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Marine debris characterization is fundamental for developing policies aiming at ending the flow of marine debris at the source. China has the largest coastal population in the world. For this emerging economy, the sources of debris might be different from those in regions at different developmental stages. As a typical coastal tourist city and a special economic zone in East China, there are multiple sources of marine debris continuously produced around Xiamen. Marine debris characterization here could provide insights into regulatory measures. Therefore, the abundance and composition of marine debris around Xiamen were investigated. Average densities of floating, beached, benthic macro-debris and floating microplastics (0.5 mm - 5 mm) were 3963 ± 2027 items km−2, 0.13 ± 0.08 items m−2, 20,274 ± 15,873 items km−2 and 36,455 ± 33,935 items km−2, respectively. Based on the Clean Coast Indexes, the beaches investigated were supposed to be "very clean" most of the time (73.2% ± 34.9%). Wastes with low value for recycling/reuse, such as grocery bags, ropes, and foams, were the main items of marine debris in the study area. Both domestic sources from the upstream and local fishing/aquaculture activities significantly contributed to marine debris. Obvious regional differences in benthic debris categories could be explained by both natural factors and the rural-urban gap in economic levels, waste-management strategies and infrastructure. These might be common features in this emerging market and densely populated economy. The findings provide insights into the sources of mismanaged waste around this tourist city and some neglected deficiencies in China's current solid waste management system. Unlabelled Image • The abundance/composition of debris and floating microplastics was investigated. • Wastes with low value for recycling/reuse were the main categories of marine debris. • The characteristics of debris are different from those of developed economies. • Rural domestic and fishing/aquaculture sources are the main possible sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, aqueous solution of reduced graphene oxide has been prepared assisted by the graphene quantum dot, which is then mixed with aqueous polyaniline solution to form water-borne reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline composite powder. The resultant graphene quantum dot-reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline shows a specific morphology of nanosized polyaniline firmly attached on reduced graphene oxide layer, due to the good dispersion of reduced graphene oxide and polyaniline in water. The monodispersion leads to the close contact between reduced graphene oxide sheets and polyaniline particles, significantly depressing the accumulation. It leads to the enhanced conductivity, supercapacitance and cycling stability for graphene quantum dot-reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline, with capacitance as high as 648 F g−1. After 5000 charge-discharge cycles, the capacitance of as-prepared reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline composite shows just 3.7% decay while it reaches 68% for polyaniline. Furthermore, driven by the strong electrostatic forces between the electropositive polyaniline and the electronegative graphene quantum dot-reduced graphene oxide as well as the π−π interactions, the obtained nanosized graphene quantum dot-reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline films from the controllable layer-by-layer method show the morphology of interconnected-layer networks and exhibit good electrochemical activity on H 2 O 2 in the range of 5.0 × 10−7–3.5 × 10−5 M. The detection limit is as low as 1.1 μM. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Water-borne rGO/polyaniline composite from powder to layer-by-layer film derived from aqueous rGO and polyaniline solution. • The aqueous rGO solution is prepared assisted by graphene quantum dot. • The enhanced synergistic electrochemical property benefit from the strong p-p and electrostatic interactions. • The approach evidences high cycling stability and electrochemical catalysis for the rGO/polyaniline composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper an organic molecule labeled as UPPY with both π–π interaction unit of pyrene (PY) and hydrogen bonding unit of urediopyrimidinone (UP) was employed as binding module to link the layer-by-layer graphene film. Firstly, UPPY was anchored on the surface of thermal reduced graphene (trGO) with the aids of π–π interactions forming trGO-UPPY. The trGO-UPPY showed different morphology in CHCl 3 and N,N -dimethylformamide (DMF) due to the different hydrogen binding mode. Then by the synergism of hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions offered by UPPY, multilayer film of trGO-UPPY was prepared through layer-by-layer technique. The electron-transfer resistance (Ret) of trGO-UPPY/ITO decreased from 53 Ω of bare ITO to 27 Ω. In addition, trGO-UPPY/ITO electrodes exhibited enhanced electrochemical activity toward dopamine (DA). Compared with bare ITO, the oxidation peak current of DA on rGO-UPPY/ITO can be enhanced about 100 times than that of bare ITO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out in Luoyuan Bay in March 2021. The species composition of microalgae community colonizing on microplastics called epimicroplastic microalgae (EMP-MA) was analyzed and compared with planktonic microalgae (PM) community. The species number of EMP-MA community (73) was higher than that of PM community (56). However Simpson Index and Pielou Evenness Index of EMP-MA community were significantly lower than that of PM community (P < 0.05). Although diatom was the most diverse and abundant taxa in both EMP-MA and