Dominant Site Research Articles

Constructing Angstrom‐Level Ion Pocket Array in 1D Channel Wall for Efficient Lithium Ion Sieving

AbstractThe rapid development of new energy industry is leading to the scarcity of lithium (Li) metal. Rational design of adsorbents for efficient separation of Li+ ion from aqueous media is pivotal to solve the recovery of this valuable resource. Current adsorbents generally suffer from the drawbacks in adsorption capacity, kinetics, and selectivity. Herein, a novel and ultra‐stable metal–organic framework is designed for Li+ separation. The dense oxygen atoms on the cambered wall of its 1D channel encircle to form angstrom‐level tetrahedral ion pockets array, acting as the dominant adsorption sites. This rational distribution of the array avoids the pore blockage caused by the pre‐adsorbed ions, thereby accelerating the diffusion of subsequent ions into the interior pore. Meanwhile, this tetrahedral pocket shows distinct electronegativity and strong chelation effect for Li+. Benefiting from these specifics, this adsorbent exhibits a record‐breaking adsorption capacity for Li+ (76.1 mg g−1) and short equilibrium time (30 min). Moreover, the selective adsorption of Li+ over Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ is achieved due to the matched Li+ ion diameter with the pocket/channel sizes and lower energy barrier for dehydration. Thus, this work proposes a feasible strategy for the construction of novel MOFs for ions adsorption.

A 3D Macroporous Carbon NiCu Single‐Atom Catalyst for High Current Density CO2 Electroreduction

AbstractTransition metal and nitrogen co‐decorated carbon materials are promising platforms for CO2 electroreduction. A hard‐template 2‐step pyrolysis method is proposed for the fabrication of highly dispersed Ni and Cu atomic active sites on a 3D macroporous carbon matrix. The pyrrolic N‐type Ni−Nx sites serve as dominant active sites toward selective CO2 electroreduction to CO. The incorporation of Cu alters the distribution of N species and simultaneously optimizes the electronic state and geometric structure of the Ni−Nx moiety, thereby improving its adsorption and activation capacity for CO2. Moreover, the isolated Cu atomic sites enhance the resistance of corresponding gas‐diffusion electrodes against electrolyte flooding. The optimal catalyst 3D NiCu‐69 achieves nearly exclusive production of CO with a Faraday efficiency (FECO) of 98% at a current density of −700 mA cm−2 in a CO2‐gas‐fed flow‐through electrolyzer and delivers a CO production rate of 1363 mol(m2s)−1, which is exceeding most reported electrocatalysts. The FECO remained as high as 94% after electrolyzing at a current density of −100 mA cm−2 for 22 h. 3D NiCu‐69 exhibits a favorable performance in both acidic and neutral conditions, with a high FECO of ≈90.2% within the current density range of −100 to −500 mA cm−2.

Dexamethasone is a regulator of clock genes in testicular peritubular cells.

We recently found that peritubular cells of the human testis are a dominant site of expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR; encoded by NR3C1). Activation of GR by dexamethasone (Dex) strongly influences the phenotype of cultured human testicular peritubular cells (HTPCs), causing massive changes of their proteome and secretome. As glucocorticoids (GC) are also known to set the internal clock of peripheral organs by regulating clock genes, we tested such an influence of Dex in HTPCs. We performed cellular studies with HTPCs and immortalized nonhuman primate (Callithrix jacchus; Cj)-derived peritubular cells, organotypic incubations of testicular fragments of Cj, qPCR and proteomic, as well as immunohistochemical studies. Basal clock gene expression levels, when monitored by qPCR under standard culture conditions, showed alterations over 24 h, suggesting an endogenous circadian rhythm, especially for BMAL1. Dex (1 µM) when added to cells, caused a strong and significant increase of PER1, followed by elevations of BMAL1, and other clock genes. This action was observed as early as 4 h after the addition of Dex. Immunohistochemistry and data mining revealed GR in testicular peritubular cells and other somatic cells of Cj, in situ. We therefore performed organotypic incubations of testicular fragments of Cj (n = 3) and found that upon addition of Dex (1 µM), mRNA levels of BMAL1 and PER1 also increased in samples of two out of three animals after 6 h. Mass spectrometry did, however, not reveal significant alterations of the testicular proteome, possibly due to the short time point and/or the fact that the somatic GR-expressing cells represent only a small portion of the testis. In support for this assumption, Dex (1 µM; 6 h) significantly increased mRNA levels of BMAL1 and PER1 in Cj-derived immortalized testicular peritubular cells. The results indicate that an internal clock system likely exists in peritubular cells of the testis and that Dex, via testicular GR expressed by peritubular cells and other somatic cells, is a strong regulator of this system. In a physiological situation, GC thus may be important regulators of the testicular clock, while in a situation of prolonged stress or GC-medication, derangements in clock gene expression may result.

