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We previously showed decellularized fish swim bladder can be used as vascular patch and tube graft in rats, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have showed the capability to inhibit neointimal hyperplasia in different animal models. We hypothesized that decellularized fish swim bladder patch loaded with MSCs (bioinspired patch) can inhibit neointimal hyperplasia in a rat aortic patch angioplasty model. Rat MSCs were grown in vitro and flow cytometry was used to confirm their quality. 3.6 × 10

Neointimal hyperplasia is a persistent complication after vascular interventions, and it is also the leading cause of vascular graft restenosis and failure after arterial interventions, so novel treatment methods are needed to treat this complication. We hypothesized that adventitial injection of HA/SA hydrogel loaded with PLGA rapamycin nanoparticle (hydrogel-PLGA-rapamycin) could inhibit neointimal hyperplasia in a rat aortic wire injury model. The HA/SA hydrogel was fabricated by the interaction of hyaluronic acid (HA), sodium alginate (SA), and CaCO

Objectives : Spiral saphenous vein grafts (SSVG) or paneled vein grafts (PVG) can be used when the diameter of the autologous great saphenous vein does not match the vessel that needs to be repaired. This study aimed to present early results of complex vascular reconstruction with SSVGs and PVGs in the lower extremities. Methods : From May 2019 through January 2021, six SSVGs and three PVGs were used for vascular reconstruction in nine patients. Patient data were collected retrospectively, including age, gender, cause of vascular pathology, target vessels, concomitant injury, surgical method, additional surgical methods, and hemodynamic status. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the rate of freedom from reintervention. Results : Among these patients, seven had trauma, one had graft infection, and one had vascular reconstruction after tumor excision. The mean duration of follow-up was 6 ± 6.6 months (range 1–19 months). The rate of freedom from reintervention for any reason was 77.8% at 1 year. Two patients underwent amputation after vascular reconstruction with patent vascular reconstructions. One of the two amputations was performed because of infection, and the other was due to ischemia >24 hours. The success rate of reconstruction was 100%, and the primary patency rate was 100%. The rate of limb salvage was 77.8%. There was no death, bleeding, embolism, skin ulcers, graft-related complication, or aneurysmal dilation during follow-up. Conclusions : SSVG and PVG were associated with low infection rates and satisfactory short-term patency rates. These two grafts may be good choices when there is a diameter mismatch in vascular reconstructions.

Objective Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is often caused by atherosclerosis. However, causes other than atherosclerosis is often overlooked. Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) and popliteal artery adventitial cystic disease (PACD) are two common nonatheromatous causes of claudication and critical limb ischemia. The purpose of this study is to present early results of treatment of PAES and PACD involving the lower limbs. Methods From December 2019 to February 2021, 10 patients with PAES underwent surgeries, and 1 patient with PAES received conservative treatment. 2 patients with PACD underwent surgery. Patient data including age, gender, etiology of vascular pathology, diseased vessel, surgical method, and hemodynamic status were collected retrospectively. Results The mean follow-up duration was 5.64 ± 3.72 months (range, 1–12 months). All patients had their symptoms improved or resolved. The success rate of surgery was 100%, the rate of freedom from reintervention for any reason was 100%. There were no death, bleeding, embolism, or skin ulcers during late follow-up. Conclusions PAES and PACD require early diagnosis and intervention, and early surgery may lead to good early- and mid-term results.

To investigate the levels of serum transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β1), Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and Interleukin-1 β (IL-1 β) in breast cancer (BC), and analyzing their relationship with pathological features and prognosis. Retrospective analysis of 86 subjects with BC (BC subgroup) and another 50 healthy subjects (control subgroup) during the same period were included. The clinical data were collected. In this research, in BC subgroup, The levels of serum TGF- β 1, MMP-9 and IL-1 β were significantly higher than those in control subgroup. The levels of TGF- β 1 and MMP-9 in serum of BC subjects was correlated with clinical stage, histological grade, lymph node metastasis and molecular classification, but not with age, tumor size and menopausal status. The level of serum IL-1 β was related to tumor size, clinical stage, histological grade and lymph node metastasis. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the high level of serum TGF- β1 and MMP-9 was independent risk factors for BC. High level of serum IL-1 β was not an independent risk factor for BC. The 3-year disease-free survival rate in high TGF- β1 subgroup and high MMP-9 subgroup was significantly lower than that in low TGF- β 1 subgroup and low MMP- 9 subgroup. To conclude, serum TGF- β 1, MMP-9 and IL-1β are highly expressed in BC, and the subjects with elevated serum levels of TGF- β 1 and MMP-9 suggests poor prognosis.

