Circ_0050444 represses esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression through sponging miR-486-3p to upregulate C10orf91.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) ranks as the fourth leading cause of tumor-related deaths in China. Circ_0050444 has been revealed to be downregulated in ESCC tissues, however, its function and molecular mechanism underlying ESCC progression is unknown. Therefore, we attempted to clarify the functional role and molecular mechanism of circ_0050444 underlying ESCC progression. RT-qPCR and RNase R digestion assays were used to evaluate circ_0050444 expression and stability characteristics in ESCC cells. Gain-of-function assays were conducted to clarify circ_0050444 role in ESCC cell malignant behaviors. Bioinformatics and mechanism experiments were performed to assess the relationship between circ_0050444 or C10orf91 and miR-486-3p in ESCC cells. Rescue assays were conducted to evaluate the regulatory function of the circ_0050444-miR-486-3p-C10orf91 axis in ESCC cellular processes. Circ_0050444 expression was found to be downregulated both in ESCC patient tissues and cell lines. Functionally, circ_0050444 overexpression repressed ESCC cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive capabilities in cultured cells. Mechanistically, circ_0050444 was found to be competitively bound with miR-486-3p to upregulate C10orf91 in ESCC cells. Moreover, the impact of circ_0050444 elevation on ESCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion was countervailed by C10orf91 silencing. Circ_0050444 presents downregulation and functions as a tumor suppressor in ESCC progression. Circ_0050444 suppresses ESCC proliferation, migration, and invasion through sponging miR-486-3p to upregulate C10orf91, providing a potential new direction for seeking therapeutic plans for ESCC.

Cd2+ enhancing the bromination of bisphenol A in Brassica chinensis L.: Pathways and mechanisms.

Traditional heavy metal pollution, such as cadmium, impacts the transformation and risks of bisphenol pollutants (like bisphenol A, BPA), in plants, especially due to the ubiquitous presence of bromide ion. Although it has been discovered that the bromination of phenolic pollutants occurs in plants, thereby increasing the associated risks, the influence and mechanisms of bromination under complex contamination conditions involving both heavy metals and phenolic compounds remain poorly understood. This study addresses the issue by exposing Brassica chinensis L. to cadmium ion (Cd2+, 25-100 µM), with the hydroponic solution containing BPA (15 mg/L) and bromide ion (0.5 mM) in this work. It was observed that Cd2+ primarily enhanced the bromination of BPA by elevating the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the activity of peroxidase (POD) in Brassica chinensis L. The variety of bromination products within Brassica chinensis L. increased as the concentration of Cd2+ rose from 25 to 100 µM. The substitution positions of bromine were determined using Gaussian calculations and mass spectrometry analysis. The toxicity of bromination products derived from BPA was observed to increase based on Ecological Structure-Activity Relationships analysis and HepG2 cytotoxicity assays. This study provides new insights into the risks and health hazards associated with cadmium pollution, particularly its role in enhancing the bromination of bisphenol pollutants in plants.

Development of a broad-spectrum one-step immunoassay for detection of glucocorticoids in milk using magnetosome-based immunomagnetic beads.

Immunomagnetic beads provide novel tools for high-throughput immunoassay techniques. In this study, protein G (PG) was immobilized onto bacterial magentic particles (BMPs) using an additional cysteine residue at the C-terminus. A broad-spectrum monoclonal antibody against glucocorticoids (GCs) was attached to BMPs through PG-Fc interaction, generating BMP-PG-mIgG immunomagentic beads. A sensitive one-step immunoassay was developed for GCs based on combination of BMP-PG-mIgG and dexamethasone-horseradish peroxidase tracer (DMS-HRP). The developed assay exhibited half inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for dexamethasone (DMS), betamethasone (BMS), prednisolone (PNS), hydrocortisone (HCS), beclomethasone (BCMS), cortisone (CS), 6-α-methylprednisone (6-α-MPNS), fludrocortisone acetate (HFCS) of 0.98, 1.49, 2.42, 9.29, 1.63, 6.13, 7.3, and 4.89 ng/mL, respectively. The method showed recoveries ranging rates from 86.5 % to 117 % with a coefficient of variation less than 12.3 % in milk sample, which showed a good correlation with LC-MS/MS. Thus, the proposed assay offers a rapid and broad-spectrum screening tool for simultaneous detection of GCs in milk.

tRNA-Uridine Aminocarboxypropyltransferase DTW Domain Containing 2 Suppresses Colon Adenocarcinoma Progression.

