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The wide dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria poses a significant global health and security concern. As developing new antibiotics is generally costly, fastidious, and time-consuming, there is an urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies to address the gap in antibiotic discovery void. This study aimed to investigate the activity of colistin (CS) in combination with a natural product, rutin (RT), to combat against SalmonellaTyphimurium (S.Tm) in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that a combination with RT enabled the potentiation of CS efficacy. Further mechanistic analysis indicated that RT disrupted iron homeostasis to inactivate the PmrA/PmrB system, thereafter reducing the bacterial membrane modifications for enhancing CS binding. Besides enhancing bactericidal activity of CS, RT was also observed to mitigate the CS-induced nephrotoxicity, by which the dosing limitation of CS was overcome for better pathogen clearance. The animal trial eventually confirmed the in vivo synergistic interaction of RT with CS to treat the bacterial infection. To sum up, the present study uncovered the potential of RT as a viable adjuvant of CS to eradicate the infection and protect the hosts, which might serve as a promising alternative to combat infections caused by MDR Gram-negative bacteria.

The critical role of boron doping in regulating closed pore size, Na+diffusion and SEI chemistry of hard carbon is identified, leading to superior rate and cycling performance.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are a kind of self-organizing network by deploying a large number of wireless sensor nodes in the monitoring area. To satisfy various restricted monitoring requirements of actual applications, WSNs are always used to collect the precise information. However, the batteries cannot be recharged once the nodes are deployed, which limits the network lifetime of WSNs. In order to prolong the lifetime of WSNs in this study, we propose a multihop routing algorithm based on semifixed clustering and improved ant colony optimization (SFC-IACO) algorithm. First, in the initial phase of the network, the network is divided into several fixed areas, and then, we make adjustments to each cluster and achieve the load balancing by evenly adjusting the number of nodes in the cluster. Next in the data transmission phase, we design an adjacency matrix related to the energy and distance. Aiming at avoiding the local optimal when searching for the optimal routing, we improve the ant colony algorithm (ACO) and present a multihop routing selection algorithm based on the IACO. Finally, in order to achieve energy balancing of the network when the network runs a certain number of rounds, a dynamic cluster head rotation mechanism and an energy consumption balance mechanism between clusters are adopted in this study, which balances the energy consumption of nodes in each cluster. Simulations demonstrate the strong performance of the proposed algorithm in terms of network lifetime compared with the existing algorithms. The simulation results show that compared with centralized energy-efficient clustering (CEEC), multi-hop routing protocol based on game theory and coverage optimization (MRP-GTCO), and low power and low latency (LPLL)-low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) algorithms, SFC-IACO can effectively extend the network’s lifetime by 41%, 80%, and 221%, respectively.

In the typical wet flue gas denitration technology using sulfite solutions, the rapid free radical chain reaction of SO3•–oxidation by O2is the main reason for the significant consumption of absorbents and inefficient denitration. The study utilizes l-ascorbic acid (VC) to inhibit the free radical chain reaction. VC combined with SO3•–to form stable compounds, which hindered the oxidation of SO3•–to SO5•–by O2, leading to an 80.7 mol % decrease in Na2SO3consumption by adding millimolar-level VC. Compared to the sulfite solution, the best denitration efficiency of the VC/Na2SO3mixture solution increased from 94.4 to 99.2 vol %, and the absorption time for absorption efficiency above 90 vol % was extended from 7 to 72 min. Additionally, a macro absorption model describing the rates of macro absorption was established based on various operating conditions.

A novel approach to the dearomative allylboration of ketones with benzo[b]thiophenylmethyl boronic acids has been developed. By leveraging the inherent reactivity of the boronic acid unit, this process occurs under mild reaction conditions without the need for a catalyst, leading to the efficient formation of homoallylic tertiary alcohols accompanied by the construction of three-dimensional sulfur-containing alicyclic scaffolds in high yields with excellent stereoselectivities.

