[Determination of 24 elements migration in Yixing clay pottery by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry].

OBJECTIVE: To establish an analytical method for determining the migration of 24 elements in Yixing clay pottery in 4% acetic acid simulated solution by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. METHODS: Four types of Yixing clay pottery, including Yixing clay teapot, Yixing clay kettle, Yixing clay pot, and Yixing clay electric stew pot, were immersed in 4% acetic acid as a food simulant for testing. The migration amount of 24 elements in the migration solution was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Lithium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, and barium elements with a mass concentration of 1000 µg/L; Lead, cadmium, total arsenic, chromium, nickel, copper, vanadium, manganese, antimony, tin, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, silver, beryllium, thallium, titanium, and strontium elements within 100 µg/L there was a linear relationship within, the r value was between 0.998 739 and 0.999 989. Total mercury at 5.0 µg/L, there was a linear relationship within, the r value of 0.995 056. The detection limit of the elements measured by this method was between 0.5 and 45.0 µg/L, the recovery rate was 80.6%-108.9%, and the relative standard deviation was 1.0%-4.8%(n=6). A total of 32 samples of four types of Yixing clay pottery sold on the market, including teapots, boiling kettles, casseroles, and electric stewing pots, were tested. It was found that the migration of 16 elements, including beryllium, titanium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, zinc, silver, cadmium, antimony, total mercury, thallium, tin, copper, total arsenic, molybdenum, and lead, were lower than the quantitative limit. The element with the highest migration volume teapot was aluminum, magnesium, and barium; The kettle was aluminum and magnesium; Casserole was aluminum, magnesium, and lithium; The electric stew pot was aluminum. CONCLUSION: This method is easy to operate and has high accuracy, providing an effective and feasible detection method for the determination and evaluation of element migration in Yixing clay pottery.

Hemodynamics and arrhythmia disorder caused by lithium poisoning: A case report. / 锂中毒导致心律失常、血流动力学障碍1例.

Bipolar affective disorder refers to a category of mood disorders characterized clinically by the presence of both manic or hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes. Lithium stands out as the primary pharmacological intervention for managing bipolar affective disorder. However, its therapeutic dosage closely approaches toxic levels. Toxic symptoms appear when the blood lithium concentration surpasses 1.4 mmol/L, typically giving rise to gastrointestinal and central nervous system reactions. Cardiac toxicity is rare but serious in cases of lithium poisoning. The study reports a case of a patient with bipolar affective disorder who reached a blood lithium concentration of 6.08 mmol/L after the patient took lithium carbonate sustained-release tablets beyond the prescribed dosage daily and concurrently using other mood stabilizers. This resulted in symptoms such as arrhythmia, shock, impaired consciousness, and coarse tremors. Following symptomatic supportive treatment, including blood dialysis, the patient's physical symptoms gradually improved. It is necessary for clinicians to strengthen the prevention and recognition of lithium poisoning.

A study on recovery strategies of graphite from mixed lithium-ion battery chemistries using froth flotation.

The growing electric vehicle industry has increased the demand for raw materials used in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), raising concerns about material availability. Froth flotation has gained attention as a LIB recycling method, allowing the recovery of low value materials while preserving the chemical integrity of electrode materials. Furthermore, as new battery chemistries such as lithium titanate (LTO) are introduced into the market, strategies to treat mixed battery streams are needed. In this work, laboratory-scale flotation separation experiments were conducted on two model black mass samples: i) a mixture containing a single cathode (i.e., NMC811) and two anode species (i.e., LTO and graphite), simulating a mixed feedstock prior to hydrometallurgical treatment; and ii) a graphite-TiO2 mixture to reflect the expected products after leaching. The results indicate that graphite can be recovered with > 98 % grade from NMC811-LTO-graphite mixtures. Additionally, it was found that flotation kinetics are dependent on the electrode particle species present in the suspension. In contrast, the flotation of graphite from TiO2 resulted in a low grade product (<96 %) attributed to the significant entrainment of ultrafine TiO2 particles. These results suggest that flotation of graphite should be preferably carried out before hydrometallurgical treatment of black mass.

Immunogenetics of lithium response and psychiatric phenotypes in patients with bipolar disorder.

