Characteristics of dissolved organic matter during the cyanobacterial degradation in Chaohu Lake, China.

The actual DOM in Chaohu Lake was used to feed cyanobacterial to explore the changes of microbial communities, fluorescence spectral characteristics and molecular composition of DOM during the degradation of cyanobacteria. It is found that cyanobacterial grow periodically depending on the concentration of nutrients with the decreasing concentration of nutrient salts. Both Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria have strong correlation with algae growth. Bacteroidetes has a positive correlation with algae growth, relationship on the contrary, Actinobacteria has a negative relationship. The humus-like components in the four groups are similar, but the protein-like component (C3) shows periodic changes with the life process of cyanobacteria. The average molecular weight of each sample detected by Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer increases slightly and the DOM increase aromaticity in the end. In this study, the molecule of Carboxyl-Rich Alicyclic Molecules (CRAM) is difficult to be done by photodegradation and biodegradation in the early periods, but some molecules of CRAM are selectively degraded by microorganisms in the final period. The growth of cyanobacterial lead to increasing the concentration of protein-like and carbohydrate-like molecule of DOM in the water. In the final stage, the molecule group of CHO disappear significantly and the molecule group of heteroatomic group increase.

QCM sensor provides insight into the role of pivotal ions in cellular regulatory volume decrease.

All vertebrate cells generally self-regulate for sustaining homeostasis and cell functions. As a major regulatory mechanism, regulatory volume decrease (RVD) occurs in hypotonicity-induced cell swelling, and then shrinking by the efflux of intracellular osmolytes and water, in which the ions K+, Cl-, and Ca2+ play a key role in the RVD process. We observed that these pivotal ions could result in novel RVD behaviors under repeatedly hypotonic stimulation. However, there is a lack of valid means for assessing the effect of pivotal ions on RVD. In this work, we proposed an effective measurement process based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) combined with cell function of RVD for revealing acute variations in cell volume regulation induced by the pivotal ions. A QCM sensor was implemented by adhering MCF-7 cells to a poly-l-lysine-modified gold chip and cyclic stimulation with hypotonic NaCl medium, in which a frequency shift (Δf) showed the superior feasibility of the technique in exhibiting RVD behaviors. With the increase in the number of cycles, the RVD values decreased progressively under three stimulation cycles with hypotonic NaCl alone. Compared with the first cycle, the RVD level in the second and third cycles declined by 60.7±1.7% and 82.1±1.6% (n=3), respectively; conversely, it recovered in NaCl-KCl solution, but was significantly enhanced by 52.2±0.8% in NaCl-CaCl2 solution. Moreover, the inhibition of chloride channels to block Cl- efflux also decreased the RVD level by 56.2±3.0%. The results indicate that these ions (K+, Cl-, Ca2+) are all able to affect the function of RVD, among which intracellular Cl- depletion reduced RVD during measurement, but which recovered with K+ supplement, and Ca2+ enhanced RVD due to activation of ion channels. Therefore, this work provides a comprehensive assessment of cellular behavior and offers an innovative method for gaining insight into cellular functions and mechanisms. A novel strategy was conducted by integrating a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) with the function of cell volume regulation for analyzing the role of the pivotal ions ( K+, Cl-, Ca2+) in NaCl media on the behaviors of regulatory cell volume decrease (RVD).

Giant coronary aneurysm of Behcet's disease with sudden syncope: a case report.

Behcet's disease(BD) is a chronic inflammatory vasculitis that rarely affects the arteries, making myocardial infarction unlikely. We report a 28-year-old patient who was admitted to our hospital with multiple sudden syncope. Cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension (HT), diabetes and obesity were not found in her. Preoperatively, imaging examinations suggested thrombosis of the inferior and superior vena cava and right heart combined with coronary artery aneurysm. The patient was finally diagnosed with a huge coronary artery aneurysm proximal to the left anterior descending artery. Syncope is considered to be caused right ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The patient received a successful aneurysm resection and had an uneventful postoperative recovery.

