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Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) with low cost and high electrolysis efficiency is an emerging technology for large-scale hydrogen production. High-performance anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are crucial for the commercialization of AEMWE. In this work, four hydrophilic and hydrophobic di-piperidine crosslinked membranes were prepared and tested. The combination of cationic side chains and hydrophilic oxygenated cross-linkers facilitates the construction of efficient and continuous ion transport channels, reducing resistance and enhancing the alkaline stability of AEMs. With cationic side chains and hydrophilic flexible di-piperidine crosslinkers, the PTP-N-QABIEP membrane exhibits high ionic conductivity (151.7 mS cm−1 at 80 °C), good dimensional stability (WU 118.4% and SR 20.2% at 80 °C) and excellent alkaline stability (2 M NaOH > 2300 h at 80 °C). Meanwhile, satisfactory AEMWE performance was demonstrated in 1 M KOH (2.14 A cm−2 and 2.2 V at 60 °C) and pure water (0.600 A cm−2 and 2.2 V at 60 °C), respectively, while there was also a low voltage decay (0.542 mV h−1) after 240 h of operation in 1 M KOH at 500 mA cm−2 and 60 °C. Therefore, the PTP-N-QABIEP membrane with relatively excellent comprehensive performance shows favorable prospects for AEMWE applications in 1 M KOH or pure water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 1 September 2022, a landslide in Hongya Village, Weiyuan Town, Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, Qinghai Province, caused significant casualties and economic losses. To mitigate such risks, InSAR technology is employed due to its wide coverage, all-weather operation, and cost-effectiveness in detecting landslides. In this study, focusing on the landslide in Hongya Village, SBAS-InSAR and Sentinel-1A satellite data from July 2021 to September/October 2022 were used to accurately identify the areas of active landslides and to analyze the landslide deformation trends, in combination with the geological characteristics of the landslides and rainfall data. The results showed that strong deformation was detected in the middle and back of the landslide in Hongya Village, with a maximum deformation rate of approximately -13 mm/year. The surface of the landslide consisted of mainly Upper Pleistocene wind-deposited loess, which is extremely sensitive to water. The deformation of the landslide was closely related to the rainfall, and the deformation of the landslide increased with the increase in rainfall. The research results prove that the combination of ascending and descending orbit data based on SBAS-InSAR technology is highly feasible in the field of landslide deformation monitoring and is of great practical significance for landslide disaster prevention and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children affected by severe early childhood caries (S‐ECC) usually need comprehensive caries treatment due to the extensive of caries. How the oral microbiome changes after caries therapy within the short‐term warrant further study. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the short‐term impact of comprehensive caries treatment on the supragingival plaque microbiome of S‐ECC children. Design: Thirty‐three children aged 2–4 years with severe caries (dt > 7) were recruited. Comprehensive caries treatment was performed under general anesthesia in one session and included restoration, pulp treatment, extraction, and fluoride application. Supragingival plaque was sampled pre‐ and 1‐month posttreatment. The genomic DNA of the supragingival plaque was extracted, and bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was performed. Results: Our data showed that the microbial community evenness significantly decreased posttreatment. Furthermore, comprehensive caries treatment led to more diverse microbial structures among the subjects. The interbacterial interactions reflected by the microbial community's co‐occurrence network tended to be less complex posttreatment. Caries treatment increased the relative abundance of Corynebacterium matruchotii, Corynebacterium durum, Actinomyces naeslundii, and Saccharibacteria HMT‐347, as well as Aggregatibacter HMT‐458 and Haemophilus influenzae. Meanwhile, the relative abundance of Streptococcus mutans, three species from Leptotrichia, Neisseria bacilliformis, and Provotella pallens significantly decreased posttreatment. Conclusion: Our results suggested that comprehensive caries treatment may contribute to the reconstruction of a healthier supragingival microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the radio frequency vacuum drying (RFVD) technique was used to dry Codonopsis pilosula slices. The effects of the drying temperature, slice thickness, plate spacing, and vacuum degree on the drying characteristics and physicochemical properties of the slices were investigated. The results showed that as the drying temperature and vacuum degree increased and the slice thickness and plate distance decreased, the drying rate and effective moisture diffusion coefficient of the Codonopsis pilosula slices improved, and the required drying time was shortened by 11.11% to 29.41% compared to that after hot air drying (HAD). Through comparison, it was found that the Midilli and Weibull models could better describe the moisture variation trend during the RFVD of Codonopsis pilosula. After RFVD, the retention of lobetyolin and syringin in Codonopsis pilosula significantly increased, with maximum contents of 135.74 mg/100 g and 19.16 mg/100 g respectively, which were 75.2% and 124.28% higher than those obtained by HAD. The contents of polysaccharides, total phenolics, and total flavonoids and antioxidant performance were also enhanced. The color, shrinkage rate, and internal tissue structure were significantly improved. In conclusion, RFVD not only increases the drying speed of Codonopsis pilosula slices but also ensures the good quality of the dried products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis continues