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There are increasing concerns of environmental-pollution and energy issues. Herein, an exfoliation-restacking process was firstly employed to synthesize H+-restacked H+Ti2NbO7− nanosheets (HTNS), and then heated with melamine at 510 °C to obtain direct Z-scheme layered N-doped H+Ti2NbO7−/g-C3N4 (TCN) heterojunctions with an increased specific surface area. Two-dimensional (2D) g-C3N4 material was in-situ formed on the surface of HTNS to achieve a layered heterostructure between two components, which could maximize interfacial contact area and minimize interfacial distance for the efficient charge carrier separation. Simultaneously, the surface of HTNS was doped by nitrogen atoms to form visible-light-responsive N-doped HTNS. All TCNx (x = 1, 2 and 3) composites exhibited the enhanced photocatalytic activity for both hydrogen (H2) production and rhodamine B (RhB) degradation. As an optimal sample, the resulted TCN2 composite exhibited the best photocatalytic efficiency for H2 production and RhB degradation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was assigned to the combined effects of layered heterojunction, N-doping and large specific surface area. According to trapping experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra, the holes (h+), superoxide (·O2−) and hydroxyl (·OH) radicals were responsible for photocatalytic RhB degradation and especially the ·O2− was the key active specie. A possible charge transfer pathway was analyzed in detail. This work will hopefully provide some guidance on designing Z-scheme layered heterojunction photocatalyst systems with highly photocatalytic efficiency. Direct Z-scheme layered N-doped H+Ti2NbO7−/g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalysts were constructed by a three-step exfoliation-restacking-calcination process, showing the highly photocatalytic efficiency for H2 production and RhB degradation under visible light due to the synergistic effects of layered heterojunction, N-doping and large specific surface area.

Moisture is one of the important factors affecting coal spontaneous combustion. Coal with different moisture contents was prepared to obtain oxidized coal samples at different temperatures through temperature programming. In situ Fourier Transform Spectrometer was used to determine content of active functional groups in different oxidized coal samples, and to study influence of moisture form on formation and transformation of microscopic functional groups during coal spontaneous combustion. Nitrogen adsorber was used to study specific surface area of different oxidized coal samples and influence of form moisture on changes of micro-pore structure during coal spontaneous combustion. Combined with the change law of functional groups and specific surface area, microscopic action of different form moisture on coal spontaneous combustion process was discussed. The action regime of outside moisture varies with the development of coal spontaneous combustion. Different forms of moisture can promote formation of phenols, alcohols, hydroxyl groups, and carbonyl-containing compounds. Effects of moisture form and its content on change of micro-specific surface area, and on evolution of aliphatic C–H components, hydroxyl-containing compounds and carbonyl-containing compounds during spontaneous combustion of coal are different. While effect of moisture form and its content on formation and transformation of hydroxyl-containing compounds and carboxylic acid compounds are similar.

In this work, Fe–Zn catalysts were prepared, characterized, and examined for the synthesis of linear high carbon α-olefins (LAOs; C ≥ 4) directly from CO2 hydrogenation. The relationship of perform...

Direct conversion of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) into lower olefins (ethylene, propylene and butene) provides an appealing approach to tackle CO2 emission challenges. Admixed catalysts composed of metal/metal oxides and SAPO-34 have been widely used for catalytic CO2 hydrogenation to lower olefins. However, interactions between metal/metal oxides and SAPO-34 remain obscure. Here, a novel family of admixed catalysts composed of Fe–Cu–K and SAPO-34 (Fe–Cu–K/SAPO) is developed for efficient catalytic CO2 hydrogenation to lower olefins, which can achieve 49.7% CO2 conversion and 62.9% selectivity of lower olefins, with CO selectivity

Benzofuro[2,3-b]indoles, apart from their attractive biological features, constitute a novel family of electron donors for electroluminescent materials. Reported herein is the establishment of a strategy involving bimetallic catalysis to form such π-conjugated extended frameworks, specifically via the CoCl2/Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed double aerobic oxidative cycloaddition of indoles with p-hydroquinone ester. The crucial and distinct roles of the two metals salts and the alcohol solvent were clarified. This oxidation system enabled the disruption of the well-established acid-catalyzed quinone–indole [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction favoring benzofuro[2,3-b]indolines and is superior to previously known multi-step synthetic methods involving Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling with pre-functionalized (pseudo)halides. Moreover, the photophysical properties of the product were preliminarily investigated, the results of which suggested the potential of these polycyclic heteroaromatics to be used in efficient deep-blue organic light-emitting diodes.

In recent years, the application value of low-carbon alcohols (C1-C6 alcohols) in the fuel, chemical, environmental protection and other fields has become increasingly prominent. Catalytic conversion of synthesis gas to low-carbon alcohol is one of the important ways to realize the industrial production of low-carbon alcohol. Lack of high-performance catalysts is the main reason that restricts the industrial development of producing low-carbon alcohols from synthesis gas. The construction of a dual active-center catalyst with high activity and stability, and the study of its function and catalytic mechanism have become significantly important. In this paper, the characteristics of the reaction process of syngas to low-carbon alcohols, and the catalytic mechanism and preparation methods of different catalyst systems were reviewed, which provide the basis for further research on high performance catalysts.

Most biomass derivatives were converted in the aqueous phase due to their high oxygen content, which, however, created a harsh environment for the catalytic reaction. In this work, Ru-based catalys...

Despite the high capacity of Co3O4 employed in lithium-ion battery anodes, the reduced conductivity and grievous volume change of Co3O4 during long cycling of insertion/extraction of lithium-ions remain a challenge. Herein, an optimized nanocomposite, Co3O4/nitrogen-doped hemisphere-porous graphene composite (Co3O4/N-HPGC), is synthesized by a facile hydrothermal-template approach with polystyrene (PS) microspheres as a template. The characterization results demonstrate that Co3O4 nanoparticles are densely anchored onto graphene layers, nitrogen elements are successfully introduced by carbamide and the nanocomposites maintain the hemispherical porous structure. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the composite material not only maintains a relatively high lithium storage capacity (the first discharge specific capacity can reach 2696 mA h g−1), but also shows significantly improved rate performance (1188 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, 344 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1) and enhanced cycling stability (683 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles at 1 A g−1). The enhanced electrochemical properties of Co3O4/N-HPGC nanocomposites can be ascribed to the synergistic effects of Co3O4 nanoparticles, novel hierarchical structure with hemisphere-pores and nitrogen-containing functional groups of the nanomaterials. Therefore, the developed strategy can be extended as a universal and scalable approach for integrating various metal oxides into graphene-based materials for energy storage and conversion applications.

