Efficient Pathway Research Articles

Early treatment for children with mental health problems and genetic conditions through a parenting intervention (The GAP): study protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial

BackgroundChildren with genetic conditions are at increased risk for mental health and neurodevelopmental problems, often accompanied by significant parental distress. Genetic and family factors can impact children and parents’ mental health. Early parenting interventions, like the Incredible Years® programs, have demonstrated to improve parental distress and children’s mental health. The recent version for young children with language delays or autism spectrum disorder (IY-ASLD®) has shown to be feasible and effective to support parents in their children’s developmental trajectories. The effectiveness of treatments for children with genetic conditions and neurodevelopmental problems is largely unexplored, leaving significant gaps in evidence-based options. Clinicians lack guidance, especially when patients exhibit language or social communication impairments but do not meet diagnostic criteria for a full-blown autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We aim to fill this gap, providing evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of the IY-ASLD® intervention for such patients.MethodsWe designed a prospective multicenter pragmatic randomized controlled trial including approximately 68 children aged 3 to 7 years, recruited from three tertiary care reference hospitals. Inclusion criteria will necessitate genetic confirmation of a neurodevelopmental disorder along with language, communication, or socialization difficulties. Individuals with an ASD diagnosis will be excluded. All subjects are included in a territorial register for rare conditions (ReMin, Registre de Malalties Minoritàries de Catalunya). Families will randomly be assigned to the intervention or the control group. The intervention will be held online by clinical psychologists and child and adolescent psychiatrists.DiscussionOur group has recently piloted the online implementation of the IY-ASLD® intervention for the first time in Spain, for parents of children with language delays, socialization difficulties, or ASD, but not genetically determined. Our multicenter research consortium is well-positioned to recruit patients with rare conditions and implement efficient treatment pathways within the National Health System. Given the geographical dispersion of families affected by rare conditions, the online format offers logistical advantages and improved therapy access, enhancing homogeneity across all patients. The results of this study will inform clinicians and policymakers about evidence-based treatment options for this vulnerable and overlooked group of young children.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06125093. Date of registration: first submitted 2023–10-23; first posted 2023–11-09. URL of trial registry record.

Selective nitrogen insertion into aryl alkanes

Molecular structure-editing through nitrogen insertion offers more efficient and ingenious pathways for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing compounds, which could benefit the development of synthetic chemistry, pharmaceutical research, and materials science. Substituted amines, especially nitrogen-containing alkyl heterocyclic compounds, are widely found in nature products and drugs. Generally, accessing these compounds requires multiple steps, which could result in low efficiency. In this work, a molecular editing strategy is used to realize the synthesis of nitrogen-containing compounds using aryl alkanes as starting materials. Using derivatives of O-tosylhydroxylamine as the nitrogen source, this method enables precise nitrogen insertion into the Csp2-Csp3 bond of aryl alkanes. Notably, further synthetic applications demonstrate that this method could be used to prepare bioactive molecules with good efficiency and modify the molecular skeleton of drugs. Furthermore, a plausible reaction mechanism involving the transformation of carbocation and imine intermediates has been proposed based on the results of control experiments.

Laboratory infrared spectra and fragmentation chemistry of sulfur allotropes

Sulfur is one of six life-essential elements, but its path from interstellar clouds to planets and their atmospheres is not well known. Astronomical observations in dense clouds have so far been able to trace only 1 percent of cosmic sulfur, in the form of gas phase molecules and volatile ices, with the missing sulfur expected to be locked in a currently unidentified form. The high sulfur abundances inferred in icy and rocky solar system bodies indicate that an efficient pathway must exist from volatile atomic sulfur in the diffuse interstellar medium to some form of refractory sulfur. One hypothesis is the formation of sulfur allotropes, particularly of the stable S8. However, experimental information about sulfur allotropes under astrochemically relevant conditions, needed to constrain their abundance, is lacking. Here, we report the laboratory far-infrared spectra of sulfur allotropes and examine their fragmentation pathways. The spectra, including that of cold, isolated S8 with three bands at 53.5, 41.3 and 21.1 µm, form a benchmark for computational modelling, which show a near-perfect match with the experiments. The experimental fragmentation pathways of sulfur allotropes, key information for astrochemical formation/destruction models, evidence a facile fragmentation of S8. These findings suggest the presence of sulfur allotropes distributions in interstellar space or in the atmosphere of planets, dependent on the environmental conditions.

