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Nearly-zero energy buildings (NZEB) would effectively improve building energy efficiency and promote building electrification. By using a carbon emission model integrated into a bottom-up mid-to-long term energy consumption model, this study analyzes the contribution of NZEB standards to carbon emission targets in the urban area of China by 2060. Three scenarios are set, namely BAU, steady development (S1), and high-speed development (S2). For BAU, the total carbon emissions will reach a peak of 1.94 Gt CO2 by 2040. In S1 scenario, total building carbon emissions will reach the peak of 1.72 Gt CO2 by 2030. In S2 scenario, the carbon emissions will reach a peak by 2025 with 1.64 Gt CO2. Under S1 scenario, which features consistency with NZEB market development and periodic improvement of building energy-efficiency standards, the carbon emission peak in 2030 will be accomplished. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, the upgrading of building energy standards to NZEB will contribute 50.1%, while zero-carbon electricity contribution is 49.9%. It is concluded that 2025, 2030, and 2035 could be set as mandatory enforcement years for ultra-low energy buildings, NZEB and zero energy building (ZEB), respectively.

This study reports a novel, multifunctional, and easily obtained modifier to support the rapid advancements in the field of filtration. Polydopamine (PDA) particles (PDAPs) have been reported as a filler for constructing polymer composites, but because of their poor thermal stability, the use of PDAPs in high-temperature blend melt systems to construct antifouling membranes was rare. In this paper, high-thermal-stability methoxy polyethylene glycol amine (mPEG-NH2)-functionalized PDA nanoparticles (mPDAPs) were first used as a modifier in high-temperature blend melt polymer composites to construct antifouling composite membranes. First, high-thermal-stability mPDAPs with an average diameter of about 390 nm were prepared by immobilized mPEG-NH2 on the PDAP surface, then melt blend mPDAPs with ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene/liquid paraffin (LP) solution and thermally reduced phase separation (TIPS) to construct antifouling membranes. A combination of properties including mechanical properties, filtration efficiency, and antifouling properties of hybrid composite membranes was investigated and demonstrated that mPDAPs were an efficient modifier for high-temperature melt blending systems. The aim of this study was to provide an effective approach to improve the membrane filtration performance by bulk hybrid modification of multifunctional nanoparticles.

The utilization of solar energy and valid photocatalyst is one of the most effective strategies to achieve water splitting into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). Although enormous effort has been devoted to photocatalysts, the sunlight still cannot be fully utilized by the developed photocatalysts. It is important but remains challenging to develop a broad spectrum-driven photocatalyst for overall water splitting. Here, we design a UV-Vis-NIR broad spectrum-driven carbon dots modified WO2-NaxWO3 (WO2-NaxWO3-CDs) composite as photocatalyst for overall water splitting without requirement of any sacrificial agents or cocatalysts. When the concentration of CDs in the sample is 0.008 gCDs/gcatalyst, the WO2-NaxWO3-CDs shows the highest photocatalytic activity with stoichiometric ratio of H2/O2 evolutions and their rates are 0.05/0.02, 2.58/1.24, 4.74/2.28 μmol/h under UV (λ 760 nm) light irradiation, respectively. It is also impressive that the photocatalyst shows excellent stability for about 6 cycles of repetitive experiments. The WO2-NaxWO3-CDs composites functioned as broad spectrum-driven photocatalyst for overall water splitting should attribute to the synergistic effect of WO2-NaxWO3 and CDs, in which the WO2-NaxWO3 provides the suitable bandgap, while the CDs can enhance light absorption and accelerate separation efficiencies of photo-generated charge carriers.

In this paper, a notable chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) nanofiber mats containing tea tree oil liposomes (TOL-CENs) were successfully fabricated using electrospinning process. The microstructures and morphology were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The porosity, fluid absorbability, water vapor permeability and mechanical properties of nanofiber mats were also estimated by ethanol density method, gravimetric method, dish method and tensile test, respectively. Compared to the chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) composite freeze-dried sponges containing tea tree oil liposomes, TOL-CENs had greater porosity, water absorption, breathability and better mechanical properties. In addition, the controlled-release properties and long-term bactericidal capability of the material were also assessed. From the analysis of the release kinetics and mechanism, it was found that the significant decreased terpinen-4-ol concentration gradient from liposomal surface to the outside of material was the key to the sustained terpinen-4-ol release in virtue of liposomal encapsulation. TOL-CENs exhibited long-term and more excellent microbicidal effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans than chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) nanofiber mats. The combination of tea tree oil liposomes and chitosan in nanofiber mats synergistically destroyed cell membrane, prevented cell adhesion and caused the irregular aggregation of cytoplasm, resulting in cell disintegration observed by transmission electron microscope. In summary, TOL-CENs had potential application value as a long-term antimicrobial nonwoven materials.

