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• A MSW pyrolysis database is established with 332 valid data points. • An artificial neural network model containing 10 hidden layers proposed. • Satisfactory coefficients of determination obtained for predicting pyrolysis products. • SHAP analysis revealed that ash content and temperature are most important inputs of the model. Pyrolysis is a promising method for recovering resources and energy products from municipal solid waste (MSW). Predicting MSW pyrolysis products is crucial for establishing an efficient pyrolysis system for resource recovery. In this study, a database was established based on MySQL to record relevant information on MSW pyrolysis, which includes the MSW ultimate analysis results, proximate analysis results, parameters of pyrolysis operation and yields of pyrolysis products, etc. Based on the database and with help of a deep artificial neural network (ANN) which contains 10 hidden layers, a prediction model was successfully established to predict the yield of char, liquid and gas products from MSW pyrolysis. The results showed that the coefficients of determination for predicting the yields of char, liquid and gas from the MSW pyrolysis are 0.841, 0.84, and 0.85, respectively; these values demonstrate an accuracy comparable to that achieved for product prediction from single biomass, indicating a successful model performance. The results also show that ash content and temperature are the most important input factors influencing the outputs, namely, yields of char, liquid and gas. The results of this study can help to achieve a more efficient design of the pyrolysis system and improve the recovery of the desired pyrolysis products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of Zn species and their roles in catalytic cracking of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) thermal decomposing vapor over Zn-promoted HZSM-5 (Zn/Z5) for aromatics were investigated. The Zn/Z5 zeolites were prepared using ion exchange and impregnation methods followed by H 2 reduction. Results indicated that hydrogen reduction of the Zn/Z5 significantly improved the aromatic yield. [ZnOH]+ and bridged Zn2+ species were critical species promoting BTX formation, with the former demonstrating higher activity. Besides, the synergistic effect between the Zn species and Brønsted acid sites on HZSM-5 boosts the aromatic yield. Incorporation of Zn was also found to promote long-chain scission. Among all the Zn/Z5, hydrogen reduced 2 wt% Zn/Z5 (SAR=25) is most effective in producing BTX, with a maximum yield of BTX (48%) and BTX selectivity (93%); hydrogen reduced 2 wt% Zn/Z5 (SAR=50) produced the highest yield of total aromatics (53%). [Display omitted] • First investigation on nature and roles of Zn species on HDPE aromatization. • [ZnOH]+ was found to have the greatest contribution in promoting aromatization. • Incoporation of Zn also promoted the cracking of long-chain intermediate. • H 2 treatment is vital to improving BTX yield by optimizing Zn species distribution. • A maximum of 53% aromatic yield and a 93% BTX selectivity were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low quality municipal solid wastes (MSW) derived char has a potential to be used as a methanation catalyst to achieve low-cost methanation of the syngas derived from MSW, and its performance with varying reaction parameters should be explored for better application. In this study, a MSW char supported Ni-based catalyst (Ni-MSWC) was prepared by impregnation; the influences of CO 2 and CH 4 impurities in the raw syngas on methanation and the feasibility of conducting methanation in a low-pressure condition were investigated, then the catalyst's response to the changing parameters was identified. The results showed that the presence of low concentration CO 2 in the H 2 -rich syngas is favorable to the gasification of the char carrier and activates Ni-MSWC catalyst. However, it also promotes F–T synthesis reaction and leads to a decrease in the methane yield (Y CH4). The decrease in reaction pressure causes a decrease in Y CH4 and results in coke formation; but inhibits F–T synthesis reaction and increases methane selectivity (S CH4). A higher reaction pressure increases system complexity and accelerates char carrier consumption. Moreover, presence of methane by 2.8% (vol.) promotes the methanation of CO 2 through the methane dry reforming reaction, but it inevitably causes coke formation and affects the catalyst's stability. Based on Y CH4 and Ni-MSWC's responses, CO:CO 2 ≥ 3:2 and reaction pressure of 1 MPa (gauge pressure) are recommended, which help to inhibit the side reactions and maintain a high Y CH4 (>95%). [Display omitted] • Methanation performance of the syngas explored using the Ni-MSWC catalyst. • The ratio of CO/CO 2 in the syngas recommended to be not less than 3/2. • Lower CO 2 concentration in the syngas helps to activate the MSWC carrier. • 80% or more CH 4 yield from CO x obtained at atmospheric pressure. • The feeding CH 4 