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Although the cancer incidence showed a yearly increasing trend, the long-term survival rate of cancer patients significantly increased with the continuous improvements in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, recent strategies for cancer treatment not only focus on improving the survival rate of patients but also simultaneously consider the life quality of cancer patients, especially for those with fertility requirements. Stem cell-based therapies have exhibited promising improvement in various disease treatments, and provide hope for diseases without effective treatment. Menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cells (MenSCs) can be noninvasively and periodically obtained from discarded menstrual blood samples and exhibit high proliferative capacity, low immunogenicity and autologous transplantation. As expected, MenSCs treatment effectively improved the viability of cisplatin-injured ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) and significantly upregulated their antiapoptotic capacity. Further results demonstrated that MenSCs treatment significantly upregulated autophagy activity in cisplatin-injured ovarian GCs, and the degree of autophagy activation was positively correlated with the viability improvement of ovarian GCs, while autophagy inhibitors significantly impaired MenSC-promoted viability improvement of cisplatin-injured ovarian GCs. Additionally, MenSCs treatment can also significantly promote the proliferation of normal GCs by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusively, MenSCs treatment not only enhanced the antiapoptotic capacity and survival of cisplatin-injured ovarian GCs by upregulating autophagy activity but also improved the viability of normal ovarian GCs by activating the PI3K/Akt signal pathway. These results provide a theoretical and experimental foundation for the clinical application of MenSCs in improving chemotherapy-induced ovarian injury and delaying ovarian senescence.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) execute a wide array of functions in physiological and pathological processes, including tumor progression. Angiogenesis, an elaborate multistep process driving new blood vessel formation, accelerates cancer progression by supplying nutrients and energy. Dysregulated lncRNAs and circRNAs can reportedly impact cancer progression by influencing angiogenesis. However, the expanding landscape of lncRNAs and circRNAs in tumor progression-dependent angiogenesis remains largely unknown. This review summarizes the major functions of angiogenic lncRNAs (Angio-LncRs) and angiogenic circRNAs (termed Angio-CircRs) and their cancer mechanisms. Moreover, we highlight the commonalities of lncRNAs and circRNAs in epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional regulation as well as illustrate how Angio-LncRs and Angio-CircRs induce cancer onset and progression. We also discuss their potential clinical applications in diagnosis, prognosis, and anti-angiogenic therapies., Graphical abstract, This review summarizes the functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs and circRNAs in tumor angiogenesis, and it discusses their potential clinical applications in diagnosis, prognosis, and anti-angiogenic therapies.

Introduction Incomplete hemostasis after vascular cannulation can cause a hematoma or pseudoaneurysm. We hypothesized that a hydrogel-coated needle would effectively and rapidly stop bleeding after vascular cannulation.Methods: A hydrogel composed of sodium alginate, hyaluronic acid, and calcium carbonate was coated onto the surface of suture needles. Needles were observed using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and immunofluorescence. Cannulation was performed in both mouse and rat models; the liver, kidney, jugular vein, inferior vena cava and aorta were punctured using uncoated and hydrogel-coated needles. Needles coated with a hydrogel with and without CD34 antibody were used to puncture the rat jugular vein and aorta. Tissues were examined by histology and immunofluorescence.Results: The hydrogel was successfully coated onto the surface of 22G and 30G needles and confirmed by SEM. Hydrogel-coated needles rapidly stopped bleeding after cannulation of the liver, kidney, jugular vein, inferior vena cava and aorta. Hydrogel-coated needles that contained CD34 antibody attracted vascular progenitor cells near the puncture site; there were fewer M1-type macrophages and more M2-type macrophages.Conclusion: Hydrogel-coated needles can effectively and rapidly stop puncture-site bleeding. The hydrogel that contains CD34 antibody attracted vascular progenitor cells, potentially promoting healing of the site after cannulation. Statement of significance Incomplete hemostasis after vascular cannulation can cause a hematoma or pseudoaneurysm and remains a significant clinical problem. We developed a hydrogel composed of sodium alginate, hyaluronic acid, and calcium carbonate; hydrogel-coated needles effectively and rapidly stopped bleeding after vascular cannulation. Interestingly, the hydrogel can also serve as a carrier for drugs that are delivered to the puncture site during the short time of cannulation that could additionally promote puncture site healing. Hydrogel-coated needles may be a new method for rapid hemostasis with application to patients especially at risk for bleeding.

