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Efficient capture of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) in the preheater of the cement production system is the key to achieving process compatible flue gas desulfurization (FGD). Herein, the rapid oxidation of trace SO 2 over V 2 O 5 -based catalysts in the preheater environment was realized to enhance the SO 2 capture capacity of limestone in raw meal, and the catalytic efficiency was further improved by 45.2%, 56.1% and 61.9% after introducing TiO 2 /MnO 2 /CeO 2 as cocatalysts, respectively. The V 2 O 5 -based catalysts had superior catalytic behavior only when the flue gas temperature exceeded 500 °C, while the composition variation of flue gas had a minor influence on SO 2 oxidation. Finally, a maximum SO 2 oxidation efficiency of 68.1% was achieved in the presence of 4.0% O 2 , 25.0% CO 2 and 15.0% H 2 O at 600 °C. Furthermore, the mechanism of SO 2 catalytic oxidation over V 2 O 5 -based catalysts was deduced based on the results of XRD, BET, XPS and Raman, and V5+ was identified as the primary vanadium species for SO 2 oxidation. The results provide a deeper insight into the catalytic oxidation of SO 2 in the preheater environment, and then facilitate the improvement of process compatible FGD and available dry FGD technologies for cement industry. [Display omitted] • V 2 O 5 co-catalyzed by TiO 2 /MnO 2 /CeO 2 were prepared for rapid oxidation of trace SO 2. • Catalytic efficiency of V 2 O 5 -based catalysts was investigated. • Factors influencing the oxidation efficiency of trace SO 2 were studied. • 68.1% of SO 2 was oxidized in preheater environment within 1.0 s • Catalytic mechanism and pathways of SO 2 oxidation were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentrated and heterogeneous distribution of gas hydrates have been identified in the gas hydrate production test region in the Shenhu area, South China Sea. The gas hydrate-bearing sediments with high saturation locate at two ridges of submarine canyon with different thickness and saturations just above the bottom simulating reflection. The crossplots of gamma ray, acoustic impedance (P-impedance) and porosity at four sites show that the sediments can be divided into the upper and lower layers at different depths, indicating different geotechnical reservoir properties. Therefore, the depositional environments and physical properties at two ridges are analyzed and compared to show the different characteristics of hydrate reservoir. High porosity, high P-wave velocity, and coarse grain size indicate better reservoir quality and higher energy depositional environment for gas hydrate at Sites W18 and W19 than those at Sites W11 and W17. Our interpretation is that the base of canyon deposits at Sites W18 and W19 characterized by upward-coarsening units may be turbidity sand layers, thus significantly improving the reservoir quality with increasing gas hydrate saturation. The shelf and slope sliding deposits compose of the fine-grained sediments at Sites W11 and W17. The gas hydrate production test sites were conducted at the ridge of W11 and W17, mainly because of the thicker and larger area of gas hydrate-bearing reservoirs than those at Sites W18 and W19. All the results provide useful insights for assessing reservoir quality in the Shenhu area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sewage sludge, as the by-product of urban sewage biological treatment, is a potential reservoir and source of pathogens. However, the distribution and fate of different pathogens during sludge treatment and disposal remain unclear. Here, we investigated the diversity and fate of human pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses in sludge from four full-scale sludge treatment plants (STPs) using high-throughput sequencing approaches. The results indicated that the diversity of pathogens in different STPs was different, which may be related to sludge characteristics and local epidemics. Sludge treatment steps differentially affected pathogens reduction, and anaerobic digestion (AD) reduced the relative abundance and richness of pathogens. AD combined with thermal hydrolysis pretreatment effectively reduced most pathogenic bacteria except for Clostridium perfringens. Sanitary performance of AD was also varied by substrate characteristics (high-solid or low-solid sludge) and compositions (mono-digestion or co-digestion). Resistance of pathogens to sludge treatment was type-dependent, and pathogenic protozoa and fungi showed greater resistance to AD. Meanwhile, some pathogenic bacteria and viruses (Adenovirus and Herpesvirus) were widespread in digestate, revealing a biological risk in disseminating