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Heavy metal oxides (HMOs) can enhance the physical, optical, and radiation shielding properties of glass. Through the comprehensive consideration of the absorption edge, the fast neutron removal cross-section, and transmittance of heavy metal oxides, the rapid determination of the shielding material system is achieved. Herein, B 2 O 3 –TeO 2 –BaO-MO (M = Bi, W, Cd, Mo) glasses are synthesized by the melt quenching method, and the effects of various heavy metal oxides on the glass performance are investigated. The physical and optical property results show that the addition of Bi 2 O 3 provides glass with greater stiffness, a more densified glass network, and a relatively wide indirect optical bandgap compared to other oxides. Subsequently, the photon attenuation behavior of the B 2 O 3 –TeO 2 –BaO-MO glasses was evaluated using the MCNPX, Phy-X and XCOM. Compared to the shielding materials in service, all the four metal oxide glasses exhibit excellent shielding capabilities against X-rays, gamma rays, and fast neutron. Particularly, due to the higher density and effective atomic number of Bi 2 O 3 , its modified glass will have more extra-nuclear electrons per unit volume, which increases the probability of collision with incident photons, and thus exhibits superior radiation shielding properties than other glasses. The Bi 2 O 3 -modified glass exhibits an average specific lead equivalent of 0.441 mmPb/mm in the medical X-ray energy range (0.03–0.08 MeV), and only requires a thickness of 0.8 cm to achieve complete protection against this incident photon, which far exceeded the specific lead equivalent requirement of 0.22 mmPb/mm for "protection devices against diagnostic medical X-radiation". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The intestinal health problems of weaned piglets cause serious economic losses. Historically, antibiotics have been used to prevent and treat intestinal problems in weaned piglets. However, the prohibition of antibiotics makes us need to find a safer and effective solution strategy. A large number of studies have shown that the endocannabinoid system, as a lipid mediator signaling system widely distributed in the gastrointestinal tract, interacts with the intestinal microbiota and maintains intestinal homeostasis. In this study, we found that the endocannabinoid system is closely related to the abundance of Lactobacillus johnsonii through a piglet antibiotic model. It was further found that Lactobacillus johnsonii could improve intestinal health problems and alleviate piglet diarrhea. At the same time, its ability to regulate the endocannabinoid system was verified, and the correlation analysis found that its benefits are partly achieved through the participation of the endocannabinoid system. Probiotic intervention is a well-established approach for replacing antibiotics in the management of weaning piglet diarrhea, which involves a large number of complex systems interacting with the gut microbiota, including the endocannabinoid system; nevertheless, the specific role of the endocannabinoid system mediated by probiotics in the piglet intestine has rarely been studied. In this study, we used antibiotics (ampicillin) to perturb the intestinal microbiota of piglets. This resulted in that the gene expression of the intestinal endocannabinoid system was reprogrammed and the abundance of probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii in the colon was lowered. Moreover, the abundance of Lactobacillus johnsonii was positively correlated with colonic endocannabinoid system components (chiefly diacylglycerol lipase beta) via correlation analysis. Subsequently, we administered another batch of piglets with Lactobacillus johnsonii. Interestingly, dietary Lactobacillus johnsonii effectively alleviated the diarrhea ratio in weaning piglets, accompanied by improvements in intestinal development and motility. Notably, Lactobacillus johnsonii administration enhanced the intestinal barrier function of piglets as evidenced by a higher expression of tight junction protein ZO-1, which might be associated with the increased level in colonic diacylglycerol lipase beta. Taken together, the dietary Lactobacillus johnsonii-mediated reprogramming of the endocannabinoid system might function as a promising target for improving the intestinal health of piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites with eutectic gallium (Ga) and indium (In) (eGaIn) fillings of 0 wt%–75 wt% were prepared using the electrostatic spinning method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the eGaIn NDs/TPU composites. To evaluate their X-ray shielding properties, Phy-X/PSD and WinXCom were employed to calculate the mass attenuation coefficients, linear attenuation coefficients, half-value layers, tenth value layers, mean free paths, and adequate atomic numbers of the eGaIn NDs/TPU composites. The SEM results indicated that the eGaIn nanodroplets were evenly distributed throughout the TPU fibers, and the flowable eGaIn was well-suited for interfacial compatibility with the TPU. A comparison of the eGaIn NDs/TPU composites with different content levels showed that the composite with 75 wt% eGaIn had the highest μm at all the evaluated energies, indicating a superior ability to attenuate X-rays. This non-toxic, lightweight, and flexible composite is a potential material for shielding against medical diagnostic X-rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of low-cost, recyclable, reusable, and heterogeneous catalysts is of considerable significance for green chemistry. In this study, a nanocomposite catalyst, MCM-41-supported Zn–Co double metal cyanide (MCM-41@DMC), was prepared using the synchronous dropping method. Thereafter, the composition, crystal structure, complexing state, morphology, and thermal stability of the catalyst were characterised using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, and thermogravimetry. The effects of different organic ligands on the catalytic activity of samples were evaluated, and the results showed that ethyl acetoacetate exhibited the best catalytic activity owing to its ketone coordination. The use of the MCM-41 support was beneficial for improving the catalytic activity because it reduced the crystallinity and substantially increased the external specific surface area of the catalyst. The experimental results pertaining to the use of the MCM-41@DMC catalyst in the fabrication of polypropylene glycol showed that the conversion of propylene oxide and molecular weight reached 90.6% and 2900, respectively. This study provides a new strategy for the green synthesis of poly(propylene glycol) products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous anammox bacteria enrichment at mainstream conditions was reported in a full‐scale Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in a temperate zone of China. The mainstream anammox was observed after WWTP process retrofit, which constructed a hybrid sludge retention time (SRT) system by providing moving carriers in the anaerobic/anoxic tank and was initially designed to enhance the denitrification process in a conventional anaerobic/anoxic/oxic process. The hybrid SRT system achieved 86.0 ± 4.6% total nitrogen (TN) removal via combined mainstream anammox and conventional denitrification. Autotrophic denitrification via mainstream anammox was confirmed by various shreds of evidence including high‐throughput sequencing, specific anammox activity test, and 15N isotopic tracing. Long‐term anammox bacteria existence in the biofilm of the carrier in anoxic zones was detected in a much higher relative abundance compared with other spots. The contribution of anammox activity to TN removal was estimated at around 20%–30%. The reasons leading to spontaneous anammox enrichment were mainly attributed to the carriers for slow‐growing bacteria growth and dissolved oxygen gradient in the anoxic tank (caused by intermittent aeration) for nitrite production. The insights of this full‐scale case study provide important perspectives for future mainstream anammox application, and also the design of an energy‐neutral WWTP process. Practitioner points: Spontaneous mainstream anammox in a full‐scale WWTP after its retrofit in a temperate zone of China was reported.Anammox bacteria enrichment and long‐term stability on moving carriers at mainstream conditions was achieved by modified hybrid SRT system.The hybrid SRT system achieve stable nitrogen removal even in cold winter and high BOD/N situation by combining mainstream anammox with conventional denitrification.Long term full‐scale operation demonstrated excellent nitrogen removal with about 20%–30% contribution of mainstream anammox.This full‐scale case study provided perspectives for future optimizing mainstream anammox application, and also energy‐neutral WWTP process design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The superiority of ethanol-path anaerobic digestion was clarified via various means. • Liquid product presents higher recovery potential than gas product in carbon flux view. • The dominant microorganisms in the anaerobic digestion system are identified. To rapidly treat and stably utilize great quantities of fruit and vegetable waste (FVW), the strategies in anaerobic digestion pattern have been constantly improved. In this work, the efficiencies and capacities of carbon conversion in different FVW anaerobic digestion systems were studied. Compared to butyrate-path (BD) two-phase