Botulinum Toxin A Improves Supramuscular Fat Graft Retention by Enhancing Angiogenesis and Adipogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Autologous fat grafting is commonly used for soft-tissue augmentation and reconstruction in plastic surgery. However, long-term graft retention rates are unpredictable, especially in muscle-related fat grafting. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNTA) may improve supramuscular fat grafting retention by reducing muscle movement, thereby enhancing angiogenesis and adipogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre-BTX+ nude mice were injected with BoNTA on the right quadriceps femoris and underwent supramuscular fat grafting 1 week later. BTX+ nude mice simultaneously underwent BoNTA injection and transplantation. Control nude mice underwent transplantation without BoNTA. Graft volumes were determined, and grafts underwent histological analyses and immunostaining. CatWalk XT gait analysis was conducted on BTX+ mice. RESULTS: Pre-BTX+ and BTX+ groups had significantly higher retention rates and exhibited better angiogenesis and adipocyte survival than the Control group. CONCLUSION: BoNTA injections improved the long-term retention of supramuscular fat grafts by reducing muscle movement, possibly by augmenting angiogenesis and adipogenesis.

Hydrogen Sulfide Decreases Blood-Brain Barrier Damage via Regulating Protein Kinase C and Tight Junction After Cardiac Arrest in Rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can decrease blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability after cardiac arrest (CA) and resuscitation; however, the underlying mechanisms are not understood clearly. METHODS: We investigated the effects of inhalation of H2S on CA and resuscitation in a rat model of CA. We used Evans blue to detect the integrity of BBB and Western blot to assess the activation of protein kinase c (PKC) isozymes and the expression of Claudin-5, Occludin, and ZO-1. Neurological deficit scales and the 14-days survival rate were measured. RESULTS: We determined that inhalation of 40 p.p.m or 80 p.p.m H2S significantly decreased brain water content and Evans blue leakage, ameliorated neurologic deficit scale and improved 14-days survival rate. H2S inhibited the activation of PKC-α, ß I, ß II and δ, impelled the activation of PKC-ε, and increased the expression of Claudin-5, Occludin and ZO-1. CONCLUSIONS: H2S improved the integrity of BBB, mitigated brain edema; improved neurological outcome and 14-days survival rate in rats after CA and resuscitation. The beneficial effects of H2S may be associated with inhibiting the activation of PKC-α, ß I, ß II and δ, promoting the activation of PKC-ε, and increasing the expression of Claudin-5, Occludin and ZO-1.

Decreased serum estrogen improves fat graft retention by enhancing early macrophage infiltration and inducing adipocyte hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND: Fat grafting is a commonly used procedure; however, the mechanisms that regulate graft outcomes are not clear. Estrogen has been associated with vascularization, inflammation and fat metabolism, yet its role in fat grafting is unclear. METHODS: Mice were implanted with 17ß-estradiol pellets (high estrogen, HE), underwent ovariectomy (low estrogen level, OVX) or sham surgery (normal estrogen level, CON). 45 days later, inguinal fat of mice was autografted subcutaneously. At 1, 2, 4, and 12 weeks post-transplantation, grafts were dissected, weighed, and assessed for histology, angiogenesis and inflammation level. RESULTS: Serum estrogen level correlated to estrogen manipulation. 12 weeks after autografting, the retention rate was significantly higher in the OVX (79% ± 30%) than in the HE (16% ± 8%) and CON (35% ± 13%) groups. OVX-grafts had the least necrosis and most hypertrophic fat. OVX recruited the most pro-inflammatory macrophages and demonstrated a faster dead tissue removal process, however a higher fibrogenic tendency was found in this group. HE grafts had the most Sca1+ local stem cells and CD31 + capillary content; however, with a low level of acute inflammation and insufficient adipokine PPAR-γ expression, their retention rate was impaired. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum estrogen increased stem cell density and early vascularization; however, by inhibiting the early inflammation, it resulted in delayed necrotic tissue removal and finally led to impaired adipose restoration. A low estrogen level induced favorable inflammation status and adipocyte hypertrophy to improve fat graft retention, but a continuing decreased estrogen level led to fat graft fibrosis.

