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An 8-week feeding trial investigated the optimum dietary vitamin K3 requirements of largemouth bass. A total of 600 healthy fish (12.96 ± 0.07 g) were fed diets containing varying levels of vitamin K3 at 0.78 (K0), 5.80 (K5), 10.82 (K10), 15.84 (K15), and 20.85 (K20) mg/kg with four replicates per level. Results showed that dietary vitamin K3 enhanced growth, with weight gain rate and specific growth rate in K15 trials significantly higher than K0 trials (P 0.05). However, the supplementation of vitamin K3 significantly contributed to calcium accumulation in muscle tissues and vertebrae (P 0.05). The antioxidant capacity was improved with the addition of vitamin K3, which was inconsistent with the changes in malondialdehyde and MK-4 (a form of menaquinone) within liver and serum, suggesting that the toxicity of excessive artificial vitamin K3 may account for this difference. Using regression analysis, the appropriate dietary vitamin K3 levels within a largemouth bass diet was determined to be in the range of 9.93–15.22 mg/kg, which will provide a reference for the preparation of vitamin premix and artificial diet for largemouth bass.

The induction of oxidative species, driven by oscillating electric field (E), has recently emerged as an effective approach for tumor inhibition, so-called electrodynamic therapy (EDT). While it offers a series of advantages attracting considerable attention, the fundamental mechanism and improvement strategies for EDT approach are being endeavored extensively with the aid of new material explorations. An interesting phenomenon observed in early studies is that the on-site concentration of chloride ion is highly favored for the induction of oxidative species and the efficacy of tumor inhibition. Following this discovery ignored previously, here for the first time, fine Pt/Cu alloy nanoparticles (PtCu3 NPs) are integrated with chloride ion transporter (CIT) for EDT-based combinational therapy. In this system, while PtCu3 NPs induce oxidative species under an electric field, it also effectively transforms endogenous H2O2 into •OH and consumes intracellular glutathione (GSH). More importantly, with the aid of CIT, PtCu3-PEG@CIT NPs promote the intracellular concentration of chloride ion (Cl−) by transporting extracellular Cl−, facilitating the generation of oxidative species considerably. Meanwhile, CIT delivered intracellularly increases lysosomal pH, leading to the disruption of cellular autophagy and weakening the treatment resistance. In consequence, significant tumor inhibition is enabled both in vitro and in vivo, due to the combination of unique characteristics offered by PtCu3-PEG@CIT.

SUMMARYThe chemical reaction networks (CRNs), which led to the transition on early Earth from geochemistry to biochemistry remain unknown. We show that under mild hydrothermal circumstances, a thermodynamic chemical reaction network including sulfite/sulfate coupled with anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Sammox), might have driven prebiotic peptides synthesis. Peptides comprise 14 proteinogenic amino acids, endowed Sammox-driven CRNs with autocatalysis. The peptides exhibit both forward and reverse catalysis, with the opposite catalytic impact in sulfite- and sulfate-fueled Sammox-driven CRNs, respectively, at both a variable temperature range and a fixed temperature, resulting in seesaw-like catalytic properties. The ratio of sulfite to sulfate switches the catalytic orientation of peptides, resulting in Sammox-driven CRNs that has both anabolic and catabolic reactions at all times. Furthermore, peptides produced from sulfite-fueled Sammox-driven CRNs could catalyze both sulfite-fueled Sammox and Anammox (nitrite reduction coupled with anaerobic ammonium oxidation) reactions. We propose that Sammox-driven CRNs were critical in the creation of life and that Anammox microorganisms that have both Sammox functions are direct descendants of Sammox-driven CRNs.

Hollow nanostructures are extremely attractive in energy storage and show broad application prospects. But the preparation method is accompanied by a complicated process. In this article, the CoZn–based hollow nanoboxes with electrochemical synergy are prepared in a simple way. This structure can effectively shorten the transmission distance of ions and electrons, and alleviate the volume expansion during the cycle. In particular, bimetallic oxides are rich in oxygen vacancies, providing more active sites for electrochemical reactions. In addition, the stepwise oxidation–reduction reaction can also improve the volume change of the electrode material. According to the kinetic analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculation, it is confirmed that the synergistic effect of the bimetallic oxide can accelerate the reaction kinetics. Based on these characteristics, the electrode exhibits stable cycle performance and long cycle life in alkali metal ion batteries, and can provide reversible capacities of 302.1 (LIBs, 2000 cycles), 172.5 (SIBs, 10000 cycles) and 109.6 (PIBs, 5000 cycles) mA h g–1 at a current density of 1.0 A g–1, respectively. In addition, by assembling (LiCoO2//CoZn–O2) and (Na3V2(PO4)3//CoZn–O2) full–cells, the practical application value is demonstrated. The sharing of this work introduces a simple way to synthesize hollow nanoboxes, and shows excellent electrochemical performance, which can also be expanded in other areas.

A type of 3.3-kV/450-A half-bridge insulated-gate bipolar transistor power module combining the silicon (Si) and silicon carbide (SiC) technologies has been developed and reported in this article, for the miniaturization of the Chinese high-speed railway rolling stock traction inverters. This module is developed by integrating the next-generation industrial standard high-voltage packaging topology and the state-of-the-art 3.3 kV wide bandgap semiconductor chip technology, to reduce the waste power dissipation during operation, which in turn can lead to effective downsizing of key components in the traction inverter design. The module layout characteristics and the SiC Schottky barrier diodes design for substitution of the conventional Si fast recovery diodes will be described in detail. The mechanical, thermal, and electrical performances of the hybrid module are compared comprehensively with the Si-based counterpart. Based on the experimental results, an inverter system level evaluation of both modules is also conducted by electro-thermal simulation. The hybrid module shows advantages in loss reduction leading to great potential of system miniaturization, which is a cost effective solution for massive upgrading of the existing high-speed train traction inverters.

