Low-temperature NH3 abatement via selective oxidation over a supported copper catalyst with high Cu+ abundance

Selective catalytic NH3-to-N2 oxidation (NH3-SCO) is highly promising for abating NH3 emissions slipped from stationary flue gas after-treatment devices. Its practical application, however, is limited by the non-availability of low-cost catalysts with high activity and N2 selectivity. Here, using defect-rich nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNT-AW) as the support, we developed a highly active and durable copper-based NH3-SCO catalyst with a high abundance of cuprous (Cu+) sites. The obtained Cu/NCNT-AW catalyst demonstrated outstanding activity with a T50 (i.e. the temperature to reach 50% NH3 conversion) of 174°C in the NH3-SCO reaction, which outperformed not only the Cu catalyst supported on N-free O-functionalized CNTs (OCNTs) or NCNT with less surface defects, but also those most active Cu catalysts in open literature. Reaction kinetics measurements and temperature-programmed surface reactions using NH3 as a probe molecule revealed that the NH3-SCO reaction on Cu/NCNT-AW follows an internal selective catalytic reaction (i-SCR) route involving nitric oxide (NO) as a key intermediate. According to mechanistic investigations by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the superior NH3-SCO performance of Cu/NCNT-AW originated from a synergy of surface defects and N-dopants. Specifically, surface defects promoted the anchoring of CuO nanoparticles on N-containing sites and, thereby, enabled efficient electron transfer from N to CuO, increasing significantly the fraction of SCR-active Cu+ sites in the catalyst. This study puts forward a new idea for manipulating and utilizing the interplay of defects and N-dopants on carbon surfaces to fabricate Cu+-rich Cu catalysts for efficient abatement of slip NH3 emissions via selective oxidation.

Derivatives of Br-doped metal-organic framework for improved acetaldehyde adsorption-photocatalytic oxidation

Different Br-doped metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) derived (Brx@UiO-66) have been prepared by heat treatment using UiO-66 as the precursor. The experimental results showed that Br0.2@UiO-66 exhibited the best photocatalytic oxidation and adsorption performances toward acetaldehyde. In the dynamic system, the acetaldehyde removal rate and adsorption capacity of Br0.2@UiO-66 were 93.25 % and 230.59 mg/g, respectively. The improvement of the photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the presence of Br ions and CBr bonds, which facilitated the rapid separation of electrons and holes and the production of •O2-. In addition, Br0.2@UiO-66 had a better adsorption performance than 300UiO-66, mainly because of the increased Lewis acidity of the metal active sites due to Br doping. Radical capture experiments indicated that •O2- and e- were the primary active substances in acetaldehyde oxidation, and allowed establishing the possible mechanism of acetaldehyde oxidation. This work shows that MOFs can have high catalytic oxidation performances toward volatile organic compounds (VOCs) while retaining their adsorption capacity, and can be used for practical applications in the adsorption-catalytic integrated degradation of VOCs.

Investigation of catalytic methane oxidation over Ag/Co2MOx (M = Co, Ni, Cu) catalysts with varying interfacial electron transfer

Atom-doped Co3O4 catalysts loaded with Ag were examined as cost-effective catalysts for methane oxidation. The synthesized Ag/Co2NiOx catalysts exhibited distinctive surface characteristics in contrast with Ag/Co3O4 and Ag/Co2CuOx catalysts prepared using a similar method. Characterization results unveiled that Ag/Co2NiOx featured a higher presence of active surface oxygen species, lattice defects, a larger surface area, and enhanced reducibility. A methane oxidation catalytic performance followed the sequence: Ag/Co2NiOx > Ag/Co3O4 > Ag/Co2CuOx. The investigation delved into methane degradation pathways on the surfaces of three catalysts, examining their behavior under both aerobic and anaerobic atmospheres through in-situ DRIFTS analysis. Furthermore, introducing Ag showed a marked positive effect on Co-Ni mixed oxide, inducing electron transfer and a more active electron system, whereas it exhibited an inverse impact within the surface of Co-Cu mixed oxide. This work provides innovative perspectives on the development of forthcoming environmental catalysts.

Enhancement Effect Induced by the Second Metal to Promote Ozone Catalytic Oxidation of VOCs

It is a promising research direction to develop catalysts with high stability and ozone utilization for low-temperature ozone catalytic oxidation of VOCs. While bimetallic catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic activity compared with conventional single noble metal catalysts, limited success has been achieved in the influence of the bimetallic effect on the stability and ozone utilization of metal catalysts. Herein, it is necessary to systematically study the enhancement effect in the ozone catalytic reaction induced by the second metal. With a simple continuous impregnation method, a platinum-cerium bimetallic catalyst is prepared. Also highlighted are studies from several aspects of the contribution of the second metal (Ce) to the stability and ozone utilization of the catalysts, including the "electronic effect" and "geometric effect". The synergistic removal rate of toluene and ozone is nearly 100% at 30 °C, and it still shows positive stability after high humidity and a long reaction time. More importantly, the instructive significance, which is the in-depth knowledge of enhanced catalytic mechanism of bimetallic catalysts resulting from a second metal, is provided by this work.

Improved Electrical Properties of Organic Modified Thermoplastic Insulation Material for Direct Current Cable Application

To achieve exceptional recyclable DC cable insulation material using thermoplastic polypropylene (PP), we have introduced the organic polar molecule styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer (SMA) into PP-based insulation materials following the principles of deep trap modification. PP, PP/SMA, PP/ethylene-octene copolymer (POE), and PP/POE/SMA insulating samples were prepared, and their meso-morphology, crystalline morphology, and molecular structure were comprehensively characterized. The results indicate that SMA can be uniformly dispersed in PP with minimal impact on the crystalline morphology of PP. The DC electrical properties of the materials were tested at temperatures of 30, 50, and 70 °C. The findings demonstrate that the introduction of SMA can improve the DC properties of the material in both PP and PP/POE. The thermal stimulated depolarization current results reveal that SMA can introduce deep traps into the material, thereby improving its DC properties, which is in agreement with the quantum chemical calculation results. Subsequently, a bipolar carrier transport model was employed for coaxial cables to simulate the space charge distribution in the insulation layer of the four sets of insulation samples as well as the actual cable in service. The results highlight that SMA can significantly suppress space charge in PP and PP/POE systems, and it exhibits excellent electric field distortion resistance. In summary, the results illustrate that SMA is expected to be used as an organic deep trap modifier in PP-based cable insulation materials.

Advances in the Construction and Application of Thyroid Organoids

Organoids are complex multicellular structures that stem cells self-organize in three-dimensional (3D) cultures into anatomical structures and functional units similar to those seen in the organs from which they originate. This review describes the construction of thyroid organoids and the research progress that has occurred in models of thyroid-related disease. As a novel tool for modeling in a 3D multicellular environment, organoids help provide some useful references for the study of the pathogenesis of thyroid disease.