Extracellular-proton-transfer driving high energy-conserving methanogenesis in anaerobic digestion

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising technology to realize the conversion from organic matters to methane, which is highly mediated by syntrophic microbial community via mutualistic interactions. However, small energy available in methanogenic conversion usually limits the metabolic activity. To adapt such energy-limited environment, efficient energy conservation is critical to support active physiological functions of anaerobic consortia for methanogenic metabolism. In this study, the contribution of extracellular proton transfer (EPT) enhancement to achieving energy-conserving methanogenesis in AD was explored. Proton-conductive medium (PCM) was applied to construct efficient proton transport pathway, and a large number of protons from extracellular water were found available to upregulate methanogenesis in AD, as indicated by the increase in the content of 2H (D) in methane molecules (over 40.7%), among which CO2-reduction-to-CH4 was effectively enhanced. The increases of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration (+54.1%) and gene expression activities related to ATPase (+100.0%) and proton pump (+580.1%) revealed that enhanced EPT by PCM promoted transmembrane proton motive force generation to facilitate ATP synthesis. Based on genome-centric metatranscriptomic analyses, MAG14, MAG63 and MAG61 with high energy conservation activity displayed most pronounced positive response to the EPT enhancement. In these core MAGs, the metabolic pathway reconstruction and the key genes activity identification further proved that EPT enhancement-driven efficient ATP synthesis stimulated the cross-feeding of carbon and proton/electron to facilitate microbial mutualism, thereby resulting in the high energy-conserving methanogenesis. Overall, our work provides new insights into how EPT enhancement drives high energy-conserving methanogenesis, expanding our understanding of the ecological role of EPT in AD.

Developing heat-conductive concrete with graphite-modified recycled aggregates

This study tackles temperature-induced cracks in contemporary concrete by addressing their low thermal conductivity. Heat-conductive concrete was developed by using graphite-modified recycled coarse aggregates. Through thorough evaluation of coating methods and aggregate types, we enhance thermal conductivity of recycled aggregates by up to 86 % while improving apparent density, water absorption, and crushing value. Employing a one-pot method (Method B) with the graphite to cement ratio of 1:1 establishes an efficient thermal pathway within concrete, resulting in a significant 1.9-fold increase in thermal conductivity without compromising mechanical properties. Advanced imaging techniques and simulations confirm the pivotal role of this pathway in enhancing thermal properties, offering a cost-effective, eco-friendly solution for sustainable construction.

Conductive PEDOT-Dominant Surface of Transparent Electrode Patch via Selective Phase Transfer for Efficient Flexible Photoelectronic Devices.

In this study, a conductive patch for a flexible organic optoelectronic device is proposed and implemented using a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) polymer electrode based on a transfer process to achieve its high conductivity with an efficient conductive pathway. This PEDOT-dominant surface is induced by phase inversion during the transfer process owing to the solvent affinity of the PSS phase. The PEDOT:PSS patch formed by the transfer process minimizes the power loss in a flexible optoelectronic device due to the improved charge collection and suppressed leakage current responses. In addition, the bending stability of the flexible photoelectronic device is also enhanced by maintaining performance for 1000 bending cycles. Therefore, in the fabrication of a transparent flexible conductive PEDOT:PSS patch, the transfer process of a conducting polymer constitutes an effective strategy that can improve conductivity and embellished morphology.

Host-Guest Approach to Promoting Photocatalysis Based on Consecutive Photo-Induced Electron-Transfer Processes via Efficient Förster Resonance Energy Transfer.

