Search

Combined calcination (700 °C) and extraction was applied for aluminum recovery from alum sludge (AS) for phosphorus removal. Calcined AS had higher aluminum and lower COD content than the intact and dried AS. Both acid and alkali extraction recovered more than 90% of the aluminum in the intact and the pretreated AS. Alkali extract of the AS had less heavy metals and COD contents than the acid extract. Response surface methodology (RSM) of Box–Behnken Design (BBD) was applied to find the optimal condition for phosphorus removal with the recovered aluminum solutions. The aluminum solutions showed that the highest phosphorus removal efficiency was more than 98% at the optimal condition (pH 6.4 and Al/P molar ratio higher than 2) with the extract from the calcined AS. FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed that the recovered precipitate contained AlPO4 and Al(OH)3.

This study aims to measure the indoor radon concentration (IRC) of 56 radiation areas at 34 medical institutions to assess their adequacy as required by the South Korean Ministry of Environment and international standards, and calculate the annual effective dose (AED) of individuals in radiation-related professions at each medical institution. The study was conducted for 9 months and the AED was calculated according to the South Korean Nuclear Safety and Security Commission’s equation. The environmental factors that can affect IRC were analyzed by medical institution, floor level, province and ventilation system. The IRC of eight radiation areas exceeded the recommendation of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, with max-AED and min-AED showing a difference of 1.42 mSv/y. Therefore, all radiation areas that exceed the recommended limits must set up preventative measures to minimize exposure. Furthermore, a systematic management plan involving the issuance of radon test reports is required.

The present communication aims to obtain a novel Ce3+/TiO2 thin film in a single step facile method using the in situ template process. The material was characterized by the XRD (X-ray diffraction), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), TEM (transmission electron microscope), and AFM (atomic force microscope) analyses. The thin film catalyst was intended to introduce in the degradation of one of potential dye Alizarin Yellow from aqueous solutions using the UV-A radiations. The mechanisms of degradation along with the physicochemical parametric studies were conducted extensively. The mineralization of pollutant and the replicate use of catalysts further enhance the applicability of present communication. Additionally, the real matrix treatment was conducted to simulate the treatment process.

The corrosion rates of the reactor pressure vessel materials of SA508 Grade 3 were measured using a weight loss method in aerated boric acid solutions to simulate the evaporation of leaked PWR primary water in an ambient environment. The corrosion behavior and products were examined using X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. SA508 showed typical general corrosion characteristics. The corrosion rate increased steadily as the boron concentration was increased. As the immersion time elapsed, the corrosion rate slowly or rapidly decreased according to the oxidation reaction of iron. The corrosion rate showed a complicated pattern depending on the temperature; it increased gradually and then rapidly decreased again when reaching a certain transition temperature. The corrosion products of SA508 were found to be FeO(OH), Fe2O3, and Fe3O4. As the boron concentration decreased and the temperature was increased, the formation of Fe3O4 was more favorable as compared to the formation of FeO(OH) and Fe2O3. Consequently, the changes of the corrosion rate and behavior were closely related to the oxidation reaction of iron on the surface. The corrosive damage to SA508 appears to be most severe when the oxidation reaction is such that Fe2O3 forms as a corrosion product.

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal and recovery as struvite from various waste streams have drawn much attentions for environmentally friendly and economically competitive fertilizer production. In this study, integrated approach of using food wastewater (FW) and incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA) as the alternative N and P sources and optimum Mg dosage were investigated for the first time to achieve maximal nutrient recovery as struvite (MgNH4PO4∙6H2O). Response surface methodology (RSM) successfully established the optimum condition for the maximum recovery of PO43−-P (97.7%), NH4+-N (74.8%), and Mg2+ (95.5%) as precipitate at pH 9.63 and molar ratio of PO43−-P:NH4+-N:Mg2+ of 1:0.6:1.59. The recovered precipitate mostly consists of struvite (72.6%) and shows high P-bioavailability (98.8%) with very low heavy metals content indicating a high performance fertilizer. Moreover, economic analysis highlights that the struvite production pathway could gain $149.1/m3 of FW to move forwards for economical struvite production.

The present communication aims to synthesise the plasmonic nanocomposite Au0(NPs)/TiO2 by a facile route and to utilize material in the efficient removal of Alizarin Yellow in aqueous solutions using the UV-A light. Au0-nanoparticles were in situ doped with titania network using template method. Polyethylene glycol was employed as filler media. The nanocomposites Au0(NPs)/TiO2 (non-template) and Au0(NPs)/TiO2(T) (template) were characterized by the XRD and DRS (Diffuse Reflection Spectroscopy) methods. Surface characteristics were discussed by the SEM and TEM pictures of these materials. The interplanar distance of Au(NPs) were found to be 0.14 nm and 0.20 nm for the materials Au0(NPs)/TiO2 and Au0(NPs)/TiO2(T), respectively. The Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analysis showed heterogeneous surface structure and TiO2 were pillared on the surface. Physico-chemical studies deduced the mechanistic pathways of removal. The pseudo-first order rate constant values were decreased with the increase in dye concentrations. Further, mineralization of Alizarin Yellow was obtained at wide range of pH (pH 4.0–8.0). The nanocomposite thin films showed fairly a good stability for repeated cycle of operations in removal of Alizarin Yellow. The photocatalyst shown greater applicability in the real matrix treatment using Tlwang river water.

