Recent advances on the reduction of CO2 to important C2+ oxygenated chemicals and fuels

The chemical utilization of CO_2 is a crucial step for the recycling of carbon resource. In recent years, the study on the conversion of CO_2 into a wide variety of C_(2+) important chemicals and fuels has received considerable attention as an emerging technology. Since CO_2 is thermodynamically stable and kinetically inert, the effective activation of CO_2 molecule for the selective transformation to target products still remains a challenge. The welldesigned CO_2 reduction route and efficient catalyst system has imposed the feasibility of CO_2 conversion into C_(2+) chemicals and fuels. In this paper, we have reviewed the recent advances on chemical conversion of CO_2 into C_(2+) chemicals and fuels with wide practical applications, including important alcohols, acetic acid, dimethyl ether, olefins and gasoline. In particular, the synthetic routes for C\\C coupling and carbon chain growth, multifunctional catalyst design and reaction mechanisms are exclusively emphasized.

基于DIgSILENT PowerFactory实现IEC第1类风电机组的标准建模(英文)

The implementation method for the International Electrotechnical Commission(IEC) generic models of Type 1 wind turbine generator(WTG) in DIgSILENT PowerFactory is presented.The following items are described,i.e.model structure,model blocks and how to implement these blocks in the PowerFactory environment.Case studies under both normal and fault conditions are done with the implemented IEC generic models of Type 1 WTG,and dynamic responses are captured and analyzed.The case study results show that the IEC generic models of Type 1 WTG can correctly represent the performances of Type 1 WTG under both normal and fault conditions.

Cetylpyridinium chloride mouth rinses alleviate experimental gingivitis by inhibiting dental plaque maturation

Oral rinses containing chemotherapeutic agents, such as cetylpyridinium chloride （CPC）, can alleviate plaque-induced gingival infections, but how oral microbiota respond to these treatments in human population remains poorly understood. Via a double- blinded, randomised controlled trial of 91 subjects, the impact of CPC-containing oral rinses on supragingival plaque was investigated in experimental gingivitis, where the subjects, after a 21-day period of dental prophylaxis to achieve healthy gingivae, received either CPC rinses or water for 21 days. Within-subject temporal dynamics of plaque microbiota and symptoms of gingivitis were profiled via 16S ribosomal DNA gene pyrosequencing and assessment with the Mazza gingival index. Cetylpyridinium chloride conferred gingival benefits, as progression of gingival inflammation resulting from a lack of dental hygiene was significantly slower in the mouth rinse group than in the water group due to inhibition of 17 gingivitis-enriched bacterial genera. Tracking of plaque a and β diversity revealed that CPC treatment prevents acquisition of new taxa that would otherwise accumulate but maintains the original biodiversity of healthy plaques. Furthermore, CPC rinses reduced the size, local connectivity and microbiota-wide connectivity of the bacterial correlation network, particularly for nodes representing gingivitis- enriched taxa. The findings of this study provide mechanistic insights into the impact of oral rinses on the progression and maturation of dental plaque in the natural human population.

The adsorption properties of NaY zeolite for separation of ethylene glycol and 1,2-butanediol: Experiment and molecular modelling

The separation of ethylene glycol(EG)and 1,2-butanediol(1,2-BDO)azeotrope in the synthesis process of EG via coal and biomass is becoming of increasing commercial and environmental importance.Selective adsorption is deemed as the most promising methods because of energy saving and environment favorable.In this paper,NaY zeolite was used to separate 1,2-BDO from EG,and its adsorption properties was then investigated.The isotherms of EG and 1,2-BDO in vapor and liquid phases from 298 to 328 K indicated that they fitted Langmuir model quite well,and the NaY zeolite absorbent favored EG more than 1,2-BDO.The Grand Canonical Monte Carlo(GCMC)and molecular dynamics(MD)simulation techniques were conducted to investigate the competition adsorption and diffusion characteristics in different adsorption regions.It was observed that EG and 1,2-BDO molecules all have the most probable locations of the center of the 12-membered ring near the Na cations.The diffusivities of EG are lower than those of 1,2-BDO at the same adsorption concentration.At last,the breakthrough curves of the binary mixture regressed from the empirical Dose–Response model in fixed-bed column showed that the adsorption selectivity of EG could reach to as high as 2.43,verified that the NaY zeolite could effectively separate EG from 1,2-BDO.This work is also helpful for further separation of other dihydric alcohol mixtures from coal and biomass fermentation.

