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In the present study, lignin and lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) constituting the cell wall structure of sesame hulls were investigated to explore novel techniques of dehulling. Milled wood lignin (MWL), Björkman LCC, and acid-soluble LCC (LCC-AcOH) were extracted from sesame hulls and characterized by carbohydrate composition analysis, molecular weight analysis, UV–vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, thermal analysis, Py-GC/MS, 2D HSQC NMR, and 31P NMR. The results showed that rhamnose accounted for the largest proportion of the lignin and LCC fractions, followed by glucose. Björkman LCC had the largest molecular weight, MWL had the smallest molecular weight, and LCC-AcOH had the largest polydispersity index. The lignin of sesame hulls consisted of syringyl (S), guaiacyl (G), p -hydroxyphenyl (H), and caffeyl alcohol (C) units. The most abundant monomer was guaiacyl (G), followed by caffeyl alcohol (C). C-type lignin is a new type of lignin that is different from the three traditional lignin monomers. The major lignin-linked bonds in the MWL and LCC-AcOH were β-O-4′ and β-β′, and β-5′ bonds were present in the Björkman LCC. The major LCC chemical bonds in the three fractions were PhGly. These findings will provide the factual basis for exploring different dehulling methods to enhance the quality of sesame products. • Lignin and LCC were isolated from the sesame hull firstly. • G/S-lignin and C-lignin were present in the sesame hulls. • The lignin-carbohydrate bonds in MWL, LCC-AcOH, and LCC were only PhGly. • The content of G-type lignin in sesame hulls was the highest, followed by C-type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil microbiome, which is shaped by gut-related activities of earthworms, is affected by microplastic contamination. However, the influence of microplastics on earthworm gut and cast microbiomes has been poorly explored. Here, we investigated the influence of microplastics (1% in soil, w/w) on soil physicochemical properties and bacterial communities during gut passage and cast aging of Lumbricus terrestris. Microplastics used in agricultural film production were selected, i.e., low density polyethylene, polylactic acid and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT). Different niches, including pre-ingestion soil, gut content and aged casts (from 0 to 180 days), were studied. Results showed that microplastics possibly enhanced the gut passage-derived difference between pre-ingestion soil and fresh cast in terms of pH, ammonium, nitrate and nitrite, and dissolved organic carbon. But such effects mostly faded out after 180 days of aging. The composition, as well as the alpha and beta diversity of both the total (DNA) and active (RNA) bacterial communities were decisively shaped by their niche (R2: 0.22–0.63, p < 0.001, PERMANOVA), rather than the presence/absence or the types of MPs. Nevertheless, biomarkers indicative of PBAT treatment were identified, and functional prediction for the active community showed that bacterial communities of this treatment had higher potentials for hydrocarbon degradation (4.9–7.8 times that of the microplastic-free treatment in gut and aged casts). We also identified a "Soil-related core community" and a "Gut-related core community" (contributing to 39.2%–50.2% of the cast microbiome), which possibly neutralized microplastic impacts and maintained the structure and function of bacterial communities during the soil–gut–cast transit. Our findings indicate that the tested microplastics exerted a minor influence on the bacterial communities during the cast aging process, microplastics in aged casts might not necessarily have significant additional influence on the soil microbiome when they are incorporated into soils. Future studies testing different soils, polymers, and earthworm species, under field conditions are recommended to help enhance current knowledge of the influence of microplastics on earthworm cast microbiomes. [Display omitted] • Microplastics (MPs) influence on the aging of earthworm casts was studied. • MPs affected the physicochemical properties of fresh casts but not in the long term. • PBAT MPs had minor influence on the active community (RNA). • Soil- and Gut-related core communities were likely to buffer the impacts of MPs. • MP-containing casts may not cause additional effects on the soil microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mechanism of accident spreading process and risk transmission on complex industrial system network is explained. • A dynamic model of accident propagation on complex industrial system network is established. • The changes of risk propagation speed threshold and risk propagation scale under multiple factors are studied. • The effectiveness of the proposed model is verified by numerical simulation and an application. Due to the increasing complexity of complex industrial systems, it's indispensable to analyze the process of accident spread and risk propagation on complex systems. An epidemiological model was used to study the phenomena of accident spread and risk propagation in complex industrial systems. It explains the mechanism and pattern of accident spread and risk propagation in complex industrial network, establishes a dynamic model for risk propagation in complex industrial network. The research findings are as follows: (1) In complex industrial systems networks, risk decreases when risk propagation velocity is below a threshold, but it increases and approaches a nonzero equilibrium point when risk propagation exceeds the threshold. (2) The risk propagation threshold is positively linked to information integrity, system robustness, and resilience, while it is negatively associated with the risk preference of management personnel. The risk propagation range decreases as the risk propagation threshold increases. (3) A higher average network degree leads to a higher risk propagation threshold and a smaller risk propagation range. Conversely, network heterogeneity has the opposite effect on the risk propagation threshold and range compared to the average degree. The research conclusions have important theoretical and practical implications for risk management in complex industrial systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant challenge faced by Li–O 2 batteries (LOBs) lies in their slow oxygen reduction and evolution kinetics, which greatly necessitates the development of highly active catalysts. Herein, we report a high-performance oxygen cathode (RuCo-NC) that is achieved by uniformly dispersing the nanoalloy of noble metal Ru and transition metal Co on the three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous carbon. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a prominent electron transfer process between Ru and Co, along with a substantial abundance of electron transfer sites on RuCo-NC. These characteristics contribute to a strong positive equilibrium effect on the formation and decomposition of Li 2 O 2 , which is crucial for LOBs. Furthermore, the calculated Gibbs free energy change during the oxygen reduction and evolution processes indicates that RuCo-NC exhibits the smallest overpotential compared to single metal catalysts. As a result, this RuCo-NC cathode enables the resulting LOB with a larger discharge specific capacity, lower overpotential for efficient oxygen reduction and evolution, and excellent cycling stability. This work introduces an effective method for fabricating nanoalloy catalysts with enhanced efficiency, promising advancements in energy applications. • The highly dispersed RuCo nanoalloy uniformly dispersed on nanoporous carbon was prepared. • In-depth sights into the transfer process between Ru and Co, leading to high performance. • The RuCo-NC oxygen cathode shows high battery performance and cycle stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present investigation was to extract pectic polysaccharides from sesame seed hull and to determine their physicochemical and functional characteristics. The pectic polysaccharides in the seed hull were extracted with HCl and then collected at three ethanol concentrations of 30% (SSP30), 50% (SSP50), and 90% (SSP90). We found that SSP30 represented 75.6% of the total polysaccharides, and that it contained 76.39% galacturonic acid, with many HG domains and few short side chains in the RG-I domains. SSP30 exhibited the strongest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity among the three fractions, and was better able to stabilize the emulsions. Higher Mw pectic polysaccharides were firstly precipitated at lower ethanol concentrations, and the Mw of the precipitated pectic polysaccharides decreased with increasing ethanol concentration. These results provide important information on the structure and functional characteristics of sesame hull polysaccharides. This information can contribute to the future development of sesame hull polysaccharides for industrial purposes. • Pectic polysaccharide (SSP30) was isolated from sesame seed hull at first time. • Physicochemical and functional properties of the pectin were characterized. • SSP30 fraction exhibited better able to stabilize the O/W emulsions. • SSP30 exhibited strong hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A synthetic amendment was developed to improve composting and resource recycling. • Biodegradation and maturity were analyzed, and metabolic pathways were annotated. • Dominant bacteria and fungi were similar but with different richness in three groups. • Study showed pathways of predicted carbohydrate metabolism during composting. • Synthetic amendment achieved mature compost and can be reused to conserve resources. This research investigated a synthetic amendment to improve composting and resource recycling of pig manure and biogas residue. We further examined whether adding a synthetic amendment impacts the microbial ecosystem in the composted materials. Three mixing ratios were used to investigate composting performance: no synthetic amendment (T0), 5% synthetic amendment (T1), and 10% synthetic amendment (T2) (T1 and T2 were measured as a wet weight ratio). There were no significant differences in the fundamental characteristics between composting products in T0 and T1. The moisture content of composting material in T0, T1, and T2 significantly decreased from a baseline of approximately 65% to 35.5%, 37.3%, and 55.9%, respectively. Meanwhile, the germination index significantly increased to 111.6%, 155.6%, and 62.3%, respectively. When an optimal proportion of synthetic amendment was added, T1 showed high degree of humification, lignocellulase activities, and effective biodegradation. Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant bacteria, while Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the dominant fungi in all treatment groups. Amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, glycolysis, starch, and sucrose metabolism were among the primary pathways in predicted functions. The synthetic amendment can generate a mature composting product and can be reused or recycled to conserve resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of cloud computing, people usually outsource encrypted images for saving storage and protecting privacy. However, traditional image encryption methods not only hinder the availability of images such as similarity retrieval, but also degrade the compression performance. To address this issue, we propose a retrievable image compression and encryption method(RICE). RICE takes into account the contradiction of image compression, availability and security, then propose a cascaded information bottleneck model, which includes the compression information bottleneck and the security and availability information bottleneck. The former is converted into a rate distortion problem and its optimal solution is sought by a convolutional neural network(CNN)-based compression network which includes channel space attention module and discrete wavelet transform(DWT) module. To solve the later, we propose a feature partition method to find a retrieval subset that balances the contradiction between security and availability, and design a DNA-based deterministic encryption method for this subset to support ciphertext retrieval. The ciphertext of the retrieved subset is sent to the proposed similarity search fully connected network(SimFcNet) to improve the retrieval accuracy. The remaining subset is encrypted by Non-deterministic encryption to further improve security. In general, the method RICE we proposed supports similarity retrievable in compressed domain ciphertext, and can achieve excellent performance. Experimental results show that our method is 36.56% higher than JPEG2000 at compression ratio of 60:1 in MS-SSIM, the accuracy of ciphertext retrieval can reach 0.828, and the security of ciphertext is close to that of traditional encryption methods. • Propose a cascaded information bottleneck of compression, security, availability. • A deep image compression network is proposed to ensure compression performance. • Design a feature division to find a subset that balance security and availability. • Propose two feature encryption methods to ensure security. • The method supports similarity retrievable in compressed domain ciphertext. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an increasingly complex and uncertain decision-making environment, large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM) can offer a more efficient method, allowing a large number of decision-makers (DMs) to truly participate in the decision-making process. The consensus-reaching process (CRP) is an effective method for resolving conflicting opinions among large-scale DMs. However, in the existing CRP of LSGDM, the new consensus state and the adjustment cost borne by inconsistent DMs after implementing feedback suggestions are not taken into consideration. To address this issue, this paper proposes a global optimization feedback model with particle swarm optimization (PSO) for LSGDM in hesitant fuzzy linguistic environments. An improved density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) on hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTSs) is introduced to classify large-scale DMs into several clusters, and a weight determination method that combines cluster size and intra-cluster tightness is also presented. The consensus degree of clusters is calculated at two levels: intra-consensus and inter-consensus. To improve the global consensus level with minimum cost, a global optimization feedback model is established to generate recommendation advice for inconsistent DMs, and the model is solved by PSO. A numerical example related to "COVID-19" and some comparisons are provided to verify the feasibility and advantages of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A meta-analysis of studies was conducted on the related factors of non-suicidal self-injury among chinese adolescents. • A total of 4420 records in chinese and english were retrieved after database searching, 59 of which were included in the final study, and the total sample size was 192,546. • The related factors of NSSI were discussed from three dimensions: demographic factor, personal factor, social factor. The origin, only child, gender, age, negative life events, learning stress, interpersonal relationship, childhood abuse, social support, self-esteem, bullying, depression, father-child attachment, mother-child attachment, alexithymia, sleep quality, family function, health, health adaptation, internet addiction, negative coping style, negative emotions, and impulsive behavior were associated with non-suicidal self-injurious behavior in Chinese adolescents. Over the past several decades the prevalence of adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been rising steadily. Understanding the factors associated with NSSI is a critical public health concern. The current study aims to explore the critical factors related to NSSI among Chinese adolescents. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify the studies meeting our eligibility criteria (published until June 2022) in PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Springer Link, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang data. The meta-package of R language was used to perform a meta-analysis to compute the pooled effect (r). A total of 59 studies were included in this analysis, with a sample size of 192,546. Twenty-four democratic, personal, and social factors were examined in current study. The pooled effect value (r) has revealed that 23 factors are associated with NSSI behaviors among Chinese adolescents. The factor, Internet addiction, has demonstrated the greatest association with NSSI compared to other factors. Consistent with previous studies on adolescent NSSI, findings have demonstrated that a number of demographic, personal, and social factors significantly contribute to NSSI behaviors among Chinese adolescents. Future research on prevention and intervention for adolescent NSSI may benefit from targeting these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Biodegradable plastics have been widely introduced into agricultural production, but their impacts on the soil ecosystem remain unclear. The present study investigated the impacts of a biodegradable seedling tray (BST) on the microbial communities in paddy soils. A 110-day rice culture experiment was conducted with three different paddy soils developed from black soil (BS, black chernozem soil), chao soil (CS, Fluvo-aquic) and red soil (RS, Alfisols) and three application rates of BST (0, 0.02 and 0.2 g kg−1). Soil phthalic acid ester (PAE) concentrations, physicochemical properties and enzyme activities were determined to evaluate the influence of BSTs on soil quality. 