P < 0.01). Cohorts with steers were associated with a greater probability of at least one NIHD death (2.38%) compared with heifers . Increasing cohort size was associated with an increased probability of a cohort having at least one NIHD death (P < 0.01). The probability of a cohort having at least one NIHD death increased with increasing DOF categories from 1.51% in cattle fed 100 to 175 d, to 2.12% in cattle fed 176 to 250 d, and 2.87% for cattle fed 251 to 326 d. Cattle > 326 DOF were no different in the probability of a NIHD death compared with the other feeding categories. Timing of a NIHD death had a mean and median occurrence of 110 DOF with an interquartile range of 64 to 153 DOF. The effect of arrival weight on days at death was influenced by year placed with heavier cattle generally decreasing the model adjusted means of DOF at NIHD death. Arrival quarter was influenced by year placed on model adjusted means on the timing of a NIHD death. Steers with NIHD died later compared with heifers (P < 0.01) diagnosed with NIHD. In conclusion, multiple factors are associated with the probability and timing of a NIHD death. Probability of having at least one NIHD death within a cohort was low, and half of the deaths occurred before 110 DOF.Heart disease, specifically congestive heart failure, has become of increased interest to geneticists and cattle feeders. Data on cohort associations of risk factors related to heart disease and when heart disease deaths occur in U.S. feedlot cattle are limited. The study objectives were to 1) determine potential associations between feedlot cohort demographics and the risk of at least one noninfectious heart disease (NIHD) death occurrence and 2) determine potential association between feedlot cohort demographics and the timing of NIHD deaths during the feeding phase. Data were downloaded from commercial feedyard software and analyzed by constructing a generalized linear mixed model for both analyses. A binomial and Gaussian distributions for risk of NIHD death and timing of NIHD were utilized as link functions for their respective models. Our study population consisted of 28,950 cohorts  that were placed in 22 U.S. commercial feedlots from January 01, 2016, to January 01, 2019. There were 3,282 cases of NIHD deaths from a population of 75,963 cattle that died during the 3-yr study period. Average cohort arrival weight’s effect on NIHD probability was influenced by arrival quarter and arrival year of placement ( Heart disease, specifically congestive heart failure (CHF) or right heart failure (RHF), has been investigated recently  in finisAnimal Care and Use Committee approval was not obtained for this study due to retrospective data being obtained from existing privatized databases from commercial feedyards.Data used for analysis were under a confidential agreement with participating feedyards. Cohort and individual mortality data were collected from cattle placed in 22 commercial U.S. feedyards from January 1, 2016, to January 1, 2019, located throughout the mid and southern plains. After confirming that inclusion criteria were met, a total of 4,596,205 cattle were received comprising of 28,950 cohorts and 75,963 mortalities. A cohort is defined as a group of cattle that were acquired, managed, and marketed similarly but not necessarily commingled in the same physical location (pen) for the feeding phase. Data were exported from commercial feedyard systems and subsequently imported into R  for analEnrolled cattle  were catIncluded cohorts must have completed their respective feeding phase and be considered a closed cohort. Review of the data found multiple cohorts that had cattle remaining not shipped when they logically should have been . Thus, a new variable was created “current pen size” to evaluate for cohorts being closed. The following equation was used to calculate the parameters of current pen size: (Current Pen Size = cattle received – [cattle shipped + cattle railed + cattle dead] = 0). Cattle shipped is defined as cattle who finished their feeding period and were shipped to a harvest facility. Cattle railed is defined as cattle who were removed and not finishing their respective cohorts feeding period due to health-related reasons . Data evaluation revealed that multiple cohorts remained with −1 or ≤ 7 cattle in current pen size when they should have been 0 due to shipment date and time to data download with no new entries. Thus, authors deemed data acceptable to include a current pen size range from −1 to 7 cattle as a “closed pen” to accommodate for a likely accounting error.Cohort inclusion criteria included: greater than 39 cattle were placed, cohort with current pen size at close-out of −1 to 7, and average arrival weight was greater than or equal to 182 kg and less than or equal to 545 kg. Cohorts were limited to sex listed as heifer or steer. Other options under the sex category including mixed sex, bulls, or Holstein were not included. Cohorts must have been on feed at least 100 d before shipping to harvest. For cohorts that met the inclusion criteria, a placement quarter variable was created from the arrival month of placement. The following criteria were used to create the placement quarter variable: 1 = January through March, 2 = April through June, 3 = July through September, and 4 = October through December.Individual mortality data used in this analysis were gathered from their respective feedyard health software. Multiple diagnosis categories were utilized to define specific diseases common in fed cattle. For the purpose of this paper, entered diagnoses were evaluated and condensed into five disease categories: acute/atypical interstitial pneumonia (AIP), bovine respiratory disease complex (BRD), gastrointestinal disease + bloat (GI + Bloat), NIHD, and other .Cohorts meeting the inclusion criteria had their individual mortality data analyzed for when a NIHD death occurred during the feeding phase. A new variable was created and called “event days on feed.” This was calculated by using the following formula . Individual deaths categorized for NIHD were included in the analysis. Infectious heart disease cases were removed from the heart disease category prior to analysis. P ≤ 0.05) were included. All factors of the model were found to be significant and a second model was created incorporating interactions. All possible 2-way interactions were incorporated and only significant 2-way interactions were included (P ≤ 0.05). The final risk model was created utilizing a backward elimination process (P > 0.05).A generalized linear mixed model was fit into R Studio  using th process , where an = 3,282) and their associated cohort data were exported from 19 U.S. commercial feedlots; 3 of the feedyards from the 22 used with the risk analysis reported no NIHD deaths and thus were not included in the NIHD DOF analysis. A generalized linear mixed model was fit in R Studio (P > 0.05).Individual heart disease mortalities  during the feeding phase of various diseases expressed as a percent of total cattle received. Death loss for NIHD was 0.07% or a 7 in 10,000 cattle across all 22 feedyards over the 3-yr period. This number was calculated by total NIHD deaths divided by total cattle received . There were 457 NIHD deaths in 2016 out of a population of 1,081,903 cattle accounting for 0.04% or 4 in 10,000 cattle. In 2017, NIHD accounted for 1,283 deaths out of a population of 1,637,876 cattle accounting for 0.078% or 8 in 10,000 hd of cattle. Finally, in 2018, 1,542 cattle died due to NIHD in a population of 1,876,426 cattle representing 0.08% . NIHD deaths accounted for approximately 4% of the total dead population . Variables significantly (P < 0.05) associated with the probability of having at least one NIHD death in a cohort included sex, cohort size, and cohort feeding length (DOF) and the 2-way interactions between arrival weight and arrival year, arrival weight and quarter of placement. Variables significantly (P < 0.05) associated with influencing timing of NIHD death include sex and cohort size, and the 2-way interactions between arrival year and arrival quarter, arrival year and arrival cohort average weight.The final dataset consisted of 28,950 cohorts; 11,927 cohorts were heifers and 17,027 were steers. The total cattle received during the 3-yr observational study was 4,596,205. The effect of cohort weight on the probability of a cohort having at least one NIHD death was influenced by cohort arrival quarter and year of placement. The association of arrival weight category with the risk of having a cohort with at least one NIHD death generally decreased with heavier weights influenced by arrival quarter . Cattle P < 0.01). The model estimated means probability of NIHD increased linearly with cohort size quartile from the lowest probability of 1.12% in quartile 1 to 3.82% in quartile 4. Quartile 4 was not different from quartile 1 but was different than quartiles 2 and 3 .Additionally, steer cohorts were associated with having a greater model estimated means probability of a NIHD death compared with heifers   different compared with the 100 to 175, 176 to 250, and 251 to 326 categories of DOF, respectively.The model estimated means probability of at least one NIHD death in a cohort increased with increasing DOF for cohorts from 1.51% to 2.87% for cattle fed 100 to 175 and 251 to 326 d, respectively. Model estimated means estimate probability decreased to 2.33% in cattle that were fed > 326 d, which was not (P < 0.05) associated with the DOF of NIHD death in the final model were cohort size and sex and the 2-way interactions of arrival weight and arrival year, and arrival year and arrival quarter.Variables significantly (P < 0.01).Cattle that died from NIHD died on average at 110 DOF . The medA problem with operational feedyard data is a lack of consistent standardized reporting of data across feedyards . Our retPrevious literature has described the individual risk of RHF and factors that affect risk of RHF in Canadian and U.S. feedlot cattle . BassettThe effect of arrival weight on the probability of a NIHD death was influenced by quarter of feedyard placement in our data. Average cohort placement weight had the numerically lowest model estimated probability of a NIHD death in the 182 to 227 kg groups, whereas the 273 to 318 kg average cohort placement weights had a numerically greater probability of a heart death when placed in the fourth quarter compared with other placement weights and placement quarters. Cattle placed in the second quarter had a similar probability of a NIHD death across all weight classes. Lighter-weight cattle had a similar probability of a NIHD death to cattle placed at 445 to 500 kg. P < 0.01). Steer cohorts had a greater probability of a cohort having at least one NIHD death compared with heifers  placed cattle.The results of this study indicated that multiple factors were associated with increased probability of having at least one NIHD death within a cohort. The current study’s investigation found that interactions of the studied cohort factors have a role in the biology of risk of NIHD. Additionally, the association of timing of a NIHD death was found to have a near-normal distribution throughout the feeding period with half of the deaths occurring before 110 d. Overall, the risk associated with NIHD was very low in the current study, and several factors were found to be associated with the probability of at least one NIHD death within a cohort. However, the probability of a cohort having at least one NIHD death was relatively minimal.Even at a low prevalence, heart disease in feedlot cattle remains troubling due to animals dying throughout the feeding phase, the financial impact of NIHD, and the lack of a clear causal pathway.In observational studies, there tends to be a lack of consistent, standardized reporting of data across feedyards . In our


