Under the background of ”dual carbon”, we must develop clean energy, build integrated energy systems (IES), and optimize their operation to achieve carbon neutrality. This study presents a strategy for the IES, whose goal is to reduce the carbon content of the power system, which aims to constrain the carbon emission of IES further, improve energy conversion efficiency, and reduce the carbon content of IES. First of all, we focus on the current situation and the improvement of the economic efficiency of the carbon trading market and introduce a tiered and hierarchical electricity carbon trading mechanism to promote IES to control carbon emissions more effectively. Then, we refine the two-stage operation process of power to gas (P2G) and propose a P2G process. This novel approach can significantly enhance the efficiency of hydrogen energy utilization and save operational expenses. In addition, this paper proposes a flexible supply and demand dual response mechanism. On the supply side, energy efficiency is improved through cogeneration with adjustable heat and power ratio. On the demand side, the efficiency of the cogeneration system in terms of energy should be improved through a flexible supply and demand side dual response mechanism. With this mechanism, the environmental protection and economic viability of IES can be further enhanced.

A document by LiMing Wen. Click on the document to view its contents.

Nanofiltration (NF) membranes with exceptional ion selectivity and permeability are needed for the recovery of lithium from waste lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, inspired by the homogeneous microchannels in the skeletal structure of glass sponges, an innovative biomimetic sponge-like sub-nanostructured NF membrane was designed using a facile alkali-induced MXene (AMXene)-ethyl formate (EF)-induced bulk/interfacial diffusion decoupling strategy to simultaneously improve Li+/Co2+ selectivity and membrane permeability. The Li+/Co2+ separation factor (SLi,Co=24) in multi-ion solution of the engineered membrane was improved by an order of magnitude compared to that of an NF270 membrane (SLi,Co =2). The selectivity of Mg2+/Na+ (BNaCl/BMgCl2=286) and SO42-/Cl- (BNaCl/BNa2SO4=941) increased by 3~12 times, and the permeability (25.8 L m-2 h-1 bar-1) remained at a desirable level, beyond the current upper bound of the other reported cutting-edge membranes. The superior performance of the designed membrane was attributed to the limited release of amine monomers in bulk phase and the boosted interfacial diffusion by reducing interfacial energy barrier during the interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction, which were realized via the synergetic effects of AMXene and EF. This approach yielded a biomimetic sponge-like sub-nanostructured NF membrane with controlled homogeneous pore radii (0.202 nm) and a thickness as small as 16.08 nm, which led to high ion selectivity and permeability. The engineered membrane is capable of efficient separation and recovery of Li+/metal ions.

Pilomatricoma in the Infraorbital Region

The surface reconstruction behavior of transition metal phosphides (TMPs) precursors is considered an important method to prepare efficient oxygen evolution catalysts, but there are still significant challenges in guiding catalyst design at the atomic scale. Here, the CoP nanowire with excellent water splitting performance and stability is used as a catalytic model to study the reconstruction process. Obvious double redox signals and valence evolution behavior of the Co site are observed, corresponding to Co2+/Co3+ and Co3+/Co4+ caused by auto-oxidation process. Importantly, the in-situ Raman spectrum exhibits the vibration signal of Co-OH in the non-Faradaic potential interval for oxygen evolution reaction, which is considered the initial reconstruction step . Density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics are used to elucidate this process at the atomic scale: First, OH- exhibits a lower adsorption energy barrier and proton desorption energy barrier at the configuration surface, which proposes the formation of a single oxygen group. Under a higher -O group coverage, the Co-P bond is destroyed along with the POx groups. Subsequently, lower P vacancy formation energy confirm that the Ni-CoP configuration can fast transform into highly active phase. Based on optimized reconstruction behavior and rate-limiting barrier, the Ni-CoP exhibit an excellent overpotential of 236 mV for OER and 1.59 V for overall water splitting at 10 mA cm-2, which demonstrates low degradation (2.62 %) during the 100 mA cm-2 for 100 h. This work provide systematic insights into the atomic-level reconstruction mechanism of TMPs, which benefit further design of water splitting catalyst.

