Mixed crushing and competitive leaching of all electrode material components and metal collector fluid in the spent lithium battery.

Hydrometallurgy is a primary method for recovering cathode electrode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Most of the current research materials are pure cathode electrode materials obtained through manual disassembly. However, the spent LIBs are typically broken as a whole during the actual industrial recycling which makes the electrode materials combined with the collector fluid. Therefore, the competitive leaching between metal collector fluid and electrode material was examined. The pyrolysis characteristics of the electrode materials were analyzed to determine the pyrolysis temperature. The electrode sheet was pyrolyzed and then crushed for competitive leaching. The effect of pyrolysis was analyzed by XPS. The competitive leaching behavior was studied based on leaching agent concentration, leaching time and leaching temperature. The composition and morphology of the residue were determined to prove the competitive leaching results by XRD-SEM. TG results showed that 500 °C was the suitable pyrolysis temperature. XPS analysis demonstrated that pyrolysis can completely remove PVDF. Li and Co were preferentially leached during the competitive leaching while the leaching rates were 90.10% and 93.40% with 50 min leaching at 70 °C. The Al and Cu had weak competitive leachability and the leaching rate was 29.10% and 0.00%. XRD-SEM analysis showed that Li and Co can be fully leached with residual Al and Cu remaining. The results showed that the mixed leaching of electrode materials is feasible based on its excellent selective leaching properties.

Review on the gentle hydrometallurgical treatment of WPCBs: Sustainable and selective gradient process for multiple valuable metals recovery.

The metal resource crisis and the inherent need for a low-carbon circular economy have driven the rapid development of e-waste recycling technology. High-value waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) are an essential component of e-waste. However, WPCBs are considered hazardous to the ecosystem due to the presence of heavy metals and brominated organic polymers. Therefore, achieving the recycling of metals in WPCBs is not only a strategic requirement for building a green ecological civilization but also an essential guarantee for achieving a safe supply of mineral resources. This review systematically analyzes the hydrometallurgical technology of metals in WPCBs in recent years. Firstly, the different unit operations of pretreatment in the hydrometallurgical process, which contain disassembly, crushing, and pre-enrichment, were analyzed. Secondly, environmentally friendly hydrometallurgical leaching systems and high-value product regeneration technologies used in recent years to recover metals from WPCBs were evaluated. The leaching techniques, including cyanidation, halide, thiourea, and thiosulfate for precious metals, and inorganic acid, organic acid, and other leaching methods for base metals such as copper and nickel in WPCBs, were outlined, and the leaching performance and greenness of each leaching system were summarized and analyzed. Eventually, based on the advantages of each leaching system and the differences in chemical properties of metals in WPCBs, an integrated and multi-gradient green process for the recovery of WPCBs was proposed, which provides a sustainable pathway for the recovery of metals in WPCBs. This paper provides a reference for realizing the gradient hydrometallurgical recovery of metals from WPCBs to promote the recycling metal resources.

Effectiveness of kinesiology taping on the functions of upper limbs in patients with stroke: a meta-analysis of randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Kinesiology tape (KT), a water-resistant and elastic tape which is well known measure for preventing musculoskeletal injuries, has recently gained popularity in neurological rehabilitation. This is a systematic and meta-analysis study, useful both to evaluate the efficacy of kinesiology taping on the functions of upper limbs in patients with stroke and to collect the main outcomes evaluated in the analyzed studies. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of electronic databases including Medline, Web of science, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), WANFANG, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Additional articles were obtained by scanning reference lists of included studies and previous reviews. Keywords were "kinesiology taping," "kinesio," "kinesio taping," "tape" and "stroke," "hemiplegia," "hemiplegic paralysis," "apoplexy," "hemiparesis," "upper extremity," "upper limb." All the RCTs were included. Quality assessment was performed using Cochrane criteria. Upper extremity function and pain intensity was pooled as the primary outcome, and shoulder subluxation, muscle spasticity, general disability, PROM of abduction, and adverse effects as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Twelve articles were included. Pooled data provided evidence that there was significance between kinesiology taping groups and control groups in pain intensity (standardized mean difference - 0.79, 95% CI - 1.39 to - 0.19), shoulder subluxation (standardized mean difference - 0.50, 95%CI - 0.80 to - 0.20), general disability (standardized mean difference 0.35, 95%CI 0.10 to 0.59), upper extremity function (standardized mean difference 0.61, 95%CI 0.18 to 1.04), and the PROM of flexion (standardized mean difference 0.63, 95%CI 0.28 to 0.98). CONCLUSION: Current evidence suggested that kinesiology taping could be recommended to improve upper limb function in patients with stroke in pain intensity, shoulder subluxation, general disability, upper extremity function, and the PROM of flexion. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval requirements are not necessary for this review. This systematic review and meta-analysis will be disseminated online and on paper to help guide the clinical practice better. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020179762.

