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Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) have shown great promise for treating industrial wastewater contaminated with phenolic compounds. However, the presence of chloride in the wastewater leads to the production of undesirable chlorinated organic and inorganic byproducts, limiting the application of EAOPs. To address this challenge, we investigated the potential of incorporating Fe(II) and Fe(III) into the EAOPs with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode under near-neutral conditions. Our findings revealed that both Fe(II) and Fe(III) facilitated the generation of high-valent iron-oxo species (Fe(IV) and Fe(V)) in the anodic compartment, thereby reducing the oxidation contribution of reactive chlorine species. Remarkably, the addition of 1000 μM Fe(II) under high chloride conditions resulted in over a 2.8-fold increase in the oxidation rate of 50 μM phenolic contaminants at pH 6.5. Furthermore, 1000 μM Fe(II) contributed to a reduction of more than 66% in the formation of chlorinated byproducts, consequently enhancing the biodegradability of the treated water. Additionally, transitioning from batch mode to continuous flow mode further amplified the positive effects of Fe(II) on the EAOPs. Overall, this study presents a modified electrochemical approach that simultaneously enhanced the degradation of phenolic contaminants and improved the biodegradability of wastewater with high chloride concentrations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Xiaohong Guan reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. Xiaohong Guan reports financial support was provided by Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality. Xiaohong Guan reports financial support was provided by Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Humans can easily perform various types of hugs in human contact and affection experience. With the prevalence of robots in social applications, they would be expected to possess the capability of hugs as humans do. However, it is still not an easy task for robots, considering the complex force and spatial constraints of robot hugs. In this work, we propose the HUG taxonomy, which distinguishes between different hugging patterns based on human demonstrations and prior knowledge. In this taxonomy, hugs are arranged according to (1) hugging tightness, (2) hugging style, and (3) bilateral coordination, resulting in 16 different hug types. We then further study the hug type preference of humans in different scenarios and roles. Furthermore, we propose a rule-based classification system to validate the potential of this taxonomy in human-robot hugs based on a humanoid robot with an E-skin of contact sensation. The HUG taxonomy could provide human hugging behavior information in advance, facilitating the action control of humanoid robots. We believe the results of our work can benefit future studies on human-robot hugging interactions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A fluorosulfate ion (FSO 3 - ) is a hydrolysis product of sulfuryl fluoride (SO 2 F 2 ), which is widely used to fumigate buildings, soil, construction materials, and postharvest commodities, and is a potent greenhouse gas. It is a potential marker for biological exposure to SO 2 F 2 and for monitoring the progress of reactions used to scrub SO 2 F 2 from fumigation vent gases. Here, we report a simple and inexpensive potentiometric method for determining FSO 3 - using a commercial nitrate-selective electrode and discuss its application. The method is suitable for solutions between 0.0025 mM and 660 mM FSO 3 - at initial pH between 5 and 9. Halide interference depends on its molar ratio to FSO 3 - and follows the sequence, F - < Cl - < Br - ≪ I - . Halide interference can be eliminated by adding silver sulfate. Interference by bicarbonate can be eliminated by H 2 SO 4 pretreatment, and interference by phosphate or pyrophosphate by MgSO 4 addition. Sulfate does not interfere, as it does in ion chromatography. Satisfactory method detection limits for FSO 3 - in spiked aqueous extracts of 11 fruits were obtained. The method accurately quantified the yield of FSO 3 - relative to that of F - in base hydrolysis of SO 2 F 2 . This study demonstrates that the developed method is highly selective, convenient, and sensitive and thus can be of great value in practice., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

The demand for milk has increased globally, accompanied by an increase in waste milk. Here, we provide an artificial humification technology to recycle waste milk into an agricultural nano-fertilizer. We use KOH-activated persulfate to convert waste milk into fulvic-like acid and humic-like acid. We mix the product with attapulgite to obtain a slow-release nano fulvic-like acid fertilizer. We apply this nano-fertilizer to chickweeds growing in pots, resulting in improved yield and root elongation. These results indicate that waste milk could be recycled for agricultural purposes, however, this nano-fertilizer needs to be tested further in field experiments., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Due to the frequent occurrence of piracy incidents, normal trade, and transportation activities have been hindered. This paper uses the Piracy and Armed Robbery dataset in the Global Integrated Shipping Information System to analyze the types and evolutionary characteristics of shipping risk caused by piracy and the piracy behavior patterns in different seas. This study found that there are