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High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) (200 MPa/500 MPa) superdormant (SD) spores were isolated and characterized for germination and resistance properties. Compared with untreated spores, two-hundred MPa-SD spores showed germination defect with L-alanine, AGFK, dodecylamine, 200 MPa or 500 MPa. Meanwhile, they exhibited elevated resistance to 93 °C and UV 254 nm with decimal reduction time (D-value) increased by 2.7 and 1.5 fold respectively, reduced resistance to 0.22 M HCl and 3.2 M H 2 O 2 with D-value decreased by 1.4 and 1.3 fold respectively, and no change in resistance to 0.83 M formaldehyde and 0.34 M NaClO. Five-hundred MPa-SD spores showed germination defect with 500 MPa, no change in germination with L-alanine, AGFK or 200 MPa, but increased germination efficiency with dodecylamine. Accordingly, their resistance to 0.34 M NaClO and UV 254 nm elevated with D-value increased by 1.8 and 1.3 fold respectively, while resistance to 93 °C, 0.22 M HCl, 0.83 M formaldehyde and 3.2 M H 2 O 2 reduced with D-value decreased by 2, 1.4, 1.4 and 2.3 fold respectively. These properties were noninheritable as re-sporulated spores from SD spores showed identical germination behavior compared to initial untreated spores. Proteomics analysis revealed that the mechanism of SD spores' superdomancy was likely attributed to the variation of coat proteins and SASPs, and inner membrane modifications. It has long been acknowledged that the existence of SD spores greatly limits the successful application of HHP technology in low-acid foods. The data in this work provide valuable knowledge to understand the properties of SD spores under HHP, and thus hopefully can promote developing new strategies to eliminate bacterial spores in low-acid foods during industrial HHP processing. • The germination of 200 MPa superdormant (SD) spores with L-alanine, AGFK, 200 MPa or 500 MPa showed significant defect. • The D-value of 200 MPa SD spores with 93 °C and UV 254 nm treatment was respectively increased by 2.7 and 1.5 fold. • The 500 MPa SD spores showed germination defect with 500 MPa, but no germination change with L-alanine, AGFK or 200 MPa. • The D-value of 500 MPa SD spores with 93 °C and 3.2 M H 2 O 2 treatment was respectively reduced by 2 and 2.3 fold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To take full advantage of the limited monitoring data with fault information for operational state prediction in the case of the discrepancy in data distribution between the WTGs, a novel combined method is proposed based on the long short-term memory, fuzzy synthesis and feature-based transfer learning. After the statistical analysis and prediction of the monitoring indexes of two 2-MW WTGs with faulty information, an operational state calibration framework is proposed based on deep learning and fuzzy synthesis. Following this, three feature-based transfer learning methods are adopted to narrow the discrepancy among the data distribution of the WTGs. Correspondingly, feasibility verification of the proposed method is equally addressed. Case applications are performed using the actual monitoring data from No. 13 and 15 wind turbines of a wind farm in northern China. The results show that the operational state calibration framework can sensitively detect the potential fault information of the WTG in advance. Meanwhile, three transfer learning algorithms can effectively narrow the distance of the data distribution among the WTGs, and the classification accuracy can almost reach above 0.9. The proposed method can make full use of existing monitoring data with faulty information to predict the status of other WTGs. • A combined method for anomaly detection and condition monitoring was presented. • The framework of the multi-indices operational state calibration was established. • Feasibility verification of the combined method was addressed. •The methodology has been validated based on an onshore wind farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Degradation and dissipation of isocycloseram in cabbage in China were revealed. • It provides a reference for the detection of isocycloseram insecticide. • Verifies the possibility of removing pesticides by household methods. Isocycloseram is a new isoxazoline insecticide that can efficiently control the diamondback moth in cruciferous crops. The aim of this study was to establish a method for the determination of isocycloseram residues in/on cabbage and in the soil using HPLC-UV at 264 nm. A field test was conducted in December 2019 and 2020 to monitor isocycloseram dissipation in Jiangxi, China. Acetonitrile was used to extract isocycloseram from cabbage and soil. C18 and GCB were used to purify cabbage extracts, whereas soil extracts did not require purification. At the addition level of 0.01–1.0 mg/kg, the average recoveries in cabbage and soil were 91.81–109.95% and 89.89–104.08% respectively. After having applied 10% isocycloseram DC, isocycloseram dissipated faster in the cabbage matrix. Isocycloseram residues on cabbage leaves could be removed through simple cleaning methods, especially by soaking in 2% citric acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The effects of binary basicity on steelmaking slag properties were investigated. • Explaining reasonably the discordance between the findings of prior studies. • The relationship between slag mineral composition and performance was studied. • The prospect of utilizing steelmaking slag as a building material was explored. • Component modification can improve stability, grindability, and cementitious activity. In this study, the effects of binary basicity on the stability, grindability, and cementitious activity of steelmaking slag were investigated. The free CaO content, relative grindability index, and cementitious activity of the samples considered were determined using the glycol method, specific surface method, and activity testing technology, respectively. The results obtained reveal that an increase in slag basicity from 1.8 to 4 and a decrease in its Fe 2 O 3 content from 30% to 10% increase the free CaO content and lead to improvements in the slag grindability and cementitious activity. Accordingly, a basicity value of approximately 2 is determined ideal for building materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A framework based on random forest hybrid classifier (RFHC) is proposed for single fault detection, which not only identifies various fault types, but also separates the single fault from compound faults. • An improved Dempster–Shafer (IDS) information fusion method is developed to fuse the result obtained by the hybrid classifier. • Validity of the proposed method proposed is verified by QPZZ-II experimental platform datasets. Gearbox fault diagnosis plays an irreplaceable role in ensuring the safe operation of rotating machinery equipment. However, many researches have only diagnosed single faults, and have not detected single faults from compound faults of gearbox. Therefore, in this paper, a framework based on random forest hybrid classifier (RFHC) is proposed for single fault detection, which not only identifies various fault types, but also separates the single fault from compound faults. Meanwhile, an improved Dempster–Shafer (IDS) information fusion method is developed to fuse the result obtained by the hybrid classifier. Extensive evaluations of the proposed methods on the QPZZ-II experimental platform datasets showed that the proposed framework detects the single faults from the compound faults effectively, which reduces the categorization complexity of a single classifier and improves the overall performance of the detection framework. Moreover, compared with the diagnosis result of a single sensor, IDS can achieve higher average fusion precision and improve the reliability of gearbox single fault detection. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Potato starch exhibited the largest anthocyanin-binding capacity. • Potato starch had high negative charges and form strong electrostatic interactions. • Corn starch had advantageous particle sizes to adsorb anthocyanins. • Negative surface charges and specific surface area were crucial for binding. In this study, the cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G)-binding capacities of three native starches were investigated. While potato starch had the largest binding capacity of 0.34 mg/100 mg, corn and pea starch had binding capacities of 0.17 and 0.06 mg/100 mg. Confocal microscopy confirmed the binding results and revealed close associations between the surface properties and binding capacities. These findings were further substantiated with wettability and gelatinization results. The morphological observations showed that corn starch had advantageous particle sizes and more surface gullies, providing more opportunities to bind C3G. The zeta potential results, however, indicated that potato starch had the highest negative surface charges (−24 mV). These favorable electronic characteristics were believed to be responsible for the strongest electrostatic interactions. Hydrogen bonds, however, had a negligible effect on the formation of complexes. Overall, the negative surface charges and specific surface areas of the native starches were the most important factors determining C3G-binding capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Proposing a novel method to sequestrate CO 2 of ladle furnace slag using sodium bicarbonate solution. • CO 2 uptake percentage is significantly influenced by particle size of LF sag. • Internal diffusion is the restrictive link to control reaction rate. • Treatment flows for different type LF slag were designed. The annual output of ladle furnace (LF) slag exceeds 20 million tons. The slag pulverises easily and contains heavy metals, leading to severe environmental pollution during stacking. However, slag is suitable as a material for carbon dioxide sequestration owing to its high calcium oxide content. This study focuses on exploring a new scheme because the direct carbonation method requires strict operating conditions and the indirect carbonation method hinders the materialisation of ladle furnace slag. In this new scheme, a sodium bicarbonate solution acts as the treatment solution for the carbonate LF slag, and the treated solution regenerates by injecting carbon dioxide. The experimental results show that the sodium bicarbonate concentration, stirring speed, and liquid-to-solid ratio have minor effects on the CO 2 uptake percentage. With increasing reaction time, the CO 2 uptake percentage increases during the first 120 min and then remains constant. The rise in temperature has a negative impact on the CO 2 uptake percentage. However, decreasing the particle size of the LF slag greatly improves the CO 2 uptake. CO 2 injection at a flow rate of 1 L/min for 100 min decreased the pH of the treated solution to 8.9, achieving regeneration of the treated solution. Thermodynamic analysis indicates that for the reactions between sodium bicarbonate solution and minerals, calcium oxide and calcium aluminate have a significant thermodynamic driving force, indicating that slag with high basicity and CaO-Al 2 O 3 base slag is more suited for sequestering CO 2. The study provides a novel method for CO 2 sequestration and ladle furnace slag stabilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of AlGaN deep ultraviolet(UV) light emitting diodes(LEDs) has been limited by the extremely low light extraction efficiency(LEE), which is due to the severe light absorption by metal electrode and unique transverse magnetic polarization. Here, we propose an ordered nanowire array structure UV-LEDs with transparent graphene electrode. By using the finite-difference time domain simulation, the relationship between LEE and different nanowire structures (including ordered and disordered nanowires array) was studied. We demonstrate that ordered nanowire arrays are better than disordered nanowires in improving the LEE. A high LEE about 80% can, in principle, be expected from top surface with optimized nanowire radius and spacing. In addition, by studying the distribution of electric field intensity on the side and top of UV-LEDs with graphene electrode and Ni/Au electrode, we show that the graphene electrode can reduce the absorption of ultraviolet light and improve LEE more effectively than the conventional Ni/Au electrode. This proposed structure could be a promising candidate for high light extraction efficiency UV-LEDs. • A novel UV LED with nanowire array structure was theoretically studied. • The effect of nanowire arrays and different electrodes on LEE are studied. • Triangular lattice array has better light extraction ability than square lattice. • For light extraction, ordered nanowire arrays are superior to disordered arrays. • Graphene electrode can reduce the light absorption compared to the Ni/Au electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The research on economic recession has been more focused on the interactions between macroeconomic and financial variables. However, whether material use has been affected during the recession period has remained under-explored. In order to fill up this gap, this study investigates the relationship between material use and economic recession, as well as other socio-economic drivers, by using the material flow analysis and the system generalized method of moments for 157 economies worldwide during 1980–2011. Results show that economic recession poses significant and negative impact on domestic material consumption at 1% level, illustrating its role as a determinant factor on material mitigation. By dividing the research sample into extractive and non-extractive economies, as well as high-, mid- and low-income groups, we again confirmed the significant negative correlations as expected. No significant sign is found between recession and physical trade balance. Besides, other drivers such as population, Gross Domestic Production (GDP) per capita and technological variables also exert marked effects at different situations. This research work provides an empirical study on how recession and other factors affect material use at various scenarios, which have essential implications for understanding material flow dynamics in different economic cycles. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Recession is the determinant factor in reducing material use. • Recession-material nexus varies along with countries of different income levels and trade patterns. • Recession has no explanatory power to physical trade balance. • Income significantly promote material consumption. • Expansion of service sector helps to reduce material consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Pressure resistant, sublethal injury and viable but non-culturable cells existed during the HPP treatment. • The pressure resistant property of different species was positively correlated with the sublethal injury cell count. • The pressure resistant property of different species was negatively correlated with the VBNC cell count. • The combination of HPP with CO 2 or Nisin could reduce the formation of pressure resistant, sublethal injury and VBNC cells. This study aimed to analyze and reduce the pressure resistance (PR), sublethal injury (SLI), and viable but non-culturable (VBNC) populations during HPP. Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum were selected for evaluation of PR, SLI and VBNC cell counts and proportions during HPP. The results revealed that the bactericidal efficiency against these strains gradually improved as the processing pressure increased. However, viable bacteria could still be detected, suggesting that there may involve the presence of resistant population that difficult to be killed or revived from SLI. Further detecting the quantity and proportion of PR, SLI and VBNC bacteria found that these state of cells were present during whole HPP treatment. Additionally, the more resistant a bacterial species was to high pressure, the fewer SLI and more resuscitable VBNC (RVBNC) populations it generated, and vice versa. Therefore, correlation analysis was also employed to make the relationship between log reduction, SLI and RVBNC population ratios clearer. The results demonstrated that the log reduction was highly positive correlation with SLI population ratios, and negative correlation with RVBNC population within our detected species at 500 MPa. Furthermore, CO 2 and Nisin were employed to combined with HPP to reduce these survivors. Comparing with 233, 218, 241 and 259 MPa for HPP treatment, it took 37, 89, 135 and 229 MPa for HPP + CO 2 , and 189, 161, 199 and 292 MPa for HPP + Nisin to the first decimal reduction for E. coli , S.aureus , B. amyloliquefaciens and L. plantarum , respectively. The results indicated that HPP combined with CO 2 or Nisin could significantly reduce the quantity of PR, SLI, and RVBNC cells during HPP, and provide better bactericidal effects. In conclusion, we quantified the presence of PR, SLI, and VBNC bacteria after high pressure treatment and investigate the effectiveness of HPP combined with CO 2 or Nisin to enhance the inactivation of bacteria and reduce the occurrence of PR, SLI, and RVBNC bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins are natural pigments that can undergo structural transformations depending on pH, and their interactions with proteins have received considerable attention in recent decades. This work intended to unravel the pH-dependence of anthocyanin-protein binding mechanisms by examining interactions between cyandin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) at different pH. Fluorescence quenching (FQ) and microscale thermophoresis (MST) demonstrated that their binding affinity was pH 7 > pH 5 > pH 3, with dissociation constant (K d) at pH 7 of 43.1 μM for FQ and 33.0 μM for MST. The predominant C3G forms were determined by measuring UV–Vis absorption spectra with pH-jump experiments. Additionally, circular dichroism, Trp fluorescence, zeta potential and particle size measurements demonstrated the "molten globule" state of BSA at pH 3, and C3G had a negligible effect on BSA conformation. The binding mechanisms were investigated using molecular dynamics simulation, which revealed the importance of electrostatic interaction. Flavylium cation rarely bound to BSA due to electrostatic repulsion at pH 3, whereas the uncharged forms of C3G at all pH values bound to BSA surface due to hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds, but possibly in a weak and nonspecific manner. Anionic quinoidal bases, the most common C3G forms at pH 7, mostly bound to the positively charged pockets of BSA and formed several hydrogen bonds with surrounding amino acids, resulting in higher binding affinity. These findings provide insights into the interactions of proteins with different anthocyanin forms, which may guide the future research and applications in this field. [Display omitted] • The binding affinity of C3G to BSA follows the order: pH 7 > pH 5 > pH 3. • Flavylium cation rarely binds to BSA at pH 3 due to electrostatic repulsion. • The uncharged C3G forms bind to BSA via hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bond. • Anionic quinoidal bases may bind to the positively charged pockets of BSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the system pH (3, 5, and 7) and hydrothermal processing of starch (65 °C/10 min and 95 °C/20 min) on the interaction between cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) and starch (corn starch, potato starch, and pea starch) were investigated from the molecular interaction force level, molecular structure level, and microscopic level to the macroscopic level. The binding rates and binding amounts are found to increase with increasing pH of the system, and the use of a moderate extent of hydrothermal processing of starch (65 °C/10 min) can elevate the binding rates and binding amounts at pH 5 and 7, that is 65 °C/10 min treated would have the best binding effect compared with 95 °C/20 min treated and untreated starch at pH 5 and 7.With increasing pH, more hydrogen bonds are formed between C3G and starch molecular chains due to the structural changes of C3G at high pH. As the degree of hydrothermal processing of the starch is enhanced, the starch structure is gradually broken, and more starch molecular chains are released, for which the chance to contact C3G improves, enhancing the binding rates and binding amounts, that is the binding rates and binding amounts of 65 °C/10 min and 95 °C/20 min treated are higher than untreated starch. In particular, compared with 95 °C/20 min treated starch, 65 °C/10 min treated starch maintains the spatial three-dimensional structure better and forms more binding cavities and sites. Furthermore, increasing the system pH and the use of a moderate extent of hydrothermal processing simultaneously show a synergistic effect. [Display omitted] • The highest binding rate is achieved at pH 7 and 65 °C/10 min of processing. • With increasing pH, electrostatic interactions change to hydrogen bond formation. • The 65 °C/10 min treated starch has a spatial effect. • pH and hydrothermal processing show a synergistic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, the fact that frozen foods can carry the relevant virus raises concerns about the microbial safety of cold-chain foods. As a non-thermal processing technology, high pressure carbon dioxide (HPCD) is a potential method to reduce microbial load on cold-chain foods. In this study, we explored the microbial inactivation of low temperature (5-10 °C) HPCD (LT-HPCD) and evaluated its effect on the quality of prawn during freeze-chilled and frozen storage. LT-HPCD treatment at 6.5 MPa and 10 °C for 15 min could effectively inactivate E. coli (99.45%) and S. aureus (94.6%) suspended in 0.85% NaCl, SARS-CoV-2 Spike pseudovirus (>99%) and human coronavirus 229E (hCoV-229E) (>1-log virus tilter reduction) suspended in DMEM medium. The inactivation effect of LT-HPCD was weakened but still significant when the microorganisms were inoculated on the surface of food or package. LT-HPCD treatment at 6.5 MPa and 10 °C for 15 min achieved about 60% inactivation of total aerobic count while could maintain frozen state and quality of prawn. Moreover, LT-HPCD treated prawn exhibited significant slower microbial proliferation and no occurrence of melanosis compared with the untreated samples during chilled storage. A comprehensive quality investigation indicated that LT-HPCD treatment could maintain the color, texture and sensory of prawn during chilled or frozen storage. Consequently, LT-HPCD could improve the microbial safety of frozen prawn while maintaining its original quality, and could be a potential method for food industry to improve the microbial safety of cold-chain foods. • Low temperature HPCD (LT-HPCD) can achieve certain microbial inactivation. • LT-HPCD can maintain the frozen state and the quality of frozen prawn. • LT-HPCD inhibits microbial proliferation and melanosis of prawn during chill storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under stressful conditions, bacteria can enter viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state to survive. VBNC cells lost ability to grow on routine culture medium but are still alive and may revive in suitable conditions. The revived cells can consume nutrients or produce toxins, leading to food spoilage or human illness, posing great risk to food safety and public health. Previously, we have reported that high pressure carbon dioxide (HPCD), an environment-friendly sterilization technology, can induce VBNC formation. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. By performing a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis, we revealed that HPCD initiated high expression of asr , encoding an acid shock protein, could promote VBNC formation of E. coli O157:H7. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis suggested that high expression of asr (i) inhibited acid resistance (AR) systems, resulting in endogenous proton accumulation; (ii) inhibited hchA expression, a protein stabilizing factor. The two effects resulted in endogenous protein aggregation, which was highly correlated to VBNC formation. Accordingly, HPCD-stressed cells exhibited decreased efficiency of electron transfer chain and ATP production, which was also contributory to cytoplasmic protein aggregation. Taken together, HPCD-initiated high expression of Asr coupled with decreased ATP production led to protein aggregation, finally promoted the cells to enter VBNC state. • Molecular responses of E. coli O157:H7 to HPCD were investigated to explore crucial factors regulating VBNC formation. • Acid shock protein Asr was found to be involved in regulating HPCD induced VBNC formation. • Asr inhibited AR systems / protein stabilizer HchA to facilitate endogenous protein aggregation to promote VBNC formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The HHP-EGCG treatments improved the stability of orange juice during storage. • The inhibition mechanism of pectin methylesterase (PME) by HHP-EGCG was explored. • The EGCG could bind to the active site and induce aggregates of PME under HHP. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is currently the most successful non-thermal processing technology for commercial applications, but with a drawback that it is difficult to effectively inactivate the pectin methylesterase (PME), which is critical to the stability of orange juice. In this study, the PME inhibition and mechanism by HHP (600 MPa/10 min) combined with epigallocatechin gallate (HHP-EGCG) treatment were investigated. Firstly, the HHP-EGCG treatment showed enhancement effect on PME inhibition in orange juice, and the samples maintained higher content of water soluble pectin and exhibited higher suspension stability than the HHP treated samples during 13 days of refrigerated storage. Secondly, after HHP-EGCG treatment, further synergistic effect was observed in the phosphate buffer system, and the greatest secondary structure transformation and fluorescence quenching of PME occurred. Finally, molecule docking suggested that EGCG could interact with the active sites of PME, and transmission electron microscope results revealed further aggregation of PME under HHP-EGCG treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • pH ex3 is the main factor of HPCD for VBNC induction. • HP promotes HPCD-induced VBNC formation by increasing cell membrane permeability. • HP reduced the count of HPCD-induced VBNC cells by destroying the membrane. • Genes involved in transport and localization are crucial for VBNC induction. High pressure carbon dioxide (HPCD) has been used in food processing as a non-thermal pasteurization technology. However, the potential of HPCD to induce viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells limits its application. The objective of this study was to explore the roles of extracellular pH of 3 (pH ex3) and high pressure (HP) of HPCD during VBNC induction and the underlying molecular mechanism. By using the model organism Escherichia coli O157:H7, we found that the combined effects of pH ex3 and HP could mimic the effect of HPCD for VBNC induction. Further investigation of the individual effect of pH ex3 and HP on VBNC induction revealed that pH ex3 could induce a higher proportion of VBNC cells with a slower induction rate compared with HPCD, whereas HP was unable to induce VBNC formation. Notably, the cells treated by pH ex3 and HPCD had similar morphological changes, and VBNC cells induced by pH ex3 and HPCD had similar stress resistance characteristics. These results strongly indicated that pH ex3 introduced by HPCD was a main factor for VBNC induction. Additionally, we found that HP played the role in accelerating VBNC formation in the process of HPCD treatment. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 85, 263 and 529 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for HP-, pH ex3 - and HPCD-treated cells compared with untreated ones. 59 DEGs shared by pH ex3 and HPCD treatment might be responsible for VBNC induction, and they were mainly involved in cellular transport and localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • BCN has higher adsorption for NR (747.10 mg·g−1) and MG (682.46 mg·g−1) than that of MO (61.27 mg·g−1), MB (119.38 mg·g−1). • BCN can selectively recover NR (or MG) from mixed dyes solutions. • This is due to that BCN prefers to catch proton as well as NR and MG are protonated dyes. In this work, it has firstly found that carbon-doped boron nitride (BCN) material has high affinity for proton and can be used as pH-responsive material to selectively recover protonated dyes neutral red (NR) and malachite green (MG) from dye wastewater. The maximum adsorption capacities of BCN for NR and MG are 747.10 mg·g−1 and 682.46 mg·g−1 which is obviously larger than that of methyl orange (MO 61.27 mg·g−1) and methylene blue (MB 119.38 mg·g−1). The adsorbed protonated dyes are easily released through pH changeing and the maximum recovery amounts of NR and MG are 704.94 mg·g−1 and 631.54 mg·g−1, respectively. The effects of inorganic ions (Cl−, SO 4 2− and NO 3 −) and cationic surfactant on the adsorption performance of BCN to NR and MG can be negligible. By the adding of anionic surfactant, the adsorption and release performance of BCN to NR and MG is a little decrease. BCN can still selectively recover NR (or MG) from the mixed dye solutions. In two mixed dye solutions, the maximum recovery of BCN for NR (or MG) is above 90.93%. In ternary system, the maximum recovery of BCN for protonated dye is above 79.21%. In NR-MG-MB-MO quaternary system, the recovery of BCN for NR and MG is above 87.57%. Therefore, BCN has a good potential that is used to selectively recover the protonated dyes from dye wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Carbon-doped boron nitride (BCN) is synthesized via oxygen-limited method. • BCN can capture protons and exist in protonated form in solution. • BCN can increase the pH of tetracycline (TC) solution from 3.80 to 7.87. • TC adsorption by BCN is 76.74 mg·g−1 in pH 7.87, and 63.08 mg·g−1 in pH 3.80. • Some of the captured protons by BCN can transfer to TC during adsorption process. A series of carbon-doped boron nitride (BCN) are synthesized via oxygen-limited method, in which BCN-0.6 has the best adsorption quantity for tetracycline (TC). BCN-0.6 can capture protons and increase the pH of TC solution from 3.80 to 7.87, which makes that TC changes to negative state (pH 7.87) from neutral state (pH 3.80). BCN-0.6 exists in protonated form in solution. TC adsorption quantity by BCN-0.6 in pH 7.87 is higher than that in pH 3.8 (76.74 mg·g−1 vs. 63.08 mg·g−1), being due to that these captured protons can also interact with these oxygen-containing groups in TC via hydrogen bonding. The hydroxyl numbers of BCN-0.6 have been determined via Boehm titration method for clarifying the contribution of these surface hydroxyl for TC adsorption. In addition, some of the captured protons by BCN-0.6 can transfer to TC during adsorption process, increasing the electrostatic interaction between BCN-0.6 and TC. Experimental and theoretical studies support that hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction and π...π stacking are main driving force for TC adsorption by BCN-0.6. Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model are suitable to describe the adsorption of TC by BCN-0.6. And, this adsorption is an endothermic process. The adsorption performance of BCN-0.6 for TC is easily regenerated by washing with water. Furthermore, the per unit specific surface adsorption capacity (4.102 mg·m−2) of BCN-0.6 for TC is far higher than that of commercial activated carbon for TC (0.163 mg·m−2), suggesting that BCN-0.6 is a good adsorbent for water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pepper seed protein isolate (PSPI) is a valuable plant-based protein source, yet the impact of processing methods such as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on its properties remains unclear. The impact of HHP on the structural and functional properties of PSPI at pH 7 and pH 9 was evaluated. Structural changes in PSPI were analyzed using spectral techniques, revealing significant alterations in the secondary and tertiary structures induced by HHP treatment. HHP treatment caused the unfolding of the PSPI structure, leading to the exposure of previously hidden chromophores and hydrophobic groups. The treatment also led to changes in free sulfhydryl groups and increased average particle size suggesting the formation of macromolecular polymers or insoluble aggregates. Consequently, the water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, foaming characteristics, and emulsifying activity index of the modified PSPI were significantly enhanced both at pH 7 and pH 9, with maximum improvements of 121.98 %, 157.29 %, 100.00 %, and 265.78 %, respectively. In conclusion, HHP is a promising strategy for enhancing the physicochemical properties of PSPI for various applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The clinical application of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is limited by its short half-life, subeffective concentration in the targeted area and severe systemic toxicity. In this study, the recombinant polypeptide S4-TNF-α was constructed and coupled with chitosan-modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (S4-TNF-α-SPIONs) to achieve pH-sensitive controlled release and active tumor targeting activity. The isoelectric point (pI) of S4-TNF-α was reconstructed to approach the pH of the tumor microenvironment. The negative-charge S4-TNF-α was adsorbed to chitosan-modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (CS-SPIONs) with a positive charge through electrostatic adsorption at physiological pH. The acidic tumor microenvironment endowed S4-TNF-α with a zero charge, which accelerated S4-TNF-α release from CS-SPIONs. Our studies showed that S4-TNF-α-SPIONs displayed an ideal pH-sensitive controlled release capacity and improved antitumor effects. Our study presents a novel approach to enhance the pH-sensitive controlled-release of genetically engineered drugs by adjusting their pI to match the pH of the tumor microenvironment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fermentation is a traditional method utilized for vegetable preservation, with microorganisms playing a crucial role in the process. Nowadays, traditional spontaneous fermentation methods are widely employed, which excessively depend on the microorganisms attached to the surface of raw materials, resulting in great difficulties in ideal control over the fermentation process. To achieve standardized production and improve product quality, it is essential to promote inoculated fermentation. In this way, starter cultures can dominate the fermentation processes successfully. Unfortunately, inoculated fermentation has not been thoroughly studied and applied. Therefore, this paper provides a systematic review of the potential upgrading strategy of vegetable fermentation technology. First, we disclose the microbial community structures and succession rules in some typical spontaneously fermented vegetables to comprehend the microbial fermentation processes well. Then, internal and external factors affecting microorganisms are explored to provide references for the selection of fermented materials and conditions. Besides, we widely summarize the potential starter candidates with various characteristics isolated from spontaneously fermented products. Subsequently, we exhibited the inoculated fermentation strategies with those isolations. To optimize the product quality, not only lactic acid bacteria that lead the fermentation, but also yeasts that contribute to aroma formation should be combined for inoculation. The inoculation order of the starter cultures also affects the microbial fermentation. It is equally important to choose a proper processing method to guarantee the activity and convenience of starter cultures. Only in this way can we achieve the transition from traditional spontaneous fermentation to modern inoculated fermentation., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

Traditional unsupervised speech enhancement models often have problems such as non-aggregation of input feature information, which will introduce additional noise during training, thereby reducing the quality of the speech signal. In order to solve the above problems, this paper analyzed the impact of problems such as non-aggregation of input speech feature information on its performance. Moreover, this article introduced a temporal convolutional neural network and proposed a SASEGAN-TCN speech enhancement model, which captured local features information and aggregated global feature information to improve model effect and training stability. The simulation experiment results showed that the model can achieve 2.1636 and 92.78% in perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ) score and short-time objective intelligibility (STOI) on the Valentini dataset, and can accordingly reach 1.8077 and 83.54% on the THCHS30 dataset. In addition, this article used the enhanced speech data for the acoustic model to verify the recognition accuracy. The speech recognition error rate was reduced by 17.4%, which was a significant improvement compared to the baseline model experimental results.

Considering the increasing severity of electromagnetic wave pollution, the development of high-performance low-filler-content microwave absorbers possessing wide frequency bands and strong absorption for practical applications is a demanding research hotspot. In this study, from the perspectives of the electromagnetic component coordination and structural design, a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected CoFe 2 O 4 /MXene-melamine foam (MF) was constructed via simple impregnation and a single freeze-drying step. By changing the absorber (CoFe 2 O 4 /MXene) concentration, the pore opening and electromagnetic properties of the 3D foams can be effectively adjusted. When the absorber concentration is sufficiently high to clog the internal pores, the microwave absorption is hindered. When the filler (CoFe 2 O 4 /MXene-MF) content is just ∼5.8 wt % (at a density of ∼33.3 mg cm -3 ), a minimum reflection loss (RL min ) of -72.1 dB is achieved at a matching thickness of 3.32 mm, and an effective absorption bandwidth (4.54 GHz) covering the whole X band is achieved at a thickness of 3 mm. CoFe 2 O 4 /MXene-MF, which possesses a 3D porous electromagnetic network structure, optimizes impedance matching and enhances multiple polarization relaxations and reflections/scattering, resulting in superior absorption capabilities. In particular, the continuous network structure ensures the uniform distribution of electromagnetic fields in the microstructure, achieving high absorption at low filler contents. This work provides a reference for subsequent 3D absorber concentration studies and a novel engineering strategy for preparing a low-filler-content, lightweight, and efficient electromagnetic wave absorber, which could be applied in the fields of radar security and information communications.

