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Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) disproportionation, iron precipitation, and narrow pH range are the drawbacks of traditional Fenton process. To surmount these barriers, we proposed a ferric ion (Fe3+)-ascorbic acid (AA) complex catalyzed calcium peroxide (CaO2) Fenton-like system to remove organic dyes in water. This collaborative Fe3+/AA/CaO2 system presented an obvious improvement in the methyl orange (MO) decolorization, and also effectively eliminated other dyes. Response surface method was employed to optimize the running parameters for this coupling process. Under the optimized arguments (2.76 mmol/L Fe3+, 0.68 mmol/L AA, and 4 mmol/L CaO2), the MO removal achieved 98.90% after 15 min at pH 6.50, which was close to the computed outcome of 99.30%. Furthermore, this Fenton-like system could perform well in a wide range of pH (3–11), and enhance the H2O2 decomposition and Fe ions recycle. The scavenger experiment result indicated that hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion free radical, and singlet oxygen were acted on the dye elimination. Moreover, electron spin resonance analysis corroborated that the existences of these active species in the Fe3+/AA/CaO2 system. This study could advance the development of Fenton-like technique in organic effluent disposal.

Bioconversion of acetate, a byproduct generated in industrial processes, into microbial lipids using oleaginous yeasts offers a promising alternative for the economic utilization of acetate-containing waste streams. However, high acetate concentrations will inhibit microbial growth and metabolism. In this study, the acetate utilization capability of Yarrowia lipolytica PO1f was successively improved by overexpressing the key enzyme of acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS), which resulted in an accumulation of 9.2% microbial lipids from acetate in shake flask fermentation. By further overexpressing the second key enzymes of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC1) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in Y. lipolytica, the lipid content was increased to 25.7% from acetate. Finally, the maximum OD600 of 29.2 and a lipid content of 41.7% were obtained with the engineered strain by the adoption of cosubstrate (glycerol and acetate) fed-batch fermentation, which corresponded to an increase of 68 and 95%, respectively. These results presented a promising strategy for economic and efficient microbial lipid production from the waste acetate.

Lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) have recently emerged as natural products with pharmaceutical and nutraceutical potential. Here, we compared the structure of LCCs from ginkgo (GK, gymnosperms), wheat straw (WST, monocotyledons), and aspen white poplar (AW, dicotyledons). We also investigated the biotransformation of LCCs by intestinal microbiota in vitro. We found that human intestinal microbiota could use LCCs as a carbon source for growth, breaking resistant cross-linkages in LCCs to generate a plethora of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and aromatic compounds with putative beneficial effects on human health. The yield of SCFAs reached 1837.8 ± 44.1 μmol/g using AW LCCs as a carbon source. The biomass of intestinal microbiota increased the fastest using GK LCCs. The greatest amounts of phenolics were present at 4 h in a WST LCCs fermentation system. Many phenolic acids with potential bioactivity were obtained after 24 h fermentation using each LCCs, such as ferulic acid.

Postoperative fat volume retention rate (PFVRR) after augmentation mammoplasty with autologous fat grafting is highly variable on an individual basis and challenging to be predicted. However, at present, there is a lack of further research on the relevant preoperative patient’s self-related influencing factors. The early inflammatory response degree, directly influenced by preoperative inflammatory level, is an indispensable part of angiogenesis, which is a key factor in adipocyte survival. A retrospective review was conducted of patients who underwent breast augmentation with autologous fat grafting performed by a senior surgeon. Preoperative patient demographics and laboratory findings relevant to inflammatory level, such as monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), were included as the independent variables. The PFVRR more than 3 months after the operation was included as the dependent variable. Key factors influencing the PFVRR were analyzed. Sixty-three patients were included. The total volume of bilateral fat injection was 375.00 (range, 320.00–400.00) mL, and the long-term bilateral volumetric change was 106.98 (range, 69.90–181.58) mL. The mean PFVRR was 35.36% ± 15.87%, and the preoperative MLR was an independent positive influencing factor of it, while the lymphocyte (L) count was negative. By ROC curve analysis, a value of MLR equal to 0.23 was the diagnostic cut-off point for whether PFVRR was greater than 50%, and its area under the curve was 0.870, with a sensitivity of 93.33% and a specificity of 81.25%. The other hematological parameters and demographics such as age, body mass index, and donor site were not significantly correlated with the PFVRR. Preoperative peripheral blood inflammatory indicators can influence the PFVRR, with the MLR positively and L count negatively. Based on the diagnostic threshold of MLR = 0.23 derived from this study, clinicians can make reasonable predictions of whether half of the injected fat volume would be retained based on preoperative blood routine tests that are readily available. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these evidence-based medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The wettability of gas and liquid on the coal surface is one of the fundamental factors that affect the depressurization process during the coalbed methane (CBM) extraction. The wettability of coal surface changed after electrochemical modification, leading to the change in methane adsorption/desorption and water movement in coal reservoirs. Thus, the CH4 adsorption amount, desorption ratio, and coal-water contact angle of raw and modified anthracite samples were measured and simulated. The mechanism of electrochemical modification was analyzed by functional groups, surface free energy, pore characteristics, interaction energies, and coal swelling. The experimental results showed that the saturated adsorption amount of methane decreased from 41.49 to 34.72 mL/g, and the simulation results showed that the saturated adsorption amount of methane decreased from 2.01 to 1.83 mmol/g. The coal-water contact angle also decreased from 81.9 to 68.6°. Electrochemical modification mainly affects the wettability of CH4 and H2O by changing the functional groups and pore structures of anthracite, and the influence on functional groups of coal surface is greater. This work provided a basis for enhancing CBM extraction by electrochemical modification.

