Conspectus To meet the increasing demand for water, potable water providers are turning toward unconventional waters, such as seawater and wastewater. These highly saline and/or heavily contaminated ...water sources are difficult to treat, demanding the use of advanced technology not typically used to treat conventional water sources such as river water or fresh groundwater. Of these advanced technologies, membrane separation processes are fast becoming the most widely used methods to convert these marginal waters into useful resources. The main factors contributing to the widespread adoption of membrane separation processes for water treatment include their modular nature, small physical footprint, and relative energy efficiency compared to traditional distillation processes. In addition, membranes present a physical barrier to pathogens, which is an attractive feature in terms of disinfection credits. However, traditional membrane materials suffer from several distinct drawbacks, which include membrane fouling (the accumulation of material on the membrane surface that blocks the flow of water), the need for high-pressure membranes (such as reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration (NF)) or membrane/thermal processes (e.g., membrane distillation (MD)) to remove small contaminant compounds (e.g., trace metals, salt, endocrine disrupting compounds), and a pressure-driven membrane’s inability to effectively remove small, uncharged molecules (e.g., N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), phenol, acetone, and boron). Electrically driven physical and chemical phenomena, such as electrophoresis, electrostatic repulsion, dielectrophoresis, and electricity-driven redox reactions, have long been coupled to membrane-based separation processes, in a process known as electrofiltration. However, it is only in recent years that appropriate membrane materials (i.e., electrically conducting membranes (EMs)) have been developed that enable the efficient use of these electro-driven processes. Specifically, the development of EM materials (both polymeric and inorganic) have reduced the energy consumption of electrofiltration by using the membrane as an electrode in an electrochemical circuit. In essence, a membrane-electrode allows for the concentrated delivery of electrical energy directly to the membrane/water interface where the actual separation process takes place. In the past, metal electrodes were placed on either side of the membrane, which resulted in large potentials needed to drive electrochemical/electrokinetic phenomena. The use of a membrane-electrode dramatically reduces the required potentials, which reduces energy consumption and can also eliminate electrocorrosion and the formation of undesirable byproducts. In this Account, we review recent developments in the field of electrofiltration, with a focus on two water treatment applications: desalination and water reuse (wastewater or contaminated groundwater recycling). Specifically, we discuss how EMs can be used to minimize multiple forms of fouling (biofouling, mineral scaling, organic fouling); how electrochemical reactions at the membrane/water interface are used to destroy toxic contaminants, clean a membrane surface, and transform the local pH environment, which enhances the rejection of certain contaminants; how electric fields and electrostatic forces can be used to reorient molecules at the membrane/water interface; and how electrical energy can be transformed into thermal energy to drive separation processes. A special emphasis is placed on explicitly defining the additional energy consumption associated with the electrochemical phenomena, as well as the additional cost associated with fabricating EM materials. In addition, we will discuss current limitations of the electrofiltration process, with particular attention given to the current limitations of membrane materials and the future research needs in the area of membrane materials and module development.
Rechargeable aluminum‐ion batteries (AIBs) are attractive new generation energy storage devices due to its low cost, high specific capacity, and good safety. However, the lack of suitable electrode ...materials with high capacity and enhanced rate performance makes it difficult for real applications. Herein, the preparation of 3D reduced graphene oxide‐supported SnS2 nanosheets hybrid is reported as a new type of cathode material for AIBs. The resultant material demonstrates one of the highest capacities of 392 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 and good cycling stability. It is revealed that the layered SnS2 nanosheets anchored on 3D reduced graphene oxide network endows the composite not only high electronic conductivity but also fast kinetic diffusion pathway. As a result, the hybrid material exhibits high rate performance (112 mAh g−1 at 1000 mA g−1). The detailed characterization also verifies the intercalation and deintercalation of relatively large chloroaluminate anions into the layered SnS2 during the charge–discharge process, which is important for better understanding of the electrochemical process of AIBs.
A novel electrode material, SnS2/reduced graphene oxide is applied as electrode for aluminum‐ion batteries for the first time with enhanced electrochemical performance (one of the highest capacity 392 mAh g−1 under 100 mA g−1). Detailed measurements reveal the insertion/deinsertion of chloroaluminate anion into the interlayer of SnS2 during the charge–discharge process.
