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The microstructure evolution of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy with erbium was studied by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) during homogenization process. The results showed that there were serious component segregation in the as-cast structure of the alloy, mainly composed of T(AlZnMgCu) , S(Al2CuMg) and a small amount of Al8Cu4Er and Al7Cu2Fe. The overheating temperature of the alloy was 482.5 °C. After homogenized at 470 °C for 24 h, the dissolution of T(AlZnMgCu) phase and S(Al2CuMg) phase reached to a balance, but the residual Al8Cu4Er phase could not be dissolved completely. Compared with single-stage homogenization, Al3(Er,Zr) dispersion phase with smaller grain size and more uniform distribution can be obtained after two stage homogenization process of 400 °C for 8 h followed by 470 °C for 24 h. By comparing the residue of non-equilibrium eutectic phase, two-stage homogenization is the best.

Finding highly efficient and reusable catalysts for advanced oxidation processes is a crucial endeavor to resolve the severe water pollution problems. Although numerous nanocatalysts have been developed in the past few decades, their recyclability along with sustainably high catalytic efficiency still remain challenging. Here, we propose a new strategy for designing efficient and reusable catalysts, that is, introducing Cu as a reductant into a metallic glass-based catalyst and constructing three-dimensional hierarchical porous architectures via a laser 3D printing technique. The as-printed 3D porous MG/Cu catalysts exhibit exceptional catalytic efficiency in degrading RhB with a normalized rate constant approximately 620 times higher than commercial nano zero-valent iron, outperforming most reported Fenton-type catalysts so far. Strikingly, the catalysts exhibit an excellent reusability and can be used more than 100 times (the highest record so far) without apparent efficiency decay. It is revealed that Cu-doping could improve the surface reducibility and promote the electronic transfer, rendering the 3D-printed MG/Cu catalysts with a sustainably active Fe(II)-rich surface and, therefore, unprecedented reusability. This work offers a broadly applicable design route for the development of advanced catalysts with an outstanding combination of activity and reusability for wastewater treatments.

Scapolite is abundant in medium to high grade metamorphic rocks with evaporitic calc-silicate bulk compositions, and because it can be Cl− and SO42− rich, is able to provide a unique view into the evolution of deep brines during orogenic cycles. In the Zhongtiao Mountains, part of the Trans-North China Orogen (TNCO), scapolite occurs in two distinct mineralogical associations; scapolite-I in carbonate-bearing biotite schist and scapolite-II in amphibolites. Initially, metamorphic Cl-rich scapolite-I formed in the schist at low fluid-rock ratio and peak pressure (meionite content = 32–37%, Cl = 2.34–2.75 wt.%). This observation, together with high molar Cl/Br ratios (Cl/Br = 973–2236), implies a halite-bearing evaporitic protolith. During a second stage of scapolite formation in the calc-silicates, rims overgrew scapolite-I with distinct compositions (Me% = 31–32, Cl = 2.64–3.0 wt.%, Cl/Br = 408–892). The lower molar Cl/Br ratios in scapolite-I rims imply that the later fluid was distinctly different to the earlier metamorphic fluid, and may have evolved through a stage of halite saturation induced by phase separation. Halite saturation would drive Br enrichment in the remaining fluid because Cl is preferentially sequestered in halite. Also at this time, amphibolites were subjected to intense open system fluid-rock interactions resulting in formation of scapolite-II (Me% = 30–32, Cl = 2.74–2.97 wt.%, Cl/Br = 291–1426), similar to that of the scapolite-I. S6+/∑S ratios in scapolite obtained via synchrotron XANES indicate that equilibration between fluid and scapolite would buffer the fluid to oxidized conditions, with oxygen fugacity (log fO2) beyond −15. The scapolitic rocks in this region were thus able to play a key role in controlling the salinity and oxidation state of the deep metamorphic fluid, thereby creating enhanced potential for scavenging of a range of metals within the metamorphic terrane and promoting syn-orogenic hydrothermal ore formation.

Two new compounds, named carpabrotalactone C (1) and methyl 8-[2(5H)-furanon-5-yl]octanoate (2), were isolated from the herbs of Carpesium abrotanoides L. The structures of these compounds were elucidated based on spectroscopic analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and ECD calculation. Compound 1 exhibited potent cytotoxicity against the A549, SMMC-7721, MCF-7 and SW480 cell lines, with IC50 values from 11.46 to 23.68 μM. Meantime, compound 1 showed weak inhibitory eff ;ects on LPS-induced NO release in RAW 264.7 cell lines, with IC50 value of 63.23 ± 2.55 μM.