Magnetically Responsive Superhydrophobic Surface with Reversibly Switchable Wettability: Fabrication, Deformation, and Switching Performance.

Responsive surfaces with reversibly switchable wettability have attracted widespread attention due to their diverse range of potential applications in the past few years. As a representative example, the magnetically actuated dynamic regulation structured surfaces provide a convenient and unique approach to achieving remote control and instantaneous response. However, (quasi)quantitative design strategies and economical fabrication methods with high precision for magnetically responsive surfaces with both superhydrophobicity and superior wetting switchability still remain challenging. In this work, a manufacturing technique for high-aspect-ratio magnetically responsive superhydrophobic surfaces (MRSSs) via the integration of micromilling, replica molding, and coating modification is proposed. The geometrical parameters of magnetic micropillar arrays (MMAs) on the surface are specially designed on the basis of the Cassie-Wenzel (C-W) transition critical condition in order to guarantee the initial superhydrophobicity of the surface. Benefiting from the reconfigurable microstructures of MMAs in response to magnetic fields (i.e., shifting between upright and curved states), the wettability and adhesion of MRSSs can be reversibly switched. The smart wetting controllability presented on MRSSs is proven to be largely determined by the geometrical parameters and deformation capacity of the micropillars, while the visible wetting switching is mainly ascribed to the variation in wetting regimes of droplets. The modification of the superhydrophobic coatings on the micropillar top is also demonstrated to be capable of further enhancing the initial hydrophobicity and switchable wettability of surfaces, producing water droplets with a volume of 4-6 µL to exhibit the reversible switch from low adhesive superhydrophobicity to high adhesive hydrophilicity. In addition to providing an alternative fabrication strategy, this work also presents a set of design concepts for more applicable and sensitive MRSSs, offering a reference to both fundamental research and practical applications.

Investigation of Biomaterial Ink Viscosity Properties and Optimization of the Printing Process Based on Pattern Path Planning.

Extruded bioprinting is widely used for the biomanufacturing of personalized, complex tissue structures, which requires biomaterial inks with a certain viscosity to enable printing. However, there is still a lack of discussion on the controllable preparation and printability of biomaterial inks with different viscosities. In this paper, biomaterial inks composed of gelatin, sodium alginate, and methylcellulose were utablesed to investigate the feasibility of adjustment of rheological properties, thereby analyzing the effects of different rheological properties on the printing process. Based on the response surface methodology, the relationship between the material components and the rheological properties of biomaterial inks was discussed, followed by the prediction of the rheological properties of biomaterial inks. The prediction accuracies of the power-law index and consistency coefficient could reach 96% and 79%, respectively. The material group can be used to prepare biomaterial inks with different viscosity properties in a wide range. Latin hypercube sampling and computational fluid dynamics were used to analyze the effects of different rheological properties and extrusion pressure on the flow rate at the nozzle. The relationship between the rheological properties of the biomaterial ink and the flow rate was established, and the simulation results showed that the changes in the rheological properties of the biomaterial ink in the high-viscosity region resulted in slight fluctuations in the flow rate, implying that the printing process for high-viscosity biomaterial inks may have better versatility. In addition, based on the characteristics of biomaterial inks, the printing process was optimized from the planning of the print pattern to improve the location accuracy of the starting point, and the length accuracy of filaments can reach 99%. The effect of the overlap between the fill pattern and outer frame on the print quality was investigated to improve the surface quality of complex structures. Furthermore, low- and high-viscosity biomaterial inks were tested, and various printing protocols were discussed for improving printing efficiency or maintaining cell activity. This study provides feasible printing concepts for a wider range of biomaterials to meet the biological requirements of cell culture and tissue engineering.

