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[Display omitted] • BACs with longer alkyl chains would generate more si-RGs in nitrification systems. • The abundance of si-RGs increased with the concentration of BACs. • BACs contributed to higher abundance of i-RGs than e-RGs in both sludge and water. • Protein secondary structure promoted by BACs might facilitate the spread of RGs. • MGEs contributed the most in shaping the e-RGs transfer under the stress of BACs. Benzalkyl dimethylammonium compounds (BACs) are generally applied as surfactants and disinfectants. In this study, the nitrification systems were exposed to different alkyl chain lengths (C12-C16) and different levels of BACs (0-5 mg/L), respectively, totally 120 days and to explore the chronic effect of BACs on resistance genes (RGs). RGs were classified into four fractions based on activated sludge properties. Ammonia oxidation performance were not significantly affected by BACs, whereas BACs increased the absolute abundance of most intracellular RGs in sludge (si-RGs). Under the exposure of BACs, extracellular RGs in water (we-RGs) showed a decrease trend and si-RGs tended to be converted to we-RGs. Tightly bound-Tyrosine side chain was significantly correlated with most we-RGs, and we- intI1 might contribute to the propagation of RGs. Therefore, the risk of transmission of different fractions of RGs in the nitrification system under the stress of BACs should be taken seriously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wave superposition is a common method to generate freak waves by assigning energy of wave spectrum to a focusing wave train and a random wave train. Traditionally, the freak wave generation by wave superposition requires repeatedly try for many times before obtaining satisfactory results. In this process, freak wave may not occur when wave component number or energy portion of focusing wave train is small and freak wave may break up when that is too large. It may also contribute to the discrepancy of significant wave height between target value and generated result when energy portion of focusing wave train is large. To improve simulation efficiency, the paper proposes a model to quantitatively predict the occurrence probability of freak waves in superposition cases of two and three wave trains. The error of significant wave height could be artificially controlled. The occurrence probability prediction model of freak wave is also extended to three-dimensional wave fields. The accuracy is well validated by statistical data. According to prediction results, two-dimensional and three-dimensional freak waves are successfully generated. • A new model is proposed to quantitatively predict the occurrence probabilities of freak waves. • The model is of importance to generate freak waves with high efficiency and low error of significant wave height. • The prediction accuracy of the proposed model is well validated by statistical data. • Two-dimensional and three-dimensional freak waves are successfully generated according to prediction results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease that affects more than 44 million people worldwide. The pathogenic mechanisms of AD still remain unclear. Currently, there are numerous studies investigating the microbiota–gut–brain axis in humans and rodents indicated that gut microbiota played a role in neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. However, the underlying relationship between the progress of AD disease and the dynamic distribution of gut microbiota is not well understood. In the present study, APPswe/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mice of different ages and sex were employed. After the evaluation of the AD mice model, gut metagenomic sequencing was conducted to reveal gut microbiota, moreover, probiotics intervention was treated in the AD mice. The results showed that (1) AD mice had reduced microbiota richness and a changed gut microbiota composition, and AD mice gut microbiota richness was correlated with cognitive performance. We have also found some potential AD‐related microbes, for example, in AD‐prone mice, the genus Mucispirillum was strongly associated with immune inflammation. (2) Probiotics intervention improved cognitive performance and changed gut microbiota richness and composition of AD mice. We revealed the dynamics distribution of gut microbiota and the effect of probiotics on AD in a mice model, which provides an important reference for the pathogenesis of AD, intestinal microbial markers associated with AD, and AD probiotic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals in close contact with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients showed a high risk of recent infection and, once infected, higher risk of developing active TB in the following years post-exposure. But the peak time of active disease onset is unclear. This study aims to estimate post exposure TB incidence risk among close contacts to provide reference for clinical and public health strategies. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE for articles published until December 1, 2022. The incidence rates were quantitatively summarized by means of meta-analysis using the random-effect model. Results: Of the 5616 studies, 31 studies included in our analysis. For baseline close contacts results, the summarized prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection and active TB was found to be 46.30% (95% CI: 37.18%-55.41%) and 2.68% (95% CI: 2.02%-3.35%), respectively. During the follow-up, the 1-year, 2-year and 5-year cumulative incidence of TB in close contacts were 2.15% (95% CI: 1.51%-2.80%), 1.21% (95% CI: 0.93%-1.49%) and 1.11% (95% CI: 0.64%-1.58%), respectively. Individuals with a positive result of MTB infection testing at baseline showed significantly higher cumulative TB incidence as compared to those negatives (3.80% vs. 0.82%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Individuals with close contact to active pulmonary TB patients are bearing significant risk of developing active TB, particularly within the first-year post-exposure. Population with recent infections should be an important priority for active case finding and preventive intervention worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Settling tanks have been widely applied to water and sand separation from crude oil. At present, the related studies on the effect of water and sand separation in settling tanks mainly focus on computational simulation methods. This paper puts forward a model to simulate the settling process, which considers the heterogeneous diameter distribution of real particles and the variation of emulsion viscosity with water content. In this model, water and sand are perceived as dispersed water droplets and sand particles. By means of tracking the positions of all droplets and particles, variation of water and sand contents are obtained and influential factors of water and sand separation such as settling time, temperatures and processing capacity are analyzed. An experiment conducted in Lao Junmiao oil-field verifies accuracy of the model. Water contents were measured at every 1 m height of a settling tank under the condition of 20 °C. Compared with the experimental data, the maximum relative error of the model simulation is 9.38% while the corresponding results of Euler-Eulerian method solved by FLUENT is 33.46%, which identifies that the model is better coincident with the field production. In practical application, the model can determine the processing capacity, settling time and temperature, which are significant for enhancing separation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tb 3+ activated Sr 2 MgAl 22 O 36 phosphor was prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction route. The X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy were used to characterize the as-prepared samples. The Sr 2 MgAl 22 O 36 :Tb 3+ phosphors show intense green light emission under UV excitation. The phosphor exhibit two groups of emission lines from about 370 to 700 nm, which originating from the characteristic 5 D 3 - 7 F J and 5 D 4 - 7 F J transitions of the Tb 3+ ion, respectively. The cross-relaxation mechanism between the 5 D 3 and 5 D 4 emission was investigated and discussed. The emission colors of these phosphors can be tuned from bluish-green to green by adjusting the Tb 3+ doping concentration. Furthermore, the thermal quenching temperature ( T 1/2 ) is higher than 500 K. The excellent thermal stability and color-tunable luminescent properties suggest that the developed