Positive Synergistic Effect Research Articles

Two Steps for Improving Reduced Graphene Oxide/Activated Durian Shell Carbon Composite by Hydrothermal and 3-D Ball Milling Process for Symmetry Supercapacitor Device

Durian shell waste was used to fabricate activated carbon (AC) using a hydrothermal process and three-dimensional (3-D) ball milling. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was composited with activated durian shell carbon (DC) to enhance the electrochemical properties for fabricating a supercapacitor (SC) device. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination of the AC from hydrothermally processed durian shell carbon (AC–HDC) and AC–HDC that was 3D ball milled for 15 min (rGO/AC–HDC–3D15M) showed compacted and uniformly distributed particles with good porosity. The rGO/AC–HDC–3D15M sample exhibited high specific surface area (SSA) using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) methodology, 2311 m2/g, and an average pore size of 1.88 nm. Electrochemical results showed that the rGO/AC–HDC–3D15M sample had the highest specific capacitance (Cs) of 545.78 F/g, power density (Pd) of 260.834 W/kg and energy density (Ed) of 60.834 Wh/kg. A coin cell SC device using an rGO/AC–HDC3D15M electrode with a 3M KOH electrolyte exhibited a high Cs of 65.585 F/g with a high energy density of 5.123 W h/kg and power density of 47.286 W/kg. Thus, the novelty of this manuscript is that (1) the structure of the rGO/AC–HDC–3D15M composite could promote fast ionic and electronic migration during charging and discharging and (2) a rGO/AC–HDC–3D15M composite, which showed electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) could produce a positive synergistic effect for efficient electrochemical reactions. Moreover, the high surface area of the rGO/AC–HDC–3D15M composite may mitigate the volume expansion of electrodes during cycling. Thus, this work shows that an rGO/AC–HDC–3D15M composite prepared using a hydrothermal process with 3-D ball milling can show enhanced electrochemical performance for the fabrication of an EDLC supercapacitor device.

Waiting for the right time and tide: The fine‐scale migratory behavior of river herring in two coastal New England streams

AbstractObjectiveAlewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis, collectively referred to as river herring, are anadromous clupeids inhabiting the North American Atlantic coast. Although the seasonal patterns of their spawning migration are well studied and predictable, the fine‐scale movements are still poorly resolved.MethodsThis study used high‐resolution acoustic imaging to study the fine‐scale behavior of river herring during their spring spawning migration in two coastal rivers in Massachusetts, United States.ResultObservations suggest that seasonal patterns of migration appear to be influenced by temperature, while fine‐scale patterns in migration were associated with the time of day, tidal state, and their interaction. River herring were consistently observed during both day and night, with elevated peaks of activity in the early morning and late afternoon. Daytime movement consisted of the intermittent passage of large, dense schools, while nighttime movement consisted of the frequent passage of individuals or small groups. The highest numbers of herring observations were associated with flood and high tides. Additionally, the interactions between time of day and tidal state resulted in synergistic positive effects during crepuscular incoming tides, which were favorable to movement, and synergistic negative effects during midday low tides, which inhibited fish movement.ConclusionThe changing relationship between the time of day and tidal state within the season manifested in changing periodicity in fish movement to correlate with favorable movement conditions. Since movements may be related to both time of day and tide, previous run size estimates from visual counts made only during the day may be too low. Sampling methodologies that collect information during all 24 h would likely produce the most accurate run size estimates. This study highlights the need to view river herring migration in a holistic context predicated by multiple environmental and biological factors that vary at several temporal scales (i.e., seasonally, daily, and hourly).