PM community, their species compositions were significantly different (P < 0.05). Dominant species were also different between the two communities. Moreover, 12 harmful algal species were found in EMP-MA community, which may drift with microplastics and increase the risks of harmful algal blooms (HABs). This study is helpful to reveal the dispersal mechanism of HABs and potential impacts of EMP-MA on marine ecosystem. [Display omitted] • A species-rich microalgae community dominated by diatom was found on microplastics. • Microalgae living on microplastics were different from the surrounding waters. • Microplastics tend to provide habitat for smaller microalgae. • Microplastics are beneficial to the dispersal of harmful microalgae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the great importance of Yundang lagoon (China), a detailed evaluation and source identification of multiple potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is required. Low concentrations of the PTEs were found in the Diversion canal, while high in the Main canal, Inner lagoon, and Outer lagoon. Evaluation results indicated that the pollution of PTEs was widespread, and that the extremely high eco-risks and evident toxicity were owing to the great contributions of Hg and Cd. Positive matrix factorization model demonstrated that the PTEs were from both natural and different types of anthropogenic sources. TOC played a critical role in the PTEs. It was also found that the limited environmental carrying capacity and the poor hydrological condition of the lagoon may still accumulate the pollution in a progressive fashion. These findings provide a detailed information on making effective strategies of new directions for long-term prevention of PTEs pollution in the landscape urban lagoon. • The pollution of multiple typical PTEs in Yundang lagoon of China was evaluated. • The eco-risks and toxicity posed by PTEs were assessed. • Natural process and different types of human sources contributed to the enrichment of PTEs. • Efficacy of continuous remediations on sediment quality was tentatively discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An assembly motif of hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks is used to prepare a novel expanded and holey NCM (EH-NCM) with interlayer distance of 0.44 nm. • EH-NCM shows ORR activity with half wave potential of 0.93 V and H 2 O 2 yield of less than 4%, superior to the commercialized Pt/C. • The zinc-air battery (ZAB) based on EH-NCM shows a high capacity and excellent cycled stability, compared with Pt/C-based ZAB. • The theoretical calculation and potentiostatic intermittent titration technique (PITT) proved that the mass transfer is greatly improved in EH-NCM. We herein design a non-covalent assembly motif of hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOF), which is experienced by a simple carbonization process to form a novel both expanded interlayer and holey in-plane nitrogen-containing nanocarbon material (EH-NCM). The escaped species in pyrolysis from the element decomposition in the HOF plays an important role in the simultaneous construction of holey defect and expanded interlayer. The potentiostatic intermittent titration experiment shows that oxygen diffusion coefficient in EH-NCM is improved by 1 order of magnitude compared with the commercial Pt/C and the unexpanded NCM. Calculations also show in-plane defects can efficiently bind with O 2 and benefit to four-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) process, assisted by the enlarged interlayer distance. The as-prepared EH-NCM delivers ORR activity with half wave potential and onset potential at 0.93 V and 1.05 V respectively, limited current density of 6.1 mA cm−2, and a low Tafel slope of 67 mV dec−1, showing H 2 O 2 yield of less than 4% superior to the commercialized Pt/C. Also EH-NCM-based Zn–air battery displays excellent cathode performances. The accelerated mass transfer and maximum exposure of the active sites resulted from the holey and expanded dual structure of EH-NCM is responsible for the outstanding ORR performances. A non-covalent assembly motif of hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks is designed to simultaneously realize a novel both expanded and holey defective NCM (EH-NCM). Stimulated by the greatly boosted mass transfer, EH-NCM shows ORR activity with half wave potential of 0.93 V and H 2 O 2 yield of less than 4%, as well as a high capacity and excellent stability for zinc-air battery. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To discuss the epidemiology, diagnosis and surgical treatment of cranial nerve injury following traumatic brain injury (TBI) for the sake of raising the clinical treatment of this special category of TBI. Patients and methods: A retrospective analysis was made of 312 patients with cranial nerve injury among 3417 TBI patients, who were admitted for treatment in this hospital. Results: A total of 312 patients (9.1%) involving either a single nerve or multiple nerves among the 12 pairs of cranial nerves were observed. The extent of nerve injury varied and involved the olfactory nerve (66 cases), optic nerve (78 cases), oculomotor nerve (56 cases), trochlear nerve (8 cases), trigeminal nerve (4 cases), abducent nerve (12 cases), facial nerve (48 cases), acoustic nerve (10 cases), glossopharyngeal nerve (8 cases), vagus nerve (6 cases), accessory nerve (10 cases) and hypoglossal nerve (6 cases). Imaging examination revealed skull fracture in 217 cases, complicated brain contusion in 232 cases, epidural haematoma in 194 cases, subarachnoid haemorrhage in 32 cases, nasal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage in 76 cases and ear CSF leakage in 8 cases. Of the 312 patients, 46 patients died; the mortality rate associated with low cranial nerve injury was as high as 73.3%. Among the 266 surviving patients, 199 patients received conservative therapy and 67 patients received surgical therapy; the curative rates among these two groups were 61.3% (122 patients) and 86.6% (58 patients), respectively. Conclusion: TBI-complicated cranial nerve injury is subject to a high incidence rate, a high mortality rate and a high disability rate. Our findings suggest that the chance of recovery may be increased in cases where injuries are amenable to surgical decompression. It is necessary to study all 12 pairs of cranial nerves systematically. Clinically, it is necessary to standardise surgical indications, operation timing, surgical approaches and methods for the treatment of TBI-complicated cranial nerve injury. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A growing body of evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in human cancers. Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is the major antioxidant in the mitochondria, catalysing the dismutation of superoxide radicals to form hydrogen peroxide. Since the identification of a well-characterised functional polymorphism, Val-9Ala of MnSOD, a number of molecular epidemiological studies have evaluated the association between Val-9Ala and cancer risk. However, the results remain conflicting rather than conclusive. This meta-analysis on 15,320 cancer cases and 19,534 controls from 34 published case–control studies shows no significant overall main effect of MnSOD Val-9Ala on cancer risk. However, we found that the MnSOD 9Ala allele was associated with an increased prostate cancer risk (Val/Ala versus Val/Val: odds ratio (OR)=1.1; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.0–1.3; Ala/Ala versus Val/Val: OR=1.3; 95% CI: 1.0–1.6; Val/Ala+Ala/Ala versus Val/Val: OR=1.2; 95% CI, 1.0–1.3). In addition, we found that the MnSOD Ala-9Ala genotype contributed to an increased breast cancer risk in premenopausal women who had low consumption of antioxidants (Ala/Ala versus Val/Ala+Val/Val: OR=2.6, 95% CI: 1.0–6.4 with low vitamin C consumption; OR=2.1, 95%CI: 1.3–3.4 with low vitamin E consumption and OR=2.9, 95%CI: 1.5–5.7 with low carotenoid consumption). These results suggest that the MnSOD Val-9Ala polymorphism may contribute to cancer development through a disturbed antioxidant balance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sediment retrieved by coring from the center of enclosed Lake Daihai in north central China, and lacustrine sediments obtained from lake terrace outcrops, were employed to reconstruct the lake surface fluctuations and the relationships with monsoon climate since the late glaciation based on accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon chronology. Before ca. 13kaBP, the surface of the lake was lower, indicating a deficiency of effective precipitation and dry climate, the result of relatively decreased monsoon precipitation. During ca. 13–11kaBP the lake surface ascended to a relatively higher level, marking a significant increase of effective precipitation. The climate became humid, indicating strengthened monsoon rainfall. Then, the lake surface experienced a sharp decline ca. 11–10kaBP, this could suggest a severe reduction of effective monsoon precipitation and drier climate. Ca.10–9.0kaBP, the lake surface area expanded temporarily as the level rose, denoting the amelioration of monsoon-related effective precipitation and a relatively humid climate. Subsequently, the lake surface declined at ca. 9.0–7.3kaBP, reflecting the prevalence of dry climate and relatively decreased monsoon precipitation. Higher lake level and larger lake depth indicated large scale expansion of the lake surface at ca.7.3–3.2kaBP, despite some secondary fluctuations. This implied plentiful monsoon-related effective precipitation and more humid climate in the lake basin. Since ca. 3.2kaBP, the lake surface has experienced a severe fall, except for a minor rise around 2.0ka BP, indicating dry climate as a whole from waning monsoon precipitation and relatively increased evaporation. The effective precipitation variations revealed by lake surface fluctuations in Lake Daihai since the late glaciation are not only related to forcing factors such as insolation and temperature-driven air masses from the continent and the ocean, but are also influenced by regional feedback from topography, vegetation coverage and hydrological status. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Yellow River erosion through Longyang Gorge and Sanmen Gorge at 0.15 Ma corresponds with a rapid uplifting of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau and strong incision in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River. Evidence from the upper reaches, middle reaches and lower reaches suggests that this event was controlled by intensive tectonic movement and climatic change. Evidence suggests that the onset of the last interglacial in the upper reaches began a little earlier than 0.15 Ma, and coincides with lake sedimentary records, and oxygen isotope records from the Guliya ice core in the Tibet Plateau. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Microplastic pollution is widespread across most ocean basins around the world. Microplastics (MPs) are small plastic particles that have a significant impact on the marine environment. Various research on plastic pollution have been conducted in several regions. However, currently, there is limited data on the distribution and concentration of MPs in the mid-west Pacific Ocean. Therefore, this study we investigated the abundance, distribution, characteristics, and compositions of MPs in this region. Sea surface water samples collected from 18 stations showed a microplastic concentration range of 6028–95,335 pieces/km2 and a mean concentration of 34,039 ± 25,101 pieces/km2. Highest microplastic concentrations were observed in the seamount region of western Pacific. We observed a significant positive correlation between microplastic abundance and latitude across the study region. It was observed that microplastic concentrations decreased with increasing offshore distance at sites located on a 154° W transect. Fibres/filaments were the dominant microparticles observed in this study (57.4%), followed by fragments (18.3%). The dominant particle size range was 1–2.5 mm (35.1%), followed by 0.5–1 mm (28.5%), and the dominant particle colour was white (33.8%), followed by transparent (31.0%) and green (24.6%). The most common polymer identified by μ-Raman was polypropylene (39.1%), followed by polymethyl methacrylate (16.2%), polyethylene (14.1%) and polyethylene terephthalate (14.2%). The possible sources and pathways of microplastics in the study area were proposed based on the morphological and compositional characteristics of particles, their spatial distribution patterns, and shipboard current profiling (ADCP). Our study contributes to the further understanding of MPs in remote ocean areas. Image 1 • Microplastic pollution is abundant and widespread in the mid-west Pacific Ocean. • Microplastics were predominantly white fibres at sizes of 1–2.5 mm. • PP was the major polymer type in surface water. • Two transport pathways are proposed based on Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler data. This paper reports on microplastic pollution in the mid-west Pacific Ocean, including the abundance and distribution of microplastics and their potential sources and pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the largest plastic consumer in the world. Despite its plastic waste import ban in 2017, this populous economy inevitably generates a large amount of waste, including plastic waste, a considerable part of which has become marine litter. Data from the 2018 National Coastal Cleanup and Monitoring Project, the largest beach litter monitoring activities using the citizen science approach in China, have been retrieved and analyzed to understand spatial patterns, composition, and original usage of marine litter. Within this project, 24 beaches were surveyed every two months. As a result, the mean density was 3.85 ± 5.39 items m−2, much higher than that reported by previous studies in China. There were great differences in the spatial distribution of litter. The highest densities appeared in the runoff-affected area of the Yangtze River, which was another difference from previous studies. Low-density, easy-to-transport foamed plastics were the major contributor to marine litter in these areas. Along China's coast, approximately 90% of litter was from land-based sources, and over half of that originated from domestic sources. Including foamed plastic products, plastic litter with low recycling value dominated. Both natural and human factors influencing the spatiotemporal distribution and composition of litter are discussed. Socioeconomic factors, such as the lifestyle and consumption levels of citizens and local waste management systems, are possible explanations for the low-value characteristic of marine litter. The deviation between previous data and citizen science data in this study may be caused by many factors. Based on the discussion on these factors, some suggestions for citizen science research in China are also put forward. Image 1 • Litter densities from citizen science were higher than previous studies in East Asia. • The maximum site-mean density was ∼136 times the minimum one. • Large runoffs strongly affect the distribution of beach litter. • Low-density, easy-to-migrate foamed plastics prevailed in runoff-affected areas. • Low value for recycling was a main litter characteristic along the whole coast. Low value for recycling was a main litter characteristic along the coast, while foamed plastics prevailed in Yangtze River runoff-affected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• M6A is a revisable and dynamic RNA modification which affect large amounts of mRNA and non-coding RNA. • The "writing", "erasing" and "reading" of m6A modification have great impact on biological process. • Enzymes involved in the methylation exert synergistic or opposite impact on cancer progression. M6A is the most prevalent modification among epigenetics. M6A occurs on different sites of RNA and exerts important functions in specific circumstances, such as mRNA splicing, stability, nuclear export, translation or damage response. Different aspects of the concrete machinery of m6A modification have been studied, including its writing, erasing and reading capabilities. The molecular and biological functions of the m6A modification and enzymes, as well as their functions in different cancers have been substantially published. The present review summarizes these findings and provides clear description of the problems involved. The probable roles of m6A modification may acts on other cancers, suggesting that it may be a treatment target for these cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A driving cycle is a speed–time profile for a vehicle driving under a specified condition. It is usually developed from vehicle driving data collected by experiments to represent the real-life diving patterns. Because of lacking corresponding sampling theory, it is difficult for engineers to determine when vehicle driving cycle experiments should be stopped. In order to obtain sufficient experimental data, engineers normally choose to prolong the time of experiments wasting time and money. How to build a synthetical sampling subset of data representing a larger one becomes a main problem of sampling experiments. This paper, based on statistical