Sorting Out the Latest Advances in Separators and Pilot-Scale Microbial Electrochemical Systems for Wastewater Treatment: Concomitant Development, Practical Application, and Future Perspective.

To date, dozens of pilot-scale microbial fuel cell (MFC) devices have been successfully developed worldwide for treating various types of wastewater. The availability and configurations of separators are determining factors for the economic feasibility, efficiency, sustainability, and operability of these devices. Thus, the concomitant advances between the separators and pilot-scale MFC configurations deserve further clarification. The analysis of separator configurations has shown that their evolution proceeds as follows: from ion-selective to ion-non-selective, from nonpermeable to permeable, and from abiotic to biotic. Meanwhile, their cost is decreasing and their availability is increasing. Notably, the novel MFCs configured with biotic separators are superior to those configured with abiotic separators in terms of wastewater treatment efficiency and capital cost. Herein, a highly comprehensive review of pilot-scale MFCs (>100 L) has been conducted, and we conclude that the intensive stack of the liquid cathode configuration is more advantageous when wastewater treatment is the highest priority. The use of permeable biotic separators ensures hydrodynamic continuity within the MFCs and simplifies reactor configuration and operation. In addition, a systemic comparison is conducted between pilot-scale MFC devices and conventional decentralized wastewater treatment processes. MFCs showed comparable cost, higher efficiency, long-term stability, and significant superiority in carbon emission reduction. The development of separators has greatly contributed to the availability and usability of MFCs, which will play an important role in various wastewater treatment scenarios in the future.

Atomic Molybdenum Nanomaterials for Electrocatalysis.

As a sustainable energy technology, electrocatalytic energy conversion requires electrocatalysts, which greatly motivates the exploitation of high-performance electrocatalysts based on nonprecious metals. Molybdenum-based nanomaterials have demonstrated promise as electrocatalysts because of their unique physiochemical and electronic properties. Among them, atomic Mo catalysts, also called Mo-based single-atom catalysts (Mo-SACs), have the most accessible active sites and tunable microenvironments and are thrivingly explored in various electrochemical conversion reactions. A timely review of such rapidly developing topics is necessary to provide guidance for further exploration of optimized Mo-SACs toward electrochemical energy technologies. In this review, recent advances in the synthetic strategies for Mo-SACs are highlighted, focusing on the microenvironment engineering of Mo atoms. Then, the representative achievements of their applications in various electrocatalytic reactions involving the N2, H2O, and CO2 cycles are summarized by combining experimental and computational results. Finally, prospects for the future development of Mo-SACs in electrocatalysis are provided and the key challenges that require further investigation and optimization are highlighted.

Dietary additive ferulic acid alleviated oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis induced by chronic exposure to avermectin in the liver of common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Avermectin (AVM) has been utilized extensively in agricultural production since it is a low-toxicity pesticide. However, the pollution caused by its residues to fisheries aquaculture has been neglected. As an abundant polyphenolic substance in plants, ferulic acid (FA) possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The goal of the study is to assess the FA's ability to reduce liver damage in carp brought on by AVM exposure. Four groups of carp were created at random: the control group; the AVM group; the FA group; and the FA + AVM group. On day 30, and the liver tissues of carp were collected and examined for the detection of four items of blood lipid as well as the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in carp liver tissues by biochemical kits, and the transcript levels of indicators of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis by qPCR. The results showed that liver injury, inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis were attenuated in the FA + AVM group compared to the AVM group. In summary, dietary addition of FA could ameliorate the hepatotoxicity caused by AVM in carp by alleviating oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis in liver tissues.

