Search

Natural killer (NK) cells and dendritic cells (DCs) are, respectively, central components of innate and adaptive immune responses. We describe here a third DC lineage, termed interferon-producing killer DCs (IKDCs), distinct from conventional DCs and plasmacytoid DCs and with the molecular expression profile of both NK cells and DCs. They produce substantial amounts of type I interferons (IFN) and interleukin (IL)-12 or IFN-γ, depending on activation stimuli. Upon stimulation with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides, ligands for Toll-like receptor (TLR)-9, IKDCs kill typical NK target cells using NK-activating receptors. Their cytolytic capacity subsequently diminishes, associated with the loss of NKG2D receptor (also known as Klrk1) and its adaptors, Dap10 and Dap12. As cytotoxicity is lost, DC-like antigen-presenting activity is gained, associated with upregulation of surface major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) and costimulatory molecules, which formally distinguish them from classical NK cells. In vivo, splenic IKDCs preferentially show NK function and, upon systemic infection, migrate to lymph nodes, where they primarily show antigen-presenting cell activity. By virtue of their capacity to kill target cells, followed by antigen presentation, IKDCs provide a link between innate and adaptive immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) as carriers of various contaminants have attracted more attentions in water environments. However, the interactions between typical MPs and norfloxacin (NOR) in natural water environments were still not systematically studied. In this study, the adsorption of NOR onto four typical types of MPs (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) was investigated in simulated natural water and real surface water, and the adsorption mechanisms were deeply explored to provide fundamental understandings of the MPs-NOR complicated pollution. The results showed that the kinetics of NOR onto all MPs obeyed pseudo-second-order model, and was greatly slowed down at lower temperature or higher salinity. The intrinsic structure and surface area of MPs played important roles in the adsorption behaviors of NOR on these four types of MPs. The adsorption isotherm of NOR onto all MPs could be well described by linear model, with the K d values following the order of PVC > PS > PE > PP (i.e. 6.229–11.901 L/μg) in simulated natural water. However, in surface water the adsorption isotherms of NOR on all MPs could be well fitted by Freundlich model. For all MPs, the adsorption of NOR was quite pH-dependent due to the electrostatic interactions. Furthermore, the salinity and the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) had significantly hindered the NOR adsorption. More importantly, compared with adsorption behaviors in simulated natural water, the competition of coexisting substances such as cations and NOM for adsorption sites and higher water pH dramatically reduced the adsorption of NOR onto all types of MPs in Jiang'an River, with the reduction rate of 19.7–41.2%. Finally, the mechanism studies indicated that the electrostatic attractions played a key role in the adsorption of NOR onto MPs, and π-π, H-bonding, polar-polar, and Van Der Waals interactions were also involved in adsorption processes. [Display omitted] • The Four types of MPs (PVC, PS, PE, and PP) had obvious adsorption of NOR in water. • The intrinsic structure and surface area of MPs played important roles in the NOR adsorption. • The coexisting substances and water pH greatly affected the adsorption of NOR on MPs in water environment. • The NOR adsorption on all MPs in real surface water was dramatically decreased. • MPs can adsorb NOR by electrostatic, π-π, H-bonds, polar-polar and Van Der Waals interactions. The adsorption of NOR on MPs in real surface water was greatly reduced by 19.7–41.2% due to the competition of coexisting substances and higher water pH compared to that in simulated natural water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minimum work requirement for carbon capture using an amine or solid sorbent -- i.e., the Gibbs free energy difference between the captured and the sorbed CO 2 , can be estimated simply from the CO 2 sorption isotherm at ambient temperature. It does not require any other laboratory data, heat of sorption or a complex process model. • Equivalent work required for CO 2 capture is better than heat of reaction to measure power lost due to capture. • Minimum work of separation using sorption is simply evaluated from room temperature isotherm data. • It is independent of the heat of reaction and, for most liquid sorbents, independent of the amines used. • Solid gas reactions require a higher minimum work. • For TSA, high sorbent capacity and heat recovery are most important and yield good estimates of overall work requirements. Carbon capture and sequestration is known to be energy intensive and will result in 20–30 % reduction in net output of a power plant. However, a simple thermodynamic tool is currently unavailable for assessing the work of CO 2 separation using a given solid or liquid sorbent. This paper provides rigorous yet simple framework of equivalent work to assess the energy requirement for CO 2 capture using liquid amines or solid adsorbents. First, the theoretical minimum work is determined by assuming that each step in the sorption - desorption cycle is thermodynamically reversible. Then, irreversible heat transfer losses are added to calculate total work for the actual process. The model provides useful insights into the sorbent and process selection. The minimum work for reversible separation can be calculated merely from CO 2 sorption equilibria at ambient temperature without requiring laborious data or complex models. A sorbent with low ab/adsorption heat does require less thermal energy, but this thermal energy is required at a higher temperature. Thus, contrary to conventional thinking, the equivalent work is not reduced. The irreversible heat transfer losses for the amines are mostly dictated by the amine's circulation rate which will be minimized by using amines with the highest CO 2 capacity. On an energy requirement basis, the solid adsorbent based processes cannot compete with amines because practical methods of heat recuperation from the hot regenerated adsorbent are unavailable. Without heat recuperation, the solid adsorbent processes will be attractive only if their capital advantage outweighs their higher energy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hmcs-PAC displayed a higher co-removal of PET and