In this study, a high-efficiency cationic flocculant, P(DAC-MAPTAC-AM), was successfully prepared using UV-induced polymerization technology. The monomer Acrylamide (AM): Acryloxyethyl Trimethyl ammonium chloride (DAC): methacrylamido propyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (MAPTAC) ratio, monomer concentration, photoinitiator concentration, urea content, and cationic monomer DAC:MAPTAC ratio, light time, and power of high-pressure mercury lamp were studied. The characteristic groups, characteristic diffraction peaks, and characteristic proton peaks of P(DAC-MAPTAC-AM) were confirmed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer (1H NMR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of dosage, pH value, and velocity gradient (G) value on the removal efficiencies of turbidity, COD, ammonia nitrogen, and total phenol by poly aluminum ferric chloride (PAFC), P(DAC-MAPTAC-AM), and PAFC/P(DAC-MAPTAC-AM) in the flocculation treatment of coal chemical wastewater were investigated. Results showed that the optimal conditions for the flocculation of coal chemical wastewater using P(DAC-MAPTAC-AM) alone are as follows: dosage of 8–12 mg/L, G value of 100–250 s − 1, and pH value of 4–8. The optimal dosage of PAFC is 90–150 mg/L with a pH of 2–12. The optimal dosage for PAFC/P(DAC-MAPTAC-AM) is as follows: PAFC dosage of 90–150 mg/L, P(DAC-MAPTAC-AM) dosage of 8–12 mg/L, and pH range of 2–6. When P(DAC-MAPTAC-AM) was used alone, the optimal removal efficiencies of turbidity, COD, ammonia nitrogen, and total phenol were 81.0%, 35.0%, 75.0%, and 80.3%, respectively. PAFC has good tolerance to wastewater pH and good pH buffering. Thus, the flocculation treatment of coal chemical wastewater using the PAFC/P(DAC-MAPTAC-AM) compound also exhibits excellent resistance and buffering capacity.

Static magnetic fields (SMF) have been proved to enhance osteogenic differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). However, the effect of SMF on mandibular condylar chondrocytes (MCCs) are less investigated, which contributes to the vertical formation of mandible. The purpose of the present study was to identify whether SMF accelerate the osteogenesis on mature condylar cartilage and explore the potential regulatory mechanism.In this study, we presented a 280 mT SMF stimulation set-up to investigate the genomic effects of SMF exposure on MCCs differentiation and osteoblast-related factor secretion in vitro. Induced by Oricell™ for osteogenesis, MCCs from primary SD Rat were stimulated with or without SMF for cell culture. Cell proliferation was determined by CCK-8. The enhanced osteogenetic capacity of the SMF stimulated MCCs was identified by Alizarin red staining (ARS). Additionally, the effects of SMF on the expression of transmembrane protein marker (FLRT3), terminal differentiation markers (BMP2), and transcription factors (Smad1/5/8) were quantified by Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis.Compared with the control group, SMF decreased the proliferation of MCCs (p 0.05) after 14 days osteogenesis-specific induction. The mineral synthesis of MCCs was upregulated by SMF (p 0.0001). The expression of BMP2, Smad1/5/8 showed decrease trends while the protein level of FLRT3 acted in contrary manner (p 0.05).Our findings emphasized the ability of osteogenesis positively respond to SMF stimulation by exhibiting enhanced differentiation via FLRT/BMP signaling.

