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In this study, the abundant global textile waste old nylon-6,6 was utilized as a substrate for bacterial cellulose (BC) production by Taonella mepensis WT-6. Briefly, different ratios (dry matter/v, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, or 15%) of nylon-6,6 waste were treated with 15% sulfuric acid for 2, 4, and 6 h, termed as nylon-6,6 acid hydrolysate (NAH). The highest depolymerization efficiency of nylon-6,6 waste was found to be 99.1% at 10% nylon-6,6 after 4 h of acid hydrolysis and released the maximum hexamethylenediamine (HMD), which resulted in a nearly complete degradation of nylon-6,6 to HMD, which was then converted to BC by T. mepensis. The structure and properties of BC films produced from Hestrin and Schramm medium (BC-HS) and nylon-6,6 acid hydrolysate (BC-NAH) media were comparatively studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mechanical properties, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and hydrophilicity analysis. The results demonstrated that the structural features of BC-NAH were comparable to BC-HS, suggesting that nylon-6,6 waste could be used as an inexpensive substrate for the cost-effective industrial production of BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing anisotropic thermally conductive networks in thermal management materials can effectively exploit the high in-plane thermal conductivity of two-dimensional fillers to achieve high heat transfer efficiency along the predetermined direction, which is the hotspot for thermal management materials. However, constructing such an interconnected network with an orderly alignment structure through thermally conductive fillers has proved challenging. In this study, a high-density cellulose-supported GnPs@PDA skeleton with an interconnected and ordered structure was successfully prepared through the stress-induced strategy. After embedding into the epoxy resin, the EP/CGP composites with 22.1 vol% filler content exhibit an excellent in-plane thermal conductivity of 8.39 W/mK under a 75 % compression ratio, which is 12.3 times higher than that without compression. The enhancement of thermal conductivity for EP/CGP composites under the stress-induced orientation strategy is illustrated by the finite element analysis and metal foam theory. Furthermore, the transient heat transmission processes of the composites are recorded to verify their prospect in thermal management applications. This novel approach sheds light on the fabrication of thermally conductive networks with interconnected and ordered structures for next-generation thermal management materials. [Display omitted] • Interconnected thermally conductive skeletons supported by cellulose networks. • Ordered and dense skeletons can be readily obtained by stress-induced strategy. • Surface modification of dopamine improves the assembly efficiency of the skeletons. • The obtained CGP skeletons greatly enhance the thermal conductivity of epoxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxy resin polymers are characteristic of outstanding mechanical and insulating performances, establishing them as critical insulating components in modern electronic devices and power systems. Bio-based polyphenol organics, a substitute for petroleum-based anhydride to cure epoxy resins, can restrict the waste of non-recyclable petroleum resources, meeting the current demand for sustainable development. However, due to rapidly developing industrial demands, such epoxy polymers using bio-based organics as curing agents need further exploration to realize excellent comprehensive properties. Herein, epoxy resin with significantly high crosslink density and few intermolecular defects has been successfully prepared using 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether-modified tannic acid as the green crosslinker. The most outstanding comprehensive properties have been realized by adjusting the mass ratio of 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether to bisphenol-A epoxy resin to 3: 10. Specifically, the tensile strength, elongation at break, breakdown strength and intrinsic thermal conductivity of tannic acid cross-linked epoxy resin reached 67.6 MPa, 5.4%, 29.8 kV/mm and 0.59 W/(m·K), respectively, globally higher compared with epoxy/anhydride system, which is attributed to the tighter molecular structure, fewer molecular entanglements and less internal defects. Therefore, this work provides a simple and feasible method for preparing tannic acid cross-linked epoxy resin polymers with excellent comprehensive properties, offering potential application value. Fig. 1 Scheme for the fabrication of epoxy polymers. [Display omitted] • Modified natural polyphenol TA was applied as curing agent instead of petroleum-based anhydride. • The compatibility between modified TA and DGEBA was verified by molecular dynamics simulation and SEM test. • Attributed to the polyphenol structure of TA, the crosslinking density of the epoxy polymer was significantly increased, and the internal defects were notably reduced. • The insulating, thermally conductive and mechanical properties of tannic acid cross-linked epoxy polymer are globally improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge to large-scale production and utilization of bacterial cellulose (BC) for various applications is its low yield and productivity by bacterial cells and the high cost of feedstock. A supplementation of the classical expensive Hestrin and Schramm (HS) medium with 1 % polyethylene terephthalate ammonia hydrolysate (PETAH) resulted in 215 % high yield. Although the physicochemical properties of BC were not significantly influenced, the BC produced in 1 % PETAH-supplemented HS medium showed a higher surface area, which showed 1.39 times higher adsorption capacity for tetracycline than BC produced in HS medium. The 1 % PETAH-supplemented HS medium respectively enhanced the activity of α-UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and α-phosphoglucomutase by 30.63 % and 135.24 % and decreased the activity of pyruvate kinase and phosphofructokinase by 40.34 % and 52.63 %. The results of this study provide insights into the activation mechanism of Taonella mepensis by PETAH supplementation for high yield and productivity of BC. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Aim to find the epidemiological and aetiological characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in Yixing. Methods: All HFMD cases reported in China information for disease control and prevention system in 2011-2017 were analysed. Rectal and throat swab samples were randomly selected and detected by RT-PCR to recognize the pathogenic agent: CoxasckievirusA16 (CA16), Enterovirus 71 (EV71) or other human enterovirus. SPSS 22.0 software packages were used to analyse the epidemiological and aetiological characteristics of the cases and samples. Results: Seventeen thousand seven hundred and thirty-six HFMD cases were reported in Yixing including 10,513 males and 7223 females, 2011-2017. Maximum incidence was 197.25/100,000 reported in 2014. 78.22% (13,873 cases) were between 1- and 4-year old. The peak of HFMD cases were always reported in June. The incidence of HFMD was 227.13/100,000 averagely in males, higher statistically than 165.53/100,000 in females (p < .01). Five hundred and seventy-four cases were positive in RT-PCT detection provided the evidences of the circulating of CA16, EV71 and other human enterovirus in HFMD cases and predominant viruses related HFMD were different each year. The positive rate of EV71 was 38.27% in males, lower than 46.80% in females (p < .05). Conclusions: Significant higher incidence of HFMD was observed in males and significant higher positive rate of EV71 was observed in females. Obvious seasonal pattern, difference in year and age group were observed. Results suggest that females are more exposed to EV71 than females in China. The data argue for deeper investigations for the potential risk factors that threat the susceptible population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, bacterial cellulose (BC) with antimicrobial properties was produced from waste jasmine flower through sequential fermentations with the fungus Trichoderma reesei and the bacterium Taonella mepensis. In this process, waste jasmine flower was first used for producing cellulase and xylanase with Trichoderma reesei. The activities of cellulase and xylanase in waste jasmine flower reached 66.54 U/g and 107.25 U/g, respectively. Waste jasmine flower was hydrolyzed enzymatically on-site and the resulting