P < .001). The predictors associated with higher antioxidant efficacy included advanced or rapid progression, moderate or moderate-to-severe vitiligo, age of 0–2 years or 13–18 years, segmental vitiligo, oral and topical combination therapy, and course duration of <1 month. The use of antioxidants for treating vitiligo is highly encouraged; however, the rates of their clinical use are considerably low. Insufficient knowledge of antioxidants is associated with a lower frequency of antioxidant usage. The synergistic curative efficacy of antioxidants could be affected by the stage, type, severity, age of patients with vitiligo, and method of using antioxidants.Little is known about the use of antioxidants in the clinical treatment of vitiligo. To investigate the specific use of antioxidants in the treatment of vitiligo and the possible reasons behind its use in China, we conducted a prospective questionnaire-based study using an online questionnaire comprising 26 questions in 5 areas. A total of 323 clinical frontline dermatologists participated in this study. Differences among groups were compared using Pearson's chi-square test. Ordinal logistic regression was used to develop knowledge–use multiple regression models. Among the 323 dermatologists, 293 (90.7%) approved the oxidative stress theory of vitiligo, and 182 (56.3%) encouraged the use of antioxidants for treating vitiligo; nonetheless, only 11.8% frequently treated vitiligo with antioxidants. Insufficient knowledge of antioxidants was a significant predictor of lower frequency of antioxidant usage (adjusted odds ratio, 0.401 ;  Vitiligo is a cutaneous depigmenting disorder resulting from the selective destruction of melanocytes. It affects the mental health of people and decreases their quality of life, thereby hampering their social interactions , 2. In tGinkgo biloba extract helps prevent the progression of generalized and focal vitiligo [Polypodium leucotomos extract [α-lipoic acid [G. biloba and vitamin E preparations help treat vitiligo even without UV therapy [The consensus or guidelines on vitiligo management in several countries indicated that antioxidant supplements aid in the treatment of vitiligo. A British guideline suggested that vitiligo . The convitiligo . The convitiligo . Guidelivitiligo . Severalvitiligo , oral Po extract , an oraloic acid , a topicoic acid , and topoic acid  for effe therapy , 28.Although increasing evidence indicates that antioxidants control vitiligo progression and lesion recovery, the frequency of antioxidant use is considerably low in clinical practice. Dermatologists have uncertainties regarding the use and mechanisms of antioxidants, including their efficacy, side effects, and method of use. On the other hand, the patients with vitiligo are worried about the efficacy of antioxidants because of rumors regarding their whitening effect. Thus, we designed this questionnaire to investigate the specific use of antioxidants in the treatment of vitiligo and the possible reasons behind its use in China.We released the questionnaire online to clinical frontline dermatologists in China. Dermatology interns, residents, graduate students, doctoral candidates, and research technicians were not included in this investigation. Data were deidentified and classified to prevent any risk to the participants. We provided ethical informed consent documents to every investigator to ensure that every respondent provided consent. This prospective questionnaire-based study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University.(i)(Q1) Do you accept the role of oxidative stress in the progression of vitiligo?(Q2) Which of the following do you think are antioxidants?(Q1–Q2) Acceptance of the oxidative stress theory of vitiligo pathogenesis and cognition of antioxidants among dermatologists:(ii)(Q3) What is your attitude toward antioxidant use in patients with vitiligo?(Q4–Q5) Have you ever used antioxidants in clinically treating vitiligo? Evaluate the proportion(Q6–Q8) Does the stage, type, or area of the skin lesions of vitiligo in a patient affect your choice on the use of antioxidants?(Q9–Q11) In which stages, types, or areas of the skin lesions of vitiligo do you consider using antioxidants?(Q12) In which age group of patients do you consider using antioxidants?(Q13–Q14) How and how long do you use antioxidants?(Q3–Q14) Current status of clinical antioxidant application and the factors affecting antioxidant use:(iii)(Q15) In your clinical experience, do antioxidants have synergistic therapeutic effects in the overall assessment?(Q16–Q17) Do patients report side effects when using antioxidants? Evaluate the proportion(Q18–Q19) Have patients reported whitening or enlargement of leukoplakia during the use of antioxidants? Evaluate the proportion(Q20) Which of the following side effects did the patients report?(Q15–Q20) Evaluation of the efficacy and side effects of antioxidants:(iv)(Q21) Which of the following are your possible reasons for not using antioxidants?(Q21) Reasons for refusing antioxidant use:(v)(Q22) Do you wish expert consensus or guidelines for the use of antioxidants?(Q23) Would you use antioxidants if RCTs or medical evidence supporting the effectiveness of antioxidants for treating vitiligo were available?(Q24) Would you use antioxidants if consensus or guidelines recommend antioxidants for treating vitiligo?(Q25–Q26) Are there any patients with vitiligo or their family members who consulted about the edibility of foods rich in vitamin C in your clinical work? What is your answer?(Q22–Q26) The need for guidelines or consensus for the antioxidant management of vitiligo:The Supplemental Questionnaire comprises 26 questions in 5 areas and other information:G. biloba extract, and Rhodiola extract. We then let respondents determine which substance is an antioxidant. All of these options are correct answers; i.e., all options are antioxidants. We gave a score of 1 for correct answers and 0 for incorrect answers. Overall scores of 1–4 and overall scores of 5–7 reflected “insufficient” and “sufficient” knowledge of antioxidants, respectively.The frequency of antioxidant use was defined as “never”=1, “occasionally”=2, or “frequently or always”=3. Antioxidant synergy was defined as “markedly effective”=1, “effective”=2, or “uncertain”=3. Hospital grades were defined as “tertiary A hospital”=1, “tertiary hospital”=2, “secondary hospital”=3, or “first-level hospital and below”= 4. In the antioxidant cognition test item, we established a multiple-choice question with seven options: vitamin C, vitamin E, reduced glutathione, tea polyphenols, resveratrol, t-test, and differences among groups were compared using Pearson's chi-square test. Ordinal logistic regression was used to develop knowledge–use multiple regression models. The retention of covariates in the multivariate models was based on the consideration of confounding and effect modifications. Sex, current age (continuous), and hospital level were evaluated individually and in combination. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated by including them in the full model. All data processing and statistical analyses were performed using commercially available software . All P values were two-tailed, and P = .05 was the threshold for statistical significance. The multiple dependent tests performed in this study increased the risk of falsely rejecting the null hypothesis. Therefore, P values close to.05 should be interpreted with caution.Measurement data were analyzed using the We investigated the characteristics of the respondents, including sex, age, education background, doctor title, and hospital level. Among the 323 responding dermatologists from 145 medical institutions in China, 35.3% and 64.7% were female and male, respectively. The age range of the respondents was 26–60 years (97.2%). The respondents mainly had master's degrees (39.3%), and a majority (81.5%) practiced in tertiary care hospitals  approved the oxidative stress theory of vitiligo , whereasG. biloba extract, and Rhodiola extract as antioxidants was lower than 60%  , followed by controversial evidence of antioxidant efficacy in dermatology-related textbooks or literature  and insufficient knowledge of antioxidants  . Further%, followctively) . Surprisctively) .P < .05)  and two dependent variables (frequency and efficacy of antioxidants). The results indicated that two demographic variables  were significantly associated with the dependent variables described above (P ≤ .001) . Conversely, in model 2, male sex was a predictor of lesser knowledge of antioxidants , and age was a predictor of higher knowledge of antioxidants. In model 3, male sex was a predictor of higher frequency of antioxidant use , and insufficient knowledge of antioxidants was a predictor of lower frequency of antioxidant use .We firstly explored the association between the knowledge of antioxidants and the frequency of antioxidants use in bivariate models; the frequency of antioxidant use among dermatologists was significantly associated with knowledge of antioxidants . Most respondents (47.8%) assessed the antioxidant synergistic curative efficacy as effective, 76 (41.3%) assessed it as uncertain, and only 1 (0.5%) assessed it as invalid . All of these were therefore considered potential predictors and were included in the multivariate analyses  (P ≤ .001) than with a course duration of >1 month. These associations remained significant, including the hospital level, sex, and current age (P < .016); that is, the situations described above and a duration of <1 month of the course were significant predictors of higher antioxidant efficacy.To further determine the factors that influence the synergistic efficacy of antioxidants, a chi-square test was performed for screening differential variables. Variables associated with the synergistic efficacy of antioxidants were advanced or rapid progression, moderate or moderate to severe vitiligo, age of 0–2 years or 13–18 years, segmental vitiligo, oral and topical combination therapy, and a course duration of <1 month ( = .001) . AntioxiThe data showed that over 93.5% of the respondents hoped for a consensus or guidelines on the use of antioxidants in vitiligo . Among tClinically, dermatologists seemed to face a “usage paradox”; that is, antioxidant use has stagnated despite support toward the oxidative stress theory and the use of antioxidants for treating vitiligo. Among the 323 dermatologists, 293 (90.7%) approved the oxidative stress theory of vitiligo, and 182 (56.3%) encouraged the use of antioxidants for treating vitiligo; nonetheless, only 11.8% of them frequently treated vitiligo with antioxidants. We investigated the possible reasons behind this paradox, and the data showed that the uncertain efficacy of antioxidants (84.2%) was the leading cause, followed by controversial evidence of antioxidant efficacy in dermatology-related textbooks or literature (74.1%) and insufficient knowledge of antioxidants (72.7%). Encouragingly, 118 respondents (84.9%) showed a willingness to use antioxidants with guidelines, which can be an effective solution. A study showed that the treatment of vitiligo by dermatologists is complex and generally unsatisfactory –33.P < .001). Interestingly, knowledge did not differ significantly between junior and senior dermatologists, thus indicating that education should target both groups; this finding is consistent with data from a similar study [A study showed that knowledge of drugs affected decisions concerning clinical treatment; however, the relevance between knowledge of drugs and use of drugs was not mentioned . In the ar study . Most edar study .Recent studies indicated that guidelines affect treatment decisions , 38. OurAlthough the updated guidelines recommend antioxidant supplements for treating vitiligo, its specific usage is still unclear . The preAlthough studies have suggested that antioxidant supplementation plays a therapeutic role in various diseases without side effects, such as adverse events in adult surgical patients , inflammWe identified the possible reasons for the paradox of antioxidants being highly recommended in vitiligo treatment but having low rates of use in clinical practice. Our results could help in designing specific education programs and updating guidelines aimed at improving the use of antioxidants.


