In Situ Self-Assembled Active and Stable Ir@MnOx/La0.7Sr0.3Cr0.9Ir0.1O3-δ Interfaces for CO2 Electrolysis.

Solid oxide electrolysis cells are prospective approaches for CO2 utilization but face significant challenges due to the sluggish reaction kinetics and poor stability of the fuel electrodes. Herein, we strategically addressed the long-standing trade-off phenomenon between enhanced exsolution and improved structural stability via topotactic ion exchange. The surface dynamic reconstruction of the MnOx/La0.7Sr0.3Cr0.9Ir0.1O3-δ (LSCIr) catalyst was visualized at the atomic scale. Compared with the Ir@LSCIr interface, the in situ self-assembled Ir@MnOx/LSCIr interface exhibited greater CO2 activation and easily removable carbonate intermediates, thus reached a 42 % improvement in CO2 electrolysis performance at 1.6 V. Furthermore, an improved CO2 electrolysis stability was achieved due to the uniformly wrapped MnOx shell of the Ir@MnOx/LSCIr cathode. Our approach enables a detailed understanding of the dynamic microstructure evolution at active interfaces and provides a roadmap for the rational design and evaluation of efficient metal/oxide catalysts for CO2 electrolysis.

Boosting Electrocatalytic Ethylene Epoxidation by Single Atom Modulation.

The electrochemical synthesis of ethylene oxide (EO) using ethylene and water under ambient conditions presents a low-carbon alternative to existing industrial production process. Yet, the electrocatalytic ethylene epoxidation route is currently hindered by largely insufficient activity, EO selectivity, and long-term stability. Here we report a single atom Ru-doped hollandite structure KIr4O8 (KIrRuO) nanowire catalyst for efficient EO production via a chloride-mediated ethylene epoxidation process. The KIrRuO catalyst exhibits an EO partial current density up to 0.7 A cm-2 and an EO yield as high as 92.0 %. The impressive electrocatalytic performance towards ethylene epoxidation is ascribed to the modulation of electronic structures of adjacent Ir sites by single Ru atoms, which stabilizes the *CH2CH2OH intermediate and facilitates the formation of active Cl2 species during the generation of 2-chloroethanol, the precursor of EO. This work provides a single atom modulation strategy for improving the reactivity of adjacent metal sites in heterogeneous electrocatalysts.

Salinity inhibits seed germination and embryo growth by reducing starch mobilization efficiency in barley.

Barley is one of the world's earliest domesticated crops, which is widely used for beer production, animal feeding, and health care. Barley seed germination, particularly in increasingly saline soils, is key to ensure the safety of crop production. However, the mechanism of salt-affected seed germination in barley remains elusive. Here, two different colored barley varieties were used to independently study the regulation mechanism of salt tolerance during barley seed germination. High salinity delays barley seed germination by slowing down starch mobilization efficiency in seeds. The starch plate test revealed that salinity had a significant inhibitory effect on α-amylase activity in barley seeds. Further, NaCl treatment down-regulated the expression of Amy1, Amy2 and Amy3 genes in germinated seeds, thereby inhibiting α-amylase activity. In addition, the result of embryogenic culture system in vitro showed that the shoot elongation of barley was significantly inhibited by salt stress. These findings indicate that it is a feasible idea to study the regulation mechanism of salinity on barley seed germination and embryo growth from the aspect of starch-related source-sink communication.

Sn and dual-oxygen-vacancy in the Z-scheme Bi2Sn2O7/Sn/NiAl-layered double hydroxide heterojunction synergistically enhanced photocatalytic activity toward carbon dioxide reduction.

Photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into high value-added chemicals is an attractive yet challenging process, primarily due to the readily recombination of hole-electron pairs in photocatalysts. Herein, dual-oxygen-vacancy mediated Z-scheme Bi2Sn2O7/Sn/NiAl-layered double hydroxide (VO,O-20BSL) heterojunctions were hydrothermally synthesized and subsequently modified with Sn monomers to enhance photocatalytic activity toward CO2 reduction. The abundance of oxygen vacancies endowed the VO,O-20BSL with extended optical adsorption, enhanced charges separation, and superior CO2 adsorption and activation. The interfacial charges transfer of the VO,O-20BSL was demonstrated to follow a Z-scheme mechanism via photochemical deposition of metal/metal oxide. Under visible light irradiation, the VO,O-20BSL exhibited the highest yields of carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4), with values of 72.03 and 0.85 umol·g-1·h-1, respectively, which were 2.66 and 1.57 times higher than that of the VO-NiAl-layered double hydroxide (VO-1LDH). In situ diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) revealed that carboxylic acid groups (COOH*) and aldehyde groups (CHO*) were the predominant intermediates during CO2 reduction, and accordingly, possible CO2 reduction pathways and mechanism were proposed. This study presents a feasible approach to incorporate dual vacancies into Z-scheme heterojunctions for CO2 reduction.

In situ electrochemical reconstruction of Sr2Fe1.45Ir0.05Mo0.5O6-δ perovskite cathode for CO2 electrolysis in solid oxide electrolysis cells.

Solid oxide electrolysis cells provide a practical solution for the direct conversion of CO2 to other chemicals (i.e. CO), however, an in-depth mechanistic understanding of the dynamic reconstruction of active sites for perovskite cathodes during CO2 electrolysis remains a great challenge. Herein, we identify that iridium-doped Sr2Fe1.45Ir0.05Mo0.5O6-δ (SFIrM) perovskite displays a dynamic electrochemical reconstruction feature during CO2 electrolysis with abundant exsolution of highly dispersed IrFe alloy nanoparticles on the SFIrM surface. The in situ reconstructed IrFe@SFIrM interfaces deliver a current density of 1.46 A cm-2 while maintaining over 99% CO Faradaic efficiency, representing a 25.8% improvement compared with the Sr2Fe1.5Mo0.5O6-δ counterpart. In situ electrochemical spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations suggest that the improved CO2 electrolysis activity originates from the facilitated formation of carbonate intermediates at the IrFe@SFIrM interfaces. Our work may open the possibility of using an in situ electrochemical poling method for CO2 electrolysis in practice.

Impact of salinity on anaerobic ceramic membrane bioreactor for textile wastewater treatment: Process performance, membrane fouling and machine learning models.

Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) shows great potential for textile wastewater treatment, but high salinity in the influent may undermine its performance. This study evaluated the impact of salinity on the treatment performance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) configured AnMBR using a flat sheet ceramic membrane. The salinity was stepwise increased (0, 5, 10 and 20 g/L) in four phases of the AnMBR operation. Results indicated that increased salinity jeopardized the COD removal efficiency of AnMBR from 92% to 73%, but had a marginal effect on dye removal efficacy (90-96%). Low salinity (5 g/L) boosted the biogas production whilst high salinity (>10 g/L) had a negative impact. Additionally, the increase of salinity resulted in the soluble microbial production (SMP) concentration soar and membrane fouling rate increase, peaking at a salinity of 10 g/L (Phase III) and recovering back to a lower level at a salinity of 20 g/L (Phase IV). This indicated a transition occurrence at a salinity of 10 g/L (Phase III). The microbial diversity analyses further suggested a transition from salinity-sensitive microbes (Aminiphilus, Caldatribacterium, Mesotoga, Methanobrevibacter, Methanobacterium, Methanosaeta) to salinity-tolerant microbes (Longilinea, Ignavibacterium, Rhodovarius, Bosea and Flexilinea). This transition can be associated with the increase SMP concentration and more severe membrane fouling in Phase III, which were mitigated after a new equilibrium was reached when the microbial consortium acclimatized to the high salinity. Finally, a machine learning model of the Adaboost algorithm was established to predict COD removal under different salinities. Importantly, this study revealed that AnMBR process performance and membrane operation can be maintained for high salinity textile wastewater treatment with a halophilic microbial community growth under high-salinity selection pressure.

