Robotic-assisted anatomic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a comparative analysis of modified transtibial and anteromedial portal techniques in cadaveric knees.

Introduction: This study employed surgical robot to perform anatomic single-bundle reconstruction using the modified transtibial (TT) technique and anteromedial (AM) portal technique. The purpose was to directly compare tunnel and graft characteristics of the two techniques. Methods: Eight cadaveric knees without ligament injury were used in the study. The modified TT and AM portal technique were both conducted under surgical robotic system. Postoperative data acquisition of the tunnel and graft characteristics included tibial tunnel position, tunnel angle, tunnel length and femoral tunnel-graft angle. Results: The mean tibial tunnel length of the modified TT technique was significantly shorter than in the AM portal technique (p < 0.001). The mean length of the femoral tunnel was significantly longer for the modified TT technique than for the AM portal technique (p < 0.001). The mean coronal angle of the tibial tunnel was significantly lower for the modified TT technique than for the AM portal technique (p < 0.001). The mean coronal angle of the femoral tunnel was significantly lower for the AM portal technique than for the modified TT technique (p < 0.001). The AM portal technique resulted in a graft bending angle that was significantly more angulated in the coronal (p < 0.001) and the sagittal planes (p < 0.001) compared with the modified TT technique. Discussion: Comparison of the preoperative planning and postoperative femoral tunnel positions showed that the mean difference of the tunnel position was 1.8 ± 0.4 mm. It suggested that the surgical navigation robot could make predictable tunnel position with high accuracy. The findings may support that the modified TT technique has benefits on femoral tunnel length and obliquity compared with AM portal technique. The modified TT technique showed a larger femoral tunnel angle in the coronal plane than the AM portal technique. Compared with the modified TT technique, the more horizontal trajectory of the femoral tunnel in the AM portal technique creates a shorter femoral tunnel length and a more acute graft bending angle.

Facilitated transport of toluene and naphthalene with humic acid in high- and low-permeability systems: Role of ionic strength and cationic type.

The occurrence of colloids on pollutants transport in groundwater has attracted more attention. However, the research on the regulation mechanism of colloids on combined pollutants transport in heterogeneous aquifers is limited. In this study, a series of tank experiments were conducted to systematically investigate the effects of ionic strength, and cation type on humic acid (HA) facilitated transport of toluene (TOL), and naphthalene (NAP) in high- and low-permeability systems. The results showed that HA facilitated pollutants transport in low Na+ solution. In Ca2+ solution, the presence of HA hindered pollutants transport, and the inhibition increased with the increase of ionic strength. Both in Na+ solution and low Ca2+ solution, the influence of heterogeneous structure on pollutant transport played a dominant role, and TOL and NAP had a greater transport potential in the high permeability zone (HPZ) due to the preferential flow. Whereas, deposition of HA aggregates, and electrostatic attractive interaction had negative effects on transport than groundwater flow in high Ca2+ solution. Pollutants were prone to accumulate at the bottom of the HPZ, and the top of the low permeability zone (LPZ). These new findings provide insights into the mechanism of colloids influence on the pollutants transport in heterogenous aquifer.

Molecular determinants within the C-termini of L-HDAg that regulate hepatitis D virus replication and assembly.

Background & Aims: Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is the causative agent of chronic hepatitis delta, the most severe form of viral hepatitis. HDV encodes one protein, hepatitis delta antigen (HDAg), in two isoforms: S- and L-HDAg. They are identical in sequence except that L-HDAg contains an additional 19-20 amino acids at its C-terminus, which confer regulatory roles that are distinct from those of S-HDAg. Notably, these residues are divergent between different genotypes. We aimed to elucidate the molecular determinants within the C-termini that are essential for the regulatory role of L-HDAg in HDV replication and assembly. Methods: Northern blot, reverse-transcription quantitative PCR, and a newly established HDV trans-complementary system were used in this study. Results: C-termini of L-HDAg, albeit with high sequence variation among different genotypes, are interchangeable with respect to the trans-inhibitory function of L-HDAg and HDV assembly. The C-terminus of L-HDAg features a conserved prenylation CXXQ motif and is enriched with proline and hydrophobic residues. Abolishment of the CXXQ motif attenuated the inhibitory effect of L-HDAg on HDV replication. In contrast, the enrichment of proline and hydrophobic residues per se does not modify the trans-inhibitory function of L-HDAg. Nevertheless, these residues are essential for HDV assembly. Mechanistically, prolines and hydrophobic residues contribute to HDV assembly via a mode of action independent of the prenylated CXXQ motif. Conclusions: Within the C-terminus of L-HDAg, the CXXQ motif and the enrichment of proline and hydrophobic residues are all essential determinants of L-HDAg's regulatory roles in HDV replication and assembly. This intrinsic viral regulatory mechanism we elucidated deepens our understanding of the unique life cycle of HDV. Impact and implications: Hepatitis D virus (HDV) encodes one protein, hepatitis delta antigen (HDAg), in two isoforms: S- and L-HDAg. They are identical in sequence except that L-HDAg contains an additional 19-20 amino acids at its C-terminus. This C-terminal extension in L-HDAg confers regulatory roles in the HDV life cycle that are distinct from those of S-HDAg. Herein, we found that C-termini of L-HDAg, although with high sequence variation, are interchangeable among different HDV genotypes. Within the C-terminus of L-HDAg, the prenylation motif, and the enrichment of proline and hydrophobic residues are all essential determinants of L-HDAg's regulatory roles in HDV replication and assembly.

