Wavelength-tunable high-fidelity entangled photon sources enabled by dual Stark effects.

The construction of a large-scale quantum internet requires quantum repeaters containing multiple entangled photon sources with identical wavelengths. Semiconductor quantum dots can generate entangled photon pairs deterministically with high fidelity. However, realizing wavelength-matched quantum-dot entangled photon sources faces two difficulties: the non-uniformity of emission wavelength and exciton fine-structure splitting induced fidelity reduction. Typically, these two factors are not independently tunable, making it challenging to achieve simultaneous improvement. In this work, we demonstrate wavelength-tunable entangled photon sources based on droplet-etched GaAs quantum dots through the combined use of AC and quantum-confined Stark effects. The emission wavelength can be tuned by ~1 meV while preserving an entanglement fidelity f exceeding 0.955(1) in the entire tuning range. Based on this hybrid tuning scheme, we finally demonstrate multiple wavelength-matched entangled photon sources with f > 0.919(3), paving the way towards robust and scalable on-demand entangled photon sources for quantum internet and integrated quantum optical circuits.

Transcriptome- and genome-wide systematic identification of expansin gene family and their expression in tuberous root development and stress responses in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas).

Introduction: Expansins (EXPs) are essential components of the plant cell wall that function as relaxation factors to directly promote turgor-driven expansion of the cell wall, thereby controlling plant growth and development and diverse environmental stress responses. EXPs genes have been identified and characterized in numerous plant species, but not in sweetpotato. Results and methods: In the present study, a total of 59 EXP genes unevenly distributed across 14 of 15 chromosomes were identified in the sweetpotato genome, and segmental and tandem duplications were found to make a dominant contribution to the diversity of functions of the IbEXP family. Phylogenetic analysis showed that IbEXP members could be clustered into four subfamilies based on the EXPs from Arabidopsis and rice, and the regularity of protein motif, domain, and gene structures was consistent with this subfamily classification. Collinearity analysis between IbEXP genes and related homologous sequences in nine plants provided further phylogenetic insights into the EXP gene family. Cis-element analysis further revealed the potential roles of IbEXP genes in sweetpotato development and stress responses. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analysis of eight selected IbEXPs genes provided evidence of their specificity in different tissues and showed that their transcripts were variously induced or suppressed under different hormone treatments (abscisic acid, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid) and abiotic stresses (low and high temperature). Discussion: These results provide a foundation for further comprehensive investigation of the functions of IbEXP genes and indicate that several members of this family have potential applications as regulators to control plant development and enhance stress resistance in plants.

A Prognostic Model Based on Nutritional Indexes for Patients With Pan-Cancer: A Real-World Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to identify the nutritional indexes, construct a prognostic model, and develop a nomogram for predicting individual survival probability in pan-cancers. METHODS: Nutritional indicators, clinicopathological characteristics, and previous major treatment details of the patients were collected. The enrolled patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression cross-validation was used to determine the variables to include in the cox regression model. The training cohort was used to build the prediction model, and the validation cohort was used to further verify the discrimination, calibration, and clinical effectiveness of the model. RESULTS: A total of 2020 patients were included. The median OS was 56.50 months (95% CI, 50.36-62.65 months). In the training cohort of 1425 patients, through Lasso regression cross-validation, 13 characteristics were included in the model. Cox proportional hazards model was developed and visualized as a nomogram. The C-indexes of the model for predicting 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year OS were 0.848, 0.826, 0.814, and 0.799 in the training cohort and 0.851, 0.819, 0.814, and 0.801 in the validation cohort. The model showed great calibration in the two cohorts. Patients with a score of less than 274.29 had a better prognosis (training cohort: HR, 6.932; 95% CI, 5.723-8.397; log-rank p < 0.001; validation cohort: HR, 8.429; 95% CI, 6.180-11.497; log-rank p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prognostic model based on the nutritional indexes of pan-cancer can divide patients into different survival risk groups and performed well in the validation cohort.

Study on the evaluation and influencing factors of contracted residents on the coordination of primary medical institutions.

