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BOG re-liquefaction process is a necessary part for the safety of LNG cargo ships, and it is also the most common way to deal with evaporated gas (BOG) in LNG ships. Therefore, how to optimize the re-liquefaction process and save energy consumption is a problem that cannot be ignored in BOG re-liquefaction system. In this paper, based on the traditional BOG re-liquefaction process, a liquid nitrogen precooling circulation system is added and linked with the nitrogen purging system. Aspen HYSYS software was used to simulate and analyze the exergy efficiency, specific power consumption, exergy efficiency in the proposed liquefaction process. In addition, we introduced a bacterial foraging algorithm to optimize the process parameters. According to the operation results, the optimized process has a specific power consumption of 1.028 kWh/kg LNG , which is 21.53 % lower than that of the original NH 3 and CO 2 precooling system. Changing the traditional precooling system to liquid nitrogen tank reduces the complexity of the liquefaction system and improves the reliability of the system. Because liquid nitrogen has excellent cryogenic energy, small size, cheap price, safety in the actual use process and the linkage with the purge device on board, it shows excellent performance in the process of BOG pre-cooling liquefaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza virus (IV) is a common pathogen affecting the upper respiratory tract, that causes various diseases. Secondary bacterial pneumonia is a common complication and a major cause of death in influenza patients. Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is the predominant co-infected bacteria in the pandemic, which colonizes healthy people but can cause diseases in immunocompromised individuals. Vaccination is a crucial strategy for avoiding infection, however, no universal influenza vaccine (UIV) that is resistant to multiple influenza viruses is available. Despite its limited immunogenicity, the hemagglutinin (HA) stem is a candidate peptide for UIV. ΔA146Ply (pneumolysin with a single deletion of A146) not only retains the Toll-like receptor 4 agonist effect but also is a potential vaccine adjuvant and a candidate protein for the S. pneumoniae vaccine. We constructed the fusion protein ΔA146Ply-HA stem and studied its immunoprotective effect in mice infection models. The results showed that intramuscular immunization of ΔA146Ply-HA stem without adjuvant could induce specific antibodies against HA stem and specific CD4+ T and CD8+ T cellular immunity in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, which could improve the survival rate of mice infected with IAV and co-infected with S. pneumoniae , but the protective effect on BALB/c mice was better than that on C57BL/6 mice. ΔA146Ply-HA stem serum antibody could protect BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice from IAV, and recognized HA polypeptides of H3N2, H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 viruses. Moreover, ΔA146Ply-HA stem intramuscular immunization had a high safety profile with no obvious toxic side effects. The results indicated that coupling ΔA146Ply with influenza protein as a vaccine was a safe and effective strategy against the IV and secondary S. pneumoniae infection. ● ΔA146Ply-HA stem protein can elicit humoral and cellular immunity in mice. ● ΔA146Ply-HA stem protein can protect mice against influenza A virus infection and co-infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. ● Coupling ΔA146Ply with influenza protein as a vaccine is an effective strategy against the IV and S. pneumoniae infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A BOG buffer tank and a control strategy is proposed to optimize the liquefaction process and can maintain the stability of the system. • The inlet gas volume increases by 12.2% and system specific energy consumption is reduced by 5.7% compared with the reference process. • The results of the simulation data provide an identifiable scale demarcation for the control strategy. • The optimal intake ratio exists which can be more responsively adjusted and adapted to process fluctuations in actual operation. The re-liquefaction of BOG is a necessary part of the safety and security of LNG cargo ships. And the volatility of BOG will fluctuate with the sea conditions of ship transportation, so how to deal with the fluctuation of the re-liquefaction system and improve the liquefaction capacity is a problem that cannot be ignored in the operation of the liquefaction system; In this paper, a BOG buffer tank is added to the Reverse Brayton Process. Moreover, a control strategy is proposed to optimize the liquefaction process. The proposed four possible operating conditions' efficiency,the specific energy consumption (SEC), liquefaction rate and main heat exchanger parameters were simulated and analyzed by using Aspen HYSYS software. According to the results, the specific energy consumption of the basic re-liquefaction process is 1.329 kWh/kg LNG , which is 5.7% less than that of the reference process; In the study of flow fluctuation, after adopting the control strategy, the specific energy consumption of the whole process is 1.29 kWh/kg LNG , with 15.6% efficiency and 99.5% liquefaction rate. The whole system can be maintained at a low specific energy consumption level when the feed gas volume is fluctuating. The analyses of various BOG composition and the parameters of the main heat exchanger show that the regulation of the inlet gas volume can make the primary re-liquefaction process flexible and maintain the heat exchanger in a good working condition; Even if the system is in a worse working condition, the inlet gas volume can be improved by 12.2% compared with the reference process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current seasonal influenza A virus (IAV) vaccines only protect against specific virus and require annual reconstitution to accommodate the viral mutations. A universal influenza vaccination that protects against all IAV strains is urgently needed. The influenza matrix protein 2 ectodomain (M2e) is a potential universal IAV vaccine candidate, but it has a low immunogenicity. ΔA146Ply was proved to be an effective protein adjuvant. Therefore, ΔA146Ply was used as an adjuvant of M2e in this study to evaluate its protective effect against IAV-related infection. Herein, a novel rM2e protein containing multiple M2e originated from different species of IAV was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli). Meanwhile, we also constructed and expressed the rM2e-ΔPly protein in E. coli. These proteins were administered intramuscularly to BALB/c mice. rM2e-ΔPly protein induces higher levels of humoral and cellular responses compared with their comprising protein mixture or rM2e alone. rM2e-ΔPly protein enhances the survival rate, reduces viral loads and inflammatory response in lung challenged with PR8. The serum induced by rM2e-ΔPly protein can protect against PR8 by passive immunity and cross-react with multiple M2e peptides derived from different IAV subtypes. After IAV and Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) co-infection, rM2e-Ply protein can improve survival, lower viral and bacterial burdens, and diminish inflammatory response in the lungs. These results demonstrate that rM2e-ΔPly protein can significantly protect against influenza virus, IAV and S. pneumoniae co-infection, indicating that rM2e-ΔPly protein has the potential to become a universal influenza vaccine. • ΔA146Ply protein can enhance the humoral and cellular responses of M2e protein. • rM2e-ΔPly protein can significantly protect against influenza A virus and its co-infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. • rM2e-ΔPly protein has the potential to become a universal influenza vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soy sauce is a traditional condiment that undergoes microbial fermentation of various ingredients to achieve its desired color, scent, and flavor. Sporidiobolus pararoseus , which is a type of Rhodocerevisiae , shows promising potential as a source of lipids, carotenoids, and enzymes that can enrich the taste and color of soy sauce. However, there is currently a lack of systematic and comprehensive studies on the functions and mechanisms of action of S. pararoseus during soy sauce fermentation. In this review, it is well established that S. pararoseus produces lipids that are