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This study aims to investigate the influence of alkaline treatment duration (0-5 h) on the physicochemical properties and emulsifying performance of rapeseed protein during pH-shift process. Results showed that a 4-h alkaline treatment significantly reduced the particle size of rapeseed protein and led to a notable decrease in disulfide bond content, as well as alterations in subunit composition. Moreover, solubility of rapeseed protein increased from 18.10 ± 0.13% to 40.44 ± 1.74% post-treatment, accompanied by a ∼ 40% enhancement in emulsifying properties. Morphological analysis revealed superior plasticity and sharper contours in 4-h alkali-treated rapeseed protein emulsions compared to untreated counterparts. Rheological analysis indicated higher viscosity and elasticity in the alkali-treated group. Overall, 4-h alkaline treatment markedly enhanced the multifaceted functional attributes of rapeseed protein during pH-shift process, rendering it a promising emulsifier in the food industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Protein-ligand interactions are crucial for developing and identifying novel therapeutic targets. In this study, we investigate the interaction of the alkali induced state of human serum albumin (pH 11.2) with three hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (HCDs), ferulic acid (FA), sinapic acid (SA) and trans-o -coumaric acid, which are biologically important antioxidants, and compare the outcomes with the results obtained at physiological pH (7.4). This study aims to explore the interaction of altered protein conformation with small molecules. Spectroscopic characterization methods show that the conformation of HSA and the ionic properties of HCDs are pH-dependent. Fluorescence, FRET and lifetime measurements reveal that the binding of HCDs with HSA is different at both pH 7.4 and 11.2. Despite the moderate binding of HCDs to HSA, circular dichroism and thermal denaturation studies report no conformational changes in HSA in the presence of HCDs. Isothermal titration calorimetry is employed to assess their binding based on structure and energetics using thermodynamic parameters. Standard molar enthalpy change (Δ H 0m) and standard molar entropy change (Δ S 0m) values vary with the change of pH from 7.4 to 11.2 with the contributions from the exothermicity and hydrophobicity of functional and aromatic groups of HCDs. Ferulic acid (FA) and sinapic acid (SA) binding to HSA is entropically driven, whereas trans-o -coumaric acid (CA) acid binding is enthalpically favourable. Our ITC studies also reveal that the involvement of -OH functional groups present in CA in binding with HSA is greater than that present in FA and SA at pH 11.2. Overall, this experimental study shows the comparable binding strength of HCDs to both the alkali-induced state of HSA and native HSA (pH 7.4). However, the mechanism of their binding is different.

This paper evaluates the flowability and strength properties of alkali-activated mortar produced using silicomanganese fume (SiMnF) as the sole binder, combined with alkaline activators and sand, cured at room temperature (23 ± 1 °C). A total of 18 mixes were prepared by varying binder content (370, 470, and 570 kg/m 3 ), alkaline activator content (33, 43, and 53% of binder by weight), and NaOH concentration (8 M and 12 M). The SiMnF-based alkali-activated pastes were characterized using SEM, XRD, and FTIR techniques to study morphology, mineral composition, and functional groups, respectively. Statistical modeling, including analysis of variance (ANOVA) and response surface method (RSM), was performed to optimize the mixes, and a life cycle assessment was conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of the developed SiMnF-based alkali-activated mortars (SiMnF-AAM). The experimental results showed that an optimal mix design with 470 kg/m 3 SiMnF, 43% alkaline activator content, and NaOH concentrations of 8 M and 12 M achieved the best balance of flow and strength. XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed that Nchwaningite was the primary reaction product, with secondary phases including magnetite, manganese ferrite, and potassium feldspar, influenced by alkali concentration. The SiMnF-based mixtures had a significantly lower CO₂ footprint (0.08 kg CO₂/kg) compared to the cement-based mix, with alkali activators being the primary contributors to emissions. The developed SiMnF-AAM mixes, cured at room temperature, exhibited improved workability, mechanical properties, and reduced environmental impact, making them adaptive to real-life applications., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The environmental impact of arsenic (As) pollution has been a focal point within environmental science. In arsenic-polluted saline-alkali environment, the addition of exogenous biochar can affect the morphological transformation of As both through direct and indirect mechanisms, with calcium ions (Ca(II)) playing a crucial role. This study investigates the immobilization mechanisms of undissolved biochar (UOB) and dissolved biochar (DOB) on As(V) in the absence and presence of Ca(II) under alkaline conditions and aerobic atmosphere. While UOB and DOB alone are insufficient for As(V) immobilization, their combined action in the presence of Ca(II) achieves remarkable immobilization rates of 91.9% and 98.1%, respectively. Precipitation of calcium arsenate is identified as the primary immobilization pathway in both the UOB-Ca(II)-As(V) and DOB-Ca(II)-As(V) systems. Furthermore, Ca(II) acts as a mediator for As(V) immobilization through the formation of ternary UOB/DOB-Ca-As complexes, which are corroborated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) analysis from a microscopic perspective. Notably, the synergistic immobilization of As by DOB and newly generated CaCO 3 in DOB-Ca(II)-As(V) system is highlighted. Additionally, the increase in Ca(II) concentration (0-100 mM) and solution pH (9.0-12.0) both significantly enhance the immobilization of As(V). An increase in the dosage of UOB (0.4-4 g/L) reduces the immobilization of As(V), while effect of the DOB concentration is insignificant. This study provides new insights into how the release of two biochar fractions into a typical Ca(II)-rich saline-alkali environment may alter the fate and transport of As species., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This review discusses recent advances in the use of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) to host high heat and radiation-emitting cesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr) wastes. It examines the evolution of geopolymerization, mechanical properties, mineralogy, microstructure, and leaching behavior of Cs-and/or Sr-bearing AAMs, considering their chemical interaction with Cs and Sr nuclides and exposure to temperature and gamma radiation induced by Cs and Sr. The literature indicates that Cs and Sr slightly degrade the mechanical properties of AAMs, with Sr having a more pronounced effect. For AAMs with a low SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ratio, decay heat from Cs and Sr can crystallize zeolitic phases, which are beneficial in the short term but detrimental in the long term because of their low stability against gamma radiation. Cs was immobilized via ion exchange within the aluminosilicate phase and Sr mainly by precipitation, but the immobilization of their respective daughter nuclides Ba and Zr was not demonstrated. Gamma radiation exposure does not significantly alter AAM properties, and nitrates in Cs and Sr-bearing wastes reduce gamma-induced water radiolysis. AAMs are promising hosts for Cs and Sr-bearing wastes, but further studies are needed using realistic Cs and Sr waste loading to evaluate the synergistic effects of Cs and Sr chemical behavior, decay heat, and gamma irradiation on the evolution of properties of waste forms, and the ability of AAMs to accommodate daughter nuclides Ba and Zr., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As an important part of the ecosystem, saline-alkali soils are in urgent need of efficient and environmentally friendly soil conditioners. Biochar and wood vinegar are regarded as organic soil improvement and plant growth regulators to improve soil physicochemical properties and promote crop growth. However, the mechanism of how inorganic phosphorus bacteria increase phosphorus when biochar and wood vinegar applied to saline-alkali soils is not clear. Herein, the present study was designed to investigate the effects of biochar and wood vinegar with different rates on physicochemical properties of saline-alkali soils and inorganic phosphorus bacteria diversities and to discuss the mechanism of biochar and wood vinegar on available phosphorus by pot experiments. The application of biochar and wood vinegar exhibited an effect on the decrease in pH and salt contents and the increase in soil porosity, soil nutrients, and hundred-grain weight of rice. The 600 kg ha -1 biochar and 1800 kg ha -1 wood vinegar group showed the most significant increment in available phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, and neutral phosphatase activities, with the increases of 49.24%, 40.35%, 48%, and 149%, respectively. The 600 kg ha -1 biochar and 1200 kg ha -1 wood vinegar group significantly enhanced microbial biomass phosphorus concentrations by 41.29%. Moreover, biochar and wood vinegar shifted inorganic