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We revisit one of the most used techniques for quantifying the aqueous OH radicals (OHaq) in plasma–liquid systems, the molecular probe method which obtains the [OHaq] by measuring a stable material formed through a rapid reaction between the molecular probe and the OHaq. In this study, we used disodium terephthalate (NaTA) as the molecular probe; the experimental results with a theoretical analysis suggest that to obtain the correct OHaq concentration, the concentration of the molecular probe should be greater than a certain value, which depends on the types of the plasma–liquid systems. However, this is not the case in most of the existing reports in which the NaTA is often much less than the requisite value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a plasma reactor able to generate DC discharge plasma inside an aqueous solution. The key point is that one wire electrode for the plasma generation is inside a capillary quartz tube, leaving a small gap between the electrode tip and the end of the capillary quartz tube. When the capillary quartz tube is immersed in an aqueous solution, a small gas gap is provided between the electrode tip and the solution. Discharge plasma can be generated at the gas gap, as applied DC voltage is beyond the gas breakdown voltage. As two examples among many possible applications, hydrogen peroxide and nitrate are synthesized from the plasma reactor with a flowing aqueous solutions of Na2SO4. A plasma reactor is designed to generate DC discharge in an aqueous solution. H2O2, nitrate and nitrite can be formed by the plasma inside the aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Propose a strategy to reduce * OO adsorption energy to accelerate oxygen vacancy regeneration. • Regulation of crystal facet achieves a balance between Ov content and *OO adsorption energy. • α-MnO 2 with exposed {1 1 0} crystal plane exhibits higher catalytic performance. • Experiments and DFT results have proven the feasibility of reducing the adsorption energy of * OO. Manganese oxide catalysts (MnO x) are expected to be utilized to catalytic ozone (O 3) decomposition to curb indoor O 3 pollution. However, the accumulation of oxygen-containing species (*OO) on the active site (oxygen vacancy, O v) of MnO x limits the practical application. Herein, α-MnO 2 with exposed {1 0 0} (Mn-100), {1 1 0} (Mn-110), or {3 1 0} (Mn-310) facet was synthesized, respectively. Mn-110 has preferred performance and stability, maintaining 99.9 % O 3 conversion after 8 h under 35 % RH. Experimental and theoretical results indicated that the Mn-100 facet owns lower O v content and *OO adsorption energy, exhibiting the highest specific area normalized activity. Mn-310 has a higher vacancy content and enhanced *OO adsorption energy, which resulted in a rapid accumulation of *OO species. Mn-110 has a moderate O v content and *OO adsorption and thus exhibits optimal activity. This study hopes to point out a new optimization strategy for MnO x catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the tumor microenvironment and are essential for tumorigenesis and development. Regorafenib is a multikinase inhibitor that targets CAFs and suppresses tumor growth. In this study, we investigated the effects of regorafenib on gastrointestinal CAFs and the underlying molecular mechanisms. First, we established two in vivo tumor models, the cancer cell line HCT116 with and without mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and treated them with regorafenib. We found that application of regorafenib potently impaired tumor growth, an effect that was more pronounced in tumors with a high stromal ratio, thus demonstrating that regorafenib can inhibit CAF proliferation and induce CAF apoptosis in vivo. Moreover, we showed that regorafenib affected macrophage infiltration by reducing the proportion of CAFs in tumors. Second, we induced MSCs into CAFs with exosomes to establish an in vitro model. Then, we used 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt and flow cytometry to detect the effects of regorafenib on proliferation and apoptosis of CAFs and western blot to determine the expression level of apoptosis-related proteins. We found that regorafenib inhibited proliferation of CAFs and induced apoptosis in CAFs in vitro. Furthermore, western blot results showed that regorafenib downregulated the expression of B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and concurrently upregulated the expression of Bcl-2-associated X (Bax), and regorafenib inhibited the phosphorylation pathway of AKT in CAFs. In conclusion, our results provide a model in which regorafenib induces CAF apoptosis by inhibiting the phosphorylation of AKT and regorafenib affects macrophage infiltration by reducing the proportion of CAFs in tumor tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As basalt fiber has better mechanical properties and stability than glass fiber, cross arms made of continuous basalt-fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix composites are capable of meeting the mechanical requirements in the event of typhoons and broken lines in coastal areas, mountainous areas and other special areas. In this paper, continuous basalt-fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix composites were used to fabricate the core rods and composite cross arms. The results verified that basalt fiber composite cross arms can meet the strict requirements of transmission lines in terms of quality and reliability. In addition to high electrical insulation performance, the flexural modulus and the flexural strength of basalt fiber core rods are 1.8 and 1.06 times those of glass fiber core rods, respectively. Basalt fiber core rods were found to be much better load-bearing components compared to glass fiber core rods. However, the leakage current and the result of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis reveal that the interface bonding strength between basalt fibers and the matrix resin is weak. A 3D reconstruction of micro-CT indicates that the volume of pores inside basalt fiber core rods accounts for 0.0048% of the total volume, which is greater than the 0.0042% of glass fiber rods. Therefore, improving the interface bond between basalt fibers and the resin can further improve the properties of basalt fiber core rods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic ozone (O 3) decomposition at ambient temperature is an efficient method to mitigate O 3 pollution. However, practical application is hindered by the poor water resistance of catalysts. Herein, Ag-Hollandite (Ag-HMO) with varying Ag+ content was synthesized. Catalysts with more Ag+ exhibited improved efficiency and water-resistance, with the optimal one maintaining 98% O 3 conversion at 70% relative humidity (RH) within 8 h. Physicochemical characterizations revealed that Ag+ had entered the tunnel of OMS-2, facilitating oxygen species removal. Notably, enhanced H 2 O desorption and the complete inhibition of chemisorbed water formation on Ag-HMO were the primary reasons for its high-efficiency O 3 conversion across a wide humidity range. The underlying mechanism arises from the charge redistribution induced by the Ag-O interaction within the tunnel, which reduces acidity and modulates hydrophilicity. This study aims to contribute insights for designing catalysts with higher water-resistance. [Display omitted] • Ag-Hollandite with enhanced efficiency and water resistance for ozone decomposition. • The enhanced mobility of adsorbed oxygen species contributed to the stability. • Low-temperature H 2 O-TPD&MS elucidates the macroscopic factors of water resistance. • DFT revealed Ag-O interaction regulation enhances performance under harsh condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CrOx/black-TiO2 catalysts were prepared by ligand-assisted (citric acid, oxalic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) impregnation method. These catalysts were characterized in detail by means of X-ray diffraction, Raman, BET, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, H2 and O2(NO) temperature programmed reduction or desorption and in-suit DFTIR spectra. The results indicated that ligands assistance was