Pleotropic growth factor, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β drives the modification and elongation of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains on proteoglycans. Hyperelongated GAG chains bind and trap lipoproteins in the intima leading to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. We have identified that phosphorylation of Smad2 linker region drives GAG chain modification. The identification of an inhibitor of Smad2 linker region phosphorylation and GAG chain modification signifies a potential therapeutic for cardiovascular diseases. Artemisinin renowned for its potent anti-malarial effects possesses a broad range of biological effects. Our aim was to characterise the anti-atherogenic role of artemisinin in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We demonstrate that TGF-β mediated Smad2 linker region phosphorylation and GAG chain elongation was attenuated by artemisinin; however, we observed no effect on VSMC proliferation. Our data demonstrates the potential for artemisinin to be developed as a therapy to inhibit the development of atherosclerosis by prevention of lipid deposition in the vessel wall without affecting the proliferation of VSMCs.

Planting density and genotype choice are important agronomic techniques to achieve high crop yields. This study explored how planting density and genotypes affect cotton leaf nitrogen metabolism and lint yield. Treatments included three planting densities (low, 3.00 × 104, moderate, 6.00 × 104, and high 9.00 × 104 plants ha−1) and two genotypes (Zhongmiang16 and J‐4B). A randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement was used. Planting density of 6.00 × 104 ha−1 positively influenced leaf physio‐biochemical attributes and boll production. The high planting density reduced lint yield by suppressing leaf soluble sugar, protein, amino acid, chlorophyll a, b, nitrate nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen content, nitrite reductase and nitrate reductase activity. Moderate density crop produced 15.9% and 10.7% more lint yield than low and high planting densities, respectively. This high yield was the result of improved leaf level functioning e.g. increased pigmentation and nitrogen metabolism during late reproductive growth, which increased carbon assimilation. Favorable leaf microclimate could also have sustained activities of leaf nitrate and nitrite reductase and increased amino acid and protein contents with better distribution of nitrogen metabolic assimilates. Late reproductive structure development closely allied with leaf physiological attributes under a short growing season. Cotton genotypes, irrespective of their architectural variation, produced higher lint yield when grown at 6 × 104 ha−1 in a short cropping season.

1,3-Thiazole is found to be nearly perpendicularly adsorbed on Cu(100), with the N atom attaching to an atop site and an adsorption energy of ∼19.5 kcal·mol–1. The N–C–S moiety of the adsorbed 1,3-thiazole has a larger change in bond length as compared to a free 1,3-thiazole molecule. The adsorbed 1,3-thiazole can decompose below 200 K, forming atomic S and −CHCHNCH–. A small amount of R–S– (R: CHCHNCH) is detected on the surface at 200 K. Complete desulfurization of the 1,3-thiazole occurs at 400 K. Further reaction of the −CHCHNCH– produces H2 and HCN at higher temperatures. In the presence of adsorbed oxygen atoms­(O/Cu(100)), new disulfide intermediates (R–S–S–R, R: CHCHNCH) from the thiazole reaction are measured at 300 K and can further decompose into atomic S and −CHCHNCH– at 400 K. In addition, other surface species of −NCO and >CCO are also observed at 500 K. These species eventually react to generate H2O, CO, CO2, and N2. Further calculations indicate that the S–CHN bond of 1,3-thiazole would break preferentially, as compared to the S–CHCH bond, in the decomposition process on Cu(100).

In this study, a yeast strain with an outstanding NH3-N degradation ability was isolated from the sediment of a black-odor water channel in Guangdong Province, China. Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic analysis, this strain was identified as Pichia kudriavzevii GW1. The optimum conditions for NH3-N degradation by the GW1 strain were as follows: 0.3% inoculum concentration, 1.5 L/min aeration, pH 7, and a temperature of 35°C. Under optimized conditions, the GW1 strain degraded 95.5% of the NH3-N. The strain was then added to simulated black-odor water under optimal degradation conditions to investigate changes to the bacterial community over time. 16S rRNA sequencing of samples collected on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 showed that, in the presence of the GW1 strain, the relative abundances of the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Firmicutes increased in the black-odor water. In addition, the relative abundance of Propionivibrio, a known NH3-N degrading genus, increased. This study will facilitate the use of microbiological methods to repair black-odor water.

