Search

The combination of water vapor, which is ubiquitous, and activated carbons (ACs), the most common adsorbent, is widely used in several fields, including energy storage, dehumidification, and gas separation, among others. Exploring the water vapor adsorption mechanism of ACs at the microscopic level is essential for optimizing material design and improving adsorption performance. So far, a large number of simulation studies based on the Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) method have preliminarily grasped the adsorption mechanism of water vapor on ACs. In recent years, molecular dynamics (MD) and density functional theory (DFT) simulations have provided new insights into the dynamic behavior of water molecules and the carbon-water interaction at the electronic scale. However, any single technique can merely offer a one-sided perspective and partial comprehension, while the absence of multi-scale simulations hinders the attainment of a comprehensive and profound understanding of the structure-function relationship between water vapor adsorption and ACs. On the other hand, the model and the force field, which determine the accuracy of the simulation, lack a review of their selection principles. Therefore, this paper reviews the current application status of common AC models and their progress in multi-scale simulation studies of GCMC, MD and DFT for adsorbed water vapor. On the one hand, the complete system of model-force field-simulation is reviewed. On the other hand, the multi-scale adsorption mechanism of water vapor on ACs is revealed, which is essential for advancing future simulation work in this field. [Display omitted] • The model-force field-simulation system of water adsorption by AC is reviewed. • The role of different simulation methods for exploring adsorption behavior is emphasized. • The multi-scale adsorption mechanism of AC-water vapor is unveiled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Converging evidence indicates that Horticultural Therapy (HT) contributes to significant reductions in stress, loneliness, and depression, notable risk factors for suicidality. This pilot study aimed to assess the initial feasibility and acceptability of HT when virtually administered. Telehealth-delivered horticultural therapy (TeleHT) was administered to groups of Veterans, including those with elevated suicide risk over the course of four weeks. Participants were each sent a package through the mail of at-home gardening supplies that were used to facilitate multisensory, nature experiences during weekly HT sessions administered via Zoom. Participants completed thermometer-based scales for the suicide risk factors of stress, loneliness, depression, and pain before and after each TeleHT session. Post-intervention qualitative assessments were completed upon the conclusion of the four-week intervention. Significant reductions in stress, depression, and loneliness risk were observed from weekly pre- to post-session measures (p < 0.05), with 89.1 % HT completion rate. Stress, pain, depression, and loneliness indices also showed small to medium sized symptom reduction amongst Veterans with no history of suicidality (Cohen's d=−0.70, d=−0.49, d=−0.62, d=−0.71), while those with elevated suicide risk at baseline also showed reduction in these risk factors with small to medium effect sizes (d=−0.58, d=−.018, d=−0.46, d=−0.41). Qualitative post-intervention assessments indicated a high degree of acceptability and pointed to the inclusion of mailed gardening packages as particularly relevant to positive experiences. While future work is needed to fully assess efficacy, findings from this pilot study demonstrate an initial feasibility and acceptability through a high retention rate and positive qualitative assessments for TeleHT that mirror that of the in-person intervention. • TeleHT results in significant reduction in stress, depression, and loneliness. • High rate of retention of 89.1 % indicates initial acceptability. • Qualitative post-assessments indicate high feasibility and acceptability. • TeleHT Qualitative and quantitative results are in line in-person HT intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• JLD improves diabetic cardiomyopathy. • TP53 is the target of JLD in the treatment of DCM. • JLD alleviates cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and inflammation in the treatment of DCM. • TNF and TGFβ1 signaling pathways are modulated by JLD in the treatment of DCM. • TP53 might regulate TNF and TGFβ1 signaling pathways. JinLiDa granules (JLD) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus with Qi and Yin deficiency. Clinical evidence has shown that JLD can alleviate diabetic cardiomyopathy, but the exact mechanism is not yet clear. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential role and mechanism of JLD in the treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy through network pharmacological analysis and basic experiments. The targets of JLD associated with diabetic cardiomyopathy were examined by network pharmacology. Protein interaction analysis was performed on the targets, and the associated pathways were searched by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Diabetic mice were treated with low or high doses of JLD by gavage, and AC16 and H9C2 cardiomyocytes exposed to high-glucose conditions were treated with JLD. The analysis results were verified by various experimental techniques to examine molecular mechanisms. Network pharmacological analysis revealed that JLD acted on the tumor suppressor p53 (TP53) during inflammation and fibrosis associated with diabetic cardiomyopathy. The results of basic experiments showed that after JLD treatment, ventricular wall thickening in diabetic mouse hearts was attenuated, cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial inflammation were alleviated, and the expression of cardiac hypertrophy- and inflammation-related factors in cardiomyocytes exposed to a high-glucose environment was decreased. Cardiomyocyte morphology also improved after JLD treatment. TP53 expression and the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ1) signaling pathways were significantly altered, and inhibiting TP53 expression effectively alleviated the activation of the TNF and TGFβ1 signaling pathways under high glucose conditions. Overexpression of TP53 activated these signaling pathways. JLD acted on TP53 to regulate the TNF and TGFβ1 signaling pathways, effectively alleviating cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and inflammation in high glucose and diabetic conditions. Our study provides a solid foundation for the future treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy with JLD. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) is a promising strategy for addressing freshwater scarcity in arid regions that extracts water vapor from the atmosphere and utilizes solar energy to drive desorption. Hygroscopic salts are commonly used to develop composite sorbents for SAWH with a high water uptake, but these salts often exhibit slow kinetics and high energy consumption for the desorption process. Herein, a natural composite hygroscopic hydrogel (NCHH) developed for sustainable and rapid SAWH, which achieved a 0.94 and 4.11 g/g high water uptake at humidity of 30% RH and 80% RH with fast sorption kinetics of ∼0.47 and ∼0.41 g∙g−1∙h−1, respectively, and outperformed most state-of-the-art hygroscopic hydrogels. To demonstrate its practical application, optimized NCHH was used to construct a prototype device for solar-driven SAWH, which demonstrated remarkable water production of about 1.33 L∙kg−1∙day−1 at a low humidity of 30% RH in an outdoor environment. Our study provides a prospective pathway for the synthesis of green and efficient composite sorbents to facilitate solar-driven all-weather SAWH. [Display omitted] • Natural composite hygroscopic hydrogel (NCHH) prepared by facile one-step strategy. • Synergetic sorption/desorption by a natural thermal/cooling gel bi-phasic system. • Fast sorption kinetics and low-energy desorption of NCHH outperform most sorbents. • High water uptake of up to 0.94 g∙g−1 within 2 h at low humidity of 30% RH. • Solar-driven multi-cycle water production of 1.33 L∙kg−1∙day−1 in arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee-shell activated carbon was prepared by a two-step activation method including carbonization process and potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation process. The influences of activation temperature, activation time and mass ratio of KOH to char on activated carbon water vapor adsorption performance were investigated by single factor design. The optimum preparation conditions of activated carbon with large adsorption capacity were determined. The water vapor adsorption experiments of activated carbon were carried out under 70% relative humidity and adsorption temperature of 298 K. Pore structure characteristics were studied via N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherm. The results show that the optimum preparation conditions are activation temperature of 1073 K, activation time of 10 min and mass ratio of KOH to char of 3:1. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area, total pore volume and water vapor adsorption capacity of the optimum coffee-shell activated carbon are 2349 m2/g, 1.036 cm3/g and 0.7409 g/g, respectively. All isotherms are type I with narrow pore size distributions in micropore region. Moreover, the obtained activated carbon was characterized by pH, elemental analysis and Fourier transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results show that the obtained activated carbon would be one of the potential adsorbents for dehumidification in solar energy drying system. • Coffee-shell activated carbon (CSAC) was prepared by KOH activation. • The effect of preparation conditions on water vapor adsorption was studied. • CSAC3 owns the maximum adsorption capacity of 0.7409 g/g. • CSACs have perfect regeneration performance. • CSAC3 could be a potential adsorbent for solar energy drying system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Traceability systems are perceived as a powerful solution to cope with food safety issues. It is important to improve the traceability for food supply chains to address potential food safety events. This paper studies the sourcing decisions in a food supply chain, in which the buyer is exposed to potential food safety events due to supplier responsibility. It is shown that the buyer may fail to source from the supplier with high-level traceability on account of information asymmetry. To address this adverse selection problem, this paper employs the certification as a screening tool, and find that the buyer could separate the two types perfectly with a pooling contract with certification, if