Rechargeable aluminum‐ion batteries (AIBs) are considered as a new generation of large‐scale energy‐storage devices due to their attractive features of abundant aluminum source, high specific ...capacity, and high energy density. However, AIBs suffer from a lack of suitable cathode materials with desirable capacity and long‐term stability, which severely restricts the practical application of AIBs. Herein, a binder‐free and self‐standing cobalt sulfide encapsulated in carbon nanotubes is reported as a novel cathode material for AIBs. The resultant new electrode material exhibits not only high discharge capacity (315 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1) and enhanced rate performance (154 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1), but also extraordinary cycling stability (maintains 87 mA h g−1 after 6000 cycles at 1 A g−1). The free‐standing feature of the electrode also effectively suppresses the side reactions and material disintegrations in AIBs. The new findings reported here highlight the possibility for designing high‐performance cathode materials for scalable and flexible AIBs.
Binder‐free and free‐standing cobalt sulfide@carbon nanotubes are applied as the cathode for aluminum‐ion batteries with enhanced electrochemical performance. The optimized electrode exhibits a high capacity (315 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1), excellent rate performance, and remarkable cycling stability (297 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 200 cycles; 87 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 6000 cycles).
Rice feeds half the world’s population, and rice blast is often a destructive disease that results in significant crop loss. Non-race-specific resistance has been more effective in controlling crop ...diseases than race-specific resistance because of its broad spectrum and durability. Through a genome-wide association study, we report the identification of a natural allele of a C2H2-type transcription factor in rice that confers non-race-specific resistance to blast. A survey of 3,000 sequenced rice genomes reveals that this allele exists in 10% of rice, suggesting that this favorable trait has been selected through breeding. This allele causes a single nucleotide change in the promoter of the bsr-d1 gene, which results in reduced expression of the gene through the binding of the repressive MYB transcription factor and, consequently, an inhibition of H2O2 degradation and enhanced disease resistance. Our discovery highlights this novel allele as a strategy for breeding durable resistance in rice.
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•A single base change (SNP33-G) in the bsr-d1 promoter enhances binding to MYBS1•Binding of MYBS1 to the bsr-d1 promoter suppresses bsr-d1 expression•BSR-D1 promotes peroxidase expression, suppressing immunity to M. oryzae•The SNP33-G allele is present in 10% of 3,000 surveyed rice varieties
A natural allele of a C2H2-domain transcription factor gene, bsr-d1, confers broad-spectrum resistance to rice blast.
The school bullying incident has aroused widespread concern in current society. How to manage students' anti-social behavior has become an increasingly serious problem for administrators. This study ...uses a sample of 8270 junior high school students to examine the mechanism of academic achievement on students' antisocial behavior. The results showed that academic performance has a U-shaped impact on antisocial behavior. This study further found that the U-shaped effect of academic performance on antisocial behavior was mediated by the praise; In addition, this study also found that moral identity moderates the U-shaped relationship between academic performance, praise, and antisocial performance. The findings provide the implications for school administrators and teachers to pay attention to the "moral trap" of academic achievement and praise, and pay attention to excellent students' moral education, to reduce the possibility of their anti-social behavior.
Quantum walks are the quantum mechanical analog of classical random walks and an extremely powerful tool in quantum simulations, quantum search algorithms, and even for universal quantum computing. ...In our work, we have designed and fabricated an 8x8 two-dimensional square superconducting qubit array composed of 62 functional qubits. We used this device to demonstrate high fidelity single and two particle quantum walks. Furthermore, with the high programmability of the quantum processor, we implemented a Mach-Zehnder interferometer where the quantum walker coherently traverses in two paths before interfering and exiting. By tuning the disorders on the evolution paths, we observed interference fringes with single and double walkers. Our work is an essential milestone in the field, brings future larger scale quantum applications closer to realization on these noisy intermediate-scale quantum processors.
Plant immunity often penalizes growth and yield. The transcription factor Ideal Plant Architecture 1 (IPA1) reduces unproductive tillers and increases grains per panicle, which results in improved ...rice yield. Here we report that higher IPA1 levels enhance immunity. Mechanistically, phosphorylation of IPA1 at amino acid Ser
within its DNA binding domain occurs in response to infection by the fungus
and alters the DNA binding specificity of IPA1. Phosphorylated IPA1 binds to the promoter of the pathogen defense gene
and activates its expression, leading to enhanced disease resistance. IPA1 returns to a nonphosphorylated state within 48 hours after infection, resuming support of the growth needed for high yield. Thus, IPA1 promotes both yield and disease resistance by sustaining a balance between growth and immunity.
