Research activity on ceramic/graphene composites and hybrids has increased dramatically in the last decade. In this review, we provide an overview of recent contributions involving ceramics, graphene, and graphene-related materials  with a primary focus on applications. We have adopted a broad scope of the term ceramics, therefore including some applications of GRM with certain metal oxides and cement-based matrices in the review. Applications of ceramic/graphene hybrids and composites cover many different areas, in particular, energy production and storage , energy harvesting, sensors and biosensors, electromagnetic interference shielding, biomaterials, thermal management (heat dissipation and heat conduction functions), engineering components, catalysts, etc. A section on ceramic/GRM composites processed by additive manufacturing methods is included due to their industrial potential and waste reduction capability. All these applications of ceramic/graphene composites and hybrids are listed and mentioned in the present review, ending with the authors’ outlook of those that seem most promising, based on the research efforts carried out in this field. Outcomes about composite materials fabricated by additive manufacturing methods that emphasize applications deserved a separate section because they offer interesting flexibility and potential for novel device development.The number of patents filed in the subject (ceramic + graphene + composites) has experienced an evolution quite similar to that of research articles b but obvThe increasing demand for portable electronic devices and electric vehicles has generated enormous research efforts to improve specific capacity, energy density, cycling performance and safety of batteries used in energy storage systems. One of the recent strategies to address these challenges involves incorporating GRM into battery components for improved electrochemical performance due to graphene´s excellent electrical and thermal conductivities, lightweight, high specific surface area and superior mechanical strength . The pri2, LiFePO4, or LiMnO2, exhibiting theoretical specific capacities in the range 100–300 mA·h·g−1, and transition metal oxides and metal chalcogenides structures in which Li-ion can be intercalated, giving specific capacitance of 100–200 mA·h·g−1 . . 2O3@SiOAs shown in 3O4 composites after oxidation at 600 °C for 2 h. Graphene@magnetic np were proposed to decrease impedance mismatch between the air and the graphene material, and simultaneously increase the magnetic loss. The SiBCN/rGO@Fe3O4 composite processed by PDC technology showed excellent EM properties with minimum RC of −43.8 dB and EAB of 3.4 GHz; after oxidation at 600 °C, the composites exhibited better EM wave absorption, where the RC decreases to −66.2 dB and EAB increases to 3.7 GHz in X-band. Besides, the composites were stable at high temperatures (up to 1100 °C) in both argon and air, owing to the protecting effect of the ceramic matrix around the rGO@Fe3O4 inclusions.Despite the number of current studies on the outstanding EM performance of ceramic/graphene composites, analysis on high-temperature EM properties are scarcer, because of graphene’s poor stability, particularly above 600 °C in oxygen-rich atmospheres. However, there are some recent studies ,200,201,−3) and SE of ~19 dB, with corresponding specific shielding effectiveness (SE divided by density) of 29 dB·cm3·g−1. A SiC protective coating over SiBCN/GF composites slightly increased SE to 20.8 dB, which remained practically unchanged up to 1100 °C (93% SE at RT) [3 (specific SE of 33.8 dB cm3·g−1). The porous structure ensured the penetration of incident EM waves and facilitated dissipation by multiple reflections.Structures with a large specific area and many interfaces, such as foams, multicomponent systems or other hierarchical structures can also enhance SE. Accordingly, some attempts have been done on 3D graphene aerogels and foams due to their high porosity (lightweight), large specific surface area (increases the number of reflections and scatterings) and improved dispersion of graphene sheets, which yields longer pathways for rapid attenuation of EM wave. Moreover, these 3D graphene structures have excellent mechanical characteristics such as compression/recovering capability. Finally, they offer the possibility of anchoring different nanoparticles/nanowires to the graphene surface, for further increases of the impedance matching and interfacial polarization, and to promote additional synergistic loss effects . LightweE at RT) . In a diE at RT) , giving E at RT)  developenw) that displayed an outstanding EM wave absorption ability with an RC of−69.3 dB for 3 wt.% rGO. This high value was attributed to the conductive network, SiCnw stacking faults and rGO defects. Recently, Song et al. [nw composites in which SiCnw (2.29 wt.%) and rGO (0.5 wt.%) overlapped, forming a conductive pathway that significantly enhanced dielectric property and EM absorption characteristic, even at high temperatures and in harsh environments. The minimum RC was −42.02 dB at a thickness of 3.6 mm with a corresponding EAB of 4.2 GHz. Permittivity increased with temperature up to 400 °C because of the enhanced charge carrier density, and decreased above that temperature due to rGO oxidation attaining at 600 °C a minimum RC of −39.13 dB with an EAB that covered the entire X-band. The SiBCN/rGO-SiCnw composite maintained good EMW absorption properties after oxidation at 900 °C, with a minimum RC of −10.41 dB. On the other hand, SiCN/rGO-CNT composites were obtained from a single-source precursor containing chemically bonded GO-CNT hybrids [2O4/rGO nanoparticles by simple hydrothermal and freeze-drying routes. The amount of Co2+ and Fe3+ allowed adjusting the permittivity of the CoFe2O4/rGO hybrids that achieved RC of −38 dB and EAB of 5.9 GHz for a thickness of 2.2 mm. Enhanced absorption performance was achieved for a CoFe2O4/rGO hybrid coated with wave-transparent material lithium–aluminum–silicate (LAS) glass-ceramics by the sol-gel method 3O4@LAS/rGO composites with extraordinary electromagnetic wave absorption performance have been developed [3O4 nanospheres (200 nm) attached by LAS nanoparticles and distributed among the graphene sheets. The EM performance depended on the LAS content, reaching for the Fe3O4/LAS molar ratio of 1/0.2, RC values of −65 dB at 12.4 GHz with a thickness of 2.1 mm and the EAB with RC values less than −10 dB (over 90% EM wave absorption) was up to 4 GHz. Compared to Fe3O4/rGO composites, the addition of LAS significantly enhanced the absorption effect of the material in the X-band and Ku-band (8–18 GHz) and accordingly the thickness of the sample decreased.Regarding graphene-based multi-component systems, Han et al.  reportedg et al.  combined hybrids . For the hybrids  synthesieveloped  from Fe3−3) hierarchically ordered aerogels of rGO wrapped SiC whiskers with high microwave absorption performance were developed , p-nitrophenol and rhodamine B (Fe3O4/rGO/NiO). The large surface area, adsorptive efficiency and numerous catalytic active sites provided by rGO enhanced the degradation of these dyes. Interestingly, all works reported until now have selected GO as the source of graphene-based catalyst, in part attributed to its lower production costs, which are often chemically or thermally reduced to rGO to improve the carrier mobility and electrocatalytic properties.Initial works on ceramic/graphene composite catalysts were published in 2015 by Vinothkannan et al.  and Zhao3O4/rGO  and Fe3O/rGO/NiO  composit2Fe4O9 (BFO), TiO2 or BiVO4/SiO2 has considerably improved those processes. For example, a BFO/5 wt.% rGO composite increased the degradation efficiency of methyl violet solutions [2/graphene composites, Li et al. [2/8 wt.% of rGO composite loaded onto honeycomb ceramic plates via the sol-gel method showed excellent performance for removing clothianidin in pesticide wastewaters. Salem et al. [2/rGO decorated onto mullite rods to recover wastewaters contaminated by the cationic dye. Trinh et al. [4/SiO2/GO nanocomposites by the hydrothermal method, and reported a much higher efficiency for methylene blue removal than the plain ceramics due to the considerably augment of the specific surface area and pore size promoted by GO sheets. There is currently a new line in the catalysis research area that looks for embedding the catalytic species into 3D printed structures because the control over the size, shape and porosity of the structures, as can be seen in The addition of rGO to photocatalytic ceramics like Biolutions , which ai et al.  found thm et al.  developeh et al.  synthesi2/Pd-Ag composites by combining hydrothermal and photo-deposition processes. The degradation of rhodamine B and methylene blue under ultraviolet light irradiation was favored by rGO sheets, which behaved as an electrically conductive pathway for the photogenerated electrons and also as a good adsorbent for organic dye molecules. Similarly, enhanced catalytic performance for the degradation of methyl orange was reported by Wang et al. [2/rGO composite catalyst.Regarding metal-containing catalysts, Khojasteh et al.  producedg et al.  using an2 nanosheets decorated on rGO. The composite containing 20 wt.% of rGO exhibited a superior and more stable electrochemical HER performance than the monolithic material. In fact, the rGO improved the electrical conductivity and accelerated the electron transfer process, which led to smooth and superior kinetics. Zhang et al. [2/MoS2/1 wt.% GO photocatalysts. Hanniet et al. [Ceramic/graphene catalysts have recently been employed in a new application as the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this way, Mondal et al.  synthesig et al.  obtainedt et al.  developeBioceramics have long been used in bone tissue engineering (BTE) applications ,227. DueOwing to their nanoscale size, excellent mechanical properties, good electrical conductivity, large specific surface area, tunable surface functionalities, photoluminescence properties, high biocompatibility and antibacterial activity, GRM possess enormous potential in biomedicine for BTE, drug and gene delivery, biosensors, bioimaging applications, antibacterial agents, and photothermal therapies ,229,230.