Continuous theta burst stimulation to relieve symptoms in patients with moderate obsessive-compulsive disorder: a preliminary study with an external validation.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a clinically challenging and refractory psychiatric disorder characterized by pathologically hyperactivated brain activity. Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) is considered a potentially non-invasive treatment for inducing inhibitory effects on the underlying cortex. Numerous studies showed an unsatisfactory efficacy of cTBS for OCD. Accordingly, it seems that cTBS is ineffective for OCD. However, the neglect of varying OCD severities, modest sample size, absence of a multicenter design incorporating inpatients and outpatients, and lack of personalized imaging-guided targeting may constrain the conclusive findings of cTBS efficacy for OCD. In the preliminary experiment, 50 inpatients with OCD were enrolled to receive cTBS (10 sessions/day for five continuous days) or sham over the personalized right pre-supplementary motor area determined by the highest functional connectivity with the subthalamic nucleus according to our prior study. In the extension experiment, 32 outpatients with OCD received cTBS to generalize the treatment effects. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) was assessed before and after treatment. In the preliminary experiment, the response rates in the cTBS group were 56.52%, respectively, significantly higher than those in the sham group. Further analysis revealed significant YBOCS improvement in patients with moderate OCD symptoms than those with severe OCD symptoms. In the extension experiment, the response rates were 50.00%. Additionally, a significant decrease in YBOCS scores was only found in patients with moderate OCD symptoms. This is the first study with an external validation design across two centers to identify OCD symptoms as playing an important role in cTBS treatment effects, especially in patients with moderate OCD symptoms.

An unsupervised learning-based guidewire shape registration for vascular intervention surgery robot.

In a vascular interventional surgery robot(VISR), a high transparency master-slave system can aid physicians in the more precise manipulation of guidewires for navigation and operation within blood vessels. However, deformations arising from the movement of the guidewire can affect the accuracy of the registration, thus reducing the transparency of the master-slave system. In this study, the degree of the guidewire's deformation is analyzed based on the Kirchhoff model. An unsupervised learning-based guidewire shape registration method(UL-GSR) is proposed to estimate geometric transformations by learning displacement field functions. It can effectively achieve precise registration of flexible bodies. This method not only demonstrates high registration accuracy but also performs robustly under different complexity degrees of guidewire shapes. The experiments have demonstrated that the UL-GSR method significantly improves the accuracy of shape point set registration between the master and slave sides, thus enhancing the transparency and operational reliability of the VISR system.

Low-level photodynamic therapy in chronic wounds.

BACKGROUND: Chronic wounds refer to those that can't reconstruct anatomical and physical functional integrity, and are usually associated with signs of microbial infection. Current therapies include debridement and dressing change, local or systemic application of antibiotics, and medical dressing care, which are not ideal for the healing of chronic wounds. OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) for the treatment of chronic infectious wounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ALA-PDT was used in ten patients with persistent wound infections and systemic complications who did not respond to conventional treatment. 5 % ALA solution was applied to the wound surface after debridement, incubated for 3 h with light protection, and then irradiated with red light for 20 min. This procedure was repeated every two weeks, and any adverse reactions were recorded. After the end of three treatments, the patients were followed up for 3 months. RESULTS: Patients who exhibit resistance to traditional therapies demonstrate a favorable therapeutic outcome with ALA-PDT, although complications may impede wound healing. All participants successfully underwent ALA-PDT treatment and subsequent monitoring, with 90 % achieving complete healing. Common adverse reactions to ALA-PDT encompass treatment-related pain, temporary erythema, and swelling, all of which are well-tolerated by patients without enduring severe consequences. CONCLUSIONS: ALA-PDT proves to be an efficacious intervention for managing chronic wounds, irrespective of the presence of localized infections or systemic complications.