Combining chlorination and sulfuration strategies for high-performance all-small-molecule organic solar cells

Three small-molecule donors based on dithieno [2,3-d:2’,3 ’-d’]-benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’] dithiophene(DTBDT)unit were designed and synthesized by side chain regulation with chlorinated or/and sulfurated substitutions(namely ZR1,ZR1-Cl,and ZR1-S-Cl respectively),along with a crystalline non-fullerene acceptor IDIC-4 Cl with a chlorinated 1,1-dicyanomethylene-3-indanone(IC) end group.Energy levels,molar extinction coefficients and crystallinities of three donor molecules can be effectively altered by combining chlorination and sulfuration strategies.Especially,the ZR1-S-Cl exhibited the best absorption ability,lowest higher occupied molecular orbital(HOMO) energy level and highest crystallinity among three donors,resulting in the corresponding all-small-molecule organic solar cells to produce a high power conversion efficiency(PCE) of 12.05% with IDIC-4 Cl as an acceptor.

Green and selective hydrogenation of aromatic diamines over the nanosheet Ru/g-C_(3)N_(4)-H_(2) catalyst prepared by ultrasonic assisted impregnation-deposition method

In this study,nanosheet g-C_(3)N_(4)-H_(2) was prepared by thermal exfoliation of bulk g-C_(3)N_(4) under hydrogen.A series of Ru/g-C_(3)N_(4)-H_(2) catalysts with Ru species supported on the nanosheet g-C_(3)N_(4)-H_(2) were synthesized via ultrasonic assisted impregnation-deposition method.Ultrafine Ru nanoparticles(<2 nm)were highly dispersed on nanosheet g-C_(3)N_(4)-H_(2).Strong interaction due to Ru-Nx coordination facilitated the uniform distribution of Ru species.Meanwhile,the involvement of surface basicity derived from abundant nitrogen sites was favourable for enhancing the selective hydrogenation performance of bi-benzene ring,i.e.,almost complete 4,40-diaminodiphenylmethane(MDA)conversion and>99%4,40-diaminodicyclohexylmethane selectivity,corresponding to a reaction activity of 35.7 mol_(MDA) mol_(Ru)^(-1) h^(-1).Moreover,the reaction activity of catalyst in the fifth run was 36.5 mol_(MDA) mol_(Ru)^(-1) h^(-1),which was comparable with that of the fresh one.The computational results showed that g-C_(3)N_(4) as support was favorable for adsorption and dissociation of H_(2) molecules.Moreover,the substrate scope can be successfully expanded to a variety of other aromatic diamines.Therefore,this work provides an efficient and green catalyst system for selective hydrogenation of aromatic diamines.

Effects of Flexible Conjugation-Break Spacers of Non-Conjugated Polymer Acceptors on Photovoltaic and Mechanical Properties of All-Polymer Solar Cells