A cell is an organic whole containing biological macromolecules such as nucleic acid and protein. Human cells contain about 15,000 proteins, which play an important role in the development of cell life. This article aims to study the effect of phytoestrogens on the proliferation of breast cancer cells MCF-7. The estrogen-dependent MCF-7 cells described in this article are grown on average DMEM (containing calf serum 10) and connected to single cell culture. Five days before adding the test product, the cells were washed with PBS and converted into red-free phenol. High-sugar DMEM containing 5 parts of bovine embryo serum was cultured and treated with activated charcoal glucan glycosides. In the experiment, four dose groups of solvent control, estrogen control, anti-estrogens and two test substances were used for control, and the proliferation of MCF-7 cells was analyzed by integration method and flow cytometry. The experimental results in this article show that compared with the solvent control group, GS can significantly inhibit MCF-7 cell proliferation and cell DNA synthesis, and G/M can block the cell cycle and produce a similar inhibitory effect. 96mol/L zein treatment for 24 hours can significantly promote MCF-7 cell proliferation and cell DNA composition, promote cell cycle, and increase cell separation and proliferation index.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have various potential applications. However, anode is a main bottleneck that limits electricity production performance of MFCs. Herein, we developed a novel anode based on a stainless steel cloth (SC) modified with carbon nanoparticles of Chinese ink (CI) using polypyrrole (PPy) as a building block (PPy/CI/SC). After modification, PPy/CI/SC showed a 30% shorten in start-up time (36.4 ± 3.3 h vs. 52.3 ± 1.8 h), 33% increase in the maximum current (12.4 ± 1.4 mA vs. 9.3 ± 0.95 mA), and 2.3 times higher in the maximum power density of MFC (61.9 mW/m2 vs. 27.3 mW/m2), compared to Ppy/SC. Experimental results revealed that carbon nanoparticles were able to cover SC uniformly, owing to excellent dispersibility of carbon nanoparticles in CI. The attachment of carbon nanoparticles formed a fluffy layer on SC increased the electrochemically-active surface area by 1.9 times to 44.5 cm2. This enhanced electron transfer between the electrode and bacteria. Further, embedding carbon nanoparticles into the PPy layer significantly improved biocompatibility as well as changed functional group contents, which were beneficial to bacteria adhesion on electrodes. Taking advantage of high mechanical strength and good conductivity, a large-size PPy/CI/SC was successfully prepared (50 × 60 cm2) demonstrating a promising potential in practical applications. This simple fabrication strategy offers a new idea of developing low cost and scalable electrode materials for high-performance energy harvesting in MFCs.

BACKGROUND: The exact factors and mechanisms involved in the development of hematoma after breast ultrasound (US)-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) are not clear. This study aimed to analyze the occurrence, prognosis, and risk factors of hematoma after US-guided VAB for the removal of benign breast lesions. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of consecutive female patients with breast lesions (BI-RADS 3/4a/4b and confirmed as benign by core needle biopsy) removed by percutaneous excisional biopsy by US-guided VAB at the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from April 2016 to December 2018. Univariable analyses were conducted to identify the factors associated with hematoma (age, nodule size, laterality, nodule location, number of nodules, BI-RADS classification of ultrasound, pathology, breast shape, menstrual period, efficacy time of bandage, and hemostatic agents). Multivariable analysis was performed to identify the factors independently associated with hematoma. RESULTS: A total of 293 patients (343 breast lesions) were included. Lesion removal was successful in all cases. Hematomas ≥1 cm were found in 39 patients. Finally, 38 (97.4%) hematomas were absorbed completely within 6 months. The multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that lesion size (P

