Search

In order to explore the adsorption performance and mechanism of tricalcium phosphate for removing the U（Ⅵ）, the tricalcium phosphate powder was synthesized by the solid phase method using calcium carbonate and diammonium hydrogen phosphate as the raw materials. And then, the physical and chemical properties of tricalcium phosphate powder were characterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FTIR）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and specific surface area analyzer（Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, BET). The effects of pH, solid-liquid ratio, adsorption time, initial U（Ⅵ） concentration, adsorption temperature on the U（Ⅵ） adsorption performance of tricalcium phosphate were also investigated. The kinetic adsorption, isothermal adsorption, thermodynamic adsorption models, as well as XRD, FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）, SEM, energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS）, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer（ICP-OES） were used to reveal the U（Ⅵ） adsorption mechanism of tricalcium phosphate. The results show that the adsorption capacity of U（Ⅵ） by tricalcium phosphate is up to 999.25 mg/g, when the adsorption conditions are as follows: pH of 3.0, solid-liquid ratio of 0.1 g/L, adsorption time of 60 min, initial U（Ⅵ） mass concentration of 120 mg/L and adsorption temperature of 308 K. The adsorption process conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model(chemical adsorption) and Langmuir model(monolayer adsorption), which is a spontaneous endothermic process. The U（Ⅵ） adsorption mechanism of tricalcium phosphate is the dissolution and precipitation process. In acidic aqueous solution, Ca2+ and PO3-4 dissolved from tricalcium phosphate can combine with UO2+2 to form meta-autunite (Ca(UO2)2-(PO4)2·6H2O) on the surface of tricalcium phosphate. The aforementioned results suggest that tricalcium phosphate can be utilized as a kind of promising adsorption materials for U（Ⅵ） containing wastewater treatment.

Regulation of tumoral PD-L1 expression is critical to advancing our understanding of tumor immune evasion and the improvement of existing antitumor immunotherapies. Herein, we describe a CRISPR-based screening platform and identified ATXN3 as a positive regulator for PD-L1 transcription. TCGA database analysis revealed a positive correlation between ATXN3 and CD274 in more than 80% of human cancers. ATXN3-induced Pd-l1 transcription was promoted by tumor microenvironmental factors, including the inflammatory cytokine IFN-[gamma] and hypoxia, through protection of their downstream transcription factors IRF1, STAT3, and HIF-2[alpha]. Moreover, ATXN3 functioned as a deubiquitinase of the AP-1 transcription factor JunB, indicating that ATNX3 promotes PD-L1 expression through multiple pathways. Targeted deletion of ATXN3 in cancer cells largely abolished IFN-[gamma]- and hypoxia-induced PD-L1 expression and consequently enhanced antitumor immunity in mice, and these effects were partially reversed by PD-L1 reconstitution. Furthermore, tumoral ATXN3 suppression improved the preclinical efficacy of checkpoint blockade antitumor immunotherapy. Importantly, ATXN3 expression was increased in human lung adenocarcinoma and melanoma, and its levels were positively correlated with PD-L1 as well as its transcription factors IRF1 and HIF- 2[alpha]. Collectively, our study identifies what we believe to be a previously unknown deubiquitinase, ATXN3, as a positive regulator for PD-L1 transcription and provides a rationale for targeting ATXN3 to sensitize checkpoint blockade antitumor immunotherapy., Introduction Antitumor immune therapy, particularly through the release of negative regulators of immune activation or immune checkpoints that limit antitumor responses, has achieved tremendous success in the treatment of a [...]

Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production technology holds promise for directly and swiftly generating green hydrogen, which is pivotal for human welfare; however, it faces challenges posed by the energetically sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Cobalt-based nitrides are considered excellent photoelectrochemically active in the OER (PEOER) catalysts, and their conductivity and photoconversion efficiency remain relatively low. This paper presents the fabrication of Ni-alloyed Co4N nanowire arrays on carbon cloth ((Co1–xNix)4N NWAs/CC) as PEOER catalysts. By analyzing advanced in situ Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results, we discovered that Ni not only enhances the conductivity of the catalyst but, more importantly, also creates more photoexcited Co2+ OER centers and favors its reconstruction to CoOOH to charge PEOER. Furthermore, nitrogen plays a critical role in transforming pyridinic nitrogen into other forms of nitrogen to stabilize the catalyst's structure. These advantages endow (Co0.74Ni0.26)4N NWAs/CC with remarkable PEOER enhancement (988%), which drives the standard current density of 10 mA cm–2 with only a 283 mV overpotential along with good durability. This research provides insights into the PEOER mechanisms of cobalt-based transition metal nitrides, providing a way for designing next-generation PEOER catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar irradiation can efficiently promote the kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during water splitting, where heterojunction catalysts exhibit excellent photoresponsive properties. However, insights into the origins of photoassisted OER catalysis remain unclear, especially the interfaced promotion under convergent solar irradiation (CSI). Herein, novel allotropic Co5.47N/CoN heterojunctions were synthesized, and corresponding OER mechanisms under CSI were comprehensively uncovered from physical and chemical aspects using the in situ Raman technique and electrochemical cyclic voltammetry method. Our results provide a unique mechanism where high‐energy UV light promotes the Co3+/4+ conversion process in addition to the ordinary photoelectric effect excitation of the Co2+ material. Importantly, visible light under CSI can produce a photothermal effect for Co2+ excitation and Co3+/4+ conversion, which promotes the OER significantly more than the usual photoelectric effect. As a result, Co5.47N/CoN (containing 28% CoN) obtained 317.9% OER enhancement, which provides a pathway for constructing excellent OER catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People's increasing demand for fossil fuels not only leads to environmental pollution but also highlights their non-renewable nature. Therefore, the urgency of developing renewable energy sources is evident. Tree branches and leaves undergo cycles of growth and decay with the changing seasons, showcasing their renewable potential. Despite this, they remain underutilized as new energy materials, particularly in the realm of high-energy-density lithium batteries. While this paper did not directly explore the utilization of various branches and leaves as raw materials for lithium–sulfur battery (LSB) cathodes, it revealed promising findings: they not only demonstrate good battery capacity but also boast considerable cycle life. The carbonized material from the leaves of Acer buergerianum can be used as the electrode of LSBs and could achieve 318.8 mA h g−1 at 4C and a decay rate of only 0.03% at 1C for 400 cycles., respectively. Therefore, the innovative method of turning decaying leaves into energy contributes significantly to the future of renewable energy and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although pediatric epidural analgesia is a well-established technique used perioperatively. It is unclear whether a lumbar or caudal epidural is suitable for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) patients, which may be associated with brittle bones and spine deformity. We conducted a retrospective study to investigate and compare the efficacy of the two continuous epidural techniques in pediatric patients undergoing lower extremity osteotomy surgery using a propensity score-matched analysis (PSMA). Patients and Methods: A total of 274 patients were included. Patients' age, weight, and height were adjusted using PSMA. 90 patients were matched for further analysis, with 45 patients in the lumbar epidural group (Group L) and 45 patients in the caudal epidural group (Group C). Pain scores were categorized into three grades: mild (0– 3), moderate (4– 6), and severe (7– 10), and compared between the two groups. Additionally, operation time, operation site, blood loss, scoliosis, oral analgesic medications, and catheter or nerve-related complications were compared. Results: There were no significant differences in operation time, operation site, scoliosis, and blood loss between the two groups. The percentage of moderate to severe pain during movement was significantly higher in Group L than in Group C, with 37.5% versus 17.5% on the second-day post-operation (P=0.039). However, no statistically significant difference was observed on other days. Additionally, there was no significant difference in oral medication consumption and complications between the two groups. Conclusion: Both lumbar and caudal epidural analgesia can be effectively used postoperatively, and a caudal epidural should be considered where performing a lumbar epidural is challenging in OI pediatric patients. Plain Language Summary: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic disorder that affects the body's connective tissues, particularly the bones and ligaments. It is caused by abnormalities in type I collagen, which leads to skeletal fragility known as "brittle bones". This fragility can cause various issues, including an increased risk of fractures from minor trauma, limb deformities, and unusual fractures such as vertebral compressions. OI patients may also experience spinal manifestations such as scoliosis and kyphosis. Lumbar epidural analgesia has been found to be effective in providing pain relief for surgeries that involve the lower extremities. Additionally, caudal epidural analgesia has also demonstrated its effectiveness in providing postoperative analgesia for surgeries that affect the lower limbs. However, there is still debate about the safety of epidural analgesia in patients with skeletal dysplasias, especially those with OI. Despite this uncertainty, our center, which was supported by the Rare Diseases Public Welfare Organization, has successfully used epidural analgesia since 2015 in the southern part of China for OI surgeries. We conducted a retrospective study to share our experiences of nine years of practice and compare lumbar epidural with caudal epidural using a propensity score matching to balance basic demographics. We also compared the presence of scoliosis. Our findings suggest that both lumbar and caudal epidural analgesia can be safely used in OI patients. In cases where lumbar punctures may pose challenges due to potential spine deformities, the caudal route can be an alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic uranium extraction from seawater is an ideal strategy to obtain uranium resources. Herein, the cyano‐functionalized graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4‐CN) with an isosite structure of adsorption and photoreduction for U(VI) is successfully prepared to achieve efficient photocatalytic uranium extraction from seawater. As the key of the isosite structure, the cyano group not only dramatically promotes the separation of photogenerated charges of g‐C3N4‐CN and enriched electrons around it, but also greatly improves the adsorption capacity and selectivity for U(VI) over g‐C3N4‐CN by complexing with U(VI). Therefore, g‐C3N4‐CN exhibits efficient and stable photocatalytic U(VI) reduction performance, with a saturated uranium extraction capacity of 2644.3 mg g−1, significantly higher than most reported g‐C3N4‐based photocatalysts. Moreover, it also performs well in solar light‐driven uranium extraction from actual seawater. Briefly, this work illustrates the importance of constructing the isosite structure of adsorption and photoreduction for U(VI) in improving the photocatalytic uranium extraction performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]