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Designing efficient semiconductor-based photocatalysts for hydrogen production is a challenging but promising prospect in energy conversion. Herein, a novel Z-scheme CdS/NH

Background: At present, limited information is available concerning the association between dietary patterns and cognitive ability during childhood and adolescence, especially in regards to the epidemiological studies in China. Therefore, This study aimed to analyze the association between dietary patterns and cognitive ability in 10 to 15 year-old Chinese children. Methods: The dietary information, cognitive ability and sociodemographic data of 2029 children were retrieved from the 2010 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Dietary patterns were assessed by principal component analysis (PCA). The association between dietary patterns and cognitive ability was determined using Ordinal-Logistic regression models. Results: Three dietary patterns were identified, namely, ‘High protein’, ‘High fat’ and ‘High salt-oil’. Following adjustment for gender, age, nationality, household registration, school types, parents’ education level, family learning environment, annual household income and family size, we found that an increase in ‘High protein’ pattern score was significantly associated with higher scores of mathematics test (OR=1.62, CI: 1.23~2.15; P=0.001), but not with those of vocabulary test (OR=1.21, CI: 0.93~1.58; P=0.149). Besides, an increase of ‘High fat’ pattern score was significantly associated with lower score of mathematics (OR=0.76, CI: 0.59~0.98; P=0.031) and vocabulary (OR=0.77, CI: 0.61~0.97; P=0.029) test. However, there was no significant association between ‘High salt-oil’ pattern and the score of mathematics (OR=0.99, CI:0.77~1.27; P=0.915) and vocabulary (OR=0.93, CI:0.73~1.18; P=0.544) test.Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that ‘High protein’ pattern is positively associated with cognitive ability in Chinese children, while ‘High fat’ pattern exhibits a negative association.

Background Limited study is currently available concerning the associations between dietary patterns and cognitive ability during childhood and adolescence, especially studies come out of Chinese data. Our aim was to analyze the associations between dietary patterns and cognitive ability in 10 to 15 year-old Chinese children. Methods 2029 children’s dietary, cognitive ability and sociodemographic data were available from the 2010 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Dietary patterns were identified by the principal component method (PCA). Associations between dietary patterns and cognitive ability were assessed using Ordinal-Logistic regression models. Results Three dietary patterns were identified namely as ‘High protein’, ‘High fat’ and ‘High salt-oil’. Following adjustment for the gender, age, nationality, household registration, school, parents’ education, family education environment, family annual income and family size, we found that higher score on the ‘High protein’ pattern was associated with higher scores of mathematics test (OR=1.62; CI: 1.23~2.15; P=0.001) but was not significant with vocabulary test (OR=1.21; CI: 0.93~1.58; P=0.149). Higher score on the ‘High fat’ pattern was associated with lower score of mathematics (OR=0.76; CI: 0.59~0.98; P=0.031) and vocabulary test (OR=0.77; CI: 0.61~0.97; P=0.029). There was no significance between ‘High salt-oil’ pattern and mathematics (OR=0.99; CI:0.77~1.27; P=0.915) and vocabulary test (OR=0.93; CI:0.73~1.18; P=0.544). Conclusions The study indicated that ‘High protein’ pattern may has positive associations with cognitive ability in Chinese children, while ‘High fat’ pattern may has negative associations.

Objective We aimed to synthesize available cohorts about the relationship between various types of noise and hypertension, and to explore the potential dose-response relationship between them in an updated meta-analysis. Methods PubMed and Embase were searched through October 2019 to identify cohort studies that met predetermined inclusion criteria. A random-effects model was used to combine the results of included studies. Dose-response meta-analysis was conducted to examine the potential dose-response relationship. Results Eleven cohort studies involving 224,829 participants were included in this systematic review. Pooled result showed that living or working in environment with noise exposure was significantly associated with increased risk of hypertension (RR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.32), with low heterogeneity (P = 0.098, I2 = 42.1%). We found no evidence of a nonlinear association of elevated noise with hypertension risk (P = 0.443). The summary risk ratio of hypertension for an increment of per 10 dB(A) of noise was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.99 to 1.28), with moderate heterogeneity (P = 0.003, I2 = 72.1%). Conclusions Integrated evidence from cohort studies supports the hypothesis that exposure to noise may be a risk factor of hypertension.

