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Graphitic carbon nitride (CN) was a promising candidate for efficient environmental remediation in the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). However, whether CN itself had some potential environmental risks, such as affecting the production of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) was still unknown. This study investigated the formation potential of DBPs in the presence of CN. The experimental data revealed that CN had a high potential to form DBPs, and dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) was the most produced species during the chlorination and chloramination processes. Moreover, the effects of chlorine time, chlorine dosage, pH, and CN dosage during the chlorination process were evaluated to understand the formation pattern of DBPs. The possible mechanism of DBPs formation was deduced by analyzing the results of FTIR, Raman, and XPS before and after chlorination. Finally, the DBPs formation potential and cytotoxicity of the CN leaching solution were investigated, indicating CN could leach the precursors of DBPs and that the potential toxicity of the leaching solution increased with the extension of CN immersion time. In general, this research adds an understanding of the DBP formation of CN in water treatment systems and sheds light on CN's environmental potential risks.

Microbial infections and the slow regression of inflammation are major impediments to wound healing. Herein, a tilapia fish skin gelatin-fucose gum-tannic acid (GelFuc-TA) hydrogel wound dressing (GelFuc-TA) was designed to promote wound healing by mixing and reacting tannic acid (TA) with tilapia fish skin gelatin (Gel) and fucoidan (Fuc). GelFuc-TA hydrogel has a good network structure as well as swelling and release properties, and shows excellent antibacterial, antioxidant, cell compatibility, and hemostatic properties. GelFuc-TA hydrogel can promote the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD-31), and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), enhance collagen deposition, and accelerate wound repair. GelFuc-TA hydrogel can change the wound microbiome, reduce wound microbiome colonization, and decrease the expression of microbiome-related proinflammatory factors, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). GelFuc-TA hydrogel effectively regulates the conversion of wound macrophages to the M2 (anti-inflammatory phenotype) phenotype, decreases the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and increases the expression of arginase-1 (Arg-1), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), thereby reducing the inflammatory response. In summary, GelFuc-TA hydrogel prepared using a rational green cross-linking reaction can effectively accelerate wound healing.

Post-zygotically acquired genetic variants, or somatic variants, that arise during cortical development have emerged as important causes of focal epilepsies, particularly those due to malformations of cortical development. Pathogenic somatic variants have been identified in many genes within the PI3K-AKT-mTOR-signalling pathway in individuals with hemimegalencephaly and focal cortical dysplasia (type II), and more recently in SLC35A2 in individuals with focal cortical dysplasia (type I) or non-dysplastic epileptic cortex. Given the expanding role of somatic variants across different brain malformations, we sought to delineate the landscape of somatic variants in a large cohort of patients who underwent epilepsy surgery with hemimegalencephaly or focal cortical dysplasia. We evaluated samples from 123 children with hemimegalencephaly (n = 16), focal cortical dysplasia type I and related phenotypes (n = 48), focal cortical dysplasia type II (n = 44), or focal cortical dysplasia type III (n = 15). We performed high-depth exome sequencing in brain tissue-derived DNA from each case and identified somatic single nucleotide, indel and large copy number variants. In 75% of individuals with hemimegalencephaly and 29% with focal cortical dysplasia type II, we identified pathogenic variants in PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway genes. Four of 48 cases with focal cortical dysplasia type I (8%) had a likely pathogenic variant in SLC35A2. While no other gene had multiple disease-causing somatic variants across the focal cortical dysplasia type I cohort, four individuals in this group had a single pathogenic or likely pathogenic somatic variant in CASK, KRAS, NF1 and NIPBL, genes previously associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. No rare pathogenic or likely pathogenic somatic variants in any neurological disease genes like those identified in the focal cortical dysplasia type I cohort were found in 63 neurologically normal controls (P = 0.017), suggesting a role for these novel variants. We also identified a somatic loss-of-function variant in the known epilepsy gene, PCDH19, present in a small number of alleles in the dysplastic tissue from a female patient with focal cortical dysplasia IIIa with hippocampal sclerosis. In contrast to focal cortical dysplasia type II, neither focal cortical dysplasia type I nor III had somatic variants in genes that converge on a unifying biological pathway, suggesting greater genetic heterogeneity compared to type II. Importantly, we demonstrate that focal cortical dysplasia types I, II and III are associated with somatic gene variants across a broad range of genes, many associated with epilepsy in clinical syndromes caused by germline variants, as well as including some not previously associated with radiographically evident cortical brain malformations.

Chemical etching after Ar ion beam cross sectioning enables the formation of zeolite internal nano structures to be observed directly using a newly developed highly sensitive scanning electron microscope.

