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Abstract Background The family with sequence similarity 20-member C (FAM20C) kinase, a Golgi casein kinase, which is responsible for phosphorylating the majority of the extracellular phosphoproteins within S-x-E/pS motifs, and is fundamentally associated with multiple biological processes to maintain cell proliferation, biomineralization, migration, adhesion, and phosphate homeostasis. In dissecting how FAM20C regulates downstream molecules and potential mechanisms, however, there are multiple target molecules of FAM20C, particularly many phenomena remain elusive, such as changes in cell-autonomous behaviors, incompatibility in genotypes and phenotypes, and others. Methods Here, assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq), RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), proteomics, and phosphoproteomics were performed in Fam20c-dificient osteoblasts and to facilitate an integrated analysis and determine the impact of chromatin accessibility, genomic expression, protein alterations, signaling pathway, and post translational modifcations. Results By combining ATAC-seq and RNA-seq, we identified TCF4 and Wnt signaling pathway as the key regulators in Fam20c-dificient cells. Further, we showed Calpastatin/Calpain proteolysis system as a novel target axis for FAM20C to regulate cell migration and F-actin cytoskeleton by integrated analysis of proteomics and phosphoproteomics. Furthermore, Calpastatin/Calpain proteolysis system could negatively regulate the Wnt signaling pathway. Conclusion These observations implied that Fam20c knockout osteoblasts would cause cell homeostatic imbalance, involving changes in multiple signaling pathways in the conduction system.

BackgroundCell survival or death is one of the key scientific issues of inflammatory response. To regulate cell death during the occurrence and development of periodontitis, various forms of programmed cell death, such as pyroptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, and apoptosis, have been proposed. It has been found that ferroptosis characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation is involved in cancer, degenerative brain diseases and inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, NCOA4 is considered one of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) contributing to butyrate-induced cell death in the periodontitis. This research aims to analyze the expression of FRGs in periodontitis tissues and to explore the relationship between ferroptosis and periodontitis.MethodGenes associated with periodontitis were retrieved from two Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. Then, we normalized microarray data and removed the batch effect using the R software. We used R to convert the mRNA expression data and collected the expression of FRGs. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), transcription factor (TF) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses were used. In addition, we constructed a receiver operating characteristic curve and obtained relative mRNA expression verified by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR).ResultsEight and 10 FRGs related to periodontitis were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. GO analysis showed that FRGs were enriched in the regulation of glutathione biosynthetic, glutamate homeostasis, and endoplasmic reticulum-nucleus signaling pathway. The top TFs included CEBPB, JUND, ATF2. Based on the PPI network analysis, FRGs were mainly linked to the negative regulation of IRE1-mediated unfolded protein response, regulation of type IIa hypersensitivity, and regulation of apoptotic cell clearance. The expression levels of NCOA4, SLC1A5 and HSPB1 using PCR were significantly different between normal gingival samples and periodontitis samples. Furthermore, the diagnostic value of FRGs for periodontitis were "Good".ConclusionsWe found significant associations between FRGs and periodontitis. The present study not only provides a new possible pathomechanism for the occurrence of periodontitis but also offers a new direction for the diagnosis and treatment of periodontitis.

Introduction Aspirin is a common antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory drug, which has been reported to extend life in animal models and application in the treatment of aging-related diseases. However, it remains unclear about the effects of aspirin on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs). Here, we aimed to analyze the influence of aspirin on senescence and young BM-MSCs. Methods BM-MSCs were serially passaged to construct a replicative senescence model. SA-β-gal staining, PCR, western blot, and RNA-sequencing were performed on BM-MSCs with or without aspirin treatment, to examine aspirin’s impact on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Results SA-β-gal staining, PCR, and western blot revealed that aspirin could alleviate the cellular expression of senescence-related indicators of BM-MSCs, including a decrease of SA-β-gal-positive cells and staining intensity, and downregulation of p16, p21, and p53 expression after aspirin treatment. RNA-sequencing results shown in the biological processes related to aging, aspirin could influence cellular immune response and lipid metabolism. Conclusion The efficacy of aspirin for retarding senescence of BM-MSCs was demonstrated. Our study indicated that the mechanisms of this delay might involve influencing immune response and lipid metabolism.

Background Neurogenic heterotopic ossification is a disorder of aberrant bone formation affecting one in five patients sustaining a spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury (SCI-TBI-HO). However, the underlying mechanisms of SCI-TBI-HO have proven difficult to elucidate. The aim of the present study is to identify the most promising candidate genes and biological pathways for SCI-TBI-HO. Methods In this study, we used text mining to generate potential explanations for SCI-TBI-HO. Moreover, we employed several additional datasets, including gene expression profile data, drug data and tissue-specific gene expression data, to explore promising genes that associated with SCI-TBI-HO. Results We identified four SCI-TBI-HO-associated genes, including GDF15, LDLR, CCL2, and CLU. Finally, using enrichment analysis, we identified several pathways, including integrin signaling, insulin pathway, internalization of ErbB1, urokinase-type plasminogen activator and uPAR-mediated signaling, PDGFR-beta signaling pathway, EGF receptor (ErbB1) signaling pathway, and class I PI3K signaling events, which may be associated with SCI-TBI-HO. Conclusions These results enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of SCI-TBI-HO and offer new leads for researchers and innovative therapeutic strategies.