Introduction Microscopy has been recognized as the "gold-standard" cellular analysis of serous cavity effusion. However, this method is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and requires accomplished skills. Here, we investigated the efficiency of hematology analyzer in screening malignant cells in serous cavity effusion. Methods A total of 991 serous cavity effusion samples and 370 validation specimens collected from different departments were sent to the clinical laboratory for routine cell count using the automated hematology body fluid (BF) mode and exfoliative cytology simultaneously. High-fluorescent cells (HFCs) were measured as the relative count (HF%) and absolute count (HF#) by BF mode. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was combined with scattergram rules to screen malignant cells. Results HF# and HF% in malignant samples (subgroup) were significantly higher than those in benign samples, and the HF# and HF% levels were different between ascites and pleural effusion (PE). The area under the curve values were also different between ascites and PE. Positive of malignant cells was very high when the ascites or PE sample touching Rule 1 positive and either Rule 2 negative or positive. The cutoff levels of HF# were 5.5 HFC/μL on the basis of Rules 1 and 2 negative, whereas 83.5 HFC/μL on the basis of Rule 1 negative but Rule 2 positive in ascites. By contrast, the cutoff levels of HF% were 0.55 HFC/100 WBC on the basis of Rules 1 and 2 negative, whereas 4.95 HFC/100 WBC on the basis of Rule 1 negative but Rule 2 positive in PE. Conclusions Serous cavity effusion will be increasingly analyzed using the automated hematology analyzer BF mode in the future because of its rapidness and convenience. The combined application of HFC with scattergram rules is a feasible and useful approach to screen malignant cells in serous cavity effusion.

Water-soluble AgInZnS quantum dots (AIZS QDs) were synthesized with glutathione (GSH) as a stabilizer by a facile one-step method based on a hydrothermal reaction between the nitrate salts of the corresponding metals and sodium sulfide as a sulfide precursor at 110 °C. The optimal reaction conditions (temperature, time, pH, and the molar ratios of the precursors) were studied. According to the data from TEM, XPS, and XRD, AIZS QDs were characterized with excellent optical properties. The results showed that the aqueous-dispersible AIZS QDs were quasi-spherical and their average diameter was 3.51 nm. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of AIZS QDs was investigated by microcalorimetry and microscopy techniques (confocal microscopy and TEM). The data revealed that AIZS QDs exhibited low toxicity, biocompatibility, and good water stability, due to which they could be used as a fluorescent probe for bioimaging and labeling. In addition, AIZS QDs could be used as a sensor to detect Cu

Metal selenides have attracted increased attention as promising electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems including metal-ion batteries and water splitting. However, their practical application is greatly hindered by collapse of the microstructure, thus leading to performance fading. Tuning the structure at nanoscale of these materials is an effective strategy to address the issue. Herein, we craft MoSe2 with hierarchical hollow structures via a facile bubble-assisted solvothermal method. The temperature-related variations of the hollow interiors are studied, which can be presented as solid, yolk-shell, and hollow spheres, respectively. Under the simultaneous action of the distinctive hollow structures and interconnections among the nanosheets, more intimate contacts between MoSe2 and electrolyte can be achieved, thereby leading to superior electrochemical properties. Consequently, the MoSe2 hollow nanospheres prepared under optimum conditions exhibit optimal electrochemical activities, which hold an initial specific capacity of 1287 mA h g-1 and maintain great capacity even after 100 cycles as anode for Li-ion battery. Moreover, the Tafel slope of 58.9 mV dec-1 for hydrogen evolution reaction is also attained.

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of cryogenic freezing with liquid nitrogen in the shelf-life extension of northern snakehead (Channa argus) and clarify the effects of temperature fluctuations after freezing on the quality attributes and tissue microstructure during frozen storage. The fish fillets were frozen by three methods including freezing using an ultra-low-temperature freezer (−80°C) to the core temperature of −60°C (T1) or −18°C (T2), or liquid nitrogen (T3) followed by storage at −20°C for five months. Cryogenic freezing with liquid nitrogen postponed the decrease in pH and protein extractability. Temperature fluctuations after freezing might promote the accretion of ice crystals and resulted in the loss of tissue integrity and disorganization of myofibrils. The microstructural changes contributed greatly to the increased thawing loss and decreased resilience, as indicated by the enlarged extracellular spacing and the flakiness of myofibrils. Cryogenic freezing with liquid nitrogen showed no superiority in maintaining the microstructure of northern snakehead fillets, which was supposedly attributed to the cracking in tissue during freezing and the accretion of ice crystals during frozen storage.

We herein demonstrate the uniform porous hierarchical plate-like BiOCl/2D networks Bi2S3 heterostructures realized by a facile two-step hydrothermal technique. The synthesis involved an anion exchange process by reacting pre-synthesized BiOCl irregular octagonal nanoplates with Na2S2O3·5H2O in an aqueous solution. The experiment results revealed that the 3D plate-like heterostructures were composed of internal BiOCl and outside networks interwoven by 1D Bi2S3 nanorods. Interestingly, the heterostructures had almost the same thickness and the bigger length compared to the precursor BiOCl. We proposed the possible formation mechanism of the composites which involved selective ion-exchange reaction, the following Ostwald ripening process and epitaxial growth. And the crystal lattice matching between the a- or b-axis of tetragonal BiOCl (a = b = 3.89 A) and the a-axis of orthorhombic Bi2S3 (a = 3.981 A) could be responsible for the in-situ topotactic transformation. Due to the formation of hetero-nanostructures, the unique spatial architecture features and the existence of oxygen vacancies, the BiOCl/Bi2S3 composites exhibited significantly extended photo-responsive range and improved photocatalytic activity for reduction of CrVI under visible-light irradiation. Moreover, the possible mechanism of photocatalysis process was investigated. Our work is expected to inspire further attempts for hierarchical and unconventional hetero-nanostructures with unique spatial architecture, which is very promising for photocatalysis and other applications.