Glycation of sunnhemp protein with dextran via dry heating: Thermal, micro-structural characterization, and amino acid profiling.

This study aims to obtain sunnhemp protein isolate (SHPI) and dextran conjugates by dry heating method of Maillard conjugation. The effects of different incubation time (0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 days) on the molecular flexibility, available lysine content, antioxidant properties, molecular structure, and thermal and micro-structural properties of conjugates were compared with SHPI (no conjugation) at 60°C and 79% relative humidity. The results indicated the formation of SHPI-dextran conjugates as confirmed by the change in molecular flexibility, lysine content, antioxidant activities, color, and water activity values. The molecular structure revealed the confirmation of covalent bonding between SHPI and dextran. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermo-gravimetric analysis results exhibited improvement in the thermal stability of SHPI when conjugated with dextran. The microstructural characterization showed that Maillard conjugation changed the surface structure of SHPI. The analysis of amino acid composition displayed that lysine, arginine, and phenylalanine were the dominant Maillard reaction sites of SHPI and dextran. Among all the conjugated samples, 5 days of incubation time was selected as an optimum condition for the development of SHPI-dextran conjugates on the basis of the aforementioned characterization. Overall, it was concluded that Maillard conjugation of sunnhemp protein with dextran via dry-heating technique could modify and improve its various attributes. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The conjugation of plant proteins with polysaccharide through the Maillard reaction under dry heating conditions represents a natural and green technique for improving the techno-functional properties of proteins. The study has the potential to establish framework for the utilization of Sunnhemp protein isolate-dextran conjugates. This approach offers the potential for cost-effective production of emulsifiers and development of effective encapsulating matrices. The investigation expands on an underutilized plant protein source facilitating an alternative to animal-based proteins and contributing to the development of a sustainable circular bioeconomy.

Modification of Cs/SiO2 with Zr element through sol–gel method for production of methyl methacrylate via one-step aldol condensation

Development of effective cesium-based catalyst is important for methyl methacrylate (MMA) production via one-step aldol reaction. Herein, a kind of Cs/Zr-SiO2 catalyst was prepared by sol–gel method and the acid-base properties and their balance could be controllably regulated. The influence of catalyst preparation conditions including Si/Zr ratio and water content on the structure and acid-base properties of Cs/Zr-SiO2 was demonstrated, which consequentially affected catalytic performance. The formation of Si-O-Zr and Cs-O-Si structure was identified as the dominant Lewis acid and base sites and the acid site density can be enhanced by 1-fold when using sol–gel method. In addition, the MP conversion could reach 37 % with MMA selectivity of 85 % at the optimal condition. Kinetic studies revealed that the activation barrier on the modified 10Cs/Zr-SiO2 exhibited the lowest activation energy of 110.9 kJ/mol. Besides the initial catalytic activity could still maintain after 800 h recycling, with single-pass life of 160 h.

Energy, Exergy and Exergo-economic analyses of supercritical CO2 cycles for the exploitation of a geothermal resource in the Italian water dominant Amiata site

Alternative powerplant layouts to commonly applied flash technology is investigated for the water dominant geothermal location of Amiata Mountain, Italy. The proposed solution avoids flashing the brine stream by a borehole pump capable of maintaining pressurized conditions, thus reducing the amount of non-condensable gases released when reaching the ground level. Therefore, the need of a gas treatment section is completely avoided. The heat recovered from the hot brine at ground level is transferred to different supercritical CO2 cycle configurations, equipped with high efficiency Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers (PCHE). The optimal 45.5% calculated exergy efficiency was achieved for the recuperative cycle with intercooling and reheat, which however didn’t show the optimal electricity costs (8.092 c€/kWh) because of the more complex heat exchangers network. The lowest cost of electricity (7.4 c€/kWh) was found for the recuperative cycle configuration. These costs are in line with the current levels of geothermal binary cycles, but almost doubled compared to the current single flash +ORC solution, due to a 40-50% reduction of power output with sCO2 cycles. On the other hand, sCO2 binary cycles could guarantee an almost zero environmental impact, which is the main reason for social concerns related to the current flash powerplants.

