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Construction materials are significantly exposed to ecological hazards due to the presence of hazardous chemical constituents found in industrial and agricultural solid wastes. This study aims to investigate the use of sawdust particles (SDPs) and sawdust wastewater (SDW) in alkali-activated composites (AACs) made from a mixture of different silicon-aluminum-based solid wastes (slag powder-SP, red mud-RM, fly ash-FA, and carbide slag-CS). The study examines the impact of SDP content, treated duration of SDPs, and SDW content on both fresh and hardened properties of the AACs, including electrical conductivity, fluidity, density, flexural and compressive strengths, and drying shrinkage. The study also analyzes the microstructures and product compositions of the AACs influenced by SDW through a comprehensive analysis of microstructures and product compositions by using XRD, SEM-EDS, and FTIR. The results show that treating SDPs with a 2.5 mol/L NaOH solution for 12 hours decreases the fluidity and electrical conductivity of the AACs but improves their flexural and compressive strengths. Additionally, in the synthesis of a composite material incorporating binder materials SP, RM, and FA in a mass ratio of 10:3:18, a 2.0 mol/L NaOH solution is employed. The liquid-to-solid ratio is maintained at 20:31, and the sand-to-binder ratio is set at 3:1. The substitution of 12.28% SDW to NaOH solution improves the resistance to drying shrinkage and long-term mechanical strength development of the AACs. Interestingly, the addition of SDW does not affect the product compositions due to the generation and decomposition of organic acid salts from organic impurities in the acidic SDW during long-term curing at room temperature. These findings provide valuable insights for the sustainable recycling of bioresources and solid wastes containing silicon-aluminum in construction materials.

The control techniques in buildings contribute significantly to thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ). However, the gaps are existing for multitarget controls considering both thermal comfort and IAQ. They are: (1) both experimental and modeling control studies were conducted for thermal comfort, focusing on temperature and humidity. (2) All three (physical, grey-box, black-box) modeling approaches were investigated for temperature control. (3) Physical and grey-box modeling approach were adopted for humidity control. (4) physical models were developed for VOCs and CO2 control. (5) grey-box and black-box models were lacking for VOCs and CO2. (6) Multi-target controls were lacking for temperature, humidity and CO2s. (7) Limited studies are available for multi-target controls for temperature, humidity, and VOCs. (8) Multi-target controls are not available yet for temperature, humidity, VOCs, and CO2.

2,2,4,4-Tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol (TMCD) is a diol monomer for terephthalic acid (TPA) class of copolyesters that can increase the glass transition temperature and mechanical strength in comparison to conventional TPA polyesters. TMCD-modified poly (1,4-cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) (PCTT) has been used to manufacture consumer products with good toughness, heat resistance and clarity. However, the suitability of PCTT in 3D printing had not been evaluated. Therefore, consumer plasticware was used as the starting material to investigate the suitability of this copolyester for fused deposition modeling (FDM). Chemical structure, mechanical properties, thermal behavior and viscoelastic properties of this copolyester were studied. NMR spectroscopy found that the copolyester had cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) and TMCD contents at 76.5 mol% and 20 mol% of total diol, respectively. 280 °C printing temperature and 110 °C bed temperature were suitable conditions for printing. Tg of PCTT was 103 °C (25 °C higher than PETG). Young's modulus and impact strength of printed PCTT were at least 100% and 65% higher than printed PETG, respectively. The ease of printing, superior mechanical properties and Tg (103 °C) make the PCTT random copolyester highly applicable in additive manufacturing.

Owing to its low cost and sustainable nature, lignocellulosic biomass has been utilized for reinforcing polymers, but it is crucial to understand the impact of high-ash concentrations in biomass on composite strength and processing. Biomass is not only desirable for biofuel production but could also have a strong market, if high-ash biomass is acceptable, for biocomposites. In this work, natural fibers (switchgrass and corn stover) were used to reinforce polylactic acid (PLA) to produce biocomposites. Natural fibers were pretreated to obtain fibers that contain different percentages of ash. The mechanical properties (such as Young's modulus, tensile strength, failure strain, storage modulus) of corn stover/PLA composites remained largely unaffected by the ash concentration of the biomass fibers, despite the large range of ash contents (2.2–11.9 wt%). However, the tensile strengths of switchgrass/PLA composites were slightly negatively affected by the ash concentration of the switchgrass fibers (0.7–2.1 wt%). Both the switchgrass/PLA and the corn stover/PLA composites exhibited a high-enough tensile strength (49–57 MPa) and suitable complex viscosity (2.0−7.0 kPa·s at the frequency of 3.2 rad/s). They are expected to be 3D-printable through an extrusion-based additive manufacturing process.

