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At present, black odorous water is an important issue in waste water management, as it seriously affects the quality of river and lake water. However, how black odorous water forms still remains largely unclear. Under the conditions of artificially simulating black and odorous water bodies, the formation conditions, generation mechanism and forming process of odorous substances-H2S were researched by adding different basic substances, including sulfur-containing substances, inorganic salts, and metal ions. The results showed that there must be sulfur-containing substances to induce a black bloom in 5–9 d, and that the Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP) should be less than −200 mv, an optimal condition for forming black odorous water. Cysteine was the primary precursor for the production of H2S. Furthermore, when the inorganic nitrogen salt additions were >10 mg/L, the formation of H2S was inhibited. Finally, metal ions inhibit the degree of odor-causing in water was Cu2+ > Fe2+ > Mn2+. The microbial communities were also monitored during the development of the black odorous and the predominant bacteria were proteobacteria and it showed that the proteobacteria could desulfurize high-valence organic compounds containing sulfur become low-valence simple sulfides.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant and challenging type of astrocytoma and also notoriously acknowledged as the most common primary brain tumor globally. Currently, chemotherapy is the most master therapy for tumor and is essential in clinical treatment for GBM. Nevertheless, the characterization of chemotherapy resistance seriously hinders clinical chemotherapy treatment. Accordingly, there are imperious demands for the exploitation of novel chemosensitizer to promote the efficacy of chemotherapy. Our current study was conducted to probe into the potential impacts of microRNA (miR)-640 on the chemosensitivity in GBM and the associated underlying mechanism. Initially, TargetScan software was utilized to predict the targeted genes of miR-640, and the target relationship between miR-640 and Bcl-2-modifying factor (BMF) was validated by double luciferase report assay. Additionally, to explore the role of miR-640/BMF in U251 cells, miR-640 inhibitor/BMF-siRNA was used. U251 cells were processed with 100 μM temozolomide (TMZ) and detected with CCK-8 kit. Eventually, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used for evaluating Bcl-2, Bax mRNA, and protein expression level. Flow cytometry analysis was performed to measure cellular apoptosis. Initially, the results indicated that BMF was the target gene of miR-640. MiR-640 negatively regulated BMF expression in GBM cells. Besides, the findings revealed that miR-640 inhibition significantly inhibited U251 cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, and increased the sensitivity of GBM cells to TMZ by targeting BMF. Moreover, BMF overexpression significantly suppressed U251 cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis, and increased the sensitivity of GBM cells to TMZ. Inhibition of miR-640 expression enhances chemosensitivity of human GBM cells to TMZ by targeting BMF.

With the increasingly serious eutrophication of inland water, the frequency and scope of harmful cyanobacteria blooms are increasing, which affects the ecological balance and endangers human health. The aim of this study was to propose an alternative method for the quantification of cyanobacterial concentrations in water by correlating multispectral data. The research object was the cyanobacteria in Erhai Lake, Dali, China. Ten monitoring sites were selected, and multispectral images and cyanobacterial concentrations were measured in Erhai Lake from September to November 2021. In this study, multispectral data were used as independent variables, and cyanobacterial concentrations as dependent variables. We performed curve estimation, and significance analysis for the independent variables, and compared them with the original variable model. Here, we chose about four algorithms to establish models and compare their applicability, including Multivariable Linear Regression (MLR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Extreme Learning Machine (ELM). The prediction performance was evaluated by the coefficient of determination (R2), Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE), and Mean Relative Error (MRE). The results showed that the variable analysis model outperformed the original variable model, the ELM was superior to other algorithms, and the variable analysis model based on the ELM algorithm achieved the best results (R2 = 0.7609, RMSE = 4197 cells/mL, MRE = 0.044). This study confirmed the applicability of cyanobacterial concentrations prediction using multispectral data, which can be characterized as a quick and easy methodology, and the deep neural network has great potential to predict the concentration of cyanobacteria.

Background: Hypoxia induced injury of pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier is closely related to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury after lung transplantation. VE-cadherin is an important structural molecule for pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier. In this study, we aim to investigate the roles of VE-cadherin in hypoxia induced injury of pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier. Methods: Rat model of hypoxia and cultured pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) were utilized. Determination of PMVECs apoptosis, skeleton combination was conducted to verify the effects of hypoxia on injury of pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier. In addition, VE-cadherin expression was modulated by administration of siRNA in order to investigate the roles of VE-cadherin in hypoxia induced PMVECs apoptosis and skeleton recombination. Results: Our data indicated that expression of VE-cadherin was down-regulated in hypoxia-exposed PMVECs. Whereas, in the cells treated using siRNA, down-regulation of VE-cadherin did not trigger PMVECs apoptosis, but it increased the sensitivity of PMVECs to the hypoxia induced apoptosis. In cases of hypoxia, the expression of VE-cadherin was significantly down-regulated, together with endothelial skeleton recombination and increase of permeability, which then triggered endothelial barrier dysfunction. Conclusions: These data verify that VE-cadherin expression played an important role in hypoxia induced PMVECs apoptosis and cellular skeletal recombination.