The link between bipolar disorder (BP) and immune dysfunction remains controversial. While epidemiological studies have long suggested an association, recent research has found only limited evidence of such a relationship. To clarify this, we performed an exploratory study of the contributions of immune-relevant genetic factors to the response to lithium (Li) treatment and the clinical presentation of BP. First, we assessed the association of a large collection of immune-related genes (4925) with Li response, defined by the Retrospective Assessment of the Lithium Response Phenotype Scale (Alda scale), and clinical characteristics in patients with BP from the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLi+Gen, N = 2374). Second, we calculated here previously published polygenic scores (PGSs) for immune-related traits and evaluated their associations with Li response and clinical features. Overall, we observed relatively weak associations (p < 1 × 10-4) with BP phenotypes within immune-related genes. Network and functional enrichment analyses of the top findings from the association analyses of Li response variables showed an overrepresentation of pathways participating in cell adhesion and intercellular communication. These appeared to converge on the well-known Li-induced inhibition of GSK-3ß. Association analyses of age-at-onset, number of mood episodes, and presence of psychosis, substance abuse and/or suicidal ideation suggested modest contributions of genes such as RTN4, XKR4, NRXN1, NRG1/3 and GRK5 to disease characteristics. PGS analyses returned weak associations (p < 0.05) between inflammation markers and the studied BP phenotypes. Our results suggest a modest relationship between immunity and clinical features in BP. More research is needed to assess the potential therapeutic relevance.

Nitrogen-phosphorus dual-doped auricularia auricula porous carbon as host for Li-S battery.

A nitrogen-phosphorus dual-doped porous spore carbon (NP-PSC) positive electrode matrix was prepared using native auricularia auricula as solid medium based on the principle of biomass rot. Yeast was introduce and cultured by the auricularia auricula solid medium. The freeze-drying and carbonization activation processes made the materials present a three-dimensional porous spore carbon aerogel properties. Yeast fermentation transformed auricularia auricula from blocky structure to porous structure and introduced nitrogen-phosphorus dual-doping. The physical and chemical properties of the prepared materials were characterized in detail. Electrochemical performance of NP-PSC in Li-S batteries was systematically investigated. Porous structure and heteroatom-doping improved the electrochemical performance, which is much superior to conventional activated carbon materials.

Compression stress-strain curve of lithium slag recycled fine aggregate concrete.

As one of the key materials used in the civil engineering industry, concrete has a global annual consumption of approximately 10 billion tons. Cement and fine aggregate are the main raw materials of concrete, and their production causes certain harm to the environment. As one of the countries with the largest production of industrial solid waste, China needs to handle solid waste properly. Researchers have proposed to use them as raw materials for concrete. In this paper, the effects of different lithium slag (LS) contents (0%, 10%, 20%, 40%) and different substitution rates of recycled fine aggregates (RFA) (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%) on the axial compressive strength and stress-strain curve of concrete are discussed. The results show that the axial compressive strength, elastic modulus, and peak strain of concrete can increase first and then decrease when LS is added, and the optimal is reached when the LS content is 20%. With the increase of the substitution rate of RFA, the axial compressive strength and elastic modulus of concrete decrease, but the peak strain increases. The appropriate amount of LS can make up for the mechanical defects caused by the addition of RFA to concrete. Based on the test data, the stress-strain curve relationship of lithium slag recycled fine aggregate concrete is proposed, which has a high degree of agreement compared with the test results, which can provide a reference for practical engineering applications. In this study, LS and RFA are innovatively applied to concrete, which provides a new way for the harmless utilization of solid waste and is of great significance for the control of environmental pollution and resource reuse.

Case Report on High Dose Lithium Treatment for Post-COVID Depression, Recurrent Fevers, and Skin Lesions.

This is a case of a 35-year-old woman who presented with an 18-month history of post (long)-COVID depression and exhaustion along with recurrent fevers and treatment-resistant skin boils, all of which abated with lithium treatment at a serum level of 1.14 mmol/L, and all of which worsened when the lithium serum level was lowered to 0.8. This paper illustrates Lithium's effectiveness in the treatment of post (long)-COVID syndrome, though a higher serum concentration may be required.

Successful Treatment of Lithium-Induced Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus with Celecoxib: A Promising Therapeutic Option.