Biochar Addition in Membrane Bioreactor Enables Membrane Fouling Alleviation and Nitrogen Removal Improvement for Low C/N Municipal Wastewater Treatment.

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are frequently used to treat municipal wastewater, but membrane fouling is still the main weakness of this technology. Additionally, the low carbon-nitrogen (C/N) ratio influent has been shown to not only increase the membrane fouling, but also introduce challenges to meet the effluent discharge standard for nitrogen removal. Herein, the authors addressed the challenges by adding cost-effective biochar. The results suggested that the biochar addition can enable membrane fouling alleviation and nitrogen removal improvement. The reduced membrane fouling can be ascribed to the biochar adsorption capacity, which facilitates to form bigger flocs with carbon skeleton in biochar as a core. As a result, the biochar addition significantly altered the mixed liquor suspension with soluble microbial product (SMP) concentration reduction of approximately 14%, lower SMP protein/polysaccharide ratio from 0.28 ± 0.02 to 0.22 ± 0.03, smaller SMP molecular weight and bigger sludge particle size from 67.68 ± 6.9 µm to 113.47 ± 4.8 µm. The nitrogen removal is also dramatically improved after biochar addition, which can be due to the initial carbon source release from biochar, and formation of aerobic-anaerobic microstructures. Microbial diversity analysis results suggested more accumulation of denitrification microbes including norank_f__JG30-KF-CM45 and Plasticicumulans. Less relative abundance of Aeromonas after biochar addition suggested less extracellular polymer substance (EPS) secretion and lower membrane fouling rate.

Salinity and hydraulic retention time induce membrane phospholipid acyl chain remodeling in Halanaerobium congolense WG10 and mixed cultures from hydraulically fractured shale wells.

Bacteria remodel their plasma membrane lipidome to maintain key biophysical attributes in response to ecological disturbances. For Halanaerobium and other anaerobic halotolerant taxa that persist in hydraulically fractured deep subsurface shale reservoirs, salinity, and hydraulic retention time (HRT) are important perturbants of cell membrane structure, yet their effects remain poorly understood. Membrane-linked activities underlie in situ microbial growth kinetics and physiologies which drive biogeochemical reactions in engineered subsurface systems. Hence, we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to investigate the effects of salinity and HRT on the phospholipid fatty acid composition of H. congolense WG10 and mixed enrichment cultures from hydraulically fractured shale wells. We also coupled acyl chain remodeling to membrane mechanics by measuring bilayer elasticity using atomic force microscopy (AFM). For these experiments, cultures were grown in a chemostat vessel operated in continuous flow mode under strict anoxia and constant stirring. Our findings show that salinity and HRT induce significant changes in membrane fatty acid chemistry of H. congolense WG10 in distinct and complementary ways. Notably, under nonoptimal salt concentrations (7% and 20% NaCl), H. congolense WG10 elevates the portion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in its membrane, and this results in an apparent increase in fluidity (homeoviscous adaptation principle) and thickness. Double bond index (DBI) and mean chain length (MCL) were used as proxies for membrane fluidity and thickness, respectively. These results provide new insight into our understanding of how environmental and engineered factors might disrupt the physical and biogeochemical equilibria of fractured shale by inducing physiologically relevant changes in the membrane fatty acid chemistry of persistent microbial taxa. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACTSalinity significantly alters membrane bilayer fluidity and thickness in Halanaerobium congolense WG10.

A Critical Review on Electric Field-Assisted Membrane Processes: Implications for Fouling Control, Water Recovery, and Future Prospects.