All-polymer solar cells(all-PSCs)possess attractive merits including superior thermal stability and mechanical flexibility for large-area roll-to-roll processing.Introducing flexible conjugation-break spacers(FCBSs)into backbones of polymer donor(P_(D))or polymer acceptor(P_(A))has been demonstrated as an efficient approach to enhance both the photovoltaic(PV)and mechanical properties of the all-PSCs.However,length dependency of FCBS on certain all-PSC related properties has not been systematically explored.In this regard,we report a series of new non-conjugated P_(A)s by incorporating FCBS with various lengths(2,4,and 8 carbon atoms in thioalkyl segments).Unlike com-mon studies on so-called side-chain engineering,where longer side chains would lead to better solubility of those resulting polymers,in this work,we observe that the solubilities and the resulting photovoltaic/mechanical properties are optimized by a proper FCBS length(i.e.,C2)in P_(A) named PYTS-C2.Its all-PSC achieves a high efficiency of 11.37%,and excellent mechanical robustness with a crack onset strain of 12.39%,significantly superior to those of the other P_(A)s.These results firstly demonstrate the effects of FCBS lengths on the PV performance and mechanical properties of the all-PSCs,providing an effective strategy to fine-tune the structures of P_(A)s for highly efficient and mechanically robust PSCs.

Estimating Hansen solubility parameters of organic pigments by group contribution methods

The Hansen solubility parameters(HSP)are frequently used for solvent selection and characterization of polymers,and are directly related to the suspension behavior of pigments in solvent mixtures.The performance of currently available group contribution(GC)methods for HSP were evaluated and found to be insufficient for computer-aided product design(CAPD)of paints and coatings.A revised and,for this purpose,improved GC method is presented for estimating HSP of organic compounds,intended for organic pigments.Due to the significant limitations of GC methods,an uncertainty analysis and parameter confidence intervals are provided in order to better quantify the estimation accuracy of the proposed approach.Compared to other applicable GC methods,the prediction error is reduced significantly with average absolute errors of 0.45 MPa^(1/2),1.35 MPa^(1/2),and 1.09 MPa^(1/2) for the partial dispersion(δD),polar(δP)and hydrogen-bonding(δH)solubility parameters respectively for a database of 1106 compounds.The performance for organic pigments is comparable to the overall method performance,with higher average errors forδD and lower average errors forδP andδH.

Monitoring long-term ecological impacts from release of Fukushima radiation water into ocean

After 10 years of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident,Japan decided to release the nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean on 13 April 2021.It is apparent that Japan has chosen the most cost-efficient way to deal with the contaminated water,however,great opposition and concerns have been raised internationally due to the ecotoxicological features of radioactive materials and their harmful impacts on the environment.Here we an-alyze the ecological impacts caused by the nuclear accident and the potential impacts of releasing the nuclear wastewater into the ocean.Science-based solutions are proposed through a third-party evaluation and strict envi-ronmental assessment,multi-stakeholder public participation,integrated monitoring of the neighboring coastal countries,long-term international collaborative research,and setting up international convention for ecological compensation.

Multi-objective optimization of methane production system from biomass through anaerobic digestion

This work addressed the multi-objective optimization of a biogas production system considering both environmental and economic criteria. A mixed integer non-linear programming(MINLP) model was established and solved with non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm Ⅱ, from which the Pareto fronts, the optimal technology combinations and operation conditions were obtained and analyzed. It's found that the system is feasible in both environmental and economic considerations after optimization. The most expensive processing section is decarbonization; the most expensive equipment is anaerobic digester; the most power-consuming processing section is digestion, followed by decarbonization and waste management. The positive green degree value on the process is attributed to processing section of digestion and waste management. 3:1 chicken feces and corn straw, solar energy, pressure swing adsorption and 3:1 chicken feces and rice straw, solar energy, pressure swing adsorption are turned out to be two robust technology combinations under different prices of methane and electricity by sensitivity analysis. The optimization results provide support for optimal design and operation of biogas production system considering environmental and economic objectives.