Supramolecular artificial light-harvesting system with highly efficient host-guest energy transfer pathway provides an ideal platform for optimizing the photochemistry process. The consecutive photo-induced electron transfer (conPET) process overcomes the energy limitation of visible-light photocatalysis, but is often compromised by mismatching between the absorption of ground state dye and its radical, weakening the efficiency of photoredox reaction. By encapsulating a conPET photocatalyst rhodamine 6G into metal-organic cage, the supramolecular approach was undertaken to tackle the intrinsic difficulty of matching the light absorption of photoexcitation between rhodamine 6G and its radical. The highly efficient Förster resonance energy transfer from the photoexcited cage to rhodamine 6G forced by host-guest encapsulation facilitates the conPET process for the single-wavelength light-driven activation of aryl halides by stabilizing and accelerating the production and accumulation of the rhodamine 6G radical intermediate. The tunable and flexible nature of the supramolecular host-guest complex renders the cage-based encapsulation strategy promising for the development of ideal photocatalysts toward the better utilization of solar energy.

Deformation mechanism of conjugated polymer films during single and cyclic stretching

Reversibility and durability have become new bottlenecks for conjugated polymers to realize “stretchable” semiconducting devices. Therefore, the correlation between microstructure and mechanical properties requires explicit delineation. Herein, the deformation and fracture mechanisms of DPP-TVT (poly [2,5-bis(4-decyl tetradecyl) pyrrolo [3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-(2H, 5H)-dione-(E)-1,2-di (2,2′-bithiophen-5-yl)ethene) films with various degree of lamellar order were investigated from microscopic view. In the medium ordered films, the lamellae and amorphous phase cooperate to form the fibrous network structure in respond to tensile deformation. When recovered, this fibrous network could deform and being compressed, providing an efficient stress transfer pathway to accommodate the residual strain. Therefore, the medium ordered films did not form cracks even under 100 cycles of 50 % strain. However, in near-amorphous films, the uniformly aligned chains in stretched films were difficult to reorient under compression, resulting in the formation of large wrinkles and poor fatigue resistance. And the highly ordered films generate cracks both under single and cyclic stretch due to lacking of stress dissipation pathways. This study lays the groundwork for enhancing the mechanical robustness of conjugated polymer films.

Contrast-enhanced mammography versus conventional imaging in women recalled from breast cancer screening (RACER trial): a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled clinical trial

Women recalled from breast cancer screening receive post-screening work-up in the hospital with conventional breast imaging. The RACER trial aimed to study whether contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) as primary imaging instead of conventional imaging resulted in more accurate and efficient diagnostic work-up in recalled women. In this randomised, controlled trial (registered under NL6413/NTR6589) participants were allocated using deterministic minimisation to CEM or conventional imaging as a primary work-up tool in two general and two academic hospitals. Predefined patients' factors were reason for recall, BI-RADS score, and study centre. Primary outcomes were sensitivity and specificity. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of women needing supplemental examinations, and number of days until diagnosis. Between April, 2018, and September, 2021, 529 patients recalled from the Dutch screening program were randomised, 265 to conventional imaging and 264 to CEM. Three patients in the control arm had to be excluded from analysis due to a protocol breach. After the entire work-up, sensitivity was 98.0% (95% CI; 92.2-99.7%) in the intervention arm and 97.7% (91.8-99.6%) in the control arm (p=1.0), and specificity was 75.6% (72.5-76.6%) and 75.4% (72.5-76.4%, p=1.0), respectively. Based on only primary full-field digital mammography/digital breast tomosynthesis or CEM, final diagnosis was reached in 27.7% (73/264) in the intervention arm and 1.1% (3/262) in the control arm. The frequency of supplemental imaging was significantly higher in the control arm (p<0.0001). Median time needed to reach final diagnosis was comparable: 1 day (control arm: IQR 0-4; intervention arm: IQR 0-3). Thirteen malignant occult lesions were detected using CEM, versus three using conventional imaging. No serious adverse events occurred. Diagnostic accuracy of CEM in the work-up of recalled women is comparable with conventional imaging. However, work-up with CEM as primary imaging is a more efficient pathway. ZonMw (grant number 843001801) and GE Healthcare.

