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Although photochromic and photocatalytic performance are the most significant features of WO3, the effects of photochromism on photocatalytic activities have not been investigated further. Herein, a novel gear-shaped WO3, with high coloration efficiency, fast reversibility, and remarkable photocatalytic performance was successfully prepared via a facile hydrothermal method. The influence of photochromic effects on its photocatalytic properties was evaluated under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the yellow WO3 sample exhibited higher photocatalytic efficiencies toward tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), oxytetracycline (OTC), rhodamine B (RhB), and ciprofloxacin (CIP) (94.3%, 87.9%, 76%, and 68.6%, respectively, in 60 min). Further research found that the redox conversion between W6+ and W5+ played a key role in separating e−/h+ pairs. Importantly, the rapid and reversible conversion between W6+ and W5+ could be realized through light radiation or H2O2 treatment. Therefore, the gear-shaped WO3 possessed tunable and sustainable photocatalytic properties and maintained a high level of activity after recycling ten times under visible light irradiation. This work provides new insights into practical WO3 applications for environmental remediation based on photochromic regulation.

Owing to their unique physicochemical properties, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a kind of promising material for electrocatalysis. However, many reports focus on the use of MOFs as precursors to produce efficient electrocatalysts by pyrolysis. The use of pristine MOFs with well-defined structures as efficient electrocatalysts directly is still a challenging problem. Herein, S,N-containing MnII[(Tdc)(4,4'-Bpy)]n with different morphologies have been obtained by using MnII, thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate (Tdc) and 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-Bpy) as raw materials via hydrothermal synthesis. Furthermore, the influences of different hydrothermal reaction times (0, 2 and 4 h) and anions (SO42-, Cl-, NO3- and CH3COO-) on the morphologies, compositions and ORR activity of the resultant Mn-MOFs are also investigated at length. The results indicate that only the reaction of MnSO4 with Tdc and 4,4'-Bpy for 4 h can form relatively uniform one-dimensional (1D) MOF nanorods. The 1D nanorods combine the favorable features towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), such as a high surface area and efficient 1D electron/mass transport capability. Therefore, the MnII[(Tdc)(4,4'-Bpy)]n nanorods display the highest ORR activity with an onset potential of 0.98 V and a half-wave potential of 0.78 V vs. RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode), which is even comparable to that of Pt/C. In addition, the MnII[(Tdc)(4,4'-Bpy)]n nanorods exhibit higher stability, methanol resistance and ORR selectivity than Pt/C. The present study illustrates an efficient fabrication strategy for highly efficient 1D MOF nanorods for energy storage and conversion applications.

Lung carcinoma is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of lung cancer treatment. Unfortunately, most types of cancer will develop resistance to chemotherapies over the time. One of the efforts to prevent the chemotherapy resistance is to find alternative chemotherapy drugs. Mogrol has been found to have antitumor activity. However, little is known about the pharmacological mechanisms underlying the suppression of mogrol on lung cancers. In this study, we observed that mogrol exposure significantly reduced the tumor volume and weight in tumor-bearing nude mice without obvious effect on body weight and cardiac function. Mogrol also significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells, including non-small-cell lung carcinoma cells, A549, H1299, H1975 and SK-MES-1 cells, with no obvious effect on control human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE). Further studies revealed that mogrol stirred excessive autophagy and autophagic flux, and finally, autophagic cell death, in lung cancer cells, which could be attenuated by autophagy inhibitors, 3-MA and chloroquine. Furthermore, mogrol significantly activated AMPK to induce autophagy and autophagic cell death, which could be abrogated by Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor. In addition, mogrol induced a significant increase in p53 activity in lung cancer cells, accompanied with cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, which could be weakened by p53 silence. Our results indicated that mogrol effectively suppressed lung cancer cells in vivo and in vitro by inducing the excessive autophagy and autophagic cell death via activating AMPK signaling pathway, as well as cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via activating p53 pathway.

Dysfunction of the ubiquitin-proteasome system has been linked to the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases. Proteasome inhibition not only exerts antitumor effects but also affects inflammatory signaling pathways. MG132, a proteasome inhibitor, has been shown to induce tumor cell apoptosis. However, its role in the induction of macrophage apoptosis remains unknown. In our study, we investigated the mechanism of the proapoptotic effects of MG132 in macrophages. Our data showed that MG132 treatment induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in macrophages. We found that proteasome inhibition induced a significant increase in the apoptosis rate, as evidenced by cleavage of caspase-3 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Moreover, (2-(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl-4-ylamino)-2-oxoethyl)triphenyl-phosphonium chloride (Mito-TEMPO) attenuated MG132-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, proteasome inhibition by MG132 can induce macrophage apoptosis by promoting the production of ROS and mitochondrial dysfunction.

In this work, enhanced and selective photoelectrochemical (PEC) oxidation of atrazine was realized on molecular imprinted mesoporous TiO2 (MI-meso-TiO2). The investigation revealed that, for one hand, the surface MI sites could function as surface defects for accelerating the separation of photogenerated holes and electrons, leading to enhanced generation of hydroxyl radicals. For the other hand, the MI sites showed enhanced binding affinity toward atrazine, resulted from the formation of multiple hydrogen bonds and halogen bonds etc., which was testified by in situ ATR-FTIR spectra. It led to the enhanced adsorption and improved local concentration of atrazine on the electrode surface. Both the two factors contributed to the improved PEC oxidation activity for atrazine on MI-meso-TiO2 compared with that on meso-TiO2. Moreover, the high binding affinity between MI sites and atrazine resulted in the selective recognition ability toward atrazine in the presence of the coexisting pollutants, so that selective PEC oxidation of atrazine in complex polluted water samples was successfully achieved on MI-meso-TiO2 with the apparent rate constant of 0.25 h−1, whereas that on meso-TiO2 was only 0.08 h−1. This work provided something new for explaining the selective and enhanced PEC performance on molecular imprinting catalyst.

