Sinolight (China)

Abstract Microplastics pollution has been documented in the global environment, including at sea, in freshwater and in atmospheric fallout. Ingestion of microplastics by multiple kinds of organisms has been reported and has received increasing attention, because microplastics not only act as a source of toxic chemicals but also a sink for toxic chemicals. To better understand the great concerns about microplastics and associated toxic chemicals potential exposed to the organisms ingesting the debris, we should know more about the occurrence, fate, and risks of microplastics in the environment. What we should do depends on this better understanding. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:476–482. © 2017 SETAC Key Points Microplastics were found in the marine environment, the freshwater environment, and atmospheric fallout. Microplastics not only act as a source of toxic chemicals but also a sink for toxic chemicals. Fate of microplastics might associate with sedimentation, shore deposition, nanofragmentation, and ingestion. Further research is needed, and what we should do depends on better understanding.

Abstract Early works 1 and recent advances in thin-film lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ) on insulator have enabled low-loss photonic integrated circuits 2,3 , modulators with improved half-wave voltage 4,5 , electro-optic frequency combs 6 and on-chip electro-optic devices, with applications ranging from microwave photonics to microwave-to-optical quantum interfaces 7 . Although recent advances have demonstrated tunable integrated lasers based on LiNbO 3 (refs. 8,9 ), the full potential of this platform to demonstrate frequency-agile, narrow-linewidth integrated lasers has not been achieved. Here we report such a laser with a fast tuning rate based on a hybrid silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 )–LiNbO 3 photonic platform and demonstrate its use for coherent laser ranging. Our platform is based on heterogeneous integration of ultralow-loss Si 3 N 4 photonic integrated circuits with thin-film LiNbO 3 through direct bonding at the wafer level, in contrast to previously demonstrated chiplet-level integration 10 , featuring low propagation loss of 8.5 decibels per metre, enabling narrow-linewidth lasing (intrinsic linewidth of 3 kilohertz) by self-injection locking to a laser diode. The hybrid mode of the resonator allows electro-optic laser frequency tuning at a speed of 12 × 10 15 hertz per second with high linearity and low hysteresis while retaining the narrow linewidth. Using a hybrid integrated laser, we perform a proof-of-concept coherent optical ranging (FMCW LiDAR) experiment. Endowing Si 3 N 4 photonic integrated circuits with LiNbO 3 creates a platform that combines the individual advantages of thin-film LiNbO 3 with those of Si 3 N 4 , which show precise lithographic control, mature manufacturing and ultralow loss 11,12 .

Nickel oxide (NiO) is a promising candidate for future electrochromic supercapacitors due to its pronounced electrical properties and low cost. Unfortunately, the weak interaction between NiO films and conductive substrates results in poor cycling stability. In addition, the long color-switching time and low capacitance by the small lattice spacing in dense NiO impede its practical applications seriously. Herein, a hierarchical porous NiO film/ITO glass bifunctional electrode has been prepared via the solvothermal and subsequent calcination process of growing MOF-74 in situ on ITO, which shows outstanding cycle reversibility, excellent capacitance, high coloration efficiency and short color-switching time. Because of the strong binding force between the NiO film and substrate, and large surface areas with a hierarchical porous structure which are beneficial to the ion transport, the NiO film demonstrates perfect capacitive and electrochromic properties. As a bifunctional electrode, the NiO film shows a specific capacitance of 2.08 F cm-2 at 1 mA cm-2, large optical modulation of 41.08% and about 86% of optical modulation retention after 10 000 cycles. Furthermore, we assembled a bifunctional device whose energy condition can be roughly estimated according to the color state of the device. This finding can provide us with a new application of MOFs in the dual device of electrochromic supercapacitors.

for ENR. Satisfactory recoveries of the two FQs from spiked lake, sea and tap water samples at three concentration levels were attained in the range of 80.9-101.0% with relative standard deviations of 0.9-6.9%. The present study not only has great potential for applications in FQ determination, but will also enrich research into dual/multi-template imprinting.

Cancer can invade or spread to almost all parts of the body. The increasing morbidity and high mortality of cancer create a great demand for the development of novel anticancer drugs. Coumarin derivatives are ubiquitous in nature and can readily interact with diverse enzymes and receptors in cancer cells via weak bond interactions; hence, coumarin is a highly privileged pharmacophore for the development of novel anticancer agents. This review will focus on the recent development of coumarin hybrids as potential anticancer agents covering articles published from 2019 to 2020.

In cold and semi-arid Northeast China, insufficient soil accumulative temperature and low water use efficiency (WUE) are the limiting factors for the further development of agriculture. Ridge tillage (RT) has been proposed to improve soil temperature and water conservation. Data from a 3-year field experiment conducted at two locations (Sujiatun and Lanxi) in Northeast China were used to compare RT, no-tillage (NT), and conventional tillage (CT) in a spring maize cropping system. At both sites, RT and NT significantly (P < 0.05) increased mean soil temperature to 0.10 m depth, relative to CT, by 0.7–2.4°C in the cold season during the spring maize growing stage. Mean soil moisture depletion in the RT treatment was greater by 1.2–4.1% (Sujiatun) and 0.6–3.0% (Lanxi) than in NT and CT, respectively. Mean maize yields over 3 years for RT were ~9.9% greater than for CT, whereas the yield advantage in the NT treatment was only slight. In Sujiatun, WUE was 8.0% and 8.6% greater under RT than under NT and CT, respectively, and in Lanxi, WUE was 7.7% and 9.6% greater under RT than NT and CT. Ridge tillage is recommended to the farmers to obtain higher crop yield and WUE in Northeast China.

PBM therapy may be a promising noninvasive approach for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

The Chinese strong aroma-type liquor ( Baijiu ) fermentation environment is a typical medium-chain fatty acid-producing system with complex nutrients. Although several studies have revealed the correlation between microbial community composition and abiotic factors, the adaptation mechanisms of dominant species to abiotic environment are still unknown in this special anaerobic habitat.

An efficient spin orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) was demonstrated in non-orthogonal compact carbazole-perylenebisimide electron donor/acceptor dyads.

Abstract Water is the most limiting factor for crop production in dryland farming. A better understanding of the long‐term impact of tillage and residue management systems on soil structure and water infiltration is necessary for the further development of conservation tillage practice to improve water use efficiency. The objectives of this study were to assess the influence of no‐till with residue retention (NT) and conventional (plough) tillage with residue removal (CT) on soil properties and soil water transmission characteristics in a winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) monoculture system in Shanxi, on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Soil physical parameter measurements were made in the top 30 cm depth in September 2007 after 16 years under the two tillage treatments. Compared with CT treatment, NT significantly (P < 0.05) reduced soil bulk density (7.1%) in the 20–30 cm soil layer, and increased macroporosity (>60 μm, 17.0%) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (249%) in the 15–30 cm soil layer. There were no significant differences in these soil physical properties between tillage systems in the 0–15 cm layer. In addition, plant available water and water infiltration rate were greater in the NT treatment. The improved soil quality parameters and water infiltration from this long‐term experiment indicate that no‐tillage with residue retention is a promising farming system for the dryland farming areas of northern China.

As the dielectric constant decreases, the ESIPT reaction occurs more easily and TICT is good at emitting double fluorescence.

In this study, a novel carbon nanotube (CNT) based nanocatalyst (Ni@Pd/CNT) was synthesized by modifying CNTs using Ni@Pd core-shell nanoparticles (NPs). Ni@Pd/CNT was used in catalytic carbonylative cross-coupling between 4-iodoanisole and phenylboronic acid. The Ni@Pd NPs possessed a magnetic nickel (Ni) core with a palladium (Pd) structural composite shell. Thus, the use of Ni had led to a reduced consumption of Pd without sacrificing the overall catalytic performance, simultaneously making it reusable as it could be conveniently recovered from the reaction mixture by using an external magnetic field. Immobilization of the Ni@Pd NPs on carbon nanotubes not only prevented their aggregation, but also significantly enhanced the accessibility of the catalytically active sites. The abovementioned approach based on carbon nanotubes and Ni@Pd NPs provided a useful platform for the fabrication of noble-metal-based nanocatalysts with easy accessibility and low cost, which may allow for an efficient green alternative for various catalytic reductions.

Raw bentonite (RB) was chemically modified by citric acid (CA) to obtain a low-cost and environment-friendly citric acid incorporated bentonite (CAB) adsorbent, which was applied for the adsorptive removal of Congo Red (CR). The effect of adsorbent dosage, contact time, ionic strength, surfactant and pH on adsorption was investigated. Adsorption equilibrium data fitted well with Langmuir model while the Langmuir adsorption capacity of CR on CAB reached up to 384 mg·g‒1. Furthermore, CR adsorption on CAB followed pseudo-second kinetic model while intra-particle diffusion was not the only rate-limiting step as determined from intra-particle diffusion model investigation. RB and CAB were characterized by XRD, FT-IR and BET techniques. A proposed mechanism for the adsorption of CR over CAB suggested chemical adsorption phenomenon mainly controlled by chelation, hydrogen bonding and fixing.

Summary Peach is a highly significant economic fruit renowned for its juicy flesh, delectable taste, and pleasant aroma, which has made it a consumer favourite. Improving fruit quality often involves enhancing its aroma, as it is widely acknowledged that the aroma of a fruit plays a crucial role. However, the formation of aroma volatiles is dynamic and varies with fruit development and ripening and is closely linked to genetic background, cultivation management, and post‐harvest treatment. In recent years, many studies have been conducted to investigate the biosynthetic pathways involved in generating fruit aroma. However, the understanding of the underlying regulatory mechanisms remains limited. With the advancement in molecular biology and multi‐omics techniques, researchers have gained fresh insights into the molecular functions of peach genes, which holds significant implications for enhancing fruit flavour and advancing modern breeding programs. This review aims to summarise the most recent findings pertaining to aroma volatile compounds, shed light on the underlying regulatory mechanisms, and dissect the primary fields of peach fruit aroma research. Its purpose is to provide critical information that will facilitate a profound investigation into the specific components responsible for peach aroma and the mechanisms by which they are regulated.

Neuromorphic photonic computing has emerged as a competitive computing paradigm to overcome the bottlenecks of the von-Neumann architecture. Linear weighting and nonlinear spike activation are two fundamental functions of a photonic spiking neural network (PSNN). However, they are separately implemented with different photonic materials and devices, hindering the large-scale integration of PSNN. Here, we propose, fabricate and experimentally demonstrate a photonic neuro-synaptic chip enabling the simultaneous implementation of linear weighting and nonlinear spike activation based on a distributed feedback (DFB) laser with a saturable absorber (DFB-SA). A prototypical system is experimentally constructed to demonstrate the parallel weighted function and nonlinear spike activation. Furthermore, a four-channel DFB-SA laser array is fabricated for realizing matrix convolution of a spiking convolutional neural network, achieving a recognition accuracy of 87% for the MNIST dataset. The fabricated neuro-synaptic chip offers a fundamental building block to construct the large-scale integrated PSNN chip.

An organo-cobalt coordination complex (Co-H4APD), based on phosphonitrile-azacycles, was prepared by hydrothermal method. The flame retardancy, smoke suppression and thermal stability of epoxy (EP) composites were investigate by means of limited oxygen index (LOI), cone calorimeter test (CONE) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The flame retardant modes of action of Co-H4APD in EP were confirmed by experiments, such as thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (TG-FTIR-GC/MS), exploring condense and gas-phase products after composites pyrolysis or combustion. Results revealed that the introduction of 6 wt.% Co-H4APD increased LOI value to 29.8% and effectively suppressed heat/smoke release of EP composites. The synergistic charring effect of Co-H4APD improved the thermal stability and char-forming ability of composites. The char strength may be well-correlated with gas release for EP/Co-H4APD, conducive to form dense and regularly expanded char layer, with more phosphorus-rich graphitic structures and cross-linking structures catalyzed by cobalt ions. This high-quality char layer was regarded as the most critical side in improving the flame retardant and smoke suppression performance of EP composites. The gas-phase function of Co-H4APD should not be overlooked due to releasing phosphorous-based radicals during pyrolysis, exhibiting flame inhibition effect in gas phase. More efficient interactions between phosphazene and cobalt within one molecule unit of Co-H4APD contributed to its more obvious reduction of the combustion and smoke production than those of the physical mixing system of CoO + H4APD.

We report here, for the first time, the BOP-mediated one-pot macrocyclization that is facilitated and guided by internally placed intramolecular H-bonds to allow for the highly selective formation of five-residue cation-binding macrocycles.

Background: Transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM) is a noninvasive modality that may improve cognitive function in both healthy and diseased subjects. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis addresses the question of whether t-PBM improves cognitive function in healthy adults. Methods: We searched MEDLINE using PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library up to March 2019. We also searched ProQuest and Google Scholar databases for unpublished material. The search was limited to articles on the procognitive effects of t-PBM in healthy adults. The initial search resulted in 871 studies, of which nine publications met our criteria for inclusion and exclusion. Seven studies were performed on young, healthy subjects (17–35 years), and two studies were conducted on older (≥49 years), normal subjects. A meta-analysis was performed on six full-text publications whose subjects were young adults. Results: t-PBM administration improved cognition-related outcomes by an 0.833 standardized mean difference (SMD; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.458–1.209, 14 comparisons) in young, healthy participants. Funnel plotting revealed asymmetry, which was validated using Egger's ( p = 0.030) and Begg's regression ( p = 0.006) tests. However after reanalysis, this asymmetry disappeared in the attention subgroup, but not in the memory subgroup. The trim-and-fill analysis indicated two studies were lacking required data. Thus, the effect size was adjusted from an SMD of 0.761 (95% CI: 0.573–0.949) to 0.949 (0.779–1.120). The overall quality score of the studies was modest. Conclusions: We demonstrated a significant, beneficial effect of t-PBM on cognitive performance of young, healthy individuals; however, the heterogeneity of the data was high. This could be due to the modest quality or to the low number of included studies, or to the differences between the various subdomains assessed. These shortcomings should be meticulously addressed before concluding that t-PBM is a cognitive-enhancing intervention in healthy individuals.

To fabricate excellent electrochemical supercapacitors, 3D porous copper sulfide flower dispersed carbon nanotube on nickel foam (CuS–CNTs@NF) with high energy density and stability were synthesized <italic>via</italic> a simple one-step solvothermal method.

Industrial production and domestic discharge produce a large amount of oily wastewater, which seriously affects the stability of the ecological environment. Membrane separation technology provides another path to treating oily wastewater. And appropriate surface modification of the membrane helps to achieve high efficiency of treating oily wastewater. With green, economy and stability been more concerned. The focal research reports a completely biodegradable all cellulose composite filter paper (ACCFP) composed of I-cellulose macrofibers and II-cellulose matrix. It is a simple one-step impregnation method to adjust the surface microstructure of the pristine filter paper (PFP), and it does not involve with chemical reaction. The pre-wetted ACCFP consist of II-cellulose hydrogel and I-cellulose reinforcement in the process of oil-water separation. This layer of hydrogel is the fundamental to underwater superoleophobicity, which determines their eligibility for applications of efficient oil-water mixture or oil-in-water (oil/water) emulsion separation. The separation efficiency of oil-water mixture and oil/water emulsion exceed 95% and 99.9%, respectively. In addition, excellent mechanical properties of ACCFP in dry and wet conditions ensure its stability in service and prolong service life in applications. The focal study provides a new method for high-performance oil-water separation and it is more in line with sustainable chemistry.