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Metal halide perovskites with suitable energy band structures and excellent visible-light responses have emerged as promising photocatalysts for CO2 reduction to valuable chemicals and fuels. However, the efficiency of CO2 photocatalytic reduction often suffers from inefficient separation and sluggish transfer. Herein, a step-scheme (S-scheme) CsPbBr3/BiOBr photocatalyst with oxygen vacancies possessing intimate interfacial contact was fabricated by anchoring CsPbBr3 QDs on BiOBr-Ov nanosheets using a mild anti-precipitation method. The results showed that CsPbBr3/BiOBr-Ov-2 with an internal electric field (IEF) heterojunction exhibited a boosted evolution rate of 27.4 μmol g−1 h−1 (CO: 23.8 μmol g−1 h−1 and CH4: 3.6 μmol g−1 h−1) with an electron consumption rate (Relectron) of 76.4 μmol g−1 h−1, which was 5.9 and 3.2 times that of single CsPbBr3 and BiOBr-Ov, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that BiOBr with oxygen vacancies can effectively enhance the adsorption and activation of CO2 molecules. More importantly, in situ infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) spectra show the transformation process of the surface species, while the femtosecond transient absorption spectrum (fs-TA) reveals the charge transfer kinetics of the CsPbBr3/BiOBr-Ov. Overall, this work provides some guidance for the rational design of S-scheme heterojunctions and vacancy-engineered photocatalysts, which are expected to have potential applications in the fields of photocatalysis and solar energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering low‐cost electrocatalysts with desired features is vital to decrease the energy consumption but challenging for superior water splitting. Herein, we development a facile strategy by the addition of multivalence ruthenium (Ru) into the CoWO4/CC system. During the synthesis process, the most of Ru3+ ions were insinuated into the lattice of CoWO4, while the residual Ru3+ ions were reduced to metallic Ru and further attached to the interface between carbon cloth and CoWO4 sheets. The optimal Ru2(M)−CoWO4/CC exhibited superior performance for the HER with an overpotential of 85 mV@10 mA cm−2, which was much better than most of reported electrocatalysts, regarding OER, a low overpotential of 240 mV@10 mA cm−2 was sufficient. In comparison to Ru2(0)−CoWO4/CC with the same Ru mass loading, multivalence Ru2(M)−CoWO4/CC required a lower overpotential for OER and HER, respectively. The Ru2(M)−CoWO4/CC couple showed excellent overall water splitting performance at a cell voltage of 1.48 V@10 mA cm−2 for used as both anodic and cathodic electrocatalysts. Results of the study showed that the electrocatalytic activity of Ru2(M)−CoWO4/CC was attributed to the in‐situ transformation of Ru/Co sites, the multivalent Ru ions and the synergistic effect of different metal species stimulated the intrinsic activity of CoWO4/CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ligustilide, a natural phthalide mainly derived from chuanxiong rhizomes and Angelica Sinensis roots, possesses anti‐inflammatory activity, particularly in the context of the nervous system. However, its application is limited because of its unstable chemical properties. To overcome this limitation, ligusticum cycloprolactam (LIGc) was synthesized through structural modification of ligustilide. In this study, we combined network pharmacological methods with experimental verification to investigate the anti‐neuroinflammatory effects and mechanisms of ligustilide and LIGc. Based on our network pharmacology analysis, we identified four key targets of ligustilide involved in exerting an anti‐inflammatory effect, with the nuclear factor (NF)‐κB signal pathway suggested as the main signalling pathway. To verify these results, we examined the expression of inflammatory cytokines and inflammation‐related proteins, analysed the phosphorylation level of NF‐κB, inhibitor of κBα (IκBα) and inhibitor of κB kinase α and β (IKKα+β), and evaluated the effect of BV2 cell‐conditioned medium on HT22 cells in vitro. Our results, demonstrate for the first time that LIGc can downregulate the activation of the NF‐κB signal pathway in BV2 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide, suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines and reduce nerve injury in HT22 cells mediated by BV2 cells. These findings suggest that LIGc inhibits the neuroinflammatory response mediated by BV2 cells, providing strong scientific support for the development of anti‐inflammatory drugs based on natural ligustilide or its derivatives. However, there are some limitations to our current study. In the future, further experiments using in vivo models may provide additional evidence to support our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure and optical properties of Si‐doped β‐Ga2O3 with vacancy are studied using the generalized gradient