater have been addressed. • Precipitation, replacement, adsorption, and flocculation are dominant mechanisms. Investigating the Cu(II) recovery rate in complexing copper wastewater holds significant importance in achieving resource recycling and enhancing the sustainability of industrial processes. In this study, the ferrous sulfide stabilized by carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-FeS) was synthesized as a promising strategy to treat complexing copper wastewater, which addressed issues of the stability of FeS nanoparticles and recycling Cu(II) from complexing copper wastewater. Experimentally, the Cu(II) recovery rate was found to be 99.8 % from cupric tartrate (Cu-TA) solutions (Cu(II) = 640 mg/L), as well as the Cu(II) recovery rate reached up to 99.9 % from micro-etching copper-containing wastewater (Cu(II) = 6276.65 mg/L), when treated by CMC-FeS with the molar ratio of [FeS]/[Cu] = 1.25. The underlying mechanism has been systematically elucidated through chemical equilibriums, FTIR/Raman spectral analysis, SEM-EDS analysis, and XPS analysis, providing a solid foundation for further development and application. CMC-FeS can effectively compete with Cu(II) ligands to recover Cu(II) from copper complex wastewater, which is an efficient countermeasure for the treatment of copper complex wastewater. This process involves a variety of mechanisms, such as sulfide precipitation, replacement or ion exchange, complex adsorption, and flocculating sedimentation, finally produces insoluble precipitates with CuS as the main component. This study provides a valuable reference for the treatment of heavy metal complex wastewater, especially the recycling and utilizing metal resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust caused by production activities is the main reason for endangering the production safety and workers' health. To investigate the potential ability of electrostatic dual-fluid nozzles for efficient control of dust pollution, an inductive electrostatic dual-fluid nozzle using profiled electrodes has been designed. From the charge experimental results, the critical voltage of the nozzle is determined to be 12 kV. The maximum droplet charge to mass ratio is achieved when brass electrodes are used. Droplet size and dust reduction experiments show that electrostatic forces enhance the secondary atomization effect and achieve the best parameters at 0.3 MPa water pressure and 0.6 MPa air pressure compared to uncharged dual fluid spray. This nozzle offers a significant improvement in dust reduction efficiency, it can reach more than 78%, an improvement of 18.2% over the uncharged spray. The research results can provide theoretical support for the applications in dust control of inductive electrostatic dual-fluid nozzles. [Display omitted] • An inductive electrostatic dual-fluid nozzle has been designed. • The mechanism influencing the nozzle charging characteristics was revealed. • Atomization performance and dust removal efficiency at various conditions was evaluated. • Electrostatic force intensifies the secondary atomization effect of the nozzle. • The nozzle has a higher efficiency in capturing respirable dust, especially PM2.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel photoelectrochemical immunosensor was constructed to monitor carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) based on hybridization chain reaction (HCR)-mediated in situ generation of copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) and subsequent Cu2+-dependent quenching reaction, in which titanium dioxide nanoparticles-sensitized double-shell zinc cadmium sulfide hollow nanospheres (TiO 2 /DS-ZnCdS)-modified ITO electrode and anti-CEA antibody-modified 96-well plate served as biological recognition and signal detection platforms, respectively. The synergistic effect of TiO 2 NPs and DS-ZnCdS hollow nanospheres contributed to the improvement of photoelectric conversion efficiency, and HCR-mediated signal cascade benefited the enhancement of detection sensitivity. In the presence of CEA, biotin-labelled anti-CEA antibodies were immobilized onto anti-CEA antibody-modified 96-well plate, and triggered HCR process to form long double stranded DNA, which could adsorb a large number of Cu2+ ions and then in situ form Cu NPs on double stranded DNA template by a facile reduction reaction. After acid treatment, the dissolved Cu2+ ions could significantly reduce the photocurrent response due to the generation of Cu x S. Under optimal conditions, the immunosensor exhibited a desirable liner range of 1 pg mL−1 – 50 ng mL−1 and a low detection limit of 0.1 pg mL−1, as well as excellent selectivity and stability. Meanwhile, the recoveries of human serum sample analysis ranged from 96.8% to 103.6%, and the relative standard deviation was less than 7.40%, showing a good feasibility in early clinical diagnosis. • A novel photoelectrochemical immunosensor based on TiO 2 -sensitized DS-ZnCdS HNs