Development of Polymorphic Index Model for Assessing Subtropical Secondary Natural Oak Forest Site Quality Under Complex Site and Climate Variables

Site and climate conditions are the key determinants controlling dominant height growth and forest productivity, both independently and interactively. Secondary natural oak forests are a typical forest type in China, especially in Hunan Province, but little is known about the site index of this forest under the complex site and climate variables in the subtropics. Based on survey data of dominant trees and site variables from 101 plots in Hunan oak natural secondary forests and climate data obtained using spatial interpolation, we used the random forest method, correlation analysis, and the analysis of variance to determine the main site and climate factors affecting oak forest dominant height and proposed a modeling method of an oak natural secondary forest site index based on the random effect of site–climate interaction type. Of the site variables, elevation affected stand dominant height the most, followed by slope direction and position. Winter precipitation and summer mean maximum temperature had the greatest impact on stand dominant height. To develop the modeling method, we created 10 popular base models but found low performance (R2 ranged from 0.1731 to 0.2030). The optimal base model was Mitscherlich form M3 (R2 = 0.1940) based on parameter significance tests. Since site and climate factors affect the site index curve, the dominant site and climate factors were combined into site types and climate types, respectively, and a nonlinear mixed-effects approach was used to simulate different site types, climate types, site–climate interaction types, and their combinations as random effects. Site–climate interaction type as a random factor enhanced model (M3.4) performance and prediction accuracy (R2 from 0.1940 to 0.8220) compared to the optimum base model. After clustering the 62 site–climate interaction types into three, five, and eight groups using hierarchical clustering, a mixed-effects model with the random effects of eight groups improved model performance (R2 = 0.8265) and applicability. The modeling method developed in this study could be used to assess a regional secondary natural oak forest site index under complex site and climate variables to evaluate the forest productivity.

High-Valence Metals Accelerate the Reaction Kinetics for Boosting Water Oxidation.

The transition metal with high valence state in oxyhydroxides can accelerate the reaction kinetics, enabling highly intrinsic OER activity. However, the formation of high-valence transition-metal ions is thermodynamically unfavorable in most cases. Here, a novel strategy is proposed to realize the purpose and reveal the mechanism by constructing amorphous phase and incorporating of elements with the characteristic of Lewis acid or variable charge state. A model catalyst, CeO2-NiFeOxHy, is presented to achieve the modulation of valence state of active site (Ni2+→Ni3+→Ni4+) for improved OER, leading to dominant active sites with high valence state. The CeO2-NiFeOxHy electrode exhibits superior OER performance with overpotential of 214 and 659mV at 10 and 500mAcm-2, respectively (without IR correction), and high stability, which are much better than those of NiOxHy, NiFeOxHy and CeO2-NiOxHy. These findings provide an effective strategy to achieve the active metals with high-valence state for highly efficient OER.

Assessing Carbon Stocks and Ecosystem Functioning in Char (Buchanania lanzan) Forests of Central India

The present study assessment of plant community structure, carbon stock and CO2 sequestration of char (Buchanania lanzan) dominant forest sites in Central India during 2020-22. The forest vegetation was analysed using 20 quadrats (each 10 x 10 m in size for tree layers, 5 x 5 m in size for sapling layers and 1 x 1 m size for seedling layers) within the representative one-hectare plot on each site. The biomass, carbon stock, and carbon dioxide sequestration from three district (Mahasamund, Gariaband, and Kabirdham) char dominated forest sites of dry deciduous forests in Central India were estimated using the non-destructive allometric equation approach. The results revealed that the density of tree, sapling and seedling were ranged from 430-605 stems ha-1, 120-600 stems ha-1 and 28000-34500 stems ha-1, respectively. The basal area of tree and sapling layers were varied from 18.15-29.68 m2 ha-1 and 0.33-1.04 m2 ha-1, respectively. The diversity indices of tree layer viz; Shannon index, Simpson index, Evenness, species richness and beta diversity were ranged from 2.40-2.72, 0.17-0.22, 1.08-1.18, 2.26-3.11 and 5.0-6.0, respectively on different forest site in Central India. The total biomass, carbon stock and CO2 sequestration potential of tree layers were varied from 105.72-216.96 Mg ha-1, 50.22-103.06 Mg ha-1 and 184.29-378.22 Mg ha-1, respectively on char dominant various forest sites in Central India. The correlation coefficients were statistically significant performed between basal area and biomass, carbon stock and CO2 sequestration potential with R2 values of 0.988 at p<0.01 levels. After doing this study, it can be concluded that estimating the biomass and carbon stock in Central India will be useful for managing forests sustainably.

