Efficacy and safety of fibrin sealant application in patients undergoing thyroidectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Various studies have focused on the application of fibrin sealants (FS) in thyroid surgery. Utilizing a meta-analysis, this systematic review analyzed the findings of recent randomized controlled trials on the safety and efficacy of FS in patients who underwent thyroidectomy. The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and Medline databases were searched for relevant studies, without any language restrictions. Seven randomized controlled trials were included in the originally identified 69 studies. Overall, 652 patients received FS during thyroid surgery; their outcomes were compared with those of conventionally treated patients. The primary outcomes were total volume of wound drainage, length of hospitalization, and operative time. Significant differences were observed in the total volume of wound drainage (mean deviation (MD): -29.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): -55.39 to -4.11, P = 0.02), length of hospitalization (MD: -0.84, 95% CI: -1.02 to -0.66, P < 0.00001), and surgery duration (MD: -7.60, 95% CI: -14.75 to -0.45, P = 0.04). Secondary outcomes were seroma and hypoparathyroidism development. The risk of hypoparathyroidism did not differ between the FS and conventional groups (I = 0%, relative risk = 1.31, P = 0.38). Analysis of "seroma formation that required invasive treatment" indicated that FS showed some benefit (I2 = 8%, relative risk 0.44, P = 0.15). Heterogeneity among the different trials limited their conclusions. The meta-analysis showed that although FS use did not significantly reduce seroma or hypoparathyroidism incidence in patients after thyroidectomy, it significantly reduced the total drainage volume, length of hospitalization, and duration of surgery.

Efficient Adsorption-Photocatalytic Removal of Tetracycline Hydrochloride over Octahedral MnS.

To disclose the effect of crystal plane on the adsorption-photocatalytic activity of MnS, octahedral MnS was prepared via the hydrothermal route to enhance the adsorption and photocatalytic efficiencies of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) in visible light region. The optimal MnS treated at 433 K for 16 h could remove 94.83% TCH solution of 260 mg L-1 within 180 min, and its adsorption-photocatalytic efficiency declined to 89.68% after five cycles. Its excellent adsorption-photocatalytic activity and durability were ascribed to the sufficient vacant sites of octahedral structure for TCH adsorption and the feasible band-gap structure for visible-light response. In addition, the band gap structure (1.37 eV) of MnS with a conduction band value of -0.58 eV and a valence band value of 0.79 eV was favorable for the generation of O2-, while unsuitable for the formation of OH. Hence, octahedral MnS was a potential material for the removal of antibiotics from wastewater.

Inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced autophagy promotes the killing effect of X-rays on sarcoma in mice.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a conserved cellular process for cells to clear unfolded or misfolded proteins and maintain cell homeostasis under stress conditions. Autophagy may act as a pro-survival strategy to cope with multiple stress conditions in tumor progression and distant metastasis. Although many studies have demonstrated that there is a close correlation between radiation-induced ER stress and autophagy, the molecular mechanisms currently remain unclear. In the present study, we performed an in vivo study concerning the effect of autophagy induced by ER stress on the radiosensitivity of mouse sarcoma using X-rays. Our results documented that X-rays could induce ER stress in sarcoma and then autophagy was activated by unfolded protein response (UPR) through the IRE1-JNK-pBcl2-Beclin1 signaling axis. The induction of autophagy caused a decline in cell apoptosis while inhibiting the autophagy resulted in increased apoptosis and inhibition of tumor progression. Combined treatment of X-ray exposure and chloroquine increased ER stress-related apoptosis and enhanced the radiosensitivity of mouse sarcoma that was not sensitive to X-ray irradiation alone. Thus, our study indicates that inhibition of ER stress-induced autophagy might be a novel strategy to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy against radioresistant sarcoma.

Different mitochondrial fragmentation after irradiation with X-rays and carbon ions in HeLa cells and its influence on cellular apoptosis.

Although mitochondria are known to play an important role in radiation-induced cellular damage, the mechanisms by which ionizing radiation modulates mitochondrial dynamics are largely unknown. In this study, human cervical carcinoma cell line HeLa was used to demonstrate the different modes of mitochondrial network in response to different quality radiations such as low linear energy transfer (LET) X-rays and high-LET carbon ions. Mitochondria fragmented into punctate and clustered ones upon carbon ion irradiation in a dose- and LET-dependent manner, which was associated with apoptotic cell death. In contrast, low-dose X-ray irradiation promoted mitochondrial fusion while mitochondrial fission was detected until the radiation dose was more than 1 Gy. This fission was driven by ERK1/2-mediated phosphorylation of Drp1 on Serine 616. Inhibition of mitochondrial fragmentation suppressed the radiation-induced apoptosis and thus enhanced the resistance of cells to carbon ions and high-dose X-rays, but not for cells irradiated with X-rays at the low dose. Our results suggest that radiations of different qualities cause diverse changes of mitochondrial dynamics in cancer cells, which play an important role in determining the cell fate.