The bacteria redox balance between oxidizing and reducing species plays a critical role in bacterial activities, and the disruption of this homeostasis offers a flexible antibacterial strategy to combat bacterial multidrug resistance. Here, the ligand exchange strategy of Au NCs was first developed to construct an oxidative stress amplifier. We cleverly utilized the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation ability of histidine (His)-stabilized Au NCs. Cinnamaldehyde (CA) was modified on the surface of Au NCs through an aldimine condensation reaction, and the modification of CA on the surface of Au NCs further accelerated ROS generation. Meanwhile, the strong Au-S interaction between CA-Au NCs and thiols facilitated the ligand exchange of surface histidine-cinnamaldehyde (His-CA) with thiol molecules, causing the consumption of thiols in bacteria and the release of His-CA, which thus finally resulted in efficient bacterial cell death. CA-Au NCs showed excellent antibacterial effects on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), including 48-h biofilm removal and the treatment of a pig skin wound infection model, representing a promising antibacterial agent for clinical applications.

A novel dimercaptosuccinic acid-functionalized mesoporous alumina (DMSA–MA) is synthesized by the dicarboxylic acid groups of dimercaptosuccinic acid molecules coordinating to the Al3+ ions located...

Cancer-induced bone pain is a severe and complex pain caused by metastases to bone in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the analgesic effect of scutellarin on cancer-induced bone pain in rat models by intrathecal injection of Walker 256 carcinoma cells. Mechanical allodynia was determined by paw withdrawal threshold in response to mechanical stimulus, and thermal hyperalgesia was indicated by paw withdrawal latency in response to noxious thermal stimulus. The paw withdrawal threshold and paw withdrawal latencies were significantly decreased after inoculation of tumor cells, whereas administration of scutellarin significantly attenuated tumor cell inoculation-induced mechanical and heat hyperalgesia. Tumor cell inoculation-induced tumor growth was also significantly abrogated by scutellarin. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II is a multifunctional kinase with up-regulated activity in bone pain models. The activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II triggers phosphorylation of cAMP-response element binding protein. Scutellarin significantly reduced the expression of phosphorylated-Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and phosphorylated-cAMP-response element binding protein in cancer-induced bone pain rats. Collectively, our study demonstrated that scutellarin attenuated tumor cell inoculation-induced bone pain by down-regulating the expression of phosphorylated-Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and phosphorylated-cAMP-response element binding protein. The suppressive effect of scutellarin on phosphorylated-Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II/phosphorylated-cAMP-response element binding protein activation may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for CIBP management.

Iridium (III) [Ir(III)] complexes have been widely applied in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) as phosphorescent emissive materials due to the high quantum efficiency, good thermal stability, short lifetime and flexible color adjustment. Except well-known Ir(III)-based red, green and blue phosphorescent complexes, the benzothiazole-based yellow Ir(III) complexes play a pivotal role for realizing full-color OLEDs as well as high-quality white OLEDs. In this review, recent developments of benzothiazole-based Ir(III) complexes as phosphorescent emitters in OLEDs have been systematically summarized and discussed, which mostly focus on the molecular design tactics, structure-property relationship and electroluminescent performances of the benzothiazole-based Ir(III) complexes in OLEDs.

Lattice structure design widely applicable for 3D printed components. This research investigated the lattice structure with different shape and relative density using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation. The material used for the lattice structure was the recycled polystyrene made from post-used Styrofoam. The research assessed the mechanical behaviour of lattice structure with either triangular prism and square prism with FEA simulation and numerical mathematical modelling, such as stiffness to-mass ratio, maximum von Misses stress and effective Young’s modulus. The finding FEA shows a good agreement with result from numerical mathematic modelling. The FEA results show lattice structure with triangular prism exhibited lowest value of maximum von Misses stress with maximum stiffness-to-mass value compared to lattice structure square prism. The finding from this work provided an early prediction on mechanical properties of lattice structure fabricated from recycled polystyrene.

A new type of boric acid derivative-modified molybdenum disulfide nanosheet was prepared by amination and sulfur chemical grafting, where lipoic acid, lysine, and 5-carboxybenzoboroxole were used as reactants. The two-dimensional composite, abbreviated as MoS2-Lys-CBX, is an ultrathin nanosheet with a minimum unit of single or few layers. Compared with the original molybdenum disulfide, the nonspecific adhesion of interfering proteins on the surface was reduced, and the adsorption capacity of glycoproteins was enhanced, which was 1682.2 mg g-1 represented by IgG. The adsorbed IgG can be easily eluted with 0.3 wt % CTAB with an elution efficiency of 94.1%. Circular dichroism spectra indicate no obvious conformation change of IgG during the purification process by the MoS2-Lys-CBX nanosheets. The as-prepared MoS2-Lys-CBX nanosheets were then employed for the isolation of IgG from human serum sample, obtaining high-purity light and heavy chains of IgG, as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE assays.

