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Duong Trieu Trieu, Quoc Van Le, Hien Van Nguyen Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery, The 108 Military Central Hospital, Hanoi, VietnamCorrespondence: Quoc Van LeDepartment of Colon and Rectal Surgery, The 108 Military Central Hospital, No. 1 Tran Hung Dao Street, Bach Dang Ward, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi 100000, VietnamTel +84979966103Email levanquoch108@gmail.comAbstract: An internal hernia is the protrusion of visceral contents through a congenital or acquired defect in the peritoneum or mesentery within the abdominal cavity. In approximately 0.6– 5.8% of patients with small intestinal obstruction, the cause is internal hernia, with paraduodenal hernias accounting for approximately 40% of cases. Here, we present the case of a 51-year-old man diagnosed with obstruction of the small intestine caused by a hernia on the left side of the duodenum. The treatment involved returning the bowel loops to the normal position and closing the hernia pocket using Prolene 2.0 sutures. The duration of the surgery was 30 min. Five days later, the patient’s condition was stable and he was discharged from the hospital; at the 32-month postoperative follow-up, he remained in stable condition with no recurrence. An abdominal computed tomography scan is valuable for early diagnosis of paraduodenal hernia in the absence of complications, and the cause can be identified and the bowel returned to the normal position by endoscopic surgery, with closure of the hernia pocket if the intestine does not stick to the pocket.Keywords: open surgery, paraduodenal hernia, internal hernia, intestinal obstruction

Background: Targeting of angiogenesis has become a major therapeutic approach for the treatment of various advanced cancers. There are many unresolved questions on the toxicity of anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)., Objective: We performed a meta-analysis to assess the toxicity prevalence of the different anti-angiogenic TKIs among cancer patients and in subpopulations of interest including patients with renal cell carcinoma., Patients and Methods: We searched the MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases to November 2023. Clinical trials were eligible if they set out to report the grade ≥3 toxicities related to one of the seven currently approved anti-angiogenic TKIs as monotherapies. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method was applied with PROSPERO (CRD42023411946)., Results: The 421 eligible studies included a total of 56,895 cancer patients treated with anti-angiogenic TKI monotherapy. Twenty-four different cancer types were identified, mainly renal cell carcinoma (41.9% of the patients). The anti-angiogenic TKI was sorafenib (34.5% of the patients), sunitinib (30.5%), regorafenib (10.7%), pazopanib (9.4%), cabozantinib (7.7%), axitinib (4.3%), and lenvatinib (2.9%). The pooled prevalence of grade 3 and 4 toxicities was 56.1% (95% confidence interval 53.5-58.6), with marked between-study heterogeneity (I 2  = 96.8%). Toxicity profiles varied considerably depending on the type of TKI, the cancer type, and the specific patient characteristics. In particular, Asian patients and elderly people had higher prevalences of severe toxicities, with pazopanib being the best-tolerated drug. For patients treated with sunitinib, particularly those with metastatic RCC, there was no significant difference in terms of toxicity according to the regimen schedule., Conclusions: This meta-analysis highlights the toxicity profiles of anti-angiogenic TKI monotherapies, and thus enables high-level recommendations for the choice of anti-angiogenic TKIs on the basis of the patient's age, ethnicity, comorbidities, and comedications, for personalized treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of death, particularly in developing countries. WHO screening guidelines recommend human papilloma virus (HPV) detection as a means to identify women at risk of developing cervical cancer. While HPV testing identifies those at risk, it does not specifically distinguish individuals with neoplasia. We investigated whether a quantitative molecular test that measures methylated DNA markers could identify high-risk lesions in the cervix with accuracy., Results: Marker discovery was performed in TCGA-CESC Infinium Methylation 450 K Array database and verified in three other public datasets. The panel was technically validated using Quantitative Multiplex-Methylation-Specific PCR in tissue sections (N = 252) and cervical smears (N = 244) from the USA, South Africa, and Vietnam. The gene panel consisted of FMN2, EDNRB, ZNF671, TBXT, and MOS. Cervical tissue samples from all three countries showed highly significant differential methylation in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with a sensitivity of 100% [95% CI 74.12-100.00], and specificity of 91% [95% CI 62.26-99.53] to 96% [95% CI 79.01-99.78], and receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (ROC AUC) = 1.000 [95% CI 1.00-1.00] compared to benign cervical tissue, and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3 with sensitivity of 55% [95% CI 37.77-70.84] to 89% [95% CI 67.20-98.03], specificity of 93% [95% CI 84.07-97.38] to 96% [95% CI 79.01-99.78], and a ROC AUC ranging from 0.793 [95% CI 0.68-0.89] to 0.99 [95% CI 0.97-1.00] compared to CIN1. In cervical smears, the marker panel detected SCC with a sensitivity of 87% [95% CI 77.45-92.69], specificity 95% [95% CI 88.64-98.18], and ROC AUC = 0.925 [95% CI 0.878-0.974] compared to normal, and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) at a sensitivity of 70% (95% CI 58.11-80.44), specificity of 94% (95% CI 88.30-97.40), and ROC AUC = 0.884 (95% CI 0.822-0.945) compared to low-grade intraepithelial lesion (LSIL)/normal in an analysis of pooled data from the three countries. Similar to HPV-positive, HPV-negative cervical carcinomas were frequently hypermethylated for these markers., Conclusions: This 5-marker panel detected SCC and HSIL in cervical smears with a high level of sensitivity and specificity. Molecular tests with the ability to rapidly detect high-risk HSIL will lead to timely treatment for those in need and prevent unnecessary procedures in women with low-risk lesions throughout the world. Validation of these markers in prospectively collected cervical smear cells followed by the development of a hypermethylated marker-based cervical cancer detection test is warranted., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Recently, modified radical neck dissection (MRND) for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has been performed by the transoral endoscopic approach. 1 However, dissection of level II lymph nodes using only the transoral approach is highly difficult because of the inadequate axis of surgical view. Hence, we decided to combine the transoral and chest approaches to perform MRND. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first video case of MRND using the combined approach., Patient and Methods: A 35-year-old woman was diagnosed with cT1aN1bM0 right PTC (metastatic to right level III lymph nodes). The patient underwent total thyroidectomy, bilateral central neck dissection (CND), and right MRND via a combined endoscopic approach: the transoral and chest approaches. Total thyroidectomy and bilateral central neck dissection were performed via the transoral approach, similar to prior studies. 