material is a promising green-emitting phosphor candidate for optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterflooding development is one of the most common methods in oilfields. The energy consumption of waterflooding system accounts for a large proportion of the total in oilfield development. Therefore, the optimization of waterflooding system is able to further decrease operation cost and enhance development efficiency. But it is complicated to optimize operation control of large-scale waterflooding pipeline networks as a result of lots of wells and complex waterflooding pipeline networks. Although previous scholars have done much research, few have considered technical constraints of waterflooding networks. This paper puts forward a quantitative evaluation approach to pressure and flowrate sensitivity of waterflooding pipeline networks firstly, and concludes that the pressure and flowrate sensitivity are related to network topological structures, pipeline parameters and current operation flowrates. Meanwhile, an operation optimization approach to large-scale oilfield waterflooding system based on mixed integer linear programming (MILP) is proposed, which considers pump characteristic curves, adopts Hazen–William formula to simulate hydraulic pressure drop of pipe segments and deals with nonlinear items by phased linearization method. With the demand flowrate, the optimal pumping scheme of waterflooding station, pumping flowrate and throttling pressure of each well can be efficiently worked out. Finally, this approach is successfully applied to a virtual waterflooding system with 15 wells and a large-scale real one with 82 wells in China. Results show that the model has better practicality for the operation control optimization of waterflooding pipeline networks with larger scale and stronger sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SNCLFR-100 (Small Natural Circulation Lead Cooled Fast Reactor with 100 MW th ), proposed by University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), is a typical modular fast reactor with an array of heterogeneous square fuel assemblies using MOX as the main fuel located in the core, and a preliminary conceptual design has been presented. To extend the full power operating time of the core to 10 years without refueling and improve the transmutation capability of the core, the design optimizations were carried out in this paper, including changing compositions of the fuel, adjusting the relative portion of Pu and U, and changing the type of structure material in the core. In addition, relevant parameters were also optimized. Compared to the original design, the neutron flux distribution became flatter, and the power peak factor of the core dropped from 1.40 to 1.37. The MA transmutation ratio of the optimized core came out to be 2.73%. At the same time, the worth of control rods and the negative reactivity coefficients showed the core has inherent safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: China has high burden on both of tuberculosis (TB) and tobacco use. This study aims to explore the potential link between smoking and TB infection using baseline survey data of a large-scale population-based prospective study in rural China Methods: Between July 1 and Sept 30, 2013, based on the baseline survey of a population-based, prospective study in rural China, the relationship between smoking and TB infection, assessed by interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA), was investigated among the total study population and only among those smokers, respectively. Results: A total of 21,008 eligible rural registered residents (≥ 5 years old) from 4 rural sites were included in the analysis. Ever-smokers were more likely to be QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) positive than never smokers with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.34 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21–1.49). Among ever smokers, a significant linear dose–response relation was observed between duration of smoking (by years) and QFT positivity (p < 0.001). Stratified analysis suggested that such an association was not influenced by gender and age. Evidence for interaction of smoking status with age was found. Conclusions: Our results provide further evidence to support smoking might increase host susceptibility to TB infection. Populations under high risk of infection, such as elderly smokers, should be prior to TB infection controlling under a premise of community level intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production well gathering pipeline network, usually characterized by various and complex structure and high investment, is one of significant parts of oil-gas field construction. Optimization of production well fluid-gathering system is critical to reducing development cost. A variety of previous research focused on the issue. However, those methods were less applicable for dealing with the challenges of compatibility to various structures, integral optimization and finding the optimum. This paper focuses on stellated pipeline network, cascade dendritic pipeline network and insertion dendritic pipeline network, three common connection structures of gathering pipeline, and establishes a versatile mixed-integer linear programming model with considering terrain and obstacle conditions. Minimizing the total investment is the object of this model. Constraints of central processing facility, manifolds, flow rate, pipeline construction and connection mode are taken into consideration in the model. The optimal topological structure, position of central processing facility, diameter and route of each pipeline are obtained integrally by solving this model with GUROBI solver. Finally, two virtual oil-gas fields and a real-world gas field are taken as examples to verify the reliability and practicality of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-product pipeline is the most effective mode for refined products transportation and is of vital importance in the energy supply chain. The essential task in actual pipeline operation is scheduling delivery and injection of numerous kinds of products. Despite much research was done on products pipeline scheduling issue, little of them focused on multiple pump stations which are significant for long-distance pipelines. The paper establishes a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model (MINLP) for products pipeline with single source and multiple pump stations. The model has taken factors such as batch migration, local electricity price, demand time window, avoidance of idle segment, change of minimum flow rate and nonlinear hydraulic related objective function into consideration. The model contains two parts and is solved by a hybrid computational approach, the ant colony optimization algorithm (ACO) and the simplex method (SM). Finally, the formulation is successfully applied to a virtual and a real-world pipeline to verify the stability, convergence and practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of an efficient tactic for enhancing the catalytic activity toward hydrolytic dehydrogenation of sodium borohydride (NaBH 4) is of vital significance but remains a long-standing challenge. In this work, CoB alloys were successfully anchored on MOF-74-derived graphene nanosheets (GNS) via the chemical reduction process. As a catalyst support, GNS can provide a high dispersion of CoB alloys to expose more active sites. Moreover, the existence of a synergistic effect between CoB alloys and GNS is verified by a series of well-designed control experiments. Therefore, a low activation energy (E a = 38.8 kJ·mol–1) and a high hydrogen generation rate (HGR = 7937 ml H2 ·min−1·g−1) are simultaneously achieved for the optimized Co 1 B/GNS catalyst. In addition, Co 1 B/GNS has decent recyclability, i.e., 58 % of the initial HGR remaining after ten successive cycles of NaBH 4 hydrolysis. This work provides a feasible approach for fabricating high-performance non-noble metal catalysts for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of NaBH 4. [Display omitted] • GNS was prepared from MOF-74 via a two-step heating strategy. • CoB/GNS exhibits superior catalytic activity toward NaBH 4 hydrolysis. • A high HGR of 7937 ml H2 ·min−1·g−1 and low E a of 38.8 kJ·mol−1 are simultaneously achieved. • Enhanced performance originates from the alteration of electronic structure and synergistic effect in CoB/GNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Clean Air Plan has been active in China since 2013 to mitigate severe PM 2.5 