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N-containing pollutants, which pose a serious threat to the ecological environment and human health, are attracting increasing attention. Ultraviolet/hydrogen peroxide (UV/H 2 O 2) process, a commonly used advanced treatment process, shows promising application prospects in the degradation of dissolved nitrogen (DN). This review first introduces the changes in the composition of DN in conventional treatment process and UV/H 2 O 2 process from a macroscopic perspective, and summarizes influencing factors and degradation efficiency. The review also presents the transformation pathways of DN in UV/H 2 O 2 in a microscopic perspective, mainly as follows: 1) Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) transformation in UV/H 2 O 2. The complete degradation behaviors (mineralization) of common N-containing substances are summarized, as well as the incomplete degradation process of common N-containing functional groups (-NH 2 , -NO 2 , -CN) and common Nitrogen containing pharmaceutical and personal care product (N-PPCPs) (sulfonamides and quinolones). 2) Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) transformation in UV/H 2 O 2. The reaction schemes among stable forms of DIN (NH 3 -N, NO 2 -N, NO 3 -N) are concluded. Reactive nitrogen species (RNS) generated in the process also join the reaction. Finally, possible risk of the products is noted, including toxic transformation products (TPs) and disinfection. This review can provide a theoretical basis and technical guidance for the application of UV/H 2 O 2 technology, especially in the degradation of N-containing pollutants. [Display omitted] • Mineralization and incomplete degradation of DON in UV/H 2 O 2 are discussed. • Degradation performance for typical N-PPCPs under UV/H 2 O 2 is listed. • Transformation rule of typical DON and DIN in UV/H 2 O 2 is discussed. • Possible generation of RNS is proposed. • Risks of TPs and DBP precursors are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to provide the theorical basis for regeneration strategy and solid catalytic reaction of catalytic diesel particulate filter (CDPF), the effects of ash composition and ash stack heights on soot deposition and oxidation processes in CDPF are investigated. The MgO ash nanoparticles have an inert effect on soot oxidation process through a series of thermogravimetric experiments. Based on the visualized single-channel bench, the influence of ash stack height on the soot deposition and regeneration processes is studied. The deposition process of soot particles on the CDPF slice without ash is divided into three stages, including depth filtration, transitional filtration and soot cake formation stages. When the ash stack height is 15 μm, there are only transitional filtration and soot cake formation stages. Then, only soot cake formation stage remains when the height increases to 30 μm. During the regeneration process, the pressure drop mainly has three linear decline stages, the oxidation rates of which are 0.77, 1.78 and 0.54 Pa/s, respectively. When the ash stack height increases from 0 to 30 μm, the oxidation rate of soot layer during Ⅱ-regeneration stage decreases from 1.78 to 0.51 Pa/s. The oxidation rate is 0.51 Pa/s at 30 μm ash stack height, which is close to the 0.55 Pa/s oxidation rate of the clean DPF sample. Consequently, around 30 μm ash stack height is the limit distance of back-diffusion of active oxygen molecules, which leads to the failure of the CDPF catalytic layer. • MgO has the inert effect on the soot oxidation process. • The soot deposition process varies with the ash stack heights. • The regeneration process is seriously affected by the second stage of pressure drop. • Mechanism of back-diffusion of active oxygen molecules is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Complement factor H expression was upregulated in the hippocampus of methamphetamine induced behavioral sensitization mice. • C1q expression decreased in mossy fiber of hippocampus in behavioral sensitization mice. • We detected the changes and distribution of various small molecules by MALDI-MS imaging in brain regions of behavioral sensitization mice. Abstract Background At present, the harm of new-type drug, methamphetamine (METH), has gradually exceeded that of the traditional opioid drugs, and METH abuse has become a serious public health and social problem. In our previous study, complement factor H (CFH) was found to be upregulated in the sera of METH-addicted patients and rats and in certain brain regions in the rats. Methods We used ELISA and immunofluorescence to confirm the changes in CFH in the serum and hippocampus of a METH behavioral sensitization mouse model, and C1q expression was also detected by immunofluorescence in the hippocampus. We aimed to elucidate the involvement of CFH and C1q in the mechanism of METH addiction. We also detected the distribution of various small molecules by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) in select brain regions: the nucleus accumbens, the hippocampus and the ventral tegmental area. Results The expression of CFH was upregulated in the serum and hippocampus of METH behavioral sensitization model mice, consistent with our previous research on conditioned place preference rats. In contrast, C1q decreased dramatically in the mossy fibers of the hippocampus. The results of small-molecule imaging by