Alterations in markers of mitochondrial content with ketogenic diets (KD) have been reported in tissues of rodents, but morphological quantification of mitochondrial mass using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the gold standard for mitochondrial quantification, is needed to further validate these findings and look at specific regions of interest within a tissue. In this study, red gastrocnemius muscle, the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the liver left lobe were used to investigate the impact of a 1-month KD on mitochondrial content in healthy middle-aged mice. The results showed that in red gastrocnemius muscle, the fractional area of both subsarcolemmal (SSM) and intermyofibrillar (IMM) mitochondria was increased, and this was driven by an increase in the number of mitochondria. Mitochondrial fractional area or number was not altered in the liver, prefrontal cortex, or hippocampus following 1 month of a KD. These results demonstrate tissue-specific changes in mitochondrial mass with a short-term KD and highlight the need to study different muscle groups or tissue regions with TEM to thoroughly determine the effects of a KD on mitochondrial mass. An increase in mitochondrial mass has been proposed as one underlying mechanism for the therapeutic and health-promoting effects of ketogenic diets (KD) ,2. ChangMorphological quantification of mitochondrial content using TEM has not been performed in skeletal muscle or liver of healthy middle-aged rodents consuming a KD, and studies are needed using TEM to elucidate the actual changes in mitochondrial mass in these tissues. TEM has been utilized to quantify changes in mitochondrial content in brain regions with KDs in rodent models of neurological diseases ,14,15, bThe current study used TEM to perform morphological quantification of mitochondrial mass in regions of skeletal muscle, the liver, and the brain in middle-aged mice following 1 month of KD. Red gastrocnemius muscle was selected as the region of interest for skeletal muscle since this muscle group is widely studied for mitochondrial content and contains a variety of fiber types, including a relatively high level of oxidative fibers . For the2 inhalation in the morning following an overnight fast. All animal protocols were approved by the UC Davis Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (protocol number 20054) and were in accordance with the NIH guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Body weight was not significantly different between CD and KD mice at the end of the study .Male C57BL/6JN mice were obtained at 11 months of age from the NIA Aged Rodent Colony. The housing conditions and diets were the same as described in Roberts et al. . Mice we3 cubes in ice-cold PBS. Samples were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldhyde and 2% paraformaldehyde in 0.1M sodium phosphate buffer overnight, then rinsed in 0.1M sodium phosphate twice for 15 min. Tissues were post-fixed in 1% osmium tetroxide. After rinsing in distilled water, samples were dehydrated with a graded ethanol series from 50–100%. The samples were suspended in propylene oxide twice for 15 min and then pre-infiltrated overnight in 1:1 propylene oxide: resin  followed by infiltrating for 5 h in 100% resin. The samples were embedded in fresh resin and polymerized for 24 h at 70 °C. Approximately 100 nm sections were cut using a Leica EM UC6 ultramicrotome and collected on copper grids. The sections were stained with 4% aqueous uranyl acetate followed by 0.3% lead citrate in 0.1N sodium hydroxide and imaged with a FEI Talos L120C transmission electron microscope .The left liver lobe, dorsal hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and red gastrocnemius were selected as representative regions for the liver, brain, and skeletal muscle. Tissues were quickly dissected and cut into approximately 1 mmn = 5–6) at 5300× magnification and only regions of neuropils were included. For red gastrocnemius muscle, 10 images each were taken in the subsarcolemmal (SSM) and intermyofibrillar mitochondrial (IMM) regions from 3–5 fibers for each mouse (n = 4–5) at 5300× magnification. Images of whole hepatocytes were taken at 1600–2600× magnification, and 4–6 cells were used for each mouse (n = 6). The images were then processed through Image J (NIH). The outline of each mitochondrion was precisely drawn using a Surface Pro 6 tablet equipped with a touch pen , and filled with a solid bright color. The image with color-filled mitochondria was converted into a binary black and white image .All values are expressed as mean ± SEM unless otherwise indicated. Unpaired To investigate mitochondrial mass in a specific hindlimb muscle, TEM analysis was completed in red gastrocnemius muscle after 1 month of a KD. Results from TEM analysis showed both SSM and IMM fractional area was significantly higher in KD mice A,D, consMitochondrial quantification using TEM did not show any differences in prefrontal cortex or hippocampus fractional area after 1 month of a KD A,D. SimiThere was no change in mitochondrial area or number in hepatocytes measured with TEM after 1 month of KD A–C. No sThe goal of this study was to quantify mitochondrial content in regions of skeletal muscle, brain, and liver following one month of a KD using the gold standard, TEM. Our data indicate that one month of a KD results in increased mitochondrial mass in red gastrocnemius muscle, but not the liver or brain.In our previous skeletal muscle work , mitochoIn the present study, no changes in mitochondrial mass quantification by TEM were observed between diet groups in the hippocampus or prefrontal cortex with a KD. These data are consistent with our previous finding that markers of mitochondrial mass were not altered in brain after one month of a KD. With a long-term KD of 14 months, most markers of mitochondrial content were not altered either, although citrate synthase activity did increase . BaliettIn the liver, mitochondrial enzyme markers, especially citrate synthase, can be affected by shifts in metabolism and induction of gluconeogenesis with a KD  and as aCollectively, the results of the present study demonstrate that one month of a KD increased mitochondrial mass in red gastrocnemius muscle but had no impact on mitochondrial content in the liver, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. These results highlight the tissue-specific effects of a short-term KD on mitochondrial mass and the need for future measurements in specific muscle groups and different regions within a tissue to thoroughly determine the impact of KDs on mitochondrial mass.


Cryptosporidium  and 65 (42%) by Legionella . Cryptosporidium accounted for 2,492 (84%) of 2,953 cases resulting from the 155 outbreaks with a confirmed etiology. All 13 deaths occurred in persons affected by a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. Among the 208 outbreaks, 71 (34%) were associated with a hotel  or a resort, and 107 (51%) started during June–August. Implementing recommendations in CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC)  voluntarily reported 208 outbreaks associated with treated recreational water. Almost all  of the outbreaks were associated with public (nonbackyard) pools, hot tubs, or water playgrounds. These outbreaks resulted in at least 3,646 cases of illness, 286 hospitalizations, and 13 deaths. Among the 155 (75%) outbreaks with a confirmed infectious etiology, 76 (49%) were caused by An outbreak associated with recreational water is the occurrence of similar illness in two or more persons whose illnesses are epidemiologically linked by location and time of exposure to 1) recreational water or 2) pathogens or chemicals aerosolized or volatilized into the air from recreational water. Public health officials in U.S. jurisdictions  voluntarily report outbreaks to CDC via the National Outbreak Reporting System. This report examines data on outbreaks that were associated with treated recreational water and reported by February 4, 2021, and for which the first illness occurred during 2015–2019. Data on each outbreak include earliest illness onset date, count of cases of illness, counts of hospitalizations and deaths, etiology, and setting  and venue  of the outbreak exposure. This activity was reviewed by CDC and was conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy.*Cryptosporidium accounted for 2,492 (84%) of the 2,953 cases and 82 (31%) of the 266 hospitalizations. Unlike other pathogens, which caused outbreaks resulting in <100 cases of illness, Cryptosporidium caused outbreaks resulting in >100 cases of illness. The four such cryptosporidiosis outbreaks resulted in a total of 1,380 cases; the largest outbreak resulted in 638 cases. The 65 (42%) outbreaks caused by Legionella accounted for 354 (12%) of the 2,953 cases and 177 (67%) of the 266 hospitalizations. Four outbreaks caused by Legionella accounted for 178 (6%) of the 2,953 cases and 54 (20%) of the 266 hospitalizations. All 13 deaths occurred in persons affected by a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. Among the 53 outbreaks with a nonconfirmed  etiology, 20 (38%) were suspected to be caused by chemical etiologies   .Legionella and were associated with a hot tub. Among the 208 outbreaks, 107 (51%) started during June–August  of these outbreaks were associated with pools and seven (11%) with water playgrounds.Cryptosporidium occurred during 2016  or resorts were associated with 71 (34%) of the 208 outbreaks; 50 (70%) of these outbreaks were associated with hot tubs. Among the 43 hotel- or resort-associated outbreaks with a confirmed etiology, 31 (72%) were caused by e–August . The Juning 2016 . Twenty-Cryptosporidium, associated with pools, and started during June–August or were caused by Legionella and associated with hot tubs in hotels, motels, lodges, inns, or resorts. Outbreaks caused by Cryptosporidium can occur even if the pool or water playground is properly treated. Prevention steps beyond traditional operation, like those outlined in CDC’s 2018 MAHC (third edition) are needed to decrease the incidence of these outbreaks associated with public aquatic venues. Outbreaks caused by Legionella indicate that hot tub operation needs improvement, and taking steps as outlined in CDC’s MAHC, Legionella Control Toolkit,At least 208 outbreaks associated with treated recreational water occurred in the United States during 2015–2019. Most of these outbreaks were caused by Cryptosporidium is transmitted when oocysts, the infectious life stage, are ingested . Oocysts are extremely tolerant to chlorine, the primary barrier to the transmission of pathogens in treated recreational water. At 1 ppm free available chlorine  have been found to be effective against oocysts (10 (99.9%) reduction of infectious oocysts in water playgrounds and a minimum 2-log10 (99%) reduction in all other aquatic venues (MAHC 4.7.3.3.2.1).Cryptosporidium contamination events) in public pools or to cryptosporidiosis outbreaks associated with public pools, operators can follow the 2018 MAHC’s hyperchlorinationCryptosporidium  containing the bacteria are inhaled. Legionella can amplify when disinfectant concentration is not properly maintained, sediment or biofilm is present, water is not replaced frequently enough, or temperature is favorable (77–113°F [25–45°C]). Hot tubs operate in the temperature range that is favorable for Legionella growth (up to 104°F [40°C]), so maintaining disinfectant concentration, vigorously scrubbing all surfaces each time the hot tub is drained, and frequently replacing water are critical for Legionella control. These control measures are delineated in the Legionella Control Toolkit and the Water Management Program Toolkit Investigations of outbreaks caused by Legionella indicate that an effective water management program for hot tubs, as described in the toolkit, can reduce the risk of Legionnaires’ disease (LegionellaCryptosporidium) and detection and investigation periods , and wide geographic dispersion of ill swimmers. Moreover, the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been resource- and time-intensive. This circumstance could have been an additional barrier to 2020 efforts to finalize data on outbreaks that occurred during 2018 or 2019. Second, data might be skewed to include outbreaks of notifiable diseases , cases of which are reported to and investigated by public health officials. Third, data on outbreaks with a chemical etiology might be limited because of the potentially transient nature of chemical contamination and potential lack of communication between those who respond to these outbreaks  and those who report them . Finally, data on factors contributing to the outbreaks were limited and could not be analyzed. Revisions to corresponding National Outbreak Reporting System data fields are underway to improve data quality and as part of data modernization efforts.The findings in this report are subject to at least four limitations. First, the outbreak counts presented are likely an underestimate of actual incidence. Many factors can present barriers to the detection, investigation, and reporting of outbreaks, such as voluntary reporting, lengthy incubation periods  before getting into hot tubs. Persons at increased risk for Legionnaires’ disease****In addition to voluntarily adopting the MAHC and Legionnaires’ disease prevention recommendations, public health officials and operators of public aquatic venues can help prevent outbreaks associated with treated recreational water by educating the public. Given Outbreaks associated with treated recreational water in pools, hot tubs, and water playgrounds can be caused by pathogens or chemicals.Cryptosporidium caused 76 outbreaks, resulting in 2,492 cases. Legionella caused 65 outbreaks, resulting in 13 deaths.For the period 2015–2019, a total of 208 outbreaks associated with treated recreational water were reported to CDC. Legionella Control Toolkit, and Water Management Program Toolkit recommendations, and swimmers can follow CDC’s healthy swimming steps.To help prevent outbreaks, operators of public aquatic venues and U.S. jurisdictions can voluntarily adopt CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code,


