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Aloperine (ALO), a quinolizidine‐type alkaloid isolated from a natural Chinese herb, has shown promising antitumor effects. Nevertheless, its common mechanism of action and specific target remain elusive. Here, it is demonstrated that ALO inhibits the proliferation and migration of non‐small cell lung cancer cell lines in vitro and the tumor development in several mouse tumor models in vivo. Mechanistically, ALO inhibits the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes and the autophagic flux, leading to the accumulation of sequestosome‐1 (SQSTM1) and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby inducing tumor cell apoptosis and preventing tumor growth. Knockdown of SQSTM1 in cells inhibits ROS production and reverses ALO‐induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, VPS4A is identified as a direct target of ALO, and the amino acids F153 and D263 of VPS4A are confirmed as the binding sites for ALO. Knockout of VPS4A in H1299 cells demonstrates a similar biological effect as ALO treatment. Additionally, ALO enhances the efficacy of the anti‐PD‐L1/TGF‐β bispecific antibody in inhibiting LLC‐derived subcutaneous tumor models. Thus, ALO is first identified as a novel late‐stage autophagy inhibitor that triggers tumor cell death by targeting VPS4A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary methylmercury (MeHg) exposure has posed substantial risks to human health. Existing studies have characterized the spatial patterns of China's MeHg exposure. However, the spatial difference and relevant influencing factors have not been investigated. This study quantified the spatial differences of dietary MeHg exposure in China and revealed the relevant influencing factors, which can help optimize the dietary behavior to reduce MeHg exposure. Results show that dietary MeHg exposure in coastal regions is significantly higher than the national average, especially in Shanghai (+191%). Dietary structure difference is the most significant factor influencing spatial differences in MeHg exposure, and its contribution increased from 64% to 73% between 2004 and 2019. In particular, the high proportion of marine fish intake dominates the significantly higher MeHg exposure in most regions. An intake ratio of 2:3 for marine and freshwater fishes is recommended to ensure minimal MeHg exposure and meanwhile meet the nutritional needs. Moreover, narrowing regional dietary behavior disparities can reduce the overall MeHg exposure in China. These findings highlight the importance of region-specific measures in reducing dietary MeHg exposure and implementing the Minamata Convention on Mercury. • Dietary MeHg exposure in coastal regions is higher than the national average of China. • Dietary structure contributes about 70% to the spatial difference in MeHg exposure. • An intake ratio of 2:3 for marine and freshwater fish is recommended for minimal exposure. • Narrowing dietary behavior disparities can reduce the overall MeHg exposure in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the clinical curative effects of uterine arterial chemoembolization (UACE) combined with uterine curettage treating with cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) patients, and analyze the influencing factors of postoperative efficacy. Methods. A total of 86 patients with CSP from January 2019 to December 2021 in the Gynecology ward of our hospital were selected and divided into the control group (n = 43) and the observation group (n = 43) according to the random number method. The control group was treated with an injection of methotrexate (MTX) combined with uterine curettage, and the observation group was treated with UACE combined with uterine curettage. Two months after the operation, the therapeutic effect, cesarean scar mass, and β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) level were observed and compared between the two groups. The general conditions of patients in two groups were recorded, and the influencing factors of surgical efficacy in patients were analyzed using univariate analysis and a multivariate logistic regression model. Results. After treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The volume of intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization period, menstrual recovery time, mass disappearance time, and β-HCG recovery time of the observation group were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Single factor analysis showed that the number of cesarean sections, gestational age, the largest diameter of the gestational sac, the thinnest muscular layer, and the type of CSP can all affect postoperative efficacy (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the gestational age, a maximum diameter of a gestational sac, the thinnest muscular layer, and the type of CSP were independent factors influencing the postoperative efficacy of the patients (P < 0.05). Conclusion. UACE combined with uterine curettage for CSP can significantly improve the curative effect, reduce intraoperative bleeding, and improve the recovery time of postoperative-related symptoms. The gestational age of the patient, the maximum diameter of the gestational sac, the thinnest muscular layer, and the type of CSP can independently affect the therapeutic effect of CSP patients. Fully understanding the high-risk factors that affect the efficacy of treatment of CSP, timely preventive measures, and targeted care can effectively improve the prognosis and reduce the risk of CSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • All ionic liquid-based Ionogel were synthesized by EBI at first time. • Ionogel are characterized by covalent/non-covalent coupling. • Ionogel have tunable mechanical properties and long-term stability. • Ionogel have rapid self-healing (120 s) and environmental tolerance (−60 ∼ 150 °C). • Ionogel act like skin to sense external stimuli (Strain, temperature, humidity). As novel artificial ion-conducting materials with skin-like functionalities, Ionic skins (I-Skins) have attracted wide attention in the field of smart wearables. Nonetheless, the crucial hurdle of maintaining their properties in extreme conditions, such as cold, hot or long-term storage, persists. Herein, ionic liquid monomers, ionic liquid solvents, and ionic liquid cross-linkers are employed to facilitate covalently/non-covalently coupled all ionic liquid-based Ionogel for multimodal artificial I-skin through electron beam irradiation under mild conditions at the first time. Profiting from the covalently/non-covalently interactions in the Ionogel, the Ionogel has tunable mechanical properties, excellent environmental adaptability (−60 to 150 °C), long-term stability (90 days), fast response time (0.1 s), rapid self-healing ability (120 s recovery to 90 % of original), and favorable adhesion properties. Moreover, Ionogel sensors possess the remarkable capability to accurately perceive external stimuli, including strain, temperature, and humidity, similar to human skin, which can effectively monitor human movement behavior, as well as fluctuations in ambient temperature and humidity. It is expected that this all ionic liquid-based Ionogel sensor can fill the gap of I-Skin in extreme conditions and realize multifunctional flexible sensing, thus expanding more application scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has created a tremendous economic and medical burden. The prevalence and prognostic value of SARS-CoV-2-induced kidney impairment remain controversial. The current study aimed to provide additional evidence on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in COVID-19 patients and propose the use of urinalysis as a tool for screening kidney impairment. Methods: 178 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The laboratory examinations included routine blood tests, blood biochemical analyses (liver function, renal function, lipids, and glucose), blood coagulation index, lymphocyte subset and cytokine analysis, urine routine test, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation, and serum ferritin. Results: No patient exhibited a rise in serum creatinine or Cystatin C and occurrence of AKI, and only 2.8% of patients were recorded with an elevated level of blood urea nitrogen among all cases. On the contrary, 54.2% of patients who underwent routine urine testing presented with an abnormal urinalysis as featured by proteinuria, hematuria, and leucocyturia. Conclusions: Kidney impairment is prevalent among COVID-19 patients, with an abnormal urinalysis as a clinical manifestation, implying that a routine urine test is a stronger indication of prospective kidney complication than a blood biochemistry test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the