Heterotrophic nitrification by Alcaligenes faecalis links organic and inorganic nitrogen metabolism.

Heterotrophic nitrification remains a mystery for decades. It has been commonly hypothesized that heterotrophic nitrifiers oxidize ammonia to hydroxylamine and then to nitrite in a way similar to autotrophic AOA and AOB. Recently, heterotrophic nitrifiers from Alcaligenes were found to oxidize ammonia to hydroxylamine and then to N2 ("dirammox", direct ammonia oxidation) by the gene cluster dnfABC with a yet-to-be-reported mechanism. The role of a potential glutamine amidotransferase DnfC clues the heterotrophic ammonia oxidation might involving in glutamine. Here, we found Alcaligenes faecalis JQ135 could oxidize amino acids besides ammonia. We discovered that glutamine is an intermediate of the dirammox pathway and the glutamine synthetase gene is essential for both A. faecalis JQ135 and the E. coli cells harboring dnfABC gene cluster to oxidize amino acids and ammonia. Our study expands understanding of heterotrophic nitrifiers and challenges the classical paradigm of heterotrophic nitrification.

Phase change material composites based on 3D lignin-derived porous carbon prepared by in-situ activation for efficient solar-driven energy conversion and storage.

Utilization of three-dimensional biomass-derived porous carbons can effectively address issues of easy leakage, low thermal conductivity, and weak photothermal conversion of phase change materials (PCMs). This enables the production of high-performance composites for solar-induced energy collection, conversion, and storage. In this study, hierarchical lignin-derived porous carbon (HLPC), microporous lignin-derived porous carbon (MILPC) and mesoporous lignin-derived porous carbon (MELPC) were prepared through high-temperature in-situ activation using lignosulphonate (LS) as a carbon precursor and CaCO3, KOH and ZnCO3 as activators. Carbon-based PCM composites with high performance were obtained by encapsulating paraffin wax (PW) in porous carbon supports. Results demonstrated that PW/HLPC exhibited comprehensive performance superior to other tested PW composites owing to its higher specific surface area (2,358 m2/g), larger pore volume (1.1 cm3/g) and well-interconnected framework structure. Additionally, PW/HLPC displayed relatively high latent heat (123.4 kJ/kg), photothermal conversion and storage efficiency (95 %), and photoelectric conversion performance (174.5 mV). Moreover, PW/HLPC also showed better leak-proof properties at 90 °C. The cycling stability and photothermal conversion performance of PW/HLPC were superior to those of the selected crude biochar-based PW composites. This study highlights the advantages of the prepared PW/HLPC for both the high-value utilization of lignin and its practical applications in solar-induced energy harvest, conversion, and storage.

The longitudinal changes in multiparametric MRI during neoadjuvant chemotherapy can predict treatment response early in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether longitudinal changes in multiparametric MRI can predict early response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) and to further establish quantitative models based on these features. METHODS: A total of 164 HER2-positive BC patients from three centers were included. MRI was performed at baseline and after two cycles of NAC (early post-NAC). Clinicopathological characteristics were enrolled. MRI features were evaluated at baseline and early post-NAC, as well as longitudinal changes in multiparametric MRI, including changes in the largest diameter (LD) of the tumor (ΔLD), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values (ΔADC), and time-signal intensity curve (TIC) (ΔTIC). The patients were divided into a training set (n = 95), an internal validation set (n = 31), and an independent external validation set (n = 38). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the independent indicators of pCR, which were then used to establish the clinicopathologic model and combined model. The AUC was used to evaluate the predictive power of the different models and calibration curves were used to evaluate the consistency of the prediction of pCR in different models. Additionally, decision curve analysis (DCA) was employed to determine the clinical usefulness of the different models. RESULTS: Two models were enrolled in this study, including the clinicopathologic model and the combined model. The LD at early post-NAC (OR=0.913, 95 % CI=0.953-0.994 p = 0.026), ΔADC (OR=1.005, 95 % CI=1.005-1.008, p = 0.007), and ΔTIC (OR=3.974, 95 % CI=1.276-12.358, p = 0.017) were identified as the best predictors of NAC response. The combined model constructed by the combination of LD at early post-NAC, ΔADC, and ΔTIC showed good predictive performance in the training set (AUC=0.87), internal validation set (AUC=0.78), and external validation set (AUC=0.79), which performed better than the clinicopathologic model in all sets. CONCLUSIONS: The changes in multiparametric MRI can predict early treatment response for HER2-positive BC and may be helpful for individualized treatment planning.

