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• Aetiology variated upon the infected region for necrotising fasciitis (NF). • Gram-negative bacteria emerged as a common pathogen for monomicrobial NF. • High Fournier's gangrene (FG) severity index score (greater than 7) was strongly correlated with poor outcomes for FG. • Sepsis at admission was an alarming indicator of poor outcomes for lower extremity NF. In this study, we aimed to illustrate distinctions between Fournier's gangrene (FG) and lower extremity necrotising fasciitis (NF) and screen out possible risk factors of poor prognosis for each cohort. The medical records of qualified patients with NF admitted to the Second People's Hospital of Yibin from January 2016 to June 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. All participants were anatomically categorised into FG and lower extremity NF groups, and their baseline data and microbiological results were compared. Further comparisons of critical parameters were conducted between survivors and nonsurvivors within each group. A total of 49 patients were included in the study with a median age of 58 years, and overall mortality was 20.4%. There were 18 patients with FG and 31 patients with lower extremity NF. A microbiology distinction was found—the predominance of gram-negative infection in FG and gram-positive infection in lower extremity NF. High Fournier's gangrene severity index scores (greater than 7), advanced age, procalcitonin and D-dimer value were identified as risk factors for FG, and the presentation of sepsis was an alarming indicator for lower extremity NF. The distinction of microbiology might provide advice for appropriate antibacterial administrations. In addition, with practical prognostic predicting tools, clinicians might be able to identify patients at increased risk and intervene promptly to avoid unfavourable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A microfluidic evaporator with a photothermal porous layer was designed for continuous sample concentration. • Concentration performance of the evaporator were tested under various operation conditions including light intensity, flow rate and different sample type. • By regulating operation parameters the designed evaporator could reach a maximum concentration factor of 2.9 under continuous working condition with minimum flow/thermal disturbance to the bulk solution. On microfluidic platform, sample concentration plays a crucial role in on-chip detection, analysis and synthesis, etc. Evaporation-induced solvent removal is frequently applied to various application scenarios due to its simplicity and compatibility. However, the enclosed microfluidic channels often hinder the solvent vapor discharge during the evaporation process due to the formation of two-phase flow and interfacial instability. Herein, we propose a novel microfluidic evaporator incorporated with a photothermal porous layer for continuous sample concentration. By absorbing the sample fluid into the porous structure, the evaporator is capable of achieving volumetric heating of the sample fluid thus enhancing the solvent evaporation while the porous network ensured efficient vapor venting. Moreover, the thermal resistance of porous layer shields the heat transfer towards the bulk fluid therefore prevented the sample solution from overheating during the operation process. The results demonstrate the designed microfluidic evaporator exhibits good sample concentration capability under continuous flow conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the promising potential in non-contact fluid manipulation, the photothermally induced phase change along with the interfacial behaviors have been frequently applied in various microfluidic devices. The property of the working fluid greatly affects the photothermal conversion and thus phase change behaviors. For this reason, the IR laser induced phase change of the NaCl solution in the microchannel was visually studied and compared with distilled water in this work. Experimental results indicated that the NaCl solution exhibited the distinct phase change behaviors. The existence of dissolved ions could weaken the photothermal conversion, leading to lowered temperature rise and evaporation rate as compared to the distilled water. In particular, different from the distilled water, the condensed droplets were formed at the region relatively far away from the evaporating interface due to lower evaporation rate. No coalescence between the condensed droplets and liquid slug was observed. Besides, the effects of the NaCl concentration, laser power and spot position were also investigated. It was found that higher NaCl concentration resulted in lower temperature rise and evaporation rate. With the increase of the input laser power and the decrease of the distance between the laser spot and the interface, the temperature rise and evaporation rate could be improved. The obtained results can be further applied in the design and operation of the microfluidic devices based on the photothermally induced phase change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) with membrane electrode assembly (MEA) structure was designed for simultaneous organic compounds degradation and electricity generation. For the photoanode, the TiO 2 with the quantum-dot sensitization by CdS-ZnS was used to broaden the absorption spectrum to visible light. For the cathode, an air-breathing mode was utilized to enhance the oxygen transport. The performance of the developed PFC was evaluated under different operation conditions, including the light intensity, liquid flow rate, concentrations of electrolyte and organics. Results indicated that the designed PFC could yield good performance. The increase of the light intensity and electrolyte concentration could improve the PFC performance. It is also found that when the flow rate was increased, the PFC performance dropped down in the testing range. Too high organics concentration led to the decrease of the PFC performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study on cells in vitro usually encounters the signals with oscillatory or periodic temporal profiles, which requires the pulsating flow control. Aiming at this target, a novel approach to generate the pulsating waveform of fluid flow by the photothermally induced phase change in the microchannel with the sawtooth-shaped baffles was developed in this work. It was demonstrated that the periodical immobilization-motion-immobilization flow behavior was formed by the combined photothermally induced interfacial behaviors and the in-channel baffle structures, which successfully generated stable oscillating flow with good response. To further explore the pulsating flow behaviors, effects of the baffle design and input laser power were also investigated. It was shown that increasing the baffle width and interval distance between them could yield large pulse peak flow