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High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are considered to be promising multifunctional electrocatalysts because of their diverse constituent elements, structural uniformity, and multiple active sites that can be applicable for various reactions. In this study, the Fe 20 Co 20 Ni 20 Cr 20 Mo 20 HEA was utilized as a substrate to rapidly synthesize a nanostructured porous film with a highly active HEA surface area via an electrochemical one-step dealloying method. The dealloyed HEA exhibited an excellent oxygen evolution activity, with a low overpotential of only 370 mV at 40 mA cm−2, which is lower than those of the commercial IrO 2 –RuO 2 –Ta 2 O 5 /Ti (500 mV) and IrO 2 –RuO 2 /Ti (542 mV) catalysts, and a Tafel slope of 119 mV dec−1. After synthesizing a nanostructured porous film through dealloying, the active surface area of the HEA increased by 30%. Following a 60-h stability test, the overpotential difference of the HEA before and after the stability test is less than 30 mV, signifying outstanding stability. The obtained results indicate that the prepared FeCoNiCrMo HEA is primarily composed of two phases, namely the σ phase and the face-centered cubic (FCC) phase. The uneven distribution of the corrosion-resistant element Cr in these phases resulted in significantly different corrosion rates for the two phases, wherein the FCC phase underwent preferential corrosion. Additionally, synergistic electronic coupling among the surface atoms of the nanostructured porous film further enhanced the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance. This electrochemical dealloying method demonstrated a high reproducibility and provided an effective pathway for optimizing OER catalysts. • Nanostructure was obtained on the dual-phase HEA surfaces via single-phase corrosion. • The uneven distribution of Cr led to divergent corrosion rates in the duplex phase. • The HEA after dealloying exhibited impressive oxygen evolution properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the biomineralization activity of Zr-based amorphous alloys is key to advancing their use in implant materials. A nanoscale 3D porous structure was synthesized on the surface of Zr-based amorphous alloy by electrochemical dealloying in a ChCl-Thi DES. Cu and Al have the lowest corrosion potential in the DES, so the main elements eluted during dealloying are Cu and Al. After dealloying, the surface of the Zr-based amorphous alloy remained essentially amorphous, and several crystalline phases of NiZr 2 , Al 3 Ti, and CuZr 2 formed simultaneously. Among the amorphous phases, Cu and Ni were present in the form of simple substances, while Zr, Al, and Ti were oxidized. The formation of the porous structure mainly included the two processes of pitting corrosion and dealloying. The pitting corrosion was controlled by Cl-, which can destroy the passivation film. In the dealloying process, thiourea played a leading role in the dissolution of active metals. A porous surface structure is beneficial for improving the biomineralization activity of Zr-based amorphous alloys. • A nanoscale 3D porous structure was synthesized on the surface of Zr-based amorphous alloy by electrochemical dealloying in a ChCl-thiourea DES. • A porous surface structure is beneficial for improving the biomineralization activity of Zr-based amorphous alloys. • It is different from aqueous solution that Cu have the lowest corrosion potential in ChCl-thiourea DES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a nanoscale 3D porous structure is rapidly synthesized on the surface of a Zr-based BMG by dealloying in solutions containing Cl− and F−. The influence of the porous surface structure the electrolyte on the preparation of the porous surface structure is studied. The Zr-based BMG is more likely to be passivated when F− is added to the HCl solution. The corrosion potential gap between the five components in the alloy increases after the addition of F−. The phase transformation and structure formation of a Zr-based BMG during dealloying are studied. The main dissolved elements in the dealloying process are Zr, Ti, and Al. Cu 10 Zr 7 , Zr 2 Ni 7 and AlTi 3 are the main crystal phases after dealloying, but the Zr-based BMG remains dominated by amorphous phases. The formation of the porous structure can be divided into two stages, the pitting corrosion process and the dealloying process, and these two processes are dominated by Cl− and F−, respectively. A porous surface structure is beneficial to improve the biomineralization activity of Zr-based BMGs. • A method for quickly synthesizing porous structure on the Zr-based BMGs surface has been developed. • The main process of the porous structure formation is the pitting corrosion and the dealloying. • The porous structure is beneficial to improve the biomineralization activity of Zr-based BMGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to prepare