Background: The implementation of family doctor contract service is a pivotal measure to enhance primary medical services and execute the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system. Achieving service coordination among various institutions is both a fundamental objective and a central element of contract services. Objective: The study aims to assess residents' evaluations and determining factors related to the coordination of health services within primary medical institutions across different regions of Shandong Province. The findings intend to serve as a reference for enhancing the coordination services offered by these institutions. Methods: The study employed a multi-stage stratified random sampling method to select three prefecture-level cities in Shandong Province with different economic levels. Within each city, three counties (districts) were randomly sampled using the same method. Within each county (district), three community health service centers and township health centers implementing family doctor contract services were selected randomly. Face-to-face questionnaire surveys were conducted with contracted residents using the coordination dimension of the revised Primary Care Assessment Tools Scale (PCAT) developed by the research team. Data analysis was conducted using such methods as one-way analysis of variance and multiple linear regression. Results: The sample included 3,859 contracted residents. The coordination dimension score of primary medical institutions averaged 3.41 ± 0.18, with the referral service sub-dimension scoring 3.60 ± 0.58 and the information system sub-dimension scoring 3.34 ± 0.65. The overall score of the referral service sub-dimension surpassed that of the information system sub-dimension. Regression results indicated that the city's economic status, the type of contracted institutions, gender, education, marital status, income, occupation, health status, and endowment insurance payment status significantly influenced the coordinated service score of primary medical institutions (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The coordination of primary medical institutions in Shandong Province warrants further optimization. Continued efforts should focus on refining the referral system, expediting information infrastructure development, enhancing the service standards of primary medical institutions, and fostering resident trust. These measures aim to advance the implementation of the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment and two-way referral system.

ATP Hydrolases Superfamily Protein 1 (ASP1) Maintains Root Stem Cell Niche Identity through Regulating Reactive Oxygen Species Signaling in Arabidopsis.

The maintenance of the root stem cell niche identity in Arabidopsis relies on the delicate balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in root tips; however, the intricate molecular mechanisms governing ROS homeostasis within the root stem cell niche remain unclear. In this study, we unveil the role of ATP hydrolase superfamily protein 1 (ASP1) in orchestrating root stem cell niche maintenance through its interaction with the redox regulator cystathionine ß-synthase domain-containing protein 3 (CBSX3). ASP1 is exclusively expressed in the quiescent center (QC) cells and governs the integrity of the root stem cell niche. Loss of ASP1 function leads to enhanced QC cell division and distal stem cell differentiation, attributable to reduced ROS levels and diminished expression of SCARECROW and SHORT ROOT in root tips. Our findings illuminate the pivotal role of ASP1 in regulating ROS signaling to maintain root stem cell niche homeostasis, achieved through direct interaction with CBSX3.

Impacts of Multiple and One-time Root Canal Therapy on Immune and Inflammatory Response in Endodontic Patients.

Background: Root canal therapy is a widely adopted clinical approach for managing endodontic diseases. However, patients undergoing multiple root canal treatments face an increased risk of reinfection, complicating treatment outcomes. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effects of both multiple and one-time root canal therapy on the immune and inflammatory responses in endodontic patients. Design: A randomized controlled study was conducted. Setting: The research was carried out at the 8th People's Hospital of Shanghai. Participants: A total of 100 endodontic patients admitted to the Stomatology Department of the hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were randomly allocated to either the study group or the control group, with each group consisting of 50 cases. Interventions: The control group received multiple root canal therapy, while the study group underwent one-time root canal treatment. Primary Outcome Measures: (1) Clinical treatment effectiveness, (2) pain intensity, (3) levels of inflammatory factors, (4) oral immune factor levels, (5) oral health-related quality of life, and (6) occurrence of adverse reactions were assessed. Results: The study group demonstrated a significantly higher total effective rate compared to the control group (P < .05). Post-treatment, the study group exhibited lower pain scores, reduced levels of inflammatory factors, improved oral health-related quality of life, and fewer adverse reactions compared to the control group (P < .05). Additionally, the study group showed elevated levels of lysozyme, human ß-defensin 2, and secretory Immunoglobulin A compared to the control group (P < .05). Conclusions: One-time root canal therapy in endodontic patients yields superior outcomes, effectively reducing adverse reactions and inflammatory factor levels, enhancing chewing function, alleviating pain, and demonstrating clinical utility. This study underscores the importance and efficacy of adopting a one-time root canal treatment approach in endodontic practice.

Development of an assessment tool for designated medical institutions in China--Based on the application of an online assessment system.