Enhanced activation of peroxymonosulfate by introducing Co/Fe atoms in LaCoO3-biochar derived catalysts for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole

In this study, a novel perovskite-biochar composite, LaCoMO3-C (LaCoM-C, M = Cu, Fe), was designed using a co-precipitation-calcination strategy and employed activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for efficiently degrade sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The degradation results indicated that the LaCoCu-C/PMS system could effectively degrade 95 % of SMX within 7 min with a kinetics rate constant of 0.33 min−1, which was about 2.21, 6.64 and 3.7 times that of LaCoFe-C, LaCoCu and LaCo-C, respectively. The biochar skeleton greatly increased the specific surface area and uniform distribution of surface active sites of the composites, leading to the optimization of its catalytic performance. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that the adsorption capacity of the composites with PMS could be improved by introducing Cu/Fe elements into the interfacial structure of the composites, while Co was identified as the dominant active site. Combined with quenching test, electron paramagnetic resonance(EPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses, we demonstrated the generation of reactive oxygen species including 1O2, •OH, SO4•- and O2•-, and revealed that the oxidation process of Cu+/Cu2+ and Co2+/Co3+ on the LaCoCu-C surface contributes to PMS activation. This work constitutes an insightful reference for the development of catalysts based on perovskite B-site for efficient activation of PMS.

Cellular Profile of Subfornical Organ Insulin Receptors in Mice.

Brain insulin receptor signaling is strongly implicated in cardiovascular and metabolic physiological regulation. In particular, we recently demonstrated that insulin receptors within the subfornical organ (SFO) play a tonic role in cardiovascular and metabolic regulation in mice. The SFO is a forebrain sensory circumventricular organ that regulates cardiometabolic homeostasis due to its direct exposure to the circulation and thus its ability to sense circulating factors, such as insulin. Previous work has demonstrated broad distribution of insulin receptor-expressing cells throughout the entire SFO, indirectly indicating insulin receptor expression in multiple cell types. Based on this, we sought to determine the cellular phenotypes that express insulin receptors within the SFO by combining immunohistochemistry with genetically modified reporter mouse models. Interestingly, SFO neurons, including both excitatory and inhibitory types, were the dominant cell site for insulin receptor expression, although a weak degree of insulin receptor expression was also detected in astrocytes. Moreover, SFO angiotensin type 1a receptor neurons also expressed insulin receptors. Collectively, these anatomical findings indicate the existence of potentially complex cellular networks within the SFO through which insulin signaling can influence physiology and further point to the SFO as a possible brain site for crosstalk between angiotensin-II and insulin.

Hierarchically Ordered Pore Engineering of Carbon Supports with High-Density Edge-Type Single-Atom Sites to Boost Electrochemical CO2 Reduction.

Metal sites at the edge of the carbon matrix possess unique geometric and electronic structures, exhibiting higher intrinsic activity than in-plane sites. However, creating single-atom catalysts with high-density edge sites remains challenging. Herein, the hierarchically ordered pore engineering of metal-organic framework-based materials to construct high-density edge-type single-atomic Ni sites for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is reported. The created ordered macroporous structure can expose enriched edges, further increased by hollowing the pore walls, which overcomes the low edge percentage in the traditional microporous substrates. The prepared single-atomic Ni sites on the ordered macroporous carbon with ultra-thin hollow walls (Ni/H-OMC) exhibit Faraday efficiencies of CO above 90% in an ultra-wide potential window of 600mV and a turnover frequency of 3.4×104h-1, much superior than that of the microporous material with dominant plane-type sites. Theory calculations reveal that NiN4 sites at the edges have a significantly disrupted charge distribution, forming electron-rich Ni centers with enhanced adsorption ability with *COOH, thereby boosting CO2RR efficiency. Furthermore, a Zn-CO2 battery using the Ni/H-OMC cathode shows an unprecedentedly high power density of 15.9mW cm-2 and maintains an exceptionally stable charge-discharge performance over 100h.