16S high-throughput sequencing was used to study bacterial community composition and the Biolog EcoPlate™ test was used to profile microbial activity and community function. Results show that the application of BSTs did not markedly affect soil quality, and the potential release of PAEs from BSTs was negligible. Interestingly, the microbial community was affected by BSTs in a soil-dependent and time-dependent pattern. The microbial community in RS was not significantly influenced by BSTs. Relative abundances of some predominant genera in BS (e.g. norank_f__BSV40) and CS (e.g. Norank_f__Nitrosomonadaceae) were significantly influenced by BSTs, and db-RDA results show that community composition in BS and CS was shaped mainly by BSTs. Community level profiling shows that BSTs significantly increased microbial activity and decreased functional diversity in BS after 55 days, but the impacts disappeared after 110 days. The results contribute to the knowledge of how biodegradable plastics influence microbial communities in paddy fields and provide information relevant to the practical use of BSTs under field condition. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The use of biodegradable seedling trays (BSTs) neither increased PAE concentrations nor markedly affected soil quality. • The influence of BSTs on soil bacterial community composition was soil-dependent. • The use of BSTs increased microbial activity and reduced community functional diversity at early stages in certain soils. • The varied microbial communities in paddy soils might be due to the labile compounds leaching from BSTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Hypochlorous acid (HClO), one of the most important reactive oxygen species (ROS), is a potent antimicrobial agent for the immune system against invasive bacteria and a wide range of pathogens. Therefore, it is critical to develop sensitive and selective methods for visualization of HClO in biological samples. In this work, a two-photon fluorescent probe HN2-TP) with long-wavelength emission (far-red: 630 nm) based on rhodamine analogue for bioimaging HClO was developed. Owing to a specific HClO induced cyclization reaction, the new probe shows large fluorescence enhancement (about 106-fold), good linear range with high sensitivity (detection limit: 40 nM), high selectivity and fast response when monitoring HClO in vitro. More importantly, by successfully imaging HClO in living cells and tissues, this kind of two-photon fluorescent probe with long-wavelength emission is expected for accurate sensing in complex biosystems, which could eliminate undesired autofluorescence and self-absorption. Graphical abstract A novel two-photon fluorescent probe with long-wavelength emission is developed for highly sensitive and selective monitoring HClO in living cells and tissues. fx1 Highlights • Hypochlorous acid (HClO) is a potent antimicrobial agent for the immune system. • A long-wavelength two-photon probe was developed for bioimaging HClO in vivo. • This two-photon probe may present new avenues for accurate sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental endocrine hormone that is commonly considered to cause endocrine disorders and even life-threatening. Herein, a magnetic separation fluorescent aptasensor for highly sensitive detection of BPA is proposed based on AHN-labeled aptamer and magnetic nanoparticles. The BPA aptamer can bind to BPA with high affinity and strong specificity. The magnetic nanoparticles not only can enrich the target to improve the sensitivity, but also can separate the target from a complex environment or a biological sample to reduce the signal of the interference substances. In the proposed protocol, the fluorescence intensity of the sensing system is varied with different concentrations of BPA. The aptasensor exhibits a liner range from 0.20 to 8.00 ng/mL for BPA with a detection limit of 0.047 ng/mL. In addition, the method shows an excellent selectivity, and can be effectively applied to the actual environmental water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines why Chinese gay individuals pursue xinghun , a performative union between a gay man and a lesbian woman, and how they navigate societal heteronormativity. Analyzing 3957 online personal ads, we found that parental pressure is the primary motivator for gay individuals seeking xinghun. Male xinghun seekers were more likely to endorse traditional gender expression and expect their partners to fulfill gendered family obligations. Our results also indicated that the imaginings of marriage and family among xinghun seekers were limited by normative gendered discourse, as they often unconsciously legitimized essentialist gender norms and rejected their own subjectivities. These findings suggest that despite rapid social changes in China, sexual minorities still face considerable heteronormative hegemony and pressure of marriage. The phenomenon of xinghun provides a new alternative for Chinese gay individuals to negotiate between societal expectations and their personal desires, yet it also highlights the limitations and challenges of such negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tanghulu-like NiO microcubes on Co 3 O 4 nanowires array anchored on Ni foam was prepared via a facile method. As a pseudocapacitor electrode, the hybrid array exhibits a specific capacitance as high as 2691 mF cm -2  at 2 mA cm −2 and good cycling stability of 84.62% retention after 2000 cycles. Remarkably, the NiO/Co 3 O 4 /NF composite demonstrates about 2 times higher specific capacitance than that of Co 3 O 4 /NF precursor at a current density of 2 mA cm −2 . The improved electrochemical performance could be attributed to the synergistic effect of uniqure tanghulu-like wire-penetrated-cube hybrid arrays on Ni foam conductive substrate. Most importantly, a red light-emitting diode (LED) can be illuminated by two connected ASCs, indicating that as-synthesized NiO/Co 3 O 4 /NF possesses great potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollow double–shelled NiO nanospheres have been successfully prepared by the calcination of Ni–based MOF precursor at proper temperatures. The morphology and phase structure of NiO samples were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD and FTIR. Electrochemical studies indicate that NiO nanospheres obtained under different conditions have distinct electrochemical performances. Hollow double–shelled NiO nanospheres calcined at 400 °C (N400) exhibit the best charge storage with a specific capacitance of 473 F g −1 at the current density of 0.5 A g −1 and with 94% capacitance retention even after 3000 cycling tests. For this merits, the N400//active carbon (AC) asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) was assembled to examine the practical application of the N400 sample, which presents high energy density of 21.4 Wh kg −1 at power density of 375.8 W kg −1 . Particularly, the N400//AC ASC exhibits outstanding cycling stability, and its capacitance retention can still reach up to 92.3% after 3000 cycles. These results indicate that the N400 sample is a promising electroactive candidate for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the problem of intentional attacks targeting to interdependent networks generated with known degree distribution (in-degree oriented model) or distribution of interlinks (out-degree oriented model). In both models, each node’s degree is correlated with the number of its links that connect to the other network. For both models, varying the correlation coefficient has a significant effect on the robustness of a system undergoing random attacks or attacks targeting nodes with low degree. For a system with an assortative relationship between in-degree and out-degree, reducing the broadness of networks’ degree distributions can increase the resistance of systems against intentional attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases account for the major cause of morbidity and mortality among individuals with diabetes. The diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a type of diabetic cardiovascular disease, which further directs to the heart failure. The researchers found that diabetes induced cardiac fibrosis plays a vital role in several of the pathological changes that associated with DCM, causing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), diastolic dysfunction and systolic dysfunction. However, the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of DCM are still elusive. Many studies have demonstrated that the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is one of the molecular mediators implicated in the progression of fibrogenesis. In diabetes, hyperglycemia causes the expression changes of microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), TGF-β genes, TGF-β proteins and their receptors. Activated TGF-β further leads to cardiac fibrosis, which in turn inducing DCM through the SMAD-dependent and independent pathways. Here, we reviewed the the molecular pathways that activate TGF-β then leading to cardiac fibrosis, which induced the pathological changes of DCM. Illustrating the pathways of TGF-ß would propose an efficient way for the management of diabetic cardiomyopathy (see Fig. 