[Clinicopathological and molecular diagnostic features of early-onset gastric cancer: a study based on data from a single-center dedicated gastric cancer database]

Objective: To clarify the clinicopathological, especially molecular, features of early-onset gastric cancer with the aim of informing analysis of treatment strategies. Methods: In this retrospective case-control study, we examined data from a dedicated gastric cancer database in Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University. The original cohort comprised 2506 patients with gastric cancer who had undergone gastrectomy in Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University from July 2020 to October 2021, including 198 with early-onset gastric cancer (aged ≤45 years) and 2,308 with non-early gastric cancer. We used a simple random sampling method to select 396 of the 2,308 patients aged >45 years (ratio of 1:2) as the control group and then compared molecular diagnostic data and clinicopathological features of the two groups. Results: The median age was 39 years in the early-onset gastric cancer group, while 66 years in the control group. The clinicopathological features of early-onset gastric cancer included female predominance (59.1% [117/198] vs. 27.8% [110/396], χ2=54.816, P<0.001), less comorbidity (32.3% [64/198] vs. 57.1% [226/396], χ2=32.355, P<0.001), poorer differentiation (93.9% [186/198] vs. 74.5% [295/396], χ2=30.777, P<0.001) and higher proportion of diffuse type (40.4% [80/198] vs. 15.9% [63/396], χ2=69.639, P<0.001), distant metastasis (7.1% [14/198] vs. 2.8% [11/396], χ2=6.034, P=0.014). Regarding treatment, distal gastrectomy was more commonly performed than proximal gastrectomy (55.1% [109/198] vs. 47.0% [186/396], 1.5% [3/198] vs. 8.3% [33/396], χ2=11.644, P=0.003). Family history of gastric cancer, TNM stage, tumor size, lymph node dissection, nerve invasion, nodes harboring metastases, range of lymph node dissection, digestive tract reconstruction procedure, implementation of laparoscopic surgery, combined resection, and preoperative treatment did not differ significantly between the two groups (all P>0.05). Molecular diagnosis showed there was a smaller percentage of mismatch repair deficiency in the early-onset gastric cancer than in the control group (1.0% [2/198] vs. 10.1% [40/396], χ2=16.301, P<0.001), and a higher rate of positivity for Claudin 18.2 (77.8% [154/198] vs. 53.0% [210/396], χ2=5.442,P<0.001). HER-2 and Epstein-Barr virus positivity rates did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusion: Early-onset gastric cancer is a distinct type of gastric cancer with a high degree of malignancy, and treatment targeting Claudin 18.2 may be effective.

Tuning the Hierarchical Pore Structure and the Metal Site in a Metal-Organic Framework Derivative to Unravel the Mechanism for the Adsorption of Different Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the main classes of air pollutants, and it is important to develop efficient adsorbents to remove them from the atmosphere. To do this most efficiently, we need to understand the mechanism of VOC adsorption. In this work, we described how the metal organic framework (MOF), ZIF-8, was used as a precursor to generate MOF derivatives (Zn-GC) through temperature-controlled calcination, which had adjustable metal sites and hierarchical pore structure. It was used as a model adsorbent to study the adsorption and desorption characteristics of different VOCs. Zn-GC-850 with developed pores exhibited higher adsorption performance for the benzene series, whereas Zn-GC-650 with more metal sites had a better adsorption capacity for oxygen-containing VOCs. By tuning the molecular structure of the VOCs, we revealed the adsorption mechanism of different VOCs at the molecular level. The more developed hierarchical pore structure obtained at the higher temperature facilitates the diffusion of the benzene series, and the noncovalent interaction between their methyl group(s) and the carbonized MOF derivatives improves the adsorption affinity; while the higher exposure of Zn sites obtained at lower temperature favors the adsorption of oxygen-containing VOCs by Zn-O bonds. The mass transfers of VOCs and the role of the adsorbent were simulated by multiple theoretical models. This study strengthens the basis for the design and optimization of the adsorbent and catalyst for VOCs treatment.

[Short-term outcome of patients after transcatheter aortic valve replacement receiving different anticoagulants]

Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of different anticoagulants in patients with indications for anticoagulation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods: This is a retrospective study. Patients who underwent TAVR from April 2016 to February 2022 in Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital and had indications for anticoagulation were included and divided into two groups according to the type of anticoagulants, i.e. non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) and warfarin, and patients were followed up for 30 days. The primary endpoint was the combination of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, valve thrombosis, intracardiac thrombosis and major bleeding. The incidence of endpoints was compared between two groups, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to adjust the bias of potential confounders. Results: A total of 80 patients were included. Mean age was (74.4±7.1) years, 43 (53.8%) were male. Forty-nine (61.3%) patients used NOAC, 31 used warfarin, and major indication for anticoagulants was atrial fibrillation (76/80, 95.0%). The adjusted risks of the primary endpoint (OR=0.23, 95%CI 0.06-0.94, P=0.040) of NOAC were lower than that of warfarin, mainly driven by a lower risk of major bleeding (OR=0.19, 95%CI 0.04-0.92, P=0.039). Conclusions: The short-term outcome of NOAC is better than that of warfarin in patients with indications for anticoagulation after TAVR. Randomized controlled trials of large sample size with long-term follow-up are needed to further testify this finding.

Synthesis of xCe-MnO2 with three-dimensional ultra-thin nanosheet structure and its excellent low-temperature reducibility for toluene catalysis

A series of xCe-MnO2 (x = 0-1) catalysts were synthesized using ammonium oxalate as a precipitator via the redox precipitation method and hydrothermal synthesis method. The results indicate that 0.25Ce-MnO2 exhibited the highest catalytic activity for toluene oxidation, with the T99 of 240 °C. Characterization results from XRD, Raman, SEM, TEM, EDS-mapping, BET, and other techniques reveal that the 0.25Ce-MnO2 catalyst exhibited a three-dimensional multistage ultrathin nanosheet structure by adjusting the introduction amount of Ce, with abundant active sites, and effectively formed Ce-Mn homogeneous dispersion. The larger pore size and volume of 0.25Ce-MnO2 catalyst lead to it excellent toluene transfer ability. Furthermore, compared with MnO2, the crystal pattern of 0.25Ce-MnO2 shifted to the tetragonal cryptomelane type α-MnO2 phase and exposed more crystal planes which are beneficial to catalyze toluene. H2-TPR, O2-TPD, and XPS characterization further confirmed the strong interaction between Ce and Mn oxides, which exhibited better low-temperature reducibility and oxygen migration, along with abundant Ce3+ and Mn3+ species, where lattice oxygen played a major role. Moreover, in situ DRIFTS revealed that the 0.25Ce-MnO2 catalyst showed higher adsorption and desorption capacity for toluene than the MnO2 catalyst, and benzoate species were the key intermediates for catalytic oxidation. Additionally, benzoate and surface phenolic species were the key intermediates for catalytic oxidation of MnO2. Because 0.25Ce-MnO2 possesses better ability of converting toluene to benzoate species, it exhibits better activity.

Scalable Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Coating with Rough Coral Reef-Like Structures for Efficient Self-Cleaning and Oil-Water Separation: An Experimental and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

Superhydrophobic coating has a great application prospect in self-cleaning and oil-water separation but remains challenging for large-scale preparation of robust and weather-resistant superhydrophobic coatings via facile approaches. Herein, this work reports a scalable fabrication of weather-resistant superhydrophobic coating with multiscale rough coral reef-like structures by spraying the suspension containing superhydrophobic silica nanoparticles and industrial coating varnish on various substrates. The coral reef-like structures effectively improves the surface roughness and abrasion resistance. Rapid aging experiments (3000 h) and the outdoor building project application (3000 m2 ) show that the sprayed superhydrophobic coating exhibits excellent self-cleaning properties, weather resistance, and environmental adaptability. Moreover, the combined silica-coating varnish-polyurethane (CSCP) superhydrophobic sponge exhibits exceptional oil-water separation capabilities, selectively absorbing the oils from water up to 39 times of its own weight. Furthermore, the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation reveals that the combined effect of higher surface roughness, smaller diffusion coefficient of water molecules, and weaker electrostatic interactions between water and the surface jointly determines the superhydrophobicity of the prepared coating. This work deepens the understanding of the anti-wetting mechanism of superhydrophobic surfaces from the perspective of energetic and kinetic properties, thereby paving the way for the rational design of superhydrophobic materials and their large-scale applications.