Drug repurposing screen identifies vidofludimus calcium and pyrazofurin as novel chemical entities for the development of hepatitis E interventions.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can cause severe complications and high mortality, particularly in pregnant women, organ transplant recipients, individuals with pre-existing liver disease and immunosuppressed patients. However, there are still unmet needs for treating chronic HEV infections. Herein, we screened a best-in-class drug repurposing library consisting of 262 drugs/compounds. Upon screening, we identified vidofludimus calcium and pyrazofurin as novel anti-HEV entities. Vidofludimus calcium is the next-generation dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor in the phase 3 pipeline to treat autoimmune diseases or SARS-CoV-2 infection. Pyrazofurin selectively targets uridine monophosphate synthetase (UMPS). Their anti-HEV effects were further investigated in a range of cell culture models and human liver organoids models with wild type HEV strains and ribavirin treatment failure-associated HEV strains. Encouragingly, both drugs exhibited a sizeable therapeutic window against HEV. For instance, the IC50 value of vidofludimus calcium is 4.6-7.6-fold lower than the current therapeutic doses in patients. Mechanistically, their anti-HEV mode of action depends on the blockage of pyrimidine synthesis. Notably, two drugs robustly inhibited ribavirin treatment failure-associated HEV mutants (Y1320H, G1634R). Their combination with IFN-α resulted in synergistic antiviral activity. In conclusion, we identified vidofludimus calcium and pyrazofurin as potent candidates for the treatment of HEV infections. Based on their antiviral potency, and also the favorable safety profile identified in clinical studies, our study supports the initiation of clinical studies to repurpose these drugs for treating chronic hepatitis E.

miR-26a exerts broad-spectrum antiviral effects via the enhancement of RIG-I-mediated type I interferon response by targeting USP15.

IMPORTANCE: miR-26a serves as a potent positive regulator of type I interferon (IFN) responses. By inhibiting USP15 expression, miR-26a promotes RIG-I K63-ubiquitination to enhance type I IFN responses, resulting in an active antiviral state against viruses. Being an intricate regulatory network, the activation of type I IFN responses could in turn suppress miR-26a expression to avoid the disordered activation that might result in the so-called "type I interferonopathy." The knowledge gained would be essential for the development of novel antiviral strategies against viral infection.

Smart Physical-Based Transdermal Drug Delivery System:Towards Intelligence and Controlled Release.

Transdermal drug delivery systems based on physical principles have provided a stable, efficient, and safe strategy for disease therapy. However, the intelligent device with real-time control and precise drug release is required to enhance treatment efficacy and improve patient compliance. This review summarizes the recent developments, application scenarios, and drug release characteristics of smart transdermal drug delivery systems fabricated with physical principle. Special attention is paid to the progress of intelligent design and concepts in of physical-based transdermal drug delivery technologies for real-time monitoring and precise drug release. In addition, facing with the needs of clinical treatment and personalized medicine, the recent progress and trend of physical enhancement are further highlighted for transdermal drug delivery systems in combination with pharmaceutical dosage forms to achieve better transdermal effects and facilitate the development of smart medical devices. Finally, the next generation and future application scenarios of smart physical-based transdermal drug delivery systems are discussed, a particular focus in vaccine delivery and tumor treatment.

Genetic Evidence Supporting a Causal Association Between mTOR-Dependent EIF-4E Circulating Protein Level and Osteoporosis.

