Trustworthiness Evaluation for Permissioned Blockchain-Enabled Applications

As permissioned blockchain becomes a common foundation of blockchain-based circumstances for current organizations,related stakeholders need a means to assess the trustworthiness of the applications involved within.It is extremely important to consider the potential impact brought by the Blockchain technology in terms of security and privacy.Therefore,this study proposes a rigorous security risk management framework for permissioned blockchain-enabled applications.The framework divides itself into different implementation domains,i.e.,organization security,application security,consensus mechanism security,node management and network security,host security and perimeter security,and simultaneously provides guidelines to control the security risks of permissioned blockchain applications with respect to these security domains.In addition,a case study,including a security testing and risk evaluation on each stack of a specific organization,is demonstrated as an implementation instruction of our proposed risk management framework.According to the best of our knowledge,this study is one of the pioneer researches that provide a means to evaluate the security risks of permissioned blockchain applications from a holistic point of view.If users can trust the applications that adopted this framework,this study can contribute to the adoption of permissioned blockchain-enabled technologies.Furthermore,application providers can use the framework to perform gap analysis on their existing systems and controls and understand the risks of their applications.

Genome mining of sulfonated lanthipeptides reveals unique cyclic peptide sulfotransferases

Although sulfonation plays crucial roles in various biological processes and is frequently utilized in medicinal chemistry to improve water solubility and chemical diversity of drug leads,it is rare and underexplored in ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides(RiPPs).Biosynthesis of RiPPs typically entails modification of hydrophilic residues,which substantially increases their chemical stability and bioactivity,albeit at the expense of reducing water solubility.To explore sulfonated RiPPs that may have improved solubility,we conducted co-occurrence analysis of RiPP class-defining enzymes and sulfotransferase(ST),and discovered two distinctive biosynthetic gene clusters(BGCs)encoding both lanthipeptide synthetase(LanM)and ST.Upon expressing these BGCs,we characterized the structures of novel sulfonated lanthipeptides and determined the catalytic details of LanM and ST.We demonstrate that SslST-catalyzed sulfonation is leader-independent but relies on the presence of A ring formed by LanM.Both LanM and ST are promiscuous towards residues in the A ring,but ST displays strict regioselectivity toward Tyr5.The recognition of cyclic peptide by ST was further discussed.Bioactivity evaluation underscores the significance of the ST-catalyzed sulfonation.This study sets up the starting point to engineering the novel lanthipeptide STs as biocatalysts for hydrophobic lanthipeptides improvement.

Advances in Energy-Producing Anaerobic Biotechnologies for Municipal Wastewater Treatment

Municipal wastewater treatment has long been known as a high-cost and energy-intensive process that destroys most of the energy-containing molecules by spending energy and that leaves little energy and few nutrients available for reuse, Over the past few years, some wastewater treatment plants have tried to revamp themselves as ＂resource factories,＂ enabled by new technologies and the upgrading of old technologies. In particular, there is an renewed interest in anaerobic biotechnologies, which can convert organic matter into usable energy and preserve nutrients for potential reuse. However, considerable technological and economic limitations still exist. Here, we provide an overview of recent advances in several cutting-edge anaerobic biotechnologies for wastewater treatment, including enhanced side- stream anaerobic sludge digestion, anaerobic membrane bioreactors, and microbial electrochemical systems, and discuss future challenges and opportunities for their applications. This review is intended to provide useful information to guide the future design and optimization of municipal wastewater treatment processes.

Ocular leech infestation initially misdiagnosed as conjunctival pigmented nevus

Dear sir,Iam Dr.Wen-Wei Li,from the Department of Ophthalmology,Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital,Hangzhou,China.I write to present a case of ocular leech infestation initially misdiagnosed as conjunctival pigmented nevus.Although human interaction with leeches is not uncommon

Preliminary optimization of a Chinese herbal medicine formula based on the neuroprotective effects in a rat model of rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease

Objective： The main objective of this study was to preliminarily determine the optimum formulation of a Chinese herbal formula that may have neuroprotective effects against rotenone-induced Parkinson＇s disease （PD）. Methods： Seven recipes were made from Dihuang （DH, Rehmanniaglutinosa Libosch）, Roucongrong （RCR, Cistanche deserticola Y.C.Ma）, Niuxi （NX, Achyranthes bidentata BI.） and Shanzhuyu （SZY, Comus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc） in different proportions, according to the principles of uniform design （4 factors 7 levels）. Tyrosine hydroxylase （TH）-positive neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta （SNpc） were detected by immunohistochemistry and rotenone-exposure days necessary to induce PD symptoms were recorded. To probe one likely mechanism of the formulas, echinacoside （ECH） concentrations of all seven recipes were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and related to number of TH-positive neu- rons. Results： The data showed that recipe 4 （DH：RCR：SZY：NX = 1：1：1：1 ） and recipe 7 （DH：RCR：SZY：NX = 7：5：3： 1） partially reversed rotenone-induced death of TH-positive neurons in the SNpc and significantly increased rotenone-e^posed days compared with model group. Pharmacologically, there was not a strong correlation between ECH concentration and TH-positive neurons. Conclusion： The investigated formulations of Chinese herbs had neuroprotective effects against PD mod- els, and the neuroprotective effects were weakly related to the proportion of key herbs. However the neu- roprotective effects of the formula may not result from a single active constituent.

