Search Results (895)

Introduction: Radiotracer-based nuclear imaging, including positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), can complement conventional cross-sectional imaging in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by providing biological characterisation of tumour metabolism, angiogenesis, hypoxia, and the tumour microenvironment. While computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remain the diagnostic standard, accumulating evidence suggests that selected nuclear imaging techniques may offer incremental value in specific clinical scenarios. Methods: A narrative literature review was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to identify preclinical, retrospective, and prospective studies evaluating PET and SPECT radiotracers in localised and metastatic RCC. Priority was given to meta-analyses, multicentre prospective trials, and studies with histopathological correlation. Results: [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT demonstrates limited sensitivity for primary renal tumours (pooled sensitivity of approximately 60%) but performs substantially better in metastatic and recurrent disease (pooled sensitivity and specificity of approximately 85–90%), where uptake correlates with tumour grade, progression-free survival, and overall survival. [^99mTc]sestamibi SPECT/CT differentiates oncocytoma and hybrid oncocytic/chromophobe tumours from malignant RCC with pooled sensitivity and specificity of around 85–90%, supporting its role in evaluating indeterminate renal masses rather than staging. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT shows high detection rates in clear-cell RCC, particularly in metastatic disease, with reported sensitivities of approximately 85–90% and management changes in up to 40–50% of selected cohorts. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX)-targeted PET/CT enables the biologically specific visualisation of clear-cell RCC, achieving sensitivities and specificities in the range of 85–90% in prospective phase II and III trials for primary tumour characterisation. Fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT demonstrates high tumour-to-background uptake in early RCC studies, but evidence remains preliminary, with small cohorts and recognised non-specific uptake in benign inflammatory and fibrotic conditions. Conclusions: Radiotracer-based nuclear imaging provides complementary, biology-driven insights in RCC that extend beyond anatomical assessment. While most modalities remain adjunctive or investigational and are not recommended for routine use, selective application in carefully chosen clinical scenarios may enhance tumour characterisation, prognostication, and personalised treatment planning. Full article

Polysulfone (PSU) membranes are widely recognized for their thermal stability, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance, making them suitable for diverse separation applications. This review highlights recent advances in PSU membrane development, focusing on fabrication techniques, structural modifications, and emerging applications. Phase inversion remains the predominant method for membrane synthesis, allowing precise control over morphology and performance. Functional enhancements through blending, chemical grafting, and incorporation of nanomaterials—such as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), carbon nanotubes, and zwitterionic polymers—have significantly improved gas separation, and water purification., In gas separation, PSU-based mixed matrix membranes demonstrate enhanced CO₂/CH₄ selectivity, particularly when integrated with MOFs like ZIF-7 and ZIF-8. In water treatment, PSU membranes effectively remove algal toxins and heavy metals, with surface modifications improving hydrophilicity and antifouling properties. Despite these advancements, challenges remain in optimizing cross-linking strategies and understanding structure–property relationships. This review provides a comprehensive overview of PSU membrane technologies and outlines future directions for their development in sustainable and high-performance separation systems. Full article

Developing cost-effective and durable electrocatalysts is essential for advancing anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). This work evaluates Pd-based catalysts supported on β-MnO₂, Vulcan carbon (C), and their physical blend (Pd/MnO₂:Pd/C) as bifunctional electrodes for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). The catalysts were synthesized via chemical reduction and characterized by TGA, ICP-OES, TEM, BET, and XRD. Rotating disk electrode studies revealed that the hybrid exhibited superior activity and kinetics, with lower Tafel slopes and higher exchange current densities compared to the individual supports. In AEMFCs, the hybrid reached 128.0 mW cm⁻² as a cathode and 221.7 mW cm⁻² as an anode, outperforming individual components. This enhanced performance arises from the synergistic interaction between Pd nanoparticles and MnO₂, where MnO₂ modulates the catalyst’s microstructure and local reaction environment while the carbon phase ensures efficient electron transport. MnO₂, although inactive for the HOR alone, acted as a structural spacer, enhancing mass transport and stability. Durability tests confirmed that the hybrid electrocatalyst retained over 99% of its initial activity after 3000 cycles. These results highlight the hybrid Pd/MnO₂:Pd/C as a promising, bifunctional, and durable electrocatalyst for AEMFC applications. Full article