inference theory, proposed a method to solve this problem at the city zone scale. First, the information entropy of road intersections was applied to determine the reasonable zone size. Then, according to one-month driving data of Changchun taxis and one-week driving data of Beijing taxis, it was found that the traffic distribution in city zone were able to be described by Nakagami distribution. It can pass the K-S test under the 0.05 significance level. In the order to fully use driving data, the bootstrap method was employed to conduct three resampling experiments in Changchun and five in Beijing. After analyzing the confidence intervals of distribution parameters, this paper discovered that the quality of the sampling data could be indicated by the accuracy of each zone’s per car per day per square kilometers travel times. The linear relationship between the expectation of zone travel times variable coefficient and the expectation of α ab which was used to evaluate the similarity between sampling distribution and population distribution was discovered. This relationship was also proved in this paper theoretically. Since the expectation of variable coefficient can be computed by sampling data, engineers are able to estimate the quality of these data in real time. If the α ab reaches the preset threshold, experiments can be stopped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Homogeneous BCNs rich in B-C active sites and localized phase-separated BCNs rich in B-N active sites are designed. • Influence of the differed electronic environment on the NRR catalytic performances of BCN is theoretically studied by DFT. • The BCN nanoribbon is prepared by a self-assembly method, with the excellent NH 3 productivity and a high Faraday efficiency. The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) to synthesize ammonia is an important and challenging task in chemistry, where low-cost, highly active non-metallic catalysts such as boron carbonitride (BCN) are still highly desired. Tuning the electronic environment of the active site B is an effective approach to improve the NRR performance of BCNs. However, the study on the mechanism of this effect has been seriously neglected. The diversity and controllability in atomic arrangements of BCN make it suitable for studying the relationship between the local chemical environment of boron and the catalytic properties. To this end, we design four kinds of BCN materials named as homogeneous BCN nanoribbon and BCN nanosheet enriched with B − C active sites and localized phase-separated BCN nanoribbon and BCN nanosheet rich in B − N active sites, and theoretically screen the homogeneous type BCN nanoribbons that have better NRR performances. Meanwhile, we experimentally demonstrate that the optimized charge redistribution of B atoms in BCN skeleton by tuning the electronic environment makes the B − C sites being the effective centers in NRR, and arising the excellent NH 3 productivity of 63.02 μg h−1 mg − 1 cat with a highest Faraday efficiency of 32.28 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrolysis of water is a promising method for production of the green-energy hydrogen, which is commonly assisted by high powerful catalyst. At present, developing low-cost and highly efficient electrocatalysts has attracted increasing attention. Herein, a novel composited catalyst of Zn x Ni 1-x S@Mo 2 C loaded on conductive carbon cloth (Zn x Ni 1-x S@Mo 2 C/CC) is successfully prepared by the hydrothermal method. Due to the abundant active sites of defect structures induced by the surface engineering, the prepared Zn x Ni 1-x S@Mo 2 C/CC shows outstanding electrocatalytic performances in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of water splitting, with low overpotential of 230 mV and 150 mV at 10 mA cm−2, respectively. The Zn x Ni 1-x S@Mo 2 C/CC as an OER/HER bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting affords a stable voltage of 1.56 V @current density of 10 mA cm−2. Moreover, the catalyst shows an outstanding stability after a series of electrochemical tests. This work expands the multi-field applications of carbon cloth-supported materials as efficient non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts, with great importance in sustainable energy-relative technologies. [Display omitted] • The active Zn x Ni 1-x S@Mo 2 C loaded on carbon cloth (Zn x Ni 1-x S@Mo 2 C/CC) is prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. • Excellent electrocatalytic performance in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is shown. • The sample as an OER/HER bifunctional catalyst for full water splitting affords a stable voltage of 1.56 V at 10 mA cm−2. • The prepared Zn x Ni 1-x S@Mo 2 C/CC displays excellent stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured electrochromic polymer (ECP) materials are commonly explored in electrochromic devices (ECDs) because of their fast switching speed, high coloration efficiency and long cycle life. However, the preparation of nanostructured ECP films with a single component is still a great challenge. Herein, we present a facile, efficient, low-cost strategy to construct three-dimensional reticular macroporous (3DRM) ECP films without using templates. Polyterthiophene (PTTh) is selected as the model polymer due to its good EC behaviour. The 3DRM PTTh films on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass are fabricated by potentiostatic deposition (PSD) and pulsed electrodeposition (PED) of terthiophene (TTh), and further assembled into the ECDs. We investigate the morphology, structure and electrochemical properties of PTTh films, and EC performance of corresponding ECDs. The results indicate that the PTTh film with a PED time of 240 s (PTTh-PED-240) possesses loose 3DRM morphology and large surface