2-6 The chest approach can help the surgeon to perform level II and the transoral approach was used to dissect the lymph node of levels III and IV., Results: The total time for total thyroidectomy, bilateral CND, and right MRND was 190 min. The time for MRND was 90 min. The number of harvested lymph nodes were 14 in the right lateral compartments, and the number of metastatic lymph nodes were 2 in the lateral compartments. There were no major postoperative complications. The patient was completely satisfied with the cosmetic result., Conclusions: The combined approach of the transoral and chest approaches was sufficient to perform total thyroidectomy and MRND for levels II, III, and IV., (© 2024. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Constructing an effective multi-heterojunction photocatalyst with maximum charge carrier separation remains challenging. Herein, a high-efficient Co 3 O 4 /MIL-88A/Mn-SrTiO 3 (Co 3 O 4 /MIL/Mn-STO) n-p-n heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal method for the photodegradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The combination of MIL and Co 3 O 4 /Mn-STO established an internal electric field and heterojunction, accelerating the separation of carriers, and thus improved photocatalytic performance. In the Co 3 O 4 /MIL/Mn-STO photocatalytic system, 95.5 % of SMX was degraded in 90 min. The photocatalytic kinetic removal rate of Co 3 O 4 /MIL/Mn-STO reached 0.0337 min -1 , 8 times of Co 3 O 4 (0.0041 min -1 ), 5.2 times of Mn-STO (0.0062 min -1 ), 4.6 times of MIL (0.0078 min -1 ), and 3.6 times of MIL/Mn-STO (0.0095 min -1 ). Remarkably, superoxide radicals ( • O 2 - ) and holes (h + ) have been recognized as the main active species in the degradation process through reactive species elimination experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) tests. The experimental and theoretical proved the in-built interfacial contact and synergistic effect between the photocatalyst accomplished with low bandgaps, high specific surface area, more reaction sites, high electron-hole pair separation, and maximum solar-light utilization. The molecular structure and possible degradation routes with intermediate products in the photocatalytic system were investigated using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LC-MS) and DFT calculations. This work provided new insight into the guidelines of rational design/growth of new multicomponent photocatalysts to remove antibiotics and other emerging contaminants in wastewater., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This work successfully fabricated graphitic carbon nitride and magnetically recoverable α-Fe 2 O 3 /g-C 3 N 4 /SiO 2 photo-Fenton catalysts using thermal polycondensation and in situ-simple precursor drying-calcination process, respectively, was examined for model synthetic rhodamine B (RhB) dye in the presence of H 2 O 2 and acidic pH under simulated visible light irradiation. An aqueous suspension of the reaction mixture of dye-containing wastewater was fully degraded and reached 97% of photo-Fenton degradation efficiency within 120 min followed by the production of hydroxyl radical ( • OH). The dominant hydroxyl radical position generated surface charge, electrostatic potential distribution, and average local ionization potential, which contributed to the complete mineralization of RhB dye, according to the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. HPLC and GCMS experiments were performed to examine the degradation fragments of RhB and draw a plausible mechanistic pathway which showed that RhB degradation generated a series of N-deethylated products, followed by a one-time ring-opening, which indicated that photosensitization induced a photocatalysis reaction mechanism., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Gum-based hydrogels (GBHs) have been widely employed in diverse water purification processes due to their environmental properties, and high absorption capacity. More desired properties of GBHs such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, material cost, simplicity of manufacture, and wide range of uses have converted them into promising materials in water treatment processes. In this review, we explored the application of GBHs to remove pollutants from contaminated waters. Water resources are constantly being contaminated by a variety of harmful effluents such as heavy metals, dyes, and other dangerous substances. A practical way to remove chemical waste from water as a vital component is surface adsorption. Currently, hydrogels, three-dimensional polymeric networks, are quite popular for adsorption. They have more extensive uses in several industries, including biomedicine, water purification, agriculture, sanitary products, and biosensors. This review will help the researcher to understand the research gaps and drawbacks in this field, which will lead to further developments in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Recently, there has been a significant increase in the interest of using photocatalysis for environmental clean-up applications. In this research, potassium, and phosphorus co-doped graphitic carbon nitride (KPCN) photocatalyst modified with graphene oxide (GO) and heterostructured with ZnFe 2 O 4 was synthesized via the hydrothermal method (KPCN/GO/ZnFe 2 O 4 ). The photoactivity of KPCN/GO/ZnFe 2 O 4 photocatalyst was examined for the photocatalytic degradation of target pollutants such as methylene blue (MB) dye, rhodamine B (RhB) dye, and tetracycline (TC) antibiotic. Furthermore, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency for real wastewater was determined to explore the practical application of KPCN/GO/ZnFe 2 O 4 photocatalyst. The degradation efficiencies of bare graphitic carbon nitride, KPCN, KPCN/GO, and KPCN/GO/ZnFe 2 O 4 photocatalysts for tetracycline antibiotics were 30%, 42%, 57%, and 87% within 60 min, respectively. Moreover, KPCN/GO/ZnFe 2 O 4 photocatalyst showed 71% COD removal efficiency within 240 min. The • OH and • O 2 - were the major reactive species in the photocatalytic process. Results showed that the degradation efficiencies of graphitic carbon nitride were greatly enhanced upon doping and further improved with the addition of GO and ZnFe 2 O 4 . Doping improved light harvesting, GO enhanced the adsorption ability and heterojunction with ZnFe 2 O 4 enhanced the charge separation as well as the reusability of synthesized KPCN/GO/ZnFe 2 O 4 photocatalyst., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) based on core@shell nanohybrids have recently received significant attention and have become one of the most promising strategies for improving the stability and catalytic activity of COFs. Compared with traditional core@shell, COF-based core@shell hybrids own remarkable advantages, including size-selective reactions, bifunctional catalysis, and integration of multiple functions. These properties could enhance the stability and recyclability, resistance to sintering, and maximize the electronic interaction between the core and the shell. The activity and selectivity of COF-based core@shell could be simultaneously improved by taking benefit of the existing synergy between the functional encapsulating shell and the covered core material. Considering that, we have highlighted various topological diagrams and the role of COFs in COF-based core@shell hybrid for activity and selectivity enhancement. This concept article provides all-inclusive advances in the design and catalytic applications of COF-based core@shell hybrids. Various synthetic techniques have been developed for the facile tailoring of functional core@shell hybrids, including novel seed