To elucidate the response of oxidative metabolism, triggered by elevated ammonium (NH4+) concentrations, on root growth of wheat seedlings, Yumai 49 (NH4+-tolerant) and Lumai 15 (NH4+-sensitive) cultivars were supplied with either 5.0 mmol L−1 NH4+-N (EAC) or 5.0 mmol L−1 NO3–-N (CON) under hydroponic conditions. Root growth in both cultivars was significantly reduced under EAC, and the negative effect was greater in Lumai 15. EAC enhanced the activities of monodehydroascorbate reductase and dehydroascorbate reductase in the roots of both cultivars, while it decreased ascorbic acid (ASA) content and GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMPase) activity at the 12th day after treatment in Lumai 15 by 62.0 and 71.4%; and in Yumai 49 by 38.8 and 62.2%, respectively, indicating that the regeneration of ASA was increased, but the biosynthesis of ASA was reduced under EAC treatment. Moreover, EAC increased DHA/ASA, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde contents, as well as antioxidant enzyme activities in the roots of both cultivars. Relatively greater increases in ROS and soluble sugar, and lower antioxidant enzyme activities in Lumai 15 indicate severe disruption of oxidative metabolism when compared to Yumai 49. Results reveal that the reduction of ASA biosynthesis via decreased GMPase activity under the EAC condition probably acts as a trigger for accumulated ROS and imbalanced redox status, resulting in root growth inhibition during wheat seedling growth stage. Yumai 49, being an NH4+ -tolerant cultivar, had the stronger capacity to protect itself from oxidative stress, which allowed it to retain a lower DHA to ASA ratio by maintaining a better redox homeostasis than could be maintained in the NH4+ -sensitive cultivar Lumai 15.

In order to study the metabolomic responses of rapeseed meal on grass carp and the role that tannin plays in those responses, grass carp were fed four diets for an eight week trial. Two were practical diets: FM diet contained 10% fishmeal without rapeseed meal, RM diet contained 50% rapeseed meal without fishmeal; the other two were semi-purified diets without (T0) or with 1.25% (T1) of supplemental hydrolysable tannin. The tannin content in the RM diet was close to that of T1. The rate of weight gain for RM was significantly lower than FM, while the feed conversion ratio in the T1 was significantly higher than T0. The muscle lipid and protein content was significantly lower and glycogen higher in the RM and T1 compared to the other treatments. The percent of muscle-saturated fatty acid (SFA) in the RM and T1 groups was significantly lower than FM and T0 groups, respectively, while the mono-unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) in the RM group was significantly higher than FM. The hepatic activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were lower and the hepatic glycogen and malonaldehyde were higher in the T1 and RM than the other treatments. The total serum protein, globulin, and triglycerides were significantly higher in T1 and RM; the alanine aminotransferase in the T1 was significantly higher than T0; and the aspartate aminotransferase in the RM and T0 groups were significantly higher than the other treatments. In a metabolomic assay, 29 differential metabolites were identified between T0 and T1, 23 metabolites were downregulated, and 6 metabolites were upregulated in T1 compared to T0. Ninety-two differential metabolites were identified between FM and RM, 31 metabolites were downregulated, and 61 metabolites were upregulated in RM compared to FM. These indicated that lipid utilization and carbohydrate metabolism might be improved, while the protein metabolism was suppressed by rapeseed meal. The abnormal protein and lipid metabolism may be partly caused by tannin in the rapeseed meal, as the tannin contained within the rapeseed meal seemed to bring different effects that the tannin additive.

Blast furnace slag (BFS), as a byproduct from manufacturing iron, served as a cost-effective raw material for preparation of hydroxyapatite-zeolite composite material (HAP-ZE); this research introduces a way of synthesizing hydroxyapatite-zeolite composite material (HAP-ZE) using BFS with alkaline fusion and hydrothermal treatment. According to analysis with XRD, FT-IR, BET, ICP, FE-SEM, EDX and elemental mapping, the major phases in the HAP-ZE composite material synthesized under the most desirable conditions (at aging time of 6 h and at Ca/P ratio (starting gel) = 1.67) were identified to be zeolite and HAP with molar ratio of Ca/P = 1.61, Si/Al = 1.31, Na/Al = 1.75 and with a mean surface area of 44.22 m2.g−1. Moreover, the research found that the minor metals (Mg, Fe, K, etc.) generated from BFS have little influence on the synthesis of HAP-ZE. The thus obtained HAP-ZE material has a great adsorption performance in removing Mn2+, NH4+ and phosphate ions mixed in water, on grounds of the higher ion-exchange capacities and abundantly existing Ca2+ ions in HAP-ZE structure. This novel process makes synthesizing HAP-ZE composite material from BFS possible and lays a great foundation for effective application of BFS.

Objective To assess effect of licochalcone A (LicA) on amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide fragment 25–35–induced nerve injury and reveal the potential molecular mechanisms involved. Methods Viability of SH-SY5Y cells was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay after treatment with Aβ25–35 and/or LicA, following which apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and Hoechst staining. Then, reactive oxygen species, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase were measured with flow cytometry and spectrophotometry. The ultrastructure of mitochondria was examined by transmission electron microscopy, and the biomarker proteins of autophagy, apoptosis, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway were measured with Western blotting. Results LicA improved cell viability and decreased lactate dehydrogenase leakage remarkably in Aβ25–35–induced injury in SH-SY5Y cells. After treatment with LicA, reactive oxygen species, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase levels in cells all were significantly decreased, which indicated that LicA has an antioxidative effect on Aβ25–35-induced oxidative injury. LicA could also significantly reduce Aβ25–35–induced autophagy in SH-SY5Y cells. In the cells injured by Aβ25–35, LicA prevented the transformation from light chain protein 3-I to light chain protein 3-II and reduced the levels of proteins GRP78, GRP94, CHOP, and Bax, but increased the levels of antiapoptotic protein and phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR. These effects of LicA were restored or suppressed by mTOR inhibitor rapamycin or PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Conclusions LicA protects SH-SY5Y cells against Aβ25–35–induced injury, wherein suppressed autophagy and activated PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway are involved, and mTOR-dependent autophagy at least plays some role.

In recent years, natural deep eutectic solvents have been favored greatly due to their environment friendly, mild biological toxicity and simple biodegradability. NADESs gradually applied for the extracting bioactive compounds from natural products efficiently. In this study, 20 natural deep eutectic solvents were prepared and their physical and chemical properties were tested. The ultrasonic-assisted extraction method was used to extract flavonoids from Trollius ledebouri and HPLC-UV was applied to examine two main bioactive flavonoids (orientin and vitexin). Compared with traditional solvents (water and 60% ethanol solution), natural deep eutectic solvents composed by L(-)-proline and levulinic acid (molar ratio 1:2) shows a super extraction efficiency. On this basis, the response surface method was used to optimize the extraction temperature, extraction time, water contents and solid-liquid ratio. As a consequence, the extraction temperature 60℃, extraction time 18 min, water content 14% (v/v) and the solid-liquid ratio 48 mL⋅g-1 were chose as the best extraction process. This study shows that natural deep eutectic solvents can effectively extract flavonoids from Trollius ledebouri, laying a foundation for the further application of natural deep eutectic solvents to extract bioactive compounds from natural products. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Flash sintering of zinc oxide (ZnO) ceramics can be induced at room temperature (25 °C) by electrical breakdown at high electric field strength. However, a strong discharge may degrade the sample. This study investigated the effects of atmospheric pressure and composition on the onset electric field for the flash sintering of ZnO. The experimental results show that flash sintering of ZnO under a low electric field at room temperature can be achieved by adjusting the atmospheric conditions. Compared with the onset electric field strength under normal atmospheric conditions, the value for flash sintering of ZnO at 20 kPa in a mixture of 20% air +80% argon (Ar) can be reduced by 82% to approximately 700 V/cm. This method also applies to yttrium oxide (Y2O3) for a low electric field in flash sintering at room temperature, and is the first report on flash sintering of Y2O3 at room temperature.

