Understanding the dependence of biochar properties on different types of biomass.

Owing to the diversity of biomasses and many variables in pyrolysis process, the property of biochar from varied biomass feedstock or even same biomass could differ significantly. Since the property of biochar governs the further application of biochar, this review paid particular attention to the correlation between the nature of biomass feedstock and the specifications of biochar in terms of yield, elemental composition, pH, functionalities, heating value, pore structures, morphologies, etc. The property of the biochar from the pyrolysis of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, woody biomass (pine, mallee, poplar, acacia, oak, eucalyptus and beech), bark of woody biomass, leaves of woody biomass, straw, algae, fruit peels, tea waste was compared and summarized. In addition, the differences of the biochar of these varied origins were also analyzed. The remaining questions, about the correlation of biomass nature with biochar characteristics, to be further investigated are analyzed in detail. The deduced information about the relationship of the nature of biochar and biomass feedstock as well as key pyrolysis parameters is of importance for further development of the methods for tailoring or production of the biochar of desirable properties. The results from this study could be interesting technically and commercially for the technology developer using biochar as the source of carbon in different applications.

Novel α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) potentiator LT-102: A promising therapeutic agent for treating cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia.

AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the potential of a novel selective α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) potentiator, LT-102, in treating cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) and elucidating its mechanism of action. METHODS: The activity of LT-102 was examined by Ca2+ influx assays and patch-clamp in rat primary hippocampal neurons. The structure of the complex was determined by X-ray crystallography. The selectivity of LT-102 was evaluated by hERG tail current recording and kinase-inhibition assays. The electrophysiological characterization of LT-102 was characterized by patch-clamp recording in mouse hippocampal slices. The expression and phosphorylation levels of proteins were examined by Western blotting. Cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze and novel object recognition tests. RESULTS: LT-102 is a novel and selective AMPAR potentiator with little agonistic effect, which binds to the allosteric site formed by the intradimer interface of AMPAR's GluA2 subunit. Treatment with LT-102 facilitated long-term potentiation in mouse hippocampal slices and reversed cognitive deficits in a phencyclidine-induced mouse model. Additionally, LT-102 treatment increased the protein level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and the phosphorylation of GluA1 in primary neurons and hippocampal tissues. CONCLUSION: We conclude that LT-102 ameliorates cognitive impairments in a phencyclidine-induced model of schizophrenia by enhancing synaptic function, which could make it a potential therapeutic candidate for CIAS.

Type B3 thymoma complicated with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia with rare features: A case report.

The case of a patient with type B3 thymomacomorbid with Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci) pneumonia exhibiting rare features is presented in the current report. The patient was admitted at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University (Jiaxing, China) with a history of direct contact with poultry. Clinical manifestations included fever, shivers, cough, fatigue and poor appetite. Chest computed tomography (CT) indicated right lung pneumonia, while metagenomics next-generation sequencing using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid confirmed infection with C. psittaci. Additionally, positron emission tomography-CT suggested the presence of thymoma. After surgery and treatment with doxycycline and imipenem cilastatin, the patient was discharged showing signs of improvement.

Iodine-Doped Hollow Carbon Nanocages without Templates Strategy for Boosting Zinc-Ion Storage by Nucleophilicity.

Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHCs) combining merits of battery-type and capacitive electrodes are considered to be a prospective candidate in energy storage systems. Tailor-made carbon cathodes with high zincophilicity and abundant physi/chemisorption sites are critical but it remains a great challenge to achieve both features by a sustainable means. Herein, a hydrogen-bonding interaction-guided self-assembly strategy is presented to prepare iodine-doped carbon nanocages without templates for boosting zinc-ion storage by nucleophilicity. The biomass ellagic acid contains extensional hydroxy and acyloxy groups with electron-donating ability, which interact with melamine and ammonium iodide to form organic supermolecules. The organic supermolecules further self-assemble into a nanocage-like structure with cavities under hydrothermal processes via hydrogen-bonding and π-π stacking. The carbon nanocages as ZHCs cathodes enable the high approachability of zincophilic sites and low ion migration resistance resulting from the interconnected conductive network and nanoscale architecture. The experimental analyses and theoretical simulations reveal the pivotal role of iodine dopants. The I5-/I3- doping anions in carbon cathodes have a nucleophilicity to preferentially adsorb the Zn2+ cation by the formation of C+-I5--Zn2+ and C+-I3--Zn2+. Of these, the C+-I3- shows stronger bonding with Zn2+ than C+-I5-. As a result, the iodine-doped carbon nanocages produced via this template-free strategy deliver a high capacity of 134.2 mAh/g at 1 A/g and a maximum energy and power density of 114.1 Wh/kg and 42.5 kW/kg.

