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Oscillating body wave energy converter (OBWEC) is an essential way to exploit wave energy. Existing OBWECs with a single degree of freedom (DOF) suffer from a low energy conversion ratio. Although this power generation limit of OBWECs can be alleviated by increasing DOF, for the multi-DOF OBWEC, specific structure design guidelines, accurate energy conversion modeling and economic cost-related performance analysis at the conceptual design stage are still missing. To address this gap, this study proposes a novel parallel configuration WEC (PCWEC) with the idea of combining the advantages of multi-DOF OBWEC and parallel structure. The PCWEC energy conversion model is established under irregular wave states. Furthermore, we propose an energy cost-efficiency indicator and perform the performance comparison analysis and simulation experiments. Compared with typical OBWECs, results validate that the proposed PCWEC has the following advantages: (i) a significant power generation increase under the same device scale, (ii) greater optimal output power by power take-off control, and (iii) higher energy cost-efficiency under changing wave states. Such a novel PCWEC design concept improves the current OBWEC's power generation performance and application prospect and offers certain guidance for the future commercial development of OBWECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an improved filtering operator based on the first-order derivative Gaussian filtering operator. As the defocus distance decreases, the edges of an image transition from being smooth to sharp. Using the operator proposed in this study, a parameter can be obtained to quantify the degree of edge sharpness, where a smaller value indicates sharper edges. By using the characteristic, we can judge whether the object is near the focal plane. Combining this information, we proposed two focus method. Both of them can avoid the problem of the hill climbing algorithm locating at local extremum points and one of them can locate the watershed between "coarse search" and "fine search" before the sharpness value crosses the peak value, so as to realize the transition from "coarse search" to "fine search" before crossing the peak value and improve focusing efficiency. This is different from previous passive focusing strategies. The final experiment shows that the proposed solutions in this paper is effective. However, the methods proposed in this study are only applicable to incoherent optical microscopy imaging systems and are not suitable for coherent light source microscopy imaging systems. Besides, the prerequisite for the successful implementation of the two proposed focusing strategies in this study is that the target exhibits sharp edges when it is within the focal plane. • A sharpness measurement parameter with a lower bound. • An autofocus strategy for microscope without repeated motion. • An autofocus strategy is more stable than and similar time-consuming to hill-climbed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kunitz-like protease inhibitors (KTIs) have been identified to play critical roles in insect defense, but evidence for their involvement in drought stress is sparse. The aim of this study was to identify and functionally characterize a Kunitz-like protease inhibitor, GsKTI , from the wild soybean (Glycine soja) variety ED059. Expression patterns suggest that drought stress and insect herbivory may induce GsKTI transcript levels. Transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing GsKTI have been shown to exhibit enhanced drought tolerance by regulating the ABA signaling pathway and increasing xylem cell number. Transgenic Arabidopsis leaves overexpressing GsKTI interfered with insect digestion and thus had a negative effect on the growth of Helicoverpa armigera. It is concluded that GsKTI increases resistance to drought stress and insect attack in transgenic Arabidopsis lines. • This study identifies and characterizes the GsKTI gene from the strongly cotton bollworm-resistant wild soybean ED059. • The study investigated the subcellular localization and expression pattern of GsKTI in response to various stresses. • The study found that GsKTI positively regulates drought and cotton bollworm resistance in Arabidopsis. • The GsKTI overexpression Arabidopsis results in insect resistance by severely impairing the immune system of cotton bollworm larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Fouling and pore wetting phenomenon were analyzed in VMD concentration process. • Five types of solution were tested as feed to simulate the foulant/wetting systems. • The critical concentration factor was found different for various feeds. • Composite membranes presented much better performance than original membrane. Abstract Membrane fouling and pore wetting are the key problems affecting the separation performance of membrane distillation (MD). They can become more severe with increasing the operation time, which will have a negative impact on heat and mass transfers. In this paper, solutions containing CaCO 3 , humid acid (HA), and/or silica sols (SiO 2) were used as the feed with different Hyflon AD/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite membranes for vacuum membrane distillation (VMD). The evolutions of flux and salt rejection during the concentration process were examined, and the membranes with different properties were compared. The results showed that the original membrane was more prone to be fouled and wetted even at low concentration factors. In the single-component systems, CaCO 3 impacts the membrane performance most severely. With the hybrid component solutions, the flux declines for the composite membranes were lower than that of the original membrane. Compared with the single-component systems, the practical situation is more likely close to the hybrid-component system where fouling and wetting were easier to happen. Overall, the composite membranes showed enhanced fouling and wetting resistance and maintained stable salt rejections. Particularly, the composite membrane with smaller pore sizes (M-40L) performed best among all the membranes, suggesting its high potential for practical VMD applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract It is rather important to not only obtain the better detection efficiency for metal ions, but also investigate the change of sensitivity and detection limit in the simultaneous detection. Herein, a novel type of room temperature ion liquid (RTIL)/γ-AlOOH/Fe(OH) 3 composite was prepared. Both the individual and simultaneous determination of Hg(II) and Cu(II) were examined by the composite electrode. The electrode exhibited the lowest limits of detection (LODs) of 0.5 and 0.3 nM for Hg(II) and Cu(II) in simultaneous determination, the highest sensitivities of 64.5 and 65.9 μA/μM, respectively, and the shortest response time. Both Hg(II) and Cu(II) films electroplated on the surface of composite were used to further analyze change of sensitivity and LOD, respectively. The thickness of films influenced the sensitivity and LOD. The proposed electrode was also performed the analysis of soil sample. The analytic method in this study could open up an avenue for the analysis and detection of metal ions, and provide a reference of electrochemical sensor based on metal films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mining industries, the process combining ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) is often used for wastewater treatment, but RO brine discharge is a big issue. Membrane distillation (MD) has been proposed to solve this problem by significantly increasing the water recovery ratio, and recovering minerals. However, membranes with high hydrophobicity targeting for MD, particularly for vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) are still scarce. Hyflon AD is a novel candidate for fabricating membranes for MD. In this paper, the effects of membrane fabrication parameters, such as coating time, heat treatment and pre-filling were