Unveiling the muscle-brain axis: A bidirectional mendelian randomization study investigating the causal relationship between sarcopenia-related traits and brain aging.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies suggest an association between sarcopenia-related traits and brain aging, but whether this association reflects a causal relationship remains unclear. This study aims to employ Mendelian randomization (MR) methods to investigate the causal impact of sarcopenia-related traits on brain aging. METHODS: This study presents a comprehensive analysis of genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data associated with sarcopenia-related traits. The data were derived from a large-scale cohort, encompassing measures such as grip strength, lean body mass, and walking pace. Measurements of brain aging were obtained from neuroimaging genetics, utilizing meta-analysis (ENIGMA) to combine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 33,992 participants. The primary methodology employed in this analysis was the inverse-variance-weighted method (IVW). Additionally, sensitivity analyses were conducted, to assess heterogeneity and pleiotropy. RESULT: Appendicular lean mass(ALM) is negatively correlated with Pallidum aging; Whole body fat-free mass shows a negative correlation with Amygdala aging; Leg fat-free mass (left) and Leg fat-free mass (right) are negatively correlated with Pallidum aging; Usual walking pace is positively correlated with Nucleus Accumbens aging. Cerebellum WM aging is negatively correlated with Leg fat-free mass (left) and Leg fat-free mass (right); Hippocampus aging is negatively correlated with Hand grip strength (left) and Hand grip strength (right). Ventricles aging is positively correlated with Usual walking pace; Nucleus Accumbens aging is positively correlated with Leg fat-free mass (left) and Leg fat-free mass (right); Putamen aging is positively correlated with ALM. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms that reduced muscle mass speeds up brain aging. Walking too fast raises the risk of brain aging, while maintaining or increasing appendicular lean mass, overall muscle mass, and muscle mass in both legs lowers the risk of brain aging.

Zinc Supplementation Reduces Testicular Cell Apoptosis in Mice and Improves Spermatogenic Dysfunction Caused by Marginal Zinc Deficiency.

Zinc (Zn) is an important trace element in the human body and plays an important role in growth, development, and male reproductive functions. Marginal zinc deficiency (MZD) is common in the human population and can cause spermatogenic dysfunction in males. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate methods to improve spermatogenic dysfunction caused by MZD and to further explore its mechanism of action. A total of 75 4-week-old male SPF ICR mice were randomly divided into five groups (control, MZD, MZD + ZnY2, MZD + ZnY4, and MZD + ZnY8, 15 mice per group). The dietary Zn content was 30 mg/kg in the control group and 10 mg/kg in the other groups. From low to high, the Zn supplementation doses administered to the three groups were 2, 4, and 8 mg/kg·bw. After 35 days, the zinc content, sperm quality, activity of spermatogenic enzymes, oxidative stress level, and apoptosis level of the testes in mice were determined. The results showed that MZD decreased the level of Zn in the serum, sperm quality, and activity of spermatogenic enzymes in mice. After Zn supplementation, the Zn level in the serum increased, sperm quality was significantly improved, and spermatogenic enzyme activity was restored. In addition, MZD reduced the content of antioxidants (copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD), metallothionein (MT), and glutathione (GSH) and promoted malondialdehyde (MDA) production. The apoptosis index of the testis also increased significantly in the MZD group. After Zn supplementation, the level of oxidative stress decreased, and the apoptosis index in the testis was reduced. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed that the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) mRNA and Bcl-2/BCL2-associated X (Bax) in the control group decreased in testicular cells, and their expression was restored after Zn supplementation. The results of this study indicated that Zn supplementation can reduce the level of oxidative stress and increase the ability of testicular cells to resist apoptosis, thereby improving spermatogenic dysfunction caused by MZD in mice.

Efficacy and influential factors of hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether mediated photodynamic therapy in the treatment for port-wine stains.