MOF-818 Nanozyme Suppresses Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones by Alleviating Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Injury.

There remains a lack of effective drugs to alleviate the kidney stones caused by oxidative stress and inflammatory damage. The MOF-818 nanozyme is utilized to lessen the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) effectively, restore the membrane potential of mitochondria, regulate the cell cycle, decrease cell death, hinder the recruitment of macrophages, and mitigate the release of inflammatory factors in macrophages. These effects are attributed to the nanozyme's ability to mimic the enzyme properties of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). It is demonstrated that this nanozyme can reduce kidney calcium oxalate crystal deposition by reducing the renal injury caused by high concentration oxalate, upregulate the expression levels of SOD and CAT in tissues, downregulate adhesion proteins and inflammatory factor IL-6 and TNF-α, and promote the polarization of macrophages from M1 to M2 phenotype in the rat model induced by ethylene glycol. Overall, MOF-818 has the potential to effectively suppress oxidative stress and inflammatory harm caused by high levels of oxalate, hence lowering the likelihood of stone formation. MOF-818 nanozyme is also expected to be used as an alternative drug for the treatment of calcium oxalate kidney stones and provide an experimental theoretical basis for the development of new nanomedicines.

Immunocompatible elastomer with increased resistance to the foreign body response.

Polymeric elastomers are extensively employed to fabricate implantable medical devices. However, implantation of the elastomers can induce a strong immune rejection known as the foreign body response (FBR), diminishing their efficacy. Herein, we present a group of immunocompatible elastomers, termed easy-to-synthesize vinyl-based anti-FBR dense elastomers (EVADE). EVADE materials effectively suppress the inflammation and capsule formation in subcutaneous models of rodents and non-human primates for at least one year and two months, respectively. Implantation of EVADE materials significantly reduces the expression of inflammation-related proteins S100A8/A9 in adjacent tissues compared to polydimethylsiloxane. We also show that inhibition or knockout of S100A8/A9 leads to substantial attenuation of fibrosis in mice, suggesting a target for fibrosis inhibition. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) catheters constructed from EVADE elastomers demonstrate significantly improved longevity and performance compared to commercial catheters. The EVADE materials reported here may enhance and extend function in various medical devices by resisting the local immune responses.

Promoter hypermethylation of Y-chromosome gene PRKY as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Aim: To develop a methylation marker of Y-chromosome gene in the early diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa).Materials & methods: We utilized bioinformatics analysis to identify the expression and promoter methylation of Y-chromosome gene PRKY in PCa and other common malignancies. Single-center experiments were conducted to validate the diagnostic value of PRKY promoter methylation in PCa.Results:  PRKY expression was significantly down-regulated in PCa and its mechanism may be related to promoter methylation. PRKY promoter methylation is highly specific for the diagnosis of early PCa, which may be superior to prostate-specific antigen, mpMRI and other excellent molecular biomarkers.Conclusion:  PRKY promoter methylation may be a potential marker for the early and accurate diagnosis of PCa.

Developing excellent diagnostic methylation markers for #prostate cancer! Bioinformatics analysis and experimental verification revealing promoter methylation of Y-chromosome gene PRKY is helpful to identify early prostate cancer, which may be superior to other molecular biomarkers.

Coupled physicochemical dual-crosslinking Ti3C2Tx composite aerogels for the selective adsorption of gallium ions in acid fly ash leaching.