Space Charge Characteristics at the Interface of Laminated Epoxy Resin

In the design and manufacturing of epoxy resin insulation components, complex structures can be achieved through multiple pours, thereby forming the structure of interface of laminated epoxy resin. This type of interface structure is often considered a weak link in performance which can easily accumulate charges and cause electric field distortion. However, research on the interlayer interface of epoxy resin has received little attention. In this study, epoxy samples with and without interlayer interfaces were prepared, and the space charge accumulation characteristics and trap characteristics of the samples were analyzed via pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) and thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) methods. The experimental results indicate that the Maxwell-Wagner interface polarization model cannot fully explain the charge accumulation at the interface. Due to the influence of the secondary curing, the functional groups in the post-curing epoxy resin can move and react with the partially reacted functional groups in the prefabricated epoxy resin layer, resulting in a weak cross-linking network at the interface. With the increase in temperature, the molecular chain segments in the weak cross-linked region of the interface become more active and introduce deep traps at the interface, thereby exacerbating the accumulation of interface charges. In addition, due to the influence of interface polarization and weak cross-linking, the ability of the interface charges to cause field strength distortions decreases with the increase in applied field strength. This research study can provide a theoretical reference for the interfacial space charge transport characteristics of epoxy-cured cross-linked layers and provide ideas for regulating interfacial cross-linking to suppress interfacial charge accumulation.

[Expression changes of NaV channel subunits correlate with developmental maturation of electrophysiological characteristics of rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the variations in the expression of voltage-gated sodium (Na_v) channel subunits during development of rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons and their correlation with maturation of electrophysiological characteristics of the neurons.

METHODS

We observed the changes in the expression levels of Na_V1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.6 during the development of Purkinje neurons using immunohistochemistry in neonatal (5-7 days after birth), juvenile (12-14 days), adolescent (21-24 days), and adult (42-60 days) SD rats. Using whole-cell patch-clamp technique, we recorded the spontaneous electrical activity of the neurons in ex vivo brain slices of rats of different ages to analyze the changes of electrophysiological characteristics of these neurons during development.

RESULTS

The expression of Na_V subunits in rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons showed significant variations during development. Na_V1.1 subunit was highly expressed throughout the developmental stages and increased progressively with age (P < 0.05). Na_V1.2 expression was not detected in the neurons in any of the developmental stages (P > 0.05). The expression level of Na_V1.3 decreased with development and became undetectable after adolescence (P < 0.05). Na_V1.6 expression was not detected during infancy, but increased with further development (P < 0.05). Na_V1.1 and Na_V1.3 were mainly expressed in the early stages of development. With the maturation of the rats, Na_V1.3 expression disappeared and Na_V1.6 expression increased in the neurons. Na_V1.1 and Na_V1.6 were mainly expressed after adolescence. The total Na_V protein level increased gradually with development (P < 0.05) and tended to stabilize after adolescence. The spontaneous frequency and excitability of the Purkinje neurons increased gradually with development and reached the mature levels in adolescence. The developmental expression of Na_V subunits was positively correlated with discharge frequency (r=0.9942, P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with the excitatory threshold of the neurons (r=0.9891, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The changes in the expression levels of Na_V subunits are correlated with the maturation of high frequency electrophysiological properties of the neurons, suggesting thatmature Na_V subunit expressions is the basis of maturation of electrophysiological characteristics of the neurons.

Research progress into adipose tissue macrophages and insulin resistance

In recent years, there has been an increasing incidence of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular events related to insulin resistance. As one of the target organs for insulin, adipose tissue is essential for maintaining in vivo immune homeostasis and metabolic regulation. Currently, the specific adipose tissue mechanisms involved in insulin resistance remain incompletely understood. There is increasing evidence that the process of insulin resistance is mostly accompanied by a dramatic increase in the number and phenotypic changes of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs). In this review, we discuss the origins and functions of ATMs, some regulatory factors of ATM phenotypes, and the mechanisms through which ATMs mediate insulin resistance. We explore how ATM phenotypes contribute to insulin resistance in adipose tissue. We expect that modulation of ATM phenotypes will provide a novel strategy for the treatment of diseases associated with insulin resistance.

Generation Characteristics of Solid Byproducts of the C4F7N-CO2-O2 Gas Mixture under PD Fault

With the gradual improvement of the requirements for the safe and stable operation of gas-insulated equipment (GIE), the eco-friendly insulating gas C₄F₇N-CO₂-O₂ has become the best choice to replace SF₆ and apply it to various medium-voltage (MV) and high-voltage (HV) GIE. At present, the generation characteristics of solid decomposition products of the C₄F₇N-CO₂-O₂ gas mixture under partial discharge (PD) fault need to be studied. In this paper, a 96 h PD decomposition test was carried out by simulating metal protrusion defects in GIE with needle-plate electrodes to study the generation characteristics of C₄F₇N-CO₂-O₂ gas mixture solid decomposition products under PD fault and their compatibility with metal conductors. It was found that obvious ring-shaped solid precipitates appeared in the central area of the surface of the plate electrode under the action of long-term PD, mainly including metal oxides (CuO), silicates (CuSiO₃), fluorides (CuF, CF_X), carbon oxides (CO, CO₂), and nitrogen oxides (NO, NO₂). The addition of 4% O₂ has little effect on the element composition and valence state of PD solid precipitates, but it can reduce their yield to a certain extent. The corrosion effect of O₂ in the gas mixture on metal conductors is weaker than that of C₄F₇N.

Surface adsorbed and lattice oxygen activated by the CeO2/Co3O4 interface for enhancive catalytic soot combustion: Experimental and theoretical investigations

Metal oxide-oxide interface on supported catalyst has been rarely studied due to the complex interfacial structure and synthetic challenge. Herein, different Ag-supported CeO₂/Co₃O₄ samples with various covered-state of CeO₂ were prepared for catalytic soot oxidation. In comparison, catalytic activity was significantly improved by grafting CeO₂ on Co₃O₄, in which the best performing Ag/CoCe-2 exhibited remarkable catalytic performance towards soot oxidation with a T₅₀ of 290.5 ℃ under 10 % O₂/N₂. Catalyst characterization investigated by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), quasi in-situ X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), in-situ Raman, etc. revealed that this outstanding promotion in catalytic activity can be principally ascribed to the formation of the CeO₂/Co₃O₄ interface. An appropriate CeO₂ dosage maximized the contact and interaction between Co₃O₄ and CeO₂, resulting in the largest CeO₂/Co₃O₄ interface featured with abundant generated superoxide species and activated surface lattice oxygen. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also carried out for the oxygen vacancy formation energy, Gibbs free energy, etc. In presence of the CeO₂/Co₃O₄ interface, a charge density redistribution around the adsorbed reactants at oxygen vacancies could be formed, owing to the efficient charge transfer enhanced by the electron-appealing effect. The change in electronic structure favored reducing the oxygen vacancy formation energy and boosting the lattice oxygen activation induced by the hybridized Co-O-Ce bonds, finally lowering the adsorption and activation barriers for reactive species and accelerating the reaction kinetics.

Spatiotemporal analysis and prediction of water quality in Pearl River, China, using multivariate statistical techniques and data-driven model

Identifying spatiotemporal variation patterns and predicting future water quality are critical for rational and effective surface water management. In this study, an exploratory analysis and forecast workflow for water quality in Pearl River, Guangzhou, China, was established based on the 4-h interval dataset selected from 10 stations for water quality monitoring from 2019 to 2021. The multiple statistical techniques, such as cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), correlation analysis (CoA), and redundancy analysis (RDA), as well as data-driven model (i.e., gated recurrent unit (GRU)), were applied for assessing and predicting the water quality in the basin. The investigated sampling stations were classified into 3 categories based on differences in water quality, i.e., low, moderate, and high pollution regions. The average water quality indexes (WQI) values ranged from 38.43 to 92.63. Nitrogen was the most dominant pollutant, with high TN concentrations of 0.81-7.67 mg/L. Surface runoff, atmospheric deposition, and anthropogenic activities were the major contributors affecting the spatiotemporal variations in water quality. The decline in river water quality during the wet season was mainly attributed to increased surface runoff and extensive human activities. Furthermore, the short-term prediction of river water quality was achieved using the GRU model. The result indicated that for both DLCK and DTJ stations, the WQI for the 5-day lead time were predicted with accuracies of 0.82; for the LXH station, the WQI for the 3-day lead time was forecasted with an accuracy of 0.83. The finding of this study will shed a light on an effective reference and systematic support for spatio-seasonal variation and prediction patterns of water quality.

