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A flexible asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) with high energy density is designed and fabricated using flower-like Bi2O3 and MnO2 grown on carbon nanofiber (CNF) paper as the negative and positive electrodes, respectively. The lightweight (1.6 mg cm−2), porous, conductive, and flexible features make the CNF paper an ideal support for guest active materials, which permit a large areal mass of 9 mg cm−2 for Bi2O3 (≈85 wt% of the entire electrode). Thus, the optimal device with an operation voltage of 1.8 V can deliver a high energy density of 43.4 μWh cm−2 (11.3 W h kg−1, based on the total electrodes) and a maximum power density of 12.9 mW cm−2 (3370 W kg−1). This work provides an example of large areal mass and flexible electrode for ASCs with high areal capacitance and high energy density, holding great promise for future flexible electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of energy crops as feedstock for biogas production is increasing. Since energy crops accumulate seasonally but biogas plants have to be fed continuously, the feedstock has to be conserved. Therefore, the storage of energy crops is an important issue to handle, as crops need to be available throughout the year. Research on preservation and storage of energy crops as feedstock for anaerobic digestion is still at an emerging stage. The aim of this paper is to explore the effects of storage methods (air drying or ensiling) of maize straw on biogas production performance. Evaluations of anaerobic co-fermentation of maize straw and cattle manure were conducted by batch fermentation in a laboratory scale. Biogas production was measured for 45 days in 1.5L batch digesters at mesophilic conditions of 37?. First, the chemical composition and structural properties of air-dried maize straw (ADMS) and ensiled maize straw (EMS) were comparatively analyzed. Then, the effects of total solids (TS) mixing ratios (cattle manure: maize straw) on biogas conversion were discussed. TS mixing ratios (TMR) were 1:1, 3:7, 7:3, 4:6, and 6:4, respectively. The dynamic analysis of daily biogas production, accumulative biogas production, accumulative methane production, and pH value was implemented. The results show that ensiling had little effect on the cellulosic composition of EMS, however water and WSC of ADMS nearly vanished. In other words, the properties of the maize straw were influenced by the method of storage. The results of SEM and XRD indicate that the lignocellulosic matrix of ADMS is compact, but cracks and ruleless pores were taken on the surfaces of EMS, signaling that the crystalline degree of cellulose was lower than that of ADMS. Storage by ensiling can be considered as a pretreatment process, because the structural polysaccharides of maize straw, which is quite resistant to anaerobic digestion, are partly degraded during storage. Results also show that the anaerobic efficiency of biogas production, the cumulative biogas yield, TS/VS biogas yield, and TS/VS methane yield were highest when the TMS was 7:3, whether ADMS or EMS. The accumulative methane production of EMS was higher than that of ADMS when the TMS was 1:1, and the highest accumulative methane production was 1 816 mL when the TMS was 7:3. The present results demonstrate that the biogas yield of maize straw can be maintained by appropriate ensiling conditions for even after 8 months. Ensiling, which acts as a pretreatment step, showed positive effects on the methane yield of maize straw, and the degradation of structural polysaccharides into more easily degradable intermediates caused the increase in biogas potential after ensiling. In conclusion, ensiling is an appropriate, feasible storage method to preserve fresh crops throughout the year for an anaerobic digestion facility in order to ensure a predictable quality of crops and a constant supply of feedstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuel ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates by microbial fermentation was of great economic and environmental significance. Distillers grains, which are composed of unhydrolyzed and unfermented polymeric sugars, are the co-products of white spirit industries, their high polysaccharides portion of cellulose and hemicellulose make them attractive feedstock for conversion to fuel ethanol. However, biomass recalcitrance that limit the availability of polysaccharides for biological conversion by enzymatic digestibility necessitates a appropriate pretreatment, which is in favor of hydrolytic enzyme penetration to enhance enzymatic digestibility. The aim of this study is to increase accessibility of cellulolytic enzymes (xylanase and cellulase) to the feedstock and evaluate the effects of different pretreatment methods on enzymatic saccharification of distillers grains biomass. Four pretreatment processes including ultrasound-assisted acid pretreatment (UAAP), soaking in aqueous ammonia pretreatment (SAAP), alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment (AHPP) and bisulfite pretreatment (BP) were employed in this study to determine how each method affected the digestibility of distillers grains during enzymatic hydrolysis. The effective mechanisms of four different pretreatment methods on the chemical composition and structural characteristics were studied and analyzed with the goal of removing lignin and reserving of holocelluloses (cellulose and hemicellulose). Then the effects of four different pretreatment methods on degradation efficiency