Herein, in order to extract Ga3+ from acid fly ash leaching, we propose a functionalized Ti3C2Tx-based MXene composite aerogel adsorbent for Ga3+ adsorption. The prepared physicochemical dual-crosslinking network aerogel MPHG-40 possesses good Ga3+ adsorption performance (132.52 mg g-1) at the pH of 3 and Ga3+ initial concentration of 50 mg L-1 within 6 h. After five adsorption-desorption cycles, the material shows good mass retention and a 95.65 % retention of its initial adsorption capacity, compared to most reported adsorbents. The optimized adsorbent realized good selective adsorption of Ga3+ against Cu2+, Zn2+, Fe3+, and Al3+ in a simulated acid fly ash leaching with the selective coefficient of 8.63, 96.10, 4.49, and 28.30, respectively. The adsorption may comply with a combined mechanism of physical adsorption, electrostatic interactions, ion-exchange mechanism, and ligand chelation, dominated by chemical adsorption, as identified by theoretical calculations based on density functional theory and experimental data. The three-dimensional solid adsorbent constructed in this study provides a new strategy for selective adsorption of Ga3+, making it possible to be applied to solid waste utilization of fly ash.

Effect of lignin on the structure-property behavior of metal-coordinated and chemically crosslinked ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer composites.

The efficient development and utilization of green biomass-based macromolecule engineering materials are essential for the sustainable development of human civilization. In this study, lignin-based ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer (EPDM) composites with excellent mechanical performance were fabricated using a simple method. The effects of water-insoluble enzymatically hydrolyzed lignin (EL) and alkali lignin (KL) on the mechanical performance of the composites were investigated separately. The results showed that the tensile strength of EPDM reinforced with KL and EL increased to 24.5 MPa and 22.1 MPa, respectively, surpassing that of the carbon black (CB)-reinforced EPDM. After 72 h of thermo-oxidative aging, the retention rates of the tensile strength and elongation at break in the lignin-reinforced EPDM were much better than those formed with pure CB, indicating that lignin significantly improved the thermo-oxidative aging resistance of the composites. In summary, the Zn2+ coordination bonds formed between the interface of EPDM and lignin in lignin/CB/EPDM ternary composites effectively improved the mechanical performance and aging resistance of the composites. This study has significant implications for enhancing the utilization of lignin and green functional polymer materials.

A high-speed gear reshaping method for electric vehicles combining the effects of input torque and speed variation.

In this study, we introduce an optimization method for high-speed gear trimming in electric vehicles, focusing on variations in input torque and speed. This approach is designed to aid in vibration suppression in electric vehicle gears. We initially use Tooth Contact Analysis (TCA) and Loaded Tooth Contact Analysis (LTCA) to investigate meshing point localization, considering changes in gear tooth surface and deformations due to load. Based on impact mechanics theory, we then derive a formula for the maximum impact force. A 12-degree-of-freedom bending-torsion-axis coupled dynamic model for the helical gear drive in the gearbox's input stage is developed using the centralized mass method, allowing for an extensive examination of high-speed gear vibration characteristics. Through a genetic algorithm, we optimize the tooth profile and tooth flank parabolic modification coefficients, resulting in optimal vibration-suppressing tooth surfaces. Experimental results under various input torques and speeds demonstrate that the overall vibration amplitude is stable and lower than that of conventional gear shaping methods. Specifically, the root mean square of vibration acceleration along the meshing line under different conditions is 58.02 m/s2 and 20.33 m/s2, respectively. The vibration acceleration in the direction of the meshing line is 20.33 m/s2 and 20.02 m/s2 under varying torques and speeds, with 20.33 m/s2 being the lowest. Furthermore, the average magnitude of the meshing impact force is significantly reduced to 5015.2. This high-speed gear reshaping method not only enhances gear dynamics and reliability by considering changes in input torque and speed but also effectively reduces vibration in electric vehicle gear systems. The study provides valuable insights and methodologies for the design and optimization of electric vehicle gears, focusing on comprehensive improvement in dynamic performance.