Unraveling the role of Co3O4 facet for photothermal catalytic oxidation of methanol via operando spectroscopy and theoretical investigation

Tubular, pie- and bread-shaped forms of Co₃O₄ with exposed {110}, {112} and {111} facets were prepared and compared in their photothermal catalytic performance and reaction pathways during the oxidation of methanol. Among them, the Co₃O₄ with exposed {110} facet exhibited the best photothermal catalytic performance (95% methanol conversion, 93% CO₂ yield) under solar irradiation, while also maintaining good stability and moisture resistance. Reaction mechanism studies showed that the {110} facets had a strong adsorption capacity for formaldehyde, which facilitated its conversion to formate. The transformation of formaldehyde to formate species was the key step. The key step on the {110} facet was conversion of formaldehyde to a mono-dentate formate species, while conversion on the {112} and {111} facets was mainly to bi-dentate formate species. This study demonstrated that the design of preferential exposed crystal facet can regulate the pathway of photothermal catalytic reaction and realize efficient solar energy utilization.

Quenching-Induced Defect-Rich Platinum/Metal Oxide Catalysts Promote Catalytic Oxidation

Enhancing oxygen activation through defect engineering is an effective strategy for boosting catalytic oxidation performance. Herein, we demonstrate that quenching is an effective strategy for preparing defect-rich Pt/metal oxide catalysts with superior catalytic oxidation activity. As a proof of concept, quenching of α-Fe₂O₃ in aqueous Pt(NO₃)₂ solution yielded a catalyst containing Pt single atoms and clusters over defect-rich α-Fe₂O₃ (Pt/Fe₂O₃-Q), which possessed state-of-the-art activity for toluene oxidation. Structural and spectroscopic analyses established that the quenching process created abundant lattice defects and lattice dislocations in the α-Fe₂O₃ support, and stronger electronic interactions between Pt species and Fe₂O₃ promote the generation of higher oxidation Pt species to modulate the adsorption/desorption behavior of reactants. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in situ DRIFTS) characterization studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations determined that molecular oxygen and Fe₂O₃ lattice oxygen were both activated on the Pt/Fe₂O₃-Q catalyst. Pt/CoMn₂O₄, Pt/MnO₂, and Pt/LaFeO₃ catalysts synthesized by the quenching method also offered superior catalytic activity for toluene oxidation. Results encourage the wider use of quenching for the preparation of highly active oxidation catalysts.

[Clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of gastric intermediate-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumor after surgical resection: a retrospective study]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, treatment and prognosis of gastric intermediate-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), so as to provide a reference for clinical management and further research. Methods: A retrospective observational study of patients with gastric intermediate-risk GIST, who underwent surgical resection between January 1996 and December 2019 at Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, was carried out. Results: Totally, 360 patients with a median age of 59 years were included. There were 190 males and 170 females with median tumor diameter of 5.9 cm. Routine genetic testing was performed in 247 cases (68.6%, 247/360), and 198 cases (80.2%) showed KIT mutation, 26 cases (10.5%) showed PDGFRA mutation, and 23 cases were wild-type GIST. According to "Zhongshan Method"(including 12 parameters), there were 121 malignant and 239 non-malignant cases. Complete follow-up data were available in 241 patients; 55 patients (22.8%) received imatinib therapy, 10 patients (4.1%) experienced tumor progression, and one patient (PDGFRA mutation, 0.4%) died. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival rate at 5 years was 96.0% and 99.6%, respectively. Among the intermediate-risk GIST, there was no difference in DFS between the overall population, KIT mutation, PDGFRA mutation, wild-type, non-malignant and malignant subgroups (all P>0.05). However, the non-malignancy/malignancy analysis showed that there were significant differences in DFS among the overall population (P<0.01), imatinib treatment group (P=0.044) and no imatinib treatment group (P<0.01). Adjuvant imatinib resulted in potential survival benefit for KIT mutated malignant and intermediate-risk GIST in DFS (P=0.241). Conclusions: Gastric intermediate-risk GIST shows a heterogeneous biologic behavior spectrum from benign to highly malignant. It can be further classified into benign and malignant, mainly nonmalignant and low-grade malignant. The overall disease progression rate after surgical resection is low, and real-world data show that there is no significant benefit from imatinib treatment after surgery. However, adjuvant imatinib potentially improves DFS of intermediate-risk patients with tumors harboring KIT mutation in the malignant group. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of gene mutations in benign/malignant GIST will facilitate improvements in therapeutic decision-making.

Compatibility and Interaction Mechanism between the C4F7N/CO2/O2 Gas Mixture and FKM and NBR

The C₄F₇N/CO₂/O₂ gas mixture received a great deal of attention for its potential use in eco-friendly gas-insulated equipment (GIE). The evaluation of the compatibility between C₄F₇N/CO₂/O₂ and sealing rubber is necessary and significant considering the high working pressure (0.14-0.6 MPa) of GIE. Herein, we explored the compatibility between C₄F₇N/CO₂/O₂ and fluororubber (FKM) and nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) for the first time by analyzing the gas components, rubber morphology, elemental composition, and mechanical properties. The interaction mechanism of the gas-rubber interface was further investigated based on the density functional theory. We found that C₄F₇N/CO₂/O₂ is compatible with FKM and NBR at 85 °C, while the surface morphology changed at 100 °C, with white granular and agglomerated lumps appearing on FKM and multi-layer flakes being generated on NBR. The accumulation of the fluorine element occurred, and the compressive mechanical properties of NBR deteriorated after the gas-solid rubber interaction. Overall, the compatibility between FKM and C₄F₇N/CO₂/O₂ is superior, which could be employed as the sealing material for C₄F₇N-based GIE.

Fine-Tuning of Entangled Two-Photon Absorption by Controlling the One-Photon Absorption Properties of the Chromophore

The detailed analysis of the sum-over-state formula for the entanglement-induced two-photon absorption (ETPA) transition moment shows that the magnitude of the ETPA cross-section is expected to vary significantly depending on the coherence time T_e and the relative position of just two electronic states. Moreover, the dependency on T_e is periodic. These predictions are confirmed by molecular quantum mechanical calculations for several chromophores.

The novel chitosan-amphoteric starch dual flocculants for enhanced removal of Microcystis aeruginosa and algal organic matter

A novel flocculation strategy for simultaneously removing Microcystis aeruginosa and algal organic matter (AOM) was proposed using chitosan-amphoteric starch (C-A) dual flocculants in an efficient, cost-effective and ecologically friendly way, providing new insights for harmful algal blooms (HABs) control. A dual-functional starch-based flocculant, amphoteric starch (AS) with high anion degree of substitution (DS_A) and cation degree of substitution (DS_C), was prepared using a cationic moiety of 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTA) coupled with an anion moiety of chloroacetic acid onto the backbone of starch simultaneously. In combination of the results of FTIR, XPS, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, GPC, EA, TGA and SEM, it was evidenced that the successfully synthesized AS with excellent structural characteristics contributed to the enhanced flocculation of M. aeruginosa. Furthermore, the novel C-A dual flocculants could achieve not only the removal of >99.3 % of M. aeruginosa, but also the efficacious flocculation of algal organic matter (AOM) at optimal concentration of (0.8:24) mg/L, within a wide pH range of 3-11. The analysis of zeta potential and cellular morphology revealed that the dual effects of both enhanced charge neutralization and notable netting-bridging played a vital role in efficient M. aeruginosa removal.