beneficial for CrOx interacted with oxygen vacancies and O–Ti–O structures. Among all the catalysts, CrOx/black-TiO2/CA (modified by citric acid) revealed excellent catalytic activity and stability for NO oxidation in the temperature range of 200–450 °C. The characterization results exhibited that the interaction existed between CrOx and oxygen vacancies resulting in more Cr6+. Moreover, the strong interaction between CrOx and O–Ti–O was attributed to the modification of carboxylic acid, which increased the content of Cr3+ and chemical adsorption oxygen. High content of chemical adsorption oxygen promoted the adsorption ability of O2, and Cr6+ enhanced the adsorption capacity of NO. Hence, chemical adsorption oxygen and Cr6+ synergistically promoted the NO oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: The matrix effect is tricky in gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses. Although several methods have been proposed to solve this problem, the results were unsatisfactory. Even fewer studies have assessed the performance of corrective methods. Hence, our study focused on assessing several common corrective methods, and then proposed a new strategy to correct for the matrix effect in GC/MS analyses. Methods: In GC/MS analyses, the internal standard method (ISM) was employed to overcome the matrix effect during the detection of pyruvic acid (PA) in serum samples from a healthy adult female. The accuracy of the ISM was evaluated by comparing it with the standard addition method (SAM). To employ the ISM‐SAM strategy, correction factors (CFs) were established by combining the ISM and the SAM based on different groups. The CFs were used to normalize data onto the results of subsequent analyses. Results: When using the ISM to detect levels of PA, a serious bias is observed, thereby affecting the conclusions reached. In contrast, more reliable data can be obtained after normalizing results by undertaking the ISM‐SAM strategy. The feasibility of this strategy was verified by comparing it with the results of the SAM alone. The ISM‐SAM strategy was successfully applied to quantify the PA levels in healthy people and nephrotic syndrome patients. Conclusions: Our results indicated that a false outcome was presented when only the ISM was used to adjust the data, and important information would be missed if the correction strategy was not carried out. Therefore, ISM‐SAM, as an available correction method, should be adapted to improve the reliability of research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional (2D) materials have captured a tremendous amount of attention worldwide due to their unique physical and chemical properties. Herein, a mesoscopic graphdiyne (GDY) film is prepared through a facile solution method and directly used to construct an ultra‐fast visible light detector. This GDY thin film‐based photodetector exhibits both stable and repeatable high‐performance photoelectric responses to the visible light with various wavelengths. Among the visible light range, the GDY thin film is discovered to be most sensitive to 640 nm laser, which can enable it to achieve the highest response value of up to 46300%, thus conferring GDY materials an undeniable superiority of application in photoelectric devices. Especially, such GDY‐based detectors demonstrate ultra‐fast response speeds with an ephemeral response/recovery time of only 5.15/19.83 µs, which is far better than most reported photosensitive materials, including inorganic materials, low‐dimensional composites, and heterojunctions. This study suggests that GDY thin films can be regarded as new promising candidates for application as rapid photoelectric sensors. More importantly, this paper reveals the vast potential of such sp‐hybridized carbon as novel carbon‐based semiconductors in future optoelectronic applications due to their unique structure and energy band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the growth and partial discharges properties of DC electrical trees in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) were investigated under positive and negative DC voltages. The obtained results revealed that the voltage rise exerted significant influences on growth properties of DC trees. In either polarity, DC electrical trees grew rapidly during rising voltage and maintained the rapid growth for a certain time after DC voltage reached a constant value. The growth rate of positive DC electrical trees was quite faster than that of negative ones, and channel breakdown mainly occurred in positive ones. Although the growth rates of positive and negative DC electrical trees were different, their shapes were similar (both were branch-like electrical trees with one or two main branches). Self-healing usually occurred in negative DC electrical trees, thus electrical tree branches gradually disappeared under the application of steady DC voltage or when the voltage was off. Partial discharges mainly occurred at the beginning of electrical tree growth; however, the amount of partial discharge was relatively small, and it gradually reduced even during the rapid growth of electrical trees, consequently, almost no partial discharges were found when the voltage was constant. Finally, a discharge-avalanche theory was proposed to explain the growth properties of DC electrical trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The azobenzene molecules/graphene composite is synthesized by spin coating. • The π-π interaction between the molecules and graphene is constructed. • The Fermi level of graphene is adjusted by hole/electron doping. Abstract Carbon-based nanomaterials, especially graphene, are considered to be the most hopeful alternatives to silicon in the near future of pushing to its limits. However, the zero band gap of graphene suppresses its application, it needs to develop a convenient method to modulate its Fermi level and band gap. Herein, we report a general approach to regulate Fermi level of graphene precisely by designed azobenzene molecules with different dipole moment and dipole orientation. The Raman spectra results demonstrate the π-π interaction between the azobenzene molecules and graphene, which result in the modulation of the Fermi level of graphene. Besides, based on the field effect transistor characteristic measurement, we also observe the Fermi level adjustment for the hole/electron doping to graphene from the spontaneous polarization effect of the azobenzene molecules, further speculating the regulation of electronic structure and providing a new route for changing the electrical properties of graphene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the modulation of Raman scattering spectrum of chromophore/graphene hybrids by tunning the molecular polarization with different terminal groups (methyl, methoxy, nitrile, and two nitros). Based on the density functional theory, the specific dipole moment values of the chromophore molecules are calculated. An obvious surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was observed and the scattering intensity of molecule increases with enlarged dipole moment. According to the analysis of G band Raman shifts of graphene, the enhancement of the Raman signal can be attributed to strong electronic coupling between graphene and chromophore, which is closely related with the modulation of graphene Fermi surface by changing the dipole moment of the molecule. Besides, the optimization of the ground state geometry and the binding energy of the hybrids were also calculated with the Density Functional Based Tight Bonding (DFTB) method, which confirms that the enhanced Raman scattering of molecules on graphene arises from the improved energy level matching between graphene Fermi surface and molecular band, further providing a new way to design novel SERS devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address the problems of spectrum fragmentation and low sharing degree of spectrum resources in survivable elastic optical networks, an improved algorithm, called shared path protection by reconstructing sharable bandwidth based on spectrum segmentation (SPP-RSB-SS), is proposed in the paper. In the SPP-RSB-SS algorithm, for reducing the number of spectrum fragmentations and improving the success rate