Multifunctional AlPO_(4)reconstructed LiMn_(2)O_(4)surface for electrochemical lithium extraction from brine

LiMn_(2)O_(4)(LMO)electrochemical lithium-ion pump has gained widespread attention due to its green,high efficiency,and low energy consumption in selectively extracting lithium from brine.However,collapse of crystal structure and loss of lithium extraction capacity caused by Mn dissolution loss limits its industrialized application.Hence,a multifunctional coating was developed by depositing amorphous AlPO_(4)on the surface of LMO using sol-gel method.The characterization and electrochemical performance test provided insights into the mechanism of Li^(+)embedment and de-embedment and revealed that multifunctional AlPO_(4)can reconstruct the physical and chemical state of LMO surface to improve the interface hydrophilicity,promote the transport of Li^(+),strengthen cycle stability.Remarkably,after 20 cycles,the capacity retention rate of 0.5AP-LMO reached 93.6%with only 0.147%Mn dissolution loss.The average Li^(+)release capacity of 0.5AP-LMO//Ag system in simulated brine is 28.77 mg/(g h),which is 90.4%higher than LMO.Encouragingly,even in the more complex Zabuye real brine,0.5AP-LMO//Ag can still maintain excellent lithium extraction performance.These results indicate that the 0.5AP-LMO//Ag lithium-ion pump shows promising potential as a Li^(+)selective extraction system.

Advancing climate resilience through a geo-design framework: strengthening urban and community forestry for sustainable environmental design

Urban and community forestry is a specialized discipline focused on the meticulous management of trees and forests within urban,suburban,and town environments.This field often entails extensive civic involvement and collaborative partnerships with institutions.Its overarching objectives span a spectrum from preserving water quality,habitat,and biodiversity to mitigating the Urban Heat Island(UHI)effect.The UHI phenomenon,characterized by notably higher temperatures in urban areas compared to rural counterparts due to heat absorption by urban infrastructure and limited urban forest coverage,serves as a focal point in this study.The study focuses on developing a methodological framework that integrates Geographically Weighted Regression(GWR),Random Forest(RF),and Suitability Analysis to assess the Urban Heat Island(UHI)effect across different urban zones,aiming to identify areas with varying levels of UHI impact.The framework is designed to assist urban planners and designers in understanding the spatial distribution of UHI and identifying areas where urban forestry initiatives can be strategically implemented to mitigate its effect.Conducted in various London areas,the research provides a comprehensive analysis of the intricate relationship between urban and community forestry and UHI.By mapping the spatial variability of UHI,the framework offers a novel approach to enhancing urban environmental design and advancing urban forestry studies.The study’s findings are expected to provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers,aiding in creating healthier and more livable urban environments through informed decision-making in urban forestry management.

Laser-induced stretchable bioelectronic interfaces by frozen exfoliation

Highly stretchable laser-induced graphene-hydrogel film interfaces in flexible electronic materials are fabricated by frozen exfoliation,and exhibit high stretchability,durability,and design flexibility.This technology offers an advanced technological pathway for manufacturing highly flexible substrates.They can be utilized in numerous complex surface applications,providing an advanced technological pathway for manufacturing highly flexible substrates in the future.

Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of early Paleozoic granitoids in East Kunlun belt: Evidences from geochronology, geochemistry and isotopes