The Radiation Enhancement of 15 nm Citrate-Capped Gold Nanoparticles Exposed to 70 keV/µm Carbon Ions.

Radiotherapy is an important modality for tumor treatment. The central goal of radiotherapy is to deliver a therapeutic dose to the tumor as much as possible whilst sparing the surrounding normal tissues. On one hand, heavy ion radiation induces maximum damage at the end of the track (called the Bragg Peak). Hadron therapy based on heavy ions is considered superior to conventional X-rays and γ-rays radiations for tumors sited in sensitive tissues, childhood cases and radioresistant cancers. On the other hand, radiation sensitizers enhanced the radiation effects in tumors by increasing the dose specifically to the tumor cells. Recently, the use of gold nanoparticles as potential tumor selective radio-sensitizers has been proposed as a breakthrough in radiotherapy with conventional radiations. The enhanced radiation effect of heavy ions in tumor by using gold nanoparticles as radio-sensitizer may provide alternative in hadron therapy. In this study, we investigated the radiosensitizing effects of carbon ions with a linear energy transfer of 70 keV/µm in the presence of 15 nm citrate-capped AuNPs. The existing of AuNPs resulted in 5.5-fold enhancement in hydroxyl radical production and 24.5% increment in relative biological effectiveness (RBE) values for carbon-ion-irradiated HeLa cells. The study indicated gold nanoparticles can be used as potential radio-sensitizer in carbon ions therapy.

Role of autophagy in high linear energy transfer radiation-induced cytotoxicity to tumor cells.

Heavy-ion radiotherapy has a potential advantage over conventional radiotherapy due to improved dose distribution and a higher biological effectiveness in cancer therapy. However, there is a little information currently available on the cellular and molecular basis for heavy-ion irradiation-induced cell death. Autophagy, as a novel important target to improve anticancer therapy, has recently attracted considerable attention. In this study, the effect of autophagy induced by high linear energy transfer (LET) carbon ions was examined in various tumor cell lines. To our knowledge, our study is the first to reveal that high-LET carbon ions could induce autophagy in various tumor cells effectively, and the autophagic level in the irradiated cells increased in a dose- and LET-dependent manner. The ability of carbon ions to inhibit the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway rose with increasing their LET. Moreover, modulation of autophagy in tumor cells could modify their sensitivity to high-LET radiation, and inhibiting autophagy accelerated apoptotic cell death, resulting in an increase in radiosensitivity. Our data imply that targeting autophagy might enhance the effectiveness of heavy-ion radiotherapy.

Feedback loop between hypoxia and energy metabolic reprogramming aggravates the radioresistance of cancer cells.

Radiotherapy is one of the mainstream approaches for cancer treatment, although the clinical outcomes are limited due to the radioresistance of tumor cells. Hypoxia and metabolic reprogramming are the hallmarks of tumor initiation and progression and are closely linked to radioresistance. Inside a tumor, the rate of angiogenesis lags behind cell proliferation, and the underdevelopment and abnormal functions of blood vessels in some loci result in oxygen deficiency in cancer cells, i.e., hypoxia. This prevents radiation from effectively eliminating the hypoxic cancer cells. Cancer cells switch to glycolysis as the main source of energy, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect, to sustain their rapid proliferation rates. Therefore, pathways involved in metabolic reprogramming and hypoxia-induced radioresistance are promising intervention targets for cancer treatment. In this review, we discussed the mechanisms and pathways underlying radioresistance due to hypoxia and metabolic reprogramming in detail, including DNA repair, role of cancer stem cells, oxidative stress relief, autophagy regulation, angiogenesis and immune escape. In addition, we proposed the existence of a feedback loop between energy metabolic reprogramming and hypoxia, which is associated with the development and exacerbation of radioresistance in tumors. Simultaneous blockade of this feedback loop and other tumor-specific targets can be an effective approach to overcome radioresistance of cancer cells. This comprehensive overview provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying tumor radiosensitivity and progression.

Associations among thyroid hormone levels and mean corpuscular volume in adults in the US: A cross-sectional examination of the NHANES 2007-2012 dataset.