Urban heat island (UHI) can be characterized and quantified to understand the modification of urban surfaces on the local and regional climate. This study examines UHI variation across three megacities that are located in rapid urbanization regions in eastern China (Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou). These cities are located within a warm temperate climate zone, north subtropical climate zone, and lower subtropical climate zone, respectively. Satellite-based land surface temperature (LST) data and air temperature records from 2003 to 2016 were used to identify surface urban heat island (SUHI) and canopy urban heat island (CUHI), respectively. Generally, the average annual SUHI is higher than the CUHI, with the greatest UHIs appearing in Beijing (SUHI: 2.33 ± 0.18 °C, CUHI: 1.45 ± 0.54 °C). UHI changes across latitudes were negatively related to humidity variation, with higher UHI in drier climates. Seasonal UHI analysis suggests that a lower SUHI would occur in winter and a higher UHI in spring and summer, except for Guangzhou. CUHI in dry season was higher than in wet season for all three megacities, and the largest CUHI (2.10 ± 0.33 °C) appeared in winter in Beijing. Various patterns of seasonal cycles of SUHI and CUHI were related to monthly precipitation and solar insolation. Annual average daytime SUHI was higher than the nighttime SUHI, and larger daytime SUHI appeared in Guangzhou, contrasting with Shanghai and Beijing. The difference between SUHI and CUHI for all seasons was also high in Guangzhou. UHI changes were considered to be altered by warm and wet conditions in mega-cities of eastern China, and heat transportation from urban surface to urban canopy provided some possible understanding of the UHI change.

In our clinical work, some patients with type I hypersensitivity could be detected protein in their urine. This study focused on the early renal injury in patients with type I hypersensitivity.From 43 type I hypersensitivity patients with proteinuria, 10 patients were randomly selected for mass spectrometry analysis of 24-h urine together with 5 healthy volunteers. Mice were vaccinated with Dermatophagoides farina (Der f) and ovalbumin (OVA) were used as antigen to establish the type I hypersensitivity animal models.The urine protein of hypersensitivity patients was significantly increased in the alpha-1-microglobulin/ bikunin precursor (Protein AMBP) (t = 3.140, P = 0.008), retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) (t = 2.426, P = 0.031), kininogen-1 (t = 2.501, P = 0.027), and transferrin appeared only in patients' urine. After immunizing mice with antigens, significant increases of the total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) were observed in both Der f (86.92 ± 36.01 U/mL, t = 5.231, P = 0.0004) and OVA group (34.65 ± 24.72 U/mL, t = 2.891, P = 0.0161) compared with the negative control group (2.68 ± 0.47 U/mL). Meanwhile, definite eosinophil infiltration around the impaired renal tubules as well as the bronchus in Der f mice were observed, and urine protein appeared. After stopping the allergen stimulation, proteinuria disappeared. Instead, when the mice were treated with the antigen again, proteinuria reappeared.Our findings suggest that renal tubular damage in patients with type I hypersensitivity is reversible, and proteinuria disappears with allergy symptoms remission.

In this study, the degradation of ofloxacin (OFX) over Cu–Ce tyre carbon catalysts by the microwave assisted persulfate process was examined for the first time. The results showed that the Cu–Ce tyre carbon catalysts dramatically improved OFX decay efficiency. The optimal reaction conditions were the Cu–Ce tyre carbon catalysts of 2.0 g/L and the persulfate dosage of 12.0 g/L under microwave power of 400 W at 60 °C. The OFX conversion and total organic carbon (TOC) removal reached 95.8% and 87.6%, respectively, after 60 min catalytic oxidation under optimal conditions. To identify the properties of Cu–Ce tyre carbon catalyst, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) diffuse reflectance spectra studies have been carried out. Eleven kinds of degradation products and five pathways during degradation process of OFX and degradation products were identified by GC–MS and HRMS.

