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Carbon dioxide (CO 2) is one of the most important greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and carbon satellites play a vital role in monitoring its concentration. However, a single carbon satellite often has inadequate spatial coverage, resulting in numerous gaps. Utilizing the complementary advantages of multiple satellites in spatial coverage for high-coverage mapping of CO 2 may be an effective means. To this end, this study proposes a local random forest (LRF) model to generate a global high-coverage and high-precision column-averaged dry-air mole fraction of CO 2 (XCO 2) product from 2015 to 2021, which integrates multi-source data from OCO-2, OCO-3, GOSAT, and GOSAT-2. The results indicate that the LRF reconstructions agree well with the ground-based site observations, with RMSE, MAE, and R2 of 1.08 ppm, 0.82 ppm, and 0.96, respectively, outperforming the global random forest and artificial neural network models. Meanwhile, multi-source satellite fusion effectively improves the global XCO 2 coverage, with a maximum improvement rate of 122.2% compared to the single satellite of OCO-2. Based on the reconstructed dataset, regional and seasonal differences in the global XCO 2 distribution are observed, and an average growth rate of 2.18 ppm/year of global XCO 2 is revealed during 2015–2021. This study combines data from multi-source satellites to generate high-coverage global XCO 2 products from 2015 to 2021, which can be freely accessed from https://github.com/ch00en/Multi-source-satellite-XCO2-fusion-products.git and would hold great potential for carbon cycle research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed at exploring whether Xiaotan Sanjie decoction (XTSJ) inhibits gastric cancer (GC) proliferation and metastasis by regulating lncRNA-ATB expression. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to analyze lncRNA-ATB and downstream-regulated genes/proteins in human GC cells. CCK8, Edu, and flow cytometry assays were used to detect the inhibitory effect of XTSJ on cell proliferation and apoptosis. Moreover, transwell and wound healing assays were used to detect the inhibitory effect of XTSJ on migration and invasion. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect regulated genes and proteins levels. The HGC-27 cell line was used for follow-up analysis due to the high level of lncRNA-ATB and cell characteristics. XTSJ inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of HGC-27 in a dose-dependent manner. Further research found that XTSJ downregulated lncRNA-ATB, Vimentin, and N-cadherin, while it upregulated miR-200a and E-cadherin in a dose-dependent manner. XTSJ also upregulated Caspase 3, Caspase 9, Bax, and downregulated Bcl-2. Furthermore, XTSJ inhibited tumor growth in vivo and downregulated EMT signaling pathways. These results indicate that XTSJ may affect EMT and Bcl-2 signaling pathways by regulating lncRNA-ATB and miR-200a, thus inhibiting proliferation, migration, and invasion of HGC-27 cells. Therefore, XTSJ may be an effective treatment for the high levels of lncRNA-ATB in GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Lung adenocarcinoma (ADC), Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome (QY) is the most common Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the diversity and composition of gut microbiota in ADC patients with QY syndrome. 90 stool samples, including 30 healthy individuals (H), 30 ADC patients with QY syndrome, and 30 ADC patients with another syndrome (O) were collected. Then, 16s-RNA sequencing was used to analyze stool samples to clarify the structure of gut microbiota, and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) was applied to identify biomarkers for ADC with QY syndrome. Logistic regression analysis was performed to establish a diagnostic model for the diagnosis of QY syndrome in ADC patients, which was assessed with the AUC. Finally, 20 fecal samples (QY: 10; O: 10) were analyzed with Metagenomics to validate the diagnostic model. The α diversity and β diversity demonstrated that the structure of gut microbiota in the QY group was different from that of the H group and O group. In the QY group, the top 3 taxonomies at phylum level were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria, and at genus level were Faecalibacterium, Prevotella_9, and Bifidobacterium. LEfSe identified Prevotella_9 and Streptococcus might be the biomarkers for QY syndrome. A diagnostic model was constructed using those 2 genera with the AUC = 0.801, similar to the AUC based on Metagenomics (0.842). The structure of gut microbiota in ADC patients with QY syndrome was investigated, and a diagnostic model was developed for the diagnosis of QY syndrome in ADC patients, which provides a novel idea for the understanding and diagnosis of TCM syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Persistent renal tubular dysfunction remains exist in the OCCP patients, despite having ceased employment. • miRNA expression profiles analysis showed that miR-363-3p was increased in the OCCP patients. • Cd exposure led to miR-363-3p-mediated down-regulation of PI3K expression. We previously determined that specific microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in renal pathophysiological occurrences induced by cadmium (Cd) in rats. This study expands our studies on miRNAs, determining their role in Cd-induced nephrotoxicity in occupational workers. We performed miRNA microarray analyses of blood and urine samples from patients diagnosed as occupational chronic Cd poisoning (OCCP) with abnormally elevated concentrations of urinary beta-2-microglobulin (U-β 2 -MG), an indicator of tubular proteinuria. We also performed in vitro bioinformatics-based investigations of apoptosis-related genes targeted by miRNAs involved in the biological response to Cd exposure. We tested five differentially expressed miRNAs and determined a significant increase of sera miR-363-3p. Also, we determined that miR-363-3p increase is associated with phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) down-regulation and the suppressed proliferation and enhanced apoptosis of renal tubule epithelial cells. The obtained results suggest miR-363-3p involvement in the pathophysiology of Cd-induced renal injury in humans and maybe considered for possible interventional therapeutic strategies for Cd-associated kidney damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeIII-MOF-5-derived/carbon fibers composites (FMCFs) were successfully prepared through facile electrospinning, along with deeply investigating the electromagnetic (EM) wave attenuation of these carbon-based composites. The as-prepared FMCFs show great EM wave absorption capability, which obtains a maximum reflection loss (RL) of −39.2 dB with a bandwidth of 4.44 GHz at a small thickness of 1.4 mm, in addition, the control mechanism of the excellent EM wave absorption was derived from magnetic loss, dipole polarization loss and interface polarization. More importantly, in order to demonstrate the ability of FMCFs material in practical application, ANSYS Electronics Desktop 2018 (HFSS) is further used to prove the radar cross section (RCS) reduction, and the material coatings with FMCFs contribute to the RCS values with the strongest RCS reduction value up to 32 dBm2. Combining simulation technology with material design is meaningful for researching the absorption mechanism and rational design of EM wave absorbing coatings. FeIII-MOF-5-derived/carbon fibers composites were successfully prepared through facile electrospinning, along with deeply investigating the electromagnetic wave attenuation of these carbon-based composites. More importantly, ANSYS Electronics Desktop 2018 is further used to simulate the radar cross section reduction performance of the materials in practical applications. Image 1 • FeIII-MOF-5-derived/carbon (FMCFs) fibers composites were prepared by facile electrospinning process. • Modulating permittivity of carbon fibers is achieved by adjusting the amount of FeIII-MOF-5。. • The obtained carbon fibers show a bandwidth of 4.44 GHz at a small thickness of 1.4 mm. • The RCS of the carbon fibers with the strongest reduction value up to 32 dBm2 can be achieved through simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Support vector machine (SVM) is a popular machine learning method with a solid theoretical foundation, and has shown promising performance on different classification problems. However, it suffers from an expensive training cost, which makes it not be very suitable for the application with a large-scale training set. To this end, as a data pre-processing technique, training set selection (TSS) for SVM has received much attention recently, since it can reduce the size of SVM training set without degrading the performance. In this paper, a subregion division based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm termed SDMOEA-TSS is proposed for SVM training set selection, where objective space is divided into several subregions for effectively