Determination of the signaling proteins responsible for the antioxidant potential of the Yishenhuoxue formula for treating asthenospermia in rats.

Asthenospermia is a predominant cause of male infertility, and antioxidant supplements can be effective in treating asthenospermia. We demonstrate the antioxidant potential of traditional Chinese medicine, the Yishenhuoxue (YSHX) formula, in treating polyglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii (GTW)-induced asthenospermia in rats. Fifty male rats were randomly divided into the normal, model, and treatment groups. HE staining was used to evaluate the improvement of spermatogenic function of rats, and TBA reaction, qRT-PCR, Western Blot and other methods were used to determine the changes of oxidative stress indicators and to evaluate the improvement of antioxidant capacity of rats by YSHX. Comparison with the model group showed significant improvement in pathological damage caused by GTW to seminiferous tubules. MDA and NO content in rat testes decreased, especially in middle- and high-dosage groups. No significant changes were observed in SOD and CAT activity or mRNA expression. GSH-Px activity and GSH mRNA expression were significantly higher in the low-dosage group than in the model group. Compared to the model group, GR activity was significantly lower in the middle and high dosage groups, while the mRNA expression was higher. The PKC-beta level increased, while p-ERK1/2, NF-κB, and the ratio of p-ERK1/2*(ERK1/2)-1 decreased significantly in the treatment groups. Therefore, YSHX can alleviate GTW-induced testicular damage, enhance GSH-Px activity, regulate GSH redox cycling, and mitigate oxidative stress injury. Furthermore, YSHX can promote PKC-beta expression and inhibit the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and NF-κB. Using YSHX may be an effective way to increase sperm motility via the PKC-ERK1/2-NF-ĸB axis.

Magnetic polyphenol nanocomposite of Fe3O4/SiO2/PP for Cd(II) adsorption from aqueous solution.

In order to solve the water solubility and difficult re-use of plant polyphenol (PP) in Cd(II) adsorption, PP was immobilized on the surface of magnetic material in this study. A core-shell nanocomposite Fe3O4/SiO2/PP (∼18 nm) was synthesized with 3-8 nm SiO2 and 2-5 nm PP. TGA analysis revealed the PP coating amount was 2.39%. VSM detection suggested that saturation magnetization of Fe3O4/SiO2/PP was 45.94 emu/g. The adsorption equilibrium was reached in 2 h and the adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption data fitted well to a Langmuir isotherm, achieving a 98.6% of Cd(II) removal at 0.6 g, pH 7.0, 298 K and 160 rpm. The adsorption capacity of Cd(II) on Fe3O4/SiO2/PP highly depended on the pH. The adsorption capacity increased as the initial solution pH was increased in the range of 3.0-8.0. The adsorbed Cd(II) on Fe3O4/SiO2/PP could be effectively desorbed by 0.1 mol/L of HNO3 and the Fe3O4/SiO2/PP still maintained a stable adsorption capacity after five cycles. The adsorption mechanism of Cd(II) on Fe3O4/SiO2/PP is mainly dependent on complexation and electrostatic adsorption from the FTIR and XPS analyses. This study provided a new way for PP to remove Cd(II) from aqueous solution.

Integrating sulfur, iron(II), and fixed organic carbon for mixotrophic denitrification in a composite filter bed reactor for decentralized wastewater treatment: Performance and microbial community.

Decentralized wastewater treatment in rural areas is an imperative challenge around the world, particularly in developing countries. The composite filter bed reactor is viable for decentralized wastewater treatment, but its performance on nitrogen removal often fluctuates with the unstable influent characteristics and loadings. Here, a composite filter bed reactor integrating sulfur, iron(II), and fixed organic carbon (shaddock peel) was developed and continuously operated under different conditions. The fixed organic carbon source promoted nitrogen removal with an efficiency higher than 90% and reduced effluent sulfate level by 40%, indicating that the integrated electron donors could improve the resistance and stability of the reactor. Moreover, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (Thiomonas, Sulfuriferula, and Acidithiobacillus), iron-oxidizing bacteria (Ferritrophicum), and denitrifiers (Simplicispira and Hydrogenophaga) were identified in the anoxic/anaerobic layer of the reactor, suggesting that mixotrophic denitrification was stimulated by sulfur, iron(II), and fixed organic carbon. The findings of this study indicate that the developed reactor with the integrated electron donors could be reliable for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal and promising for the application of decentralized wastewater treatment.