three regions with high incidence of piracy in the world, and their gathering centers change dynamically over time. Piracy incidents can be divided into four categories based on the quantitative assessment of shipping risk caused by piracy. Shipping risk caused by piracy shows different evolution characteristics in different seas, affected by factors such as the evolution of national political situations and anti-piracy measures. Based on the qualitative assessment of the shipping risk caused by piracy, the piracy corpus reflects the diverse patterns of piracy in different seas. In the process of pirate attacks, the diversity is mainly manifested in violence and selectivity. In the consequences of pirate attacks, the targets that pirates pay attention to vary significantly in different seas. This research will help to strengthen the dynamic monitoring of shipping risk caused by piracy, and further contribute to the research on maritime transport safety., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

UV/Cl and UV/H 2 O 2 are advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) used for drinking water treatment and water reuse. This work explored the hypothesis that UV/Cl becomes more competitive to UV/H 2 O 2 at neutral-to-high pH as the concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) increases. Lab experiments and kinetic modelling were used to compare initial pseudo first-order contaminant decay rate coefficients between the AOPs at various pH and TOC conditions. The relative effect of increasing TOC concentrations on UV/Cl vs. UV/H 2 O 2 depended on the pH, contaminant, and organic matter reactivity towards radicals. For example, while the reaction rate coefficients during both AOPs generally decreased with increasing TOC, the UV/Cl reaction rate coefficients for the solely •OH-reactive sucralose decreased 41-138% less than the UV/H 2 O 2 coefficients as the TOC concentration was increased from 0 to 5 mg-C L -1 . However, UV/Cl was more affected than UV/H 2 O 2 when targeting caffeine (a contaminant reactive to chlorine radicals). The data were used to define TOC-pH conditions for which either AOP would be more energy-efficient, under a set of standard conditions. The results suggest that UV/Cl may be competitive to UV/H 2 O 2 under a wider range of treatment scenarios than has been conventionally thought based on tests in pure water., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Ron Hofmann reports financial support was provided by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Ron Hofmann reports financial support was provided by Ontario Graduate Scholarship., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The binding between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and micro-pollutants (MPs) results in significant impacts on their migration, transformation and degradation. However, the role of the DOM/MP binding on their oxidative transformation remains poorly studied. The binding of MPs by DOM, in combination with DOM's roles as a photosensitizer and/or a competitor for free radicals, needs to be considered in the context of understanding the DOM's impacts on the oxidative degradation of MPs. This study aims to explore this aspect of DOM/MP interactions based on the quantitation of humic acid (HA) and tetracycline (TET) complexation and its role in TET removal. This study also compared the degradation of free TET versus that bound in HA-TET complexes in different oxidation processes. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) data show that the carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyl groups in HA are the main binding sites of TET, while nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis shows the binding of TET engages its -N(CH 3 ) 2 groups, and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) data show that the carboxyl groups in DOM are sensitive than phenolic groups in the binding of TET. The difference between the degradation rates (Δk obs ) of the free and bound TET decreased with the increase of ionic strength using sodium nitrate, but increased with the introduction of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ due to the formation of TET-Ca 2+ /Mg 2+ complexes. Quenching experiments showed that the free radicals (•OH and •SO 4 - ), PMS oxidant and UV light were the main contributors to the TET degradation in UV/PS, UV/PMS and UV/H 2 O 2 processes, respectively. In-situ fluorescence time scanning and differential absorbance spectra showed that free TET was preferentially oxidized over the bound TET in all the tested treatments except UV/PS. These results provide new insights into the role of DOM/MP complexation in the degradation of MPs in natural and engineered systems., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There is an urgent clinical for small diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs) for use in the treatment of coronary artery disease. Moreover, biodegradable SDVGs are drawing increasing attention because they have the potential to restore vascular function with the degradation of vascular graft and tissue regeneration. In this study, we designed triple-layered SDVGs to mimic the native arterial structure, with each layer contributing its unique porosity to the porous structure. We evaluated triple-layered SDVGs in a sheep carotid arterial replacement model. After implantation for 12 months, two grafts were patent and indicated the feasibility of using grafts in large animals. Nevertheless, it was determined that both grafts formed aneurysms at the