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It is, in fact, inevitable for steel to be covered with a layer of iron oxides and/or peroxides on its surface. However, knowledge of its existence and functionality for tribological behaviors is usually ignored. Herein, covalent-organic framework nanomaterials (CONs) composed of three well-screened acceptors and a donor through the imide linkage were fabricated to explore their lubrication performances. The results indicate that the energy-level matching between CONs and iron oxides or peroxides leads to the formation of a Z-scheme heterojunction structure at the rubbing interface. Also, the friction produces an internal electric field in the heterojunction, which drives the negative atomic/ionic species from the sliding interface to immigrate into the pore of CONs and resettle inside to engender the pinning effects, producing a fixed lubrication layer. Synchronously, it also attracts the free CONs in the base oil to form an easy-shear lubrication layer assembling onto the fixed one, producing a lubrication film with two layered configurations. Finally, the unique lubrication film, despite its thickness of a dozen nanometers, still exhibits impressive friction reduction and antiwear. This finding will inspire the technology to utilize the intrinsic surface nature of steel materials to exploit lubricant additives or modulate tribological behaviors.

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Electrohydrodynamic printing holds both ultrahigh-resolution fabrication capability and unmatched ink-viscosity compatibility yet fails on highly insulating thick/irregular substrates. Herein, we proposed a single-potential driven electrohydrodynamic printing process with submicrometer resolution on arbitrary nonconductive targets, regardless of their geometric shape or sizes, via precoating with an ultrathin dielectric nanoparticle layer. Benefiting from the favorable Maxwell–Wagner polarization, the reversely polarized spot brought about a significant drop (∼57% for ceramics) in the operation voltage as its induced electric field and a negligible residual charge accumulation. Thus, ordered micro/nanostructures with line widths down to 300 nm were directly written at a stage speed as low as 5 mm/s, and silver features with width of ∼2 μm or interval of ∼4 μm were achieved on insulating substrates separately. Flexible sensors and curved heaters were then high-precision printed and demonstrated successfully, presenting this technique with huge potential for fabricating flexible/conformal electronics on arbitrary 3D structures.

AbstractAtractylodes lancearhizomes (ARs) are rich in essential oil, which contains a high amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), especially sesquiterpenes. The essential oil of A. lanceahas high medicinal and economic value. In this study, we investigated the impact of alteration in light quality on the production and composition of VOCs in A. lancea. We applied red light, blue light, and mixed red and blue light of different ratios (red : blue = 3:1, 6:1, and 9:1) treatment on A. lanceaplantlets and analyzed their VOCs by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Our results showed that light quality mainly affected the production rather than the composition of VOCs in A. lancea. We identified a total of 27 VOCs in the rhizome, 13 of them were sesquiterpenes. The concentration of sesquiterpenes increased as the proportion of red light increased. We performed transcriptomic analysis and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the white light group (the control group) and the other groups. These DEGs were enriched in the following pathways: plant-pathogen interaction, endocytosis, plant hormone signal transduction, photosynthesis-antenna proteins, photosynthesis, and circadian rhythm. We analyzed the Pearson correlation between the relative expression of the DEGs and the concentration of the key medicinal component in ARs, atractylon, and verified gene expression by RT-qPCR. The results indicated that the genes WRKY2, and MYC2, HSPs, EBF1, SAUR72, PYL4, and MKK5of the enriched pathways were positively associated with atractylon accumulation.

Over half of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases diagnosed worldwide are in China1–3. However, whole-genome analysis of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC in Chinese individuals is limited4–8, with current analyses of HCC mainly from non-HBV-enriched populations9,10. Here we initiated the Chinese Liver Cancer Atlas (CLCA) project and performed deep whole-genome sequencing (average depth, 120×) of 494 HCC tumours. We identified 6 coding and 28 non-coding previously undescribed driver candidates. Five previously undescribed mutational signatures were found, including aristolochic-acid-associated indel and doublet base signatures, and a single-base-substitution signature that we termed SBS_H8. Pentanucleotide context analysis and experimental validation confirmed that SBS_H8 was distinct to the aristolochic-acid-associated SBS22. Notably, HBV integrations could take the form of extrachromosomal circular DNA, resulting in elevated copy numbers and gene expression. Our high-depth data also enabled us to characterize subclonal clustered alterations, including chromothripsis, chromoplexy and kataegis, suggesting that these catastrophic events could also occur in late stages of hepatocarcinogenesis. Pathway analysis of all classes of alterations further linked non-coding mutations to dysregulation of liver metabolism. Finally, we performed in vitro and in vivo assays to show that fibrinogen alpha chain (FGA), determined as both a candidate coding and non-coding driver, regulates HCC progression and metastasis. Our CLCA study depicts a detailed genomic landscape and evolutionary history of HCC in Chinese individuals, providing important clinical implications.

Gibbsite-type bauxite is the main material for alumina extraction by Bayer process globally, while the iron in red mud is difficult to use for the high alumina content. Therefore, the efficient separation of iron and alumina is the premise for the resource utilization of red mud. In this work, the separation of iron and alumina in red mud containing 47.45% Fe and 11.58% Al2O3was studied through reduction roasting followed by magnetic separation. The analysis methods of XRD, VSM, SEM, and EDS were used to investigate the phase transformation of red mud during reduction roasting. Results show that hematite can be firstly reduced into magnetite, and alumogoethite into magnetite and alumina. Then, the magnetite reduction undergoes the process of Fe3O4→FeO→Fe, while alumina can react with FeO to form hercynite. The hercynite is ultimately reduced into metallic iron and alumina at elevated temperature. The specific saturation magnetization of reduced product is closely related to its main minerals, that is, the specific saturation magnetization of magnetite and metallic iron is higher than that of wustite and hercynite. The mass ratio of Fe to Al2O3in magnetic concentrate increases with roasting temperature, from 4.55 at 600 °C to 10.27 at 1200 °C. Therefore, efficient separation of iron and alumina in red mud could be achieved through deep reduction-magnetic separation.