promotes the CO 2 conversion but causes carbon deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis, a promising method for extracting energy and value-added chemicals from municipal solid waste (MSW), encounters challenges associated with generation of inferior quality oil and low-quality char byproducts. In this context, this study proposed catalytic reforming of pyrolysis volatiles derived from MSW, using MSW char (MSWC) and modified MSWC-based catalysts to produce high-quality oil containing monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAH), alkanes and alkenes, and H 2 -rich gas products. Three groups of modified MSWC-based catalysts are prepared through the activation of MSWC with Na 2 CO 3 , Zn(NO 3) 2 ⋅6 H 2 O and ZnCl 2 for the reforming process. Experimental findings reveal that impregnating MSW with ZnCl 2 , specifically the ZnCl 2 /C-1:1 char from one-step pyrolysis, exhibits the most favorable catalytic performance, with a 47% selectivity of MAH in oil product, yielding > 25 wt% oil at 450 °C and a calorific value of 26.24 MJ/kg. Simultaneously, 44 wt% of MSW is converted into gas products with a 49 v/v% H 2 concentration for ZnCl 2 /C-1:2 catalyst. The Na 2 CO 3 -activated MSWC catalyst corresponds to the highest oil yields and achieves an alkane selectivity of 45.95 area% in the oil product, while Zn(NO 3) 2 -activated MSWC catalyst corresponds to the highest oxygen compounds in the oil product, thus with the lowest calorific value of 19.4 MJ/kg. These results highlight that varying catalyst modifications to MSW char can effectively improve the production of distinct oil compounds, with Zn[OH]+ species and higher Lewis-acid content in the catalyst exerting a positive influence on aromatic hydrocarbon production; and Na 2 CO 3 facilitating alkane production. This study thus provides valuable insights for upgrading oil product quality and increasing H 2 concentration in gas products, particularly at lower pyrolysis and reforming temperatures. • The effective catalysts for producing hydrocarbon oil contain Lewis-acid. • The ZnCl 2 /C-1:1 catalyst obtained the highest monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons selectivity of 47%. • Three groups of char-based catalysts all improved H 2 concentration in the gas. • The ZnCl2/C-1:2 catalyst corresponds to H 2 content of 49% in gas product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of standardized products is a key hindrance to the widespread commercialization of municipal solid wastes (MSW) pyrolysis technology. In this paper, a cost-effective roadmap employing pyro-gasification and methanation processes is developed, with CH 4 -rich gas as the target product. In this roadmap, a two-stage catalytic conversion of "MSW → syngas → CH 4 -rich gas" was realized using MSW char, a by-product of the pyrolysis process as the catalyst/catalyst carrier. The results showed that, in the pyro-gasification stage, a syngas yield of 1.3 L/g MSW could be obtained at 800 °C and a steam-to-MSW mass ratio of 0.4, with a H 2 fraction reaching 56.6 vol%. The effective conversion of MSW to syngas was attributed to the superior catalytic activity of the MSW char. By comparing the catalytic activity and structural characteristics of the chars produced from various waste components, it could be determined that the high catalytic activity of the char required both active minerals derived from contaminated plastics and residue, and an appropriate proportion of carbon matrix from the biomass components in MSW. The gasified MSW char (G-MSWC), co-produced with the syngas, served as a carrier for the subsequent methanation catalyst. Due to the activation effect of steam during the syngas production stage, the pore structure of G-MSWC was improved and its defect density also increased. Consequently, G-MSWC demonstrated enhanced Ni–C interaction, facilitating the methanation activity. The final product from the methanation stage achieved a CH 4 concentration of 52.9 vol%, and a CH 4 yield of 11.25 mol/kg MSW. The above findings demonstrate the feasibility of the complete roadmap from MSW to CH 4 and provide valuable guidance for decentralized MSW management based on pyrolysis technology. [Display omitted] • A novel complete roadmap was developed to convert MSW into methane-rich gaseous fuel. • Wastes pyrolysis char as a catalyst for both syngas production and subsequent methanation. • Mixed MSW pyrolysis produced a more active char catalyst compared to any independent component. • Fuel gas with methane of up to 53 vol% was obtained from dry MSW at atmospheric pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First study on pretreatment of Ga promoted zeolite on HDPE and PP aromatization. • H 2 -O 2 treatment maximized aromatic to 65% yield, with 90% BTEX selectivity. • BTEX yield of HDPE decreased with increasing pore size. • Ga promoted Hβ displayed 82% selectivity of ethylene and propene in gas. The effects of pretreatment and structure of zeolite on aromatization of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) over