−1 might inhibit proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells). On the other hand, graphene’s potential toxicity may be decreased through functionalization and compounding with other materials, as the potential to penetrate the cell membrane would be reduced. Many recent studies have been conducted to investigate the potential toxicity of GRM in their interaction with cells and tissues, in vitro and in vivo experiments, that being a critical issue in order to identify suitable candidates for clinical applications, see reviews [Despite the advantages in the bone repair application, some concerns remain about potential toxicity and possible in vivo residues. Current studies demonstrate that toxicity depends on graphene size, being bigger for smaller sizes (<100 nm) than larger ones (>400 nm), and concentration 2·4H2O and (NH4)2HPO4 precursors and a dispersed GO water solution, and a biomimetic approach consisting of two soaking steps in pH-controlled environments: first, a supersaturated SBF solution to promote nuclei formation, and second, a chemically modified solution to encourage the crystallization and growth of apatite nuclei. In the HA/GO nanocomposites processed via sol–gel, spindle-like nanoparticles of HA were strongly bonded to the GO surface by means of Ca2+ ions that attached to the oxygen functional groups on GO. This biocomposite showed enhanced cell viability (hMSC), and induced osteoblastic differentiation without using osteogenic factors. For composites obtained by the biomimetic route, an amorphous calcium phosphate coating formed on GO sheets; these biocomposites also sustained cell viability and proliferation, but the expression of alkaline phosphatase activity was hindered.On the other hand, biomineralized HA nanocrystals/GO composites were produced by two different methods ; namely,The feasibility of rGO hydrogels as artificial barrier membranes for guided bone regeneration was demonstrated by Lu et al. . This mel-lactic-co-glycolic acid)/HA/GO by electrospinning. The role of the polymer component (PLGA) was to provide a uniform and smooth nanofibrous 3D porous substrate with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradation properties, while GO enhanced the tensile strength and conductivity of the substrate, and HA improved the biocompatibility. Zhao et al. [3)2 and K2HPO4 aqueous solution was added to a solution of CS in acetic acid, and mixed with a GO suspension; finally, the CS/nano-HA/GO scaffolds were obtained by treating with an alkaline solution. On the other hand, a 3D porous CS/nano-HA/carbon scaffold was developed by in situ depositing HA nanoparticles on the porous carbon surface and immersion in chitosan solution before freeze-drying [2 and H3PO4 (Ca/P  =  1.66) solutions were added, then the resulting nHAC powder was collected by centrifugation and freeze-dried. This powder was added into the PLGA/GO solution, stirred and ultrasonicated for 4 h before the last freeze-drying. In another wok, the porous carboxymethyl chitosan/nano-HA/GO composite was prepared by chemical crosslinking, lyophilization and afterwards, ultrasonic washing [Organic/inorganic multicomponent hybrids of GO and HA and biopolymers  have also been developed to achieve good cytocompatibility and better hydrophilic and mechanical properties ,247,248.o et al.  prepared washing . Luo et  washing .Usually, graphene needs to undergo some functionalization before using in composites, scaffolds, coatings, membranes or injectable hydrogels. Properties like dispersibility and hydrophilicity can be considerably enhanced by different functional groups, thus improving the bone repair capability and the binding ability to active substances ,251. The5(PO4)2SiO4, previously synthesized by a sol-gel method. In vitro studies demonstrated the deposition of a layer of needle-like amorphous apatite with alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium deposition and osteogenic differentiation ability. The composite showed no toxicity in HUVEC  culture medium and significantly promoted cell proliferation.A recent work by Udduttula et al.  achievedMuch more complex systems that incorporate osteogenesis-inducing drugs, peptides, proteins and anti-bacterial agents have also been developed, aiming at further improving the performance of the scaffold ,255. For3 or Al-doped ZnO are used in thermoelectric-based coolers for electronic devices and batteries, then, although they could be listed in this section, they have been referred to in Many important applications of ceramic materials are linked to thermal properties and heat transfer subjects. Ceramic materials for heat dissipation and thermal management require the assistance of different properties such as electrical insulation and high thermal conductivity. However, ceramics directed to thermal insulation issues generally require very low values of both density and thermal conductivity. In any case, high thermal and mechanical stabilities remain critical attributes. Examples of thermal management use include substrates and heat sinks for light-emitting diodes (LED), computer processors and power electronic devices, as well as heat shields for automotive and aerospace applications. Thermal applications of ceramic/graphene composites also include capsules for infiltration of phase change materials (PCM) used in thermal energy storage systems; in the case of cement-based composites, these uses are reviewed in Within the low thermal conductivity ceramics, we can refer to aerogels and porous materials used as thermal insulation and flame retardants in buildings, motor and aerospace vehicles. In particular, low thermal conductivity materials and coatings have become essential in thermal barrier applications for gas turbines and in thermal protection systems (TPS) of Reusable Launch Vehicles for nose, wings and fin leading edges, where high reentry temperatures (900–1200 °C) and mechanical loads develop. −1⋅K−1, respectively, and remarkable properties like good mechanical strength and high electrical conductivity, which are critical for certain applications. GRM are considered ideal nano-inclusions for tuning the heat transfer performance of ceramics ,257 becaHeat generation in power electronics is a critical matter because a rise in the device temperature can degrade its performance and even cause its failure. In thermal management applications, GRM are either integrated into the device architecture or added as filler. According to recent reviews ,258,259,2O3 foams that display ultralow sheet electrical resistance (0.11 Ω·sq−1) and improved thermal conductivity (8.28 W⋅m−1⋅K−1) [2O3/graphene foam still maintained a κ value of 2.39 W⋅m−1⋅K−1 with a latent heat of 38 J⋅g−1, indicating great potential for heat transfer purposes, especially for heat sink and thermal energy storage applications [2O3 and AlN ceramics, 2O3 showed better adhesion than those obtained by conventional CVD, while delamination was detected for the AlN/graphitic coating structures. The developed structures presented sufficient thermal mass and superior thermal conductivity, 1000 W⋅m−1⋅K−1 for the in-plane and 6 W⋅m−1⋅K−1 for the cross-plane directions, measured for a 6 μm thin layer by the time-domain thermo-reflectance method [2O3 was significantly better than the displayed by AlN substrates, showing 54-fold greater resistor failure time. Besides, there was a delay in the temperature rise that helped prevent thermal shock.Examples of ceramic/graphene materials for thermal management applications, include architectures consisting of a CVD graphene coating on porous Alm−1⋅K−1) . The incications . Howevere method . The the2O3 particles , ~72 times higher than that of the epoxy matrix. Highly efficient thermal conductivity composites that maintain electrical insulation have been developed for TIM application by using aligned graphene or boron nitride sheets . The APCarticles b. The thvity TIM ,267 becavity TIM  describe2O3 nanoparticles on 3D graphene templates, showed very low density, superelastic response, structural robustness, high electrical conductivity, good thermal stability, flame-retardant quality and good thermal insulation (0.05 W⋅m−1⋅K−1).Depending on the graphene ordering within diverse porous structures , hybrids can be used not only for enhancing thermal conduction but also for developing advanced insulating materials . DifferiGraphene coatings have been used to modify carbon fibers (CF) in mullite/CF composites, in order to improve its oxidation resistance and avoid deterioration of the electro-thermal functioning under heating . The proAblative TPS are considered a suitable choice for aerospace applications in those cases where full heat exposure occurs for a short time . Major c2O3-Al2O3-SiO2 system) coatings containing GNP (1 wt.%) on SiC and SiC/CF substrates using a simple and feasible thermal spraying method  inferred non-conventional crack-bridging mechanisms that combined stretching, debonding, sliding and pull-out of the piled graphene layers [4C/GNP (1.5 wt.%) composite, fabricated by SPS, was significantly better than the displayed by two comparable commercial ceramic armors ; actually, the penetration depth for a bullet speed of 818 m·min−1 decreased by ~45% [4C/GNP ceramic armor target plate tested. Despite graphene may obviously contribute to the development of new lightweight and mechanical resistant materials for ballistic applications, works on this subject are rare [Fracture toughness has received specific attention as represents one of the most limiting factors for ceramics application. In particular, significant toughness increases have been reported for low graphene contents when a good filler dispersion within the matrix was guaranteed. Toughening mechanisms have been widely studied and, recently, in-situ observations of crack propagation in ceramic composites  cutting tools containing 0.4 wt.% GNP for continuous dry turning of Inconel 718. This composite showed enhanced mechanical properties and decreased friction between the insert and workpiece on dry reciprocating sliding tests. Based on these results, Inconel 718 was then machined with the composite cutting tool at ultra-high speed using a turning center and dry conditions. The cutting tools exhibited high abrasive wear resistance and better cutting performance than commercial sialon cutting tools, as a direct consequence of the graphene additions.Chen et al.  develope2/0.15 wt.% GO composites for dental implants should be mentioned. The materials were tribologically tested against GCr15 steel bearings using artificial saliva lubrication to simulate the teeth operating conditions. For that purpose, a reciprocating motion with a frequency of 2 Hz was selected, applying a load of 30 N for reproducing chewing forces. Results indicated that GO additions decreased both the friction coefficient and the wear rate. Besides, the composite was biocompatible and promoted cell proliferation. Balazsi et al. [3N4/multilayer graphene (5 wt.%) and SiC/multilayer graphene (2 wt.%) composite pins, respectively, tested against SiC seal rings. In both cases, noticeable reductions of the friction coefficient and wear rate were mutually reported. The water lubrication produced mixed lubrication conditions where the contact pressures decreased and the contact area increased. The water film between the surfaces jointly with the carbon-based tribofilm induced the better tribological response of these composites for seal face components. The tribological performance under isooctane lubrication of different ceramic/graphene composites were chosen to simulate the conditions attained in gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines [3N4/GNP composites containing 20.6 vol.% GNP [Regarding lubricated tribological applications, the work of Zhang et al.  on 3Y-Zri et al.  and Zhani et al.  analyzed engines . It is wol.