microRNAs (miRNAs), particularly the exosomal miRNAs have been widely used as biomarkers and promising therapeutic targets in cancer. However, a comprehensive analysis of miRNA-gene regulatory network with clinical significance remains scarce. The emergence of high-throughput multi-omics data over large, well-characterized patient cohorts provides an unprecedented opportunity to address this problem. Herein, we performed a clinic-centered analysis to identify cancer-associated miRNAs, miRNA-target axis. We first calculated the correlation among miRNA, mRNA and 75 unique clinico-pathological characteristics (CPCs) in 26 cancer types, and established an online resource (4CR). Interestingly, we found that the high expression of several DNA methylation-related enzymes was associated with adverse outcomes of cancer patients, and these genes were regulated by a cluster of miRNAs. Furthermore, by integrating exosomal miRNA and mRNA databases, we identified exosomal miRNA biomarkers for non-invasive cancer surveillance and therapy monitoring. Finally, we explored the role of CPC-related miRNAs for therapeutic effect prediction of drugs based on their shared targets. Our analysis pipeline illustrated the significance of clinic-centered analysis in miRNA-gene pair identification and provided helpful clues for future cancer studies.

ObjectiveElucidating complex ecosystems and molecular features of gallbladder cancer (GBC) and benign gallbladder diseases is pivotal to proactive cancer prevention and optimal therapeutic intervention.DesignWe performed single-cell transcriptome analysis on 230 737 cells from 15 GBCs, 4 cholecystitis samples, 3 gallbladder polyps, 5 gallbladder adenomas and 16 adjacent normal tissues. Findings were validated through large-scale histological assays, digital spatial profiler multiplexed immunofluorescence (GeoMx), etc. Further molecular mechanism was demonstrated with in vitroand in vivostudies.ResultsThe cell atlas unveiled an altered immune landscape across different pathological states of gallbladder diseases. GBC featured a more suppressive immune microenvironment with distinct T-cell proliferation patterns and macrophage attributions in different GBC subtypes. Notably, mutual exclusivity between stromal and immune cells was identified and remarkable stromal ecosystem (SC) heterogeneity during GBC progression was unveiled. Specifically, SC1 demonstrated active interaction between Fibro-iCAF and Endo-Tip cells, correlating with poor prognosis. Moreover, epithelium genetic variations within adenocarcinoma (AC) indicated an evolutionary similarity between adenoma and AC. Importantly, our study identified elevated olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) in epithelial cells as a central player in GBC progression. OLFM4 was related to T-cell malfunction and tumour-associated macrophage infiltration, leading to a worse prognosis in GBC. Further investigations revealed that OLFM4 upregulated programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression through the MAPK-AP1 axis, facilitating tumour cell immune evasion.ConclusionThese findings offer a valuable resource for understanding the pathogenesis of gallbladder diseases and indicate OLFM4 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for GBC.

In this paper, a novel coaxial continuous-pulsed dual-beam laser was proposed to join TC4 titanium alloy with QP980 high-strength steel, and magnesium alloy containing rare-earth elements (Mg-RE) was creatively as filler. The weld appearance, microstructure and mechanical properties of joints obtained by single-beam and dual-beam laser welding were compared and analyzed. And the evolution of bonding mechanism and the fracture mechanism with laser beam energy density was analyzed. The results showed that the appearance and mechanical strength of the joint obtained by dual-beam laser were better than that by single-beam laser. And the maximum tensile shear load of TC4/QP980 lap joint welded by dual-beam laser reached 303 N/mm, which was 124 % of that of single-beam laser welding. The bonding of Mg-RE with QP980 affected by temperature of laser welding and mainly depended on Gd and Y. They just diffused to QP980 under low power and reacted with Fe under high power. And the inter-diffusion of Zr of Mg-RE with Ti of TC4 produced to the bonding of Mg-RE with TC4. The roles of continuous laser and pulsed laser in dual-beam laser welding were revealed in this paper and it showed a great application potential of coaxial dual-beam laser welding technology in dissimilar metal joining.

With its high accuracy, high penetration, high reliability, insensitivity to heat flow, lightweight, and portability, the single-input–single-output (SISO) impulse radio ultrawideband (IR-UWB) radar has great potential to assist firefighters in detecting faint life during building fires. However, multipath ghosting and clutter accompanying complex fire environments jeopardize the accuracy of radar target identification, especially for SISO radars, which cannot utilize multiaperture information. Mathematical models and feature distributions of radar echoes of multipath, clutter, and targets are innovatively focused in this article, benefiting from which a target identification algorithm relying on waveform features is proposed. The algorithm is dominated by pulse segment feature extraction, support vector machine (SVM)-based primary classification, and tracking-based secondary classification, which significantly improves the target recognition capability of the SISO IR-UWB radar with an accuracy of 88.7%. Experiments conducted in different usage scenarios with different numbers of targets, different motion states, and fixed and moving measurement modes demonstrate the robustness and high applicability of the algorithm.

This study presents atmospheric N2O mole fractions measured from discrete air samples from 2001 to 2018 at Mt. Waliguan (WLG) station (36°17′N, 100°54′E, 3816 m asl) in China, which is a global background station of the World Meteorological Organization/Global Atmosphere Watch Programme (WMO/GAW) in central Eurasia. Observed N2O characteristics of annual means, interannual variability, and seasonal cycles were investigated. Our results show that N2O at WLG possess a distinct increasing trend and a statistically significant seasonal cycle, with an average growth rate of 0.9±0.01 ppb yr−1(1σ)(1ppb=10−9), which is close to the global mean. The detrended seasonal cycle shows a trough of −0.25±0.04 (1σ) ppb in June and a peak of 0.13±0.07 (1σ) ppb in September, with an amplitude of 0.38 ppb. The pattern is due to combined effects of variation in surface sources, vertical convection within the boundary layer and stratosphere to troposphere transportation (STE). The interannual variability in growth rate was partly driven by quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of tropical zonal wind through stratospheric transport into the troposphere. According to a cluster analysis of back trajectories and the corresponding average N2O load, most air masses cover arid and semi-arid areas in inner Asia with low N2O emissions, indicating that the atmospheric N2O at the WLG represents the background N2O level in central Eurasia.