phosphorus bacteria composition structure and promoted its diversities, more so at a higher rate of wood vinegar application. The dominant species of inorganic phosphorus bacteria were Proteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Pseudomonas, and Rhizobium in saline-alkali soils. The Alphaproteobacteria and Hydrogenophaga were the key microorganisms reducing pH and salt contents and increasing available phosphorus contents in saline-alkali soils. In conclusion, the application of biochar and wood vinegar was a useful strategy to improve saline-alkali soils., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Although the xylose mutarotation and transformation have been investigated largely separately, their relationship has been rarely systematically elaborated. The effect of several factors such as xylose concentration, temperature, and salt concentration, affecting the mutarotation of xylose are discussed. Nine alkali halides (LiCl, NaCl, KCl, LiBr, NaBr, KBr, LiI, NaI, and KI) are used to test salt effects. The relationship between xylose rotation rate constant (k M ), specific optical rotation at equilibrium ([α] eqm ), α/β ratio, H chemical shift difference (ΔΔδ), Gibbs free energy difference (ΔG), hydrogen ion or hydroxide ion concentration ([H + ] or [OH - ]), and xylose conversion is discussed. Different salts dissolved in water result in different pH of the solutions, which affect the mutarotation of xylose, with the nature of both cation and anion. Shortly, the smaller the cation radius is and the larger the anion radius is, the greater the mutarotation rate is. In the dehydration of xylose to furfural in salty solutions, xylose conversion is positively correlated to mutarotation rate, H + or OH - concentration, and the energy difference between α-xylopyranose and β-xylopyranose. Although the [α] eqm of xylose is positively correlated with α/β configuration ratio, there is no obvious correlation with xylose dehydration. The conversion to furfural in chlorides is superior to that in bromines and iodides, which is due to the fact that the pH of chloride salts is smaller than that of the corresponding bromide and iodized salts. Higher H + concentration prefers to accelerate the formation of furfural. In basic salt solutions, the xylulose selectivity is higher than that of furfural at the initial stage of reaction. The furfural selectivity and carbon balance are better in acidic condition rather than in basic condition. In H 2 O-MTHF (2-Methyltetrahydrofuran) biphasic system, the optimal furfural selectivity of 81.0 % is achieved at 190 °C in 1 h with the assistance of LiI and a little HCl (0.2 mmol, 8 mmol/L in aqueous phase). A high mutarotation rate represents rapid xylose conversion, but a high furfural selectivity prefers in acidic solutions, which would be perfect if organic solvents were available to form biphasic systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Tobacco stalks, as one of the annual economic crops rich in biomacromolecules such as cellulose and hemicellulose, are more difficult to decompose into cellulose fibers due to their high degree of lignification compared to other ordinary straw feedstocks, resulting in their underutilization. In this study, we developed a mild three-stage alkali‑oxygen (AO) process to efficiently deconstruct the tobacco stalk cell walls. The process, involving alkaline dosages of 15 %, 10 %, and 3 % at each stage, effectively dissociated the cell walls and yielded cellulose fibers with high brightness (42.0 % ISO). The organics in the spent liquor, including lignin, hemicellulose, and small-molecular extracts, were isolated through acid/ethanol precipitation and organic solvent extraction. Lignin characterization by 2D HSQC NMR indicated that the majority of native β-aryl ether linkages were preserved after AO treatment, making it suitable for producing chemicals or biofuels via depolymerization. Additionally, the small-molecular extracts contained numerous depolymerized products from lignin and carbohydrates, as well as bioactive compounds derived from the tobacco stalk. Overall, this mild, efficient, and eco-friendly process offers a promising approach for the valorization of tobacco stalks and similar biomass resources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest I declare that the authors have no competing interests as defined by Springer, or other interests that might be perceived to influence the results and/or discussion reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Two polysaccharides, PGP-90 and PGP-100 (molecular weights of 7.59 × 10 2  kDa and 10.48 × 10 2  kDa, respectively), were isolated from Peach gum using alkaline electrolyte water as an extraction solution. Structural characterization showed that PGP-90 and PGP-100 are AG-II arabinogalactans with β-D-(1 → 6)-Galp as the main chain and 1 → 3 Araf and 1 → 5 Araf branched chains at O-3 and O-4 positions. Animal experiments showed that PGP-90 and PGP-100 significantly improved immune function, enhance the proliferative capacity of lymphocytes and phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages, and regulated the ratio of lymphocyte subpopulations in S180 tumor-bearing mice. Meanwhile, PGP-90 and PGP-100 promoted the secretion of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-2) by activated macrophages and blocked apoptosis at the G1 phase, resulting in tumor suppression rates of 40.80 % and 46.30 % (100 mg/kg), respectively, with PGP-100 demonstrating stronger in vivo anti-tumor activity. The above experimental results indicate that Peach gum polysaccharides have the potential to be functional anti-tumor agents., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cooking with active oxygen and solid alkali (CAOSA) is an efficient pretreatment method for biomass. For better grading of the lignin yellow liquor, the different lignin fractions and the recovered solid alkali were obtained using a simultaneous acid-alkali graded separation method. The results indicated that the recovery rate of solid alkali was 67.25 %, and the grading of lignin components was characterized by smaller dispersion coefficients, and more stable properties and structure. Lignin fractions with low dispersion coefficients possess more key structures, including the Phenol hydroxyl group (ArOH), Methoxy (OMe), and β-aryl ether (β-O-4), and have better thermal properties. The low molecular weight L4 has the highest ArOH content (2.1 mmol/g), which provides better antioxidant properties. The CAOSA process destroyed the S-unit and prevented lignin from condensation. Furthermore, the CAOSA process protected carbohydrates, which could effectively prevent them from dehydrating and re-polymerizing into pseudo-lignin. This allowed the pulp to remain natural, which was beneficial for subsequent transformation and utilization. Overall, the efficient separation of biomass components and lignin grading method proposed by combining the CAOSA process with the acid-alkali grading separation method has a strong application prospect and provides a theoretical basis for the high-value utilization of biomass and lignin., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ramie is a widely used plant fiber for making textiles and reinforcement in biodegradable composites. Pretreating cellulosic fibers with alkali before producing composites is increasingly used to enhance adhesion with polymeric resin. In this work, response surface methodology (RSM) based on the Box-Behnken technique was utilized to investigate the impact of independent variables on ramie fabric characteristics and determine the optimal treatment condition. The impact of alkali concentration, treatment time, and temperature on the breaking load and elongation at break of woven ramie fabrics were evaluated using Design-Expert software, which established the design matrix and analyzed the experimental data employing numerical and graphical optimization methods. Moreover, the impact of alkali treatment conditions on the surface morphology, structural change of ramie fabrics, and thermal properties was investigated. Based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA) results, the suggested quadratic models can adequately predict the breaking load and elongation at break of the ramie woven fabrics within the range of conditions applied in this investigation. The RSM revealed that an alkali concentration of 6.12%, a treatment time of 30 min, and a temperature of 39.13°C resulted in an optimum treatment condition with a breaking load of 518.28 N and elongation at break of 23.36%., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The infrastructure boom has driven up cement demand to 30 billion tons annually. To address this and promote sustainable construction, researchers are developing solutions for carbon-neutral building practices, aiming to transform industrial waste into an eco-friendly alternative. This study aims to develop and enhance the mechanical and durability properties of alkali-activated composites (AACs) by incorporating varying amounts (5, 10, 15, and 20%) of finely ground bagasse ash (GBA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers. Results indicate that higher GBA content initially reduces the 7th and 14th-day strength but results in increased strength at later ages. The optimum 28-day strength is achieved with a 10% GBA content, leading to a 10% increase in compressive strength, 8% increase in tensile strength, and 12% increase in flexural