Breakthrough of Carbon-Ash Recalcitrance in Hydrochar via Molten Carbonate:Engineering Mineral-Rich Biowaste Toward Sustainable Platform Carbon Materials

The function-led design of porous hydrochar from mineral-rich biowaste for environmental applications inevitably suffers from carbon-ash recalcitrance.However,a method to alter the original carbon skeleton with ash remains elusive and hinders the availability of hydrochar.Herein,we propose a facile strategy for breaking the rigid structure of carbon-ash coupled hydrochar using phase-tunable molten carbonates.A case system was designed in which livestock manure and NaHCO3 were used to prepare the activated hydrochar,and NH3 served as the target contaminant.Due to the redox effect,we found that organic fractions significantly advanced the melting temperature of Na2CO3 below 800℃.The Na species steadily broke the carbon-ash interaction as the thermal intensity increased and transformed inorganic constituents to facilitate ash dissolution,rebuilding the hydrochar skeleton with abundant hierarchical channels and active defect edges.The surface polarity and mesopore distribution collectively governed the five cycles NH3 adsorption attenuation process.Manure hydrochar delivered favorable potential for application with a maximum overall adsorption capacity of 100.49 mg·g^(-1).Integrated spectroscopic characterization and theoretical computations revealed that incorporating NH3 on the carbon surface could transfer electrons to chemisorbed oxygen,which promoted the oxidation of pyridine-N during adsorption.This work offers deep insight into the structure function correlation of hydrochar and inspires a more rational design of engineered hydrochar from high-ash biowaste.

Constitutive Behavior of the Interface between UHPC and Steel Plate without Shear Connector:From Experimental to Numerical Study

The application of ultra-high performance concrete(UHPC)as a covering layer for steel bridge decks has gained widespread popularity.By employing a connection without a shear connector between the steel plate and UHPC,namely,the sandblasted interface and the epoxy adhesive with sprinkled basalt aggregate interface,the installation cannot only be simplified but also the stress concentration resulting from the welded shear connectors can be eliminated.This study develops constitutive models for these two interfaces without shear connectors,based on the interfacial pull-off and push-out tests.For validation,three-point bending tests on the steel-UHPC composite plates are conducted.The results indicated that the proposed bilinear traction-separation model for the sandblasted interface and the trapezoidal traction-separation model for the epoxy adhesive with sprinkled basalt aggregate interface can generally calibrate the interfacial behavior.However,the utilization of the experimentally determined pure shear strength underestimates the load-carrying capacity of the composite plates in the case of three-point bending tests.By recalling the Mohr-Coulomb criterion,this underestimation is attributed to the enhancement of the interface shear strength by the presence of normal stress.

Effect of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on antioxidant,and anti-inflammatory activities of bioactive peptides generated in sausages fermented with Staphylococcus simulans QB7

Dry-fermented sausages are a good source of bioactive peptides,whose stability against gastrointestinal(GI)digestion determines their bioaccessibility.This study focused on evaluating the effect of peptide extracts from sausages fermented with Staphylococcus simulans QB7 during in vitro simulated GI digestion,including peptide profiles and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.Peptides present in sausages were degraded during digestion,with molecular weight reduced from>12 kDa to<1.5 kDa.Besides,the content of amino acids increased from 381.15 to 527.07 mg/g,especially tyrosine being found only after GI digestion.The anti-inflammatory activities were increased after GI digestion,however,the changes in antioxidant activities were the opposite.A total number of 255,252 and 386 peptide sequences were identified in undigested,peptic-digested and GI-digested samples,respectively.PeptideRanker,BIOPEP-UWM and admetSAR were used to further predict the functional properties and intestinal absorption of the identified peptide sequences from GI digestion.Finally,18 peptides were discovered to possess either antioxidant or anti-inflammatory capacities.

Crocus sativus L.produces anti-inflammatory effects and regulates the NLRP3–NF-κB pathway

