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Achieving improved energy efficiency, a green economy and degradation of environmental pollutants are important challenges to achieving sustainable development strategies. Herein, we have designed and synthesized a series of LaFe 1-x O 3 (LaFeO 3 , LaFe 0.95 O 3 , and LaFe 0.9 O 3) crystals with Fe vacancies for photo-assisted electrocatalysis (PAEC). These catalysts are used for both the anodic and cathodic reactions, where the anode efficiently removes persistent organic pollutants such as methylene blue (MB), and the cathode converts water into hydrogen gas. We observed that the presence of Fe vacancies leads to rearranging the electronic structure on the surface, enhancing the photo-assisted electrocatalytic activity. The rate constant for the photo-assisted electrocatalytic LaFe 0.90 O 3 was measured to be 0.996 min−1, which is 2.37 times and 2.74 times higher than that of the electrocatalytic (0.420 min−1) and photocatalytic (0.363 min−1) processes, respectively. The hydrogen production efficiency reached 1.42 μmol min−1. This study provides the first evidence of the photo-assisted electrocatalytic mechanism and potential applications of LaFeO 3 -based catalysts in enhancing the electro-oxidation of pollutants. It offers additional insights for the rational design and construction of more efficient PAEC catalysts for effective wastewater purification and energy recovery. [Display omitted] • The photo-assisted electrocatalysis for LaFe 1-x O 3 has been demonstrated. • The LaFe 0.90 O 3 owned outstanding electrocatalytic and photocatalytic performance. • The presence of Fe vacancies can enhance photo-assisted electrocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study investigated the challenge of joining poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) to aluminum alloy AA6061 through friction spot joining (FSpJ), by examining the impact of surface treatment of AA6061 sheets and analyzing various process parameters' effects on joint interface morphology, tensile-shear strength, and failure. Results indicated a peak interface temperature may reach 400 °C during FSpJ, with a 0.5–0.9 mm molten PEEK layer containing sealed bubbles. Notably, Boehmite treatment significantly improved joint strength, although the primary failure occurred in the PEEK base material. An optimization through response surface method (RSM) analysis identified plunging depth as the most influential factor in joint strength, and a peak load of 4576 N with an optimized combination of pin rotation speed, plunging depth, and dwell time was achieved. Using optimized process parameters, strong PEEK-AA6061 joints can be formed, and the approach is extendable to joining other metallic and polymeric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Shared micro-mobility (SMM), as a typical service of green mobility, has been widespread in recent years, especially the dockless SMM system. However, the booming development of dockless SMM faces challenges in operations management hindered by disorderly parking. The common management practices for addressing such disadvantages start with partitioning spatial objects, one of which is strategically planning virtual stations. Based on extensive journey data and geospatial information, multi-source data are first integrated and utilized as the data basis. A rule-enhanced clustering approach is proposed for the large-scale virtual station planning of dockless SMM at the city level. The geographical distribution of virtual stations is refined by integrating clustering algorithms and geospatial rules which encompass geospatial object conflicts, enclosed land-use conflicts, traffic conflicts, and adjacent demands fusion. Then, the dockless SMM system in Shenzhen, China is taken as the case study. The results show that (1) the dockless SMM system in Shenzhen is imbalanced both spatially and temporally, requiring further refinement; (2) the optimal number of clusters (namely virtual stations) for K-means, DBSCAN, and OPTICS clustering is 8500, 9194, and 8257 respectively, among which K-means exhibits the best performance over metrics; (3) 5825 virtual stations are eventually located in Shenzhen by rules adoption, of which the alignment between virtual stations and geospatial circumstances is illustrated as well. The findings of this study indicate that the proposed approach can enhance the practicality of virtual station detection results when applied in real-world scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Cathepsin E in liver hepatocellular carcinoma. [Display omitted] • Genome-wide MR analysis identified CTSE as a factor increasing LIHC risk. • High CTSE levels predict poorer overall and disease-specific survival in LIHC. • CTSE expression is linked to the extracellular matrix and malignant cell populations. • CTSE knockdown reduces proliferation via the FAK/Paxillin/Akt signaling pathway. • AZD7762 is identified as a potential therapeutic agent for targeting CTSE in LIHC. Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (LIHC), ranked as the second deadliest cancer globally, poses a major health challenge because of its widespread occurrence and poor prognosis. The mechanisms underlying LIHC development and progression remain unclear. Cathepsins are linked to tumorigenesis in other cancers, but their role in LIHC is underexplored. This study employed integrative analyses, including Mendelian Randomization (MR), bulk RNA-sequencing (bulk-seq), single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis, and cellular experiments with siRNA technology, to investigate the role of cathepsin E (CTSE) in LIHC. MR analysis identified CTSE as a factor associated with increased LIHC risk. Prognostic analysis using TCGA data showed that higher CTSE levels are linked to poorer survival, establishing CTSE as an independent prognostic risk factor. Integrative transcriptome analysis revealed close relation of CTSE to the extracellular matrix. scRNA-seq from TISCH2 demonstrated that CTSE is predominantly expressed in malignant LIHC cells. IHC confirmed higher CTSE expression in LIHC tissues compared to peritumoral tissues. Functional assays, such as qRT-PCR, Western blot, cell proliferation, and colony formation experiments, demonstrated that siRNA-mediated CTSE knockdown in HepG2 and Huh7 cell lines notably suppressed cell proliferation and altered the FAK/Paxillin/Akt signaling cascade. This research enhances our comprehension of LIHC development, emphasizing CTSE as a promising prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target. Inhibiting CTSE could slow the progression of LIHC, presenting novel opportunities for therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Accurate modeling of fission product release is essential for the safety of pebble-bed high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. Traditional models oversimplify by neglecting non-uniform temperature fields, variable nuclide production rates, and the randomness of pebble flow. This study introduces an enhanced diffusion calculation method that incorporates variable production rates from the burnup equation and non-uniform temperature profiles from steady-state heat conduction models. A rapid full-core release calculation refined to individual pebble dynamics is developed to better capture equilibrium core behavior. Comparing the refined model to traditional methods, results show stepwise accumulation of concentrations, reduced release rates from particles and pebbles, and increased concentration gradients within the graphite matrix. Release rate distributions for short-lived nuclides are influenced by both core temperature and neutron flux distributions, while those for long-lived nuclides are primarily temperature-dependent. The variable-temperature model indicates that, compared to uniform particle temperature models, a greater diffusion distance is required for nuclide release. • Rapid full-core nuclide release calculation method refined to the pebble level. • Refined nuclide diffusion and release calculation method within fuel pebbles. • Simulated the full-core release rate distribution of HTR-PM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

• A novel energy absorbing panel, i.e. SCSGF-EAP, was proposed. • The SCSGF-EAP presented local and global deformations under impact load. • The coupling effect of SCS panel and aluminum foam enhance the energy absorption. • The gradient aluminum foam absorbed the majority of impact energy. A novel steel–concrete–steel–gradient aluminum foam energy absorbing panel (SCSGF-EAP) has been proposed for improving the impact resistance of existing structures. The impact resistant performances of the SCSGF-EAP were evaluated through the drop weight impact tests and numerical simulations. The varying thickness of gradient aluminum foam and concrete core was considered in the drop weight impact tests. All the specimens presented a consistent failure mode, which included local indentation and global flexure of SCS panel and crushing of gradient aluminum foam. The Finite Element (FE) model was developed through adopting LS-DYNA for studying the impact resistance of SCSGF-EAP, and the comparisons exhibited that numerical results agreed well with experimental data. The internal energy of different components of specimen was determined by numerical model, and the gradient aluminum foam absorbed the majority of the impact energy. Finally, parametric studies were adopted to determine influences of the initial momentum and kinetic energy of impactor, as well as the density of gradient aluminum foam and impact location on the impact response of SCSGF-EAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Bioactive peptides have been shown to have a variety of functions, but very few studies have tapped into their promotional effects and mechanisms on testosterone synthesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Trichosanthes kirilowii -derived peptide on testosterone synthesis in TM3 cells and its mechanism of action. In this study, we found that the peptide