Ischemic flap survival improvement by composition-selective fat grafting with novel adipose tissue derived product - stromal vascular fraction gel.

BACKGROUND: Flap necrosis due to insufficient blood supply is a common postoperative complication in random pattern flaps. Stem cell therapies have emerged as promising biologics for tissue ischemia. A novel fat derived product, stromal vascular fraction gel (SVF-gel), can be prepared with lipoaspirate through simple mechanical processing, removing only the lipid content. SVF-gel enriches adipose-derived stem cells and potentially beneficial for flap necrosis. METHODS: Nude mice ischemic flaps were treated with human SVF-gel, stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cell suspension or saline (n = 10). They were injected to the flap recipient beds, and necrosis and vascularization was assessed on postoperative day 14. We harvested the necrosis-free distal to evaluated skin healthiness and neovasculogenesis by Masson's trichrome stain and immunofluorescence, etc. Pro-angiogenic factors were assessed with tissue qRT-PCR. Finally, we traced the grafted human tissue with immunofluorescence. RESULTS: SVF-gel-treated flaps have the smallest necrotic zones (22.05% ± 0.0438) compared with the saline controls (53.78% ± 0.1412) or SVF-treated ones (35.54% ± 0.0850, p = 0.039). Numerous functional musculocutaneous perforators were developed around SVF-gel grafts. The SVF-gel-treated skin had the best fat restoration (231.3 ± 48.1 µm) among three groups (F = 10.83, p = 0.0102) while saline-treated flap distal appeared fibrotic. SVF-gel-treated flaps also had ∼43% more CD31 + capillaries (p = 0.0152) with ∼3 folds more gene expression of angiogenic cytokines of VEGF and bFGF (p = 0.0310 and 0.0303, respectively) than saline-treated controls. Furthermore, we found hSVF-gel cells (hGolgi+) had directly engrafted as vessel component (α-smooth muscle actin, α-SMA+) to the flap. CONCLUSION: Adipose cellular matrix enhanced flap neovascularization partly by direct incorporation, improved flap survival and fat restoration. The composition-selective fat grafting with SVF-gel demonstrated efficacy comparable with stem cell therapy and is especially valuable for clinical translation.

Low-dose G-CSF improves fat graft retention by mobilizing endogenous stem cells and inducing angiogenesis, whereas high-dose G-CSF inhibits adipogenesis with prolonged inflammation and severe fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) promote fat graft survival by modulating its revascularization. The authors hypothesize that mobilization of HSCs by G-CSF will improve fat graft survival. Hence, we evaluated the effect of different doses of G-CSF on fat grafting. METHODS: Male 8-week-old C57 mice received high-dose G-CSF (100 µg/kg), low-dose G-CSF (10 µg/kg), and PBS (control) intraperitoneally for 7 consecutive days right after autologous fat grafting. Grafted fat was harvested at 1, 4, and 12 weeks for examination. RESULTS: The low-dose G-CSF, high-dose G-CSF, and control groups had retention rates of 73.6% ± 3.1%, 51.6% ± 4.4%, and 44.5% ± 4.0%, respectively, at 12 weeks (low-dose G-CSF versus control and low-dose G-CSF versus high-dose G-CSF, both p < 0.05; no significant difference between high-dose G-CSF and control group). Both doses of G-CSF successfully mobilized HSCs into circulation and upregulated the level of blood-derived stem cells in fat grafts, contributing to improved angiogenesis. However, high-dose G-CSF caused a prolonged macrophage infiltration and elevated level of inflammation (IL-6 and TNF-α), which led to severe fibrosis and impaired adipogenesis (downregulated expression of PPAR-γ and CEBP-α). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose G-CSF treatment successfully improved fat graft survival by mobilizing HSCs and inducing angiogenesis. However, high-dose G-CSF prolonged inflammation and caused severe fibrosis, leading to impaired adipogenesis and poor fat graft survival.

Extracellular matrix/stromal vascular fraction gel conditioned medium accelerates wound healing in a murine model.