was constructed for CEA detection. • HCR-mediated cascade process and Cu2+-based quenching reaction were integrated. • The photocurrent response was enhanced by TiO 2 /DS-ZnCdS heterostructure. • The excellent performances of designed immunosensor benefited to its potential application in early clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The 2D−COF of TpPa-1 is synthesized through mechanochemical grinding method. • The TpPa-1 can be well dispersed in the EP coatings. • The EP/TpPa-1 composite coating has superior anticorrosion performance. • The anticorrosion mechanism of the composite coating is unraveled. Organic anticorrosion coatings reinforced by 2D nanomaterials are attracting ever-increasing research interests due to their superior anticorrosion performances. However, the strong π-π and van der Waals (vdW) interactions make the conventional 2D nanomaterials difficult to realize homogenous dispersion in the coatings during coating preparation. To remedy this problem, in this work, we introduced 2D covalent organic framework (2D−COF) in epoxy resin (EP) to synergistically realize high dispersion and improve the corrosion resistance of EP coated steel, where the 2D−COF (TpPa-1) was mechanochemically synthesized from 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and p-phenylenediamine (Pa-1). The results show that the TpPa-1 can achieve self-dispersion in EP. Further analyses reveal that the self-dispersion of TpPa-1 in EP stems from the reactions between the amino groups in TpPa-1 and epoxy groups in EP. Moreover, the prepared EP/TpPa-1 composite coating coated steel presents superior corrosion resistace compared with pure EP coating due to the good dispersion of TpPa-1. The superior anticorrosion mechanism of the coated steel is unraveled by combining experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that the added TpPa-1 can effectively improve the compactness of the composite coating. This will on one hand lead to the lower diffusion rate of corrosive media, and on the other hand, enhance the adhesion strength between the composite coating and substrate. This work can trigger further studies to perform reasonable design of 2D−COF, and therefore, new anticorrosion coatings with superior physical-mechanical properties can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Found that NH 4 + eliminated the inhibitory effect of Cu2+ on sulfidization. • Found that NH 4 + worked with Cu2+ to further promote sulfidization. • Reveal the mechanism of action between NH 4 + and Cu2+. • Reveal the effects of Cu2+ and Cu(NH 3) 4 2+ on surface sulfidization. Ammonium sulfate [(NH 4) 2 SO 4 ] is an effective activator of malachite sulfidization flotation. In this work, we explored the effects of ammonium ion (NH 4 +) and copper ion (Cu2+) on malachite sulfidization flotation and investigated the underlying mechanism. Flotation experiments demonstrated that NH 4 + can not only eliminate the negative effects of Cu2+, but also work together with Cu2+ to further promote malachite sulfidization flotation in a certain concentration range. Zeta potential, SEM-EDS, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis results indicated that the single Cu2+ weakened the oxidation of S (II) species on the malachite surface and reduced the formation of sulfides. In the presence of NH 4 +, Cu2+ did not inhibit the formation of sulfides on malachite surface but worked with NH 4 + to promote it. Aqueous speciation calculation and adsorption test revealed that NH 4 + and Cu2+ interacted to form Cu (II)–NH 3 complexes, which reacts with S (II) species to form a copper sulfide substance that is more easily adsorbed on the malachite surface than the copper sulfide colloid formed by the reaction between Cu2+ and S (II) species. This leads to the improvement of surface sulfidization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Collector OL is less competitive than hydroxyl on the mineral surfaces. • Better selectivity of Ca(II) to the hydroxylated quartz than that of goethite. • Better selectivity of SHM to the hydroxylated goethite than that of quartz. • OL can be effectively adsorbed on hydroxylated quartz in the presence of Ca(II). This paper mainly investigates the role of hydroxyl on the desilication of goethite by anionic reverse flotation. Accordingly, micro-flotation experiments suggested that the activation effect of Ca(II) on quartz was obviously better than that of goethite in the high alkaline sodium oleate (OL) system.. Furthermore, the Zeta potential also confirmed that the selectivity of Ca(II) ions on quartz surface was better than that on goethite surface. Solution chemical analysis revealed that the dominant species of activator Ca(II) and collector OL were Ca2+ and OL−, respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy suggested that OL− could not form an effective adsorption on mineral surfaces in the absence of Ca2+, while OL - had a strong chemisorption in the presence of Ca2+. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that the successful floating of quartz involves three surface modifications, namely the surface hydroxylation, the adsorption of Ca2+ on the hydroxylated surface, and the adsorption of OL− on the Ca2+-activated surface. In this process, hydroxylation is the prerequisite for the subsequent adsorption of Ca2+ and OL−. Besides, the selective adsorption of sodium humate (SHM) causes the flocculation and inhibition of goethite, which also plays a key role in the desilication of goethite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ca(ClO) 2 exhibited a stronger depressing power to bismuthinite than molybdenite. • Bismuthinite surface became rough and hydrophilic due to the deposition of BiOCl. • The presence of BiOCl impeded the adsorption of kerosene onto bismuthinite surface. • Molybdenite surface was not affected by Ca(ClO) 2 and remained affinity to kerosene. • Ca(ClO) 2 showed superior separation performance than conventional depressant Na 2 S. Molybdenite and bismuthinite are valuable components arising from Mo–Bi sulfide ore, and their recoveries are considerably limited by separation efficiency. Herein, calcium hypochlorite (Ca(ClO) 2) was first introduced as bismuth depressant for efficient separation of molybdenite and bismuthinite, and its depression mechanisms were investigated through a series of analytical techniques supplemented with solution chemistry and thermodynamic calculations. Flotation results showed that Ca(ClO) 2 had a stronger depressing ability than conventional depressant sodium sulfide and exhibited superior selectivity for bismuthinite against molybdenite. At pH around 8.0, the high-selective separation of Mo–Bi bulk concentrate was realized, where more than 96% of molybdenite was recovered and over 98% of bismuthinite was depressed. Solution chemistry and thermodynamic analysis indicated that the bismuthinite surface was preferentially oxidized by Ca(ClO) 2 to SO2- 4 and Bi3+. The former dissolved into solution and existed as stable ions, whereas the Bi3+ further interacted with Cl− and was hydrolyzed as BiOCl precipitates. Surface analysis demonstrated that the deposition of BiOCl on the bismuthinite surface not only made its surface rougher but also enhanced its surface hydrophilicity. In comparison, the surface of molybdenite was slightly oxidized and it remained hydrophobic as confirmed from scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and contact angle results. The difference in surface characteristics resulted in the selective adsorption of collector on the surface of molybdenite rather than that of bismuthinite, thus improving the floatability of molybdenite and drastically deteriorating the floatability of bismuthinite. This work suggests that Ca(ClO) 2 could be a promising depressant for bismuthinite in the flotation separation of Mo–Bi sulfide ore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In polycrystalline ceramics, charge trapping property has important impact on the dielectric breakdown strength (DBS). In this work, alumina ceramics with Ca 9 Al(PO 4) 7 (CAP) as the second crystalline phase were synthesized using coarse alumina as main raw materials, and the CAP crystal being dendritic or granular depends on the mass ratio of calcium phosphate to kaolin in the raw material composition. Microstructure and impedance spectrum indicated that dendritic CAP with typical fractal features greatly increases the charge trapping sites and charge spreading barrier. The AC DBS of ceramics with 70 wt% alumina and fractal dendritic CAP achieved a competitive value of 16.1 kV/mm. The results indicate that growing fractal dendritic CAP between the main crystalline grains is a very feasible way to enhance the DBS of alumina ceramic. • Dendritic fractal Ca 9 Al(PO 4) 7 can be obtained simply and stably. • Dendritic Ca 9 Al(PO 4) 7 greatly increases the charge-trapping property. • The effects of the morphology and content of the second phase on the breakdown dielectric strength were investigated. • An effective and low-cost way was provided to enhance the dielectric breakdown strength of alumina ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathological myocardial hypertrophy initially develops as an adaptive response to cardiac stress, which can be induced by many diseases. It is accompanied by adverse cardiovascular events, including heart failure, arrhythmias, and death. The purpose of this research was to explore the molecular mechanism of a novel peptide Athycaltide-1 (ATH-1) in the treatment of Ang II-induced pathological myocardial hypertrophy. In this study, the mRNA of Control group, Ang II group, ATH-1 group and Losartan group mice were sequenced by high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in cell response to oxidative stress, regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolism and calmodulin binding. Then, the oxidation level of mouse hearts and H9c2 