different Ga-promoted zeolites (HZSM-5, hierarchical HZSM-5, HY, Hβ, and USY) were investigated. Hydrogen reduction of Ga-promoted HZSM-5 resulted in a higher yield of alkenes during HDPE pyrolysis but did not lead to increased production of total aromatic hydrocarbons. The reduction and subsequent oxidation of Ga/Z5 led to the formation of GaO+ species with high dehydrogenation activity. This resulted in a remarkable 65% yield of aromatics, with a BTEX (benzene, toluene ethylbenzene and xylene) overall yield of 60% and a selectivity of 90% of the liquid product. Increasing the Ga loading decreased the BTEX yield due to pore blockage and a decrease in the amount of Brønsted acid sites. The BTEX yield over Ga-promoted zeolites was found to be strongly related to the pore size of the zeolite, whereas its yield over the parent zeolite was not strongly dependent on the pore size. Diffusion of the cracking intermediates was found to have a more significant impact on the aromatization of PP than HDPE. The highest BTEX yield for HDPE was achieved with Ga-promoted HZSM-5, while Ga-promoted hierarchical HZSM-5 exhibited the highest BTEX yield for PP. Furthermore, Ga(1)/Hβ-Redox demonstrated remarkable selectivity (90%) towards ethylene and propylene in the gas phase, surpassing other zeolites (37%-68%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Oroxylin A alleviates uterine fibrosis in mice with intrauterine adhesion. • The increased pyroptosis of macrophages is observed in intrauterine adhesion mice. • SIRT3 is targeted by Oroxylin A in inhibition of macrophage pyroptosis. • Oroxylin A inhibits macrophage pyroptosis via SIRT3-SOD2-ROS pathway. Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is manifested by endometrial fibrosis and inflammation, which seriously affects female reproductive health. Macrophages are mainly inflammatory cells and have been reported to participate in the fibrosis of IUA. Oroxylin A (OA), a kind of flavonoid compounds, was showed to possess the inhibitory effects on inflammation and fibrosis. However, the role of OA in IUA remains unclear. In the present study, we found that OA effectively alleviated the level of inflammation and uterine fibrosis in IUA mice. OA also decreased the macrophage pyroptosis which increased in uteri of IUA mice. Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death accompanied by an inflammatory response. Moreover, OA repressed the mediators of pyroptosis including the expression of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1 and Gasdermin D (GSDMD) and the release of IL-1β, IL-18 and cleaved-caspase-1 in J774A.1 cells induced by LPS/ATP in vitro. Mechanistically, the alleviation of OA on uterine fibrosis is achieved by inhibiting macrophage pyroptosis via SIRT3-SOD2-ROS pathway. Our data indicate that OA may serve as an effective agent for the treatment of the endometrial fibrosis with IUA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute exacerbation (AE) of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the most serious complications during perioperative period of lung cancer resection. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between preoperative 2- deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ( 18 F-FDG) PET/CT findings and AE in lung cancer patients with ILD., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 210 patients who underwent lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer. Relationships between clinical data and PET images and AE were evaluated. The patients were divided into an AE(+) and an AE(-) group for multivariate logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted and the area under curve (AUC) was used to assess the predictive values., Results: Among 210 patients, 48 (22.8%) were diagnosed with ILD based on chest CT. Among them, 9 patients (18.75%) developed AE after lung resection and were defined as AE(+) group. The course of ILD was longer in AE(+) group compared to AE(-) group. More patients in AE(+) group had a history of AE and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than in AE(-) group. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the noncancerous interstitial pneumonia (IP) area and cancers in AE(+) group was significantly higher compared to AE(-) group. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that AE, COPD, SUVmax of the noncancerous IP area, SUVmax of cancer, surgical method were significantly correlated with AE. The course of ILD[OR(95%CI) 2.919; P = 0.032], SUVmax of the noncancerous IP area[OR(95%CI) 7.630;P = 0.012] and D-Dimer level[OR(95%CI) 38.39;P = 0.041] were identified as independent predictors for AE in patients with ILD after lung cancer surgery. When the three indicators were combined, we found significantly better predictive performance for postoperative AE than that of SUVmax of the noncancerous IP area alone [0.963 (95% CI 0.914-1.00); sensitivity, 100%, specificity 87.2%, P < 0.001 vs. 0.875 (95% CI 0.789 ~ 0.960); sensitivity, 88.9%, specificity, 76.9%, P = 0.001; difference