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As can be retained by Fe components in coal during high-temperature combustion, which is beneficial for reducing As emissions. In this study, high-temperature As adsorption experiments were carried out in a fixed-bed experimental system with As model compound and minerals. The adsorption amount of As was much higher when Fe 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , and Al 2 O 3 acted together than when they acted alone. As was mainly distributed in the Fe-Si-Al minerals generated by the reaction of the three oxides, for which the Fe 2 O 3 :SiO 2 :Al 2 O 3 mass ratio of 1:1:1 was the most favorable, and the maximum adsorption amount of As was 18.2 mg·g−1. Density functional theory calculations were carried out for the adsorption of As 2 O 3 by Fe 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3, and Fe 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18. Fe 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18 had the highest adsorption energy for As 2 O 3 , indicating the most stable adsorption. As 2 O 3 was adsorbed on the Fe and Si sites. The adsorption ability of the Fe site was strengthened in Fe 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18 relative to that in Fe 2 O 3. The formation of Fe-O-Si and Fe-O-Al in the mineral promoted electron transfer from the adsorbent to As 2 O 3 molecule, thereby strengthening adsorption. These results can guide the optimization of coal blending methods and the modification of adsorbents to control As emissions in coal-fired systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retention of arsenic (As) during coal combustion facilitates As emission control. A fixed-bed experimental system was used to conduct devolatilization and char combustion experiments at 1100–1300 °C using three types of coal. Both processes contributed to the As release. As in coal was bound to carbonate, oxide, sulfide, and aluminosilicate (Als-As). During devolatilization, carbonate- and oxide-bound As and Als-As remained stable, while sulfide-bound As was completely decomposed. The gaseous As was partially retained as Char-As. During char combustion, Char-As was oxidized to As 2 O 3 , which was partially retained by minerals. Carbonate- and oxide-bound As reacted with silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al) to produce Als-As, which was the main As form in ash. As retention was significantly inhibited by the destruction of the lattice structure. As retention by char during devolatilization and minerals during char combustion promoted As enrichment in solid products and its removal. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by a challenging expectation of Rivière [24] , in the recent interesting work [5] , de Longueville and Gastel proposed the following geometrical even order elliptic system Δ m u = ∑ l = 0 m − 1 Δ l 〈 V l , d u 〉 + ∑ l = 0 m − 2 Δ l δ (w l d u) in B 2 m which includes polyharmonic mappings as special cases. Under minimal regularity assumptions on the coefficient functions and an additional algebraic antisymmetry assumption on the first order potential, they successfully established a conservation law for this system, from which everywhere continuity of weak solutions follows. This beautiful result amounts to a significant advance in the expectation of Rivière. In this paper, we seek for the optimal interior regularity of the above system, aiming at a more complete solution to the aforementioned expectation of Rivière. Combining their conservation law and some new ideas together, we obtain optimal Hölder continuity and sharp L p regularity theory, similar to that of Sharp and Topping [27] , for weak solutions to a related inhomogeneous system. Our results can be applied to study heat flow and bubbling analysis for polyharmonic mappings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using first-principles methods, we investigated the effect of structural deformation on the electronic and magnetic properties of Sr 3 Ir 2 O 7 by two tuning ways: reducing only the interlayer spacing and the uniaxial-like compression. In both cases, an insulator-metal transition is successfully achieved with significantly different Fermi surface features. The former consists of a hole pocket and an electronic pocket, while for the latter, a pseudo-gap is captured near the center of the crystallographic Brillouin zone. The anti-ferromagnetism collapses completely and is not fully synchronized with the closing of the Mott gap in two kinds of compression cases, indicating that the conventional correlation between magnetic order and Mott insulating state does not exist here. Our research is conducive to understand the nature of lattice distortion-induced electronic and magnetic transitions, and will be expected to provide a new theoretical reference for the experimental regulation of novel metallic properties in iridium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Studying coupled effects of hydrogen, temperature, and surface on GS80A mechanics. • Analyzing microstructures in fractures of GS80A at diverse environmental conditions. • Proposing heuristic micro-mechanisms governing temperature and hydrogen effects. In a hydrogen (H) rich environment, metal materials are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement (HE), resulting in a reduction in mechanical properties and raising safety concerns. Moreover, the mechanical behavior of metals can be markedly influenced by temperature and surface roughness. In the context of ensuring the safety of high-strength GS80A steel bolts submerged in underwater seawater conditions, this study systematically conducts mechanical tests with and without H pre-charging at varying temperatures, using specimens with different surface roughness. It is found that the combined effect of H and temperature on mechanical property losses surpasses the individual effects of H or temperature alone. Notably, observations of fracture surfaces in the broken specimens reveal a significant impact on the area fraction of cleavage steps, strongly associated with material ductility, by both H and temperature. Furthermore, the influence of surface roughness on the H-affected mechanical behavior is minimal compared to the temperature effect, based on our experiments. Finally, the micro-mechanics of the coupled environmental effects are thoroughly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-hoc explaining approaches for deep learning (DL) models has attracted much attention in safety–critical applications such as rotating machinery intelligent fault diagnosis (IFD). However, with the help of the explanation techniques, the models are still fragile to domain shifts caused by varying speeds and loads without help for improving their cross-domain performance. Since humans in the decision-making loop are essential for a reliable diagnostic system to determine the reliability of diagnosis, this paper proposes a causal explaining guided domain generalization (CXDG) method to realize trust worthy IFD with human in the decision loop. Specifically, an explaining model is trained with the conditional mutual information, which is a causal strength metric, and utilized to tell the causal features in the input data as the attributions of the diagnostic model. A translation process of the attributions is proposed to make the explaining process understandable. Furthermore, the aim of this paper is not only explaining but also beyond that the diagnostic model is guided to focus on the causal features to improve its generalization ability in unseen domains. The effectiveness of the method is validated on two experiment datasets. The results show that the proposed method can both explain the attributions of the diagnosis model and be beneficial to the generalization ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous networks, like social and academic networks are widespread in the real world, characterized by diverse nodes and complex relationships. Influence maximization is a crucial research topic, in these networks, as it can help in comprehending the mechanisms of information propagation and diffusion. Effectively utilizing complex structural information poses a challenge in current research on influence maximization in heterogeneous information networks. As a solution to this problem, a heterogeneous network influence maximization algorithm based on the multi-scale propagation strength and repulsive force of propagation field is proposed. Firstly, based on the propagation field, we design a multi-scale propagation strength index for the propagation ability of nodes to achieve maximum coverage of influence propagation. Specifically, in the homogeneous structure, the homogeneous propagation strength describes the propagation ability of nodes. In the heterogeneous structure, the heterogeneous shallow propagation strength and the