Electrofiltration, an electric field-assisted membrane process, has been a research topic of growing popularity due to its ability to improve membrane performance by providing in situ antifouling conditions in a membrane system. The number of reports on electrofiltration have increased exponentially over the past two decades. These reports explored many innovations, such as novel configurations of an electric field, engineered membrane materials, and interesting designs of foulant compositions and membrane modules. Recent electrofiltration literature focused mainly on compiling results without a comprehensive comparative analysis across different works. The main objective of this critical review is to, first, organize, compare and contrast the results across various electrofiltration studies; second, discuss various types of mechanisms that could be incorporated into electrofiltration and their effect on membrane system performance; third, characterize electrofiltration phenomenon; fourth, interpret the effects of various operational conditions on the performance of electrofiltration; fifth, evaluate the state-of-the-art knowledge associated with modeling efforts in electrofiltration; sixth, discuss the energy costs related to the implementation of electrofiltration; and finally, identify the current knowledge gaps that hinder the transition of the lab-scale observations to industry-scale electrofiltration as well as the future prospects of electrofiltration.

Ethnobotanical study on herbal market at the Dragon Boat Festival of Chuanqing people in China.

BACKGROUND: The Chuanqing people () are a linguistic group native to the Guizhou Province of China, with unique culture and rich knowledge of traditional medicinal plants. Herbal market at Dragon Boat Festival (DBF) plays an important role in the inheritance of traditional medicinal knowledge among the Chuanqing people. This study aims to record the profile of medicinal plants of the Chuanqing people, discuss the dilemmas faced by their inheritance, and propose some strategies for passing down information, which is critical for the inheritance and protection of the Chuanqing people's traditional medical knowledge. METHODS: Data were collected through key informants and semi-structured interviews and free listing. Collected voucher specimens were identified using by botanical taxonomy method and deposited in the herbarium. Data were analyzed through use-value (UV) and cultural importance index (CI) values. Medicinal plants were compared with the Information System of Chinese Rare and Endangered Plants of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Results were compared with the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (ChP), the Quality Standard of Traditional Chinese Medicine and National Medicine in Guizhou Province (QSG), and traditional medicines of Southeast Asian countries. RESULTS: A total of 102 species from 53 families and 92 genera were recorded, with Orchidaceae and Asparagaceae (six species each), and Berberidaceae and Asteraceae (five species each) as the predominant families. The whole plant (36%) was the most common medicinal part. Decoction (44%) was the most common preparation method. Seventy-one investigated human ailments were grouped into 12 categories. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (34 mentions) were most frequently mentioned in this study. Moreover, the most frequently used taxon was Hedera sinensis (Tobler ) Hand.-Mazz. (UV and CI = 0.29). The Chuanqing people's medicine was highly similar to ChP and QSG. In comparison with Southeast Asian countries' traditional medicines, except for the same preparation methods, the similarities in terms of medicinal ingredients, plants, and disease treatment were very low. CONCLUSIONS: The herbal market at the DBF is an important platform for exchanging knowledge about the Chuanqing people's traditional medicinal plants. The Chuanqing people's traditional medicine is facing many challenges to its inheritance and development. To solve these problems, this study highlights the traditional medicinal knowledge of the Chuanqing people, providing basic data for further research and protection of minority medicine.

Size-selective Catalytic Polymer Acylation with a Molecular Tetrahedron.

Selective catalysis at the molecular level represents a cornerstone of chemical synthesis. However, it still remains an open question how to elevate tunable catalysis to larger length scales to functionalize whole polymer chains in a selective manner. We now report a hydrazone-linked tetrahedron with wide openings, which acts as a catalyst to size-selectively functionalize polydisperse polymer mixtures. Our experimental and computational evidence supports a dual role of the hydrazone-linked tetrahedron. To accelerate functionalization of the polymer substrates, the tetrahedron (i) unfolds the polymer substrates and/or breaks the polymer aggregates as well as (ii) enables target sites (amino groups) on the polymers to coordinate with catalytic units (triglyme) attached to the tetrahedron. With the tetrahedron as the catalyst, we find that the reactivity of the shorter polymers increases selectively. Our findings enable the possibility to engineer hydrolytically stable molecular polyhedra as organocatalysts for size-selective polymer modification.