Enhancing Water Oxidation Catalysis by Controlling Metal Cation Distribution in Layered Double Hydroxides

AbstractThe sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the limiting step of the electrochemical water splitting process, hinders the eventual commercialization of this important renewable energy strategy. Hence, the development of efficient electrocatalysts for this reaction is crucial. Multi‐metal‐based (hydr)oxides are promising OER electrocatalysts because the electronic interactions between multiple constituent metal cations can potentially enhance electrochemical performances. However, complex compositions may not always lead to positive synergistic effects. The appropriate distribution of the cations is also critical. However, the high dispersibility of cations in these hydroxides renders the control of their distribution challenging. Herein, an approach is reported to control the metal cation distribution in layered double hydroxides (LDHs) to improve their OER performances. Restacking of exfoliated NiFe and CoAl LDH nanosheets leads to electrochemical synergistic effects between different nanosheets. As far as it is known, the restacked LDH described herein exhibits the lowest overpotential (224 mV) and Tafel slope (34.26 mV dec−1) among reported powder‐type (hydr)oxide and alloy OER electrocatalysts with more than three different metal cations. Thus, a new design approach is suggested to enhance the electrochemical performances of LDHs.

Exploration of the synergistic effect of co-pyrolysis of biomass and waste plastics based on ReaxFF-MD and DFT

Co-pyrolysis of biomass and waste plastics is a strategy to achieve efficient waste management and obtain valuable fuels. In this paper, cellulose (CE) and polyethylene (PE) were chosen as representatives of biomass and plastics to investigate the synergistic effects of the main products during co-pyrolysis. The synergistic mechanisms are clarified at the microscopic level by ReaxFF-MD. Mainly, the ·H and CnHm· fragments from PE fracture combine with the intermediate products from CE cracking to generate additional oil and gas products. By using DFT theory to calculate the reaction energy barrier of the main products in the CE/PE co-pyrolysis process, it is found that the reaction energy barrier of furans and ethylene in the separate pyrolysis process is higher than that in the co-pyrolysis process, indicating that the co-pyrolysis process is more prone to reaction generation, leading to more significant synergistic effects. With the increase of temperature, the positive synergistic effect of product can be enhanced within a certain temperature range. But the synergistic oil yield then decreases with further increase of temperature. The synergistic effect is most significant when the material ratio is 1:1. More oxygenated compounds can be obtained by increasing the percentage of CE while more hydrocarbons can be obtained by increasing the percentage of PE.

Synergistic effects of heat and carbon on sustainable urban development: Case study of the Wuhan Urban Agglomeration

The rapid pace of urbanization has resulted in pressing climatic challenges, notably an escalation in carbon emissions and rising urban temperatures. Urban expansion frequently coincides with heightened carbon emissions, releasing substantial quantities of greenhouse gases such as CO2. This exacerbates the urban heat island (UHI) effect and poses a threat to urban living conditions. To shed light on the intricate relationship between land surface temperature (LST) and carbon emissions and provide novel insights into the synergistic regulation of “heat” and “carbon” in sustainable urban development, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the Wuhan Urban Agglomeration spanning from 2003 to 2018. Employing data on impervious surface fraction (ISF), LST, and carbon emissions, we harnessed weighted center and standard deviation ellipse analyses to explore the spatiotemporal expansion patterns of ISF, LST, and carbon emissions. We examined the relationship between LST and carbon emissions using spatial correlation analysis. The results revealed that regions with high carbon emissions and elevated LST were predominantly concentrated in the central urban areas of each city, aligned with the distribution of high-density impervious surfaces. The weighted centers of ISF, LST, and carbon emissions exhibited a progressive shift toward the central region of Wuhan, intensifying spatial clustering effects. The global Moran's I index for LST and carbon emissions increased from 0.33 in 2003 to 0.48 in 2018, signifying a strong positive correlation between LST and carbon emissions. In the clustering maps of LST and carbon emissions, the high-high clustering trend persistently expanded, signifying a shift from “dispersion” to “agglomeration” in urban heat and carbon effects. In regions marked by consistent carbon emission growth, the correlation coefficient (R) between carbon emissions and LST was 0.4, and the Pearson coefficient was 0.64, both higher than those in areas with gradual carbon emission growth. Within stable carbon emission growth areas, every 0.1-ton increase in carbon emissions has a 40% probability of a 1.33 °C temperature rise. As the rate of carbon emissions increased, the positive synergistic effect between carbon emissions and LST continued to increase. This study provides empirical support and academic groundwork to reduce urban emissions and mitigate the effects of UHIs.