Fabrication of mesoporous lignin-based biosorbent from rice straw and its application for heavy-metal-ion removal

Lignocellulosic biomass offers the most abundant renewable resource in replacing traditional fossil resources. However, it is still a major challenge to directly convert the lignin component into value-added materials. The availability of plentiful hydroxyl groups in lignin macromolecules and its unique three-dimensional structure make it an ideal precursor for mesoporous biosorbents. In this work, we reported an environmentally friendly and economically feasible method for the fabrication of mesoporous lignin-based biosorbent （MLBB） from lignocellulosic biomass through a SOB micro-thermal-explosion process, as a byproduct of microcrystalline cellulose. BET analysis reveal the average pore-size distribution of 5.50 nm, the average pore value of 0.35 cm3/g, and the specific surface area of 186 m2/g. The physicochemical properties of MLBB were studied by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, attenuated-total-reflection fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （ATR-FTIR）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, and element analysis. These results showed that there are large amounts of sutfonic functional groups existing on the surface of this biosorbent. Pb（II） was used as a model heavy-metal-ion to demonstrate the technical feasibility for heavy-metal-ion removal. Considering that lignocellulosic biomass is a naturally abundant and renewable resource and SO3 micro-thermal-explosion is a proven technique, this biosorbent can be easily produced at large scale and become a sustainable and reliable resource for wastewater treatment.

A Pt-Bi bimetallic nanoparticle catalyst for direct electro- oxidation of formic acid in fuel cells

Direct formic acid fuel cells are a promising portable power-generating device, and the development of efficient anodic catalysts is essential for such a fuel cell. In this work Pt-Bi nanoparticles supported on micro-fabri- cated gold wire array substrate were synthesized using an electrochemical deposition method for formic acid oxida- tion in fuel cells. The surface morphology and element components of the Pt-Bi/Au nanoparticles were character- ized, and the catalytic activities of the three Pt-Bi/Au nanoparticle electrodes with different Pt/Bi ratios for formic acid oxidation were evaluated. It was found that Pt4Bi96/Au had a much higher catalytic activity than Pt11Bis89/Au and Pt13Bis87/Au, and Pt4Bi96/Au exhibited a current density of 2.7mA.cm^-2, which was 27-times greater than that of Pt/Au. The electro-catalytic activity of the Pt-Bi/Au electrode for formic acid oxidation increased with the increasing Bi content, suggesting that it would be possible to achieve an efficient formic acid oxidation on the low Pt-loading. Therefore, the Pt-Bi/Au electrode offers a promising catalyst with a high activity for direct oxidation of formic acid in fuel cells.

Municipal wastewater treatment in China:Development history and future perspectives

China has the world's largest and still growing wastewater sector and water market,thus its future development will have profound influence on the world.The high-speed development of China's wastewater sector over the past 40 years has forged its global leading treatment capacity and innovation ability.However,many problems were left behind,including underdeveloped sewers and sludge disposal facilities,low sustainability of the treatment processes,questionable wastewater treatment plant(WWTP)effluent discharge standards,and lacking global thinking on harmonious development between wastewater management,human society and the nature.Addressing these challenges calls for fundamental changes in target design,policy and technologies.In this mini-review,we revisit the development history of China's municipal wastewater management and identify the remaining challenges.Also,we highlight the future needs of sustainable development and exploring China's own wastewater management path,and outlook the future from several aspects including targets of wastewater management,policies and technologies,especially the new concept WWTP.Furthermore,we envisage the establishment of new-generation WWTPs with the vision of turning WWTP from a site of pollutant removal into a plant of energy,water and fertilizer recovery and an integrated part urban ecology in China.

Probing the redox process of p-benzoquinone in dimethyl sulphoxide by using fluorescence spectroelectrochemistry

Quinones are common organic compounds frequently used as model dissolved organic matters in water, and their redox properties are usually characterized by either electrochemical or spectroscopic methods separately. In this work, electrochemical methodology was combined with two fluorescence spectroelectrochemical techniques, cyclic voltafluorescence spectrometry （CVF） and derivative cyclic voltafluorescence spectrometry （DCVF）, to determine the electrochemical properties of p-benzoQuinone in dimethvl sulfoxide, an aprotic solution. The CVF results show that the electrochemical reduction ofp-benzoquinone resulted in the formation of radical anion and dianion, which exhibited a lower fluorescence intensity and red-shift of the emission spectra compared to that of p-benzoauinone. The fluorescence intensity was found to vary along with the electrochemical oxidation and reduction ofp-benzoquinone. The CVF and DCVF results were in good consistence. Thus, the combined method offers a powerful tool to investigate the electrochemical process of p-benzoquinone and other natural organic compounds.

A new polystyrene-latex-based and EPS-containing synthetic sludge

Since the living microorganisms in activated sludge continuously change, it is difficult to conduct controlled experiments and achieve reproducible results for evaluating sludge characteristics. Synthetic sludge, as a chemical surrogate to activated sludge, could be used to investigate the sludge physicochemical properties, and it is desirable to prepare synthetic sludge with similar structure and properties to real activated sludge to explore the flocculation and settlement processes in activated sludge systems. In this work, a high-strength synthetic sludge was prepared with functional polystyrene latex particles as the framework and extracellular polymeric substances （EPS） to modify its surface. The flocculation and settling characteristics of the microspheres and the prepared synthetic sludge were tested. Compared with other three functional polystyrene latex microspheres, the synthetic sludge prepared with EPS-modified polystyrene latex microspheres showed good settling characteristics and a significantly higher strength. They could be used for studying the physicochemical properties of activated sludge.