Energy-efficient path planning for a multi-load automated guided vehicle executing multiple transport tasks in a manufacturing workshop environment.

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are typical intelligent logistics equipment, and path planning plays a significant role in the efficient use of AGVs. To better utilize multi-load AGVs and enhance the sustainability of the logistics process, an energy-efficient path planning model is formulated for a multi-load AGV executing multiple transport tasks in a manufacturing workshop environment, with transport distance and energy consumption (EC) serving as optimization objectives. Furthermore, a two-stage approach is proposed to solve it. In the first stage, the optimal energy-efficient paths connecting any two different nodes are acquired based on the workshop transport network expressed as a topological map. Afterward, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II is adopted in the second stage to determine the optimal execution sequence of pickup and delivery operations related to the assigned transport tasks, as well as to select the optimal path from the first stage's output information to execute each operation simultaneously. Moreover, the experimental study validates the energy-saving effect of the established model and the effectiveness of the solution method, and the factors affecting the multi-load AGV EC are analyzed.

Disruption of Cdk5-GluN2B complex by a small interfering peptide attenuates social isolation-induced escalated intermale attack behavior and hippocampal oxidative stress in mice.

Social isolation has emerged as a significant issue during the COVID-19 pandemic that can adversely impact human mental health and potentially lead to pathological aggression. Given the lack of effective therapeutic interventions for aggressive behavior, alternative approaches are necessary. In this study, we utilized a genetic method combined with a pharmacological approach to identify and demonstrate the crucial role of Cdk5 in escalated intermale attack behavior induced by 2-week social isolation. Moreover, we developed a small peptide that effectively disrupts the interaction between Cdk5 and GluN2B, given the known involvement of this complex in various neuropsychiatric disorders. Administration of the peptide, either systemically or via intrahippocampal injection, significantly reduced oxidative stress in the hippocampus and attenuated intermale attack behavior induced by 2-week social isolation. These findings highlight the previously unknown role of the hippocampal Cdk5-GluN2B complex in social isolation-induced aggressive behavior in mice and propose the peptide as a promising therapeutic strategy for regulating attack behavior and oxidative stress.

Edge-rich molybdenum disulfide tailors carbon-chain growth for selective hydrogenation of carbon monoxide to higher alcohols.

Selective hydrogenation of carbon monoxide (CO) to higher alcohols (C2+OH) is a promising non-petroleum route for producing high-value chemicals, in which precise regulations of both C-O cleavage and C-C coupling are highly essential but remain great challenges. Herein, we report that highly selective CO hydrogenation to C2-4OH is achieved over a potassium-modified edge-rich molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) catalyst, which delivers a high CO conversion of 17% with a superior C2-4OH selectivity of 45.2% in hydrogenated products at 240 °C and 50 bar, outperforming previously reported non-noble metal-based catalysts under similar conditions. By regulating the relative abundance of edge to basal plane, C2-4OH to methanol selectivity ratio can be overturned from 0.4 to 2.2. Mechanistic studies reveal that sulfur vacancies at MoS2 edges boost carbon-chain growth by facilitating not only C-O cleavage but also C-C coupling, while potassium promotes the desorption of alcohols via electrostatic interaction with hydroxyls, thereby enabling preferential formation of C2-4OH.

All-Climate Long-Life and Fast-Charging Sodium-Ion Battery using Co3 S4 @NiS2 Heterostructures Encapsulated in Carbon Matrix as Anode.

Sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery is one of the research focuses because of high theoretical capacity and low cost. However, seeking for ideal anodes remains a big challenge. Here, a Co3 S4 @NiS2 /C synthesized by in situ growing NiS2 on CoS spheres then converting to Co3 S4 @NiS2 heterostructures encapsulated by carbon matrix, is developed as a promising anode. Co3 S4 @NiS2 /C as anode displays a high capacity of 654.1 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles. Even over 2000 cycles at a high rate of 10 A g-1 , capacity exceeds 143.2 mAh g-1 . Heterostructures between Co3 S4 and NiS2 improve electron transfer as verified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In addition, when cycling at a high temperature of 50 °C, the Co3 S4 @NiS2 /C anode displays 525.2 mAh g-1 , while it remains 340 mAh g-1 at -15 °C, indicating all-climate potential for using under different temperatures.

