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Summary: This study deals with the state observer design for a class of linear time‐delay distributed parameter systems (DPSs) modeled by a parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) via mobile sensors. Initially, under the assumption that the spatial domain is decomposed into multiple subdomains according to the number of mobile sensors, the estimation scheme including a state observer and the guidance of mobile sensors is proposed for the linear time‐delay DPS. Then, by using Lyapunov direct technique and the projection modification algorithm, a design of the state observer plus mobile sensor guidance laws is developed, such that the resulting state estimation error system is exponentially stable and the mobile sensor guidance can improve the transient response of state estimation error. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: TIR domain containing adaptor molecule 1 (TICAM1) is a coding gene participating in immune and inflammation responses to malignant cells. However, the role of TICAM1 in Wilms tumor (WT) is rarely known. Materials and methods: The expression level of TICAM1 was calculated in the WT TARGET cohort and validated using the GSE66405 cohort. The Kaplan–Meier method was employed to investigate the potential clinical value of TICAM1 and the association between its expression level and clinical features. The influence of TICAM1 on immune infiltration was examined by ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT and MCPcounter algorithms. IC50 of chemotherapeutic drugs was calculated by "pRRophetic" R package. Results: TICAM1 was downregulated in WT patients with worse prognosis and a more advanced clinical stage. Moreover, a low expression level of TICAM1 contributed to less immune cell infiltration, few protective immune cells and more antitumor immune cells. Conclusions: TICAM1 exerts a significant impact on the prognosis, progression and immune infiltration condition of WT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multiple crosslinking fashions were introduced into polyurethane-urea polyacrylate hybrid coatings to improve the coating performances. • Improved water resistance and tensile strength were obtained via post-crosslinking of the coatings using polycarbodiimide crosslinker. • Incorporation of urea groups endowed the coatings with improved mechanical properties. • The performances of the coatings were modulated by the feeding composition of polyacrylate component. In this article, polyurethane-urea polyacrylate hybrid emulsions were synthesized via emulsion copolymerization of acrylate monomers, vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) and anionic polyurethane-urea prepolymer with acrylate groups as the reactive emulsifier. Using waterborne polycarbodiimide as the crosslinker, room temperature multiple crosslinking hybrid coatings were fabricated successfully. Besides the crosslinking between polycarbodiimide and carboxyl groups, the polymerization crosslinking between polyurethane-urea and polyacrylate and the crosslinking of polyacrylate by VTES were confirmed by analyzing the crosslinking degree, FT-IR spectra and DSC curves. As more polycarbodiimide was used to consume hydrophilic carboxyl groups within the coatings, the water resistance increased considerably as well as the improvement in tensile strength. At polypropylene glycol and polyether amine molar ratio of 1:2, strengthening and toughening phenomenon were observed in tensile test of the hybrid films. At which the hybrid coatings demonstrated high impact strength and flexibility. However, higher weight ratios of methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate resulted in brittle coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the hydrodynamic response of the novel semi-submersible floating wind turbine (FOWT) platform "Three Gorges Leading (TGL)" was investigated under the actions of wind, current, and wave load and mooring recovery force. AQWA based on potential flow theory was used to establish the hydrodynamic model of the platform and calculate the hydrodynamic coefficients and frequency domain hydrodynamic response. Premised on the hydrodynamic model, the influence of environmental parameters on the hydrodynamic response of the platform was specifically analyzed, the Kriging-MOGA algorithm was used to establish an approximate prediction model for the frequency domain hydrodynamic response of the platform, and the time domain response of the platform under the predicted hazardous conditions was analyzed using FAST-AQWA (F2A) under the action of aerodynamic-hydrodynamic coupling. Findings were made that the hydrodynamic response of the platform was significantly affected by the aerodynamic load of the blades, and the novel semi-submersible platform was verified to meet the operating requirements of offshore floating wind turbines. • Hydrodynamic response of a novel semi-submersible FOWT platform is studied. • Carry out the sensitivity and correlation analysis of the influence of each environmental parameter. • The Kriging-MOGA prediction model for the frequency domain response of the platform is used for short-term prediction. • F2A is used to calculate the time domain response of the platform under the action of aero-hydrodynamic coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the process of an acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) necessitates the use of Iridium dioxygen (IrO2), which is both expensive and incredibly scarce on Earth. Ruthenium dioxygen (RuO2) offers high activity for acidic OERs and presents a potential substitution for IrO2. Nevertheless, its practical application is hindered by its relatively poor stability. In this study, we have developed Mn–doped RuO2 (Mn–RuO2) nanoarrays that are anchored on a titanium (Ti) mesh utilizing