Background: Due to the expanding coverage of medical insurance and the growth of medical expenses, the ability to assess the performance of designated medical institutions (DMIs) in supporting the delivery of high-quality patient care and the standardized use of funds represents a priority in China. Despite such interest, there has yet to be an operable standard and labor-saving method for assessing DMIs in China. Objective: The main objectives include two aspects: (1) establishing an evaluation index system for DMIs based on contracts; (2) designing and developing an online evaluation platform. Methods: A group of 20 experts with theoretical and practical expertise in medical insurance regulation and performance evaluation were invited to select available indicators. A combination weighting method based on analytic hierarchy process and entropy method was used to determine the weight coefficient. Shanghai was taken as the sample area, and 760 DMIs were included in the empirical research. The test-retest reliability method and criterion-related validity method was used to test the reliability and the validity of the evaluation result. Results: An assessment index system that included 6 domains and 56 indicators was established in this study. Furthermore, we developed an online platform to assist in the implementation of the assessment. The results showed that the average score of assessment was 94.39, the median was 96.92. The test-retest reliability value was 0.96 (P ≤ 0.01), which indicated high stability of the assessment. In addition, there was a significant negative relationship between assessment score and the penalty amount of DMIs (R = -0.133, P < 0.001). After adjusting for the basic characteristics of medical institutions, the number of visits and revenue, the negative relationship was still significant (B = -0.080, P < 0.05). These results are consistent with expectations, indicating that the assessment had good criterion-related validity. Conclusions: This study established an operable assessment measure and developed an online platform to assess the performance of DMIs. The results showed good feasibility and reliability in empirical research. Our research findings provided an operable Chinese solution for DMI assessment that saves manpower and time, which would have good enlightening significance in other regions of China and in low-income and middle-income countries internationally.

Electrophysiological evidence of lexical processing impacted by foreign language reading anxiety.

Extensive studies have been conducted on the impact of foreign language reading anxiety on reading, primarily focusing on pedagogy and behavior but lacking electrophysiological evidence. The current study aimed to investigate the influence of foreign language reading anxiety on reading and its underlying mechanisms. The results revealed a negative correlation between foreign language reading anxiety and foreign language reading performance, irrespective of the native language. Adults with low levels of foreign language reading anxiety (LFLRA) demonstrated a significant difference in early lexical component N170 amplitude between foreign and native languages. However, this effect was not observed in adults with high levels of foreign language reading anxiety (HFLRA). In terms of N170 latency, HFLRA showed a longer N170 for the foreign language compared to the native language. Furthermore, the N170 effects were predominantly localized over the left occipitotemporal electrodes. Regarding N400 latency, a significant difference was found in LFLRA individuals between foreign and native language processing, while HFLRA individuals did not exhibit this difference. These findings suggest that HFLRA individuals experience inefficient lexical processing (such as orthography or semantics) during reading in foreign language.

The coupling of sulfide and Fe-Mn mineral promotes the migration of lead and zinc in the redox cycle of high pH floodplain soils.

In this study, we investigated the impact of fluctuating water levels on the distribution of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in soil and sediments at a historical Pb-Zn smelting site along the Xiangjiang River. Despite the high pH levels (7 to 11) in the study area, which generally inhibits heavy metal solubility, we found that regular changes in water levels still affect Pb-Zn movement. Soil analysis revealed distinct redox zones within the unconfined aquifer, as shown by the variable Fe/Mn and Ce/Ce* ratios. Advanced techniques such as Mn K-edge XAFS, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and TOF-SIMS indicated persistent Fe-Mn redox cycling and highlighted the presence of Pb and Zn-rich manganese oxides near sulfur-bearing minerals. These findings suggest that acidic microzones produced by the oxidation of sulfur-bearing minerals become "refuges" for microbial and heavy metal activity. Considering that sulfur-containing minerals are widespread waste types in nonferrous metal smelting sites, these findings are instructive for a better understanding of the transformation mechanisms of heavy metal ions in nonferrous metal smelting-polluted environments and for guiding pollution remediation strategies.

Iron coupled with hydroxylamine turns on the "switch" for free radical degradation of organic pollutants under high pH conditions.