Photocatalytic hydrogen production on semiconductors has been intensively researched in the past years, yet it still lacks research on efficient and stable photocatalysis in seawater. In this paper, with cadmium sulfide (CdS) as a sample photocatalyst and carbon dots (CDs) as cocatalyst, we fabricated a series of CDs/CdS composites serving as efficient hydrogen production photocatalysts in both water and seawater. In this case, the optimal CDs/CdS-S composites (nanosheet with cocatalyst content of 0.01 gCDs/gcatalyst) exhibit prominent H2 production rate of 4.64 mmol h−1 g−1 (6.70 mmol h−1 g−1, water) and AQE of 11.8% (19.3%, water) under 420 nm light irradiation in seawater, which are about 265 and 169 (78 and 77, water) times of those of the non-modified irregular CdS in seawater, respectively. The excellent activity and stability are attributed to the competency of CDs that not only dramatically improves the charge separation efficiency, but also plays indispensable role in resisting the distraction from various ionic components in seawater. We hope our work can provide a feasible perspective for constructing high-efficient photocatalyst towards practical applications.

Solar light driven photocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) on large scale is a promising solution to acquire the clean and sustainable energy sources. Enlightened by mimicking natural Z-scheme photosynthesis, the artificial visible light-driven water splitting photocatalyst of NiO/carbon dots/BiVO4 (NiO/CDs/BiVO4) composite was constructed. The designed NiO/CDs/BiVO4 as all-solid-state Z-scheme photocatalyst exhibits efficient photocatalyatic activity for overall water splitting without any cocatalysts or scavengers. In the Z-scheme system, the NiO and BiVO4 can respectively act as H2 evolution and O2 evolution photocatalysts, while the CDs can serve as solid electron mediator. The optimal NiO/CDs/BiVO4 photocatalyst shows the H2 and O2 production rates of 1.21 and 0.60 μmol·h−1, respectively, with the CDs concentration in the composite of 5 wt% and the mass ratio of NiO to BiVO4 of 3. The incorporation of CDs employed as the solid-state electron mediator boosts the effective electron transfer and charges separation, resulting in the improved photocatalytic activity of the designed Z-scheme system.

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR) to useful chemicals and fuels is one of the promising methods to reduce the accumulated greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and simultaneously satisfy sustainable energy demands. Metallic Ag has been reported in numerous studies for its excellent properties in CO2 reduction. However, most Ag catalysts require a large overpotential to realize high selectivity and the Faradaic efficiency (FE) is relatively low. Moreover, the synthetic methods of efficient Ag catalysts are usually complicated and time-consuming. In this work, a phosphate silver-derived silver (PD-Ag) electrocatalyst was fabricated by a quick facile electroreduction method, showing superior performance for the selective reduction of CO2 to CO. The maximum FE of PD-Ag could reach 97.3% with a potential of −0.7 V vs RHE, and a current density of 2.93 mA cm–2. It is demonstrated that a 19-fold increase of the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) is obtained for PD-Ag compared to polycrysta...

Polyaniline-encapsulated carbon/copper composite nanofibers (PANI/CuCNFs) were synthesized by a facile and efficient method combining electrospinning and in-situ polymerization, which were further applied to the laccase (Lac) based biosensor for polyphenol pollutant detection. The morphology and composition of the fabricated nanocomposite were investigated by a series of advanced characterization techniques. The electrochemical behaviour of the novel biosensor was studied through cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and chronoamperometry. Results showed that the addition of PANI/CuCNFs apparently improved the electrocatalytic properties of the Lac-based biosensor towards hydroquinone. The constructed biosensor possessed a high sensitivity (41.65 μA mM−1), a low detection limit (0.24 μM), and a wide linear range from 500 nM to 110 μM, as well as satisfied selectivity, reproducibility and repeatability. Moreover, the biosensor gave a successful application in hydroquinone measurement of river water. This work suggested that the Lac biosensor modified by PANI/CuCNFs has a great potential in the application of phenolic pollutants detection.