BACKGROUNDS: Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether mediated photodynamic therapy (HMME-PDT) has emerged as an alternative approach for port-wine stain (PWS), which was primarily treated with pulsed dye laser (PDL). This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HMME-PDT for PWS and to explore influential factors on the efficacy. METHODS: A total of 254 patients were enrolled. Patients received an intravenous injection of HMME at 5 mg/kg. Lesion areas were irradiated with 532-nm light for 20-25 min. Efficacy was assessed according to fading of lesions and graded as excellent (≥90 %), good (60 %-89 %), fair (20 %-59 %), or poor (<20 %). Adverse events were recorded. Clinical data were analyzed including gender, age, lesion sub-type, lesion location and number of treatments. RESULTS: Overall, 72.4 % of patients achieved an effective response, with 27.6% showing excellent efficacy, 24.8 % showing good efficacy and 20.1 % showing fair efficacy. Only 27.6 % showed poor efficacy. Patients under the age of 18 obtained a better efficacy than adults. Lesions in face showed a better therapeutic outcome than those in neck or trunk and extremities. A more effective response was seen in pink type compared with nodular thickening type. Multiple HMME-PDT treatments could improve the clinical response. Lesion location, lesion sub-type, number of treatments were independent influential factors on efficacy. Adverse events included edema, blister, crust, hypopigmentation, hyperpigmentation, pain, itch and burning sensation. No severe systemic side events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: HMME-PDT was effective for treating PWS and was safe and well-tolerated by patients. It is worth further investigation in efficacy and safety involving more patients from medical institutions in different regions in China. The optimal treatment parameters and treatment protocols are still being explored in the clinical treatment for PWS.

A Controlled Clinical Study of Accelerated High-Dose Theta Burst Stimulation in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is frequently treated using a combination of counseling, drugs, and, more recently various transcranial stimulation protocols, but all require several weeks to months for clinically significant improvement, so there is a need for treatments with faster onset. This study investigated whether an accelerated high-dose theta burst stimulation (ahTBS) protocol significantly improves the efficacy of OCD compared to traditional 1-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the routine clinical setting. Method: Forty-five patients with OCD were randomized into two groups and treated with ahTBS or 1-Hz rTMS for 5 days. Patients were assessed at baseline at the end of treatment using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Results: After 5 days of treatment, there was a significant decrease in Y-BOCS scores in both groups (p < 0.001), and the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (group × time interaction, F = 1.90, p=0.18). There was also no statistically significant difference in other secondary outcome indicators, including depression, anxiety symptoms, and response rate. However, the ahTBS group had a greater trend in response rate. Neuropsychological testing showed no negative cognitive side effects of either treatment. Conclusion: Accelerated high-dose TBS is as safe and has comparable short-term efficacy to traditional 1-Hz rTMS for the clinical treatment of OCD. Further research is needed to explore optimal ahTBS parameters, validate the utility of this treatment modality, and identify factors predictive of rapid clinical response to guide clinical decision-making. This trial is registered with NCT05221632.

Brain functional specialization in obsessive-compulsive disorder associated with neurotransmitter profiles.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral specialization is an important functional architecture of the human brain. Abnormal cerebral specialization may be the underlying pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was used to show that the specialization pattern of OCD was of great significance for early warning and precise intervention of the disease. METHOD: The autonomy index (AI) based on the rs-fMRI was calculated to compare brain specializations between 80 OCD patients and 81 matched healthy controls (HCs). In addition, we also correlated the AI alteration patterns with neurotransmitter receptor/transporter densities. RESULTS: OCD patients showed increased AI in the right insula and right superior temporal gyrus when compared with HCs. In addition, AI differences were associated with serotonin receptors (5-HT1AR and 5HT4R), dopamine D2 receptors, norepinephrine transporters, and metabotropic glutamate receptor densities. LIMITATIONS: Drug effect; cross-sectional study design; the selection of positron emission tomography template. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed abnormal specialization patterns in OCD patients, which may lead to the elucidation of the underlying pathological mechanism of the disease.

Correction: Zhang et al. The Effect of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation on the Downregulation of Negative Emotions: A Meta-Analysis. Brain Sci. 2022, 12, 786.

In the original article [...].

Reliable Semantic Communication System Enabled by Knowledge Graph.

Semantic communication is a promising technology used to overcome the challenges of large bandwidth and power requirements caused by the data explosion. Semantic representation is an important issue in semantic communication. The knowledge graph, powered by deep learning, can improve the accuracy of semantic representation while removing semantic ambiguity. Therefore, we propose a semantic communication system based on the knowledge graph. Specifically, in our system, the transmitted sentences are converted into triplets by using the knowledge graph. Triplets can be viewed as basic semantic symbols for semantic extraction and restoration and can be sorted based on semantic importance. Moreover, the proposed communication system adaptively adjusts the transmitted contents according to channel quality and allocates more transmission resources to important triplets to enhance communication reliability. Simulation results show that the proposed system significantly enhances the reliability of the communication in the low signal-to-noise regime compared to the traditional schemes.