of cellulose and hemicellulose to produce sugars were evaluated with the index of the enzymatic hydrolysis yield. SEM and XRD were applied to characterize structural changes associated with improved cellulolytic enzyme digestibility. The results showed that the retention rate of cellulose and hemicellulose by BP pretreatment was higher than that of other three pretreatment methods, which were 84.59% and 84.87%, respectively. Four pretreatment methods effectively enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency by disrupting lingocellulosic structure and increasing accessibility of cellulolytic enzymes to distillers grains over un-pretreated feedstock. Compared with the un-pretreated distillers grains, the enzymatic hydrolysis yield of holocellulose were increased by 49.12% (UAAP), 55.48% (PASS), 92.79% (AHPP) and 99.15% (BP), respectively. Compared with other three pretreatment approaches, BP pretreatment showed the greatest improvement on enzymatic hydrolysis of the distillers grains. The maximum conversion of holocellulose was 32.88%, which were 1 times of the control (un-pretreated 16.51%). SEM data showed that the structural modifications of 4 pretreatments were pronounced in comparison to that of feedstock, which presented a rigid and compact morphology. Remarkably, most of the large irregular pores with different sizes and shapes were formed and the lignocellulosic structure was also severely disrupted as a result of the removal of lignin, leading to the increasing surface exposure and porosity. Furthermore, 4 pretreatments disrupted the internal structure of the holocelluloses, increased the reaction surface area and the porosity of the distillers grains. The results based on the analysis of XRD suggested that these pretreatments disrupted the crystal structure of cellulose and increased the available surface area, which made the cellulose better accessible for enzymatic hydrolysis. The changes of physical structure and chemical composition declare that the enzymatic digestibility is related with the removal of lignin, the retention or disorder structure of holocelluloses and the crystallinity of cellulose. Therefore bisulfite pretreatment (BP) is effective and appropriate for the pretreatment of distillers grains to increase the enzyme saccharification yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In lithium-sulfur batteries, small S2-4 molecules show very different electrochemical responses from the traditional S8 material. Their exact lithiation/delitiation mechanism is not clear and how to select proper electrolytes for the S2-4 cathodes is also ambiguous. Here, S2-4 and S8/S2-4 composites with highly ordered microporous carbon as a confining matrix are fabricated and the electrode mechanism of the S2-4 cathode is investigated by comparing the electrochemical performances of the S2-4 and S2-4/S8 electrodes in various electrolytes combined with theoretical calculation. Experimental results show that the electrolyte and microstructure of carbon matrix play important roles in the electrochemical performance. If the micropores of carbon are small enough to prevent the penetration of the solvent molecules, the lithiation/delithiation for S2-4 occurs as a solid-solid process. The irreversible chemically reactions between the polysulfudes and carbonates, and the dissolution of the polysulfides into the ethers can be effectively avoided due to the steric hindrance. The confined S2-4 show high adaptability to the electrolytes. The sulfur cathode based on this strategy exhibits excellent rate capability and cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous LiNb3O8 nanofibers have been successfully prepared through a simple electrospinning route followed by a post-treatment process. The obtained porous LiNb3O8 nanofibers are composed of polycrystalline LiNb3O8 nanoparticles and numerous nanosized pores. The resulting LiNb3O8 nanofibers exhibit improved capacity and cyclability in virtue of the high surface area, small nanocrystals, and porous structure. In situ XRD studies were carried out to elucidate the Li-storage mechanism for the LiNb3O8 electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To tackle the issue of inferior cycle stability and rate capability for MnO anode materials in lithium ion batteries, a facile strategy is explored to prepare a hybrid material consisting of MnO nanocrystals grown on conductive graphene nanosheets. The prepared MnO/graphene hybrid anode exhibits a reversible capacity as high as 2014.1 mAh g−1 after 150 discharge/charge cycles at 200 mA g−1, excellent rate capability (625.8 mAh g−1 at 3000 mA g−1), and superior cyclability (843.3 mAh g−1 even after 400 discharge/charge cycles at 2000 mA g−1 with only 0.01% capacity loss per cycle). The results suggest that the reconstruction of the MnO/graphene electrodes is intrinsic due to conversion reactions. A long-term stable nanoarchitecture of graphene-supported ultrafine manganese oxide nanoparticles is formed upon cycling, which yields a long-life anode material for lithium ion batteries. The lithiation and delithiation behavior suggests that the further oxidation of Mn( II) to Mn( IV) and the interfacial lithium storage upon cycling contribute to the enhanced specific capacity. The excellent rate capability benefits from the presence of conductive graphene and a short transportation length for both lithium ions and electrons. Moreover, the as-formed hybrid nanostructure of MnO on graphene may help achieve faster kinetics of conversion reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation of municipal solid waste has been implemented in many cities in China. As a major component of municipal solid waste, food waste can be treated by anaerobic digestion (AD) for energy production. To provide reference data for disposing of food waste through engineering applications, continuous AD was carried out under various organic loading rates (OLRs) at 27±2°C in the laboratory. The anaerobic reactor was stable with pH 7.0–7.1, total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations of 206–746 mg/L, andconcentrations of 525–1293 mg/L when the OLR was 1.118–5.588 kg volatile solids (VS)/m3·d. The maximum volumetric biogas production rate was 4.41 L/L·d when the OLR was increased to 5.588 kg VS/m3·d with a hydraulic retention time of 30 d. When the OLR was increased to 6.706 and 8.382 kg VS/m3·d, biogas production was seriously inhibited by VFAs, with maximum total VFA and propionate concentrations of 8738 mg/L and 2864 mg/L, respectively. Due to the incomplete degradation of lipids, the specific methane production rate of 353–488 L/kg VS accounted for 55.2–76.3% of the theoretical methane potential calculated based on the component composition. A retrofitted anaerobic digester with lipid removal was designed to improve the efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Zn2GeO4/N-doped graphene nanocomposites have been synthesized through a fast microwave-assisted route on a large scale. The resulting nanohybrids are comprised of Zn2GeO4 nanorods that are well-embedded in N-doped graphene sheets by in situ reducing and doping. Importantly, the N-doped graphene sheets serve as elastic networks to disperse and electrically wire together the Zn2GeO4 nanorods, thereby effectively relieving the volume-expansion/contraction and aggregation of the nanoparticles during charge and discharge processes. We demonstrate that an electrode that is made of the as-formed Zn2GeO4/N-doped graphene nanocomposite exhibits high capacity (1463 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1), good cyclability, and excellent rate capability (531 mAh g−1 at a current density of 3200 mA g−1). Its superior lithium-storage performance could be related to a synergistic effect of the unique nanostructured hybrid, in which the Zn2GeO4 nanorods are well-stabilized by the high electronic conduction and flexibility of N-doped graphene sheets. This work offers an effective strategy for the fabrication of functionalized ternary-oxide-based composites as high-performance electrode materials that involve structural conversion and transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pretreatment methods play an important role in the improvement of biogas production from the anaerobic digestion of energy grass. In this study, conventional thermal and microwave methods were performed on raw material, namely, Pennisetum hybrid, to analyze the effect of pretreatment on anaerobic digestion by the calculation of performance parameters using Logistic function, modified Gompertz equation, and transference function. Results indicated that thermal pretreatment improved the biogas production of Pennisetum hybrid, whereas microwave method had an adverse effect on the performance. All the models fit the experimental data with R > 0.980, and the Reaction Curve presented the best agreement in the fitting process. Conventional thermal pretreatment showed an increasing effect on maximum production rate and total methane produced, with an improvement of around 7% and 8%, respectively. With regard to microwave pretreatment, maximum production rate and total methane produced decreased by 18% and 12%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synovial sarcoma is an aggressive soft-tissue malignancy with poor prognosis and lack of response to conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. The regulatory mechanisms for the rapid proliferation of synovial sarcoma cells and the particular aggressiveness of this sarcoma remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on growth and apoptosis of chondrosarcoma cells. The MTT assay and DAPI staining indicated that EGCG effectively inhibited cellular proliferation and induces apoptosis of the synovial sarcoma cells and induced apoptosis as confirmed by flow cytometry. Furthermore, Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 levels significantly decreased, Bax levels significantly increased, whereas expression levels of the proteins Bcl-XL were unchanged in response to EGCG treatment in SW982. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that EGCG is effective for growth inhibition of synovial sarcoma cell lines in vitro and suggest that EGCG may be a new therapeutic option for patients with synovial sarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel carbon-coated MoO2nanofibers have been fabricated through a controlled route based on single-nozzle electrospinning, air stabilization, and reduction/carbonization processes. They are composed of both a uniform carbonaceous shell of ∼3 nm in thickness and a hierarchical core made of primary MoO2nanocrystal clusters of ∼20 nm in size. Importantly, the electrode made of such unique carbon-coated MoO2nanofibers exhibits a highly reversible capacity as high as 762.7 mAh g−1over 100 cycles. In contrast to the carbon-free MoO2particulates, the MoO2nanofibers, featuring both nanocrystal clusters and carbon coating, reveal a substantial improvement in electrochemical lithium-storage performances. This might benefit from the synergistic effect of the nanohybridization, relieving the volume effect during the repeated lithium insertion/extraction reactions and maintaining electrical connective integrity. It is expected that the present synthetic strategy can be extended to synthesize other nanostructured oxides with carbon coating for important energy storage and transfer applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

