Pro-inflammatory cytokines play important roles in sepsis-induced cardiac injury. Among various cytokines, the function of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the regulation of cardiomyocyte injury remains to be ...elucidated. This study aimed to investigate whether IL-6 plays a key role in the sepsis-induced cardiomyocyte injury and the possible mechanism. Mice deficient for Il-6 exhibited impaired heart rhythm after LPS stimulation. Histological analysis revealed significantly increased oxidative stress after LPS stimulation in the heart with Il-6 knockout. On the contrary, IL-6 supplementation alleviated LPS-induced oxidative stress. Mechanically, IL-6 facilitates Nrf2 expression and its nucleus translocation, which subsequently promotes the expression of antioxidant genes and sustains redox homeostasis in cardiomyocytes, and Nrf2 deletion results in elevated oxidative stress during LPS stimulation and cannot be inverted by IL-6 supplement. Our study presents a new sight for the protective role of IL-6 during the pathological development of LPS-induced cardiac injury, which functions as an anti-oxidant molecule via activating Nrf2 signaling.
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•Oxidative stress is a main cause of cardiac dysfunction during LPS stimulation.•Moderate concentration of IL-6 protects the heart against LPS-induced sepsis.•IL-6 suppresses oxidative stress via upregulating Nrf2 signaling in cardiomyocytes.•Nrf2 diminishes LPS-induce oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In recent years, inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on CsPbI3 have made significant progress in stability compared to hybrid organic–inorganic PSCs by substituting the volatile organic ...component with Cs cations. However, the cubic perovskite structure of α-CsPbI3 changes to the orthorhombic non-perovskite phase at room temperature resulting in efficiency degradation. The partial substitution of an I ion with Br ion benefits for perovskite phase stability. Unfortunately, the substitution of Br ion would enlarge bandgap reducing the absorption spectrum range. To optimize the balance between band gap and stability, introducing and optimizing the spatial bandgap gradation configuration is an effective method to broaden the light absorption and benefit the perovskite phase stability. As the bandgap of the CsPb(I1–xBrx)3 perovskite layer can be adjusted by I-Br composition engineering, the performance of CsPb(I1–xBrx)3 based PSCs with three different spatial variation Br doping composition profiles were investigated. The effects of uniform doping and gradient doping on the performance of PSCs were investigated. The results show that bandgap (Eg) and electron affinity(χ) attributed to an appropriate energy band offset, have the most important effects on PSCs performance. With a positive conduction band offset (CBO) of 0.2 eV at the electron translate layer (ETL)/perovskite interface, and a positive valence band offset (VBO) of 0.24 eV at the hole translate layer (HTL)/perovskite interface, the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.90% with open–circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.39 V, short–circuit current (JSC) of 20.22 mA/cm2 and filling factor (FF) of 81.61% was obtained in uniform doping CsPb(I1–xBrx)3 based PSCs with x = 0.09. By carrying out a further optimization of the uniform doping configuration, the evaluation of a single band gap gradation configuration was investigated. By introducing a back gradation of band gap directed towards the back contact, an optimized band offset (front interface CBO = 0.18 eV, back interface VBO = 0.15 eV) was obtained, increasing the efficiency to 23.03%. Finally, the double gradient doping structure was further evaluated. The highest PCE is 23.18% with VOC close to 1.44 V, JSC changes to 19.37 mA/cm2 and an FF of 83.31% was obtained.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Summary
Biological approaches are considered promising and eco‐friendly strategies to remediate Hg contamination in soil. This study investigated the potential of two ‘green’ additives, ...Hg‐volatilizing bacteria (Pseudomonas sp. DC‐B1 and Bacillus sp. DC‐B2) and sawdust biochar, and their combination to reduce Hg(II) phytoavailability in soil and the effect of the additives on the soil bacterial community. The results showed that the Hg(II) contents in soils and lettuce shoots and roots were all reduced with these additives, achieving more declines of 12.3–27.4%, 24.8–57.8% and 2.0–48.6%, respectively, within 56 days of incubation compared to the control with no additive. The combination of DC‐B2 and 4% biochar performed best in reducing Hg(II) contents in lettuce shoots, achieving a decrease of 57.8% compared with the control. Pyrosequencing analysis showed that the overall bacterial community compositions in the soil samples were similar under different treatments, despite the fact that the relative abundance of dominant genera altered with the additives, suggesting a relatively weak impact of the additives on the soil microbial ecosystem. The low relative abundances of Pseudomonas and Bacillus, close to the background levels, at the end of the experiment indicated a small biological disturbance of the local microbial niche by the exogenous bacteria.
