Pretreatment of biomass with phosphoric acid (HPO) for biochar production was expected to improve carbon (C) retention, porosity structure, and the sorption ability of biochar. This study investigated the interaction of phosphorus with the C structure to elucidate the mechanisms by which HPO simultaneously captured C and created micropores. Sawdust was soaked in diluted HPO and dried for pyrolytic biochar generation at 350, 500, and 650°C. Results showed that HPO pretreatment resulted in 70 to 80% of biomass C retention in biochar, compared with only about 50% remaining without pretreatment. The specific surface area and total pore volume of the HPO-pretreated biochar were 930 m g and 0.558 cm g, respectively, compared with <51.0 m g and 0.046 cm g in the untreated biochar. The volume of micropores (<10 nm) increased from 59.0% to 78.4-81.9%. The presence of HPO shifted the decomposition temperature to a lower value and decreased the energy required for biomass decomposition. Micropore formation was via the insertion of P-O-P into the C lattice, leading to swelling and amplification of amorphous form and lattice defect of the C structure, as evidenced by Raman spectrum and small-angle X-ray scattering analysis. The crosslinking of P-O-P and C bonds resulted in greater biomass C retention in biochar. This biochar-phosphorus composite had a much higher sorption ability for Pb than the unmodified biochar, which was possibly dominated by phosphate precipitation and surface adsorption. This study provided a simple method to improve biochar properties and explored the multiple benefits of HPO in biomass pyrolysis.
Mental health disorders(MHD) in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) have been widely studied. However, the underlying role of inflammatory cytokines and their associated signaling pathways have not been investigated. Here, we report the potential role of cytokines and associated signaling pathways in CP/CPPS patients with MHD and in a CP/CPPS animal model. CP/CPPS patients (n = 810) and control subjects (n = 992) were enrolled in this case-control multicenter study, and serum cytokine levels were measured. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received multiple intracutaneous injections of an immuno-agent along with a pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus triple vaccine for autoimmune CP/CPPS development. The results revealed that, in CP/CPPS patients with significant MHD, elevated IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-13, and TNF-α serum levels were observed. The above five cytokines in CP/CPPS rats were significantly elevated in prostate tissue (p < 0.05), and IL-1β levels were elevated in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. In behavioral tests, CP/CPPS rats showed anxiety- and depression-like symptoms, and impaired spatial and associative memory performance (p < 0.05). In the CP/CPPS group, ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels were increased in the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, and decreased in the hippocampus, but not caudate nucleus. Thus, prostate-derived cytokines, especially IL-1β, cross the blood brain barrier and may lead to enhanced ERK1/2 signaling in several brain areas, possibly underlying induction of CP/CPPS-related MHD.
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