Density Functional Theory Study on Na and K Catalysis in the Transformation of Glucose to Fructose and HMF in Hydrothermal Environments.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an efficient method for converting biomass into biochar. Hydrochar contains catalytic components such as alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs); however, the mechanisms by which highly active metals such as potassium (K) and sodium (Na) catalyze the conversion of small carbon-water compounds into hydrochar in hydrothermal environments remain unclear. In this study, glucose was used as a small molecule model, and Na and K were used as catalysts to investigate the catalytic reaction mechanism during the hydrothermal process using density functional theory (DFT).

Rotating Sonotrode Design for Ultrasonic-Assisted Arc Welding of Metal Materials.

In the process of the ultrasonic-assisted arc welding of metal materials, traditional ultrasonic application methods, such as the low-frequency impact of ultrasonic horns on a base material, can easily cause the non-fusion defect. In order to solve this problem, a rotating sonotrode with a groove and double thin ends was designed in this study. The ultrasonic vibration is transmitted into the weld pool by the rolling of the sonotrode on both sides of the weld.

Nitroxyl radical triggered the construction of a molecular protective layer for achieving durable Zn metal anodes.

The issues of dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reaction, and zinc anode corrosion have significantly hindered the widespread implementation of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Herein, trace amounts of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) additive is introduced into AZIBs to protect the zinc metal anode. Trace amounts of the TEMPO additive with nitroxyl radical can provide fast Zn transport and anode protection ability by forming an adsorbed molecular layer via Zn-O bond.

Hybrid cortical bone trajectory and modified cortical bone trajectory techniques in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion at L4-L5 segment: A finite element analysis.

Background: The academia has increasingly acknowledged the superior biomechanical performance of the hybrid fixation technique in recent years. However, there is a lack of research on the hybrid fixation technique using BCS (Bilateral Cortical Screws) and BMCS (Bilateral Modified Cortical Screws). This study aims to investigate the biomechanical performance of the BCS and BMCS hybrid fixation technique in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) at the L4-L5 segment in a complete lumbar-sacral finite element model.

Structural insight into the allosteric inhibition of human sodium-calcium exchanger NCX1 by XIP and SEA0400.

Sodium-calcium exchanger proteins influence calcium homeostasis in many cell types and participate in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes. Here, we elucidate the cryo-EM structure of the human Na/Ca exchanger NCX1.3 in the presence of a specific inhibitor, SEA0400.

Transport and inhibition mechanisms of human VMAT2.

Vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) accumulates monoamines in presynaptic vesicles for storage and exocytotic release, and has a vital role in monoaminergic neurotransmission. Dysfunction of monoaminergic systems causes many neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease, hyperkinetic movement disorders and depression. Suppressing VMAT2 with reserpine and tetrabenazine alleviates symptoms of hypertension and Huntington's disease, respectively.

Architecture and autoinhibitory mechanism of the plasma membrane Na/H antiporter SOS1 in Arabidopsis.

Salt-overly-sensitive 1 (SOS1) is a unique electroneutral Na/H antiporter at the plasma membrane of higher plants and plays a central role in resisting salt stress. SOS1 is kept in a resting state with basal activity and activated upon phosphorylation. Here, we report the structures of SOS1.

Effects of ambient air pollution on cause-specific hospitalizations in Wuhan during 2017-2019.

Background: Few studies have focused on the associations between air pollutants and multiple organ system diseases in the entire hospitalized population. The present study aims to explore the short-term effects of six routinely monitored air pollutants on the broad causes of hospital admissions and estimate the resulting hospital admission burdens.

Methods: Daily hospital admission records from 2017 to 2019 were obtained from the Wuhan Information center of Health and Family Planning.

SBAS-InSAR based validated landslide susceptibility mapping along the Karakoram Highway: a case study of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.

Geological settings of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) increase the risk of natural disasters, threatening its regular operations. Predicting landslides along the KKH is challenging due to limitations in techniques, a challenging environment, and data availability issues. This study uses machine learning (ML) models and a landslide inventory to evaluate the relationship between landslide events and their causative factors.

Metal-Halide Perovskite Nanocrystal Superlattice: Self-Assembly and Optical Fingerprints.

Self-assembly of nanocrystals into superlattices is a fascinating process that not only changes geometric morphology, but also creates unique properties that considerably enrich the material toolbox for new applications. Numerous studies have driven the blossoming of superlattices from various aspects. These include precise control of size and morphology, enhancement of properties, exploitation of functions, and integration of the material into miniature devices.

Association between smoking and hypertension under different PM and green space exposure: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

Background: Smoking has been widely reported to have a significant relationship with hypertension, but the past description of this relationship has not been uniform. In addition, there has been a lack of research to discuss the impact of environmental exposure on the relationship between smoking and hypertension. Therefore, this study estimates the association between smoking and hypertension in middle aged and elderly people in China under different PM (fine particulate matter) concentrations and the green space exposure conditions.

High-resolution flexible X-ray luminescence imaging enabled by eco-friendly CuI scintillators.

