Akita University (秋田大学, Akita Daigaku) is a Japanese national university in Akita City, Japan. Established in 1949, it comprises four graduate schools and four undergraduate faculties.
Converting silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al) compounds into valuable resources is essential for promoting the sustainable utilization of fly ash from coal- and biomass-fueled power plants. Transforming Si and Al into volatile chlorides enables their application as high-value raw materials for fumed silica and catalysts. While heating pure Si and Al oxides with solid carbon in chlorine gas yields SiCl4 and AlCl3, complex minerals in fly ash, such as quartz and mullite, exhibit distinct reactivities. This study investigated the effects of reaction temperature and time on Si and Al release by treating bituminous coal fly ash mixed with solid carbon under chlorine gas flow. Significant Si and Al volatilization occurred at 1000 °C, yielding high recovery proportions of 83 % for Al and 99 % for Si in the gas cooling and condensation zones. Additionally, calcium-rich fly ashes derived from sub-bituminous coal and woody biomass were evaluated as phosphate recovery materials. The volatilization of Si and Al elevated Ca concentrations in the residue up to 29.8 % and 38.7 % as CaO, respectively, thereby enhancing overall phosphate capture capacities. The resulting chlorinated residues achieved efficient removal performance with high equilibrium capture capacities (qe = 36.2 and 42.4 mg-P/g for sub-bituminous coal and woody biomass ash residues, respectively). Mechanistically, structural and extraction analyses confirm that calcium compounds in the residues immobilize phosphate primarily as CaHPO4 via a coupled surface adsorption and localized precipitation process.
A thermochromic temperature-indicating hydrogel (TI gel) that changes color in response to external temperature was developed using a thermo-responsive copolymer of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (P(NI-AC)), methyl red–methylene blue as a pH indicator, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and borax. The mechanical strength, thermal stability, and color-change temperature of the hydrogels were evaluated. The mechanical strength of the PVA-TI gels increased with increasing freezing time and the number of freeze–thaw cycles. In addition, the thermal stability of the hydrogels was significantly improved by the addition of borax. These improvements are attributed to an increase in hydrogen bonding between PVA chains during the freeze–thaw process and the formation of borate ester crosslinks between borate ions and PVA. The borax–PVA-TI gel exhibited a reversible color change from purple to green at 39°C. This color change is attributed to the shrinkage of P(NI-AC) above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST), accompanied by the recapture of H⁺ ions, which increased the internal pH of the hydrogel. Furthermore, the color-change temperature could be shifted toward lower temperatures by the addition of glucose and toward higher temperatures by the copolymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DM), enabling tuning over a desired temperature range.
Silicon (Si) is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high lithium storage capacity; however, severe volume expansion during charge-discharge cycling causes electrode degradation and rapid capacity fading. While binders are essential for maintaining electrode integrity, high-performance binders are often costly, complex to process, and dependent on organic solvents. Aqueous binders derived from natural polymers therefore represent attractive alternatives in terms of cost, sustainability, and environmental compatibility. Although chemically modified lignin binders are promising for Si electrodes, previous studies have only suggested the existence of two distinct thermal treatment approaches-low- and high-temperature processing-and no study has systematically compared these two methods. Herein, we report a modified kenaf-derived lignin copolymerized with polyacrylamide (KL-PAM) as an aqueous binder for Si electrodes and systematically investigate the effect of thermal treatment temperature on its stabilization mechanisms. Low-temperature-treated KL-PAM electrodes at 200 degrees C accommodated Si volume expansion through binder flexibility and adhesion, whereas high-temperature-treated electrodes were stabilized by carbonization-induced hardening of KL-PAM, which also enhanced electronic conductivity. As a result, high-temperature-treated electrodes at 600 degrees C exhibited superior rate capability, while capacity retention was comparable between the two regimes. Intermediate-temperature treatment was ineffective, leading to binder failure. This study clarifies thermally controlled dual stabilization mechanisms of lignin-based binders and provides guidance for the development of sustainable binders for Si electrodes in lithium-ion batteries.
Background IL-33 levels are elevated in the airways of patients with eosinophilic diseases, and IL-33 receptor expression on eosinophils is upregulated in type 2-high environments. However, the role of IL-33 in the regulation of human eosinophils remains unclear.Objective To elucidate the inflammatory effects of IL-33 on the cellular function of human eosinophils.Methods Blood eosinophils were stimulated with IL-33, TNF-alpha, oxidised low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and complement fragments (C3a and C5a). Multi-omics analyses, including transcriptomics and proteomics, were performed. Extracellular trap formation (ETosis) was assessed by SYTOX nucleic acid staining and was visualised by immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy.Results Multi-omics analyses revealed an IL-33- and TNF-alpha-induced inflammatory gene signature characterised by the upregulation of cell surface markers (oxLDL receptor 1, CD22, CD4 and ICAM-1) and inflammatory mediators (C3, CCL3/4 and IL1A/B). CD22 upregulation was specific to IL-33 stimulation. Eosinophils derived from nasal polyps exhibited a gene expression profile similar to that of IL-33-stimulated eosinophils. Functional assays demonstrated that oxLDL and complement fragments differentially prolonged eosinophil survival and altered the expression of adhesion molecules. OxLDL- and complement fragment-induced gene signatures were partly detected in eosinophils derived from nasal polyps. Furthermore, IL-33 triggered ETosis via NADPH oxidase, mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathways.Conclusions IL-33, in conjunction with oxLDL and the complement cascade, induces inflammatory changes in eosinophils, promoting an ETosis-prone phenotype. These pathways represent potential therapeutic targets in refractory eosinophilic diseases.
Aims Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma/high-grade B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL/HGBCL) with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements (double-hit lymphoma with BCL2, DHL-BCL2) is a mature aggressive B-cell lymphoma that also includes concurrent triple hit with BCL6 translocation (TH). DHL with MYC and BCL6 (DH-BCL6) can also occur. The differences among these three DLBCL/HGBCL subtypes have not yet been definitively determined.Methods and Results This study characterized the clinicopathological features and transcriptomic profiles of a series of 101 cases of DLBCL/HGBCL that were subclassified according to MYC, BCL2 and BCL6 FISH data, including cell-of-origin (COO)-like, molecular high-grade (MHG)-like and double-hit/dark-zone (DHIT/DZsig)-like signatures. DLBCL/HGBCL-DH-BCL2 was characterized by higher HGBCL morphology, CD10 positivity, GCB Hans's, GCB COO and MHG molecular subtype. DLBCL/HGBCL-TH had higher LDH levels and worse overall survival. DLBCL/HGBCL-DH-BCL6 had higher MUM1 expression, non-GCB Hans', ABC/Unclassified COO, non-MHG and low DHIT/DZ signatures. Transcriptomic analysis showed that DLBCL/HGBCL-DH-BCL2 and DLBCL/HGBCL-TH were close but separated from DLBCL/HGBCL-DH-BCL6. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed different levels of enrichment between the subtypes.Conclusions DLBCL/HGBCL-DH-BCL6 differs from the DLBCL/HGBCL-DH-BCL2, and the DLBCL/HGBCL-TH is associated with the worst survival. Analysis of all three genes of MYC, BCL2 and BCL6 is recommended in the context of DLBCL/HGBCL diagnosis.