The Effect of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation on the Downregulation of Negative Emotions: A Meta-Analysis.

(1) Background: Emotion regulation (ER) is regarded as a core treatment target for depression and other mental illnesses. In recent years, non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has been extensively used as an intervention for mental illnesses, but there has been no systematic review conducted regarding its effect on emotion regulation. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of NIBS for emotion regulation; (2) Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library. We analyzed the effects of NIBS on tasks assessing emotion regulation using a random-effects model, and further explored the moderating role of the following factors on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) studies by conducting subgroup analyses and meta-regression: target electrode placement, return electrode placement, current intensity, target electrode size, and duration of intervention; (3) Results: A total of 17 studies were included. Our meta-analysis indicated a small but significant effect of NIBS on the downregulation of negative emotions. Separate analyses indicated that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) had a medium and significant effect on the downregulation of negative emotions, whereas tDCS had no significant effect. Subgroup analyses showed that the effect of tDCS was moderated by target and return electrode placemen; (4) Conclusions: These results indicate that NIBS had a positive effect on the downregulation of negative emotions. The stimulation protocols should be carefully considered and the underlying mechanisms should be further explored.

Trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride based ratiometric fluorescent nanosensors for multiplex anion discrimination.

Compared with the well-studied cations, the development of methods for anion detection is relatively slow due to the anion characteristics such as a complex geometry, strong hydration and a low charge density. Herein, a colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent anion sensing platform based on trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride ([THTP][Cl]) was developed for the first time. Such nanosensors exhibited a pH response of 5-7 as well as a high selectivity to perchlorate. The selectivity behavior followed the Hofmeister series in which lipophilic anions were more readily co-extracted. To deviate from the Hofmeister series, anion ionophores should be introduced for selective complexation of the target anions. As a proof of concept, the organomercury compounds ETH9033 and ETH9009 were employed as model ionophores. The obtained nitrate- and chloride-selective [THTP][Cl]-based nanosensors demonstrated prominent colorimetric and spectroscopic transformations specifically induced by the anion species. The fluorescence (I675/I600) and absorbance (A650/A500) intensities versus the logarithm values of anion concentrations proved a high selectivity towards the major anion. The excellent performance such as high selectivity, good sensitivity and fast response times enabled the accurate determination of nitrate in mineral water. More importantly, through simply altering the ionophores, a pool of [THTP][Cl]-based anion-selective nano-optodes for extended targets could be achieved. The nanosensor shows great potential for anion determination in the environmental and biomedical fields.

Rapid On-Chip Isolation of Cancer-Associated Exosomes and Combined Analysis of Exosomes and Exosomal Proteins.

Exosomes are lipid bilayer extracellular vesicles secreted by various types of cells and inherit abundant molecular information from parental cells. Tumor-derived exosomes have been widely recognized as noninvasive biomarkers for early cancer diagnosis and surveillance, but the separation of intact exosomes and detection of exosomal proteins remain challenging. Herein, we proposed a microfluidic chip for specific exosome isolation, integrated with sensitive quantification by a novel PTCDI-aptamer signal switch strategy. To enhance the capture efficiency, an alternating drop-shaped micropillar array was designed to assist the capture of tumor-derived exosomes by Tim4-modified magnetic beads (Tim4 beads) on the chip. Following capture, a chelating agent can easily elute intact exosomes which were further used for profiling exosomal surface proteins by the multiplexed fluorescence turn-on approach. Profiting from the efficient on-chip enrichment of the Tim4 beads and superior fluorescence signal transduction strategy, the detection limit of the analysis platform for HepG2 exosomes is as low as 8.69 × 103 particles/mL with a wide linear range spanning 6 orders of magnitude. Meanwhile, the proposed platform could recognize subtle changes in protein levels on the exosomal surface from various cell lines. More importantly, this strategy is successfully applied to analyze exosomes in human serum to distinguish liver cancer patients from healthy individuals. Combined analysis of different types of biomarkers on the exosomal membrane surface can greatly improve the accuracy of cancer type identification and disease monitoring. We hope that this convenient, rapid, and sensitive platform may become a powerful tool in the field of exosome analysis and early cancer screening.