pollution. In this study, we applied the air quality model WRF-Chem to simulate PM 2.5 in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China in 2017, with the aim of assessing the air quality improvement and its associated health burden in the final year of the Clean Air Plan. To better describe the fate of various PM 2.5 compositions, we updated the chemical mechanisms in the model beforehand, including heterogeneous sulfate reactions, aqueous secondary organic aerosol (SOA) uptake, and volatility basis set (VBS) based SOA production. Both the observation and simulation results agreed that the stringent clear air action effectively reduced the PM 2.5 pollution levels by ∼ 30 %. The primary PM 2.5 (−6 ∼ − 16 % yr−1) showed a more significant decreasing trend than the secondary PM 2.5 (−2 ∼ − 8 % yr−1), which was mainly caused by the directivity of the clear air actions and the worsening ozone pollution in the recent years. The inconsistent decreasing trends of PM 2.5 components subsequently led to an increasing proportion of secondary PM 2.5. Nitrate particles, higher in the central and western YRD region, have replaced sulfate and have become the largest component of secondary inorganic aerosols year-round, except in summer, when strong ammonium nitrate evaporation occurs. In addition, SOA remains an important component (21 ∼ 22 %) especially in summer, most of which is produced from the oxidation and ageing of semi/intermediate volatile organic compounds (S/IVOC). Furthermore, we quantified the associated health impacts and found that the Clean Air Plan has largely reduced premature mortality due to PM 2.5 exposure in the YRD region from 399.1 thousand to 295.7 thousand. Our study highlights the benefits of the Clean Air Plan and suggests that subsequent PM 2.5 improvement should be geared more towards controlling secondary pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facilely prepared ratiometric fluorescent molecularly imprinted sensor has been constructed for highly sensitive and selective detection of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) using carbon dots (CDs) as the target sensitive fluorophore and YVO 4 : Eu 3+ nanoparticles (NPs) as the reference fluorophore. Through the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the silica precursor, CDs and YVO 4 Eu 3+ NPs can be incorporated into silica networks through silylation reaction by one pot synthesis procedure. The as-prepared fluorescent molecularly imprinted sensor shows characteristic fluorescence emissions of CDs (blue) and YVO 4 :Eu 3+ (red) under a single excitation wavelength. With the addition of 4-NP, the fluorescence of CDs is selectively quenched, resulting in the ratiometric fluorescence response. Under optimum conditions, the proposed sensor exhibits a high sensitivity with a linear range from 0 to 12.0 μM and shows the limit of detection as low as 0.15 μM in the determination of 4-NP, which is probably benefits from the tailor-made imprinted cavities for binding 4-NP. Furthermore, the proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of 4-NP in real water samples and human urine samples with great potentials for monitoring of 4-NP in environmental application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blue-emitting phosphor Ba 5 (BO 3 ) 2 (B 2 O 5 ):Ce 3+ was synthesized by a high-temperature solid-state method. Its crystal structure, luminescence properties, concentration-quenching mechanism and thermal stability were investigated. This phosphor can be effectively excited by 351-nm near-ultraviolet light, with a broad blue emission band. The emission spectra of the Ba 5 (BO 3 ) 2 (B 2 O 5 ):Ce 3+ phosphor were clearly monitored with critical emission quenching as a function of the Ce 3+ content. It was further proven that the energy transfer among the nearest-neighbor ions results in the concentration quenching of Ce 3+ in Ba 5 (BO 3 ) 2 (B 2 O 5 ). The dependence of the luminescent intensity on the charge-compensated (Li + , Na + , K + ) was also discussed. Ba 5 (BO 3 ) 2 (B 2 O 5 ):Ce 3+ phosphors can be effectively excited by near-UV light and simultaneously exhibit excellent luminescence resistibility against thermal quenching in the temperature range from 300 to 400 K. The activation energy ΔE is calculated to be 0.21 eV. The present work suggests that the Ba 5 (BO 3 ) 2 (B 2 O 5 ):Ce 3+ phosphor is a promising material for near-UV chip-based white LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering the shikimate pathway is a primary approach for biosynthesis of various aromatic compounds, many of which are involved in formation of important compounds with pharmaceutical values. The development of metabolic engineering allows for high-efficiency production of desired molecules derived from the shikimate pathway using engineered microbes as biosynthetic factories. This review summarizes successful and generally applicable strategies for engineering this important pathway in the context of the model bacterium E. coli for biosynthesis of molecules with pharmaceutical activities. Similar approaches can also be employed for shikimate pathway engineering in other microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a series of Ce3+ doped Sr 2 MgAl 22 O 36 (SMA) phosphors have been prepared by high temperature solid-state reaction method. The phase structure of prepared samples was checked by the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphology of the samples was inspected using a field-emission scanning electron microscope (SEM). Under different UV radiation, this phosphor exhibits different emission bands due to the Ce 3+ ions located at different lattice sites. The corresponding luminescence and energy transfer mechanisms have been proposed in detail. The phosphor exhibits different concentration quenching mechanisms because the Ce 3+ ions substitute two different crystallographic sites in the host. Moreover, the temperature dependent emission properties of SMA:Ce 3+ were conducted from 30 °C to 200 °C, as much as 72.96% of the room-temperature emission intensity is retained at 150 °C. The SMA:Ce 3+ phosphor exhibits bright blue emission with CIE coordinates ( x =0.16, y =0.12) under UV excitation. The results indicate that SMA:Ce 3+ phosphor has great potential applications in UV-pumped light emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent sunlight conversion film based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and carbon dots (CDs) has been developed for the first time through dispersion of CDs in CMC aqueous solution. Due to the hydrogen bonds interaction, CMC can effectively absorb the CDs, whose surfaces are functionalized by lots of polar groups. The results from atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirm that the composite film possesses a homogeneous and compact structure. Besides, the CMC matrix neither competes for absorbing excitation light nor absorbs the emissions of CDs, which reserves the inherent optical properties of the individual CDs. The composite films can efficiently convert ultraviolet light to blue light. What’s more, the film is transparent and possesses excellent mechanical properties, expected to apply in the field of agricultural planting for sunlight conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, our effort was focused on preparation and oxygen sensing of luminescence carbon dots (CDs) assembled hollow mesoporous silica microspheres (HMSMs) and mesoporous silica microspheres (MSMs). MSMs doped with CDs showed shorter response time and recovery time comparing with HMSMs doped with CDs. This feature can be attributed to ordered channel structure of mesoporous carrier which can promote the gas diffusion effectively. While HMSMs doped with CDs shows a higher oxygen quenching response and the degree of quenching reach 80.35%. The response time was determined to be about 7 s and the emission intensities of the samples were effectively reduced as the concentration of oxygen increased. These results indicate that the system we have developed can be used for oxygen detection in wide concentration range and is especially accurate for very low oxygen concentrations. The obtained CDs grafted hollow mesoporous silica microspheres (HMSMs) and mesoporous silica microspheres (MSMs) samples appears to be a promising sensing material for environmental detection application and would also find applications in catalyst, electrode, or related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of metabolic engineering, employment of a selected microbial host for accommodation of a designed biosynthetic pathway to produce a target compound has achieved tremendous success in the past several decades. Yet, increasing requirements for sophisticated microbial biosynthesis call for establishment and application of more advanced metabolic engineering methodologies. Recently, important progress has been made towards employing more than one engineered microbial strains to constitute synthetic co-cultures and modularizing the biosynthetic labor between the co-culture members in order to improve bioproduction performance. This emerging approach, referred to as modular co-culture engineering in this review, presents a valuable opportunity for expanding the scope of the broad field of metabolic engineering. We highlight representative research accomplishments using this approach, especially those utilizing metabolic engineering tools for microbial co-culture manipulation. Key benefits and major challenges associated with modular co-culture engineering are also presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