Vertebral HU value and the pectoral muscle index based on chest CT can be used to opportunistically screen for osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: Existing studies have shown that computed tomography (CT) attenuation and skeletal muscle tissue are strongly associated with osteoporosis; however, few studies have examined whether vertebral HU values and the pectoral muscle index (PMI) measured at the level of the 4th thoracic vertebra (T4) are strongly associated with bone mineral density (BMD). In this study, we demonstrate that vertebral HU values and the PMI based on chest CT can be used to opportunistically screen for osteoporosis and reduce fracture risk through prompt treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 1000 patients who underwent chest CT and DXA scans from August 2020-2022. The T4 HU value and PMI were obtained using manual chest CT measurements. The participants were classified into normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis groups based on the results of dual-energy X-ray (DXA) absorptiometry. We compared the clinical baseline data, T4 HU value, and PMI between the three groups of patients and analyzed the correlation between the T4 HU value, PMI, and BMD to further evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the T4 HU value and PMI for patients with low BMD and osteoporosis. RESULTS: The study ultimately enrolled 469 participants. The T4 HU value and PMI had a high screening capacity for both low BMD and osteoporosis. The combined diagnostic model-incorporating sex, age, BMI, T4 HU value, and PMI-demonstrated the best diagnostic efficacy, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.887 and 0.892 for identifying low BMD and osteoporosis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of T4 HU value and PMI on chest CT can be used as an opportunistic screening tool for osteoporosis with excellent diagnostic efficacy. This approach allows the early prevention of osteoporotic fractures via the timely screening of individuals at high risk of osteoporosis without requiring additional radiation.

Enhanced pyroptosis induction with pore-forming gene delivery for osteosarcoma microenvironment reshaping.

Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor without efficient management for improving 5-year event-free survival. Immunotherapy is also limited due to its highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Pore-forming gasdermins (GSDMs)-mediated pyroptosis has gained increasing concern in reshaping TME, however, the expressions and relationships of GSDMs with osteosarcoma remain unclear. Herein, gasdermin E (GSDME) expression is found to be positively correlated with the prognosis and immune infiltration of osteosarcoma patients, and low GSDME expression was observed. A vector termed as LPAD contains abundant hydroxyl groups for hydrating layer formation was then prepared to deliver the GSDME gene to upregulate protein expression in osteosarcoma for efficient TME reshaping via enhanced pyroptosis induction. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations analysis proved that the hydroxyl groups increased LPAD hydration abilities by enhancing coulombic interaction. The upregulated GSDME expression together with cleaved caspase-3 provided impressive pyroptosis induction. The pyroptosis further initiated proinflammatory cytokines release, increased immune cell infiltration, activated adaptive immune responses and create a favorable immunogenic hot TME. The study not only confirms the role of GSDME in the immune infiltration and prognosis of osteosarcoma, but also provides a promising strategy for the inhibition of osteosarcoma by pore-forming GSDME gene delivery induced enhanced pyroptosis to reshape the TME of osteosarcoma.

Exploring the causal relationship between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and kidney cancer: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: The causal link between kidney cancer and omega-3/6 (ω-3/6) fatty acids is yet to be clearly established. Therefore, the objective of our study was to investigate these potential causal relationships. Methods: We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the possible causal association between ω-3/6 fatty acids and kidney cancer. We utilized the random effect inverse variance weighted (IVW) method as our primary analytical approach for the two-sample MR analysis. In addition, sensitivity analyses such as heterogeneity tests, pleiotropy analyses, and leave-one-out analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the MR analysis results. Results: The IVW method showed statistically significant associations between ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids and increased risk of kidney cancer. The result for ω-3 and ω-6 were [odds ratio (OR) =1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.55; P=0.02] and (OR =1.56; 95% CI: 1.17-2.09; P=0.003), respectively. Moreover, in the results of sensitivity analyses, no apparent horizontal gene pleiotropy nor heterogeneity was observed. After performing "the leave-one-out" sensitivity analysis of the data one by one, no single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) sites in each instrumental variable (IV) were found to have greatly affected the disease outcome. Conclusions: Elevated serum ω-3/6 fatty acids levels are causally associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor dietary intake and properly intervene to lower these levels in those at risk of kidney cancer.

Autologous liver transplantation for unresectable hepatobiliary malignancies in enhanced recovery after surgery model.

