Enhanced conversion of CO2 into C2H4 on single atom Cu-anchored graphitic carbon nitride: Synergistic diatomic active sites interaction.

Single atom metal-nitrogen-carbon materials have emerged as remarkably potent catalysts, demonstrating unprecedented potential for the photo-driven reduction of CO2. Herein, a unique Cu@g-C3N5 catalyst obtained by cooperation of single atom Cu and nitrogen-rich g-C3N5 is proposed. The particular CuN diatomic active sites (DAS) in Cu@g-C3N5 contribute to the formation of highly stable CuOCN adsorption, a key configuration for CO2 activation and CC coupling. The synergistic diatomic active sites interaction is found responsible for the efficient photoreduction of CO2 to C2H4 which has been demonstrated in our Gibbs free energy calculation and COHP analysis. The CO2 activation mechanism was studied, the charge density difference and DOS analysis show that the low oxidation state Cu atom significantly affects the electronic structure of g-C3N5 and then enhance the catalytic activity of CO2 hydrogenation.

Synthesis of MOF-5/polyethersulfone (PES) mixed matrix membranes for enhancing membrane filtration performance in polyphenol purification.

The various apple products industries produce a large amount of apple residue, which is easily fermented, causes environmental pollution, and its disposal cost is high, but is rich in nutrients, such as polyphenols. Polyphenols can be purified to realize high-value deep processing of apple pomace and to promote energy reuse of food waste. In this study, the highly selective purification of polyphenols was achieved by membrane filtration using prepared Metal-organic framework (MOF)-5/PES mixed matrix membranes with apple peels as raw material. The polyethersulfone mixed matrix membrane was loaded with MOF-5 by the phase inversion method, and their structural and physicochemical properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Zeta potential and specific surface area of MOF-5 particles were measured, as well as the water contact angle and anti-fouling properties of the mixed matrix membrane were analyzed. It was confirmed that the membrane loaded with MOF-5 showed better hydrophilicity and mechanical properties compared with the pristine polyether sulfone membrane. Under practical conditions, the increased hydrophilicity could enhance the anti-fouling properties of membranes, which would improve the flux recovery ratio of membranes. In addition, the prepared MOF-5/PES mixed matrix membrane was applied to the purification of polyphenols, showing excellent purification performance of polyphenols. In particular, the purity of polyphenol after membrane filtration could reach 70.45% when the additional amount of MOF-5 was 10%. This research provides a method to prepare MOF-5/PES mixed matrix membranes, which effectively solves the problem of unstable and unsatisfactory purification effect of commercially available membranes, promotes the development of new materials in membrane science, and realizes high-value deep processing and comprehensive resource development of food waste using membrane filtration.

Flexible Multimodal Sensing System Based on a Vertical Stacking Strategy for Efficiently Decoupling Multiple Signals.

Multisensory integration enables the simultaneous perception of multiple environmental stimuli while minimizing size and energy consumption. However, conventional multifunctional integration in flexible electronics typically requires large-scale horizontal sensing arrays (such as flexible printed circuit boards), posing decoupling complexities, tensile strain limitation, and spatial constraints. Herein, a fully flexible multimodal sensing system (FMSS) is developed by coupling biomimetic stretchable conductive films (BSCFs) and strain-insensitive communication interfaces using a vertical stacking integration strategy. The FMSS achieves vertical integration without additional adhesives, and it can incorporate individual sensing layers and stretchable interconnects without any essential constraint on their deformations. Accordingly, the temperature and pressure are precisely decoupled simultaneously, and tensile stress can be accurately discerned in different directions. This vertical stacking integration strategy is expected to offer a new approach to significantly streamline the design and fabrication of multimodal sensing systems and enhance their decoupling capabilities.

Efficient photoreduction of carbon dioxide to ethanol using diatomic nitrogen-doped black phosphorus.