The East Kunlun Orogenic Belt(EKOB) provides an important link to reconstruct the evolution of the Proto-Tethys and Paleo-Tethys realm. The EKOB is marked by widespread Early Paleozoic magmatism.Here we report the petrology, bulk geochemistry, zircon Ue Pb dating and, Lue Hf and SreN d isotopic data of the Early Paleozoic granitic rocks in Zhiyu area of the southern EKOB. Based on the zircon U-Pb dating, these granitoids, consisting of diorite, granodiorite and monzogranite, were formed during 450 -430 Ma the Late Ordovician to Middle Silurian. The diorite and granodiorite are high Sr/Y ratio as adakitic affinities, and the monzogranite belongs to highly fractionated I-type. Their(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)ivalues range from 0.7059 to 0.7085, εNd(t) values from -1.6 to -6.0 and the zircon εHf(t) values show large variations from +9.1 to -8.6 with Hf model ages(T_(DM2)) about 848 Ma and 1970 Ma. The large variations of whole-rock Nd and zircon Hf isotopes demonstrate strong isotopic heterogeneity of the source regions which probably resulted from multi-phase underplating of mantle-derived magmas. Geochemical and isotopic studies proved that the diorite and granodiorite had been derived from partial melting of heterogeneous crustal source with variable contributions from ancient continental crust and juvenile components, and the monzogranites were representing fractional crystallization and crustal contamination for arc magma. The Early Paleozoic adakitic rocks and high-K calc-alkaline granitoids in the southern EKOB were likely emplaced in a continental marginal arc setting possibly linked to the southwards subduction of the Paleo Kunlun Ocean and the magma generation is linked to partial melting of thickened continental crust induced by underplating of mantle-derived magmas.

Metal-Organic Framework Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery in Biomedical Applications

Investigation of metal–organic frameworks(MOFs)for biomedical applications has attracted much attention in recent years.MOFs are regarded as a promising class of nanocarriers for drug delivery owing to well-defined structure,ultrahigh surface area and porosity,tunable pore size,and easy chemical functionalization.In this review,the unique properties of MOFs and their advantages as nanocarriers for drug delivery in biomedical applications were discussed in the first section.Then,state-ofthe-art strategies to functionalize MOFs with therapeutic agents were summarized,including surface adsorption,pore encapsulation,covalent binding,and functional molecules as building blocks.In the third section,the most recent biological applications of MOFs for intracellular delivery of drugs,proteins,and nucleic acids,especially aptamers,were presented.Finally,challenges and prospects were comprehensively discussed to provide context for future development of MOFs as efficient drug delivery systems.

Progress in electrochemical lithium ion pumping for lithium recovery

Accelerating the development of lithium resources has attracted a great deal of attention with the explosive growth of new energy vehicles.As a new technology,electrochemical lithium ion pumping(ELIP)is featured by environment-friendly,low energy consumption and high efficiency.This review summarizes the research progress in ELIP,and focuses on the evaluation methods,electrode materials and electrochemical systems of ELIP.It can be concluded that ELIP is expected to achieve an industrial application and has a promising prospect.In addition,challenges and perspective of electrochemical lithium extraction are also highlighted.

RNAi-mediated suppression of the abscisic acid catabolism gene Os ABA8ox1 increases abscisic acid content and tolerance to saline–alkaline stress in rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Saline–alkaline(SA) stress is characterized by high salinity and high alkalinity(high p H), which severely inhibit plant growth and cause huge losses in crop yields worldwide. Here we show that a moderate elevation of endogenous abscisic acid(ABA) levels by RNAi-mediated suppression of Os ABA8 ox1(Os ABA8 ox1-kd), a key ABA catabolic gene, significantly increased tolerance to SA stress in rice plants. We produced Os ABA8 ox1-kd lines in two different japonica cultivars, Dongdao 4 and Nipponbare. Compared with nontransgenic control plants(WT), the Os ABA8 ox1-kd seedlings accumulated 25.9%–55.7% higher levels of endogenous ABA and exhibited reduced plasmalemma injury, ROS accumulation and Na;/K;ratio, and higher survival rates, under hydroponic alkaline conditions simulated by 10, 15, and 20 mmol L-1 of Na;CO;. In pot trials using SA field soils of different alkali levels(p H 7.59, 8.86, and 9.29), Os ABA8 ox1–kd plants showed markedly higher seedling survival rates and more vigorous plant growth, resulting in significantly higher yield components including panicle number(85.7%–128.6%), spikelets per panicle(36.9%–61.9%), branches(153.9%–236.7%), 1000–kernel weight(20.0%–28.6%), and percentage of filled spikelets(96.6%–1340.8%) at harvest time. Under severe SA soil conditions(p H = 9.29, EC = 834.4 μS cm-1),Os ABA8 ox1-kd lines showed an 194.5%–1090.8% increase in grain yield per plant relative to WT plants.These results suggest that suppression of Os ABA8 ox1 to increase endogenous ABA levels provides a new molecular approach for improving rice yield in SA paddies.