Artificial LiF-Rich Interface Enabled by In situ Electrochemical Fluorination for Stable Lithium-Metal Batteries.

Lithium (Li)-metal batteries are promising next-generation energy storage systems. One drawback of uncontrollable electrolyte degradation is the ability to form a fragile and nonuniform solid electrolyte interface (SEI). In this study, we propose the use of a fluorinated carbon nanotube (CNT) macrofilm (CMF) on Li metal as a hybrid anode, which can regulate the redox state at the anode/electrolyte interface. Due to the favorable reaction energy between the plated Li and fluorinated CNTs, the metal can be fluorinated directly to a LiF-rich SEI during the charging process, leading to a high Young's modulus (~2.0 GPa) and fast ionic transfer (~2.59×10-7  S cm-1 ). The obtained SEI can guide the homogeneous plating/stripping of Li during electrochemical processes while suppressing dendrite growth. In particular, the hybrid of endowed full cells with substantially enhanced cyclability allows for high capacity retention (~99.3 %) and remarkable rate capacity. This work can extend fluorination technology into a platform to control artificial SEI formation in Li-metal batteries, increasing the stability and long-term performance of the resulting material.

Retraction: The lncRNA XIST/miR-29b-3p/COL3A1 axis regulates central carbon metabolism in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and is associated with poor tumor prognosis.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.21037/atm-23-30.].

W-N heteroatom-interface in melon carbon nitride/N-doped tungsten oxide Z-Scheme photocatalyst toward improved photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity.

The construction of heterointerface in photocatalyst is an efficient approach to boost the separation and utilization efficiency of charge carriers, which is challenging and crucial in photocatalysis. Here, the construction of melon-structured carbon nitride/N-doped WO3 (MCN/NWx) heterojunction photocatalyst was achieved by a method of prealcoholysis combined with thermal polymerization, where N-doping of WO3 was achieved in-situ in the formation of heterojunction. The promoted charge separation efficiency was realized through the charge transfer from the conduction band of N-doped WO3 to the valence band of the MCN. Density functional theory calculation results showed that the formation of the W-N heteroatom-interface led to the increase of density of states at the heterointerface and decrease of the band gap. The MCN/NWx nanocomposite featured a metallic band structure of the nanocomposite photocatalysts, resulting in the enhanced photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity of the MCN/NW2 was enhanced about 2.5 times than that of MCN. This research provides a novel insight into the construction of a novel heteroatom-junction that boosts the separation efficiency of charge carriers, and thereby improves the photocatalytic activity.

Enhanced light extraction efficiency of GaN-based green micro-LED modulating by a thickness-tunable SiO2 passivation structure.

Green micro-light emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) is one of the three primary color light sources as full-color display, which serves as a key research object in the field of micro-LED display. As the micro-LED size decreases, the surface-area-to-volume ratio of the device increases, leading to more serious damage on the sidewall by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching. The passivation process of SiO2 provides an effective method to reduce sidewall damage caused by ICP etching. In this work, green rectangular micro-LEDs with passivation layer thickness of 0∼600 nm was designed using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation. In order to verify the simulation results, the micro-LED array was fabricated by parallel laser micro-lens array (MLA) lithography in high speed and large area. The effect of the SiO2 passivation layer thickness on the performance of the green micro-LED was analyzed, which shows that the passivation layer thickness-light extraction efficiency curve fluctuates periodically. For the sample with 90 nm thickness of SiO2 passivation layer, there exists a small leakage current and higher operating current density, and the maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) is 2.8 times higher than micro-LED without SiO2 passivation layer.

Multiple Spontaneous Vertebral Fractures in a Younger Post-menopausal Woman Upon Stopping Denosumab Therapy.

