Utilization Ratio Research Articles

Effective influence of Community Pharmacists in Public Health Using Blockchain Technology to Secure Patient Data and Enhance Healthcare Delivery

The advent of healthcare delivery drones, a novel unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), has opened the door to a more comprehensive approach to developing smart health services. Internet of Things (IoT)-based healthcare delivery via UAVs has not been fully realized because of a lack of augmentation-aware concepts. Despite community pharmacists' strong clinical expertise and ease of patient access, they cannot provide comprehensive clinical services due to a lack of access to patient data. Blockchain could be a solution if it's concerned about the reliability and security of drone deliveries over untrusted open channels. Hence, this study proposes the Internet of Things and Blockchain Technology-assisted Drone Healthcare Delivery System (IoT-BT-DHDS) for enhancing access to healthcare information in the community pharmacy environment. Ensuring the security of drone operations is crucial to protect users from any breaches that might result in physical and financial loss. This research suggests an oT-BT-DHDS that authenticates and registers the involved entities, such as objects (healthcare supplies), warehouses (healthcare centres), and drones, to address these security concerns and make the delivery progression visible. This research achieves its goals by analyzing several parameters that impact the time and number of transactions required for authentication on the Ethereum platform, which is used to build smart contracts and blockchain. The suggested strategy is shown to be effective by results acquired from a simulated environment compared to alternative models based on an access control ratio of 98.9%, data management ratio of 97.4% and resource utilization ratio of 96.4% to other existing models.

INITIATED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (iCVD) OF POLY(ACRYLIC ACID): A COMPARISON BETWEEN CONTINUOUS AND CLOSED-BATCH iCVD APPROACHES

In this study, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) thin films were deposited on silicon wafer and glass surfaces by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) method using di-tert-butyl peroxide (TBPO) as the initiator and acrylic acid (AA) as the monomer. During iCVD, two different precursor feeding approaches, namely continuous and closed-batch, were employed. The effects of substrate temperature and the precursor feeding approaches on the deposition rates and surface morphology of the films were investigated. The highest deposition rates for the continuous and closed-batch iCVD approaches were found as 26.1 nm/min and 18.6 nm/min, respectively, at a substrate temperature of 15 °C. FTIR analysis of the films deposited by both approaches indicated high structural retention of the monomer during the polymerization. AFM results indicated that, PAA thin films possessed low RMS roughness values of 2.76 nm and 1.84 nm using continuous and closed-batch iCVD, respectively. Due to the slightly higher surface roughness of the film deposited under continuous iCVD, that film exhibited a lower water contact angle of 16.1° than the film deposited in closed-batch iCVD. In terms of monomer utilization ratio, closed-batch system was found to be more effective, which may help to minimize the carbon footprint of iCVD process.

Comparative Investigation of Water-Based CMC and LA133 Binders for CuO Anodes in High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Transition metal oxides are considered to be highly promising anode materials for high-energy lithium-ion batteries. While carbon matrices have demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing the electrical conductivity and accommodating the volume expansion of transition metal oxide-based anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), achieving an optimized utilization ratio remains a challenging obstacle. In this investigation, we have devised a straightforward synthesis approach to fabricate CuO nano powder integrated with carbon matrix. We found that with the use of a sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) based binder and fluoroethylene carbonate additives, this anode exhibits enhanced performance compared to acrylonitrile multi-copolymer binder (LA133) based electrodes. CuO@CMC electrodes reveal a notable capacity ~1100 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g-1 following 170 cycles, and exhibit prolonged cycling stability, with a capacity of 450 mA h g-1 at current density 300 mA g-1 over 500 cycles. Furthermore, they demonstrated outstanding rate performance and reduced charge transfer resistance. This study offers a viable approach for fabricating electrode materials for next-generation, high energy storage devices.