INTRODUCTION: The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates bone homeostasis, a crucial factor in osteoporosis (OP) development. However, most research is based on observational studies, and the causality remains uncertain. Therefore, we analyzed two samples of mendelian randomization (MR) to determine whether there is a causal relationship between mTOR-dependent circulating proteins and OP. METHODS: Mendelian weighting (weighted median [WM], inverse variance weighting [IVW], and MR-Egger regression) were applied to analyze the causality between bone phenotypes (bone mineral density [BMD] in forearm, femoral neck, lumbar spine, and heel) and mTOR-dependent circulating proteins (RP-S6K, 4EBP, EIF-4E, EIF-4A, and EIF-4G). Horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneities were detected using Cochran's Q test, MR-Pleiotropy RE-Sidual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO), and "leave-one-out" analysis. The proteomics-GWAS INTERVAL study was used to select the instrumental variables (IVs) for mTOR proteins. RESULTS: As phenotypes for OP, estimations of BMD were taken in four different sites: forearm (FA) (n = 8143), femoral neck (FN) (n = 32,735), lumbar spine (LS) (n = 28,498), and heel (eBMD) (n = 426,824). Based on IVW analysis, EIF4E is causally related to FA-BMD (OR = 0.938, 95% CI 0.887, 0.991, p = 0.024) but not to BMD elsewhere. CONCLUSION: MR analysis revealed a causal relationship between EIF-4E and FA-BMD, which may provide new insights into the underlying pathogenesis of OP and a new therapeutic target for OP.

TGF-ß1 Triggers Salivary Hypofunction via Attenuating Protein Secretion and AQP5 Expression in Human Submandibular Gland Cells.

Aging-related salivary gland degeneration usually causes poor oral health. Periductal fibrosis frequently occurs in the submandibular gland of the elderly. Transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1) is the primary driving factor for fibrosis, which exhibits an increase in the fibrotic submandibular gland tissue. This study aimed to investigate the effects of TGF-ß1 on the human submandibular gland (HSG) cell secretory function and its influences on aquaporin 5 (AQP5) expressions and distribution. We found that TGF-ß1 reduces the protein secretion amount of HSG and leads to the abundance alteration of 151 secretory proteins. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD043185. The majority of HSG secretory proteins (84.11%) could be matched to the human saliva proteome. Meanwhile, TGF-ß1 enhances the expression of COL4A2, COL5A1, COL7A1, COL1A1, COL2A1, and α-SMA, hinting that TGF-ß1 possesses the potential to drive HSG fibrosis-related events. Besides, TGF-ß1 also attenuates the AQP5 expression and its membrane distribution in HSGs. The percentage for TGF-ß1-induced AQP5 reduction (52.28%) is much greater than that of the TGF-ß1-induced secretory protein concentration reduction (16.53%). Taken together, we concluded that TGF-ß1 triggers salivary hypofunction via attenuating protein secretion and AQP5 expression in HSGs, which may be associated with TGF-ß1-driven fibrosis events in HSGs.

Facile and Simple Post Treatment Ball Milling Strategy for the Production of Low-Cost TiO2 Composites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance and Applicability to Construction Materials.

A facile and cost-effective approach assisted by ball milling (BM) of commercial titanium dioxide (TiO2), has been utilized to develop cheaper and efficient construction materials. At least three of the commercial and cheaper TiO2 samples (BA01-01, BA01-01+ and R996, designated as A1, A4 and R1, respectively) were selected and subjected to BM treatment to enhance their photocatalytic efficiencies, if possible. It was noted, that the samples A1, A4 and R1 were typical composites of TiO2 and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and contained varying proportions of anatase, and rutile phases of TiO2 and CaCO3. Two of the highly efficient commercial TiO2 samples, Degussa P25 (simply designated as P25) and ST01 (Ishihara Ind.) were selected for making benchmark comparisons of photocatalytic efficiencies. The BM treated TiO2 samples (designated as TiO2-BM with respect to A1, A4 and R1) were evaluated for photocatalytic efficiencies both in both aqueous (methylene blue (MB)) and gaseous (NOx) photodegradation reactions. Based on detailed comparative investigations, it was observed that A1-BM photocatalyst exhibited superior photocatalytic performances over A4-BM and R1-BM, towards both MB and NOx photodegradation reactions. The difference of NOx photodegradation efficiency between the mortar mixed with A1-BM and that mixed with ST01, and P-25 at 15% were 16.6%, and 32.4%, respectively. Even though the mortar mixed with A1-BM at 15% composition exhibited a slightly lower NOx photodegradation efficiency as compared to mortar mixed with the expensive ST01 and P-25 photocatalysts, the present work promises an economic application in the eco-friendly construction materials for air purification considering the far lower cost of A1. The reasons for the superior performance of A1-BM were deduced through characterization of optical properties, surface characteristics, phase composition, morphology, microstructure and particle size distribution between pristine and BM treated A1 using characterization techniques such as diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy and particle size analysis.