Background: DTW Domain Containing 2 (DTWD2) is a newly identified transfer RNA-uridine aminocarboxypropyltransferase. Dysregulated expression of DTWD1 has been reported in several malignancies, nevertheless, the role of DTWD2 in cancers remains completely unknown. Here, we aimed to initially investigate the expression and role of DTWD2 in colon adenocarcinoma. Methods: We first evaluated the transcription and mRNA levels of DTWD2 using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Besides, we tested its mRNA and protein expression in our enrolled retrospective cohort. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess its prognostic value. Cellular experiments and xenografts were also performed to validate the role of DTWD2 in colon cancer progression. Results: DTWD2 was downregulated in colon adenocarcinoma and associated with poor prognosis. Lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and advanced tumor stage are all characterized by lower DTWD2 levels. Furthermore, Cox regression analysis demonstrated that DTWD2 is a novel independent prognostic factor for colon cancer patients. Finally, cellular and xenograft data demonstrated that silencing DTWD2 significantly enhanced colon cancer growth. Conclusion: Low expression of DTWD2 may be a potential molecular marker for poor prognosis in colon cancer.

Initial ablation ratio predicts the recurrence of low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinomas treated with microwave ablation: a 5-year, single-institution cohort study.

Objective: To assess the long-term efficacy and safety of microwave ablation (MWA) in treating low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMC) and to identify predictive factors for the postoperative local tumor progression of PTMC. Methods: A total of 154 low-risk PTMC patients treated with MWA who were followed up for at least 3 months were retrospectively recruited. Ultrasonography was performed after MWA to assess the local tumor progression. Adverse events associated with MWA were recorded. The ablated volume (Va) and initial ablation ratio (IAR) were measured to assess their influences on the recurrence risk of PTMC. Results: The mean tumor volume of PTMC before MWA was 0.071 (0.039, 0.121) cm3, with a maximum diameter of 0.60 ± 0.18 cm. All PTMC patients were followed up for 6 (3, 18) months. Va increased immediately after MWA, then gradually decreased over time, till significantly smaller at 12 months than that before MWA (P < 0.05). The median volume reduction ratio at 24 months reached 100%, which was maintained during a 60-month follow-up. A total of 7 (4.55%) cases of local tumor progression were recorded during the follow-up. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the rate of local tumor progression was significantly lower in PTMC patients with a maximum tumor diameter < 0.70 cm than in those with ≥0.70 cm (P = 0.031). A significant better prognosis was achieved in PTMC patients with IAR ≥ 15 than in those with IAR < 15 (P = 0.015). Sex, age (<55 years) and preoperative thyroid-stimulating hormone (>2.0 mU/L) of PTMC patients were not correlated with local tumor progression. Conclusion: MWA is an effective therapeutic strategy for low-risk PTMC with high safety. The maximum tumor diameter and IAR are predictive factors for the local tumor progression of PTMC after MWA.