a two–step methodology involving the preparation of MnO2 nanoarrays followed by a subsequent Ru exchange and annealing process. By precisely optimizing the annealing temperature, we have managed to attain a remarkably low overpotential of 217 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. The enhanced catalytic activity of our Mn–RuO2 nanoarrays can be attributed to the electronic modification brought about by the high exposure of active sites, Mn dopant, efficient mass transfer, as well as the efficient transfer of electrons between the Ti mesh and the catalyst arrays. Furthermore, these self–supported Mn–RuO2 nanoarrays demonstrated excellent long–term stability throughout a chronoamperometry test lasting for 100 h, with no discernible changes observed in the Ru chemical states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water electrolysis is a compelling method for the production of environmentally friendly hydrogen, minimizing carbon emissions. The electrolysis of water heavily relies on an effective and steady oxygen evolution reaction (OER) taking place at the anode. Herein, we introduce a highly promising catalyst for OER called CoSe2@NiFeOOH arrays, which are supported on nickel foam. This catalyst, referred to as CoSe2@NiFeOOH/NF, is fabricated through a two-step process involving the selenidation of a Co-based porous metal organic framework and subsequent electrochemical deposition on nickel foam. The CoSe2@NiFeOOH/NF catalyst demonstrates outstanding activity for the OER in an alkaline electrolyte. It exhibits a low overpotential (η) of 254 mV at 100 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope of 73 mV dec−1, and excellent high stability. The good performance of CoSe2@NiFeOOH/NF can be attributed to the combination of the high conductivity of the inner layer and the synergistic effect between CoSe2 and NiFeOOH. This study offers an effective method for the fabrication of highly efficient catalysts for an OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly sensitive pressure-sensitive sensor based on MXene was developed using the electrostatic self-assembly method, with carbide sponges as the elastic substrate and a rational design. Specifically, CTAB was used to treat the carbide triamine sponge and conduct the electrostatic self-assembly with MXene to achieve a tightly combined conductive filler and substrate. The resulting pressure sensor showed excellent performance, with a high sensitivity of 15.05 kPa−1 under a range of 0–20 kPa, a response time of 0.1 s, and high durability under 2000 loading–unloading cycles. The minimum detection limit of the sensor was as low as 0.3 Pa, demonstrating excellent monitoring performance. Additionally, finite-element simulation analysis showed that MXene@CTAB@CMF had even better sensing performance at the same stress level. Moreover, the pressure sensor exhibited good sensing performance for various physiological signals and daily work monitoring of the human body, indicating its potential application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we demonstrate a surface engineering strategy, namely, decorating Au on the surface of bimetallic PtFe nanocatalysts, to effectively decrease the adsorption energy of CO on the Pt center, which promotes the electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation, far better than those of PtFe and commercial Pt/C catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a family of layer materials that receive heightened attention. Herein a ternary NiFeMn-LDH is investigated with superior oxygen evolution activity, which is attributed to the Mn4+ doping in the intralayer, which modifies the electronic structure and improves the conductivity of the electrocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a family of high-profile layer materials with tunable metal species and interlayer spacing, and herein the LDHs are first investigated as bifunctional electrocatalysts. It is found that trinary LDH containing nickel, cobalt, and iron (NiCoFe-LDH) shows a reasonable bifunctional performance, while exploiting a preoxidation treatment can significantly enhance both oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction activity. This phenomenon is attributed to the partial conversion of Co2+ to Co3+ state in the preoxidation step, which stimulates the charge transfer to the catalyst surface. The practical application of the optimized material is demonstrated with a small potential hysteresis (800 mV for a reversible current density of 20 mA cm−2) as well as a high stability, exceeding the performances of noble metal catalysts (commercial Pt/C and Ir/C). The combination of the electrochemical metrics and the facile and cost-effective synthesis endows the trinary LDH as a promising bifunctional catalyst for a variety of applications, such as next-generation regenerative fuel cells or metal-air batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The development of nanotechnology in recent decades has brought new opportunities in the exploration of new materials for solving the issues of fossil fuel consumption and environment pollution. Materials with nano-array architecture are emerging as the key due to their structure advantages, which offer the possibility to fabricate high-performance electrochemical electrodes and catalysts for both energy storage and efficient use of energy. The main challenges in this field remain as rational structure design and corresponding controllable synthesis. This article reviews recent progress in our laboratory related to the hydrothermal synthesis of metal oxide and hydroxide nanoarrays, whose structures are designed aiming to the application on supercapacitors and catalysts. The strategies for developing advanced materials of metal oxide and hydroxide nanoarrays, including NiO, Ni(OH)2, Co3O4, Co3O4@Ni–Co–O, cobalt