The strength and hydraulic conductivity of vertical cutoff walls consisting of reactive magnesia-activated ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), bentonite, and soil (MSB) have been investigated in previous studies. However, there has been little comprehensive study of the influence of wet-dry cycles on the mechanical and microstructural properties of MSB backfills. In this paper, the durability of MSB backfills when exposed to wet-dry cycles is investigated. The variations in mass change, dry density, pH value, pore size distribution, and mineralogy are discussed. The results show that the mass change of ordinary Portland cement (OPC)-based and MSB backfills increases with respect to wet-dry cycles. The MSB backfills exhibit up to 8.2% higher mass change than OPC-based ones after 10 wet-dry cycles. The dry density, pH value, and unconfined compressive strength of MSB backfill decrease with the increasing number of wet-dry cycles. Increasing the GGBS-MgO content from 5% to 10% in MSB backfills results in 2.1–2.3 times higher strength, corresponding to a reduction of 2%–12% in cumulative pore volume; while increasing the bentonite content slightly reduces the strength of MSB mixtures, corresponding to an increase of cumulative pore volume by 4.6%–7.9%. The hydrotalcite-like phases and calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) are the primary hydration products in MSB backfills. Moreover, the continuous wet-dry cycles result in the precipitation of calcite and nesquehonite.

Introduction: The egg shell membrane (ESM) is always considered as waste, but recent studies have shown that it has the potential to yield rapid re-endothelialization in vitro. We hypothesized that ESM and heparin-conjugated ESM (HESM) can be used as arterial patch in a rat aortic angioplasty model.Method: Sprague-Dawley rat (200 g) abdominal aortic patch angioplasty model was used. Decellularized rat thoracic aorta (TA) patch was used as the control; ESM patch was made of raw chicken egg; heparin-coated ESM (HESM) patch was made by using dopamine; anticoagulation properties were verified using platelet adhesion tests; the TA, ESM, and HESM patches were implanted to the rat aorta and harvested at day 14; and the samples were examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.Result: The ESM patch showed a similar healing process to the TA patch; the cells could migrate and infiltrate into both patches; there was a neointima with von Willebrand factor-positive endothelial cells; the endothelial cells acquired arterial identity with Ephrin-B2- and dll-4-positive cells; there were proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells, and PCNA and alpha smooth muscle actin dual-positive cells in the neointima in both groups. Heparin was conjugated to the patch successfully and showed a strong anticoagulation property in vitro. HESM could decrease mural thrombus formation after rat aortic patch angioplasty.Conclusion: The ESM is a natural scaffold that can be used as a vascular patch; it showed a similar healing process to decellularized TA patch; HESM showed anticoagulation property both in vitro and in vivo; and the ESM may be a promising vascular graft in the clinic.

BackgroundCO2valorization is one of the effective methods to solve current environmental and energy problems, in which microbial electrosynthesis (MES) system has proved feasible and efficient.Cupriviadus necator(Ralstonia eutropha) H16, a model chemolithoautotroph, is a microbe of choice for CO2conversion, especially with the ability to be employed in MES due to the presence of genes encoding [NiFe]-hydrogenases and all the Calvin–Benson–Basham cycle enzymes. The CO2valorization strategy will make sense because the required hydrogen can be produced from renewable electricity independently of fossil fuels.Main bodyIn this review, synthetic biology toolkit forC. necatorH16, including genetic engineering vectors, heterologous gene expression elements, platform strain and genome engineering, and transformation strategies, is firstly summarized. Then, the review discusses how to apply these tools to makeC. necatorH16 an efficient cell factory for converting CO2to value-added products, with the examples of alcohols, fatty acids, and terpenoids. The review is concluded with the limitation of current genetic tools and perspectives on the development of more efficient and convenient methods as well as the extensive applications ofC. necatorH16.ConclusionsGreat progress has been made on genetic engineering toolkit and synthetic biology applications ofC. necatorH16. Nevertheless, more efforts are expected in the near future to engineerC. necatorH16 as efficient cell factories for the conversion of CO2to value-added products.