hydrolysate was used for BC production. The highest BC yield from supplemented jasmine flower hydrolysate (SJFH) was 4.78 g/L, 2.1 times higher than that from Hestrin and Schramm (HS) medium. BC samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and antibacterial analysis. The results showed that both the nano structure and thermal property of BC from SJFH medium (BC-JF) were similar to those of BC from HS medium (BC-HS). Furthermore, BC-JF composite displayed excellent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Considering the good biocompatibility of BC-JF to human umbilic vein endothelial cells, this antibacterial BC-JF, which was bioconverted from waste jasmine flower, shows great medical and pharmaceutical application potential. [Display omitted] • Functional bacterial cellulose (BC) was synthesized from waste jasmine flower. • This process is green and cheap. • Jasmine flower hydrolysate significantly improved BC yield. • BC from jasmine flower showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. • BC from jasmine flower demonstrated excellent biocompatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The role of myeloid cell receptor TREM-1 as an amplifier of inflammation has been widely accepted and more interestingly, TREM-1 has been implicated in tumorigenesis. However, it is not clear whether TREM-1 links colon inflammation and tumor in vivo. This study aimed to investigate whether inhibition of proinflammatory TREM-1 would prevent aberrant inflammation and tumor development within the colon. In the present study, the mouse model of DSS-induced colitis and colitis-associated tumorigenesis was used. In vivo, the treatment with the TREM-1 antagonist LP17 or control peptide was initiated at the beginning of or after induction of experimental colitis or colitis-associated tumorigenesis. As a result, TREM-1 inhibition by LP17 treatment ameliorated the development of inflammation and tumor within the colon through exerting anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, LP17 decreased intestinal epithelial proliferation in DSS-induced colitis. Taken together, TREM-1 plays critical roles in colon inflammation and tumor and targeting TREM-1 may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for colon inflammation and associated cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Novel polymer‐based materials with highly thermally conductive and high‐mechanical properties have attracted extensive attention in the field of electronic packaging as thermal interface materials (TIMs), due to the development of electronic equipment to miniaturization and higher power density. However, how to achieve high‐thermal conductivity (exceed 5 W/m·K) with low‐filling content (below 30 vol%) is still the focus of attention. Herein, polymer‐based materials with excellent in‐plane thermal conductivity were prepared by a simple hot‐pressing strategy, and a series of nanocomposites with different orientations were controlled by the hot‐pressing times. As expected, compared with that of randomly dispersed 25 vol% BNNS/P(VDF‐HFP) nanocomposite and pristine P(VDF‐HFP), the in‐plane thermal conductivity of oriented 25 vol% BNNS/P(VDF‐HFP) is promoted by 249% and 3057%, respectively. In contrast to randomly dispersed composites, oriented BNNS/P(VDF‐HFP) at loadings above 10 vol% begin to show an encouraging upward trend. This is because the orientation of BNNS can significantly reduce the percolation threshold and construct an efficient heat conduction network under low‐filling volume. Therefore, this technology can provide new ideas for the development of electronic packaging technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose composite nanopaper is extensively employed in flexible energy storage systems owing to their light weight, good flexibility and high specific surface area. Nevertheless, achieving flexible and ultrathin nanopaper supercapacitors with excellent electrochemical performance remains a challenge. Herein, surface cationization of bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers was conducted using 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (EPTMAC). Anion-doped polypyrrole (PPy) was incorporated onto the surface of the cationic bacterial cellulose (BCE) nanofibers by an interfacial electrostatic self-assembly process. The obtained PPy@BCE electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, including an areal capacitance of 3988 mF cm−2 at 1.0 mA cm−2 and a capacitance retention of 97 % after 10,000 cycles. A laminated paper-forming strategy was adopted to design and fabricate all-in-one integrated flexible supercapacitors (IFSCs) using PPy@BCE nanopaper as electrodes and BC nanopaper as a separator. The IFSCs showed superior areal capacitance (3669 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2), high energy density (193.7 μWh cm−2 at a power density of 827.3 μW cm−2), and outstanding mechanical flexibility (with no significant capacitance attenuation after repeatedly bending for 1000 times). The present strategy paves a way for the large-scale production of paper-based energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose composite nanopaper is extensively employed in flexible energy storage systems owing to their light weight, good flexibility and high specific surface area. Nevertheless, achieving flexible and ultrathin nanopaper supercapacitors with excellent electrochemical performance remains a challenge. Herein, surface cationization of bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers was conducted using 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (EPTMAC). Anion-doped polypyrrole (PPy) was incorporated onto the surface of the cationic bacterial cellulose (BCE) nanofibers by an interfacial electrostatic self-assembly process. The obtained PPy@BCE electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, including an areal capacitance of 3988 mF cm−2 at 1.0 mA cm−2 and a capacitance retention of 97 % after 10,000 cycles. A laminated paper-forming strategy was adopted to design and fabricate all-in-one integrated flexible supercapacitors (IFSCs) using PPy@BCE nanopaper as electrodes and BC nanopaper as a separator. The IFSCs showed superior areal capacitance (3669 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2), high energy density (193.7 μWh cm−2 at a power density of 827.3 μW cm−2), and outstanding mechanical flexibility (with no significant capacitance attenuation after repeatedly bending for 1000 times). The present strategy paves a way for the large-scale production of paper-based energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In ground-penetrating radar (GPR) or lunar-penetrating radar (LPR) interpretation, instantaneous attributes (e.g., instantaneous energy and instantaneous frequency) are often utilized for attribute analysis, and they can also be integrated into a new attribute, i.e., the instantaneous centroid frequency. Traditionally, the estimation of instantaneous attributes calls for complex trace analysis or energy operator schemes (e.g., the Teager–Kaiser energy operator, TKEO). In this work, we introduce the 1D higher-order differential energy operator (1D-HODEO) to track instantaneous attributes with better localization. In collocation with the mode decomposition algorithms, the 1D-HODEO performs along each A-scan on the decomposed mode slices to form the final profile of instantaneous centroid frequency by using the piece-wise correlation coefficients. Both a numerical model for simulating two-layer lunar regolith and the LPR Yutu-2 data show that the proposed instantaneous centroid frequency profile on the 1D-HODEO has better resolution, in comparison with that of TKEO and the traditional time-varying centroid frequency. In this work, we present a new approach for extracting instantaneous centroid frequency attributes which provides more comprehensive information in lunar stratigraphic interpretation and LPR attribute analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separator is an essential component of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which is placed between the electrodes to impede their electrical contact and provide the transport channels for lithium ions. Traditionally, the separator contributes the overall mass of LIBs, thereby reducing the gravimetric capacity of the devices. Herein, a dual-layer redox-active cellulose separator is designed and fabricated to enhance the electrochemical performances of LIBs by introducing NiS. The presented separator is composed of an insulating bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofiber layer and a conductive, and redox-active NiS@BC/carbon nanotubes layer. By using the NiS@BC separator, the discharge capacity of the LiFePO4//Li half battery is enhanced to 117 mAh g-1 at a current of 2C owing to the redox-activity of NiS. Moreover, the functional separator-electrode interface can facilitate the homogenous Li stripping/plating and depress the polarization upon the repeated stripping/plating process. Consequently, the battery containing the redox-active separator exhibits outstanding cycle stability and rate capability. The present study contributes a novel strategy for the developments of functional separators to improve the electrochemical properties of LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nylon-6,6 microplastics (NMPs) in aquatic systems have emerged as potential contaminants to the global environment and have garnered immense consideration over the years. Unfortunately, there is currently no efficient method available to eliminate NMPs from sewage. This study aims to address this issue by isolating Brucella intermedia ZL-06, a bacterium capable of producing a bacterial polysaccharide-based flocculant (PBF). The PBF generated from this bacterium shows promising efficacy in effectively flocculating NMPs. Subsequently, the precipitated flocs (NMPs + PBF) were utilized as sustainable feedstock for synthesizing PBF. The study yielded 6.91 g/L PBF under optimum conditions. Genome sequencing analysis was conducted to study the mechanisms of PBF synthesis and nylon-6,6 degradation. The PBF exhibited impressive flocculating capacity of 90.1 mg/g of PBF when applied to 0.01 mm NMPs, aided by the presence of Ca2+. FTIR and XPS analysis showed the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amine groups in PBF. The flocculation performance of PBF conformed to Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-first-order adsorption kinetics model. These findings present a promising approach for reducing the production costs of PBF by utilizing NMPs as sustainable nutrient sources. [Display omitted] • Brucella intermedia ZL-06 can transform nylon-6,6 into flocculants. • The precipitated flocs were valorized to produce PBF • The structural characterization of PBF has been investigated. • Genome of B. intermedia ZL-06 has been sequenced and annotated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The bioflocculant-producing bacteria isolated from a sputum sample. [•] The bioflocculant is stable at wide ranges of pH and temperature. [•] Cation-independent bioflocculant produced by Klebsiella pneumoniae. [•] It could flocculate a variety of real wastewaters. [•] 79.4% flocculating activity for amoebae cysts was achieved with the bioflocculant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims to propose a new simple assay for deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) by applying cationic Gemini surfactant 12-3-12 and cationic dye methylene blue (MB) as resonance light scattering (RLS) probes. The formation of MB-DNA-12-3-12 complex at pH 3.99 results in enhanced RLS signals at 369 nm, which is proportional to the concentration of DNA from 0 to 0.88 mg L-1, with determination limit of 0.014 mg L-1. Most foreign substances do not interfere in the detection and three synthetic samples are analyzed satisfactorily. transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FTIR, and ultraviolet spectra are used to investigate the interaction mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green emitting copper nanoclusters (G-Cu NCs), yellow emitting Cu NCs (Y-Cu NCs), orange emitting Cu NCs (O-Cu NCs) and red emitting Cu NCs (R-Cu NCs) were prepared using chicken egg white as the stabilizer by changing the reaction conditions. This is a green, facile and cheap method to explore different color emitting CuNCs by the same precursor and stabilizers. The G-Cu NCs were employed for the detection of ethanol due to their aggregation induced emission enhancement (AIEE) effect. The fluorescence emission of Cu NCs at 526 nm under the excitation of 444 nm can be effectively enhanced in the presence of ethanol due to AIEE effect, thus realizing the quantitative determination of ethanol content in the range 5–60%. In addition, a visual dual-emission fluorescence probe with the combination of G-Cu NCs and silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs/G-Cu NCs) was designed to evaluate ethanol content conveniently and rapidly. Desirable linear relationship is observed between ratio of fluorescence intensity (I525/I441) and ethanol content under the excitation of 383 nm. Visible color transformation of this probe is observed in the ethanol content range 2–20%. Moreover, the ethanol sensing platforms were applied to the detection and evaluation of the alcohol content of liquor, and the recoveries in liquor were in the range 99.7% to 113%, broadening the applications of Cu NCs and providing a sensitive detection method for ethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypyrrole (PPy)/cellulose nanofiber (CNF) composites have been widely used in flexible energy storage devices because of their lightweight, inherent mechanical flexibility and large specific surface area. However, it is still a challenge to obtain PPy/CNF composite electrodes with high cycling stability. Herein, an electrostatic self-assembly strategy was adopted to deposit anion-doped PPy onto cationic poly(methacryloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride)-grafted bacterial cellulose (BCD) nanofibers. The optimized PPy@BCD electrode demonstrated a high areal capacitance of 6208 mF cm−2 at a current density of 0.5 mA cm−2 and superior cycling stability (a capacitance retention of 100 % after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles at 10 mA cm−2). A quasi-solid-state anti-freezing flexible supercapacitor (AF-FSC) was designed by employing polyacrylamide organohydrogel electrolyte, yielding an areal capacitance of 2930.6 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2 and a capacitance retention of 92.2 % after 1000 cycles at −20 °C. The present AF-FSC is expected to serve as a power source in real-life low-temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The carbon quantum dots by in-situ microwave carbonization is proposed to construct Poly(ethylene imine)-based dielectric nanocomposites. • In-situ synthesized carbon quantum dots have outstanding dispersion and hinder electron injection to improve breakdown strength. • The excellent efficiency and discharged energy density are achieved at elevated temperature. Advanced electronic equipment requires polymer film capacitors to work under harsh temperature and electric field conditions. However, the inevitable deterioration of the insulation performance with electric field and temperature will limit the improvement of high-temperature capacitive performance. Herein, we report a novel sandwich-structured dielectric nanocomposite, utilizing microwave radiation in-situ to synthesize subminiature carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in the middle layer. Comprehensive simulation and experimental results confirm that CQDs, as an electronic barrier, prevent carriers from passing through the interlayer, thereby significantly reducing the leakage current in the polymer matrix at high temperatures, and obtaining excellent breakdown strength. Thanks to the slightly increased dielectric constant and significantly reduced energy loss, the nanocomposites with the optimal loading exhibit an excellent discharged energy density of 4.10 J cm−3 with efficiency above 90 % at 200 °C, which is far superior to most current dielectric nanocomposites. We believe that this simple and economic strategy provides a new idea for the development of green dielectric capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual-channel “naked-eye” colorimetric and ratio fluorescent probe has been developed based on titanium carbide quantum dots for the detection of curcumin and hypochlorite (ClO−). The fluorescence emission of Ti3C2 MXene quantum dots (Ti3C2 MQDs) is in the range 350–600 nm, and the maximum emission peak is at 430 nm that overlaps with the UV absorption of curcumin at 430 nm to a large extent. This facilitates the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between Ti3C2 MQDs and curcumin. When ClO− is added, the phenolic and methoxy groups of curcumin are oxidized to quinones, resulting in the restoration of the fluorescence of Ti3C2 MQD. In addition, the probe designed makes it easier to distinguish colors with the naked eye to detect curcumin and ClO−. The linear