approximation plus the Hubbard term. The results show that the most easily formed are doping systems, followed by the doped with vacancy systems, and the vacancy systems. The conductivity of β‐Ga2O3 is enhanced significantly after being doped with Si, but its absorptivity decreased. The defect levels generated by the vacancy system can enhance the light absorption capability, especially O vacancy system. The doped with vacancy system may improve the conductivity and absorptivity in the visible range of the β‐Ga2O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure and optical properties of Si‐doped β‐Ga2O3 with vacancy are studied using the generalized gradient approximation plus the Hubbard term. The results show that the most easily formed are doping systems, followed by the doped with vacancy systems, and the vacancy systems. The conductivity of β‐Ga2O3 is enhanced significantly after being doped with Si, but its absorptivity decreased. The defect levels generated by the vacancy system can enhance the light absorption capability, especially O vacancy system. The doped with vacancy system may improve the conductivity and absorptivity in the visible range of the β‐Ga2O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane trafficking process is significant for the complex and precise regulatory of the nervous system. Rab11, as a small GTPase of the Rab superfamily, controls endocytic vesicular trafficking to the cell surface after sorting in recycling endosome (RE), coordinating with its receptors to maintain neurological function. This article reviewed the literature of Rab11 in nervous system. Rab11-positive vesicles targeted transport growth-related molecules, such as integrins, protrudin, tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk) A/B receptor and AMPA receptor (AMPAR) to membrane surface to promote the regeneration capacity of axon and dendrites and maintain synaptic plasticity. In addition, many studies have shown that the expression of Rab11 is decreased in multiple neurodegenerative diseases, which is highly correlated with the process of production, transport and clearance of disease-related pathological proteins. And overexpression or increased activity of Rab11 can greatly improve the defect of membrane trafficking and slow down the disease process. With increasing research efforts on Rab11-dependent membrane trafficking mechanisms, a potential target for nerve regeneration and neurodegenerative diseases will be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The superiority of fluorescence-based methods in the metal ion detection is well established; however, the quantum dot (QD) fluorescent probes currently used for mercury ions (Hg2+) have many limitations, such as a narrow detection range and environmental toxicity. In this work, environment-friendly tin oxide (SnO2) quantum dots were prepared and applied as a fluorescent sensor for the selective determination of Hg2+. The synthesized SnO2 QDs showed excellent performance in Hg2+ ion detection, with a broad linear range of 10−2–105 μM and a low detection limit of 5 nM. Remarkably, SnO2 QDs illustrated high selectivity to Hg2+ ions without interference from other metal ions. Furthermore, the mechanism of fluorescence enhancement in SnO2 QDs was based on the ratio of non-radiative electrons, and the density of active Sn vacancies was further explained. A mathematical model is proposed to interpret the mechanism of the adsorptive process during Hg2+ detection, thereby providing a quantitative understanding of the fluorescence sensing principle of semiconductor QDs. This work demonstrates the promising application of SnO2 QDs for convenient, highly sensitive and low-cost determination of Hg2+ ions in experimental and actual conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NiO@Co3O4 core‐shell oxide nanofiber (NF) with diameter of 200 nm were prepared by a simple sol‐gel based on electrospinning method. When applied as an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), it delivers stable cyclic performance with specific capacity of 487 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.5 C. Moreover, high rate capabilities are observed in each current density in the core‐shell nanofiber. This indicates that the electrochemical performance of the core‐shell nanostructure significantly enhances reversible capacity and high rate capabilities over NiO and Co3O4 nanofibers. Such an enhanced electrochemical performance is attribute to the synergistic effect between each component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbon nanoparticles (SCNPs) coated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were fabricated by a hydrothermal method and subsequently by a simple heat treatment process. SCNPs/rGO exhibit excellent electrochemical performance which not only attributes the rGO layer to inhibit the volumetric expansion of silicon and reduce the impedance between