Mechanisms and valorization of selective adsorption of Sb(III) by amino-functionalized lignin-based porous biochar

Antimony contamination in aquatic environment raises tremendous concerns for human health and ecosystem safety, while there is a lack of methods for efficient and selective adsorption of antimony. In this study, an adsorbent for trivalent antimony (Sb(III)) removal is obtained by cross-linking polyethyleneimine (PEI) onto phosphoric acid-modified lignin-based porous biochar (PPLB). PPLB exhibits efficient adsorption of Sb(III) with a maximum value of 371.7 mg/g, which is also highly selective as the Sb(III) removal capability by PPLB remains unaffected under the common co-existing anions (Cl-, NO3–, PO43-, and CO32–) and less affected with the co-existing cations (Cd2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Pb2+). Such a performance is validated in three simulated Sb(III)-contaminated water bodies (Zijiang River water, industrial wastewater, and mining area water). Understanding of the adsorption mechanisms is further established via density functional theory calculations, revealing the dominant adsorption site of Sb(III) on PPLB is –NH- groups. It’s finally concluded that the removal of Sb(III) by PPLB is governed by complexation, with also the contribution from ligand exchange and hydrogen bonding. As a proof of concept, the spent PPLB adsorbed with Sb(III) is valorized into an active material of sodium ion battery, demonstrating a specific capacity of 192.4 mA h/g for 1000 cycles with a good long-term stability.

Influence of TiC particle size on microstructural evolution and fracture mechanism of TiC/Al-Cu composites

Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and molecular dynamics simulations, this work investigated the microstructure, texture evolution, strengthening mechanisms, and fracture progression of TiC/Al-Cu composites with various particle sizes following hot extrusion and heat treatment. TiC particles significantly refine grain sizes, shifting the dominant coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundaries from Σ5 to Σ3. The addition of TiC particles alters the preferred grain orientation from (111)/ED to (001)/ED, and modifies the type and intensity of the texture. The primary strengthening mechanisms attributed to TiC include grain boundary strengthening, dislocation strengthening, Orowan strengthening, and load transfer strengthening. However, the strong tendency of smaller TiC particles to agglomerate substantially diminishes these strengthening effects; thus, under a TiC addition of 0.5 wt%, larger TiC particles exhibit better mechanical properties. Fractographic analysis and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that microcracks originate from dissociation at the interfaces between the TiC agglomerates and the Al matrix. The subsequent propagation, expansion, and interconnection of multiple crack initiation sites lead to the formation of macroscopic cracks that result in material failure.

Colonized Body Of Women In Ahmad Tohari’s Novel The Dancer

This study aims to analyze how the female body is colonized in Ahmad Tohari's novel "The Dancer." The novel portrays the lives of women in Javanese culture, shaped by colonialism and patriarchy, and illustrates how the female body becomes a site of domination, control, and exploitation. Utilizing a postcolonial feminist perspective, this research examines the experiences of physical, psychological, and social oppression faced by the female characters in the novel and their responses to various forms of colonization of their bodies. The findings reveal that through narrative and characterization, Ahmad Tohari explores the complexities of female identity influenced by colonial history and patriarchal structures. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the female body as a battleground between dominant forces and women's resistance against various forms of oppression. Thus, this study contributes to the broader discourse on gender and colonialism studies in Indonesian literature.

Childism and minority cultures in school

While inequality between children and adults characterizes practically every aspect of contemporary society, school is considered a paradigmatic site of adult domination. Childist critiques tend to point to school as a place where adultism is not only conspicuous but also (re)produced. In this article, however, it is argued that the public school, obviously founded by adults for adult purposes, has an important childist dimension. Although it is based on a clear distinction between adult teachers and child students, school can problematize key adultist norms and promote a more age-equal society. This does not imply that exiting schools are necessarily childist, but rather that a certain understanding of the school, which emphasizes its social-democratic significance, can uncover its childist aspects and build on them when reimagining public education. The conception of the school in which the article focuses is presented in Jan Masschelein and Maarten Simons’ 2013 book In Defence of the School: A Public Issue. Although the authors do not refer directly to childism (or child equality), and are clearly writing from an adultist perspective, I argue that the public school they describe does have a childist dimension: it challenges one of the root causes of adultism: considering children the property of their parents. Nevertheless, Masschelein and Simons’ conception of the school raises a problem of its own, which also has a childist aspect: the concern that uniform schooling supervised by the state will be detrimental to minority and indigenous groups, imposing a culture and identity determined by adults. The second part of this article addresses this concern, arguing that genuine school education can be key not only to preserving but also to revitalizing minority cultures and identities by allowing the students to bring their “newness” into the encounter with the cultures and identities of their families.