1 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases account for the major cause of morbidity and mortality among individuals with diabetes. The diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a type of diabetic cardiovascular disease, which further directs to the heart failure. The researchers found that diabetes induced cardiac fibrosis plays a vital role in several of the pathological changes that associated with DCM, causing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), diastolic dysfunction and systolic dysfunction. However, the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of DCM are still elusive. Many studies have demonstrated that the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is one of the molecular mediators implicated in the progression of fibrogenesis. In diabetes, hyperglycemia causes the expression changes of microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), TGF-β genes, TGF-β proteins and their receptors. Activated TGF-β further leads to cardiac fibrosis, which in turn inducing DCM through the SMAD-dependent and independent pathways. Here, we reviewed the the molecular pathways that activate TGF-β then leading to cardiac fibrosis, which induced the pathological changes of DCM. Illustrating the pathways of TGF-ß would propose an efficient way for the management of diabetic cardiomyopathy (see Fig. 1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of microplastics poses potential risks to soil health. Here, we did a preliminary exploration on the potential of Lumbricus terrestris (Oligochaeta) to reduce low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polylactic acid (PLA), and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) microplastic (20–648 µm) contamination in soils. The ingestion of microplastics-contaminated soil (1% of microplastics, dw/dw) in a mesocosm system and the ingestion of pure microplastics in the Petri Dish by earthworms were studied. Results show that earthworms survived in the microplastics-contaminated soil (0% mortality in 35 days) but barely when exposed solely to microplastics (30–80% mortality in 4 days). Size-dependent ingestion of microplastics was not observed. The fragmentation of LDPE microplastics in the gizzard facilitated by soil was confirmed by the significantly increased ratio of small-sized (20–113 µm) microplastics from the bulk soil to the gut (from 8.4% to 18.8%). PLA and PBAT microplastics were fragmented by gizzard without the facilitation of soil, the ratios of small-sized (20–113 µm) PLA and PBAT microplastics in the gut were 55.5% and 108.2% higher than in respective pristine distributions. Substantial depolymerization of PLA (weight-average molar mass reduced by 17.7% with shift in molecular weight distribution) and suspected depolymerization of PBAT were observed in the worm gut, while no change in the molar mass was observed for PLA and PBAT microplastics buried in the soil for 49 days. Our results suggest that ingested microplastics could undergo fragmentation and depolymerization (for certain polymers) in the earthworm gut. Further research is needed to reveal the mechanisms of polymer depolymerization in the earthworm gut and to evaluate the feasibility of microplastic bioremediation with earthworms. [Display omitted] • Lumbricus terrestris could survive in the soil contaminated with 1% (dw/dw) of LDPE, PLA and PBAT microplastics. • The ingestion of microplastics by earthworms was not size-dependent. • Microplastics were fragmented in the earthworm gizzard with/without the help of sand grains, depending on polymer types. • Depolymerization of PLA and PBAT microplastics did not happen in the soil, but only in the earthworm's gut. • The gut-related processes inside earthworms provide potential for microplastic bioremediation in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogenized metallomacrocycles with atomically dispersed active sites are identified as the promising candidates for electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR), where their unique heterointerface with interaction between sp2 carbon and macrocyclic molecules is important but remains vague. Herein, based on well-structured nickel phthalocyanine and porphyrin with the same functional groups (MeNiPc and MeNiPp), the influences of heterointerfacial effect on catalytic performances are systematically disclosed. Through the molecular structure-induced self-adaptive adsorption with optimized heterointerfacial distance, MeNiPc/graphene reveals a high CO Faradaic efficiency of ~99% in a wide potential window, greatly outperforming the MeNiPp/graphene counterpart (≤29.6%). Detailed measurements and theoretical calculations decipher that the higher CO 2 RR activity of MeNiPc/graphene is attributed to the unique electronic structures of the Ni-N 4 configurations suitable for well-suited heterointerfacial charge transfer and rapid CO desorption. Additionally, the extended research confirms the universality of heterointerface engineering on boosting the catalytic performances. [Display omitted] • The influences of heterointerfacial effect in CO 2 RR were systematically disclosed. • Well-suited heterointerfacial charge transfer steers 99.4% CO Faradaic efficiency. • Confirming the universality of heterointerface engineering on boosting activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of highly reactive core-shell Al/Co@AP composite and their physical models for the thermal decomposition of AP and the intermetallic reactions under the mutual interaction. [Display omitted] • Core-shell structured Al/Co@AP composite has been prepared. • Al/Co improved the heat release of the thermal decomposition of AP by 52.6%. • AP enhanced the heat release of the intermetallic reaction between Al and Co by 67.7%. • The physical models for the AP thermal decomposition reaction and Al/Co intermetallic reaction have been proposed. In this paper, a group of novel intermetallic metastable composites Al/Co@AP has been designed, and three methods including ultrasonic dispersion, mechanical grinding and spray-drying have been attempted for their preparation. The latter one has demonstrated to be the most appropriate means, by which the core–shell structured Al/Co@AP with desired properties could be successfully obtained. The thermal reactivity of Al/Co/AP composites prepared differently has been investigated and compared by TG/DSC technique. It has been shown that the heat release rate of AP in DSC curve was largely increased in the presence of Al/Co when spray-drying technique was used, which may be attributed to the increased nuclear site by the intimate contact. The initial reaction temperature of AP in Al/Co@AP was decreased by 7.8 °C and the heat releases by the thermal decomposition of AP and the intermetallic reaction between Al and Co were enhanced by 52.6 % and 67.7% in comparison with that of pure AP and Al/Co. The types of major gaseous products of Al/Co@AP are almost identical to that of pure AP, which include HCl, H 2 O, N 2 O and NO 2. However, the concentrations of NO 2 and N 2 O in gaseous products for Al/Co@AP are lower than that observed for pure AP, which may be due to the partial consumption of N element by the reaction of Al with acidic substance (HNO 3) decomposed from AP. In addition, the AP in Al/Co@AP composite decomposes in one-step with the apparent activation energy (E a) of 98.8 kJ·cm−3. The decomposition process of the AP in Al/Co@AP composite follows two-dimensional nucleation and growth model(A2), whereas the pure AP follows different physical models, which are close to three-dimensional nucleation and growth, chain scission and phase boundary-controlled reaction (contracting area) models. The intermetallic reaction between Al and Co in Al/Co@AP is merged into one-step following the A2 physical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) require special electrolytes, which are not always compatible with the requirements of dye sensitized solar cells. CdS and PbS quantum dot sensitized solar cells are able to show promising power conversion efficiencies in the presence of an organic thiolate/disulfide redox electrolyte. Also, an appreciable enhancement in performance is noticed when such devices are co-sensitized with a Ru-dye. The measured cell efficiencies of the CdS/dye and PbS/dye co-sensitized solar cells are 3.93% and 4.18%, respectively, which are higher than the sum of the corresponding individual QDSSCs and the dye sensitized solar cell (DSSCs). The enhancement seen with co-sensitization was investigated and explained by the fact that it suppressed back electron transfer processes in the cell, which was ascertained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the novel insensitive high-energy-density material 2,4,6-triamino-5-nitropyrimidine-1,3-dioxide (ICM-102) has lower sensitivity and higher energy(see in Table S1, Supporting Information), it has great advantages in the application of low-vulnerability propellants. In this paper, the evaluation of ICM-102-containing composite propellants has been