Association between waist-hip ratio and Female Infertility in the United States: Data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2020.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity has previously been correlated with an elevated risk of reproductive system diseases in women. The waist-hip ratio (WHR) has been shown to be correlated with visceral fat, making it one of the most commonly used indicators of abdominal obesity. However, little is known about the relationship between WHR and infertility. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the WHR on infertility in women of childbearing age. METHODS: The study used cross-sectional data from women aged 20 to 45 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which was conducted between 2017 and 2020. We collected details of their Waist Circumference, hip Circumference, fertility status and several other essential variables. We used multivariate logistic regression analysis and subgroup analyses to assess the association between WHR and infertility. RESULTS: There were 976 participants, with 12.0% (117/976) who experienced infertility. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, our multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that every 0.1 unit increase in WHR resulted in a more than 35% higher risk of infertility (OR (95% CI): 1.35 (1.01~1.81), P = 0.043). Compared to the group with WHR <0.85, the risk of infertility increased in the group with WHR ≥0.85, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.74 (95% CI 1.06~2.85). When WHR was treated as a continuous variable, it was observed that each 0.1 unit increase in WHR was associated with a relatively high risk in the secondary infertility population after adjusting all covariates, with an OR of 1.66 (95% CI 1.14~2.40, P = 0.01). When WHR was analyzed as a categorical variable, the group with WHR≥0.85 exhibited a significantly higher risk of secondary infertility than the group with WHR<0.85, with the OR of 2.75 (95% CI: 1.35-5.59, P = 0.01) after adjusting for all covariates. Furthermore, the interaction analysis indicated that there was a significant interaction between age status on WHR and the risk of infertility. CONCLUSION: WHR showed a positive correlation with the risk of infertility. This study highlights the importance of effectively managing abdominal fat and promoting the maintenance of optimal WHR levels to mitigate the progression of infertility, particularly for younger women.

Relation of preconception eating behaviours to dietary pattern trajectories and gestational weight gain from preconception to late pregnancy.

Studies examining preconception eating behaviours with longitudinal dietary patterns from preconception to late pregnancy as well as gestational weight gain (GWG) are limited. We derived dietary pattern trajectories from preconception to late-pregnancy, and related preconception eating behaviours to these trajectories and GWG. Preconception eating behaviours were assessed using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire measuring cognitive restraint (CR) - conscious restriction of food intake, emotional eating (EE) - overeating in response to negative emotions, and uncontrolled eating (UE) - overeating with a feeling of lack of control. Dietary intakes were measured at preconception, 20-21 and 34-36 weeks' gestation with food frequency questionnaires. Dietary patterns were determined using factor analysis, and trajectories derived using group-based trajectory modelling. Inadequate and excessive GWG were defined according to Institute of Medicine guidelines based on weights at preconception and the last antenatal visit (median: 38 weeks' gestation). Two dietary patterns were derived: 'Fast Food, Fried Snacks and Desserts (FFD)' and 'Soup, Fish and Vegetables (SFV)'. Adherence trajectories from preconception to late-pregnancy were characterised as consistently high ("stable-high") and low ("stable-low"). Women with higher UE scores had higher odds of being in the "stable-high" trajectory (n = 34) of the FFD pattern [Odds Ratio (OR): 1.25, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.03, 1.51], compared to "stable-low" (n = 260). Percentages of women with inadequate, adequate or excessive GWG were 21.7% (n = 70), 25.8% (n = 83), and 52.5% (n = 169), respectively; women with higher EE scores had a higher likelihood of excessive GWG [Relative Risk Ratio (RRR): 1.35, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.80], but this association was attenuated after adjusting for preconception body mass index. Eating behaviour interventions to improve dietary patterns among pregnant women may need to start as early as preconception, incorporating strategies to manage UE.

Use of a wearable device to compare subjective and objective fatigue in lung cancer patients and cancer-free controls.