Cacti grown in arid areas have developed intrinsic water management systems, inspired by the cactus which has survived cruel natural selection, uncommon cactus-like MoS2/Bi19Cl3S27 heterostructures have been successfully constructed in this work. Resembling the trichome and epidermis of a cactus stem, vertically aligned MoS2 along with a carbon species hydrolyzed from glucose on Bi19Cl3S27 comprised the unique biomimetic structure. During the photocatalytic process of MoS2/Bi19Cl3S27 heterostructures, the characteristic biomimetic structure endows the heterostructures with greatly enhanced light adsorption and charge separation capabilities, the whole hydrogen evolution reaction was boosted by the combination of optimized charge and mass transfer paths, like the plant morphogenesis of a cactus which plays a significant role in mucilage-based energy-transmission. As a consequence, the improved photocatalytic H2 evolution rate reaches up to 876.6 μmol g−1 h−1 with an optimal loading of 5 wt% MoS2. The successful preparation of biomimetic structured MoS2/Bi19Cl3S27 samples with good stability shows that bismuth-based materials have great potential for applications in energy conversion systems, while providing enlightenment for the design of other biomimetic structured nanomaterials.

Rabies is a major public health problem and the incidence of suspected rabid animal bites remains high in China. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about rabies of bite victims in Wuhan, China. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1015 bite victims visiting rabies prevention clinics. We performed a face-to-face interview to investigate the rabies KAP of these victims using a self-designed questionnaire. Factors associated with the KAP were evaluated using logistic regression models. Only 56.85% of respondents knew that rabies is infectious. More than 20% of respondents thought that it is not necessary to vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies usually. About 70% of participants stated that they never need to be reminded to vaccinate when they were bitten. Lower education level (odds ratio [OR] = 3.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.65–5.38 for secondary school or less and OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.28–2.38 for high school or vocational school, p-trend60, p-trend, Highlights • The level of rabies KAP among bite victims in China was suboptimal. • Most bite victims had some knowledge gaps such as the severity of rabies. • Most respondents had positive attitudes, but their practices might be insufficient.

Quantum-sized BiOCl in the cage-like pores of SBA-16 have been prepared by impregnation method. The average diameter of BiOCl obviously decreases to 6.1 nm due to the confinement effect from the framework of SBA-16. Compared to the bulk BiOCl, the quantum-sized BiOCl in the cage-like pores of SBA-16 possesses a larger bandgap (3.35 eV), and the quantum confinement effect simultaneously result in an elevated electron transport ability and enhanced redox ability of charge carriers. The as-prepared BiOCl@SBA-16 photocatalysts exhibit high activity toward degradation of methyl orange (MO) under simulated sunlight irradiation.

The characteristics of ice crystals, tissue recoverability, protein properties, and lipid oxidation were investigated to reveal the effects of salting time (0–8 h) on the frozen storage stability of tuna meat. After 2 w of frozen storage, the ice crystals in tuna meat with different salting time varied in morphological properties, evolving from large columns (0 h) to ellipsoid (0.5–3 h) and plate shape (5–8 h).The ice crystals in tuna meat with salting time of 1–3 h were more stable with the extension of frozen storage. The enhanced water-holding capacity, springiness, and cohesiveness were attributed to the modified morphology and stability of ice crystals and tissue recoverability after thawing with the formation of moderate protein-protein interactions under proper salting conditions.The declined oxidative stability of salted tuna meat was likely associated with the loss of redox balance with the extension of salting as indicated by aggravated oxidation of lipid and myoglobin and discoloration.Salting time must be taken into account for the frozen storage stability of salted aquatic products, which could modify the microstructure of both frozen and thawed meat, protein properties, redox status of tissue, and thus quality attributes., 公開日: 2022-06-09

This paper experimentally investigated the behavior of fatigue crack growth of an axle steel with a surface strengthened gradient microstructure layer. First, the microstructure, residual stress and mechanical properties were examined as a function of depth from surface. Then the fatigue crack growth rate was measured via three point bending fatigue testing. The results indicated that fatigue crack growth rate decelerated first and then accelerated with the increase of crack length within the gradient layer. Especially, the fatigue crack was arrested in the gradient layer under relatively low stress amplitude due to the increase of threshold value for crack growth within the range of 3 mm from surface. Based on these results, the parameters of Paris equation and the threshold value of stress intensity factor range within the gradient layer were determined and a curved surface was constructed to correlate crack growth rate with stress intensity factor range and the depth from surface. The effects of microstructure, residual stress and surface notch on the crack growth behavior were also discussed.