carried out, where the decomposition and combustion performances of these propellants have been comprehensively investigated. It has been shown that the main exothermic decomposition peak temperature can be increased from 235 ºC to 350 ºC, when 6 to 10 wt% of ICM-102 was used to replace RDX, but heat release rate was largely increased. Moreover, the burning rate of ICM-102 containing propellants at 3 MPa is in the range of 6.97–7.75 mm• s − 1, depending on its content. The pressure exponent (0.5–3 MPa) is between 0.34–0.44. Compared with the typical propellants with RDX, the burn rate and the flame temperature of ICM-102- containing propellants are higher. In addition, the particle size distributions of condensed combustion products of ICM-102 propellants are narrower and smaller than that of RDX-based one. It also shows that extra products such as aluminum carbide (Al20C) and aluminum oxide nitride (Al5O6N) were produced once ICM-102 was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel Cu2S counter electrode (CE), which is prepared through simple electroplating method, is used to fabricate CdS quantum dot sensitized solar cells. The cells applying our novel CE show high power conversion efficiency in its class, reaching 2.6% under standard AM1.5 illumination, which is higher than those with Platinum CE (1.1%) and brass based Cu2S CE (1.85%). This is due to the novel CE showing superior photoelectrochemical performance and electrocatalytic property indicated by current density–voltage (J–V), the incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) curves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Compositionally gradient CrN x coatings were fabricated using arc ion plating by gradually increasing N2 flow rate during the deposition process. The effect of substrate bias, ranging from 0 to −250V, on film microstructure and mechanical properties were systematically investigated with XRD, SEM, HRTEM, nanoindentation, adhesion and wear tests. The results show that substrate bias has an important influence on film microstructure and mechanical properties of gradient CrN x coatings. The coatings mainly crystallized in the mixture of hexagonal Cr2N, bcc Cr and fcc rock-salt CrN phases. N2 flow rate change during deposition results in phase changes in order of Cr, Cr+Cr2N, Cr2N, Cr2N+CrN, and CrN, respectively, along thickness direction. Phase fraction and preferred orientation in CrN x coatings vary with substrate bias, exerting an effective influence on film hardness. With the increasing of bias, film microstructure evolves from an apparent columnar structure to a highly dense one. The maximum hardness of 39.1GPa was obtained for the coatings deposited at a bias of −50V with a friction coefficient of 0.55. It was also found that adhesion property and wear resistance of gradient CrN x coatings were better than that of homogeneous CrN coatings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Three kinds of ZnO nanowire arrays were fabricated on Au coated (110)silicon wafer by using of heating the mixture of zinc oxide (ZnO) and graphite powders at various depositing temperature. The synthesized samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analytic technology, respectively. Structural analyses revealed that the morphologies and crystal microstructures of ZnO nanoarrays were related with the substrate temperature. And control to the growth morphologies can be achieved by carefully tuning the depositing temperature. The testing results to different nanowire arrays showed that the properties of field emission follow the Fowler–Nordheim law. The quais-aligned ZnO nanowire array sample synthesized at 750°C had the lowest turn-on field of 7.4V/μm, highest β of 1028. This largest emission efficiency is attributed to the clear tip and appropriate coverage density. As well as the nanowires are straight with long length and parallel to each other with good crystal quality. The experimental results could be very useful for field emission materials and other nanoelectronics device applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two kinds of different aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) crystal microtube arrays were prepared on silicon (100) substrates by using of a simple thermal chemical reaction vapor transport deposition method. The synthesizing processes were done by using of heating the mixture of zinc oxide and graphite powders at 1150°C in a quartz tube with one side opened to the air. The O2 gas (99.9%) and air had been introduced as the assistant gases, respectively. Both the flow rates were 100ml/min. And the temperature of the Si (100) substrate region was about 400°C. There is no other metal catalyst on the Si wafers in the process. After growing for 30min, one kind of synthesized sample is trumpet-shaped hexagonal microtube arrays assisted with O2 gas and another produced sample is the uniform hexagonal microtubes only assisted with air. As the increasing of preparing time, their maximal lengths can range from several 10μm to mm scale. The microstructure, room temperature photoluminescence properties and growth mechanism of both aligned microtube arrays were investigated and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Quantum silicon nanowires (SiNWs) arrays have been synthesized by chemical vapor deposition template method without catalyst. The results of SEM and TEM reveal clear alignment of the SiNWs and each nanowire with perfect lattices is a single crystal. The growth mechanism of SiNWs without catalyst is discussed based on VLS mechanism. The unusual pattern in the Raman spectrum may be a unique characteristic of low-dimensional nano-scale materials. Enhanced photoluminescence properties may be associated with the quantum confinement effect and the formation of ordered arrays. Field emission from SiNWs arrays under various anode–cathode distances are analyzed based on Fowler–Nordheim theory. The superior field emission behavior is believed to originate from the oriented growth and the sharp tips of SiNWs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to utilize the unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in microelectronic devices, the special hetero-junction or multiple phase structure of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) array has been produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method in porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. The approach involves CVD process, fabrication of catalytic nanoparticle, and nanotube interconnection for orientation. The synthesized MWNT/SWNT hetero-junctions or multiple phase nanowire arrays were fully characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectrum. The multiple phase structures have the one-dimensional features of CNTs and build an ideal semiconductor–metal or metal–metal hetero-junction nanowire in the axial direction. The structural character and growing mechanism of MWNT/SWNT hetero-junctions or multiple phase nanowire arrays were also analyzed and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Molecular semiconductors, as the core component, determine the performance of different devices. It is essential to gain more knowledge of such materials. Hot electron spectroscopy, by applying a ballistic electron emission microscope and hot-electron transistor, has been demonstrated to be the most powerful method. This review concentrates on the achievements in several emerging fields, such as the interfacial energy level alignment and the charge transport characteristics in molecular film. As a versatile technique, hot electron spectroscopy has been found to be helpful in exploring the metal/molecule interface energy, the molecular levels, the electronic transport gap, and even the group structures. In comparison to the traditional techniques, such as ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, inverse photoemission spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling spectroscopy, this method offers in-situ characterizations, which makes the detection much more accurate and convenient. This review contributes to a deep comprehension of the intrinsic characteristics of molecular semiconductors and molecule-based devices. [Display omitted] • Hot electron spectroscopy has recently been employed to determine the intrinsic lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. • Hot electron spectroscopy has been developed to determine the highest occupied molecular orbital. • Hot electron spectroscopy has applied to acquire more informations about molecular levels, such as the LUMO+1 level. • Hot electron spectroscopy provides a powerful approach to achieve a high-efficient spin injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Kitchen waste biodrying used a compound stone amendment to partially replace sawdust. • Biomarker analysis and KEGG prediction highlight the role of the thermophilic phase. • Thermophilic phase inactivated pathogens, potentially improving nutrient metabolism. • After biodrying, microbial richness