The exploration and fabrication of highly effective and low cost non-precious electrocatalysts are very essential for the hydrogen production industry. Herein, for the first time we constructed and prepared Ni/CoFe hydroxide and Ni/CoSe2 electrodes with hollow nanotube array structures on conductive nickel foam by a facile two-step electrodeposition method combined with a ZnO self-template strategy. The as-prepared Ni/CoFe hydroxide and Ni/CoSe2 nanotube arrays only need a relatively low overpotential of 230 mV for OER and 89 mV for HER to achieve a current density of 20 mA cm−2 and 10 mA cm−2, respectively. Specifically, an asymmetric alkaline electrolyzer has been assembled by using Ni/CoFe hydroxide as anode and Ni/CoSe2 as cathode, which requires a low overall potential of only 1.57 V at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 and displays excellent stability for 20 h. The excellent electrocatalytic performance of the electrodes benefits from the synergistic effect of the different components and the hierarchical hollow nanotube structure with abundant active sites, fast electronic transport and sufficient diffusion channels for electrolyte and gas. The work provides a feasible way to develop highly efficient, hierarchical, hollow-structured and low-cost earth-abundant catalysts for electrocatalytic water splitting applications.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary bamboo leaf extract (BLE) on growth performance, meat quality, oxidative stability, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) related gene expression of breast meat in broilers. A total of 576 one-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers were divided into 6 groups. The control group (CTR) was fed basal diet, while BLE1, BLE2, BLE3, BLE4, and BLE5 were fed basal diet supplemented with 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 g BLE per kg feed, respectively. Compared with the CTR group, BLE2 and BLE5 increased average daily feed intake from 1 to 21 D and 22 to 42 D (P < 0.05), BLE1 and BLE2 improved average daily gain (ADG) and feed to gain ratio from 22 to 42 D (P < 0.05). Throughout the trial period, the highest body weight and favorable ADG and feed to gain ratio were observed in the BLE2 group. The drip loss at 24 h and pH at 45 min postmortem of breast meat were linearly improved by BLE supplementation (P < 0.05). Shear force was significantly lower in BLE2 and BLE3 than that in CTR group. Increasing supplementation of BLE linearly improved free radical scavenging capacity and decreased malondialdehyde content of breast meat during 12 D of storage (P < 0.05). Total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase activity were linearly increased by BLE supplementation (P < 0.05). Compared with the CTR group, the mRNA expression of Nrf2 and glutathione peroxidase in BLE3, BLE4, and BLE5 groups was significantly promoted, and glutathione S-transferase gene expression was increased in BLE2, BLE4, and BLE5 (P < 0.05). The highest (P < 0.05) heme oxygennase-1 gene expression was observed in BLE5. In conclusion, broiler supplemented with BLE improved growth performance and meat quality, BLE supplementation might activate Nrf2 pathway to alleviate lipid oxidation and increase antioxidant capacity of breast meat. The dosage of 2.0 to 3.0 g/kg BLE in broiler diet was recommanded.

The effective cryopreservation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is indispensable to the operation of basic research and clinical transplantation. The prevalent protocols for MSC cryopreservation utilize dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which is easily permeable and able to protect MSCs from cryo-injuries, as a primary cryoprotectant (CPA). However, its intrinsic toxicity and adverse effects on cell function remain the bottleneck of MSC cryopreservation. In this work, we cryopreserved human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) using zwitterionic betaine combined with electroporation without any addition of DMSO. Betaine was characterized by excellent compatibility and cryoprotective properties to depress the freezing point of pure water and balance the cellular osmotic stress. Electroporation was introduced to achieve intracellular delivery of betaine, intending to further provide comprehensive cryoprotection on UCMSCs. Compared with DMSO cryopreservation, UCMSCs recovered from the protocol we developed maintained the normal viability and functions and reduced the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are harmful to cell metabolism. Moreover, the in vivo distribution of thawed UCMSCs was consistent with that of fresh cells monitored by a bioluminescence imaging (BLI) system. This work opens a new window of opportunity for DMSO-free MSC cryopreservation using zwitterionic compounds like betaine combined with electroporation.

In this work, a simple chemical precipitation method was employed to prepare spherical-like Ag3PO4 material (IL-Ag3PO4) with exposed {111} facet in the presence of reactive ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole dihydrogen phosphate ([Omim]H2PO4). The crystal structure, microstructure, optical properties, and visible-light photocatalytic performance of as-prepared materials were studied in detail. The addition of ionic liquids played a crucial role in forming spherical-like morphology of IL-Ag3PO4 sample. Compared with traditional Ag3PO4 material, the intensity ratio of {222}/{200} facets in XRD pattern of IL-Ag3PO4 was significantly enhanced, indicating the main {111} facets exposed on the surface of IL-Ag3PO4 sample. The presence of exposed {111} facet was advantageous for facilitating the charge carrier transfer and separation. The light-harvesting capacity of IL-Ag3PO4 was larger than that of Ag3PO4. The photocatalytic activity of samples was evaluated by degrading rhodamine B (RhB) and p-chlorophenol (4-CP) under visible light. The photodegradation efficiencies of IL-Ag3PO4 were 1.94 and 2.45 times higher than that of Ag3PO4 for RhB and 4-CP removal, respectively, attributing to a synergy from the exposed {111} facet and enhanced photoabsorption. Based on active species capturing experiments, holes (h+), and superoxide radical (•O2−) were the main active species for visible-light-driven RhB photodegradation. This study will provide a promising prospect for designing and synthesizing ionic liquid-assisted photocatalysts with a high efficiency.