The application of microscale zerovalent iron (mZVI) in the removal of Cr(VI) from water is plagued with the readily formation of oxide passivation layer. In this study, we propose a “capture-reduction” mechanism to enhance the Cr(VI) removal performance of mZVI under anaerobic condition through dual modification, i.e., sulfidation and construction of composite with sulfur-doped graphene like biochar (SGB). The S-mZVI/SGB has a Cr(VI) removal capacity of 70.2 mg·g− 1 at circumneutral pH, which is 56 times of that of mZVI. The 1,10-phenanthroline shielding experiments indicate that the contribution of Fe(II) to Cr(VI) removal is only 17.6%. Density-theory-functional (DFT) calculation results indicate that sulfur doping could significantly promote the adsorption of Cr(VI) on SGB nanosheets. The mechanism study confirmed the “capture-reduction” Cr(VI) removal mechanism, whereby the SGB nanosheets capture Cr(VI) ions and receive electrons from Fe0 to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Considering its advantages such as low cost and easy preparation, the S-mZVI/SGB composite is a promising green material for the removal of Cr(VI) from water. Graphical Abstract

BackgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease frequently diagnosed in the elderly and middle-aged population. However, its specific pathogenesis has not been clarified. This study aimed to identify biomarkers for OA diagnosis and elucidate their potential mechanisms for restoring OA-dysregulated autophagy and inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis in vitro.Material and methodsTwo publicly available transcriptomic mRNA OA-related datasets (GSE10575 and GSE51588) were explored for biomarker identification by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE). We applied the GSE32317 and GSE55457 cohorts to validate the markers’ efficacy for diagnosis. The connections of markers to chondrocyte autophagy and apoptosis in OA were also comprehensively explored in vitro using molecular biology approaches, including qRT-PCR and Western blot.ResultsWe identified 286 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). These DEGs were enriched in the ECM-receptor interaction and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. After external cohort validation and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, PDK1 was finally identified as a diagnostic marker for OA. The pharmacological properties of BX795-downregulated PDK1 expression inhibited LPS-induced chondrocyte inflammation and apoptosis and rescued OA-dysregulated autophagy. Additionally, the phosphorylation of the mediators associated with the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways was significantly downregulated, indicating the regulatory function of PDK1 in apoptosis and autophagy via MAPK and PI3K/AKT-associated signaling pathways in chondrocytes. A significantly positive association between the PDK1 expression and Neutrophils, Eosinophils, Plasma cells, and activated CD4 memory T cells, as well as an evident negative correlation between T cells follicular helper and CD4 naive T cells, were detected in the immune cell infiltration analysis.ConclusionsPDK1 can be used as a diagnostic marker for OA. Inhibition of its expression can rescue OA-dysregulated autophagy and inhibit apoptosis by reducing the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways.

Simple liquid-phase approaches for the synthesis of nanomaterials are attractive because their low costs, reduced nanoparticle aggregation, and compatibility with subsequent liquid processes widen the application scope of the resulting materials. This would be particularly interesting for β-Ga2O3 nanoparticles, which often suffer from aggregation issues during their synthesis processes. In this paper, we report a one-step synthesis of β-Ga2O3 nanoparticles in supercritical isopropanol. By simply heating Ga(NO3)3 in isopropanol at 400 °C for 24 hours, β-Ga2O3 nanoparticles with a size of ∼100 nm are obtained without requiring additional calcination in air. A structural characterization comprising X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction with transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray absorption fine structure measurements suggest that the synthesis process involves an initial conversion of Ga(NO3)3 to Ga(Oi-Pr)3 or a related species at 80 °C, which then transforms into γ-Ga2O3 nanoparticles upon increasing the temperature, to eventually produce β-Ga2O3 nanoparticles most likely via a dissolution and recrystallization process.

Eight conformations of proline have been found considering two conformations of carboxyl group and the location of hydrogen atom at the nitrogen atom. Adiabatic and vertical ionization potentials have been determined employing B3LYP, B3P86, and B3PW91 methods with 6-311++G** basis set. Vertical ionization potentials have been determined using the older outer-valence Green’s function (OVGF) and the partial third-order (P3) quasiparticle approximation of the electron propagator with 6-311++G** basis set. Adiabatic and vertical ionization potentials in water have been calculated using the polarized continuum model (PCM) at B3LYP/6-311++G** level. The conformer with the lowest energy has been found and analyzed in detailed.

Induction and suppression of antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) has been observed in mammals during infection with at least seven distinct RNA viruses, including some that are pathogenic in humans. However, while the cell‐autonomous immune response mediated by antiviral RNAi is gradually being recognized, little is known about systemic antiviral RNAi in mammals. Furthermore, extracellular vesicles (EVs) also function in viral signal spreading and host immunity. Here, we show that upon antiviral RNAi activation, virus‐derived small‐interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) from Nodamura virus (NoV), Sindbis virus (SINV), and Zika virus (ZIKV) enter the murine bloodstream via EVs for systemic circulation. vsiRNAs in the EVs are biologically active, since they confer RNA–RNA homology‐dependent antiviral activity in both cultured cells and infant mice. Moreover, we demonstrate that vaccination with a live‐attenuated virus, rendered deficient in RNAi suppression, induces production of stably maintained vsiRNAs and confers protective immunity against virus infection in mice. This suggests that vaccination with live‐attenuated VSR (viral suppressor of RNAi)‐deficient mutant viruses could be a new strategy to induce immunity.