Reducing iron by hydroxylamine (HA) can promote the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the Fenton reaction and play a crucial role in the degradation of organic pollutants. However, the performance of this system at wider environmental thresholds is still not sufficiently understood, especially in the highly alkaline environments resulting from human activities. Here, we assessed the impact of solution pH on organic pollutant degradation by goethite with the addition of HA and H2O2. The solid phase variation and ROS generation were analyzed using Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis. This study found that under alkaline conditions, the system can continuously scavenge organic pollutants through oxygen-mediated generation of free radicals. At lower pH levels, organic pollutant decomposition, exemplified by the breakdown of bisphenol A (BPA), is primarily driven by the Fenton reaction facilitated by iron. As pH increases, hydroxyl radical (•OH) production decreases, accompanied by decreased BPA removal efficiency. However, the removal efficiency of BPA increased significantly at pH > 9. At pH 12, the removal of BPA exceeded that of the acidic condition after one hour, which is consistent with observations in soil system studies. Unlike the Fenton reaction, which is not sensitive to oxygen content, the removal of BPA under alkaline conditions occurs only under aerobic conditions. H2O2 is hardly involved in the reaction, and the depletion of HA becomes a critical factor in the decomposition of BPA. Importantly, in contrast to acidic conditions, where the dramatic decomposition of BPA occurs mainly in the first 10 min, the decomposition of BPA under alkaline conditions continued to occur over the 2 h of observation until complete removal. For natural systems, the remediation of pollutants depends more on the active time of ROS than on their reactivity. Therefore, this idea can reference pollution remediation strategies in anthropogenically disturbed environments.

Roles of RNA m5C modification patterns in prognosis and tumor microenvironment infiltration of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Genetic and epigenetic aberrations display an essential role in the initiation and progression of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). 5-methylcytosine (m5C), a common RNA modification, regulates various cellular processes and contributes to tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, m5C alterations in DLBCL remain unclear. Our research constructed an m5C prognostic model utilizing GEO data sets, which can efficiently predict the prognosis of patients with DLBCL, and verified the m5C prognostic model genes by immunohistochemistry analysis. This model was constructed using unsupervised consensus clustering analyses, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Based on the expression of m5C genes in the model, patients with DLBCL could be effectively divided into groups with significant survival time differences. The m5C risk-score signature demonstrated a highly significant independent prognostic value. Results from tumor microenvironment analyses revealed that m5C genes altered the infiltration of eosinophils, Tregs, and M2 macrophages. Additionally, they regulated T cell activation by modulating the expression of CTLA4, PDL1, B2M, CD8A, ICOS, and other relevant immune checkpoint expressions. In conclusion, our study presents a robust m5C prognostic model that effectively predicts prognosis in DLBCL. This model may offer a new approach for prognostic stratification and potential therapeutic interventions for patients with DLBCL.

Effect of wet-aging on meat quality and exudate metabolome changes in different beef muscles.

The aim of this study was to evaluate meat quality and changes in the meat exudate metabolome of different beef muscles (5 d postmortem, longissimus lumborum and psoas major muscles) during wet-aging (additional 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d of aging). Shear force of meat declined significantly (P < 0.001) with aging, meanwhile, increased myofibril fragmentation index, lipid and protein oxidation with aging were observed (P < 0.01). Psoas major (PM) showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) purge loss, centrifugal loss, and cooking loss, as well as higher tenderness and more severe lipid and protein oxidation (P < 0.01) than longissimus lumborum (LL) during aging. Principal component analysis of the metabolomic profiles revealed distinct clusters according to the period of aging and the type of muscle simultaneously. Overabundant amino acids, peptides, oxidized fatty acids, and hydroxy fatty acids were found in long-term aged meat exudates, and forty metabolites were significantly correlated with meat quality characteristics. Fifty-nine metabolites were significantly affected by muscle type. These results demonstrated the potential possibility of evaluating meat quality using meat exudate metabolomics.

Perceived HRM and turnover intentions of elderly care workers: perspective from person-job fit and institutional ownership.

BACKGROUND: Although the phenomenon of high turnover rate in the elderly care industry has existed for a long time, there are few studies that have constructed frameworks to comprehensively analyze the strength of the effects of various factors on the turnover intention of elderly care workers.. This study analyzed the impact of different types of perceived human resource management practices on elderly care workers' turnover intentions and whether this relationship is moderated by person-job fit and ownership of elderly care institutions. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional and regional survey study. The study included questionnaire survey data from a total of 305 elderly care workers from 42 elderly care institutions in 21 provinces in China during June to September 2021. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression, and heterogeneity analyses were performed. RESULTS: Perceived work environment ( ß =-0.5164, p< 0.01), perceived occupational protection ( ß =-0.3390, p< 0.01), perceived welfare benefits ( ß = -0.2620, p< 0.01) and perceived competency training ( ß = -0.1421, p< 0.1) were all significantly and negatively related to turnover intentions, the quality of perceived work environment has the greatest impact on elderly care workers' turnover intentions. Under the moderating effects of person-job fit and ownership of elderly care institutions, there existed heterogeneity between perceived human resource management and turnover intentions among elderly care workers. High level of person-job fit and elderly care institutions' public feature can effectively weaken the negative impact of each type of perceived human resource management on turnover intention among elderly care workers. CONCLUSIONS: The managers of elderly care institutions should optimize the management mechanism, typically pay attention to elderly care workers' working environment, formulate and improve the professional standards and job requirements for elderly care workers, promote the public welfare value of nursing care services, and strengthen the sense of honor and responsibility of elderly care workers to reduce the turnover rate.