problems of dynamic load pressure and frame pressure caused by the concentration of stress by coal extraction pillars during the mechanized short-distance mining of goaves in shallow coal seams, a frame pressure accident, in the Shendong Shigetai Coal Mine, during the overlying of a fully mechanized mining goaf is taken as a research example. By applying the field measurement, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulation methods, we throughly analysed the working face coal pillar, got the regular pattern of fully mechanized overburden pressure, summarized a pillar of fully mechanized working face in the overburden strata movement regularity and development characteristics, analyzed the reason and mechanism of broken coal pillar, and put forward the corresponding prevention measures and management method. The results show that when the fully mechanized mining face enters the goaf by about 3 m, the pressure arches of the lower coal face and the upper goaf arising from the extracted coal overlap. When the vertical stress is greater than the supporting force of the hydraulic support and the coal wall, a roof ejection accident may occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MXene-based hydrogel coated cotton fabrics (MHCFs) are facilely prepared. • Evaporation enthalpy of water on the MHCFs is effectively reduced. • MHCFs exhibit excellent stability under harsh conditions. • Continuously evaporating 3.5 wt% brine on cylinder evaporator averaged at 2.46 kg m–2h−1. Herein, a robust Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene-based hydrogel-coated cotton fabrics (MHCFs) was facilely prepared by electron beam (E-beam) irradiation induced crosslinking under mild condition, which efficiently combined the outstanding light absorption and photothermal conversion performance of MXene with the excellent water transport capacity and good mechanical property of cotton fabrics (CFs). The novel MHCFs deservedly achieved not only high solar absorption, but also excellent water evaporation rate (1.65 kg m−2h−1 under 1-sun irradiation), which breaks through the theoretical limit of planar evaporators (1.47 kg m−2h−1). It also shows great stability and no salt accumulation in long-time continuous solar evaporation of 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, which remained its evaporation rate around 1.49 kg m−2h−1 under 1-sun irradiation after 12 cycles. Moreover, the covalent crosslinking among the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene sheets, PVA and cellulose of CF induced by E-beam irradiation also endowed the MHCFs with good tolerance to acidic and ultrasonic treatments. In addition, the MHCFs were facilely assembled as a 3D evaporator with cylindrical structure, which not only exhibits 3.74 kg m−2h−1 of water evaporation rate under 1-sun irradiation, but also achieves 2.46 kg m−2h−1 of averaged rate from 3.5 wt% solution after 5 cycles of continuous long-time evaporation test. This study opens a pave to fabricate robust hydrogel-coated photothermal fabrics in continuous and large-scale manner, and expands the application of solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) to the seawater desalination, wastewater treatment and evaporative crystallization, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past few years have witnessed revolutionary advances in network technology. Along with new techniques such as SDN come lots of new network security challenges. Conventional network security mechanisms are incompetent to overcome these challenges, since they are built on a static network configuration that facilitates attackers in finding the weaknesses of a network. In this article, we conceive a novel conceptual network security mechanism, the evolving defense mechanism (EDM), to resolve current and future security problems. EDM is based on a bio-inspired idea of network configuration variations. According to the security requirements of the system, the user, and the network security state, EDM selects an efficient network configuration variation strategy to prevent corresponding security threats. Combined with SDN implementation, EDM resolves security problems from a new angle and is capable of evolving with new network security technology. We sketch a way to implement EDM and present its reference framework, which serves as an ecosystem and coexisting environment for various kinds of network configuration variations. The proposed mechanism avoids the deficiency of conventional mechanisms and has potential to cope with emerging security threats. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Due to the great potential applications, high transparent organic–inorganic nanocomposites have attracted wide attention over past decade. However, it is still a challenge to maintain the transparency of optical materials due to the light scattering caused by the severely aggregation of nanoparticles (NPs) when they are introduced into the polymer matrix. In this report, we describe the preparation of UV-curable transparent poly(urethane acrylate) (PUA) nanocomposites with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate (MPS) modified ITO NPs. The FTIR and TGA results confirmed that the MPS was grafted to the surface of ITO NPs successfully. It was found that the incorporation of ITO NPs not only provided UV shielding ability to the nanocomposite coatings with the similar transparency of the pure PUA, but also exhibited low transmittance of near-infrared (NIR) light. And, the cutoff wavelength of the composites in NIR range (800–2500nm) shifts toward the lower wavelength as ITO concentration increasing. The transmittance of the nanocomposite coatings with 0wt.%, 1wt.%, 3wt.%, 5wt.%, 7wt.% and 9wt.% of the ITO NPs at 1500nm in the NIR region are 91%, 56%, 38%, 31%, 18% and 6%, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The direct preparation of adsorption materials from black liquor (BL) produced by the kraft pulping process has great potential in wastewater treatment. A three-dimensional nitrogen-doped porous carbon (N-BLSAC) with high specific surface area and large pore volume was synthesized. The adsorption performance of N-BLSAC for Cr(VI) and tetracycline (TC) was systematically investigated. Compared with the porous carbon prepared from purified lignin (N-PLAC), the adsorption performance of N-BLSAC for TC was more superior. It was not only attributed to the pore-filling effect but also the electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, and π-π electron-donor-receptor. In terms of Cr(VI), the adsorption performance of N-BLSAC and N-PLAC had little difference. Moreover, N-BLSAC and N-PLAC exhibited an excellent anti-interference property. Therefore, the porous carbon prepared by direct carbonization of BL has significant advantages in removing Cr(VI) and TC from aqueous solution. [Display omitted] • Black liquor was directly used to prepare high surface area activated carbon (N-BLSAC). • The lignin-based porous carbon (N-PLAC) was also prepared for comparison. • The adsorption performance of N-BLSAC was superior to N-PLAC. • The adsorption mechanism of Cr(VI) and TC on N-BLSAC was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cobalt nanoparticles and Co-N x groups are anchored on N-doped graphene by a simple method. • The Co/Co-Nx@NG exhibits good adsorption and catalytic conversion of polysulfides. • The graphene structure formed in situ displays excellent electrical conductivity. Sluggish reaction kinetics of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is the key issue affecting cycle capacity and rate performance. Highly conductive and catalytically active sulfur host is still a research hotspot in recent years. Herein, the sulfur host of Co nanoparticles anchored on the Co-N x active centers grafted nitrogen-doped graphene (Co/Co-N x @NG) with high catalytic activity and electrical conductivity was prepared via a simple and feasible in situ method. The cobalt-based nanocatalytic center exhibits efficient sulfur conversion efficiency. Moreover, the Co-N x coordination group is beneficial to inhibit the agglomeration of cobalt nanoparticles to form large particles and further improve the catalytic activity. In addition, the graphene structure formed at low temperature based on the two-dimensional guide of dicyandiamide in combination with the catalytic graphitization of cobalt nanoparticles has excellent electrical conductivity. Owing to the high catalytic activity, appropriate adsorption ability, and excellent electrical conductivity, the Co/Co-N x @NG applied as sulfur cathode matrix exhibits high capacities of 1300.3 mA h g−1 at 0.1 C and 884.2 mA h g−1 at 2 C, and good cycling stability with a capacity decay of only 0.069% per cycle at 2 C for 705 