heterogeneous deep propagation strength are designed to exploit the local and global spreading ability of nodes using meta-paths and link prediction based on graph neural networks, respectively. Secondly, to ensure the minimum overlap in the propagation range of seed nodes, we designed the overlapping repulsive force between node pairs in the propagation field. Finally, considering the complexity of the propagation process of heterogeneous information networks, an independent cascade model based on meta-paths is proposed. Based on experiments conducted with several datasets, our algorithm outperforms baseline algorithms for solving influence maximization problem. • Propose a propagation field for solving the influence maximization problem. • Takes advantage of the heterogeneous network's different structural scales. • GNN is trained for link prediction to mine the global propagation range of nodes. • Propose independent cascade model based on meta-path for heterogeneous networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient capture of radioactive iodine and sensitive detection of picric acid are very important to environmental protection. Herein, we synthesized two new flexible 4,4′-thiodianiline (TDA)-based covalent organic frameworks (TTDA and HTDA) by using simple Schiff-base polycondensation reactions with flexible 4,4′-thiodianiline (TDA) and 2,4,6-tris(4-formylphenoxy)-1,3,5-triazine (TPT − 3 − CHO) and hexa(4-formyl-phenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene (NOP − 6 − CHO). The flexible TDA-based COFs are porous, crystalline, and show high thermal stability and good chemical stability. Due to the high content of heteroatoms, abundant aromatic rings, and orderly network, it is conducive to electron transfer, the as-prepared flexible TDA-based COFs show outstanding dual properties of iodine adsorption and fluorescence sensing. The maximum iodine capacities of TTDA and HTDA are as high as 3.34 and 4.38 g g−1, respectively. The flexible TDA-based COFs can be used for sensing picric acid with low limits of detection (LODs) of 1.25 × 10−9 and 1.67 × 10−9 mol L−1 and high quenching constants (K SV) of 6.00 × 104 and 4.88 × 104 L mol−1, respectively. • Two new flexible TDA-based COFs with dual functions of iodine adsorption and fluorescence sensing PA were synthesized by Schiff base reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A steady flow with a high flow rate, oscillating flow, and audible sound waves can enhance the heat transfer performance in air-to-air heat exchangers, while the comparison of influence mechanisms and degrees of different methods is ignored. This study investigates flow instability and heat transfer characteristics in an air-to-air heat exchanger under steady flow, oscillating flow and sound waves. The results show that steady flow and oscillating flow with different amplitudes have little effect on the distribution characteristics of velocity and vortices. However, the vortices disappear and generate periodically under 140 dB. Moreover, oscillating flow and sound waves exert distinct influences on flow instability. The cold side experiences the highest increase in turbulence kinetic energy when subjected to high-amplitude oscillating flow, while the greatest increase on the hot side occurs under high-amplitude sound waves, and the influence of steady flow on turbulence kinetic energy is relatively low. Additionally, the steady flow enhances the heat transfer performance by increasing flow rate, while the oscillating flow and sound waves promote the heat transfer between the fluid and surface. Under the effect of steady flow, oscillating flow, and sound waves, the values of heat flux are 1.22, 1.24, and 1.31 times that of the initial condition with the amplitude increasing to 0.683 m/s (140 dB). The results demonstrate that with the increase in amplitude acting on the inlet, the sound waves have the greatest impact on heat transfer performance, followed by oscillating flow, and the effect of steady flow is relatively slight. The research can provide guidelines for the development of heat transfer enhancement in air-to-air heat exchangers. • Effects of steady, oscillating flow, and sound waves on heat transfer are compared. • Oscillating flow and sound waves exert the distinct effects on flow instability. • Sound waves with high amplitude alter the evolution of vortex structure. • Increase in flow instability contributes more to heat transfer than that in velocity. • Sound waves with high amplitude enhance the air heat transfer significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chlamydomonas reinhardtii serves as a model organism for photosynthesis research. • C. reinhardtii cia5 mutant lacks a functional carbon-concentrating mechanism. • Metabolic profiles of cia5 mutant were changed as compared to a wild type strain. • The cia5 mutant produced substantial amounts of glycolate at the autotrophic phase. • This metabolomic approach is a tool for understanding the photosynthetic mechanisms. The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii serves as a model organism for plant and photosynthesis research due to many commonalities in metabolism and to the fast growth rate of C. reinhardtii which accelerates experimental turnaround time. In addition, C. reinhardtii is a focus of research efforts in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for the potential production of biofuels and value-added chemicals. Here, we report that the C. reinhardtii cia5 mutant, which lacks a functional carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM), can produce substantial amounts of glycolate, a high-value cosmetic ingredient, when the mutant is cultured under ambient air conditions. In order to reveal the metabolic basis of glycolate accumulation by the cia5 mutant, we investigated the metabolomes of the cia5 mutant and a wild type strain CC-125 (WT) through the global metabolic profiling of intracellular and extracellular fractions using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. We observed the intracellular and extracellular metabolic profiles of the WT and the cia5 mutant were similar during the mixotrophic phase at 30 h. However, when the cells entered the photoautotrophic phase (i.e., 96 h and 120 h), both the intracellular and extracellular metabolic profiles of cia5 mutant differed significantly when compared to WT. In the cia5 mutant strain, a group of photorespiration pathway intermediates including glycolate, glyoxylate, glycine, and serine accumulated to significantly higher levels compared to WT. In the photorespiration pathway, glycolate is metabolized to glyoxylate and glycine leading to NH 3 and CO 2 generation during the mitochondrial conversion of glycine to serine. This result provides further evidence that the CIA5 mutation increased the photorespiration rate. Because the cia5 mutant lacks a CCM, and C. reinhardtii might harbor an inefficient or incomplete photorespiration pathway, glycolate may accumulate when the CCM is not functional. We envision that investigating photorespiration controls in C. reinhardtii provides tools for producers to use the cia5 mutant to produce glycolate as well as platform to engineer alternative pathways for glycolate metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence maximization is one of the important contents of social network analysis. Many classical influence propagation models assume that there is a stable information propagation phenomenon between adjacent users, and do not consider the influence of internal structure information of the network on the actual information propagation. Therefore, an influence maximization algorithm based on group trust and local topology structure is proposed. In order to make full use of the important role of group in information propagation, the concepts of intra-group connectivity, inter-group diffusion and group trust are defined based on the characteristics such as group tightness. Then, an influence propagation algorithm based on the local topological structure of the group is proposed to extract the local structure information of different topological positions in the group, and calculate the propagation probability between users. Finally, the seed nodes were selected according to the credibility ranking of the group for influence propagation. Experiments on multiple data sets show that compared with other algorithms, the algorithm can achieve higher propagation efficiency and wider influence effect, which verifies the rationality and effectiveness of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass-coal blending combustion is an effective method for utilizing biomass; however, its pollutant emission requires attention. Herein, the effect of biomass-coal blending combustion on lead (Pb) transformation was explored. Combustion experiments were conducted in a fixed-bed reactor, using coal, corn