abundant in unsaturated fatty acids, particularly oleic acid, as well as various carotenoids, such as β-carotene, torulene, and torularhodin. These pigments are synthesized through the mevalonic acid pathway and possess remarkable antioxidant properties, acting as natural colorants. The synthesis of carotenoids is stimulated by high salt concentrations, which induces oxidative stress caused by NaCl. This stress further activates crucial enzymes involved in carotenoid production, ultimately leading to pigment formation. Moreover, S. pararoseus can produce high-quality enzymes that aid in the efficient utilization of soy sauce substrates during fermentation. Furthermore, this review focused on the impact of S. pararoseus on the color and quality of soy sauce and comprehensively analyzed its characteristics and ingredients. Thus, this review serves as a basis for screening high-quality oleaginous red yeast strains and improving the quality of industrial soy sauce production through the wide application of S. pararoseus. • The synthesis pathway of lipids and carotenoids in S. pararoseus was illustrated. • S. pararoseus can compensate for lipid insufficiency during fermentation. • S. pararoseus can produce carotenoids under various environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a cross-modal propagation network (called CMPN) based on meta-learning for generalized zero-shot learning. • CMPN incorporates the adaptive graph construction and label propagation into the generative ZSL framework. • CMPN guarantees intra-class compactness and inter-class separation in the latent space. • The experiment results validate the effectiveness of CMPN. Zero-shot learning (ZSL) aims to recognize unseen classes by transferring semantic knowledge from seen classes to unseen ones. Since only seen classes are available during training, the domain bias issue, i.e., the trained model is biased toward seen classes, is the key issue for ZSL. To alleviate the bias problem, generation-based approaches are proposed to build generative models that can generate fake visual features of unseen classes by utilizing semantic vectors. However, most of the existing generative methods still suffer some degree of domain bias caused by the ambiguous generation of fake features. In this paper, we propose a cross-modal propagation network (CMPN), which adopts an episode-based meta-learning strategy. CMPN incorporates the adaptive graph construction and label propagation into the generative ZSL framework for guaranteeing an unambiguous and discriminative fake feature generating. By further leveraging the manifold structure of different modalities in the latent space, CMPN can implicitly ensure intra-class compactness and inter-class separation through label propagation classification in latent space. Extensive experiments on four datasets validate the effectiveness of CMPN under both ZSL and generalized ZSL (GZSL) settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacancy engineering has been widely used to enhance the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance due to its effective electronic modulation effect. Herein, the molybdenum (Mo) vacancies were introduced into molybdenum phosphide (MoP) towards high-efficiency hydrogen evolution for the first time. Benefiting from the charge redistribution around the Mo vacancies, the exposed P sites can serve as ideal catalytic sites with a free energy of hydrogen adsorption close to zero. Meanwhile, an internal polarization field from terminal Mo atoms to exposed P atoms can offer a more efficient "H delivery" mechanism, achieving fast HER kinetics with a dominant Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism at a wide range of current density and ultimately exceeding the commercial Pt/C catalyst for high-efficiency hydrogen evolution. More importantly, we first report that the P p-band center can be used as an alternative descriptor to evaluate the HER performance of the electrocatalysts which utilize P atoms as the main active sites. Furthermore, this work also demonstrates that metal vacancies provide an effective tactic to optimize catalytic activity for metal compound-based electrocatalysts. [Display omitted] • Porous Mo vacancy-rich MoP is obtained by an acid etching treatment. • P sites can serve as ideal catalytic sites due to optimized charge redistribution. • An internal polarization field offers a more efficient "H delivery" mechanism. • P p-band center is proposed as alternative descriptor to evaluate HER properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Phytic acid functionalized graphene oxide (PA-GO) was facilely prepared. • PA-GO exhibits high removal efficiency for Congo red (CR) and malachite green (MG). • HSAB theory illuminates the primary interactions between PA-GO and CR (or MG). • Groups introduced by phytic acid enhance the adsorption affinity of GO. • Chemical adsorption impelled by electrostatic interaction is proposed. Phytic acid functionalized graphene oxide (PA-GO) has fascinating application in environmental remediation. Herein, PA-GO was facilely prepared via hydrothermal method and utilized as adsorbent to remove aqueous Congo red (CR) and malachite green (MG). The adsorbent-adsorbate interaction mechanism was elaborately scrutinized based on the hard and soft acid base (HSAB) principle, spectroscopic analysis and adsorption fitting. Result shows, after five consecutive cycles, PA-GO maintains adsorption quantity 242.82 mg·g−1 and 117.53 mg·g−1 for CR and MG, respectively. The HSAB principle illuminates, primary interaction of PA-GO with both CR and MG is provided by phytic acid moiety (PA). For CR adsorption, electron of N atom in –NH 2 group flows towards O atom in OH and O(-O-) of PA. While for MG adsorption, electron of N atom in (CH 3) 2 N– group flows towards O atom in OH and O(-O-) of PA. FTIR, UV–Vis analyses supports the HSAB principle prediction. In brief, the hydroxyls and phosphoric groups introduced by PA functionalization enhance the adsorption affinity of GO. Adsorption of CR, MG by PA-GO under favorable pH is thermodynamically chemical but kinetically impelled by electrostatic interaction. This work may promote the development of efficient adsorbent based on PA-GO architecture for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Copper sulfide (Cu x S) was first selected as electrode materials for AAIBs. • The flower-like CuS exhibited outstanding NH 4 + storage performance. • The NH 4 + energy storage mechanism in CuS host was revealed. • The electrolyte composition was adjusted to effectively improve the electrode stability. The aqueous ammonium-ion batteries (AAIBs) exhibit significant significance because of their high energy, cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and high safety. Nonetheless, electrode materials with good cycle stability as well as great capacity have a crucial role in developing aqueous ammonium ion batteries. Herein, flower-like CuS microspheres were successfully utilized in AAIBs. The experimental results demonstrated that the as-synthetized copper sulfides revealed high conductivity and flower-like microspheres, and its initial discharge capacity was as high as 710 mAh g−1 at the 0.1 A g−1 current density. Moreover, the cycle stability of batteries were greatly improved by optimizing the electrolyte composition. These results represent a novel design strategy for the AAIBs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MYB proteins are one of the most abundant transcription factor families in the plant kingdom. Evidence has increasingly revealed that MYB-related proteins function in diverse plant biological processes. However, little is known about the genome-wide characterization and functions of MYB-related proteins in Populus, an important model and commercial tree species. In this study, 152 PtrMYBRs were identified and unevenly located on 19 Populus chromosomes. A phylogenetic analysis divided them into six major subgroups, supported by conserved gene organization, consensus motifs, and protein domain architecture. Promoter assessment and gene ontology classification results indicated that the MYB-related family is likely involved in plant development and responses to various environmental stressors. The Populus MYB-related family members showed various expression patterns in different tissues and stress conditions, implying their crucial roles in the development and stress responses in Populus. Co-expression analyses revealed that Populus MYB-related