As a critical component of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs), the catalytic layer (CL) significantly influences the overall performance of these systems. In this study, a pore-scale lattice Boltzmann (LB) model was established to simulate the multi-component mass transport in the HT-PEMFC catalyst layer. Based on the reconstruction of CL, the transport behavior of phosphoric acid was simulated. The effects of different carbon carrier diameters, porosity values, and Pt/C mass ratios on the transport of phosphoric acid in CL were studied. The distribution of phosphoric acid and air concentration, as well as the electrochemical surface area, was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Finally, the optimal design parameters of CL structure were determined. The results show that, with increases in carbon carrier diameter, porosity, and Pt/C mass ratio, the distribution of phosphoric acid concentration shows an upward trend, and the distribution of air concentration shows a downward trend. The optimal ranges of carbon carrier diameter, porosity, and Pt/C mass ratio are 50–80 nm, 60–70%, and 40–50%, respectively. This study provides a new idea for further understanding the mass transport mechanism in the HT-PEMFC catalyst layer and provides effective suggestions for the optimization design of the HT-PEMFC catalyst layer structure. Full article

This work reports on the synthesis and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of two novel homologous sulfonyl-containing norbornene dicarboximide monomers, specifically, N-4-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)phenyl-norbornene-5,6-dicarboximide (1a) and N-4-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)phenyl-7-oxanorbornene-5,6-dicarboximide (1b) using the Grubbs 2nd generation catalyst (I). The polymers are thoroughly characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermomechanical analysis (TMA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), among other techniques. A comparative study of gas transport in membranes based on these ROMP-prepared polymers is performed and the gases studied are hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, ethylene and propylene. It is found that the presence of sulfonyl pendant groups in the polymer backbone increases the gas permselectivity in slight detriment of the gas permeability compared to a polynorbornene dicarboximide lacking sulfonyl groups. The membrane of the sulfonyl-containing polymer with an oxygen heteroatom in the cyclopentane ring, 2b, is also found to have one of the largest permselectivity coefficients reported to date for the separation of H₂/C₃H₆ in glassy polynorbornene dicarboximides. Full article

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is one of the world’s most important food crops, with tuber sink strength and starch deposition determining yield, quality, and processing performance. While starch is the dominant carbohydrate reserve, its accumulation is tightly linked with protein metabolism. Patatin, the major soluble storage protein, constitutes up to 40% of total tuber protein. In addition to serving as a nitrogen and carbon reserve, patatin exhibits lipid acyl hydrolase (phospholipase A₂-like) activity, suggesting roles in membrane remodeling and stress signaling. This dual identity places patatin at the intersection of storage, metabolic regulation, and defense. A structured review of studies published between 1980 and 2025 was developed using PubMed, Web of Science, Frontiers, and MDPI databases. Prioritized research included molecular, physiological, and multi-omics analyses of patatin expression, regulation, and function under optimal and stress conditions. Evidence indicates that patatin contributes to carbon–nitrogen balance and sink strength by affecting sucrose import, vacuolar osmotic capacity, and starch biosynthesis. Under drought, salinity, and pathogen stress, patatin transcript levels, protein stability, and enzymatic activity shift, leading to reduced starch deposition, altered sugar accumulation, osmoprotection, and reallocation toward defense responses. Despite these insights, major knowledge gaps remain. These include isoform-specific roles, integration into sugar–hormone regulatory networks, and field-scale responses under fluctuating environments. Future progress will require integrated multi-omics, fluxomics, and proximity-labeling approaches, combined with CRISPR-based isoform editing and promoter engineering. Targeting patatin as both a biomarker and an engineering node offers opportunities to develop climate-ready potato cultivars with improved starch yield, tuber quality, and stress resilience. Full article

Choline is a central metabolite that connects membrane turnover, neurotransmission, and one-carbon metabolism, and its reliable measurement across diverse biological matrices remains a significant analytical challenge. This review brings together biological context, electrochemical mechanisms, and device engineering to define realistic performance targets for choline sensors in blood, cerebrospinal fluid, extracellular space, and milk. We examine enzymatic sensor architectures ranging from peroxide-based detection to mediated electron transfer via ferrocene derivatives, quinones, and osmium redox polymers and assess how applied potential, oxygen availability, and film structure shape electron-transfer pathways. Evidence for direct electron transfer with choline oxidase is critically evaluated, with emphasis on the essential controls needed to distinguish true flavin-based communication from peroxide-related artefacts. We also examine bienzymatic formats that allow operation at low or negative bias and discuss strategies for matrix-matched validation, selectivity, drift control, and resistance to fouling. To support reliable translation, we outline reporting standards that include matrix-specific concentration ranges, reference electrode notation, mediator characteristics, selectivity panels, and access to raw electrochemical traces. By connecting biological requirements to mechanistic pathways and practical design considerations, this review provides a coherent framework for developing choline sensors that deliver stable, reproducible performance in real samples. Full article