Tandem Proton Transfer in Carboxylated Supramolecular Polymer for Highly Efficient Overall Photosynthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide

Proton supply is as critical as O2 activation for artificial photosynthesis of H2O2 via two‐electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e‐ ORR). However, proton release via water dissociation is frequently hindered because of the sluggish water oxidation reaction (WOR), extremely limiting the efficiency of photocatalytic H2O2 production. To tackle this challenge, carboxyl‐enriched supramolecular polymer (perylene tetracarboxylic acid ‐ PTCA) is elaborately prepared by molecular self‐assembly for overall photosynthesis of H2O2. Interestingly, the interconversion between carboxyl as Brønsted acid and its conjugated base realizes rapid proton circulation. Through this efficient tandem proton transfer process, the spatial effect of photocatalytic reduction and oxidation reaction is greatly enhanced with reduced reaction barrier. This significantly facilitates 2e‐ photocatalytic ORR to synthesize H2O2 and in the meanwhile promotes 4e‐ photocatalytic WOR to evolve O2. Consequently, the as‐developed PTCA exhibits a remarkable H2O2 yield of 185.6 μM h‐1 in pure water and air atmosphere under visible light illumination. More impressively, an appreciable H2O2 yield of 78.6 μM h‐1 can be well maintained in an anaerobic system owing to in‐situ O2 generation by 4e‐ photocatalytic WOR. Our study presents a novel concept for artificial photosynthesis of H2O2 via constructing efficient proton transfer pathway to enable rapid proton circulation.

Developing BioNavi for Hybrid Retrosynthesis Planning.

Illuminating synthetic pathways is essential for producing valuable chemicals, such as bioactive molecules. Chemical and biological syntheses are crucial, and their integration often leads to more efficient and sustainable pathways. Despite the rapid development of retrosynthesis models, few of them consider both chemical and biological syntheses, hindering the pathway design for high-value chemicals. Here, we propose BioNavi by innovating multitask learning and reaction templates into the deep learning-driven model to design hybrid synthesis pathways in a more interpretable manner. BioNavi outperforms existing approaches on different data sets, achieving a 75% hit rate in replicating reported biosynthetic pathways and displaying superior ability in designing hybrid synthesis pathways. Additional case studies further illustrate the potential application of BioNavi in a de novo pathway design. The enhanced web server (http://biopathnavi.qmclab.com/bionavi/) simplifies input operations and implements step-by-step exploration according to user experience. We show that BioNavi is a handy navigator for designing synthetic pathways for various chemicals.

The Scr and Csc pathways for sucrose utilization co-exist in E. coli, but only the Scr pathway is widespread in other Enterobacteriaceae.

Most Escherichia coli isolates from humans do not utilize D-sucrose as a substrate for fermentation or growth. Previous work has shown that the Csc pathway allows some E. coli to utilize sucrose for slow growth, and this pathway has been engineered in E. coli W strains to enhance use of sucrose as a feedstock for industrial applications. An alternative sucrose utilization pathway, Scr, was first identified in Klebsiella pneumoniae and has been reported in some E. coli and Salmonella enterica isolates. We show here that the Scr pathway is native to an important subset of E. coli phylogroup B2 lineages that lack the Csc pathway but grow rapidly on sucrose. Laboratory E. coli strains derived from MG1655 (phylogroup A, ST10) are unable to utilize sucrose and lack the scr and csc genes, but a recombinant plasmid-borne scr locus enables rapid growth on and fermentation of sucrose. Genome analyses of Enterobacteriaceae indicate that the scr locus is widespread in other Enterobacteriaceae; including Enterobacter and Klebsiella species, and some Citrobacter and Proteus species. In contrast, the Csc pathway is limited mostly to E. coli, some Shigella species (in which csc loci are rendered non-functional by various mutations), and Citrobacter freundii. The more efficient Scr pathway likely has greater potential than the Csc pathway for bioindustrial applications of E. coli and other Enterobacteriaceae using sucrose as a feedstock.