Eco-friendly approach for enhancing the floatability of non-metallic components in waste printed circuit boards: Adding gutter oil during dry grinding.

Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) are an attractive secondary resource that is challenging to dispose of due to its complexity. Reverse flotation is an effective method to remove non-metallic particles (NMPs) to obtain metals from WPCBs. Nevertheless, the removal of NMPs is usually inadequate in the present flotation practice. Thus, to provide a clean approach to improve the removal efficiency of NMPs, the method of adding gutter oil during dry grinding process was adopted to enhance the hydrophobic sites on the surface of NMPs to improve the floatability. The surface morphology of NMPs was analyzed by SEM, the results show that the rough morphology inhibited the adhesion of bubbles, while water occupied the cracks and pores, making it challenging for collector adsorption, which result in unstable particle-bubble adhesion. The results of FTIR indicate that both NMPs and gutter oil have -CH3, -CH2, -C = O, -C-O functional groups, which promotes the adsorption of gutter oil on the surface of NMPs. The contact angle (CA) results show that the adsorption of gutter oil on the particle surface is conducive to the formation of enhanced CA. Furthermore, the flotation enhancement effect was verified by flotation kinetic experiments. The accumulated floats yield of NMPs conditioned by gutter oil during grinding is increased from 67.05% (NMPs without conditioning) to 95.02%, and the resin recovery is increased by 31.10%. It is demonstrated that dry grinding with gutter oil can strengthen the floatability of NMPs, which provides a potential approach to increase the flotation efficiency of WPCBs.

Heterogeneous alterations in thalamic subfields in major depression disorder.

BACKGROUND: It is well known that the thalamus is not a unitary and homogeneous entity but a complex and highly connected archeocortical structure. Although many neuroimaging studies have reported alterations in the thalamus in major depressive disorder (MDD), the structural alterations in thalamic subfields remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate changes in gray matter volume (GMV) in thalamic subfields in MDD patients. METHODS: The present study included structural images of 848 MDD patients and 794 age-matched normal controls (NC) from 17 study sites of the REST-meta-MDD consortium. We performed voxel-based morphometric analyses to calculate the GMV in the entire thalamus and its subfields using three different automated anatomical labeling atlases and subsequently compared the differences between first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder (FEDN), recurrent major depressive disorder (RMDD), and NC groups. We also evaluated the relationships between thalamic GMV and clinical symptoms in MDD patients. RESULTS: Compared to NC, the FEDN patients showed increased GMV in thalamic subfields but not in the entire thalamus, while RMDD patients showed no significant alterations in GMV in the entire thalamus and its subfields. Moreover, the mean GMV in the right anterior thalamus and left anteroventral thalamus in RMDD patients were mildly positively correlated with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores. LIMITATIONS: The main limitations are a single-modal analysis based on T1-weighted MR images and a cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that FEDN and RMDD patients show heterogeneous alterations across thalamic subfields, which may help us understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD.

New Dandelion Algorithm Optimizes Extreme Learning Machine for Biomedical Classification Problems.

Inspired by the behavior of dandelion sowing, a new novel swarm intelligence algorithm, namely, dandelion algorithm (DA), is proposed for global optimization of complex functions in this paper. In DA, the dandelion population will be divided into two subpopulations, and different subpopulations will undergo different sowing behaviors. Moreover, another sowing method is designed to jump out of local optimum. In order to demonstrate the validation of DA, we compare the proposed algorithm with other existing algorithms, including bat algorithm, particle swarm optimization, and enhanced fireworks algorithm. Simulations show that the proposed algorithm seems much superior to other algorithms. At the same time, the proposed algorithm can be applied to optimize extreme learning machine (ELM) for biomedical classification problems, and the effect is considerable. At last, we use different fusion methods to form different fusion classifiers, and the fusion classifiers can achieve higher accuracy and better stability to some extent.

Considering Viscoelastic Micromechanics for the Reinforcement of Graphene Polymer Nanocomposites.