and single-phase anaerobic digestion (SD), the ethanol-path two-phase anaerobic digestion (ED) system showed the highest rate of converting insoluble into soluble carbon formation (82.2%) and methane yield conversed from soluble carbon which is 0.14 gCOD CH4 (gVSS d)−1. It was also found that the coexistence of Bacillus and Methanococcus in the methanogenic phase maintained fatty acids and methane generation. The advantage of carbon conversion efficiency in ED can be elucidated from the highest acetification rate (704.10 mgCOD (L h)−1) which means more converted acetate can be smoothly used for methane generation. Compared to methanogenesis converted from butyrate and propionate, the thermodynamic condition of methanogenesis converted from ethanol was more feasible. Also, the highest capacity of max methane production (197773.7 mL) of ED was simulated. ED might be an efficient and advantageous option for FVW methane digestion. Furthermore, comparison of acidogenic product and methane in conversion efficiency revealed that fatty acids should think as ideal anaerobic product rather than methane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An existing activated sludge system was upgraded to a continuous-flow AGS system. • Shear forces, combined with feast/famine conditions, induced granulation. • Organic matter and nutrients were removed simultaneously within microaerobic tanks. • A 38.2 % reduction in footprint and one-third savings in reflux energy were achieved. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) has been successfully used in sequencing batch reactors. However, their application to existing continuous-flow systems remains challenging. In this study, a novel microaerobic-aerobic configuration with internal separators was implemented in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility with a nominal capacity of 2.5 × 104 m3 d−1. Sludge characteristics, pollutant removal and associated pathways, shifts in the microbial community, and underlying granulation mechanisms were investigated. Following a two-month operation period, the transition from flocculent-activated sludge to well-defined AGS with distinct boundaries and compact structures was successfully achieved. The average size of sludge increased from 31.9 to 138.5 μm, with granules larger than 200 μm constituting 28.9 % of the total sludge and SVI 30 averaging 51.4 ± 8.2 mL g−1. The 95th percentile effluent COD, NH 4 +-N, and TN concentrations were 35.0, 1.2, and 13.3 mg L−1, respectively. The primary pathways for pollutant removal were identified as simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal within the microaerobic tanks. The enrichment of denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating organisms, including Hydrogenophaga, Accumulibacter, Azospira, Dechloromonas , and Pseudomonas , provides an essential microbial foundation. Furthermore, computational fluid dynamics modeling revealed that the incorporation of internal separators in aerobic tanks induced shifts in the flow pattern, transitioning from a single-circulation cell to multiple vortical cells. This alteration amplified the local velocity gradients, generating the required shear forces to drive granulation. Moreover, mass balance analysis revealed that the microaerobic and aerobic tanks operated under feast and famine conditions, respectively, creating a microbial selection pressure that favored granulation. This process eliminates the need for external clarifiers, resulting in a footprint reduction of 38.2 % and one-third energy savings for sludge reflux. This study offers valuable insights into the application of continuous-flow AGS to upgrade existing activated sludge systems with limited retrofitting requirements. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A NIR method was provided to monitor the reaction process of Fmoc-D-Ala-OH in SPPS. • The chemometric method of SEPA was used for model establishment. • The predicted values were in good correlation with the values measured by HPLC. Solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) has received increasing attention from research laboratories and industry, and a variety of peptides have been successfully constructed in recent years. In this paper, near-infrared spectroscopy was applied to monitor SPPS process, and an analytical model of Fmoc-D-Ala-OH in SPPS solution was established. With the established model the Fmoc-D-Ala-OH content could be predicted rapidly at any time during the reaction. With a help of chemometric method of sampling error profile analysis (SEPA), some pretreatment methods were carefully compared, and the partial least squares method was used to build a model between NIR spectrum and Fmoc-D-Ala-OH content measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the model had a satisfactory performance, the determination coefficient, root mean square error of the calibration set were 0.9677 and 0.9284 mg/mL, respectively, and the determination coefficient, root mean square error of the prediction set were 0.9561, 1.1208 mg/mL, respectively. These results clearly showed that the model had a good predictive ability. Therefore, it had great potential in the monitoring of SPPS in pharmaceutical production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnAgCu alloys with low melting points and solderability are good candidates for Sn/Pb eutectics. In this paper, Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu nanoalloy powders were prepared by a chemical co-reduction method. The microscopic morphology, phase composition and melting behavior of the powders were analyzed with emphasis on the effect of surfactants on the powder particle size. The results showed that the average particle size of the powder was well controlled by the synergistic effect of the surfactants 1,10-phenanthroline and PVP, and the average particle size of the powder obtained was about 19 nm when the mass ratio of 1,10-phenanthroline to PVP was 4 and the addition amount was 10% of the precursor mass. The powder consists of three phases β-Sn, Ag 3 Sn, and Cu 6 Sn 5. The initial melting temperature of the powder is approximately 185.8 °C, which is close to the melting point of conventional Sn/Pb solder (183 °C). • Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu nanoparticles have a low starting melting temperature of approximately 185.8 °C. • Combination surfactants have a synergistic effect, reducing the amount of surfactant in the system. • Simple preparation process, easy to handle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-grade chronic inflammation, also known as metabolic inflammation, promotes the development of metabolic diseases. Increasing evidence suggests that changes in gut microbes and metabolites disrupt the integrity of the gut barrier and exert significant effects on the metabolism of various tissues, including the liver and adipose tissue, thereby contributing to metabolic inflammation. We observed that IL-22 is a key signaling molecule that serves as a bridge between intestinal microbes and the host, effectively alleviating metabolic inflammation by modulating the host immunomodulatory network. Here, we focused on elucidating the underlying mechanisms by which the gut microbiota and their metabolites reduce inflammation via IL-22, highlighting the favorable impact of IL-22 on metabolic inflammation. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of IL-22 as a therapeutic target for the management of metabolic inflammation and related diseases. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-dimensional |$k$| -sample comparison is a common task in applications. We construct a class of easy-to-implement distribution-free tests based on new nonparametric tools and unexplored connections with spectral graph theory. The test is shown to have various desirable properties and a characteristic exploratory flavour that has practical consequences for statistical modelling. Numerical examples show that the proposed method works surprisingly well across a broad range of realistic situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) has been recognized as one type of the most promising shell material. In this contribution, SiO2@Mg-Al-LDH core-shell nanocomposites with different shell morphologies were prepared and characterized via XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, TG-DTA, and BET in detail. The as-prepared SiO2@LDHs exhibit different base catalysis for the synthesis of propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME). The results indicate that LDH shell oriented vertically on the core could be generated by the sol-gel method (SG-SiO2@LDH) and displays the highest catalytic activity and stability among three materials. The horizontally oriented shell morphology tends to be formed by the self-assembly method (SA-SiO2@LDH), which maintains the original LDH structure but unstable. The formation of a third morphology called mixed platelet is contributed to the coexistence of horizontally and vertically platelets. It has been seen in the case of co-precipitation (CP-SiO2@LDH). Integrating the experimental result analysis, synthesis methods can significantly influence the nucleation rate, which would fabricate different shell morphologies. Furthermore, core-shell nanomaterials with special morphology may have certain application prospects in solid catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COAPT trial (Cardiovascular Outcomes Assessment of the MitraClip Percutaneous Therapy for Heart Failure Patients With