Optimization of energy efficiency in gas production from hydrates assisted by geothermal energy enriched in the deep gas

Scaled-up production from natural gas hydrates is still facing the significant issues of limited gas yield and unsustainable hydrate dissociation. In this work, the deep gas with huge reserves and abundant geothermal energy was used to enhance the hydrate production efficiency. Results showed that the geotherm-assisted gas production was significantly increased by 178.22 %. Surprisingly, the hydrate dissociation rate was slightly weakened by 3.66 % due to the hindered fugacity of the gas from hydrate decomposition as a result of the fast deep gas upwelling. Besides, the energy flow analysis showed that up to 40.67 % of the deep gas injection energy was dissipated to the surroundings, with only 8.28 % utilized for the hydrate decomposition. Consequently, the multi-well deployment was used to regulate the deep gas injection rate. It was found that the multiple wells weakened the sealing effect of hydrate on migration channels, preventing the violent gas upwelling while increasing the hydrate decomposition amount under geothermal stimulation. Then, prolonging crossflow distance of deep gas in the hydrate layer enabled the sediment to absorb more injected energy, resulting in the minimum wasted energy ratio. Not limited to this, the more stable gas production throughout the whole process effectively guaranteed the safety of exploitation. Finally, the hydrate decomposition rate in the depressurization and constant pressure stages was found to be positively correlated with the utilization ratio of the injected energy and the injected rate, respectively. The results could help guide the formulation of the multi-gas joint production scenarios in the field tests to balance production efficiency and cost.

Optimizing physician-encounter frequency for type 2 diabetes patients in primary care based on cardiovascular risk assessment: A target trial emulation study.

To investigate whether the physician-encounter interval for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) can be optimized from 2-3 to 4-6 months among those with a calculated 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk score of less than 20% without compromising their long-term outcomes. Using territory-wide public electronic medical records in Hong Kong, we emulated a target trial to compare the effectiveness of the physician-encounter intervals of 4-6 versus 2-3 months for T2D patients without prior CVDs and with a predicted risk for CVDs of less than 20% (i.e. those patients not in the high-risk category). Propensity score matching was used to emulate the randomization of participants at baseline, where 42 154 matched individuals were included for analysis. The marginal structural model was applied to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for CVD incidence and all-cause mortality, the incidence rate ratio of secondary and tertiary care utilization, as well as the between-group differences in HbA1c, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. During a follow-up period of up to 12 (average: 5.1) years, there was no significantly increased risk of CVD in patients with physician-encounter intervals of 4-6 months compared with those patients with physician-encounter intervals of 2-3 months (HR [95% confidence interval {CI}]: 1.01 [0.90, 1.14]; standardized 10-year risk difference [95% CI]: -0.1% [-0.7%, 0.6%]), nor for all-cause mortality (HR: 1.00 [0.84, 1.20]; standardized 10-year risk difference: -0.1% [-0.5%, 0.3%]). Additionally, there was no observable difference in the utilization of secondary and tertiary care or key clinical parameters between these two follow-up frequencies. For T2D patients with a calculated 10-year CVD risk of less than 20%, the interval of regular physician encounters can be optimized from 2-3 to 4-6 months without compromising patients' long-term outcomes and saving substantial service resources in primary care.

Nonflammable Fluorinated Electrolyte Realizing High Voltage Anode-Free Zn Dual-Ion Batteries.

Due to the low decomposition potential of H2O and its corrosive effect to Zn foil, the Zn metal battery with aqueous electrolytes operates within a narrow electrochemical window and exhibits low anode utilization ratio. Fluorinated carbonate ester, exhibiting low highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level, is suitable for constructing high-voltage batteries, yet its application in Zn metal battery has been scarcely explored. Herein, we propose an electrolyte based on fluorinated solvents and ethoxy (pentafluoro) cyclotriphosphazene (PFPN) additive, which exhibits a high decomposition voltage of 2.75 V in Zn batteries. The fluorinated carbonate esters possess non-flammability and exhibit reduced solvation capacity which in turn promotes the incorporation of anions into Zn2+ solvation shell. Consequently, an anion-derived interface layer is formed on Zn anode, aiding the compact and planar growth of deposited Zn. Therefore, the Zn//Zn cell exhibits an impressive Zn utilization of 91% for 140 h, a level seldom reported previously. Benefitting from the oxidation resistant solvents and cathode-electrolyte interface layer formed by PFPN additive, the Zn//graphite dual-ions battery shows an extended cycling life of 1000 cycles. Furthermore, an anode-free cell was constructed and stably operated for 100 cycles, with a notably high average discharge midpoint voltage of 1.84 V.