There has been much recent work investigating the reinforcement of glassy polymers with nanoparticles, and much excitement has been generated by some apparent synergies that suggest reinforcements greater than expected from elastic bound models. Here we show that it is necessary to consider the thermoviscoelastic response of the polymer matrix in nanocomposites (PNCs) to fully understand the reinforcement of the filler. This is especially so because polymer nanocomposites are frequently used at high fractions of the glass transition temperature Tg, where the time dependence of the polymer is significant. Therefore it is a conceptual error to examine the modulus behavior of PNCs via only elastic micromechanics. When the glass transition temperature increases due to the interactions between reinforcement and polymer, it is more reasonable to use a viscoelastic micromechanics approach to estimate the bounds on modulus behavior of PNCs. Here we use new results for grapheme oxide reinforced poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) and literature results for reinforced poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and show that the ultralow loading of graphene oxide raises the Tg of PEMA and PMMA significantly and leads to a large shift of the frequency-temperature properties of the polymer matrix. Our thermoviscoelastic approach shows that apparent extreme reinforcements can be attributed to the changing Tg of the polymer, and the corrected mechanical reinforcement from graphene oxide is much weaker than previously reported.

[Comparison of expressions of nitricoxide synthase between mandibular distraction osteogenesis and split osteotomy osteogenesis].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the expression of nitricoxide synthase (NOS) in the osteogenesis tissues of gradual distraction and split osteotomy, and investigate molecular biology mechanism. METHODS: Thirty-six rabbits were randomly divided into gradual distraction group, high split osteotomy group and control group. A batch of 4 animals in each of the first 2 groups were sacrificed respectively on the 1st day, 1st, 2nd and 4th weeks after operation. The local changes of the tissues between bony segments were observed by inspections, radiography, HE staining, and immunological evaluation of NOS. The areas occupied by positive cells with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were compared statistically within and among different batches. RESULTS: Immunologically, little expression of iNOS and eNOS could be detected in normal bone. In gradual distraction group, the iNOS stains were at peak values at 1st day, eNOS at 1st week postoperatively. In split osteotomy group, the iNOS stain were at peak values at 2nd week, eNOS at 1st week postoperatively. The nNOS was not detected in both of the groups. CONCLUSION: Routine procedure of distraction produced better osteogenesis, whereas split osteotomy with free bony segments would lead to abnormal osteogenesis.

Releasable PEGylation of mesothelin targeted immunotoxin SS1P achieves single dosage complete regression of a human carcinoma in mice.

Recombinant immunotoxins exhibit targeting and cytotoxic functions needed for cell-specific destruction. However, antitumor efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of these therapeutics might be improved by further macromolecular engineering. SS1P is a recombinant anti-mesothelin immunotoxin in clinical trials in patients with mesothelin-expressing tumors. We have modified this immunotoxin using several PEGylation strategies employing releasable linkages between the protein and the PEG polymers, and observed superior performance of these bioconjugates when compared to similar PEG derivatives bearing permanent linkages to the polymers. PEGylated derivatives displayed markedly diminished cytotoxicity on cultured mesothelin-overexpressing A431-K5 cells; however, the releasable PEGylated immunotoxins exhibited increased antitumor activity in A431-K5 xenografts in mice, with a diminished animal toxicity. Most significantly, complete tumor regressions were achievable with single dose administration of the bioconjugates but not the native immunotoxin. Pharmacokinetic analysis of the releasable PEGylated derivatives in mice demonstrated an over 80-fold expansion of the area under the curve exposure of bioactive protein when compared to native immunotoxin. A correlation in degree of derivatization, release kinetics, and polymer size with potency was observed in vivo, whereas in vitro cytotoxicity was not predictive of efficacy in animal models. The potent antitumor efficacy of the releasable PEGylated mesothelin-targeted immunotoxins was not exhibited by similar untargeted PEG immunotoxins in this model. Since the bioconjugates can also exhibit the attributes of passive targeting via enhanced permeability and retention, this is the first demonstration of a pivotal role of active targeting for immunotoxin bioconjugate efficacy.

Engineering an arginine catabolizing bioconjugate: Biochemical and pharmacological characterization of PEGylated derivatives of arginine deiminase from Mycoplasma arthritidis.