carbonate hydroxide array, and mixed metal oxide arrays like Co3−x Fe x O4 and Zn x Co3−x O4, are discussed. The different kinds of structure designs such as 1D nanorod, 2D nanowall and hierarchical arrays were involved to meet the needs of the high performance materials. Finally, the future trends and perspectives in the development of advanced nanoarrays materials are highlighted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Amorphous MoS2 porous thin films (denoted as MoS2 PTFs) with high activity towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) were fabricated by in situ sulfuration of a Mo substrate. A small overpotential (∼120 mV) and a low Tafel slope (∼41 mV dec−1) can be observed and their excellent performance was ascribed to the combination of the amorphous feature, porous structure and optimized thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Ni(OH)2was constructed into a three-dimensional mesoporous film on Ni foam with ultra-thin (∼6 nm) primary nanowalls showing ultrahigh specific capacitance (2675 F g−1) and excellent cycling performance (>96% for 500 cycles). The capacitance was higher than theoretical value possibly due to the combination of Faradic and electrical double-layer capacitances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to screen the differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DELncRNAs) related to the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in hypospadias in mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-Exons) and explore the potential mechanism of these lncRNAs for the EMT in hypospadias. Methods: In this study, the microarray data related to MSC-Exos and hypospadias were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Besides, the lncRNAs highly expressed in MSC-Exos and the differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs in children with hypospadias were screened, respectively. In addition, the lncRNAs enriched in MSC-Exos and differentially expressed lncRNAs in hypospadias were intersected to obtain the final DElncRNAs. Moreover, the co-expression interaction pairs of differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs were analyzed to construct a Competing Endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. Finally, the candidate lncRNAs in exosomes were subjected to in vitro cell function verification. Results: In this study, a total of 4 lncRNAs were obtained from the microarray data analysis. Further, a ceRNA regulatory network of MSC-Exo-derived lncRNAs related to the regulation of EMT in hypospadias was constructed, including 4 lncRNAs, 2 mRNAs, and 6 miRNAs. The cell function verification results indicated that the exosomes secreted by MSCs may transport HLA complex group 18 (HCG18) into target cells, which promoted the proliferation, migration, and EMT of these cells. Conclusion: MSC-Exo-derived lncRNA HCG18 can enter target cells, and it may be involved in the regulation of EMT in hypospadias through the ceRNA network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing transition from fossil fuel-based electricity generation toward green energy relying on the intermittent renewable energy sources indispensably requires development of novel energy conversion and storage methods. Depending on a particular location and local resources, pumped storage, lithium- or sodium-ion batteries, compressed air energy storage, as well as the so called power-to-gas (P2G) technologies may be applied. Taking into account the abundant solar energy resources available in the northwestern China, such as Ningxia hui autonomous region, and local water resources coming from the Yellow River, a power-to-hydrogen (P2H2) distributed energy conversion system is proposed in this paper, which is based on a high-efficiency reversible Solid Oxide Cell (rSOC). The conducted studies comprise tests with simulated current based on the actual photovoltaic power station data, and with usage of the as-obtained Yellow River water for the electrolysis mode without any pretreatment. It is documented that the reversible operation is beneficial, and the tested cell can operate for a prolonged time. Of importance, Na, Ca, Mg, and Si elements remain in an evaporator, and do not contaminate the cell, while higher than the initial boron concentration can be found in the condensed exhaust gases. The respective operational parameters of the system correspond to an electrolysis current density loading up 433.3 mA cm−2 for 4 h, as well as fuel cell operation mode with a current density of 8.3 mA cm−2 for 12 h. It is found that the average voltage losses in the electrolysis cell and fuel cell mode are 0.27 %/cycle and 0.886 %/cycle, respectively, indicating that the lifetime of the cells can be more than 800 h. The reported studies demonstrate validity of applying rSOC-based P2H2 system, especially if abundant photovoltaic power and water resources are available. [Display omitted] • The Yellow River water was utilized by rSOC for the first time. • The designed test current was modeled with local photovoltaics. • The P2H2 nearby consumption system can reversibly operate for over 800 h. • The degradation rates in SOFC mode are lower than those in SOEC mode. • The Yellow River water has no significant effect on the degradation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is significant to develop a green ammonia preparation method for decreasing carbon emission. This work demonstrates a zero-carbon method for preparing ammonia feedstock consisting of a ratio of H 2 :N 2 ≥ 3:1 by direct electrolysis of air and steam as fuel gas through solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). Through adjusting the working current and proportion of air/steam, the ratio of H 2 and N 2 can be achieved to more than 4:1, and the fuel is pure enough to be used for synthesizing ammonia. The production rate