detection range of curcumin was 0.05–10 μM, and the detection limit was 20 nM. The linear detection ranges of ClO− are 25–150 μM and 150–275 μM, and the detection limit is 5 μM. This study is the first report on the determination of curcumin and ClO− based on Ti3C2 MQDs by dual-channel “naked-eye” colorimetric and ratio fluorescence method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal degradation was used to pretreat terylene with an aim of noticeably improving the yield of fermentable monomers: terephthalic acid (TPA), mono (2- hydroxyethyl) terephthalic acid (MHET), bis-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET), and ethylene glycol (EG). After 0.5 h of reaction time at 180 °C, hydrothermal degradation with ammonia led to almost complete conversion of the terylene to TPA, MHET, BHET and EG, which were then transformed by Taonella mepensis WT-6 to bacterial cellulose (BC). Furthermore, the optimum fermentation conditions with the maximum BC yield were 5.0 g/L yeast extract, 30.0 °C, pH 9.0, 8.0% inoculum, and hydrolysate TOC (5.02 g/L). Additionally, mechanical and thermal analysis revealed that the properties of BC produced from TAH medium were similar to those of BC produced with HS medium. Considering the substantial amount of global terylene waste being produced, this study provides an alternative solution for the biosynthesis of BC. • A BC-producing strain was isolated from rotten ramie leaf. • Terylene ammonia hydrolysate was used as a substrate for the strain to generate BC. • Hydrothermal degradation was used to pretreat terylene waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New types of carbon nanomaterials, such as multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and graphene nanoplatelet (GNP), have attracted much attention in enhancing the thermal conductivity of polymers. However, due to the high electric conductivity of carbon materials, it is difficult for carbon‐based epoxy to achieve the high thermal conductivity while obtaining desired dielectric property. In this article, using GNP and MWCNT modified by titanate coupling agent (PN‐105), a novel method for highly thermally conductive, but electrically insulating epoxy nanocomposites is reported. The experimental results show that the 4% modified MWCNTs/epoxy nanocomposite has presented a simple thermal conductivity network, which can significantly improve the thermal conductivity of epoxy resin (EP), about 6.5 times higher than pure epoxy. Co‐filled with 2% GNPs and 4% MWCNTs, the thermal conductivity of the epoxy nanocomposite is increased to 2.04 W/mK, 957% higher than pure epoxy. In addition, the dielectric constant of the composite is 9.1, which is maintained within an acceptable range. The dynamic mechanical results show that the filling of carbon materials can reduce the storage modulus and the loss factor of EP. Preparation process and principle of high thermal conductivity epoxy resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragment‐dummy‐template molecularly imprinted polymers‐Mn doped ZnS QDs (FMIP−Mn doped ZnS QDs) were synthesized by surface imprinting technique and specifically recognize microcystin (MC), especially MC‐LR, MC‐RR and MC‐YR. Pentylbenzene and L‐arginine were used as fragment dummy template of MC to form specific recognition site cavity. The introduction of dummy template reduced the toxicity and cost of MC as template in the synthesis process. When MC was added to the FMIP, the room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) intensity is quenched regularly, thereby achieving the effect of detecting MC. The two‐fragment‐dummy‐template molecularly imprinted polymers‐Mn doped ZnS QDs (FMIP‐1) have distinct linearly RTP quenching toward MC in the concentration range of 0.0025‐0.0175 nM. The linear relationship between ΔP/P0 and CMC‐LR, CMC‐YR and CMC‐RR were observed with the regression equation ΔP/P0=0.0150+24.70CMC‐LR, ΔP/P0=0.0995+21.38CMC‐YR, and ΔP/P0=0.101+16.96CMC‐RR (where concentration was in nM), with the detection limit of 0.25 pM, 1 pM and 0.6 pM, respectively. This method was applied to detect MC in water and freshwater products. The method have the potential for effective detection of other harmful substances in the complicated matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to isolate a novel archaeon capable of simultaneously producing methane and bioflocculants. The isolated methanogen was identified as Methanosarcina spelaei RK-23 by molecular characterization. Strain RK-23 grew with different carbon sources, but acetate was found to be the most beneficial carbon source for the production of methane and bioflocculants. Moreover, RK-23 produced methane and bioflocculants within an initial pH range of 5.0–8.0, with an optimal pH for methane production of 6.5 and flocculating activity of 7.0. In addition, strain RK-23 exhibited tolerance to high-salinity conditions and produced methane and bioflocculants within 0–1.2 M NaCl, with an optimum NaCl concentration of 0.3 M. The methane production and flocculating activity of strain RK-23 under optimal culture conditions were 17.4 mmol methane/mol acetate and 95.6%, respectively. MBF-23 mostly consisted of 83.5% carbohydrates and 14.3% proteins. Furthermore, the bridging of adsorption is believed to be the main bioflocculation mechanism in this study. • A novel bioflocculant-producing methanogen, Methanosarcina spelaei RK-23, was isolated. • RK-23 converted acetate to methane and MBF-23. • RK-23 secreted methane and MBF-23 within a wide salinity range. • MBF-23 was negatively charged, with a molecular weight of 3.5 × 106 Da. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we developed a "naked-eye" colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescence probe for a very important biomarker of uric acid (UA). The method was based on the oxidation of UA by uricase to allantoin and hydrogen peroxide, and then o-Phenylenediamine (OPD) was oxidized to the yellow-colored 2,3-diaminophenazine (oxOPD) in the presence of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide. The fluorescence emission of glutathione functionalized Ti 3 C 2 MQDs (GSH-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs) centered at 430 nm overlaps with the UV absorption of oxOPD at 425 nm to a large extent, which facilitates fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between GSH-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs and oxOPD. With the increase of the UA concentration, the emission at 430 nm of GSH-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs is progressively quenched and the emission at 568 nm of oxOPD was gradually increased. Moreover, the probe we designed is easier to distinguish with color change by naked eye for the detection of UA. This is the first report about the determination of UA by a "naked-eye" colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescence method combining GSH-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs and uricase/HRP enzymes. This work enables assays to perform fluorescence and visual detection of biomarker in biological fluids based on Ti 3 C 2 MQDs. We established a method for "naked eye" colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescence detection of uric acid based on glutathione functionalized MXene quantum dots (GSH-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs). Image 1 • We developed a ratiometric fluorescence probe for UA based on GSH-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs and oxOPD. • OPD was oxidized to the yellow oxOPD under HRP and H 2 O 2 to realize the naked-eye detection of UA. • The ratiometric fluorescence probe had detection limit of 125 nM for UA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel bioflocculant-producing bacterium was isolated from ramie biodegumming wastewater. • The bacterium can secrete ligninase and cellulase through direct conversion of ramie biomass. • The ramie biodegumming wastewater was utilized to prepare enzymes and bioflocculants. • The bioflocculants'production was closely related to the enzymatic activities. Lignocelluloses have been used as carbon sources for bioflocculant production. However, the low bioconversion efficiency of lignocellulose to bioflocculants is a major challenge. In this study, a lignocellulolytic strain of Alcaligenes faecalis -X3 was cultivated in ramie bio-degumming wastewater. Optimal production of ligninase, cellulase and bioflocculants (MBF-X3) was evaluated. The highest activity of MBF-X3 under the optimal conditions of pH 6.0 at 48 h of fermentation was 95.44%, with the maximum production of ligninase