The objective of this research was to investigate the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of peptides released from Changii Radix protein under the optimal enzymatic hydrolysis conditions of trypsin, flavourzyme, compound proteinase, papain, alkaline proteinase, neutral protease, and in vitro simulated human gastrointestinal digestive conditions. The hydrolysate with the best activity was further purified by ultrafiltration, size-exclusion chromatography and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography. The peptides in the most active fraction were subsequently identified by nano-LC–MS/MS and screened for bioactivity. As a result, the GID-3-SG-2-RP-2 fraction (with smaller molecular weight and more hydrophobic) manifested the highest effect with an IC50 value of 32 μg/mL. Three peptides of this fraction were synthesized, SQHISTAGMEASGTSNMKF, KVIISAPSKDAPMF, and STFQQMW, and provided an IC50 of 1.051, 0.032, and 1.104 mg/mL, respectively. Thus, the results indicated that Changii Radix derived peptides may have potential functions in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes.

A strategy for modifying the structure of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) to reduce the cation diffusion activation energy is presented. Two heavily W-doped sodium thioantimonate SSEs, Na2.895 W0.3 Sb0.7 S4 and Na2.7 W0.3 Sb0.7 S4 are designed, both exhibiting exceptionally low activation energy and enhanced room temperature (RT) ionic conductivity; 0.09 eV, 24.2 mS/cm and 0.12 eV, 14.5 mS/cm. At -15 °C the Na2.895 W0.3 Sb0.7 S4 displays a total ionic conductivity of 5.5 mS/cm. The 30 % W content goes far beyond the 10-12 % reported in the prior studies, and results in novel pseudo-cubic or orthorhombic structures. Calculations reveal that these properties result from a combination of multiple diffusion mechanisms, including vacancy defects, strongly correlated modes and excessive Na-ions. An all-solid-state battery (ASSB) using Na2.895 W0.3 Sb0.7 S4 as the primary SSE and a sodium sulfide (Na2 S) cathode achieves a reversible capacity of 400 mAh g-1 .

Finding low-cost and environmentally friendly precursors that can maintain their electrochemical attraction natural texture properties while obtaining hierarchical porous carbons with high electrochemical performance is desirable for offering a leap forward in industrial applications. However, phenomena associated with the high microporosity of porous carbon remain. Herein, the protective effect of hydrothermal methods and the micropore-forming ability of KOH were used. The as-synthesized porous carbon (PC-1) holds the natural texture property (the retention of texture property with apertures higher than 2 nm was up to 80%) and achieves three-dimensional (3D) architecture with hierarchical structures accompanied by an ultrahigh specific surface area (3559.45 m2/g). Benefiting from its texture properties, PC-1 possesses a high specific capacitance of 288.75 F/g at 0.5 A/g, excellent rate capability as high as 223.72 F/g at 10 A/g, and remarkable conductivity in a three-electrode system with a 6 M KOH electrolyte. In view of its environment friendliness, low cost, and excellent specific capacitance, PC-1 has promising applications in high-performance supercapacitors.

The desulfurization of 2-phenylcyclohexanethiol (2-PCHT) was studied over sulfided Mo/γ-Al2O3, Ni-Mo/γ-Al2O3, and Co-Mo/γ-Al2O3 catalysts under 5.0 MPa H2 or Ar at 240 °C. Under H2, the desulfurization of 2-PCHT proceeded mainly through the hydrogenolysis and β-elimination pathways. The former was faster than the latter over Mo/γ-Al2O3. Ni and Co accelerated the β-elimination pathway but hardly affected the hydrogenolysis pathway. The activity of Mo/γ-Al2O3 was enhanced by Ni, whereas Co did not show any promoting effect. Under Ar, the desulfurization of 2-PCHT occurred mainly through the β-elimination and dehydrogenation pathways. The β-elimination pathway was faster than the dehydrogenation pathway. Both pathways were enhanced by Ni and Co. Ni and Co promoted the dehydrogenation pathway mainly by promoting the dehydrogenation-ring closure reaction. The inhibiting effects of piperidine depended on the reaction and catalyst. Under Ar, Ni-Mo/γ-Al2O3 was more sensitive to piperidine inhibition.

In this study, we first synthesized metal-free N,Cl-doped carbon dots (N,Cl-CDs) using Impatiens balsamina L. stems as green precursors in a deep eutectic solvent (DES). The obtained N,Cl-CDs were characterized through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, fluorescence (FL) spectroscopy, and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy. In addition to the common features of carbon dots (CDs), such as high light stability, small size, low toxicity, good aqueous solubility, and favorable biocompatibility, these N,Cl-CDs exhibited excellent recognition and selectivity for Gram-positive bacteria by doping with N and Cl elements using DES. The N,Cl-CDs with positive charge cannot only differentiate Gram-positive bacteria by selective fluorescence imaging but also have antibacterial effects on Gram-positive bacteria. Through potential, ROS, and morphological analyses of bacteria before and after treatment with N,Cl-CDs, the antibacterial mechanisms of bacteriostasis, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella were explored. In addition, N,Cl-CDs demonstrated low cytotoxicity and good cell imaging ability in cancer and normal cells. Moreover, they can be used as a fluorescence sensor for the detection of ClO- with a detection range from 100 nM to 40 μM and a limit of detection (LOD) of 30 nM. In summary, the prepared N,Cl-CDs could be applied as environmentally friendly Gram-positive bacterial identification and antibacterial agents. Additionally, their cell imaging and ClO- detection abilities were outstanding.