of ammonia feedstock reaches 1.79 × 10−6 mol/ (cm2·s), and the energy conversion efficiency (ECE) reaches 69.30 %. A stable 100 h electrolysis operation is carried out to generate H 2 /N 2 required for ammonia production. This work provides a new efficient method for the synthesis of green ammonia. • One-step method to produce feedstock for green ammonia is developed. • H 2 :N 2 ≥ 3:1 is achieved by direct electrolysis of air/steam through solid oxide cells. • The ammonia production rate reached to 1.79 × 10−6 mol/ (cm2·s). • A stable operation is observed for 100 h as required for ammonia production. • Partial Ni oxidation near the fuel inlet is the main cause of cell degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing efficient and bifunctional electrocatalysts for water splitting conforms to the concept of energy conservation and emission reduction but remains challenging now. Herein, the fabrication of a heterostructure by anchoring cobalt‐polyoxometalates (Co‐POM) on NiFe layered double hydroxide (NiFe‐LDH) nanoplates in situ on nickel foam (NF) is first reported (Co‐POM@LDH/NF). The surface area, electron transfer ability, and stability of the heterostructure are increased due to the synergistic effect between Co‐POM and NiFe‐LDH. Particularly, Co‐POM@LDH/NF can deliver a current density of 100 mA cm−2 with an overpotential of only 220 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 226 mV for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1.0 m KOH electrolytes. Impressively, the outstanding stability of Co‐POMs in heterostructures is verified by the experimental observations after electrolysis, indicating the successful construction of stable POMs‐based heterogeneous electrocatalysts. More attractively, the electrolyzer composed by Co‐POM@LDH/NF as anode and cathode shows a much lower operating voltage of 1.51 V at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 for overall water splitting. This study provides a feasible and extensible idea for the design of the POM‐based heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water electrolysis is currently a major technique to produce clean hydrogen, which is regarded as a promising and sustainable energy carrier. The efficiency of water electrolysis is highly dependent on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on the anode. The evaluation of an OER electrocatalyst is frequently carried out on a three-electrode system in a container of electrolyte. Herein, we found that the electrode positions in the electrolyte container could significantly affect the data acquisition of OER performance. After a detailed investigation, we reveal that the difference of the OER activity of an electrocatalyst at a different position is originated from their different iRu drop and the gas diffusion resistance. For the first time, this work evokes concerns on the accurate evaluation of electrocatalysts regarding the electrode position. For fair comparisons and reliable results, it is strongly suggested to keep the electrode position unchanged in the electrochemical measurements. In addition, the establishment of a standard electrolyzer setup for electrocatalysis evaluation in the electrochemical community is also called for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with cost‐effectiveness, high performance, and repeatable scale‐up production hold promises for large‐scale green hydrogen generation technology. Herein, a convenient method for scaling up Cu2S@NiS@Ni/NiMo electrocatalysts on Cu foam with high geometric area over 100 cm2 is presented. The hybrid electrode exhibits high hydrogen evolution activity with 190 and 250 mV overpotential at 1000 mA cm−2 and superior stability with negligible overpotential loss after over 2000 h at 500 mA cm−2 under steady‐state conditions in both artificial seawater and real seawater. Detailed characterizations and simulations demonstrate that high intrinsic activity resulting from the unique boundary interface, enhance mass transport resulting from superaerophobic nanoarray architecture, and corrosion resistance resulting from polyanion‐rich passivating layers together lead to the outstanding performance. The practicability is also demonstrated in an alkaline seawater electrolyzer coupling with the hybrid electrode and stable commercial anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a discrete predator-prey system with the periodic boundary conditions will be considered. First, we get the conditions for producing Turing instability of the discrete predator-prey system according to the linear stability analysis. Then, we show that the discrete model has the flip bifurcation and Turing bifurcation under the critical parameter values. Finally, a series of numerical simulations are carried out in the Turing instability region of the discrete predator-prey model; some new Turing patterns such as striped, bar, and horizontal bar are observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reuse of powdered activated carbon (PAC) vitally determines the economics and security of the PAC‐based adsorption process, while state‐of‐the‐art PAC regeneration technologies are usually unsatisfactory. Here, it is demonstrated that isolated Fe sites anchored on commercial PAC enable fast H2O2 activation to produce Fe‐based reactive oxygen species for highly efficient PAC regeneration at room temperature. Taking rhodamine B as a representative pollutant, PAC decorated with isolated Fe sites realize H2O2 based regeneration with negligible adsorption capacity degradation for 10 cycles. Moreover, in terms of the PAC loss rate, this technology is greatly superior to traditional Fenton‐based regeneration technology. Further operando experiments and theoretical calculations reveal that the high regeneration performance can be attributed to the isolated HOFeO motifs, which activate H2O2 via