Sulphuric acid leaching was employed to examine the dissolution of Mo, Ni and V from a spent catalyst sample. It could leach V and Ni more than 90% whereas Mo leaching was within 30% only. The activation energy for dissolution of three metals showed that the leaching followed the diffusion control model. The solvent extraction and stripping process was successfully conducted with the maximum separation of Mo and V from the leach liquor. The Mo extraction preferred the lower pH, however, that of V preferred the higher pH within the pH range 0.1–3.0. The separation factor of Mo and V was found to be significant below pH1.0 using the solvent LIX-84I. About 98.2% of Mo was extracted at the A:O ratio of 5:2 in a 2-stage process. The NH4OH-20% solution could strip about 99% Mo from the loaded organic. Similarly about 82% of V extraction was observed at the A:O ratio of 5:3 in a 2-stage process. A mixture solution (NH4OH-20%+(NH4)2CO3-2 M) could strip more than 99% of V from the loaded organic.

BackgroundInterstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA) is a well-recognized risk factor for poor renal outcome in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, a noninvasive biomarker for IFTA is currently lacking. The purpose of this study was to identify urinary markers of IFTA and to determine their clinical relevance as predictors of renal prognosis.MethodsSeventy patients with biopsy-proven isolated DKD were enrolled in this study. We measured multiple urinary inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in these patients and evaluated their association with various pathologic features and renal outcomes.ResultsPatients enrolled in this study exhibited advanced DKD at the time of renal biopsy, characterized by moderate to severe renal dysfunction [mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 36.1 mL/min/1.73 m2] and heavy proteinuria (mean urinary protein:creatinine ratio 7.8 g/g creatinine). Clinicopathologic analysis revealed that higher IFTA scores were associated with worse baseline eGFR (P ConclusionsUrinary CXCL16 and endostatin could reflect the degree of IFTA and serve as biomarkers of renal outcome in patients with advanced DKD.

We examined the effects of empagliflozin, a selective inhibitor of Na+-glucose cotransporter 2, on mitochondrial quality control and autophagy in renal tubular cells in a diabetic environment in vivo and in vitro. Human renal proximal tubular cells (hRPTCs) were incubated under high-glucose conditions. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin in male C57BL/6J mice. Improvements in mitochondrial biogenesis and balanced fusion-fission protein expression were noted in hRPTCs after treatment with empagliflozin in high-glucose media. Empagliflozin also increased autophagic activities in renal tubular cells in the high-glucose environment, which was accompanied with mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition. Moreover, reduced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production and decreased apoptotic and fibrotic protein expression were observed in hRPTCs after treatment with empagliflozin, even in the hyperglycemic circumstance. Importantly, empagliflozin restored AMP-activated protein kinase-α phosphorylation and normalized levels of AMP-to-ATP ratios in hRPTCs subjected to a high-glucose environment, which suggests the way that empagliflozin is involved in mitochondrial quality control. Empagliflozin effectively suppressed Na+-glucose cotransporter 2 expression and ameliorated renal morphological changes in the kidneys of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Electron microscopy analysis showed that mitochondrial fragmentation was decreased and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine content was low in renal tubular cells of empagliflozin treatment groups compared with those of the diabetic control group. We suggest one mechanism related to the renoprotective actions of empagliflozin, which reverse mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy.

The feasibility of column bioleaching in the recovery of valuable metals (Ni, V, Mo, and Al) from an uncrushed petroleum refinery spent hydroprocessing catalyst using Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans has been reported. Different operational strategies such as submerged bioleaching in continuous mode, submerged bioleaching in resting period mode, free flow bioleaching in continuous mode, and free flow bioleaching in resting period mode were tested to find out the optimum bioleaching strategy for the recovery of metals from spent hydroprocessing catalyst. Among various operational modifications, submerged bioleaching in continuous mode was considered as the best strategy in which about 82.9% of Ni, 33.4% of Al, and 22.7% of Mo were leached after 315 h of column operation. The maximum yield of V (53.6%) in this column was achieved in 105 h, after which, a rapid decrease in its yield was observed, possibly due to its precipitation. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis revealed the presence of V in precipitates. The modified kinetic models showed that the leaching of Al, V and Mo followed the chemical control model, whereas the dissolution of Ni was controlled by diffusion control reaction. The bacterial attachment study with FESEM indicated that the metal toxicity was induced on bacterial cells attached to the sulfur particles. The results of the current study indicate that column bioleaching of spent hydroprocessing catalyst is effective in leaching of Ni and V, whereas leaching of Al and Mo require further treatments.

A mounting evidence exists for the despicable role of the aberrant immune response in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), where toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) can activate synovial fibroblasts that lead to the chronic inflammation and joint destruction, thus making TLR4 a potent drug target in RA. We report that novel TLR4-antagonizing peptide, PIP2, inhibits the induction of inflammatory biomarkers in vitro as well as in vivo. Systemically, PIP2 inhibits the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-elicited TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12p40 in a mouse model. The rationally designed cyclic derivative, cPIP2, is capable of inhibiting LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines at significantly lower concentration as compared to PIP2 (PIP2 IC50 = 20 μM, cPIP2 IC50 = 5 μM). Finally, cPIP2 was able to relieve the inflammatory symptoms and synovial tissue destruction in the RA rat model. Cumulatively, these data suggest that PIP2 and cPIP2 hold strong promise for the development of peptide-based immunotherapeutics that could be of ...

Phosphorus (P) dissolution from polyaluminum chlorides (PAC) sludge was investigated for sustainable P recovery. P dissolution followed 1st order kinetics with the rate constants of 3.8 × 10−2, 0.8 × 10−2, 1.3 × 10−2 and 1.9 × 10−2 min−1 at pH 1, 2.5, 10.5 and 12, respectively. Strong acidic and alkaline conditions dissolved about 82 (pH 1) and 88% (pH 12) of the total P by adding 0.214 g HCl and 0.357 g NaOH per gram P dissolved, respectively. Chemical P fractionation showed that more than 96% of the total P of the PAC sludge was Al P and it was reduced to 11.3 (pH 12) and 12.6% (pH 1.0) after the acid and alkali treatment. ATR-FTIR showed that AlPO4 in the PAC sludge was transformed to Mg3(PO4)2∙4H2O and CaHPO4∙2H2O after alkali treatment and H3PO4 and Na/Mg P after acid treatment. Dissolved P can be recovered by precipitation with Ca and Mg.