The flower-like MoSe 2 nanospheres with average size of 200 nm which composed of ultrathin nanosheets were synthesized by facile solvent-thermal method. AFM analysis indicated that the thickness of the MoSe 2 nanosheets could be changed from 3.4 to 6.4 nm by changing the chains of n -alcohol solvent. The as prepared MoSe 2 nanosheets in ethanol solvent exhibited the best electrochemical performance and the highest adsorption capability as compared to samples synthesized in other n -alcohol solvent with longer chains. It was due to MoSe 2 synthesized in ethanol exhibited higher crystallinity and better wettability than other samples. The maximum adsorption capability of Rhodamine B (RhB) on MoSe 2 nanosheets reached 133 mg g −1 in 5 min, while the same adsorption capabilities on activated carbon need 20 min. Electrochemical results exhibited a relatively small onset potential (120 mV), small Tafel slope (71 mV/dec), and long term stability for MoSe 2 synthesized in ethanol which making it a promising candidate for hydrogen evolution reaction.

Ferrites have emerged as potential materials in thermochemical fuel production due to its appreciated thermodynamic driving force of H 2 O/CO 2 splitting and inexpensive. Herein, to enhance the utility of iron element and fuel release rate/production, dopants (such as Co, Mn, Sr, and Ce) and SiO 2 support are used to improve the reactivity of LaFeO 3 /SiO 2 derived two-step thermochemical water splitting (TCWS). It was found that the pure LaFeO 3 perovskite shown negligible TCWS reactivity; cobalt doped into the structure of LaFeO 3 could result in enhanced but limited utility of oxygen vacancy. Compared with unsupported LaFeO 3 , the actual redox phases of SiO 2 supported samples are doped iron silicon oxides, (M,Fe) 3-x Si x O 4 (M = dopants); the normalized molar iron based O 2 production (mL per mmol of Fe) is increased by 5-fold for LaFeO 3 (25 wt%)/SiO 2 and is further increased by 10 times for LaFe 0.8 Co 0.2 O 3 (25 wt%)/SiO 2 . It suggests that SiO 2 support is helpful to disperse iron silicon oxides and alleviate sintering at high temperatures. XPS results reveal that the LaFeO 3 /SiO 2 derived TCWS is driven by a repeated Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox cycle and the utility of iron element is enhanced via the addition of cobalt dopant and SiO 2 support. The cycle performance of LaFe 0.8 Co 0.2 O 3 (25 wt%)/SiO 2 demonstrated that ∼2.8 mL O 2 g −1 material and ∼4.2 mL H 2 g −1 material were stably released when the TCWS was operated between 1350 °C and 1100 °C. The total mass based O 2 and H 2 productions of LaFe 0.8 Co 0.2 O 3 (50 wt%)/SiO 2 can be further increased to ~4.5 and ~7.8 mL g −1 material , respectively.

Bismuth oxide silicate (Bi2O2SiO3) single-crystalline nanosheets with exposed {001} facets were synthesized for the first time via a facile one-step CTAB-assisted hydrothermal method in the presence of NaOH. Control experiments were carried out to investigate various factors that affect the formation, morphology and exposed planes of the products systematically. The results revealed that the pH and the amount of CTAB play vital roles in the reaction. Bi2O2SiO3 nanosheets could not be obtained without the addition of sodium hydroxide solution in the synthesis process, and CTAB not only promotes the exposure of {001} facets, but also modulates the size and thickness of these Bi2O2SiO3 nanosheets in a wide range. It was shown that the as-prepared Bi2O2SiO3 nanosheets synthesized under the conditions that the amount of CTAB was 4 mmol and the pH value was 12 exhibited higher photocatalytic activities toward RhB and BPA degradation under simulated sunlight irradiation than all the other samples in our experiment, which might give the main credit to the highly exposed {001} facets and considerable number of oxygen vacancies. The present work provides a new reference for the synthesis of Bi2O2SiO3 nanosheets and other manipulation of facet-dependent photoreactivity of semiconductors.

Most of the solar-driven thermochemical CO2 dissociation reactions have been focused on two-step processes. In this study, a one step CO2 thermolysis process was considered. It was found that direct thermolysis of CO2 obviously occurred at temperatures as low as 1200 °C within a corundum tube. The reaction rate could be enhanced by several times in the presence of metal oxides, which may be attributed to the catalysis of oxygen vacancies in the metal oxides.

In this work, we firstly synthesized metallic Bi-modified Bi4O5I2 nanocomposites with oxygen vacancies via a facile one-pot solvothermal method. The deposited Bi metal and oxygen vacancies endowed the Bi/Bi4O5I2 samples with dramatically enhanced photocatalytic performance for degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) and methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation. In particular, the improved photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of Bi metal and oxygen vacancies, which resulted in their efficient light harvesting properties and excellent charge separation ability. The photocatalytic mechanism of Bi/Bi4O5I2 for organics degradation was demonstrated. This work could shed light on exploring high photocatalytic performance materials and stimulating the development of non-noble metal/BixOyIz photocatalysts, which would also contribute to advancement in environmental remediation and energy exploitation.