Currently, achieving higher carbon dioxide (CO2) removal efficiencies in industry means greater regeneration and energy consumption. The high regeneration energy of most absorbents hinders the commercial capture of CO2from industrial flue gas. Although sterically hindered amine 2-amino-2-methylpropanol (AMP) has a low desorption energy consumption, its absorption performance hardly meets the requirements for industrial flue gas decarbonization, especially at low CO2pressure. In this work, a novel sterically hindered ionic liquid [N1111+][AMPA–] (tetramethylammonium aminoisobutyrate) was synthesized to address the regeneration energy challenge through a simple AMP anionization strategy. Compared with AMP, [N1111+][AMPA–] demonstrated a 30% increase in equilibrium CO2loadings at 40 °C and 1.5 kPa. Meanwhile, the anionized product still showed favorable regeneration performance. Quantum chemical calculations revealed that anionization enhances the electron density of active site N atoms, thereby facilitating the nucleophilic CO2absorption reaction. In addition, the steric hindrance effect ensured that the product predominantly exists in the form of bicarbonate without requiring a high regeneration energy. In this work, an anionization strategy is proposed to balance the conflict between absorption performance and regeneration energy by artificially modulating the intermolecular forces between CO2and amine.

Fully grown oocytes have the natural ability to transform 2 terminally differentiated gametes into a totipotent zygote representing the acquisition of totipotency. This process wholly depends on maternal-effect factors (MFs). MFs stored in the eggs are therefore likely to be able to induce cellular reprogramming to a totipotency state. Here we report the generation of totipotent-like stem cells from mESCs using 4MFs Hsf1, Zar1, Padi6, and Npm2, designated as MFiTLSCs. MFiTLSCs exhibited a unique and inherent capability to differentiate into embryonic and extraembryonic derivatives. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that MFiTLSCs are enriched with 2-cell-specific genes that appear to synergistically induce a transcriptional repressive state, in that parental genomes are remodeled to a poised transcriptional repression state while totipotency is established following fertilization. This method to derive MFiTLSCs could help advance the understanding of fate determinations of totipotent stem cells in a physiological context and establish a foundation for the development of oocyte biology-based reprogramming technology.Graphical Abstract

Fungal infection possesses the characteristics of high invasion depth and easy formation of a biofilm under the skin, which greatly hinders the treatment process. Here, traditional Chinese medicine moxa is carbonized and modified with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanosheets to synthesize carbonized moxa@ZnO (CMZ) with the dual response properties of yellow light (YL) and ultrasound (US) for synergistic antifungal therapy. CMZ with narrow bandgap can respond to long-wavelength YL that is highly safe and helpful for skin repair. Simultaneously, CMZ with a piezoelectric effect can further enhance the photocatalytic efficiency under the stimulation of US with high tissue penetration. Gene mechanism investigation indicates that when exposed to US and YL irradiation, CMZ-based therapy can adjust the expression of genes associated with fungal virulence, metabolic activity, mycelial growth and biofilm development, thus efficaciously eradicating planktonic Candida albicans(C. albicans) and mature biofilm. Importantly, despite the 1.00 cm thick tissue barrier, CMZ can rapidly eliminate 99.9% of C. albicanswithin 4 min, showing a satisfactory deep fungicidal efficacy. The in vivotherapeutic effect of this strategy is demonstrated in both open wound and deep cutaneous infection tests, speaking of dramatically better efficacy than the traditional fungicide ketoconazole (KTZ).

Enhancing the CO2mass transfer and proton supply in the photocatalytic reduction of CO2with H2O into CH3OH (PRC-M), while avoiding the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), remains a challenge. Herein, we propose an approach to control the surface coverage of CO2and H2O by modifying interfacial wettability, which is achieved by modulating the core–shell structure to expose either hydrophobic melamine-resorcinol-formaldehyde (MRF) or hydrophilic NiAl-layered double hydroxides (NAL). Characterizations reveal that an insufficient proton supply leads to the production of competing CO, while excessive coverage of H2O results in undesired HER. The NAL-MRF integrates hydrophobic and hydrophilic interfaces, contributing to the CO2mass transfer and H2O adsorption, respectively. This combination forms a microreactor that facilitates the triphase photocatalysis of CO2, H2O, and catalyst, allowing for high local concentrations of both *CO and *H without competing binding sites. Importantly, the formation of covalent bonds and a Z-type heterojunction between hydrophilic NAL and hydrophobic MRF layers accelerates the charge separation. Furthermore, the density functional theory results indicate that the NAL linking promotes the continuous hydrogenation of *CO. As a result, an enhanced CH3OH yield of 31.41 μmol g–1h–1, with selectivity of 93.62%, is achieved without hole scavengers or precious metals.