Senecavirus A (SVA), formerly known as Seneca Valley virus, belongs to the genus Senecavirus in the family Picornaviridae. SVA has a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome, which is actually an mRNA that initiates translation via its own internal ribosome entry site (IRES). The SVA IRES has been demonstrated to be the hepatitis C virus (HCV)-like IRES, containing eight stem-loop domains: domain (D)II, DIIIa, DIIIb, DIIIc, DIIId1, DIIId2, DIIIe and DIIIf. In this study, stem-forming motifs (SFMs) in the eight domains were independently subjected to site-directed mutagenesis (SDM) to construct eight SVA minigenomes for dual-luciferase reporter assay. The result suggested that except the DII, the other seven domains were closely evolved in the IRES activity. Subsequently, a full-length SVA cDNA clone tagged with a reporter gene was genetically modified to construct eight SFM-mutated ones, separately transfected into BSR-T7/5 cells in an attempt to rescue replication-competent SVAs. Nevertheless, no virus was successfully rescued from its own cDNA clone, implying each of the putative domains necessary in SVA IRES for viral replication. Further, we attempted to rescue replication-competent SVA via pairwise transfection of cDNA clones. Out of 28 combinations of co-transfection, four were demonstrated to be able to rescue replication-competent SVAs. Sanger sequencing showed that all four viruses had the wild-type IRES genotype, suggesting the occurrence of putative copy-choice recombination between two IRES-modifying genomes.

Harmful algal blooms have raised great concerns due to their adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Recently, visible light-driven (VLD) photocatalysis has attracted attention for algae inactivation owing to its unique characteristics of low cost, mechanical stability, and excellent removal efficiency. However, the low utilization of visible light and the high complexation rate of electron-hole (e

CeO2 nanocasting in a mesoporous hard template provides a three-dimensionally (3D) interconnected skeleton framework consisting of CeO2 nanoparticles with particles smaller than 7 nm. Low-voltage h...

A GO-TiO2 membrane was fabricated using a layer-by-layer method to assemble graphene oxide (GO) on a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) support, interconnecting GO nanosheets with polyethylenimine (PEI). The surfaces of the GO nanosheets were modified by depositing titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on them using an ethanol/ultraviolet (UV) post-treatment, that enhanced their photocatalytic and self-cleaning properties. The GO-TiO2 membrane showed good photocatalytic performance with a 58.8% removal rate of methylene blue (MB) under UV for 250 min. The self-cleaning properties were illustrated via the flux recovery by UV irradiation and the effect of UV irradiation before membrane filtration. The experimental results indicated that the J/J0 ratio of the GO-TiO2 membrane increased from 41% to 54% after the fouled membrane was exposed to UV irradiation for 30 min. When UV irradiated the GO-TiO2 membrane for 40 min prior to filtration, the flux increased from 1.67 to 1.88 L/m2•h. This may be a result of the photo-induced superhydrophilicity of TiO2.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM)—ventricular dysfunction in the absence of underlying heart disease—is a common complication of diabetes and a leading cause of mortality associated with the disease. In DCM, cardiac fibrosis is the main cause of heart failure. Although it is well‐established that the transforming growth factor‐beta signaling pathway plays a part in inducing cardiac fibrosis in DCM, details of the molecular mechanism involved remain elusive. Therefore, it is crucial to study the gene reg;ulation of key signaling effectors in DCM‐associated cardiac fibrosis. A recently emerged hotspot in the field of gene regulation is the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Recent evidence indicates that lncRNAs play a critical role in cardiac fibrosis; however, in DCM, the function of these regulatory RNAs have not been studied in depth. In this study, we identified a conserved cardiac‐specific lncRNA named colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed (Crnde). By analyzing 376 human heart tissues, it was found that Crnde expression is negatively correlated with that of cardiac fibrosis marker genes. Moreover, Crnde expression was shown to be enriched in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Overexpression of Crnde attenuated cardiac fibrosis and enhanced cardiac function in mice with DCM. Further, in vitro experiments showed that Crnde negatively regulates the myofibroblast differentiation of CFs. The expression of Crnde was activated by SMAD family member 3 (Smad3), shedding light on the underlying molecular mechanism. Interestingly, Crnde also inhibited the transcriptional activation of Smad3 on target genes, thereby inhibiting the expression of myofibroblastic marker genes in CFs. Overall, our data provide valuable insights into the development of potential anti‐cardiac fibrosis strategies centered on lncRNAs, for the treatment of DCM., Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common and serious complication of diabetes. Long non‐coding RNAs have previously been linked to cardiac fibrosis; however, the role they play in DCM‐associated cardiac fibrosis remains unclear. In this study, Jun Hou and colleagues identified a cardiac‐specific lncRNA, Crnde, whose expression negatively correlated with cardiac fibrosis markers. Overexpression of Crnde attenuated cardiac fibrosis and enhanced cardiac function in DCM mice. In vitro, Crnde negatively regulated the myofibroblast differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts. The team shed light on the molecular mechanism – involving TGF‐β/Smad3 signaling – providing an interesting new avenue for development of anti‐fibrosis strategies for DCM.