% GNP  reduced −1) for electrolytic decomposition but significantly enhanced the damping behavior of the YSZ/GNP composite The use of GRM produces very high strength-to-weight ratios in highly porous ceramic/graphene structures, which have unique damping and superelastic responses, and show good prospects for applications in dissipation of impact energy and vibration protection systems, as well as for acoustic insulation . For exa−1 in the ice growth direction) was produced. The local disruption of the graphene network by crack formation and propagation led to a measurable increase (~0.1 mV) of voltage (constant current) in notched bend bars for very small crack propagations (~10 μm). On the other hand, an improvement of the fiber/matrix interfacial bonding of CF composites used as piezoresistive SHM sensors was achieved by growing GO on the surface of CF, these sensors were tested in aerospace, military and civil engineering use [SHM sensors are crucial in detecting stress/strain data in diverse structures to avoid overloads that might lead to breakdown or collapse of the entire structure. Picot at al.  demonstrring use ,291.Cement-based composites (CBC) , the most used materials in construction, display enhanced mechanical properties and damping capability by GRM additions ,293,294.2+ ions. Accordingly, modifications of these fillers  have been proposed to moderate these effects and achieve better mechanical performance. Using any of those modifications, varied mechanical enhancements were reported, for example, increases of compressive (~56%) and flexural strengths (77%) for polycarboxylate-modified GO fillers [The main concerns regarding GO nano-reinforcements for CBC are their possible agglomeration, the reduction of the fluidity of the cement paste due to GO water absorption, and the crosslinking of GO with Ca fillers , a reinf fillers , or impr fillers .Different graphene sources have been recently proposed to avoid some of the problems associated to GO; besides GNP, some authors have tried electrochemically exfoliated (EE) graphene  or multiIn addition to the enhanced mechanical performance, CBC/graphene composites can be used for improving the efficiency of energy consumption in buildings, as well as for SHM self-sensing and de-icing applications ,312,313.Some target application areas according to the review paper by Tian et al.  are seisPisello et al.  investigDimov et al. combined graphene with concrete by mixing water-graphene dispersions with ordinary Portland cement, fine dry sand, and 10 mm coarse aggregate . The higThe enhanced damping capability in CBC by GRM additions ,293,294 Regarding energy consumption efficiency, GRM additions to common phase change materials used in cement have been reported  to increRecently, GO has shown its effectiveness in achieving a cementitious mixture for 3D printing applications. The printable cementitious mixture was fabricated from ordinary Portland cement, industrial waste materials, GO, and chemical additives. GO improved the printability, the fresh mechanical properties and after 28 days curing as well (compression strength of 125 MPa), signaling this route as a viable method for 3D fabrication of a wide range of engineered cementitious materials for civil and construction applications, which is a promising novel manufacturing technology for reducing cost in the use of cement materials .To summarize, GRM can be used to promote construction sustainability with the following potential contributions: less cement consumption, greatly improved mechanical properties, promoting innovative architectural and lighter structural designs, excellent permeability resistance due to low porosity, high early strength that can reduce construction cycle times, energy consumption efficiency and additional interesting functionalities like self-sensing of early damage, damping, de-icing, and even ultra-strong EMI shielding, and fire resistance ability due to the higher thermal conductivity.The outcomes in this topic have received a notable impulse in recent years owing to the notable expansion of 3D printing methods and the noteworthy effects of graphene type inclusions in ceramic composites ,320. Thee was demonstrated owing to the log-pile design of the 3D structure and the reported GNP alignment during printing. Conversely, the compressive strength of the 3D structures decreased with GNP content due to the observed porosity increase. The importance of rod-to-rod contact resistance in determining the electrical conductivity of these structures was noted using modeling tools that were claimed to be applicable to address other properties of the structures [3D SiC/GNP composite structures with variable contents of GNP (5–20 vol.%) were processed by DIW from water-based composite inks, displaying electrical conductivity that increased with GNP additions. Directional response of σructures . −1 and 200 MPa (50 h), respectively [Other authors reported an alternative method for fabricating these composites consisting of DIW of GNP using ethylene glycol butyl ether and ethanol media, followed by CVI with a SiC precursor (methyltrichlorosilane) to form structured composites. As a result, β-SiC grains nucleated between the sheets of the graphene filling the voids and also formed a dense SiC rim on the filaments for the longer CVI times. The electrical conductivity and compressive strength in these composites increased with infiltration time (up to 50 h) and graphene concentration in the inks (25–50 wt.%) reporting maximum values of 3700 S⋅mectively .−1), even at high temperatures, particularly if the GO structure was previously reduced, as well as notable thermal resistance to direct flame and considerable mechanical strength (10 MPa). This kind of 3D composite was tested as supercapacitor electrodes (50.3 F⋅g−1 at 0.06 A⋅g−1) showing large capacity retention after 7000 cycles 3D composites of rGO and amorphous SiCN were also obtained through infiltration; in this case, GO scaffolds were first printed by DIW using aqueous inks and subsequently immersed in an organic-polysilazane liquid polymer, which after crosslinking and pyrolysis (800–1000 °C) formed the amorphous ceramic phase . The relUsing a different perspective, 3D SiOC ceramic structures were printed from preceramic polymers (a methyl silicone resin) with small GO amounts (<1 wt.%) to confer integrity to the structure and reduce contractions of the preceramic polymer during crosslinking and pyrolysis . In othe2O3 with GO (0.5–5 wt.%) additions were prepared by DIW from a mix of colloidal ink of different polyelectrolytes. The structures, treated at 1500 °C in Ar/H2 atmosphere for consolidation and reduction, proved their effectiveness as metal-free catalysts in various Paal-Knorr model reactions to synthesize substituted pyrroles, while maintained their structural integrity and the possibility of regeneration after use [Structured composites of Alfter use .−1 K−1) with respect to the PLA alone (~0.5 Wm−1 K−1). These composites were cryogenic milled and mixed with fumed silica for allowing processing by selective laser sintering into complex shapes with the aim of building enhanced heat dissipation devices for the electronic industry [By adding alumina powders (up to 70 wt.%) and GNP (maximum of 4 wt.%) to biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) and hot pressing, researchers developed PLA-alumina-graphene composites with enhanced thermal conductivity  xerogel notably enhanced the compressive strength of the rGO scaffolds (in the range 100–400 kPa), inducing a considerable capacity for water absorption as well, thus expecting their potential applications as absorber and pollutant removal [The development of 3D rGO scaffolds grafted with silica  removal , in all On the subject of biomaterials for bone tissue engineering applications, we can mention the use of DIW to create 3D mixed composites of the biodegradable polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) copolymer with hydroxyapatite powders and GNP (10–90 vol.% referred to HA), with maximum polymer contents of 10–40 vol.%, which solidify rapidly by the use of a convenient mixture of three solvents. These scaffolds were used for in vitro studies through mesenchymal stem cell seeding, reporting cell proliferation, although a clear neurogenic effect assumed by the conducting character of the scaffolds was not observed . In a di®) with different amounts of rGO  by DIW was reported using water as a solvent and carboxymethyl cellulose as a viscosity modifier, results indicated that optimal mechanical enhancement was achieved for the 1 vol.% rGO composite sintered at 500 °C [2O3, looking in this case for a magnetic functionality usable in hyperthermia therapy. Accordingly, β-TCP scaffolds were DIW using aqueous mixtures with polyvinyl alcohol, which were sintered at 1100 °C once conveniently dried. The scaffolds were subsequently immersed in Fe2O3-GO and GO solutions, repeating this process several times to achieve a layered Fe2O3-GO/GO microstructure on the β-TCP filaments. Results indicated that the magnetothermal effect induced in the scaffolds actually killed tumor cells and stimulated osteointegration as well [The printing of bioactive glass composition  and GO (contents from 5–20 vol.%) plus water with no other additives. The GO addition definitively made the geopolymer printable by DIW methods. The printed structures needed to set at a fixed temperature (5 °C) and humidity conditions prior to sintering at temperatures of 1000 °C, rendering conductive robust structures . A similNanoclay particles of laponite and GO sheets have been used to enhance printability and photothermal activity of the responsive hydrogel precursor N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm). A small amount of a photoinitiator was also added to the mixture. The suspensions were kept for one day in dark sealed containers before been ready for DIW. Researchers achieved multi-responsive hydrogels (to heat or light exposures), and predictable undulating shapes in the composites by using two dispensing pumps with slightly different compositions. Combinations of these composite hydrogels were employed to fabricate a microfluidic system feasible for biological and chemical uses .2 substrate (50 °C) to favor capillary bridging. The films were treated at 350 °C to nucleate ZnO and form multiple ZnO/GNP junctions; after testing for ultraviolet light (340 nm) detection, they proved better response than alike composites processed by other methods [3 detection with a reported enhanced overall performance compared to other sensors, with claimed repeatability and scalability based on the CMOS platform used [3-graphene hybrids alleging the plausible application to other metal oxide sensing materials.Several studies have recently been published on printed ZnO-graphene hybrids. We can mention first the inkjet printing of a mixture of ZnO powders and graphene flakes, using N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent, on micro-ridged PDMS substrate to achieve a highly stretchable and flexible strain sensor suitable for body sensing. The highest sensitivity for different strain levels was reported for the 1graphene:0.5ZnO ratio . In a di methods . On the orm used . The samnp/graphene system, researchers have fabricated a porous photodetector film by inkjet printing taking advantage of the different volatility of co-solvents and the change in surface tension by the graphene presence to create controlled microporosity in the films. The Ilight/Idark ratio of the composite films although small it proved larger than that of the pure ZnO film, and increased with porosity as well [Within the same ZnO  as well . 