to overwhelm hospital systems with its high mortality rate and prevalence. A strategy to reduce the strain of sepsis on hospital systems is to develop a diagnostic/prognostic measure that identifies patients who are more susceptible to septic death. Current biomarkers fail to achieve this outcome, as they only have moderate diagnostic power and limited prognostic capabilities. Sepsis disrupts a multitude of pathways in many different organ systems, making the identification of a single powerful biomarker difficult to achieve. However, a common feature of many of these perturbed pathways is the increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can alter gene expression, changes in which may precede the clinical manifestation of severe sepsis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether ROS-related circulating molecular signature can be used as a tool to predict sepsis survival. Here we created a ROS-related gene signature and used two Gene Expression Omnibus datasets from whole blood samples of septic patients to generate a 37-gene molecular signature that can predict survival of sepsis patients. Our results indicate that peripheral blood gene expression data can be used to predict the survival of sepsis patients by assessing the gene expression pattern of free radical–associated -related genes in patients, warranting further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct numerical simulation combined with a one-way coupled Lagrangian particle tracking technique is employed to investigate dilute particle-laden turbulent flows in open square ducts with a free surface. The focus is on examining the influence of the mean cross-stream secondary flow on particle transport near the wall, free surface, and across the duct cross section. Based on the duct half-width and mean friction velocity, a shear Reynolds number of Reτ = 300 is considered, with the corresponding particle Stokes numbers ranging from St+ = 0.31 to 260. The results reveal that particle concentration near the sidewalls is lower than that near the bottom wall, and the minimum particle concentration is observed at the free surface. Along the bottom wall centerline orientated upward, particle concentration gradually decreases. An exception to this is in the vicinity of the free surface where a slight increase is observed for the heavier particles (St+ ≥ 25), and the amplitude of this increase gradually declines as the Stokes number increases. In the streamwise direction near the free surface, heavier particles tend to preferentially concentrate in regions where the instantaneous transverse secondary flow velocity is negative. As the Stokes number increases, the position of the maximum streamwise velocity for heavier particles is closer to the free surface, and the rotation centers of inner and outer secondary particle motions gradually disappear. The streamwise root mean square velocity for the lightest St+ = 0.31 particles is higher than that for particles with higher inertia in the middle region of the free surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carotenoids in goji (Lycium barbarum L.) have excellent health benefits, but the underlying mechanism of carotenoid synthesis and color formation in goji fruit ripening is still unclear. The present study uses transcriptomics and metabolomics to investigate carotenoid biosynthesis and color formation differences in N1 (red fruit) and N1Y (yellow fruit) at three stages of ripening. Twenty-seven carotenoids were identified in N1 and N1Y fruits during the M1, M2, and M3 periods, with the M2 and M3 periods being critical for the difference in carotenoid and color between N1 and N1Y fruit. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), gene trend analysis, and correlation analysis suggest that PSY1 and ZDS16 may be important players in the synthesis of carotenoids during goji fruit ripening. Meanwhile, 63 transcription factors (TFs) were identified related to goji fruit carotenoid biosynthesis. Among them, four TFs (CMB1-1, WRKY22-1, WRKY22-3, and RAP2-13-like) may have potential regulatory relationships with PSY1 and ZDS16. This work sheds light on the molecular network of carotenoid synthesis and explains the differences in carotenoid accumulation in different colored goji fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C5–C7 light hydrocarbons are important components in petroleum and are extensively employed as an auxiliary approach in petroleum research. Consensus on the mechanism of light hydrocarbon generation has not yet been achieved. In this study, 20 gas samples were collected from the western part and northern margin of the Qaidam Basin. The molecular and carbon isotopic compositions of C1–C3 gaseous hydrocarbons and C5–C7 light hydrocarbons, as well as the carbon isotopes of oils were analyzed. Based on the relationships between carbon isotopes (13C) of individual light hydrocarbons and calculated vitrinite reflectance, it suggests that organic matters play a fundamental role in the carbon isotopes of light hydrocarbons, and maturity mainly affects the carbon isotopes of n -alkanes in light hydrocarbons. In addition, carbon isotopic differences between n -, iso - and cyclo -alkanes indicate that light hydrocarbons with different structures are produced from various biological precursors. Besides, carbon isotopes of individual light hydrocarbons can be used to estimate the δ13Ckerogen and distinguish cracked gas. On the one hand, small isotope fractionation between iso -alkanes and kerogen is observed. Average carbon isotopic compositions of iso -pentane (i -C5), 2-methylpentane (2-MC5) and 3-methylpentane (3-MC5) can provide a similar δ13Ckerogen with actual values. On the other hand, the carbon isotopic difference between 2-MC5 and n -C6 generally decreases with increasing maturity. Combined with the parameter (2-MC6 + 3-MC6)/ n -C6, kerogen-cracked gases are characterized by high δ13C2MC5–δ13CnC6 and low (2-MC6 + 3-MC6)/ n -C6 values, whereas oil-cracked gases exhibit the opposite features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]