Successful conversion of CO2 into C2 products requires the development of new catalysts that overcome the difficulties in efficient light harvesting and CO-CO coupling. Herein, density functional theory (DFT) is used to assess the photoreduction properties of nitrogen-doped black phosphorus. The geometric structure, redox potential, first step of hydrogenation activation, CO desorption, and CO-CO coupling are systematically calculated, based on which the diatomic nitrogen-doped black phosphorus (N2@BPV) stands out. The calculated results of the CO2RR pathway demonstrate that N2@BPV has excellent selectivity and high activity for CH3CH2OH production. The results of the time-dependent ab initio nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulation show that the diatomic N active sites of N2@BPV facilitate charge separation and inhibit electron-hole recombination. In addition, the activation mechanism of CO2 is studied. The main reason for CO2 activation is attributed to the imbalance in electron transfer that destroys the symmetry of CO2. We expect that our study will offer some theoretical guidance in CO2 conversion.

The intelligent prediction of membrane fouling during membrane filtration by mathematical models and artificial intelligence models.

Recently, membrane separation technology has been widely utilized in filtration process intensification due to its efficient performance and unique advantages, but membrane fouling limits its development and application. Therefore, the research on membrane fouling prediction and control technology is crucial to effectively reduce membrane fouling and improve separation performance. This review first introduces the main factors (operating condition, material characteristics, and membrane structure properties) and the corresponding principles that affect membrane fouling. In addition, mathematical models (Hermia model and Tandem resistance model), artificial intelligence (AI) models (Artificial neural networks model and fuzzy control model), and AI optimization methods (genetic algorithm and particle swarm algorithm), which are widely used for the prediction of membrane fouling, are summarized and analyzed for comparison. The AI models are usually significantly better than the mathematical models in terms of prediction accuracy and applicability of membrane fouling and can monitor membrane fouling in real-time by working in concert with image processing technology, which is crucial for membrane fouling prediction and mechanism studies. Meanwhile, AI models for membrane fouling prediction in the separation process have shown good potential and are expected to be further applied in large-scale industrial applications for separation and filtration process intensification. This review will help researchers understand the challenges and future research directions in membrane fouling prediction, which is expected to provide an effective method to reduce or even solve the bottleneck problem of membrane fouling, and to promote the further application of AI modeling in environmental and food fields.

Cross-border Activities Associated With Pattern of Amphetamine-type Stimulants Usage Among Drug Users in Southwest of China.

Cross-border activities are possibly associated with the use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), this study was to explore poly-substance of ATS use and influencing factors among ATS use populations in southwest China. A cross-sectional study was conducted by response driven and continuous samplings from January to July 2021. Descriptive, univariate and logistic regression were carried out. ATS users accounted for 95.6% of the target population, of whom one-third had cross-border experiences with 4.1% of the cross-border purchase of drugs. ATS users were mainly over 31 years old (53.9%), male (98.7%), minority (79.1%), and unmarried (72.7%). Cross-border users consumed more ketamine (8%) and methamphetamine (40%) (P < .05). After adjusting for socioeconomic-demographic factors, cross-border activity [OR: 0.336 (0.141, 0.799)], occupation [OR: 0.273 (0.080, 0.929)], injecting drug behavior [OR: 6.239 (1. 087, 35.811)], frequency [OR: 0.251 (0.073, 0.859)], and ATS use location [OR: 2.915 (1.040, 8.168)] were possible factors influencing ATS use patterns (P < .05). Cross-border activity may be associated with polydrug use, especially predominantly methamphetamine use, among ATS users along the Southwest border. It implied that the focus of drug prevention and control in border areas should be on cross-border populations.

Screening of microalgae strains for efficient biotransformation of small molecular organic acids from dark fermentation biohydrogen production wastewater.