Artificial Punishment Signals for Guiding the Decision-Making Process of an Autonomous System

Somatic markers have been evidenced as determinant factors in human behavior. In particular, the concepts of somatic reward and punishment have been related to the decision-making process; both reward and somatic punishment represent bodily states with positive or negative sensations, respectively. In this research work, we have designed a mechanism to generate artificial somatic punishments in an autonomous system. An autonomous system is understood as a system capable of performing autonomous behavior and decision making. We incorporated this mechanism within a decision model oriented to support decision making on stock markets. Our model focuses on using artificial somatic punishments as a tool to guide the decisions of an autonomous system. To validate our proposal, we defined an experimental scenario using official data from Standard & Poor’s 500 and the Dow Jones index, in which we evaluated the decisions made by the autonomous system based on artificial somatic punishments in a general investment process using 10,000 independent iterations. In the investment process, the autonomous system applied an active investment strategy combined with an artificial somatic index. The results show that this autonomous system presented a higher level of investment decision effectiveness, understood as the achievement of greater wealth over time, as measured by profitability, utility, and Sharpe Ratio indicators, relative to an industry benchmark.

Self-assembled superstructure alleviates air-water interface effect in cryo-EM

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has been widely used to reveal the structures of proteins at atomic resolution. One key challenge is that almost all proteins are predominantly adsorbed to the air-water interface during standard cryo-EM specimen preparation. The interaction of proteins with air-water interface will significantly impede the success of reconstruction and achievable resolution. Here, we highlight the critical role of impenetrable surfactant monolayers in passivating the air-water interface problems, and develop a robust effective method for high-resolution cryo-EM analysis, by using the superstructure GSAMs which comprises surfactant self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and graphene membrane. The GSAMs works well in enriching the orientations and improving particle utilization ratio of multiple proteins, facilitating the 3.3-Å resolution reconstruction of a 100-kDa protein complex (ACE2-RBD), which shows strong preferential orientation using traditional specimen preparation protocol. Additionally, we demonstrate that GSAMs enables the successful determinations of small proteins (<100 kDa) at near-atomic resolution. This study expands the understanding of SAMs and provides a key to better control the interaction of protein with air-water interface.

A method for high value-added utilization of BOF slag: Towards slag recycling and phosphorus recovery

Basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag is a bulk solid waste generated in steelmaking process, containing large amounts of valuable components. However, its utilization ratio is not high in China, resulting in serious environmental pollution and resource waste. To realize the high value-added utilization of BOF slag, selective leaching was adopted to separate the P-bearing dicalcium silicate from slag. The leaching ratios of Si and P were much higher than those of Fe and Mn. The oxidized BOF slag exhibited a superior leaching of P. 85.6 % of P and 68.0 % of Si was separated from BOF slag while the leaching ratio of Fe was negligible in the HCl solution at pH 3. Almost all the dicalcium silicate was removed by leaching whereas the dicalcium ferrite remained. The tailing containing 46.1 % Fe2O3 and 32.9 % CaO can be reused as a steelmaking feedstock. The leachate was treated to extract phosphates by chemical precipitation. Approximately 98 % of phosphate ions was precipitated in the leachate when the pH increased to 8. Some silica gel was removed from the precipitate via alkaline wash and a phosphate containing 28.4 % P2O5 was recovered, which could be used as a phosphorus fertilizer. This study provided a method for BOF slag recycling in steelmaking process and phosphorus recovery.

A simultaneous energy self-sufficient desalination and energy output process based on a novel membrane stack design

Electrodialysis (ED) uses electric energy to conduct the desalination, while bipolar membrane reverse electrodialysis (BMRED) converts the chemical energy containing in acids and alkalis into electric energy. Here, a novel membrane stack (BMRED-ED) based on BMRED and ED was designed to realize the simultaneous energy self-sufficient desalination and energy output process. The stack was studied in two different operation modes systematically. Results of the open-loop operation mode demonstrate that the maximum power density (Pd,max) can obtain a highest value of 4.53 W·m−2, and the maximal average apparent permeability (α) between the open circuit voltage (OCV) and theoretical electromotive force (EMF) is 92.23 %. Results of the closed-loop operation mode indicate that the final desalination ratio (ξdel) can attain as high as 89.57 %, and the corresponding energy utilization ratios of the desalination (ηdes) and the energy output (ηout) are 0.90 % and 14.00 %, respectively. Moreover, the effect of desalinated salt solution concentrations and discharging current densities on the closed-loop operation performance are much more remarkable than that of cation species in the alkali and salt solutions. This work provides a feasible and competitive strategy for simultaneous energy self-sufficient desalination and energy output.

