Regulation of forkhead box O transcription factor by insulin signaling pathway controls the reproductive diapause of the lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata.

In biological control programs, knowledge about diapause regulation in natural enemy insects provides important insight for improving long-term storage, transportation, and field adoption of these biological control agents. As a natural predator of agricultural pests, the lady beetle Coccinella septempunctata has been commercially mass-cultured and widely employed in pest management. In some insects, insulin signaling, in conjunction with the downstream transcription factor Forkhead box O (FoxO), are master regulators of multiple physiological processes involved in diapause, but it is unclear whether insulin signaling and FoxO affect the diapause of C. septempunctata. In this study, we use a combination of approaches to demonstrate that insulin signaling and FoxO mediate the diapause response in C. septempunctata. In diapausing beetles, application of exogenous insulin and knocking down expression of CsFoxo with RNA interference (RNAi) both rescued beetles from developmental arrest. In non-diapausing beetles, knocking down expression of the insulin receptor (CsInR) with RNA interference (RNAi) arrested ovarian development and decreased juvenile hormone (JH) content to levels comparable to the diapause state. Taken together, these results suggest that a shutdown of insulin signaling prompts the activation of the downstream FoxO gene, leading to the diapause phenotype.

Recycling lead from copper plant residue (CPR) using brine leaching - Precipitation - Calcination process.

Copper plant residue (CPR) is a hazardous industrial by-product possessing both high toxicity and valuable metal content, necessitating its high value-added utilization. Traditional practices in smelters involve stockpiling and landfilling of CPR, leading to substantial land occupation and water contamination. This study focused on the preparation of PbO and Pb3O4 using the HCl-NaCl leaching-conversion-thermal decomposition process, employing CPR as the primary raw material. The effect of various leaching process conditions on the metal leaching rate was explored. A maximum lead leaching rate of 87.65% was achieved under optimal conditions including leaching temperature, liquid-solid ratio, leaching time, HCl molar concentration, NaCl mass concentration, and particle size. The lead content in the leachate was 15.85 g/L. Experimental data indicated that ash diffusion control served as the rate-limiting step in the HCl-NaCl leaching process. The apparent activation energy was determined to be 18.374 kJ mol-1, with a reaction order of 0.8986 concerning the HCl concentration and an L/S ratio of 0.8124. Additionally, response surface methodology enabled the determination of technological parameters for refining PbCl2 into PbCO3 precursors, yielding a conversion rate exceeding 96.50%. Moreover, the technical indicators of PbO and Pb3O4 obtained through low-temperature thermal decomposition of PbCO3 were investigated. The fabricated PbO and Pb3O4 exhibited purities of 99.65% and 99.26%, respectively, effectively transforming CPR from hazardous waste residue into valuable products. The process ensures the efficient recovery of lead to its maximum extent and promotes residue recycling.

Co-utilization of iron ore tailings and coal fly ash for porous ceramsite preparation: Optimization, mechanism, and assessment.

Maximizing the utilization of industrial by-products, such as iron ore tailings (IOTs) and coal fly ash (CFA), is crucial toward sustainable development. This study provides a meticulous insight into the optimization, mechanism, and assessment of the co-utilization of IOTs and CFA for the preparation of porous ceramsite. Micro-CT results revealed that the prepared ceramsite exhibited an exceptional porosity, peaking at 56.98%, with a wide range of pore diameters (3.55-959.10 µm) under optimal conditions (IOTs content at 76%, preheating at 550 °C for 15 min, and sintering at 1177 °C for 14 min), while maintaining good mechanical properties (water adsorption of 1.28%, comprehensive strength of 8.75 MPa, apparent density of 1.37 g/cm3, and bulk density of 0.62 g/cm3). The primary parameters affecting the porosity were identified and ranked as follows: sintering temperature > IOTs content > sintering time. The formation and growth of pores could be attributed to the equilibrium relationship between the liquid-phase surface tension and the gas expansion force, accompanied by pore wall thinning and pore merging. Notably, the prepared ceramsite is both ecologically feasible and economically rewarding, boasting a profit margin of 9.47 $/ton. The comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) conducted further highlights the potential of its large-scale implementation for promoting sustainable development. This study provides an innovative strategy for the co-utilization of IOTs and CFA, with advantages such as cost-effectiveness, ecological feasibility and scalability of production.