Land surface albedo is a key radiative forcing factor in Earth radiation budget, and its variation is highly related to land surface processes, such as land cover change. This study aimed to identify the contribution of human-induced albedo to regional land surface albedo change by analyzing the relationship between albedo and land cover change in northern China from 1992 to 2012. We first employed the time series decomposition method (TSDM) to decompose the satellite-based albedo to three components: seasonal cycle, trend, and residual information. We then analyzed the regional albedo characters over different land cover types and their corresponding variations induced by land cover conversion. The multi-year averaged albedo in northern China was 0.2285 ± 0.0646. The albedo over changed and unchanged area was 0.2435 ± 0.0840 and 0.2276 ± 0.0633, respectively. The contribution of human-induced albedo change to overall changes reached about 86%, which was mainly due to cultivation and urbanization. Trend analysis indicated that the albedo slightly increased in northern China, which may decrease regional solar radiation absorption. Fractional increases in croplands showed a positive correlation with albedo variation (R2 = 0.51). Human-induced albedo change would cause negative radiative forcing (-0.705 W/m2) and thus further promote cooling effects in northern China.

In the present work, an attempt has been made for the development of green and high efficiency acid pickling inhibitor based on the eco-friendly polyaspartic acid (PASP). In this view, cysteamine modified PASP (PASP-S) containing S atom was prepared by ring-opening reaction of polysuccinimide with cysteamine. The corrosion inhibition performance of PASP and PASP-S for mild steel in 0.5 M H2SO4 medium were evaluated using weight loss, electrochemical impedance and potentiodynamic polarization methods. The inhibition performance of PASP-S is greatly improved with a high efficiency of 93.9% (weight loss method) at a very low concentration of 100 mg L−1 at 298 K in comparison with unmodified PASP. The obtained results also indicate that PASP-S is a mixed inhibitor and the adsorption of PASP-S on the mild steel surface follows Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Theoretical chemical parameters are calculated using the Density Functional Theory method (DFT). The excellent inhibition performance of PASP-S is due to the presence of pendent functional sulfhydryl group, which can be confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the mild steel samples. The present work provides a simple and effective pathway for synthesizing high efficiency acid pickling inhibitor by introducing a functional group into the PASP chains. Such chemical modification method may also be an effective strategy to improve the efficiency of other polymer acid pickling inhibitors.

Removal of phosphate from industrial is important to prevent the occurrence of eutrophication and adsorption may serve as a powerful supplement to chemical or biological phosphate sequestration. Here, a novel nanocomposite material Ti-NS is proposed to enhance phosphate removal from aqueous system by impregnating titanium oxides inside a millimeter-sized polymer (NS). The resulting Ti-NS possesses two distinct sites for phosphate removal, the ammonium groups bound to the NS matrix and the loaded titanium oxide nanoparticles. The maximum adsorption capacity of Ti-NS occurs at near-neutral pH, and exhibited fast kinetic behavior for phosphate uptake which could be well described by the pseudo-first-order model and intraparticle diffusion model. Compared with NS host, Ti-NS exhibits much higher capacity and preference toward phosphate removal in the presence of competing anions at greater levels. SEM-EDS and XPS study confirmed that phosphate uptake by Ti-NS was involved in two distinct adsorption interactions, i.e. ion exchange to the quaternary ammonium groups of host and ligand exchange reactions to the hydroxyl groups of titanium oxides. Cyclic adsorption and regeneration runs in fixed-bed indicated that Ti-NS is of great potential for phosphate removal from the water containing competitive anions at higher levels. Moreover, the exhausted nanocomposite can be effectively regenerated by NaOH-NaCl solution for recycle use with negligible capacity loss. All the results demonstrated that prepared Ti-NS was a promising alternative adsorbent for efficient phosphate removal from contaminated water.