gMnO nanorods have been synthesized on a large scale by a facile hydrothermal route. The effects of experimental conditions including reaction time and reactant concentration on the phase and morphology of the final products were investigated systematically. The products were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Electrochemical lithium-storage capabilities of the as-formed nanostructured AgMnO were also evaluated. Interestingly, the as-formed AgMnO nanorods possess the unique one-dimensional structure and in situ silver loading, which are beneficial features for electrochemical lithium-storage applications. The results suggest their potential use as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Performance of cathode electron receivers has direct effect on the voltage and power density of MFC. This paper explored the electrical performance of MFC with potassium permanganate, ferricyanide solution and dissolved oxygen (DO) as cathode electron receivers. The results showed that the internal resistance of MFC with DO depends on catalyst and is higher than that of MFC with potassium permanganate and potassium ferricyanide solution. The maximum volume power density is 4.35 W/m3, and the smallest internal resistance is only about 54 Ω. In case of DO, the internal resistance and power density is different depending on the catalyst and is not too much related to the membranes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Doctor-Blade Casting Fabrication of Ultrathin Li Metal Electrode for High-Energy-Density Batteries (Adv. Keywords: doctor-blade casting; high energy density; stable cycling; ultrathin electrodes; uniform lithium plating/stripping EN doctor-blade casting high energy density stable cycling ultrathin electrodes uniform lithium plating/stripping 1 1 1 12/06/21 20211202 NES 211202 B Li Metal Batteries b In article number 2102259, Yongming Sun and co-workers report a facile strategy to fabricate ultrathin Li metal/Li-Sn alloy composite electrodes with uniform dispersed Li-Sn alloy grains utilizing the reactions between molten metal Li and Sn modified current collectors. The as-designed ultrathin electrodes exhibit superior cycling stability and enable high energy density Li metal batteries. [Extracted from the article]

External RNA controls (ERCs), although important for microarray assay performance assessment, have yet to be fully implemented in the research community. As part of the MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) study, two types of ERCs were implemented and evaluated; one was added to the total RNA in the samples before amplification and labeling; the other was added to the copyRNAs (cRNAs) before hybridization. ERC concentration-response curves were used across multiple commercial microarray platforms to identify problematic assays and potential sources of variation in the analytical process. In addition, the behavior of different ERC types was investigated, resulting in several important observations, such as the sample-dependent attributes of performance and the potential of using these control RNAs in a combinatorial fashion. This multiplatform investigation of the behavior and utility of ERCs provides a basis for articulating specific recommendations for their future use in evaluating assay performance across multiple platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To validate and extend the findings of the MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) project, a biologically relevant toxicogenomics data set was generated using 36 RNA samples from rats treated with three chemicals (aristolochic acid, riddelliine and comfrey) and each sample was hybridized to four microarray platforms. The MAQC project assessed concordance in intersite and cross-platform comparisons and the impact of gene selection methods on the reproducibility of profiling data in terms of differentially expressed genes using distinct reference RNA samples. The real-world toxicogenomic data set reported here showed high concordance in intersite and cross-platform comparisons. Further, gene lists generated by fold-change ranking were more reproducible than those obtained by t-test P value or Significance Analysis of Microarrays. Finally, gene lists generated by fold-change ranking with a nonstringent P-value cutoff showed increased consistency in Gene Ontology terms and pathways, and hence the biological impact of chemical exposure could be reliably deduced from all platforms analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, the introduction of microarray technology has had a profound impact on gene expression research. The publication of studies with dissimilar or altogether contradictory results, obtained using different microarray platforms to analyze identical RNA samples, has raised concerns about the reliability of this technology. The MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) project was initiated to address these concerns, as well as other performance and data analysis issues. Expression data on four titration pools from two distinct reference RNA samples were generated at multiple test sites using a variety of microarray-based