Nitrogen-doped flower-like carbon superstructures (NPC-F) are prepared via carbonizing self-assembled polyimide nanosheets. SEM, TEM, XPS, and N2 sorption methods are adopted to characterize the flower-like structure. NPC-F exhibits adsorption selectivity for hemoglobin (Hb) because the specific pyridinic N groups of NPC-F could coordinate with the sixth vacancy of ferrous ion in hemoglobin. The adsorption behavior fits well with Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 360.0 mg g−1 and the adsorbed Hb could be lightly stripped from the NPC-F nanospheres surface by 0.5 wt% CTAB solution. Circular dichroism spectra indicate no obvious conformation changing of Hb during purification process by NPC-F nanospheres. Five cycles of a continuous adsorption/desorption experiment demonstrate the reusability of NPC-F as adsorbent for Hb. The prepared NPC-F superstructures are then employed for the isolation of Hb from human whole blood sample, obtaining high-purity Hb as demonstrated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis assays.

Magnetic nanoparticles Fe3O4@SiO2 supported cinchona alkaloids (quinine and quinidine) were successfully synthesized as magnetically recoverable organocatalysts and characterized by FT-IR, XPS, SEM measurements, and elemental analysis. Their catalytic activity and stereoselectivity were preliminarily evaluated in the asymmetric Michael addition reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyls and maleimides. The supported quinine catalyst exhibited good catalytic efficiency and modest to high enantioselectivity. The magnetic recoverability and recyclability of the catalyst were also examined.

Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) is the most valuable component in electronic waste, which is accompanied by potential environmental threats due to the presence of hazardous substances. In this study, a gradient enrichment approach including physical pre-concentration and leaching deep enrichment was proposed to realize the efficient recovery of copper in WPCBs. Shaking table separation, a typical gravity separation technique, was used to concentrate copper in WPCBs particles with different sizes. The results show that when the particle size is limited, the recovery of copper increases with the decrease of particle size, from 90.06% of 0.5–0.25 mm to 98.07% of −0.045 mm. Subsequently, ammonium leaching system was used to deep recover copper from copper concentrate. The effects of two key parameters, leaching time and leaching temperature, on the leaching rate were studied. Under optimal conditions, the leaching rate of copper increases with the decrease of particle size, from 80.23% of 0.5–0.25 mm to 95.08% of −0.045 mm. The leaching time and temperature (5–45 °C) can promote the leaching. A green and environmentally friendly gradient recovery technical approach was proposed for recover copper from WPCBs to present its maximum utilization value.

One important goal of the current electrocatalysis is to develop integrated electrodes from the atomic level design to multilevel structural engineering in simple ways and low prices. Here, a series of oxygen micro-alloyed high-entropy alloys (O-HEAs) is developed via a metallurgy approach. A (CrFeCoNi)97 O3 bulk O-HEA shows exceptional electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), reaching an overpotential as low as 196 mV and a Tafel slope of 29 mV dec-1 , and with stability longer than 120 h in 1 m KOH solution at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 . It is shown that the enhanced OER performance can be attributed to the formation of island-like Cr2 O3 microdomains, the leaching of Cr3+ ions, and structural amorphization at the interfaces of the domains. These findings offer a technological-orientated strategy to integrated electrodes.

Lithium-based ceramic tritium breeders would attack the blanket structural materials and produce brittle corrosion layers, causing potential safety hazard. Herein, coated breeders were proposed as advanced tritium breeders to address the issue. Carbon (C), titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium carbide (TiC) were investigated as inert protective shells because they show excellent stability and chemical compatibility with Li2TiO3 and Li4SiO4. Moreover, for the first time, the C and TiN coated Li2TiO3 and Li4SiO4 pebbles were successfully fabricated by fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FBCVD) process, which would significantly decrease the brittle corrosion layers and increase the safety. The deposition behavior and interface reactions were systemically investigated.