Reverse-QTY code design of active human serum albumin self-assembled amphiphilic nanoparticles for effective anti-tumor drug doxorubicin release in mice.

Human serum albumin (HSA) is a highly water-soluble protein with 67% alpha-helix content and three distinct domains (I, II, and III). HSA offers a great promise in drug delivery with enhanced permeability and retention effect. But it is hindered by protein denaturation during drug entrapment or conjugation that result in distinct cellular transport pathways and reduction of biological activities. Here we report using a protein design approach named reverse-QTY (rQTY) code to convert specific hydrophilic alpha-helices to hydrophobic to alpha-helices. The designed HSA undergo self-assembly of well-ordered nanoparticles with highly biological actives. The hydrophilic amino acids, asparagine (N), glutamine (Q), threonine (T), and tyrosine (Y) in the helical B-subdomains of HSA were systematically replaced by hydrophobic leucine (L), valine (V), and phenylalanine (F). HSArQTY nanoparticles exhibited efficient cellular internalization through the cell membrane albumin binding protein GP60, or SPARC (secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine)-mediated pathways. The designed HSArQTY variants displayed superior biological activities including: i) encapsulation of drug doxorubicin, ii) receptor-mediated cellular transport, iii) tumor cell targeting, and iv) antitumor efficiency compare to denatured HSA nanoparticles. HSArQTY nanoparticles provided superior tumor targeting and antitumor therapeutic effects compared to the albumin nanoparticles fabricated by antisolvent precipitation method. We believe that the rQTY code is a robust platform for specific hydrophobic modification of functional hydrophilic proteins with clear-defined binding interfaces.

QTL Mapping of Agronomic and Physiological Traits at the Seedling and Maturity Stages under Different Nitrogen Treatments in Barley.

Nitrogen (N) stress seriously constrains barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production globally by influencing its growth and development. In this study, we used a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of 121 crosses between the variety Baudin and the wild barley accession CN4027 to detect QTL for 27 traits at the seedling stage in hydroponic culture trials and 12 traits at the maturity stage in field trials both under two N treatments, aiming to uncover favorable alleles for N tolerance in wild barley. In total, eight stable QTL and seven QTL clusters were detected. Among them, the stable QTL Qtgw.sau-2H located in a 0.46 cM interval on the chromosome arm 2HL was a novel QTL specific for low N. Notably, Clusters C4 and C7 contained QTL for traits at both the seedling and maturity stages. In addition, four stable QTLs in Cluster C4 were identified. Furthermore, a gene (HORVU2Hr1G080990.1) related to grain protein in the interval of Qtgw.sau-2H was predicted. Correlation analysis and QTL mapping showed that different N treatments significantly affected agronomic and physiological traits at the seedling and maturity stages. These results provide valuable information for understanding N tolerance as well as breeding and utilizing the loci of interest in barley.

Assortative mating on blood type: Evidence from one million Chinese pregnancies.

Blood type is one of the most fundamental phenotypes in biological, medical, and psychological studies. Using a unique dataset of one million Chinese pregnancies, we find strong evidence from a group of statistical tests for assortative mating on blood type. After controlling for anthropometric and socioeconomic confounders, assortative mating remains robust.

Bioinspired Robust Keratin Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications.

Although keratins are robust in nature, hydrogels producing their extracts exhibit poor mechanical properties due to the complicated composition and ineffective self-assembly. Here we report a bioinspired strategy to fabricate robust keratin hydrogels based on mechanism study through recombinant proteins. Homotypic and heterotypic self-assembly of selected type I and type II keratins in different combinations was conducted to identify crucial domain structures for the process, their kinetics, and relationship with the mechanical strength of hydrogels. Segments with best performance were isolated and used to construct novel assembling units. The new design outperformed combinations of native proteins in mechanical properties and in biomedical applications such as controlled drug release and skin regeneration. Our approach not only elucidated the critical structural domains and underlying mechanisms for keratin self-assembly but also opens an avenue toward the rational design of robust keratin hydrogels for biomedical applications.

Enhancement of lower limb motor imagery ability via dual-level multimodal stimulation and sparse spatial pattern decoding method.