growth, in-situ, layer-by-layer, and one-pot method. Importantly, charge dynamics and structure-performance relationships are investigated through different characterization techniques. Different COF-based core@shell hybrids with established synergistic interactions have been detailed, and their influence on stability and catalytic efficiency for various applications is explained and discussed in this contribution. A comprehensive discussion on the remaining challenges associated with COF-based core@shell nanoparticles and research directions has also been provided to deliver insightful ideas for additional future developments., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) is one of the newest approaches and draws attention because of its cosmetic excellence. Here, we present our preliminary data from the initial 5 consecutive patients to explore the feasibility of three-port TORT without axillary incision., Methods: From August 2022 to December 2022, we performed TORT using three ports via the da Vinci Xi system with three robotic arms., Results: All 5 patients had cT1aN0M0 papillary thyroid carcinomas with a mean tumour size of 6 mm. All patients underwent lobectomy with ipsilateral central neck dissection. The mean surgical time was 170 ± 15,8 min; the average length of hospital stay is 4.2 days. The number of retrieved central lymph nodes was 4.2 ± 0.8. All patients were discharged uneventfully without complications and completely satisfied with the cosmetic results., Conclusions: TORT is feasible and safe when performed on carefully selected patients by experienced surgeons., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Although transoral thyroidectomy has become popular in thyroid surgery, transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) has only been successfully applied in a very small number of medical centers worldwide. [1,2,3,4,5] In this video, we show a three-port TORT without an axillary incision for papillary thyroid carcinoma., Patient and Methods: A 35-year-old female with cT1aN0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma had a strong motivation to proceed with surgery but avoid external neck incisions. Thus, we decided to perform a hemithyroidectomy with isthmusectomy using a transoral robotic approach, employing the da Vinci Xi surgical system., Results: The operation was completed successfully without conversion to open surgery. The working space creation time, docking time, and console time were 30 min, 40 min, and 130 min, respectively. The pathological results were papillary thyroid carcinoma with 6- and 5-mm tumors. The patient was discharged 4 days after surgery without any complications such as bleeding, infection, mental nerve damage, permanent hoarseness, or hypoparathyroidism. The patient was completely satisfied with the cosmetic result., Conclusion: Three-port TORT without an axillary incision is a promising approach with optimal cosmetic outcomes. For Vietnam, a developing country, success in the application of TORT using the new da Vinci Xi robotic platform for thyroid cancer is an important milestone in the development of thyroid surgery., (© 2023. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Over the past several decades, the increase in industrialization provoked the discharge of harmful pollutants into the environment, affecting human beings and ecosystems. ZnO-based photocatalysts seem to be the most promising photocatalysts for treating harmful pollutants. However, fast charge carrier recombination, photo corrosion, and long reaction time are the significant factors that reduce the photoactivity of ZnO-based photocatalysts. In order to enhance the photoactivity of such photocatalysts, a combined process i.e., sonocatalysis + photocatalysis = sonophotocatalysis was used. Sonophotocatalysis is one of several different AOP methods that have recently drawn considerable interest, as it produces high reactive oxygen species (ROS) which helps in the oxidation of pollutants by acoustic cavitation. This combined technique enhanced the overall efficiency of the individual method by overcoming its limiting factors. The current review aims to present the theoretical and fundamental aspects of sonocatalysis and photocatalysis along with a detailed discussion on the benefits that can be obtained by the combined process i.e., US + UV (sonophotocatalysis). Also, we have provided a comparison of the excellent performance of ZnO to that of the other metal oxides. The purpose of this study is to discuss the literature concerning the potential applications of ZnO-based sonophotocatalysts for the degradation of pollutants i.e., dyes, antibiotics, pesticides, phenols, etc. That are carried out for future developments. The role of the produced ROS under light and ultrasound stimulation and the degradation mechanisms that are based on published literature are also discussed. In the end, future perspectives are suggested, that are helpful in the development of the sonophotocatalysis process for the remediation of wastewater containing various pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing for financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this work, CQDs decorated MnIn 2 S 4 /CdS/Bi 2 S 3 heterojunction was prepared successfully by hydrothermal technique for photocatalytic disinfection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and mineralization of methyl orange (MO) dye. The charge transferal route and mineralization process in CQDs-MnIn 2 S 4 /CdS/Bi 2 S 3 heterojunction were comprehensively investigated by advanced spectroscopic techniques. The improved visible-light activity and enhanced photo-generated charge transferal efficacy caused dual Z-scheme CQDs-MnIn 2 S 4 /CdS/Bi 2 S 3 heterojunction to achieve boosted photodegradation ability. The catalytic degradation trend was followed as CQDs-MnIn 2 S 4 /CdS/Bi 2 S 3  > MnIn 2 S 4  > CdS > Bi 2 S 3 . The dye was mineralized within 180 min under visible light irradiation. The effect of reaction parameters, pH effect, catalyst dosage, and H 2 O 2 addition on MO degradation was also investigated. The degradation rate was maximal at pH 4 with a pseudo-first-order rate constant, 0.0438 min -1 . The assessment of antibacterial properties revealed that CQDs-MnIn 2 S 4 /CdS/Bi 2 S 3 composite effectively inactivated E. coli under visible light. Scavenging experiments, transient photocurrent response, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy suggested that • [Formula: see text] and holes were the dominant reactive species. The Z-scheme heterojunction is recyclable up to ten photocatalytic cycles according to recycling experiments. This research indicates the importance of dual Z-scheme CQDs decorated MnIn 2 S 4 /CdS/Bi 2 S 3 heterojunction in wastewater remediation., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) is increasingly being adopted worldwide because of its many advantages. However, there are few reports on the effectiveness and safety of TOETVA in children. In this study, we report the results of the application of TOETVA on 27 pediatric patients in Vietnam. To the best of our knowledge, this is also the largest sample size of the TOETVA technique performed by a single surgeon on pediatric patients worldwide. Patients and methods: From June 2020 to February 2022, we performed TOETVA on 27 pediatric patients (≤ 18 years old). The outcomes of the procedure were retrospectively reviewed., Results: Our study was conducted on 27 pediatric patients, of whom 24 were female (88.9%). The mean age was 16.3 ± 2 (range 10-18). Fifteen patients had benign