Background The pathogenesis of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) progress is incompletely understood, and specific therapies for TRALI are lacking. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are critical for initiation and resolution of lung inflammation. However, the role of AMs in the pathogenesis of TRALI-associated lung failure is poorly understood. Study design and methods Mouse model for in vivo imaging of interleukin (IL)-6 activation in AMs was established by intratracheal instillation of a lentiviral vector carrying the luciferase reporter gene. The TRALI mouse model was produced by intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide plus intravenous major histocompatibility complex Class I monoclonal antibody treatment. We focused on the changes in AMs in the lung during TRALI and examined whether targeting AMs is an effective strategy to alleviate this condition. Measurements and main results We confirmed that TRALI progress is accompanied by IL-6 activation in AMs. Further study showed that AMs undergo M1 activation during TRALI progress. AM depletion protected mice from TRALI, and transfusion of M1-polarized AMs into 34-1-2 s-treated mice elevated acute lung injury, indicating that the severity of TRALI was able to be ameliorated by targeting AM polarization. Next, we showed that α1 -antitrypsin (AAT) expression improved lung injury by modulating the production of IL-6 in AMs and decreased polarization of AMs toward the M1 phenotype. Conclusions M1-polarized AMs are crucial in a mouse model of TRALI, and AAT may serve as a future treatment for TRALI by regulating the polarization of AMs.

The study was designed to investigate the catalytic hydrogenation of increasingly concerned CO2 to light olefins including ethylene, propylene and butylene, a series of critically important materials for various chemical syntheses, a win-win scenario for environment and economy. The Fe0.30Co0.15Zr0.30K0.10O1.63 catalyst, presented much poorer surface hydroxyl groups but richer oxygen vacancies (OVs) than the Fe0.60Co0.30K0.10O1.40, displayed light olefin space time yields (STY) of 4.93 mmol∙g-1cat∙h−1 at 310 °C and 2.0 MPa, which was 33.24% higher than the Fe0.60Co0.30K0.10O1.40 at the same reaction conditions. Extensive characterizations demonstrate that both oxygen vacancies (OVs) and surface hydroxyl groups ( OH) played important roles in the catalytic CO2 hydrogenation to light olefins, while OVs were more critical. OVs on the reduced Fe0.30Co0.15Zr0.45K0.10O1.63 were more active than those on the reduced Fe0.60Co0.30K0.10O1.40, which was very important to the enhancement of the oxygen storage, adsorption and activation of CO2 and thus the direct and efficient conversion of CO2 into CO, an important intermediate for the synthesis of light olefins synthesis. Thus, Fe0.30Co0.15Zr0.45K0.10O1.63 is a promising catalyst for converting CO2 hydrogenation to light olefins.

Soil organic nitrogen fractions and soil-soluble nitrogen pools are important indicators of soil fertility and plant nutrition requirements. However, little is known about soil organic nitrogen fractions and their correlations with soil mineral nitrogen (SMN) and soluble organic nitrogen (SON). A five-year field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of lower irrigation limits (25, 35, and 45 kPa) and nitrogen fertilization (75, 300, and 525 kg ha−1) rates on greenhouse soil organic nitrogen fractions and soil-soluble nitrogen pools. The results indicated that the soil organic nitrogen fractions and soil-soluble nitrogen pools were significantly affected by the irrigation and nitrogen fertilization rates and their interactions at various greenhouse soil depths (P

Background A complex array of physicochemical changes occurs in red blood cells (RBCs) during storage, leading to enhanced posttransfusion clearance. Dendritic cells (DCs) play crucial roles in the engulfment of aged RBCs; however, it is unclear how stored RBCs (sRBCs) modulate their responses to inflammatory stimuli and DC migration ability. Study design and methods In this study, we examined whether sRBCs affect the migration ability of DCs and elucidated the detailed mechanisms mediating this process. Murine RBCs were incubated with marrow DCs after removing the storage supernatant. The effects of sRBCs on cytokine secretion from DCs, surface marker expression, and homing ability were examined. Results More sRBCs were internalized by DCs than fresh RBCs (fRBCs), and RBC accumulation significantly promoted the expression of allostimulatory molecules and the secretion of Th1-type cytokines in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In particular, the lymphoid-tissue homing ability of transfused DCs treated with sRBCs (sRBC-DCs) was also significantly greater than that of fRBCs. Up regulation of CCR7 and improved organization of the cytoskeleton were observed in sRBC-DCs, and blocking Rho/Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB pathways greatly hindered cytoskeletal rearrangement. Moreover, high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected in sRBC-DCs, and treatment with N-acetylcysteine simultaneously decreased the lymph node-homing ability of DCs and phosphorylation of RhoA, ROCK1, and cortactin. Conclusions sRBCs initiated differential immune responses compared to fRBCs, and the presence of LPS augmented this phenomenon. Up regulation of CCR7 and ROS production promotes cytoskeletal reorganization and contributes to the increased homing of sRBCs-DCs.

The hydrogenation of CO2 to CH3OH is one of the most promising technologies for the utilization of captured CO2 in the future. Nano Ni–Ga bimetallic catalysts have been proven to be excellent catalysts in the hydrogenation of CO2 to CH3OH. To investigate the promotion mechanisms of Ga for the hydrogenation of CO2 to CH3OH over Ga-doped Ni catalysts and the wide application of these promotion mechanisms in other catalysts and reactions, herein, density functional theory (DFT) was employed. The reaction mechanisms and the properties of Ni(211) and Ga–Ni(211) surfaces were comparatively studied. The results show that the Ni sites on both the Ni(211) and the Ga–Ni(211) surfaces are active sites, and the most stable structures of the intermediates are similar. Moreover, the Ga–Ni(211) surface is more favorable for the hydrogenation of CO2, whereas Ni(211) is more favorable for the dissociation of CO2. The activation barrier of the rate-limiting step in the CH3OH formation pathway on Ni(211) is 0.54 eV higher than that on Ga–Ni(211). According to the analyses of the projected density of states (PDOS) and Hirshfeld charge transfer, the addition of Ga atoms demonstrates the reactivity of the Ga-doped Ni(211) surfaces. Most importantly, the replacement of some secondary active sites of Ni atoms with the non-active Ga atoms may lower the activities of the secondary active sites and strengthen the activities of the active sites at the step edge. These results provide a new perspective for the reaction mechanism of the hydrogenation of CO2 to CH3OH over the state-of-the-art Ga-doped catalysts.