searching good solutions. Specifically, in SDMOEA-TSS, a divided based initialization strategy is firstly suggested to initialize the population to locate in different regions of objective space. Then a subregion based evolutionary (including crossover, mutation and update) strategy is developed, which not only makes full use of individuals in each subregion for local search but also maintains the whole population's global search ability. Empirical studies on 21 public data sets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm over the state-of-the-arts in terms of both quality and diversity of the selected SVM training subset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cisplatin is widely used as a first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but chemoresistance remains a major clinical obstacle for efficient use. As a microRNA, miR-223 was reported to promote the doxorubicin resistance of NSCLC. However, whether miR-223 is also involved in cisplatin resistance of NSCLC and the mechanism miR-223 involved in drug resistance is unclear. Accumulated evidence has shown that abnormal autophagy is associated with tumor chemoresistance. The study aimed to study the role of miR-223 on cisplatin sensitivity in NSCLC and uncover the potential mechanisms. Methods: NSCLC cells transfected with mimic or inhibitor for miR-223 was assayed for chemoresistance in vitro. MiR-223 expression was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Western blot were used to study the expression level of F-box/WD repeat-containing protein 7 (FBXW7) and autophagy-related protein. The effect of miR-223 on cisplatin sensitivity was examined by using CCK-8, EdU assays and Autophagic flux assay. Luciferase assays, EdU assays and small interfering RNA were performed to identify the targets of miR-223 and the mechanism by which it promotes treatment resistance. Xenograft models were established to investigate the effect of mir-223 on cisplatin sensitivity. Results: In the present study, we found that the level of miR-223 was significantly positively correlated with cisplatin resistance. MiR-223 overexpression made NSCLC cells resistant to cisplatin treatment. We further found that autophagy mediated miR-223-mediated cisplatin resistance in NSCLC cells. Further mechanistic research demonstrated that miR-223 directly targeted FBXW7. The overexpression of miR-223 could inhibit the level of FBXW7 protein expression, thus promoting autophagy and making NSCLC cells resistant to cisplatin. Finally, we confirmed the increased effect of cisplatin sensitivity by miR-223 Antagomir in xenograft models of NSCLC. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that miR-223 could enhance autophagy by targeting FBXW7 in NSCLC cells. Inhibition of autophagy by miR-223 knockdown provides a novel treatment strategy to alleviate cisplatin resistance in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) system has been implemented at the largest laser facility in China. The nTOF system is used to measure neutron spectra in inertial confinement fusion experiments. The nTOF system consists of 11 fast plastic scintillation detectors. The detectors employed three designs to measure neutron yield, ion temperature, and neutron bang time. The nTOF system is capable of measuring the primary neutron yield from 107 to 1013, secondary DT neutron yield from 106 to 108, and ion temperature and neutron bang time yields from 108 to 1013. The accuracies of the nTOF system are about 10% for neutron yield and ion temperature measurements and better than 60 ps for neutron bang time measurements. The nTOF system has become one of the most important diagnostics for implosions, and it is used for more than 200 shots per year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• P2-type Na 2/3 Fe 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 is prepared by magnetic-assisted electrospinning method. • The sample shows yarn-ball-like architecture. • The sample shows high capacity, good rate capability and excellent cycle stability. Yarn-ball-shaped P2-Na 2/3 Fe 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 nanofiber cathode material is synthesized by a magnetic-assisted electrospinning method. Based on the electrospinning method, an electromagnetic-field is performed to keep the nanofibers rotating to form the yarn-ball-like architecture. XRD result indicates that the sample is a pure P2-type Na 2/3 Fe 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 phase with good crystallization. SEM results show that the diameter of the balls is about 10–50 µm, and the balls are composed of nanofibers with a diameter of 200–400 nm. This special architecture is beneficial to increase the Na+ diffusion speed and tap-density of nanofiber material. Electrochemical tests show that the sample has a high discharge specific capacity of 218.6 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C rate, and exhibits good rate capability and excellent cycling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous carbon hollow spheres (MCHS), a kind of light weight material, were fabricated by a simple one-pot process. It is confirmed that the addition of tetrapropoxysilane (TPOS) has a distinct influence on their surface area, pore volume, porous structure and microwave absorption properties. The modulation of electromagnetic parameters within the range of 2–18 GHz can be accomplished by adjusting the pore volume of MCHS, resulting in the largest bandwidth of 6.2 GHz and a maximum reflection loss of −38.5 dB at a thickness of 2–3 mm. The enhanced microwave absorption properties are attributed to the outstanding impedance matching and strong dielectric loss. This study provides novel insights into electromagnetic wave absorption by tuning the pore volume structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, we report a facile method to prepare rod-like Te material, which can be used as a novel microwave absorber. Diameter of the Te rods can be tuned in the range of 46–51 nm by changing the reaction time. With the increase of Te particle diameter in the composites, the microwave absorbing property gets worse. As for the Te-0.5 sample with diameter of 45.7 nm, a maximum reflection loss value of −53.8 dB at 16.0 GHz and an effective absorption bandwidth (4.8 GHz) ranging from 13.2 to 18 GHz at the thickness of only 1.55 mm can be achieved. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time to investigate the microwave response of Te rods. These rods show obvious potential for lightweight, highly efficient microwave absorption in high frequency. Highlights • A novel rod-like Te was obtained with high dielectric losses. • The diameter of Te plays a key role in the microwave absorbing property. • The effective absorption bandwidth was 4.8 GHz under 1.55 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Flake‐like semiconductors with strong interfacial polarization exhibit excellent electromagnetic absorption properties. To the best of the knowledge, 3D flake‐like Bi2Te3 is never reported as effective MAMs (microwave absorption materials). Herein, it is first introduced the novel lightweight microwave absorption of 3D flake‐like Bi2Te3 synthesized by a simple hydrothermal process. Compared with the traditional research objects, the obtained Bi2Te3 possessed prominent absorbing ability at a rather thin thickness (1.0 mm), which will draw much attention to new‐materials for electromagnetic wave absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P2-type Na 2/3 Fe 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 cathode material is synthesized by a modified solid-state method with organic metal salts as raw materials, which can reduce the temperature and time of heat treatment, and highly enhance the electrochemical performance. XRD results indicate that the sample is a pure P2-type Na 2/3 Fe 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 phase with well-developed crystal structure. Furthermore, a regular hexagon plate shape for the uniformly distributed particles is revealed by SEM and TEM results. The mean size and thickness of the hexagon plates are about 1–4 µm and 200–700 nm, respectively. The P2-Na 2/3 Fe 1/2 Mn 1/2 O 2 sample synthesized at 800 °C for 8 h exhibits the initial specific discharge capacities of 230.0 and 111.4 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C and 2 C rates, respectively, and after 130 cycles, the sample still exhibits good performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widely used β-lactam antibiotics are susceptible to oxidative and/or hydrolytic degradation promoted by some metal ions (e.g., Cu(II)). Ferric ions (Fe(III)) are among the most common metal ions, but their role in the environmental transformation and fate of β-lactam antibiotics is still unknown. This study elucidates that Fe(III) can promote degradation of β-lactam antibiotics under environmental aquatic conditions. Degradation rate constants of ampicillin (AMP) linearly increased with increasing Fe(III) concentration, but were independent of AMP concentration when AMP