area. The EC properties of corresponding ECD is significantly enhanced, exhibiting a large optical contrast, high coloration efficiency, short switching time, and improved cycling. Compared with the ECD based on PTTh film with a PSD time of 120 s on ITO glass (PTTh-PSD-120/ITO), the optical contrast of ECD based on PTTh-PED-240/ITO (ECD-240) increases by 45% (31 → 45%), and its coloration efficiency increases by 107% (258 → 534 cm2/C). This study suggests that PED might be a facile strategy for fabricating high-performance nanostructured ECP films, and its preparation process is low-cost, easily conducted under ambient conditions, showing great potential applications in nanostructured polymer-based ECDs. [Display omitted] • A facile, efficient and low-cost strategy was proposed to construct nanostructured ECP films without using templates. • The as-prepared PTTh-PED films possessed loose 3DRM morphology and large surface area. • The ECD based on PTTh-PED-240/ITO exhibited a superior electrochromic performance. • The relationship of microstructure, surface morphology and thickness of 3DRM PTTh films to EC properties was revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) was applied for simultaneous determination of stachyose, sucrose and raffinose in Chinese artichoke (Stachys Sieboldii Miq.). Carbohydrates were separated on a Bondapak NH2 column using a ternary solvent mixture of methanol–acetonitrile–water (55:25:20, v/v/v) as mobile phase. Two different crafts (method 1 and method 2) for extraction and purification of stachyose in Chinese artichoke tubers were detailed and evaluated. Method 1 can meet the purpose of quantification and method 2 is appropriate for the purpose of purification. The content of stachyose in dry tubers was determined to be 236.0mg/g (from method 1) and the purity of the extracted stachyose flour was calculated to be 87.34% (from method 2), respectively. The analytical method fulfills all the standard requirements of linearity, accuracy and precision. Therefore, it is suitable for purification and routine quantification of stachyose in Chinese artichoke. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report that gastric cancer patients exhibiting high levels of heparanase 2 (Hpa2) survive longer. Similarly, mice administrated with gastric carcinoma cells engineered to overexpress Hpa2 produced smaller tumors and survived longer than mice administrated with control cells. These beneficial effects were found to associate with increased phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) that play an instrumental role in cell metabolism and is situated at the center of a tumor suppressor network. We also found that MG132, an inhibitor of the proteasome that results in proteotoxic stress, prominently enhances Hpa2 expression. Notably, Hpa2 induction by MG132 appeared to be mediated by AMPK, thus establishing a loop that feeds itself where Hpa2 enhances AMPK phosphorylation that, in turn, induces Hpa2 expression, possibly leading to attenuation of gastric tumorigenesis. Heparanase is highly implicated in tumor metastasis due to its capacity to cleave heparan sulfate and, consequently, remodel the extracellular matrix underlying epithelial and endothelial cells. In striking contrast, only little attention was given to its close homolog, heparanase 2 (Hpa2), possibly because it lacks heparan sulfate-degrading activity typical of heparanase. We subjected sections of gastric carcinoma to immunostaining and correlated Hpa2 immunoreactivity with clinical records, including tumor grade, stage and patients' status. We over-expressed Hpa2 in gastric carcinoma cell lines and examined their tumorigenic properties in vitro and in vivo. We also evaluated the expression of Hpa2 by gastric carcinoma cells following inhibition of the proteasome, leading to proteotoxic stress, and the resulting signaling responsible for Hpa2 gene regulation. Here, we report that gastric cancer patients exhibiting high levels of Hpa2 survive longer. Similarly, mice administrated with gastric carcinoma cells engineered to over-express Hpa2 produced smaller tumors and survived longer than mice administrated with control cells. This was associated with increased phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a kinase that is situated at the center of a tumor suppressor network. We also found that MG132, an inhibitor of the proteasome that results in proteotoxic stress, prominently enhances Hpa2 expression. Notably, Hpa2 induction by MG132 appeared to be mediated by AMPK, and AMPK was found to induce the expression of Hpa2, thus establishing a loop that feeds itself where Hpa2 enhances AMPK phosphorylation that, in turn, induces Hpa2 expression, leading to attenuation of gastric tumorigenesis. These results indicate that high levels of Hpa2 in some tumors are due to stress conditions that tumors often experience due to their high rates of cell proliferation and high metabolic demands. This increase in Hpa2 levels by the stressed tumors appears critically important for patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Prevalence of microplastics (MPs) throughout the world's oceans has raised growing concerns due to its detrimental effects on the environment and living organisms. Most recent studies of MPs, however, have focused on the estuaries and coastal regions. There is a lack of study of MPs pollution in the open ocean. In the present study, we conducted field observations to investigate the abundance, spatial distribution, and characteristics (composite, size, color, shape and surface morphology) of MPs at the surface of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Samples of MPs were collected at 18 field stations in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean using a surface manta trawl with