a nonradical reaction pathway. These findings provide a very promising strategy toward reducing the cost of H2O2‐based PAC regeneration technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Heterogenous electrocatalytic epoxidation of cyclooctene directly using water as oxygen source was achieved. • Co 4 P 2 W 18 shows higher Faradic efficiency (∼36 %) for epoxide than CoPW 11 and other typical electrocatalysts. • The O atom directly transfer from water to adsorbed cyclooctene on the surface of Co 4 P 2 W 18. • The adjacent terminal O to Co site plays key role in adsorption and activation of water and cyclooctene. The electrocatalytic epoxidation directly using water as oxygen source is considered as a sustainable strategy to achieve epoxide production under ambient conditions. However, it is challenging to develop non-noble metal based heterogeneous electrocatalysts for efficient epoxidation with a deep understanding of the structure–activity relationships. In this work, we report a Weakley-polyoxometalate Na 10 [Co 4 (H 2 O) 2 (PW 9 O 34) 2 ] (Co 4 P 2 W 18) with high efficiency toward electrocatalytic epoxidation of cyclooctene via directly transfer oxygen atom from water. A significantly higher faradaic efficiency of cyclooctene oxide was achieved over Co 4 P 2 W 18 than a Keggin type Co substituted polyoxometalate Na 5 [Co(H 2 O)PW 11 O 39 ] (CoPW 11) and some other typical electrocatalysts including RuO 2 , IrO 2 , and Co 3 O 4 in our system. Experimental results and theoretical calculation indicate that the oxygen atom directly transfers from water for the epoxidation of cyclooctene via the cleavage of O−H of pre-adsorbed water as the rate-determined step. Further calculation demonstrates that the water and cyclooctene were adsorbed by Co site and their adjacent terminal oxygen atom during the epoxidation reaction. With the assistance of this terminal oxygen atom for adsorption and as an electron capture center, lower energy barriers for activation of water and cyclooctene are observed on Co 4 P 2 W 18 than on CoPW 11. Our study provides atomic insight into how structure affects catalytic activity, which benefits designing efficient electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Seawater without any treatment was directly used for hydrogen production. • High energy conversion efficiency and long-term stability were obtained. • The cell did not show any obvious change after operation for 400 h. Hydrogen production from seawater electrolysis provides a basis for clean and sustainable development of our energy system. However, in the existing seawater splitting techniques, it is difficult to overcome the damage to electrolyzers by the sea salt. In this work, solid oxide electrolysis was used to split untreated seawater, and its electrochemical performance and long-term stability were studied. The electrolysis was carried out at constant current density of 200 mA/cm−2 for 420 hrs with 183 mL/min hydrogen production and a degradation rate of 4.0%. Energy conversion efficiency of 72.47% was obtained even without reusing the high temperature exhaust gas. After 420 hrs of experiment, it was found that the structure and composition of the cell remained unchanged, showed that long-term operation had no obvious effect on the cell itself. This work shows that the performances of solid oxide electrolysis cell in seawater splitting are excellent, and provides a good choice for energy storage and hydrogen production from seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seawater electrolysis to produce hydrogen is a critical technology in marine energy projects; however, the severe anode corrosion caused by the highly concentrated chloride is a key issue should be addressed. In this work, we discover that the addition of sulfate in electrolyte can effectively retard the corrosion of chloride ions to the anode. We take nickel foam as the example and observe that the addition of sulfate can greatly improve the corrosion resistance, resulting in prolonged operating stability. Theoretical simulations and in situ experiments both demonstrate that sulfate anions can be preferentially adsorbed on anode surface to form a negative charge layer, which repulses the chloride ions away from the anode by electrostatic repulsion. The repulsive effect of the adsorbed sulfate is also applicable in highly‐active catalyst (nickel iron layered double hydroxide) on nickel foam, which shows ca. 5 times stability of that in traditional electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seawater electrolysis to produce hydrogen is a critical technology in marine energy projects; however, the severe anode corrosion caused by the highly concentrated chloride is a key issue should be addressed. In this work, we discover that the addition of sulfate in electrolyte can effectively retard the corrosion of chloride ions to the anode. We take nickel foam as the example and observe that the addition of sulfate can greatly improve the corrosion resistance, resulting in prolonged operating stability. Theoretical simulations and in situ experiments both demonstrate that sulfate anions can be preferentially adsorbed on anode surface to form a negative charge layer, which repulses the chloride ions away from the anode by electrostatic repulsion. The repulsive effect of the adsorbed sulfate is also applicable in highly‐active catalyst (nickel iron layered double hydroxide) on nickel foam, which shows ca. 5 times stability of that in traditional electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Labile oxygen (O lab) is generated in mullite by the introduction of Al-O 4. • O lab activates ozone via an unusual surface peroxide pathway to generate O lab -O*. • Atrazine can be efficiently degraded by catalytic ozonation over Mullite-O lab. • Mullite-O lab is promising for future non-biodegradable wastewater