Stereochemically Active Lone-Pair Containing Metal Substitution in Polar Axis toward a Giant Phase-Matchable Optical Nonlinear Silicate Crystal Li3(OH)PbSiO4.

Atoms in special lattice sites can play a crucial role in realizing materials properties, which is long pursued but difficult to control. Herein, by adopting a stereochemically active lone-pair-containing metal substitution strategy, a nonlinear-optical (NLO) silicate crystal Li3(OH)PbSiO4 was successfully synthesized, featuring [PbSiO4]∞ layers with the perfect orientation of the stereochemically active lone-pair Pb(II) cation in the polar-axis lattice. Li3(OH)PbSiO4 overcomes the long-standing problem of silicates, that is, poor nonlinear properties because it exhibits both the largest birefringence of 0.082 and the largest phase-matchable second-harmonic-generation (SHG) efficiency of 21 × KDP among the known silicates. The successful polar-axis lattice substitution could offer a new direction for realizing the rational control of materials structures and properties.

Response surface methodology for the mixed fungal fermentation of Codonopsis pilosula straw using Trichoderma reesei and Coprinus comatus.

The objective of this study was to investigate the cellulose degradation rate (CDR) and lignin degradation rate (LDR) of Codonopsis pilosula straw (CPS) and the optimal fermentation parameters for mixed fungal fermentation. Single-factor tests were used to study the effects of the fungal ratio (Trichoderma reesei: Coprinus comatus), fungal inoculum, corn flour content, and fermentation time on the degradation rate of cellulose and lignin. Based on the results of this experiment, the optimal fermentation factors were identified, and the effects of various factors and their interactions on the degradation rates of cellulose and lignin were further evaluated using the response surface method. The quadratic polynomial mathematical model of degradation rates of the cellulose and lignin in CPS by mixed fungus fermentation was established using Design Expert software v8.0.6. Under the optimal parameters for fungal fermentation of CPS straw (fungal ratio 4:6, fungal inoculum 8%, corn flour content 10%, fermentation time of 15 d), the CDR and LDR reached 13.65% and 10.73%, respectively. Collectively, the mixed fungal fermentation of CPS resulted in decreased lignin and cellulose content, better retention of nutrients, and enhanced fermentation quality. The results of this study indicate that fermentation using Trichoderma reesei and Coprinus comatus is a productive method for straw degradation, providing a theoretical basis for the development of CPS as feed.

Enzyme-assisted extraction, characterization, and in vitro antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from Potentilla anserina L.

Introduction: Potentilla anserina (Potentilla anserina L.), also known as ginseng fruit, is a plant that can be used as both medicine and food. Potentilla anserina L. has high medical value in Chinese medicine, such as strengthening the spleen and stomach, replenishing qi and blood, and astringing hemostasis. Methods: In this study, polysaccharides of Potentilla anserina L. were extracted from the root using an enzyme-assisted extraction method. According to the principle of Box-Behnken design, response surface methodology was designed to optimize the extraction conditions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the structure and appearance of Potentilla anserina L. polysaccharides. The monosaccharide composition of Potentilla anserina L. polysaccharides was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. The antioxidant activities were also studied. Results: Under the optimal extraction conditions (the ratio of solid to liquid, 1:15; ratio of cellulase to pectinase, 1:2; extraction pH, 8.0; enzyme reaction temperature, 60°C), the extraction yield of Potentilla anserina L. polysaccharides was 19.80 ± 0.01%, equal to the model prediction value 19.84%. The data of Fourier transform infrared spectrum, scanning electron microscopy, and high-performance liquid chromatography showed that the Potentilla anserina L. polysaccharide was a kind of α-pyran polysaccharide, mainly consisting of galactose, glucose, rhamnose, and arabinose. The antioxidant results showed that Potentilla anserina L. polysaccharides had a strong hydroxyl radical scavenging ability (IC50 = 0.367 mg/mL), superoxide anion scavenging ability (IC50 = 45.017 mg/mL), and a certain degree of total reducing ability. Discussion: Enzyme-assisted extraction is an efficient method to extract Potentilla anserina L. polysaccharides. The Potentilla anserina L. polysaccharides could have potential use in functional foods as a natural antioxidant.

Repurposing of steel rolling sludge: Solvent-free preparation of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and its application for As(III/V)-containing wastewater treatment.