OBJECTIVE: Candidate gene association studies and genome-wide association studies (GWAs) have identified a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) loci affecting susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, for the same locus, some studies have yielded inconsistent results. To assess all the available evidence for association, we performed a meta-analysis on previously published case-control studies investigating the association between SNPs and RA. METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen studies, involving 125 SNPs, were reviewed. For each SNP, three genetic models were considered: the allele, dominant and recessive effects models. For each model, the effect summary odds ratio (OR) and 95% CIs were calculated. Cochran's Q-statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. If the heterogeneity was high, a random effects model was used for meta-analysis, otherwise a fixed effects model was used. RESULTS: The meta-analysis results showed that: (1) 30, 28 and 26 SNPs were significantly associated with RA (P

In the ironmaking industry, using hydrogen energy as a reducing agent or fuel instead of fossil energy has emerged as the primary development direction in future. This study investigates the action mechanism of Mn3O4 in manganese-bearing magnetite pellets during hydrogen-based shaft furnace direct reduction (HSFDR). The findings indicated that with the increase of Mn3O4 addition, the content of MnxFe1-xO and Mn-rich silicate phases in the reduced pellets gradually increased, while the metallization rate of pellets decreased. With the augmentation of Mn-rich silicate phases, numerous metallic iron particles were wrapped by them, which resulted in the loss of clear boundaries between the metallic iron particles and the silicate phases. Concurrently, the MnxFe1-xO inhibited the growth of metallic iron whiskers, altered their growth structure, and reduced the reduction swelling index (RSI) of pellets. This study provides theoretical and practical insights into the hydrogen-based shaft furnace reduction of manganese-containing magnetite pellets.

To study combustion and extinction characteristics of flames perturbed by acoustic waves, the evolution of the shape of the pool fire, mass loss rate (ma′) of fuel, and mechanisms of extinction of the flames under acoustic perturbations were studied. Moreover, based on parameters of combustion characteristics of flames, parametric models of ma′ and flame extinction were developed. The research results demonstrate that the shapes of unperturbed flames change during combustion, however, when perturbed by acoustic waves, the flame shapes become irregular and the flame fronts become disorderly. Compared with the combustion of unperturbed flames, ma′ is increased under acoustic perturbation. There are upper and lower limits for the change of ma′, so the models of upper and lower limits of ma′ in the concentrated area were established. Low–frequency acoustic waves tend to extinguish the pool fire, and the increased distance of acoustic response and acoustic source power can promote flame extinction. A linear relationship between flame extinction and acoustic frequency was semi-quantitatively characterized by a modified Damköhler (Da*) number. Based on the critical oscillation–induced displacement for extinguishing a pool fire, local acoustic parameters were characterized, and a critical model for local displacement during the extinction of the pool fire was established.

Abstract Crosslinking thermosets with hyperbranched polymers confers them superior comprehensive performance. However, it still remains a further understanding of polymer crosslinking from the molecular chains to the role of aggregates. In this study, three hyperbranched polysiloxane structures (HBPSi‐R) are synthesized as model macromolecules, each featuring distinct terminal groups (R denotes amino, epoxy, and vinyl groups) while similar molecular backbone (Si‐O‐C). These structures were subsequently copolymerized with epoxy monomers to construct interpenetrating HBPSi‐R/epoxy/anhydride co‐polymer systems. The spatial molecular configuration and flexible Si‐O‐C branches of HBPSi‐R endow them with remarkable reinforcement and toughening effects. Notably, an optimum impact strength of 28.9 kJ mol−1 is achieved with a mere 3% loading of HBPSi‐V, nearly three times that of the native epoxy (12.9 kJ mol−1). By contrasting the terminal effects, the aggregation states and crosslinking modes were proposed, thus clarifying the supramolecular‐dominant aggregation mechanism and covalent‐dominant dispersion mechanism, which influences the resulting material properties. This work underscores the significance of aggregate science in comprehending polymer crosslinking and provides theoretical insights for tailoring material properties at a refined molecular level in the field of polymer science.

Abstract Degradation and reprocessing of thermoset polymers have long been intractable challenges to meet a sustainable future. Star strategies via dynamic cross‐linking hydrogen bonds and/or covalent bonds can afford reprocessable thermosets, but often at the cost of properties or even their functions. Herein, a simple strategy coined as hyperbranched dynamic crosslinking networks (HDCNs) toward in‐practice engineering a petroleum‐based epoxy thermoset into degradable, reconfigurable, and multifunctional vitrimer is provided. The special characteristics of HDCNs involve spatially topological crosslinks for solvent adaption and multi‐dynamic linkages for reversible behaviors. The resulting vitrimer displays mild room‐temperature degradation to dimethylacetamide and can realize the cycling of carbon fiber and epoxy powder from composite. Besides, they have supra toughness and high flexural modulus, high transparency as well as fire‐retardancy surpassing their original thermoset. Notably, it is noted in a chance‐following that ethanol molecule can induce the reconstruction of vitrimer network by ester‐exchange, converting a stiff vitrimer into elastomeric feature, and such material records an ultrahigh modulus (5.45 GPa) at −150 °C for their ultralow‐temperature condition uses. This is shaping up to be a potentially sustainable advanced material to address the post‐consumer thermoset waste, and also provide a newly crosslinked mode for the designs of high‐performance polymer.