The steadily increasing use of microwave stealth materials in aerospace flying vehicles needs the development of lightweight absorbers with low density and high thermal stability for printing or spraying. In that regard, the structural designability of typical microwave absorbers made of Fe 3 O 4 seems to be a significant roadmap. In this work, a hollow spherical structure with a uniform carbon shell around the urchin-like Fe 3 O 4 core (Fe 3 O 4 @C) was produced via a two-step hydrothermal method and annealing. The Fe 3 O 4 @C absorber exhibited a strong minimum reflection loss (RL min ) of -73.5 dB at the matching thickness of 3.23 mm. The maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB max ) was 4.78 GHz at 4.55 mm. The proposed urchin-like core-shell structure was shown to provide good impedance matching and electromagnetic loss ability due to the synergistic effect of Fe 3 O 4 and C. In particular, the urchin-like structure increases the heterogeneous interfaces and effectively improves their polarization and relaxation. On the other hand, it reduces the density of the absorber and enhances multiple scattering attenuations of electromagnetic waves (EMWs). Therefore, the findings of the present study open up prospects for the design of high-efficiency lightweight microwave absorbers with specialized structures., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Quercetin has an ideal therapeutic effect on islet function improvement in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the therapeutic benefit of quercetin is hindered by its poor bioavailability and limited concentration in pancreatic islets. In this study, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPION)-modified exosomes were prepared to load quercetin, hoping to endow quercetin with enhanced water solubility and active targeting capacity with the help of magnetic force (MF)., Methods: Transferrin-modified SPIONs (Tf-SPIONs) were synthesized by exploiting N-hydroxysuccinimidyl (NHS) conjugation chemistry, and quercetin-loaded exosomes (Qu-exosomes) were acquired by electroporation. Tf-SPION-modified quercetin-loaded exosomes (Qu-exosome-SPIONs) were generated by the self-assembly of transferrin (Tf) and the transferrin receptor (TfR). The solubility of quercetin was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The pancreatic islet targeting capacity and insulin secretagogue and antiapoptotic activities of Qu-exosome-SPIONs/MF were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo., Results: The Qu-exosome-SPIONs were well constructed and harvested by magnetic separation with a uniform size and shape in a diameter of approximately 86.2 nm. The water solubility of quercetin increased 1.97-fold when loaded into the SPION-modified exosomes. The application of SPIONs/MF endowed the Qu-exosomes with favorable targeting capacity. In vitro studies showed that Qu-exosome-SPIONs/MF more effectively inhibited or attenuated β cell apoptosis and promoted insulin secretion in response to elevated glucose (GLC) compared with quercetin or Qu-exosome-SPIONs. In vivo studies demonstrated that Qu-exosome-SPIONs/MF displayed an ideal pancreatic islet targeting capacity, thereby leading to the restoration of islet function., Conclusion: The Qu-exosome-SPIONs/MF nano-delivery system significantly enhanced the quercetin concentration in pancreatic islets and thereby improved pancreatic islet protection., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2023 Zhuang et al.)

Bacterial spores are highly resilient and universally present on earth and can irreversibly enter the food chain to cause food spoilage or foodborne illness once revived to resume vegetative growth. Traditionally, extensive thermal processing has been employed to efficiently kill spores; however, the relatively high thermal load adversely affects food quality attributes. In recent years, the germination-inactivation strategy has been developed to mildly kill spores based on the circumstance that germination can decrease spore-resilient properties. However, the failure to induce all spores to geminate, mainly owing to the heterogeneous germination behavior of spores, hampers the success of applying this strategy in the food industry. Undoubtedly, elucidating the detailed germination pathway and underlying mechanism can fill the gap in our understanding of germination heterogeneity, thereby facilitating the development of full-scale germination regimes to mildly kill spores. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the mechanisms of spore germination of Bacillus and Clostridium species, and update the molecular basis of the early germination events, for example, the activation of germination receptors, ion release, Ca-DPA release, and molecular events, combined with the latest research evidence. Moreover, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), an advanced non-thermal food processing technology, can also trigger spore germination, providing a basis for the application of a germination-inactivation strategy in HHP processing. Here, we also summarize the diverse germination behaviors and mechanisms of spores of Bacillus and Clostridium species under HHP, with the aim of facilitating HHP as a mild processing technology with possible applications in food sterilization. Practical Application: This work provides fundamental basis for developing efficient killing strategies of bacterial spores in food industry., (© 2023 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

As a non-thermal technology, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) has been widely investigated for inactivating microorganisms in food. Few studies have been presented on the pressurization/depressurization rate and mode of microbial inactivation. In this study, effect of pressurization rate and mode on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus cell damage during HHP treatment was investigated. The results showed that fast pressurization + linear mode (FL) treatment has the best bactericidal effect on E. coli and S. aureus , followed by fast pressurization + stepwise mode (FS) and slow pressurization + stepwise mode (SS) treatments. FL treatment caused more morphological damage to the cell wall, cell membrane, and cytoplasmic components compared with FS and SS treatment detected by SEM and TEM. Additionally, the damage to membrane permeability of them was also enhanced after FL treatment. Therefore, our results indicated that FL treatment could be applied to enhance the bactericidal effect of HHP on bacteria by increasing the damage to cell morphological structure and membrane integrity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Yang, Li, Dong, Rao, Wang and Liao.)

Proteins are important food ingredients that possess both functional and nutritional properties. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is an emerging nonthermal food processing technology that has been subject to great advancements in the last two decades. It is well established that pressure can induce changes in protein folding and oligomerization, and consequently, HHP has the potential to modify the desired protein properties. In this review article, the research progress over the last 15 years regarding the effect of HHP on protein structures, as well as the applications of HHP in modifying protein functionalities (i.e., solubility, water/oil holding capacity, emulsification, foaming and gelation) and nutritional properties (i.e., digestibility and bioactivity) are systematically discussed. Protein unfolding generally occurs during HHP treatment, which can result in increased conformational flexibility and the exposure of interior residues. Through the optimization of HHP and environmental conditions, a balance in protein hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity may be obtained, and therefore, the desired protein functionality can be improved. Moreover, after HHP treatment, there might be greater accessibility of the interior residues to digestive enzymes or the altered conformation of specific active sites, which may lead to modified nutritional properties. However, the practical applications of HHP in developing functional protein ingredients are underutilized and require more research concerning the impact of other food components or additives during HHP treatment. Furthermore, possible negative impacts on nutritional properties of proteins and other compounds must be also considered., (© 2022 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