In acidic Cd-contaminated soils, soil nitrogen conversion is inhibited and usually block nitrogen supply for plants. Earthworms are well known for improving soil properties and regulating various soil biogeochemical processes including nitrogen cycling. To figure out the effect and mechanisms of earthworms on soil nitrogen transformation in Cd-contaminated soil, ten treatments with and without A. robustus in five soil Cd concentration gradients were established. The tolerant concentration of A. robustus to Cd in the acidic soil is about 6 mg kg -1 . The potential ammonia oxidation of the acidic soils was very low, ranging from 0.05 to 0.1 µg NO 2 - -N g -1 d -1 . Although AOA was more abundant in the acidic soil than AOB, AOA was inhibited by Cd pollution, while AOB showed some increase under Cd-stress. AOA may play a dominant role in ammonia oxidation in acidic soil, but the recovery of nitrification in Cd-contaminated acidic soil was probably due to the effect of AOB. Earthworms significantly increased soil pH, DOC, ammonium and PAO, thus promoted soil ammonification and potential nitrification, but had no significant effect on soil net nitrification. Correlation analysis results demonstrate that earthworms may promote soil PAO by increasing soil pH, NH 4 + -N content, and AOB abundance. This study could provide a theoretical basis for solving the problem of nitrogen-cycling-functional degradation and nitrogen supply in the process of phytoremediation of heavy metals-contaminated soils.

Dendritic cell (DC) vaccines are used for cancer and infectious diseases, albeit with limited efficacy. Modulating the formation of DC–T‐cell synapses may greatly increase their efficacy. The effects of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets on DCs and DC–T‐cell synapse formation are evaluated. In particular, size‐dependent interactions are observed between GO nanosheets and DCs. GOs with diameters of >1 µm (L‐GOs) demonstrate strong adherence to the DC surface, inducing cytoskeletal reorganization via the RhoA‐ROCK‐MLC pathway, while relatively small GOs (≈500 nm) are predominantly internalized by DCs. Furthermore, L‐GO treatment enhances DC–T‐cell synapse formation via cytoskeleton‐dependent membrane positioning of integrin ICAM‐1. L‐GO acts as a “nanozipper,” facilitating the aggregation of DC–T‐cell clusters to produce a stable microenvironment for T cell activation. Importantly, L‐GO‐adjuvanted DCs promote robust cytotoxic T cell immune responses against SARS‐CoV‐2 spike 1, leading to >99.7% viral RNA clearance in mice infected with a clinically isolated SARS‐CoV‐2 strain. These findings highlight the potential value of nanomaterials as DC vaccine adjuvants for modulating DC–T‐cell synapse formation and provide a basis for the development of effective COVID‐19 vaccines., A novel material‐based method of regulating dendritic cell (DC)–T‐cell synaptic contact for adoptive DC vaccine engineering is reported. Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets serve as a “nanozipper” or “double‐sided tape” facilitating the formation and aggregation of DC–T‐cell immune synapses to elicit robust cytotoxic T cell immune responses against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Cytoskeleton‐dependent membrane‐positioning of intercellular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) might be the underlying mechanism.

Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics (MPs), as carriers, can bind with pesticides, which propose harmful impacts to aqueous ecosystems. Meanwhile, carbofuran and carbendazim (CBD), two widely used carbamate pesticides, are toxic to humans because of the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity. The interaction between two MPs and two pesticides could start in farmland and be maintained during transportation to the ocean. Herein, the adsorption behavior and mechanism of carbofuran and carbendazim (CBD) by PE and PP MPs were investigated via characterization and density functional theory (DFT) simulation. The adsorption kinetic and thermodynamic data were best described by pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Freundlich models. The adsorption behaviors of individual carbofuran/CBD on both MPs were very similar. The CBD adsorption rate and capacity of PE and PP MPs were higher than those of carbofuran. This phenomenon explained the lower negative effects of DOM (oxalic acid, glycine (Gly)) on CBD adsorption relative to those of carbofuran. The presence of oxalic acid and Gly decreased the PE adsorption by 20.40-48.02% and the PP adsorption by 19.27-42.11%, respectively. It indicated the significance of DOM in carbofuran cycling. The adsorption capacities were negatively correlated with MPs size, indicating the importance of specific surficial area. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy before and after adsorption suggested that the adsorption process did not produce any new covalent bond. Instead, intermolecular van der Waals forces were one of the primary adsorption mechanisms of carbofuran and CBD by MPs, as evidenced by DFT calculations. Based on the zeta potential, the electrostatic interaction explained the higher adsorption CBD by MPs than carbofuran.

Cadmium (Cd) and tetracycline (TC) cause serious environmental risks. Nanomaterials have been extensively applied for environmental remediation. The size and content of nanoparticles directly affect the removal of contaminants. However, size regulation and quantitative determination of nanoparticles cannot be easily realized. In this study, hydrogels with different polymerization degrees were prepared by adjusting the contents of acrylamide (AM) and sodium lignosulfonate polymeric monomers. Ferrous sulfide (FeS) nanoparticles of different sizes were synthesized in situ within the hydrogels. The nanoparticle size decreased from 600 to 200 nm with increasing hydrogel polymerization degree, and an incomplete crystalline state was observed at the highest polymerization degree. By combining energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) images with the maximum between-class variance (Otsu) method, the content of nanoparticles was calculated to be 7.81%, 15.05%, 22.62%, 27.10%, 21.97%, and 23.95%. The distribution state of FeS compounds was also obtained. A low polymerization degree resulted in high FeS dispersal, and a high polymerization degree affected the uniformity distribution based on irregular ion diffusion. The obtained nanocomposites with different polymerization degrees were applied to the removal of Cd and TC in water. The removal capacity for both contaminants revealed a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing. The initial increase was related to the increasing content and decreasing size of the FeS nanoparticles, while the following decrease was due to the decreasing content and incomplete crystallization of the FeS nanoparticles. Overall, changing the proportion of polymeric monomers is an effective way to regulate particle size, and the Otsu method combined with EDS mapping images is a feasible method for calculating the content of nanoparticles.

Biomass furfural-like compounds are chemicals that cannot be extracted from fossil materials, through which a large number of fine chemicals and fuel additives can be opened up, but one big efficiency problem during the transformation is the accumulation of oligomers. Here, we propose a novel and efficient Ru-Mo bimetallic catalyst for selective hydrogenation-rearrangement of furfural-like compounds. The result showed that an unprecedented rearrangement product selectivity of 89.1% to cyclopentanol was achieved under an optimized reaction condition over a 1%Ru−2.5%Mo/CNT catalyst reduced at 600°C. Subsequent characterization suggested that the catalyst presented with weak acidity and strong hydrogenation activity for the reaction, which not only ensures the smooth hydrogenation-rearrangement reaction but also inhibits the accumulation of furan polymers. These findings provide a convenient strategy to tune the catalytic performance of Mo-based catalysts by controlling the reduction and carburization conditions, which appear to be versatile for the rearrangement of furans and similar compounds.

