Salt-templated transformation of waste plastics into single-atom catalysts for environmental and energy applications.

Upcycling plastic waste into single-atom catalysts (SACs) not only offers a sustainable solution for plastic waste management but also yields valuable functional materials for catalytic applications. Here, we report a simple and scalable method to transform various types of plastics, including polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, and their mixtures, into a diversity of porous SACs with different coordination chemistry and their excellent applications in a variety of catalytic reactions. Lamellar transition metal chloride salts (Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, and Cu) are employed as a template and catalyst for confined carbonization of plastics into layered SACs.

Poisoning mechanism of potassium and calcium on a Mn-based quasi-MOF de-NO catalyst.

Despite extensive research on alkali resistance of denitrification (de-NO) catalysts, the synergistic poisoning mechanism of alkali and alkaline-earth metals on de-NO catalysts, particularly Mn-based catalysts, remains unresolved. This study investigates the co-poisoning effects of K and Ca on the de-NO activity of Mn-based quasi-MOF (Metal Organic Framework) catalysts, specifically TEOS&Mn-BTC (a catalyst previously designed by our team, TEOS and BTC represent tetraethyl orthosilicate and trimesic acid, respectively). We found that the coexistence of K and Ca elevates the d-band center, which improves the electron mobility ability of the catalyst, thus enhancing the electron transfer between Mn and O in the Si-O-Mn electron-metal-carrier coordination structure, which further promotes the occurrence of acid and redox circulations while strengthening the electron-metal-carrier interaction.

Hybrid deep learning enables multi-institutional delineation of active bone marrow for gynecologic radiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: Pelvic radiotherapy for gynecologic cancer inevitably irradiates sensitive areas like iliac bones, lumbar vertebrae, and sacrum. Using F-FDG PET/CT as a reference, we developed a deep learning method to detect hematopoietic active bone marrow (ABM) on CT in gynecologic cancer patients and assess clinical benefits.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed 319 patients from five institutions retrospectively.

A templating approach with phase change to tailored coordination of single- and multiple-atom catalysts.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) with featured active sites exhibit exceptional catalytic activity and selectivity in catalysis. However, their scalable synthesis and precise control of structure coordination for on-demand atomic configurations remain the bottlenecks in practical applications. In this work, a facile and scalable strategy is developed to achieve massive production of varying molecular-coordinated single- and multi metal-based SACs.

Photosystem II-Carbon Nitride Photoanodes for Scalable Biophotoelectrochemistry.

Photosystem II (PSII) is a vital photosynthetic enzyme with the potential for sustainable bioelectricity and fuel generation. However, interfacing PSII with intricate, small-scale electrodes for practical applications has been challenging. This study addresses this by creating protonated macroporous carbon nitride (MCN) as support and developing a scalable spray-freeze method to wire PSII with MCN.

Upscaled wood@MoS/FeO bulk catalysts for sustainable catalytic water pollutant removal.

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) play a pivotal role in purifying contaminated water and securing drinking water safety. Transition metal-based materials are highly effective AOP catalysts, while their applications are limited by their poor stability in the oxidative environment. In this study, we developed a composite catalyst, molybdenum disulfide/ferric oxide (MoS/FeO), to evaluate its catalytic performance and explore its underlying mechanisms in peroxymonosulfate activation.

Targeting complement C3/C3aR pathway restores rejuvenation factor PF4 and mitigates neurocognitive impairments in age-related perioperative neurocognitive disorders.

Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND), including postoperative delirium (POD), delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR) and postoperative neurocognitive disorder (PNCD), affect up to 10% of surgical patients older than 60 years, and currently there are no effective therapies to prevent PND. The gut microbiota is linked to PND through the gut-brain axis, promoting neuroinflammation via activation and proliferation of microglia and astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we show that perioperative use of ceftriaxone, a long-acting β-lactam antibiotic, can prevent the development of PND in elderly surgical patients.

Cumulative dose assessment with transformer-based deformable image registration addition for cervical cancer patients.

Purpose: Based on the combination mode of internal and external radiotherapy for cervical cancer, this study aimed to investigate an accurate transformer-based deformable image registration (DIR) method for cumulative dose assessment.

Methods And Materials: According to a retrospective analysis conducted on 180 patients with cervical cancer who underwent intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), this study proposed a mix-transformer structure-based deformable image registration (MTDIR) network for registering CT scans of ICBT and EBRT, followed by dose accumulation and assessment. The mean dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and Hausdorff distance (HD) of the rectum and bladder were computed to compare the performance of MTDIR with that of the state-of-the-art VoxelMorph method and the DIR method provided by velocity.

