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Sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification (SADN) has demonstrated efficacy in nitrate (NO3−) removal from the aquatic environment. However, the insolubility of elemental sulfur (S0) (maximum 5 μg/L at 25 °C) limited the NO3− removal rate. In this study, we investigated the performance of a laboratory-scale S0-packed bed reactor (S0-PBR) under various volumetric NO3− loading rates. By filling with smaller S0 particles (0.5–1 mm) and introducing chemical sulfide (30–50 mg S2−-S/L), a high NO3− removal rate (1.44 kg NO3−-N/(m3·d)) was achieved, which was substantially higher than previously reported values in SADN systems. The analysis of the average specific NO3− removal rates and the half-order kinetic constants jointly confirmed that the denitrification performance was significantly enhanced by decreasing the S0 particle sizes from 10–12 mm to 1–2 mm. The smaller S0 particles with a larger specific surface area improved the mass-transfer efficiency. Dosing chemical S2− (20 mg S2−-S/L) to trigger the abiotic polysulfuration process increased the specific NO3− removal rate from 0.366 to 0.557 g NO3−-N/g VSS/h and decreased the portion of removed NO3−-N in the form of nitrous oxide (N2O-N) from 1.6% to 0.7% compared to the S2−-free group.

Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive disease. The commonly used drugs for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis can only delay the damage of lung function but cannot prolong the life of patients. Atractylodin (ATR), a kind of herbal medicine that has been proven to protect anti-inflammation and attenuate acute lung injury, was investigated to determine whether it could provide a new idea for the treatment of IPF by reducing the inflammatory reaction and collagen formation in the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: In vivo experiments, mice were divided into 6 groups, normal group, model, drug group (10 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg) and positive control group (pirfenidone). Mice were given BLM through trachea, and after 24 h, normal saline, different concentrations of atractylodin and pirfenidone were given respectively. On 7 days, 14 days and 21 days, the weight, lung function, alveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue were tested. In vitro experiments to investigate the effect of atractylodin on fibroses, NIH3T3 cells were induced by TGF-β1 to detect the formation of cellular collagen and the phosphorylation level of Smad2/3 at different time points after their fibrosis. Results: The results showed that atractylodin could alleviate the lung function damage (FVC, FEV100, Tidal volume, tissue elastance) caused by BLM, reduce the inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), neutrophils and macrophage infiltration in the alveolar lavage fluid, as well as the formation and deposition of collagen (fibronectin, α-SMA, ColA1). In vitro studies have demonstrated that atractylodin can alleviate TGF-β1-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway. Conclusion: Atractylodin can alleviate the lung function damage and attenuate pulmonary fibrosis induced by BLM through inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway. This may provide new ideas for the treatment of IPF.

Synthetic polymer membranes can potentially reduce the large energy and carbon footprints that are typically associated with traditional chemical separation technologies. Unfortunately, current production protocols negate the green benefits of membrane separation. To address this bottleneck, here we report the use of natural materials monosaccharide – glucose and polydopamine and Zr-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) to fabricate ultrathin nanocomposite membranes via interfacial polymerization reaction. The synergistic effect of these three materials on angstrom-scale molecular transport both in organic solvent and aqueous environment was elucidated using a series of complementary techniques. We demonstrate such nature-inspired nanocomposite membranes enable structural stability even in polar aprotic solvents, and unparalleled ultra-fast, low-pressure, precise separations in both nanofiltration modes, which easily surpass state-of-the-art membranes relying on unsustainable materials. The multi-functionality of saccharide nanocomposites was elegantly harnessed to impact separation applications that contribute towards a better living environment.

Malachite green is a common environmental pollutant that poses a great threat to non-target organisms, including humans. This study reports the characterization of a bacterial strain, Pseudomonas veronii JW3-6, which was isolated from a malachite green enrichment culture. This strain degraded malachite green efficiently in a wide range of temperature and pH levels. Under optimal degradation conditions (32.4 °C, pH 7.1, and inoculum amount of 2.5 × 107 cfu/mL), P. veronii JW3-6 could degrade 93.5% of 50 mg/L malachite green within seven days. Five intermediate products from the degradation of malachite green were identified: leucomalachite green, 4-(dimethylamino) benzophenone, 4-dimethylaminophenol, benzaldehyde, and hydroquinone. We propose a possible degradation pathway based on these findings. The present study is the first to report the degradation of malachite green by P. veronii and the identification of hydroquinone as a metabolite in the degradation pathway.

The solid-phase ripening of nano explosives leads to the performance degradation of explosives with time, and it has been a long-standing challenge to understand the solid-phase ripening kinetics of small-molecule nanomaterials. Using an in situ atomic force microscope (AFM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), this study captured the variations in the morphology and specific surface area (SSA), respectively of hexanitrostilbene (HNS) nanoparticles, which have been applied as an advanced brisant explosive, during their ripening. The solid-phase ripening mechanisms and kinetics were discussed. Both Ostwald ripening (OR) and Smoluchowski ripening (SR) of HNS nanoparticles were observed at 60oC. This study established an empirical model to describe the decrease in SSA in 30 days, which yielded the predicted results with root mean square errors (RMSEs) lower than 5%. Moreover, it demonstrated the significant acceleration effects of dimethyl formamide (DMF) vapour on the ripening rate of HNS nanoparticles. Overall, this study may lay the foundation for scientifically predicting the long-term stability and substantially reducing the ripening rate of HNS nanoparticles and provide a methodology for the study of the solid-phase ripening of small-molecule nanomaterials.