Although photochromic and photocatalytic performance are the most significant features of WO

Rice false smut (RFS), caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, is one of the most detrimental rice fungal diseases and pose a severe threat to rice production and quality. Effectors in U. virens often act as a set of essential virulence factors that play crucial roles in the interaction between host and the pathogen. Thus, the functions of each effector in U. virens need to be further explored. Here, we performed multiple alignment analysis and demonstrated a small secreted hypersensitive response-inducing protein (hrip), named UvHrip1, was highly conserved in fungi. The predicted SP of UvHrip1 was functional, which guided SUC secreted from yeast and was recognized by plant cells. The localization of UvHrip1 was mainly in the nucleus and cytoplasm monitored through the GFP fusion protein in Nicotiana benthamiana cells. uvhrip1 was drastically up-regulated in the susceptible cultivar LYP9 of rice during the pathogen infection, while did not in the resistant cultivar IR28. We also proved that UvHrip1 suppressed the mammalian BAX-induced necrosis-like defense symptoms in N. benthamiana. Furthermore, patterns of expression of defense-related genes, OsPR1#012 and OsPR10b, were regulated over U. virens infection in rice. Collectively, our data demonstrated that infection of U. virens suppresses defense-related genes expression and UvHrip1 was most likely a core effector in regulating plant immunity.

Ustilaginoidea virens, which causes rice false smut (RFS), is one of the most detrimental rice fungal diseases and poses a severe threat to rice production and quality. Effectors in U. virens often act as a group of essential virulence factors that play crucial roles in the interaction between host and the pathogen. Thus, the functions of individual effectors in U. virens need to be further explored. Here, we demonstrated a small secreted hypersensitive response-inducing protein (hrip), named UvHrip1, which was highly conserved in U. virens isolates. UvHrip1 was also proven to suppress necrosis-like defense symptoms in N. benthamiana induced by the oomycete elicitor INF1. The localization of UvHrip1 was mainly in the nuclei and cytoplasm via monitoring the UvHrip1-GFP fusion protein in rice cells. Furthermore, Y2H and BiFC assay demonstrated that UvHrip1 interacted with OsHGW, which is a critical regulator in heading date and grain weight signaling pathways in rice. Expression patterns of defense- and heading date-related genes, OsPR1#051 and OsMYB21, were down-regulated over U. virens infection in rice. Collectively, our data provide a theory for gaining an insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the UvHrip1 virulence function.

Rice false smut (RFS), caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, is one of the most detrimental rice fungal diseases and pose a severe threat to rice production and quality. Effectors in U. virens often act as a set of essential virulence factors that play crucial roles in the interaction between host and the pathogen. Thus, the functions of each effector in U. virens need to be further explored. Here, a conserved small secreted hypersensitive response-inducing protein (hrip) was named UvHrip1. Functional validation was investigated to prove that UvHrip1 suppressed cell death symptom and ROS accumulation in Nicotiana benthamiana triggered by Burkholderia glumae. We performed transgenic technology to demonstrate UvHrip1 remarkably inhibited pathogen-associated molecular pattern-induced defense responses in Arabidopsis seedlings and plants, including the expression of defense-response genes. Furthermore, disease progression caused by the type III secretion system-defective mutant from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 was strongly facilitated in transgenic Arabidopsis ectopic expressing UvHrip1. Our data demonstrated UvHrip1 suppresses plant innate immunity and promoting disease multiplication in Arabidopsis.

Exploration of multifunctional non-precious metal catalysts towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is very important for many clean energy technologies. Here, two trifunctional catalysts based on M (Co, Ni), N and S tridoped carbon nanoplates (Co/N/S-CNPs and Ni/N/S-CNPs) are reported. Due to the relatively higher catalytic site content, graphitization degree and smaller charge-transfer resistance, the Co/N/S-CNPs catalyst shows higher activity and stability for ORR (onset potential of 0.99 V and half-wave potential of 0.87 V vs. RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode)), OER (overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 of 0.37 V) and HER than the Ni/N/S-CNPs catalyst. Furthermore, when constructed with the Co/N/S-CNPs and commercial 20 wt% Pt/C + Ir/C cathodes, respectively, Zn-air battery (ZnAB) based on the Co/N/S-CNPs cathode displays better performance, including a higher power density of 96.0 mW cm−2 and cycling stability at 5 mA cm−2. In addition, an alkaline electrolyzer assembled with the Co/N/S-CNPs catalyst as a bifunctional catalyst can reach 10 mA cm−2 at 1.65 V for overall water splitting and maintain excellent stability even after cycling for 12 h. The present work proves the potential of the Co/N/S-CNPs catalyst for many clean energy devices.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy ). This article has been retracted at the request of corresponding author Dr. Huang. On 3 August 2017 the Editorial Office of Inorganica Chimica Acta received a message from Dr. Huang stating that the paper has been submitted to the journal without the knowledge of the former supervisor Prof. Ying-Ji Sun. Prof. Sun only learned of the paper after it was published. Upon inquiry it was found that the former student Dr. Huang had registered an e-mail address using Prof. Sun’s name, and had submitted the manuscript without prior discussion of this with Prof. Sun. All the research had been performed while Dr. Huang was a Ph. D. student in the laboratory of Prof. Sun, and was funded by grants secured by Prof. Sun, have no relevence with Dr. Huang’s current institution and the funds acknowledged in this paper. Apologies are offered to the readers of this journal that this was not detected during the submission process.