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal mining in the Loess Plateau can very easily generate ground cracks, and these cracks can immediately result in ventilation trouble under the mine shaft, runoff disturbance, and vegetation destruction. Advanced UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) high-resolution mapping and DL (Deep Learning) are introduced as the key methods to quickly delineate coal mining ground surface cracks for disaster prevention. Firstly, the dataset named the Ground Cracks of Coal Mining Area Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (GCCMA-UAV) is built, with a ground resolution of 3 cm, which is suitable to make a 1:500 thematic map of the ground crack. This GCCMA-UAV dataset includes 6280 images of ground cracks, and the size of the imagery is 256 × 256 pixels. Secondly, the DRA-UNet model is built effectively for coal mining ground surface crack delineation. This DRA-UNet model is an improved UNet DL model, which mainly includes the DAM (Dual Dttention Dechanism) module, the RN (residual network) module, and the ASPP (Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling) module. The DRA-UNet model shows the highest recall rate of 77.29% when the DRA-UNet was compared with other similar DL models, such as DeepLabV3+, SegNet, PSPNet, and so on. DRA-UNet also has other relatively reliable indicators; the precision rate is 84.92% and the F1 score is 78.87%. Finally, DRA-UNet is applied to delineate cracks on a DOM (Digital Orthophoto Map) of 3 km2 in the mining workface area, with a ground resolution of 3 cm. There were 4903 cracks that were delineated from the DOM in the Huojitu Coal Mine Shaft. This DRA-UNet model effectively improves the efficiency of crack delineation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low‐power frequency‐shift keying (FSK) demodulator capable of demodulating 5 Mbit/s data rate is presented. No high sampling clock is needed in this demodulator design, and thus the design not only greatly reduces the circuit complexity but also achieves a high data rate. It is suitable for a digital data transmission chain of wireless communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An evaluation method was used to assess eco-efficiency scores of 284 Chinese cities. • Spatio-temporal variations of the eco-efficiency scores of 284 cities were analyzed. • Transition effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) on eco-efficiency was examined. • FDI exhibits a pollution halo effect in the later stage of economic development. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has not only been considered to be an important economic engine to promote economic growth in China, but also has played a pivotal role in the ecological environment. Empirically, it may exhibit two conflicting effects, namely, pollution haven effect and pollution halo effect. Hence, it is of great significance of re-examine the effects of FDI on the ecological environment. To this end, we emphasize and identify the transition effects of FDI in the different stages of economic development. In this first step, we employed an extended data envelopment analysis (DEA) method to evaluate the eco-efficiency scores of 284 Chinese cities from 2005 to 2016, based on multi-source data including remote sensing image data and statistical data. In the second step, a panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model was applied to explore the transition effects of FDI on eco-efficiency. The main findings are as follows. (1) The average eco-efficiency scores presented a U-shaped curve during the sample period. Specifically, it firstly declined from 2005 to 2013, and then the decreasing trend was reversed after 2013. (2) The results of spatial heterogeneity test showed that recently the Low-Low spatial clustering was mainly concentrated on the Central Plain urban agglomeration and the northwestern region while the High-High spatial clustering could be found in three regions, namely the Yangtze River urban agglomeration, the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration, and the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration. (3) The results of the PSTR models revealed that FDI exhibited different effects on eco-efficiency in the different stages of economic development. Specifically, in the lower stage of economic level, FDI has a negative effect on eco-efficiency. The main reason could be the pollution haven effect. The rapid economic growth causes the increase in environmental awareness. Hence, when the economic level passed a certain threshold (about 79, 000 RMB), FDI contributed to the improvements of eco-efficiency scores, indicating that it became to exhibit the positive pollution halo effect. To conclude, the transition effects of FDI on eco-efficiency have been confirmed. Besides, we also observed that innovation capacity and education level were the foremost contributors to the enhancement of the eco-efficiency of Chinese cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have compared the correlation between visceral fat area (VFA) and abdominal subcutaneous fat area (SFA) with arterial stiffness (AS) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In addition, there is currently controversy regarding the correlation between VFA and SFA with AS. We aimed to investigate the relationship between VFA and SFA with AS in patients with T2D. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1475 Chinese T2D patients with an average age of 52.32 ± 10.96 years were included. VFA and SFA were determined by a dual bioelectrical impedance analyzer, and AS was determined by measurement of brachial-ankle pulse wave conduction velocity (baPWV). Atherosclerosis was deemed present in study participants with baPWV values higher than 75th percentile (1781 cm/s). Independent correlations of logVFA and logSFA with AS were assessed using multiple linear regression and multivariate logistic regression. Results: The baPWV was linked with VFA, waist circumference, and women's SFA in a general linear correlation study (P < 0.05), but not with body mass index (P = 0.3783) or men's SFA (P = 0.1899). In both men and women, VFA and SFA were positively correlated with AS, according to the generalized additive model (GAM). After fully adjusting for confounders, multiple linear regression analyses showed that for every 1-unit increase in logVFA, the beta coefficient of baPWV increased by 63.1 cm/s (95% CI: 18.4, 107.8) (P < 0.05). logSFA did not correlate significantly with baPWV (P = 0.125). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) of elevated baPWV was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.1, 3.1) (P = 0.019) per 1-unit increase in logVFA. logSFA did not correlate significantly with AS (P = 0.091). In the subgroup analysis, the correlation between logVFA and baPWV did not interact across subgroups (P-interaction > 0.05). Conclusions: Compared with SFA, VFA had a stronger independent positive correlation with AS in Chinese T2D patients. Patients with T2D should pay more attention to monitoring VFA and lowering it to minimize cardiovascular events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, berberine hydrochloride-loaded liposomes-in-gel were designed and developed to investigate their antioxidant properties and therapeutic effects on the eczema model of the mouse. Berberine hydrochloride-liposomes (BBH-L) as the nanoparticles were prepared by the thin-film hydration method and then dispersed BBH-L evenly in the gel matrix to prepare the berberine hydrochloride liposomes-gel (BBH-L-Gel) by the natural swelling method. Their antioxidant capacity was investigated by the free radical scavenging ability on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and H2O2 and the inhibition of lipid peroxides malondialdehyde (MDA). An eczema model was established, and the efficacy of the eczema treatment was preliminarily evaluated using ear swelling, the spleen index, and pathological sections as indicators. The results indicate that the entrapment efficiency of BBH-L prepared by the thin-film hydration method was 78.56% ± 0.7%, with a particle size of 155.4 ± 9.3 nm. For BBH-L-Gel, the viscosity and pH were 18.16 ± 6.34 m Pas and 7.32 ± 0.08, respectively. The cumulative release in the unit area of the in vitro transdermal study was 85.01 ± 4.53 μg/cm2. BBH-L-Gel had a good scavenging capacity on DPPH and H2O2, and it could effectively inhibit the production of hepatic lipid peroxides MDA in the concentration range of 0.4–2.0 mg/mL. The topical application of BBH-L-Gel could effectively alleviate eczema symptoms and reduce oxidative stress injury in mice. This study demonstrates that BBH-L-Gel has good skin permeability, excellent sustained release, and antioxidant capabilities. They