Overcoming lignocellulosic biomass recalcitrance, especially the cleavage of cross-linkages in lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) and lignin, is essential for both the carbon cycle and industrial biorefinery. Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are copper-containing enzymes that play a key role in fungal polysaccharide oxidative degradation. Nevertheless, comprehensive analysis showed that LPMOs from a white-rot fungus, Pleurotus ostreatus, correlated well with the Fenton reaction and were involved in the degradation of recalcitrant nonpolysaccharide fractions in this research. Thus, LPMOs participated in the extracellular Fenton reaction by enhancing iron reduction in quinone redox cycling. A Fenton reaction system consisting of LPMOs, hydroquinone, and ferric iron can efficiently produce hydroxy radicals and then cleave LCCs or lignin linkages. This finding indicates that LPMOs are underestimated auxiliary enzymes in eliminating biomass recalcitrance.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an insidious and progressive neurodegenerative disease with few disease-modifying treatments. A variety of peptide/protein drugs have neuroprotective effects, which brings new hope for the treatment of AD. However, the application of these drugs is limited because of their low specificity and difficulty in crossing the blood-brain barrier. Herein, using the phage display technology, we identified the Aβ oligomer binding peptide (KH) and the brain targeting peptide (IS). We combined these peptides to develop a bifunctional nanoparticle (IS@NP/KH) for the delivery of Aβ1-42 oligomer binding peptide into the brain. Intranasal administration of IS@NP/KH significantly attenuated the cognitive and behavioral deficits and reduced the Aβ deposition in the brain of an AD animal model (APPswe/PS 1d9 double-transgenic mice). Our results suggest that intranasal IS@NP/KH administration could be a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AD.

Improvement of dye removal efficiency is beneficial to development of bioremediation for textile effluent. In this study, the effect of lignin model compounds (LMCs) and enzymatic/mild acidolysis lignin (EMAL) from rice straw as co-substrate on dye decolorization by Ganoderma lucidum EN2 were evaluated. Two azo dyes, Remazol Brilliant Violet 5R (RBV5) and Sunset Yellow (SY) were tested. Eight of the thirty tested LMCs could significantly improve both RBV5 and SY decolorization, including 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 3,5-dimethoxy-4 -hydroxybenzaldehyde, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3‑hydroxy-4-methoxycinnamic acid, guaiacol, acetosyringone, and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol. The decolorization of RBV5 (from 87.04% to 97.90%) and SY (from 62.41% to 97.40%) by G. lucidum EN2 could be efficiently enhanced in the presence of EMAL. The addition of EMAL could increase the decolorization of higher concentration of azo dyes which is more difficult to be decolorized alone. Noteworthy, laccase activity increased with the increasing amount of EMAL. EMAL showed a positive effect on fungal growth but a negligible effect on pH. These results indicated that EMAL may act as inducer to stimulate the laccase production, and the increase of laccase activity accelerated dye decolorization.

A W/O surfactant-free microemulsion (SFME) template-hydrothermal method for the preparation of ZnO products was proposed. Using the SFME system containing hexane, propan-2-ol and water, hexagonal cylinder-like (twinning) ZnO microcrystals were synthesized. The XRD, SEM and TEM characterizations showed that the synthesized ZnO microcrystals have a hexagonal wurtzite structure. At hydrothermal temperatures of 120–140 °C, hexagonal cylinder-like ZnO microcrystals were synthesized, whereas the hexagonal cylinder twinning ZnO microcrystals were obtained at 160 °C. The growth mechanism of the ZnO microcrystals was also investigated. The EPR and XPS spectra of the synthesized ZnO products showed that there are oxygen vacancies on the ZnO surface. The photodegradation behavior of methylene blue (MB, 10 ppm) with a UV-Hg lamp (250 W) as the light source in ZnO aqueous suspension (0.3 g L−1) was investigated. The ZnO product synthesized at 140 ℃ can significantly photocatalyze the degradation of lower concentration MB solutions. After 35 min of irradiation, the photocatalytic decomposition rate reached 98.3%. It is hoped that this work could serve as an important stepping stone for establishing a novel hydrothermal method based on SFME system, therefore paving the way for other potential ideas on the application of SFME systems.

Bi2O3 is a strong candidate as the optimal aqueous battery anode material, but suffers from its poor stability and rate performance (a result of fragile structure and poor conductivity). Herein, two self-derived Bi species, interstitial-Bi liberated from Bi2O3 unit cell and colonized surface nano-Bi, function synergistically in the Bi2O3 by creating a new electronic state in the energy gap and tuning the Bi/Bi2O3 interface coordination. As a result, electronic conductivity, ionic diffusion, and structural stability are fully enhanced, leading to a package of optimal electrochemical performances. Our self-enhanced strategy may thereof serve in design of functional oxide complexes for electrochemical energy conversion and storage.