The potential reaction of diclofenac (DCF) with ferrate(VI) and influences of coexisting surfactants have not been investigated in depth, and are the focus of this study. The results demonstrated that DCF reacted effectively and rapidly with Fe(VI) and approximately 75% of DCF (0.03 mM) was removed by excess Fe(VI) (0.45 mM) within 10 min. All of the reactions followed pseudo first-order kinetics with respect to DCF and Fe(VI), where the apparent second-order rate constant (kapp) was 5.07 M−1 s−1 at pH 9.0. Furthermore, the degradation efficiencies of DCF were clearly dependent on the concentrations of dissolved organic matter additives in the substrate solution. Primarily, inhibitory effects were observed with the samples that contained anionic (sodium dodecyl-benzene sulfonate, SDBS) or non-ionic (Tween-80) surfactants, which have been attributed to the side reactions between Fe(VI) and surfactants, which led to a reduction in the available oxidant for DCF destruction. Furthermore, the addition of a cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, CTAB) and humic acid (HA) conveyed significantly promotional effects on the DCF-Fe(VI) reaction. The rate enhancement effect for CTAB might be due to micellar surface catalysis, through the Coulomb attraction between the reactants and positively charged surfactants, while the catalytic action for HA resulted from the additional oxidation of Fe(V)/Fe(IV) in the presence of HA. The results provided the basic knowledge required to understand the environmental relevance of DCF oxidation via Fe(VI) in the presence of surfactant additives.

Rhizoctonia solani, one of the most detrimental necrotrophic pathogens, causes rice sheath blight and poses a severe threat to production. Focus on the function of effectors secreted by necrotrophic pathogens during infection has grown rapidly in recent years. However, little is known about the virulence and mechanisms of these proteins. In this study, we performed functional studies on putative effectors in R. solani and revealed that AGLIP1 out of 13 putative effectors induced cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. AGLIP1 was also demonstrated to trigger cell death in rice protoplasts. The predicted lipase active sites and signal peptide (SP) of this protein were required for the cell death-inducing ability. AGLIP1 was greatly induced during R. solani infection in rice sheath. The AGLIP1’s virulence function was further demonstrated by transgenic technology. The pathogenesis-related genes induced by pathogen-associated molecular pattern and bacteria were remarkably inhibited in AGLIP1-expressing transgenic Arabidopsis lines. Ectopic expression of AGLIP1 strongly facilitated disease progression in Arabidopsis caused by the type III secretion system-defective mutant from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Collectively, these results indicate that AGLIP1 is a possible effector that plays a significant role in pathogen virulence through inhibiting basal defenses and promoting disease development in plants.

A series of potential chiral compounds containing an α,β-unsaturated ketone was developed for anion detection. The interplay of compounds and biological momentous anions (Cl−, H2PO4−, I−, AcO−, HS−, F−, and Br−) was evaluated by UV-vis experiments, fluorescence experiments, and electrochemical tests. By comparison, compound 1 had the best selectivity and compound 5 had the strongest binding ability among the five compounds. And compound 5 had the highest sensitivity to H2PO4− among the measured anions, and it also can be applied to actual samples, the content of H2PO4− tested in the potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer solution reached above 97.5% of the marked content, and the recovery rates were within the range of 98.5–99.1%, attesting that this method was reliable for the test of H2PO4− in fertilizer. Through HRMS titration, circular dichroism and optical rotation experiments, the probable interacted mechanism was proved that the interaction site was the C=C of the α,β-unsaturated ketone structure. In addition, the interacted mechanism was researched from the perspective of chirality. Furthermore, theoretical investigation analysis was introduced to reveal that the roles of molecular frontier orbitals in molecular interplay were determined. Therefore, this series of potential chiral compounds has potential application prospects in anion recognition.