strength. Additionally, the incorporation of GBA enhanced the resistance of the composite to chloride ingress, thus reducing its conductance and increasing the overall durability. This study demonstrated the potential of GBA as an eco-friendly material, emphasizing the significance of tailored AACs formulations for durable and sustainable construction practices., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Iqbal et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Taking immediate action to combat the urgent threat of CO 2 -driven global warming is crucial for ensuring a habitable planet. Decarbonizing the industrial sector requires implementing sustainable carbon-capture technologies, such as biomimetic hot potassium carbonate capture (BioHPC). BioHPC is superior to traditional amine-based strategies due to its eco-friendly nature. This innovative technology relies on robust carbonic anhydrases (CAs), enzymes that accelerate CO 2 hydration and endure harsh industrial conditions like high temperature and alkalinity. Thus, the discovery of highly stable CAs is crucial for the BioHPC technology advancement. Through high-throughput bioinformatics analysis, we identified a highly thermo- and alkali-stable CA, termed CA-KR1, originating from a metagenomic sample collected at a hot spring in Kirishima, Japan. CA-KR1 demonstrates remarkable stability at high temperatures and pH, with a half-life of 24 h at 80 °C and retains activity and solubility even after 30 d in a 20% (w/v) K 2 CO 3 /pH 11.5 solution─a standard medium for HPC. In pressurized batch reactions, CA-KR1 enhanced CO 2 absorption by >90% at 90 °C, 20% K 2 CO 3 , and 7 bar. To our knowledge, CA-KR1 constitutes the most resilient CA biocatalyst for efficient CO 2 capture under HPC-relevant conditions, reported to date. CA-KR1 integration into industrial settings holds great promise in promoting efficient BioHPC, a potentially game-changing development for enhancing carbon-capture capacity toward industrial decarbonization.

This investigation explored the potential of utilizing alkali-treated corn cob (CC) as a solid carbon source to improve NO X and SO 2 removal from flue gas. Leaching experiments unveiled a hierarchy of chemical oxygen demand release capacity: 0.03 mol/L alkali-treated CC > 0.02 mol/L > 0.01 mol/L > 0.005 mol/L > control. In NO X and SO 2 removal experiments, as the inlet NO X concentration rose from 300 to 1000 mg/m 3 , the average NO X removal efficiency increased from 58.56 % to 80.00 %. Conversely, SO 2 removal efficiency decreased from 99.96 % to 91.05 %, but swiftly rebounded to 98.56 % by day 18. The accumulation of N intermediates (NH 4 + , NO 3 - , NO 2 - ) increased with escalating inlet NO X concentration, while the accumulation of S intermediates (SO 4 2- , SO 3 2- , S 0 ) varied based on shifts in the population of functional bacteria. The elevation in inlet NO X concentration stimulated the growth of denitrifying bacteria, enhancing NO X removal efficiency. Concurrently, the population of nitrate-reducing sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria expanded, aiding in the accumulation of S 0 and the removal of SO 2 . The comparison experiments on carbon sources confirmed the comparable NO X and SO 2 removal efficiencies of alkali-treated CC and glucose, yet underscored differences in intermediates accumulation due to distinct genus structures., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microbe-driven ammonia nitrogen removal plays a crucial role in the nitrogen cycle and wastewater treatment. However, the rational methods and mechanisms for boosting nitrogen conversion through microbial domestication are still limited. Herein, a combined alkali-photocatalytic stimulation strategy was developed to activate the Halomonas shizuishanensis DWK9 for efficient ammonia nitrogen removal. The strain DWK9 selected from saline-alkaline soil in Northwestern China possessed strong resistance to stress of saline-alkaline environment and free radicals, and was abundant in nitrogen conversion genes, thus is an ideal model for advanced microbial domestication. Bacterial in the combined alkali-photocatalytic stimulation group achieved a high ammonia nitrogen conversion rate of 67.5 %, 10 times outperforming the non-stimulated and single alkali/photocatalytic stimulation control groups. Morphology analysis revealed that the bacteria in the alkali-photocatalytic stimulated group formed a favorable structure for bioelectric transfer. Remarkably, the domesticated bacteria demonstrated improved electrochemical properties, including increased current capacity and lower overpotentials and impedance. Prokaryotic transcription genetic analysis together with qPCR analysis showed upregulation of denitrification-related metabolic pathway genes. A novel FAD dependent and NAD(P)H independent energy mode has been proposed. The universality and effectiveness of the as-developed combined alkali-photocatalytic microbial domestication strategy were further validated through indicator fish survival experiments. This work provides unprecedented degrees of freedom for the exploration of rational microbial engineering for optimized and controllable biogeochemical conversion., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Food-waste solid residue is the remaining solid after food waste treatment, with high yield, high solid content, high protein and fiber content. Effective pretreatment is necessary to improve the efficiency of hydrolysis and acidification for anaerobic digestion of food-waste solid residue. In this study, fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis were used to insight into the mechanism of food-waste solid residue during three pretreatments (alkali, thermal and alkali-thermal). Pretreatments increased the solubility of lignocellulosic substrate and destroyed structure of starch, while lignocellulosic analogs were effectively cracked, changing the composition and improving the degradability. Soluble chemical oxygen demand, soluble protein and soluble polysaccharide concentrations were increased by 144.60%, 350.57% and 138.72% after pretreatment under the condition of 120 °C + 2% CaO, respectively. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectra showed the region of maximum fluorescence intensity under alkali-thermal pretreatments, indicating chemical bonds (such as OC-C) were easier broken and the solubility of organic substances were increased. Three main fluorescence components were obtained by parallel factor analysis, which were humic acid-like, lignocellulose-like and protein-like, respectively, while the lignocellulose-like had the maximum Fmax value. The fluorescence intensity of samples under alkali-thermal pretreatment varied in the range from 59.48 × 10 5 to 13.18 × 10 6 , which was an increase of 174.27%-507.74% over the control (21.68 × 10 5 ), indicating that alkali-thermal pretreatment observably accelerated the breaking of chemical bonds, and thus promoted the dissolution of organic matter. This study deeply revealed the mechanism of alkali-thermal pretreatment of food-waste solid residue, which is of great significance for efficient resource utilization of food waste and food-waste solid residue., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A synergistic photocatalytic system based on Fe-based perovskite with persulfate was constructed for alkali lignin (AL) degradation in pulp and paper wastewater. The degradation performance and mechanism on AL were carried out under ambient temperature and pressure, accompanied by visible light irradiation. The results showed that the synergistic photocatalytic system exhibited much better performance on AL degradation than the single catalytic system. The degradation efficiency reached 73.5% under the optimal conditions and was constant at around 65% over the pH range from 2 to 8. A significant escalation of the AL degradation was observed at pH 10, reaching 80.1%. The photogenerated holes, 1 O 2 and SO 4 - ·, generated by the system were involved in the degradation, and the holes played a dominant role. During the degradation process, the efficient promotion of cleavage events in lignin methoxy, β-O-4 bond, and benzene ring was observed. Consequently, the depolymerization process led to the generation of high-value compounds, namely p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and vanillin. Remarkably, the yields of the high-value compounds in the synergistic photocatalytic system were five times larger than those in the control. This study offered a viable method to activate persulfate for alkali lignin degradation and to achieve a mutually beneficial strategy for wastewater treatment and recycling., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) through anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS) is commonly constrained by limited substrate availability, particularly for WAS with low organic content. Combining the hydrocyclone (HC) selection with alkali-thermal (AT) pretreatment is a promising solution to address this limitation. The results indicated that HC selection modified the sludge properties by enhancing the ratio of mixed liquid volatile suspended solids (MLVSS)/mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSS) by 19.0% and decreasing the mean particle size by 17.4%, which were beneficial for the subsequent anaerobic fermentation process. Under the optimal HC + AT condition, the peak value of SCFAs production reached 4951.9 mg