Impact of early high protein intake in critically ill patients: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Conflicting findings regarding the impact of High protein intake during the early phase in critically ill patients have been reported. Therefore, we aimed to assess the influence of higher early protein intake on the prognosis of critically ill patients. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial involved 173 critically ill patients who stayed in the Intensive Care Unit/Emergency ICU (ICU/EICU) for at least 7 days. The Low group (n = 87) and High group (n = 86) received protein supplementation of 0.8 g/kg.d and 1.5 g/kg.d, respectively, within 1-3 days of enteral nutrition (EN) initiation, with both groups transitioning to 1.5 g/kg.d on the 4th day. The serum prealbumin (PA), blood urea nitrogen/creatinine, and rectus femoris muscle thickness and cross-sectional area of all patients was measured on the 1th, 3rd, 5th, 7th day, and the day of ICU/EICU discharge. RESULTS: Patients in both Low and High groups showed no significant differences in age, APACHE II scores, or other demographic and baseline characteristics. There were also no significant differences in the primary outcome (28-day mortality rate) and secondary outcomes (incidence rate of refeeding syndrome and EN tolerance score) between the two groups. However, the Low group exhibited a significantly higher 28-day mortality rate (HR = 2.462, 95% CI: 1.021-5.936, P = 0.045) compared to High group, as determined by Cox proportional hazards models incorporating the time factor. The High group exhibited significantly shorter durations of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay compared to the Low group. Serum PA levels were higher, and rectus femoris muscle atrophy rates were lower in the High group. Furthermore, for septic patients, high protein intake significantly reduced the 28-day mortality rate despite a small sample size (n = 34). CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that increasing early protein intake to 1.5 g/kg.d may be safe and help improve the nutritional status and prognosis of critically ill patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000039997, https://www.chictr.org.cn/ ).

Mechanisms of nanoscale zero-valent iron mediating aerobic denitrification in Pseudomonas stutzeri by promoting electron transfer and gene expression.

Aerobic denitrification and its mechanism by P. stutzeri was investigated in the presence of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI). The removal of nitrate and ammonia was accelerated and the nitrite nitrogen accumulation was reduced by nZVI. The particle size and dosage of nZVI were key factors for enhancing aerobic denitrification. nZVI reduced the negative effects of low carbon/nitrogen, heavy metals, surfactants and salts to aerobic denitrification. nZVI and its dissolved irons were adsorbed into the bacteria cells, enhancing the transfer of electrons from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) to nitrate reductase. Moreover, the activities of NADH-ubiquinone reductase involved in the respiratory system, and the denitrifying enzymes were increased. The expression of denitrifying enzyme genes napA and nirS, as well as the iron metabolism gene fur, were promoted in the presence of nZVI. This work provides a strategy for enhancing the biological denitrification of wastewater using the bio-stimulation of nanomaterials.

Fluorogen-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Hybrid Sensing Materials: Applications in Cu2+ Detection.

Since Cu2+ ions play a pivotal role in both ecosystems and human health, the development of a rapid and sensitive method for Cu2+ detection holds significant importance. Fluorescent mesoporous silica materials (FMSMs) have garnered considerable attention in the realm of chemical sensing, biosensing, and bioimaging due to their distinctive structure and easily functionalized surfaces. As a result, numerous Cu2+ sensors based on FMSMs have been devised and extensively applied in environmental and biological Cu2+ detection over the past few decades. This review centers on the recent advancements in the methodologies for preparing FMSMs, the mechanisms underlying sensing, and the applications of FMSMs-based sensors for Cu2+ detection. Lastly, we present and elucidate pertinent perspectives concerning FMSMs-based Cu2+ sensors.

Exploring the needs and coping strategies of family caregivers taking care of dying patients at home: a field study.