investigated and optimized. Membrane morphology, mechanical properties and VMD performance of the composite membranes were tested. The results showed that the hydrophobicity and elongation at break of the membrane were significantly improved after coating. The coating polymer concentration, coating time, heat treatment temperature and heat treatment time for the membrane coated by Hyflon AD40L and Hyflon AD40H, respectively were optimized. Monovalent alcohols can be excellent pre-filling agents to improve membrane performance. Separation performance of the membrane coated by Hyflon AD40H was better than that of the one coated by Hyflon AD40L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) is an attractive construction material used for reinforced concrete (RC) strengthening, and a simplified method has been previously proposed for evaluating the behavior of SHCC flexural strengthening RC member (Zhang, Engineering Fracture Mechanics 2014; 121–122: 11–27), whereas the load carrying capacity of strengthened RC member is over-estimated using the simplified method. In this study, a numerical approach improved from the aforementioned method is presented for accurately evaluating the behavior of SHCC flexural strengthening RC member, considering the influence of the tensile strain capacity of SHCC, presence of localized concrete cracks and varying SHCC layer thickness, in which a zero-span tensile model with fictitious material is adopted to obtain the average tensile behavior of SHCC layer for strengthening RC member with crack. The effectiveness of the improved numerical approach is confirmed thorough the comparison between experimental and numerical investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite membranes were fabricated by coating three types of highly hydrophobic perfluorinated copolymers (commercial name: Hyflon AD) on poly(vinylidene fluoride) hollow fibers. The membrane properties, including morphologies, pore sizes, porosities, liquid entry pressures (LEPs), mechanical strength, and separation performance (flux, rejection and wettability) in vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) were systematically characterized and investigated. The properties of the fabricated membranes, including pore sizes, pore size distributions, porosities, and LEPs were significantly affected by the viscosity of the coating polymer solution. Coating solutions with lower viscosities caused smaller pore sizes, narrower pore size distributions, lower porosities, higher LEPs and less flux decline in VMD. Particularly, LEP of the membrane coated with a lower viscosity solution (0.46 MPa) was two times higher than that of the uncoated membrane (0.23 MPa). As a result, the anti-wetting property of the composite membrane after coating was significantly enhanced compared with that of the original membrane. The coated composite hollow fiber membranes also showed improved hydrophobicity, mechanical strength and separation performance (water flux and salt rejection). The water contact angle of the membrane increased from 94 to 145° after coating with a lower viscosity solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba 1-x Sm 1-x SnO 3 (BSSO, x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10 and 0.15) thin films were epitaxially grown on (001) oriented MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The structure analysis was performed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), including 2theta-omega (2θ-ω) scans, omega (ω) scans, phi (φ) scans, and reciprocal space mapping (RSM). Hall effect measurement shows that the lowest room temperature resistivity value can reach to 7.842 mΩ cm in the 0.04 Sm-doped thin film, while the carrier mobility ( μ ) decreases systematically with increasing Sm doping content. Temperature dependent resistivity behavior indicates that the BSSO films exhibit metal-semiconductor transition in the temperature range of 10–300 K with the doping content up to x = 0.08. Optical transmission spectra measurement shows that all the BSSO films exhibit a high transmittance of more than 80% in the visible range. The increasing of optical band gap E g with the increase of Sm doping content was interpreted by the Burstein-Moss effect and the occurrence of octahedral tilt distorting. Excellent optical and electrical properties mean that the BSSO films have potential applications as transparent and conducting oxide (TCO) material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unexpected CO 2 -induced dissolution of ZnO into ionic liquids was discovered. This process exhibited high dissolution speed and the dissociated mixture was applied as an efficient Zn-based catalytic system for the CO 2 -promoted hydration of propargylic alcohols under atmospheric pressure with broad substrate scope. Moreover, this system could be recycled and reused for at least 16 times with excellent yields continuously obtained, which is an unprecedented record for this reaction. Significantly, this system could employ waste pigments as the ZnO source and work even under flue gas atmosphere. In the mechanistic investigations, the interaction between ZnO, CO 2 and ionic liquids to give N-heterocyclic carbene/CO 2 adducts proved to be the key factor for this specific dissolution. These adducts were further identified to exhibit better reactivity than the normal CO 2 by experimental data and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which might be responsible for the excellent performance of the abovementioned catalytic system. [Display omitted] • An unexpected CO 2 -induced dissolution of ZnO into ionic liquids is reported. • The dissolution constructs a Zn-catalytic system for hydration of propargyl alcohols. • ZnO pigments and flue gas can be applied as ZnO and CO 2 sources for the hydration. • This catalyst works under ambient pressure and reaches a new record of recyclability. • N-heterocyclic carbene/CO 2 adducts are the key factor for dissolution and catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodispersed and uniform hexagonal thin plate-like magnesium-aluminum layered double hydroxide intercalated with CO 3 2− (MgAl–CO 3 2− -LDH) is synthesized by an ethanol–water mediated solvothermal method. The maximum adsorption capacities of the as-synthesized and calcined MgAl − CO 3 2 − − LDH are 129.9 and 143.27 mg g −1 , respectively, which are higher than those of the other metal oxide nanostructures reported to date. More importantly, although N 2 adsorption–desorption analysis indicates that the BET surface area changed from 24.74 m 2 g −1 for the as-synthesized MgAl − CO 3 2 − − LDH to 165.07 m 2 g −1 for the calcined MgAl − CO 3 2 − − LDH , the as-synthesized and calcined hexagonal thin plate-like MgAl − CO 3 2 − − LDH structures show similar adsorption capacity of Congo red (CR) from aqueous solution. The adsorption mechanism for the as-prepared LDH is anion exchange while adsorption mechanism for the calcined LDH is reconstruction. Our study opens a new insight for understanding and preparing high-performance adsorbents for organic dye removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical approach for evaluating the shear failure behavior of strain hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) member. The developed approach can clarify the respective contributions of both contact stress and fiber bridging stress for the shear stress transfer behavior on crack surface of SHCC member, which thus can disclose the contribution of fibers to local shear of SHCC member. In the numerical approach, a shear stress transfer model and shear lattice system are proposed, in which the shear lattice system can appropriately express the shape of crack surface, and the shear stress transfer model can accurately quantify the transferred shear stress on the crack surface of SHCC member, focusing on the contribution from both matrix’s contact effect and fiber bridging effect respectively. The effectiveness of the numerical approach is confirmed through the comparison between the experimental and numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many