Steel rolling sludge (SRS) is the by-product of metallurgical industry with abundant iron content, which needs to be utilized for producing high value-added products. Herein, cost-effective and highly adsorbent α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were prepared from SRS via a novel solvent-free method and applied to treat As(III/V)-containing wastewater. The structure of the prepared nanoparticles was observed to be spherical with a small crystal size (12.58 nm) and high specific surface area (145.03 m2/g). The nucleation mechanism of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and the effect of crystal water were investigated. More importantly, compared with the traditional methods of preparation cost and yield, this study was found to have excellent economic benefits. The adsorption results indicated that the adsorbent could effectively remove arsenic over a wide pH range, and the optimal performance of nano adsorbent for As(III) and As(V) removal was observed at pH 4.0-9.0 and 2.0-4.0, respectively. The adsorption process was consistent with pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isothermal model. The maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of adsorbent for As(III) and As(V) was 75.67 mg/g and 56.07 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles exhibited great stability, and qm remained at 64.43 mg/g and 42.39 mg/g after five cycles. Particularly, the As(III) was removed by forming inner-sphere complexes with the adsorbent, and it partially oxidized to As(V) during this process. In contrast, the As(V) was removed by electrostatic adsorption and reaction with -OH on the adsorbent surface. Overall, resource utilization of SRS and the treatment of As(III)/(V)-containing wastewater in this study are in line with the current developments in the environmental and waste-to-value research.

Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes promoted energy and nitrogen utilization and decreased CH4 emission per unit dry matter intake of tan sheep grazed a typical steppe by enhancing nutrient digestibility on China loess plateau.

Exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (EFE) products in ruminant nutrition may be an important alternative to meet the increased demands for animal products in the future with reduced environmental impacts. This study aimed to evaluate the dose-response of EFE supplementation on the nutrient digestibility, nitrogen and energy utilization, and methane (CH4) emissions of Tan sheep grazed in summer and winter. A total of 20 Tan wether sheep with an initial body weight of 23.17 ±â€…0.24 kg were used in a randomized complete block design and categorized into two groups. Animals fed orally with 1 g of EFE (10,000 U/g) mixed with 30 mL of water using a drencher constituted the EFE group. For experimental accuracy, the control (CON) group was orally administered with 30 mL of normal saline daily before grazing. The following results were obtained: EFE in the diet increased dry matter intake (DMI) (P < 0.05), average daily gain (ADG) (P < 0.05), and digestibility (P < 0.05) compared with CON in summer and winter. DMI increased but ADG and digestibility decreased in winter compared with those in summer. Sheep fed with the EFE diet increased the concentrations of rumen ammonia nitrogen (P < 0.05) and total volatile fatty acids (P > 0.05), but reduced pH (P > 0.05), compared with CON in summer and winter. EFE increased nitrogen (N) intake, digestible N, retained N, and retained N/digestible N (P < 0.05) but reduced fecal N/N intake, urinary N/N intake, and excretion N/N intake in summer and winter (P < 0.05), compared with CON. Retained N/N intake was reduced and excretion N/N intake increased in winter relative to those in summer. In winter, gross energy (GE), manure E/GE, CH4 emissions, CH4/DMI, and CH4/GE increased but digestion energy and metabolic energy decreased compared with those in summer. Sheep fed with the EFE diet had a greater GE intake than those fed with the CON diet (P < 0.05) but had lesser CH4/DMI and CH4E/GE (P < 0.05) than those fed with the CON diet in both summer and winter. In conclusion, EFE supplementation increased DMI, apparent digestibility, and N deposition rate. These effects were beneficial for animal production. The CH4 emission per unit DMI of grazing Tan sheep was lesser and conducive for augmenting the environmental benefits.

Globally, the supply­demand relationship between grassland and livestock is mainly mediated by the optimization of pasture management. The interaction between grassland and livestock is one of the fundamental drivers of grassland occurrence and development. Natural grassland yields and quality are affected by precipitation, heat, and grazing, and their dynamics vary seasonally with distinct peaks and troughs. The use of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes during troughs can improve the growth performance, digestion, and metabolism of grazing sheep. The exogenous fibrolytic enzyme supplement used in this research may aid in improving the health and overall productivity of grazing sheep.

Eco-friendly strategy for preparation of high-purity silica from high-silica IOTs using S-HGMS coupling with ultrasound-assisted fluorine-free acid leaching technology.