A series of compounds were designed and synthesized based on the compound 11i bearing phenylpyrazole scaffold with histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitory activity. Most of the compounds showed considerable inhibitory activity against HDAC6 and compound A16 with good inhibitory activity was found therein. We further found that A16 had an inhibitory effect on inflammatory mediators (NO, TNF-α, IL-6) involved in inflammatory response and neuroendocrine regulation. In addition, A16 has a certain neuroprotective effect on PC12 cells injured by hydrogen peroxide. Acute toxicity assay showed that the LD50 of A16 was 274.47 mg/kg in mouse model. Furthermore, A16 displayed good stability properties in microsomes and plasma.

The degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in spiked soil was studied to investigate persulfate (PS) activation by the environment-friendly heterogeneous material greigite for removing organic pollutants from soil. The effects of the PS and greigite doses were investigated, and the BPA degradation rate in the lateritic red soil was lower than that in kaolin. Notably, 500 mg/kg of BPA could be effectively removed by the flower-like greigite (FLG)/PS system in 30 min. The difference in BPA degradation in kaolin and the lateritic red soil was negligible, thus indicating that the contents of components such as total organic matters in the lateritic red soil did not affect the BPA degradation rate of the FLG/PS system considerably. Furthermore, the distribution processes of BPA in the soil and liquid phase were also investigated in detail. The results showed that the water contents were a key factor in the distribution and degradation of BPA. The transfer of BPA from kaolin to the liquid phase was simpler than that from the lateritic red soil to the liquid phase. BPA might be transferred to the liquid phase first and then degraded by the FLG/PS system in that phase. Regarding BPA degradation in the lateritic red soil, BPA was degraded in the soil and liquid phases at the same time. This study proposed a pathway for BPA degradation in soil slurries by heterogeneous material/PS systems for first time, providing a deeper understanding of the degradation mechanism of organic pollutants in soil and new methods for soil remediation.

Using copper nitrate trihydrate as the copper source, TiO2@Cu-MOF nanocomposites were prepared by a one-step crystallization method, and the effect of the amount of TiO2 loaded on the adsorption of rhodamine B was studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy spectrometer (EDS), N2 adsorption-desorption (BET), and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the microstructure and surface properties of composite materials. The results show that the composite material not only has a good degradability for rhodamine B, the decolorization rate reaches 98.03% after 120 min, but it also maintains a good cycle performance. Fitting the first-order kinetic equation to the reaction process, under the optimal conditions, R2 = 0.98, indicating that the reaction process conforms to the first-order kinetic equation. Therefore, the catalyst has good catalytic degradation and cycle performance.

Biomass chemical looping gasification (BCLG) is a promising gasification technology to convert biomass into synthesis gas with no need for molecular oxygen. In this study, a novel process for butanol production from lignocellulosic biomass based on BCLG is proposed. The proposed process is simulated using Aspen Plus and composed of main sub-processes such as BCLG, acid gas removal, synthesis and separation of alcohol. An economic assessment is conducted according to results of Aspen Plus model. The equipment cost for the proposed process is evaluated as 4.65 × 108 CNY and the minimum butanol selling price is estimated as 9.35 CNY/kg. Sensitivity analysis of the process indicates that pine sawdust price has the largest effect on the minimum butanol selling price followed by total equipment cost and plant lifetime. Finally, impacts of CO conversion and carbon tax on the minimum butanol selling price are explored.

The CO formation rules of coal were analyzed by a self-developed testing device under ambient temperature. The changes of functional groups caused by oxidation were obtained using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The experimental results showed that CO was generated during the ambient temperature oxidation. The highest concentration level of CO could be 389 ppm. The methylene and aldehyde groups on the side chains were involved in the reaction. For the quantum mechanical approach, we employed the density functional theory with the 6&ndash, 31 G (d, p) basis set. Density functional theory&ndash, based computations interpreted the possible reaction sites on a coal molecule by electronic static potential analysis. The rationality of the predicted reactions was also evaluated by transition state analysis and energy analysis. This research theoretically proved that coal could be oxidized to carbon monoxide under ambient temperatures and gave the possible reaction paths.

Amine compounds biosynthesis using ω-transaminases has received considerable attention in the pharmaceutical industry. However, the application of ω-transaminases was hampered by the fundamental challenge of severe by-product inhibition. Here, we report that ω-transaminase CrmG from Actinoalloteichus cyanogriseus WH1-2216-6 is insensitive to inhibition from by-product α-ketoglutarate or pyruvate. Combined with structural and QM/MM studies, we establish the detailed catalytic mechanism for CrmG. Our structural and biochemical studies reveal that the roof of the active site in PMP-bound CrmG is flexible, which will facilitate the PMP or by-product to dissociate from PMP-bound CrmG. Our results also show that amino acceptor caerulomycin M (CRM M), but not α-ketoglutarate or pyruvate, can form strong interactions with the roof of the active site in PMP-bound CrmG. Based on our results, we propose that the flexible roof of the active site in PMP-bound CrmG may facilitate CrmG to overcome inhibition from the by-product., Xu, Tang et al. show that ω-transaminase CrmG is insensitive to the inhibition from by-products α-ketoglutarate or pyruvate. They find that these by-products cannot interact strongly with the flexible roof of the active site in CrmG. This study provides insights into the rational design of transaminase to eliminate by-product inhibition.