Graphite carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) is a promising photocatalyst for its high catalytic activity, low-cost and high-biosafety characteristics. Due to the complexity of underwater photochemical reaction conditions and the disadvantages of g-C 3 N 4 itself such as low specific surface area, easy recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and insufficient light absorption capacity, the application of g-C 3 N 4 in the field of water purification is limited. For improving underwater photocatalytic performance of g-C 3 N 4 , a g-C 3 N 4 /carbon nanotubes (CNT-CN) composite photocatalyst with high specific surface area and enhanced light absorption capacity were prepared by in situ solvothermal method. Its photodegradation efficiency at different underwater transmission light was further studied. The results show that CNT has good compatibility with g-C 3 N 4 . g-C 3 N 4 can grow in situ on the surface of CNT and form a stable composite structure. Moreover, its degradation efficiency under long-wavelength irradiation is improved significantly. The degradation rate of CNT-CN at 550-700 nm was about 3 times than that of g-C 3 N 4 . Furthermore, CNT-CN can maintain higher photocatalytic activity under water. At 40 cm depth where light intensity and ultraviolet spectra were attenuated 63.8% and 80.1%, respectively, the degradation rate of CNT-CN3 can still reach 3.49 times than that of g-C 3 N 4 . Based on this study, the introduction of CNT effectively promotes the electron-hole separation efficiency of g-C 3 N 4 , widens its spectral response range, and thus improves its underwater degradation efficiency., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Bacterial spores can preserve cellular dormancy for years, but still hold the remarkable ability to revive and recommence life. This cellular awakening begins with a rapid and irreversible event termed germination; however, the metabolic determinants required for its success have been hardly explored. Here, we show that at the onset of the process of sporulation, the metabolic enzyme RocG catabolizes glutamate, facilitating ATP production in the spore progenitor cell, and subsequently influencing the eventual spore ATP reservoir. Mutants displaying low RocG levels generate low ATP-containing spores that exhibit severe germination deficiency. Importantly, this phenotype could be complemented by expressing RocG at a specific window of time during the initiation of sporulation. Thus, we propose that despite its low abundance in dormant spores, ATP energizes spore germination, and its production, fueled by RocG, is coupled with the initial developmental phase of spore formation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Previously, a new copper-zinc SOD (CuZnSOD) isolated from chestnut rose ( Rosa roxburghii ) with good stability was described. In this study, the biosynthetic approach was used to create recombinant CuZnSOD. RACE PCR was also used to amplify the full-length CuZnSOD gene from chestnut rose, and the ORF segment was expressed in E. coli BL21 and P. pastoris GS115. For characterization, the enzyme was isolated in two steps in E. coli and one step in P. pastoris . The biochemical properties of the two recombinant enzymes were similar, and their optimal reaction pH and temperature were 6.0 and 50°C, respectively. According to molecular dynamics simulation, the CuZnSOD showed high stability from 70 to 90°C, and eight amino acids are important for enzyme thermal stability at high temperatures. This study set the stage for industrial manufacture by filling gaps in the link between conformational changes and the thermal stability of the new CuZnSOD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhao, Zhao, Zhang, Rao, Wang and Liao.)

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of free sensate intercostal artery perforator flap for the hand soft tissue reconstruction., Methods: Between March 2010 and September 2015, 19 cases of hand soft tissue defect were repaired with free sensate intercostal artery perforator flap, including 16 males and 3 females, aged from 18 to 53 years, with an average of 35.2 years. The defect was located in the dorsum of the hand in 15 cases and in the palm in 4 cases. The causes of injury were traffic accident injury in 8 cases, hot crush injury in 5 cases, strangulation injury in 4 cases, and avulsion injury in 2 cases. All of them were full-thickness skin and soft tissue defects of hand with exposure of phalanges, tendons, blood vessels, and nerves. The size of defect was 10.0 cm×7.0 cm to 17.0 cm×8.0 cm. There were 12 cases of emergency operation and 7 cases of selective operation. The thickness of flap was 10-25 mm, and the size of the flap ranged from 10.0 cm×7.5 cm to 17.0 cm×8.0 cm. The vascular pedicle of the flap was anastomosed with the snuff nest branch of the radial artery (12 cases), the main radial artery (7 cases), and there accompanying vein, and the intercostal nerve cutaneous branch of the flap was anastomosed with the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm. The donor site was closed directly (14 cases) or repaired with medium thickness skin graft (5 cases)., Results: All of the flaps and skin grafts survived; the wounds in the donor and recipient sites healed by first intention. All 19 patients were followed up 10- 18 months, with an average of 12.7 months. After operation, the appearance and function of the hand recovered well, and there was no flap bloated. The two-point discrimination of the flap was 7-11 mm, with an average of 8.8 mm. Only linear scars left in the patients with direct closure of the donor site. The sensory function of the donor site was not significantly affected, and the hand function recovered satisfactorily., Conclusion: Free sensate intercostal artery perforator flap is a valuable and reliable technique for the hand soft tissue defect.

Spores of wild-type Bacillus subtilis and some isogenic mutant strains were treated by high pressure CO 2 (HPCD) at high temperature (HT) (HPCD + HT) at 20 MPa and 84-86 °C for 0-60 min, and centrifuged on a high density solution to obtain pelleted spores that retained CaDPA and light spores that lost CaDPA. All treated spores were analyzed for viability, and tested for germination, outgrowth, core protein damage, mutagenesis and inner membrane (IM) properties. The results showed that (i) with HPCD + HT treated spores, most pelleted spores and all light spores were dead; ii) a significant amount of dead HPCD + HT-treated spores that retained CaDPA germinated, but outgrowth was blocked; (iii) minimal mutants were generated in survivors of HPCD + HT treatment; (iv) the GFP fluorescence decrease in HPCD + HT-treated spores with high GFP levels was slower than spore inactivation; (v) the IM of HPCD + HT-treated spores that retained CaDPA lost its ability to retain CaDPA at 85 °C, and almost all of these spores' outgrowth in high salt was blocked; and (vi) HPCD + HT-treated spores that retained CaDPA germinated with l-valine or AGFK were almost all stained with propidium iodide. These results indicated that HPCD + HT inactivated B. subtilis spores by damaging spores' IM, thus blocking spore outgrowth after germination., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In order to overcome photocatalytic technology application limitations in water due to weak light intensity, it is crucial to synthesize photocatalysts that respond to weak light. In this study, porous and oxygen-doped carbon nitride (CN-MC) was synthesized via supramolecular preassembly technology using melamine and cyanuric chloride. The carbon nitride catalyst produced via this technology has a relatively high surface area (63.2 m 2  g -1 ), irregular pores, and oxygen doping characteristics, which enhance the light capture capacity, increase the number of reactive sites, and accelerate electron-hole separation efficiency. Thus, the CN-MC exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity during the degradation of organic pollutants Rhodamine B (RhB, 95% removal within 6 h) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl, 70% removal within 6 h) under low-intensity light (the light intensity = 0.8~1.8 mW cm -2 with a wavelength range of 300-700 nm). Mechanistic analysis showed that ·O 2 - and ·OH were the dominant active free radicals during RhB and TC-HCl photocatalytic degradation over CN-MC. The proposed synthesis strategy effectively improves the photocatalytic activity of graphite carbon nitride under weak light by producing a porous morphology and oxygen atom doping.