Title pageCase ReportProlong embedded Earring at earlobe with erosive oral lichen planusKeywords: oral lichen planus,erosive lichen planus, embedded earringWord count :1151Figures: 3Author: Sutthinun Wichyanrat, MDInstitute: Division of dermatology, Department of medicine, Ramathibodi hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, ThailandCorresponding author: Sutthinun WichyanratEmail: [email protected] reportProlong embedded earring at earlobe with erosive oral lichen planusKey clinical message Embedded earring in adults is reported to be the causative of erosive lichen planus.Abstract Erosive lichen planus is rare and mostly cannot find the cause of this condition. Embedded earring at earlobe in adults also very rare. We accidentally remove the earring from earlobe and the condition of erosive oral lichen planus seem to improve gradually. Then we hypothesized that the embedded earring may be the factor inducing the erosive lichen planus in this case.Keywords : oral lichen planus, erosive lichen planus, embedded earringIntroduction : The causative of erosive lichen planus is usually unknown, although possible causes of oral lichen planus is immune-related, another factor such as stress and contact allergen have been report in the literatures. The most common contact allergen is metal in amalgam which may be irritate the buccal mucosa and cause oral lichenoid reaction. The distant metal outside the oral area may be the trigger of oral lichen planus, but have never been reported in the literature. We believe this case report may be the first case that the erosive lichen planus is improved after we found the foreign body material inside the earlobe and remove it.Case History and examinations : A 38-years-old Thai female have painful ulcer in upper, lower lip and lateral side of her tongue for 3 years. The physical examination was shown erythematous ulcerative ulcer at upper and lower lip mucosa, and erosive gingiva, and erythematous ulcer at lateral side of tongue.

Under-expansion of the coronary stent is associated with increased rates of in-stent restenosis and thrombosis. Stentablation with rotational atherectomy is used for the management of undilatable, under-expanded coronary stents; however, its effect on coronary microcirculatory function remains unclear. This novel report compares microcirculation indices before and after stentablation.

Intro: In Australia, older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Indigenous) Australians have the highest prevalence of hearing loss, with Indigenous-specific audiological services being provided. However, there is limited research on the experiences older Indigenous Australians have with hearing loss and audiological services. Therefore, this study aimed to consolidate existing literature with a scoping review, specifically on the above to identify gaps and guide future research. Method: Ten databases were searched, identifying 539 records; twenty-one studies met our inclusion criteria. Our inclusion criteria constituted research of any design on the experiences of older Indigenous Australians (aged 45+) with hearing loss and audiological services. Results: Sixteen studies reported on experiences with hearing loss, four studies reported on experiences with audiological services, and one study reported on both experiences. Prevalence of hearing loss was estimated to be 20-34% in older Indigenous Australians; a discrepancy between self-reported and objective hearing difficulties was also identified. Audiological services currently available to older Indigenous Australians were also underutilised. Conclusions: Future experimental/correlational research with Indigenous Australians is required to uncover: (1) the reasons for underreported hearing loss; (2) types of hearing loss experienced; (3) barriers to accessing audiological services; and (4) best hearing-loss management and rehabilitation practices.

Sickness sleep and rebound following sleep deprivation share humoral signals including the rise of cytokines, in particular interleukins. Nevertheless, they represent unique physiological states with unique brain firing patterns and involvement of specific circuitry. Here we performed untargeted metabolomics of mouse cortex and hippocampus to uncover acute changes with sickness and rebound sleep as compared to normal daily sleep. We found that the three states are biochemically unique with larger differences in the cortex than in the hippocampus. Both sickness and rebound sleep shared an increase in tryptophan, with the highest levels during sickness. Surprisingly these two sleep states showed stark differences in terms of the energetic signature, with sickness impinging on glycolysis intermediates whilst rebound increased the triphosphorylated form of nucleotides. These findings indicate that rebound following sleep deprivation stimulates an energy rich state in the brain that is devoid during sickness sleep in line with the energy conservation hypothesis of sickness behavior.