Theoretical description of photoinduced electron transfer in donor-acceptor supramolecular complexes based on carbon buckybowls.

Herein, we explore, from a theoretical perspective, the nonradiative photoinduced processes (charge separation and energy transfer) within a family of donor-acceptor supramolecular complexes based on the electron-donor truxene-tetrathiafulvalene (truxTTF) derivative and a series of curved fullerene fragments (buckybowls) of different shapes and sizes (C30H12, C32H12, and C38H14) as electron acceptors that successfully combine with truxTTF via non-covalent interactions. The resulting supramolecular complexes (truxTTF·C30H12, truxTTF·C32H12, and truxTTF·C38H14) undergo charge-separation processes upon photoexcitation through charge-transfer states involving the donor and acceptor units. Despite the not so different size of the buckybowls, they present noticeable differences in the charge-separation efficiency owing to a complex decay post-photoexcitation mechanism involving several low-lying excited states of different natures (local and charge-transfer excitations), all closely spaced in energy. In this intricate scenario, we have adopted a theoretical approach combining electronic structure calculations at (time-dependent) density functional theory, a multistate multifragment diabatization method, the Marcus-Levitch-Jortner semiclassical rate expression, and a kinetic model to estimate the charge separation rate constants of the supramolecular heterodimers. Our outcomes highlight that the efficiency of the photoinduced charge-separation process increases with the extension of the buckybowl backbone. The supramolecular heterodimer with the largest buckybowl (truxTTF·C38H14) displays multiple and efficient electron-transfer pathways, providing a global photoinduced charge separation in the ultrafast time scale in line with the experimental findings. The study reported indicates that modifications in the shape and size of buckybowl systems can give rise to attractive novel acceptors for potential photovoltaic applications.

Synergistic Assistance of Ir Clusters and NiCo2O4 Nanosheets Interfaces in Direct O-O Coupling for High-Efficiency Alkaline Oxygen Evolution.

Adopting noble metals on non-noble metals is an effective strategy to balance the cost and activity of electrocatalysts. Herein, a thorough analysis of the synergistic OER is conducted at the heterogeneous interface formed by Ir clusters and NiCo2O4 based on DFT calculations. Specifically, the electrons spontaneously bring an eg occupancy of interfacial Ir close to unity after the absorbed O, providing more transferable electrons for the conversion of the absorbed O-intermediates. Besides, the diffuse distribution of electrons in the Ir 5d orbital fills the antibonding orbital after O is absorbed, avoiding the desorption difficulties caused by the stronger Ir-O bonds. The electrons transfer from Ir to Co atoms at the heterogeneous interface and fill the Co 3d band near the Fermi level, stimulating the interfacial Co to participate in the direct O-O coupling (DOOC) pathway. Experimentally, the ultrathin-modulated NiCo2O4 nanosheets are used to support Ir clusters (Ircluster-E-NiCo2O4) by the electrodeposition method. The as-synthesized Ircluster-E-NiCo2O4 catalyst achieves a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at an ultralow overpotential of 238 mV and works steadily for 100 h under a high current of 100 mA cm-2, benefiting from the efficient DOOC pathway during the OER.

Tandem Proton Transfer in Carboxylated Supramolecular Polymer for Highly Efficient Overall Photosynthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide.

Proton supply is as critical as O2 activation for artificial photosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e- ORR). However, proton release via water dissociation is frequently hindered because of the sluggish water oxidation reaction (WOR), extremely limiting the efficiency of photocatalytic H2O2 production. To tackle this challenge, carboxyl-enriched supramolecular polymer (perylene tetracarboxylic acid-PTCA) is elaborately prepared by molecular self-assembly for overall photosynthesis of H2O2. Interestingly, the interconversion between carboxyl as Brønsted acid and its conjugated base realizes rapid proton circulation. Through this efficient tandem proton transfer process, the spatial effect of photocatalytic reduction and oxidation reaction is greatly enhanced with reduced reaction barrier. This significantly facilitates 2e- photocatalytic ORR to synthesize H2O2 and in the meanwhile promotes 4e- photocatalytic WOR to evolve O2. Consequently, the as-developed PTCA exhibits a remarkable H2O2 yield of 185.6 μM h-1 in pure water and air atmosphere under visible light illumination. More impressively, an appreciable H2O2 yield of 78.6 μM h-1 can be well maintained in an anaerobic system owing to in situ O2 generation by 4e- photocatalytic WOR. Our study presents a novel concept for artificial photosynthesis of H2O2 via constructing efficient proton transfer pathway to enable rapid proton circulation.