Iron ore tailings (IOTs), a typical hazardous solid waste, seriously threaten human health and the ecological environment. However, the abundance of quartz, particularly in high-silica IOTs, renders them useful. Yet, state-of-the-art technologies have rarely reported the preparation of high-purity silica from high-silicon IOTs. Thus, this study proposed an eco-friendly technology for producing high-purity silica from high-silica IOTs through the coupling of superconducting high gradient magnetic separation (S-HGMS) preconcentration with leaching followed by the use of ultrasound-assisted fluorine-free acid solution. Following an analysis of the separation index and chemical composition, the optimum conditions for the quartz preconcentration were determined as a magnetic flow ratio of 0.068 T s/m, a slurry flow velocity of 500 mL/min, and a pulp concentration of 40 g/L. Consequently, the SiO2 grade increased from 69.32% in the raw sample to 93.12% in quartz concentrate following the application of S-HGMS, with the recovery reaching 45.24%. X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometer, and scanning electron microscope analyses indicated that quartz was effectively preconcentrated from the tailings by S-HGMS. Subsequently, employing the "ultrasound-assisted fluorine-free acid leaching process," impurity elements were removed and high-purity silica was produced. Under optimal leaching conditions, the SiO2 purity of silica sand increased to 97.42%. Following a three-stage acid leaching process with 4 mol/LHCl +2 mol/LH2C2O4, the removal efficiency of Al, Ca, Fe, and Mg exceeded 97% for all cases, and the SiO2 purity in high-purity silica reached 99.93%. Thus, this study proposes a new strategy for the preparation of high-purity quartz from IOTs, which facilitated the effective realization of the high-value utility of the tailings. Furthermore, it provides a theoretical basis for the industrial application of IOTs, which is of great scientific significance and practical application value.

P2-Type Moisture-Stable and High-Voltage-Tolerable Cathodes for High-Energy and Long-Life Sodium-Ion Batteries.

P2-Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 represents a promising cathode for Na-ion batteries, but it suffers from severe structural degradation upon storing in a humid atmosphere and cycling at a high cutoff voltage. Here we propose an in situ construction to achieve simultaneous material synthesis and Mg/Sn cosubstitution of Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 via one-pot solid-state sintering. The materials exhibit superior structural reversibility and moisture insensitivity. In-operando XRD reveals an essential correlation between cycling stability and phase reversibility, whereas Mg substitution suppressed the P2-O2 phase transition by forming a new Z phase, and Mg/Sn cosubstitution enhanced the P2-Z transition reversibility benefiting from strong Sn-O bonds. DFT calculations disclosed high chemical tolerance to moisture, as the adsorption energy to H2O was lower than that of the pure Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2. A representative Na0.67Ni0.23Mg0.1Mn0.65Sn0.02O2 cathode exhibits high reversible capacities of 123 mAh g-1 (10 mA g-1), 110 mAh g-1 (200 mA g-1), and 100 mAh g-1 (500 mA g-1) and a high capacity retention of 80% (500 mA g-1, 500 cycles).

Shift of Feeding Strategies from Grazing to Different Forage Feeds Reshapes the Rumen Microbiota To Improve the Ability of Tibetan Sheep (Ovis aries) To Adapt to the Cold Season.