The improvement of mechanical properties of polymer-based nanocomposites is usually obtained through a strong polymer–silica interaction. Most often, precipitated silica nanoparticles are used as filler. In this work, we study the synergetic effect occurring between dual silica-based fillers in a styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/polybutadiene (PBD) rubber matrix. Precipitated Highly Dispersed Silica (HDS) nanoparticles (10 nm) have been associated with spherical Stöber silica nanoparticles (250 nm) and anisotropic nano-Sepiolite. By imaging filler at nano scale through Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy, we have shown that anisotropic fillers align only in presence of a critical amount of HDS. The dynamic mechanical analysis of rubber compounds confirms that this alignment leads to a stiffer nanocomposite when compared to Sepiolite alone. On the contrary, spherical 250 nm nanoparticles inhibit percolation network and reduce the nanocomposite stiffness. The improvement of mechanical properties of rubber-based nanocomposites has been extensively investigated over the last decades. The development of composites for aeronautic, space, marine, military, or automotive applications is one of the main efforts of many industries at the present time . Particu3 [2SO4 [4 [2 [2O3 [3 [2 [2 particles that act as stress concentrators due to their different elastic properties compared to the polymer matrix [Several types of reinforcing fillers have been already investigated. Inorganic fillers represent a large fraction of them. We can list natural mineral clays, like montmorillonite , mica 88, talc ; salts, 3 , Ca2SO4 3 [2SO4 , BaSO4 [[2SO4 [4 , phospha[2SO4 [4 ; and metO4 [4 [2 , ZnO [15 [2 [2O3 , MgO [17 [2O3 [3 , or Mgn-SH) will enhance silica dispersion and covalently react with the accelerator, sulphur, and finally rubbers during the vulcanization step [Usually, fumed or precipitated silica nanoparticles are used as silica fillers. If they are relatively cheap to process, those silica nanoparticles tend to agglomerate in the rubber, due to silanol surface group interactions forming inter-particles bonding  and showion step . Sol-gelion step . Some stion step ,38,39. Tion step ,30. Otheion step ,41,42.In parallel to concentrated research efforts on spherical nanoparticle fillers, the interest in fillers’ morphological aspect has recently been growing in the scientific community. Anisotropic structures have emerged as a new possibility to further strengthen mechanical properties of rubber-based nanocomposites. R. Scotti et al. have synthesized anisotropic silica nanorods (with an aspect ratio up to 10) using a Stöber-derived process with CTAB as surfactant . They poAccording to those previous works, it appears that the study of the reinforcement of a type of rubber filled with precipitated silica partially substituted by spherical and anisotropic silica structures could strengthen the understanding of the reinforcement mechanism. The novelty of this study is to elucidate the origin of this reinforcement, by substituting the fractal spherical silica filler with anisotropic Sepiolite, or bigger spherical nanoparticles. For the first time, this study highlights the direct correlation between the specific orientation of the fillers at the microscopic level and the resulting macroscopic mechanical properties measured through DMA and tensile tests. Consequently, in this work, we aim at studying the synergetic effect occurring between two types of hybrid silica-based fillers, fractal/spherical and fractal/anisotropic, on the mechanical properties of the synthesized nanocomposite. HDS particles, characterized by a fractal surface, have been used as main filler type and mixed with Sepiolite and Stöber particles, rod-like and spherical, respectively, for obtaining dual filler compounds. Highly Dispersed Silica nanoparticles (HDS)/Stöber silica nanoparticles and precipitated silica HDS/Sepiolite have been processed in a SBR-based rubber matrix.4OH 25%) were added at room temperature under stirring at 500 rpm. After homogenisation, 46 mL of Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS 99%) were quickly added to the solution and left under stirring for 2 h. The grown silica nanoparticles were extracted from the solution by centrifugation at 2500 rpm for 10 min and cleaned in water and ethanol twice. This process allowed the synthesis of homogeneous and dispersed silica nanoparticles with a diameter of 250 nm.All chemical used for the synthesis of sol-gel silica nanoparticles have been purchased from Sigma Aldrich. The growth of silica nanoparticles was performed as follows: in 1 l of ethanol (99%), 80 mL of ultra-pure water (>18 Ω·cm), and 45 mL of ammonium hydroxide solution .High-resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) images of nanocomposites were recorded with a Helios Nanolab 650 microscope , at an acceleration voltage of 30 kV and a current of 50. STEM analyses were performed in bright field mode. Nanocomposites lamellas around 50–70 nm of thickness were prepared using a Cyro-Ultramicrotom EM UC7 , at a temperature of −120 °C. Dynamic modulus of nanocomposites were determined using a 242C dynamic mechanical analyser (DMA) . Thermograms were obtained in single cantilever mode, with a free length of 5 mm (15% strain amplitude) under a vibration frequency of 10 Hz. The studied temperature range was fixed between –100 °C to 8 °C with a heating rate of 0.5 °C∙min3 mixing chamber and a 0.75 fill factor. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company  provided all raw materials: HDS nanoparticles , SBR rubber, polybutadiene rubber, zinc oxide, Treated Distillate Aromatic Extracted oil (TDAE oil), stearic acid, N--N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), Bis(triethoxysilylpropyl) disulphide (TESPD), sulfur, 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), Diphenylguanidine (DPG), and N-Cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazolesulfenamide (CBS). The composition of composites (expressed in phr) is presented in Nanocomposites based on SBR and PBD (polybutadiene) were compounded in a Brabender Plasti-Corder Lab station internal mixer, working with 85 cmAs the composition of all samples was identical, independently of the type of filler used, we assumed that the degree of crosslinking by sulphur in all nanocomposites was constant. For this reason, it is not discussed in the paper.The influence of spherical/spherical and spherical/anisotropic dual fillers in nanocomposites has been studied through nine samples prepared with precipitated silica HDS nanoparticles , silica Stöber nanoparticles of 250 nm diameter, and Sepiolite silica nanorods as fillers. The classification and filling degree of the samples studied within this work is indicated in Three nanocomposites have been prepared with different ratios of fractal/anisotropic fillers HDS/Sepiolite: respectively, 70/10 phr, 60/20 phr, and 50/30 phr .Three other samples have been prepared with different ratios of spherical/spherical fillers HDS/Stöber nanoparticles 250 nm: respectively, 70/10 phr, 60/20 phr, and 50/30 phr .The total silica filler charge in all nanocomposites was kept constant at 80 phr. We can clearly distinguish on STEM pictures reported in DMA analysis has been performed in order to determine mechanical properties of nanocomposites. In the rubbery state, the sample HDS-80 phr shows a higher elastic modulus compared to the other references. This result could be explained considering that fractal silica particles as HDS tend to form aggregates and agglomerates. This hierarchical structure, depending on the extension of the filler network, can occlude a large amount of rubber, leading to an immobilization of the occluded portion of the matrix and therefore to an increase of the stiffness in respect to the case of a dispersed system. The occluded and immobilized rubber is responsible for the increase of the effective volume fraction of the rubber. Despite the different geometry of the Sepiolite fillers, characterized by a more rod-like shape, sample Sepiolite-80 phr exhibits a lower value of the elastic modulus in the high temperature range. Rod-like silica fillers are expected to enhance the reinforcement with respect to the unaggregated spherical ones. The foreseen reinforcement of non-interacting spherical particles follows the Einstein prediction, which depends linearly on the volume fraction 1+2/3 pϕ . Here, pf fibers . Howeverf fibers . This laThe values of the elastic modulus for the different types of fillers are corroborated by the trend of A second peak with lower magnitude is observed for sample Silica HDS-80 phr and Sepiolite-80 phr at higher temperatures than terphase .The dual filler samples are now analysed in comparison to the references. Silica HDS has been gradually substituted, respectively, by Sepiolite and Stöber particles in order to obtain dual filler systems with total loading of 80 phr.Three different dual filler SBR samples were analysed with the same filling degree. lite see . The subThe mixing energy required at the mixing/milling steps is higher when percolation is reached see . As a coThe evolution of tanδ  with theA different trend is instead reported for the mixtures of HDS and Stöber particles. The evolution of This behaviour could be attributed to the lower tendency of Stöber particles to form aggregates, as shown in the STEM pictures in This observation is confirmed by the analysis of perature . The duaFor the dual filler systems, a cooperative interaction between the two types of fillers is observed. This synergic interaction, leading to a change in the elastic modulus in the rubbery regime, is found to be dependent on the geometry of the fillers as well as on their ability of forming hierarchical structures.The high strain behaviour reveals the highest stress value for the SBR Sepiolite-80 phr, while a decrease is observed for the dual filler blends when the amount of Sepiolite decreases. The sample SBR HDS-80 phr shows the lower stress value at higher deformation. On the other hand, the value of elongation at break follows the opposite trend. These different behaviours could be explained by considering that, despite the higher reinforcement at low strain conferred by the silica HDS filler, the gradual strain induced by the orientation of the rods gives rise to a strain hardening of the rubbers containing the Sepiolite filler. This observation would also explain the decrease of the elongation at break with the increase of the Sepiolite amount. The rigid rods orienting along the deformation direction at high strain might cause a reduction of the rubber elongation ability.Different behaviour was observed for the dual filler compounds containing Stöber particles and Silica HDS. The spherical Stöber filler was found to “dilute” the aggregates formed by HDS particles, leading to a decrease of the elastic modulus in the rubbery regime, as highlighted by SEM pictures in ures see , are sigThis work has been dedicated to the study of mechanical properties of SBR-based nanocomposites containing spherical or anisotropic dual fillers. Fractal/spherical and fractal/anisotropic dual filler nanocomposites were prepared with HDS nanoparticles/Stöber nanoparticles and HDS nanoparticles/Sepiolite nanoneedles, respectively. We highlight, using STEM and DMA analysis, that, in the system Sepiolite/HDS, both fillers work cooperatively, and the HDS induces a preferential alignment of Sepiolite clusters in the rubber matrix. We hypothesize that the orientation of the Sepiolite is activated by the presence of a HDS percolating network, and the resulting oriented forces which will occur at the mixing steps. The induced preferential orientation gives rise to an increase of nanocomposites’ storage modulus in the rubbery regime, as by the DMA. The tensile tests carried out at a higher deformation range on the same samples evidenced a reduction of rubber elongation ability with the increased amount of nanorods in the mixture, indicating an orientation of the rods along the deformation direction induced this time by the high strain applied. On the other hand, in the Stöber/HDS dual filler system, the spherical component seemed to show more of a diluting effect than a reinforcing one. This observation is associated with the trend of tan δ as a function of temperature in DMA, which clearly shows a decrease of the immobilized rubber with the increase of Stöber amount in the mixture. At the same time, a decrease of the elastic modulus at high temperature with the increase of Stöber concentration has been reported. An apparent contradiction with the lower elongation at break observed for the mixtures containing a higher amount of Stöber particles could instead be explained by considering the non-deformability of these spherical fillers that might act as permanent cross-links under the condition of high strain, leading to an earlier rupture of the rubbery material.Based on those observations, the dual filler system fractal/anisotropic silica-based structure appears as a promising solution to reach reinforced nanocomposites. As raw Sepiolite fibres or nanoneedles can differ in quality, composition, structure, and surface state depending on their origin, it may be worth studying the behaviour of dual filler nanocomposites prepared with anisotropic silica nanorods instead of Sepiolite.