COD/L, representing a 23.2% increase compared to the raw sludge with only AT pretreatment. Mechanism investigations revealed such enhancement beyond mechanical separation. It involved an increase in bound extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) through HC selection and the disruption of sludge spatial structure by AT pretreatment. Consequently, this combination pretreatment accelerated the transfer of particulate organics (i.e., bound EPS and intracellular components) to the supernatant, thus increasing the accessibility of WAS substrate to hydrolytic and acidifying bacteria. Furthermore, the microbial structure was altered with the enrichment of key functional microorganisms, probably due to the facilitation of substrate biotransformation and product output. Meanwhile, the activity of hydrolases and SCFAs-forming enzymes increased, while that of methanogenic enzymes decreased. Overall, this strategy successfully enhanced SCFAs production from WAS while reducing the environmental risks of WAS disposal., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Existing issues with bio-based adhesives, such as complex preparation processes, high energy consumption, and production costs, still need to be addressed. In our study, APTES was grafted onto microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) to generate active aminated cellulose, and then reacted with the epoxide group in glycerol triglycidyl ether (GTE) through a swelling strategy under alkaline solvent, forming a network structure via covalent cross-linking. The adhesive exhibits superior bonding performance and water-resistant property in the bonding strength test of poplar plywood, with a dry shear strength of 2.40 MPa, a wet shear strength of 2.16 MPa after soaking in 63 °C hot water, and a wet shear strength of 1.79 MPa after soaking in boiling water. In terms of cost calculation, the theoretical production cost of AC-GTE adhesive is calculated to be 5303.7 RMB per ton, which is comparable to that of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin and other petrochemical-based adhesives, and significantly lower than that of isocyanate-based adhesives. These research results can provide a practical example for producing high-efficiency, aldehyde-free, and low-cost bio-based adhesives., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) or oligo (ethylene glycol) (OEG) grafted anion exchange membranes (AEMs) exhibit improved ionic conductivity, high alkaline stability, and subsequent boosted AEM fuel cell performance, but too much PEG/OEG side chains may can result in a reduction in the ion exchange capacity (IEC), which can have adverse effects on ion transport. Here, a series of partially PEG-grafted poly(terphenyl piperidinium) with different side chain length are synthesized using simple postpolymerization modification to produce AEMs with balanced properties. The polar and flexible PEG side chains are responsible for the controlled water uptake and swelling, superior hydroxide conductivity (122 mS cm -1 at 80 °C with an IEC of 1.99 mmol g -1 ), and enhanced alkaline stability compared to the reference sample without PEG grafts (PTP). More importantly, the performance of AEM fuel cell (AEMFC) with the membrane containing partial PEG side chains surpasses that with PTP membrane, demonstrating a highest peak power density of 1110 mW cm -2 at 80 °C under optimized conditions. This work provides a novel approach to the fabrication of high-performance AEM materials with balanced properties for alkaline fuel cell application., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Rice bran is abundant in dietary fiber and is often referred to as the seventh nutrient, recognized for its numerous health benefits. The objective of the current study is to investigate the extraction of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber from defatted rice bran (DRB) using an alkali-enzymatic treatment through response surface methodology. The independent variables like substrate percentage (5-30 %), enzyme concentration (1-50 µL/g), and treatment time (2-12 h) and dependent variables were the yield of soluble and insoluble DF. The highest extraction yield was observed with alkali enzyme concentration (50 µL/g) treatment, resulting in 2 % SDF and 59.5 % IDF at 24 h of extraction. The results indicate that cellulase-AC enzyme aids in the hydrolysis of higher polysaccharides, leading to structural alterations in DRB and an increase in DF yield. Furthermore, the disruption of intra-molecular hydrogen bonding between oligosaccharides and the starch matrix helps to increase in DF yield, was also confirmed through FTIR and SEM. The extracted DF soluble and insoluble was then used to develop rice porridge. Sensory evaluation using fuzzy logic analysis reported the highest scores for samples containing 0.5 % insoluble DF and 1.25 % soluble DF., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Buckwheat sprouts are rich in pectic polysaccharides, which possess numerous health-improving benefits. However, the precise structure-activity relationship of pectic polysaccharides from Tartary buckwheat sprouts (TP) is still scant, which ultimately restricts their applications in the food industry. Hence, both ultrasound-assisted Fenton treatment (UAFT) and mild alkali treatment (MATT) were utilized for the modification of TP, and then the effects of physicochemical characteristics of original and modified TPs on their bioactivities were assessed. Our findings reveled that the UAFT treatment could precisely reduce TP's molecular weight, with the levels decreased from 8.191 × 10 4 Da to 0.957 × 10 4 Da. Meanwhile, the MATT treatment could precisely reduce TP's esterification degree, with the values decreased from 28.04 % to 4.72 %. Nevertheless, both UAFT and MATT treatments had limited effects on the backbone and branched chain of TP. Moreover, our findings unveiled that the UAFT treatment could notably promote TP's antioxidant, antiglycation, and immunostimulatory effects, while remarkedly reduce TP's anti-hyperlipidemic effect, which were probably owing to that the UAFT treatment obviously reduced TP's molecular weight. Additionally, the MATT treatment could also promote TP's immunostimulatory effect, which was probably attributed to that the MATT treatment significantly decreased TP's esterification degree. Interestingly, the MATT treatment could regulate TP's antioxidant and antiglycation effects, which was probably attributed to that the MATT treatment simultaneously reduced its esterification degree and bound phenolics. Our findings are conducive to understanding TP's structure-activity relationship, and can afford a scientific theoretical basis for the development of functional or healthy products based on TPs. Besides, the UAFT treatment can be a promising approach for the modification of TP to improve its biological functions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Alkali-induced preserved egg gel formation is a dynamic process that involves complex protein changes. Ovomucin (OVM) is closely associated with the gel properties of egg white. In this study, the effect of OVM in alkali-induced egg white gel (AEWG) formation was investigated. The results suggested that OVM reduced the gel formation time by 15 %. The mechanical properties of the fully formed gel were also improved by OVM. Specifically, OVM increased the storage modulus (G') of the gel by 1.5-fold, while the hardness significantly increased from 78.90 ± 4.24 g to 99.80 ± 9.23 g. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) demonstrated that OVM significantly shortened T 23 relaxation time and reduced the water mobility, thus increasing the water holding capacity (WHC). Meanwhile, the presence of OVM resulted in a more homogeneous and denser microscopic morphology of the gel. Selective solubility experiments revealed that disulfide bonds are the primary force in gel formation. OVM promoted the formation of more disulfide bonds, which increased the strength and stability of the gel network. Overall, this research proved OVM plays a critical role in the performance improvement of AEWG, which provides a new insight into the quality control of preserved egg and protein gel foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aerosol acidity (or pH) is one central parameter in determining the health, climate, and ecological effects of aerosols. While it is traditionally assumed that the long-term aerosol pH levels are determined by the relative abundances of atmospheric alkaline to acidic substances (referred to as R C/A hereinafter), we observed contrasting pH─ R C/A trends at different sites globally, i.e., rising alkali-to-acid ratios in the atmosphere may unexpectedly lead to increased aerosol acidity. Here, we examined this apparently counterintuitive phenomenon using the multiphase buffer theory. We show that the aerosol water content (AWC) set a pH "baseline" as the peak buffer pH, while the R C/A and particle-phase chemical compositions determine the deviation of pH from this baseline within the buffer ranges. Therefore, contrasting long-term pH trends may emerge when R C/A increases while the AWC or nitrate fraction decreases, or vice versa. Our results provided a theoretical framework for a quantitative understanding of the response of aerosol pH to variations in SO 2 , NO x versus NH 3 , and dust emissions, offering broad applications in studies on aerosol pH and the associated environmental and health effects.