Solution-processed scintillators hold great promise in fabrication of low-cost X-ray detectors. However, state of the art of these scintillators is still challenging in their environmental toxicity and instability. In this study, we develop a class of tetradecagonal CuI microcrystals as highly stable, eco-friendly, and low-cost scintillators that exhibit intense radioluminescence under X-ray irradiation.

Toluene degradation using plasma-catalytic hybrid system over Mn-TiO and Fe-TiO.

This paper proposed a hybrid system that combined dielectric barrier discharge plasma with catalysis (DPC) for toluene degradation. To improve the performance of DPC, photocatalysts TiO were doped by Mn and Fe, respectively. All prepared photocatalysts were characterized using UV-Visual DRS.

Effects of green spaces on alleviating mortality attributable to PM in China.

Increasing research suggested that green spaces are associated with many health benefits, but evidence for the quantitative relationship between green spaces and mortality attributable to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM) is limited. We collected disease-specific mortality and PM data for a period of 4 years (2015-2018) along with green space data for an 8-year duration (2010-2017) in 31 provincial-level administrative regions of China.

Structure, gating, and pharmacology of human Ca3.3 channel.

The low-voltage activated T-type calcium channels regulate cellular excitability and oscillatory behavior of resting membrane potential which trigger many physiological events and have been implicated with many diseases. Here, we determine structures of the human T-type Ca3.3 channel, in the absence and presence of antihypertensive drug mibefradil, antispasmodic drug otilonium bromide and antipsychotic drug pimozide.

Comprehensive Effect of Arc and Ultrasonic Energy on MIG Arc Ultrasonic Welding.

Ultrasonic energy is introduced into the Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding arc and weld pool by superposition of an ultrasonic frequency current. In this study, the arc shape, arc energy, and ultrasonic energy that responded to ultrasonic excitation voltage and frequency is investigated. The comprehensive influence of arc and ultrasonic energy on weld formation, microstructure, and mechanical properties is further studied.

Heterostructure of ultrafine FeOOH nanodots supported on CoAl-layered double hydroxide nanosheets as highly efficient electrocatalyst for water oxidation.

The supported and dispersed ultrafine active species for electrocatalytic water oxidation are quite promising for the high intrinsic activity. A novel heterostructure of ultrafine FeOOH nanodots with an average size of 2.3 nm supported on CoAl-LDH nanosheets, is constructed by a facile method under ambient conditions.

The Association between Preterm Birth and Ambient Air Pollution Exposure in Shiyan, China, 2015-2017.

Shortening of the gestational duration has been found associated with ambient air pollution exposure. However, the critical exposure windows of ambient air pollution for gestational duration remain inconsistent, and the association between ambient air pollution and early term births (ETB, 37 to 38 weeks) has rarely been studied relative to preterm births (PTB, 28-37 weeks). A time-series study was conducted in Shiyan, a medium-sized city in China.

Elucidating the role of earthworms in NO emission and production pathway during vermicomposting of sewage sludge and rice straw.

Vermicomposting is a sustainable option for the recycling of biodegradable organic waste. However, it also produces nitrous oxide (NO), which is a highly potent greenhouse gas. In this study, the NO stable isotope and functional genes for nitrogen cycling were determined to investigate the sources of NO during vermicomposting.

Vessel transport of antibiotic resistance genes across oceans and its implications for ballast water management.

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance are major threats to ecosystems and human health. Transoceanic channels (e.g.

Mussel inspired bio-adhesive with multi-interactions for tissue repair.

Bio-adhesives based on biopolymers have been widely researched for tissue repair. However, the adhesive properties are still insufficient to meet the practical applications. Introducing functional groups into the polymer chains that have multi-interactions among inter/intra-molecules and with substrates is an efficient way to increase cohesion force and further improve the adhesive properties.

Effects of earthworms on nitrogen transformation and the correspond genes (amoA and nirS) in vermicomposting of sewage sludge and rice straw.

The effects of earthworms on nitrogen transformation and the responsible functional genes during disposal of sewage sludge and rice straw were investigated in this study. Vermicomposting resulted in the lower pH and total organic carbon (TOC) compared to the control treatment without earthworms. Moreover, the presence of earthworms could promote the nitrogen mineralization and nitrification process in vermicomposting.

Screening for inhibitor of episomal DNA identified dicumarol as a hepatitis B virus inhibitor.

Currently, there is no available therapy to eradicate hepatitis B virus (HBV) in chronically infected individuals. This is due to the difficulty in eliminating viral covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA, which is central to the gene expression and replication of HBV. We developed an assay system for nuclear circular DNA using an integration-deficient lentiviral vector.

Variational Pansharpening for Hyperspectral Imagery Constrained by Spectral Shape and Gram⁻Schmidt Transformation.

Image pansharpening can generate a high-resolution hyperspectral (HS) image by combining a high-resolution panchromatic image and a HS image. In this paper, we propose a variational pansharpening method for HS imagery constrained by spectral shape and Gram⁻Schmidt (GS) transformation. The main novelties of the proposed method are the additional spectral and correlation fidelity terms.