Concerted oxygen diffusion across heterogeneous oxide interfaces for intensified propane dehydrogenation.

Propane dehydrogenation (PDH) is an industrial technology for direct propylene production which has received extensive attention in recent years. Nevertheless, existing non-oxidative dehydrogenation technologies still suffer from the thermodynamic equilibrium limitations and severe coking. Here, we develop the intensified propane dehydrogenation to propylene by the chemical looping engineering on nanoscale core-shell redox catalysts. The core-shell redox catalyst combines dehydrogenation catalyst and solid oxygen carrier at one particle, preferably compose of two to three atomic layer-type vanadia coating ceria nanodomains. The highest 93.5% propylene selectivity is obtained, sustaining 43.6% propylene yield under 300 long-term dehydrogenation-oxidation cycles, which outperforms an analog of industrially relevant K-CrOx/Al2O3 catalysts and exhibits 45% energy savings in the scale-up of chemical looping scheme. Combining in situ spectroscopies, kinetics, and theoretical calculation, an intrinsically dynamic lattice oxygen "donator-acceptor" process is proposed that O2- generated from the ceria oxygen carrier is boosted to diffuse and transfer to vanadia dehydrogenation sites via a concerted hopping pathway at the interface, stabilizing surface vanadia with moderate oxygen coverage at pseudo steady state for selective dehydrogenation without significant overoxidation or cracking.

Randomized control study of the use of faropenem for treating patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVES: Faropenem has antituberculosis activity in vitro but its utility in treating patients with tuberculosis (TB) is unclear. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, randomized trial in China, involving newly diagnosed, drug-susceptible pulmonary TB. The control group was treated with the standard 6-month regimen. The experimental group replaced ethambutol with faropenem for 2 months. The primary outcome was the treatment success rate after 6 months of treatment. Noninferiority was confirmed if the lower limit of a 95% one-sided confidence interval (CI) of the difference was greater than -10%. RESULTS: A total of 227 patients eligible for the study were enrolled in the trial group and the control group in a ratio of 1:1. Baseline characteristics of participants were similar in both groups. In the modified intention-to-treat population, 88.18% of patients in the faropenem group achieved treatment success, and 85.98% of those in the control group were successfully treated, with a difference of 2.2% (95% CI, -6.73-11.13). In the per-protocol population, treatment success was 96.04% in the faropenem group and 95.83% in the control group, with a difference of 2.1% (95% CI, -5.31-5.72). The faropenem group showed noninferiority to the control group in the 6-month treatment success rates. The faropenem group had significantly fewer adverse events (P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our study proved that oral faropenem regimen can be used for the treatment of TB, with fewer adverse events. (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800015959).

Scaling-Up of Thin-Film Photoelectrodes for Solar Water Splitting Based on Atomic Layer Deposition.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an established method to prepare protective layers for Si-based photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Although ALD has been widely used in microelectronics and photovoltaics, it remains a great challenge to design simple and effective ALD systems to deposit large and uniform protective films for Si-based photoelectrodes with industrial sizes. This paper describes the design and realization of a simple ALD chamber configuration for photoelectrodes with large sizes, in which the influence of a gas redistributor over the gas flow and heat transfer during film growth was revealed by computational fluid dynamics simulations and experimental investigations. A simple circular baffle-type redistributor was proposed to establish a uniform gas flow field throughout the ALD reactor, resulting in a uniform temperature profile. With this simple baffle redistributor, the large-area Al2O3 monitor film (46 nm thickness) reached a good nonuniformity (Nu %) of 0.88% over a large area of 256 cm2. This design enables the fabrication of large-scale photocathodes from standard industrial-grade 166 mm Si(100) wafers (276 cm2) by depositing 50 nm TiO2 protective films with Nu % less than 5%. The obtained photocathode achieves a saturation current of 6.45 A with a hydrogen production rate of 43.2 mL/min under outdoor illumination. This work elucidates how flow pattern and heat transfer may influence the deposition of protective layers over large photoelectrodes, providing guidance for future industrial applications of PEC water splitting.

Effects of investor sentiment on stock volatility: new evidences from multi-source data in China's green stock markets.