Abstract Infrared photovoltaic cells (IRPCs) have attracted considerable attention for potential applications in wireless optical power transfer (WOPT) systems. As an efficient fiber-integrated WOPT system typically uses a 1550 nm laser beam, it is essential to tune the peak conversion efficiency of IRPCs to this wavelength. However, IRPCs based on lead sulfide (PbS) colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) with an excitonic peak of 1550 nm exhibit low short circuit current (J sc) due to insufficient absorption under monochromatic light illumination. Here, we propose comprehensive optical engineering to optimize the device structure of IRPCs based on PbS CQDs, for 1550 nm WOPT systems. The absorption by the device is enhanced by improving the transmittance of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) in the infrared region and by utilizing the optical resonance effect in the device. Therefore, the optimized device exhibited a high short circuit current density of 37.65 mA/cm2 under 1 sun (AM 1.5G) solar illumination and 11.91 mA/cm2 under 1550 nm illumination 17.3 mW/cm2. Furthermore, the champion device achieved a record high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.17% under 1 sun illumination and 10.29% under 1550 nm illumination. The PbS CQDs IRPCs under 1550 nm illumination can even light up a liquid crystal display (LCD), demonstrating application prospects in the future. Graphical Abstract

The coal spontaneous combustion disaster seriously threatens the mine safety production. Mastering the correlation between the micro group and characteristic temperature of coal spontaneous combustion plays a positive role in the prevention and control of coal spontaneous combustion disaster. In order to determine the change and correlation of characteristic temperature and coal microstructure in the process of spontaneous combustion of coal with different metamorphic degrees, the mass change characteristics and microstructure of four coal samples with different metamorphic degrees were tested by thermogravimetric experiment and Fourier infrared spectrum experiment, and the relationship between them was determined by Pearson correlation coefficient method. The results show that with the increase of metamorphic degree, the content of aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic hydrocarbons in coal increases and the content of oxygen-containing functional groups decreases. The groups with the highest content in the three types of groups are C=C, —CH3 and —OH respectively. The weight loss curve and characteristic temperature of high metamorphic coal gradually move to the high temperature zone, and the spacing between characteristic temperatures increases. The characteristic temperature of coal spontaneous combustion increases with the increase of aromatic hydrocarbon content and decreases with the increase of oxygen-containing functional group content. The higher the content of aromatic hydrocarbons, the more difficult coal spontaneous combustion is, while the oxygen-containing functional groups are just the opposite. The calculation results of Pearson correlation coefficient show that with the increase of temperature, the functional groups with the largest positive correlation coefficient are C—H, C—H, C—H, substituted benzene, C=C and C=C, and the functional groups with the largest negative correlation are COO—, COO—, C—O—, COO—, oh and —Oh, respectively. On the whole, C—H has the greatest positive correlation with the characteristic temperature, while COO— has the greatest negative correlation with the characteristic temperature. The change of characteristic temperature has an obvious linear relationship with the content of the maximum functional group. Based on the results of Pearson correlation coefficient, a multiple linear regression model of coal spontaneous combustion tendency is established by using the contents of C—H and coo functional groups which have the greatest correlation with characteristic temperature.

Background: The family with sequence similarity 20-member C (Fam20C) kinase plays important roles in physiopathological process and is responsible for majority of the secreted phosphoproteome, including substrates associated with tumor cell migration. However, it remains unclear whether Fam20C plays a role in cancers. Here, we aimed to analyze the expression and prognostic value of Fam20C in pan-cancer and to gain insights into the association between Fam20C and immune infiltration. Methods:We analyzed Fam20C expression patterns and the associations between Fam20C expression levels and prognosis in pan-cancer via the ONCOMINE, TIMER (Tumor Immune Estimation Resource), PrognoScan, GEPIA (Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis), and Kaplan-Meier Plotter databases. After that, GEPIA and TIMER databases were applied to investigate the relations between Fam20C expression and immune infiltration across different cancer types, especially BLCA (bladder urothelial carcinoma), LGG (brain lower grade glioma), and STAD (stomach adenocarcinoma). Results: Compared with adjacent normal tissues, Fam20C was widely expressed across many cancers. In general, Fam20C showed a detrimental role in pan-cancer, it was positively associated with poor survival of BLCA, LGG, and STAD patients. Specifically, based on TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database, a high expression level of Fam20C was associated with worse prognostic value in stages T2-T4 and stages N0-N2 in the cohort of STAD patients. Moreover, Fam20C expression had positive associations with immune infiltration, including CD4+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells, and other diverse immune cells in BLCA, LGG, and STAD. Conclusion: Fam20C may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker in pan-cancer and has positive associations with immune infiltrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary aluminum dross (SAD) containing toxic elements, such as N, Cl, F, Na, and K, is a typical hazardous substance in the process of recycling aluminum. Numerous studies have reported the detoxification of SAD by hydrometallurgical technologies; nonetheless, those methods were always inefficient due to the long process. In this study, a novel process for detoxification, recycling and high-value utilization of SAD was investigated. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that hazardous substances of AlN, Al4C3, and Al can be easily oxidized to Al2O3, while Cl, K, and Na can be volatilized above 1000 °C. The experimental results confirmed that more than 99.7% of nitrogen in AlN could be transformed into the harmless N2 under the optimal air roasting conditions (Ca/Al mole ratio of 1.7, roasting temperature of 1400 °C and roasting time of 120 min). Na, K, and Cl were recycled efficiently as the volatiles with recovery rates of 95.3%, 99.5% and 95.9%, respectively. During the roasting process, high purity C12A7 was prepared successfully, and most fluorine in SAD was solidified in the calcium aluminates, which can be used as a steel refining desulfurization agent. This study provided a zero hazardous waste thought for the utilization of SAD.