a new pH-sensing film based on the immobilization of purple cabbage anthocyanins (PCA) into Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) reinforced by cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). FT-IR, XRD and TGA were used to assess the intermolecular interactions and thermo-stability of films. The addition of CNC and PCA resulted in an enhancement in UV–vis barrier, mechanical properties and moisture resistance. Inclusion of PCA imparted intelligent properties to the films. PCA-loaded films displayed strong visually detectable colorimetric responses to pH (2−13) and volatile ammonia. When applied to monitor shrimp freshness at 4 °C, PVA/CNC films containing 0.6 % PCA exhibited conspicuous color fluctuations from purple to gray blue upon deterioration. As a result, PVA/CNC-PCA colorimetric films were considered as intelligent packaging labels with significant mechanical, water vapor barrier properties and pH-sensing qualities for visual quality evaluation of fresh seafood products. [Display omitted] • Versatile PVA/CNC-PCA intelligent films are fabricated successfully. • Good compatibility and strong interactions are observed among PVA, CNCs and PCA. • PCA film produce naked-eye detectable colorimetric response to pH and ammonia gas. • PVA/CNC-PCA III film display sensitive color response to shrimp spoilage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method to efficiently clean coal-dust-laden air method was proposed and its related equipment was developed. This method does not use conventional nozzles and filters, and has no requirements on the water quality of coal mine. It has strong adaptability and stable dust suppression efficiency. [Display omitted] During the green mining processes of coal energy, large amounts of coal-dust-laden air may be generated. This has caused serious health threats to mine workers. In this paper, a novel method for efficiently cleaning coal-dust-laden air was proposed. The method involved the use of air scrubbers composed of water inlet pipes, radial mixing impellers, water distribution plates, swirl vanes, and dehydrator. The radial mixing impellers were utilized to break up the water which flowed from the water inlet pipes to water distribution plates. As a result, water mist was formed, which then combined with the coal-dust-laden air, effectively sucking it using the negative pressure from the impeller rotation actions. The coal-dust-laden air and solid-liquid mixtures were moved along a certain trajectory by centrifugal force and gravity, and then discharged to the exterior. Experiments and field application processes were carried out in order to test the effectiveness of the proposed method. The experimental results showed that the dust removal efficiency of the method had reached 97.70 %. In addition, the proposed method was applied to a coal preparation plant in China's Shanxi Province. The test results indicated that the average concentrations of total dust and respirable dust were found to have decreased from 71.11 to 2.89 mg/m3 and from 47.675 to 1.958 mg/m3, which met the requirements of environmental standards. Therefore, since the proposed method had not used conventional nozzles and filters, and had no requirements regarding the water quality of the coal mine, it had displayed strong adaptability and stable dust removal efficiency. The results obtained in this study showed that this new method of cleaning coal-dust-laden air was a promising measure by which to significantly improve the working environments of coal mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruits of wampee (Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels), which contain significant amounts of phenolics, are frequently applied as traditional medications to prevent or relieve inflammatory symptoms. Green honey wampee (GHW) is a local cultivar specially cultivated in Lianjiang City, Guangdong Province. This study aimed to investigate phenolic distribution profiles in the peels, seeds and pulp of GHW as well as elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of the effective compounds for anti-inflammatory activity. Phenolic compounds in the extract were identified through UPLC-MS/MS and their ability to alleviate inflammation was assessed using RAW 264.7 macrophages exposed to lipopolysaccharide. Among the three parts of GHW fruits, the total phenolic contents followed a descending order of peels > pulp > seeds. Additionally, eighty-six phenols were tentatively determined from the three parts, of which flavonoids accounted for the highest proportion. Furthermore, the phenolic extract of peels, seeds and pulp exhibited potential anti-inflammatory activity through the suppression effect on different pro-inflammatory mediators (NO, IL-6 and TNF- α). Among the three principal phenolic compounds (rutin, quercitrin, isorhamnetin-3- O -neohesperidoside) detected in GHW fruits, quercitrin was proved to be a more important anti-inflammatory compound