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Background/Objectives: An inappropriate intake of dietary fats can disrupt the homeostasis of intestinal microbiota, affect the host's metabolic status, and increase the risk of chronic diseases. The impact of dietary fat types on the composition and metabolic functionality of the intestinal microbiota has become a research focus over recent years. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of regular peanut oil (PO) and high-oleic-acid peanut oil (HOPO) on the composition and metabolic function of the intestinal microbiota. Methods: A dietary intervention test was conducted on SD rats fed a high-fat/high-fructose (HFF) diet. The composition and metabolic functionality of the intestinal microbiota of the experimental rats were investigated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and fecal metabolomics. Results: Compared with saturated fat, PO and HOPO enhanced the diversity of intestinal microbiota in HFF diet-fed rats. Compared with PO, HOPO significantly increased the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Harryflintia (p < 0.05), which are able to generate butyrate and acetate. Compared with saturated fat, 318 and 271 fecal biomarkers were identified in PO and HOPO groups, respectively. In contrast, 68 fecal biomarkers were identified between the PO and HOPO groups. The inhibition of harmful proteolytic fermentation in the colon may represent the main regulatory mechanism. With regard to metabolic status, HOPO provided better control of body weight and insulin sensitivity than PO. Conclusions: Compared with saturated fat, peanut oils better regulated the composition and metabolic function of the intestinal microbiota. In addition, HOPO exhibited better regulatory effects than PO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas sensors based on metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) have been widely used for the detection and monitoring of flammable and toxic gases. In this paper, p-type Cr2O3 and Ti-doped Cr2O3 (CTO) thin films were synthesized using an aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) method. Detailed analysis of the thin films deposited, including structural information, their elemental composition, oxidation state, and morphology, was investigated using XRD, Raman analysis, SEM, and XPS. All the gas sensors based on pristine Cr2O3 and CTO exhibited a reversible response and good sensitivity to isobutylene (C4H8) and ammonia (NH3) gases. Doping Ti into the Cr2O3 lattice improves the response of the CTO-based sensors to C4H8 and NH3. We describe a novel mechanism for the gas sensitivity of p-type metal oxides based on variations in the oxygen vacancy concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article on the removal of emerging organic pollutants in drinking water and watershed water using zeolite mineral composite photocatalysts. The correction involves fixing citation numbers for references throughout the manuscript. The corrected references cover topics such as photocatalysis, wastewater treatment, heavy metal removal, and pollutant degradation. The document is a compilation of research articles and reviews on zeolites and their applications in environmental remediation, catalysis, and adsorption. The articles discuss the synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic activity of zeolite-based materials, as well as their use in removing heavy metals and organic pollutants from water. The research highlights the potential of zeolites as efficient and sustainable materials for environmental applications. Additionally, the document includes a collection of scientific articles focusing on the use of clinoptilolite zeolite as a photocatalyst for degrading organic pollutants in wastewater. The articles explore the photocatalytic activity of different catalysts supported on clinoptilolite nanoparticles and investigate the degradation of various organic compounds. The studies demonstrate the potential of these photocatalysts for removing organic pollutants from wastewater and advancing water treatment technologies. Furthermore, the document provides a list of scientific articles discussing the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants like antibiotics, herbicides, dyes, and other organic compounds. The articles examine different photocatalysts and their effectiveness under simulated solar or visible light. They also discuss the use of materials like zeolite, titanium dioxide, [Extracted from the article]