was higher than Fe(III) concentration. Neutral pH was most favorable for Fe(III)-promoted degradation of AMP, and the promoted degradation was also significant in real surface water and wastewater matrix. Among the various β-lactam antibiotics, Fe(III)-promoted degradation of penicillins was faster than that of cephalosporins. Product analysis indicated that only two isomers of hydrolysis products were observed without detection of oxidation products. The Fe(III)-promoted degradation likely occurred via complexation of β-lactam antibiotics with carboxyl group and tertiary nitrogen, and then enhancing the hydrolytic cleavage of β-lactam ring. This study is among the first to identify the role of Fe(III) in the degradation of β-lactam antibiotics and elucidate the mechanism. The new findings indicate iron species are among the factors affecting the environmental fate of β-lactam antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Co 1.1 Mn 1.9 O 4 exhibited excellent activity to activate PAA for SMX degradation. • CH 3 C(O)OO● was evidenced as the dominant reactive oxidizing species. • Significant role of Mn in intensifying the activity of Co sites was revealed. • Co 1.1 Mn 1.9 O 4 /PAA process had great potential in high-salinity wastewater treatment. Activation of peracetic acid (PAA) to generate powerful oxidizing species has become a promising advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in wastewater treatment, yet the development of low-cost and high-performance activators is still a primary challenge. Herein, a range of Co–Mn spinel oxides (Co 3-x Mn x O 4) with varying levels of Co and Mn were successfully elaborated, in which Co 1.1 Mn 1.9 O 4 exhibited remarkable performance in PAA activation, outperforming most reported heterogeneous catalysts. Extensive quenching experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis indicated that acetylperoxyl radical (CH 3 C(O)OO●) was the predominated oxidizing species responsible for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that doping with Mn not only promoted the electron transfer and accelerated reduction of Co(III) to Co(II), but also lowered the energy barrier for PAA activation. Moreover, the prominent chemisorption and activation of PAA with Co 1.1 Mn 1.9 O 4 was also benefitted from the significant role of Mn in optimizing the distribution of bonding and antibonding states on Co 3d orbitals. Unexpectedly, high levels of Cl−greatly facilitated SMX degradation due to the mass production of HOCl from the chain reactions of various radicals with Cl−. This work provides new insights into bimetallic activation of PAA, and the knowledge obtained will further advance the application of PAA-based AOPs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This study aims to design an optimized algorithm for low-cost pedestrian navigation system (PNS) to correct the heading drift and altitude error, thus achieving high-precise pedestrian location in both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) space.Design/methodology/approach A novel heading correction algorithm based on smoothing filter at the terminal of zero velocity interval (ZVI) is proposed in the paper. This algorithm adopts the magnetic sensor to calculate all the heading angles in the ZVI and then applies a smoothing filter to obtain the optimal heading angle. Furthermore, heading correction is executed at the terminal moment of ZVI. Meanwhile, an altitude correction algorithm based on step height constraint is proposed to suppress the altitude channel divergence of strapdown inertial navigation system by using the step height as the measurement of the Kalman filter.Findings The verification experiments were carried out in 2-D and 3-D space to evaluate the performance of the proposed pedestrian navigation algorithm. The results show that the heading drift and altitude error were well corrected. Meanwhile, the path calculated by the novel algorithm has a higher match degree with the reference trajectory, and the positioning errors of the 2-D and 3-D trajectories are both less than 0.5 per cent.Originality/value Besides zero velocity update, another two problems, namely, heading drift and altitude error in the PNS, are solved, which ensures the high positioning precision of pedestrian in indoor and outdoor environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to identify clinical and pathologic factors that are significant to relapse in borderline ovarian tumours (BOT). All patients with BOTs from 1997 to 2012 in our institute were identified. 115 patients were included in the study. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify significant factors. The median age was 42 years (range 14–85 years). The majority of the patients were at FIGO stage I (88.7%), and most of the patients had mucinous histology (66.1%), reflecting the predominant distribution of mucinous BOTs in East Asia. The median follow-up was 3.3 years (range 0–4.1 years). Twelve patients (10.4%) relapsed and two died consequently. Advanced stage, invasive implants and restaging surgery were significant factors of recurrence. Serous tumours had slightly higher risk than mucinous tumours, but the difference was not significant. As the study was performed in an area where mucinous BOTs are predominant, the results may complement current literature on BOT management. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The potential performance of thermally activated persulfate (TAP) oxidation on the degradation of Triclosan (TCS), a widely used antibacterial agent, was investigated under different conditions. TCS degradation by TAP oxidation was found to fit well with an Arrhenius behavior from 50 to 80 °C, yielding apparent activation energy 121.12 kJ/mol. TCS removal was found to be pH-dependent. Acidic conditions (pH 3–5) were beneficial to TCS removal. The performance of TAP oxidation was still promising under circumneutral pH value (pH ∼7). The presence of alkaline species (with concentrations ranging from 1 to 50 mM) presented inhibitory effects on TCS degradation. When concentration of fulvic acid (FA) in solution increased to 10 mg/L, the effect on TCS degradation became increasingly negative. Different with alkaline species and FA, chloride ions at relatively low ( < 10 mM) and high (20–50 mM) concentrations exhibited dual effects on TCS degradation. Both sulfate radicals and hydroxyl radicals were confirmed in the system by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectra, and the quenching study indicated that sulfate radicals were the predominant oxidants responsible for the TCS degradation. The major intermediate derived from TCS degradation was identified to be 2,4-dichlorophenol and the reaction scheme was proposed. Additionally, the ecotoxicity of TCS and its degraded samples was assessed by a 4-day zebrafish embryo-larval bioassay, which indicated the capacity of thermally activated persulfate oxidation to decrease ecotoxicity, thus confirmed the sulfate radicals based oxidation a promising alternative of in situ chemical oxidation from the environmental risk standpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotube (CNT) has been shown to effectively activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to remove contaminants, whereas controversial activation mechanisms (radical vs non-radical mechanism) were previously proposed. Here we report that radical-induced decolorization of acid orange 7 (AO7) dominated in the CNT activated PMS system, but non-radical mechanism was also involved at high Cl − concentration. CNT exhibited high activity in activating PMS to decolorize AO7. The decolorization rate of AO7 increased with increasing PMS dosages and CNT loadings, rising temperature and higher pH. Radical quenching and photoluminescence techniques confirmed the decolorization of AO7 in the CNT/PMS system was caused by the radical oxidation, which dominantly took place on the surface of CNT, rather than the bulk solution. The presence of Cl − exhibited a dual effect on AO7 decolorization. Low concentration of Cl − slightly inhibited AO7 decolorization, but further raising the concentration to above 0.1 M significantly accelerated its decolorizaition. Cl − was confirmed to react with PMS to generate HClO, which effectively bleached AO7 through non-radical process rather than radical process. The decolorization of AO7 induced from the non-radical process exhibited different degradation products and less mineralization in comparison to that derived from radical process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widely used β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins are known to be susceptible to Cu11-catalyzed hydrolysis at their four-membered β-lactam ring. However, this study elucidates that Cu11 can in fact play multiple roles in promoting the hydrolysis and/or oxidation of β-lactam antibiotics under environmental aquatic conditions (pH 5.0-9.0 and 22 °C), depending on β-lactams' structural characteristics and solution pH. Most significantly, the β-lactam antibiotics that contain a phenylglycine