Functional Mitral Regurgitation) demonstrated that edge-to-edge transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) with the MitraClip resulted in reduced mortality and heart failure hospitalizations and improved quality of life compared with maximally tolerated guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in patients with heart failure and 3 to 4+ secondary mitral regurgitation. Whether TMVr is cost-effective compared with GDMT in this population is unknown.Methods: We used data from the COAPT trial to perform a formal patient-level economic analysis of TMVr+GDMT versus GDMT alone for patients with heart failure and 3 to 4+ secondary mitral regurgitation from the perspective of the US healthcare system. Costs for the index TMVr hospitalization were assessed using a combination of resource-based accounting and hospital billing data (when available). Follow-up medical care costs were estimated on the basis of medical resource use collected during the COAPT trial. Health utilities were estimated for all patients at baseline and 1, 6, 12, and 24 months with the Short Form Six-Dimension Health Survey.Results: Initial costs for the TMVr procedure and index hospitalization were $35 755 and $48 198, respectively. Although follow-up costs were significantly lower with TMVr compared with GDMT ($26 654 versus $38 345; P=0.018), cumulative 2-year costs remained higher with TMVr because of the upfront cost of the index procedure ($73 416 versus $38 345; P<0.001). When in-trial survival, health utilities, and costs were modeled over a lifetime horizon, TMVr was projected to increase life expectancy by 1.13 years and quality-adjusted life-years by 0.82 years at a cost of $45 648, yielding a lifetime incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $40 361 per life-year gained and $55 600 per quality-adjusted life-year gained.Conclusions: For symptomatic patients with heart failure and 3 to 4+ secondary mitral regurgitation, TMVr increases life expectancy and quality-adjusted life expectancy compared with GDMT at an incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained that represents acceptable economic value according to current US thresholds.Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01626079. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The microalgae was immobilized with sodium alginate for NH 4 +-N removal. • The performances of free and immobilized microalgae were compared. • Mixotrophic microalgae showed better performance than heterotrophic mode. • Assimilation of NH 4 +-N was the main pathway resulting the synthesis of protein. In this study, the immobilization with sodium alginate (SA) for cultivating microalgae in entrapped matrix gel beads was conducted for separating it from water. Batch experiments with a period of 5 days were carried out for free and immobilized Scenedesmus obliquus simultaneously under two trophic modes, to compare the removal performances of different initial ammonium (NH 4 +-N) concentrations. In both free and immobilized form, the positive C-dependent effect in mixotrophy and the negative N-dependent effect in heterotrophy were observed. And the performances of immobilized form were all superior to that of free form, which showed greater tolerance to high concentration, maximally representing 96.6 ± 0.1% removal in 50 mg/L of NH 4 +-N in mixotrophy. Assimilation of NH 4 +-N was the main removal pathway resulting the protein synthesis with the dominant component including glutamic acid (Glu), cystine (Cys), arginine (Arg) and proline (Pro). The results demonstrated a systematic understanding for NH 4 +-N removal in microalgae-based system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) at intermediate surgical risk, treatment with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) results in similar rates of death or stroke at 2 years. Whether TAVR is cost-effective compared with SAVR for intermediate-risk patients remains uncertain.Methods: Between 2011 and 2014, 3110 intermediate-risk AS patients were treated with TAVR or SAVR in the PARTNER 2 trial (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves 2). A total of 2032 patients were randomized to receive TAVR using the SAPIEN XT valve (XT-TAVR) or SAVR in the PARTNER 2A trial, whereas the PARTNER S3i registry included an additional 1078 patients treated with TAVR using the SAPIEN 3 valve (S3-TAVR), which offers a lower delivery profile and sealing skirt designed to reduce paravalvular regurgitation compared with XT-TAVR. Procedural costs were estimated using measured resource utilization. Other in-trial costs were assessed by linkage of trial data with Medicare claims (n=2333) or by linear regression models for unlinked patients (n=682). Health utilities were estimated using the EQ-5D at baseline and 1, 12, and 24 months. Using a Markov model informed by in-trial costs, utilities, and survival data, lifetime cost-effectiveness from the perspective of the US healthcare system was estimated in terms of cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained.Results: Although procedural costs were ≈$20 000 higher with TAVR than SAVR, total cost differences for the index hospitalization were only $2888 higher with XT-TAVR ( P=0.014) and were $4155 lower with S3-TAVR ( P<0.001) owing to reductions in length of stay with TAVR. Follow-up costs were significantly lower with XT-TAVR (Δ=-$9304; P<0.001) and S3-TAVR (Δ=-$11 377; P<0.001) than with SAVR. Over a lifetime horizon, TAVR was projected to lower total costs by $8000 to $10 000 and to increase quality-adjusted survival by 0.15 to 0.27 years. XT-TAVR and S3-TAVR were found to be economically dominant compared with SAVR in 84% and 97% of bootstrap replicates, respectively.Conclusions: Among intermediate-risk AS patients, TAVR is projected to be economically dominant from the perspective of the US healthcare system by providing both greater quality-adjusted life expectancy and lower long-term costs than SAVR. If long-term data demonstrate comparable late mortality with TAVR and SAVR, these findings suggest that TAVR might be the preferred treatment strategy for intermediate-risk AS patients based on both clinical and economic considerations.Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01314313. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been extensively studied for applications in biomedical sciences. AuNPs have exceptional advantages in cells studies include good biocompatibility and very low cytotoxicity. The eco-friendly synthesis of AuNPs with various physical characteristics is simple, and led to the fabrication of nanomaterials showing different biological functions routing cellular physiology. A growing number of recent studies focused on the promoting effect of AuNPs on stem cells osteogenic differentiation. This includes the ability of the AuNP to activate Wnt/β-catenin pathway, ERK/MAPK pathway and p38 MAPK pathway, resulting in the activation of the transcription factors for the osteogenic differentiation. This technology represents a promising therapeutic strategy to heal patients with bone injury, by regenerating bone cells using stem cells therapy. In this review, recent applications of AuNPs in stem cells osteogenic differentiation, along with the related inducing mechanism are discussed. We also provide recent updates on the AuNP synthesis methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the poor high-temperature oxidation resistance of tungsten, a new high temperature protective gallium coating (O Ga) is designed in this paper. This O Ga material is modified with liquid metallic gallium by a mechanical stirring process, and a mixture of Ga x O y (Ga 2 O 3 and Ga 2 O) and Ga is obtained. Not only does it have good flexibility and adhesion, but it can also be easily printed to form a coating on tungsten surfaces. After isothermal oxidation at 800 °C for 24 h, the weight gain of the coating sample is 0.96 mg·cm−2, much lower than that of tungsten. This is attributed to the oxidation of the gallium coating on the tungsten surface to produce a βGa 2 O 3 layer, which prevents oxygen contact with the internal O Ga and W substrates. In addition, the inherent flexibility of the intermediate layer of O Ga prevents a mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the βGa 2 O 3 layer and the W substrate, ensuring the integrity of the coating. Gallium coatings are expected to be an alternative to conventional protection systems. • The gallium is used as a coating to protect tungsten from oxidation in high temperature. • The oxidation weight gain of the coating was only 0.96 mg·cm−2 in air at 800 °C for 24 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium‐based alloy liquid metal batteries currently face limitations such as volume expansion, unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film and substantial capacity decay. In this study, amorphous titanium dioxide is used to coat eutectic GaSn nanodroplets (eGaSn NDs) to construct the core‐shell structure of eGaSn@TiO2 nanodroplets (eGaSn@TiO2 NDs). The amorphous TiO2 shell (~6.5 nm) formed a stable SEI film, alleviated the volume expansion, and provided electron/ion transport channels to achieve excellent cycling performance and high specific capacity. The resulting eGaSn@TiO2 NDs exhibited high capacities of 580, 540, 515, 485, 456 and 426 mAh g−1 at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2 and 5 C, respectively. No significant decay was observed after more than 500 cycles with a capacity of 455 mAh g−1 at 1 C. In situ X‐ray diffraction (in situ XRD) was used to explore the lithiation mechanism of the eGaSn negative electrode during discharge. This study elucidates the design of advanced liquid alloy‐based negative electrode materials for high‐performance liquid metal batteries (LMBs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) trial, patients with 3-vessel or left main coronary artery disease (CAD) had improved long-term outcomes with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES), improvements driven mainly by differences in myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization.Objectives: This study compared the long-term quality-of-life benefits of DES-PCI versus CABG for patients with 3-vessel or left main CAD.Methods: Between 2005 and 2007, the SYNTAX trial randomized 1,800 patients with 3-vessel or left main CAD to either CABG or DES-PCI. Health status was assessed at baseline and at 1, 6, 12, 36, and 60 months by using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey.Results: At 5-year follow-up, CABG was superior to DES-PCI on several SAQ domains including angina frequency and physical function, as well as the role physical and role emotional scales of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. Subgroup analysis demonstrated a significant interaction between angiographic complexity (as assessed by the SYNTAX score) and angina relief (mean difference in the SAQ angina frequency score for CABG vs. PCI of -0.9, 3.3, and 3.9 points for low, intermediate, and high SYNTAX score patients, respectively; p = 0.048 for interaction).Conclusions: Among patients with 3-vessel or left main CAD, both CABG and DES-PCI were associated with substantial and sustained quality-of-life benefits over 5 years of follow-up. In general, CABG resulted in greater angina relief, although the absolute treatment benefit was small. Angina relief at 5 years was enhanced with CABG among patients with high SYNTAX scores, a finding reinforcing the recommendation that CABG should be strongly preferred for such patients. (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery [SYNTAX]; NCT00114972). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A pilot scale chemically enhanced high-loaded membrane bioreactor was operated for over 8 months. • Stable filtration (flux 8–10 LMH) was achieved at SS over 15 g/L. • Over 75% soluble organics and phosphorous were removed by CE-HLMBR. • 27–80 times concentration and over 85% concentration efficiency of COD were achieved. A-stage technology is acknowledged as a promising process for organic recovery. Due to its superior separation performance, the high-loaded membrane bioreactor (HLMBR) is a competitive variant of the A-stage. In this study, a pilot-scale chemically enhanced HLMBR (CE-HLMBR) was established to enhance the practical feasibility of the process. Polyaluminium chloride (PAC) and activated carbon (AC) were added to address membrane fouling, dependence on intensive aeration, and inadequate concentration factors. Eight conditions were designed to investigate the role of chemicals and aeration in filtration, pollutant removal, and organic recovery. Stable filtration (8–10 LMH) was achieved at SS concentrations of 15–20 g/L, benefiting from the dynamic formation and shedding of the protective cake layer, as well as the reduction of extracellular polymer substances (EPS). Over 75 % soluble organics and 80 % soluble phosphorous were removed by CE-HLMBR, mainly subject to the chemicals. Simultaneous nitrification–denitrification occurred due to uneven oxygen distribution. The influent organics were concentrated by factors ranging from 27 to 80 and the loss rate was less than 15 %. Meanwhile, methane production may not be an efficient method of resource extraction. The practical feasibility of the proposed CE-HLMBR was confirmed based on an additional three-month stable operation. This study will open new possibilities for the application of HLMBR systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textual documents created and distributed on the Internet are ever changing in various forms. Most of existing works are devoted to topic modeling and the evolution of individual topics, while sequential relations of topics in successive documents published by a specific user are ignored. In this paper, in order to characterize and detect personalized and abnormal behaviors of Internet users, we propose Sequential Topic Patterns (STPs) and formulate the problem of mining User-aware Rare Sequential Topic Patterns (URSTPs) in document streams on the Internet. They are rare on the whole but relatively frequent for specific users, so can be applied in many real-life scenarios, such as real-time monitoring on abnormal user behaviors. We present a group of algorithms to solve this innovative mining problem through three phases: preprocessing to extract probabilistic topics and identify sessions for different users, generating all the STP candidates with (expected) support values for each user by pattern-growth, and selecting URSTPs by making user-aware rarity analysis on derived STPs. Experiments on both real (Twitter) and synthetic datasets show that our approach can indeed discover special users and interpretable URSTPs effectively and efficiently, which significantly reflect users’ characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Here we explored the anti-oxidative and cytoprotective potentials of escin, a natural triterpene-saponin, against hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. We showed that escin remarkably attenuated H 2 O 2 -induced death and apoptosis of established (ARPE-19) and primary murine RPE cells. Meanwhile, ROS production and lipid peroxidation by H 2 O 2 were remarkably inhibited by escin. Escin treatment in RPE cells resulted in NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling activation, evidenced by transcription of anti-oxidant-responsive element (ARE)-regulated genes, including HO-1 , NQO-1 and SRXN-1 . Knockdown of Nrf2 through targeted shRNAs/siRNAs alleviated escin-mediated ARE gene transcription, and almost abolished escin-mediated anti-oxidant activity and RPE cytoprotection against H 2 O 2 . Reversely, escin was more potent against H 2 O 2 damages in Nrf2-over-expressed ARPE-19 cells. Further studies showed that escin-induced Nrf2 activation in RPE cells required AKT signaling. AKT inhibitors (LY294002 and perifosine) blocked escin-induced AKT activation, and dramatically inhibited Nrf2 phosphorylation, its cytosol accumulation and nuclear translocation in RPE cells. Escin-induced RPE cytoprotection against H 2 O 2 was also alleviated by the AKT inhibitors. Together, these results demonstrate that escin protects RPE cells from oxidative stress possibly through activating AKT-Nrf2 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative methods for biogas upgrading based on biological/in-situ concepts have started to arouse considerable interest. Bioelectrochemical removal of CO 2 for biogas upgrading was proposed here and demonstrated in both batch and continuous experiments. The in-situ biogas upgrading system seemed to perform better than the ex-situ one, but CO 2 content was kept below 10% in both systems. The in-situ system’s performance was further enhanced under continuous operation. Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and alkali production with CO 2 absorption could be major contributors to biogas upgrading. Molecular studies showed that all the biocathodes associated with biogas upgrading were dominated by sequences most similar to the same hydrogenotrophic methanogen species, Methanobacterium petrolearium (97–99% sequence identity). Conclusively, bioelectrochemical removal of CO 2 showed great potential for biogas upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • BGD from the iron-making process was first utilized as an accelerant in AD. • BGD accelerant (0.5–2.5 wt.%) can increase methane yield by 22.6%–51.3%. • Digestate with 2 wt.% BGD showed optimal stability (57.9%) and fertility (4.86%). • The electron transfer ability of the AD system was enhanced with BGD. • A strategy for understanding BGD added to boost AD performance was proposed. Plenty of refractory and environmentally hazardous bag-filter gas dust (BGD) is produced in the iron-making process. The effects of untreated BGD on anaerobic digestion (AD) with cattle manure were investigated. The BGD had the potential to boost the methane yield and digestate utilization considerably. The digester with 2.0 wt% BGD gained the highest methane yield (256.3 mL/g VS) and chemical oxygen demand removal rate (56.8%), 51.3% and 20.1% higher than that (169.4 mL/g VS, 47.3%) of the control group, respectively. The digestates with BGD possessed a utilization potential with the stability of 49.5–57.9% and fertility of 4.65–4.86%. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated that 2.0 wt% BGD improved the electron transport capacity of the AD system and increased the limiting current and redox peak current by 40.3% and 12.9%, respectively. A strategy for understanding the BGD reinforcing methanogenesis was proposed. This work also provides a technical support for recycling the BGD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis at low surgical risk, transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the SAPIEN 3 valve has been shown to reduce the composite of death, stroke, or rehospitalization at 2-year follow-up compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Whether TAVR is cost-effective compared with SAVR for low-risk patients remains uncertain. Methods: Between 2016 and 2017, 1000 low-risk patients with aortic stenosis were randomly assigned to TAVR with the SAPIEN 3 valve or SAVR in the PARTNER 3 trial (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves). Of these patients, 929 underwent valve replacement, were enrolled in the United States, and were included in the economic substudy. Procedural costs were estimated using measured resource use. Other costs were determined by linkage with Medicare claims or by regression models when linkage was not feasible. Health utilities were estimated using the EuroQOL 5-item questionnaire. With the use of a Markov model informed by in-trial data, lifetime cost-effectiveness from the perspective of the US health care system was estimated in terms of cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained. Results: Although procedural costs were nearly $19 000 higher with TAVR, total index hospitalization costs were only $591 more with TAVR compared with SAVR. Follow-up costs were lower with TAVR such that TAVR led to 2-year cost savings of $2030/patient compared with SAVR (95% CI, –$6222 to $1816) and a gain of 0.05 quality-adjusted life-years (95% CI, –0.003 to 0.102). In our base-case analysis, TAVR was projected to be an economically dominant strategy with a 95% probability that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for TAVR would be <$50 000/quality-adjusted life-year gained (consistent with high economic value from a US health care perspective). These findings were sensitive to differences in long-term survival, however, such that a modest long-term survival advantage with SAVR would render SAVR cost-effective (although not cost saving) compared with TAVR. Conclusions: For patients with severe aortic stenosis and low surgical risk similar to those enrolled in the PARTNER 3 trial, transfemoral TAVR with the SAPIEN 3 valve is cost saving compared with SAVR at 2 years and is projected to be economically attractive in the long run as long as there are no substantial differences in late death between the 2 strategies. Long-term follow-up will be critical to ultimately determine the preferred treatment strategy for low-risk patients from both a clinical and economic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Silver colloids prepared by microwave heating show a high SERS enhancement for TNT. [•] NaCl and pH value play an important role on SERS intensity of TNT. [•] The detection limit of TNT solution can be as low as 10−10 molL−1. [•] Some preliminary study of detecting TNT vapor using SERS have been carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: The FREEDOM trial demonstrated that among patients with diabetes mellitus and multivessel coronary artery disease, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery resulted in lower rates of death and myocardial infarction but a higher risk of stroke when compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug-eluting stents. Whether there are treatment differences in health status, as assessed from the patient's perspective, is unknown.Objectives: To compare the relative effects of CABG vs PCI using drug-eluting stents on health status among patients with diabetes mellitus and multivessel coronary artery disease.Design, Setting, and Participants: Between 2005 and 2010, 1900 patients from 18 countries with diabetes mellitus and multivessel coronary artery disease were randomized to undergo either CABG surgery (n = 947) or PCI (n = 953) as an initial treatment strategy. Of these, a total of 1880 patients had baseline health status assessed (935 CABG, 945 PCI) and comprised the primary analytic sample.Interventions: Initial revascularization with CABG surgery or PCI.Main Outcomes and Measures: Health status was assessed using the angina frequency, physical limitations, and quality-of-life domains of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire at baseline, at 1, 6, and 12 months, and annually thereafter. For each scale, scores range from 0 to 100 with higher scores representing better health. The effect of CABG surgery vs PCI was evaluated using longitudinal mixed-effect models.Results: At baseline, mean (SD) scores for the angina frequency, physical limitations, and quality-of-life subscales of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire were 70.9 (25.1), 67.3 (24.4), and 47.8 (25.0) for the CABG group and 71.4 (24.7), 69.9 (23.2), and 49.2 (25.7) for the PCI group, respectively. At 2-year follow-up, mean (SD) scores were 96.0 (11.9), 87.8 (18.7), and 82.2 (18.9) after CABG and 94.7 (14.3), 86.0 (19.3), and 80.4 (19.6) after PCI, with significantly greater benefit of CABG on each domain (mean treatment benefit, 1.3 [95% CI, 0.3-2.2], 4.4 [95% CI, 2.7-6.1], and 2.2 [95% CI, 0.7-3.8] points, respectively; P < .01 for each comparison). Beyond 2 years, the 2 revascularization strategies provided generally similar patient-reported outcomes.Conclusions and Relevance: For patients with diabetes and multivessel CAD, CABG surgery provided slightly better intermediate-term health status and quality of life than PCI using drug-eluting stents. The magnitude of benefit was small, without consistent differences beyond 2 years, in part due to the higher rate of repeat revascularization with PCI.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00086450. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel anammox aggregate eliminated >40% nitrate generated in anammox. • The nitrate removal pathway exists mainly at inner of anammox aggregates. • In-situ fermentation supplied endogenous carbon source for nitrate removal. • The interspecies cooperation sponsored sustainability of nitrate removal pathway. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is a cost-effective nitrogen removal pathway but instinctively generated nitrate limits its application. A novel anammox aggregate reduced the production of nitrate significantly with efficient removal of ammonia and nitrite in this work. The results demonstrated that the internal heterotrophic nitrate removal (IHNAR) pathway exists stably at inner of anammox aggregates, which eliminated 42.31 ± 3.85 % nitrate generated in anammox at without consuming external carbon source. The observed volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and adequate protein, polysaccharide and humic acids in the aggregates verified that the in-situ fermentation supplied sustainably endogenous carbon sources for the IHNAR. The efficient interspecies cooperation between anammox bacteria, heterotrophic denitrifiers and fermentative bacteria was identified, as the intrinsic justification for the obtained sustainability of IHNAR pathway. The findings were expected to provide theoretical guidance for promotions and applications of the anammox process with high-efficiency total nitrogen removal capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background--Elevated serum cholesterol accounts for a considerable proportion of cardiovascular disease worldwide. An understanding of the relationship between country-level economic and health system factors and elevated cholesterol may provide insight for prioritization of cardiovascular prevention programs. Methods and Results--Using hierarchical models, we examined the relationship between elevated total cholesterol (>200 mg/dL) in 53 570 outpatients from 36 countries, and tertiles of several country-level indices: (1) gross national income, (2) total expenditure on health as percentage of gross domestic product, (3) government expenditure on health as percentage of total expenditure on health, (4) out-of-pocket expenditures as percentage of private expenditure on health, and the World Health Organization indices of (5) Health System Achievement and (6) Performance/Efficiency. Overall, 38% of outpatients had total cholesterol >200 mg/dL (>5.18 mmol/L), and 9.3% of the total variability in elevated cholesterol was at the country level; this proportion was higher for patients with (12.1%) versus without (7.4%) history of hyperlipidemia. Among patients with history of hyperlipidemia, countries in the highest tertile of gross national income or World Health Organization Health System Achievement had lower odds of elevated cholesterol than lower tertiles (P<0.001, for both). Countries in the highest tertile of out-of-pocket health expenditures had higher odds of elevated cholesterol than those in the lowest tertile (P<0.001). No significant associations were found for patients without history of hyperlipidemia. Conclusions--Global variations in the prevalence of elevated cholesterol among patients with history of hyperlipidemia are associated with country-level economic development and health system indices. These results support the need for strengthening efforts toward effective cardiovascular disease prevention and control and may provide insight for health policy setting at the national level. INSET: CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Feeding with a diet high in rice often results in several adverse effects for animals, such as ruminal acidosis, the translocation of endotoxin into the bloodstream, gastrointestinal barrier impairment, liver injures, and inflammation. A high rice grain-based diet also provides excess energy for human beings, which usually induces obesity via an miRNA-based mechanism. Currently, whether high-rice diets affect spleen growth and related molecular events remains unknown. Therefore, we take goats as an artiodactyl model to investigate the effects of feeding a highly concentrated diet, based on rice grains, on the growth and microRNA expression profiles in the goat spleen. Here, we first report about the splenic microRNA profile in artiodactyls fed a highly concentrated diet based on rice. Our results shed light on the miRNA-based regulatory mechanism that contributes to the development of high calorie-induced metabolic diseases in mammals. Several researchers have testified that feeding with diets high in rice grain induces subacute ruminal acidosis and increases the risk of gastrointestinal inflammation. However, whether diets high in rice grain affect spleen growth and related molecular events remains unknown. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding a high-concentrate (HC) diet based on rice on the growth and microRNA expression profiles in goat spleen. Sixteen Liuyang black goats were used as an artiodactyl model and fed an HC diet for five weeks. Visceral organ weight, LPS (lipopolysaccharide) concentration in the liver and spleen, and microRNA expression were analyzed. The results showed that feeding an HC diet increased the heart and spleen indexes and decreased the liver LPS concentration (p < 0.05). In total, 596 microRNAs were identified, and twenty-one of them were differentially expressed in the spleens of goats fed with the HC diet. Specifically, several microRNAs (miR-107, miR-512, miR-51b, miR-191, miR-296, miR-326, miR-6123 and miR-433) were upregulated. Meanwhile, miR-30b, miR-30d, miR-1468, miR-502a, miR-145, miR-139, miR-2284f, miR-101 and miR-92a were downregulated. Additionally, their target gene CPPED1, CDK6, CCNT1 and CASP7 expressions were inhibited (p < 0.05). These results indicated that the HC diet promoted the growth of the heart and spleen. The HC diet also regulated the expression of miR-326, miR-512-3p, miR-30b, miR-30d, miR-502a and their target genes (CPPED1, CDK6 and CCNT1) related to the enhancement of splenocyte proliferation. The HC diet also modulated the expression of miR-15b-5p, miR-1468 and miR-92a, related to the suppression of splenocyte apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Effects of a high-rice dietary proportion on the meat quality, gut microbiota and metabolites in small ruminants are rarely reported. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the slaughtering characteristic and meat quality, acute phase reaction proteins (APRPs) in plasma and colonic microbiota and metabolites of goats subjected to a high-rice diet. After a 35-day period, sixteen goats received a high-rice diet (HR, 90% concentrate) or a control diet (55% concentrate). In summary, the results showed that the slaughter performance and meat quality were improved in the growing goats after being fed the HR diet. However, the HR diet induced an acute phase reaction and disturbed the gut microbiota to some extent, which increases the health risk to growing goats. Effects of a high-rice dietary proportion on the meat quality, acute phase reaction proteins (APRPs) and colonic microbiota and metabolites in goats are rarely reported. This study was designed to investigate the meat quality and metabolism in goats. Sixteen goats were equally divided into two groups and fed a control diet (Con, 55% concentrate) or a high-rice diet (HR, 90% concentrate) for five weeks. We found that the HR diet improved the slaughtering characteristic and meat quality but induced an acute phase reaction and decreased bacterial richness and diversity when compared to the control group. Furthermore, the levels of acetate, propionate and total VFA concentrations were higher in the colonic contents of the HR-fed goats than in those of the control group (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the HR diet decreased the pH value, lactic acid concentration and increased the activity of amylase and lipopolysaccharide concentration in the colonic contents of goats (p < 0.05). The proportion of Oscillibacter increased while Phocaeicola and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group significantly decreased with the HR diet (p < 0.05). Collectively, the HR diet induced an acute phase reaction and altered the colonic bacterial community, which increases the health risk to growing goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The effects of dietary hydrolyzed Chinese gallnut tannic acid (GCT) as a replacement for ZnO were investigated on weaned piglets. A total of 72 piglets (31 ± 1 day) were selected and divided randomly into two groups: a control group, with a basal diet of + 1600 mg/kg ZnO; and a treated group, with a basal diet of + 1899.5 mg/kg GCT. The diarrhea rate of piglets in the treated group declined on days 14–21 than in the control group. Additionally, we found GCT can reduce the crypt depth of the ileum and improve antioxidant capacity. High throughput sequencing showed that the GCT increased the richness of bacteria (Lachnospiraceae, Prevotella, and Lactobacillus amylovorus) associated with the degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose. These data indicate that 1899.5 mg/kg GCT could be an alternative for 1600 mg/kg ZnO in the diet of piglets. The effects of dietary hydrolyzed Chinese gallnut tannic acid(GCT) as a replacement for ZnO were investigated on weaned piglets. A total of 72 weaned piglets at 31 ± 1 day (six replicate pens per treatment with six piglets per pen) were selected and divided randomly into two groups: a control group, with a basal diet of + 1600 mg/kg ZnO; and a treated group, with a basal diet of + 1899.5 mg/kg GCT. Data analysis showed that the significance of average daily gain and average daily feed intake between the two groups was p = 0.731 and p = 0.799, respectively. Compared with the control group, the diarrhea rate of piglets in the treated group underwent no noticeable change on days 0–7 (p = 0.383) and 7–14 (p = 0.263), but decreased significantly on days 14–21 (p < 0.05). Additionally, we found GCT can reduce the crypt depth of the ileum and improve its antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05). High throughput sequencing showed that GCT increased the richness of the bacteria Lachnospiraceae (p = 0.005), Prevotella_2 (p = 0.046) and Lactobacillus amylovorus (p = 0.081), which are associated with the degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose. The study indicated that 1899.5 mg/kg GCT could be an alternative for 1600 mg/kg ZnO in the diet of piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CQDs-0.36 MF group achieved best CH 4 yield (348.9 mL/g VS) and H 2 yield (9.9 mL/g VS). • Digestate of CQDs-0.36 MF group showed acceptable thermal stability and fertility. • The IET process was enhanced by the synergistic effect of CQDs and MF. • MF and CQDs enriched hydrogenotrophic methanogens and electrotrophic methanogens. Anaerobic digestion shows great potential for biomass energy recovery, however, the low electron transfer efficiency between microorganisms limits overall anaerobic digestion performance. In this work, aloe peel-derived carbon dots (carbon quantum dots, CQDs) were designed and investigated as accelerants for anaerobic digestion systems under an applied magnetic field to promote the interspecific electron transfer (IET) efficiency in methane and hydrogen production processes. Compared with the control group (188.9 mL/g VS, 4.2 mL/g VS, 34.7 %, and 26.3 %), the applied magnetic field (5 mT) significantly increased methane yield (256.1 mL/g VS), hydrogen yield (7.0 mL/g VS), total chemical oxygen demand reduction (41.7 %), and energy conversion efficiency (35.7 %). The introduction of the CQDs (0.18–0.45 wt.%) under a magnetic field (5 mT) has further positive effects on digestion performance. The experimental group incorporating 0.36 wt.% CQDs under a 5 mT magnetic field obtained the highest methane yield (348.9 mL/g VS), hydrogen yield (9.9 mL/g VS), and total chemical oxygen demand reduction (58.4 %), and thus the energy recovery efficiency was increased by 85 % compared with control group. The digestate incorporating 0.36 wt.% CQDs exhibited excellent thermal stability (59.71 %) and total nutrient content (38.17 g/kg), and has great potential as a main ingredient in compound fertilizer. The potential role of the magnetic field and CQDs in enhancing hydrogen interspecies electron transfer (HIET) and direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) for methane and hydrogen production is further illustrated, providing a feasible solution for improving energy recovery from biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introduction of binary and ternary TEs can improve biogas yield by 66.52–76.32%. • Three kinetic models (FOM, LM, and MGM) are employed to predict biogas yield. • Predicted data (0.32–5.3%) of LM and MGM are closer to measured data than FOM. • Coats-Redfern fitting proves TEs reduce activation energy of digestate (3.9–26.2%). • The selected kinetic models fit well with the experimental data (R2 > 0.98). The effects of binary and ternary trace elements (TEs) (Fe/Co, Fe/Ni, and Fe/Co/Ni) on the anaerobic digestion (AD) of cattle manure were investigated using kinetic models (first-order, logistic, modified Gompertz, and Coats-Redfern) and experimental measurements. Binary and ternary TEs can significantly improve the biogas production rate and yield potential. The deviation between the predicted and measured data for biogas yield with logistic model (2.1%–5.3%) and modified Gompertz model (0.32%–2.9%) was smaller than that with first-order kinetic model (6.9%–9.9%). The