Conditioned medium (CM) is a new treatment modality in regenerative medicine and has shown a successful outcome in wound healing. We recently introduced extracellular matrix/stromal vascular fraction gel (ECM/SVF-gel), an adipose-derived stem cell and adipose native extracellular matrix-enriched product for cytotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CM from ECM/SVF-gel (Gel-CM) on wound healing compared with the conventional CM from adipose tissue (Adi-CM) and stem cell (SVF-CM). In vitro wound healing effect of three CMs on keratinocytes and fibroblasts was evaluated in terms of proliferation property, migratory property, and extracellular matrix production. In vivo, two full-thickness wounds were created on the back of each mice. The wounds were randomly divided to receive Gel-CM, Adi-CM, SVF-CM, and PBS injection. Histologic observations and collagen content of wound skin were made. Growth factors concentration in three CMs was further quantified. In vitro, Gel-CM promoted the proliferation and migration of keratinocytes and fibroblasts and enhanced collagen I synthesis in fibroblasts compared to Adi-CM and SVF-CM. In vivo, wound closure was faster, and dermal and epidermal regeneration was improved in the Gel-CM-treated mice compared to that in Adi-CM and SVF-CM-treated mice. Moreover, The growth factors concentration (i.e., vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and transforming growth factor-ß) in Gel-CM were significantly higher than those in Adi-CM and SVF-CM. Gel-CM generated under serum free conditions significantly enhanced wound healing effect compared to Adi-CM and SVF-CM by accelerating cell proliferation, migration, and production of ECM. This improved trophic effect may be attributed to the higher growth factors concentration in Gel-CM. Gel-CM shows potential as a novel and promising alternative to skin wound healing treatment. But limitations include the safety and immunogenicity studies of Gel-CM still remain to be clearly clarified and more data on mechanism study are needed.

pH affects bacterial community composition in soils across the Huashan Watershed, China.

To investigate soil bacterial richness and diversity and to determine the correlations between bacterial communities and soil properties, 8 soil samples were collected from the Huashan watershed in Anhui, China. Subsequently, 454 high-throughput pyrosequencing and bioinformatics analyses were performed to examine the soil bacterial community compositions. The operational taxonomic unit richness of the bacterial community ranged from 3664 to 5899, and the diversity indices, including Chao1, Shannon-Wiener, and Faith's phylogenetic diversity ranged from 7751 to 15 204, 7.386 to 8.327, and 415.77 to 679.11, respectively. The 2 most dominant phyla in the soil samples were Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. The richness and diversity of the bacterial community were positively correlated with soil pH. The Mantel test revealed that the soil pH was the dominant factor influencing the bacterial community. The positive modular structure of co-occurrence patterns at the genus level was discovered by network analysis. The results obtained in this study provide useful information that enhances our understanding of the effects of soil properties on the bacterial communities.

Heterogeneous electro-Fenton oxidation of azo dye methyl orange catalyzed by magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles.

Azo dye methyl orange (MO) degradation by heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) with a magnetic nano-Fe3O4 catalyst was investigated. In this study, Fe3O4 was synthesized by a coprecipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The influences of the main operating parameters such as current density, pH, catalyst dosage and aeration rate were studied. The results revealed that higher current density, catalyst dosage and aeration rate facilitated the degradation of MO, whereas the degradation efficiency of MO was decreased with an increase in the initial pH. After 90 min EF process, the volume of 500 mL, the initial concentration of 50 mg L(-1) MO solution could be degraded by 86.6% with the addition of 1 g L(-1) Fe3O4 under the current density of 10 mA cm(-2) and pH 3, compared with 69.5% for the electrolytic process alone. Meanwhile, a total organic carbon removal of 32% was obtained, up to 35.5 mg L(-1) accumulated H2O2 and less than 3.5 mg L(-1) Fe leaching were detected. Moreover, based on the results of natural bond orbital (at B3LYP/6-311G (d, p)) and liquid chromatograph-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer analysis, nine intermediates were identified and the proposed degradation pathways were investigated.