rebounded, including pathogenic microorganisms. • The new amendment improved biodrying so the product can be used as biofuel. Biodrying in conjunction with compound stone amendment was used to treat kitchen waste, which improved biodrying. After 16 days, the pile moisture content decreased from 68.8% to 23.0%. Lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose concentrations decreased from 104.6 mg g−1 d.b., 322.9 mg g−1 d.b. and 155.9 mg g−1 d.b., respectively, to 74.0 mg g−1 d.b., 224.8 mg g−1 d.b. and 134.5 mg g−1 d.b., respectively. The Shannon index for bacteria increased from 2.5 to 3.1, while for fungi, it decreased from 4.6 to 0.6. The relative abundances of Amino Acid Metabolism and Carbohydrate Metabolism exceeded 7%. The thermophilic phase during the process inactivated the pathogenic microorganisms, increased the bacterial diversity, decreased the fungal diversity, and potentially improved the metabolism of nutrients, including amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids and vitamins. The biomarker analysis and predicated protein sequences provide genetic evidence to elucidate why the thermophilic phase is the peak time for nutrient metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Kitchen waste biodrying used a compound stone amendment to partially replace sawdust. • Biomarker analysis and KEGG prediction highlight the role of the thermophilic phase. • Thermophilic phase inactivated pathogens, potentially improving nutrient metabolism. • After biodrying, microbial richness rebounded, including pathogenic microorganisms. • The new amendment improved biodrying so the product can be used as biofuel. Biodrying in conjunction with compound stone amendment was used to treat kitchen waste, which improved biodrying. After 16 days, the pile moisture content decreased from 68.8% to 23.0%. Lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose concentrations decreased from 104.6 mg g−1 d.b., 322.9 mg g−1 d.b. and 155.9 mg g−1 d.b., respectively, to 74.0 mg g−1 d.b., 224.8 mg g−1 d.b. and 134.5 mg g−1 d.b., respectively. The Shannon index for bacteria increased from 2.5 to 3.1, while for fungi, it decreased from 4.6 to 0.6. The relative abundances of Amino Acid Metabolism and Carbohydrate Metabolism exceeded 7%. The thermophilic phase during the process inactivated the pathogenic microorganisms, increased the bacterial diversity, decreased the fungal diversity, and potentially improved the metabolism of nutrients, including amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids and vitamins. The biomarker analysis and predicated protein sequences provide genetic evidence to elucidate why the thermophilic phase is the peak time for nutrient metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• j-pHs diagrams for FOR in solutions with 0

Bamboo fiber (BF) possesses advantages such as environmental friendliness, renewability, economic viability, and favorable mechanical properties, making it a promising material for improving the brittleness and tensile strength of concrete. Previous investigations have demonstrated a limited exploration of BF-reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC). Current study concentrates on investigating the mechanical properties and stress-strain relationship of BF-reinforced LWAC. To achieve this, 7 groups of BF-reinforced LWAC specimens were subjected to compressive tests, splitting tensile tests, and prism compressive tests. The influence of BF content and length on the compressive performance, failure modes and stress-strain curves was studied. BFs effectively suppressed the development of internal cracks in LWAC, playing a role in crack resistance and toughness enhancement. Furthermore, BFs significantly improved the splitting tensile strength of concrete, while the compressive strength slightly decreased with the increase of BF content. After adding BFs, the splitting tensile strength of concrete increased by 8.2∼23.7%, and the compressive strength decreased by 3.6∼11.1%. Moreover, the BF length had almost no effect on the compressive strength of concrete, while when the BF length was 10–30 mm, the tensile strength increased by 5.3∼17.6%. Based on existing researches, strength conversion equations and stress-strain constitutive models of BF-reinforced LWAC were proposed, and the models provide a theoretical basis for the calculation and analysis of BF-reinforced LWAC components and structures. • Bamboo fiber (BF)-reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) was examined. • BFs significantly improved the splitting tensile strength and ductility of LWAC. • The failure modes of specimens were analyzed based on SEM images and DIC technology. • The stress-strain models of BF-reinforced LWAC were established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 20-day sludge biodrying process was coupled with photocatalysis to improve biodrying efficiency and investigate the effect of photocatalysis on biodegradation. After biodrying, the moisture content in the coupled photocatalytic group (T CA) and the control group (T UCA) decreased from 63.61% to 50.82% and 52.94%, respectively, and the volatile solids content decreased from 73.18% to 63.42% and 64.39%, respectively. Neutral proteinase activity decreased by 9.38% and 28.69%, and lipase activity decreased by 6.12% and 26.17%, respectively, indicating that photocatalysis helped maintain neutral proteinase and lipase activities. The Chao1 and Shannon indices showed that photocatalysis increased fungal diversity and reduced bacterial richness and diversity. The β diversity clustering analysis indicated that the bacterial community structure during the thermophilic phase in T CA differed from that in T UCA. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes annotation showed that photocatalysis has the potential to promote the synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies. Biodrying coupled with photocatalysis can improve the dewatering of sludge without negatively affecting biodegradation. [Display omitted] • Photocatalysis was applied to sludge biodrying. • The negative effects of TiO 2 addition on biodegradation and microbial communities were not observed. • Coupled photocatalysis helped the maintenance of enzyme activity. • The functional metabolism of microorganisms was analyzed using KEGG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Consensus-based control of distributed generators to minimize frequency deviation. • Consensus-based control of interlinking converters to align AC subgrid frequencies. • Modifications on Backward/Forward Sweep-based three-phase AC-DC power flow analysis. • Accurate, scalable and generic method for networked islanded hybrid microgrids. This paper proposes the incorporation of distributed and decentralized control models of generators and converters into the power flow analysis of islanded hybrid microgrids (IHMG). The absence of a slack bus in an islanded microgrid presents challenges to its frequency and voltage regulation as well as power flow calculation. While droop mechanism as the primary control has been well incorporated into load flow analysis, distributed secondary control has only recently been developed for islanded microgrids. This paper proposes a distributed secondary control for a) generators in an AC subgrid of an IHMG and b) interlinking converters in networked IHMGs. Both the distributed and droop control are incorporated into a three-phase power flow calculation based on a modified Backward Forward Sweep method. The algorithm has been tested on several case studies, and the power flow results have been verified against a time-domain simulation. The proposed method proves to be accurate and useful for the planning and design of three-phase networked IHMGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Small-signal stability analysis, frequency scan, time domain simulations are carried out to analyse the mechanism and characteristics of such SSI. • A real SSO incident is reported with its field measured data analysed. Replication of this incident in PSCAD/EMTDC is conducted to validate the consistency with theoretical analysis. • Composite short circuit ratio (CSCR) and relative short circuit ratio (RSCR) are developed to investigate characteristics of SSI with two different WPPs existing in the wind farm. Recently, sporadic power oscillations in subsynchronous frequency range were detected in several permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG)-based wind farms in Xinjiang, China. Given no existence of fixed series compensation in the system, it can be concluded that this is a new type of subsynchronous interaction (SSI) and different from the previous subsynchronous control interaction (SSCI) occurred in doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind farms. Therefore, the characteristics and mechanism behind this phenomenon are so ambiguous that further clarification is needed. To investigate this new type of subsynchronous oscillations (SSO) problem, a real SSI incident is reported, and the equivalent