The graft copolymer flocculant of chitosan namely, maleoyl chitosan-graft-poly(acrylamide–acryloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride) [MHCS-g-P(AM-DAC)], was prepared by UV initiation to improve the solubility and flocculation efficiency of chitosan. Flocculating properties for algae removal were studied systematically. The effects of parameters such as monomer concentration, MHCS content, illumination time, photoinitiator concentration, cationic degree, pH and grafting efficiency over synthesis process of MHCS-g-P(AM-DAC) were studied. The characterization of obtained MHCS-g-P(AM-DAC) were carried out through different analytic techniques. The influences of dosage, pH, and G value on the flocculating properties were also investigated to support that MHCS-g-P(AM-DAC) was more effective than organic flocculant (CPAM) and inorganic coagulant (PFS and PAC) on algae removal. The flocculation mechanisms of MHCS-g-P(AM-DAC) were determinate by obtained zeta values.

To suppress the electron-hole recombination and enhance the electron transfer on carbon nitride, an Fe-doped porous carbon nitride catalyst (Fe/SCN) was synthesized via supramolecular self-assembly method and applied in heterogeneous Fenton activation for efficient tetracycline (TC) degradation. Various characterizations revealed that the catalyst exhibited excellent visible light capture performance and electron transfer capacity. The highest degradation efficiency and mineralization rate of TC (10 mg L

In this study, a novel flocculant called PDD was synthesized under ultraviolet irradiation using acrylamide (AM), methacryloyloxyethyl trimethylammonium chloride (DMC), and dimethyldiallylammonium chloride (DMDAAC) as monomers. The effects of monomer concentration, cationic degree, cationic monomer ratio, photo-initiation time, photo-initiator concentration, and pH value on the conversion rate and relative molecular mass of PDD were investigated through single-factor and orthogonal experiments. The microstructure of the synthesized product PDD was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry–differential thermal analysis, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The factors that ensure the optimal sludge dewatering performance of PDD obtained under the optimal synthesis conditions were as follows: flocculant dosage = 80 mg/L, pH value = 3, cationic degree = 60%, and relative molecular mass = 9.0 × 106. The solid content of the sludge filter cake, the residual turbidity of the filtrate, and the sludge specific resistance under the optimal synthesis conditions were 31.44%, 11.80 NTU, and 2.11 × 109 m/kg, respectively. Dewatering experimental results showed that PDD had significantly better sludge dewatering efficiency than the commercial flocculants. The main mechanisms for sludge conditioning were adsorption–bridging interaction and electrical neutralization after determining the zeta potential.

Heterogeneous catalyst-mediated activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) is considered a promising process for degradation of persistent contaminants in water. In this study, a cobalt-based catalyst (Co–CN) with CoNx sites highly dispersed on a porous carbon nitride carrier was synthesized to activate PMS for degrading tetracycline (TC). Co–CN exhibited extremely fast catalytic rate (kinetic constant of 0.194 min−1 in TC degradation) and excellent organic pollutant degradation ability compared with Fe–CN, Cu–CN, Mn–CN, and previously reported cobalt-based catalysts owing to the advantage of Co species for PMS activation and the high dispersion of active sites. Mechanistic experiments clarified the role of ·OH/SO4·–/·O2−/1O2 and electron transfer during TC degradation. Density functional theory analysis calculated that the coordination adsorption of PMS with CoNx sites can affect PMS activation. The confinement of N atoms on Co atoms improved the stability of the catalyst. This work provides new insights into the design of efficient and stable metal-based Fenton-like catalysts.

In this study, a copper-based catalyst (CuCN) with CuNx active sites highly dispersed in a porous carbon nitride matrix was synthesized and applied to a heterogeneous photo-assisted Photo-Fenton (PF) system to degrade tetracycline (TET). The results showed that the CuCN/PF system degraded up to 93.6% of TET within 60 min for ultrapure water matrix under the best experimental conditions, and more than 70% of TET for both river and lake water matrix. Toxicological tests suggested that the environmental risk caused by TET can be effectively inhibited by the CuCN/PF system. The good visible-light response and charge transport abilities of CuCN catalyst were identified in photoelectrochemical experiments. Free radical scavenging experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy indicated that the active species in the degradation process were·OH, h+,·O2- and 1O2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the positive effect of CuNx sites in CuCN on the formation of hydroxyl radicals by activating H2O2. This work will provide a new insight for the development of high-efficiency heterogeneous catalysts in wastewater environmental remediation.