Anti-inflammatory Eudesmane Sesquiterpenoids from Artemisia hedinii.

Fourteen new eudesmane sesquiterpenoids (1, 3-5, 7-16) and seven known analogues were isolated from the whole plant of Artemisia hedinii. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with published NMR data, and their absolute configurations were confirmed by X-ray diffraction experiments and TDDFT ECD calculation. Compounds 1-15 were identified as eudesmane acids, which represent a kind of lactone ring-opening eudesmane-type sesquiterpenes with an acetoxyl or a hydroxy group attached to C-9. Compounds 1 and 2, 5 and 6, and 7 and 8 are three pairs of epimers isomerized at C-3, C-5, and C-11, respectively. Compounds 1-9, 11-13, 15-19, and 21 could influence the proinflammatory phenotype of the M1 macrophage. Among them, compounds 5, 8, 9, 12, 16, and 19 consistently exhibited anti-inflammatory effects, as evidenced by downregulating classic pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-12, IL-6, and IFN-γ in LPS-induced primary bone marrow derived M1 macrophages.

Autologous platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of refractory wounds in cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis complicated with hypertension (grade 2 moderate risk): A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis is an inflammatory variant of vasculitis with a variety of causes that only affects the skin. Its pathological manifestations include neutrophil infiltration and nuclear fragmentation. Clinically, it is characterised by a pleomorphic rash, including erythema, purpuric skin lesions, reticulocytosis, necrosis and ulceration. Once formed, local ulcerations are very difficult to heal. CASE PRESENTATION: A 46-year-old female was diagnosed with cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis. The patient's legs exhibited ulcers with a black eschar on the surface. The largest wound was 4.5 × 4.0 cm and the deepest wound was 1.7 × 1.8 × 1.0 cm. The ulcers had been present for 6 months and did not exhibit signs of healing. Treatment was commenced with platelet-rich plasma, and the wounds healed within 1 month. CONCLUSION: Topical application of autologous platelet-rich plasma gel exerts beneficial effects in cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis with regard to wound size reduction, and it induces granulation tissue formation. Platelet-rich plasma may represent a safe and cost-effective treatment for managing cutaneous wound healing to reduce the length of the recovery period.

Bifunctional Peptide-Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles for Precise and Efficient Nucleus-Targeting Bioimaging in Live Cells.

Real-time in situ imaging of organelles is increasingly important in modern biomedical analysis and diseases diagnosis. To realize this goal, organelle-targeting nanoparticles as one of the most commonly used technologies in subcellular sensing and imaging has attracted a lot of interest. The biocompatibility, specificity, and binding efficiency are especially critical for efficient organelle-targeting bioimaging. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) fabricated with bifunctional peptides constructed with both Au-binding affinity and nucleus-targeting ability were designed and examined for efficient nucleus-targeting bioimaging. Such a design is expected to achieve an oriented assembling of peptides by the medium of the Au-binding peptides specifically assembled on the surface of AuNPs, with the nucleus-targeting end open for accessibility. The bifunctional peptides showed strong binding affinity toward AuNPs and led to a binding capability ∼1.5 times higher than that of the bare nucleus-targeting peptides, ensuring good surface coverage of the nanoparticles for enhanced nucleus-targeting ability. Such fabricated AuNPs demonstrated over 90% cell viability after incubation for 24 h with HepG2 cells, which were highly biocompatible. Precise and efficient bioimaging of the nucleus was achieved for HepG2 cells by using the fabricated AuNPs as observed with a confocal laser scanning microscope, a dark-field/fluorescence microscope, and a transmission electron microscope. The high surface coverage and oriented binding pattern appeared to be a promising strategy for construction of organelle-targeting agencies.

Stimulating methane production from microalgae by alkaline pretreatment and co-digestion with sludge.

Methane production through anaerobic digestion (AD) is a solution of energy recovery from microalgae, but some features of microalgae limit the efficiency of AD. In this study, alkaline pretreatment and co-digestion with sludge were both applied to enhance the methane production from microalgae in batch experiments. The results showed that alkaline pretreatment increased the disintegration degree of microalgae from 20% to 34% at maximum after 12-h treatment, but the specific methane production (SMP) only increased from 279 to 298 ml/g volatile solids (VS). Co-digestion with sludge stimulated methane production, and the best synergy with an SMP of 343 ml/g VS occurred when the ratio of microalgae to sludge reached 2:1 based on their VS. The yield was 12.4% and 20.0% higher than those from mono digestion of microalgae and sludge, respectively, and the synergy was evaluated at 14.8%. Therefore, co-digestion is a better choice for improving methane production from microalgae.

