Optimized combination of zero-valent iron and oxygen-releasing biochar as cathodes of microbial fuel cells to enhance copper migration in sediment.

Membrane-less single-medium sediment microbial fuel cells (single-SMFC) can remove Cu2+ from sediment through electromigration. However, the high mass transfer resistance of the sediment and amount of oxygen at the cathode of the SMFC limit its Cu2+ removal ability. Therefore, this study used an oxygen-releasing bead (ORB) for slow oxygen release to increase oxygen at the SMFC cathode and improve the mass transfer property of the sediment. Resultantly, the copper removal efficiency of SMFC increased significantly. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the nano zero-valent iron (nZVI)-modified biochar as the catalyst to enhance the ability of the modified ORB (ORBm) to remove Cu2+ and slow release of O2. The maximum Cu2+ removal (95 %) and the slowest O2 release rate (0.41 mg O2/d·g ORBm) were obtained when the CaO2 content and ratio of nZVI-modified biochar to unmodified biochar were 0.99 g and 4.95, respectively. When the optimized ORBm was placed at the single-SMFC cathode, the voltage output and copper removal increased by 4.6 and 2.1 times, respectively, compared with the system without ORBm. This shows that the ORBm can improve the migration of Cu2+ in the sediment, providing a promising remediation method for Cu-contaminated sediments.

A Cell Surface-Binding Antibody Atlas Nominates a MUC18-Directed Antibody-Drug Conjugate for Targeting Melanoma.

Recent advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy have substantially improved the treatment of melanoma. However, therapeutic strategies are still needed for unresponsive or treatment-relapsed patients with melanoma. To discover antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)-tractable cell surface targets for melanoma, we developed an atlas of melanoma cell surface-binding antibodies (pAb) using a proteome-scale antibody array platform. Target identification of pAbs led to development of melanoma cell killing ADCs against LGR6, TRPM1, ASAP1, and MUC18, among others. MUC18 was overexpressed in both tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating blood vessels across major melanoma subtypes, making it a potential dual-compartment and universal melanoma therapeutic target. AMT-253, an MUC18-directed ADC based on topoisomerase I inhibitor exatecan and a self-immolative T moiety, had a higher therapeutic index compared with its microtubule inhibitor-based counterpart and favorable pharmacokinetics and tolerability in monkeys. AMT-253 exhibited MUC18-specific cytotoxicity through DNA damage and apoptosis and a strong bystander killing effect, leading to potent antitumor activities against melanoma cell line and patient-derived xenograft models. Tumor vasculature targeting by a mouse MUC18-specific antibody-T1000-exatecan conjugate inhibited tumor growth in human melanoma xenografts. Combination therapy of AMT-253 with an antiangiogenic agent generated higher efficacy than single agent in a mucosal melanoma model. Beyond melanoma, AMT-253 was also efficacious in a wide range of MUC18-expressing solid tumors. Efficient target/antibody discovery in combination with the T moiety-exatecan linker-payload exemplified here may facilitate discovery of new ADC to improve cancer treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: Discovery of melanoma-targeting antibodies using a proteome-scale array and use of a cutting-edge linker-payload system led to development of a MUC18-targeting antibody-exatecan conjugate with clinical potential for treating major melanoma subtypes.

Sensitivity and reusability of a simple microbial fuel cell-based sensor for detecting bisphenol A in wastewater.

Polycarbonate plastic processing wastewater contains high concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), requiring a real-time technology to monitor wastewater containing BPA. Since the activity of electrogenic microorganisms on the anode surface of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) sensor is inhibited by exposure to contaminants, the toxicity of contaminants in wastewater can be determined by observing the variation in voltage output from the MFC sensor. The simple MFC sensor that is developed in this work exhibited a significant decrease in voltage output in BPA-containing wastewater concentration of 5-100 mg/L. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the voltage change (ΔV) was strongly correlated with the BPA concentration, with R2 as high as 0.97. This study was the first to investigate the number of repeated uses of the MFC sensor, using sodium acetate as the regeneration solution for the MFC sensor, leading to a successful recovery of detection performance. However, as the number of uses increased (up to the third or fourth use), the ΔV of the MFC sensor for BPA gradually decreased and the sensitivity decreased significantly from 0.238 mV/mg/L to 0.027 mV/mg/L. In the low BPA concentration range (≦20 mg/L), the MFC sensor can be reused up to 5 times, demonstrating that the proposed MFC sensor can be reused. Microorganisms contribute to the power generation of the MFC sensor, which can be exploited in the detection of pollutants, enabling the determination of wastewater toxicity and providing early warnings of thereof. Conventional MFC sensors are complex and lack the ability to explore repeated use, so they are not easily applied to actual wastewater detection. The proposed MFC sensor has many advantages such as simplicity, rapid detection, and reusability, solving the problem of the high cost of using disposable MFC sensors and making them feasible for practical use.