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cause eutrophication in water body, but they also act as an essential and limiting nutrient in agriculture. In this study food wastewater (FW) and incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA) were combined together as the alternative NH4+-N and PO43−-P sources to produce struvite. PO43−-P (67.0 g/kg SSA) was leached from the ISSA by acid and alkali treatment of ISSA. Multi-response surface methodology (RSM) has been applied to find the optimal condition for the maximal NH4+-N and PO43−-P recovery of 79.6% and 99.9%, respectively, from the mixed solution of ISSA leachate and centrifuged FW at pH 9.28, Mg/P 2, and N/P 0.6. Overall yields were 64.9% NH4+-N (27.1 g NH4+-N /L FW) and 72.7% PO43−-P (72.8 g T-P/kg ISSA) from the FW and ISSA, respectively. XRD, ICP-OES, and P-bioavailability analysis confirmed that the recovered precipitate had high struvite content (77.5%) and P-bioavailability (98.4%) with negligible heavy metals content. FW and ISSA were successfully combined together to produce struvite and it can be utilized as an effective fertilizer.

Background: The effect of drugs on ATP-binding cassette transporters, especially permeabilityglycoprotein (P-gp), is an important consideration during new anti-cancer drug development. Objective: In this context, the effects of a newly synthesized artemisinin derivative, 10-(4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3- triazol)-artemisinin (5a), were evaluated on P-gp expression and function. Methods: Reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting techniques were used to determine the effect of 5a on P-gp expression in LS174T cells. In addition, the ability of 5a to work as either a substrate or an inhibitor of P-gp was investigated through different methods. Results: The results revealed that 5a acts as a novel P-gp inhibitor that dually suppresses the overexpression and function of P-glycoprotein. Co-treatment of LS174T cell line, human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, with 5a and paclitaxel recovered the anticancer effect of paclitaxel by controlling the acquired drug resistance pathway. The overexpression of P-gp induced by rifampin and paclitaxel in a colorectal cell line was suppressed by 5a which could be a novel inhibitory substrate inhibiting the transport of paclitaxel by P-gp. Conclusion: The results revealed that 5a can be classified as a type B P-gp inhibitor (with both substrate and inhibitor activities) with an additional function of suppressing P-gp overexpression. The results might be clinically useful in the development of anticancer drugs against cancers with multidrug resistance.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen/damage-associated molecular patterns and initiate inflammatory signaling cascades. Occasionally, overexpression of TLRs leads to the onset of numerous inflammatory diseases, necessitating the development of selective inhibitors to allow a protective yet balanced immune response. Here, we demonstrate that a novel peptide (TIP1) derived from Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing adapter protein inhibited multiple TLR signaling pathways (MyD88-dependent and MyD88-independent) in murine and human cell lines. TIP1 also inhibited NLRP3-mediated IL-1β secretion, as we validated at both the protein and mRNA levels. Biophysical experiments confirmed that TIP1 specifically binds to the BB loop of the TLR4-TIR domain. Animal studies revealed that TIP1 inhibited the secretion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced proinflammatory cytokines in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and kaolin/carrageenan-induced arthritis (K/C) rodent models. TIP1 also rescued animals from sepsis and from LPS-induced kidney/liver damage. Importantly, TIP1 ameliorated the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in CIA and K/C rodent models, suggesting that TIP1 has therapeutic potential for the treatment of TLR-mediated autoimmune/inflammatory diseases., Inflammation: A decoy peptide treats arthritis and sepsis in mice A newly discovered peptide drug that disrupts signaling through a critical immune pathway could offer a new treatment for inflammatory diseases. Sangdun Choi from Ajou University in Suwon, South Korea, and colleagues designed the drug to look similar to—and thus act as kind of decoy for—a protein that regulates signaling through Toll-like receptors (TLRs), proteins found on immune cells that initiate responses to pathogens and also play a role in autoimmunity. In mouse and human cells, the drug inhibited multiple TLR signaling pathways, including a pathway that normally activates a multiprotein complex implicated in a variety of inflammatory diseases. In mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis and sepsis, the drug limited the release of proinflammatory molecules in the blood and reduced disease symptoms.

Efficiency of phosphorus recovery from polyaluminum chloride sludge is determined by chemical interactions between Al and P. Chemical structure of Al–P complex and their binding mechanisms in the PAC sludge were investigated with spectroscopy and chemical fractionation. More than 98% of the P was bound with Al, out of which 70% was strongly bound. The ATR-FTIR analysis indicates that the majority of the P formed inner sphere complex with Al through ligand exchange. The availability of highly protonated surface for P sorption at low pH also supports the formation of Al–P outer sphere complex.