The integration of new energy into power grid brings a series of problems to relay protection. The influence of system impedance ratio (SIR) on distance protection was introduced firstly. Then grid simulation models integrated with photovoltaic and wind power respectively were built. Based on simulation results, the characteristics of system impedance ratio under different penetration rates of new energy were analyzed. It is pointed out that the system impedance ratio increases gradually with the increase of new energy penetration rate. Then the action performances of distance protection under different new energy penetration rates were studied. It is found that under a fixed capacitor voltage transformer (CVT) error, when the new energy penetration rate is greater than a certain value, the line distance protection will have an overreach. Some countermeasures were also put forward in the paper.

Understanding solder joints is very important for failure analysis in semiconductor manufacturing because it is commonly used for mounting semiconductor devices on boards. However, regarding sample preparation for analysis, solder poses challenges in crosssection preparation due to the differences in melting point and hardness of its constituents. Therefore, precision cutting methods such as ion milling are required. On the other hand, ion milling method usually causes thermal damage during cutting. In this paper, we tried to optimize the sample temperature during Ar ion milling using liquid nitrogen cooling [1].

Catalytic ozonation was suggested to be effective for micropollutant removal during water treatment. However, research on organic byproduct formation from catalytic ozonation of real filtered water in water treatment plants was lacking. In this work, two synthesized catalysts, α-FeOOH and CeO2, were applied to catalyze ozonation of real filtered water at different ozone dosages, and the byproducts were quantified. Results showed that the α-FeOOH enhanced hydroxyl radical production, while the CeO2 did not. Both catalysts further reduced dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and UV254 of the filtered water during the catalytic oxidation processes. The O3/CeO2 improved the removal of low molecular weight compounds, especially the refractory compounds such as ketoacids and carboxylic acids, compared to ozonation alone. While the O3/α-FeOOH generated higher concentrations of carboxylic acids than that of ozonation. Thus, in light of DOC and low molecular weight compound reductions, CeO2 was the superior catalyst for micropollutant removal in real filtered water.

Antibiotics are a typical group of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) with emerging pollutant effects. The presence of residual antibiotics in the environment is a prominent issue owing to their potential hazards, toxic effects, and persistence. Several treatments have been carried out in aquatic environments in order to eliminate antibiotic residues. Among these, photodegradation is regarded as an environmentally-friendly and efficient option. Indirect photodegradation is the main pathway for the degradation of residual antibiotics in natural water, as opposed to direct photodegradation. Algae, working as photosensitizers, play an important role in the indirect photolysis of residual antibiotics in natural water bodies. They promote this reaction by secreting extracellular organic matters (EOMs) and inducing the generation of active species. In order to provide a thorough understanding of the effects of algae on residual antibiotic degradation in the environment, this paper comprehensively reviews the latest research regarding algae-induced antibiotic photodegradation. The summary of the different pathways and photosensitive mechanisms involved in this process show that EOMs are indispensable to antibiotic photodegradation. The influencing factors of algae-induced photodegradation are also discussed here: these include algae species, antibiotic types, and environmental variables such as light source, ferric ion presence, temperature, and ultrasound treatment. Based on the review of existing literature, this paper also considers several pathways for the future study of algae-induced antibiotic photodegradation.

In this study, the difference in oxidative capacity for removing antibiotics and the mechanism between the Cu(II)/peroxymonosulfate (PMS)/UV and Cu(II)/persulfate (PDS)/UV systems were compared under various conditions. The optimal Cu(II) concentration in the Cu(II)/PMS/UV system was 30 μM, and in the Cu(II)/PDS/UV system was 50 μM. With the PMS or PDS concentration increasing, higher tetracycline (TC) degradation in these two systems occurred. Investigation on the mechanism revealed that •OH was the primary radical in the Cu(II)/PMS/UV system, while SO4−• was the primary radical in the Cu(II)/PDS/UV system where •OH also played an important role. In these two systems, it was observed that Cu(I) was generated by PMS or PDS activated via UV illumination; however, oxygen alone could not promote TC removal. The degradation of TC was increased with the increasing pH level. In addition, TC degradation in the Cu(II)/PMS/UV system followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics model during the entire reaction period. It was found that the TC degradation kinetics in the Cu(II)/PDS/UV system can be divided into two parts (0 to 7 min and 10 to 50 min) and these two parts had good agreement with the pseudo-first-order kinetics model, respectively.