thyroid nodules with a mean nodule size of 31.6 ± 7.1 (range 20-50mm), and 12 patients had papillary thyroid carcinoma with a mean nodule size of 10.2 ± 5.6 (range 4-19mm). All 27 patients underwent successful TOETVA without any conversion to open surgery. The 15 patients with benign thyroid nodules had lobectomies with a mean operative time of 83.3 ± 10.5 (range 60-105 minutes). Among the 12 patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer, ten had a lobectomy, isthmusectomy, and central neck dissection, with a mean operative time of 89.8 ± 5.7 (range 80-100 minutes). The other two underwent total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection with a mean operative time of 132.5 minutes. The mean hospital stay was 4.7 ± 0.9 (range 3-7 days). No patient had permanent complications, such as hypocalcemia, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, or mental nerve injury. The rates of temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and mental nerve injury were 3.7% and 11.1% respectively., Conclusions: TOETVA may be a feasible and safe surgical method for children with thyroid disease. However, we recommend that only high-volume thyroid surgeons with experience in TOETVA should perform TOETVA on the pediatric population., 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 Ngo, Le, Ngo and Van Le.)

Doping-induced vacancy engineering of graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) is beneficial for bandgap modulation, efficient electronic excitation, and facilitated charge carrier migration. In this study, synthesis of oxygen and sulphur co-doped induced N vacancies (OSGCN) by the hydrothermal method was performed to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) antibiotic degradation and H 2 production. The results from experimental and DFT simulation studies validate the synergistic effects of co-dopants and N-vacancies, i.e., bandgap lowering, electron-hole pairs separation, and high solar energy utilization. The substitution of sp 2 N atom by O and S co-dopants causes strong delocalization of HOMO-LUMO distribution, enhancing carrier mobility, increasing reactive sites, and facilitating charge-carrier separation. Remarkably, OSGCN/PMS photocatalytic system achieved 99.4% SMX degradation efficiency and a high H 2 generation rate of 548.23 μ mol g -1 h -1 within 60 min and 36 h, respectively under visible light irradiations. The SMX degradation kinetics was pseudo-first-order with retained recycling efficiency up to 4 catalytic cycles. The results of EPR and chemical scavenging experiments revealed the redox action of reactive oxidative species, wherein 1 O 2 was the dominant reactive species in SMX degradation. The identification of formed intermediates and the SMX stepwise degradation pathway was investigated via LC-MS analysis and DFT studies, respectively. The results from this work anticipated deepening the understanding of PMS activation by substitutional co-doping favoring N-vacancy formation in GCN lattice for improved photocatalytic activity., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Architecting a desirable and highly efficient nanocomposite for applications like adsorption, catalysis, etc. has always been a challenge. Metal Organic Framework (MOF)-based hierarchical composite has perceived popularity as an advanced adsorbent and catalyst. Hierarchically structured MOF material can be modulated to allow the surface interaction (external or internal) of MOF with the molecules of interest. They are well endowed with tunable functionality, high porosity, and increased surface area epitomizing mass transfer and mechanical stability of the fabricated nanostructure. Additionally, the anticipated optimization of nanocomposite can only be acquired by a thorough understanding of the synthesis techniques. This review starts with a brief introduction to MOF and the requirement for advanced nanocomposites after the setback faced by conventional MOF structures. Further, we discussed the background of MOF-based hierarchical composites followed by synthetic techniques including chemical and thermal treatment. It is important to rationally validate the successful nanocomposite fabrication by characterization techniques, an overview of challenges, and future perspectives associated with MOF-based hierarchically structured nanocomposite., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In recent times, green chemistry or "green world" is a new and effective approach for sustainable environmental remediation. Among all biomaterials, cellulose is a vital material in research and green chemistry. Cellulose is the most commonly used natural biopolymer because of its distinctive and exceptional properties such as reproducibility, cost-effectiveness, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and universality. Generally, coupling cellulose with other nanocomposite materials enhances the properties like porosity and specific surface area. The polymer is environment-friendly, bioresorbable, and sustainable which not only justifies the requirements of a good photocatalyst but boosts the adsorption ability and degradation efficiency of the nanocomposite. Hence, knowing the role of cellulose to enhance photocatalytic activity, the present review is focused on the properties of cellulose and its application in antibiotics, textile dyes, phenol and Cr(VI) reduction, and degradation. The work also highlighted the degradation mechanism of cellulose-based photocatalysts, confirming cellulose's role as a support material to act as a sink and electron mediator, suppressing the charge carrier's recombination rate and enhancing the charge migration ability. The review also covers the latest progressions, leanings, and challenges of cellulose biomaterials-based nanocomposites in the photocatalysis field., 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 © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A carbon-fiber (C f ) doped TiB 2 -SiC composite was prepared and investigated to determine its densification behavior, micro/nanostructural properties, and mechanical characteristics. TiB 2 -25 vol% SiC-2 wt% C f was prepared at 40 MPa and 1800 °C for 7 min using the pulsed electric-current sintering technique, and a relative density of 98.5% was realized. The as-sintered composite was characterized using advanced techniques, e.g., X-ray diffractometry, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, field-emission electron probe micro-analysis, and nanoindentation. The C f additive could remove the surface oxide layers from the TiB 2 and SiC domains, thus transforming them into TiB 2 and SiC. According to micro/nanostructural studies, C f could not retain its initial structure and was eventually converted into graphite nanosheets. In addition, the prepared composite was examined using the nanoindentation technique, and the following results were obtained for the calculated hardness, elastic modulus, and stiffness values: TiB 2  > SiC > TiB 2 /SiC interface., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

