An improved manta ray foraging optimization algorithm.

The Manta Ray Foraging Optimization Algorithm (MRFO) is a metaheuristic algorithm for solving real-world problems. However, MRFO suffers from slow convergence precision and is easily trapped in a local optimal. Hence, to overcome these deficiencies, this paper proposes an Improved MRFO algorithm (IMRFO) that employs Tent chaotic mapping, the bidirectional search strategy, and the Levy flight strategy.

Suppressing Deep-Level Trap Toward Over 13% Efficient Solution-Processed Kesterite Solar Cell.

CuZnSn (S,Se) (CZTSSe), a promising absorption material for thin-film solar cells, still falls short of reaching the balance limit efficiency due to the presence of various defects and high defect concentration in the thin film. During the high-temperature selenization process of CZTSSe, the diffusion of various elements and chemical reactions significantly influence defect formation. In this study, a NaOH-Se intermediate layer introduced at the back interface can optimize CuZnSnS (CZTS)precursor films and subsequently adjust the Se and alkali metal content to favor grain growth during selenization.

Numerical investigation and optimal design of capillary barrier cover with passive gas collection pipes on the performance at limiting landfill gas emissions.

Relying solely on soil properties may not fully ensure the performance of capillary barrier covers at limiting landfill gas (LFG) emissions. This study proposed to install passive gas collection pipes in the coarse-grained soil layers of capillary barrier covers to enhance their performance at limiting LFG emissions. First, the LFG generation rate of municipal solid waste and its influencing factors were analyzed based on empirical formulas.

Solution-Phase Synthesis of KCl Nanocrystals Templated by PEO-PPO-PEO Triblock Copolymers Micelles.

The current work introduces the synthesis of inorganic salt nano/micro-crystals during the reduction of hydrogen tetrachloroaurate(III) by Pluronic triblock copolymers (P123, PEO-PPO-PEO). The morphologies and component were confirmed using an electron microscope with an electronic differential system (EDS), and the crystal structures were determined with X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphologies highly depend on the concentrations of Pluronic and pH values.

Divalent metal ions under low concentration environment improved the thermal gel properties of egg yolk.

To improve the thermal gel properties of egg yolk, the effect of several valence metal ions (K, Ca, Mg and Fe) with different concentrations (0-0.72%) on the rheological, gel, and structural properties of egg yolk were investigated. Results showed that monovalent and divalent ions were beneficial to the formation of uniform and dense gel network, especially with the addition of 0.

Adsorption Behavior and Mechanism of Palladium on Diethylaminoethyl-Modified Polyglycidyl Methacrylate Macroporous Spheres.

The recovery of precious metals, such as palladium (Pd), from wastewater, is an economically important field. The present study reports the application of polyglycidyl methacrylate (PGMA) macroporous spheres with diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) functional groups (PGMA-DEAE) for the adsorption of palladium ions [Pd(II)] from simulated wastewater solutions. The effects of pH, adsorption duration, and initial concentration of Pd(II) on the adsorption amount were evaluated systematically.

Ammonia-assisted Ni particle preferential deposition in Ni-Fe pyrophosphates on iron foam to improve the catalytic performance for overall water splitting.

Designing efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts for overall water splitting remains a major challenge in hydrogen production. Herein, ammonia was introduced to pyrophosphate chelating solution assisted Ni particles preferential plating on porous Fe substrate to form coral-like Ni/NiFe-Pyro electrode. The pyrophosphate with multiple complex sites can couple with nickel and iron ions to form an integrated network structure, which also consists of metallic nickel due to the introduction of ammonia.

Exploring the microbial ecosystem of var. : a comprehensive analysis of endophytes and rhizospheric soil microorganisms.

Endophytic and rhizospheric microorganisms associated with plants play a crucial role in plant health, pest and disease defense, and fruit yield by actively participating in the plant's adaptation to its environment. In this study, high-throughput sequencing technology was employed to analyze the community structure and diversity of endophytic and rhizospheric soil microorganisms in var. .

Rare Earth Extraction from Phosphogypsum by Culture Broth.

The extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) from phosphogypsum (PG) is of great significance for the effective utilization of rare earth resources and enhancing the resource value of PG waste residues. This study used () fungal culture filtrate as a leaching agent to investigate the behavior of extracting REEs from PG through direct and indirect contact methods. According to the ICP-MS results, direct leaching at a temperature of 30 °C, shaking speed of 150 rpm, and a solid-liquid ratio of 2:1, achieved an extraction rate of 74% for REEs, with the main elements being yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), and neodymium (Nd).

Research Progress on Benzimidazole Fungicides: A Review.

Benzimidazole fungicides are a class of highly effective, low-toxicity, systemic broad-spectrum fungicides developed in the 1960s and 1970s, based on the fungicidal activity of the benzimidazole ring structure. They exhibit biological activities including anticancer, antibacterial, and antiparasitic effects. Due to their particularly outstanding antibacterial properties, they are widely used in agriculture to prevent and control various plant diseases caused by fungi.

Ultrasound-assisted annealing treatment to improve physicochemical and digestive properties of banana flour.

Background: Banana flour can provide a solution to people with gluten intolerance, as it is gluten-free. Native banana flour may have limited functionality in certain applications. In this study, banana flour was modified by ultrasonic (US) and annealing (ANN) treatments at four incubation time spans, namely 12, 24, 36 and 72 h, separately or combined sequentially (US-ANN) to enhance the physicochemical and digestive properties.

Investigating the Effects and Mechanisms of Cyclomorusin on Osteoclasts in a High Glucose Environment.