This investigation focused on the simultaneous decrease of tannery sludge and the reduction of its high chromium (Cr(VI)) content. This was accomplished through the addition of mixed bacterial strains that were cultured in the laboratory, subsequent to their isolation from tannery sludge. The results indicated that under anaerobic conditions, the amount of the tannery sludge was decreased by 27% with these mixed bacteria. The impacts of various parameters were explored, such as pH, processing duration, strain inoculation, and temperature. Along with the decreased volume of sludge, the Cr(VI) concentration was lowered as well. Among the isolated bacterial strains, WY601 (belonging to Stenotrophomonas sp.) demonstrated the highest Cr(VI) resistance; from an initial concentration of 300 mg L−1, the Cr(VI) level was decreased by 90% within 65 h. Hexavalent chromate reductase was found to be localized primarily within the extracellular membrane or adsorbed to its surface, and a mechanism was proposed for the removal of Cr(VI) via WY601. Further, the WY601 isolate was found to be tolerant to other toxic heavy metals. In summary, the isolated mixed bacterial strains in our study demonstrated a strong potential for the treatment of tannery sludge, as they could simultaneously decrease its volume while lowering high Cr(VI) levels.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-04T12:41:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-07-02 National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Background-The uptake of proven stroke treatments varies widely. We aimed to determine the association of evidence-based processes of care for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and clinical outcome of patients who participated in the HEADPOST (Head Positioning in Acute Stroke Trial), a multicenter cluster crossover trial of lying flat versus sitting up, head positioning in acute stroke. Methods and Results-Use of 8 AIS processes of care were considered: reperfusion therapy in eligible patients; acute stroke unit care; antihypertensive, antiplatelet, statin, and anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation; dysphagia assessment; and physiotherapist review. Hierarchical, mixed, logistic regression models were performed to determine associations with good outcome (modified Rankin Scale scores 0-2) at 90 days, adjusted for patient and hospital variables. Among 9485 patients with AIS, implementation of all processes of care in eligible patients, or defect-free care, was associated with improved outcome (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.18-1.65) and better survival (odds ratio, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.62-3.09). Defect-free stroke care was also significantly associated with excellent outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0-1) (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.04-1.43). No hospital characteristic was independently predictive of outcome. Only 1445 (15%) of eligible patients with AIS received all processes of care, with significant regional variations in overall and individual rates. Conclusions-Use of evidence-based care is associated with improved clinical outcome in AIS. Strategies are required to address regional variation in the use of proven AIS treatments. Univ New South Wales, Fac Med, George Inst Global Hlth, Sydney, NSW, Australia Ctr Estudios Clin, Inst Ciencias & Innovac Med, Santiago, Chile Clin Alemana Univ Desarrollo, Fac Med, Serv Neurol, Dept Neurol & Psiquiatria, Santiago, Chile Peking Univ, Hlth Sci Ctr, George Inst Global Hlth, Beijing, Peoples R China Australian Catholic Univ, Nursing Res Inst, St Vincents Hlth Australia Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Univ Cent Lancashire, Fac Hlth & Wellbeing, Preston, Lancs, England Univ Chile, Fac Med, Dept Ciencias Neurol, Santiago, Chile Univ Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Stroke Serv Neurol Div, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil Fukuoka Univ, Fac Med, Dept Prevent Med & Publ Hlth, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan Univ Leicester, Dept Cardiovasc Sci, Leicester Biomed Res Ctr, Leicester, Leics, England Univ Leicester, Natl Inst Hlth Res, Leicester Biomed Res Ctr, Leicester, Leics, England Univ Edinburgh, Ctr Clin Brain Sci, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland George Inst Global Hlth, Sydney, NSW, Australia Univ Desarrollo, Serv Neurol, Dept Neurol & Psiquiatria Clin Alemana Santiago, Santiago, Chile St Vincents Hlth Australia Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Australian Catholic Univ, Sydney, NSW, Australia Univ Cent Lancashire, Stroke Practice Res Unit, Sch Hlth, Lancashire Clin Trials Unit, Preston, Lancs, England Univ Leicester, Dept Cardiovasc Sci, Cardiovasc Res Ctr, British Heart Fdn, Leicester, Leics, England Univ Kelaniya, Dept Pharmacol, Fac Med, Colombo, Sri Lanka Christian Med Coll & Hosp, Dept Neurol, Ludhiana, India Kaohsiung Med Univ & Hosp, Dept Neurol, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Linkou Chang Gung Mem Hosp, Dept Neurol, Taipei, Taiwan Peking Union Med Coll Hosp, Beijing, Peoples R China Univ Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Sch Med, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil Monash Univ, Dept Epidemiol & Prevent Med, Melbourne, Vic, Australia Univ Cent Lancashire, Sch Hlth Sci, Coll Hlth & Wellbeing, Preston, Lancs, England Univ Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile Univ New South Wales, Neurosci Res Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia Natl Univ Singapore, Dept Pharmacol, Singapore, Singapore Bradford Royal Infirm, Bradford Inst Hlth Res, Leeds, W Yorkshire, England Christian Med College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India RemediumOne Pvt Ltd, Kandy, Sri Lanka Kaohsiung Med Univ, Chung Ho Mem Hosp, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Calvary Publ Hosp Bruce, Bruce, Australia Royal North Shore Hosp, St Leonards, NSW, Australia Royal Prince Alfred Hosp, Camperdown, NSW, Australia Concord Repatriat Gen Hosp, Camperdown, NSW, Australia Fiona Stanley Hosp, Camperdown, NSW, Australia Macquarie Base Hosp, Melbourne, Vic, Australia Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Hosp Clin, Sao Paulo, Brazil Hosp Governador Celso Ramos, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Hosp Fac Med Botucatu, UNESP, Sao Paulo, Brazil Yangquan Coalmine Grp Gen Hosp, Yangquan, Peoples R China Nanjing Med Univ, Nanjing Hosp 1, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Peoples R China 85 Hosp Peoples Liberat Army, Beijing, Peoples R China Chifeng Univ, Affiliated Hosp, Chifeng, Peoples R China Beijing Pinggu Hosp, Beijing, Peoples R China Wenzhou Med Univ, Affiliated Hosp 1, Wenzhou, Peoples R China Soochow Univ, Affiliated Hosp 2, Suzhou, Peoples R China Hebei Med Univ, Hosp 3, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, Peoples R China Capital Med Univ, Xuanwu Hosp, Beijing, Peoples R China Jining Med Univ, Affiliated Hosp, Jining, Peoples R China Third Peoples Hosp Huizhou, Huizhou, Peoples R China Second Cangzhou Cent Hosp, Cangzhou, Peoples R China Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, Hosp Affiliated, Sch Med, Shanghai, Peoples R China Baogang Hosp, Baotou, Peoples R China Harbin Med Univ, Affiliated Hosp 1, Harbin, Heilongjiang, Peoples R China Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ Sch, Tong Ren Hosp, Peoples Hosp Hejian City, Shanghai, Peoples R China Peking Univ, Shougang Hosp, Beijing, Peoples R China Guangzhou Med Univ, Affiliated Hosp 3, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China Second Hosp Nanchang, Nanchang, Jiangxi, Peoples R China Bethune Int Peace Hosp, Beijing, Peoples R China Hua Henan Prov Peoples Hosp, Beijing, Peoples R China Hua Henan Prov Peoples Hosp, Zhengzhou, Henan, Peoples R China Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, Sch Med, Shanghai Ninth Peoples Hosp, Shanghai, Peoples R China Shijiazhuang Cent Hosp, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, Peoples R China Hosp Base San Jos de Osorno, Osorno, Chile Christian Med Coll & Hosp, Ludhiana, Punjab, India Unit Narayana Hrudayalaya Ltd, Mazumdar Shaw Med Ctr, Bangalore, Karnataka, India Dr Ramesh Cardiac & Multispecial Hosp Pvt Ltd, Guntur, India Post Grad Inst Med Educ & Res, Chandigarh, India Baby Mem Hosp Ltd, Calicut, Kerala, India Sree Chitra Tirunal Inst Med Sci & Technol, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India Sri Jayawardenepura Gen Hosp, Sri Jayawardenepura Kott, Sri Lanka Colombo North Teaching Hosp, Colombo, Sri Lanka Colombo South Coching Hosp, Colombo, Sri Lanka Linkou Chang Gung Mem Hosp, Taoyuan, Taiwan Taipei Med Univ, Shuang Ho Hosp, Taipei, Taiwan En Chu Kong Hosp, New Taipei, Taiwan Natl Cheng Kung Univ Hosp, Tainan, Taiwan Queen Alexandra Hosp, Portsmouth, Hants, England Portsmouth Hosp NHS Natl Hlth Serv iTrust, Portsmouth, Hants, England Univ Coll London Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, London, England Univ Hosp Birmingham NHS Fdn Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hosp Birmingham, Birmingham, W Midlands, England Southend Univ Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Southend On Sea, England Kings Coll Hosp London, London, England York Teaching Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, York, N Yorkshire, England Nottingham Univ Hosp NHS Trust, Nottingham, England Blackpool Teaching Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Blackpool, England Gloucestershire Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Gloucestershire Royal Hosp, Gloucester, England Teaching Hospi NHS Fdn Trust, London, England Royal Cornwall Hosp NHS Trust, Truro, England Royal London Hosp, Barts Hlth NHS Trust, London, England Sheffield Teaching Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Sheffield, S Yorkshire, England Cambridge Univ Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Addenbrookes Hosp, Cambridge, England Royal Victoria Hosp, Belfast Hlth & Social Care Trust, London, England Pinderfields Gen Hosp, Mid Yorkshire Hosp NHS Trust, Wakefield, England Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Fdn Trust, London, England Bradford Teaching Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Bradford, W Yorkshire, England Great Western Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Swindon, Wilts, England Watford Dist Gen Hosp, Watford, England Imperial Coll Healthcare NHS Trust, London, England Medway NHS Fdn Trust, Gillingham, England Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen Univ NHS Trust, Liverpool, Merseyside, England Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Fdn Trust, Huddersfield, W Yorkshire, England Hywel Dda Univ Hlth Board, Haverfordwest, Wales Chesterfield Royal Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Calow, England Luton & Dunstable Univ Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Luton, Beds, England Countess Chester Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Chester, Cheshire, England Peterborough City Hosp, Peterborough, Cambs, England Univ Hosp Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester Royal Infirm, Leicester, Leics, England Dist Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, London, England Barnsley Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Barnsley, England Dorset Cty Hosp NHS Fdn Trust, Dorchester, England Royal Bournemouth & Christchurch Hosp NHS Fdn Tru, Royal Bournemouth Hosp, Bournemouth, Dorset, England Southern Hlth & Social Care Trust, Craigavon Area Hosp, Portadown, England United Lincolnshire Hosp NHS Trust, Pilgrim Hosp, Lincoln, England Bedford Hosp NHS Trust, Bedford, England Sao Paulo State Univ, Hosp Fac Med Botucatu, UNESP, Sao Paulo, Brazil National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia: 1066966