Recently, increasing attention has been paid for using commercial peracetic acid (PAA) solution as an efficient disinfectant or a strong oxidant in water treatment. Simultaneous determination of PAA and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is vital because PAA solution is commonly available as a mixed solution containing the peroxides PAA and H2O2. In this study, a simple, rapid and reliable spectrophotometric method for the simultaneous determination of PAA and H2O2 was developed. This method was based on the rapid oxidation of excess potassium iodide by PAA and H2O2 in the presence of ammonium molybdate to yield yellow-colored triiodide ions (I3−) that could be quantitatively measured using an UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The absorption of generated I3− at 350 nm increased linearly (R2 > 0.999) with the concentrations of total peroxides and PAA in the range of 0–70 μM. The sensitivities were respectively measured to be as high as 2.596 × 104 M−1 cm−1 for total peroxides and 2.616 × 104 M−1 cm−1 for PAA, while the corresponding limits of detection were calculated to be as low as 0.19 μM and 0.18 μM. The concentration of the H2O2 coexisting in PAA solution was obtained by subtracting the concentration of PAA from the concentration of total peroxides. The concentrations of total peroxides, PAA and H2O2 in practical water samples measured with this proposed method were in good agreement with the values measured with the earlier reported spectrophotometric method using N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine as the indicator. Therefore, this proposed spectrophotometric method could be considered as an alternative method for the simultaneous determination of PAA and H2O2 coexisting in PAA solution.

The formation potentials of trichloronitromethane (TCNMFPs) of four natural amino acids (glycine, threonine, lysine and tryptophane) were investigated during chlorination and preozonation-chlorination. The effects of initial ozone dosage, reaction time, pH, and nitrite concentration on the TCNMFP of selected amino acid (AA) solutions were carried out in detail. During preozonation-chlorination, TCNMFPs of glycine- and lysine-containing solutions were more significant than that containing the other two AAs. Increasing the initial ozone concentration resulted in a considerable increase of TCNMFPs from glycine, lysine, and tryptophane. The concentration of trichloronitromethane (TCNM) of glycine, threonine, and lysine solutions increased during preozonation-chlorination with the ozonation time extended. The effect of pH on TCNMFPs of amino acid by preozonation was compound-specific. In addition, the presence of nitrite ions contributes greatly to TCNMFP for all four types of amino acids. However, as the concentration of NO2− increased to higher levels, there was no significant further enhancement of TCNMFP. For chlorination alone, TCNM formed in all four amino acid solutions, with tryptophane solution having the highest TCNMFP.

Red-emitting phosphors La3Ga5GeO14: Eu3+, Bi3+ were prepared by high temperature solid state reactions. The structure and luminescence properties of these phosphors were investigated in detail. The X-ray diffraction study shows the phase formation of La3Ga5GeO14: Eu3+, Bi3+ phosphors. Scanning electronic microscope observation proves that the size of obtained samples is approximately 1–2 µm. The band gap of La3Ga5GeO14 is calculated to be 5.234 eV based on obtained diffuse reflectance spectrum. Under the near ultraviolet excitation, Eu3+ doped samples can emit bright red light corresponding to the electric dipole transition (5D0→7F2 transition). The dipole–dipole interaction is dominating mechanism for the concentration quenching. The introduction of Bi3+ enhances the luminescence intensity of Eu3+. It also results in the red shift of charge transfer band of O2-→Eu3+. The effect of the co-doping of Bi3+ on the luminescence properties of Eu3+ is discussed in detail. The CIE chromaticity coordinates of typical La3Ga5GeO14: Eu3+, Bi3+ phosphor is close to red-emitting phosphor Y2O2S: Eu3+. Present research indicates that La3Ga5GeO14: Eu3+, Bi3+ is a promising candidate of red-emitting phosphor for white light-emitting diodes.

The construction of heterojunction photocatalyst with a simple method is of vital significance for practical application of photocatalytic technology. Herein, a novel Z-scheme Bi2WO6-P25 photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The catalyst exhibited excellent photodegradation efficiency of tetracyclines (TCs) and fluoroquinolones (FQs) under visible light. Superior degradation capability could be ascribed to the Z-scheme heterojunction charge transfer mechanism between Bi2WO6 and P25. It not only provided more reactive sites for target pollutants during catalytic process, but also improved the visible-light harvesting capacity and charge separation efficiency. Mechanisms were explored through quenching and EPR experiments, it revealed that h+ and •O2− worked together to reach the efficient degradation rate of TC. The detailed decomposition pathways of TC were also proposed by UPLC-MS analysis. In addition, the results of major factor exploring experiments showed that the degradation efficiency of TC and CIP were significantly improved under weakly acidic and neutral conditions, while the effects of introduction of NO3- and SO42- were negligible. In general, Bi2WO6-P25 Z-scheme heterojunction is proved to be a promising photocatalyst that possesses a great potential application in the treatment of antibiotic wastewater.