Oil bodies (OBs) are naturally occurring pre-emulsified oil droplets that have broad application prospects in emulsions and gels. The main purpose of this research was to examine the impact of the OB content on the structure and functional aspects of acid-mediated soy protein isolate (SPI) gel filled with OBs. The results indicated that the peanut oil body (POBs) content significantly affected the water holding capacity of the gel. The rheological and textural analyses showed that POBs reduced the gel strength and hardness. The scanning electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy analyses revealed that POBs aggregated during gel formation and reduced the gel network density. The Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR) analysis demonstrated that POBs participated in protein gels through hydrogen bonds, steric hindrance and hydrophobic interactions. Therefore, OBs served as inactive filler in the acid-mediated protein gel, replaced traditional oils and provided alternative ingredients for the development of new emulsion-filled gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of technology, high-power lithium-ion batteries are increasingly moving towards high-speed discharge, long-term continuous output, instantaneous high-rate discharge, and miniaturization, and are being gradually developed towards the fields of electric tools, port machinery and robotics. Improving the power performance of batteries can be achieved from multiple dimensions, such as electrochemical systems and battery design. In order to improve the power performance of lithium-ion batteries, this paper proposes design methods from the perspective of electrochemical systems, which include increasing the high-rate discharge capacity and low impedance of the battery. This article also studies the preparation of high-power lithium-ion batteries. This article aims to improve the rate performance of batteries by studying high-performance cathode materials, excellent conductive networks, and high-performance electrolytes. This article successfully screened high-performance cathode materials by comparing the effects of different particle sizes of cathode materials on electrode conductivity and battery internal resistance. By comparing the effects of electrolyte additives under pulse cycling, high-quality electrolyte additive materials were selected. By comparing the effects of different types, contents, and ratios of conductive agents on electrode conductivity, battery internal resistance, high-quality conductive agents, and appropriate ratios were selected. Finally, a 10 Ah cylindrical high-power lithium-ion battery with a specific energy of 110 Wh/kg, pulse discharge specific power of 11.3 kW/kg, an AC internal resistance of ≤0.7 m Ω, a 10C full capacity discharge cycle of over 1700, a 30C full capacity discharge cycle of over 500, and a continuous discharge capacity of 10C–30C, and a pulse discharge capacity of over 100C was prepared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most challenging problems for people around the world is the lack of clean water. In the past few decades, the massive discharge of emerging organic pollutants (EOPs) into natural water bodies has exacerbated this crisis. Considerable research efforts have been devoted to removing these EOPs due to their biotoxicity at low concentrations. Heterogeneous photocatalysis via coupling clay minerals with nanostructured semiconductors has proven to be an economical, efficient, and environmentally friendly technology for the elimination of EOPs in drinking water and watershed water. Natural zeolite minerals (especially clinoptilolites) are regarded as appropriate supports for semiconductor-based photocatalysts due to their characteristics of having a low cost, environmental friendliness, easy availability, co-catalysis, etc. This review summarizes the latest research on clinoptilolites used as supports to prepare binary and ternary metal oxide or sulfide semiconductor-based hybrid photocatalysts. Various preparation methods of the composite photocatalysts and their degradation efficiencies for the target contaminants are introduced. It is found that the good catalytic activity of the composite photocatalyst could be attributed to the synergistic effect of combining the clinoptilolite adsorbent with the semiconductor catalyst in the heterogeneous system, which could endow the composites with an excellent adsorption capacity and produce more e−/h+ pairs under suitable light irradiation. Finally, we highlight the serious threat of EOPs to the ecological environment and propose the current challenges and limitations, before putting the zeolite mineral composite photocatalysts into practice. The present work would provide a theoretical basis and scientific support for the application of zeolite-based photocatalysts for degrading EOPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the R22 (chlorodifuoromethane) steam-cracking process, which is used to produce a TFE (tetrafluoroethylene) monomer, distillation is employed to separate the high-purity TFE monomer from the cracked gas generated during this procedure. Traditionally, this distillation process is carried out using five towers. In this study, the traditional five-tower distillation method was transformed into a four-tower distillation method through the Aspen Plus simulation software, and this process was simulated and optimized. Meanwhile, a double-effect distillation process was designed for the transformed four-tower distillation process. The transformed distillation process not only meets the requirements of 99.999% purity for the TFE monomer and 99.99% purity for R22 recycling, but it also reduces the footprint by eliminating one distillation tower and saves 112.9002 kW of tower load, thus reducing the operating costs. This research provides valuable guidance for practical production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on a large-scale cruise ship as the subject of research, with a particular emphasis on