genes might participate in the regulation of antioxidant defense system and various signaling pathways in response to stress. The three-dimensional structures of different subgroup of Populus MYB-related proteins further provided functional information at the proteomic level. These findings provide valuable information for a prospective functional dissection of MYB-related proteins and genetic improvement of Populus. • Comprehensive analyses of PtrMYBR gene family were carried out for the first time. • PtrMYBR family members were classified into six major subgroups, including CCA1-like/RR, CPC-like, TBP-like, TRF-like, I-box-like, and GARP. • PtrMYBR family members play essential roles in development and stress responses in Populus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel ratiometric electrochemical aptasensor based on split aptamer and Au-reduced graphene oxide (Au-rGO) nanomaterials was proposed to detect aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). In this work, Au-rGO nanomaterials were coated on the electrode through the electrodeposition method to increase the aptamer enrichment. We split the aptamer of AFM1 into 2 sequences (S1 and S2), where S1 was immobilized on the electrode due to the Au-S bond, and S2 was tagged with methylene blue (MB) and acted as a response signal. A complementary strand to S1 (CS1) labeled with ferrocene (Fc) was introduced as another reporter. In the presence of AFM1, CS1 was released from the electrode surface due to the formation of the S1-AFM1-S2 complex, leading to a decrease in Fc and an increase in the MB signal. The developed ratiometric aptasensor exhibited a linear range of 0.03 μg L−1 to 2.00 μg L−1, with a detection limit of 0.015 μg L−1 for AFM1 detection. The ratiometric aptasensor also showed a linear relationship from 0.2 μg L−1 to 1.00 μg L−1, with a detection limit of 0.05 μg L−1 in natural milk after sample pretreatment, indicating the successful application of the developed ratiometric aptasensor. Our proposed strategy provides a new way to construct aptasensors with high sensitivity and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When pH is around 2, CR and PRGO come close to each other owing to electrostatic attraction, yielding high adsorption efficiency based on hydrogen bond and π-π interaction depicted as red and yellow ribbon respectively. However, when pH is around 11, CR and PRGO keep away from each other due to electrostatic repulsion, exhibiting low adsorption efficiency. By contrast, when pH is around 2, MG and PRGO keep away from each other due to electrostatic repulsion, exhibiting low adsorption efficiency. When pH is around 11, MG and PRGO come close to each other owing to electrostatic attraction, yielding high adsorption efficiency based on electrostatic attraction and π-π interaction depicted as green and yellow ribbons. The smiling face and crying face imply high and low affinity leading to superior and inferior adsorption, respectively. [Display omitted] • Partially reduced graphene oxide (PRGO) was facilely fabricated. • PRGO exhibits efficient adsorption for Congo red (CR) and malachite green (MG). • Both adsorptions are chemically favorable process. • Hydrogen bond and π-π interaction are associated with CR adsorption. • Electrostatic attraction and π-π interaction are associated with MG adsorption. Graphene based adsorbent has fascinating perspective in environmental application. Herein, partially reduced graphene oxide (PRGO) was facilely prepared with hydrothermal method. The as prepared PRGO was characterized and utilized as adsorbent to remove Congo red (CR) and malachite green (MG). Moreover, adsorption mechanism was elaborately surveyed via adsorption fitting (isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic) and spectroscopic analysis (FTIR, UV-Vis). Results show, CR, MG adsorption by PRGO swiftly reaches equilibrium in 8 min and 10 min, with adsorption quantity 121.29 mg g−1 and 198.10 mg g−1 respectively. Both adsorptions are chemically favorable as satisfactorily described by the Freundlich model and pseudo second order model in equilibrium level and non equilibrium level, respectively. With regard to adsorption mechanism, adsorption is associated with both polar and non polar interactions. For CR adsorption, the specific form of polar and non polar interaction is hydrogen bond and π-π interaction, respectively. While for MG adsorption, the specific form of polar and non polar interaction is electrostatic attraction and π-π interaction, respectively. This work may provide insight for exploiting graphene related adsorbent for environmental treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When pH is around 2, CR and PRGO come close to each other owing to electrostatic attraction, yielding high adsorption efficiency based on hydrogen bond and π-π interaction depicted as red and yellow ribbon respectively. However, when pH is around 11, CR and PRGO keep away from each other due to electrostatic repulsion, exhibiting low adsorption efficiency. By contrast, when pH is around 2, MG and PRGO keep away from each other due to electrostatic repulsion, exhibiting low adsorption efficiency. When pH is around 11, MG and PRGO come close to each other owing to electrostatic attraction, yielding high adsorption efficiency based on electrostatic attraction and π-π interaction depicted as green and yellow ribbons. The smiling face and crying face imply high and low affinity leading to superior and inferior adsorption, respectively. [Display omitted] • Partially reduced graphene oxide (PRGO) was facilely fabricated. • PRGO exhibits efficient adsorption for Congo red (CR) and malachite green (MG). • Both adsorptions are chemically favorable process. • Hydrogen bond and π-π interaction are associated with CR adsorption. • Electrostatic attraction and π-π interaction are associated with MG adsorption. Graphene based adsorbent has fascinating perspective in environmental application. Herein, partially reduced graphene oxide (PRGO) was facilely prepared with hydrothermal method. The as prepared PRGO was characterized and utilized as adsorbent to remove Congo red (CR) and malachite green (MG). Moreover, adsorption mechanism was elaborately surveyed via adsorption fitting (isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic) and spectroscopic analysis (FTIR, UV-Vis). Results show, CR, MG adsorption by PRGO swiftly reaches equilibrium in 8 min and 10 min, with adsorption quantity 121.29 mg g−1 and 198.10 mg g−1 respectively. Both adsorptions are chemically favorable as satisfactorily described by the Freundlich model and pseudo second order model in equilibrium level and non equilibrium level, respectively. With regard to adsorption mechanism, adsorption is associated with both polar and non polar interactions. For CR adsorption, the specific form of polar and non polar interaction is hydrogen bond and π-π interaction, respectively. While for MG adsorption, the specific form of polar and non polar interaction is electrostatic attraction and π-π interaction, respectively. This work may provide insight for exploiting graphene related adsorbent for environmental treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether mutations in the minichromosome maintenance complex component 9 (MCM9) gene were present in 192 patients with sporadic premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) of Chinese descent.Design: Genetic and functional study.Setting: University-based reproductive medicine center.Patient(s): A total of 192 patients with sporadic POI and 192 control women with regular menstruation.Intervention(s): Sanger sequencing performed in 192 sporadic POI patients, and potential pathogenic variants were excluded in matched controls. Functional effects of mutations on MCM9 were explored based on etoposide-induced DNA damage response, and DNA repair capacity was evaluated by histone H2AX phosphorylation level.Main Outcome Measure(s): Sanger sequencing and functional characteristics.Result(s): Three novel heterozygous mutations in MCM9, c.C1423T (p.L475F), c.T2921C (p.L974S), and c.G3388A (p.A1130T), were identified in three POI patients separately, which were absent in 192 controls. Functional studies showed that the human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells overexpressing mutant MCM9 presented with diminished DNA repair capacity compared with wild type.Conclusion(s): This study identified novel mutations in MCM9 that are potentially causative for