New wood-based composite materials with thermal conductivity are greatly desired in the fields of packaging materials for electronic components. In this study, a new multifunctional composite material (M@FC) is prepared by simply blending clay-like Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene and delignified wood fibers together, and then followed by an infusing epoxy resin with environmentally friendly vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. The resulting M@FC (0.92 W m -1 K -1 ) possesses superior thermal conductivity as compared to natural wood (0.099 W m -1 K -1 ) and most polymers. Furthermore, after the VARTM process, the structure of the M@FC is tighter, and thus showing excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength of 93.0 MPa and flexural strength of 172.7 MPa). In addition, good water resistance and excellent flame retardant property are observed for M@FC. The improvement of thermal conductivity provides the possibility for its application for packaging materials in electronic components. This study using waste wood as the important component provides a new idea for carbon cycling and recycling of natural resources., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The SnO 2 and SnO 2 /rGO nanostructures were successfully synthesized using the facile hydrothermal synthesis technique. The prepared nanostructures were well studied using different techniques such as XRD, XPS, UV-DRS, FT-IR, EDX, SEM and HR-TEM analysis. The crystalline nature of SnO 2 and SnO 2 /rGO was confirmed by the XRD technique. The formation of highly pure SnO 2 and SnO 2 /rGO nanostructures was confirmed by EDX analysis. The morphological results show the good agglomeration of several spherical nanoparticles. The optical properties were studied through the UV-DRS technique and the bandgap energies of SnO 2 and SnO 2 /rGO are estimated to be 3.12 eV and 2.71 eV, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation percentage in presence of SnO 2 and SnO 2 /rGO against RhB was found to be 96% and 98%, respectively. The degradation of TTC molecules was estimated as 90% and 88% with SnO 2 /rGO and SnO 2 , respectively. The degradation of both RhB and TTC molecules was well suited with the pseudo-first-order kinetics. The results of successive experiments clearly show the enhancement in the photocatalytic properties in the SnO 2 /rGO nanostructures., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: It has been widely assumed that TOETVA has demonstrated a new technique and a promising approach as it is both minimally invasive and optimally cosmetic. The objective of this study was to assess the surgical outcome, aesthetic satisfaction, and postoperative quality of life of TOETVA in comparison with open thyroid surgery. Patients and Methods . The study was designed as a prospective study, in which 121 patients from a single center in Vietnam underwent thyroid surgery, and the study was divided into two groups: 60 patients in the TOETVA group and 61 patients in the open surgery group. The patients have been followed up including surgical outcomes, cosmetic satisfaction, and quality of life. These criteria were assessed at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after the surgery using SF-36 and thyroid surgery-specific questionnaire., Results: Patients in the TOETVA group are significantly younger than patients in the open surgery group (35.8 + 10.3 vs 46.9 + 11.5, p < 0.001). The mean operating time was longer in the TOETVA group (102.9 ± 26.1 mins) than that in the open surgery group (66.8 ± 23.8 mins) with p = 0.0001. Cosmetic outcomes and overall satisfaction were significantly greater in the TOETVA group p = 0.0001. The SF-36 QOL scores of the patients in the TOETVA group were generally higher than the open surgery group., Conclusions: TOETVA has been widely used with a low complication rate, cosmetic appeal, and surgical efficacy. Postoperative quality of life, cosmetic outcomes, and overall satisfaction were significantly superior to the open surgery group., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Hau Xuan Nguyen et al.)

Introduction: Lateral cervical lymph node metastases (LNM) for pediatric patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is a poor prognostic factor. We aimed to identify risk factors for lateral LNM., Methods: This retrospective study had included 48 pediatric patients with papillary thyroid cancer underwent total thyroidectomy and central cervical lymphadenectomy at K hospital from 2016 to 2020., Results: The number of patients in each T stage was as follows: 24 (50.0%) in stage 1, 9 (18.7%) in Stage 2, 8 (16.7%) in Stage 3, and 7 (14.6%) in Stage 4. Most of the patients had LNM with N1a and N1b rates of 83.3% and 62.5%, respectively. Lung metastases were observed at presentation in three patients (6.3%). Univariate analysis revealed that age (p = 0.021), male (p = 0.011), tumor size > 10 mm (p = 0.002), multifocality (p < 0.001), extrathyroidal extension (p = 0.001) and central LNM (p < 0.001) were factors that increase the risk of metastasis to lateral LNM., Conclusion: Approximately 62.5% of pediatric patients with PTC exhibited lateral LNM at the time of diagnosis. Our study confirmed that multifocality, maximum tumor diameter, extrathyroidal extension and central LNM were independent risk factors for lateral LNM in pediatric PTC., Level of Evidence: Level IV., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No author has any conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The formation of phase pure magnetically separable α-Fe 2 O 3 and α-Fe 2 O 3 /rGO nanostructures were achieved through a simple hydrothermal technique. The properties of synthesized materials were investigated through different analytical techniques. The formation of phase pure FO and FO/rGO nanostructures were confirmed by XRD analysis with crystallite size of about ∼42 nm and ∼65 nm, respectively. The morphological analysis reveals the formation of sphere-like nanoparticles with high agglomeration. The UV-DRS analysis clearly shows the enhanced visible-light activity of FO/rGO nanoparticles. The BET analysis revealed the mesoporous property of FO/rGO nanocomposite. The enhancement in the photoinduced charge transfer process is observed after including rGO nanoparticles with FO. The photocatalytic efficiency of nanomaterials was analyzed using tetracycline and ibuprofen as model organic pollutants under white LED irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic degradation ability of FO/rGO nanocomposite is studied against both tetracycline and ibuprofen molecules., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This work reports on graphitic carbon nitride (C 3 N 4 ) modified with silver to investigate its visible-light-driven photocatalysis for decomposition of micropollutants in wastewater. Various characterization methods were conducted to examine the physico-chemical properties of Ag-doped C 3 N 4 (Ag-C 3 N 4 ) photocatalyst. The results from structural, morphological, and surface chemical analysis indicated that C 3 N 4 was successfully doped with Ag. Photoluminescence and transient photocurrent density studies revealed that the recombination rate of electron-hole pairs was reduced, leading to the enhancement of photocatalytic activities of the photocatalyst. Ag-C 3 N 4 showed high photocatalytic performance for photodegradation of our target micropollutant, bisphenol A (BA). It could completely remove BA in 1 h with kinetic constant 6.2 times higher than that of the undoped C 3 N 4 photocatalyst. Recycling test and the assessment of the photocatalyst in wastewater further confirmed the excellent stability and applicability of the Ag-C 3 N 4 photocatalyst. This work could provide a new solution to the practical application of photocatalyts for the degradation of micropollutants in wastewater., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy by vestibular approach (TOETVA) has been developed for early-stage thyroid cancer treatment as well as benign thyroid nodules worldwide including Viet Nam, with low rate of complications and excellent results. However, there has not been any comprehensive studies with a large number of patients and long-term follow-up in our country. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate the results of treatment by TOETVA for benign and malignant lesions of thyroid gland in Viet Nam., Methods: A prospective study was performed on 326 eligible patients who underwent TOETVA due to thyroid cancer and benign thyroid nodules in Department of Oncology and Palliative Care, Hanoi Medical University Hospital from July 2018 to April 2021. The clinical, surgical, and pathological characteristics, postoperative complications, and visual analog scale (VAS, 0-10 cm) score in day 1, 4, and 7 after surgery, long-term oncological and surgical outcomes were recorded., Results: The mean age was 36.9 ± 9.8 years. 231 patients (70.9%) were diagnosed with differentiated cancer and 95 patients (29.1%) were diagnosed benign tumors of thyroid gland. In the cancer group, 12 patients (5.2%) undergone TOETVA had T3b-intraoperative-stage diagnosis, 219 patients (92.2%) were diagnosed T1 according to AJCC 8th. After 1 month of surgery, among thyroid cancer patients, there was no abnormality reported by thyroid scintigraphy and neck ultrasound as well as in unstimulated-Tg and anti-Tg values. The mean number lymph-node dissected in the cancer group was 6.1 ± 4.1 (range 0-21 nodes). However, only 2.6 ± 1.8 metastasis nodes were discovered (range 1-8 nodes), and the maximum size of these nodes was less than 2 mm. 81 patients presented occult lymph-node metastasis among thyroid cancer patients with cN0 stage (account for 35%). The occult lymph-node metastasis was 34.2% and 50% in patients diagnosed with T1 and T3b groups, respectively. The median postoperative hospital stay was 5.4 ± 0.7 days. Postoperatively, transient hypoparathyroidism was recorded in 12 patients (4.8%), transient hoarse was noted in 9 patients (3.6%), and numb chin was identified in 7 patients (2.8%). No permanent complication was noted. VAS score on first postoperative day was 4.5 ± 0.8. Median follow-up time was 12 (3-25) months. No recurrence was recorded., Conclusions: TOETVA is an innovative and revolutionary technique in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules, as well as early-stage differentiated thyroid cancer. The results of oncology, postoperative complications, and satisfied outcomes supported the wide application of TOETVA in Viet Nam., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This work reports the synthesis of the silver-platinum bimetallic nanoparticles (N@Pt-Ag BNPs) reduced by an ethanolic extract of black seed (Nigella sativa, N) using the green synthesis method, these nanoparticles show a great antibacterial, anticancer, and catalytic activity. The characterization of physicochemical properties of Ag-Pt BNP was carried out using UV-visible spectroscopy (Uv-vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis. The structural morphology shows that the N@Pt-Ag BNPs are spherical particles with a diameter of 5.6 nm. The cytotoxic effects of N@Pt-Ag BNPs were examined by MTT test in human breast cancer, human colon cancer, human pancreatic cancer, L929-Murine fibroblast cells. N@Pt-Ag BNPs have been observed to be much more effective in breast cancer cell lines. The cytotoxic effect of N@Pt-Ag BNPs against healthy L929-murine fibroblast cell lines was not observed. Also, high antibacterial activity on each of the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), where we note that most strains of E. coli and S. aureus were damaged with a 73% percentage, 67% bacterial inhibition respectively. The results of the catalytic activities of N@Pt-Ag BNPs were obtained by performing the hydrolysis experiments of sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ). According to the results obtained, TOF, enthalpy, entropy, and activation energy, values were found to be 2497.14 h -1 , 13.52 kJ/mol, -137.47 J/mol.K, 16.02 kJ/mol, respectively. N@Pt-Ag BNPs were found to be highly effective catalysts for hydrogen production which this was also confirmed by the machine learning model. The photocatalytic activity of N@Pt-Ag BNPs was tested against methylene blue (MB) dye and the highest activity was found as 80%., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

MXenes family has aroused marvelous consideration as a frontier photoactive candidate for solar energy transformation and environmental remediation. 2D Ti 3 C 2 exhibit a unique layered microstructure, large surface functional groups (-F, -OH, -O), substantial sorption selectivity, superior reduction efficiency, and electrical conductivity. Electronically conductive Ti 3 C 2 T x with tunable energy band gap (0.92-1.75eV) makes it one of the most potential photoactive materials for photodegradation. The present review paper aims to design cost-effective heterojunctions and Schottky junctions of Ti 3 C 2 with transition metal oxides, sulfides, g-C 3 N 4 , and other organic frameworks. The discussion mainly involves different aspects related to its tunable electronic structure, stability problems, and surface morphology control. In addition, the advantages of Ti 3 C 2 in fabricating highly efficient Ti 3 C 2 based catalytic junctions exhibiting suppressed charge carrier recombination are discussed with particular emphasis on their adsorption and redox properties for the removal of toxic dyes, heavy metal ions, and various pharmaceuticals. Finally, current challenges and research directions are outlined and prospected for the future development of Ti 3 C 2 based photocatalytic systems., (Crown Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Conventional open thyroidectomy remains the standard treatment of surgery for benign thyroid tumors but leaves a permanent scar in the neck. We conducted this study to compare the surgical outcomes of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) versus conventional open thyroidectomy (COT), and thence analyze the safety and viability of this approach. Seventy-eight patients who had undergone either COT or TOETVA from 2020 to 2021 in our institution to treat benign thyroid tumors were prospectively studied. Outcomes between the two groups were analyzed, including time of operation, blood loss, hospital stay, postoperative complications, and level of satisfaction. A total of 78 patients, in which TOETVA was applied to 47 patients and COT thyroid surgery was applied to 31 patients, participated in this study. COT has a shorter operative time (59.8 ± 10.8 min versus 102.3 ± 34.9 min, p  < .001). TOETVA is less painful postoperatively (visual analog scale score on day 4 of 1.1 ± 1.2 versus 1.8 ± 0.7, p  < .001). There were no significant differences between TOETVA and COT groups regarding incidences of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury (10.6% and 6.5%, respectively, p  = .697) and both transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism (8.5% versus 3.5%, p  = .644 with transient and 0% versus 6.7%, p  = .166 with permanent). Other complications were comparable between two arms such as bleeding, seroma, and infection. At 3 months after surgery, the TOETVA group had the significantly higher proportion of the very satisfied level than the COT group (80.9% versus 35.4%, p  < .001). TOETVA in patients with favorable features is a safe, viable alternative to open thyroidectomy regarding postoperative outcomes and provide higher satisfaction after surgery in the long term., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests., (© Indian Association of Surgical Oncology 2022.)