[Conception and framework of land ecological restoration for a new stage in China.] / 新时期我国国土空间生态修复理念与模式探讨.

Based on the theories of geography and landscape ecology, land ecological restoration is an important strategy to promote ecological civilization and build a beautiful China. Land ecological restoration in China has the characteristics of multi-disciplinary theoretical system, diverse work mode, integration of technology and methods, and diversified practice and exploration. The overall effectiveness of the work coexists with arduous tasks. Based on the new challenges in land ecological restoration, we summarized the overall framework and technical path of land ecological restoration, the working mechanism and mode of regional land ecological restoration, the content system and technical standards of land ecological restoration. In the new stage, the top-level design of land ecological restoration in China should focus on the work system, business boundary and institutional system, identify the responsibility boundary of different business processes, and realize the closed management of the whole work chain from the perspective of theory, system, engineering and technology. Rural settlement area, urban built-up area, industrial and mining gathering area, ecological function area and blue ocean area are the five major elements of regional scale land space, which correspond to five different ecological restoration modes, namely, comprehensive land improvement, urban renewal and double repair, mine geological environment restoration, mountain-river-forest-farmland-lake-grassland restoration, and blue bay restoration. It is necessary to comprehensively use the thinking of "Three Integrations" (information, technology, and process) to build a set of regional land ecological restoration work mode covering the integration of investigation, monitoring and evaluation, land space planning, project implementation, project acceptance and ecosystem monitoring and evaluation.

Phosphate sequestration by magnetic La-impregnated bentonite granules: A combined experimental and DFT study.

To use the lanthanum hydroxide (La(OH)3) as a low-cost, highly-efficient, and recyclable adsorbent, it could be embedded on a magnetic substance to improve its physical features and lower the overall cost. Herein, novel millimetric-size magnetic lanthanum-modified bentonite (La-MB) granules were fabricated for P sequestration, and the adsorption performance and mechanisms were systematic studied. The maximum capacity of P uptake by La-MB was up to 48.4 mg/g, which was higher than many previous reported La-based adsorbents. Moreover, the enhanced uptake of P was achieved over a wide pH range (3-9) and in the coexistence of common anions (Cl-, NO3-, and SO42-). Besides, the exhausted La-MB can be effectively regenerated by 5 mol/L NaOH with about 94.5% desorption efficiency and 60.8% uptake capacity remained during 5 cycles. The La-MB also exhibited excellent performance of anti-interference in two kinds of real wastewaters. The postsorption characterization and DFT calculations revealed that the electrostatic interaction and chemical precipitation jointly facilitated phosphate sequestration by La-MB during the rapid sorption phase, while ligand exchange and complexation reaction played more important roles than others during the slow sorption step. The electrostatic interaction not only effectively promoted the ligand exchange, and also further accelerated chemical precipitation via the formation of LaPO4 during the whole process of phosphate uptake. Overall, millimetric La-MB is considered to have great potential for engineering application, and this work also provides new insights into the molecular-level mechanism of phosphate sequestration by La-MB.

Entanglement distribution in multi-particle systems in terms of unified entropy.

We investigate the entanglement distribution in multi-particle systems in terms of unified (q, s)-entropy. We find that for any tripartite mixed state, the unified (q, s)-entropy entanglement of assistance follows a polygamy relation. This polygamy relation also holds in multi-particle systems. Furthermore, a generalized monogamy relation is provided for unified (q, s)-entropy entanglement in the multi-qubit system.

[Development of the certified reference material of mercury in lyophilized human urine].

OBJECTIVE: To develop the certified reference material of mercury in lyophilized human urine. METHODS: Human urine samples from normal level mercury districts were filtered, homogenized, dispensed, lyophilized and radio-sterilized. Homogeneity test, stability inspection and certification were conducted using a atom fluorescence spectrophotometric method. The physical and chemical stability of the certified reference material were assessed for 18 months. The certified values are based on analysis made by three independent laboratories. RESULTS: The certified values are as follows: low level was (35.6 ± 2.1) µg/L, high level was (50.5 ± 3.0) µg/L. CONCLUSION: The certified reference material of mercury in lyophilized human urine in this research reached the national certified reference material requirements and could be used for the quality control.