Water resources are scarce in arid or semiarid areas, which not only limits economic development, but also threatens the survival of mankind. The local communities around the Hangjinqi gasfield ...depend on groundwater sources for water supply. A clear understanding of the groundwater hydrogeochemical characteristics and the groundwater quality and its seasonal cycle is invaluable and indispensable for groundwater protection and management. In this study, self- organizing maps were used in combination with the quantization and topographic errors and K-means clustering method to investigate groundwater chemistry datasets. The Piper and Gibbs diagrams and saturation index were systematically applied to investigate the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater from both rainy and dry seasons. Further, the entropy-weighted theory was used to characterize groundwater quality and assess its seasonal variability and suitability for drinking purposes. Our hydrochemical groundwater dataset, consisting of 10 parameters measured during both dry and rainy seasons, was classified into 6 clusters, and the Piper diagram revealed three hydrochemical facies: Cl-Na type (clusters 1, 2 and 3), mixed type (clusters 4 and 5), and HCO3-Ca type (cluster 6). The Gibbs diagram and saturation index suggested that weathering of rock-forming minerals were the primary process controlling groundwater chemical composition and validated the credibility and practicality of the clustering results. Two-thirds of 45 groundwater samples were categorized as excellent- or good-quality and were suitable as drinking water. Cluster changes within the same and different clusters from the dry season to the rainy season were detected in approximately 78% of the collected samples. The main factors affecting the groundwater quality were hydrogeochemical characteristics, and dry season groundwater quality was better than rainy season groundwater quality. Based on this work, such results can be used to investigate the seasonal variation of hydrogeochemical characteristics and assess water quality accurately in the others similar area.
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•The feasibility of clustering results is explained by the change of hydrochemical facies.•The self-defined classification of EWQI for assessing groundwater quality•Combining the SOM and EQWI to elucidate the seasonal change of hydrogeochemical characteristics.
The introduction of metal–organic framework materials into photocatalysts is considered to be an effective strategy for improving the transfer and separation efficiency of photogenerated ...electron–hole pairs. In the present study, we demonstrate the delicate construction of NH2-UiO-66/ZnIn2S4 (NU66/ZIS) composites as bifunctional photocatalysts with the degradation efficiency of malachite green (98%) and the hydrogen evolution rate of a 10% NU66/ZIS composite reaching up to 2199 μmol h–1 g–1. The characterization of unique ZIS/NU66 shows that it can efficiently facilitate the separation and transfer of light-induced charges and exposed rich active sites for photocatalyst redox reaction. Moreover, the results of vitro cytotoxicity assay suggest that NU66/ZIS composites are potential safety photocatalysts to the environment and human beings. Furthermore, the DFT calculation indicates that the Zr site of NU66 and In site of ZnIn2S4 interface should be the main active center in NU66/ZIS heterojunctions.
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•Green biomass matrix cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) acted as film units.•MWCNTs and GO cooperated with CNCs to participate in the coordination of Dy(III).•The maximum partition ...coefficient of imprinted films to Dy(III) was 872.266 mL g−1.
Selectively extracting high-value rare earth elements from scrap rare earth products is a measure that combines economic and environmental benefits. In this paper, TEMPO-mediated oxidation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) acted as film units, oxidized carbon materials were involved in the cooperative construction of high-performance CNC composite films, and applied them for selective adsorption of Dy(III). The carboxyl groups on multi-walled carbon nanotube and graphene oxide provide additional binding sites with Dy(III), thereby achieving improvement on mechanical properties and adsorption performance. Based on the surface ion-imprinted polymers, stable imprinted structure sites were distributed on the surface of films, which could effectively improve adsorption capacity and selectivity. When pH was 4.0, saturated adsorption capacities of CNC films were in the range of 22.57–34.03 mg g−1. Further, in selective experiments, materials exhibited preferential adsorption for Dy(III) with a partition coefficient of 872.266 mL g−1. Reusability tests revealed film materials have a strong regeneration performance. Overall, the green, highly efficient and non-toxic CNC composite films are expected to provide a novel method for recycling REEs.
We identify a new class of distributional constraints defined as a union of symmetric M-convex sets, which can represent a wide range of real-life constraints in two-sided matching settings. Since ...M-convexity is not closed under union, a union of symmetric M-convex sets does not belong to this well-behaved class of constraints. Consequently, devising a fair and strategyproof mechanism to handle this new class is challenging. We present a novel mechanism for it called Quota Reduction Deferred Acceptance (QRDA), which repeatedly applies the standard Deferred Acceptance mechanism by sequentially reducing artificially introduced maximum quotas. We show that QRDA is fair and strategyproof when handling a union of symmetric M-convex sets, which extends previous results obtained for a subclass of the union of symmetric M-convex sets: ratio constraints. QRDA always yields a weakly better matching for students than a baseline mechanism called Artificial Cap Deferred Acceptance (ACDA). We also experimentally show that QRDA outperforms ACDA in terms of nonwastefulness.
As a profitable product from CO2 electroreduction, HCOOH holds economic viability only when the selectivity is higher than 90% with current density (j) over −200.0 mA cm−2. Herein, Bi@Sn core–shell ...nanoparticles (Bi core and Sn shell, denoted as Bi@Sn NPs) are developed to boost the activity and selectivity of CO2 electroreduction into HCOOH. In an H‐cell system with 0.5 m KHCO3 as electrolyte, Bi@Sn NPs exhibit a Faradaic efficiency for HCOOH (FEHCOOH) of 91% with partial j for HCOOH (jHCOOH) of −31.0 mA cm−2 at −1.1 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. The potential application of Bi@Sn NPs is testified via chronopotentiometric measurements in the flow‐cell system with 2.0 m KHCO3 electrolyte. Under this circumstance, Bi@Sn NPs achieve an FEHCOOH of 92% with an energy efficiency of 56% at steady‐state j of −250.0 mA cm−2. Theoretical studies indicate that the energy barrier of the potential‐limiting step for the formation of HCOOH is decreased owing to the compressive strain in the Sn shell, resulting in the enhanced catalytic performance.