Microbial degradation of straw, the main by-product of agricultural production, has proved to be the most economical and effective means of producing hydrogen. Mixed cultures provide stable combinations to process complex materials, thereby supporting more efficient decomposition and hydrogenation of biomass than pure bacterial species. Cellulose, the main component of straw, is degraded by microorganisms found in the rumen fluid of cows and converted to hydrogen gas, ethanol, and other fuels. This study investigated hydrogen production and microbial community structures during cellulose degradation by rumen microorganisms at pH values in the range of 5.5–7.5. The highest degradation efficiency was 81% at pH 6.5 with no methane and with the maximum hydrogen yield of 178.16 mL L−1 (culture medium) (8.42 mmol H2 g−1 Avicel). The yield value is higher than that associated with most mesophilic bacteria subjected to serial inoculation. The microbial diversity of rumen liquid enrichments at different pH values was analyzed using 454 pyrosequencing techniques. The dominant bacteria changed from Bacteroides, Enterococcus, and Enterobacter to Oscillibacter. This study thus examined the effect of pH on the efficiency of cellulose utilization in rumen bacteria growth. The results provide information about the mechanisms of metabolization at different pH values in diverse microflora.

Fatigue tests via rotary bending were performed on the specimens with and without induced surface defects for a structural steel of medium carbon content to investigate the effect of surface defects on fatigue behavior in high-cycle fatigue and very-high-cycle fatigue (VHCF) regimes. The S–N data showed that induced surface defects substantially degraded the related fatigue strength. For the specimens without surface defects failed in VHCF regime, crack initiated from the interior of specimens with inclusions or matrix inhomogeneities as crack origin and the initiation regions were of different extents of rough surface. The observations on the profile samples cut from crack initiation regions revealed that the region was a layer of nanograins for the case of inclusion as crack origin, and was without grain refinement for the case of grain boundary as crack origin. For the specimens with induced surface defects, crack initiated from surface defects and the initiation region was without grain refinement. The characteristics of crack initiation were carefully examined and the effect of surface defects on fatigue strength degradation was analyzed by available models.

Stroke is one of the world's leading causes of death. Many studies have checked the relationship between short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) and stroke, but few have focused on the effect of long-term exposure to PMWe identified relevant studies by searching the PubMed, EMBASE and MEDLINE. After the systematical review of pertinent studies, random-effect meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the association between long-term exposure to PMOur meta-analysis included 16 cohort studies with more than 2.2 million people and above 49 149 endpoint events (incident stroke and death from stroke). The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for each 5 μg/mLong-term exposure to PM

Designing efficient semiconductor-based photocatalysts for hydrogen production is a challenging but promising prospect in energy conversion. Herein, a novel Z-scheme CdS/NH2-MIL-125(Ti) heterojunction is successfully fabricated through a facile solvethermal method. The detailed characterizations reveal that CdS nanoparticles are in-suit archored on NH2-MIL-125(Ti) nanoplates. Benefited from the intrinsic band alignment and intimate contact of two species, this established structure gives a positive effect regarding charge separation. In consequence, the optimal CdS/NH2-MIL-125(Ti) nanocomposites exhibit excellent photocatalytic performance with hydrogen evolution rate of 6.62 mmol·h−1·g−1 under visible light illumination, which was 3.5 times higher than that of the pristine CdS. We believe that this work will provide a new avenue to develop high-efficiency heterojunction catalyst for solar-driven energy conversions and other application.

As an important alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have attracted much attention due to the abundance and low cost of potassium, however, it is still a great challenge to select suitable anode materials to accommodate the large-size of K-ion. Herein, MoS2 nanosheets were coated on the porous carbon polyhedron derived from zeolite imidazole framework-8 (designated as PCP@MoS2) and employed as the anode materials for PIBs. Benefiting from the high electrical conductivity, strong structure stability of the nitrogen-doped carbon polyhedron and the layered crystal structure of MoS2, the reversible capacity can be maintained at 375 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1, 200 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at 500 mA g−1 as well as excellent rate property. The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the unique hybrid structures and the synergistic effects between MoS2 and N doped porous carbon polyhedron, which could enhance the electronic conductivity, shorten the K-ion diffusion distance, mitigate the agglomeration of the MoS2 nanosheets, relieve the volume variation, and provide plenty of active sites for K ion accomodation.

A series of BiOBr nanosheets with tunable exposing proportion of (0 1 0) facets had been synthesized. In the synthesis process, different n -alcohols are used, which not only promote the exposure of (0 1 0) facets, but also modulate the size and thickness of these BiOBr nanosheets in a wide range. Furthermore, these nanosheets showed an efficient photodegradation activity for salicylic acid (SA) and Rhodamine B (RhB). By comparison, the sample prepared in n -hexanol possessed the highest photocatalytic activity than those synthesized in n -butanol and methanol, respectively. This excellent photocatalytic activity was attributed to the thin lamellar thickness and the exposure of (0 1 0) facets, which facilitated the separation of photoinduced electrons and holes.