conditions not covered in the MSC.1/Circ.1533 guidelines. The investigation explores the impact of specific motion states of the cruise ship, including rolling, heeling, and trimming, on passenger evacuation times. Based on the maritimeEXODUS tool, simulations were conducted to replicate the evacuation process in these unique scenarios. The results of the simulations highlight a significant correlation between the cruise ship's motion state and evacuation time. Specifically, under inclination conditions, evacuation times were extended, with bow trimming leading to a notable increase in the time. This study underscores the importance of considering the motion state of a cruise ship in evacuation procedures, confirming the validity of the numerical simulation for studying large-scale cruise ship evacuations under inclination and rolling conditions. The findings contribute valuable insights for enhancing safety protocols and optimizing ship arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited solubility and stability of pea proteins hinder their utilization in liquid formulations. In this study, protein glutaminase (PG) was employed to modify pea protein isolates (PPIs) and obtain deamidated PPI with varying degrees of deamidation (DD, 10–25%). The solubility and thermal stability of these deamidated PPI samples were assessed, and a comprehensive analysis, including SDS-PAGE, zeta potential, FTIR, surface hydrophobicity, and intrinsic fluorescence, was conducted to elucidate the mechanism behind the improvement in their functional properties. The results reveal that PG modification greatly enhances the solubility and heat stability of PPI, with the most notable improvements observed at higher DD (>20%). PG modification increases the net charge of PPI, leading to the unfolding and extension of the protein structures, thus exposing more hydrophobic groups. These structural changes are particularly pronounced when DD exceeds 20%. This increased electrostatic repulsion between carboxyl groups would promote protein unfolding, enhancing interactions with water and hindering the aggregation of unfolded protein in the presence of salts at elevated temperatures (supported by high-performance size exclusion chromatography and transmission electron microscopy). Accordingly, PG-mediated deamidation shows promise in enhancing the functional properties of PPI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the structural characteristics and mechanical behavior of Fe-containing phases is important for high-Fe-level Al-Si alloys. In this paper, the crystal characteristics, thermal stability, thermophysical properties and mechanical behavior of multicomponent α-AlFeMnSi and α-AlFeMnCrSi phases are investigated by experimental studies and first-principles calculations. The results indicate that it is easier for Fe and Cr to substitute the Mn-12j site in α-AlMnSi in thermodynamics; Cr is preferred to Fe for substituting Mn-12j/k sites due to its lower formation enthalpy after single substitutions at Mn atom sites. The α-AlFeMnCrSi phase shows higher thermal stability, modulus and intrinsic hardness and a lower volumetric thermal expansion coefficient at different temperatures due to the strong chemical bonding of Si-Fe and Si-Cr. Moreover, the α-AlFeMnCrSi phase has a higher ideal strength (10.65 GPa) and lower stacking fault energy (1.10 × 103 mJ/m2). The stacking fault energy evolution of the different Fe-containing phases is mainly attributed to the differential charge-density redistribution. The strong chemical bonds of Si-Fe, Si-Mn and Si-Cr are important factors affecting the thermophysical and mechanical behaviors of the α-AlFeMnCrSi phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten carbide nanoparticles (nano-WC) are prevalent in composite materials, and are attributed to their physical and chemical properties. Due to their small size, nano-WC particles can readily infiltrate biological organisms via the respiratory tract, thereby posing potential health hazards. Despite this, the studies addressing the cytotoxicity of nano-WC remain notably limited. To this purpose, the BEAS-2B and U937 cells were cultured in the presence of nano-WC. The significant cytotoxicity of nano-WC suspension was evaluated using a cellular LDH assay. To investigate the cytotoxic impact of tungsten ions (W6+) on cells, the ion chelator (EDTA-2Na) was used to adsorb W6+ from nano-WC suspension. Subsequent to this treatment, the modified nano-WC suspension was subjected to flow cytometry analysis to evaluate the rates of cellular apoptosis. According to the results, a decrease in W6+ could mitigate the cellular damage and enhance cell viability, which indicated that W6+ indeed exerted a significant cytotoxic influence on the cells. Overall, the present study provides valuable insight into the toxicological mechanisms underlying the exposure of lung cells to nano-WC, thereby reducing the environmental toxicant risk to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, to obtain the contact parameters of particulate materials accurately and quickly in residual film mixture after sieving, the contact parameters of particulate materials were calibrated via a physical test and simulation test. By using the self-made dynamic angle of a