Abstract. Rationale:. For locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the neoadjuvant therapy strategy of preoperative nivolumab combined with chemotherapy has great potential, especially for locally advanced NSCLC which are initially unresectable. They may be cured after neoadjuvant immunotherapy, and this may become a new direction of treatment. We hope that this representative medical record and literature review can provide some assistance for clinicians using immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat lung cancer. Patient concerns:. A 50-year-old male patient was admitted to Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine on April 27, 2020 due to “coughing for more than one month.”. The patient had nothing of note in either his medical history or that of his family, and no history of smoking. Diagnosis:. The diagnosis was cT4N2M0IIIB stage right lower lung NSCLC with right hilar and mediastinal lymph node metastasis. The stage was inoperable stage IIIB NSCLC, but the patient had a strong willingness for doing surgery. Interventions:. The patient received 3 rounds of the neoadjuvant nivolumab therapy combined with TP (paclitaxel plus cisplatin) regimen, on 5-14-21, 06-07-21 and 07-07-21. Outcomes:. The tumor's area shrunk. Then the patient underwent thoracoscopic radical resection of the cancer in the right upper lung and postoperative pathology achieved pathological complete response (pCR) Lessons:. In this case, combined with the wishes of the patient and the latest research results, we confirmed pCR by radical surgery after 3 rounds of the neoadjuvant nivolumab therapy combined with chemotherapy. This may be a modality to cure more lung cancer patients in the future.

The introduction of soluble calcium additives contributes to forming calcium-containing geopolymer (N,C)-A-S-H and/or calcium (alumino)silicate hydration C-(A)-S-H in alkali-activated fly ash-based composites (AAFCs). However, the quantitative determination of the final gel product has yet been unclear due to the different chemical components, which influences the prediction of mechanical strength and microstructure. This study aims to propose a method to clarify the gel products in AAFCs by the critical elemental compositions in gel products. Furthermore, the AAFCs were prepared (by casting method) using soda residue (SR) as the calcium additive, fly ash as the aluminosilicate precursor, and sodium silicate solution as the alkaline activator. The compressive strengths of the AAFCs with different SR contents were recorded. The microstructures and gel products of AAFCs were detected through scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer (29Si NMR). Finally, the proposed determination method was verified with the experimental results. The new proposed quantitative method refers to a limit value of 2Ca/Al = 1.00 about the critical chemical elements in gel products, which helps to determine the calcium-containing geopolymer (N,C)-A-S-H or/and calcium (alumino)silicate hydration C-(A)-S-H in stable AAFCs. Results show that the gel products are determined as single (N,C)-A-S-H gels when 2Ca/Al is lower than 1.00; meanwhile, (N,C)-A-S-H and C-(A)-S-H gels coexist when 2Ca/Al is higher than 1.00 by the above proposed quantitative determination method. Furthermore, it works that the industrial solid waste SRs regarded as calcium additive are applied in the AAFCs to verify the gel products by 2Ca/Al = 1.00 as the limit value. The results provide the theoretical and experimental basis for the performance prediction and microstructural determination.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been broadly applied to numerous domains with a substantial surface area, tunable pore size, and multiple unsaturated metal sites. Recently, hollow MOFs have greatly attracted the scientific community due to their internal cavities and gradient pore structures. Hollow MOFs have a higher tunability, faster mass-transfer rates, and more accessible active sites when compared to traditional, solid MOFs. Hollow MOFs are also considered to be candidates for some functional material carriers. For example, composite materials such as hollow MOFs and metal nanoparticles, metal oxides, and enzymes have been prepared. These composite materials integrate the characteristics of hollow MOFs with functional materials and are broadly used in many aspects. This review describes the preparation strategies of hollow MOFs and their composites as well as their applications in organic catalysis, electrochemical sensing, and adsorption separation. Finally, we hope that this review provides meaningful knowledge about hollow-MOF composites and their derivatives and offers many valuable references to develop hollow-MOF-based applied materials.