Synergistic Co-liquefaction of waste plastic express bags and low-rank coal based on supercritical water-ethanol system: Waste treatment and resource upgrading

Recently, with the ongoing development of the express industry, the consumption of waste plastic express bags has been increasing year by year, which has brought considerable pressure on municipal waste management. At the same time, in China, where coal is the main energy resource, the upgrading of low-rank coal is a more reliable and prospective way. An effective method for waste treatment and resource upgrading by synergistic co-liquefaction of waste plastic express bags and low-rank coal in a supercritical water-ethanol system has been developed. The effects of different experimental factors (temperature, residence time, plastic-coal ratio, water-ethanol ratio) on the conversion ratio and synergistic effect of co-liquefaction were investigated. The results showed that elevated temperature, lower water-ethanol ratio as well as suitable residence time, and plastic-coal ratio of 1:1 were conducive to the conversion ratio. Temperature ≥375 °C and suitable plastic-coal ratio (1:1) had a significant positive synergistic effect on the conversion ratio, whereas the other conditions exhibited no or negative synergistic effect on the conversion ratio. The maximum conversion ratio and positive synergistic efficiency were 85.11% and 12.25% at 425 °C, 60 min, water-ethanol ratio of 1:1, and plastic-coal ratio of 1:1, respectively. It was observed after FT-IR and elemental analysis based on the solid residue that the oxygen-containing functional groups in the residue disappeared, the oxygen content decreased, the carbon content increased, and the higher heating value (HHV) increased significantly, and the residue could be further used (such as gasification or pyrolysis) without the need for landfill. The GC-MS results of the oil products suggested that the oil products contained high content of hydrocarbons and phenols, as well as esters, alcohols, and other compounds. The hydrocarbons and phenols mainly derived from the decomposition of long chains in plastics and the decomposition of aromatic structures in coal, and the hydrocarbon and phenolic contents produced at 400 °C were 27.74% and 32.62%, respectively. Thus, the oil product can be used further as a chemical raw material. It cannot be ignored that the ethanol medium after reaction can also be further recycled by rotary evaporation. The synergistic co-liquefaction of waste plastic express bags and low-rank coal based on supercritical water-ethanol system is a promising method for waste treatment and resource upgrading.

Medical marketing in healthcare institutions with public-private partnership mechanisms

The aim – to reveal the essence of medical marketing in healthcare institutions (HCI) with principles of public-private partnership (PPP). The study used general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, interpretation of scientific data, as well as systemic and structural-functional approaches. The article reveals the essence, principles and functions of medical marketing in HCI with the mechanisms of PPP. The substantiation of the main marketing tools is given – business processes and integration processes that contribute to effective marketing in HCI. It also identified the key points that form the structure of medical business processes. The process approach to business process management is disclosed, which allows getting benefits for HCI. The definition and significance of the medical processes integration in HCI on PPP principles is provided, which contributes to the coordination of marketing activities with the strategy development within each integrated complex of HCI and the possibility of obtaining a positive synergistic effect. Examples of internal and external integration are given. The system for managing the external integration process is shown. To stimulate the integration process, bundled payment method has been defined.Conclusions. The article provides justification for medical marketing in HCI with the principles of PPP, focused on business processes and the integration of medical services, which ensures economic, medical and social efficiency and optimal functioning of HCI in market conditions.

Contribution of cultural heritage values to steppe conservation on ancient burial mounds of Eurasia.