2O3-GNP were extrusion printed using a mixture of polymers, solvents and some water, this mixture settled at RT. The scaffolds were intended for applications in electronic devices, which researchers proved building different gadgets such as a magnet-driven toy car, a magnetic switch, or an electromagnetic interference shielding grit [Feing grit .3O4 nanosheets have been mixed with rGO to improve the electric conductivity of the oxide. The composites were achieved by reaction and precipitation of Mn salt and GO mixtures, and subsequent hydrothermal reduction. The composites showed higher specific capacitance than the counterparts and offered the possibility of been shaped by DIW methods [In the subject of electronic energy storage, efforts have been done for increasing the current density of supercapacitors; for that purpose, Mn methods . For achieving high-performance electrochemical devices some researchers have designed a hybrid system of a bimetallic nickel–cobalt sulfide (Ni–Co–S) and graphene with an architected structure achieved by DIW, aiming at increasing both, the accessibility to active redox sites and the pathways for the ion/electron transfer. To achieve printability characteristics, the precursors (NiCo synthesis product/GO) were mixed with sodium alginate to gain printability. The structures after freeze-drying, reduction and sulfurization, showed a highly interconnected microstructure and large capacity retention. As proof of concept a fully printed device for electrochemical energy storage was assembled (both electrodes) .4Ti5O12, LTO) and lithium iron phosphate , respectively. Both electrodes were consecutively printed by DIW on a glass substrate, freeze-dried and annealed at 600 °C in Ar/H2 for GO reduction, and accordingly tested in a planar battery electrochemical cell demonstrating high stability. The possibility of a miniaturized design of the cells was demonstrated in In the field of Li-ion batteries, it should be recognized the achievement of an interdigitated battery cell by printing of the anode and cathode using mixtures of GO with lithium titanium oxide (Li2/GO anode intended to accommodate the larger Na ions and larger volumes changes during the charge/discharge cycles. The method chosen was inkjet printing of a mixed ink of GO and a MoS2 precursor in combination with the freezing of the printed drops by cooling at −30 °C the substrate, later freeze-drying and annealing at 600 °C in Ar/H2 for GO reduction and preserving the porous nature. The electrochemical characterization indicated the potential of this 3D printed MoS2/rGO porous electrode for Na ion batteries [Regarding the future Na ion batteries, an attempt has been reported on the printing of a porous MoSatteries .Ceramic/graphene composites and hybrids are attractive alternatives for the fabrication of more efficient, lighter and compact batteries. Product commercialization will be a reality once relevant issues for large-scale production, i.e., facile and standardized synthesis routes, control of graphene agglomeration and reproducibility of homogeneous components, are solved. Equally, supercapacitor fabrication is one of the fields in which the whole potential of GRM composites can be successfully exploited in the near term. Further efforts are needed for application in electrodes for fuel cells to gain more knowledge on long operation times. In the case of solar cells, the actual development is at a research stage for a better understanding of the effects on charge transport mechanisms.Ceramic/graphene materials have shown good responses in energy harvesting but need to be combined with specific product designs to maximize efficiency. Nano and micro-generators are clean novel technologies but still in an early development stage, hence, more efforts will be necessary for the following years. These materials will be relevant for future portable and wearable devices.Graphene-based compounds and hybrids have clearly demonstrated improved overall performance as electrochemical sensors and biosensors for the detection of molecules biomolecules, bacteria and viruses, which has been the impetus for extensive research in this area. The benefits related to miniaturization and portability are also important goals. Control over manufacturing methods, scalability, and reliability are issues that need to be solved. The development of laboratory-scale detection devices has proven its feasibility and at the moment, market product development is a closer challenge, driven by the current global health juncture and also by crucial environmental issues.Despite the excellent results of ceramic/graphene composites in biomedicine, in-vivo experiments on the potential toxicity and possible residues are still required. Complex systems, in which osteogenesis-inducing drugs, peptides, proteins, and anti-bacterial agents are incorporated, emerge with great potential in the near future. Regarding engineering applications, we can mention the excellent tribological results attained at the lab scale for ceramic/graphene composites that will allow short-term testing in a number of real applications, particularly in cutting and machining operations, engine components, seal face parts and dental implants. The favorable effects of graphene on the short-crack and long-crack toughness, elasticity, strength and dynamic mechanical performance of ceramic materials opens an important area of scarcely explored applications, like impact and ballistic protection, vibration protection, damping and stress/strain self-monitoring. Research in this field is currently focused on cementitious materials with the first graphene reinforced concrete commercial product just announced. An increased effort is expected in the near future for high added-value applications of high-temperature ceramics. GRM has proved to be ideal nanofillers for tuning the heat transfer performance of ceramics. Investigation on the thermal performance of highly porous hierarchical multi-material structures at working conditions, including modeling, will be necessary for the applications of these composites in thermal management.EMI shielding is one of the most promising applications of ceramic/graphene composites as EMI pollution is an unsolved relevant issue for devices working at high temperatures and harsh environments. Targets in this subject include the development of hierarchical multicomponent structures using PDC and sol-gel precursor technologies. The good catalytic performance of both metal-free and metal-containing ceramic/graphene composites would favor new developments for efficient removal of larger number of chemical contaminants and also lead to a higher yield in hydrogen production in the next years.The outlook for additive manufacturing methods in relation to the industrial applications of ceramic/graphene composites is brilliant as they offer advantages such as precise computerized designs, miniaturization and multi-material 3D structures. Reductions of waste and toxic materials are opportunities of additive manufacturing methods in addition to the advantages of improved flexibility and integration, compared to other technologies. Particularly promising are the applications as bio-materials scaffolds, supercapacitors, batteries and sensors. Summarizing the application prospects for ceramic/graphene composites show varying degrees of development, as they include many different areas, some of them look quite real but future developments are very dependent on the availability of standardized GRM sources, the fair control over manufacturing methods, scalability and reliability, but also on external factors such as societal challenges, environmental and health issues.


Interpreters can either interpret from the first language (L1) to the second language (L), or in the other direction. Understanding translation and interpreting as a direction-dependent process contributes to a wider and more critical view regarding the role of both languages in the process, as well as the identity, perspectives, and preferences of translators. The effect of directionality primarily weighs on stimulus and individual factors. This study explores the impact of directionality on the performance of trainee interpreters by examining four critical aspects of quality in target speeches, namely: speech rate, information completeness, delivery, and quality of expression. We observed an advantage for L2-L1 over L1-L2 interpreting in the form of interpreting quality  but not in content . These effects of interpreting directionality suggest an important role of L2 proficiency in interpreting. Moreover, L1-L2 interpreting is cognitively demanding compared to L2-L1 interpreting for trainee interpreters. This research sheds light on the cognitive mechanisms of interpreting in different directions and provides pedagogical recommendations for training interpreters. Interpreting can differ in its directionality: it can be done from the interpreter’s first language (L1) into their second language (L2) or the other way around  which is a cognitively demanding multitask involving different cognitive processes . Therefore, it is of paramount difficulty to identify how directionality may serve as a modulator in CI. Previous studies found that directionality has some impact on lexical translation with an asymmetry effect, where L2-L1 translation or interpreting is more fluent than the reverse direction . The traMost CI or SI studies that go beyond lexical translation are confined to certain aspects of interpreters’ performance or interpreting quality, such as fluency , accuracvia their L1 equivalents, especially, in bilinguals with lower L2 proficiency. As a result of these asymmetries in word-concept relationships between L1 and L2, RHM predicts that L2-L1 translation or interpreting should be faster than that of L1-L2 at the lexical level  of bilingual language processing  proposesal level . RHM alsal level . Among tal level , or tranal level . Furtheral level . This inal level . As has As a window to biligual language processing, lexical translation (or word translation) tasks have been administered in different control settings to investigate the directionality effect on bilinguals and interpreters . Being tMany studies have confirmed that the asymmetry effect appears to decrease when the level of L2 proficiency increases, regardless of other factors in L1-L2 or L2-L1 translation or interpreting . In thisRegarding the investigations on the category of individual-level factors , a few studies have found evidence in support of the RHM hypothesis that the effect of directionality appears among unbalanced bilinguals or L2 learners. For instance, unbalanced bilinguals appear to have developed asymmetric relationships between category names . Poarch The asymmetry is also supported by behavioral and neuroscientific observations. Behaviorally, Translation and interpreting studies have explored the directionality effect under different settings, including regular translation practices , and intWith the aid of pen recording and eye-tracking techniques, Among novice interpreters, a number of studies on directionality effects found support for an L2-L1 advantage in interpreting. With regard to the language pair of Chinese (L1) and English (L2), participants of such studies include both professional interpreters  and studIn terms of individual factors, studies have found that the difference in professional interpreters’ performance appears to be the result of a combination of factors rather than just directionality, such as discourse structures and audience expectations . HoweverIn summary, regarding the impact of the individual-level factors on directionality, the studies have reported conflicting results. It remains unclear whether interpreters perform differently in different interpreting directions and to what extent directionality interacts with other factors including language proficiency, working memory, and translation expertise to make an impact on the interpreting performance.When considering stimuli-related variables, as per RHM and relevant studies testing the RHM hypothesis, word translation is found to be modulated by directionality; these stimuli-related effects may disappear as L2 proficiency increases, suggesting that the conceptual level has a role in both directions, while the lexical routes appear to operate asymmetrically  and 4 , as illustrated in Two independent raters separately scored all the enhanced CI quality protocols listed in The participants are 66 undergraduate and postgraduate students from translation and interpreting programs of various universities in Southwest China . All participants were native Chinese speakers who learned English through formal education. Their ages ranged from 20 to 26years. Notably, they were right-handed and none of them had neurological or psychiatric antecedents. The materials are eight recordings (three from L1-L2 and five from L2-L1) in the second round of the nationwide interpreting competition. Each participant was required to perform CI in two directions. The first task is from L2 to L1 and participants were randomly assigned a passage, then followed by a L1 to L2 task with a passage which is also randomly assigned