Denosumab is a widely used medication for the treatment of osteoporosis. It has been observed in recent years that abruptly stopping denosumab leads to an increase in bone turnover markers, a decrease in bone mineral density, and a higher incidence of vertebral fractures. We present the case of a 53-year-old woman with few comorbidities and no prior fragility fractures who experienced 4 spontaneous and severely debilitating vertebral fractures 5-months post denosumab discontinuation. At the time of her fractures, she was found to have markedly elevated bone turnover markers, despite bone mineral density that was not significantly changed from measurements done while on denosumab treatment. She went on to be treated with an alternative antiresorptive agent, risedronate, and had substantial declines in her bone turnover markers, along with clinical improvement in her back pain. She experienced no further fractures while on treatment. Abrupt discontinuation of denosumab without starting an alternative antiresorptive agent can lead to spontaneous vertebral fractures. These fractures can occur in young patients with no prior history of fragility fractures and can be severely debilitating. An alternative antiresorptive agent should be started in the case of denosumab discontinuation.

Biochar assisted cultivation of Chlorella protothecoides for adsorption of tetracycline and electrochemical study on self-cultured Chlorella protothecoides.

Microalgae present a viable mechanism for purifying aquatic environments through the absorption of organic pollutants. In this paper, Chlorella protothecoides was cultured in a tetracycline environment, and biochar was added during the cultivation process. Compared with conventionally cultured Chlorella protothecoides, the addition of biochar for cultivation under a tetracycline environment increased the biomass of Chlorella protothecoides by 13.26 %. Moreover, the adsorption of tetracycline by biochar alone was not complete, but when mixed with Chlorella protothecoides, tetracycline was completely removed, which proved the biosorption of Chlorella protothecoides for low concentrations of tetracycline. Finally, the cultured Chlorella protothecoides was used further to prepare electrode materials, and it was found that the specific capacitance of the material reached 233.15F/g at a current density of 1 A/g. In this study, the use of biochar and Chlorella protothecoides to jointly adsorb tetracycline is of great significance for environmental protection and microalgae cultivation.

B-Site Super-Excess Design Sr2V0.4Fe0.9Mo0.7O6-δ-Ni0.4 as a Highly Active and Redox-Stable Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode.

In-situ exsolution type perovskites as solid oxide fuel cell (SOFCs) anode materials have received widespread attention because of their excellent catalytic activity. In this study, excessive NiO is introduced to the Sr2V0.4Fe0.9Mo0.7O6-δ (SVFMO) perovskite with the B-site excess design, and in-situ growth of FeNi3 alloy nanoparticles is induced in the reducing atmosphere to form the Sr2V0.4Fe0.9Mo0.7O6-δ-Ni0.4 (SVFMO-Ni0.4) composite anode. Here, with H2 or CH4 as SOFCs fuel gas, the formation of FeNi3 nanoparticles further enhances the catalytic ability. Compared with SVFMO, the maximum power density (Pmax) of Sr2V0.4Fe0.9Mo0.7O6-δ-Ni0.4 (SVFMO-Ni0.4) increases from 538 to 828 mW cm-2 at 850 °C with hydrogen as the fuel gas, and the total polarization resistance (RP) decreases from 0.23 to 0.17 Ω cm2. In addition, the long-term operational stability of the SVFMO-Ni0.4 anode shows no apparent performance degradation for more than 300 h. Compared with SVFMO, the Pmax of SVFMO-Ni0.4 increases from 138 to 464 mW cm-2 with methane as fuel gas, and the RP decreases from 1.21 to 0.29 Ω cm2.

Hallmark guided identification and characterization of a novel immune-relevant signature for prognostication of recurrence in stage I-III lung adenocarcinoma.