As the capital and one of the metropolises in China, Beijing has met with a number of serious so-called "urban diseases" in the process of rapid urbanization such as blind expansion of urban areas, ...explosion of population and the increase of urban heat island effect. To treat these "urban diseases" and make the metropolis develop healthful and sustainable in Beijing in the future, the spatial characteristics of metropolis developments in Beijing are explored in this paper. The urban built-up areas in Beijing are extracted using the DMSP-OLS nighttime light data from 1992 to 2013. The characteristics of the urban developments of Beijing are studied, including spatial and temporal scales of urban developments, urban barycenter of Beijing and its transfer trajectory, variations of urban spatial forms and the differences of urban internal developments. The results have shown that the built-up areas had been increasing and circling extending from the central urban areas to the outer spaces in the last 21 years. The built-up area had expanded by 878km2 in 1992-2013, and the built-up area in 2013 had expanded to three times comparing to that of 1992. The expanding area of the built-up area in the northeast is the largest. The expansion of the urban had mainly occurred in 1996-2007, and the expanded area had accounted for 92% of the total research period. During the whole research period, the urban barycenter of Beijing had moved 5000.71 meters towards Northeast 28° of its original place from Dongcheng District to Chaoyang District. The development level of each municipal district had been increasing year by year, and the development differences among the municipal districts had been gradually reduced; the spatial forms of Beijing had been alternately changed between extensive and intensive expansion. The results of this study can help to plan urban land use and people migration of Beijing.
The existence of heavy metals (especially Cr (VI)) in coal gangue has brought great safety risks to the environment. The indigenous bacteria (YZ1 bacteria) were separated and applied for removing Cr ...(VI) from the coal gangue, in which its tolerance to Cr (VI) was explored. The removal mechanism of Cr (VI) was investigated with pyrite in coal gangue, metabolite organic acids and extracellular polymer of YZ1 bacteria. The concentration of Cr (VI) could be stabilized around 0.012 mg/L by the treatment with YZ1 bacteria. The Cr (VI) tolerance of YZ1 bacteria reached 60 mg/L, and the removal efficiency of Cr (VI) was more than 95% by using YZ1 bacteria combined with pyrite. The organic acids had a certain reducing ability to Cr (VI) (removal efficiency of less than 10%). The extracellular polymers (EPS) were protective for the YZ1 bacteria resisting to Cr (VI). The polysaccharides and Humic-like substances in the soluble extracellular polymers (S-EPS) had strong adsorption and reduction effect on Cr (VI), in which the tryptophan and tyrosine proteins in the bound extracellular polymers (LB-EPS and TB-EPS) could effectively promote the reduction of Cr (VI). YZ1 bacteria could obviously reduce the damage of Cr (VI) from coal gangue to the environment.
•YZ1 bacteria was separated and applied for the removal of Cr (VI) from coal gangue.•The adsorption and reduction mechanism of Cr (VI) with YZ1 bacteria was investigated.•The effect of pyrite in coal gangue was investigated for the reduction of Cr (VI).•The metabolite organic acids of YZ1 strain were analyzed for the removal of Cr (VI).•Adsorption and reduction characteristics of extracellular polymers were studied.
Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted much interest for medium‐ to large‐scale energy storage applications owing to the high abundance and low cost of sodium reserves. However, a principal ...concern for the wide deployment of stationary SIBs is their temperature tolerance. Extreme temperatures can deteriorate the performance and safety of SIBs by causing very sluggish Na‐transfer kinetics, dendrites formation, and severe interfacial reactions. The development of all‐climate SIBs depends on the fundamental understanding of the chemical reactions at different temperatures and advances of all the key components, especially the electrolyte and the electrode materials. Herein, we start from briefing the key challenges in developing all‐climate SIBs, then examining the latest achievements in confronting the challenges. The insights presented in this review are believed to guide and inspire further research interest in designing all‐climate SIBs that will hopefully serve as a low‐cost, high‐performing, and reliable stationary energy storage solution.
Temperature tolerance is a crucial metric for stationary batteries. This Review examines recent advances on all‐climate sodium‐ion batteries from a materials perspective. Kinetics and thermal stabilities of the key materials (the electrolyte, the cathode, and the anode) and the interphases determine the workable temperature range of the resultant sodium‐ion battery.
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