The development of an efficient hydrogen spillover (HS) catalyst achieves the stoichiometric chemoselective hydrogenation of NO3− and NO2− into N2 at room temperature, which is extremely challenging. Herein, we report a CuxPd1−x nanowire network (NWN) (x = 7, 5, or 3) with tunable hydrogen spillover rate of formic acid (FA) with polyvinylpyrrolidine imine (PVPI) modifying its surface. The presence of PVPI boosts the catalytic selectivity and activity of CuPd NWN for FA dehydrogenation and, more importantly, serves as a modem to tune the HS rate of FA and to stoichiometrically hydrogenate NO3− and NO2− to N2 at room temperature. The density functional theory (DFT) reveals that the CuPd (130 h−1) has a weaker HS rate than AgPd (390 h−1), but the CuPd (> 99%) has a higher utilization of HS than AgPd (31%). Our studies demonstrate a new approach of tuning the FA HS rate and maximizing the application for stoichiometric chemoselective hydrogenation reaction, which will be important for hydrogen generation and its applications.

This study investigated the effects of dietary nanoselenium (nano-Se) supplementation protecting from renal oxidative damages induced by mercury (Hg) exposure in laying hens. Furthermore, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway was explored to reveal the protective mechanism of nano-Se. A total of 576 40-week-old Hyline-White laying hens were randomly allocated to 4 groups with 6 pens per group and 24 hens per pen. The experimental groups were as follows: control (basal diet), control + 27.0 mg/kg Hg, control + 5.0 mg/kg nano-Se, and Hg27.0 + 5.0 mg/kg nano-Se. The results revealed that dietary Hg exposure significantly reduced laying performance (P

Platinum (Pt) has found wide use as an electrocatalyst for sustainable energy conversion systems1–3. The activity of Pt is controlled by its electronic structure (typically, the d-band centre), which depends sensitively on lattice strain4,5. This dependence can be exploited for catalyst design4,6–8, and the use of core–shell structures and elastic substrates has resulted in strain-engineered Pt catalysts with drastically improved electrocatalytic performances7,9–13. However, it is challenging to map in detail the strain–activity correlations in Pt-catalysed conversions, which can involve a number of distinct processes, and to identify the optimal strain modification for specific reactions. Here we show that when ultrathin Pt shells are deposited on palladium-based nanocubes, expansion and shrinkage of the nanocubes through phosphorization and dephosphorization induces strain in the Pt(100) lattice that can be adjusted from −5.1 per cent to 5.9 per cent. We use this strain control to tune the electrocatalytic activity of the Pt shells over a wide range, finding that the strain–activity correlation for the methanol oxidation reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction follows an M-shaped curve and a volcano-shaped curve, respectively. We anticipate that our approach can be used to screen out lattice strain that will optimize the performance of Pt catalysts—and potentially other metal catalysts—for a wide range of reactions. By depositing platinum shells on palladium-based nanocubes, the strain can be controlled by through phosphorization and dephosphorization, making it possible to tune the electrocatalytic activity of the platinum shells.

A smart fluorescence “turn‐on” probe which contained a dansyl amide fluorophore and an N‐oxide group was designed based on the bioorthogonal decaging reaction between N‐oxide and the boron reagent. The reaction proceeds in a rapid kinetics (k 2=57.1±2.5 m −1 s−1), and the resulting reduction product showcases prominent fluorescence enhancement (up to 72‐fold). Time dependent density functional theoretical (TD‐DFT) calculation revealed that the process of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the N‐oxide moiety to the dansyl amide fluorophore accounts for the quenching mechanism of N‐oxide. This probe also showed high selectivity over various nucleophilic amino acids and good biocompatibility in physiological conditions. The successful application of the probe in HaloTag protein labeling and HepG2 live‐cell imaging proves it a valuable tool for visualization of biomolecules., A smart fluorescence “turn‐on” probe, DASNox, which contained a dansyl amide fluorophore and an N‐oxide group, was designed based on the bioorthogonal decaging reaction between N‐oxide and the boron reagent. DASNox showed good biocompatibility in physiological conditions and has been successfully applied in HaloTag protein labeling and HepG2 live‐cell imaging. This bioorthogonal decaging reaction has enriched the chemical biology toolkit and offered an effective way for visualization and detection of biomolecules in vivo.

Split-dose, 4-L polyethylene glycol (PEG, HSD) is currently the first-line choice for unselected or difficult colon preparations. Almost all low-volume bowel preparations (BPs) include a large volume of additional liquid and adjunctive agents to improve cleansing efficiency. However, neither HSD nor additional liquids or adjunctive agents of low-volume regimens may be necessary for low-risk patients. The aim of this study was to compare the cleansing efficiency between split-dose, low-volume (2-L) PEG without additional liquids or adjunctive agents (LSD) and HSD in non-constipated patients.A retrospective study was performed from January 2013 to December 2015. Consecutive non-constipated patients who received LSD or HSD BPs were enrolled into LSD and HSD groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce selection bias and potential confounders. The primary outcome was bowel cleansing quality, as evaluated by the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS). The adenoma detection rate (ADR), the most important secondary outcome, was also recorded. Follow-up was conducted in 2016.After excluding those participants who meet exclusion criteria or lost follow-up, 1656 non-constipated patients underwent LSD (For non-constipated patients, LSD is not inferior to HSD in cleansing efficiency, while more willing to repeat the same BP.

Jerusalem artichoke residue (JR) was co-ensiled with grain stillage (GS) at various weight mixing ratios (JR only, 4 to 1, 2 to 1, 1.2 to 1, 1 to 1.5, 1 to 2.7, 1 to 7, and GS only) for 10, 30, and 60 d for agricultural biomass storage. Results showed that the middle level of GS to JR ratios, e.g., 1.2 to 1 and 1 to 1.5, achieved the best co-ensiling performance among all studied ratios. The water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) contents were significantly higher than those of the other treatments (p < 0.05), and the lignocellulose contents were significantly lower than those of other treatments (p < 0.05). The silages ensiled at the above-mentioned ratios had a higher feed value and biodegradation potential than other ratios. Lactobacillus was the dominant bacterial species during the ensiling process, and its relative abundance was significantly correlated with the content of different components, e.g., WSC, crude protein, and starch, as well as fermentation characteristics. Fungal species, e.g., Kluyveromyces and Monascus were also observed, and the relative abundance of which was positively correlated with different nutritional components. In conclusion, GS and JR can be successfully stored via co-ensiling.