Herein, we build on the results of previous works describing the use of advanced photocatalytic processes for effective industrial wastewater treatment and investigate SrZnTiO3/g-C3N4 heterostructure (SZTO/CN)-catalyzed removal of rhodamine B (RhB) and indigo carmine (IC), probing the effects of the light source (UV and visible) on charge transfer (Z-scheme and non-Z-scheme) in the above heterostructure. Both RhB (cationic dye) and IC (anionic dye) could be efficiently removed by SZTO/CN, which also exhibited elevated photocurrent responses. In particular, the efficiencies of IC and RhB removal over a SZTO/CN sample with a CN/(SZTO + CN) mass ratio of 0.8 after 3-h visible-light irradiation equaled 93.1 and 82.2%, respectively, while the respective values for STO were obtained as 9.7 and 21.8%. Dye degradation under UV light irradiation (e.g., within 30 min for IC) was much faster than under visible light irradiation (e.g., within 180 min for IC), and optimal CN/(SZTO + CN) ratios were individually determined for both irradiation types. Notably, the best performing catalyst maintained over 95% of its initial photocatalytic performance after five consecutive IC decomposition runs, and the X-ray diffraction patterns of cycled and non-cycled catalysts indicated that cycling did not induce any notable crystalline structure changes. The reactive species involved in photocatalytic degradation were identified as O2•–, h+, and OH• for both light source types, which, together with the results of band energy structure analysis and hydroxyl radical population measurements allowed us to propose two light source-dependent photocatalytic dye removal mechanisms. Thus, it was concluded that the developed SZTO/CN heterostructure can be sustainably applied to the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater.

In this study, CuMoO4, MoS2-nanospheres and CuMoO4/MoS2-nanoparticle forest-like structures have been prepared using a controllable simple one step hydrothermal method. The specific capacitance was studied by using different electrochemical methods including cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic studies in 3 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. The results show that this unique nanoparticle forest-like structure merits superiorities such as large surface area, more accessible active sites, better infiltration/diffusion, high conductivity and high electrochemical/mechanical stability. The CuMoO4/MoS2-nanoparticle forest-like structures can achieve a relatively high specific capacitance of 1115.5 F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1 with a stable operational voltage of 0–0.5 V and a good capacitance retention of 90.42% at a current density of 4 A g−1 after 3000 cycles. The electrochemical properties are attributed to the good electrical conductivity, redox properties and synergistic effect of the two (CuMoO4 and MoS2) materials. This work demonstrates that the CuMoO4/MoS2 composite is a promising electrode material for next-generation high-performance supercapacitor applications.

Graphene is an optimal material to be employed as an ionic diffusion barrier because of its outstanding impermeability and chemical robustness. Indium tin oxide (ITO) is often used in perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs), and it can release indium easily upon exposure to the acidic hole-injection layer so that luminescence can be quenched significantly. Here, we exploit the outstanding impermeability of graphene and use it as a chemical barrier to block the etching that can occur in ITO exposed to an acidic hole-injection layer in PeLEDs. This barrier reduced the luminescence quenching that these metallic species can cause, so the photoluminescence lifetime of perovskite film was substantially higher in devices with ITO and graphene layer (87.9 ns) than in devices that had only an ITO anode (22.1 ns). Luminous current efficiency was also higher in PeLEDs with a graphene barrier (16.4 cd/A) than in those without graphene (9.02 cd/A). Our work demonstrates that graphene can be used as a barrier to reduce the degradation of transparent electrodes by chemical etching in optoelectronic devices.

While the neuropathological characteristics of Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) result in a fatal diagnosis, the development of clinically available therapeutic agent remains a challenge. Here we propose graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as a potential candidate for the impaired functions in NPC in vivo. In addition to the previous findings that GQDs exhibit negligible long-term toxicity and are capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier, GQD treatment reduces the aggregation of cholesterol in the lysosome through expressed physical interactions. GQDs also promote autophagy and restore defective autophagic flux, which, in turn, decreases the atypical accumulation of autophagic vacuoles. More importantly, the injection of GQDs inhibits the loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum while also demonstrating reduced activation of microglia. The ability of GQDs to alleviate impaired functions in NPC proves the promise and potential of the use of GQDs toward resolving NPC and other related disorders.

As a fascinating metal-free visible-light-responsive photocatalyst, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has become a new research hotspot and drawn significant attention in the field of solar energy conversion and environmental remediation applications. Because of low charge separation efficiency, it is usually difficult for single-component g-C3N4 to achieve optimum photocatalytic performance for solar energy conversion. The hetero-structuring, in particular, Z-scheme charge transport mechanism that mimics the natural photosynthesis process is a constructive way to solve the aforementioned problem owing to its effectiveness for spatially separating photoinduced electron–hole pairs and optimizing the reduction and oxidation ability of the photocatalytic system. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview on the recent advances in the development of g–C3N4–based Z-scheme photocatalysts, with particular focus on mechanistic breakthroughs, and highlights current state-of-the-art systems, which are at the forefront of the various photocatalytic applications, including CO2 reduction, hydrogen generation, and pollutant degradation.

The contamination of the aquatic environment with emerging micro-pollutants is a serious global concern. The aim of this investigation was to synthesize novel functionalized material (BNAPTES) precursor to natural bentonite in a single pot facile synthetic route. The material was utilized for efficient and selective removal of tetracycline (TC) and triclosan (TCS) in aqueous wastes. The grafting of silane was confirmed with the FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infra-Red) analysis and the EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray) analysis showed the incorporation of amino group with the bentonite. The structural changes of clay due to silane grafting were studied with the help of XRD (X-ray Diffraction) and BET (Brunner-Emmett-Teller) surface area analyses. Batch adsorption studies showed that functionalized clay significantly increased the selectivity and adsorption capacity of bentonite for TC and TCS. The Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacity was found to be 15.36 and 17.15 mg/g for TC and TCS, respectively. The rapid uptake of TC and TCS by functionalized material followed pseudo-second-rate kinetics. Further, a total of 78% of TC and 73% of TCS were removed within 5 min of contact and the adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 120 min. The influence of background electrolytes and co-existing ions indicated that TC and TCS were selective towards BNAPTES. The loading capacities of the column packed with BNAPTES were found to be 56.00 and 44.42 mg/g for TC and TCS, respectively. Further, BNAPTES was found efficient even in real water treatment since the attenuation of TC and TCS was not affected significantly in the real water matrix.

