This study presents a new bionanocomposite coating on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) made of pullulan and synthetic mica. Mica nanolayers have a very high aspect ratio (α) at levels much greater than that of conventional exfoliated clay layers (e.g., montmorillonite). A very small amount of mica (0.02 wt%, which is ϕ ≈ 0.00008) in pullulan coatings dramatically improved the oxygen barrier performance of the nanocomposite films under dry conditions, whereas this performance was partly lost as the environmental relative humidity (RH) increased. This outcome was explained in terms of the perturbation of the spatial ordering of mica sheets within the main pullulan phase because of RH fluctuations, as confirmed by modelling of the experimental OTR data according to Cussler’s model. The presence of the synthetic nanobuilding block (NBB) led to a decrease in both static and kinetic coefficients of friction compared with neat PET (≈12% and 23%, respectively) and PET coated with unloaded pullulan (≈ 26% reduction in both coefficients). In spite of the presence of the filler, all of the coating formulations did not significantly impair the overall optical properties of the final material, which exhibited haze values below 3% and transmittance above 85%, with the only exception represented by the formulation with the highest loading of mica (1.5 wt%, which is ϕ ≈ 0.01). These findings revealed, for the first time, the potential of the NBB mica to produce nanocomposite coatings in combination with biopolymers for the generation of new functional features, such as transparent high oxygen barrier materials.

The Asia-Pacific region contains almost half of the planet’s coastal carbon-sequestering (blue carbon) environments (mangroves, salt marshes, seagrasses). These habitats are highly valuable to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change, but are under threat throughout the region, due in significant part to an insufficient policy environment to protect, restore, or create new coastal wetlands/blue carbon environments. Using a systematic evidence synthesis we reviewed the existing literature on blue carbon policy, and found that gaps and challenges fall under three themes, “Land Tenure and Ownership”, “Funding and Protecting Blue Carbon Habitat”, and “Conflicting Priorities and Jurisdictions”, with two overarching issues, the inconsistent recognition of rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) and women, and sea-level rise. This study makes recommendations to ensure high-quality blue carbon projects through improving equitable outcomes, particularly for women and IPLCs, and to reduce barriers to implementing blue carbon projects. These recommendations include gender sensitive and participatory mapping along with a registry of ownership with extensive gender equitable IPLC consultation to resolve ownership uncertainties. Recommendations for community level and gender equitable benefits beyond individual land owners are important to address the inequity of land ownership. Where land ownership changes under sea-level rise and intentional barrier removal, carbon rights should be retained by the landowner; otherwise, there is little incentive to undertake blue carbon projects. Due to the limited income that results from some carbon credit payments, other crediting and non-market methods can be considered to supplement landowners’ incomes and encourage habitat protection. Conflicting priorities between authorities responsible for managing coastal wetlands can be resolved through systematic restructuring/streamlining and collaborative workshops. Some will require changes to policies and amending delegated legislation.

EU politics on decarbonizing shipping is an argumentative struggle in which actors try to make others see the problem and policy solutions according to their views and seek to position other actors in a specific way. This article critically analyses, by means of argumentative discourse analysis, the politics and policy process related to the recent adoption of the FuelEU Maritime regulation, the world’s most ambitious legislation for decarbonizing maritime shipping. Different storylines and discourses as well as agency of policy actors on the problems and policy options defining the meaning of decarbonization are analysed. Two discourses framed the debates, focusing on (i) incremental change and technology neutrality to meet moderate emission reductions and maintain competitiveness, and (ii) transformative change and technology specificity to meet zero emissions and gain competitiveness and global leadership in the transition towards a hydrogen economy. Policy actors successfully used discursive agency strategies such as multiple functionality and vagueness to navigate between and resolve conflicts between the two discourses. Both discourses are associated with the overarching ecological modernization discourse and failed to include issue of a just transition. The heritage of the ecological modernization discourse creates lock-ins for a broader decarbonization discourse, thus stalling a just transition.

Capturing and storing CO2 (CCS) was once regarded as a significant, urgent, and required option for reducing the emissions of CO2 from coal and oil and gas industries and mitigating the serious impacts of CO2 on the atmosphere and the environment. This recognition came about as a result of extensive research conducted in the past. The CCS cycle comes to a close with the last phase of CO2 storage, which is accomplished primarily by the adsorption of CO2 in the ocean and injection of CO2 subsurface reservoir formation, in addition to the formation of limestone by the process of CO2 reactivity with reservoir formation minerals through injectivities. CCS is the last stage in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) cycle and is accomplished chiefly via oceanic and subterranean geological sequestration, as well as mineral carbonation. The injection of supercritical CO2 into geological formations disrupts the sub-surface's existing physical and chemical conditions; changes can occur in the pore fluid pressure, temperature state, chemical reactivity, and stress distribution of the reservoir rock. This paper aims at advancing our current knowledge in CO2 injection and storage systems particularly CO2 storage methods and the challenges encountered during the implementation of each method and analyses on how key uncertainties in CCS can be reduced. CCS sites are essentially unified systems; yet, given the scientific context, these storage systems are typically split during scientific investigations based on the physics and spatial scales involved. Separating the physics by using the chosen system as a boundary condition is a strategy that works effectively for a wide variety of physical applications. Unfortunately, the separation technique does not accurately capture the behaviour of the larger important system in the case of water and gas flow in porous media. This is due to the complexity of geological subsurface systems, which prevents the approach from being able to effectively capture the behaviour of the larger relevant system. This consequently gives rise to different CCS technology with different applications, costs and social and environmental impacts. The findings of this study can help improve understanding of selecting a suitable CCS application method and can further improve the efficiency of greenhouse gas emissions and their environmental impact, promoting the process sustainability and helping to tackle some of the most important issues that human being is currently accounting global climate change. Though this technology has already had large-scale development for the last decade, some issues and uncertainties are identified. Special attention was focused on the basic findings achieved in CO2 storage operational projects to date. The study has demonstrated that though a number of CCS technology has been researched and implemented to date, choosing a suitable and acceptable CCS technology is still daunting in terms of its technological application, cost-effectiveness and socio-environmental acceptance.

Carbon subsurface storage (CSS) has already been recognised as a critical, urgent, and essential method for reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions and mitigating the severe effects of climate change. CSS is the last stage in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) cycle and is accomplished chiefly via oceanic and subterranean geological sequestration, as well as mineral carbonation. The injection of supercritical CO2 into geological formations causes a disruption in the subsurface's existing physical and chemical conditions; changes can occur in the pore fluid pressure, temperature state, chemical reactivity, and stress distribution of the reservoir rock. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review on the current advances in CSS, particularly CO2 storage methods and the challenges encountered during the implementation of each methods and analyses on how key uncertainties in CSS can be reduce. CSS sites are essentially unified systems; yet, given the scientific context, these systems are typically split during scientific investigations based on the physics and temporal/spatial scales involved. Separating the physics by using the system as a boundary condition is a strategy that works effectively for a wide variety of physical applications. Unfortunately, the separation technique does not accurately capture the behaviour of the larger important system in the case of water and gas flow in porous media. This is due to the complexity of geological subsurface systems, which prevents the approach from being able to effectively capture the behaviour of the larger relevant system. This consequently give rise to different CSS methods. A good CSS application method can further improve the efficiency of greenhouse gas emission and their environmental impact, promoting the process sustainability and helping to tackle some of the most important issues that human being is currently accounting, global climate change. Though this technology is already large-scale development for the last decade, some issues and uncertainties are identified. Special attention was focused on the basic findings achieved in CO2 storage operational projects to date.

The goal of this work is to develop a sustainable value chain of carbonaceous adsorbents that can be produced from the solid fibrous digestate (SFD) of biogas plants and further applied in integrated desulphurisation-upgrading (CO2/CH4 separation) processes of biogas to yield high purity biomethane. On this purpose, physical and chemical activation of the SFD derived biochar was optimised to afford micro-mesoporous activated carbons (ACs) of high BET surface area (590-2300 m2g−1) and enhanced pore volume (0.57-1.0 cm3g−1). Gas breakthrough experiments from fixed bed columns of the obtained ACs, using real biogas mixture as feedstock, unveiled that the physical and chemical activation conclude to different types of ACs which are sufficient for biogas upgrade and biogas desulphurisation respectively. Performing breakthrough experiments at three temperatures close to ambient it was possible to define the optimum conditions for enhanced H2S/CO2 separation. It was also concluded that the H2S adsorption capacity is significantly affected by restriction to gas diffusion. Hence, the best performance was obtained at 50 oC and the maximum observed in the H2S adsorption capacity vs the temperature is attributed to the counterbalance between adsorption and diffusion processes.

Riverine particulates dominate the transport of vital nutrients like Si, Fe or P to the ocean mar-gins, where they may increase primary production by acting as slow release fertilizer. Further-more, the supply of particulate surface area to the ocean is considered to be a major control or-ganic carbon burial. Taken together, these observations suggest a close link between the supply of riverine particulate material and the organic carbon cycle. To explore this link, we conducted microcosm experiments to measure the growth of the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii in the presence and absence of different types and concentrations of riverine particulate material. Results demonstrate a strong positive effect of riverine particulate material on diatom growth with increased total diatom concentrations and slowed post-exponential death rates with in-creasing particulate concentration. Moreover, SEM and optical microscope investigations con-firm that riverine particulates facilitates organic carbon burial through their role in the aggrega-tion and sedimentation of phytoplankton. The supply of riverine particulate material has been shown to be markedly climate sensitive with their fluxes increasing dramatically with increas-ing global temperature and runoff. This pronounced climate sensitivity implies that riverine particulates contribute substantially in regulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations through their role in the organic carbon cycle.

Forests play an important role in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thereby mitigating the impact of climate change. Estimating the accumulated biomass in a forest ecosystem is important for assessing the productivity and sustainability of the forest. Allometric models for above ground biomass (AGB) are linear regression equations based on the relationships between biomass and diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (H), and/or wood density. This study estimates AGB in the Colo-I-Suva Forest Park by applying the allometry of Chave et al (2005) and the diameter: height ratio derived from Payton & Weaver (2011) for height estimation in a plot of 20

For every three people on the planet there is approximately two Tonne (Te) of available plastic waste. We show that carbon recovery from polystyrene (PS) plastic is enhanced by the co-addition to solvents to grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by liquid injection chemical vapour deposition. Polystyrene was loaded up to 4 wt% in toluene and heated to 780 °C in the presence of a ferrocene catalyst and a hydrogen/argon carrier gas in a 1:19 ratio. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Raman spectroscopy were used to identify multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The PS addition in the range from 0 to 4 wt% showed improved quality and CNT homogeneity; Raman “Graphitic/Defective” (G/D) values increased from 1.9 to 2.3; mean CNT diameters increased from 43.0 to 49.2 nm; and maximum CNT yield increased from 11.3% to 14.2%. Since both the CNT diameters and the percentage yield increased with respect to polystyrene addition, we conclude that carbon from the PS contributes to the carbon within the MWCNTs. The electrical contact resistance of acid washed Bucky papers produced from each loading, ranged from 2.2 to 4.4 Ohm, with no direct correlation to PS loading. Due to this narrow range, the materials with different loading were mixed to create six wires of an Ethernet cable and tested using iPerf to give uplink and downlink speeds of ~99.5 Mbps, comparable to Cu wire of identical dimension (~99.5 Mbps). The lifecycle assessment (LCA) of CNT wire production was compared to copper wire production for the use case in a Boeing 747-400 over the lifespan of the craft. Due to their lightweight nature the CNT wires decreased the CO2 footprint by 21 kTonne (kTe) over the aircraft lifespan.

We analyzed the plant-litter-soil continuum to investigate the carbon and nitrogen distribution and ecological stoichiometry of an evergreen broad-leaved forest at Dagangshan Mountain, Jiangxi. The results showed that the average C and N contents and C:N ratios in the leaves and fine roots among 6 different tree species were 401.87g/kg, 21.41g/kg, 19.27 and 348.64g/kg, 15.73g/kg, 23.97, respectively; the average C and N contents and C:N ratios were 323.06 g/kg, 12.76 g/kg, 25.58 respectively in leaf litter, and 16.40 g/kg, 1.09 g/kg, 16.27 respectively for soil. In contrast with the C content, the total N content of the fine roots and litter had a high coefficient of variation and a high spatial heterogeneity. We ranked the six different representative tree species according to total C and N content in leaves and fine roots. The results for each species were generally consistent with each other, showing a positive correlation relationship between total C and N content in the leaves and roots. Among them, S. discolor (Champ. ex Benth.) Muell. plants displayed high carbon and nitrogen storage capacities, and on the other hand, C. fargesii Franch., C. myrsinifolia (Blume) Oersted, A. fortunei (Hemsl.) Makino, and V. fordii (Hemsl.) Airy Shaw showed a high nitrogen transfer rate. Total soil N and C decreased with depth. Soil organic carbon (SOC), soil resistant organic carbon (ROC), total N, alkali nitrogen, NH4+-N and NO3--N contents were all also negative correlated with soil depth, but the contents of the NH4+-N and NO3--N did not change significantly; The spatial distribution of soil NO3--N was significantly heterogeneous. At 0-10 cm soil depth, SOC was positively correlated with alkaline nitrogen, and at 10-20 cm soil depth, SOC was significantly positively correlated with total N. In general, when soil carbon was abundant, nitrogen supply capacity was also high.

Spin dependent quantum transport properties in twisted carbon nanotube and stretched carbon nanotube are calculated using density functional theory (DFT) and non-equilibrium green’s function (NEGF) formulation. Twisting and stretching have no effect on spin transport in CNTs at low bias voltages. However, at high bias voltages the effects are significant. Stretching restricts any spin-up current in antiparallel configuration (APC) which results in higher magneto resistance (MR). Twisting allows spin-up current almost equivalent to the pristine CNT case resulting in lower MR. High spin filtration is observed in PC and APC for pristine, stretched and twisted structures at all applied voltages. In APC, at low voltages spin filtration in stretched CNT is higher than in pristine and twisted ones with pristine giving higher spin filtration than twisted CNT.

PVC/CNT membranes were electrospun, and subsequently characterized by thermal analyses (TGA and DSC), transmission and scanning electron microscopies (TEM and FEG) and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). TEM images show that most of the nanotubes were encapsulated, inside the fibers and oriented along them. FEG showed no significant differences in the average diameters. The CNTs caused a significant reduction (up to 20 °C) in the glass transition temperature (Tg) in relation to the resin and a positive impact on thermal stability. Nyquist plots is possible to observe a charge transfer resistance of 38 and 40 Mohm, respectively, for pure PVC and PVC/CNT 3%. It is suggested the high porosity and encapsulation of CNTs in the fibers prevents the formation of a percolation network. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of the encapsulation of CNTs in morphology, thermal and impedance spectra of electrospun composites.

This study evaluates the efficiency of biodegradable polyurethane foams as thermal insulation materials compared to conventional materials like expanded polystyrene (EPS). Key parameters analyzed include thermal conductivity, energy savings, CO2 emission reductions, and investment payback periods. Biodegradable polyurethane foams demonstrated a thermal conductivity of 0.022 W/(m·K), significantly lower than EPS's 0.035 W/(m·K), leading to higher energy savings. Calculations reveal an annual energy saving of 443,820 kWh for polyurethane foams, compared to 441,330 kWh for EPS. Financially, polyurethane foams save approximately €53,258.4 annually, while EPS saves €52,959.6. In terms of environmental impact, polyurethane foams reduce CO2 emissions by 88,764 kg annually, versus 88,266 kg for EPS. Despite the higher initial cost of polyurethane foams (€50/m² compared to €30/m² for EPS), the payback period is remarkably short at 0.094 years (1.13 months) compared to EPS's 0.057 years (0.68 months). These findings highlight biodegradable polyurethane foams as a superior option for thermal insulation, offering significant energy, financial, and environmental benefits.

Deforestation through land-use conversion, illegal logging, and timber trafficking is believed to cause ~10% of the annual human carbon dioxide emissions at the global level. Given the large contribution, local and national policies have been set in place in the effort to reduce deforestation and support reforestation. However, accurate assessment of forest carbon stock is expensive and challenging in remote areas and on large geographical scales. To improve carbon stock monitoring and evaluation of fine-scale forest loss, we developed a rapid, automatic, scalable, and cost-efficient generalized deep learning framework that uses diverse remote sensing data and satellite imagery to derive aboveground carbon density from accurate estimates of tree canopy heights at fine-grained resolution (30x30 meters) in remote tropical rainforests. The remote sensing data is composed of Landsat-8, Sentinel-1, land cover, digital elevation model, and NASA CMS airborne LiDAR, as well as vegetation indices, texture metrics, and climatic data. Data sources were compiled into a data pipeline which produced >300 features and 2 million observations over forests in Indonesian Borneo. Using LiDAR swath data on canopy forest high for ~100,000 hectares in Indonesian Borneo to create a training and validation datasets, our neural network model produced aboveground carbon density estimates with R2 of 0.82, which is a significant improvement from comparable works by using Random Forest (R2 of 0.3-0.5). This deep learning framework can be used to facilitate further carbon stock modeling in other forest regions (e.g., Brazil) as well as for the general purpose of climate change mitigation.

Confronting the dual challenges of rapid urbanization and climate change, although extensive research has investigated the influencing factors and practical strategies of urban carbon emissions and urban vibrancy, respectively, the unclear mutual nexus between them and the development strategy of collaborative optimization requires further in-depth analysis. This study explores the delicate balance between urban vibrancy and low-carbon sustainability within the confines of Beijing’s Fifth Ring Road. By integrating OpenStreetMap, land use, population, and building carbon emission data, we have developed a reproducible method to estimate total carbon emission and emission intensity per capita. Furthermore, we have introduced vibrancy index data to distinguish the vibrancy evaluation of residential and non-residential land and applied cross-combinational classification technology to dissect the spatial correlation between urban carbon emissions and urban vibrancy. The results reveal that the four combination typologies show more significant differences and regularity in residential land. Based on the discovery of spatial correlation, this study puts forward corresponding development strategy suggestions for each typology based on geographical location and the requirements of urban development policies of these four combination typologies. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of integrating carbon emissions and urban vibrancy comprehensively in sustainable urban planning and proposes that various land use combinations need targeted development strategies to achieve this goal, which need to consider population, energy, service facilities, and other diverse aspects.

The nucleation of voids in alpha iron and the influence of carbon were investigated through a combination of rate theory and nucleation theory calculations. The steady rates of void nucleation exhibit high sensitivity to carbon. Even a seemingly negligible carbon concentration, as low as a few atomic parts per million (appm), can dramatically reduce the nucleation rates and narrow the temperature window for nucleation. This study highlights the challenges in certifying and qualifying nuclear materials for use in reactor environments. It emphasizes the necessity for precise control of impurity levels during materials processing and stringent requirements for irradiation testing, which are susceptible to contamination. Furthermore, the study provides an explanation for the significant data scattering observed in void swelling behaviors as reported in the literature.

In this study, carbon-quantum-dot (CQD)-decorated TiO2 was prepared using an ultrasonic doping method and applied in the photocatalytic degradation of naphthalene under sunlight irradiation. The CQDs were synthesized from a typical macroalgae via diluted sulfuric acid pretreatment and hydrothermal synthesis using an optimal design, i.e., 3 wt% and 200 oC, respectively. The CQD/TiO2 composite remarkably enhanced the photocatalytic activity. The degradation of naphthalene under a visible light environment indicated that there is a synergistic mechanism between CQDs and TiO2, in which the generation of reactive oxygen species is significantly triggered; in addition, the N that originated from the macroalgae accelerated the photocatalytic efficiency. Kinetic analysis showed that the photo-catalytic behavior of the CQD/TiO2 composite followed a pseudo-first-order equation. Consequently, our combined experimental approach not only provides a facile pretreatment process for bio-CQDs synthesis, but also delivers a suitable TiO2 photocatalyst for up-conversion, along with critical insights into the development of harmful macroalgae resources.

The excellent properties of carbon fibers, in combination with the high price of carbon fibers, makes it interesting to recycle these fibers. Pyrolysis is already an established recycling method to recover the carbon fibers, but in this process also the sizing is removed which could result in lower mechanical properties because of bad adhesion between the fiber and matrix. In this study, recycled carbon nonwoven reinforcements made from pyrolyzed carbon fibers were pre-treated in order to improve the mechanical properties of recycled carbon polyamide and recycled carbon polypropylene composites. The pre-treatment involves applying a to the matrix adapted primer coating to the nonwoven by spraying. Via compression molding, polyamide and polypropylene composites were prepared with and without pretreatment. The tensile and interlaminar shear strength of these composites were measured to determine the effect of the pretreatment. Results revealed that both strengths could be increased by pretreatment of the carbon nonwoven and the increase was largest for the PP composites.

Epoxy matrix composites reinforced with high-performance fibers such as carbon, Kevlar, and glass, exhibit excellent specific stiffness and strength in many mechanical applications. However, these composites are disappointingly non-recyclable and are usually disposed of in landfill sites, with no realistic prospect for biodegradation in reasonable time. In contrast, moldable composites with carbonized elastomeric matrices developed in the last decades possess attractive mechanical properties in final net-shape products and can also be incinerated or recycled. Many carbon and inorganic fillers have recently been evaluated to adjust the properties of carbonized elastomeric composites. Renewable organic fillers such as human or animal hair offer an attractive fibrous material with substantial potential for reinforcing composites with elastomeric matrices. Samples of unidirectional fiber composites (with hair volume fraction up to 7 %) and quasi-isotropic short fiber composites (with hair volume fraction up to 20 %) of human hair-reinforced nitrile butadiene rubbers (HH-NBR) were produced in the peroxide-cured and carbonized states. The samples were characterized using SEM, Raman spectroscopy and photoacoustic microscopy. Mechanical tests were performed in tension using a miniature universal testing machine. The expected effect of fiber reinforcement on the overall mechanical performance has been demonstrated for both cured and carbonized composites. Considerable enhancement of the elastic modulus (up to 10 times), ultimate tensile strength (up to 3 times) and damage tolerance was achieved. The evidence of satisfactory interfacial bonding between hair and rubber was confirmed by SEM imaging of fracture surfaces. The suitability of photoacoustic microscopy was assessed for 3D reconstruction of the fiber sub-system spatial distribution and non-destructive testing.

Among various processes, catalytic CO2 methanation has emerged as a promising method for carbon capture and utilization. Therefore, a CO2 methanation reaction studied with experimentally. The extent of coke formation on the catalyst after the reaction was quantitatively studied. Then, four different machine learning model were employed in order to model CO2 methanation process and to predict CO2, CO, CH4, H2 and N2 concentrations at outlet. The results of the machine learning models were consistent with the experimental data. Performances of the proposed regression methods are evaluated with 10-fold cross validation. Random forest and decision tree regression performed the best among other methods by achieving R >0.98 for the output concentrations and were able to outperform other modeling approaches. It was shown that the best result among the literature studies is reached in this study. The results have demonstrated the possibility of simulation of the methanation process via machine learning techniques. These techniques can be used control and optimization of carbon capture.

Hypoxia, associated with abnormal vessel growth, is a characteristic feature of many solid tumors that increases their metastatic potential and resistance to radiotherapy. Carbon ion radiation therapy, alone or in combination with other treatments, is one of the most promising treatments for hypoxic tumors because the oxygen enhancement ratio decreases with increasing particle LET. Nevertheless, the current clinical practice does not yet fully benefit from using carbon ions for tackling hypoxia. Here we give an overview of the existing experimental and clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of C-ion radiotherapy in overcoming hypoxia-induced radioresistance, followed by a discussion of the strategies proposed to enhance it, including different approaches to maximize the LET in the tumors.

Despite providing some critical financial services to support the operation of Emissions Trading Systems (ETS), such as increasing market liquidity and price visibility and allowing operators to hedge against future fluctuations, there is growing concern about the potential threat of financial actors' speculation behaviour to the ETS's effectiveness. To confirm or alleviate the fear associated with such concern, we employ both ex-post and ex-ante approaches to determine the role of speculation in the emission reduction effect of the ETS and its forecasting power in predicting climate change. In addition to confirming carbon prices and the speculation behaviour of the emissions non-compliance actors in the ETS as accurate predictors of climate change, we also show that they both matter in the emission reduction effect of the ETS. We use several verifiable econometric approaches to select the Feasible Quasi Generalised Least Squares (FQGLS) as the best estimator for addressing some of the biases in climate change predictability. We demonstrate that a predictive model combining the complementing dynamics of the EST emissions compliance and emissions non-compliance features forecasts climate change more accurately. We demonstrate the robustness of our findings for both in-sample and out-of-sample forecasts and across different forecast horizons by using alternative approaches to evaluate forecast performance.

In this work we successfully prepared a modified cobalt oxide (Co3O4) carbon paste electrode to detect Levofloxacin (LEV). By synthesizing Co3O4 nanoparticles through the chemical coprecipitation method, the electrochemical properties of the electrode and LEV were thoroughly investigated using CV, SWV, EIS, while material properties were scrutinized using ICP-OES, TEM, SEM, and XRD. The results showed that the prepared electrode displayed a better electrocatalytic response than the bare carbon paste electrode. After optimizing SWV, the electrode exhibited a wide linear working range from 1 to 85 μM at pH 5 of BRBS as the supporting electrolyte. The selectivity of the proposed method was satisfactory, with good repeatability and reproducibility, strongly suggesting a potential application for determining LEV in real samples, particularly in pharmaceutical formulations. The practicality of the approach was demonstrated through good recoveries, and the morphology of the materials was found to be closely related to other parameters, indicating that the developed method can provide a cost-effective, rapid, selective, and sensitive means for LEV monitoring. Overall, this project has made significant progress towards developing a reliable method for detecting LEV and has opened up new opportunities for future research in this field.

Carbon dots have received much attention due to their unique physicochemical properties and diverse applications in bioimaging, optoelectronic devices, catalysis, and agriculture. Here in this work, we report a simple hydrothermal synthesis of nitrogen and phosphorus-doped carbon dots (N, P-CDs). The optical and physical properties of the synthesized N, P-CDs were analyzed using systematical spectroscopy and electrical characterization. The synthesized N, P-CDs show strong photoluminescence at 626 nm and demonstrate high stability under UV light and other conditions. Moreover, we incorporate the synthesized N, P-CDs into water spinach by root spraying and leaf spraying. It was found that N, P-CDs could effectively promote the growth of water spinach by increasing the photosynthetic rate, and the content of total phenols and anthocyanins in water spinach

With the rapid and continuous advancement and deployment of advanced energy storage de-vices, there has been significant interest in aqueous capacitors that possess non-flammable properties and high safety features. Consequently, extensive research efforts have focused on investigating zinc anodes and low-cost carbonaceous cathode materials. Despite these efforts, the development of high-performance zinc-ion capacitors (ZICs) still faces challenges such as limited cycling stability and low energy densities. In this study, we present a novel approach to address these challenges. We demonstrate the utilization of a three-dimensionally (3D) grown conductive porous carbon framework cathode coupled with zinc anode cells, which exhibit exceptional sta-bility and durability in ZICs. Our experiments reveal a remarkable cycling performance, with a capacity retention of approximately 97.3% and a coulombic efficiency of nearly 100% even after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles. These findings signify significant progress in enhancing the performance of ZICs.

Activated carbon (AC) is an effective adsorbent for creatinine removal in hemoperfusion. However, the hemocompatibility and adsorption capacity of AC was required to be improved furthermore. Heparin, a widely used anticoagulant biomacromolecule, could improve the hemocompatibility of the absorbents in different ways based on its molecular weight. Thus, it was necessary to study the surface modification with unfractionated heparin (UFH) or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on improvement of hemocompatibility and adsorption. In this study, UFH and LMWH were respectively grafted on AC through polyethyleneimine as an intermediate layer. The modification of AC about morphology, mechanical strength and pore structure was characterized by XPS, SEM, TA and BET. It was found that compared with AC, the morphology and mechanical strength AC-UFH and AC-LMWH could be well maintained, but the BET surface was decreased due to the grafting of macromolecules. Furthermore, AC-UFH and AC-LMWH showed the better hemocompatibility on protein adsorption, APTT and platelet activation compared with AC, in which AC-LMWH had lower fibrinogen adsorption and longer APTT than AC-UFH. Besides, it was found that AC, AC-UFH and AC-LMWH had no significant effect on blood cell composition. Finally, the adsorption capacity of adsorbents for creatinine was evaluated. Although there was no significant difference between AC-UFH and AC-LMWH, it was found that heparin could be interacted with creatinine to enhance the adsorption capacity when compared with AC-PEI. This study deepened the understanding of anticoagulation of heparinized surface and provided a theoretical basis for adsorbents in hemoperfusion.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a cytoprotective endogenous gas that is ubiquitously produced by the stress response enzyme heme-oxygenase. Being a gas, CO rapidly diffuses through tissues and binds to hemoglobin (Hb) increasing carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels. COHb can be formed in the erythrocytes or in plasma from cell-free Hb. Herein, it is discussed whether endogenous COHb is or is not an innocuous and inevitable metabolic waste product and it is hypothesized that COHb has a biological role. In the present review literature data is presented to support this hypothesis based on two main premises: (i) there is no direct correlation between COHb levels and CO toxicity; and (ii) COHb seems to have a direct cytoprotective and antioxidant role in erythrocytes and in hemorrhagic models in vivo. Moreover, CO is also antioxidant by generating COHb, which protects against the pro-oxidant damaging effects of cell free Hb. Up to now COHb has been considered as a sink for both exogenous and endogenous CO generated during CO intoxication or heme metabolism, respectively. Hallmarking COHb as an important molecule with a biological (and eventually beneficial) role is a turning point on CO Biology research, namely in CO intoxication and CO cytoprotection.

The build-up of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is causing warmness in the Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in climate change. The transport sector is one of the active members of GHG emissions and it is imperative to use sustainable transport sources to control climate change. The measure aims to encourage citizens to stop using their private vehicles as their choice of transport and instead opt for joint sustainable mobility during traveling. In this study, a quantitative research method was used and data were collected from a sample of 410 respondents through questionnaire. On the other hand, study also took a simulation-based (N=10000) sample size of private vehicle data. The data were analyzed using structural equation modelling. The results revealed that sustainable transportation, climate change technologies and electric rail vehicles reduce climate change in the ecoregions of China. We conclude that sustainable transportation policies could be formulated and implemented to reduce climate change. In response to the research results, it is recommended that, since climate change is a multi-level governance issue and the outdated pyramidal transport industry models must be shifted to a sustainable transportation system model.

Background There is increasing awareness of problems associated with global warming but a lack of a systematic approach on how to deliver more environmentally sustainable dental care. A sustainable world aims to ensure that basic needs and quality of life of everyone are met, now and for future generations. The carbon footprint is an indicator of environmental sustainability. Aim The aim is to suggest an environmental management change for the dental practice focusing on the objective of carbon footprint reduction. Environmental management change design The management change is based on the concept of “Plan-Do-Check-Act”, as recommended by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and described through the environmental aspects of the dental practice. The approach focuses on establishing and implementing environmental objectives, followed by monitoring results and taking actions to improve continually. The environmental aspects considered for the dental practice are activities causing an impact on the carbon footprint: energy use, travel, product purchasing, waste production, emission to air, water use, and contamination of land. Conclusions The “Plan-Do-Check-Act” ISO 14100-2015 model can be effectively integrated into the dental practice setting for its environmental management. A reduction of the carbon footprint of the dental practice is achieved by applying the environmental management change described for each activity.

The direct growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a narrow distribution of diameter or chirality remains elusive despite significant benefits in properties and applications. Nanoparticle catalysts are vital for SWCNT synthesis, but how to precisely manipulate their chemistry, size, concentration, and deposition remains difficult, especially within a continuous production process from the gas-phase. Here, we demonstrate the preparation of W₆Co₇ alloyed nanoparticle catalysts with precisely tunable stoichiometry using electrospray, which remain solid state during SWCNT growth. We also demonstrate continuous production of liquid iron nanoparticles with in-line size selection. With the precise size manipulation of catalysts in the range of 1-5 nm, and a nearly monodisperse distribution (σ_g < 1.2), an excellent size selection of SWCNT can be achieved. All of the presented techniques show great potential to facilitate the realization of single-chirality SWCNT production.

Researchers’ attention has been turned on Health expenditure, Carbon emissions, and economic growth as they play a focal role in the current debate on environmental protection and sustainable development. Our paper endeavors to investigate the impact of economic growth and CO2 emissions on Health expenditure for two main countries in Asia (China and India) using a dynamic panel data model estimated employing the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) for the period 1960–2019. Our empirical results show that there is a significant relationship between health expenditure, CO2 emissions, and economic growth. The empirical evidence indicates a significant positive impact of CO2 emissions on health expenditure whiles economic growth has a negative impact on health expenditure for both countries for the period under study. The population growth rate has transposed effect on India's health spending; on the other hand, its impact on China’s health spending is significantly positive. The strong observable correlation between health expenditure and economic growth is crucial for economic development.

Graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) were produced from flake graphite that had been immersed in isopropyl alcohol solution (70%) and converted to powder form in an ultrasonic bath (5 h, room temperature). Scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and Raman spectroscopy identified 120-nm-thick GNP crystallites and 0.5–21 µm plates with different areas and shapes. Extensive exfoliation was observed by transmission electron microscopy with abundant multilayer and some monolayer GNPs. X-ray diffractometry confirmed 43 GNP layers along the c-axis. Raman spectroscopy indicated well-defined GNPs with few defects and no oxide content. Rietveld analysis indicated a GNP crystal lattice with stacks of parallel two-dimensional graphene layers and tightly bound hybridized carbon atoms stacked in a translational …ABAB… sequence in hexagonal rings.

A methodology is proposed for designing the stabilization process of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers. In its core, this methodology is based on a model that describes the characteristic fiber length change during the treatment, through the de-convolution of the three main contributors (i.e. entropic shrinkage, creep, and chemical shrinkage). The model has the additional advantage of offering further insight into the physical and chemical phenomena taking place during the treatment. Validation of PAN-model prediction performance for different processing parameters was achieved as demonstrated by FTIR and DSC. Τensile testing revealed the effect of processing parameters on fiber quality, while model prediction demonstrated that ladder polymer formation is accelerated at temperatures over 200oC. Additionally, according the DSC and FTIR measurements predictions from the application of the model during stabilization seem to be more precise at high-temperature stabilization stages. It was shown that mechanical properties could be enhanced preferably by including a treatment step below 200oC, before the initiation of cyclization reactions. Further confirmation was provided via Raman spectroscopy, which demonstrated that graphitic like planes are formed upon stabilization above 200oC, and thus multistage stabilization is required to optimize synthesis of carbon fibers. Optical Microscopy proved that isothermal stabilization treatment did not severy alter the cross section geometry of PAN fiber monofilaments.

The behaviour of oxidized and non-oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the adsorption of lanthanum(III) from aqueous solutions is described. Metal uptake is studied as a function of several variables such as the stirring speed of the system, pH of the aqueous solution and metal and nanomaterial concentrations. The experimental results are fitted to various kinetics and isotherm models, being the rate law fitted to the film diffusion and particle diffusion models, when the non-oxidized and the oxidized nanomaterials are used to remove lanthanum from the solution, respectively. Sulphuric acid solutions seem to be appropriate to recover the metal from La-loaded nanomaterials.

The Philippines is both a biodiversity hotspot and a megadiverse country. The country also has experienced one of the highest rates of deforestation in Southeast Asia and is among the first countries to introduce a massive reforestation program to address the country’s rapid biodiversity and forest loss. Drawing upon an empirical study from the Leyte island and other relevant case studies from the Philippines, in this chapter, we demonstrate that recovering secondary forests following shifting cultivation, locally known as kaingin have the high potentials for biodiversity and carbon co-benefits. Based on our empirical study, we also found that secondary forest regrowing after kaingin use can potentially be used as a cost-effective reforestation measure with multiple benefits to people and the environment in upland areas of the Philippines. We also discuss measures that are essential for such programs to be successful.

This article presents the copper ions adsorption process using an activated carbon from winemaking wastes. The pH, temperature, activated carbon amount and initial copper concentration were varied based on a full factorial 2^k experimental design. Kinetic and thermodynamic studies were also carried out. The adsorption kinetics was found follow a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption data fit better to the Langmuir isotherm. The ANOVA demonstrated that both pH of the solution and activated carbon dosage had the greatest influence on copper adsorption. The activation energy was -32 kJ·mol^-1 suggesting that the copper adsorption is a physic-sorption process. The best fit to a linear correlation was the moving boundary equation that controls the kinetics for the adsorption copper ions onto the activated carbon. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results reveal the existence of different copper species (Cu²⁺, Cu⁺ and or Cu⁰) on the surface of the carbonaceous adsorbent after the adsorption, which could suggest a simultaneous reduction process.

The harmful nature of high concentrations of antibiotics to humans and animals requires urgent development of novel materials and techniques for their absorption. In this work, CTAB (Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide)-assisted synthesis of ZIF-8 (zeolitic imidazolate framework) derived hollow carbon (ZHC) was designed, prepared and used as a high-performance adsorbent, further evaluated by Langmuir and Freundlich isothermal adsorption experiments, dynamic analysis as well as theoretical calculation. The maximum capacities of ZHC on adsorbing tetracycline (TC), norfloxacin (NFO) and levofloxacin (OFO) are 267.3, 125.6 and 227.8 mg g^-1, respectively, which delivers superior adsorptive performance when compared to widely studied inorganic adsorbates. The design concept of ZIFs-derived hollow carbon material provides guidance and insights for the efficient adsorbent of environmental antibiotics.

The one-dimensional MoS₂/carbon nanofibers (1D MoS₂/CNFs) are synthesized by electrospinning using exfoliated MoS₂ nanosheets and polyacrylonitrile as raw materials. The exfoliated MoS₂ nanosheets with size of about 150 nm are encapsulated in carbon nanofibers, and the free-standing MoS₂/CNFs can be easily cut into flexible tablet and directly used as binder-free anode for lithium storage. The resultant 1D MoS₂/CNFs exhibit a very high reversible capacity of 700 mAh g^-1 at 100 mA g^-1 after 50 cycles, high rate capacity (450 mAh g^-1 at 1000 mA g^-1 after 200 cycles) and good cycle stability.

membrane separation technology shows promise, particularly gas separation membranes, including ceramic membrane. Ceramic membranes are increasingly gaining attention for their acid and alkali stability, corrosion resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and mechanical strength. This study focuses on alumina support ceramic membrane for CO2 capture. The membranes were characterized using contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The contact angle measurements confirmed the hydrophilic, while SEM analysis showed even particle distribution in the alumina ceramic membranes respectively. EDAX analysis revealed the elemental composition in the alumina support matrix. FTIR analysis demonstrated chemical interactions of the support membrane. Single gas permeation experiments were conducted. It can be observed that Nitrogen gas permeated faster with increase in feed pressure through the unmodified ceramic inorganic hydrophobic membrane more than the other two single gases, O2, and CO2). As a result, only high permeance separation membranes with realistic size and pressure conditions may be considered of as a practical alternative for CO2 capture. However, the presence of non-selective defects limited the improvement in selectivity of hydrophilic ceramic membrane. In this case, there is need to modify the ceramic membrane used to increase the flux, permeance of CO2, and selectivity of CO2.

Abstract: membrane separation technology shows promise, particularly gas separation membranes, including ceramic membrane. Ceramic membranes are increasingly gaining attention for their acid and alkali stability, corrosion resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and mechanical strength. This study focuses on alumina support ceramic membrane for CO2 capture. The membranes were characterized using contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The contact angle measurements confirmed the hydrophilic, while SEM analysis showed even particle distribution in the alumina ceramic membranes respectively. EDAX analysis revealed the elemental composition in the alumina support matrix. FTIR analysis demonstrated chemical interactions of the support membrane. Single gas permeation experiments were conducted. It can be observed that Nitrogen gas permeated faster with increase in feed pressure through the unmodified ceramic inorganic membrane more than the other two single gases, O2, and CO2). As a result, only high permeance separation membranes with realistic size and pressure conditions may be considered of as a practical alternative for CO2 capture. However, the presence of non-selective defects limited the improvement in selectivity of hydrophilic ceramic membrane. In this case, there is need to modify the ceramic membrane used to increase the flux, permeance of CO2, and selectivity of CO2.

Biomass exploitation is a global trend due to the circular economy and the environmentally friendly spirit. Numerous applications are now based on the use of biomass derived products. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a highly toxic and environmentally hazardous gas, which emitted from various processes. Thus, the efficient removal of this toxic hazardous gas following cost effective processes is an essential requirement. In this study, we present the synthesis and characterization of biomass-derived activated-carbon/zinc-oxide (ZnO@AC) composites from different biomass sources as potential candidates for H2S sorption. The synthesis involved a facile method for activated carbon production via pyrolysis and chemical activation of biomass precursors (spent coffee, Aloe-Vera waste leaves, and corncob). Activated carbon production was followed by the incorporation of zinc oxide nanoparticles into the porous carbon matrix using a simple melt impregnation method. The synthesized ZnO@AC composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nitrogen porosimetry. The H2S removal performance of the ZnO@AC composites was evaluated through sorption experiments using a handmade apparatus. Our findings demonstrate that the Aloe-Vera, Spent-coffee, and Corncob derived composites exhibit superior H2S sorption capacity up to 106 mgH2S/gads., 66 mgH2S/gads., and 47 mgH2S/gads. respectively.

Background: Colorectal cancer is a major global health burden, with surgical resection being the standard treatment aimed at curative tumor removal. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in colorectal cancer progression and prognosis. This study hypothesized that physical removal of colorectal cancer, a primary source of oxidative stress, would reduce blood levels of reactive oxygen metabolite derivatives (d-ROMs), a marker of oxidative stress, and biologic antioxidant potential (BAP) levels, a marker of antioxidant potential. Methods: The study included 123 patients who underwent radical resection for colorectal cancer. d-ROM and BAP levels were measured before and one month after surgery. Results: The clinicopathological analysis showed a correlation between preoperative d-ROM levels and tumor size (p&lt;0.001). The study confirmed a significant reduction in d-ROM levels following tumor resection, indicating reduced systemic oxidative stress. The reduction was significant in stages II and III but not in stage I. The d-ROM ratio before and after tumor resection was significantly higher in cases with positive lymph node metastasis and larger tumor size. BAP levels showed no significant changes post-surgery. Conclusion: These results suggest that d-ROMs could serve as a valuable biomarker for monitoring tumor burden and surgical efficacy in patients with colorectal cancer.

Control of oxidation/antioxidation homeostasis is important for cellular protective functions, and disruption of the antioxidation balance by exogenous and endogenous ligands can lead to profound pathological consequences of cancerous commitment within cells. Although cancers are sensitive to antioxidation drugs, these drugs are sometimes associated with problems including tumor resistance or dose-limiting toxicity in host animals and patients. These problems are often caused by the imbalance between the levels of oxidative stress induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the redox efficacy of antioxidants. Increased ROS levels, because of abnormal function, including metabolic abnormality and signaling aberrations, can promote tumorigenesis and the progression of malignancy, which are generated by genome mutations and activation of pro-oncogene signaling. This hypothesis is supported by various experiments to show that the balance of oxidative stress and redox control is important for cancer therapy. Although many antioxidant drugs exhibit therapeutic potential, there is a heterogeneity of antioxidation functions, including cell growth, cell survival, invasion abilities, and tumor formation, as well as the expression of marker genes including tumor suppressor proteins, cell cycle regulators, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, and Jun dimerization protein 2; and their effectiveness in cancer remains unproven. Here, we summarize the rationale for the use of antioxidative drugs in preclinical and clinical antioxidant therapy of cancer, and recent advances in this area using cancer cells and their organoids, including the targeting of ROS homeostasis.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has great potential in the replication of high commercial value animals, threatened wild species for conservation purposes, and transgenic animals for biomedical purposes. However, SCNT has a low success rate, due to intrinsic factors of the technique itself, which will lead to low rates of embryonic development and epigenetic alterations in the cloned embryos. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of OF-UF on the intracellular concentration of ROS, GSH, and the development of Ovis aries cloned and parthenogenetic embryos. The results did not show a beneficial effect on the development of parthenogenetic and cloned embryos at concentrations of 0.5% OF-UF. Furthermore, at 1% OF-UF, an adverse effect was observed in cloned embryos at the blastocyst stage and 2% OF and UF in parthenogenetic embryos in the first divisions. A decrease in ROS and GSH levels was observed in the parthenogenetic blastocysts treated with 1% OF-UF, but not in the clones, in which a higher concentration of GSH and a similar concentration of ROS was observed. No effect was observed of OF-UF on embryonic development and redox balance on sheep clone embryos by Handmade Cloning.

The marathon sport events and those who participate in these have grown over the last years reflecting notably an augmentation of women and master runners participation. The aim of the present narrative review was to briefly present the results of studies on anthropometric, physiological and training characteristics, as well as predictors of performance, in marathon runners. It was observed that performance was better in runners with small body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, and rate of endomorphy. With regards to physiology, an increased maximal oxygen uptake, anaerobic threshold, and improved running economy could result in faster race time. The training variables that could predict performance involved weekly training volume (distance) and intensity (running speed), as well as history of training (years). A combination of these three broad categories of characteristics may offer an approximate estimation of the race speed considering that other aspects (e.g., nutrition, biomechanic and motivation) influence race performance, too. In summary, the findings of the present study provided an overview of anthropometric, physiological and training characteristics associated with marathon race time; thus, an optimization of any of these characteristics would be expected to improve race time.

Health care is currently showing a fall in heart failure (HF) prevalence and incidence particularly in developed countries, but with only a subset receiving appropriate therapy to protect the heart against maladaptive processes such as fibrosis and hypertrophy. Appropriate markers of advanced HF are still needed, which should help choosing the most suitable therapy and avoid major compliance problems. Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a good choice, being a non-invasive imaging technique and is able to assess cardiac deformation in a variety of conditions. Several multicenter studies and meta-analyses have demonstrated its clinical applications and accuracy in early and late stages of HF, as well as its association with both left ventricular (LV) filling pressures and myocardial oxygen consumption, the two are important parameters in the evaluation of HF patients. Also, STE assists in assessing right ventricular free-wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS) which is a solid predictor of right ventricle failure (RVF) following LV assist device (LVAD) implantation. Despite its limitations, STE plays an essential role in the clinical evaluation of patients with HF, early and advanced, in explaining symptoms and signs and also as an accurate prognosticator. The aim of this review is to examine the advantages of STE in early evaluation of myocardial dysfunction and their correlation with right heart catheterization (RHC) parameters, which should have a significant clinical relevance in the management of HF patients.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer mortality worldwide, and innovative drugs for the treatment of colorectal cancer are continually being revealed. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a common clinical chemotherapeutic drug. Acquired resistance to 5-FU is a clinical challenge in colorectal cancer. Parecoxib is a selective COX-2-specific inhibitor, which has been demonstrated to inhibit metastasis in colorectal cancers in our previous study. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic antimetastatic activities of parecoxib to 5-FU in human colorectal cancer cells and determine the underlying mechanism. parecoxib and 5-FU synergistically suppressed metastasis in colorectal cancer cells. Treatment with the parecoxib /5-FU combination induced an increase in E-cadherin and decrease in β-catenin. The parecoxib/5-FU combination could inhibit MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression and MMP-9 activity, and the NF-κB pathway might be suppressed as well. Mechanistic analysis denoted that the parecoxib/5-FU combination hindered the essential molecules of the PI3K/Akt route to obstruct metastatic colorectal cancer. Furthermore, the parecoxib/5-FU combination could inhibit reactive oxygen species. Our work showed the antimetastatic capacity of the parecoxib/5-FU combination for colorectal cancers via targeting the PI3K/Akt /NF-κB pathway.

New advances in creating effective and affordable copper-based catalysts for water splitting represent a promising strategy for driving sustainable energy technologies. However, ma- terials containing copper are susceptible to corrosion and agglomeration. In this study, we describe a synthesis route to produce olamine-functionalized CuO nanoparticles using the Hot Injection method. Nanoparticles were obtained and subsequently deposited on FTO substrates, undergoing thermal treatment at 500°C and 600°C in atmospheres containing O2 and N2, aiming to enhance the adhesion of the active material to the substrate and modify its oxidation state. Microstructural properties were analyzed using XRD, SEM, and TEM, while electrochemical properties were studied using CV, LSV, and EIS. Electrodes treated thermally in an N2 atmosphere at 600°C exhibited higher ESCA, indicating a greater area of active sites exposed to surface reactions and, therefore, superior catalytic activity in Hy- drogen Evolution Reaction (HER). These findings show an interesting strategy for avoiding rapid electron-hole recombination and, consequently, CuO corrosion. For Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER), samples treated thermally in O2 atmosphere at 500°C and 600°C appear to be more effective.

Formaldehyde (HCHO), an indoor volatile organic compound, is seriously harmful to human health. Therefore, green and effective decomposition of HCHO is essential. TiO₂ has been employed for the degradation of HCHO via photocatalytic generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (O^2-, ·OH), yet the low specific surface area of crystalline TiO₂ depressed the catalytic performance. Herein, we prepared TiO₂ aerogels with high specific surface area and high porosity by sol-gel method, and added PVA to introduce flexible molecular chains for pore size regulation. The photocatalytic performance test verifies that the pore size of TiO₂ aerogel is one of the important factors for HCHO decomposition. Notably, through the establishment of theoretical model and calculation, we validated that the efficiency of HCHO decomposition is related to the oxygen pressure in the pores of TiO₂ aerogel, and the oxygen pressure is inversely proportional to the pore size. Accordingly, the optimal pore size of TiO₂ aerogel for the photocatalytic HCHO decomposition is 2 nm~10 nm. This study provides a theoretical idea for TiO₂ aerogels in the decomposition reaction of HCHO, which is expected to inspire more breakthroughs in the study of TiO₂ aerogels for green chemistry.

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of hydrogen adsorption on titanium nitride had previously shown that hydrogen may adsorb on both titanium and nitrogen sites with a moderate adsorption energy. Further, the diffusion barrier was also found to be low. These findings may qualify TiN, a versatile multifunctional material with electronic conductivity, as electrode material for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This was the main impetus of this work which aims to experimentally and theoretically investigate the electrocatalytic properties of TiN-layers that were processed on Ti substrate using reactive ion sputtering. The properties are discussed focusing on the role of oxygen defects introduced during the sputtering process on the HER. Based on DFT calculations, it is shown that these oxygen defects alter the electronic environment of the Ti atoms which entails a low hydrogen adsorption energy in the range of -0.1 eV; this leads to HER performances that match those of Pt-NPs in acidic media. When a few nanometr thick layer of Pd-NPs is sputtered on-top of the TiN-layer, the performance is drastically reduced. This is interpreted in terms of oxygen defects being scavenged by the Pd-NPs near the surface which is thought to reduce the hydrogen adsorption sites.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death pathway that involves depletion of intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels and iron-mediated lipid peroxidation. Ferroptosis is experimentally caused by inhibition of the cystine/glutamate antiporter xCT, which depletes cells of GSH, or by inhibition of Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4), a key regulator of lipid peroxidation. The events that occur between GPx4 inhibition and the execution of ferroptotic cell death are currently a matter of active research. Previous work has shown that calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) mediated by ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels contributes to ferroptosis-induced cell death in primary hippocampal neurons. Here, we used SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, which do not express RyR channels, to test if calcium release mediated by the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) channel plays a role in this process. We show that inhibition of GPx4 by RAS Selective Lethal Compound 3 (RSL3) generated an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased cytoplasmic and mitochondrial calcium levels, increased lipid peroxidation and caused cell death. The RSL3-induced calcium signals were inhibited by Xestospongin B, an inhibitor of the ER-resident IP3R calcium channel, by decreasing IP3R levels with carbachol and by IP3R1 knock-down. The intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA-AM inhibited RSL3-induced calcium signals, which were not affected by extracellular calcium depletion. We propose that GPx4 inhibition activates IP3R-mediated calcium release in SH-SY5Y cells, leading to increased cytoplasmic and mitochondrial calcium levels, which in turn stimulate the production of ROS and induce lipid peroxidation and ferroptotic cell death in a noxious positive feedback cycle.

Marked changes in temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO) content, and nutrient content typically occur in marine thermoclines, which are key factors that affect the corrosion of metals. Offshore platforms have required marine metals to be exposed to deep-sea environments and have thus increased their penetration into the marine thermocline. This study investigates the galvanic corrosion of E690 steel in a marine thermocline using a simulated marine thermocline (SMT). Specifically, the corrosion of E690 steel was analyzed using the wire beam electrode (WBE) technique, linear polarization (LP), corrosion morphology, and weight loss measurement. Results indicated that the SMT had a stable multilayer structure, and the variations of temperature, DO, pH and nutrient concentration in the SMT were similar to those in the natural marine thermocline. Galvanic corrosion occurred after the intrusion of E690 steel into the marine thermocline. The driver of galvanic corrosion was the of E690 steel at various depths of the marine thermocline. The Ecorr of E690 steel was influenced by the temperature, pH and DO of seawater, and the order was DO >> T > pH. The continuous reduction of Ecorr with depth contributed to the large-scale galvanic corrosion, and the oscillation variation of Ecorr with depth was the reason for small-scale galvanic corrosion. The primary anodic regions of galvanic corrosion were located in the area with the fastest temperature variation in the thermocline. The proportion of galvanic corrosion in the average corrosion rate could increase up to approximately 80% in the stable anodic region. There were many deep corrosion pits in the long-term and stable anodic region of galvanic corrosion.

By planting LEDs on the surfaces of orifice baffles, a novel batch oscillatory baffled photoreactor (OBPR) together with polymer-supported Rose Bengal (Ps-RB) beads are used to investigate reaction kinetics of a photo-oxidation reaction between α-terpinene and singlet oxygen (1O2). In the widely used NMR data analysis for this reaction, α-terpinene and ascaridole are treated as a reaction pair, assuming kinetically singlet oxygen is in excess or constant. We have, for the first time, examined the validity of the method, discovered that increasing α-terpinene initially leads to an increase of ascaridole, indicating that the supply of singlet oxygen is in excess. Applying kinetic analysis, a pseudo first order reaction kinetics is confirmed, supporting this assumption. We have subsequently initiated a methodology of estimating the 1O2 concentrations based on the proportionality of ascaridole concentrations with respect to its maximum under these conditions. With the help of the estimated singlet oxygen data, the efficiency of 1O2 utilization and the photo efficiency of converting molecular oxygen to 1O2 are further proposed and evaluated. We have also identified conditions where further increase of α-terpinene has caused decreases in ascaridole, implying kinetically that 1O2 has now become a limiting reagent, the method of treating α-terpinene and ascaridole as a reaction pair in the data analysis would no longer be valid under those conditions.

Obesity and physical activity have opposing effects on cardiorespiratory fitness. This study aimed to investigate the impact of obesity measured by various anthropometric indicators and physical activity level on oxygen uptake and fat oxidation during moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in adults. Forty-eight individuals were recruited. Various anthropometric indicators (i.e., body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)) were measured. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (a short version). Total oxygen uptake (VO2tot) and fat oxidation were recorded during 30-minute aerobic exercise at moderate intensity. There were no differences in oxygen uptake and fat oxidation between obese and non-obese groups. Based on obesity and physical activity, VO2tot was significantly different among groups classified by WHR. Inactive obesity had significantly lower VO2tot 28.1% compared to active obesity and 29.2 % compared to active non-obesity. The inactive obesity had a 3.8%, 27.4%, and 4.3% lower fat oxidation than the active non-obesity, as classified by WC, WHR, and WHtR, respectively. However, the differences were not statistically significant. We conclude that active obesity, as measured by WHR, exhibited higher oxygen uptake compared to inactive obesity. Moreover, inactive obesity showed poorer oxygen uptake than active non-obesity.

: Nanotechnology has expanded what can be achieved in our approach to cancer treatment. The ability to produce and engineer functional nanoparticle formulations to elicit higher incidences of tumor cell radiolysis has resulted in substantial improvements in cancer cell eradication while also permitting multi-modal biomedical functionalities. These radiosensitive nanomaterials utilize material characteristics, such as radio- blocking/absorbing high-Z atomic number elements, to mediate localized effects from therapeutic irradiation. These materials thereby allow for subsequent scattered or emitted radiation to produce direct (e.g., damage to genetic materials) or indirect (e.g., protein oxidation, reactive oxygen species formation) damage to tumor cells. Using nanomaterials that activate under certain physiologic conditions such as the tumor micro-environment can selectively target tumor cells. These characteristics combined with biological interactions that can target the tumor environment allow for localized, radio-sensitization while mitigating damage to healthy cells. This review explores the various nanomaterial formulations utilized in cancer radiosensitivity research. Emphasis on inorganic nanomaterials showcase the specific material characteristics that enable higher incidences of radiation while ensuring localized cancer targeting based on tumor micro-environment activation. The aim of this review is to guide future research in cancer radiosensitization using nanomaterial formulations and to detail common approaches to radiosensization, as well their relations to commonly implemented radiotherapy techniques.

An important indicator of human-related pollution in watersheds is dissolved oxygen (DO). The DO is highly dependent on both space and time characteristics of the watershed and is directly linked to eutrophication, which impairs the development of both the aquatic fauna and flora, also negatively impacting the water quality. Aspiring to reach a more accurate and precise forecasting approach to predict levels of DO, the present work proposes new graph-based and transformer-based deep learning models. The models were trained and validated for the Credit River Watershed, and the results were compared with both benchmarking and literature-found approaches. The proposed Graph Neural Network Sample and Aggregate (GNN-SAGE) model was the best-performing approach, reaching coefficient of determination (R2) and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) values of 97% and 0.34 ppm, respectively. The findings from the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) indicated that the GNN-SAGE benefited from spatiotemporal information from the surrounding stations, improving the model’s results, and that temperature is a major input attribute for determining future DO levels. The results established that the proposed GNN-SAGE model stands as a state-of-the-art solution for DO forecasting, with potential for real-time water quality applications.

Photosystem II (PSII) is a quinone-utilising photosynthetic system that converts light energy into chemical energy and catalyses the splitting of water. PsbA (D1) and PsbD (D2) are the core subunits of the reaction centre that provide most of the ligands to the redox-active cofactors and exhibit photooxidoreductase activities that convert quinone and water into quinol and oxygen. This analysis explored the putative uncoupled electron transfer pathways surrounding P680+ induced by far-red light (FRL) based on photosystem II (PSII) complexes containing substituted D1 subunits in Halomicronema hongdechloris. Chlorophyll f-synthase (ChlF) is a D1 protein paralog. Modelling PSII-ChlF complexes determined several key protein motifs of ChlF. The PSII complexes showed a dysfunctional Mn4CaO5 cluster if ChlF replaced the D1 protein. We propose the mechanism of chlorophyll f synthesis from chlorophyll a via free radical chemistry in an oxygenated environment created by over-excited pheophytin a and an inactive water splitting reaction due to an uncoupled Mn4CaO5 cluster in PSII-ChlF complexes. The role of ChlF in the formation of an inactive PSII reaction centre is under debate and the putative mechanisms of chlorophyll biosynthesis are discussed.

Recent advancements in the study of the protein complex photosystem II have clarified the sequence of events leading to the formation of oxygen during the S3->S4->S0 tran-sition, wherein the inorganic Mn4Ca(µ-O)6(OHx)4 cluster finishes photo-catalyzing the water splitting reaction (Greife et al, Nature 2023, 617, 623-628; Bhowmick et al, Nature 2023, 617, 629-636) . During this final step a tyrosine radical (TyrZ), stable for a couple of milliseconds, oxidizes a cluster bound oxygen while the hydrogen bonding patterns of nearby waters shift a proton away. A treatment of this redox reaction within the context of accepted transition state theories predicts rate constants that are significantly higher than experimentally recovered values (10^12s^-1 versus 10^3s^-1). In an effort to understand this disparity, temperature dependent experiments have revealed large entropic con-tributions to the rates with only a moderate energy of activation. We suggest that the entropic source may be related to the observed proton rearrangements, and further possible near isoenergetic variations in the nearby extended h-bonding network de-laying the realization of an ‘ideal’ transition state. In the following we explore this re-lation in the context of Eyring’s transition state theory and Marcus’ electron transfer theory, and evaluate their compatibility with the experimental evidence.

In this study, we created a series of N, S, and P-doped and co-doped carbon catalysts using a single graphene nanoribbon (GNR) matrix and thoroughly evaluated the impact of doping on ORR activity and selectivity in acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions. The results obtained showed no significant changes in the GNR structure after the doping process, though changes were observed in the surface chemistry in view of the heteroatom insertion and oxygen depletion. Of all the dopants investigated, nitrogen (mainly in the form of pyrrolic-N and graphitic-N) was the most easily inserted and detected in the carbon matrix. The electrochemical analyses conducted showed that doping impacted the performance of the catalyst in ORR through changes in the chemical composition of the catalyst, as well as in the double-layer capacitance and electrochemically accessible surface area. In terms of selectivity, GNR doped with phosphorus and sulfur favored the 2e- ORR pathway, while nitrogen favored the 4e- ORR pathway. These findings can provide useful insights into the design of more efficient and versatile catalytic materials for ORR in different electrolyte solutions, based on functionalized carbon.

Changes in epitranscriptome with N6‐methyladenine (m6A) modification could be involved in the development of multiple diseases, which might be a prevalent modification of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in eukaryotes. The m6A modification might be performed through the action of methyltransferases, demethylases, and methylation-binding proteins. Importantly, the m6A methylation may be associated with various neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), depression, aging related diseases, and/or aging itself. In addition, the m6A methylation might functionally regulate the eukaryotic transcriptome by influencing splicing, export, subcellular localization, translation, stability, and decay of mRNAs. Neurodegenerative diseases may possess a wide variety of phenotypes depending on the neurons that degenerate at occasions. Interestingly, increasing number of evidences have indicated that m6A modification could modulate the expression of autophagy-related genes and promote autophagy in neuronal cells. Oxidative stresses such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) could stimulate the m6A RNA methylation, which may be also related to the regulation of autophagy and/or the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Both m6A modification and autophagy could also play critical roles in regulating health condition of neurons. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the m6A and autophagy relationship in human diseases may benefit in developing therapeutic strategies in the future. This paper reviews advances in the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of m6A modification in the occurrence and development of neurodegenerative diseases and/or aging, discussing the possible therapeutic procedures related to mechanisms of m6A RNA methylation and autophagy.

Oxygen is a limiting factor both in the environment and production systems, so reduction may become a stressor. Diel cyclic hypoxia occurs with varying frequency and duration in freshwater habitats. Under a stressful situation fish activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis (HPI) which triggers the release of cortisol that induces secondary and tertiary responses. The recovery of individuals depends on their ability to modulate physiological, and biochemical responses to maintain homeostasis. The aim of this study is to determine the hematological and physiological responses of rainbow trout under repeated hypoxic stress in different time points. The methodology of the experiment consisted of dividing the fish in 5 different treatment groups, 2 control groups and 3 hypoxia groups. Every exposure consisted in decrease the dissolved oxygen concentration from 8mg O2/L to 2mg O2/L for 1 hour. After the exposure the fish went to a recovery tank until the sampling procedure. Hematological and physiological results show a habituation of the fish to different parameters such as hematocrit, hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume among others. Overall, our results indicate an ability of rainbow trout to resist this type of hypoxic exposures and a habituation of fish to repeated hypoxia as observed in the different measured parameters.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are investigated for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) due to their structure diversity, high specific surface area, adjustable pore size and abundant active sites. However, the poor conductivity of most MOFs restricts this application. Herein, through a facile one-step solvothermal method, the Ni-based pillared metal-organic framework [Ni2(BDC)2DABCO] (BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, DABCO = 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane), its bimetallic nickel-iron form [Ni(Fe)(BDC)2DABCO] and their modified Ketjenblack (mKB) composites were synthesized and tested towards OER in an alkaline medium (KOH 1 mol L–1). A synergistic effect of the bimetallic nickel-iron MOF and the conductive mKB additive enhance the catalytic activity of the MOF/mKB composites. All MOF/mKB composite samples (7, 14, 22, 34 wt.% mKB) indicated much higher OER performances than the MOFs and mKB alone. The Ni-MOF/mKB14 composite (14 wt. % of mKB) demonstrated an overpotential of 294 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm–2 and Tafel slope of 32 mV dec–1, which is comparable with commercial RuO2 commonly used as a benchmark material for OER. The catalytic performance of Ni(Fe)MOF/mKB14 (0.57 wt% Fe) was improved further to an overpotential of 279 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm–2. The low Tafel slope of 25 mV dec–1 as well as a low reaction resistance due to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement confirm the excellent OER performance of the Ni(Fe)MOF/mKB14 composite. For practical applications, the Ni(Fe)MOF/mKB14 electrocatalyst was impregnated into commercial nickel foam (NF), where overpotentials of 247 and 291 mV at current densities of 10 and 50 mA cm–2, respectively, were realized. The activity was maintained for 30 h at the applied current density of 50 mA cm–2. The electrocatalytic system consisting of earth-abundant Ni and Fe metals only would be attractive for the development of efficient, practical and economical energy conversion materials for efficient OER activity.

Water splitting technology is an efficient approach to generate hydrogen (H2) energy, which can well address the problems of environmental deterioration and energy shortage, as well as establishment of a clean and sustainable hydrogen economy powered by renewable energy sources due to the green reaction of H2 with O2. While the efficiency of H2 production by water splitting technology is intimately related with the reactions on electrode. Nowadays, the efficient electrocatalysts in water splitting reactions are the precious metal-based materials, i.e., Pt/C, RuO2 and IrO2. Ni (Co, Fe)-based layered double hydroxides (LDH) 2D materials are the typical non-precious metal-based materials in water splitting with advantages of low cost, excellent electrocatalytic performance and simple preparation methods, which exhibits a great potential for the substitution for precious metal-based materials. This review summarizes the recent progress of Ni (Co, Fe)-based LDH 2D materials for water splitting, which mainly focuses on discussing and analyzing the different strategies to modify LDH materials towards high electrocatalytic performance. We also discuss the recent achievements including their electronic structure, electrocatalytic performance, catalytic center, preparation process and catalytic mechanism. Furthermore, the characterization progress in revealing electronic structure and catalytic mechanism of LDH is highlighted in this review. Finally, we put forward some future perspectives related to design and explore advanced LDH catalysts in water splitting.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) for water electrolysis have received tremendous attention due to their immediate response, high proton conductivity, low ohmic losses and gas crossover rate. However, design high activity, economical and long-term durable electrocatalysts in an acidic environment is still the bottleneck to realize the large-scale commercialization of PEMWEs. Iridium-based materials represent one of the most promising classes of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts due to their intrinsic stability in acid media over ruthenium-based counterparts. However, only a few innovative approaches have been developed to synthesizing iridium-based catalysts (IBCs) in the past decade, mainly due to achieving high activity may deteriorate the stability of IBCs. Accordingly, various engineering strategies of optimizing IBCs have been proposed to address this issue, including doping engineering, morphology engineering, crystal phase engineering and support engineering. Herein, a critical overview focusing on various synthesis and modulation strategies of IBCs is presented, based on an in-depth understanding of the relationship between electronic structures, charge redistribution and activity as well as stability of the electrocatalysts. In addition, the unprecedented achievements in PEMWEs are summarized. The reaction mechanisms and future perspectives are critically discussed to inspire more rational design of IBCs toward practical applications.

Electronic structure calculations have been carried out to examine the effect of protonation and water molecules on the heme group of peroxidases in different redox (ferric, ferrous, compounds I and II) and spin states. Shared geometries, spectroscopic properties at Soret region, and thermodynamics of peroxidases are discussed. B3LYP and M06-2X density functionals with different basis sets were employed on a common molecular model of the active site (Fe-centred porphine and proximal imidazole). Computed Gibbs free energies indicate that the corresponding aquo complexes are not thermodynamically stable, supporting the five-coordinate Fe(III) centre in native ferric peroxidases, with a water molecule located at a non-bonding distance. Protonation of the ferryl oxygen of compound II is discussed in terms of thermodynamics, Fe–O bond distances, and redox properties. It is demonstrated that this protonation is necessary to account for the experimental data and computed Gibbs free energies that reveal pKa values of compound II about 8.5 – 9.0. Computation suggests that the origin of the general oxidative properties of peroxidase species, as well as their reactivity towards water and protons and Soret spectral properties, mostly resides on the iron porphyrin and its proximal ligand histidine.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a late-onset; progressive, dominantly inherited neurological disorder marked by an abnormal expansion of polyglutamine (poly Q) repeats in Huntingtin (HTT) protein. The pathological effects of mutant Huntingtin (mHTT) are not restricted to the nervous system but systemic abnormalities including immune dysregulation have been evidenced in clinical and experimental settings of HD. Indeed, mutant huntingtin (mHTT) is ubiquitously expressed and could induce cellular toxicity by directly acting on immune cells. However, it is still unclear if selective expression ofmHTT exon1 in neurons could induce immune responses and hemocyte function. In the present study, we intended to monitor perturbations in the hemocytes population and their physiological functions in Drosophila, caused by pan-neuronal expression of mHTT protein. We found that pan-neuronal expression of mHtt significantly alters crystal cells and plasmatocyte count in larvae and adults with disease progression. Interestingly, plasmatocytes isolated from diseased conditions exhibit a gradual decline in phagocytic activity ex vivo at progressive stages of the disease as compared to age-matched control groups. We also observed an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plasmatocytes at advanced stages of the disease. In addition, diseased flies displayed elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in circulating plasmatocytes at the larval stage and in sessile plasmatocytes of hematopoietic pockets at of disease. All the parameters were monitored progressively, targeting the circulation at larvae stage and hematopoietic pockets in adults at different disease stages, and many alterations were documented in the early stage itself. These findings strongly implicate that neuronal expression of mHtt alone is sufficient to induce non-cell-autonomous immune dysregulation in vivo. Based on these findings, we propose that further insight into the mechanisms through which neuronal expression of mHtt might be inflicting the innate immune responses would facilitate therapeutic inventions aimed at amelioration of HD pathology and improving the quality of life of the patients.

Description of redox reactions is critically important for understanding and rational design of materials for electrochemical technologies including metal-ion batteries, catalytic surfaces, or redox-flow cells. Most of these technologies utilize redox-active transition metal compounds due to their rich chemistry and their beneficial physical and chemical properties for these types of applications. A century since its introduction, the concept of formal oxidation states (FOS) is still widely used for rationalization of the mechanisms of redox reactions, but there exists a well-documented discrepancy between FOS and the electron density-derived charge states of transition metal ions in their bulk and molecular compounds. We summarize our findings and those of others which suggest that density-driven descriptors are in certain cases better suited to characterize the mechanism of redox reactions, especially when anion redox is involved, which is the blind spot of the FOS ansatz.

This study aimed to obtain and characterize extracted hemp oil enriched in cannabidiol (CBD) by decarboxylation of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and to give new insights into its antioxidant and anticancer effects. Optimization of CBDA decarboxylation in hemp oil was performed, and CBD and CBDA contents and purities were determined by “flash chromatography”, 1H- and 13C-NMR. The antioxidant properties of CBD-enriched oil were investigated by Fe2+ chelating activity, Fe3+ reducing antioxidant power assay, O2− scavenging activity, HO− scavenging ability and lipid peroxidation inhibitory assay and its cytotoxicity, apoptosis- and oxidative stress-inducing effects on NHDF, MeWo, HeLa, HepG2 and HOS cells were determined. The CBD concentration in hemp oil was increased by CBDA soft decarboxylation optimized at 90°C, for 1 h and resulted oil was capable of reducing iron, scavenging free radicals, and inhibiting lipid peroxidation in cell-free oxidative conditions. CBD-enriched oil promoted NHDF proliferation at up to 15 µg CBD/mL, while inducing apoptosis and ROS production and modulating antioxidant enzymes’ gene expression in cancer cells, being selective for osteosarcoma cells and induced apoptosis by p53- and ROS-independent mechanisms. CBD-enriched hemp oil demonstrated antioxidant properties in oxidative conditions and promoted normal fibroblasts’ proliferation, while inducing apoptosis and ROS production in cancer cells.

Oxidative stress is known to be critically implicated in the pathophysiology of several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and ischemic stroke. The remarkable neurotrophic activity of Gelidium amansii, has been reported consistently in a series of our previous studies, inspired us to investigate whether this popular agarophyte could protect against hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced oxidative injury in hippocampal neurons. The primary culture of hippocampal neurons challenged with H/R suffered from a significant loss of cell survival, accompanied by apoptosis and necrosis, DNA damage, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) which were successfully attenuated when the neuronal cultures were preconditioned with GAE, an optimized ethanolic extract of G. amansii. Moreover, the expression of N-methyl-D-acetate receptor subunit 2B (GluN2B), an extrasynaptic glutamate receptor, was significantly repressed in GAE-treated neurons as compared to those without GAE intervention. Together, this study demonstrates that GAE attenuated H/R-induced oxidative injury in hippocampal neurons through, at least in part, a potential neuroprotective mechanism that involves inhibition of GluN2B-mediated excitotoxicity and suppression of ROS production, and suggest that this edible seaweed could be a potential source of bioactive metabolites having therapeutic significance against oxidative stress-related neurodegeneration, including ischemic stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.

This study investigates the role of oxygen vacancy on Fe-doped CeO₂ catalyst activity for soot oxidation. The oxygen vacancy was assessed through Ce³⁺ content. The Fe content was varied between 0 and 30% for two catalyst preparation methods, co-precipitation (CP) and solution combustion synthesis (SCS). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that ceria exists as both Ce₄₊ and Ce₃₊, while iron is present only as Fe₃₊. The catalyst’s activity was evaluated by ignition (T10) and combustion (T50) temperatures using thermogravimetric analysis. Optimum Fe contents yielding the highest activity were found to be 10% and 5% for CP and SCS catalysts, respectively. The surface area and morphology have shown moderate effect on catalyst activity, because catalytic soot oxidation involves solid-solid contact. More importantly, regardless of the fabrication method, it was found that Ce₃₊ content, which is closely related to oxygen vacancies, plays the most important role in affecting the catalyst activity.

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an invasive species that has modified ecosystem functioning in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta), California, USA. Studies in lakes and rivers have shown that water hyacinth alters water quality. In tidal systems, such as the Delta, water moves back and forth through the water hyacinth patch so water quality directly outside the patch in either direction is likely to be impacted. In this study, we asked whether the presence or treatment of water hyacinth with herbicides resulted in changes in water quality in this tidal system. We combined existing datasets that were originally collected for permit compliance and long-term regional monitoring into a dataset that we analyzed with a before-after control-impact (BACI) framework. This approach allowed us to describe effects of presence and treatment of water hyacinth, while accounting for seasonal patterns in water quality. We found that although effects of treatment were not detectable when compared with water immediately upstream, dissolved oxygen and turbidity became more similar to regional water quality averages after treatment. Temperature became less similar to the regional average after treatment, but the magnitude of the change was small. Taken together, these results suggest that tidal hydrology exports the effects of water hyacinth upstream, just as river flow is known to transport the effects downstream, creating a buffer of altered water chemistry around patches. It also suggests that although water hyacinth has an effect on dissolved oxygen and turbidity, these parameters recover to regional averages after treatment.

There have been a great number of investigations about the influence of weak magnetic fields on biological systems, such as isolated cells and whole organisms. This is also a subject of considerable medical concern since old epidemiologic observations have indicated a possible tumorigenic effect of these fields. Their mechanism of action, however, is not firmly established. A large number of biological effects of electromagnetic fields have been attributed either to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or to the entrance Ca²⁺ in the cell. A new biochemical pathway is proposed that covers these two possibilities: the primary effect of the magnetic field would be by the mechanism of radical pairs resulting in the production of ROS; these could activate the ion channels TRPM2 producing cellular inflow of Ca²⁺, which would induce the calcium dependent effects. Thus, a large number of biological effects observed up to the present could be explained.

: Background: Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for many chronic diseases, and weight-loss interventions often include systematic exercising and nutritional supplements. The purpose of this study was to determine the independent/synergistic effects of Spirulina maxima supplementation (6-week, 4.5 g/day) and a systematic physical exercise program (6 weeks/ 2 times) on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness of overweight and obese subjects. Methods: 27 overweight and 25 obese sedentary male subjects were assigned to four interventions through a randomized double-blind, crossover controlled trial: Physical exercise program with (SE) or without (Ex) Spirulina maxima or no-exercise program with (Sm) and without (C) Spirulina maxima. Body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness parameters were taken during a maximal intensity test. Results: As compared to C group, SE, Sm and Ex groups reduced (p < 0.05) their body fat percentage while improving their maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max; r = −0.40), being obese subjects more benefited. Weight loss, time to reach fatigue and onset of blood lactate accumulation were improved in both Spirulina maxima supplemented groups, regardless the subjects’ body composition. Conclusions: Spirulina maxima supplementation synergistically improves the effects of systematic exercise in body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness parameters in overweight but mostly in obese adults.

In this paper, we first report that WO_x contained nanoalloys exhibit stable electrocatalytic performance in alkaline media, though bulk WO₃ are easy to be dissolved in NaOH solutions. Carbon supported oxide-rich Pd-W alloy nanoparticles (PdW/C) with different Pd:W atom ratios were prepared by reduction-oxidation method. Among the catalysts, the oxide-rich Pd0.8W0.2/C (Pd/W = 8:2, atom ratio) exhibits the highest catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data shows that ~40% of Pd atoms and ~60% of the W atoms are in their oxides form. The Pd 3d_5/2 peaks in oxide-rich Pd-W nanoalloys are positive shift compared with that of Pd/C, which indicates the electronic structure of Pd is affected by the strong interaction between Pd and W/WO₃. Compare to Pd/C, the onset potential of oxygen reduction reaction at the oxide-rich Pd_0.8W_0.2/C is positive shifted. The current density (mA·mg Pd⁻¹) at the oxide-rich Pd_0.8W_0.2/C is ~1.6 times of that at Pd/C. The oxide-rich Pd_0.8W_0.2/C also exhibits higher catalytic stability than Pd/C, which demonstrate that it is a prospective candidate for the cathode of fuel cells operated with alkaline electrolyte.

We evaluated the mono- and combination-therapy effects of valproic acid (VPA) and doxorubicin (DOX) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and identified a specific and efficient, synergistic anti-proliferative effect of the VPA and DOX combination in HCC cells, especially HepG2 cells; this effect was not apparent in MIHA cells, a normal hepatocyte cell line. The calculation of the coefficient of drug interaction confirmed the significant synergistic effect of the combination treatment. Concurrently, the synergistic apoptotic cell death caused by the VPA and DOX combination treatment was confirmed by Hoechst nuclear staining and western blot analysis of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation. Co-treatment with VPA and DOX enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and autophagy, which were clearly attenuated by ROS and autophagy inhibitors, respectively. Furthermore, as an indication of the mechanism underlying the synergistic effect, we observed that DOX internalization, which was induced in the VPA and DOX combination-treated group, occurred via by the caveolae-mediated endocytosis pathway. Taken together, our study uncovered the potential effect of the VPA and DOX combination treatment with regard to cell death, including induction of cellular ROS, autophagy, and the caveolae-mediated endocytosis pathway. Therefore, these results present novel implications in drug delivery research for the treatment of HCC.

While significant efforts have been made to recycle metals like lithium or cobalt for sustainable development in the battery industry, other high-value materials in the renewable energy sector, such as fluorinated carbon nanotubes (FCNTs), have not been adequately explored for re-utilization after their quality has been downgraded. FCNTs are expensive and energy-intensive to produce, making their sustainable use crucial. This study explores the potential of reusing quality-downgraded fluorinated carbon nanotubes (QD-FCNTs) as eco-friendly nano-additives in microgel composites for water retention applications. By employing a surface treatment process that avoids additional energy costs and environmentally harmful chemicals, we successfully enhanced the interaction between QD-FCNTs and microgels. This treatment significantly improved water retention time by reducing rapid evaporation, enabling sustained water release. Our findings demonstrate a promising avenue for the sustainable application of quality-downgraded fluorinated carbon nanotubes in agricultural and environmental technologies.

In 2004, a significant portion of the spruce-dominated forests in the Tatra National Park (northern Slovakia) was destroyed by an exceptionally strong windstorm. Our study focused on the status of deadwood and its influence on post-disturbance forest regeneration 18 years after the destruction. Since some disturbed areas were salvaged and others were not, we could compare the situations between these two management approaches. In total, 40 research sites (20 salvaged and 20 unsalvaged) were measured, each represented by four satellite-like plots with a radius of 4 m. We measured the diameters of deadwood and its decay status (classes 1 – 5). At the same time, we recorded the sizes (stem base diameter and height) and species of young trees. The results showed that while salvage conditions and contact with soil stimulated deadwood decomposition, the diameter of logs was not a significant factor. The highest decay class (3.83) was found in deadwood on salvaged areas and attached to the soil, while the lowest decay class (3.10) was found in deadwood on unsalvaged areas and in the case of logs unattached to the soil. While carbon content (based on percentage of wood mass) did not change with decay class, wood density decreased sharply with decay class. Water moisture showed an increasing tendency with decay class. Moreover, our results showed that post-disturbance management influenced forest regeneration. Significantly higher tree diversity was observed in salvaged areas (5.40 species per plot) compared to unsalvaged areas (3.85 species per plot). While areas with logging were predominantly covered by broadleaved species, those without logging were typically dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst). We concluded that although salvage logging decreased the total carbon and water content in deadwood, it can stimulate tree species diversity. Thus, the currently prevailing opinion about the exclusively negative ecological effects of salvage logging should be accepted with caution, and local conditions must be considered before making broad judgments.

Climate change has become a major agenda item in international relations and in national energy policy-making circles around the world. This article studies the surprising evolution of the energy policy, and more particularly the energy transition, currently happening in the Arabian Gulf region, which features some of the world’s largest exporters of oil and gas. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other neighboring energy exporters, plan to export blue and green hydrogen across Asia as well as towards Europe in the years and decades to come. Although poorly known and understood abroad, this recent strategy doesn’t threaten the current exports of oil and gas (still needed for a few decades) but prepares the evolution of their national energy industries towards the future decarbonized energy demand of their main customers in East and South Asia, and beyond. The world’s largest exporters of Liquefied Natural Gas, Qatar, has established industrial policies and projects to upscale CCUS, which can enable blue hydrogen production, as well as natural carbon sinks domestically via afforestation projects.

SOC stock (SOCS) changes caused by land use changes are still unclear, and understanding this response is essential for many environmental policies and land management practices. In this study, we investigated the temporal-spatial and vertical distribution characteristics of SOCS on the Western Sichuan Plateau (WSP) using the sparrow search algorithm-random forest regression (SSA-RFR) models with excellent model applicability and accuracy. The temporal-spatial varia-tions in the SOCS were modeled using 1080 soil samples and a set of nine environmental covariates. We analyzed the effect of land use changes on the SOCS on the WSP. The total SOCS increased by 18.03 Tg C from 1990 to 2020. The results of this study confirmed that the SOCS in the study area has increased significantly since 2010, with an increase of 27.88 Tg C compared to the total SOCS in 2010. We found that the spatial distribution of the SOCS increased from southeast to northwest, and the vertical distribution of the SOCS in the study area decreased with increasing soil depth. Forest and grassland are the main sources of SOCS, the total SOCS in the forest and grassland accounted for 37.53 and 59.39% of the total SOC pool in 2020, respectively. Expansion of the wetlands, forest, and grassland areas could increase SOCS in the study area.

Thailand has formulated her climate change policy and updated relevant plans and policies to align with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality and net zero GHG emissions. This study investigates the optimal level of GHG mitigation in Thailand, taking into account the marginal abatement cost (MAC) and social cost of carbon (SCC). It evaluates how energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies influence GHG reduction in the power and industrial sector and illustrates policy recommendations that align with the 2020 to 2050 policy and plan period. The findings indicate that there may be instances where GHG mitigation potential is insufficient to reach the national mile-stone. In such cases, it becomes imperative to leverage all technologies within the marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) and also utilization of the social cost of carbon for policy decision making and meeting the desired goals. In certain scenarios, the adoption of additional technologies or measures may be necessary, such as flexible power generation and deploying carbon capture and storage or hydrogen which are high-cost technologies. Furthermore, preparations should be made for multiple levels of climate change policies and plans beyond 2030.

One of the key issues in sustainable tourism research is the gap between tourists' expressed friendly attitudes towards sustainable behaviors and their actual behaviors. Although many "low-carbon" themed restaurants have emerged during the low-carbon transformation of the Chinese tourism industry, low-carbon food services have not been significantly improved. This study takes food as the entry point to explore tourists' behavior and attitudes towards low-carbon tourism in relation to food. We conducted two interviews. The first interview was a semi-structured contextual interview with 120 tourists who had experiences in food streets, aim-ing to identify the core user group: low-carbon attitude-friendly tourists with high-carbon food behaviors. The second interviews was an in-depth interview based on grounded theory with 29 core users, analyzing the four main reasons for their high-carbon food behaviors and their re-quirements for low-carbon food services in tourism. Based on this, we extracted four design ele-ments for low-carbon tourism food services: low-carbon information show service, low-carbon service product attractiveness improvement, low-carbon food environment atmosphere creation, and service providers' low-carbon behaviors. Through these four service elements, we constructed a low-carbon tourism food service design framework based on the core users' needs, discussed the mechanism of service elements, and provided service design suggestions accordingly. The re-search results serve tourism providers, low-carbon tourism researchers, and designers.

This study evaluates the efficiency of biodegradable polyurethane foams as thermal insulation materials compared to conventional materials like expanded polystyrene (EPS). Key parameters analyzed include thermal conductivity, energy savings, CO2 emission reductions, and investment payback periods. Biodegradable polyurethane foams demonstrated a thermal conductivity of 0.022 W/(m·K), significantly lower than EPS’s 0.035 W/(m·K), leading to higher energy savings. Calculations reveal an annual energy saving of 443,820 kWh for polyurethane foams, compared to 441,330 kWh for EPS. Financially, polyurethane foams save approximately €53,258.4 annually, while EPS saves €52,959.6. In terms of environmental impact, polyurethane foams reduce CO2 emissions by 88,764 kg annually, versus 88,266 kg for EPS. Despite the higher initial cost of polyurethane foams (€50/m² compared to €30/m² for EPS), the payback period is remarkably short at 0.094 years (1.13 months) compared to EPS’s 0.057 years (0.68 months). These findings highlight biodegradable polyurethane foams as a superior option for thermal insulation, offering significant energy, financial, and environmental benefits.

Current paper is aiming to show the obtained results in manufacturing and characterization of graphite-based and metal composite materials suitable to be used in high voltage applications of automotive and/or aviation field. Thus, 4 types of materials have been processed and tested in order to assess their suitability to be used as current collector material for electric engines. The novelty of this work is the presentation of the new innovative technological process for obtaining the carbon/metal composite material used in the manufacture of sliding contacts for current collector heads, as well as the characteristics obtained for this material. All 4 obtained materials have been characterized from structural, mechanical and functional point of view and the most suitable of them has been chosen to be further developed by the end beneficiary.

This study addresses the global issue of recycling used vehicle rubbish tires, typically burned out or trimmed to be reused in playground floors or road banks. In this study we explore a novel environmentally responsive approach or decomposing and recovering the carbon black particles contained in tires (25-30 wt.%) by vacuum pyrolysis. Given that carbon black is well known for its UV protection in plastics, the objective of this research is to provide an ecological alternative to commercial carbon black of fossil origin by recycling the carbon black (rCB) from used tires. In our research, we create a composite material using rCB and high density polyethylene (HDPE). In this article we present the environmental aging studies carried out to this composite material. The topographic evolution of the samples with aging and the oxidation kinetic of the surface and through the thickness were studied. A Beer-Lambert law is used to relate the oxidative index to the characteristic depth of the samples. This work helps to demonstrate the feasibility of using recycled carbon black particles from waste tires as a filler for UV protection.

The Brazilian Pantanal region suffers intensely from biomass burning during the dry season. Large quantities of gases and particles are emitted into the atmosphere during this period, with serious implications for fauna and flora. Understanding the dynamics of these emissions is es-sential for mitigating the ecosystem, its functioning, and possible anthropogenic disturbances. In this sense, this study analyzed emissions over the north of the Brazilian Pantanal during the 2022 drought. Measurements of concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), Black carbon (BC), and elemental concentration (25 chemical elements) were determined by gravimetry, reflectance analysis, and X-ray fluorescence, respectively, for samples collected between August and Octo-ber 2022. The average concentrations of PM2.5 and BC had their values increased by approxi-mately 4 and 2.5 times, respectively, when compared to the averages from a decade ago. The maximum concentrations found are close to values typical of the southern Amazon region, a re-gion with high rates of deforestation and changes in land use. The elemental analysis showed large changes in concentrations, mainly associated with biomass burning emission (BB) and soil resuspension. Furthermore, analyses of lead (Pb) concentrations showed strong anthropization at the study site.

This study investigates the impact of plasma gradient modification and gradient illumination on the optoelectronic properties of buckypaper (BP), a flexible and large-scale material composed of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The BP samples were subjected to argon ion plasma treatment at varying power levels and durations, thereby creating different carrier concentration gradients on the surface. The photovoltage and photocurrent responses of the samples were then measured under uniform full illumination and gradient illumination conditions. The findings revealed that both plasma gradient modification and gradient illumination significantly enhanced the optoelectronic performance of BP. Notably, the combined application of these two methods yielded superior results compared to the application of either method alone. Specifically, the optimal plasma power for improving BP was found to be 20W. Under conditions of plasma gradient modification and gradient illumination, a photovoltage of 267.76 μV was generated, which represents a 21.44 times increase, and a photocurrent of 15.69 μA, reflecting a 32.69 times enhancement. The mechanism underlying this optoelectronic effect can be attributed to the presence of π-bonds in the carbon atoms. These π-bonds are excited by photons, resulting in the generation of small voltages and currents. This study underscores the potential of BP as an optoelectronic material and introduces a novel approach to enhance its optoelectronic properties through plasma gradient modification and gradient illumination.

Thermal analysis is widely employed for the characterization of nanomaterials. It encompasses a variety of techniques that allow the evaluation of the physicochemical properties of a material by monitoring its response under controlled temperature. In the case of carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene derivatives, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is particularly useful to determine the quality and stability of the sample, presence of impurities and the degree of functionalization or doping after post-synthesis treatments. Furthermore, TGA is widely used to evaluate the thermal stability against oxidation by air, which can be for instance enhanced by the purification of the material and by nitrogen doping, finding application in areas where a retarded combustion of the material is required. Herein, we have evaluated key parameters that play a role in the data obtained from TGA. Within this study we show that the thermogravimetric curve of carbon nanomaterials is greatly influenced by these parameters. This is important in terms of data recording and their analysis, since a poor control of the conditions of measurement might lead to false conclusions. We highlight this by analyzing different samples of graphene and carbon nanotubes where both thermal stability and sample purity assessment are found to be dependent on the employed TGA parameters. Finally, a set of TGA parameters are recommended for the analysis of carbon nanomaterials to obtain reliable data.¡

The escalating global demand for clean water has propelled research into sustainable and cost-effective purification methods. Activated carbon (AC) derived from biowaste materials presents an environmentally friendly and economically viable solution for water treatment. This review article provides an extensive overview of the synthesis techniques, characterization methods, and applications of biowaste activated carbon (BAC) for water purification. It discusses the diverse sources of biowaste, such as agricultural residues, food waste, and biomass, and explores various activation methods including physical, chemical, and biological processes. Furthermore, the article examines the adsorption mechanisms, performance factors, regeneration strategies, and emerging trends in BAC synthesis and application. Insights from this review can guide future research endeavors and facilitate the development of sustainable water purification technologies.