Electret filters are widely used in particulate matter filtration due to their filtration efficiency that can be greatly improved by electrostatic forces without sacrificing the air resistance. However, the attenuation of the filtration efficiency remains a challenge. In this study, we report a novel strategy for producing an electret melt blown filter with superior filtration efficiency stability through a thermally stimulated charging method. The proposed approach optimizes the crystal structure and therefore results in the increased production probability of the charge traps. In addition, the re-trapping phenomenon caused by the thermal stimulation during the charging process can greatly increase the proportion of deep charge to shallow charge and improve the charge stability. A superior electret melt blown filtration material with a high filtration efficiency of 99.65%, low pressure drop of 120 Pa, and satisfactory filtration efficiency stability was produced after three cyclic charging times. The excellent filtration performance indicated that the developed material is a good air filtration candidate component for personal protection applications.

Biofilms formed on skin wound lead to inflammation and a delay of healing. In the present work, a novel textile pile debridement material was prepared and treated by plasma. Samples before and after plasma treatment were characterized by a series of methods, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water uptake capacity. Besides, mechanical, coagulation, and in vitro biofilm removal performances of the textile pile debridement material were evaluated, with a medical gauze as a control. The results demonstrate that the plasma treatment produced corrosions and oxygen-containing polar groups on the fiber surface, offering an enhanced water uptake capacity of the textile pile debridement material. In addition, compressive tests certify the mechanical performances of the textile pile debridement material in both dry and wet conditions. The results from a kinetic clotting time test suggest a favorable ability to promote blood coagulation. Furthermore, the results of an MTT cell viability assay, SEM, and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) illustrate that the textile pile debridement material demonstrates a more superior in vitro biofilm removal performance than medical gauze. All of these characterizations suggest that the textile pile debridement material can offer a feasible application for clinical wound debridement.

Multifunctional carbon dots (CDs) with lifetime thermal sensing, nucleolus imaging, and antialgal activity properties were synthesized directly from ascorbic acid aqueous solution by a one-step electrochemical method at room temperature. The as-prepared CDs are responsive to temperature and exhibit an accurate linear response of fluorescence intensity vs. temperature (20-100 °C). These CDs can enter a cell and nucleolus, adsorb on the nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and the fluorescence intensity of CDs is increased by the adsorption of nucleic acids. In addition, the CDs can inhibit the activity of RuBisCO in Anabaena sp., leading to reducing the growth of Anabaena sp. All these properties make the CDs serve as effective fluorescence-based nanothermometers, nucleolus probes, and antialgal agents.

Widely used synthetic dyes have been caused serious environmental pollution. Therefore, it is imperative to acquire highly efficient adsorbent to remove them. Here, we report the carbon dots/ZnFe2O4 (CDs/ZFO) composites were prepared through a facile hydrothermal route for absorption removal of dye from aqueous solution. The characterizations reveal the CDs were uniformly deposited on the surfaces of ZFO nanoparticles in the composite. The CDs/ZFO composites as adsorbents exhibit enhanced adsorption behavior for methyl orange (MO) in comparison of pristine ZFO, in which the 5% CDs/ZFO (with the CDs mass content of 5 wt%) shows the highest absorption activity. Experimental studies on adsorption isotherms of MO over the 5% CDs/ZFO composite indicate that experimental data were found to follow Langmuir model with a monolayer adsorption capacity of 181.2 mg g−1. The corresponding adsorption kinetics was fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Moreover, thermodynamics parameters including ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were tested, demonstrating that the adsorption of MO over CDs/ZFO composite was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. The remarkably increased adsorption performance of CDs/ZFO composites can be attributed to abundant oxygen-containing groups on the surface of CDs.