Commercial activated carbon (AC) was subjected to various kinds of acid treatment, which were employed as air-breathing cathodes for Microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Obviously, both the acid species and the concentration of acidic solution have an effect on the catalytic activity of AC, and the electrochemical performance of AC was increased after acid treatment. Cathodes used 1 M H3PO4 treated AC (AC-H3PO4-1) showed the maximum power density of 1546 ± 43 mW m−2, which was 115% higher than the pristine AC. The electrochemical studies showed that AC-H3PO4-1 exhibited the least resistance and highest kinetic activity. In addition, Nitrogen adsorption-desorption demonstrated that the acid treatment could increase the total surface area and pore volume, especially the exposure of mesopore to the reactants. Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption with ammonia revealed that the degree of graphitization, surface oxygenic functional groups and the acid sites of AC were enhanced after acid treatment. However, too much strong acidic functional groups were detrimental to the oxygen reduction reaction. In general, the treatment of activated carbon with 1 M H3PO4 will be a promising way to improve the performance of microbial fuel cells.

Stoichiometric phosphors Sr2Ga3La1−x Eu x Ge3O14 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1) were synthesized via traditional solid state reactions. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the samples reveal that Eu3+ can be successfully alloyed in Sr2Ga3La1−x Eu x Ge3O14 up to x = 1. Sr2Ga3LaGe3O14 and Sr2Ga3EuGe3O14 can form solid solution at any ratio. The composition of solid solution can be expressed as Sr2Ga3La1−x Eu x Ge3O14 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1). The photoluminescence properties of Sr2Ga3La1−x Eu x Ge3O14 are discussed in detail. Eu3+ doped phosphors can emit red light under the excitation of near ultraviolet light because of the emission from 5D0 → 7Fj (j = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) transition. The typical chromaticity coordinates of Eu3+ doped phosphors are in red area, which are close to the standard values of red color chromaticity coordinate (0.67, 0.33) stipulated by National Television Standards Committee. The integral strength from 570 to 750 nm of Sr2Ga3EuGe3O14 is about 2.5 times of that of commercially obtained Y2O2S: 0.1Eu3+ under the excitation at 393 nm. Present research indicates that Sr2Ga3La1−x Eu x Ge3O14 is a promising phosphor for white light emitting diodes.

The RNA interference (RNAi) pathway directs an important antiviral immunity mechanism in plants and invertebrates. Recently, we and others have demonstrated that the antiviral RNAi response is also conserved in mammals, at least to five distinct RNA viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV). ZIKV may preferentially infect neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) in the developing foetal brain. Ex vivo ZIKV infection induces RNAi-mediated antiviral response in human NPCs, but not in the more differentiated NPCs or somatic cells. However, litter is known about the in vivo property or function of the virus-derived small-interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) targeting ZIKV. Here we report a surprising observation: different from ex vivo observations, viral small RNAs (vsRNAs) targeting ZIKV were produced in vivo upon infection in both central neuron system (CNS) and muscle tissues. In addition, our findings demonstrate the production of canonical vsiRNAs in murine CNS upon antiviral RNAi activation by Sindbis virus (SINV), suggesting the possibility of antiviral immune strategy applied by mammals in the CNS.

Overall aim of the paper: use what we have learnt from SARS-CoV-19 pandemic and make policy recommendations that would aid policy decisions during any future pandemics. We have evidence of the various policy interventions and the manifested local healthcare implications (admissions/occupancy/deaths etc.) to suggest that local variation is significant enough to warrant local interventions in future pandemics. We have modelled the implications of national pandemic policy on local health economies and suggest that nationally coordinated approaches do not attain their policy objective of reducing infections. Therefore, we suggest local policy approaches to enable relevant positive progress on containment by protecting the vulnerable and increasing shielding measures which data modelling suggests has the most positive impact on population health and reducing SARS-CoV-19 mortality rates whilst, at the same time, reducing the economic impact of national, often less relevant, pandemic policies.

