Solar-enhanced lithium extraction with self-sustaining water recycling from salt-lake brines.

Lithium is an emerging strategic resource for modern energy transformation toward electrification and decarbonization. However, current mainstream direct lithium extraction technology via adsorption suffers from sluggish kinetics and intensive water usage, especially in arid/semiarid and cold salt-lake regions (natural land brines). Herein, an efficient proof-of-concept integrated solar microevaporator system is developed to realize synergetic solar-enhanced lithium recovery and water footprint management from hypersaline salt-lake brines. The 98% solar energy harvesting efficiency of the solar microevaporator system, elevating its local temperature, greatly promotes the endothermic Li+ extraction process and solar steam generation. Benefiting from the photothermal effect, enhanced water flux, and enriched local Li+ supply in nanoconfined space, a double-enhanced Li+ recovery capacity was delivered (increase from 12.4 to 28.7 mg g-1) under one sun, and adsorption kinetics rate (saturated within 6 h) also reached twice of that at 280 K (salt-lake temperature). Additionally, the self-assembly rotation feature endows the microevaporator system with distinct self-cleaning desalination ability, achieving near 100% water recovery from hypersaline brines for further self-sufficient Li+ elution. Outdoor comprehensive solar-powered experiment verified the feasibility of basically stable lithium recovery ability (>8 mg g-1) directly from natural hypersaline salt-lake brines with self-sustaining water recycling for Li+ elution (440 m3 water recovery per ton Li2CO3). This work offers an integrated solution for sustainable lithium recovery with near zero water/carbon consumption toward carbon neutrality.

The Efficacy and Safety of Teprotumumab in Thyroid Eye Disease: Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials.

In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of teprotumumab in treating thyroid eye disease. We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase databases from inception to May 25, 2022, and included all randomized controlled trials. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using fixed- or random-effect models. A total of three studies involving 341 patients were identified. Overall, the analysis revealed that teprotumumab demonstrated superior integrated proptosis response compared to placebo in both the intention-to-treat (ITT) population (OR = 17.81, 95% CI = [10.32, 30.76], I2 = 50%) and per-protocol population (OR = 24.53, 95% CI = [12.96, 46.45], I2 = 14%). Furthermore, patients receiving teprotumumab showed significant improvement in overall response (OR = 8.35, 95% CI = [4.74, 14.71], I2 = 79%), diplopia response (OR = 5.53, 95% CI = [3.24, 9.44], I2 = 0%), and achieving a clinical activity score (CAS) of 0 or 1 (OR = 6.26, 95% CI = [3.87, 10.12], I2 = 0%). Moreover, patients treated with teprotumumab experienced greater improvements in proptosis (MD = -2.49, 95% CI = [-2.54, -2.45], I2 = 98%) and Graves' ophthalmopathy-specific quality of life (GO-QOL, MD = 11.48, 95% CI = [11.03, 11.93], I2 = 95%). However, it is important to note that patients receiving teprotumumab had a higher risk of adverse events, including serious adverse events, gastrointestinal adverse reactions, and muscle spasms. In summary, teprotumumab demonstrated greater improvement in proptosis response, proptosis, diplopia response, overall response, GO-QOL, and CAS. Nonetheless, it should be considered that its use is associated with a higher risk of adverse events.

A core-shell structured magnetic covalent organic framework (type Fe3O4@COF) as a sorbent for solid-phase extraction of endocrine-disrupting phenols prior to their quantitation by HPLC.

A magnetic covalent organic framework (Fe3O4@COF) with core-shell structure was fabricated at room temperature and used as an adsorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction of polar endocrine-disrupting phenols (4-n-nonylphenol, 4-n-octylphenol, bisphenol A and bisphenol AF). The sorbent was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, FTIR, powder X-ray diffraction and other techniques. The main parameters governing the extraction efficiency were optimized. The phenols were quantified by HPLC with fluorometric detection. The method has attractive features such as low limits of detection (0.08-0.21 ng.mL-1), wide linear ranges (0.5-1000 ng.mL-1), and good repeatability (intra-day: 0.39%-4.99%; inter-day: 1.57%-5.21%). Satisfactory results were obtained when the developed method was applied to determine the four target pollutants in real world drink samples with spiked recoveries over the range of 81.3~118.0%. This indicates that the method is a powerful tool for the enrichment and determination of endocrine-disrupting phenols in drink samples. Graphical abstract A magnetite based covalent organic framework (Fe3O4@COFs) was synthesized with TPAB, TPA and Fe3O4. It was used for magnetic solid-phase extraction of endocrine-disrupting phenols from plastic-packaged tea drink samples coupled with liquid chromatography (LC) for determination.

A Zr(IV)-based porphyrinic metal-organic framework as a solid-phase sorbent for extraction of sulfonamides prior to their quantitation by LC-MS.