Enhancing Efficiency and Durability of PEM Water Electrolysis with Low Iridium Loading through Nanofiber-Modified Porous Transport Electrodes

Hydrogen plays a significant role in the transition of the global energy system towards achieving net-zero emissions. According to the “Hydrogen for Net-Zero” report by Hydrogen Council and McKinsey & Company, the demand for clean hydrogen could reach 140 metric tons (MT) by 2030, with a further increase to 660 MT by 2050. For future high-volume production of green hydrogen, Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis (PEMWE) is a crucial technology due to its advantages of high-purity hydrogen, large operational current densities, and great energy conversion efficiency [1]. However, the use of precious metal-based catalysts for the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on the anode side hinders the high-volume manufacturability of PEMWE. To ensure cost-effectiveness in large-scale PEMWE deployment for hydrogen production, developing strategies to reduce Iridium loading to 0.1 - 0.2 mg Ir/cm2 without compromising overall performance is essential. The challenge of reducing Ir loading also involves improving or maintaining the electrical contact between the catalyst layers and the substrate [2-3].Smoltek Hydrogen has made significant strides in achieving low iridium loading through our innovative Porous Transport Electrode (PTE) concept. This approach involves modifying a Porous Transport Layer (PTL) by growing vertically aligned Carbon Nanofibers (CNFs) using our in-house patented technology, efficiently increasing surface area [4]. Following this modification, a protective layer of corrosion-resistant and conductive material (e.g., Platinum) is applied to the CNFs. Subsequently, an OER catalyst layer is deposited utilizing a three-electrode cathodic electrodeposition method (Fig. 1a and 1b). The electrodeposited Ir catalyst exhibits strong adhesion to the CNF PTEs, resulting in a high electrical conductivity [5].In this work, we successfully reduced Ir loadings to 0.1 mg/cm2 in the PTE, demonstrating excellent mass activity in the half-cell tests (Fig. 1c). In the PEMWE tests, the polarization curves of electrodes with low Ir loading exhibited superior performance compared to cells with significantly higher Ir loading (Fig. 1d). The next step of our research involves conducting constant current durability tests for over 600 hours on PEMWE operation using low Ir loaded PTEs. The aim is to minimize degradation and overcome mass transport limitations, particularly at higher current densities.These unique PTEs developed by Smoltek Hydrogen, with CNF technology, maximize the electrode surface area and pave a new way to increase the utilization ratio of catalyst surface at a low loading amount, which makes it a competitive anode material in today’s PEMWE market. References https://www.iea.org/reports/hydrogen-2156#dashboardMöckl et al. J. Electrochem. Soc., 2022, 169, 064505.Bernt et al. Chem. Ing. Tech., 2020, 92, 31-39.https://www.smoltek.com/applications/electrolyzers/Krivina et al. Adv.Mater., 2022, 34, 2203033.https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC104045 Figure 1

Effect of Fe2+-activated persulfate combined with biodegradation in removing gasoline BTX from karst groundwater: A box-column experimental study.