Exploration of registration and the risk of bias in acupuncture randomised controlled trials: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are the predominant type in acupuncture clinical research, and the publications have increased rapidly in recent years, but there is a prevalence of the high risk of bias and poor methodological design in acupuncture RCTs. Clinical trial registration can improve the transparency and credibility of studies by disclosing key information in advance. However, the registration in acupuncture RCTs is not satisfactory, as there is widespread of the under-registration, inconsistency with published studies and insufficient disclosure of key methodological information. Whether registration can reduce the risk of bias in acupuncture RCTs and improve data transparency has not been fully explored. Therefore, we constructed this study to investigate the association between registration and risk of bias and data sharing level in acupuncture RCTs. METHODS: Seven databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases will be systematically searched between 1 January 2014 and 31 March 2024, for acupuncture RCTs. Two reviewers will independently extract data using a predefined standardised format and perform secondary validation. The characteristics and data sharing level of the included studies will be summarised. The risk of bias of included RCTs will be assessed by the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials. The risk of bias and registration in acupuncture RCTs will be analysed by logistic or quantile regression analyses (depending on the number of minimum events). The data sharing level and registration will be analysed by quantile regression analyses. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As the systematic review aims to consolidate info from published sources, ethical approval is not necessary for this study. The study's findings will be submitted to a peer-reviewed academic journal and disseminated via conference presentations. This protocol has been registered in Open Science Framework Registries.

Ferulic acid alleviates avermectin induced renal injury in carp by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Avamectin (AVM), a macrolide antibiotic, is widely used in fisheries, agriculture, and animal husbandry, however, its irrational use poses a great danger to aquatic organisms. Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural chemical found in the cell walls of plants. It absorbs free radicals from the surrounding environment and acts as an antioxidant. However, the protective effect of FA against kidney injury caused by AVM has not been demonstrated. In this study, 60 carp were divided into the control group, AVM group (2.404 µg/L), FA+AVM group and FA group (400 mg/kg). Pathological examination, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and western blot were used to evaluate the preventive effect of FA on renal tissue injury after AVM exposure. Histological findings indicated that FA significantly reduced the swelling and infiltration of inflammatory cells in the kidney tissues of carp triggered by AVM. Dihydroethidium (DHE) fluorescent probe assay showed that FA inhibited the accumulation of kidney ROS. Biochemical results showed that FA significantly increased glutathione (GSH) content, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and catalase (CAT) activity, and decreased intracellular malondialdehyde (MDA) content. In addition, western blot results revealed that the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and p-NF-κBp65 in the carp kidney were inhibited by AVM, but reversed by the FA. The qPCR results exhibited that FA significantly increased the mRNA levels of tgf-ß1 and il-10, while significantly down-regulated the gene expression levels of tnf-α, il-6 and il-1ß. These data suggest that FA can reduce oxidative stress and renal tissue inflammation induced by AVM. At the same time, FA inhibited the apoptosis of renal cells induced by AVM by decreasing the transcription level and protein expression level of Bax, and increasing the transcription level and protein expression level of Bcl2, PI3K and AKT. This study provides preliminary evidence for the theory that FA reduces the level of oxidative stress, inflammation response and kidney tissue damage caused by apoptosis in carp, providing a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of the AVM.

Analysis of influencing factors and construction of prediction model for postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing number of bariatric surgeries, the high incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) associated with this surgery has also gradually attracted attention. Among the common bariatric surgery methods, patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (SG) have the highest incidence of nausea and vomiting. The mechanism of occurrence of PONV is very complex. This study aims to explore the influencing factors of PONV in patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and construct a nomogram prediction model based on these factors. METHODS: With the approval of the Ethics Committee, the electronic medical records of patients who underwent LSG from July 2022 to May 2023 were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 114 patients with complete medical records who underwent LSG from July 2022 to May 2023 were included in this study. Among them, 46 patients developed PONV, resulting in a PONV incidence rate of 40.4%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that female gender, the use of inhalation anesthesia, and operation time ≥ 120 min were risk factors for PONV in LSG. Additionally, the use of more than two kinds of antiemetic drugs was identified as a protective factor. Based on these factors, a nomogram model was constructed. CONCLUSION: PONV in patients undergoing LSG is related to gender, type of anesthesia, duration of surgery, and combination therapy with antiemetic drugs. The nomogram prediction model constructed in this study demonstrates high accuracy and discrimination in predicting the occurrence of PONV in patients undergoing LSG.