A porphyrinic metal-organic framework (PCN-224) was fabricated and used as an adsorbent for solid-phase extraction of ultratrace levels of polar sulfonamide antibiotics from food and drinking waters. The PCN-224 was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction analyses. Parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized. The sulfonamides were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Figures of merit include (a) low limits of detection (0.07-0.47 ng·L-1), (b) wide linear ranges (0.5-2000 ng·L-1), and (c) good repeatabilities (2.8%-6.7%) and reproducibilities (1.7%-5.1%). The method was successfully applied to the determination of sulfonamides in food and drinking water samples. Graphical abstract A Zr(IV)-based porphyrinic metal-organic framework (PCN-224) was synthesized from a Zr6 cluster and the H2TCPP ligand. It was used for solid-phase extraction of sulfonamides from food and drinking water samples coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for determination.

Preconcentration and Determination of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Water Samples by Bamboo Charcoal-Based Solid-Phase Extraction Prior to Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

In this work, bamboo charcoal was used as solid-phase extraction adsorbent for the enrichment of six perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in environmental water samples before liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The specific porous structure, high specific surface area, high porosity, and stability of bamboo charcoal were characterized. Several experimental parameters which considerably affect extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized in detail. The experimental data exhibited low limits of detection (LODs) (0.01-1.15 ng/L), wide linear range (2-3 orders of magnitude and R ≥ 0.993) within the concentration range of 0.1-1000 ng/L, and good repeatability (2.7-5.0%, n = 5 intraday and 4.8-8.3%, n = 5 interday) and reproducibility (5.3-8.0%, n = 3). Bamboo charcoal was successfully used for the enrichment and determination of PFAAs in real environmental water samples. The bamboo charcoal-based solid-phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis possessed great potential in the determination of trace PFAA levels in environmental water samples.

Elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor for cystic fibrosis with Phe508del mutation: Evidence from randomized controlled trials.

Objective: This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effects of elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor (ELX-TEZ-IVA) on patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods: A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to August 1, 2022. Meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.3 software. Results: Six studies comprising seven reports involving a total of 1125 CF patients were included. The meta-analyses indicated that ELX-TEZ-IVA significantly improved the percentage predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (ppFEV1) by 10.29% (95% confidence interval (CI) (6.44, 14.14), p < 0.00001) and the CF questionnaire-revised respiratory domain (CFQ-R RD) by 14.59 points (95% CI (9.25, 19.94), p < 0.00001) compared to placebo, ivacaftor (IVA), or tezacaftor-ivacaftor (TEZ-IVA). In addition, the ELX-TEZ-IVA group showed significantly lower sweat chloride concentrations by 40.30 mmol/L (95% CI (-49.85, -30.74), p < 0.00001). However, the incidence of adverse events in the ELX-TEZ-IVA group was slightly higher than that in the placebo, IVA, or TEZ-IVA groups. Conclusion: ELX-TEZ-IVA demonstrated efficacy in improving ppFEV1, CFQ-R RD, and sweat chloride concentrations in patients with CF. However, caution should be exercised regarding the incidence of AEs, particularly mild and moderate ones.

Evolutionary law and regulatory technology of roof migration on gob-side entry retaining.

In order to study the evolutionary law of roof migration on Gob-Side Entry Retaining, this paper takes the gob-side entry retaining in the comprehensive mining face of the Ningtiaota coal mine as the engineering background, and analyzes the evolutionary law of the overlying rock layer on the roof at different locations during the roadway stay and the stress distribution around the roadway through numerical simulation software, which shows that there is a concentration of stress inside the Flexible formwork concrete wall, and therefore the maximum settlement of the roof on the side of Flexible formwork concrete wall is 35.35 mm, due to the existence of "arch-shaped" decompression area from the working face. Therefore, the maximum settlement of the roof slab on the side of flexible formwork concrete wall was 35.35 mm. Due to the existence of "arch-shaped" decompression area on the roof and floor of roadway, the settlement of the roof slab on both sides of the roadway gradually increased when it was from - 20 to 10 m away from the working face, and the central position had the following pattern of firstly decreasing and then gradually increasing, and then exceeding the top of the roadway. After decreasing and then gradually increasing, after 10 m ahead of the working face, the two sides of the roadway roof subsidence law and the central part of the roadway to maintain the same; the use of cutting the top of the flexible mold concrete wall support technology as a means of controlling the top of the roof along the empty roadway subsidence, the analysis shows that the roof after roof cutting of the amount of subsidence have been reduced, the maximum difference in the rate of change of the displacement is 0.011%, and the maximum difference in the amount of subsidence of 4.98 mm; through the field monitoring data analysis of the pressure of mining The peak value of the influence curve of the working face is located at 19 m of the working face, 9 m of the lagging working face and 19 m of the roadway outside the working face are less affected by the additional mining stress field, comparing the fracture brokenness of the roadway roof before and after the roof cutting, the fracture area in the uncut section is much larger than that in the section of the roof cutting.