This research focuses on developing and optimizing mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by incorporating graphene oxide (GO) into a polysulfone (PSF) matrix to enhance the separation performance of CO₂ and CH₄. The morphology and gas separation performance of the MMMs were systematically characterized. The incorporation of GO enhanced gas permeation and CO₂/CH₄ selectivity, as evaluated using a gas permeation setup. Notably, the PSF/GO-0.3 wt.% membrane exhibited superior performance, achieving a CO₂ permeability of 21.63 Barrer, among the highest reported for PSF-based MMMs. Additionally, the membrane demonstrated a CO₂/CH₄ selectivity of 14.32, highlighting its effectiveness in distinguishing between the two gases, which is essential for carbon capture and natural gas decontamination applications. The uniform distribution of GO within the polymer matrix contributed to the membrane’s enhanced performance. Furthermore, the MMMs exhibited outstanding resistance to CO₂ plasticization, with the PSF/GO-0.3 wt.% membrane maintaining its performance at pressures up to 10 bar, a significant improvement over the pristine PSF membrane, which failed at 4 bar. The improved plasticization resistance is ascribed to the reinforcing effect of GO, which stabilizes the polymer matrix, minimizing CO₂-induced swelling. The PSF/GO-0.3 wt.% membrane exhibited exceptional CO₂ permeability, selectivity, and plasticization resistance, making it a viable alternative for industrial gas separation applications and outperforming previously reported PSF-based MMMs. Full article

Today, reducing carbon footprints requires the development of technologies to utilize CO₂, particularly by converting it into valuable chemical products. One approach is plasma-catalytic CO₂ splitting into CO and O₂. The task of separating such a ternary mixture is nontrivial and requires the development of an efficient method. In this paper, we have developed a comprehensive scheme for the separation of a CO₂/CO/O₂ mixture using membrane technology. The novelty of this work lies in the development of a complete scheme for separating the products of plasma-chemical decomposition of CO₂ to produce a CO concentrate. The calculations utilized the principle of a reasonable balance between the recovery rate and the energy consumption of the separation process. This scheme allows production of a CO stream with a purity of 99%. To achieve this goal, we have proposed the sequential use of CO₂-selective membranes based on polysiloxane with oligoethyleneoxide side groups (M-PEG), followed by polysulfone (PSF) hollow-fiber membranes to separate CO and O₂. For these membranes, we measured the CO permeability for the first time and obtained the selectivity for CO₂/CO and O₂/CO. The potential of membrane separation was demonstrated through a three-stage process, which includes recycling of the CO removal stream and concentration after CO₂ plasmolysis. This process was calculated to yield a highly pure CO stream containing 99 mol% with a recovery rate of 47.9–69.4%. The specific energy consumption for the separation process was 30.31–0.83 kWh per 1 m³ of feed mixture, and the required membrane area was between 0.1 m² for M-PEG and 42.5–107 m² for PSF, respectively. Full article

Solanum lycopersicum plants were grown in pots amended with biochar and PGPMs (plant growth-promoting microorganisms: Pseudomonas fluorescens and Azotobacter chroococcum), applied singularly and in combination, for three months, after which plants and soils were collected, divided into treatment groups based on organs, and analyzed. The following biochemical markers were studied: cellular respiration, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh weight, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids), membrane lipid peroxidation, proline content, total antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS assay), hydrogen peroxide, ascorbic acid, total phenolic content, enzymatic activity (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX), total soluble sugar content, and total protein content. Also, soil parameters, such as pH, EC, total enzymatic activity, active carbon, and respiration, were measured. While biochar alone induced root H₂O₂ accumulation, its co-application with PGPMs turned this signal into a systemic trigger for defense, enhancing the antioxidant capacity and the production of proline, phenolics, and ascorbic acid without causing oxidative damage. At the soil level, microorganisms counteracted biochar’s inhibitory effects on enzymatic activity and intensified labile carbon use, indicating a more dynamic rhizosphere. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the combined treatment remodulated the plant–soil system, converting a stress factor into a resilience enhancer. This synergy underscores the role of biochar as an effective microbial carrier and PGPM consortia as bioactivators, together providing a powerful tool to prime crops against climate stress while preserving soil health. Full article