rate but low frequency, while both the pulse peak flow rate and frequency increased with the input laser power. These results indicate that via the change of the baffle design parameters and laser power, the pulse flow waveform can be well controlled for the in vitro cellular studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives In our previous study, we displayed that knockdown of Opa interacting protein 5 (OIP5 ) inhibited cell growth, disturbed cell cycle and increased cell apoptosis in bladder cancer (BC) cell line. Our present study aimed to explore the underlying pathways and interaction network involved in the roles of OIP5 in BC. Methods Microarray analysis was conducted to obtain mRNA expression profiling of OIP5 knockdown (shOIP5) and control (shCtrl) BC cell lines. Bioinformatics analyses were performed including differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs) identification, protein-protein interaction network construction, biological functions of prediction and ingenuity pathways analysis (IPA). Western Blotting (WB) was subjected to validate the protein expression levels of candidate DEGs in shOIP5 BC cell line. Results Respective 255 up- and 184 down-regulated DEGs were identified in shOIP5 group compared with shCtrl group. In the PPI network, CAND1 and MYC had the highest connectivity with DEGs. 439 DEGs were significantly enriched in inflammatory response, regulation of cell proliferation, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and bladder cancer. In the disease and function enrichment, DEGs were obviously involved in cellular movement, cellular growth and proliferation, cancer, inflammatory response, cell death and survival. In the OIP5 regulatory network, CDH2, IRS1, IRAK3, ID1, TNF, IL6, ITGA6, MYC and SOD2 interacted with OIP5. The WB validation results were compatible with our bioinformatics analyses. Conclusions OIP5 interaction network might function as an oncogene in BC progression based on aberrant inflammatory responses. Our study might provide valuable information for investigation of tumorigenesis mechanism in BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical constituent investigation on the n -BuOH extract of the rhizomes of Tupistra chinensis Baker leads to the isolation of ten compounds including eight undescribed furostanol saponins, tupischinosides A − H, and two known ones. The structures of isolated compounds were determined by extensive spectral analysis and chemical evidences. Interestingly, tupischinosides A and B, C and D, E and F, G and H were identified as four pairs of epimers. The cytotoxicity of tupischinosides A − H against human cancer cell lines U87, SHG44, U251, LN229 and HepG-2 was evaluated by CCK-8 method. As a result, tupischinosides A and C exhibited significant proliferation inhibitory effect on the tested cancer cells. On the contrary, the corresponding epimers, tupischinosides B and D, which only differ in the configuration of C-23 didn't exhibit any cytotoxicity to cancer cells. These results indicated that the stereochemistry of C-23 was crucial to the activity of the compounds. Eight undescribed furostanol saponins along with two known ones were isolated from the rhizomes of Tupistra chinensis Baker. The cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines U87, SHG44, U251, LN229 and HepG-2 was evaluated. [Display omitted] • Eight undescribed furostanol saponins were isolated from the rhizomes of Tupistra chinensis. • Tupischinosides A – H were identified as four pairs of epimers. • The configuration of the substituent at C-23 of the side chain was determined. • The cytotoxicity between the epimers tupischinosides A and B, C and D was totally different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impact-based vibration energy harvesters (VEHs) with a rolling proof mass are promising candidates for scavenging ambient low-level, broadband, and low-frequency vibration energy. This paper derives the mathematical model of a VEH with two piezoelectric cantilevers symmetrically located at two open ends of a guiding channel with a rolling steel ball inside as the proof mass. The model includes the equation of motion and coupled electrical circuit equation of the bimorphs under base excitation, the equations of motion of the rolling proof mass under base excitation, and the collision equations between the bimorphs and the proof mass. Simulation results show that the scavenging efficiency of low-level vibration can be improved by introducing the rolling proof mass. The numerical results agree well with the experiments when the harvester prototype is horizontally fixed on the base. Under the base excitation of 1 g(=9.8 m/s 2 ), the maximum output power of one bimorph is about 511 μW at 18.4 Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the condensation behaviors of distilled water actuated by photothermal effect of the infrared laser with the wavelength of 1550 nm in a microchannel were investigated through the visualization method and image processing technique. The impacts of the laser power and the laser spot position on the interface movement and slug formation were also explored. It is found that the interface tended to be advanced as a result of the photothermally induced evaporation–condensation–coalescence process at lower laser powers while the interface was firstly advanced at the beginning and then moved backward after the liquid slug formation in front of the interface at high laser powers. Experimental results also showed that higher laser power and smaller distance between the initial gas–liquid interface and fixed laser spot yielded faster advancing of the gas–liquid interface. For cases with the liquid slug formation, the growth rate of the liquid slug increased with increasing the laser power and decreasing the distance of the laser spot position away from the initial interface position as a result of a high evaporation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Bayesian Ying–Yang (BYY) harmony learning theory has brought about a new mechanism that model selection on Gaussian mixture can be made automatically during parameter learning via maximization of a harmony function on finite mixture defined through a specific bidirectional architecture (BI-architecture) of the BYY learning system. In this paper, we propose a fast fixed-point learning algorithm for efficiently implementing maximization of the harmony function on Gaussian mixture with automated model selection. Several simulation experiments are performed to compare its effectiveness in automated model selection as well as its efficiency in parameter learning with other existing learning algorithms. The experimental results reveal that the performance of the proposed algorithm is superior to its counterparts in these aspects. Moreover, the proposed algorithm is further tested with three typical real-world data sets and successfully applied to unsupervised color