Insights into the Role of Nanorod-Shaped MnO2 and CeO2 in a Plasma Catalysis System for Methanol Oxidation

Published papers highlight the roles of the catalysts in plasma catalysis systems, and it is essential to provide deep insight into the mechanism of the reaction. In this work, a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor packed with γ-MnO₂ and CeO₂ with similar nanorod morphologies and particle sizes was used for methanol oxidation at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. The experimental results showed that both γ-MnO₂ and CeO₂ exhibited good performance in methanol conversion (up to 100%), but the CO₂ selectivity of CeO₂ (up to 59.3%) was much higher than that of γ-MnO₂ (up to 28.6%). Catalyst characterization results indicated that CeO₂ contained more surface-active oxygen species, adsorbed more methanol and utilized more plasma-induced active species than γ-MnO₂. In addition, in situ Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were applied with a novel in situ cell to reveal the major factors affecting the catalytic performance in methanol oxidation. More reactive oxygen species (O₂^2-, O^2-) from ozone decomposition were produced on CeO₂ compared with γ-MnO₂, and less of the intermediate product formate accumulated on the CeO₂. The combined results showed that CeO₂ was a more effective catalyst than γ-MnO₂ for methanol oxidation in the plasma catalysis system.

Cold-Start NOx Mitigation by Passive Adsorption Using Pd-Exchanged Zeolites: From Material Design to Mechanism Understanding and System Integration

It remains a major challenge to abate efficiently the harmful nitrogen oxides (NO_x) in low-temperature diesel exhausts emitted during the cold-start period of engine operation. Passive NO_x adsorbers (PNA), which could temporarily capture NO_x at low temperatures (below 200 °C) and release the stored NO_x at higher temperatures (normally 250-450 °C) to downstream selective catalytic reduction unit for complete abatement, hold promise to mitigate cold-start NO_x emissions. In this review, recent advances in material design, mechanism understanding, and system integration are summarized for PNA based on palladium-exchanged zeolites. First, we discuss the choices of parent zeolite, Pd precursor, and synthetic method for the synthesis of Pd-zeolites with atomic Pd dispersions, and review the effect of hydrothermal aging on the properties and PNA performance of Pd-zeolites. Then, we show how different experimental and theoretical methodologies can be integrated to gain mechanistic insights into the nature of Pd active sites, the NO_x storage/release chemistry, as well as the interactions between Pd and typical components/poisons in engine exhausts. This review also gathers several novel designs of PNA integration into modern exhaust after-treatment systems for practical application. At the end, we discuss the major challenges, as well as important implications, for the further development and real application of Pd-zeolite-based PNA in cold-start NO_x mitigation.

Different cellular landscape of four types of non-diseased cardiac valves contributes to their differences in susceptibility of pathological remodeling and disease

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): National Natural Science Foundation of China

Background

Exploring the mechanisms of valvular heart disease (VHD) at the cellular level may be useful to identify new therapeutic targets; however, the comprehensive cellular landscape of non-diseased human cardiac valve leaflets remains unclear.

Methods

The cellular landscapes of non-diseased human cardiac valve leaflets (five aortic valves, five pulmonary valves, five tricuspid valves, and three mitral valves) from end-stage heart failure patients undergoing heart transplantation were explored using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Bioinformatics was used to identify the cell types, describe the cell functions, and investigate cellular developmental trajectories and interactions. Differences among the four types of cardiac valve at the cellular level were summarized. Pathological staining was performed to validate the key findings of scRNA-seq. An integrative analysis of our single-cell data and published genome-wide association study-based and bulk RNA sequencing-based data provided insights into the cell-specific contributions to calcific aortic valve diseases.

Results

Six cell types were identified among 128,412 cells from non-diseased human cardiac valve leaflets. Valvular interstitial cells were the largest population, followed by myeloid cells, lymphocytes, valvular endothelial cells, mast cells, and myofibroblasts. The four types of cardiac valve had distinct cellular compositions. The intercellular communication analysis revealed that valvular interstitial cells were at the center of the communication network. The integrative analysis of our scRNA-seq data revealed key cellular subpopulations involved in the pathogenesis of calcific aortic valve diseases.

Conclusions

The cellular landscape differed among the four types of non-diseased cardiac valve, which might explain their differences in susceptibility to pathological remodeling and VHD.

Economical and Sustainable Synthesis of Small-Pore Chabazite Catalysts for NOx Abatement by Recycling Organic Structure-Directing Agents

The application of small-pore chabazite-type SSZ-13 zeolites, key materials for the reduction of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) in automotive exhausts and the selective conversion of methane, is limited by the use of expensive N,N,N-trimethyl-1-ammonium adamantine hydroxide (TMAdaOH) as an organic structure-directing agent (OSDA) during hydrothermal synthesis. Here, we report an economical and sustainable route for SSZ-13 synthesis by recycling and reusing the OSDA-containing waste liquids. The TMAdaOH concentration in waste liquids, determined by a bromocresol green colorimetric method, was found to be a key factor for SSZ-13 crystallization. The SSZ-13 zeolite synthesized under optimized conditions demonstrates similar physicochemical properties (surface area, porosity, crystallinity, Si/Al ratio, etc.) as that of the conventional synthetic approach. We then used the waste liquid-derived SSZ-13 as the parent zeolite to synthesize Cu ion-exchanged SSZ-13 (i.e., Cu-SSZ-13) for ammonia-mediated selective catalytic reduction of NO_x (NH₃-SCR) and observed a higher activity as well as better hydrothermal stability than Cu-SSZ-13 by conventional synthesis. In situ infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy investigations revealed that the superior NH₃-SCR performance of waste liquid-derived Cu-SSZ-13 results from a higher density of Cu²⁺ sites coordinated to paired Al centers on the zeolite framework. The technoeconomic analysis highlights that recycling OSDA-containing waste liquids could reduce the raw material cost of SSZ-13 synthesis by 49.4% (mainly because of the higher utilization efficiency of TMAdaOH) and, meanwhile, the discharging of wastewater by 45.7%.

Unravelling the correlation of dielectric barrier discharge power and performance of Pt/CeO2 catalysts for toluene oxidation

Two “volcano” peaks in the relevant activity curve showcased that plasma discharge power had a significant impact on the activity of Pt/CeO2-Px catalysts and modulating discharge power could be regarded as an efficient method to optimize catalyst performance.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of NAC family genes in Ginkgo biloba L

NAC (NAM, ATAF, CUC2) transcription factors constitute one of the largest families of plant-specific transcription factors with important roles in plant growth and development and in biotic and abiotic stresses. The physicochemical properties, gene structure, cis-acting elements and expression patterns of NAC transcription factors in Ginkgo biloba were analysed using bioinformatics, and expression of this gene family was analysed via quantitative reverse transcription PCR. The family of G. biloba NAC transcription factors had 50 members, distributed on 12 chromosomes and divided into 11 groups. Members in the same group share a similar gene structure and motif distribution. Transcriptome data analysis of G. biloba showed that 35 genes were expressed in eight tissues. Correlation analysis suggested that GbNAC007 and GNAC008 might be involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. Expression levels of 12 GbNACs under cold, het, and salt stresses were analysed. Results indicate that NAC transcription factors play an important role in response to abiotic stresses. This study provides a reference for the functional analysis of the G. biloba family of NAC transcription factors, as well as a resource for studies on the involvement of this family in responses to abiotic stresses and flavonoid biosynthesis.

Differences in phenotypes, symptoms, and survival in patients with cardiomyopathy-a prospective observational study from the Sahlgrenska CardioMyoPathy Centre

Introduction

Cardiomyopathy is the fourth most common cause of heart failure. The spectrum of cardiomyopathies may be impacted by changes in environmental factors and the prognosis may be influenced by modern treatment. The aim of this study is to create a prospective clinical cohort, the Sahlgrenska CardioMyoPathy Centre (SCMPC) study, and compare patients with cardiomyopathies in terms of phenotype, symptoms, and survival.

