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Phenol is a volatile organic compound, and conventional treatment processes prove to be ineffective for its degradation. The designable electron transfer structures of Fenton-based catalysts show great potential for wastewater treatment. However, attaining a balance between recycling and degradation efficiency remains a challenge. Herein, we prepared a photocatalyst with improved visible-light excitation characteristics. Magnetic N-TiO2/Fe3O4@MXene was prepared by loading N-TiO2 nanoparticles and Fe3O4 onto multilayered MXenes. N-TiO2/Fe3O4@MXene exhibited stable magnetic characteristics (27.1 emu/g) and a high degradation capacity for phenol. The catalyst also showed better performance for phenol removal under simulated solar-light (200–800 nm) irradiation compared with those of other catalysts. The phenol removal rate of the catalyst in the concentration range of 20–60 ppm reached 98% after 30 min of solar-light irradiation. The degradation curves of phenol were kinetically fitted. After four cycles of testing, the material maintained a high efficiency for the degradation of phenol. A total organic carbon removal rate of 61% was achieved in 10 min. The intermediates of phenol degradation were determined via liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry to gain insights into the degradation pathways of phenol. This study paves the way for the development of efficient photo-Fenton-based catalytic systems with good magnetic separation capabilities, which can promote their application in wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to remove Pb(II), Ni(II) and Mn(II) from aqueous solution, a lignin-based composite hydrogel (LS-g-P(AA-co-AM)/OMMT) was synthesized by free radical polymerization using sodium lignosulfonate (LS) and organic montmorillonite (OMMT) as raw materials. The obtained hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the LS-g-P(AA-co-AM)/OMMT contains abundant C and O containing surface groups, which were favorable for the adsorption of Pb(II), Ni(II), Mn(II). The effects of adsorbent dosage, solution pH, temperature, initial concentration and time on hydrogel adsorption of Pb(II), Ni(II) and Mn(II) were investigated. The maximum adsorption amounts were 575.5, 326.67 and 282.82 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption process of heavy metal ions conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir model, which indicates that the adsorption of Pb(II), Ni(II) and Mn(II) by LS-g-P(AA-co-AM)/OMMT is a monolayer adsorption process dominated by chemical adsorption. The main adsorption mechanisms are ion exchange and coordination complexation. Conclusively, the prepared biomass adsorbent was proved as promising adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies using emerging diffusion MRI techniques have revealed damage to the white matter (WM) microstructure in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), particularly the influence of crossed fibers, but there is a lack of subgroup analyses. Purpose: To detect WM microstructural changes in ALS patients using fixel‐based analysis (FBA) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) MRI. Study Type: Prospective. Population: Thirty‐six ALS patients (aged 60.50 ± 9.5 years) and 25 healthy controls (HCs) (aged 58.90 ± 8.1 years). Field Strength/Sequence: 3 T; NODDI and FBA (b‐values = 0, 1000, and 2500 seconds/mm2). Assessment: Subgroups were performed according to progression rate and cognition, including fast and slow progression (FP/SP), ALS with and without cognitive impairment (ALS‐ci/ALS‐nci). Fiber density (FD), fiber‐bundle cross‐section (FC), combined fiber density and cross‐section (FDC), neurite density index (NDI), orientation dispersion index (ODI), isotropic volume fraction (ISO), and fractional anisotropy (FA) were calculated and their correlation with clinical variables examined. Statistical Testing: Chi‐square test, Mann–Whitney U test, two‐sample t test, partial correlation analysis, and false discovery rate (FDR) corrected. A P‐value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: ALS patients had lower FD and FDC values predominantly in the corticospinal tract (CST) and corpus callosum (CC) regions, as well as lower NDI value in the CC, radial crown, and internal capsule compared to HCs. Subgroup analysis based on progression rate and cognitive function showed significant differences in FBA results. The FC in the right CST region was significantly lower in the FP than SP, and the FD in the CC region was significantly lower in the ALS‐ci than ALS‐nci. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between the mean FC value and the rate of progression in ALS patients (r = −0.408). Data Conclusion: FBA is a powerful tool for detecting complex cerebral WM microstructural damage for evaluating ALS cognition and disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, wood drying has emerged as an important method to ensure wood quality and improve wood utilization. However, the addition of modifiers to wood can hinder the transfer of moisture, making the drying process difficult. Therefore, the drying of modified wood is challenging. This study focuses on poplar wood and reports the preparation of modified wood capable of releasing health-beneficial negative oxygen ions. In particular, this study examined the effect of hexacyclite on the transfer of internal moisture and heat in wood. Hexacyclite was dispersed using sodium hexametaphosphate as a dispersing agent, and the modified poplar wood was prepared via vacuum pressure impregnation. The process involved six cycles of the following treatments: a vacuum treatment (−0.08 MPa, 20 min), followed by a pressure treatment (1 MPa, 120 min), and a final atmospheric treatment (5 min). The modified wood was dried via kiln drying, during which the overall wood temperature rapidly increased, with the total drying rate also increasing by 1.05%/h. The introduction of hexacyclite potentially altered the way modified wood bound with moisture, leading to permanent changes in the porosity of cell walls and the structure of polymers and thus altering the movement of water molecules. The modified wood continuously emitted far-infrared rays with a wavelength of 8–15 μm. In some large water clusters, after the far-infrared energy was absorbed, the movement of water molecules accelerated, thereby increasing the drying rate in the wood below the fiber saturation point. Ultimately, this resulted in the modified wood drying faster and thus exhibiting a better quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although numerous studies have emphasized the male predominance in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), how sex differences are related to the topological organization of functional networks remains unclear. This study utilized imaging data from 86 ASD (43 females, aged 7–18 years) and 86 typically developing controls (TCs) (43 females, aged 7–18 years) obtained from Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange databases, constructed individual whole‐brain functional networks, used a graph theory analysis to compute topological metrics, and assessed sex‐related differences in topological metrics using a 2 × 2 factorial design. At the global level, females with ASD exhibited significantly higher cluster coefficient and local efficiency than female TCs, while no significant difference was observed between males with ASD and male TCs. Meanwhile, the neurotypical sex differences in cluster coefficient and local efficiency observed in TCs were not present in ASD. At the nodal level, ASD exhibited abnormal nodal centrality in the left middle temporal gyrus. Lay Summary: In this study, we focused on sex‐related alterations in the topological organization of functional networks in ASD and found greater differences between ASD and TCs in females than in males, consistent with the female protective effect hypothesis. Furthermore, the lack of neurotypical sex differences in ASD suggested that the processes of typical neural sex differentiation might be disturbed in ASD. These findings offer a fresh perspective on the sex differences of ASD at the large‐scale network level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]