of spectrum allocation, the whole spectrum resource is partitioned into several spectrum segments. And each spectrum segment is allocated to the requests with the same bandwidth requirement in priority. Meanwhile, the protection path with higher spectrum sharing degree is selected through optimizing the link cost function and reconstructing sharable bandwidth. Hence, the protection path can maximize the sharable spectrum usage among multiple protection paths. The simulation results indicate that the SPP-RSB-SS algorithm can increase the sharing degree of protection spectrum effectively. Furthermore, the SPP-RSB-SS algorithm can enhance the spectrum utilization, and reduce the bandwidth blocking probability significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • P-doped TiO 2 was employed in catalytic peroxone reaction for high-efficiency NO oxidation. • The Ti-OOH formation is greatly promoted on the P-TiO 2 by reducing the energy barriers. • A possible promotion mechanism was investigated in detail by combining characterizations and DFT calculations. • A semi-in-situ UV–vis chamber was developed and used to clarify the reaction occurs on the interface of the catalyst. Promoting the formation of Ti-OOH in the TiO 2 -based-catalyst/H 2 O 2 /O 3 system is critical to further develop the catalytic peroxone process for low-temperature flue gas denitration. In this study, a series of phosphorus-doped TiO 2 with rich Lewis acid sites and high stability was designed and established, achieving 94 % NO oxidation efficiency with less oxidant (373 K, H 2 O 2 /NO = 1.2, O 3 /NO = 0.5) and high GHSV (1.2 × 105 h−1). Combining characterizations and DFT results, a possible mechanism was proposed: phosphorus-doping enhanced the Lewis acidity, which was conducive to the adsorption and activation of H 2 O 2. Moreover, P-TiO 2 significantly promoted the H 2 O dissociation and Ti-OOH formation process by reducing the energy barrier, thereby promoting the synergistic effect between O 3 and Ti-OOH. The semi-in-situ UV–vis DRS demonstrated that the catalytic peroxone process occurs at the solid–liquid interface and the Ti-OOH is consumed in the catalytic process. We hope this work provide a new investigation method and insight into the catalyst design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• S-doped TiO 2 was used in peroxone reaction for high-efficiency NO oxidation. • The mechanism and reaction pathway were carefully investigated experimentally and theoretically. • The S-doped TiO 2 exhibited good stability and resistance of different gas composition. • An inner promotion mechanism of the non-metal modification strategy was clarified. The peroxone reaction between O 3 and H 2 O 2 over TiO 2 exhibits bright prospects for low-temperature flue gas denitration, which effectively overcomes the limitations of traditional peroxone reaction and remains advanced poison resistant ability. In this study, sulfur-doped TiO 2 was successfully adopted to improve the catalytic performance under low consumption of O 3 and H 2 O 2 , making this technology take a pivotal step towards practical application. Compared with TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 /O 3 system (68% NO conversion), the NO conversion could reach up to 85% in S-doped TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 /O 3 system under test condition (GHSV = 1.2 × 105h−1, H 2 O 2 /NO = 1.2, and O 3 /NO = 0.5). Characterizations and density functional theory calculations revealed that sulfur-doping modified the local structure of the catalyst, which enables a more effective combination between Ti 5c and hydroperoxyl, thus facilitating the reaction. Besides, the introduction of sulfur could increase the adsorption capacity of NO x and enhance the Lewis acidity of the catalyst, thus improving the NO conversion performance. The stability and applicability of the process were systematically tested from the following aspects: varied gas composition, H 2 O 2 consumption, pH value, and SO 2 /CO concentration. Results revealed that the S-doped TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 /O 3 system exhibited good stability and poison resistant ability, the potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basalt fiber composites are beneficial for electrical equipment because of their low weight, strong strength, high temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance. Three different sizing agents were developed to modify basalt fibers in order to improve the interface bonding state of basalt fiber composites. The morphology, composition, and surface energy of the modified fibers were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, contact angle analysis, and other methods. The findings demonstrated that the sizing agent can be well adsorbed on the fiber surface, and the modification effect was best at a polyurethane lotion concentration of 1wt%. The mechanical properties of the composite, including flexural strength, flexural modulus, tensile strength, and interlaminar shear strength, were increased by 21.05%, 31.46%, 13.89%, and 41.46%, respectively. In terms of insulation performance, the breakdown strength can be increased by 31.73%, and the leakage current and dielectric loss factor can be reduced by 22.76% and 12.32%, respectively. The maximum decomposition rate and storage modulus of the composites dropped, while the glass transition temperature rose, according to the TGA and DMA data following the sizing agent treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover was performed in an integrated membrane bioreactor (MBR) incorporating a 10 kDa flat sheet polysulfone membrane to increase cellulose conversion and to reduce enzyme dosage. Several pretreatment methods and semi-continuous MBR were examined to investigate their effect on the glucose yield and enzyme utilization efficiency. Compared with conventional batch reactor (CBR), cellulose conversion increased by 5% in a MBR because of the removal of glucose and cellobiose inhibitors. More than 15% increment in cellulose conversion was obtained using fed-MBR, and the reaction rate improved significantly. Enzyme utilization efficiency in a fed-batch MBR were 1.94-fold of CBR and 1.34-fold of fed-CBR for corn stover pretreated by soaking in aqueous ammonia and 3.31-fold of CBR and 1.32-fold of fed-CBR for corn stover pretreated by diluted sulfuric acid-sodium hydroxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To obtain high concentration of ethanol from cellulose, corncob was pretreated with acid and alkali to remove non-cellulose components, and then subjected to simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). An ethanol concentration as high as 69.2g/L was achieved with 19% dry matter (DM) using batch SSF, resulting in an 81.2% overall ethanol yield. A fed-batch process using a high solid concentration was also investigated. Fresh substrate was pretreated with dilute sulfuric acid–sodium hydroxide, and then added at different amounts during the first 24h, to yield a final dry matter content of 25% (w/v). SSF conditions with cellulose loading of 22.8 FPU/g glucan, dry yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) loading of 5g/L and substrate supplementation every 4h yielded the highest ethanol concentration of 84.7g/L after 96h. This corresponded to a 79% overall ethanol yield. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Treatment of corn (Zea mays L.) cob under mild reaction conditions (60 °C and atmospheric pressure) in 88% formic acid was an effective method for separating cellulose from hemicellulose and lignin components in lignocellulose. Most of the hemicellulose degradation and lignin removal occurred within the first 90 min. After 6 h treatment, the decomposition of hemicellulose and the recovery of lignin were over 85% and 70%, respectively. Multi-level structures of lignin and solid residues were further characterized by FTIR, XRD, TG/DTG, SEM and SEC. Peaks attributable to lignin or hemicellulose disappeared in FTIR spectra, indicating complete removal of these two components. The remaining solid residues had a higher crystalline index. The major pyrolysis temperature of corncob was increased after formic acid treatment; the molecular weight (MW) of cellulose in solid residues was higher than that in intact cobs, whereas the hemicellulose remaining in the pulp had a lower MW than the original. Lignin was extracted in an esterified form designated as formic acid lignin (FAL). FAL had two thermal decomposition temperatures (T d) at 277 °C and 385 °C. The MW of lignin increased following formic acid treatment, which may make it a better starting material for chemical syntheses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The impact of F species on CeO 2 catalyst for toluene oxidation was studied. • F-doping is beneficial to enhance the catalytic performance of CeO 2. • F species exist in the form of surface F and lattice F on F 3 -Ce. • The surface F is more conducive to the formation of oxygen vacancies by DFT calculation. • Oxygen adsorption activation and toluene capacity both enhance the catalytic performance. In this study, fluorine (F) modified cerium oxide (F x -Ce) catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation method to investigate the impact of fluorine species on CeO 2 catalyst for toluene oxidation. Compared to bared CeO 2 , the catalysis activity of F x -Ce was further improved. The temperature of toluene conversion (T 90% and T 50%) for F 3 -Ce decreased by ΔT 90% = 30°C and ΔT 50% = 15°C, respectively. The characterizations of H 2 -TPR, O 2 -TPD, Raman, XPS certified that there was more chemisorbed oxygen, oxygen vacancies and Ce3+ ions on the F 3 -Ce than bared CeO 2. DFT calculations demonstrated that the formation energy of oxygen vacancy on F 3 -Ce is reduced by surface-florine, which promotes the formation of oxygen vacancy. Meanwhile, Toluene-TPD indicated that fluorine-doping increased the adsorption capacity of toluene on CeO 2. According to the above-mentioned results, F 3 -Ce has higher oxygen vacancy concentration, more active oxygen, and larger toluene adsorption capacity. Thus it has the optimal catalytic activity for toluene oxidation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic acids (OAs) play important roles in a variety of intracellular metabolic pathways, such as the tricarboxylic acid cycle, fatty acid oxidation, glycolysis. The accurate detection of OAs in fecal samples was crucial for comprehending the metabolic changes associated with various metabolic disease. However, the analytical protocol detecting OAs profiling in feces have received scant attention. In this work, an optimized protocol based on chromatography-mass spectrometry for simultaneous quantification of 23 OAs in rat feces was developed. The optimal conditions involved using a 40-mg fecal sample mixed with isopropyl alcohol, acetonitrile, and deionized water (3:2:2 vol ratio) with a total volume of 1500 μL, followed by ultrasonic extraction and a derivatization reaction with an 80 μL derivative agent. The protocol showed an acceptable linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9906), the satisfactory precision (RSD% ≤ 14.87%), the low limits of detection (0.001 to 1 μg/mL) and the limit of quantification (0.005 to 1.5 μg/mL). Moreover, the dried residues of the extracted solution showed the better stability of OAs at −20 °C, which was more suitable for a large-scale sample analysis. Finally, the developed protocol was successfully applied to compare the difference of OAs profiling in fecal samples harvested from normal and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease rats, which was beneficial to find out the metabolic change of OAs profiling and explain the related mechanism of the disease. • A protocol for accurate measurement of 23 organic acids in feces was developed. • The response surface methodology was used to optimize the protocols. • The OAs was more stable when stored in nitrogen-blown dried residues. • The protocol distinguished nonalcoholic fatty liver rats from normal rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of mutually reinforcing solar‐driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) and integrated functional materials/systems to achieve efficient production of freshwater and energy/matters simultaneously under extremely high solar utilization is in high demand. Herein, an integrated SDIE reaction system (reduced graphene oxide (rGO)‐palladium (Pd) catalytic evaporator, rGO‐Pd) is first reported, where SDIE and the integrated catalytic reaction are mutually reinforced. The apparent utilization of solar to thermal energy by the integrated SDIE reaction system is a combination of evaporative utilization and catalytic utilization. The reaction heat released by the rGO‐Pd catalytic evaporator enhances its anti‐salt water production performance to a record of 12.7 L m−2 h−1, surpassing the reported performance of other integrated SDIE reaction systems. In the rGO‐Pd catalytic evaporator, the synergetic effect of photothermal and rapid mass transfer significantly increases the catalytic activity (turnover frequency) of Pd catalysts up to a record 125.07 min−1, which is about 3.75 times of the condition without light. This integrated SDIE reaction system can effectively and simultaneously produce freshwater, salt, and catalyzed chemicals after evaporating water to dryness. This study paves the way for SDIE's high‐performance applications in future integrated water, energy, and environmental systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A versatile controlled-release method was developed for the in situ growth of graphdiyne on arbitrary substrates. Cu2+-Ions escaped from the polyvinylpyrrolidone/copper acetate film on the surface of various substrates (e.g. SiO2, ZnO, Al, etc.), acting as the catalyst for the acetylenic coupling reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. NO 2 absorption was facilitated by the sulfite solution with the addition of CuCl 2. 2. CuCl formed by the reaction of SO 3 2− and CuCl 2 could remove NO 2 and convert NO 2 to NO 2 −. 3. CuCl was oxidized to Cu2+ by NO 2 and O 2 , realizing the cyclic utilization of CuCl 2. 4. The addition of CuCl 2 could effectively inhibit the unfavorable oxidation of SO 3 2−. [Display omitted] • Using CuCl 2 /sulfite mixed solution to absorption NO 2. • NO 2 removal performance was improved in sulfite solution with the adding CuCl 2. • The intermediate CuCl could directly remove NO 2 and produce NO 2 −. • The addition of CuCl 2 retarded the adverse oxidation of SO 3 2−. • Using DFT calculation to explore the denitrification mechanism. A novel strategy was proposed to scrub NO x pollutant originated from sintering flue gases by oxidation combined with wet flue gas denitrification technology. CuCl 2 that could be adopted repeatedly was introduced as an additive into the sulfite solution to enhance NO 2 removal. Comparing with the sulfite solution (0.05 mol/L), the absorption efficiency improved from 75% to 100%, and the stabilization period extended from 10 to 40 min notably with the addition of CuCl 2. The intensification by CuCl 2 addition was related to the formation of CuCl during the reaction of CuCl 2 and SO 3 2−, which was found to be more effective in removing NO 2. Afterwards, CuCl transformed to Cu2+ substance again and this mutual transformation between CuCl and Cu2+ substance indicated a cyclic use of CuCl 2 additive. Moreover, the feasible reaction pathway was further proved by DFT calculations. Additionally, the investigation on NO 2 absorption at various operating parameters provided theoretical support for the practical application of CuCl 2 in denitrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basalt fiber (BF) has high mechanical strength, good insulation performance and low cost. It is suitable to be used as reinforcement material in the manufacture of electrical equipment. However, the large surface inertia of basalt fiber makes it difficult to combine with the matrix material, which seriously limits its service life and application scenarios. In addition, the serious vacancy in the research of insulation properties also limits its production and application in the electrical field. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of difficult bonding between basalt fiber and resin matrix and make up for the research blank of basalt fiber composites in insulation performance, this paper provides a basalt fiber modification method—SiO2 coating, and tests the insulation and mechanical properties of the modified composite. We used nano-SiO2 coating solution to modify basalt fiber, and manufactured BF/resin composite (BFRP) by hand lay-up and hot-pressing technology, and experimentally analyzed the influence of nano-SiO2 content on the mechanical and insulation properties of the modified composite. Fourier transform infrared spectrum and scanning electron microscope analysis showed that nano-SiO2 was successfully coated on basalt fibers. Through the microdroplet debonding test, it was found that the IFSS of fiber/resin was improved by 35.15%, 72.97 and 18.9%, respectively, after the modification of the coating solution with SiO2 concentration of 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%, showing better interface properties; the single fiber tensile test found that the tensile strength of the modified fiber increased slightly. Among all composites, 1 wt% SiO2 coating modified composites showed the best comprehensive properties. The surface flashover voltage and breakdown field strength reached 13.12 kV and 33 kV/mm, respectively, which were 34.6% and 83% higher than unmodified composite. The dielectric loss is reduced to 1.43%, which is 33.8% lower than the dielectric loss (2.16%) of the untreated composite, showing better insulation ability; the tensile strength, bending strength and interlaminar shear strength were increased to 618.22 MPa, 834.74 MPa and 16.29 MPa, respectively, which were increased by 53%, 42.4% and 59.7%, compared with untreated composites. DMA and glass transition temperature showed that the modified composite had better heat resistance. TGA experiments showed that the resin content of the modified composite increased, and the internal structure of the composite became denser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous ingenious top‐down methods have opened a new door to the extensive research of 2D crystals. In this paper, a novel "differential‐temperature exfoliation technology" is proposed to synthesize 2D few‐layer MoS2. Several characterizations are conducted for discussion. The spectroscopic, optical, and purification capacity of the as‐exfoliated layered structures is further studied systematically. This research provides insights into the novel top‐down production and the related potential for environmental protection of few‐layer MoS2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is increasing evidence that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) help shape the tumor microenvironment and promote tumor progression, and ion channels might play a critical role in this process. The objective of the present study was to explore the function and mechanism of MT-CAFs on progression of colon cancer. Methods: Here, a gene chip was used for a general analysis of gene expression changes in MSC-transformed CAF cells (MT-CAFs). Bioinformatic tool and western blot screened out the ion channel protein TRPC3 with significantly increased expression, and identify the function through two-photon microscope. The progression of cancer was detected via MTS, transwell and Wound Healing. ELISA deected the secretion of inflammation factors. TRPC3/NF-KB axis was identified by western blot and immunofluorescence. Results: TRPC3 can caused calcium influx, which further activated the NF-KB signaling pathway. Knockdown or inhibition of TRPC3 in MSCs significantly reduced the activation of NF-KB, and decreased the growth, migration, and invasion of MT-CAFs. After TRPC3 knockdown, the ability of MT- CAFs to promote tumor migration and invasion was impaired. Conversely, the upregulation of TRPC3 expression in MT-CAFs had the opposite effect. In vivo, TRPC3 expressed on MSCs also contributed to the tumorigenesis and progression of cancer cells. In addition, the Oncomine and GEPIA databases showed that TRPC3 expression is higher in colon cancer tissues compared with normal colon tissues, and was positively correlated with the expression of the CAF genes alpha-smooth muscle (α-SMA/ACTA2) and fibroblast activation protein Alpha. The disease-free survival of patients with positive TRPC3 expression in MSCs was significantly shorter than those with negative expression. Conclusions: These results indicate that TRPC3 expressed on MT-CAFs plays a critical role in tumor progression via the NF-KB signaling pathway, and is correlated with poor prognosis in colon cancer patients. Therefore, TRPC3 may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to promote the application of composite insulators in coastal areas with high temperature, high humidity and high salt, it is of great importance to develop matrix resin with salt corrosion resistance for composite core rods. In this study, bisphenol A epoxy resin was modified by blending with alicyclic epoxy resin (2021P). Three different proportions of 2021P/DGEBA blend resins (0% 2021P/DGEBA, 10% 2021P/DGEBA and 20% 2021P/DGEBA) were prepared, and the high salt medium corrosion test was carried out. The physicochemical (FTIR, DMA, TGA) and electrical properties (dielectric loss, leakage current and breakdown field strength) of the blend resin before and after aging were tested and analyzed, and the optimal blend proportion was determined. The results showed that after salt aging, the Tg of 0% 2021P/DGEBA decreased to 122.99 °C, while the Tg of 10% 2021P/DGEBA reached 134.89 °C; The leakage current of 0% 2021P/DGEBA increased to 48.994 μA, while that of 10% 2021P/DGEBA only increased to 44.549 μA; The breakdown field strength of 0% 2021P/DGEBA dropped to 40.36 kv/mm, while that of 10% 2021P/DGEBA only dropped to 43.63 kv/mm. The introduction of 2021P enhanced the salt corrosion resistance of the blend resin, which could hinder the penetration, diffusion and erosion of external media (such as Na+, Cl−, H2O, etc.) to the matrix resin. The comprehensive properties of 10% 2021P/DGEBA blend system reached the best, which was better than other blending resins, showing great application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basalt fiber (BF) has a high mechanical strength, excellent temperature resistance, good chemical stability, low energy consumption, and an environmentally friendly production process. In addition, BF-reinforced polymers (BFRPs) have good corrosion resistance and designability; thus, they meet the application requirements of electrical equipment, such as new conductors, insulating pull rods, and composite cross-arms. However, there are still a series of technical issues in the mass production of BF, and the stability of the products needs to be further improved. Therefore, the research on the production, modification, and application of BF is necessary. This paper discusses the chemical composition and production technology of BF, describes the morphology and properties of BF, summarizes the interface problems and modification methods of composites, and finally, introduces the application prospects of BF in the field of electrical materials, which is expected to provide a reference for the application and promotion of BFRP in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Oxidation efficiency of 98% for NO is obtained by TiO 2 with exposed {0 0 1} facets in O 3 /H 2 O 2 system. • TiO 2 with exposed {0 0 1} facets promote the conversion of O 3 and H 2 O 2 into ·OH and ·O 2 –. • OH and ·O 2 – radicals play an important role for the NO oxidation. • O 3 /H 2 O 2 /TiO 2 (0 0 1) method shows satisfactory stability. The peroxone reaction (O 3 /H 2 O 2) on the surface of TiO 2 to generate ·O 2 – and ·OH is an efficient method for pollutant control. In the present work, anatase TiO 2 with a high percentage of exposed {0 0 1} facets were synthesized and investigated in O 3 /H 2 O 2 process, which exhibited an excellent performance for NO oxidation. Experimental results showed that NO oxidation efficiency reached 98 % at the molar ratio of H 2 O 2 /NO = 4.36 and O 3 /NO = 0.5. The promotion mechanism for NO oxidation was proposed: TiO 2 with exposed {0 0 1} facets could improve the adsorption of O 3 , and enhance the activation of H 2 O 2. A significant synergistic effect between O 3 and H 2 O 2 over TiO 2 (0 0 1) catalyst inducing ·OH and ·O 2 – radicals, which was contributed to