Coats-Redfern model fitting indicated that the activation energy of digestates with trace elements during pyrolysis was reduced by 3.9%–26.2% compared with the control group. Meanwhile, digestates with TEs showed remarkable fertility (5.72%–5.95%). The combination of kinetic models and experimental measurements can effectively quantify the effect of TEs on AD performance and provide an informed choice for industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste (FW) is an impending issue, and its resource recovery and energy recycling have become a hotspot in the academic community. This paper presents an innovative integrated two-stage anaerobic digestion process that can enhance anaerobic digestion of food waste. The new technology is an attractive solution to resolve difficulties related to productivity and system optimization in traditional single and double-stage FW digestion processes. The study revealed that the oil extraction rate increased from 2% to 3%–4% after process improvement, and the specific biogas production of the integrated two-stage biogas plant (50.2 m3/t) was 10.54% higher than single-stage biogas plant. Metagenome data analysis indicated that aceticlastic methanogenesis was the main route for methane production in the integrated two-stage biogas plant. Considering the short payback time (1.5 years), high net present value (11.49 million) and internal rate of return (36.97%), this biogas project was economically viable. In this context, this innovative process got through the recycling bottleneck of food waste and promoted the industrialization of anaerobic treatment of food waste. Image 1 • This work compared performance of ITS and single-stage biogas plants. • The innovative two-stage process enhanced biogas yield and stability. • Dominate Methanothrix undergo aceticlastic methanogenic pathway in ITS digester. • Methanobacteriales can grow in syntrophy with Bacteroidetes. • Oil extraction rate was increased to 3–4% by continuous wet-heat steam technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Integrated system of floc, aggregate and carrier reaped high-quality anammox biofilm. • A model of developing high-quality anammox biofilm was established. • A strategy of reaping high-quality biofilm was proposed. This work investigated the effects of integration of floc, aggregate and carrier (IFAC) on anammox biofilm quality and development mechanisms. The IFAC system harvested high-quality anammox biofilm with a reduction of 60% in the formation period, an increment of 282.14%~397.26% in mechanical stability, an enhancement of 10.18 ~ 21.56% in ecological stability and an improvement of 9.44%~46.18% in abundance of the phylum Planctomycetes. Aggregates enabled carriers to accumulate initial biomass efficiently and equipped biofilm with additional joint forces. Floc promoted accumulation of terminal biomass, enhanced ecological stability by improving community diversity and raised abundance of the phylum Planctomycetes by assisting anammox consortium settlement. A model of the development procedure of high-quality anammox biofilm was established and a strategy for pre-designing the IFAC system to reap high-quality biofilm was proposed. We expect our findings to provide theoretical guidance for designs and applications of anammox process with excellent stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In-situ H 2 -assisted biogas upgrading was applied to anaerobic wastewater treatment. • CH 4 content of product gas was consistently over 90% at all OLRs. • H 2 -rich syngas could replace pure H 2 during the in-situ biogas upgrading process. • Syntrophy of bacteria and methanogens facilitated biogas upgrading with syngas. • Aceticlastic Methanothrix species were the dominant methanogens in the reactors. The H 2 -assisted biogas upgrading approach has recently attracted much interest as a low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative to commonly used ex-situ/ physiochemical biogas upgrading techniques. However, most studies conducted to date have been limited to anaerobic solid-waste treatment characterized by flocculant sludge and low organic loading rates (OLR). In an attempt to expand its application to high-rate anaerobic wastewater treatment, an innovative two-stage up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor system was employed using anaerobic granular sludge. We found that the CH 4 content of product gas was consistently >90% and that H 2 and CO 2 concentrations stayed below 5%, even when OLR was increased from 1 to 5 g L−1 d−1 and H 2 feeding rates were increased from 0.13 to 0.63 g L−1 d−1. We were also able to show that CO (5–10%) in H 2 -rich syngas didn't inhibit methanogenesis or had significant impact on microbial community structure, suggesting that H 2 -assisted biogas upgrading with H 2 -rich syngas is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The microalgae were immobilized for NH 4 +-N removal compared to free form. • Autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions were simultaneously analyzed. • CO 2 level was a key factor for NH 4 +-N removal and optimal level was selected. • Protein was the main product of NH 4 +-N bioconversion in microalgae-based system. In this study, immobilized Scenedesmus obliquus (S. obliquus) was proposed to simultaneously alleviate the carbon dioxide (CO 2) and ammonium (NH 4 +-N). Two trophic modes of autotrophy and mixotrophy were conducted by batch experiments with a period of 5 days. The results shown that NH 4 +-N could be removed more efficiently if algal cells were immobilized, and the trophic mode change had no significant effect on immobilized S. obliquus to NH 4 +-N removal under 5% CO 2 sparging. Specifically, immobilized S. obliquus could remove NH 4 +-N completely at initial concentrations of 30 and 50 mg/L and reached about 80% removal rate of NH 4 +-N at the concentration of 70 mg/L under both trophic modes. The protein synthesis was its main removal mechanism and the dominant amino acid components including glutamic acid (Glu), cystine (Cys), arginine (Arg), methionine (Met) and lysine (Lys) were sensitive to NH 4 +-N assimilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurements of renin and aldosterone levels play an important role in primary aldosteronism screening, which is of great importance in the management and categorization of hypertension. The objective of this study is to investigate the current status of plasma renin and aldosterone measurements in China, which is achieved by analyzing the results of 526 clinical laboratories nationwide for three pooled fresh plasma samples derived from more than 2,000 patients.Renin and aldosterone in three pooled plasma samples were measured four times in 526 laboratories employing various measurement systems. The inter- and intra-laboratory %CV were calculated and compared. To determine the source of the substantial inter-laboratory %CV, laboratories were categorized according to the measurement systems they are using, and both the inter- and intra-measurement-system %CV were calculated and compared.Regarding renin, the majority of laboratories use four primary commercial immunoassays. However, for aldosterone, in addition to commercial immunoassays, laboratory-developed liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods are also used by laboratories. The median values of intra-laboratory %CVs, intra-measurement-system %CVs, inter-laboratory %CVs, and inter-measurement systems %CVs varied between 1.6 and 2.6 %, 4.6 and 14.9 %, 8.3 and 25.7 %, and 10.0 and 34.4 % for renin, respectively. For aldosterone, these values ranged from 1.4 to 2.2 %, 2.5–14.7 %, 9.9–31.0 %, and 10.0–35.5 %, respectively.The precision within laboratories and measurement systems for plasma renin and aldosterone measurements is satisfactory. However, the comparability between laboratories using different measurement systems remains lacking, indicating the long way to achieve standardization and harmonization for these two analytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a critical tumor suppressor protein that regulates various biological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammatory responses by controlling the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway. PTEN plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Loss of PTEN may contribute to survival, proliferation, and pro-inflammatory cytokine release of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). Also, persistent PI3K signaling increases myeloid cells' osteoclastic potential, enhancing localized bone destruction. Recent studies have shown that the expression of PTEN protein in the synovial lining of RA patients with aggressive FLS is minimal. Experimental upregulation of PTEN protein expression could reduce the damage caused by RA. Nonetheless, a complete comprehension of aberrant PTEN drives RA progression and its interactions with other crucial molecules remains elusive. This review is dedicated to promoting a thorough understanding of the signaling mechanisms of aberrant PTEN in RA and aims to furnish pertinent theoretical support for forthcoming endeavors in both basic and clinical research within this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of low-cost magnetic industrial wastes as accelerants can significantly improve the performance of anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD), thereby enhancing the biogas yield. In this work, varying concentrations (1.0–4.0 wt.