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of petal and stamen extracts of saffron crocus(Crocus sativus)and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods:Local and systemic inflammation models were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of C.sativus.A xyleneinduced inflammation model or lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced inflammation model was used in this study.C.sativus petal and stamen extracts were each administered to the mice in the xylene and LPS models by gavage for 14 d at 0.1 and 0.4 g/kg doses,respectively.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to measure the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αand interleukin(IL)-1βin mouse serum.Hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the ear in the xylene-induced inflammation model and in the spleen in the LPS-induced inflammation model.NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)protein levels within the nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)pathway were assessed using western blotting.RAW264.7 cells were treated with LPS(5μg/mL)and LPS+C.sativus(0.05,0.1,and 0.2 mg/mL)for 24 h,and a Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to measure cell proliferation.Changes in NLRP3 and NF-κB levels were evaluated by western blotting.Results:Petal and stamen extracts of C.sativus attenuated the anti-inflammatory effects in local or systemic inflammatory models and repaired pathological changes in the ear in the xylene-induced inflammation model and spleen in the LPS-induced inflammation model.These extracts also decreased the concentrations of TNF-αand IL-1βin the mouse serum in the LPS-induced inflammation model.C.sativus downregulated NLRP3 protein level through the NF-κB pathway and downregulated LC-3 and BECLIN1 in vivo and in vitro.Carbonyl Cyanide3-ChloroPhenylhydrazone(CCCP)weakened the effects of C.sativus on the NLRP3–NF-κB pathway.Conclusion:C.sativus has anti-inflammatory effects and regulates the NLRP3-NF-κB pathway.

Does US Dollar Supply Trigger House Price Fluctuations?An International Comparison

Cyclical fluctuations in asset prices are closely related to the overall stability of the macroeconomy and have thus become a significant topic in academic and professional exploration.Among these fluctuations,changes in the supply of the U.S.dollar,the global reserve,and primary settlement currency have a broad and far-reaching impact on international financial markets.Since COVID-19,asset prices across various countries have shown differing trends due to fluctuations in the U.S.dollar supply.Housing prices,a key focus in asset pricing research,have been affected to varying degrees.This thesis utilizes seven house price indices from representative cities worldwide from 2020 to 2023 to compare the differential impacts across various countries using an empirical approach.The results indicate that the impact of the U.S.dollar money supply(M2)diminishes in a gradient from the U.S.to East Asia,and then to Europe.

A Broad Range Triboelectric Stiffness Sensor for Variable Inclusions Recognition

With the development of artificial intelligence,stiffness sensors are extensively utilized in various fields,and their integration with robots for automated palpation has gained significant attention.This study presents a broad range self-powered stiffness sensor based on the triboelectric nanogenerator(Stiff-TENG)for variable inclusions in soft objects detection.The Stiff-TENG employs a stacked structure comprising an indium tin oxide film,an elastic sponge,a fluorinated ethylene propylene film with a conductive ink electrode,and two acrylic pieces with a shielding layer.Through the decoupling method,the Stiff-TENG achieves stiffness detection of objects within 1.0 s.The output performance and characteristics of the TENG for different stiffness objects under 4 mm displacement are analyzed.The Stiff-TENG is successfully used to detect the heterogeneous stiffness structures,enabling effective recognition of variable inclusions in soft object,reaching a recognition accuracy of 99.7%.Furthermore,its adaptability makes it well-suited for the detection of pathological conditions within the human body,as pathological tissues often exhibit changes in the stiffness of internal organs.This research highlights the innovative applications of TENG and thereby showcases its immense potential in healthcare applications such as palpation which assesses pathological conditions based on organ stiffness.

Silencing of the Nonspecific Phospholipase C6(NPC6)Gene Induces Ricinoleic Acid Accumulation in Castor Seeds

Castor,scientifically known as Ricinus communis L.,is among the top ten oil crops globally.It is considered a renewable resource and is commonly referred to as‘green oil’.Castor seeds contain castor oil as their main component,which is predominantly composed of ricinoleic acid.This study utilized RNAi technology to silence the NPC6 gene in NO.2129 castor,resulting in the creation of mutant plants L1 and L2.The weight of 100 dry seed kernels from L1 and L2 exceeds that from NO.2129.The crude fat and ricinoleic acid levels of L1 and L2 were higher than those of NO.2129 at various developmental stages.In the proteomics analysis of 60-day-old castor seeds,a total of 21 differentially expressed proteins were identified,out of which 19 were successfully recognized.Eleven of the differentially expressed proteins identified were legumins,which play a crucial role in nutrient storage within the seed.Silencing the NPC6 gene results in the accumulation of ricinoleic acid in castor seeds.The findings of this study not only enhance our knowledge of NPC6’s role in regulating castor seed oil synthesis but also offer fresh perspectives for investigating oil synthesis and accumulation in other plant species.