The multi-step thermochemical water splitting cycle based on MnFe2O4–Na2CO3 has emerged as an attractive process due to its relatively low reaction temperature. The main challenges are how to enhance its H2/O2 release rates and capacities. Herein, a series of MnFe2O4 with different microstructures synthesized by hydrothermal method were tested in H2O splitting reaction. It was found that MnFe2O4 samples with smaller particle size and fine crystallinity exhibited higher H2 production which was benefit from enhanced intimate contact between homogeneous particles and better ionic transport within fine crystals. In order to enhance the reaction kinetics of the O2 release reaction, a hydrolysis treatment was introduced to the multi-step cycle. As a result, the lamellar structure of Na+ extracted Na1−x(Mn1/3Fe2/3)O2 oxide became unstable and collapsed into cubic MnFe2O4 spinel structure more easily under heating, a structure characteristic suitable for O2 release reaction. Compared to direct O2 release reaction between layered Na(Mn1/3Fe2/3)O2 oxide and CO2, the hydrolysis treatment lead to much faster reaction rate.

Splitting CO2 into CO and O2 via a two-step thermochemical cycle by utilizing concentrated solar energy is a promising option for CO2 reduction. Herein, to enhance the solar to fuel energy conversion efficiency, IrOx as a catalyst is used to increase the fuel production rate of the LaFeO3-based two-step thermochemical CO2-splitting reaction. Compared with LaFeO3, 0.6 atom % IrOx as a catalyst that loaded on LaFeO3 can almost double the maximal CO release rate and increase the maximal O2 evolution rate 0.5 times; when a small amount of IrOx (2.5 atom %) is doped into the structure of LaFeO3 through a solution combustion method, the initial CO generation rate can be increased by 5-fold. This work demonstrates that the catalytic function is still necessary in the two-step thermochemical CO2-splitting reaction even at high temperatures.

The performance and anode biofilm formation of two types of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were studied in this paper. During 175 days of operation of single-chamber microbial fuel cells (SMFCs), the voltage exceeded 300 mV over 74.9% of the running time and was over 500 mV for 49.3% of the time. For dual-chamber microbial fuel cells (DMFCs), the voltage exceeded 300 mV for 54.3% of the running time and was over 450 mV 50.9% of the time. The removal rate of COD reached 83.6% and 80.0% in the SMFCs and DMFCs, respectively. The maximum power outputs were 686 mW m−2 and 776 mW m−2 for the two types of MFCs during polarization. In this study, the 454 pyrosequencing technique, a massively parallel sequencing technology, was utilized to survey the microbial community of the anode biofilms in different MFC reactors. A variation existed between the biofilm communities of the two MFC anodes. This was presumably caused by different electron acceptors, which affected the extracellular electron transfer speed.

Er 3+ doped BiOCl hierarchical microspheres were synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, UV–vis and DRS were performed to investigate the structural and optical properties of the as-prepared samples. The presence of Er 3+ did not affect the structure and morphology of the BiOCl. The Er 3+ doped BiOCl microspheres exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light ( λ >420 nm) irradiation. The sample with 1.0 mol% Er 3+ dosage showed the best photocatalytic performance. The enhanced activity was attributed to the dopant which could transform visible light into ultraviolet light. This work demonstrated the great feasibility of utilizing upconversion (UC) technique to enhance visible light photocatalysis.

Considering the suitable redox potential, low price, and abundant resource of potassium, potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have attracted considerable attention as one of the alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), however, the larger ionic radius of potassium ions makes it difficult to select suitable electrode materials. Herein, the MoSe2@MoO2 heterojunction in which MoO2 nanoparticles embedded on MoSe2 nanosheets was synthesized by hydrothermal method and used as a novel anode material for PIBs. The electrochemical performance of the heterojunction was greatly improved as compared with the pure MoSe2 and pure MoO2. At the current density of 500 mA g−1 after 100 cycle, the heterojunction electrode still maintains a capacity of 255 mA h g−1 and the coulomb efficiency is close to 100%. By introducing metallic MoO2 can improve the electrical conductivity, furthermore, the MoSe2@MoO2 heterostructures facilitate interfacial electron transport and built-in electric field makes the diffusion of K-ion easier. In addition, the well dispersed MoO2 nanoparticles prevent the restacking of MoSe2 nanosheets and maintain the structure stability during the charge/discharge process.

Metal selenides have attracted increased attention as promising electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems including metal-ion batteries and water splitting. However, their practical application is greatly hindered by collapse of the microstructure, thus leading to performance fading. Tuning the structure at nanoscale of these materials is an effective strategy to address the issue. Herein, we craft MoSe

Background Stroke is one of the world's leading causes of death. Many studies have checked the relationship between short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) and stroke, but few have focused on the effect of long-term exposure to PM2.5 (particulate matters with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm). This study aimed to quantitatively examine the relationship of long-term exposure to PM2.5 with stroke incidence and mortality. Methods We identified relevant studies by searching the PubMed, EMBASE and MEDLINE. After the systematical review of pertinent studies, random-effect meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and stroke. Results Our meta-analysis included 16 cohort studies with more than 2.2 million people and above 49 149 endpoint events (incident stroke and death from stroke). The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for each 5 μg/m3 increment in PM2.5 was 1.11 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.17) (CI for confidence interval) for incidence of stroke and 1.11 (95% CI:1.05, 1.17) for mortality of stroke. In the region-specific analysis, significant association between PM2.5 and incidence of stroke was found in North America (HR=1.09, 95% CI:1.05, 1.14) and Europe (HR=1.07, 95% CI:1.05, 1.10), while the pooled result of Asia showed no significance (HR=2.31, 95% CI:0.49, 10.95). Conclusions Long-term exposure to PM2.5 is an important risk factor for stroke. Since air quality is intimately related to everyone, policies aimed at reducing particulate matters will benefit public health a lot.