PURPOSE: The study evaluates the use of heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulation via wearable smart bands, to objectively assess cancer-related fatigue (CRF) levels. It aims to enhance understanding of fatigue by distinguishing between LF/HF ratios and LF/HF disorder ratios through HRV and photoplethysmography (PPG), identifying them as potential biomarkers. METHODS: Seventy-one lung cancer patients and 75 non-cancer controls wore smart bands for one week. Fatigue was assessed using Brief Fatigue Inventory, alongside sleep quality and daily interference. HRV parameters were analyzed to compare groups. RESULTS: Cancer patients showed higher fatigue and interference levels than controls (64.8% vs. 54.7%). Those with mild fatigue had elevated LF/HF disorder ratios during sleep (40% vs. 20%, P = 0.01), similar to those with moderate to severe fatigue (50% vs. 20%, P = 0.01), indicating more significant autonomic dysregulation. Notably, mild fatigue patients had higher mean LF/HF ratios than controls (1.9 ± 1.34 vs. 1.2 ± 0.6, P = 0.01), underscoring the potential of disorder ratios in signaling fatigue severity. CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing wearable smart bands for HRV-based analysis is feasible for objectively assess CRF levels in cancer patients, especially during sleep. By distinguishing between LF/HF ratios and LF/HF disorder ratios, our findings suggest that wearable technology and detailed HRV analysis offer promising avenues for real-time fatigue monitoring. This approach has the potential to significantly improve cancer care by providing new methods for managing and intervening in CRF, particularly with a focus on autonomic dysregulation as a crucial factor.

Pellino1 orchestrates gut-kidney axis to perpetuate septic acute kidney injury through activation of STING pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome.

AIMS: Intestinal barrier dysfunction is the initial and propagable factor of sepsis in which acute kidney injury (AKI) has been considered as a common life-threatening complication. Our recent study identifies the regulatory role of Pellino1 in tubular death under inflammatory conditions in vitro. The objective of our current study is to explore the impact of Pellino1 on gut-kidney axis during septic AKI and uncover the molecular mechanism (s) underlying this process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was conducted to evaluate Pellino1 and NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) levels in renal biopsies from critically ill patients with a clinical diagnosis of sepsis. Functional and mechanistic studies were characterized in septic models of the Peli-knockout (Peli1-/-) mice by histopathological staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, biochemical detection, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing and intestinal organoid. KEY FINDINGS: Pellino1, together with NLRP3, are highly expressed in renal biopsies from critically ill patients diagnosed with sepsis and kidney tissues of septic mice. The Peli1-/- mice with sepsis become less prone to develop AKI and have markedly compromised NLRP3 activation in kidney. Loss of Peli1 endows septic mice refractory to intestinal inflammation, barrier permeability and enterocyte apoptosis that requires stimulator of interferons genes (STING) pathway. Administration of STING agonist DMXAA deteriorates AKI and mortality of septic Peli1-/- mice in the presence of kidney-specific NLRP3 reconstitution. SIGNIFICANCE: Our studies suggest that Pellino1 has a principal role in orchestrating gut homeostasis towards renal pathophysiology, thus providing a potential therapeutic target for septic AKI.

Development and validation of a novel prognostic lncRNA signature based on the APOBEC3 family genes in gastric cancer.

Introduction: Gastric Cancer (GC) refers to a prevalent malignant cancer accompanied by a weak prognosis. The APOBEC3 family genes and lncRNAs are linked with cancer progression. Nevertheless, there is still a scarcity of data concerning the prognostic value of APOBEC3-related lncRNAs in GC. Methods: We extracted the data from GC samples, including transcriptome as well as clinical data, obtained from the TCGA database. Then, we screened for lncRNAs that were correlated with the APOBEC3 family genes and constructed an APOBEC3-related lncRNA prognostic signature (LPS) by utilizing univariate Cox and lasso regression analysis. Furthermore, we validated our constructed signature and evaluated it thoroughly, including analysis of its function, immunity, mutations, and clinical applications via multiple methods, including Metascape, GSEA, and analyses including TIC and TME, immune checkpoints, CNV and SNPs, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, nomogram, decision tree and drug prediction analysis. Finally, we overexpressed LINC01094 to evaluate the impacts on the proliferation as well as migration with regards to KATO-2 cells. Results: We selected eight lncRNAs for our APOBEC3-related LPS, which is demonstrated as a valuable tool in predicting the individual GC patients' prognosis. Subsequently, we segregated the samples into subgroups of high-as well as low-risk relying on the risk score with regards to APOBEC3-related LPS. By performing functional analysis, we have shown that immune-as well as tumor-related pathways were enriched in high- and low-risk GC patients. Furthermore, immune analysis revealed a robust correlation between the APOBEC3-related LPS and immunity. We found that immune checkpoints were significantly associated with the APOBEC3-related LPS and were greatly exhibited in GC tumor and high-risk samples. Mutational analysis suggested that the mutational rate was greater in low-risk samples. Furthermore, we predicted small molecular drugs displayed greater sensitivity in patients categorized as high-risk. Moreover, the immune response was also better in high-risk patients. Of these drugs, dasatinib was significant in both methods and might be considered a potential novel drug for treating high-risk GC patients. Finally, we found that LINC01094 has the potential to enhance the migration, proliferation as well as inhibit apoptosis of KATO-2 in GC cells. And Dasatinib has an inhibitory effect on the migration as well as proliferation in GC cells. Conclusion: We created a novel APOBEC3-related LPS in predicting the prognosis with regards to individual GC patients. Importantly, this APOBEC3-related LPS was closely associated with immunity and might guide clinical treatment.