The interferon-regulated antiviral responses are essential for the induction of both innate and adaptive immunity in mammals. Production of virus-derived small-interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) to restrict virus infection by RNA interference (RNAi) is a recently identified mammalian immune response to several RNA viruses, which cause important human diseases such as influenza and Zika virus. However, little is known about Dicer processing of viral double-stranded RNA replicative intermediates (dsRNA-vRIs) in mammalian somatic cells. Here we show that infected somatic cells produced more influenza vsiRNAs than cellular microRNAs when both were produced by human Dicer expressed de novo, indicating that dsRNA-vRIs are not poor Dicer substrates as previously proposed according to in vitro Dicer processing of synthetic long dsRNA. We report the first evidence both for canonical vsiRNA production during wild-type Nodamura virus infection and direct vsiRNA sequestration by its RNAi suppressor protein B2 in two strains of suckling mice. Moreover, Sindbis virus (SINV) accumulation in vivo was decreased by prior production of SINV-targeting vsiRNAs triggered by infection and increased by heterologous expression of B2 in cis from SINV genome, indicating an antiviral function for the induced RNAi response. These findings reveal that unlike artificial long dsRNA, dsRNA-vRIs made during authentic infection of mature somatic cells are efficiently processed by Dicer into vsiRNAs to direct antiviral RNAi. Interestingly, Dicer processing of dsRNA-vRIs into vsiRNAs was inhibited by LGP2 (laboratory of genetics and physiology 2), which was encoded by an interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) shown recently to inhibit Dicer processing of artificial long dsRNA in cell culture. Our work thus further suggests negative modulation of antiviral RNAi by a known ISG from the interferon response., Author summary The function and mechanism of the interferon-regulated antiviral responses have been extensively characterized. Recent studies have demonstrated induction of antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) in somatic cells against several mammalian RNA viruses rendered incapable of RNAi suppression. However, little is known about Dicer-mediated production of virus-derived small-interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) in these cells active in the type I interferon response. Here we show that the dsRNA precursors of influenza vsiRNAs were processed more efficiently than cellular precursor microRNA hairpins by wild-type human Dicer expressed de novo in Dicer-knockout somatic cells. We found that infection of two strains of suckling mice with wild-type Nodamura virus (NoV) was associated with production of silencing-active vsiRNAs and direct sequestration of duplex vsiRNAs by its RNAi suppressor protein B2. Our findings from in vivo infection with Sindbis virus recombinants expressing NoV B2 or carrying a vsiRNA-targeted insert provide evidence for an antiviral function of the induced RNAi response. Interestingly, NoV infection induces expression of RIG-I-like receptor LGP2 to inhibit vsiRNA biogenesis and promote virulent infection in suckling mice. Our findings together reveal efficient Dicer processing of vsiRNA precursors in interferon-competent somatic cells and suckling mice in contrast to synthetic long dsRNA examined previously by in vitro dicing.

Biochars derived from rice straw (RS biochars) at various pyrolysis temperatures (300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C) were studied to explore their adsorption ability of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and to find out the associations between structural properties of different RS biochars and their adsorption capacity. The BET surface area determination was performed RS-700,biochar was found to contain the specific surface area of 360.9 m2g−1, which was significantly larger than others. In addition, with the increase of pyrolysis temperatures, the larger and denser pore canals of RS biochars could be seen through the observation of surface morphologies and microstructures Moreover, the adsorption kinetic and equilibrium models were determined for different RS biochars. For all adsorbents, the adsorption kinetics were well fitted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model ( R 2 :0.9455-0.9956) and the adsorption equilibrium were well described with Freundlich model ( R 2 >0.9). The removal of MC-LR was positively related to the pyrolysis temperatures of RS biochars. RS-700 biochar exhibited the maximal adsorption capacity of 10.96 μ g g−1, which was more than 2 times as much as that of RS-300 biochar. And the adsorption amount of MC-LR increased substantially with the increasing initial concentration of MC-LR. Furthermore, the effect of pH value was also evaluated for the better understanding of adsorption mechanisms.

The ash fusion behaviors of corn stalk (CS) and its variation mechanisms by two sludges [municipal-water sewage sludge (MW) and textile dyeing sludge (TD)] additions in an oxidizing atmosphere were investigated. Increasing the MW mass ratio led to an initial slow rise in the ash fusion temperatures (AFTs), but then they slowly decreased. The four characteristic temperatures for CS-TD all gradually increased as the TD proportion rose. An increase in the MW percentage led to changes in the generation and proportions of Ca2MgSi2O7, CaAl2Si2O8, CaMgSi2O6, KAlSi2O6, and Ca3(PO4)2, and these changes increased the AFTs. The formation of AlPO4 and its subsequent transformation into amorphous matter at high temperatures slowly decreased the AFT when the MW percentage exceeded 70%. The generations of Fe3O4 and Fe2O3 and the increases in their proportions as the TD percentage rose led to a gradual increase in the AFTs. The results from this study improve current understanding about the AFT variation mechanisms operating when sludge is added to CS and provide information that can be used to mitigate ash-related issues during the co-combustion of CS and sludge.