MALDI-MSI showed that the levels of K+, antioxidants, neurotransmitters, and ATP metabolism-related molecules were altered in different regions. Conclusions These results indicate the involvement of the complement system in the mechanism of METH addiction and validate the presence of oxidative stress, energy metabolism changes during addiction. This suggests the utility of further investigation into the above aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Let D be a non-trivial 2– (v , k , λ) design with λ ≤ 4 , and G ≤ A u t (D) be flag-transitive, point-quasiprimitive, then G is of holomorph affine or almost simple type. As a corollary, we obtain that G cannot be an almost simple group if λ ≤ 3 , and also obtain a classification of flag-transitive, point-quasiprimitive and imprimitive 2- (v , k , 4) designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An adaptive filtering method more suitable for practical systems, which can improve the generalization ability of the system and achieve good control results; • Improvements to the MR-based BCI system by embedding a live view in the center of visual stimulation paradigm to avoid the output of erroneous commands when the object is out of the line of sight in remote control; • Development of a portable brain-computer interface system using a small size EEG acquisition device and wearable MR glasses. Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems based on mixed reality (MR) have promising applications in assisting people with disabilities to control manipulators. Using MR glasses instead of a computer screen to display visual stimulator can effectively avoid frequent switching of attention between the visual stimulator and the manipulator. When the manipulator moves out of the sight of the subject, the subject may not be able to control it accurately. Our system uses Microsoft Hololens2 as the display device to synchronize the command matrix with a live view of the mobile manipulator's position, thus tracking the position in real-time. Another problem in previous studies is that they have good accuracy in trained subjects, however, the accuracy drops dramatically when faced with untrained subjects, suggesting poor generalization capabilities. In our study, an adaptive filtering method combined with convolutional neural networks (CNN) is proposed, which has few learning parameters and fast convergence, and can improve the generalization ability of the system in the face of untrained subjects. When faced with untrained subjects, the average accuracy of our method was 93.04%, and the average ITR was 20.96 bits/min. All subjects can successfully complete the grasping task without colliding with obstacles. The results show that the BCI system developed in this study has strong practicability and high research significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • d -tagatose was produced from food by-product whey powder. • Whey powder was bifunctionally utilized as substrate and inducer. • Oxidoreductases based d -tagatose biosynthesis was performed in E. coli. • Deactivated Cas-based DNA scaffold was developed for enzymes assembly in vivo. • T he maximal d -tagatose yield from lactose reached 92 % of the theoretical value. Among the emerging sweeteners, d -tagatose occupies a significant niche due to its low calorific value, antidiabetic property and growth promoting effects on intestinal probiotics. Recently, the main approach for d -tagatose biosynthesis is l -arabinose isomerase-based isomerization reaction from galactose, which shows relatively low conversion rate because of unfavorable thermodynamic equilibria. Herein, oxidoreductases, d -xylose reductase and galactitol dehydrogenase, together with endogenous β-galactosidase were employed to catalyze the biosynthesis of d -tagatose from lactose with a yield of 0.282 g/g in Escherichia coli. Then, a deactivated CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins-based DNA scaffold system was developed, which were proved to be efficient for assembling the oxidoreductases in vivo and got a 1.44-folds increase in d -tagatose titer and yield. Further, by employing d -xylose reductase with higher galactose affinity and activity, as well as overexpressing pntAB genes, the d -tagatose yield from lactose (0.484 g/g) increased to 92.0 % of the theoretical value, 1.72-times as that of original strain. Finally, whey powder, a lactose-rich food by-product, was bifunctionally utilized as an inducer and substrate. In the 5 L bioreactor, d -tagatose titer reached 32.3 g/L with little galactose detected, and the yield from lactose approached 0.402 g/g, which was the highest from waste biomass in the literature. The strategies used here might provide new insights into the biosynthesis of d -tagatose in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil records of the neuropteran family Coniopterygidae (dustywings) are important for understanding the phylogeny and early evolution of this highly specialized lacewing lineage. Here we describe a new genus and two new species of the extinct dustywing subfamily Cretaconiopteryginae from the mid-Cretaceous (lowermost Cenomanian) Kachin amber of northern Myanmar, namely Archaeoconis zhangzhiqiae gen et sp. nov., and Cretaconiopteryx zhengpengyueae sp. nov. These new dustywings show the basal origin of forewing RP + MA, the specialized forewing RA and RP that form a loop distally, the dense crossvenation, the