pathogenicity. These findings reveal the diversity and fate of human pathogens during sludge treatment and disposal, which would be crucial in monitoring and controlling pathogen proliferation. [Display omitted] • Diversity of HPB, HPF, HPP, and viruses in sludge from full-scale STPs was identified. • Substrate characteristics and compositions affected sanitary performances of AD. • TH-MAD effectively removed most pathogens but not C. perfringens. • Pathogenic fungi and protozoa showed greater resistance to AD than most HPB. • Human Adenovirus and Herpesvirus prevalent in biosolids increased potential risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Wedelolactone reduces the proliferation and promotes apoptosis in retinoblastoma cells. • Wedelolactone induces pyroptosis in retinoblastoma cells. • Wedelolactone induces mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS generation in vitro. • Wedelolactone promotes ROS-dependent retinoblastoma cell death and reduces retinoblastoma growth in vivo. Retinoblastoma is a most frequently occurring primary intraocular tumor in infancy and children, highlighting the requirement to find and develop novel and more effective therapeutic approaches. Wedelolactone (WDL), a nature compound isolated from E. prostrata , exhibits multiple biological activities through regulating various signaling pathways; however, its potential influences on retinoblastoma progression are still unknown, and thus was investigated in our study, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Here, we found that WDL treatments significantly reduced the proliferation of retinoblastoma cells by inducing apoptosis and pyroptosis through increasing Caspase-3, Caspase-1, gasdermin E (GSDME) and gasdermin D (GSDMD) activation. Mitochondrial impairment and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were considerably up-regulated in WDL-incubated retinoblastoma cells through a dose-dependent manner. Notably, we found that ROS scavenge significantly abolished the function of WDL to provoke apoptosis and pyroptosis in retinoblastoma cell lines, revealing that ROS was required for WDL to perform its anti-cancer role in retinoblastoma. Moreover, our in vivo experiments indicated that WDL administration significantly reduced the tumor growth in the established retinoblastoma mouse models with undetectable toxicity. Collectively, these findings highlighted the potential of WDL to inhibit the growth and induce cell death of retinoblastoma in vitro and in vivo , and thereby showed promise as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of retinoblastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonating alkaline solid wastes is considered to be an effective way to achieve large-scale CO 2 reduction and waste utilization. However, the low diffusivity of CO 2 in dense or thicker compacts reduces strength and CO 2 uptake. In this study, porous biochar was introduced into dense electric arc furnace (EAF) steel slag compacts to improve pore connectivity, thereby enhancing CO 2 diffusion. Effects of carbonation time, compaction pressure and biochar content on the carbonation performance and strength of biochar-EAF steel slag compacts were systematically investigated. The results showed that the compressive strength of EAF steel slag compacts reached 64.49 MPa at a carbonation time of 6.0 h and compaction pressure of 25 MPa. After adding 5 % biochar, the compressive strength and CO 2 uptake of EAF steel slag compacts further increased by 24.6 % and 1.3 %, respectively. In addition, an empirical equation was established to predict the carbonation depth based on the multiscale pore structure of biochar-EAF steel slag compacts, and the CO 2 diffusion mechanism was also discussed. The finding is of great significance to prepare high strength carbon negative building material by EAF steel slag and CO 2 curing. • EAF steel slag was used to prepare building material and sequestrate CO 2. • High strength EAF steel slag compacts were prepared by CO 2 curing. • CO 2 diffusion in dense EAF steel slag compact was accelerated by biochar. • Empirical equation was established to predict the carbonation depth of compacts. • Diffusion mechanism of CO 2 in biochar-EAF steel slag compact was clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycled brick powder (RBP) as an aluminosilicate-rich material has shown great potential as a new type of supplementary cementitious material (SCM). However, the interaction mechanism between cement and RBP has not been clarified yet. In this study, the pore solution chemistry, phase assemblage and nano-structures of RBP blended cement paste were revealed. The pore solution chemistry indicated