can effectively alleviate the itching, inflammation, and allergic symptoms caused by eczema, providing a new strategy for clinical applications in eczema treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Y 2 O 3 -MgO nanocomposite powder was synthesized by a microwave technique and doped into gas-pressure sintered BN/Si 3 N 4 composites to acquire a highly wave-transparent material that could be utilized in spacecrafts. The XRD and SEM analyses indicated that the main phases were rod-like β-Si 3 N 4 particles and MgSiO 3. In this case, a BN/Si 3 N 4 ceramic with 8 wt% Y 2 O 3 -MgO nanopowder displayed a density of 2.5 g/cm3. The permittivity and transmission efficiency were approximately 4.6% and 71.4%, respectively, at frequencies of 8.2–12.4 GHz, which achieved the best overall wave-transparent performance. The porosity of the material in combination with the inclusion of the boron nitride component creates a synergistic effect that appears to contribute to wave-transparent efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semicoke derived from lignite and biomass has been utilized in soil remediation and activated sludge treatment. Nitrogen-doping treatment has been utilized to improve adsorption capacity of semicoke for phenols (such as humic acids). Known as nitrogen-rich biomass residue, spent coffee grounds (SCG) may serve as nitrogen resources when co-pyrolyzed with lignite. But impacts of SCG on structure and adsorption capacity of semicoke in co-pyrolysis have not been confirmed. In consideration of proteins in SCG, nitrogen fixation and the impacting mechanism have not been sufficiently confirmed. In this work, nitrogen fixation between lignite and SCG during co-pyrolysis were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and pyrolysis experiments. Corresponding mechanism were speculated and confirmed by in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transformation spectra (DRIFT) and mass spectrum (MS). Impacts of nitrogen fixation on adsorption of phenols on semicoke were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), adsorption kinetics analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Compared to theoretical values, higher contents of N have been obtained in co-pyrolyzed semicoke (N: 2.89%; pyridinic N: 44.86%), which implied N fixation and cyclization reactions. Fixation mechanism can be explained by formation of Amadori/Heyns intermediates in Maillard reactions. Release of volatiles and capture of NH 3 are crucial in 340–440 °C range, which result in nitrogen fixation. Then formation of pyrrolic and pyridinic N can be explained by cyclization reactions and decomposition of Amadori/Heyns intermediates in 550 °C pyrolysis. Enrichment of pyridinic N, pyrrolic N and C O might enhance adsorption of phenols by offering binding sites for formation of hydrogen bonds. Both C, N fixation and improved adsorption capacity (27.80 mg/g) have been realized for 7:3–550 semicoke. Consequently, doping treatment with typical nitrogen-rich biomass (SCG) may be feasible to enhance adsorption of phenols onto semicoke, based on selection of raw materials and pyrolysis conditions. • N-rich biomass residue and lignite were co-pyrolyzed for nitrogen fixation. • Role of Maillard reactions in nitrogen fixation was emphasized. • Co-pyrolysis conditions can be selected based on structure-activity relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel green-emitting Yb 3+ and Tb 3+ co-doped LaNbO 4 particles were prepared through a facile sol-gel and combustion method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), up-conversion luminescence (UCL) with different powers and varied concentrations, and luminescent lifetimes were employed to test the prepared samples. The XRD data exhibit that a sample with high crystallinity can be acquired at 1000 °C. FE-SEM images show homogeneous and spherical grains after Yb 3+ and Tb 3+ are co-doped in the LaNbO 4 samples. TG-DTA reveals that the LaNbO 4 synthetic process is accompanied by a temperature increase. In our work, we utilize a 980 nm laser to excite Yb 3+ ions to achieve the 2 F 7/2 → 2 F 5/2 transition, and the LaNbO 4 :Yb 3+ , Tb 3+ sample exhibits intense green emission. Luminescent spectra at different powers demonstrated the two-photon absorption process; meanwhile, the corresponding energy transfer mechanism from Yb 3+ to Tb 3+ and the emission of Tb 3+ under 980 nm laser excitation was described via an energy level diagram. Moreover, concentration-dependent up-conversion luminescent properties were systematically explored, and it was confirmed that LaNbO 4 :0.15Yb 3+ ,0.02Tb 3+ exhibits the strongest luminescent properties. In particular, as the content of Yb 3+ ions increases, the 5 D 4 → 7 F 6 transition quickly becomes stronger, resulting in the emitted color shifting from green to blue. Therefore, the emitted color can be tuned by adjusting the content of Yb 3+ ions. The excellent up-conversion emission properties of the obtained samples allow for their potential application in the fields of 3D display technologies and solid-state lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • BiOBr/C hollow microspheres were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method. • SLS enhanced the visible-light photocatalytic performance of BiOBr. • The effect of adding SLS on the morphology of BiOBr/C was studied in detail. • Possible degradation pathways and photocatalytic mechanisms were illustrated. In this study, bismuth oxybromide/carbon (BiOBr/C) visible light catalysts were prepared by using sodium lignosulfonate (SLS) as a surfactant and carbon source to promote the photocatalytic capability of BiOBr. Different amount of SLS was added to regulate the morphology of BiOBr/C. With increasing amount of SLS, the morphology of BiOBr/C was changed from the original flake shape to a microsphere shape, and then self-assembled into a hollow microsphere. The results showed that the as-prepared composites exhibited fairly high removal efficiencies for tetracycline (TC) and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). This was mainly attributed to the variation of morphology and the introduction of carbon, which improved the absorption of light and reduced the band gap for easier separation of photogenerated carriers. Moreover, a possible pathway for the degradation of TC by BiOBr/C was proposed according to the HPLC-MS results. This study provides a novel idea for the application of SLS in the preparation of photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Taraxasterol (TAX) demonstrates strong pharmacological activity in some diseases. In this study, we demonstrate that TAX induces S-phase cell cycle arrest, prevents cell migration by interfering EMT, and induces cancer cell apoptosis. In addition, TAX administration downregulated the proportion of Treg cells and upregulated CD107a + NK cells in TME. Our in vitro and in vivo findings indicate that TAX could serve as a potential natural drug for lung cancer therapy. Taraxasterol (TAX), one of the active components in Dandelion, demonstrated strong antitumor properties in several cancers. However, the effect and underlying mechanism of TAX in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. In this study, we showed that TAX inhibited the proliferation of cells by inducing S-phase cell cycle arrest and prevented cell migration by interfering epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in Lewis lung cancer (LLC) cells and lung carcinoma SPC-A1 cells. The pharmacological network analysis predicted that induction of apoptosis might be the potential mechanism of TAX-mediated cell deaths. Further in vitro experiments showed that TAX could significantly induce cancer cell apoptosis as verified by increased pro-apoptotic molecules including Bax, caspase-9, and PARP1 downregulated anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2; and decreased mitochondrial potential. The LLC subcutaneous tumor model demonstrated that TAX inhibited tumor growth by induction of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation in vivo, which is consistent with the in vitro data. Importantly, TAX administration downregulated the proportion of Treg cells and upregulated CD107a+ NK cells in the tumor microenvironment in the tumor model. Together, these data reveal that TAX performs its antitumor effect by inducing apoptosis and modulating the tumor microenvironment, providing evidence that TAX could serve as a potential natural drug for lung cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• EVOH/MXene-g-AO nanofiber film was synthesized using electrostatic spinning. • The adsorbents obtained a high capacity of 13.06 mg g−1 from seawater. • The introduction of MXene nanomaterials realized the photothermal