Coupling Ferricyanide/Ferrocyanide Redox Mediated Recycling Spent LiFePO4 with Hydrogen Production.

Replacing the oxygen evolution reaction with thermodynamically more favorable alternative oxidation reactions offers a promising alternative to reduce the energy consumption of hydrogen production. However, questions remain regarding the economic viability of alternative oxidation reactions for industrial-scale hydrogen production. Here, we propose an innovative cost-effective, environment-friendly and energy-efficient strategy for simultaneous recycling of spent LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries and hydrogen production by coupling the spent LFP-assisted ferricyanide/ferrocyanide ([Fe(CN)6 ]4- /[Fe(CN)6 ]3- ) redox reaction. The onset potential for the electrooxidation of [Fe(CN)6 ]4- to [Fe(CN)6 ]3- is low at 0.87 V. Operando Raman and UV/Visible spectroscopy confirm that the presence of LFP in the electrolyte allows for the rapid reduction of [Fe(CN)6 ]3- to [Fe(CN)6 ]4- , thereby completing the [Fe(CN)6 ]4- /[Fe(CN)6 ]3- redox cycle as well as facilitating the conversion of spent LiFePO4 into LiOH ⋅ H2 O and FePO4 . The electrolyzer consumes 3.6 kWh of electricity per cubic meter of H2 produced at 300 mA cm-2 , which is 43 % less than conventional water electrolysis. Additionally, this recycling pathway for spent LFP batteries not only minimizes chemical consumption and prevents secondary pollution but also presents significant economic benefits.

Reactivation of redox active materials boosts the performance of electrochemical desalination with coupling energy storage.

Aqueous redox flow battery (RFB) desalination is considered as an emerging technology for both freshwater production and energy storage. However, the desalination capacity of desalination RFB is constrained by the amount of redox active materials. To break through this innate limit, a tandem redox strategy is reported to boost the desalination capacity of desalination RFB through reactivating the depleted redox active materials to achieve relay desalination. Taking zinc/sodium ferrocyanide as the proof-of-concept model, the introduction of 5.6 g Prussian blue (PB) as a reactivator could boost the desalination capacity by ∼106.1%, reaching to 651.2 mAh, compared with the theoretical limit of 315.9 mAh. This system can afford the desalination of 34-47 mL seawater with 85%-91% NaCl removal and as low as 8.17 kJ/mol (2.27 Wh/L) salt energy consumption using only 15 mL of catholyte, while providing 55.6-42.5 Wh/L electrical energy for other purposes, outperforming the reported desalination RFBs so far. This study represents a paradigm shift to rational design for desalination RFB and may broaden the implications in desalination, energy storage, and other related fields.

The different toxicological effects and removal efficiencies of norfloxacin and sulfadiazine in culturing Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis.

Norfloxacin (NFX) and sulfadiazine (SDZ) are two widely used antibiotics belonging to fluoroquinolone and sulfonamide groups, respectively, and have become the commonly detected micropollutants in aquatic environments. However, only few works have been conducted to investigate the highly probable inhibition of these antibiotic pollutants to Arthrospira platensis, which is an important species of cyanobacteria that is one of primary producers in aquatic ecosystems and should be remarkably sensitive to environmental pollutants due to its prokaryotic characteristics. Hence, the toxicological effects and removal efficiencies of NFX and SDZ in culturing A. platensis were studied by analyzing the biomass growth, photosynthetic pigments, primary biocomponents, and antibiotics concentration. The corresponding variations of these characteristics showed the higher sensitivity of A. platensis to NFX than to SDZ, indicating the specifically targeted effect of NFX on A. platensis, which could be confirmed in silico by the higher binding affinity of NFX with the critical enzyme. The obtained results illustrated the roles of NFX and SDZ on the growth of A. platensis, thus providing the great support in employing A. platensis to reduce hazards from contaminated water and recover biomass resources.

Ecotoxicological effect of enrofloxacin on Spirulina platensis and the corresponding detoxification mechanism.