Dark fermentation biohydrogen production is a rapidly advancing and well-established field. However, the accumulation of volatile organic acid (VFAs) byproducts hinder its practical applications. Microalgae have demonstrated the ability to efficiently utilize VFAs while also treating waste gases and other nutrient elements. Integrating microalgae cultivation with dark fermentation is a promising approach. However, low VFAs tolerance and slow VFAs consumption restrict their application. To find suitable wastewater treatment microalgae, this work screened eight microalgae strains from five family. The results demonstrated that Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exhibited significant advantages in VFAs utilization, achieving a maximum removal of 100% for acetate and 52.5% for butyrate. Among the tested microalgae strains, CW15 outperformed in terms of photobioreactor adaptability, VFAs utilization, biomass productivity, and nutrient removal, making it the most promising microalgae for practical applications. This research demonstrates the feasibility of integrating microalgae cultivation with dark fermentation and providing a viable technical solution for integrated-biorefining.

Effect of Different Levels of Maternally Derived Genotype VII Newcastle Disease Virus-Specific Hemagglutination Inhibition Antibodies on Protection against Virulent Challenge in Chicks.

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by the virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV), is an acute, highly contagious, and economically significant avian disease worldwide. Vaccination is the most effective measure for controlling ND. In recent years, vaccines matched with the prevalent strains of genotype VII have been developed and are now commercially available. These vaccines can provide full protection for chickens against clinical disease and mortality after challenges with genotype VII viruses and significantly decrease virus shedding compared to conventional vaccines belonging to genotypes I and II. Vaccinated hens can transfer antibodies to their offspring through the egg yolk. Maternally derived antibodies can provide passive protection against diseases but can also interfere with vaccination efficacy early in life. This study was conducted on chicks hatched from hens vaccinated with a commercial genotype VII NDV-matched vaccine to investigate the correlation between hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody levels in chicks and hens and the decaying pattern of maternally derived HI antibodies, and to evaluate the protective efficacy of different levels of maternally derived HI antibodies against challenge with a virulent NDV strain of genotype VII based on survivability and virus shedding. The HI antibody titers in chicks at hatching were about 1.3 log2 lower than those in hens, indicating an antibody transfer rate of approximately 41.52%. The estimated half-life of these antibodies was about 3.2 days. The protective efficacy of maternally derived HI antibodies was positively correlated with the titer. These antibodies could effectively protect chicks against mortality when the titer was 7 log2 or higher, but they were unable to prevent virus shedding or infection even at a high titer of 11 log2. The obtained results will greatly assist producers in determining the immune status of chicks and formulating appropriate vaccination schedules against ND.

Synthesis, catalysts and enhancement technologies of biodiesel from oil feedstock - A review.

Biodiesel is considered as one of the most promising alternative fuels due to the depletion of fossil fuels and the need to cope with potential energy shortages in the future. This article provides a thorough analysis of biodiesel synthesis, covering a variety of topics including oil feedstock, synthesis methods, catalysts, and enhancement technologies. Different oil feedstock for the synthesis of biodiesel is compared in the review, including edible plant oil, non-edible plant oil, waste cooking oil, animal fat, microbial oil, and algae oil. In addition, different methods for the synthesis of biodiesel are discussed, including direct use, blending, thermal cracking, microemulsions, and transesterification processes, highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages. Among them, the transesterification method is the most commonly used and a thorough examination is given of the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing enzymatic, heterogeneous, and homogeneous catalysts in this process. Moreover, this article provides an overview of emerging intensification technologies, such as ultrasonic and microwave-assisted, electrolysis, reactive distillation, and microreactors. The benefits and limitations of these emerging technologies are also reviewed. The contribution of this article is offering a thorough and detailed review of biodiesel production technologies, focusing mainly on recent advances in enhanced chemical reaction processes. This provides a resource for researchers to assess and compare the latest advancements in their investigations. It also opens up the potential for enhancing the value of oil feedstocks efficiently, contributing to the development of new energy sources.

Impact of Regional Collaborative Network on the Rescue of Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction First Visit to non-PCI Hospitals.