Here, we provide the possibility of a novel chemotherapeutic agent against gastric cancer cells, comprising the combination of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and a mitochondria-targeting self-assembly peptide, which is a phenylalanine dipeptide with triphenyl phosphonium (Mito-FF). The anticancer effects and mechanisms of 5-FU and Mito-FF, individually or in combination, were compared through both in vitro and in vivo models of gastric cancer. Our experiments consistently demonstrated that the 5-FU and Mito-FF combination therapy was superior to monotherapy with either, as manifested by both higher reduction of proliferation as well as an induction of apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, we found that combining 5-FU with Mito-FF leads to a significant increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduction of antioxidant enzymes in gastric cancer cells. Moreover, the inhibition of ROS abrogated the pro-apoptotic effects of combination therapy, suggesting that enhanced oxidative stress could be the principal mechanism of the action of combination therapy. We conclude that the combination of 5-FU and Mito-FF exerts potent antineoplastic activity against gastric cancer cells, primarily by promoting ROS generation and suppressing the activities of antioxidant enzymes.

Graphene quantum dots attenuate intestinal inflammation by modulating immune homeostasis., While graphene and its derivatives have been suggested as a potential nanomedicine in several biomimetic models, their specific roles in immunological disorders still remain elusive. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) may be suitable for treating intestinal bowel diseases (IBDs) because of their low toxicity in vivo and ease of clearance. Here, GQDs are intraperitoneally injected to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)–induced chronic and acute colitis model, and its efficacy has been confirmed. In particular, GQDs effectively prevent tissue degeneration and ameliorate intestinal inflammation by inhibiting TH1/TH17 polarization. Moreover, GQDs switch the polarization of macrophages from classically activated M1 to M2 and enhance intestinal infiltration of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Therefore, GQDs effectively attenuate excessive inflammation by regulating immune cells, indicating that they can be used as promising alternative therapeutic agents for the treatment of autoimmune disorders, including IBDs.

Background Oxidative stress induced by chronic hyperglycemia is recognized as a significant mechanistic contributor to the development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Nonphagocytic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (Nox4) is a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in many cell types and in the kidney tissue of diabetic animals. We designed this study to explore the therapeutic potential of chloroquine (CQ) and amodiaquine (AQ) for inhibiting mitochondrial Nox4 and diabetic tubular injury. Methods Human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (hRPTCs) were cultured in high-glucose media (30 mM D-glucose), and diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg i.p. for 5 days) in male C57BL/6J mice. CQ and AQ were administered to the mice via intraperitoneal injection for 14 weeks. Results CQ and AQ inhibited mitochondrial Nox4 and increased mitochondrial mass in hRPTCs under high-glucose conditions. Reduced mitochondrial ROS production after treatment with the drugs resulted in decreased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, suppressed inflammatory protein expression and reduced cell apoptosis in hRPTCs under high-glucose conditions. Notably, CQ and AQ treatment diminished Nox4 activation and ER stress in the kidneys of STZ-induced diabetic mice. In addition, we observed attenuated inflammatory protein expression and albuminuria in STZ-induced diabetic mice after CQ and AQ treatment. Conclusion We substantiated the protective actions of CQ and AQ in diabetic tubulopathy associated with reduced mitochondrial Nox4 activation and ER stress alleviation. Further studies exploring the roles of mitochondrial Nox4 in the pathogenesis of DKD could suggest new therapeutic targets for patients with DKD., Graphical Abstract

Charge storage in supercapacitors is strongly related to the bond characteristics and electronic structure of electrode materials. Graphene-based materials are widely used in a supercapacitor due to the easily tunable properties and high surface/volume ratios. However, we claim that the typical covalent bond characteristics of 2D carbon materials originating from this 2pπ orbital is not very suitable to the application in supercapacitor. Here, we suggest an efficient way to improve the supercapacitor performance by tuning the covalency of bonding between the graphene-based electrode and potassium ion. We, for the first time, also introduce a simple solvent-free scale-up doping technique to prepare fluorine-doped graphene oxide (FGO) by direct plasma treatment on graphene oxide (GO) powder at ambient pressure. The FGO enabled fast electrochemical charge transfer and provided a large number of active sites for redox reactions during supercapacitor operation, and those mechanisms were thoroughly studied by various electrochemical analyses. As a result, the fabricated symmetric supercapacitor using FGO electrodes exhibited a maximum power density (~3200 W/kg) and energy density (~25.87 Wh/kg) with superior cycle stability (20000 cycles) without capacitance loss. Furthermore, the computational calculation results clarified the roles of semi-ionic C–F bonding of FGO: huge charge accumulation on the electrodes and superior electrical conductivity. Thus, our study demonstrates a facile strategy to develop promising functionalized materials, which can enhance the viability of supercapacitor for the next generation of energy storage systems.