Urea electrolysis is a cost-effective method for urea-rich wastewater degradation to achieve a pollution-free environment. In this work, the Ni3S2/Ni heterostructure nanobelt arrays supported on nickel foam (Ni3S2/Ni/NF) are synthesized for accelerating the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). It only needs ultralow potentials of 1.30 V and -54 mV to achieve the current density of ±10 mA cm-2 for UOR and HER, respectively. Meanwhile, the overall urea oxidation driven by Ni3S2/Ni/NF only needs 1.36 V to achieve 10 mA cm-2, and it can remain at 100 mA cm-2 for 60 h without obvious activity attenuation. The superior performance could be attributed to the heterostructure between Ni3S2 and Ni, which can promote electron transfer and form electron-poor Ni species to optimize urea decomposition and hydrogen production. Moreover, the nanobelt self-supported structure could expose abundant active sites. This work thus provides a feasible and cost-effective strategy for urea-rich wastewater degradation and hydrogen production.

Due to the complex composition and high proportion of alloys in traditional ultrahigh strength steel, the dilemma caused by ultrahigh strength and low toughness in casting and forging processes requiring subsequent heat treatment can be mitigated with an efficient and economical rolling process. In this work, the effect of deformation parameters on dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and dynamic recovery (DRV) is discussed through stress-strain analysis, the DRV mathematical model is obtained, and then the dynamic recrystallization activation energy, Zener–Hollomon equation, and hot working equation are obtained. The critical strain of DRX detected by the P-J method is ε c / ε p = 0.631 , which indicates that dynamic recrystallization of this novel steel is relatively easy to achieve by the rolling process. These models and conclusions have potential to be generalized for the formulation of process specification and process configuration without requiring extensive material testing.

Urea electrolysis has prospects for urea-containing wastewater purification and hydrogen (H2) production, but the shortage of cost-effective catalysts restricts its development. In this work, the t...

The cost-effectively biomass-derived porous carbon is highly promising for usage in electrochemical energy storage as the electrode materials. Herein, a series of hierarchically porous carbons with biomass Chingma Abutilon Seeds as the renewable precursor were synthesized via KOH activation and high-temperature carbonization technique. The resulting carbon material possessed an interconnected structure, high specific surface area (120–3566 m2 g−1), hierarchical pores as well as the heteroatom-substituted functional groups. Based on the synergistic effect of the above-mentioned merits, the optimized material exhibited the remarkably electrochemical performance with high specific capacitance (389 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1) and excellent rate stability (72% capacitance retention at 20 A g−1) in the three-electrode configuration. More significantly, the symmetric two-electrode device assembled in 6 M KOH delivered a high energy density of 39.2 Wh kg−1 and excellent chemical stability (90% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles at 5 A g−1). Such prominent results might provide a new perspective on the value-added application of the renewable biomass resources in the electrochemical field.

A single-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) constructed with MoS2-GO nickel foam (NF) cathode was established for alizarin yellow R (AYR) decolorization and hydrogen production, and influences of AYR initial concentration, co-substrate and buffer on MECs performances were determined. The cathode was obtained by in-situ growing MoS2-GO on NF. Physico-chemical and electrochemical characterizations showed that MoS2-GO NF cathode exhibited superior performance towards catalytic hydrogen evolution. The decolorization efficiency of ∼ 90 % within 10 h was achieved with AYR initial concentrations ranging from 30 to 150 mg/L (PBS + NaAc medium), indicating that MECs performances were not severely inhibited as the mutual impact between electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) and azo dye decolorization. Improved hydrogen production (0.183 m3/d/m3) and COD removal (92.44 %) were obtained with NaAc + glucose co-substrate and PBS buffer, owing to lower cathodic potential, desired solution conductivity for charge transfer, and better growth of microbial communities under neutral condition. Besides, better MECs performances were obtained when using NaHCO3 as buffer, compared to Na2CO3, as milder environment could be provided for microbial growth by NaHCO3. Findings in this study could promote application potential of MECs for synchronous dye removal and clean energy production with proper operations.

