Characteristic of polysaccharides from Flammulina velutipes in vitro digestion under salivary,simulated gastric and small intestinal conditions and fermentation by human gut microbiota

In this study, in vitro digestion and fermentation of Flammulina velutipes -derived polysaccharides (FVP) were investigated. It was found that FVP mainly consisted of 48.45% glucose, 15.40% mannose, 14.60% xylose, 11.80% fucose and 9.90% galactose. The -human saliva, simulated gastric and small intestinal juices conditions did not break down the FVP. Based on in vitro fermentation tests, FVP modulated the composition of gut microbiota by elevating the amounts of Bifidobacteriaceae and Bacteroidaceae and reducing the numbers of genera Lachnospiraceae and Enterococcaceae. Meanwhile, FVP affected the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids derived from gut microbiota.     

A new perspective of co-doping and Nd segregation effect on proton stability and transportation in Y and Nd co-doped BaCeO3

Bulk and surface properties of proton stability and transportation in Y and Nd co-doped BaCeO₃ (BCYN), especially the effect of Nd segregation, were investigated by first-principles calculations. Since the structure of doped BaCeO₃ at the operating temperature of proton-conducting has been unclear for a long time, we have summarized the latest experimental results and calculated the structure of the asymmetric BCYN for the first time. The results show that compared with Y, Nd doping promotes oxygen vacancy formation, however reduces proton stability. Our calculation can also provide a possible explanation for the formation of space charge layer at the grain boundary of doped BaCeO₃ in experiment. Unlike the stable Y in BCYN, Nd is calculated to be easily segregated, which can facilitate both proton hydration and proton transportation near the surface. Moreover, Nd segregation at the grain boundary is predicted to be beneficial for proton transportation between grains.     

Real-time molecular characterization of air pollutants in a Hong Kong residence: Implication of indoor source emissions and heterogeneous chemistry

Due to the high health risks associated with indoor air pollutants and long-term exposure, indoor air quality has received increasing attention. In this study, we put emphasis on the molecular composition, source emissions, and chemical aging of air pollutants in a residence with designed activities mimicking ordinary Hong Kong homes. More than 150 air pollutants were detected at molecular level, 87 of which were quantified at a time resolution of not less than 1 hour. The indoor-to-outdoor ratios were higher than 1 for most of the primary air pollutants, due to emissions of indoor activities and indoor backgrounds (especially for aldehydes). In contrast, many secondary air pollutants exhibited higher concentrations in outdoor air. Painting ranked first in aldehyde emissions, which also caused great enhancement of aromatics. Incense burning had the highest emissions of particle-phase organics, with vanillic acid and syringic acid as markers. The other noteworthy fingerprints enabled by online measurements included linoleic acid, cholesterol, and oleic acid for cooking, 2,5-dimethylfuran, stigmasterol, iso-/anteiso-alkanes, and fructose isomers for smoking, C₂₈-C₃₄ even n-alkanes for candle burning, and monoterpenes for the use of air freshener, cleaning agents, and camphor oil. We showed clear evidence of chemical aging of cooking emissions, giving a hint of indoor heterogeneous chemistry. This study highlights the value of organic molecules measured at high time resolutions in enhancing our knowledge on indoor air quality.     

Titanium-doped Boron Nitride Fullerenes as Novel Single-atom Catalysts for CO Oxidation

Catalysis Letters - Inspired by the discovery of the special structures of Ti-doped boron nitride fullerenes [(2019) Nat Commun 10: 4908], we herein present a computational investigation of...