Methods

The SCMPC study was founded in 2018 by including patients with all types of suspected cardiomyopathies. This study included data on patient characteristics, background, family history, symptoms, diagnostic examinations, and treatment including heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Patients were categorized by the type of cardiomyopathy on the basis of the diagnostic criteria laid down by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) working group on myocardial and pericardial diseases. The primary outcomes were death, heart transplantation, or MCS, analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional regression, adjusted for age, gender, LVEF and QRS width on ECG in milliseconds.

Results

In all, 461 patients and 73.1% men with a mean age of 53.6 ± 16 years were included in the study. The most common diagnosis was dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), followed by cardiac sarcoidosis and myocarditis. Dyspnea was the most common initial symptom in patients with DCM and amyloidosis, while patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) presented with ventricular arrythmias. Patients with ARVC, left-ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and DCM had the longest time from the debut of symptoms until inclusion in the study. Overall, 86% of the patients survived without heart transplantation or MCS after 2.5 years. The primary outcome differed among the cardiomyopathies, where the worst prognosis was reported for ARVC, LVNC, and cardiac amyloidosis. In a Cox regression analysis, it was found that ARVC and LVNC were independently associated with an increased risk of death, heart transplantation, or MCS compared with DCM. Further, female gender, a lower LVEF, and a wider QRS width were associated with an increased risk of the primary outcome.

Conclusions

The SCMPC database offers a unique opportunity to explore the spectrum of cardiomyopathies over time. There is a large difference in characteristics and symptoms at debut and a remarkable difference in outcome, where the worst prognosis was reported for ARVC, LVNC, and cardiac amyloidosis.

[A deep-learning model for the assessment of coronary heart disease and related risk factors via the evaluation of retinal fundus photographs]

Objective: To develop and validate a deep learning model based on fundus photos for the identification of coronary heart disease (CHD) and associated risk factors. Methods: Subjects aged>18 years with complete clinical examination data from 149 hospitals and medical examination centers in China were included in this retrospective study. Two radiologists, who were not aware of the study design, independently evaluated the coronary angiography images of each subject to make CHD diagnosis. A deep learning model using convolutional neural networks (CNN) was used to label the fundus images according to the presence or absence of CHD, and the model was proportionally divided into training and test sets for model training. The prediction performance of the model was evaluated in the test set using monocular and binocular fundus images respectively. Prediction efficacy of the algorithm for cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., age, systolic blood pressure, gender) and coronary events were evaluated by regression analysis using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and R² correlation coefficient. Results: The study retrospectively collected 51 765 fundus images from 25 222 subjects, including 10 255 patients with CHD, and there were 14 419 male subjects in this cohort. Of these, 46 603 fundus images from 22 701 subjects were included in the training set and 5 162 fundus images from 2 521 subjects were included in the test set. In the test set, the deep learning model could accurately predict patients' age with an R² value of 0.931 (95%CI 0.929-0.933) for monocular photos and 0.938 (95%CI 0.936-0.940) for binocular photos. The AUC values for sex identification from single eye and binocular retinal fundus images were 0.983 (95%CI 0.982-0.984) and 0.988 (95%CI 0.987-0.989), respectively. The AUC value of the model was 0.876 (95%CI 0.874-0.877) with either monocular fundus photographs and AUC value was 0.885 (95%CI 0.884-0.888) with binocular fundus photographs to predict CHD, the sensitivity of the model was 0.894 and specificity was 0.755 with accuracy of 0.714 using binocular fundus photographs for the prediction of CHD. Conclusion: The deep learning model based on fundus photographs performs well in identifying coronary heart disease and assessing related risk factors such as age and sex.

Environmental, energy, and economic impact assessment of sludge management alternatives based on incineration

In this study, different management strategies for sewage sludge disposal were evaluated associated with environmental, energy, and economic impact, using life cycle assessment (LCA), cumulative energy demand (CED) and life cycle costing (LCC) approaches. Four scenarios, including mono-incineration, co-incineration in municipal solid wastes (MSW) incineration plant, co-incineration in coal-fired power plant and co-incineration in cement kiln, were assessed. The environmental burdens generated from the sludge incineration contributed primarily to the global warming, followed by eutrophication, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, and human toxicity potential across the four scenarios. Furthermore, mono-incineration scenario appeared to be the most environmentally unfriendly, energy and economy intensive alternative, with the LCA, CED and LCC value of 5.41E-09, 1736 MJ and 1.84 million CNY, respectively. By contrast, co-incineration in cement kiln exhibited the lowest CED (368 MJ), LCC (0.59 million CNY), and environmental burdens (1.02E-09). In addition, the sensitivity analysis indicated that four scenarios were sensitive to the changes in the electricity efficiency and the moisture content contained in sewage sludge, suggesting that it was of great significance to enhance the efficiency of sludge dewatering and thermal drying The findings of this study can provide scientific reference for selecting the optimal strategies for the most environmentally and economically friendly sewage sludge management with optimum energy efficiency.

Insights into the fate of antibiotics in constructed wetland systems: Removal performance and mechanisms

Antibiotics have been recognized as emerging contaminants that are widely distributed and accumulated in aquatic environment, posing a risk to ecosystem at trace level. Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been regarded as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for efficient elimination of antibiotics. This review summarizes the removal of 5 categories of widely used antibiotics in CWs, and discusses the roles of the key components in CW system, i.e., substrate, macrophytes, and microorganisms, in removing antibiotics. Overall, the vertical subsurface flow CWs have proven to perform better in terms of antibiotic removal (>78%) compared to other single CWs. The adsorption behavior of antibiotics in wetland substrates is determined by the physicochemical properties of antibiotics, substrate configuration and operating parameters. The effects of wetland plants on antibiotic removal mainly include direct (e.g., plant uptake and degradation) and indirect (e.g., rhizosphere processes) manners. The possible interactions between microorganisms and antibiotics include biosorption, bioaccumulation and biodegradation. The potential strategies for further enhancement of the antibiotic removal performance in CWs included optimizing operation parameters, innovating substrate, strengthening microbial activity, and integrating with other treatment technologies. Taken together, this review provides useful information for facilitating the development of feasible, innovative and intensive antibiotic removal technologies in CWs, as well as enhancing the economic viability and ecological sustainability.

Ammonia Abatement via Selective Oxidation over Electron-Deficient Copper Catalysts

Selective catalytic ammonia-to-dinitrogen oxidation (NH₃-SCO) is highly promising for the abatement of NH₃ emissions from flue gas purification devices. However, there is still a lack of high-performance and cost-effective NH₃-SCO catalysts for real applications. Here, highly dispersed, electron-deficient Cu-based catalysts were fabricated using nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNT) as support. In NH₃-SCO catalysis, the Cu/NCNT outperformed Cu supported on N-free CNTs (Cu/OCNT) and on other types of supports (i.e., activated carbon, Al₂O₃, and zeolite) in terms of activity, selectivity to the desired product N₂, and H₂O resistance. Besides, Cu/NCNT demonstrated a better structural stability against oxidation and a higher NH₃ storage capacity (in the presence of H₂O vapor) than Cu/OCNT. Quasi in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the surface N species facilitated electron transfer from Cu to the NCNT support, resulting in electron-deficient Cu catalysts with superior redox properties, which are essential for NH₃-SCO catalysis. By temperature-programmed surface reaction studies and systematic kinetic measurements, we unveiled that the NH₃-SCO reaction over Cu/NCNT proceeded via the internal selective catalytic reaction (i-SCR) route; i.e., NH₃ was oxidized first to NO, which then reacted with NH₃ and O₂ to form N₂ and H₂O. This study paves a new route for the design of highly active, H₂O-tolerant, and low-cost Cu catalysts for the abatement of slip NH₃ from stationary emissions via selective oxidation to N₂.

Sex-related differences in long-term outcome of heart failure in low-risk patients with atrial fibrillation. A Swedish registry case-control study

Background

Knowledge about sex-related differences regarding long-term risk of heart failure (HF) among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited.