This study explored seasonal and monthly variations of the incidence of acute aortic dissection (AAD).MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched up to July 2021. Temporal variation in the incidence of AAD was analyzed including all studies analyzing seasonal and monthly aggregations. Then, we performed subgroup analyses according to the type of AAD. Two authors independently reviewed and extracted data.Twenty-seven studies for a total of 128,101 patients were included. Our results showed that the incidence of AAD was highest in winter and lowest in summer. Regardless of type A or type B, the incidence of AAD was significantly higher in winter than in summer and autumn. Nonetheless, there was no significant difference between spring and winter, and between summer and autumn. Results may be limited by the quality of the included articles. However, in the sensitivity analysis that excluded low-quality studies, results did not change significantly. In addition, the pooled incidence was highest in January and lowest in August.Our data strongly support the presence of distribution patterns in the incidence of AAD, characterized by significantly higher risk in winter and in January. These distribution patterns of AAD incidence may help to develop better prevention strategies.

ObjectivesCurrently, cardiovascular risk associated with COVID-19 has been brought to people’s attention, but the mechanism is not clear. The aim of this study is to elucidate the mechanisms based on multiple omics data.MethodologyWeighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify key pathways. Combination analysis with aneurysm and atherosclerosis related pathways, hypoxia induced factor-1 (HIF-1) signaling were identified as key pathways of the increased cardiovascular risk associated with COVID-19. ScMLnet algorithm based on scRNA-seq was used to explore the regulation of HIF-1 pathway by intercellular communication. Proteomic analysis was used to detect the regulatory mechanisms between IL18 and HIF-1 signaling pathway. Pseudo time locus analysis was used to study the regulation of HIF1 signaling pathway in macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) phenotypic transformation. The Virtual Inference of protein-activity by Enriched Regulon (VIPER) analysis was used to study the activity of regulatory proteins. Epigenetic analysis based on methylation revealed epigenetic changes in PBMC after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Potential therapeutic compounds were explored by using Cmap algorithm.ResultsHIF-1 signaling pathway is a common key pathway for aneurysms, atherosclerosis and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Intercellular communication analysis showed that macrophage-derived interleukin-18 (IL-18) activates the HIF-1 signaling pathway through IL18R1. Proteomic analysis showed that IL18/IL18R1 promote NF-κB entry into the nucleus, and activated the HIF-1 signaling pathway. Macrophage-derived IL18 promoted the M1 polarization of macrophages and the syntactic phenotype transformation of VSMCs. MAP2K1 mediates the functional regulation of HIF-1 signaling pathway in various cell types. Epigenetic changes in PBMC after COVID-19 infection are characterized by activation of the type I interferon pathway. MEK inhibitors are the promising compounds for the treatment of HIF-1 overactivation.ConclusionsThe IL18/IL18R1/HIF1A axis is expected to be an therapeutic target for cardiovascular protection after SARS-CoV-2 infection. MEK inhibitors may be an choice for cardiovascular protection after SARS-COV-2 infection

Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) is an advanced construction material exhibiting tensile strain-hardening and multiple-cracking behavior. The tensile performance of ECC is known to be sensitive to the amount and size of sand used. Most studies on ECC have been performed with fine silica sand, while limited studies used coarser sand. However, the influence of morphological parameters of sand on the mechanical performance of ECC has not yet been explored, which is the focus of the present study. The morphological parameters (including particle roundness and sphericity) of sand were objectively determined using image analysis and computer algorithms, while the ECC compressive and tensile properties were experimentally measured. It was concluded that decreasing sand particle roundness and sphericity led to enhancements in compressive strength, ultimate tensile strength and tensile strain capacity of ECC. Gabbro sand, with the lowest roundness and sphericity among the four natural sand types studied, resulted in the best ECC mechanical properties. This natural sand can serve as an effective alternative to the typical manufactured fine silica sand used in ECC with reduced material cost and environmental impact. The findings of this study support the broader utilization of local natural sand in ECC in practical applications.

Carbon materials are considered to be one of the most promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), but the well-ordered graphitic structure limits the intercalation of sodium ions. Besides, the sluggish intercalation kinetics of sodium ions impedes the rate performance. Thus, the precise structure control of carbon materials is important to improve the battery performance. Herein, a 3D porous hard-soft composite carbon (3DHSC) was prepared using the NaCl as the template and phenolic resin and pitch as carbon precursors. The NaCl template restrains the growth of the graphite crystallite during the carbonization process, resulting in small graphitic domains with expanded interlayer spacing which is favorable for the sodium storage. Moreover, the NaCl templates help to create abundant mesopores and macropores for fast sodium ion diffusion. The porous structure and the graphite crystalline structure can be precisely controlled by simply adjusting the mass ratio of NaCl, and thus, the suitable structure can be prepared to reach high capacity and rate performance while keeping a relatively high Coulombic efficiency. Typically, a high reversible capacity (215 mA h g−1 at 0.05 A g−1), an excellent rate capability (97 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1), and a high initial Coulombic efficiency (60%) are achieved.

Lithium metal is the most promising anode for next-generation rechargeable lithium batteries but Li dendrite growth and the resulting safety issues resulting from the non-uniform Li deposition hinder its practical use. Considering the high cost and complication of the currently reported approaches to suppress the Li dendrite growth, in this study we have modified a low-cost commercial three-dimensional (3D) Cu foam into a high-performance host for stable Li deposition by the growth of Cu2S nanowires (NWs) inside the Cu framework. The Cu2S NWs were grown by a simple and scalable chemical approach, and they reduce the local current density and homogenize the Li ion distribution because of the increased contact area of the 3D Cu2S NWs/Cu with the electrolyte. They also enable the formation of a protective solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film containing Li2S2/Li2S. The prepared 3D Cu2S NWs/Cu current collector enables dendrite-free Li deposition/stripping and gives a stable cycling performance with a high coulombic efficiency (95.5% for more than 150 cycles at 2 mA cm−2). Full cells with LiFePO4 as the cathode also exhibit improved cycling stability and improved coulombic efficiency, showing the potential of this host in the use of stable Li metal anodes.

Background Ischemic stroke and disability caused by carotid artery stenosis have always been worldwide problems. At present, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and transfemoral carotid artery stenting (TFCAS) have been commonly used to treat carotid artery stenosis. Recently, transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) seems to be another option. Methods We searched PubMed and Embase to find literatures comparing TCAR with TFCAS and CEA. The primary outcomes were stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), transient ischemic attack (TIA), death, cranial nerve injure (CNI), and operative time. Secondary outcomes were stroke, death, MI in the elderly; cost; radiation; and entry site complication. Results Initial search of the literature included 165 articles, of which 12 studies were chosen in the end. These studies demonstrated high technical success rate of TCAR. Patients who received TCAR had lower risks of death, stroke/death and less radiation exposure compared to TFCAS. In meta analysis, the risk of stroke was significantly lower in TCAR group than TFCAS (OR 0.63; 95%CI 0.47–0.85). And there was no significant difference in TIA and MI. TCAR was associated with shorter operative time, lower risk of CNI and less blood loss compared to CEA. In older patients, the effect of TCAR was significantly better than that of TFCAS. Conclusion TCAR is associated with a lower risk of perioperative stroke compared to TFCAS. TCAR is also associated with shorter operative time, lower risk of CNI and less blood loss compared to CEA. TCAR may be a promising treatment option besides TFCAS and CEA.

The use of reactive magnesium oxide (MgO) is widely recognized in carbonated concrete formulations associated with permanent sequestration of CO2. Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) is an advanced fiber reinforced cement-based composite with high tensile ductility and intrinsically tight crack width. In this paper, we investigate an alternative binary binding system for ECC: reactive MgO and fly ash cured with an accelerated carbonation process. Compressive strength, density, carbonation depth, tensile performance and crack pattern of the carbonated reactive MgO-based ECC were investigated at various curing ages. In addition, the CO2 uptake and materials sustainability, in terms of energy consumption, net CO2 emission and cost of the newly developed ECC were assessed. The objective of this research is to further advance the application of reactive MgO and utilization of CO2 in the construction industry through novel ECC material. It was observed that carbonation curing densifies the binding system, thus leading to an increase in both compressive and first cracking tensile strengths of ECC. The tensile strain capacity of the carbonated reactive MgO-based ECC achieved up to 6% with an average crack width below 60 μm after 1-day carbonation. Compared to conventional ECC (M45) and concrete, the 1-day carbonated reactive MgO-based ECC could reduce the net CO2 emission by 65% and 45%, respectively. It is concluded that environmental and technical benefits could be simultaneously achieved for the 1-day carbonated reactive MgO-based ECC incorporated with 50% fly ash. The findings of this research shed light on further applications of reactive MgO cement in the precast industry.