and cellulase (0.27 and 0.12 U/mL, respectively). The crude ligninase and cellulase had optimum activities at pH 5.0 and 40 °C and pH 6.0 and 50 °C, respectively. The cellulase activity was increased by Mn2+, Ca2+, Zn2+, and Mg2+ at 1 mM. The ligninase activity was significantly enhanced in the presence of Zn2+ at 10 mM. The flocculating activity of MBF-X3 was not changed by the addition of any metal cation. The results demonstrated that A. faecalis possesses an excellent enzyme system for the efficient bioconversion of lignocellulose into MBF-X3. Additionally, MBF-X3 has a high flocculating efficiency of Disperse Blue-2BLN (85.7%) at a dose of 1.0 g/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro–nanofluidic chips have been widely applied in biological and medical fields. In this paper, a simple and low-cost fabrication method for micro–nano fluidic chips is proposed. The nano-channels are fabricated by thermal nano-imprinting on an SU-8 photoresist layer followed by thermal bonding with a second SU-8 photoresist layer. The micro-channels are produced on the second layer by UV exposure and then thermal bonded by a third layer of SU-8 photoresist. The final micro–nano fluidic chip consists of micro-channels (width of 200.0 ± 0.1 μm and, depth of 8.0 ± 0.1 μm) connected by nano-channels (width of 533 ± 6 nm and, depth of 372 ± 6 nm), which has great potential in molecular filtering and detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium carbide quantum dots functionalized with ε-poly-L-lysine (PLL) were synthesized by sonication cutting and hydrothermal synthesis. The deprotonated Ti3C2 MXene quantum dots (Ti3C2 MQDs) exhibit excitation wavelength-dependent blue photoluminescence with typical excitation/emission peaks at 330/415 nm and a quantum yield of 22% due to strong quantum confinement. The fluorescence of ε-poly-L-lysine protected Ti3C2 MQDs (PLL-protected Ti3C2 MQDs) is reduced via an inner filter effect after the addition of cytochrome c (cyt-c). Response to cyt-c is linear in the 0.2 to 40 μM concentration range and the detection limit is 20.5 nM. In the presence of trypsin, cyt-c is hydrolyzed to small peptides, and the Fe3+ ion in cyt-c probably is reduced to Fe2+ with the aid of the digestive enzyme. This results in the restoration of the blue fluorescence of the modified MQDs. Fluorescence increases linearly in the 0.5 to 80 μg mL−1 trypsin concentration range with the detection limit of 0.1 μg mL−1. The method was successfully applied to the determination of cyt-c and trypsin in spiked serum samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of fabricating chambers is becoming increasingly important for inkjet printhead. However, the majority of present fabrication methods suffer from some problems, such as chamber collapsed, chamber blocked, and the deformation of nozzle plate. This paper develops a novel method for fabricating inkjet chambers by bonding the nozzle plate of SU-8 photoresist with suitable crosslinked degree onto the open microchamber. The softbake temperature of the nozzle plates was optimized for the high bonding strength and the low chamber deformation. The crosslinked degree of the SU-8 photoresist with different exposure dose and post exposure bake (PEB) parameters were calculated based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments. The effects of exposure dose and PEB parameters on crosslinked degree of the SU-8 photoresist were analyzed. The influence of crosslinked degree of the SU-8 photoresist on the chamber deformation rate and bonding strength were investigated. The optimized bonding strength of 0.57 MPa and chamber deformation rate of 4.35% were obtained in the final inkjet printhead. Compared with most of the current processing methods, this fabrication technique has great potential due to the decreased chamber deformation rate and the increased bonding strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the dynamic characteristics of piezoelectric inkjet print head were studied by analyzing vibration mode and resonant frequency. The modal analysis was carried out by using the multiphysics simulation software COMSOL. The vibration characteristics of print head were measured. The piezoelectric actuator and print head were excited by two basic excitation methods: fast sine sweep and white noise, respectively. The speed response was measured by the laser Doppler vibrometer and the power spectrum was obtained by using MATLAB software to obtain the first-order resonant frequency. The results show that the first-order mode is most suitable for droplet formation and ejection, and the print head in the working state is indeed under the first-order mode. The fluid–solid coupling effect has great influence on the shape and amplitude of the vibration curve. The presence of liquid lower the peak of the resonant frequency and the severe liquid motion affect the number of peaks of the resonant frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Development of BC/BF adsorbent for the first time through co-fermentation. • High PNP adsorption potential of BC/BF composite. • Pore filling, electrostatic interaction, and hydrogen bonding all involved in PNP adsorption. • Renewability and reusability of BC/BF adsorbent. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nano-plastics (PNP) is a major source of water pollution which in turn causes health issues in humans. There is no effective method to completely remove PNP from wastewater. In this study, bacterial cellulose (BC)/bacterial flocculant (BF) composite was produced from PNP ammonia hydrolysate through the co-cultivation of Taonella mepensis WT-6 and Diaphorobacter nitroreducens R9. The structural characterization of the BC/BF composite through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermal and mechanical analyses demonstrated that the amino-group-rich flocculant produced by the D. nitroreducens R9 was incorporated into the BC network without interfering the self-aggregation of cellulose fibrils. Fast PEP removal was observed in pure and tap water with maximum sorption capacity (Qmax) of 124.65 mg/g and 115.60 mg/g, respectively, whereas least removal was observed for campus lake water with a Qmax value of 84.78 mg/g. A 10 mM SO 4 2− significantly decreased the adsorption capacity to 44.52 mg/g, while 2 mM Ca2+ contributed to the adsorption of PNP with a maximum adsorption capacity of 144.78 mg/g at pH 6.0. The potential adsorption mechanism was investigated through adsorption kinetic studies, isothermal models, and thermodynamics studies. The adsorbed BC/BF was recycled by desorbing PNP with ammonia water, and the eluent could be utilized as a medium for sustainable production of BC/BF. The reusable BC/BF adsorbent produced through the co-culture technique can effectively control PNP pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel naked eye and fluorescence sensor for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) determination based on copper/silver nanoclusters (Cu/Ag NCs) was developed. L‐Histidine protected Cu/Ag NCs were prepared and exhibited superior properties compared with copper nanoclusters, with the quantum yield increased from 4.3% to 13.2%. The fluorescence of Cu/Ag NCs can be easily quenched by 2‐nitro‐5‐thiobenzoate anion (TNB) owing to the inner filter effect. TNB is the product between 5′‐Dithiobis‐(2‐nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and thiols. However, AChE can specially catalyze acetylthiocholine (ATCh) to hydrolyze and release biothiols (TCh). Based on this, the determination of AChE was achieved by introducing DTNB. A naked eye sensor was also constructed owing to the color change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated a new and selective fluorescent sensor for the detection of citrate by employing g-C3N4 quantum dots (g-CNQDs) and MgFe layered double hydroxide (MgFe-LDH). The g-CNQDs interacted with MgFe-LDH via electrostatic interaction and the fluorescence of g-CNQDs was effectively quenched by MgFe-LDH due to inner filter effect. Upon addition of citrate, the fluorescence of the g-CNQDs was significantly enhanced, arising from the replacement of g-CNQDs by citrate because citrate competed with g-CNQDs to form more stable complexes with MgFe-LDH. Therefore, we developed a "turn-off–on" fluorescence assay method for the detection of citrate. This method enabled the selective detection of citrate with linear range of 0.5–3.0 μM and 3.0–10.0 μM with a 12.3 nM limit of detection. This method exhibited advantages including easy preparation, environmentally friendly process and rapid response toward citrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a novel bioflocculant, MBF-15, which is an exopolysaccharide extracted from the alkaliphilic bacterium Paenibacillus jamilae. The biophysical characteristics of MBF-15 were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. MBF-15 was also evaluated for its biocompatibility by examining its inflammatory, coagulant, and hemostatic properties in vitro and in vivo. Pretreatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with MBF-15 inhibited lipopolysaccharide-stimulated expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, production of nitric oxide, and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6. In addition, MBF-15 increased both mRNA and protein levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokines transforming growth factor-β and IL-10. The hemocompatibility of MBF-15 was investigated by measuring the hemolysis ratio and clotting times. MBF-15 had high pro-thrombogenic activity but was not hemolytic. In a rat model, MBF-15 showed superior hemostatic properties compared with chitosan. Thus, MBF-15 offers a promising combination of anti-inflammatory and pro-coagulant properties that may be useful for hemostasis in a variety of clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioflocculants are widely used in a large variety of applications, because of their wide range of flocculation. There is limited information in the literature about the ability of bioflocculants to perform beneficial functions without having adverse effects on blood components. In this study, general hemocompatibility of a bioflocculant (MBF-06) was investigated in an in vitro system, measuring flocculation of plasma proteins, red blood cell integrity, blood cell counts, platelet activation, clot formation, complement activation, cytotoxicity and inflammatory response. Effects of MBF-06 included low plasma protein flocculation, low platelet activation, low inflammatory response, no hemolysis or cytotoxicity and increased expression of coagulation markers, including prothrombin fragments 1 + 2. These findings suggested that the rapid hemostasis caused by MBF-06 resulted, essentially, from humoral coagulation. Overall, our observations revealed the great potential of MBF-06 as a novel hemostatic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field-grading polymer nanocomposites have drawn significant attention in high voltage electrical industries due to their excellent nonlinear conductive or dielectric properties. But composites with both nonlinear properties are rarely reported, and desirable nonlinear performance associated with excess fillers in the composite is at the expense of electric breakdown strength. In this work, BaTiO 3 nanoparticles were decorated successively using double-shell layers of TiO 2 and polydopamine, which are developed as novel nanofillers (BT@TiO 2 @PDA) for field-grading applications. Subsequently, BNNSs were prepared by liquid phase exfoliation, serving as the inhibitor of breakdown phase growth in the composites. Finally, novel epoxy nanocomposites (EP/BT@TiO 2 @PDA-OB) with BT@TiO 2 @PDA and oriented BNNSs were fabricated by a simple hot-pressing method. Results show that the hierarchically designed nanoparticles can make the composites possess not only nonlinear dielectric properties due to high ε r of BT and improved interfacial polarization, but also nonlinear conductive properties resulted from the organic semiconductor PDA shell. Nonlinear effective medium theory (EMT) was utilized to explain the nonlinear dielectric properties, and the hopping transport model considering Pool-Frenkel effect was applied to explain the nonlinear conductive properties. In addition, electric breakdown tests reveal that EP/BT@TiO 2 @PDA-OB has significantly enhanced breakdown strength (45.7 kV/mm) as compared to that of pristine epoxy resin (29.4 kV/mm) and EP/BT@TiO 2 @PDA-RB (randomly dispersed BNNSs, 36.2 kV/mm). It is expected that these results can open new avenues for the design of novel composites with both nonlinear conductive properties and dielectric properties as well as high breakdown strength. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst groundwater is an important water resource but it is vulnerable to contaminants, due to the distinctive geological features of abundant transmissive fractures and conduits in the karst area which connect the surface to the underground systems. Anthropogenic activity-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the surface environment could enter groundwater easily and rapidly and threaten water security in karst areas. Samples in the multimedia environment from 10 specific karst spring systems from Western Hubei of Central China were collected to analyze 16 priority PAHs and to investigate their transport in these karst spring systems. The total concentrations of PAHs in the soil, river water, river sediments, spring water, and spring sediments ranged between 6.04 and 67.7 ng g−1, 4.56 and 11.4 ng L−1, 29.9 and 1041 ng g−1, 4.09 and 222 ng L−1, and 5.88 and 83.0 ng g−1, respectively. Levels of PAHs in this area were relatively low when compared to other karst areas. Proportions of low-molecular-weight (LMW)-PAHs in the water, sediments and soil (average 58.2–78.8%) were much higher than those of high-molecular-weight (HMW)-PAHs. The proportion of LMW-PAHs in the sediments (especially in river sediments) was higher than that in the soil. Characteristic ratio analysis and principal component analysis showed that PAHs were from high-temperature combustion of the mixture of coal and biomass, and vehicle emission, where coal and biomass combustion were the dominant sources. Significant correlations of PAH compositions in different media of karst spring systems were observed, especially in the Yuquangdong (YQD)-Migongquan (MGQ), Jiuzhenziquan (JZZQ), Xianyudong (XYD) and Fengdong (FD) karst spring systems, indicating the rapid PAH transport from the recharge area soil to the discharge area of spring water and sediments. [Display omitted] • Particle-promoted transport with rapid water flow was pivotal for PAH mobilization to sediments. • Different sources and matrix components lead to the differences in PAH concentrations and compositions in river sediments and spring sediments. • Coal combustion, biomass burning and vehicle emission account for 99.1% of sources of the total PAHs. • Significant correlations of PAH compositions were observed in the multimedia environment of karst spring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioflocculants have been applied in numerous applications including heavy metals removal. A major bottleneck for commercial application of bioflocculant is its high production cost. Phenol-containing wastewater are abundantly available. However, the toxic phenol inhibited the microbial activities in the subsequent fermentation processes. Consequently, strains that can secrete phenol-degrading enzymes and simultaneously produce bioflocculants through directly degrading the phenol are of academic and practical interests. A phenol-degrading strain, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ZZC-06, which can produce the bioflocculant MBF-06 using phenol-containing wastewater, was isolated in this study. The effects of culture conditions including initial pH, dissolved oxygen, phenol concentration, inoculum size, and temperature on MBF-06 production were analyzed. The experimental results showed that over 90% flocculating activity was achieved when the phenol was used as a carbon source and 4.99 g/L of MBF-06 was achieved under the optimized condition: 2.0% dissolved oxygen, 800 mg/L phenol concentration, 10% inoculum size, an initial pH of 6.0, and a temperature of 30 °C. The bioflocculant MBF-06 contained 71.2% polysaccharides and 27.9% proteins. The feasibility of cadmium removal using MBF-06 was evaluated. The highest flocculating efficiency for cadmium was 81.43%. This study shows for the first time that Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ZZC-06 can directly convert phenol into a bioflocculant, which can be used to effectively remove cadmium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel bioflocculant (MBF-79) prepared using formaldehyde wastewater as carbon resource was investigated in the study. The optimal conditions for bioflocculant production were determined to be an inoculum size of 7.0%, initial pH of 6.0, and formaldehyde concentration of 350 mg/L. An MBF-79 of 8.97 g/L was achieved as the maximum yield. Three main elements, namely C, H, and O, were present in MBF-79 with relative weigh percentages