synergy. • Nanoscale size and superhydrophilic properties enhance affinity with uranium. • The adsorbent has high reusability, mechanical and antibacterial properties. The simultaneous realization of multifunctionalization and high efficiency of seawater-uranium extraction materials are essential; however, this is extremely challenging. In this work, a novel multifunctional hybrid nanofiber film (NF) with excellent photothermal conversion properties based on ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), MXene and amidoxime (AO), named EVOH/MXene-g-AO, is firstly prepared by combining electrospinning with radiation technique. The EVOH/MXene-g-AO film exhibits highly efficient photothermal conversion properties, with a fast water evaporation rate (1.67 kg m-2h−1) under 1 solar irradiation. Moreover, this property makes the EVOH/MXene-g-AO film conducive to efficient uranium extraction under sunlight, and enables the adsorption capacity of the EVOH/MXene-g-AO film in simulated seawater to be 13.06 mg g−1 in 60 days, which is about 1.5 times higher compared to the light-free environment. In addition, after eight adsorption-regeneration cycles, the reuse rate of EVOH/MXene-g-AO is as high as 87.4 %. More importantly, the EVOH/MXene-g-AO film exhibits good antibacterial ability, thus the well-designed film has a long service life in practical applications. Finally, EVOH/MXene-g-AO film is successfully applied for the efficient uranium extraction from seawater (UES) and seawater of desalination. This work provides a new strategy for marine uranium extraction and freshwater resource exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Bi 2 MoO 6 /BiFeWO 6 heterojunction was synthesized for the first time by solvothermal and calcination methods. The heterostructured Bi 2 MoO 6 /BiFeWO 6 exhibited higher photocatalytic oxidation/reduction efficiency than Bi 2 MoO 6 for the removal of rhodamine b (RhB) dye under visible light, which was attributed to the combined effect of the n-n heterostructure and oxygen vacancies (OVs). The OVs generated by calcination can accelerate the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Moreover, it is also able to trap electrons to reduce the recombination of electrons and holes. In cyclic experiments, the removal efficiency was maintained above 95% after 4 times of the same operation. The effective photocatalytic mechanism of n-n heterojunctions was demonstrated by trapping experiments and EPR. The research of Bi 2 MoO 6 /BiFeWO 6 is beneficial to expand the advantages of bismuth-based semiconductors for environmental remediation. The synergistic effect of oxygen vacancies and heterojunctions reduces the electron-hole recombination, which enhances the photocatalytic ability of Bi 2 MoO 6 /BiFeWO 6 composite. [Display omitted] • First synthesis and study of Bi 2 MoO 6 /BiFeWO 6 composites by solvothermal method. • The visible light utilization efficiency was improved after the introduction of BiFeWO 6. • The Bi 2 MoO 6 /BiFeWO 6 composite showed excellent RhB degradation efficiency and high stability. • The synergistic effect of heterojunction and oxygen vacancy improves the performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • AgBiO 3 can release massive ROS without external support for the mineralization of tetracycline wastewater. • A novel visible light-driven β-Bi 2 O 3 /Ag 2 O photocatalyst was constructed from deactivated AgBiO 3 for tetracyclines removal. • The changes of phase state and morphology of deactivated AgBiO 3 during calcination were studied in detail. • The possible degradation pathways and enhanced photocatalytic mechanism were illustrated. Silver bismuth (AgBiO 3 , ABO) can release massive reactive oxygen species (ROS) without external support for the mineralization of organic matter. However, with the release of ROS, the catalytic activity of ABO gradually dwindled. Herein, we activated the deactivated ABO (ABO-DA) by simple calcination method to obtain a series of bismuth and silver compounds. With increasing calcination temperature, the components changed to ABO-DA@Ag 2 O, β-Bi 2 O 3 /Ag 2 O, and then α-Bi 2 O 3 /Ag 2 O, respectively. Meanwhile, the morphology changed from nanosheets to porous nanosheets, and then to porous gullies. Comparison with the others, ABO-290 (β-Bi 2 O 3 /Ag 2 O) activated at 290 °C showed the optimum degradation efficiency (78.0% within 2 h) and highest apparent reaction rate constant (3.7 times than ABO-DA) for tetracycline (TC) degradation. That was because that ABO-290 had the lowest recombination probability, minimum Nyquist plot radius and strongest photo response capability. In addition, the possible degradation path of TC by ABO-290 was proposed based on the results of GC–MS and LC-MS. This study not only deepens the comprehension on the deactivation of silver bismuthate catalysts, but also opens a novel perspective for the construction of highly efficient photocatalysts from deactivated catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel visible-light-driven BiOBr/BiFeWO 6 heterojunction was prepared through a simple hydrothermal route. The physicochemical properties of BiOBr/BiFeWO 6 nanocomposites were systematically characterized. The existence of a clear interface between BiOBr and BiFeWO 6 could be obtained by transmission electron microscopy, indicating the formation of heterojunction. Rhodamine B (RhB) was used to investigate the photocatalytic performance of BiOBr/BiFeWO 6 nanocomposites under visible light irradiation (λ ​> ​420 ​nm). The degradation efficiency of BiOBr/BiFeWO 6 -40 nanocomposite reached 96.3 ​% within 90 ​min. The improved photocatalytic performance is mainly due to the synergistic interaction between BiOBr/BiFeWO 6. It is beneficial to the separation of photogenerated carriers and the absorption of visible light. In addition, long-term stability results indicate that BiOBr/BiFeWO 6 heterojunction may be an excellent material for effective degradation of dyes from wastewater and may be explored for large-scale application in the future. Finally, a possible mechanism is proposed for the catalytic degradation of RhB by the BiOBr/BiFeWO 6 heterojunction. This work provides a convenient and dependable method to synthesize BiOBr/BiFeWO 6 nanocomposite, which might be a promising candidate for large-scale application in wastewater treatment. The enhanced photocatalytic ability of BOB/BFW nanocomposite can be attributed to an effective charge transfer mechanism, which facilitates the separation of e-h+. [Display omitted] • The BiOBr/BiFeWO 6 n-n heterojunction was prepared by a facile solvothermal method. • The visible light utilization efficiency was improved after the introduction of BiFeWO 6. • The BiOBr/BiFeWO 6 heterojunction possessed excellent long-term stability. • Combined with the capture experiment, the S scheme charges transfer mechanism was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a nanofiber-hydrogel composite patch (FHCP) with sandwich structure was developed,which provided effectively anti swelling property and wet adhesion performance. More importantly, this patch achieved effective anti-inflammatory and prevention of post-operative abdominal adhesion. [Display omitted] • A nanofiber-hydrogel composite patch with sandwich structure providing effectively anti swelling property was developed. • The prepared nanofiber-hydrogel composite patch achieved combining excellent physical isolation and drug treatment. • The sandwich structure of the patch provided hierarchical drug release drugs release, and realized excellent anti-inflammatory, tissue regeneration, and preventing post-operative abdominal adhesion. Abdominal adhesions have a high incidence after surgery due to fibrosis and inflammation resulting in damaged tissues caused by trauma, bleeding, infection, foreign body stimulation. The adhesions introduced persistent chronic pain because of attachment and traction seriously affects physical health patients. Recent years, various kinds of membrances, hydrogel, nanofibers were developed to inhibit post-operative abdominal adhesion by physical isolation or drug treatment. However, the integration of physical isolation and pharmaceutical therapy in one platform still has some challenges. For example, the anti-swelling property of hydrogel is not good, membrane is easy prone to displacement. Herein, we developed a nanofiber-hydrogel composite patch (FHCP) with sandwich structure providing effectively anti swelling property and wet adhesion performance. Meanwhile, the nanofiber-hydrogel composite patch achieved combining excellent physical isolation and drug treatment, the sandwich structure of patch provided hierarchical drug release drugs release, and then made the patch realized excellent anti-inflammatory, tissue regeneration, and preventing post-operative abdominal adhesion. Our results showed that the prepared patch has better effects on anti-inflammation, effectively suppressing post-operative adhesion in the abdominal cavity. Therefore, we believe that our nanofiber-hydrogel composite patch has broad clinical application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) open up a new avenue for ulcerative colitis (UC) treatment recently, but they are not selectively enriched in targeted tissues. EphB2, a cell-to-cell signaling receptor, is identified as a regulator for inflammatory response, immune homeostasis and cell migration. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential and underlying mechanism for EphB2 over-expressing BMSCs derived EVs (EphB2-EVs) in the treatment of UC. Methods: BMSCs and EVs were obtained and characterized by a series of experiments. Lentivirus vector encoding EphB2 was transfected into BMSCs and verified by qRT-PCR. We analyzed the EphB2-EVs ability of colonic targeting in a DSS-induced colitis model by using confocal microscope and WB. The protective effect of EphB2-EVs in vivo was systematically evaluated by using a series of function experiments. Results: We successfully constructed EphB2-overexpressing BMSCs derived EVs (EphB2-EVs). Overexpression of EphB2 significantly enhanced the homing of EVs to the damaged colon. In addition, EphB2-EVs were effective to attenuate inflammation in intestinal mucosa and restore the damaged colon tissue by inhibiting the release of proinflammatory cytokines and upregulating the anti-inflammatory mediators. EphB2-EVs effectively reduced the oxidative stress and repaired the intestinal mucosal barrier in the UC rats. Moreover, EphB2-EVs demonstrated a robust immunomodulatory effect to restore immune homeostasis via modulating Th17/Treg balance and restraining STAT3 activation. Conclusions: Our results suggest that EphB2-EVs have high colonic targeting ability and could mitigate DSS-induced colitis via maintaining colonic immune homeostasis. These findings provide an effective therapeutic strategy for UC treatment in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution prevention and control of cities of "air pollution transmission channel in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area" (hereafter "2 + 26" cities) is of great significance to ensure the achievement of the goal of "defending the blue sky". Based on the monitoring real-time data for PM 2.5 concentrations for the period of 2015–2018, this research in the first stage applied kernel density estimation analysis, empirical orthogonal function analysis, centroid shift and spatial autocorrelation analysis to investigate the spatio-temporal characteristics of PM 2.5 concentrations of the "2 + 26" cities. In the second stage, it employed spatial econometric models to examine the convergence of PM 2.5 concentrations across cities. The findings are as follows. (1) Yearly average PM 2.5 concentrations of the "2 + 26" cities were reduced substantially. Moreover, they presented seasonal variation patterns, with a peak in winter and a nadir in summer. (2) The results of the centroid shifts revealed that the pollution centroid of the entire region was located in the borders between Xingtai and Handan. Besides, it moved towards southwest. (3) PM 2.5 concentrations exhibited positive spatial autocorrelation. (4) The developments of the standard deviation and the estimated kernel density distributions showed that there existed σ convergence. The results of the spatial β convergence models showed that it had both absolute and conditional β convergence. In addition, the convergence speed in winter was slower than that in the other seasons. (5) To conclude, greater efforts and stricter measures to control air pollution of the "2 + 26" cities notably in winter should be strengthened and reinforced. Image 10000 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports a novel citric-acid-assisted sol-gel method that does not contain any template or hazardous chemicals for the electrospinning of mesoporous silicon-magnesium oxide (MgO–SiO 2) ceramic fibers. Citric acid was fully utilized in the preparation of a precursor solution to catalyze tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) hydrolysis, chelate with magnesium ions and cause pore formation during calcination. Moreover, H 2 O 2 addition resulted in fiber decoloration, hydrophilicity, surface area reduction and surface basicity enhancement. The studied mesoporous MgO–SiO 2 ceramic fibers (Si:Mg = 1.5:1 atomic ratio) exhibited good morphologies with diameters of 1.23 ± 0.34 μm and a BET surface area of 142.61 m2‧g−1 after heat-treatment at 600 °C. The adsorption characteristics of the ceramic fiber toward Pb(II), Cu(II), methylene blue (MB) and fulvic acid (FA) were studied. The ceramic fibers showed high adsorption capacities of 753.1/481.0 mg‧g−1 for Pb(II)/Cu(II), which obeyed the pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model. The Freundlich model provided a better fit for the MB and FA adsorption isotherms, and the pseudo-first-order model could describe the kinetics data of FA adsorption. The abnormal kinetics of MB adsorption were observed to follow a pseudo-second-order model at the early phase but then followed a pseudo-first-order model. The innovative strategy of synthesizing MSCFs could contribute to the development of composite oxide ceramic fibers that are relevant to a variety of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The fall webworm Hyphantria cunea is an invasive and polyphagous defoliator pest that feeds on nearly any type of deciduous tree worldwide. The silk web of H. cunea aids its aggregating behavior, provides thermal regulation and is regarded as one of causes for its rapid spread. In addition, both chemosensory and detoxification genes are vital for host adaptation in insects. Results: Here, a high-quality genome of H. cunea was obtained. Silk-web-related genes were identified from the genome, and successful silencing of the silk protein gene HcunFib-H resulted in a significant decrease in silk web shelter production. The CAFE analysis showed that some chemosensory and detoxification gene families, such as CSPs, CCEs, GSTs and UGTs, were expanded. A transcriptome analysis using the newly sequenced H. cunea genome showed that most chemosensory genes were specifically expressed in the antennae, while most detoxification genes were highly expressed during the feeding peak. Moreover, we found that many nutrient-related genes and one detoxification gene, HcunP450 (CYP306A1), were under significant positive selection, suggesting a crucial role of these genes in host adaptation in H. cunea. At the metagenomic level, several microbial communities in H. cunea gut and their metabolic pathways might be beneficial to H. cunea for nutrient metabolism and detoxification, and might also contribute to its host adaptation. Conclusions: These findings explain the host and environmental adaptations of H. cunea at the genetic level and provide partial evidence for the cause of its rapid invasion and potential gene targets for innovative pest management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cellulase adsorbed on cellulose is productive and helpful to produce reducing sugars in enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose; however, cellulase adsorbed on lignin is non-productive. Increasing productive adsorption of cellulase on cellulose would be beneficial in improving enzymatic hydrolysis. Adding lignin that was more hydrophilic in hydrolysis system could increase productive adsorption and promote hydrolysis. However, the effect mechanism is still worth exploring further. In this study, lignosulfonate (LS), a type of hydrophilic lignin, was used to study its effect on cellulosic hydrolysis. Results: The effect of LS on the enzymatic hydrolysis of pure cellulose (Avicel) and lignocellulose [dilute acid (DA) treated sugarcane bagasse (SCB)] was investigated by analyzing enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency, productive and non-productive cellulase adsorptions, zeta potential and particle size distribution of substrates. The result showed that after adding LS, the productive cellulase adsorption on Avicel reduced. Adding LS to Avicel suspension could form the Avicel–LS complexes. The particles were charged more negatively and the average particle size was smaller than Avicel before adding LS. In addition, adding LS to cellulase solution formed the LS–cellulase complexes. For DA-SCB, adding LS decreased the non-productive cellulase adsorption on DA-SCB from 3.92 to 2.99 mg/g lignin and increased the productive adsorption of cellulase on DA-SCB from 2.00 to 3.44 mg/g cellulose. Besides, the addition of LS promoted