Mitochondria has been a promising target in blood cancer given their unique dependencies on mitochondrial functions compared to normal hematopoietic cells. In line with this concept, we show that an anthelminthic drug ivermectin selectively kills chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells via inducing mitochondrial dysfunctions and oxidative stress. Ivermectin is significantly more effective in inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis in CML cell line K562 and primary CML CD34 than normal bone marrow (NBM) CD34 cells. Ivermectin also augments in vitro and in vivo efficacy of standard CML tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Mechanistically, ivermectin inhibits respiratory complex I activity and suppresses mitochondrial respiration in K562 and CML CD34 cells. Interestingly, we demonstrate that mitochondrial respiration are lower in NBM CD34 compared to malignant CD34 cells. In addition, ivermectin also induces mitochondrial dysfunctions in NBM CD34 cells in a similar manner as in CML CD34 cells whereas NBM CD34 cells are significantly less sensitive to ivermectin than CML CD34 cells. These suggest that NBM CD34 cells are more tolerable to mitochondrial dysfunctions than CML CD34 cells. Consistently, ivermectin induces higher levels of oxidative stress and damage in CML than normal counterparts. Antioxidant NAC rescues ivermectin's effects, confirming oxidative stress as the mechanism of its action in CML. Our work provides the fundamental evidence to repurpose ivermectin for CML treatment. Our work also highlights the therapeutic value of targeting mitochondria respiration in CML.

In this study, spinel-type MnFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles were successfully synthesized employing the purified sol–gel method and used for the advanced treatment of biologically pretreated semi-coking wastewater (BPSCW) by the O3/H2O2 catalytic system. Results showed that the MnFe2O4 magnetic catalysts did not have a regular surface morphology, and their surface contained numerous fine particles that showed a particle accumulation state and formed a good nano-spinel structure. Their surface morphology, ratio, size, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed two active metal elements in the catalyst, namely, Fe3+ and Mn2+, which were consistent with the elemental composition and valence of MnFe2O4. Under optimal reaction conditions, the removal efficiency of O3/H2O2/MnFe2O4 catalytic system for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and volatile phenol (VP) can reach 85.2% and 94.1%, respectively (catalyst dosage = 2.0 g∙L−1, O3 dosage = 1.2 mg∙min−1, H2O2 concentration = 0.15 mol∙L−1, pH = 7.0, and treatment time = 70 min). The free radical quenching experiment and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiment verified that hydroxyl radicals (∙OH) played a role in the deep treatment of BPSCW in the O3/H2O2/MnFe2O4 catalytic system. Phosphate experiments proved that lewis acid sites on the surface of the MnFe2O4 magnetic catalysts were the catalytically active sites. The superparamagnetic properties of the MnFe2O4 magnetic catalysts (67.8 emu∙g−1) facilitated magnetic separation from the treated wastewater. After 10 cycles, the activity of the MnFe2O4 magnetic catalysts remained high, and the removal efficiencies of COD and VP only decreased by 13.6% and 11.9%, respectively. Considering excellent degradation performance, easy magnetic separation and high stability, this study provided important insights into the practical application of the O3/H2O2 catalytic system for the advanced treatment of BPSCW.

