Simple enzymatic depolymerization process based on rapid ball milling pretreatment for high-crystalline polyethylene terephthalate fibers.

The high crystallinity (30 %-50 %) of discarded polyester textile waste limits the industrialization of its clean enzymatic depolymerization. In this study, a simple process based on ball milling pretreatment was developed to achieve effective enzymatic hydrolysis of high-crystalline polyester fiber. Ball milling was selected for its short, mild, and chemical-free process, which achieved a remarkable 23.

Intervention of inflammation associated with ankylosing spondylitis by triptolide promotes histone H3 Iys-27 trimethylation.

This study aims to explore the effects of Triptolide (TP) on the differentiation of Th17 cells in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from 10 patients with active AS patients were exposed to TP, GSK-J4 or vehicle. T lymphocyte subsets were analyzed using flow cytometry.

Genome-wide identification of JAZ gene family in sugarcane and function analysis of ScJAZ1/2 in drought stress response and flowering regulation.

The JASMONATE ZIM DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins are a key inhibitors of the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway that play an important role in the regulation of plant growth and development and environmental stress responses. However, there is no systematic identification and functional analysis of JAZ gene family members in sugarcane. In this study, a total of 49 SsJAZ genes were identified from the wild sugarcane species Saccharum spontaneum genome that were unevenly distributed on 13 chromosomes.

Fungal community dynamics associated with the outbreaks of sugarcane root rot disease.

Sugarcane is a critical sugar and bioenergy crop in China. However, numerous factors, including root rot disease, hamper its yield. Root rot disease is a severe agricultural issue, reducing yield and threatening sustainable crop production.

High-throughput absolute quantification sequencing reveals the adaptive succession and assembly pattern of plastisphere communities in municipal sewer systems: Influence of environmental factors and microplastic polymer types.

Municipal sewer systems have received increasing attention due to the magnitude of the microplastic stock and its potential ecological impacts. However, as a critical aspect of the adverse impacts, little is known about the plastisphere that forms in these engineered environments. Using high-throughput absolute quantification sequencing, we conducted a systemic study combining field survey and laboratory batch test to explain the general plastisphere pattern and the role of environmental and polymeric factors in driving plastisphere succession and assembly there.

Femtosecond-laser-based full-field three-dimensional imaging with phase compensation.

Coherence scanning interferometer (CSI) enables 3D imaging with nanoscale precision. However, the efficiency of such a system is limited because of the restriction imposed by the acquisition system. Herein, we propose a phase compensation method that reduces the interferometric fringe period of femtosecond-laser-based CSI, resulting in larger sampling intervals.

The A-to-I editing of KPC1 promotes intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by attenuating proteasomal processing of NF-κB1 p105 to p50.

Background: Aberrant RNA editing of adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) has been linked to multiple human cancers, but its role in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) remains unknown. We conducted an exome-wide investigation to search for dysregulated RNA editing that drive iCCA pathogenesis.

Methods: An integrative whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed to elucidate the RNA editing landscape in iCCAs.

Fast measurement of the thickness and group refractive index distribution of solid plates by line-field dispersive interferometry.

Real-time measurement of the thickness and group refractive index is crucial for semiconductor devices. In this paper, we proposed a fast synchronous method for measuring the thickness and group refractive index distribution of solid plates based on line-field dispersive interferometry. The proposed method measured the line-field distribution in an illuminated region through a single step.

Determination of the Structures of Lignin Subunits and Nanoparticles in Solution by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering: Towards Improving Lignin Valorization.

Lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) are usually produced from lignin solution through supersaturation. The structure of the lignin in solution is still poorly understood due to structural variability of isolated lignins. Here, lignins were extracted from different plants to establish a general pattern of their structure in several lignin solvents.

Dynamic ellipsometry measurement based on a simplified phase-stable dual-comb system.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry is a powerful tool for characterizing thin film, polarization optics, semiconductors, and others. Conventional approaches are subject to restrictions of mechanical instability and measurement speed. The complex locking scheme of previous dual-comb spectroscopic ellipsometry belies its practicability.

Enhancing the interaction between cellulose and dilute aqueous ionic liquid solutions and its implication to ionic liquid recycling and reuse.

Cellulose-dissolving ionic liquids (ILs) have been used in biomass pretreatment for over a decade. Cellulose solubility in the ILs is strongly inhibited by water, which has negative impacts on IL pretreatment and reuse of the recycled ILs. Here, a distillation and aeration apparatus was used as the reactor for biomass pretreatment in dilute aqueous IL solutions and in recycled IL liquor without drying or purification.