Objectives Aneurysms are generally the result of dilation of all 3 layers of the vessel wall, and pseudoaneurysms are the result of localized extravasation of blood that is contained by surrounding tissue. Since there is still no recommended protocol to decrease aneurysm formation and progression, we hypothesised that intramural delivery of TGF β1 hydrogel can decrease aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm formation and progression. Materials Male C57BL/6 J mice (12–14 wk), SD rats (200 g) and pig abdominal aortas were used, and hydrogels were fabricated by the interaction of sodium alginate (SA), hyaluronic acid (HA) and CaCO3. Methods A CaCl2 adventitial incubation model in mice and a decellularized human great saphenous vein patch angioplasty model in rats were used. TGF β1 hydrogel was intramurally delivered after CaCl2 incubation in mice; at day 7, the abdomen in some mice was reopened, and TGF β1 hydrogel was injected intramurally into the aorta. In rats, TGF β1 hydrogel was delivered intramurally after patch angioplasty completion. Tissues were harvested at day 14 and analysed by histology and immunohistochemistry staining. The pig aorta was also intramurally injected with hydrogel. Results In mice, rhodamine hydrogel was still found between the medium and adventitia at day 14. In the mouse aneurysm model, there was a thicker wall and smaller amount of elastin breaks in the TGF β1 hydrogel-delivered groups both at day 0 and day 7 after CaCl2 incubation, and there were larger numbers of p-smad2- and TAK1-positive cells in the TGF β1 hydrogel-injected groups. In the rat decellularized human saphenous vein patch pseudoaneurysm model, there was a higher incidence of pseudoaneurysm formation when the patch was decellularized using 3% SDS, and delivery of TGF β1 hydrogel could effectively decrease the formation of pseudoaneurysm formation and increase p-smad2 and TAK1 expression. In pig aortas, hydrogels can be delivered between the medium and adventitia easily and successfully. Conclusions Intramural delivery of TGF β1 hydrogel can effectively decease aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm formation and progression in both mice and rats, and pig aortas can also be successfully intramurally injected with hydrogel. This technique may be a promising drug delivery method and therapeutic choice to decrease aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm formation and progression in the clinic.

This study presents an experimental study on bed-load transport in the presence of emergent vegetation, which is simulated using uniformly sized circular cylinders arranged in a homogeneous distribution. The spatial variability of bed-load fluxes in vegetated flows is first examined. Then a model is proposed for evaluating the bed-load transport rate based on the scour holes that form around the vegetation stems. The influences of spatial variability and intensified turbulence on sediment transport are finally considered by relating the dimensionless transport rate and flow intensity to the stem size and vegetation density. The derived formula for predicting the bed-load transport rate in vegetated flows is applicable for weak to moderate transport conditions. Nanyang Technological University Published version The first author would gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the NTU Research Scholarship. The authors would also gratefully acknowl-edge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51979242) and tech-nical support from State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering at Sichuan University.

The bed-load transport rates predicted using Einstein's formula in the low and high transport regimes deviate from the experimental data. The deviation, which becomes significant when the transport rate is extremely low or high, may be solely attributed to the folded Gaussian distribution assumed by Einstein. The trends of an Einstein-type formula at the limits can be separately determined by considering the limiting behavior of the embedded probability distribution, which facilitates the derivation of a formula that best fits the bed-load data. By applying a Gamma distribution with the shape parameter equal to 3/2, a modified Einstein's formula is successfully applied to the low and high transport regimes. Nanyang Technological University Published version The first author would gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the NTU Research Scholarship. The authors would also gratefully acknowl-edge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51979242)