The occurrence of antibiotics in water environment has drawn great concerns in recent years. In this work, CQDs@FeOOH electro-catalyst with abundant active edges was synthesized and applied to the degradation of antibiotics. About 99.6 % levofloxacin (LEVO) and 53.7 % TOC could be efficiently removed by CQDs@FeOOH after 60 min degradation. The high LEVO degradation performance of CQDs@FeOOH was demonstrated to be attributed to the high mass transfer ability and the high OH generation ability of the special needles structure. The OH was found to be the main radical for LEVO degradation, and the highest OH generation ability of CQDs@FeOOH was found to be resulted from the moderate adsorption energy of the exposed (1 1 0) facets (needles) toward OH. A possible LEVO degradation pathway has been proposed and toxicity changes during LEVO degradation were detailed investigated. This study offers an efficient method to reduce the amount and toxicity of antibiotics in water.

Diclofenac (DCF) is one of the most widely used anti-inflammatory drugs, which has been frequently detected in the aquatic environment. In this work, the detailed kinetics and mechanism of DCF degradation via ClO 2 under simulated water disinfection conditions were investigated. Experimental results demonstrated that DCF may be rapidly and completely oxidized with excess ClO 2 . The reaction had first-order dependence with respect to DCF and ClO 2 , and the largest apparent second-order rate constant, k app , was 1.51(±0.017) × 10 3 M −1 s −1 at pH 7.0. Within the studied pH (5–10) and temperature (278–308 K) ranges, the small variation of k app exhibited very slight pH and temperature dependence. The degradation of DCF was significantly inhibited (36.07(±0.36)%) through the addition of an O 2 − scavenger (chloroform), but not by a HO scavenger (isopropanol). This indicated that O 2 − played a key role during the DCF removal process. Based the obtained results, a kinetics model for DCF degradation by ClO 2 was established, which involved electron transfer from DCF to ClO 2 molecules to form DCF· and subsequent O 2 − radicals. A tentative mechanism that accounted for the kinetics model was proposed and validated, involving the two major pathways: direct oxidation by ClO 2 and indirect oxidation by O 2 − .