Ethylene-propylene rubber, linear low-density polyethylene and polyolefin elastomer, which are prepared by copolymerization of ethylene with α-olefins, have an important market share of the industry due to their excellent properties. Catalyst plays important role in the copolymerization of ethylene with α-olefins. Many vanadium complexes in the oxidation states of +3, +4 and +5 have been developed as precatalyst for the copolymerization. The progress of vanadium complex catalysts and their use in copolymerization of ethylene with α-olefins were reviewed. The effects of chelated ligands on the catalytic activity of catalysts, composition, molecular weight, molecular weight distribution and sequence of the resulting copolymers were discussed. Vanadium(III) complexes are widely used since vanadium(III) species are usually considered as active species in olefin coordination polymerization. Vanadium(III) complexes bearing monodentate N -heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand or bidentate β-diketonate ligands have been used as precatalyst in copolymerization of ethylene with propylene, affording ethylene-propylene copolymers with high propylene content. Ethylene-propylene copolymers with ultra-high molecular weight were prepared by using vanadium(III) complexes containing NHC ligand. Vanadium(III) complexes bearing chelated bidentate N^N or N^O, etc. ligands show high catalytic activity up to 8820 kg mol–1 h–1 toward copolymerization of ethylene with 1-hexene. The introduction of bulky substitutes on the ligand results in an increase in the reactive ratio of ethylene and a decrease in the reactive ratio of 1-hexene, and thus a change in the sequence of monomer in the resulting copolymer. Vanadium(III) complexes containing tridentate and tetradentate ligands display relatively lower catalytic activity than their analogues containing similar bidentate ligand. Most vanadium(IV) complexes display lower catalytic activity than vanadium(III) complexes bearing similar ligands. Ethylene-propylene copolymer with high propylene content could be prepared by copolymerization of ethylene and propylene catalyzed by vanadium(IV) complexes containing monodentate amide ligands. Vanadium(V) complexes bearing chelating aryloxides have been shown to be highly active (up to 144400 kg mol–1 h–1) in copolymerization of ethylene with propylene, affording ethylene-propylene copolymers with low propylene content (less than 15%(mol)). Ethylene-propylene copolymers with high propylene content (more than 30%(mol)) could be prepared by vanadium complexes containing monodentate or bedentate ligands. It is interesting to note that quasi-living copolymerization of ethylene with propylene was realized by using vanadium(V) complexes containing NHC ligand and ethylene-propylene copolymers with ultrahigh molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution were obtained. In conclusion, the vanadium complex catalysts have displayed good catalytic behavior towards the copolymerization of ethylene with α-olefins. The vanadium complexes discussed here may be an inspiration for future work in the development of vanadium complex catalyst with high catalytic activity and high comonomer incorporation for copolymerization of ethylene with α-olefins.

Currently, it remains difficult to identify which single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are functional and how various functional SNPs (fSNPs) interact and contribute to disease susceptibility. GWAS have identified a CD40 locus that is associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We previously used two techniques developed in our laboratory, single nucleotide polymorphism-next-generation sequencing (SNP-seq) and flanking restriction enhanced DNA pulldown-mass spectrometry (FREP-MS), to determine that the RA risk gene RBPJ regulates CD40 expression via a fSNP at the RA-associated CD40 locus. In the present work, by applying the same approach, we report the identification of six proteins that regulate RBPJ expression via binding to two fSNPs on the RA-associated RBPJ locus. Using these findings, together with the published data, we constructed an RA-associated signal transduction and transcriptional regulation network (STTRN) that functionally connects multiple RA-associated risk genes via transcriptional regulation networks (TRNs) linked by CD40-induced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) signaling. Remarkably, this STTRN provides insight into the potential mechanism of action for the histone deacetylase inhibitor givinostat, an approved therapy for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Thus, the generation of disease-associated STTRNs based on post-GWAS functional studies is demonstrated as a novel and effective approach to apply GWAS for mechanistic studies and target identification.

Solid-state color-saturated blue emitters are an essential part of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and high-definition displays, and lead halide perovskite nanomaterials are one such type of emitter. ...

In this work, we demonstrated a facile approach for the formation of Ag octopods via pseudomorphic transformation of Ag2O by using histidine as a shape-directing agent. In this approach, Ag2O octopods were firstly formed via precipitation of AgNO3 in basic solutions, and their size increased with the increased concentration of histidine introduced into the solutions. After reduction of the Ag2O octopods by hydroxylamine, the resulting Ag particles well kept the shape and size of the Ag2O ones. Such pseudomorphic transformation allowed the formation of Ag octopods with tunable size (161–260 nm) and localized surface plasmon resonance (750–1380 nm), dependent on the concentration of histidine used in the reactions. Attributed to the well-defined size and morphology, the resulting Ag octopods showed well reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals with a relative standard derivation lower than 5%, qualified as substrates in quantitative SERS detection.

Doping graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) with metal ions has been developed as a facile approach to improve its visible light photocatalytic performance towards hydrogen evolution via water splitting. In this work, a series of In3+ doped g-C3N4 (In-g-C3N4) photocatalysts were prepared via in situ thermal copolymerization by using a mixture of dicyanamide and InCl3 as precursors. It was proposed, for the first time, that the In3+ ions were doped into g-C3N4 in a unique quasi-interlayer fashion, which contributed to tunable separation efficiency and migration ability of the photogenerated carriers by simply adjusting the amount of In3+ doping without changing the band edge of g-C3N4. The In-g-C3N4 photocatalyst doped with an optimal amount of indium ions, i.e., 2.18 wt%, exhibited a hydrogen evolution rate of 1.35 mmol h−1 g−1, 17 times that of pristine g-C3N4 (0.08 mmol h−1 g−1), attributed to the synergistically promoted separation and migration of the photogenerated charge carriers.

Low-cost lithium sulfur(Li-S) batteries afford preeminent prospect as a next-generation high-energy storage device by virtue of great theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, their applications are restricted by some challenging technical barriers, such as weak cycling stability and low poor-conductivity sulfur loading originated in notorious shuttling effect of polysulfide intermediates. Herein, free of any complicated compositing process, we design an interlayer of carbon fiber paper supported TiO2/TiO to impede the shuttle effect and enhance the electrical conductivity via physical isolation and chemical adsorption. Such a self-crystallized homogeneous interlayer, where TiO2/TiO enables absorbing lithium polysulfides(LiPSs) and TiO plays a key role of high-electron-conductivity exhibited ultrahigh capacities(1000 mA·h/g at 0.5 C and 900 mA·h/g at 1 C) and outstanding capacity retention rate(97%) after 100 cycles. Thus, our design provides a simple route to suppress the shuttle effect via self-derived evolution Li-S batteries.

Aerobic pyridine biodegradation, which has been proven to be efficient, was often limited by serious air pollution caused by high pyridine volatilization under traditional bubble aeration. In this ...