TC than PAC and Hmcs. • The highest removal can reach 99.9 % for PET and 91.5 % for TC by Hmcs-PAC. • The formation of Hmcs-PAC-PET-TC greatly enhanced the removal of TC. • The competition of TC for active sites of Hmcs-PAC slightly reduced PET removal. • Hmcs-PAC showed a potential removal of composite pollution from urban sewage. Composite pollution of emerging pollutants such as microplastics (MPs) with small size and antibiotics has brought a great challenge in the fields of water and wastewater treatment. Up to now, the simultaneous removal of MPs and antibiotics by traditional coagulation is still not satisfied. Herein, a novel composite flocculant named hydrophobic chitosan-polyaluminum chloride (Hmcs-PAC) was designed and prepared for efficiently simultaneous removal of polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 10 μ m) and tetracycline (TC) from water. Under the optimal preparation conditions (i.e. Basicity = 1 and the weight ratio of Hmcs:Al = 0.5), the Hmcs-PAC exhibited better removal of both PET and TC than PAC and Hmcs under the same dosage, with the maximum removal efficiency of 99.9 % for PET, and 91.5 % for TC, respectively. The PAC was successfully grafted on the Hmcs via Al-N bond, confirmed by FTIR and 27Al NMR. More importantly, the removal of TC in composite PET + TC system was significantly enhanced by above 10 % compared with that in single TC system, which was mainly attributed to the complexes formation of Hmcs-PAC-PET-TC via the PET bridging effect based on 2D Fourier transform infrared correlation spectroscopy (2D-FTIR-COS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. In contrast, the removal of PET in composite system was slightly lower than that in PET single system, possibly due to the competition of TC for the active sites of hydrolysates of Hmcs-PAC. Furthermore, the presence of co-existing ions except CO 3 2− had adverse effect on the coagulation removal, especially for TC. While the increase in temperature, humic acid and anionic surfactant content showed a promotion effect on the removal of PET and TC. Finally, the prepared Hmcs-PAC exhibited a potential removal of composite pollutants from urban sewage. This study can provide a promising flocculant for the effective co-removal of MPs and antibiotics from water and wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic exposure to free fatty acids (FFAs) may induce β cell apoptosis in type 2 diabetes. However, the precise mechanism by which FFAs trigger β cell apoptosis is still unclear. Tribbles homolog 3 (TRB3) is a pseudokinase inhibiting Akt, a key mediator of insulin signaling, and contributes to insulin resistance in insulin target tissues. This paper outlined the role of TRB3 in FFAs-induced INS-1 β cell apoptosis. TRB3 was promptly induced in INS-1 cells after stimulation by FFAs, and this was accompanied by enhanced INS-1 cell apoptosis. The overexpression of TRB3 led to exacerbated apoptosis triggered by FFAs in INS-1-derived cell line and the subrenal capsular transplantation animal model. In contrast, cell apoptosis induced by FFAs was attenuated when TRB3 was knocked down. Moreover, we observed that activation and nuclear accumulation of protein kinase C (PKC) δ was enhanced by upregulation of TRB3. Preventing PKCδ nuclear translocation and PKCδ selective antagonist both significantly lessened the pro-apoptotic effect. These findings suggest that TRB3 was involved in lipoapoptosis of INS-1 β cell, and thus could be an attractive pharmacological target in the prevention and treatment of T2DM.

[Display omitted] • A novel LNF membrane was fabricated by polyphenol-based EGCG via IP process. • The PE layer possessed a loose, smooth, hydrophilic, and negative-charged surface. • The structure of the PE layer can be tailored by adjusting the EGCG diffusion rate. • The LNF-4 showed a water flux of 41.7 LMH·bar−1, and rejection of CR with 98.5 % and NaCl with 7.4 %. • The LNF-4 had long-term stability, superior antifouling and antibacterial properties. Loose nanofiltration (LNF) membrane prepared by hydroxyl-based materials with excellent separation and antifouling properties has attracted great attention for treating textile wastewater. However, the construction and formation mechanism of the selective layer by using large polyphenol-based monomers was not well studied. Herein, a novel LNF membrane was fabricated by interfacial polymerization, in which a polyphenol named epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was employed as aqueous monomer to design the selective layer. The results illustrated that the formed polyester (PE) selective layer possessed a loose structure with smooth and hydrophilic surface. Notably, the EGCG with large molecular volume and polyphenol groups contributed to the larger molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) and hydrophilic PE layer with high permeability, whereas the small molecular trimesoyl chloride (TMC) accounted for the pore size reduction with low permeance. More importantly, the optimized EGCG-based LNF-4 membrane displayed a high water permeability of 41.7 LMH·bar−1, high rejection of dyes (98.5 % for Congo Red (CR), 93.4 % for Methyl Blue (MB), and 94.8 % for Evans Blue (EB), respectively) and low rejection of salt (7.4 % for NaCl). Besides, under 60 g/L salt content, a high retention of CR (93.0 %) and high permeation of NaCl (95.1 %) could be still maintained. Furthermore, the LNF-4 membrane had a superior fouling resistance towards CR and EB with flux recovery rate above 96.4 %. The excellent antibacterial property also made LNF-4 more competitive in practical applications. This work can provide a new strategy for fabrication of outstanding multifunctional LNF membranes by large molecular polyphenol monomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A barrier to widespread adoption of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is toxicity. To address this, we recently developed a novel antibody-T-cell receptor (AbTCR) platform (trademarked as ARTEMIS®) which was designed to leverage natural immune receptor signaling and regulation. The AbTCR platform includes a gamma/delta (γδ) TCR-based AbTCR construct and a separate co-stimulatory molecule, both engineered to be tumor-specific. Here, we aim to assess the safety and preliminary efficacy of a CD19-directed AbTCR T-cell therapy. Methods: We generated ET019003 T cells, which are autologous CD19-directed AbTCR T cells. We then conducted an early phase I study to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of ET019003 T cells for the treatment of CD19-positive relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell lymphoma. Results: Sixteen patients enrolled in this study and 12 patients were treated. Of the 12 patients treated, 6 patients (50%) achieved a complete response (CR), and 4 (33%) achieved a partial response (PR) (best objective response rate [ORR] of 83%). CRs were durable, including 2 patients with ongoing CRs for 22.7 months and 23.2 months. ET019003 was well-tolerated with an attractive safety profile. No patients experienced severe (grade ≥ 3) cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and only 1 patient experienced immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) of any grade. Significant elevations of cytokine levels were not seen, even in patients with marked expansion of ET019003 T cells. Conclusion: This study provides initial clinical validation of the AbTCR platform as a novel cancer treatment with the potential to provide durable clinical benefit with low toxicity. Trial registration: NCT03642496; Date of registration: August 22, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Y-Fe based nanoparticles were homogenously in-situ generated on GO matrix. • YMGO-2 exhibited higher adsorption of TC and As(V) than many other adsorbents. • Adsorption of both TC and As(V) was greatly reduced in combined TC/As(V) system. • Fe/Y played key roles in competitive uptake of TC and As(V) by 2D-FTIR-COS and XPS. • YMGO-2 showed excellent separation ability and reusability for TC and As(V) removal. Composite pollution containing antibiotics and heavy metals is still a challenge for the field of wastewater treatment. In this study, a novel magnetic Y-Fe modified GO adsorbent (YMGO) was designed and prepared for the simultaneous and effective removal of tetracycline (TC) and arsenic with superior separation ability. The adsorbents were optimized by varying the ratios of Y(III):Fe(III):Fe(II), of which the adsorption of both TC and As(V) by YMGO-2 was higher than many other reported adsorbents. The scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results verified that the Y-Fe based particles were successfully and homogenously in-situ generated on GO matrix. More importantly, the presence of TC or As(V) showed significantly adverse effect on the adsorption of As(V) or TC in the composite system, compared with the adsorption in single TC/As(V) system. 2D Fourier transform infrared correlation spectroscopy (2D-FTIR-COS) and XPS analyses indicated that the hydrogen bond (HB), π-π electron-donor–acceptor (EDA), n-π, and cation bonding bridge interactions were involved in the adsorption of TC, while ion-exchange between As(V) and Y/Fe-OH groups played important roles in the uptake of As(V). Notably, in combined system, the interaction of As(V) with Y/Fe cations outperformed the anion-π interaction formed between As(V) and TC, leading to a significant suppression of TC adsorption. Whereas the competition for Y/Fe cations by TC caused a reduction in As(V) adsorption. Furthermore, the YMGO-2 exhibited excellent magnetic separation performance and reusability for both TC and As(V). This study can provide a powerful material for the simultaneous treatment of TC and As(V) containing wastewater and a mechanistic insight into the co-removal of combined pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The molar ratio of Cu: Fe in CCF showed a significant effect on TC degradation. • Both radical and non-radical pathways were associated with the CCF/PMS system. • Non-radical pathways especially the 1O 2 played dominant roles in TC degradation. • The increased Cu promoted the formation of O v and further conversion to lO 2. • The increased Cu facilitated direct electron transfer between the bimetallic interface. Tetracycline (TC) pollution has attracted great attention due to its wide use, non-biodegradability and potential carcinogenicity. Bimetallic catalysts/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) systems have been considered as powerful technologies for TC degradation. Although the excellent catalytic activity of copper ferrite (CuFe 2 O 4) composite oxides for PMS has been already elucidated, the roles of increased Cu in the degradation especially from non-radical pathways are not clarified clearly. In this study, we prepared a series of CuO/CuFe 2 O 4 /Fe 2 O 3 (CCF) catalysts to confirm the key role of molar ratios of Cu: Fe (ranging from 1:2 to 2:1) in the enhanced TC degradation. The optimized CCF-3 catalyst with the Cu: Fe molar ratio of 2:1 showed the best degradation efficiency up to 95.5 % and the fastest apparent degradation rate of 0.1350 min−1 towards TC. In addition, the CCF-3/PMS system showed excellent adaptability and good stability in TC degradation. Importantly, a novel molecular-scale mechanism was proposed. Both radical (S O 4 ∙ - , ∙OH, O 2 ∙ –) and non-radical (1O 2 , direct electron transfer) pathways were associated with the CCF-3/PMS catalytic system, where 1O 2 played the dominant roles. The increased Cu significantly boosted the non-radical pathways via promoting the formation of oxygen vacancies (O v) and its further conversion to 1O 2 , and facilitating electron transfer between bimetallic Cu/Fe interface. This work provides a deep insight into the formation and reaction mechanisms of non-radical species for CCF/PMS systems, and a novel foundation for the design of CuFe 2 O 4 composite catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aging process made the surface of PS more hydrophilic and rough. • Aged PS adsorbed more HOCs than virgin PS due to its more O-containing groups. • EA, HB and π-π were involved in adsorption. • Differernt mechanisms control adsorption at different pH regions. • Maximum uptake for CIP and OFL occurred at pH 5. The interaction between microplastics (MPs) and hydrophilic organic contaminants (HOCs) in natural water environment has recently raised great public attentions due to the potential toxicity to humans. However, the quantitative assessment is less studied. In this study, the interaction between ciprofloxacin (CIP) and ofloxacin (OFL) (two important HOCs) and virgin and aged polystyrene (PS) was investigated. The aged PS showed higher adsorption rate and capacity than the virgin PS, due to its larger surface area and more O-containing groups. The pH-dependent adsorption of CIP was higher than OFL on both virgin and aged PS; the maximum adsorption for both HOCs occurred at pH 5. The sequential orders of functional groups for the adsorption were discovered according to the study by the 2D correlation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Several mechanisms existed for the interaction: (1) at 3.0 < pH < 5.0, the electrostatic attraction (EA) was inhibited while H-bond (HB) was dominant, accounting for > 60% of the total uptake; (2) at 5.0 < pH < 8.0, the contribution of EA increased to around 50-60% while HB decreased to 30-40%; (3) at 8.0 < pH < 10.0, EA, HB and π-π conjugation caused 30-40%, 25-40% and 20-45% of the total uptake, respectively; (4) at 10.0 < pH < 12.0, π-π conjugation accounted for 90-100%. Notably, higher adsorption of CIP was mainly attributed to the presence of secondary amino groups and its higher pK a value, correspondingly leading to the additional ordinary HB and negative charge-assisted HB, and EA interactions with PS. This study further provides clear evidences on the risk of MPs and HOCs on humans and aqueous living organisms. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel LNM with high performance was formed by PG/PEI/Fe3+ ternary coating. • The LNM-5 exhibited an ultrahigh water permeability of 141.5 LHM·bar−1. • High rejection of dye and high transmission of salts could be achieved by LNM-5. • The LNM-5 had a superior antifouling ability and long-term separation stability. • Excellent separation of dye/salts can be achieved for a high salinity wastewater. Loose nanofiltration membrane (LNM) with high separation toward dye/salt and high permeability is a promising candidate for resource recovery of textile wastewater. In this study, to prepare a high permeable LNM, a ternary coating system containing a small polyphenol molecule named pyrogallol (PG), polyethylenimine (PEI) and Fe3+ ion was co-deposited on the hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile substrate via regulating the competition reactions between coordination bond (COB) and covalent bond (CB). The membrane formation mechanism, morphology, surface properties, and separation performance of dye/salts were investigated by characterizations and filtration experiments. The characterization results indicated that the addition of Fe3+ limited the CB formation between PG and PEI via Michael addition and Schiff base reaction, due to its strong coordination ability toward PG and PEI via COB with –OH and –NH- groups, further reducing the selective layer thickness and improving the membrane permeance as a result. The content of PEI and Fe3+ in ternary coating solution obviously affected membrane morphology and hydrophilicity, thus influencing the permeance. More importantly, The LNM-5 exhibited an ultrahigh water permeability of 141.5 LHM·bar−1, high rejection of Congo Red (CR, 99.5%) and Alcian blue 8GX (ALBL, 99.7%) as well as high transmission of salts (98.8% for NaCl, 97.3% for Na 2 SO 4 , respectively.), which performed much better than many reported state-of-the-art LNMs prepared by different methods. Even under 60 g/L salt content, high rejection of CR (99.1%) and high pass of salts (98.8% for Na 2 SO 4) could be still maintained. Furthermore, the LNM-5 had a superior antifouling performance and long-term stability during filtration (22 h) of dye/salt mixture. This work indicated that small polyphenol/PEI/Fe3+ trinity coating could be used as a promising alternative in practical applications, realizing excellent molecular separation towards sustainable textile wastewater remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moving one subunit of the central core to the other side in a small‐molecule acceptor (SMA) is an effective approach to achieve the goal of isomerization, which has proven viable to enhance photovoltaic performance. Herein, two isomeric SMAs of ThPy5 and ThPy6 are developed by changing the position of the thiophene unit of the dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]pyrrol in IDTP‐4F. The effect of altering the thiophene position on morphological characteristics, macroscopic factors, and device performance is thoroughly investigated among these three isomeric SMAs. Compared to ThPy5, IDTP‐4F and ThPy6 show planar molecular structures and better molecular orientation. Moreover, tighter π–π stacking as well as enhanced electron mobility is observed in ThPy6 relative to IDTP‐4F. PM6:ThPy6‐based organic solar cells (OSCs) achieve the maximum efficiency of 16.11%, along with an excellent fill factor (FF) of 0.789, which are among the best results for A‐D‐A‐type SMA‐based OSCs. The high FF ascribes to the improved molecular packing and charge collection/extraction efficacy and the reduced charge recombination. The structure–morphology–performance relationship drawn from this work can offer better guidance for designing the molecular structure, especially the central cores of SMAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly efficient circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) emitters with narrowband emission remain a formidable challenge for circularly polarized OLEDs (CP‐OLEDs). Here, a promising strategy for developing chiral emitters concurrently featuring multi‐resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR‐TADF) and circularly polarized electroluminescence (CPEL) is demonstrated by the integration of molecular rigidity, central chirality and MR effect. A pair of chiral green emitters denoted as (R)‐BN‐MeIAc and (S)‐BN‐MeIAc is designed. Benefited by the rigid and quasi‐planar MR‐framework, the enantiomers not only display mirror‐image CPL spectra, but also exhibit TADF properties with a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 96 %, a narrow FWHM of 30 nm, and a high horizontal dipole orientation of 90 % in the doped film. Consequently, the enantiomer‐based CP‐OLEDs achieved excellent external quantum efficiencies of 37.2 % with very low efficiency roll‐off, representing the highest device efficiency of all the reported CP‐OLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold sintering is an attractive method to densify ceramics, providing the opportunity to produce ferroelectrics efficiently. This is particularly important for cases where ceramics like perovskites are prone to high A-site element volatilization at high temperatures. The resulting uncontrolled creation of defects is often detrimental to the ferroelectric properties. In this work, cold-sintering assisted production of KNN ceramics with water (no corrosive transient liquid) leads to a homogenous, high-density pure KNN with high dielectric permittivity and lower dielectric losses as compared to high-temperature sintering techniques. Our work could, therefore, open a new venue for further modification of defect chemistry in lead-free piezoelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel Fe–Ti binary oxide magnetic nanoparticles which combined the photocatalytic oxidation property of TiO2 and the