Flexible Piezoresistive Sensors Based on PPy Granule-Anchored Multilayer Fibrous Membranes with a Wide Operating Range and High Sensitivity.

The employment of flexible piezoresistive sensors has sparked growing interest within the realm of wearable electronic devices, specifically in the fields of health detection and e-skin. Nevertheless, the advancement of piezoresistive sensors has been impeded by their limited sensitivity and restricted operating ranges. Consequently, it is imperative to fabricate sensors with heightened sensitivity and expanded operating ranges through the utilization of the appropriate methodologies. In this paper, piezoresistive sensors were fabricated utilizing electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride/polyacrylonitrile/polyethylene-polypropylene glycol multilayer fibrous membranes anchored with polypyrrole granules as the sensing layer, while electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibers were employed as the flexible substrate. The sensitivity of the sensor is investigated by varying the fiber diameter of the sensing layer. The experimental findings reveal that a concentration of 14 wt % in the spinning solution exhibits high sensitivity (996.7 kPa-1) within a wide working range (0-10 kPa). This is attributed to the favorable diameter of the fibers prepared at this concentration, which facilitates the uniform in situ growth of pyrrole. The highly deformable TPU flexible fibers and multilayer sensing layer structure enable different linear responses across a broad pressure range (0-1 MPa). Furthermore, the sensor demonstrates good cyclic stability and can detect human movements under different pressures. These results suggest that the piezoresistive sensor with a wide operating range and high sensitivity has significant potential for future health monitoring and artificial intelligence applications.

MAC3A and MAC3B mediate degradation of the transcription factor ERF13 and thus promote lateral root emergence.

Lateral roots (LRs) increase root surface area and allow plants greater access to soil water and nutrients. LR formation is tightly regulated by the phytohormone auxin. Whereas the transcription factor ETHYLENE-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING FACTOR13 (ERF13) prevents LR emergence in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), auxin activates MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE14 (MPK14), which leads to ERF13 degradation and ultimately promotes LR emergence. In this study, we discovered interactions between ERF13 and the E3 ubiquitin ligases MOS4-ASSOCIATED COMPLEX 3A (MAC3A) and MAC3B. As MAC3A and MAC3B gradually accumulate in the LR primordium, ERF13 levels gradually decrease. We demonstrate that MAC3A and MAC3B ubiquitinate ERF13, leading to its degradation and accelerating the transition of LR primordia from stage IV to stage V. Auxin enhances the MAC3A and MAC3B interaction with ERF13 by facilitating MPK14-mediated ERF13 phosphorylation. In summary, this study reveals the molecular mechanism by which auxin eliminates the inhibitory factor ERF13 through the MPK14-MAC3A and MAC3B signaling module, thus promoting LR emergence.

Unveiling hormone-stimulated gene mechanisms in prostate cancer: A prognostic model, immune infiltration analysis, and drug sensitivity study.

Hormones promote the progression of prostate cancer (PRCA) through the activation of a complex regulatory network. Inhibition of hormones or modulation of specific network nodes alone is insufficient to suppress the entire oncogenic network. Therefore, it is imperative to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the occurrence and development of PRCA in order to identify reliable diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. To this end, we used publicly available data to analyze the potential mechanisms of hormone-stimulated genes in PRCA, construct a prognostic model, and assess immune infiltration and drug sensitivity. The single-cell RNA-sequencing data of PRCA were subjected to dimensionality reduction clustering and annotation, and the cells were categorized into two groups based on hormone stimulus-related scores. The differentially expressed genes between the two groups were screened and incorporated into the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator machine learning algorithm, and a prognostic model comprising six genes (ZNF862, YIF1A, USP22, TAF7, SRSF3, and SPARC) was constructed. The robustness of the model was validation through multiple methods. Immune infiltration scores in the two risk groups were calculated using three different algorithms. In addition, the relationship between the model genes and immune cell infiltration, and that between risk score and immune cell infiltration were analyzed. Drug sensitivity analysis was performed for the model genes and risk score using public databases to identify potential candidate drugs. Our findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms of hormone-stimulated genes in PRCA progression, prognosis, and drug screening.