MARVEL:Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for VANET Delay Minimization

In urban Vehicular Ad hoc Networks(VANETs),high mobility of vehicular environment and frequently changed network topology call for a low delay end-to-end routing algorithm.In this paper,we propose a Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning(MARL)based decentralized routing scheme,where the inherent similarity between the routing problem in VANET and the MARL problem is exploited.The proposed routing scheme models the interaction between vehicles and the environment as a multi-agent problem in which each vehicle autonomously establishes the communication channel with a neighbor device regardless of the global information.Simulation performed in the 3GPP Manhattan mobility model demonstrates that our proposed decentralized routing algorithm achieves less than 45.8 ms average latency and high stability of 0.05%averaging failure rate with varying vehicle capacities.

Generation-expansion planning with linearized primary frequency response constraints

As renewable energy resources increasingly penetrate the electric grid,the inertia capability of power systems has become a developmental bottleneck.Nevertheless,the importance of primary frequency response(PFR)when making generation-expansion plans has been largely ignored.In this paper,we propose an optimal generation-expansion planning framework for wind and thermal power plants that takes PFR into account.The model is based on the frequency equivalent model.It includes investment,startup/shutdown,and typical operating costs for both thermal and renewable generators.The linearization constraints of PFR are derived theoretically.Case studies based on the modified IEEE 39-bus system demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method.Compared with methods that ignore PFR,the method proposed in this paper can effectively reduce the cost of the entire planning and operation cycle,improving the accommodation rate of renewable energy.

Enrichment of microplastic pollution by micro-nanobubbles

Microplastic pollution has become a global environmental concern.It has been reported that microplastics are easily accessible to a wide range of aquatic organisms and ultimately enter the human body along the food chain.They pose a severe threat to ecosystems,organisms and even human health due to their durability and persistence.However,how to reduce microplastic pollution still remains a challenge in terms of scientific techniques and policy-making.There is currently still a lack of effective methods for microplastic recycling and removal.Luckily,a new technique,micro-nanobubbles(MNBs),may provide a possible and highly effective method to enrich microplastic pollution:their great advantages[1]include a high specific surface area,long lifetime and ability to adsorb microplastics of the same size and hydrophobicity.Then they further adsorb on larger bubbles such as microbubbles or millimeter bubbles and float to the water surface together.In this study,we present a new method using MNBs to enrich microplastic pollution with high efficiency.Two types of microplastics,millimeter-scale plastic fragments and microplastic particles,were chosen as the model microplastic pollution systems to study the enrichment efficiency of MNBs on microplastics.Results showed that MNBs can efficiently enrich these microplastics.The enrichment efficiency increases with flotation time until a maximum value is reached.It is proved that MNBs not only collect the microplastic pollution but also reduce detergent use in domestic laundry sewage.This is because detergent,as a surfactant,is easily absorbed on the surface of MNBs and can be collected together with the microplastic pollution.Our research has demonstrated that the MNB technique could be promising for use in microplastic recycling and reducing detergent pollution in daily life.

Migration to gliomas of bone mesenchymal stem cells transfected with cytosine deaminase gene following transplantation in vivo

This experiment sought to observe the migration and distribution of bone mesenchymal stem cells transfected with the cytosine deaminase gone （BMSCs-CD/eGFP） after transplantation in vivo through three pathways. In addition, we examined the tropism of these cells to glioma. Intracranial C6 glioma models were established in Sprague-Dawley rats using an intracranial stereotactic inoculation method. When tumors were 7 days old, rats were inoculated with lx106 BMSCs-CD/eGFP cells via the tumor-bearing internal carotid artery, the contralateral hemisphere and the tumor-bearing glioma. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that BMSCs-CD/eGFP exhibited a strong capacity for migration to tumors. BMSCs-CD/eGFP transplanted via the tumor-bearing intemal carotid artery were observed to distribute in glioma tissues. BMSCs-CD/eGFP inoculated via the ipsilateral glioma mainly located within and at the edge of glioma tissues. BMSCs-CD/eGFP inoculated via the contralateral hemisphere mainly distributed at the proximal end of the tumor at the incubation site.