in AUC = 0.088, Z = 1.987, P = 0.04]., Conclusion: The combination of the course of ILD, SUVmax of the noncancerous IP area and D-Dimer levels has high predictive value for the occurrence of AE in patients with concomitant interstitial lesions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Sepsis is defined as a dysregulated host response to infection that leads to multiorgan failure. Innate immune memory, i.e., "trained immunity", can result in stronger immune responses and provide protection against various infections. Many biological agents, including β-glucan, can induce trained immunity, but these stimuli may cause uncontrolled inflammation. Oroxylin A (OA) is an active flavonoid compound that is derived from Scutellaria baicalensis. OA is an agonist for inducing trained immunity in vivo and in vitro, and β-glucan was used as a positive control. The protective effects of OA-induced trained immunity were evaluated in mouse models that were established by either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration or caecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The expression of inflammatory factors and signaling pathway components involved in trained immunity was evaluated in vitro using qRT‒PCR, western blotting (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy were used to examine reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and phagocytosis in trained macrophages. A PCR array was used to screen genes that were differentially expressed in trained macrophages. Here, we revealed that OA alleviated sepsis via trained immunity. OA-treated macrophages displayed increased glycolysis and mTOR phosphorylation, and mTOR inhibitors suppressed OA-induced trained immunity by effectively reprogramming macrophages. The PCR array revealed key genes in the mTOR signaling pathway in OA-treated macrophages. Furthermore, OA targeted the Dectin-1-syk axis to promote LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) by trained macrophages, thereby enhancing the ability of these macrophages to protect against infection. This ability could be transferred to a new host via the adoptive transfer of peritoneal macrophages. This study is the first to provide new insights into the potential of OA-induced trained immunity to be used as a strategy to protect mice against sepsis by promoting LAP by macrophages., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Endometria are one of the important components of the uterus, which is located in the peritoneal cavity. Endometrial injury usually leads to intrauterine adhesions (IUA), accompanied by inflammation and cell death. We previously reported that both the endometrial ferroptosis was increased and monocytes/macrophages were involved in endometrial injury of IUA. Large peritoneal macrophages (LPMs) are recently reported to migrate into the injured tissues and phagocytose dead cells to repair the tissues. We previously demonstrated that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) had made excellent progress in the repair of endometrial injury. However, it is unclear whether MSCs regulate the LPM efferocytosis against ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages in the injured endometria., Methods: Here, endometrial injury in IUA mouse model was conducted by uterine curettage and LPS injection surgery and the samples were collected at different times to detect the changes of LPMs and ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages. We conducted LPMs depletion assay in vivo and LPMs and Erastin-induced ferroptotic THP-1 cells coculture systems in vitro to detect the LPM efferocytosis against ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages. The IUA model was treated with MSCs, and their effects on LPMs and endometrial repair were analyzed. Flow cytometry, western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemical analysis, ELISA, and RNA-sequencing were performed., Results: We found that LPMs migrated to the injured uteri in response to the damage in early phase (3 h), and sustained to a later stage (7 days). Astonishingly, we found that ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages were significantly increased in the injured uteri since 12 h after injury. Moreover, LPMs cocultured with Erastin-induced ferroptotic THP-1 cells in vitro, efferocytosis of LPMs against ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages was emerged. The mRNA expression profiles revealed that LPM efferocytosis against ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages was an induction of glycolysis program and depended on the PPARγ-HK2 pathway. Importantly, we validated that MSCs promoted the efferocytic capability and migration of LPMs to the injured uteri via secreting stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1)., Conclusion: The data collectively demonstrated first the roles of LPMs via removal of ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages and provided a novel mechanism of MSCs in repairing the endometrial