The kinetics involved with the oxidation of diclofenac (DCF) by chlorine dioxide was investigated in the absence, and presence, of natural organic matter additives. Under the study conditions, we demonstrated that DCF may be rapidly and completely oxidized by excess ClO2. The observed pseudo first-order rate constant (kobs) increased linearly with ClO2 concentration. Addition of cationic (CTAB), anionic (SDBS), and non-ionic (Tween-80) surfactants as additives conveyed significant influences on the kinetic properties of the DCF-ClO2 reaction. Primarily, surface promotion was observed in low concentrations of CTAB through the adsorption of the reacting species on micellar surfaces, as both reactants were ionic, while this rate enhancement was suppressed in high concentrations of CTAB. Instead, inhibitory effects were observed on the samples that had been added SDBS, Tween-80 or humic acid with it being most effective, which confirmed the environmental relevance of the observed interactions between DCF and natural organic constituents.

The reaction kinetics and toxicity of diclofenac (DCF) oxidation by ferrate (VI) under simulated water disinfection conditions were investigated. Experimental results indicated that the reaction between DCF and Fe(VI) followed first-order kinetics with respect to each reactant. Furthermore, the effects of pH and temperature on DCF oxidation by Fe(VI) were elucidated using a systematic examination. The apparent second-order rate constants (kapp) increased significantly from 2.54 to 11.6M(-1)s(-1), as the pH of the solution decreased from 11.0 to 7.0, and the acid-base equilibriums of Fe(VI) and DCF were proposed to explain the pH dependence of kapp. The acute toxicity of DCF solution during Fe(VI) oxidation was evaluated using a Microtox bioassay. Overall, the DCF degradation process resulted in a rapid increase of the inhibition rate of luminescent bacteria. These toxicity tests suggest that the formation of enhanced toxic intermediates during the Fe(VI) disinfection process may pose potential health risk to consumers.

A novel cathodic photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing method was developed for fast and convenient detection of PCB101 taking advantages of the excellent PEC reducibility of Pd quantum dots (QDs) modified molecularly imprinted TiO2 nanorods (NRs). Attributed to the efficient PEC reduction of PCB101 on the cathode surface, sensitive cathodic photocurrent would be produced with increasing PCB101 concentration under a negative bias potential, giving a low PCB101 detection limit of 5×10-14molL-1. Meanwhile, molecular imprinting (MI) technique was integrated by in situ introduction of MI sites on the surface of TiO2 NRs, so that highly specific adsorption and reduction of PCB101 congener could be obtained. The results indicated that the PEC sensor presented excellent selectivity toward PCB101 with the coexistance of 100-fold excess of other pollutants including the PCBs congeners, other aromatic pollutants, and heavy metal ions. The cathodic PEC sensor was sucessfully applied in determination of PCB101 in real water and soil samples, and the results had good consistency with that obtained by the traditional GC-MS. This work provides a new concept and research basis for fabricating cathodic PEC sensor for the environmental pollutants with specific structures that were easily reduced.

Martensite transformation features in the 9Cr–1.7W–0.4Mo–Co ferritic steel, was conducted on a Netzsch Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), after austenitized at 900 °C and 1150 °C followed by cooling at various rates to room temperature were studied. A martensite transformation kinetics model based on assumption of continuous nucleation and consideration of impingement was introduced to investigate the influence of austenitizing temperature and cooling rate on the martensite transformation behaviors. The obtained interface velocity and the activation energy for interface-controlling growth are lower than 10 −5 m/s and 40 kJ/mol, respectively, according to the fitted data. Both indicated that martensite transformation in the 9Cr–1.7W–0.4Mo–Co ferritic steel was controlled by nucleation rate, and that growth of plates was controlled by thermal activation of atoms.

Diclofenac (DCF), a synthetic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is one of the most frequently detected pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. In this work, the mechanism and toxicity of DCF degradation by ClO2 under simulated water disinfection conditions were investigated. Experimental results indicate that rapid and significant oxidation of DCF occurred within the first few minutes; however, its mineralization process was longer than its degradation process. UPLC-MS and (1)H NMR spectroscopy were performed to identify major disinfection byproducts that were generated in three tentative degradation routes. The two main routes were based on initial decarboxylation of DCF on the aliphatic chain and hydroxylation of the phenylacetic acid moiety at the C-4 position. Subsequently, the formed aldehyde intermediates were the starting point for further multistep degradation involving decarboxylation, hydroxylation, and oxidation reactions of CN bond cleavage. The third route was based on transient preservation of chlorinated derivatives resulting from electrophilic attack by chlorine on the aromatic ring, which similarly underwent CN bond cleavage. Microtox bioassay was employed to evaluate the cytotoxicity of solutions treated by ClO2. The formation of more toxic mid-byproducts during the ClO2 disinfection process poses a potential risk to consumers.