Lysozyme, an important bacteriostatic protein, is widely distributed in nature. It is generally believed that the high efficiency of lysozyme in inhibiting gram-positive bacteria is caused by its ability to cleave the β-(1,4)-glycosidic bond between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetylglucosamine. In recent years, there has been growing interest in modifying lysozyme via physical or chemical interactions in order to improve its sensitivity against gram-negative bacterial strains. This review addresses some significant techniques, including sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), infrared (IR) spectra, fluorescence spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), UV-vis spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectra and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which can be used to characterize lysozymes and methods that modify lysozymes with carbohydrates to enhance their various physicochemical characteristics. The applications of biomaterials based on lysozymes in different food matrices are also discussed.

A microbial fuel cell with an indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass anode was used to study the mechanism of electricity generation and electron transfer of electrochemically active microbes (EAMs). A simple method of ITO anode pretreatment (pickling) was developed to improve the performance of the microbial fuel cell. After proper treatment, ITO-glass anodes maintained their conductivity with a slight increase in resistance. Using this pickling pretreatment, the ITO-glass microbial fuel cell with an anode area of only 8.3 cm2, was successfully initiated and obtained a stable voltage and power output of 418.8 mW m−2. The electrode material with pretreatment showed optimal performance for the in situ study of EAMs. DNA was extracted from various parts of the reactor and the microbial communities were analyzed. The results indicated that the large proportion of methane-related microbes on the cathode of the MFC was one of the reasons for its high COD removal and low columbic efficiency. ITO glass is suitable as an anode material for the in situ study of EAMs, and shows potential for practical application.

The effects of salting and subsequent freezing on the physicochemical and histological properties of frozen-thawed tuna meat were investigated. Salting facilitated the microstructural recovery as indicated by the decrease or disappearance of intracellular holes. The yield of the 0.5 M and 1 M salted samples increased by 20% which was evaluated by the mass ratio of products to raw material. Morphological transformation from ice columns to spherical or ellipsoidal ice crystals was tentatively attributed to the extraction/solubilization of myofibrillar proteins, contributing to increased water-holding capacity. However, increased thawing loss and centrifuging loss after thawing were observed in the 2 M and 3 M salted samples with large ice crystals and enlarged extracellular spaces. These modifications were closely associated with the changes in protein properties. In conclusion, enhanced water-holding capacity, high yield, and good freezing stability can be achieved by optimal salting.

Silica-supported Zr-doped cobalt ferrite complex oxides, Co1-2xZrxFe2O4/SiO2 (0

The co-thermal dissolution (CTD) behavior of Shenmu–Fugu subbituminous coal (SFSBC) and sawdust was investigated in this study. The synergic effect between SFSBC coal and sawdust in CTD was probed. The individual thermal dissolution (TD) of SFSBC and sawdust showed that sawdust gave much higher thermal dissolution yield (TDY) and lower thermal soluble yield (TSY) than SFSBC. This resulted in much lower difference of (TDY–TSY) for SFSBC compared to that of sawdust at the same condition. CTDs of SFSBC and sawdust in 1-methylnaphthalene (1-MN) at different temperatures were carried out. The results suggested that there existed a negative synergic effect for TDY in the whole range of temperatures studied, but a positive synergic effect for TSY at 320 and 340 °C. The largest enhancements in TSY of 33.6% comparing with the corresponding calculated weighted mean values of the individual TD of SFSBC and sawdust were obtained at 320 °C. The positive synergic effect can be attributed to that the thermal depolymerization of lignin at relatively low temperatures produces lots of intermediates such as phenoxy radicals, which then attack the coal, causing scission of aliphatic carbon–carbon bonds in the coal and promoting the TD of coal.

The interaction of protionamide with alizarin red S (ARS) and its analytical application were carefully investigated in this contribution. The interaction conditions were carefully studied and optimized by cyclic voltammetry. Under the optimum conditions, the cyclic voltammetry curve of ARS showed an oxidation peak with the peak potential of 0.57 V. After the addition of protionamide to the ARS solution, the peak potential was negatively moved, and meanwhile the oxidation peak current decreased apparently to the concentration of protionamide and then a new method for the protionamide determination was established. The linear equation between the decreasing current (Δip) and protionamide concentration was got as Δip (μA) = 0.01514C(mg/L) −0.01553 (n=9; r=0.991)with the linear range of 10.0~50.0 mg/L, and the detection limit (3σ) was got as 8.25 μg/mL. The effects of coexisting substances on the determination were carefully investigated and the protionamide artificial and tablet samples were detected with satisfactory results.