The dynamics of ruminant-rumen microbiome symbiosis associated with feeding strategies in the cold season were examined. Twelve pure-grazing adult Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) (18 months old; body weight, 40 ± 0.23 kg) were transferred from natural pasture to two indoor feedlots and fed either a native-pasture diet (NPF group) or an oat hay diet (OHF group) (n = 6 per treatment), and then the flexibility of rumen microbiomes to adapt to these compositionally different feeding strategies was examined. Principal-coordinate analysis and similarity analysis indicated that the rumen bacterial composition correlated with altered feeding strategies. Microbial diversity was higher in the grazing group than in those fed with native pasture and an oat hay diet (P < 0.05). The dominant microbial phyla were Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, and the core bacterial taxa comprised mostly (42.49% of shared operational taxonomic units [OTUs]) Ruminococcaceae (408 taxa), Lachnospiraceae (333 taxa), and Prevotellaceae (195 taxa), which were relatively stable across different treatments. Greater relative abundances of Tenericutes at the phylum level, Pseudomonadales at the order level, Mollicutes at the class level, and Pseudomonas at the genus level were observed in a grazing period than in the other two treatments (NPF and OHF) (P < 0.05). In the OHF group, due to the high nutritional quality of the forage, Tibetan sheep can produce high concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and NH3-N by increasing the relative abundances of key bacteria in the rumen, such as Lentisphaerae, Negativicutes, Selenomonadales, Veillonellaceae, Ruminococcus 2, Quinella, Bacteroidales RF16 group, and Prevotella 1, to aid in nutrients degradation and energy utilization. The levels of beneficial bacteria were increased by the oat hay diet; these microbiotas are likely to help improve and maintain host health and metabolic ability in Tibetan sheep to adapt to cold environments. The rumen fermentation parameters were significantly influenced by feeding strategy in the cold season (P < 0.05). Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the strong effect of feeding strategies on the rumen microbiota of Tibetan sheep, which provided a new idea for the nutrition regulation of Tibetan sheep grazing in the cold season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. IMPORTANCE During the cold season, like other high-altitude mammals, Tibetan sheep have to adapt their physiological and nutritional strategies, as well as the structure and function of their rumen microbial community, to the seasonal variation of lower food availability and quality. This study focused on the changes and adaptability in the rumen microbiota of Tibetan sheep when they adapted from grazing to a high-efficiency feeding strategy during the cold season by analyzing the rumen microbiota of Tibetan sheep raised under the different management systems, and it shows the linkages among the rumen core and pan-bacteriomes, nutrient utilization, and rumen short-chain fatty acids. The findings from this study suggest that the feeding strategies potentially contribute to variations in the pan-rumen bacteriome, together with the core bacteriome. Fundamental knowledge on the rumen microbiomes and their roles in nutrient utilization furthers our understanding of how rumen microbial adaptation to harsh environments may function in hosts. The facts obtained from the present trial clarified the possible mechanisms of the positive effects of feeding strategy on nutrient utilization and rumen fermentation in harsh environments.

Purification, structural characterization and immunological activity of Sibiraea laexigata (L.) Maxim polysaccharide.

Sibiraea laexigata (L.) Maxim (SLM) has been used as an herbal tea for treating stomach discomfort and indigestion for a long time in china. Polysaccharides have been identified as one of the major bioactive compounds in the SLM. In the present paper, ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction (UAEE) method was employed in polysaccharides extraction derived from SLM using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as extraction solvent, two SLM polysaccharides (SLMPs) fractions (SLMPs-1-1 and SLMPs-2-1) were purified by DEAE Cellulose-52 and Sephadex G-100 chromatography in sequence. Then, the preliminarily structure of the two factions were characterized by chemical composition analysis, molecular weight measurement, UVS, HPLC-PMP, FT-IR, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra analysis and SEM. The results showed that SLMPs-1-1 and SLMPs-2-1 with different molecular weights of 1.03 and 1.02 kDa, mainly composed of glucose (46.76 and 46.79%), respectively. The results of structural characterization from FT-IR, 1H NMR, and SEM revealed that SLMPs-1-1 and SLMPs-2-1 contained the typical pyranoid polysaccharide with α-glycosidic bond and ß-glycosidic bond. Furthermore, it was found that SLMPs-1-1 could increase the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-2 (IL-2), and alleviated the immune organs tissue damage of cyclophosphamide (Cy)-treated mice. RT-qPCR and Western-Blot analysis showed that SLMPs-1-1 could significantly up-regulated the levels of NF-κB, TLR4, which revealed that SLMPs-1-1 could participate in immunosuppressive protection of Cy-treated mice. These findings suggested that the potential of SLMPs-1-1 as an alternative immunostimulator could be used in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Structure characterization and antioxidant activity analysis of polysaccharides from Lanzhou Lily.

Lanzhou Lily (Lilium davidii var. unicolor) is a traditional medicinal plant and popular edible vegetable bulb in China. In this study, the polysaccharides of Lanzhou Lily (LLPs) were extracted by polyethylene glycol-based ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction method (PEG-UAEE). The optimum process conditions were obtained by single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM). Then, the preliminarily structure of LLPs was characterized by HPLC, FT-IR, and SEM, and its antioxidant activities were evaluated. The results showed that LLPs yield reached 14.75% under the optimized conditions: E/S ratio 1,400 U/g; pH 5.0, ultrasonic time 30 min; and ultrasonic temperature 50 °C. The LLPs has pyranoid ring, uronic acid, and the characteristic absorption peaks of -OH, C = O, and C-H. The results of scanning electron microscope indicated that the LLPs had irregular distribution, dispersed structure, and many holes. The HPLC analysis showed that the LLPs were heteropolysaccharide containing galactose (6.36%), glucose (76.03%), rhamnose (2.02%), and arabinose (7.09%). Moreover, the LLPs showed obvious antioxidant effect in vitro.