The high risk of postoperative mortality in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients is principally driven by cancer recurrence and low response rates to adjuvant treatment. Here, A combined cohort containing 1,026 stage I-III patients was divided into the learning (n = 678) and validation datasets (n = 348). The former was used to establish a 16-mRNA risk signature for recurrence prediction with multiple statistical algorithms, which was verified in the validation set. Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed it as an independent indicator for both recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Distinct molecular characteristics between the two groups including genomic alterations, and hallmark pathways were comprehensively analyzed. Remarkably, the classifier was tightly linked to immune infiltrations, highlighting the critical role of immune surveillance in prolonging survival for LUAD. Moreover, the classifier was a valuable predictor for therapeutic responses in patients, and the low-risk group was more likely to yield clinical benefits from immunotherapy. A transcription factor regulatory protein-protein interaction network (TF-PPI-network) was constructed via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) concerning the hub genes of the signature. The constructed multidimensional nomogram dramatically increased the predictive accuracy. Therefore, our signature provides a forceful basis for individualized LUAD management with promising potential implications.

Lactic acidosis switches cancer cells from dependence on glycolysis to OXPHOS and renders them highly sensitive to OXPHOS inhibitors.

Targeting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) has emerged as a strategy for cancer treatment. However, most tumor cells exhibit Warburg effect, they primarily rely on glycolysis to generate ATP, and hence they are resistant to OXPHOS inhibitors. Here, we report that lactic acidosis, a ubiquitous factor in the tumor microenvironment, increases the sensitivity of glycolysis-dependent cancer cells to OXPHOS inhibitors by 2-4 orders of magnitude. Lactic acidosis reduces glycolysis by 79-86% and increases OXPHOS by 177-218%, making the latter the main production pathway of ATP. In conclusion, we revealed that lactic acidosis renders cancer cells with typical Warburg effect phenotype highly sensitive to OXPHOS inhibitors, thereby greatly expanding the anti-cancer spectrum of OXPHOS inhibitors. In addition, as lactic acidosis is a ubiquitous factor of TME, it is a potential indicator to predict the efficacy of OXPHOS inhibitors in cancer treatment.

Interaction of the lignin-/cellulose-derived char with volatiles of varied origin: Part of the process for evolution of products in pyrolysis.

The interaction between volatiles and homologous and/or heterologous char is almost inevitable during the transfer or diffusion of volatiles from inner core to outer surface of a biomass particle in pyrolysis. This shapes both composition of volatiles (bio-oil) and property of char. In this study, the potential interaction of lignin- and cellulose-derived volatiles with char of varied origin was investigated at 500 °C. The results indicated that both the lignin- and cellulose-char promoted polymerization of the lignin-derived phenolics, enhancing production of bio-oil by ca. 20%-30%, generating more heavy tar but suppressing gases formation, especially over cellulose-char. Conversely, the char catalysts, especially the heterologous lignin-char, promoted cracking of the cellulose-derivatives, producing more gases while less bio-oil and heavy organics. Additionally, the volatiles-char interaction also led to gasification of some organics and also aromatization of some organics on surface of char, resulting in enhanced crystallinity and thermostability of the used char catalyst, especially for the lignin-char. Moreover, the substance exchange and formation of carbon deposit also blocked pores and formed fragmented surface dotted with particulate matters in the used char catalysts.

Dense Crystalline/Amorphous Phosphides/Oxides Interfacial Sites for Enhanced Industrial-Level Large Current Density Seawater Oxidation.

Designing high-efficiency and low-cost catalysts with high current densities for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for commercial seawater electrolysis. Here, we present a heterophase synthetic strategy for constructing an electrocatalyst with dense heterogeneous interfacial sites among crystalline Ni2P, Fe2P, CeO2, and amorphous NiFeCe oxides on nickel foam (NF). The synergistic effect of high-density crystalline and amorphous heterogeneous interfaces effectively promotes the redistribution of the charge density and optimizes the adsorbed oxygen intermediates, lowering the energy barrier and promoting the O2 desorption, thus enhancing the OER performance. The obtained NiFeO-CeO2/NF catalyst exhibited outstanding OER catalytic activity, with low overpotentials of 338 and 408 mV required to attain high current densities of 500 and 1000 mA cm-2, respectively, in alkaline natural seawater electrolytes. The solar-driven seawater electrolysis system presents a record-setting and stable solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 20.10%. This work provides directives for developing highly effective and stable catalysts for large-scale clean energy production.

Cross-linking and self-assembly synthesis of tannin-based carbon frameworks cathode for Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors.