Recently, solar energy has been considered the most vulnerable source to resolve environmental pollution and energy scarcity problems. Researchers have made intense research efforts to convert solar energy into chemical energy through photocatalysis processes as it is a green, clean and renewable energy source. Numerous discovered photocatalysts show absorption in the ultraviolet-visible (UV∼5% and visible ∼43%) region and are devoid of near-infrared (NIR ∼52%) light utilization. As infrared (IR) light contains a top portion of the solar spectrum; therefore, many alluring and attractive practical strategies have been explored to improve photocatalytic reactions and to harness full solar spectrum (including NIR light). Among those strategies, bandgap engineering, coupling with carbon quantum dots, heterostructure formation, mingling with plasmonic and upconversion (UC) NPs are more worthwhile. In different visible light-assisted photocatalysts, bismuth typically covers a distinctive, favorable, and earth-abundant group of freshly discovered innovative photocatalytic nanomaterials. Bi-based photocatalysts have suitable/good optoelectronic properties, crystalline geometric conformations, amendable electronic structure, and outstanding visible-light responsive range, helpful in environmental remediation and energy transformation. Due to the outstanding photo-oxidization/photodegradation capability of NIR-driven photocatalysts, bismuth-based nanomaterials have been considered suitable photocatalysts for inclusive solar energy utilization. Henceforth, keeping in mind the benefits of bismuth nanomaterials, the present review is focused on NIR-based modification strategies to upgrade solar light absorption of bismuth-based photocatalysts in the NIR region by making it NIR responsive photocatalyst. We have also discussed the photocatalytic applications of bismuth-based NIR responsive photocatalysts in pollutant degradation., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to report the feasibility and safety of a novel 4-trocar approach for transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy via the vestibular., Methods: In this study, we first used 4 trocars via vestibular area to perform transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy. We reported the safety and surgical feasibility of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy using a 4-trocar technique in our institute from February 1, 2020, to May 10, 2020., Results: Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy via the vestibular approach using 4 trocars was carried out in 5 patients. No complications such as bleeding, mental nerve injury, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, or hypoparathyroidism were reported. All patients were completely satisfied with the cosmetic results., Conclusions: Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy with 4 trocars via vestibular approach is an effective and feasible method. Markedly, this technique can assist surgeons to expose and preserve both parathyroid glands and recurrent laryngeal nerve easily when performing transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy.

A wide variety of electrocatalysts has been evolved for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and it is reasonable to carry out HER with low cost electrocatalyst and a good efficiency. In this study, Cu 3 N was synthesized by nitridation of Cu 2 O and further utilized as an electrocatalyst towards HER. The developed Cu 3 N electrocatalyst was tested and results showed a low overpotential and moderate Tafel slope value (overpotential: 149.18 mV and Tafel slope 63.28 mV/dec at 10 mA/cm 2 ) in alkaline medium with a charge transfer resistance value as calculated from electrochemical impendence spectroscopy being 1.44 Ω. Further from the experimental results, it was observed that the reaction kinetics was governed by Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism. Moreover, Cu 3 N has shown an improved rate of electron transfer and enhanced accessible active sites, due to its structural properties and electrical conductivity. Thus the overall results show an excellent electrochemical performance, leading to a new pathway for the synthesis of low cost electrocatalyst for energy conversion and storage., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Oxygen vacancy as a typical point defect has incited substantial interest in photocatalysis due to its profound impact on optical absorption response and facile isolation of photocarriers. The presence of oxygen vacancy can introduce the midgap defect states, which promote extended absorption in the visible region. The redistribution of electron density at the surface can stimulate the adsorption and activation kinetics of adsorbates, manifesting optimal photocatalytic performance. Despite such alluring outcomes, the ambiguity in understanding the precise location, appropriate concentration, and oxygen vacancy role is still a long-standing task. The present review article comprehensively outlines the identification of oxygen vacancy defects at bulk or on the surface and its ultimate effect on the photocatalytic degradation of phenolic compounds. Particular emphasis has been drawn to summarize the critical influence of oxygen vacancy on different factors such as crystal structure, bandgap energy, electronic structure, and charge carrier mobility by integrating experimental results and theoretical calculations. We have also explored the reaction pathways and the intermediate chemistry of phenol photodegradation by analyzing the molecular activation (O 2 , H 2 O, and sulphate activation) through oxygen vacancy defects. Finally, the review concludes with the various challenges and future perspectives, aiming to provide a firm base for further progressions towards photocatalysis., 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 © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In this study, we investigated the feasibility on the utilization of coffee husk as biosorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions such as Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ from wastewater. Biochar was produced from coffee wastes and modified with sodium hydroxide to create functional groups on the surface and increase the specificic surface area. The resultant products were characterized by using various analytical methods such as scanning electron microscopy, specific area, surface functional group and zeta potential analysis. The as-prepared materials were employed as adsorbent to remove Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ ions from wastewater. The maximum sorption capacities of biosorbents were measured to be 116.3 and 139.5 mg g -1 for Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ , respectively, which is comparable to the conventional adsorbents. Kinetic studies showed that the sorption of Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ on biosorbents can be described by the Freundlich isotherm and second-order kinetic model. The coffee husk-derived biosorbent was capable of removing 89.6% of Pb 2+ and 81.5% Cd 2+ ions from wastewater, and therefore can be considered as low-cost and efficient adsorbent to remove heavy metal ions from wastewater., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated methyl orange (MO) dye adsorption using three biochars produced from agro-waste and invasive plants; the latter consisted of wattle bark (BA), mimosa (BM), and coffee husks (BC). BC had the lowest specific surface area (2.62 m 2 /g) compared to BA (393.15 m 2 /g) and BM (285.53 m 2 /g). The adsorption efficiency of MO was stable at pH 2-7 (95%-96%), whilst it had reduced stability at pH 7-12. Between 0 and 30 min, MO adsorption efficiency was >82%, and at 120 min, representative adsorption equilibrium had occurred. The maximum adsorption capacity of the biochars was 12.3 mg/g. The underlying adsorption mechanisms of the three biochars were governed by electrostatic adsorption and pore diffusion. There was an abundance of active sites for adsorption in BA and BM, while chemical adsorption appeared to be more vital for BC, as it contained more functional groups on its surface. The highest MO adsorption efficiency occurred with BM. BC was not recommended for MO removal, as it was observed to stain the water when a dose exceeding 5.0 g/L was utilized., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The increase in global population size over the past 100 decades has doubled the requirements for energy resources. To mitigate the limited fossil fuel available, new clean energy sources being environmental sustainable for replacement of traditional energy sources are explored to supplement the current scarcity. Biomass containing lignin and cellulose is the main raw material to replace fossil energy given its abundance and lower emission of greenhouse gases and NOx when transformed into energy. Bacteria, fungi and algae decompose lignocellulose leading to generation of hydrogen, methane, bioethanol and biodiesel being the clean energy used for heating, power generation and the automobile industry. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) uses microorganisms to decompose biomass in wastewater to generate electricity and remove heavy metals in wastewater. Biomass contains cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and other biomacromolecules which need hydrolyzation for conversion into small molecules by corresponding enzymes in order to be utilized by microorganisms. This paper discusses microbial decomposition of biomass into clean energy and the five major ways of clean energy production, and its economic benefits for future renewable energy security., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), transition metal carbides (TMCs), and transition metal oxides (TMOs) have been widely investigated for electrocatalytic applications owing to their abundant active sites, high stability, good conductivity, and various other fascinating properties. Therefore, the synthesis of composites of TMDs, TMCs, and TMOs is a new avenue for the preparation of efficient electrocatalysts. Herein, we propose a novel low-cost and facile method to prepare TMD-TMC-TMO nano-hollow spheres (WS 2 -WC-WO 3 NH) as an efficient catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The crystallinity, morphology, chemical bonding, and composition of the composite material were comprehensively investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results confirmed the successful synthesis of the WS 2 -WC-WO 3 NH spheres. Interestingly, the presence of nitrogen significantly enhanced the electrical conductivity of the hybrid material, facilitating electron transfer during the catalytic process. As a result, the WS 2 -WC-WO 3 NH hybrid exhibited better HER performance than the pure WS 2 nanoflowers, which can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the W-S, W-C, and W-O bonding in the composite. Remarkably, the Tafel slope of the WS 2 -WC-WO 3 NH spheres was 59 mV dec -1 , which is significantly lower than that of the pure WS 2 NFs (82 mV dec -1 ). The results also confirmed the unprecedented stability and superior electrocatalytic performance of the WS 2 -WC-WO 3 NH spheres toward the HER, which opens new avenues for the preparation of low-cost and highly effective materials for energy conversion and storage applications., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Chinese liquor distillers' grain (CLDG) is an abundant industrial organic waste showing high potential as feedstock for biofuel conversion. In this study, CLDG was used as substrate by microbial community in pit mud to produce medium-chain fatty acids (especially caproate). Simulated and real fermentation were used to evaluate the effect of ethanol and lactic acid being the electronic donors (EDs) during the anaerobic chain elongation (CE). The caproate concentration was achieved at 449 mg COD/g VS, with the corresponding high carbon selectivity at 37.1%. Microbial analysis revealed that the domestication of pit mud increased the abundance of Caproiciproducens (converting lactic acid into caproate) and Lactobacillus (producing lactic acid), leading to enhanced caproate production. The lactic acid conversion facilitated in full utilization of ethanol through CE consumption. The coexistence of EDs benefited the CE system and that this green energy production can be a promising high-performance biofuel donor for sustainable industrial production development., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The development of active electrocatalysts and photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and for environmental remediation is a huge challenge. Research is still underway on the development of low-cost catalytic materials with appreciable efficiency for HER. In the present study, a composite of metal organic framework (MOF) with CdS and graphene (NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti)/CdS-graphene) composites were developed with different loadings of graphene material via solvothermal technique. Further the electrocatalytic activity of the synthesized catalysts were investigated for HER and photocatalytic degradation of dye. Results show that the synthesized catalyst with a less amount of graphene was more active. HER results showed a less Tafel slope of 70.8 and 61.9 mVdec -1 with 15.6 mA/cm 2 and 15.46 mA/cm 2 current densities under light on and off conditions. Further the dye degradation activity of the synthesized catalysts was tested with Rhodamine B dye and results showed that the catalyst showed excellent activity for low weight loading of graphene with a degradation efficiency of 95 % and followed pseudo first order kinetic model. Overall results showed that the synthesized composites are promising for HER and photocatalytic applications., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)