Beta-tricalcium phosphate ( β-TCP) refers to one ideal bone repair substance with good biocompatibility and osteogenicity. A digital light processing (DLP)-system used in this study creates bioceramic green part by stacking up layers of photocurable tricalcium phosphate-filled slurry with various β-TCP weight fractions. Results show that the sintering shrinkage is anisotropic and the shrinkage vertically reaches over that horizontally. The obtained porous β-TCP parts have both macroporous outer structure and microporous inner structure, the macropore size is 400–600 μm and the micropore size is 500–1500 nm. The mechanical tests show that the porous β-TCP bioceramic’s compressive strength reaches 16.53 MPa. The cell culture confirmed that the porous β-TCP bioceramic is capable of achieving the effective attaching, growing, and proliferating pertained to mouse osteoblast cells. This study identified considerable blood vessels and significant ectopic bone forming obviously based on the histologically-related assessment when implanting to rabbit femoral condyle deficiency for 3 months. Thus, under high bioactive property and osteoinductivity, and large precision and mechanical strength that can be adjusted, the DLP printed porous β-TCP ceramics is capable of being promising for special uses of bones repairing.

The inherent brittleness of bioceramics restricts their applications in load-bearing implant, although they possess good biocompatibility and bioactivity. ZnO, MgO and 58S bioglass (BG) were incorporated as additives to further improve the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of β-TCP and ZnO/MgO/BG-β-TCP composite scaffolds were manufactured via digital light processing (DLP). The composite with the best comprehensive performance was selected for degradation behavior and biocompatibility evaluation. The effects of different proportions of ZnO/MgO/BG on mechanical strength were analyzed and ZnO0·5/MgO1/BG2-β-TCP (ZMBT) samples exhibited superior mechanical strength. The improvement by 272% and 99% respectively was achieved in fracture toughness and compressive strength with the optimal recipe. The enhancement effect is realized through phase transition, alterative sliding actions and transgranular fracture to effectively prevent the load transfer combining the functions of bioglass and metal oxide. ZMBT scaffolds exhibited a more desirable pH environment and an enhanced ability of apatite-mineralization formation, meanwhile Si4+, Mg2+ and Zn2+ were gradually released from scaffolds. Furthermore, in vitro evaluation indicated that ZMBT scaffolds presented not only excellent cell attachment, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, but they up-regulated osteogenic gene (ALP, OCN, Runx2). These results suggest that the addition of ZnO/MgO/BG to DLP-printed β-TCP scaffolds offer a smart strategy to fabricate porous scaffolds with conspicuously better biological and physicochemical properties including compressive strength, bioactivity, osteogenesis and osteogenesis-related gene expression. Metal-oxide and BG synergistically enhanced the mechanical and biological properties which make the ZMBT scaffolds a strong candidate for bone repair applications.

Gold nanostar (AuNS) particles, characterized by pointed tips emerging from a central core, exhibit localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) with strongly amplified electric field upon illumination. Compared to Au nanospheres and nanorods, the absorbance is enhanced with the absorption band extending from 500 to above 1000 nm. However, they are easily reshaped by Ostwald ripening and therefore difficult to use in any application. This study shows that the AuNS particles can be effectively stabilized by encapsulation with TiO2 using a low temperature method. The synthesis parameters and capping solution were optimized to form nanostars. The encapsulated Au nanoparticles promoted the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde at ambient temperature under visible light irradiation. AuNS@TiO2 showed significantly higher photocatalytic activity than Au nanospheres, Au nanorods or bulk TiO2 due to its enhanced LSPR. Encapsulation of the colloidal nanoparticles with TiO2 confers robustness to the resulting heterogeneous catalyst with retention of the metal particle size, morphology and associated LSPR properties.

Polymer stimuli-responsive microgels find their use in various applications. The knowledge of its internal structure is of importance for further improvement and expanding the scope. Interpenetrating network (IPN) microgels may possess a remarkable feature of strongly non-uniform inner architecture, even microphase separation, in conditions of a selective solvent. In this research, we, for the first time, use a combination of static light scattering (SLS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques to collect the structure factors of aqueous dispersions of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-polyacrylic acid IPN microgels on the broad scale ofqvalues. We study the influence of solvent quality on microgel conformations and show that in a selective solvent, such a system undergoes microphase separation: the sub-network in a poor solvent conditions forms dense small aggregates inside the large swollen sub-network in a good solvent. We propose the microstructured sphere model for the IPN microgel structure factor interpretation and perform additional analysis and verification through coarse-grained molecular dynamics computer simulations.

Environmental context Aerosol acidity, or aerosol aqueous phase pH, can affect various environmental processes. Based on high frequency measurements of particulate compositions, along with thermodynamic calculations, this work studies particle acidity in the course of severe episodes of haze in Shanghai and considers the effect of this on the production of nitrate. The results will provide new perspectives on our interpretation of PM2.5 acidity during haze episodes in megacities. Abstract Aerosol acidity is one of the most important parameters that can influence climate change and human health, which has been inadequately analysed in China. Here, hourly measurements of particulate compositions and the E-AIM II model (assuming thermodynamic equilibrium) were used to study particle acidity during severe episodes of haze in Shanghai. The total concentration of sulfate, nitrate and ammonium was 138.9 ± 50.6 μg m−3, maximum 241.3 μg m−3; and the PM2.5 to PM10 (PM2.5/PM10) ratio was 0.60. The fine particles detected were somewhat acidic, with a pH range of 0.04–4.50, average 2.34, which is higher than in some areas of the US and China. The relatively low particle acidity is attributed to particle water content levels. Furthermore, the growth rate of sulfate, nitrate and ammonium during a haze episode (Case 2) was faster than that during a clean episode (CE), owing to exacerbated effects of PM2.5 acidity in the event of high relative humidity (RH) on hazy days. Finally, the detected significant correlations of [NO3−]/[SO42−] with [NH4+]/[SO42−] in conditions of abundant NH4+ indicate that NO3− in Shanghai is primarily formed through homogeneous reaction between ambient NH3 and HNO3. These findings provide new perspectives on our interpretation of PM2.5 acidity during haze episodes in megacities.

Circular intronic RNAs (ciRNAs) escaping from DBR1 debranching of intron lariats are co-transcriptionally produced from pre-mRNA splicing, but their turnover and mechanism of action have remained elusive. We report that RNase H1 degrades a subgroup of ciRNAs in human cells. Many ciRNAs contain high GC% and tend to form DNA:RNA hybrids (R-loops) for RNase H1 cleavage, a process that appears to promote Pol II transcriptional elongation at ciRNA-producing loci. One ciRNA, ciankrd52, shows a stronger ability of R-loop formation than that of its cognate pre-mRNA by maintaining a locally open RNA structure in vitro. This allows the release of pre-mRNA from R-loops by ci-ankrd52 replacement and subsequent ciRNA removal via RNase H1 for efficient transcriptional elongation. We propose that such an R-loop dependent ciRNA degradation likely represents a mechanism that on one hand limits ciRNA accumulation by recruiting RNase H1 and on the other hand resolves R-loops for transcriptional elongation at some GC-rich ciRNA-producing loci.