The specific roles of tartaric acid (TA), as an eco-friendly ligand, in homogeneous and heterogeneous copper-catalyzed systems were systematically revealed and new mechanisms of TA enhancing the three Fenton-like processes were proposed to provide a theoretical significance in overcoming the deficiency of conventional Fenton processes. The results identified hydroxyl radical (•OH) as the main species responsible for the simultaneous decomposition of TA and metronidazole (MNZ) according to TOC removal. The ESR technique was used to detect superoxide radicals (•O2-), carbon-centered radical (•R) and hydrogen radical (•H) in the Cu2+/TA/H2O2 system, which contributed to the acceleration of the Cu2+/Cu+ redox cycle. The enhancing effect of TA on the homogeneous process was ascribed to the formation of a soluble complex with Cu2+, which favored the pH range extension, Cu+ oxidation, and radical generation. Moreover, the adsorption of TA on the catalysts surface promoted the consumption of H2O2, inducing •OH generation. The formed surface complex (≡Cu2+-TA) also accelerated the regeneration of ≡Cu+, which was confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculation and surface characterization analysis (SEM, XRD, and XPS). The possible degradation pathways of MNZ in TA-modified Fenton-like system were also clarified.

Dicer-mediated processing of virus-specific dsRNA into short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in plants and animals initiates a specific antiviral defense by RNA interference (RNAi). In this study, we developed a forward genetic screen for the identification of host factors required for antiviral RNAi in Arabidopsis thaliana Using whole-genome sequencing and a computational pipeline, we identified aminophospholipid transporting ATPase 2 (ALA2) and the related ALA1 in the type IV subfamily of P-type ATPases as key components of antiviral RNAi. ALA1 and ALA2 are flippases, which are transmembrane lipid transporter proteins that transport phospholipids across cellular membranes. We found that the ala1/ala2 single- and double-mutant plants exhibited enhanced disease susceptibility to cucumber mosaic virus when the virus-encoded function to suppress RNAi was disrupted. Notably, the antiviral activity of both ALA1 and ALA2 was abolished by a single amino acid substitution known to inactivate the flippase activity. Genetic analysis revealed that ALA1 and ALA2 acted to enhance the amplification of the viral siRNAs by RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) 1 (RDR1) and RDR6 and of the endogenous virus-activated siRNAs by RDR1. RNA virus replication by plant viral RdRPs occurs inside vesicle-like membrane invaginations induced by the recruitment of the viral RdRP and host factors to subcellular membrane microdomains enriched with specific phospholipids. Our results suggest that the phospholipid transporter activity of ALA1/ALA2 may be necessary for the formation of similar invaginations for the synthesis of dsRNA precursors of highly abundant viral and host siRNAs by the cellular RdRPs.

Reusing wastewater in agriculture is becoming increasingly common, which necessitates disinfection to ensure reuse safety. However, disinfectants can react with wastewater constituents to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs), many of which are toxic and restrict the goal of safe reuse. Our objective was to benchmark the induction of mammalian cell cytotoxicity after ozonation against chlorination for three types of real wastewaters: municipal secondary effluent and two sources of minimally treated swine farm wastewaters. A new method to evaluate samples of suspected high cytotoxicity was devised. For the secondary effluent, ozonation reduced the cytotoxicity by as much as 10 times; chlorination lowered the cytotoxicity only when followed by dechlorination. The swine farm wastewaters were up to 2000 times more cytotoxic than the secondary effluent, and the highest reduction in cytotoxicity was 17 times as achieved by ozonation. These results indicate that secondary effluent is preferred over swine wastewaters for agricultural reuse regardless of the tested disinfectants. Ozonation consistently reduced the cytotoxicity of both the full strength and the organic extracts of all tested wastewaters more than chlorination. The only significant correlation was observed in the secondary wastewater between total haloacetonitriles and cytotoxicity. While the association of reduced toxicity with the modification or reduction of specific compound(s) is unclear, regulated DBPs may not be the primary forcing agents.

A simple and rapid synthetic route is developed to produce highly crystalline tin and zinc co-doped indium oxide (IZTO) nanocrystals. By using a flow-through reactor, an aqueous metal precursor stream was mixed with another stream of supercritical water containing a reducing agent to continuously produce the IZTO nanocrystals with a mean diameter of 28 nm. Typical reaction conditions were 450 °C, 30 MPa, and 7.0 s. The addition of hexanoic acid into the precursor mixture produced surface-modified IZTO nanocrystals with a smaller size of less than 20 nm. The obtained surface-modified IZTO nanocrystals changed their surface chemical property from hydrophilic to hydrophobic and thus dispersed well in organic solvents. In addition, this method is environmentally benign and compatible with industrial scale synthesis. Finally, as a promising transparent electrode material, the conductivity and transmittance of these IZTO nanocrystals were also measured.