Objective: To assess the effect of a regional collaborative network on the treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients first admitted to non- percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) hospitals. Methods: Using data from Kunshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine's chest pain center database, patients were grouped based on the establishment of the regional collaborative rescue network. Key timepoints and in-hospital complications were analyzed. Results: A total of 152 ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients were included in the study. Compared to control group, symptom-to-balloon time (S-B), time of first medical contact to balloon and inter-hospital referral time in observation group were significantly shorter [(314.03 ± 209.26) min vs (451.27 ± 290.44) min, P = .001], [(115.32 ± 54.73) min vs (191.67 ± 130.30) min, P = .001], [(55.09 ± 37.23) min vs (112.67 ± 95.90) min, P = .001], but time of symptom to first medical contact were not statistically significant[(210.27±217.07) min vs (239.61 ± 200.92) min, P = .136].The incidence of heart failure and total complications during hospitalization decreased [7 (8.14%) vs 13 (19.70%), P = .037] and [14 (16.28%) vs 24 (36.36%), P = .004]. However no statistically significant difference were observed in rate of death during hospitalization [2 (2.33%) vs 3 (4.55%), P = .450], ventricular fibrillation [2 (2.33%) vs 3 (4.55%), P = .450], left ventricular thrombosis [2 (2.33%) vs 4 (6.06%), P = .244] and recurrent myocardial infarction[1 (1.16%) vs 1 (1.52%), P = .851]. Conclusions: The regional cooperative rescue network notably reduces ischemic and referral times for STEMI patients, lowering the incidence of heart failure during their hospital stay.

Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies for producing high-value natural pigments in Microalgae.

Microalgae are microorganisms capable of producing bioactive compounds using photosynthesis. Microalgae contain a variety of high value-added natural pigments such as carotenoids, phycobilins, and chlorophylls. These pigments play an important role in many areas such as food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Natural pigments have a health value that is unmatched by synthetic pigments. However, the current commercial production of natural pigments from microalgae is not able to meet the growing market demand. The use of metabolic engineering and synthetic biological strategies to improve the production performance of microalgal cell factories is essential to promote the large-scale production of high-value pigments from microalgae. This paper reviews the health and economic values, the applications, and the synthesis pathways of microalgal pigments. Overall, this review aims to highlight the latest research progress in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology in constructing engineered strains of microalgae with high-value pigments and the application of CRISPR technology and multi-omics in this context. Finally, we conclude with a discussion on the bottlenecks and challenges of microalgal pigment production and their future development prospects.

Characterization of Type I/II g-C3N4/MoS2 van der Waals Heterostructures: A New Theoretical Insight.

The charge transfer mechanism of the g-C3N4/MoS2 heterojunction is still disputed. Some regard it as a type I pathway, some regard it as a type II pathway, and still some regard it as a Z-scheme pathway. Especially, the results obtained by density functional theory (DFT) calculations are not totally in agreement. Here, we constructed four g-C3N4/MoS2 heterojunctions on the basis of the aperture alignment modes of g-C3N4 and MoS2. Their morphology and photocatalytic activity were investigated via first-principles and excited state dynamics simulations. By systemically comparing the interfacial binding energy and electronic structure (e.g., band structure, electrostatic potential, and band edge positions) of g-C3N4/MoS2 heterojunctions, we found that both type I and type II band alignment structures could be obtained. Moreover, the calculated lifetimes of interlayer photogenerated electrons and holes show that type II g-C3N4/MoS2 tends to favor a general type II pathway rather than a Z-scheme pathway. This study could provide a deep understanding of the photocatalytic mechanism of g-C3N4/MoS2 van der Waals heterostructures, which will be of great use for applications in photocatalysis.

Enhancing photocatalytic overall water-splitting performance on dual-active-sites of the Co-P@MoS2 catalysts: a DFT study.