stalk, rice stalk, bamboo flour and their mixtures as fuels, at 1000, 1100, 1200 and 1300 °C. The Pb release ratios were determined by measuring its content in the fuels and solid-phase combustion products. The distribution of Pb forms was analyzed using sequential chemical extraction. The results indicate that blending combustion significantly enhanced the release of Pb. At blending ratio 1:1, the release ratios increased by 1.54–27.2%, 5.30–15.6%, and 2.31–7.76% at 1000, 1100, and 1200 °C, respectively. The potassium (K) components in biomass, mainly KCl and K 2 CO 3 , had a significant promoting effect on Pb release. K compounds facilitated the release of residual Pb through reactions with aluminosilicates. The promotion effect weakened as the temperature increased due to the faster evaporation rate of K. When the mass fractions of K in the fuels were equal, K 2 CO 3 exhibited a stronger promoting effect. HCl had minimal impact on the transformation of Pb. The results are helpful for optimizing the combination of biomass and coal to control Pb emission from the blending combustion source. [Display omitted] • The effect of biomass-coal blending combustion on lead (Pb) transformation was studied. • The release of Pb in coal was promoted during blending combustion. • K compounds in biomass promoted the release of Pb, while Cl had little effect. • K 2 CO 3 and KCl could both react with aluminosilicate and release residual Pb. • K 2 CO 3 had a stronger promoting effect on Pb release than KCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone pollution is a serious global environmental problem, with surface ozone concentrations consistently ranking among the top air pollutants. In response to ozone stress, plants activate various defense mechanisms, including secondary metabolism. Secondary metabolites are organic compounds that are not directly involved in plant growth and development but serve multiple functions, such as defense against herbivores, pathogens, and protection against abiotic stresses. This review aims to accomplish the following objectives: (i) comprehensively understand the physiological functions, significance, and interconnections between plant secondary metabolism and environmental factors; (ii) analyze the impact of ozone stress on both volatile and non-volatile secondary metabolites in plants; and (iii) explore the defense mechanisms of plant non-volatile secondary metabolites against ozone stress, focusing on plant pigments, hormones, and active ingredients. Furthermore, we summarize the severity of ozone pollution and the role of plant secondary metabolism in alleviating ozone toxicity and facilitating plant adaptation to ozone-polluted environments. Additionally, we review relevant studies on the effects of ozone stress on plant secondary metabolism and investigate the protective mechanisms of plant secondary metabolites in response to ozone stress. Gaining insights into the synthesis and regulation mechanisms of specific metabolites in plants under ozone stress is vital for comprehending the protective and defensive effects of plant secondary metabolism. The examination of protective mechanisms utilized by plant secondary metabolism under ozone stress is an essential aspect of ecological research. [Display omitted] • Response of plant secondary metabolites (SMs) to O 3 stress: in vivo and in vitro. • Volatile and non-volatile SMs have complex relationship in plant defense against O 3. • Plants defense against O 3 at three levels: epigenetic, physiological and molecular. • Non-volatile SMs of plants also play a role in plant defense against O 3 stress. • The release sites, rates and synthesis of volatile SMs differ under O 3 stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the decades, nanochannels have been widely used for single molecule detection, smart sensors, and energy transfer and storage based on its unique ion transport properties. Although various ion transport phenomena of nanochannels have been reported, the discovery of new ion transport phenomena is still of great significance for understanding material transport of nanochannels and development of nanodevices with unique working capabilities. This article reports a novel nanochannel ion transport phenomenon - ion current rectification in combination with ion current saturation (ICR-S), which arised from a mesoporous titania conical microplug generated in situ in the glass micropipette tip cavity by space confinement evaporation. The ion current of forward voltage is greater than that of reverse voltage, and the saturation currents appear in both the forward and reverse voltages, the ratio of forward and reverse saturation current can reaches to 10. In addition, the influence of pH, ionic strength, and micropipette angle on ICR-S is also investigated. Image 1 • Ion current rectification with current saturation, ICR-S is found for the first time. • ICR-S occurs at mesoporous titania conical microplug (MTCP). • MTCP is generated in situ in glass micropipette tip by space confinement evaporation. • Forward voltage of ion current is greater than reverse voltage in absolute value. • Saturation currents appear in both of forward and reverse voltages with ratio of 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction of asymmetric supercapacitors with high energy and power densities using the same anode and cathode electrodes remains a great challenge. Herein, holey reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films are synthesized using a catalytic etching process and utilized as both cathode and anode electrodes for the supercapacitor construction. On the anode of an asymmetric supercapacitor, an electrical double layer capacitor is formed in 1 M Na 2 SO 4 , while on the cathode a pseudocapacitor is fabricated where redox electrolytes of [Fe(CN) 6 ]3-/4- are added. The performance of as-formed asymmetric supercapacitors is varied with the pore sizes and densities on the holey rGO films. With a cell voltage of 2.0 V, a specific capacitance of as high as 101.25 F g−1, an energy density of 56.25 Wh kg−1, a power density of 35.83 kW kg−1, and excellent long cycle life (98% of its specific capacitance even at 5000 charge/discharge cycles) are achieved. Such performance is superior to most of graphene based supercapacitors. Therefore, these asymmetric supercapacitors are promising for applications of storage systems with double-high densities. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulation method based on Powell vortex sound theory is adopted to explore the mechanisms of acoustic field distribution characteristics of a centrifugal pump with different blade outlet angles. Results reveal that with the increasing of the angle, the fluctuation range of acoustic source at the tongue in time domain extends, which causes the same fluctuation characteristics of acoustic pressure. As the angle increases from 15° to 35°, the total acoustic source intensity (TASI) and total acoustic pressure level (TAPL) at the tongue increase by 1.68% and 2.54% on average under various rotational speeds, respectively. Additionally, the TASI and TAPL show the similar directivity characteristics under different angles, and the change of the angle has slight effect on the extremum distribution characteristics. Besides, the A-weighted average acoustic pressure level (L p) and A-weighted average acoustic source intensity level (L a) are adopted to describe the overall level of TAPL and TASI. When the angle increases from 15° to 35°, the L a and L p increase gradually and increase by 1.59% and 2.21% on average under various rotational speeds, respectively. The study reveals the acoustic source and acoustic pressure distribution characteristics in time and frequency domain qualitatively and quantitatively, and manifests that the distribution and variation patterns of acoustic source lead to those of acoustic pressure. The conclusions could lay a foundation for the empirical formula proposition between acoustic pressure and acoustic source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let M be a C 2 -smooth Riemannian manifold with boundary and N a complete C 2 -smooth Riemannian manifold. We show that each stationary p -harmonic mapping u : M → N , whose image lies in a compact subset of N , is locally C 1 , α for some α ∈ (0 , 1) , provided that N is simply connected and has non-positive sectional curvature. We also prove similar results for minimizing p -harmonic mappings with image being contained in a regular geodesic ball. Moreover, when M has non-negative Ricci curvature and N is simply connected with non-positive sectional curvature, we deduce a gradient estimate for C 1 -smooth weakly p -harmonic mappings from which follows a Liouville-type theorem in the same setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meta-analysis based on published literature was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of