Electrochemical lithium ions pump for lithium recovery from brine by using a surface stability Al_(2)O_(3)–ZrO_(2 )coated LiMn_(2)O_(4) electrode

The rapid commercialization of lithium–ion batteries has caused significant expansion of the lithium demand.Electrochemical lithium ions pump is a promising technology because of its good selectivity and friendly environment.Herein,an Al_(2)O_(3)–ZrO_(2) film coating of the LiMn_(2)O_(4)(AlZr–LMO) electrode is prepared and operated for recovery of Li^(+)from brine.The Li^(+) maximum extraction capacity of AlZr–LMO reached 49.92 mg/g in one cycle.Compared with the solely LMO electrode,the AlZr–LMO demonstrated evident electrochemical stability and cycle life towards the Li^(+)recovery system.After 30 successive cycles,the extraction capacity for Li^(+)increased from 29.21%to 57.67%.The high cycle capacity of the material could be attributed to its low polarization,high active sites,and good chemical stability of the electrode surface owing to the synergy function of Al_(2)O_(3)–ZrO_(2)in the charging-discharging process.A dynamic model parameter identification method was performed to evaluate the active site of AlZr–LMO.This work may provide a way to design the AlZr–LMO electrode and develop a good method for the recovery of lithium from brine.

Fibrinogen-like protein 2 expression correlates with microthrombosis in rats with type 2 diabetic nephropathy

Fibrinogen-like protein 2 （fgl2）, a novel prothrombinase, is involved in microthrombosis. We examined fgl2 expression in the glomerular and tubulointerstitial capillaries and its correlation with microthromsis in rats with streptozocin-induced type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Our RT-PCR and immunoblotting analysis showed that fgl2 mRNA and protein levels were increased in microvascular endothelial cells of the glomeruli and renal interstitia at week 19 and became significantly elevated with the development of diabetic nephropathy （P 〈 0.01）. Fgl2 was not or only weakly expressed in the renal tissues of normal rats. Furthermore, a direct significant correlation （r = 0.543, P 〈 0.01） was found between fgl2 expression and microthrombotic capillaries in the renal tissues. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays （ELISA） additionally showed that circulating TNF-α levels in rats with type 2 diabetes were significantly elevated and closely correlated with fgl2 expression （r = 0.871, P 〈 0.01）. Our results suggest that fgl2 may activate renal microthrombosis, thus contributing to glomerular hypertension and renal ischemia.

Boosting photocatalytic degradation of RhB via interfacial electronic effects between Fe-based ionic liquid and g-C_3N_4

The Fe-based ionic liquid doped g-C_3N_4(Fee CN) photocatalyst was firstly prepared base on ultrathin g-C_3N_4 obtained by multiple calcination method with a metal-based reactive ionic liquid [Omim]FeCl_4 for the degradation of Rhodamine B(RhB). Experimental results revealed that Fe3+species were doped into the framework of g-C_3N_4. The effect of the amount of Fe-doping on the catalytic activity was performed. The result showed that the Fee CN could effectively degrade RhB under the condition of visible light irradiation. The photocurrent analysis showed that the incorporation of Fe^(3+)into g-C_3N_4 material could accelerate the separation of the photogenerated carriers significantly.At the same time, the reactive species generated during the photodegradation process were tested by radicals trapping experiments and electron spin resonance(ESR). It was proposed that the synergistic effect of■ and ·OH contributed to degrade RhB efficiently.