Nickel-doped tin dioxide (NDT) microspheres with various doping levels were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and characterized by using X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The formation mechanism of NDT microspheres was discussed. All samples prepared with different Sn/Ni ratios shows higher photocatalytic activity than that of pure SnO2 and pure NiO under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). The photocatalytic activity is closely related to the composition of as-prepared photocatalysts. It is noted that the NDT microspheres with the doping content of 33.3 mol% exhibit the highest photoactivity. Moreover, this catalyst showed improved stability, and the activity did not weaken significantly after four recycles. The higher activity of NDT microspheres may be attributed to the combined effect of its demonstrated doping levels and appropriate band gap. And the doping of Ni2+ may facilitate the generation of electron and hole pairs and inhibit their recombination rate by acting as temporary trapping sites of photoinduced electrons.

The conversion of solar energy into chemical fuels from H2O and CO2 is a promising option to produce long-term storable and transportable energy in the future and it is also an ideal way for CO2 reduction. Solar-driven thermochemical approaches to CO2 and H2O dissociation inherently operate at high temperatures and use the entire solar spectrum; as such, they could provide the path to solar fuel production at high rates and efficiencies. This article briefly reviews the recent advances in solar thermal H2O and CO2 splitting reaction especially summarizes the recent progress in this group. The prospects for the development of highly efficient redox oxides for CO and H2 production are also discussed.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) may play a relevant role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD), however, the underlying mechanism was not clear yet. We developed an animal model presenting both AD and T2D, morris water maze (MWM) test and recognition task were performed to trace the cognitive function. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were determined to trace the metabolism evolution. TUNEL assay and apoptosis-related protein levels were analyzed for the detection of neuronal apoptosis. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) agonist bucladesine or protein kinase (PKA) inhibitor H-89 were used to determine the effects of cAMP/PKA signaling pathway on IDE expression and neuronal apoptosis. The results showed that T2D contributes to the AD progress by accelerating and worsening spatial memory and recognition dysfunctions. Metabolic parameters and glucose tolerance were significantly changed in the presence of the AD and T2D. The significantly induced neuronal apoptosis and increased pro-apoptotic proteins in mice with AD and T2D were also observed. We showed the decreased expression level of IDE and the activating of cAMP/PKA signaling pathway in AD and T2D mice. Further studies indicated that cAMP agonist decreased the expression level of IDE and induced the neuronal apoptosis in mice with AD and T2D; whereas PKA inhibitor H-89 treatment showed the completely opposite results. Our study indicated that, in the T2D and AD mice, cAMP/PKA signaling pathway and IDE may participate in the contribute role of T2D in accelerating the pathological process of AD via causing the accumulation of Aβ and neuronal apoptosis.

Most of the solar-driven thermochemical CO

Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy type 2 (BSCL2) is the most severe form of human lipodystrophy, characterized by an almost complete loss of adipose tissue and severe insulin resistance. BSCL2 is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the BSCL2/SEIPIN gene, which is upregulated during adipogenesis and abundantly expressed in the adipose tissue. The physiological function of SEIPIN in mature adipocytes, however, remains to be elucidated. Here, we generated adipose-specific Seipin knockout (ASKO) mice, which exhibit adipocyte hypertrophy with enlarged lipid droplets, reduced lipolysis, adipose tissue inflammation, progressive loss of white and brown adipose tissue, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis. Lipidomic and microarray analyses revealed accumulation/imbalance of lipid species, including ceramides, in ASKO adipose tissue as well as increased endoplasmic reticulum stress. Interestingly, the ASKO mice almost completely phenocopy the fat-specific peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ (Pparγ) knockout (FKO-γ) mice. Rosiglitazone treatment significantly improved a number of metabolic parameters of the ASKO mice, including insulin sensitivity. Our results therefore demonstrate a critical role of SEIPIN in maintaining lipid homeostasis and function of adipocytes and reveal an intimate relationship between SEIPIN and PPAR-γ.

An efficient redox material for two-step thermochemical CO2 splitting reaction requires high chemical yield at relatively low reduction temperature. Herein, the oxides with perovskite structure of formula La(x)A(1-x)Fe(y)B(1-y)O(3) (A = Sr, Ce, B = Co, Mn; 0

Summary Adipose tissue is central to the regulation of lipid metabolism. Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy type 2 (BSCL2), one of the most severe lipodystrophy diseases, is caused by mutation of the Seipin gene. Seipin plays an important role in adipocyte differentiation and lipid homeostasis, but its exact molecular functions are still unknown. Here, we show that Seipin physically interacts with the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase (SERCA) in both Drosophila and man. SERCA, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium pump, is solely responsible for transporting cytosolic calcium into the ER lumen. Like dSeipin, dSERCA cell-autonomously promotes lipid storage in Drosophila fat cells. dSeipin affects dSERCA activity and modulates intracellular calcium homeostasis. Adipose tissue-specific knockdown of the ER-to-cytosol calcium release channel ryanodine receptor (RyR) partially restores fat storage in dSeipin mutants. Our results reveal that Seipin promotes adipose tissue fat storage by regulating intracellular calcium homeostasis.