cardiomyocytes in each group and the expression of key proteins of CaMKII/HDAC/MEF2C and ERK1/2 signaling pathways were detected to preliminarily verify the positive effect of ATH-1. At the same time, the effect of ATH-1 was further determined by adding reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and CaMKII inhibitor AIP in vitro. The results showed that ATH-1 could significantly reduce the level of oxidative stress in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes and inhibiting the activation of CaMKII and ERK1/2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to understand how bamboo maintains its stability while being lightweight and flexible in strong winds, with the aim of applying the findings to develop an engineering tube that mimics bamboo's unique structural properties. Initially, image processing revealed convex distribution along the radial direction of the fiber sheath area between bamboo nodes, which was further analyzed to examine its impact on the bending properties of bamboo. Subsequently, a new bionic tube with gradient multi-cells (BTGCs) was introduced, and its crashworthiness was investigated using the Simplified Super Folding Element (SSFE) theory to establish a theoretical model. Additionally, the influence of the structural parameters of BTGCs on its crashworthiness under different loading angles was investigated in silico. The optimal basic design parameters were selected by using the complex proportional evaluation (COPRAS) method, and a Pareto front set of bionic design parameters and impact angles was obtained using artificial neural network (ANN) and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). The results indicated that the optimized BTGCs demonstrated superior crashworthiness compared to conventional circular and bi-layer tubes with an equal mass. This study can serve as a reference for designing highly-efficient bionic tubes. [Display omitted] • The convex distribution of determines its bending properties. • A novel bamboo-inspired thin-walled tube with gradient multi-cells was proposed. • The basic design parameters of bionic tube were investigated and optimized. • The bionic design parameters of bionic tube were investigated and optimized. • The optimized novel bionic tube has better crashworthiness than conventional tubes with the same mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry (PPI) is one of the main pillars of the global economy, but its high energy consumption, pollution, and emissions necessitate urgent transformation. Various types of enzymes can play a crucial role in improving pulp performance, reducing energy consumption, as well as decreasing pollution, which benefits a lot to clean and sustainable development. Due to the complex and numerous substrates in the papermaking processes, enzyme cocktails are often more effective single enzymes. In addition, the effect of enzyme cocktails is affected to varying degrees by the complex environment, including the different papermaking process, pH, temperature, residence time, chemical additives and auxiliary technologies. In this review, we provide a brief summary of hydrolases and oxidases frequently applyed in PPI, along with a list of auxiliary enzymes and proteins with potential applications in this field. More attention is given to enzyme cocktails for various processes such as pulping, refining/beating, deinking, bleaching, and stickies control. The factors influencing enzyme efficiency are analyzed and progresses in this area are reviewed. Further, cutting-edge biotechnologies are highlighted to improve the robustness of enzymes, which could expand the market share of enzyme preparations. By and large, studying the mechanisms and influencing factors of enzyme cocktails will facilitate the transition of the PPI to a greener, low-carbon, economical and energy-efficient industry. [Display omitted] • Compared with single enzymes, enzyme cocktails are more suitable for pulp and paper industry applications. • Enzyme cocktails require more special consideration of application environment (pH, temperature, chemical additives). • Development of biotechnology can further improve the robustness of PPI related enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that coexisting ions in tungsten smelting wastewater (TSW) will have a significant impact on fluoride removal by calcium ions. Therefore, in this work, the removal of fluoride from TSW by aluminum ions was studied. Electrocoagulation (EC) is essentially the use of aluminum ions to remove fluoride. The EC technology is widely favored by researchers due to its advantages of high treatment efficiency, simple operation, and easy automatic control. However, in the current research, EC technology as a deep defluorination method is mostly in the laboratory research stage, and there are few pilot test studies on large processing capacity, which slows down the industrial application of this technology to a certain extent. In this