The study proposes to evaluate the photosynthetic plasticity of L. in four mangrove sites distributed along with the Great Vitória Estuarine System. The variation in organic matter content, which implies the higher essential nutrient availability, contributed to better energy flux performance related to electron transport. Furthermore, salinity damaged the reaction centers (RC), since the site with the highest salinity showed changes in the number and size of active photosynthetic RC and in the specific energy flows per active RC (absorption flux, trapped energy flux, and dissipated energy flux), but the plasticity of the species in response to salt stress was confirmed by the increase of performance index for energy conservation (PI), net photosynthetic rate ( ), and the water-use efficiency (WUE). Also, the results showed that the luminous intensity available compromises the functionality of PSII, in turn, it increases WUE. The results indicate the effect of the chlorophyll content, which provides more substrate for light absorption, on the electron flow and PI is related to and WUE. The study indicates the ecological plasticity of to the conditions of the evaluated area.

Hydrogels have garnered significant interest as promising materials for flexible wearable devices. However, it remains a major challenge to develop multifunctional hydrogels. In this study, we prepared a multifunctional hydrogel based on the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitosan (CS), which is characterized by high strength, good electrical conductivity, and resistance to freezing and water retention. The hydrogel formulation utilizes p-carboxyphenylboronic acid (PBA) and MXene in combination with freeze-thaw cycling and glycerin (GL) immersion technology. Additionally, we explored the applications of this hydrogel in motion detection and sensing. Research results indicate that the hydrogel has excellent mechanical properties, achieving a strength of up to 3.42 MPa, with modulus and toughness improved by 7 times and 5 times, respectively, compared to pure PVA hydrogels. Moreover, when the MXene dispersion is at 8 vol%, the conductivity is 163.15 mS/m, and we explore their applications in strain sensing (GF = 7.03) and motion detection. The hydrogels exhibit a good strain range (600 %) and a fast response time (42 ms), as well as regular and stable electrical signals demonstrated at joints and breathing, providing strategic support for the application of this hydrogel in the field of smart wearable flexibility.

The Lambert diffuse reflection model is used widely in computerized prediction of sound in rooms as well as for outdoor scenarios. One seemingly surprising consequence of the model was pointed out by Borish [J. Audio Eng. Soc. 34, 539-545 (1986)]: A diffusely reflecting, non-absorbing wall seems to give a 3 dB stronger reflection than a specularly reflecting wall for a source and receiver along the same plane normal. Similar observations have been made by others, and it is usually commented that the two reflection types distribute the reflected energy in different directions. The aspect of energy conservation does not seem to have been sorted out entirely. It is shown here that the difference between an omnidirectional receiver, like a microphone, and a surface element receiver, which can give the total reflected power, explains the claim. Analytic solutions and numerical evaluations of the well-known integrals for a single infinite wall confirm that energy conservation is indeed maintained and also lead to a spatial distribution of the Lambert reflection strength, which differs substantially from the previously published values. The special case can serve as a useful benchmark test of implementations of diffuse reflections, which follow Lambert's law.

The presence of supramolecular interactions plays a crucial role in the formation of resilient multifunctional elastomers. Nevertheless, achieving elastomers with fabulous mechanical properties remains a significant challenge due to the incomplete understanding of the underlying principles. In this study, we have presented a simple yet efficient approach for manipulating the microstructure, resulting in a significant enhancement of the mechanical properties of the elastomers. By utilizing hydrophobic and hydrophilic extended chain segments to elongate a hydrophilic oligomer, we successfully created elastomers with improved toughness and stiffness through supramolecular interactions. The elastomer with hydrophobic extended chain segments demonstrates a fracture energy (94 842 J m) and high tensile stress (16 MPa). In contrast, the elastomer with hydrophilic extended segments showed significantly lower tensile stress (0.18 MPa), even though their molecular chain structures are nearly identical. We conducted a systematic demonstration and investigation of the significant difference mentioned above and ultimately found that due to the hydrophobic-hydrophilic difference between the oligomer and extended chain segments, the hydrophobic chain segments are able to create hydrophobic association and the association can further facilitate the development of stronger and more abundant supramolecular interactions (hydrogen bonds). The resulting hydrogen bonds, combined with the hydrophobic association, effectively disperse energy and consequently improve the elastomer's capacity to withstand external forces. The hydrophilic-hydrophobic mechanism showcases the potential for creating durable supramolecular materials with promising applications in biology and electronics.

In electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs), energy consumption cannot be ignored. In this work, Mn-Fe oxide/graphite felt (GF) cathodes were synthesized by in situ reduction and low temperature calcination. The obtained Mn-Fe oxide/GF was used as cathodes to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for atrazine (ATZ) degradation in the EAOPs system. The minimal activation potential (η) of PMS was used to evaluate the activity of the cathodes, and it was found that the introduction of Mn element can effectively reduce the η of PMS on the Fe oxide/GF cathode. The energy consumption by optimized Mn-Fe oxide/GF can be decreased to ∼85.1% in the EAOPs system compared to that without Mn. In addition, the introducing of Mn can also enhance the activity and stability of the catalyst with decreased Fe leaching. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) test indicated that the EAOPs system could generate several reactive oxygen species (ROSs), including OH, SO, O and O. This work decreases the potential by introducing Mn and provides a method to reduce the energy consumption in EAOPs.