Militarine, a natural glucosyloxybenzyl 2-isobutylmalate, isolated from Bletilla striata, was reported with a prominent neuroprotective effect recently. The limited information on the metabolism of militarine impedes comprehension of its biological actions and pharmacology. This study aimed to investigate the metabolite profile and the distribution of militarine in vivo, which help to clarify the action mechanism further. A total of 71 metabolites (57 new metabolites) in rats were identified with a systematic method by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). The proposed metabolic pathways of militarine include hydrolyzation, oxidation, glycosylation, esterification, sulfation, glucuronidation and glycine conjugation. Militarine and its metabolites were distributed extensively in the treated rats. Notably, six metabolites of militarine were identified in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which were highly consistent with the metabolites after oral administration of gastrodin in rats. Among the metabolites in CSF, five of them were not reported before. It is the first systematic metabolic study of militarine in vivo, which is very helpful for better comprehension of the functions and the central nervous system (CNS) bioactivities of militarine. The findings will also provide an essential reference for the metabolism of other glucosylated benzyl esters of succinic, malic, tartaric and citric acids.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Luohanguo (LHG) extract major contenting mogrosides, as a nonnutritive sweetener, has been reported to exert a hypoglycemic effect on diabetic patients and animals. As the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs were changed with diabetes, it may lead to the different pharmacological of mogrosides between diabetic and normal subjects. Aims of the study To characterise the pharmacokinetic profiles of mogrosides in T2DM rats. Study design and methods High-fat diet and streptozocin induced type 2 diabetic mellitus rats were used to investigate the pharmacokinetic behavior of mogroside V and mogrosides IIIA1, IIA1, and IA1 after T2DM rats orally administrated with mogroside V and 1–3 glucose residues’ mogrosides, respectively. The validated convenient UPLC-QTOF/MS and UPLC-MS/MS methods were established to use in the pharmacokinetic studies of mogrosides in normal and T2DM rats. Additionally, the expression of the intestinal tight junction protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) was also detected by immunohistochemical analysis, which assessed the function of passive intestinal permeability in T2DM rats. Results The results showed that for rats treated with mogroside V, its metabolite mogroside IIIA1 has a significant increase (p Conclusion The pharmacokinetic profiles of mogroside V and its metabolite mogroside IIIA1 in T2DM rats and normal rats showed some difference, it might be affected by the metabolic changes in the pathological state of T2DM.

A novel electrochemically activated nanocomposite, CoS2 Nanoparticles and MoS2 Nanosheets decorated poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)-functionalized graphene (CoS2-MoS2-PDDA-GR), was successfully synthesized through a simple and low-cost method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques were used to characterize the nanocomposites. Based on the CoS2-MoS2-PDDA-GR nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode, the electrochemical properties of eriocitrin were investigated in detail and a sensitive determinative method was established synchronously. Compared with others, this sensor exhibited larger effective surface area, more reactive site and excellent voltammetric response for eriocitrin. Under optimum conditions by DPV, the oxidation peak currents responded to eriocitrin linearly over a concentration range from 2.0 × 10−9 to 1.0 × 10−6 mol L−1 with a detection limit of 6.7 × 10−10 mol L−1 (S/N = 3). In addition, this fabricated sensor was successfully applied to detect eriocitrin in real samples with satisfactory results.

The nanocomposite of ruthenium oxide (RuO2) loaded on Poly-(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (PDDA) functionalized reduced graphene oxide (RuO2-PDDA-rGO) was synthesized based on a one-step method. Based on the RuO2-PDDA-rGO modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE), a new electrochemical sensor (RuO2-PDDA-rGO/GCE) was fabricated and used in detection of baicalein for the first time. Compared with other reported electrochemical sensors for the detection of baicalein, the prepared RuO2-PDDA-rGO/GCE had a wider linear range (2–400 nM) and lower detection limit (0.6 nM, S/N = 3). The other advantages were the excellent repeatability of proposed method and good stability of prepared sensor.

Metal-organic framework MIL-100(Fe) evacuated under different temperatures were used as catalysts for selective ethylene tetramerization with alkylaluminum cocatalysts in a laboratory slurry reactor to obtain C8 alkanes, possibly as gasoline additives contributing to octane number. Depending on evacuation temperature, the surface area, the content of FeII and FeIII coordinatively unsaturated sites of MIL-100(Fe) both changed, which were found to be three main factors affecting oligomerization performance. MIL-100(Fe) evacuated at 250 °C with intact pore structure and high rate of FeII sites reached the maximal catalytic activity of 1.26 × 105 g/(molFe·h), and more than 80% of products were C8 mainly comprising branched and ringed alkanes. The high C8 selectivity was not attributed to the steric hindrance of the pore structure of MIL-100(Fe) but the nature of metal sites. The cocatalysts had obvious influence on oligomerization performance via scavenging capacities rather than chain transfer processes through alkylation.

Mogroside V, a natural compound isolated from the fruits of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle), is a promising candidate for anti-diabetic activity. The present study aims to develop a simple and practical strategy for comparing the in vivo metabolite profiling of mogroside V in healthy and type 2 diabetic (T2D) model rats. In this paper, a highly sensitive and rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) with MetaboLynx™ software combined with mass defect filtering (MDF) method was established and successfully applied to detect and identify the metabolites in plasma, urine, bile and feces samples of healthy and model rats administrated with mogroside V. The distribution of metabolites in plasma, bile, urine and feces of healthy and model rats had obvious differences. A total of 23 metabolites were observed in healthy rats while 26 metabolites were detected in model rats. The results indicated that dehydrogenation, deoxidation, oxidation and isomerization were the major metabolic transformations of mogroside V. Additionally, it was noticed that the peak areas of metabolites in T2D rat plasma samples were much larger than those of metabolites in healthy rat plasma sample, whereas in T2D rat urine samples they were remarkably smaller compared with healthy rat urine sample. These high blood concentrations of metabolites might be beneficial for the treatment of T2D. The results of this study are valuable and important in understanding the metabolic process and therapeutic mechanism of mogroside V.

Revolutionary shale gas production has resulted in increasing interest in the use of methane for producing various types of high-value chemicals and among them is aromatics via methane dehydroaromatization (MDA). Progresses achieved in the area of MDA during the last 6 years are significant. However, a review in this area is lacking. This review is designed to fill the gap. The review not only discusses he development of MDA catalysts, including conventional molybdenum (Mo)-based catalyst and non-Mo-based catalysts and novel catalysts. Also, the insights for the associated reaction mechanisms and catalyst regeneration methods and applications of various types of reactors are provided.

Even though iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles are promising materials for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, their biocompatibility and targeting efficacy still need to be improved. Herein, we modified glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) groups on Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@cGlu-GA) for liver tumor-targeted imaging. To evaluate the biocompatibility of these nanoparticles, we studied their cytotoxicity, hemolysis, and hepatotoxicity. We measured the uptake of Fe3O4@cGlu-GA nanoparticles in normal and liver tumor cells, then we investigated the specificity of Fe3O4@cGlu-GA nanoparticles in mouse models bearing subcutaneous and orthotopic liver tumors. With good biocompatibility and targeting efficacy both in vitro and in vivo, the Fe3O4@cGlu-GA nanoparticles are promising MRI contrast agents with ultralow hepatotoxicity and show great improvement on existing Fe3O4-based nanoparticles.