The structure and antidepressant like activity of MEPS2 extracted from Marasmius androsaceus subjected to submerged fermentation was systematically studied. MEPS2 is a pyranoid polysaccharide composed of glucose and arabinose, which have a molar ratio of 0.56:0.08. The molecular weight was 85,944 Da. The NMR spectrum suggested the extracted MEPS2 contained uronic acid, and the glucosyl linkage was in α form, in accordance with the analysis of FT-IR spectrum. MEPS2 can considerably enhance the levels of noradrenalin (NE) and dopamine (DA) by ELISA. In addition, western blotting results indicated that MEPS2 can enhance the expression levels of TH, D2DR, and CAMKII. Furthermore, we found that AMPT, raclopride, and prazosin blocked the immobility and time-reducing effect of MEPS2. Overall, the antidepressant-like effect of MEPS2 may be involved in catecholamine synthesis and release, and TH, D2DR and CAMKII play an important role in this process.

Excessive phosphate in water bodies causes eutrophication, which can be harmful to human and animal health. This study aimed to fabricate biochar adsorbent based on Mg-Fe modified spent mushroom waste for removing phosphate from aqueous solutions. Various characterization tools such as scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were applied to determine the surface structure and properties of biochar from spent mushroom waste (BSMW) and biochar from Mg-Fe modified spent mushroom waste (Mg-Fe@BSMW). The result confirmed that Mg and Fe were successfully embedded into the biochar matrix. Mg-Fe@BSMW showed an excellent adsorption capacity for phosphate (247 mg g−1). Kinetic and isotherm analyses revealed that the current study's data fitted well with the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir model. A thermodynamic study indicated that phosphate removal was exothermic and spontaneous. Our study indicated that Mg-Fe@BSMW was a potential adsorbent with high efficiency, and excellent reusability for phosphate removal.

Fabric ink-jet printing is a crucial technology of clean production in the textile industry. Reactive dyes and organic solvents are the important component of ink-jet printing ink. The structure, h...

A quantitative characterization of methane (CH4) adsorption on coal with different pressure and temperatures, and a better understanding of the mechanism of the interaction energy and coal swelling...

Integration of fast electrochemical double-layer capacitance and large pseudocapacitance is a practical way to improve the overall capability of supercapacitor, yet remains challenging. Herein, an effective cyanogel synthetic strategy was demonstrated to prepare ultrathin Ni(OH)2 nanosheets coupling with conductive reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (rGO-Ni(OH)2) at ambient condition. Ultrathin Ni(OH)2 nanosheet with 3–4 layers of edge-sharing octahedral MO6 maximally exposes the active surface of Faradic reaction and promotes the ion diffusion, while the conductive rGO sheet boosts the electron transport during the reaction. Even at 30 A g−1, the optimal sample can deliver a specific capacitance of 1119.52 F g−1, and maintain 82.3% after 2000 cycles, demonstrating much higher electrochemical capability than bare Ni(OH)2 nanosheets. A maximum specific energy of 44.3 W h kg−1 (148.5 W kg−1) is obtained, when assembled in a two-electrode system rGO-Ni(OH)2//rGO. This study provides an insight into efficient construction of two-dimensional hybrid electrodes with high performance for the new-generation energy storage system.

Background The metastasis, one of the biggest barriers in cancer therapy, is the leading cause of tumor deterioration and recurrence. The anti.-metastasis has been considered as a feasible strategy for clinical cancer management. It is well known that diosgenin could inhibit tumor metastasis and doxorubicin (DOX) could induce tumor apoptosis. However, their efficient delivery remains challenging. Purpose To address these issues, a novel pH-sensitive polymer-prodrug based on diosgenin nanoparticles (NPs) platform was developed to enhance the efficiency of DOX delivery (DOX/NPs) for synergistic therapy of cutaneous melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer with high malignancy, early metastasis and high mortality. Methods and results The inhibitory effect of DOX/NPs on tumor proliferation and migration was superior to that of NPs or free DOX. What is more, DOX/NPs could combine mitochondria-associated metastasis and apoptosis with unique internalization pathway of carrier to fight tumors. In addition, biodistribution experiments proved that DOX/NPs could efficiently accumulate in tumor sites through enhancing permeation and retention (EPR) effect compared with free DOX. Importantly, the data from in vivo experiment revealed that DOX/NPs without heart toxicity significantly inhibited tumor metastasis by exerting synergistic therapeutic effect, and reduced tumor volume and weight by inducing apoptosis. Conclusion The nanocarrier DOX/NPs with satisfying pharmaceutical characteristics based on the establishment of two different functional agents is a promising strategy for synergistically enhancing effects of cancer therapy.

The application of electrochemical modification for accelerating methane extraction in lean coal seams is limited due to the lack of experimental and theoretical research studies. Therefore, electrochemical modification with different electric potential gradient values was selected to modify lean coals in this study; meanwhile, the amount of methane adsorption and the methane desorption ratio were tested and analyzed. The results showed that the maximum amount of methane adsorption in coal samples decreased after electrochemical modification and the decrease in methane adsorption increased with an increase in electric potential gradient. The methane desorption ratio increased from 83.20% up to 87.84 and 86.90% at the anode and cathode zone, respectively, after electrochemical modification using a 4 V/cm electric potential gradient. A higher electric potential gradient performs better in the electrochemical modification. The mechanism of electrochemical modification using different electric potential gradients was revealed based on the measurements of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and liquid nitrogen adsorption. It is due to an increase in acid groups in coal molecular structure and the change of the specific surface area of coal after modification. The results obtained from this work contribute to the methane extraction via the electrochemical method in lean coal seams.