A comparative study of the population genetics of wild and cultivated populations of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis based on amplified fragment length polymorphism markers.

Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis is one of the original plants used to make the traditional medicine Paridis Rhizoma. Wild individuals have been excessively collected in recent decades, and thus, it has become increasingly endangered. Cultivation is a major method for the conservation and sustainable utilization of its wild resources. In this study, amplified fragment length polymorphism markers were used in the genetic analysis of 15 wild and 17 cultivated populations of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. This study revealed that cultivated populations possessed higher genetic diversity than wild ones at the species level (H = 0.2636 vs. 0.2616, respectively). However, most of the genetic variation was found within populations for both of these groups (ΦST = 18.83% vs. 19.39%). In the dendrogram produced using UPGMA, the 32 populations were divided into three groups (I, II, and III). In group II, both wild and cultivated populations were included, but remained in distinct clusters within this group, which showed the significant separation between the cultivated and wild populations. Furthermore, wild populations were also clustered into three subgroups (W-I, W-II, and W-III), with an obvious geographic structure. In contrast, although cultivated populations were similarly placed in three subgroups (C-I, C-II, and C-III), the latter two of these were not separated based on geography. Finally, the wild populations in Guizhou, China (W-I), possessed higher genetic diversity than those in Yunnan (W-II and W-III). As P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis is an endangered medicinal plant, the fact that it showed richer genetic diversity in its wild populations in Guizhou means that these should be regarded as priority areas for protection and used for provenance selection. Moreover, cultivated populations also showed high genetic variation, which might be attributed to them having originated from mixed provenances, indicating that screening for superior provenances should be carried out as soon as possible.

Hyperspectral Imaging Microscopy of Acetaminophen Adsorbed on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes.

In this study, enhanced dark-field hyperspectral imaging (ED-HSI) was employed to directly observe acetaminophen (AAP), a model pharmaceutical and personal care product (PPCP), adsorbed on multiwalled carbon nanotubes with large diameters (L-MWCNT) and small diameters (S-MWCNT) under equilibrium conditions. The ED-HSI results revealed that (1) AAP molecules primarily adsorbed onto the external surfaces, rather than the internal surfaces of L- and S-MWCNT aggregates, (2) or on sidewall of the dispersed tubes, but not at their end caps. Besides, ED-HSI images showed that the surface coverage ratio of AAP/S-MWCNT is smaller than that of AAP/L-MWCNT (1.1 vs 3.4), indicating that there are more available adsorption sites on S-MWCNT than L-MWCNT when the adsorption reached equilibrium. This finding was consistent with the adsorption capacities of S-MWCNT and L-MWCNT (252.7 vs 54.6 mg g-1). Direct visualization of sorption sites for PPCP molecules provides new insights into the heterogeneous structures and surface properties of MWCNT and helps elucidate the adsorption mechanisms that are fundamental to the design of functional adsorbents for PPCP contaminants.

Ultrasonic irradiation enhanced the ability of Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) on sonodynamic and sonocatalytic damages of DNA molecules.

The interaction of DNA with Bis [N,N-bis (carboxymethyl) aminomethyl] fluorescein-Ferrous(III) (Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III)) with dual functional (sonodynamic and sonocatalytic) activity was studied by UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and viscosity measurements. And then, the damage of DNA caused by Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) under ultrasonic irradiation (US) was researched by agarose gel electrophoresis and cytotoxicity assay. Meanwhile, some influenced factors such as ultrasonic irradiation time and Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) concentration on the damage degree of DNA molecules were also examined. As a control, for Bis [N,N-bis (carboxymethyl) aminomethyl] fluorescein (Fluorescein-DA), the same experiments were carried out. The results showed that both Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) and Fluorescein-DA can interact with DNA molecules. Under ultrasonic irradiation, Fluorescein-DA shows sonodynamic activity, which can damage DNA molecules. While, in the presence of Fe(III) ion, the Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) displays not only sonodynamic activity but also sonocatalytic activity under ultrasonic irradiation, which injures DNA more serious than Fluorescein-DA. The researches confirmed the dual function (sonodynamic activity and sonocatalytic activity) of Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) and expanded the usage of Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) as a sonosensitizer in sonodynamic therapy (SDT).