Compact and broadband silicon polarization splitter-rotator using adiabaticity engineering.

We propose and demonstrate a short and broadband silicon mode-conversion polarization splitter-rotator (PSR) consisting of a mode-conversion taper and an adiabatic coupler-based mode sorter both optimized by adiabaticity engineering (AE). AE is used to optimize the distribution of adiabaticity parameter over the length of the PSR, providing shortcut to adiabaticity at a shorter device length. The total length of the PSR is 85 µm. The design is compatible with standard silicon photonics platforms and requires only one patterning step. Fabricated PSR has a polarization cross talk of less than -20 dB over the entire O-band for the TE polarization and a polarization cross talk of less than -15 dB from 1267 to 1348 nm for the TM polarization. Overall, the PSR shows low polarization cross talk (-15 dB) over a bandwidth of 81 nm in the O-band. Cross-wafer measurements show that the PSR has good fabrication tolerance.

Two new diatom species of the genus Gomphonemopsis (Bacillariophyceae) from the coast of China and two new combinations for the genus.

Two new diatom species belonging to the genus Gomphonemopsis are described, Gomphonemopsisnanasp. nov. and Gomphonemopsisgaoisp. nov. These two species were compared in detail with congeners. Gomphonemopsisnana is distinguished by its high stria density and small size. This species was found so far to be epiphytic only on the eelgrass collected from Qingdao Bay (Yellow Sea). Gomphonemopsisgaoi is characterized by its isopolar valves, simple proximal raphe endings and acutely rounded apices. This taxon was separated from the exoskeleton of marine copepods sampled from the Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve (South China Sea). In addition, two new combinations, Gomphonemopsisoahuensis (Hustedt) Lang Li, Yuhang Li & Changping Chen, comb. nov. and Gomphonemopsisplatypus (Østrup) Lang Li, Yuhang Li & Junxiang Lai, comb. nov. are proposed. This study increases the records and knowledge of Gomphonemopsis along the coast of China.

Targeting SLC22A5 fosters mitophagy inhibition-mediated macrophage immunity against septic acute kidney injury upon CD47-SIRPα axis blockade.

Efferocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils (PMNs) by macrophages is helpful for inflammation resolution and injury repair, but the role of efferocytosis in intrinsic nature of macrophages during septic acute kidney injury (AKI) remains unknown. Here we report that CD47 and signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα)-the anti-efferocytotic 'don't eat me' signals-are highly expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with septic AKI and kidney samples from mice with polymicrobial sepsis and endotoxin shock. Conditional knockout (CKO) of SIRPA in macrophages ameliorates AKI and systemic inflammation response in septic mice, accompanied by an escalation in mitophagy inhibition of macrophages. Ablation of SIRPA transcriptionally downregulates solute carrier family 22 member 5 (SLC22A5) in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages that efferocytose apoptotic neutrophils (PMNs). Targeting SLC22A5 renders mitophagy inhibition of macrophages in response to LPS stimuli, improves survival and deters development of septic AKI. Our study supports further clinical investigation of CD47-SIRPα signalling in sepsis and proposes that SLC22A5 might be a promising immunotherapeutic target for septic AKI.

Temporary increase in circulating replication-competent latent HIV-infected resting CD4+ T cells after switch to an integrase inhibitor based antiretroviral regimen.