Effects of biodegradation, biotoxicity and microbial community on biostimulation of sulfolane.

To evaluate the effectiveness of biostimulation in remediating soil-free groundwater and groundwater with soil, experiments were conducted using soil and groundwater samples that were contaminated with sulfolane. The main objective was to characterize the differences in sulfolane removal efficiency and biotoxicity between in situ soil-free groundwater and groundwater with soil and different concentrations of dissolved oxygen (1 mg/L and 5 mg/L) and various nutrient salts (in situ and spiked). Optimizing the nutrient salt conditions improved the removal efficiency of sulfolane by 1.8-6.5 that under in situ nutrient salt conditions. Controlling the dissolved oxygen concentration enhanced the efficiency of removal of sulfolane by 1.5-4.5 times over that at the simulated in situ dissolved oxygen concentration, suggesting that the degradation of sulfolane by indigenous microorganisms requires nutrient salts more than it requires dissolved oxygen. Biotoxicity data showed that the luminescence inhibition of Aliivibrio fischeri by sulfolane was lower in the biostimulated samples than in the pre-treated samples. Biostimulation reduced the biotoxicity of the treated samples by 42-51%, revealing that it was effective in removing sulfolane and reducing biotoxicity. Microbial community analysis showed that the biostimulation did not change the dominant species in the original in situ community, and increased the proportion of sulfolane-degraders. The outcome of this study can be used to set parameters for the remediation of groundwater that is contaminated by sulfolane in oil refineries.

Antibody-Exatecan Conjugates with a Novel Self-immolative Moiety Overcome Resistance in Colon and Lung Cancer.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) using DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor DXd/SN-38 have transformed cancer treatment, yet more effective ADCs are needed for overcoming resistance. We have designed an ADC class using a novel self-immolative T moiety for traceless conjugation and release of exatecan, a more potent topoisomerase I inhibitor with less sensitivity to multidrug resistance (MDR). Characterized by enhanced therapeutic indices, higher stability, and improved intratumoral pharmacodynamic response, antibody-T moiety-exatecan conjugates targeting HER2, HER3, and TROP2 overcome the intrinsic or treatment resistance of equivalent DXd/SN-38 ADCs in low-target-expression, large, and MDR+ tumors. T moiety-exatecan ADCs display durable antitumor activity in patient-derived xenograft and organoid models representative of unmet clinical needs, including EGFR ex19del/T790M/C797S triple-mutation lung cancer and BRAF/KRAS-TP53 double-mutant colon cancer, and show synergy with PARP/ATR inhibitor and anti-PD-1 treatment. High tolerability of the T moiety-exatecan ADC class in nonhuman primates supports its potential to expand the responding patient population and tumor types beyond current ADCs. SIGNIFICANCE: ADCs combining a novel self-immolative moiety and topoisomerase I inhibitor exatecan as payload show deep and durable response in low-target-expressing and MDR+ tumors resistant to DXd/SN-38 ADCs without increasing toxicity. This new class of ADCs has the potential to benefit an additional patient population beyond current options. See related commentary by Gupta et al., p. 817. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 799.

Performance of bioelectrochemical systems in treating exhaust gas with power generation: Effects of shock-load, shut-down episodes and microbial community.

A diffusive packed anode-bioelectrochemical (Dpa-Bes) system was constructed by feeding waste gas from the cathode to the anode tank in DPa-Bes through a proton exchange membrane (PEM). The high removal of oxygen by the PEM and the effective combination of the two packing materials reduced the electron loss and enhanced the proton transfer capacity, promoting the removal of acetone from the exhaust gas and increasing the output power. The maximum acetone removal efficiency of the modified Dpa-Bes reached ∼99 % after seven days of closed-circuit operation, with a 3.2-fold increase in maximum power density and a 2.27-fold increase in closed-circuit voltage relative to those of the unmodified Dpa-Bes. When the acetone concentration was 2400 ppm, the removal efficiency was 73.22 % and the elimination capacity was at its highest value of 290.21 g/m3/h. Microbial analysis revealed that the conductive filter contained abundant facultative and anaerobic bacteria, whereas the non-conductive filter was rich in aerobic bacteria. The abundance of anaerobic and facultative microorganisms in Dpa-Bes was much higher than in the unmodified Dpa-Bes, and the dominant bacteria were Flavobacterium and Ferruginibacter.