A Schiff-base molybdenum complex (MoO2–salen) supported on mesostructured cellular foam (MCF) was initially prepared by an in situ synthesis method under acidic conditions. Following silanization modification, a MoO2–salen@MCF-S sample with improved surface hydrophobicity was obtained. The ligand environment of molybdenum within the samples has been analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Furthermore, the textural and structural properties of the corresponding materials have been characterized by nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms and transmission electron microscopy. Despite of the presence of fewer MoO2 species, the results showed that MoO2–salen@MCF-S has more active Mo centers than MoO2–salen and MoO2–salen@MCF on the basis of maintaining the mesoporous structure. The catalytic performances of the synthesized samples were assessed in the epoxidation of propylene with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidant, and the mechanism of propylene epoxidation under MoO2–salen@MCF was given. The prepared MoO2–salen@MCF-S material showed the best epoxidation performance with 1,2-dichloroethane as a solvent and a molar ratio of propylene to TBHP of 10:1 at 120 °C, giving a TBHP conversion of up to 100% after 1 h, with selectivities for propylene oxide and tert-butyl alcohol reaching 94.7% and 84.6%, respectively.

Clearance of endogenous glutathione (GSH) to cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and insufficient cellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) limited the efficacy of chemodynamic therapy (CDT) to tumor. Herein...

Immediate hypersensitivity reaction (IHR) can be divided into allergic- and non-allergic-mediated, while “anaphylaxis” is reserved for severe IHR. Clinically, true penicillin allergy is rare and most reported penicillin allergy is “spurious”. Penicillin-initiated anaphylaxis is possible to occur in skin test- and specific IgE-negative patients. The contact system is a plasma protease cascade initiated by activation of factor XII (FXII). Many agents with negative ion surface can activate FXII to drive contact system. Our data showed that penicillin significantly induced hypothermia in propranolol- or pertussis toxin-pretreated mice. It also caused a rapid and reversible drop in rat blood pressure, which did not overlap with IgE-mediated hypotension. These effects could be countered by a bradykinin-B2 receptor antagonist icatibant, and consistently, penicillin indeed increased rat plasma bradykinin. Moreover, penicillin not only directly activated contact system FXII-dependently, but also promoted bradykinin release in plasma incubated-human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In fact, besides penicillin, other beta-lactams also activated the contact system in vitro. Since the autoactivation of FXII can be affected by multiple-factors, plasma from different healthy individuals showed vastly different amidolytic activity in response to penicillin, suggesting the necessity of determining the potency of penicillin to induce individual plasma FXII activation. These results clarify that penicillin-initiated non-allergic anaphylaxis is attributed to contact system activation, which might bring more effective diagnosis options for predicting penicillin-induced fatal risk and avoiding costly and inappropriate treatment clinically.

Acid dew-point (ADP) is the temperature at which the acid vapor, normally means sulfuric acid (H2SO4), in flue gas begins to condense. Acid condensation can result in low-temperature corrosion (LTC), which can threaten the safety of boilers. An exhaust temperature higher than ADP can relieve LTC, however, result in a low thermal efficiency. Therefore, ADP is regarded as a key parameter to guide safety and efficiency of boilers. Previous investigations on ADP are abundant, but a comprehensive review is absent. This work tried to fill this gap. First, the existing methods for ADP determination, including empirical models, semi-empirical models, and measurement methods, were explained. The empirical models were specially classified according to the transformation path of SO3/H2SO4 in flue gas. Then, these methods were compared and evaluated, and the difficulty in identifying the beginning of the acid condensation was considered to result in the different results among varied methods. A new method which can reveal the acid condensing process was recommended for evaluating and discussing the issue of ADP. Moreover, this paper also involved the topic on preventing LTC below ADP focused by the currently popular deep waste heat recovery field. Finally, future research directions were suggested.

Acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) with a high mortality rate is an incurable digestive system disease induced by abnormal bile acid regurgitation due to the biliary obstruction. Dehydrocholic acid (DA) alleviates the severity of cholestatic hepatitis related to biliary inflammation, suggesting DA is potential to develop for the incurable ABP management. Here we identified DA potency and explored the underlying mechanism in ABP. Our data showed that DA administration not only reduced typically clinicopathological parameters including serum levels of amylase and lipase but also suppressed pancreatic tissue edema, necrosis and trypsin activation in ABP mice. We also found that DA significantly reduced the necrosis of pancreatic acinar cells induced by sodium taurocholate (NaT). Further experimental data showed the significant inhibitions of DA on mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, ATP exhaustion, calcium overload and reactive oxygen species (ROS) erupted in acinar cells induced by NaT, indicating DA could avert acinar cell death through protecting the mitochondrial function, scavenging excessive oxidative stress and balancing calcium. The comprehensive study found DA elevated the expression of transcription factor EB (TFEB) in vitro thus to increase the functional lysosome content. Indeed, DA decreased the Microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) II/I ratio as well as ubiquitin-binding protein p62 and Parkin expressions in vivo and in vitro, revealing autophagy restoration maybe through the improvement of TFEB-mediated lysosome biogenesis. These data indicate that DA improves ABP through the mitochondrial protection, antioxidant ability enhancement and autophagy recovery. In conclusion, our study proposes a potential therapy strategy for the incurable ABP.

Previous studies have revealed a relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). However, studies on the WMH and CKD in acute stroke patients are rare, and the conclusion is consistent. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between the severity of WMH and CKD in acute lacunar infarction patients. Consecutive acute lacunar infarction patients were recruited in this cross-sectional study. All patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of periventricular WMH (PVWMH) and deep WMH (DWMH). We dichotomized the severity of WMH (PVWMH and DWMH, separately) into mild group (Fazekas scores 0–1) and moderate-severe group (Fazekas scores 2–3). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), proteinuria, vascular risk factors, and clinical features were compared between these two groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between the severity of WMH and risk factors. A total of 993 acute lacunar infarction patients aged 25–95 years were enrolled. The proportions of participants presenting moderate-severe group PVWMH and DWMH were 46.6% and 38.6%, respectively. Patients with moderate-severe PVWMH had higher age (P

With fascinating optical, electronic, and mechanical properties, tungsten disulfide (WS2) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) quantum dots (QDs) are promising for related applications. Their bandgap en...