Crystal structure of 1-ethyl-5-iodo-indolin-2-one.

In the title indolinone derivative, C10H10INO, all the non-H atoms, except the terminal methyl C atom, are almost coplanar. The mol-ecules are arranged into columns extending along the a-axis direction and inter-act with the mol-ecules in adjacent columns via C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds [H⋯O distance = 2.57 (3) Å] and I⋯I short contacts of 3.8986 (3) Å. A one-dimensional zigzag iodine chain along the a axis is apparent between two neighbouring columns.

1-Ethyl-5-iodo-indoline-2,3-dione.

There are two independent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C10H8INO2, which differ in the degree of planarity. The iodo-indoline-2,3-dione skeleton of mol-ecule 1 is essentially planar [mean deviation = 0.003 (2) Šfor the nine non-H atoms of the indoline core, with a maximum deviation of 0.033 (1) Šfor the I atom]. The I atom and O atom in the 3-position of mol-ecule 2 deviate by 0.195 (1) and 0.120 (2) Å, respectively, from the least-squares plane through the nine non-H atoms of the indoline core. Mol-ecules 1 and 2 are roughly coplanar, the mean planes through their cores making a dihedral angle of 6.84 (1)°. This coplanarity results in a layer-like structure parallel to (6,11,17) in the crystal, the distance between adjacent least-squares planes through the cores of mol-ecules 1 and 2 being 3.37 (1) Å. In such a layer, mol-ecules 1 and 2 are linked by C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming chains along [11-1]. The chains are further coupled to construct a kind of double-chain structure via I⋯O inter-actions [3.270 (2) Å].

Switching high two-photon efficiency: from 3,8,13-substituted triindole derivatives to their 2,7,12-isomers.

Bridging the triindole core and triarylboryl acceptor by an ethenylene linker at the 3,8,13- or 2,7,12-position, the resultant 3-BET and 2-BET show two-photon absorption (TPA) cross sections of δ = 2100 and 2500 GM (at 810 nm by femtosecond pulses in THF), respectively. The TPA enhancement of the 2,7,12-isomers is also found when comparing 3-BYT and 2-BYT (δ = 870 and 1900 GM) and 3-NET and 2-NET (36 and 400 GM).

[Psychological stress status in patients with acute coronary syndrome and stable angina pectoris].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the psychological stress status in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stable angina pectoris (SA). METHODS: The intensity of social psychological stress and the serum levels of IL-6, CRP and ICAM-1 were determined in patients with ACS (n = 67) and SA (n = 33). RESULTS: (1) The percentage of patients with psychological stress was significantly higher in ACS than that in SA group (78.8% vs. 21.2%, P < 0.01). (2) The serum levels of CRP [(14.82 +/- 5.07) g/L vs. (8.78 +/- 4.34) g/L], IL-6 [(101.7 +/- 22.2) ng/L vs. (71.1 +/- 23.5) ng/L] and sICAM-1 [(1.41 +/- 0.47) mg/L vs. (0.82 +/- 0.37) mg/L] were significantly higher in psychological stress group than those in non-psychological stress group (all P < 0.05). Serum CRP [(18.91 +/- 3.12) g/L vs. (6.20 +/- 2.46) g/L], IL-6 [(114.6 +/- 15.2) ng/L vs. (56.4 +/- 15.8) ng/L] and sICAM-1 [(1.67 +/- 0.39) mg/L vs. (0.63 +/- 0.28) mg/L] levels in ACS group were significantly higher than those in SA group (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Higher psychological stress was associated with higher risk of ACS and increased serum inflammatory cytokines.