Hg‐volatilizing bacteria and biochar can reduce soil Hg bioavailability. Combination of bacteria DC‐B2 and 4% biochar performed best to lower Hg(II) bioavailability. Soil bacterial community structure was limitedly influenced by the additives.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Roof with outer-layer shape-stabilized phase change material (RSPCM) is a building construction that incorporates shape-stabilized phase change material (PCM) into the out layer of the roof. The ...decrement factor of the roof and the peak temperature of the inner surface can be greatly reduced by using the PCM in summer. CFD numerical simulation is used to investigate the thermal performance of RSPCM. The effects of the phase transition temperature, layer thickness and phase transition temperature radius of PCM are studied numerically. Results show that the suggested PCM thickness is 30 mm and the temperature radius should be as small as possible. The optimum phase transition temperatures are 31–33 °C, 34–36 °C, 36–38 °C, 34–36 °C, and 29–31 °C respectively in severe cold region, cold region, hot summer and cold winter region, hot summer and warm winter region and mild region. The decrement factors at the corresponding optimum phase transition temperature are about 0.030, which are lower than that of the roof without PCM by over 85%. The peak temperatures of the inner roof surface are all decreased by over 3.7 °C. These results can be used as a guideline for optimum design to improve the dynamic thermal performance of roof structure in summer.
•Heat transfer model of roof with outer-layer shape-stabilized PCM is built by CFD.•Effects of phase transition temperature and radius, and PCM thickness are studied.•Decrement factor, time lag and latent heat utilization of this roof are analyzed.•PCM thickness of 30 mm is recommended.•Optimum phase transition temperature of PCM are obtained for five climate zones.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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•A novel Hg(II)-volatilizing fungus showed bioremediation potentials.•The mer-mediated detoxification system was responsible for Hg(II) volatilization in fungus.•Resistance of DC-F11 ...to Hg(II) was generally a multisystem collaborative process.
Bioremediation of Hg-contaminated soil using microbe-based strategies is a promising and efficient method as it is inexpensive and not harmful to the environment. In this study, a novel Hg(II)-volatilizing fungus Penicillium spp., DC-F11 was isolated and showed bioremediation potential for reducing Hg(II) phytotoxicity, total Hg, and exchangeable Hg in Hg(II)-polluted soil. Subsequently, the mechanisms of Hg(II) volatilization and resistance involved were investigated using multiple complementary techniques. The fungal cells could detoxify Hg(II) by extracellular sequestration via adsorption and precipitation. Moreover, a comparative transcriptome analysis uncovered the primary intracellular adaptive responses of the DC-F11 to Hg(II) stress, including mer-mediated detoxification system, thiol compound metabolism, and oxidative stress defense and damage repair metabolism. These results showed that the resistance of DC-F11 to Hg(II) was generally a multisystem collaborative process. Here, we report, for the first time, that the mer-mediated detoxification system was responsible for Hg(II) volatilization in fungus. These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in Hg(II) volatilization and resistance that occur in fungi and also provide a strong theoretical basis for the future application of fungi in the bioremediation of Hg-polluted environments.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Roof is a weak part of the building envelope due to the high intensity of solar radiation in summer. Improving thermal performance of roof is crucial to reduce energy consumption. In this study, the ...thermal performance of a new ventilation roof with shape-stabilized phase change material (SPCM) is investigated. The dynamic heat transfer model for this roof is established by coupling the number of transfer units (NTU) heat exchange model with the resistance-capacity dynamic heat network model and used to analyse the heat transfer. The accuracy of the model is validated by experiment. The indoor air temperature, internal surface temperature of the roof, and cumulative cooling load in summer are simulated and analysed in Wuhan. The results show that PCM and night ventilation have great energy saving potential. When the 30 mm PCM is applied, the peak indoor air temperature and peak internal surface temperature decreased by 2.9 °C and 5.5 °C, respectively, and the cumulative cooling load of the building decreases by 19.2%. When night ventilation is applied (v = 3 m/s), the average latent heat utilization rate of the PCM layer increases, and the cumulative cooling load decreases by 22.9% and 37.5% compared with the PCM roof and the reference roof, respectively.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Reducing Hg contamination in soil using eco-friendly approaches has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this study, a novel multi-metal-resistant Hg-volatilizing fungus belonging to ...Lecythophora sp., DC-F1, was isolated from multi-metal-polluted mining-area soil, and its performance in reducing Hg bioavailability in soil when used in combination with biochar was investigated. The isolate displayed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 84.5mg·L−1 for Hg(II) and volatilized >86% of Hg(II) from LB liquid medium with an initial concentration of 7.0mg·L−1 within 16h. Hg(II) contents in soils and grown lettuce shoots decreased by 13.3–26.1% and 49.5–67.7%, respectively, with DC-F1 and/or biochar addition compared with a control over 56days of incubation. Moreover, treatment with both bioagents achieved the lowest Hg content in lettuce shoots. Hg presence and DC-F1 addition significantly decreased the number of fungal ITS gene copies in soils. High-throughput sequencing showed that the soil fungal community compositions were more largely influenced by DC-F1 addition than by biochar addition, with the proportion of Mortierella increasing and those of Penicillium and Thielavia decreasing with DC-F1 addition. Developing the coupling of Lecythophora sp. DC-F1 with biochar into a feasible approach for the recovery of Hg-contaminated soils is promising.