It is widely recognized that tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) plays a crucial role in tumor progression, metastasis, and therapeutic response. Despite several noninvasive strategies have emerged for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, there are still lack of effective radiomic-based model to evaluate TIME status, let alone predict clinical outcome and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICIs) response for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we developed a radiomic model to evaluate TIME status within the tumor and predict prognosis and immunotherapy response. A total of 301 patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations were enrolled in our study. The intra-tumoral expression of 17 immune-related molecules were evaluated using co-detection by indexing (CODEX) technology, and we construct Immunoscore (IS) with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm and Cox regression method to evaluate TIME. Of 6115 features extracted from MRI, five core features were filtered out, and the Radiomic Immunoscore (RIS) showed high accuracy in predicting TIME status in testing cohort (area under the curve = 0.753). More importantly, RIS model showed the capability of predicting therapeutic response to anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) immunotherapy in an independent cohort with advanced HCC patients (area under the curve = 0.731). In comparison with previously radiomic-based models, our integrated RIS model exhibits not only higher accuracy in predicting prognosis but also the potential guiding significance to HCC immunotherapy.

Large amounts of by-products, including coal gangue, circulating fluidized bed (CFB) slag, and coal fly ash (CFA), are generated during mining, washing and burning of high alumina coal (HAC). The stockpile of these by-products of HAC will cause the pollution of air, water and soil. Meanwhile, the unbalanced regional distribution of bauxite and alumina production has been a critical challenge for the sustainability of world alumina refineries, especially for China. Therefore, economical extraction of alumina from by-products of HAC not only resolves the environmental pollution problems caused by stockpile but also decreases the dependence degree of import bauxite in China. Considering the fact that powder alumina can only be produced by alkali methods, the alkali extraction of alumina from by-products of HAC is summarized in this paper. Based on the formation process of by-products of HAC, the principle, research status, and problem of existing methods were analyzed and discussed, as well as the forecast of research trend. The analyses indicate that simplex recovery of alumina from by-products of HAC generates large amounts of leaching residue (red mud) with difficulty for disposing, while comprehensive extraction of alumina and silica meets the research trend for clean and high-value utilization.

The five-year survival rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unsatisfactory. This reflects, in part, the paucity of effective methods that allow the target-specific diagnosis and therapy of HCC. Here, we report a strategy based on engineered human serum albumin (HSA) that permits the HCC-targeted delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Covalent cysteine conjugation combined with the exploitation of host–guest chemistry was used to effect the orthogonal functionalization of HSA with two functionally independent peptides. One of these peptides targets glypican-3 (GPC-3), an HCC-specific biomarker, while the second reduces macrophage phagocytosis through immune-checkpoint stimulation. This orthogonally engineered HSA proved effective for the GPC-3-targeted delivery of near-infrared fluorescent and phototherapeutic agents, thus permitting target-specific optical visualization and photodynamic ablation of HCC in vivo. This study thus offers new insights into specificity-enhanced fluorescence-guided surgery and phototherapy of HCC through the orthogonal engineering of biocompatible proteins.

Combining the advantages of riveting and laser welding methods, and the characteristics of stepped rivets, excellent QP980 steel/CFRP weld-rivet hybrid joint joints were obtained and the effects of different laser powers on the welded joints were investigated. It was found that this welding method can reduce the damage to CFRP by heat input and obtain joints with favorable mechanical properties with maximum tensile shear load over 10 kN. Three failure characteristics of joints with this hybrid joining process were found: failure of steel joint, failure of CFRP, and failure of both steel joint and CFRP. The stress distribution characteristics in case of CFRP failure were simulated with ABAQUS. Different heat inputs resulted in different melting amounts of steel and CFRP, and these melted materials entered the assembly gap due to thermal expansion, thus changing the load-bearing characteristics of the hybrid joint. This load-bearing structure is not just a simple riveted and welded structure, but also forms a mechanical interlocking effect.

The application of tumor antigen-based immunotherapy is hindered by the rarity of validated immunogenic peptides. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of circular RNAs (circRNAs) as a novel source of tumor antigen peptides in hepatobiliary tumor organoids. Using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) with an algorithm-based score tool, 3950 translated tumor-specific circRNAs were predicted to generate 18 971 antigen peptides in 27 organoids. In view of the antigen landscape, 11 amino acid length (mer) peptides and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A binding peptides harbored the highest immunogenicity-related scores. In three out of five analyzed organoids, 13 predicted antigen peptides were directly confirmed as HLA-A, -B, and -C (HLA-ABC) binding peptides with mass spectrometry (MS)-based immunopeptidomics. CircRNA-derived tumor-specific peptides presented by the HLA-ABC molecules stimulated cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8) T cells to exhibit increased CD107a interferon γ (IFNγ) co-expressions and IFNγ secretion in flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cytotoxic T cell activity targeting the organoids, induced by the immunogenic circRNA-derived peptides, was verified in a killing assay. Notably, the antigen peptide YGFNEILKK from circTBC1D15 was not only recognized as an HLA-ABC-presented peptide of the organoids but also drastically reduced the tumor organoid survival rate. Our findings highlight a crucial subset for generating tumor antigens, which has implications for targeting tumor-specific circRNAs in cancers.

Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) represents a variety of sensorineural deafness conditions characterized by abnormal inner hair cells and/or auditory nerve function, but with the preservation of outer hair cell function. ANSD represents up to 15% of individuals with hearing impairments. Through mutation screening, bioinformatic analysis and expression studies, we have previously identified several apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) mitochondria-associated 1 (AIFM1) variants in ANSD families and in some other sporadic cases. Here, to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms underlying each AIFM1variant, we generated AIF-null cells using the clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system and constructed AIF-wild type (WT) and AIF-mutant (mut) (p.T260A, p.R422W, and p.R451Q) stable transfection cell lines. We then analyzed AIF structure, coenzyme-binding affinity, apoptosis, and other aspects. Results revealed that these variants resulted in impaired dimerization, compromising AIF function. The reduction reaction of AIF variants had proceeded slower than that of AIF-WT. The average levels of AIF dimerization in AIF variant cells were only 34.5%–49.7% of that of AIF-WT cells, resulting in caspase-independent apoptosis. The average percentage of apoptotic cells in the variants was 12.3%–17.9%, which was significantly higher than that (6.9%–7.4%) in controls. However, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) treatment promoted the reduction of apoptosis by rescuing AIF dimerization in AIF variant cells. Our findings show that the impairment of AIF dimerization by AIFM1variants causes apoptosis contributing to ANSD, and introduce NADH as a potential drug for ANSD treatment. Our results help elucidate the mechanisms of ANSD and may lead to the provision of novel therapies.

