The reaction of MnTe with AgSbTe2 in an equimolar ratio (ATMS) provides a new semiconductor, AgMnSbTe3. AgMnSbTe3 crystallizes in an average rock-salt NaCl structure with Ag, Mn, and Sb cations ...statistically occupying the Na sites. AgMnSbTe3 is a p-type semiconductor with a narrow optical band gap of ∼0.36 eV. A pair distribution function analysis indicates that local distortions are associated with the location of the Ag atoms in the lattice. Density functional theory calculations suggest a specific electronic band structure with multi-peak valence band maxima prone to energy convergence. In addition, Ag2Te nanograins precipitate at grain boundaries of AgMnSbTe3. The energy offset of the valence band edge between AgMnSbTe3 and Ag2Te is ∼0.05 eV, which implies that Ag2Te precipitates exhibit a negligible effect on the hole transmission. As a result, ATMS exhibits a high power factor of ∼12.2 μW cm–1 K–2 at 823 K, ultralow lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.34 W m–1 K–1 (823 K), high peak ZT of ∼1.46 at 823 K, and high average ZT of ∼0.87 in the temperature range of 400–823 K.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) dominates the interactions between rhizobacteria and pollutants at the soil‐water interface, which is critical for understanding the dissipation of pollutants in the ...rhizosphere microzone of rice. Herein, we explored the effects of self‐adaptive CSH of Sphingomonas sp. strain PAH02 on the translocation and biotransformation behaviour of cadmium‐phenanthrene (Cd‐Phe) co‐pollutant in rice and rhizosphere microbiome. We evidenced that strain PAH02 reduced the adsorption of Cd‐Phe co‐pollutant on the rice root surface while enhancing the degradation of Phe and adsorption of Cd via its self‐adaptive CSH in the hydroponic experiment. The significant upregulation of key protein expression levels such as MerR, ARHDs and enoyl‐CoA hydratase/isomerase, ensures self‐adaptive CSH to cope with the stress of Cd‐Phe co‐pollutant. Consistently, the bioaugmentation of strain PAH02 promoted the formation of core microbiota in the rhizosphere soil of rice (Oryza sativa L.), such as Bradyrhizobium and Streptomyces and induced gene enrichment of CusA and PobA that are strongly associated with pollutant transformation. Consequently, the contents of Cd and Phe in rice grains at maturity decreased by 17.2% ± 0.2% and 65.7% ± 0.3%, respectively, after the bioaugmentation of strain PAH02. These findings present new opportunities for the implementation of rhizosphere bioremediation strategies of co‐contaminants in paddy fields.
Our research results have revealed the molecular mechanisms and processes of how the dominant bacterial community in paddy soils, represented by Sphingomonas sp. strain PAH02, responds to the co‐pollution of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through self‐adaptive cell surface hydrophobicity. We identified key responsive genes and proteins and emphasized that strain PAH02 is a shared core of the microbial community and participates in biogeochemical cycles in paddy soils.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Additive manufacturing (AM) of nickel-based superalloys is of high interest for application in complex hot end parts. However, it has been widely suggested that the microstructure-properties of the ...additive manufacturing processed superalloys are not yet fully clear. In this study, the GTD222, an important superalloy for high-temperature hot-end part, were prepared using selective laser melting and then subjected to heat treatment. The microstructure evolution of the GTD222 was investigated and the mechanical properties of heat treated GTD222 were tested. The results have shown that the grain size of the heat treated GTD222 was close to its as-built counterparts. Meanwhile, a large amount of γ’ and nano-scaled carbides were precipitated in the heat treated GTD222. The microstructure characteristics implied that the higher strength of the heat treated GTD222 can be attributed to the γ’ and nano-scaled carbides. This study provides essential microstructure and mechanical properties information for optimizing the heat treatment process of the AM processed GTD222.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Herein, Cu-modified SAPO-34 catalysts with various copper loadings are synthesized via a pH-controlled ion-exchange method. Cu exists predominantly as isolated cations at lower loadings, located at ...octahedrally coordinated sites in the ellipsoidal cavity of SAPO-34 zeolites, while CuO is gradually generated on the external surface at higher loadings. Our results reveal that the isolated Cu cations are the active sites for C3H6-SCR. The presence of CuO species enhances the C3H6 activation ability of the catalysts, which thus, improves the C3H6-SCR performance at medium and low temperatures (below 400 °C). At high temperatures, however, the formation of CuO accelerates the nonselective oxidation of C3H6 and causes activity decline. These findings suggest that the active temperature window for hydrocarbons-selective catalytic reduction (HC-SCR) reactions over Cu/SAPO-34 catalysts can be tailored by tuning the proportion of various copper species to fit the need in real applications, which provide new insights into understanding and designing highly efficient Cu-based zeolite catalysts.