that RBP facilitates the dissolution of C 3 S and the precipitation of C-S-H, but inhibits the precipitation of CH. Hydration kinetics modelling results showed that RBP accelerates the nuclei formation but retards the growth of hydration products during boundary nucleation and growth process. FIB-TEM and thermodynamic modeling results demonstrated that the additional [Si] and [Al] ions dissolved from RBP contribute to the reactions: (1) the [Si] and [Al] react with the CH to form C-A-S-H gel with Al/Ca and Si/Ca molar ratios of 0.32 and 0.62, respectively; (2) the [Si] and [Al] reorganize to form nano clusters, such as hydrotalcite-like phase, AFt nano-crystals, AFm phase and C-(A)-S-H gel. Therefore, blended mortar with 30–45 % RBP replacing cement has slight or no late-age mechanical properties loss and presents 25.2–30.3 % decrease in chloride ion diffusion coefficients. Additionally, compared to blended cement utilizing traditional SCMs, like FA and GGBFS, RBP blended cement presents a 6.4–26.1 % reduction in cost and 21.4–41.6 % decrease in natural resource consumption, which contributes to great economic and environmental benefits. • RBP facilitated the dissolution of C 3 S and the precipitation of C-S-H, but inhibited the precipitation of CH. • When RBP content increased from 0 % to 60 %, the nucleation rate of hydration products increased by 1.14 times. • As early as 7 d, the pozzolanic reaction of RBP occurred, and the 180-day reaction degree can reach 11.6 %-28.8 %. • RBP contributes to form hydrotalcite-like phase, AFt nano-crystals, AFm phase and C-S-(A)-H gel. • RBP blended cement has a 6.4–26.1 % reduction in cost and 21.4–41.6 % reduction in natural resource consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanoporous ferric oxide has been prepared with nanoscale casting process using activated carbon template in supercritical carbon dioxide. The precursors with the cosolvent of acetone were dissolved in supercritical CO2, and then attached to activated carbon in the supercritical condition. After removal of the activated carbon template by calcinations in air at 873K, the nanoporous Fe2O3 was obtained. Four factors were considered to study the effect on the coating ratio and yield. The structure and morphology of the products were characterized through nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The oxygen desorption activation energy of a YBa2Cu3O7−x specimen was determined by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermogravimetry (DTG) curves with different heating rates. It shows that there are clear evidences that the behavior of TG, DTG, and desorption activation energy have some relations with the oxygen stoichiometry of the specimen when its temperature changes from 500 to 800 °C. In the orthorhombic phase, the desorption activation energy has an obvious increase with the increase of temperature, while it varies smoothly in the tetragonal phase as the temperature increases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The features of magmatism and polygonal faults are unveiled through a comprehensive analysis of high-resolution and reprocessed three-dimensional (3D) seismic data covering 1200 km2 in the Zhongjiannan Basin, South China Sea. These structures influence the hydrocarbons formation and migration, and the interaction between them is significant for hydrocarbon exploration. We identified magmatic bodies, including eight volcanoes, fifty sills, and a single igneous diapir, are mainly developed in three stages: 27.9–23 Ma (between T70 and T60), around 11.6 Ma (T40), and after 5.3 Ma (T30). The polygonal faults, characterized by linear, polygonal, and radial configurations, are extensively distributed within Miocene and Quaternary sediments. In the platform, polygonal faults manifest linear or polygonal attributes, while in the basin floor, they show a polygonal shape. Particularly, above volcanoes and the igneous diapir, the polygonal faults exhibit radial configurations. However, among volcanoes, few polygonal faults are discerned based on the coherence attribute slice. The controlling factors influencing the distribution of polygonal faults are the lithological disparity, temperature, and pressure. Radial fault formation is promoted by volcanoes and igneous diapir through differential compaction. The resultant vertical pathways formed by volcanoes and overlying radial faults play a crucial role in adjusting pressure differentials or water discharges. Consequently, these pathways disrupt the requisite conditions for the formation of polygonal faults among volcanoes. In the basin floor, magma intrusion occurs along the planes of polygonal faults, giving rise to