In-situ chemical oxidation with persulfate (PS-ISCO) is a preferred approach for the remediation of fuel-contaminated groundwater. Persulfate (PS) can be activated by various methods to produce stronger sulfate radicals for more efficient ISCO. Despite karst aquifers being widespread, there are few reports on PS-ISCO combined with Fe2+-activated PS. To better understand the effects of Fe2+-activated PS for the remediation of gasoline-contaminated aquifers in karst areas, a box-column experiment was conducted under flow conditions, using karst groundwater and limestone particles to simulate an aquifer. Gasoline was used as the source of hydrocarbon contaminants. Dissolved oxygen and nitrate were added to enhance bioremediation (EBR) and ferrous sulfate was used to activate PS. The effect of Fe2+-activated PS combined with biodegradation was compared during the periods of EBR + ISCO and ISCO alone, using the mass flow method for data analysis. The results showed that the initial dissolution of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) from gasoline injection was rapid and variable, with a decaying trend at an average pseudo-first-order degradation rate constant of 0.032 d-1. Enhanced aerobic biodegradation and denitrification played a significant role in limestone-filled environments, with dissolved oxygen and nitrate utilization ratios of 59 ~ 72% and 12-70%, respectively. The efficiency of EBR + ISCO was the best method for BTX removal, compared with EBR or ISCO alone. The pseudo-first-order degradation rate constants of BTX reached 0.022-0.039, 0.034-0.070, and 0.027-0.036 d-1, during the periods of EBR alone, EBR + ISCO, and ISCO alone, respectively. The EBR + ISCO had a higher BTX removal ratio range of 71.0 ~ 84.3% than the ISCO alone with 30.1 ~ 45.1%. The presence of Fe2+-activated PS could increase the degradation rate of BTX with a range of 0.060 ~ 0.070 d-1, otherwise, with a range of 0.034-0.052 d-1. However, Fe2+-activated PS also consumed about 3 times the mass of PS, caused a further decrease in pH with a range of 6.8-7.6, increased 3-4 times the Ca2+ and 1.6-1.8 times the HCO3- levels, and decreased the BTX removal ratio of ISCO + EBR, compared to the case without Fe2+ activation. In addition, the accumulation of ferric hydroxides within a short distance indicated that the range of PS activated by Fe2+ may be limited. Based on this study, it is suggested that the effect of Fe2+-activated PS should be evaluated in the remediation of non-carbonate rock aquifers.

High photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/CdZnS/MoS2 heterojunction for hydrogen production

In an effort to improve the light absorption efficiency of the photocatalyst, g-C3N4 nanosheets with visible light response have been prepared by roasting method, and the g-C3N4/CdZnS composite catalyst with 2D/0D architecture has been prepared by hydrothermal method after ultrasonic thinning. The g-C3N4/CdZnS/MoS2 composite catalyst with 2D/0D architecture has been synthesized by secondary hydrothermal method. TEM analysis proves that a close heterogeneous interface has been formed between g-C3N4 and CdZnS, and between CdZnS and MoS2. The ultraviolet diffuse reflectance spectrum shows that MoS2 has a wide light absorption range, which effectively enhances the light utilization ratio of the composite catalyst. The energy band structure diagram and photoelectrochemical test results show that a continuous stepped type II ternary heterojunction is formed among g-C3N4, CdZnS and MoS2, which promotes its separation of photogenerated charges. When the loading mass fraction of g-C3N4 and MoS2 is 4%, the hydrogen evolution rate of g-C3N4/CdZnS/MoS2 composite catalyst is 57.02 mmol g−1 h−1 under visible light, which is exceeding 20% that of g-C3N4/CdZnS and 4.79 times and 44.9 times higher than that of CdZnS and g-C3N4, respectively. The two-dimensional structure of g-C3N4 and MoS2 significantly improves the stability of the composite catalyst. This work offers feasible ways for ternary heterogeneous photocatalyst construction.

Changes in Water Utilization Characteristics of Trees in Forests across a Successional Gradient in Southern China

Elucidating the water utilization strategy of trees during forest succession is a prerequisite for predicting the direction of forest succession. However, the water utilization characteristics of trees in forests across a successional gradient remain unclear. Here, we utilized the hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes combined with the Bayesian mixed model (MixSIAR) to analyze the water utilization of dominant trees (Pinus massoniana, Castanea henryi, and Schima superba) in forests along a successional gradient in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve of China. Furthermore, we determined the primary factor affecting the water utilization of various trees based on variation partitioning analysis and a random forest model. Our results illustrated that in the early-successional forest, the water utilization ratios from shallow soil layers by P. massoniana were significantly lower than that in the mid-successional forest (51.3%–61.7% vs. 75.3%–81.4%), while its water utilization ratios from deep soil layers exhibited the opposite pattern (26.1%–30.1% vs. 9.0%–15.0%). Similarly, the ratios of water utilization from shallow soil layers by C. henryi (18.9%–29.5% vs. 32.4%–45.9%) and S. superba (10.0%–25.7% vs. 29.2%–66.4%) in the mid-successional forest were relatively lower than in the late-successional forest, whereas their water utilization ratios from deep soil layers showed the contrary tendency. Moreover, our results demonstrated that the diverse water utilization of each tree in different successional forests was mainly attributed to their distinct plant properties. Our findings highlight the increased percentage of water utilization of trees from shallow soil layers with forest succession, providing new insights for predicting the direction of forest succession under changing environments.