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease characterized by prolonged hyperglycemia. Prolonged high blood sugar levels interfere with the differentiation and maturation process of OBs and OCs, leading to the onset of osteoporosis. However, OCs differentiation and maturation is a complex regulatory process.

Interaction mechanisms of edible film ingredients and their effects on food quality.

Traditional food packaging has problems such as nondegradable and poor food safety. Edible films play an important role in food packaging, transportation and storage, having become a focus of research due to their low cost, renewable, degradable, safe and non-toxic characteristics. According to the different materials of edible films substrate, edible films are usually categorized into proteins, polysaccharides and composite edible films.

Nanocrystals as performance-boosting materials for solar cells.

Nanocrystals (NCs) have been widely studied owing to their distinctive properties and promising application in new-generation photoelectric devices. In photovoltaic devices, semiconductor NCs can act as efficient light harvesters for high-performance solar cells. Besides light absorption, NCs have shown great significance as functional layers for charge (hole and electron) transport and interface modification to improve the power conversion efficiency and stability of solar cells.

Recycling selectable markers via Cre/loxP system for constructing Komagataella phaffii strains co-expressing multiple proteins.

Objective: A convenient strategy was developed to recycle selectable markers using Cre/loxP system for constructing Komagataella phaffii strains co-expressing multiple proteins.

Results: A plasmid in this strategy was generated from pPICZαA with integration of lox71-Sh ble-lox66. Firstly, the plasmid was inserted with one target protein gene and then transformed into K.

Identification of two new species and a new host record of (Distoseptisporaceae, Distoseptisporales, Sordariomycetes) from terrestrial and freshwater habitats in Southern China.

During our investigation of saprophytic fungi in Guizhou and Hainan provinces, China, three hyphomycetes were collected from terrestrial and freshwater habitats. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, 1-α, and 2 sequence data, two new species are introduced: and . Additionally, one known species, , previously unreported from , is newly reported.

Investigation of the migration of natural organic matter-iron-antimony nano-colloids in acid mine drainage.

Colloids can potentially affect the efficacy of traditional acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment methods such as precipitation and filtration. However, it is unclear how colloids affect antimony (Sb) migration in AMD, especially when natural organic matter (NOM) is present. To conduct an in-depth investigation on the formation and migration behavior of NOM, iron (Fe), Sb and NOM-Fe-Sb colloids in AMD, experiments were performed under simulated AMD conditions.

Synthesis of -Difluorinated 2,3-Dihydrobenzofurans Using Freon-22 via [4 + 1] Annulation of Difluorocarbene and Antitumor Activity Evaluation.

As an inexpensive industrial chemical, chlorodifluoromethane (Freon-22), despite its relatively low reactivity, can serve as a practical CF source for the construction of -difluorinated ring structures. Here, we develop a protocol for the efficient assembly of valuable fluorinated 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans from the [4 + 1] annulation in good yields under basic conditions. The reliable practicability and scalability of the process have also been demonstrated by preparation at the multigram scale, late-stage modifications of pharmaceutical molecules, and potential antitumor potency.

Corrigendum: Fungal community remediate quartz tailings soil under plant combined with urban sludge treatments.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.

Four novel (Polycephalomycetaceae) species from China.

Entomopathogenic fungi comprise an ecologically important group of specialized pathogens infecting other fungi, invertebrates, and plants. These fungi are species-rich with high diversity and broad distribution worldwide. The majority of entomopathogenic fungi belong to clavicipitoids, which consist of the hypocrealean families, Clavicipitaceae, Cordycipitaceae, Ophiocordycipitaceae, and Polycephalomycetaceae.

Anti-Salmonella Activity of a Novel Peptide, KGGDLGLFEPTL, Derived from Egg Yolk Hydrolysate.

The present study aimed to characterize the mode of action of a novel antimicrobial peptide isolated from egg yolk hydrolysate. The EYHp6, KGGDLGLFEPTL, exhibited inhibition against serovar Typhimurium TISTR 292 and serovar Enteritidis DMST 15679 with a MIC value of 2 mM. In contrast, .

Synergistic Effect of Styrene and Carbon Black on the Fatigue Properties of Styrene-Butadiene Rubber Composites.

The increase in the styrene content in styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) can improve the abrasion performance and cutting resistance of rubber, which has received attention in the tire industry. The fatigue performance is the main evaluation index of rubber materials applied to tires. In this study, the effect of the styrene content and its interaction with carbon black (CB) on the dynamic fatigue performance and mechanism of SBR were investigated.

Vehicle-to-vehicle cooperative driving model considering end-to-end delay of communication network.

To explore the mechanism of the end-to-end transmission delay of the communication network on the collaborative driving process for traffic flow in the vehicle-to-vehicle communication environment, based on the idea of the car-following model, this paper introduces characteristic parameters characterizing the end-to-end transmission delay of the network into Newell's following model and proposes a CD and OV model by considering the time delay characteristics of the collaborative driving process from information transmission to control decision and then to physical execution. To determine the cooperative driving system's stability criterion, the stability analysis of the new model is examined. By using the reductive perturbation approach, the spatiotemporal evolution mechanism of the traffic flow around the critical stability point under the influence of various transmission delays is analyzed.

Study on the Mechanism of Modified Cellulose Improve the Properties of Egg Yolk gel.

Natural fiber is not suitable for modifying yolk gel as a modifier because of its large size and high compactness. In this study, two kinds of modified cellulose were selected to improve the thermal gel properties of yolk. The results showed that the two kinds of cellulose promoted the formation of ordered structure in yolk gel.