Effects of somatostatin in combination with early hemoperfusion on inflammatory, hemorheological and oxidative parameters during the treatment of acute pancreatitis / Efectos de la somatostatina en combinación con hemoperfusión precoz sobre parámetros inflamatorios, hemorreológicos y oxidativos durante el tratamiento de la pancreatitis aguda

Abstract We aimed to evaluate the effects of somatostatin combined with early hemoperfusion on inflammatory and stress responses during acute pancreatitis (AP) treatment. A total of 159 AP patients treated from September 2016 to January 2020 were randomly divided into three groups A-C (n=53). In addition to routine treatment, groups A-C were additionally given somatostatin, early hemoperfusion, and somatostatin combined with early hemoperfusion, respectively. Their inflammatory factors, stress response, intestinal mucosal barrier, hemorheological indices, recovery time, length of stay, clinical efficacy, and adverse reactions were compared. The levels of serum interleukin-10 (IL - 10), catalase and glutathione peroxidase rose in the three groups after ten days of treatment, compared with values before treatment, being the highest rise in group C. The levels of IL -18, tumor necrosis factor-α, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, procalcitonin, high mobility group protein B1, lipid hydrogen peroxide, advanced oxidation protein products, epinephrine, cortisol, D-lactic acid, diamine oxidase, and endotoxin decreased after ten days of treatment compared with those before treatment, which were lowest in group C (P<0.05). After ten days of treatment, the levels of hemorheological indices were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05). Compared with groups A and B, group C had a shorter recovery time of urine amylase, bowel sound and passing gas, remission time of abdominal pain, length of stay, and a higher total response rate (P<0.05). During AP treatment, somatostatin combined with early hemoperfusion effectively relieved inflammatory and stress responses, protected the intestinal mucosal barrier function and improved the hemorheology, thereby promoting the recovery and benefiting the prognosis of patients.

Resumen Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar los efectos de la somatostatina combinada con hemoperfusión temprana sobre las respuestas inflamatorias y de estrés durante el tratamiento de la pancreatitis aguda (PA). Un total de 159 pacientes con PA tratados entre septiembre de 2016 y enero de 2020 se dividieron aleatoriamente en tres grupos A-C (n=53). Con base en el tratamiento de rutina, los grupos A-C recibieron además somatostatina, hemoperfusión temprana y somatostatina combinada con hemoperfusión temprana, respectivamente. Se compararon sus factores inflamatorios, respuesta al estrés, barrera de la mucosa intestinal, índices hemorreológicos, tiempo de recuperación, tiempo de estancia, eficacia clínica y reacciones adversas. Los niveles séricos de interleucina-10 (IL -10), catalasa y glutatión peroxidasa aumentaron en los tres grupos después de 10 días de tratamiento, comparados con los valores antes del tratamiento, siendo más elevados en el grupo C. Los niveles de IL - 18, factor de necrosis tumoral α, molécula de adhesión intercelular 1 soluble, procalcitonina, proteína B1 del grupo de alta movilidad, peróxido de hidrógeno lipídico, los productos proteicos de oxidación avanzada, epinefrina, cortisol, ácido D-láctico, diaminooxidasa y endotoxina disminuyeron después de 10 días de tratamiento en comparación con los previos al tratamiento, que fueron más bajos en el grupo C (P<0,05). Después de 10 días de tratamiento, los índices hemorreológicos fueron significativamente menores que los previos al tratamiento (P<0,05). En comparación con los grupos A y B, el grupo C tuvo un tiempo de recuperación más corto de amilasa en orina, sonido y escape intestinal, tiempo de remisión del dolor abdominal y tiempo de estancia, y una tasa de respuesta total más alta (P<0,05). Durante el tratamiento de la AP, la somatostatina combinada con hemoperfusión precoz alivia eficazmente las respuestas inflamatorias y de estrés, protege la función de la barrera de la mucosa intestinal y mejora la hemorología, favoreciendo la recuperación y beneficiando el pronóstico de los pacientes.

Self-circulation of oily spent hydrodesulphurization (HDS) catalyst by catalytic pyrolysis for high quality oil recovery.