Protein from tiger nut meal (TNP) performance high nutritional value. This study optimized the extraction parameters for TNP (DES-TNP) using deep eutectic solvent, with HBD: HBA = 5:1, Liquid: Solid = 11:1, and the moisture content was 15 %. A comprehensive comparison was conducted with the protein extracted using alkali-soluble acid precipitation (ASAE-TNP). DES-TNP demonstrated significantly higher purity (76.21 ± 2.59 %) than ASAE-TNP (67.48 ± 1.11 %). Density functional theory confirmed the successful synthesis of DES and its strong interaction with TNP. Moreover, DES-TNP and ASAE-TNP were different in structure (microscopic, secondary, and tertiary) and molecular weight distribution. The discrepancy contributed to the different functional properties, DES-TNP exhibiting better solubility, emulsification and foaming properties at pH13 compared to ASAE-TNP. For nutritional properties, DES-TNP and ASAE-TNP exhibited similar amino acid composition and digestibility, but the total amino acid content of DES-TNP was higher. This study presented a novel method for the extraction and comprehensive utilization of TNP., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study examines the corrosion characteristics of weakly cemented sandstone under alkaline conditions, evaluating the effects of varying pH levels on its macroscopic degradation, micro-porosity, and mechanical properties, notably uniaxial compressive strength. Findings reveal that heightened alkalinity exacerbates rock damage, although a temporary alleviation in mass loss occurs between pH 9 and 11 due to pore clogging by complexes formed from cations like Ca2+ and Mg2+.Increased alkalinity induces marked changes in pore features, with an observed rise in pore numbers, transformation of pore shapes from elongated to more spherical, and adjustments in porosity, pore size, and roundness. Furthermore, the study confirms a decline in both the rock's compressive strength and elastic modulus as pH rises. These revelations shed light on the role of pH in the corrosion behavior of weakly cemented sandstone under alkaline conditions, providing a fresh perspective for understanding its corrosion mechanisms in such environments., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Saline-alkali soils have poor N storage capacity, high N loss and inadequate nutrient supply potential, which are the main limiting factors for crop yields. Vermicompost can increase organic nutrient content, improve soil structure, and enhance microbial activity and function, and the Ca 2+ in flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum can replace Na + and neutralize alkalinity in saline-alkali soils though chemical improvement. This study aimed to determine if vermicompost and FGD gypsum addition could improve the N storage capacity through decreasing NH 3 volatilization and 15 N/NO 3 - leaching from saline-alkali soils. The results indicate that the combined application of vermicompost and FGD gypsum led to the displacement and leaching Na + in the upper soil layer (0-10 cm), as well as the neutralization of HCO 3 - by the reaction with Ca 2+ . This treatment also improved soil organic matter content and macroaggregate structure. Also, these amendments significantly increased the abundance of nifH and amoA genes, while concurrently decreasing the abundance of nirK gene. The structural improvements and the lowering of Na  +  concentration in and alkalinity decreased cumulative NH 3 volatilization, and leaching of 15 N and NO 3 - to the deep soil layer (20-30 cm). FGD gypsum increased the 15 N stocks and inorganic N stocks of saline-alkali soil, whereas vermicompost not only increased the 15 N and inorganic N stocks, but also increased the total N stocks, the combination of vermicompost and FGD gypsum can not only increase the available N storage capacity, but also enhance the potential for N supply. Therefore, vermicompost and FGD gypsum decrease N loss and increase N storage capacity through structural improvement, and lowering of Na + concentration and alkalinity, which is crucial for improving the productivity of saline-alkali soil., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The use of edible insect protein in food products is contingent on their biological effects. Conventional protein extraction methods are not only time-consuming and costly but also energy-intensive. There is a need for alternative techniques that maintain the bioactivities of insect proteins and are environmentally sustainable. This study compares the health functionality of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor larvae) concentrates obtained by conventional methods-alkali and salt (MS) extraction-and nonconventional methods-enzyme (ME) and screw press (MP)-to enhance their applicability despite lower protein concentration. Overall, MP exhibited the highest essential amino acids content, whereas ME showed the highest in vitro digestibility, total phenolic contents, and antioxidant capacities among all the concentrates. ME also had a significant cell proliferative capacity at concentrations ≥500 µg/mL. MS significantly inhibited tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta secretion in lipopolysaccharide-treated Hep3B cells compared to other samples. As for anti-hyperglycemia effects, treatment with MS and ME for 2 and 5 min significantly increased the p-Akt/Akt ratio (MS, 1.34- and 1.61-fold; ME, 2.26- and 2.70-fold, respectively). In conclusion, enzyme treatment enhanced nutritional value and antioxidant capacity, whereas salt treatment potentially contributed to anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperglycemia activities. Hybrid extraction techniques combining conventional and nonconventional methods are suggested based on target applications, considering health benefits, environmental impact, costs, and efficiencies. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Four mealworm protein extraction methods (alkali/salt/enzyme/screw press) were compared for their nutritional and biological properties. Alkali extraction enhanced protein content, enzyme treatment improved nutritional value and antioxidant capacity, and salt-assisted extraction exhibited immunomodulatory effects in vitro. Notably, enzyme and salt treatments produced protein concentrates with significant antidiabetic and anti-hyperglycemic properties., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Food Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists.)