The effect of investor sentiment on stock volatility is a highly attractive research question in both the academic field and the real financial industry. With the proposal of China's "dual carbon" target, green stocks have gradually become an essential branch of Chinese stock markets. Focusing on 106 stocks from the new energy, environmental protection, and carbon-neutral sectors, we construct two investor sentiment proxies using Internet text and stock trading data, respectively. The Internet sentiment is based on posts from Eastmoney Guba, and the trading sentiment comes from a variety of trading indicators. In addition, we divide the realized volatility into continuous and jump parts, and then investigate the effects of investor sentiment on different types of volatilities. Our empirical findings show that both sentiment indices impose significant positive impacts on realized, continuous, and jump volatilities, where trading sentiment is the main factor. We further explore the mediating effect of information asymmetry, measured by the volume-synchronized probability of informed trading (VPIN), on the path of investor sentiment affecting stock volatility. It is evidenced that investor sentiments are positively correlated with the VPIN, and they can affect volatilities through the VPIN. We then divide the total sample around the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The empirical results reveal that the market volatility after the COVID-19 pandemic is more susceptible to investor sentiments, especially to Internet sentiment. Our study is of great significance for maintaining the stability of green stock markets and reducing market volatility.

Genome-wide association study reveals novel quantitative trait loci and candidate genes of lint percentage in upland cotton based on the CottonSNP80K array.

KEY MESSAGE: Thirty-four SNPs corresponding with 22 QTLs for lint percentage, including 13 novel QTLs, was detected via GWAS. Two candidate genes underlying this trait were also identified. Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is an important natural textile fiber and oilseed crop cultivated worldwide. Lint percentage (LP, %) is one of the important yield components, and increasing LP is a core goal of cotton breeding improvement. However, the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying LP in upland cotton remain unclear. Here, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for LP based on 254 upland cotton accessions in four environments as well as the best linear unbiased predictors using the high-density CottonSNP80K array. In total, 41,413 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were screened, and 34 SNPs within 22 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were significantly associated with LP. In total, 175 candidate genes were identified from two major genomic loci (GR1 and GR2), and 50 hub genes were identified through GO enrichment and weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Two candidate genes (Gh_D01G0162 and Gh_D07G0463), which may participate in early fiber development to affect the number of fiber protrusions and LP, were also identified. Their genetic variation and expression were verified by linkage disequilibrium blocks, haplotypes, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The weighted gene interaction network analysis showed that the expression of Gh_D07G0463 was significantly correlated with that of Gh_D01G0162. These identified SNPs, QTLs and candidate genes provide important insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying variations in LP and serve as a foundation for LP improvement via marker-assisted breeding.

Dynamic Responses of Blast-Loaded Shallow Buried Concrete Arches Strengthened with BFRP Bars.

This paper proposes a prefabricated basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars reinforcement of a concrete arch structure with superior performance in the field of protection engineering. To study the anti-blast performance of the shallow-buried BFRP bars concrete arch (BBCA), a multi-parameter comparative analysis was conducted employing the LS-DYNA numerical method, which was verified by the results of the field explosion experiments. By analyzing the pressure, displacement, acceleration of the arch, and the strain of the BFRP bars, the dynamic response of the arch was obtained. This study showed that BFRP bars could significantly optimize the dynamic responses of blast-loaded concrete arches. The damage of exploded BBCA was divided into five levels: no damage, slight damage, obvious damage, severe damage, and collapse. BFRP bars could effectively mitigate the degree of damage of shallow-buried underground protective arch structures under the explosive loads. According to the research results, it was feasible for BFRP bars to be used in the construction of shallow buried concrete protective arch structures, especially in the coastal environments.

Growth of 1D Nanorod Perovskite for Surface Passivation in FAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells.

The regulation of perovskite crystallization and nanostructure have revolutionized the development of high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in recent years. Yet the problem of stably passivating perovskite surface defects remains perplexing. The 1D perovskites possess superior physical properties compared with bulk crystals, such as excellent moisture stability, self-healing property, and surface defects passivation. Here, 4-chlorobenzamidine hydrochloride (CBAH) is developed as spacer to form orientationally crystallized nanorod-like 1D perovskite on the top surface of 3D perovskite for surface passivation of FAPbI3 perovskite. Further structure characterizations indicate the coexistence of 1D-3D hybrid perovskite lattices in nanorod-like perovskite passivation layer, which regulates the crystallization and morphology effectively and assists in promoting charge extraction, and suppressing charge recombination. As a result, the CBAH treated FAPbI3 -based PSCs exhibit a boosted power conversion efficiency of 21.95%. More importantly, the resultant unencapsulated devices display improved thermal, moisture, and illumination stability, and high reproducibility in terms of device performance. These results indicate the potential of organic halide salts for regulation of perovskite crystallization, offering a promising route of utilizing 1D perovskites nanorods in photovoltaic fields.