Abstract. Background:. The CHA2DS2–VASc score was initially applied to stratify stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be effective in predicting all-cause mortality outcomes. To date, it is still unclear whether circulating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as emerging biomarkers, can improve the predictive power of the CHA2DS2–VASc score in stroke and all-cause mortality. Methods:. Candidate lncRNAs were screened by searching the literature and analyzing previous RNA sequencing results. After preliminary verification in 29 patients with AF, the final selected lncRNAs were evaluated by Cox proportional hazards regression in 192 patients to determine whether their relative expression levels were associated with stroke and all-cause mortality. The c-statistic, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement of the patients were calculated to evaluate the discrimination and reclassification power for stroke and all-cause mortality when adding lncRNA expression levels to the CHA2DS2–VASc score model. Results:. Five plasma lncRNAs associated with stroke and all-cause mortality in AF patients were selected in our screening process. Patients with elevated H19 levels were found to have a higher risk of stroke (hazard ratio [HR] 3.264, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.364–7.813, P = 0.008). Adding the H19 expression level to the CHA2DS2–VASc score significantly improved the discrimination and reclassification power of the CHA2DS2–VASc score for stroke in AF patients. In addition, the H19 level showed a marginally significant association with all-cause mortality (HR 2.263, 95% CI: 0.889–5.760, P = 0.087), although it appeared to have no significant improvement for the CHA2DS2–VASc model for predicting all-cause mortality. Conclusions:. Plasma expression of H19 was associated with stroke risk in AF patients and improved the discriminatory power of the CHA2DS2–VASc score. Therefore, lncRNA H19 served as an emerging non-invasive biomarker for stroke risk prediction in patients with AF.

Abstract Single‐layered MoS2 is a promising anode material for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), and potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs) due to its high capacity and isotropic ion transport paths. However, the low intrinsic conductivity and easy‐agglomerated feature hamper its applications. Here, a charge‐driven interlayer expansion strategy that Co2+ replaces Mo4+ in the doping form to endow MoS2 layers with negative charges, thus inducing electrostatic repulsion, together with the insertion of gaseous groups, to drive interlayer expansion which once breaks the confinement of interlayer van der Waals force, single‐layered MoS2 is obtained and uniformly dispersed into carbon matrix arising from the transformation of carbonaceous gaseous groups under high vapor pressure, is proposed. Co atom doping helps enhance the intrinsic conductivity of single‐layered MoS2. Carbon matrix effectively prevents agglomeration of single‐layered MoS2. The doped Co atoms can be fully transformed into ultrasmall Co nanoparticles during conversion reaction, which enables strong spin‐polarized surface capacitance and thus significantly boosts ion transport and storage. Consequently, the prepared material delivers superb Li/Na/K‐ion storage performances, which are best in the reported MoS2‐based anodes. The proposed charge‐driven interlayer expansion strategy provides a novel perspective for preparing single‐layered MoS2, which shows huge potential for energy storage.

Supported by government policies, the innovation of China’s solar photovoltaic industry has been triggered greatly. As an important part of public policy, various talent policies have been issued to increase support for innovation. Therefore, it is essential to study the relationship between talent policy and firm innovation of Chinese solar photovoltaic industry. However, there is less empirical research on this topic. In this context, this study examined whether talent policy influences firm innovation. To examine the underlying causal mechanism, this study explored the role of human capital quality structure and human capital function structure in the relationship between talent policy and firm innovation. Based on the buffering and bridging mechanism of resource dependence theory, an empirical model of talent policy, human capital structure and firm innovation were conceptualized. Using an unbalanced panel data of 101 listed firms of the solar photovoltaic industry in China from 2008 to 2021, the random effect GLS regression was employed to empirically test the impact of talent policy on firm innovation, the mediating effects of human capital quality structure and human capital function structure, and examined the heterogeneous impact of nature of property rights and R&D intensity on the above relationships. The results show that talent policy can significantly promote firm innovation. Human capital structure plays mediating effects on the relationship between talent policy and firm innovation. Moreover, the talent policy and human capital structure’s effects on firm innovation are more significant in non-state-owned firms and firms with low R&D intensity. This study provides an important reference for promoting firm innovation through human capital structure in the construction of the talent policy.