Carbon dots (CDs) as a kind of potential materials have drawn much attention due to their excellent optical properties. However, it is a challenge to fabricate new CDs-based thin films with intelligent responses. Herein, a kind of CDs with mechanical- and basic/acidic vapor-stimulated responsive behaviors was prepared using glutathione as a passivation agent via a one-pot solvothermal reaction. The high solubility of CDs enhanced by glutathione passivation was suitable for the preparation of CDs-based thin film. It is worth noting that the fluorescence of CDs-based poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thin film can be enhanced under grinding treatment, and it was also sensitive to the presence of ambient acids or bases. These CDs-based films with high stability and excellent mechanical and acid/base responses have great potentials for environmental monitoring.

Aptamers have been widely used as recognition elements in electrochemical sensors. However, as the most expensive consumable, the aptasensors regeneration is still a critical challenge for sustainable feasibility and attracting great interest from researchers, due to the high affinity between the aptamers and their targets (the dissociation constant Kd is low to subnanomolar or nanomolar). In this work, we propose a photochromic five-azobenzene-inserted thrombin-aptamer based aptasensor to improve the regenerativity. With ultraviolet light exposure, the trans-structure of azobenzene changes to cis-structure, and open the folded aptamer to realize the aptasensor regeneration. The limit of detection can be sensitive to 3 pM (S/N = 3). The thrombin concentrations were detected to be 2.48 ± 0.02 and 20.26 ± 0.98 nM (n = 3) in duck whole blood and blood serum, respectively. Utilizing surface plasmon resonance, we demonstrated that the certain azobenzene moieties can exactly increase Kd of aptamer-thrombin bounding. The photodriven conversion of thrombin-aptamer from G-quadruplex to loosen structure approaches a convenient regeneration for aptasensor, which will promote its popularization and sustainable feasibility.

Amphotericin B has been the gold standard for the treatment of invasive mycosis for many years. Its resistance mechanisms are reported to be mainly related to the decrease of ergosterol content or the changes of cell wall. Previous study has shown that Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain lack of BSC2 was sensitive significantly to Amphotericin B. In the present study, the role of BSC2 on Amphotericin B resistance were investigated. We found that BSC2 enhanced the resistance of yeast cells to Amphotericin B, which was not related to cellular ergosterol content. BSC2 can maintain the permeability of mitochondrial membrane and cell membrane integrity by inhibiting the accumulation of intercellular reactive oxygen species and alleviating the production of lipid peroxidation and superoxide radical. These alterations were attributed to the enhancement of the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, and the increased glutathione content. Taken together, BSC2 inhibits oxidative damage induced by Amphotericin B through increasing activities of antioxidant enzymes and levels of GSH to alleviate the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation and superoxide radical, resulting in the maintenance of mitochondrial membrane potential and cell membrane integrity. However, Amphotericin B resistance mediated by BSC2 is independent of Yap1p, GSH1 and Hog1p. The results demonstrate for the first time that BSC2 enhances cell resistance to Amphotericin B by inhibiting oxidative damage in yeast. Our findings improve current understanding of the mechanism of Amphotericin B resistance and provide potential strategy for reducing Amphotericin B resistance.

Poly(hydroxymethylated-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT-MeOH:PSS) conducting polymers are synthesized and incorporated in inverted structured perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) as hole transport materials. The highest occupied molecular orbital of PEDOT-MeOH is lowered by adding a hydroxymethyl (-MeOH) functional group to ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT), and thus, the work function of PEDOT-MeOH:PSS is increased. Additionally, hydrogen bonding can be formed among EDOT-MeOH monomers and between EDOT-MeOH monomers and sulfate groups on PSS, which promotes PEDOT-MeOH chain growth and enhances PSS doping. The electronic, microstructural, and surface morphological properties of PEDOT-MeOH:PSS are modified by changing the amounts of PSS and the ferric oxidizing agent used in the polymerization and by adding ethylene glycol in the postsynthesis treatment. The PVSCs based on ethylene-glycol-treated PEDOT-MeOH:PSS overperform the PVSCs based on commercial PEDOT:PSS because of the better energetic alignment and the enhancement of PEDOT-MeOH:PSS electrical conductivity. This work opens the way to develop new hole transport materials for highly efficient inverted PVSCs.

Inspired by the structure and function of the mussel adhesive protein, a facile strategy involving oxidative polymerization of dopamine was proposed for surface modification of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) to promote drug delivery in the skin. The formation of a polydopamine (PDA) layer rounding the surface of NLCs was confirmed by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies. Using terbinafine (TBF) as a model drug, the in vitro permeation study revealed that the PDA coating significantly enhanced the delivery of TBF from NLCs to the deep skin layers, where the follicular pathway played an essential role as suggested by the hair follicle blocking and differential tape stripping experiments, as well as the laser scanning confocal microscopy study by using Nile red as the fluorescent probe. The cellular investigation indicated that the PDA coating led to a higher cellular uptake of nanoparticles in human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT) without causing additional cytotoxicity. Using endocytic inhibitors, it was found that the lipid raft/caveolae-mediated endocytosis was strongly involved in the internalization of both the PDA modified and unmodified NLCs. Our results suggested that surface modification of NLCs with PDA coating improved the intracutaneous drug delivery mainly via the follicular pathway, which provided an avenue for the development of potential drug delivery carriers for dermal use.

The cubic cuprous oxide is applied in the selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen (NH3-SCO) to investigate the effect of the structure evolution on catalytic performance. Different str...