Performance of a packed-bed anode bio-electrochemical reactor for power generation and for removal of gaseous acetone.

The packed anode bioelectrochemical system (Pa-BES) developed in this study is a type of BES that introduces waste gas into a cathode and then into an anode, thereby providing the cathode with sufficient oxygen and reducing the amount of oxygen to the anode to promote the output of electricity. When the empty-bed residence time was 45 s and the liquid flowrate was 35 mL/s, the system achieved optimal performance. Under these conditions, removal efficiency, mineralization efficiency, voltage output, and power density were 93.86%, 93.37%, 296.3 mV, and 321.12 mW/m3, respectively. The acetone in the waste gas was almost completely converted into carbon dioxide, indicating that Pa-BES can effectively remove acetone and has the potential to be used in practical situations. A cyclic voltammetry analysis revealed that the packings exhibited clear redox peaks, indicating that the Pa-BES has outstanding biodegradation and power generation abilities. Through microbial community dynamics, numerous organics degraders, electrochemically active bacteria, nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria were found, and the spatial distribution of these microbes were identified. Among them, Xanthobacter, Bryobacter, Mycobacteriums and Terrimonawas were able to decompose acetone or other organic substances, with Xanthobacter dominating. Bacterium_OLB10 and Ferruginibacter are the electrochemically active bacteria in Pa-BES, while Ferruginibacter is the most abundant in the main anode, which is responsible for electron collection and transfer.

Waste expanded polystyrene modified with H2SO4/biodegradable chelating agent for reuse: As a highly efficient adsorbent to remove fluoroquinolone antibiotic from water.

Untreated wastewater containing fluoroquinolone antibiotics poses serious hazards to aquatic species and human health; therefore, treatment of waste expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a crucial environmental matter. In this study, waste EPS was modified with a H2SO4/biodegradable chelating agent, [S,S]-ethylenediamine-N,N'-disuccinic acid (EDDS), and used for highly efficient adsorption of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin. When ciprofloxacin of 25 mg/L was used, the H2SO4-modified EPS (EPSH2SO4) adsorbed 60.5% of the ciprofloxacin. During sulfonation, adding a low dose of EDDS markedly improved the adsorption ability of EPSH2SO4+EDDS. The optimal modification conditions were 95% H2SO4, 0.002 M EDDS, 80 °C, and 40 min. The increased adsorbent doses enhanced the adsorption. Approximately 0.2 g/L of EPSH2SO4+EDDS could effectively adsorb 97.8% of the ciprofloxacin (554.3 mg/g) within 30 min. Solution pH0 greatly influenced the adsorption, and the most suitable pH0 was 6. The Langmuir isotherm accurately described the adsorption behaviors of both EPSH2SO4 and EPSH2SO4+EDDS (R2 = 0.997-0.998). The adsorption ability of EPSH2SO4+EDDS (qmax = 1250 mg/g) was 32 times higher than that of EPSH2SO4 (qmax = 38.6 mg/g). A total of 1 M HCl effectively regenerated the exhausted adsorbent. The optimal solid/liquid ratio and time were 0.08 g/20 mL and 60 min, respectively. The regenerated EPSH2SO4+EDDS maintained a high adsorption ability (87.2%) after 10 regeneration cycles. The results thus indicate that the EPSH2SO4+EDDS adsorption-regeneration process is a potential approach to remove ciprofloxacin from water.

Gaseous isopropanol removal in a microbial fuel cell with deoxidizing anode: Performance, anode characteristics and microbial community.