Nitrogen is one of the main pollution sources in aquaculture system. Microalgae are considered as one of the ideal bio-absorbents used in wastewater purification, due to their nitrogen removal capacity and more importantly nutritional value. Nannochloropsis oceanica, Cyclotella atomus, and Conticribra weissflogii are famous as diet microalgae. However, estimation of nitrogen removal capability and concomitant nutritional properties of the three species have been rarely reported, which was performed in this study. N. oceanica, C. atomus, and C. weissflogii were cultivated with two initial nitrate-N concentration, noted as NC (13.85 mg·L–1) and NW (5 mg·L–1) groups, respectively. All the three microalgal strains in NC group showed higher maximum cell density, specific growth rate, and biomass concentration, maximal quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), total Chlorophyll and carotenoids contents than that in NW group. These results confirmed the importance of nitrogen for microalgal biomass generation and photosynthetic performance. From Fv/Fm, N. oceanica has better adaptability towards nitrogen depletion compared to other two selected strains. The three microalgae exhibited significantly stronger nitrate-N absorption efficiencies in NC group at the same timepoint, compared to NW. Analyzing the average amount of nitrate-N absorbed by each cell daily, C. weissflogii gained the largest value, followed successively by C. atomus and N. oceanica, likely due to species specificity. Moreover, three strains removed 90% of nitrate-N within five days and 99% of that within seven days, showing splendid nitrogen removal potentials. These results confirmed the feasibility of removing nitrogen from wastewater with the selected three microalgae. Nutritional properties of microalgal biomass were also investigated. For the three species, lower nitrate-N was beneficial for the production of soluble sugar, total lipid, and saturated fatty acid, while higher nitrate-N led to more soluble protein and polyunsaturated fatty acid. In summary, N. oceanica, C. atomus, and C. weissflogii all showed strong nitrogen removal capacity, whose growth characteristics and nutritional properties varied with nitrogen concentration. In practical application for assimilating nitrogen, these findings could provide some references for the selection of suitable microalgae species in order to satisfy different nutritional requirements of various aquatic animals.

Cadmium (Cd) is a persistent heavy metal that poses environmental and public health concerns. This study aimed to identify the potential biomarkers responsible for Cd tolerance and accumulation by investigating the response of the content of essential metal elements, transporter gene expression, and root exudates to Cd stress in broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum). A hydroponics experiment was conducted using two broomcorn millet cultivars with distinct Cd tolerance levels and accumulation phenotypes (Cd-tolerant and Cd-sensitive cultivars). Cd stress inhibited lateral root growth, especially in the Cd-sensitive cultivar. Furthermore, Cd accumulation was significantly greater in the Cd-tolerant cultivar than in the Cd-sensitive cultivar. Cd stress significantly inhibited the absorption of essential metal elements and significantly increased the calcium concentration. Differentially expressed genes involved in metal ion transport were identified via transcriptome analysis. Cd stress altered the composition of root exudates, thus increasing lipid species and decreasing alkaloid, lignan, sugar, and alcohol species. Moreover, Cd stress significantly reduced most alkaloid, organic acid, and phenolic acid exudates in the Cd-tolerant cultivar, while it increased most lipid and phenolic acid exudates in the Cd-sensitive cultivar. Some significantly changed root exudates (ferulic acid, O-coumaric acid, and spermine) are involved in the phenylalanine biosynthesis, and arginine and proline metabolic pathways, thus, may be potential biomarkers of Cd stress response. Overall, metal ion absorption and root exudates are critical for Cd tolerance and accumulation in broomcorn millet. These findings provide valuable insights into improving Cd phytoremediation by applying mineral elements or metabolites.

Twisted phosphorene offers another attractive system to explore moiré physics. Here, the authors report emerging anisotropic moiré optical resonances in twisted monolayer/bilayer phosphorene, exhibiting strong twist dependence for angles as large as 19°.

Hypoxia regulates a number of cell biological processes, including cell survival, development and differentiation. Deferoxamine (DFO), an oral chelator for blood transfusion patients, has been demonstrated to induce hypoxia and is frequently used as a hypoxia-mimicking agent. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of DFO on the proliferation, migration and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs). The effects of DFO on hPDLC viability and migration were measured using an MTT and wound healing assay. To characterize the hypoxia microenvironment, the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in hPDLCs treated with DFO was quantified using the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Subsequently, the osteogenic differentiation potential of DFO was determined by RT-qPCR of the mRNA of osteogenic markers (runt-related transcription factor 2 [Runx-2], osteopontin [OPN] and collagen type I [Col-1]). The alkaline phosphatase activity and mineral deposition were analyzed using alizarin red S staining. The MTT and wound healing assays demonstrated that low-concentrations of DFO had little impact on hPDLC viability and migration 48 h into the treatment. DFO upregulated the expression of hPDLC genes specific for osteogenic differentiation: HIF-1α, Runx-2, OPN and Col-1. Furthermore, formation of mineralized nodules was enhanced by DFO. The present study suggests that DFO provided favorable culture conditions to promote the osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of hPDLCs. The mechanism underlying these alterations remains to be elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work achieves drastic fluorescence enhancement of NIR single-molecule based on asymmetric plasmonic nano-antenna, by fine-tuning the near- and far- field properties of plasmonic mode.