H 3 BO 3 was added during the preparation of Sr 2 MgAl 22 O 36 :Mn 4+ phosphors by a high-temperature solid-state reaction method. The influence of H 3 BO 3 flux on the crystal structure, particle morphology and photoluminescence properties of the Sr 2 MgAl 22 O 36 :Mn 4+ phosphors was investigated by employing X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicate that adding H 3 BO 3 flux can improve the luminescence intensity and morphology, and reduce the synthesis temperature of the Sr 2 MgAl 22 O 36 phosphor. The formation temperature of pure-phase Sr 2 MgAl 22 O 36 was significantly decreased when H 3 BO 3 flux as introduced. The excited state lifetime of the Sr 2 MgAl 22 O 36 :1.2 mol% Mn 4+ phosphor by the addition of 2.0 wt% H 3 BO 3 was ~1.02 ms. We demonstrated the potential of these phosphors to enhance sunlight harvesting by agricultural light conversion film testing. We propose that films containing the Sr 2 MgAl 22 O 36 :1.2 mol% Mn 4+ phosphor can be applied to increase the production of agricultural plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two isomeric coumarinyl photoremovable protecting groups (PPGs) with expanded π-conjugation 3a and 3b were synthesized. • PPG 3a is superior to 3b in photolytic efficiency; PPG 3b is superior to 3a in fluorescence quantum yield. • Photoactivable camptothecin prodrug 3aCPT was prepared and characterized. • In vitro investigation on 3aCPT against MDA-MB-468 cells verified 3a has good potential for pharmaceutical applications. Two indene-fused coumarin-based photoremovable protecting groups (PPGs) 3a and 3b were synthesized. Their respective efficiencies of releasing para -substituted benzoic acids upon irradiation at 365 nm wavelength were studied. Results showed that upon photoexcitation, PPG 3a caged acids favor photocleavage process rather than fluorescence decay, leading to higher uncaging yields but lower fluorescence quantum yields than 3b caged counterparts. In contrast, PPG 3b caged acids prefer fluorescence over photocleavage, resulting in low uncaging yields. Therefore, 3a was employed to prepare a photoactivable camptothecin prodrug 3aCPT. Cell viability assay showed a statistically significant cytotoxicity difference of 3aCPT against human MDA-MB-468 cells before and after excitation at 405 nm, suggesting that 3a has good potential for pharmaceutical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence suggesting the participation of non-coding RNAs in male reproductive dysfunction induced by lead, and the significance of microRNAs has been highlighted recently because of their essential roles in gene regulatory networks. To comprehensively understand the functions of miRNA and the regulatory networks, RNA sequencing was carried out to obtain miRNA expression profiles in mice testes exposed to low dose Pb for 90 days at the onset of puberty. In total, 44 differentially expressed miRNAs with 26 up-regulated and 18 down-regulated were identified between 200 mg/L Pb group and control group (p < 0.05). Enrichment analysis confirmed that the target genes of DE miRNAs might participate in the metabolism of testicular cells. Furthermore, a miRNA-mRNA co-expression network consisting of 19 miRNAs and 106 mRNAs and a competing endogenous RNA network of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA including 179 genes were established. Finally, the expressions of 4 miRNAs (mmu-miR-451a, mmu-miR-133a-3p, mmu-miR-1a-3p and mmu-miR-486a-3p) and 4 mRNAs (Gramd1b, Tcf7l2, Mov10 and Srcin1) involved in regulatory networks were verified by RT-qPCR. In conclusion, our research might provide targets for the mechanism studies of miRNAs in reproductive toxicity of Pb. • MiRNA expression profiles are changed in testes after low dose lead exposure. • MiRNAs and their target genes might participate in the metabolism of testicular cells. • Mmu-miR-486a-3p might play an important role in testicular injury induced by low dose lead exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the existing uncertainties such as the payload mass and unmodeled dynamics in the overhead crane system, classical model-based control methods yielding fixed control gain can exhibit certain limitations. In this study, a novel model-free online Reinforcement Learning (RL) control method is proposed for the real-time overhead crane position regulation and anti-swing control problem, combining the benefits of adaptive control and optimal control. The crane control problem is first formulated as an optimal regulation problem with a user-specified objective function. Then, an improved neural-network updating rule with an additional passivity-based stabilizing term is developed to ensure the system stability during learning based on the overhead crane system passivity analysis. The proposed method, unlike other online RL algorithms, does not require the initial stabilizing control policy or prior knowledge of the crane mathematical model. Lyapunov approach is used to prove the closed-loop system stability, and the learned controller is shown to be near-optimal within a finite bound. Finally, simulation studies are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in the presence of system parameter variations and external disturbances, exhibiting satisfactory performance when compared to LQR and passivity-based control. • An online RL method is proposed for real-time overhead crane optimal control without knowing the crane system model. • A stabilizing term is added to the network updating rule based on the crane system passivity analysis, which can relax the initial stabilizing controller requirement. • The closed-loop system stability and the RL algorithm convergence are proved through the Lyapunov approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triptolide (TP) is a major active ingredient and toxic component of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TWHF), which exhibits multiple activities and remarkable hepatotoxicity, the latter of which limits its clinical application due to the risk of liver injury. Previous research has revealed the hepatotoxicity of TP resulting in liver hypersensitivity upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. However, existing research has not elucidated the potential immune mechanism such as Th17/Treg imbalance in TP-induced hepatic excessive immune response to exogenous LPS. To investigate the role of Th17/Treg imbalance in TP-induced hepatic excessive immune response to exogenous LPS. Mice were administered with TP, LPS, neutralization antibody and small molecule inhibitor respectively. Serum transaminase level was measured to determine the severity of liver injury. Frequencies of liver Th17 and Treg cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Serum cytokine levels were performed by ELSIA, and mRNA levels of liver cytokine were performed by qPCR. The status of neutrophil infiltration was performed by myeloperoxidase (MPO) IHC measurement. Morphological observation of liver was performed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Mice given a single intragastric dose of TP (500 μg/kg) developed lethal fulminant hepatitis following intraperitoneal injection of LPS (0.1 mg/kg), characterized by low survival rate, severe liver injury, high levels of inflammation and neutrophil infiltration. Hepatic Th17/Treg imbalance emerged together with liver injury in these mice. Neutralization of IL-17A attenuated the liver injury and ameliorated the neutrophil infiltration. The TP-induced alteration of hepatic Th17/Treg balance was closely related to the outcome of immune-mediated