primary amine group on the side chain can undergo direct oxidation by Cu11 via this functional group. On the other hand, the β-lactam ring of penicillins is susceptible to Cu11- catalyzed hydrolysis, followed by oxidation of the hydrolysis product by Cu11. In contrast, the β-lactam ring of cephalosporins is susceptible to Cu11-catalyzed hydrolysis only. Solution pH influences the Cu11-promoted transformation by affecting the β-lactam and Cu11 complexation through protonation/deprotonation of critical organic functional groups. When Cu11 acts as an oxidant to promote the transformation of β-lactam antibiotics to yield Cu1, the overall role of Cu appears catalytic if the reaction occurs under ambient atmospheric condition, due to quick oxidation of Cu1 by oxygen to regenerate CuH. Compared to earlier literature that largely assumed only the hydrolytic catalyst role of Cu11in promoting degradation of β -lactam antibiotics, the oxidative roles of Cu11 identified by this study mark important contributions to a more accurate mechanistic understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defluoridation of water is still challenging due to the fluoride pollution of both groundwater and surface water worldwide. In this study, lanthanum-modified zeolite (LMZ) was synthesized from coal fly ash and was investigated for fluoride removal from water by conducting batch and column experiments. Our results indicated that the process of fluoride adsorption was endothermic and the adsorption kinetics on LMZ followed the pseudo-second-order model. A higher temperature increased both the capacity and the rate of adsorption. The maximum fluoride adsorption capacity of LMZ reached 141.5 mg/g with a F/La molar ratio of 4.21, as estimated from the Langmuir model which best fitted the isotherm data. Fluoride adsorption greatly depended on pH, with optimal performance being achieved within ∼5.0–∼7.0. The point of zero charge of LMZ was pH 8.8, at which only bicarbonate ions greatly affected fluoride removal. However, no competing effect was observed at pH 6.3 for all tested anions including chloride, sulphate, nitrate, bicarbonate and acetate. The dominant adsorption mechanism was the ligand exchange of fluoride with hydroxyls on LMZ, as illustrated by the rise in pH due to fluoride adsorption and by the molecular scale spectroscopic FTIR, Raman and XPS studies. Fluoride adsorbed on LMZ was successfully desorbed using NaOH solution, and regenerated LMZ could be reused. The results of column studies showed that LMZ granulated with alginate performed well in treating F−-containing water. In conclusion, LMZ is a promising material for efficient defluoridation from water. [Display omitted] • La-modified zeolite (LMZ) from coal fly ash was highly efficient to bind fluoride. • The adsorption mechanism was the direct bonding of F ˉ to La by replacing OH groups. • Adsorption of F ˉ by LMZ was selective and it increased with decreasing pH. • F ˉ adsorbed on LMZ could be desorbed and F ˉ -free LMZ could be reused. • LMZ could be granulated with alginate for use in column systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbide (SiC) has been considered one of the most important wide bandgap semiconductors for both scientific interest and technological applications. The existence of stacking faults induced inclusions, originated from the "wrong" stacking sequences of Si–C bilayers, is a general feature in SiC. Until now, however, a systematical understanding of the role of cubic inclusions (CIs) in the electronic and doping properties of hexagonal SiC is still lacking, which may prevent further improvement of its electronic performance. In this article, using advanced first-principles calculations, we have systematically studied the stability, electronic structures, and doping properties of hexagonal SiC with CIs. First, we find that the CIs in SiC have rather low formation energies but high kinetic stability. Second, we find that the electronic structures of SiC can be dramatically tuned by the ratio of CIs in SiC. Third, we demonstrate that the CI-induced band offset and the dipole-discontinuity-induced dipole field in the system can give rise to different ground-state doping sites for dopants at their different charge-states, which can consequently result in novel doping-site-dependent charge-state transition levels (CTLs). Meanwhile, the intrinsic dipole field can dramatically enhance the structural relaxation effects during the ionization of the dopants, which can push the CTLs deeper inside the bandgap compared to the case without CIs. Our findings suggest that CIs could play unusual roles in determining the overall electronic and doping properties of SiC and other similar semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wi-Fi based indoor localization system has attracted considerable attention due to the growing need for location based service (LBS) and the rapid development of mobile phones. However, most existing Wi-Fi based indoor positioning systems suffer from the low accuracy due to the dynamic variation of indoor environment and the time delay caused by the time consumption to provide the position. In this paper, we propose an indoor localization system using the affinity propagation (AP) clustering algorithm and the particle swarm optimization based artificial neural network (PSO-ANN). The clustering technique is adopted to reduce the maximum location error and enhance the prediction performance of PSO-ANN model. And the strong learning ability of PSO-ANN model enables the proposed system to adapt to the complicated indoor environment. Meanwhile, the fast learning and prediction speed of the PSO-ANN would greatly reduce the time consumption. Thus, with the combined strategy, we can reduce the positioning error and shorten the prediction time. We implement the proposed system on a mobile phone and the positioning results show that our algorithm can provide a higher localization accuracy and significantly improves the prediction speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• nCuO exhibited the highest reactivity in PAA activation among nMOPs. • High reactivity of Cu(I) in PAA activation was unveiled. • A new scavenging experiment was developed to distinguish CH 3 C(O)OO●. • Co-existing H 2 O 2 played a significant role in Cu(II)/Cu(I) conversion. • The nCuO/PAA process is promising in real wastewater decontamination. Peracetic acid (PAA)-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has attracted increasing attentions towards contaminant degradation in the wastewater treatment. Herein, we report the efficient activation of PAA by nano-CuO (nCuO/PAA) to degrade carbamazepine (CBZ) for the first time. Rapid degradation of CBZ was observed in the nCuO/PAA system at neutral initial pH. A new scavenging experiment with Mn2+ as a specific scavenger was developed to distinguish the dominant role of CH 3 C(O)OO● for CBZ degradation in the nCuO/PAA process. The oxidation of CBZ by CH 3 C(O)OO● was verified to proceed via the electrons transfer, and the acute and chronic toxicity of the transformation products was significantly reduced. The efficient activation of PAA by nCuO was found to be realized through continuous conversion of Cu(II) to Cu(I), which was significantly boosted by co-existing H 2 O 2. The nCuO/PAA process was slightly affected by the water matrices, and maintained high efficiency in real water samples. The findings obtained in this study provide new insights into the catalytic formation of CH 3 C(O)OO● from PAA and facilitate the development and application of PAA-based AOPs in wastewater treatment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A complete method based on constraint analysis and virtual power is developed in this work. The method is applied to a two-dof epicyclic gear transmission for efficiency modelling and prediction. The power flow diagrams are constructed to obtain possible power flow patterns and to verify the balance of normal power flow and virtual power flow within the system. The theoretical efficiency formulas were derived for the full working range, and further verified by experimental data. It was found that two local loss factors are always coupled together in this device under test, and the same speed ratio may yield different efficiencies depending on the directions of the input angular velocities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstact A series of Li–Ti–O compounds (Li 2 TiO 3 , Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 , TiO 2 and their composites) are synthesized by a normal pressure hydrolysis and an ion exchange method. XRD results indicate that the product gradually changes to Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 –Li 2 TiO 3 composite, Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 , Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 –TiO 2 composite and anatase TiO 2 with increasing the exchange amount of Li + and H + of the precursors. SEM results reveal that the amount of Li-ions in the precursor greatly affects the morphology of the Li–Ti–O compounds. The Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 shows a porous sword shape with several tens of microns in length, 2–4 μm in width and 0.5–1 μm in thickness. The porous swords are composed of the particles in the size of 0.5–0.8 μm; further, TEM results reveal that the particles are actually the aggregations of nanoscale crystalline grains (80–250 nm). The porous sword-shaped Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 shows the specific charge capacities of 167.9, 162.2 and 103.1 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C, 1 C and 20 C rates, respectively, and exhibits excellent cycling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To observe the calcified plaque formation of rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ( BMSCs) transfected by Ad-hBMP-2/GFP in vitro and to study the element composition of calcified plaque. Methods Rabbit BMSCs were transferred by adenovirus carrying hBMP-2/GFP gene. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of hBMP-2 gene. Morphological change of the cells after transfection and calcified plaque formation were observed using inverted fluorescence microscope and Alizarin red staining, respectively. Surface microstructure and element composition of calcified plaque were studied using SEM and X-Ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Results RT-PCR showed hBMP-2 target gene expression in BMSCs transfected by Ad-hBMP- 2/GFP. The cell morphology showed osteogenic differentiation. Alizarin red staining showed red mineralized nodules. SEM image demonstrated that mineralized calcium nodules were scattered in cells, and the growth of cells overlapped with strong matrix secretion. X-ray spectroscopy showed that the surface of calcified plaque consisted of calcium and phosphorus sediment with a calcium to phosphorus ratio (Ca/P) of 1. 53. Conclusion Rabbit BMSCs can be successfully transfected by Ad-BMP-2/GFP which can induce osteogenic differentiation, with a preferable osteogenic capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PAA exhibited high reactivity towards TCs in water. • PAA-promoted oxidation of TCs is slightly affected by the water matrices. • Theoretical calculations reveal the B-ring as the reactive moiety for PAA oxidation. • Hydroxylation and N-demethylation dominate in the PAA-promoted oxidation of TCs. • Biological activity of TCs is significantly diminished after PAA oxidation. Peracetic acid (PAA) is an emerging oxidant and disinfectant increasingly used in wastewater treatment. Tetracyclines (TCs) are extensively consumed antibiotics, and frequently detected in the wastewater and surface water. Herein, PAA was found to show high reactivity towards TCs for the first time. This reaction follows the second-order kinetics with the rate constant (k 2,app) rapidly raised from pH 5 to 7, and then slightly increased to pH 9. Degradation of TCs by PAA was slightly influenced by water components, thus maintaining high efficiency in the real waters. Theoretical calculations revealed the electrons mainly concentrated on the B-ring of TCs, implying the B-ring as the reactive moieties for PAA oxidation. Transformation product analysis confirmed that oxidation of TCs by PAA mainly proceeded via hydroxylation and N-demethylation. Finally, PAA-promoted oxidation could remarkably reduce the antibacterial activity of TCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of fluoride from wastewater is essential as the excess accumulation of fluoride in environment is harmful to the health of humans. In this study, the defluorination of water by aluminum hydroxide-coated zeolite (AHZ), which was synthesized from coal fly ash, was investigated in batches. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity of fluoride by AHZ reached 18.12 mg/g. Aluminum hydroxide was shown to be the major component that adsorbed fluoride. More than 92% removal of fluoride was achieved within 2 h, and the fluoride adsorption kinetics were well fitted to a pseudo-second-order model. The point of zero charge (pH pzc) of the AHZ was determined to be 5.52. Fluoride adsorption by AHZ depended greatly on pH, and maximum performance was obtained at pH 5.5–6.5. The AHZ showed good selectivity for the adsorption of fluoride in the presence of chloride, nitrate, sulfate, bicarbonate, and acetate ions, and the fluoride was nearly exhausted at a sufficiently high dose. The release of OH− due to fluoride adsorption was confirmed. FTIR and XPS studies further illustrated that the adsorption mechanism of fluoride adsorption on AHZ was ligand exchange with hydroxyl groups and the formation of F–Al bonds. [Display omitted] • Aluminum hydroxide coated zeolite (AHZ) was synthesized from coal fly ash. • The maximum adsorption capacity of fluoride by AHZ reached 18.12 mg/g. • Optimal fluoride adsorption was within the pH range of 5.5–6.5. • Defluoridation by AHZ was fast and did not affect substantially by common anions. • The mechanism of fluoride adsorption was the exchange with hydroxyls on AHZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Anchoring cobalt on sandwich-like 2D MXene shows synergistic effect on PAA activation. • Highly efficient degradation of 2,4-DCP is observed at neutral condition. • Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene substrate accelerates recycling of ≡ Co(III)/≡ Co(II). • Acetylperoxyl radical is primarily responsible for contaminant degradation. • The Co@MXenes/PAA process was unaffected by water matrices. A novel Co@MXenes catalyst with unique structure was prepared through randomly anchoring cobalt on 2D sandwich-like MXenes to activate peracetic acid (PAA) for water decontamination. Compared to the conventional Co 3 O 4 nanomaterial, the Co@MXenes catalyst exhibits superior performance for PAA activation under neutral condition. In-depth investigation revealed that the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene substrate triggered the ≡ Co(III)/≡ Co(II) cycle, which greatly enhanced the activation of PAA. The XPS and ICP techniques further demonstrated that Co@MXenes was highly stable with extremely low cobalt ion leaching and hence a superior reusability was obtained. Moreover, acetylperoxyl radical (CH 3 CO 3 ) was identified as the primary radical species responsible for organic micropollutants degradation, exhibiting high selectivity towards contaminants containing electron-rich groups. The novel technology exhibited a high tolerance of Cl− and good performance in real wastewater treatment. This work provides a promising effective catalyst for PAA activation and will facilitate PAA application in wastewater decontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acidic pharmaceuticals such as diclofenac (DCF), clofibric acid (CA) and ketoprofen (KTP) have been detected frequently in environmental media. In order to reveal the toxicity of such emerging pollutants, their interactions with human serum albumin (HSA) were investigated by capillary electrophoresis, molecular spectrometry, and equilibrium dialysis. The binding constants and sites of these acidic pharmaceuticals with HSA were obtained. The thermodynamic parameters, e.g. enthalpy change and entropy change of these interactions were calculated to characterize that all the reactions resulted from hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. The static quenching of the fluorescence of HSA was observed when interacted with acidic pharmaceuticals, indicating acidic pharmaceuticals bound to Tryptophan residue of HSA. The 3D fluorescence and circular dichroism confirmed that the secondary conformation of HSA changed after the interactions with the pharmaceuticals. At physiological condition, only 0.12 mM acidic pharmaceuticals reduced the binding of vitamin B to HSA by 37, 30 and 21% for DCF, KTP and CA, respectively. This work provides an insight into non-covalent interactions between emerging contaminants and biomolecule, and is helpful for clarifying the toxic mechanism of such emerging contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Antibiotics are widely used in daily life but their abuse has posed a potential threat to human health. The interaction between human serum albumin (HSA) and sulfamethazine (SMZ) was investigated by capillary electrophoresis, fluorescence spectrometry, and circular dichroism. The binding constant and site were determined to be 1.09×104 M−1 and 1.14 at 309.5K. The thermodynamic determination indicated that the interaction was driven by enthalpy change, where the electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bond were the dominant binding force. The binding distance between SMZ and tryptophan residue of HSA was obtained to be 3.07nm according to Fǒrster non-radioactive energy transfer theory. The site marker competition revealed that SMZ bound into subdomain IIA of HSA. The binding of SMZ induced the unfolding of the polypeptides of HSA and transferred the secondary conformation of HSA. The equilibrium dialysis showed that only 0.13mM SMZ decreased vitamin B2 by 38% transported on the HSA. This work provides a new quantitative