Civilizations, including ancient ones, have shaped global ecosystems in many ways through coevolution of landscapes and humans. However, the cultural legacies of ancient and lost civilizations are rarely considered in the conservation of the Eurasian steppe biome. We used a data set containing more than 1000 records on localities, land cover, protection status, and cultural values related to ancient steppic burial mounds (kurgans); we evaluated how these iconic and widespread landmarks can contribute to grassland conservation in the Eurasian steppes, which is one of the most endangered biomes on Earth. Using Bayesian logistic generalized regressions and proportional odds logistic regressions, we examined the potential of mounds to preserve grasslands in landscapes with different levels of land-use transformation. We also compared the conservation potential of mounds inside and outside protected areas and assessed whether local cultural values support the maintenance of grasslands on them. Kurgans were of great importance in preserving grasslands in transformed landscapes outside protected areas, where they sometimes acted as habitat islands that contributed to habitat conservation and improved habitat connectivity. In addition to steep slopes hindering ploughing, when mounds had cultural value for local communities, the probability of grassland occurrence on kurgans almost doubled. Because the estimated number of steppic mounds is about 600,000 and similar historical features exist on all continents, our results may be applicable at a global level. Our results also suggested that an integrative socioecological approach in conservation might support the positive synergistic effects of conservation, landscape, and cultural values.

Facile synthesis of platinum-loaded carbon nanosheets with high specific surface area for efficient CWAO of ammonia nitrogen: A low-cost alternative route for treating ammonia containing wastewater

Deep treatment is an important tool to solve the environmental pollution of ammonia-containing wastewater. Considering the stability and economy of industrial application, we propose a simple and economical synthesis strategy. The procedure is based on the carbonization of citrate at elevated temperatures to synthesize high specific surface area and pore-rich carbon nanoflowers, and carbon nanoflower-loaded Pt catalysts were constructed for the catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of ammonia-containing wastewater. The results showed that the synergistic effect of Pt, edge carbon and carboxyl groups led to the increase of CWAO activity. During the reaction, Pt activated NH3 to put it in a high-energy state, and there was a positive synergistic effect between the oxygen-containing functional groups (carboxyl groups) on the surface of the porous carbon nanoflowers and the edge carbon exposed at the adjacent defect sites, which promoted the activation of O2 and the generation of reactive oxygen species. At 200 °C, the Pt1/PC catalysts showed high activity and hydrothermal stability for CWAO of NH3. The conversion of NH3 was 98.24 % within 4 h, and the selectivity of N2 was 100 %. The total nitrogen (TN) was reduced to below 15 mg‧L−1, which meets the Chinese emission standard for TN in petrochemical industry. Therefore, the novel catalyst proposed in this study effectively solved the problems of complicated catalyst synthesis steps and poor hydrothermal stability in ammonia CWAO studies. The catalyst has potential industrial applications for CWAO of ammonia-containing wastewater.

CO2-mediated catalytic upcycling of plastic waste for H2-rich syngas and carbon nanomaterials

To establish a reliable disposal platform of plastic waste, this work developed a novel dual-stage CO2-medaited decomposition-catalysis route by applying multi-functional zeolite-supported bimetallic catalysts. Catalytic upcycling of plastic was first performed in Ar as a reference environment. Bimetallic Fe-Co/ZSM5 catalyst achieved the highest gas yield (53.98 mmol/g), with a H2 proportion of 62.17 vol%. It was evidenced that the Fe-Co alloy had an apparent positive synergistic effect on catalytic cracking and reforming of intermediate volatiles into H2-rich fuel gas and pure carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Regarding CO2-mediated decomposition-catalysis of plastic, there was an apparent synergistic effect between metallic Ni and Fe on gas production so that bimetallic Ni-Fe catalyst gained the maximum cumulative gas yield of 82.33 mmol/g, with a syngas purity of ∼74%. Ni-Fe/ZSM5 also achieved the maximum hydrogen efficiency (87.38%) and CO2-to-CO conversion efficiency (98.62%), implying hydrogen content in plastic and oxygen content in CO2 were essentially converted into gases. Additionally, bimetallic Ni-Fe catalyst revealed the highest carbon production (33.74 wt%), witnessing a synergistic enhancement of 43.45%; specially, approximately 257 mg/g CNTs were anchored on Ni-Fe/ZSM5, with a CNTs purity of over 76%. Overall, this study offers a superb solution in plastic waste valorization and greenhouse gas emission management.