Validation and application of an analytical method for the determination of selected acidic pharmaceuticals and estrogenic hormones in wastewater and sludge.

This study was undertaken to develop an extraction method for seven acidic pharmaceuticals and five steroidal estrogens from wastewater, treated wastewater and sludge samples. The temperature and time of sample derivatization using N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide was optimized. Our results show that pretreatment combined with solid phase extraction (SPE) for wastewater samples (using an ENVI-C18 cartridge) and liquid-solid extraction combined with SPE (using an HLB cartridge) for sludge samples increased the analytical efficiency for acidic pharmaceuticals and estrogenic hormones using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The derivatization conditions were optimized at 40°C for 2 h. In addition, the derivatized samples were stable at ambient temperature. The new method was validated and applied to the analysis of real wastewater and discharged sludge samples from a local wastewater treatment plant. Except for 17α-ethinylestradiol, all acidic pharmaceuticals and estrogens were detected in the influent, effluent and discharged sludge samples. The concentrations of these compounds were particularly high in the discharged sludge samples.

Marriage of scintillator and semiconductor for synchronous radiotherapy and deep photodynamic therapy with diminished oxygen dependence.

Strong oxygen dependence and limited penetration depth are the two major challenges facing the clinical application of photodynamic therapy (PDT). In contrast, ionizing radiation is too penetrative and often leads to inefficient radiotherapy (RT) in the clinic because of the lack of effective energy accumulation in the tumor region. Inspired by the complementary advantages of PDT and RT, we present herein the integration of a scintillator and a semiconductor as an ionizing-radiation-induced PDT agent, achieving synchronous radiotherapy and depth-insensitive PDT with diminished oxygen dependence. In the core-shell Ce(III)-doped LiYF4@SiO2@ZnO structure, the downconverted ultraviolet fluorescence from the Ce(III)-doped LiYF4 nanoscintillator under ionizing irradiation enables the generation of electron-hole (e(-)-h(+)) pairs in ZnO nanoparticles, giving rise to the formation of biotoxic hydroxyl radicals. This process is analogous to a type I PDT process for enhanced antitumor therapeutic efficacy.

Cell and Tissue Damage after Skin Exposure to Ionizing Radiation: Short- and Long-Term Effects after a Single and Fractional Doses.

Ionizing radiation is often used to treat progressive neoplasms. However, the consequences of long-term radiation exposure to healthy skin tissue are poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term radiation damage to healthy skin of the same irradiation given either as single or fractional doses. C57BL/J6 mice were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control and two exposure groups (5 Gy ×2 or 10 Gy ×1). The inguinal area was irradiated (6-MeV beam) 1 week after depilation in the treatment groups. Skin samples were evaluated macroscopically and histologically for up to 6 months after the final exposure. After anagen hair follicle injury by irradiation, hair cycling resumed in both groups, but hair graying was observed in the 10 Gy ×1 group but not in the 5 Gy ×2 group, suggesting the dose of each fractional exposure is more relevant to melanocyte stem cell damage than the total dose. On the other hand, in the long term, the fractional double exposures induced more severe atrophy and capillary reduction in the dermis and subcutis, suggesting fractional exposure may cause more depletion of tissue stem cells and endothelial cells in the tissue. Thus, our results indicated that there were differences between the degrees of damage that occurred as a result of a single exposure compared with fractional exposures to ionizing radiation: the former induces more severe acute injury to the skin with irreversible depigmentation of hairs, while the latter induces long-term damage to the dermis and subcutis.

Aging and homeostasis of the hypodermis in the age-related deterioration of skin function.