Confining metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) in carriers such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has become a novel strategy for designing highly efficient and stable non-noble metal chainmail catalysts. In this study, Fe3O4 NPs were confined in the chainmail of multi-walled CNTs to prepare Fe3O4@CNT magnetic nanocomposite with confinement effect, and peroxydisulfate (PDS) was activated to degrade tetracycline (TL) in aqueous solution. Under the conditions of 20 °C, pH0 = 7, 0.5 mM PDS and 0.4 g/L Fe3O4@CNT, TL degradation efficiency of 98.1% could be achieved by radicals ( OH, SO4 −, O2 −) and non-radicals (1O2) generated in the system. Stable carbon-layer structure can protect Fe3O4 NPs inside the chainmail from the influence of reaction environment. TL degradation efficiency still reached 80.2% after five cycles, and the leaching of Fe ions was less than 10 μg/L during each cycle. Electrochemical analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that electron transfer from active Fe3O4 NPs to the carbon layer to motivate the catalytic activity of carbon surface. This work will provide an innovative path for the application of chainmail catalysts in nano-water environmental remediation.

In this study, maleyl chitosan-graft-polyacrylamide (MHCS-g-PAM), a novel chitosan-based flocculant, was prepared through UV irradiation, and maleyl chitosan (MHCS) was designed and prepared with maleic anhydride and acrylamide (AM) through maleyl acylation reaction. The effects of monomer concentration, MHCS-to-AM ratio, illumination time, initiator concentration, pH on viscosity, and grafting efficiency were investigated to optimize the synthesis of these substances. MHCS-g-PAM was characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Flocculation mechanisms in alga-containing wastewater at various pH levels and dosages were examined in detail on the basis of zeta potential measurements. Zeta potential experiments indicated that the adsorption-bridging and charge neutralization mechanisms played an important role in algal removal. Flocculation tests on algal removal demonstrated that the flocculation performance of MHCS-g-PAM was more effective than that of cationic polyacrylamide, polyferric sulfate, and polymeric aluminium. The optimal Chl-a and COD removal rate obtained by MHCS-g-PAM was 98.6% and 94.9% at pH7 and 4mg·L-1, respectively.

Optical tweezers, which exploit laser beams to control various particles, have been widely used in many fields. However, the potential wells are typically symmetrical in optical traps, which limit the performance of manipulating particles. Herein, we report an approach for creating asymmetrical potential wells, by employing variable phase gradient profiles tailored by holograms. The depth, stiffness and location of asymmetrical potential wells can be dynamically and accurately adjusted. Moreover, the controllable collective transport of nanoparticles are experimentally demonstrated as an application example, which exhibit excellent manipulation performance. Importantly, the motion path, step distance and velocity can be easily tuned by changing the holograms, which are highly desirable in the controllable transport. This study offers a new way to optically manipulate particles, which could largely expand the capability of conventional optical tweezers.

Based on an efficient and bottom-up synthesis technique, Bismuth Selenide (Bi 2 Se 3 ) nanoplatelets with uniform morphology and average thickness down to 3–7 nm had been fabricated. Its nonlinear absorption property under high power excitation had been well characterized by our Z-scan measurement system at different illumination wavelengths, and we found that the as-fabricated bi-layer Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplatelets show unique nonlinear optical responses, that is, with a saturable optical intensity of 32 GW/cm 2 (resp. 3.7 MW/cm 2 ) and a modulation depth of 88% (resp. 36%) at 800 nm (resp. 1565 nm). By implementing its saturable absorption property, we designed an optical saturable absorber device based on bilayer Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplatelets through deposited them onto the end-facet of optical fiber. The as-fabricated optical saturable absorber device allows for the generation of mode-locking pulses at 1571 nm with pulse duration of 579 fs and a repetition rate of 12.54 MHz at a pump power of 160 mW. The method on fabricating ultrathin Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplatelets may pave a new way to massive production of large-area topological insulator thin films that can be used in two-dimensional layered materials related photonics device.