The simultaneous decomposition of organic template and incorporation of copper ions into the zeolite were investigated during the heating mixture of copper chloride hydroxide and TEA-β zeolite under static air atmosphere. Detailed characterizations of the samples during calcination and subsequent copper removal treatment were performed with the aid of TG/MS, IR, XRD, pyridine-IR, XPS, 27 Al and 29 Si MAS-NMR. It was evidenced that the zeolite detemplation process facilitated the copper ions reduction and migration, inducing the solid ion exchange of copper species with TEA-β zeolite at lower temperature. These reduced copper ions migrated into the zeolite to occupy BrOnsted acid sites, and acted as catalysts to accelerate the oxidative decomposition of organic molecules significantly. The result showed that the virtually complete removal of organic template and incorporation of copper ions were obtained in one step by calcination at 350 °C for 3 h, and these ingoing copper species could be easily removed by re-exchanging with ammonium solution. After detemplation and copper removal, the purified H-β zeolite could still retain a well-defined structure and BrOnsted acid sites, showing a higher catalytic activity on the alkylation of benzene with ethylene compared with the conventionally prepared H-β zeolite.

The correlation between exopolysaccharide production of Lactobacillus kimchi SR8 under different culture conditions and the DPPH radical scavenging activity of exopolysaccharide was studied. Lactobacillus kimchi SR8 produced 228.24 ± 2.23 mg/L exopolysaccharides with sucrose as the carbon source, Beef Extract-Peptone (2:1) as the nitrogen source and an initial pH of 6.50, whilst the DPPH radical scavenging activity of exopolysaccharides was only 6.85% ± 0.77% at a concentration of 0.20 mg/mL. However, the strain produced 206.79 ± 2.23 mg/L exopolysaccharides with glucose as the carbon source, Peptone-Tryptone (1:1) as the nitrogen source and an initial pH of 7.00, and the DPPH radical scavenging activity of exopolysaccharides increased to 28.34% ± 0.32% at the same concentration. The results showed no correlation between the exopolysaccharide production of lactic acid bacteria and the DPPH radical scavenging activity of exopolysaccharide. Therefore, the antioxidant activity should be taken into consideration when measures are taken to increase exopolysaccharide production if greater antioxidant activity of exopolysaccharides is preferred.

The objective of this research is to develop a cost-effective catalytic pyrolysis process for producing high-quality oil and gas from coal with low CO 2 emission. Catalytic pyrolysis of the Powder River Basin coal using composite Na 2 CO 3 -FeCO 3 catalysts has been investigated in a fixed bed reactor between 500 and 800 °C under atmospheric pressure to evaluate effects of catalyst on quantity and quality of the resulting oils and gases. The results indicate that high-quality oil and gas can be obtained with use of 4% Na 2 CO 3 and 3% Na 2 CO 3 –1% FeCO 3 catalyst. Use of 3% Na 2 CO 3 –1% FeCO 3 catalyst can improve coal conversion by ~ 4.5% and 5% for Na 2 CO 3 catalyst. The H/C ratio of the oil products obtained with catalysts are higher, while their O and S concentrations are reduced by as much as 36.1% and 50.6% for 4% Na 2 CO 3 and 23.27% and 50.6% for 3% Na 2 CO 3 –1% FeCO 3 catalyst, respectively. The respective heating values of oil obtained with the 4% Na 2 CO 3 and 3% Na 2 CO 3 –1% FeCO 3 catalysts increase by 833.3 kJ/kg and 541.7 kJ/kg. Moreover, these catalysts can reduce CH 4 and increase H 2 and CO concentrations of the produced gases at 700 °C, while 3% Na 2 CO 3 –1% FeCO 3 obtain better quality syngas (H 2 /CO) at higher temperature. At 700 °C,4% Na 2 CO 3 can reduce CH 4 concentration in the gas by 23.11% and increase H 2 and CO by 70.22% and 6.54%, respectively, 3% Na 2 CO 3 –1% FeCO 3 can reduce CH 4 concentration by 20.80% and increase H 2 and CO by 58.90% and 2.18%. All these results demonstrate that 4% Na 2 CO 3 and 3% Na 2 CO 3 –1% FeCO 3 are both promising coal pyrolysis catalysts. The composite catalyst can not only synergize the advantages, but also overcome the challenges of pure iron or pure sodium based catalytic coal pyrolysis processes. In addition, GCMS test results show that Na 2 CO 3 can change the reaction pathway way of pyrolysis, resulting in a decrease in the generation of furan and esters and increases in the productions of phenols, ketones, straight-chain olefins, and alicyclic hydrocarbons. The associated catalytic mechanism with addition of Na 2 CO 3 is proposed.

The present work aimed at comparably studying the catalytic performance of Zn (II) complexes applied as the efficient catalysts in accelerating the transformation of CO2 into cyclic carbonates. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized complexes were determined by XRD, NMR, FT-IR, TGA, NH3-TPD, CO2-adsorption. The synthesized samples were found to possess the Lewis acid/basic sites derived from the zinc ions and nitrogen-containing ligands, which can synergistically catalyze the coupling reaction. In addition, the sample containing iodide ion ligands showed the highest catalytic performance compared with other Zn (II) complexes, suggesting that the amount and distribution of the Lewis acid sites were not the primary factors for determining the catalytic activity, and the difference in activity of halogen ion ligands (I−, Br−, Cl−) has a larger influence on the coupling process, which made the CO2 insertion and ring closure of the formed intermediate more easily occur when iodide ion ligands participated. It can be drawn that the catalytic activity of the Zn (II) complexes was simultaneously associated with halide ion ligands and substitution group of the ligand. Moreover, 98.62% conversion of epichlorohydrin (ECH) and 96.97% selectivity to chloropropene carbonate (TOF=56.65 h − 1) was achieved at the optimal operation parameters (110 °C, 2.5 MPa, 8 h, 1.25 wt.% catalyst of ECH). Furthermore, the proposed pathway of CO2 coupling with epoxide was confirmed by DFT calculation, with the result confirming that the process of epoxide ring opening was the key step for the coupling reaction.