work, laboratory tests were carried out to study the removal of fluoride in wastewater by chemical coagulation and EC in detail. On this basis, the combined process of chemical coagulation pretreatment and EC advanced treatment was used to treat TSW with a capacity of 250–500 L/h. The results show that the coexisting ions in TSW have no effect on the defluorination of aluminum ions, and the optimal defluorination final pH of chemical coagulation and EC is 6–7. The pilot test could stably reduce the concentration of fluoride in TSW from 66 to 128 mg/L to less than 10 mg/L, and the total operating cost was 0.99–1.51 USD/m3 of wastewater. Cost analysis showed that the three items with the highest proportions in the chemical coagulation pretreatment costs were liquid caustic soda fee, aluminum sulfate fee, and solid waste treatment fee; while the three items with the highest proportions in the EC advanced treatment costs were aluminum plate loss fee, electricity fee, and solid waste treatment fee. This study is helpful to promote the application of EC advanced treatment technology in the defluorination of industrial wastewater. [Display omitted] • A large capacity and continuous pilot test of EC defluorination was carried out. • Coagulation main costs were NaOH (35%), Al 2 (SO 4) 3 (30%), and solid waste treatment (20%) fees. • EC main costs were Al plate loss (56%), electricity (15%), and solid waste treatment (14%) fees. • This study provides direct data for the subsequent industrial application of EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postharvest decay of fruit caused by phytopathogen often causes tremendous losses during logistics. Ferulic acid is a kind of phenolic acid which has potential antimicrobial ability and initiates defense responses. This study performed to evaluate the induced resistance of ferulic acid against blue mold of apples (cv. Qiujin) as well as the mechanism involved in its action. Results suggested that 1.0 g L−1 ferulic acid remarkably reduced lesion diameter of Penicillium expansum -inoculated apples and colony diameter in vitro. The activities and gene expressions of catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, ascorbate peroxidase, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase were distinctly improved by ferulic acid immersion. Ferulic acid also promoted ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione contents, whereas decreased hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde contents in apples. Moreover, ferulic acid enhanced the gene expressions and activities of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, 4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase, cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, resulting in caffeic acid, flavonoids, lignin, total phenolics, and p-coumaric acid accumulation in apples. Taken together, ferulic acid could activate the activities and gene expressions of the key enzymes in phenylpropanoid pathway as well as reactive oxygen species metabolism to promote the synthesis of antioxidants and secondary metabolites, thereby increasing disease resistance of apples. [Display omitted] • Ferulic acid inhibited Penicillium expansum growth in vivo and in vitro. • Ferulic acid enhanced ROS metabolism of apple to enhance resistance to blue mold. • Ferulic acid activated phenylpropanoid pathway to enhance disease resistance of apple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Daytime passive radiative cooling can achieve a cooling surface by reflecting the sunlight and radiating the heat to the outer space without consuming any energy. Aluminum phosphate (AlPO 4) is a novel inorganic daytime passive radiative cooling material which has high solar reflectivity and high mid-infrared emissivity. The influence of heat treatment temperatures on crystallization behavior and optical properties are investigated by X-ray diffraction and spectrographs. The results demonstrate that increased heat treatment temperature will result in increased reflectivity but decreased mid-infrared emissivity. The effect of polyhedral structural differences between tridymite-type AlPO 4 and cristobalite-type AlPO 4 on mid-infrared and selective emissivity are discussed and analyzed. Furthermore, the tridymite-type AlPO 4 fabricated at 700 °C possesses high solar reflectivity of 97% and selective emission with an emissivity of 0.90 across 8–13 µm. When made into coating, the optimum cooling effect could reach a temperature drop of ~4.2 °C lower than the ambient temperature and ~4.8 °C compared with commercial heat insulation coating under direct sunlight. This proves that AlPO 4 is a promising energy-saving material for daytime passive radiative cooling application. Thus, it can greatly lower the indoor temperature and improve comfortability of people's living in buildings. Graphical abstract Aluminum phosphate (AlPO 4) possesses high solar reflectance and high infrared emissivity, is a novel daytime