鸣炮聚将:清前期的北京信炮

顺治初年,清廷在中原的统治尚不稳固。为了保证北京的安全,清廷仿照盛京旧制,在京城设置了用于军事报警的信炮,以便驻京八旗可以迅速聚集御敌。这一措施经康熙、雍正、乾隆、嘉庆四朝的不断完善,最终形成了一套完备的信炮制度。学术界对这一制度的研究已较为成熟,但通过翻阅清代档案,仍可发现一些北京信炮制度尚不为人熟悉的内容。一、清初北京信炮的设置顺治元年(1644),清廷入关并定都北京。但当时清廷在关内的根基不稳,南方反清势力仍具备一定实力。

Analysis of the Association between Intestinal Microflora and Long-lived Elderly People

The intestinal microbiota is the cornerstone of the human intestinal microecosystem and plays an unnegligible role in the growth and health maintenance of the human body.In recent years,many studies have been committed to exploring the potential connection of gut flora and the elderly population.The changes of gut flora are affected by various factors such as age increase,disease,medication,living habits,nutritional structure,and the intestinal flora is expected to be applied to the comprehensive evaluation of elderly health and longevity in the future.Based on this,the research progress of the general elderly and its related influencing factors.

Renewable biomass reinvigorates sustainable water-energy nexus

The water-energy nexus has garnered worldwide interest.Current dual-functional research aimed at coproducing freshwater and electricity faces significant challenges,including sub-optimal capacities("1+1<2"),poor inter-functional coordination,high carbon footprints,and large costs.Mainstream water-toelectricity conversions are often compromised owing to functionality separation and erratic gradients.Herein,we present a sustainable strategy based on renewable biomass that addresses these issues by jointly achieving competitive solar-evaporative desalination and robust clean electricity generation.Using hydrothermally activated basswood,our solar desalination exceeded the 100% efficiency bottleneck even under reduced solar illumination.Through simple size-tuning,we achieved a high evaporation rate of 3.56 kg h^(-1)m^(-2)and an efficiency of 149.1%,representing 128%-251% of recent values without sophisticated surface engineering.By incorporating an electron-ion nexus with interfacial Faradaic electron circulation and co-ion-predominated micro-tunnel hydrodynamic flow,we leveraged free energy from evaporation to generate long-term electricity(0.38 W m^(-3)for over 14 d),approximately 322% of peer performance levels.This inter-functional nexus strengthened dual functionalities and validated general engineering practices.Our presented strategy holds significant promise for global human–society–environment sustainability.

燃烧源氨排放对灰霾期间北京大气铵的重要贡献

Aerosol ammonium(NH_(4)^(+)),mainly produced from the reactions of ammonia(NH_(3))with acids in the atmosphere,has significant impacts on air pollution,radiative forcing,and human health.Understanding the source and formation mechanism of NH_(4)^(+)can provide scientific insights into air quality improvements.However,the sources of NH_(3)in urban areas are not well understood,and few studies focus on NH_(3)/NH_(4)^(+)at different heights within the atmospheric boundary layer,which hinders a comprehensive understanding of aerosol NH_(4)^(+).In this study,we perform both field observation and modeling studies(the Community Multiscale Air Quality,CMAQ)to investigate regional NH_(3)emission sources and vertically resolved NH_(4)^(+)formation mechanisms during the winter in Beijing.Both stable nitrogen isotope analyses and CMAQ model suggest that combustion-related NH_(3)emissions,including fossil fuel sources,NH_(3)slip,and biomass burning,are important sources of aerosol NH_(4)^(+)with more than 60%contribution occurring on heavily polluted days.In contrast,volatilization-related NH_(3)sources(livestock breeding,N-fertilizer application,and human waste)are dominant on clean days.Combustion-related NH_(3)is mostly local from Beijing,and biomass burning is likely an important NH_(3)source(~15%–20%)that was previously overlooked.More effective control strategies such as the two-product(e.g.,reducing both SO_(2)and NH_(3))control policy should be considered to improve air quality.

Improving constraint onΩ_(m)from SDSS using marked correlation functions

Large-scale structure(LSS)surveys will increasingly provide stringent constraints on our cosmological models.Recently,the density-marked correlation function(MCF)has been introduced,offering an easily computable density-correlation statistic.Simulations have demonstrated that MCFs offer additional,independent constraints on cosmological models beyond the standard two-point correlation(2PCF).In this study,we apply MCFs for the first time to SDSS CMASS data,aiming to investigate the statistical information regarding clustering and anisotropy properties in the Universe and assess the performance of various weighting schemes in MCFs,and finally obtain constraints onΩ_(m).Upon analyzing the CMASS data,we observe that,by combining different weights(α=[-0.2,0,0.2,0.6]),the MCFs provide a tight and independent constraint on the cosmological parameterΩ_(m),yieldingΩ_(m)=0.293±0.006 at the 1σlevel,which represents a significant reduction in the statistical error by a factor of 3.4 compared to that from 2PCF.Our constraint is consistent with recent findings from the small-scale clustering of BOSS galaxies(Zhai et al.Astronphys.J.948,99(2023))within the 1σlevel.However,we also find that our estimate is lower than the Planck measurements by about 2.6σ,indicating the potential presence of new physics beyond the standard cosmological model if all the systematics are fully corrected.The method outlined in this study can be extended to other surveys and datasets,allowing for the constraint of other cosmological parameters.Additionally,it serves as a valuable tool for forthcoming emulator analysis on the Chinese Space Station Telescope(CSST).