inclined, spoon-shaped, and bowl-shaped sills. As weak zones, polygonal faults worked as connectors for sills at different depths. Hence, pre-existing polygonal faults are considered pathways facilitating magma migration from the lower Miocene to Pliocene strata, ultimately contributing to sill formation in shallow sediments. This study advances our understanding of the intricate interaction between polygonal faults and magmatism within sedimentary basins. [Display omitted] • Syneresis controls the formation of polygonal fault and their distributions are influenced by variations in lithology, temperature, and pressure. • Volcanoes contribute to the development of radial polygonal faults above the overlying sediments, and inhibit their formations between them. • Magma intrusion alongpolygonal faults leads to the creation of inclined, bowl-shaped, and spoon-shaped sills, and triggers shallow sills formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of AgCl film determine performance of Ag/AgCl electrode for chloride detection in concrete pore solution. In this study, the microstructure effect of AgCl film on the durability and sensitivity of Ag/AgCl electrode was investigated by electrochemical methods with SEM. The results indicated generally thick and dense AgCl film resulted in the improved service life and prolonged response time of Ag/AgCl electrode. Further, potential fluctuations were relevant for AgCl film thickness>32.04 µm. Based on the obtained data, the relationship between AgCl film resistance and service life/response time of Ag/AgCl electrode was established, which can accurately evaluate the performance of Ag/AgCl electrode in concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Fenton reaction can hardly achieve the simultaneous desulfurization (de-SO 2) and denitrification (de-NO x) for the cement kiln exhaust gas, due to the low production of free radicals as the limited Fe2+/Fe3+ cycle. Herein, an enhanced Fenton oxidation process was developed to remove SO 2 and NO x efficiently, through improved Fe3+/Fe2+ conversion via the co-catalytic effect of metal sulfides and multi-metal oxysulfides. Among them, the WS 2 /Fe2+/H 2 O 2 system showed the de-SO 2 and de-NO x efficiency of 100% and 83.5%, respectively, and nearly no decrease in efficiency after 300 min. The highest initial de-NO x efficiency of 95.3% was achieved when Co-Mo-W-(5-4) served as co-catalyst, and the efficiency and stability were further improved after coupling NaSO 3 solution absorption. Moreover, •OH was identified as the primary reactive oxygen species (ROS) for SO 2 and NO x oxidation, then a reaction mechanism focusing on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation as well as NO x and SO 2 removal was proposed based on EPR, XPS, FTIR, and Raman analysis. Thus, the results provide theoretical and technical support for developing de-SO 2 and de-NO x technologies of cement kiln exhaust gas within a single process to achieve cleaner production. [Display omitted] • Simultaneously de-NO x and de-SO 2 of cement kiln exhaust gas was developed. • ROS generation was promoted by enhancing Fe3+/Fe2+ conversion via multi-metal oxysulfides. • De-SO 2 efficiency of 100% and de-NO x efficiency of 95.3% were achieved. • Mechanism of simultaneous de-SO 2 and de-NO x via the Fenton process was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycled concrete powder (RCP) collected from waste concrete recycling presents significant variation in both composition and hydration behavior, while available literatures were mainly carried out on RCPs derived from target concrete, mortar, or cement paste, RCPs collected from actual waste concrete is totally different from RCPs reported, their roles has not been clarified yet due to its complexity in components, leading to substantial deviation in understanding the roles of RCP in cement-based materials. In this study, RCP collected from a waste concrete reutilization plant was classified into five fractions, then effects of RCP fractions on heat evolution and mechanical properties of cement pastes were investigated. The results showed that hydration products and un-hydrated clinker were predominantly concentrated in fine RCP fraction, while higher proportion of aggregate grains (mainly quartz, anorthite, and dolomite) in coarse RCP fraction, indicating that cement paste was pulverized or milled into finer particles prior to fine and coarse aggregates due to its diminished elastic modulus. Compared with coarse RCP fraction, fine RCP fraction showed significant acceleration of cement hydration and higher strength contribution, which can be attributed to the remarkable pore refinement of fine particle and conspicuous seeding