Construction of truncated-octahedral LiMn2O4 for battery-like electrochemical lithium recovery from brine

The extraction of lithium from salt lakes or seawater has attracted worldwide attention because of the explosive growth of global demand for lithium products. The LiMn_(2)O_(4)-based electrochemical lithium recovery system is one of the strongest candidates for commercial application due to its high inserted capacity and low energy consumption. However, the surface orientation of LiMn_(2)O_(4)that facilitates Li diffusion happens to be prone to manganese dissolution making it a great challenge to obtain high lithium inserted capacity and long life simultaneously. Herein, we address this problem by designing a truncated octahedral LiMn_(2)O_(4)(Tr-oh LMO) in which the dominant(111) facets minimize Mn dissolution while a small portion of(100) facets facilitate the Li diffusion. Thus, this Tr-oh LMO-based electrochemical lithium recovery system shows excellent Li recovery performance with high inserted capacity(20.25 mg g^(-1)per cycle) in simulated brine. In addition, the dissolution rate of manganese per 30 cycles is only 0.44% and the capacity maintained 85% of the initial after 30 cycles. These promising findings accelerate the practical application of LiMn_(2)O_(4)in electrochemical lithium recovery.

Construction of porous disc-like lithium manganate for rapid and selective electrochemical lithium extraction from brine

In order to satisfy the growing global demand for lithium, selective extraction of lithium from brine has attracted extensive attention. LiMn_(2)O_(4)-based electrochemical lithium recovery system is one of the best choices for commercial applications because of its high selectivity and low energy consumption.However, the low ion diffusion coefficient of lithium manganate limits the further development of electrochemical lithium recovery system. In this work, a novel porous disc-like LiMn_(2)O_(4) was successfully synthesized for the first time via two-step annealing manganese(Ⅱ) precursors. The as-prepared LiMn_(2)O_(4) exhibits porous disc-like morphology, excellent crystallinity, high Li^(+)diffusion coefficient(average 7.6×10^(-9)cm^(2)·s^(-1)), high cycle stability(after 30 uninterrupted extraction and release cycles, the crystal structure hardly changed) and superior rate capacity(93.5% retention from 10-120 mA·g^(-1)). The porous structure and disc-like morphology further promote the contact between lithium ions and electrode materials. Therefore, the assembled electrochemical lithium extraction device with LiMn_(2)O_(4) as positive electrode and silver as negative electrode can realize the rapid and selective extraction of lithium in simulated brine(adsorption capacity of lithium can reach 4.85 mg·g^(-1) in 1 h). The mechanism of disc-like LiMn_(2)O_(4) in electrochemical lithium extraction was proposed based on the analysis of electrochemical characterization and quasi in situ XRD. This novel structure may further promote the practical application of electrochemical lithium extraction from brine.

Mesoporous TiO_2/Carbon Beads: One-Pot Preparation and Their Application in Visible-Light-Induced Photodegradation

Mesoporous Ti O2/Carbon beads have been prepared via a facile impregnation-carbonization approach, in which a porous anion-exchange resin and K2 Ti O(C2O4)2were used as hard carbon and titanium source, respectively.Characterization results reveal that the self-assembled composites have disordered mesostructure, uniform mesopores,large pore volumes, and high surface areas. The mesopore walls are composed of amorphous carbon, well-dispersed and confined anatase or rutile nanoparticles. Some anatase phase of Ti O2 was transformed to rutile phase via an increase of carbonization temperature or repeated impregnation of the resin with Ti O(C2O4)22-species. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen element analysis, and thermal gravity analysis results indicate the doping of carbon into the Ti O2 lattice and strong interaction between carbon and Ti O2 nanoparticles. A synergy effect by carbon and Ti O2 in the composites has been discussed herein on the degradation of methyl orange under visible light. The dye removal process involves adsorption of the dye from water by the mesopores in the composites, followed by photodegradation on the separated dye-loaded catalysts. Mesopores allow full access of the dye molecules to the surface of Ti O2 nanoparticles.Importantly, the bead format of such composite enables their straightforward separation from the reaction mixture in their application as a liquid-phase heterogeneous photodegradation catalyst.