Analyzing diagnostic and treatment wait times for lung cancer Patients: Key insights from a provincial registry study

BackgroundLung cancer (LC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, necessitating timely diagnosis and treatment to improve patient outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the timeliness of care for LC patients at a public hospital in Almería, Spain, assess adherence to guidelines, and explore associations between timeliness and survival. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted, reviewing medical records of LC patients diagnosed between 2019 and 2021. Quality indicators, adapted from prevailing guidelines, facilitated the assessment of care timeliness, with a focus on diagnostic and treatment wait times. Cox regression modeling was employed to explore survival associations, adjusting for covariates including age, performance status, stage, histology, and treatment modalities. ResultsOf 539 patients included, most (79.84 %) had initial specialist contact within 7 days, and 82.25 % received diagnosis within 30 days. However, delays were observed in treatment initiation, with surgery experiencing the longest median wait time (78 days). Survival analysis showed no significant difference between shorter and longer diagnostic (HR: 0.87, 95 % CI: 0.62–1.24) or treatment intervals (HR: 1.14, 95 % CI: 0.83–1.58). Multivariate analysis identified age, performance status, stage, histology, and treatment as prognostic factors. ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment in improving lung cancer outcomes. Despite achieving diagnostic targets, treatment delays were common, particularly for surgical interventions. These findings underscore the need for enhanced coordination and efficient care pathways to minimize delays, ultimately improving survival rates and quality of life for lung cancer patients. Addressing these issues is crucial for optimizing lung cancer care delivery in the future.

Impeding polysulfide diffusion strategies in lithium-sulfur batteries using 3D porous carbon nanosheets integrated by cathode and functional separator

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries show high theoretical capacity and energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries(LIBs), which are one of the candidates for next-generation energy storage systems. However, rapid capacity fading caused by polysulfide shuttling effects remains critical issue for the commercial development in the Li-S batteries. Therefore, we aimed to derive 3D porous carbon nanosheets(C900) through the simple carbonization of organic salts as base materials for application as both sulfur host and functional separator. C900 had 3D vertically aligned and hierarchical carbon nanosheet structure with a high specific surface area and large pore volume, which was benefits for sulfur hosts because of the efficient electrolyte diffusion pathways and high mass loading of sulfur. Furthermore, nitrogen doped C900(NC900) can be improved chemical reactions with lithium polysulfides. Subsequently, an integrated electrode composed of a cathode with C900 and functional separator with NC900, respectively, was found to be highly efficient in restraining the shuttle effect via multimodal capturing effects. Consequently, all-integrated electrode composed of S-C900 and NC900@PP delivered a high initial specific capacity of 1453mAh·g-1 at 0.1C and achieved cycle stability with 64% capacity retention after 300cycles at 0.5C. This work suggests a potential carbon material design for bi-functional materials in a high-performance Li-S batteries.