of 39.17%, 6.74%, and 34.55%, respectively. The Gel permeation chromatography analysis indicated that the approximate molecular weight (MW) of MBF-79 was 230 kDa. MBF-79 primarily comprised polysaccharide (71.2%) and protein (27.9%). Additionally, conditions for the removal of arsenic by MBF-79 were found to be MBF-79 at 120 mg/L, an initial pH 7.0, and a contact time 60 min. Under the optimal conditions, the removal efficiencies of arsenate (0.5 mg/L) and arsenite (0.5 mg/L) were 98.9% and 84.6%, respectively. Overall, these findings indicate bioflocculation offers an effective alternative method of decreasing arsenic during water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV), a tick-borne phlebovirus in family Bunyaviridae. Studies have found that humans, domestic and wildlife animals can be infected by SFTSV. However, the viral ecology, circulation, and transmission remain largely unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings: Sixty seven human SFTS cases were reported and confirmed by virus isolation or immunofluorescence assay between 2011 and 2014. In 2013–2014 we collected 9,984 ticks from either vegetation or small wild mammals in the endemic area in Jiangsu, China, and detected SFTSV-RNA by real-time RT-PCR in both questing and feeding Haemaphysalis longicornis and H. flava. Viral RNA was identified in larvae of H. longicornis prior to a first blood meal, which has never been confirmed previously in nature. SFTSV-RNA and antibodies were also detected by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively, in wild mammals including Erinaceus europaeus and Sorex araneus. A live SFTSV was isolated from Erinaceus europaeus captured during the off tick-feeding season and with a high SFTSV antibody titer. Furthermore, SFTSV antibodies were detected in the migratory birds Anser cygnoides and Streptopelia chinensis using ELISA. Conclusions/Significance: The detection of SFTSV-RNA in non-engorged larvae indicated that vertical transmission of SFTSV in H. longicornis might occur in nature, which suggests that H. longicornis is a putative reservoir host of SFTSV. Small wild mammals such as Erinaceus europaeus and Sorex araneus could be infected by SFTSV and may serve as natural amplifying hosts. Our data unveiled that wild birds could be infected with SFTSV or carry SFTSV-infected ticks and thus might contribute to the long-distance spread of SFTSV via migratory flyways. These findings provide novel insights for understanding SFTSV ecology, reservoir hosts, and transmission in nature and will help develop new measures in preventing its rapid spread both regionally and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel bioflocculant (MBF83) prepared using methanol wastewater as nutrient resource was systematically investigated in the study. The optimal conditions for bioflocculant production were determined to be an inoculum size of 8.6%, initial pH of 7.5, and a methanol concentration of 100.8 mg L −1 . An MBF83 of 4.61 g L −1 was achieved as the maximum yield. MBF83 primarily comprised polysaccharide (74.1%) and protein (24.2%). The biopolymer, which was found to be safe in zebrafish in toxicity studies, was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Additionally, conditions for the removal of arsenite by MBF83 were found to be MBF83 at 500 mg L −1 , an initial pH of 7.0, and a contact time of 90 min. Under the optimal conditions, the removal efficiency of arsenite was 86.1%. Overall, these findings indicate bioflocculation offers an effective alternative method of decreasing arsenite during wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel strain (designated as ZCY-7) which could convert H-acid into bioflocculants was isolated from H-acid wastewater sludge. Conditions for bioflocculants production were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) and determined to be inoculum size 9.65%, initial pH 7.0, and COD Cr of the H-acid wastewater 520 mg/L. The highest flocculating efficiency achieved for kaolin suspension was 95.1%, after 60 h cultivation. The yielded bioflocculant was mainly composed of polysaccharide (82.4%) and protein (14.2%), and maintained its flocculating activity in 0.4% (w/w) kaolin suspensions over pH 2–8 and 20–80 °C. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra showed that amino, amide and hydroxyl groups were present in the bioflocculant molecules. A viable alternative treatment technology of H-acid wastewater using this novel strain is suggested, which could largely reduce bioflocculants costs. In addition, flocculating mechanism investigation reveals that the bioflocculant could cause kaolin suspension instability by means of charge neutralization firstly and then promoted the aggregation of suspension particles by adsorption and bridge. It is evident from the results that H-acid wastewater could be used as a source to manufacture bioflocculants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymeric materials doped with wide-bandgap semiconductors exhibit intriguing nonlinear conductivity and rapid charge dissipation characteristics. However, excessive doping to accelerate charge dissipation occurs at the expense of breakdown strength. In this work, a sandwich topological structure is proposed to realize synergetic optimization of charge transport and breakdown strength. SiC nanoparticles decorated with insulation shell SiO 2 were prepared, which served as fillers in the two surface layers of sandwich structured epoxy composites with exfoliated and functionalized m-BNNS doped into epoxy as the insert layer. The significantly improved breakdown strength approaches 65.8 kV/mm (44% higher than pristine epoxy resin) for sandwich structured composites due to local electric field redistribution while maintaining excellent charge dissipation ability owing to surface charge dissipation and charge decay along the bulk. Moreover, the dielectric loss still retains a low value of 0.02. These novel sandwich structured composites present promising potential in electrical and electronic insulation systems. Excellent charge dissipation performance and high breakdown strength were realized through sandwich topological structure. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymeric materials doped with SiC particles can exhibit promising nonlinear properties that can be widely used in electrical field grading applications. However, excellent field-grading performance is at the expense of mechanical characteristics due to excess fillers in the composites. Therefore, how to realize synergistic optimization of electrical and mechanical performances in ultra-low SiC loading is urgent for practical applications. In this study, we report a novel strategy to achieve comprehensive enhancement of thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of epoxy composites with self-assembly surface-modified SiC particles on cellulose aerogel scaffolds. The composites exhibit excellent nonlinear electrical properties at a low SiC loading of 4.47 vol%, and introducing different volume fractions of SiC into cellulose aerogel supported epoxy composites can largely broaden the range of switching field. Meanwhile, the dynamic mechanical test reveals that the storage modulus and crosslinking density of the composites are markedly enhanced due to 3D interconnected structure, while the thermal conductivity of this composite is also notably improved by about 300%. This method provides a novel idea for electric field grading composites with concurrent reinforcement performances in potential applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The rGO hydrogel was prepared by a simple oxidation–reduction process. • A low-density reduced graphene oxide aerogel was obtained by the hydrogel via vacuum freeze-dried. • The 3d-rGO/epoxy resin with a three-dimensional thermally conductive skeleton was obtained by impregnation. • An ultra-high thermal conductivity of 1.79 W/m·K was obtained at the low graphene content of only 1.8 vol%. Using ascorbic acid as the reducing agent, a three-dimensional skeleton reduced graphene oxide (rGO) aerogel is prepared. The epoxy resin composites with high thermal conductivity and low filling content are successfully prepared via vacuum impregnation method combining the graphene aerogel and epoxy. The results show that the 3D-rGO/epoxy composites exhibit superior thermal conductivity to the randomly dispersed graphene epoxy composites at the same content, e.g., the 3D-rGO/epoxy composite has a thermal conductivity of 1.79 W/m*K at 1.8 vol% rGO, compared to 0.77 W/m*K for the randomly dispersed rGO/epoxy composite. The