evaluation method for antibiotics to cause the protein damage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, an advanced statistical physics adsorption model (double-layer model with two energies) is successfully established. On the basis of this model, statistical thermodynamic functions (e.g., entropy (S), Gibbs free enthalpy (G), and internal energy (Eint)), pore size distribution (PSD), and site energy distribution (SED) functions were successfully developed and applied to investigate the adsorption mechanisms of nanopore-structured ashitaba waste-based activated carbons (AWAC) and walnut shell-based activated carbons (WSAC) on Congo red (CR) and methylene blue (MB) dyes in aqueous solutions. Statistical thermodynamic results indicated that the adsorption reactions involved in this study are entropy-increasing, endothermic, and spontaneous in nature. Furthermore, PSD and SED described the heterogeneity of these adsorbents in terms of geometry or structure and energy and illustrated that the aforementioned adsorption processes are endothermic physisorption. All in all, this study contributed to broadening the understanding of the adsorption mechanisms of dye molecules onto biomass-based activated carbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In inertial confinement fusion implosion experiments with the primary-neutron yield as low as 107, the method of yield ratio is proposed to diagnose the areal density <ρR> at Shenguang II laser facility. Considering the detection efficiency and the time response, a new detector for detecting the secondary-neutron signal is developed, which locates 50 cm away from the target. According to Monte Carlo N-particle simulation, 5-cm-thick lead shield was placed in front of the detector to shield x rays. In the 2004 experiments, the highest primary-neutron yield is 3.18×106, which is an order lower than expected. Inspite of this fact, a secondary-neutron signal is measured for the first time at the Shenguang II laser facility, which proves the method’s feasibility. The method will be used in the experiments at the prototype of Shenguang III laser facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the construction of a completely energy-conserving semi-Lagrangian scheme. Numerical solution for shallow water equation; Description of fluid movement; Use of Lagrangian method in numerical weather predictions.

[Display omitted] • nTiO 2 in anatase (A_nTiO 2) enhances the decomposition of PAA. • A_nTiO 2 catalyzed decomposition of PAA proceeds via a non-radical process. • The unsaturated Ti atoms (Ti 5c) on {0 0 1} facets act as the reactive sites for PAA decomposition. • The interaction process enhances the stability of A_nTiO 2. While peracetic acid (PAA) are known to be susceptible to decomposition by metals for radical generation, herein we report a novel decomposition process of PAA with TiO 2 nanoparticle (nTiO 2) for the first time. nTiO 2 in anatase (A_nTiO 2) could significantly enhance the decomposition of PAA, whereas, nTiO 2 in rutile phase had no impact on the stability of PAA. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique and a radical quenching study indicated lack of involvement of reactive radicals. In-depth investigation revealed that the {0 0 1} facets of A_nTiO 2 with high surface free energy were especially reactive for the catalytic decomposition of PAA. Theoretical calculations proved the adsorption of PAA onto A_nTiO 2 {0 0 1} surface was much more favorable than the predominated {1 0 1} facets. The unsaturated five coordinated Ti (Ti 5c), typical Lewis acid sites on A_nTiO 2 {0 0 1} surface, were further confirmed as the dominant active sites for catalyzing PAA decomposition. This novel decomposition process could enhance the stability and migration of A_nTiO 2 , increasing the potential environmental risk. Meanwhile, the disinfection of PAA was inhibited by introducing A_nTiO 2. The new findings of this study broaden the knowledge on PAA decomposition process, and have an important implication for PAA disinfection and environmental behavior of TiO 2 nanoparticle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • As a functional ligand, NTA demonstrates its ability to enhance the activation of PMS by Fe 3 O 4. • The NTA/Fe 3 O 4 /PMS system can achieve an optimal removal efficiency as high as 99.6% for ATZ. • Dissolution-promoting effect and the complex shielding ability by NTA accelerate the Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle. • The proposed system shows potential for engineering application, efficiently degrading of EOPs. Advanced oxidation processes based on peroxymonosulfate (PMS) hold remarkable promise for addressing emerging organic pollutants (EOPs) and are worthy of systematic investigation. However, the existing technology has not been widely applied due to bottlenecks such as reaction efficiency. Herein, we proposed a novel system incorporating nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) as a functional ligand to enhance the activation of PMS by Fe 3 O 4 , thereby facilitating a better efficiency for the degradation of EOPs. Results indicated that the system can achieve an optimal removal rate of 99.6% for atrazine (ATZ) in the presence of NTA. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance techniques were employed for mechanism exploration. The results revealed that the enhanced Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycling on the surface of Fe 3 O 4 , triggered by the addition of NTA, accelerates the reduction of trivalent iron and continuously activates PMS to generate radicals, particularly SO 4 −. The mechanistic analysis showed that in the first stage, the lower degradation efficiency could due to the self-quenching of the free radicals, with the uncomplexed Fe(II) and Fe(III) on the surface, the free NTA in the solution, or with the PMS, in addition to reacting with the pollutants. In the second stage, the ATZ achieved rapid degradation as the concentration of substances competing for free radicals decreased. Our work elucidates the key role of NTA functional ligand in the Fe 3 O 4 /PMS advanced oxidation processes, which may provide new approach for the efficient degradation of EOPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UV/peracetic acid (PAA) treatment presents a promising approach for antibiotic removal, but its effects on microbial community and proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during the subsequent bio-treatment remain unclear. Thus, we evaluated the effects of the UV/PAA on tetracycline (TTC) degradation, followed by introduction of the treated wastewater into the bio-treatment system to monitor changes in ARG expression and biodegradability. Results demonstrated effective TTC elimination by the UV/PAA system, with carbon-centered radicals playing a significant role. Crucially, the UV/PAA system not only eliminated antibacterial activity but also inhibited potential ARG host growth, thereby minimizing the emergence and dissemination of ARGs during subsequent bio-treatment. Additionally, the UV/PAA system efficiently removed multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria and ARGs from the bio-treatment effluent, preventing ARGs from being released into the environment. Hence, we propose a multi-barrier strategy for treating antibiotic-containing wastewater, integrating UV/PAA pre-treatment and post-disinfection with bio-treatment. The inhibition of ARGs transmission by the integrated system was verified through actual soil testing, confirming its effectiveness in preventing ARGs dissemination in the surrounding natural ecosystem. Overall, the UV/PAA treatment system offers a promising solution for tackling ARGs challenges by controlling ARGs proliferation at the source and minimizing their release at the end of the treatment process. [Display omitted] • UV/PAA as pre-treatment and post-disinfection procedures before/after bio-treatment. • Achieving near-complete TTC removal in both static and continuous flow UV/PAA system. • UV/PAA pre-treatment guarantees microbial diversity and COD removal in bio-treatment. • UV/PAA pre-treatment reduces emergence risk of ARGs and their hosts in bio-treatment. • UV/PAA post-disinfection blocks the release of MARB and ARGs into the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cu2+ can synergistically activate PDS with magnetite to generate radicals. • Synergistic activation of PDS is effective to degrade contaminants in groundwater. • The adsorbed Cu2+ is reduced by the structural Fe(II) to generate Cu+. • Stability of Cu+ is enhanced on magnetite surface at pH 7 and higher. • The generated Cu+ on magnetite surface contributes to PDS activation. Magnetite is known to exhibit high catalytic reactivity in Fenton-like reactions merely at low pH conditions. Here we report the association of Cu2+ ion can significantly enhance peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation with magnetite under environmental aquatic conditions (near neutral pH). Cu2+ is able to synergistically activate PDS with magnetite to