nanomaterials have been widely reported for removal of toxic inorganic metal ions. However, some nanoscale adsorbents are subject to serious aggregation. For example, it is very difficult to directly synthesize the monodispersed Fe(OH) 3 nanomaterials. Here, through using the monodispersed hierarchical γ-Al 2 O 3 nanoflowers as adsorbent supports, the Fe(OH) 3 colloid nanoparticles have been well deposited onto the surfaces of the hierarchical γ-Al 2 O 3 nanostructures to form γ-Al 2 O 3 /Fe(OH) 3 composites with hierarchical structures via an electrostatic attraction without forming large aggregates. The γ-Al 2 O 3 /Fe(OH) 3 composites with hierarchical structures have high specific surface areas and large pore volumes, which are used as adsorbents to remove anion species of As(V) and Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. The maximum capacities of the monodispersed γ-Al 2 O 3 /Fe(OH) 3 composites with hierarchical structures for As(V) and Cr(VI) are determined at 61.99 mg g −1 and 24.13 mg g −1 , respectively, which are higher than those of the other metal oxide nanostructures reported. In addition, the adsorption rates of As(V) and Cr(VI) onto the monodispersed γ-Al 2 O 3 /Fe(OH) 3 composites with hierarchical structures are rather fast. The γ-Al 2 O 3 /Fe(OH) 3 hierarchical micro/nanoflower structures show high adsorption capacity for removing anion species of As(V) and Cr(VI), demonstrating a promising potential in environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe-ethylene glycol (Fe-EG) complex was synthesized using a facile and surfactant-free solvothermal method, and was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), bright field transmission electron microscopy(TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained Fe-EG complex was an excellent candidate for synthesis of various iron oxides micro/nanostructures by a simple calcination approach. In an air atmosphere, γ-Fe 2 O 3 , γ-Fe 2 O 3 /α-Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposites, and α-Fe 2 O 3 micro/nanostructures were successfully prepared by controlling the calcination temperature. Fe 3 O 4 micro/nanostructures were also synthesized by calcination the Fe-EG complex under an argon atmosphere. The magnetic properties of the obtained series of iron oxides micro/nanostructures were studied, and the saturation magnetisation of the obtained γ-Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 were 65.91 and 100.20 emu g −1 , respectively. The results of the work put forward a simple and effective approach for the synthesis of iron oxides micro/nanostructures with controlled chemical composition and good magnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis is one of the most prevalent skeletal system diseases; yet, its pathophysiological mechanisms remain elusive. Adipocytes accumulate remarkably in the bone marrow of osteoporotic patients. The potential processes and molecular mechanisms underlying adipogenesis in osteoporotic BMSCs have attracted significant attention as adipocytes and osteoblasts share common precursor cells. Some environmental factors influence bone mass through epigenetic mechanisms; however, the role of epigenetic modifications in osteoporosis is just beginning to be investigated, and there is still little data regarding their involvement. In the current study, we investigated how epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, lead to adipogenesis in the bone marrow during osteoporosis. A glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) mouse model was established, and BMSCs were isolated from the bone marrow. Compared with normal BMSCs, osteoporotic BMSCs had significantly increased adipogenesis potential and decreased osteogenesis potential. In osteoporotic BMSCs, PPARγ2 regulatory region DNA hypo-methylation, histone 3 and 4 hyper-acetylation and H3K9 hypo-di-methylation were observed. These epigenetic modifications were involved not only in PPARγ2 expression but also in osteoporotic BMSC adipogenic differentiation potential. We also found that Wnt/β-catenin signal played an important role in the establishment and maintenance of epigenetic modifications at PPARγ2 promoter in osteoporotic BMSCs. Finally, we inhibited adipogenesis and rescued osteogenesis of osteoporotic BMSCs by modulating those epigenetic modifications. Our study provides a deeper insight into the pathophysiology of osteoporosis and identifies PPARγ2 as a new target for osteoporosis therapy based on epigenetic mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The damage cause of ground surface and tunnel lining during tunneling is studied. • The tunnel damages during tunneling in silty clay can be reasonably simulated. • The field monitored softening soil body has much influence on tunnel damages. This paper presents a case study of investigating the cause of tunnel damages during tunneling in silty clay, in which the damages are existed in both ground surface and tunnel lining. The study is implemented by field investigation and numerical back analysis to determine the cause of tunnel damages, in which the field observed funnel-shaped surface subsidence of ground and surrounding soil moving to the tunnel are considered as softening soil body from ground surface until surrounding rocks in the numerical model, and the material parameters of the field monitored softening soil body are respectively taken as 0.8 times and 0.6 times of the original ones. This work confirms that the field observed tunnel damages during tunneling in silty clay can be numerically simulated, which is significantly influenced by the field monitored softening soil body from ground surface until surrounding rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presented a experimental investigation into the advantage of RC member with shear strengthening using strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCC), focused on the crack pattern of SHCC strengthening layer and its obvious advantage for increasing the shear load carrying capacity of the strengthened RC member. Especially, the shear failed SHCC member was also adopted to reflect the reduced multiple fine crack distribution in SHCC strengthening layer. Moreover, the contributions of matrix and reinforcing fiber for shear load carrying capacity of SHCC strengthening layer were also calibrated respectively, and the shear load carrying capacity of SHCC strengthening layer was assumed as the sum of load carried by matrix and reinforcing fiber. This work provided experimental foundations for RC member with shear strengthening using SHCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Release of fugitive methane (CH4) emissions from ventilation air in coal mines is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Approximately 64% of methane emissions in coal mine operations are the result of VAM (i.e. ventilation air methane) which is difficult for use as a source of energy. A novel ancillary utilization of VAM was thereby proposed. In this proposal, the VAM was utilized instead of air as a feedstock to a chemical looping combustion (CLC) process of coal. In this case, Fe2O3/Fe3O4 particles were shuttled between two interconnected reactors for combustion of syngas produced by an imbedded coal gasifier. The effect of VAM flow rate and methane concentration on the performance of CLC was analyzed thermodynamically using Aspen Plus software. Results indicated that the variations of air reactor temperature with VAM flow rate and methane concentration can be minimized as expected. The effect of temperature and inlet methane concentration on the conversion of CH4 was examined experimentally in a fixed bed reactor with the presence of particles of Fe2O3/Al2O3. Not surprisingly, the reaction temperature put a significant influence on the conversion of CH4. The conversion started at the temperature about 300°C and the temperature to achieve full conversion was around 500°C while the temperature in empty reactor between 665°C and 840°C. This is due to the catalytic effect of oxygen carriers (i.e. Fe2O3/Al2O3) on the conversion of methane. Moreover, it was observed that the methane conversion rate decreased with the increase in inlet methane concentration while increasing with Fe2O3 loading content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Chemical looping combustion can be extended to the combustion of ultra low concentration of methane. [•] Compared with CuO/SiO2, Fe2O3/Al2O3 shows better performance in terms of reduction reactivity. [•] The redox reactivity of Fe2O3/Al2O3 is stable over 60 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a renewable energy with immense development potential, ocean wave energy has abundant storage. The utilizations of wave energy technology to exploit wave energy resources have broad application prospects and an important realistic meaning. The researchers worldwide have designed many wave energy converters (WEC) with varied and structures based on different concepts. In this paper, the principle of wave energy power generation technology is reviewed and analyzed from basic structure and power take-off (PTO). Some typical WEC and multi-degree of freedom WEC (MDWEC) and their realization are introduced. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is employed to construct a comprehensive multi-index model and evaluate the present WEC from five perspectives: energy capture, technology cost economic, reliability, environmental friendliness and adaptability. Results show that in the field of wave energy utilization and development, the MDWEC has a good comprehensive performance and a wide application range. Qualitative and quantitative methods are adopted to find the optimal WEC technical scheme based on the review and analysis of technology principles of wave energy power generation and realization of devices, which can be used for the development of WEC. • The wave power generation technologies are analyzed from basic structure and power take-off. • Including typical wave energy converters and multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy converters are introduced. • A multi-index evaluation system is established based on the commercialization of wave energy converters. • The multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy converter is found to have a better overall performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dumbbell and sphere-like CuO are successfully synthesized by a facile method. • Their morphologies are obviously affected by the reaction temperature. • Both of them possess porous three dimensional structures. • Both of them display good rate capability and high cycling stability. Dumbbell and sphere-like CuO with porous three dimensional (3D) structures are synthesized via a simple chemical solution method and subsequent annealing treatment approach. The morphologies of the samples are obviously affected by the reaction temperature. Benefiting from the desired porous 3D structure, the dumbbell and sphere-like CuO are used as the anodes materials in LIBs, evidencing good rate capability (569 mAh g−1 for dumbbell-like CuO and 467 mAh g−1 for sphere-like CuO at 5 C) and high cycling stability (680 and 601 mAh g−1 for dumbbell-like CuO and sphere-like CuO over 400 cycles at 2 C, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) has gained significant attention in the scientific community. Few-layered MoS 2 demonstrates unique properties and potential applications. However, the synthesis of few-layered and high-purity 1T-MoS 2 is still a challenge. In this study, we successfully employed a hydrothermal method to synthesize few-layered and high-purity 1T-MoS 2. The purity of the material is controlled by a combination of sodium borohydride and ethanol. Notably, the few-layered 1T-MoS 2 exhibits exceptional performance as a supercapacitor, including the high specific capacitance (250.3 ​F ​g−1 at a current density of 1 ​A ​g−1) and excellent long-trem cycling stability (90.7 ​% after 5000 cycles). Meanwhile, the asymmetric device assembled by 6-FL-1T-MoS 2 and active carbon on carbon cloths exhibits excellent flexibility and high energy and power density (23.1 ​μWh cm−2 at 600 ​μW ​cm−2, 55 ​μWh cm−2 at 12000 ​μW ​cm−2). This work provides valuable insights into the synthesis of few-layered and high-purity 1T-MoS 2 , opening up new avenues for further research and applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of landslide during tunneling period in hilly topography, and a practical treating countermeasure is also proposed in the study. The field investigation and numerical analysis demonstrate that tunneling in hilly topography with sloping stratification has risk of landslide while heavy rainfall permeates into ground, and a treating countermeasure of anti-slide piles combined with in-layer compacted backfilling is adopted in the practical implementation. Moreover, the implemented treating work demonstrates that the employed countermeasure is capable of treating landslide during tunneling with heavy rain water permeating into ground, which can provide the design basis for similar treating work. • A case of landslide during tunneling is presented. • The landslide is caused by tunneling in hilly topography with heavy rainfall. • The primary cause of landslide during tunneling can be numerically clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A case of damaging behavior in the concrete lining of an operational railway tunnel is studied and presented in this paper. The study focuses on the influence of tunnel structure damaging due to field observed construction deficiency of cavities around surrounding rocks, which is evaluated by means of field observation and numerical analysis. This work demonstrates that the construction deficiency of cavities around surrounding rocks plays an important role in the stability of tunnel structure, which can vary the stress state distribution of tunnel structure even with damaging behavior. Moreover, the implemented numerical analysis also demonstrates that the damaging behavior of tunnel structure induced by the field investigated cavities can be numerically simulated with taking account of the aforementioned cavities in the numerical model, which provides the design basis for appropriately strengthening the damaged tunnel structure. Highlights • A case study of damaging behavior in an operational tunnel structure is presented. • The assumed lightweight elastic material can be adopted for modeling the cavity. • Construction deficiency of cavity has much influence for tunnel structure stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the world an intensified use of desalination for reducing current and future water scarcity is observed. Despite the enormous benefits of desalination processes, improvements are still required in terms of lower desalted water cost, higher productivity, better water quality and enhanced eco-sustainability of the desalination process. Environmentally sensitive concentrate management is today recognized as a significant hurdle to extensive implementation of desalination technologies. Membrane assisted crystallization (MCr) offers a suitable solution for redesigning desalination process through the treatment of brine streams for the production of salts and water. In this work, three different Hyflon/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite membranes were tested in MCr operations. The coating of PVDF membranes with Hyflon allowed increasing membrane surface hydrophobicity. The latter is the membrane essential characteristic when MCr is implemented according direct contact membrane distillation configuration like in the present work. The aim was to analyze the MCr performance in terms of membrane chemical–physical properties and process operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of investigating damages in existing building adjacent to foundation pit in construction, in which the settlement influence of adjacent building induced by constructing foundation pit is demonstrated by means of field observation, numerical analysis and experimental investigation. This study focuses on the principal cause inducing these damages in the existing building. This work demonstrates that the stratum settlement of the existing building during excavating foundation pit are significantly influenced by not only construction task of excavating soils but also that of dewatering soil mass in constructing foundation pit, since the principal constitution of fine sand and medium sand in the sludge can be easily run off with stratum loss during the dewatering task, and the hydraulic connection between the inside and outside of the foundation pit thus can't cut off using underground continuous wall, which can probably produce structural damage of soil mass with stratum settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba(Nb x Sn 1- x )O 3 (BNSO) films were epitaxially grown on (001) oriented MgO substrates with Nb doping content from 0.00 to 0.15 by pulsed laser deposition. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the films were investigated in detail by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Hall effect and transmittance spectroscopy. The lowest room temperature resistivity value of 4.81 × 10 −4 Ω cm with carrier concentration and mobility of 6.59 × 10 20 /cm 3 and 19.65 cm 2 /V was observed in the film at x = 0.05, indicating an excellent electrical conductivity. All the BNSO films exhibit a high transmittance of more than 80% in the visible range. The variation of band gap E g with Nb doping content was interpreted by the Burstein-Moss effect and the occurrence of octahedral tilt distorting. Excellent optical and electrical properties suggest that BNSO films have potential applications in the optoelectronic devices as transparent and conducting oxide material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over a long period of time, single iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) or cobalt oxide (Co 2 O 3 ) has been extensively studied for magnetic absorbing materials. Recently, some nanoscale compounds composed of two ferrites have been reported for better electromagnetic absorbing properties because of collectively corporation. However, there are few reports about other magnetic absorbing materials. In addition, morphology control for better absorbing performance remains challenging. Here, the monodispersed, uniform rod-shaped FeCO 3 /CoCO 3 microparticles are successfully synthesized by a facile one-step solvothermal method for the first time. The experimental results show that the reflection loss (RL) value of the paraffin composites with thickness of 2.0 mm is less than −10 dB in the frequency range of 6.72–15.92 GHz and the minimum RL value of −31.86 dB at 12.88 GHz is obtained, which demonstrates that the as-prepared FeCO 3 /CoCO 3 microparticles have excellent magnetic and microwave absorbing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haiyang Nuclear Power Plant to be built in China was selected as a case for the dose pre-assessment for marine biota in this study. The concentrations of Cs and Co in organisms (turbot, yellow croaker, swimming crab, abalone, sea cucumber, and sea lettuce), seawater, and bottom sediment sampled on-site were measured by neutron activation analysis, and the site-specific transfer parameters (concentration ratios and distribution coefficients) of Cs and Co were calculated. 134 Cs, 137 Cs, and 60 Co activity concentrations in the organisms and the sediment at the site were calculated with the site-specific transfer parameters and the anticipated activity concentrations in the liquid effluent of the nuclear power plant. The ERICA tool was used to estimate the dose rates of 134 Cs, 137 Cs, and 60 Co to the selected organisms based on the biological models developed. The total dose rates of 134 Cs, 137 Cs, and 60 Co to the six organisms were all <0.001 μGy h −1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of metallic phase molybdenum disulfide (1T-MoS 2) through an implementable method has become a top priority in research due to its excellent electrochemical performance. In this study, 1T-MoS 2 using a facile one-pot hydrothermal method is successfully synthesized by incorporating saccharides. Moreover, a comprehensive understanding of the synthesis mechanism is induced by various saccharides. Glucose, a monosaccharide, not only possesses reducibility but also plays a crucial role in preparation of sulfur vacancies. Maltose is a disaccharide that can hydrolyze into glucose and fructose, both of which exhibit reducibility. On the contrary, dextrin is difficult to break down into fructose or glucose, and faces certain challenges in promoting the formation of 1T-MoS 2. Importantly, 1T-MoS 2 with 76 % purity obtained in our study exhibits exceptional electrochemical performance, demonstrating a high specific capacitance of 228.4 F g−1 at 2 A g−1 and maintaining a cycling stability of 97 % after 10,000 cycles. Furthermore, an asymmetric flexible supercapacitor device is assembled by 1T-MoS 2 and active carbon on carbon cloths, which shows superior flexibility, high power density, and energy density. Notably, this work not only unveils the mechanism by which saccharides influence the synthesis of 1T-MoS 2 but also provides support for the preparation of other metallic members in the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) family. [Display omitted] • High-purity 1T-MoS 2 is prepared under assistance of saccharide by hydrothermal. • Different purities of 1T-MoS 2 is obtained after the effect of various saccharides. • M MoS 2 shows a high specific capacitance and excellent cycling stability. • The asymmetric device displays pretty flexibility, high power and energy density. • This method provides a possibility to achieve phase engineering for other TMDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs a hydrothermal method combined with a calcination process to prepare Co 3 O 4 microsheets with varying Ni doping concentrations. Microstructural analysis reveals that the obtained samples are single-phase, free from other impurities, and exhibit a unique self-assembled porous micro-nanostructure. The micron-sized secondary aggregates consist of small nanometer-sized particles with many voids. The nanoscale pores between the nanoparticles contribute to the dissipation of incident microwaves. The dielectric and magnetic properties of Co 3 O 4 microplates can be effectively tuned by adjusting the Ni doping concentration. Comparative results indicate that the Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 microsheets with 0.03 mol% Ni exhibit the minimum reflection loss (RL min) of −34.7 dB at 16.56 GHz, with a thickness of just 1.4 mm. Simultaneously, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reaches 4.32 GHz within the frequency range of 13.68–18 GHz. With an absorber thickness of 1.5 mm, the EAB can reach 5.2 GHz from 12.8 to 18 GHz. By adjusting the matching thickness of the absorber in the range of 1.4–4.5 mm, the EAB of Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 can cover multiple frequency bands from 3.6 to 18 GHz. The outstanding microwave absorption performance primarily stems from the unique porous micro-nanostructure and enhanced dielectric and magnetic losses. The results provide an effective component regulating strategy to promote microwave absorption, meanwhile suggest that the low-cost Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 is a promising microwave absorption material. • Micro-nano porous structure Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 has been constructed. • The absorption properties are improved effectively by Ni doping. • Minimum reflection loss of −34.7 dB is obtained at just 1.4 mm. • Effective absorption bandwidth (RL<-10 dB) is up to 5.2 GHz at 1.5 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cataluminescence (CTL) reaction detects the presence and concentration of toxic volatile organic compounds by detecting the luminescence intensity of the different components of the gas mixture. In our study, a cataluminescence online sensor system based on LaCO 3 OH microspheres was developed for