Research on sustainable development evaluation and improvement path of resource-based cities based on coupling of emergy and system dynamics.

The evaluation of the sustainable development of resource-based cities is still one of the hotspots in today's social research. Taking Jining, Shandong Province, as the research object, this work combines a relevant emergy evaluation index system with system dynamics, establishes a resource-based city emergy flow system dynamics model, and studies sustainable development path in the next planning year. In the work, the key factors affecting the sustainable development of Jining are obtained through the coupling of regression and SD sensitivity analysis, and some scenarios are set up by combining them with the local 14th Five-year plan. Besides, the appropriate scenario (M-L-H-H) for Jining's future sustainable development is chosen in accordance with regional circumstances. That is, during the 14th Five-year Plan period, the appropriate development ranges for the growth rate of social fixed assets investment, the growth rate of raw coal emergy, the growth rate of grain emergy and the reduction rate of solid waste emergy are 17.5-18.3%, - 4.0 to - 3.2%, 1.8-2.6% and 4-4.8%. The methodology system constructed in this article can serve as a reference for similar studies, and the research findings can aid the government in formulating pertinent plans for resource-based cities.

The effect of optimizing chemical fertilizers consumption structure to promote environmental protection, crop yield and reduce greenhouse gases emission in China.

To ensure food security, simultaneously achieving environmental protection and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction has become a significant challenge in the sustainable development of China's chemical fertilizers (CFs) industry. Hence, this work attempt to construct a multi-objective optimization model (MOOM) based on crop yield, environment protection, and GHG emissions to adjust and optimize China's CFs structure (nitrogen, phosphate, potash, and compound fertilizers). The findings revealed that it's impossible to achieve the coordinated development of the three objectives only through the adjustment of CFs structure. Different optimization measures were sequentially integrated with the MOOM to innovatively obtain the most suitable optimization schemes and the quantitative adjustment interval (which was compared with those in 2018) of the CFs structure. The following are the specific conclusions. First, compared with 2018, the appropriate increase interval for the total CFs consumption was 9 %-21 %, in which the proportion intervals of nitrogen, phosphate, potash, and compound fertilizers were 18 %-25 %, 12 %-18 %, 7 %-12 %, 48 %-60 %, respectively. Second, the reduction ranges of environmental impact and GHG emissions were 1.1 %-12 % and 12.2 %-16.4 %, respectively, under the optimal scheme (combination of the synergy of organic fertilizer substitution and technology improvement with the MOOM), and the growing range of crop yield was 0.2 %-52 %. The main contribution of this work is to build a methodology system for the adjustment and optimization of CFs consumption structure. The findings of the study could be used by the government to develop relevant policies and by other sectors to perform multi-objective optimization.

2D-2D heterostructure g-C3N4-based materials for photocatalytic H2 evolution: Progress and perspectives.

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from direct water splitting is recognized as a progressive and renewable energy producer. The secret to understanding this phenomenon is discovering an efficient photocatalyst that preferably uses sunlight energy. Two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)-based materials are promising for photocatalytic water splitting due to special characteristics such as appropriate band gap, visible light active, ultra-high specific surface area, and abundantly exposed active sites. However, the inadequate photocatalytic activity of pure 2D layered g-C3N4-based materials is a massive challenge due to the quick recombination between photogenerated holes and electrons. Creating 2D heterogeneous photocatalysts is a cost-effective strategy for clean and renewable hydrogen production on a larger scale. The 2D g-C3N4-based heterostructure with the combined merits of each 2D component, which facilitate the rapid charge separation through the heterojunction effect on photocatalyst, has been evidenced to be very effective in enhancing the photocatalytic performance. To further improve the photocatalytic efficiency, the development of novel 2D g-C3N4-based heterostructure photocatalysts is critical. This mini-review covers the fundamental concepts, recent advancements, and applications in photocatalytic hydrogen production. Furthermore, the challenges and perspectives on 2D g-C3N4-based heterostructure photocatalysts demonstrate the future direction toward sustainability.

Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Soybean Straw Biomass for Glycolaldehyde-Rich Bio-oil Production and Subsequent Extraction.