The limited treatment options for the increasing occurrence of Lassa hemorrhagic fever in West Africa poses an urgent need for the discovery and development of novel therapeutics. Dietary supplements, especially natural products that are edible and safe for human use, are a good source of drug discovery with potential for uncovering novel applications. In this study, we tested 40 natural products of dietary supplements and identified capsaicin, a common dietary supplement abundant in chili peppers, as an inhibitor of Lassa virus (LASV) entry with EC50 of 6.9–10.0 μmol/L using an HIV based pseudovirus platform. Capsaicin inhibits the entry of five LASV strains but not against the Old World arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), showing a preferential activity against LASV. Capsaicin inhibits LASV entry by blocking the pH dependent viral fusion through affecting the stable signal peptide (SSP)-GP2 transmembrane (GP2TM) region of the LASV surface glycoprotein. Mutational study revealed the key residues Ala25, Val431, Phe434 and Val435 in SSP-GP2TM region in capsaicin's antiviral effect. This study for the first time reveals a direct acting antiviral effect of capsaicin against the hemorrhagic fever causing LASV, providing detailed interaction hot spots in the unique SSP-GP2TM interface of LASV glycoprotein that is crucial in fusion inhibition, and offering a new strategy in discovering and developing antivirals from natural products that are safe for human use., Graphical abstract Capsaicin was identified as a Lassa virus (LASV) entry inhibitor. It blocks the LASV-GP mediated viral fusion through affecting the stable signal peptide-GP2 transmembrane region of LASV glycoprotein. Residues Ala25 in SSPTM1 and Val431, Phe434, Val435 in GP2TM are the key residues for the anti-LASV activity of capsaicin.Image 1

Lymph node metastasis is associated with tumor relapse and poor patient prognosis in bladder cancer. However, the mechanisms by which bladder carcinoma cells induce lymphangiogenesis and further promote metastasis in the lymphatic system remain unclear. Here, we show that the transcription factor GATA-binding factor 6 (GATA6) was substantially downregulated in bladder cancer via promoter hypermethylation. Low-level GATA6 expression significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis positivity and was able to predict earlier relapse and shorter survival of bladder cancer. Reconstitution of GATA6 inhibited lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis in GATA6-low bladder cancer cells, while silencing of GATA6 rendered lymphatic metastasis in GATA6-high bladder cancer cells. Additionally, we demonstrated that GATA6 bound to the promoter of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, a lymphangiogenic factor, and acted as a transcriptional repressor. This GATA6/VEGF-C axis was essential for GATA6-mediated lymphatic metastasis. In bladder cancer patients, low GATA6 correlated with high VEGF-C and reduced overall survival. These findings indicate GATA6 as a pivotal regulator in the lymphatic dissemination of bladder cancer and suggest a new therapeutic target for the disease.

This study aimed to reveal the flow and distribution lows of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrate-nitrogen under different main anoxic stage oxidation-reduction potential (ORPan) conditions based on the analysis of material balance in each reaction stage of the modified university of cape town (MUCT) process, combined with the biochemical reaction principles of activated sludge. The rule of the carbon source saving effect was also clarified. The study adopted the programmable logic controller automatic control system and the feedback control structure using the inner circulation flow of nitrate as the controlled variable. The ORPan setting values of control parameters were -140, -125, -110, -95, -70, and -60 mV, respectively. The results showed that when the ORPan setting value was -95 mV, COD distribution ratios of phosphorus-accumulating bacteria reached the highest in the anaerobic stage and preanoxic stage, with the values of 51.74 and 7.70%, respectively. The COD was distributed between heterotrophic bacteria and denitrifying bacteria in the main anoxic stage, and the distribution ratios were 4.40 and 7.19%, respectively, when the ORPan setting value was -95 mV. The study also showed the distribution of nitrate-nitrogen between denitrifying bacteria and denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating bacteria in the main anoxic stage, and when ORPan increased from -140 to -60 mV, the distribution ratios of denitrifying phosphate-accumulating bacteria increased from 76.46 to 86.32%. When there was no denitrification and phosphorus absorption, the acetic acid dosage increased from 20.33 g/d at -140 mV to 24.76 g/d at -95 mV, and the carbon source saving rate increased from 23.19 to 26.56% under similar conditions. Therefore, in the MUCT process, the regulation of ORPan changed the material flow direction and mass quality distribution of COD and nitrate nitrogen. When ORPan set value was -95 mV, COD and nitrate-nitrogen got the best distribution and the carbon source saving effect was the most significant.

In the present work, a new kind of porous polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate/hydroxyapatite (PVA/SA/HA) composite hydrogels with tunable structure and mechanical properties have been fabricated by dual-crosslinking method. The morphologies, moisture content, porosity and mechanical properties of the composite hydrogels have been investigated in detail. The PVA/SA/HA hydrogels present uniform, interpenetrating porous structure. The FTIR and XRD results indicate that PVA, SA and HA could be uniformly compounded. The mechanical properties, moisture content and porosity of the samples could be controlled by changing the mass ratio of PVA/SA/HA. The optimized compression modulus (41.74 ± 7.86 kPa), moisture content (86.99 ± 0.72%) and porosity (79.98 ± 1.61%) of the composite hydrogels could be achieved