Mitral valve prolapse is a common valve disorder that usually has a benign prognosis unless there is significant regurgitation or left ventricular impairment. However, a subset of patients are at an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, which has led to the recognition of ‘arrhythmic mitral valve prolapse’ as a clinical entity. Emerging risk factors include mitral annular disjunction and myocardial fibrosis. While echocardiography remains the primary method of evaluation, cardiac magnetic resonance has become crucial in managing this condition. Cine-MR sequences provide accurate characterization of prolapse and annular disjunction, assessment of ventricular volumes and function, identification of early dysfunction and remodeling, and quantitative assessment of mitral regurgitation when integrated with flow imaging. However, the unique strength of magnetic resonance lies in its ability to identify tissue changes. T1 mapping sequences identify diffuse fibrosis, in turn related to early ventricular dysfunction and remodeling. Late gadolinium enhancement sequences detect replacement fibrosis, an independent risk factor for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. There are consensus documents and reviews on the use of cardiac magnetic resonance specifically in arrhythmic mitral valve prolapse. However, in this article, we propose an algorithm for the broader use of cardiac magnetic resonance in managing this condition in various scenarios. Future advancements may involve implementing techniques for tissue characterization and flow analysis, such as 4D flow imaging, to identify patients with ventricular dysfunction and remodeling, increased arrhythmic risk, and more accurate grading of mitral regurgitation, ultimately benefiting patient selection for surgical therapy.

Soil microorganisms, including prokaryotes and eukaryotes, represent a large fraction of global terrestrial biodiversity. These organisms and their microbiomes play critical roles in ecosystem functioning and services and are essential to soil health. Soil biodiversity is governed by above-ground and below-ground factors, which create specific habitat conditions that structure soil communities. However, the compounded effects of such environmental drivers are often understudied, thus limiting our understanding of processes governing soil biodiversity, especially in desert habitats. Here we show that above- and below-ground factors shape prokaryotic and microeukaryotic communities, but these environmental factors do not appear to structure invertebrate-associated microbiomes. By integrating metabarcoding and morphological datasets, we found that soil compactness is a major factor structuring prokaryote and microeukaryote assemblages and influences the abundance of genes involved in nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition. Despite having lower nitrogen levels, compacted soils displayed significantly higher alpha-diversity than uncompacted habitats across datasets. Different bacterial clades were enriched within specific nematode lineages (Plectids and Tylenchids) highlighting potentially new species-specific nematode-associated taxa. The data suggests that nematode microbiomes are less impacted by the same environmental drivers of the soil bacterial community and respond to microscale variations among sampling sites. The prevalence of functionally diverse invertebrate-associated bacteria (Mycobacterium) in the nematode microbiome suggests that these microbial communities benefit the host. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing above- and below-ground effects to elucidate patterns of microbial community assembly in terrestrial habitats, and how fine-scale analyses are critical for understanding patterns of host-associated microbiomes.

A document by Michael Robert Filoramo. Click on the document to view its contents.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune rheumatic disorder distinguished with fibrosis and vascular injury and structural alteration, coexisting with Reynaud’s phenomenon. The crosstalk between activated fibroblasts, immune effectors, and endothelial cells are the primary culprits in disease process. Fractalkine (FKN) or CX3CL1 is an unremarkable membrane-bound soluble chemokine and an adhesion molecule expressed on pro-inflammatory cytokine. In this systematic review, FKN and its receptor’s (CX3CR1) role in mediating inflammatory processes focusing on the pathogenesis of SSc is investigated. FKN is one of the most influential molecules which monitors the trafficking of inflammatory cells through the endothelium and has been observed to have pronounced expression in inflammation. The correlation between increased CX3CL1 levels in SSc and interstitial lung disease was established, and it was noted that CX3CL1 is predominantly co-localized with infiltrating mononuclear cells and epithelia within the lungs. The interstitial lung disease prediction and its progression may be available through augmented concentrations in SSc patients. Conclusively, Emerging evidence claims that FKN could be expressed in numerous tissues, taking part in the CX3CR1 positive cell accumulation at sites of inflammation and, as a result, involved in countless rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic lupus erythematosus, and scleroderma. Besides, it may play a prominent part in the SSc pathogenesis, involving vascular injury and tissue inflammation. Its estimation could be used as a serological marker for the recognition and follow-up of skin and pulmonary complications.

This article proposes a high step-up, low switching voltage stress DC-DC converter based on the traditional Boost circuit, incorporating switched-capacitor (SC) and coupled-inductor (CL) techniques. The design approach of this converter involves replacing the single switch in a single-switch DC-DC converter with SC, combining CL together, and integrating the resonant boost circuit with the Boost circuit. Compared to other traditional DC-DC converters, the improved topology of the power switches in this design exhibits lower voltage stress, lower diode current stress, fewer total components, and a common ground. The working mode and steady-state analysis of the converter are provided, and the stress derivation of the components and theoretical efficiency analysis are conducted. A comparison with other DC-DC converters is also performed. Finally, experiments are conducted on a 200W DC-DC converter prototype to verify the reliability of this converter.