acute liver injury triggered by LPS. Pretreatment with the STAT3 inhibitor AG490 effectively restored Th17/Treg balance, significantly reducing the production of IL-17A and finally attenuating the degree of liver injury. Hepatic Th17/Treg imbalance not only exacerbates TP- and LPS-induced liver injury, but also serves as an indispensable part in the mechanisms of TP-induced hepatic intolerance to exogenous endotoxin. [Display omitted] • Th17/Treg imbalance emerged in the TP- and LPS-induced lethal hepatitis of mice. • Th17/Treg imbalance exacerbated liver injury via IL-17A recruited neutrophils. • TP induced Th17/Treg imbalance may be the mechanism of hepatic intolerance to LPS. • Restored Th17/Treg balance attenuated TP- and LPS-induced fulminant hepatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The swim bladder performs various functions in fish, is consumed by humans and can be processed into high-grade fish glue (traditional high-value tonic). However, little is known on the optimum amount of proline (Pro) required for promoting collagen synthesis and deposition in fish swim bladder and the regulatory mechanism. This study explored the effects and optimum amount of dietary Pro supplementation on collagen synthesis and deposition in Chu's croaker (Nibea coibor) swim bladder and its possible molecular mechanism. A total of 450 juvenile fish (8.64 ± 0.14 g) were randomly stocked into 18 cages (25 fish per cage) in triplicate and fed Pro supplemented diets (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 g kg−1) for eight weeks. Another 225 fish (11.62 ± 0.15 g) were distributed randomly into control, Pro and Pro diet plus injected with specific inhibitor of Smad3 (SIS3) in order to inhibit the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)/Smads pathway. Pro supplementation up-regulated significantly the expression of genes involved in TGF-β/Smads pathway such as collagen, type I, alpha 1 (col1a1) and 2 (col1a2), TGF-β and Smad2/3 , and increased collagen content in the Chu's croaker swim bladder (P < 0.05). The optimum dietary Pro supplementation for deposition of collagen in Chu's croaker swim bladder was 19.36 g kg−1. The collagen content in the swim bladder positively correlated significantly with the mRNA expression of col1a1 , col1a2 , TGF-β and Smad2/3 genes (P < 0.05). The optimum dietary Pro supplementation for maximum synthesis of collagen in Chu's croaker swim bladder was 13.25, 13.32 and 15.94 g kg−1 based on mRNA expression of Smads2 , Smads3 and col1a2 genes, respectively. SIS3 down-regulated the expression of col1a1 , col1a2 , TGF-β and Smad2/3 genes, subsequently decreased collagen deposition in the swim bladder (P < 0.05). These results suggest that 13.25 to 19.36 g kg−1 Pro supplementation improve collagen synthesis and deposition in Chu's croaker swim bladder. The TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway regulates collagen synthesis and deposition in Chu's croaker swim bladder. Our results provide an understanding on the molecular mechanism of collagen synthesis and deposition in fish for producing collagen required for human food and fish glue. • Proline promotes collagen synthesis and deposition in Chu's croaker swim bladder in a dose-dependent manner. • Supplementing 13.25 to 19.36 g kg−1 proline improves collagen synthesis and deposition in swim bladder. • Proline promotes collagen synthesis and deposition mainly via transient overexpression of COL1A2, TGF-β and Smad2/3 genes in swim bladder. • Collagen synthesis and deposition in fish swim bladder is regulated by TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway. • Chu's croaker farmers should supplement 13.25 to 19.36 g kg−1 proline in diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In achieving the "double carbon" target, the emission trading system (ETS), as a key market-based emission reduction mechanism, assumes the responsibility of addressing climate change and implementing reform. Most studies focus only on the emission reduction effects of green policy, but weighing the relationship between emission reduction and development is a practical dilemma to be faced. Taking China's pilot ETS as an example, this problem was analyzed using the synthetic control method, and the specific impact channels are discussed. It was found that: (1) Carbon emissions and carbon emission intensity in the pilot ETS areas of Tianjin, Hubei and Chongqing decreased significantly, and economic growth has progressed to a certain extent. Robustness tests basically verified the effectiveness of the policy implementation. (2) The pilot ETS mainly has an impact through the transformation and upgrading, and technological innovation channels, promoting significant improvements in energy structure, industrial structure, energy efficiency and the number of patent applications. This study releases a positive signal for the compatibility of emission reduction and economic development goals at the national level for China's pilot ETS. • The pilot ETS significantly reduced carbon emissions and carbon emission intensity. • The pilot ETS promoted economic growth to some extent. • Transformation and upgrading, and technological innovation are the influencing channel. • The SCM method can synthesize the "ideal" control unit to evaluate the policy effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover Feature: Intensifying Upconverted Ultraviolet Emission towards Efficient Reactive Oxygen Species Generation (Chem. Keywords: energy transfer; lanthanide nanoparticles; ROS; upcoversion luminescence; ultraviolet emission; ZnO EN energy transfer lanthanide nanoparticles ROS upcoversion luminescence ultraviolet emission ZnO 1 1 1 08/03/22 20220801 NES 220801 B Multiphoton ultraviolet upconversion b that can convert near-infrared irradiation into ultraviolet emission offers many unique opportunities for photocatalysis and phototherapy. Energy transfer, lanthanide nanoparticles, ROS, upcoversion luminescence, ultraviolet emission, ZnO. [Extracted from the article]

Herein, we report a simple, one-step reflux method for synthesis of photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs) using citric acid as the carbon source and diethylenetriamine (DETA) as the surface passivation reagent along with a high quantum yield (82.40%), the fluorescence intensity of the CDs was found to be effectively quenched by Hg(II) ions. Upon addition of I − to the CDs/Hg(II) complex dispersion, the fluorescence intensity of the CDs was significantly recovered. Furthermore, we developed an “off-on” fluorescence assay for the detection of I − using CDs/Hg(II) as a fluorescence probe. This probe enables the selective detection of Hg(II) with a linear range of 0–80 μM and a limit of detection is 0.201 µM and a limit of detection about I − is 0.234 µM with a linear range of 0–70 μM. Most importantly, the sensors can be successfully applied to the determination of Hg(II) and I − in real lake water and urine of cattles, the “off-on” sensor demonstrates high selectivity, repeatability, stability, which offer this CDs-based “off-on” fluorescent sensor a promising platform for environmental and biological sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of carbon dots (CDs) grafted CaAl12O19:Mn4+ (CAO) color‐tunable hybrid phosphors have been synthesized via a facile sol‐gel method. Through the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the silica precursor, CDs can be incorporated into highly flexible hybrid materials through combining with a CaAl12O19:Mn4+ phosphor within silica gel networks for the fabrication of flexible displays and multicolor luminescent materials. By tuning the mass ratio of CDs/CAO and by adjusting the excitation wavelength, the color of the luminescence can be systematically tailored from purplish‐red (0.504, 0.250) to greenish‐blue (0.238, 0.192). Furthermore, the temperature‐dependent luminescent properties of the CDs/CAO phosphors makes them suitable as thermometers with a wide linear temperature sensing range from 80 to 300 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructural defects (MSDs) in graphene are a primary negative factor for the crystal quality and electrical properties of graphene and there is little knowledge about their formation. Here we report the formation mechanism of MSDs in graphene domains during the CVD growth on Cu substrate. Hydrogen-etching results show that an etched graphene hole corresponds to the position of a MSD that appears not only at the nucleation sites of graphene. Based on density-functional calculations, a hidden growth mechanism of MSDs that is