Febrile Seizure-Related miR-148a-3p Exerts Neuroprotection by Promoting the Proliferation of Hippocampal Neurons in Children with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common epilepsy in both adult and children. Some microRNAs (miRNAs) are abnormally expressed in neurological diseases. This study aimed to investigate the expression level and clinical significance of miR-148a-3p in TLE children and explore its effect on the biological viability of hippocampal neurons.

Multi-color method for the self-correction of the air refractive index.

We propose a multi-color method for the self-correction of the air refractive index based on the dispersive interferometry of an optical frequency comb. This method can be applied to correct the air refractive index for long-distance measurements in moist air. Optical lengths of multiple wavelengths were obtained simultaneously by the dispersive interferometry of an optical frequency comb.

Transforming lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels enabled by ionic liquid pretreatment.

Processes that can convert lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels and chemicals are particularly attractive considering renewability and minimal environmental impact. Ionic liquids (ILs) have been used as novel solvents in the process development in that they can effectively deconstruct recalcitrant lignocellulosic biomass for high sugar yield and lignin recovery. From cellulose-dissolving ILs to choline-based and protic acidic ILs, extensive research in this field has been done, driven by the promising future of IL pretreatment.

Fractal Characteristics of the Middle-Upper Ordovician Marine Shale Nano-Scale Porous Structure from the Ordos Basin, Northeast China.

The fractal characteristics of marine shale from the Middle-Upper Ordovician Wulalike Formation (O₂w) in the southwest margin of the Ordos Basin are studied. Based on low-temperature nitrogen adsorption experiments, the FHH (Frenkel-Halsey-Hill) model was employed to investigate the relationship between the marine shale composition, such as TOC, mineral content and shale gas content, and pore structure parameters, such as BET specific surface area, average pore diameter, porosity and fractal dimension. The results show that the pore size distribution curve of shale slowly decreased after the pore size was greater than 50 nm, the pore size distribution showed multiple peaks, and the peak value was mainly in the range of 2-10 nm.

Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity by Encapsulating NiFe Alloy Nanoparticles in Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofibers.

The rational design and exploration of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with high efficiency, low cost, and long-term durability are extremely important for overall water splitting. Recently, numerous studies have shown that the OER reaction kinetics can be modified by optimizing components, introducing carbon matrix, and regulating porous nanostructures. Herein, a flexible and controllable electrospinning strategy is proposed to construct porous nitrogen (N)-doped carbon (C) nanofibers (NFs) with nickel-iron (NiFe) alloy nanoparticles encapsulated inside (NiFe@NCNFs) as an OER electrocatalyst.

Atomic-Level Fe-N-C Coupled with Fe C-Fe Nanocomposites in Carbon Matrixes as High-Efficiency Bifunctional Oxygen Catalysts.

Highly active and durable bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts are of pivotal importance for clean and renewable energy conversion devices, but the lack of earth-abundant electrocatalysts to improve the intrinsic sluggish kinetic process of oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) is still a challenge. Fe-N-C catalysts with abundant natural merits are considered as promising alternatives to noble-based catalysts, yet further improvements are urgently needed because of their poor stability and unclear catalytic mechanism. Here, an atomic-level Fe-N-C electrocatalyst coupled with low crystalline Fe C-Fe nanocomposite in 3D carbon matrix (Fe-SAs/Fe C-Fe@NC) is fabricated by a facile and scalable method.

Photonics-based simultaneous measurement of distance and velocity using multi-band LFM microwave signals with opposite chirps.

We propose and demonstrate a photonics-based method for simultaneously measuring distance and velocity by adopting multi-band linear-frequency-modulated microwave signals with opposite chirps as transmitted signals. A dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator and photodetector (PD) are used to mix transmitted and echo signals. By analyzing the electrical spectra of the electrical signals generated by the PD, distance and the magnitude and direction of velocity can be derived simultaneously, which is significant for real-time radar applications.

Germline Duplication of SNORA18L5 Increases Risk for HBV-related Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Altering Localization of Ribosomal Proteins and Decreasing Levels of p53.

Background & Aims: Single nucleotide polymorphisms could affect risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We performed a germline copy number variation (CNV)-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) in populations of Chinese ancestry to search for germline CNVs that increase risk of HCC.

Methods: We conducted a CNV-based GWAS of 1583 HCC cases (persons with chronic HBV infection and HCC) and 1540 controls (persons with chronic HBV infection without HCC) in Chinese populations.