BACKGROUND Nephrogenic diabetic insipidus (NDI) poses a challenge in clinical management, particularly when associated with lithium ingestion. Non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been widely used for the treatment of numerous diseases worldwide, including NDI. However, many studies have reported the diverse adverse effects of long-term use of non-selective NSAIDs. Celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, is a better drug to relieve pain and inflammation in terms of long-term safety and efficacy than non-selective NSAIDs. Nevertheless, there are few reports describing the effectiveness of celecoxib in treating NDI. CASE REPORT We report a case of a 46-year-old woman with schizophrenia who presented with severe hypernatremia and refractory polyuria due to lithium-induced NDI. Cessation of lithium ingestion and traditional treatments, including trichlormethiazide and desmopressin, yielded minimal improvement in her hypernatremia and polyuria. Her sodium level needed to be strictly controlled with the infusion of dextrose 5% in water. Given the safety of celecoxib, we decided to initiate celecoxib as the treatment of lithium-induced NDI instead of indomethacin. Notably, the introduction of celecoxib led to a substantial and sustained amelioration of polyuria and hypernatremia without any celecoxib-associated adverse effects. Even after transfer to another hospital, stability in serum sodium levels persisted with celecoxib. CONCLUSIONS We presented a case of lithium-induced NDI successfully treated with celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of successful treatment of lithium-induced NDI with celecoxib, and suggests celecoxib is a viable therapeutic option warranting further exploration. Physicians should consider its use when faced with the challenging management of lithium-induced NDI.

Microdose lithium improves behavioral deficits and modulates molecular mechanisms of memory formation in female SAMP-8, a mouse model of accelerated aging.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neuronal disorder that leads to the development of dementia. Until nowadays, some therapies may alleviate the symptoms, but there is no pharmacological treatment. Microdosing lithium has been used to modify the pathological characteristics of the disease, with effects in both experimental and clinical conditions. The present work aimed to analyze the effects of this treatment on spatial memory, anxiety, and molecular mechanisms related to long-term memory formation during the aging process of a mouse model of accelerated aging (SAMP-8). Female SAMP-8 showed learning and memory impairments together with disruption of memory mechanisms, neuronal loss, and increased density of senile plaques compared to their natural control strain, the senescence-accelerated mouse resistant (SAMR-1). Chronic treatment with lithium promoted memory maintenance, reduction in anxiety, and maintenance of proteins related to memory formation and neuronal density. The density of senile plaques was also reduced. An increase in the density of gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) and α7 nicotinic cholinergic receptors was also observed and related to neuroprotection and anxiety reduction. In addition, this microdose of lithium inhibited the activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3ß), the classical mechanism of lithium cell effects, which could contribute to the preservation of the memory mechanism and reduction in senile plaque formation. This work shows that lithium effects in neuroprotection along the aging process are not related to a unique cellular mechanism but produce multiple effects that slowly protect the brain along the aging process.

Possible association between lithium intoxication and Takotsubo syndrome.

More than 25 years after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and receiving continuous treatment with lithium, a woman develops Takotsubo syndrome.

Molecular Design and Spodumene Flotation-A Review.

Spodumene flotation stands as the most commonly used method to concentrate lithium minerals. However, it faces significant challenges related to low collector recoveries and similarity in the surface characteristics of the minerals, which make the effective separation of this valuable mineral difficult. For this reason, numerous researchers have conducted studies to address and confront this problem. In this work, an exhaustive bibliographic search was carried out using keywords and search queries, and the results were structured in three sections according to temporal, methodological, and thematic criteria. The first section covers the period from 1950 to 2004, focusing on experimental tests. The second section covers from 2004 to the present and focuses on flotation tests and measurement analysis. Simultaneously, the third section spans from 2011 to the present and is based on molecular dynamics simulations. Topics covered include spodumene surface properties, the influence of metal ions, pre-treatment techniques, and the use of collectors. Ultimately, molecular dynamics simulations are positioned as a tool that accurately represents experimental phenomena. In this context, specialized software such as Materials Studio or Gromacs prove to be reliable instruments that allow a detailed study of mineral surfaces and other elements to be carried out, which justifies their consideration for future research in this scientific field.

Research on the decomposition mechanisms of lithium silicate ores with different crystal structures by autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria.