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is an important indicator used to determine the etiology of anemia and is associated with a variety of diseases. However, the link between thyroid function and MCV has yet to be clarified. This study was thus developed to assess relationships between thyroid function and MCV in a population of adults in the US. Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey study performed from 2007 to 2012 were used to conduct a cross-sectional analysis. Key thyroid-related variables included in this analysis were thyroid-stimulating hormone, total thyroxine (TT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), total triiodothyronine (TT3), free thyroxine (FT4), antithyroglobulin, thyroglobulin, and antithyroid peroxidase levels. Generalized linear regression models were employed when estimating associations between MCV quartiles and thyroid parameters in 8104 adults 18 + years of age. In these participants, the weighted mean (SD) MCV was 89.36 (0.16) fL, with thyroid-stimulating hormone levels of 1.86 (0.03) mIU/mL, FT3 levels of 3.20 (0.01) pg/mL, FT4 levels of 0.80 (0.01) ng/dL, TT3 levels of 115.09 (0.64) ng/dL, and TT4 levels of 7.81 (0.04) µg/dL. When analyses were not adjusted, higher MCV values were related to reduced serum levels of FT3, TT3, or TT4. Following adjustment for possible confounding variables, this significant negative correlation between MCV and levels of FT3, TT3, and TT4 remained, and subgroup analysis revealed that this negative correlation was present in the male group and in the age group >50 years, but not in the female group and in the age group less than or equal to 50 years. These results suggest a significant negative correlation between MCV and FT3, TT3, and TT4, and this negative correlation originated more from the male population and those older than 50 years of age. The underlying mechanisms warrant additional investigation.

High-strength, antifogging and antibacterial ZnO/carboxymethyl starch/chitosan film with unique "Steel Wire Mesh" structure for strawberry preservation.

In this work, a multifunctional preservative film of ZnO/carboxymethyl starch/chitosan (ZnO/CMS/CS) with the unique "Steel Wire Mesh" structure is fabricated by the chemical crosslinked of ZnO NPs, CMS and CS. Unlike traditional nano-filled polymer film, the formation of the "Steel Wire Mesh" structure of ZnO/CMS/CS film is based on the synergistic effect of ZnO NPs filled CMS/CS and the coordination crosslinked between CMS/CS and Zn2+ derived from ZnO NPs. Thanks to the "Steel Wire Mesh" structure, the tensile strength and water vapor barrier of 2.5ZnO/10CMS/CS film are 2.47 and 1.73 times than that of CS film, respectively. Furthermore, the transmittance of 2.5ZnO/10CMS/CS film during antifogging test is close to 89 %, confirming its excellent antifogging effects. And the 2.5ZnO/10CMS/CS film also exhibits excellent long-acting antibacterial activity (up to 202 h), so it can maintain the freshness and appearance of strawberries at least 5 days. More importantly, the 2.5ZnO/10CMS/CS film is sensitive to humidity changes, which achieves real-time humidity monitoring of the fruit storage environment. Note that the preparation method of the film is safe, simple and environmentally friendly, and its excellent degradation performance will not bring any problems of food safety and environmental pollution.

The association between the composite dietary antioxidant index and thyroid functionality among adults in the USA: NHANES 2007-2012.

Objective: Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index (CDAI) values serve as a summary of an individual's combined dietary antioxidant intake. Although specific antioxidants are known to reduce thyroid damage from oxidative stress, the relationship between the CDAI and thyroid function remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was thus to investigate this relationship in greater detail while focusing on a representative American adult population. Methods: A total of 6,860 subjects from the 2007-2012 NHANES cohort were included in this study. Associations between CDAI values and thyroid function were evaluated with weighted linear regression models and smoothed curve fitting. Subgroup analyses were also performed. Results: The weighted mean (SD) values for variables analyzed in this study included a CDAI of 0.13 (0.06), serum free T4 (FT4) levels of 0.80 (0.01) ng/dL, and serum total T4 (TT4) levels of 7.80 (0.03) ug/dL. Lower CDAI values were found to be associated with higher levels of FT4 and TT4 using both unadjusted and adjusted models that accounted for relevant confounders (adjusted model, FT4 ß = -0.003, p = 0.005; TT4 ß = -0.035, p < 0.001). This negative correlation persisted when CDAI was categorized into quartiles (FT4, p for trend = 0.014; TT4, p for trend = 0.003). Conclusion: These findings suggest that a diet rich in antioxidants, as reflected by higher CDAI scores, is associated with significant decreases in levels of free and total T4. Further analyses will be necessary to better clarify the underlying mechanisms behind these observations.

The Relationship between Nutritional Status and Thyroid Function among Adults in the USA: NHANES 2007-2012.