Safety evaluation of single-sperm cryopreservation technique applied in intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a technique that directly injects a single sperm into the cytoplasm of mature oocytes. Here, we explored the safety of single-sperm cryopreservation applied in ICSI. This retrospective study enrolled 186 couples undergoing ICSI-assisted pregnancy. Subjects were allocated to the fresh sperm (group A)/single-sperm cryopreservation (group B) groups based on sperm type, with their clinical baseline/pathological data documented. We used ICSI-compliant sperm for subsequent in vitro fertilization and followed up on all subjects. The recovery rate/cryosurvival rate/sperm motility of both groups, the pregnancy/outcome of women receiving embryo transfer, and the delivery mode/neonatal-related information of women with successful deliveries were recorded. The clinical pregnancy rate, cumulative clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, premature delivery rate, live birth delivery rate, neonatal birth defect rate, and average birth weight were analyzed. The two groups showed no significant differences in age, body mass index, ovulation induction regimen, sex hormone [anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)/luteinizing hormone (LH)] levels, or oocyte retrieval cycles. The sperm recovery rate (51.72%-100.00%) and resuscitation rate (62.09% ± 16.67%) in group B were higher; the sperm motility in the two groups demonstrated no significant difference and met the ICSI requirements. Group B exhibited an increased fertilization rate, decreased abortion rate, and increased safety versus group A. Compared with fresh sperm, the application of single-sperm cryopreservation in ICSI sensibly improved the fertilization rate and reduced the abortion rate, showing higher safety.

Preparation of Hydrophilic Hyper-Cross-Linked Polystyrene Nanospheres with Antibacterial for Improved Water Lubrication Performance.

The present study utilizes styrene as a raw material to prepare hyper-cross-linked polystyrene nanospheres (HPSs) through the Friedel-Crafts reaction, establishing stable covalent bond structures within the polymer chains. The hydrophilic polystyrene nanospheres─TMA@SHPSs were successfully synthesized via sulfonation and ion exchange reactions, demonstrating exceptional properties in reducing friction and wear. Compared with pure water, the addition of 4.0 wt % TMA@SHPSs results in a 62.2% reduction in the friction coefficient, accompanied by a significant decrease to 1.17 × 105 µm3 in wear volume. The results demonstrate that TMA@SHPSs, as water-based lubrication additives, generate composite protective films (tribo-chemical protective films and physical protective films) during the friction process, which effectively prevents direct contact between the friction pairs and achieves remarkable antifriction and antiwear effects. The results of the antimicrobial activity test indicate that TMA@SHPSs demonstrate exceptional antibacterial efficacy due to the bacteriostatic effect induced by hydration and the bactericidal properties of quaternary ammonium cations.

Maslinic acid supplementation prevents di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate-induced apoptosis via PRDX6 in peritubular myoid cells of Chinese forest musk deer.

Chinese forest musk deer (FMD), an endangered species, have exhibited low reproductive rates even in captivity due to stress conditions. Investigation revealed the presence of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), an environmental endocrine disruptor, in the serum and skin of captive FMDs. Feeding FMDs with maslinic acid (MA) has been observed to alleviate the stress response and improve reproductive rates, although the precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the alleviation of DEHP-induced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in primary peritubular myoid cells (PMCs) through MA intake. Primary PMCs were isolated and exposed to DEHP in vitro. The results demonstrated that DEHP significantly suppressed antioxidant levels and promoted cell apoptosis in primary PMCs. Moreover, interfering with the expression of PRDX6 was found to induce excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell apoptosis in primary PMCs. Supplementation with MA significantly upregulated the expression of PRDX6, thereby attenuating DEHP-induced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in primary PMCs. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for mitigating stress levels and enhancing reproductive capacity of in captive FMDs.

Simultaneously enhancing organic phosphorescence quantum yields and lifetimes for triphenylphosphine salt doped polymer films.

Simultaneously enhancing the quantum yields and luminescence lifetimes of organic persistent room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) molecules is a priority in the organic photonic area, but it remains a formidable challenge. Here, an effective strategy was proposed to improve both quantum efficiencies and emission decay times for phosphorescent triphenylphosphine salts. This approach involves integrating an electron donor unit into a triphenylphosphine salt via an alkyl chain. This structure facilitates an intermediate through-space charge transfer excited state, which enhances the intersystem crossing process to boost RTP performance. Moreover, the electron donor moiety contributes additional triplet excitons to the triphenylphosphine salts through triplet-to-triplet energy transfer, substantially increasing the population of triplet excitons. Specifically, compared to butyl(naphthalen-1-yl) diphenylphosphonium bromide (Φphos. = 4.9% and τ = 255.79 ms), (2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl)(naphthalen-1-yl)diphenylphosphonium bromide demonstrates a higher phosphorescence quantum yield of 19.6% and an extended emission lifetime of 800.59 ms. This advancement lays the groundwork for developing high-performance organic RTP materials, unlocking new possibilities for advanced photonic applications.

Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes Containing Viologen-Modified Phenylpyridine Ligands as Electroluminochromic Active Molecules for Information Display.

Electroluminochromic (ELC) materials have garnered significant research interest because of their potential applications in lighting, displaying, and sensing. These materials exhibit reversible modulation of photoluminescence under low-voltage stimuli. Here five phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes are reported featuring viologen-substituted 2-phenylpyridine (Vppy) ligands acting as electroactive components. Four of the complexes are bis-cyclometalated and coordinated with either neutral bipyridine derivatives or negatively charged 2-picolinate. The remaining complex is heteroleptic tris-cyclometalated, containing one Vppy and two 2-phenylquinoline ligands. Upon photoexcitation, the bis-cyclometalated complexes exhibit orange to red phosphorescence originating from mixed triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer (3MLCT) and intraligand (3IL) dπ(Ir)/π(Vppy) → π*(Vppy) state, whereas the tris-cyclometalated complex is non-emissive due to a low Ir(IV/III) oxidation potential favoring oxidative quenching by the viologen pendants. When the cationic viologens are electrochemically reduced to their neutral form, the bis-cyclometalated complexes show a remarkable blue-shift in their phosphorescence maxima due to increased energy levels of the Vppy molecular orbitals. In the case of the tris-cyclometalated complex, reduction of the viologen groups interrupts the quenching process, leading to a luminescence turn-on. These complexes are used to develop ELC devices, which exhibit reversible luminescence response in terms of color or on-off switching under a low voltage of 2 V.

Photoactivated Circularly Polarized Luminescent Organic Radicals in Doped Amorphous Polymer.

Luminescent organic radicals, especially those with photoactivated circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) features, hold great significance for cutting-edge optoelectronic applications, but their development still remains a challenge. In this study, we propose a novel strategy to achieve photoactivated CPL radicals by bonding two phosphine centers within an axial chiral system, yielding a compound of R/S-5,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-4,4'-bibenzo[d][1,3]dioxole (R/S-BDP). The photoactivated R/S-BDP molecules in polymer matrix display a robust quantum yield of 19.8 % and a dissymmetry factor (glum) of 1.2×10-4, marking this work as the first example of photoactivated CPL radicals. Furthermore, the glum is improved to 1.0×10-2 by using a liquid crystal as host. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that R/S-BDP molecules, endowed with double phosphine cores in axial chirality, offer a direct way for intramolecular electron transfer upon photoirradiation. This leads to the generation of radical ionic pairs, which subsequently trigger the donor-acceptor arrangement through intermolecular electron transfer, thereby resulting in stable radical emission. The extended photoactivated BDP-F exhibits a remarkably high quantum efficiency of 57.8%. Ultimately, the distinctive photo-responsive CPL radical luminescence has been successfully used for information displays and anti-counterfeiting.

Identification of a potent palladium-aryldiphosphine catalytic system for high-performance carbonylation of alkenes.

The development of stable and efficient ligands is of vital significance to enhance the catalytic performance of carbonylation reactions of alkenes. Herein, an aryldiphosphine ligand (L11) bearing the [Ph2P(ortho-C6H4)]2CH2 skeleton is reported for palladium-catalyzed regioselective carbonylation of alkenes. Compared with the industrially successful Pd/1,2-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)benzene catalyst, catalytic efficiency catalyzed by Pd/L11 on methoxycarbonylation of ethylene is obtained, exhibiting better catalytic performance (TON: >2,390,000; TOF: 100,000 h-1; selectivity: >99%) and stronger oxygen-resistance stability. Moreover, a substrate compatibility (122 examples) including chiral and bioactive alkenes or alcohols is achieved with up to 99% yield and 99% regioselectivity. Experimental and computational investigations show that the appropriate bite angle of aryldiphosphine ligand and the favorable interaction of 1,4-dioxane with Pd/L11 synergistically contribute to high activity and selectivity while the electron deficient phosphines originated from electron delocalization endow L11 with excellent oxygen-resistance stability.