Aim

To evaluate the impact of sex on risks for new onset HF in patients with AF.

Methods

All patients from the Swedish National Patient Register, with a first-time diagnosis of AF between 1987 and 2018 were identified and compared with two matched controls without AF from the Total Population Register. Patients &lt;18 years, or any previous cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and renal failure at the baseline were excluded.

Results

In total 227,811 patients and 452,712 controls were included; 44.5% were women. The mean age (SD) for men was 65.5 (15) vs. 72.7 (13) in women (p&lt;0.0001). The incidence rate for HF onset per 1000 person-years within one and five years after AF diagnosis was 77.3 (75.5–79.1) and 45.0 (44.3–45.7) in women vs. 66.5 (65.0–68.0) and 35.3 (34.8–35.9) in men, respectively. The incidence rate for HF onset increased with age in both patients with AF and controls, but was generally more pronounced in women. Women had 26% and 34% higher risk for HF onset, within five and thirty years, respectively. The highest risk for HF onset was found in women 18–34 years and 35–49 years of age, HR 24.64 (95%, confidence interval (CI) 7.59–80.0) and 8.09 (95%, CI 6.34–10.33) vs. 9.86 (95%, CI 6.81–14.27) and 6.52 (95%, CI 5.87–7.25) in equally old men. The mortality rate after HF was 42.3% and 33.1% in women and men with AF (p&lt;0.0001).

Conclusion

In this nationwide, register-based cohort study, when compared to matched controls we found that the risk for HF onset was higher in women with AF, particularly in reproductive age, highlighting great importance of further research for prevention of HF in young women with AF but without any other cardiovascular risk factors.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Emission characteristics and ozone formation potentials of VOCs from ultra-low-emission waterborne automotive painting

Automotive painting plants are important emission sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute significantly to ground-level ozone (O₃) pollution in atmosphere. Here, we investigated process-specified emission characteristics of VOCs, without or with advanced adsorption/incineration after-treatments, from an ultra-low-emission (ULE) waterborne painting process in a modernized automotive plant. Overall, more than 80 VOCs species were identified and sorted into seven main categories. In the stack emissions without after-treatments, oxygenated VOCs (alcohols, esters, ketones, ethers, etc.) were found to be the most abundant components (48.8%), followed by aromatic (30.9%), alkanes (16.9%) and alkenes (1.2%). Among the different VOCs species discharged to atmosphere (i.e. after adsorption/incineration after-treatments), aromatics demonstrated a predominant contribution (by 60.6%) to the total O₃ formation potentials (OFPs) despite their relatively lower abundance. Trimethylbenzene was identified to have the highest OFPs, and thus should be controlled with peculiar priority. As compared to traditional organic solvent-based painting process, the ULE waterborne process implemented in the target plant allows to reduce the OFPs from 10.7 mg m^-3 to 3 mg m^-3 (or by 72%). Additional monitoring by unmanned aerial vehicle (over more than 3000 sampling points in the plant) confirmed that the instantaneous concentrations of fugitive VOCs were well below the regulated limit value during typical working and non-working days. These findings may provide important reference for reduction of VOCs emissions and O₃ pollution from automotive painting processes.

Fate and mechanistic insights into nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) activation of sludge derived biochar reacted with Cr(VI)

While nanoscale zero-valent iron modified biochar (nZVI-BC) have been widely investigated for the removal of heavy metals, the corrosion products of nZVI and their interaction with heavy metals have not been revealed yet. In this paper, nZVI-BC was synthesized and applied for the removal of Cr(VI). Batch experiments indicated that the adsorption of Cr(VI) fit Langmuir isotherm, with the maximum removal capacity at 172.4 mg/g at pH 2.0. SEM-EDS, BET, XRD, FT-IR, Raman and XPS investigation suggested that reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) was the major removal mechanism. pH played an important role on the corrosion of nZVI-BC, at pH 4.5 and 2.0, FeOOH and Fe₃O₄ were detected as the major iron oxide, respectively. Therefore, FeOOH-BC and Fe₃O₄-BC were further prepared and their interaction with Cr were studied. Combining with DFT calculations, it revealed that Fe₃O₄ has higher adsorption capacity and was responsible for the effective removal of Cr(VI) through electrostatic attraction and reduction under acidic conditions. However, Fe₃O₄ will continue to convert to the more stable FeOOH, which is the key to for the subsequent stabilization of the reduced Cr(III). The results showed that the oxide corrosion products of nZVI-BC were subjected to the environment, which will eventually affect the fate and transport of the adsorbed heavy metal.

[The relationship between peripheral blood mitochondrial DNA copy number and incident risk of liver cancer: a case-cohort study]

Objective: To investigate the association between peripheral blood mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and incident risk of liver cancer. Methods: At the baseline of Dongfeng-Tongji (DFTJ) cohort, 27 009 retirees were recruited from Dongfeng Motor Corporation in 2008. After excluding people without baseline DNA, with current malignant tumor and loss of follow-up, 1 173 participants were randomly selected into a sub-cohort by age-and gender-stratified sampling method at a proportion of 5% among all retirees. A total of 154 incident liver cancer cases identified from the cohort before December 31, 2018 (4 cases had been selected into the sub-cohort) were selected to form the case cohort of liver cancer. For the above 1 323 participants, their baseline levels of mtDNAcn in peripheral blood cells were measured by using quantitative real-time PCR method. The restricted cubic spline analysis was used to fit the shape of the association between baseline mtDNAcn and incident risk of liver cancer. The weighted Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95%CI. Results: In this case-cohort study, the median follow-up time was 10.3 years. The restricted cubic spline analysis indicated that the relationship between peripheral blood mtDNAcn and incident risk of liver cancer followed a U-shaped pattern (P_non-linear<0.05). All case-cohort population were divided into four subgroups by sex-specific quartiles of mtDNAcn levels among sub-cohort participants, when compared to participants in the Q₂ subgroup of mtDNAcn, those in the Q₁ subgroup (HR=2.00,95%CI:1.08-3.70) and Q₄ subgroup (HR=4.11,95%CI:2.32-7.26) both had a significantly elevated risk of liver cancer, while those in the Q₃ subgroup (HR=1.05,95%CI:0.54-2.05) had not. There were no significant multiply interaction effects of aging, gender, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and history of chronic hepatitis on the above association (P_interaction>0.05). Conclusion: Both extremely low and high baseline level of mtDNAcn in peripheral blood cells are associated with an increased risk of incident liver cancer, but the underlying mechanisms need to be further clarified.

Effect of iron substitution in cryptomelane on the heterogeneous reaction with isoprene

Biogenic isoprene is an important pollutant for regional air quality. Being ubiquitously distributed on the earth surface, manganese (hydr)oxides should play a vital role in the transformation of isoprene. Cryptomelane is a typical manganese oxide with isomorphous substitution of Fe for Mn, but less attention has been paid to its heterogeneous reaction with isoprene. When Fe³⁺ replaces Mn³⁺, K⁺ is depleted and Mn³⁺ is oxidized to Mn⁴⁺. In contrast, oxygen vacancies are formed when Fe³⁺ substitutes Mn⁴⁺. Fe substitution creates weak crystallites and abundant mesopores, resulting in the increase of isoprene adsorption. As found by theoretical calculations, the Mn⁴⁺-O^2- bonds at the cross sections of the tunnels is more active than that on the outer wall of the tunnels. After the adsorption of isoprene, bridging carboxylate species and hydrogen-bonding water are produced and the surface octahedra are distorted, i.e., Mn⁴⁺O₆ → Mn³⁺O_6-δ. As the heat facilitates the breakage of Mn⁴⁺-O^2-, the increase of environmental temperature enhances the oxidation of isoprene. The above findings shed light on the effect of Fe substitution in cryptomelane to enhance the oxidation of isoprene, and illustrates that heterogeneous reaction with isoprene impairs the transformation of other environmental substances on cryptomelane.