PurposeHepatitis B virus reactivation (HBVr) in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) have not been sufficiently characterized. This study aimed to review the possible mechanism of HBVr induced by imatinib and explore appropriate measures for patient management and monitoring.MethodsThe clinical data of GIST patients who experienced HBVr due to treatment with imatinib at Xiangya Hospital (Changsha, Hunan, China) were retrospectively analyzed. A literature review was also conducted.ResultsFive cases were analyzed, including 3 cases in this study. The average age of the patients was 61.8 y, with male preponderance (4 of 5 vs. 1 of 5). These patients received imatinib as adjuvant treatment (n=4) or as neoadjuvant treatment (n=1). Primary tumors were mostly located in the stomach (n=4) or rectum (n=1). High (n=3) or intermediate (n=1) recurrence risk was categorized using the postoperative pathological results (n=4). Imatinib was then started at 400 (n=4) or 200 mg (n=1) daily. Patients first reported abnormal liver function during the 2th (n=1),6th (n=3), or 10th (n=1) month of treatment with imatinib. Some patients (n=4) discontinued imatinib following HBVr; notably, 1 month after discontinuation, 1 patient experienced HBVr. Antivirals (entecavir n=4, tenofovir n=1), artificial extracorporeal liver support (n=1), and liver transplant (n=1) were effective approaches to treating HBVr. Most patients (n=3) showed favorable progress, 1 patient underwent treatment, and 1 patient died due to severe liver failure induced by HBVr.ConclusionsAlthough HBVr is a rare complication (6.12%), HBV screening should be conducted before starting treatment with imatinib in GIST patients. Prophylactic therapy for hepatitis B surface antigen positive patients, prompt antiviral treatment and cessation of imatinib are also necessary.

Interest in novel uses of biogas has increased recently due to concerns about climate change and greater emphasis on renewable energy sources. Although biogas is frequently used in low-value applications such as heating and fuel in engines or even just flared, reforming is an emerging strategy for converting biogas to syngas, which could then be used to obtain high-value-added liquid fuels and chemicals. Interest also exists due to the role of dry, bi-, and tri-reforming in the capture and utilization of CO2. New research efforts have explored efficient and effective reforming catalysts, as specifically applied to biogas. In this paper, we review recent developments in dry, bi-, and tri-reforming, where the CO2 in biogas is used as an oxidant/partial oxidant. The synthesis, characterization, lifetime, deactivation, and regeneration of candidate reforming catalysts are discussed in detail. The thermodynamic limitation and techno-economics of biogas conversion are also discussed.

Catalytic cracking is one of the most promising processes for thermochemical conversion of biomass to advanced biofuels in recent years. However, current effectiveness of catalysts and conversion efficiency still remain challenges. An investigation of directly catalytic upgrading bio-oil vapors produced in prairie cordgrass (PCG) pyrolysis over Ni/HZSM-5 and HZSM-5 in a two stage packed-bed reactor was carried out. The Ni/HZSM-5 catalyst was synthesized using an impregnation method. Fresh and used catalysts were characterized by BET and XRD. The effects of catalysts on pyrolysis products yields and quality were examined. Both catalysts improved bio-oil product distribution compared to non-catalytic treatment. When PCG pyrolysis vapor was treated with absence of catalyst, the produced bio-oils contained higher alcohols (10.97%) and furans (10.14%). In contrast, the bio-oils contained the second highest hydrocarbons (34.97%）and the highest phenols (46.97%) when PCG pyrolysis vapor was treated with Ni/HZSM-5. Bio-oils containing less ketones and aldehydes were produced by both Ni/HZSM-5 and HZSM-5, but no ketones were found in Ni/HZSM-5 treatment compared to HZSM-5 (2.94%). The pyrolysis gas compositions were also affected by the presenting of HZSM-5 or Ni/HZSM-5 during the catalytic upgrading process. However, higher heating values and elemental compositions (C, H and N) of bio-chars produced in all treatments had no significant difference.