the low concentration detection of volatile organic compounds. Multi-dimensional CTL test was carried out to analyse the correlation characteristics of heterogeneous analytes among the catalytic activity, selectivity, sensitivity, response/recover time, stability, and photoelectric signals by changing the parameters of wavelength, flow rate, temperature, and response time under the optimal conditions (280 mL/min, 180ºC, and 480 nm). Due to noise interference received by the CTL signal, the weak CTL signal was filtered based on the time-frequency characteristics of the CTL pattern signal power frequency interference and background noise. Next, this study also studied the mechanism action of the cataluminescence sensor based on LaCO 3 OH microspheres for gas detection, including ethyl ether, acetone, chloroform, and formaldehyde. The principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm was adopted to analyse the CTL patterns, after threshold filtering, the total variance was improved from 89.23% to 98.78% and each vapour gave its unique CTL patterns. Moreover, clustering and identification are discussed to analyse the results, including Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Radial Basis Function Neural Networks (RBFNN), was also discussed. The excellent cluster and recognition ability indicate the feasibility of this CTL sensor for volatile compound determination. • A LaCO 3 OH-microspheres-based cataluminescence sensor was developed for the detection of VOCs firstly. • Multi-dimensional analytes test was carried out among the catalytic activity, selectivity, sensitivity, response/recover time, stability, and photoelectric signals. • Studied the mechanism action of the cataluminescence sensor based on LaCO 3 OH microspheres for gas detection. • The total variance of PCA increased from 89.23% to 98.78% after filtering out the background noise of CTL signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By virtue of high theoretical sodium storage capacities and low cost, FeP is a prospective anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Nevertheless, poor cycling and rate performance greatly limit the application of FeP in practice. Herein, a facile template-engaged method is employed to synthesize copper and carbon-incorporated yolk-shelled FeP (denoted as YS-Cu-FeP@C) spheres. The copper is doped into FeP, while the carbon layer with N-doping is coated on the surface of yolk-shelled FeP spheres. Aided by the unique compositional and structural advantages, the as-synthesized YS-Cu-FeP@C spheres exhibit enhanced electrochemical performance for SIBs, including excellent rate capability (145 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and remarkable long-term cycle performance (up to 900 cycles at 1 A g−1). This work provides a rational design and synthetic strategy to boost the sodium storage properties of metal phosphide-based electrode materials. • A template method is developed to synthesize copper and carbon-incorporated yolk-shelled FeP spheres. • The copper is doped into FeP, while the carbon layer with N-doping is coated on the surface. • Excellent rate capability (145 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and remarkable long-term cycle performance is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By virtue of high theoretical sodium storage capacities and low cost, FeP is a prospective anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Nevertheless, poor cycling and rate performance greatly limit the application of FeP in practice. Herein, a facile template-engaged method is employed to synthesize copper and carbon-incorporated yolk-shelled FeP (denoted as YS-Cu-FeP@C) spheres. The copper is doped into FeP, while the carbon layer with N-doping is coated on the surface of yolk-shelled FeP spheres. Aided by the unique compositional and structural advantages, the as-synthesized YS-Cu-FeP@C spheres exhibit enhanced electrochemical performance for SIBs, including excellent rate capability (145 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and remarkable long-term cycle performance (up to 900 cycles at 1 A g−1). This work provides a rational design and synthetic strategy to boost the sodium storage properties of metal phosphide-based electrode materials. • A template method is developed to synthesize copper and carbon-incorporated yolk-shelled FeP spheres. • The copper is doped into FeP, while the carbon layer with N-doping is coated on the surface. • Excellent rate capability (145 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and remarkable long-term cycle performance is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this Letter, under the precondition that the fluid movement satisfies the law of mass conservation, a two-dimensional Hopf–Cole transformation with mass conservation (2D Hopf–Cole transformation) is established. On the basis of 2D Hopf–Cole transformation, three exact solutions of two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations (2D N-S equations) are presented. Some physical properties of the exact solutions of 2D N-S equations are described preliminarily. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Overactive osteoclastogenesis is involved in the inflammatory bone loss and could be target for therapy. Here, we applied transcription factor enrichment analysis using public inflammatory osteolysis datasets and identified Nrf2 as the potential therapeutic target. Additionally, in-silico screening was performed to dig out Nrf2-Keap1 PPI inhibitor and Forsythoside-β was found to be the best-performing PHG compound. We firstly tested the effect of Forsythoside-β in inflammatory osteoporosis models and found it was able to attenuate the bone loss by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and activating Nrf2-signaling in vivo. Forsythoside-β was capable to suppress the differentiation of osteoclast in time and dose-dependent manners in vitro. Further, Forsythoside-β could inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species and induce Nrf2 nuclear-translocation by interrupting Nrf2-Keap1 PPI. Recently, Nrf2 was identified as the epigenetic regulator modulating levels of miRNA in various diseases. We discovered that Forsythoside-β could suppress the expression of mir-214–3p, one of most variable miRNAs during osteoclastogenesis. To clarify the undermining mechanism, by utilizing chip-seq dataset, we found that Nrf2 could bind to promoter of mir-214–3p and further regulate this miRNA. Collectively, Forsythoside-β was able to prevent bone loss through Nrf2-mir-214-3p-Traf3 axis, which could be a promising candidate for treating inflammatory bone loss in the future. [Display omitted] • Virtual molecular docking could be effective to identify Keap1-Nrf2 PPI inhibitor. • Novel role of Nrf2 as the miRNA regulator in osteoclastogenesis. • Potential axis of Nrf2-mir-214-Traf3 for inflammatory bone loss therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 is the etiological agent responsible for the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The main protease of SARS-CoV-2, 3CLpro, is an attractive target for antiviral inhibitors due to its indispensable role in viral replication and gene expression of viral proteins. The search of compounds that can effectively inhibit the crucial activity of 3CLpro, which results to interference of the virus life cycle, is now widely pursued. Here, we report that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), an active ingredient of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), is a potent inhibitor of 3CLpro with half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.874 ± 0.005 μM. In the study, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 123 cases of COVID-19 patients, and found three effective Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) prescriptions. Multiple strategies were performed to screen potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro from the active ingredients of TCMs, including network pharmacology, molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) binding