• g-C 3 N 4 with N defects provided adsorption and active sites for CO 2. • A possible photoreduction mechanism over InVO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 composite was studied. • A Z-scheme charge migration was induced by built-in electric field and proper energy band. Indium vanadate (InVO 4) possesses excellent potential in photocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO 2) reduction, but further modifications of reducing charge recombination and increasing active sites are still needed. Herein, InVO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 (InVO-CN) heterojunction composite photocatalysts were prepared via in situ formation of InVO 4 nanoparticles on the lamellar structure of graphite carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) containing nitrogen (N) defects. Among these composites, 30% InVO-CN showed the best photoreduction performance for CO 2 at normal temperature and pressure without sacrificial agent (carbon monoxide, CO: 20.14 μmol g–1 h–1; methane, CH 4 : 3.46 μmol g–1 h–1), which were 1.8 and 2.8 times higher than these of pure g-C 3 N 4 and InVO 4. The excellent performance could be attributed to the enhancement of CO 2 adsorption, and most importantly, the enhanced charge carrier separation and reduction capacity induced by the formation of Z-scheme heterojunction between InVO 4 and g-C 3 N 4. In this work, intimate heterojunction interfaces between materials were formed by introducing g-C 3 N 4 with defects in InVO 4 , which provides a promising modification scheme. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pumped storage power plants (PSPPs) are among the most efficient and practical large-scale energy storage systems. In recent years, several transformer failures have occurred in PSPPs, and transient overvoltage is considered a potential reason for failure. However, there is a lack of field measurement results for transient analysis. In this paper, a switching transient measurement system and multipoint synchronous triggering system were developed. Field measurements were carried out in three PSPPs. According to the measurement results, the maximum amplitude of the switching overvoltage was 630.6±46.5 kV. The shortest front time was 76±7.6 ns. The largest steepness was 1130±140.8 kV/μs. A simulation model was built to analyze three phenomena in the transient, including multistep waveform, overvoltage peak, and power transformer demagnetization. The measurement and analysis results are beneficial for the improvement of simulation modeling. It is helpful to pinpoint potentially damaging transients for equipment manufacturers and designers of PSPPs.

Rapid and full recovery is the major challenge for the commercialization and further growth of textile-based wearable supercapacitors. Herein, reversibly stretchable and rapidly reboundable textile supercapacitors (TSCs) are developed via the utilization of NiCu2Se3/Cu–Ni alloy-plated cotton cloth (CNAPCC) textile as the cathode and Fe2CuSe3/CNAPCC textile as the anode. Both NiCu2Se3/CNAPCC and Fe2CuSe3/CNAPCC are obtained by a simple in situ oxidation reaction, followed by an ion exchange strategy. Meanwhile, a stable double-network (DN) structure is constructed, covering the knitted cotton cloth (KCC) and Cu–Ni alloy-plated layer (CNAPL). The DN textile structure significantly endows the NiCu2Se3/CNAPCC stretchable electrode with superior mechanical properties, exhibiting high elongation at a break of 470% with a stress of 7.19 MPa and full recovery after 100% strain with almost no residual deformation left after merely 0.2 s. Moreover, the assembled TSC provides a large energy density of 82 Wh kg–1at a power density of 750 W kg–1. Besides, 50,000 charge/discharge cycle tests under static stretching are performed. The supercapacitor exhibits rapid recovery and excellent cycling stability of 92.2% capacitance retention under different strains (from 0 to 200%).

In this study, Kx-Mn-Ce catalysts prepared by sol–gel method were investigated for toluene oxidation. Compared with Mn–Ce, the catalytic performance of Kx-Mn-Ce was further improved. X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Raman analyses demonstrate that K ions enter the lattice of CeO2and disperse uniformly. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H2-temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and O2-temperature programmed desorption (O2-TPD) analyses indicate that there is a strong interaction between K, Mn and Ce; the charge compensation effect would be induced when K ions enter the lattice of CeO2, which leads to more oxygen vacancies due to the generation of more Ce3+. Toluene-TPD shows that K-doping enhances the activation ability of toluene. Among all catalysts, K0.1-Mn-Ce shows the highest concentration of Mn4+, Ce3+, Osur, and redox ability, resulting in higher low-temperature catalytic activity. Additionally, the results of stability and water resistance also prove that K0.1-Mn-Ce catalyst possesses excellent stability and water resistance.