Twist-angle two-dimensional superlattices and their application in(opto)electronics

Twist-angle two-dimensional systems,such as twisted bilayer graphene,twisted bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides,twisted bilayer phosphorene and their multilayer van der Waals heterostructures,exhibit novel and tunable properties due to the formation of Moirésuperlattice and modulated Moirébands.The review presents a brief venation on the development of"twistronics"and subsequent applications based on band engineering by twisting.Theoretical predictions followed by experimental realization of magic-angle bilayer graphene ignited the flame of investigation on the new freedom degree,twistangle,to adjust(opto)electrical behaviors.Then,the merging of Dirac cones and the presence of flat bands gave rise to enhanced light-matter interaction and gate-dependent electrical phases,respectively,leading to applications in photodetectors and superconductor electronic devices.At the same time,the increasing amount of theoretical simulation on extended twisted 2D materials like TMDs and BPs called for further experimental verification.Finally,recently discovered properties in twisted bilayer h-BN evidenced h-BN could be an ideal candidate for dielectric and ferroelectric devices.Hence,both the predictions and confirmed properties imply twist-angle two-dimensional superlattice is a group of promising candidates for next-generation(opto)electronics.

Polarization sensitive photodetector based on quasi-1D ZrSe_(3)

The in-plane anisotropy of transition metal trichalcogenides(MX_(3))has a significant impact on the molding of materi-als and MX_(3) is a perfect choice for polarized photodetectors.In this study,the crystal structure,optical and optoelectronic aniso-tropy of one kind of quasi-one-dimensional(1D)semiconductors,ZrSe_(3),are systematically investigated through experiments and theoretical studies.The ZrSe_(3)-based photodetector shows impressive wide spectral response from ultraviolet(UV)to near in-frared(NIR)and exhibits great optoelectrical properties with photoresponsivity of 11.9 mA·W^(-1) and detectivity of~106 at 532 nm.Moreover,the dichroic ratio of ZrSe_(3)-based polarized photodetector is around 1.1 at 808 nm.This study suggests that ZrSe_(3) has potential in optoelectronic applications and polarization detectors.

Viscosity of food boluses affects the axial force in the esophagus

AIM: To study the effect of viscosity on axial force in the esophagus during primary peristalsis using a newly validated impedance-based axial force recording technique. METHODS: A probe able to simultaneously measure both axial force and manometry was positioned above the lower esophageal sphincter. Potable tap water and three thickened fluids were used to create boluses of different viscosities. Water has a viscosity of 1 mPa·s. The three thickened fluids were made with different concentrations of Clinutren Instant thickener. The viscous fluids were in appearance comparable to pudding (2 kPa·s), yogurt (6 kPa·s) and slush ice (10 kPa·s). Six healthy volunteers swallowed 5 and 10 mL of boluses multiple times. RESULTS: The pressure amplitude did not increase with the bolus viscosity nor with the bolus volume whereas the axial force increased marginally with bolus volume (0.1 > P > 0.05). Both techniques showed that contraction duration increased with bolus viscosity (P < 0.01). Association was found between axial force and pressure but the association became weaker withincreasing viscosity. The pressure amplitude did not increase with the viscosity or bolus volume whereas the axial force increased marginally with the bolus size. CONCLUSION: This indicates a discrepancy between the physiological functions that can be recorded with axial force measurements and pressure measurements.

Advances in Quantifying Impact and Extent of Water-Land-Food Nexus for Food Security in Africa

Food systems have the potential to promote human health and enhance environmental sustainability;yet most African countries have decadal starvation and malnourishment due to unstable food systems lacking basic nutritional profiles. To understand the key questions of the African food production and food security crisis, it is important to evaluate the past and the present balance of food production and consumption quantitatively and comprehensively and identify resource constraints. This continental study analyzed water-land-food (WLF) nexus in recent decades (1997-2017) and accessed whether these resources cope with different population growth projections, dietary changes and agricultural water management. The findings revealed that in 2017, total production in Africa for the four major crops was 83.3, 34.1, 21.0 and 26.7 million tons for, respectively, maize, rice, sorghum and wheat. Together with the imported food, 38 countries experienced an increase in kcal by food supply, while 7 countries encountered a decrease. However, only 6 countries were above the 1500 kcal∙capita−1∙day−1—the global average food consumption from the four major crops. The study also found that in the context of food production and out of the total African population, 268 million (21.6%) have enough land and water, 310 million (25.0%) is without enough land and water, further 279 million (22.5%) have enough water but not enough land, and 381 million (30.8%) encounter enough land but not enough water. This is the first WLF nexus study for the African continent and emphasizes the need for efficient and rapid changes in the food systems of the African population, both in production and consumption, in order to provide sustainable and secure food systems, and ultimately approach the first three Sustainable Development Goals.