the formation of LS–lignin complexes and LS–cellulase complexes, and the complexes had more negative charges and smaller average sizes than DA-SCB lignin and cellulase particles before adding LS. Conclusions: In this study, LS inhibited Avicel's hydrolysis, but enhanced DA-SCB's hydrolysis. This stemmed from the fact that LS could bind cellulase and Avicel, and occupied the binding sites of cellulase and Avicel. Thus, a decreased productive adsorption of cellulase on Avicel arose. Regarding DA-SCB, adding LS, which enhanced hydrolysis efficiency of DA-SCB, increased the electrostatic repulsion between DA-SCB lignin and cellulase, and therefore, decreased non-productive adsorption of cellulase on DA-SCB lignin and enhanced productive adsorption of cellulase on DA-SCB cellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MgO mesoporous nanofibers were obtained by a template-free electrospinning method. The unique bumpy-structure was obtained on the surface of nanofibers that could enhance the surface area and provide more active sites for adsorption. The formation mechanism of the bumpy-structure has been investigated. The as-prepared MgO nanofibers with a high surface area of 194.17 m 2 g −1 exhibited excellent adsorption capacities for fluoride of 237.49 mg g −1 . Furthermore, the MgO nanofibers showed selective adsorption for different organic dyes and have superior adsorption capacity for Congo red (4802.27 mg g −1 ). The adsorption processes for both fluoride and Congo red were systematically investigated, which were found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. By comparison with the reported fabrication routes and adsorption capacities of mesoporous MgO, the synthesis process is simple, controllable and template-free, and the superior adsorption performance provided a potential adsorbent for the removal of fluoride and Congo red in wastewater treatment. The high surface area of the MgO mesoporous nanofibers might also promote its application in basic catalysis and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tetragonal scheelite-type $$\hbox {Sm}^{3+}\hbox {/Bi}^{3+}$$ ions co-doped with $$\hbox {NaLa}(\hbox {MoO}_{4})_{2}$$ phosphors were synthesized by a facile sol-gel and combustion process using citric acid as complexing agent. The crystal structure and morphology of these as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, UV-absorption and the photoluminescence (PL) properties of these phosphors were systematically investigated and the PL of the phosphors shows strong white light emissions. Efficient energy transfer from the $$\hbox {MoO}_{4}^{2-}$$ group or $$\hbox {Bi}^{3+}$$ ions to $$\hbox {Sm}^{3+}$$ ions was established by PL investigation excited at 405 nm. The PL intensity of the studied materials was investigated as a function of different $$\hbox {Sm}^{3+}$$ and $$\hbox {Bi}^{3+}$$ concentrations. The PL investigations revealed that the phosphors exhibit apparent characteristic emissions, which is ascribed to the transition from the ground state energy level $$^{4}\hbox {G}_{5/2}$$ to excited state energy levels $$^{6}\hbox {H}_{\mathrm{J}}$$ ( $$J= 5/2, 7/2, 9/2$$ ) and the $$\hbox {NaLa}(\hbox {MoO}_{4})_{2}$$ : 4 mol% $$\hbox {Sm}^{3+}$$ and $$\hbox {NaLa}(\hbox {MoO}_{4})_{2}$$ : 4 mol% $$\hbox {Sm}^{3+}$$ , 8 mol% $$\hbox {Bi}^{3+}$$ present white emissions with the CIE coordinates of (0.350, 0.285) and (0.285, 0.229), respectively. The absolute quantum efficiencies of the phosphors are 40% ( $$\hbox {NaLa}(\hbox {MoO}_{4})_{2}$$ : 4 mol% $$\hbox {Sm}^{3+}$$ ) and 52% ( $$\hbox {NaLa}(\hbox {MoO}_{4})_{2}$$ : 4 mol% $$\hbox {Sm}^{3+}$$ , 8 mol% $$\hbox {Bi}^{3+}$$ ), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Strong coupling was established between NiCo-DH and OAC by oxidation modification. • NiCo-DH@OAC exhibited excellent electrochemical performance for synergistic effects. • ASCs were demonstrated effective in solar panel integrated supercapacitors. NiCo double hydroxide (NiCo-DH) and oxidized activated carbon (OAC) were used to synthesize a three-dimensional (3D) NiCo-DH@OAC via hydrothermal method. OAC acts as the support for in-situ growth of NiCo-DH nanowires, and oxygen-containing groups on the surface of OAC are crucial for the uniform loading of NiCo-DH and keeping structural stability of the composites. Due to the synergistic effect between NiCo-DH and OAC, NiCo-DH@OAC presents an excellent specific capacitance (1990 F g−1 at 1 A g−1). The asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is assembled with NiCo-DH@OAC as the positive electrode and OAC as the negative electrode, and exhibits a superior energy density (46.5 Wh kg−1 at 800 W kg−1) and a cycling stability (90.7% after 10,000 cycles). Furthermore, ASC has been demonstrated effective in solar panel integrated supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, low-cost and large-scale synthesis method for the carbonized porous cubes (CPCs) containing Fe and N co-doped porous carbon hybrid (Fe-N x /C) with controlled-morphology, uniform elemental distribution and well-defined pore size is developed by pyrolyzing bimetallic Fe III -modified IRMOF-3 cubes in Argon atmosphere at 800 °C. Furtherly, the CPCs are used as the electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline solution. Impressively, the CPCs hybrid exhibits a superior electrocatalytic activity with high onset potential (0.93 V) and half-wave potential (0.78 V), and excellent stability, which is attributed to the synergistic effect of its high the surface to volume ratio, well-defined pore size, multi-active composition and high exposed catalytic active sites. We believe the materials based on earth-abundant elements have a huge potential to apply in catalysis, energy, and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) with excellent water resistance, light absorption, mechanical properties, and thermal stability features were fabricated on an assembled nano-interface using cationic polyethyleneimine-nano-ZnO (PEI-ZnO) and anionic sodium polyacrylate-wood (PAAS-wood). The charge grafting, assembly, and dispersive morphology on the wood surface were analyzed by ZETA potentials, SEM images, crystal features, XPS and FTIR spectra. With a three dimensional shielding-assembling nano-network, water absorption of wood-polypropylene composite decreased from 5.20 wt.% to 1.83 wt.%, and the decomposition temperature (Td) of wood and polypropylene were enhanced by 114 °C and 63 °C depending on passing and hindering. The tensile strength and the glass transition temperature (Tg) were enhanced from 20.42 MPa, 11.7 °C to 38.73 MPa, 33.21 °C, respectively, likely due to firmed nano-dispersion, strong interfacial adhesion, and sufficient load transfer. In addition, ultraviolet and near-infrared resistance of the composite were found to be promoted by adopting the assembled nano-interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and effective emulsion method for the dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in waterborne polyurethane (WPU) is reported. WPU emulsions containing reactive CNTs are synthesized by in situ polymerization. During the emulsification process, a part of emulsion particles (EPs) grow and form at the reactive sites of CNTs. The CNT bundle can be separated by the growth and formation of EPs, forming individually suspended CNTs. With the aid of EPs, CNTs can be coated by EPs and easily dispersed in emulsions. After drying, CNTs are uniformly dispersed in the WPU matrix and a low percolation threshold is achieved at 0.132 vol.% CNT content. After addition of only 1, 2, and 3 wt.