sporadic POI in Chinese women and further highlighted the role of DNA repair capacity in maintenance of ovarian function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloroplast glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) is the first key enzyme determining the unsaturation of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) in thylakoid membranes and is involved in the tolerance of plants to chilling, heat and high salinity. However, whether the GPAT affects plant tolerance to other stressors has been scarcely reported. Ammopiptanthus mongolicus is the only evergreen broadleaf shrub growing in the central Asian desert, and it has a high tolerance to harsh environments, especially extreme cold. This study aimed to characterize the physiological function of AmGPAT from A. mongolicus. The transcription of AmGPAT was markedly induced by cold and drought but differentially suppressed by heat and high salinity in the laboratory-cultured seedlings. The gene also had the highest transcription levels in the leaves of shrubs naturally growing in the wild during the late autumn and winter months throughout the year. Moreover, AmGPAT was most abundantly expressed in leaves and immature pods rather than other organs of the shrubs. Constitutive expression of AmGPAT in Arabidopsis increased the levels of cis -unsaturated fatty acids, especially that of linolenic acid (18:3), mainly in PG but also in other chloroplast lipids in transgenic lines. More importantly, the transgene significantly increased the tolerance of the transgenics not only to chilling but also to freezing and oxidative stress at both the cellular and whole-plant levels. In contrast, this gene reduced heat tolerance of the transgenic plants. This study improves the current understanding of chloroplast GPAT in plant tolerance against abiotic stressors through regulating the unsaturation of chloroplast lipids, mainly that of PG. • AmGPAT encodes a canonical chloroplast glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase. • AmGPAT 's transcription was induced by cold and drought but inhibited by heat and salt. • Transcript level of AmGPAT negatively correlated with the temperatures in the wild. • Expressing AmGPAT in Arabidopsis enhanced unsaturation of chloroplast membrane lipids. • Expressing AmGPAT in Arabidopsis enhanced chilling, freezing and ROS tolerances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the self-consistent phonon (SCP) theory, lattice thermal expansion, and Boltzmann transport equation (BTE), both thermal conductivity and scattering channel are studied by considering the cubic and quartic anharmonicity. The increase of phonon group velocity is caused by phonon frequency shifts at about 12 THz, but the phonon group velocity decreases slightly above 15 THz, agreeing with the decrease of phonon frequency induced by quartic anharmonic renormalization. The relaxation time of SCP is larger than that of HA, leading to the increase of thermal conductivity under SCP. The glass-like thermal conductivity of HA+ 3 ph, HA+ 3 ph + 4 ph, SCP+ 3 ph and SCP+ 3 ph + 4 ph is 0.12517 W/mK, 0.15713 W/mK, 0.1187 W/mK, 0.28551 W/mK, respectively. The three-phonon weighted phase space of HA is slightly larger than that of SCP, while the four-phonon weighted phase space of HA is nearly the same as the phase space of SCP. The major contributions to the scattering channels are X + ZA/TA/LA→O, X→O+ZA/TA/LA, X + O+ZA/TA→O, X + O-O/TA/LA→O, X + O-O→ZA/TA/LA, and X-O-ZA/TA→O. The weak C-C bonding is responsible for the low thermal conductivity of BC14. Moreover, these findings help us to understand the physical mechanism of thermal transport with the effect of quartic anharmonic renormalization. [Display omitted] • The quartic anharmonic renormalization results in a temperature-dependent phonon frequency shift. • Four-phonon scattering (phonon frequency shifts) induces an underestimated (overestimated) lattice thermal conductivity. • The particle-like and glass-like thermal conductivity are investigated by considering phonon anharmonicity. • For the three-phonon scattering, the X+ZA/TA/LA→O and X→O+ ZA/TA/LA play a major role. • For four-phonon scattering, a major contributions are from the X+O+ZA/TA→O, X+O-O/TA/LA→O, X+O-O→ZA/TA/LA and X-O-ZA/TA→O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • α-Fe 2 O 3 @g-C 3 N 4 catalyst was synthesized by a facile co-calcination. • It showed excellent photo-Fenton catalytic activity in a wide range of pH. • The high catalytic activity of the catalyst is due to its Z-scheme heterostructure. Abstract Fabricating heterojunction catalysts is a promising strategy for improving the performance in heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction (PFR). Herein, a Z-scheme heterostructured α-Fe 2 O 3 @g-C 3 N 4 catalyst was successfully synthesized through the co-calcination of melamine and Fe-based MOF. The characterization results demonstrated that α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles anchored on the surface of g-C 3 N 4 successfully. The degradation of tetracycline (TC) in visible-light/H 2 O 2 system was adopted to evaluate the photo-Fenton activity of the catalysts. About 92% of TC was degraded by the optimum composite FOCN-0.45 in 60 min; the degradation rate (0.042 min−1) of TC by the FOCN-0.45 is 6, 7 and 14 times higher than that by pristine MIL-53 (Fe) (0.007 min−1), α-Fe 2 O 3 (0.006 min−1) and g-C 3 N 4 (0.003 min−1), respectively. The prepared FOCN-0.45 composite exhibited excellent performance and high stability in a wide range of pH value. The promoted photo-Fenton catalytic efficiency benefited from the Z-scheme heterojunctions of α-Fe 2 O 3 @g-C 3 N 4 , which enhanced the separation ability of photo-generated charge carriers and increased the electrons that participated in Fe2+/Fe3+ cycle. The boosting OH radicals degraded organic pollutants as main reactive radicals. This work presents a feasible path to design and synthesize heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalysts for the removal of organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • M. purpuresus M183, generated by ARTP, with pigments production of 8460 U/g. • Response surface methodology applied significantly enhanced the MPs production. • Immobilization fermentation operated by utilization of 3% sodium alginate. • A simultaneous fermentation process and separation system was established for MPs. Abstract A mutant Monascus purpureus strain, M183, which produced monascus pigments (MPs) at 8460 U/g via solid-state batch-fermentation, was generated using the atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) mutation system. The optimal glucose concentration (80 g/L) in traditional fermentation media that yielded the highest MPs productivity was determined. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to maximize MPs production using liquid-state batch-fermentation. Under optimal conditions (0.58 g/L MgSO 4 ·7H 2 O, 0.02 g/L ZnSO 4 ·7H 2 O, 0.02 g/L FeSO 4 ·7H 2 O and 4.85 g/L NH 4 NO 3), 207.67 U/mL of MPs were produced with 98.12% validity based on the predicted value. Extracellular MPs production increased significantly to 35.52 U/mL, compared to 14.19 U/mL of the original strain, M. purpureus LQ-6. M. purpureus spores immobilized in sodium alginate were studied. A simultaneous fermentation and separation system was established for MPs using the novel absorption resin LX300C to enhance production efficiency of extracellular MPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While articular cartilage defects affect millions of people worldwide from adolescents to adults, the repair of articular cartilage defects still remains challenging due to the limited endogenous regeneration of the tissue and poor integration with implants. In this study, we developed a 3D-printed scaffold functionalized with aggrecan that supports the cellular fraction of bone marrow released from microfracture, a widely used clinical procedure, and demonstrated tremendous improvement of regenerated cartilage tissue quality and joint function in a lapine model. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed doubled thickness of the regenerated cartilage tissue in the group treated with our aggrecan functionalized scaffold compared to standard microfracture treatment. H&E staining showed 366 ± 95 chondrocytes present in the unit area of cartilage layer with the support of bioactive scaffold, while conventional microfracture group showed only 112 ± 26 chondrocytes. The expression of type II collagen appeared almost 10 times higher with our approach compared to normal microfracture, indicating the potential to overcome the fibro-cartilage formation associated with the current microfracture approach. The therapeutic effect was also evaluated at joint function level. The mobility was evaluated using a modified Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scale. While the defect control group showed no movement improvement over the course of study, all experimental groups showed a trend of increasing scores over time. The present work developed an effective method to regenerate critical articular defects by combining a 3D-printed therapeutic scaffold with the microfracture surgical procedure. This biofunctionalized acellular scaffold has great potential to be applied as a supplement for traditional microfracture to improve the quality of cartilage regeneration in a cost and labor effective way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathological angiogenesis is driven by uncontrolled growth of endothelial cells (ECs), which could lead to retinopathy, tumor and rheumatoid arthritis, etc. ECs must experience multiple cell division process to grow, and cytokinesis is the final step. The present study shows that PEGylated GNRs (PEG-GNRs) specifically target ECs cytokinesis process which results in high ratio of binucleated cells, and these binucleated ECs lose the ability to proliferate. Further data show that PEG-GNRs do not induce toxicity in vitro and in vivo . PEG-GNRs could inhibit ECs proliferation, migration, tube formation and inhibit angiogenesis in ex vivo model. Oxygen induced retinopathy and tumor angiogenesis model further show that PEG-GNRs can inhibit angiogenesis in vivo . Gene expression profiles reveal that PEG-GNRs mainly affect ECs cell division process, and PEG-GNRs treated ECs are arrested in G2/M phase. The mechanism is that PEG-GNRs could disrupt TGFβ pathway, and subsequently suppress the assembly of actin filaments in contractile ring site. These findings indicate that PEG-GNR is a novel cytokinesis inhibitor which can be used to interfere with retinal angiogenesis and tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of long-term application of pig manure on the accumulation of heavy metals, antibiotics and ARGs in surface soil sampled from the Jiaxing long-term field experimental site with three manure treatments, N-PM (0 kg/ha/y, dw), L-PM (7720 kg/ha/y, dw), and H-PM (11,580 kg/ha/y, dw), in 2013 and 2014. The results showed that most serious metal pollution of Zn and Cu was recorded in all manured samples in both years, and their contents exceeded the soil quality standards. Among the three tetracyclines, chlortetracycline was the predominant antibiotic detected with a range of 3.04–98.03 μg·kg −1 in 2013 and 28.67–344.74 μg·kg −1 in 2014 after long-term pig manure application. Q-PCR results showed that the average accumulation of ribosomal protection protein genes ( tet M, tet O, tet Q and tet W) was lower than most of the efflux pump genes ( tet A and tet G). The abundance of tet and sul genes of those sites with manure application was significantly higher than that of sites without manure application in both years. Metagenomics analysis of ARGs revealed that the abundance of multidrug resistance genes was the most abundant subtype, followed by fluoroquinolone, bacitracin, sulfonamide and tetracycline. There was a positive correlation between the levels of ARGs; soil organic matter, antibiotics, Cu, As, and Zn levels in both years. These results may shed light on the mechanism underlining the effects of long-term manure application on the occurrence and dissemination of ARGs in surface soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) contamination in soils seriously threatens agroecosystems globally. However, very few studies have been done on the effects of MPs on the soil nitrogen cycle and related functional microorganisms. To assess MP's impact on the soil nitrogen cycle and related functional bacteria, we carried out a one-month soil incubation experiment using typical acidic soil. The soil was amended with alfalfa meal and was spiked with 1% and 5% (mass percentage) of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) MPs. Our results showed that both LDPE and PVC addition significantly increased soil nitrification rate and nitrate reductase activity, which could further promote soil denitrification. The relative abundance of diazotrophs, ammonium oxidizing, and denitrifying bacterial groups were significantly altered with MPs addition. Moreover, the MPs treatments greatly enhanced denitrifying bacteria richness. Redundancy analysis showed that nitrate reductase activity was the most significant factor affecting the soil functional bacterial community. Correlation analysis shows that Nitrosospira genus might be for the improvement of soil nitrification rate. Our results implied that MPs exposure could significantly affect the soil nitrogen cycling in farmland ecosystems by influencing essential nitrogen functional microorganisms and related enzymatic activities. [Display omitted] • PE and PVC MPs stimulated soil nitrification rate and nitrate reductase activities. • PE and PVC MPs altered community composition of soil nitrogen functional bacteria. • Nitrate reductase was key to affecting nitrogen functional bacteria in soil with MPs. • Nitrosospira might be responsible for nitrification improvement in soils with MPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1 ) is classified as group 1 carcinogen and can cause fetal disease and chronic illness. High sensitive and selective detection of AFM 1 is critical for food safety and human health. Herein, a target-induced DNA machine amplification assay combining high specificity of aptamer recognition was developed for fluorescence detection of AFM 1 in an enzyme-free and label-free condition. Once AFM 1 was added into the biosensing system, aptamer would trap AFM 1 and then release primer DNA to trigger the designed DNA machine. The DNA machine would continuously produce guanine-rich (G-rich) DNA segments to form G-quadruplex (G4) configuration, which can outstandingly augment fluorescence response of N-methyl-mesoporphyrin (NMM). With the signal amplification strategy, limit of detection (LOD) reaches as low as 0.01 ng mL −1 . Meanwhile, the DNA machine-based sensing system presents excellent specificity and can distinguish AFM 1 from other biotoxins. The developed strategy provides a new way for high sensitive and selective detection of AFM 1 with low cost for real sample detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-orthogonal solution processing can circumvent interface intermixing issue of construction of multilayer polymer light-emitting diode devices (PLEDs). In this manuscript, we developed a new strategy to construct multilayer PLEDs by the semi-orthogonal solvents based on the difference between the solubilities of a poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) that end-capped with a triphenylamine derivative (PFO-TF) (processed with p -xylene) and the light-emitting polymer PPF-SO15 or PPF-SO15-BT1 (processed with 1,4-dioxane). As the highest occupied molecular orbital energy level of PFO-TF (−5.70 eV) lies in between PEDOT:PSS (−5.20 eV) and the light-emitting copolymer PPF-SO15 (−5.94 eV), it can serve as the hole transport layer (HTL) to facilitate hole injection. The blue PLED based on PFO-TF as the HTL exhibits lower turn-on voltage and nearly identical electroluminescent spectra as that of the control device without HTL. Of particular importance is that the blue device with PFO-TF as the HTL exhibits the luminous efficiency over 5.0 cd A −1 , which is much higher than that observed from a device without an HTL (3.51 cd A −1 ) or one with traditional poly(9-vinylcarbazole) as the HTL (4.74 cd A −1 ). Similar trend is also realized for PLEDs based on green-light-emitting polymer PPF-SO15-BT1. These observations indicate that processing of a multilayer device with this specific semi-orthogonal system may be a promising strategy for the construction of efficient PLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper prepared 4 inks mainly based on chitosan with different molecular weight and different mass percentage, and pigment (FeO(OH)·xH2O). The inks were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Rheological properties were discussed by shear rate, time, temperature, oscillatory modulus, yield stress, and screen-printing simulation. Antimicrobial activity was analyzed by the growth inhibition zone. The inks were also applied to screen printing on substrates containing coated paper, nori, chocolate, etc. The print performance of the inks on coated paper was investigated by contact angle, optical density, print fastness and scratch resistance. 