Anti-lymphangiogenesis for boosting drug accumulation in tumors

The inadequate tumor accumulation of anti-cancer agents is a major shortcoming of current therapeutic drugs and remains an even more significant concern in the clinical prospects for nanomedicines.Various strategies aiming at regulating the intratumoral permeability of therapeutic drugs have been explored in preclinical studies,with a primary focus on vascular regulation and stromal reduction.However,these methods may trigger or facilitate tumor metastasis as a tradeoff.Therefore,there is an urgent need for innovative strategies that boost intratumoral drug accumulation without compromising treatment outcomes.As another important factor affecting drug tumor accumulation besides vasculature and stroma,the impact of tumor-associated lymphatic vessels(LVs)has not been widely considered.In the current research,we verified that anlotinib,a tyrosine kinase inhibitor with anti-lymphangiogenesis activity,and SAR131675,a selective VEGFR-3 inhibitor,effectively decreased the density of tumor lymphatic vessels in mouse cancer models,further enhancing drug accumulation in tumor tissue.By combining anlotinib with therapeutic drugs,including doxorubicin(Dox),liposomal doxorubicin(Lip-Dox),and anti-PD-L1 antibody,we observed improved anti-tumor efficacy in comparison with monotherapy regimens.Meanwhile,this strategy significantly reduced tumor metastasis and elicited stronger anti-tumor immune responses.Our work describes a new,clinically transferrable approach to augmenting intratumoral drug accumulation,which shows great potential to address the current,unsatisfactory efficacies of therapeutic drugs without introducing metastatic risk.

Human ESC-derived vascular cells promote vascular regeneration in a HIF-1α dependent manner

Hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF-1α),a core transcription factor responding to changes in cellular oxygen levels,is closely associated with a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions.However,its differential impacts on vascular cell types and molecular programs modulating human vascular homeostasis and regeneration remain largely elusive.Here,we applied CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing of human embryonic stem cells and directed differentiation to generate HIF-ia-deficient human vascular cells including vascular endothelial cells,vascular smooth muscle cells,and mesenchymal stem cells(MsCs),as a platform for discovering cell type-specific hypox-ia-induced response mechanisms.Through comparative molecular profiling across cell types under normoxic and hypoxic conditions,we provide insight into the indispensable role of HIF-1αin the promotion of ischemic vascular regeneration.We found human MSCs to be the vascular cell type most susceptible to HIF-1a deficiency,and that transcriptional inactivation of ANKZF1,an effector of HIF-1a,impaired pro-angiogenic processes.Altogether,our findings deepen the understanding of HIF-ia in human angiogenesis and support further explorations of novel therapeutic strategies of vascular regeneration against ischemic damage.

Aging hallmarks of the primate ovary revealed by spatiotemporal transcriptomics

The ovary is indispensable for female reproduction,and its age-dependent functional decline is the primary cause of infertility.However,the molecular basis of ovarian aging in higher vertebrates remains poorly understood.Herein,we apply spatiotemporal transcriptomics to benchmark architecture organization as well as cellular and molecular determinants in young primate ovaries and compare these to aged primate ovaries.From a global view,somatic cells within the non-follicle region undergo more pronounced transcriptional fluctuation relative to those in the follicle region,likely constituting a hostile microenvironment that facilitates ovarian aging.Further,we uncovered that inflammation,the senescent-associated secretory phenotype,senescence,and fibrosis are the likely primary contributors to ovarian aging(PCOA).Of note,we identified spatial co-localization between a PCOA-featured spot and an unappreciated MT2(Metallothionein 2)highly expressing spot(MT2^(high))characterized by high levels of inflammation,potentially serving as an aging hotspot in the primate ovary.Moreover,with advanced age,a subpopulation of MT2^(high)accumulates,likely disseminating and amplifying the senescent signal outward.Our study establishes the first primate spatiotemporal transcriptomic atlas,advancing our understanding of mechanistic determinants underpinning primate ovarian aging and unraveling potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for aging and age-associated human ovarian disorders.