Hematite is an earth-abundant and ubiquitous semiconductor with a suitable bandgap of 2.1 eV for solar water splitting. Unfortunately, it suffers from a low conduction band position compared to the H+/H2 potential and typically an external bias has to be applied. Here, we demonstrate carbon dot-hematite (CD-Fe2O3) nanocomposites as photocatalysts for visible-light-driven overall water splitting without any external bias or scavenger. Notably, the CD-Fe2O3 nanocomposites (carbon dots, 5 wt%) show a hydrogen evolution rate of 0.390 μmol h−1 and an oxygen evolution rate of 0.225 μmol h−1 under visible light illumination. In our system, carbon dots have been well coupled with hematite and are detected to generate a photo-induced potential. This photo-potential can be combined with hematite to meet the requirement for overall water splitting. In addition, carbon dots can significantly improve the charge separation efficiency. Our finding may greatly enhance the practical application of hematite for solar water splitting.

Overall water splitting is considered as one of the most promising strategies to produce renewable energy. Based on low-cost g-C3N4, finding an abundant co-catalyst with high-performance photocatalytic activity and good stability is one of the solutions to realize overall water splitting. We designed amorphous NiO modified g-C3N4 (NiO/g-C3N4) as a photocatalyst, which could achieve efficient visible-light-driven overall water splitting without a sacrificial agent. After adjusting NiO content and calcination temperature, NiO/g-C3N4 with 1.26 wt% NiO content obtained at 300 °C shows optimal overall water splitting performance, with a hydrogen evolution rate of 1.41 μmol h−1 and an oxygen evolution rate of 0.71 μmol h−1 (λ ≥ 420 nm). NiO/g-C3N4 can be reused at least 7 times (24 h each time). The visible-light-driven overall water splitting performance of NiO/g-C3N4 should be attributed to amorphous NiO as the co-catalyst being able to promote photoinduced electron–hole pair separation, provide active sites and help to decompose generated H2O2.

Although previous metabolomics analysis revealed that flavonoid glycosylation commonly occurred at 3−OH and 7−OH positions in Vernonia amygdalina leaves, the biosynthetic mechanisms of flavonoid glycosides are still largely unknown. Based on the previous transcriptome data for V. amygdalina leaves, a total of 62 uridine-diphosphate glycosyltransferase (UGT) genes were acquired. We conducted phylogenetic analyses and tested for expression profiles to further select the potential V. amygdalina UGT (VaUGT) related to flavonoid glycosylation. Functional analyses were conducted on the following 6 VaUGT genes: VaUGT9 and VaUGT40 from Clade I, VaUGT3 and VaUGT62 from Clade Ⅳ, and VaUGT38 and VaUGT49 from Clade Ⅵ. Transient expression analysis indicated that VaUGT38 might have substrate specificity involved in the 3−OH and 7−OH positions of kaempferol glycosylation, while VaUGT40 was related to the 7−OH position of kaempferol and apigenin glycosylation. In addition, VaUGT9 and VaUGT3 displayed glycosyltransferase activities at apigenin 7−OH and 7-O-glucoside 2″−OH positions, respectively. Recombinant expression analysis verified that the VaUGT9 and VaUGT38 proteins exhibit a substrate preference to apigenin and kaempferol, respectively. The recombinant VaUGT3, VaUGT9 and VaUGT40 proteins could use apigetrin as substrate to generate apigenin, in particular, VaUGT9 and VaUGT40 were the most efficient. Recombinant VaUGT3, VaUGT38, VaUGT40, VaUGT49, and VaUGT62 proteins exhibited glycosyltransferase activity toward kaempferol, among which VaUGT38 and VaUGT40 were the most efficient. These results improve our understanding of flavonoid glycosylation in V. amygdalina leaves.

This paper presents an experimental investigation of a new regenerative dew point indirect evaporative cooler that uses a polymer plant fibre composite material and a pure counter-flow heat exchange structure. The wet bulb efficiency, dew point efficiency and cooling capacity of the cooler were tested and analysed under various working conditions, such as a dry area, moderate humidity area and high humidity area conditions in an enthalpy laboratory. The experimental results show that the wet bulb efficiency reaches 105.6% and the dew point efficiency reaches 76% under standard drying conditions (dry-bulb temperature of 38 °C and wet-bulb temperature of 23 °C) and when the secondary air/primary air volume ratio is equal to 1.1, the cooling capacity is 2.83 kW, the dry-bulb temperature drop can reach 15.2 °C. Simulating the experimental results of the working conditions of Urumqi and a standard dry environment shows that the application of dew point indirect evaporative cooling technology in hot and dry areas has great advantages and broad application prospects.