high adsorption capacity and magnetic property of γ-Fe2O3 have been synthesized using a coprecipitation and simultaneous oxidation method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by powder XRD, TEM, TG-DTA, VSM and BET methods. Photocatalytic oxidation of arsenite, the effect of solution pH values and initial As(III) concentration on arsenite removal were investigated in laboratory experiments. Batch experimental results showed that under UV light, As(III) can be efficiently oxidized to As(V) by dissolved O2 in γ-Fe2O3–TiO2 nanoparticle suspensions at various pH values. At the same time, As(V) was effectively removed by adsorption onto the surface of nanoparticles. The maximum removal capability of the nano-material for arsenite was 33.03mg/g at pH 7.0. Among all the common coexisting ions investigated, phosphate was the greatest competitor with arsenic for adsorptive sites on the nano-material. Regeneration studies verified that the γ-Fe2O3–TiO2 nanoparticles, which underwent five successive adsorption–desorption processes, still retained comparable catalysis and adsorption performance, indicating the excellent stability of the nanoparticles. The excellent photocatalytic oxidation performance and high uptake capability of the magnetic nano-material make it potentially attractive material for the removal of As(III) from water. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Multi‐resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR‐TADF) offers an exceptional solution for narrowband organic light‐emitting diode devices in terms of color purity and luminescence efficiency, while the development of new MR skeleton remains an exigent task. It is hereby demonstrated that a simple modification of the B (boron)−N (nitrogen) framework by sp3‐carbon insertion will significantly bathochromic shift the short‐range charge‐transfer emission, boost the reverse intersystem crossing process, and improve the device performances. The bis(acridan)phenylene‐based skeleton developed in this contribution presents a non‐planar conformation with functional sites to facilely introduce isolating units, deriving two luminophores with quantum yields approaching 90% in film state and narrowband emission. Corresponding green‐emissive devices realize superior performances compared to the planar carbazolyl‐based MR‐TADF analogs, featuring a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) up to 28.2% and small efficiency roll‐off without the involvement of any sensitizing host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure organic emitters by structural isomerism exhibit ultralong RTP with tunable emission color from blue to red along with time variation. • Pure organic ultralong RTP emitters with tunable color along with time variation. • Detailed investigations unveil multiple phosphorescence and multicolor ultralong RTP. • Applications in anti-counterfeiting patterns are demonstrated. The current research of ultralong room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials is mainly focused on the lifetimes and efficiencies. The tuning of emission colors is in high demand for various potential applications in optoelectronics, however the corresponding research lags behind. Herein, we report three ultralong RTP molecules based on the carbazole and chromone units through isomerization engineering. By adjusting the linking positions of the carbazole substituents, the ultralong RTP emission can be tuned from blue to red band along with lifetime variation. Detailed experimental and theoretical investigations reveal that the changeable emission color emerges from the mixing of multiple phosphorescence bands and have great relation to the stacking of carbazole and chromone chromophores. These materials were used to construct anti-counterfeiting patterns with diverse afterglow emission colors, presenting a promising application potential in the field of information security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated process combining ozonation, ceramic membrane filtration with biological activated carbon filtration (O 3 +CMF + BAC process) was designed and evaluated using a pilot scale (10 m3/d) test for the advanced treatment of hypersaline petrochemical wastewater in a coastal wastewater plant. The membrane flux and ozone dosage were optimized for the optimal treatment performance of this integrated process. The results showed that this integrated process performed well in pollutant removal. The concentrations of COD Cr , phosphate and color in the effluents were 17.9 mg/L, 0.25 mg/L, and 5 dilution times in average, respectively. The effluent quality met the local discharge standard even under a high influent COD concentration (195 mg/L in average). The synergistic effect of the ozonation and ceramic membrane filtration was investigated through the fluorescence characteristics and hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of organic compounds. It revealed that ozonation mitigated the membrane fouling and the nanopores in the ceramic membranes enhanced the ozonation efficiency. Meanwhile, the Fenton process had a slightly better effluent quality than the integrated process, but Fenton process consumed much more chemicals and required the sludge disposal, resulting in higher cost. The estimated unit cost for this integrated process was only 34% of that for the Fenton process. Overall, the integrated process demonstrated high stability, reliable effluents and low cost, providing a promising and cost-efficient technology for the treatment of hypersaline petrochemical wastewater. Image 1 • Integrated process includes ozonation, ceramic ultrafiltration and BAC filtration. • The effluent from the integrated process meets the discharge standard. • Synergistic effect of ozonation and ceramic ultrafiltration is studied. • The unit cost for the integrated process is only 34% of that for Fenton process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescent materials taking both advantages of evaporation and solution processes are urgently explored for the development of efficient and simplified organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Furthermore, it is another huge challenge for such materials to achieve excellent electroluminescence performances in non-doped OLEDs. Herein, two new emitters, named as PyB-DPAC and PyB-DMAC with 4-benzoylpyridine moiety as the electron acceptor and 9,9-diphenyl-9,10-dihydroacridine or 9,9-dimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine as the electron donor were synthesized and explored. Both emitters exhibit distinct TADF character, typical AIE feature and relatively