NO oxidation. Furthermore, the reaction mechanism of the O 3 /H 2 O 2 /TiO 2 (0 0 1) process was further revealed by in-situ DRIFTS, and the main product was NO 3 –. Moreover, O 3 /H 2 O 2 /TiO 2 (0 0 1) exhibited the stable NO oxidation performance under different gas component including CO, CO 2 and SO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the application of the composite cross-arm in power systems, comprehensive anti-aging performance is a key factor to determine whether it can operate safely. In order to study the influence of the operating environment on the external insulation characteristics of composite cross-arms of distribution networks, various aging conditions such as voltage, rain, temperature, humidity, salt fog and ultraviolet light were simulated in a climate chamber based on the real operation conditions of the 10-kV composite cross-arm. A multi-factor aging test of composite cross-arms with two kinds of cross-section shapes (T-shaped and square) was carried out for 5000 h. The change trends of leakage current and flashover voltage of the composite cross-arms before and after aging were analyzed. Finally, the aging mechanism of the silicone rubber sheaths was analyzed to further explain the reasons for the change of external insulation performance of composite cross-arms. The results show that the leakage current rising rate of T-shaped and square composite cross-arms after aging increases significantly, and the minimum flashover voltage decreases to 58.3 kV and 49.502 kV, respectively. The results of FTIR, SEM and hydrophobic angle tests show that, after aging, the performance of the silicone rubber outer sheath material decreases in varying degrees. In general, UV aging has the greatest influence on the external insulation characteristics of composite cross arms. Generally speaking, after 5000 h of multi factor aging, although the external insulation characteristics of the 10-kV composite cross-arm decreases to a certain extent, there is still enough margin to meet the normal operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-range ferromagnetic ordering in semiconductors has become an attractive research hotspot due to its promising potential in spintronics and information technology. Especially the appearance of carbon-based semiconductors represented by graphdiyne (GDY) makes it easy to realize ferromagnetic semiconductors. Herein, a convenient and effective route has been developed to prepare GDY-based magnetic semiconductors using the modification with transition metal elements including Fe, Co, and Ni, respectively. Among them, lightly doped GDY with Co (Co-GDY) exhibits the most outstanding ferromagnetism with a typical Curie's temperature above room temperature. Meanwhile, the coercive field H c = 78 Oe at T = 300 K of Co-GDY is the smallest, demonstrating characteristics of easy magnetization. Subsequent spin-polarized DFT calculation results reveal that the robust ferromagnetism of Co-GDY arises from the most significant local magnetic moment. Significantly, a noticeable band gap can still be maintained due to the very light doping level. These results reveal an optimization strategy for selecting doping elements, promoting carbon-based semiconductors application in spin-related fields. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NO oxidation efficiency of 93% was achieved in O 3 /H 2 O 2 /Ce-MCM-41. • •OH and •O 2 − radicals in O 3 /H 2 O 2 /Ce-MCM-41process were verified by radical scavengers. • A promotion mechanism was developed to interpret the NO oxidation process. • Ce-MCM-41 showed satisfactory stability. A series of Cerium-doped MCM-41 were prepared by hydrothermal method and used in peroxone process (O 3 /H 2 O 2) for low-temperature NO oxidation. The experimental results showed that the NO oxidation efficiency could reach 93% for 3Ce-MCM-41 (molar ratio Ce/Si = 3%) under the molar ratio of H 2 O 2 /NO = 2.8 and O 3 /NO = 0.5. The addition of SO 2 was conducive to the improvement of NO oxidation efficiency, which was assigned to SO 2 improving the desorption of the intermediate product NO 2 and promoting the progress of NO oxidation reaction. The hydroxyl and superoxide radical scavenger tert‑butanol and p-Quinone confirmed that O 3 /H 2 O 2 /3Ce-MCM-41 followed the •OH and •O 2 − radicals co-oxidation mechanism. Afterwards, the characterized results exhibited that Ce was incorporated into the framework of MCM-41 and presented in tetrahedral coordination, which enhanced Lewis acid sites over Ce-MCM-41 samples. Besides, the presence of Ce3+/Ce4+ promoted electron transfer. Meanwhile, the high surface area of 3Ce-MCM-41 (819 m2•g−1) was benefited to reactants transfer. Thus, O 3 /H 2 O 2 /3Ce-MCM-41 process achieved a high NO oxidation efficiency. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NO oxidation efficiency of 93% was achieved in O 3 /H 2 O 2 /Ce-MCM-41. • •OH and •O 2 − radicals in O 3 /H 2 O 2 /Ce-MCM-41process were verified by radical scavengers. • A promotion mechanism was developed to interpret the NO oxidation process. • Ce-MCM-41 showed satisfactory stability. A series of Cerium-doped MCM-41 were prepared by hydrothermal method and used in peroxone process (O 3 /H 2 O 2) for low-temperature NO oxidation. The experimental results showed that the NO oxidation efficiency could reach 93% for 3Ce-MCM-41 (molar ratio Ce/Si = 3%) under the molar ratio of H 2 O 2 /NO = 2.8 and O 3 /NO = 0.5. The addition of SO 2 was conducive to the improvement of NO oxidation efficiency, which was assigned to SO 2 improving the desorption of the intermediate product NO 2 and promoting the progress of NO oxidation reaction. The hydroxyl and superoxide radical scavenger tert‑butanol and p-Quinone confirmed that O 3 /H 2 O 2 /3Ce-MCM-41 followed the •OH and •O 2 − radicals co-oxidation mechanism. Afterwards, the characterized results exhibited that Ce was incorporated into the framework of MCM-41 and presented in tetrahedral coordination, which enhanced Lewis acid sites over Ce-MCM-41 samples. Besides, the presence of Ce3+/Ce4+ promoted electron transfer. Meanwhile, the high surface area of 3Ce-MCM-41 (819 m2•g−1) was benefited to reactants transfer. Thus, O 3 /H 2 O 2 /3Ce-MCM-41 process achieved a high NO oxidation efficiency. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Sodium doped flaky g-C 3 N 4 with nitrogen defects was rationally fabricated. • The photocatalyst realizes the efficient reduction performance of CO 2. • The introduction of nitrogen defects promotes the increase of active sites. • Sodium doping and flaky structure are conducive to electron transfer and accelerate the reaction. • The photocatalyst shows good stability and reusability in CO 2 reduction. Sodium doped flaky carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) with nitrogen defects (bmw-DCN-x) were synthesized via two steps method to enhance photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2). After ball milling and calcination, dicyandiamide was evenly dispersed on the sodium chloride (NaCl) template to form a flaky structure. The NaCl not only provided part of sodium (Na) source for Na doped g-C 3 N 4 , but also introduced a large number of nitrogen (N) defects. Meanwhile, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) significantly enhanced Na doping. The bmw-DCN-30, a proportion of modified g-C 3 N 4 , showed heightened photo-reduction CO 2 performance, with satisfactory carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH 4) productivity at a rate of 30.6 μmol·g−1·h−1 and 5.4 μmol·g−1·h−1 respectively. This productivity was 15 and 11 times as much as that of bulky g-C 3 N 4 (BCN). The related characterizations confirmed that N defects produced more reactive sites and enhanced the adsorption capacity of carbon nitride to CO 2. The accompanying Na doping and flaky structure characteristics improved the optical absorption ability and the effective separation of photogenerated carriers. Accordingly, this work provides further insights into constructing modified materials based on carbon nitride for CO 2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important component of the dynamic tumor microenvironment, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can interact with tumor