Building energy conservation has gained tremendous interest since the 1970s energy crisis. Building energy standards have been established as prescribed guidelines for energy savings in buildings worldwide, among which those from China and the United States of America (USA) are representative of their advanced concept, comprehensive content and prospective guidance. This paper collected and generalized the main building energy standards in China (GB50189, JGJ26, JGJ134 and JGJ75) and the USA (ASHRAE 90.1), in terms of updating history, current status, energy saving potential and future development directions. Furthermore, a qualitative and quantitative comparison of the selected standards was performed. The results show that China has a more intact and comprehensive building energy standard system, better implementation, higher improvement in energy saving rates, and a more perspicacious upgrade towards zero-energy target, which results in effective energy savings in buildings. The ASHRAE standards have more fixed chapter framework, integrity and independence between versions, more detailed classification of building envelope and HVAC systems but less effective energy-saving effect and relatively poor implementation. The actual efficiency of standards in building energy saving is synthetically determined by the standard content, efficient implementation and explicit guidelines for future development, which is achieved through four main procedures. Based on the results, recommendations have been proposed for the future development of building energy standards with the ultimate goal toward zero energy buildings.

Nearly zero energy building (NZEB) has become an effective solution in building sector to climate change. In 2017, China first set up a NZEB target of 10 million m2 by the end of 2020, followed by a series of incentive policies on provincial level issued for NZEB promotion that has expanded NZEB floor area from almost zero to 12 million m2. However, impact of NZEB policies on building energy reduction in mid to long term and contribution to energy peak reduction remain unknown. This study collected 47 existing policies and analyzed their impact on building energy consumption. A policy-driven model composed of conservative, moderate and propulsive scenarios was established, through which total building energy consumption of representative provinces in cold region of China from 2020 to 2050 was calculated. Results showed that under moderate scenario, with 100% NZEB market penetration in 2050 and “30–30–30” mid-term goal by 2030, energy consumption could save 13% by 2030 and 60% by 2050, compare to the conservative scenario. In response to carbon emission target of China, the year 2025, 2030 and 2035 should be set as the governmental enforcement year for ultra-low energy buildings, NZEB and ZEB respectively, according to propulsive scenario.

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) has long time been one of the most promising inorganic photocatalysts for hydrogen production driven by visible light. However, the photocorrosion of CdS is the most serious problem which constrains its development. Here, we report the design and fabrication of a carbon dots-cadmium sulfide (CDs-CdS) nanocomposite, showing significant photocatalytic water splitting properties with impressive stability without requirement for any sacrificial agents or cocatalysts. The highest hydrogen production rate was obtained for about 2.55 μmol h −1 , with an oxygen evolution rate for about 0.52 μmol h −1 , when the concentration of CDs in the sample is 0.03 g CDs /g catalyst . Even the produced H 2 and O 2 are not equal to the stoichiometric ratio of 2:1 (H 2 :O 2 ), the CDs-CdS nanocomposite shows greater stability (8-time repetitive catalytic experiments) than the CdS catalysts reported up to now (without sacrificial agents or cocatalysts). It is also inspiring that when we increased the concentration of CDs in the catalysts, the produced H 2 and O 2 were gradually adjusted to meet the stoichiometric ratio of 2:1 in spite of low hydrogen production rate (0.13 μmol h −1 ).

Applying bio-imaging in bacterial viability assessment is vital to human health. Nitrogen, phosphorus co-doped carbon dots (NPCDs) with high visible fluorescence and tunable negative charges were synthesized by a feasible hydrothermal reaction. The as-prepared NPCDs possess abundant surface functional groups, excellent photostability and bio-compatibility. Especially, the surface negative charges of NPCDs can be adjusted by changing the kind of the precursors. The obtained NPCDs as a fluorescent dye could selectively stain dead bacteria instead of live ones due to electrostatic repulsion since the cell walls of bacteria possess negative charges. The NPCDs with less negative charges provides a low accurate mortality rate due to a weaker repulsion, while NPCDs with the most negative charges give a comparable mortality rate with traditional plate counting method but consumes shorter time. Our study suggests that NPCDs with highly negative charges could serve as a precise and efficient fluorescent probe to determine the living state of bacteria, widening the path for bio-imaging application in bacterial viability assessment.