anticoagulant drugs for the treatment of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy. PubMed, Cochrane and Embase databases were searched from inception to September 2018 for relevant studies using indexed words, including qualified case-control and cohort studies. The meta-analysis used odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) to analyse the primary results. Nine studies were included in this meta-analysis, with a total of 834 cases and 3424 controls. There were no significant differences in the incidence of prenatal haemorrhage (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.84-1.40), venous thromboembolism (OR 1.30, 95% CI 0.72-2.33) or caesarean section (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.69-1.98) between the case group and the control group. The incidence of pulmonary embolism was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group (OR 3.90, 95% CI 1.23-12.34). However, there were a few limitations that may have influenced the results, so more randomized double-blind controlled studies of high quality are warranted to confirm the efficacy of anticoagulant therapy for venous thromboembolism in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The unique properties of nanopores depend largely on the functionalization of the pore surface, which has always been a great challenge. In this study, a facile method for functionalizing the surface of a glass nanopipette to establish thiol-based linkage without involving Au film coating was successfully developed by utilizing the thiol–maleimide click reaction which works rapidly and with high specificity. Cysteine was employed as a model molecule to functionalize the nanopipette, resulting in pH-modulated ion-current rectification behavior which showed a good reproducible response to pH. Due to the widespread existence of thiol groups in nature, this nanopipette functionalization method has the potential and versatility to be used in a wide range of applications, including mimicking biological ion channels and fabricating sensing devices. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A glass nanopipette was functionalised via a thiol–maleimide click reaction without Au film coating. • pH-modulated ion-current-rectification behavior of a cysteine-functionalized glass nanopipette was achieved. • The nanopipette ion-current rectification direction was modulated by pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study shows that it is possible to customize the ion-current-rectification (ICR)-based pH response in glass nanopipettes by adjusting the ratio of 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane (APTES) and (3-triethoxysilylpropyl) succinic acid anhydride (TESP-SA) used in silanization. The silanization time and concentration were optimized by investigating the rectification ratio of the nanopipettes. For each APTES/TESP-SA silane ratio, analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests indicated that the rectification ratio of the nanopipette had good linearity in the pH range 3–8. Moreover, nanopipettes silanized with equal concentrations of amino and carboxylic groups gave the highest pH response of 1.06 × 10 −4  pH  −1 . This method for customizing the ICR-based pH response in nanopipettes has the potential and versatility to be used in applications such as mimicking biological ion channels and developing nanosized pH sensing devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to study the evolution mechanism of group behavior for the prevention and control of harmful group behavior on social networks. Most researchers focus on the study of group behavior evolution in a deterministic environment, ignoring the influence of the uncertain environment formed by the randomness of behavioral decision-making, the incompleteness of public opinion information, and the instability of behavioral states. Therefore, this paper starts with the behavior decision-making process of individuals in an uncertain environment, defines the perception of public opinion, and builds a coevolution model of group behavior and opinion. First, considering the impact of public opinion information on group behavior evolution, this paper defines emotional resonance and topic popularity to quantify public opinion perception and designs an uncertain behavior decision-making model based on public opinion perception. Then, for the influence of the instability of the behavioral state on the opinion evolution process, this paper designs an opinion evolution model for perception based on the unstable behavioral state. Finally, we design the behavior state evolution mechanism based on the instability of the behavior state and fuse it with the behavior decision-making model and opinion evolution model to construct a coevolution model of group behavior and opinion. Compared with the experimental results of other models and real group behavior evolution, our model is effective. • Consider an unstable environment formed by several realistic instability factors. • Group behaviors and opinions coevolve by interacting with each other. • Design four user behavioral states and states evolutionary processes. • Reducing user viewpoint interactions can inhibit group behavior evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Dynamic transformation of Pb during coal devolatilization was studied. • Pb release and changes in distribution of Pb forms in solid products were analyzed. • Char-Pb was found to be an intermediate form during devolatilization. • Release of original residual Pb in coal was mainly promoted by H 2 S in the volatiles. • Mechanism of Pb transformation during coal devolatilization was proposed. The transformation of Pb during coal devolatilization affects its emission characteristics. Herein, devolatilization experiments were conducted at 1100–1300 °C in a fixed-bed experimental system using four types of coal samples. The occurrences of Pb in coal and devolatilization products were characterized. The release ratio of Pb first increased and then stabilized with time. The Pb release ratio and rate were higher at higher temperatures. Pb in some coal samples was completely released at 1100 °C. Pb in coal was mainly in carbonate- and oxide-bound, sulfide-bound, and residual forms. During devolatilization, carbonate-, oxide-, and sulfide-bound Pb gradually disappeared. Organic-bound and residual Pb first increased and then decreased owing to the conversion of gaseous Pb into Char-Pb by char, according to further form analysis of residual Pb and the experiments of char retaining PbCl 2 and PbO. The effects of different volatile components on residual Pb were compared, and H 2 S was found to significantly promote the release of residual Pb in coal. The transformation paths of Pb during coal devolatilization were proposed, including the release of original Pb in coal and the reversible conversion between gaseous Pb and Char-Pb. The results help understanding Pb emission and developing control techniques for coal-fired plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcoholic liver injury results in morbidity and mortality worldwide, but there are currently no effective and safe therapeutics. Previously we demonstrated that aldose reductase (AR) inhibitor ameliorated alcoholic hepatic steatosis. To clarify the mechanism whereby AR inhibitor improves alcoholic hepatic steatosis, herein we investigated the effect of AR inhibitor on hepatic metabolism in mice fed a Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet with 5% ethanol. Nontargeted metabolomics showed carbohydrates and lipids were characteristic categories in ethanol diet-fed mice with or without AR inhibitor treatment, whereas AR inhibitor mainly affected carbohydrates and peptides. Ethanol-induced galactose metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis are important for the induction of hepatic steatosis, while AR inhibitor impaired galactose metabolism without perturbing fatty acid biosynthesis. In parallel with successful treatment of steatosis, AR inhibitor suppressed ethanol-activated galactose metabolism and saturated fatty acid biosynthesis. Sorbitol in galactose metabolism and stearic acid in saturated fatty acid biosynthesis were potential biomarkers responsible for ethanol or ethanol plus AR inhibitor treatment. In vitro analysis confirmed that exogenous addition of sorbitol augmented ethanol-induced steatosis and stearic acid. These findings not only reveal metabolic patterns associated with disease and treatment, but also shed light on functional biomarkers contribute to AR inhibition therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mammals, vestibular hair cells (VHCs) are classified as type I and II according to morphological criteria. Acetylcholine (ACh) is identified as the primary efferent neurotransmitter. To date, cholinergic activities have been