Control of the Surface Disorder by Ion-Exchange to Achieve High Open-Circuit Voltage in HC(NH2 )2 PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cell.

The ionic nature of organic trihalide perovskite leads to structural irregularity and energy disorder at the perovskite surface, which seriously affects the photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells. Here, the origin of the perovskite surface disorder is analyzed, and a facial ion-exchange strategy is designed to regulate the surface chemical environment. By the reconstruction of terminal irregular Pb-I bonds and random cations, the repaired surface is characteristic of the reduced band tail states, consequent to the suppression of the uplift of quasi-Fermi level splitting and photocarrier scattering. The optimized device gets a high open-circuit voltage and operational stability. These findings fully elaborate the underlying mechanism concerning perovskite surface problem, giving guidance on tailoring the energy disorder.

Enhanced photocurrent in heterostructures formed between CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films and graphdiyne.

Extending photoabsorption to the near-infrared region (NIR) of the spectrum remains a major challenge for the enhancement of the photoelectric performance of perovskites. In this work, we propose a model of van der Waals heterostructures formed by CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films and graphdiyne (GDY) to improve the photocurrent in the NIR. To obtain better insights into the properties of GDY/perovskite heterostructures, we first determine its electronic properties using the first principles calculations. The charge transfer between GDY and perovskites leads to a built-in electrical field that facilitates the separation and the transport of the photogenerated carriers. Then, the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) is used to calculate the photocurrents of perovskite slabs with and without GDY. The photocurrents of GDY/perovskite heterostructures are nearly an order of magnitude larger than that of pristine perovskites in NIR due to the synergistic effect between GDY and perovskites. Furthermore, a polarization-sensitive photocurrent is obtained for a GDY/PbI2 heterostructure.

Graphdiyne Derivative as Multifunctional Solid Additive in Binary Organic Solar Cells with 17.3% Efficiency and High Reproductivity.

Morphology tuning of the blend film in organic solar cells (OSCs) is a key approach to improve device efficiencies. Among various strategies, solid additive is proposed as a simple and new way to enable morphology tuning. However, there exist few solid additives reported to meet such expectations. Herein, chlorine-functionalized graphdiyne (GCl) is successfully applied as a multifunctional solid additive to fine-tune the morphology and improve device efficiency as well as reproductivity for the first time. Compared with 15.6% efficiency for control devices, a record high efficiency of 17.3% with the certified one of 17.1% is obtained along with the simultaneous increase of short-circuit current (Jsc ) and fill factor (FF), displaying the state-of-the-art binary organic solar cells at present. The redshift of the film absorption, enhanced crystallinity, prominent phase separation, improved mobility, and decreased charge recombination synergistically account for the increase of Jsc and FF after introducing GCl into the blend film. Moreover, the addition of GCl dramatically reduces batch-to-batch variations benefiting mass production owing to the nonvolatile property of GCl. All these results confirm the efficacy of GCl to enhance device performance, demonstrating a promising application of GCl as a multifunctional solid additive in the field of OSCs.

Identification of candidate genes for key fibre-related QTLs and derivation of favourable alleles in Gossypium hirsutum recombinant inbred lines with G. barbadense introgressions.