Summary Introduction Transcathether heart valve replacement has gained considerable acceptance during the last decades. It is now part of the armamentarium for aortic valve replacement. The procedure proved to be highly efficient. However the issues of the blood compatibility and tissue durability were not raised and the adverse events were probably under-reported, according to observations of thrombosis after deployment. Material and method Bovine pericardium leaflets were sewn inside a 26 mm diameter stainless steel stent to manufacture these valves (one control and two experimental). The correlation between the trauma and the acute thombogenicity of bovine pericardium leaflets, after crimping and ballooning, was investigated via an in vitro blood flow with labeled platelets. These leaflets were processed for histology: scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Results The control specimens showed a regular pericardium structure with some blood cells deposited on the collagen fibrous surface (inflow) and scarce blood cells deposited on the serous surface (outflow). After crimping and ballooning, the structure of the pericardium was severely injured, eventually with delaminations and ruptures. The blood cell uptake was considerably increased compared to the control. Conclusion It would therefore be appropriate to pay more attention to the design of the valves. Specifically, the incorporation of a buffer tissue or fabric between the pericardium and the metallic stent is suggested. The issue of ballooning deserves detailed and in depth investigation regarding the lifetime of the device.

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 is a key component of many prospective artificial technologies for renewable carbon-containing fuels, but it still suffers from the high overpotentials required to drive the process, low selectivity for diversiform products and the high cost of the catalyst. Here, we report that Cu-CDots nanocorals is a highly efficient, low-cost and stable electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction in aqueous solution. The major product of CO2 reduction on the Cu-CDots nanocorals is HCOOH with an inconceivable low overpotential of 0.13 V and a high Faraday efficiency of 79% at a moderate potential of −0.7 V vs. RHE. In the present system, CDots can increase the adsorption capacity of CO2 molecules and H+, which play important roles in CO2 reduction. The high selectivity of HCOOH for CO2 reduction may be ascribed to that CDots can greatly diminish the HCOOH desorption energy and improve the catalytic selectivity for HCOOH. Furthermore, Cu-CDots nanocorals exhibit a long-term stability during 5 h-electrolysis.

Stents have been widely used in percutaneous surgery to treat stenosis diseases. The braided NiTi stent, as a promising prototype, still has limitations of low radial force and loose structure. In the present study, a newly integrated composite stent was designed and braided with NiTi wires and polyester multifilament yarns by textile technology. The mechanical properties of four composite stents and the control bare NiTi stent were evaluated by in vitro compression, bending and anti-torsion tests. The results showed that integrated polyester/NiTi composite stents were superior in radial support. The stents could keep patency even when highly curved and had lower stent straightening force. Composite stents with certain structure stayed stable under twisting. The configuration of NiTi wires in composite stents could significantly impact stent deformation under twisting. Keywords: Vascular stent, Mechanical performance, Compression, Bending, Torsion

The Bentall procedure introduced in 1968 represents an undisputed cure to treat multiple pathologies involving the aortic valve and the ascending thoracic aorta. Over the years, multiple modifications have been introduced as well as a standardized approach to the operation with the goal to prevent long-term adverse events. The Gelweave Valsalva graft provides a novel manner to more efficiently reconstruct the anatomy of the aortic root either with a valve-sparing procedure or with the implantation of a valved conduit (bioprosthesis or mechanical valve). The prosthesis holds three sections: the collar anchoring the valve; the skirt mimicking the Valsalva, which is suitable for the anastomoses with the coronary arteries; and the main body of the graft, which is designed to replace the ascending aorta. The Gelweave Valsalva graft allows the Bentall operation to be standardized, and it provides a potential for longer durability with reduced adverse events.

Solar water splitting via graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has achieved extensive attention in recent years. However, g-C3N4 usually suffers from low efficiency and poor stability. Besides, the difficulty lying in the gas mixture separation remains as a big challenge. Herein, a one-pot salt-assisted method was proposed to fabricate the cobalt-doped highly mesoporous g-C3N4 (Co-mCN) photocatalysts for efficient overall water splitting into H2 and H2O2. The adjustable Co doping not only improves the charge separation efficiency, but also enhances the tolerance of g-C3N4 against H2O2 poison. The optimal production for Co-mCN catalysts is gained to be 1.82 μmol h−1 and 1.65 μmol h−1 for H2 and H2O2 respectively, while an apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 2.2% at 420 nm and a working life for more than 216 h are also achieved. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the produced H2O2 can be easily collected with titanium silicalite molecular sieve (TS-1) as a reusable H2O2 carrier and directly applied in catalyzing cyclohexane oxidation into cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol mixture with 100% selectivity and 0.11% conversion efficiency. This work provides a new thinking and strategy for realizing overall water splitting, manipulating the products and extending the practical applications of g-C3N4 materials in chemical industry.