Accurate potentiometric sensing critically depends on the stability and reproducibility of the reference electrode potential. Conventional liquid-filled Ag/AgCl or calomel electrodes, though well-established, are poorly compatible with miniaturized, portable, or long-term in situ sensing devices due to electrolyte leakage, junction potential instability, and maintenance requirements. Recent advances in solid-state and membrane-based reference electrodes offer a promising alternative by eliminating the liquid junction while maintaining stable and well-defined potential. This review summarizes the advancements in polymer-based and composite reference membranes, focusing on material strategies, stabilization mechanisms, and integration approaches. Emphasis is placed on ionic-liquid-doped membranes, conducting polymers, lipophilic salts, and carbon nanomaterials as functional components enhancing interfacial stability and charge transfer. The performances of various architectures, solid-contact, liquid-junction-free, and quasi-reference systems, are compared in terms of potential drift, matrix resistance, biocompatibility, and manufacturability. Furthermore, recent developments in printed, microfluidic, and wearable potentiometric platforms demonstrate how reference membrane innovations enable reliable operation in compact, low-cost, and flexible analytical systems. The review outlines current trends, challenges, and future directions toward universal, miniaturized, and leak-free reference electrodes suitable for innovative sensing technologies. Full article

Lithium has emerged as a critical energy metal due to its indispensable role in batteries, aerospace applications, new energy vehicles, and large-scale energy storage systems. The accelerated growth of electric mobility and renewable energy storage has led to a substantial increase in lithium demand, thereby exacerbating the prevailing global supply–demand imbalance. To address this challenge, it is imperative to diversify lithium resources and to advance extraction technologies that are both efficient and sustainable. In comparison with conventional hard-rock deposits, liquid resources such as salt lake brines, oilfield brines, and deep-well brines are gaining attention owing to their broad distribution, abundant reserves, and advantages of reduced land use, lower water consumption, and lower carbon emissions. This work presents a critical review of current lithium recovery strategies from brines, including precipitation, solvent extraction, adsorption, nanofiltration/electrodialysis, and electrochemical methods. Each approach is critically evaluated in terms of Li/Mg selectivity, extraction efficiency, operational stability, and environmental compatibility. Precipitation processes offer simplicity but suffer from low Li recovery and high chemical consumption; solvent extraction achieves high selectivity but faces phase and reagent loss; adsorption using Mn-based sieves yields high capacity with good regeneration stability, whereas membrane and electrochemical systems enable continuous lithium recovery with reduced energy input. Distinct advantages and existing gaps are systematically summarized to provide quantitative insights into performance trade-offs among these pathways. Key findings highlight that organophosphorus–FeCl₃ systems and Mn-based lithium-ion sieves show the best trade-off between selectivity and regeneration stability, whereas emerging membrane–electrochemical hybrids demonstrate promise for low-energy, continuous lithium recovery. The prospects for future development highlight highly selective functional materials, integrated multi-technology processes, and greener, low-energy extraction pathways. Full article

This study explores how research on carbon capture technologies (CCTs) has developed over time and shows how semantic text mining can improve the analysis of technology trajectories. Although CCTs are widely viewed as essential for net-zero transitions, the literature is still scattered across many subthemes, and links between engineering advances, infrastructure deployment, and policy design are often weak. Methods that rely mainly on citations or keyword frequencies tend to overlook contextual meaning and the subtle diffusion of ideas across these strands, making it difficult to reconstruct clear developmental pathways. To address this problem, we ask the following: How do CCT topics change over time? What evolutionary mechanisms drive these transitions? And which themes act as bridges between technical lineages? We first build a curated corpus using a PRISMA-based screening process. We then apply BERTopic, integrating Sentence-BERT embeddings with UMAP, HDBSCAN, and class-based TF-IDF, to identify and label coherent semantic topics. Topic evolution is modeled through a PCC-weighted, top-K filtered network, where cross-year connections are categorized as inheritance, convergence, differentiation, or extinction. These patterns are further interpreted with a Fish-Scale Multiscience mapping to clarify underlying theoretical and disciplinary lineages. Our results point to a two-stage trajectory: an early formation phase followed by a period of rapid expansion. Long-standing research lines persist in amine absorption, membrane separation, and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), while direct air capture emerges later and becomes increasingly stable. Across the full period, five evolutionary mechanisms operate in parallel. We also find that techno-economic assessment, life-cycle and carbon accounting, and regulation–infrastructure coordination serve as key “weak-tie” bridges that connect otherwise separated subfields. Overall, the study reconstructs the core–periphery structure and maturity of CCT research and demonstrates that combining semantic topic modeling with theory-aware mapping complements strong-tie bibliometric approaches and offers a clearer, more transferable framework for understanding technology evolution. Full article