BACKGROUND: Most Chinese patients chose to die at home, therefore there is a reliance on the family caregivers to be involved in their palliative care. The needs and coping strategies of family caregivers in home-based palliative care are rooted in culture. Little is known about the needs and coping strategies of family caregivers taking care of dying patients at home. METHODS: A field study using semi-structured interview, participant observation, documents and records collection was employed. The study was conducted in two palliative care outpatient departments in tertiary hospitals and four communities in Beijing, China from March 2021 to July 2022. Using purposive sampling, twenty-five family caregivers were recruited. All collected data were analyzed using content analysis approach. RESULTS: Five themes emerged, including three care needs and two coping strategies. Family caregivers need to learn care skills and acquire care resources, including (i) decision-making about home-based palliative care, (ii) improving patient's quality of life, and (iii) signs of final hours and funeral procedures. In facing the care burden, family caregivers coped by (iv) balancing the roles of caregivers and individuals: giving priority to patient care while maintaining their own normal life. In facing the death of a loved one, family caregivers responded by (v) making room for coming death by facing death indirectly and "rescuing" patients for consolation while preparing for the coming death. CONCLUSION: Family caregivers strive to balance the roles of being caregivers and being themselves. As caregivers, they actively prepare patients for good death with no regrets. As individuals, they preserve themselves from being hurt to maintain normal life. The needs of family caregivers focus on caregiver role and are manifested in care skills and resources. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not registered.

What drives the growth of china's mariculture production? An empirical analysis of its coastal regions from 1983 to 2019.

China's mariculture (i.e., seafood farming in the ocean) production has grown rapidly. It ranks the first in the world and has made a huge contribution to solving human food security and nutrition issues. This study aimed to examine the development process of China's mariculture since 1983, clarify the main driving factors for the growth of mariculture production, and analyze whether China's experience can help other major producers in the world. Using the data on China's 10 coastal regions, this study applied the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) from both the national and regional perspectives to analyze the main driving factors for the growth of China's mariculture production from 1983 to 2019. The results indicate that China's total mariculture production showed an overall upward trend and the major driving factor for the increase changed from the initial labor force to unit production. The primary factor for the increase in the Circum-Bohai Sea was labor, whereas that in the South China Sea, Yellow Sea and East China Sea was unit production. China's mariculture production has expanded from resource-driven to efficiency-driven. This study has practical significance for policy formulation and the future development direction of mariculture. This study provides a universally applicable methodology, and has reference significance for the world's major mariculture producers to further study the sustainable growth of mariculture production.

Activation of peroxymonosulfate by biochar-supported Fe3O4 derived from oily sludge to enhance the oxidative degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride.

Carbon materials used for catalysis in advanced oxidation processes tend to be obtained from cheap and readily available raw materials. We constructed a carbon material, OSC@Fe3O4, by loading Fe3O4 onto the pyrolyzed hazardous waste oily sludge. OSC@Fe3O4 was then used to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride (TTCH) from water. At 298 K, 0.2 g⋅L-1 of catalyst and 0.3 g⋅L-1 of PMS, the reaction rate constant of the OSC@I-2/PMS system reached 0.079 min-1, with a TTCH removal efficiency of 92.6%. The degradation efficiency of TTCH remained at 81% after five cycles. The specific surface area and pore volume of OSC@I-2 were 263.9 m2⋅g-1 and 0.42 cm3⋅g-1, respectively, which improved the porous structure of the carbon material and provided more active points, thus improving the catalytic performance. N and S were doped into the oily sludge carbon due to the presence of N- and S-containing compounds in the raw oily sludge. N and S doping led to more electron-rich sites with higher negative charges in OSC@I-2 and gave the oily sludge carbon a higher affinity to PMS, thereby promoting its ability to activate PMS. Sulfate radicals (SO4•‾) played a dominant role in the degradation of TTCH, with demethylation and the breaking of double bonds being a possible degradation pathway. A biotoxicity test showed that the microbial toxicity of the degradation intermediates was significantly reduced. This work provides a strategy for the application of PMS-based catalysts derived from waste carbon resources.

