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The multiple effects of eutrophication and refractory organic dye may pose serious environmental risks, whereas conventional adsorbents mostly suffer from the disadvantage of performance degradation in complex environments. Herein, we designed Mg-assembled carbonitride (MAC) that allowed for phosphorus (P) and selective dye recovery (methylene blue (MB) as model pollutants) simultaneously, and then successfully separated the two pollutants in a simple way to obtain pure dyes and phosphorus-containing compounds. The triazine ring conjugation framework and abundant functional groups of carbonitride facilitated the doping of Mg sites. The adsorption capacity of MAC for P (211.6 ± 2 vs 207.4 mg P·g−1) and MB (116.5 ± 3 vs 117.8 mg MB·g−1) in the binary-polluted system exhibited little difference from the individual, implying synchronous and undiminished adsorption on MAC. This was attributed to the ring-opening reaction triggered by NaOH etching and thermal decomposition, generating the two new active sites, where cyano groups (C N) interacted with P and Mg–N bonds responded with both target pollutants. Moreover, the favorable selective adsorption ability of MAC for different dyes was attributed to electrostatic attraction, surface complexation, hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions. This study provides a good reference for exploiting performance-stable multifunctional adsorbents for applications in wastewater resource recovery. [Display omitted] • MAC exhibited adsorption capacities of 269.4 mg P/g and 250.3 mg MB/g simultaneously. • Undiminished phosphorus and selective dye adsorption existed in binary system. • C N and Mg–N bonds were the main interaction sites with the target pollutants. • Recovery and reuse of target pollutants can be achieved via organic solvent exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential health effects of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been insufficiently examined in Asian contexts. This study aimed to assess the impact of SSB taxation on the prevalence of obesity/overweight and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Hong Kong using a willingness-to-pay (WTP) survey and simulation analysis. A random telephone survey was conducted with 1000 adults from May to June 2020. We used a contingent valuation approach to assess individuals' WTP for SSBs under four tax payment scenarios (5%, 10%, 40%, and 50% of the current market price). Based on the WTP, a simulation analysis was conducted to project changes in SSB purchase and associated reductions in the prevalence of obesity/overweight and T2DM over a 10-year simulation period. When 5% and 10% taxation rates were introduced, approximately one-third of the population were unwilling to maintain their SSB purchase. Our simulation demonstrated a gradual decline in the prevalence of obesity/overweight and diabetes with a more pronounced decrease when higher taxation rates were introduced. 10% taxation resulted in a mean reduction of 1532.7 cases of overweight/obesity per 100 thousand population at the sixth year, while T2DM prevalence decreased by 267.1 (0.3%). This study underscores the effects of an SSB tax on purchase behaviors and health outcomes in an affluent Asia setting, with a more pronounced influence on adult population. These findings are expected to inform policymakers in making decisions regarding an effective and equitable tax rate on SSBs. • Under 5% and 10% taxations, approximately one-third participants were unwilling to maintain their SSB purchase. • A steady decline in population body weight was observed in the first six years after the introduction of SSB taxes. • Introduction of the SSB tax has a greater influence on overweight/obesity prevalence among middle-aged adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To pursue a nonlinear isolator with simpler structure, better load adaptability, and wider quasi-zero stiffness (QZS) region, a 3-DOF bionic vibration isolation device is proposed and analyzed inspired by the superior landing performance of the frog's leg structure. The mechanism's dynamical equation is established using Lagrange's principle. The dynamic model is validated using ADAMS simulation. The effects of spring stiffness and rod length on static mechanical characteristics are analyzed. The vibration attenuation performance of the structure is analyzed under independent three-directional excitation and three-directional coupled excitation. Compared with the typical X-shaped QZS isolator and the traditional QZS isolator, the designed structure's advantages is demonstrated. By tuning the parameters and building a control route based on variable-stiffness dielectric elastomer, optimization of the device's vibration isolation performance under coupled excitation was accomplished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated bile acids are synthesized in liver and subsequently secreted into the intestinal lumen from which they are actively reabsorbed and transported back to liver. The efficient enterohepatic circulation of conjugated bile acids is important to maintain homeostasis. The mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is a fungal secondary metabolite that contaminates cereal food. Upon human exposure, it can cause intestinal dysfunction. We explored the effects of DON exposure on the intestinal absorption of conjugated bile acids and the expression of bile acid transporters using an in vitro model based on Caco-2 cell layers grown in transwells. Our study shows that the transport rate of taurocholic acid (TCA) is decreased after 48-h pre-exposure of the Caco-2 cells to 2 µM DON, which is a realistic intestinal DON concentration. Exposure to DON downregulates expression of the genes coding for the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT), the ileal bile acid-binding protein (IBABP) and the organic solute transporter α (OSTα), and it counteracts the agonist activity of Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist GW4064 on these genes. In addition, the transport of ten taurine or glycine-conjugated bile acids in a physiological relevant mixture by the intestinal Caco-2 cell layers was decreased after pre-exposure of the cells to DON, pointing at a potential for DON-mediated accumulation of the conjugated bile acids at the intestinal luminal side. Together the results reveal that DON inhibits intestinal bile acid reabsorption by reducing the expression of bile acid transporters thereby affecting bile acid intestinal kinetics, leading to bile acid malabsorption in the intestine. Our study provides new insights into the hazards of DON exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry vein banding virus (SVBV) is one of the serious viral pathogens infecting strawberry worldwide. To understand the molecular characterization of SVBV from China, complete genome sequences of sixteen SVBV isolates were cloned and sequenced. Sequence comparison showed they shared high nucleotide sequence identity (93.6–99.5%) with isolates from China and Japan (96.6–98.4%), while relatively low identity with the isolates from Canada (91.9–93.7%) and USA (85.5–85.9%). Phylogenetic analyses based on the complete genome sequence or coat protein (CP) gene showed the SVBV isolates clustered into three clades correlated with geographic distribution. Recombination analyses identified 13 recombinants and 21 recombinant events, indicating frequent and multiple recombinations in SVBV evolution. Furthermore, a sensitive loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was developed for rapid detection of SVBV isolates, which could be especially suitable for seedling propagation, virus-free culture and routine diagnostics in field investigation. This study offers new understanding of the molecular evolution and may help to improve the management of SVBV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]