driven by defects/impurities (e.g., Cu clusters/particles) on substrate surfaces is proposed. Our model indicates that the number of MSDs in a graphene domain depends on the density of surface defects on the Cu substrate and we demonstrate that MSDs in graphene can be significantly reduced by the careful substrate polishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A normal weight porous aggregate (NWPA), with the saturated surface dry density of 2.3 g/cm 3 , was prepared. Impact of NWPA on performance of mortar with water to cementitious materials ratio of 0.3 was presented in this paper. The results show that NWPA has smaller pores and higher water absorption speed than expanded clay, but lower desorption speed. Strength of mortar accompanying NWPA is higher than or close to that of a plain one. Mortar containing NWPA expand less than that with expanded clay under sealed condition, which suggests the lower internal curing efficiency of NWPA. However, still it could diminish the shrinkage of low w/c mortar and be used as internal curing agent. Variation of water absorption and dynamic modulus from top to bottom of mortar with NWPA is similar to that of plain one, and lower than that of expanded clay mortar, which certifies that NWPA could promote the uniformity of internally cured mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals in close contact with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients showed a high risk of recent infection and, once infected, higher risk of developing active TB in the following years post-exposure. But the peak time of active disease onset is unclear. This study aims to estimate post exposure TB incidence risk among close contacts to provide reference for clinical and public health strategies. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE for articles published until December 1, 2022. The incidence rates were quantitatively summarized by means of meta-analysis using the random-effect model. Results: Of the 5616 studies, 31 studies included in our analysis. For baseline close contacts results, the summarized prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection and active TB was found to be 46.30% (95% CI: 37.18%-55.41%) and 2.68% (95% CI: 2.02%-3.35%), respectively. During the follow-up, the 1-year, 2-year and 5-year cumulative incidence of TB in close contacts were 2.15% (95% CI: 1.51%-2.80%), 1.21% (95% CI: 0.93%-1.49%) and 1.11% (95% CI: 0.64%-1.58%), respectively. Individuals with a positive result of MTB infection testing at baseline showed significantly higher cumulative TB incidence as compared to those negatives (3.80% vs. 0.82%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Individuals with close contact to active pulmonary TB patients are bearing significant risk of developing active TB, particularly within the first-year post-exposure. Population with recent infections should be an important priority for active case finding and preventive intervention worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals in close contact with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients showed a high risk of recent infection and, once infected, higher risk of developing active TB in the following years post-exposure. But the peak time of active disease onset is unclear. This study aims to estimate post exposure TB incidence risk among close contacts to provide reference for clinical and public health strategies. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE for articles published until December 1, 2022. The incidence rates were quantitatively summarized by means of meta-analysis using the random-effect model. Results: Of the 5616 studies, 31 studies included in our analysis. For baseline close contacts results, the summarized prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection and active TB was found to be 46.30% (95% CI: 37.18%-55.41%) and 2.68% (95% CI: 2.02%-3.35%), respectively. During the follow-up, the 1-year, 2-year and 5-year cumulative incidence of TB in close contacts were 2.15% (95% CI: 1.51%-2.80%), 1.21% (95% CI: 0.93%-1.49%) and 1.11% (95% CI: 0.64%-1.58%), respectively. Individuals with a positive result of MTB infection testing at baseline showed significantly higher cumulative TB incidence as compared to those negatives (3.80% vs. 0.82%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Individuals with close contact to active pulmonary TB patients are bearing significant risk of developing active TB, particularly within the first-year post-exposure. Population with recent infections should be an important priority for active case finding and preventive intervention worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building rooftop segmentation using deep learning techniques is a popular yet challenging area of research in computer vision and remote sensing image processing. While recent studies have developed various deep learning models, there has been less focus on investigating the basic elements of network architecture and foreground-background balance in sampled images. To address this research gap, this study proposes optimizing the UNet basic elements and image foreground-background balance to improve building rooftop segmentation accuracy. The Inria dataset is used for model training and accuracy evaluation. The results show that the impact of network backbone on segmentation accuracy depends on its ability to extract lower-level features and whether it is pretrained by large amounts of data. This study also finds that residual structures of network backbone can negatively affect performance regardless of the network depth. Among the decoding network upsampling strategies, the proposed super-resolution method achieves the best segmentation results, but does not significantly differ from the commonly used bilinear interpolation and deconvolution methods. Additionally, this study proposes a hybrid loss function that considers area, arithmetic, shape, spectral, and texture discrepancy, which further improves the segmentation performance. Finally, this study highlights the significant impact of image foreground-background balance on building rooftop segmentation and proposes an ensemble model to mitigate image foreground-background imbalance and improve segmentation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals in close contact with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients showed a high risk of recent infection and, once infected, higher risk of developing active TB in the following years post-exposure. But the peak time of active disease onset is unclear. This study aims to estimate post exposure TB incidence risk among close contacts to provide reference for clinical and public health strategies. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE for articles published until December 1, 2022. The incidence rates were quantitatively summarized by means of meta-analysis using the random-effect model. Results: Of the 5616 studies, 31 studies included in our analysis. For baseline close contacts results, the summarized prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection and active TB was found to be 46.30% (95% CI: 37.18%-55.41%) and 2.68% (95% CI: 2.02%-3.35%), respectively. During the follow-up, the 1-year, 2-year and 5-year cumulative incidence of TB in close contacts were 2.15% (95% CI: 1.51%-2.80%), 1.21% (95% CI: 0.93%-1.49%) and 1.11% (95% CI: 0.64%-1.58%), respectively. Individuals with a positive result of MTB infection testing at baseline showed significantly higher cumulative TB incidence as compared to those negatives (3.80% vs. 0.82%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Individuals with close contact to active pulmonary TB patients are bearing significant risk of developing active TB, particularly within the first-year post-exposure. Population with recent infections should be an important priority for active case finding and preventive intervention worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The hydrophobic CNTs in the cathode show a network-like mesoscopic morphology, which has a good effect on the transport of ions. • Compared with CNTs, functionalized CNTs have good hydrophilicity and dispersibility at the interface between the electrode and aqueous electrolyte. • The cathode composed of CNT and COOH-CNT with a mass fraction of 3:1 has the best oxygen transport effect. The discharge performance of lithium-oxygen battery with ultrahigh theoretical capacity is not satisfactory, and its mass transfer process is restricted by many factors such as cathode structure and hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties. Here, the mass transfer process at the interface composed of hydrophobic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) electrode, hydrophilic carboxylic carbon nanotubes (COOH-CNTs) electrode, composite electrode and aqueous electrolyte was studied by coarse-grain molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulation. The mesoscopic scale simulation method enabled this study to discuss the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the two-phase interface on the cathode side in order to improve the mass transfer and diffusion of reactants. The morphology of hydrophobic/hydrophilic electrode in aqueous electrolyte and the mass transfer conditions of reactants under different hydrophilic conditions were analyzed. The results showed that hydrophobic CNTs exhibited aggregation behavior and formed pore channels in aqueous electrolyte, which was conducive to the transport of ions and dissolved oxygen, while hydrophilic COOH-CNTs had stronger dispersion under aqueous electrolyte conditions, which could provide more reaction sites. Under certain hydrophobic conditions, non-polar force had cutoff effect on the diffusion of dissolved oxygen. The simulation results of electrolyte density showed good consistency with the experimental data, and the oxygen diffusion coefficient obtained was also consistent with the microscopic simulation results. This study was of great significance for the analysis of the mesoscopic morphology and mass transfer characteristics of the oxygen electrode during the charging and discharging process of lithium-oxygen battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is to explore the focusing characteristics of chirped phase modulating the Bessel-Gaussian (BG) beam. It can be observed that the focal spot of mixed chirped phase of BG beam will split along the optical axis under different beam parameters β. Simultaneously, the spot length, the spot position and the peak intensity is tunable by modulating the light distribution factor b and chirped factor c 1 and c 2. In addition, the evolution of longitudinal field and transverse field is also explored in detail. With the introduction of the special chirped phase, the focusing pattern obtains a series of observable evolution characteristics. These results will be potentially applied to many optical frontier areas, such as optical information transmission, optical capture and modern medical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Urban sprawl in China is defined from six dimensions and represented by 18 measurements. • Data for 102 cities at county-level and above in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region are used to measure urban sprawl. • The spatial features of urban sprawl in small cities differ from those in large cities. • Small cities are facing an increasingly serious problem of urban sprawl. Urban sprawl has become a global phenomenon resulting in many critical social and environmental problems, but its characteristics and causes vary in different contexts, especially in developing countries such as China. Despite many studies on the urban growth of Chinese cities, not much is known about the county-level small cities. To better understand the dynamics of urban growth pattern across different sized cities, this study defined whether urban growth patterns are compactness or sprawl in each of six dimensions: land use efficiency, spatial pattern of urban land, inner structure of urban space, mixed uses, accessibility, and environmental impacts. Taking the 2 municipalities, 7 prefecture-level cities, and 93 county-level cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region as cases, we assessed their urban growth patterns during 2015–2018. The results show that the regional policy on coordinated development of BTH region has promoted the growth of small cities, but these cities also tend to suffer from greater sprawl than larger cities. The differences of urban growth pattern between small and large cities exist in terms of the spatial pattern of urban land, inner structure of urban space, and environmental impacts. As small cities expand, they become spatially fragmented and decentralised. However, urban growth in larger cities has a greater negative impact on the natural environment. These findings suggest that we need to carefully consider the local context when developing urban growth management policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As non-linear extreme waves, freak waves have huge wave crests, large wave heights and concentrated energies. The freak waves usually lead to severe impacts on ships and marine structures in green water events. Nevertheless, the general mechanisms, water motion scenarios and impact loads on bow deck and superstructure in these events remain unclear. In the study, the freak waves based on Peregrine breather solution of NLS equation are generated and the green water events of a fixed ship model are numerically investigated in three-dimensional wave flume by CFD method. First, the accuracy of green water simulation method is validated with experimental data. Then, the propagation and evolution of freak waves in front of ship bow are observed. After that, the water motion scenarios, velocity fields and impact pressures on ship bow in different stages are investigated. The necessity of three-dimensional simulation is verified. The effects of wave heights, wave periods and breaking waves are analyzed. The results indicate the water elevations and largest peak pressures increase nonlinearly with freak wave heights and the short-period freak waves cause more severe impacts than long-period ones. • The mechanisms of green water events caused by freak waves are studied. • The three-dimensional effects of green water events are investigated. • The effects of freak wave parameters and breaking waves are analyzed. • The relations between water elevation, peak pressure and wave parameters are deduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bioelectrochemical assisted landfill was used for food waste digestate stabilization. • Bioelectrochemical assistance provides extra organics removal performance. • Sustainable energy was recovered from digestate stabilization. • Ammonium was removed via diffusion and nitrification–denitrification process. • Digestate post-treatment achieved gene stabilization and improved biosafety. Anaerobic digestion provides an important approach for food waste treatment and valorization, yet a considerable amount of digestate is produced. The appropriate management and utilization of food waste anaerobic digestate is highly desirable for solving both environmental and economic concerns currently. This work innovatively develops a natural potential difference assisted landfill technology (shown as BESAL) for food waste digestate treatment and energy recovery. The results demonstrate the electrochemical assistant accelerates the stabilization of digestate, provides extra 14.89% of organic matter removal and 20.92 mW/m2 of electrical energy recovery over conventional treatment. BESAL promotes the removal of soluble matters in digestate extraction, prevents 13.07 mg/g ammonium-N and 32.87% of total VFAs from accumulation. BESAL also performs gene level stabilization by inhibiting/eliminating microbial and pathogenic gene to ensure the biosafety in its product. Integrated landfill with bioelectrochemical assistance provides a promising option for organic waste stabilization and valorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles encapsulated in porous carbon fibers (Fe 3 O 4 @PCFs) as anode materials in lithium ion batteries are fabricated by a facile single-nozzle electrospinning technique followed by heat treatment. A mixed solution of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polystyrene (PS) containing Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles is utilized to prepare hybrid precursor fibers of Fe 3 O 4 @PS/PAN. The resulted porous Fe 3 O 4 /carbon hybrid fibers composed of compact carbon shell and Fe 3 O 4 -embeded honeycomb-like carbon core are formed due to the thermal decomposition of PS and PAN. The Fe 3 O 4 @PCF composite demonstrates an initial reversible capacity of 1015 mAh g −1 with 84.4% capacity retention after 80 cycles at a current density of 0.2 A g −1 . This electrode also exhibits superior rate capability with current density increasing from 0.1 to 2.0 A g −1 , and capacity retention of 91% after 200 cycles at 2.0 A g −1 . The exceptionally high performances are attributed to the high electric conductivity and