It is important to develop green and sustainable approaches to enhance electrochemical charge storage efficiencies. Herein, a two-step in-situgrowth process was developed to fabricate carbon fiber paper-supported CeO2/MnO2composite (CeO2/MnO2—CFP) as a binder-free photo-electrode for the photo-assisted electrochemical charge storage. The formation of CeO2/MnO2type II heterojunction largely enhanced the separation efficiency of photo-generated charge carriers, resulting in a substantially enhanced photo-assisted charging capability of ∼20%. Furthermore, it retained a large part of its photo-enhanced capacitance (∼56%) in dark even after the illumination was off for 12 h, which could be attributed to its slow release of stored photo-generated electrons from its specific band structure to avoid their reaction with O2in dark. This study proposed the design principles for supercapacitors with both the photo-assisted charging capability and its long-lasting retainment in dark, which may be readily applied to other pseudocapacitive materials to better utilize solar energy.

The formation of high-quality Chinese medicinal materials is a micro-evolutionary process of multiple genes involving quantitative inheritance under environmental stress. Atractylodes lanceais a traditionally used medicinal plant in China that is broadly distributed and possesses a considerable amount of essential oils. However, to date, limited research has been conducted to characterize the genetics and metabolites of A. lanceashaped by natural variation. Hence, we assembled a high-quality genome of A. lancea, featuring a contig N50 of 1.18 Mb. We further integrated population resequencing of A. lanceaand conducted analyses to characterize its genetic diversity, population evolution, and rewiring of volatile metabolites. The natural variation effect exerted significant pressure on A. lanceafrom different geographic locations, resulting in genetic differentiation among three groups. Correlation analysis of metabolites in A. lancearevealed significant natural variations of terpenoids, heterocyclic compounds, ketones, and esters. We also found that 427 metabolites displayed noteworthy divergence due to directional selection. Additionally, our genome-wide association studies on the metabolome for medicinal quality traits identified several candidate genes, such as AlZFP706and AlAAHY1, exhibiting significant correlations with atractylodin and hinesol levels, respectively. Overall, this study provides an intricate genomic resource for A. lancea, thereby expanding our understanding of the effect of natural variation on metabolites and facilitating the genetic improvement of its medicinal properties.

The majority of conventional flame retardants are made by chemical processes using petroleum resources, which cause serious pollution and waste of resources in the ecological environment. In this paper, flame retardants such as L-aspartic acid, DL-serine, L-tyrosine, L-lysine, L-phenylalanine, L-histidine, L-tryptophan, and glycine were employed to finish poly-(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabrics with supercritical CO2fluid. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to examine. the microstructure and chemical composition of flame-retardant PET fabrics. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) test and the vertical combustion test were used to assess the flame-retardant qualities of PET fabrics. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to test and assess the thermal properties of PET fabrics. The strength test was used to assess the mechanical properties of PET fabrics. The results showed that the amino acid flame retardants were successfully finished on the PET fabrics by supercritical CO2(SC-CO2) technology and improved the thermal stability of the PET fabric. In comparison to untreated PET fabric, the elongation at break was 13–15 % greater, and the breaking strength was not reduced. Among them, the PET fabrics treated with L-aspartic acid and L-lysine had better flame-retardant performance, there were no droplets, the LOI values were greater than 30 %, and the char length was less than 10 cm. After 45 minutes of soaping and 3 times of washing, the LOI values were still above 28 %, and there were no droplets. Therefore, the PET fibers treated with amino acids using SC-CO2technology effectively improved the flame-retardant performance of PET fabrics.

Photocatalytic CO2reduction driven by green solar energy could be a promising approach for the carbon neutral practice. In this work, a novel defect engineering approach was developed to form the SnxNb1−xO2solid solution by the heavy substitutional Nb-doping of SnO2through a robust hydrothermal process. The detailed analysis demonstrated that the heavy substitution of Sn4+by a higher valence Nb5+created a more suitable band structure, a better photogenerated charge carrier separation and transfer, and stronger CO2adsorption due to the presence of abundant acid centers and excess electrons on its surface. Thus, the SnxNb1−xO2solid solution sample demonstrated a much better photocatalytic CO2reduction performance compared to the pristine SnO2sample without the need for sacrificial agent. Its photocatalytic CO2reduction efficiency reached ∼292.47 µmol/(g·h), which was 19 times that of the pristine SnO2sample. Furthermore, its main photocatalytic CO2reduction product was a more preferred multi-carbon (C2+) compound of C2H5OH, while that of the pristine SnO2sample was a one-carbon (C1) compound of CH3OH. This work demonstrated that, the heavy doping of high valence cations in metal oxides to form solid solution may enhance the photocatalytic CO2reduction and modulate its reduction process, to produce more C2+products. This material design strategy could be readily applied to various material systems for the exploration of high-performance photocatalysts for the solar-driven CO2reduction.

Geomorphic dynamics of alluvial rivers in response to upstream damming have substantial impacts on navigation, habitat protection, and channel stability. The purpose of this study was to determine how flow and sediment regimes, and meander characteristics affect the morphological adjustment of bends in the Lower Jingjiang Reach (LJR) before and after the Three Gorges Project (TGP). Based on detailed field measurements and hydrological and topographic datasets from 1991 to 2016, banks and point bars morphodynamics of 12 continuous bends in the LJR were comprehensively analyzed. Point bars in the LJR mainly experienced a net deposition before the TGP operation, but substantially deteriorated with a net erosion rate of 4.6 million m3yr−1in the post-TGP periods (2003–2016), and erosion on heads and upstream margins of point bars was a general adjustment pattern in the 12 bends. The most significant morphological changes of point bars and banks occurred in 2006–2011, indicating a delayed response of the channel evolution of the LJR to damming. Detailed observations suggested that the medium discharges (16,000–18,000 m3s−1) were the most contributive discharges in shaping the morphology of point bars and banks in the LJR after damming. In addition, we revealed the importance of sediment supply on meander deformation of the LJR, driven by sediment exchange over point bars, and more upstream planform deformation tended to occur in bends with high sinuosity (>2.0) in the LJR after damming. The relationship between meander deformation and sinuosity was manifested through the geometric adjustment range of point bars. The morphological adjustments of point bars in the highly curved or compound bends of the LJR were more conducive to cause flow deflections, leading to form concave-bank bars after the TGP operation.

Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death characterized by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid peroxidation and lethal reactive oxygen species (ROS). To date, misregulated ferroptosis has been implicated in several types of cancers, and ferroptosis inducers can be used to promote ferroptosis in tumor cells and play an anti-tumor role. However, the specificity and efficacy of ferroptosis inducers remain unsatisfactory. Here, a new mitochondria-targeted photosensitizer (PS) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristic named TCSVP was designed, which efficiently generates ROS in mitochondria after light exposure. TCSVP administration significantly sensitizes tumor cells to ferroptosis inducer (RSL3)-mediated cell death by specifically and light-dependently triggering a moderate ROS generation in vitroand in vivo. Mechanically, the expression levels of ferroptosis related proteins Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (FACL4/ACSL4) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) were increased in TCSVP/RSL3-treated cells after light exposure, coupled with decreased Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) activity and excessive malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. This study declared that light-induced moderate ROS generation within mitochondria in cancer cells by AIE-PS can be used to enhance the specificity and efficacy of ferroptosis inducers, bringing a new synergistic strategy for tumor intervention.

Compression and tensile strain based on piezo-phototronic effect represent a valid method for modulating the photocurrent of photodetectors. However, the underlying mechanism responsible for the asymmetric increase/decrease of photocurrent under identical compressive/tensile stresses remains unclear. Herein, a PVDF/CsPbBr3composite fiber incorporating orthorhombic CsPbBr3(a piezoelectric phase) is fabricated through room-temperature electrospinning. Subsequently, flexible photodetectors (PDs) based on PVDF/CsPbBr3are constructed to explore the impact of strain on photocurrent. The results reveal a 103% increase in photocurrent under a strain of −0.09% (compressive strain), significantly exceeding the 38% decrease observed under a strain of 0.09% (tensile strain). Furthermore, the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of the orthorhombic CsPbBr3are computed using density functional theory (DFT), confirming that the asymmetric modulation of photocurrent stems from the nature of the piezoelectric effect and ferroelectric effect. Additionally, the ferroelectric effect exerts a more pronounced influence on the photocurrent, which is 2.2 times greater than the piezoelectric effect. This work provides compelling evidence for the piezoelectric and ferroelectric effects of inorganic halide perovskites, underscoring the substantial potential of these effects in optoelectronic devices.

The microstructure and properties of aluminum (Al)-steel dissimilar metal riveting-welding joints obtained by the pulse laser and laser-arc hybrid welding methods were investigated. For simple laser beam riveting-welding Al and steel joint, the maximum tensile shear load of the joints was 6.3 kN, as the average laser beam power was about 438 W. The microstructure of the fusion zone (FZ) of the joint was twin martensite (TM), and there were small cracks in the weld. The Al elements were uniformly distributed in a vortex-shaped in the mixed region consisting of QP980 steel, 6061 Al alloy, and Q460 rivet, and the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the Al-steel interface had FeAl, Fe2Al5, and FeAl3. For the laser-arc hybrid riveting-welding joint, the maximum tensile shear load of the joint with an average laser power of 160 W and a tungsten inert gas (TIG) current 100 A was 7.25 kN. Lath martensite (LM), ferrite (F), and retained austenite (RA) were generated in the FZ of the joint, and the Al element aggregates in bulk and sporadically distributed in the mixed zone consisting of the steel plate, Al plate, and rivets. Furthermore, the differentiated distribution mechanism of Al element in riveting-welding hybrid joints was discussed in this paper.

ABSTRACTThe reaction mechanism of CO/CO2with low-carbon aluminium-killed molten steel in ladle furnace was investigated through thermodynamic analysis, simulation, and experiments. When a[O]×a[C]in molten steel is less than pCO/(pΘ× KΘCO), CO/CO2gas is dissolved in the metal phase and decomposed into oxygen and carbon. When a[O] × a[C]is equal to or close to pCO/(pΘ× KΘCO), CO no longer reacts with molten steel, part of CO2is decomposed to CO, and oxygen atoms selectively oxidise other elements. The experimental results showed that the CO reaction rate increases with an increase in the aluminium content in molten steel, whereas the opposite occurs for the decomposition rate of CO2. The industrial test of the CO2bottom blowing was conducted in a 100 t LF. Compared with argon, the stirring effect was weakened, and carburisation and selective oxidation of the elements were noted.

The reaction mechanism of CO/CO2with low-carbon aluminium-killed molten steel in ladle furnace was investigated through thermodynamic analysis, simulation, and experiments. When a[O]×a[C]in molten steel is less than pCO/(pT× KTCO), CO/CO2gas is dissolved in the metal phase and decomposed into oxygen and carbon. When a[O]?×?a[C]is equal to or close to pCO/(pT× KTCO), CO no longer reacts with molten steel, part of CO2is decomposed to CO, and oxygen atoms selectively oxidise other elements. The experimental results showed that the CO reaction rate increases with an increase in the aluminium content in molten steel, whereas the opposite occurs for the decomposition rate of CO2. The industrial test of the CO2bottom blowing was conducted in a 100 t LF. Compared with argon, the stirring effect was weakened, and carburisation and selective oxidation of the elements were noted.