Herein, we present the preparation of nano-TiO 2 -silicone resin composite films by double liquid phase spray deposition. The films exhibit better adhesion stability and photocatalytic activity under a hydrodynamic erosion condition than conventional nano-TiO 2 composite films. The TiO 2 layer morphology and effective TiO 2 coverage ratio (CR) were affected by the initial curing time (ICT) of the silicone resin, e.g., the increase in an ICT from 10 to 40 min resulted in a CR change from 79.1 to 98.7%. The surface morphology evolution of composite films was studied under a hydrodynamic erosion period of 4 weeks. Obtained results allowed the 4-week evolution to be divided into four stages (pitting, crack pregnant, banded stripping, and surface stripping periods), additionally revealed that the CR of all samples was remained above 65%. The photocatalytic activity of composite films before and after 4-week hydrodynamic erosion was evaluated by rhodamine B degradation experiments. The 4-week erosion only led to the decrease of the photodegradation efficiencies by less than 40% in all cases. Thus, the fabricated TiO 2 -silicone composite films demonstrated excellent durability and photocatalytic activity under the conditions of long-term hydrodynamic erosion, allowing one to conclude that this work paves the way to the fabrication of next-generation photocatalytic materials for industrial applications.

A TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 composite photocatalytic film was prepared by in situ synthesis method and its photocatalytic capability under weak-visible-light condition was studied. The co-precursor with different ratio of melamine and TiO 2 sol-gel precursor were treated using ultrasonic mixing, physical deposition, and co-sintering method to form the smooth, white-yellow, and compact TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 composite films. The prepared TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 materials were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, BET, VBXPS, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The results of composite showed that TiO 2 and g-C 3 N 4 have close interfacial connections which are favorable to charge transfer between these two semiconductors with suitable band structure, g-C 3 N 4 retard the anatase-to-rutile phase transition of TiO 2 significantly, the specific surface area were increased with g-C 3 N 4 ratio raised. Under weak-light irradiation, composite films photocatalytic experiments exhibited RhB removal efficiency approaching 90% after three recycles. Powders suspension degradation experiments revealed the removal efficiency of TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 (90.8%) was higher than pure TiO 2 (52.1%) and slightly lower than pure g-C 3 N 4 (96.6%). By control experiment, the enhanced photocatalysis is ascribed to the combination of TiO 2 and g-C 3 N 4 , which not only produced thin films with greater stability but also formed heterojunctions that can be favorable to charge transfer between these two semiconductors with suitable band structure. This study presents the potential application of photocatalytic film in the wastewater treatment under weak-light situation.

Spatial variability of soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) at the provincial scale was analyzed using ordinary kriging methods. The effects of the factors influencing C/N were quantified by regression analysis based on 16,582 points of surface soil samples (0-20 cm) collected during the project of soil-test-based formulated fertilization in Jiangxi Province in 2012. The results showed that soil C/N ranged from 2.98 to 52.67, with an average of 11.72. The coefficient of variation was 25.17%, suggesting moderate variability. The nugget-to-sill ratio was 88.44%, meaning that the stochastic factors played a more important role in the spatial variability of soil C/N between the structural and stochastic factors. The spatial distribution of soil C/N was relatively smooth and the high-value areas were mainly distributed in Pengze County-Jiujiang City, Shangli County-Pingxiang City, and Lean County-Fuzhou City. The terrain factors, farmland-use type, parent material, soil type, and the level of nitrogen fertilizer had significant impacts on the spatial variability of soil C/N ( P <0.05), but the degree of influence was different for each factor. Soil C/N indicated a significant positive Pearson's correlation with elevation and the slope of slope ( P <0.05). The terrain factors explained 0.3% of the spatial variability of soil C/N and the farmland-use could explain 1.4%. The explanatory power of soil groups, subgroups, and soil family were 2.7%, 3.6%, and 5.5% respectively. The level of nitrogen fertilizer could explain 33.4% of the spatial variability of soil C/N, which showed that the amount of nitrogen fertilizer was the main factor that controls the spatial distribution of soil C/N.

The inactivation effects of high pressure CO 2 + nisin (simultaneous treatment of HPCD and nisin, HPCD + nisin), HPCD→nisin (HPCD was followed by nisin), and nisin→HPCD (nisin was followed by HPCD) treatments on Bacillus subtilis spores in aqueous solutions were compared. The spores were treated by HPCD at 6.5 or 20 MPa, 84-86°C and 0-30 min, and the concentration of nisin was 0.02%. Treated spores were examined for the viability, the permeability of inner membrane (IM) using flow cytometry method and pyridine-2, 6-dicarboxylic acid (DPA) release, and structural damage by transmission electron microscopy. A synergistic effect of HPCD + nisin treatment on inactivation of the spores was found, and the inactivation efficiency of the spores was HPCD + nisin > HPCD→nisin or nisin→HPCD. Moreover, HPCD + nisin caused higher IM permeability and DPA release of the spores than HPCD. A possible action mode of nisin-enhanced inactivation of the spores was suggested as that HPCD firstly damaged the coat and cortex of spores, and nisin penetrated into and acted on the IM of spores, which increased the damage to the IM of spores, and resulted in higher inactivation of the spores.

Purpose: As a potential protein therapeutic for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), BAY 55-9837 is limited by poor stability and a very short half-life in vivo. The purpose of this study was to construct a novel nanostructured biomaterial by conjugating BAY 55-9837 to chitosan-decorated selenium nanoparticles (CS-SeNPs) to prolong the in vivo half-life of BAY 55-9837 by reducing its renal clearance rate., Materials and Methods: BAY 55-9837-loaded CS-SeNPs (BAY-CS-SeNPs) were prepared, and their surface morphology, particle size, zeta potential, and structure were characterized. The stability, protein-loading rate, and in vitro release of BAY 55-9837 from CS-SeNPs were also quantified. Additionally, a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was developed for the quantification of BAY 55-9837 in mouse plasma. Thereafter, mice were injected via the tail vein with either BAY 55-9837 or BAY-CS-SeNPs, and the plasma concentration of BAY 55-9837 was determined via our validated HPLC method at different time intervals postinjection. Relevant in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters (half-life, area under the curve from time 0 to last sampling point, observed clearance) were then calculated and analyzed., Results: BAY-CS-SeNPs were successfully synthesized, with diameters of approximately 200 nm. BAY-CS-SeNPs displayed good stability with a high protein-loading rate, and the release process of BAY 55-9837 from the CS-SeNPs lasted for over 70 hours, with the cumulative release reaching 78.9%. Moreover, the conjugation of CS-SeNPs to BAY 55-9837 significantly reduced its renal clearance to a rate of 1.56 mL/h and extended its half-life to 20.81 hours., Conclusion: In summary, our work provides a simple method for reducing the renal clearance rate and extending the half-life of BAY 55-9837 in vivo by utilizing CS-SeNPs as nanocarriers.