In this study, roasted spent HDS ash (sHDSc-A) was used for the first time to catalytically pyrolyze oily spent HDS catalysts (sHDSc) to improve the yield and quality of pyrolysis oil. The results showed that sHDSc-A promoted the decomposition of coke in oily sHDSc, resulting in the recovery of more oil and gas. Meanwhile, sHDSc-A significantly improved the quality of the pyrolysis oil. They inhibited the aromatization of alkanes to increase the saturation of the pyrolysis oil from 59.39% to 74.25% and the H/C radio from 1.62 to 1.72; promoted the decomposition of long-chain alkanes to increase the content of C11-C22 from 41.97% to 61.99%; enhanced the conversion of carboxylic acids to ketones led to the reduction of heteroatomic compounds such as N (56.10%-45.39%), S (66.95%-56.59%), and O (45.26%-26.70%) in the pyrolysis oil. The promotion of sHDSc-A in the pyrolysis process is attributed to the catalytic effect of the metal oxides in sHDSc-A. Among them, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 can promote decarboxylation of carboxylic acids and reduce O mobility, while MoO3 and Fe2O3 play a significant role in reducing coke and increasing pyrolysis oil. NiO can also promote methane vapor reforming, and thus increase the production of H2 in non-condensable gas. This study achieves self-circulation of oily sHDSc with a "waste-treatment-waste" strategy that presents the advantage of value-added energy recovery and waste reuse.

Subxiphoid and subcostal arch versus unilateral video-assisted thoracic surgery approaches to thymectomy for myasthenia gravis.

PURPOSE: Thymectomy is an important treatment for myasthenia gravis (MG). We conducted this study to compare the clinical outcomes of the recently introduced subxiphoid and subcostal arch thymectomy (SASAT) approach with those of the standard unilateral video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). METHODS: We analyzed, retrospectively, the perioperative, and long-term outcomes of 179 consecutive MG patients (age 18-65 years), who underwent SASAT or unilateral VATS-extended thymectomy between July, 2012 and May, 2019. RESULTS: All demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable in the two groups. The median surgical time, estimated blood loss, thoracotomy conversion rate, total and chest drainage, and complications did not differ significantly between the groups. The visual analog scale (VAS) score was significantly lower in the SASAT group. Complete stable remission (CSR) was achieved in a significantly larger proportion of the SASAT group patients and was significantly higher in women than in men. The Quantitative MG score was significantly lower in the SASAT group. Patients in the MG Foundation of America Clinical Classification groups I and II achieved better remission rates than those in groups III-V. CONCLUSIONS: SASAT is a safe and feasible MG treatment, which may yield better outcomes than unilateral VATS and improve the quality of treatment.

A Novel Variant and a Missense Variant Identified in the DKC1 Gene in Three Chinese Familieswith Dyskeratosis Congenita.

Purpose: Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited telomere biology disorder characterized clinically by mucocutaneous triad of reticulate hyperpigmentation, nail changes and oral leukoplakia. Bone marrow failure, pulmonary fibrosis and malignancies are the mainly life-threatening causes. There are X-linked recessive, autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive patterns of DC. DKC1 is the most common pathogenic mutation gene responsible for X-linked DC, and it encodes a protein, dyskerin, which is a component of telomerase holoenzyme complex essential for telomere maintenance. Patients with DC have very short telomeres, but the precise pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the causative mutations in the DKC1 gene in three Chinese families with the X-linked form of DC. Patients and Methods: Three Chinese families with DC were included in this study. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed to clarify the mutation of DKC1 gene. Measurement of relative telomere length through qPCR. Predictions of protein structure and function were performed using bioinformatics tools, including I-TASSER, Polyphen-2 and SIFT. Results: There were four males with DC and a female carrier in three Chinese pedigrees. The novel mutation c.92A>C (p. Q31P) and the missense mutation c.1058C>T (p. A353V) in DKC1 were identified. Both mutations locally changed the structure of dyskerin. Variant Q31P and A353V were predicted to have "deleterious" and "natural" effects on the function of dyskerin, respectively. Conclusion: The novel variant and missense variant detected in the DKC1 gene improve our understanding of DC and broaden the mutation spectrum of the DKC1 gene.