Combined techniques of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy and temperature-programmed reaction/desorption, with the assistance of density functional theory calculations, have been employed to investigate the adsorption, bonding structures and reactions of pyrrole (C4NH5) on Cu(100) and oxygen-precovered Cu(100) (O/Cu(100)). Pyrrole is reversibly adsorbed on Cu(100), with a nearly parallel orientation and preservation of the C2 and σv symmetries. The π-interaction, involving the HOMO and HOMO-1 orbitals of pyrrole, results in the elongation of the 2C–3C, 3C–4C and 4C–5C bonds of the adsorbed molecules. The activation energy of the N–H bond scission of pyrrole on Cu(100) is calculated to be 32.0 kcal ‧mol−1. On O/Cu(100), hydrogen bonding ( N–H…O) occurs between the adsorbed O and pyrrole. The H-bonded pyrrole also has a flat-lying geometry and the bond lengths of 2C–3C, 3C–4C and 4C–5C are further increased. The activation energy of deprotonation of the H-bonded pyrrole is calculated to be 6.0 kcal ‧mol−1. This reaction process already occurs at 120 K to form parallel pyrrolyl (C4NH4) on O/Cu(100), which has shorter N–2C and N–5C and longer 2C–3C, 3C–4C and 4C–5C as compared to those of pyrrole on Cu(100). The pyrrolyl is stable below 350 K. At a low coverage of pyrrole on O/Cu(100), the main reaction products are H2O, CO, CO2 and N2, due to the effective N–C bond scission and relatively more surface oxygen available. Much enhanced H2, additional HCN and (CN)2, and termination of N2 are observed at high coverages, representing the chemistry of pyrrolyl at a lower coverage of oxygen or without oxygen on Cu(100).

β-Hydrogenation of porphyrin remarkably enhances (ca. 24 fold) the electrocatalytic HER reactivity of Ni(ii) complexes., Fine-tuning of the porphyrin β-periphery is important for naturally occurring metal tetrapyrroles to exert diverse biological roles. Here we describe how this approach is also applied to design molecular catalysts, as exemplified by Ni(ii) porphyrinoids catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). We found that β-hydrogenation of porphyrin remarkably enhances the electrocatalytic HER reactivity (turnover frequencies of 6287 vs. 265 s–1 for Ni(ii) chlorin (Ni-2) and porphyrin (Ni-1), and of 1737 vs. 342 s–1 for Ni(ii) hydroporpholactone (Ni-4) and porpholactone (Ni-3), respectively) using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as the proton source. DFT calculations suggested that after two-electron reduction, β-hydrogenation renders more electron density located on the Ni center and thus prefers to generate a highly reactive nickel hydride intermediate. To demonstrate this, decamethylcobaltocene Co(Cp*)2 was used as a chemical reductant. [Ni-2]2– reacts ca. 30 times faster than [Ni-1]2– with TFA, which is in line with the electrocatalysis and computational results. Thus, such subtle structural changes inducing the distinctive reactivity of Ni(ii) not only test the fundamental understanding of natural Ni tetrapyrroles but also provide a valuable clue to design metal porphyrinoid catalysts.

Sn@C nanocomposites are of great interest for use as high-capacity anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). In this paper, we describe a facile arc-discharge method to produce carbon-coated tin-nanostructured composites by reducing SnO2 in CO gases. Metallic Sn species are homogeneously coated in dual carbonaceous layers and effectively confined within the nanostructures. The resulting composites are used as anode materials for LIBs and exhibit excellent cyclability of over 200 cycles along with high specific capacities (1220 mA h g−1 at a current density of 372 mA g−1 and 600 mA h g−1 at high current densities up to 3720 mA g−1). By tuning the content of tin precursor, a unique morphology conversion from spherical Sn nanoparticles embedded in the carbon framework to Sn rods that can regulate the electrochemical property has been observed. Most of all, such a Sn@C composite is a very promising anode material for LIBs for practical applications.

Background and AimA new type of superhydrophobic, oleophobic-coated biliary stent was created, and its characteristics and preventive effect on biliary mud deposition in vitro are studied herein.MethodsThe observational experiment included a bare stent group and coated stent group, with 10 stents per group. The groups were used in a model of the extracorporeal biliary perfusion system with bacterial infection, and the experiment was terminated when the stent was completely blocked. Changes of bile characteristics before and after the experiment, patency time, and amount of bile sludge deposition were compared between the groups. The t-test and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data.ResultsIn the bare stent group, contact angles of bile were about 80.4 degrees and 79.8 degrees before and after the experiment, respectively. There was no change in the effect of bile aversion after the experiment between the groups (P < 0.05). In the coated stent group, contact angles of bile changed from 143.3 degrees before the experiment to 135.7 degrees after the experiment; the effect of the coating decreased significantly after the experiment (P > 0.05). The patency times were 8 weeks and 23 weeks in the bare and coated stent groups, respectively (P > 0.05). Depositions of biliary mud were 47 mg and 13 mg in the bare and coated stent groups, respectively (P > 0.05).ConclusionThe superhydrophobic, oleophobic-coated biliary stent can repel bile better and play a role in preventing bile sludge deposition in the extracorporeal biliary perfusion system.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone malignancy in children and adolescents, the pathogenesis of which remain largely unknown. Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-Specific Protease 2 (SENP2) has been reported to serve as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the critical role of SENP2 in OS cells. Using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot assays, it was observed that SENP2 was significantly downregulated in clinical OS tissues compared with adjacent normal samples. Ectopic expression of SENP2 resulted in the suppression of proliferation, migration and invasion in OS cells, whereas SENP2 knockdown by CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing had the opposite effect. SENP2 is associated with the proteasome-dependent ubiquitination and degradation of SRY-box-9 (SOX9). SOX9 silencing impaired SENP2-depletion-induced accelerated cell growth and migration. Together, these results suggest that SOX9 is a critical downstream effector of the tumor suppressor SENP2 in OS.