In this study, the manganese (Mn) was doped in the MnFe2O4 crystal by the solid-phase synthesis method. Under the optimum conditions (pH = 3), the max removal rate and adsorption quantity of Cr(VI) on MnFe2O4 adsorbent obtain under pH = 3 were 92.54% and 5.813 mg/g, respectively. The DFT calculation results indicated that the adsorption energy (Eads) between HCrO4− and MnFe2O4 is −215.2 KJ/mol. The Cr(VI) is mainly adsorbed on the Mn atoms via chemical bonds in the form of HCrO4−. The adsorption of Mn on the MnFe2O4 surface belonged to chemisorption and conformed to the Pseudo-second-order equation. The mechanism investigation indicated that the Mn in MnFe2O4 has an excellent enhancement effect on the Cr(VI) removal process. The roles of Mn in the Cr(VI) removal process included two parts, providing adsorbing sites and being reductant. Firstly, the Cr(VI) is adsorbed onto the MnFe2O4 via chemisorption. The Mn in MnFe2O4 can form ionic bonds with the O atoms of HCrO4−/CrO42−, thus providing the firm adsorbing sites for the Cr(VI). Subsequently, the dissolved Mn(II) can reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The disproportionation of oxidized Mn(III) produced Mn(II), causing Mn(II) to continue to participate in the Cr(VI) reduction. Finally, the reduced Cr(III) is deposited on the MnFe2O4 surface in the form of Cr(OH)3 colloids, which can be separated by magnetic separation.

To produce Na2SnO3, which is widely used in the ceramics and electroplating industries, a novel process for the preparation of sodium stannate from cassiterite concentrates was developed successfully by the authors’ group. It was found that sodium stannosilicate (Na8SnSi6O18) was easily formed due to the main gangue of quartz in cassiterite concentrates, which was almost insoluble and decreased the quality of Na2SnO3. The formation and transitions of Na8SnSi6O18 in the SnO2–SiO2–Na2CO3 system roasted under a CO–CO2 atmosphere were determined. The results indicated that the formation of Na8SnSi6O18 could be divided into two steps: SnO2 reacted with Na2CO3 to form Na2SnO3, and then Na2SnO3 was rapidly combined with SiO2 and Na2CO3 to form low melting point Na8SnSi6O18. In addition, Na8SnSi6O18 can be decomposed into Na2SiO3 and Na2SnO3 by using excess Na2CO3.

Supercritical boilers have become a major development trend in coal-fired power plants, and the air distribution strategy is a key factor in the design and operation of making it fully combustible. In this paper, the mathematical and physical models of a 350 MW supercritical boiler is established, and the optimal air distribution mode of the boiler at different load is determined based on the furnace outlet temperature, NOx concentration, and O2 content. The air distribution control strategies were derived and the corresponding procedures were established. 160 MW and 280 MW were selected for positive pagoda and 180 MW and 230 MW for waist reduced. At 290–350 MW load, the effect of adjusting the combustion damper opening on the outlet oxygen is weak, so preferentially adjusting the SOFA damper opening can achieve better results. The results show good thermal efficiency and emission performance and are applicable to adjust the air distribution mode to achieve fuller combustion of supercritical boilers.

In karst regions, the majority of studies have focused on ecosystem carbon sequestration in the same lithology, but no studies in different lithologies. In this study, actual measurements were used to reveal carbon sequestration characteristics of two plantation forest ecosystems (Bodinieri cinnamon and Cupressus funebris) with different lithologies of karst. The results showed that the tree layer showed the highest vegetation biomass, carbon content, carbon density, and ratio of aboveground biomass to belowground biomass. The carbon density of B. cinnamon plantation and C. funebris plantation was high in dolomite and in limestone respectively. The soil quality and carbon density of bare ground and plantation varied across different lithologies. The carbon density of various ecosystem components was in the order of vegetation>soil>litterfall. The carbon density and net carbon density of plantation varied across different lithologies. In B. cinnamon plantation, the carbon sequestration rate of vegetation and ecosystem was high in dolomite, moderate in limestone, and low in dolomitic sandstone. In Cupressus funebris plantation, the carbon sequestration rate was in the order of limestone>dolomite>dolomitic sandstone. These findings revealed that lithology is an important factor affecting ecosystem carbon pools, and plantation ecosystems have low biomass and low carbon density in karst areas.