Prediction of physiological state, cognition, sensory function, and biomarkers for frailty in patients aged 55 years or more with schizophrenia.

AIM: We explored the performance of demographic characteristics, physiological state, cognitive function, sensory function, and biomarkers when used as predictors of frailty for patients with schizophrenia. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study design was adopted. METHODS: Demographic data and data on physiological state, cognitive function, sensory function, biochemical indices, and frailty status of patients with schizophrenia were collected. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, a chi-square test, one-factor analysis of variance, and logistic regression. RESULTS: The results revealed that frailty was prevalent among patients with lower educational attainment, longer hospital stay, higher skeletal muscle mass, higher basal metabolic rate, lower cognitive function, the use of tranquillisers and sleeping pills, and the use of assistive equipment as well as having fallen in the past year. In addition, cognitive function (p < 0.05), use of a wheelchair (p < 0.05), and use of an assistive walker (p < 0.001) were used as predictors of frailty condition of patients with schizophrenia. PATIENT CONTRIBUTION: Patients with schizophrenia have higher risk of having complications than patients with other chronic illnesses. Therefore, medical staff should regularly assess the levels of frailty risk to help patients with schizophrenia.

Monitoring Electron Flow in Nickel Single-Atom Catalysts during Nitrogen Photofixation.

An efficient catalytic system for nitrogen (N2) photofixation generally consists of light-harvesting units, active sites, and an electron-transfer bridge. In order to track photogenerated electron flow between different functional units, it is highly desired to develop in situ characterization techniques with element-specific capability, surface sensitivity, and detection of unoccupied states. In this work, we developed in situ synchrotron radiation soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (in situ sXAS) to probe the variation of electronic structure for a reaction system during N2 photoreduction. Nickel single-atom and ceria nanoparticle comodified reduced graphene oxide (CeO2/Ni-G) was designed as a model catalyst. In situ sXAS directly reveals the dynamic interfacial charge transfer of photogenerated electrons under illumination and the consequent charge accumulation at the catalytic active sites for N2 activation. This work provides a powerful tool to monitor the electronic structure evolution of active sites under reaction conditions for photocatalysis and beyond.

Clinical Characteristics and Death Risk Factors of Severe Sepsis in Children.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome caused by viral infection. The circulatory dysfunction caused by sepsis is also called septic shock or septic shock. The main characteristics are rapid onset, rapid changes, and involvement. Multiple organs in the body make diagnosis difficult, which seriously threatens the survival of patients. As many as one million people worldwide die every year because of SIRS, it is also the leading cause of death among children in hospital ICUs. This article is aimed at studying the clinical characteristics of severe sepsis in children and the risk factors for death. Based on the analysis of the pathogenesis of sepsis and the treatment of septic shock, 65 cases of children with PICU sepsis admitted to a hospital were selected. Data, to study its clinical characteristics and risk factors for death. The results of the study showed that despite the interaction among the removal factors of the three indexes of serum lactic acid value, PCIS level, and the number of organs involved in MODS, they are still related to the mortality of children with severe sepsis.

Identification of the Shared Gene Signatures between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Epilepsy via Bioinformatic Analysis.

Purpose: To identify gene signatures that are shared by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and epilepsy (EP) and explore the potential molecular mechanism of the two diseases using WGCNA analysis. Additionally, to verify the effects of the shared molecular mechanism on ADHD, which is another neurological comorbidity. Methods: We screened the crosstalk genes between ASD and EP based on WGCNA and differential expression analysis from GEO and DisGeNET database and analyzed the function of the genes' enrichment by GO and KEGG analyses. Then, with combination of multiple datasets and multiple bioinformatic analysis methods, the shared gene signatures were identified. Moreover, we explored whether the shared gene signature had influence on the other neurological disorder like ADHD by analyzing the difference of the relative genes' expression based on bioinformatic analysis and molecular experiment. Results: By comprehensive bioinformatic analysis for multiple datasets, we found that abnormal immune response and abnormal lipid metabolic pathway played important roles in coincidence of ASD and EP. Base on the results of WGCNA, we got the hub genes in ASD and EP. In attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) animal model, we also found a significant difference of gene expression related to sulfatide metabolism, indicating that the abnormal sphingolipid metabolism was common in multiple neurological disorders. Conclusion: This study reveals shared gene signatures between ASD and EP and identifies abnormal sphingolipid metabolism as an important participant in the development of ASD, EP, and ADHD.