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Herein, we synthesized CeO2 nanoparticles-decorated Mn2O3 nanosheets on monolithic Ni foam (Ce/Mn-NF) for catalytic elimination of soot particulates. The macroporous nanostructures created by the ...Mn2O3 nanosheets improve the soot-catalyst contact efficiency on the external surface of catalysts. The superficial Mn–Ce interaction can produce Mn4+ and oxygen vacancies on the Ce/Mn-NF catalysts through the redox process of Ce4+ + Mn3+ ↔ Mn4+ + Ce3+, simultaneously generating surface active oxygen species. Moreover, our results demonstrate that the surface adsorbed oxygen species induced by the Mn–Ce interaction are more active for catalytic soot oxidation than those on the Mn-NF. Thus, the introduction of the CeO2 nanoparticles to the Mn2O3 nanosheets can significantly improve the catalytic activity for soot combustion. For the Ce/Mn-NF-2, the surface atomic ratio of Ce and Mn is close to 1:1, which will create more Mn–Ce interaction sites to generate active oxygen species compared with other catalysts. Accordingly, it exhibits higher catalytic activity. The tactful design of the MnO x –CeO2 catalysts successfully overcomes the problems of how to construct macroporous nanostructures with mixed metal oxides, and this strategy of material design may be applied in other related catalytic systems.
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Packaging materials have a great impact on the performance and reliability of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In this study, we have prepared high performance LED devices through encapsulating LEDs by ...epoxy materials incorporated with filler powders. A set of evaluation methods have also been established to characterize the reliability of LED devices. No delamination or internal cracking between packaging materials and lead frames has been found for the encapsulated high performance LED devices after the package saturation with moisture and subsequent exposure to high-temperature solder reflow and thermal cycling. Four kinds of inorganic silica fillers, namely, quartz, fused silica, cristobalite, and spherical silica, and one kind of organic filler, that is, spherical silicone powder, were incorporated into the epoxy packaging materials to compare their effects on performance of LED devices. The properties of epoxy packaging materials and LED devices were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermomechanical analyzer (TMA), ultravioletvisible spectrophotometer (UV–vis), scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Except the spherical silicone powder filled epoxy materials, all the other filled systems showed lower equilibrium water sorption content and smaller water diffusion coefficient in both water sorption and moisture sorption tests. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) values were also decreased with the addition of fillers, and the systems filled with quartz, fused, and filled with spherical silica gave the best performance, which exhibited the reduced CTE values both below and above T g. The results of TGA essentially showed no difference between filled and unfilled systems. The glass transition temperature changed little for all the filled systems, except the one incorporated with spherical silicone. The modulus at room temperature increased with the addition of fillers. The light transmittance of filled epoxy materials varied with fillers after UV and thermal aging.
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Carrier recombination involved in polymeric photocatalysts includes undissociated exciton decay and charge recombination, which are the major hindrance limiting their photocatalytic activities. ...Realizing highly efficient charge generation and separation simultaneously in one polymeric system is therefore a fundamental strategy for the potential success of solar-to-hydrogen conversion but remains a great challenge. Here, we develop a large π-delocalized direct Z-scheme polymeric heterostructure (g-C
3
N
4
/P1Cl-T) that synergistically integrates a two-dimensional (2D) donor-acceptor conjugated polymer (P1Cl-T) with g-C
3
N
4
. We demonstrate that the intermolecular π-π stacking successfully rebuilds the extended π-network over the whole polymeric heterojunction, thus facilitating full-visible-light absorption, exciton dissociation and charge transport. The combination of spectroscopic analysis and theoretical calculations reveals that both resonance energy transfer and Z-scheme charge transfer occur upon light illumination. With the intense synergy among the large π-delocalization, π-π stacking interactions and internal electric field, the g-C
3
N
4
/P1Cl-T photocatalyst shows an unprecedentedly high hydrogen evolution rate of ∼111.8 mmol h
−1
g
−1
with apparent quantum yields (AQYs) of 46.75% at 475 nm and 1.77% at 700 nm, which is about 48-fold higher than that of pristine g-C
3
N
4
and tops those for all the previously reported polymer-based photocatalysts.