high photoluminescence quantum yields. Accordingly, we demonstrated efficient non-doped vacuum-deposited OLED based on the PyB-DPAC with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) up to 9.7%, and meanwhile an extremely low efficiency roll-off of 1.7% at a high brightness of 1000 cd m−2. In addition, an impressive EQE of 11.1% can be realized from the solution-processed non-doped devices with the using of PyB-DPAC emitter. These affirmative results manifest that TADF emitters incorporate with the benzoylpyridine acceptor enabling a promising molecular design strategy in adapt to the non-doped evaporation- and solution-processed highly efficient OLEDs. Image 1 • Benzoylpyridine is used as acceptor to construct two new TADF emitters. • Both emitters simultaneously exhibit distinct TADF character and typical AIE feature. • The non-doped evaporation-/ solution-process devices based on PyB-DPAC exhibited maximum EQE of 9.7% / 11.1%, respectively. • This work would be instructive in the rational molecular design of efficient non-doped solution-process emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Increasing evidence has underscored the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) acting as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) in the development and progression of tumors. Nevertheless, lncRNA biomarkers in lncRNA-related ceRNA network that can predict the prognosis of breast cancer (BC) are still lacking. The aim of our study was to identify potential lncRNA signatures capable of predicting overall survival (OS) of BC patients. Methods The RNA sequencing data and clinical characteristics of BC patients were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas database, and differentially expressed lncRNA (DElncRNAs), DEmRNAs, and DEmiRNAs were then identified between BC and normal breast tissue samples. Subsequently, the lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA ceRNA network of BC was established, and the gene oncology enrichment analyses for the DEmRNAs interacting with lncRNAs in the ceRNA network was implemented. Using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, a four-lncRNA signature was developed and used for predicting the survival in BC patients. We applied receiver operating characteristic analysis to assess the performance of our model. Results A total of 1061 DElncRNAs, 2150 DEmRNAs, and 82 DEmiRNAs were identified between BC and normal breast tissue samples. A lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA ceRNA network of BC was established, which comprised of 8 DEmiRNAs, 48 DElncRNAs, and 10 DEmRNAs. Further gene oncology enrichment analyses revealed that the DEmRNAs interacting with lncRNAs in the ceRNA network participated in cell leading edge, protease binding, alpha-catenin binding, gamma-catenin binding, and adenylate cyclase binding. A univariate regression analysis of the DElncRNAs revealed 7 lncRNAs (ADAMTS9-AS1, AC061992.1, LINC00536, HOTAIR, AL391421.1, TLR8-AS1 and LINC00491) that were associated with OS of BC patients. A multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that 4 of those lncRNAs (ADAMTS9-AS1, LINC00536, AL391421.1 and LINC00491) had significant prognostic value, and their cumulative risk score indicated that this 4-lncRNA signature independently predicted OS in BC patients. Furthermore, the area under the curve of the 4-lncRNA signature associated with 3-year survival was 0.696. Conclusions The current study provides novel insights into the lncRNA-related ceRNA network in BC and the 4 lncRNA biomarkers may be independent prognostic signatures in predicting the survival of BC patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:The data concerning the association between environmental pollution and epilepsy attacks are limited. The aim of this study was to explore the association between acute air pollution exposure and epilepsy attack. METHODS:A hospital record-based study was carried out in Xi'an, a heavily-polluted metropolis in China. Daily baseline data were obtained. Time-series Poisson regression models were applied to analyze the association between air pollution and epilepsy. RESULTS:A 10 μg/m3 increase of NO2, SO2, and O3 concentrations corresponded to 3.17% (95%Cl: 1.41%, 4.93%), 3.55% (95%Cl: 1.93%, 5.18%), and -0.84% (95%Cl: -1.58%, 0.09%) increase in outpatient-visits for epilepsy on the concurrent days, which were significantly influenced by sex and age. The effects of NO2 and SO2 would be stronger when adjusted for PM2.5. As for O3, a -1.14% (95%Cl: -1.90%, -0.39%) decrease was evidenced when adjusted for NO2. The lag models showed that the most significant effects were evidenced on concurrent days. CONCLUSIONS:We discovered previously undocumented relationships between short-term air pollution exposure and epilepsy: while NO2 and SO2 were positively associated with outpatient-visits of epilepsy, O3 might be associated with reduced risk.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161992.].

OBJECTIVE: Studies of the effects of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist, ketamine, have suggested similarities to the symptoms of schizophrenia. Our primary goal was to evaluate the dimensions of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in ketamine users (acute and chronic) compared to schizophrenia patients (early and chronic stages). METHOD: We conducted exploratory factor analysis for the PANSS from four groups: 135 healthy subject administrated ketamine or saline, 187 inpatients of ketamine abuse; 154 inpatients of early course schizophrenia and 522 inpatients of chronic schizophrenia. Principal component factor analyses were conducted to identify the factor structure of the PANSS. RESULTS: Factor analysis yielded five factors for each group: positive, negative, cognitive, depressed, excitement or dissociation symptoms. The symptom dimensions in two schizophrenia groups were consistent with the established five-factor model (Wallwork et al., 2012). The factor structures across four groups were similar, with 19 of 30 symptoms loading on the same factor in at least 3 of 4 groups. The factors in the chronic ketamine group were more similar to the factors in the two schizophrenia groups rather than to the factors in the acute ketamine group. Symptom severities were significantly different across the groups (Kruskal-Wallis X(2)(4) = 540.6, p < 0.0001). Symptoms in the two ketamine groups were milder than in the two schizophrenia groups (Cohen's d = 0.7). CONCLUSION: Our results provide the evidence of similarity in symptom dimensions between ketamine psychosis and schizophrenia