the active material and lithium ions during the electrochemical process, but also improves the electrical conductivity of SCNPs/rGO. The as-prepared compound was cyclically tested at a current density of 150 mA/g, with the first charge and discharge capacities of 3152.2 mAh/g and 3342.7 mAh/g, respectively. Moreover, the electrochemical performance of SCNPs/rGO was better than SCNPs. The R CT values for fresh battery, after 1 cycle and 100 cycles, are 120.9 Ω , 120.5 Ω and 104 Ω. Thus, compared with SCNPs, SCNPs/rGO exhibited lower overall impedance values. These results indicate that the addition of graphene layer significantly improved the electrochemical performance of SCNPs electrodes and reduced the internal resistance of the battery. Silicon carbon nanoparticles coated with rGO were obtained by hydrothermal method. The use of rGO to improve the electrical conductivity of the material can also act as a carbon matrix material to inhibit the volume expansion effect. The results showed that the addition of rGO improved the conductivity of lithium ions and played a positive role in the diffusion of lithium ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the innate immune cells that permanently reside in the central nervous system (CNS), microglia play an increasingly important role in maintaining brain function. Normally, microglia act as resting phenotype, which can be activated by various types of stimuli and release a variety of inflammatory mediators. Melatonin is an endogenous rhythmic hormone secreted principally by the pineal gland. Increasing evidence suggests that melatonin can detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) and prevent microglia from over-activation. This review summarizes the mechanisms of melatonin in inhibiting excessive activation of microglia and demonstrates the feasibility of melatonin in the treatment of diseases related to microglial over-activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are closely related to the pathological processes of neurological disorders. Peroxiredoxin 2 (Prdx2) is an abundant antioxidant enzyme in the central nervous system. Prdx2 reduces the production of reactive oxygen species and participates in regulating various signaling pathways in neurons by catalyzing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), thereby protecting neurons against oxidative stress and an inflammatory injury. However, the spillage of Prdx2, as damage-associated molecular patterns, accelerates brain damage after stroke by activating an inflammatory response. The post-translational modifications of Prdx2 also affect its enzyme activity. This review focuses on the effects of Prdx2 and its molecular mechanisms in various neurological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops in the world, and mulching is mostly practiced in the semi‐arid region of Northwest China. We examined the effect of different mulching practices on soil N, plant N uptake, N use efficiency and yield of wheat with similar fertilizer rate. The experiment was conducted for 5 yr with four replicates. The five practices included: Control (CK), nitrogen fertilizer and no mulching (NM), nitrogen fertilizer plus plastic film mulching (PM), nitrogen fertilizer plus ridge mulching and furrow seeding (RM+FS), and nitrogen fertilizer plus straw mulching (SM). We found that yield and biomass of winter wheat were significantly affected by different mulching practices during the five growing seasons. Compared to the NM treatment, the PM, SM, and RM+FS treatments increased grain yield by 13, 9, and 4%, respectively, and biomass by 19, 13, and 10%, respectively. Compared to the NM, the RM+FS and PM treatments tended to decrease average grain, straw, and chaff N concentration, while straw mulching tended to increase average grain, straw, and chaff N concentration. Compared to the NM treatment, all mulching treatments consistently increased NUE, and straw mulching had the most significant effect. Nitrate‐N in the NM was most likely to leach into deep layers, followed by the SM and the lowest nitrate‐N leaching risk was in the two plastic film mulching treatments. The PM could increase winter wheat yield and decrease the risk of nitrate‐N leaching. Thus, PM performed better among the mulching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal sulfide demonstrated sluggish ionic transport kinetics due to the low electronic conductively, resulting larger volume expansion and even pulverize electrode during Li+ insertion/deinsertion. In this study, freestanding SnS nanoflower@carbon nanofiber (SnS@CNF) was prepared by the sol‐gel electrospinning of hydrothermal synthesized SnS2 nanoflower and carbonization. When direct used SnS@CNF as a binder‐free negative electrode for LIB, it delivered specific capacity of 564.4 mAh g−1@0.3 C after 450 cycles, and high rate capacities of 595, 465, 354, 267, 200, 129, 74, and 484 mAh g−1 at the current densities of 