Efficient activation of persulfate with bismuth tungstate in dark for degradation of organic pollutants.

Bismuth tungstate (BiWO, BWO) is usually utilized as a photocatalyst for the degradation of various organic pollutants. However, its catalytic potential without light irradiation in persulfate (PS) based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has been overlooked, despite its significant redox capacity. Herein, the flower-like orthorhombic BWO was synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method, followed by an evaluation of its catalytic activity in dark through the removal of aqueous organic dye rhodamine B and antibiotic levofloxacin in PS based AOPs.

Multi-Directional Strain Measurement in Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Based on Birefringence of Embedded Fiber Bragg Grating.

Embedded fiber Bragg gratings are increasingly applied for in-situ strain measurement in fiber-reinforced plastics, integral to high-end aerospace equipment. Existing research primarily focuses on in-plane strain measurement, limited by the fact that fiber Bragg gratings are mainly sensitive to axial strain. However, out-of-plane strain measurement is equally important for comprehending structural deformation.

Heterozygous variants in USP25 cause genetic generalized epilepsy.

USP25 encodes ubiquitin-specific protease 25, a key member of the deubiquitinating enzyme family that is involved in neural fate determination. Although abnormal expression in Down's syndrome was reported previously, the specific role of USP25 in human diseases has not been defined. In this study, we performed trio-based whole exome sequencing in a cohort of 319 cases (families) with generalized epilepsy of unknown aetiology.

Si/Organic Integrated Narrowband Near-Infrared Photodetector.

Spectrally selective narrowband photodetection is critical for near-infrared (NIR) imaging applications, such as for communicationand night-vision utilities. It is a long-standing challenge for detectors based on silicon, to achieve narrowband photodetection without integrating any optical filters. Here, this work demonstrates a NIR nanograting Si/organic (PBDBT-DTBT:BTP-4F) heterojunction photodetector (PD), which for the first time obtains the full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) of only 26 nm and fast response of 74 µs at 895 nm.

Vegetation Dynamics in Response to Climate Change and Human Activities in a Typical Alpine Region in the Tibetan Plateau.

Understanding past and future vegetation dynamics is important for assessing the effectiveness of ecological engineering, designing policies for adaptive ecological management, and improving the ecological environment. Here, inter-annual changes in vegetation dynamics during 2000-2020, contributions of climate change (CC) and human activities (HA) to vegetation dynamics, and sustainability of vegetation dynamics in the future were determined in Gannan Prefecture (a typical alpine region in the Tibetan Plateau), China. MODIS-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), air temperature, precipitation, and land cover data were used, and trend analysis, multiple regression residuals analysis, and Hurst exponent analysis were employed.

Recessive Variants Associated With Partial Epilepsy and Spasms in Infancy.

Objective: The gene encodes the laminin subunit α5, the most abundant laminin α subunit in the human brain. It forms heterotrimers with the subunit β1/β2 and γ1/γ3 and regulates neurodevelopmental processes. Genes encoding subunits of the laminin heterotrimers containing subunit α5 have been reported to be associated with human diseases.

A novel ring-beam piezoelectric actuator for small-size and high-precision manipulator.

A new type of ring (joint)-beam (arm) element based on piezoelectric actuator is designed in this paper. By using piezoelectric ceramics, the vibration modes of two parallel beams are excited and coupled to form in-plane waves on the ring. As the piezoelectric actuator has the dual effect of acting as the power source and the main body structure of the arm joint, compared with the rotating joint using DC motor as the power source, the actuator does not need additional space to install the motor, which makes joint mechanism have the advantages of simple structure and small volume.