and alternative technology platforms. Here we describe the experimental design and probe mapping efforts behind the MAQC project. We show intraplatform consistency across test sites as well as a high level of interplatform concordance in terms of genes identified as differentially expressed. This study provides a resource that represents an important first step toward establishing a framework for the use of microarrays in clinical and regulatory settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have assessed the utility of RNA titration samples for evaluating microarray platform performance and the impact of different normalization methods on the results obtained. As part of the MicroArray Quality Control project, we investigated the performance of five commercial microarray platforms using two independent RNA samples and two titration mixtures of these samples. Focusing on 12,091 genes common across all platforms, we determined the ability of each platform to detect the correct titration response across the samples. Global deviations from the response predicted by the titration ratios were observed. These differences could be explained by variations in relative amounts of messenger RNA as a fraction of total RNA between the two independent samples. Overall, both the qualitative and quantitative correspondence across platforms was high. In summary, titration samples may be regarded as a valuable tool, not only for assessing microarray platform performance and different analysis methods, but also for determining some underlying biological features of the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To validate and extend the findings of the MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) project, a biologically relevant toxicogenomics data set was generated using 36 RNA samples from rats treated with three chemicals (aristolochic acid, riddelliine and comfrey) and each sample was hybridized to four microarray platforms. The MAQC project assessed concordance in intersite and cross-platform comparisons and the impact of gene selection methods on the reproducibility of profiling data in terms of differentially expressed genes using distinct reference RNA samples. The real-world toxicogenomic data set reported here showed high concordance in intersite and cross-platform comparisons. Further, gene lists generated by fold-change ranking were more reproducible than those obtained by t-test P value or Significance Analysis of Microarrays. Finally, gene lists generated by fold-change ranking with a nonstringent P-value cutoff showed increased consistency in Gene Ontology terms and pathways, and hence the biological impact of chemical exposure could be reliably deduced from all platforms analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Comfrey is consumed by humans as a vegetable and a tea, and has been used as an herbal medicine for more than 2000 years. Comfrey, however, is hepatotoxic in livestock and humans and carcinogenic in experimental animals. Our previous study suggested that comfrey induces liver tumors by a genotoxic mechanism and that the pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the plant are responsible for mutation induction and tumor initiation in rat liver. Results: In this study, we identified comfrey-induced gene expression profile in the livers of rats. Groups of 6 male transgenic Big Blue rats were fed a basal diet and a diet containing 8% comfrey roots, a dose that resulted in liver tumors in a previous carcinogenicity bioassay. The animals were treated for 12 weeks and sacrificed one day after the final treatment. We used a rat microarray containing 26,857 genes to perform genome-wide gene expression studies. Dietary comfrey resulted in marked changes in liver gene expression, as well as in significant decreases in the body weight and increases in liver mutant frequency. When a two-fold cutoff value and a P-value less than 0.01 were selected, 2,726 genes were identified as differentially expressed in comfrey-fed rats compared to control animals. Among these genes, there were 1,617 genes associated by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis with particular functions, and the differentially expressed genes in comfrey-fed rat livers were involved in metabolism, injury of endothelial cells, and liver injury and abnormalities, including liver fibrosis and cancer development. Conclusion: The gene expression profile provides us a better understanding of underlying mechanisms for comfrey-induced hepatic toxicity. Integration of gene expression changes with known pathological changes can be used to formulate a mechanistic scheme for comfrey-induced liver toxicity and tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: donable lithium-ion capacity; industrial compatibility; prelithiation; residuals; safety hazards; stability EN donable lithium-ion capacity industrial compatibility prelithiation residuals safety hazards stability 1 1 1 09/20/21 20210916 NES 210916 B Lithium-Ion Batteries b Prelithiation provides additional active lithium to batteries through using specific reagents/materials or processing, and is a promising strategy to resolve the lithium loss issue and increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. Donable lithium-ion capacity, industrial compatibility, prelithiation, residuals, safety hazards, stability Promises and Challenges of the Practical Implementation of Prelithiation in Lithium-Ion Batteries (Adv. [Extracted from the article]