A co-based porous metal-organic framework (MOF) of zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) was utilized to prepare a ZIF-67/CNFs composite via a one-pot synthesis method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to investigate the morphology, structure, and composition of the resulting composite. A novel high-performance non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor was constructed based on the ZIF-67/CNFs composite. The ZIF-67/CNFs based sensor exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards H2O2 compared to a pure ZIF-67-based sensor, due to the synergistic effects of ZIF-67 and CNFs. Meanwhile, chronoamperometry was utilized to explore the detection performance of the sensor. Results showed the sensor displayed high-efficiency electrocatalysis towards H2O2 with a detection limit of 0.62 &mu, M (S/N = 3), a sensitivity of 323 &micro, A mM&minus, 1 cm&minus, 2, a linear range from 0.0025 to 0.19 mM, as well as satisfactory selectivity and long-term stability. Furthermore, the sensor demonstrated its application potential in the detection of H2O2 in food.

Debridement describes the removal of necrotic tissue, cell debris and bacteria from a wound site. It aids the wound healing process and is considered as the cornerstone in proper wound management. The present work introduces a feasible approach to fabricate textile pile debridement materials with controllable structures. Six pile materials with variable pile densities and numbers of ground yarns were prepared based on the sliver knitting technology followed by back-coating, heat setting and shearing. Their surface morphology and chemistry were inspected by using SEM and FTIR. The mass per unit area and stitch density were measured to describe the basic geometric structures of the pile materials. The mechanical, liquid absorption and biological properties for the textile pile materials were assessed and compared with a commercial cotton gauze which is commonly used in clinical practice. The influence of structures on the mechanical, liquid absorption properties of the textile pile materials was also analyzed. Results show that pile density is the primary structure factor that affects the properties of the textile pile materials. Furthermore, all the six pile materials prepared in this study exhibited superior performance in both mechanical behaviors and liquid absorption capacity compared to the commercial gauze control. In addition, the results of biological evaluation indicate a satisfactory biocompatibility of the pile debridement material. Therefore the textile pile material offers a potential for wound debridement application.

Self-healing is the way by which nature repairs damage and prolongs the life of bio entities. A variety of practical applications require self-healing materials in general and self-healing polymers in particular. Different (complex) methods provide the rebonding of broken bonds, suppressing crack, or local damage propagation. Here, a simple, versatile, and cost-effective methodology is reported for initiating healing in bulk polymers and self-healing and anticorrosion properties in polymer coatings: introduction of carbon dots (CDs), 5 nm sized carbon nanocrystallites, into the polymer matrix forming a composite. The CDs are blended into polymethacrylate, polyurethane, and other common polymers. The healing/self-healing process is initiated by interfacial bonding (covalent, hydrogen, and van der Waals bonding) between the CDs and the polymer matrix and can be optimized by modifying the functional groups which terminate the CDs. The healing properties of the bulk polymer-CD composites are evaluated by comparing the tensile strength of pristine (bulk and coatings) composites to those of fractured composites that are healed and by following the self-healing of scratches intentionally introduced to polymer-CD composite coatings. The composite coatings not only possess self-healing properties but also have superior anticorrosion properties compared to those of the pure polymer coatings.

Electrochemical reduction of CO

The reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) system represents a considerable challenge for both manufacturers and surgeons because the patients requiring this type of devices have a very diverse set of anatomical challenges that can lead to complications and subsequent early device failures. We conducted an indepth investigation of a porcine-valve conduit explanted from a patient following an adverse event. A control device was analyzed as a reference. The rapid aging of the porcine valve in the right side of the heart together with major thrombus formation raises several questions. The difficulties encountered with materials used and also the design features of the conduits are once again highlighted. This group of patients continues to increase in number due to success in the surgical outcomes in early childhood. Therefore, there is a greater demand for an appropriate device. However, much work is still needed to achieve this goal, and the best approach to achieving success remains unanswered.