In this study, soybean straw (SS) as a promising source of glycolaldehyde-rich bio-oil production and extraction was investigated. Proximate and ultimate analysis of SS was performed to examine the feasibility and suitability of SS for thermochemical conversion design. The effect of the co-catalyst (CaCl2 + ash) on glycolaldehyde concentration (%) was examined. Thermogravimetric-Fourier-transform infrared (TG-FTIR) analysis was applied to optimize the pyrolysis temperature and biomass-to-catalyst ratio for glycolaldehyde-rich bio-oil production. By TG-FTIR analysis, the highest glycolaldehyde concentration of 8.57% was obtained at 500 °C without the catalyst, while 12.76 and 13.56% were obtained with the catalyst at 500 °C for a 1:6 ratio of SS-to-CaCl2 and a 1:4 ratio of SS-to-ash, respectively. Meanwhile, the highest glycolaldehyde concentrations (%) determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis for bio-oils produced at 500 °C (without the catalyst), a 1:6 ratio of SS-to-CaCl2, and a 1:4 ratio of SS-to-ash were found to be 11.3, 17.1, and 16.8%, respectively. These outcomes were fully consistent with the TG-FTIR results. Moreover, the effect of temperature on product distribution was investigated, and the highest bio-oil yield was achieved at 500 °C as 56.1%. This research work aims to develop an environment-friendly extraction technique involving aqueous-based imitation for glycolaldehyde extraction with 23.6% yield. Meanwhile, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) analysis was used to confirm the purity of the extracted glycolaldehyde, which was found as 91%.

Moringa Oleifera in Malnutrition: A Comprehensive Review.

Nutritional deficiency is a major concern in developing countries, resulting in serious health consequences like mental and physical growth retardation. Moringa oleifera (Moringa), a nutritious plant growing in tropical regions of developing countries, is a candidate for overcoming nutritional deficiency. Moringa leaves are rich in protein including sulphur containing amino acids. It contains high amounts of vitamin C than oranges, a higher concentration of vitamin A than carrots, higher calcium content than milk and more potassium than bananas. Moreover, there is 9 times more iron in moringa than spinach and 4 times more fiber than oats. This review enlightens and explores the nutritional diversification of Moringa oleifera and other benefits which make it a better choice to use in our daily diet to combat malnutrition.

Pharmacological Applications of Phlorotannins: A Comprehensive Review.

BACKGROUND: Seaweeds, including marine brown algae, are traditional food sources in Asia. Phlorotannins, as the product of the polyketide pathway, are mainly found in brown algae. Different properties have been attributed to this group of marine products ranging from antiallergic to anticancer activity. Mechanism of action is not obvious for all these properties, but there are some explanations for such effects. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to review the phlorotannins and to assess the beneficial uses in medicine. METHODS: Different databases were explored with the exact terms "Phlorotannin", "Seaweed" and "Brown Algae". Data assembly was finalized by June 2019. The papers showing the effects of phlorotannins in medicine were gathered and evaluated for further assessment. RESULTS: General physiological aspects of phlorotannins were firstly evaluated. Different arrays of pharmacological properties ranging from anti-diabetic activity to cancer treatment were found. The mechanism of action for some of these beneficiary properties has been confirmed through rigorous examinations, but there are some features with unknown mechanisms. CONCLUSION: Phlorotannins are characterized as a multifunctional group of natural products. Potential antioxidant characteristics could be attributed to preventive and/or their curative role in various diseases.

Biochemistry, Safety, Pharmacological Activities, and Clinical Applications of Turmeric: A Mechanistic Review.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a popular natural drug, traditionally used for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. Its root, as its most popular part used for medicinal purposes, contains different types of phytochemicals and minerals. This review summarizes what is currently known on biochemistry, safety, pharmacological activities (mechanistically), and clinical applications of turmeric. In short, curcumin is considered as the fundamental constituent in ground turmeric rhizome. Turmeric possesses several biological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, antiobesity, hypolipidemic, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective effects. These reported pharmacologic activities make turmeric an important option for further clinical research. Also, there is a discussion on its safety and toxicity.

Hepcidin, an overview of biochemical and clinical properties.

Hepcidin is a peptide hormone which helps in regulating iron homeostasis in the human body. Iron obtained from daily diet is passed through the intestinal enterocyte apical membrane via divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), which is either stored as ferritin or moved into the plasma by hepcidin-ferroportin (Fpn) as an exporter. Hepcidin (hepatic bactericidal protein) is a cysteine rich peptide, was initially identified as a urinary antimicrobial peptide. It contains 25 amino acids and four disulfide bridges. It has significant role in regulation of iron in the body. Stimulation of iron in plasma and further its storage is linked with the production of hepcidin. This enhancement of iron hampers the absorption of iron from the diet. The cause of hereditary recessive anemia also known as Iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia (IRIDA) is characterized by increased hepcidin production due to a gene mutation in the suppressor matriptase-2/TMPRSS6. During infection, hepcidin plays a defensive role against various infections by depleting the extracellular iron from the body. Moreover, hepcidin lowers the concentrations of iron from the duodenal enterocytes, macrophages and also decrease its transport across the placenta.This review highlights the significant role of hepcidin in the iron homeostasis and as an antimicrobial agent.