Mapping progressive damage epicenters in epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures by causal structural covariance network density (CaSCNd).

AIMS: Mapping progressive patterns of structural damage in epilepsies with idiopathic and secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures with causal structural covariance networks and multiple analysis strategies. METHODS: Patients with idiopathic generalized tonic-clonic seizures (IGTCS) (n = 114) and secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures (SGTCS) (n = 125) were recruited. Morphometric parameter of gray matter volume was analyzed on structural MRI. Structural covariance network based on granger causality analysis (CaSCN) was performed on the cross-sectional morphometric data sorted by disease durations of patients. Seed-based CaSCN analysis was firstly carried out to map the progressive and influential patterns of damage to thalamus-related structures. A novel technique for voxel-based CaSCN density (CaSCNd) analysis was further proposed, enabling for identifying the epicenter of structural brain damage during the disease process. RESULTS: The thalamus-associated CaSCNs demonstrated different patterns of progressive damage in two types of generalized tonic-clonic seizures. In IGTCS, the structural damage was predominantly driven from the thalamus, and expanded to the cortex, while in SGTCS, the damage was predominantly driven from the cortex, and expanded to the thalamus through the basal ganglia. CaSCNd analysis revealed that the IGTCS had an out-effect epicenter in the thalamus, whereas the SGTCS had equipotent in- and out-effects in the thalamus, cortex, and basal ganglia. CONCLUSION: CaSCN revealed distinct damage patterns in the two types of GTCS, featuring with measurement of structural brain damage from the accumulating effect over a relatively long time period. Our work provided evidence for understanding network impairment mechanism underlying different GTCSs.

Sustainable lignocellulose aerogel for air purifier with thermal insulation, flame retardancy, mechanical strength, and its life cycle assessment.

High-performance biomass materials with good thermal insulation, flame retardrancy, and mechanical properties are urgently required for thermal management. Herein, a novel lignocellulose aerogel treated using a recyclable deep eutectic solvent (DES) was physically mixed with tourmaline particles (TPs) to enhance its structural stability, flame retardancy, and mechanical properties. The optimized TPs-modified lignocellulose aerogel (TLA-4) had good comprehensive performances due to the synergistic effect of ammonium sulfate and TPs. Compared with TPs-free lignocellulose aerogel (LA), the total heat release (THR) and heat release rate (HRR) of TLA-4 were reduced by 62.0 % and 66.3 %, respectively, and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of TLA-4 was drastically enhanced by 74.1 %. TLA-4 also exhibited a low thermal conductivity of 29.67 mW/mK, showing favorable thermal insulation performance. When compressed to 5 %, the mechanical strength of TLA-4 increased by 8.3 times. Meanwhile, the presence of TPs and abundant pores in the aerogel contributed to the release of negative oxygen ions (NOIs), aiding air purification. A life cycle assessment (LCA) indicated that this composite had a minimal environmental impact (EI) in 17 categories compared to other similar aerogels. The proposed strategy for preparing an environment-friendly lignocellulose aerogel offers significant potential for applications in home decoration and building materials.

Double-edged effect of frequent freeze-thaw on the stability of zero-valent iron after heavy metal remediation.

Freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) cause dynamic microscale changes in ions and solvents. During freezing, heavy metals adsorbed on zero-valent iron (M-ZVI) and protons are excluded by ice crystals and concentrated in the liquid-like grain boundary region. The high proton concentration in this region leads to the dissolution of the passivation layer of ZVI. To assess the environmental risks of M-ZVI during FTCs, this study evaluated the stability of M-ZVI in this scenario from both microscale and macroscale perspectives. The results showed that the dissolution of the passivation layer had a dual effect on the stability of M-ZVI, which depends on the by-products of M-ZVI. The dissolution of the passivation layer was accompanied by the leaching of heavy metals, such as Ni-ZVI, but it also enhanced the reactivity of ZVI, causing it to re-react with desorbed heavy metals. The stability of Cr-ZVI and Cd-ZVI was improved due to frequent FTCs. Furthermore, changes in the surrounding environment (water dipole moment, ion concentration, etc.) of ZVI affected the crystallization of Fe oxides, increasing the content of amorphous Fe oxide. As low-crystallinity Fe oxides could facilitate ion doping, Ni2+ was doped into Fe3O4 lattice during FTCs, which reduced the mobility of heavy metals. Contrary to traditional views that freezing temperatures slow chemical reactions, this study provides new insights into the application of iron-based materials in cold environments.