A deoxidizing packing material (DPM) with an encapsulated deoxidizing agent (DA) was developed to construct the packed anodes of a trickle-bed microbial fuel cell (TB-MFC) for treating waste gas. The encapsulated DA can consume O2 in waste gas and increase the voltage output and power density (PD) of the constructed TB-MFC. The DPM effectively enables the circulating water in TB-MFC for maintaining a low level of dissolved oxygen for 80 h. The results revealed that when the concentration of isopropanol (IPA) in waste gas was 0.74 g/m3, the TB-MFC (DPM with DA) exhibited an IPA removal efficiency (RE) of up to 99.7%. When DPM with DA was used as the packing material of the TB-MFC (486.6 mW/m3), the PD was 2.54 times that obtained when using coke as the packing material (191.6 mW/m3). The next-generation sequencing results demonstrated that because the oxygen content of the MFC anode chamber decreased over time in the TB-MFC, the richness of anaerobic electrogens (Pseudoxanthomonas, Flavobacterium, and Ferruginibacter) in the packing materials was increased. These electrogens mainly attached to the DPM, and IPA-degraders appeared in the circulating water of the TB-MFC. This enabled the TB-MFC to simultaneously achieve a high voltage output and IPA RE.

Enhancement of isopropanol removal with concomitant power generation by microbial fuel cells: Optimization of deoxidizing composite anodes using response surface methodology.

This study used a response surface method to develop a deoxidizing anode, which was introduced into microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to treat isopropanol (IPA) wastewater and waste gas. By embedding a deoxidizing agent (DA) into the anode of MFCs, a hypoxic environment can be created to enable anaerobic electrogens to be effectively attached to the anode surface and grow. Consequently, MFC power generation performance can be enhanced. The optimal coke and conductive carbon black ratio of an anode and percentage of DA added were 3.61 g/g and 3.15 %, respectively. The research design concurrently achieved the maximum deoxygenation efficiency (0.86 mg O2/bead), minimum disintegration ratio (3.51 %), and minimum resistance (30.2 Ω). The regression model had high prediction power (R2 > 0.93) for anode performance. As determined through multi-objective optimization, the results highly satisfied the target expectation (desirability = 0.82). The optimized deoxidizing anode was filled into an air-cathode MFC, which had a higher IPA removal efficiency (1.15-fold) and voltage output (1.24-fold) than an MFC filled with coke. The results for the trickling-bed MFC filled with a deoxidizing anode revealed that when the inlet concentration was 0.74 g/m3, the voltage output and power density were highest at 416.3 mV and 486.6 mW/m3, respectively. The deoxidizing anode developed has the potential to increase the MFC voltage output and the pollutant removal.

[Driving Cessation and Mental Health in Persons With Dementia: A Preliminary Study].

BACKGROUND: The driving safety of persons with dementia (PwD) is an important public-health issue worldwide. Driving is closely related to personal autonomy, self-esteem, and independence. When PwD lose their driving privileges, this may lead to negative effects on mental health. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between driving cessation and mental health in PwD. METHODS: A cross-sectional design with convenient sampling was used, Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Participants were all PwDs who were recruited from a medical center in northern Taiwan. RESULTS: A total of 78 PwD were recruited. Two-fifths (41%) of the participants were still driving, with motorcycle the most common vehicle used. The participants who had retired from driving were older, and most did not have a spouse, were less socially active, had a lower mean level of functional ability, and perceived a lower association between driving and quality of life. Driving cessation was found to be positively correlated with age and the instrumental activities of daily living. Depression and anxiety levels in former drivers were higher than in current drivers, although the differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS / IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Among PwD, depression and anxiety is higher in former drivers. It is suggested that a prospective study should be conducted, that driving safety issues for PwD should be addressed in public health education, and that standards of driving safety for PwD should be developed and enacted.

Improving the performance of biotrickling filter microbial fuel cells in treating exhaust gas by adjusting the oxygen content of the anode tank.

A biotrickling filter (BTF) was combined with a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to remove ethyl acetate from exhaust gas while generating electricity in the process. The results indicated that the use of carbide porous ceramic rings (CPCR) as auxiliary anodes produced more biomass and exhibited a high average removal efficiency (98%), making it a superior microorganism growth carrier compared with carbon coke. When CPCR was used as the cathode in the BTF-MFC, the maximum power density (PD) was 5.64-14.8% of that achieved when carbon cloth was used as the cathode, revealing that CPCR is not a suitable cathode. The maximum elimination capacity (EC) and output voltage of the two-stage BTF-MFC (tBTF-MFC) were only 69.4% and 68.4% of those of the single-stage BTF-MFC (sBTF-MFC), presumably because of voltage reversal. Although the output voltage and EC in the tBTF-MFC were less than those in the sBTF-MFC, the follow-up field application involves stacking multiple small MFCs to remove high-concentration pollutants and generate a high power output. Additionally, continuously adding sodium sulfite decreased the average dissolved oxygen; generated an averaged closed-circuit voltage of 477 mV; and produced a maximum PD of 71.7 mW/m3. These findings demonstrated that the aforementioned method can effectively improve the problem of oxygen and MFC anodes competing for electrons, thus delivering a method that enhances MFC performance through controlling the amount of oxygen in practical applications.