Fine mapping QTLs and identifying candidate genes for cotton fibre-quality and yield traits would be beneficial to cotton breeding. Here, we constructed a high-density genetic map by specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) to identify QTLs associated with fibre-quality and yield traits using 239 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), which was developed from LMY22 (a high-yield Gossypium hirsutumL. cultivar) × LY343 (a superior fibre-quality germplasm with G. barbadenseL. introgressions). The genetic map spanned 3426.57 cM, including 3556 SLAF-based SNPs and 199 SSR marker loci. A total of 104 QTLs, including 67 QTLs for fibre quality and 37 QTLs for yield traits, were identified with phenotypic data collected from 7 environments. Among these, 66 QTLs were co-located in 19 QTL clusters on 12 chromosomes, and 24 QTLs were detected in three or more environments and determined to be stable. We also investigated the genomic components of LY343 and their contributions to fibre-related traits by deep sequencing the whole genome of LY343, and we found that genomic components from G. hirsutum races (which entered LY343 via its G. barbadense parent) contributed more favourable alleles than those from G. barbadense. We further identified six putative candidate genes for stable QTLs, including Gh_A03G1147 (GhPEL6), Gh_D07G1598 (GhCSLC6) and Gh_D13G1921 (GhTBL5) for fibre-length QTLs and Gh_D03G0919 (GhCOBL4), Gh_D09G1659 (GhMYB4) and Gh_D09G1690 (GhMYB85) for lint-percentage QTLs. Our results provide comprehensive insight into the genetic basis of the formation of fibre-related traits and would be helpful for cloning fibre-development-related genes as well as for marker-assisted genetic improvement in cotton.

Modulating Lattice Oxygen in Dual-Functional Mo-V-O Mixed Oxides for Chemical Looping Oxidative Dehydrogenation.

Oxygen chemistry plays a pivotal role in numerous chemical reactions. In particular, selective cleavage of C-H bonds by metal oxo species is highly desirable in dehydrogenation of light alkanes. However, high selectivity of alkene is usually hampered through consecutive oxygenation reactions in a conventional oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) scheme. Herein, we show that dual-functional Mo-V-O mixed oxides selectively convert propane to propylene via an alternative chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation (CL-ODH) approach. At 500 °C, we obtain 89% propylene selectivity at 36% propane conversion over 100 dehydrogenation-regeneration cycles. We attribute such high propylene yield-which exceeds that of previously reported ODH catalysts-to the involvement and precise modulation of bulk lattice oxygen via atomic-scale doping of Mo and show that increasing the binding energy of V-O bonds is critical to enhance the selectivity of propylene. This work provides the fundamental understanding of metal-oxygen chemistry and a promising strategy for alkane dehydrogenation.

Graphdiyne-Doped P3CT-K as an Efficient Hole-Transport Layer for MAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells.

Here we reported the doping of graphdiyne in P3CT-K in MAPbI3 perovskite solar cells as hole-transport materials. The doping could improve the surface wettability of P3CT-K, and the resulting perovskite morphology was improved with homogeneous coverage and reduced grain boundaries. Simultaneously, it increased the hole-extraction mobility and reduced the recombination as well as improved the performance of devices. Therefore, a high efficiency of 19.5% was achieved based on improved short-circuit current and fill factor. In addition, hysteresis of the J- V curve was also obviously reduced. This work paves the way for the development of highly efficient perovskite solar cells.

Graphdiyne as a Host Active Material for Perovskite Solar Cell Application.

This work demonstrates a novel photovoltaic application in which graphdiyne (GD) can be employed as a host material in a perovskite active layer for the first time. In the device fabrication, the best molar ratio for active materials is verified as PbI2/MAI/GD being 1:1:0.25, yielding a peak power-conversion efficiency of 21.01%. We find that graphdiyne, as the host material, exerts significant influence on the crystallization, film morphology, and a series of optoelectronic properties of the perovskite active layer. A uniform MAPbI3 film with highly crystalline qualities, large domain sizes, and few grain boundaries was realized with the introduction of graphdiyne. Moreover, the current-voltage hysteresis was negligible, and device stability was significantly improved as well. The results indicate that graphdiyne as the host active material presents great potential for the enhancement of the performance of perovskite solar cells.

AFRP Influence on Parallel Bamboo Strand Lumber Beams.

The mechanical properties of parallel bamboo strand lumber beams could be improved by aramid fiber reinforced polymer (AFRP). So far, no investigation has been conducted on the strengthening of engineering bamboo beams using AFRP. In order to study the efficiency of AFRP reinforcement on parallel bamboo strand lumber beams, 13 beams had been tested and analyzed. Strain gauges and Laser Displacement Sensors were used for the tests. By sensing the strain and deformation data for the specimens under the applied loads, the results showed that AFRP can effectively improve the flexural mechanical properties of parallel bamboo strand lumber beams. However, this reinforcement cannot increase the deflection of bamboo beams indefinitely. When the cloth ratio was 0.48, the deflection of the specimens reached its maximum. With the increase of cloth ratio, the stiffness of parallel bamboo strand lumber beams was increasing. When the cloth ratio reached 0.72%, compared with the un-reinforced specimen, the stiffness increased by 15%. Therefore, it can be inferred that bonding AFRP on the considered specimens can increase the stiffness of parallel bamboo strand lumber beams. The ductility of the specimen can be effectively enhanced by adopting the AFRP provision.