Adipose tissues in the hypodermis, the crucial stem cell reservoir in the skin and the endocrine organ for the maintenance of skin homeostasis undergo significant changes during skin aging. Dermal white adipose tissue (dWAT) has recently been recognized as an important organ for both non-metabolic and metabolic health in skin regeneration and rejuvenation. Defective differentiation, adipogenesis, improper adipocytokine production, and immunological dissonance dysfunction in dWAT lead to age-associated clinical changes. Here, we review age-related alterations in dWAT across levels, emphasizing the mechanisms underlying the regulation of aging. We also discuss the pathogenic changes involved in age-related fat dysfunction and the unfavorable consequences of accelerated skin aging, such as chronic inflammaging, immunosenescence, delayed wound healing, and fibrosis. Research has shown that adipose aging is an early initiation event and a potential target for extending longevity. We believe that adipose tissues play an essential role in aging and form a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of age-related skin diseases. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of this phenomenon.

Influence of oxygen partial pressure on homoacetogenesis and promotion of acetic acid accumulation through low pH regulation under microaerobic conditions.

Homoacetogenesis is an important pathway for bio-utilization of CO2; however, oxygen is a key environmental influencing factor. This study explored the impact of different initial oxygen partial pressures (OPPs) on homoacetogenesis, while implementing low pH regulation enhanced acetic acid (HAc) accumulation under microaerobic conditions. Results indicated that cumulative HAc production increased by 18.2% in 5% OPP group, whereas decreases of 31.3% and 56.0% were observed in 10% and 20% OPP groups, respectively, compared to the control group. However, hydrogenotrophic methanogens adapted to microaerobic environment and competed with homoacetogens for CO2, thus limiting homoacetogenesis. Controlling influent pH 5.0 per cycle increased cumulative HAc production by 18.3% and 18.2% in 5% and 10% OPP groups, respectively, compared with the control group. Consequently, regulating low pH effectively inhibited methanogenic activity under microaerobic conditions, thus increasing HAc production. This study was expected to expand the practical application of homoacetogenesis in bio-utilization of CO2.

Adipose Component Transplantation: An Advanced Fat-Grafting Strategy for Facial Rejuvenation.

BACKGROUND: Autologous fat grafting is frequently used for volume augmentation and tissue regeneration. The uniform physical and biological characteristics of fat grafts, however, limit their optimal effects in various situations. Subjecting fat tissue to different mechanical processes results in adipose-derived products with distinct biological components and physical features. The present study describes a novel facial fat-grafting strategy, adipose component transplantation (ACT), that yields different adipose products that can be applied to specific injection sites. METHODS: All patients who underwent ACT were evaluated retrospectively. Fat tissue samples were fractionated into high-density fat, adipose matrix complex, stromal vascular fraction gel, and adipose collagen fragment, as described. Each of these fractions was processed and injected into indicated recipient sites. Additional SVF gel was cryopreserved and, if necessary, injected during the following 3 months. Patients were followed up after 1, 2, 3, and 6 months, and annually thereafter. RESULTS: From March of 2020 to September of 2021, 78 patients underwent whole face fat grafting using the ACT strategy. All operations and secondary injections of cryopreserved SVF gel were uneventful. There were no major complications, and final aesthetic results were satisfactory in 91% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The ACT strategy allows specific adipose products to be applied to specific injection sites, as warranted. Adipose matrix complex is indicated for sufficient rigid support, high-density fat when large volumes are required, SVF gel for precise injection and cryopreservation, and ACF as mesotherapy for skin rejuvenation. The ACT strategy optimizes the biological functions and physical features of different adipose-derived products. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Enhanced dewatering of dredging slurry by Fenton preoxidation and composite coagulants: optimization experiments and dewatering mechanisms.

In this work, the Fenton preoxidation and composite coagulant method was used to carry out the rapid dewatering experiment of Chaohu Lake (China) dredging slurry. The changes in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), particle size distribution, zeta potential, specific resistance to filtration (SRF), and capillary suction time (CST) of the dredging slurry were characterized. The results showed that the molar ratio of H2O2 and Fe2+ had the greatest effect on the dewatering of dredging slurry by Fenton preoxidation. The coagulant selected through the coagulation test was polyaluminum ferric chloride. The model simulated by the response surface method exhibited significant adaptability and high accuracy (p < 0.01, R2 = 0.9461, accuracy is 12.115). Fenton preoxidation resulted in the transformation of tightly bound EPS to soluble EPS. After preoxidation-coagulation treatment, the dewatering performance of the slurry improved significantly. The EPS quantity rose by 20.3%, while the SRF (3.65 × 109 s2/g), CST (71.25 s), and zeta potential (- 28.0 mV) shifted to 0.33 × 109 s2/g, 27.60 s, and - 14.9 mV, respectively. The disintegration of EPS by Fenton peroxidation and the subsequent adsorption bridging and charge neutralization through coagulation were the key mechanism for improving the dewatering performance of the dredging slurry.

