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Production of high-grade bio-oil through catalytic pyrolysis technology was of great significance for alleviating the current energy shortage problem. This study synthesized a series of carbon-supported transition metal catalysts and their catalytic influence on the product distribution, behavior and liquid component during cellulose pyrolysis in N 2 and CO 2 atmosphere were analyzed. The obtained results indicated that the unique flower-like structure of carbon significantly elevated strengths to generate gaseous products and the enrichment of furan compounds during pyrolysis. The inclusion of CO 2 further enhanced the secondary reaction of liquid product, and the maximum increment of syngas yield was 14.50 wt% after adding Ni/Co–C catalyst. Moreover, CO 2 participated in thermal conversion process of biomass as an oxygen source and thus more sugars were converted into furans. The Ni/Co–C catalyst and CO 2 produced favorable synergistic effect during cellulose pyrolysis, which resulted in the highest relative content of furans, with the value of 26.77%. Therefore, this study presented an efficient means to access to furan-rich bio-oil via catalytic pyrolysis of biomass. • The flower-like carbon-based catalysts that improve yield of furans are synthesized. • A 15.31% increase in furans is obtained by adding Ni/Co loaded carbon catalyst in CO 2. • The prepared catalysts promote the secondary reaction for generation of syngas. • The mechanism of flower-like carbon catalyst for component variation is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serine/threonine kinase (STK) 33 plays a key role in cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. Abnormal STK33 expression is closely related to malignancy of numerous cancers. This study suggests the important role of STK33 in the pathogenesis and metastatic progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). STK33 expression in human ESCC tissues was detected by immunohistochemical technique. Further, we analyzed the relationship between STK33 and clinical and pathological factors as well as the prognosis of patients. ECa109 cell line was cultured and transfected with STK33-RNAi lentiviral vector to perform Hochest33342 & PI and metastasis experiments. The TCGA database was used to analyze the STK33 expression level in ESCC. All statistical analyses were performed in SPSS 23.0 software. Differences with P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. In human ESCC specimens, STK33 was overexpressed and associated with poor prognosis. Silencing STK33 expression suppressed ESCC proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor growth. STK33 also mediated angiogenesis, TGFβ, and inflammatory response in ESCC. Mechanistic investigations revealed that STK33 regulates ESCC through multiple complex pathways. Dysregulated STK33 signaling promotes ESCC growth and progression. Thus, our findings identified STK33 as a candidate treatment target that improves ESCC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Development of biomass-based nanofibers by electrospinning technology is reviewed. • Advances in electrospun nanofibers as energy storage devices are summarized. • Prospect of biomass-based nanofibers in the energy storage devices is given. Biomass-based nanofibers prepared by electrospinning technology have the advantages of unique porous structure, high specific surface area, low cost and easy availability, hence they have wide applications in electrochemical energy storage devices. This review describes the characteristics of electrospun nanofibers prepared from various biomass components and their derivatives and introduces their application performances in electrochemical energy storage devices. The preparation methods of electrospun nanofibers with excellent electrochemical properties are systematically introduced, and the differences of various biomass materials and their applications in electrochemical energy storage devices are analyzed and summarized. Some development suggestions for the future application of biomass-based nanofibrous materials are given. These works provide some important references for the application and expansion of biomass-based electrospun nanofibers in the field of energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the variable water level area, hydraulic concrete structures are susceptible to variable temperature and alternating dry-wet cycles, especially for thin-walled structures. To elucidate alterations in the microstructure and strength of hydraulic concrete subjected to variable temperature dry-wet cycles, this paper firstly conducted a durability test on hydraulic concrete. Subsequently, CT scan images of the specimens are acquired during the variable temperature dry-wet cycle. Secondly, in view of the shortcomings of existing threshold methods for CT image pore segmentation, a new image segmentation method (RASLPSO-TV-Top-hat) is proposed by using Tensor voting and Top-hat technology, combined with a Reverse Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm with Self-Learning ability. The evolution process of pore structure (microcracks) of hydraulic concrete under the variable temperature dry-wet cycles is captured. Thirdly, an in-depth analysis is conducted on the compressive strength and acoustic emission characteristics. The analysis shows that with the number of cycles increases, there is a discernible interconnection among the pore structures. This interconnection leads to a noteworthy reduction in the compressive strength of the concrete. Additionally, the cumulative number of Acoustic Emission ringing events exhibits an initial rise followed by a subsequent decline. The study successfully identifies the patterns governing the deterioration of strength and microstructure evolution in hydraulic concrete. The mechanism underlying the decline in performance of hydraulic concrete under variable temperature dry-wet cycles is elucidated. It provides a reliable and valuable basis for the safety assessment of hydraulic concrete structures in the variable water level area. • We conduct a durability test of concrete under variable temperature dry-wet cycles. • We propose a new image segmentation method. • Pore structure, compressive strength and acoustic emission character are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]