reported in mammalian type II VHCs, but similar activities in type I VHCs have not been pursued presumably because the body of type I VHCs were suggested to be totally surrounded by afferent nerve calyces. A few reports showed that part of type I VHCs were incompletely surrounded by calyces and received contact from the efferent nerve endings in the mammals studied. The possibility of the expression of cholinergic receptors, their subunit composition, and their function in mammals’ type I VHCs are still unclear. In this study, nicotinic responses were investigated by the whole-cell patch clamp technique in isolated type I VHCs of guinea pigs. Of the cells, 7.3% were sensitive to cholinergic agonists and showed an excitatory current at −40 mV which was not sensitive to nifedipine, iberiotoxin (IBTX), and apamin. The main carriers of this current were Na + and K + . The rank order of activation potency was nicotine > 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenyl-piperazinium (DMPP) > ACh. These nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) were not blocked by strychnine and α-bungarotoxin (α-BTX), but sensitive to d-tubocurarine (dTC) and mecamylamine (Mec). The findings provide physiological evidence that some subtypes of nAChRs may be located in a subset of type I VHCs, which were different from α9α10 nAChRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bilateral audible sound waves are incident to enhance the air heat transfer. • Change in SPL and frequency has different effects on the flow instability. • Relationship between local heat flux and flow instability are explored. • Increase in SPL and decrease in frequency can enhance heat transfer. • Sound power efficiency increases with the decrease in sound frequency. To enhance the air heat transfer performance, this study applied the bilateral audible sound waves to an air-to-air heat exchanger. The effect of the frequency and intensity of sound waves on heat transfer performance was investigated from the viewpoint of flow instability and heat flux, and the sound power efficiency was also explored to reveal the efficiency of sound waves on the heat transfer performance. The results showed that the flow instability intensified with the increase in sound pressure level (SPL) and decrease in frequency, which was reflected by the distribution of turbulence kinetic energy. The change in sound waves has different effects on the turbulence kinetic energy at different locations, and the directivity distribution characteristics of the turbulence kinetic energy inside and outside the heat tube caused similar directivity distribution characteristics of the heat flux, in which the maximum value of the heat flux was located perpendicular to the flow direction. Additionally, the heat flux at different locations increased with an increase in SPL and a decrease in frequency. The heat transfer performance was relatively superior when the SPL was higher than 120 dB and the frequency was lower than 100 Hz, and a decrease in frequency could increase the sound power efficiency. This study can guide the application of sound waves in the heat transfer enhancement of air-to-air heat exchange systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcoholic liver disease represents a serious threat to human health. In terms of safety and acceptability, thymol is widely used in or on foodstuffs to generate odour and taste. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of thymol against ethanol-induced injury in liver cells. Here we found that thymol is an effective agent for reducing ethanol-induced reactive oxygen species production in mouse liver cells. Thymol improves ethanol-induced lipid accumulation, and this corresponded to altered DGAT2 mRNA expression levels. Metabolomics data analysis showed that thymol alleviated ethanol-induced changes in the levels of thirty-four metabolites including nicotinic acid and l -arginine. By utilizing pathway enrichment analysis, altered metabolites in cells treated with ethanol and ethanol plus thymol were enriched in fourteen pathways including metabolic pathways and arginine and proline metabolism. We further confirmed the alleviation of overdose nitric oxide production in cells treated with ethanol plus thymol compared with that in ethanol-treated cells. It was interesting that up-regulated LC3-II/LC3-I ratio together with higher SQSTM1 protein abundance in ethanol-treated cells were attenuated by treatment with ethanol plus thymol. Thymol ameliorated ethanol-induced reduction of HSPA8 protein abundance. In addition, chloroquine-treated cells exhibited lower HSPA8 protein abundance compared with cells simulated with ethanol plus thymol. These data reveal that improving effect of thymol on ethanol-induced metabolic alteration is related to autophagic flux restoration. Our findings indicate that thymol is an attractive option for treating ethanol-induced liver damage. • Thymol ameliorates ethanol-induced lipid accumulation and oxidative stress. • Thymol prevents ethanol-induced fluctuation of arginine and proline metabolism. • Thymol suppresses ethanol-induced elevation of nitric oxide production. • Thymol attenuates ethanol-mediated up-regulation of LC3-II/LC3-I ratio and SQSTM1 protein abundance. • Thymol alleviates ethanol-induced reduction of HSPA8 protein abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglia, the primary resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), responds rapidly to pathogens and injury by secreting immune mediators including nitric oxide (NO). The reaction of NO with the anti-oxidant glutathione forms S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), the major pool of biologic NO in the body. GSNO is degraded by GSNO reductase (GSNOR). Recently, we have shown that copper (Cu(I)) inhibits the release of NO in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglia and induces BV2 microglia to acquire a mixed a profile with both pro- and anti-inflammatory characteristics. Since GSNOR is the critical enzyme in GSNO metabolism, we sought to determine whether Cu(I) affects GSNOR activity and S-nitrosothiol (SNO) accumulation in activated BV2 microglia. Our results show that GSNOR protein expression is reduced by Cu(I) treatment in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglia. Our results also show a decrease in S-nitrosothiol content despite a reduced GSNOR expression. This effect is most likely due to Cu(I) reacting with the central thiol of the S NO bond resulting in the degradation of SNO. A dose of 1 μM Cu(I) did not affect SNO protein accumulation in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglia, however, a dose of 100 μM Cu(I) inhibited SNO protein in accordance with inhibition of S-nitrosothiols. These data provide direct evidence that Cu(I) disrupts S-nitrosothiol homeostasis and NO metabolism, and, thus, provide new insights into the mechanisms involved in microglia-mediated-CNS disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this studies, the effect of reaction time, pH, ionic strength and initial U(VI) concentration on the competitive adsorption of U(VI) and Sr(II) onto graphene oxide (GO) was investigated by batch techniques. Adsorption tests showed that the GO presented higher adsorption capacity for U(VI) than Sr(II) in single and binary-solute systems, revealing that electrostatic interaction was the main driving force responsible for the competitive adsorption of U(VI) and Sr(II) on GO. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of U(VI)/Sr(II) on GO at single- and multi-solute systems can be simulated by pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir model, respectively. No effect of ionic strength on competitive adsorption of U(VI) and Sr(II) onto GO indicated the inner-sphere surface complexation predominately. The competitive adsorption of U(VI) and Sr(II) on GO can be satisfactorily fitted with two inner-sphere surface complexes using surface complexation modeling by extended triply layer modeling when two surface acidity constants are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Paecilomyces cateniannulatus ( P. cateniannulatus ) on Th(IV) adsorption by sepiolite were investigated by batch techniques. The batch adsorption showed that the adsorption of Th(IV) on sepiolite and sepiolite + P. catenlannulatus significantly increased with increasing of pH from 3.0 to 6.0, then remained the high-level adsorption. P. cateniannulatus significantly facilitated the adsorption of Th(IV) on sepiolite at pH 2.0–5.0, whereas inhibited adsorption was observed at pH > 6.0. The adsorption of Th(IV) on sepiolite + P. catenlannulatus was independent of ionic strength at pH from 3.0 to 9.0. The adsorption kinetics of Th(IV) on sepiolite and sepiolite + P. catenlannulatus can be satisfactorily simulated by pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The maximum adsorption capacities