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•A novel metal-resistant Hg(II)-volatilizing fungus, Lecythophora sp. DC-F1, was isolated.•DC-F1 and biochar both effectively reduced Hg(II) contents in soil and plants.•The soil with both bioagents exhibited the lowest Hg uptake in lettuce shoots.•Soil fungal abundance and community structure were influenced to a greater degree by DC-F1 addition than by biochar addition.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Roof receives heat directly from the solar radiation and outdoor air, and the heat transfer of the roof is often greater than that of any external wall. The building roof is usually overheated in ...summer, causing a great increase in the air conditioning load and negative effects on indoor thermal comfort. Thus improving the thermal insulation performance of the roof is essential for reducing air conditioning energy consumption and improving indoor thermal comfort. In this paper, an innovative pipe-embedded ventilation roof with outer-layer shape-stabilized PCM (named VRSP for short) was proposed. The heat gain is stored in the PCM to migrate excessive heat during the day and released through air ventilation at night. A three-dimensional transient-state heat transfer model of the VRSP system was built by CFD. The effects of phase transition temperature range of PCM, thickness of PCM layer and airflow rate in the ventilation duct on the thermal performance of the structure in five representative climate regions of China were evaluated. Results show that the optimum phase transition temperature ranges of PCM in severe cold region, cold region, hot summer and cold winter region, hot summer and warm winter region and mild region are 31–33 °C, 34–36 °C, 36–38 °C, 34–36 °C and 29–31 °C, respectively. The optimum thicknesses of the PCM layer are 25–30 mm, 25–30 mm, 30–35 mm, 25–30 mm and 20–25 mm, respectively. The suitable airflow rates are 1.5–1.9 m/s, 1.6–2.0 m/s, 2.1–2.5 m/s, 1.9–2.3 m/s and 1.4–1.8 m/s, respectively. The conclusion provides valuable guides for the application of VRSP under various climate conditions.
•A pipe-embedded ventilation roof with shape-stabilized PCM is proposed.•Effects of physical properties of PCM and airflow rates are investigated.•The new system is optimized for its applications in different climate zones.•Considerable energy-saving effects are observed in Kunming, Harbin and Beijing.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In this work, an efficient polymer‐based organic afterglow system, which shows reversible photochromism, switchable ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP), and prominent water and chemical ...resistance simultaneously, has been developed for the first time. By doping phenoxazine (PXZ) and 10‐ethyl‐10H‐phenoxazine (PXZEt) into epoxy polymers, the resulting PXZ@EP‐0.25 % and PXZEt@EP‐0.25 % films show unique photoactivated UOP properties, with phosphorescence quantum yields and lifetimes up to 10.8 % and 845 ms, respectively. It is found that the steady‐state luminescence and UOP of PXZ@EP‐0.25 % are switchable by light irradiation and thermal annealing. Moreover, the doped films can still produce conspicuous UOP after soaking in water, strong acid and base, and organic solvents for more than two weeks, exhibiting outstanding water and chemical resistance. Inspired by these exciting results, the PXZ@EP‐0.25 % has been successfully exploited as an erasable transparent film for light printing.
A series of efficient phosphorescence materials were developed by embedding phenothiazine, phenoxazine, and 10‐ethyl‐10H‐phenoxazine into epoxy polymers. It is found that the polymer film involving phenoxazine shows reversible photochromism, switchable ultralong organic phosphorescence, and prominent water and chemical resistance simultaneously. In addition, its potential application in erasable light printing has also been demonstrated.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Hg contamination is a critical environmental problem, and its remediation using cost-effective and environmentally friendly methods is highly desirable. In this study, a multi-metal-resistant ...bacterium showing strong Hg(II) volatilization ability, Pseudomonas sp. DC-B1, was isolated from heavy metal-contaminated soils. DC-B1 volatilized 81.1%, 79.2% and 74.3% of the initial Hg2+ from culture solutions with initial Hg2+ concentrations of 5.1, 10.4, and 15.7 mg/L, respectively, within 24 h. Microcosm experiments were performed to investigate the remediation of Hg(II)-spiked soils inoculated with DC-B1 coupled with sawdust biochar amendment. The efficiency of Hg removal from two types of soil samples with different properties and an initial Hg(II) content of approximately 100 mg/kg was enhanced 5.7–13.1% by bio-augmentation with inoculation of the bacterial strain DC-B1, 5.4–10.7% by amendment of 4% (w/w) biochar, and 10.7–23.2% by the combination of DC-B1 and biochar amendments over an incubation period of 24 d over the efficiency in the control treatment under flooded conditions. Longer root lengths were observed in lettuce grown in the treated soils than in lettuce from the control soil, confirming the bioremediation efficacy of the two bioagents for soil Hg contamination.
•A multi-metal-resistant Pseudomonas sp. strain showing strong Hg(II) volatilization ability, DC-B1, was isolated.•Hg content in flooded soils was reduced spontaneously, which was further enhanced by DC-B1 inoculation.•Amendment with sawdust biochar facilitated the microbial remediation of Hg(II) in the soil.•Bacterium-mediated Hg(II) volatilization coupled with biochar amendment has high potential for soil Hg remediation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP