Constituent Structure Research Articles

Interactive structure building in sentence production

How speakers sequence words and phrases remains a central question in cognitive psychology. Here we focused on understanding the representations and processes that underlie structural priming, the speaker’s tendency to repeat sentence structures encountered earlier. Verb repetition from the prime to the target led to a stronger tendency to produce locative variants of the spray-load alternation following locative primes (e.g., load the boxes into the van) than following with primes (e.g., load the van with the boxes). These structural variants had the same constituent structure, ruling out abstract syntactic structure as the source of the verb boost effect. Furthermore, using cleft constructions (e.g., What the assistant loaded into the lift was the equipment), we found that the thematic role order (thematic role-position mappings) of the prime can persist separately from its argument structure (thematic role-syntactic function mappings). Moreover, both priming effects were enhanced by verb repetition and interacted with each other when the construction of the prime was also repeated in the target. These findings are incompatible with the traditional staged model of grammatical encoding, which postulates the independence of abstract syntax from thematic role information. We propose the interactive structure-building account, according to which speakers build a sentence structure by choosing a thematic role order and argument structure interactively based on their prior co-occurrence together with other structurally relevant information such as verbs and constructions.

The comparative meaning and structure of idiom in korean novel Phalshipinyeonsaeng Kim Ji Young (82 년생 김지영) with its Indonesian translation (study of semantics and syntax)

Before expressing an opinion, people typically sort and choose their words, for example, selecting terms they believe to be more subtle. Hence, this research aims to discuss the comparison between the meaning and structure of idioms in a novel. The data were taken from the Korean novel as the source language, Phalshipinyeonsaeng Kim Ji Young (82 년생 김지영) by Cho Nam Joo and its translation in Indonesian as the target language, Kim Ji Yeong, Lahir Tahun 1982. Thus, the purpose of this research is to understand the comparison of meanings and structures in idioms of two different languages. This research used a descriptive qualitative method with the results of comparative meaning and structure of idioms from the source language and the target language by discussing semantic studies in the form of their lexical meanings and idiomatic meanings, as well as syntax studies through the constituent structures of these idioms as their theoretical approach. The findings showed the translation techniques, such as translating idioms into idioms, idioms into nonidioms, nonidioms into idioms, and translation by omission of entire idioms. Also, the findings showed the meaning equivalence whether it’s formal or dynamic equivalence in idioms translation that the translator used to convey the message from the author to the reader.

Compositionality and constituent structure in the analogue mind

AbstractI argue that analogue mental representations possess a canonical decomposition into privileged constituents from which they compose. I motivate this suggestion, and rebut arguments to the contrary, through reflection on the approximate number system, whose representations are widely expected to have an analogue format. I then argue that arguments for the compositionality and constituent structure of these analogue representations generalize to other analogue mental representations posited in the human mind, such as those in early vision and visual imagery.

Evaluating potential of leaf reflectance spectra to monitor plant genetic variation

Remote sensing of vegetation by spectroscopy is increasingly used to characterize trait distributions in plant communities. How leaves interact with electromagnetic radiation is determined by their structure and contents of pigments, water, and abundant dry matter constituents like lignins, phenolics, and proteins. High-resolution (“hyperspectral”) spectroscopy can characterize trait variation at finer scales, and may help to reveal underlying genetic variation—information important for assessing the potential of populations to adapt to global change. Here, we use a set of 360 inbred genotypes of the wild coyote tobacco Nicotiana attenuata: wild accessions, recombinant inbred lines (RILs), and transgenic lines (TLs) with targeted changes to gene expression, to dissect genetic versus non-genetic influences on variation in leaf spectra across three experiments. We calculated leaf reflectance from hand-held field spectroradiometer measurements covering visible to short-wave infrared wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation (400–2500 nm) using a standard radiation source and backgrounds, resulting in a small and quantifiable measurement uncertainty. Plants were grown in more controlled (glasshouse) or more natural (field) environments, and leaves were measured both on- and off-plant with the measurement set-up thus also in more to less controlled environmental conditions. Entire spectra varied across genotypes and environments. We found that the greatest variance in leaf reflectance was explained by between-experiment and non-genetic between-sample differences, with subtler and more specific variation distinguishing groups of genotypes. The visible spectral region was most variable, distinguishing experimental settings as well as groups of genotypes within experiments, whereas parts of the short-wave infrared may vary more specifically with genotype. Overall, more genetically variable plant populations also showed more varied leaf spectra. We highlight key considerations for the application of field spectroscopy to assess genetic variation in plant populations.

Optimization of Core–Shell Nanoparticles Using a Combination of Machine Learning and Ising Machine

Machine‐learning‐based optimization techniques are widely used for designing complex materials. However, an efficient search for the complex systems, where a combinatorial explosion occurs in the materials search space, is still challenging. Core–shell nanoparticles (CSNPs) are an example of a complex system with a high degree of freedom owing to their complicated structure and multiple constituent materials. In this study, a new black box optimization technique is developed. In this method, the structure of the CSNPs is optimized using an Ising machine and their constituent materials are selected using Bayesian optimization with the optical properties of the materials as the “descriptors”. Aiming for applications to i‐line photolithography, the authors search for CSNPs that are transparent to ultraviolet light of wavelength 355–375 nm and opaque to visible light of wavelength 400–830 nm. The transmittance spectra of the nanoparticles are obtained using a Mie theory calculator. The proposed nanoparticles with the best optical properties have a multilayered structure with a radius of approximately 40 nm and an outer shell composed of either Mg or Pb. The results indicate that a combination of various optimization techniques is more efficient in discovering the better complex materials.

WORD ORDER STRATEGIES IN THE OLD HIGH GERMAN NEGATIVE SENTENCE

This paper presents a description of word order patterns in Old High German with special emphasis given to the negative constructions. The Old Germanic syntax exhibits a relatively high variety in ordering constituents in the surface sentence structure, derived from the SOV-, SVO- and VSO-patterns. The study highlights the peculiarities of OHG word order with its verb-first, verb-second, and verd-third/last position of the finite verb regarding the conditions of such syntactic arrangement. The special attention is paid to the negative clauses, with the emphatically charged NEG-clitic in the proposition to the foregrounded finite verb. Sentence negation strategies in OHG (eighth-eleventh century) that display early signs of grammaticalization have been presented in the context of the available linguistic triggers, i.e., structural pressure and discourse specific to requirements of the texts under consideration. The paper provides the data-based analysis of NEG V1 patterns, retrieved from the OHG sources, aiming to show the role of the negative clitic in the word order arrangement. We assume that it was the interaction between the specific samples of the Old High German discourse and grammar that brought about the foregrounding of the negated head-initial VP. The discourse prose is regarded as a special case in the overall bulk of texts in the religious prose. The material shows that preposed negative clitic is placed separately or merged with the finite verb. The last option is represented rather strong in the negative verb-initial sentences. It is claimed that negation itself is an influential factor of the verb-first word order tightly related to the discourse peculiarities, shaped by the features of the religious texts of the mentioned period.

Bibliometric Analysis of Deep Learning for Social Media Hate Speech Detection

Social media has become an important web technology for creating and sharing information plus enhancing business reputations worldwide. However, the anonymity accorded by social media platforms has been cryptically vituperated to spread horrendous content such as hate speech. Recently, researchers have been progressively gravitating towards the use of deep learning techniques to address the problem of social media hate speech detection. This study provides bibliometric analysis and mapping of the existing literature on hate speech detection using deep learning algorithms. The study used articles published between 2016 and 2022 from the Scopus database, while Vos Viewer, Biblioshiny, and Panda’s software tools were employed for the bibliometric analysis. The research explored the yearly trajectory of recent publications, dominant countries, collaborative institutions, sources of primary studies that have employed deep learning for hate speech detection, and the intellectual and social structures of the research constituents. It has been observed that the literature on hate speech detection is rapidly growing, but research output and collaborations from the developing countries of the world are still limited. The findings of this study provide insights into the intellectual structure and advancements in deep learning applications for hate speech detection while identifying research gaps for future work.

Boosting synergism of chemo- and immuno-therapies via switching paclitaxel-induced apoptosis to mevalonate metabolism-triggered ferroptosis by bisphosphonate coordination lipid nanogranules

Conventional chemotherapy based on cytotoxic drugs is facing tough challenges recently following the advances of monoclonal antibodies and molecularly targeted drugs. It is critical to inspire new potential to remodel the value of this classical therapeutic strategy. Here, we fabricate bisphosphonate coordination lipid nanogranules (BC-LNPs) and load paclitaxel (PTX) to boost the chemo- and immuno-therapeutic synergism of cytotoxic drugs. Alendronate in BC-LNPs@PTX, a bisphosphonate to block mevalonate metabolism, works as both the structure and drug constituent in nanogranules, where alendronate coordinated with calcium ions to form the particle core. The synergy of alendronate enhances the efficacy of paclitaxel, suppresses tumor metastasis, and alters the cytotoxic mechanism. Differing from the paclitaxel-induced apoptosis, the involvement of alendronate inhibits the mevalonate metabolism, changes the mitochondrial morphology, disturbs the redox homeostasis, and causes the accumulation of mitochondrial ROS and lethal lipid peroxides (LPO). These factors finally trigger the ferroptosis of tumor cells, an immunogenic cell death mode, which remodels the suppressive tumor immune microenvironment and synergizes with immunotherapy. Therefore, by switching paclitaxel-induced apoptosis to mevalonate metabolism-triggered ferroptosis, BC-LNPs@PTX provides new insight into the development of cytotoxic drugs and highlights the potential of metabolism regulation in cancer therapy.

The functional role of earthworm mucus during aggregation

AbstractBackgroundSoil organisms influence pedogenesis on a molecular level through the production of biopolymers which interact with soil minerals depending on their molecular properties. Specifically, biopolymers impact structure formation by inhibiting aggregation as a separation agent or promoting aggregation as a bridging agent. Mucus is a biopolymer excreted by earthworms that consists mainly of proteins, polysaccharides, and, to a lesser extent, lipids. However, despite earthworms’ fundamental contribution to soil quality and structuring via bioturbation, the role of mucus in aggregation still has to be unraveled.AimsOur study explores the role of cutaneous earthworm mucus (CEM) of Lumbricus terrestris L. for the formation of organo–mineral associations and aggregates, a sub‐process of pedogenesis.MethodsWe conducted batch experiments with goethite and CEM at different pH values and varying CEM concentrations to form mucus–goethite associations. Employing the newly formed mucus–goethite associations, we explored the (homo‐/hetero‐)aggregation with quartz particles as a function of the loading of surfaces with mucus‐C and CEM concentrations in solution.ResultsOur results suggest that the molecular structure of CEM constituents (especially proteins) is sensitive to pH. We found that the adsorption of CEM to goethite depends on pH and concentration. Polysaccharides of CEM adsorbed preferentially under acidic conditions (pH 3) and at low CEM concentration (6 mg mucus‐C L–1). In contrast, stronger adsorption of proteins was observed at higher CEM concentrations (30 mg mucus‐C L–1). In subsequent aggregation experiments, the hetero‐aggregation rate of organo–mineral associations and quartz decreased at low C‐loadings. Conversely, the rate increased at high loadings compared to the CEM‐free reference. Furthermore, electrostatic/steric repulsion (separation agent) inhibited the aggregation between goethite particles at high CEM concentrations in the solution (mineral/mucus ratio of 17). However, at a low CEM supply (mineral/mucus ratio of >83), CEM took the role of a bridging agent.ConclusionsThe composition, function, and (im‐)mobilization of CEM and corresponding organo–mineral associations in earthworm‐influenced soil structures are shaped by the structure/reactivity of CEM affected by environmental parameters. Formation and aggregation of mucus–mineral associations contribute to nutrient/carbon storage and are involved in the structure formation in soil.

PHRASAL VERBS FOUND IN NOVEL “THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END” BY ADAM SILVERA

The title of this research is “Phrasal Verbs Found in Novel “They Both Die at The End” By Adam Silvera”. The data source of this research is the novel They Both Die at The End by Adam Silvera (2017). The problems investigated in this research are; what kind of phrasal verbs and what constituent structures are used for phrasal verbs in Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at The End? The theories applied are by Halliday and Matthiessen about phrasal verbs, and by Van Valin about tree diagrams. This research used the qualitative method. This research consisted of three steps. The first step was reading the novel. Furthermore, the data collection was conducted by note-taking. After that, the data were classified into their kind and their constituent structure. The result of the research showed that three kinds of phrasal verbs were found in Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at The End. The kinds are verb + adverb, verb + preposition, and verb + adverb + preposition. The constituent structure of each sentence with phrasal verbs showed that phrasal verbs can be transitive and intransitive. Transitive phrasal verbs mean that it requires a direct object. Transitive phrasal verbs can be separable which means the verb and particle are separated by a noun, and inseparable which means the verb and particle cannot be separated by a noun.
 Keywords: constituent; kind; phrasal verbs

Incongruent Enjambments: The Case of Classical French Verse

In versified texts, congruence is one facet of the concordance between the edges of metrical constituents and those of grammatical constituents. Congruence may be characterized roughly as the requirement that no element within a syntactic constituent be in a stronger metrical position than the final element in that constituent. If break strength is defined in terms applicable to any constituent structure tree, syntactic as well as metrical, incongruences are discrepancies between the relative strengths of two breaks in metrical structure and the relative strengths of their counterparts in syntactic structure. Although our primary source of data is classical French verse, the characterization of congruence we present is a rather abstract one that does not make reference to features that are specific to French poetic forms or to the grammatical structure of the French language. This should make this characterization applicable in other poetic traditions.

A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT WIDOW IN GERMAN, UKRAINIAN, AND ENGLISH LINGUOCULTURES

The paper presents the research of ethnic peculiarities of conceptualization of reality, objectified with the help of culturally marked words denoting a widow, which form the corresponding parts of the German, Ukrainian, and English language world models. The purpose of the research is to give a contrastive analysis of the verbalizations of the concept WIDOW in the German, Ukrainian, and English linguocultures.
 The paper uses a comprehensive methodology that combines the following methods: contrastive – to identify common and distinctive features of the concept WIDOW in the languages under comparison; conceptual-semiotic analysis – to reveal the cognitive mechanisms of the embodiment of the concept; contextual-interpretive analysis – to clarify the peculiarities of the representation of the concept in paremiae.
 In the highlight of contrastive ethnolinguistic studies and theory of conceptual analysis, a structure-semantic reconstruction of the concept WIDOW is performed, and the principles of its semantic-conceptual organization in the German, English, and Ukrainian language pictures of the world are revealed. The set of the conceptual and semantic marks is determined, due to the concept structure constituents (conceptual proper, imagery-associative and value), the main ideographic conceptual domains are revealed, the analyzed concept being axiologically marked and its associative linkage, due to the scope of its conceptual correlates, are determined. Factors that influence the conceptualization of the objective reality by the given ethnic groups are determined. Certain ethnocultural and ethnolinguistic peculiarities and general characteristics of verbalization of the concept WIDOW peculiar to the languages under study are found out.
 The analyses of widow nominations showed the allomorphism of national peculiarities of conceptualization of reality, which are influenced by archetype types, historical and cultural actuality. It is shown that WIDOW in Ukrainian culture can be viewed as a taboo concept which content is marked by negative axiological status due to the socio-cultural views formed in the period predetermining the inadmissibility of its direct naming in relevant social situations.

THE FORMATION OF A CONCEPTUAL AND CATEGORICAL APPARATUS FOR RESEARCH ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ECONOMIC SECURITY OF AGRARIAN ENTERPRISES

Initial conceptualization of economic security issues, its systematization, and logicization with the help of basic conceptual structures creates prerequisites for understanding the principles and methods of analysis of manifestations, resource base, and trends of economic security development. Within the framework of various economic paradigms, they are developing their approaches to the content and technology of the cognitive process, its capabilities, and reliability. Taking into account the geostrategic tasks of Ukraine, the experience of implementing the state food security strategy, it is essential to rethink the concept of Ukraine’s national interests in the economic sphere, assess new challenges and threats to economic security and, on this basis, prepare a new state strategy, as well as a mechanism for its implementation. The systems of economic activity, management, and compliance with the economic security of subjects of economic relations differ functionally and spatially. A significant part of economic phenomena, processes, several business entities, and economic relations are beyond the influence of the elements of the economic security system. All this actualizes the problem of analyzing information at the “output”, primarily indicators of the effectiveness of the functioning of enterprises, organizations, individual industries, the quality and standard of living of employees, and the population as a whole, since these indicators act not only as indicators of social and economic well-being but also as criteria, by which it is possible to judge the level of internal threats to ensure sustainable and safe economic development. In the conditions of free market relations, the process of decentralizing the state management system in ensuring economic security, the role of economic managers of agro-industrial complex enterprises and organizations of all forms of ownership, vast and medium, is increasing. The content of this type of management, its functional, technological, and other features, is primarily determined by the state of the country’s economy and its industries as an object of management. Ensuring the economic security of enterprises in the agrarian sector of Ukraine depends on the constituent structures of the agricultural sector since the agrarian sector is closely connected with the entire agrarian complex of the country.

Construction of wool-shaped heterostructure structure CoNi/NF-P electrocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

Constructing high-activity, cost-efficient and long-term stability electrocatalysts plays a key role in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) via water electrolysis. Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have caused concern due to their abundant active sites, unique physicochemical properties, and tunable constituent structures. Rational design of heterojunction electrocatalysts can effectively improve electrochemical activity by synergistic effect, electronic interaction and strain effect. Herein, inspired by the structural superiority of TMPs and heterostructural catalysts, we prepared wool-shaped cobalt-nickel phosphide (CoNi/NF-P) in-situ grown on nickel foam (NF) applied to HER under the alkaline condition by hydrothermal and calcination. CoNi/NF-P exhibited a low overpotential of 111.3 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a small value of Tafel slope of 67.7 mV dec−1 and sustained stability up to 30 h at about 20 mA cm−2 for HER. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation indicates that the bimetallic synergistic effect facilitates the HER reaction kinetics by inducing strong hydrophilicity and hydrogen adsorption-free energy close to 0. This work will further broaden the horizon for 2D TMPs and heterojunction electrocatalyst applications in the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.

Random ionic polymers: Salt-triggered reversible vesicular self-assembly in water

NaCl salt as an external stimulus triggers the self-assembly of ionic polymers and offers a convenient route to structuring vesicular reversible polymeric nanoparticles. In this contribution, amphiphilic random imidazolium ionic polymers are synthesized by roping the partial anion exchange and the choice of N-substituent. These polymers are evaluated for their self-assembly behavior in water, and it is strengthened by dye encapsulation application in water through self-assembly. The effects of salt and pH study demonstrated the reversibility of self-assembly. The self-assembled nano-aggregates are thermoresponsive at the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) (Cp 47 °C). The synergic balance between hydrogen bonding and ionic self-assembly is attributed to the constituents in the macromolecular structure, making these polyionic liquids (PILs) a “smart” responsive system in water upon the addition of external stimuli, such as NaCl and KPF6. This self-assembly is acquired with partial anion exchange and salt balance in the water. The unusual interfacial activity of polymer to form a regular shape eventually to surfaces organic dye molecule serving as a type of stabilizer or scavenger evidenced by nano-size and vesicular morphology analysis.

Phytochemical, Pharmacognostic, and Pharmacological Aspects of Ricinus Communis Seed Oil: An Overview

Background: Castor oil is a multipurpose vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the Ricinus communis from the family Euphorbiaceae. The castor oil contains a mixture of esters of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids such as ricinoleic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid linked to glycerol. The unique structure of major constituents of castor oil offers several functionalization possibilities for transforming it into advanced functional material. Although castor oil is considered nonedible, after purification, it is widely used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Objective: The objective of this paper is to review and compile the research work on castor oil, its chemical composition, and different methods of extraction with their significance, and the use of castor oil and its derivatives in healthcare, agriculture, and industrial applications. Methods: The literature related to castor oil and its applications was collected through different websites, academic research portals, and databases, sorted and presented in this review. Results: Castor oil has been investigated for several medicinal applications including, antiulcer, antimicrobial, bone degeneration, wound healing, and immune-booster, etc. Recently, castor oil and its derivatives have been explored as lubricants, bioadhesives, polishing agents, insecticides, fertilizers, biodiesel production, and vehicles for various drug delivery systems. This review summarizes the chemical composition of castor oil, various methods for its extraction and purification, castor oil derivatives, and different pharmacological, medicinal, industrial, and drug delivery applications. Conclusion: The castor oil and its derivatives offer numerous potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and cosmetic industry that has opened up several opportunities for research in this area.

Excess BMI in early adolescence adversely impacts maturating functional circuits supporting high-level cognition and their structural correlates.

Adverse effects of excess BMI (affecting 1 in 5 children in the US) on brain circuits during neurodevelopmentally vulnerable periods are incompletely understood. This study investigated BMI-related alterations in maturating functional networks and their underlying brain structures, and high-level cognition in early adolescence. Cross-sectional resting-state fMRI, structural sMRI, neurocognitive task scores, and BMI from 4922 youth [median (IQR) age = 120.0 (13.0) months, 2572 females (52.25%)] from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) cohort were analyzed. Comprehensive topological and morphometric network properties were estimated from fMRI and sMRI, respectively. Cross-validated linear regression models assessed correlations with BMI. Results were reproduced across multiple fMRI datasets. Almost 30% of youth had excess BMI, including 736 (15.0%) with overweight and 672 (13.7%) with obesity, and statistically more Black and Hispanic compared to white, Asian and non-Hispanic youth (p < 0.01). Those with obesity or overweight were less physically active, slept less than recommended, snored more frequently, and spent more time using an electronic device (p < 0.01). They also had lower topological efficiency, resilience, connectivity, connectedness and clustering in Default-Mode, dorsal attention, salience, control, limbic, and reward networks (p ≤ 0.04, Cohen's d: 0.07-0.39). Lower cortico-thalamic efficiency and connectivity were estimated only in youth with obesity (p < 0.01, Cohen's d: 0.09-0.19). Both groups had lower cortical thickness, volume and white matter intensity in these networks' constituent structures, particularly anterior cingulate, entorhinal, prefrontal, and lateral occipital cortices (p < 0.01, Cohen's d: 0.12-0.30), which also mediated inverse relationships between BMI and regional functional topologies. Youth with obesity or overweight had lower scores in a task measuring fluid reasoning - a core aspect of cognitive function, which were partially correlated with topological changes (p ≤ 0.04). Excess BMI in early adolescence may be associated with profound aberrant topological alterations in maturating functional circuits and underdeveloped brain structures that adversely impact core aspects of cognitive function.