We have previously reported a novel synthetic compound KMS99220 that prevented degeneration of the nigral dopaminergic neurons and the associated motor deficits, suggesting a neuroprotective therapeutic utility for Parkinson's disease. Microglia are closely associated with neuroinflammation, which plays a key role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of KMS99220 on the signaling involving AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the enzymes thought to regulate inflammation. KMS99220 was shown to elevate the enzyme activity of purified AMPK, and phosphorylation of cellular AMPK in BV2 microglia. It increased the level of HO-1, and this was attenuated by AMPK inhibitors. KMS99220 lowered phosphorylation of IκB, nuclear translocation of NFκB, induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase, and generation of nitric oxide in BV2 cells that had been challenged with lipopolysaccharide. This anti-inflammatory response involved HO-1, because both its pharmacological inhibition and knockdown of its expression abolished the response. The AMPK inhibitors also reversed the anti-inflammatory effects of KMS99220. The induction of HO-1 by KMS99220 occurred within 1 h, and this appeared not to involve the transcription factor Nrf2, because Nrf2 knockdown did not affect the compound's HO-1 inducing- and anti-inflammatory effects in this time window. These findings indicated that KMS99220 leads to AMPK-induced HO-1 expression in microglia, which in turn plays an important role in early anti-inflammatory signaling. Together with its neuroprotective property, KMS99220 may serve as a feasible therapeutic agent against neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration., Graphical Abstract

The efficient photocatalytic degradation of harmful organic pollutants (isoniazid (ISN) and 1,4-dioxane (DX)) via the Z-scheme electron transfer mechanism was accomplished using a photostable composite photocatalyst consisting of BiVO4, CdS, and reduced graphene oxide (RGO). Compared to their pristine counterparts, the RGO-mediated Z-scheme CdS/BiVO4 (CdS/RGO-BiVO4) nanocomposites exhibited superior degradation activities, mainly attributed to the prolonged charge separation. RGO was found to be involved in visible-light harvesting and acted as a solid-state electron mediator at the CdS/BiVO4 interface to realize an effective Z-scheme electron transfer pathway, avoid photocatalyst self-oxidation, and lengthen the life span of charge carriers. The results of reactive species scavenging experiments, photoluminescence measurements, and transient photocurrent measurements, as well as the calculated band potentials of the synthesized photocatalysts, supported the Z-scheme electron/hole pair separation mechanism. Additionally, the intermediates formed during the degradation of ISN and DX were identified, and a possible fragmentation pattern was proposed. This systematic work aims to develop photostable Z-scheme composites as unique photocatalytic systems for the efficient removal of harmful organic pollutants.

The transcription factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) is known to induce neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects and is considered to be an excellent molecular target for drugs related to neurodegenerative disease therapy. Nrf2 activators previously tested in clinical trials were electrophilic, causing adverse effects due to non-selective and covalent modification of cellular thiols. In order to circumvent this issue, we constructed and screened a chemical library consisting of 241 pyrazolo [3,4-d] pyrimidine derivatives and discovered a novel, non-electrophilic compound: 1-benzyl-6-(methylthio)-N-(1-phenylethyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4-amine (KKC080106). KKC080106 was able to activate Nrf2 signaling as it increases the cellular levels of Nrf2, binds to the Nrf2 inhibitor protein Keap1, and causes the accumulation of nuclear Nrf2. We also observed an increase in the expression levels of Nrf2-dependent genes for antioxidative/neuroprotective enzymes in dopaminergic neuronal cells. In addition, in lipopolysaccharide-activated microglia, KKC080106 suppressed the generation of the proinflammatory markers, such as IL-1β, TNF-α, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nitric oxide, and inhibited the phosphorylation of kinases known to be involved in inflammatory signaling, such as IκB kinase, p38, JNK, and ERK. As a drug, KKC080106 exhibited excellent stability against plasma enzymes and a good safety profile, evidenced by no mortality after the administration of 2000 mg/kg body weight, and minimal inhibition of the hERG channel activity. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that KKC080106 has good bioavailability and enters the brain after oral and intravenous administration, in both rats and mice. In MPTP-treated mice that received KKC080106 orally, the compound blocked microglial activation, protected the nigral dopaminergic neurons from degeneration, and prevented development of the dopamine deficiency-related motor deficits. These results suggest that KKC080106 has therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

This paper investigates the drop-on-demand inkjet printing of a nematic liquid crystal (LC) onto a variety of substrates. Achieving both a well-defined droplet boundary and uniformity of the LC director in printed droplets can be challenging when traditional alignment surfaces are employed. Despite the increasing popularity of inkjet printing LCs, the mechanisms that are involved during the deposition process such as drop impact, wetting and spreading have received very little attention, in the way of experiments, as viable routes for promoting alignment of the resultant LC droplets. In this work, radial alignment of the director and uniformity of the droplet boundary are achieved in combination via the use of a partially-wet polymer substrate, which makes use of the forces and flow generated during droplet impact and subsequent wetting process. Our findings could have important consequences for future LC inkjet applications, including the development of smart inks, printable sensors and lasers.

Although conventional p-type doping using small molecules on graphene decreases its sheet resistance (Rsh), it increases after exposure to ambient conditions, and this problem has been considered as the biggest impediment to practical application of graphene electrodes. Here, we report an extremely stable graphene electrode doped with macromolecular acid (perfluorinated polymeric sulfonic acid (PFSA)) as a p-type dopant. The PFSA doping on graphene provides not only ultra-high ambient stability for a very long time (> 64 days) but also high chemical/thermal stability, which have been unattainable by doping with conventional small-molecules. PFSA doping also greatly increases the surface potential (~0.8 eV) of graphene, and reduces its Rsh by ~56%, which is very important for practical applications. High-efficiency phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes are fabricated with the PFSA-doped graphene anode (~98.5 cd A−1 without out-coupling structures). This work lays a solid platform for practical application of thermally-/chemically-/air-stable graphene electrodes in various optoelectronic devices., Chemical doping is a viable strategy to tune the electrical properties of pristine graphene, but suffers from stability issues. Here, the authors develop a macromolecular chemical doping approach that makes use of polymeric acid and provides high stability.