The rational construction of photocatalysts possesses tremendous potential to solve the energy crisis and environmental pollution; however, designing a catalyst for solar-driven overall water-splitting remains a great challenge. Herein, we propose a new MoS2-based photocatalyst (Co-P@MoS2), which skillfully uses the cobalt (Co) atom to stimulate in-plane S atoms and employs the phosphorus (P) atom to stabilize the basal plane by forming the Co-P bands. Using density functional theory (DFT), it was found that oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) can occur at the P site and S2 site of the Co-P@MoS2, respectively, and the dual-active sites successfully makes a delicate balance between the adsorption and dissociation of hydrogen. Furthermore, the improved overall water-splitting performance of Co-P@MoS2 was verified by analyzing the results of the electron structure and the dynamics of photogenerated carries. It was found that the imbalance of electron transfer caused by the introduction of the Co atom was the main contributor to the catalytic activity of Co-P@MoS2. Our study broadens the idea of developing photocatalysts for the overall water-splitting.

Folic Acid Protects Against Kidney Damage in Mice with Diabetic Nephropathy by Inhibiting M1 Macrophage Polarization via Nuclear Factor-k-gene Binding Pathway.

Kidney damage is one of the most common complications of diabetes, and inflammation caused by macrophage infiltration plays an important role. Folic acid (FA), a water-soluble vitamin, was previously found to affect inflammation by regulating macrophage polarization. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effect of FA on renal injury in mice with diabetic nephropathy (DN). We found that FA treatment ameliorated diabetic metabolic parameters in mice with DN, including reducing 24-hour food consumption, 24-hour urine volume and 24-hour water intake and increasing body weight and serum insulin. Of note, FA treatment improved renal functional and structural damage in mice with DN. In addition, FA treatment significantly reduced the number of renal infiltrating M1 macrophages, inflammatory cytokine FA stimulation significantly reduced the increase in F4/80+CD86+ cell ratio, inflammatory factor content and p-p65/p65 protein expression induced by high glucose exposure in RAW264.7 cells. All in all, our results indicated that FA protects against kidney damage in mice with DN by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of nuclear factor-k-gene binding (NF-kB) signaling pathway.

Phycobiliproteins from algae: Current updates in sustainable production and applications in food and health.

Phycobiliproteins are light-harvesting complexes found mainly in cyanobacteria and red algae, playing a key role in photosynthesis. They are extensively applied in food, cosmetics, and biomedical industry due to bright color, unique fluorescence characteristics and diverse physiological activities. They have received much attention in the past few decades because of their green and sustainable production, safe application, and functional diversity. This work aimed to provide a comprehensive summary of parameters affecting the whole bioprocess with a special focus on the extraction and purification, which directly determines the application of phycobiliproteins. Food grade phycobiliproteins are easy to prepare, whereas analytical grade phycobiliproteins are extremely complex and costly to produce. Most phycobiliproteins are denatured and inactivated at high temperatures, severely limiting their application. Inspired by recent advances, future perspectives are put forward, including (1) the mutagenesis and screening of algal strains for higher phycobiliprotein productivity, (2) the application of omics and genetic engineering for stronger phycobiliprotein stability, and (3) the utilization of synthetic biology and heterologous expression systems for easier phycobiliprotein isolation. This review will give a reference for exploring more phycobiliproteins for food and health application development.

Efficacy of Newcastle disease LaSota vaccine-induced hemagglutination inhibition antibodies against challenges with heterologous virulent strains of genotypes VII and IX.

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV), still remains one of the most important avian diseases affecting the poultry industry worldwide, despite intensive vaccination programs have been implemented in many countries. All NDV isolates characterized to date are of one serotype and classified into classes I and II, with class II being further divided into twenty-one genotypes. Antigenic and genetic diversity is observed among the different genotypes. Current commercially available vaccines belonging to genotypes I and II are genetically divergent from strains that caused ND outbreaks worldwide in the last two decades. Reports of vaccination failures on their insufficient ability to inhibit infection or virus shedding have created renewed interest in developing vaccines homologous to virulent NDV circulating in the field. In this study, after vaccination with the most widely used LaSota vaccine (genotype II), chickens with different hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody levels were challenged with heterologous virulent NDV strains of genotypes VII and IX to evaluate how antibody levels relate to clinical protection and infection or virus shedding. Under the experimental condition, LaSota vaccine could fully protect birds from morbidity and mortality, but higher antibody levels were required to inhibit virus shedding. The number of birds shedding virus generally tended to decrease as the HI antibody titers increase in vaccinated birds. When the HI antibody titers reached ≥ 13 log2 and ≥ 10 log2, the virus shedding from JSC0804 strain (genotype VII) and F48E8 strain (genotype IX) could be completely inhibited, respectively, but it may be difficult to ensure that all individuals reach and maintain those levels in chicken flocks vaccinated according to routine procedure. Furthermore, the virus shedding in vaccinated birds was correlated with the amino acid similarity between the vaccine and challenge strains; more similarity, less virus shedding. The results obtained highlight that stringent biosecurity measures combined with vaccination are crucial for chicken farms to maintain a virulent NDV-free status.