Plasma-Catalytic CO2 Hydrogenation over a Pd/ZnO Catalyst: In Situ Probing of Gas-Phase and Surface Reactions

Plasma-catalytic CO₂ hydrogenation is a complex chemical process combining plasma-assisted gas-phase and surface reactions. Herein, we investigated CO₂ hydrogenation over Pd/ZnO and ZnO in a tubular dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor at ambient pressure. Compared to the CO₂ hydrogenation using Plasma Only or Plasma + ZnO, placing Pd/ZnO in the DBD almost doubled the conversion of CO₂ (36.7%) and CO yield (35.5%). The reaction pathways in the plasma-enhanced catalytic hydrogenation of CO₂ were investigated by in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using a novel integrated in situ DBD/FTIR gas cell reactor, combined with online mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, kinetic analysis, and emission spectroscopic measurements. In plasma CO₂ hydrogenation over Pd/ZnO, the hydrogenation of adsorbed surface CO₂ on Pd/ZnO is the dominant reaction route for the enhanced CO₂ conversion, which can be ascribed to the generation of a ZnO _x overlay as a result of the strong metal-support interactions (SMSI) at the Pd-ZnO interface and the presence of abundant H species at the surface of Pd/ZnO; however, this important surface reaction can be limited in the Plasma + ZnO system due to a lack of active H species present on the ZnO surface and the absence of the SMSI. Instead, CO₂ splitting to CO, both in the plasma gas phase and on the surface of ZnO, is believed to make an important contribution to the conversion of CO₂ in the Plasma + ZnO system.

A high-performance and stable Cu/Beta for adsorption-catalytic oxidation in-situ destruction of low concentration toluene

Finding a cost-effective treatment to remove of low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is still a challenge. In this study, a Cu/Beta material was developed for in situ adsorption-catalytic oxidation of low concentrations of toluene. The results showed that the addition of Cu enhanced the adsorption and catalytic oxidation of toluene by Beta zeolite. Cu7/Beta with a Cu⁺ ratio of close to 50% performed best. The high adsorption of Cu7/Beta was mainly attributed to the abundant Cu⁺ species and the micro-mesoporous structure of the Beta zeolite, and the high catalytic oxidation was attributed to the lattice oxygen in the uniformly dispersed CuO. Finally, the adsorption intermediates and reaction pathways in the catalytic oxidation of toluene were clarified using XPS and DRIFTS spectra. This work provides new strategies for the development of efficient and stable adsorption-catalytic oxidation in situ destruction materials.

Renewable biochar derived from mixed sewage sludge and pine sawdust for carbon dioxide capture

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the main anthropogenic greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. In this study, a series of KOH-modified biochars derived from feedstock mixtures (i.e., S3W7 biomass consisting of 70% pine sawdust and 30% sewage sludge; S5W5 biomass consisting of 50% pine sawdust and 50% sewage sludge) at different temperature (i.e., 600-800 °C) were prepared for evaluating CO₂ adsorption performance. The KOH-activated biochars prepared with S3W7 biomass displayed larger surface areas and micropore volumes compared to those of S5W5 biochars. In particular, the highest CO₂ adsorption capacity (177.1 mg/g) was observed on S3W7 biomass at 700 °C (S3W7-700K), due to the largest surface area (2623 m²/g) and the highest micropore volume (0.68 cm³/g). Furthermore, surface functional groups, hydrophobicity, and aromaticity of biochar and presence of hetero atoms (N) also were actively involved in CO₂ adsorption of biochar. In addition, in situ DRIFTS analysis advanced current understanding for the chemical sorption mechanisms by identifying the transformation composites of CO₂ on biochars, and characterizing the weakly adsorbed and newly formed mineral species (e.g., carbonates) during the CO₂ sorption process. This study may provide an insight into the research of CO₂ capture by identifying physical and chemical adsorption, and expand the effective utilization of natural biomass-based biochar for mitigation greenhouse gas emission.

Cu-VWT Catalysts for Synergistic Elimination of NOx and Volatile Organic Compounds from Coal-Fired Flue Gas

A dual-function catalyst, designated as Cu5-VWT, has been constructed for the synergistic removal of NO_x and volatile organic compounds under complex coal-fired flue gas conditions. The removal of toluene, propylene, dichloromethane, and naphthalene all exceeded 99% (350 °C), and the catalyst could effectively block the generation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Mechanistic studies have shown that Cu sites on the Cu5-VWT catalyst facilitate catalytic oxidation, while V sites facilitate NO_x reduction. Thus, toluene oxidation and NO_x reduction can proceed simultaneously. The removal of total hydrocarbons and nonmethane total hydrocarbons from 1200 m³·h^-1 real coal-fired flue gas by a monolithic catalyst were determined as 92 and 96%, respectively, much higher than those of 54 and 72% over a commercial VWT catalyst, indicating great promise for industrial application.

Insights into CO2 adsorption on KOH-activated biochars derived from the mixed sewage sludge and pine sawdust

The environment issues associated with global warming and climate change caused by continuous increase in greenhouse gas emissions have attracted worldwide concerns. As renewable resources with good adsorption property, biochar is an efficient and environmental friendly adsorbsent for CO₂ capture. In this study, the CO₂ adsorption behavior of biochars derived from feedstock mixtures of 70% pine sawdust and 30% sewage sludge by KOH modification was investigated. The textual properties and functional groups of the pristine biochars have been significantly enhanced after KOH activation. With highly developed microporosity, the specific surface area (SSA) of the KOH-modified biochars increased by 3.9-14.5 times. Furthermore, higher CO₂ adsorption capacities of 136.7-182.0 mg/g were observed for the modified biochars, compared to pristine ones (35.5-42.9 mg/g). The development of micropores by KOH activation significantly increased the CO₂ adsorption capacity. Meanwhile, the presence of hetero atoms (O and K) also positively influenced CO₂ adsorption capacity of biochar. Noticeably, both physical and chemical adsorption played a crucial role in CO₂ capture, which was verified by different characterization methods including high resolution scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy. The Findings of this study demonstrate the -significance of chemical sorption by identifying the transformation of CO₂ by biochar composites and in situ characterization of weakly adsorbed and newly formed mineral species during the CO₂ sorption process. Moreover, BC700K showed 97% recyclability during 10 consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles at 25 °C, 1 bar. The results obtained in the present study may inspire new research interest and provide a comprehensive insight into the research subject to biochars derived from feedstock mixtures for CO₂ capture.

Sex-related differences among young adults with heart failure in Sweden

BACKGROUND

Differences between the sexes among the non-elderly with heart failure (HF) have been insufficiently evaluated. This study aims to investigate sex-related differences in early-onset HF.

METHODS

Patients aged 18 to 54 years who were registered from 2003 to 2014 in the Swedish Heart Failure Register were included. Each patient was matched with two controls from the Swedish Total Population Register. Data on comorbidities and outcomes were obtained through the National Patient Register and Cause of Death Register.

RESULTS

We identified 3752 patients and 7425 controls. Of the patients, 971 (25.9%) were women and 2781 (74.1%) were men with a mean (standard deviation) age of 44.9 (8.4) and 46.4 (7.3) years, respectively. Men had more hypertension and ischemic heart disease, whereas women had more congenital heart disease and obesity. During the median follow-up of 4.87 years, 26.5 and 24.7 per 1000 person-years male and female patients died, compared with 3.61 and 2.01 per 1000 person-years male and female controls, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality, compared with controls, were 4.77 (3.78-6.01) in men and 7.84 (4.85-12.7) in women (p for sex difference = 0.11). When HF was diagnosed at 30, 35, 40, and 45 years, women and men lost up to 24.6 and 24.2, 24.4 and 20.9, 20.5 and 18.3, and 20.7 and 16.5 years of life, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Long-term mortality was similar between the sexes. Women lost more years of life than men.