injury., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Phenol is one of the important ingredients of pyrolysis oil, contributing to the high biotoxicity of pyrolysis oil. To promote the degradation and conversion of phenol during anaerobic digestion, cheap hydro-chars with high phenol adsorption capacity were produced. The phenol adsorption capabilities of the plain hydro-char, plasma modified hydro-char at 25 °C (HC-NH 3 -P-25) and 500 °C (HC-NH 3 -P-500) were evaluated, and their adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics were explored. Experimental results indicate that the phenol adsorption capability of HC-NH 3 -P-500 was the highest. The phenol adsorption kinetics of all samples followed the pseudo-second-order equation and interparticle diffusion model, indicating that the adsorption rate of phenol was controlled by interparticle diffusion and chemistry adsorption simultaneously. By DFT calculations, π-π stacking and hydrogen bond are the main interactions for phenol adsorption. It was observed that an enriched graphite N content decreased the average vertical distance between hydro-chars and phenol in π-π stacking complex, from 3.5120 to 3.4532 Å, causing an increase in the negative adsorption energy between phenol and hydro-char from 13.9330 to 23.4181 kJ/mol. For hydrogen bond complex, the average vertical distance decreased from 3.4885 to 3.3386 Å due to the increase in graphite N content; causing the corresponding negative adsorption energy increased from 19.0233 to 19.9517 kJ/mol. Additionally, the presence of graphite N in the hydro-char created a positive diffusion region and enhanced the electron density between hydro-char and phenol. Analyses suggest that enriched graphite N contributed to the adsorption complex stability, resulting in an improved phenol adsorption capacity., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Electronic structure manipulation with regard to active site coordination is an effective strategy to improve the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity. Herein, we present the structure-activity relationship between oxygen-atom-mediated electron rearrangement and active site coordination asymmetry. Ni 2+ ions are introduced to FeWO 4 on Ni foam (NF) via self-substitution to break the symmetry of the FeO 6 octahedron and regulate d-electron structure of Fe sites. Structural regulation optimizes the adsorption energy of hydroxyl on the Fe sites and promotes the partial formation of hydroxyl oxide with high OER activity on the tungstate surface. Fe 0.53 Ni 0.47 WO 4 /NF with the asymmetric FeO 6 octahedron of Fe sites can achieve an ultralow overpotential of 170 mV at 10 mA cm -2 and 240 mV at 1000 mA cm -2 with robust stability for 500 h at high current density under alkaline conditions. This research develops novel electrocatalysts with impressive OER performance and provides new insights into the design of highly active catalytic systems., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Since immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) can affect the development and progression of tumors, strategies modulating immune cells are considered to have an important therapeutic effect. As a TLR7/8 agonist, R848 effectively activates the innate immune cells to exert an anti-tumor effect. Mn 2+ has been reported to strongly promote the maturation of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), thereby enhancing the cytotoxicity of CD8 + T cells. Thus, we tried to investigate whether chitosan-poly(acrylic acid) nanoparticles (CS-PAA NPs) loaded with R848 and MnCl 2 (R-M@CS-PAA NPs) could exert an anti-tumor effect by regulating the function of immune cells., Methods: R-M@CS-PAA NPs were prepared, and their basic characteristics, anti-tumor effect, and potential mechanisms were explored both in vitro and in vivo., Results: R-M@CS-PAA NPs easily released MnCl 2 and R848 at low pH. In B16F10 mouse melanoma model, R-M@CS-PAA NPs exerted the most significant anti-melanoma effect compared with the control group and CS-PAA NPs loaded with R848 or MnCl 2 alone. FITC-labeled R-M@CS-PAA NPs were displayed to be accumulated at the tumor site. R-M@CS-PAA NPs significantly increased the infiltration of M1 macrophages and CD8 + T cells but reduced the number of suppressive immune cells in the TME. Moreover, in vitro experiments showed that R-M@CS-PAA NPs polarized macrophages into the M1 phenotype to inhibit the proliferation of B16F10 cells. R-M@CS-PAA NPs also enhanced the killing function of CD8 + T cells to B16F10 cells. Of note, R-M@CS-PAA NPs not only promoted the maturation of APCs such as dendritic cells and macrophages by STING and NF-кB pathways, but also enhanced the ability of dendritic cells to present ovalbumin to OT-I CD8 + T cells to enhance the cytotoxicity of OT-I CD8 + T cells to ovalbumin-expressing B16F10 cells., Conclusion: These data indicate that the administration of R-M@CS-PAA NPs is an effective therapeutic strategy against melanoma., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2021 Liu et al.)