Cancers of the digestive system (DS), including esophageal, gastric, colorectal, liver, and pancreatic cancers, have a high incidence and mortality worldwide. Current cancer models cannot faithfully recapitulate the critical features of the original tumor, resulting in the failure of translation from basic research into clinical practice. More advanced cancer models are in urgent need of pathogenesis exploration and anticancer medicine development. Organoids are in vitrocultured three dimensional (3D) self-organizing organotypic structures derived from tissues and pluripotent stem cells, which faithfully mimic the histological features and preserve the genetic heterogeneity of the original tissues. Both normal and malignant organoids can now be efficiently established from the DS tissues of patients. In this review, we summarize the general methods to generate human DS organoids and their applications as a novel model in basic cancer research, preclinical medical practice, and precision medicine.

In the process of riveting-welding hybrid bonding for magnesium and the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), the weld morphology including weld penetration and weld width makes an important influence on the property of welded joint. In order to understand the optimal weld morphology, the relationship between the morphology coefficient Φ (the ratio of penetration depth to width) and the joint strength was established under a series groups of welding parameters. In addition, in order to obtain ideal appearance and optimized welding parameters, a BP neural network model optimized by genetic algorithm is established, in which the weld penetration and weld width are taken as the input units of neural network, and the welding process parameters such as welding speed, laser power, and laser defocused amount are regarded as the output units of the neural network. The results show that the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of each group of data did not exceed 3% while minimum mean square error (MSE) reached 0.0097, which can ensure the production of welded joints with ideal uniform appearance and mechanical properties. This research provides a new method for control of welding quality in the process of riveting-welding hybrid bonding for magnesium and CFRP.

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Liver cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide and mainly includes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-derived nanometer-sized vesicles that can be released by different cell types under normal and pathological conditions and thus play important roles in the transmission of biological information between cells. Increasing evidence suggests that liver cancer cell-derived EVs may help establish a favorable microenvironment to support the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. In this review, we summarized the role of EVs in the tumor microenvironment (TME) during the development and progression of liver cancer. As messenger carriers, EVs are loaded by various biomolecules, such as proteins, RNA, DNA, lipids and metabolites, making them potential liquid biopsy biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of liver cancer. We also highlighted the progress of EVs as antigen carriers and EV-based therapeutics in preclinical studies of liver cancer

ABSTRACTA thermodynamic calculation model of phosphorus distribution ratio between CaO–FeO–MgO–SiO2–MnO–TiO2–V2O5–P2O5slags and molten metal has been developed based on the ion and molecule coexistence theory (IMCT). The calculated phosphorus distribution ratio shows a good agreement with the measured ones by the data of industrial trial, which proves the reliability of this model. Therefore, the model is used to study the effects of TiO2, V2O5, slag basicity, FeO, MgO and MnO on phosphorus distribution. The results illustrate that the effects on phosphorus distribution from V2O5and TiO2are non-negligible and they are almost the same, slag basicity and FeO have the most significant effects on phosphorus distribution, while MgO and MnO have the least.

A thermodynamic calculation model of phosphorus distribution ratio between CaO–FeO–MgO–SiO2–MnO–TiO2–V2O5–P2O5slags and molten metal has been developed based on the ion and molecule coexistence theory (IMCT). The calculated phosphorus distribution ratio shows a good agreement with the measured ones by the data of industrial trial, which proves the reliability of this model. Therefore, the model is used to study the effects of TiO2, V2O5, slag basicity, FeO, MgO and MnO on phosphorus distribution. The results illustrate that the effects on phosphorus distribution from V2O5and TiO2are non-negligible and they are almost the same, slag basicity and FeO have the most significant effects on phosphorus distribution, while MgO and MnO have the least.

Despite considerable efforts to identify human liver cancer genomic alterations that might unveil druggable targets, the systematic translation of multiomics data remains challenging. Here, we report success in long-term culture of 64 patient-derived hepatobiliary tumor organoids (PDHOs) from a Chinese population. A divergent response to 265 metabolism- and epigenetics-related chemicals and 36 anti-cancer drugs is observed. Integration of the whole genome, transcriptome, chromatin accessibility profiles, and drug sensitivity results of 64 clinically relevant drugs defines over 32,000 genome-drug interactions. RUNX1 promoter mutation is associated with an increase in chromatin accessibility and a concomitant gene expression increase, promoting a cluster of drugs preferentially sensitive in hepatobiliary tumors. These results not only provide an annotated PDHO biobank of human liver cancer but also suggest a systematic approach for obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the gene-regulatory network of liver cancer, advancing the applications of potential personalized medicine.

The runout of the cutting edge significantly affects the cutting force, wear, and the process stability. Generally, the postprocessor of five-axis tool grinding machine ignores the clamping error of blank. Hence, this paper developed a postprocessor method with compensation of tool clamping errors to minimize runout of cutting edge for tool grinding machine. This method includes the kinematic model and the measurement model of clamping error for the tool grinding machine. This kinematic model converts CL data into NC data and converts NC data into CL data. The measurement model for measuring and calculating the clamping error of blank. The clamping error was inputted into the kinematic model of machine to compensate the clamping error. The solution strategy of the kinematic model was built, and is suitable for five-axis tool grinding machine. A postprocessor was subsequently developed according to the algorithm presented. Finally, the effectiveness of postprocessor was confirmed by the grinding experiment.

Nonequilibrium exsolution kinetics of methane and propane in heavy oil were studied through visual experimentations and continuum simulations. Experimentally, novel Constant Composition Expansion (CCE) tests, combined with a micromodel to visualize the bubbly oil flow, were fulfilled in pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) cells. Two schemes were applied, namely, constant volume extraction (CVE) and stepwise pressure depletion (SPD). From the pressure measurement of CVE, methane first went through a pressure-declining period due to hysteresis of exsolution and later a pressure-maintaining period under a balance between exsolution and volume expansion rate. Meanwhile, the pressure of the propane system dropped rapidly and rebounded back to a constant pressure for a long period of time due to a higher solubility than methane. Compared with equilibrium state, the solvent exsolution of both live oils were always under nonequilibrium. Bubbly oil flow was visually observed to determine the range of pseudobubble point pressure. From the volume expansion behavior from the SPD tests, both methane- and propane-based live oil systems present a close-to-linear relationship between volume and time at each pressure drawdown level before reaching equilibrium. This facilitates the quantification of exsolution rate under given pressure. Numerically, a simulation platform to calculate nonequilibrium exsolution kinetics has been built. The feasibility of the simulator is verified through simulating literature data with various pressure data ranges. The exsolution rates have been achieved by history matching the CVE and SPD tests. For CVE tests, methane shows a higher exsolution rate (1 × 10–4to 1 × 10–2min–1) than propane (1 × 10–6to 1 × 10–3min–1) under the same volume expansion rate, indicating a higher tendency to exsolve and form foamy oil. Propane tends to stay in heavy oil due to high solubility. The exsolution rates of the stable-pressure period present a power relationship with volume expansion rate for both live oils. For SPD tests, methane presents a similar range of exsolution rates (1 × 10–5to 1 × 10–4min–1) as propane under similar P/Psatratios with pre-existing free gas phase. Compared to tests conducted by a sudden pressure drawdown scheme, pre-existing gas cap yields lower exsolution rates due to smaller chemical potential between phases. SPD tests also verify faster exsolution kinetics for methane than propane.