Global circular economy drives the development of sustainable alkali activated materials (AAM) for use as construction material from industrial by-products and wastes. The assessment of the potentially hazardous substances release of these new material combinations into the soil and groundwater over time is essential. In this study, the aim is the environmental assessment of three AAMs based on blast furnace slag (BFS), activated with almond shell biomass ash (ABA) as potassium source and three solid sources of silica from the agricultural industry, rice husk ash (RHA), spent diatomaceous earth (SDE) and bamboo leaf ash (BLA), using European horizontal leaching tests proposed for construction materials, for monolithic form, Dynamic Surface Leaching Test (DSLT) and for granular form, Up-flow Percolation Test and the Compliance leaching test, by simulating different scenarios of their entire life cycle. The leaching results of the AAM showed the effectiveness of the inertization of all the recycled materials studied, which exceeded some inert materials limits, by means of the activation process. Despite the absence of significant differences in the leaching mechanisms of the oxyanions As, Cr, Mo, Sb, Se and V between the three AAMs developed, they presented different long-term leaching behavior depending on their form, monolithic, or granular, and therefore in their different life cycle stages. Therefore, it is concluded that although the incorporation of agro-industrial waste as alternative activators in BFS based AAM according to the Dutch Soil Quality Decree (for unrestricted use of monolithic and granular materials) is an environmentally acceptable option, the design of waste derived AAMs should be assessed by means of a combination of leaching tests that cover their expected life cycle., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Soil salinization leads to a reduction in arable land area, which seriously endangers food security. Developing saline-alkali land has become a key measure to address the contradiction between population growth and limited arable land. Rice is the most important global food crop, feeding half of the world's population and making it a suitable choice for planting on saline-alkali lands. The traditional salt-alkali improvement method has several drawbacks. Currently, non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology is being increasingly applied in agriculture. However, there are few reports on the cultivation of salt/alkali-tolerant rice. Under alkaline stress, argon NTP treatment significantly increased the germination rate of Longdao 5 (LD5) rice seeds. In addition, at 15 kV and 120 s, NTP treatment significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase and SOD. NTP treatment induced changes in genes related to salt-alkali stress in rice seedlings, such as chitinase and xylanase inhibitor proteins, which increased the tolerance of the seeds to salt-alkali stress. This experiment has expanded the application scope of NTP in agriculture, providing a more cost-effective, less harmful, and faster method for developing salt-alkali-tolerant rice and laying a theoretical foundation for cultivating NTP-enhanced salt-alkali-tolerant rice., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

At present, it is estimated that approximately 800 million hectares of arable land worldwide is saline-alkali soil, which has become one of the major limiting factors restricting global agricultural productivity. Meanwhile, the residual food and excreta of mariculture animals, accompanied by potential eutrophication pollution, remain an unresolved issue due to salinity. In this study, the ameliorative effects of biochar (BC700) prepared from maricultural-solid-waste on the biological properties and physicochemical of saline-alkali soil and Salicornia europaea L growth were investigated. Supplements of 1, 3 and 5% BC700 significantly increased the total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and organic carbon in soil by 2.00-68.30%, 26.74-64.96%, 7.74-52.53% and 3.43-64.96%, respectively. And BC700 significantly reduced soil pH. This occurred with enhanced soil urease, sucrase and alkaline phosphatase activities and alterations to the bacterial community structure, thus improving P and N cycling and the soil physicochemical properties. In addition, BC700 has weakened the competition between saline soil microorganisms and also changed the key species of microbial networks. Co-utilization of BC700 and S. europaea cultivation could increase the stability of the soil microbial community while the growth of the plant was significantly promoted by 19.8-25.4%. Supplements of 3% BC700 are recommended as an eco-friendly and effective treatment for the recycling of mariculture wastes for the improvement of saline-alkali soils., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Because of the naturally limited anaerobic degradability and limited biogas yield of raw sludge (RS), this study aims to increase the biogas production of primary sludge (PS) and waste activated sludge (WAS) by the integration of thermal alkaline process (TAP). PH 11 is confirmed to be the most suitable pH value for the TAP of both sludges. Moreover, with the pretreatment at pH 11 and 160 °C (6 bar) for 30 min, the investigated PSs and WASs achieved an increased biogas production of up to 81 % and 72 %, respectively. The improved net electricity production of WASs after TAP varied between 15-43 % compared to conventional WAS digestion. However, the TAP of PS at pH 11 enhanced the biogas production by 1-81 %, which did not constantly contribute to an improved net electricity production., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In this study, cost-effective alkali-activated materials made from industrial side streams (blast furnace slag and Na-jarosite) were developed for catalytic applications. The catalytic activity of the prepared materials was examined in catalytic wet peroxide oxidation reactions of a bisphenol A in an aqueous solution. All materials prepared revealed porous structure and characterisation expressed the incorporation of iron to the material via ion exchange in the preparation step. Furthermore, the materials prepared exhibited high specific surface areas (over 200 m 2 /g) and were mainly mesoporous. Moderate bisphenol A removal percentages (35%-37%) were achieved with the prepared materials during 3 h of oxidation at pH 7-8 and 50°C. Moreover, the activity of catalysts remained after four consecutive cycles (between the cycles the catalysts were regenerated) and the specific surface areas decreased only slightly and no changes in the phase structures were observed. Thus, the prepared blast furnace slag and Na-jarosite-based catalysts exhibited high mechanical stability and showed good potential in the removal of bisphenol A from wastewater through catalytic wet peroxide oxidation.

Researchers are actively investigating methodologies for the detoxification and utilization of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ash (MSWIBA) and Fly Ash (MSWIFA), given their potential as alkali-activated materials (AAMs) with low energy consumption. Recent studies highlight that AAMs from MSWIFA and MSWIBA demonstrate significant durability in both acidic and alkaline environments. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the processes for producing MSWIFA and MSWIBA, evaluating innovative engineering stabilization techniques such as graphene nano-platelets and lightweight artificial cold-bonded aggregates, along with their respective advantages and limitations. Additionally, this review meticulously incorporates relevant reactions. Recommendations are also presented to guide future research endeavors aimed at refining these methodologies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Research on new conservation treatments for historical wood requires considerable amounts of appropriate wood material, which is hard to acquire. Thus, we produced biologically and chemically degraded model wood that could be used as a representative material in future research on consolidating agents. Using chemical composition determinations, we found that fungal decay targeted mainly polysaccharides, while alkaline treatment mostly reduced hemicelluloses and lignin content. X-ray and neutron scattering showed that all decayed samples had increased disorder in microfibril alignment and larger elementary fibril cross-sections, and alkaline-treated samples had much larger elementary fibril spacing compared to those decayed by fungi. These nanoscale and chemical differences correlate with physical property changes. For example, decreased cellulose crystallinity and increased disorder of the microfibrils in degraded cell walls likely contribute to the lower elastic moduli measured for these cell walls. The obtained data improves understanding of how degradation alters wood structures and properties across length scales and will be valuable for future studies focusing on archeological wood. Moreover, it leads to the conclusion that it is more appropriate to develop treatments that consider not only spatial variability and degree of wood degradation but also the corresponding molecular and nanoscale changes in the cell walls., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) and subsequent struvite crystallization are available low-carbon environmental- friendly techniques for resource utilization of waste activated sludge (WAS). In this study, low temperature thermo-alkaline pretreatment (LTTAP) was innovatively proposed for enhancing MFC electricity generation and subsequent struvite crystallization from WAS. The results indicated that LTTAP at 75 °C and pH 10 not only substantially shortened the start-up time of MFC to 3-4 days, but also significantly increased maximum power density to 5.38 W/m 3 . Moreover, thermo-alkaline pretreated WAS effectively exhibited stable and high output