Single-nucleus profiling unveils a geroprotective role of the Foxo3 in primate skeletal muscle aging

Age-dependent loss of skeletal muscle mass and function is a feature of sarcopenia,and increases the risk of many aging-related metabolic diseases.Here,we report phenotypic and single-nucleus transcriptomic analyses of non-human primate skeletal muscle aging.A higher transcriptional fluctuation was observed in myonuclei relative to other interstitial cell types,indicating a higher susceptibility of skeletal muscle fiber to aging.We found a downregulation of Foxo3 in aged primate skeletal muscle,and identi-fied FOxo3 as a hub transcription factor maintaining skeletal muscle homeostasis.Through the establishment of a complementary experimental pipeline based on a human pluripotent stem cell-derived myotube model,we revealed that silence of Foxo3 accelerates human myotube senescence,whereas genetic activation of endogenous FOxO3 alleviates human myotube aging.Altogether,based on a combination of monkey skeletal muscle and human myotube aging research models,we unraveled the pivotal role of the FOxO3 in safeguarding primate skeletal muscle from aging,providing a comprehensive resource for the development of clinical diagnosis and targeted therapeutic interventions against human skeletal muscle aging and the onset of sarcopenia along with aging-relateddisorders.

A single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of primate testicular aging reveals exhaustion of the spermatogonial stem cell reservoir and loss of Sertoli cell homeostasis

The testis is pivotal for male reproduction,and its progressive functional decline in aging is associated with infertility.However,the regulatory mechanism underlying primate testicular aging remains largely elusive.Here,we resolve the aging-related cellular and molecular alterations of primate testicular aging by establishing a single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas.Gene-expression patterns along the spermatogenesis trajectory revealed molecular programs associated with attrition of spermatogonial stem cell reservoir,disturbed meiosis and impaired spermiogenesis along the sequential continuum.Remarkably,Sertoli cell was identified as the cell type most susceptible to aging,given its deeply perturbed age-associated transcriptional profiles.Concomitantly,downregulation of the transcription factor Wilms'Tumor 1(WTi),essential for Sertoli cell homeostasis,was associated with accelerated cellular senescence,disrupted tight junctions,and a compromised cell identity signature,which altogether may help create a hostile microenvironment for spermatogenesis.Collectively,our study depicts in-depth transcriptomic traits of non-human primate(NHP)testicular aging at single-cell resolution,providing potential diagnostic biomarkers and targets for therapeutic interventions against testicular aging and age-related male reproductive diseases.

Emerging single-atom nanozymes for catalytic biomedical uses

The past four years have witnessed booming progress in single-atom nanozymes(SANs),one of the newest generations of nanozymes with atomically dispersed metal sites for catalytic biomedical uses.They show distinct advantages over their nanoparticle-based counterparts,such as well-defined electronic/geometric structures and complete atomic utilization efficiency,thus offering opportunities to develop advanced nanozymes for practical uses.The atomically dispersed active centers in SANs could also facilitate the precise regulation of catalytic performance,while probing structure–activity relationship for in-depth understanding of mechanism.In this review,we first introduce the synthetic approaches,surface engineering,and characterization techniques of SANs.Subsequently,we discuss the enzyme-like properties of SANs,including some strategies for boosting their catalytic activities.Furthermore,we present their biomedical applications,ranging from biosensors,antibacterial uses,antioxidants,to therapeutics.Finally,the challenges and opportunities of SANs are prospected.