%) of magnetic flyash (MFA) were applied to the AcoD of cow manure (CM) and aloe peel waste (APW). All AcoD systems were operated under mesophilic condition (37 ᴼC) with a 5 mT magnetic field. The AcoD system with 2.0 wt.% of MFA showed the highest cumulative biogas yield (487 mL/g VS), methane content (65.17%), COD, TS and VS removal rates (36.45, 45.49 and 52.10%, respectively), and fertility (3.4%). However, the 1.0 wt.% of NMFA also showed higher cumulative biogas yield (432 mL/g VS), methane content (60.23%), COD, TS and VS (27.69, 18.24 and 43.64%, respectively), and fertility (3.31%) than other NMFA concentrations (1.5 & 2.0 wt.%). Kinetic models verified that MFA coupled with a magnetic field could increase biogas potential and production rate. A strategy for determining the role of MFA in microbial biofilm formation and improving biodegradation, which increases the biogas yield, is also suggested. This work demonstrates a cost-effective application of MFA in bioenergy production systems by improving the AD process. [Display omitted] • Magnetic-flyash allied WSMF increased biomethane by 18.88%. • Kinetic models (FOM, LM, and MGM) fit well with the experimental data (R2 > 0.98). • Magnetic-flyash allied with 5 mT can increase biogas production and its rate. • Magnetic-flyash encouraged the microbial biofilm. • Microbial biofilm enhance biodegradation in AcoD system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the increasing hazard of ionizing radiation, it is critical to investigate the photon attenuation properties of Li 7-x La 3 Zr 2-x Ta x O 12 (LLZTO) ceramics to optimize their application in radiation shielding. The solid-phase reaction method was used to prepared LLZTO ceramics of various densities. At the Ta doping of 0.6, the prepared LLZTO ceramic possesses a stable cubic phase structure, particle size uniformly distributed and tightly packed, and a relative density as high as 89.7%. Subsequently, the Phy-X program and Monte Carlo simulation evaluated the photon attenuation performance of the LLZTO ceramics. The addition of Ta increases the density and effective atomic number of LLZTO ceramics, the number and probability of extra-nuclear electrons that can collide with the incident photons in unit path length and the photon shielding capability of the ceramics. LLZTO ceramic with 0.6 Ta doping has an average specific lead equivalent of 0.524 and 0.322 mmPb/mm in medical diagnostic therapy and fast neutron nuclear applications, respectively, and can achieve saturation shielding of incident X-rays and fast neutrons with thicknesses of only 0.2 and 10 cm, respectively. Furthermore, the mechanism of the LLZTO ceramic shielding performance was analyzed from the perspective of photon-matter interactions. LLZTO ceramics have considerable photon attenuation ability in the wide energy range of 10−3–103 MeV and are potential photon-absorbing shields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the potassium availability of feldspar at ordinary temperatures, the mechanical grinding and addition of sodium hydroxide/salts were employed to study the effects of mechanical activation and strong alkali addition on particle characteristics, water-soluble potassium, and the available potassium of feldspar. A laser particle size analyzer was utilized for the direct determination of particle size distribution (PSD) using ground samples. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method was employed for specific surface areas. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed for structural characterization, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology exploration, and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to determine the chemical composition of potassium feldspar powder. The results revealed that the mechanical activation of potassium feldspar could reduce the particle size and produce agglomerated nanoparticles in the later period. The addition of NaOH and sodium salt did not cause agglomeration, and NaOH dissolved the nanoparticles. The water-soluble potassium content of feldspar in each treatment increased during mechanical grinding, from 21.64 mg kg−1 to 1495.81 mg·kg−1, by adding NaOH 5% weight of potassium feldspar powder and to 3044.08 mg·kg−1 by adding NaOH 10% weight with effects different from those of mechanical shaking. By comparison, only 162.93 mg·kg−1 water-soluble potassium was obtained by adding NaOH 5% weight. The dissolved potassium in the former case was significantly higher than in the latter, and the addition of NaOH and sodium salts significantly enhanced the water-soluble potassium contents due to ion exchange. Furthermore, the addition of sodium hydroxide improved the water-soluble potassium due to its mechanochemical action on potassium feldspar. The mechanical energy changed the crystal structure of potassium feldspar, explaining the increase in available potassium. The addition of sodium salts did not promote change in the feldspar's structure, thereby did not raise the available potassium content. The reason for this was related to the mechanochemical action on sodium hydroxide and feldspar, which could promote the dissolution of fine particles, thereby incrementing the available potassium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the increasing hazard of ionizing radiation, it is critical to investigate the photon attenuation properties of Li 7-x La 3 Zr 2-x Ta x O 12 (LLZTO) ceramics to optimize their application in radiation shielding. The solid-phase reaction method was used to prepared LLZTO ceramics of various densities. At the Ta doping of 0.6, the prepared LLZTO ceramic possesses a stable cubic phase structure, particle size uniformly distributed and tightly packed, and a relative density as high as 89.7%. Subsequently, the Phy-X program and Monte Carlo simulation evaluated the photon attenuation performance of the LLZTO ceramics. The addition of Ta increases the density and effective atomic number of LLZTO ceramics, the number and probability of extra-nuclear electrons that can collide with the incident photons in unit path length and the photon shielding capability of the ceramics. LLZTO ceramic with 0.6 Ta doping has an average specific lead equivalent of 0.524 and 0.322 mmPb/mm in medical diagnostic therapy and fast neutron nuclear applications, respectively, and can achieve saturation shielding of incident X-rays and fast neutrons with thicknesses of only 0.2 and 10 cm, respectively. Furthermore, the mechanism of the LLZTO ceramic shielding performance was analyzed from the perspective of photon-matter interactions. LLZTO ceramics have considerable photon attenuation ability in the wide energy range of 10−3–103 MeV and are potential photon-absorbing shields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CQDs and PC effectively promote biogas production in AcoD MF system. • Cumulative biogas yield of the CQDs/PC (1.2) group is 648.5 mL/g VS. • The digestate with CQDs/PC (1.2) show total nutrient content (N + P + K) of 49 g/kg. • Methanobacterium and Methanosarcina are enriched by adding CQDs and PC. • Mechanisms of magnetic field coupled CQDs/PC to improve AD performance is analysed. Carbon materials are widely used for direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) to promote CH 4 yield in anaerobic digestion (AD). However, the addition of host–guest assembly carbon accelerant has not been reported. This work explores the facilitation of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) immobilized in porous carbon (PC) as a host–guest accelerant in anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) under a magnetic field. The addition of CQDs and PC increased the biogas yield and TCOD removal efficiency by 30.1–38.6 % and 14.2–24.2 %, respectively, compared with control group (467.8 mL/g VS; 37.7 %). Fertilization efficiency of the optimal CQDs/PC group was 4.9 % and the excellent electronic exchange capability of CQDs (1.04 μmol e-/g) and PC (0.64 μmol e-/g) facilitated DIET. This approach helped in enriching anaerobic microorganisms and strengthened the thermal stability of the digestates. These findings provide new insights for improving AD performance using CQDs coupled PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B 2 O 3 -MnO 2 -CdO ternary oxide glasses with amorphous properties were synthesised using the melt-quenching method. Structural and physical property analyses showed that the amount of non-bridging oxygen and the system stiffness increases, and the oxide network filling is more tightly packed as cadmium oxide (CdO) gradually replaces manganese Oxide (MnO 2) in the glass. The radiation-shielding performance of the B 2 O 3 -MnO 2 -CdO glasses was evaluated using the shielding parameters calculated by the MCNPX simulation and the Phy-X program. Glasses with 40% and 50% CdO loading exhibited an average specific lead equivalent (PbE) of 0.241 and 0.294 mmPb/mm in the medical X-ray diagnostic area at 0.03–0.08 MeV; thus, they could fully meet the specific PbE requirements for application as "protection devices against diagnostic medical X-radiation". Furthermore, their photon attenuation capability is superior to that of various commercial shielding glasses in fast-neutron nuclear applications at 1°–103 MeV. In addition, compared to the borate glass systems studied in the literature, B 2 O 3 -MnO 2 -CdO glasses have fast neutron removal cross-sections of 0.125 cm−1 at a smaller density of 3.9043–4.8135 g/cm3, making them potentially excellent fast neutron absorbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]