Ex vivo liver resection combined with autologous liver transplantation offers the opportunity to treat otherwise unresectable hepatobiliary malignancies and has been applied in clinic. The implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program improves the outcome of surgical procedures. This is a retrospective single-center study including 11 cases of patients with liver cancer that underwent autologous liver transplantation and received ERAS: cholangiocarcinoma of the hilar region (n = 5), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (n = 3), gallbladder cancer (n = 1), liver metastasis from colorectal cancer (n = 1), and liver metastasis from gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumor (n = 1). There were no deaths within 30 days and major complications occurred in two patients, and four patients were readmitted upon the first month after the surgery. Median hospital stay was 20 days (range 13-44) and median open diet was Day 4 (range 2-9) after surgery and median early post-operative activity was Day 5 (range 2-9) after surgery. In conclusion, autologous liver transplantation is feasible in the treatment of otherwise unresectable hepatobiliary malignancies, and our study showed favorable results with autologous liver transplantation in ERAS modality. ERAS modality provides a good option for some patients whose tumors cannot be resected in situ and offers a chance for rapid recovery.

Small GTPase Rab7 is involved in stress adaptation to carbon starvation to ensure the induced cellulase biosynthesis in Trichoderma reesei.

BACKGROUND: The saprophytic filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei represents one of the most prolific cellulase producers. The bulk production of lignocellulolytic enzymes by T. reesei not only relies on the efficient transcription of cellulase genes but also their efficient secretion after being translated. However, little attention has been paid to the functional roles of the involved secretory pathway in the high-level production of cellulases in T. reesei. Rab GTPases are key regulators in coordinating various vesicle trafficking associated with the eukaryotic secretory pathway. Specifically, Rab7 is a representative GTPase regulating the transition of the early endosome to the late endosome followed by its fusion to the vacuole as well as homotypic vacuole fusion. Although crosstalk between the endosomal/vacuolar pathway and the secretion pathway has been reported, the functional role of Rab7 in cellulase production in T. reesei remains unknown. RESULTS: A TrRab7 was identified and characterized in T. reesei. TrRab7 was shown to play important roles in T. reesei vegetative growth and vacuole morphology. Whereas knock-down of Trrab7 significantly compromised the induced production of T. reesei cellulases, overexpression of the key transcriptional activator, Xyr1, restored the production of cellulases in the Trrab7 knock-down strain (Ptcu-rab7KD) on glucose, indicating that the observed defective cellulase biosynthesis results from the compromised cellulase gene transcription. Down-regulation of Trrab7 was also found to make T. reesei more sensitive to various stresses including carbon starvation. Interestingly, overexpression of Snf1, a serine/threonine protein kinase known as an energetic sensor, partially restored the cellulase production of Ptcu-rab7KD on Avicel, implicating that TrRab7 is involved in an energetic adaptation to carbon starvation which contributes to the successful cellulase gene expression when T. reesei is transferred from glucose to cellulose. CONCLUSIONS: TrRab7 was shown to play important roles in T. reesei development and a stress response to carbon starvation resulting from nutrient shift. This adaptation may allow T. reesei to successfully initiate the inducing process leading to efficient cellulase production. The present study provides useful insights into the functional involvement of the endosomal/vacuolar pathway in T. reesei development and hydrolytic enzyme production.

Comparison of three concentrations of ropivacaine in posterior quadratus lumborum block: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: A conclusive evidence regarding the optimal concentration and volume of local anesthetic for quadratus lumborum block is lacking. Methods: In this single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled study, 60 patients scheduled for laparoscopic colorectal surgery were randomly assigned to 3 different combinations of volume and concentration of ropivacaine (3 mg/kg) - Group 0.25%, Group 0.375% and Group 0.5%. All subjects received ultrasound-guided posterior quadratus lumborum block prior to the induction. The primary outcome was the complete sensory block rate of surgical site measured at 30 min after quadratus lumborum block, after extubation, at 12, 24, and 48 h after operation. Secondary outcomes were the changes in hemodynamic parameters before and after incision (ΔSBP, ΔDBP and ΔHR), postoperative pain score, the sufentanil consumption after surgery, length of stay and adverse reactions. Results: The sensory block rate of surgical site at 5 time points differed significantly among the three groups (P < 0.001). Both Group 0.375% (P < 0.001) and Group 0.5% (P < 0.001) had a higher sensory block rate than Group 0.25%, but no significant difference was observed between the former two. Group 0.375% and Group 0.5% had lower postoperative pain scores, lower sufentanil consumption after surgery and shorter length of stay. No statistical difference was observed in ΔSBP, ΔDBP, ΔHR and the incidence of adverse reactions. Conclusions: 0.375% and 0.5% ropivacaine in posterior quadratus lumborum block provide better sensory block of surgical site when compared to 0.25% in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Trial registration number: Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2100043949).