Attention to graphenedispersions in water with the aid of naturalpolymers is increasing with improved awareness of sustainability.However, the function of biopolymers that can act as dispersing agentsin graphene dispersions is not well understood. In particular, theuse of starch to disperse pristine graphene materials deserves furtherinvestigation. Here, we report the processing conditions of aqueousgraphene dispersions using unmodified starch. We have found that thegraphene content of the starch–graphene dispersion is dependenton the starch fraction. The starch–graphene sheets are few-layergraphene with a lateral size of 3.2 μm. Furthermore, topographicalimages of these starch–graphene sheets confirm the adsorptionof starch nanoparticles with a height around 5 nm on the graphenesurface. The adsorbed starch nanoparticles are ascribed to extendthe storage time of the starch–graphene dispersion up to 1month compared to spontaneous aggregation in a nonstabilized graphenedispersion without starch. Moreover, the ability to retain water bystarch is reduced in the presence of graphene, likely due to environmentalchanges in the hydroxyl groups responsible for starch–waterinteractions. These findings demonstrate that starch can dispersegraphene with a low oxygen content in water. The aqueous starch–graphenedispersion provides tremendous opportunities for environmental-friendlypackaging applications. Owingto these properties, graphene is extensively studied for various applicationsin a wide range of fields, such as composites, energy storage, datacommunication, electronics, sensors, and biomedical technologies.1 Since the first isolation of graphene,2 there has been a growing interest in understandingits surface chemistry4 and developing more sustainabledispersing systems.6 For instance, dispersing graphenein water instead of organic solvents can offer safer handling andgreater biocompatibility, while diminishing adverse impact on humanhealth and the environment. However, graphene is not dispersible inwater due to a large mismatch between the low surface energy of grapheneand the high surface tension of water.7 Moreover, attractive interactions  that can exist between adjacentgraphene sheets lead to restacking and eventually aggregation. Therestacking of graphene sheets can be prevented by introducing electrostaticor steric repulsion between the sheets using amphiphilic dispersingagents.10 Great efforts have been devoted to the stabilizationof graphene by noncovalent modifications using surfactants, whichis a relatively simple process from an industrial perspective. However,the use of surfactant systems introduces challenges such as foamingand surface migration in polymer matrices that can complicate mostgraphene applications.12 Furthermore, the increasing occurrenceof commercial synthetic surfactants and their degraded products inthe environment is receiving more attention due to their adverse effectson the ecosystem.14 Attractive alternatives to surfactantsfor the preparation of aqueous graphene dispersions are biopolymers.Among biopolymers, starch is one of the most abundant polymers innature with attractive rheological, adhesive, and film properties.For decades, starch has been industrially extracted from plant-basedsources on a large scale and processed for a wide range of industrysectors, such as food, cosmetics, paper, textiles, and pharmaceuticals.15 Furthermore, the renewable and biodegradablenature of starch makes it an attractive candidate as a green dispersingagent. In addition, graphene is an excellent filler that can be usedto strengthen the electrical, mechanical, and barrier properties ofthe starch. The combination of these two materials provides tremendousopportunities for various novel applications. In general, starch iscomposed of two polysaccharides known as amylose and amylopectin.The amylose is a linear polysaccharide of d-glucose unitsthat are joined by repeating glycosidic α-1,4 links and canthereby self-associate into helical conformations with a hydrophobiccore. In contrast, the amylopectin is a branched polysaccharide withdouble helical side chains that are joined to its backbones by glycosidicα-1,6 links. The ratio of amylose and amylopectin contributesto the semicrystalline nature of the starch granule and its properties.Grapheneis a two-dimensional (2D) network of sp16 andamylopectin17 in aqueous systems. The stabilizationof the SWCNTs was assigned to hydrophobic interactions between theSWCNT surface and the helical core of the amylose, while that of thehydrophobic sites on the amylopectin. Furthermore, the SWCNTs werefunctionalized by different polar groups via acid treatments to increasetheir hydrophilicity and interfacial adhesion with starch.19 However, since the rise of graphene,20 the interest shifted toward graphene and its derivatives. In thepioneer work of Li et al. and Ma et al., an aqueous solution of grapheneoxide (GO) was directly added to starch21 and starch/chitosan mixture,22 respectively.A distribution of oxygen groups on the GO surface increases its hydrophilicityand thereby eliminates the need for dispersing agents in aqueous systems.However, impurities on the surface substantially limit the propertiesof graphene. To restore these properties, starch was also exploredas a reducing agent to remove these oxygen groups and functionalizethe resulting reduced GO (RGO).24 In general, the interfacialinteraction between GO/RGO and starch is commonly attributed to hydrogenbonding via their oxygen groups, respectively.27 While theseoxygen-rich GO/RGOs resemble the geometric dimension of pristine graphene,their surface properties and functions are substantially differentcompared to the pristine graphene. Therefore, the same stabilizationmechanism is not expected in the dispersion of graphene. To the bestof our knowledge, the earliest work on graphene as a starting materialreported starch-based films that showed improved properties at lowgraphene loading, while the opposite trend was observed at high loadingas a result of graphene aggregation.29 In the lastfew years, the increasing availability of commercial graphene powdershas sparked interest to explore graphene as a filler in starch-basedformulations for various applications. However, the dispersion ofgraphene in the presence of starch is not well understood, in particular,the processing conditions and long-term stability.In the last 20 years, starches from a wide range of botanical sourceshave been explored as dispersing agents for allotropes of carbon.For instance, the earliest work focused on the stabilization of single-walledcarbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by amyloseIn this paper,we report the dispersion of graphene in water usingstarch nanoparticles as a dispersing agent. These starch nanoparticleswere prepared from unmodified starch granules via gelatinization andultrasonication. To gain a better understanding of the stabilizationmechanism, we used a starting graphene powder with a low oxygen contentwith close resemblance to that of pristine graphene and studied theeffects of different processing conditions to obtain stable starch–graphenesheets. The findings demonstrate that starch can disperse graphenein water without oxygen-rich functional groups.230 Similarly,starch references  also give featureless absorptionspectra, thus demonstrating that the features in the absorption spectraare exclusively originated from the dispersed graphene. As can beseen in the corresponding photographs in The relative amount of graphene that couldbe stabilized by starchnanoparticles was estimated via ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis)absorbance. UV–vis absorption spectra along with digital photographsof the starch–graphene dispersion are shown in The processing conditions of thestarch–graphene dispersionwere then systematically investigated in three steps, as summarizedin 32 The starch granules (gray dashed) and the starch nanoparticles (graysolid), in contrast, show three decomposition regions. First, 25–170°C (I) is the weight loss associated with the dehydration ofweakly adsorbed water. Second, 200–400 °C (II) is thedepolymerization of the starch backbone and accounts for the largestweight loss. Finally, third, 400 °C (III) and higher is the formationof carbonaceous residues, such as aromatic, aliphatic, and aldehydegroups.38 Among these carbonaceous residues, the aromatic groups are the dominantresiduals after 600 °C.39 Therefore,we estimated the graphene content based on the residual weight differencebetween the starch–graphene and the starch nanoparticles inthe flat region of the derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curves at700 °C. This yields a graphene concentration of 0.48 mg/mL inthe purified starch–graphene dispersion and an attenuationcoefficient of 3384 m–1 mg–1 mL.To find the graphene concentration via optical absorbance, theattenuation coefficient for graphene is needed. For graphene, thiscoefficient was experimentally determined by constructing a calibrationcurve (S1) of the graphene absorbance against the graphene concentration.The total graphene concentration in this dispersion was then determinedby thermal analysis 3. As shoTmax) was lower for both thestarch–graphene sheets (312 °C) and the starch nanoparticles(312 °C) compared to the starch granules (318 °C). In general,the shift to lower Tmax is attributedto the higher surface area in the starch nanoparticles compared tothe native starch granules, thus making the nanoparticles more susceptibleto thermal decomposition. In the thermal studies by Aggarwal et al.,starch granules revealed lower Tmax afterhydrolyzation to more porous granules with a higher surface area.40 The higher surface area was also responsiblefor lower Tmax among different starchnanoparticles compared to their native granules. Qin et al. attributedthe higher surface area to reduced particle sizes and disordered polysaccharidestructures.41 At the molecular level, thelinear polysaccharide amylose is known to decompose at lower temperaturesthan the branched amylopectin due to lower molecular weight and structuraldifferences.43 As demonstrated, the maximumpeak at Tmax can provide insights intothe starch surface characteristics and composition. In our work, themaximum peak of the starch–graphene is broader and asymmetric,which indicates that the decomposition of the starch nanoparticlesoccurs over a wider temperature range and is less volatile. This asymmetryis not observed in peak of the pure starch nanoparticles despite thesame processing conditions. The processing of ultrasonication is knownto cleave the polysaccharide chains, in particular, debranch the amylopectin,thus increasing the relative content of free amylose. However, boththese polysaccharides can self-associate into more ordered structuresand gradually larger networks, thus increasing the dissociation temperature.Therefore, the different thermal behavior of starch nanoparticleson the graphene surface implies that the starch–graphene interactionmay sterically inhibit the free polysaccharides to self-associateinto otherwise preferred polymorphic structures.In addition, TGA can also offer insight into the compositionandthermal stability of the starch–graphene sheets. In the correspondingDTG curves 3B, we no45 The starch nanoparticles show a reduced the maximum peak to 40 nm,with a broader peak shape in the nanometer range. Furthermore, thestarch nanoparticles also show weaker peaks in the larger particlesize range. These weaker peaks could originate from various polymorphsof self-associated and cocrystallized starch polysaccharides. However,the starch–graphene