Cellular Network Power Allocation Algorithm Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

In the shortest path planning problem, the old algorithm usually has many defects, such as the robot's cognition being contrary to reality, the lack of practical operation feasibility, or the limitation of problem processing. Nowadays, with deep learning, artificial intelligence algorithms tend to be mature; it has become a mainstream trend to adopt end-to-end learning system instead of traditional old algorithms. In recent years, with the rise of the Internet of things emerging technology industry and the explosive surge of network data traffic, the drawback is the increasingly severe shortage of wireless spectrum resources. In order to effectively reduce the cochannel interference of D2D communication technology in the system and enhance the useable range of the cellular network, it is necessary to distribute the useful and efficient cellular resources of the system. In this article, we will study the D2D users and the selection scheme of D2D users' transmission power control mode and allocate the spectrum resources in the uplink of the cellular users in the communication network. In order to reduce the cochannel interference in a cellular network and improve the spectrum utilization of the system, the research direction of this article is to solve the problem of user communication resource allocation in a single-cell hybrid cellular network.

Preliminary Study of an Adjustable, Wearable, Noninvasive Vest Providing Chest Compression to Assist with Breathing.

Respiratory muscle paralysis caused by acute cervical spinal cord injury usually leads to pulmonary ventilation dysfunction and even death from respiratory failure. In addition to invasive treatments such as mechanical ventilation, the utilization of noninvasive respiratory support equipment plays an important role in long-term assisted breathing. In this study, we describes a wearable, noninvasive vest with adjustable pressure that enables assisted breathing and with an automatic alarm, and we aims to explore its safety and effectiveness on healthy adult participants. The vest monitors the human heart rate and the blood oxygen index data in real time, the alarm is automatically activated when the data is abnormal. Eight healthy participants had no obvious discomfort during the test while wearing the vest. Lung volumes, antero-posterior diameters, and left-right diameters at the second, fourth, and sixth ribs levels were acquired before and after inflation of the vest airbag, the data acquired by the imaging analysis using chest computed tomography showed significant differences before and after the inflation (p < 0.05). Thus, The vest designed for this study can achieve uniform and effective compression of the thorax, significantly changed the size of the thorax and lungs. It is expected to be applied as noninvasive support for patients with respiratory dysfunction.

Bio-augmentation with dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) driven sulfide-oxidizing bacteria enhances the durability of nitrate-mediated souring control.

Biological souring (producing sulfide) is a global challenge facing anaerobic water bodies, especially the oil reservoir fluids. Nitrate injection has demonstrated great potential in souring control, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) bacteria was proposed to play crucial roles in the process. How to durably control souring with nitrate amendment, however, remains undiscovered. Herein, Gordonia sp. TD-4, a DNRA-driven sulfide-oxidizing bacterium, was used to elucidate the effects of bio-augmentation with DNRA bacteria on the durability of nitrate-mediated souring control. The results revealed that nitrate amendment combined with bio-augmentation with TD-4 after souring could effectively control souring and enhance the durability of nitrate-mediated souring control, while nitrate amendment before souring failed to persistently control souring. Nitrate amendment before and after souring resulted in different evolution dynamics of nitrate-reducing bacteria. Denitrifying bacteria were enriched in reactors amended with nitrate before souring or in dissolved sulfide exhausted reactors amended with nitrate after souring. The heterotrophic denitrifying activity of denitrifying bacteria, however, decreased the durability of nitrate-mediated souring control. Comparative and functional genomics analysis identified potential niche adaptation mechanisms (autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrate/nitrite reduction, including DNRA and denitrification) of predominant SRB in nitrate-amended environments, which were responsible for the rapid resumption of sulfide accumulation after the depletion of nitrate and nitrite. Pulsed injection of nitrate combined with bio-augmentation with DNRA-driven sulfide-oxidizing bacteria was proposed as a potential method to enhance the durability of nitrate-mediated souring control. The findings were innovatively applied to simultaneous bio-demulsification and souring control of emulsified and sour produced water from the petroleum industry.

