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Photocatalytic degradation technology is a promising strategy for the water treatment, which has many advantages such as saving time, cleanliness and environmental friendliness. In this study, ultra-low amount (0.01 wt%) of nano platinum (Pt) obtained from one-pot reduction method, was doped onto zinc oxide (ZnO) to form a lamellar nanoflower (Pt-ZnO). The characterization of Pt-ZnO was put forwards via scanning electron microscopy, high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission election microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, etc. The highest degradation efficiencies of methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (Rh B), methylene orange (MO), and acid black ATT (ATT) after being treated by Pt-ZnO for about 60 min reached 99.9%, 99.9%, 96.0%, and 97.8% respectively. While the MB and Rh B remained at a degradation efficiency of 99.9% even after being reused 5 times. Surprisingly, Pt-ZnO showed the removal rate of industrial effluent containing acid dyes was 93.9% and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of wastewater was significantly reduced. Experimental results of LC-MS and free radical scavenging testing indicated MB was mainly split through the continuous open-ring cleavage of C-N bond in N, N-dimethylamine group by · OH, and finally decomposed into H 2 O and CO 2 achieving the decolorization. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Char catalytic conversion of tar at different temperatures was carried out on a laboratory-scale circulating fluidized bed to providing theoretical support for the removal of tar. Various modern detection techniques were used to analyze the gas, tar and char, such as the gas chromatograph, the specific surface area analyzer and the gas chromatograph mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The efficiency of tar conversion (ETC) could be effectively improved by the increasing temperature, while transformation characteristics of the organic compounds of the used tar also changed. When the temperature increased from 850 °C to 900 °C, the catalytic capability of char was improved, resulting a reducing of the heavy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (heavy PAH compounds) of the produced tar. When the temperature increased from 900 °C to 950 °C, the catalytic capability of char weakened, so the heavy PAH compounds increased, caused by the intensifying of tar thermal cracking. At the tested temperature (850–950 °C), the conversion of naphthalene, the most abundant organic compound in the used tar, has not been seem a significant change, showing a selectivity of the char catalyst. • The tests were carried out in a CFB gasifier during char gasification. • The real tar was introduced into the circulating fluidized bed gasifier by pre-mixing of the tar and char. • The effect of temperature on the different components reforming of the tar was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The precise function of various resting and activated leukocyte subsets remains unclear. For instance, mast cells, basophils, and eosinophils play important roles in allergic inflammation but also participate in other immunologic responses. One strategy to understand leukocyte subset function is to define the expression and function of subset-restricted molecules. Objective: To use a microarray dataset and bioinformatics strategies to identify novel leukocyte markers as well as genes associated with allergic or innate responses. Methods: By using Affymetrix microarrays, we generated an immune transcriptome dataset composed of gene profiles from all of the major leukocyte subsets, including rare enigmatic subsets such as mast cells, basophils, and plasma cells. We also assessed whether analysis of genes expressed commonly by certain groups of leukocytes, such as allergic leukocytes, might identify genes associated with particular responses. Results: Transcripts highly restricted to a single leukocyte subset were readily identified (>2000 subset-specific transcripts), many of which have not been associated previously with leukocyte functions. Transcripts expressed exclusively by allergy-related leukocytes revealed well known as well as novel molecules, many of which presumably contribute to allergic responses. Likewise, Nearest Neighbor Analysis of genes coexpressed with Toll-like receptors identified genes of potential relevance for innate immunity. Conclusion: Gene profiles from all of the major human leukocyte subsets provide a powerful means to identify genes associated with single leukocyte subsets, or different types of immune response. Clinical implications: A comprehensive dataset of gene expression profiles of human leukocytes should provide new targets or biomarkers for human inflammatory diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Cotton annexin protein, GhANN1, plays an important role in plant tolerance to salinity stress. • Overexpressing GhANN1 resulted in ABA accumulation in cotton root tissues. • GhANN1 modulates salt tolerance by maintaining the ion homeostasis and regulating phenylpropanoid pathway. • Transcriptional repressor GhWRKY40-like could bind to GhANN1 promoter to form a novel GhANN1-ABA-GhWRKY40-like loop. Soil salinity is a major environmental stressor and seriously affects cotton yield and quality. ANNEXINs (ANNs) are a family of calcium-dependent membrane binding proteins, which function in many cellular processes. In this study, we found that GhANN1 (GenBank Accession No: KM062523), encoding an annexin protein in cotton, was strongly upregulated by phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and salt stress treatments. Overexpressing GhANN1 improved cotton tolerance to salinity stress, in which GhANN1 regulated ABA and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways and increased the expression of Na+, K+ transporter-related genes in cotton roots. Additionally, transcriptional repressor GhWRKY40-like was involved in ABA-dependent pathway, which could bind directly to the GhANN1 promoter to form a novel GhANN1-ABA-GhWRKY40-like loop and fine-tune cotton response to salt stress. This study reveals the function of GhANN1 in enhancing cotton salt tolerance by regulating ABA accumulation, coordinating ion homeostasis, and participating in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, which will deepen our insight into plant response to abiotic stresses and provide valuable gene resources for cotton salt-tolerant breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we study a Bronsted acid, p-Toluenesulfonic acid, as an effective TiO 2 /perovskite interface layer for high efficiency perovskite solar cell. The results show that p-Toluenesulfonic acid TiO 2 /perovskite interface layer-modified perovskite solar cell can significantly improve the power conversion efficiency to 19.29% under illumination of AM 1.5G (100 mW cm−2), in contrast to 17.91% of reference perovskite solar cell. It can be concluded that the p-Toluenesulfonic acid TiO 2 /perovskite interface layer-modified perovskite solar cell exhibits significantly enhanced device performance and reduced interface losses are due to the fact that the p-Toluenesulfonic acid TiO 2 /perovskite interface layer can induce preferential growth of perovskite crystals to form near-perfect perovskite film with bigger grain sizes and fewer interface defects, and effectively passivate the TiO 2 /perovskite interface, which favors to balance the electrons and holes transfer. Image 1 • Bronsted acid TiO 2 /perovskite interface layer was studied. • p-Toluenesulfonic acid can effectively overcome the interface losses. • p-Toluenesulfonic acid optimized device exhibits the highest PCE of 19.29%. • p-Toluenesulfonic acid optimized device exhibits negligible hysteresis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]