Deep Location Soft-Embedding-Based Network With Regional Scoring for Mammogram Classification.

Early detection and treatment of breast cancer can significantly reduce patient mortality, and mammogram is an effective method for early screening. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) of mammography based on deep learning can assist radiologists in making more objective and accurate judgments. However, existing methods often depend on datasets with manual segmentation annotations. In addition, due to the large image sizes and small lesion proportions, many methods that do not use region of interest (ROI) mostly rely on multi-scale and multi-feature fusion models. These shortcomings increase the labor, money, and computational overhead of applying the model. Therefore, a deep location soft-embedding-based network with regional scoring (DLSEN-RS) is proposed. DLSEN-RS is an end-to-end mammography image classification method containing only one feature extractor and relies on positional embedding (PE) and aggregation pooling (AP) modules to locate lesion areas without bounding boxes, transfer learning, or multi-stage training. In particular, the introduced PE and AP modules exhibit versatility across various CNN models and improve the model's tumor localization and diagnostic accuracy for mammography images. Experiments are conducted on published INbreast and CBIS-DDSM datasets, and compared to previous state-of-the-art mammographic image classification methods, DLSEN-RS performed satisfactorily.

Peptide Transporter 1-Mediated Dipeptide Transport Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis by Activating MAP4K4/G3BP2 Signaling Axis.

Cancer metastasis is the leading cause of mortality in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To meet the rapid malignant growth and transformation, tumor cells dramatically increase the consumption of nutrients, such as amino acids. Peptide transporter 1 (PEPT1), a key transporter for small peptides, has been found to be an effective and energy-saving intracellular source of amino acids that are required for the growth of tumor cells. Here, the role of PEPT1 in HCC metastasis and its underlying mechanisms is explored. PEPT1 is upregulated in HCC cells and tissues, and high PEPT1 expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC. PEPT1 overexpression dramatically promoted HCC cell migration, invasion, and lung metastasis, whereas its knockdown abolished these effects both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic analysis revealed that high PEPT1 expression increased cellular dipeptides in HCC cells that are responsible for activating the MAP4K4/G3BP2 signaling pathway, ultimately facilitating the phosphorylation of G3BP2 at Thr227 and enhancing HCC metastasis. Taken together, these findings suggest that PEPT1 acts as an oncogene in promoting HCC metastasis through dipeptide-induced MAP4K4/G3BP2 signaling and that the PEPT1/MAP4K4/G3BP2 axis can serve as a promising therapeutic target for metastatic HCC.

MXene-based composite aerogels with bifunctional ferrous ions for the efficient degradation of phenol from wastewater.

Herein, MXene-based composite aerogel (MXene-Fe2+ aerogel) are constructed by a one-step freeze-drying method, using Ti3C2Tx MXene layers as substrate material and ferrous ion (Fe2+) as crosslinking agent. With the aid of the Fe2+ induced Fenton reaction, the synthesized aerogels are used as the particle electrodes to remove phenol from wastewater with three-dimensional electrode technology. Combined with the dual roles of Fe2+ and the highly conductive MXene, the obtained particle electrode possesses extremely effective phenol degradation. The effects of experiment parameters such as Fe2+ to MXene ratio, particle electrode dosage, applied voltage, and initial pH of solution on the removal of phenol are discussed. At pH = 2.5, phenol with 50 mg/L of initial concentration can be completely removed within 50 min at 10 V with the particle electrode dosage of 0.56 g/L. Finally, the mechanism of degradation is explored. This work provides an effective way for phenol degradation by MXene-based aerogel, which has great potential for the degradation of other organic pollutants in wastewater.