assay and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based inhibition assay. The SPR assay showed good interaction between EGCG and 3CLpro with KD ~6.17 μM, suggesting a relatively high affinity of EGCG with SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. Our results provide critical insights into the mechanism of action of EGCG as a potential therapeutic agent against COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) is a promising technique for preparing high-quality heterostructure materials to achieve high electrochemical performance. Moreover, the materials obtained by ESD possesses well-dispersed, bonder-free and easy-control advantages. Herein, we firstly report that 1T MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x heterostructure material is successfully constructed by few-layer 1T MoS 2 and Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene through ESD. The construction of heterostructure by high electrostatic fields is able to solve problem of agglomeration of layered materials, improve conductivity and stabilize 1T MoS 2 to realize outstanding electrochemical performance of supercapacitor. As expected, the binder-free 1T MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x heterostructure displays an excellent specific capacitance (1198 mF cm−2 at 3 mA cm−2), a high rate performance (45% as current density from 3 to 20 mA cm−2) and long-cycle life (73.8% capacity retention after 7000 cycles at 20 mA cm−2). More interestingly, a simple and efficient route to prepare 2D/2D heterostructure electrode for storing energy can be extended to other materials. [Display omitted] • The few-layer 1T MoS 2 is synthetized by hydrothermal and ultrasonic. • The heterostructure of 1T MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x @NF is prepared by ESD technology. • The heterostructure displays high capacitance of 1198 mF cm−2 at 3 mA cm−2. • The heterostructures with various concentrations MoS 2 show different performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 2D α-Co(OH) 2 -NS was synthesized via a novel reduction-oxidation strategy. • The thickness of α-Co(OH) 2 -NS is only about 2–3 nm. • The BET surface area of the α-Co(OH) 2 -NS is 237.7 m2/g. • The OER activity is highly depended on the 2D structure. • The overpotential of α-Co(OH) 2 -NS is only 278 mV with a Tafel slope 77 mV/dec. Highly active, durable and cost-effective electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution are critical to storage processes and energy conversion between electricity and chemicals. Here, an excellent OER catalyst of 2D ultrathin α-Co(OH) 2 nanosheets was synthesized via a reduction–oxidation strategy. The 2D ultrathin α-Co(OH) 2 nanosheets could effectively catalyse the OER in alkaline media with an overpotential of only 278 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and a relatively small Tafel slope (77 mV/dec) as well as extraordinary stability, much greater than that of the α-Co(OH) 2 nanoflower and no-load Ni foam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, low Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 (Ni: 2 wt%, 4 wt%, 6 wt% and 8 wt%) porous nanoplates are synthesized by hydrothermal method and annealing treatment. For the low Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 , X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman data show that the Ni ions are successfully incorporated into the Co 3 O 4 lattices. Electrochemical measurements indicate that Co 3 O 4 with low amount of Ni doping possesses remarkably enhanced activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. And especially, 4 wt% Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 possesses the most efficient activity with an overpotential of 240 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 for OER and 120 mV for HER in 1 M KOH than the pure Co 3 O 4 and other Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 samples. Our study suggests that the low doping would have a great potential in rational design of spinel oxides toward highly efficient electrocatalysis. • The Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 porous nanoplates are successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method and annealing treatment. • This is the first report of low-doped Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 porous nanoplates for both OER and HER in alkaline media. • The 4 wt % Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 possesses the most efficient activity than the pure Co 3 O 4 and other Ni-doped Co 3 O 4 samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CFO and CCFO electrodes were synthesized by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). • The composition of products can be easily tuned. • The OER activity highly depends on the Cr doping. • The overpotential of CCFO electrode is 293 mV with a Tafel slope 76 mV/dec. • CCFO electrode shows excellent durability and stability. Traditional powder OER catalysts have many disadvantages such as the extremely complicated electrode preparation process. Herein, squama-like Co 0.95 Cr 0.05 Fe 2 O 4 thin film electrode is directly deposited on flexible Ni foam substrate by a novel method of pulsed laser deposition. Cr doping leads to the electrode highly effective for OER, and the current density is about 2.1 times of that compared with undoped CoFe 2 O 4 thin film at 1.8 V. The Co 0.95 Cr 0.05 Fe 2 O 4 thin film exhibits an overpotential of 293.3 mV at 10 mA/cm2 as well as extraordinary stability, which is far better than that of CoFe 2 O 4 thin film and no-load Ni foam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The CTL sensor instrument could response to ethyl ether under 180 °C, which was lower than most of the reported CTL reaction temperatures. • The linear detection range was wide, ranging from 10 ppm to 5800 ppm (R = 0.9978, n = 7), and the detection limit was also low (4.3 ppm). • The CTL sensor showed the response time of 4 s and recovery time of 8 s, which was relatively short. • The pattern recognition results showed the analytes could be classified clearly. The low reaction temperature, excellent sensitivity, selectivity, stability and recognition performance indicated this CTL sensor was ideal for gas contaminants detection in confined spaces for the Internet of Things. Gaseous cataluminescence (CTL) sensor instrument was developed for detecting and measuring pernicious gases such as ethyl ether, acetone, n-hexane, chloroform by using aluminum/iron oxides composites. The materials synthesis, apparatus and software, optimal conditions (flow rate, wavelength, temperature and concentration), selectivity and stability were thoroughly studied. The results indicated the CTL sensor instrument could response to ethyl ether under 180 °C, which was lower than most of the reported CTL reaction temperatures. In addition, the results showed that the linear detection range was wide, ranging from 10 ppm to 5800 ppm (R = 0.9978, n = 7), and the detection limit was also low (4.3 ppm). Moreover, for ethyl ether detection, the CTL sensor showed the response time of 4 s and recovery time of 8 s, which was relatively short. The pattern recognition methods included PCA, KPCA were selected for evaluating the recognition performance of this CTL sensor, results showed the analytes could be classified clearly. The low reaction temperature, excellent sensitivity, selectivity, stability and recognition performance indicated this CTL sensor was ideal for gas contaminants detection in confined spaces for the Internet of Things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An FRP (fiber-reinforced polymer) -confined concrete filled steel tube is formed by the combination of FRP material and a concrete filled steel tube, and it combines the advantages of FRP-confined concrete and a concrete filled steel tube (CFT); however, there is still no effective model to generally describe the complete stress-strain curve of a concrete filled FRP-confined steel tube. The stress-strain response of a concrete filled