image segmentation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A microfluidic membrane evaporator for crystallization separation is designed. • Combination of PTFE membrane and laser heating promotes the separation efficiency. • Performance of the microfluidic evaporator is evaluated under various conditions. • Experimental results indicate the feasibility of the designed microfluidic evaporator. Microfluidic devices for sample crystallization separation plays crucially important role in various on-chip analytical and testing scenes. Evaporation-based microfluidic crystallization technology is one of the most important methods for on-chip sample enrichment and crystallization separation. However, the solvent evaporation process in closed chip device is severely limited by poor vapor transportation, unstable interfacial behaviors and low evaporation rate. Aiming to address these issues, here we designed a microfluidic membrane evaporator for fast continuous flow sample crystallization separation. In this design, laser induced heating effect was employed to trigger the evaporation of the solvent, gas-permeable hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene membrane was used to stabilize the gas-liquid interface and provide vapor pathways during the evaporation process. Effects of laser power, solution flow rate and sample concentration on the crystallization separation performance was investigated. Results indicates the designed microfluidic membrane evaporator has good crystallization separation performance under different operation conditions, which can be further applied to different types of microfluidic systems and platforms for on-chip analysis and testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We consider coherent systems subject to internal failures and external shocks. • The probability of failure of components subject to shocks is derived. • A new third-moment saddlepoint approximation approach is proposed. • Survival signature is applied to calculate the reliability of the system. Abstract In reality, a system and its components, apart from internal failures, are often exposed to external shocks as well. Since external shocks have significant effects on the performance of the system, neglecting their effects during reliability analysis of the system leads to large prediction errors and even misleading conclusions. In this paper, we present a new method for reliability analysis of coherent systems subject to internal failures and random external shocks. The cumulative probability of failure (CPF) is used as an index to quantify the effects of random external shocks on the reliability of the components and a three-moment saddlepoint approximation approach is proposed to predict the CPF. In addition, the theory of survival signature is applied to assess the associations of the components of the system to calculate the reliability of the system efficiently. Finally, two numerical examples are utilized to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The advances in recycling LiFePO 4 have been reviewed. • Direct regeneration technologies of LiFePO 4 are discussed. • Hydrometallurgical leaching methods of LiFePO 4 are outlined. • Challenges and future directions for LiFePO 4 recycling are proposed. LiFePO 4 batteries have become one of the most promising batteries due to their excellent electrochemical performances, long life cycle, safety, and abundant mineral resources. As a result, the demand and scraped LiFePO 4 batteries increased dramatically in recent years. The recycling of waste LiFePO 4 batteries has raised great attention with the consideration of environmental issues and resources conservation. To date, there are massive literatures on the recycling of LiFePO 4 batteries aiming at providing an effective, economic and environmentally sustainable approach. Consequently, this review sorts out and analyzes the current advances in recycling LiFePO 4 from spent lithium batteries with the purpose of promoting the improvement of their recycling. Based on the damage degree of LiFePO 4 materials, direction regeneration and hydrometallurgical leaching are the main recycling processes. The direction regeneration of LiFePO 4 routes including high temperature solid regeneration, hydro/solvent thermal regeneration and electrochemical lithiation are discussed in detail. Inorganic or organic acid leaching, mechanically activated leaching and other leaching methods are reviewed as well. Finally, by comparing the various recycling technologies, the challenges are outlines and future directions for promoting the recycling effectiveness are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The chemoselective Buchwald–Hartwig amination developed here showed that the reactivity of the Ar–Cl bond is higher than that of the Ar–OTf bond. Catalyzed by PdCl 2 /P(t -Bu) 3 , the reaction selectively aminated the Ar–Cl bond in an aryl system containing both Ar–Cl and Ar–OTf with moderate yield and excellent chemoselectivity, and the significant effect of additives was also found. With the aid of this methodology, we also efficiently synthesized a bicarbazole scaffold that can serve as a valuable precursor for alkaloids such as murrastifoline A&B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This work meticulously details strategies for enhancing CO 2 mass transport in eCO 2 RR. • A comprehensive discussion on the effects of electrode are provided. • Effects of electrolyzer designs and electrolysis conditions are also discussed. • Potential solutions for CO 2 mass transfer in eCO 2 RR industrialization are summarized. The imperative to address climate change and CO 2 emissions has elicited substantial interest in the field of electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (eCO 2 RR) as an avenue to both environmental sustainability and the production of value-added fuels. However, the selectivity and efficiency of eCO 2 RR remain below the industrial requirement for its implementation at high current density. One pivotal strategy to ameliorate this deficiency involves augmenting the mass transport of CO 2 to electrode, thereby alleviating the competing hydrogen evolution reaction and consequently enhancing eCO 2 RR performance. Herein, we primarily discuss the CO 2 mass transport enhancement strategies through electrode and electrolyzer designs, as well as electrolysis conditions. The electrode designs are first presented, including wettability regulation, porous substrates construction, catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer designs. Then, we highlight state-of-the-art electrolyzer designs, including the bipolar membrane structure, interdigitated flow field and in-situ exsolution of CO 2 structure. The electrolyzer based gas–liquid Taylor flow is also introduced. Following this, we delve into the impact of various electrolysis conditions, encompassing the electrolyte, electrolysis potentials, CO 