from the database. The distribution of passages is given in They were transcribed by the authors and the minimal instances that required editing were resolved through consensus between the first and the second authors. Transcriptions were saved as DOC files for further processing and analysis. Details of the eight recordings are provided in Participants remotely accessed the recordings through their computers using a headset. They could listen to the recordings once only and then required to interpret the task once the recording finished. The first was an L2-L1 CI task. Participants were required to listen to an English passage randomly assigned from the five topics. There was no stop in the recording and students were allowed to freely take notes. Afterwards, the participants were asked to interpret the English passage into Chinese right after the recording stops. The platform started to record participants’ voice once the source recording stopped. Recording of the interpreting output would last 1.2 times of the original recording before it stopped. The L2-L1 task was then administered upon completion of the L1-L2 task, which was also randomly assigned to participants from the three topics mentioned above. The same procedure was repeated as in task 1. Recordings which contain students’ interpreting output that fall within the allowed time window were regarded as eligible in the contest.Recordings were first automatically transcribed through iFlytek, a software reported to have 97.5% accuracy in English recognition . SubsequFirst, delivery was measured in terms of quantifying pauses and disfluencies. Based on the model proposed by In addition, the quality of expression in terms of grammatical, syntactic, and lexical errors was measured . In linet-tests were used to compare the two directions of interpreting. Cohen’s d was used to indicate the effect sizes and classified as small (d<0.2), medium (d<0.5), and large (d<0.8). As described in section “Directionality Effect in Translation and Interpreting Activities,” ten metrics were measured in four categories, i.e., speech rate, information completeness, delivery, and quality of expression. Their descriptive statistics are detailed in Experimental data and analytical scripts are publicly available on Open Science Framework.The speech rate in the L2-L1 task was significantly faster than that in the L1-L2 task . No effect of directionality was found regarding information completeness . There was an effect of directionality in three metrics of delivery, namely false starts , repetition  and slips of tongue . The directionality effect was also found in Quality of Expression in all three metrics, namely, false collocation , Missing IC , and Redundancy . Overall, we can see that directionality effect holds true in the majority of metrics used in this study.This work evaluated the impact of directionality on the CI performance of trainee interpreters, with L1 in Chinese and L2 in English. Based on the enhanced CI quality scale of For speech rate, we found a significant difference between the two interpreting directions, with the rate of L2-L1 interpreting faster than that of L1-L2. This result echoed the findings of Regarding information completeness of CI, information retention often requires multitasking, including listening comprehension, high-order cognitive processing, and linguistic reformulation skills . Since wAs for delivery, significant differences were found between the two directions. In this category, we captured the frequency of filled and unfilled pauses together with disfluency features ; notably, each has been included in several quality interpretation assessment scales as critical values in delivery . AccordiAs a major metric in delivery, pauses (filled and unfilled) have been used in various studies to evaluate the effect of directionality and among different subjects (novice or expert). Our findings of no significant differences in both filled and unfilled pauses between the two interpreting directions are consistent with the findings reported in previous studies. For example, Similarly, we observed the impact of directionality in the category of quality of expression. To our knowledge, this is the first study exploring whether the quality of expression in CI is susceptible to the directionality effect. This category, which consists of three metrics, i.e., false collocation, missing independent clause, and redundancy, primarily reflects the manner in which grammatical mistakes occur in interpreting output. The metrics used in this category have been widely employed to assess the interpreting performance in various contexts . Our finTaking together the significant effects of directionality on delivery and quality of expression, the CI performance of trainee interpreters was better in the L2-L1 than in L1-L2 task. Studies have attributed several factors to the impact of directionality, including market and speech characteristics , interprDelivery and quality of expression tend to gauge how target language reformulation is influenced by directionality. Interpreting is a complex cognitive activity involving an array of interwined sub-cognitive tasks. Notably, it is impossible to link any sub-tasks to the final product of interpreting. In bilingual processing, it is generally acknowledged that one language must be inhabited when producing the other. The act of interpreting requires constant and repeated activation as well as inhabitation of one language or the other. Thus, the cognitive mechanism underlying delivery and quality of expression is more inclined towards L2 production, but likely to be inhibited by L1 among unbalanced bilinguals . Our stuvia an online interpreting platform. Such a setting, despite its near-naturalness in terms of environmental setup and interpreting materials, can give rise to some issues that might confound the study results. For example, while participants were allowed to take notes during interpreting, such notes were inaccessible to the researchers. We are fully aware that note-taking can be a key modulator in interpreters’ performances. To what extent note-taking can affect the directionality effect is worthy of future investigations In addition, the language pair used in the current study (L1: Chinese and L2: English) consists of two languages that are genetically different from each other. Results of the current study indicate that L2-L1 advantage appeared with novice interpreters in conducting CI tasks in speech rate, quality of expression, and some delivery metrics including false starts, repetition and slips of tongue. This is in line with Our study is not without limitations. First, our data were derived from interpreting tasks conducted remotely The findings have great pedagogical implications. The notion that translating from one’s mother tongue into a foreign language does not have much value is deeply rooted in the western world, as evidenced by the mainstream practice by international organizations which accept only L2-L1 translation . In direIn conclusion, we explored how the performance of student interpreters is influenced by directionality using naturalistic data from an interpreting contest. Our research has provided insights from the perspective of CI between Chinese and English, two languages that are typologically different from each other. Our findings are broadly consistent with previous findings based on different language pairs, and with previous findings based on participants of different language proficiency and professional experience . We havehttps://osf.io/su8zy/.The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found at: The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.IC: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, investigation, resources, writing – original draft, and writing – review and editing. KL: writing – original draft and writing – review and editing. NZ: writing – review and editing and formal analysis. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, UESTC (grant no.: ZYGX2019J140).The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.


A polarization-insensitive broadband terahertz absorber based on single-layer graphene metasurface has been designed and simulated, in which the graphene metasurface is composed of isolated circular patches. After simulation and optimization, the absorption bandwidth of this absorber with more than 90% absorptance is up to 2 THz. The simulation results demonstrate that the broadband absorption can be achieved by combining the localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonances on the graphene patches and the resonances caused by the coupling between them. The absorption bandwidth can be changed by changing the chemical potential of graphene and the structural parameters. Due to the symmetrical configuration, the proposed absorber is completely insensitive to polarization and have the characteristics of wide angle oblique incidence that they can achieve broadband absorption with 70% absorptance in the range of incident angle from 0° to 50° for both TE and TM polarized waves. The flexible and simple design, polarization insensitive, wide-angle incident, broadband and high absorption properties make it possible for our proposed absorber to have promising applications in terahertz detection, imaging and cloaking objects. Terahertz (THz)  wave usuThe study of THz absorbers is critical to realize many potential THz applications, including imaging, detection and stealth technology ,15,16. T devices ,29. Furt devices ,31.Graphene, a two-dimensional honeycomb material , composeBased on the existing research results, in this paper we proposed a broadband THz absorber with simpler structure and more convenient fabrication. It uses the sandwich structure mentioned above and only relies on the metasurface of single-layer circular graphene patches to obtain broadband absorption, and the maximum bandwidth of 90% absorptance can reach 2 THz. Furthermore, the proposed absorber is insensitive to polarization and has weak dependence on incident angle. It still has high bandwidth absorption for wide range of incident angle under TE and TM polarized wave incidence conditions. First, the structural design and theoretical analysis of the proposed absorber are introduced in this paper. Next, COMSOL Multiphysics software is used for modeling and numerical simulation. The principle of broadband absorption is analyzed by electric field distributions, and the polarization insensitivity of the absorber is verified. Meanwhile, the broadband absorption of the absorber is explained by impedance matching according to the effective medium theory. Then, the influence of structural parameters and chemical potential on the absorption properties are further studied, so as to obtain the optimized structural parameters. Finally, the effects of different incident angles on the absorption sensitivity under TE and TM polarized waves incidence are studied and discussed.p. The dielectric substrate is polyethylene cyclic olefifin copolymer Topas with a relative permittivity of 2.35 and thickness of d.The proposed broadband THz absorber is based on isolated circular graphene patches with different radii in periodically staggered arrangement, and its three-dimensional structure is illustrated in T is the absolute temperature, e is the electron charge and ℏ is the reduced Planck constant. The analytical solution of intraband conductivity of graphene can be obtained by calculating the integral on the right side of Equation σσσ of graIn the low THz frequency band and at room temperature, the interband conductivity is far less than the intraband conductivity, so the graphene conductivity It can be seen from the above formula that the conductivity of graphene depends