a mesh size of ~330 μm and width of 1 m from August 25 to September 26, 2017. The MPs were characterized using light microscopy, Micro-Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our field survey results indicate the ubiquity of MPs at all stations with an abundance from 6.4 × 102 items km−2 to 4.2 × 104 items km−2 and an average abundance of 1.0 × 104 items km−2. The Micro-Raman spectroscopic analysis of the MPs samples collected during our field survey indicates that the dominant MPs is polyethylene (57.8%), followed by polypropylene (36.0%) and nylon (3.4%). The individual chemical compositions of MPs from the stations within the latitude range 123–146°E are comparable with each other, with PE being the dominating composition. Similar chemical fingerprints were observed at these field stations, suggesting that the MPs originated from similar sources. In contrast, the major MPs at the field stations adjacent to Japan is polypropylene, which may originate from the nearby land along the coast of Japan. Physical oceanography parameters were also collected at these stations. The spatial distribution of MPs is largely attributed to the combined effects of flow pattern, adjacent ocean circulation eddies, the Kuroshio and Kuroshio Extension system. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The microplastics were surveyed and the physical oceanographic parameters in the Northwestern Pacific were measured. • Microplastics are prevalent with various colors, sizes, shapes and chemical compositions in the open sea. • The mechanisms for microplastic distribution were proposed by chemical composition and the physical oceanographic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Poly (3-methylthiophene) covalently bonded to ITO electrode modified with 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid was synthesized and employed in the fabrication of high-performance polymer electrochromic device. Highlights • The PMeT film covalently bonded to ITO electrode was prepared using ThCA as modifier. • The adsorption force between the PMeT film and ITO electrode was enhanced. • The ECD based on PMeT-ITO exhibited better electrochromic stability. Abstract In this paper, we modified the surface of Indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode with 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid (ThCA), and then prepared the poly (3-methylthiophene) (PMeT) film covalently bonded to ITO electrode (PMeT-ITO) by electrochemical polymerization. It was found that interfacial modification enhanced the adsorption force between PMeT and ITO substrate, PMeT-ITO exhibited better stability. Moreover, we successfully fabricated the electrochromic device (ECD) by using PMeT films on ITO substrate. The results of cycling tests showed that the optical contrast of ECD based on PMeT-ITO was kept almost the same after recycling 66 times. Compared with ECD based on PMeT physically adsorbed on bare ITO substrate (PD-PMeT), the ECD based on PMeT-ITO possessed good electrochromic stability in the 150 cycles. This demonstrated that the interaction between PMeT and ITO substrate became stronger by chemical bonding approach, improving the cyclic stability of ECD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological pump plays a critical role in the occurrence and fate of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) mostly in temperate and frigid oligotrophic waters. However, the factors for the long-term occurrence and fate of HOCs in subtropical eutrophic waters remain largely unknown. This study provides novel insights into biogeochemical and physical factors on the annual occurrence, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the plankton food webs of four Chinese subtropical eutrophic lakes by one-year simultaneous field observations for five compartments. The annual mean ΣPAH 16 in the water columns ranged from 359.69 ± 31.52 ng L −1 to 682.69 ± 65.41 ng L −1 , and increased with the annual mean trophic state index, and phytoplankton biomass of these lakes, but was independent on the proximity of the lakes to urban areas. Biodilution effect played an important role in the occurrence of the PAHs in both phytoplankton and zooplankton. In contrast to previous studies in oligotrophic waters, not only the biological pump but also the equilibrium partitioning and the indirect influence of eutrophication (high pH induced by phytoplankton, and phytoplankton life cycling) modulated the annual occurrence of the PAHs in the water columns of these eutrophic lakes. Biphasic correlations were found between the bioaccumulation factors of the PAHs by plankton and the temperature (n = 97–136, R 2  = 0.06–0.24, p  ≤ .008), and were related to plankton phenology. Bioaccumulation factors by plankton were dependent on the hydrophobicity of the PAHs (n = 16, R 2  = 0.27–0.31, p  ≤ .023), and decreased with plankton biomass (n = 94–103, R 2  = 0.09–0.27, p  ≤ .010). Trophic transfer of the PAHs from phytoplankton to zooplankton increased with phytoplankton biomass (n = 26, R 2  = 0.27, p  = .004), and the temperature (n = 102–135, R 2  = 0.06–0.13, p  ≤ .004), but decreased with lake trophic state index. Biomagnification only occurred during phytoplankton bloom periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) are toxic and ubiquitous in aquatic environments and pose great risks to aquatic organisms. Bioaccumulation by plankton is the first step for HOCs to enter aquatic food webs. Trophic status is considered to dominate variations in bioaccumulation of HOCs in plankton in temperate and frigid deep oligotrophic waters. However, long-term driving factors for bioaccumulation of HOCs in planktonic food webs of subtropical shallow eutrophic waters have not been well investigated. China has the largest subtropical lake