Role of Zhiqiao Chuanlian decoction in the treatment of food accumulation fever: Network pharmacology and animal experiments.

Objective: Food accumulation fever (FAF), a common clinical disease in children, is generally induced by the excessive intake of high-calorie or high-fat foods. Zhiqiao Chuanlian decoction (ZQCLD) is a classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that may have therapeutic effects on FAF. Methods: Network pharmacological analyses of ZQCLD and FAF were conducted. Animal experiments lasted for 14 days. Rats in the model, positive control, and low-, medium-, and high-dose groups were fed a high-calorie diet. On days 11-14, the positive group was given a domperidone solution. The low-, medium-, and high-dose groups were administered different concentrations of ZQCLD. The body temperature, gastric emptying rate, and intestinal propulsion rate were measured. Relevant indicators were determined by ELISA. Results: The main target proteins included IL-1ß, C-C motif chemokine 2 (CCL2), prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PTGS2), transcription factor AP-1 (JUN), haem oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2/iNOS). Compared with those in the control group, body weight, gastric emptying rate, intestinal propulsion rate, and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1/nNOS) levels were significantly lower in the model group, whereas body temperature and endotoxin, interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), PGE2, and iNOS levels were increased. In each treatment group, body temperature and PGE2 levels returned to normal levels. Compared with those in the model group, the gastric emptying rates in the positive group and the low- and medium-dose groups increased; the intestinal propulsion rates were higher in the medium- and high-dose groups, whereas the endotoxin and IL-1ß levels were lower; and the nNOS level was higher in the high-dose group, whereas the iNOS level was lower. Conclusions: ZQCLD may treat FAF by regulating jejunal IL-1ß and nNOS, serum endotoxin, and hypothalamic PGE2 and iNOS levels.

Regulating the Pore Structure of Activated Carbon by Pitch for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Storage.

The pore structure of carbon anodes plays a crucial role in enhancing the sodium storage capacity. Designing more confined pores in carbon anodes is accepted as an effective strategy. However, current design strategies for confined pores in carbon anodes fail to achieve both high capacity and initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) simultaneously. Herein, we develop a strategy for utilizing the repeated impregnation and precarbonization method of liquid pitch to regulate the pore structure of the activated carbon (AC) material. Driven by capillary coalescence, the pitch is impregnated into the pores of AC, which reduces the specific surface area of the material. During the carbonization process, numerous pores with diameters less than 1 nm are formed, resulting in a high capacity and improved ICE of the carbon anode. Moreover, the ordered carbon layers derived from the liquid pitch also enhance the electrical conductivity, thereby improving the rate capability of as-obtained carbon anodes. This enables the fabricated material (XA-4T-1300) to have a high ICE of 91.1% and a capacity of 383.0 mA h g-1 at 30 mA g-1. The capacity retention is 95.5% after 300 cycles at 1 A g-1. This study proposes a practical approach to adjust the microcrystalline and pore structures to enhance the performance of sodium-ion storage in materials.

The impact of green credit on economic development quality: the mediating effect of enterprise innovation.

Implementing green credit is a crucial step for nations looking to control social capital flows, improve environmental governance, and foster high-quality economic development in the context of the global low-carbon transition. This study analyzes the effects of green credit policy on high-quality economic development (HQED) from the perspective of enterprise innovation using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces. The data is from the period between 2011 and 2020. We use the benchmark regression and mediation effect models to analyze the relationship between green credit and HQED. The research results show that (1) green credit can directly and significantly raise the HQED. (2) Enterprise innovation mediates the relationship between green credit and HQED. Green credit can promote HQED through enterprise technical innovation, human capital innovation, stock market innovation, and incremental market innovation. (3) The most apparent mediating influence in enterprise innovation is played by human capital innovation. Our research provides policy implications for governments, banks, and enterprises to promote green transformation and achieve simultaneous economic and environmental development.

Feasibility study on grouting material prepared from red mud and metallurgical wastewater based on synergistic theory.

A new type of red mud/slag/wastewater-based geopolymeric grouts (RSW) was prepared to solve the problem of wastewater and red mud to environment and promoting the safe construction of geotechnical engineering. The applicability of RSW was investigated using different red mud, alkali activator and wastewater dosage. Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), semi-calorimetry, Scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS), and 29Si Magic Angle Spinning (MAS) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) were conducted to study the effect of wastewater on RSW. The results showed that wastewater has an accelerating effect on the geopolymerization process of RSW, the mechanical strength increased first and then decreased with the increment of wastewater dosage, the 28 d compressive strength of RSW was 30.2 MPa, which is higher than the cement-based grouts. The leaching of heavy metals were lower than 0.4 mg/L, which demonstrates that the RSW has a good immobilization effect on the heavy metals. The FTIR and SEM-EDS analysis results showed that the ions in wastewater could participated in the geopolymerization process and the hydrated products has a immobilization effect on the heavy metals. Overall, this contribution explores utilizing red mud and wastewater, and preparing high performance grouts for underground engineering.

Constructing Ni12P5/Ni2P Heterostructures to Boost Interfacial Polarization for Enhanced Microwave Absorption Performance.

Heterostructures with a rich phase boundary are attractive for surface-mediated microwave absorption (MA) materials. However, understanding the MA mechanisms behind the heterogeneous interface remains a challenge. Herein, a phosphine (PH3) vapor-assisted phase and structure engineering strategy was proposed to construct three-dimensional (3D) porous Ni12P5/Ni2P heterostructures as microwave absorbers and explore the role of the heterointerface in MA performance. The results indicated that the heterogeneous interface between Ni12P5 and Ni2P not only creates sufficient lattice defects for inducing dipolar polarization but also triggers uneven spatial charge distribution for enhancing interface polarization. Furthermore, the porous structure and proper component could provide an abundant heterogeneous interface to strengthen the above polarization relaxation process, thereby greatly optimizing the electromagnetic parameters and improving the MA performance. Profited by 3D porous heterostructure design, P400 could achieve the maximum reflection loss of -50.06 dB and an absorption bandwidth of 3.30 GHz with an ultrathin thickness of 1.20 mm. Furthermore, simulation results confirmed its superior ability (14.97 dB m2 at 90°) to reduce the radar cross section in practical applications. This finding may shed light on the understanding and design of advanced heterogeneous MA materials.

Structural Evolution of Phosphorus Species on Graphene with a Stabilized Electrochemical Interface.

Phosphorus doping is an effective approach to tailor the surface chemistry of carbon materials. In this work, two-dimensional graphene, as a simplified model for all sp2 hybrid carbon allotropes, is employed to explore the surface chemistry of P-doped carbon materials. Thermally reduced graphene oxide, with abundant residual oxygen functionalities, is doped by phosphorus heteroatoms through H3PO4 activation, followed by passivation in an inert atmosphere. The structural evolution of the phosphorus species in the carbon lattice during the thermal treatment is systematically studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy with the assistance of first-principles calculations. The C3-P═O configuration is identified as the most stable structure in the graphene lattice and plays a key role in stabilizing the electrochemical interface between the electrode and electrolyte. These features enable an electrode based on P-doped graphene to exhibit an enlarged potential window of 1.5 V in an aqueous electrolyte, a remarkable improved cycling stability, and an ultralow leak current. Therefore, this contribution provides insights for designing phosphorus-doped carbon materials toward electrocatalysis, energy-related applications, and so forth.