Clinical practice guidelines for prevention and treatment of postoperative gastrointestinal disorder with Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (2023).

Postoperative gastrointestinal disorder (POGD) was a common complication after surgery under anesthesia. Strategies in combination with Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine showed some distinct effects but standardized clinical practice guidelines were not available. Thus, a multidisciplinary expert team from various professional bodies including the Perioperative and Anesthesia Professional Committees of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine (CAIM), jointly with Gansu Province Clinical Research Center of Integrative Anesthesiology/Anesthesia and Pain Medical Center of Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and WHO Collaborating Center for Guideline Implementation and Knowledge Translation/Chinese Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Center/Gansu Provincial Center for Medical Guideline Industry Technology/Evidence-based Medicine Center of Lanzhou University, was established to develop evidence-based guidelines. Clinical questions (7 background and 12 clinical questions) were identified through literature reviews and expert consensus meetings. Based on systematic reviews/meta-analyses, evidence quality was analyzed and the advantages and disadvantages of interventional measures were weighed with input from patients' preferences. Finally, 20 recommendations were developed through the Delphi-based consensus meetings. These recommendations included disease definitions, etiologies, pathogenesis, syndrome differentiation, diagnosis, and perioperative prevention and treatment.

Effect of ultrasound-guided lung recruitment to reduce pulmonary atelectasis after non-cardiac surgery under general anesthesia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: At present, the application of bedside lung ultrasound is increasing gradually, but there is no relevant expert consensus or guidance for its evaluation in the field of perioperative anesthesia. Through this meta-analysis, we tried to determine the impact of ultrasound-guided lung recruitment maneuvers (LRM) on perioperative patients. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library database, Embase, and Clinical Trials gov for the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to December 31, 2022. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative atelectasis. Secondary outcomes included lung ultrasound score (LUS) and LUS of each part. A total of 443 patients were examined in nine randomized controlled trials. RESULTS: The incidence of atelectasis after surgery in patients with ultrasound-guided LRM was less (RR 0.31; 95% CI 0.25-0.40; p < 0.05). The LUS (WMD - 6.24; 95% CI - 6.90-5.59; p < 0.05) and the LUS of each part (LUS in front lung region (WMD - 2.00; 95% CI - 2.49 to - 1.51; p < 0.05); LUS in lateral lung region (WMD - 2.50; 95% CI - 3.20 to - 1.80; p < 0.05); LUS in posterior lung region (WMD - 3.24; 95% CI - 4.23 to - 2.24; p < 0.05)) in patients with ultrasound-guided LRM were lower. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided lung recruitment maneuvers have been shown to be a promising approach for improving perioperative lung ventilation by increasing aeration while mitigating the development of atelectasis. In comparison to non-ultrasound-guided methods, this technique has exhibited superior effects.

Tailoring the Molecular Planarity of Perylene Diimide-Based Third Component toward Efficient Ternary Organic Solar Cells.

Incorporating a third component into binary organic solar cells (b-OSCs) has provided a potential platform to boost power conversion efficiency (PCEs). However, gaining control over the non-equilibrium blend morphology via the molecular design of the perylene diimide (PDI)-based third component toward efficient ternary organic solar cells (t-OSCs) still remains challenging. Herein, two novel PDI derivatives are developed with tailored molecular planarity, namely ufBTz-2PDI and fBTz-2PDI, as the third component for t-OSCs. Notably, after performing a cyclization reaction, the twisted ufBTz-2PDI with an amorphous character transferred to the highly planar fBTz-2PDI followed by a semi-crystalline character. When incorporating the semi-crystalline fBTz-2PDI into the D18:L8-BO system, the resultant t-OSC achieved an impressive PCE of 18.56%, surpassing the 17.88% attained in b-OSCs. In comparison, the addition of amorphous ufBTz-2PDI into the binary system facilitates additional charge trap sites and results in a deteriorative PCE of 14.37%. Additionally, The third component fBTz-2PDI possesses a good generality in optimizing the PCEs of several b-OSCs systems are demonstrated. The results not only provided a novel A-DA'D-A motif for further designing efficient third component but also demonstrated the crucial role of modulated crystallinity of the PDI-based third component in optimizing PCEs of t-OSCs.

Terpolymer Containing a meta-Octyloxy-phenyl-Modified Dithieno[3,2-f:2',3'-h]quinoxaline Unit Enabling Efficient Organic Solar Cells.