on the frequency, scattering rate, temperature and chemical potential. The chemical potential depends on the carrier density and can be controlled by gate voltage, electric field, magnetic field and/or chemical doping .x and y directions is set as periodic boundary and the port perpendicular to z direction is set as Floquet port. Because the thickness of graphene is only 0.35 nm, the amount of mesh computing is heavy and the calculation speed is very slow, graphene is modeled as a surface current boundary with the thickness of 0 to improve the simulation efficiency. Then, the surface current density of graphene can be expressed by its surface conductivity: z direction and the electric field vector is in the x direction.In this study, COMSOL Multiphysics software was used to carry out the numerical simulations to verify the performance of the device. The frequency domain solver is used in the simulation, the boundary of s 0.1 ps ,57 and 0To study the broadband absorption properties of THz, three different graphene patterns were simulated, including a graphene circular patch located only at the center of square unit cell (larger disk array), quarter of graphene circular patches located at the four vertices of square unit cell  and the structure proposed in this paper combined the above two (hybrid disk array). Their absorptances are compared as shown in All the above simulations were performed under TE polarized waves with normal incidence. The polarization insensitivity is very important for an absorber in many cases. The structure of the designed absorber is rotationally symmetric, so it has equivalent resonance structure for incident TE and TM polarized THz waves, that is, it is independent of polarization. In order to understand the working mechanism of the absorber, we observed the electric field distributions at some selected frequencies which have been specially marked in x-y and x-z plane. As shown in x-z plane are given in x-z cross section shown in Then, we observed the electric field distributions at different frequencies for the hybrid disk array in both the All the above observations are based on TE polarized wave incidence. Due to the symmetry of the absorber structure, the electric field distributions are the same for TE and TM polarized THz waves at the same frequency, there is only a 90 degree rotation symmetry difference between them.Z is the effective impedance, The absorption phenomenon can be interpreted through the effective medium theory. As the underlying metal acts as a perfect reflective layer, resulting in  follows :(6)A=1−R formula ,59:(7)ZrZ nearly matches the impedance of free space. Therefore, a broadband absorption with high absorptance is achieved owing to the small reflectance and complete lack of transmission of the absorber in that frequency range.As shown in d on the absorption properties. It can be seen that with the increase of d, the absorption bandwidth decreases and the center frequency experiences a red shift. When d increases from d continues to increase from d has an optimal value 21 μm. This is because the impedance matching condition for eliminating reflection on the graphene surface is dependent on the thickness of the dielectric material, so the absorption is sensitive to the thickness of the dielectric. p. As the period p decreases from 45 μm to 34 μm, the absorption bandwidth increases, but the absorptance near the center frequency decreases significantly. Decreasing the period p leads to smaller spacing and larger graphene area ratio, so the variation of the absorption characteristics is similar to that of increasing In order to further analyze the principle of broadband absorption, we make geometric parametric sweep analysis and discussion on the proposed absorber under the condition of normal incidence, and the results are shown in In order to study the effect of the chemical potential of graphene, absorptance under different chemical potentials are plotted in requency . So consFinally, we analyze the influence of incident angle on the absorption characteristics of the proposed absorber. All the above simulations were carried out in the case of normal incidence, in which case the TE and TM polarized waves were equivalent because of the symmetry of the structure. However, in practical applications, the absorption characteristics of the absorber for oblique incident wave are more meaningful. Therefore, we analyzed the absorption performance of TE and TM polarized waves at different incident angles. In summary, a polarization-insensitive broadband THz absorber based on single-layer graphene circular patches is proposed in this work. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the optimized absorber has a bandwidth of 2 THz for over 90% absorptance, ranging from 1.34 THz to 3.36 THz. In addition, due to the rotational symmetry of the device structure, the absorber has perfect polarization independence, which has been verified by simulation. Moreover, it can achieve broadband absorption with absorptance up to 70% both at TE and TM polarized waves under wide angle incidence, ranging from 0° to 50°. Furthermore, note that by changing the chemical potential, the absorption bandwidth and absorptance of the absorber can be adjusted so as to achieve different absorption performance of the absorber. Not only does this absorber have excellent performance, but it also has the advantages of simple structure and easy processing. Benefiting from these advantages and promising performance, it can develop many potential applications in various fields, such as THz detection, imaging and cloaking objects and others.


A model using continuous predictors and a simple point-scoring system (PCR index) was developed. For the PCR index, the area under the ROC curve was 0.7686 (P < 0.0001). The sensitivity of the scoring system was 78.6% and specificity was 67.8%. The PCR index identified four severity grades , which were associated with a 3-month mortality of 7.7%, 29.4%, 54.8%, and 80%, respectively. The present PCR models using commonly measured clinical and radiologic variables predicted 3-month mortality in patients with AE-IPF.Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF) is often fatal. A straightforward staging system for AE-IPF would improve prognostication, guide patient management, and facilitate research. The aim of study is to develop a multidimensional prognostic AE-IPF staging system that uses commonly measured clinical variables. This retrospective study analyzed data from 353 consecutive patients with IPF admitted to our hospital during the period from January 2008 through January 2018. Multivariate analysis of information from a database of 103 recorded AE-IPF cases was used to identify factors associated with 3-month mortality. A clinical prediction model for AE-IPF was developed by using these retrospective data. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of this model. Logistic regression analysis showed that PaO The annual incidence of AE-IPF among patients with IPF is about 5% to 15%, and AE-IPF can occur at any time during the clinical course of IPF. AE-IPF can lead to death within a few weeks to a few months4; however, clinical course and survival vary considerably. Thus, predicting outcomes in patients with AE-IPF is an important challenge for clinicians.Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF) does not respond to most conventional therapies and is thus frequently fatal5, lung cancer6, and IPF8. Although some variables are known to be associated with AE-IPF mortality, no single variable accurately predicts outcomes11, and one clinical prediction model that combines variables has been proposed for AE-IPF9. A straightforward staging system for AE-IPF might improve prognostication, help guide management decisions, and allow for appropriate supportive care. Such a system could also improve future research on AE-IPF by identifying patients at high risk for clinically important outcomes.Staging systems have proven useful for determining prognosis and guiding management decisions for lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseWe attempted to develop a multidimensional prognostic AE-IPF staging system that uses commonly measured clinical and radiological variables.This retrospective study investigated data from 353 consecutive patients with IPF who were admitted to Toho University Omori Medical Center during the period from January 2008 through April 2018. A total of 106 patients who had received a first clinical diagnosis of AE-IPF satisfied the inclusion criteria. Two patients were excluded because data on 3-month survival were missing. One patient was excluded because of missing data on other variables. Ultimately, 103 AE-IPF patients were included in the analysis. The median duration of observation from the first visit to our center was 13 months (range 1–137 months). During the observation period, 48 of the 103 patients (46.7%) died within 3 months. All deaths during the first 3 months were from respiratory failure caused by AE-IPF , lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), and surfactant protein D (SP-D).Clinical data were collected to determine the characteristics of underlying IPF and IPF treatment before AE. We also collected information on respiratory function during the 6-month period before AE. The analyzed covariates included PaO10. All patients had a pathological usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) or UIP pattern on chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), which was confirmed by histological examination of lung biopsy specimens, and/or satisfied the clinical diagnostic criteria for IPF. CT images and clinical records of patients with suspected IPF were subsequently reviewed by 1 thoracic radiologist (A.K.) and 5 pulmonologists , who reached a consensus diagnosis regarding clinical IPF. IPF severity before AE was assessed with the Gender-Age-Physiology (GAP) index, which is calculated by using data on gender, age, forced vital capacity (FVC)% predicted, and diffusion capacity (DLco)% predicted. Disease severity was classified as stage I–III, as previously described. Disease severity, pulmonary function, IPF treatment, and diagnostic findings on HRCT were evaluated while IPF was chronic and stable, i.e., before AE-IPF onset.IPF was diagnosed in accordance with the 2018 international IPF guideline1, with slight modifications, and was diagnosed when the following criteria were fulfilled (1) Previous or concurrent diagnosis of IPF, (2) Acute worsening or development of dyspnea , (3) Computed tomography findings showing a new bilateral ground-glass opacity and/or consolidation superimposed on a background pattern consistent with UIP pattern, (4) deterioration not fully explained by cardiac failure or fluid overload, and (5) no evidence of pulmonary infection on bronchoalveolar lavage, endotracheal aspiration, or sputum culture and negative results on blood tests for other potentially infectious pathogens .AE-IPF was defined in accordance with the International Working Group Report11, we classified the CT pattern at AE-IPF onset as diffuse or non-diffuse. HRCT images at AE-IPF onset were reviewed by evaluating 3 images, namely, those at the level of the aortic arch, carina, and 1 cm above the diaphragm. In the patients studied, new pulmonary opacities at acute exacerbation exhibited different degrees of increased opacity (mixed areas of ground-glass attenuation and consolidation). In semiquantitative analysis, ground-glass opacity and consolidation were grouped together as alveolar opacity. Each lung lobe was evaluated to determine the percentage of newly developed alveolar opacity in relation to the extent and distribution of involvement, except for honeycomb