INTRODUCTION The blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption contributes to postoperative delirium, but cost-effective and non-invasive assessment of its permeability is not practicable in the clinical settings. Urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR), reflecting systemic vascular endothelial dysfunction, may be a prognostic and predictive factor associated with postoperative delirium. The aim was to analyze the relationship between UACR and postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Through stratified random sampling, a cohort of 408 individuals aged 60 years and older scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery were included between February and August 2019 in the single-center, prospective, observational study. The presence of delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) or Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) on the day of surgery, at 2 h after the surgery ending time and on the first 3 consecutive days with repeated twice-daily, with at least 6-h intervals between assessments. Urine samples were collected on one day before surgery, and 1st day and 3rd day after surgery. The primary outcome was the presence of postoperative delirium, and association of the level of UACR with postoperative delirium was evaluated with unadjusted/adjusted analyses and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Postoperative delirium was observed in 26.75% (107 of 400) of patients within 3 days post-surgery. UACR-Pre (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.14-1.49, p

Two organo-soluble polyimide resins containing phenyl-substituted quinoxaline units (PIPQ) were successfully prepared via the two-step chemical imidization procedure from an aromatic diamine, 6(7)-amino-2-(4-aminophenyl)-3-phenylquinoxaline (PQDA) and aromatic dianhydrides with flexible molecular structures. The derived PIPQ-1 resin from PQDA and 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) and the PIPQ-2 resin from PQDA and 2,2-bis[4-(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride (BPADA) were all soluble in polar aprotic solvents, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The PIPQ/DMAc solutions with the solid contents of 25–35 wt% were used as the starting mediums and the PIPQ ultrafine non-woven fibrous membranes (UFMs) were successfully prepared by the one-step electrospinning (ES) procedure. For comparison, the standard polyimide reference electrospun UFM (PI-ref) was also fabricated via the two-step ES procedure from the soluble poly(amic acid) (PAA) precursor based on pyromellitic anhydride (PMDA) and 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA), followed by thermal imidization at elevated temperatures from 80–300 °C. The fabricated PIPQ UFMs exhibited good thermal stability with the 5 % weight loss temperatures (T5%) of 537 °C for PIPQ-1 (6FDA-PQDA) and 517 °C for PIPQ-2 (BPADA-PQDA) in nitrogen, respectively. In addition, the PIPQ UFMs exhibited glass transition temperatures (Tg) higher than 252 °C. Meanwhile, the PIPQ UFMs exhibited improved optical properties with the reflectance values over 75 % at the wavelength of 457 nm and high whiteness. At last, the PIPQ UFMs showed greatly enhanced hydrolysis stability in highly alkaline aqueous solution (sodium hydroxide in water, 20 wt%) either at room temperature or at elevated temperature. The PIPQ UFMs survived even during the aging in boiling aqueous sodium hydroxide solution (concentration: 20 wt%) for 3 h while the PI-ref UFM totally hydrolyzed during the test.

The limited availability of a high-performance catholyte has hindered the development of aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFB) for large-scale energy storage. Here we report a symmetry-breaking design of iron complexes with 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylic (Dcbpy) acid and cyanide ligands. By introducing two ligands to the metal centre, the complex compounds (M4[FeII(Dcbpy)2(CN)2], M = Na, K) exhibited up to a 4.2 times higher solubility (1.22 M) than that of M4[FeII(Dcbpy)3] and a 50% increase in potential compared with that of ferrocyanide. The AORFBs with 0.1 M Na4[FeII(Dcbpy)2(CN)2] as the catholyte were demonstrated for 6,000 cycles with a capacity fading rate of 0.00158% per cycle (0.217% per day). Even at a concentration near the solubility limit (1 M Na4[FeII(Dcbpy)2(CN)2]), the flow battery exhibited a capacity fading rate of 0.008% per cycle (0.25% per day) in the first 400 cycles. The AORFB cell with a nearly 1:1 catholyte:anolyte electron ratio achieved a cell voltage of 1.2 V and an energy density of 12.5 Wh l–1. The development of aqueous organic redox flow batteries suffers from the limited availability of high-performance catholytes. Here the authors design a metal organic complex catholyte material with a tunable redox potential, which offers promise for high-energy long-lasting flow batteries.

Defect passivation is a key strategy to prepare high-performance perovskite solar cells (PVSCs). Even though abundant passivation molecules have been applied, the absence of detailed researches with regard to different functional groups in polymer additives may inevitably impede the establishment of passivation molecules selection rules. In this work, three passivation molecules including poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polymethyl acrylate (PMA), and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) are employed to systematically analyze the passivation effect from hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups. In general, PVA (-OH) can form hydrogen bonds with perovskite and PMA (-C═O) can complex with uncoordinated Pb2+. Specifically, PAA (-COOH) can interact selectively with MA+ and I- ions via hydrogen bonding and complex with uncoordinated Pb2+ to passivate defects more effectively. Hence, the PAA-incorporated PVSCs based on MAPbI3 achieve the champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.29% with open-circuit voltage up to 1.13 V. In addition, PAA cross-linking perovskite grains can relieve mechanical stress, as well as occupy the major channels to suppress ion migration and water/oxygen erosion. The corresponding unencapsulated devices demonstrate a superior light soaking stability, retaining more than 80% of the original PCE under one sun illumination for 1000 h.

Steady-state absorption, emission, and time-resolved spectroscopy were utilized to study the dynamics of excited states of linear and multi-branched bithiazole derivatives in different solvents at room temperature. In the studied compounds, triphenylamine and bithiazole groups act as donor and acceptor, respectively. BTZ-I and II have similar linear molecular structures, while BTZ-III and BTZ-IV have multi-branched structures. The difference is that the donor and acceptor units are connected by a single bond or a triple bond, respectively. With increase in solvent polarity, the fluorescence spectra exhibit a red shift and the fluorescence lifetime increases. Our results suggest there is intra-molecular charge transfer (ICT) processes in these four samples.