Arginine is an important metabolite in the normal function of several biological systems, and arginine deprivation has been investigated in animal models and human clinical trials for its effects on inhibition of tumor growth, angiogenesis, or nitric oxide synthesis. In order to design an optimal arginine-catabolizing enzyme bioconjugate, a novel recombinant arginine deiminase (ADI) from Mycoplasma arthritidis was prepared, and multi-PEGylated derivatives were examined for enzymatic and biochemical properties in vitro, as well as pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behavior in rats and mice. ADI bioconjugates constructed with 12 kDa or 20 kDa monomethoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) polymers with linear succinimidyl carbonate linkers were investigated via intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous administration in rodents. The selected PEG-ADI compounds have 22 +/- 2 PEG strands per protein dimer, providing an additional molecular mass of about 0.2-0.5 x 10(6) Da and prolonging the plasma mean residence time of the enzyme over 30-fold in mice. Prolonged plasma arginine deprivation was demonstrated with each injection route for these bioconjugates. Pharmacokinetic analysis employed parallel measurement of enzyme activity in bioassays and enzyme assays and demonstrated a correlation with the pharmacodynamic analysis of plasma arginine concentrations. Either ADI bioconjugate depressed plasma arginine to undetectable levels for 10 days when administered intravenously at 5 IU per mouse, while the subcutaneous and intramuscular routes exhibited only slightly reduced potency. Both bioconjugates exhibited potent growth inhibition of several cultured tumor lines that are deficient in the anabolic enzyme, argininosuccinate synthetase. Investigations of structure-activity optimization for PEGylated ADI compounds revealed a benefit to constraining the PEG size and number of attachments to both conserve catabolic activity and streamline manufacturing of the experimental therapeutics. Specifically, ADI with either 12 kDa or 20 kDa PEG attachments on 33% of the primary amines retained about 60% or 48% of enzyme activity, respectively; the Km and pH profiles were nearly unchanged; IC50 values were diminished by less than 30%; while stability studies demonstrated full retention of activity at 4 degrees C for 5 months. A comparison of the enzymatic properties of a second ADI from Pseudomonas putida illustrated the superior characteristics of the M. arthritidis ADI enzyme.

Structure-function engineering of interferon-beta-1b for improving stability, solubility, potency, immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetic properties by site-selective mono-PEGylation.

Recombinant interferon-beta-1b (IFN-beta-1b) is used clinically in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. In common with many biological ligands, IFN-beta-1b exhibits a relatively short serum half-life, and bioavailability may be further diminished by neutralizing antibodies. While PEGylation is an approach commonly employed to increase the blood residency time of protein therapeutics, there is a further requisite for molecular engineering approaches to also address the stability, solubility, aggregation, immunogenicity and in vivo exposure of therapeutic proteins. We investigated these five parameters of recombinant human IFN-beta-1b in over 20 site-selective mono-PEGylated or multi-PEGylated IFN-beta-1b bioconjugates. Primary amines were modified by single or multiple attachments of poly(ethylene glycol), either site-specifically at the N-terminus, or randomly on the 11 lysines. In two alternate approaches, site-directed mutagenesis was independently employed in the construction of designed IFN-beta-1b variants containing either a single free cysteine or lysine for site-specific PEGylation. Optimization of conjugate preparation with 12 kDa, 20 kDa, 30 kDa, and 40 kDa amine-selective PEG polymers was achieved, and a comparison of the structural and functional properties of the IFN-beta-1b proteins and their PEGylated counterparts was conducted. Peptide mapping and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis confirmed the attachment sites of the PEG polymer. Independent biochemical and bioactivity analyses, including antiviral and antiproliferation bioassays, circular dichroism, capillary electrophoresis, flow cytometric profiling, reversed phase and size exclusion HPLC, and immunoassays demonstrated that the functional activities of the designed IFN-beta-1b conjugates were maintained, while the formation of soluble or insoluble aggregates of IFN-beta-1b was ameliorated. Immunogenicity and pharmacokinetic studies of selected PEGylated IFN-beta-1b compounds in mice and rats demonstrated both diminished IgG responses, and over 100-fold expanded AUC exposure relative to the unmodified protein. The results demonstrate the capacity of this macromolecular engineering strategy to address both pharmacological and formulation challenges for a highly hydrophobic, aggregation-prone protein. The properties of a lead mono-PEGylated candidate, 40 kDa PEG2-IFN-beta-1b, were further investigated in formulation optimization and biological studies.