model is established based on multi-machine equivalent aggregation. Refined frequency scan and small-signal analysis are carried out to analyse the mechanism and characteristics of such SSI. Time-domain simulations are conducted to replicate the incident. The results show that the interactions between PMSG-based wind farms and weak grids can trigger negative-resistance and capacitive-reactance effects, which leads to unstable power oscillations. To further investigate the influence of different wind power plants (WPPs), two short-circuit ratio metrics are developed, and time-domain simulations are conducted based on semi-aggregation. The potential hazards of this SSI and its mitigation strategies are also discussed and proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 11 clinical and subclinical cardiovascular indicators were assessed in 62,128 participants from Nanjing. • Heat waves can induce a variety of early cardiovascular risks or injuries within a week. • Risks or injuries included changes in blood pressure, heart rate, inflammation, blood viscosity, and cardiac enzymes. • Females and males showed distinct susceptibilities in different indicators. • Individuals with older age, abnormal BMI, or diabetes should be tightly concerned. Previous studies have related heat waves to morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases; however, potential mechanisms remained limited. Our aims were to investigate the short-term effects of heat waves on a series of clinical/subclinical indicators associated with cardiovascular health. Our study used 80,574 health examination records from the Health Management Center of Nanjing Zhongda Hospital during the warm seasons of 2019–2021, including 62,128 participants. A total of 11 recognized indicators of cardiovascular risk or injury were assessed. Air pollution and meteorological data were obtained from the Nanjing Ecological Environment Bureau and the China Meteorological Data Network, respectively. Heat waves were defined as a daily average temperature over the 95th percentile for three or more consecutive days from May to September. We used a combination of linear mixed effects models and distributed lag nonlinear models to assess the lagged effects of heat waves on clinical and subclinical cardiovascular indicators. Stratified analyses based on individuals' characteristics, including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, and hypertension, were also performed. Heat waves were related to significant changes in most indicators, with the magnitude of effects generally peaking at a lag of 0 to 3 days. Moreover, the cumulative percentage changes over lag 0–7 days were –0.82 % to –2.55 % in blood pressure, 1.32 % in heart rate, 0.20 % to 2.66 % in systemic inflammation markers, 0.36 % in a blood viscosity parameter, 9.36 % in homocysteine, and 1.35 % to 3.25 % in injuring myocardial enzymes. Interestingly, females and males showed distinct susceptibilities in different indicators. Stronger effects were also found in participants aged 50 years or over, individuals with abnormal BMI status, and patients with diabetes. Short-term exposure to heat waves could significantly alter clinical/subclinical cardiovascular indicator profiles, including blood pressure changes, increased heart rate, acute systemic inflammation, elevated blood viscosity, and myocardial injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel class of metamorphic parallel mechanism based on 3-PUPS mechanism is proposed. • The metamorphic parallel mechanism can be adapted into 32 new configurations by varying motor locking cell combinations. • A unified inverse dynamics model based on virtual working principle are established. • The derived unified inverse dynamics model has two different forms of expression, matrix form and Lagrange form. An inverse dynamics model for a novel metamorphic parallel mechanism was developed in this paper. First, the velocity relation between each moving member and the moving platform was analyzed systematically by examining the kinematics of the mechanism based on the metamorphic principle. The metamorphic parallel mechanism can be adapted into 32 configurations by various motor locking cell combinations. Second, a unified inverse dynamics model based on the virtual work principle was established. Finally, a novel 3-PUPS type metamorphic parallel mechanism was analyzed to demonstrate its universality and the correctness of the developed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An improved method considering correlated stochastic variables is proposed for PLF. • A twice-permutation technique is proposed to ensure the desired correlations. • Singular value decomposition extends the scope of the method. As the increasing integration of large-scale renewable energy sources in power systems, the stochastic characteristics of loads and renewable energy systems become much more complex and impacts power systems much more than ever. Probabilistic load flow analysis is a powerful tool to discover the stochastic characteristics of power systems. There are two important issues for probabilistic load flow analysis based on Monte Carlo simulation: (i) How to generate random samples with the specific distribution and correlation; and (ii) how to make the simulation method to work well even when the correlation matrices are not positive definite. In order to handle the two issues, Nataf transformation combined with Latin hypercube sampling and singular value decomposition method is proposed for solving probabilistic load flow problems with correlated variables in this paper. By using the singular value decomposition (SVD), the proposed method works well even when the correlation matrices are not positive definite. And the twice-permutation technique based on SVD ensures that the samples have the desired correlations. The investigation on modified IEEE 14-bus system and modified IEEE 118-bus system shows that the proposed method is accurate and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two hetero Eu/Tb-MOFs based on the same ligand H 3 BTB were synthesized solvothermally. • The two hetero Eu/Tb-MOFs exhibit different energy transfer efficiencies from Tb3+ to Eu3+. • The two hetero Eu/Tb-MOFs exhibit different performance in ratiomatric fluorescence detection of 2,6-dipicolinic acid (DPA). • The mechanism of sensing properties was discussed in detail. As one of the most important biomarkers of anthrax, accurate and sensitive detection of 2,6-dipicolinic acid (DPA) is essential to protect against anthrax disease or biological terrorist attack. This work presented seven MOFs of two different structures based on the same ligand H 3 BTB: five single Ln-MOFs [Ln(BTB)(DMF)] (Ln = Y3+ (1), Eu3+ (2) and Tb3+ (3)) and [Ln(BTB)(H 2 O)] (Ln = Eu3+ (5), Tb3+ (6)), and two optimized hetero Eu/Tb-MOFs [Tb 0.9 Eu 0.1 (BTB)(DMF)] (4) and [Tb 0.9 Eu 0.1 (BTB)(H 2 O)] (7). This work aimed at the crystal structures and energy transfer processes regulation of the fluorescence properties and detecting DPA. These two hetero Eu/Tb-MOFs 4 and 7 exhibit different energy transfer efficiency from Tb3+ to Eu3+ (4 : 15.23%; 7 : 96.86%), and the above energy transfer process could be influenced by DPA. Radiometric fluorescence detection of DPA was first studied in contrast by modulating the structure and energy transfer process in hetero Eu/Tb-MOFs. The detection limits of 4 and 7 for DPA were 0.078 μM (4) and 0.24 μM (7). In addition, 13 interferents did not affect the DPA detection. The high selectivity and good reproducibility of sensing DPA make hetero Eu/Tb-MOFs promising materials for applications in convenient bacillus anthracis detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residual levels and risk assessment of several potentially toxic elements (PTEs), phthalate esters (PAEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rural soils near different types of pollution sources in Tianjin, China, were studied. The soils were found to be polluted to different extents with PTEs, PAEs and PAHs from different pollution sources. The soil concentrations of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), di- n -butyl phthalate (DnBP), acenaphthylene (Any) and acenaphthene (Ane) were higher than their corresponding regulatory reference limits. The health risk assessment model used to calculate human exposure indicates that both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks from selected pollutants were generally acceptable or close to acceptable. Different types of pollution sources and soil physicochemical properties substantially affected the soil residual concentrations of and risks from these pollutants. PTEs in soils collected from agricultural lands around industrial and residential areas and organic pollutants (PAEs and PAHs) in soils collected from agricultural areas around livestock breeding were higher than those from other types of pollution sources and merit long-term monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV) specifically infects the epithelial cells in the midgut of silkworm and causes them to death, which negatively affects the sericulture industry. In order to determine the midgut response at the protein levels to the virus infection, differential proteomes of the silkworm midgut responsive to BmCPV infection were identified with isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) labeling followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). 