Synergetic effect of photocatalytic oxidation plus catalytic oxidation on the performance of coconut shell fiber biochar decorated α-MnO2 under visible light towards BPA degradation.

Photocatalytic technology is regarded as a promising approach for fast degradation of refractory organic pollutant in water. However, the performance of the photocatalyst can be restricted by the variation of water matrix conditions. Herein, coconut shell fiber was pyrolyzed to biochar (CSB800) and incorporated with α-MnO2 to degrade bisphenol A (BPA) in water under visible light irradiation. The prepared α-MnO2/CSB800 composites demonstrated high efficacy in degrading BPA. Specifically, 0.01 mM of BPA could be completely degraded by 0.1 g/L of MnO2/CSB800 within 45 min. It was found that the incident light could effectively trigger the separation of electron and hole in α-MnO2. The electron and hole were afterwards converted to hydroxyl radical (●OH), superoxide radical (●O2-) and non-radical singlet oxygen (1O2), which subsequently initiated the photocatalytic degradation of BPA. Additionally, α-MnO2/CSB800 could simultaneously participate the oxidative degradation pathway of BPA with its high oxidation-reduction potential. The introduction of CSB800 led to higher BPA degradation efficiency since CSB800 could accelerate the charge carrier transferring rate during BPA degradation process via either pathway. The co-existence of both photocatalytic and oxidative degradation synergy enables α-MnO2/CSB800/visible light system with high catalytic performance stability towards various water matrices. This study proposes an effective strategy to prepare easy-available photocatalysts with high and stable performance towards for addressing organic pollution issues in water.

Microplastic pollution in water environment of typical nature reserves and scenery districts in southern China.

Microplastics were frequently detected in the ocean, freshwater environment and wastewater treatment plants. This study aims to fill up the knowledge gap of microplastic distribution in nature reserves and scenery districts. Microplastic samples were collected, the distribution characteristics were analyzed with a stereoscopic microscope and a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, and the ecological risks of microplastic pollution were calculated. Microplastics were detected in all the collected water samples and the average abundances of microplastics in the surface water of eleven investigated nature reserves and scenery districts ranged from 542 to 5500 items/m3. The degrees of microplastic pollution of all the surveyed nature reserves and scenery districts were classified as hazard level I. Fiber microplastics represented the largest average proportion (67.4 %) and 91.7 % of the detected microplastics were smaller than 2 mm. Corresponding to the frequent detection of fiber microplastics, cotton was the most abundant (25.5 %) polymer type of the suspected microplastics, followed by polyamide (PA, 20.6 %), polyester (PET, 17.0 %), and cellulose (15.6 %). For the ecological risk of the microplastic polymers, six, two and three nature reserves and scenery districts were defined to be at hazard level I, II and III, respectively. In brief, microplastic pollution occurred in all the surveyed nature reserves/scenery districts and posed different degrees of ecological risks.

Occurrence and removal of antibiotics from aquaculture wastewater by solar-driven Fe(VI)/oxone process.

In this study, the occurrence and removal of ten selected antibiotics from aquaculture wastewater by the process solar + Fe(VI)+oxone were investigated. The detection levels of the antibiotics in the aquaculture wastewater samples were at ng/L. The degradation of the selected antibiotics under the process solar + Fe(VI)+oxone followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. As the most abundant antibiotic in the studied aquaculture wastewater, norfloxacin (NFX) was used as the model compound to study the reaction mechanism and detoxification ability of the treatment system, as well as the effects of reaction parameters and environmental factors. The active species including O2•-, O21, and Fe(V)/Fe(IV) contributed to NFX degradation in the process solar + Fe(VI)+oxone. Decarboxylation, the piprazine ring opening, defluorination of the benzene ring, oxygen addition and the cleavage of the quinolone/benzene ring were main degradation pathways of NFX. Around 20% mineralization was reached and the inhibition rate of the bacteria (Escherichia Coli) growth was reduced from 95.5% to 47.1% after the NFX degradation for 60 min. Despite the suppression of NFX degradation by NO2-, PO43- and humic acid, the NFX degradation in three aquaculture wastewater samples was faster than that in ultrapure water due to the positive effect of Br-and other factors. The above results demonstrate the treatment process solar-driven Fe(VI)/oxone has a good potential in antibiotics removal from the aquaculture wastewater.