Glassy carbon (GC) microelectrodes have been successfully used for detection of electroactive neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin through voltammetry. However, non-electroactive neurotransmitters such as glutamate, lactate, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are inherently unsuitable for detection through voltammetry techniques without functionalizing the surface of the microelectrodes. To that end, we present here the immobilization of L-glutamate oxidase (GluOx) enzyme on the surface of GC microelectrodes to enable catalysis of chemical reaction between L-glutamate, oxygen, and water to produce H2O2, an electroactive byproduct that is readily detectable through voltammetry. This immobilization of GluOx on the surface of bare GC microelectrodes and the subsequent catalytic reduction of H2O2 through fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) helped demonstrate indirect in vitro detection of glutamate, a non-electroactive molecule, at concentrations as low as 10 nM. The functionalized microelectrodes formed part of 4-channel arrays of microelectrodes (30 m x 60 m) on a 1.6 cm long neural probe supported on a flexible polymer, with potential for in vivo applications. The type and strength of the bond between the GC microelectrode surface and its functional groups on one hand, and glutamate and the immobilized functionalization matrix on the other hand, were investigated through molecular dynamics (MD) modeling and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Both MD modeling and FTIR demonstrated the presence of several covalent bonds in the form of C-O (carbon-oxygen polar covalent bond), C=O (carbonyl), C-H (alkenyl), N-H (hydrogen bond), C-N (carbon-nitrogen single bond), and C≡N (triple carbon nitrogen bond). Further, penetration tests on agarose hydrogel model confirmed that the probes are mechanically robust with their penetrating forces being much lower than the fracture force of the probe material.

This study focuses on solving rural problems, sustaining environmental conditions, pastures improvement, and reduction of CO2 concentration, suggesting inoculated vegetation types found in the tropics as a nature-based solution for degraded agroecosystems. Noninoculated plants are intensively used for revegetation of degraded and mined lands, AMF taxonomic and plant-fungal ecological studies. Among those grasses, Urochloa brizantha is a tropical forage, having vigorous deep roots, commonly used for arbuscular mycorrhizae (AMF) multiplication in glasshouse and nursery, developing infective propagules to be conserved in germplasm banks. Other grass species, such as Urochloa decumbens, is also used for arbuscular mycorrhizal multiplication in addition to its cultivation for guaranteeing the sustainable of livestock systems. In the present study, a site of 100 m2 was selected to take soil samples in a plain area, with U. brizantha pasture, and the soil chemical characterization, microcharcoal content and AMF spore identification, were evaluated 3+6showing high amount of potassium (K), high microcharcoal content and the occurrence of 11.32 spores of AMF, most of Glomeraceae, in the rhizosphere of U. brizantha. Due to its economic importance for sustainable agricultural production and other uses besides its environmental services, as important promoters of soil carbon on grazing lands, more detailed research is needed on the biotic interactions and inoculant production in of the studied grasses.

Emulsifiers like egg yolk (EY) are necessary for the formation of mayonnaise, which is an oil-in-water type colloid. This study aimed to assess the potential of defatted soybean powder treated with supercritical carbon dioxide (DSF-SC) in enhancing the quality of plant-based may-onnaise as plant-based alternatives gain popularity. This study involved producing DSF-SC and comparing its quality attributes to those of mayonnaise made with varying amounts of control soy flour (CSF), DSF-SC, and EY. It was found that mayonnaise made with DSF-SC, with increased emulsifier quantity, showed better emulsion stability, viscosity, and smaller, more uniform particle size compared with CSF mayonnaise. Additionally, DSF-SC mayonnaise was overall rated higher in sensory evaluation. The addition of approximately 2% DSF-SC positively influenced the emul-sion and sensory properties of the vegan mayonnaise, making DSF-SC a promising plant-based alternative emulsifier for replacing animal ingredients.

This study deals with the preparation of adsorbents from a commercial xerogel by chemically modifying its surface with concentrated mineral acids and alkali metal chlorides, their physicochemical characterization, and their use as adsorbents for gallic acid in aqueous solution. The prepared adsorbents have a high specific surface area (347-563 m2 g-1), better pore development for samples treated with alkali metal chlorides than with mineral acids and are more acidic than the initial xerogel (p.z.c range 2.49-6.87 vs. 7.20). The adsorption properties of the commercial xerogel improved over a wide range of pH and temperature. The experimental results indicate that the adsorption process is thermodynamically favored.

The combustion of fuel oil releases sulfur compounds, which react to form sulfur oxides that are harmful to the environment and pose a threat to human health. To mitigate these negative effects, it is crucial to pretreat fuel oil through desulfurization processes. One promising approach involves the use of deep eutectic solvents (DESs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and their composites (DESs/CNTs) to effectively reduce sulfur content in fuel oil.However, the conventional methods of DES-based extraction desulfurization and CNT-based adsorption desulfurization suffer from low desulfurization rates. Additionally, the composite material DESs/CNTs is in a semi-solidified form, resulting in high viscosity, complex operation procedures, and increased waste and environmental pollution. To address these challenges, this study focused on the preparation of CNTs/PEG-PVA hydrogel. This hydrogel not only maintains the high desulfurization rate observed in the DESs/CNTs composite material but also possesses several advantages. Firstly, it is convenient to use, offering ease of handling and application. Secondly, it is biodegradable, meaning it can break down naturally over time, reducing its impact on the environment. Lastly, the hydrogel is reusable, allowing for repeated use, thereby minimizing material waste. The desulfurization rate achieved with the CNTs/PEG-PVA hydrogel is remarkably high, reaching up to 99.8%. Moreover, the material utilization rate is close to 100%, meaning that almost all of the hydrogel is utilized in the desulfurization process, reducing unnecessary material consumption. In summary, the innovative CNTs/PEG-PVA hydrogel presents a highly efficient and environmentally friendly solution for desulfurization in fuel oil. Its superior desulfurization rate, alongside its convenience, biodegradability, and reusability, positions it as a promising alternative that not only ensures effective desulfurization but also contributes to sustainable practices in the energy industry.

Carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations in wildfire plumes are easily measured from satellites. This gas can be used as a proxy for carbon dioxide. Forest fires play an important role in the carbon balance and in particular the CO balance. The most likely causes of mega-fires of 2003, 2012, 2021, and 2023 in the Northern hemisphere are heat waves and severe droughts associated with changes in general circulation. Here we analyze satellite data obtained by two different sounders, AIRS and TROPOMI. Different sensitivity to the lowest troposphere allows obtaining information about anthropogenic or pyrogenic contamination of the boundary layer. Shapes of areas polluted by mega-fires in 2019-2020 (Southeastern Australia) and 2021 (Central Siberia) coincide with the areas occupied by coal deposits. The Siberian Lena and Tunguska coal basins are the two largest coal fields in the world. In 2021, their combined area accounted for 90% of fire CO emission from the entire Russian Federation. So strong fires have not observed in this area before. Under- and sub-ground coal combustion may be included into the list of wildfire fuels, at least their role for ignition should be admitted. Further research is needed to assess the importance of coal fires to global climate.

Excessive nitrogen application has become a hidden danger threatening the sustainable development of agriculture. Exploring the potential genes will help to improve the nitrogen availability of wheat through molecular breeding. We therefore conducted wheat transcriptomics and proteomics researches under complete culture medium without nitrogen (N0) and complete culture medium with nitrogen (N1). The results showed that, the nitrogen deficit decreased the fresh weight, N content and net photosynthetic rate of winter wheat. 3949 and 2675 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the shoot and root, respectively, while 164 and 129 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in the shoot and root respectively. 9 genes in shoot and 26 genes in root showed the same trends in RNA and protein levels. 5 genes in shoot and 4 genes in root showed the opposite trends in RNA and protein levels. Pathway enrichment of wheat transcriptome and proteome under nitrogen deficit proposed 3 candidate genes related to photosynthesis in shoot, 4 candidate genes related to carbon metabolism in shoot, and 12 candidate genes related to carbon metabolism in root. Meanwhile, the chromosomal and subcellular localization of these genes were listed, which will provide reference for improving nitrogen availability through molecular breeding.

A study on the dependence of the thermal conductivity of the percolation network of carbon nanotubes (or CNTs) on the type and degree of functionalization has been carried out. The study was focused on the influence of the more commonly used -COOH, -OH and -СОNH2 groups. A non-linear dependence of the conductivity on the number of functional groups has been revealed. A small number of functional groups can improve conductivity, and a large one can impair it. We presuppose the existence of competing processes that increase thermal conductivity (changes in the CNT geometry, improvement of the contact between them) and enhance photon scattering (emergence of defects and scattering centers). The data can be used for controlling the thermophysical properties of the CNTs as well as determining the optimal degree of functionalization during the development of composites and nanodevices.

Adopting banana peel as raw material, the adsorption properties of banana peel hydrothermal carbon modified with KOH solution for lead ions in aqueous solution were studied. The surface structure and functional groups of the modified hydrothermal carbon were analyzed by XRD and SEM. The results showed that the banana peel hydrothermal carbon prepared from 0.5 mol/L KOH solution had large pores, and its adsorption capacity reached 42.92 mg/g at a pH value of 6; When the concentration of KOH solution is 0.5 mol/L, the solid liquid ratio is 2 g/L, the adsorption capacity reaches 21.39 mg/g, and the adsorption rate reaches 82.74%; When the concentration of lead solution increased to 100 mg/L, the adsorption capacity of modified hydrothermal carbon for lead ions decreased to 78.26%; The equilibrium adsorption time of lead ion in solution on phosphoric acid modified hydrothermal carbon from banana peel was 250 minutes, and the adsorption process met the quasi second order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm equation, with an equilibrium adsorption rate of 88.62%. The adsorption of lead ions in solution by KOH modified hydrothermal carbon is mainly chemical physical adsorption.

Using banana peel as raw material, the adsorption properties of hydrothermal carbon pre-10 pared from banana peel modified with different concentrations of phosphoric acid solution for lead 11 ions in aqueous solution were studied. The surface structure and functional groups of the modified 12 hydrothermal carbon were analyzed by XRD and SEM. The results show that the surface of the 13 modified banana peel hydrothermal carbon prepared at 240℃ and 2mol/L phosphoric acid solution 14 has large pores. The adsorption capacity is larger when pH value is 6.When the concentration of 15 phosphoric acid solution was 2mol/L, the solid-liquid ratio was 2g/L, the adsorption capacity was 16 40.64mg/g, and the removal rate was 82.74%.When the initial concentration of lead solution in-17 creased to 100mg/L, the adsorption capacity of modified hydrothermal carbon for lead ion increased 18 to 76.81mg/g, and the removal rate decreased to 76.81%.The equilibrium adsorption time of banana 19 peel phosphoric acid modified hydrothermal carbon for lead ions in solution is 300min. The adsorp-20 tion process satisfies the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm equation. The 21 reaction temperature is 313K, and the equilibrium adsorption capacity can reach 101.19mg/g. The 22 adsorption of Pb ions in aqueous solution by phosphoric acid modified hydrothermal carbon is 23 dominated by single layer chemisorption. The artificial neural network has a fitting correlation of 24 0.99, and the adsorption process includes physical adsorption, electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, 25 and surface complexation.

This manuscript explores sustainable agriculture's role in mitigating environmental challenges and meeting the nutritional needs of a growing global population. The objective is to assess the impact of different fertilizers on two distinct tomato-growing soils, each characterized by unique chemical and biological properties. The study compares four fertilizer treatments: Additionally, it evaluates the environmental implications of these fertilizers, focusing on their Carbon and Water Footprints. The findings indicate significant improvements in soil quality with SBO fertilizer. Both soils experienced a shift towards a near-neutral pH, increased organic matter content, and heightened microbial biomass. Enzyme activities were notably superior in SBO-treated soils. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results demonstrate that the SBO-based system is the most sustainable, with the lowest Carbon footprint. NPK exerts the highest environmental impact. The Water Footprint analysis aligns with these results, showing that SBO requires the least water for tomato production. In summary, this study underscores the significance of sustainable fertilization practices in improving soil quality and reducing environmental footprints in agriculture, offering potential benefits for food production and environmental conservation.

Polymers' controlled pyrolysis is an economical and environmentally friendly solution to prepare activated carbon. However, due to the experimental difficulty in measuring the dependence between tissues and pyrolysis parameters at high temperatures, the unknown pyrolysis mechanism hinders access to the target products with desirable morphologies and performances. In this study, we investigate the pyrolysis process of polystyrene under different heating rates and temperatures employing reactive molecular dynamics (ReaxFF-MD) simulations. A clear profile of the generation of pyrolysis products determined by the temperature and heating rate is constructed. It is found that the heating rate affects the type and amount of pyrolysis intermediates and their timing, and low-rate heating helps yield more diverse pyrolysis intermediates. While the temperature affects the pyrolytic tissues of the final equilibrium products, either too low or too high a target temperature is detrimental to generating large areas of graphitized tissue. The established theoretical evolution process matches experiments well, thus contributing to preparing target activated carbons by referring to the regulatory mechanism of pyrolytic tissues.