sheets have a sharper size distributionwith a maximum peak at 3.2 μm, as expected after 30 min ultrasonication.The particlesize distribution of the starch–graphene sheetsand the starch references were studied by a laser diffraction method(LDM), as shown in 49 Interestingly, the nonstabilized graphene reference(black dashed) showed a negative zeta potential of −36 mV,while that of the starch–graphene sheets (black solid) wasslightly increased to −32 mV. As demonstrated, the adsorptionof starch nanoparticles reduced the net negative surface charge ofgraphene slightly. To the best of our knowledge, the zeta potentialof starch-stabilized graphene materials of such low oxygen contents(O < 1.5%) has not been extensively investigated. Up to this point,Zhu et al. first reported starch-stabilized RGO with a negative zetapotential that gradually increased from a minimum of −27.8up to −15.6 mV with a higher starch loading, in which the latterzeta potential value was close to that of the pure starch.50 Furthermore, Narayanan et al. also reportedstarch-stabilized RGO with a negative zeta potential that increasedfrom −30.5 up to −21.5 mV with a higher starch loading.51 As reported by the authors, the higher starchloading gradually reduced the surface charge of RGO and consequentlyweakened the electrostatic repulsion between the sheets, thus resultingin aggregation. In our work, the graphene reference was easily aggregateddespite its high magnitude of the zeta potential at −36 mV,while the starch–graphene sheets of lower magnitude of −32mV remained stable. This implies that the stabilization of graphenewas mainly attributed to the adsorbed starch nanoparticles ratherthan the surface charge, from which the magnitude of the zeta potentialalone proved insufficient. The understanding of the surface chargeson the RGO and other graphene derivatives is established, in whichthe negative charges are primarily attributed to different ionizableoxygen groups present on the sheets.52 However,the origin of the negative charges on the graphene sheets is stillan ongoing debate. Several authors have also reported graphene inwater with a negative zeta potential within the range of −45and −30 mV at neutral pH.56 The authors have explained theorigin to possible oxygen groups introduced at the graphene edgesduring ultrasonication54 and asymmetric adsorption ofwater ions on hydrophobic surfaces.57 Overall, wedemonstrate that the adsorbed starch nanoparticles play a more importantrole in the stabilization of graphene than the net negative surfacecharge.To understand the stability of the starch–graphenesheets,the zeta potential of the starch–graphene dispersion is comparedto that of the control samples that were prepared and measured underthe same conditions 4B. The s58 A similar morphology of starch nanoparticles has also beenobserved by means of other preparation methods, such as chemical hydrolysis,59 enzymatic hydrolysis,60 and precipitation.61The preparation of the starch nanoparticles via ultrasonicationwas systematically studied on glass substrates by optical microscopy,as displayed in The morphology of thestarch–graphene sheets was then studiedby high-resolution imaging using SEM, as shown in –1 (D peak), 1580 cm–1 (G peak), and 2700 cm–1 (2D peak). Among these peaks, the D peak is relatedto the breathing vibrations of aromatic carbon rings and becomes activeby disorders, such as grain boundaries, vacancies, or sp3-related defects. The G peak from the in-plane stretching of carbonatoms in the ring is a common feature in all sp2-hybridizedcarbon systems.62 Therefore, the degreeof structural disorders in the graphene sheets can be estimated bythe intensity ratio I(D)/I(G) ofthese two peaks. In our work, the I(D)/I(G) of the graphene reference is 0.4 and that of the starch–graphenesheets increased to 0.6 after stabilization by starch nanoparticles,thus indicating an increased degree of disorders. Furthermore, thenature of these disorders can be probed by the intensity ratio ofthe D peak over a weak shoulder peak around 1620 cm–1 (D′ peak). These two peaks are both disorder-related peaksfrom the intervalley scattering and intravalley scattering, respectively.62 The values of the intensity ratio I(D)/I(D′) from these two peaks can be usedto describe different types of disorders that are distinguished at3.5 (boundaries), 7 (vacancies), and 13 (sp3 defects).63 In our work, the height of the D′ peakwas read from a deconvoluted peak shape using the Voigt function.As a result, the intensity ratio I(D)/I(D′) of the starch–graphene and the graphene referenceis 2.4 and 2.6, respectively. The relatively low intensity ratio impliesthat the disorders on the graphene sheets mostly originate from boundaryeffects, such as various surface features and edges. The density ofsuch disorders can increase during ultrasonication, in particular,the density of edges as a result of reduced particle size. Moreover,the effects of disorders are known to change the peak positions andshape of both the G peak and the 2D peak.65 Therefore, the use of these two peaks to estimate the number ofgraphene layers requires caution. Gupta et al. and Wang et al. reporteda shift toward the higher frequencies up to 1587 cm–1 for a defect-free monolayer graphene sheet.67 According to this concept, the peak position of the starch–graphenesheets at 1584 cm–1 reflects bilayer graphene. Alternatively,the 2D peak is the overtone of the D peak and does not require anydisorders to be activated. In this concept, the number of graphenelayers can instead be estimated based on the full width at half-maximum(FWHM).68 For the starch–graphenesheets, the 2D peak was fitted into a Lorentzian peak with an FWHMof 66 cm–1, thus reflecting five-layer graphene.As demonstrated, the estimation can vary as a result of various typesof disorders. Overall, the Raman spectra indicate that starch–graphenesheets are within the range of few-layered graphene sheets with arelatively low amount of disorders from boundaries.The structural changes in thestarch–graphene sheets bythe stabilization of starch nanoparticles were studied by Raman spectroscopy.For this purpose, the Raman spectra of starch–graphene arecompared to a nonstabilized graphene reference that was prepared withoutstarch under the same conditions 6B. UnderThe morphologyof the starch–graphene sheets was furtherstudied in STEM using both the bright-field (BF) and the HAADF detectors,respectively. In the BF image 6C, a repThe starch nanoparticles on the graphene surface were further studiedat the nanoscale using AFM. The topographical image of a starch–graphenesheet 7A iscom–1 in the starch–graphene,which is not present in the spectra of the starch references. Thisadditional peak is tentatively attributed to C=C stretchingvibrations in conjugated aromatic rings, thus indicating the presenceof graphene.51 Second, the presence ofgraphene also changed the vibrational modes of starch. The peaks ofstarch are typically identified at 1149 cm–1 ,1078 cm–1, and 995 cm–1 (C—O—Hbending).69 Among these peaks, the maximumpeak at 995 cm–1 was substantially narrowed andshifted to the higher wavenumber of 1019 cm–1 bygraphene. To investigate this peak further, we performed deconvolutionand observed three overlapping peaks centered around 1047, 1022, and995 cm–1, as shown in –1 is sensitive to the degree of orderedstarch structures, whereas the peak at 1022 cm–1, in contrast, is associated with amorphous structures. Finally,the peak at 995 cm–1 is mainly associated with theintra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding of the hydroxyl group atC(6)—O—H, which makes this peak sensitive to the watercontent.70 Commonly, the intensity ratioof 1047/1022 and 995/1022 are indicators of the short-range crystallineand hydrated starch structures, respectively , the amountof bound water is substantially lower in starch–graphene thanthat in the starch references, thus supporting the reduced abilityof starch nanoparticles to retain water. In addition, a prominentpeak at 3307 cm–1 is mainly attributed to the vibrationalstretching of free, intramolecular, and intermolecular interactionsof the hydroxyl groups in starch. Therefore, peak shift and broadeningto the shorter wavenumbers have been used as an indicator to detecthydrogen bonding between graphene derivatives and starch. However,in our work, the peak position varied only slightly in the increasingorder: starch granules (3307 cm–1), starch–graphene(3316 cm–1), and starch nanoparticles (3318 cm–1). Similarly, the peak shapes remained the same withan average FWHM of 363 ± 4 cm–1. As demonstrated,the interfacial interaction between the graphene and the starch isnot evident for hydrogen bonding, thus pointing to other noncovalentinteractions that are more thermodynamically favored.72Further evidence to support this observation canbe found at thepeak of 1640 cmBased on the overall findings, we conjecture a mechanismfor starch-stabilizedgraphene dispersions, as illustrated in 3–1. These findingsconclude that graphene without oxygen-rich functional groups can bedispersed in water, thus providing more insights into the preparationof environmental-friendly aqueous graphene dispersions. The combinationof these two excellent materials, graphene and starch, in the aqueousdispersion provides tremendous opportunities for packaging applications.Aqueousgraphene dispersions were prepared using starch nanoparticlesas a dispersing agent. The effectiveness of these starch nanoparticleswas mainly dependent on the initial starch concentration and sonicationtime. The optimal concentration between starch and graphene was identifiedat 20 times more starch than graphene and the sonication time of 30min. The obtained starch–graphene sheets were mainly few-layergraphene in the size range of 3.2 μm with a relatively low amountof defects. At the nanoscale, the topographical images of the starch–graphenesheets confirmed that starch nanoparticles decorated on the graphenesurface with a height around 5 nm. These starch nanoparticles on thegraphene surface provided steric repulsion against the attractivevan der Waals forces acting on adjacent graphene sheets and consequentlyextended the dispersion stability for up to 1 month. Moreover, thestarch–graphene interaction revealed that the graphene inhibitedthe ability of starch to retain water. The reduced starch–waterinteraction was reflected in the substantial changes to the C—O—Hvibrational modes of starch at 995 cm44.1Graphene powderswere purchased from Avanzare Innovacion Tecnologica, S.L. . This graphene grade is an RGO with a low oxygen content (<1.5%),as provided by the supplier. Unmodified corn starch powder (S4126)containing 27% amylose and 73% amylopectin was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich.Milli-Q water was used for all the aqueous dispersions.4.2The starch nanoparticles were prepared from nativecorn starch via gelatinization and ultrasonication. In general, allaqueous suspensions of starch powder in the concentration range of0.5–20 mg/mL were heated at 95 °C for 20 min under constantstirring at 1000 rpm. After the gelatinization step, the suspensionswere treated by ultrasonication  for 3 minand then cooled to room temperature. Subsequently, the suspensionswere centrifuged at 1500 rpm for 5 min, whereby the supernatants containingthe starch nanoparticles were extracted. After obtaining more clearstarch solutions, a fixed amount of 5 mg starting graphene powderwas added and then dispersed by ultrasonication. The optimal processingconditions of the starch–graphene dispersion were investigatedby varying both the initial starch concentration  and the