Defective multi-element coordinated single atom catalysts (Cu-NSCl) for high-performance water decontamination.

Carbon materials have been demonstrated to be green catalysts in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for removing a wide range of organic pollutants from water. This study presents an innovative approach to transforming waste tyres into defective multi-element coordinated copper single-atom catalysts (CuSA-Tyre) for AOPs. CuSA-Tyre demonstrates superior efficiency in activating various oxidants, in particular peroxydisulfate (PDS), to oxidize organic pollutants through a nonradical electron transfer pathway.

Adsorption and Separation Mechanism of Methanol-Toluene Azeotropes on Porous Carbon Materials: Insights from Theoretical and Experimental Studies.

Currently, research on the adsorption of methanol and toluene by carbon-based materials has mainly focused on the adsorption performance of a single compound. However, there has been minimal investigation into the adsorption and separation of toluene and methanol azeotropes, and their potential mechanisms are still unclear. In this work, theoretical calculations were employed to investigate the effect of oxygen-containing functional groups and the pore size distribution of porous carbon on the adsorption and separation of methanol and toluene.

Sustainable Biomass-Derived Single-Atom Catalysts for Fenton-Like Catalysis.

Single-atom catalysis has generated significant interest in catalysis, particularly for environmental remediation. Pursuing desired single atom catalysts (SACs) for practical application hinges on the simplicity of synthesis methods, the choice of precursor materials, cost-effectiveness, and catalytic performance. Consequently, natural resources like biomass have been harnessed to prepare SACs, driving continuous efforts to establish controlled and scalable synthesis techniques.

Tailored ozone activation on geometrical-site-dependent cobalt with selective coordination.

Cobalt-containing spinel oxides are promising platforms to fine-tune the intrinsic activity/selectivity of their geometric sites in catalysis. However, the role of tetrahedrally occupied Co (Co) and Co in an octahedral site (Co) in controlling the catalytic activity remains controversial. Herein, we investigated a geometrical-site-dependent catalytic activation of ozone respectively on the Co and Co sites.

An asymmetrically tipped MoS/CdS heterostructure for high-performance photocatalytic plastic reforming.

Photoreforming plastic waste into valuable chemicals while simultaneously splitting water to produce hydrogen (H) under mild conditions presents a sustainable strategy to address environmental issues and generate solar fuels. Herein, we report a MoS/CdS heterojunction photocatalyst synthesized a one-pot solvothermal method for plastic reforming and H production. The strong Mo-S-Cd interaction at the interface creates a robust internal electric field (IEF), which promotes efficient charge carrier separation.

Aqueous-phase room-temperature synthesis of 2D CuCo-BDC for superior peroxymonosulfate activation.

Bimetallic metal-organic frameworks (BMOFs) have garnered significant attention in environmental remediation. However, their traditional synthesis often demands for high temperatures, pressures, and toxic solvents. Here, we develop a mild and environmentally friendly route in an aqueous phase at room temperature for synthesis of cobalt-doped Cu-BDC MOF (CuCo-BDC, where BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid), using water-soluble disodium salt of terephthalic acid as a linker.

Weight-adjusted waist index is associated with risk of poor bone quality rather than low bone mass in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) correlates with an elevated risk of osteoporotic fractures. However, factors influencing bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) in Chinese individuals with T2D remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and biochemical determinants of BMD and TBS in patients with T2D, with a focus on elucidating the role of weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) in modulating bone mass and quality in this cohort.

Novel g-CN nanosheets/MoS binary photocatalyst achieves stable construction of Z-scheme heterojunction via nitrogen defect induced 2D interface C-S bonds for efficient PMS activation and degradation of sulfamethoxazole.

The inadequate utilization of visible light and the ineffective separation of electrons and holes in bulk-phase g-CN renders its coupling with persulfate (PMS) inefficient in oxidative degradation of refractory organic pollutants. To address this, a novel binary photocatalyst, g-CN nanosheets@MoS (MSG) was developed, via an in-situ hydrothermal synthesis and calcination process. This photocatalyst effectively activates PMS under visible light, promoting the efficient oxidation of refractory organic pollutants in water.

Artificial intelligence in automatic image segmentation system for exploring recurrence patterns in small cell carcinoma of the lung.