Plant cell wall polysaccharides (PCWPs) serve as an abundant but recalcitrant carbon source for many microbes living in the gut of humans and animals. An adhesion to PCWPs is common in gut bacteria and can even be observed in the lactobacilli, which are supposed to promote the growth competence of these non-PCWP degraders because of the facilitated acquisition of newly released oligosaccharides. Nevertheless, the binding of molecules of lactobacilli to PCWPs and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. By analyzing the transcriptome of Lactobacillus brevis grown in xylan supplemented with a xylanase, a gene was identified to encode a putative S-layer PCWP-binding protein (Lb1145). Lb1145 was predicted to have four domains, among which domains 1 and 2 were responsible for binding PCWPs. The binding was nonspecific, since structurally distinct PCWPs, e.g., cellulose, xylan, mannan, and chitin, and even lignin, were all bound by Lb1145. Both of the two N-terminal domains have a high pI, and we demonstrated that a non-enzymatic glycosylation-like process plays an important role in binding. Compared with another L. brevis surface protein, i.e., the WxL protein Lb630, Lb1145 displayed a binding preference for the phloem sieve tube in the wheat stem section. Moreover, Lb1145 could bind ten strains within the Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Pediococcus, and Bacillus genera among the seventeen selected gut bacterial species. An analysis of the reported S-layer proteins from the Gram-positive bacteria (lactobacilli and bifidobacteria) and outer membrane proteins from the Gram-negative (Bacteroides fragilis and Prevotella intermedia) indicated that bacterial cell surface proteins with high pI values are not rare. The high pI-based and non-enzymatic glycosylation-like process-mediated binding represents a new paradigm and may be popular in gut bacterial surface proteins binding to PCWPs, with important physiological implications in growth competition in the gut microbiota. Full article

To achieve carbon neutrality goals, offshore wind power combined with a hydrogen energy storage system (OWP-HESS) is critical for integrating intermittent renewables. This study applied a “cradle-to-grave” process-based life cycle assessment (PLCA) to evaluate a 77.4 MW offshore wind farm coupled with a 45.0 MW electrolysis cell system, covering manufacture, transportation, construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning phases. It focuses on two hydrogen production routes, alkaline electrolysis (AEL) and proton exchange membrane (PEM), and covers 12 environmental indicators. Moreover, considering optimal economic efficiency, to adapt to the characteristic of “electricity–hydrogen cogeneration”, as well as to facilitate reflecting the efficiency differences between the two electrolysis technologies, the functional unit is defined as “0.4 kWh green electricity + corresponding green hydrogen”. Results show that offshore wind’s environmental impacts mainly come from manufacture (79.00%, driven by concrete/steel), while hydrogen storage impacts focus on operation/maintenance (66.03% for AEL and 96.61% for PEM, driven by electricity). PEM’s green hydrogen global warming potential (GWP) (0.96 kg CO₂-eq/kg) is much lower than AEL’s (1.81 kg CO₂-eq/kg) and China’s fossil-based hydrogen (≈40 kg CO₂-eq/kg). With an initial system lifespan of 25 years, a wind farm capacity factor of 41.30%, and a hydrogen production efficiency of 68.72% (AEL) and 69.89% (PEM), extending system lifespan by 5 years, raising wind farm capacity factor to 43%, and enhancing hydrogen production efficiency to 71% reduce emissions by 16.67%, 4.00%, and 2.16%, respectively. This study clarifies OWP-HESS’s environmental characteristics, confirms PEM’s low-carbon advantage, and provides support for its sustainable development. Full article