the probability of the high type is low; otherwise, a pooling contract only separate the two types partially. This paper further considers a setting in which traceability strengthens the food safety level. It is shown that the buyer prefers the supplier with high-level traceability even the unit cost incurred by food safety events or the probability of the supplier with high-level traceability is lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic reprogramming are key features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite its significance, the precise underlying mechanism behind these processes has not been fully elucidated. The latest investigations, along with our previous discoveries, have substantiated the significant role of mitochondrial ribosomal protein L12 (MRPL12), a newly identified gene involved in mitochondrial transcription regulation, in the modulation of mitochondrial metabolism. Nevertheless, the role of MRPL12 in tumorigenesis has yet to be investigated. The expression of MRPL12 in HCC was assessed using an online database. Western blot, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were employed to determine the expression of MRPL12 in HCC tissues, patient-derived organoid (PDO), and cell lines. The correlation between MRPL12 expression and clinicopathological features, as well as prognosis, was examined using tissue microarray analysis. An in vivo subcutaneous tumor xenograft model, gene knockdown or overexpression assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, Seahorse XF96 assay, and cell function assay were employed to investigate the biological function and potential molecular mechanism of MRPL12 in HCC. A significant upregulation of MRPL12 was observed in HCC cells, PDO and patient tissues, which correlated with advanced tumor stage, higher grade and poor prognosis. MRPL12 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, as well as tumorigenicity in vivo, whereas MRPL12 knockdown showed the opposite effect. MRPL12 knockdown also inhibited the capacity of organoids proliferation capacity. Furthermore, MRPL12 was found to be crucial for maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. Both gain and loss-of-function experiments targeting MRPL12 in HCC cells altered oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and mitochondrial DNA content. Notably, suppression of OXPHOS effectively mitigates the tumor-promoting effect attributed to MRPL12 overexpression, implying the involvement of MRPL12 in HCC through the modulation of mitochondrial metabolism. Besides, Yin Yang 1 (YY1) was identified as a transcription factor responsible for regulating MRPL12, while the PI3K/mTOR pathway was found to act as an upstream regulator of YY1. MRPL12 knockdown attenuated the YY1 overexpression or PI3K/mTOR activation-induced malignant phenotype in HCC cells. Our findings provide compelling evidence that MRPL12 is implicated in driving the malignant phenotype of HCC via regulating mitochondrial metabolism. Moreover, the aberrant expression of MRPL12 in HCC is mediated by the upstream PI3K/mTOR/YY1 pathway. These results highlight the potential of targeting MRPL12 as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HCC. Graphical illustration of mechanism in HCC progress. MRPL12 is implicated in driving the malignant phenotype of HCC via regulating mitochondrial metabolism. The MRPL12 upregulation in HCC is mediated by the upstream PI3K/mTOR/YY1 pathway. [Display omitted] • MRPL12 is upregulated in HCC tissues, patient-derived organoid, and cell lines. • MRPL12 is correlated with advanced tumor stage, higher grade and poor prognosis. • MRPL12 is involved in maintain mitochondrial homeostasis in HCC. • MRPL12 promotes HCC tumorigenicity via reprogramming mitochondrial metabolism. • MRPL12 is regulated by PI3K/mTOR/YY1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing biological resources facilitates alleviating energy shortage and environmental pollution problems, but high-value utilization of these resources requires breaking the biomass structure. This study realized the clean and efficient separation of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin from tobacco stems using a sustainable H 2 O 2 -enhanced alkaline pretreatment combined with acid and ethanol precipitation. The purity and thermal stability of the separated cellulose increased from 32.49% to 92.41% and 261 °C to 369 °C, respectively. Changes in the cellulose crystal form and the solubilization mechanisms of hemicellulose and lignin were elucidated. In addition, a food-preservation film was prepared from the obtained biocellulose using the solution-casting method. After adding glycerol and sorbitol as plasticizers, the tensile strength and water-contact angle (a hydrophobicity indicator) of the biocellulose composite film increased from 125 MPa to 154 MPa and from 50.48° to 73.16°, respectively. This study provides a platform for lignocellulosic biomass separation, renewable utilization, and a practical route toward functional biomaterial production. [Display omitted] • Tobacco stems were separated into cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. • Cellulose (94.21% purity) was obtained via H 2 O 2 -enhanced alkaline treatment. • Separation mechanism of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin was proposed. • Biocellulose composite films with food preservation ability were fabricated. • Film preserves