Enrofloxacin is a widely used antibiotic targeting DNA gyrase and has become the commonly detected micropollutant in aquatic environments. Thus, the potential toxicity of enrofloxacin to Spirulina platensis which is a kind of prokaryote similar to Gram-negative bacteria has been hypothesized. However, little is known about the toxicity and degradation mechanism of enrofloxacin during the growth process of Spirulina platensis. Herein, the biomass accumulation of Spirulina platensis was stimulated to 115% of the control group by 0.1 mg L-1 enrofloxacin (10th day), which could be removed probably through the metabolism. Further increasing the enrofloxacin level to 5.0 mg L-1 almost inhibited the growth and remediation ability of Spirulina platensis for 35 days. Environmental stress also caused the variations of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and carotenoids) and primary biocomponents (proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates), reflecting the adaptation of Spirulina platensis for handling the negative effects of enrofloxacin. The detoxification mechanism was studied by identifying the degradation products of enrofloxacin, suggesting the occurrence of dealkylation and oxidation reactions primarily at the piperazine group. The decreased antimicrobial activity was confirmed by the reduced binding affinity of degradation products with enzymes. The obtained results could help us understand the role of enrofloxacin in the growth of Spirulina platensis, thus providing great support for employing Spirulina platensis in risk assessment and hazard reduction.

Investigation on home blood pressure monitoring among hypertensive patients / 预防医学

Objective @#To investigate the status and influencing factors of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) among hypertensive patients, so as to provide the evidence for building and maintaining HBPM among hypertensive patients. @*Methods@#Hypertensive patients hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University were sampled from July to December 2022, and subjects' general data, HBPM behaviors and cognition were collected using self-designed questionnaires. In addition, factors affecting regular HBPM were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model.@*Results@#Totally 440 questionnaires were allocated, and 422 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 95.91%. The respondents included 234 males (55.45%) and 188 females (44.55%), and had a median age of 70 (interquartile range, 15) years. There were 239 respondents with regular HBPM (56.64%). Of 422 respondents, 68 had good cognition of blood pressure monitoring (16.11%), and 79.15% did not think regular changes of their blood pressure within 24 hours, while 72.04% did not think it necessary to measure blood pressure more than twice a day. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that recommendation of regular blood pressure monitoring by healthcare workers (OR=4.341, 95%CI: 2.493-7.560), number of blood pressure measurements according to real circumstances (OR=3.858, 95%CI: 1.358-10.961), recording of measurement results (OR=4.945, 95%CI: 1.863-13.129), provision of data to doctors at admission (OR=2.023, 95%CI: 1.173-3.488) and good cognition of blood pressure monitoring (good, OR=11.939, 95%CI: 3.972-35.886; general, OR=9.681, 95%CI: 5.157-18.172) resulted in a high possibility of regular HBPM among respondents.@*Conclusion@#Hypertensive patients with recommendation of regular blood pressure monitoring by healthcare workers, number of blood pressure measurements according to real conditions, recording of blood pressure measurement results, provision of blood pressure to doctors at admission and good cognition of blood pressure monitoring are more likely to have regular HBPM.

Effect of IoT-based power cycling and quadriceps training on pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic musculoskeletal disease affecting the entire joint. Exercise therapy is the core treatment plan for non-surgical treatment of KOA, and tele-rehabilitation is also applied to KOA, but there is a lack of research on the comparison of pain and function recovery between different exercise methods combined Internet respectively. The study aims to compare the effects of power cycling and quadriceps training combined with online guidance separately on KOA mitigation of pain, recovery of function, quality of life, and adherence of participants in the community, compared to the control group. METHODS: This study is a single-blind, 12-week parallel randomized controlled trial. Seventy-two participants aged ≥ 50 years with KOA will be randomized into either the power cycling group, the quadriceps group or the control group. The intervention will be performed three times per week during 12 weeks. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after allocation. The primary outcome will be self-reported pain, assessed with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale. Secondary outcomes will include mitigation of knee pain, quality of life, improvement of functional physical performance, adherence of participants. DISCUSSION: By summarizing the study's strengths and limitations, this trial results may guide tele-rehabilitation of KOA in the community.Trial registration: The study was registered in the clinical trial registry ChiCTR2200059255, 27/04/2022.

Bioavailability and toxicity of silver nanoparticles: Determination based on toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic processes.