This paper aimed at studying a novel high biomass strain (HBS) of marine protist, Thraustochytrium striatum, for lignin valorization to lipids and carotenoids. In the screening of 15 aromatic compounds, T. striatum HBS can utilize most compounds while achieving the best growth on 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHBA) and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA). The maximum cell mass concentration reached 2−3 g/L under 5 g/L of 3,4-DHBA or 2 g/L of 4-HBA, which was comparable to that under equivalent concentration of glucose. The long-chain fatty acids content was 13 % and 7 % with 3,4-DHBA and 4-HBA, respectively. The adoption of fed-batch fermentation mode improved the degradation of carbon source and prevented the inhibitory effect caused by overloading of aromatic compounds. Both final cellular fatty acids and carotenoids contents were doubled in the fermentation of 3,4-DHBA. T. striatum HBS exhibited limited lignin depolymerization (∼24 %) ability on technical lignins.

Objectives After ischemic stroke, microglia will be activated and play a key role in neuroinflammation and the destruction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and activated microglia could polarize into pro-inflammation M1 phenotype and anti-inflammation M2 phenotype. Dimethyl malonate (DMM) could reduce reactive oxygen species and we speculate DMM could regulate microglia to protect ischemic brain. Methods We used transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) mouse model to simulate ischemic stroke and adult male C57BL/6 mice were used in our study. 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining was used to measure infarct volume. Evans Blue and Brain water content were used to evaluate the destruction of BBB. We used a five-point scale to assess the neurologic function of mice. Western blot and Immunofluorescence were used to measure microglia, pericytes and the expression of related proteins. Results DMM reduced cerebral infarct volume, Evans blue leakage, brain water content and improved neurologic deficits after tMCAO. The number of activated microglia and M1 microglia were decreased and the number of M2 microglia and pericytes were increased after DMM treatment. The expression of tumor necrosis factor-α was reduced while protein levels of IL-10 and ZO-1 were increased through DMM treatment. Conclusions DMM could regulate activation and polarization of microglia to inhibit neuroinflammation and protect BBB.

Thanks to their high energy density, lithium/sodium metal batteries (LMBs/SMBs) are considered to be the most promising next-generation energy storage system. However, the instability of the electrode/electrolyte interface and dendrite growth seriously hinders commercial application of LMBs/SMBs. In addition, traditional liquid electrolytes are inflammable and explosive. As a key part of the battery, the electrolyte plays an important role in solving the abovementioned problems. Although solid electrolytes can alleviate dendrite growth and liquid electrolyte leakage, their low ionic conductivity and poor interfacial contact are not conducive to improvement of overall LMBs/SMB performances. Therefore, it is necessary to find a balance between liquid and solid electrolytes. Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are one means for achieving high-performance LMBs/SMBs because they combine the advantages of liquid and solid electrolytes. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) benefit from high specific surface areas, ordered internal porous structures, organic-inorganic hybrid properties, and show great potential in modified electrolytes. Here, Cu-based MOF-supported poly(ethylene oxide) composite gel polymer electrolytes (CGPEs) were prepared by ultraviolet curing. This CGPE exhibited high ionic conductivity, a wide electrochemical window, and a high ion transference number. In addition, it also exhibited excellent cycle stability in symmetric batteries and LMBs/SMBs. This study showed that CGPE had great practical application potential in the next-generation LMBs/SMBs.

Knoevenagel condensation of acetylacetone and aromatic aldehyde catalyzed by L-proline in the choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents was achieved. High yields are up to 96.6%. Mild reaction conditions, enhanced rates, improved yields, recyclability of deep eutectic solvents containing L-proline, and reagents’ reactivity which is different from that in standard organic solvents are the remarkable features observed in deep eutectic solvents. The deep eutectic solvents containing catalyst was recycled in four subsequent runs with no decrease in activity.

Objective:We aimed to evaluate the association between coffee and/or tea consumption and breast cancer (BC) risk among premenopausal and postmenopausal women and to conduct a network meta-analysis.Design:Systematic review and network meta-analysis.Setting:We conducted a systematic review of electronic publications in the last 30 years to identify case–control studies or prospective cohort studies that evaluated the effects of coffee and tea intake.Results:Forty-five studies that included more than 3 323 288 participants were eligible for analysis. Network meta-analysis was performed to determine the effects of coffee and/or tea consumption on reducing BC risk in a dose-dependent manner and differences in coffee/tea type, menopause status, hormone receptor and the BMI in subgroup and meta-regression analyses. According to the first pairwise meta-analysis, low-dose coffee intake and high-dose tea intake may exhibit efficacy in preventing ER(estrogen receptor)− BC, particularly in postmenopausal women. Then, we performed another pairwise and network meta-analysis and determined that the recommended daily doses were 2–3 cups/d of coffee or ≥5 cups/d of tea, which contained a high concentration of caffeine, particularly in postmenopausal women.Conclusions:Coffee and tea consumption is not associated with a reduction in the overall BC risk in postmenopausal women and is associated with a potentially lower risk of ER− BC. And the highest recommended dose is 2–3 cups of coffee/d or ≥5 cups of tea/d. They are potentially useful dietary protectants for preventing BC.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of 68Ga-pentixafor positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging in non-cancer patients with suspected adrenal masses. Methods: Sixty-four patients who had benign adrenal masses on CT were retrospectively included in our study. All patients underwent 68Ga-pentixafor PET/CT scans, and 56 of these patients subsequently underwent adrenalectomy. The subtypes of 81 adrenal tumors including 14 nonfunctioning adrenal nodules, 4 cortisol-producing adenomas, 41 aldosterone-producing adenomas, 5 suspected unilateral adrenal hyperplasia, 15 idiopathic aldosterone hyperplasia and 2 pheochromocytomas, were determined by histology or follow-up evaluations. The functional lateralization diagnosis efficiency was calculated by visual analysis. Semi-quantitative parameters of these lesions including maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), the ratio of lesional SUVmax to normal liver SUVmean (LLR), and the ratio of lesional SUVmax to contralateral adrenal tissue SUVmean (LCR) have also been calculated. Dynamic analysis has also been performed on fifteen patients. Besides, clinical outcomes were assessed and compared in patients who underwent adrenalectomy. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of 68Ga-pentixafor PET for functional lateralization of patients with adrenocortical lesions were 97.8% (45/46) and 87.5% (14/16) respectively. The two pheochromocytoma lesions had lower pentixafor uptake compared to the normal adrenal glands. Functioning (active) adrenocortical adenomas showed an elevated SUVmax of 16.3±7.9 in comparison to 4.4±1.7 in nonfunctioning (inactive) adenomas and 5.5±2.7 in hyperplasia lesions (P

Defects (oxygen vacancy and Ti3+) play crucial roles in determining band structure, light absorption, and catalytic activity of TiO2. Herein, a synchronous crystallization and constraint reduction strategy was reported to construct controllable defective TiO2 using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as the reductant. The constraint decomposition effect of NaBH4 in pore channels of TiO2 aerogels enables the defects migrate from surface to bulk region effectively, and bulk defects are more stable. Moreover, the species and concentration of defects can be controlled by changing the calcination temperature in this case. An optimum temperature for the NaBH4 treatment was found to be 500 °C. After the reduction at 500 °C, defective TiO2 with maximum bulk oxygen vacancies shows excellent visible light absorption performance, effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers, and suitable band edge, and the removal rate was 94.9% for rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light which was about 325% higher than that of TiO2 without oxygen vacancy.