Activation of Peroxymonosulfate by Fe, O Co-Embedded Biochar for the Degradation of Tetracycline: Performance and Mechanisms

In recent years, pollution stemming from pharmaceuticals has garnered widespread global concern, which exacerbates the ecological risk to both surface and groundwater. In the current study, Fe and O co-embedded biochar (Fe-O-BC) was synthesized through a one-step pyrolysis procedure with corncob serving as the feedstock. The fabricated Fe-O-BC catalysts were characterized by various techniques and were employed for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade tetracycline (TC). TC was rapidly degraded within 40 min, with a degradation rate of 0.1225 min−1, which was much higher than those for O-BC/PMS (0.0228 min−1) and Fe-BC/PMS (0.0271 min−1) under the same conditions. The effects of PMS dosage, Fe-O-BC dose, initial pH value and coexisting anions for TC degradation were investigated. Finally, the mechanism of TC oxidation in the catalytic system was implored through experiments of determining the active sites and radical scavenging experiments. The C-O-Fe bond in the catalyst was confirmed to be the dominant active sites accelerating TC degradation. Free diffused HO•, the surface-bound HO• and SO4•− and O2•−participated in the reaction and absorbed SO4•−, and HO• predominantly contributed to TC degradation. This study provides an efficient and green alternative for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment by Fe and O co-doped catalyst-induced heterogeneous process.

Achieving Efficient Oxygen Evolution on High-Entropy Sulfide Utilizing Low Electronegativity of Al.

Efficient and stable catalysts are in high demand for accelerating the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a high-entropy sulfide (HES) of (FeCoNiCrCuAl)S@HCS with a 3Dstructure is successfully prepared by utilizing a simple one-step solvothermal method and employed as catalyst toward OER. The lower electronegativity of Al compared to the other metal elements and its anti-corrosion character enable an outstanding OER performance of (FeCoNiCrCuAl)S@HCS with an overpotential of 253mV at 10mA cm-2 and an excellent durability after 20000 CV cycles, outperforming the commercial RuO2 and most reported metal-sulfide catalysts. Experiments coupled with theoretical calculations reveal that Al atom primarily serves as electron donor and promotes a redistribution of local electrons from Co and Cr toward adjacent Fe, Ni, and Cu sites. As a result, the Cr-Al site possesses a lowest energy barrier during the rate-determining step and works as the dominant active site for OER process. This study provides a novel insight and strategy into structural design and performance enhancement for HES materials.

Molecular Simulation of NaF Chemisorption on Lepidocrocite for Water Purification

NaF chemisorption onto lepidocrocite (LEP) was examined by experimental, molecular dynamics and DFT approach. DFT theoretical calculations suggest that the Fe and O atoms (OH species, for that matter) are the dominant active sites for the subsequent reaction on the LEP (0 0 1) surfaces. The adsorption of F onto LEP was relatively more favorable in acidic media compared to basic and neutral media and validated by experimental findings. The NaF adsorption sites vary in different media. The preferential adsorption of F onto LEP surfaces in acidic media was because of stable and strong interaction and/or thermodynamic stability between F adsorbate and the surface Fe and O atoms of LEP substrate.

The spleen assumes a major role in blood glucose regulation in type 1 diabetes patients treated with BCG

The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, which has been used for > 100 years to prevent tuberculosis, is well-established for bladder cancer treatment, and under study for neurological and autoimmune diseases. In patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), BCG vaccinations have been shown in randomized clinical trials to gradually lower blood sugar to near normal levels. This effect appears to be driven by a BCG-induced shift in lymphoid cells’ glucose metabolism from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis. The latter is a state of high glucose utilization that draws more glucose from the blood. Apart from blood, it is unknown whether BCG establishes residence in any organs and alters their glucose metabolism. In this two-year-long clinical trial in type 1 diabetics, we use positron emission tomography (PET) and x-ray computed tomography (CT) to map organs that increase their uptake of the glucose analogue 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) before versus after BCG vaccinations. We also injected BALB/c mice with BCG to test for the presence of BCG in various organs. Results from both studies point to the spleen as the dominant site for glucose uptake and BCG residence. The human spleen is significant because its 47% increase in 18F-FDG uptake by a large population of lymphocytes and monocytes might help to explain BCG’s systemic lowering of blood glucose to near normal levels. Findings suggest that the spleen, triggered by BCG, assumes a critical role in systemic glucose regulation in the absence of a functional pancreas.