Determining the bioavailability and toxicity mechanism of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is challenging as Ag+ is continuously released by external or internal AgNP dissolution in the actual exposure system (regardless of the laboratory or the natural environment). Here a novel pulsed-gradient Ag+ (AgNO3) exposure was conducted with zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae to simulate dissolved gradient concentrations of Ag+ from polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated AgNPs. The accumulation and toxicity of the pulsed-gradient Ag+ (AgNO3) and, in the meantime, the released Ag+ from PVP-AgNPs were predicted using a toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TK-TD) model with obtained Ag+ parameters. In order to further understand the possible mechanism of PVP-AgNP releasing Ag+ in the body, subcellular fractions (S9) of zebrafish were also used to incubate with AgNPs in vitro to mimic the realistic in vivo scenarios. In the TK process, in vivo analysis showed that AgNPs released around twice as many Ag+ into the body than were detected with a single Ag+ pulse-exposure system; this was supported by evidence that subcellular S9 fractions might cause the PVP-AgNPs to lose the capping agent and favor Ag+ release. In the TD process, toxicity (survival rate) was predicted by the total bodily Ag(I) concentration, suggesting that AgNP toxicity in larvae was mainly due to gradually released Ag+ rather than AgNPs themselves. This study helps clarify the role of Ag+ in AgNP toxicity and offers a novel framework by which to investigate the toxicity of metal nanoparticles and corresponding metal ions in biological systems.

Rapid and precise compensation of scale factor in a fiber-optic gyroscope with a twin-peaks source.

In this Letter, two gyro outputs containing identical rotation rates are produced by a twin-peaks light source with peak wavelengths of 1530 nm and 1560 nm. We demonstrate that the two outputs' ratio κ can compensate for the temperature-induced scale factor drift in an interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope (IFOG). When the temperature ranged from -10∘C to 50°C, the scale factor drift after compensation was about 30 times less than that before compensation, and the minimum drift was ±7.7ppm at the rotation rate of 100°/s.

Open-loop fiber-optic gyroscope with a double sensitivity employing a polarization splitter and Faraday rotator mirror.

In this Letter, a novel open-loop fiber-optic gyroscope configuration with a double sensitivity is proposed. By employing a polarization-maintaining Faraday rotator mirror and a polarization beamsplitter/combiner, light waves propagate twice along the same fiber coil in two orthonormal polarization directions. The reciprocity of the configuration has been verified in theory. The Allan variance analysis of the gyro prototype exhibits 0.03°/h bias stability over 5.5 h in the laboratory environment.

Electrolytic lesions of the medial nucleus accumbens shell selectively decrease ethanol consumption without altering preference in a limited access procedure in C57BL/6J mice.

The central extended amygdala (cExtA) is a limbic region proposed to play a key role in drug and alcohol addiction and to contain the medial nucleus accumbens shell (MNAc shell). The aim of this study was to examine the involvement of the MNAc shell in ethanol and sucrose consumption in a limited and free access procedure in the C57BL/6J (B6) mouse. Separate groups of mice received bilateral electrolytic lesions of the MNAc shell or sham surgery, and following recovery from surgery, were allowed to voluntarily consume ethanol (15% v/v) in a 2 h limited access 2-bottle-choice procedure. Following 1 week of limited access ethanol consumption, mice were given 1 week of limited access sucrose consumption. A separate group of lesioned and sham mice were given free access (24 h) to ethanol in a 2-bottle choice procedure and were run in parallel to the mice receiving limited access consumption. Electrolytic lesions of the MNAc shell decreased ethanol (but not sucrose) consumption in a limited access procedure, but did not alter free access ethanol consumption. These results suggest that the MNAc shell is a component of the underlying neural circuitry contributing to limited access alcohol consumption in the B6 mouse.

Ethological analysis of scopolamine treatment or pretreatment in morphine dependent rats.

Although scopolamine is currently used to treat morphine addiction in humans, its extensive actions on behaviors have not been systematically analyzed yet, and the underlying mechanisms of its effects still remain ambiguous. The present study was carried out to clarify the possible mechanisms by evaluating the effects of scopolamine pretreatment and treatment on naloxone-precipitated withdrawal signs and some of other general behaviors in morphine dependent rats. Our results showed that scopolamine pretreatment and treatment attenuated naloxone-precipitated withdrawal signs including jumping, writhing posture, weight loss, genital grooming, teeth-chattering, ptosis, diarrhea and irritability, except for wet dog shakes, while general behaviors such as water intake, urine volume and morphine excretion in urine were increased. Our findings suggest that scopolamine has significant actions in the treatment of opiate addiction, which might result from increasing morphine excretion from urine.