PD-L1:expression regulation

Programmed death-ligand 1(PD-L1),expressed on the surface of tumor cells,can bind to programmed cell death-1(PD-1)on T cells.The interaction of PD-1 and PD-L1 can inhibit T-cell responses by decreasing T-cell activity and accelerating their apoptosis.Various cancers express high levels of PD-L1 and exploit PD-L1/PD-1 signaling to evade T-cell immunity,and immunotherapies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis have been shown to exert remarkable anti-tumor effects;however,not all tumor patients benefit from these therapies.Therefore,study of the mechanisms regulating PD-L1 expression are imperative.In this review,we explore regulation of PD-L1 expression in the contexts of gene transcription,signaling pathways,histone modification and remodeling,microRNAs,long noncoding RNAs,and post-translational modification.Current developments in studies of agents that block PD-L1 and correlations between immunotherapies targeting PD-1/PD-L1 and PD-L1 expression are also summarized.Our review will assist in understanding of PD-L1 expression regulation and discusses the implications of reported findings in cancer diagnosis and immunotherapy.

AGRICULTURAL GREEN DEVELOPMENT TO ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY AND CARBON REDUCTION IN THE CONTEXT OF CHINA'S DUAL CARBON GOALS

The agricultural sector,a major source of greenhouse gas emissions,and emissions from agriculture must be reduced substantially to achieve carbon(C)neutrality.Based on a literature analysis and other research results,this study investigated the effects and prospects of C reduction in agricultural systems under different scenarios(i.e.,methods and approaches)in the context of China's dual C goals,as those working in the agricultural sector have yet to reach a consensus on how to move forward.Different views,standards,and countermeasures were analyzed to provide a reference for agricultural action supporting China's C neutrality goal.

Giant quartic-phonon decay in PVD-grownα-MoO_(3) flakes

Elementary excitations,such as in-plane anisotropic phonons and phonon polaritons(PhPs),inα-MoO_(3) play key roles in its outstanding physical properties like high carrier mobility and ultralow phonon thermal conductivity().Understanding the excitation mechanisms like phonon–phonon interactions is the most fundamental step to further applications.Here,we report on the systematic Raman investigations on phonon anisotropy and anharmonicity of representative Mo–O stretching vibration phonon modes(SVPMs)in physical vapor deposition(PVD)-grownα-MoO_(3) flakes.Polarizations of SVPMs verify the phonon anisotropy.The abnormal temperature dependence of SVPMs reveals that giant quartic-phonon decay dominates the phonon anharmonicity inα-MoO_(3).An ultrashort phonon lifetime of~0.34 ps gives evidence of theoretically predicted ultralow inα-MoO_(3).Our findings give deep insight into the phonon–phonon interactions inα-MoO_(3) and provide an indicator for its extreme thermal device applications.

Piezoelectric soft robot driven by mechanical energy

Power sources and energy-harvesting schemes are still grand challenges for soft robots.Notably,compared with other power sources,triboelectric nanogenerators(TENGs)have shown great potential because of their low manufacturing and fabrication costs,outstanding resilience,remarkable stability,and environmental friendliness.Herein,a triboelectric effect-driven piezoelectric soft robot(TEPSR)system is proposed,which integrates a rotary freestanding triboelectric nanogenerator(RFTENG)to drive a soft robot comprising a piezoelectric unimorph and electrostatic footpads.Based on the natural triboelectrification,through converting mechanical energy into electricity,TENG provides a unique approach for actuation and manipulation of the soft robot.The perfect combination provides the most straightforward way for creating a self-powered system.Experimentally,under the power of RF-TENG,the soft robot reaches a maximum moving speed of 10 cm per second and a turning rate of 89.7°per second,respectively.The actuation and manipulation demonstration are intuitively accomplished by maneuvering the robot around a maze with a 71 cm track within 28 s.For autonomous feedback controls,one practical application is carrying two infrared sensors on board to realize obstacle avoidance in an unstructured environment.Moreover,a micro-camera was equipped with the soft robot to provide real-time“first-person”video streaming,enhancing its detection capability.