cells to promote tumor growth. Treatment with tumor cell-derived exosomes can change the biological functions of MSCs. We want to study the mechanism by which exosomes derived from gastric cancer cells affect the biological functions of MSCs. After MSCs were treated with adenocarcinoma gastric cells (AGS) cell-derived exosomes, circular RNAs differentially expressed in MSCs were verified using existing RNA microarray results combined with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Then, circular RNAs were knocked down or overexpressed by plasmids, and the functions of circular RNAs were evaluated by Migration and invasion assay. Dual luciferase reporter assay was used to evaluate the potential mechanism of circular RNAs. After treatment with exosomes secreted by AGS, the results showed that some circular RNAs expressed by human adipose-derived MSCs showed significant differences. The elevated circ_0004303 promoted the migration and invasion of human adipose-derived MSCs in vitro. Circ_0004303 upregulated the expression of activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) by acting as a miR-148a-3p sponge, thereby enhancing the migration and invasion functions of human adipose-derived MSCs. Therefore, exosomes secreted by AGS can affect the expression of circular RNAs in human adipose-derived MSCs. Hsa_circ_0004303 can regulate the migration and invasion of human adipose-derived MSCs via the miR-148a-3P/ALCAM axis. This study suggests that tumor cells can promote the migration and homing of MSCs in adjacent tissues by secreting exosomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a common pediatric urinary system disease. The aim in this work was to investigate the changes in pediatric NS-related metabolites through serum metabolomics, and explore the new potential metabolites and differential metabolic pathways. Methods: Serum samples from 40 pediatric patients with nephrotic syndrome and 40 healthy controls were collected. The targeted and non-targeted metabolomics analyses were performed to determine the metabolic changes in pediatric NS. Based on multivariate statistical analysis and the regression model, the serum potential metabolites were screened and different metabolic pathways were explored. Results: 39 differential metabolites in pediatric NS were obtained based on the metabolomics analysis. 12 differential metabolites (serine, C18: 2 (EFA), C18: 2 (FFA), Isonuatigenin 3- [rhamnosyl- (1- > 2) -glucoside], C18: 4 (EFA), C18: 4 (FFA), caprylic acid, citric acid, methylmalonic acid, caproic acid, canavalioside and uroporphyrin were identified to establish the diagnostic model for pediatric NS. Five metabolic pathways including TCA cycle, amino acid metabolism, bile acid biosynthesis, linoleate metabolism and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism were the key differential metabolic pathways. Conclusion: These data elucidated the metabolic alterations associated with pediatric NS and suggested a new diagnosis model for monitoring pediatric NS. The current study provides the useful information to bridge the gaps in our understanding of the metabolic alterations associated with pediatric NS and might facilitate the characterization of pediatric NS patients by performing serum metabolomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing methodological strategies for the doping of nitrogen (N) atoms in carbon materials usually contain more than one species with indefinite N content, which made it difficult to study the role of each type of N atoms played duing the doping and severely restrict the wide application. Herein, we reported a developed synthetic strategy for preparing carbonous materials contained with specific N atoms. The well-defined carbonous network triazine-graphdiyne (TA-GDY), which comprising merely one type of N atoms with fixed amount, has been prepared through bottom-up way with triethynyltriazine as the starting molecule. TA-GDY is an unique two-dimensional (2D) carbonous material, including sp- and sp 2 -hybridized carbon atoms, as well as quantitative pyridine-like sp 2 -hybridized N atoms. All the N atoms are placed on the plane of the carbon skeleton, and the high N content provides plenty of active heteroatom sites decorated uniformly in the hexagonal honeycomb-like pores. Based on theoretical prediction, the wide interlayer spacing and large amount of pyridinic-N as well as uniform honeycomb-like pores are favorable for Li-ion storage and diffusion. As expected, the TA-GDY-based electrodes exhibit outstanding Li-ion storage performance, such as superior rate capability, larger capacity, and excellent stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxidation of sulfite absorbent by oxidants in flue gas (such as O 2) was one of the prime reasons hindering the NO x removal in wet flue gas denitrification technology. In this work, a novel approach to scrub NO 2 was presented via adding Mn2+ to inhibit the adverse oxidation of sulfite absorbent. After adding Mn2+ in sulfite solution, NO 2 removal efficiency enhanced from 90% to 98%, meanwhile, the period of efficiency >50% extended from 23 to 78 min. The absorption performance improvement and absorbent saving were attributed to the inhibition of the oxidation of SO 3 2− by Mn2+, which was related to the hindrance on a rapid chain oxidation reaction including SO 3 •- with using Mn2+. Mn2+ inhibited the oxidation of SO 3 2− by O 2 via forming MnSO 3 precipitation with SO 3 2−. At the same time, Mn2+ could directly consume SO 3 •- to block the chain reaction of free radicals, and prevent the oxidation of SO 3 2− by free radical. In addition, the kinetic model representing the macro absorption rate was built and this also demonstrated the favorable role of Mn2+ additive. This work provided theoretical direction for practical applications. 1. NO 2 absorption was facilitated by the sulfite solution with the addition of Mn2+. 2. MnSO 3 formed by the reaction of sulfite and Mn2+ could effectively inhibit the oxidation of SO 3 2−. 3. Mn2+ could remove part of SO 3 •-. [Display omitted] • Using Mn2+/sulfite mixed solution to remove NO 2. • Denitrification performance was improved in sulfite solution with the addition of Mn2+. • Adverse oxidation of SO 3 2− was inhibited with the adding Mn2+. • Mn2+ could remove SO 3 •-. • The kinetic model under various operating parameters was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most prevalent types of upper gastrointestinal malignancies. This work aimed to identify potential biomarkers for early screening for ESCC and characterize the systemic metabolic disturbances underlying ESCC using multi-platform metabolomics analysis. We divided 239 patients (the early-stage ESCC patients, n = 132; Healthy controls, n = 107) into discovery and validation sets after matching age and sex. Integrated statistical and multi-platform serum metabolomics analyses were used to screen and validate significant metabolites linked to ESCC patients. Multi-platform metabolomics analyses showed that amino acid and lipid metabolism were crucial in the etiology of ESCC. Five metabolites, tryptophan (Trp), citrulline, l -carnitine, lysine, and acetyl-carnitine, were selected as potential biomarkers to establish a diagnosis panel, which showed high accuracy in distinguishing ESCC patients from healthy controls (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.873, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.825–0.925). This work laid the groundwork for understanding the etiology of ESCC. The diagnostic panel showed potential usefulness in early-stage ESCC diagnosis in clinical practice. [Display omitted] • Multi-platform metabolomics revealed four pathways are disturbed in ESCC patients. • The performance of diagnostic model constructed by five metabolites was more accuracy than that of traditional indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D materials have many advantages in manufacturing sensors due to their high surface-volume ratio, rich electrochemically active sites, and other unique performances. This paper prepared rGO/MoS 2 composites with annealed reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and MoS 2 by ultrasonic method. Their response discussed including electrical signal changes of non-contact human body sensing and heavy metal ion detection. The rGO/MoS 2 composites ink was sprayed on the flexible PET substrate to fabricate a sensor. Its responses to exhaled gas and non-contact finger reached up to 1500% and 5400% in a 52% humidity environment respectively. For heavy metal ions in water, the minimum detection concentration limit of Hg (II) in water reached 1 nM. This work shows that the rGO/MoS 2 composites are promising materials to develop flexible sensors for the detection of non-contact creatures and heavy metal pollution. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • TiO 2 with surface fluorine for high-efficiency NO oxidation in the presence of O 3 and H 2 O 2. • The role of surface fluorine was investigated by characterization and experimental design. • The synthesized surface fluorine of TiO 2 catalyst exhibited satisfactory stability and resistance of different gas composition. • A promotion mechanism was developed to interpret the NO x oxidation process. Inducing radicals for low-temperature NO oxidation is considered to be one of the most efficient methods. In the present study, it was proposed that catalytic conversion of O 3 and H 2 O 2 on F/TiO 2 (surface fluorine of TiO 2) into multiple radicals for high-efficiency NO oxidation, which excessed 96% under the molar ratio of O 3 /NO = 0.5 and H 2 O 2 /NO = 4.36. A promotion mechanism was carefully discussed by experimental design and characterization analysis: F/TiO 2 could greatly promote the deprotonation of H 2 O 2 to form Ti-OOH species. Besides, surface fluorine was conducive to the adsorption of O 3. Thus, F/TiO 2 enhanced the reaction of Ti-OOH with O 3 to generate ·OH and ·O 2 – radicals, which induced a high-efficiency NO oxidation. Finally, the effect of reaction temperature, H 2 O 2 concentration, pH value, the concentration of CO, CO 2 and SO 2 were systematically investigated. The results revealed that this process exhibited a good stability and resistance of different gas composition, and had an industrial application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Zymomonas mobilis was genetically improved for pentose utilization to increase the final ethanol concentration. It showed good fermentation ability on both soluble sugar mixture and lignocellulose. Nearly all the glucose and xylose in sugar mixture can be consumed, corresponding to 86 % of theoretic ethanol yield. Simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) of NaOH-pretreated corncob was then carried out in a high dry matter (DM) loading of 15-25 w/ v%. At the DM loading of 15 %, the suitable operating conditions were determined, i.e., Z. mobilis loading of 0.30 g dry weight/L at 30 °C (pH 5.5), under which the ethanol concentration reached 49.2 g/L. Higher final ethanol concentrations were obtained when SSCF was operated at the fed-batch mode. Several amounts of substrate (1 % to 10 %) were added, and the highest final ethanol concentration (60.5 g/L) was obtained at 10 % DM addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Combining information dynamic model with public sentiment analyses represented by three kinds of emotions. • Dividing population into five states: the susceptible state, the positive forwarding state, the neutral forwarding state, the negative forwarding state, and the immune state. • The behavior of users, that they have emotional choices after contacting a piece of information with specific emotion is studied in the dynamic model. • The emotion which is consistent with the keynote of the original information is far more than that of other emotions, but the other emotions should not be ignored. • Effective communication strategies are identified to guide the public sentiment based on parametric analyses. Social networks are flooded with different pieces of emotional information, the propagation of which helps to shape the development of public sentiment. To help designing effective communication strategies during the entire development of an event, we propose an emotion-based susceptible-forwarding-immune (E-SFI) propagation dynamic model, that takes into account of the categories of emotions into positive, neutral and negative and the emotional choices of user communities, to investigate the information propagation process that leads to public sentiment. Our model is based on the forwarding quantity and takes into account the differential influence of a delivered emotional information on the emotion change of users depending on their respective emotion status. Our Model-based analytic and numerical analyses show that three types of forwarding probabilities involved in our E-SFI model are in accordance with the actual accident situation, and our sensitivity analyses describe important factors that affect the emotional choices of user communities in support for decision strategies to guide the public sentiment. To quantify the significance of these factors, we introduce multiple summative indices including the information with emotions propagation reproduction number, and emotion entropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite cross-arms have been developed to take place of the steel cross-arm in the power system. In order to suit the environmental impact factors in the long-term operation, superior comprehensive properties of the internally insulated materials for composite cross-arm are required. In the present study, a syntactic foam based on hollow polymer microsphere (HPM)-filled siliconized epoxy resin (SER) was prepared for satisfying these requirements. First, the SER was synthesized using poly (methylphenylsiloxane) and an epoxy resin via a graft reaction. The as-synthesized SER was characterized via Fourier transform infrared, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and 13C NMR spectroscopies. Subsequently, a series of SER-based syntactic foams were fabricated using HPM with five different mass fractions. According to the thermogravimetric analysis results, the thermal stability of the composites considerably improved because of the introduction of the siloxane bond. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the composites simultaneously decreased with increasing HPM content. The dielectric strength of the composites remained 10.08–21.31 kV/mm after hydrothermal treatment, indicating excellent electrical insulation reliability. Notably, after water diffusion pre-stressing, the leakage current properties of the composites only slightly differed as the HPM content increased. These results further support their application as an internally insulated material for a composite cross-arm. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research studied the effect of polyethylene glycol modification on the structure-property relationship of CrO x /TiO 2 catalysts. Polyethylene glycol was coated on the surface of TiO 2 and heating in N 2 atmosphere to form coated carbon, which could prevent the agglomeration of Cr3+ when loading. Finally, CrO x /yPEG-TiO 2 (y = 0, 30, 50) catalysts with high dispersion and strong interaction can be obtained by calcined in air. The high dispersion CrO x /50PEG-TiO 2 catalyst exhibited higher catalytic activity than that of CrO x /0PEG-TiO 2. CrO x was loaded on a different amount of polyethylene glycol modified TiO 2 (CrO x /yPEG-TiO 2) by impregnation method, successfully utilized in NO oxidation. The structure-property relationships of the catalysts were explored through different characterization techniques including XRD, BET, Raman, XPS, H 2 -TPR, O 2 -TPD, NO-TPD and in situ DRIFTS. The results pointed out that the polyethylene glycol modification could enhance the interaction between CrO x with TiO 2. Among these CrO x /yPEG-TiO 2 (y = 0, 30, 50, 80) catalysts, the CrO x /50PEG-TiO 2 had the strongest interaction between CrO x with TiO 2 , which resulted in more chemical adsorption oxygen. Meanwhile, CrO x /50PEG-TiO 2 had a certain amount of Cr6+. It exhibited the highest catalytic activity due to the synergy between CrO x and chemical adsorption oxygen, which reached 55% at the temperature of 350 °C. Moreover, the CrO x /50PEG-TiO 2 still exhibited wide activity temperature windows of 225–425 °C and good stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]