Review of Synthesis and Separation Application of Metal-Organic Framework-Based Mixed-Matrix Membranes.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystalline materials assembled from organic ligands and metallic secondary building blocks. Their special structural composition gives them the advantages of high porosity, high specific surface area, adjustable pore size, and good stability. MOF membranes and MOF-based mixed-matrix membranes prepared from MOF crystals have ultra-high porosity, uniform pore size, excellent adsorption properties, high selectivity, and high throughput, which contribute to their being widely used in separation fields. This review summarizes the synthesis methods of MOF membranes, including in situ growth, secondary growth, and electrochemical methods. Mixed-matrix membranes composed of Zeolite Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIF), University of Oslo (UIO), and Materials of Institute Lavoisier (MIL) frameworks are introduced. In addition, the main applications of MOF membranes in lithium-sulfur battery separators, wastewater purification, seawater desalination, and gas separation are reviewed. Finally, we review the development prospects of MOF membranes for the large-scale application of MOF membranes in factories.

Differences in urban heat island and its driving factors between central and new urban areas of Wuhan, China.

Urban heat island (UHI) is one of the important effects of urbanization on built environment. Land surface temperature data was taken from moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) to investigate the long-term spatiotemporal patterns of UHI in Wuhan during 2001~2018 and, the UHI intensity changes of built-up land in 13 administrative regions in Wuhan were analyzed. Furthermore, 34 spatial error models and 34 ordinary least squares models were established and compared. Spatial error models showed good fitting effect, which were used to determine the influence of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference building index (NDBI), and social-economic factors (population and nighttime light) on UHI intensity in central urban area and new urban area. The explanatory power changes of these four indicators during 2001~2018 were explored as well. The average UHI intensity in 2014~2018 has increased by about 0.45 °C compared to that in 2001~2005. NDBI is the most dominant factor contributing to the increase in temperature. The impact of NDVI on UHI intensity changes from negative to positive, and the impact of NDBI on UHI intensity in central urban area is weakened during 2001-2018. Social-economic factors have a greater impact on new urban area than on central urban area. These findings show the effects and the explanatory power changes of driving factors during 18 years, which can provide a better understanding of the formation and development of UHI and support for the future urban planning of Wuhan.

A review of the polyphenols purification from apple products.

Apple polyphenols are one of the major bioactive compounds in apple products and have strong anti-inflammatory effects and the ability to prevent chronic diseases with health benefits. The development of apple polyphenol products is dependent on the extraction, purification and identification of apple polyphenols. The extracted polyphenols need to be further purified to improve the concentration of the extracted polyphenols. This review, therefore, presents the studies on the conventional and novel methods for polyphenols purification from apple products. The different chromatography methods, as one of the most widely used conventional purification methods, for polyphenol purification from various apple products are introduced. In addition, the perspective of the adsorption-desorption process and membrane filtration technique in enhancing the purification of polyphenols from apple products are presented in this review. The advantages and disadvantages of these purification techniques are also discussed and compared in depth. However, each of the reviewed technologies has some disadvantages that need to be overcome, and some mechanisms need to be further identified. Therefore, more competitive polyphenols purification techniques need to emerge in the future. It is hoped that this review can provide a research basis for the efficient purification of apple polyphenols, which can facilitate their application in various fields.