Designing Highly Active S-g-C3N4/Te@NiS Ternary Nanocomposites for Antimicrobial Performance, Degradation of Organic Pollutants, and Their Kinetic Study

The current research is about the synthesis of pure nickel sulfide, a series of Te (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 3 wt.%)-doped NiS (Te@NiS) nanoparticles (NPs), and a series of S-g-C3N4 (10, 30, 50, 70, and 80 wt.%)/Te@NiS nanocomposites (NCs), fabricated through a hydrothermal route. XRD and FTIR spectroscopic techniques demonstrated the successful synthesis of NPs and NCs. SEM-EDX images confirmed the flakelike structure and elemental constituents of the fabricated materials. Tauc plots were drawn, to calculate the band gaps of the synthesized samples. Te doping resulted in a significant reduction in the band gap of the NiS NPs. The photocatalytic efficiency of the NPs and NCs was investigated against MB, under sunlight. The results obtained for the photocatalytic activity, showed that 1%Te@NiS nanoparticles have an excellent dye degradation capacity in sunlight. This was made even better by making a series of SGCN/1% Te@NiS nanocomposites with different amounts of S-g-C3N4. When compared to NiS, Te@NiS, SGCN, and 70%SGCN/1%Te@NiS, the 70%SGCN/1%Te@NiS NCs have excellent antifungal ability. The higher impact of SGCN/Te@NiS, may be due to its enhanced ability to disperse and interact with the membranes and intracellular proteins of fungi. The 70%SGCN/1%Te@NiS NCs showed excellent antibacterial and photocatalytic efficiency. Thus, the 70%SGCN/1%Te@NiS NCs might prove fruitful in antibacterial and photocatalytic applications.

Bioinspired Nanofibrous Aerogel with Vertically Aligned Channels for Efficient Water Purification and Salt‐Rejecting Solar Desalination

AbstractSolar steam generation has become one of the most promising strategies to relieve the freshwater crisis. Whereas, the construction of a solar‐thermal water evaporation structure that can operate continuously under sunlight to generate clean water with high efficiency, good stability, and high salt‐rejecting capability is quite crucial but challengeable. Enlightened by the water transport and transpiration process in trees, an advanced nanofibrous aerogel evaporator is fabricated with multifunctional capabilities through decoration of functional component onto an aerogel skeleton. The rational integration of hierarchical structure and functional constituents, results in outstanding solar‐vapor conversion efficiency of 96.1% and a fast evaporation rate about 2.33 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 sun. Additionally, the evaporator exhibits remarkably outdoor evaporation and highly effective salt‐resistant performances. Significantly, the evaporator can monitor salt precipitation in its inner pores in real time. This study demonstrates an eco‐friendly and economic solution for sustainable clean water production using nanofiber aerogel‐based evaporators.

Nanostructured Material and its Application in Membrane Separation Technology

Abstract: Nanomaterials are classified with their at least one dimension in the range of 1-100 nm, which offers new innovative solutions for membrane development. These are included as nanosized adsorbents, nanomembranes, nanocomposites, photocatalysts, nanotubes, nanoclays, etc. Nanomaterials are promising, exceptional properties for one of the opportunity is to prevent the global water crisis with their extraordinary performance as their usage for membrane development, particularly for water treatment process. Nanomaterial based membranes that include nanoparticles, nanofibers, 2D layered materials, and their nanostructured composites which provide superior permeation characteristics besides their antifouling, antibacterial and photodegradation properties. They are enable for providing the extraordinary properties to be used as ultrafast and ultimately selective membranes for water purification. In this review, recently developed nanomaterial based membranes and their applications for water treatment process were summarized. The main attention is given to the nanomaterial based membrane structure design. The variety in terms of constituent structure and alterations provide nanomaterial based membranes which will be expected to be a perfect separation membrane in the future.