In this work, we synthesized the TiO2/reduced graphene oxide (TiO2/RGO) binary nanohybrids through the sol-anaerobic calcination method, the TiO2 nanoparticles belonging to anatase type were evenly loaded on RGO surface in the form of Ti–O–C bond. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be ascribed to the existence of RGO that can effectively promote the transfer of photo-induced electron-hole pairs to generate more hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide anion (O2·-) degrading phenol. The TiO2/RGO nanocomposite with weight ratio of RGO to TiO2 (37.0%–55.7%) had achieved maximum degradation of phenol from aqueous solution, and about 97.87% of phenol had been removed within 180 min under UV-light illumination. Through GC-MS tracking of phenol degradation process, it can be observed that long-chain intermediates will be generated, and these intermediates will eventually be degraded, confirming that phenol can be completely removed. Additionally, around 67% TOC of simulated underground coal gasification (UCG) wastewater can be removed after 10 h degradation using TiO2/RGO binary composites as photocatalysts. All these results demonstrate that the binary nanohybrids possess great potential for the organic contaminants destruction from the actual coal chemical wastewater.

The Eu-doped PbO2 electrodes were prepared using co-electrodeposition technique for electrochemical oxidation of hydroquinone. The results of electrochemical measurements, accelerated service lifetime and bulk electrolysis experiments confirmed that Eu-doped PbO2 electrodes possessed higher oxygen evolution overpotential, stability and acetamiprid removal ratio than pure PbO2 electrodes and Eu-PbO2-3 electrode was considered as the ideal anode. The promoted electrocatalytic activity of Eu-PbO2-3 electrode was ascribed to its stronger hydroxyl radical generation ability, more active sites and lower electron transfer resistance. Additionally, the effect of operating parameters, including current density, initial hydroquinone concentration, and pH value, on the electrochemical oxidation of hydroquinone were subjected to systematical investigation. More significantly, the intermediates generated in the degradation process were identified by HPLC-MS and a possible hydroquinone degradation mechanism was proposed accordingly. The degradation pathway can be divided into three stages with the hydroquinone initially attacked by hydroxyl radicals. Finally, all the intermediates were converted to CO2 and H2O. The present work confirmed that Eu-doped electrodes could be potentially applied in removal of refractory organic contaminants from wastewater.

PbO2-based electrodes possess the greatest oxygen evolution overpotential range beside boron-doped diamond (BDD), which allowed aqueous solution electrochemical oxidization of hazardous organic contaminants. As a non-active electrode, PbO2-based electrode can generate rich free hydroxyl radicals favorable for the degradation of target pollutants. The majority of published review articles to-date focuses on the application of BDD electrodes, metal oxide (MO) electrodes or mixed metal oxide (MMO) for treatment of wastewater, however, there is an increasingly need for reasonable catalyst design of PbO2-based electrodes because suitable electrode materials fundamentally determine the electrocatalytic performance. Hence, in this review, recent advances in properties, preparation and degradation mechanism of PbO2-based electrodes are summarized, with a focus on various modifying strategies. Eventually, research gaps and future perspectives of PbO2-based electrodes are discussed.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The Siraitia grosvenorii fruits extract (SG, in which mogrosides are the main components), considered as a non-nutritional sweetener, has an antidiabetic effect. Our previous studies have confirmed that an extract of mogrosides being rich in triterpene glycosides with 1–3 glucosyl residues, designated as low-polar S. grosvenorii glycosides (L-SGgly), had a significant antidiabetic effect. However, whether the mechanism through impacting on gut microbiota to exert the antidiabetic effect of mogrosides remains unclear. Aims of the study To explore the potential mechanism of mogrosides (SG and L-SGgly) on gut microbiota and faecal metabolites in the treatment of diabetes. Study design and Methods In this study, the effects of SG and L-SGgly on gut microbiota and faecal endogenous metabolites were explored by sequencing the 16S rRNA V3–V4 region of gut microbiota, and detecting with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight MS (LC-Q-TOF/MS), respectively. In particular, correlation analyses revealed how these influences affect the anti-hyperglycaemic effect, to give the underlying antidiabetic mechanisms of the mogrosides in S. grosvenorii fruits. Results After a 14-day treatment with SG and L-SGgly for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ), the disordered gut microbiota in the faeces of T2DM rats were recovered. At the same time, the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration significantly increased and the deoxycholic acid and 1β-hydroxycholic acid content decreased in the faeces of T2DM rats. Moreover, correlation analyses provided the evidences that gut microbiota and its metabolites could be the target for exerting the anti-hyperglycaemic effects of SG and L-SGgly. Especially, Elusimicrobium, Lachnospiraceae_UCG-004, acetate, butyrate, and 1β-hydroxycholic acid would be the potential dominant bacteria and biomarkers for SG and L-SGgly in reducing the blood glucose and insulin resistance of T2DM rats. Conclusion It is the first time that a mechanism of targeting on gut microbiota for the antidiabetic effect of mogrosides in S. grosvenorii fruits has been proposed.

Zeolite has a high adsorption capacity for heavy metals, but it is difficult to separate from the medium because of its small particle size. In this study, magnetic zeolite was synthesized from natural, low-grade molybdenum ore by adding nano ferroferric oxide (saturation magnetization 83.43 emu/g) directly in the hydrothermal synthesis process, which was used to adsorb cadmium from wastewater. The results of scanning electron microscopy showed that the nano ferroferric oxide was adhered to the surface of the zeolite to make it magnetic. The vibrating sample magnetometer showed that the larger the amount of nano ferroferric oxide added, the higher the saturation magnetization of the magnetic zeolite. The saturation magnetization of the magnetic zeolite with a loading proportion of 25% was 18.18 emu/g with a specific surface area of 459.8 m2/g. The adsorption experiments showed that when the pH value is greater than 4, the adsorption capacity of magnetic zeolite is high and stable, and the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity is 204.2 mg Cd/g. Na+ and Ca2+ have different inhibitory functions on the adsorption capacity. The mapping graphs showed that cadmium is captured by the magnetic zeolite after contact with cadmium, and XRD confirmed the presence of cadmium oxide in the magnetic zeolite after adsorption, XPS and EDS results indicated that ion exchange is one of the main mechanisms of cadmium adsorption by magnetic zeolites, and electrostatic adsorption may also have a contribution.