Investigation of scale inhibition effect and mechanism of S-HGMF in the clean recirculating cooling water system.

The formation of scales in a recirculating water system is a common problem in industrial water treatment; it seriously affects the production in various industries and pollutes the environment. Although conventional scale inhibition methods are effective, they are expensive and harm the environment. Herein, an advanced method is proposed to solve the scaling issue in recirculating cooling water systems using the superconducting high-gradient magnetic field (S-HGMF) treatment. The scale inhibition performance could be improved by changing the magnetic flux density, operation time, and flow rate. The results showed that S-HGMF could increase the number of hydrogen bonds in the recirculating cooling water, enhance molecular interaction, increase the thickness of the ion hydration shell, reduce the nucleation rate, stabilize the water quality, improve the solubility of scale-forming ions, and inhibit scale formation. The scale inhibition performance reached 8.10%. Interestingly, S-HGMF had a memory effect in that it could maintain the scale inhibition effect for some period after treatment completion. Moreover, S-HGMF changed the crystal structure of the scale and promoted the transformation of the scale to a metastable phase. Ultimately, calcite was transformed to aragonite to reduce the precipitation of hard scale (calcite), achieving the purpose of scale inhibition. As a physical method, the application of S-HGMF to inhibit scaling has great potential for industrial applications.

Insights into Antiperovskite Ni3 In1-x Cux N Multi-Crystalline Nanoplates and Bulk Cubic Particles as Efficient Electrocatalysts on Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Intrinsic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity and the mechanism of antiperovskite Ni3 In1-x Cux N bulk cubic particles and multi-crystalline nanoplates are thoroughly investigated. Stoichiometric Ni3 In0.6 Cu0.4 N reaches the best HER performance, with an overpotential of 102 mV in its multi-crystalline nanoplates obtained from the LDH-derived method, and 143 mV in its bulk cubic particles from the citric method. DFT calculation reveals that Ni-In or Ni-Cu paired on the (100) plane serve as primary active sites. The Ni-Cu pair exhibits stronger OH* and H* affinity that correspondingly reduce OH* and H* adsorption free energy. Introducing specific amounts of the Ni-Cu pair, that is In:Cu = 0.6:0.4 in Ni3 In0.6 Cu0.4 N, can optimize OH* and H* adsorption free energy to facilitate water dissociation in the HER process, while avoiding OH* adsorption getting too strong to block active sites. Besides, Ni3 In0.6 Cu0.4 N turns the water adsorption step spontaneous, which may be attributed to the shifted d-band center and polarizing effect from surface In-Cu charge distribution. This work expands the scope for material design in an antiperovskite system by tailoring the chemical components and morphology for optimal reaction free energy and performance.

Cathepsin L Contributes to Reproductive Diapause by Regulating Lipid Storage and Survival of Coccinella septempunctata (Linnaeus).

Cathepsin L protease, which belongs to the papain-like cysteine proteases family, is an important player in many physiological and pathological processes. However, little was known about the role of cathepsin L in ladybird beetles (Coccinella septempuctata Linnaeus) during diapause. Here, we analyzed the characteristics of cathepsin L (CsCatL) in the females of C. septempunctata and its role during the diapause of the ladybeetle. CsCatL was cloned and identified from beetle specimens by rapid amplification of cDNA-ends (RACE). The cDNA sequence of CsCatL was 971 bp in length, including an 843 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 280 amino acids. It was identified as the cathepsin L group by phylogenetic analysis. Knockdown of CsCatL by RNA interference led to decreased expression levels of fatty acid synthase 2 (fas 2) genes and suppressed lipid accumulation. Furthermore, silencing the CsCatL gene distinctly reduced diapause-related features and the survival of female C. spetempunctata under diapause-inducing conditions. The results suggested that the CsCatL gene was involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and played a crucial role in the survival of adult C. septempunctata during the diapause preparation stage.

Realizing Fast Charge Diffusion in Oriented Iron Carbodiimide Structure for High-Rate Sodium-Ion Storage Performance.