Ionotropic glutamatergic neurotransmission in the ventral tegmental area modulates DeltaFosB expression in the nucleus accumbens and abstinence syndrome in morphine withdrawal rats.

The present study sought to assess whether the blockade of ionotropic glutamate receptors in the ventral tegmental area could modulate morphine withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats and the expression of stable DeltaFosB isoforms in the nucleus accumbens during morphine withdrawal. Rats were injected (i.p.) with increasing doses of morphine for 1 week to develop physical dependence, and withdrawal was then precipitated by one injection of naloxone (2 mg/kg, i.p.). Abstinence signs such as jumping, wet-dog shake, writhing posture, weight loss, and Gellert-Holtzman scale score were recorded to evaluate naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal. Two ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists, dizocilpine (MK-801) and 6, 7-dinitroquinnoxaline-2, 3-dione (DNQX), were microinjected unilaterally into the ventral tegmental area 30 min before naloxone precipitation. A second injection of naloxone (2 mg/kg i.p.) was given 1 h after the first naloxone injection to sustain a maximal level of withdrawal so that the expression of stable DeltaFosB isoforms in the nucleus accumbens could be measured. This would enable determination of the correlation between the MK-801 or DNQX-induced decrease in somatic withdrawal signs and the change in neuronal activity in the nucleus accumbens. The results showed that both MK-801 and DNQX significantly alleviated all symptoms of morphine withdrawal except for weight loss and reduced the expression of stable DeltaFosB isoforms within the nucleus accumbens. These data suggest that ionotropic glutamatergic neurotransmission in the ventral tegmental area regulates the levels of stable DeltaFosB isoforms in the nucleus accumbens, which play a very important role in modulating opiate withdrawal.

Blockade of ionotropic glutamatergic transmission in the ventral tegmental area attenuates the physical signs of morphine withdrawal in rats.

The present study sought to assess whether the blockade of ionotropic glutamate receptors in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) could modulate the morphine withdrawal in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The effects of dizocilpine (MK-801) or 6,7-dinitroquinnoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists, microinjected unilaterally into the VTA 30 min before naloxone [2 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)] administration on the morphine withdrawal were assessed. Morphine dependence was developed with increasing morphine injection (i.p.), and morphine withdrawal was induced by injection of naloxone (2 mg/kg, i.p.). Jumping, wet-dog shakes, writhing posture, wall clamber, weight loss and Gellert-Holtzman scale were used as the indices to evaluate the intensity of morphine withdrawal. The results showed that unilateral microinjection of MK-801 or DNQX into the VTA significantly increased the incidence of wall clamber, had no effect on weight loss, and reduced all other symptoms of morphine withdrawal. These data suggest that the ionotropic glutamate receptors in the VTA are involved in mediating naloxone-precipitated opiate withdrawal.

Prolonged effects of repeated cocaine on medial prefrontal cortex dopamine response to cocaine and a stressful predatory odor challenge in rats.

The present study examined the effects of seven daily saline (1 ml/kg, i.p.) or cocaine injections (15 mg/kg, i.p.) on extracellular dopamine levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) after challenge with cocaine or stressful predatory odor presentation given 1 week (early withdrawal) or 3 weeks later (late withdrawal). Cocaine challenge at early withdrawal produced an increase in dopamine levels that was temporally shifted so that maximal levels of dopamine were significantly higher and attained 20 min earlier in the cocaine-pretreated group (maximal levels of saline controls=378% increase, cocaine=494% increase above baseline). Cocaine challenge at late withdrawal produced a similar effect on the temporal shift of maximal dopamine levels, with a significantly higher maximal percent increase of dopamine in cocaine-pretreated rats (saline-pretreated=420% increase, cocaine-pretreated=515% increase). Challenge with TMT, a predatory odor from fox that produces a stress response in rats, produced a maximal 75-200% increase in basal dopamine levels in both groups at both early and late withdrawal times. As with cocaine challenge, daily cocaine produced a leftward shift in the time at which maximal dopamine levels were attained in response to TMT. Cocaine-pretreated animals demonstrated maximal dopamine levels 40-80 min after TMT removal, while saline-pretreated rats showed maximal levels 100-140 min after TMT removal. These results suggest that there are long-term changes in the mPFC dopamine response to subsequent challenge with cocaine as well as a stressful predatory odor. The altered response of mPFC dopamine after repeated daily cocaine may impact relapse to drug-seeking or drug-taking behavior.