Purification of dredged water by magnetic coagulation: Response surface optimization and dissolved organic matter removal characteristics.

In the present study, magnetic coagulation was used to treat dredged water and the response surface method was used to optimize process parameters. The dissolved organic matter (DOM) removal characteristics were characterized by three-dimensional fluorescence spectrometry and ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry. During the magnetic coagulation process, the suspended solids (SS) removal rate increased initially and then decreased under conditions of increasing magnetic powder dosage and stirring rate. After magnetic coagulation and precipitation for 20 min, the contents of SS, ammonia nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, and total phosphorus in the treated dredged water met the requirements of the discharge standard (GB8978-1996, China). Three-dimensional fluorescence results showed that magnetic coagulation selectively removed fulvic acids and humic acid substances. After magnetic coagulation with precipitation for 10 min and 20 min, the total relative content of lignins, tannins, proteins, lipids, aminosugars, unsaturated hydrocarbons, condensed aromatic structures, and carbohydrates decreased by 26.3% and 39.4%, respectively. After magnetic coagulation, the distribution range of small molecule DOM shifted to the low H/C and high O/C regions. This study provides a novel perspective for studies on the removal of DOM in dredged water by magnetic coagulation. PRACTITIONER POINTS: SS and DOM removal were significantly enhanced by the use of magnetic coagulation. SS removal efficiency was affected by stirring rate and magnetic powder dosage. Magnetic coagulation selectively removed fulvic acids and humic acid substances. DOM molecule shifted to low H/C and high O/C regions after magnetic coagulation.

Association between adiposity and facial aging: results from a Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Skin, as a sociologically meaningful interface, has psychological implications different from other organs, particularly in the context of the global population aging. Growing evidence suggests that facial aging is associated with an increased risk of adiposity. Existing research, however, were observational, and while they may find some correlations, it is difficult to simply disentangle non-causal or reverse-causal links because these associations may be confounded or fail to accurately reflect true causative linkages. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to examine the potential effect of facial aging on the risk of broad obesity and its three major adiposity indicators, including body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%) and waist circumference (WC). METHODS: Genetic instruments from IEU OpenGWAS project, one of the largest available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for facial aging (423,999 samples) were used to investigate the relation to broad obesity (32,858 cases, 65,839 controls). Using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) technique, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with adiposity indicators (BMI (461,460 samples), BF% (454,633 samples), and WC (462,166 samples)) were investigated in relationship to facial aging. Further sensitivity analyses were performed, including Mendelian randomization-Egger (MR-Egger), weighted median estimates, and leave-one-out analysis, to evaluate the consistency of the results and related potential issues in MR studies. RESULTS: We identified strong and significant correlations between adiposity and facial aging in the 17 broad obesity-associated SNPs (IVW estimate of odds ratio OR = 1.020, 95% CI 1.010-1.029, P = 7.303e - 05), 458 BMI-associated SNPs (IVW estimate of odds ratio OR = 1.047, 95% CI 1.0357-1.058, P = 1.154e - 16),for the 395 BF%-associated SNPs (OR = 1.056, 95%CI 1.040-1.072,P = 7.617e - 12), or for the 374 WC-associated SNPs (OR = 1.072, 95% CI 1057-1.087,P = 1.229e - 23). A range of complementary methodologies have been employed to evaluate horizontal pleiotropy and related potential caveats occurring in MR research. CONCLUSIONS: Using Mendelian randomization as an alternative approach to investigate causality, we found a causal relationship between adiposity and facial aging, which was statistically strong and significant.