repose measurement test bench, the dynamic angle of repose of the particulate materials was measured at 41.32°, and the standard deviation was 1.33°. A discrete element simulation of the dynamic angle of the repose test was performed via an EDEM screening experiment design through a simulation of a combination of different parameters, with the dynamic angle of repose as the response value. Through simulation experiments, three significant influencing factors, as well as the level range of each factor, were confirmed. By using the response surface experiment, a mathematical model of the dynamic angle of repose and the three most influential parameters was created. The analysis of variance showed that the determination coefficient R2 and the correction determination coefficient R2adj were 0.9824 and 0.9598, respectively. The model had a good fit. The variable coefficient was 2.06% and the lack of fit was non-significant, which showed that the regression model was very significant, and the dynamic angle of repose could be predicted according to the model. By solving the optimization for the mathematical model, the optimal combination of parameters with three important influencing factors were obtained. The results showed that the coefficient of the static friction between soil and soil was 0.38, the coefficient of the rolling friction between soil and soil was 0.08, and the coefficient of the static friction between cotton residue and cotton residue was 0.33. The relative error of the dynamic angle of repose between the simulation with the optimal parameter combination and the physical test value was 2.64%. The results could provide a reference for the calibration of the discrete element model parameters of other agricultural particulate material, as well as provide a theoretical basis for the design of related collecting and conveying machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The reconfigurable wheel-crawler walking mechanism involved in this study is a type of walking mechanism which can manage a high moving speed and good terrain adaptability given the unstructured terrain existing in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau's scientific research station. The mechanism can achieve the purpose of switching between circular tire mode and triangular crawler mode without changing the working parts through the integration of wheeled and tracked components. In this study, the grouser effect of the walking mechanism was analyzed, and the parameters with the largest traction force were obtained, which can guide the machining of a prototype of the reconfigurable wheel-shoe integrated walking mechanism. To improve the unstructured terrain traversing performance of the scientific research robot of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau station, the parameters of the track shoe of the reconfigurable wheel-crawler walking mechanism were studied. Based on a typical track shoe puncture effect model, the experimental design was carried out based on the surface response method, and the dynamic model of the triangular crawler mode of the reconfigurable wheel-crawler walking mechanism was constructed and tested using RecurDyn V9R3 software. Through an analysis of the simulation results, the interaction of the grouser parameters was further clarified, and the regression equation of the traction force of the walking mechanism was obtained. The grouser parameters that enabled the reconfigurable wheel-crawler walking mechanism to have the maximum traction were obtained; these will be used to guide the machining of the prototype walking mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent technology is the core driving force of the fourth industrial revolution, which has an important impact on high-quality economic development. In this paper, the panel data of 30 provinces from 2006 to 2019 were selected to construct a regression model to conduct an empirical analysis on the role and mechanism of intelligent manufacturing in improving total factor energy efficiency. The research results show that first, the productivity effect, scale effect and resource allocation effect of intelligent manufacturing can significantly improve the energy efficiency of the total factor, and the conclusion is still established after endogenous treatment and robustness testing. Second, the results of the action mechanism show that labor price distortion and carbon emission trading policy are important mechanisms for intelligent manufacturing to improve total-factor energy efficiency. Specifically, the corrected labor price can enhance the motivation of enterprise research and development and innovation and solve the dilemma of the low-end industrial structure, thus improving the efficiency of total-factor energy efficiency. The carbon emission trading policy strengthens the willingness of enterprises to improve the process, eliminate backward equipment and increase the research and development of green technology, and it has a positive regulatory role in the process of improving total-factor energy efficiency in intelligent manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties of Al-Si-Mg-Cu cast alloys are heavily determined by Cu content due to the precipitation of relating strengthening precipitates during the aging treatment. In this study, the microstructures and mechanical properties of Al-9Si-0.5Mg-xCu (x = 0, 0.9, 1.5, and 2.1 wt.