4 inks possessed obvious thixotropy and different linear viscoelastic regions. The experimental yield stress was 39 Pa and viscosity recovery rate was up to 76% after 105 s. Growth inhibition zone achieved 12.0 mm in diameter and optical density reached 1.2 with contact angle being 73°. The results indicate that the developed ink is applicable for screen printing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this manuscript, we introduced an effective strategy to improve the electroluminescent performance of poly[(fluorene)- co -dibenzothiophene- S , S -dioxide]s (PFSO) derivatives by end-capping, which was carried out by introducing N -([1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)- N -(4-phenyl)-9,9-dimethyl-9 H -fluoren-2-amine moiety (TF) at the end of the polymerisation. Compared with the pristine copolymer PFSO that end-capped by phenyl unit, the TF-end-capped copolymers exhibit improved highest occupied molecular orbital levels, which can facilitate hole injection and thus lead to more balanced charge carrier transport in the emissive layer. Of particular importance is that the resulting copolymers can be used to fabricate single-layer devices without hole transport layer, which dramatically reduced driving voltage and obviously increased luminous efficiency relative to device fabricated from the copolymer PFSO that end-capped by phenyl unit. The best performance is obtained from device based on PFSO-TF16, which exhibits an unprecedented turn-on voltage of 2.7 V and a maximum luminous efficiency of 4.45 cd A −1 , with CIE coordinates of (0.15, 0.13). These results demonstrate that our end-capping strategy has great potential for the development of highly efficient blue light-emitting polymers for single-layer light-emitting devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microscopic mechanism of lattice thermal conductivity of SrTiO 3 is investigated by full temperature-dependent anharmonic phonon renormalization and two-channel thermal transport. The contribution of normal phonon is calculated by the Boltzmann transport equation, while the contribution of diffusion phonon is treated by random-walk diffusion theory and wave-like tunneling of phonon. Based on the anharmonic phonon renormalization, the full temperature-dependent interatomic force constant is utilized to calculate the thermal conductivity of normal phonon and diffusion phonon. With the combined inclusion of normal phonon and diffusion phonon, our work successfully reproduces the experimental thermal conductivity of SrTiO 3 on top of full temperature-dependent anharmonic phonon renormalization. Our results show that the anharmonic phonon renormalization (a) strongly hardens the acoustic branch and softens the optical branch, (b) suppresses the weighted phase space of low-frequency phonon modes, reducing the coupling between acoustic and optical phonons, and (c) diminishes the strength of three-phonon scattering and four-phonon scattering, enlarging the lattice thermal conductivity. The anharmonic phonon renormalization plays a significant role in the thermal transport process of SrTiO 3 , and the diffusion phonon transport also makes an important contribution to the total thermal conductivity. The methodology may be used to resolve the discrepancies between experimental and theoretical thermal conductivity. With the combined inclusion of normal phonon and diffusion phonon, our work successfully reproduces the experimental thermal conductivity of SrTiO 3 on top of anharmonic phonon renormalization. • The anharmonic phonon renormalization strongly hardens the acoustic branch and softens the optical branch. • The anharmonic phonon renormalization reduces the coupling between the acoustic branch and optical branch. • The thermal conductivity is calculated by full temperature-dependent interatomic force constant. • The diffusion phonon is treated by random-walk diffusion theory and wave-like tunneling of phonon. • Our prediction agrees well with experiment throughout the whole temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel benzo[h]chromene compounds were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their biological activity as AcrB inhibitors. The compounds were assessed for their ability to potentiate the effect of antibiotics. Compounds with antibiotic-potentiating effects were then evaluated for inhibition of Nile Red efflux, and for off-target effects including activity on the outer and inner bacterial membranes and toxicity. Six compounds were identified to reduce the MIC values of at least one of the tested antibiotics by at least 4-fold, and further reduced the MICs in the presence of a membrane permeabilizer. The identified compounds were also able to inhibit Nile Red efflux at concentrations between 50 μM and 200 μM. The compounds did not disrupt the bacterial outer membrane nor display toxicity in a nematode model (Caenorhabditis elegans). The 4-methoxyphenoxy)propoxy derivative compound G6 possessed the most potent antibacterial potentiation with erythromycin by 8-fold even without the presence of a membrane permeabilizer. Furthermore, H6 , G6 , G10 and G11 completely abolished the Nile Red efflux at a concentration of 50 μM. The 3,4-dihydro-2 H -benzo[h]chromen-5-yl)(morpholino)methanone core appears to be a promising chemical skeleton to be further studied in the discovery of more putative AcrB inhibitors. In this paper, a series of benzo[h]chromene derivatives were design, synthesized and evaluated for their biological activity as AcrB inhibitors. Among them, compounds H6 , G6 , G10 and G11 could completely inhibit the efflux of Nile Red (a known substrate of AcrB) at a concentration of 50 μM. [Display omitted] • A new class of benzochromene derivatives were designed and synthesized. • They were evaluated as AcrB inhibitor against the Escherichia coli strain BW25113. • Six compounds were found to increase the efficacy of at least one tested antibiotics. • H3 , H5 , H6 , G6 and G11 were identified as ideal AcrB inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-doping two metal elements into diamond-like carbon (DLC) films can reach the desirable combined properties, but the preparation and commercialized application of metal co-doped DLC films with well-defined structural properties are currently hindered by the non-comprehensive understanding of structural evolutions under different process parameters. Here, we fabricated the Ti/Al-DLC films using a unique hybrid ion beam system which enabled the independent control of metal content and carbon structure. The evolutions of microstructure, residual compressive stress and mechanical properties induced by the different process parameters including sputtering currents, C 2 H 2 or CH 4 source gases and bias voltages were investigated systematically in order to perform in-depth analysis on the relation between the structure and properties in Ti/Al-DLC films. Results revealed that the variations of process parameters seriously affected the concentration and chemical bond state of co-doped Ti/Al atoms in amorphous carbon matrix or incident energies of C ions, which brought the complicated effect on amorphous carbon structures, accounting for the change of residual compressive stress, hardness and toughness. The present results provide the guidance for suitable, effective parameters selection to tailor the Ti/Al-DLC films with high performance for further applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clostridium beijerinckii 4693:int with high ferulic acid (FA) tolerance was engineered and characterized in our lab. In this study, the minimum inhibition concentrations of FA against C. beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 (wild-type) and 4693:int were 1.0 and 1.5 g/l, respectively; cell viability was 18.5% and 106.7%, respectively, in the presence of 0.5 g/l FA. A comparative transcriptome analysis was carried out at two different growth stages to evaluate sensitivity to FA. Genes that were differentially expressed included those related to redox and associated cofactors, riboflavin metabolism, two-component system, glycolysis and butanoate metabolism, and