Elevated Expression of SATB1 Predicts Unfavorable Clinical Outcomes in Colon Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUNDS: Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1) belongs to the chromatin-remodeling protein which regulates different genes expression. High expression of SATB1 was found to be associated with the development of certain carcinomas. However, the functions of SATB1 in colon adenocarcinoma (CAC) remains unclear yet. Our study aims to investigate the potential role of SATB1 in CAC and whether it is associated with the unfavorable symptoms of CAC patients. METHODS: The expression pattern of SATB1 was measured in CAC samples and adjacent noncancerous samples through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry staining. We performed univariate and multivariate analyses to evaluate the clinical role of SATB1 in enrolled patients. The Kaplan-Meier analyses and log-rank tests were carried out to assess the clinicopathologic characteristics. The effect of SATB1 in human colon cancer cells was examined through cellular experiments. RESULTS: The expression level of SATB1 in CAC tissues was significantly elevated compared with adjacent control tissues. High expression of SATB1 in tumor tissue was found to be associated with lymph node metastasis and advanced TNM stage. Higher SATB1 level in CAC patients indicated a worse 5-year survival time. Moreover, high SATB1 was defined as an independent poor prognostic factor. Cellular experiments showed that inhibition of the SATB1 protein level in human colon cells could suppress the migration and invasion capabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed that high expression of SATB1 was significantly correlated with the poor clinical features and prognosis of CAC patients. It indicated that SATB1 might serve as a potential prognostic predictor and novel drug target for CAC treatment.

RAD6 Positively Affects Tumorigenesis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Regulating Histone Ubiquitination of CCNB1.

Objective Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is deadly cancer worldwide with unknown etiology. This study aimed to investigate the impact and mechanism of RAD6 on the development of Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).Expressions of RAD6A and RAD6B in ESCA were investigated from TCGA dataset and their expressions in tissue sample of ESCA patients and cells were determined. Functional experiments were conducted to explore the impact of RAD6A and RAD6B on malignant characteristics of several kinds of ESCC cells. Animal experiment was established and injected with RAD6A and RAD6B shRNA to evaluate the effect on tumor growth.RAD6A and RAD6B were up-regulated in ESCC cells and tissues. Overexpressed RAD6A and RAD6B similarly increased ESCC cell proliferation, invasion and migration and silencing of RAD6 exerted opposite effects. Knockdown of RAD6A suppressed tumor growth and decreased the level of H2B, as data demonstrated positive correlation between RAD6A and CCNB1 in ESCC tissues.Collectively, this study elucidates that RAD6 is up-regulated in ESCC and promotes the progression of ESCC through up-regulation of CCNB1 to enhance H2B ubiquitination. These evidence provide a novel insight into the pathogenesis of ESCC and might contribute to the development of targeted therapy.

Effects of Asphaltene Concentration and Test Temperature on the Stability of Water-in-Model Waxy Crude Oil Emulsions.