2 pressure, CO 2 flow rate and reaction temperature. Finally, we conclude this review by delineating persisting challenges and potential solutions aimed at advancing CO 2 mass transport for the industrial implementation of eCO 2 RR technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus agalactiae is a contagious pathogen that causes bovine mastitis worldwide, resulting in considerable economic losses. In this study, we isolated 42 S. agalactiae strains in 379 milk samples from cows with subclinical mastitis on 15 dairy farms in 12 Chinese provinces. Analysis based on capsular typing and multilocus sequence typing, combined with patterns of virulence gene scanning and antimicrobial resistance, identified the lineages and populations of the isolates. We grouped the 42 isolates into 7 sequence types belonging to 6 clonal complexes, mainly CC103 (31/42 isolates; 73.8%). We identified an ST-23 strain named Sa 129 for the first time on Chinese dairy farms—this strain is usually associated with human isolates. Capsular types Ia and II were predominant in capsular typing. The prevalence of virulence profile 1 (bibA , cfb , cspA , cylE , fbsA , fbsB , hylB , and pavA) was 64.3%, and represented the main trend in China. With respect to antimicrobial resistance, most isolates were susceptible to β-lactams, rifamycin, glycopeptides, and oxazolidone; resistance to several antimicrobial agents, including lincomycin, clindamycin, and doxycycline, varied in 4 different regions. Our research provides a profile for the molecular epidemiology, multilocus sequence typing, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence gene clustering of S. agalactiae, and may be beneficial for the clinical monitoring, prevention, and control of mastitis in dairy cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The impact of device coupling mode on PZT-based optical voltage sensor performance. • A device coupling mechanical model is established. • A flexible structure with variable stiffness is designed to couple the device. • Parameter selection plans are provided for different sensor performance. Sensor networks provide a physical foundation for distributed data acquisition. Monitoring voltage signals at nodes allows real-time assessment of grid operation. Piezoelectric grating voltage sensors offer advantages of smaller size, lower cost, strong electromagnetic shielding, and easy network integration, appropriating for intelligent voltage sensing. This study investigates the relationship between device coupling mode and output characteristics of these sensors to improve their performance and advance sensor network applications. Using solid mechanics theory, a device coupling mechanical model is established for a temperature-independent piezoelectric grating voltage sensor employing dual-grating spectral overlay demodulation. Then, a flexible structure with variable stiffness is designed to couple the PZT and FBG. Results show linear voltage sensing in the range of 0–6 kV and 0–1500 N using the flexible coupling structure, with a reduction of spectral shift by 50.86–87.82% through structural design. This research provides insights for enhancing sensor performance and improving the application of optical voltage sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effect of sensing-structure taper ratio on two-dimensional (2-D) mechanical wind sensors is demonstrated for the first time. The mechanical wind sensor consists of a sensing structure vertically arranged in the center of a cross cantilever. It detects the wind speed and direction by measuring the airflow-induced cantilever deformation with eight strain gauges attached to the beam surface. Five forms of sensing structures with different taper ratios are designed and manufactured to investigate their effects on the performance of 2-D mechanical wind sensors. A series of experiments are conducted and the results reveal that the taper ratio of the sensing structure can affect the measurement range and the sensitivity of the 2-D mechanical wind sensor. A lower taper ratio results in a higher critical wind speed, which makes the mechanical wind sensor a wider measurement range. Moreover, the results also show that a wider measurement range usually means a lower sensitivity for a single device, and hence the measurement range and the sensitivity of the mechanical wind sensor are a contradiction. The effect rule of the taper ratio presented in this paper can provide a valuable reference for the design and manufacture of 2-D mechanical wind sensors. [Display omitted] • This paper systematically investigates the effect of sensing-structure taper ratio on two-dimensional (2-D) mechanical wind sensors for the first time. In previous work, our group found that once the wind speed exceeded a certain critical value, the cylinder sensing structure of the mechanical wind sensor would vibrate violently, causing the sensor output to shake severely. The presence of this vibration makes the motion of the sensing structure deviate from the prediction of Bernoulli law, and the detection capability of the mechanical wind sensor for higher wind speed is limited. • In the field of fluid mechanics, the wind-induced vibration of circular cylinders placed normal to the flow has been investigated extensively, and the taper ratio of the cylinder has been proved to have important impacts on the critical wind speed. Therefore, in this paper, cylinder sensing structures with different taper ratios are utilized to construct the mechanical wind sensors, and the effects of the taper ratios on the sensor performance are systematically explored by experiments. Based on this investigation, the relationship between the sensing-structure taper ratio and the sensor performance can be clarified, and the mechanical wind sensors can achieve optimized performance. The experimental results presented in this paper can provide a valuable reference for the design and manufacture of 2-D mechanical wind sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposed device produces monodisperse droplets massively, confirmed experimentally. • The device is based on three-dimensional axisymmetric fractal-structure. • The impact of machining deviation on flow rate and droplet size is analyzed. • Obtained relationships: mass-flow, droplets' size deviation and device outlet size. In this paper, a three-dimensional axisymmetric fractal structure device was proposed for massive production of monodisperse droplets. Its channel number could increase to nm for an m -stage fractal device with n -channel distributors. A fractal device with 36 channels was constructed, and the droplet generation experiment was carried out. The experiment showed that the coefficient of variations (CVs) of the generated droplets were all lower than 4.0% at four different flow rates. Additionally, the relationship between the mass flow rate and fractal structure variation was examined through theoretical and data regression analysis. To elaborate the overall structure deviation, the accumulated deviation was introduced, the formula of accumulated deviation and droplet size was given. The results showed that the droplet products were highly monodisperse. The droplet size deviation was within 2% when the accumulated deviation of dispersed- and continuous-phase distributors was less than 4% and 10%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel ternary hybrid CdS/SiO 2 /TiO 2 film was proposed as the phonoanode for the photocatalytic fuel cell. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV–vis absorption. The photoelectrochemical activity of the ternary hybrid electrode was characterized by the photocurrent-time transient response, linear sweep voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was shown that CdS/SiO 2 /TiO 2 yielded much higher photoelectrochemical activity than CdS/TiO 2 and bare TiO 2 did. The photoanode with CdS/SiO 2 /TiO 2 showed the highest photocurrent density of 4.6 mA cm −2 , exhibiting a 40% improvement over the conventional CdS/TiO 2 photoanode. The roles of SiO 2 and CdS in such a ternary configuration were elaborated. It was demonstrated that CdS could act as an excellent visible light captaturer to generate photo-induced charge carriers, and SiO 2 as a passivation layer to suppress the interfacial recombination of electrons and holes. Moreover, SiO 2 could allow for more CdS to be deposited at the photoanode owing to its high adsorption capacity. In addition, the effects of the SiO 2 content and the SILAR cycle time on the performance of the CdS/SiO 2 /TiO 2 photoanode were investigated. An optimal SiO 2 content of 10% could yield the best performance. Increasing the SILAR cycle time could improve the photoelectrochemical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Ni-catalyzed addition of arylboronic acids to isatins was first developed. The reaction, driven by Ni(acac) 2 and dppp as the phosphine ligand, gave 3-aryl-3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles in up to 97% yield. Scopes of benzyl-protected isatins and arylboronic acids were examined. Substituted phenylboronic acids along with fused-ring and heterocyclic boronic acids reacted with isatins smoothly. Preliminary asymmetric catalysis was investigated as well, showing moderate enantioselectivity. The mechanism was also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a membrane electrode assembled photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) is developed for the electricity generation by degrading the organic compounds. The photocatalyst is prepared by the incorporation of mesoporous silica SBA-15 into TiO 2 and the photosensitization of CdS-ZnS to enhance the photoanode performance, while the cathode employs the air-breathing mode to enhance the oxygen transport. The experimental results show that the developed PEC exhibits good photoresponse to the illumination and the appropriate SBA-15 mass ratio in the photoanode enables the enhancement of the performance. It is also shown that the developed PEC yields better performance in the alkaline environment than that in the neutral environment. Increasing the KOH concentration can improve the cell performance. There exist optimal liquid flow rate and organics concentration leading to the best performance. Besides, it is found that increasing the light intensity can generate more electron-hole pairs and thus enhance the cell performance. These results are helpful for optimizing the design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present study, a micro membrane-less photoelectrochemical cell (μML-PEC) is developed for simultaneous hydrogen and electricity productions in the presence of methanol, in which the photoanode of a TiO 2 film is consisted of a compact layer at the bottom and a porous layer on the top. The experimental results indicate the PEC miniaturization, and the membrane elimination, and the addition of a compact layer can enhance the mass, electron and photon transfer, which eventually boosts the performance. The performance of the developed μML-PEC is also evaluated under various operating conditions, including the light intensity, methanol and electrolyte concentrations and flow rate. It is shown that the maximum power density increases and the fill factor (FF) and solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency (STH) decrease with increasing the light intensity. For the electrolyte concentration, the maximum power density and STH and FF all increases with increasing the electrolyte concentration. Once the electrolyte is high enough, its effect become insignificant. Besides, the increase of the methanol concentration and the decrease of the flow rate are beneficial for the improvement in the performance. The obtained results reveal that the μML-PEC developed in this work shows the promising potential for simultaneously producing electricity and hydrogen in the presence of methanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel mesoporous CdS/TiO 2 /SBA-15@carbon paper composite membrane was developed to enhance the visible-light responsive CO 2 photoreduction in an optofluidic membrane microreactor. The microscopic morphological and pore volume characterizations indicated that the incorporation of the mesoporous SBA-15 into the membrane development could greatly improve the specific surface area and pore volume. The optofluidic membrane microreactor with the newly-developed composite membrane was evaluated in terms of the methanol concentration and yield. Experimental results showed that the optofluidic membrane microreactor with mesoporous CdS/TiO 2 /SBA-15@carbon paper composite membrane yielded much better performance than did the one without the mesoporous SBA-15. For a given total amount of TiO 2 /SBA-15 in the composite membrane, too high dosage of TiO 2 in the composite membrane caused the reduction in the specific surface area and pore volume, thereby lowering the photocatalytic performance. In addition, it was found that the methanol concentration and yield firstly increased and then decreased with increasing the liquid flow rate. The increase of both the light intensity and NaOH concentration was able to enhance the methanol generation. The obtained results fully demonstrate the superiority of the newly-developed CdS/TiO 2 /SBA-15@carbon paper composite membrane for the CO 2 photoreduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of highly efficient photocatalytic reactor is of importance to improve the performance of the photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 . In this work, an optofluidic planar microreactor is designed and fabricated for the photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 with liquid water in alkaline environment. Such design offers several advantages of large surface-area-to-volume ratio, enhanced mass and photon transfer and more uniform