strawberries for up to 6 days at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) is a low cost photocatalyst for visible-light-driven H 2 evolution from water. However, it faces the issue of rapid charge recombination that significantly suppresses the photocatalytic activity. Herein, we report a novel strategy in which low cost red phosphorus (RP) photocatalyst and molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) cocatalyst are co-introduced to accelerate photogenerated charge separation and transfer of g-C 3 N 4 . The g-C 3 N 4 /RP/MoS 2 ternary composites are prepared by a step-by-step deposition method on g-C 3 N 4 surface. Under the irradiation of visible light, the peak H 2 evolution rate of 257.9 μmol g −1 h −1 is obtained when the loaded amounts of RP and MoS 2 are 3.18 and 0.52 wt% (g-C 3 N 4 /RP-3.18/MoS 2 -0.52), respectively. When compared with pure g-C 3 N 4 and g-C 3 N 4 /RP-3.18 in terms of H 2 evolution activity, g-C 3 N 4 /RP-3.18/MoS 2 -0.52 demonstrates approximately 859.7 and 4.4 times, respectively. The loading of RP inhibits charge recombination of g-C 3 N 4 due to the matched energy band position, the photoexcitation of RP itself increases total charge amount, as well as the presence of MoS 2 accelerates charge separation and transfer of g-C 3 N 4 /RP-3.18. These cooperative effects make g-C 3 N 4 /RP-3.18/MoS 2 -0.52 exhibit an enhanced activity. We believe that this study is meaningful for building novel efficient and low cost g-C 3 N 4 based heterostructure photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present a systematic study on the electrochemical oxidation of C3 saturated alcohols (propanetriol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1-propanol, and 2-propanol) on Co 3 O 4 in alkaline. Co 3 O 4 electrode was prepared by electrodeposition of Co(OH) 2 on graphite paper followed with a calcination step. The electro-oxidation of C3 saturated alcohols were investigated by a combination of cyclic voltammetry, multi-step chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques in KOH solution. The electro-oxidation studies at Co 3 O 4 electrode followed an activity trend in the following order: propanetriol (GLY) > 1,2-propanediol (1,2-P) > 1,3-propanediol (1,3-P) > 1-propanol (1-P) > 2-propanol (2-P). The NMR analysis of the oxidized products showed that C-C bond cleavage occurred faster in alcohols having adjacent hydroxyl groups. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy study showed that there was no significant difference in Co oxidation state in the absence and the presence of glycerol. It was also found that the KOH concentration influenced electro-oxidation of those alcohols bearing secondary hydroxyl group (GLY, 1,2-P, and 2-P) more dramatically than that of those primary alcohols (1.3-P and 1-P). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Polysaccharides by ultra-filtration from Berberis dasystachya M. (UBDP) can ameliorate gut microbiota dysbiosis influenced levels of bacteria-derived metabolites in T2DM rats. • UBDP can reverse the perturbed composition of gut microbiota, decreased the abundance of opportunistic pathogens. • UBDP can restore the disturbed fecal and plasma metabolites, including SCFA, amino acids, bile acids, etc. • UBDP play a role in the treatment of T2DM by affecting multiple pathways, multiple levels, and multiple targets. This study investigated the effects of ultra-filtered polysaccharides from Berberis dasystachya Maxim. (UBDP) on the gut microbiota and glucose metabolism in high-fat diet/streptozotocin -induced diabetic rats, and clarified the possible action mechanisms of UBDP in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The results showed that UBDP administration for 4 weeks significantly ameliorated glucose tolerance, improved organ function, reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels, decreased the glycosylated hemoglobin index, improved insulin sensitivity of the pancreas, and reduced colon morphogen and oxidative stress in the diabetic rats (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the antihyperglycemic effect of 200 mg/kg UBDP was the most significant. 16S rDNA sequencing evaluated the changes in the gut microbiota of T2DM rats, and metabolites were analyzed through metabolomic profiling. Four weeks of UBDP supplementation significantly increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and the levels of short-chain fatty acids, and the phenotypes of the gut microbiome also changed accordingly. This suggested that the gut microbiota might partially mediate the hypoglycemic effects of UBDP supplementation. Moreover, 200 mg/kg UBDP treatment significantly improved the metabolic disorder in the diabetic rats; 27 possible biomarkers were identified, mainly involved in lysine degradation; phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis; tyrosine metabolism; bile secretion; and nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism. To a certain extent, the levels of these biomarkers of UBDP supplementation returned to normal levels, which was related to the gut microbiota. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the development and application of polysaccharides from Berberi dasystachya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-precious metal electrodes, Ni and Co hydroxides and oxides, have been recently found active towards electro-oxidation of methanol in alkaline. In this article, we present a first and complete study on composition dependence of Ni–Co hydroxides and oxides for methanol electro-oxidation. Ni–Co hydroxide electrodes were prepared by co-electrodeposition on stainless steel mesh (SSM). The atomic ratio of Ni/Ni + Co in Ni–Co hydroxides was controlled by adjusting the ratio of precursor concentration. Ni–Co oxide electrodes were further obtained by annealing the Ni–Co hydroxides. The morphology factors of Ni–Co hydroxides and oxides were revealed by measuring double layer capacitance using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) performance of these Ni–Co hydroxides and oxide electrodes was investigated by CV, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques at room temperature (RT, ∼25 °C). It is found that the MOR performance of Ni–Co hydroxides increased with the increase of Ni content, while the performance of Ni–Co oxide electrodes presented a volcano plot. The highest MOR performance, the smallest charge transfer resistance and Tafel slope were found at the atomic composition of 46% Ni. Such an enhancement probably was due to the synergistic effect of co-existing Ni and Co in the spinel structure. In contrast, the electrode with the mixture of Ni oxide and Co oxide was unable to reach such a high activity. The function of Ni in Ni–Co hydroxides and oxides was attributed to facilitating the methanol oxidation, and in low potential it presented high absorption of intermediate products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Novel approaches to mental health and suicide prevention are lacking. Converging evidence has shown the effectiveness of horticultural therapy (HT) in improving mental health symptoms, but whether it would reduce suicide risk and contributing risk factors is unknown.Design: Using a cohort model, HT was delivered 3.5 h over four weekly, sessions administered by a registered horticultural therapist to veterans with history of suicide ideation or attempt who felt isolated and experienced ongoing environmental stressors with interest in learning new coping strategies.Setting: HT delivery occurred in an urban garden, through a community partnership between the VA (Veterans Administration) and the New York Botanical Garden. Guided by principles of biophilia, participating veterans took part in nature walks, self-reflection and journaling, and planting activities.Outcome Measures: Stress, mood, pain, and social isolation levels were measured weekly pre-post HT sessions using thermometer scales, with concordant validity to validated clinical instruments.Results: Of the 20 men and women with a history of suicide attempts/ideation, HT demonstrated immediate improvements after each session across all symptom domains in magnitude of reduction in stress, pain, mood, and loneliness. The effect sizes were in medium to large range (Cohen's d>.5). Additionally, a single HT session showed a sustained effect over subsequent 2-to-4 weeks as observed by the significantly decreased pre-session thermometer scores in subsequent weeks. Reductions in mood symptoms correlated with decline in suicidal ideation (rs = 0.63).Conclusion: HT intervention maybe a promising therapeutic modality for improving overall wellness in suicide prevention in at-risk veteran populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep dysregulation is prevalent among veterans and is associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation and behaviors. A confluence of risk factors have been identified to date that contribute to increase risk for suicidal behavior. How these risk factors including childhood trauma, comorbid psychopathology, impulsivity, and hostility together with sleep disturbance contribute to suicide risk remains an open question. These factors have never been examined simultaneously in a unified mediation model, as investigated in the present study, to determine their relative contribution to suicide risk. Veterans (N = 105) were recruited across 3-groups, including Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with/without a history of a suicide attempt (n = 35 and n = 37, respectively), and non-psychiatric controls, who had no history of mental illness or suicidal behavior (n = 33). The participants were assessed using validated self-report assessments with in-depth phenotyping for relevant risk factors associated with suicidal behavior including childhood adversity, depression severity, impulsivity, hostility, and sleep quality. These factors were included in mediation models using path analysis. Across all subjects including those with MDD and non-psychiatric controls, mediation analysis showed that higher levels of childhood trauma had an indirect effect on poor sleep quality (p = 0.001). This effect was orthogonal, being independently mediated by both MDD psychopathology (p = 0.003), and higher traits of impulsivity (p = 0.001) and hostility (p = 0.015). Amongst MDD veterans, childhood trauma was directly associated with increased suicide risk (p = 0.034), irrespective of their severity of depression, or their degree of hostility and impulsivity. include use of self-report data, and the inability to establish causal inferences with cross-sectional design. Childhood adversity as a significant pre-deployment risk factor for disturbed sleep and elevated suicide risk, potentially important for incorporation in clinical practice for suicide. • Childhood