ultrasonication time . The final starch–graphene dispersion was purifiedfrom residual graphene aggregates by centrifugation at 1000 rpm for10 min and then collecting the supernatant. The resulting graphenedispersion was used for all characterizations.4.3A =αlc. In this expression, the absorbance (A) is proportional to the attenuation coefficient (α),light path length (l), and the concentration (c). The unknown attenuation coefficient, α, for starch–graphenedispersions was extracted by plotting the absorbance per light pathlength at the wavelength of 660 nm, (A660/l) against the graphene concentration, c, and then reading the slope from a fitted linear regression.For this purpose, an aliquot of the starch–graphene dispersionwas serially diluted into six samples, from which the absorbance ofeach sample was measured. To find the graphene concentration in thesedilutions, a known volume of the aliquot was first dried in an ovenat 105 °C for 24 h. The remaining solid content from this aliquotwas weighed after cooling to calculate the total concentration ofboth the starch and the graphene, in which the graphene part was estimatedby TGAUV–visabsorption spectra were recorded in quartz cuvettes using a UV–visspectrophotometer (PerkinElmer LAMBDA 650). Each sample was dilutedby a factor of 100 and then equilibrated for 30 s prior to measurement.The concentration of graphene was determined from the optical absorbance,according to Beer–Lambert’s law 4.4TGA analysiswas performed in 70 μL alumina crucibles usinga thermogravimetric analyzer .The dried sample size varied between 0.5 and 1 mg for graphene and2–6 mg for starch. Each sample was equilibrated in an ovenat 105 °C for 24 h prior to measurements. The measurements wererecorded under a nitrogen atmosphere at a constant heating rate of10 °C/min.4.5Particlesize analysis was performed using a laser-diffraction-based particlesize analyzer with a Hydro SV measurement cuvette . Each wet sample was added to the cuvette under constantstirring at 500 rpm until the obscuration level reached 5–10%for the starch–graphene and starch granules, while below 5%for the starch nanoparticles. For each sample, a total of five measurementswere recorded and then averaged. The volume-weighed particle sizedistributions are calculated by the software using Mie theory. Inthe calculations, different optical properties were used for the graphene(refractive index of 2.73 and absorption of 1.36) and the starch .4.6The surface chargeof the starch–graphene sheets was determined using a Zetasizer. The starch–graphene dispersion was dilutedby a factor of 100 (∼0.01 mg/mL) and then equilibrated in afolded capillary cell for 30 s prior to measurements. A total of sixmeasurements were recorded with a minimum of 20 runs and then averaged.Each sample measured a pH of 6.8 using a standard lab bench pH meter.4.72 substrates. The substrates were cleanedby ultrasonication in ethanol for 5 min followed by rinsing with waterand finally oxygen plasma treatment for 1 min to increase the surfacewettability. For the STEM sample, the same starch–graphenedilution was drop-cast onto a 200-mesh copper grid and then driedunder ambient conditions overnight prior to imaging. All images werecaptured in both BF and dark field (DF) by the STEM detector at 10kV.The opticalimages of the starch morphology were captured on glass slides usinga reflected light microscope  equipped witha Nikon 50× microscope objective. High-resolution images of thestarch–graphene morphology were captured using an SEM/STEM. For the SEM samples, the starch–graphenedispersion was diluted by a factor of 100 and then spin-coated oncleaned Si/SiO4.82 substrates under the same conditionsas the SEM samples. For each sample, the Raman spectra were recordedusing the excitation wavelength of 532 nm and a low laser power of2.5 mW. The typical integration time was in the range of 2 s. Theacquired spectra of an area were then corrected for cosmic rays andthen averaged in the WITec Project 5.1 software . Finally, the baseline corrections were performed using thePeak Analyzer in the OriginPro 2020 software.Raman analysisof the starch–graphene sheets was performed using a WITec alpha300 system . The starch–graphene sheetsand the nonstabilized graphene reference were prepared via spin-coatingon cleaned Si/SiO4.9Topographicalimaging of the starch–graphene sheets was performed in thePeakForce tapping mode using a MultiMode 8 (Nanoscope V controller)atomic force microscope . The surface ofthe starch–graphene sheets was scanned using a cantilever ScanAsyst-Air(Bruker) with a nominal spring constant of 0.4 N/m and a nominal tipradius of 2 nm. For comparison with the starch–graphene sheets,the control samples of both a starch reference and a nonstabilizedgraphene reference were prepared under the same conditions. The graphenereference without starch was prepared in an aqueous solution of 70vol % ethanol to obtain partially suspended graphene. For each sample,25 μL of a dilution (by a factor of 100) was drop-cast on afreshly cleaved mica surface and then spin-coated at 3500 rpm for1 min.4.10–1 and then averaged. The average spectrawere baseline corrected and then deconvoluted by Gaussian fit in theOriginPro 2020 software.Spectroscopic analysis of the chemical interactions between grapheneand starch was performed using an FTIR spectrometer in the ATR mode. Dried samples were first equilibratedin an oven at 105 °C for 24 h prior to measurements. For eachsample, a total of 16 scans were collected at a resolution of 4 cm


We show that carbon recovery from polystyrene (PS) plastic is enhanced by the coaddition of solvents to grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by liquid injection chemical vapour deposition. Polystyrene was loaded up to 4 wt% in toluene and heated to 780 °C in the presence of a ferrocene catalyst and a hydrogen/argon carrier gas at a 1:19 ratio. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Raman spectroscopy were used to identify multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The PS addition in the range from 0 to 4 wt% showed improved quality and CNT homogeneity; Raman “Graphitic/Defective” (G/D) values increased from 1.9 to 2.3; mean CNT diameters increased from 43.0 to 49.2 nm; and maximum CNT yield increased from 11.37% to 14.31%. Since both the CNT diameters and the percentage yield increased following the addition of polystyrene, we conclude that carbon from PS contributes to the carbon within the MWCNTs. The electrical contact resistance of acid-washed Bucky papers produced from each loading ranged from 2.2 to 4.4 Ohm, with no direct correlation to PS loading. Due to this narrow range, materials with different loadings were mixed to create the six wires of an Ethernet cable and tested using iPerf3; the cable achieved up- and down- link speeds of ~99.5 Mbps, i.e., comparable to Cu wire with the same dimensions (~99.5 Mbps). The lifecycle assessment (LCA) of CNT wire production was compared to copper wire production for a use case in a Boeing 747-400 over the lifespan of the aircraft. Due to their lightweight nature, the CNT wires decreased the CO If carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are to be used for their lightweight and electrical conduction properties on a large/global scale , is therPlastic products synthesised from recycled plastics are often of inferior quality compared to freshly manufactured plastics, and are not feasible for the same applications. This results in fresh plastics having a wider range of uses, and therefore, holding greater economic value. Moreover, the recycling process is often thwarted by the inclusion of fillers, pigments, and flame retardants, for example. Additionally, mixed plastics and/or composite plastic products are also challenging or impossible to recycle unless separated. To overcome these problems, one can consider open-loop recycling by making new products other than plastic. The most prominent technique uses thermal pyrolysis to break down the long chain polymer molecules into smaller, less complex molecules  via the CNT growth from plastics is typically achieved using pyrolysis, whereby polymers such as polypropylene (PP) , polyethIn conducting a life-cycle analysis (LCA), one must consider the lifespan of the material from inception to application, with particular focus on its manufacturing, transformation, use, and disposal . The comThe energy cost associated with the high entropy and exergy of plastics reconstitution is often cited as the single biggest reason to avoid plastics feedstock, especially with respect to CNT growth. Moreover, this reason is used to justify the continued use of virgin hydrocarbons, despite the fact that CNT growth from these sources never accounts for the energy or material cost associate with purification and delivery of the refined feedstocks. Though this is true in terms of energy consumption, the longer-term challenge deals with the supply of virgin materials based on oil extraction before reaching a peak oil scenario. Before that point, it would be prudent to establish and develop the science and technology to use premade plastics, in all the states in which they are found ,21, espeHerein, we report that carbon from plastics can act as a feedstock for carbon nanotube growth by the upcycling of plastic to high-value materials via a chemical process. This can be considered a viable alternative to landfill and incineration. Environmental challenges exist from both liquid and solid hydrocarbons, so we applied toluene and PS as model materials.6H5CH3) Sigma Aldrich ) at 5 mL/h under a gas flow of 1 L/min using blended carrier gas having 5 vol% hydrogen in argon  into the two-zone horizontal furnace. The first zone, used for vapour formation was set to 225 °C; the second zone used for growth was set to 780 °C. MWCNTs were grown in a 100 cm long quartz tube with diameter of 38 mm . All reactions were carried out using a 20 gauge needle.The growth of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was carried out via catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CCVD) in a two-zoned horizontal furnace  liquid injection reactor (LIR), with full details described previously . In summ8H8)n, with a molecular weight of 6400 , was added to toluene in concentrations of 1, 2, and 4 wt% (w/w) using PS masses of 8.75, 17.5, and 35.00 mg, respectively. All reactions were carried out with a fixed catalyst ratio of ferrocene (5 wt% w/w) (98% (C10H10Fe) Sigma Aldrich ) with respect to the total reactant from toluene and/or toluene and polystyrene. Prior to each growth, the reactants were thoroughly mixed and degassed for 15 min using bath sonication. All materials were used as received without prior cracking or drying, and handled as described here [Polystyrene  was used to characterise the as-grown samples  using a FEI Talos 200X  Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) in high-resolution TEM mode, operating at 200 kV. The TEM samples were prepared by dipping holey carbon TEM grids into CNT powders. Fast Fourier transforms (FFT) of selected images were obtained to determine the materials’ atomic structures.Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) using a JEOL 7800F FEG  was used to corroborate the presence of MWCNTs . A small fraction of each sample was suspended in 3 mL ethanol, and 100 µL of the suspension was dried on the surface of a clean silicon wafer for imaging. The SEM was used at an operating voltage to 5 kV or below, with a working distance of ca. 10 mm. Diameters were measured using ImageJ .