% CNTs, the tensile strength is greatly improved by about 128%, 179%, and 203% from 14.8 MPa of the pure WPU to 33.8, 41.3, and 44.8 MPa, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile sol-gel combustion route was reported for the direct preparation of CaZrO:Eu and CaZrO:Eu, Gd. The obtained deposits were characterized by XRD, TGA-DSC, SEM, EDS, PL measurements and microscope fluorescence. When the Gd ions were introduced in this compound, the emissions of CaZrO:Euwere remarkably enhanced. The emission spectrum of CaZrO:Eu, Gd nanocrystals exhibited a red shift compared with CaZrO:Eu samples. A new mechanism of the improved photoluminescent properties of Eu by Gd was investigated. The optimized phosphor CaZrO:5%Eu, 2%Gd could be considered an efficient red-emitting component for white lighting devices excited in the near-ultraviolet region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, industrial black liquor (BL) was directly used to prepare activated carbons with high surface area and large pore volume through K 2 CO 3 activation. The effect of activation temperature on the properties and the Cr(VI) removal performance of activated carbons were investigated. For comparison, the purified lignin (PL) was also investigated. The specific surface area and the total pore volume of BL derived carbon prepared at 800 °C (CBLS 800) were 1335.58 m2/g and 1.79 cm3/g, while those of PL derived carbon prepared at 900 °C (CPL 900) were 1715.16 m2/g and 1.12 cm3/g. The Cr(VI) removal process conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating that the adsorption process is mainly controlled by chemical interaction. The fitting of isotherm was more consistent with Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption amount of Cr(VI) on CBLS 800 and CPL 900 was 669.70 and 645.73 mg/g at 45 °C and pH 2.0, respectively. The negative Δ G ° and positive Δ H ° confirmed that the adsorption of Cr(VI) onto CBLS 800 and CPL 900 was an endothermic and spontaneous process. The removal mechanism of Cr(VI) mainly includes three aspects: intra particle diffusion, electrostatic attraction and adsorption-coupled reduction. This work not only provides a theoretical basis for transforming BL into functionalized biochar materials, but also makes the efficient removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater possible. [Display omitted] • K 2 CO 3 activation was used to prepare black liquor-derived porous carbon (CBLS). • The specific surface area of CBLS 800 is 1335.58 m2/g. • The maximum adsorption amount of Cr(VI) on CBLS 800 is 669.70 mg/g. • The removal mechanism of Cr (VI) is mainly adsorption-coupled reduction. • The inherent alkali plays a role of self-chemical activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces with micro/nano structures were prepared using the synergistic effect of the hydroxyl-silicone-oil modified microscale tourmaline particles (HTP) and the nanoscale silica (SiO2) by a simple spraying method. The SiO2/HTP/Polyurethane (PU) and HTP/PU dispersions were sprayed onto the waterborne polyurethane (WPU) film using a shower nozzle driven by an air compressor. After drying of the spraying film at room temperature, a surface with micro/nano structures was obtained and the micro/nano structures were consisted of the microscale HTP coated by the nanoscale SiO2. Static water contact angle measurements proved that the rough surfaces were superhydrophobic. Furthermore, their performance of releasing negative air ion was significantly enhanced due to the rough structure. Importantly, this method is simple, low-cost and suitable for the fast and large-scale preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces, which is particularly important for the modification of hydrophilic polymer surfaces. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The uniform dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was achieved in the styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene (SEBS) coated by liquid bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) (BDP), a halogen-free flame retardant. It was found that most of CNTs existed in a filamentous stretched state. Compared with pure SEBS, the tensile strength and elastic modulus of the SEBS/3wt.% CNTs composite with 5wt.% BDP (SEBS-3), were increased by 114% and 225%, respectively. The temperature of 50% weight loss under air condition increased from 351°C of pure SEBS to 437°C of the SEBS-3. Meanwhile, the limited oxygen index value and UL-94 tests of the SEBS-3 reached 25.5% and V-0, respectively. More importantly, this method endowed the SEBS/BDP/CNT composites with the good mechanical and flame-retardant properties, broadening their scope of application, reducing their cost. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Novel blue–white Y2Zr2O7:Dy3+, Li+ phosphors have been prepared by a facile and efficient sol–gel-combustion method at 800°C, using ammonium nitrate as a fuel and citric acid as a complexing agent. No additional annealing was required, as crystalline Y2Zr2O7 resulted directly from the combustion reaction. The structure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The photoluminescence properties were measured using an Edinburgh FLS920 at room temperature. Stable blue–white emission from 425nm to 625nm has been observed from Y2Zr2O7:Dy3+ and Y2Zr2O7:Dy3+, Li+ phosphors. The optimal doping concentration of Dy3+ ions is 2mol%. Experimental analysis and theoretical calculations reveal that the dipole–quadrupole (d–q) interaction should be the major concentration quenching mechanism of Dy3+ ions emission. Li+ co-doping improves luminescence intensity as well as crystallinity significantly. The incorporation of Li+ ions into Y2Zr2O7 lattice could induce a remarkable increase of photoluminescence intensity by about 2 times. The mechanism of the enhanced emission by Li+ doping was discussed. Both the chromaticity coordinates of Y2Zr2O7:Dy3+ and Y2Zr2O7:Dy3+, Li+ samples were in the near cold-white region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The solution behavior of purified sodium lignosulfonate (PSL) at different pH values were investigated by means of acid–base titration, surface tension, viscosity, fluorescence spectrometry, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) experiments. Fluorescence experiments showed that the critical aggregate concentration (CAC) of PSL was 0.05g/L. DLS results indicated that the average dimension of PSL molecule and PSL aggregate was about 8nm and 80nm, respectively. The surface charge of PSL molecules and the aggregation degree of PSL in solution increased with the increasing of pH due to the ionization of sulfonic and phenolic hydroxyl groups. The size of PSL aggregates and reduced viscosity of PSL solution increased as pH values increased because expansion of the PSL cores. A model for the assembly behavior of PSL was first proposed to explain the influence of pH on the molecular configuration and aggregation behaviors of lignosulfonate in aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel binary AgBiO 3 /g-C 3 N 4 composite has been successfully synthesized via in-situ growth of AgBiO 3 on g-C 3 N 4. The AgBiO 3 /g-C 3 N 4 composite exhibited improved degradation performance towards organic pollutants of methyl orange (MO), tetracycline (TC), and phenol. The reaction proceeds at ambient temperature and pressure without any other energy sources or light. The characterization of ABC-3 and its corrosion product by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and XPS indicated the transformation of ABC-3 into Bi 2 (CO 3)O 2 during the degradation process. Singlet oxygen (1O 2) was demonstrated as the main reactive species during the degradation of MO, TC, and phenol. The improvement of degradation ability of ABC-3 might be attributed to the enhanced surface area and fast electron transfer rate. This work not only demonstrates AgBiO 3 /g-C 3 N 4 composite as a promising composite for removing organic pollutants without the requirement of any auxiliary energy, but also meets the increasing requirement of practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on SO 2 pollution in China has been hotly debated over the past decades. Different from the existing studies, this work employs satellite observed SO 2 columns from 2005 to 2016 and applies a spatial econometric approach to investigate the socio-economic influencing factors of SO 2 pollution of 270 prefecture-level cities in China. The findings are as follows. (1) SO 2 pollution over China exhibits a significant and positive spatial autocorrelation. (2) The most polluted area is concentrated on the North China Plain. However, SO 2 pollution over China has been reduced gradually during the sample period, implying that overall environmental quality in China has been substantially improved. (3) Besides, the results of spatial econometric models are not in support of "pollution haven hypothesis". On the contrary, the pollution halo effect of foreign direct investment works well and contributes to reducing SO 2 pollution in China. Moreover, we find that urban economic levels and innovative capability are negatively correlated with SO 2 pollution, indicating that economic growth and an increase in innovation can help improve environmental quality. On contrast, the share of the secondary industry, urbanization and transportation are found to have positive impacts, indicating that they are three main contributors to SO 2 pollution in China. • Spatio-temporal variations of SO 2 columns from 2005 to 2016 over China are analyzed. • Spatial econometric models are used to study the socio-economic factors of SO 2. • Economic growth and innovation have positive impacts on SO 2 columns. • Industry, urbanization and transport are three contributors to SO 2 pollution. • Foreign direct investment has a negative effect, implying pollution halo works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]