Recently, motor imagery brain-computer interfaces (MI-BCIs) with stimulation systems have been developed in the field of motor function assistance and rehabilitation engineering. An efficient stimulation paradigm and Electroencephalogram (EEG) decoding method have been designed to enhance the performance of MI-BCI systems. Therefore, in this study, a multimodal dual-level stimulation paradigm is designed for lower-limb rehabilitation training, whereby visual and auditory stimulations act on the sensory organ while proprioceptive and functional electrical stimulations are provided to the lower limb. In addition, upper triangle filter bank sparse spatial pattern (UTFB-SSP) is proposed to automatically select the optimal frequency sub-bands related to desynchronization rhythm during enhanced imaginary movement to improve the decoding performance. The effectiveness of the proposed MI-BCI system is demonstrated on an the in-house experimental dataset and the BCI competition IV IIa dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed system can effectively enhance the MI performance by inducing the α, ß and γ rhythms in lower-limb movement imagery tasks.

Engineering exposed vertical nano-TiO2 (001) facets/BiOI nanosheet heterojunction film for constructing a satisfactory PEC glucose oxidase biosensor.

In the field of photoelectrochemical (PEC) enzyme biosensors, constructing efficient photoelectrodes, in which the recombination of photogenerated carriers is an important factor affecting the performance, is of great significance. Herein, to enhance the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanosheet (NS)/bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) NS/glucose oxidase (GOx) composites were prepared via hydrothermal and solvothermal methods. Single-crystal anatase TiO2 NSs with a high percentage of (001) facets lead to better photocarrier separation due to heterojunctions between facets. After coupling with BiOI NSs, the photoelectrochemical performance of the electrode was greatly improved. The photogenerated electrons from TiO2 and BiOI gathered at TiO2 (101) and were exported through the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate to generate electrical signals. Photogenerated holes were transferred to TiO2 (001) and BiOI to participate in the enzymatic reaction, showing the outstanding separation of electrons and holes. The prepared TiO2 NS/BiOI NS/GOx glucose biosensor achieved satisfactory results, with sensitivity of 14.25 µA mM-1 cm-2, a linear measurement range of 0-1 mM, and a limit of detection (3S/N) of 0.01 mM in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at a pH of 7.4. The mechanism for the efficient separation of photogenerated carriers based on the facet heterojunctions introduced in this paper also provides new insights into other optoelectronic biosensors.

Role of ammonia for brain abnormal protein glycosylation during the development of hepatitis B virus-related liver diseases.

BACKGROUND: Ammonia is the most typical neurotoxin in hepatic encephalopathy (HE), but the underlying pathophysiology between ammonia and aberrant glycosylation in HE remains unknown. RESULTS: Here, we used HBV transgenic mice and astrocytes to present a systems-based study of glycosylation changes and corresponding enzymes associated with the key factors of ammonia in HE. We surveyed protein glycosylation changes associated with the brain of HBV transgenic mice by lectin microarrays. Upregulation of Galß1-3GalNAc mediated by core 1 ß1,3-galactosyltransferase (C1GALT1) was identified as a result of ammonia stimulation. Using in vitro assays, we validated that upregulation of C1GALT1 is a driver of deregulates calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis by overexpression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1 (IP3R1) in astrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that silencing C1GALT1 could depress the IP3R1 expression, an effective strategy to inhibit the ammonia-induced upregulation of Ca2+ activity, thereby C1GALT1 and IP3R1 may serve as therapeutic targets in hyperammonemia of HE.

Revisiting financial development and renewable energy electricity role in attaining China's carbon neutrality target.

During the last few decades, China's transformation from a low-income country to an emerging economy causes carbon emission to rise extensively. Being the largest carbon emitter, China's continuous economic growth may inevitably cause more carbon emissions in the future. To achieve carbon neutrality targets, the country is striving to promote cleaner technologies. However, to finance these environmentally friendly projects, a well-developed financial system is a pre-requisite. This study examines the role of financial development along with output, financial risk index, renewable energy electricity and human capital on carbon emissions. This study uses updated time series data from 1988 to 2018 for China employing novel econometric approaches, i.e., Narayan and Pop unit root test with structural breaks, Maki cointegration and frequency domain causality test for long, short and medium run causality. The empirical outcome shows that improvement in financial development, renewable energy electricity, and human capital index cause to limit carbon emissions. In contrast, gross domestic product, financial risk index and structural break of 2001 increase carbon emissions. Moreover, structural break year of 2008 and financial development index reduces carbon emissions. The negative association between financial development and carbon emissions supports the positive school of thoughts of financial development that promotes a sustainable environment. This study recommends the promotion of quality human capital and green financial development along with increasing the shares of renewable energy in electricity for achieving China 2030 climate targets of reducing pollution.