Rapid modification of waste expanded polystyrene with H2SO4/trace persulfate in one pot for effective adsorption of fluoroquinolone antibiotic and its regeneration.

Norfloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is widely used to treat microbial infections. However, untreated norfloxacin-containing wastewater poses serious threats to the ecosystem and human health. The treatment of waste expanded polystyrene (EPS) by landfilling or incineration could cause environmental problems. In this research, the feasibility of converting EPS into a valuable adsorbent for norfloxacin was evaluated. Results showed that EPS treated with H2SO4 (EPSH2SO4) effectively adsorbed norfloxacin. The optimal sulfonation conditions were 95% H2SO4 and 100 °C. Addition of 0.001 M of persulfate during sulfonation obviously shortened the sulfonation time to 7.5 min, and the adsorption ability of modified EPS increased with increasing persulfate dose. Under the experimental conditions of 25 mg L-1 norfloxacin, pH0 6.2, and 0.4 g L-1 EPSH2SO4+persulfate (dry weight), 97.2% of norfloxacin could be removed after 30 min of adsorption. The adsorption ability of EPSH2SO4+persulfate decreased with increasing solution pH0, and the optimal pH0 was 6.2. The Langmuir isotherm best described the adsorption behavior of EPSH2SO4+persulfate (qmax = 140.9 mg L-1, b = 1.97 L mg-1, R2 = 0.9992). 1 M HCl effectively regenerated the exhausted EPSH2SO4+persulfate at the optimal solid/solution ratio of 8 g L-1. EPSH2SO4+persulfate maintained excellent adsorption capacity (>80.9%) after eight adsorption-regeneration cycles.

Critical factors for enhancing the bioremediation of a toxic pollutant at high concentrations in groundwater: Toxicity evaluation, degrader tolerance, and microbial community.

Groundwater near refinery and natural gas plants often contain elevated concentrations of toxic sulfolane. Studies on any concentration of sulfolane are limited. Column experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of adding a low dose of H2O2 and nutrient on bioremediation. Vibrio fischeri light inhibition test was used evaluate the toxicity of effluents. The continuous column experiment conditions were sulfolane at 100 mg L-1, dissolved oxygen at 7 mg L-1, absence of phosphorus, and very short hydraulic retention time (7.9 h). A low dose of H2O2 (5.88 mM) enhanced the sulfolane (27.1%) and COD removal (11.8%) in comparison with the control set. Adding nutrient increased bicinchoninic acid protein assay levels, sulfolane removal (99.6%) and COD removal (80.3%). Addition of both H2O2 and nutrient further improved COD removal (90.3%) and COD/sulfolane ratio (0.90) and toxicity removal (Vibrio fischeri light inhibition ratio < 1%). Batch experiment indicated the degraders tolerated sulfolane up to 400 mg L-1. The DGGE method and dendrogram analysis were utilized to investigate the changes of degrader community structure.

One-Pot CuI/DBU-Catalyzed Carboxylative Cyclization toward Oxazolidinones Using Recyclable Molecular Sieves as Efficient Promoters for Fixation of CO2 in Water Medium.

An efficient one-pot synthesis of oxazolidinones was developed through CuI/DBU/MS joint system-catalyzed carboxylative cyclization of arylacetylene, arylaldehyde, and arylamine in water medium under a 1 atm carbon dioxide (CO2) atmosphere. The 4 Šmolecular sieves (MSs) were added to improve CO2 capture and facilitate carboxylation to give the products in high yields. The CuI/DBU/MS system is robust and highly effective for the reactions with different substrates, and some target products were obtained in an excellent yield of ∼96%, with no side products in the final step.