Ketogenic diet (KD) therapy in the acute phase of febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES): a case report.

Management of frequent epileptic seizures in febrile infection-related epilepsy (FIRES) is often challenging. FIRES is an uncommon disease condition. Children with FIRES develop refractory epilepsy with severe cognitive deficits that affect the function of the temporal and frontal lobes. However, better seizure control during the acute stage of FIRES could protect against injury to the nervous system. Ketogenic diet (KD) can effectively resolve super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) in the acute phase and improve the prognosis of FIRES. We present the case of a previously healthy 3-year-old male with new-onset status epilepticus (SE) admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit for 55 days. Despite treatment with multiple anti-epileptic agents in addition to IV anaesthetics, the patient remained in SRSE and continued to have generalised epileptic activity on electroencephalography (EEG). KD therapy was initiated on the 14th day of the onset, and the patient achieved complete neurological recovery following the KD. Throughout the remainder of admission, the patient was successfully weaned off the ventilator, tolerated oral meals, and worked with occupational and physical therapists to return to his baseline functional status. The convulsions were well controlled after discharge. We discuss the treatment strategies for FIRES and highlight the role of KD therapy in the acute phase to control disease progression and improve the prognosis, and early diagnosis of FIRES and early initiation of KD therapy combined with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) could improve the prognosis.

Identification of lncRNA expression profiles and analysis of ceRNA in the hippocampus of perinatal glyphosate-exposed mice.

OBJECTIVE: In order to understand the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) played in the mechanisms of glyphosate neurotoxicity in neuronal development. METHODS: Perinatal glyphosate exposure (PGE) mouse model was constructed, and a lncRNA microarray was used to study the lncRNA expression changes in the hippocampus tissue of perinatal glyphosate exposure mice. Then we used GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) databases to analyze the function of the differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs. RESULTS: LncRNA microarray analysis revealed that 1759 lncRNAs and 759 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the perinatal glyphosate exposure (PGE) mice group (G group) compared with the normal control mice group (C group). The functions of the DEmRNAs are involved in the cellular response to hormone stimulus. The ceRNA analysis showed that some interaction networks existed, including (ENSMUST00000137546, ENSMUST00000160950)/(miR-34a-3p, miR-130a-3p)/(Il12b, Irf1). Further analysis of the target mRNAs of miRNAs indicated that the possible functions involved the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and calcium signaling pathway, which are involved in perinatal glyphosate exposure-induced neurotoxicity. CONCLUSION: The aberrant expression of lncRNAs is related to the perinatal glyphosate-exposed neurotoxicity. These lncRNAs affect the target gene expression level, might by regulating neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions. The (ENSMUST00000137546, ENSMUST00000160950)/ (miRNA-34a-5p, miR-130a-3p) / mRNAs (e.g., Il12b, Irf1) interaction network may functions in perinatal glyphosate exposure-induced neurotoxicity.

Effects of long-term fertilization on calcium-associated soil organic carbon: Implications for C sequestration in agricultural soils.