light distribution. The performance of the developed planar microreactor is evaluated by measuring the methanol concentration to estimate the methanol yield under various operating parameters, including the liquid flow rate, light intensity, catalyst loading and NaOH concentration. It is shown that increasing the liquid flow rate firstly improves and then decreases the methanol concentration while the methanol yield continuously increases as the liquid flow rate increases. The increase of the light intensity and NaOH concentration increases both the methanol concentration and yield. Increasing the catalyst loading firstly improves the performance and then results in the reduction of the performance. A maximum methanol yield of 454.6 μmole/g-cat·h is achieved under a liquid flow rate of 50 μL/min, 0.2 M NaOH, and the light intensity of 8 mW/cm 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Chitosan acts as flocculant and carbon source for ABs conversion into bioenergy. • 97.58 % of ABs harvesting was achieved with 0.50 g/L chitosan at pH = 2. • C:N ratio of ABs was improved to 11.82 by using chitosan flocculant. • 70.1 kJ/L of bioenergy was obtained with ABs as feedstocks assisted by chitosan. • Mechanisms of ABs removal and conversion to bioenergy were revealed. Dark fermentation (DF) with notorious algal blooms (ABs) is a promising approach to simultaneously resolve water pollution and energy shortage with extra benefit of carbon neutralization, but it is challenging due to inefficient biomass harvesting and fermentation. To conquer these problems, a strategy using chitosan as dual-functional mediators was proposed, in which ABs were first efficiently harvested with chitosan as flocculant and then fermented into bioenergy with chitosan as C:N regulator. For 1.0 g/L of ABs density, harvesting efficiency of 97.58 % was achieved with 0.50 g/L chitosan dosage under pH of 2. ABs harvesting mechanisms were illuminated from kinetic perspective. More importantly, C:N ratio of the harvest flocs were improved to 11.82 by mixing C-rich chitosan with N -rich algae biomass, which endowed the feedstocks with better property for bioenergy production. As results, the chitosan- microalgae flocs with up-regulated C:N ratio product a higher hydrogen yield of 49.99 mL/(g VS) and improved volatile fatty acids yields with butyric acid (1672.35 mg/L), acetic acid (1170.49 mg/L) and ethanol (361.93 mg/L) as major products. At this time, the highest energy yield of 70.1 kJ/L with an energy conversion efficiency of 59 % was obtained. Together, conversion mechanism of DF indicated that active fatty acids conversion occurred during DF. This study will inspire the eco-friendly ABs disposal with extra benefits of bioenergy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A magnetic bifunctional solid acid catalyst with polydopamine coating was prepared. • Catalysts bearing catalytic SO 3 H and adsorption Cl sites preserved porous structure. • Catalysts exerted effective bond fracture and selective hemicellulose fractionation. • Catalyst surface structure and Cl-functionalized site were important for adsorption. • Catalysts exhibited simple separation with good thermal stability and reusability. This study proposed a mild chlorination-sulfonation approach to synthesize magnetic carbon acid bearing with catalytic SO 3 H and adsorption Cl bifunctional sites on polydopamine coating. The catalysts exerted good textural structure and surface chemical properties (i.e., porosity, high specific surface area of >70 m2/g, high catalytic activity with 0.86–1.1 mmol/g of SO 3 H sites and 0.8%–1.9% of Cl sites, and abundant hydrophilic functional groups), rendering a maximum cellobiose adsorption efficiency of ∼40% within 6 h. Moreover, the catalysts had strong fracture characteristics on different α–/β–glycosidic bonds with 85.4%–93.9% of disaccharide conversion, while selectively fractionating hemicellulose from wheat straw with 64.3% of xylose yield and 93.4% of cellulose retention. Due to the stable interaction between parent polydopamine support with Fe core and functional groups, the catalysts efficiently recovered by simple magnetic separation had good reusability with minimal losses in catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gradient electro-processing converted harmful algal blooms (HABs) into biohythane. • 98.59% of HABs removal was achieved with low energy cost under 0.888 mA/cm2. • 50.1 kJ/L of energy yield with conversion efficiency of 44.78% was achieved. • Mechanisms of HABs removal and biohythane conversion were revealed. Globally eruptive harmful algal blooms (HABs) have caused numerous negative effects on aquatic ecosystem and human health. Conversion of HABs into biohythane via dark fermentation (DF) is a promising approach to simultaneously cope with environmental and energy issues, but low HABs harvesting efficiency and biohythane productivity severely hinder its application. Here we designed a gradient electro-processing strategy for efficient HABs harvesting and disruption, which had intrinsic advantages of no secondary pollution and high economic feasibility. Firstly, low current density (0.888-4.444 mA/cm2) was supplied to HABs suspension to harvest biomass via electro-flocculation, which achieved 98.59% harvesting efficiency. A mathematic model considering coupling effects of multi-influencing factors on HABs harvesting was constructed to guide large-scale application. Then, the harvested HABs biomass was disrupted via electro-oxidation under higher current density (44.44 mA/cm2) to improve bioavailability for DF. As results, hydrogen and methane yields of 64.46 mL/ (g VS) and 171.82 mL/(g VS) were obtained under 6 min electro-oxidation, along with the highest energy yield (50.1 kJ/L) and energy conversion efficiency (44.87%). Mechanisms of HABs harvesting and disruption under gradient electro-processing were revealed, along with the conversion pathways from HABs to biohythane. Together, this work provides a promising strategy for efficient disposal of HABs with extra benefit of biohythane production. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 is a promising technology to capture CO 2 and convert it into solar fuels simultaneously. However, current photoreactors usually face the problems of low specific surface area, non-uniform light distribution and poor photon transfer. To address these issues, a novel optofluidic membrane microreactor with high surface-area-to-volume ratio, enhanced photon and mass transport and uniform light distribution was proposed in this work by combining optofluidics with the membrane reactor technology for the photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 with liquid water. A TiO 2 /carbon paper composite membrane was prepared as the photocatalytic membrane via coating TiO 2 onto the carbon paper followed by hydrophobic treatment by poly-tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) for the separation of the gas/liquid phases. The performance of the proposed optofluidic membrane microreactor was evaluated by measuring the methanol yield. The effects of the liquid water flow rate, light intensity and catalyst loading on the methanol yield were also studied. It was shown that a maximum methanol yield of 111.0 μmole/g-cat·h was achieved at a flow rate of 25 μL/min and under the light intensity of 8 mW/cm 2 , which is among the top in comparison to the reported data. Results obtained fully demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of the proposed optofluidic membrane microreactor for the photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic behavior of the moving liquid column coalescing with a sessile droplet in triangular microchannels is numerically investigated by using coupled volume of fluid with level set interface tracking method implemented in ANSYS Fluent 14.5 in conjunction with the continuum surface force model. It is found that for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic microchannels, the coalescence between the moving liquid column and droplet can accelerate the original liquid column movement as a result of the induced curvature that lowers the liquid pressure at the interface. As compared to the rectangular microchannel with the same hydraulic diameter, the triangular microchannel exhibits smaller velocity increment ratio because of stronger viscous effect. Simulation results also reveal that the velocity increment ratio increases with the contact angle in hydrophobic microchannels, but it is reverse in the hydrophilic microchannels. The effects of the droplet size, lengthways and transverse positions are also investigated in this work. It is shown that larger droplet and smaller distance between the droplet and inlet or the substrate center can result in larger velocity increment ratio as a result of higher surface energy and lower viscous dissipation energy, respectively. The results obtained in this study create a solid theoretical foundation for designing and optimizing microfluidic devices encountering such a typical phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a membraneless photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) with a solar responsive photoanode and an air-breathing cathode was developed to simultaneously degrade the wastewater and generate electricity. The performance characteristics of the developed PFC was examined for the real application purpose. Particular attention was paid to investigate the effect of the fuel and electrolyte types on the cell performance. Experimental results showed that the alkaline electrolyte yielded the maximum power density of 4.1 mW cm −2 , which was much better than the neutral electrolyte with the maximum power density of 0.5 mW cm −2 . Long-term performance measurements also showed that the cell performance was rather stable under the alkaline electrolyte but dramatically reduced under the neutral electrolyte in the 3-hour constant current density operation. Regarding the fuel types, the PFC exhibited appreciable performance for both alcohols and saccharides. Methanol and glycerol produced the maximum power densities of 4.08 and 2.58 mW cm −2 , while D-glucose and D-xylose generated the maximum power densities of 3.92 and 3.67 mW cm −2 , respectively. The difference in the cell performance can be attributed to the difference in the molecular structure, i.e., the fuel with a simpler molecular structure and a shorter carbon chain could yield better performance. Besides, the PFCs also showed favorable performances in some complex wastes, such as artificial sewage, Coca Cola and urine. For the air-breathing cathode design, the oxygen concentration effect on the PFC performance was also studied. It was found that increasing the oxygen concentration from 5% to pure oxygen led to the improvement of the maximum power density from 3.5 to 5.2 mW cm −2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A 3D porous PDMS-CNPs sponge is designed for solar driven interfacial evaporation. • Vapor generation performance of the PDMS-CNPs sponge is evaluated under various conditions. • One-sun evaporation rate of 1.36 kg/m2·h and solar-vapor efficiency of 77.8% can be achieved. Solar driven interfacial evaporation has caught the eyes of global researchers in the past few years due to its outstanding vapor generation ability by using clean solar energy. Extensive investigations have been carried out to explore solar absorber/receiver materials for efficient photothermal conversion and heat concentration at the water-air interface. However most of the presented solar absorber materials are expensive and the preparation processes are often complicated. Here we proposed a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponge with three-dimensional porous structure embedded with carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) as the solar absorber for solar driven interfacial evaporation. The proposed PDMS-CNPs sponge can be easily prepared through a simple procedure. Characterization results indicate the fabricated PDMS-CNPs sponge has microscale 3D porous structure with ideal optical absorption in visible/near-infrared (NIR) wavelength and good water transport ability after surface modification. The solar driven evaporation performance of the proposed PDMS-CNPs sponge was evaluated under different working conditions. In floating condition, the vapor evaporation rate and solar-vapor conversion efficiency at one sun radiation intensity could reach 1.36 kg/m2·h and 77.8 %, respectively. Effects of light intensity, sponge thickness, and seawater salinity were also investigated. The PDMS-CNPs sponge has exhibited excellent solar driven evaporation performance and good compatibility under different operation conditions. With its great potential in solar energy harvesting and vapor generation, it can be wide applied in researching/industrial scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the characteristics of the meniscus evaporation from a microchannel were studied, which was induced by the photothermal effect of the infrared laser with the wavelength of 1550 nm. The evaporation rate and mass transfer coefficient at the interface were determined by the proposed image process technique coupled with an infrared camera. Experimental results showed that once the infrared laser was applied, the interface temperature was rapidly increased but with non-uniform distribution as a result of such a tiny local heating source. Accompanying with the rapid temperature rise, the meniscus evaporation was also immediately actuated. After a certain laser heating period, the interface temperature was increased to a stable value with relatively uniform distribution. In the meantime, the evaporation rate increased and became steady. Besides, the effects of the laser power and laser spot position on the evaporation rate and mass transfer