inhibiting the iNOS and TNF- α mRNA expressions through the suppression effect on the phosphorylation of IκBα and ERK, belonging to the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathway respectively. Not only wampee pulp but also its by-products like peels and seeds are able to be comprehensively utilized as immunomodulatory supplements for daily diets due to their rich phenolic contents. [Display omitted] • Flavonoid-enriched phenolic profiles were identified in GHW peels, seeds and pulp. • The total phenolic contents: peels > pulp > seeds. • Crude phenolic extract of three fractions reduced distinct inflammation cytokines. • Quercitrin was an important anti-inflammatory phenol in GHW fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A glycoprotein (SGP1) was isolated from Sipunculus nudus for the first time. • SGP1 is a protein-dominate glycoprotein with O-glycosidic bonds containing 92.8% protein. • SGP1 was a predominantly β-sheet glycoprotein. • SGP1 exhibited strong immune-enhancing activity by promoting proliferation, phagocytosis and the secretions of NO, IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 on RAW264.7 cells. • SGP1 exerts immune-enhancing activity via NF-κB signaling pathway. Sipunculus nudus , an edible marine invertebrate, has long been used as traditional Chinese medicine in folk remedies. In order to assess the immunoregulatory activity of glycoproteins in Sipunculus nudus and conduct a structure–activity relationship, a glycoprotein (SGP1) with molecular mass of 9.26 kDa was purified from Sipunculus nudus , and its chemical structure as well as immune-enhancing activity was investigated in this study. Structure analysis revealed that SGP1, a protein-dominate glycoprotein with O-glycosidic bonds, contained 92.8 % protein and 3.1 % saccharide. GC–MS result indicated that the saccharide moieties of SGP1 basically consisted of lyxose (Lyx), xylose (Xyl) as well as glucose (Glu) at a molar proportion of 0.87:4.16:1.36. The fourier transform infrared specoscopy (FT-IR) result proved that SGP1 have a typical characteristic of glycoprotein. Besides, circular dichroism (CD) result showed that SGP1 contained 4.1 % α-helix, 42.5 % β-sheet, 21.4 % β-turn, and 32.0 % random coil, indicating it's mainly a β-sheet glycoprotein. The amino acid sequence of SGP1 shared a similarity to the Myohemerythrin (sp|Q5K473|HEMTM) with protein sequence coverage of 28.3 %. Moreover, the activity evaluation results showed that SGP1 exhibited significant immune-enhancing activity to the RAW 264.7 macrophages by promoting macrophages proliferation, enhancing phagocytic capacity, and simultaneously stimulating the secretions of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) via NF-κB pathways. In this study, SGP1 as a novel glycoprotein had an obvious immune-enhancing activity to macrophages, and thus could be applied in the functional foods as a potential immunopotentiator for the hypoimmune population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household air pollution (HAP) from indoor combustion of solid fuel is a global health burden linked to lung cancer. In Xuanwei, China, lung cancer rate for nonsmoking women is among the highest in the world and largely attributed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are produced from combustion of smoky (bituminous) coal used for cooking and heating. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), a DNA methylation-based biomarker of aging, has been shown to be highly correlated with biological processes underlying the susceptibility of age-related diseases. We aim to assess the association between HAP exposure and EAA. We analyzed data from 106 never-smoking women from Xuanwei, China. Information on fuel type was collected using a questionnaire, and validated exposure models were used to predict levels of 43 HAP constituents. Exposure clusters were identified using hierarchical clustering. EAA was derived for five epigenetic clocks defined as the residuals resulting from regressing each clock on chronological age. We used generalized estimating equations to test associations between exposure clusters derived from predicted levels of HAP exposure, ambient 5-methylchrysene (5-MC), a PAH previously found to be associated with risk of lung cancer, and EAA, while accounting for repeated-measurements and confounders. We observed an increase in GrimAge EAA for clusters with 31 and 33 PAHs reflecting current (β = 0.77 y per standard deviation (SD) increase, 95 % CI:0.36,1.19) and childhood (β = 0.92 y per SD, 95 % CI:0.40,1.45) exposure, respectively. 