•A new model was proposed to describe the geometrical characteristics of laser induced TIG hybrid welding joints. The fusion width, energy density, laser-arc coupling point and welding penetration of the welding joints were expressed in combination with the polar coordinate system, and the cubic interpolation method was used for fitting the fusion line of the welding joint.•A prediction mode for laser induced TIG hybrid welding joints was constructed by GA-BP neural network, and the geometry of the welded joints was predicted by the welding parameters. It provided the foundation for the energy transfer control and real-time monitoring of welding quality of the welding-rivet hybrid bonding method.

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The reaction mechanism models of dechlorination and [Zn] reclaiming in the roasting steelmaking zincrich dust process are studied. The dust collected from a steelwork contains 63.8% zinc and 3.18% chlorine (mass percent), of which, almost all zinc elements exist in ZnO and ZnCl2forms, and all the chlorine elements are stored in ZnCl2. When the dust is roasted at above 732∘C in an air atmosphere, the ZnCl2in the steelmaking zinc-rich dust is volatilized into steam and then oxidized into ZnO. Finding the position where the chemical reaction occurs is the key to determining the reaction mechanisms of dechlorination and [Zn] reclaiming. In this study, two groups of thermal experiments are designed and executed for roasting in different atmosphere environments and at different roasting temperatures. Based on the experiment results, the mechanism model is discussed and built, and the reaction of dechlorination and [Zn] reclaiming is shown to be a multi-step process. Because O2from the air cannot transmit into the dust particle interior or dust bed effectively, the chemical reaction of [Zn] reclaiming occurs in the external gas environment outside of the dust, where the [Zn] recalcining reaction should be limited by the dynamics of new nucleation of ZnO solids.

Age-associated changes in immune cells have been linked to an increased risk for infection. However, a global and detailed characterization of the changes that human circulating immune cells undergo with age is lacking. Here, we combined scRNA-seq, mass cytometry and scATAC-seq to compare immune cell types in peripheral blood collected from young and old subjects and patients with COVID-19. We found that the immune cell landscape was reprogrammed with age and was characterized by T cell polarization from naive and memory cells to effector, cytotoxic, exhausted and regulatory cells, along with increased late natural killer cells, age-associated B cells, inflammatory monocytes and age-associated dendritic cells. In addition, the expression of genes, which were implicated in coronavirus susceptibility, was upregulated in a cell subtype-specific manner with age. Notably, COVID-19 promoted age-induced immune cell polarization and gene expression related to inflammation and cellular senescence. Therefore, these findings suggest that a dysregulated immune system and increased gene expression associated with SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility may at least partially account for COVID-19 vulnerability in the elderly.

Effective adjuvant treatment after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an important area of research. Radioactive iodine (131I)-labelled metuximab is a radiolabelled monoclonal antibody against the CD147 (also known as basigin or HAb18G) antigen that is expressed in HCC. We aimed to examine the role of 131I-metuximab as an adjuvant therapy after HCC resection.

Cancer cells increase lipogenesis for their proliferation and the activation of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) has a central role in this process. SREBPs are inhibited by a complex composed of INSIG proteins, SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP) and sterols in the endoplasmic reticulum. Regulation of the interaction between INSIG proteins and SCAP by sterol levels is critical for the dissociation of the SCAP–SREBP complex from the endoplasmic reticulum and the activation of SREBPs1,2. However, whether this protein interaction is regulated by a mechanism other than the abundance of sterol—and in particular, whether oncogenic signalling has a role—is unclear. Here we show that activated AKT in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells phosphorylates cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1), the rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis, at Ser90. Phosphorylated PCK1 translocates to the endoplasmic reticulum, where it uses GTP as a phosphate donor to phosphorylate INSIG1 at Ser207 and INSIG2 at Ser151. This phosphorylation reduces the binding of sterols to INSIG1 and INSIG2 and disrupts the interaction between INSIG proteins and SCAP, leading to the translocation of the SCAP–SREBP complex to the Golgi apparatus, the activation of SREBP proteins (SREBP1 or SREBP2) and the transcription of downstream lipogenesis-related genes, proliferation of tumour cells, and tumorigenesis in mice. In addition, phosphorylation of PCK1 at Ser90, INSIG1 at Ser207 and INSIG2 at Ser151 is not only positively correlated with the nuclear accumulation of SREBP1 in samples from patients with HCC, but also associated with poor HCC prognosis. Our findings highlight the importance of the protein kinase activity of PCK1 in the activation of SREBPs, lipogenesis and the development of HCC.