Novel Biocement/Honey Composites for Bone Regenerative Medicine.

New biocements based on a powdered mixture of calcium phosphate/monetite (TTCPM) modified with the addition of honey were prepared by mixing the powder and honey liquid components at a non-cytotoxic concentration of honey (up to 10% (w/v)). The setting process of the cements was not affected by the addition of honey, and the setting time of ~4 min corresponded to the fast setting calcium phosphate cements (CPCs). The cement powder mixture was completely transformed into calcium-deficient nanohydroxyapatite after 24 h of hardening in a simulated body fluid, and the columnar growth of long, needle-like nanohydroxyapatite particles around the original calcium phosphate particles was observed in the honey cements. The compressive strength of the honey cements was reduced with the content of honey in the cement. Comparable antibacterial activities were found for the cements with honey solutions on Escherichia coli, but very low antibacterial activities were found for Staphylococcus aureus for all the cements. The enhanced antioxidant inhibitory activity of the composite extracts was verified. In vitro cytotoxicity testing verified the non-cytotoxic nature of the honey cement extracts, and the addition of honey promoted alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium deposit production, and the upregulation of osteogenic genes (osteopontin, osteocalcin, and osteonectin) by mesenchymal stem cells, demonstrating the positive synergistic effect of honey and CPCs on the bioactivity of cements that could be promising therapeutic candidates for the repair of bone defects.

Pyrolysis-catalysis of medical waste over metal-doping porous biochar to co-harvest jet fuel range hydrocarbons and H2-rich fuel gas

This study developed a dual-stage pyrolysis-catalysis pathway to valorize disposal syringe waste into liquid hydrocarbons and H2-rich fuel gas. Two typical biomass sources (corn stover and cotton stalk) were used to synthesize metal-doping porous biochar catalysts through in situ carbothermal reduction treatment. For corn stover-derived biochar catalysts, Fe/C1 (Fe-doping corn stover biochar catalyst) presented a high yield (61.06 wt%) of liquid hydrocarbons with over 78% of jet fuel range (C8 – C16) hydrocarbons, and the 2,4-dimethyl-1-heptene (C9H18) yield reached 101.6 mg/gsyringe. Bimetallic Zn-Fe/C1 (Zn-Fe co-doped corn stover biochar catalyst) was in favor of H2 production, with a proportion of over 37 vol%. Among the cotton stalk-derived biochar catalysts, bimetallic Zn-Fe/C2 (Zn-Fe co-doped cotton stalk biochar catalyst) achieved a highest yield (62.76 wt%) of liquid hydrocarbons, indicating a positive synergistic effect of bimetallic Zn-Fe composite on liquid hydrocarbons production. However, Fe/C2 (Fe-doping cotton stalk biochar catalyst) was responsible for a high yield (over 93 mg/gsyringe) of 2,4-dimethyl-1-heptene and a high selectivity (over 76%) of jet fuel range hydrocarbons. Additionally, a logical reaction mechanism was provided for dual-stage pyrolysis-catalysis of syringe waste over metal-doping porous biochar catalysts. Briefly, this work provides a green route by using metal-doping biochar for valorization of medical wastes into liquid hydrocarbons and H2-rich fuel gas.