proximal end. The prevention of such aneurysms remains a challenge for future investigation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Though natural reducing agents have been demonstrated as desirable catalysts for environmental remediation, the mechanism of catalytic activation of persulfate (PS) by bisulfite (S(IV)) remains unclear. In this study, an emerging contaminant bisphenol AF (BPAF) was employed as the target compound to examine the activation and degradation mechanism in PS/S(IV) system. Sulfate radical (SO 4 •-) was evidenced as the dominant radical accounting for BPAF degradation via quantitative analysis, while hydroxyl radical (•OH) and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) were minor contributors. Superoxide radical (O 2 •-) was identified as an intermediate radical in promoting BPAF removal through quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis. Tests in oxygen-rich and oxygen-deficient systems were conducted and the results were contrasted to elucidate the important role of oxygen in BPAF degradation and SO 4 •--formation. In addition, the effect of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) was simulated using two separate kinetic models. Decomposition mechanism of BPAF was afterwards clarified via the density-functional theory calculations using Fukui index to predict the vulnerable sites and the intermediate products. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the activation of PS/S(IV) system on the BPAF removal, especially the critical role of DO and O 2 •- in SO 4 •- generation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interest Statement The authors declare that they do not have any commercial interest or personal relationships that could have appeared to affect the work reported in this study., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Drinking water treatment using UV/H 2 O 2 advanced oxidation typically results in residual H 2 O 2 that requires quenching to minimize its interference with downstream processes. Chemical quenching using chlorine or bisulfite are options, but there is some uncertainty in the literature about the kinetics of the bisulfite reaction, with some reports quoting the reaction as fast, and others as slow. Part of the contradictory information may be due to interference in H 2 O 2 analysis by bisulfite. An analytical method was developed to avoid this interference, in which monochloramine first selectively quenched bisulfite, and then H 2 O 2 was measured spectrometrically using titanium(IV) oxysulfate for color development. The confirmatory experiments suggested that the bisulfite reaction with H 2 O 2 is actually relatively slow, with a half-life in the order of hours to days depending on the pH and the reagent concentrations. As a result, within the typical pH range of drinking water treatment (e.g., 6-9), chlorine is preferred over bisulfite as the H 2 O 2 quenching agent on the basis of reaction kinetics. However, a decrease in pH will lead to an increase in the bisulfite-H 2 O 2 reaction rate along with a decrease in the Cl 2 -H 2 O 2 reaction rate, such that at pH < 5.7 bisulfite is the faster reagent. Both bisulfite and chlorine were observed to react with H 2 O 2 following a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 in the natural water matrix tested., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The photolysis of chlorine by UV light leads to the formation of the hydroxyl radicals (OH) as well as reactive chlorine species (RCS) that can be effective as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for water treatment. Much of the research to date has been done at laboratory- or bench-scale. This study reports results from a model that demonstrates that the relative effectiveness of the UV/Cl 2 AOP compared to the more traditional UV/H 2 O 2 AOP is a function of optical path length. As such, the relative effectiveness of the two treatment options evaluated at small scale may not reflect the relative performance at full-scale, making results previously obtained at small-scale potentially less scalable. This study therefore compares the performance of UV/Cl 2 to UV/H 2 O 2 at a full-scale water treatment plant, using sucralose and caffeine as spiked surrogates for contaminants that are reactive solely to OH radicals, and to both OH and RCS, respectively. pH was varied between 6.5 and 8.0. The results demonstrated that when using a medium pressure UV lamp, UV/Cl 2 might lead to approximately twice the production of OH radicals as UV/H 2 O 2 at pH 6.5 when using the same molar oxidant concentration, but adding chlorine to the UV reactor at pH 8.0 had a negligible impact on OH radical concentration in comparison to UV alone. The study also confirmed previous small-scale results that RCS can be a major contributor to UV/Cl 2 treatment for compounds such as caffeine that are susceptible to RCS, with UV/Cl 2 effective at both pH 6.5 and 8.0 for such compounds. Disinfection byproducts were monitored, with adsorbable organohalide (AOX) formation increasing by approximately 10 μg-Cl/L due to chlorine photolysis, but only at pH 6.5 and not at pH 8.0. This implies that UV/Cl 2 might increase AOX mostly due to reaction between OH and organic precursors to make them more reactive with chlorine, and not due to RCS. The formation of specific DBPs of current or emerging regulatory interest was minimal under all conditions, except for chlorate. Chlorate yields were in the order of 6-18% of the photolysed chlorine., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)