Although the contribution of calcium ion (Ca2+) to stabilizing organic carbon (OC) in soils has been known for years, we still have a limited understanding of the quantity and molecular composition of Ca2+ bound SOC (Ca-OC) evolution in response to long-term fertilization. Here we report the role of Ca2+ in the accumulation of OC in the topsoil (0-20 cm) from two long-term (25-37 years) fertilization experiment sites. Approximately 4.54-19.27% and 9.00-25.15% of SOC was bound with Ca2+ in the Ferric Acrisol and Fluvic Cambisol, respectively. The application of NPK mineral fertilizers (NPK) decreased (p < 0.05) the Ca-OC stocks from 3.40 t ha-1 to 0.96 t ha-1 and from 2.03 t ha-1 to 1.17 t ha-1 in the Ferric Acrisol and Fluvic Cambisol, respectively. Swine manure (M) addition did not change (p > 0.05) the Ca-OC stock in Ferric Acrisol, but enhanced (p < 0.05) that from 2.03 t ha-1 to 9.75 t ha-1 in Fluvic Cambisol. Fourier transform infrared and carbon (1s)-near X-ray absorption spectroscopies showed that Ca2+ was mainly bound with aromatic carbon and carboxylic carbon. Long-term M fertilization facilitated the binding of Ca2+ with O-alkyl C, suggesting an increment of Ca-linked polysaccharide. Calcium ion was preferentially associated with 13C enriched organic matter (OM). Mineral fertilization promoted the 13C-enriched organic compounds in the Ca-OC, while organic fertilization facilitated the binding of 13C-depleted organic C with Ca2+. This study suggests that Ca-OC may be a potentially vital and stable OC pool in arable soils, and provides direct evidence for the preferential association of OC with Ca2+ in edaphic environments.

Anomalous self-optimization of sulfate ions for boosted oxygen evolution reaction.

Broadly, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been deeply understood as a significant part of energy conversion and storage. Nevertheless, the anions in the OER catalysts have been neglected for various reasons such as inactive sites, dissolution, and oxidation, amongst others. Herein, we applied a model catalyst s-Ni(OH)2 to track the anionic behavior in the catalyst during the electrochemical process to fill this gap. The advanced operando synchrotron radiation Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) spectroscopy, synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy (SRPES) depth detection and differential X-ray absorption fine structure (Δ-XAFS) spectrum jointly point out that some oxidized sulfur species (SO42-) will self-optimize new Ni-S bonds during OER process. Such amazing anionic self-optimization (ASO) behavior has never been observed in the OER process. Subsequently, the optimization-derived component shows a significantly improved electrocatalytic performance (activity, stability, etc.) compared to reference catalyst Ni(OH)2. Theoretical calculation further suggests that the ASO process indeed derives a thermodynamically stable structure of the OER catalyst, and then gives its superb catalytic performance by optimizing the thermodynamic and kinetic processes in the OER, respectively. This work demonstrates the vital role of anions in the electrochemical process, which will open up new perspectives for understanding OER and provide some new ideas in related fields (especially catalysis and chemistry).

Interaction of Hydrogen with Ceria: Hydroxylation, Reduction, and Hydride Formation on the Surface and in the Bulk.

The study reports the first attempt to address the interplay between surface and bulk in hydride formation in ceria (CeO2 ) by combining experiment, using surface sensitive and bulk sensitive spectroscopic techniques on the two sample systems, i.e., CeO2 (111) thin films and CeO2 powders, and theoretical calculations of CeO2 (111) surfaces with oxygen vacancies (Ov ) at the surface and in the bulk. We show that, on a stoichiometric CeO2 (111) surface, H2 dissociates and forms surface hydroxyls (OH). On the pre-reduced CeO2-x samples, both films and powders, hydroxyls and hydrides (Ce-H) are formed on the surface as well as in the bulk, accompanied by the Ce3+ ↔ Ce4+ redox reaction. As the Ov concentration increases, hydroxyl is destabilized and hydride becomes more stable. Surface hydroxyl is more stable than bulk hydroxyl, whereas bulk hydride is more stable than surface hydride. The surface hydride formation is the kinetically favorable process at relatively low temperatures, and the resulting surface hydride may diffuse into the bulk region and be stabilized therein. At higher temperatures, surface hydroxyls can react to produce water and create additional oxygen vacancies, increasing its concentration, which controls the H2 /CeO2 interaction. The results demonstrate a large diversity of reaction pathways, which have to be taken into account for better understanding of reactivity of ceria-based catalysts in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

The recovery of nano-sized carbon black filler structure and its contribution to stress recovery in rubber nanocomposites.