Sustainable production of aromatic-rich biofuel via catalytic co-pyrolysis of lignin and waste polyoxymethylene over commercial Al2O3 catalyst

Co-valorization of biomass and multiple solid wastes is essential to environment protection and energy security. Herein, aromatic-rich biofuel was produced from lignin and waste polyoxymethylene (POM) via catalytic co-pyrolysis process. Commercial and cheap γ-Al2O3 catalyst exhibited good catalytic performance. Series characterizations and bench-top pyrolysis experiments were conducted to illustrate the synergism between raw materials and the mechanism of aromatics formation. The TG analysis and thermodynamics calculation revealed that a remarkably positive synergistic effect existed between lignin and POM, which reduce the activation energies and make the reaction more conducive in terms of thermodynamics. Meanwhile, the yields of biochar and bio-oil increased considerably. Additionally, the operating conditions affected the product distributions significantly. The suitable mixing ratio of lignin to POM was around equal (5:5) with the bio-oil yield increased to 28.3 % and aromatic hydrocarbons selectivity increased to > 95 %. Moreover, POM, the precursor for alkylating reagents and hydrogen donors, could promote the deoxygenation reactions of phenolic intermediates and result into aromatic hydrocarbons. The acid sites of γ-Al2O3 promoted series secondary cracking reactions (alkylation, deoxygenation), and thus improved bio-oil quality. Finally, the stability test showed that commercial γ-Al2O3 catalyst was slightly deactivated after 4 cycles because of coke deposits and acid sites loss.

GEOECONOMIC FRAGMENTATION: LIKELIHOOD OF GLOBAL FINANCIAL RECESSION AND ANALYSIS OF BANKING RISKS IN UKRAINE

The article was prepared as part of the scientific study “Mechanism of levelling socio-economic rejection of the population of Ukraine in conditions of economic turbulence.” The article updates the problem of independent organization of business entities in conditions of economic turbulence, a changing external environment of functioning and an unpredictable information space, which occurs in parallel with the development of processes of socialization of the economy to meet the material, cultural, and spiritual needs of society. It is assumed that the main characteristic of the self-organization of the enterprise is the ability for continuous self-improvement with a continuous increase in production efficiency. Turbulence in the socio-economic system is caused not only by economic, but also non-economic reasons, in particular, demographic, ecological, technological factors, military conflicts. The fact of being in a state of turbulence due to the dynamics of indicators of population migration and public debt is characterized. The author’s vision of methodological configurations and models of innovative interaction of business entities in accordance with the conditions of global challenges is presented. The development of the “Washington Consensus” agreement, which provided for the liberalization of trade, direct foreign investment and privatization, and its impact on the currency positions and export potential of the world’s leading economies is characterized. It is emphasized that the basis of multivariability is the passage of the system through bifurcation points, exits of the system from the state of homeostasis, transition of the system into an unbalanced state. It is at the point of bifurcation that the search for a new path takes place, the implementation of one of many possible options. It is predicted that the realities will move Ukraine to the point of bifurcation and a real exit from the systemic crisis is possible thanks to a qualitative change in its leading idea – representation on the financial market, construction of the architecture of new target orientations, which form a new vector direction of development in search of positive synergistic effects. Ensuring this is possible on the basis of the use of a synergistic paradigm of development, volitional vector definition of the goal, the methodology of information-synergistic meaningful analysis and management technologies based on forecasting, scenario modelling, strategic planning, which are a mechanism of state-building management and the construction of a future socio-economic foresight for Ukraine.

Development and characterization of Polystyrene–Date palm surface fibers composites for sustainable heat insulation in construction

This study is the first to use date palm surface fibers, an underutilized waste, to develop thermoplastic insulation composites. The building sector accounts for approximately 40% of global energy consumption, making energy efficiency in buildings a critical concern. The composites were produced by melting expandable polystyrene (PS) and date palm surface fibers (DSF) at different weight percentages (10–40%) to increase biodegradability and promote renewability. The developed insulation composites exhibited excellent thermal properties with a low thermal conductivity of 0.053 W/(m.K) and a low thermal diffusivity of 0.045 mm2/sec. Thermogravimetric analysis showed high thermal stability, with a Tonset greater than 300 °C and a mass loss of only approximately 6%. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated a higher glass transition Tg of, approximately 100 °C. Application lifetime analysis showed that the PS–DSF composites maintained approximately 100% of their mass over 10 years when exposed to temperatures ranging from 30 to 120 °C, demonstrating their suitability for long-term insulation applications. The inclusion of DSF also exhibited positive synergistic effects on thermal stability. The insulation composites displayed improved compressive strength (19.33–22.66 MPa) compared to that of pure PS. Using thermoplastics and lignocellulosic waste in insulation composites is a practical, cost-effective, and environment-friendly solution for the construction industry.