A rapid and energy-efficient method was presented for preparing CuO–TiO2 nanotube arrays. TiO2 nanotube arrays were first prepared by anodic oxidation using titanium anode and platinum cathode. Then, the formed TiO2 nanotube arrays and Pt were used as cathode and anode, respectively, for subsequent formation of CuO–TiO2 nanotube arrays, through an electrochemical process in a solution of 0.1 mol/L CuSO4. The morphology and composition of the CuO–TiO2 nanotube arrays were characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV–Vis diffusion reflection spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS). XPS and XRD analyses suggested that the Cu element in the nanotubes existed in CuO form, and its content changed along with the voltage during the second electrochemical process. The photocatalytic activities of the CuO–TiO2 nanotube arrays were evaluated by the degradation of a model dye, rhodamine B. The results showed that Cu incorporation aroused wide visible-light adsorption and improved the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 nanotube arrays significantly under visible-light irradiation. The stability of the CuO–TiO2 nanotube arrays was also detected.

A fluorescent and colorimetric molecular probe containing phenol groups has been designed and synthesized. The anion binding ability was evaluated for biolgically important anions (F−, Cl−, Br−, I−, AcO− and H2PO4−) by theoretical investigation, UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy and 1H-NMR titration experiments. Results indicated the probe showed strong binding ability for H2PO4− without the interference of other anions tested and the interaction process was accompanied by color changes. Theoretical investigation analysis revealed that intramolecular hydrogen bonds existed in the structure of the probe and the roles of molecular frontier orbitals in molecular interplay were determined.

A novel method is established to determine cefotaxime by using sodium 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate (NQS) as a chromogenic reagent. A russety product can be formed owing to the nucleophilic substitution reaction between cefotaxime and NQS in 0.1 M solution of NaOH. The maximal absorption wavelength of the product is 489 nm. Absorbance is linear with the concentration of cefotaxime in the range of 3.8–114.6 mg/L, and the regression equation is A = 0.04481 + 0.00567c (mg/L), with a correlation coefficient of 0.9992. The detection limit and the RSD are 3 mg/L and 1.2%, respectively. The average recovery is in the range of 98.9–101.2%. The results indicate that the method could be applied to the determination of cefotaxime in injection.

Triclosan, one of the most widely used disinfectants, has been found to be toxic to animals and human beings. In this paper, triclosan was degraded on TiO 2 nanotube arrays, using a photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) process under UV illumination, with Na 2 SO 4 as the supporting electrolyte. The effect of bias potential was investigated and the results showed that 0 V was the most appropriate potential for the degradation of triclosan. In 30 min, 78.7% of triclosan had degraded during the PEC process. Intermediate analysis showed that 2,7-dichlorodibenzodioxin (DCDD) had formed during the degradation. The toxicity change during the PEC process was investigated using a luminescent bacteria test, with the results demonstrating that the toxicity of the reaction liquid decreased at the beginning and subsequently increased to a stable level. The indications were that some intermediates such as 2,7-dichlorodibenzodioxin was more toxic and stable than triclosan in the solution.

Introduction. – Selective anion sensing by artificial receptors are particularlyattractive due to its important role in a wide range of environmental, clinical, chemical,and biological applications [1–10]. Among biologically important anions, AcO hasattracted growing attention for its established role in enzymes and antibodies.Moreover, AcO is also a significant component of numerous metabolic processes.Therefore, the recognition and sensing of AcO becomes increasingly important incomparison to other biologically functional anions [11–13].Currently, a fluorescence probe has attracted increased attention being constructedaccording to the receptor-chromophore principle, which involves binding sites and afluorophore, and which can translate the receptor anion binding into an optical signal[14][15]. Among these signaling mechanisms [16–19], the photoinduced electrontransfer (PET) mechanism is often exploited for probes, showing the fluorescenceresponsetotheguestbinding.SuchfluorescenthostmoleculesbasedonPETaremostlystructurally simple [20].Various typesof artificialreceptors have beendeveloped,which employ H-bondingdue to specific binding sites, such as those of urea or thiourea [21], amides [22],thioamides [23], pyrroles [24][25], or of azamacrocycles [26] heading for binding ofanions with size and shape selectivity in various media. Phenol groups are among themost frequently used fragments to design neutral receptors for anion recognition bydirectional H-bonding interaction of anions even in aqueous solutions [27][28].Although anion receptors containing phenol groups as binding sites have beeninvestigated, recognition mechanism based on the synergism of phenol and 9H-carbazole is scarcely reported [29][30].

The photodegradation of diclofenac in the absence/presence of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, crystal violet and humic acid under simulated sunlight has been studied. Under the study conditions, it is apparent that cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide and crystal violet concentrations inhibit effects on the photodegradation of diclofenac. Humic acid has no distinct effect on the photodegradation of diclofenac. Crystal violet has an obvious antagonistic action for humic acid and a similar antagonistic action between cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide and crystal violet. Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide and humic acid have synergistic effect. An antagonistic action is present between cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, crystal violet and humic acid. Moreover, a simple linear model which describes the obtained results is shown.

Bamboo charcoal-based, cobalt-coated adsorbent (Co-MBC) was developed by Co(NO3)2 and HNO3 simultaneous impregnating treatment assisted with microwave irradiation. The virgin and modified bamboo charcoals were characterized by means of XRD, SEM-EDS, FT-IR, BET and point of zero charge (pHpzc) measurement. The results showed that Co-MBC exhibited higher surface area of 263 m2/g and pore volume of 0.27 cm3/g than those of the virgin bamboo charcoal (MBC). As an adsorbent, Co-MBC showed an excellent adsorption capability for Cr(VI), the adsorption process followed the Langmuir isotherm model well, the adsorption kinetic followed pseudo-second order model. The adsorption of Cr(VI) onto Co-MBC was spontaneous and exothermic in nature, and the addition of Co2+ was advantageous to the spontaneous process, and the ion exchange mechanism played an significant role. The regeneration shows that the Co-MBC has good reuse performance and the hexavalent chromium was recycled.