The hierarchical structural evolution of natural rubber (NR) filled with different contents of nanoscale carbon black (CB) (10 phr-CB10 and 50 phr-CB50) after first loading and recovering for different times was investigated by X-ray nano-CT, wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and solid state NMR techniques. The CB filler structures as captured by X-ray nano-CT recover gradually with increasing recovering time, but the filler network with different CB contents shows dramatically different structure evolution. For CB10, limited by the filling content, CB particles mainly induces a hydrodynamic effect in spite of deformation or recovering. For CB50, the CB filler forms a 3D connected network, partially destructed during deformation, and the destructed part can be partially recovered during recovery. This suggests that the connected CB filler structure mainly acts as a network reinforcement, whereas the destructed part can induce a hydrodynamic effect. The different effects induced by different CB filling contents are also reflected by the NR matrix, which is reflected by the onset strains εc of strain-induced crystallization (SIC) of NR as captured by WAXS. For CB10, εc remains almost constant, i.e. εc = ca. 1.49, while that of NR with CB50 slightly decreases from initial ca. 1.12 to 0.96 with increasing recovering time up to 50 h. Also, the bound rubber fraction and entangled rubber network remain unchanged after deformation and under different recovery time as detected by the magic sandwich echo (MSE) FID and proton multiple quantum (MQ) NMR. These results demonstrate the key role of the CB filler network in determining the stress-softening behavior of reinforced rubber.

Correction to: One-pot fabrication of dual-emission and single-emission biomass carbon dots for Cu2+ and tetracycline sensing and multicolor cellular imaging.

The authors would like to call the reader's attention to the fact that unfortunately the wrong file was published as Fig. 2.

Friend or Foe: Prognostic and Immunotherapy Roles of BTLA in Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is a co-signaling protein belonging to the CD28 immunoglobulin superfamily. However, the role of BTLA in prognosis and immunotherapy of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. METHODS: We evaluated the expression of BTLA via the Oncomine and the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database. We research the outcome among different BTLA expression patients by Kaplan-Meier curve. We used the Chi-Squared test and Cox regression analysis to identify potential risk factors. Besides, the correlations between BTLA and cancer immune infiltration were investigated via CIBERSORT. RESULTS: Various cohorts showed that BTLA expression was lower in CRC compared to corresponding normal tissue. Moreover, low BTLA expression was correlated with poor overall survival in TCGA cohorts and Gene Expression Omnibus cohorts (GSE29623 and GSE17536). Low BTLA expression was associated with less lymph node metastasis (p = 0.0123). In the Cox proportional hazards model, BTLA was identified as a favorable prognostic factor. Naive B cells, memory B cells, CD8 T cells, CD4 memory resting T cells, follicular helper T (Tfh) cells, monocytes, resting natural killing (NK) cells, M0 macrophages, M1 macrophages, resting mast cells, and activated mast cells were affected by BTLA expression (all p < 0.01). Correlated immune markers and functional enrichment analysis revealed BTLA functioned in the T cell receptor signaling pathway, B cell receptor signaling pathway, and NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity pathway. CONCLUSION: These analyses suggest BTLA is a potential factor for extended survival and closely related to CD8 T cells, Tfh cells, B cells, and NK cells in CRC. We summarize these results that BTLA can be used as a prognostic biomarker and might contribute to developing novel CRC immunological treatment strategies.

One-pot fabrication of dual-emission and single-emission biomass carbon dots for Cu2+ and tetracycline sensing and multicolor cellular imaging.

Dual-emission and single-emission carbon dots (DCDs and SCDs) have been simultaneously synthesized by one-pot solvothermal treatment of leek. Different graphitization and surface functionalization were responsible for their distinction in fluorescence characteristics. DCDs with an average size of 5.6 nm exhibited two emissions at 489 and 676 nm under 420-nm excitation. Complexation between DCDs' surface porphyrins and Cu2+ led to quenching of the 676-nm emission, which resulted in the ratiometric determination of Cu2+ with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.085 µM. SCDs, containing additional sulfur element (0.50%) with an average size of 7.7 nm, presented a single emission at 440 nm under 365-nm excitation. The static quenching and inner filter effects between SCDs and tetracyclines (TCs) made SCDs a fluorescence nanoprobe for TCs' determination with LODs of 0.26-0.48 µM. Applications of DCDs and SCDs for respective determination of Cu2+ and TCs in milk and pig liver samples were successfully demonstrated. Moreover, good photostability, low toxicity, and outstanding biocompatibility made DCDs and SCDs suitable for multicolor cellular imaging. Results indicate that natural products are excellent raw materials to controllably synthesize CDs with prominent physicochemical and fluorescence properties.Graphical abstract.