%) alloys were investigated to elucidate the effect of Cu content on the evolution of their mechanical properties. After T6 (480 °C + 6 h − 530 °C + 4 h, 175 °C + 10 h) treatment, Mg-rich and Cu-rich phases were dissolved in the matrix; the main aging-precipitates of the alloys change from the needle-like β″ phases in the base alloy to the granular Q′ phases in the 0.9Cu alloy, the granular Q′ phase in the 1.5Cu alloy, the granular Q′ phase, and θ′ platelets in the 2.1Cu alloy. The increase of Cu level results in difference of the type, number density, and morphology of the nanoscale precipitated phase. Because of precipitation strength, the yield strength was increased by 103–130 MPa depending on the Cu contents. The precipitation strengthening effect of the precipitates was quantitatively evaluated by the Orowan mechanism. The aging-treated Al-9Si-0.5Mg-2Cu alloy shows the good strength and ductility: yield strength 351 MPa, ultimate tensile strength 442 MPa, and elongation 8.4%. The morphologies of fracture surfaces of the alloys also were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the characteristics of a tractor power transmission system, make the transmission system not only meet the geometric principle but also meet the working speed requirements of the tractor, realize the continuous adjustment of the speed ratio, and solve the power interruption caused by the change of speed ratio. This paper not only proposes a new type of five-stage hydraulic mechanical continuously variable transmission (HMCVT), but also proposes a geometric design method based on I-GA. In this paper, the intersection position of each working section is introduced in the optimization design process, and six wet clutches, one brake and two planetary rows are used to achieve a flexible geometric design. The results show that the HMCVT proposed in this paper can effectively match the required speed of the tractor. After optimization, the transmission ratio characteristics are consistent with the target characteristics (the average error is about 3.27% and the common ratio is about 1.81); the simulation results based on Simulation X are highly consistent with the theoretical design values (the MAPE of 36 simulation experiments is about 0.72%); and the maximum speed of the tractor is 41.62 km/h. The proposed HMCVT design scheme and optimization design method provide a direct basis for the research and development of the composite power transmission system of tractors or other vehicles and agricultural machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydro-mechanical continuously variable transmission (HMCVT) has complicated transmission characteristics. To analyze the influences of various factors on HMCVT's efficiency characteristics and build a more precise HMCVT efficiency characteristic model, the paper conducted a full factorial simulation test for and a modeling study on a novel five-stage HMCVT's efficiency characteristics. The full factorial test considered four factors with a total of 160 groups of test samples and used a range analysis method. Moreover, we proposed a piecewise modeling method for HMCVT efficiency characteristics based on the improved genetic algorithm (I-GA) and compared the precision of seven models. Research results showed that the working stage with the power output from the planet carrier had relatively higher efficiency. The variable pump's displacement ratio had the greatest influence, and the HMCVT's efficiency characteristics presented two variation laws with the boundary that the displacement ratio is 0. The load power and the engine speed showed a positive correlation and a negative correlation with the efficiency characteristics, respectively, and the influences decreased as the factor values increased. The modeling method proposed had high modeling precision and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of seven models was in the range of 1.6884~3.1375%. The estimation precision greatly could be improved (the MAPE reduced by 7.7024% and the R2 increased by 9.2943%) by introducing the first-order term of engine speed on the basis of a two-factor model (in which the factors were the displacement ratio and the load power). The paper aimed to offer direct reference information on parameters of the mechanical design and control strategy development of HMCVT from an energy-saving perspective in the design stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate prediction of the geological conditions ahead of a tunnel plays an important role in tunnel construction. Among all forward geological prospecting methods, the seismic detection method is widely applied. However, due to the characteristics of the tunnel and the complexity of the geological conditions, the seismic wavefield is complicated. Carrying out a more realistic forward modeling method is vital for fully understanding the law of seismic wave propagation and the characteristics of seismic wavefield in the tunnel. In this paper, the 3D staggered-grid finite-difference scheme in the cylindrical coordinate system based on the decoupled nonconversion elastic wave equation is used to carry