Valorization of CO2 is key to establishing a carbon–neutral society. However, CO2 possesses a strong C = O with bond energy of 750 kJ/mol, which makes it difficult for electrochemical conversion. As a result, the conversion of CO2 to complex molecules remains a grand challenge and product profiles based on inorganic catalysis are only limited to a few simple chemicals, such as formate, acetate, and ethanol. Here, we employed microbial electrosynthesis to diversify the product spectrum. First, an engineered Cupriavidus necator strain was constructed to produce lycopene from H2 and CO2. Then, by coupling de novo microbial catalyzed lycopene synthesis with inorganic catalyzed water electrolysis, a microbial electrosynthesis (MES) system was developed. Lycopene, representing the most complex nonnative molecules in the MES system, was produced with CO2 as the sole carbon source and H2 derived from electrochemical water splitting as the reducing power. Moreover, the produced lycopene provided long-term cytoprotective capacity against reactive oxygen species, thereby addressing the incompatibility between microbial and inorganic catalysis. Finally, 1.73 mg/L lycopene was produced from real exhaust gas from a coal-fired power plant in the MES system. The present study opens a possible route to turn trash to cash for industrial exhaust gas.

Lithium metal is considered to be the most promising anode material for the next-generation rechargeable batteries. However, the uniform and dendrite-free deposition of Li metal anode is hard to achieve, hindering its practical applications. Herein, a lightweight, free-standing and nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber-based 3D structured conductive matrix (NCNF), which is characterized by a robust and interconnected 3D network with high doping level of 9.5 at%, is prepared by electrospinning as the current collector for Li metal anode. Uniform Li nucleation with reduced polarization and dendrite-free Li deposition are achieved because the NCNF with high nitrogen-doping level and high conductivity provide abundant and homogenous metallic Li nucleation and deposition sites. Excellent cycling stability with high coulombic efficiency are realized. The Li plated NCNF was paired with LiFePO4 to assemble the full battery, also showing high cyclic stability.

This study aims to investigate the membrane and diffusion behavior of a novel vertical cutoff wall backfill comprised of reactive magnesium-activated slag, bentonite and sand (referred as MSBS backfill) for the containment of heavy metals in groundwater. The MSBS backfill specimens were subjected to a series of multi-stage chemico-osmotic tests using Pb(NO3)2 and Zn(NO3)2 solutions at different concentrations. Chemico-osmotic efficiency coefficient, effective diffusion coefficient, and retardation factor of the backfills were computed. For computing chemico-osmotic efficiency coefficient, the theoretical chemico-osmotic pressure differences were computed using both van't Hoff equation and water activity method. The results showed that the MSBS backfill exhibited semipermeable membrane behavior in tested solutions. The chemico-osmotic efficiency coefficients of the backfills decreased, whereas effective diffusion coefficients of heavy metal cations remained nearly constant, and retardation factors of heavy metal cations increased slightly with the increase of metal concentration. For the range of concentrations of Zn(NO3)2 in this study, the maximum percent error of theoretical chemico-osmotic pressure difference calculated using van't Hoff equation relative to that calculated using water activity method was 14.4%. A comparative assessment of reported chemico-osmotic efficiency coefficient, effective diffusion coefficient, and retardation factor values for various soil-bentonite backfills and geosynthetic clay liners with those for MSBS backfill was performed. Overall, the results are useful to assess containment performance of MSBS vertical cutoff walls at metal-contaminated groundwater sites.

Carbonated MgO-based Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) has ultrahigh tensile ductility and tight crack width control behavior. However, the expectation of improved fire-resistant has not been confirmed. This study explored the alterations to mechanical and microstructure characteristics of this material after exposure to temperatures up to 500 °C. Material mass loss, compressive strength, tensile strength, strain capacity, and matrix fracture toughness were measured. Scanning electron microscopy, mercury intrusion porosimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction were used to probe the degradation of the cement matrix and fibers. The effect of elevated temperature on carbonated MgO-based ECC was further assessed via examination of the micromechanical behavior of the fiber-matrix. The objective of this research was to assess the performance of carbonated MgO-based ECC exposed to fire hazards. The tensile ductility of carbonated MgO-based ECC was found to be enhanced when exposed to ∼100 °C as compared with those at room temperature ∼20 °C. Further increase in exposure temperature, however, posed a negative impact on the composite compressive strength, ultimate tensile strength, and ability to control crack width. The results provide a useful database for further investigations into carbonated MgO-based ECC for fire safety enhancement.