A novel magnetic composite, Fe3O4@metal organic framework@covalent organic framework (Fe3O4@MOF@COF), was first time prepared by solvothermal methods for selectively separation and preconcentration of Cu2+. The prepared Fe3O4@MOF@COF composite was thoroughly characterized with XPS, TEM, XRD and FT-IR et al. With a high density of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface, the Fe3O4@MOF@COF composite could efficiently extract and preconcentrate of Cu2+ ions in aqueous solutions, with a maximum Cu2+ adsorption capacity of 37.29 mg g−1 determined by fitting the adsorption curve to the Langmuir isotherm equation. The magnetic composite after adsorption of Cu2+ was readily separated with an external magnet, and the retained copper could be stripped by acetic acid, which can effectively catalyze the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H2O2 with the detection of UV–vis spectrophotometry. The detection limit of this platform for Cu2+ is 37.6 nM (n = 11), along with a RSD of 4.14% (0.2 μM, n = 13). It was validated by measurement of water samples and the comparison to graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) was accomplished.

Solidification cracking that occurs during continuous casting of 1Cr13 stainless steel was investigated with and without final electromagnetic stirring (F-EMS). The results show that cracks initiates and propagates along the grain boundaries where the elements of carbon and sulfur are enriched. The final stirrer should be appropriately placed at a location that is 7.5 m away from the meniscus, and the appropriate thickness of the liquid core in the stirring zone is 50 mm. As a stirring current of 250 A is imposed, it can promote columnar-equiaxed transition, decrease the secondary dendrite arm spacing, and reduce the segregation of both carbon and sulfur. F-EMS can effectively decrease the amount of cracks in 1Cr13 stainless steel.

The Xingjiashan W-Mo skarn deposit in the Jiaodong Peninsula, eastern China, is hosted by the Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks and Mesozoic granitic stock. Four generations of scheelite (Sch-1, Sch-2, Sch-3, Sch-4) were recognized based on their occurrences, mineral paragenesis, fluorescence and texture. The Mo contents (MoO3) of scheelite show a decrease from 30.9 to 4.1% (Sch-1) to 2.24–0.11% (Sch-2), then to 0.44–0% (Sch-3), finally with an increase to 1.11–0.85% (Sch-4). Garnet grains, disseminated in ores, show a decrease of andradite contents (44.1–25.5%) from the core to rim. These variations of composition in scheelite and garnet indicate that the ore-forming fluids evolved from relatively oxidizing to reducing condition, then back to oxidizing condition at the end of W mineralization. At least two-stage Mo precipitation events happened within the deposit, and the changing redox state played a key role in Mo mineralization. Partial Mo firstly incorporated into scheelite to form high-Mo scheelite at the prograde stage, and then was released from scheelite crystal, precipitated as molybdenite at the retrograde stage. The relatively constant Y/Ho ratio among different generations of scheelite suggests that the ore-forming fluids responsible for Sch-1 to Sch-4 were derived from a single hydrothermal system, and probably lack of fluid mixing event during the ore-forming process. Varieties of REE patterns in scheelite can reflect the crystallization of REE-enriched minerals (garnet, epidote and scheelite) during the ore-forming process. A geochemical and textural model in terms of the different generation scheelite is established to reveal the ore-forming process at Xingjiashan.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been gaining extensive popularity in the field of sample pretreatment due to their designable structures and easy-modifiable surfaces. Herein, zirconium-based MOFs UiO-66-NH2 is first coated with graphene oxide (GO) layer to enhance the stability, and then grafted with hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) via amidation reaction to give a product of hydrophilic MOF-based nanomaterial UiO@GO@PEG. The obtained nanoparticles exhibit typical hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) behavior towards glycoproteins, making itself powerful adsorbent for the extraction of glycoproteins from complex matrices. Under pH 9.0, an adsorption capacity of 139.6 mg g−1 for glycoprotein immunoglobulin G (IgG) is achieved, and the retained IgG could be recovered by 0.5% (m/v) ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) as stripping reagent with a recovery rate of 82.6%. Moreover, the UiO@GO@PEG shows excellent reusability in IgG isolation. The practicability of UiO@GO@PEG is verified by the selective isolation of IgG from human serum, demonstrating the purity of isolated IgG with SDS-PAGE assay.