Ores serve as energy and nutrient sources for microorganisms. Through complex biochemical processes, microorganisms disrupt the surface structure of ores and release metal elements. However, there is limited research on the mechanisms by which bacteria with different nutritional modes act during the leaching process of different crystal structure ores. This study evaluated the leaching efficiency of two types of bacteria with different nutritional modes, heterotrophic bacterium Bacillus mucilaginosus (BM) and autotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (AF), on different crystal structure lithium silicate ores (chain spodumene, layered lepidolite and ring elbaite). The aim was to understand the behavioral differences and decomposition mechanisms of bacteria with different nutritional modes in the process of breaking down distorted crystal lattices of ores. The results revealed that heterotrophic bacterium BM primarily relied on passive processes such as bacterial adsorption, organic acid corrosion, and the complexation of small organic acids and large molecular polymers with metal ions. Autotrophic bacterium AF, in addition to exhibiting stronger passive processes such as organic acid corrosion and complexation, also utilized an active transfer process on the cell surface to oxidize Fe2+ in the ores for energy maintenance and intensified the destruction of ore lattices. As a result, strain AF exhibited a greater leaching effect on the ores compared to strain BM. Regarding the three crystal structure ores, their different stacking modes and proportions of elements led to significant differences in structural stability, with the leaching effect being highest for layered structure, followed by chain structure, and then ring structure. These findings indicate that bacteria with different nutritional modes exhibit distinct physiological behaviors related to their nutritional and energy requirements, ultimately resulting in different sequences and mechanisms of metal ion release from ores after lattice damage.

Dual substitution of host lattice ions to enhance the luminescence properties of Zn2TiO4:Cr3+ phosphor.

Near-infrared light sources have potential applications in many fields. Cr3+ is a good luminescence centre to prepare near-infrared phosphors. Improving the performance of existing near-infrared luminescent materials has indeed attracted great interest from researchers. The luminescence properties of Zn2TiO4:Cr3+ were improved by crystal field engineering strategies. Zn2+-Ti4+ was partially replaced using a Li+-Nb5+ ion pair based on the Zn2TiO4:Cr3+ phosphors. Luminescence Cr3+-activated luminescent materials are sensitive to changes in the local crystal structure and crystal field environment. Doping of Li+-Nb5+ increased the luminescence intensity up to 2.7 times that of the undoped sample. Also, the thermal stability of the phosphor was greatly increased by the replacement of Li+-Nb5+.

A study on the treatment of brain tumors with BNCT using several moderators with different thicknesses.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an effective binary radiation therapy that depends on nuclear capture reactions. In recent years, BNCT can be performed without a reactor owing to the development of accelerator-based neutron sources. A new BNCT irradiation facility is proposed, which is based on a 15 mA 2.5 MeV proton accelerator with a 100 µm thickness natural lithium target as a neutron converter. A great quantity of studies has shown that neutron beams with different spectra have unique therapeutic effects on tumors. An appropriate neutron beam for BNCT is obtained by Beam Shaping Assembly (BSA) and the moderator plays a main role in determining the BSA outlet beam spectrum. To figure out the dose distribution in phantom with various kinds of neutron spectrum modes during BNCT, a series of cases are calculated by MCNPX code. The results give a database for treatment of brain tumors with BNCT by using different moderators.

Li3V2(PO4)3 Cathode Material: Synthesis Method, High Lithium Diffusion Coefficient and Magnetic Inhomogeneity.

Li3V2(PO4)3 cathodes for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) were synthesized using a hydrothermal method with the subsequent annealing in an argon atmosphere to achieve optimal properties. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the material's single-phase nature, while the scanning electron microscopy revealed a granular structure, indicating a uniform particle size distribution, beneficial for electrochemical performance. Magnetometry and electron spin resonance studies were conducted to investigate the magnetic properties, confirming the presence of the relatively low concentration and highly uniform distribution of tetravalent vanadium ions (V4+), which indicated low lithium deficiency values in the original structure and a high degree of magnetic homogeneity in the sample, an essential factor for consistent electrochemical behavior. For this pure phase Li3V2(PO4)3 sample, devoid of any impurities such as carbon or salts, extensive electrochemical property testing was performed. These tests resulted in the experimental discovery of a remarkably high lithium diffusion coefficient D = 1.07 × 10-10 cm2/s, indicating excellent ionic conductivity, and demonstrated impressive stability of the material with sustained performance over 1000 charge-discharge cycles. Additionally, relithiated Li3V2(PO4)3 (after multiple electrochemical cycling) samples were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, magnetometry and electron spin resonance methods to determine the extent of degradation. The combination of high lithium diffusion coefficients, a low degradation rate and remarkable cycling stability positions this Li3V2(PO4)3 material as a promising candidate for advanced energy storage applications.