Resolve the species-specific effects of iron (hydr)oxides on the performance of underlying zerovalent iron for metalloid removal: Identification of their key properties

Despite the importance of surface iron (hydr)oxides (Fe-(hydr)oxides) for the decontamination performance of zerovalent iron (ZVI) -based technologies has been well recognized, controversial understandings of their exact roles still exist due to the complex species distribution of Fe-(hydr)oxides. Herein, we re-structured the surface of ZVI using eight distinct Fe-(hydr)oxides and analyzed their species-specific effects on the performance of ZVI for Se(IV) under well-controlled conditions. The kinetics-relevant performance indicators (Se(IV) removal rates, Fe2+ release rates, and the utilization ratio of ZVI) under the effect of each Fe-(hydr)oxide roughly followed the order: δ-FeOOH > Fe5HO8·4H2O > α-FeOOH > β-FeOOH > γ-FeOOH > γ-Fe2O3 > Fe3O4 > α-Fe2O3. Multiple linear regression analysis shows that the large pore volume and size (instead of specific surface area), low open-circuit potential, and low electrochemical impedance are key positive properties for kinetics-relevant performance. Besides, for electron efficiency of ZVI, only Fe3O4 increased the value to 50.0%, due to the contribution of its ferrous components, while others did not change it (∼20%). Additional experiments with commercial ZVI covered by individual Fe-(hydr)oxides confirmed the observed species-specific trends. All these results not only provide new basis for mechanism explanation but also have practical implications for the production or modification of ZVI.

Deactivation mechanism of NiWS/SAPO-11 catalyst in hydroisomerization of n-hexadecane: Insights into coke deposition behavior and active phase migration

The application of non-noble metal supported catalysts in the hydroisomerization of long-chain n-alkanes is a novel field, and there is currently not any research available on the deactivation process of these catalysts. We investigated into the deactivation mechanism of NiWS/SAPO-11 catalyst in the hydroisomerization of n-hexadecane in this work for the first time. Specifically, coke deposition behavior and active phase migration were investigated. The reduction of catalytic efficiency of the catalyst was partially aided by the decrease in specific surface area, pore volume, and acid density. From the perspective of the active phase, the clusters of NiWS active phase migrated as the reaction time increased, mostly resulting in an increase in both the stacking number and the length of active phase slabs. The migration of active phase increased the distance between active phase clusters and metal sites, and decreased the utilization ratio of active metal atoms. From the perspective of coke deposition, the coke formed on the catalyst includes soft coke and hard coke. The formation and evolution of coke on the catalyst were investigated. The soft coke (aliphatic compounds) progressively transformed into hard coke (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and graphite-like), and the coke gradually migrated from the external surface of the catalyst to the pore channels as the reaction time increased. It is expected to provide theoretical basis and reference value for the deactivation research and design of non-noble metal supported hydroisomerization catalyst.

Intellectual capital and firm performance of Jordanian financial institutions

This study aims to explore the financial implications of intellectual capital in the Jordanian financial sector during the period 2009–2018. It uses Pulic’s (2004) value-added intellectual capital model, particularly capital employed efficiency, structural capital efficiency, and human capital efficiency, and tests its potential effect on firm financial performance measures, including return on assets, return on equity, asset utilization ratio, and Tobin’s Q. The study’s findings demonstrate that value-added intellectual capital positively influences the financial performance of Jordanian financial companies. Value-added intellectual capital is not found to have a significant impact on productivity, but it is strongly and positively related to firm profitability and market value. As for the main components of value-added intellectual capital, human capital efficiency has a significantly positive impact on a company’s performance, but regarding structural capital efficiency, the outcomes vary depending on the measure of firm performance. Notably, when firms are categorized into sub-industries (banks, insurance companies, and financial service companies), it is found that the profitability of insurance companies is more affected by intellectual capital than that of banks or financial services. The results also show that investors place great importance on the efficiency of intellectual capital, particularly within the banking industry. Furthermore, implementing Shariah compliance standards boosts the positive effect of structural capital efficiency on corporate market value and reinforces the positive influence of human capital efficiency on productivity.