voltage over long period, compared to unpretreated WAS. Furthermore, pretreated WAS can provide an effective pH buffering function for MFC operation. In addition, about 90 % of phosphate in the pretreated WAS supernatant was recovered by struvite crystallization. The findings herein provided a new route for enhancing electricity production and nutrient recovery from WAS, which can realize the full-scale applicationof WAS resource utilization., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Each year, a significant number of single-use alkaline batteries with untapped energy are discarded. This study aims to analyze the usage patterns of alkaline batteries based on a dataset of 1021 used batteries, ranging from Size AA to 9V, collected from households in the State of New York. We measure the energy loss resulting from underutilized batteries and examine the corresponding environmental and economic impacts on a national scale. Discarded AA alkaline batteries maintain about 13 % of their initial energy, that results in an estimated annual energy loss of 660 MWh for all AA alkaline batteries in the U.S., and about 40 MWh in New York State. Annually in the U.S., consumers discard AA alkaline batteries with approximately $80 million worth of unused energy, including $4.8 million in New York State alone. We also show that the lifecycle impact of batteries should be multiplied by 1.25 to account for their underutilization. To address these issues, we propose actionable recommendations for improving battery consumption practices and facilitating End-of-Life/Use (EoL/U) recovery processes. The findings show the need for policy interventions to better manage battery usage and disposal toward reducing energy waste and mitigating environmental impacts., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Antibiotics, as emerging persistent pollutants, pose significant threats to human health. The effective and low-cost removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) from wastewater has become an important research focus. In this study, fly ash (FA) was used as the raw material, and modified fly ash (MFA) was prepared by varying microwave power, alkali concentration, and immersion time to investigate its adsorption characteristics for CIP. Results showed that the optimal preparation conditions for MFA with the most effective adsorption of CIP, using the Box-Behnken response surface methodology, were a microwave power of 480 W, an alkali concentration of 1.5 mol/L, and a modification time of 3 h. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that after modification, the glassy structure of FA is destroyed, the specific surface area is increased, and obvious hydroxyl O-H absorption peaks appear. Both FA and MFA exhibited adsorption processes for CIP that conformed to pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir equation. Maximum adsorption of CIP (9.61 and 12.67 mg/g) was achieved at pH = 6. With increasing temperature, the adsorption capacity of both FA and MFA for CIP decreased, indicating an exothermic process. The adsorption capacity of CIP decreased with increasing ion concentration, with the impact order of ions being Al 3+  > Ca 2+  > Na + . The results show that pore filling, electrostatic interaction, ion exchange and complexation are the main ways of CIP adsorption by FA. Microwave alkali modified fly ash is an economical and efficient adsorbent for CIP removal in water, realizing the purpose of "treating waste with waste". This study provides a scientific basis for controlling CIP treatment in wastewater., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (IFA) designated as hazardous waste poses risks to environment and human health. This study introduces a novel approach for the stabilization and solidification (S/S) of IFA: a combined approach involving alkali treatment and immobilization in low-carbon supersulfated cement (SSC). The impact of varying temperatures of alkali solution on the chemical and mineralogical compositions, as well as the pozzolanic reactivity of IFA, and the removal efficiency of heavy metals and metallic aluminum (Al) were examined. The physical characteristics, hydration kinetics and effectiveness of SSC in immobilizing IFA were also analyzed. Results showed that alkali treatment at 25 °C effectively eliminated heavy metals like manganese (Mn), barium (Ba), nickel (Ni), and chromium (Cr) to safe levels and totally removed the metallic Al, while enhancing the pozzolanic reactivity of IFA. By incorporating the alkali-treated IFA and filtrate, the density, compressive strength and hydration reaction of SSC were improved, resulting in higher hydration degree, finer pore structure, and denser microstructure compared to untreated IFA. The rich presence of calcium-aluminosilicate-hydrate (C-(A)-S-H) and ettringite (AFt) in SSC facilitated the efficient stabilization and solidification of heavy metals, leading to a significant decrease in their leaching potential. The use of SSC for treating Ca(OH) 2 - and 25°C-treated IFA could achieve high strength and high-efficient immobilization., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Whole wheat steamed bread has been recommended for its potential nutritional benefits to human health. Given the positive role of both organic acid and alkali in improving dough development and product quality, the present study investigated the effects of neutralization by addition of alkali (Na 2 CO 3 ) after dough acidification with traditional Jiaozi starter on the properties of whole wheat dough., Results: The population of yeast and lactic acid bacteria and the acidification level of the dough increased significantly after fermentation with Jiaozi. Incorporation of alkali greatly improved the leavening capacity of the remixed dough and the quality of steamed bread. Jiaozi fermentation and alkali addition changed the water distribution patterns (T 2 ) and affected the secondary structures of gluten protein, starch crystallinity and pasting properties. The storage modulus (G') of the dough increased significantly with the alkali addition, which could be attributed to the promoted cross-linking of the gluten structure and the altered hydration state of the macromolecules., Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that a combination of Jiaozi fermentation and alkali addition could improve the technological properties of whole wheat dough and the quality of steamed bread. The results will help us to further explore the potential application of moderate acidification and alkali addition in the production of leavened whole wheat products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

This study aims to investigate the effects of ultrasound coupled with alkali cycling on the structural properties, digestion characteristics, biological activity, and peptide profiling of flaxseed protein isolates (FPI). The digestibility of FPI obtained by ultrasound coupled with pH 10/12 cycling (UFPI-10/12) (74.56 % and 79.12 %) was significantly higher than that of native FPI (64.40 %), and UFPI-10 showed higher hydrolysis degree (35.76 %) than FPI (30.65 %) after intestinal digestion. The combined treatment induced transition from α-helix to β-sheet with an orderly structure. Large FPI aggregates broke down into small-sized FPI particles, which induced the increase of specific surface area of particles. This might expose more cutting sites and contact area with enzymes. Furthermore, UFPI-10 showed high antioxidant activity (29.18 %) and lipid-lowering activity (70.52 %). Peptide profiling revealed that UFPI-10 exhibited a higher proportion of 300-600 Da peptides and significantly higher abundance of antioxidant peptides than native FPI, which might promote its antioxidant activity. Those results suggest that the combined treatment is a promising modification method to improve the digestion characteristics and biological activity of FPI. This work provides new ideas for widespread use of FPI as an active stabilizer in food systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Injection of an alkaline absorbent into the flue gas can significantly reduce SO 2 and SO 3 emissions. The article presents alkaline absorbents employed in industrial processes to remove SO 2 and SO 3 from flue gases, detailing their characteristics and applications across various process conditions. It summarizes the mechanisms and influencing factors behind SO 2 and SO 3 removal, outlines the impact of multi-component gases, particularly SO 2 , on SO 3 removal in actual flue gases, and elucidates this competitive phenomenon from a theoretical standpoint. The article compares the application scenarios and efficiencies of alkaline absorbents across different processes, identifies the optimal combinations of various absorbents and processes, and proposes a synergistic approach for the removal of SO 2 and SO 3 . The findings demonstrate that by injecting calcium- or sodium-based absorbents into dry processes, SO 2 and SO 3 can be removed efficiently and cost-effectively, with process optimization and absorbent modifications further enhancing the SO x removal efficiency. In the future, by blending two or more absorbents and applying them to dry processes, a synergistic removal of SO 2 and SO 3 can be achieved., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Normal and waxy maize starches were treated with mild alkali treatment (pH 8.5, 9.9, 11.3) in two temperature-time combinations (25 °C for 1 h and 50 °C for 18 h) to investigate the effect on starch structure and properties. Mild alkali treatment partly removed the starch granule-associated proteins and lipids of normal (from 0.31 % to 0.24 % and from 0.77 % to 0.55 %, respectively) and waxy maize starches (from 0.22 % to 0.18 % and from 0.24 % to 0.15 %, respectively). Gelatinization enthalpy of waxy maize starch increased with alkali treatment from 16.20 J·g -1 to 21.95 J·g -1 , indicating that amylopectin (AP) rearrangement and AP-AP double helices formation might occur. But amylose could inhibit these effects by restricting mobility of amylopectin, and no such changes occurred for normal maize starch. Alkali treatment decreased gelatinization temperature and increased peak and final viscosity. Alkali treatment decreased trough viscosity and increased setback of normal maize starch. The hydrothermal treatment promoted the effect of alkali, attributed to the more rapid molecular motion at higher temperature. Normal and waxy starches showed different changes after alkali treatment, indicating that amylose played an important role in controlling the effect of alkali and hydrothermal treatment, primarily as an obstructer of amylopectin rearrangement in mild alkali treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The utilization of Bacillus sp. for the production of bio-CaCO 3 in concrete crack repair and strength enhancement has attracted considerable attention. However, microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) has yet to be explored as a precedent with activated sludge. Here calcium sourced from concrete slurry waste (CSW) and carbon from sludge microbial β-oxidation under alkaline were used to generate micro/nano CaCO 3 . The results indicate that the main crystalline form of the generated precipitated particles is calcite, with a particle size ranging from 0.7 to 10 μm. Minimal heavy metals were found in the supernatant following settling. And at the optimum pH of 8.5-9, carbon capture reached 743 mg L -1 , and CaCO 3 production reached 1,191 mg L -1 , and dominant phylum were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota , with Thauera being a prevalent genus adept in β-oxidation. Mass balance analysis showed that alkali promotes microbial β-oxidation of organisms to produce CO 2 and facilitate storage. Thus, the alkaline regulation of metabolism between microbe and CSW provides a novel way of sludge to initiate MICP., Competing Interests: The authors declare there is no conflict., (© 2024 The Authors This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits copying and redistribution for non-commercial purposes with no derivatives, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Traditional activators such as sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate are commonly used in the preparation of alkali-activated materials; however, their significant environmental impact, high cost, and operational risks limit their sustainable use in treating solid waste. This study explores the innovative use of carbide slag (CS) and sodium metasilicate (NS) as alternative activators in the production of sewage sludge ash-based alkali-activated materials (SSAM) with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of the preparation process. The results demonstrate that CS effectively activates the sewage sludge ash, enhancing the compressive strength of the SSAM to 40 MPa after curing for 28 d. When used in conjunction with NS, it synergistically improves the mechanical properties. Furthermore, the microstructure and phase composition of the SSAM are characterized. Increasing the quantities of CS and NS accelerates the dissolution of the precursor materials, promoting the formation of a higher quantity of hydration products. This significantly reduces the number of voids and defects within the samples, further enhancing the densification of the microstructure. Environmental assessments reveal that CS and NS offer substantial sustainability benefits, confirming the feasibility of activating SSAM using these materials. This approach provides a less energy-intensive and more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional activation methods and presents an effective strategy for managing large volumes of sewage sludge ash and CS., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ternary alkali-activated binder was prepared by blast furnace slag (GGBS), recycled powder (RP) and waste glass powder (WGP) using simplex centroid design method. By measuring the fluidity, setting time, drying shrinkage and mechanical property of specimen, the complementary effect of GGBS, RP and WGP was discussed. The reaction mechanism and microstructure were explored by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results reveal that the addition of RP could significantly reduce the fluidity and setting time of paste, while WGP can obviously improve the rheological property and play a retarding role. The workability of paste can be effectively regulated by mixing RP and WGP together. Whether added alone or in combination, RP and WGP can effectively improve the shrinkage performance. In the ternary system, GGBS can be rapidly activated and form a skeleton structure. The fine RP particles can play a good role in filling the structure, and the pozzolanic reaction of WGP gradually occurs, which makes the microstructure more compact. The incorporation of GGBS, RP and WGP can promote the growth of hydration products, improve the density of microstructure, and form a certain complementary effect., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no potential conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper examines the adaptive responses of microbial communities to gradual shifts in pH toward the mild alkaline range in anaerobic digestion (AD) systems. The results indicate that a pH of 8.0 serves as a critical upper limit for stable AD operation, beyond which microbial efficiency declines, underscoring the importance of microbial resilience against elevated pH stress. Specifically, hydrolysis genera, e.g. Eubacterium and Anaerobacterium, and syntrophic bacteria were crucial for reactor stability. Fibrobacter had also been shown to play a key role in the accumulation of propionate, thus leading to its dominance in the volatile fatty acid profile throughout the experimental phases. Overall, this investigation revealed the potential adaptability of microbial communities in AD systems to mild alkaline pH shifts, emphasizing the hydrolysis bacteria and syntrophic bacteria as key factors for maintaining metabolic function in elevated pH conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Quinoa sprouts are a green vegetable rich in bioactive chemicals, which have multiple health benefits. However, there is limited information on the overall metabolic profiles of quinoa sprouts and the metabolite changes caused by saline-alkali stress. Here, a UHPLC-MS/MS-based widely targeted metabolomics technique was performed to comprehensively evaluate the metabolic profiles of quinoa sprouts and characterize its metabolic response to saline-alkali stress. A total of 930 metabolites were identified of which 232 showed significant response to saline-alkali stress. The contents of lipids and amino acids were significantly increased, while the contents of flavonoids and phenolic acids were significantly reduced under saline-alkali stress. Moreover, the antioxidant activities of quinoa sprouts were significantly affected by saline-alkali stress. The enrichment analysis of the differentially accumulated metabolites revealed that flavonoid, amino acid and carbohydrate biosynthesis/metabolism pathways responded to saline-alkali stress. This study provided an important theoretical basis for evaluating the nutritional value of quinoa sprouts and the changes in metabolites in response to saline-alkali stress., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Symblepharon is an adverse ocular disease resulting in ocular discomfort and impaired vision, severely dragging down a patient's quality of life. Due to the specificity of the ocular surface, the retention time of drugs on it is short, leading to limited therapeutic effects for ocular diseases. Therefore, it is imperative to design a novel drug delivery system, which can not only prolong the retention time of a drug but also play an anti-fibrosis role in symblepharon. Herein, an antifouling supramolecular polymer ophthalmic ointment consisting of poly( N -acryloyl alaninamide) (PNAAA), vitamin C (VitC) and levofloxacin (Levo) was developed (termed PNAVL ophthalmic ointment), which acted as a mucoadhesive and long-acting ocular delivery system. This antifouling PNAVL ophthalmic ointment improved the retention time of VitC and Levo, and simultaneously provided anti-inflammation and anti-fibrosis effects for mitigating symblepharon after ocular alkali burn injury.

Fabrication of robust isolated atom catalysts has been a research hotspot in the environment catalysis field for the removal of various contaminants, but there are still challenges in improving the reactivity and stability. Herein, through facile doping alkali metals in Pt catalyst on zirconia (Pt-Na/ZrO 2 ), the atomically dispersed Pt δ+ -O(OH) x - associated with alkali metal via oxygen bridge was successfully fabricated. This novel catalyst presented remarkably higher CO and hydrocarbon (HCs: C 3 H 8 , C 7 H 8 , C 3 H 6 , and CH 4 ) oxidation activity than its counterpart (Pt/ZrO 2 ). Systematically direct and solid evidence from experiments and density functional theory calculations demonstrated that the fabricated electron-rich Pt δ+ -O(OH) x - related to Na species rather than the original Pt δ+ -O(OH) x -, serving as the catalytically active species, can readily react with CO adsorbed on Pt δ+ to produce CO 2 with significantly decreasing energy barrier in the rate-determining step from 1.97 to 0.93 eV. Additionally, owing to the strongly adsorbed and activated water by Na species, those fabricated single-site Pt δ+ -O(OH) x - linked by Na species could be easily regenerated during the oxidation reaction, thus considerably boosting its oxidation reactivity and durability. Such facile construction of the alkali ion-linked active hydroxyl group was also realized by Li and K modification which could guide to the design of efficient catalysts for the removal of CO and HCs from industrial exhaust.