Mechanisms of synthetic bacterial flora YJ-1 to enhance cucumber resistance under combined phthalate-disease stresses

Biotic and abiotic stresses have emerged as major constraints to agricultural production, causing irreversible adverse impacts on agricultural production systems and thus posing a threat to food security. In this study, a new strain of Bacillus subtilis DNYB-S1 was isolated from soil contaminated with Fusarium wilt. It was found that artificially synthetic flora (YJ-1) [Enterobacter sp. DNB-S2 and Rhodococcus pyridinovorans DNHP-S2, DNYB-S1] could effectively mitigate both biotic (Fusarium wilt) and abiotic (phthalates) sources of stresses, with the inhibition rate of YJ-1 resistant to wilt being 71.25% and synergistic degradation of 500 mg/L PAEs was 91.23%. The adaptive difference of YJ-1 was 0.59 and the ecological niche overlap value was −0.05 as determined by Lotka-Volterra modeling. These results indicate that YJ-1 has good ecological stability. The major degradation intermediates included 2-ethylhexyl benzoate (EHBA), phthalic acid (PA), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), and butyl benzoate, suggesting that YJ-1 can provide a more efficient pathway for PAEs degradation. In addition, there was metabolic mutualism among the strains that will selectively utilize the provided carbon source (some metabolites of PAEs) for growth. The pot experiment showed that YJ-1 with cucumber reduced the incidence of cucumber wilt by 45.31%. YJ-1 could reduce the concentration of PAEs (DBP: DEHP = 1:1) in soil species from 30 mg/kg to 4.26 mg/kg within 35 d, with a degradation efficiency of 85.81%. Meanwhile, the concentration of PAEs in cucumber was reduced to 0.01 mg/kg, indicating that YJ-1 is directly involved in the degradation of soil PAEs and the enhancement of plant immunity. In conclusion, this study provides a new perspective for the development of customized microbiomes for phytoremediation under combined biotic-abiotic stresses in agricultural production processes.

Efficient and green synthesis of 2,3-benzofuran via gas–solid catalytic route

Biologically active molecule 2,3-benzofuran is an important category of heterocyclic compounds for pharmacological agents, which is usually produced via multistep organic synthesis routes under acidic, alkaline, or halogen conditions. It remains a challenge to develop a green approach for the production of 2,3-benzofuran. Herein, we report an unprecedent green synthesis of 2,3-benzofuran with co-production of styrene in the selective oxidation of ethylbenzene reaction over Sr2+ modified FeOx/SiO2 catalyst. Characterizations with O2-TPD, UV–Vis, XANES, and XRD demonstrate that the addition of Sr2+ increased the content of adsorbed oxygen and dispersion of the iron species. Kinetic investigations and DFT calculations reveal that firstly ethylbenzene reacted with oxygen adsorbed on the Fe3+ species to form the intermediate 2-ethylphenol, followed by selective oxidation of 2-ethylphenol to efficiently generate 2,3-benzofuran. These discoveries present an efficient pathway to produce 2,3-benzofuran and offer novel insights into the synthesis of furan rings, thereby contributing to advancement in chemical synthesis processes.

Tailoring mesoporous and macroporous structures in activated carbon from NaOH-pretreated oak for superior supercapacitors

The growing need for sustainable and efficient energy storage solutions has intensified research efforts into eco-friendly materials such as activated carbon (AC) derived from lignocellulosic biomass. Herein, we present a method to enhance the physical characteristics of AC from oak via NaOH pretreatment. The NaOH-pretreated oak was converted into AC through carbonization and chemical activation using KOH as the activating agent. The AC tended to develop mesopores (2–50 nm) and macropores (> 50 nm) as the pretreatment ratio increased (0 %, 1 %, 2 %, and 8 %), achieving a specific surface area of up to 2706 m2 g−1 and a pore volume of up to 1.97 cm3 g−1. This result is due to the transformation of the structure of lignocellulosic biomass into a more advantageous structure for pore development through the reactions of delignification and deacetylation that occur during NaOH pretreatment. The mesoporous and macroporous structures offer efficient ion diffusion pathways and reduce resistance, which leads to superior rate capability, capacity retention, and a gravimetric specific capacitance of 44.5 F g−1 at a current density of 1 mA cm−2 in supercapacitors. The maximum energy and power densities achieved were 45.1 Wh kg−1 and 16.4 kW kg−1, respectively. These results underscore the potential of NaOH-pretreated oak as a sustainable and effective precursor for high-performance AC in energy storage applications, offering new insights into the optimization of the material properties for supercapacitors.