passive radiative cooling material. Tridymite-type AlPO 4 possesses high solar reflectance of 97% and high emissivity of 0.90 across 8–13 µm. When made into coating, the cooling effect drops of 4.2 °C below the ambient temperature under direct sunlight, which can greatly improve people's living comfortability. fx1 Highlights • Aluminum phosphate (AlPO 4) is a novel daytime passive radiative cooling material. • Tridymite-type AlPO 4 possesses high solar reflectance of 97% and high emissivity of 0.90 across 8–13 µm. • For the AlPO 4 coating, under direct sunlight, the coating temperature drops of ~4.2 °C below the ambient temperature and drops of ~4.8 °C compared with commercial heat insulation coating, possessing an excellent radiative cooling effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Polycrystalline Bi 4 (Ti 3- x Fe x /2 Co x /2)O 12 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) ceramics are prepared by solid state reaction method. The low temperature ferromagnetism is successfully induced by Fe/Co co-doping. Particularly, the x = 0.3 ceramics possess the largest remnant magnetization (2 M r) of about 0.272 emu/g at 100 K. Furthermore, all the doped ceramics undergo a ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition, and show typical spin glass behavior, which is confirmed by the isothermal remnant magnetization and Memory Effect. The magnetic mechanisms probably originate from the coexistence and competition between ferromagnetic double exchange interactions and antiferromagnetic superexchange interactions, which lead to the appearance of the spin glass behavior in the doped ceramics and the strongest ferromagnetism in the x = 0.3 ceramics. The present work provides basic data and theoretical reference for the exploitation of the new multifunctional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • PG is a promising collector for scheelite due to no metal ion activation needed. • PG chelates with Ca sites in the scheelite surfaces forming five-member rings. • Activate phenolic hydroxyl groups offer new insights for collector development. Abstract In this study, propyl gallate (propyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate; PG) was introduced as a collector for scheelite. The adsorption mechanism on the scheelite surface was investigated by computational and experimental methods, including first principle calculations and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Flotation experiments were conducted to investigate the flotation performance of PG on scheelite. Ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate (EPHB) and ethyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (EDHB), acting separately as collectors for scheelite, were also investigated for comparison. Our results consistently demonstrated that PG chemisorbed onto the scheelite surface by forming a five-member ring through its ortho oxygens. As speculation, the chelating ability of PG was greater than that of EDHB, and EPHB cannot coordinate to Ca(II), which was in excellent agreement with FTIR results. The flotation results showed that PG exhibited an excellent collecting ability for scheelite, followed by the weaker collecting ability of EDHB. EPHB had nearly no ability to collect scheelite, thus confirming the first principle calculation and FTIR analysis. In addition, PG has a stronger ability to collect scheelite than BHA without activation by any metallic ions. Overall, PG is a promising scheelite collector for application and the activate polyphenolic hydroxyl groups offer a new insight for the development of flotation collectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Surface transformation occurred on calcite and fluorite surface. • Surface transformation may be beneficial to the flotation separation. • A fluorite film formed on calcite surface in presence of fluorite particles. • Fine fluorite particles are better than fluoride ion. • Fluorite film prevents the adsorption of Pb-BHA complexes. Abstract Lead complexes of benzohydroxamic acid (Pb-BHA complexes) have been successfully applied to the industrial separation of scheelite from calcite and fluorite minerals. However, the separation of scheelite from calcite using Pb-BHA complexes in the absence of fluorite is difficult. In flotation tests, both sodium fluoride and fluorite particles have been shown to depress calcite but not scheelite. Therefore, fluoride ions from the dissolved fluorite particles play an important role in the flotation separation of scheelite from calcite. In the current study, the results of zeta potential analysis confirmed that fluoride ions are strongly adsorbed on calcite surfaces and that the point of zero charge for calcite shifts to that of fluorite. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses clearly indicated that the fluoride ions are adsorbed on the calcite surface to form a fluorite film. Thus, this type of surface transformation shows promise as a strategy for the flotation separation of semi-soluble minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Radioresistance resulted from the intrinsic features of tumors often gives rise to unsatisfied therapeutic outcome. In particular, the tumor microenvironment (TME) with abundant antioxidants, elevated hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) and hypoxia has been believed as a tremendous obstacle for radiotherapy. Therefore, developing an effective radiosensitizer in response to both X-ray and the TME is highly imperative but remains a challenge so far. Here, we for the first time explore bismuth heteropolytungstate (BiP 5 W 30) nanoclusters as radiosensitizers for the TME-manipulated enhancement of radiotherapy. On the one hand, BiP 5 W 30 nanoclusters can increase radiation dose deposition within tumors by high-Z elements like Bi and W. On the other hand, in virtue of the unique electron structure and multi-electron property, they have the capability of depleting glutathione (GSH) via redox reaction and catalyzing the decomposition of H 2 O 2 to HO to enhance ROS generation upon X-ray radiation. Moreover, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coupled with BiP 5 W 30 can further improve radiocatalytic activity through promoting electron-hole separation. Simultaneously, due to the considerable near-infrared absorption of rGO, photothermal therapy can overcome the tumor hypoxia microenvironment and thus synergize with radiotherapy. In addition to providing a promising radiosensitizer, this finding is expected to extend the application of polyoxometalates used in the biomedical field. Graphical abstract The tumor microenvironment-manipulated bismuth heteropolytungstate nanoclusters could serve as a simple yet powerful radiocatalytic sensitizer for achieving tumor-specific radiotherapy by simultaneously increasing X-ray dose deposition and reversing the radio-resistance through the improvement of hypoxia environment, depletion of glutathione, and radiocatalytic conversion of overproduced hydrogen peroxide into highly toxic hydroxyl radical. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are accompanied by impaired intestinal barrier integrity and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Strategies targeting the gut microbiota are potential therapies for preventing and ameliorating IBD. The potential roles of two probiotic stains, Bifidobacterium longum BL986 (BL986) and Lactobacillus casei LC122 (LC122), on intestinal mucosal barrier function and microbiota in IBD zebrafish of different ages were investigated. BL986 and LC122 treatment promoted the development and increased the microbiota diversity in larval zebrafish. Both probiotic treatment ameliorated mortality, promoted intestinal mucus secretion, and reduced the expression of inflammatory markers, thereby improving intestinal mucosal barrier function in dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) and 2,4,6-trinitro-benzenesulfonicacid (TNBS)-induced Crohn's disease (CD) models in zebrafish. Moreover, the composition and function of microbiota were altered in IBD zebrafish, and probiotics treatment displayed prominent microbiota features. BL986 was more potent in the DSS-induced UC model, and increased the abundance of Faecalibaculum and butyric acid levels. LC122 exerted better protection against TNBS-induced CD, and increased the abundance of Enhydrobacter and acetic acid levels. Furthermore, the effect of probiotics was stronger in larval and aged zebrafish. The impact of probiotics on IBD might differ from the subtypes of IBD and the age of the zebrafish, suggesting the types of disease and age should be taken into full consideration during the practical usage of probiotics. Bifidobacterium longum BL986 (BL986) or Lactobacillus casei LC122 (LC122) treatment protected the barrier function and alleviated the intestinal inflammation in the DSS-induced UC model and the TBNS-induced CD model in zebrafish of different ages. These effects were associated with significant alterations in the microbial composition and function. Two probiotic strains exerted different effects on different IBD models. BL986 was more potent in the DSS-induced UC model by increasing the abundance of Faecalibaculum and the level of amino acid and butyric acid. LC122 exerted better protection against TNBS-induced CD, and increased the abundance of Enhydrobacter , and organic acids and acetic acid levels. [Display omitted] • BL986 and LC122 protect intestinal barrier function in UC and CD zebrafish. • BL986 and LC122 alter the composition and function of microbiota. • BL986 increases the abundance of Faecalibaculum and butyric acid level. • LC122 increases the abundance of Enhydrobacter and acetic acid level. • The effect of probiotics is stronger in larval and aged zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigated the significance of intergranular friction weakening on the dynamics of the Jiweishan rock