α-Linolenic acid inhibits the migration of human triple-negative breast cancer cells by attenuating Twist1 expression and suppressing Twist1-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

α-Linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid, has anticancer activity in breast cancer, but the mechanism of its effects in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains unclear. We investigated the effect of ALA on Twist1, which is required to initiate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promotes tumor metastasis, and Twist1-mediated migration in MDA-MB231, MDA-MB468 and Hs578T cells. Twist1 protein was constitutively expressed in these TNBC cells, particularly MDA-MB-231 cells. Treatment with 100 µM ALA and Twist1 siRNA markedly decreased the Twist1 protein level and cell migration. Moreover, ALA transiently attenuated the nuclear accumulation of STAT3α as well as Twist1 mRNA expression. Treatment with ALA significantly attenuated the phosphorylation of JNK, ERK and Akt and decreased the phosphorylation of Twist1 at serine 68 in MDA-MB-231 cells. ALA accelerated Twist1 degradation in the presence of cycloheximide, whereas the ubiquitination and degradation of Twist1 by ALA was suppressed by MG-132. Pretreatment with ALA mimicked Twist1 siRNA, increased the protein expression of epithelial markers such as E-cadherin, and decreased the protein expression of mesenchymal markers including Twist1, Snail2, N-cadherin, vimentin, and fibronectin. Our findings suggest that ALA can be used not only to abolish EMT but also to suppress Twist1-mediated migration in TNBC cells.

Kinetics of biocathodic electron transfer in a bioelectrochemical system coupled with chemical absorption for NO removal.

A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) has been developing for enhanced absorbent regeneration in a chemical absorption-biological reduction integrated process for NO removal. In this work, the kinetics of electron transfer involved in the biocathodes along Fe(III)EDTA and Fe(II)EDTA-NO reduction was analyzed simultaneously. A modified Nernst-Monod kinetics considering the Faraday efficiency was applied to describe the electron transfer kinetics of Fe(III)EDTA reduction. The effects of substrate concentration, biocathodic potential on current density predicted by the model have been validated by the experimental results. Furthermore, extended from the kinetics of Fe(III)EDTA reduction, the electron transfer kinetics of Fe(II)EDTA-NO reduction was developed with a semi-experimental method, while both direct electrochemical and bioelectrochemical processes were taken into consideration at the same time. It was revealed that the developed model could simulate the electron transfer kinetics well. This work could not only help advance the biocathodic reduction ability and the utilization efficiency of electric power, but also provide insights into the industrial scale-up and application of the system.

Inducing laccase activity in white rot fungi using copper ions and improving the efficiency of azo dye treatment with electricity generation using microbial fuel cells.

This work presents a white rot fungus-microbial fuel cell (WRF-MFC) that uses WRF that is grown at its cathode. Adding Cu2+ to the fungi-containing solid medium stimulated WRF-secreting laccase, which catalyzed the redox reaction in the MFC and thereby promoting the generation of electricity. Adding 12.5 mg L-1 Cu2+ to a G. lucidum-containing medium provided the greatest laccase stimulation and increased the laccase activity by a factor of 1.6. Adding 12.5 mg L-1 Cu2+ to the WRF chamber of WRF-MFC increased its decolorization of Acid Orange 7 (AO-7) and increased its power density to 223 mW m-2, which was 1.77 times that of an MFC without WRF. The enhancement of decolorization and electricity generation improved the performance of the WRF-MFC, indicating that a laccase-catalyzed cathode has great potential effectiveness in microbial fuel cells.

Enhancement of power generation with concomitant removal of toluene from artificial groundwater using a mini microbial fuel cell with a packed-composite anode.

Composite beads are packed in the anode chamber of a microbial fuel cell (MFC), providing more area for microbial attachment and growth, increasing the efficiency of removal of toluene from toluene-contaminated groundwater. The composite beads were fabricated by integrating carbon coke (CC) with a relatively large specific surface area to which microorganisms easily adhere with conductive carbon black (CCB), which has low electrical resistance. Since the advantages of both are complementary, the power generation of MFC is improved. The single layer-packed anode MFC (SP-MFC) completely degraded 200 mg L-1 of toluene - 2.3 times faster than the non-packed anode MFC (NP-MFC). The high power density (44.9 mW m-3) and oxidation peak (1 mA), with low internal resistance (207 Ω) revealed that SP effectively improved the power generation efficiency. A composition ratio (CRCCB:CC) of composite beads of one to two yielded the best performance with a removal efficiency of 100 % - 76 % faster than CC. The closed circuit voltage of CR1:2 MFC reached 340 mV, which was 16 times that of CC; the power density and oxidation peak reached 103 mW m-3 and 1.38 mA, respectively. Therefore, CR1:2 effectively increased the overall removal efficiency and power generation of the MFC.

Author Correction: Targeting CLDN18.2 by CD3 Bispecific and ADC Modalities for the Treatments of Gastric and Pancreatic Cancer.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.