psychosis. The interpretations should be cautious because of potential confounding factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Arsenic was detected in a red mud (RM) produced during alumina production from bauxite known as the Bayer process. The transporting RM was a mixture of RM solid phase (RMsf) and RM liquid phase (RMlf). The mass content of RMsf in RM is about 30–40%. The alkalinities concentrations in the RMlf were in a range of 37.2×103 mg/l to 51.5×103 mg/l. Acidification by CO2 or waste acid (WA) combined with ferrous (Fe2+) treatment was evaluated for arsenic immobilization in the RM. The aqueous arsenic concentration in the RMlf decreased from 6.1mg/l to 0.5mg/l and 0.06mg/l with the addition of CO2 and WA, respectively. Ferrous was then added to decrease the aqueous arsenic concentration to be lower than 0.05mg/l. The cost-effective dosages of CO2 or WA were 80.1g/l or 26.7g/l, and the corresponding dosages of ferrous were both 6g/l. A 23 full factorial design was employed to evaluate the importance of chemical components of the RM in the cost of arsenic immobilization. High concentrations of arsenic and alkalinities in the RM will increase the cost while the effects of alumina contents varied during the different acidifications. Dissolvable arsenic in the RMsf was 8.2% and 9.5% after the CO2 and WA combined ferrous treatments, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • A new group of efficient RTP emitters was proposed. • Rational design improved ISC efficiency and restrained non-radiative decay. • Br-DMAc realized high RTP efficiency up to 3.2% with lifetime about 372 ms. • Applications in information encryption and fingerprint detection are showcased. Organic molecules with persistent room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) have attracted considerable attention due to their broad applications, but typically suffered from low emission intensity and short lifetime. In this contribution, a twisted donor-acceptor (D-A) system by simple conjugation of acridan and aryl halide is proposed to construct efficient and ultralong RTP luminogens. The photophysical measurements and theoretical predictions demonstrate the halogenation renders simultaneous realization of large spin-orbital coupling (SOC), small energy gap between singlet/triplet excited states, and restrained non-radiative decay channel, which benefit for RTP properties. Correspondingly, the acridan derivatives realized phosphorescence quantum efficiency up to 3.2% with lifetime up to 372 ms in its crystalline state, and also exhibited distinct afterglow in heavily grinded samples. To demonstrate the potential applications, these materials were furtherly explored in information encryption and fingerprint identification. This study not only provides rare examples of efficient and long-lived phosphors based on acridan building block, but also sheds light on the inherent photophysical mechanism of RTP materials and paves a way to design highly promising RTP luminogens with a simplified structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although both high-index substrates and horizontal-dipole emitters have been shown to be facile approaches for enhancing OLED (organic light emitting diode) light extraction, the full benefits and potential of their combination for OLED optical out-coupling have not been thoroughly studied and explored. Simulation studies indicate that very high optical coupling efficiency into substrates ϕ sub (and perhaps similarly high OLED external quantum efficiencies) of ~90% can be possibly obtained with both high-index substrates (refractive index >1.8–1.9) and highly horizontal-dipole emitters (horizontal dipole ratio >85%), together with adoption of low-index or index-matching carrier transport layers and optimization of organic layer and transparent electrode thicknesses. With these judicious device design conditions, all waveguided modes and surface plasmon modes in devices can be effectively suppressed for optimal optical out-coupling. Finally, combining the sapphire substrate having high index of n~ 1.78, the recently developed OLED emitters having high horizontal emitting dipole ratio of up to 87%, and simple external extraction lens, OLED devices having external quantum efficiency of over 80% was successfully realized. Image 1 • Combination of high-index substrates and horizontal dipole emitters can render very high EQE of up to 90% in OLED. • Together with index-matching organic layers and optimized thickness, all waveguided and surface plasmon modes can be suppressed. • Demonstrated high EQE of up to 80.8% using the sapphire substrate, highly horizontal emitters, and external extraction lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light out-coupling has been a long-lasting issue for organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). Aside from light extraction schemes relying on generally complicated optical structures, the most convenient and desirable approach, however, is to directly enhance light extraction through modulating optical properties of active layers in conventional planar OLEDs. Here, we report the adoption of a high refractive index transparent electrode as a new avenue for greatly boosting OLED light extraction efficiency. By using the Nb-doped TiO 2 transparent electrodes with a high refractive index of 2.4, along with state-of-the-art low-index organic carrier transporters and highly horizontal dipole emitters, a very high external quantum efficiency of exceeding 40% (41.5%) is realized for simple, conventional planar OLEDs. As a perspective, simulation also predicts extremely high optical out-coupling efficiency approaching or exceeding 70% with conventional planar OLEDs, if even higher-index transparent electrodes, purely horizontal dipole emitters, and even lower-index carrier transporters can be realized. The results of this work manifest simple device architectures for extremely efficient OLEDs, and are believed to provide useful guidelines regarding future development of materials and devices for extremely efficient OLEDs. Image 1 • Combining high-index transparent electrode, low-index organic layers, and horizontally oriented emitters to enhance light extraction in OLEDs. • Successful development and use of high-index Nb-doped TiO 2 transparent anodes for OLEDs. • Demonstrating very high external quantum efficiency of up to 41.5% with simple planar device structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Molecular engineering by σ-bond spacer is adopted for designing new host materials for the TADF emitter. • The newly developed host materials exhibit