Adverse effects of silver nanoparticles on aquatic plants and zooplankton: A review.

With the rapid development of nanotechnology in the past decades, AgNPs are widely used in various fields and have become one of the most widely used nanomaterials, which leads to the inevitable release of AgNPs to the aquatic environment through various pathways. It is important to understand the effects of AgNPs on aquatic plants and zooplankton, which are widely distributed and diverse, and are important components of the aquatic biota. This paper reviews the effects of AgNPs on aquatic plants and zooplankton at the individual, cellular and molecular levels. In addition, the internal and external factors affecting the toxicity of AgNPs to aquatic plants and zooplankton are discussed. In general, AgNPs can inhibit growth and development, cause tissue damage, induce oxidative stress, and produce genotoxicity and reproductive toxicity. Moreover, the toxicity of AgNPs is influenced by the size, concentration, and surface coating of AgNPs, environmental factors including pH, salinity, temperature, light and co-contaminants such as NaOCl, glyphosate, As(V), Cu and Cd, sensitivity of test organisms, experimental conditions and so on. In order to investigate the toxicity of AgNPs in the natural environment, it is recommended to conduct toxicity evaluation studies of AgNPs under the coexistence of multiple environmental factors and pollutants, especially at natural environmental concentrations.

Wood induced preparation of Fe3C decorated biochar for peroxymonosulfate activation towards bisphenol a degradation with low ion leaching.

Heterogeneous iron/persulfate system suffers from the problems of high ion leaching, severe catalyst surface corrosion and low performance stability. Herein, a series of iron compound incorporated N doped biochar composite catalysts were prepared from pyrolyzing wood powder and ferric ferrocyanide mixture, which were used for bisphenol A (BPA) degradation in water through peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. It was found that the reducing gases released from wood powder at different pyrolysis temperature significantly affected the crystalline phase of the iron compound in the catalyst, in which pure phase iron carbide (Fe3C) decorated N doped biochar was obtained at pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C or higher. Wood powder was introduced as both Fe3C formation inductive agent and biochar precursor. Fe3C/biochar exhibited optimal BPA degradation performance, in which 0.5 g/L of catalyst could completely degrade 0.05 mM BPA within 30 min. Radical, high valent iron-oxo, and non-radical species were all generated in the reaction system by both Fe3C and N doped biochar, respectively. Moreover, the multi-valence nature of Fe in Fe3C enabled the reaction system with remarkably reduced Fe ion leaching and negligible iron sludge production since Fe3C could activate PMS through a heterogeneous mechanism. Having multiple active species generated for BPA degradation, the prepared catalyst also showed promising adaptability and recyclability. This study can provide a new solution for the design of iron based catalyst/PMS system for organic pollutant degradations with low ion release.

Bereavement and Professional Competencies: Exploring the Personal Experience of Death Among Nursing Students - A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: To explore the death experiences of nursing students in their personal lives. Methods: This study employed a qualitative descriptive design using the semi-structured interview approach. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit 24 nursing students from September 2020 to July 2022. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's analysis method. Lincoln and Guba's criteria was used to evaluate the trustworthiness of the data. Results: Four main themes emerged from the interviews: (a) reactions to encounters with death; (b) adjustment strategies; (c) personal growth induced by the death experiences; and (d) professional reflections for preparing nurse role. Conclusions: Although the death of a loved one makes nursing students suffer from grief and emotional distress, we show that the experience promotes the personal growth and professional competencies of nursing students and thereby, developing their overall aptitude towards the profession. Death experiences of nursing students have shown to allow them to reflect on both life and death, to consider the demands of the nursing profession, and to provide foundation for nursing students to be more empathetic and compassionate when facing death in the future. Exploring death experiences of nursing students is vital in better providing better quality education and personal support for nursing students.