of sepiolite and sepiolite + P. catenlannulatus for Th(IV) calculated Langmuir model at pH 3.0 and 293 K were 50.76 and 57.80 mg/g, respectively. Based on surface complexation modeling, the adsorption mechanism of Th(IV) on sepiocite + P. catenlannulatus was cation exchange/outer-sphere surface complexation at low pH, whereas inner-sphere surface complexation dominated the Th(IV) adsorption at high pH conditions. The findings presented in this study are of great importance towards understanding of fate and transport of heavy metals under natural aquatic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactose is an inevitable byproduct of the dairy industry. In addition to cheese manufacturing, the growing Greek yogurt industry generates excess acid whey, which contains lactose. Therefore, rapid and efficient conversion of lactose to fuels and chemicals would be useful for recycling the otherwise harmful acid whey. Saccharomyces cerevisiae , a popular metabolic engineering host, cannot natively utilize lactose. However, we discovered that an engineered S. cerevisiae strain (EJ2) capable of fermenting cellobiose can also ferment lactose. This finding suggests that a cellobiose transporter (CDT-1) can transport lactose and a β-glucosidase (GH1-1) can hydrolyze lactose by acting as a β-galactosidase. While the lactose fermentation by the EJ2 strain was much slower than the cellobiose fermentation, a faster lactose-fermenting strain (EJ2e8) was obtained through serial subcultures on lactose. The EJ2e8 strain fermented lactose with a consumption rate of 2.16 g/L h. The improved lactose fermentation by the EJ2e8 strain was due to the increased copy number of cdt-1 and gh1-1 genes. Looking ahead, the EJ2e8 strain could be exploited for the production of other non-ethanol fuels and chemicals from lactose through further metabolic engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article our main concern is to prove the quantitative unique estimates for the p -Laplace equation, 1 < p < ∞ , with a locally Lipschitz drift in the plane. To be more precise, let u ∈ W l o c 1 , p ( R 2 ) be a nontrivial weak solution to div ( | ∇ u | p − 2 ∇ u ) + W ⋅ ( | ∇ u | p − 2 ∇ u ) = 0 in R 2 , where W is a locally Lipschitz real vector satisfying ‖ W ‖ L q ( R 2 ) ≤ M ̃ for q ≥ max { p , 2 } . Assume that u satisfies certain a priori assumption at 0. For q > max { p , 2 } or q = p > 2 , if ‖ u ‖ L ∞ ( R 2 ) ≤ C 0 , then u satisfies the following asymptotic estimates at R ≫ 1 inf | z 0 | = R sup | z − z 0 | < 1 | u ( z ) | ≥ e − C R 1 − 2 q log R , where C > 0 depends only on p , q , M ̃ and C 0 . When q = max { p , 2 } and p ∈ ( 1 , 2 ] , if | u ( z ) | ≤ | z | m for | z | > 1 with some m > 0 , then we have inf | z 0 | = R sup | z − z 0 | < 1 | u ( z ) | ≥ C 1 e − C 2 ( log R ) 2 , where C 1 > 0 depends only on m , p and C 2 > 0 depends on m , p , M ̃ . As an immediate consequence, we obtain the strong unique continuation principle (SUCP) for nontrivial solutions of this equation. We also prove the SUCP for the weighted p -Laplace equation with a locally positive locally Lipschitz weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring arsenic (As) transformation during coal combustion is beneficial for reducing its pollution. Herein, combustion experiments were developed at 1100–1300 °C in a fixed-bed experimental system with 25 types of coal samples. The occurrences of As in coal and combustion products were characterized. All the original forms of As in coal were found to be unstable during combustion. As retained in ash existed as water-soluble and ion-exchangeable and residual forms, but only as residual form at combustion temperature above 1200 °C. The distribution of As in gaseous and solid combustion products varied widely by coal types, which resulted from the coupling effects of multi-minerals in coal. Co-combustion experiments were conducted using As model compounds and pure minerals, by which the interaction of Ca, Fe, Si and Al minerals to retain As was elucidated. The As transformation during coal combustion was primarily attributed to the coupling action of Ca, Fe, Si and Al minerals in coal. As a result, As was retained as Ca–Si–Al–As and Fe–Si–Al–As composite salts in the ash, which have little environmental hazard. Utilizing the coupling effects of multi-minerals during combustion help reduce As pollution from coal-fired plants. [Display omitted] • Arsenic (As) transformation during combustion of 25 coal samples was studied. • The release ratios of As during combustion vary in a wide range of 18–100%. • As is only retained as residual form in the ash at combustion temperatures ≥1200 °C. • Multi-minerals retain As as Ca–Si–Al–As and Fe–Si–Al–As composite salts. • Coupling of Ca/Fe, Si and Al strengthens As retention and its mechanism is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to prepare acid-based geopolymer using metakaolin and disused phosphoric acid-based polishing liquid of aluminum alloy, which can be used to substitute pure phosphoric acid activator in the fabrication of acid-based geopolymer. It not only presents a good solidified method of hazardous components in the disused polishing liquid, but also provides an anti-corrosion and heat-resistance geopolymer material. The mechanical performance, phase structure and microstructure of this disused polishing liquid geopolymer are characterized in this study, and the results indicate that the disused polishing liquid had a higher reactive rate to metakaolin than pure phosphoric acid. Through the characterization of the compressive strength, electrical conductance, high temperature resistance and acid or alkali corrosion resistance of the geopolymer, it can be concluded that the disused polishing liquid acid based geopolymer has a higher reactivity than pure phosphoric acid when it developed a reaction with metakaolin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive study of zircon U–Pb dating and in situ Hf isotopes, whole-rock major and trace element geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotopes was carried out for three late Mesozoic granitic plutons (Waitun, Shipi and Taiyuan) in northwestern Fujian province, SE China. We assess the origin of the granites and their relationship to the evolution of the late Mesozoic volcanic–intrusive complex belt in SE China. LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating shows that three plutons were emplaced in the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (168–109 Ma), in which the Waitun and Shipi plutons are intrusive complexes. All the plutons are composed of high-K calc-alkaline I-type granites with a great diversity in elemental and isotopic compositions. The granites have SiO 2 contents of 68.3–78.5 wt.%, showing a gradual decrease in initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr (0.7181 to 0.7091) and increase in ε Nd (T) (− 16.7 to − 8.1) and ε Hf (T) (in-situ zircon) (− 20.6 to − 6.9) with decreasing emplacement ages. Geochemical data suggest that the Middle Jurassic (~ 168 Ma) Waitun granites are of purely crustal origin, derived by partial melting of a mixed source of Paleoproterozoic metaigneous (~ 78%) and metasedimentary (~ 22%) rocks at a depth of 30–40 km triggered by underplating of basaltic magma. Mixing of such crustal melts with about 10% basaltic magma could account for the origin of the Late Jurassic (~ 161 Ma) Waitun granites. The Late Jurassic (~ 156 Ma) Shipi and Early Cretaceous (~ 134 Ma) Taiyuan granites were produced by extensive fractional crystallization of primary crustal melts, the source of which show relatively high proportion (~ 82%) of metaigneous rocks. The Early Cretaceous (~ 109 Ma) Shipi granites were generated by partial melting of a mixed source of Paleoproterozoic metaigneous (~ 92%) and metasedimentary (~ 8%) rocks at a depth of ~ 30 km plus additional (~ 15%) input from coeval basaltic magma. The granites were formed in a continental arc setting induced by northwestward subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate. Progressive slab rollback since the Middle Jurassic from inland to the coastal area is the most likely mechanism for the generation of the granites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports impressive enhancements in the efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells through the application of a Eu-doped silicate phosphor luminescent downshifting (LDS) layer controlled by spin-on film technique. Surface morphology was examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM), chemical composition was analyzed using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and fluorescence emission was characterized using photoluminescence (PL) measurements at room temperature. The optical reflectance, absorbance, and external quantum efficiency (EQE) response of SiO 2 -coated cells with and without Eu-doped silicate