out the numerical simulation. This method can avoid the diffraction interferences produced at the edges of the tunnel face in the Cartesian coordinate system. Based on this forward modeling method, the characteristics of wavefield and propagation laws of seismic waves under three kinds of common typical unfavorable geological models were explored, which can provide theoretical guidance to seismic data interpretation of tunnel seismic forward prospecting in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parts of the retaining wall might produce displacement under different load conditions. The moveable wall could impact the adjacent fixed wall, mainly reflecting on the variation of earth pressure and formation of the soil arching effect. This paper conducted the horizontal trap-door test to explore the variation of active earth pressure caused by partial displacement of the retaining wall. Different trap-door width and three displacement modes were addressed as the influence factors. The results indicated that the horizontal soil arching effect was generated after the active displacement of the trap-door and the soil pressure was redistributed. The distribution of lateral soil pressure was approximately an "inverted bell" curve. For trap-door widths of 20 cm, 30 cm, and 40 cm, a secondary soil arching effect appeared in the test. The relationship between lateral earth pressure and displacement was different with the traditional limited theory due to the influence of the soil arching effect. The variation curve of earth pressure corresponding to displacement could be divided into three stages. In addition, the distribution of earth pressure along the trap-door height was non-linear. Trap-door width can significantly influence the maximum earth pressure on the fixed wall and the range where pressure changes. Finally, the effect of load sharing was explored and found to be related with displacement and width of trap-door as well as the displacement mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This paper developed a kind of insulator electrified dry-ice cleaning mechanical arm, which can be used for electrified cleaning of insulator or other similar equipment in substation. Polluted flashover of insulators has always been a crucial hidden peril to the reliability of substation for supplying electricity. At present, the insulator of the substation is mainly cleaned manually in the case of power-cut, which greatly affects the reliability of power supply and operation safety. In this paper, an insulator dry-ice mechanical arm capable of electrified working is proposed. Under the regular operation of the power grid, the operator can remotely control the mechanical arm to clean the insulators of the substation with high-pressure gas mixed with dry-ice particles. This will not only ensure the regular operation of the power grid, but also greatly protects the safety of personnel. Considering the operation environment and high-voltage working conditions of the substation, the mechanism and control system of the dry-ice cleaning mechanical arm are designed, and the motion analysis, simulation, and strength analysis of the mechanical arm are carried out. Finally, the high-voltage-insulation test of the mechanical arm and the actual operation of the substation insulator cleaning working test are carried out, which proves that this mechanical arm can adapt to the operation environment of the substation, and the working is stable, safe, and reliable, which has an important application value to solve the problem in the cleaning of the substation insulator and other electrified equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of township consumption patterns has become highly significant in order to emphasize the importance of township consumption patterns in economic development and policy formulation. To attain township consumption development in underdeveloped areas is a significant way to meet the general criterion of "rich life" under China's Rural Revitalization strategy. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the driving forces that contribute to the development of township consumption in underdeveloped areas such as Gansu Province, China, and then scientifically design and implement a strategy for township consumption development in Gansu, all of which are related to the broader interests of rural revitalization. The study used 1233 township data of Gansu Province, China. The study integrated geographically weighted regression (GWR) and a spatial econometric global (SEG) model for data analysis and interpretation. The integration of these two models can comprehensively capture both spatial heterogeneity and spatial independence concurrently. First, we conducted integrated analyses of GWR and SEG models using consistent settings of spatial weight matrix elements, with GWR focusing on spatial heterogeneity and SEG models on spatial spillover. Second, the permanent resident population, the number of financial institution outlets, the types of townships, and the characteristics of townships had a substantial significant effect on the development of township consumption in Gansu, China. In addition, the ratio of residents with access to basic medical insurance was found to be negatively