Amidoxime‐based Star Polymer Adsorbent with Ultra‐High Uranyl Affinity for Extremely Fast Uranium Extraction from Natural Seawater

AbstractPolymer adsorbents functionalized with amidoxime groups are widely considered to have the most industrial potential for uranium extraction from seawater. However, the entanglement upon the collapse of polymer chain in seawater greatly reduces the utilization ratio of amidoxime ligands. Herein, a novel star‐shaped molecular brush adsorbent (β‐CD‐g‐PAO) is obtained by densely grafting polyamidoxime (PAO) chains from β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD). Experimental and theoretical results reveal that, in contrast to conventional linear polymer adsorbents, the star polymer adsorbent with a high grafting density of PAO side chains enables strong steric repulsion between the polymer chains, leading to increased persistence length and disentanglement of side chains. As a result, the star polymer adsorbent shows higher accessibility of the adsorption ligands with lower adsorption energy, achieving an adsorption capacity of up to 944.75 mg g−1 in uranium‐spiked seawater, surpassing that of conventional linear PAO by 3.2 times. Remarkably, this star polymer adsorbent demonstrates an extraordinarily adsorption capacity of 10.9 mg−1 g−1 in only 1 day in natural seawater, coupled with excellent affinity for uranyl ions (K = 0.31 pM). The unique topological structure design provides a new approach to solving the problem of low utilization ratio of functional ligands in polymer adsorbents.

Solidification of heavy metal in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash and performance evolution of alkali-activated foam concrete

The heavy metals in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWIFA) limit its large-scale application. To improve the utilization ratio of MSWIFA, a slag-MSWIFA-fly ash alkali-activated foam concrete (ASFC) was prepared in this study. The influence of MSWIFA content on the performances of ASFC and the solidification effect of heavy metals in MSWIFA by alkali-activated materials were studied. The results show that the performance of ASFC was directly related to the pore structure, which was affected by the fluidity and setting time of the paste, as well as the quantity and type of hydration products. When the MSWIFA substitution rate was 25–50 %, the fluidity of the paste was better, the pore diameter decreased, and the number of closed pores increased. The compressive strength of ASFC at 28 d was 1.72–2.01 MPa, and the thermal conductivity was 0.1305–0.1340 W/(m∙k). The leaching concentrations of the six heavy metal elements in the 28 d hardened paste of ASFC were all lower than 0.04 mg/L, and the solidification efficiencies of Pb and Zn, the two heavy meta elements with higher concentrations in MSWIFA, were both greater than 90 %. This study provides a technical and theoretical reference for applying MSWIFA in alkali-activated foam concrete.

Regulation of metal utilization ratio and active sites of nickel phyllosilicates for enhanced CO2 methanation

This paper proposes a ball milling trio strategy that integrates mechanical exfoliation, liquid-phase exfoliation, and hydrogen peroxide modification to synthesize ultrathin defect-rich Ni-phyllosilicate for CO2 methanation. The obtained catalyst exhibits a unique layered structure with a thickness of only 0.86–1.37 nm and numerous holes, which results in weakened metal-support interaction, enhanced metal utilization ratio, and an appropriate coordination environment for Ni species. Consequently, it displays competitive catalytic activity with a turnover efficiency of CO2 (TOFCO2) of 8.0 × 10–2 s−1 and a low active energy (Ea) of 41.49 KJ·mol−1 for CO2 methanation; importantly, it maintains high stability without Ni sintering and coking in a 100 h-long term test. In-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in-situ DRIFTS) results confirms the coexistence of *HCOO and *CO intermediates, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate the formate pathway is thermodynamically more feasible, with the rate-determining step of *CO+*OH+*H→*CHO+*OH (ΔE=0.73 eV). Moreover, this method demonstrates high universality in preparing various metal (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) phyllosilicates and possesses the in-situ regeneration capacity for the deactivated Ni/SiO2 catalyst.