Adipose-derived stem cell/FGF19-loaded microfluidic hydrogel microspheres for synergistic restoration of critical ischemic limb.

The efficacy of stem cell therapy is substantially compromised due to low cell survival rate and poor local retention post-delivery. These issues drastically limit the application of stem cells for ischemic limb therapy, which requires effective blood perfusion and skeletal muscle regeneration. Herein, based on microfluidic technology, an integrated stem cell and cytokine co-delivery system designed for functional ischemic limb salvage was constructed by first incorporating the myogenic cytokine, fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), into microspheres composed of methacrylate gelatin (GelMA). Then adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were highly absorbed into the porous structure of the microspheres, overcoming the insufficient loading efficiency and activities by conventional encapsulation strategy. The fabricated ADSCs/FGF19@μsphere system demonstrated a uniform size of about 180μm and a highly porous structure with pore sizes between 20 and 40μm. The resultant system allowed high doses of ADSCs to be precisely engrafted in the lesion and to survive, and achieved sustained FGF19 release in the ischemic region to facilitate myoblast recruitment and differentiation and myofibrils growth. Furthermore, the combination of ADSCs and FGF19 exhibited a positive synergistic effect which substantially improved the therapeutic benefit of angiogenesis and myogenesis, both in vitro and in vivo. In summary, a stem cell and cytokine co-delivery system with the properties of easy preparation and minimal invasiveness was designed to ensure highly efficient cell delivery, sustained cytokine release, and ultimately realizes effective treatment of ischemic limb regeneration.

Influence of Dosage and Modulus on Soluble Sodium Silicate for Early Strength Development of Alkali-Activated Slag Cements

In world practice, the need for high-strength concrete with an intensive gain of early strength is due to an increase in requirements for characteristics of concrete and the desire to shorten the construction period. Alkali-activated cement, based on soluble sodium silicates (SSS), can demonstrate high strength and rapid gain due to the nano-modifying effect of amorphous silica present in SSS. However, the problem with the effective use of such cement compositions is unsatisfactory short setting times. This work investigates the effect of modifying admixtures on the structure formation of alkali-activated slag cement (AASC), its physical and mechanical properties depending on characteristics of SSS and the basicity of the aluminosilicate component (precursor), which was changed by the ratio of the ordinary Portland cement (OPC) clinker and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS). A positive synergistic effect was noticed from glycerol and trisodium phosphate, as the components of a complex admixture, to control the setting of AASC. This resulted in extending the initial setting time from 1 to 5 min to the values of 21–72 min. The compressive strength of 21–26.3 MPa by 3 h, 36.5–43.4 MPa by 1 day, and 84.7–117.1 MPa by 28 days was obtained. Proper shrinkage deformations were equal to 0.47–0.6 mm/m. It was shown that with an increase in the basicity of the aluminosilicate component, the properties of AASC increased both in the early and late stages of hardening.