Bi@Sn core–shell nanoparticles (Bi core and Sn shell) are developed to boost the activity and selectivity of CO2 electroreduction into HCOOH. The lattice mismatch between the Bi core and Sn shell generates a compressive strain in the Sn shell. The compressive strain in the Sn shell decreases the energy barrier for the formation of HCOOH, resulting in the enhanced catalytic performance.
The prostate cancer (PCa) risk-associated SNP rs11672691 is positively associated with aggressive disease at diagnosis. We showed that rs11672691 maps to the promoter of a short isoform of long ...noncoding RNA PCAT19 (PCAT19-short), which is in the third intron of the long isoform (PCAT19-long). The risk variant is associated with decreased and increased levels of PCAT19-short and PCAT19-long, respectively. Mechanistically, the risk SNP region is bifunctional with both promoter and enhancer activity. The risk variants of rs11672691 and its LD SNP rs887391 decrease binding of transcription factors NKX3.1 and YY1 to the promoter of PCAT19-short, resulting in weaker promoter but stronger enhancer activity that subsequently activates PCAT19-long. PCAT19-long interacts with HNRNPAB to activate a subset of cell-cycle genes associated with PCa progression, thereby promoting PCa tumor growth and metastasis. Taken together, these findings reveal a risk SNP-mediated promoter-enhancer switching mechanism underlying both initiation and progression of aggressive PCa.
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•rs11672691 risk region is bifunctional with both promoter and enhancer activity•This SNP modulates the bifunctionality and reciprocal expression of PCAT19 isoforms•PCAT19-long interacts with HNRNPAB to activate a subset of cell-cycle genes•PCAT19-long regulates cell proliferation, tumor growth, and metastasis
Transcription factor binding site remodeling by a risk allele for aggressive prostate cancer results in conversion of a promoter to an enhancer with downstream consequences on long noncoding RNA isoform expression and oncogenesis.
Permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) wind power system with full power rating converter configuration is especially suitable for wind energy applications. Direct model predictive control ...(DMPC) has led to more possibilities in terms of choice because of its straightforward concept for PMSG wind turbine systems in high-power off-shore wind farms. However, due to complete dependence on the model knowledge, parameter mismatches will seriously deteriorate the system control performances. This work presents a model/parameter-independent predictive control method with a novel mechanism to update current/power variations online. The proposed method makes use of only two measurements from the former intervals and the selected control vectors to estimate all variations of the candidate vectors in the present interval. Benefiting from this updating mechanism, the proposed method is completely independent of the model parameters in the state prediction. However, it still has a very low calculating requirement and smooth current/power variation waveforms. The proposed method is compared with classical DMPC. The results validate that the proposed solution outperforms the classical DMPC with model deviations, with considerably improved robustness.
The cancer transcriptome is remarkably complex, including low-abundance transcripts, many not polyadenylated. To fully characterize the transcriptome of localized prostate cancer, we performed ...ultra-deep total RNA-seq on 144 tumors with rich clinical annotation. This revealed a linear transcriptomic subtype associated with the aggressive intraductal carcinoma sub-histology and a fusion profile that differentiates localized from metastatic disease. Analysis of back-splicing events showed widespread RNA circularization, with the average tumor expressing 7,232 circular RNAs (circRNAs). The degree of circRNA production was correlated to disease progression in multiple patient cohorts. Loss-of-function screening identified 11.3% of highly abundant circRNAs as essential for cell proliferation; for ∼90% of these, their parental linear transcripts were not essential. Individual circRNAs can have distinct functions, with circCSNK1G3 promoting cell growth by interacting with miR-181. These data advocate for adoption of ultra-deep RNA-seq without poly-A selection to interrogate both linear and circular transcriptomes.
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•Ultra-deep rRNA-depleted RNA sequencing of 144 localized prostate tumors•Fusion gene profiles differentiate localized from metastatic disease•Widespread RNA circularization events define clinically distinct tumor subtypes•Functional screening reveals pervasive circular isoform-specific essentiality
RNA circularization is a pervasive feature of prostate cancer, with hundreds of circRNAs promoting cell proliferation through functions distinct from their parental linear RNA.
Phosphoric acid-functionalized mesoporous silica material was prepared by copolycondensation using P123 as the soft template and diethylphosphatoethyltriethoxysilane as the functional monomer. It was ...used for highly efficient selective adsorption and separation of La(III). By adjusting the ratio of the silicon source to functional monomer, the difference of the adsorption material structure and the change of adsorption performance were explored. When the ratio of the silicon source to functional monomer is 9/1, the phosphoric acid-functionalized SBA-15 (named S2) exhibits a highly ordered hexagonal cell structure. Saturated adsorption capacity of La(III) on S2 is 114.81 mg g–1 at 25 °C and 7.0 pH, which is much larger than other reported adsorbents. In addition, the adsorbent S2 has excellent adsorption kinetics: the adsorption equilibrium can be quickly concluded within 60 min. The distribution coefficient (K d) of S2 to La(III) is 725 mL g–1, and that of Nd(III) and other ions is about 200 mL g–1. This indicates that the phosphoric acid-functionalized adsorbent has strong selectivity in the process of adsorption and separation of La(III). Cyclic performance tests indicate that the adsorbent has excellent regenerability. The above results indicate that the phosphoric acid-functionalized SBA-15 adsorbent (S2) has a promising application in the actual adsorption separation of La(III).
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