Carbon saving, oxygen consumption reduction and cellular matter production reduction of Modified University of Cape Town (MUCT) process under different nitrate-nitrogen concentration in the main anoxic section was studied. This was investigated by material balance analysis, biochemical reaction process and its metrology of ordinary heterotrophic bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, nitrifying bacteria and phosphorus-accumulating bacteria. The flow and distribution of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in the MUCT, and the influence of the regulation of the c(NO3) on the carbon source, cellular matter production, and oxygen consumption of the process were explained in detail. In the programmable logic controller (PLC) automatic control system, the circulating flow rate of nitrate was set as the controlled variable. Adopting the feedback control structure, c(NO3) was altered at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 mg·17−1, respectively. In this experimental study, the quality of influent and other operation design parameters remained unchanged. The results showed that the effluent quality was at its best when c(NO3) was controlled at 2.0–4.0 mg/L. Again, the distribution of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the anaerobic section was between phosphorus-accumulating bacteria, common heterotrophic bacteria and denitrifying bacteria, and the distribution was related to c(NO3). Due to this phenomenon, the distribution of nitrate-nitrogen between denitrifying bacteria and denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating bacteria, and poly-hydroxy alkanoates (PHA) between denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating bacteria and aerobic phosphorus-accumulating bacteria was changed. Carbon source of 110.0 kg acetic acid/103 m3 sewage was saved, while the cell material output was reduced by 37.5%, and the oxygen consumption of 51.1 kg O2/103 m3 sewage was reduced. In the MUCT process, the regulation of c(NO3) enhanced the denitrifying phosphorus uptake performance of the main anoxic section and obtained good carbon source savings, reduction of cellular matter production, and reduction of oxygen consumption.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as pyrene (PYR), are toxic to the environment. Bioremediation is considered a safe and economically technical approach to remove PAH from the environme...

Highly dispersed quantum dots with efficient catalytic activity continue to be of great interest in the research of electrocatalytic materials. Herein, we report a caterpillar-like nanostructure self-assembled from porous vanadium nitride nanosheets, which were uniformly decorated with ultrafine nickel nitride quantum dots. Detailed structural and chemical investigations verified that the VN substrate distorts the Ni3N lattice fringes due to strong interatomic interaction at the interface, in which case a low match heterostructure is simultaneously generated. The successful construction of Ni3N QDs chemically coupled with porous vanadium nitride (VN) nanosheets allowed realizing rapid charge transfer and mass transport. Especially, the distorted QD configuration with a modified chemical state played a vital role in enhanced oxygen electrocatalysis performance, thereby, making the material highly efficient for catalyzing oxygen reduction/evolution reactions. Featuring a small overpotential, rapid electrode kinetics, and excellent structural durability, the synthesized D-Ni3N QDs/VN was superior to most transition metal nitrides previously reported. This discovery opens a completely new avenue for elevating oxygen-involving reactions by taking advantage of structural distortion effects in hybrid nanomaterials.

Honeycomb-like Mo2C@nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheet/graphene (Mo2C@N-DC/G) aerogel films were synthesized successfully by dissolution and coagulation of chitin and graphene oxide, and subsequent simultaneous carbonization of chitin and carbothermal reduction of hexaammonium molybdate. The resulting Mo2C@N-DC/G aerogel films exhibited homogeneous interconnected open-cell architectures, and the Mo2C nanoparticles were homogeneously embedded within a chitin/graphene oxide aerogel derived 3D highly conductive N-DC/G nanonetwork. Benefitting from the unique three-dimensional honeycomb-like architecture and characteristics with excellent electron transportation, abundant active sites, strong interaction between Mo2C nanocrystals and N-DC/G frameworks, the as-prepared catalyst exhibited remarkable catalytic activity and endurance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The optimized Mo2C@N-DC/G electrocatalyst exhibits excellent HER electrocatalytic activity with a low overpotential of 107 mV to achieve a cathodic current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 65.8 mV dec−1 in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. Moreover, it also displays outstanding long-term electrochemical stability, exhibiting no significant decay after 1500 cycles and 15 h of continuous testing at fixed overpotentials. This work will illuminate an entirely new avenue for exploring various low-cost, high-performance self-supported electrode materials for various electrochemical energy conversion and storage applications.

Redox stabilities of the hydrogen electrode with in situ exsolved Fe–Ni nanoparticles from Sr2Fe1.4Ni0.1Mo0.5O6−δ (SFMNi) perovskite are studied by analyzing the evolution of the phase composition and morphology during the redox cycles. It is found that certain amount of the exsolved nanoparticles have been oxidized to the transition metal oxide (Ni,Fe)O instead of reincorporating into the parent perovskite lattice upon re-oxidizing at 800 °C in air. However, the (Ni,Fe)O secondary phases show no adverse effect on the subsequent reduction treatment. The redox reversibility mechanism is explained by the regular-solution model. The electrodes are almost fully recovered in the reducing atmosphere, and the symmetrical cells measured under 9.7% H2–3% H2O–87.3% N2 conditions show a stable specific area polarization resistance of around 1.93 Ω cm2 at 800 °C during 13 redox cycles. Single cells using the Ni–Fe nanoparticles structured electrode exhibit a stable electrode polarization resistance of about 0.598 Ω cm2 at 800 °C under open circuit voltage conditions and a steady electrolysis current density of about −653 mA cm−2 at 1.5 V during the steam electrolysis process over 5 redox cycles. These results indicate that the SFMNi material is a very promising electrode candidate for steam electrolysis application with robust redox reversibility.

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) over Ni-based catalysts is a promising method to convert greenhouse gases CH4 and CO2 into valuable synthesis gas. However, the major drawback of DRM over Ni-based catalysts is its deactivation due to metal sintering and coke formation. Herein, Ni catalysts confined between boron nitride (BN)–nanoceria (NC) interfaces have been originally developed and demonstrated as efficient and stable DRM catalysts, which exhibit high activity and high resistance towards carbon deposition. The stronger interaction between nickel and BN–nanoceria interfaces led to higher concentration of Ce3+ species, which promotes adsorption and activation of CO2 and thus facilitates the fast formation of –OH species. The active –OH species is crucial to prevent coke formation and improve the stability of Ni catalysts. This work demonstrates that restriction of metal nanoparticles within a nano-interface through the confinement effect is a successful strategy to develop coke-resistant catalysts.