Epidemiology and Genetic Characteristics of Carbapenem-Resistant Escherichia coli in Chinese Intensive Care Unit Analyzed by Whole-Genome Sequencing: a Prospective Observational Study.

This 4-month-long prospective observational study investigated the epidemiological characteristics, genetic composition, transmission pattern, and infection control of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CREC) colonization in patients at an intensive care unit (ICU) in China. Phenotypic confirmation testing was performed on nonduplicated isolates from patients and their environments. Whole-genome sequencing was performed for all E. coli isolates, followed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and antimicrobial resistance genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were screened. The colonization rates of CREC were 7.29% from the patient specimens and 0.39% from the environmental specimens. Among the 214 E. coli isolates tested, 16 were carbapenem resistant, with the blaNDM-5 gene identified as the dominant carbapenemase-encoding gene. Among the low-homology sporadic strains isolated in this study, the main sequence type (ST) of carbapenem-sensitive Escherichia coli (CSEC) was ST1193, whereas the majority of CREC isolates belonged to ST1656, followed by ST131. CREC isolates were more sensitive to disinfectants than were the carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) isolates obtained in the same period, which may explain the lower separation rate. Therefore, effective interventions and active screening are beneficial to the prevention and control of CREC. IMPORTANCE CREC represents a public health threat worldwide, and its colonization precedes or occurs simultaneously with infection; once the colonization rate increases, the infection rate rises sharply. In our hospital, the colonization rate of CREC remained low, and almost all of the CREC isolates detected were ICU acquired. Contamination of the surrounding environment by CREC carrier patients shows a very limited spatiotemporal distribution. As the dominant ST of the CSEC isolates found, ST1193 CREC might be considered a strain of notable concern with potential to cause a future outbreak. ST1656 and ST131 also deserve attention, as they comprised the majority of the CREC isolates found, while blaNDM-5 gene screening should play an important role in medication guidance as the main carbapenem resistance gene identified. The disinfectant chlorhexidine, which is used commonly in the hospital, is effective for CREC rather than CRKP, possibly explaining the lower positivity rate for CREC than for CRKP.

Construction of flexible fiber-shaped boron-doped diamond film and its supercapacitor application.

Flexible fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSSCs) are promising candidates as electrode materials for the development of deformable electronic devices. Although tremendous efforts have been focused on the preparation of flexible electrode materials, traditional FSSCs materials face problems of inferior stability and complicated processes. Boron-doped diamond (BDD) holds promise as a FSSC electrode, owing to its well-established preparation process, strong acid and alkali corrosion resistance, environmentally and skin-friendly characteristics. Here, we reported a novel strategy for the construction of BDD-based FSSCs by growing a BDD film on a flexible tantalum (Ta) fiber substrate through hot filament chemical vapor deposition technique. Results showed that the BDD fiber film featured 10 folds improvement in specific capacitance than a planar BDD electrode. A symmetric supercapacitor device was assembled using the BDD fiber electrode and achieved an energy density of 25.6 mJ cm-2 at a power density of 0.6 mW cm-2, and a desirable stability with higher capacitance retention of 93.5% after 20,000 cycles. Furthermore, the symmetric BDD fiber device exhibited satisfactory bendability with high specific capacitance retention under various bending deformations. The findings in this research work hold promise for the fabrication of high performance flexible FSSCs.

Toxicity of nanoplastics to aquatic organisms: Genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, individual level and beyond individual level.