We propose a strategy to rebuild the extended π-delocalized network in a Z-scheme polymeric heterojunction to improve the photon utilization efficiency, engendering an unprecedentedly high photocatalytic performance.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive cartilage degradation and inflammation. In recent years, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived exosomes ...(MSCs-Exo) have attracted widespread attention for their potential role in modulating OA pathology. However, the unpredictable therapeutic effects of exosomes have been a significant barrier to their extensive clinical application. In this study, we investigated whether fucoidan-pretreated MSC-derived exosomes (F-MSCs-Exo) could better protect chondrocytes in osteoarthritic joints and elucidate its underlying mechanisms. In order to evaluate the role of F-MSCs-Exo in osteoarthritis, both in vitro and in vivo studies were conducted. MiRNA sequencing was employed to analyze MSCs-Exo and F-MSCs-Exo, enabling the identification of differentially expressed genes and the exploration of the underlying mechanisms behind the protective effects of F-MSCs-Exo in osteoarthritis. Compared to MSCs-Exo, F-MSCs-Exo demonstrated superior effectiveness in inhibiting inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix degradation in rat chondrocytes. Moreover, F-MSCs-Exo exhibited enhanced activation of autophagy in chondrocytes. MiRNA sequencing of both MSCs-Exo and F-MSCs-Exo revealed that miR-146b-5p emerged as a promising candidate mediator for the chondroprotective function of F-MSCs-Exo, with TRAF6 identified as its downstream target. In conclusion, our research results demonstrate that miR-146b-5p encapsulated in F-MSCs-Exo effectively inhibits TRAF6 activation, thereby suppressing inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix degradation, while promoting chondrocyte autophagy for the protection of osteoarthritic cartilage cells. Consequently, the development of a therapeutic approach combining fucoidan with MSC-derived exosomes provides a promising strategy for the clinical treatment of osteoarthritis.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is widely applied in marine and coastal ecosystems. However, its implementation in river basins is limited. This limitation is attributed to the lack of ...practical tools, which combine the general principles of EBM and the unique features of river ecosystems, to provide information for policy-making. A method to support EBM in rivers is proposed in the present study. This method analyzes the ecosystem by quantifying multiple relationships among natural and human components and considering the spatial heterogeneity in external activities and ecosystem resilience. Using this method, policies are prioritized in an EBM plan by systematically evaluating the effects of external activities on the ecosystem services. The application of this method in policy-making in the EBM context is presented in a case study using the Yellow River in China. As a practical tool, this method can help practitioners improve the implementation of EBM in river ecosystems.
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CEKLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, UL, UM, UPUK
Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is an established risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, low adherence to medication and lifestyle management ...has limited the benefits of lowering lipid levels. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proposed as a promising solution.
This trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy of mobile-based CBT interventions in lowering LDL-C levels in patients with ASCVD.
This multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial enrolled 300 patients with ASCVD, who were randomly assigned to the mobile-based CBT intervention group and the control group in a ratio of 1:1. The intervention group received CBT for ASCVD lifestyle interventions delivered by WeChat MiniApp: "CBT ASCVD." The control group only received routine health education during each follow-up. The linear regression and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the effects of a mobile-based CBT intervention on LDL-C, triglyceride, C-reactive protein, the score of General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), quality of life index (QL-index), and LDL-C up-to-standard rate (<1.8 mmol/L) at the first, third, and sixth months.
Finally, 296 participants completed the 6-month follow-up (CBT group: n=148; control group: n=148). At baseline, the mean LDL-C level was 2.48 (SD 0.90) mmol/L, and the LDL-C up-to-standard rate (<1.8 mmol/L) was 21.3%. Mobile-based CBT intervention significantly increased the reduction of LDL-C change (%) at the 6-month follow-up (β=-10.026, 95% CI -18.111 to -1.940). In addition, this benefit remained when baseline LDL-C <1.8 mmol/L (β=-24.103, 95% CI -43.110 to -5.095). Logistic regression analysis showed that mobile-based CBT intervention moderately increased the LDL-C up-to-standard rates (<1.8 mmol/L) in the sixth month (odds ratio 1.579, 95% CI 0.994-2.508). For GSE and QL-index, mobile-based CBT intervention significantly increased the change of scores (%) at the 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up (all P values <.05).
In patients with ASCVD, mobile-based CBT is effective in reducing LDL-C levels (even for those who already had a standard LDL-C) and can improve self-efficacy and quality of life.
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100046775; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=127140.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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