5-MC (ng/m3-year) was found to be associated with GrimAge EAA for current (β = 0.15 y, 95 % CI:0.05,0.25) and childhood (β = 0.30 y, 95 % CI:0.13,0.47) exposure. Our findings suggest that exposure to PAHs from indoor smoky coal combustion, particularly 5-MC, is associated with GrimAge EAA, a biomarker of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously showed that exposure to 5-methylchrysene (5MC) and other methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) best explains lung cancer risks in a case-control study among non-smoking women using smoky coal in China. Time-related factors (e.g., age at exposure) and non-linear relations were not explored. We investigated the relation between coal-derived air pollutants and lung cancer mortality using data from a large retrospective cohort. Participants were smoky (bituminous) or smokeless (anthracite) coal users from a cohort of 42,420 subjects from four communes in XuanWei. Follow-up was from 1976 to 2011, during which 4,827 deaths from lung-cancer occurred. Exposures were predicted for 43 different pollutants. Exposure clusters were identified using hierarchical clustering. Cox regression was used to estimate exposure–response relations for 5MC, while effect modification by age at exposure was investigated for cluster prototypes. A Bayesian penalized multi-pollutant model was fitted on a nested case-control sample, with more restricted models fitted to investigate non-linear exposure–response relations. We confirmed the strong exposure–response relation for 5MC (Hazard Ratio [95% Confidence Interval] = 2.5 [2.4, 2.6] per standard-deviation (SD)). We identified four pollutant clusters, with all but two PAHs in a single cluster. Exposure to PAHs in the large cluster was associated with a higher lung cancer mortality rate (HR [95%CI] = 2.4 [2.2, 2.6] per SD), while exposure accrued before 18 years of age appeared more important than adulthood exposures. Results from the multi-pollutant model identified anthanthrene (ANT) and benzo(a)chrysene (BaC) as risk factors. 5MC remained strongly associated with lung cancer in models that included ANT and BaC and also benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). We confirmed the link between PAH exposures and lung cancer in smoky coal users and found exposures before age 18 to be especially important. We found some evidence for the carcinogen 5MC and non-carcinogens ANT and BaC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• l -Ascorbate palmitate (LAP) incorporated liposome was produced by simple hydration and microfluidization. • LAP increased the surface negative charges, antioxidant capacity, rigidity and orderliness of liposomes. • High LAP incorporated ratio could decrease the encapsulation ability of the control liposome. • The storage stability of hydrophobic polyphenol in liposomes could be improved by LAP. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of l -ascorbyl palmitate (LAP) as an additive to liposome formulations by self-assembling with soy lecithin to form hybrid liposomes, in order to enhance the physical stability and bioactivator-loaded retention ratio of the LAP incorporated liposomes (LAP-LP). The addition of LAP significantly increased its surface negative charge and strong hydrophobic interactions occurred between the hydrophobic tails of LAP and phospholipids resulting in more compactly ordered, rigid and hydrophobic phospholipid bilayers as indicated by surface tension, fluorescence probes and DSC. These changes enhanced the stability of hydrophobic polyphenol loaded LAP-LP during storage. Particularly, after four weeks storage at 37 °C for naringenin loaded liposomes, the retention ratio of pure liposome decreased dramatically to 12.5 %, while the LAP-LP remained above 74.5 %. This study opens up the potential for the LAP-LP to be developed as a food-grade multifunctional formulation for encapsulating and delivering bioactivators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A sheep breeding system based on blockchain was constructed. • The data of elite sheep verified by blockchain could be used as the basis for breeding sheep exchange between breeding farms. • The data in blockchain could be used for breeding sheep selection as genetic data. Joint breeding is an important way to develop new breeds, and the establishment of genetic data sharing channels among breeding farms plays an essential role in the joint breeding of sheep. To meet the needs of sharing genetic data and selecting breeding sheep in the process of joint breeding, in our study, we constructed a sheep blockchain breeding system (MSBBS) with distributed storage using blockchain technology. The breeding farms in the alliance were set as nodes, and a set of MSBBS was installed on each node to record breeding sheep data, automatically calculate Estimated Breeding Value (EBV), and write elite sheep data into the blockchain to realize real-time sharing of block data. blocks should be authenticated by more than two-thirds of nodes before they were written, and after writing, each node will get the same copy of the block data, so that the block data cannot be tampered with. MSBBS facilitates sheep farms' data management, and the block data could be used as reliable and shared genetic data for selection of breeding sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]