0.064, 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 0.1 mA g−1, respectively. Such excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the nanostructured conductive CNF network not only can buffer volume expansion and prevents the aggregation of active material, but also improve Li+ migration rates during the discharge (4.47×10−7 cm2 s−1) and charge (2.73×10−6 cm2 s−1) process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructuring is a promising approach to the problems of low diffusion coefficient of transition metal oxides anodes. Co3O4 nanofibers electrode materials were successfully synthesized by electrospinning followed by controlled pyrolysis. Electrode materials based on Co3O4 nanofibers applied as anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) show high discharge-charge specific capacity of 595 and 527 mA h g–1 at 0.5C, respectively. Further electrochemical investigation reveals that Co3O4 nanofibers exhibiting high specific capacity (300 mA h g−1 at 0.5C after 200 cycles), the capacity fading is only 11.8% after 200 cycles. Further electrochemical studies reveal that these excellent electrochemical properties should be attribute to the ordered ions diffusion pathway originated from the one-dimensional nanostructure and continuous fibrous network structure. These results revealed that the Co3O4 nanofibers are promising anode materials for LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We quantified the effects of different straw return modes on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen content (TN) and C:N ratios in a wheat/maize double‐cropping agricultural system by analysing their content in different soil aggregate sizes and density fractions under four modes of straw return: (a) no return/retention of wheat and maize straw (Control); (b) retention of long wheat stubble only (Wheat Stubble); (c) retention of long wheat stubble and return of chopped maize straw (Mixed); and (d) return of chopped wheat and maize straw (Both Chopped). The Mixed and Both Chopped straw return modes produced the highest crop yields. Relative to the Control, SOC stock was 9.6% greater with the Mixed treatment and 14.5% greater with the Both Chopped treatment, whereas the Wheat Stubble treatment had no effect on SOC. Mixed and Both Chopped significantly enhanced TN stock relative to the Wheat Stubble and Control treatments. Compared with the Control, the Mixed and Both Chopped treatments increased the mass proportions of large macroaggregates and reduced the silt plus clay fraction; Mixed and Both Chopped caused a significant increase in SOC and TN in large and small macroaggregates; the Mixed treatment significantly increased SOC content in the coarse and fine intra‐aggregate particulate organic matter (iPOM) density fractions of large macroaggregates, whereas Both Chopped increased SOC in the coarse iPOM, fine iPOM and mineral‐associated organic matter (mSOM) density fractions of both large and small macroaggregates; and Mixed and Both Chopped enhanced TN content in coarse iPOM and fine iPOM within small macroaggregates. Although the Mixed treatment was slightly less effective at improving C sequestration in agricultural fields than the Both Chopped treatment, the Mixed treatment may nonetheless be the optimal plant residue management mode in terms of minimizing time and labour due to its ability to improve soil structure, maintain organic carbon levels and provide a means of sustainable crop production in intensive wheat/maize double‐cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large body of research has emphasized how plastic mulching can benefit crop yields in dryland areas. However, this practice's pollution of the soil, air and environment has only recently attracted attention. We conducted a five-year field experiment with winter wheat as a test crop to evaluate whether plastic mulching can be replaced with straw mulching in dryland areas of the Loess Plateau in China. The obtained results showed that straw mulching (SM) resulted in similar grain yields that were comparable with plastic mulching. More specifically, ridge-furrow plastic mulching plus furrow seeding (RM + FS), whole field plastic mulching (PM) and SM treatments resulted in average yields of 5950, 6447 and 6246 kg ha−1, respectively. No soil water storage difference was observed at harvest, but SM retained more water during summer fallow and then stored more water prior to seeding, 26 mm and 27 mm higher that of PM, and 44 mm and 46 mm higher that of RM + FS, respectively. None of the three treatments caused soil nitrate-N leaching. Furthermore, because straw is a potential source of slow-releasing N, the SM 0–200 cm soil profile contained significantly more nitrate-N than the corresponding RM + FS and PM soil profiles. The SM treatment decreased greenhouse gas emissions intensity (GHGI) by 47% and 40% and increased economic return by 13% and 27% when compared to