effect of C–S–H in RCP. Furthermore, increased dissolution of Si4+ and Al3+ from the fine RCP fraction was observed, then more hydration products were generated to densify the microstructure of cement paste. The results provided a deeper insight into the roles of RCP in cement-based materials, and then facilitate the efficient utilization of RCP to achieve resource-conservation development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submarine fans are ubiquitous in modern deep-water environments. Such systems reported in the literature are largely fed by shelf-indented canyons receiving ample fluvial or longshore drift sediment inputs, whereas those nourished by slope-confined canyons far away from terrigenous sediment sources remain poorly understood. Herein, we report such a system, the Yitong submarine canyons – fan apron system (YCFS), from the northern South China Sea. This system was studied using multibeam bathymetric and two-dimensional multichannel seismic data, combined with geological constraints from nearby International Ocean Discovery Program drilling sites. YCFS consists of approximately 12 submarine canyons confined in the lower continental slope of >1200 m water depth, which feed a fan apron in the connecting abyssal plain. The canyons are erosion-dominated, as evidenced by their V-shaped cross-sections with up to 708 m deep incisions. Canyon infillings comprise mass transport deposits and turbidites, and interfluves exhibit features such as landslides, creep-typed sediment waves, and gullies, indicating the canyons and interfluves are dominated by mass transport and turbidity-current processes. The fan apron is generally depositional, in which channels and channel-levee complexes, turbidite lobes, and mass transport deposits comprise the main depositional elements. In the canyon-to-fan transitions, supercritical turbidity current features and bedforms, including plunge pools and connected sediment mounds, cyclic steps, and antidunes, are developed, which are linked to the deceleration and hydraulic-jump effects of the high-velocity turbidity currents shedding off the canyons. Seismic stratigraphic analysis revealed that YCFS was initiated in Late Miocene. The formation and maintenance of YCFS are linked to the long-term existence of an upslope margin-parallel basement high. The latter could have maintained a steep slope condition (up to 6.5°) that favors the development of canyons and supercritical turbidity currents. Because of the blocking effect of the basement high , YCFS receives limited supply of the shallow-water sediments. • A deep-sea fan apron fed by slope-confined canyons lacks ample land-based supply. • Developed supercritical-flow bedforms indicate high-energy fan apron environments. • Tectonism plays a critical role in the development of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hydration kinetics of ultrafine RBP-PC paste was established based on BNG model. • The nucleation and growth rates of hydration products increased by 1.43 times and 1.27 times when 2.7 μm RBP was added. • The 90-day reaction degree of RBP reached more than 15 %–25 %. • The 90-day hydration degree of cement in RBP-PC pastes increased by 43.4 %–53.2 % compared with pure PC. • Cement mortar with 30 % ultrafine RBP has comparable 90-day compressive strength. Ultrafine grinding is expected to be an effective method to increase the pozzolanic activity of RBP, since RBP has superior grindability. The aim of this paper was to investigate the effects of 30 % ultrafine RBP with particle size of 8.6 μm, 4.5 μm, 3.6 μm and 2.7 μm on the fundamental properties, hydration kinetics and microstructure evolution of blended cement. The setting times, water requirement for normal consistency, rheological properties, hydration heat, hydration degree, mechanical strength and pore structure of cementitious material were evaluated. Results show that when 30 % RBP was added, the water requirement and viscosity of blended cement increased significantly with the decrease of RBP particle size, while the setting time was shortened due to the acceleration of early-age cement hydration. The parameters for the Boundary Nucleation and Growth (BNG) model indicate that the nucleation and growth rates of hydration products increased by 1.43 times and 1.27 times when RBP with D 50 = 2.7 μm was added, thus the cement hydration degree reached more than 50 % in the first 72 h. Based on the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the pozzolanic reaction degree of ultrafine RBPs was more than 15 %–25 % depending on its size, and the hydration degree of cement in RBP-PC pastes was more than 80 %. As a result, blended cement mortars with up to 