purification fraction TSH1-3 and the peptide VTPVGSPR from Trichosanthes kirilowii seed hydrolysate (TSH) significantly promoted the synthesis of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, free testosterone, and androstenedione in TM3. Furthermore, TSH1-3 regulates the expression of testosterone synthesis-related genes and proteins StAR, TSPO, CYP11A1, and 3β-HSD in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, given the strong link between mitochondrial biogenesis and testosterone synthesis, we further found that both TSH1-3 and VTPVGSPR promoted mtDNA production and up-regulated the expression of genes important for mitochondrial biogenesis, PGC-1α, TFAM, TFB1M, TFB2M, NRF1 and NRF2. In short, this study demonstrates that TSH can be used as a potential dietary supplement to promote sex hormone production and regulate physical health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Yttrium-86 (86Y, t 1/2 = 14.7 h, 33% β +) is a nonstandard medical nuclide with a longer half-life than other standard nuclides such as gallium-68 for radiolabelling for PET (positron emission computed tomography) imaging. 86Y is compatible with DOTA (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid) and can be used to evaluate DOTA-chelated radiopharmaceuticals with long clearance half-lives, particularly therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals in several days. 86Y can be produced through 86Sr(p, n)86Y reaction, in which 86Sr-enriched SrCO 3 powder is bombarded with low-energy protons. To handle the SrCO 3 powder, a powder target for 86Y production in 14.6 MeV proton cyclotron was designed while maximizing yield, reliability and efficiency. To that end, the target's primary design parameters were traversed, simulated and optimized using computer algorithms to obtain advantageous parameter combinations. In this way, 86Y was produced on the powder target with high yield and successfully isolated with high purity (>97%) by solid-phase extraction via DGA resin for high-quality PET imaging and drug screening. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In this paper, a three-dimensional full-scale neutronic/thermal–hydraulic coupled analysis for the plate-type reactor is proposed based on the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) and Monte Carlo code RMC. For fast thermal–hydraulic calculation, two-dimensional heat transfer model and one-dimensional coolant subchannel model are established, and integrated into the thermal–hydraulic analysis code SPhase. The verification of SPhase is first implemented through analytical solutions and numerical codes. The three-dimensional neutronic model and calculation schemes are verified through RMC to ensure the accuracy of physics calculation. The full-scale JRR-3M critical coupled simulation under steady state is realized through cell-level resolution, and the criticality search is implemented using the dichotomous method. Comparisons between calculation results with and without thermal feedback are herein proposed for safety analysis of JRR-3M. In the critical condition, the thermal feedback introduces a negative activity of about 400 pcm. The insertion of absorbers renders the complexity of core power distribution. The reflection effect results in peak thermal neutrons flux near the reflector, and the maximum assembly temperature reaches 340 K at the edge of the core. This work provides a reference for correlational studies on neutronic/thermal–hydraulic characteristics and safety analysis of plate-type reactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

[Display omitted] • Desmodesmus sp. to A. pulmonis coculture optimizes to DBP removal efficiency. • Excellent, 93 % DBP removal recorded at 1:1 coculture, pH-6, L:D-12:12, 120 rpm speed. • High protein & sugar: 107.67 & 39.78 mg/L were observed with DBP. • The degradation 81% played the key role in coculture system. A green approach of Desmodesmus sp. to Achromobacter pulmonis (1:1) coculture ratios was optimized to improve the removal efficiency of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) from simulated wastewater. High DBP resistance bacterial strains and microalgae was optimized from plastic contaminated water and acclimation process respectively. The influence of various factors on DBP removal performance was comprehensively investigated. Highest DBP removal 93 % was recorded, when the ratios algae-bacteria 1:1, with sodium acetate, pH-6, shaking speed-120 rpm and lighting periods L:D-12:12. Enough nutrient (TN/TP/TOC) availability and higher protein-108 mg/L and sugar-40 mg/L were observed in presences of 50 mg/L DBP. The degradation and sorption were calculated 81,12; 27,39 & 43,12 % in algae-bacteria, only algae and only bacteria system respectively. The degradation kinetics t 1/2 3.74,22.15,12.86 days were evaluated, confirming that algae-bacteria effectively degrade the DBP. This outcome leading to promote a green sustainable approach to remove the emerging contamination from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...