In the production process of anode, the quality of anode is affected by the sloshing of molten copper caused by casting wheel during operation. Therefore, it is significant to study the sloshing of molten copper and the motion model of casting wheel for improving the quality of anode. Using VOF method and UDF to study the sloshing of molten copper and the motion characteristics of casting wheel. Establishing the ΔH – a model through the method of FLUENT and MATLAB. The optimal motion model of casting wheel is S-model.

Conductive films have attracted much attention in the printed electronics industry. To date, expensive conductive silver inks have been utilized widely in these conductive films, which ultimately increase the cost. Hence the alternative low-cost copper inks will be of great interest in the future. This paper will present how to synthesize antioxidative conductive copper inks with superior adhesion to FR4 substrates. The antioxidative conductive copper inks were prepared by dispersing the antioxidative copper nanoparticles in diethylene glycol with the bisphenol-F type BEF170 epoxy resin as a binder and the Methyl-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride (NMA) as a curing agent, then were coated on FR4 substrates to form the copper films, followed by sintering at 250 °C in nitrogen atmosphere for 20 minutes. We found that the formation of three-dimensional structure between BFE170 binder and curing agent NMA don't affect the conductivities of copper films, and meanwhile can enhance the adhesion strength on FR4 substrates. The lowest resistivity of 158 μΩ · cm determined by using the four-point probe method and the highest adhesion of no peeling after the 10 times peel-off test with 3 M Scotch 600 tape were achieved with the copper ink composed of 1 wt% of BEF170 epoxy resin binder mixed with curing agent NMA in an equivalent ratio of 1:1.

Two ligand substitution reactions on aqueous complexes of Al, Ga and In, water-exchange and aqua/fluoride substitution reactions, were investigated using density functional theory (DFT), and the preferred substituted mechanisms were estimated based on the activated energy barriers. A series of mechanistic changeovers were found and interpreted at the molecular level. Four factors influencing substitution mechanisms were summarized, i.e. the size of central metal ions, the volume of entering ligands, the charge of clusters, and structural rigidity. The present study provides an approach to probe the ligand substitution mechanism of some reactions inaccessible experimentally.

Hydrophobic charge-induction chromatography, a novel chromatographic technique for bioseparation, was developed to isolate and purify bovine IgG with high purity. In this work, the raw IgG solution, a precipitate from bovine colostrum powder solution with 40% (wt/vol) ammonium sulfate, was dissolved in 50mM phosphate buffer and used as loading solution for investigating chromatographic conditions on a mercapto-ethyl-pyridine (MEP) HyperCel (Pall Corp., Port Washington, NY) sorbent. The initial IgG concentration had no effect on the dynamic binding capacity of MEP HyperCel resin, but the linear velocity of loading solution had an obvious effect on the dynamic IgG binding capacity and IgG recovery. The maximum linear velocity was optimized as 0.4cm/min of loading solution, and 90% recovery of IgG was achieved. Under these optimized binding conditions, the pH and ionic strength for the elution process were selected as pH 4.5 and 0.5 M NaCl, respectively. Subsequently, hydrophobic charge-induction chromatography was performed on a MEP HyperCel sorbent to isolate IgG using bovine colostrum whey as the loading solution. Under the optimized operation conditions, a remarkable process improvement in IgG purification was received, which includes a yield of 91.5%, a purity of 93.9% (wt/wt), and a purification factor of 6.8. The results indicated that MEP HyperCel chromatography offers an efficient means to purify IgG from bovine colostrums.