With the rapid development of small-molecule electron acceptors, polymer electron donors are becoming more important than ever in organic photovoltaics, and there is still room for the currently available high-performance polymer donors. To further develop polymer donors with finely tunable structures to achieve better photovoltaic performances, random ternary copolymerization is a useful technique. Herein, by incorporating a new electron-withdrawing segment 2,3-bis(3-octyloxyphenyl)dithieno[3,2-f:2',3'-h]quinoxaline derivative (C12T-TQ) to PM6, a series of terpolymers were synthesized. It is worth noting that the introduction of the C12T-TQ unit can deepen the highest occupied molecular orbital energy levels of the resultant polymers. In addition, the polymer Z6 with a 10% C12T-TQ ratio possesses the highest film absorption coefficient (9.86 × 104 cm-1) among the four polymers. When blended with Y6, it exhibited superior miscibility and mutual crystallinity enhancement between Z6 and Y6, suppressed recombination, better exciton separation and charge collection characteristics, and faster hole transfer in the D-A interface. Consequently, the device of Z6:Y6 successfully achieved enhanced photovoltaic parameters and yielded an efficiency of 17.01%, higher than the 16.18% of the PM6:Y6 device, demonstrating the effectiveness of the meta-octyloxy-phenyl-modified dithieno[3,2-f:2',3'-h]quinoxaline moiety to build promising terpolymer donors for high-performance organic solar cells.

Analysis of 16s rRNA Gene Sequencing in Feces: The Impact of Bariatric Surgery on the Gut Microbiota in Patients with Obesity.

PURPOSE: Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effect of bariatric surgery on the gut microbiota from patients with obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The microbiota composition from stool samples before and after bariatric surgery were identified using bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Based on the speed of weight loss, patients were classified as the slow-loss group and fast-loss group. The ɑ- and ß-diversity analysis was done to compare the species richness, evenness, and overall structure of the microbiota between different groups. Next, linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were implemented to identify high-dimensional biomarkers and significantly different species of microbial taxa between different groups. Finally, the pathway analysis was inferred using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) to predict the functional profiling of microbial communities. RESULTS: ß-diversity analysis suggested that species diversity of preoperative samples of slow-loss group was significantly higher than the fast-loss group. High levels of Oscillospira and Abiotrophia in the preoperative gut microbiota may lead to poor postoperative weight loss. For patients with poor postoperative weight loss due to changes in gut microbiota, the gut microbiota is mainly composed of Lactobacillus. For patients with good postoperative results, the gut microbiota is mainly composed of Escherichia, Robinsonella, and Dialister. In addition, multiple metabolic-related pathways were significantly different between the four groups. CONCLUSION: This comparative study revealed biomarker species based on microfloral composition in patients with obesity before and after bariatric surgery.

Carbon Dots with Spatially-Mediated-N/S-Co-Doping Enabling One-Year Stable Lubricant with Oil Leakage Detection Capability.

The dispersion stability of nano-lubricating additives is crucial for the shelf life of lubricant and its practical applications. Nitrogen-sulfur co-doped carbon dots (N,S@CDs) via a one-step hydrothermal method with nitropyrene and thiourea as raw materials are hereby presented. The N and S elements are selectively distributed throughout the entire carbon skeleton with a doping amount of 22.6 at%. The as-synthesized N,S@CDs exhibit excellent dispersion stability in PEG200 and maintain stability for over one year. The experiment results indicate that N,S@CDs significantly improve the anti-wear and friction reduction properties of PEG200, while the friction coefficient is reduced from 0.25 to 0.09 with 1.5 wt% N,S@CDs addition, and the wear volume, depth, and width are reduced by 68%, 52%, and 57%, respectively. The good lubrication performance is attributed to N,S@CDs excellent dispersion stability, enhanced filling and polishing effects, and complex tribochemical reactions caused by heteroatom doping to form a stable protective film on the worn surface. Furthermore, the as-prepared N,S@CDs exhibit intrinsic fluorescence intensity in PEG200 with the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 12.5% and remain fluorescent stable during the long-term friction process, therefore the N,S@CDs have a potential application prospect in non-destructive detection of oil leakage via fluorescence labeling method.