IMPORTANCE: Repeat hepatectomy and percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) are most commonly used to treat early-stage recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (RHCC) after initial resection, but previous studies comparing the effectiveness of the 2 treatments have reported conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: To compare the long-term survival outcomes after repeat hepatectomy with those after PRFA among patients with early-stage RHCC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This open-label randomized clinical trial was conducted at the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital and the National Center for Liver Cancer of China. A total of 240 patients with RHCC (with a solitary nodule diameter of ≤5 cm; 3 or fewer nodules, each ≤3 cm in diameter; and no macroscopic vascular invasion or distant metastasis) were randomized 1:1 to receive repeat hepatectomy or PRFA between June 3, 2010, and January 15, 2013. The median (range) follow-up time was 44.3 (4.3-90.6) months (last follow-up, January 15, 2018). Data analysis was conducted from June 15, 2018, to September 28, 2018. INTERVENTIONS: Repeat hepatectomy (n = 120) or PRFA (n = 120). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included repeat recurrence–free survival (rRFS), patterns of repeat recurrence, and therapeutic safety. RESULTS: Among the 240 randomized patients (216 men [90.0%]; median [range] age, 53.0 [24.0-59.0] years), 217 completed the trial. In the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS rates were 92.5% (95% CI, 87.9%-97.3%), 65.8% (95% CI, 57.8%-74.8%), and 43.6% (95% CI, 35.5%-53.5%), respectively, for the repeat hepatectomy group and 87.5% (95% CI, 81.8%-93.6%), 52.5% (95% CI, 44.2%-62.2%), and 38.5% (95% CI, 30.6%-48.4%), respectively, for the PRFA group (P = .17). The corresponding 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year rRFS rates were 85.0% (95% CI, 78.8%-91.6%), 52.4% (95% CI, 44.2%-62.2%), and 36.2% (95% CI, 28.5%-46.0%), respectively, for the repeat hepatectomy group and 74.2% (95% CI, 66.7%-82.4%), 41.7% (95% CI, 33.7%-51.5%), and 30.2% (95% CI, 22.9%-39.8%), respectively, for the PRFA group (P = .09). Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation was associated with a higher incidence of local repeat recurrence (37.8% vs 21.7%, P = .04) and early repeat recurrence than repeat hepatectomy (40.3% vs 23.3%, P = .04). In subgroup analyses, PRFA was associated with worse OS vs repeat hepatectomy among patients with an RHCC nodule diameter greater than 3 cm (hazard ratio, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.05-2.84) or an α fetoprotein level greater than 200 ng/mL (hazard ratio, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.15-2.96). Surgery had a higher complication rate than did ablation (22.4% vs 7.3%, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: No statistically significant difference was observed in survival outcomes after repeat hepatectomy vs PRFA for patients with early-stage RHCC. Repeat hepatectomy may be associated with better local disease control and long-term survival in patients with an RHCC diameter greater than 3 cm or an AFP level greater than 200 ng/mL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00822562

The 3rdInternational Conference for Cancer Metabolism and Therapy was successfully held at the South Hospital Conference Center of Shanghai First People's Hospital, nearly 200 international experts from the field of cancer metabolism and therapy and about two thousand local scientists attended the conference. The conference was sponsored by the Yangtze River Delta City Group Hospital Synergistic Development Strategic Alliance, the China Anti-Cancer Association Cancer Metabolism Professional Committee, the Chinese Association for Cancer Metabolism and Therapy under Chinese Medical Doctoral Association-Clinical Precision Medicine, and co-organized by the First People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Basic Medicine Undertake, Translational Medicine Network, Shanghai Anti-Cancer Association Youth Council, Fudan University Affiliated Tumor Hospital, University of California, Los Angeles, Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases and Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Dalian University of Technology, New York-Presbyterian, American Cancer Research Association (AACR). The theme of the conference was "Inheritance, Innovation, Excellence, Leading" and its aim is to create a high-end academic exchange platform to discuss new technologies, new methods, and new products in tumor metabolism, tumor immunity, tumor markers and other fields. The conference involves cancer metabolism reprogramming, metabolism and tumor microenvironment, lipid metabolism, non-metabolic function of metabolic enzymes, metabolism and epigenetics, clinical transformation, new technologies for tumor immunotherapy, clinical application of tumor immunotherapy, emerging targeted therapy, PD-1/PD-L1 technology, CAR-T technology, novel tumor protein markers, novel tumor methylation markers, ctDNA, CTC, etc. The meeting ended in a lively discussion among scientists from different levels who truly benefit from the sessions about cancer metabolism and treatment. The next meeting is planned to be held October 2 through October 6, 2019 in Los Angeles, Calif. The meeting venue will be announced accordingly in the meeting web site (www.cmt.org).

Safe and efficient generation of renewable hydrogen viadehydrogenation of cheap and sustainable formic acid using supported Pd catalysts has attracted significant interest. Non-thermal (cold) plasma is demonstrably a fast and environmentally friendly method for synthesizing high-performance supported metal catalysts; however, the synthesis mechanism in the plasma treatment of catalysts still remains obscure. In this work, we investigate formic acid dehydrogenation over activated carbon supported Pd catalysts synthesized using four different methods: thermal treatment (Pd/C-C), plasma treatment (Pd/C-P), thermal treatment followed by plasma treatment (Pd/C-CP), and plasma treatment followed by thermal treatment (Pd/C-PC). The influence of different catalyst treatment methods on the characteristics and dehydrogenation performance of the Pd/C catalysts has been evaluated and discussed. The activity of the Pd/C catalysts for formic acid dehydrogenation follows the order: Pd/C-CP > Pd/C-C > Pd/C-P > Pd/C-PC. The turnover frequency (TOFinitial) over Pd/C-CP is 1.4, 2.9, and 1.4 times higher than that over Pd/C-C, Pd/C-P and Pd/C-PC, respectively. The activation energy for Pd/C-CP (34.6 kJ mol−1) is much lower than that reported for monometallic Pd catalysts. The excellent performance of the Pd/C-CP catalyst can be attributed to the small size and high dispersion of Pd nanoparticles, the high concentration of metallic Pd, and the high Pd/C atomic ratio resulting from the migration of the electroneutral Pd species under the Coulomb repulsion effect of the electrons in the plasma. The high performance of the Pd/C-C catalyst was attributed to the small and highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles formed due to the strong interaction between the activated carbon support and PdCl42−ions. The Pd/C-P catalyst exhibits poor performance on account of the low reduction rate of PdCl42−ions. The poorest performance, from Pd/C-PC, was ascribed to the large size of the Pd nanoparticles that were formed due to the disturbance of the interaction between the activated carbon support and the PdCl42−ions during the preparation of the Pd/C-P catalyst. In conclusion, thermal treatment of Pd/C – prepared using a simple incipient wetness procedure – followed by plasma treatment is an effective method for the synthesis of a high-performance Pd/C catalyst.