generate radicals, e.g., SO 4 ·−, at neutral or slightly alkaline pH, and such synergistic activation of PDS is promising to degrade various contaminants in groundwater. In-depth study reveals Cu2+ ion adsorbed on magnetite plays a crucial role in PDS activation. The adsorbed Cu2+ is labile to be reduced by the structural Fe(II) on magnetite to generate Cu+, which is relatively stable in the presence of magnetite at neutral or alkaline pH, but extremely unstable at acidic pH. The generated Cu+ on magnetite surface, rather than Cu2+, contributes to PDS activation in the reaction system, and the recycling of Cu+/Cu2+ sustains continuous activation of PDS. This study is among the first to report the synergistic activation of PDS by magnetite and Cu2+ ion at neutral pH, and unambiguously discern the role of Cu+ in PDS activation. The new mechanistic knowledge provides a more accurate understanding of PDS activation by natural minerals in environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultralight g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets have been synthesized via a facile and green one-step approach. • UMCN-wet shows a high surface area, enriched active sites and foam-like characteristics. • Fast charge separation with slow decay kinetics enhances the photocatalytic activity. • UMCN-wet exhibits high adsorption and photodegradation performance towards dye pollutants. Herein, we report a scalable, green and "bottom-up" approach for the synthesis of ultralight g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets. The ultralight g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets (9.6 mg cm−3) have been entirely synthesized in a wet atmosphere in one step without pretreatment or any other additives. The as-prepared material (UMCN-wet) appears as a foam-like exterior with ultrathin nanosheets (3.5 nm), short-order polymerization and sharp edges. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses confirm the formation of melon units with edge-enriched active sites. UMCN-wet exhibits a higher specific surface area (137.44 m2 g−1) and pore volume (0.2076 cm3 g−1), compared with that of the as-synthesized materials in the air (MCN-air) and nitrogen (MCN-N 2) atmospheres. The optical and electrochemical analyses reveal that UMCN-wet manifests fast photogenerated charge separation and transfer with slow decay kinetics. As a result, UMCN-wet nanosheets exhibit superb photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation with photodegradation rate constant (k) of 0.17687, 0.02409 and 0.00537 min−1, respectively. Moreover, UMCN-wet exhibits excellent stability and reusability performance. Such a sustainable approach does not only overcome the prolonged time processing, extra energy consumption and utilization of hazardous chemicals for synthesis ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets, but also paves a new pathway for industrial upscale production with numerous expected environmental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effectively broadening microwave absorbing frequency of pure magnetic substances remains a huge challenge. Herein, micro-perspective structures can be controlled through a calcination route. Satisfactorily, the composites prepared at the calcination temperature of 900 °C exhibit excellent microwave attenuation performance with a broad working frequency and appropriate paraffin filling ratio. Remarkably, the composites can reach an extremely high reflection loss (RL) value of − 49.79 dB, and the extended effective working frequency range (RL < − 10 dB) of 6.84 GHz can also be obtained. Superb magnetic loss, admirable dielectric loss, sufficient dipole polarization, as well as superior impedance matching should be band together for obtaining ideal microwave absorbers. The CoNi hydroxides derived bimatallic alloy composites were fabricated via a cost-effective and facile synthesis process, and this work aroused inspirations of designing high-performance microwave absorbers for mataining the sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) is a widely used phosphorus-inactivating agent in lakes. However, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exists ubiquitously in lakes, and its influence on phosphate binding is still not adequately understood. Our results showed that both phosphate and DOC can be adsorbed by LMB. The Langmuir adsorption maxima of phosphate and DOC were 9.06 mg P/g and 5.31 mg C/g, respectively, generating a C/P molar ratio ∼1.5. When phosphate and DOC coexisted at this ratio, the adsorption of phosphate was not influenced by DOC and vice versa. However, the phosphate capture by LMB was significantly reduced by raising the ratio above ∼9, and the reduction was increased with increasing the ratio. Once adsorbed by LMB, phosphate was essentially not desorbed by DOC, while adsorbed DOC can be mostly liberated by phosphate. It is deemed that phosphate can interact preferentially with La on LMB. However, DOC can still be adsorbed by LMB, even after LMB was saturated with phosphate, which was attributed to (i) the high coordination capacity of La; (ii) the interaction of DOC with the hydroxyl group(s) of the adsorbed phosphate via hydrogen bonding; and (iii) the interaction of DOC with the La sites unoccupied by phosphate. We proposed that LMB can be applied in the season (time) when the DOC/P ratio in lakes is low enough to facilitate the adsorption of phosphate, which will no longer be released into water, even after the C/P ratio is raised later. Image 1 • Both phosphate and DOC can be adsorbed by lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB). • Influence of DOC on P capture became significant when C/P molar ratio exceeding ∼9. • P adsorbed on LMB can not be desorbed by DOC. • DOC adsorbed on LMB can be mostly released by P. • We proposed a strategy that LMB can be applied when C/P ratio in lakes is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the test run of Shenguang III laser prototype facility, under the low density condition, the yield ratio method was used to measure the fuel areal density. Considering the uncertainty of the neutron yield, detectors with different efficiencies were used. The clear secondary-neutron signals in inertial confinement fusion experiments were obtained for the first time in China, and the values of the areal density were deduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Selective elimination of TCs by PMS in livestock wastewater. • A kinetic model describes TCs oxidation in real livestock wastewater. • PMS-promoted TCs oxidation proceeds via non-radical process. • Theoretical calculations reveal the electrophilic attacks at ring B of TCs. • Hydroxylation dominates in the PMS-induced oxidation of TCs. Tetracyclines (TCs) discharged from livestock wastewater have received worldwide concerns owing to their potential threats to the ecosystem and human health. Advanced oxidation processes always exhibit low efficiency to remove TCs in livestock wastewater due to the radical scavenging by water matrices. Herein, we report selective elimination of TCs by peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in livestock wastewater. A kinetic model was developed to describe the rapid degradation of TCs by PMS in the real livestock wastewater. The radical scavenging study and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique excluded the contribution of radical species (e.g., SO 4 −) in the PMS-promoted oxidation of TCs. Theoretical calculations revealed the electrophilic attacks of PMS most likely located on the B-ring of TCs. Transformation product analysis further elucidated that hydroxylation dominated in the PMS-promoted oxidation of TCs, and N-demethylation also significantly contributed to chlorotetracycline (CTC) oxidation by PMS. These results demonstrate a promising strategy to eliminate TCs in livestock wastewater, because PMS shows specific reactivity towards TCs, and thus suffers less interference from the complicated water matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutamate plays a crucial role in the treatment of depression by interacting with the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5), whose negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) are thus promising antidepressants. At present, to explore the structural features of 106 newly synthesized aryl benzamide series molecules as mGluR5 NAMs, a set of ligand-based three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) analyses were firstly carried out applying comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) methods. In addition, receptor-based analysis, namely molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, were performed to further elucidate the binding modes of mGluR5 NAMs. As a result, the optimal CoMSIA model obtained shows that cross-validated correlation coefficient Q2 = 0.70, non-cross-validated correlation coefficient R2ncv = 0.89, predicted correlation coefficient R2pre = 0.87. Moreover, we found that aryl benzamide series molecules bind as mGluR5 NAMs at Site 1, which