−1 and 3200 cm−1 Raman shift. The laser beam was focused by maximizing the G-peak intensity to confirm best z-height alignment of the beam between sample and detector. For each CNT sample, a Raman spectrum was acquired in three separate locations. All G/D values for that series were then averaged and reported along with the maximum G/D for that series and plotted in Figure 3. The Raman spectra also show background intensity in the region from 1400 cm−1 to 1475 cm−1 that is due to fluorescence in amorphous carbon [A Renishaw inVia Raman microscope  using a laser at 633 nm wavelength and 5% beam power was used for data acquisition between 100 cms carbon . Line inThermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA)   of the C3 + H2SO4 reflux , stripped away the amorphous carbon in addition to helping clear out the graphitic “onion” layers from the residual catalyst materials that would otherwise hinder iron from being digested [Due to presence of residual iron catalyst witnessed in the HRTEM images, an acid wash was used to remove excess iron to establish the CNT voltage drop. The oxidising acid wash, using equimolar HNOdigested ,31. NoteThin films were prepared using the “bucky-paper”  techniquElectrical resistance values were derived using Ohm’s law based on measured values of voltage drop at constant current in a range of values between 0 to 100 mA. The samples were measured along a 2 cm separation for all samples to ensure consistent path length. The carbon nanotube cables were comprised of CNT powders firmly packed into the sheath of heat shrink tubing. Copper wire was inserted into the CNT wire ends and compressed to ensure maximum contact with the Cu lead prior to heat shrinking the outer sheath. The Cu leads were then used to crimp into pins and inserted into retail purchased RJ45 connectors  for testing as ethernet cable. Quantification of the CNT ethernet cable was conducted using iPerf3 . The cable was directly connecting two computers, both running the same Windows 10 OS update, going from a Realtek 8125B 2.5 G LAN adapter  capable for two-way traffic (server) to an Intel Killer E3100X LAN adapter  as the client; both were capable of transfer speeds up to 2500 Mbps, ensuring that the CNT cable could perform without being bottlenecked. A standard 10 s/10 run test was performed to both authenticate the data transfer and measure the transfer speeds from the server (uplink) to the client (downlink). The test was repeated for statistical accuracy and the results recorded for further discussion.2 uptake) V1.00”. In the following LCA, the CO2 emissions  are expressed as CO2 equivalent (CO2 eq.) for the extraction, production, transport, use and end of life phases of CNT and copper wires. They were compared in the use case of electrical wiring in a standard Boeing 747-400 aircraft. This study includes analyses of both the environment impact of the manufacturing of CNT wires compared to Cu wire, and of the effect these wires have over the lifespan of a 747 in terms of CO2 generation from fuel consumption.An LCA was conducted using Simapro 9.1 with Ecoinvent 3.6 as database using the method “IPCC 2013 GWP 100a , we easily identified CNTs based on their tangled nature and long morphology . The catMost of the CNTs displayed a relatively tortuous path once deposited on the SEM stubs for imaging. In the control samples, the average diameter was found to be 43.0 nm +/−15.2 nm (Std. Dev). Interestingly, at low PS (1 wt%) concentration, the CNT diameters decreased with a concurrent smaller distribution, resulting in MWCNTs with 39.4 nm +/−14.5 nm average diameter. However, increased PS content led to increased diameters and greater standard deviations. The diameter increase can be accounted for by the increased carbon concentration in the feedstock.Raman spectroscopy is commonly used to measure and characterise the fingerprint peaks associated with MWCNTs A. It can−1 range due to the tangential displacement of C–C bond stretching, effectively indicating the density of the sp2 hybridized carbons atoms that existed in the CNT lattice, and along the circumferential direction of the nanotube. However, the D-peak, or Disorder mode, observed at 1290–1330 cm−1, represented the conversion of carbon centres from sp2 to sp3 hybridisation states, as can occur due to a break in the symmetry of the graphite plane [3 carbon atoms. sp3 carbon atoms can arise for several reasons relating to the broken symmetry of the graphitic structure. For this reason, the D-peak is used to identify defects in the CNT structure; it is not that the CNTs are themselves defective, but that they have imperfections within their body. A third fingerprint peak is also evident in The representative spectra for all four conditions exhibited G- and D-peaks associated with the presence of MWCNTs A. In thete plane . Therefo−1 occurred due to the fluorescence of amorphous carbon and line integration in that region was used to compare amorphous carbon concentrations between samples [The spectral background intensity in the range 1400–1475 cm samples ,37. A bo samples  . TGA data based on the oxidization, and subsequent mass loss at temperatures between 400–600 °C, were characteristic of MWCNTs . The resBased on the aforementioned observations that increased PS loading, and therefore higher carbon density samples, yield MWCNT with wider walls  with low2O3 and Fe3O4 catalytic nanoparticles. The oxide form was anticipated because the reaction chamber was not first pumped down; therefore, it is likely that some amount of oxygen was resident in the chamber despite the fact the system had been flushed with concentrated argon in advance of each reaction.The CNT growth mechanism comprised a multistep process involving the formation of catalysts, the decomposition of carbon sources, and the reconstitution of carbon to a nanotube structure. This process began with the in situ decomposition of ferrocene, i.e., dissociation of the cyclopentadienyl rings sandwiched about the Fe core to render a mixture of FeThe iron agglomerated and formed different sized structures ranging from nanoparticles to microparticles. These iron particles acted as catalytic surfaces known to catalytically cleave the C-H bonds in hydrocarbon reactants such as cyclopentadienyl, polystyrene plastics, and toluene. The lifetime and activity of the catalyst was maintained by using a constant flow of hydrogen in the gas stream that simultaneously reduced the metal, making it active for carbon cracking, and attracted errant carbon moieties that might otherwise have saturated the catalyst, leading to coking and eventual catalyst poisoning. Complete control over CNT products is highly challenging because of catalysts are highly structure-sensitive  materialA mechanistic understanding of carbon nanotube growth suggests that carbon in the form of C2 ,44,45 enToluene decomposition compliments CNT growth from plastics in two distinct ways. Firstly, liquid phase dissolutions allows for sonication and, though resulting cavitation, assists the PS decomposition by decreasing the PS molecular weight . Then, iPS is a conjugated aromatic polymer structure that can be decomposed by scissioning the conjugated chain into the styrene monomer units via H* attack . H* origCarbon from the cyclopentadienyl could also contribute to the carbon of the CNT . Cyclopew/w), i.e., 2.4 Ω compared to R = 0.6 Ω with the control. Although these values are generally higher than that of copper, the mass difference between carbon and copper make these materials an attractive alternative to copper once the I2R losses are improved, especially since their lightweight nature is critical. Moreover, it is likely that our attempt to remove contributions from catalyst particles [In all cases, the voltage increased linearly with current, indicating ohmic resistance of the CNT films. As a reference, the electrical resistance of a retail piece of copper tape was measured by the same procedure. The electrical resistance of the CNT samples was found to be in the range of 2.4 to 4.4 Ω. This is two orders of magnitude higher than that of the copper reference sample. On average, the use of PS increased electrical resistance . Howeverarticles ,57 (usedBy quantifying the uplink and downlink speed of a CNT ethernet cable A using i2 is created (2 generation (2 emissions of 545 metric Tonnes (Te), compared to making 1519.6 kg of copper wire, which generated 12 Te of CO2; this is nearly 45 times more CO2 just from the manufacturing of CNT cables compared to Cu wires  compared to making an equivalent length of Cu wire from an industrial process? Moreover, what carbon saving could be achieved on account of a lighter aircraft over its typical lifespan, and where is the breakeven point for using CNT wires instead of Cu wire? For every 1 kg of CNT powder, 1.58 kg of CO created , largelyneration . Using tCu wires A. Howevemissions . 2 emissions exist, such as (but not limited to) freshwater eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity, marine ecotoxicity and stratospheric ozone depletion. When the normalised sum [Other environmental factors aside from COised sum  of these2 emissions would decrease comparatively . Due to the lightweight nature of CNT wires compared to heavier Cu wires, over the life span of the aircraft , the use of CNT wires decreases the carbon footprint by 21 kTe per plane. Moreover, given the fact that 694 craft were delivered between 1989 and 2009 [2 reduction could be projected for the 747-400 fleet. This projection demonstrates how the use of lightweight carbon wire technologies could create positive impact towards solving global CO2 grand challenges.Using CNT wires would make a Boeing 747-400 series 6% lighter; this saving would improve fuel efficiency, such that after just 2585 h of flight-time, overall COratively C. This sand 2009  a total w/w). Samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). MWCNT diameters were found to increase with greater PS concentrations due to carbon from PS incorporating into the MWCNTs. Quality was measured using Raman spectroscopy. The maximum Raman G/D values both increased and the range of mean values narrowed due to the presence of higher quality products, with greater homogeneity at greater PS concentration. This synthesis method improved MWCNT quantity without incurring a measurable loss in quality. Due to the electrical nature of MWCNTs, a MWCNT ethernet cable was produced, which found to have ~99.5 Mbps uplink and downlink speeds, i.e., comparable to those of Cu wires of similar diameter. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of the MWCNT wires made using PS suggested that the electricity powering the CVD furnace represented the largest impact. Moreover, the LCA determined that over the lifespan of a single Boeing 747-400, the use of MWCNTs wires would decrease CO2 production by 21 kTe due to the lightweight nature of MWCNTs which is projected to reduce 14,574 kTe CO2 footprint across the entire fleet of 747-400 aircraft. This projection demonstrates how a plastic circular economy making lightweight energy transmission carbon cables can impact global grand challenges.Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were grown using liquid injection chemical vapour deposition (CVD) at 780 °C using ferrocene catalyst particles to obtain carbon from ferrocene, toluene and polystyrene (PS) at various PS concentrations, i.e., from 1 to 4 wt% (Two patents have been filed from this work. A.H. and A.O.W. filed: PROCESS FOR REUSE OF PLASTIC THROUGH THE CONVERSION TO CARBON NANOMATERIALS United States Patent Application 20190375639; T.Y. and A.O.W. filed: CABLES AND METHODS THEREOF United States Patent Application 20210158995.