Ternary CuZnS Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Characterization, and Interfacial Application in Perovskite Solar Cells.

Ternary CuZnS nanocrystals (NCs) are synthesized via a facile, scalable, noninjection method at low temperatures for the first time, wherein sodium ascorbate plays the dual roles of reducing agent and capping ligand in the preparation process. These NCs can be dispersed well in a polar solvent like dimethyl sulfoxide, and the average size is ∼4 nm as measured by transmission electron microscopy. The results of X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate that the crystal structure of CuZnS NCs displays covellite CuS-like structure and the Zn element partly occupies the Cu position. Also, the crystal structure of CuZnS NCs is completely converted from a covellite CuS structure into a digenite Cu9S5 structure when the NCs are treated above 350 °C. Moreover, CuZnS NCs demonstrate favorable hole transport properties. When it is employed in MAPbI3-based perovskite solar cells as a hole transport layer, a peak power conversion efficiency of 18.3% is achieved. Simultaneously, the devices based on CuZnS exhibit a remarkably reduced J-V hysteresis. The results indicate that CuZnS is a promising hole transport layer for enhancing perovskite solar cell performance and presents great potential for optoelectronic applications, as well.

Controllable Spatial Configuration on Cathode Interface for Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance and Device Stability.

The molecular structure of cathode interface modification materials can affect the surface morphology of the active layer and key electron transfer processes occurring at the interface of polymer solar cells in inverted structures mostly due to the change of molecular configuration. To investigate the effects of spatial configuration of the cathode interfacial modification layer on polymer solar cells device performances, we introduced two novel organic ionic salts (linear NS2 and three-dimensional (3D) NS4) combined with the ZnO film to fabricate highly efficient inverted solar cells. Both organic ionic salts successfully decreased the surface traps of the ZnO film and made its work function more compatible. Especially NS4 in three-dimensional configuration increased the electron mobility and extraction efficiency of the interfacial film, leading to a significant improvement of device performance. Power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.09% based on NS4 was achieved. Moreover, 3D interfacial modification could retain about 92% of its initial PCE over 160 days. It is proposed that 3D interfacial modification retards the element penetration-induced degradation without impeding the electron transfer from the active layer to the ZnO film, which significantly improves device stability. This indicates that inserting three-dimensional organic ionic salt is an efficient strategy to enhance device performance.

Short-course Regimen for Subsequent Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Multicenter Clinical Trial in China.

PURPOSE: We designed a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled study to assess a 5-month regimen compared with the standard regimen on previously treated patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). METHODS: We enrolled 917 sputum smear-positive patients undergoing additional treatment in 27 major tuberculosis hospitals in China. Patients were randomly assigned to a test group (n = 626)treated with a 5-month regimen of moxifloxacin, pasiniazid, rifabutin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide or a reference group (n = 291) treated with an 8-month regimen of isoniazid, rifampicin, and streptomycin. All patients with a favorable response were followed up for 5 years after the end of treatment. FINDINGS: Of the study patients, 61 in the test group and 19 in the reference group had multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB. The treatment success rate in the study group was 74.12%, which was significantly higher than the 67.70% in the reference group (P = 0.04), whereas the treatment success rate of patients with MDR-TB was not significantly different between the test and reference groups (70.5% vs 63.1%, P =0.79). The adverse effects rates in the test and reference groups were 7.4% and 3.1%, respectively (P = .01). The difference in the TB recurrence rates between the group arm (9.6%) and the reference group (21.8%) was statistically significant (P < 0.001). IMPLICATIONS: The moxifloxacin, pasiniazid, rifabutin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide test regimen yielded higher success and lower recurrence rates than the currently recommended isoniazid, rifampicin, and streptomycin regimen, but the rate of adverse effects was higher. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02331823.