consists of amino acids Pro655, Tyr659, Ile625, Ile651, Ile944, Ser658, Ser654, Ser969, Ser965, Ala970, Ala973, Trp945, Phe948, Pro903, Asn907, Val966, Leu904, and Met962. This site is the same as that of other types of NAMs; mGluR5 NAMs are stabilized in the "linear" and "arc" configurations mainly through the H-bonds interactions, π–π stacking interaction with Trp945, and hydrophobic contacts. We hope that the models and information obtained will help understand the interaction mechanism of NAMs and design and optimize NAMs as new types of antidepressants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the critical challenge of optimising logistics within intelligent transportation systems (ITS) by introducing a novel approach leveraging convolutional neural network-IT (CNN-IT). The overarching objective is to enhance the efficiency and precision of logistics operations through advanced machine learning techniques. The methodology involves the design and implementation of a CNN-IT model trained on a diverse dataset comprising sensory data from various transportation modes, including cars, buses, and trains. The model’s architecture is carefully crafted to extract intricate patterns from the sensor data, enabling accurate classification of different vehicles. The process begins with the collection and preprocessing of a diverse dataset, encompassing accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and audio sensor data from various transportation modes. Results demonstrate the CNN-IT model’s remarkable accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score, showcasing its capability to make well-informed predictions. The model achieved an outstanding accuracy of 92%, with precision, recall, and F1 score at 91%, 93%, and 92%, respectively. These metrics collectively reflect the model’s exceptional performance in accurately classifying transportation modes while maintaining a balanced trade-off between precision and recall. The strategic engineering of the model’s architecture to effectively handle sensor data and accurately categorise vehicles plays a significant role in optimising logistics operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: An increasing number of original studies suggested that occupational noise exposure might be associated with the risk of hypertension, but the results remain inconsistent and inconclusive. In addition, the attributable fraction (AF) of occupational noise exposure has not been well quantified. We aimed to conduct a large-scale occupational population-based study to comprehensively investigate the relationship between occupational noise exposure and blood pressure and different hypertension subtypes and to estimate the AF for hypertension burden attributable to occupational noise exposure. Methods: A total of 715,135 workers aged 18–60 years were included in this study based on the Key Occupational Diseases Surveillance Project of Guangdong in 2020. Multiple linear regression was performed to explore the relationships of occupational noise exposure status, the combination of occupational noise exposure and binaural high frequency threshold on average (BHFTA) with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationshipassociation between occupational noise exposure status, occupational noise exposure combined with BHFTA and hypertension. Furthermore, the attributable risk (AR) was calculated to estimate the hypertension burden attributed to occupational exposure to noise. Results: The prevalence of hypertension among occupational noise-exposed participants was 13·7%. SBP and DBP were both significantly associated with the occupational noise exposure status and classification of occupational noise exposure combined with BHFTA in the crude and adjusted models (all P < 0·0001). Compared with workers without occupational noise exposure, the risk of hypertension was 50% greater among those exposed to occupational noise in the adjusted model (95% CI 1·42–1·58). For participants of occupational noise exposed with BHFTA normal, and occupational noise exposed with BHFTA elevated, the corresponding risks of hypertension were 48% (1·41–1·56) and 56% (1·46–1·63) greater than those of occupational noise non-exposed with BHFTA normal, respectively. A similar association was found in isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) and prehypertension. Subgroup analysis by sex and age showed that the positive associations between occupational noise exposure and hypertension remained statistically significant across all subgroups (all P < 0.001). Significant interactions between occupational noise status, classification of occupational noise exposure combined with BHFTA, and age in relation to hypertension risk were identified (all P for interaction < 0.001). The associations of occupational noise status, classification of occupational noise exposure combined with BHFTA and hypertension were most pronounced in the 18–29 age groups. The AR% of occupational noise exposure for hypertension was 28·05% in the final adjusted model. Conclusions: Occupational noise exposure was positively associated with blood pressure levels and the prevalence of hypertension, ISH, and prehypertension in a large occupational population-based study. A significantly increased risk of hypertension was found even in individuals with normal BHFTA exposed to occupational noise, with a further elevated risk observed in those with elevated BHFTA. Our findings provide epidemiological evidence for key groups associated with occupational noise exposure and hypertension, and more than one-fourth of hypertension cases would have been prevented by avoiding occupational noise exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an integrated methodology to enhance the efficiency of patch panel assembly lines by harnessing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The primary objective is to minimise the total completion time of patch panels, a pivotal metric for manufacturing efficiency. The study employs the Assembly Line Production Optimisation (ALPO) model to analyze and enhance the production capacity of the bottleneck station. Existing challenges related to patch panel assembly line task distribution, process content, and tooling layout are scrutinised against production process standards for operational measurements. To achieve improvement, Deep Neural Network (DNN) and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) models are employed in hidden layers, supplemented by deep feed-forward (DFF) layers for output, in adherence to engineering design principles. The bottleneck station's load rate is successfully reduced to below 80%, contributing to an overall balance rate increase from 73% to 88%. These outcomes signify a notable enhancement in production efficiency and employee satisfaction. The research utilises a dataset derived from the Microsoft Azure AI-based PdM dataset. The paper illustrates how AI techniques offer a comprehensive solution to address the inherent complexities in patch panel assembly line optimisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Competitive adsorption of P and DOC by lanthanum modified zeolite was studied. • The maximum adsorption capacity of P and DOC reached 52.25 mgP/g and 41.32 mgC/g. • DOC did not affect P adsorption but P greatly reduced DOC adsorption. • Adsorption sites for ligand exchange had higher affinity for P than for DOC. • DOC can be additionally adsorbed by uncharged hydroxyls via hydrogen bonding. Lanthanum (hydr)oxide-based materials are attractive as highly efficient adsorbents for phosphate removal from both sewage and lake environment. However, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) coexists in the waters and exact information is still lacking on how DOC influence the phosphate adsorption process. In this study, competitive adsorption of phosphate and DOC on lanthanum modified zeolite (LMZ) was investigated using humic acid as the representative. In LMZ, lanthanum hydroxide was shown to be the active ingredient accounting for >98% of the binding sites of both phosphate and DOC. Without competition, the maximum adsorption capacity of phosphate and DOC estimated from the Langmuir isotherm model was 52.25 and 41.32 mg/g, respectively. When coexisted, DOC did not affect the adsorption of phosphate while phosphate reduced the adsorption of DOC by ~40%. In addition, preloading LMZ with DOC had little effect on phosphate adsorption while coating with phosphate substantially lowered DOC adsorption. Furthermore, phosphate can release most of the adsorbed DOC (>60%), while DOC can not replace adsorbed phosphate (<2%). The adsorption kinetics of both phosphate and DOC was best described by the psudo-second-order model (r2 > 0.999). The adsorption of both phosphate and DOC increased with decreasing pH or increasing ionic strength. We proposed that phosphate was competitive than DOC for the ligand exchange sites of singly-coordinated hydroxyls, but DOC can be solely adsorbed onto the uncharged hydroxyls via hydrogen bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]