The development of fast‐charging lithium‐ion batteries with high energy density is hindered by the sluggish Li+ transport and substantial polarization within graphite electrodes. Herein, this study proposes that the integrated design of liquid electrolyte and solid electrolyte, a dual‐phase electrolyte (DP‐electrolyte), can facilitate Li+ transport within a thick electrode. A 3D Li3PS4 (LPS) network is constructed within the graphite electrode to form the LPS/graphite electrode. This is achieved through the in situ conversion of the P4S16 into the LPS, a process introduced during the slurry processing. Both experimental findings and simulation outcomes indicate that this design mitigates the concentration polarization due to the improved Li+ transport capability with an overall high Li+ transference number within the electrode. With a high capacity of ≈3.1 mAh cm−2 attributed to the graphite electrode, the LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622)||LPS/graphite cells demonstrate superior fast‐charging capability (4 C, 15 min, charging to ≈87.7%) and stable cycling performance (4 C, 700 cycles, ≈80% capacity retention). Furthermore, they exhibit commendable low‐temperature performance. The Ah‐level pouch cell achieves 87.5% recharge in 15 min with an energy density of ≈221.5 Wh kg−1. This work offers an alternative avenue for the advancement of fast‐charging lithium‐ion batteries with practical high energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the links between performance and microbial communities were investigated with municipal solid waste (MSW) at two feedstock ratios and eight organic loading rates (OLRs). The co-digestion systems were stably operated at OLRs of 2.0–6.0 g VS/(L·d). The performance of the co-digestion system varied with the feedstock ratio. Compared with the 50:50 (hybrid Pennisetum:MSW) system, the 75:50 system, GM31, obtained increases of 1.93–17.68% and 0.29–23.29% for the specific biogas and methane yields, respectively. Whereas a shift in bacterial and methanogen communities occurred as the operating conditions changed, particularly with OLR variations. The genera Saccharofermentans, Prevotella, Clostridium, Syntrophomonas, and Proteiniphilum became the dominant bacteria for the conversion of carbohydrates and nitrogen compounds as the OLR increased. Meanwhile, a shift from acetoclastic to hydrogenotrophic or multifunctional methanogens was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoblasts are sensitive to ionizing radiation. The small GTPase RhoA and its effector Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) are critical to several cellular functions, including cytoskeleton reorganization, cell survival, and cell differentiation. However, whether the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of osteoblast cytoskeleton reorganization and differentiation induced by low-dose X-ray irradiation remains to be determined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway in mediating differentiation of osteoblasts and reorganization of the cytoskeleton under low-dose X-ray irradiation. Osteoblasts were pretreated with the ROCK kinase-specific inhibitor (Y-27632) before exposure to low-dose X-ray irradiation. The changes of F-actin in MC3T3 cells were observed at different time points following X-ray irradiation. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, alkaline phosphatase activity, Alizarin red staining and western blotting were used to detect the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts after 0.5-Gy X-ray irradiation. In the present study, low-dose X-ray irradiation promoted the expression of genes associated with the cytoskeleton reorganization. Indeed, the results showed that, 0.5-Gy X-ray irradiation can induce reorganization of cytoskeleton and promote differentiation of osteoblasts through the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. Additionally, inhibiting ROCK activity blocked low-dose X-ray irradiation-induced LIMK2 phosphorylation, stress fiber formation and cell differentiation. Thus, these results demonstrated the excitatory effects of low-dose X-ray irradiation on MC3T3-E1 cells, including reorganization of the cytoskeleton and differentiation of osteoblasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion with corn straw faces the problems of difficult degradation, long fermentation time and acid accumulation in the high concentration of feedstocks. In order to speed up the process of methane production, corn straw treated with sodium hydroxide was used in thermophilic (50 °C) anaerobic digestion, and the effects of biochar addition on the performance of methane production and the microbial community were analyzed. The results showed that the cumulative methane production of all treatment groups reached over 75% of the theoretical methane yield in 7 days and the addition of 4% biochar increased the cumulative methane production by 6.75% compared to the control group. The addition of biochar also decreased the number of biogas and methane production peaks from 2 to 1, and had a positive effect on shortening the digestion start-up period and reducing the fluctuation of biogas production during the digestion process. The addition of 4% biochar increased the abundance of the bacterial family Peptococcaceae throughout the digestion period, promoting the hydrolysis rate of corn straw. The dominant archaeal genus Methanosarcina was significantly more abundant at the peak stage and the end of methane production with 4% biochar added compared to the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]