A series of ferrocenyl derivatives (1, 2, 3 and 4) containing phenol group, chemosensors for anions, have been synthesized and optimized. Their binding ability for various anions (F−, Cl−, Br−, I−, AcO− and H2PO4−) were evaluated by theoretical investigation, UV–Vis, 1H NMR titration and cyclic voltammetry experiments and these chemosensors showed strong binding ability for oxy-anions. Theoretical investigation analysis revealed the substituent was different, the space structure was different. And the intramolecular hydrogen bond existed between –OH and other atoms in the structure of these compounds. UV–Vis titrations indicated the anion binding abilities could be tuned by electron push–pull properties of the substituents on the phenyl ortho or para position. Electrochemical titrations showed the addition of anions led to the weak of redox response and the oxidation peak potential moved to more positive potential gradually. In addition, these chemosensors were sensitive to the AcO− detection without the interference of other anions studied, as well as chemosensor 4 was sensitive to the H2PO4− detection.

Two simple anion receptors, 2-[(2-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl)methylene]hydrazone ( 1 ) and 2-[(3,5-dibromo-2-hydroxyphenyl)methylene]hydrazone ( 2 ) with –OH binding sites, were synthesized and characterized. The anion binding ability of receptors 1 and 2 with halide anions (F − , Cl − , Br − and I − ), AcO − and H 2 PO 4 - was investigated using visual (naked-eye), UV–vis titration experiments in dry DMSO together with DFT theoretical calculation. The addition of F − , AcO − and H 2 PO 4 - to the host solution resulted in a red shift of the charge-transfer absorbance band accompanied by a color change from yellow to orange in the naked-eye experiments. Receptor 1 containing a nitro group at the para position and receptor 2 containing two bromine groups at the ortho and para positions both showed strong binding ability for H 2 PO 4 - ion in the form of phenol-hydrazone. Moreover, receptor 1 , induced by anion species in the solution, converted to the form of phenol-hydrazone from keto-hydrazone.

A series of artificial compounds, phenanthroline or aromatic bridged indoline derivatives, have been designed and synthesized. The interaction of these compounds with biologically important anions fluoride (F−), acetate (AcO−), dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4−), chloride (Cl−), bromide (Br−) and iodide (I−) was determined by UV–vis, fluorescene titration and theoretical experiments. Results indicate that compound 1 (Di((1″,2″-dihydro-indol-3″-one-2″-hydrazone-1′-hydrazyl)-2′-methylene)-1,3-did-ehydebenzo) and 2 (Di((1″,2″-dihydro-indol-3″-one-2″-hydrazone-1′-hydrazyl)-2′-methylene)-1,3-didehyde-5-nitrobenzo) containing aromatic bridge do not show binding ability for various anions, and that compound 3 (Di((1″,2″-dihydro-indol-3″-one-2″-hydrazone-1′-hydrazyl)-2′-methylene)-2,9-dial-dehyde-1,10-phenanthroline) containing phenanthroline bridge shows the strongest binding ability for F− among various anions, the moderate binding ability for AcO− and H2PO4−, and almost no binding ability for Cl−, Br−, I−. The different binding ability of aromatic and phenanthroline bridged compounds may be related to the conjugative effect. What's more, the binding ability of compound 3 with F− is not interfered by the existence of other anions. Hence, theoretical investigations explore the reasons of different binding ability between compound 3 and anions.

The materials with adsorbent properties were produced from urban sewage sludge by two different procedures via microwave irradiation: (1) by one single pyrolysis stage (SC); (2) by chemical activation with ZnCl 2 (SZ). The BET, SEM and FT-IR have been used to evaluate the pore structural parameters and surface chemistry of the adsorbents, respectively. Subsequently they were used for adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. The effects of various experimental parameters, such as pH, temperature were investigated in a batch-adsorption technique. The results showed that the adsorption of Cu(II) was maximal at pH 5.0. The kinetic study demonstrated that the adsorption process was followed the second-order kinetic equation. The experimental adsorption isotherm data were well fitted with Langmuir model and the maximum adsorption capacity of Cu(II) were found to be 3.88 and 10.56 mg/g for SC and SZ, respectively, in the solution of pH 5.0. Thermodynamic parameters such as changes in the enthalpy (Δ H 0 ), entropy (Δ S 0 ) and free energy (Δ G 0 ) indicate that Cu(II) adsorption onto SC and SZ is an endothermic and spontaneous process in nature at 15–45 °C. These results indicate that the sewage sludge-derived material via microwave induced ZnCl 2 activation is an effective and alternative adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution.

An efficient synthesis of 7-alkyl-6H,7H-naphtho[1′,2′:5,6]pyrano[3,2-c]chromen-6-ones by three-component condensation reaction of β-naphthol, aromatic aldehydes, and 4-hydroxycoumarin under solvent-free conditions in good to excellent yields and short reaction times using reusable melamine trisulfonic acid as solid acid catalyst has been investigated.

ZnO nanoparticles have been synthesized by mean of a novel gel-template combustion method. The products were characterized by using TG-DTA, XRD and TEM techniques. The products appeared to be regularly spherical or elliptical and their sizes ranged from 20 to 30 nm.The average particle size increased with increasing sintering temperature. The photoluminescence spectra of the resulting ZnO nanoparticles showed a near-UV emission and a green emission. Furthermore, the dependence of the optical properties on the annealing temperatures and annealing time were also investigated. With the increase of the annealing temperature, the intensity of the green emission at 500 nm caused by oxygen vacancies in ZnO rapidly increased, but almost disappeared only at 600 °C.The probable mechanism was discussed.