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Abstract The demand for lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) is rising, resulting in a growing need to recycle the critical raw materials (CRMs) which they contain. Typically, all spent LiBs from consumer electronics end up in a single waste stream that is processed to produce black mass (BM) for further recovery. It is desired to design a recycling process that can deal with a mixture of LiBs. Hence, this study investigates the structure and composition of battery modules in common appliances such as laptops, power banks, smart watches, wireless earphones and mobile phones. The battery cells in the module were disassembled into cell casing, cathode, anode and separator. Then, the cathode active materials (CAMs) were characterized in detail with XRD-, SEM-, EDX- and ICP-OES-analysis. No direct link was found between the chemistry of the active materials (NMC, LCO, LMO, LFP etc.) and the application. Various BM samples were submitted to a leaching procedure (2 M H2SO4, 50 °C, 2 h, 60 g BM/L) with varying concentration (0–4 vol%) of H2O2 to study the influence of their chemical composition on the dissolution of Li, Ni, Mn and Co. Only a part of the BMs dissolved completely at 4 vol% H2O2, which was attributed to the oxidation state of the transition metals (TMs). Exact determination of H2O2 consumption by redox titration confirmed this hypothesis.

IntroductionPituitary carcinoma (PC) is an extremely rare tumor of the adenohypophysis, which manifests as craniospinal dissemination and/or systemic metastasis. The diagnosis of PC is particularly difficult, as the clinical diagnosis only can be made after the metastasis is found. Owing to the complex diagnostic process and less effective treatments, the clinical prognosis of PC is usually very poor. Hence, it is of great significance to illustrate the diagnosis and treatment course of PC.MethodsIn this case report, we described a 48-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with pituitary adenoma (PA) initially and then was diagnosed with PC eventually after spinal cord metastasis was found, and we illustrated the treatment course as well. Furthermore, we summarized all the published case reports until now and provided a comprehensive review of the diagnosis, treatment, prediction, and clinical outcome of PC.Results and ConclusionsWe found that most PC patients had adrenocorticotropic hormone/prolactin (ACTH/PRL)-secreting tumors, Ki-67 ≥ 10%, and P53 positivity, which may have the potential to predict the transformation from PA to PC; surgery excision combined with temozolomide (TMZ) and radiotherapy is helpful to prolong the survival of PC patients.

ObjectiveChronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common neurologic disorder with increasing incidence, which can be preceded by head trauma or occur in the absence of trauma. In order to deeply understand the clinical characteristics of this disease, we conducted this retrospective study to explore the clinical differences between traumatic and not otherwise specified (NOS) CSDH.MethodsAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 168 traumatic CSDH patients and 133 NOS CSDH patients were recruited from January 2015 to October 2023 in our cohort. The collected data and compared parameters including baseline clinical features and radiological outcomes of hematoma within 24 h of hospital admission, as well as the treatment method and clinical outcome of traumatic and NOS CSDH patients.ResultsCompared to NOS CSDH patients, the average age was younger, epilepsy was more frequent, asymptomatic cases were more common, and the taking of anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs were rarer in traumatic CSDH patients (all P < 0.05). However, no differences were found in the radiological presentations of hematoma at admission, the treatment methods and clinical outcomes of traumatic and NOS CSDH patients (all P > 0.05).ConclusionTraumatic CSDH patients were more likely to be asymptomatic or have seizures, while NOS CSDH were more common in elder people and in individuals with the history of taking anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs. The treatment methods and clinical outcomes were similar in traumatic and NOS CSDH patients.