30 % ultrafine RBPs has slight or even no strength loss after curing for 90 days, as RBP-PC paste has a denser microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement industry contributes to more and more SO 2 emission due to utilization of alternative raw materials and fuels, whereas the available calcium-based dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) technologies present low efficiency due to slow reversible de-SO 2 reactions and short gas-solid contact time in the preheater. In the present study, the SO 2 capture potentials of CaCO 3 , CaO, and Ca(OH) 2 in the preheater environment were maximized by introducing V 2 O 5 -based catalyst and selecting optimal reaction temperature, and the de-SO 2 mechanism was extensively discussed. The results showed that the de-SO 2 efficiency of calcium-based adsorbents increased by 10–57 times as SO 2 was effectively oxidized to SO 3 in the presence of V 2 O 5 -based catalyst, then maximum de-SO 2 efficiency of 75.5% was achieved using Ca(OH) 2 and V 2 O 5 -CeO 2 at 600 °C. Furthermore, CaCO 3 assisted by V 2 O 5 -CeO 2 also had a de-SO 2 efficiency of 65.6%. Subsequently, a novel process compatible FGD technology was designed to maximize the de-SO 2 ability of raw meal in the preheater by adding V 2 O 5 -based catalyst and humidification, the SO 2 concentration of flue gas reduced from 1000 mg/Nm3 to less than 100 mg/Nm3 in the industrial-scale trial, as more sulfur was solidified into clinker in the form of alkali sulfate without reducing its properties. This novel process compatible de-SO 2 strategy is of real significance for reducing SO 2 emission of cement industry at low economic cost. [Display omitted] • SO 2 capture by calcium-based adsorbents in the preheater environment was studied. • Higher SO 2 capture efficiency was obtained after introducing V 2 O 5 -based catalysts. • Catalyst-assisted SO 2 capture with de-SO 2 efficiency of 75.5% was first reported. • A novel process compatible FGD technology was proposed and designed. • SO 2 in flue gas reduced from 1080 mg/Nm3 to <100 mg/Nm3 during industrial trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The characteristics and origin of the sediment waves on the eastern slope offshore Dongsha Islands, northern South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed by integrating high-resolution multibeam bathymetric, seismic and piston core data. Four sediment wave fields were identified, which are the West Dongsha Channel (WDSW), West Taiwan Channel (WTSW), South Taiwan Channel (STSW) and West Penghu Channel (WPSW) sediment wave fields, respectively. They are distributed on the right levees (looking downstream) and adjacent overbank areas of related channels (WDSW, WTSW, and STSW), or developed outside the channel mouths (WPSW). Each sediment wave field consists of several to tens of rows of sediment waves. These sediment waves are up to 2.8–7.2km in wavelength and 30–60m in wave height. With wave crests orthogonal to or oblique to the orientation of the channels, the sediment waves gradually decrease in dimension both in downslope direction and with the distance increasing away from the channel. Most sediment waves are asymmetric in cross sections with a thicker upslope flank and a thinner downslope flank, and therefore migrate upslope. Piston cores suggest that sandy turbidites developed with normal size grading dominate the channels, while massive muds with thin sandy or silty turbidite interbeds prevail in the inter-channel regions on which the sediment waves situated. The sediment waves on the channel levees and related overbank areas (WDSW, WTSW, and STWD) were presumably built by the turbidity currents overspilled from the channels; while those in WPSW, located outside the mouth of the West Penghu Channel, are suggested generated by unconfined sheet-like turbidity currents outside the channel mouth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The oxygen in-diffusion, out-diffusion, and permeability of layered perovskite-type-like YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) were investigated by thermogravimetry, oxygen static adsorption, and oxygen permeability experiment. The results show that the oxygen in-diffusion at higher oxygen partial pressure is very faster, while the oxygen out-diffusion at lower oxygen partial pressure is relatively slow due to the formation of surface barrier. Oxygen permeation rate increases with temperature and arrives at 3.36×10−7 mol/s cm2 at 900 °C for a YBCO membrane with thickness 1.00 mm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hemangiomas are superficial tumors characterized by dense vascular structures that often affect the patient's aesthetic