In this work, a highly efficient and environmentally friendly chitosan-based graft flocculant, namely, acrylamide- and dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride-grafted chitosan [CS-g-P(AM-DMDAAC)], was prepared successfully through plasma initiation. FTIR results confirmed the successful polymerization of CS-g-P(AM-DMDAAC) and P(AM-DMDAAC). P(AM-DMDAAC) was the copolymer of acrylamide- and dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride. SEM results revealed that a densely cross-linked network structure formed on the surface. XRD results verified that the ordered crystal structure of chitosan in CS-g-P(AM-DMDAAC) was changed into an amorphous structure after plasma-induced polymerization. The flocculation results of low-algal-turbidity water further showed the optimal flocculation efficiency of turbidity removal rate, COD removal rate, and Chl-a removal rate were 99.02%, 96.11%, and 92.20%, respectively. The flocculation efficiency of CS-g-P(AM-DMDAAC) were significantly higher than those obtained by cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) and Polymeric aluminum and iron (PAFC). This work provided a valuable basis for the design of eco-friendly naturally modified polymeric flocculants to enhance the flocculation of low-algal-turbidity water.

Three-dimensional Ti-Sn/γ-Al 2 O 3 particle electrodes were prepared for the efficient degradation of chloramphenicol (CAP) in wastewater. To observe the surface morphology and structural characteristics of the Ti-Sn/γ-Al 2 O 3 particle electrodes, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used for characterization. Parameters affecting the degradation efficiency and energy consumption of the Ti-Sn/γ-Al 2 O 3 particle electrodes, such as conductivity, initial pH of wastewater, current density, air flow, and initial CAP concentration (100 mg·L −1 ), were examined. Results showed that the optimal conditions were 0.1 A current intensity, 1.0 L·min −1 air flow, 6000 μS·cm −1 conductivity, and pH 6. More than 70% of CAP was degraded under the optimal conditions. Based on the reaction intermediate products identified, a possible pathway for the electrochemical oxidation of CAP by the Ti-Sn/γ-Al 2 O 3 particle electrodes was proposed.

The preparation of W-Ag-Ti@γ-Al2O3 3D particle electrode was studied, and the preparation process was optimized on the basis of its electrolytic performance and treatment efficiency on coal chemical wastewater. Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to characterize the loaded element, element morphology, and micromorphology of W-Ag-Ti@γ-Al2O3 3D particle electrode. Results show that the optimal conditions for the preparation of W-Ag-Ti@γ-Al2O3 3D particle electrode are as follows: Ti:Ag:W = 10:10:5, the calcination temperature of the particle electrode is 450 ℃, and the number of times of loading is twice. Coal chemical wastewater degradation was significantly influenced by operating conditions. The research on particle electrode regeneration and stability shows good electrolysis performance after four electrolysis procedures. The effects of conductivity, pH, current intensity, aeration, plate spacing, and filling degree on the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen, and total phenol by W-Ag-Ti@γ-Al2O3 particle electrode were studied. Under the optimal optimization conditions, the COD removal rate was 67.6%, the ammonia nitrogen removal rate was 42.8%, and the total phenol removal rate was 51.7%. Three dimensional electrocatalytic system shows good degradation ability and capacity.

To develop high efficiency organic pickling inhibitor, a new β-amino alcohol compound named 1,16-(5,12-dihydroxy-7,10-dioxa-3,14-diazahexadecane) di-p-benzenesulfonamide (TDB) was well designed and synthesized. The corrosion inhibition performances of TDB for mild steel in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution were investigated by weight-loss, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic methods. It has been found that the inhibition efficiency of TDB derived from potentiodynamic method was 90.7 % at a low concentration of 10 mg/L at 25 °C. Effect of temperature indicated that the inhibition efficiency was still above 89 % even at 45 °C in the presence of 100 mg/L of TDB in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. XPS analyses showed that TDB prevented the attack of the corrosive medium by adsorbing on the surface of the mild steel. Theoretical calculations indicated that the structure of TDB is conducive to form an adsorption layer on the mild steel surface.