Solid oxide cell (SOC) is a typical multi-layer thin film ceramic device consisting of oxygen electrodes, electrolytes, and hydrogen electrodes. The currently widely used structure is a single cell supported by a Ni-YSZ (Nickel-Yttria Stabilized Zirconia) hydrogen electrode, with YSZ (Yttria Stabilized Zirconia) serving as the electrolyte. This configuration achieves electrolyte filmization, while also reducing the operating temperature of the cell. However, it introduces significant diffusion resistance within the hydrogen electrode, which is considered the main reason for the electrochemical asymmetry in reversible solid oxide cell (R–SOC). This study prepared hydrogen electrodes with varying porosity and investigated the impact of diffusion resistance of hydrogen electrodes on R–SOC asymmetry. On this basis, in-situhydrothermal growth technology was employed to prepare ultra-thin and dense GDC (Gd2O3doped CeO2) barrier layers, compared with conventional screen-printed barrier layers to explore the effect of electrolyte ohmic resistance on electrochemical asymmetry. Experimental findings revealed that the electrolyte ohmic resistance is also a significant factor affecting the electrochemical asymmetry of reversible SOC, and the synergistic mechanism of the diffusion resistance of hydrogen electrodes and the ohmic resistance of thin film electrolytes on this asymmetry was elucidated. The experimental results show that increasing the hydrogen electrode porosity and reducing the electrolyte ohmic resistance can both enhance the R–SOC performance, particularly improving SOEC electrolysis performance, and both have the effect of reducing asymmetry. At 750 °C, 50 % H2O, and ±0.3 V bias conditions, the single cell with a large-pore hydrogen electrode and a thin film barrier layer exhibited a discharge current density of 0.752 A cm−2and an electrolysis current density of 0.635 A cm−2. Compared to the single cell with a small pore hydrogen electrode and an ordinary screen-printed barrier layer, the discharge and electrolysis performance of the cell have been improved by ∼37 % and ∼140 %, respectively. At the same time, the current density asymmetry of the cell (Δj) under these conditions was only 0.117 A cm−2, reduced by 58 % compared to a small porosity hydrogen electrode single cell and 24 % compared to a large ohmic resistance single cell. In addition, the study noted that R–SOC asymmetry increases with operating temperature and decreases with higher steam content in the fuel on the hydrogen electrode side. These findings hold significant reference value the design, preparation, and reversible operation of high-performance hydrogen electrode supported thin film electrolyte SOC single cell structures.

Chloroaluminic acid ionic liquids (ILs), e.g., 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium chloride (EMIC-AlCl3), are recognized as promising green and low-carbon solvent for aluminium (Al) electrodeposition, because of their relatively high conductivity, low viscosity, and good stability. Nevertheless, electrodeposition of Al must be carried out under dry conditions with inert gas shielding, limited by the hygroscopic behavior of ILs in air atmosphere. Otherwise, the electrolyte will be a failure, thus impeding the development of Al electrodeposition from the ILs. To explore a possible method for the electrolyte regeneration, herein, the effect of water content on Al electrodeposition in the EMIC-AlCl3ILs was investigated systematically. The results demonstrated that the electrical conductivity was gradually reduced with the increase of water content, leading to the elevated cell voltage and decreased current efficiency during Al electrodeposition. In addition, water adsorption may also change the coordination structure of electrochemical active species in EMIC-AlCl3, thereby influencing the electrodeposition behavior of Al along with deposit properties. All of these have a negative impact on Al electrodeposition. Detailed spectroscopic analysis combined with density functional theory calculation were conducted to clarify the failure mechanism of ILs electrolyte in humid environment, and meanwhile an effective strategy was proposed for the electrolyte regeneration.

Inspired by natural nitrogen fixation, we constructed a metal–S mimetic biocatalyst using vanadium-doped iron polysulfide as the active center combined with g-C3N5, which is rich in nitrogen vacancies. While iron in polysulfide tends to act as the active site for nitrogen adsorption, the doped vanadium tends to act as the protonation center for adsorption of active water, and the two metals act synergistically to facilitate the photocatalytic nitrogen fixation process. The construction and addition of the vanadium-doped polysulfide active center resulted in a composite catalyst with superior structural stability and excellent visible light-driven performance relative to pure g-C3N5, with NH3yields of up to 1916.5 μmol h−1gcat−1at the reaction temperature of 35 °C, 6.81 times higher than that of pure g-C3N5(245.3 μmol h−1gcat−1). We believe that the construction of the vanadium-doped polysulfide iron bimetallic active center not only provides new ideas and directions for the study of environmentally friendly catalysts for biomimetic nitrogen fixation enzymes, but also for exploration of low energy consumption and green methods for mild nitrogen fixation.