Direct application of sewage sludge ash (SSA) to agriculture is mostly prohibited due to its heavy metals and limited bioavailability. Thermochemical treatment of SSA with Cl-donors were carried out to remove heavy metals and enhance P bioavailability. MgCl2 and CaCl2 removed more heavy metal than other Cl-donors. Pb was completely removed followed by Cd, Zn, Cu. They also increased P bioavailability by the conversion of Al–P to Ca/Mg–P which was confirmed by chemical fractionation. XRD confirmed the conversion of AlPO4 to Ca5(PO4)3Cl, Ca3(PO4)2, and Mg3(PO4)2 by the thermochemical treatment.

n-Type doping with (4-(1,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)phenyl) dimethylamine (N-DMBI) reduces a work function (WF) of graphene by ∼0.45 eV without significant reduction of optical transmittance. Solution process of N-DMBI on graphene provides effective n-type doping effect and air-stability at the same time. Although neutral N-DMBI act as an electron receptor leaving the graphene p-doped, radical N-DMBI acts as an electron donator leaving the graphene n-doped, which is demonstrated by density functional theory. We also verify the suitability of N-DMBI-doped n-type graphene for use as a cathode in inverted polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) by using various analytical methods. Inverted PLEDs using a graphene cathode doped with N-DMBI radical showed dramatically improved device efficiency (∼13.8 cd/A) than did inverted PLEDs with pristine graphene (∼2.74 cd/A). N-DMBI-doped graphene can provide a practical way to produce graphene cathodes with low WF in various organic optoelectronics.

Transforming CO2 into solar fuel using renewable solar energy and a catalyst is an effective approach that simultaneously addresses energy scarcity and climate deterioration. Therefore, it is necessary, albeit challenging, to design a catalyst that works effectively for this purpose. Herein, we have rationally developed a hybrid catalyst composed of highly-configured TiO2 hollow spheres (TOH) and N-doped carbon dots (CD), referred to as CD/TOH, and use this hybrid as a catalyst for photocatalytic CO2 reduction to produce CH4 under simulated sunlight. The electron microscopy results revealed that the CD/TOH hybrid possesses a porous hollow sphere structure uniformly adorned with N-doped carbon dots. Moreover, the CD/TOH hybrid demonstrates many beneficial properties for CO2 photoreduction reactions, including a large surface area, effective light-harvesting capability, high CO2 adsorption, and, most importantly, significantly enhanced separation of photoexcited charges. Consequently, the CD/TOH containing 2 wt% CD achieves an optimum CH4 formation rate of 26.8 μmol h−1 g−1, corresponding to 98% CH4 selectivity against competitive H2 production. Further, the hybrid also demonstrated stable CO2 reduction activity during consecutive test runs. Thus, the insights gained from this study may aid in the development of effective catalysts for CO2 photoreduction.

Indigenously low-cost, eco-friendly and efficient nanocomposite material Au(NP)/TCODS/BN (trichloro(octadecyl) silane grafted bentonite impregnated with biosynthesized gold nanoparticle) was synthesized. The nanocomposite material was characterized by the SEM/EDAX, TEM and FT-IR analyses. Further, the working electrode was fabricated using the Au(NP)/TCODS/BN material and intended for efficient sensing of Pb2+ in aqueous media. Electrochemical behaviour of indigenously fabricated electrodes was studied extensively using various electrochemical methods. Cyclic voltammetric results indicated that the nanocomposite fabricated electrode showed a significantly enhanced electroactive surface area. Similarly, the Rct (charge transfer resistance) value is significantly decreased using the nanocomposite material. The differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) is employed as a sensing method to detect the Pb2+ and a good calibration line was obtained within the Pb2+ concentration range (1.00–60.0 µg/L) having the calibration line equation I(µA) = 0.031(µg/L) +0.611(µA) (R2 = 0.984) at optimized experimental condition. Moreover, the reproducibility tests reveal that the RSD values are obtained below 3%. The estimated LOD and LOQ are 0.81 µg/L and 2.70 µg/L, respectively. The detection of lead is almost unaffected in presence of several co-existing cations and interestingly the real matrix analysis showed that reasonably a good recovery is achieved using Pb2+ spiked river or spring water samples utilizing the nanocomposite electrode.

Graphene possesses unique physicochemical properties viz., high specific surface area, thermal stability, enormous electron mobility, mechanical flexibility, large elasticity, etc. Due to these distinctive properties, many researchers focused on the modification of graphene or the preparation of graphene-based materials for diverse applications. The review addresses recent advances in the design, synthesis and applications of graphene-based materials in the remediation of aquatic environment contaminated with potential water pollutant fluoride. Overview of major factors influencing the fluoride removal viz., solution pH, temperature, co-existing ions etc. have been included extensively. The fluoride removal mechanisms as investigated with the help of advanced analytical tools viz., Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) are comprehensively demonstrated. Further, regeneration and reusability of the materials are broadly summarized in the review. This review attempted to investigate the updated knowledge of fluoride contamination and remediation with available data and greatly demonstrated the challenges in the existing methods. Therefore, future aspects of studies in intended use of graphene and graphene based advanced materials is elaborated for the greater applicability of the review.

