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Pyrolusite modified carbon was prepared from walnut shell for enhancing removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution. 1% pyrolusite addition was proved to be efficient and economic on adsorption capacity improvement of the produced carbon. Cu(II) removal rate on the modified walnut shell-based carbon was ca. 20% higher than the unmodified one, while the adsorption capacity for the modified carbon was high up to 34.4 mg/g. Within weakly acidic pH range (pH = 5 ~ 6), it was suitable for Cu(II) adsorption with larger than 97% removal rate on the produced carbon. SEM and BET analysis showed that pyrolusite played an important role on pore formation of the produced carbon. The specific surface area, mesopore and micropore volume of the modified carbon were 27.2%, 39.5%, 17.5%, respectively, higher than those of the unmodified one. After modification, oxygen-containing functional groups, especially phenol and carbonyl groups, were remarkably increased on the produced carbon, which were helpful for Cu(II)'s adsorption. FTIR showed that a large amount of organic carbon was decomposed into inorganic carbon skeleton during the carbonisation process, thus forming a large number of pores, and was conducive to adsorbing copper ions. This work is expected to be helpful for an effective agricultural residue management and innovative modification of walnut shell-based adsorbent as low-cost precursors for heavy metal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial trifunctional protein (TFP) deficiency is an inherited metabolic disorder leading to a block in long-chain fatty acid β-oxidation. Mutations in either HADHA and HADHB, which encode the TFPα and β subunits, respectively, usually result in combined TFP deficiency. A single common mutation, HADHA c.1528G>C (p.E510Q), leads to isolated 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency. TFP also catalyzes a step in the remodeling of cardiolipin (CL), a phospholipid critical to mitochondrial membrane stability and function. We explored the effect of mutations in TFP subunits on CL and other phospholipid content and composition and the consequences of these changes on mitochondrial bioenergetics in patient-derived fibroblasts. Abnormalities in these parameters varied extensively among different fibroblasts, and some cells were able to maintain basal oxygen consumption rates similar to controls. Although CL reduction was universally identified, a simultaneous increase in monolysocardiolipins was discrepant among cells. A similar profile was seen in liver mitochondria isolates from a TFP-deficient mouse model. Response to new potential drugs targeting cardiolipin metabolism might be dependent on patient genotype.

Biochar-modified TiO 2 (C/TiO 2 ) was prepared by a sol-gel method in this study to improve the photocatalytic capacity for ammonia-nitrogen (NH 3 -N) removal from aqueous solutions. The results showed that biochar was successfully modified on TiO 2 and helped improve its photocatalytic performance for pollutant degradation. The removal capacity of ammonia-nitrogen on the synthesized photocatalyst performed well at pH 10 with 1 g L -1 C/TiO 2 under both 60 (12.25 mg g -1 ) and 120 min (16.31 mg g -1 ) irradiation (xenon lamp, AM1.5, 25 A). Characterization of C/TiO 2 through scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) analyses showed the successful introduction of biochar on TiO 2 . SEM-EDS and BET analyses displayed that C/TiO 2 had a larger surface area and more pores than the raw materials. XRD spectroscopy illustrated that C/TiO 2 had typical characteristic peaks of anatase-TiO 2 and presented a good photocatalytic degradation performance. It was confirmed from XPS and FT-IR analyses that -COOH groups were present in C/TiO 2 and originated from biochar modification, and these enhanced the photocatalytic performance. Through radical quenching experiments, it was found that superoxide radicals (˙O 2 - ) played a dominant role in NH 3 -N photocatalytic reactions with hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) and valence band holes (h + ) playing a synergistic role. N 2 was the main degradation product after 6 h NH 3 -N photocatalytic degradation, which was much larger than NO 3 - /NO 2 - (both almost undetected) and NH 3 ( ca. 2 times lower than N 2 ). The new composite C/TiO 2 has potential for ammonia-nitrogen degradation in wastewater treatment and favorable for treating sewage sludge., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)