appearance due to the obvious red appearance on the skin. Current treatments, especially timolol maleate in the form of eye drops and hydrogels, suffer from low transdermal drug delivery rates, resulting in prolonged treatment time. To address this challenge, our study introduced a soluble microneedle patch with dextran as the main material to form microcatheters for sustained delivery of timolol maleate. In addition, we proposed a vascular embolization strategy to disrupt the blood supply in hemangiomas. Oxidized cellulose (C-cellulose) was selected for its excellent hemostatic properties. We incorporated C-cellulose into dextran microneedles to facilitate thrombosis in the vascular-rich areas of hemangiomas. The innovative microneedle patch we developed can penetrate the skin to a depth of 430 μm and dissolve rapidly within 3 minutes, ensuring direct drug delivery to the subcutaneous layer. Notably, the treated skin area regained its original appearance within two hours after treatment. In addition to excellent skin permeability and rapid dissolution, these patches significantly promoted apoptosis and inhibited cell migration in mouse hemangioendothelioma EOMA cells. Our results demonstrate that this approach not only achieves significant tumor inhibition in a mouse hemangioma model, but also represents a more effective, convenient, and non-invasive treatment option. Therefore, dextran/C-cellulose/timolol maleate microneedle patch (MNs/Timolol) has broad clinical application prospects in the treatment of hemangiomas, minimizing the risk of additional damage and improving treatment efficacy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for mortality of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients admitted with interstitial lung disease (ILD) to guide rapid and accurate judgment of clinical prognosis., Patients and Methods: This retrospective, single-center cohort study was conducted with 135 participants (37 males, 98 females; mean age: 54.8±11.1 years; range, 24 to 85 years) between June 1, 2016, and June 30, 2021. The participants were categorized into the survival group (n=111) and nonsurvivors (n=24) according to whether they survived during the one-year follow-up. The independent risk factors for mortality in one year after discharge were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the accuracy of oxygenation index at baseline combined with pulmonary infection (PI) at follow-up to indicate death in IIM-ILD patients., Results: Compared to the survival group, nonsurvivors were older (p=0.006) and had a higher proportion of anti-MDA5 (melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5) positivity (p<0.001). The ILD duration was shorter (p=0.006), the oxygenation index was lower (p<0.001), and the intensive care unit occupancy rate (p<0.001) and ventilator utilization rate (p<0.001) were elevated in nonsurvivors compared to the survival group. Oxygenation index at baseline (odds ratio [OR]=1.021, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.023, p=0.040) and PI (clinical judgment) at follow-up (OR=16.471, 95% CI: 1.565-173.365, p=0.020) were found as independent risk factors for death in the year after discharge in IIM inpatients with ILD. An oxygenation index ≤279 mmHg at baseline combined with PI at follow-up exhibited a promising predictive value for all-cause death in IIM-ILD patients within one year., Conclusion: Oxygenation index at baseline and PI during follow-up were independent risk factors for death of IIM-ILD patients within one year after discharge. Patients with an oxygenation index ≤279 mmHg at baseline had an increased risk of death once they developed PI during the one-year follow-up., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2024, Turkish League Against Rheumatism.)

The problem of poisoning on the surface of catalysts used in CO oxidation reactions, such as Pt, needs to be solved. In this work, we constructed lattice-matched C 2 N/Pt(111) catalysts with different configurations (top/fcc/hcp) and found that, within the confined space between the cover and the substrate, the adsorption energy of CO is reduced by 0.35 eV to 0.43 eV, while the adsorption of other reactants O/O 2 is strengthened and the adsorption energy of the product CO 2 is positive, indicating that the constraint effect produced by C 2 N and Pt(111) is beneficial to CO oxidation, when compared to the pure Pt(111). Our work suggests that the C 2 N cover not only protects the Pt surface under harsh conditions but also allows gaseous molecules CO and O 2 to approach the Pt surface through a facile intercalation process, with enhanced surface reactivity for CO oxidation and reduced catalyst poisoning.