trauma contributes to increased risk of sleep disturbance exacerbated by military service • The effect of childhood trauma on sleep disturbance is mediated by depression psychopathology, impulsivity, and hostility • Evaluation of childhood trauma as a pre-deployment risk factor for suicide needs to be incorporated in suicide prevention [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In order to realize dehumidification and heat recovery from solar drying system, a fresh walnut-shell activated carbon (AC0) was prepared by KOH chemical activation method and used as a novel host matrix for hygroscopic salt MgCl 2 impregnation. The effects of MgCl 2 loading amounts and cerium (Ce) addition on water vapor adsorption performance of the composite adsorbents were investigated. N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherm and scanning electron microscope were employed to characterize pore development and morphology of the composite adsorbents. Finally, regenerabilities and stabilities of AC0, AC40 (theoretical MgCl 2 loading amount 40 wt%), and AC404 (theoretical MgCl 2 loading amount 40 wt% and theoretical Ce addition amount 4 wt%) were studied. The results show that water vapor adsorption amount of the composite adsorbents decreases slightly and then increases significantly with the increase of the MgCl 2 loading amount. Under the 70% relative humidity and the adsorption temperature of 298 K, water vapor adsorption amounts of AC0, AC40, and AC404 are 0.6022 g/g, 0.9410 g/g and 1.0502 g/g, respectively. AC0 does well in excellent reversibility of water vapor adsorption. Ce addition slightly promotes uniform distribution of MgCl 2 within the composite adsorbent, prevents the conversion from MgCl 2 ·6H 2 O to Mg 2 CO 3 Cl(OH)·3H 2 O, and improves adsorption-regeneration performance. The present study confirms that the composite adsorbent would be one of the potential candidates for dehumidification and heat recovery in solar drying system. Highlights • A walnut-shell activated carbon is prepared and used for MgCl 2 modification. • The effect of MgCl 2 loading amount on water vapor adsorption were studied. • The maximum of water vapor adsorption amount onto AC404 was 1.0502 g/g. • AC0 possessed an excellent reversibility of water vapor adsorption. • Ce addition improved the adsorption-regeneration performance of AC404. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

K 3 PW 12 O 40 is a promising polyoxometalate photocatalyst for the removal of organic pollutants from water. However, two main disadvantages of poor adsorptive performance and high recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pair hinder its practical applications. In this paper, a new graphene nanosheets/K 3 PW 12 O 40 nanocomposite has been synthesized via a green photoreduction strategy, being low-cost and scalable production. Characterizations show that K 3 PW 12 O 40 nanoparticles with 60 nm or so have been successfully deposited on the graphene nanosheets. As a kind of photocatalyst, the binary graphene nanosheets/K 3 PW 12 O 40 nanocomposite displays improved photocatalytic activity compared to pure K 3 PW 12 O 40 . This improvement is ascribed to the introduction of graphene nanosheets in the nanocomposite, which could increase adsorptive property and reduce the recombination of electron-hole pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Rapid in-situ electric swing adsorption reduces heat loss by converting electrical energy directly into Joule heat. • Semiconductor refrigeration and coil condensation enhance the condensation process. • A scaled-up water harvesting system is proposed and expected to be applied in practice. • A vertical structure adsorption bed was designed to load the 797 g ACFF. • 364.5 g of water was harvested in 2.5 h, with a water harvesting efficiency of 96.3 %. Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) is promising for addressing water scarcity because of its adaptability to diverse geographical and environmental conditions. However, existing research is primarily devoted to developing high-performance adsorbents and designing small-scale experimental devices, which are hampered by their limited adsorbent loading, slow photothermal desorption, inefficient condensation, and inability to meet water demands. To address these issues, this study proposes a novel scaled-up SAWH system that couples rapid in-situ electric swing adsorption (ESA) with efficient semiconductor refrigeration for realizing high desorption and condensation efficiencies. A cost-effective activated carbon fiber felt (ACFF) material with good electrical conductivity was adopted as the adsorbent, with two pieces of ACFF forming an efficient adsorption unit. A vertically aligned adsorption bed with 26 adsorption units and a total mass of 797 g (ideally suited for in-situ ESA) enabled high-efficiency adsorption. At 25 °C and 90 % relative humidity, the system reached adsorption saturation in 6 h, showing a capacity of 0.54 g water /g ACFF. After 2.5 h of desorption, the system achieved desorption and water harvesting efficiencies of 88.0 % and 96.3 %, respectively. In a single cycle, 364.5 g of fresh water was harvested, with a thermal efficiency of 31.4 % and a low specific energy consumption of 4.64 kW·h/kg. This groundbreaking design provides an efficient, energy-saving solution for water harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]