Nowadays, lithium-ion batteries are the most promising candidate as the power source for electric vehicles and energy storage system. Unfortunately, the performance of lithium-ion batteries tends to degrade and their capacity declines after a number of charging and discharging process. Most of the lithium-ion batteries are considered to replaced or discard when the capacity or voltage drops 20% of its initial state. In order to predict the state, prognosis algorithms are necessary to screen out highly degraded batteries. In this paper, life prediction system equipped with prognosis algorithm is proposed for estimating the battery health and predicting it remaining useful life based on the non-linear slope of charge-voltage curve. In particular, the prediction of state-of-charge(SOC) is modeled by Backpropagation Neural Network algorithm, which is conducted by 6 coefficients and the prediction of state-of-health (SOH) is modeled by particle-filter algorithm in form of a probability distribution, which is carried out by Arrhenius electrochemical modeling. 10 sets of lithium-ion batteries were initially prepared with 18650 cells and degraded by repeating the 100 times of charging and discharging process in order to compare the experimental data with the modeled data. Both SOC and SOH error rate tend to decline when the gather input experimental data is increased. The average SOC and SOH error rate of 10 samples at 100th cycle with 4 input cycle data was 6.75% and 3.30% respectively, which correspond to the algorithm efficiency above 95%. For conclusion, the particle filtering method for predicting the residual life (SOL) is not only more accurate than the prediction by simple curve fitting, but also is very effective because it reflects the lack of data and uncertainty due to measurement in the confidence interval. In addition, the remaining useful life prediction of SOC and SOH by particle filtering and backpropagation neural network algorithm is a method of continuously updating the deterioration model coefficient in real time based on the measured data of the battery and modeling data. Figure 1

Alum sludge (AS) is an abundant and ubiquitous residue generated from drinking water treatment plants. AS was thermally treated to use as an adsorbent for phosphate removal from wastewater. Organic matter in the AS was a potential competitor and can deter phosphate adsorption. Pyrolysis and drying of AS were adopted to enhance phosphate removal by eliminating organic matter and enriching Al content. Adsorption kinetics showed that phosphate removal was highest with the AS pyrolyzed at 700 °C followed by 500 °C, air-dried and oven-dried (105 °C). Adsorption kinetic modelling showed that chemisorption is the operative mechanism of phosphate removal in all the AS. Adsorption isotherms also showed that the pyrolyzed AS and air-dried AS had similar adsorption capacity of 30.83–34.53 mg P/g AS. Al dissolution was less than 2 mg/g Al in all the AS samples. COD release was significant in the dried AS, up to 8.0 mg COD/g AS, whereas the pyrolyzed AS released less than 1 mg COD/g AS. FTIR and SEM-EDS analyses of the AS after phosphate adsorption showed the formation of aluminum-phosphate complex. Overall, the pyrolysis of AS at 700 °C was most effective in removing phosphate without leaving secondary pollution.

Identification of phosphorus (P) forms is critical for the recovery of P from sewage sludge ash (SSA). During the HCl treatment of SSA Ca was selectively eluted while P mostly remained in the SSA. Chemical P fractionation of the SSA before and after HCl treatment showed that Al-P increased from 46.6% to 79.2% of total P while Ca-P decreased from 28.9% to 4.4% at pH 2.5. HCl treatment also changed chemical structure of Al-P since no crystalline Al-P was found in the SSA after the treatment, only amorphous Al-P was found from the analyses of XRD and ATR-FTIR.

The influence of oxides in the hydrogen evolution on Raney nickel electrocatalysts was characterized by electrochemical impedance measurements. In addition, these materials show competitive overpotentials for hydrogen evolution with a modified Watts bath as a binder for the Raney nickel. The optimum result was −190 mV of overpotential at 100 mA cm−2. Oxygen in the Raney Ni catalyst affects its electroactivity toward hydrogen evolution. The source of oxygen is related to the presence of chloride ions in the modified Watts bath. A Watts bath binds Raney Ni particles to the surface of the catalysts and chloride regulates the oxygen content in the nickel binder during electrodeposition. High oxygen content increases the hydrogen evolution overpotential of the electrode. The electroactivity of the synthesized porous coatings was evaluated by polarization curves and impedance plots. In addition, surface characterization by X-ray diffraction, field emission–scanning electron microscopy equipped with ener...

Phosphorus (P) is recovered from sewage sludge ash (SSA) by selective HCl elution of Ca. Leaching and rearrangement of P were very fast and the amounts of leaching and recombination of P depend strongly on pH. pH control at 4.0 obtained selective elution ratio (Ca(%)/P(%)) of 20 by recombination of P to Al in SSA residue while it was 5.6 without pH control. XRD and element mass balance showed that Ca–P in the raw SSA was converted to Al–P complex during the acid pretreatment.

Photoelectrochemical cells are used to split hydrogen and oxygen from water molecules to generate chemical fuels to satisfy our ever-increasing energy demands. However, it is a major challenge to design efficient catalysts to use in the photoelectochemical process. Recently, research has focused on carbon-based catalysts, as they are nonprecious and environmentally benign. Interesting advances have also been made in controlling nanostructure interfaces and in introducing new materials as catalysts in the photoelectrochemical cell. However, these catalysts have as yet unresolved issues involving kinetics and light-transmittance. In this work, we introduce high-transmittance graphene onto a planar p-Si photocathode to produce a hydrogen evolution reaction to dramatically enhance photon-to-current efficiency. Interestingly, double-layer graphene/Si exhibits noticeably improved photon-to-current efficiency and modifies the band structure of the graphene/Si photocathode. On the basis of in-depth electrochemical and electrical analyses, the band structure of graphene/Si was shown to result in a much lower work function than Si, accelerating the electron-to-hydrogen production potential. Specifically, plasma-treated double-layer graphene exhibited the best performance and the lowest work function. We electrochemically analyzed the mechanism at work in the graphene-assisted photoelectrode. Atomistic calculations based on the density functional theory were also carried out to more fully understand our experimental observations. We believe that investigation of the underlying mechanism in this high-performance electrode is an important contribution to efforts to develop high-efficiency metal-free carbon-based catalysts for photoelectrochemical cell hydrogen production.