Cellulose sponge was proposed to an attractive bio-absorbent owing to its highly efficient, low-cost, biodegradable, and renewable sourcing. In this work, the wasted cotton linter as raw materials, the highly porous and lightweight cellulose sponges were synthesized via a facile chemical crosslinking and freeze-drying process. The resultant cellulose sponge (CA) exhibited an interconnected three-dimensional porous structure through crosslinked with N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA), which was beneficial to remove organic dyestuffs. The effects of various factors including solution pH, contact time, initial dye concentration, and ionic strength on the adsorption behavior were investigated in detail. Herein, Langmuir isotherm models were selected to determine the adsorption capacity, and the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity for Methylene blue (MB) and Crystal violet (CV) was 123.46 and 76.63 mg/g, respectively. Particularly, the results of kinetic and thermodynamic tests showed that the adsorption performance was a spontaneous endothermic reaction and the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic. Furthermore, cellulose sponges could maintain maximum adsorption capacity even after twelve cycles. Therefore, the eco-friendly cellulose sponge would be a promising adsorbent for effective wastewater treatment.

Although liposomes have demonstrated significant clinical success as drug delivery vehicles, pharmacokinetic (PK) profiling of liposomal nanomedicines remains difficult due to technical challenges accurately measuring low concentrations of free drug in complex biological matrices. Microdialysis (MD) is well established as a powerful in vivo sampling tool for PK studies, but non-volatile salts present in the microdialysate are incompatible with mass spectrometry (MS) analysis without tedious sample pre-treatment. To address this issue, a µSPE-based microfluidic chip was fabricated to interface MD with MS. By incorporating PEG 20,000 as an effective anti-foulant, the µSPE-based microfluidic chip demonstrated excellent efficiencies in drug extraction and de-salting of the microdialysate, providing a promising approach to real-time monitoring of nanomedicine PK profiles.

In general, nitrogen and phosphorus in eutrophic water are absorbed by submerged plants for growth, which is considered as a feature and frequently applied in sustainable wastewater treatment. These plants are entirely submerged at the bottom of the water, absorbing nitrogen and phosphorus by roots, stems, leaves and epidermal cells. Compared with other species of aquatic plants, submerged plants show certain advantages in the aspects of planting area, total biomass and total removal of nitrogen and phosphorus. Rational utilization of submerged plants is an effective way to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from eutrophic water. Submerged macrophyte has been at the focus of attention in recent years as an alternative system for aquatic plant wastewater treatment with several applications in eutrophication. Aiming at the pollution control scheme of inland lakes, in this study, the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus by Hydrilla verticillaya (H. verticillaya) and Vallisneria natans (V. natans) were studied and compared in monoculture and mixed-culture plantings, thus screened the best submerged plants. Results showed that the removal capacity for ammonium (NH+4–N), Nitrate (NO–3–N) and total phosphorus (TP) from high to low was NH+4–N, NO–3–N, and TP. Reasonable allocation of plants can improve the removal efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus. The order of removal capacity for different submerged plants to pollutants was: mixed culture V. natans and H. verticillaya > H. verticillaya > V. natans. The transformation of NO–3–N to NH+4–N was considered as the NH+4–N removal mechanism.

Essential oil has been used as sedatives, anticonvulsants, and local anesthetics in traditional medical remedies; as preservatives for food, fruit, vegetable, and grain storage; and as bio-pesticides for food production. Linalool (LL), along with a few other major components such as methyl eugenol (ME), estragole (EG), and citronellal, are the active chemicals in many essential oils such as basil oil. Basil oil and the aforementioned monoterpenoids are potent against insect pests. However, the molecular mechanism of action of these chemical constituents is not well understood. It is well-known that the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) are primary molecular targets of the synthetic insecticides used in the market today. Furthermore, the GABAAR-targeted therapeutics have been used in clinics for many decades, including barbiturates and benzodiazepines, to name just a few. In this research, we studied the electrophysiological effects of LL, ME, EG, and citronellal on GABAAR and nAChR to further understand their versatility as therapeutic agents in traditional remedies and as insecticides. Our results revealed that LL inhibits both GABAAR and nAChR, which may explain its insecticidal activity. LL is a concentration-dependent, non-competitive inhibitor on GABAAR, as the half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) values of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) for the rat α1β3γ2L GABAAR were not affected by LL: (36.2 ± 7.9) μmol·L−1 and (36.1 ± 23.8) μmol·L−1 in the absence and presence of 5 mmol·L−1 LL, respectively. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of LL on GABAAR was approximately 3.2 mmol·L−1. Considering that multiple monoterpenoids are found within the same essential oil, it is likely that LL has a synergistic effect with ME, which has been previously characterized as both a GABAAR agonist and a positive allosteric modulator, and with other monoterpenoids, which offers a possible explanation for the sedative and anticonvulsant effects and the insecticidal activities of LL.

Polymeric microneedles (MNs) are attractive transdermal drug delivery systems because of their efficient drug delivery and minimal invasiveness. Master template fabrication is the most time-consuming and costly step in producing polymeric MNs using a micromoulding approach. Herein, this issue is addressed by modifying tattoo needle cartridges by adjusting the volume of a PDMS spacer, thus streamlining polymeric MN fabrication and significantly reducing its manufacturing cost. Using the fabricated master template, dissolvable polymeric MN systems containing poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were developed. This MN system exhibits several advantages, including controllable MN length, uniform distribution of each needle, and controllable drug release profiles. Overall, polymeric MN fabrication using this method is inexpensive, simple, and yields controllable and effective transdermal drug delivery.

Simultaneous isolation of various circulating tumor cell (CTC) subtypes from whole blood is useful in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Microfluidic affinity separation devices are promising for CTC separation because of their high throughput capacity and automatability. However, current affinity agents, such as antibodies (mAbs) and aptamers (Apts) alone, are still suboptimal for efficient, consistent, and versatile cell analysis. By introducing a hybrid affinity agent, i.e., an aptamer-antibody (Apt-mAb) conjugate, we developed a universal and regenerative microchip with high efficiency and non-invasiveness in the separation and profiling of various CTCs from blood. The Apt-mAb conjugate consists of a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds the target cell receptor and a surface-bound aptamer that recognizes the conserved Fc region of the mAb. The aptamer then indirectly links the surface functionalization of the microfluidic channels to the mAbs. This hybrid affinity agent and the microchip platform may be widely useful for various bio-particle separations in different biological matrices. Further, the regeneration capability of the microchip improves data consistency between multiple uses and minimizes plastic waste while promoting environmental sustainability. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: A hybrid affinity agent, Apt-mAb, consisting of a universal aptamer (Apt) that binds the conserved Fc region of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was developed. The invented nano-biomaterial combines the strengths and overcomes the weakness of both Apts and mAbs, thus changing the paradigm of affinity separation of cell subtypes. When Apt-mAb was used to fabricate microfluidic chips using a "universal screwdriver" approach, the microchip could be easily tuned to bind any cell type, exhibiting great universality. Besides high sensitivity and selectivity, the superior regenerative capacity of the microchips makes them reusable, which provides improved consistency and repeatability in cell profiling and opens a new approach towards in vitro diagnostic point-of-care testing devices with environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

Purpose: To determine the effect of MiR-21 on the proliferation of glioma cells in children with cholesteatoma, and the pathway involved. Methods: Cholesteatoma tissues from children with cholesteatoma in Otology Department of our hospital were isolated, extracted and cultured in serum-free medium of keratinocytes. The experiment comprised three groups: negative control group, blank control group and miR-21 inhibition group. Cell cycle and cell proliferation were analyzed. mRNA and protein expressions of phosphatase tension homologue (PTEN) and programmed cell death factor-4 (PDCD4) were determined. Results: The proliferation of CK cells in miR-21 group was significantly lower than that in negative control and blank control groups (p < 0.05). The proportion of CK cells at G0/G1 phase in miR-21 inhibition group was significantly higher than those in negative control and blank control groups (p < 0.05). The protein and mRNA expression levels of PTEN and PDCD4 in CK in miR-21 group were significantly higher than those in negative control and blank control groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Inhibition of miR-21 slows down cell proliferation to some extent, and induces apoptosis of cholesteatoma cells by inducing cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase via a mechanism linked to the negative regulation of expressions of PTEN and PDCD4. Thus, MiR-21 can be used as potential target for the drug of treatment of children with cholesteatoma.

Dissolvable polymeric microneedles (DPMNs) are promising transdermal drug delivery systems with minimal invasiveness and improved patient compliance. Incorporation of a small amount of graphene oxide (GO) in the biocompatible polymers for microneedle fabrication results in important new DPMN properties, that is, dramatically enhanced mechanic strength (10-17 times at 500 mg/mL GO), improved moisture resistance, self-sterilization, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties (demonstrated in vitro), and near-infrared light-activated controlled drug release (demonstrated in vitro and in vivo), which were exploited for the transdermal delivery of the chemotherapeutic, HA15, to melanoma-bearing mouse models. These new properties improve their efficacy of transdermal drug delivery and ease of use, enhance their capability of controlled drug release, enlarge the scope of the polymers that can be used for DPMN fabrication, prevent microbial contamination during storage and transportation, and reduce infection risk in clinical applications.

It is well known that public health emergencies can affect the mental health of medical personnel, and many studies have focused on cross-sectional studies with short-term benefits. The present study aimed to investigate the long-term influence of infectious disease outbreak about the mental health of hospital staff.The demographic characteristics and mental health status of staff in Fuzhou, China, were analyzed by using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Scale and Depression Screening Scale (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]) in February and December 2020.There were no significant differences in anxiety levels during different time periods (Since the outbreak of an infectious disease public health emergency, the anxiety of hospital staff has decreased over time, but the depression has increased. The management and psychological support personnel in medical institutions should continue to pay attention to the mental health of medical staff, and it is necessary to take different intervention measures in different periods when implementing the psychological crisis prevention mechanism.