BACKGROUND: The principal barrier to an HIV cure is the presence of the latent viral reservoir (LVR), which has been understudied in African populations. From 2018 to 2019, Uganda instituted a nationwide rollout of ART consisting of Dolutegravir (DTG) with two NRTI, which replaced the previous regimen of one NNRTI and the same two NRTI. METHODS: Changes in the inducible replication-competent LVR (RC-LVR) of ART-suppressed Ugandans with HIV (n = 88) from 2015 to 2020 were examined using the quantitative viral outgrowth assay. Outgrowth viruses were examined for viral evolution. Changes in the RC-LVR were analyzed using three versions of a Bayesian model that estimated the decay rate over time as a single, linear rate (model A), or allowing for a change at time of DTG initiation (model B&C). FINDINGS: Model A estimated the slope of RC-LVR change as a non-significant positive increase, which was due to a temporary spike in the RC-LVR that occurred 0-12 months post-DTG initiation (p < 0.005). This was confirmed with models B and C; for instance, model B estimated a significant decay pre-DTG initiation with a half-life of 6.9 years, and an ∼1.7-fold increase in the size of the RC-LVR post-DTG initiation. There was no evidence of viral failure or consistent evolution in the cohort. INTERPRETATION: These data suggest that the change from NNRTI- to DTG-based ART is associated with a significant temporary increase in the circulating RC-LVR. FUNDING: Supported by the NIH (grant 1-UM1AI164565); Gilead HIV Cure Grants Program (90072171); Canadian Institutes of Health Research (PJT-155990); and Ontario Genomics-Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute.

Two gene clusters and their positive regulator SlMYB13 that have undergone domestication-associated negative selection control phenolamide accumulation and drought tolerance in tomato.

Among plant metabolites, phenolamides, which are conjugates of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and polyamines, play important roles in plant adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying phenolamide metabolism and regulation as well as the effects of domestication and breeding on phenolamide diversity in tomato remain largely unclear. In this study, we performed a metabolite-based genome-wide association study and identified two biosynthetic gene clusters (BGC7 and BGC11) containing 12 genes involved in phenolamide metabolism, including four biosynthesis genes (two 4CL genes, one C3H gene, and one CPA gene), seven decoration genes (five AT genes and two UGT genes), and one transport protein gene (DTX29). Using gene co-expression network analysis we further discovered that SlMYB13 positively regulates the expression of two gene clusters, thereby promoting phenolamide accumulation. Genetic and physiological analyses showed that BGC7, BGC11 and SlMYB13 enhance drought tolerance by enhancing scavenging of reactive oxygen species and increasing abscisic acid content in tomato. Natural variation analysis suggested that BGC7, BGC11 and SlMYB13 were negatively selected during tomato domestication and improvement, leading to reduced phenolamide content and drought tolerance of cultivated tomato. Collectively, our study discovers a key mechanism of phenolamide biosynthesis and regulation in tomato and reveals that crop domestication and improvement shapes metabolic diversity to affect plant environmental adaptation.

Bispecific antibodies promote natural killer cell-mediated elimination of HIV-1 reservoir cells.

The persistence of CD4+ T cells carrying latent human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) proviruses is the main barrier to a cure. New therapeutics to enhance HIV-1-specific immune responses and clear infected cells will probably be necessary to achieve reduction of the latent reservoir. In the present study, we report two single-chain diabodies (scDbs) that target the HIV-1 envelope protein (Env) and the human type III Fcγ receptor (CD16). We show that the scDbs promoted robust and HIV-1-specific natural killer (NK) cell activation and NK cell-mediated lysis of infected cells. Cocultures of CD4+ T cells from people with HIV-1 on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with autologous NK cells and the scDbs resulted in marked elimination of reservoir cells that was dependent on latency reversal. Treatment of human interleukin-15 transgenic NSG mice with one of the scDbs after ART initiation enhanced NK cell activity and reduced reservoir size. Thus, HIV-1-specific scDbs merit further evaluation as potential therapeutics for clearance of the latent reservoir.

CD4+ T cells with latent HIV-1 have reduced proliferative responses to T cell receptor stimulation.

The latent reservoir for HIV-1 in resting CD4+ T cells persists despite antiretroviral therapy as a barrier to cure. The antigen-driven proliferation of infected cells is a major mechanism of reservoir persistence. However, activation through the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) can induce latent proviruses, leading to viral cytopathic effects and immune clearance. In single-cell studies, we show that, relative to uninfected cells or cells with a defective provirus, CD4+ T cells with an intact provirus have a profound proliferative defect in response to TCR stimulation. Virion production was observed in only 16.5% of cultures with an intact provirus, but proliferation was reduced even when no virion production was detected. Proliferation was inversely correlated with in vivo clone size. These results may reflect the effects of previous in vivo proliferation and do not support attempts to reduce the reservoir with antiproliferative agents, which may have greater effects on normal T cell responses.