Bacillus subtilis produces many chemically-diverse secondary metabolites of interest to chemists and biologists. Based on this, this review gives a detailed overview of the natural components produced by B. subtilis including cyclic lipopeptides, polypeptides, proteins (enzymes), and non-peptide products. Their structures, bioactive activities and the relevant variants as novel lead structures for drug discovery are also described. The challenging effects of fermentation metabolites, isolation and purification, as well as the overproduction of bioactive compounds from B. subtilis by metabolic engineering, were also highlighted. Systematically exploring biosynthetic routes and the functions of secondary metabolites from B. subtilis may not only be beneficial in improving yields of the products, but also in helping them to be used in food industry and public medical service on a large-scale.

Polyaniline modified graphene oxide (PANI/GO) composites were synthesized by dilute polymerization technique and were characterized by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and scan- ning electron microscopy (SEM). The characterization results indicated that polyaniline molecules were successfully grafted on GO surfaces. The application of PANI/GO composites to the adsorption of heavy metals from aqueous solu- tions was investigated under ambient conditions. The maximum adsorption capacities of Co(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and U(VI) ions on PANI/GO composites calculated from Langmuir models are 22.28, 25.67, 65.40 and 1552.31 mg/g, respec- tively. The excellent adsorption capacity suggests that PANI/GO composites can be applied as a promising adsorbent in heavy metal pollution cleanup in environmental pollution management.

This paper presents a reliable method for simultaneous analysis of ten kinds of fatty acid methyl esters in biodiesel with high performance liquid chromatography equipped with diode array detector. The separation column was a Pursuit XRs C18 (250 mm×4.6 mm) and the mobile phase was a mixture of methanol and acetonitrile (80:20, V/V). The analytical performance parameters such as linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of detection and limit of quantification were discussed. The calibration curves of ten components show good linearity with the correlation coefficient greater than 0.99. The proposed method is time and cost-effective, which could be used for the determination of the FAMEs in the commercial biodiesel product.

The removal of arsenic from aqueous solution is crucial to human health and environmental pollution. Herein, flower-like α-Fe2O3 nanostructures were synthesized via a template-free microwave-assisted solvothermal technique, and were applied as adsorbents for the removal of arsenic (As(V)) from aqueous solutions. The results indicated that the synthesized flower-like α-Fe2O3 showed excellent sorption properties and had a maximum sorption capacity of 47.64 mg/g for As(V). Meanwhile, the experimental results of photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) indicated that the as-synthesized flower-like α-Fe2O3 exhibited very high photocatalytic performance for the photodegradation of MB and that the as-obtained flower-like α-Fe2O3 nanostructures were suitable materials in wastewater treatment.

The purpose of the present study was to compare mRNA levels of myostatin (MSTN), myogenin (MyoG), and fiber type compositions in terms of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) in skeletal muscles of two rabbit breeds with different body sizes and growth rates. Longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscles of 16 Californian rabbits (CW) and 16 Germany great line of ZIKA rabbits (GZ) were collected at the ages of 35d and 84d (slaughter age). The results showed that the live weights of GZ rabbits of 35d and 84d old were approximately 36% and 26% greater than those of CW rabbits, respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that at the age of 84d GZ rabbits contained significantly lower MSTN mRNA level and higher MyoG mRNA level in both longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscles than CW rabbits, and mRNA levels of MSTN and MyoG exhibited opposite changes from the age of 35d to 84d, suggesting that GZ rabbits were subjected to less growth inhibition from MSTN at slaughter age, which occurred most possibly in skeletal muscles. Four types of fiber were identified by real-time PCR in rabbit muscles, with MyHC-1 and MyHC-2D, MyHC-2B were the major types in biceps femoris and longissimus dorsi muscles, respectively. At the age of 84d, GZ rabbits contained greater proportion of MyHC-1 and decreased proportion of MyHC-2D and decreased lactate dehydrogenase activity in biceps femoris than CW rabbits, and the results were exactly opposite in longissimus dorsi, suggesting that GZ rabbits show higher oxidative capacity in biceps femoris muscle than CW rabbits. In conclusion, the trends of mRNA levels of MSTN and fiber types in GZ rabbits' skeletal muscles might be consistent with the putative fast growth characteristic of GZ rabbits compared to CW rabbits.

A series of fluorine-modified acrylate resins used in water-based ink were synthesized by emulsifier-free semicontinuous seed emulsion polymerization with Hexafluorobutyl acrylate (G01) as a functional monomer and 2-Acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) as a reactive emulsifier. The resins were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, particle size and distribution (PSD) analysis, contact angle (CA), mechanical stability, freeze-thaw stability and electrolyte stability, respectively. The fluorine-modified acrylate resin with 15% G01 and 3% AMPS had excellent water resistance, stabilities and narrow particle size distribution that it could be applied to the field of water-based ink.