Mechanism of gas pressure action during the initial failure of coal containing gas and its application for an outburst inoculation

Faced with the continuous occurrence of coal and gas outburst(hereinafter referred to as“outburst”)disasters,as a main controlling factor in the evolution process of an outburst,for gas pressure,it is still unclear about the phased characteristics of the coupling process with in situ stress,which induce coal damage and instability.Therefore,in the work based on the mining stress paths induced by typical outburst accidents,the gradual and sudden change of three-dimensional stress is taken as the background for the mechanical reconstruction of the disaster process.Then the true triaxial physical experiments are conducted on the damage and instability of coal containing gas under multiple stress paths.Finally,the response characterization between coal damage and gas pressure has been clarified,revealing the mechanism of action of gas pressure during the initial failure of coals.And the main controlling mechanism during the outburst process is elucidated in the coupling process of in situ stress with gas pressure.The results show that during the process of stress loading and unloading,the original gas pressure enters the processes of strengthening and weakening the action ability successively.And the strengthening effect continues to the period of large-scale destruction of coals.The mechanical process of gas pressure during the initial failure of coals can be divided into three stages:the enhancement of strengthening action ability,the decrease of strengthening action ability,and the weakening action ability.The entire process is implemented by changing the dominant action of in situ stress into the dominant action of gas pressure.The failure strength of coals is not only affected by its original mechanical strength,but also by the stress loading and unloading paths,showing a particularly significant effect.Three stages can be divided during outburst inoculation process.That is,firstly,the coals suffer from initial damage through the dominant action of in situ stress with synergy of gas pressure;secondly,the coals with spallation of structural division are generated through the dominant action of gas pressure with synergy of in situ stress,accompanied by further fragmentation;and finally,the fractured coals suffer from fragmentation and pulverization with the gas pressure action.Accordingly,the final broken coals are ejected out with the gas action,initiating an outburst.The research results can provide a new perspective for deepening the understanding of coal and gas outburst mechanism,laying a theoretical foundation for the innovation of outburst prevention and control technologies.

Sustainable preparation of graphene-analogue boron nitride by ball-milling for adsorption of organic pollutants

The method of fabricating low-cost adsorbents with high activity and durability via a convenient and ecofriendly procedure is of great importance to wastewater treatment. Herein, a high-efficient mechanical exfoliation strategy was proposed to facilely prepare few-layered graphene-analogue boron nitride(BN) via a one-step non-organic solvent assisted wet ball mill procedure. Ball-milling treatment increased the specific surface area of BN 3.5-fold by reducing the thickness to ~3 layers with 45 min. The exfoliated BN exhibited strikingly improved sorption performance to organic contaminants with around 124% and 116% increased removal efficiency respectively for oxytetracycline(OTC) and Rhodamine B(RhB) as compared to the bulk BN. Batches sorption experiments showed that the sorption processes were thermodynamic endothermic, and well fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm equation. The π-π stacking interaction, hydrophobic effect and electrostatic interaction were proposed as the dominated sorption mechanism. In addition, no significant decline in adsorptive removal ability for the sorbent after 5 times recycling. The results indicate that the ball-milling exfoliation is a fast, green,sustainable and promising strategy for synthesis of highly potent BN based two-dimensional layered adsorbents.

Linear Pulse-Coupled Oscillators Model¬—A New Approach for Time Synchronization in Wireless Sensor Networks

Mutual synchronization is a ubiquitous phenomenon that exists in various natural systems. The individual participants in this process can be modeled as oscillators, which interact by discrete pulses. In this paper, we analyze the synchronization condition of two- and multi-oscillators system, and propose a linear pulse-coupled oscillators model. We prove that the proposed model can achieve synchronization for almost all conditions. Numerical simulations are also included to investigate how different model parameters affect the synchronization. We also discuss the implementation of the model as a new approach for time synchronization in wireless sensor networks.