A Single-Arm Phase II Study of Nab-Paclitaxel Plus Gemcitabine and Cisplatin for Locally Advanced or Metastatic Biliary Tract Cancer.

PURPOSE: Patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) have a poor survival. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine and cisplatin regimen in Chinese advanced BTC patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eligible patients with locally advanced or metastatic BTC administrated intravenous 100 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel, 800 mg/m2 gemcitabine, and 25 mg/m2 cisplatin every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and adverse events, while exploratory endpoint was the association of biomarkers with efficacy. RESULTS: After the median follow-up of 25.0 months, the median PFS and OS of 34 enrolled patients were 7.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.4 to 13.7) and 16.4 months (95% CI, 10.9 to 23.6), respectively. The most common treatment-related adverse events at ≥ 3 grade were neutropenia (26.5%) and leukopenia (26.5%). Survival analyses demonstrated that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels could monitor patients' survival outcomes. A significant increase in the number of infiltrating CD4+ cells (p=0.008) and a decrease in programmed death-1-positive (PD-1+) cells (p=0.032) were observed in the response patients. CONCLUSION: In advanced BTC patients, nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine and cisplatin regimen showed therapeutic potential. Potential prognostic factors of CEA levels, number of CD4+ cells and PD-1+ cells may help us maximize the efficacy benefit.

Remnant cholesterol and risk of premature mortality: An analysis from a nationwide prospective cohort study.

AIMS: To explore the relationship between remnant cholesterol (RC) and risk of premature mortality as well as life expectancy in the general population. METHODS: We included a total of 428,804 participants from the UK Biobank for analyses. Equivalent population percentiles approach based on the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) cut-off points was performed to categorize participants into three RC groups: low (with a mean RC of 0.34 mmol/L), moderate (0.53 mmol/L), and high (1.02 mmol/L). We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate the relationship between RC groups and risk of premature mortality (defined as death before age 75 years). Life table methods were used to estimate life expectancy by RC groups. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 12.1 years (Q1 - Q3: 11.0 - 13.0), there were 23,693 all-cause premature deaths documented with an incidence of 4.83 events per 1,000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.77 - 4.89). Compared with low RC group, the moderate RC group was associated with a 9% increased risk of all-cause premature mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.05 - 1.14), while the high RC group had an 11% higher risk (HR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.07 - 1.16). At the age of 50 years, high RC group was associated with an average 2.2 lower years of life expectancy for females, and an average 0.1 lower years of life expectancy for males when compared to their counterparts in low RC group. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated RC was significantly related to increased risk of premature mortality and reduced life expectancy. Premature death in the general population would benefit from measurement to aid risk stratification and proactive management of RC to improved cardiovascular risk prevention efforts.

Tellurium-Doped 0D Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Lead-Free Perovskite for X-ray Imaging.

The application of X-ray imaging in military, industrial flaw detection, and medical examination is inseparable from the wide application of scintillator materials. In order to substitute for lead, lower costs, and reduce self-absorption, organic-inorganic hybrid lead-free perovskite scintillators are emerging as a new option. In this work, novel (TEA)2Zr1-xTexCl6 perovskite microcrystals (MCs) were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method, with Te4+ doping, which leads to yellow triplet-state self-trapped excitons emission. The emission peak of (TEA)2Zr1-xTexCl6 located at 605 nm under X-ray excitation, which was applied to X-ray imaging, shows a clear wiring structure inside the USB connector. The detection limit (DL) of 820 nGyair/s for (TEA)2Zr0.9Te0.1Cl6 is well below the dose rate corresponding to a standard medical X-ray diagnosis is 5.5 µGyair/s. This work opens up a new path for organic-inorganic hybrid lead-free scintillators.

Perinatal Plasma Carotenoids and Vitamin E Concentrations with Glycemia and Insulin Resistance in Women during and after Pregnancy.