People living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) encounter challenges in everyday life activities due to symptoms like breathlessness and fatigue. Compensatory strategies, such as using everyday technology (mechanical, electronic and digital equipment and functions encountered daily) and assistive technology (products, instruments, or equipment adapted or designed to improve functioning of people with disabilities), are crucial for supporting everyday life activities; thus, it is essential to explore therapeutic potentials of these technologies. The present review aims to synthesise research literature concerning the use of everyday technology and assistive technology to support everyday activities among persons living with COPD. A narrative review was conducted with a systematic search in five bibliographic databases. Three sets of search terms were used: (i) everyday technology, assistive technology, and related terms, (ii) everyday life activities and related terms, and (iii) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and related terms. Screening resulted in 26 included articles.Following the American Occupational Therapy Association framework, the identified articles show six categories of everyday life activities supported by everyday technologies and assistive technologies: health management, social participation, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, leisure, and rest and sleep. Most articles focus on everyday technology for health management; however, everyday technology may hold unexpected potential to support a broader array of everyday life activities. Little is known about assistive technology to support everyday life activities for people with COPD, though it is described as crucial for independence and energy conservation.

With the rapid development and wide application of visible (VIS) and infrared (IR) detections, it is necessary to explore visible-infrared (VIS-IR) compatible camouflage. Here, we report a VIS-IR compatible and independent camouflage device which is composed of the upper IR-transparent VIS-color-patterned layer and the lower electrochromic IR layer. The upper layer has amorphous photonic structure of polystyrene nanospheres (PSNSs). By customizing the PSNS size, various colors can be realized for VIS camouflage. The lower electrochromic IR layer takes advantage of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the electrode as well as the IR active material. Experimental results reveal that different colors (including blue, green, and purple) have been obtained, and the IR emissivity can be electrically regulated from 0.43 to 0.9. Moreover, the prototype also exhibits good electrical stability as well as hydrophobic characteristic (the water contact angle of the outmost surface exceeds 120°). These output performances demonstrate the success of our design strategy for promoting the finding applied in camouflage fields as well as energy conservation fields.

Chicken bile is a by-product of chicken processing, rich in chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), an active pharmaceutical raw material. In this study, a green measure for the extraction and purification of CDCA from chicken biles by enzymatic hydrolysis and macroporous resins refining was established. For the assisted extraction of CDCA, the active bile salt hydrolase (BSH) from Bifidobacterium was heterologously expressed and applied, its activities on GCDCA and TCDCA were 4.96 ± 0.32 U/mg and 3.07 ± 0.031 U/mg and optimal catalytic conditions for the extraction of CDCA were determined as 0.04 g/g of the enzyme dosage, pH 5.0 and 38 °C. Through validation of the conditions, the yield of CDCA was up to 5.32 %, which was equivalent to that by saponification method. In order to further refine CDCA from the extract obtained by enzyme-assisted extraction, a more preferable resin, AB-8 was selected for the purification of CDCA, which had a good adsorption capacity of 61.06 ± 0.57 mg/g for CDCA. Besides, the obtained CDCA extract was purified through AB-8 resin, the purity of CDCA was improved from 51.7 % to 91.4 % and the recovery yield of CDCA was 87.8 %. The advantages of energy conservation, time saving, economy and environmental friendliness make the measure using enzyme-assisted extraction and macroporous resins refining a promising candidate for isolation of CDCA from chicken bile.

Direct regeneration of spent lithium-ion batteries presents a promising approach to effectively reuse valuable resources and benefit the environment. Unlike controlled laboratory conditions that commonly facilitate impurity purification and minimize structural damage, the LiFePO cathode black mass faces significant interfacial challenges, including structure deterioration, cathode-electrolyte interphase residues, and damage from storage procedures, which hinder lithium replenishment and structure regeneration. Here, a metal-solvent chelation reaction using a lithium acetylacetonate solution is introduced to address these challenges under ambient conditions. This method regulates the near-surface structure through strong chelation between Acac anions and Fe (III) elements, thus effectively eliminating the degraded amorphous phase and residual fluorine compounds. By direct lithium connection and reducing diffusion barriers, the reconstructed surface facilitates the re-lithiation process. The regenerated LiFePO cathodes demonstrate a capacity retention of 88.5% after 400 cycles at 1 C, while also outperforming traditional recycling methods in terms of environmental and economic benefits. This approach provides a promising solution for regenerating degraded LiFePO cathodes from actual dismantled black mass, thereby accelerating the practical application of battery recycling.

Healthcare-related carbon emissions are an important contributor to global warming, and "Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality" is a major strategy being implemented in China. In this context, strengthening energy conservation and reducing carbon footprint of hospitals is crucial to help achieve the Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality goals is a problem that hospital managers must consider and address. In this study, a general hospital in Beijing was taken as a case study, and its carbon emissions were calculated from 2019 to 2023 to analyze emission characteristics, identify key factors affecting carbon emissions through multiple linear regression models, evaluate the carbon reduction effects of energy-saving and low-carbon projects or measures implemented by the hospital, and propose measures to be adopted in the future.