Boosting hydrogen evolution on MoS2 via co-confining selenium in surface and cobalt in inner layer.

The lack of highly efficient, inexpensive catalysts severely hinders large-scale application of electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) for producing hydrogen. MoS2 as a low-cost candidate suffers from low catalytic performance. Herein, taking advantage of its tri-layer structure, we report a MoS2 nanofoam catalyst co-confining selenium in surface and cobalt in inner layer, exhibiting an ultra-high large-current-density HER activity surpassing all previously reported heteroatom-doped MoS2. At a large current density of 1000 mA cm-2, a much lower overpotential of 382 mV than that of 671 mV over commercial Pt/C catalyst is achieved and stably maintained for 360 hours without decay. First-principles calculations demonstrate that inner layer-confined cobalt atoms stimulate neighbouring sulfur atoms while surface-confined selenium atoms stabilize the structure, which cooperatively enable the massive generation of both in-plane and edge active sites with optimized hydrogen adsorption activity. This strategy provides a viable route for developing MoS2-based catalysts for industrial HER applications.

Interstitial pneumonia as the initial presentation in an infant with a novel mutation of CD40 ligand-associated X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome is a type of primary combined immunodeficiency disorder caused by mutations in CD40 ligand. Opportunistic infections caused by P jirovecii, cytomegalovirus (CMV), or fungi are frequently the first presenting symptom of the patients with X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome. PATIENT CONCERNS: Here, we report a 10-month-old infant who presented with cyanosis and shortness of breath. The infant exhibited no medical or birth history indicating a primary immune deficiency and was first diagnosed with interstitial pneumonia and acute respiratory failure on admission. DIAGNOSES: The infant was diagnosed with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia combined with CMV and fungal infection through gene sequencing by nasopharyngeal swab and G-test. Whole-exome sequencing from a blood sample was performed and identified a functional mutation across the CD40 ligand gene (NM_000074;exon1;C.86_87del) resulting in an amino acid change (P.T29Sfl*18) attributed to X-linked hyper IgM syndrome. INTERVENTIONS: The infant received continuous positive airway pressure ventilation treatment combined with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, ganciclovir for CMV, voriconazole for fungal infection and substitution of high-dose immunoglobulin. OUTCOMES: Six months after discharge from our hospital, the infant remained well. CONCLUSION: Opportunistic infections should be suspected in infants presenting with severe interstitial pneumonia. Primary immune deficiency diseases should also be considered in infants diagnosed with opportunistic infections.

Dual-emissive carbon dots for dual-channel ratiometric fluorometric determination of pH and mercury ion and intracellular imaging.

Dual-emissive carbon dots (CDs) were fabricated for dual-channel ratiometric fluorometric determination of pH and mercury ion (Hg2+) and intracellular imaging. Dual-emissive CDs were synthesized by one-pot solvothermal treatment of cabbage. The CDs exhibited two distinctive fluorescence emissions at 500 and 678 nm under single excitation at 410 nm. The green emission (500 nm) had reversible linear response to pH (7.0-12.0) due to deprotonation and protonation of surface functional groups and their non-covalent interactions. On the other hand, the red emission (678 nm) had efficient and selective fluorescence response to Hg2+ by formation of non-emission complex between CDs and Hg2+. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for Hg2+ were 6.25 and 20.63 nM, respectively. The CDs have been successfully applied for label-free ratiometric fluorometric determination of pH and Hg2+ in fish and human serum samples with good recoveries (92.0-108.3%). In addition, the CDs had excellent photostability, low cytotoxicity, and good biocompatibility for intracellular imaging. All in all, the system was multi-functional in determination, high in sensitivity, and excellent in selectivity, which demonstrated wide and promising applicability for biosensing and bioimaging in the future. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of dual-emission carbon dots (CDs) synthesized by solvothermal treatment of cabbage for dual-channel determination of pH and Hg2+.