phosphor were measured and compared. An 18.77% improvement in efficiency was achieved, as determined by photovoltaic current–voltage measurement under one-sun AM 1.5 G illuminations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study L ∞ -variational problems associated to measurable Finsler structures in Euclidean spaces. We obtain existence and uniqueness results for the absolute minimizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed sugars, which are often obtained from renewable biomass, can be converted into biofuels and chemicals by microbial conversion. This sustainable production process can also mitigate man-made climate change when used to petroleum-based fuel and chemical production. In contrast to single sugar fermentations, such as corn-based or sugarcane-based ethanol fermentations, mixed sugar fermentations present significant challenges for cost-effective production of the target products. In particular, inefficient and slow microbial fermentation of non-glucose sugars, such as galactose and xylose from the depolymerization of marine and terrestrial biomass has been a major obstacle. Nonetheless, simultaneous utilization of mixed sugars has recently been demonstrated through innovative metabolic engineering strategies and the discovery of transporters, and metabolic pathways which are necessary for co-fermenting glucose and non-glucose sugars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous Co 3 O 4 microflowers were successfully synthesized by calcinations of novel flower-like metal-organic framework microcrystals. A supercapacitor was conducted based on this porous Co 3 O 4 microflowers as the electrode material, which shows that the porous Co 3 O 4 electrode exhibit a specific capacitance of 240.2 F g −1 at the current density of 0.625 A g −1 and remains more than 96.3% after 2000 cycles. The results demonstrate that porous Co 3 O 4 microflowers can be acted as a promising electrode candidate in supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-dispersed mesoporous SiO 2 colloidal spheres (MSCSs) were prepared with hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium phosphomolybdate (M-6) as template. The MSCSs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, etc. The diameter and the uniform pore size of the MSCSs are ∼ 200 nm and ∼ 2.85 nm, respectively. By rational tuning the synthesis conditions such as the concentration of M-6, the volume ratio of water to ethanol, the amount of tetraethoxysilane, etc., the morphology, size and dispersity of the SiO 2 products can be easily controlled. The formation mechanism of the as-prepared MSCSs was also proposed. Treated with sulfuric acid, the resulted MSCSs exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the synthesis of biodiesel via the esterification of long-chain free fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis is the major cause of death in the intensive care unit (ICU). Numerous biomarkers have been studied to identify the cause and severity of sepsis but these factors cannot differentiate between infectious and non-infectious inflammatory response. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNA transcripts that regulate the expression of genes by repressing translation or degrading mRNA. Importantly, miRNAs can be released outside cells and easily detectable in bodily fluids such as blood, sweat, urine and breast milk. Numerous studies have explored the idea of utilizing extracellular miRNAs as biomarkers for sepsis by profiling the dysregulation of miRNAs in blood samples of sepsis patients. So far, miR-223, miR-146a and miR-150 have been identified to have promising prognostic and diagnostic value to sepsis. In addition, various intracellular miRNAs have been implicated to play critical roles in regulating the TLR-NF-κB pathway, which is a well-known inflammatory signaling pathway involved in the process of sepsis. Here, we summarize the recent progress on the role of extracellular and intracellular miRNAs in sepsis. Specifically, we discuss the possible role of circulating miRNA biomarkers for the diagnosis of sepsis and how intracellular miRNAs regulate the inflammatory responses in sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-driven recycling of sulfur-containing wastewater and hydrogen production is a novel concept that integrates environmental protection and new energy development. In this study, we designed for the first time a Zn-air battery self-driven coupling system for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), sulfur oxidation reaction (SOR) and developed a trifunctional catalyst suitable for this system capable of HER, SOR, and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). By synthesizing cobalt sulfide (Co 3 S 4) in situ on nickel foam (NF), we obtained Co 3 S 4 /NF monolithic catalyst. It only requires 0.312 V and 0.244 V in SOR and HER, respectively, at 100 mA cm−2. Based on this achievement, the SOR||HER coupled electrolysis system was assembled, which achieved 0.69 V at 100 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the Zn-air battery (using Co 3 S 4 as ORR catalyst) could spontaneously drive the SOR||HER system to achieve high-rate hydrogen production. These findings provide promising opportunities for zero-energy consumption H 2 production and recycling of sulfur-containing wastewater. [Display omitted] • The self-driven SOR||HER hybrid electrolysis system was successfully designed. • Co 3 S 4 electrocatalysts were grown on Ni foam as three-dimensional catalyst for HER, SOR and ORR. • The electrolysis can be realized without energy consumption. • The sulfur-containing waste water can be recycled and H 2 generation occurs spontaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Densities of N-methylimidazole with methanol binary system were measured. [•] Excess molar volumes were fitted to Redlich–Kister polynomial equation. [•] Excess molar volumes are negative in the whole mole fraction range. [•] Nature of hydrogen bonds in the binary system was confirmed by DFT and AIM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present study, we have characterized low abundance of NarG and NarH, two components of respiratory nitrate reductase (Nar), in streptomycin (SM)-, gentamicine (GEN)-, ceftazidime (CAZ)-, tetracycline (TET)- and nalidixic acid (NA)-resistant Escherichia coli strains using native/SDS-PAGE based proteomics. We validate the finding using Western blotting and native/SDS-PAGE upon narG and narH deletion mutants. However, further functional evidence indicates that loss of narG and narH results in two types of growth behaviors, higher and lower than control, in these antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains. Specifically, SM-, GEN- and CAZ-resistant bacteria grow faster, whereas NA- and TET-resistant E. coli strains grow slower. Our data indicate that low abundance of respiratory Nar is essential for E. coli in resistance to aminoglycoside and cephalosporin antibiotics. Meanwhile, the results show that differential mechanisms exist in different antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The reason why the reversal growths are detected in NA- and TET-resistant E. coli strains waits investigation. Our findings serve to propose novel strategies for controlling of aminoglycoside- and cephalosporin-resistant E. coli strains through elevation of respiratory Nar activity. Biological significance: Our data indicate that low abundance of respiratory Nar is essential for E. coli in resistance to aminoglycoside and cephalosporin antibiotics. Meanwhile, the results show that differential mechanisms exist in different antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Our findings serve to propose novel strategies for controlling of aminoglycoside- and cephalosporin-resistant E. coli strains through elevation of respiratory Nar activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Oxidation-ditch operation modes were simulated using sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with alternate stirring and aerating. The nitrogen-removal efficiencies and nitrifying characteristics of two aeration modes, point aeration and step aeration, were investigated. Under the same air-supply capacity, oxygen dissolved more efficiently in the system with point aeration, forming a larger aerobic zone. The nitrifying effects were similar in point aeration and step aeration, where the average removal efficiencies of were 98% and 96%, respectively. When the proportion of anoxic and oxic zones was 1, the average removal efficiencies of total nitrogen (TN) were 45% and 66% under point aeration and step aeration, respectively. Step aeration was more beneficial to both anoxic denitrification and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND). The maximum specific ammonia-uptake rates (AUR) of point aeration and step aeration were 4.7 and 4.9 mg /(gMLVSS