The Chinese economy is in a critical period of continuous transformation of new and old kinetic energy and economic transformation and upgrading. Copper, the second largest strategic raw material, is still central to China’s economic development. As the major producer and consumer of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), China’s production and consumption of refined copper is the largest in the world. Thus, it is necessary to forecast the supply and demand of China’s future copper. There is a huge gap between copper production and consumption in China, the current identified copper resources cannot meet copper consumption in the next five years, thus the import of copper will be more crucial for China’s future copper industry. Due to trade frictions, restriction on imports and other reasons, the import of copper from other countries will exist a lot of uncertainties. Hence, the domestic copper waste and scraps could be the suitable secondary resource for recycling copper in China. According to the grade and value of copper scraps, establishing quality standards and optimizing the disassembly process of the domestic Cu-bearing waste & scraps, and using the suitable method are the key to recycling the domestic copper scraps.

Magnetite-type tin-bearing tailing is a typically complex secondary resource in China, of which iron and tin are with greater value. The utilization of this resource has long been a challenge due to the complex mineralogy of tin and iron minerals. In this study, the mineralogical characteristics of the tailings were studied. It was found that tin mainly existed as fine-grained cassiterite and lattice Sn4+ (Fe3-xSnxO4) in magnetite particles, which was almost impossible to recover by physical mineral processing. Fe2.6Sn0.4O4 samples were synthesized to study the mineral phase reconstructions of Fe3-xSnxO4 under CO−CO2 atmosphere, as well as in the presence of Na2CO3 or CaO. Then, three proposed processes of selective reduction roasting, sodium roasting and calcium roasting processes were demonstrated and applied in the separation of tin and iron. Finally, some suggestions were recommended for the separation of tin from magnetite-type tin-bearing tailings. Keywords: Fe3-xSnxO4, Cassiterite, Separation, Selective reduction roasting, Sodium roasting, Calcium roasting

A novel composite binder (humic acid modified bentonite, HAMB) and two other binders (bentonite and Modified humic acid, MHA) were used to explore the effects of binders on the properties of magnetite green pellets in this study. The results of green pellet properties and drying tests show that the low doses of a humic substance-based binder can achieve the same effect as high doses of bentonite binder. A humic substance-based binder could be a promising organic binder to replace bentonite. Meanwhile, the influence mechanism of adding different binders on the strength of green pellet was discussed, and the relationship between moisture content in the pellet and the compression strength of three binders was determined. A TG-DSC analysis found that the novel composite binder (HAMB) was not a simple mix of humic acid and bentonite, in which a humic substance could change the structure of bentonite and reduce the thermal stability of bentonite, causing the HAMB composite binder to have a high decomposition temperature.

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) has great potential in Cd phytoextraction, but its mechanisms are largely unknown. Two contrasting broomcorn millet varieties, ‘Ningmi6’ (Cd-sensitive variety) and ‘4452’ (Cd-tolerant variety), were investigated through morphological, physiological, and transcriptomic analyses to determine the factors responsible for their differential Cd tolerance and translocation. The Cd-tolerant variety can accumulate more Cd, and its cell wall and vacuole component Cd proportions were higher compared with the Cd-sensitive variety. Under Cd stress, the glutathione content and peroxidase activity of the Cd-tolerant variety were significantly higher than those of the Cd-sensitive variety. Additionally, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed hub modules that were associated with Cd stress and/or variety. Notably, genes involved in these hub modules were significantly enriched for roles in glutathione metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, ABC transport, and metal ion transport process. These results suggested that regulation of genes associated with cell wall precipitation and vacuole compartmentalization may increase Cd tolerance and reduce Cd translocation in the Cd-tolerant variety, although it can absorb more Cd. This study provides a foundation for exploring molecular mechanisms of Cd tolerance and transport in broomcorn millet and new insights into improving Cd phytoremediation with this crop through genetic engineering.

In this study, high pure humic acid (HA) extracted from lignite was fractionated into four fractions according to their molecular weights by the ultrafiltration method. The structural characteristics of various HA fractions were investigated by UV–Vis,FTIR, and 3D fluorescence spectra and 13C/1H-NMR tests. The experiment results showed that the HA fractions with the molecular weight ＞50 KDa are major, containing 70.89%. The active hydrogen proportion declined from 43.96% to 21.27% with the increase of HA molecular weight, meaning the decrease of the large HA molecules’ acidic group content. On the other hand, 80.93% of the aromatic nucleus content and 12.5% of the alkyl carbon (aliphatic structure) were observed in the large HA molecules that are much higher than those in the small HA molecules. The NMR and spectra studies indicated that the small HA molecules have more acidic groups such as hydroxy, carboxyl. Meanwhile, the large HA molecules have more aromatic and aliphatic structures. The above research indicated that the HA fractions with low molecular weight could provide more active sites for the interaction between HA and iron minerals. Moreover, the carbon chain and aromatic nucleus in the high molecular weight HA fractions could keep the space structure of HA stable.