Carbon frameworks with well-developed porosity present broad application prospects in energy-related materials, and green preparation still face challenges. Herein, the tannins-derived framework-like carbon material is obtained by cross-linking and self-assembly strategy.The phenolic hydroxyl and quinones in tannin cross-linking react with the amine groups in the methenamine by simple stirring, which drives the self-assembly of tannins and methenamine,contributing to the reaction products being precipitated in solution as aggregates with framework-like structure. The porosity and micromorphology of framework-like structures are further enriched by the thermal stability difference between tannin and methenamine. The methenamine of framework-like structures is entirely removed by the sublimation and decomposition and the tannin is transformed into carbon materials inheriting framework-like structures after the carbonization, which offers the path for rapid electron transport. The framework-like structure, excellent specific surface area and nitrogen doping give the assembled Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors a superior specific capacitance of 165.3 mAh·g-1 (350.4 F·g-1). This device could be charged to 1.87 V to power the bulb by using solar panels. This study proves that the tannin-derived framework-like carbon is a promising electrode of the Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors, which is beneficial for value-added and industrial supercapacitors application of green feedstocks.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation combined with minimally invasive surgery for acute respiratory failure and sudden cardiac arrest: A case report.

Acute respiratory failure and sudden cardiac arrest caused by acute intrathoracic infection is a fatal clinical condition with a low resuscitation success rate. The present study describes the case of a patient with acute empyema secondary to an acute lung abscess rupture, complicated by acute respiratory failure and sudden cardiac arrest caused by severe hypoxemia. The patient recovered well through the administration of multiple therapeutic measures, including medication and closed chest drainage, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation combined with continuous renal replacement therapy, and minimally invasive surgical resection of the lung lesion with persistent alveolar fistula as the clinical manifestation. To the best of our knowledge, the treatment of such a severe condition combined with thoracoscopic surgery has rarely been reported before, and the present study may provide insight regarding therapeutic schedules for acute respiratory failure by intrathoracic infection, and excision of ruptured lung abscess.

Conjugated cross-linked phosphine as broadband light or sunlight-driven photocatalyst for large-scale atom transfer radical polymerization.

The use of light to regulate photocatalyzed reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) under mild conditions, especially driven by broadband light or sunlight directly, is highly desired. But the development of a suitable photocatalyzed polymerization system for large-scale production of polymers, especially block copolymers, has remained a big challenge. Herein, we report the development of a phosphine-based conjugated hypercrosslinked polymer (PPh3-CHCP) photocatalyst for an efficient large-scale photoinduced copper-catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (Cu-ATRP). Monomers including acrylates and methyl acrylates can achieve near-quantitative conversions under a wide range (450-940 nm) of radiations or sunlight directly. The photocatalyst could be easily recycled and reused. The sunlight-driven Cu-ATRP allowed the synthesis of homopolymers at 200 mL from various monomers, and monomer conversions approached 99% in clouds intermittency with good control over polydispersity. In addition, block copolymers at 400 mL scale can also be obtained, which demonstrates its great potential for industrial applications.

Rhodium-embedded UV photodetectors based on localized surface plasmon resonance on AlN/GaN.

We report a remarkably enhanced responsivity of metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors embedded with a large-scale periodicity and highly uniform rhodium nanoparticle array based on localized surface plasmon resonance. In this study, we used theoretical simulations of the absorption, scattering, and extinction behaviors, as well as the near electromagnetic field distributions to predict the plasmon resonance wavelength of quasi-triangular-shaped rhodium nanoparticles. More specifically, we successfully implemented a hexagonal close-packed structure with the individual quasi-triangular-shaped rhodium nanoparticle on the AlN/GaN structure by self-assembly nanosphere technology. The characterization results showed that the device embedded with rhodium nanoparticles had a reduced dark current of 7 × 10-14 A, and the maximum responsivity was shifted to a longer wavelength of approximately 310 nm compared to the device without rhodium nanoparticles. Moreover, at a wavelength of 324 nm, the enhancement ratio of the responsivity was as high as 56. Our study makes a significant contribution to the literature with a highly uniform, large-scale distributed rhodium nanoparticle array for enhancing the performance of AlGaN-based photodetectors in the UV region.