As a result of concerning petroleum price increasing and environmental impact, more attention is attracted to renewable resources for transportation fuels. Because not conflict with human and animal food resources, non-food vegetable oils are promising sources for developing bio-jet fuels. Extracting vegetable oil from oilseeds is the first critical step in the pathway of bio-jet fuel production. When sunflower seeds are de-hulled, there are always about 5%–15% broken seed kernels (fine meat particles) left over as residual wastes with oil content up to 48%. However, the oil extracted from these sunflower seed residues is non-edible due to its quality not meeting food standards. Genetically modified sunflower grown on margin lands has been identified one of sustainable biofuel sources since it doesn't compete to arable land uses. Sunflower oils extraction from non-food sunflower seeds, sunflower meats, and fine sunflower meats (seed de-hulling residue) was carried out using a cold press method in this study. Characterization of the sunflower oils produced was performed. The effect of cold press rotary frequency on oil recovery and quality was discussed. The results show that higher oil recovery was obtained at lower rotary frequencies. The highest oil recovery for sunflower seeds, sunflower meats, and fine sunflower meats in the tests were 75.67%, 89.74% and 83.19% respectively. The cold press operating conditions had minor influence on the sunflower oil quality. Sunflower meat oils produced at 15 Hz were preliminarily upgraded and distilled. The properties of the upgraded sunflower oils were improved. Though further study is needed for the improvement of processing cost and oil recovery, cold press has shown promising to extract oil from non-food sunflower seeds for future bio-jet fuel production.

Nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture suffer losses by volatilization of N to the air, surface runoff and leaching into the soil, resulting in low N use efficiency (NUE) (50%) and raising severe environmental pollutions. Controlledrelease nitrogen fertilizers (CRNFs) can control the release of N nutrients to NUE in crop production. Different methods were used to develop new CRNFs. However, different CRNF technologies are still underdeveloped due to inadequate controlling on N releasing time and/or unsustainable diffusion. The study on the influences of CRNF processing parameters on microbial conditions are lacking when the CRNFs composed of various bio-ingredients such as biochar, composts, and biowaste. The complexity of processing methods, material biodegradability, and other physical properties make current CRNFs of questionable value in agricultural production. This research aims to develop a novel biochar-compost-based controlled-release urea fertilizer (BCRUF) to preserve microbial properties carried by the compost. The BCRUF was synthesized by pelletizing the 50:50 (dry, wt/wt) mixture of biochar and compost. BCRUF was loaded with urea and then spray-coated with polylactic acid (PLA). The releasing time of two types of BCRUFs, coated and uncoated with PLA, for 80% of N release in water was up to 6 h at three different temperatures (4, 23, and 40 °C), compared to conventional urea fertilizer and commercial environmentally smart N (ESN) fertilizer. The releasing time of coated BCRUF for 80% N release in soil was up to 192 h (8 days). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed that no new functional groups were found in the release solution, indicating no new chemical hazards generated. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests also verified that its thermal stability could be up to 160 °C. The microbe populations in the BCRUF pellets were reduced after the pelleting and drying processes in BCRUF fabrication, but a few bacteria can endure in the air-drying process. BCRUF pellets soaked in water for 4 days retained some bacteria. The BCRUF showed very promising characteristics to improve NUE and sustainability in agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cylindrical NiMg/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 pellet catalysts with two different sizes (large, radius = 1.59 mm; small, radius = 0.75 mm) were produced by extrusion of powder catalysts. The small catalyst pellets had a higher specific surface area, pore volume, average pore size, radial crush strength, and resistance to breakage than the large pellets. Tri-reforming tests with surrogate biogas were conducted at 3 bar and 882 °C, with the feed molar ratios of CH4:CO2:air fixed at 1.0:0.7:0.95 and the H2O/CH4 molar feed ratio varied (0.35-1.16). The small catalyst pellets exhibited lower internal mass-transfer resistance and higher coking resistance compared to the large pellets. CO2 conversion decreased and H2/CO molar ratio increased with the increase of H2O/CH4 molar feed ratio, which are consistent with the trends predicted by thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. The results indicate that the NiMg/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 catalyst pellets are promising for commercial scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the issues of greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuels, vegetable oilseeds, especially non-food oilseeds, are used as an alternative fuel resource. Vegetable oil derived from these oilseeds can be upgraded into hydrocarbon biofuel. Catalytic cracking and hydroprocessing are two of the most promising pathways for converting vegetable oil to hydrocarbon biofuel. Heterogeneous catalysts play a critical role in those processes. The present review summarizes current progresses and remaining challenges of vegetable oil upgrading to biofuel. The catalyst properties, applications, deactivation, and regeneration are reviewed. A comparison of catalysts used in vegetable oil and bio-oil upgrading is also carried out. Some suggestions for heterogeneous catalysts applied in vegetable oil upgrading to improve the yield and quality of hydrocarbon biofuel are provided for further research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive consumption of fossil fuels and associated environmental issues are leading to an increased interest in alternative resources such as biofuels. The renewable biofuels can be upgraded from bio-oils that are derived from biomass pyrolysis. Catalytic cracking and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) are two of the most promising bio-oil upgrading processes for biofuel production. Heterogeneous catalysts are essential for upgrading bio-oil into hydrocarbon biofuel. Although advances have been achieved, the deactivation and regeneration of catalysts still remains a challenge. This review focuses on the current progress and challenges of heterogeneous catalyst application, deactivation, and regeneration. The technologies of catalysts deactivation, reduction, and regeneration for improving catalyst activity and stability are discussed. Some suggestions for future research including catalyst mechanism, catalyst development, process integration, and biomass modification for the production of hydrocarbon biofuels are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As nonfood oilseed varieties are being rapidly developed, new varieties may affect agricultural production efficiency and life-cycle assessment results. Current, detailed feedstock production information is necessary to accurately assess impacts of the biofuel life-cycle. The life-cycle impacts of four nonfood oilseeds (carinata [Brassica carinata L. Braun], camelina [Camelina satvia L. Crantz], canola or rapeseed [Brassica napus L.], and sunflower [Helianthus annuus L.]) were modeled using Argonne National Laboratory's GREET model to compare feedstocks for renewable biojet production using cold-press oil extraction. Only feedstock-related inputs were varied, allowing isolation of feedstock influence. Carinata and camelina performed slightly better than other oilseed crops at most product stages and impact categories as a result of current, low-input agricultural information and new feedstock varieties. Between 40 to 50% of SOx and NOx emissions, ~25% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and ~40% of total energy consumption for the biojet production impact occurred during feedstock production. Within the first standard deviation, total well-to-tank emissions varied between ~13% (GHG) and ~35% (SOx) for all feedstocks emphasizing the importance of accurate agricultural production information. Nonfood oilseed feedstock properties (e.g., oil content, density) and agricultural management (e.g., fertilization, yield) affect life-cycle assessment results. Using biofuels in feedstock production and focusing on low-impact management would assist producers in improving overall product sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individually, sunflower oil produced from inedible sunflower seeds with hulls and sunflower meats without hulls were catalytically cracked over the ZSM-5 catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor at three reaction temperatures (450 °C, 500 °C, and 550 °C). Characterizations of hydrocarbon biofuel, distillation residual, and non-condensable gas were carried out. The reaction temperature on the hydrocarbon biofuel yield and quality from sunflower seed oil and sunflower meat oil were discussed and compared. In addition, a preliminary cost analysis of the sunflower seed dehulling was carried out. The results showed that the highest hydrocarbon biofuel yield was obtained from upgrading sunflower meat oil at 500 °C. The highest meat hydrocarbon biofuel yield was 8.5% higher than the highest seed hydrocarbon biofuel yield. The reaction temperature had a significant effect on the distribution of non-condensable gas components. Furthermore, the reaction temperature affected the yield and properties of hydrocarbon biofuel. The unit cost of producing sunflower meat oil was lower than that of producing sunflower seed oil. Comprehensively, sunflower meat could be a more economical feedstock than sunflower seed to produce hydrocarbon biofuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]