Study on the Effects of Probiotics on the Growth of Cyprinus carpiod and Water Quality

[Objective] The aim was to discuss the effects of probiotics on the growth of Cyprinus carpiod and water quality. [Method] Taking C. carpiod as the research object, probiotics were supplemented in the fodder and water to study their effects on the growth of C. carpiod and water quality. [Result] Probiotics had promoting effects on the growth of C. carpiod and its optimum dosage was 6%. pH, ammonia nitrogen content and nitrite content in water body in experimental groups were all lower than those in control group. [Conclusion] Compound probiotics had a broad application foreground in the aquatic breeding industry.

Coexistence of situs inversus totalis and hepatocellular carcinoma:A series of nine cases and a literature review

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most commonly diagnosed carcinoma and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide.Situs inversus totalis(SIT)is a congenital condition where in the internal organs of the abdomen and thorax lie in mirror images of their normal position.Thus far,there are very few reports on cases of SIT coexisting with HCC.Our case series is probably the largest series in world literature.The cohort of this retrospective study included a total of nine patients diagnosed with SIT-HCC and treated in our hospital between January 2013 and May 2018.Clinical characteristics,prognostic factors,and outcomes were summarized.Treatment strategies included surgery,transarterial chemoembolization,and microwave ablation.The diagnosis and treatment of patients with SIT are challenging because of organ reversion.The current treatment strategies for different stages of liver cancer are safe and feasible for patients with SIT-HCC.

Iron isotope fractionation during fenitization:a case study of carbonatite dykes from Bayan Obo,Inner Mongolia,China

As a powerful tracer in high-temperature geochemistry,Fe isotopes have been studied for their behaviour during fl uid exsolution and evolution related to felsic magma system,but that for carbonatite magma system remains unknown.Here we study the Fe isotope fractionation behaviour during fenitization–processes that widely occur associated with carbonatite or alkaline intrusions.Nine fenite/carbonatite samples from carbonatite dykes at Bayan Obo area are analyzed for their Fe isotope compositions as well as elemental compositions.Combined with previous reported carbonatite δ^(56)Fe data,the results show that carbonatites range from-0.35‰to 0.28‰,with an average of-0.10‰in δ^(56)Fe values,while fenites range from-0.17‰to 0.30‰,with an average of 0.11‰in δ^(56)Fe values.This indicates that fenitizing fl uids exsolved from carbonatite melts are enriched in heavier Fe isotopes.Such a Fe isotope fractionation trend is diff erent from that for fl uid exsolution from felsic magmatism.δ^(56)Fe values in fenites are negatively correlated with indicators of fenitization intensity such as(Na+K),Ti,Ba,Th,Nb,U or Pb abundances,likely refl ecting that Fe isotopes fractionate during the evolution of the fenitizing fl uids.Thus,Fe isotopes are a valuable tool for tracing fl uid exsolution and evolution relevant to carbonatite magmatism and related metal mineralization.

CLORKE-SFS:Certificateless One-Round Key Exchange Protocol with Strong Forward Security in Limited Communication Scenarios

Certificateless one-round key exchange(CL-ORKE)protocols enable each participant to share a common key with only one round of communication which greatly saves communication cost.CLORKE protocols can be applied to scenarios with limited communication,such as space communication.Although CL-ORKE protocols have been researched for years,lots of them only consider what secrets can be compromised but ignore the time when the secrets have been corrupted.In CL-ORKE protocols,the reveal of the long-term key attacks can be divided into two different attacks according to the time of the long-term key revealed:the attack to weak Forward Security(wFS)and the attack to strong Forward Security(sFS).Many CLKE protocols did not take into account the sFS property or considered sFS as wFS.In this paper,we first propose a new security model for CL-ORKE protocols which considers the sFS property as well as the Ephemeral Key Reveal attack.Then,we give a CL-ORKE protocol which is called CLORKE-SFS.CLORKE-SFS is provably secure under the proposed model provided the Elliptic Curve Computational Diffie-Hellman(ECCDH)and the Bilinear Computational Diffie-Hellman problem(BCDH)assumption hold.The security model and the protocol may give inspiration for constructing oneround key exchange protocols with perfect forward security in certificateless scenarios.