coefficient at the interface were also explored. It was shown that both the interface temperature and evaporation rate linearly increased with the laser power as a result of more heat generated. Smaller distance between the laser spot and front interface yielded higher interface temperature and evaporation rate because of smaller heat transfer resistance resulting from smaller transport length. Reducing the distance could make the increase of the evaporation rate to become more significant. With respect to the mass transfer coefficient, it is interesting to find that the mass transfer coefficients under all cases were almost the same, about 0.4 m/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory behaviors of chromosome 3 abnormalities by analyzing the morphological, cytogenetic, and follow-up data from 300 patients of various hematological malignancies with chromosome 3 abnormalities. From the results, trisomy 3, translocation (3q), and del(3) were the abnormal types most frequently observed (>10%) among the chromosome 3 abnormalities. In hematological malignancies, chromosome 3 abnormalities were most frequently seen in the patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (24.7%) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (16%), followed by those with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) (13.7%) and multiple myeloma (MM) (12.7%). In this series, genomic losses were the most frequent genetic abnormalities in AML, ALL, and hybrid acute leukemia (HAL) patients, whereas structural rearrangements were frequently seen in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and MDS patients, and genomic gains in MM, lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. Chromosome 3 abnormalities mainly occurred as a component of a complex abnormality (251/300) rather than a sole one (14/300). Survival analysis demonstrated a statistical difference between the patients with trisomy 3, who had a better prognosis, and patients with del(3), who had a worse prognosis in this series ( P < 0.05). Abnormalities in chromosome 3 may imply an unfavorable outcome in CML and ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize the selective detection of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) in water, a highly sensitive plastic optical fiber (POF) evanescent wave sensor was prepared using a D -shaped POF coated selective adsorption film of 4-CP. The film was composed of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) particles and PEBA2533 matrix. The MIP particles were employed to realize the selective adsorption and enrichment of 4-CP molecules, which lead to the changes in the refractive index of the MIP-PEBA2533 coating. These, in turn, resulted in changes in the light transmission in the D -shaped region and caused the attenuation of the evanescent field intensity on the surface of the sensing region. To illustrate the measurement principle, a theoretical model of the sensor was established. Furthermore, the performance parameters of the sensors, such as sensitivity, repeatability, selectivity and low limit of detection (LOD), were experimentally studied. The results highlighted that the proposed sensor exhibited a good sensitivity of -0.56 × 10-6 (μg/L)-1 and LOD of 100 μg/L for the detection of 4-CP in water. Moreover, this optic-fiber sensor has high specific recognition ability for 4-CP. The results of this study could inform the development of methods for on-line and accurate detection of 4-CP. • A plastic optic-fiber for selective detection of 4-chlorophenol was developed. • Selective adsorption molecularly imprinted polymer of 4-chlorophenol was created. • Working principle of proposed sensors was theoretically analyzed. • Sensitivity, repeatability, selectivity and low limit of detection were checked. • Proposed sensor showed high sensitivity, high selectivity, and good detection limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Smaller RC was prepared by PEG-assisted co-precipitation using softwood pulp. • RC were successfully used to prepare vitrimer composites via PEG-assisted strategy. • The epoxy vitrimer composite with both toughness and reprocessability was obtained. • The appropriate RC significantly improved the mechanical properties of composites. • Recyclable polysaccharides-modified composites have industrial application prospects. Sustainable and high-performance thermoset composites have recently drawn extensive attention in industry and academia. Herein, we report an epoxy vitrimer composite with excellent recyclability and mechanical properties reinforced with regenerated cellulose (RC). The RC filler was prepared from natural softwood pulp and integrated into the composites based on a PEG-assisted strategy. The innovative introduction of polyethylene glycol (PEG) effectively realizes the refinement and dispersion of filler. Compared with RC (labeled as RC-SP) prepared by direct precipitation, the average particle size of RC (labeled as RC-P) obtained by co-precipitation with PEG as a template decreases from 66.9 μm to 12.6 μm. An appropriate amount of RC-P significantly improves the mechanical properties of epoxy vitrimer composites in terms of tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength, indicating that the toughness has been well improved. In addition, the synergistic addition of PEG and RC-P also endows epoxy composites with improved scratch healing and reprocessability. The reason may be that the abundant hydroxyls of RC-P provide active sites for interface exchange in the epoxy-anhydride system based on transesterification. The effective application of regenerated polysaccharides in vitrimer provides new opportunities for the industrial application of sustainable vitrimer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, chitin was used as raw material to prepare chitin nanowhisker (CNW) by hydrochloric acid hydrolysis. Two hybrid materials, BNSi@CNW and BNPVP@CNW, were prepared by combining modified boron nitride (m-BN) with CNW, in which m-BN was modified with silane coupling agent (APTES) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) respectively. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and hybrid materials were compounded to prepare PVA composites, respectively, meanwhile the structure and the thermal conductivity of PVA composites were systematically studied. The results show that BNSi@CNW and BNPVP@CNW are evenly dispersed in PVA due to the improved compatibility to enhance the thermal conductivity of PVA composites. The PVA/BNPVP@CNW is further modified by adding hydroxylated carbon nanotubes (CNT) to construct a plane-space thermal conductivity network, further improving the thermal conductivity of composite. Compared with neat-PVA, the thermal conductivity of the PVA composite is increased by 251.6%, and the stable electrical insulation performance is maintained. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]