Background: The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in automatic image segmentation systems offers a novel approach to evaluating the clinical target volume (CTV) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. Utilizing imaging recurrence data, this study applies a recursive feature elimination algorithm to model and predict patient prognoses, aiming to enhance clinical guidance and prediction accuracy.

Materials And Methods: This research analyzed data from SCLC patients who received curative radiotherapy from January 1, 2010, to December 30, 2021, and had comprehensive follow-up records including pre- and post-treatment imaging.

The role of individual and regional environment factors on levels of a cardiovascular risk predictor in middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in China and worldwide. However, a large proportion of CVD can be prevented by regulating the levels of cardiovascular risk predictors. Despite the contribution of well-established factors to changes in cardiovascular risk predictors, the role of the regional environment and its combined effects with individual factors, which could affect health outcomes, remain unclear.

Unlocking single-atom induced electronic metal-support interactions in electrocatalytic one-electron water oxidation for wastewater purification.

Electro-oxidation is a promising green technology for decentralized wastewater purification. However, its efficacy is primarily constrained by the selectivity and efficiency of hydroxyl radical (•OH) generation through one-electron water oxidation. In this study, we elucidate the mechanism of electronic metal-support interactions (EMSI) of Ni single-atoms on antimony-doped tin oxide anode (Ni/ATO) to enhance •OH production and overall water treatment efficiency.

Asymmetric Coordination in Cobalt Single-Atom Catalysts Enables Fast Charge Dynamics and Hierarchical Active Sites for Two-Stage Kinetics in Photodegradation of Organic Pollutants.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted growing interest in solar-driven catalysis, though challenges persist due to symmetrical metal coordination, which results in limited driving force and sluggish charge dynamics. Additionally, uneven energy and mass distribution complicate reaction pathways, ultimately restricting solar energy utilization and catalytic efficiency. Herein, we synthesized cobalt single atoms decorated carbon nitride catalysts featuring a highly asymmetric Co─CN coordination, tailored for photocatalytic organic pollutants removal.

Nanochanneling and Local Crystallization Engineering Accelerate Multiphase Single-Atom Catalysis for Rapid Water Decontamination.

Precise engineering of single-atom catalysts (SACs) with optimal hierarchical structures and favorable local chemical environments remains a significant challenge to cater for multiphase heterogeneous processes. Here, we develop a universal strategy for synthesizing channel-digging microspherical SACs that markedly enhance gas-liquid-solid mass transfer and fine-tune the thermodynamics of catalytic ozonation. By catalytically graphitizing carbon microspheres and selectively etching amorphous carbon domains via mild combustion, we fabricate cross-linked hierarchical graphitic nanochannels confining transition metal (e.

Imine-Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks Tuned by Quaternary-Ammonium-Alkyl for Highly Effective and Selective Adsorption of Perchlorate from Water.

Perchlorate (ClO ) contamination in surface water is an escalating issue for drinking water safety. Herein, an imine-linked covalent organic framework (COF) tuned by quaternary ammonium alkyls (RN) is developed for ClO adsorption. The hydrophobic and cationic COF adsorbent achieves a record-breaking adsorption capacity of ClO at 912.

Metal-Organic Framework-Based Micro-/Nanomotors for Wastewater Remediation.

Micro-/nanomotors (MNMs) in water remediation have garnered significant attention over the past two decades. More recently, metal-organic framework-based micro-/nanomotors (MOF-MNMs) have been applied for environmental remediation; however, a comprehensive summary of research in this research area is yet to be reported. Herein, a review is presented to cover the recent advances in MOF-MNMs and their various applications in wastewater remediation.

Quantification of microplastics in agricultural soils by total organic carbon -solid sample combustion analysis.

Accurate quantification of microplastics (MPs) in soils is a significant challenge due to the complex nature of the organo-mineral matrix. Fine mineral particles and organic matter often interfere with the efficiency of extraction, identification and quantification of MPs from soils. Here, an optimized MP extraction and quantification method is proposed, using total organic carbon analyser-solid sample combustion unit (TOC-SSM) analysis.

Isotope Techniques in Chemical Wastewater Treatment: Opportunities and Uncertainties.

A comprehensive and in-depth analysis of reaction mechanisms is essential for advancing chemical water treatment technologies. However, due to the limitations of conventional experimental and analytical methods, the types of reactive species and their generation pathways are commonly debatable in many aqueous systems. As highly sensitive diagnostic tools, isotope techniques offer deeper insights with minimal interference from reaction conditions.