DNA replication as well as those encoding ATP-binding cassette transporters. Cbei_2134 and Cbei_2135 encoding alkyl hydroperoxide reductases are thought to be involved in antibacterial and adaptation mechanisms in C. beijerinckii in the presence of FA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transient model is presented to investigate the transport phenomena for passive vapor-feed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The pervaporation membrane and vapor transport layer are considered for the formation and transport of methanol vapor, respectively. We attempt to provide insight into the transient mass transport characteristics of DMFCs by testing different operation conditions, including current density, open area ratio of the vaporizer, and membrane thickness. The results show that the methanol crossover rate and water transport from the cathode to the anode are the key factors for improving the cell performance, and indicate that fuel efficiency, energy efficiency and energy density of the DMFCs are improved by increasing current density, decreasing open ratio of the vaporizer or increasing membrane thickness due to the reduced methanol crossover rate. The cathode micro-porous layer (MPL) is useful in enhancing water recovery flux and decreasing water losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic methane oxidation (AOM) coupled to nitrate, sulfate and iron has been most extensively studied. Recently, AOM coupled with arsenate reduction (AOM-AsR) was demonstrated in laboratory microcosm incubation, however whether AOM-AsR is active in the field conditions remains elusive. Here, we used 13C-labeled methane (13CH 4) to investigate the AOM-AsR process in both anaerobic microcosms and field conditions with identical soils. Our results revealed the occurrence of AOM-AsR in the field, but AOM-AsR in the field was not as active as that which occurred in the laboratory (AOM-AsR contributed approximately 33.87% and 80.76% of total As release in the field and laboratory studies, respectively). This occurred because the laboratory setting provided a more suitable condition for the AOM-AsR process. Moreover, the results suggested that the relative abundance of mcrA from the ANME-2d was the most abundant. Our results clearly demonstrate that the AOM-AsR is active in both the laboratory and field conditions. Moreover, the results highlight the potential risk the AOM-AsR for pose for As contamination in rice paddies. [Display omitted] • The AOM-AsR process was validated in the field condition for the first time. • AOM-AsR contributed 80.76% and 33.87% of total As release in the laboratory and field studies. • The relative abundance of mcrA from the ANME-2d was the most abundant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous zirconia microspheres, with a diameter of 900 μm, were prepared as an inert accelerator driven system (ADS) transmutation element matrix by the sol-gel method. The purpose of mesopores is to improve the adsorption capacity of inert matrix fuel (IMF) for minor actinides. The study indicated that the mesoporous zirconia performance was improved after the microspheres were hydrothermally treated at 150 °C, the specific surface area increased from 28.29 m 2 /g to 61.28 m 2 /g, and hydrothermal treatment avoided the cracking of the microspheres. Pre-decomposition of the organics during the hydrothermal process stabilized the mesoporous structure. The average pore diameter of mesoporous microsphere was 14.3 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel strategy was developed to prepare double responsive smart upconversion fluorescence material for highly specific enrichment and sensing of glycoprotein. The novel double responsive smart sensing material was synthesized by choosing Horse radish peroxidase (HRP) as modal protein, the grapheme oxide (GO) as support material, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as fluorescence signal reporter, N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAM) and 4-vinylphenylboronic acid (VPBA) as functional monomers. The structure and component of smart sensing material was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), respectively. These results illustrated the smart sensing material was prepared successfully. The recognition characterizations of smart sensing material were evaluated, and results showed that the fluorescence intensity of smart sensing material was reduced gradually, as the concentration of protein increased, and the smart sensing material showed selective recognition for HRP among other proteins. Furthermore, the recognition ability of the smart sensing material for glycoprotein was regulated by controlling the pH value and temperature. Therefore, this strategy opens up new way to construct smart material for detection of glycoprotein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annealing-induced hardening effect was studied in electro-deposited nanocrystalline Ni and NiFe thin films. Nanoindentation testing showed obvious hardening effect for all grain sizes in experiment, which were precisely controlled by adding Fe solutes. Contrast to the general trend in which the hardening effect monotonically increases with decreasing grain size, it enhanced firstly, peaking at a critical grain size (~ 16 nm) and then lowered. Based on the apparent inverse H-P trend and unusual enhancement of strain rate sensitivity after annealing, we attributed the weakened annealing-induced hardening phenomena, despite of the strongest grain boundary pinning effect resulted from the highest Fe solutes (up to 50 at%), mainly to the more pronounced grain-boundary mediated plasticity in extremely fine nanograins. This work contribute directly to understanding the distinct effect of alloying on mechanical properties of nanocrystalline metals. • Unexpected weakened annealing-hardening effect of nanocrystalline NiFe alloys occurred below a critical grain size. • The apparent inverse Hall-Petch trend and the elevated m value after for annealed NiFe alloys evidenced the more pronounced GB-mediated mechanisms. • The relatively weak grain boundary pinning effect of Fe solutes, accompanied with the more pronounced grain boundary mediated activities after annealing, should be responsible for the weakened annealing-hardening effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Yeast extract amino acids can shape the fermentation microbiota of soy sauce. • Yeast extract amino acids boost the competitiveness of aroma-producing microbiota. • The best mass ratio of neutral: acidic: basic amino acids is 58:27:15. • The best amino acid formula can increase the malt aroma of soy sauce by 52.6%. Yeast extracts, of which amino acids are the main component, can be directly applied to improve the flavor of final soy sauce. In this study, the potential of commercial yeast extracts was explored from amino acid approach to enhance the flavor quality of soy sauce by shaping the core fermentation microbiota. Alkaline and neutral amino acids favored the competitive benefits of flavor-producing bacteria, while acidic amino acids promoted the stress resistance of the fermentation microbiota, especially the abundance of Lactobacillus , which increased to 18.03–23.78% and became the predominant microbiota. The mass ratio of neutral-nonpolar: neutral-polar: acidic: alkaline amino acids was 40: 18: 27: 15, which provided the optimal improvement of soy sauce aroma. The formulation and activated the metabolic pathways of 3-methyl-1-butyraldehyde, 3-methyl-1-butanol and 2-methyl-1-propanol through Leu and Ile, resulting in a 52.6% increase in malt-like aroma. This study provides a new idea for the regulation of soy sauce fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel fluorescence sensing material based on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared. • UCNPs were introduced as fluorophores to provide fluorescent signal. • MOFs were introduced to increase the rate mass transfer and adsorption capacity. A novel strategy for sensing protein was proposed through combining the high selectivity of molecular imprinting technology with the excellent upconversion fluorescence of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and high specific surface area of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Herein, the UCNPs acted as signal reporter and MOFs were introduced to increase the rate of mass transfer. The UCNPs@MIL-100 as support material was prepared via a step-by-step method. The imprinted material-coated UCNPs@MIL-100 (UCNPs@MIL-100@MIPs) were obtained by sol–gel technique. The results showed that as the increase of the template protein concentration, the fluorescence intensity of UCNPs@MIL-100@MIPs quenched gradually, and the imprinting factor was 2.90. The linear in the range of 1.00 to 8.00 μM, and the detection limit was 0.59 μM. Therefore, the novel optosensing material is very promising for future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mutant strain of Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052, C. beijerinckii M11, which exhibited ferulic acid tolerance up to 0.9 g/L, was generated using atmospheric pressure glow discharge and high-throughput screening. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that this strain harbored a mutation of the Cbei_4693 gene, which encodes a hypothetical protein suspected to be an NADPH-dependent FMN reductase. After disrupting the Cbei_4693 gene in C. beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 using the ClosTron group II intron-based gene inactivation system, we obtained the Cbei_4693 gene inactivated mutant strain, C. beijerinckii 4693::int. Compared with C. beijerinckii NCIMB 8052, 6.23 g/L of butanol was produced in P2 medium containing 0.5 g/L of ferulic acid by 4693::int, and the ferulic acid tolerance was also significantly increased up to 0.8 g/L. These data showed, for the first time, that the Cbei_4693 gene plays an important role in regulating ferulic acid tolerance in ABE fermentation by C. beijerinckii . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel series of tetrahydroisoquinoline quaternary derivatives 4 were synthesized as peripheral κ-opioid receptor agonists. All the target compounds were evaluated in κ-opioid receptor binding assays, and compounds 4l , 4m , and 4n exhibited high affinity for κ-opioid receptor. Furthermore, compound 4l (κ K i = 0.94 nM) produced potent antinociceptive activity in the mouse acetic acid-induced writhing assay, with lower sedative side effects than the parent compound MB-1c. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fluorescence material with thermo-sensitive for the enrichment and sensing of protein was successfully prepared by combining molecular imprinting technology with upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Herein, the UCNPs acted as signal reporter for composite materials because of its excellent fluorescence property and chemical stability. MOFs were introduced to molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) due to its high specific surface area which increases the rate of mass transfer relative to that of traditional bulk MIP. The thermo-sensitive imprinted material which allows for swelling and shrinking with response to temperature changes was prepared by choosing Bovine hemoglobin (BHB) as the template, N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAM) as the temperature-sensitive functional monomer and N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as the cross-linker. The recognition characterizations of imprinted material-coated UCNPs/MOFs (UCNPs/MOFs/MIP) were evaluated, and the results showed that the fluorescence intensity of UCNPs/MOFs/MIP reduced gradually with the increase of BHB concentration. The fluorescence material was response to the temperature. The adsorption capacity was as much as 167.6 mg/g at 28 °C and 101.2 mg/g at 44 °C, which was higher than that of traditional MIP. Therefore, this new fluorescence material for enrichment and sensing protein is very promising for future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method combined the high selectivity of molecular imprinting technology with the strong fluorescence property of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) for sensing of Cytochrome c (Cyt c) was proposed. The molecularly imprinted material-coated upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs@MIP) were obtained by in situ coating Cyt c imprinted materials to the surface of the carboxyl modified UCNPs through sol–gel technique. The structure and component of the prepared UCNPs@MIP was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), power X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS). The TEM showed the diameter of UCNPs was 40 nm, and thickness of MIP was 5–10 nm. The fluorescence intensity of UCNPs@MIP reduced gradually with the increase of Cyt c concentration. Under optimum conditions, the imprinting factor is 3.19, and the UCNPs@MIP showed selective recognition for Cyt c among other proteins such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) and Lysozyme (Lyz). Therefore, this new method for sensing protein is very promising for future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By developing a transient multiphase model for passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), the effects of operating current density, voltage, micro-porous layer (MPL) and methanol feeding condition are comprehensively investigated for the whole operating processes (fuel tank from full to empty). It is found that for all the operating conditions, it is necessary to operate at moderate current density or voltage to limit the methanol crossover and ensure the energy conversion efficiency. The MPL in anode is needed to provide sufficient flow resistance at the MPL/gas diffusion layer (GDL) interface to improve the fuel efficiency. Although the cathode MPL can strengthen the convective transport of methanol from cathode to anode, its effect on reducing methanol crossover is less significant than the anode MPL. If the energy density is the most important factor, it is suggested to operate with sufficiently high methanol feeding concentration; and if the fuel and energy efficiencies have the priority, the methanol feeding concentration needs to be moderate. Increasing the size of fuel tank generally improves the energy density, but has negligible effect on the fuel and energy efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of hyperbranched π -conjugated light-emitting polymers containing an iridium complex as the branched core unit and polyfluorene or poly(fluorene- alt -carbazole) as the branched segments were synthesized via a palladium catalyzed Suzuki polymerization. Apparent Förster energy transfer in the photoluminescent spectra as thin films was observed, while no discernible characteristic absorbance and photoluminescence of the iridium complex can be realized in dilute solutions. Copolymers based on poly(fluorene- alt -carbazole) as the branched segments demonstrated enhanced highest occupied molecular orbital energy levels relative to those based on polyfluorene. The electroluminescent spectra of these copolymers exclusively showed the characteristic emission of the iridium complex, with corresponding CIE coordinates of (0.67±0.01, 0.31). All devices exhibited relatively slow roll-off of efficiency, and the best device performance with the maximum luminous efficiency of 5.33 cd A −1 was attained by using PFCzTiqIr3 as the emissive layer. These results indicated that the hyperbranched conjugated architectures can be a promising molecular design strategy for efficient electrophosphorescent light-emitting polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a multiphase passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) model is developed to study the effect of micro porous layer (MPL) insertion, and the variable contact angle effects due to the different fabrication processes of diffusion layer (DL) and MPL are also investigated in details. It is found that with the contact angle increasing along the flow direction of methanol in anode DL (ADL), the liquid always needs to flow from a more hydrophilic region to a more hydrophobic region, leading to less methanol crossover. A higher ADL contact angle generally leads to more methanol crossover, although it increases the flow resistance at the inlet, the mass transport resistance at the DL/MPL interface is reduced, and the capillary driven flow is also enhanced inside the DL. However, since MPL is often a very thin layer compared with GDL, it could act as a mass transfer barrier mainly because of the contact angle differences across the MPL/DL and MPL/CL interfaces, which is the dominating factor determining the MPL function. The results also shed the light on the development of novel electrode with variable contact angle based on different fabrication processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]