Aggressive behavior can have serious physical, psychological, and social consequences. However, little is known about the personality and neurological antecedents underlying aggressive behavior in children. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-esteem, aggression, and brain structure (i.e., cortical thickness and surface area) in a population of healthy children (N = 78; 9-12 years; mean age: 9.95 ± 0.90 years). The results revealed that self-esteem showed a negative association with aggression and significantly predicted aggressive behavior. No gender differences were found in aggression and its neural correlates. We performed the cortical parcellation method to further explore the neural foundations underlying the association of self-esteem with aggression. Children with higher aggression had increased cortical thickness in four clusters after multiple comparison correction: right medial orbitofrontal cortex, right lateral orbitofrontal cortex, right superior frontal gyrus, and left insula. In a mediation analysis, cortical thickness in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex contributed to the effect of self-esteem on aggression. These findings extend our understanding of morphological correlates of aggression in children, suggesting that an increased cortical thickness in childhood is a potential mechanism linking low self-esteem to aggression., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest/competing interests None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The reward system has been proven to be contributed to the vulnerability of obesity. Previous fMRI studies have shown abnormal functional connectivity of the reward system in obesity. However, most studies were based on static index such as resting-state functional connectivity (FC), ignoring the dynamic changes over time. To investigate the dynamic neural correlates of obesity susceptibility, we used a large, demographically well-characterized sample from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) to determine the relationship of body mass index (BMI) with the temporal variability of FC from integrated multilevel perspectives, i.e., regional and within- and between-network levels. Linear regression analysis was used to investigate the association between BMI and temporal variability of FC, adjusting for covariates of no interest. We found that BMI was positively associated with regional FC variability in reward regions, such as the ventral orbitofrontal cortex and visual regions. At the intra-network level, BMI was positively related to the variability of FC within the limbic network (LN) and default mode network (DMN). At the inter-network level, variability of connectivity of LN with DMN, frontoparietal, sensorimotor, and ventral attention networks showed positive correlations with BMI. These findings provided novel evidence for abnormal dynamic functional interaction between the reward network and the rest of the brain in obesity, suggesting a more unstable state and over-frequent interaction of the reward network and other attention and cognitive networks. These findings, thus, provide novel insight into obesity interventions that need to decrease the dynamic interaction between reward networks and other brain networks through behavioral treatment and neural modulation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Guo, Xia and Chen.)

The technique of CO 2 capture and separation using charge-modulated sorbent materials holds promise for reducing CO 2 emissions. Density functional theory with long-range dispersion correction has been used to study the adsorption of CO 2 , H 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 on BC 3 nanosheets with/without charge injections. We find that CO 2 is weakly adsorbed on pristine BC 3 , but injection of 3 negative charges (3 e) can change the adsorption to chemical adsorption. Removing the charge results in the release of CO 2 without any energy barrier. A high capacity of 4.30 × 10 14 cm -2 can be achieved with 5 e charge injection, and CO 2 molecules could automatically desorb after charge removal. Additionally, negatively charged BC 3 exhibits high selectivity for separating CO 2 from other industrial gases such as CH 4 , H 2 , and N 2 . Our findings provide useful guidance for the development of switchable CO 2 capture and storage materials.

Background: Severe influenza, especially influenza pneumonia, causes large numbers of deaths each year. Some patients who develop severe influenza have no known risk factors. In this study we investigated risk factors for mortality of patients with influenza A-related pneumonia who have different basic conditions. We also evaluated the power of pneumonia severity assessment tools in Chinese patients hospitalized with influenza A-related pneumonia. Together, these results could provide a basis for a screening method that has improved ability for the early identification of critical patients who will have poor prognoses in clinical practice., Methods: This single-center, retrospective case-control study included 152 adult patients with severe influenza over six influenza seasons. Data for diagnoses and demographics, as well clinical data, laboratory findings, treatment methods, 30-day and 60-day outcomes of the patients were collected. Patients who had any of the risk factors for severe influenza were included in the high-risk group, and those that had no known risk factors were included in the low-risk group., Results: The PSI, CURB-65 and PIRO-CAP tools all underestimated the mortality rate of patients hospitalized with influenza A-related pneumonia, and this underestimate was more pronounced for low-risk patients. D-dimer (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.052, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.001-1.106, p = 0.045) and direct bilirubin (OR = 1.143, 95%CI 1.049-1.246, p = 0.002) were independent risk factors for mortality of patients with influenza A-related pneumonia. When used in combination with ferritin and D-dimer, the area under receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC ROC ) was 0.851 (95%CI 0.780-0.922, p < 0.001), 0.840 (95%CI 0.763-0.916, p < 0.001) and 0.829 (95%CI 0.748-0.911, p < 0.001) for PSI, CURB-65 and PIRO-CAP, respectively, which was higher than that obtained using PSI, CURB-65 and PIRO-CAP alone., Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that currently used community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) scoring systems could underestimate the risk of influenza A-related pneumonia mortality. D-dimer was shown to be an independent risk factor of mortality for influenza A-related pneumonia in hospitalized patients, and a combination of D-dimer with ferritin could improve the predictive value of PSI, CURB-65 and PIRO-CAP for adverse prognoses of patients with influenza A-related pneumonia., (© 2023. The Author(s).)