treatment. The aluminosilicate-based heterogeneous catalysts hold great promise for industrial catalytic ozonation; however, the lack of exploration into novel active sites and mechanism studies has impeded their development. In this work, we demonstrate that labile oxygen (O lab) can be generated in mullite (mullite-O lab) by the introduction of extra Al-O 4 tetrahedral units. In our experiments, mullite-O lab exhibits excellent performance in terms of catalytic ozone activation, with a degradation rate of 87.4 % within 15 min for nonbiodegradable atrazine, corresponding to a high quasi-first-order rate constant (k , 0.112 min−1), while the degradation constant is close to 0 for mullite without O lab. Operando Raman and density functional theory (DFT) simulations further reveal that O lab activates ozone via a novel surface peroxide pathway to generate surface O lab -O* species with a high oxidizing ability. The mullite-O lab is stable with an average Al3+ leaching of 0.339 ppm during cycling, meeting the effluent discharge standard of the total Al. Moreover, we achieve the kilogram synthesis of mullite-O lab , which shows promising activity in the catalytic ozonation of acrylic fiber wastewater, with the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) removal rates of 46.0 %±4.8 % and 24.9 %±2.8 % for 5 cycles. This work is the first to demonstrate the role of O lab in ozone activation and provides an advanced mullite-O lab catalyst for future nonbiodegradable wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new measurement method of wind field characteristics is proposed and its feasibility is verified. • Dimensionless approach is proposed to solve the problem that the traditional method cannot measure the characteristics of the wind field at multiple locations at the same time. • By arranging multiple measuring points, it is used to discuss the fluctuation of wind field characteristics in a certain space area. Wind load is an important factor controlling structural design, and the study of wind field characteristics has been area of interest for many scholars. The bulky nature, high cost and immobility of the experimental equipment are the problems existing in the actual experiment. To study the wind field over a large area, this paper proposes a new type of experimental equipment based on UAV technology. This paper first demonstrates the feasibility of the new equipment by comparing the experimental data with the empirical value. In this paper, the dimensionless method is introduced to effectively solve the problem that traditional instruments cannot obtain wind field data from multiple measuring points at the same time, and the timeliness error caused by different measured times. In order to further explore whether the wind fields of the sea and the beach are significantly different, the profile fitting of the two locations is carried out respectively, and the roughness index is obtained. The analysis results show that when there are only a few trees or buildings with low heights on the coast, the impact on the coastal wind field is small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic ozonation-based advanced oxidation process (AOP) is applied to remove nondegradable chemical oxygen demand (COD), while the application in industry is limited by the economics and activity of catalysts. In this study, we demonstrate that by taking atrazine (ATZ) as a model pollutant, the removal rates of catalytic ozonation were negatively correlated with the interlayer water content of metal-modified montmorillonite (M x @MMT), instead of the loadings metals. Among the modified MMT, Zn 0.1 @MMT achieved 83.2% degradation of ATZ within 15 min, and corresponding removal rates of COD and total organic carbon (TOC) reached 40.3% and 46.5%, respectively. Detailed EPR and quenching experiments identified that hydroxyl radicals (HO•) were the main reactive oxygen species and QTOF/MS/MS analysis helped to propose a possible degradation pathway of ATZ. Moreover, the catalytic performance of Zn 0.1 @MMT under different conditions was also systematically evaluated. [Display omitted] • The catalytic activity was negatively correlated with the interlayer water content. • The Zn 0.1 @MMT showed high performance of ATZ degradation. • The mechanism of ATZ degradation was elucidated. • The Zn 0.1 @MMT showed excellent stability and wide applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a strategy for one-step fabrication of cobalt sulfide/graphene (Co1− xS/G) nanocomposite as bifunctional catalyst for oxygen catalysis is demonstrated. The one-step fabrication method involves annealing the mixture of cobalt salt, thioacetamide, and graphene oxide with the assistance of small amount of glycol without any further purification steps. The Co1− xS/G shows a morphology with small-sized Co1− xS nanocrystals strongly and uniformly anchored on the graphene surface. Systematically electrochemical studies demonstrate that the Co1− xS/G with optimized components shows superior catalytic activities toward oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution, which are comparable or even superior to commercial Pt/C and Ir/C catalysts. As a result, the potential hysteresis of Co1− xS/G is the lowest among all the samples. The facile operability of the fabrication method and the high bifunctional activity of Co1− xS/G may pave one practical way for broad applications including fuel cell, metal-O2 battery, and water electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfonamides have attracted special attention due to their widespread use and refractory nature in the aquatic environment. Heterogeneous catalytic peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for sulfonamide degradation has been demonstrated to be an encouraging strategy. Herein, ultrathin nickel aluminium layered double hydroxide (U–NiAl-LDH) was employed as an efficient peroxymonosulfate activator. The adsorption kinetics experiment showed that U–NiAl-LDH exhibited a super-adsorption phenomenon for sulfonamide antibiotics, such as sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfachloropyridazine (SCP). U–NiAl-LDH was composed of 6 layers of a NiAl bimetallic layer structure. The degradation performance of organic contaminants via PMS activation was greatly accelerated by decreasing the number of LDH layers. Ni(II) on the surface of U–NiAl-LDH activated PMS to produce surface-bound hydroxyl radicals and sulfate radicals by donating electrons to cleave the O–O bond of PMS. These in-situ generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the surface of U–NiAl-LDH could directly attack adjacent adsorbed SMX or SCP molecules, where the migration distance between the ROS and target contaminants was reduced. Consequently, super-adsorption synergistically promoted the degradation efficiency of SMX and SCP, which decreased the demand for PMS. The newly found ultra-adsorption enhancing peroxymonosulfate activation effect was pioneered for the ultrafast elimination of sulfonamide antibiotics in real water. This proposed mechanism provides preliminary guiding significance to design PMS catalysts with dual reaction sites for the treatment of targeted refractory organic contaminant wastewater. Schematic illustration of possible reaction mechanism of the U–NiAl-LDH and PMS system. [Display omitted] • Ultrathin NiAl-LDH was synthesized by formamide-assisted precipitation method. • U–NiAl-LDH exhibited super-adsorption effect for sulfonamide antibiotics. • Strong electron donating capability contributed to the outstanding PMS activation. • Migration distance between reactive oxygen species and contaminants was reduced. • Sulfonamide antibiotics in real water were rapidly and accurately eliminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational integration of multiple functional units into heterogeneous materials to improve catalytic performance is highly desirable for CO 2 value-added processes. Herein, a catalyst composed of porous carbon matrix with atomically dispersed Lewis acid sites (i.e., AlO 5 motifs) and imidazolium-based poly(ionic liquid)s (denoted as PILs@Al-O-C) was fabricated. Compared with pure Al-O-C or PILs, the optimized PILs@Al-O-C exhibits superior catalytic performance (>90% yield) towards cycloaddition reaction of CO 2 and epoxides in the absence of solvent and co-catalyst. The enhanced activity of PILs@Al-O-C is attributed to the synergistic effect among the uniform N sites (Lewis base sites) and abundant bromide anions (nucleophilic agents) in the PILs network, as well as the atomically dispersed Al sites (Lewis acid sites) in the Al-O-C matrix. This work provides an advanced PILs@Al-O-C catalyst for constructing a neat catalytic system towards CO 2 fixation. In this work, a carbon-based catalyst featuring atomically dispersed AlO 5 motifs and imidazolium-based PILs network (denoted as PILs@Al-O-C) was rationally fabricated. The optimized PILs@Al-O-C achieves superior catalytic performance towards CO 2 cycloaddition reaction in the absence of solvent and co-catalyst by the integration of the uniform Lewis base sites (i.e., N sites) and abundant nucleophilic anions (i.e., Brˉ) from PILs, as well as the atomically dispersed Lewis acid sites (i.e., AlO 5 motifs) in the carbon matrix. [Display omitted] • This work represents the first attempt on combination of single-atom catalysis with PILs towards CO 2 cycloaddition with epoxides in the absence of solvent and co-catalyst. • The uniform Lewis base sites (i.e., N sites) and abundant nucleophilic anions (i.e., Brˉ) from PILs, as well as the atomically dispersed Lewis acid sites (i.e., AlO 5 motifs) in the carbon matrix synergistically promote the activation of epoxides and subsequent CO 2 cycloaddition reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pine-shaped Pt nanostructured electrode with under-water superaerophobicity for ultrahigh and steady hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance is successfully fabricated by a facile and easily scalable electrodeposition technique. Due to the lower bubble adhesive force (11.5 ± 1.2 μN), the higher bubble contact angle (161.3° ± 3.4°) in aqueous solution, and the smaller size of bubbles release for pine-shaped Pt nanostructured electrode, the incomparable under-water superaerophobicity for final repellence of bubbles from submerged surface with ease, is successfully achieved, compared to that for nanosphere electrode and for Pt flat electrode. With the merits of superior under-water superaerophobicity and excellent nanoarray morphology, pine-shaped Pt nanostructured electrode with the ultrahigh electrocatalytic HER performance, excellent durability, no obvious current fluctuation, and dramatically fast current density increase at overpotential range (3.85 mA mV−1, 2.55 and 13.75 times higher than that for nanosphere electrode and for Pt flat electrode, respectively), is obtained, much superior to Pt nanosphere and flat electrodes. The successful introduction of under-water superaerophobicity to in-time repel as-formed H2 bubbles may open up a new pathway for designing more efficient electrocatalysts with potentially practical utilization in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ozone activation reaction is becoming more popular with the treatment of organic pollutants, while the key to improving the efficiency heavily lies in the selection of active catalysts. In this study, we demonstrate that synthetic 4A zeolite with a high surface oxygen vacancy density and acidity exhibits excellent activity toward the ozonation process, where the removal rates of atrazine (ATZ) reached 87.5% at 6 min, and the removal rates of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) reached 66.7% and 35.8% at 15 min, respectively. Compared with commercial 4A zeolite and synthetic 4A zeolite with acid treatment, the ozonation activities of 4A zeolites positively correlate with the surface acidity. Mechanistic investigations have identified that hydroxyl radicals are the main reactive oxygen species, and thus, the degradation pathway of ATZ is provided. Moreover, the influences of catalyst dosage, reaction temperature, pH and cycling stability on ozonation performance are systematically evaluated. (a) Schematic illustration of possible reaction mechanism of the 4A Zeolite + O3 system.