avalanche. First, high-velocity-friction tests simulating the shearing between the surfaces of adjacent grains were conducted to obtain a model of friction weakening of grains inside granular debris during transport. Then, the model was incorporated into an improved discrete element method that could consider intergranular friction weakening to simulate the dynamic course of the Jiweishan rock avalanche. Finally, we compared the results from the numerical models with and without granular friction weakening to investigate its influence on the dynamics of the rock avalanche. The results of the high-velocity-friction tests revealed that intergranular shearing could significantly reduce the friction of granular surfaces; this was determined by the overall results for normal stress, shear velocity and shear displacement. Our modeling results indicated that the rapid increase in normal stress and shear velocity were the main reasons for the rapid decrease in intergranular friction coefficients in the falling and collision stages. However, the friction coefficients further decreased due to increasing shear displacement between rock debris in the flowing stage. Furthermore, obvious intergranular friction coefficient distribution characteristics in rock avalanche deposits could be observed from our modeling; they tended to decrease with increased depth in the deposit and increasing distance from the source. With intergranular friction weakening, a faster velocity (∼10.0–15.5 m/s) and a longer transport time (∼12–44 s) of the rock debris were modeled due to the lower frictional energy consumption caused by intergranular friction weakening. Finally, the transport distance considering intergranular weakening was ∼ 395–711 m longer than that without weakening. Further analysis showed that intergranular friction weakening may be applied to explain the high mobility of rock avalanches. The results of our study may improve predictions of the speed and travel distance, and consequently the risk assessment, of widely distributed rock avalanches worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal Action Localization (TAL) aims to predict both action category and temporal boundary of action instances in untrimmed videos, i.e. , start and end time. Existing works usually adopt fully-supervised solutions, however, one of the practical bottlenecks in these solutions is the large amount of labeled training data required. To reduce expensive human label cost, this paper focuses on a rarely investigated yet practical task named semi-supervised TAL and proposes an effective active learning method, named AL-STAL. We leverage four steps for actively selecting video samples with high informativeness and training the localization model, named Train, Query, Annotate, Append. Two scoring functions that consider the uncertainty of localization model are equipped in AL-STAL, thus facilitating the video sample ranking and selection. One takes entropy of predicted label distribution as measure of uncertainty, named Temporal Proposal Entropy (TPE). And the other introduces a new metric based on mutual information between adjacent action proposals, named Temporal Context Inconsistency (TCI). To validate the effectiveness of proposed method, we conduct extensive experiments on three benchmark datasets THUMOS'14, ActivityNet 1.3 and ActivityNet 1.2. Experiment results show that AL-STAL outperforms the existing competitors and achieves satisfying performance compared with fully-supervised learning. • Temporal action localization requires large label cost. • The informativeness of different video samples varies in dataset. • Active learning conduces to the reduction of label cost. • Reasonable scoring functions are conducive to in formativeness estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the electrochemical (EC) reduction of iodinated contrast media (ICM) exemplified by iopamidol and diatrizoate. The method of rotating ring-disc electrode (RRDE) was used to elucidate rates and mechanisms of the EC reactions of the selected ICMs. Experiments were carried at varying hydrodynamic conditions, concentrations of iopamidol, diatrizoate, natural organic matter (NOM) and model compounds (resorcinol, catechol, guaiacol) which were used to examine interactions between products of the EC reduction of ICMs and halogenation-active species. The data showed that iopamidol and diatrizoate were EC-reduced at potentials < −0.45 V vs. s.c.e. In the range of potentials −0.65 to −0.85 V their reduction was mass transfer-controlled. The presence of NOM and model compounds did not affect the EC reduction of iopamidol and diatrizoate but active iodine species formed as a result of the EC-induced transformations of these ICMs reacted readily with NOM and model compounds. These data provide more insight into the nature of generation of iodine-containing by-products in the case of reductive degradation of ICMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]