Abstract The injection of fluids into fault gouges in rock formations disturbs the in situ stress conditions, leading to fault slip and increasing the risk of inducing earthquakes. The weakening effect and the permeation of the injected fluid can be influenced significantly by the presence of fault gouges. To investigate this issue, the hydro-mechanical characteristics of fault gouges were evaluated using physical tests to study the combined effects of coupling injecting water and shear deformation. We propose a new experimental apparatus that allows us to measure the spatial distribution of the thickness of a gouge layer sample under combined conditions of shearing and water injection, using 3D scanning technology to evaluate the primary flow path. The test results showed that injecting water had a significant effect in reducing the maximum shear strength, but the degree to which the strength was affected varied with the gouge fill material. The effect of shear deformation is that it will increase the inhomogeneity of the thickness distribution and therefore the distribution of injected water along the fault is not uniformly radial. Additionally, the properties of gouge fill material have an important influence on flow characteristics during fault slipping.

The gut microbiota and their metabolites play a critical role in the maintenance of host immune homeostasis. The dysbiosis and gut microbiota-derived metabolites are closely associated with the initiation and development of multiple autoimmune diseases. Among the microbiota metabolites, short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan and its derivatives, and bile acids are the most widely studied. In this review, the metabolic pathway of the microbiota metabolites, their functions in the immune response and the current findings on their correlation with autoimmune diseases are summarized, with the hope of revealing the role of gut microbiota-derived metabolites on the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases.

Abstract Early neurological deterioration (END), observed in the acute phase of small subcortical infarct treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), is not uncommon in these patients. However, in over half of the END cases, the exact cause is yet incompletely understood, which is so‐called unexplained END (unEND). Our aim was to investigate the association of early blood pressure (BP) changes with unEND in patients with small subcortical infarct in the perforator territory of middle cerebral artery treated with IVT. Consecutive patients with acute small subcortical infarct treated with IVT were enrolled in this study. unEND was defined as≧2‐point increase of NIHSS from baseline to 24 hours, without straightforward causes. BP excursions and BP variability were calculated and compared between patients with unNED and those without. A total of 168 patients with acute small subcortical infarct were included. Of them, there were 29 patients with unEND and 139 without END. During the first 24 hours following IVT, 66 (39.29%) patients had at least one BP excursion. Logistic regression analyses indicated that BP excursion presence (OR = 3.185, 95% CI: 1.238‐8.198), SBP excursion presence (OR = 3.535, 95% CI: 1.366‐9.143), and number of SBP excursion (OR = 1.466, 95% CI: 1.090‐1.973) were independently associated with unEND. Although SBPSD (P

ObjectiveThe mechanisms underpinning Moyamoya disease (MMD) remain unclear, and effective biomarkers remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify novel serum biomarkers of MMD.MethodsSerum samples were collected from 23 patients with MMD and 30 healthy controls (HCs). Serum proteins were identified using tandem tandem-mass-tag (TMT) labeling combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the serum samples were identified using the SwissProt database. The DEPs were assessed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, Gene Ontology (GO), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, and hub genes were identified and visualized using Cytoscape software. Microarray datasets GSE157628, GSE189993, and GSE100488 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were collected. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) were identified, and miRNA targets of DEGs were predicted using the miRWalk3.0 database. Serum apolipoprotein E (APOE) levels were compared in 33 MMD patients and 28 Moyamoya syndrome (MMS) patients to investigate the potential of APOE to be as an MMD biomarker.ResultsWe identified 85 DEPs, of which 34 were up- and 51 down-regulated. Bioinformatics analysis showed that some DEPs were significantly enriched in cholesterol metabolism. A total of 1105 DEGs were identified in the GSE157628 dataset (842 up- and 263 down-regulated), whereas 1290 were identified in the GSE189993 dataset (200 up- and 1,090 down-regulated). The APOE only overlaps with the upregulated gene expression in Proteomic Profiling and in GEO databases. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that APOE was associated with cholesterol metabolism. Moreover, 149 miRNAs of APOE were predicted in the miRWalk3.0 database, and hsa-miR-718 was the only DE-miRNA overlap identified in MMD samples. Serum APOE levels were significantly higher in patients with MMD than in those without. The performance of APOE as an individual biomarker to diagnose MMD was remarkable.ConclusionsWe present the first description of the protein profile of patients with MMD. APOE was identified as a potential biomarker for MMD. Cholesterol metabolism was found to potentially be related to MMD, which may provide helpful diagnostic and therapeutic insights for MMD.

Introduction: Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) can stimulate profound neuromuscular tissues painlessly to evoke action potentials in motor axons and induce muscle contraction for treating neurological conditions. It has been increasingly used in stroke rehabilitation as an easy-to-administer approach for therapeutic neuromodulation. Objective: We performed this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to systematically evaluate the effects of rPMS for the upper limb in patients with stroke, including motor impairment, muscle spasticity, muscle strength, and activity limitation outcomes. Methods: The meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) were searched for articles published before June 2022. Forest plots were employed to estimate the pooled results of the included studies, and the I2 statistical analysis was used to identify the source of heterogeneity. Publication bias was examined by Egger’s regression tests or visual inspection of the funnel plots. Results: The database searches yielded 1052 potential eligible literature; of them, five randomized controlled trials met the eligible criteria, involving a total of 188 participants. Patients in the rPMS group showed better improvement in motor impairment as measured by the FM-UE (MD: 5.39 [95% CI, 4.26 to 6.52]; P