significant. The revitalization strategy for township consumption in Gansu Province, China should prioritize increasing the permanent resident population of townships, accelerating the development of township urbanization, accelerating the construction of township consumption infrastructures, and strengthening financial support from township financial institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus-doped hierarchically porous carbon (HPC) is prepared with the assistance of freeze-drying using colloid silica and phytic acid dipotassium salt as a hard template and phosphorus source, respectively. Intensive material characterizations show that the freeze-drying process can effectively promote the porosity of HPC. The specific surface area and P content for HPC can reach up to 892 m2 g−1 and 2.78 at%, respectively. Electrochemical measurements in aqueous KOH and H2SO4 electrolytes reveal that K+ of a smaller size can more easily penetrate the inner pores compared with SO42−, while the developed microporosity in HPC is conducive to the penetration of SO42−. Moreover, P-doping leads to a high operation potential of 1.5 V for an HPC-based symmetric supercapacitor, resulting in an enhanced energy density of 16.4 Wh kg−1. Our work provides a feasible strategy to prepare P-doped HPC with a low dosage of phosphorus source and a guide to construct a pore structure suitable for aqueous H2SO4 electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have grown La 1.37 Sr 1.63 Mn 2 O 7 single crystals with a laser-diode-heated floating-zone furnace and studied the crystallinity, structure, and magnetoresistance (MR) effect by in-house X-ray Laue diffraction, X-ray powder diffraction, and resistance measurements. The La 1.37 Sr 1.63 Mn 2 O 7 single crystal crystallizes into a tetragonal structure with space group I4/mmm at room temperature. At 0 T, the maximum resistance centers around ∼166.9 K. Below ∼35.8 K, it displays an insulating character with an increase in resistance upon cooling. An applied magnetic field of B = 7 T strongly suppresses the resistance indicative of a negative MR effect. The minimum MR value equals −91.23% at 7 T and 128.7 K. The magnetic-field-dependent resistance shows distinct features at 1.67, 140, and 322 K, from which we calculated the corresponding MR values. At 14 T and 140 K, the colossal negative MR value is down to −94.04(5)%. We schematically fit the MR values with different models for an ideal describing of the interesting features of the MR value versus B curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emissions are a prominent issue for sustainable energy production and management. Energy policies under the growing competitive environment could change the priorities of emission reduction and investment decisions. This paper aims to forecast carbon emissions from China and to rank the importance of carbon emissions with interval type 2 (IT2) fuzzy sets (FS) for sustainable energy investments. For this purpose, the quadratic model is applied to measuring emission trends and the Qualitative Flexible Multiple Criteria Method (QUALIFLEX) is used for measuring sustainable energy investment alternatives by the several emission levels. Forecasted values of 29 provinces in China are converted into the linguistic and fuzzy numbers based on IT2 FS respectively to measure the priorities of emission reduction for sustainable economies. The novelty of this paper is to propose a hybrid decision-making approach based on quadratic modeling and the QUALIFLEX method and to discuss the overall energy emission trend and policies for sustainable economic growth. The results demonstrate that emission reduction policies are the most important phenomenon and the environmental factors should be widely considered to construct sustainable energy investments and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to determine the issues that financial institutions should pay attention to in their decision to provide financing to large scale energy projects. Within this framework, taking into account the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) approach, 4 dimensions and 8 criteria that can be effective in these decisions of financial institutions were determined. After that, the importance weights of these dimensions and criteria were determined by interval type-2 (IT2) fuzzy DEMATEL method. In addition, 3 different types of banks (public, private, foreign) are listed for their performance in financing energy projects. According to the results of the analysis, the technological and financial adequacy of the company that will invest in energy is the issue that financial institutions should pay the most attention to in their credit decision. Therefore, it is important for financial institutions to visit the customer's location and pay attention to the technological adequacy in the process of evaluating the customer's demand for credit for a large-scale energy project. In addition, it would be appropriate not to provide this fund to the energy companies with high indebtedness and insufficient liquidity. Another result of the study is that state banks have the lowest performance in financing these large-scale energy projects. When this result is taken into consideration, state banks need to pay