Due to the small size, high mobility and large surface area, nanoplastics (NPs) showed high potential risks to aquatic organisms. This paper reviews the toxicity of NPs to aquatic organism at various trophic levels including bacteria, plankton (algae), zooplankton, benthos, and nekton (fish). The effects at individual level caused by NPs were explained and proved by cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, and the toxicity of NPs beyond individual level was also illustrated. The toxicity of NPs is determined by the size, dosage, and surface property of NPs, as well as environmental factors, the presence of co-contaminants and the sensitivity of tested organisms. Furthermore, the joint effects of NPs with other commonly detected pollutants such as organic pollutants, metals, and nanoparticles etc. were summarized. In order to reflect the toxicity of NPs in the real natural environment, studies on toxicity assessment of NPs with the coexistence of various environmental factors and contaminants, particularly under the concentrations in natural environment are suggested.

High performance flexible and antibacterial strain sensor based on silver­carbon nanotubes coated cellulose/polyurethane nanofibrous membrane: Cellulose as reinforcing polymer blend and polydopamine as compatibilizer.

In this study, ethyl cellulose was used as the second-phase polymer blended with polyurethane to make nanofibrous membrane as antibacterial strain sensor. The results indicated that ethyl cellulose could regulate the morphology of polyurethane through strong hydrogen bonding, which observably enhanced the nanofiber uniformity of polyurethane. Furthermore, rigid cellulose also remarkably improved the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the nanofibrous membrane. After being coated with silver nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes assisted by polydopamine (PDA), the membrane with outstanding bacteria inhibition performance exhibited outstanding sensitivity toward external mechanical stretching, as well as real-time motion of human body parts. The conductive composite membrane possessed sensitive and regular resistance feedback to 100 cycles of varied human motions. The cellulose in the nanofiber structure ensured the shape recovery and longtime use stability of the membrane. This study proposed a novel thinking for the construction of high performance strain sensor by rational introduction of rigid polysaccharide into the polymer matrix.

TLR2 agonist promotes myeloid-derived suppressor cell polarization via Runx1 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a critical role in maintaining the tumor immune microenvironment; thus, the promotion of MDSC polarization will improve immunotherapies for cancers. However, the mechanisms involved in controlling MDSC polarization in hepatocellular carcinoma remain largely unclear. In this study, we found that injection of Pam3CSK4 attenuated the process of tumor growth, along with reduction of MDSC and recovery of T cell function. Moreover, Pam3CSK4 promoted MDSC polarization by targeting Runx1. Runx1 inhibitor reversed the therapeutic effect of Pam3CSK4 by increasing tumor size and weight and decreasing the survival rate of tumor mice. In addition, targeting Runx1 reduced the expression of CD11c, F4/80, CD80/CD86 and MHC-II in MDSC after Pam3CSK4 stimulation in vivo and in vitro. MDSC also exhibited consistent changes with increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production after Pam3CSK4 and Ro5-3335 treatment. RNA sequence data revealed that tfrc, steap3, and gclm were up-regulated in the Pam3CSK4/Ro5-3335 group compared with Pam3CSK4 treatment alone, suggesting that the regulatory effect of TLR2 and Runx1 on MDSC might act through the ferroptosis pathway. Overall, our study has identified a critical role for TLR2 and Runx1 in regulating the differentiation and function of MDSCs and has provided a new mechanism of controlling MDSC polarization during HCC immunotherapy.

Novel roles of LSECtin in gastric cancer cell adhesion, migration, invasion, and lymphatic metastasis.

Liver and lymph node sinusoidal endothelial cell C-type lectin (LSECtin) plays an important regulatory role in a variety of diseases, including tumors. However, the underlying mechanism of LSECtin in gastric cancer (GC) remains largely unknown. In our research, LSECtin promoted the adhesion and invasion of GC cells, and was involved in lymphatic metastasis of GC cells. Mechanistically, LSECtin promoted the adhesion, proliferation and migration of GC cells by downregulating STAT1 expression. The circular RNA circFBXL4, which is regulated by LSECtin, sponges the microRNA miR-146a-5p to regulate STAT1 expression. The promotion of GC cell proliferation, migration and invasion mediated by LSECtin was largely inhibited by circFBXL4 overexpression or miR-146a-5p silencing. Moreover, in its role as a transcription factor, STAT1 modulated the expression of FN1 and CHD4. In conclusion, LSECtin might be involved in the lymphatic metastasis of GC by upregulating the expression of FN1 and CHD4 via the circFBXL4/miR-146a-5p/STAT1 axis, possibly indicating a newly discovered pathogenic mechanism.