structural stability of the porous carbon fibers with unique structure, which not only buffers the volume change of Fe 3 O 4 with the internal space, but also acts as high-efficient transport pathways for ions and electrons. Furthermore, the compact carbon shell can promote the formation of stable solid electrolyte interphase on the fiber surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the reddish-orange emitting phosphors M2Si5N8:Eu2+(M = Ca, Sr) have been intensively investigated as potential materials for white-light-emitting diodes, in this study, optical energy storage properties of (Ca1− xSr x)2Si5N8: Eu2+, Tm3+ ( x = 0-1) solid solutions were tuned by cation substitution, which was commonly used to tune color point for improving w- LEDs. Partial substitution of either Ca by Sr or Sr by Ca resulted in a redshifted Eu2+ emission which had a demarcation point at x = 0.5. Furthermore, the (Ca1− xSr x)2Si5N8: Eu2+, Tm3+ materials exhibited similar persistent- and photostimulated luminescence behaviors with a maximum intensity at about x = 0.2. Such optical energy storage characters of the samples were attributed to the more appropriate trap depths (322-333 K) and higher density of energy level traps indicated by the thermoluminescence analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anal human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and its related diseases are relatively common in men who have sex with men (MSM), especially in those HIV positive. In China, molecular epidemiology of anal HPV infection among HIV-positive MSM has been sparsely studied. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-positive MSM in Xi’an, China between April and July 2014. Anal swabs were collected for HPV genotyping. Results: A total of 195 HIV-positive MSM were included in this study. HPV genotyping showed that 99.0% (191/193) of participants were positive for at least one of the targeted 37 HPV genotypes. 183 (94.8%) of them were infected with multiple high-risk types and 154 (79.8%) of them with low-risk HPV types. HPV 18 was the most frequently identified high-risk type, followed by HPV 16 and HPV 51. As for low-risk types, HPV11, HPV 6 and HPV 81 were most commonly observe. High-risk HPV infection was found to be associated with the status of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the distribution of low-risk types was observed to be varied by CD4+ T cell level. Conclusion: Almost all HIV-positive MSM were anal HPV infected in our study. It is highly recommended to consider regular active screening and preventive intervention of HPV infection among this high risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The red persistent and photo-stimulated luminescent (PSL) nitride phosphor, SrCaSi 5 N 8 : Eu 2+ , Tm 3+ solid solution, had been synthesized through conventional high temperature solid-state reaction. The SrCaSi 5 N 8 : Eu 2+ , Tm 3+ phosphor shows strong photoluminescence (PL) and weak PSL ( λ em = 647 nm), both originating from the 4f 6 5d–4f 7 transition of Eu 2+ . Thermoluminescence (TL) glow curves measured at various stimulating conditions (UV excitation, in dark, laser stimulation after UV irradiation) show the same peak positions at 345 K and 360 K but great differences in the intensities. The afterglow decay curve presents excellent long-lasting red phosphorescence with a decay time of 30 min (⩾0.32 mcd/m 2 ) after turning off the activating light. Moreover, the laser stimulated luminescence spectra, which feature sharp rising and falling edges (monitored at 647 nm) as the infrared laser diode (980 nm) excitation was turned on and off periodically, exhibit interesting rapidly responsive, erasable and rewritable abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using commercial SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu 2+ ,Dy 3+ phosphor as raw material, we have developed a novel and simple top-down method to fabricate SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu 2+ ,Dy 3+ nanosheets that are useful for potential practical applications, especially as fluorescent labels for biomolecules and mechano-optical nano-devices. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) results demonstrate that the treated samples are still pure-phase of SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu 2+ ,Dy 3+ . The field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results indicate that the treated SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu 2+ ,Dy 3+ phosphors are built up by nanosheets bundles. Excitation and emission spectra, afterglow emission spectra and decay curves are used to analyze the luminescence properties of SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu 2+ ,Dy 3+ nanosheets, and the results show that, compared with commercial samples, the treated samples show similar spectra characteristic including the spectra shapes and the band position. Furthermore, the fluorescence and afterglow intensity of SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu 2+ ,Dy 3+ nanosheets can be tuned linearly by changing the circumstance temperatures, which further indicates its potential applications in fiber-optical thermometer materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of reddish-orange afterglow emitting nitride phosphors Ca 2 Si 5 N 8 :Eu 2+ , Tm 3+ (CSN:E, T) and Ca 2 Si 5 N 8 :Eu 2+ , Tm 3+ , Dy 3+ (CSN:E, T, D) were synthesized via a solid-state reaction route and were comparatively investigated. Comparing with the di-doped CSN:E, T phosphor, the tri-doped CSN:E, T, D samples show higher afterglow intensity and longer duration time which can be attributed to the balanced defect micro-environment caused by the presence of Dy 3+ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel nitridosilicate phosphor, BaSi7N10:Eu2+, was synthesized via the nitridation of Ba1−x EuxSi alloy. Oxide impurities in the product can be significantly reduced by the use of alloy precursor to obtain a single phase product. The synthesized BaSi7N10:Eu2+ absorbs strongly in the UV-part of the electromagnetic spectrum and exhibits bluish-green light with a peak wavelength at 475nm. When temperature is increasing, its emission intensity is decreasing with the broadening full widths at half maximum (FWHM). Interestingly, the afterglow emission of Eu2+ (4f65d1→4f7) could be observed after switching off the 280nm excitation source, which to the best of our knowledge is found for the first time. This simple, inexpensive and high-yield synthesis route has a significant potential to be applied to other nitrides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A microfluidic platform is provided for observing Zn-anode under different operational situations. • The impacts of shear stress and discharging current density on Zn-anode are studied. • The microfluidic zinc-air battery delivers a substantially high power density. With the evolving demands towards the ever-growing portable and wearable electronics, Zn-air battery (ZAB) has attracted considerable attention as their higher energy density and abundant material reservations compared with other electrochemical energy-conversion systems. Herein, we provide an effective and powerful microfluidic platform for ex-site observing the zinc electrode variation in the electrolytes under different operational situations. The power generation properties of microfluidic ZAB (μZAB) are facilely controlled via the microfluidic flow control. The device delivers the maximum power density of 194 mW/cm2 at the current density of 242 mA/cm2, outperforming previously reported power supplies with similar working volume. More importantly, the combination of ZAB with microfluidic control provides a platform to study the impacts of laminar shear stress and discharging situation on the zinc-electrode behaviors. It indicates on the condition of limited laminar shear stress at zinc anode surface, as the laminar shear stress increases, the passivation of zinc anode is reduced. The amount of zinc oxide deposition on the electrode surface decreases with the increasing of laminar shear stress, and the power-generation property is obviously improved. The zinc anode can expose a large amount of active area during the discharge process. When the laminar shear stress is greater than 120 dyn/cm2, the increase of laminar shear stress has no obvious effect on the reduced passivation anymore. It demonstrates the potential of utilizing microfluidic tool to screen and optimize the operational environments of zinc-electrode in flow battery and fuel cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]