A document by Elena Esina. Click on the document to view its contents.

Andrographis saxatilis (Acanthaceae) new species is described and illustrated from the rocky plateau of the Owk Dam area, Andhra Pradesh. It is a perennial, woody undershrub. Unique characters are hispid hairy, obovate, elliptic-oblong and oblanceolate leaves; lanceolate glandular hairy sepals; empty (without flowers) bract and calyx towards base of rachis. Andrographis saxatilis allied A. glandulosa Nees by its perennial habit, woody rootstock in between rocks, glaucous green leaves, hairy stem, attenuate and glandular hairs on sepals and corolla tube outside. But it distinguished from the later by its hispid texture (versus densely pubescent), obovate, elliptic-oblong, and oblanceolate leaves (versus ovate-oblong), obtusely 4-angled stem (versus acutely 4-angled), hispid and glandular hairy sepals (versus villous with long glandular hairs), boat-shaped upper lip of corolla (versus ligulate), pubescent fruit (versus glabrous at base and glandular hairy towards the tip). IUCN threat status of the species is assessed as ‘Data Deficient’ (DD) in this article.

Aim: This study aims to enhance our understanding of the temporal and spatial proceses scales governing the taxonomic diversification of Neotropical birds with Trans- and Cis-Andean populations. Location: Central America and South America. Taxon: Attila spadiceus (Bright-rumped Attila). Methods: Through a multilocus analysis of the mitochondrial (CytB and ND2) and nuclear genes (I7BF, I5BF, and G3PDH) of 41 samples representing six subspecies, we describe the existing molecular lineages of A. spadiceus, and estimate their demographic dynamics. We also modeled the climatic niche of the species. Results: The analysis confirms a relatively recent divergence of the Trans- and Cis-Andean lineages, at approximately 0.25 million years ago (Ma). The niche modeling supports the existence of a dynamic scenario of the expansion and retraction of forest corridors in northwestern South America during the last glaciation. This suggests that the earlier orogenesis of the Andes was not a primary determinant of this dichotomy. Additionally, the analysis of population dynamics indicated a trend of increasing population size starting at 0.05 Ma for both lineages. Main Conclusions: Our findings highlight the significance of Pleistocene Forest corridors north of the Andes as the key factor maintaining communication before the separation of the lineages, likely associated with the retraction of this forest. We highlight the absence of any significant differentiation between the disjunct Amazonian and Atlantic Forest populations, both part of the Cis-Andean lineage. The phylogeographic profile of A. spadiceus diverges from the patterns observed in other Neotropical birds, which emphasizes the need for further research on the role of the forest corridors of the northern Andes as drivers of diversification, to provide comprehensive insights into the processes that led to the formation of the region’s present-day avian diversity.

IntroductionObesity is a complex disease defined as abnormal or excessive fat tissue accumulation that presents a risk to health. 1According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity is a latent disease declared as a non-infectious and noncommunicable pandemic.1,2 Indeed, obesity is linked to more deaths worldwide than being underweight, being a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, and some cancers.1,2 In particular, obesity is associated with 13 different cancers, among them: breast, endometrial, ovarian, prostate, liver, gallbladder, kidney, and colon and rectum3,4Most frequently, obesity is a primary condition, while differential diagnosis of secondary obesity includes: Hypothyroidism, Hypercortisolism, Hyperinsulinism (type 2 diabetes), Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and drugs.Obesity stigma refers to social devaluation and denigration due to excess body weight. 5 Several large-scale studies across various countries showed that a high percentage of patients suffered from obesity stigma also from healthcare professionals.6,7 In particular, primary care physicians spend less time during office visits with patients with obesity as they consider them as noncompliant patients. 8 Therefore, experiences of and expectations for poor treatment may cause avoidance of care, mistrust of doctors, and poor adherence among patients with obesity. 8,9 Obesity stigma can reduce the patient’s quality of care, including preventive and screening care, despite the best intentions of healthcare professionals to provide high-quality care. 8–10The patient was sent to a referral center by the primary care provider for surgical evaluation for long-standing severe obesity (BMI 59). This case report is unique because of its clinical relevance to obesity differential diagnosis.