more attention in evaluating large-scale energy projects in order to avoid major losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured tungsten trioxide porous films were prepared by a non-hydrolytic sol–gel method following the inorganic route in which ethanol and PEG were used as the oxygen-donor and structure-directing reagent, respectively. The effects of aging time of the precursor solution, PEG content, and calcination temperature on the structure, morphology, and NO2 sensing properties of WO3 films were systematically investigated by using the techniques of X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and gas sensing measurements. The results demonstrated that a series of WO3 films with different microstructures could be obtained by manipulating the synthesis parameters. Furthermore, a suitable synthesis condition of WO3 films for NO2 sensing application was determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reported the inducing effect of Aspergillus flavus fungal elicitor on biosynthesis of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) in Catharanthus roseus cambial meristematic cells (CMCs) and its inducing mechanism. According to the results determined by HPLC and HPLC-MS/MS, the optimal condition of the A. flavus elicitor was as follows: after suspension culture of C. roseus CMCs for 6 day, 25 mg/L A. flavus mycelium elicitor were added, and the CMC suspensions were further cultured for another 48 h. In this condition, the contents of vindoline, catharanthine, and ajmaline were 1.45-, 3.29-, and 2.14-times as high as those of the control group, respectively. Transcriptome analysis showed that D4H, G10H, GES, IRS, LAMT, SGD, STR, TDC, and ORCA3 were involved in the regulation of this induction process. The results of qRT-PCR indicated that the increasing accumulations of vindoline, catharanthine, and ajmaline in C. roseus CMCs were correlated with the increasing expression of the above genes. Therefore, A. flavus fungal elicitor could enhance the TIA production of C. roseus CMCs, which might be used as an alternative biotechnological resource for obtaining bioactive alkaloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the challenging issues that hinders the application of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is the poor solubility and the inevitable formation of bundles. Efforts still need to be made towards solving the problem. Herein, we report a non-covalent strategy to disperse aggregated SWCNTs by aromatic cyclic Schiff bases assisted by ultrasonic techniques. The aromatic cyclic Schiff base (OMM) was synthesized via Schiff base reactions, and the molecular structure was determined by ATR-FT-IR, solid-state 13 C-NMR, and HRMS. Although the yielded product showed poor solubility in aqueous solution and organic solvents, it could interact with and disperse the aggregated SWCNTs in dimethyl formamide (DMF) under the condition of ultrasound. UV-vis-NIR, FL, Raman spectra, AFM, and TEM, along with computer simulations, provide evidence for the interactions between OMM molecules and SWCNTs and the dispersion thereof. The semiconductive (7,5), (8,6), (12,1), and (9,7)-SWCNTs expressed a preference for dissolution. The capability of dispersion is contributed by π-π, C-H·π, and lone pair (lp)·π interactions between OMM and SWCNTs based on the simulated results. The present non-covalent strategy could provide inspiration for preparing organic cyclic compounds as dispersants for SWCNTs and then facilitate their further utilization.

Thermostability and substrate specificity are important characteristics of enzymes for industrial application, which can be improved by protein engineering. SMG1 lipase from Malassezia globosa is a mono- and diacylglycerol lipase (MDL) that shows activity toward mono- and diacylglycerols, but no activity toward triacylglycerols. SMG1 lipase is considered a potential biocatalyst applied in oil/fat modification and its crystal structure revealed that an interesting residue-Asn277 may contribute to stabilize loop 273-278 and the 3104 helix which are important to enzyme characterization. In this study, to explore its role in affecting the stability and catalytic activity, mutagenesis of N277 with Asp (D), Val (V), Leu (L) and Phe (F) was conducted. Circular dichroism (CD) spectral analysis and half-life measurement showed that the N277D mutant has better thermostability. The melting temperature and half-life of the N277D mutant were 56.6 °C and 187 min, respectively, while that was 54.6 °C and 121 min for SMG1 wild type (WT). Biochemical characterization of SMG1 mutants were carried out to test whether catalytic properties were affected by mutagenesis. N277D had similar enzymatic properties as SMG1 WT, but N277F showed a different substrate selectivity profile as compared to other SMG1 mutants. Analysis of the SMG1 3D model suggested that N277D formed a salt bridge via its negative charged carboxyl group with a positively charged guanidino group of R227, which might contribute to confer N277D higher temperature stability. These findings not only provide some clues to understand the molecular basis of the lipase structure/function relationship but also lay the framework for engineering suitable MDL lipases for industrial applications.