Five days serum glucose stability at room-temperature in centrifuged fast-clotting serum tubes and the comparability with glucose in heparin-plasma and plasma containing citrate-stabilizer.

Glucose measurement plays a central role in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Because of earlier reports of overestimation of glucose in the widely used tubes containing granulated glycolysis inhibitor, the study assessed the performance of fast-clotting serum tubes as an alternative sample for the measurement of glucose. Glucose concentration in fast-clotting serum was compared to lithium-heparin plasma placed in an ice-water slurry after sample collection and glucose stability at room-temperature was studied. Blood samples from 30 volunteers were drawn in four different types of tubes (serum separator tubes, fast-clotting serum tubes, lithium-heparin tubes and sodium fluoride, EDTA and a citrate buffer (NaF-EDTA-citrate) tubes, all from Greiner Bio-One). Lithium-heparin tubes were placed in an ice-water slurry until centrifugation in accordance with international recommendations and centrifuged within 10 min. After centrifugation, glucose was measured in all tubes (timepoint T0) and after 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h of storage at 20-22 °C. NaF-EDTA-citrate plasma showed significant overestimation of glucose concentration by 4.7% compared to lithium-heparin plasma; fast-clotting serum showed glucose concentrations clinically equivalent to lithium-heparin plasma. In fast-clotting serum tubes, mean bias between glucose concentration after 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h and T0 was less than 2.4%. All individual differences compared to T0 were less than 6.5%. The results fulfill the acceptance criteria for sample stability based on biological variation. Fast-clotting serum tubes can be an alternative for the measurement of glucose in diagnosis and management of GDM and diabetes mellitus, especially when prolonged transportation is necessary.

[High lithium serum level as maintenance treatment of rapid cycling bipolar disorder]. / Hoge lithiumspiegel als onderhoudsbehan­deling van rapid cycling bipolaire stoornis.

Bipolar disorder with a rapid cycling course can be difficult to treat, often involving therapy resistance. A 55-year old patient with bipolar disorder with rapid cycling course did not stabilize for years, despite various pharmacotherapeutic treatments. Only after lithium was introduced as a maintenance treatment at a level of around 1.20 mmol/l, a long-term stabilization of mood developed which also persisted. A literature review was performed which concluded that maintenance treatment with lithium at levels above 1.0 mmol/l in patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder has not been adequately studied.

Efficient Spiking Neural Networks with Biologically Similar Lithium-Ion Memristor Neurons.

Benefiting from the brain-inspired event-driven feature and asynchronous sparse coding approach, spiking neural networks (SNNs) are becoming a potentially energy-efficient replacement for conventional artificial neural networks. However, neuromorphic devices used to construct SNNs persistently result in considerable energy consumption owing to the absence of sufficient biological parallels. Drawing inspiration from the transport nature of Na+ and K+ in synapses, here, a Li-based memristor (LixAlOy) was proposed to emulate the biological synapse, leveraging the similarity of Li as a homologous main group element to Na and K. The Li-based memristor exhibits ∼8 ns ultrafast operating speed, 1.91 and 0.72 linearity conductance modulation, and reproducible switching behavior, enabled by lithium vacancies forming a conductive filament mechanism. Moreover, these memristors are capable of simulating fundamental behaviors of a biological synapse, including long-term potentiation and long-term depression behaviors. Most importantly, a threshold-tunable leaky integrate-and-fire (TT-LIF) neuron is built using LixAlOy memristors, successfully integrating synaptic signals from both temporal and spatial levels and achieving an optimal threshold of SNNs. A computationally efficient TT-LIF-based SNN algorithm is also implemented for image recognition schemes, featuring a high recognition rate of 90.1% and an ultralow firing rate of 0.335%, which is 4 times lower than those of other memristor-based SNNs. Our studies reveal the ion dynamics mechanism of the LixAlOy memristor and confirm its potential in rapid switching and the construction of SNNs.