With the depletion of rich manganese ore resources, plentiful manganese ore powders with various Mn/Fe mass ratios are produced. The physicochemical aspects of oxidative consolidation behavior of manganese ores with various Mn/Fe mass ratios were investigated in this work to determine whether manganese ore powders with high iron content (Fe-Mn ore) can be prepared as high-quality pellets. Physicochemical properties of the pellets were investigated, including cold compression strength (CCS), phase transformation, microstructural evolution, Vickers hardness (HV), porosity, and lattice parameter. CCS testing indicated that the strength of roasted Fe-Mn ore pellets was observably lower than that of pure hematite or manganese ore pellets. Phase and morphology results showed that in Fe-Mn ore pellets, an Mn ferrite phase was generated between hematite and pyrolusite particles. However, newborn Mn ferrites and hematite had an obvious crystal boundary in the crystallographic particles. Moreover, poorly crystallized Mn ferrite particles were evident, along with Mn and Fe element concentration gradients, due to the inadequate diffusion of metal ions. This resulted in poor mechanical properties of the Fe-Mn ore pellets. A temperature over 1275 ∘C and a roasting time of 15 min is required for the oxidative consolidation of Fe-Mn ores. In such optimized cases, Mn, Fe, O, and Al elements were uniformly distributed in the well-crystallized Mn ferrite grains, which provided favorable mineralogy for the consolidation of Fe-Mn ore powders.

In this study, an inland reservoir water quality parameters’ inversion model was developed using a back propagation (BP) neural network to conduct reservoir eutrophication evaluation, according to multi-temporal remote sensing images and field observations. The inversion model based on the BP neural network (the BP inversion model) was applied to a large inland reservoir in Jiangmen city, South China, according to the field observations of five water quality parameters, namely, Chlorophyl-a (Chl-a), Secchi Depth (SD), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and Permanganate of Chemical Oxygen Demand (CODMn), and twelve periods of Landsat8 satellite remote sensing images. The reservoir eutrophication was evaluated. The accuracy of the BP inversion model for each water parameter was compared with that of the linear inversion model, and the BP inversion models of two parameters (i.e., Chl-a and CODMn) with larger fluctuation range were superior to the two multiple linear inversion models due to the ability of improving the generalization of the BP neural network. The Dashahe Reservoir was basically in the state of mesotrophication and light eutrophication. The area of light eutrophication accounted for larger proportions in spring and autumn, and the reservoir inflow was the main source of nutrient salts.

The application demand of lightweight high-quality aluminum alloy parts in automotive and aerospace fields is increasingly. In aluminum matrix composites, reinforcing particles can significantly improve the performance of the matrix. In this paper, the microstructures and mechanical properties of die-cast 4 wt%TiB _2 /Al-9Si-3Cu-0.8Zn composite were systematically analyzed by x-ray diffraction, optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy and tensile testing. The composite was successfully fabricated from an Al-K _2 TiF _6 -KBF _4 system by in situ melting technique. The research results show that the average grain sizes of the α -Al phase gradually decreased with the increase of filling distance. And the TiB _2 particles were distributed around eutectic Si in irregular polyhedral morphology or nearly circular shape. Meanwhile, the crystal structures of Ti-B compound and long needle shaped nano-sized precipitated were identified and analyzed, and they were found to be TiB _2 and Al _2 Cu phase, respectively. Tensile testing results show that the mechanical properties of die-cast composite clearly increase after T6 heat treatment. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation could reach 311 MPa, 379 MPa and 2.8% respectively, with the best injection velocity (1.8 m s ^−1 ). The significantly enhancement of mechanical properties of composite after T6 heat treatment was mainly due to the introduction of TiB _2 reinforcing phase and the precipitation of Al _2 Cu precipitate in the aging stage. The results implied that the introduction of TiB _2 reinforced particles could improve the mechanical properties of die castings, which has an important guiding role for its practical application.

The key success of semisolid rheology is to prepare high-quality semisolid slurries. To achieve that it is necessary to be able to characterize the microstructure, element distribution, and coarsening mechanism during short-time isothermal treatment. This present work applied the enclosed cooling slope channel (ECSC) to make a semisolid slurry of CuSn10P1 alloy. Effects of short-time isothermal treatment (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 s) on microstructure characteristics, element distribution, grain stability, and coarsening kinetics of semisolid CuSn10P1 alloy were studied. The equiaxed or near-globular microstructure can be prepared and improved intergranular segregation of CuSn10P1 alloy through the semisolid slurry short-time isothermal treatment. The mean diameter of primary α -Cu phase gradually increases with soaking time prolonged, but shape factor shows a wavy trend. The mean size and shape factor changes caused by the instability of primary α -Cu phase during short-time isothermal treatment can be described by the melting mechanism and the coarsening mechanism. The relationship between the high Tin layer thickness of primary α -Cu and soaking time is consistent with the linear equation. The relationships of the Sn mass fraction in intergranular microstructure and primary α -Cu phase center versus soaking time are consistent with an exponential equation. The suitable isothermal treatment parameters for the semisolid CuSn10P1 alloy is the soaking time 15 s to 20 s at 990 °C.

In correlated materials, new phases emerge when the balance between many-body interactions is perturbed. Here, Ma et al. induce a mosaic charge-density-wave phase out of Mott insulating state in layered 1T-TaS2by voltage pulses, which reveals a dominating role of interlayer stacking order.