The biological reduction of ferrous ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA-FeII-NO and EDTA-FeIII) is an important process in the integrated electrobiofilm reduction method, and it has been regarded as a promising alternative method for removing NO x from industrial boiler flue gas. EDTA-FeII-NO and EDTA-FeIII are crucial substrates that should be biologically reduced at a high rate. However, they inhibit the reduction processes of one another when these two substrates are presented together, which might limit further promotion of the integrated method. In this study, an integrated electrobiofilm reduction system with high reduction rates of EDTA-FeII-NO and EDTA-FeIII was developed. The dynamic changes of microbial communities in the electrobiofilms were mainly investigated to analyze the changes during the reduction of these two substrates under different conditions. The results showed that compared to the conventional chemical absorption-biological reduction system, the reduction system exhibited better performance in terms of resistance to substrate shock loading and high microbial diversities. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that Alicycliphilus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Raoultella were the dominant genera (>25% each) during the process of EDTA-FeII-NO reduction. Chryseobacterium had the ability to endure the shock loading of EDTA-FeIII, and the relative abundance of Chryseobacterium under abnormal operation conditions was up to 30.82%. Ochrobactrum was the main bacteria for reducing nitrate by electrons and the relative abundance still exhibited 16.11% under shock loading. Furthermore, higher microbial diversity and stable reactor operation were achieved when the concentrations of EDTA-FeII-NO and EDTA-FeIII approached the same value (9 mmol·L-1).

The electro-catalytic methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) has received considerable research attention due to its importance in the development of direct methanol fuel cells. In this study, the dehydrogenation step in MOR was investigated using low levels of platinum (Pt) which supported on carbon nanotubes as a catalyst. The concentration of H+ had a significant effect on the MOR activity of Pt catalysts supported by carbon nanotubes (Pt/CNTs), indicating that the dehydrogenation process was a critical step in MOR for Pt/CNTs with low Pt loading. Furthermore, the effects of Pt particle size and the distance between the Pt particles were investigated. We suggested a hypothesis: for the Pt catalyst with large particle size, only a few particles were needed for dehydrogenation to proceed; for the Pt catalyst with small particle size, many Pt particles were needed to form a network for the dehydrogenation reaction, but when the Pt particles were close enough, only a few Pt particles were needed. Our study provided insight into the electro-catalytic activity of Pt/CNTs from a mechanistic perspective.

The Knoevenagel condensation of acetylacetone and aromatic aldehyde catalyzed by lipase from porcine pancreas(PPL) and α-amylase from hog pancreas in ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents was achieved for the first time. The highest yields is up to 96.1%. Mild reaction conditions, enhanced rates, improved yields and reagents’ reactivity which is different from that in standard organic solvents are the remarkable features observed in ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents.

Uniform hexagonal hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoplates were prepared via a facile alcohol-thermal reaction without using any template. Each nanoplate is enclosed by (0001) basal planes and {10 $$\bar {1}$$ 2} side surfaces. The phase, size, shape and growth orientation of the resulting product were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM).In order to obtain a product with more uniform and stable morphology, on the basis of predecessors' studies, the reaction time was adjusted to a small extent, so that an ideal hexagonal nanoplates was obtained. Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoplates were obtained through a reduction process without changing the morphology and size of the resulting α-Fe2O3 nanoplates. Detection of transition from α-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4 nanoplates by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).The magnetic properties of these reduced nanoplates were investigated and it was found that these nanoplates have higher coercivity and lower saturation magnetization than many other nanostructured iron oxides. The surface adsorption of nonmagnetic materials and their flake morphology may be the cause of this phenomenon.

A facile synthesis strategy by combination self-activation of biomass materials with heteroatom dopant in one-step is developed to fabricate porous carbons (NO-PCMs) doping with N, O, and S elements from direct carbonization of sodium lignosulfonate and melamine mixture. Two different types of active defects are constructed simultaneously through the decomposition of sodium lignosulfonate in NO-PCMs, exhibiting hierarchical porosity and abundant heteroatoms contents. The typical NO-PCMs displayed high specific capacitance (300 F g−1 at 0.1 A g−1) and outstanding cycling stability (99% capacitance retention after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles at 10 A g−1) in 6 M KOH electrolyte. Furthermore, the assembled symmetric supercapacitors exhibited high specific capacitance of 162 F g−1 at 20 A g−1, 71% capacitance retention at current density up to 20 A g−1, and possessed high specific energy density of 21.6 Wh kg−1 with an excellent power density of 92 W kg−1 operated in the wide voltage range of 1.8 V in 1 M Na2SO4 aqueous electrolyte, demonstrating the broad prospects of biomass/biowaste being used to prepare electrode materials.

The influence of uranium simulated waste water on the hydration properties of the cement was studied by modern test methods such as TAM air, XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDS. The results show that uranium can promote the hydration of mineral C3S, and inhibit the hydration of mineral C3A. By comparing scanning of hydration products, it was found that the existence of uranium significantly changed the morphology of clinker hydration products , but uranium had little effect on the type of clinker hydration product.

A novel three-component reaction of α-ketoaldehydes, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, and organic boronic acids catalyzed by CuO in water has been developed to give a wide range of products containing 1,3/1,4-diketones. The method has some advantages such as the use of readily available starting materials, wide substrate scopes, excellent yields, gram-scale synthesis, and mild reaction conditions.

A visible-light-induced decarboxylation reaction was developed for the synthesis of alkylated benzimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline-6(5H)-ones and indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolin-6(5H)-ones under metal-free conditions. Impressively, metal catalysts and traditionally volatile organic solvents could be effectively avoided.