the PM and RM + FS treatments, respectively. Therefore, an optimized SM system is a viable alternative for increasing crop yields in dryland wheat production that avoids the negative impacts of the increasingly popular plastic mulching approach. Unlabelled Image • Straw mulching showed higher economic benefits than plastic mulching over five seasons. • This finding was due to increased soil moisture storage and decreased GHG emissions. • Straw mulching may well be superior to plastic mulching in dryland agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co3O4@nanofibers (NFs) and Co3O4@carbon NFs (CNFs) were synthesized by sol‐gel electrospinning followed by annealing in air and Ar atmosphere, respectively. Co3O4@NFs and Co3O4@CNFs deliver stable cyclic performance with Li storage capacity of 330 and 400mAh/g after 170 and 200 cycles, respectively. Co3O4@CNFs deliver higher Li storage capacity more than Co3O4@NFs at each current densities in rate performance. More importantly, Co3O4@CNFs demonstrated relatively smaller internal resistance result from the comparison of electrochemical independence spectrum. Further morphology observation of the cycled electrodes indicates that the one‐dimensioncal nanostrucutre of the Co3O4@CNFs is still maintaned after reacting with Li+, which is singnicicant to the electrochemical cyclic performance. This study indicates the internal resistance can be decreased by increasing electronical conductivity through electrospinning carbon coating layer, resulting in an enhanced energy storage performance. Co3O4@NFs and Co3O4@CNFs were synthesized by sol‐gel electrospinning and subsequently annealing in air and Ar atmosphere, respectively. The internal resistance of Co3O4@NFs can be decreased by increasing electronical conductivity through electrospinning carbon coating layer, resulting in an enhanced energy storage performance of Co3O4@CNFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing organic carbon sequestration in agricultural soils is important for improving soil fertility and mitigating climate change. Wood ash is generally applied as a potassium fertilizer, but the effects of simultaneous incorporation of wood ash and crop straw on the turnover of soil organic carbon (SOC) and inorganic carbon (SIC) are not well understood. In this study, a 118-day lab incubation experiment was conducted using a calcareous soil (with 10 years of continuous maize cropping history) to study the effects of adding wheat straw, wood ash and lime. Our study showed that straw addition led to an increase in both SOC (19%) and SIC (3%). Wood ash and lime addition decreased CO2 emission by 182 and 1210 mg kg-1 and increased SIC by 125 and 1001 mg kg-1 during the incubation, respectively, which was due to supply of CaO from wood ash and lime. The increase of SOC content was 2.4% due to the addition of lime. In addition to straw addition enhanced straw-derived OC content, the addition of lime also increased straw-derived OC content by 34.5%. This study demonstrated that lime was more effective in reducing CO2 emission and and enhancing SOC than wood ash. In conclusion, adding lime to calcareous soil might be an effective method of enhancing carbon sequestration and slowing climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The ions transport channel like network structure is build between active materials, due to its unique low dimensional properties. Microstructure indicates that the tiny LiFePO4 nanoparticles with average size of ≈7–9 nm embedded in the amorphous carbon matrix. When the LiFePO4‐CNFs is directly applied as flexible cathode electrode for lithium‐ion battery, which has high initial discharge capacity of 134 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C (1C = 170 mAh g−1) rate and stability cycling performance after 300 cycles. Further electrochemistry investigation reveals that the flexible one‐dimentional structure of CNFs enable it to release the mechanical deformation resulting from lithium ion insert and extract the electrodes, which resulted in a superior diffusion coefficient of lithium ions up to 2.4 × 10−12 cm2 s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesocrystal hexagonal Co 3 O 4 nanosheets with highly exposed {1 1 1} crystallographic planes were successfully synthesized by the conversion of hexagonal Co(OH) 2 nanosheets. They demonstrate uniform size with length of 400 nm. When applied as anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), they delivered high specific capacity of 1000 mAh g −1 @0.1 C and 640 mAh g −1 @2 C, 600 mAh g −1 @0.1 C and 350 mAh g −1 @2 C, respectively. These excellent electrochemical properties attribute to the ordered ions diffusion pathway originated from the mesocrystal nanostructure. With these outstanding performances, the mesocrystal hexagonal Co 3 O 4 nanosheets enable provide meaningful anode materials for LIBs and SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]