excellent solution processability and high triplet energy levels over 2.8 eV. • Host material with the lowest polarity achieves the highest reverse intersystem crossing rate. • Solution-processed TADF devices with a maximum external quantum efficiency up to 21.6% are demonstrated. High-performance solution-processable host materials for thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters are of great significance to the development of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this study, three solution-processable hosts, namely mCP-Ph, mCP-Py, and mCP-BmPy featuring a basic structure paradigm of donor-σ-acceptor (D-σ-A) are reported for green TADF OLEDs. Attributing to the well-designed structure, the three host materials exhibited high triplet energy levels and excellent solution processability. It was found that the host materials had a significant impact on the excited state characteristics of the TADF emitter, and the mCP-Ph host with the lowest dipole moment showed the highest intersystem crossing rate constants (k ISC and k RISC). In consequence, solution-processed TADF OLEDs based on the emitter 4-(4-(9,9-dimethylacridin-10(9 H)-yl)phenyl)-2,6-diphenylpyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile (DMAC-PCN) and the host 9-(3-(9 H -carbazol-9-yl)phenyl)-3-(2,7-di- tert -butyl-9-phenyl-9 H -fluoren-9-yl)-9 H -carbazole (mCP-Ph) secured a maximum external quantum efficiency of 21.6%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the host engineering by σ-spacer. This work reveals the important principle for designing bespoke host for TADF emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Homogenous ferrihydrite NPs/PES composite membranes were firstly prepared by in-situ generation. • The membrane exhibited high adsorption, good selectivity and superior reusability for Pb removal. • The adsorption of Pb by M9 mainly occurred via the cation exchange between Pb2+ and H+. • HA enhanced Pb removal in filtration via adsorption and size exclusion mechanisms. • The prepared membrane shows great potential for the removal of heavy metals from water. Nanocomposite adsorptive membranes with nanosorbents incorporated have become a promising material for the treatment of heavy metal-containing water, but their practical applications have been limited by the aggregation of nanosorbents in the membrane matrix. In this study, a homogenous in-situ generated ferrihydrite nanoparticles (NPs)/polyethersulfone (PES) adsorptive membrane was prepared for the removal of lead from water for the first time. The XRD, TEM and XPS results showed that ferrihydrite particles with the size smaller than 10 nm were successfully introduced into the composite membrane. The SEM-EDS result indicated a homogenous distribution of the in-situ generated ferrihydrite NPs in PES membrane. With more generated NPs, the membrane structure varied from a larger finger-like macro-void structure (i.e. M3, M6) to a suppressed finger-liker macro-void structure, due to the contributions of viscosity hindrance and thermodynamic enhancement to the demixing rate. Besides, the surface hydrophilicity and water flux increased gradually. The membrane M9 was stable for treating lead-contaminated water at pH above 3.0, with the optimal adsorption pH at 5.5. Furthermore, the M9 displayed the highest adsorption capacity of Pb2+ of 64.77 mg/g, high selectivity toward Pb2+, and excellent reusability without significant loss of adsorption of Pb2+. In filtration process, the M9 can effectively remove Pb2+ mainly by adsorption via cation exchange between Pb2+ and H+ in the presence of ferrihydrite NPs in membrane. More importantly, the presence of humic acid can significantly enhance Pb2+ removal by M9 via adsorption and size exclusion mechanisms (caused by either chelation with HA or barrier effect caused by HA filter cake). Therefore, the present nanocomposite adsorptive membrane can be used as a promising material for treatment of heavy metal-containing water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study investigated the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in a group of chronic ketamine abusers in comparison to healthy controls. The correlations between the serum BDNF, NGF level with the subjects' demographic, pattern of ketamine use were also examined. Methods 93 subjects who met the criteria of ketamine dependence and 39 healthy subjects were recruited. Serum BDNF and NGF levels were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Psychopathological symptoms were assessed using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results Both serum levels of BDNF and NGF were significant lower in the ketamine users compared to the healthy control subjects (9.50 ± 6.68 versus 14.37 ± 6.07 ng/ml, p = 0.019 for BDNF; 1.93 ± 0.80 versus 2.60 ± 1.07 ng/ml, p = 0.011 for NGF). BDNF level was negatively associated with current frequency of ketamine use (r = -0.209, p = 0.045). Conclusions Both BDNF and NGF serum concentrations were significantly lower among chronic ketamine users than among health controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving substantial electrostrain alongside a large effective piezoelectric strain coefficient (d 33 *) in piezoelectric materials remains a formidable challenge for advanced actuator applications. Here, a straightforward approach to enhance these properties by strategically designing the domain structure and controlling the domain switching through the introduction of arrays of ordered {100}<100> dislocations is proposed. This dislocation engineering yields an intrinsic lock-in steady-state electrostrain of 0.69% at a low field of 10 kV cm -1 without external stress and an output strain energy density of 5.24 J cm -3 in single-crystal BaTiO 3 , outperforming the benchmark piezoceramics and relaxor ferroelectric single-crystals. Additionally, applying a compression stress of 6 MPa fully unlocks electrostrains exceeding 1%, yielding a remarkable d 33 * value over 10 000 pm V -1 and achieving a record-high strain energy density of 11.67 J cm -3 . Optical and transmission electron microscopy, paired with laboratory and synchrotron X-ray diffraction, is employed to rationalize the observed electrostrain. Phase-field simulations further elucidate the impact of charged dislocations on domain nucleation and domain switching. These findings present an effective and sustainable strategy for developing high-performance, lead-free piezoelectric materials without the need for additional chemical elements, offering immense potential for actuator technologies., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)