Thiol-functionalized reduced graphene oxide as self-assembled ion-to-electron transducer for durable solid-contact ion-selective electrodes.

Thiol-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) as a novel ion-to-electron transducing layer is firstly employed to develop durable solid-contact ion-selective electrodes (SC-ISEs) in this work. The performance of the sensors is evaluated by determining K+ and NO3- as an example of cation and anion. The covalent linkage of TRGO at golden electrode surface generates a stable transducing layer. No water films are observed in the proposed TRGO-based potassium (K+-TRGO-ISEs) and nitrate (NO3--TRGO-ISEs) selective SC-ISEs. The resultant electrodes exhibit Nernstian responses (60.0 ±â€¯0.4 mV/decade for K+-TRGO-ISEs and -60.0 ±â€¯0.5 mV/decade for NO3--TRGO-ISEs), low detection limits (2.5 × 10-6 M for K+-TRGO-ISEs and 4.0 × 10-6 M for NO3--TRGO-ISEs) and good selectivity behavior. More importantly, the TRGO-based SC-ISEs display a much longer lifetime of 2 weeks than that of reduced graphene oxide-based SC-ISEs in continuous flowing solutions using a longer peristaltic pump. These improvements push TRGO a general and reliable transducer for the development of durable SC-ISEs.

Disposable Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes-Based Plasticizer-Free Solid-Contact Pb2+-Selective Electrodes with a Sub-PPB Detection Limit †.

Potentiometric plasticizer-free solid-contact Pb2+-selective electrodes based on copolymer methyl methacrylate-n-butyl acrylate (MMA-BA) as membrane matrix and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as intermediate ion-to-electron transducing layer have been developed. The disposable electrodes were prepared by drop-casting the copolymer membrane onto a layer of MWCNTs, which deposited on golden disk electrodes. The obtained electrodes exhibited a sub-ppb level detection limit of 10-10 mol·L-1. The proposed electrodes demonstrated a Nernstian slope of 29.1 ± 0.5 mV/decade in the linear range from 2.0 × 10-10 to 1.5 × 10-3 mol·L-1. No interference from gases (O2 and CO2) or water films was observed. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the fabricated electrodes was compared to that of plasticizer-free Pb2+-selective electrodes without MWCNTs as intermediated layers. The plasticizer-free MWCNTs-based Pb2+-selective electrodes can provide a promising platform for Pb(II) detection in environmental and clinical application.

Advanced redox flow fuel cell using ferric chloride as main catalyst for complete conversion from carbohydrates to electricity.

Liquid catalyzed fuel cell (LCFC) is a kind of redox flow fuel cell directly converting carbohydrates to electricity. To improve its efficiency, ferric chloride (FeCl3) was introduced as main catalyst. As mono catalyst, phosphomolybdic acid (PMo12) was much better than phosphotungstic acid (PW12) and FeCl3 was intermediate between them. Compared with PMo12 at the optimal dose of 0.30 mol/L, the combination of FeCl3 (1.00 mol/L) and PW12 (0.06 mol/L) achieved similar power output from glucose (2.59 mW/cm2) or starch (1.57 mW/cm2), and even improved the maximum power density by 57% from 0.46 to 0.72 mW/cm2 when using cellulose as the fuel. Long-term continuous operation of the LCFC indicated that carbohydrates can be hydrolyzed to glucose and then oxidized stepwise to carbon dioxide. At the latter stage, there was a linear relationship between the electron transfer number from glucose to catalyst and the subsequent cell performance. Based on these findings, the contribution of FeCl3 to LCFC should be derived from the accelerated hydrolysis and oxidation of carbohydrates and the enhanced electron transfer from glucose to anode. The addition of FeCl3 reduced the usage of polyoxometalates by 80%, and the replacement implied that LCFC can be operated less toxically and more economically.