Response of Quality and Yield of Foxtail Millet to Nitrogen and Zinc Application

The effect of nitrogen and zinc treatment on quality and yield was studied to provide a theoretical basis for generating high-quality and high-yielding foxtail millet. In the years 2021–2022, ‘Jingu 21’ was utilized as the test material in a split-plot design. The main plot was subjected to nitrogen treatment, while the sub-plot was treated with zinc. An arrangement of random blocks was employed. Four levels of nitrogen application (0 kg/hm2, 120 kg/hm2, 180 kg/hm2, 240 kg/hm2) and three levels of zinc application (20 mg/L, 40 mg/L, 80 mg/L foliar spraying) were set, resulting in a total of twelve treatments. Each treatment was replicated three times, with each plot covering an area of 15 m2. (1) The findings indicated that the contents of crude fat and crude protein in foxtail millet increased initially and then decreased with the increase in nitrogen application concentration. Additionally, the protein components were found to be in the following order: gliadin > albumin > glutenin > globulin. (2) Adding an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer under the same zinc level promoted the contents of amylose, total carotenoids, and flavonoids in millet to some extent. Over the course of two years, the content of flavonoids in millet was highest when treated with N180Zn40 (nitrogen 180 kg/hm2, zinc 40 mg/L), showing an increase of 50.14% and 58.67%, respectively, compared to the treatment of applying zinc fertilizer alone at the same zinc level. (3) The phytic acid content and phytic acid/zinc molar ratio exhibited a pattern of initially decreasing and then increasing with the rise in nitrogen and zinc concentrations. (4) The application of zinc fertilizer and increased nitrogen fertilizer for two consecutive years had a significant impact on the yield of millet. Additionally, the application of zinc fertilizer had a highly significant effect on both the ear weights and thousand-kernel weights of millet (p < 0.001). The results demonstrated a positive synergistic effect when nitrogen fertilizer and zinc fertilizer were applied together. This combination significantly improved millet yield and thousand-kernel weights, enhanced the nutritional quality, and increased the content of functional components. Additionally, it also improved the availability of zinc.

Positive synergy or negative synergy: An assessment of the carbon emission reduction effect of renewable energy policy mixes on China's power sector

To reduce carbon emissions in China's power sector, a variety of renewable energy policy options have been introduced, which are expected to produce synergistic effects. This study used a continuous difference-in-differences model to evaluate the individual and synergistic effects of renewable energy policies on the carbon emission reduction of China's power sector. The results showed that renewable energy policies can achieve the target of decarbonizing China's power sector, with the feed-in tariffs proving to be particularly effective. The mix of feed-in tariffs, carbon emissions trading, and R&D subsidies can achieve the largest positive synergistic effects. In addition, any renewable energy policy mix (REPM) including tradable green certificates had no synergistic effect, and that there were no REPMs with negative synergy. The synergetic effect of REPMs decreased with the increase in policy diversity. This study provided a clearer understanding on the differentiated impacts of these policies and their mixes. Meanwhile, we propose to continue implementing the REPM in a continuing manner, and emphasize to focus on the complementary policies to maximize the synergies of policy mixes, such as introducing renewable portfolio standards when implementing tradable green certificates.

Sandwich-structured graphene composite sponge with multiple cyclic compression for waste liquid treatment under dynamic electrical stimulation response

3D porous graphene nanosponge has broad application prospects in intelligent sensing, wastewater treatment, environmental remediation and other fields. However, the previously reported graphene-based 3D structure sponge column usually has difficulty achieving compression resistance and excellent adsorption effect. In this study, a novel, simple and low-cost sandwich structure is assembled. The carbon fiber/reduced graphene oxide/polydimethylsiloxane (CF/rGO/P) with excellent compression electrical properties is used as the intermediate layer, and the flexible polyvinylidene fluoride/rGO/P (PV/rGO/P) is used as the upper and lower layers. A composite assembled graphene sponge column with outer pressure resistance and middle compression resistance is prepared. Results show that this composite sponge has a small resistance(30–100 Ω/cm). Under 60% compression deformation, the resistance sensitivity could reach 36.44. The physical adsorption of methylene blue (MB) dye has reached more than 93.7% after 24 h, and the electrochemical adsorption rate is 3.12 times faster than the physical adsorption rate. This sandwich assembly structure exhibits an excellent positive synergistic effect, maintaining high adsorption and desorption properties for MB dyes under high compression cycles. It can be applied to the recovery of cationic dyes in the dynamic flow waste liquid, thereby broadening the application of hydrogel graphene nanosponge in the field of environmental protection.