Thiocyanogen-modulated N, S Co-doped lignin hierarchical porous carbons for high-performance aqueous supercapacitors.

Constructing heteroatom-doped porous carbons with distinct charge storage properties is significant for high-energy-density supercapacitors, yet it remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we employed a thiocyanogen-modulated alkali activation strategy to synthesize N and S co-doped lignin hierarchical porous carbon (NSLHPC). In this process, thiocyanogen serves as a surface modulation mediator to substitute oxygen with nitrogen and sulfur species, while the combination of KOH activation and MgO template generates numerous nanopores within the carbon structure. The three-dimensional interconnected nanosheet architecture facilitates rapid ion transfer and enhances accessibility to active sites. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that introducing N and S heteroatoms through oxygen substitution reduces the adsorption energy barrier of Zn2+. Consequently, the optimized NSLHPC exhibits a remarkable specific capacitance of 438F/g at 0.5 A/g in 6 M KOH, delivering an energy density of 10.4 Wh/kg in the symmetric supercapacitor and an impressive energy density of 104.9 Wh/kg in the zinc-ion hybrid capacitor. The NSLHPC cathode also shows an excellent lifespan with capacitance retention of 99.0 % and Columbic efficiency of 100 % over 10,000 cycles. This study presents innovative strategies for engineering high-performance porous carbon electrode materials by emphasizing pore structure modulation and N, S co-doping as crucial approaches.

Giant cell tumor of bone at distal radius suffered more soft tissue recurrence and ultrasonography is effective to detect the soft tissue recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Soft tissue recurrence of giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is rare. This study aims to provide its prevalence, recurrent locations, risk factors, effective detection methods and a modified classification for this recurrence. METHODS: Patients with soft tissue recurrence after primary surgery for GCTB were screened from January 2003 to December 2022. General data, recurrence frequency, types according to an original classification (type-I: peripheral ossification; type-II: central ossification; type-III: without ossification), a modified classification with more detailed subtypes (type I-1: ≤ 1/2 peripheral ossification; type I-2: ≥ 1/2 peripheral ossification; type II-1: ≤ 1/2 central ossification; type II-2: ≥ 1/2 central ossification; type III: without ossification), locations, detection methods such as ultrasonography, X-ray, CT or MRI, Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scores were recorded. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors for recurrence frequency. RESULTS: A total of 558 recurrent cases were identified from 2009 patients with GCTB. Among them, 32 were soft tissue recurrence. The total recurrence rate was 27.78% (558/2009). Soft tissue recurrence rate was 5.73% among 558 recurrent cases, and 1.59% among 2009 GCTB patients, respectively. After excluding one patient lost to follow-up, 10 males and 21 females with the mean age of 28.52 ± 9.93 (16-57) years were included. The definitive diagnosis of all recurrences was confirmed by postoperative pathology. The interval from primary surgery to the first recurrence was 23.23 ± 26.12 (2-27) months. Eight recurrences occurred from primary GCTB located at distal radius, followed by distal femur (6 cases). Recurrence occurred twice in 12 patients and 3 times in 7 patients. Twenty-seven recurrences were firstly detected by ultrasonography, followed by CT or X-ray (10 cases in each). Types at the first recurrence were 5 cases in type-I, 8 in type-II and 18 in type-III. According to the modified classification, 3 patients in type I-1, 2 in type I-2, 1 in type II-1, 7 in type II-2, and 18 in type III. The mean MSTS score was 26.62 ± 4.21 (14-30). Neither Campanacci grade nor recurrence type, modified classification and other characters, were identified as risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Soft tissue recurrence of GCTB may recur for more than once and distal radius was the most common location of primary GCTB that would suffer a soft tissue recurrence. Ultrasonography was a useful method to detect the recurrence. Since no risk factors were discovered, a careful follow-up with ultrasonography was recommended.