Due to its distinctive structure and properties, MFe2O4has been extensively investigated in catalytic oxidation. In this study, we synthesized a ternary metal composite Fe-based spinel catalyst using the sol-gel method for toluene oxidation. The catalytic performance assessments showed that the catalytic performance of Cu0.7Co0.3Fe2O4(T90 = 262 °C, 100,000 mL·g−1·h−1) was superior to that of CuFe2O4(T90 = 270 °C) and CoFe2O4(T90 = 310 °C), compared to binary metal spinel catalysts. The characterization results indicate that the strong interactions among Cu, Co, and Fe in the ternary metal composite structure increased the content of oxygen vacancy at lower temperatures, thereby increasing the content of surface reactive oxygen species and improving catalytic performance. This study highlights the potential application of Fe-based spinel structures to develop more efficient spinel catalysts.

An innovative strategy to control nitrogen oxide emission from flue gas was developed using the wet flue gas denitrification technology. The use of cyclodextrin (CD) as an additive facilitated NO2absorption by the sulfite absorbent. Compared with absorption by a sulfite solution (59.12%), the instantaneous absorption efficiencies employing CD improved to 94.57%. Moreover, 48 h of continuous absorption indicated cyclic utilization of CD. The favorable role of CD was ascribed to facilitating the limiting step for the entire NO2absorption–dissolution process which included both water solubility and gas–liquid mass transfer. Furthermore, we propose a potential mechanism of CD/sulfite mixed solution absorbing NO2, among which the favorable role of the additive is related to its amphiphilic behavior toward gas and liquid phases. Additionally, a kinetic model describing the rates of gas–liquid transfer and macro absorption was established based on various operating conditions. This model explains the absorption improvement in the kinetic aspect and provides theoretical guidance for practical applications.

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2with light and H2O to form CH3OH is a promising route to mitigate carbon emissions and climate changes. Although semiconducting metal oxides are potential photocatalysts for this reaction, low photon efficiency and leaching of environmentally unfriendly toxic metals limit their applicability. Here, we report metal-free, core–shell photocatalysts consisting of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4, CN) covalently linked to melamine–resorcinol–formaldehyde (MRF) microsphere polymers for this reaction. Covalent linkage enabled efficient separation of photo-generated carriers and photocatalysis. Using 100 mg of a photocatalyst containing 15 wt % CN, a CH3OH yield of 0.99 μmol·h–1was achieved at a reaction temperature of 80 °C and 0.5 MPa with external quantum efficiencies ranging from 5.5% at 380 nm to 1.7% at 550 nm. The yield was about 20 and 10 times higher than that of its components CN and MRF, respectively. Characterization with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and bulk and surface elemental analyses supported the formation of a core–shell structure and the charge transfer in the C–N bond at the CN–MRF interface between the methoxy group in the 2,4-dihydroxylmethyl-1,3-diphenol part of MRF and the terminal amino groups in CN. This enhanced ligand-to-ligand charge transfer resulted in 67% of the photo-excited internal charge transferred from CN to the hydroxymethylamino group in MRF, whose amino group was the catalytic site for the CO2photocatalytic reduction to CH3OH. This study provides a series of new metal-free photocatalyst designs and insights into the molecular-level structure-mediated photocatalytic response.

Triage management plays important roles in hospitalized patients for disease severity stratification and medical burden analysis. Although progression risks have been extensively researched for numbers of diseases, other crucial indicators that reflect patients’ economic and time costs have not been systematically studied. To address the problems, we developed an automatic deep learning based Auto Triage Management (ATM) Framework capable of accurately modelling patients’ disease progression risk and health economic evaluation. Based on them, we can first discover the relationship between disease progression and medical system cost, find potential features that can more precisely aid patient triage in resource allocation, and allow treatment plan searching that has cured patients. Applying ATM in COVID-19, we built a joint model to predict patients’ risk, the total length of stay (LoS) and cost when at-admission, and remaining LoS and cost at a given hospitalized time point, with C-index 0.930 and 0.869 for risk prediction, mean absolute error (MAE) of 5.61 and 5.90 days for total LoS prediction in internal and external validation data.