Characteristics of surrounding rock damage and control technology of a facing-mining excavating roadway in north Shaanxi mining area.

In a coal mine in the northern region of Shaanxi Province, China, a facing-mining excavating roadway exists, which is intended to be retained for subsequent working face safety services. This paper investigates the deformation and damage characteristics of the surrounding rock in different stages using FLAC 3D numerical simulation, taking the facing-mining excavating roadway of this coal mine as the research context. At 20 m ahead of the working face, a discontinuous plastic zone appears in the surrounding rock of the roadway, a phenomenon attributed to the varying hardness of the lithologyand termed 'plastic zone jumping.' The numerical simulation results have been were verified using drill hole peeping. Real-time monitoring of the roadway's stability is conducted on-site, showing that the roadway is significantly affected by mining at the 50 m point ahead of the working face. Based on the numerical simulation and on-site monitoring results, the support strength was increased at 50 m from the working face along the roadway, and a new support scheme was adopted. In the lagging section of the roadway, where mining pressure is strongly evident, differentiated reinforcement using anchor rods, anchor ropes, and W steel belts has been employed, resulting in a satisfactory on-site effect.

Intrinsic peroxidase-like activity of dissolved black carbon released from biochar.

Dissolved black carbon (DBC) is an important constituent of the natural organic carbon pool, influencing the global carbon cycling and the fate processes of many pollutants. In this work, we discovered that DBC released from biochar has intrinsic peroxidase-like activity. DBC samples were derived from four biomass stocks, including corn, peanut, rice, and sorghum straws. All DBC samples catalyze H2O2 decomposition into hydroxyl radicals, as determined by the electron paramagnetic resonance and the molecular probe. Similar to enzymes that exhibit saturation kinetics, the steady-state reaction rates follow the Michaelis-Menten equation. The peroxidase-like activity of DBC is controlled by the ping-pong mechanism, as suggested by parallel Lineweaver-Burk plots. Its activity increases with temperature from 10 to 80 °C and has an optimum at pH 5. The peroxidase-like activity of DBC is positively correlated with its aromaticity as aromatics can stabilize the reactive intermediates. The active sites in DBC also involve oxygen-containing groups, as inferred by increased activity after the chemical reduction of carbonyls. The peroxidase-like activity of DBC has significant implications for biogeochemical processing of carbon and potential health and ecological impacts of black carbon. It also highlights the need to advance the understanding of the occurrence and role of organic catalysts in natural systems.

A nanozyme-like colorimetric sensing strategy based on persulfate activation on Co-based metal-organic frameworks.

A nanozyme-like colorimetric sensing strategy based on persulfate activation on Co-based metal-organic frameworks is developed for biomolecule detection in solution and on paper strips. By switching from H2O2 activation on nanozymes to catalytic persulfate activation, this general strategy provides higher sensitivity, faster speed, and wider application ranges for detection.

Metal-organic framework-101 grafted with amino groups as solid-phase extraction adsorbent coupled with liquid chromatography for the determination of phenoxycarboxylic acids in environmental samples.

Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) MIL-101 and three amino-modified MIL-101s were synthesized and used as adsorbents for solid-phase extraction of trace-level polar phenoxycarboxylic acids (PCAs) from environmental water samples for quantification by liquid chromatography. The four MOFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, pore structure analysis and powder X-ray diffraction analysis. Parameters which play important roles in the process of solid phase extraction were optimized. MIL-101-ethylenediamine (ED) was chosen as the optimum adsorbent for the extraction of PCAs due to electron donation of alkyl groups in aliphatic amino groups and the smaller steric hindrance. The extraction efficiency using MIL-101-ED compacted column was compared with three commercial columns and the influence of humic acid (HA) on extraction was investigated. The merits of newly-built SPE-LC method based on MIL-101-ED are as follows: (a) low limits of detection (0.052-0.160 ng mL-1), (b) wide linear ranges (0.5-1000 ng mL-1), (c) good repeatabilities (1.33-3.35%) and reproducibilities (2.51-3.49%) and (d) excludability of HA. This method has been applied to the determination of PCAs in environmental water samples successfully.

Rényi information flow in the Ising model with single-spin dynamics.

The n-index Rényi mutual information and transfer entropies for the two-dimensional kinetic Ising model with arbitrary single-spin dynamics in the thermodynamic limit are derived as functions of ensemble averages of observables and spin-flip probabilities. Cluster Monte Carlo algorithms with different dynamics from the single-spin dynamics are thus applicable to estimate the transfer entropies. By means of Monte Carlo simulations with the Wolff algorithm, we calculate the information flows in the Ising model with the Metropolis dynamics and the Glauber dynamics, respectively. We find that not only the global Rényi transfer entropy, but also the pairwise Rényi transfer entropy, peaks in the disorder phase.