FRP-confined steel tube features the dual characteristics of both FRP confined concrete and steel confined concrete. In this paper, ninety-six test results of FRP confined circular CFT columns under axial compression were collected from different researchers. The steel tube confinement index is taken as an additional key influencing parameter on the strength and deformation, and calculation methods for the ultimate strain, ultimate stress, peak strain and peak stress of a concrete filled FRP-confined steel tube are established by taking into account the steel tube confinement index. Moreover, the stress-strain model was developed to describe the complete stress-strain curve consisting of the four stages of a concrete filled FRP-confined steel tube. The proposed model reflects the characteristics of the stress-strain behavior of a concrete filled FRP-confined steel tube with good accuracy and simplicity. • A large database of 96 test results of the FRP confined CFT columns under axial compression is collected. • The model of the full curve of the FRP confined CFT columns is developed. • The proposed model shows a reasonable prediction of the stress-strain relationship for FRP confined CFT columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The few-layer defective δ-MnO 2 was developed by hydrothermal with CTAB and KMnO 4. • As the current increases by 50-fold, δ-MnO 2 -CTAB shows ultra-high rate-capability. • The kinetics diffusion mechanism of the sample was analyzed by DFT calculations. δ-MnO 2 nanosheets are promising cathode candidates for supercapacitors because of their cost-effective, environmental protection, and high theoretical capacity. Unfortunately, the commercial application of δ-MnO 2 is hindered by the challenging issues of sluggish diffusion kinetic and poor rate-capability. It is urgent to optimize its kinetics behavior to improve the ion diffusion ability and electronic conductivity. Herein, one-step and one-phase synthesis of few-layer defective δ-MnO 2 nanosheets (named δ-MnO 2 -CTAB) has been developed via a redox reaction between cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and KMnO 4 , and the kinetics storage mechanisms are investigated by DFT calculations. The migration barrier energies of Na in the surface or interlayer of δ-MnO 2 (0 0 1) are reduced significantly with the reduction of layer-number (0.32 eV of 3 layers and 0.04 eV of 2 layers), which is conducive to the Na ion diffusion. Moreover, the generation of defects increases the density of states at the Fermi level of δ-MnO 2 , indicating the improvement of electronic conductivity. Therefore, when the current density is increased 50-fold (1 A g−1 to 50 A g−1), the rate-capability of δ-MnO 2 -CTAB is as high as 77%, exhibiting ultra-high rate-capability. This work unveils the kinetics storage mechanisms in few-layer δ-MnO 2 with defects nanosheets for ultra-high rate-capability supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots (BP-QDs) have potential applications in biomedicine. BP-QDs may enter the body through the respiratory tract during grinding and crushing production and processing, causing respiratory toxicity. Ferroptosis is an oxidative, iron-dependent form of cell death. Here, respiratory toxicity of BP-QDs has been validated in mice and human bronchial epithelial cells. After 24 h of exposure to different doses (4–32 μg/mL) of BP-QDs, intracellular lipid peroxidation and iron overload occurred in Beas-2B cells. After 4 times exposures by noninvasive tracheal instillation at four doses [0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 (mg/kg/48h)], all animals were sacrificed, organs were removed, processed for pathological examination and molecular analysis. Iron overload, glutathione (GSH) depletion and lipid peroxidation in the lung tissue of mice in the exposure group. Furthermore, based on the ferroptosis-associated protein and mRNA expression, it was hypothesized that BP-QDs induced ferroptosis through increasing intracellular free iron and polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis. By comparing with previous studies, we speculate that primary cells generally are more sensitive to BP-QDs-induced damage than cancer cells. In summary, findings in the present study confirmed that BP-QDs induce ferroptosis via increasing lipid peroxidation and iron accumulation in vitro and in vivo. [Display omitted] • BP-QDs entered by the respiratory tract could cause lung injury. • BP-QDs induced ferroptosis in vitro and in vivo. • BP-QDs might induce ferroptosis by altering intracellular iron homeostasis. • BP-QDs might promote the synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids in cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance microwave absorption materials with tunable electromagnetic properties have long been the goal of researchers. It is still a challenge to achieve broad band absorption and lightweight performance by simply optimizing the chemical composition of absorbers. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) belongs to the two-dimensional transition metal disulfide with a layered structure similar to graphene. In this work, two-dimensional MoS 2 /reduced graphene oxide (MS/RGO) hybrids have been constructed through a convenient self-assembled hydrothermal method, in which MoS 2 ultrathin nanosheets in-situ grow uniformly on the surface of RGO, constructing a unique hierarchical microstructure. Electromagnetic parameter measurements display that the dielectric behaviors of MS/RGO composites are optimized via changing the content of RGO, and meanwhile the superior microwave absorption properties are achieved with the filler-loading ratio of only 20 wt%. The widest effective absorption bandwidths (RL<−10 dB) of 5.68 GHz (12.32–18 GHz) and 6.32 GHz (11.20–17.52 GHz) are observed at a thickness of 2.0 mm for MS/RGO-10 and MS/RGO-15, respectively. When the thickness is raised to 5.0 mm, the reflection loss value of MS/RGO-10 composites reaches the minimum value of − 39.8 dB at 4.96 GHz. The improved performance can be explained by the strong interfacial polarization loss due to abundant heterogeneous interfaces, defect dipole polarization, conduction loss, and multiple reflections and scattering. The results indicate that the light-weight MS/RGO composite is considered as a promising candidate for high-performance microwave absorbers with an adequate absorption bandwidth. • MoS 2 decorated RGO nanosheets have been constructed. • The absorption properties are improved effectively by the addition of RGO. • The sample with 20 wt% powders exhibit excellent absorption performance. • Effective absorption bandwidth (RL<−10 dB) is 6.32 GHz within 2 mm. • Minimum reflection loss of − 39.8 dB is obtained at 4.96 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, monodispersed mesoporous ZnMn 2 O 4 submicrocubes constructed of interconnected nanoparticles have been fabricated by pyrolysis of the Zn 1/3 Mn 2/3 CO 3 precursor obtained through a precipitation reaction in the water–n-pentanol–CTAB–n-hexane microemulsion. The effects of microemulsion composition on the morphology and size of Zn 1/3 Mn 2/3 CO 3 are investigated. The uniform ZnMn 2 O 4 cubes obtained in the optimized microemulsion system have an average edge length of ca. 250 nm, consisting of primary nanoparticles approximately 20–40 nm in size. When served as anode for lithium ion batteries, the mesoporous ZnMn 2 O 4 maintains a large discharge capacity of 1138 mA h g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 600 cycles as well as a stable discharge capacity of 597 mA h g−1 at 6 A g−1 after 1000 cycles. The remarkable high-rate and long-cycle performances could be attributed to the small size of secondary/primary particles and robust 3D mesoporous structure, which are favorable for the improvement of electrochemical kinetics and the structural integrity of electrode during cycling. Additionally, this facile synthetic technique may be explored to prepare other submicron-sized metal oxides materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]