Iron carbodiimide (FeNCN) belongs to a type of metal compounds with a more covalent bonding structure compared to common transition metal oxides. It could provide possibilities for various structural designs with improved charge-transfer kinetics in battery systems. Moreover, these possibilities are still highly expected for promoting enhancement in rate performance of sodium (Na)-ion battery. Herein, oriented FeNCN crystallites were grown on the carbon-based substrate with exposed {010} faces along the [001] direction (O-FeNCN/S). It provides a high Na-ion storage capacity with excellent rate capability (680 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 and 360 mAh g-1 at 20 A g-1), presenting rapid charge-transfer kinetics with high contribution of pseudocapacitance during a typical conversion reaction. This high rate performance is attributed to the oriented morphology of FeNCN crystallites. Its orientation along [001] maintains preferred Na-ion diffusion along the two directions in the entire morphology of O-FeNCN/S, supporting fast Na-ion storage kinetics during the charge/discharge process. This study could provide ideas toward the understanding of the rational structural design of metal carbodiimides for attaining high electrochemical performance in future.

Integrated Z-Scheme Nanosystem Based on Metal Sulfide Nanorods for Efficient Photocatalytic Pure Water Splitting.

Developing efficient metal sulfides for pure water splitting is a challenging topic in the field of photocatalysis. Herein, inspired by natural photosynthesis, an all-solid-state Z-scheme photocatalyst was constructed with Cd0.9 Zn0.1 S (CZS) for water reduction, red phosphorus (RP) for water oxidation, and metallic CoP as the electron mediator. RP@CoP core-shell nanostructures were uniformly attached on the CZS nanorods, which gave rise to multiple monodispersed nanojunctions. The integrated Z-scheme nanosystem exhibited an apparent quantum efficiency of 6.4 % at 420 nm for pure water splitting. Theoretical analysis and femtosecond transient absorption results revealed that the impressive performance was mainly due to efficient hole transfer of CZS, resulting from the intimate atomic contacts between CoP mediator and photocatalysts, together with favorable band alignment. Meanwhile, the multiple monodispersed Z-scheme nanojunctions could provide abundant reaction sites, which was also important for the boosted activity.

Improvement of chicken plasma protein hydrolysate angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity by optimizing plastein reaction.

Chicken plasma protein hydrolysate (CPPH) was prepared by trypsin with angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of 53.5% ± 0.14% and the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of 16.22% ± 0.21% at 1 mg·ml-1; then, five proteases, including pepsin, trypsin, papain, alcalase, and neutrase, were employed to improve ACE inhibitory ability by catalyzing plastein reaction. The results indicated that trypsin-catalyzed plastein reaction showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity. The exogenous amino acids of leucine, histidine, tyrosine, valine, and cysteine were selected to modify the CPPH. The leucine-modified plastein reaction released the highest ACE inhibitory activity. The effects of four reaction parameters on plastein reaction were studied, and the optimal conditions with the purpose of obtaining the most powerful ACE inhibitory peptides from modified products were obtained by response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum ACE inhibition rate of the modified hydrolysate reached 82.07% ± 0.03% prepared at concentration of hydrolysates of 30%, reaction time of 4.9 hr, pH value of 8.0, temperature of 40°C, and E/S ratio of 5,681.62 U·g-1. The results indicated that trypsin-catalyzed plastein reaction increased ACE inhibitory activity of chicken plasma protein hydrolysates by 28.57%.

Synthesis of ZSM-5 Microspheres Made of Nanocrystals from Iron Ore Tailings by the Solid-Phase Conversion Method.

ZSM-5 microspheres made of nanocrystals are successfully synthesized from iron ore tailings (IOTs) using a novel and environmentally friendly method, which have a well-defined microporous and mesoporous structure with a large surface area and high acidic strength. In the absence of the liquid water phase during the solid-phase conversion, the phase separation between the surfactant and the solid silica phase is able to be bypassed. Compared to conventional methods, such as hydrothermal and steam-assisted conversion methods, this approach enhances the utilization of autoclaves, considerably reduces pollutants, and simplifies the synthetic process, which saves both energy and time. Furthermore, the crystallization of ZSM-5 microspheres via the solid-phase conversion was examined at 413, 433, and 453 K. The results of the kinetic study suggest that the experimental values obtained conform to those of the nonlinear regression model of Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami for crystallization and nucleation. For the induction, transition, and crystallization stages, the activation energies are 70.96, 39.76, and 36.23 kJ·mol-1, respectively. The new method is economical and offers a valuable industrially applicable route for the reuse of IOTs to synthesize ZSM-5 microspheres. This synthetic concept could also be expanded to obtain other types of mesoporous zeolites.