zig-zagged forewing CuP, and the presence of a pair of large external male gonocoxites, which are attributed to the subfamilial diagnostic characters of Cretaconiopteryginae. Moreover, the male genitalia of Cretaconiopteryginae may represent the groundplan of the family by having a bunch of plesiomorphic character states. Our finding provides new evidence for understanding the Cretaceous diversity and early diversification of dustywings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of expired drugs as corrosion inhibitors is a low-cost, cost-effective and environment-friendly alternative to the expensive degradation process. Against this background, the corrosion inhibition performance and mechanism of imidazole drugs omeprazole (OMP) and its by-products omeprazole sulfide (OMP-1) and omeprazole sulfonate (OMP-2) on Q235 steel in 1 M HCl is investigated by weight loss experiment, electrochemical technology, surface analysis methods (SEM and XPS), quantum chemical calculation and molecular dynamics simulation. The results demonstrate that OMP, OMP-1 and OMP-2 are effective corrosion inhibitors for Q235 steel in 1 M HCl. The inhibition efficiency above 95% is achievable at 298 K with 0.2 mM inhibitor concentration. The test results and fitting data show that they are mixed-type corrosion inhibitors, which comply with Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) further confirmed these three inhibitor molecules playing the role of corrosion inhibition by adsorbing on the surface of Q235 steel to form a film barrier. The corrosion inhibition mechanism of omeprazole on metal surface is also discussed. [Display omitted] • Using OMP drugs as corrosion inhibitors is a safe and convenient method. • Similar structures are to investigate the spatial effects and electronic orbital. • SEM and XPS confirmed OMPs adsorption to protect the metal. • High corrosion inhibition efficiency is at a small dosage: ≧ 95.0% at 0.2 mmol L− 1. • Active sites and corrosion inhibition mechanism were discussed via DFT and MD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monoterpenes are the major components of essential oils from many aromatic plants, partly contributed to the insecticidal properties of essential oils. In this study, the fumigation activity of 40 pure monoterpenes against fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster , were evaluated. Results from fumigation tests revealed that terpinolene, 3-carene, eugenol, thymol, carvacrol, isoeugenol, citral, (±)-citronellal, cuminaldehyde, (−)-verbenone, and (+)-pulegone exhibited strong fumigation activity against D . melanogaster . In addition, the (±)-citronellal and (+)-pulegone (aldehydes and ketones) were the most toxic monoterpenes to D . melanogaster with LC 50 values of 0.015 and 0.02 μl/L, respectively. Oxygenated monoterpenes were found to be with higher toxicity as compared with monoterpene hydrocarbons. The present results indicated that (±)-citronellal and (+)-pulegone exhibit a potential for the development of new botanical insecticides against the D . melanogaster , suggesting that further studies of a number of medically important dipterans might be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradation of wood by fungi is a chronic problem for wood utilization. Natural products from plants have great potential as novel fungicide sources for controlling wood decay fungi as alternative to synthetic pesticides. Many plant extracts and essential oils contain monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and aliphatic compounds. In the present study, 41 pure monoterpenes were tested for the toxicity against wood white-rot fungi, Trametes hirsuta , Schizphylhls commune , and Pycnoporus sanguineus . Results from antifungal tests revealed that β-citronellol, geraniol, carvacrol, thymol, eugenol and citral showed good antifungal activities against the three tested fungi. In addition, the carvacrol was the most toxic monoterpenes against the three tested fungi, the IC 50 values against T. hirsuta , S. commune and P. sanguineus were 87.6, 53.6 and 71.7 μg ml −1 , respectively. The present results indicated that carvacrol have potential to be developed as natural fungicidal agents, suggesting that further study of wood preservation treatment be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel Fe/Mn/N co-doped carbon material was prepared by impregnation-pyrolysis. • The biochar exhibited stable adsorption capacity in different water factor tests. • The enhanced adsorption of BPA was attributed to π-π interactions. • A possible green way to recycle agricultural waste was provided. In this work, a novel Fe/Mn/N co-doped biochar (Fe&Mn-NBC 800) derived from waste apple tree branches was fabricated for bisphenol A (BPA) removal. Fe&Mn-NBC 800 exhibited higher adsorption capacity (84.96 mg·g−1) in 318 K for BPA than the pristine biochar, doped mono-atomic, and di-atomic biochar. Higher temperature and adsorbent dosage promoted BPA removal, while higher solution pH was detrimental to the adsorption process. The kinetic and isothermal processes of BPA removal followed the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir, respectively. Characterizations and correlation analysis indicated that π-π interactions showed the major contribution to the BPA adsorption. Furthermore, the pore filling, electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions also played