Sulfide-modified zero-valent iron activated periodate for sulfadiazine removal: Performance and dominant routine of reactive species production.

In this work, sulfide-modified zero-valent iron (S-Fe0) was used to activate periodate (IO4-, PI) for sulfadiazine (SDZ) removal. 60 µM SDZ could be completely removed within only 1 min by S-Fe0/PI process. Compared with other oxidants including H2O2, peroxymonosulfate (PMS), peroxydisulfate (PDS), S-Fe0 activated PI exhibited better performance for SDZ removal but with lower Fe leaching. Compared with Fe0/PI process, S-Fe0/PI process could reduce more than 80% Fe0 and PI dosage. Inorganic ions and nature organic matters had negligible effect on SDZ removal in S-Fe0/PI system inducing its good SDZ removal efficiency in natural fresh water. 80.2% SDZ still could be removed within 2 min after 7th run. S-Fe0/PI process also exhibited 2.5 - 20.1 folds enhancement for various pollutants removal compared with Fe0/PI process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical tests, and density functional theory (DFT) calculation were conducted to confirm the presence of sulfurs could enhance the reactivity of S-Fe0 thus increased the efficiency of PI activation for antibiotics removal. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) tests, radical quenching experiments, quantitative detection and DFT calculation were performed to illustrate the role of multiple reactive species in SDZ removal and the dominant pathway of multiple reactive species production. IO3·, ·OH, O2-·, 1O2, FeIV, and SO4·- all participated in SDZ removal. ·OH played the major role in SDZ removal and the dominant routine of ·OH production was IO4- â†’ O2-· â†’ H2O2 â†’ ·OH. Meanwhile, S-Fe0/PI process could efficiently mineralize SDZ and reduce the toxicity. Comparison with other PI activation approaches and SDZ treatment techniques further demonstrated S-Fe0 was an efficient catalyst for PI activation and present study process was a promising approach for antibiotics removal.

Development of a Colloidal Gold Immunochromatographic Strip for Rapid Detection of Cyfra 21-1 in Lymph Node Metastasis of Thyroid Cancer.

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine tumor, and the rate of early lymph node metastasis may be as high as 60%. Currently, detection of lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer during surgery is limited and time-consuming. Elevated levels of Cyfra 21-1, the proteolytic portion of cytokeratin, are associated with the metastasis and progression of thyroid cancer and are an effective biomarker for the prognosis and diagnosis of thyroid cancer. In this study, an immunochromatographic strip test based on colloidal gold nanoparticles was developed to semi-quantitatively detect the levels of Cyfra 21-1 in lymph nodes within 15 min. The standard (calibration) curve equation was Y = 0.003708 × X + 0.1101, and the detection limit was 0.55-1.14 ng mL-1. The strip did not detect other protein markers of epithelial cells at a concentration of 500 ng mL-1, including cytokeratin 8, cytokeratin 18, epithelial membrane antigen, and epidermal surface antigen. The ability of the strip to differentiate positive from negative metastasis in 40 lymph node specimens was 100% concordant with that of immunohistochemical staining for Cyfra 21-1. In an assessment of 20 lymph node specimens that had been determined by postoperative histopathology to be positive for lymph node metastasis and 20 specimens that were negative, the sensitivity and specificity of the strip were 100% and 95%, respectively. The sensitivity of the strip remained stable when stored at room temperature for 6 months. Together, these results indicated that although further testing using a larger sample size will be required, this immunochromatographic strip test may be useful for rapid intraoperative detection of thyroid cancer metastasis to lymph nodes.