[Spatio-temporal Distribution Characteristic and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soils Around Centralized Drinking Water Sources in Wuhan].

In the present study, the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in soil around 19 centralized drinking water sources in Wuhan were investigated. Single-factor and comprehensive pollution indexes were used to determine soil pollution levels. The potential ecological hazard index was employed to evaluate soil potential ecological risks. The correlation and cluster analysis were conducted to identify pollution sources. The results showed that higher concentrations of heavy metals were present in soil from centralized drinking water source located in core area than suburb area of Wuhan. The concentrations of heavy metals in soil from centralized drinking water sources near the Yangtze River were higher than that in the sites near the tributaries of the Yangtze River. The average single potential ecological risk index of Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn were lower than 40, which suggests a slight potential ecological risk. The average single potential ecological risk index of Cd was 80-160, which indicates a high potential ecological risk. The average comprehensive potential ecological risk index of heavy metals in soil around centralized drinking water sources in Wuhan was 142.12, which corresponded to a slight potential ecological risk. The correlation analysis showed that the sources of Cu, Pb, and Cr were similar and came from transport. The sources of Ni, As, Cr, and Cu were similar and could be attributed to metallurgical industries. The sources of Zn, Hg, and Cr were similar and could be related to antiseptic and catalytic industries. The long-term monitoring of Wuhan Dijiao and Baishazhou waterworks indicated that the concentrations of heavy metals around centralized drinking water sources in Wuhan were markedly decreased after 2017 and that ecological risk may be further reduced in the future.

Carbon neutrality target for G7 economies: Examining the role of environmental policy, green innovation and composite risk index.

To achieve zero carbon or achieving carbon neutrality target is of great importance to many countries around the globe especially post Paris climate agreement. This study, unlike previous studies, evaluates the role of environmental policy, green innovation, composite risk index, and renewable energy R&D in achieving carbon neutrality targets for G7 economies from 1990 to 2019. The results confirmed the validity of the EKC hypothesis for G7 economies. Further, the result shows that environmental policy, green innovation, composite risk index, and renewable energy R&D help control carbon emissions. In contrast, income reveals a positive influence on environmental degradation. Furthermore, bidirectional causality has been reported in environmental policy, composite risk index, green innovation, and the CO2 emissions, while unidirectional causality running from GDP and renewable energy R&D to CO2 emissions. Based on the empirical findings, it is suggested that environmental policies should be strengthened, promote green innovation and renewable energy research and development expenditures, and political stability and institutional quality must be stabilized to lowers sectoral risks that would help a sustainable environment.

Cost-Effective Production of TiO2 with 90-Fold Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity Via Facile Sequential Calcination and Ball Milling Post-Treatment Strategy.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2), the golden standard among the photocatalysts, exhibits a varying level of photocatalytic activities (PCA) amongst the synthetically prepared and commercially available products. For commercial applications, superior photoactivity and cost-effectiveness are the two main factors to be reckoned with. This study presents the development of simple, cost-effective post-treatment processes for a less costly TiO2 to significantly enhance the PCA to the level of expensive commercial TiO2 having demonstrated superior photoactivities. We have utilized sequential calcination and ball milling (BM) post-treatment processes on a less-costlier KA100 TiO2 and demonstrated multi-fold (nearly 90 times) enhancement in PCA. The post-treated KA100 samples along with reference commercial samples (P25, NP400, and ST01) were well-characterized by appropriate instrumentation and evaluated for the PCA considering acetaldehyde photodegradation as the model reaction. Lattice parameters, phase composition, crystallite size, surface functionalities, titanium, and oxygen electronic environments were evaluated. Among post-treated KA100, the sample that is subjected to sequential 700 °C calcination and BM (KA7-BM) processes exhibited 90-fold PCA enhancement over pristine KA100 and the PCA-like commercial NP400 (pure anatase-based TiO2). Based on our results, we attribute the superior PCA for KA7-BM due to the smaller crystallite size, the co-existence of mixed anatase-srilankite-rutile phases, and the consequent multiphase heterojunction formation, higher surface area, lattice disorder/strain generation, and surface oxygen environment. The present work demonstrates a feasible potential for the developed post-treatment strategy towards commercial prospects.