a role. Good water environment anti-interference ability (ion species, ionic strength, actual water body) and excellent recyclability of Fe&Mn-NBC 800 make it exhibit the potential for engineering projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Salts-modified BCs strengthened Cd2+ removal efficiency compared with pristine BC. • Site energy distribution explained Cd2+ migration law and surface properties of BC. • Effects of functional groups on Cd2+ adsorption were evaluated by DFT calculation. • π-bond coordination was the main cause for Cd2+ removal by salts-modified BC. Modified biochar is a feasible adsorbent to solve cadmium pollution in water. However, few studies could elucidate the mechanism of cadmium adsorption by biochar from a molecular perspective. Furthermore, traditional modification methods are costly and have the risk of secondary contamination. Hence, several environmentally friendly sodium salts were used to modify the water chestnut shell-based biochar and employ it in the Cd2+ adsorption in this work. The modification of sodium salt could effectively improve the specific surface area and aromaticity of biochar. Na 3 PO 4 modified biochar exhibited the highest Cd2+ adsorption capacity (112.78 mg/g). The adsorption of Cd2+ onto biochar was an endothermic, monolayer, chemisorption process accompanied by intraparticle diffusion. Microscopically, the enhancement of aromatization after modification made Cd2+ more likely to interact with the regions rich in π electrons and lone pair electrons. This study provided a new research perspective and application guidance for heavy metal adsorption on biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoplethysmography (PPG)-based heart rate (HR) monitoring is a promising feature in modern wearable devices. However, it is difficult to accurately track HR during physical exercise since PPG signals are vulnerable to motion artifacts (MA). In this paper, an algorithm is presented to combine ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) with spectrum subtraction (SS) to track HR changes during subjects’ physical activities. In this algorithm, EEMD decomposes a PPG signal and an acceleration signal into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), respectively. Then noise related IMFs are removed. Next the correlation coefficient is computed between the spectrum of the acceleration signal and that of the PPG signal in the band of [0.4 Hz–5 Hz]. If the coefficient is above 0.5, SS is used to remove the spectrum of the acceleration signal from the PPG's spectrum. Finally, a spectral peak selection method is used to find the peak corresponding to HR. Experimental results on datasets recorded from 12 subjects during fast running showed the superior performance of the proposed algorithm compared with a benchmark method termed TROIKA. The average absolute error of HR estimation was 1.83 beats per minute (BPM), and the Pearson correlation was 0.989 between the ground-truth and the estimated HR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5) is a lysosomal aspartic proteinase of the pepsin superfamily which participates in various digestive processes within the cell. In the present study, the full length cDNA of a novel cathepsin D homologue was cloned from the buccal glands of lampreys ( Lampetra japonica ) for the first time, including a 124-bp 5′ terminal untranslated region (5′-UTR), a 1194-bp open reading frame encoding 397 amino acids, and a 472-bp 3′-UTR. Lamprey cathepsin D is composed of a signal peptide (Met 1-Ala 20), a propeptide domain (Leu 21-Ala 48) and a mature domain (Glu 76-Val 397), and has a conserved bilobal structure. Cathepsin D was widely distributed in the buccal glands, immune bodies, hearts, intestines, kidneys, livers, and gills of lampreys. After challenging with Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus , the expression level of lamprey cathepsin D in the buccal gland was 8.5-fold or 6.5-fold higher than that in the PBS group. In addition, lamprey cathepsin D stimulated with Escherichia coli was also up-regulated in the hearts, kidneys, and intestines. As for the Staphylococcus aureus challenged group, the expression level of lamprey cathepsin D was found increased in the intestines. The above results revealed that lamprey cathepsin D may play key roles in immune response to exogenous pathogen and could serve as a potential antibacterial agent in the near future. In addition, lamprey cathepsin D was subcloned into pcDNA 3.1 vector and expressed in the human embryonic kidney 293 cells. The recombinant lamprey cathepsin D could degrade hemoglobin, fibrinogen, and serum albumin which are the major components in the blood, suggested that lamprey cathepsin D may also act as a digestive enzyme during the adaptation to a blood-feeding lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We developed a fast compressed sensing (CS) algorithm based on the block sparse Bayesian learning (BSBL) framework. [•] We systematically evaluated the distortions of CS-based data compression on two real-life applications, e.g., fetal ECG (FECG) telemonitoring and EEG telemonitoring for the epileptic patients. [•] Using an FPGA platform, we showed that the CS-based compression method, compared to a low-power wavelet-based compression method, can largely reduce power consumption and save other computing resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]