The synthesis of a BiOCl x Br1-x nanostructure photocatalyst with high surface area for the enhanced visible-light photocatalytic reduction of Cr(vi).

The photocatalytic reduction of poisonous Cr(vi) to environmentally friendly Cr(iii) driven by visible-light is highly foreseen. The construction of heterojunctions is a promising and solid strategy to tune the photocatalytic performance of BiOCl in the visible region. Herein, for the first time, we report Cr(vi) reduction by a BiOCl0.8Br0.2 composite produced via a facile in situ synthetic process at room temperature while making use of PVP (MW = 10 000). In this study, a series of BiOCl x Br1-x nanocomposites with different concentrations of chlorine and bromine have been prepared. The results show that BiOCl0.8Br0.2 has crystalline lattice, a large surface area (147 m2 g-1), a microporous structure (0.377 cm3 g-1), and very high chemical stability. It is revealed that the BiOCl0.8Br0.2 composite is much more active than those synthesized using different molar concentrations of chlorine and bromine. The DRS analysis and high photocurrent suggested that BiOCl0.8Br0.2 possessed absorption properties under visible light, which is beneficial for the efficient generation and separation of electron-hole pairs. In addition, we evaluated the photocatalytic activity of BiOCl0.8Br0.2 on the reduction of Cr(vi) under visible light irradiation and found that the obtained composite material exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity than single BiOCl or BiOBr without any decline in the activity after five cycles and is the best performing photocatalyst among those tested.

Phytochemical and pharmacological attributes of piperine: A bioactive ingredient of black pepper.

Plants are vital for the wellbeing of humankind in a variety of ways. Some plant extracts contain antimicrobial properties that can treat different pathogens. Most of the world's population relies on medicinal plants and natural products for their primary health care needs. Therefore, there is a growing interest in natural products, medicinal plants, and traditional medicine along with a desire to design and develop novel plant-based pharmaceuticals. These plant-based pharmaceuticals may address the concerns of reduced efficacy of synthetic antibiotics due to the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens. In this regard, some plant extracts from black pepper (Piper nigrum) with antimicrobial properties, including piperine, have the potential to be used as natural dietary supplements together with modern therapeutic approaches. This review highlights possible applications of piperine as the active compound in the fields of rational drug design and discovery, pharmaceutical chemistry, and biomedicine. We discuss different extraction methods and pharmacological effects of the analyzed substance to pave the way for further research strategies and perspectives towards the development of novel herbal products for better healthcare solutions.

Honey and cancer: A mechanistic review.

BACKGROUND: Globally, cancer ranks among the most common causes of death. Multiple experimental and clinical studies have investigated anticancer effects of honey with promising results. This study focused on potential background mechanisms of this effect. METHODS: The current literature was reviewed for potential anticancer pathways which are suggested for honey and its ingredients. RESULTS: Flavonoids (kaempferol, catechin, and quercetin) and phenolic acids (caffeic acid and gallic acid) are the most important ingredients of honey with known anti-cancer activity. The main suggested mechanisms for anti-cancer activity of honey and its ingredients are antioxidant, apoptotic, tumor necrosis factor inhibiting, antiproliferative, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and estrogenic effects. CONCLUSION: This review collates the current scientific understanding on the mechanism of anti-cancer activity of honey.

Water Stability Studies of Hybrid Iodoargentates Containing N-Alkylated or N-Protonated Structure Directing Agents: Exploring Noncentrosymmetric Hybrid Structures.

In situ alkylation or protonation reactions on the thiazolyl-N donors of benzothiazole (btz) and its derivative 2-aminobenzothiazole (abtz) occurred to form four structure directing agents (SDAs), which feature different structure directing abilities and hydrophobicities. The thiazolyl-N alkylated and protonated btz cations direct to form an α-type (AgI2)- iodoargentate chain in (Etbtz)(AgI2) (1), (Prbtz)(AgI2) (2), and (Hbtz)(AgI2) (3), respectively, while the thiazolyl-N protonated abtz cation directs to form a new type of (Ag2I3)- anionic chain in (Habtz)(Ag2I3) (4). Compounds 1 and 4 represent the first noncentrosymmetric (NCS) hybrid iodoargentates with organic S-containing N-heterocycle derivative cations as SDAs. Further, 1 exhibits high water stability and is second harmonic generation (SHG) active with a response about twice that of KDP (KH2PO4). Importantly, the water stability studies indicate that hybrid iodoargentates with hydrophobic N-alkylated SDAs are more stable in water than those with relative hydrophilic N-protonated SDAs.