and cystic areas. The percentage for each lobe was defined as the average of the values from all investigators. A diffuse HRCT pattern was defined as an extent of involvement of newly developed alveolar opacity greater than 50%.HRCT images of all the present patients were reviewed by 3 pulmonologists  and 1 chest radiologist (A.K.) who were blinded to the clinical characteristics of the patients. Using the classification of Akira et al.18 at the time of AE-IPF diagnosis because our aim was to establish a scoring system that could be used even for patients with no previous data. The results of multivariate analysis of factors significantly associated with 3-month mortality were used to identify variables that could be used as candidates in the model. An AE-IPF clinical prediction model was developed by using retrospective data from our cohort, and logistic regression was used to evaluate the model. We retrospectively screened potential predictors of mortality in patients with AE-IPF, which yielded a model comprising 3 predictors. On the basis of these predictors, we then developed a simple point-score model and staging system (PCR index and staging system).The primary outcome was 3-month mortality. Vital status and date of death were verified by using the information in the database. Using a database of 103 cases of AE-IPF recorded at our hospital, we used multivariate analysis to identify factors associated with 3-month mortality. We selected clinical variables reported to be associated with AE-IPF outcome2/FiO2 ratio, HRCT pattern (diffuse vs non-diffuse), and antifibrotic agent use as explanatory variables, followed by stepwise variable selection (backward elimination with a threshold of P = 0.05). The values for selected variables in the multivariate analysis were categorized by using cut-off values determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Then, multivariate logistic regression analysis with the categorized variable was again performed to validate its significance. Each selected variable was assigned an integral weight proportional to its partial regression coefficient. For all patients, the total score was defined as the sum of the values for the selected variable. The association between total score and 3-month mortality for AE-IPF was investigated by using ROC curves, and the predicted 3-month mortality cut-off value was calculated. To calibrate the PCR model, we used the Hosmer–Lemeshow test to evaluate agreement between the probability predicted by PCR score and observed probability . In addition, we performed internal validation by using the bootstrap method. Furthermore, to confirm consistency with the lifetime distribution of patients, we constructed Kaplan–Meier survival curves for each PCR index and used the log-rank test for trend to test the correspondence between the temporal trend of the curves and the PCR index. A P value of < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics software (version 26). Patients with missing data were excluded from the analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed with clinical variables at AE-IPF onset, namely, age, serum KL-6, SP-D, CRP, and LDH concentrations, PaOThis retrospective study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Toho University Omori Medical Center on June 18, 2019 . Considering the nature of the retrospective study, the informed consent was waived by the IRB because of the anonymized patient data. The study protocol was performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines.2/FiO2 ratio at AE-IPF onset. The detailed clinical characteristics of the patients before AE onset (0–6 months) are also shown in Table 2/FiO2 ratio at AE-IPF onset was significantly but weakly negatively correlated with GAP stage  and JRS classification of IPF disease severity . All patients were treated with high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy (methylprednisolone 1000 mg/day for 3 days). Corticosteroid dose was tapered after pulse therapy (0.5–1.0 mg/kg/day). Some patients were treated with combination treatment: cyclosporin A (CsA) 2.5 mg/kg/day was administered orally, sivelestat 4.8 mg/kg/day was administered intravenously for the first 14 days, and recombinant human thrombomodulin (rhTM) 0.06 mg/kg/day was administered intravenously for the first 6 days.The characteristics of the 103 patients with AE-IPF are shown in Table 2/FiO2 ratio , diffuse HRCT pattern , serum KL-6 concentration  and serum CRP concentration  (Table P = 0.3491), antifibrotic agent use , serum LDH concentration , and serum SP-D concentration  were not associated with 3-month mortality. Neither the severity of IPF nor pulmonary function test results before AE-IPF were significantly associated with 3-month mortality. Furthermore, no AE-IPF treatment was significantly associated with 3-month mortality. Thus, these factors were not used as candidate variables in multivariate analysis.In multivariate logistic regression analysis with selected explanatory variables, 3-month mortality was significantly associated with PaO2/FiO2 ratio , diffuse HRCT pattern , and serum CRP concentration  (Table P < 0.0001). In addition, 1-month mortality was significantly associated with PaO2/FiO2 ratio  and serum CRP concentration  in multivariate analysis.In multivariate logistic regression analysis with selected explanatory variables, followed by stepwise variable selection, 3-month mortality was significantly associated with PaO2/FiO2 ratio and 5.5 for CRP concentration. The variables identified as significant risk factors for 3-month mortality were a PaO2/FiO2 ratio of < 250 , diffuse HRCT pattern , and serum CRP concentration ≥ 5.5 , all with integral weights of 1 (Table P < 0.0001). Points were assigned to variable categories to create a point-score model (PCR index), as shown in Table P < 0.0001). The optimal cut-off value for PCR score was 2, as indicated by the Youden index, and sensitivity was 0.771 and specificity was 0.655 for predicting cause-specific survival . Ultimately, a grading system was created by grouping point scores into 4 groups. Three-month mortality was 7.7% for a score of 0, 29.4% for a score of 1, 54.8% for a score of 3, and 80.0% for a score of 4 . In addition, we confirmed that values for Kaplan–Meier analysis of the 3-month mortality rate for each PCR score and the estimated 3-month mortality rate calculated by the bootstrap method exhibited similar trends . Patients were then classified as having extensive or limited disease on the basis of the 4 composite parameters. Patients with extensive disease were more likely to require mechanical ventilation and intensive therapy than were those with limited disease. In addition, 3-month mortality was higher in patients with extensive disease. The diagnostic performance in predicting 3-month mortality was examined by ROC analysis, and the area under the ROC curve significantly differed between survivors and nonsurvivors . Although this staging system accurately reflected outcomes, it includes only 2 stages and is somewhat crude. Furthermore, this grading requires complicated CT score calculations. In contrast, the PCR score does not require complicated CT score calculation, as, at diagnosis, only 3 variables have discriminatory power (AUC = 0.768), which similar to that of Kishaba’s continuous model. Moreover, PCR score can be classified into 4 stages, which enables more detailed prediction of outcome.Putative prognostic factors for AE-IPF include CRP, LDH, HRCT pattern (score), PaOWe believe that the PCR score is complimentary and has important implications for clinical practice and research. Specifically, we believe that these tools could provide clinicians and patients with a framework for discussing prognosis with a tool to investigate stage-specific management options and researchers with the means to identify at-risk study populations, which could maximize the efficiency and statistical power of clinical trials.11 classified the pattern of HRCT pulmonary opacification, such as ground-glass attenuation and consolidation, as peripheral, multifocal, and diffuse at AE-IPF onset. The diffuse HRCT pattern was associated with a poor prognosis. Because this classification is relatively straightforward for pulmonary physicians, we used it to classify HRCT findings and confirmed that a diffuse HRCT pattern was associated with poor prognosis.Akira et al.2, and HRCT score as significant predictors; however, multivariate analysis showed that only HRCT score significantly independently predicted outcome. The authors concluded that HRCT score at AE-IPF onset was independently related to outcome in patients with AE-IPF. The HRCT scoring system was adapted from the classification of Ichikado et al., which was previously shown to be an independent prognostic factor for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and acute interstitial pneumonia18. Although this scoring system is excellent for predicting prognosis, it might be too complicated for clinical use by pulmonary physicians.A previous study evaluated the pattern, distribution, and extent of HRCT findings at patient presentation and calculated the HRCT score at AE-IPF by examining areas of normal attenuation and the extent of abnormalities, including areas of ground-glass attenuation or consolidation, with or without traction bronchiectasis or bronchiolectasis, and areas of honeycombing. Univariate analysis identified serum KL-6 level, PaCO2/FiO2 ratio of < 250, CRP of ≥ 5.5, and a diffuse HRCT pattern at AE onset were identified as prognostic factors and scored. A cut-off of 2 points was used to determine risk of 3-month mortality after AE-IPF. AE-IPF is thought to be attributable to multiple interrelated risk factors, and the present risk scoring system is likely to be useful clinically.In the present analysis, a PaO9. First, the present predictors are simple to ascertain and are multidimensional, as they incorporate clinical, physiological, and radiological variables. Second, extension of the PCR index into a grading system provides a framework for grade-specific treatment and research recommendations.PCR models have important advantages over previously developed AE-IPF prediction modelsFuture studies should examine the effect of PCR models on disease management. Expanded models that incorporate more-complex baseline variables  and longitudinal measurements  should be compared with the present simple model to determine their additional prognostic value, if any, before incorporation into clinical practice.The present cohort was analyzed retrospectively, and the small sample size may affect data quality. In addition, our cohort was drawn from an academic center; thus, because of referral bias, the included patients might differ from the general population of patients with AE-IPF. In addition, the present scoring system was not validated with another cohort. Furthermore, to make the model more universally applicable, we excluded variables that are not always available to clinicians at initial or subsequent patient visits, such as serial change in lung function. Finally, although we took pains to exclude patients with clinical pulmonary infection or heart failure, the difficulty of diagnosing AE-IPF, and consequent risk of misdiagnosis, could have affected data collection.In summary, we developed a multidimensional PCR index/grading system and calculator that predict 3-month mortality in patients with AE-IPF. We believe that the PCR models are complimentary and have clinical and research utility. In addition, a future study should evaluate the present scoring system in a clinical setting. Finally, a large-scale multicenter study with a validation cohort is necessary in order to confirm the validity of the present results.


Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla. Functional potential analyses show broadly convergent patterns, contrasting with their great taxonomic variability. As-related metabolism, as well as other functional categories such as those related to the CH4 and S cycles, differs among the five communities. Particularly, we found that the distribution and abundance of As-related genes increase as the As concentration rises. Approximately 75% of the detected genes for As metabolism belong to expulsion mechanisms; arsJ and arsP pumps are related to sites with higher As concentrations and are present almost exclusively in Proteobacteria. Furthermore, taxonomic diversity and functional potential are reflected in the 12 reconstructed high-quality metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) belonging to the Bacteroidetes (5), Proteobacteria (5), Cyanobacteria (1), and Gemmatimonadetes (1) phyla. We conclude that SH microbial communities are diverse and possess a broad genetic repertoire to thrive under extreme conditions, including increasing concentrations of highly toxic As. Finally, this environment represents a reservoir of unknown and undescribed microorganisms, with great metabolic versatility, which needs further study.Microbial communities inhabiting extreme environments such as Salar de Huasco (SH) in northern Chile are adapted to thrive while exposed to several abiotic pressures and the presence of toxic elements such as arsenic (As). Hence, we aimed to uncover the role of As in shaping bacterial composition, structure, and functional potential in five different sites in this altiplanic wetland using a shotgun metagenomic approach. The sites exhibit wide gradients of As (9 to 321 mg/kg), and our results showed highly diverse communities and a clear dominance exerted by the IMPORTANCE As microbial communities inhabiting extreme environments are fundamental for maintaining ecosystems, many studies concerning composition, functionality, and interactions have been carried out. However, much is still unknown. Here, we sampled microbial communities in the Salar de Huasco, an extreme environment subjected to several abiotic stresses . We found that although microbes are taxonomically diverse, functional potential seems to have an important degree of convergence, suggesting high levels of adaptation. Particularly, arsenic metabolism showed differences associated with increasing concentrations of the metalloid throughout the area, and it effectively exerts a significant pressure over these organisms. Thus, the significance of this research is that we describe highly specialized communities thriving in little-explored environments subjected to several pressures, considered analogous of early Earth and other planets, that have the potential for unraveling technologies to face the repercussions of climate change in many areas of interest. Extreme environments such as high-altitude wetlands select for adaptations in bacterial communities that enable them to thrive. This particular and fragile environment resembles life before the oxygenation of Earth and could serve as a model for studying life on other planets. Moreover, microbial communities are critical for maintaining biogeochemical cycles, particularly in extreme environments where there is little presence of other life forms. The Salar de Huasco (SH), a high-altitude wetland located in the Chilean Altiplano  at 3,800 masl (meters above sea level), is a Ramsar protected site, considered a hot spot for microbial life 38.aioA, arrA, arsM, and arxA are less common in the environment than acr3, arsB, arsC, and arsD , such as As, is a significant selection pressure and thus one of the main drivers of the composition of microbial communities . Thus, m20–In this study, we tested different established sites in the SH regarding their taxonomic and functional heterogeneity. We focused on As-related genetic elements as well as other relevant metabolic functions. Increasingly, such analyses enable the identification of relatively small subsets of markers associated with a particular ecologically important function. Additionally, their identification and the dynamics of bacterial communities are potentially useful bioindicators for monitoring ecosystem health , 24. TheThe Salar de Huasco possesses an important level of variation within a relatively small area (the maximum separation of sampling sites is 5.9 km), including daily oscillations in a wide range of environmental parameters (temperature and humidity) and others which vary in spatial gradients, i.e., salinity and As , 26 Fig; see alsProteobacteria and Bacteroidetes are the most prevalent phyla in the sampled sediments, which are particularly enriched in the H3, H4, and H5 communities, accounting together for >60% of all observed taxa ; it also has the highest abundance of Firmicutes, Patescibacteria, and Spirochaetes phyla as well as significantly lower proportions of Actinobacteria. Moreover, the H1 community profile presents the highest abundance of Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes, and Acidobacteria phyla. On the other hand, H3, H4, and H5 communities are more similar to each other, despite the vast differences in low-abundance taxa, many of which are exclusively present in only one community (see Table S2).The substantial differences between the SH sampling sites are reflected by the taxonomic compositions of bacterial communities, which showed contrasting patterns and variation between sites . Overallved taxa . In turnProteobacteria genera Roseovarius and Desulfotignum in the H3, H4, and H5 communities  detected, many were not classified within any known phylum (6.5%) or genus (58.3%). Nevertheless, Halomonas and Marinobacter genera were detected, both of which are culturable and seem to be recurrent in the SH . Also, most of the highly connected nodes in the network belong to unknown or undescribed taxa.The most abundant bacteria at the lowest (available) taxonomic rank reflect the same pattern, with a great abundance of the n the SH . Of the As a whole, the beta diversity analysis shows that the dispersion patterns between the communities correlate with the composition analysis. Hence, the taxonomic compositions of H3, H4, and H5 metagenomes are more similar between each other and distinctive from those of H0 and H1, producing three very well-defined groups . This coThe SH metagenomes we analyzed represent the compositions in surface sediments of 5 different sites with a great variation in As content (from 9 to 321 mg/kg). The 337.5 million quality-controlled reads were coassembled and yielded a total of 994,545 contigs  corresponding to 2.38 million genes, which were used to generate abundance/distributions and functional profiles of the 5 communities under study . The resCyanobacteria, and the Calvin Benson cycle. However, when assessing the ability of these bacterial communities to carry out necessary reactions to sustain key biogeochemical cycles, we found that S, N, and CH4 showed significant scores  for all five metagenomes, implying that the necessary metabolic pathways and machinery are present and complete in bacteria isolated from all environments . We also found representatives of several pathways, including sulfur reduction and oxidation, nitrate fixation and reduction, methanogenesis, and methane oxidation, and the utilization of a wide range of the available nutrients. Particularly, a significant difference is present in the CH4 cycle, which is much more enriched in the H1 and H0 communities; consequently, we only detected methanogens and methane oxidizer taxa in these sites. Conversely, a wide range of sulfur-associated pathways were detected in all sampled sites , suggesting its importance in environments where volcanic-derived sulfur oxidation products leach and flow into the salt flats . Particularly, the five SH communities showed specific differences in some categories such as As resistance (SEED subsystems 3), following the same tendency previously mentioned, where H0/H1 metagenomes are more similar than H3/H4/H5, with 0.21% to 0.22% and 0.26% to 0.27% of reads recruited by this category, respectively. Other significant categories in the communities were carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate metabolism, zinc, nickel, cobalt, iron, and manganese transport, osmotic stress, the circadian clock in lt flats . NonethearsR regulator, the arsC reductase and the acr3 pump were the most overrepresented genes, indicating that the As(V) reduction and subsequent As(III) expulsion strategy is the most prevalent one used by bacteria that inhabit the SH. Moreover, arsM was among the most abundant genes, particularly enriched in the H3, H4, and H5 metagenomes. Nevertheless, genes related to oxidation and respiration mechanisms were less abundant yet present an interesting distribution; those related to oxidation  are enriched in H3, H4, and H5, while those related to respiration (arrA and arxR) are enriched in H0 and H1.To gain a broader view on the communities’ functional potential related to As metabolism or resistance/tolerance, we determined the abundance of the genes belonging to the known mechanisms . Again, acr3 , was more abundant in the sites with higher As concentrations. Moreover, the higher acr3 variants and abundance could be because this pump is present in a wider number of bacteria phyla, covering most of the diversity observed  ; the same tendency was observed for the GC content (36.1% to 69.4%). On the other hand, most of the reconstructed MAGS were represented or detected in the H3, H4, and H5 metagenomes, showing differential abundance patterns in each site  to gain insights into nonculturable bacteria. This resulted in 19 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) that met the completion of ≥80% and redundancy of ≤10% criteria ; togethenadetes) . We wereBacteroidetes  clustered together, as well as the Deltaproteobacteria  and Gammaproteobacteria (MAG129 and MAG144). On the other hand, the only Cyanobacteria (MAG29) is close to the Gammaproteobacteria and the only Gemmatimonadetes (MAG3) is close to the Bacteroidetes. Particularly, MAGs displayed a considerable number of genes regarding As metabolism, where the same tendency shown before was observed, with a dominant presence of genes related to As expulsion  throughout all taxa, followed by reduction (arsC), methylation (arsM), and oxidation (arsH) mechanisms , while it can also be associated with calcium carbonate (CaHAsO4) or adsorbed into Fe and Al oxides , whi, whi8), 30–l oxides . The metl oxides . It is hProteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria  have been cultured and isolated under laboratory conditions , which correlates with the findings reported in the Argentinian Altiplano  gene was also consistently enriched. Thus, these markers could be proposed as bioindicators of As contamination, such as acr3 , improving our understanding of microbial communities  reduction and subsequent As(III) expulsion systems are the most common strategy used to detoxify the cell of As. Furthermore, regarding expulsion pumps, the most abundant was Acr3, followed by ArsB; however, in sites with high As concentrations, ArsP becomes enriched. In addition, 12 high-quality nonredundant MAGs were reconstructed from the metagenomes. These represented the dominant diversity detected across the communities as well as the metabolic variability and the presence of marker genes related to the most recurrent As resistance mechanisms . Finally, in order to further elucidate the strategies and relationships between the microbial taxa and among biotic and abiotic components within the ecosystem, further multidisciplinary studies are required as well as the use of the ever-evolving next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches. Together with more precise database information, we will be able to better understand the evolutionary process of adaptation to the extreme conditions present in these unique ecosystems.The Altiplano array of ecological niches is a reservoir for microbial diversity, showing great richness in adapted organisms capable of facing these challenging conditions. Particularly, the Salar de Huasco is a highly diverse ecosystem, where salinity and As concentrations contribute to shaping the community composition, mainly represented by in situ  lakes with salinity and As gradients from north to south . In June260/280) ratio, and fluorescence using a Qubit 3.0 fluorometer along with the Qubit dsDNA HS assay kit . Next, paired-end (150 bp) libraries were constructed for each sample in duplicates at the Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal, Universidad Andrés Bello  using the TruSeq Nano DNA kit  according to the TruSeq Nano DNA sample preparation guide 15041110 revision D. Libraries were sent for sequencing at Macrogen Inc.  on a HiSeq 4000 platform (Illumina Inc.). Then, raw data were evaluated using FastQC v0.11.8  according to the manufacturer’s instructions. DNA integrity, quality, and quantity were verified through 1% agarose gel electrophoresis, optical density at 260 nm to optical density at 280 nm  a coassembly , (ii) its annotations , and (iii) an alignment per sample , we proceeded to assemble the quality-controlled reads from all samples using MEGAHIT v1.1.3 , with th4, and Fe biogeochemical cycles in each metagenome using the predicted proteins .We followed the anvi’o v7 pipeline . First, To estimate the abundance of genes related to As metabolism, the read counts for each predicted gene of each sample were obtained using the corresponding BAM file and the coassembly annotated GFF file, with HTSeq-Counts v0.13.5 . Also, wThe contigs in the metagenome profile were clustered through anvi’o v7  using thWe define MAGs (metagenome assembles genomes) as bins with a completion of >80% and redundancy of <10%. Then, we used CheckM v1.0.13  for a moAll MAGs were queried against the same previously constructed database (with the As metabolism genes) using CRB-BLAST v0.6.6  E value to connePRJNA573913.The whole raw data sets and the metagenome assembled genomes have been deposited at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the BioProject accession number