We examined the associations of perinatal plasma carotenoids and E vitamers concentrations with glycemia, insulin resistance, and gestational and type 2 diabetes mellitus during pregnancy and post-pregnancy in GUSTO women. Plasma carotenoid and E vitamer concentrations were measured at delivery, and principal component analysis was used to derive the patterns of their concentrations. Fasting and 2 h glucose levels and fasting insulin were measured at 26-28 weeks gestation and 4-6 years post-pregnancy, with the derivation of homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). In 678 women, two carotenoid patterns (CP1: α- and ß-carotene and lutein; CP2: zeaxanthin, lycopene, and ß-cryptoxanthin) and one E vitamer pattern (VE: γ-, δ-, and α-tocopherols) were derived. A higher CP1 score (1-SD) was associated with lower gestational fasting glucose (ß (95%CI): -0.06 (-0.10, -0.02) mmol/L) and lower gestational (-0.17 (-0.82, 0.01) mmol/L, p = 0.06) and post-pregnancy HOMA-IR (-0.11 (-0.15, -0.08) mmol/L). A higher VE score (1 SD) was associated with higher gestational and post-pregnancy fasting and 2 h glucose (gestational: 0.05 (0.01, 0.08) and 0.08 (0.01, 0.16); post-pregnancy: 0.19 (0.07, 0.31) and 0.24 (0.06, 0.42) mmol/L). Higher α- and ß-carotene and lutein may be beneficial for gestational fasting glycemia, but higher vitamin E may increase gestational and post-pregnancy glycemia, although these findings require confirmation in cohorts with prospective longitudinal measurements of these vitamins.

Visible-light-mediated sulfonylation of anilines with sulfonyl fluorides.

Sulfonylaniline motif plays an important role in pharmaceutical sciences. Developed methods towards this structure are typically lack of good modifiability and stability. In this study, visible-light-mediated sulfonylation of aniline using sulfonyl fluoride as a modifiable and stable sulfonylation reagent is described. A variety of substituted sulfonylanilines were synthesized under mild reaction conditions with moderate to good efficiency. The example of late-stage sulfonylation highlighted the advantage of using sulfonyl fluoride as a sulfonylation reagent. In addition, the crucial influence of counterions on the photocatalyst observed in this system would inspire further research on the photochemistry of sulfonyl fluoride.

Recycling of the waste battery: Effect of waste battery on property of asphalt and environmental impact evaluation.

A waste battery is a kind of hazardous solid waste, and traditional recycling methods can cause serious environmental pollution. In this paper, a pilot study was conducted to reduce the leaching of heavy metals in waste battery power (WBP) by using the wrapping effect of asphalt and explored the feasibility of adding waste battery as a modifier to asphalt. The main components of WBP are determined through microscopic experiments, and its compatibility with asphalt and microscopic mechanism are analyzed; The influence of WBP on asphalt properties are analyzed through routine tests and mixture tests; The leaching test of toxicity is used to analyze the impact of WBP and WBP modified asphalt on the environment. The experimental results indicate that WBP is mainly composed of MnO2, C, and ZnO; There are many wrinkles and grooves on the surface of WBP, which can effectively adsorb asphalt during the modification process, produce anchoring effect, and have good compatibility with asphalt; The components of waste battery adsorb the aging light components in asphalt through their folds and swelling, so that the proportion of heavy components is relatively increased, improving the property indicators of asphalt; From the perspective of engineering property, WBP modified asphalt mixture has strong resistance to deformation and water damage. The leaching concentration of heavy metal ions from bare WBP in soil seriously exceeded the standard. In contrast, when WBP was added to asphalt, the cumulative leaching concentration of heavy metal ions was significantly reduced due to the wrapping effect of asphalt, and the WBP leaching toxicity was greatly suppressed; The method of recycling waste battery and adding it to asphalt as a modifier can prevent the release of heavy metal ions from waste battery into the environment and reduce the risk of the total environmental harm to soil, groundwater and human health.

La-based perovskites for capacity enhancement of Li-O2 batteries.

Li-O2 batteries are a promising technology for the upcoming energy storage requirements because of their high theoretical specific energy density of 11,680 Wh kg-1. Currently, the actual capacity of Li-O2 batteries is much lower than this theoretical value. In many studies, perovskites have been applied as catalysts to improve the air electrode reactions in Li-O2 batteries. The effects of structure and doping on the catalytic activity of perovskites are still unclear. La1-xSrxCoO3-δ (x = 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) and La0.9Sr0.1YbO3-δ mixed with carbon black (Vulcan XC500 or Super P) were used as air electrode catalysts. Electrochemical characterizations were conducted using a Swagelok-type cell. The charge-discharge capacity and cyclic voltammetry (CV) performance were investigated in this study. The La1-xSrxCoO3-δ (x = 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) is a suitable cathode catalyst for Li-O2 batteries. In this study, the La0.5Sr0.5CoO3-δ/Super P cathode demonstrated the highest discharge capacity (6,032 mAh g-1). This excellent performance was attributed to the large reaction area and enhanced Li2CO3 generation.