density in the Northern Hemisphere. Due to limited field data, long-term variations in the bioaccumulation of HOCs in these lakes are almost unknown. Here we take Lake Xuanwu as an example to investigate long-term variations in the bioaccumulation, and biomagnification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) in planktonic food webs of subtropical shallow eutrophic lakes in China, and elucidate the driving factors. Our results indicate that temperature rather than nutrients dominates long-term dynamics of planktonic biomass in this lake. Precipitation significantly enhances the concentrations of the PAHs, and total suspended particles, and consequently affects the distribution of the PAHs in the water column. Biomass dilution induced by temperature dominates bioaccumulation of the PAHs by both phytoplankton and zooplankton (copepods and cladocerans). Biomagnification of the PAHs from phytoplankton to zooplankton is positively correlated with temperature. Our study suggests that temperature and precipitation drive long-term variations in the bioaccumulation of the PAHs in the planktonic food webs of this subtropical shallow eutrophic lake. Lake Xuanwu has a similar mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, sunshine duration, and nutrient levels as other subtropical shallow eutrophic lakes in China. This study may also help to understand the bioaccumulation of HOCs in planktonic food webs of other subtropical shallow eutrophic lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic and environmental changes in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau are controlled by the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) and the westerlies, two key circulation components of the global climate system which directly affect a large human population and associated ecosystems in eastern Asia. During the past few decades, a series of Holocene palaeoclimatic records have been obtained from sediment cores from Lake Qinghai and from various other geological archives in the surrounding area of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. However, because of uncertainties regarding the sediment chronologies and the climatic significance of the proxies used, the nature of Holocene climatic changes in the region remains unclear and even controversial. Here we review all major classes of the published data from drilled cores from Lake Qinghai, as well as other evidence from lakes and aeolian deposits from surrounding areas, in order to reconstruct changes in moisture patterns and possible summer monsoon evolution in the area during the Holocene. Combining the results of moisture and precipitation proxies such as vegetation history, pollen-based precipitation reconstruction, aeolian activity, lake water depth/lake level changes, salinity and sediment redness, we conclude that moisture and precipitation began to increase in the early Holocene, reached their maximum during the middle Holocene, and decreased during the late Holocene - similar to the pattern of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) in northern China. It is clear that the region experienced a relatively dry climate and weak EASM during the early Holocene, as indicated by relatively low tree pollen percentages and fluctuating pollen concentrations; generally low lake levels of Lake Qinghai and the adjacent Lake Hurleg and Lake Toson in the Qaidam Basin; and widely distributed aeolian sand deposition in the Lake Qinghai Basin and the nearby Gonghe Basin to the south, and in the eastern Qaidam Basin to the west. We argue that the ostracod δ 18 O record, which is widely used as a proxy of effective moisture and summer monsoon intensity in lake sediments, at least in Lake Qinghai, and which exhibits light values in the early Holocene and heavier values thereafter, cannot be used to reflect the strength of the EASM or the intensity of monsoon precipitation - as is also the case for leaf wax δ 2 H records. Rather, we argue that as is the case of the Chinese speleothem δ 18 O record, which also is often interpreted as an EASM proxy, it reflects variation in the δ 18 O of precipitation. Overall, we suggest that the EASM significantly affected precipitation in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau during the Holocene; and that it increased in strength during the early Holocene, reached a maximum during the middle Holocene and decreased during the late Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate was modified with 4-aminobenzylphosphonic acid (ABPA), and then the polyaniline (PANI) film covalently bonded to ITO substrate was prepared by the chemical oxidation polymerization. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements demonstrated that chemical binding was formed between PANI and ABPA-modified ITO surface, and the maximum thickness of PANI layer is about 30 nm. The adhesive strength of PANI film on ITO substrate was tested by sonication. It was found that the film formed on the modified ITO exhibited a much better stability than that on bare one. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and UV–vis spectroscopy measurements indicated that the oxidative potentials of PANI film on ABPA-modified ITO substrate were decreased and the film exhibited high electrochemical activities. Moreover, the optical contrast increased from 0.58 for PANI film (without ultrasound) to 1.06 for PANI film (after ultrasound for 60 min), which had an over 83% enhancement. The coloration time was 20.8 s, while the bleaching time was 19.5 s. The increase of electrochromic switching time was due to the lower ion diffusion coefficient of the large cation of (C 4 H 9 ) 4 N + under the positive and negative potentials as comparison with the small Li + ion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]