h), respectively, while the maximum specific nitrite-uptake rates (NUR) of the two systems were 7.4 and 5.3 mg /(gMLVSS h), respectively. The proportions of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) to all bacteria were 5.1% under point aeration and 7.0% under step aeration, and the proportions of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) reached 6.5% and 9.0% under point and step aeration, respectively. The dominant genera of AOB and NOB were Nitrosococcus and Nitrospira, which accounted for 90% and 91%, respectively, under point aeration, and the diversity of nitrifying bacteria was lower than under step aeration. Point aeration was selective of nitrifying bacteria. The abundance of NOB was greater than that of AOB in both of the operation modes, and complete transformation of to was observed without accumulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this work, three receptor models (Principal Component Analysis–Multiple Linear Regression (PCA–MLR) model, Unmix model and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model) were employed to investigate potential source apportionment of PAHs in sediments from Taihu Lake, China. A total of 15 priority PAHs in 29 sediments from Taihu Lake were measured, with ∑PAHs (sum of 15 PAHs) concentrations ranging from 209 to 1003 ng g−1 dw. Source apportionment results derived from three different models were similar, indicating that the highest contribution to ∑PAHs was from vehicular emission (53.6–54.3%), followed by coal combustion (23.8–28.8%) and wood combustion (11.9–16.0%). The contribution of mixed wood and coal combustion source identified by PCA–MLR was 41.3%. For the first time the risk assessment for each identified source category was quantitatively calculated by combining the BaP equivalents (BaPE) values with estimated source contributions. The results showed that vehicular emission posed the highest toxic risk, with BaPE values of 26.9–31.5 ng g−1 dw, and the BaPE values for coal combustion and wood combustion were 6.56–15.6 ng g−1 dw and 2.94–6.11 ng g−1 dw, respectively. The distributions of contribution and BaPE for each identified source category were studied as well, and showed similar trends among the sampling sites, for each source category. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There are two types of hair cells in the sensory epithelium of vestibular end organ. Type II vestibular hair cell (VHC II) is innervated by the efferent nerve endings, which employ a cholinergic inhibition mediated by SK channels through the activation of α9-containing nAChR. Our previous studies demonstrated that a BK-type cholinergic inhibition was present in guinea pig VHCs II, which may be mediated by an unknown mAChR. In this study, BK channel activities triggered by ACh were studied to determine the mAChR subtype and function. We found the BK channel was insensitive to α9-containing nAChR antagonists and m1, m3, m4 muscarinic antagonists, but potently inhibited by the m2 muscarinic antagonist. Muscarinic agonists could mimic the effect of ACh and be blocked by m2 antagonist. cAMP analog activated the BK current and adenyl cyclase (AC) inhibitor inhibited the ACh response. Inhibitor of Giα subunit failed to affect the BK current, but inhibitor of Giα and Giβγ subunits showed a potent inhibition to these currents. Our findings provide the physiological evidence that mAChRs may locate in guinea pig VHCs II, and m2 mAChRs may play a dominant role in BK-type cholinergic inhibition. The activation of m2 mAChRs may stimulate Giβγ-mediated excitation of AC/cAMP activities and lead to the phosphorylation of Ca2+ channels, resulting in the influx of Ca2+ and opening of the BK channel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Caveolae, the major source of caveolin-1 protein, are specialized invaginated microdomains of the plasma membrane that act as organizing centers for signaling molecules in the immune system. In the present study, we report the cloning and characterization of caveolin-1 (mCav-1) from mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) and study on the roles of mCav-1 in the fish Jak–Stat signaling pathway and in virus infection. The cDNA sequence of mCav-1 was 707bp in size, encoding a protein of 181 amino acids, which was different from the mammalian protein (178 amino acids). The deduced amino acid sequence of mCav-1 shared similar architecture with vertebrate caveolin-1 proteins, but mCav-1 lacked a phosphorylation site (y14). The major subcellular location of mCav-1 was in the caveolae, where the protein appeared to have major functions. Real-time PCR revealed that the expression of the mandarin fish Mx, IRF-1, SOCS1, and SOCS3 genes involved in the poly(I:C)-induced Jak–Stat signaling pathway was impaired by the mCav-1 scaffolding domain peptide (mSDP). In mandarin fish fry (MFF-1) cells, the protein levels of mCav-1 were markedly up-regulated at 12 and 24h post-infection with ISKNV (infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus). In addition, ISKNV entry into MFF-1 cells was significantly inhibited by mSDP, and the inhibition was dose-dependent. Thus, ISKNV infection was apparently associated with mCav-1 protein and may utilize the caveolae-related endocytosis pathway. The findings reported here further our understanding of the function of caveolin-1 in the complex signal transduction network in fish immune systems and in the cellular entry mechanism of iridoviruses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The IκB kinase β (IKKβ) plays crucial roles in regulating activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in response to proinflammatory factors and microbial and viral infections. Here, we report the cloning of an IKKβ cDNA (named SicIKKβ) from the mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi. The full-length cDNA is 4052bp and contains an ORF that encodes a predicted protein of 743-amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of SicIKKβ has the same domain organization as human IKKβ, which consists of a serine/threonine kinase domain, a leucine zipper motif and a putative helix-loop-helix motif. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that SicIKKβ was ubiquitously expressed in tissues of mandarin fish, and its expression in mandarin fish fry (MFF-1) cells was up-regulated during the course of ISKNV infection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The I-S-A-type classification scheme for granites has been widely used to identify potential sources and the tectonic setting of granitic magmatism. Recent geochemical studies have shown that most granites are derived from a mixture of mantle and crustal sources, and that granitic magmatism contribute to generation and differentiation of the continental crust. However, the origin of granites with transitional affinities remains unclear, along with their role in the growth and differentiation of the continental crust. In this contribution, the ca. 91 Ma Bozhushan biotite granites in the southwestern Cathaysia Block, China, are characterized by high abundance of high-field-strength elements (HFSEs), with Zr + Nb + Ce + Y > 350 ppm and 10000*Ga/Al > 2.6, which are features typical of A-type granites. However, biotites in the Bozhushan granites are compositionally distinct from those of typical A- and S-type granites. Decreasing P 2 O 5 contents with increasing SiO 2 contents are consistent with an I-type rather than a S-type granite. Petrographic observations and geochemical data suggest that the Bozhushan granites have transitional I-A-type affinities. The Bozhushan granites contain remarkably evolved isotopic compositions, with ε Nd (t) = −9.2 to −8.0 and ε Hf (T) = −9.8 to −7.3, which are slightly lower than values for Late Cretaceous Baiyunshan alkaline igneous rocks. The Bozhushan granites have the low Y/Nb and Yb/Ta ratios, which are similar to the Baiyunshan alkaline igneous rocks, and continental alkaline basalts from the East African Rift and eastern China, ocean island basalts, and A 1 -type granitoids. Geochemical data indicate that the Bozhushan granites were likely generated by high-temperature melting of a hybrid source containing underplated alkaline igneous rocks and Precambrian basement rocks. Although the Bozhushan granites have crustal isotopic compositions, our data indicate that these granites also represent the formation of new crust. Thus, granites with transitional I-A-type affinities, such as the Bozhushan granite, have a role in the generation of continental crust. • The Bozhushan granites exhibit transitional I-A-type geochemical affinities. • They have high HFSEs contents and evolved isotopic characteristics. • They were likely to be derived by high-T melting of a hybrid source. • Granites with enriched isotopic compositions may also record the formation of new crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]