strategy of graphene/epoxy composite in this work has a broad prospect as thermal interface materials (TIMs) in the field of electronic packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High cost is one of the limiting factors in the industrial production of bioflocculant. Simultaneous preparation of bioflocculant from the contaminants in wastewater was considered as a potential approach to reduce the production cost. In this study, caprolactam was verified as sole feedstock for the growth of strain Alcaligenes faecalis subsp. phenolicus ZY-16 in batch experiments. Chemical analysis showed that the as-prepared MBF-16 consisted of heteropolysaccharides (88.3%) and peptides (9.4%). XPS result indicated the plentiful acylamino, hydroxyl and amino groups in MBF-16, which have an indispensable role in amoxicillin flocculation. The flocculation of amoxicillin can be well stimulated by Freundlich isotherm equation, and the K f was up to 178.6524 for amoxicillin. The kinetic fitting results proved that the flocculation of amoxicillin by MBF-16 was chemisorbed. This contribution may develop a novel technology for the preparation of bacterial flocculants that can consume toxic substrates (caprolactam) and have potential applications in amoxicillin removal. • Caprolactam could be an available feedstock to produce bioflocculants. • Hydroxyl, amino and acylamino groups are abundant in the bioflocculant. • Cation-independent flocculant is produced by Alcaligenes faecalis. • Chemisorption is involved in amoxicillin and the bioflocculant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The quality of steel rolling is determined by numerous process parameters, which have to be selected before real production. This paper presents a simulation system that can provide a set of process parameters based on the available information and the quality requirement of products. Simulation parameters were calculated by using a differential element method. Based on a defined rolling model, the rolling thickness simulation of continuous cold rolling processes was conducted on a software platform within the MATRIX environment. The simulation was carried out as a combination of a discrete system and continuous system, so the system has high speed and is suitable for real time dynamic simulation. The simulation results matched the real process data very well. The model was proven to be suitable for the multivariable interactive problems of the continuous cold rolling process and could be used to guide production practice and new product development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • A sensitive ratio-fluorescence sensor for hypochlorite determination was developed. • The detection mechanism was based on oxidation of curcumin to hypochlorite. • It has a low detection limit, and was applied to milk and tap water samples. • The smartphone was introduced to realize the visual quantitative detection. A sensitive naked eye and ratio-fluorescence sensor for Curcumin (CCM) and hypochlorite (ClO-) determination based on copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs) was developed. The fluorescence of the Cu NCs can be quenched due to inner filter effect (IFE) between CCM and Cu NCs, and the ratio fluorescence probe was formed. After adding ClO- to Cu NCs-CCM system, the phenolic and methoxy groups of CCM were oxidized to quinones, then the fluorescence of CCM was quenched and the fluorescence of Cu NC was restored. Moreover, the continuous detection of CCM and ClO- is accompanied by the change of solution color. Therefore, CCM and ClO- semiquantitative visual and fluorescence dual channel detection were realized. The detection results show that the detection based on Cu NCs-CCM probe has a wide detection range (0–412 µM) and low detection limit (24 µM), and a good recovery rate is obtained in adulterated milk and tap water detection. Furthermore, smartphone was introduced for image digital colorimetric analysis through the acquisition, recognition and RGB data processing of solution colors, providing an effective scheme for the field rapid detection of hypochlorite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric polymers with high thermal conductivity are very promising in the fields of aerospace and electronic device packaging. However, composites with excellent dielectric properties usually have low thermal conductivity. It is usually to fill the polymer with thermal conductivity particles to improve the thermal conductivity, but the high content of filler often reduces the mechanical properties of the polymer. In this paper, the traditional insulating polymer epoxy resin was used as the matrix, by covering the surface of silicon carbide with graphene to form a core-shell structure and co-filled with nano diamonds to achieve the preparation of high-performance epoxy resin at low content. The results showed that at the filling content of 30 wt%, the thermal conductivity of epoxy nanocomposites showed a dramatic thermal conductivity enhancement of 1263%, the energy storage modulus increased by 1.1 GPa, and the dielectric loss remained unchanged at 50 Hz. The advantages of the composite are the structural design and surface modification of the filler, which not only take advantage of its inherent advantages, but also improve the interface area with the epoxy matrix. The composite materials with excellent properties are expected to provide theoretical guidance for the application of high thermal conductivity dielectric materials. • The core-shell structure was prepared for enhancing the thermal conductivity of epoxy nanocomposites. • Nano-diamond was used to suppress the increase of dielectric constant and dielectric loss. • The graphene shell layer can greatly improve the heat transfer efficiency. • Micro-nano structure was formed to improve the storage modulus. • SiC can prevent the formation of electrical conductive paths of graphene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major bottleneck for industrial applications of microbial flocculants is the high production cost. Here, a novel bacterium, Diaphorobacter nitroreducens R9, was isolated that can secret ligninase and cellulase and simultaneously produce bioflocculants (MBF-9) through conversion of ramie biomass. The production of MBF-9 was closely related to the ligninase and cellulase activities of D. nitroreducens. Both ligninase and cellulase showed peak activity at pH 8.5 and 6.0 and retained approximately 80% of cellulase activity and 95% of ligninase activity at pH 8.0. The optimal production conditions with the highest bioflocculant yield (3.86 g/L degumming wastewater) were determined at a fermentation time of 48 h, fermentation temperature of 30 °C, inoculum size of 4.0%, COD Cr of ramie degumming wastewater of 1500 mg/L and initial pH of 8.0. In addition, MBF-9 removed 96.2% turbidity, 79.5% chemical oxygen demand (COD), 59.2% lignin, and 63.1% sugar from the pulping wastewater at an MBF-9 dosage of 831.57 mg/L. • A novel bioflocculant-producing bacterium was isolated from ramie biodegumming wastewater. • The bacterium can secret ligninase and cellulase through conversion of ramie biomass. • The bioflocculants'production was closely related to the degradation of biomass. • The bioflocculant was applied for the treatment of real pulping wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A dual-modal nanoprobe was established to detect nitrite. • The detection mechanism was based on the inner filter effect and redox reaction. • The method enabled the detection of nitrite in real samples. A fluorometric and colorimetric dual-mode sensing platform based on graphitic carbon nitrite quantum dots (g-CNQDs) and Fe (II)-bathophenanthroline complex (BPS-Fe2+) was designed to the sensitive detection of nitrite (NO 2 −) in sausage and water. In this system, the fluorescence of g-CNQDs was quenched by BPS-Fe2+ complex due to the inner filter effect (IFE). When NO 2 − was present, Fe2+ was oxidized by nitrite to form BPS-Fe3+ complex with BPS, leading to the recovery of the fluorescence from g-CNQDs. Therefore, we constructed a "turn-off-on" fluorescence probe for detection of NO 2 −. Moreover, with the increase of NO 2 − concentration, the color of the solution changed from red to colorless, so the UV–vis measurements and on-site visual detection were realized. The method is capable of detecting NO 2 − in the concentration range of 2.32–34.8 μM with good selectivity and high sensitivity. In addition, the method has the potential to determine NO 2 − in water samples and sausage samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]