In oil fields, the formation of water-in-waxy crude oil emulsion is inevitable. The dissolved/crystallized state wax can interact with asphaltenes and then greatly affect the emulsion stability. However, studies on this aspect are still insufficient. In this work, the effects of the test temperature (30 °C well above the wax appearance temperature (WAT) and 15 °C well below the WAT) and asphaltene concentration (0∼1.5 wt %) on the stability of the water-in-model waxy crude oil emulsions containing 10 wt % wax were systematically investigated. When the model crude oils contain no wax, the flowability of the oils is good and the asphaltene concentration has little influence on the oil rheology. Increasing the asphaltene concentration facilitates the adsorption of asphaltenes to the oil-water interface, thus reducing the interfacial tension and water droplet size while enhancing the interfacial dilatational modulus. The stability of the emulsions improves with the increase in the asphaltene concentration, but the emulsions are still unstable. When the model crude oils contain 10 wt % wax, the WAT slightly decreases from the initial 25 to 24 °C after the addition of asphaltenes. The oil rheology is greatly improved by the addition of 0.05 wt % asphaltenes. With the further increase of the asphaltene concentration, the improved rheological ability of the asphaltenes deteriorates rapidly. At the asphaltene concentration of 1.5 wt %, the oil rheology is dramatically aggravated. The stability of the emulsion containing 10 wt % wax is mainly controlled by two aspects: on the one hand, the dissolved-state wax (30 °C) could facilitate the adsorption of asphaltenes to the interface, further reduce the interfacial tension and the water droplet size, and enhance the interfacial dilatational modulus; on the other hand, the wax crystals precipitated in the oil phase (15 °C) can form a stronger network structure at relatively high asphaltene concentrations (0.5∼1.5 wt %) and then immobilize the water droplets. The above two aspects greatly improve the sedimentation and coalescence stabilities of the emulsions at 15 °C. In addition, we did not find persuasive evidence showing that the wax could crystallize around the water droplets and strengthen the oil-water interfacial films.

Stress proteins, nonribosomal peptide synthetases, and polyketide synthases regulate carbon sources-mediated bio-demulsifying mechanisms of nitrate-reducing bacterium Gordonia sp. TD-4.

Carbon sources have been reported to determine the bio-demulsifying performance and mechanisms. However, the genetic regulation of carbon sources-mediated bio-demulsification remains unclear. Here, the effects of ß-oxidation, stress response, and nitrate metabolism on the demulsification of alkaline-surfactant-polymer flooding produced water by Gordonia sp. TD-4 were investigated. The results showed that competitive adsorption-derived demulsification was mediated by oil-soluble carbon sources (paraffin). Surface-active lipopeptides responsible for competitive adsorption-derived demulsification could be biosynthesized by the nonribosomal peptide synthetases and polyketide synthases using oil-soluble carbon sources. Bio-flocculation-derived demulsification was mediated by water-soluble carbon sources. Water-soluble carbon sources (sodium acetate and glucose) mediated the process of the dissimilatory reduction of nitrate to ammonia, which resulted in the variable accumulation of nitrite. The accumulated nitrite (>180 mg-N/L) stimulated stress response and induced the upregulation of chaperone-associated genes. The upregulation of chaperonins increased the cell surface hydrophobicity and the cation-dependent bio-flocculating performance, which were responsible for bio-flocculation-derived demulsification. The ß-oxidation of fatty acids significantly affected both competitive adsorption-derived demulsification and bio-flocculation-derived demulsification. This study illustrates the synergistic effects of nitrogen sources and carbon sources on the regulation of bio-demulsifying mechanisms of TD-4 and identifies two key functional gene modules responsible for the regulation of bio-demulsifying mechanisms.

A Robust Superhydrophobic Polyurethane Sponge Loaded with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Efficient and Selective Oil-Water Separation.

The influence of different coupling agents and coupling times on the wettability of a polyurethane (PU) sponge surface were optimized. Octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) was selected as the optimal coupling agent to prepare the superhydrophobic sponge. The superhydrophobic sponge was prepared in one step, which has the advantages of simple operation and enhanced durability. The superhydrophobic sponge was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Teclis Tracker tensiometry, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometry. The water contact angle increased from 64.1° to 151.3°, exhibiting ideal superhydrophobicity. Oils and organic solvents with different viscosities and densities can be rapidly and selectively absorbed by superhydrophobic sponges, with an absorption capacity of 14.99 to 86.53 times the weight of the sponge itself, without absorbing any water. Since temperature affects the viscosity and ionic strength of oil, and influences the surface wettability of the sponges, the effect of temperature and ionic strength on the oil absorption capacity of the superhydrophobic sponges was measured, and its mechanism was elucidated. The results showed that the absorptive capacity retained more than 90% of the initial absorptive capacity after repeated use for 10 times. Low-cost, durable superhydrophobic sponges show great potential for large-scale oil-water separation.