(b) Removal of ATZ by catalytic ozonation with all 4A zeolites.(c) EPR for O vacancies of C-4A, S-4A, C-4A-Acid.(d) Reusability of S-4A in catalyst ozonation ATZ. [Display omitted] • A 4A zeolite with high surface acidity is controllably synthesized. • The surface acidity of 4A zeolite is enhanced by introduction of oxygen vacancies. • The designed 4A zeolite shows higher catalytic activity than purchased zeolite. • Oxygen vacancies, as Lewis acid sites, catalyze ozone to produce HO.•. • The designed catalyst shows excellent stability, and wide applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is the most prevalent pregnancy specific liver disease. However, the pathogenesis and etiology of ICP is poorly understood. Aim: To assess the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ (PPARγ) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in placenta and HTR-8/SVneo cell, and evaluate the serum levels of cytokines, bile acids, hepatic function and lipids in control and ICP patients and the fetal outcome, in order to explore the role of PPARγ/NF-κB signaling pathway in the possible mechanism of ICP. Methods: Clinical data of the pregnant women were collected and serum levels of cytokines, bile acids, hepatic function and lipids were measured. Expressions of PPARγ and NF-κB in placenta and HTR-8/SVneo cell were determined. The new-born information was collected to demonstrate the relationship between PPARγ/NF-κB signaling pathway and ICP. Results: The serum levels of bile acids, hepatic function, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α in ICP group were significantly increased (P<0.01), and serum level of IL-4 was significantly decreased (P<0.01). PPARγ and NF-κB staining were found in the membrane and cytoplasm of placental trophoblast cell. The expression of PPARγ and NF-κB were significantly higher in ICP group and taurocholate acid (TCA) treated HTR-8/SVneo cell (P<0.01). The new-born information in severe ICP group were significantly different as compared to that in control group (P<0.05), and part of information in mild ICP group were also difference to that in control group (P<0.05). Conclusions: The higher expressions of PPARγ and NF-κB in ICP placenta and TCA treated HTR-8/SVneo cell, together with the abnormal serum levels of cytokines, might induced by the imbalance of inflammatory and immune reaction, and then disturb placental bile acid and serum lipids transportation, finally result in fatal cholestasis which probably be one of the mechanism of ICP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring cheap, efficient and stable electro-catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a vital technology for seawater splitting development. Herein, we demonstrate that constructing underlying Cu 2 S nanorod arrays is crucial for improving the HER activity of surface Ni catalyst. Electrochemical results reveal that nickel coated Cu 2 S nanoarrays (Cu 2 S@Ni) on copper foam exhibits a preferable HER activity (~500 mA cm−2 at <200 mV overpotential), outperforming Cu 2 O@Ni and pure Ni counterparts. Detailed analyses indicate that the enhanced HER activity of Cu 2 S@Ni can be attributed to Ni–S interaction between surface nickel and underlying Cu 2 S nanorods, which optimizes the adsorption energy of hydrogen on the surface. Moreover, the Cu 2 S@Ni nanoarray electrode shows a remarkable HER stability, highlighting its promising potential in alkaline seawater electrolysis. • Enhanced HER performance by Ni–S interaction. • Core-shell Cu 2 S@Ni nanorod arrays for alkaline seawater. • Preferable HER activity: ~500 mA/cm2 at <200 mV overpotential. • Favorable durability in alkaline seawater for hydrogen evolution. • Optimization of hydrogen adsorption energy on nickel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Describing an enhanced speckle suppression method based on the tracked motion of flexible diffractive optical element (DOE) loops. The DOE loops consist of 1D random-sequence DOEs with similar but different inclination angles. • Developing a theory and corresponding formula for determining the optimal inclination angles and DOE speed for speckle suppression as well as a model for calculating the speckle suppression efficiency. • Verifying the proposed method decreases the speckle contrast to below the sensitivity of the human eye with compact size and very low power consumption by theoretical and experimental results. This paper describes a speckle suppression method using flexible diffractive optical elements (DOEs) based on binary random sequences with tracked motion. The DOE loops consist of 1D random-sequence diffractive structures with similar but different inclination angles. A mathematical approach for determining the optimal inclination angles and DOE speed for speckle suppression is developed, and a model for calculating the speckle suppression efficiency is constructed. Theoretical and experimental results show that the proposed method decreases the speckle contrast to below the sensitivity of the human eye, making it suitable for compact laser projections. The experimental results also indicate that current DOE production technology should be improved to avoid limiting the image quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]