193, 408, 189 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were reliably quantified by iTRAQ analysis in the midgut of BmCPV-infected and control larvae at 24, 48, 72 h post infection (hpi) respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that Oxidative phosphorylation, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, steroid hormone biosynthesis were the significant pathways (Q value ≤ 0.05) both at 24 and 48 hpi. qRT-PCR was used to further verify gene transcription of 30 DEPs from iTRAQ, showing that the regulations of 24 genes at the transcript level were consistent with those at the proteomic level. Moreover, the cluster analysis of the three time groups showed that there were seven co-regulated DEPs including BGIBMGA002620-PA, which was a putative p62/sequestosome-1 protein in silkworm. It was upregulated at both the mRNA level and the proteomic level and may play an important role in regulating the autophagy and apoptosis (especially apoptosis) induced by BmCPV infection. This was the first report using an iTRAQ approach to analyze proteomes of the silkworm midgut against BmCPV infection, which contributes to understanding the defense mechanisms of silkworm midgut to virus infection. Significance The domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori , is renowned for silk production as well as being a traditional lepidopteron model insect served as a subject for morphological, genetic, physiological, and developmental studies. Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV) specifically infects the epithelial cells in the midgut of silkworm and causes the silkworm to death, which negatively affects the sericulture industry. Studies on insect antiviral immunity and on interactive mechanisms between host cells and BmCPV are in their infancy and remain insufficient. In order to obtain an overall view of silkworm response to BmCPV infection, we performed a proteomic analysis of the midgut of silkworm responses to BmCPV infection by iTRAQ. This was the first report using an iTRAQ approach to analyze proteomes of the silkworm midgut against BmCPV infection, which contributes to understanding the defense mechanisms of silkworm midgut to virus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with thermodynamically favorable anodic oxidation reactions offers a sustainable alternative for electrochemical valorization. Herein, the atomic Ni modified CoP electrocatalyst featuring an elaborate ordered macroporous superstructure with abundant built-in mesopores has been developed from the ordered macroporous ZIF-67 single crystals, of which the distinctive structural advantages lead to a high HER performance. When the catalyst further underwent an electrochemical reconstruction, an outstanding activity with high Faradaic efficiency up to 96% of formate for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) can be afforded in alkaline electrolyte, as well as in the complex electrolyte of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic hydrolysate. Remarkably, an exotic energy-saving pair-electrolysis system coupling HER and EGOR was explored in the PET plastic hydrolysate by employing this bifunctional electrocatalyst for concurrent H 2 and commodity chemical production. Our work may showcase the rational structural engineering of advanced electrocatalysts for multiple electrochemical applications. [Display omitted] • Atomic Ni-modified CoP electrocatalyst with ordered macroporous superstructure was prepared. • A low overpotential of 119 mV @ 10 mA cm−2 for alkaline HER can be achieved. • A high formate Faradaic efficiency of 96 % for EGOR can be obtained. • An energy-saving pair-electrolysis system was explored for concurrent H 2 production and PET plastic upcycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Composite propellants (CPs) containing insensitive high-energy qy-HMX have been prepared. • The qy-HMX-based CPs has 9.64% higher heat of explosion than HMX-based one. • The burn rate of CPs containing qy-HMX is 4.38 mm·s−1 at 3 MPa, 45.9% lower than that of corresponding HMX-based one. • The average particle size of the CCPs of qy-HMX-based CPs is 71.5% lower than that of HMX-based one. Two types of qy-HMX (insensitive HMX with improved energy density, numbered 1 and 2) have been used and studied as an ingredient of HTPB-based composite propellants (CPs), and the decomposition and combustion performances have been investigated. It has been shown that the main exothermic peak temperature of blank CPs containing 21 wt% of qy-HMX-1 is 258.9 °C, which is 4.7 °C higher than that of HMX-containing one, indicating improved thermostability. The corresponding heat of explosion for blank qy-HMX-2-based CPs was measured to be 5830 J∙g−1, which is 300 J∙g−1 higher than that of HMX-based one. Interestingly, the qy-HMX-2-based CPs has higher energy density than corresponding CL-20-based ones, but it has much lower burn rate under the same pressure, e.g. 4.38 mm∙s−1 at 3 MPa for the former vs. 9.03 mm∙s−1 for the latter. Under the effect of typical conventional catalysts such as nano-CuO and nano-Fe 2 O 3 , the qy-HMX-1-based CPs showed increased heat of explosion and higher burn rate. In addition, the particle sizes of condensed combustion products (CCPs) of CPs containing qy-HMX-2 are much smaller than that of HMX-based one, where the Al 4 C 3 was produced as its unique CCPs ingredient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Wind farm layout and collector system optimization are integrated in a double-layer joint-optimization framework. • Essential factors are modelled and integrated , including 3D seabed, multiple substations, and wind turbines' fatigue. • Layer-wise design of solving algorithms is implemented to suit the different problem natures. • The effectiveness of proposed method is verified by reducing the leverlized cost of energy on a benchmark offshore wind farm. Offshore wind power is continuously developing for renewable energy generation. Generally, the overall planning work of offshore wind farms (OWFs) is divided into wind farm layout optimization (WFLO) and wind farm collector system optimization (WFCSO), which focus on wind turbines' (WT) micro-siting and sea cables' network design, respectively. Traditionally, the optimizations on these two subproblems are isolated, which lacks the integral consideration of their co-effect on the optimal planning solution. Moreover, the practicability of these optimizations also remains at a low level, with key practical factors being largely overlooked for the sake of model simplicity. To fill these gaps, this article proposes a complete modelling of the joint-optimization problem for OWF planning with a double-layer optimization framework. It not only considers the interplay between WFLO and WFCSO, but also well integrates all the essential and practical parts together, including the impacts of 3D seabed geography, the scalability to multiple offshore substations, the reliability concerns of WTs' fatigue, and the layer-wise selection of solving algorithms to suit the different problem natures. The proposed optimization method is tested on a 50 WTs system through comparative studies, and the results verify the necessity of each designed part in the proposed joint planning model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing penetration of wind power significantly affects the reliability of power systems due to its intrinsic intermittency. Wind generators participating in electricity markets will encounter operational risk (i.e. imbalance cost) under current trading mechanism. The imbalance cost arises from the service for mitigating supply-demand imbalance caused by inaccurate wind forecasts. In this paper, an insurance strategy is proposed to cover the possible imbalance cost that wind power producers may incur. First of all, a novel method based on Monte Carlo simulations is proposed to estimate insurance premiums. The impacts of insurance excesses on premiums are analyzed as well. Energy storage system (ESS) is then discussed as an alternative approach to balancing small wind power forecasting errors, whose loss claims would be blocked by insurance excesses. Finally, the ESS and insurance policy are combined together to mitigate the imbalance risks of trading wind power in real-time markets. With the proposed approach, the most economic power capacity of ESS can be determined under different excess scenarios. Case studies prove that the proposed ESS plus insurance strategy is a promising risk aversion approach for trading wind power in real-time electricity markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]