Controlled Nutritional Status (CONUT) scores have been developed as quantitative tools that can be employed to gauge the nutritional status of individual patients. However, there has been very little research investigating the association between these CONUT scores and the function of the thyroid. As such, the present study was designed to address this research gap through the evaluation of a representative cohort of American adults. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data were herein used to separate subjects into those with normal nutritional status (CONUT score: 0-1) from those who were malnourished (CONUT scores > 1). Associations between these CONUT scores and the function of the thyroid were investigated through linear regression modeling, employing weighted analytical strategies and subgroup analyses. Overall, 8,082 individuals from the NHANES 2007-2012 cohort were enrolled in this analysis. These individuals exhibited a weighted mean CONUT score of 0.72 (0.02). 6661 (weighted proportion: 83.12%) in the normal nutritional status group and 1421 (16.88%) in the malnourished group. In adjusted analyses, subjects who were malnourished were found to present with an increase in FT4 levels (ß = 0.033; p < 0.001 together with reduced TT3 levels (ß = -3.526; p = 0.01). The present data offer evidence in support of higher CONUT scores, which correspond to malnutrition, being related to increases in FT4 levels together with reductions in TT3 levels. More studies will be crucial to further probe the mechanistic drivers of these results.

The relationship between dietary inflammatory index values and thyroid function in the US adult population: An analysis of the NHANES 2007-2012 cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Researchers have developed the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) as a tool to quantify the inflammatory potential of a given diet. Higher DII scores indicated a more proinflammatory diet. While inflammation is known to have a strong impact on thyroid function, the precise nature of the association between DII scores and thyroid function has yet to be clarified. This study was conducted with the goal of exploring this relationship in a representative population of adults from the United States. METHODS: For this study, we used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Standardized questionnaires were used to collect demographic and dietary data from the participants, and laboratory tests were used to collect data on the participants' thyroid parameters and other relevant data. Linear regression models and smoothed curve fitting were used to assess the relationship between DII scores and thyroid function, with weighted data analyses and subgroup analyses being conducted as appropriate. RESULTS: In total, 7712 subjects were recruited from the NHANES 2007-2012 cohort. Their weighted mean age was 44.87 (0.47) years, mean DII score was 1.41 (0.05). Mean FT3 was 3.20 (0.01) pg/mL and mean TT4 was 7.81 (0.03) µg/dL. In adjusted analyses, higher DII values were related to increases in FT3 (ß = .007; p = .027) and TT4 (ß = .050; p = .005) levels. Subgroup analyses showed a negative correlation between FT3 levels and DII scores in a population with high urinary iodine concentrations. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that the consumption of a more proinflammatory diet, as evidenced by elevated DII scores, is correlated with significant increases in FT3 and TT4 levels. However, for people with high urinary iodine concentrations, a more proinflammatory diet was associated with lower FT3 levels. Additional research will be vital to clarify the mechanistic basis for these findings.

The relationship between sleep duration and thyroid function in the adult US population: NHANES 2007-2012.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep disturbance is a common problem in the general population. Sleep deprivation or dysfunction can have profound health consequences. However, how sleep duration is associated with thyroid function remains unclear. This study was thus developed to examine the association between sleep duration and thyroid function in the US adult population. METHODS: A total of 8102 participants from the NHANES 2007-2012 dataset were included in this study. Weighted data analyses were conducted, and the link between sleep duration and thyroid function was probed using linear regression models with smoothed curve fitting. Stratified analyses were also performed. RESULTS: Weighted mean (standard deviation) values for study variables were as follows: sleep duration 6.85 (0.02) hours, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 1.86 (0.03) mIU/ml, serum free T3 3.20 (0. 01) pg/mL, serum free T4 0.80 (0.01) ng/dL, serum total T3 115.12 (0.64) ng/dL, serum total T4 7.81 (0.04) ug/dL, TPOAb 16.20 (1.53) IU/mL, TgAb 5.75 (0.73) IU/mL, and Tg 15.11 (0.46) ng/mL. In unadjusted analyses, increased sleep duration was associated with higher serum TSH levels and decreased FT3 levels. After adjustment for potential confounders, a significant negative relationship was detected between sleep duration and FT3 levels in participants with ≤7 hours of sleep. When sleep duration exceeded 7 hours, no significant changes in FT3 levels were observed after further increases in sleep duration. CONCLUSION: Increased sleep duration was related to decreased FT3 levels, primarily at short sleep durations, and this correlation was no longer evident when participants reached the recommended healthy sleep duration.

Ferroptosis: a novel regulated cell death participating in cellular stress response, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Ferroptosis is a regulated cell death mode triggered by iron-dependent toxic membrane lipid peroxidation. As a novel cell death modality that is morphologically and mechanistically different from other forms of cell death, such as apoptosis and necrosis, ferroptosis has attracted extensive attention due to its association with various diseases. Evidence on ferroptosis as a potential therapeutic strategy has accumulated with the rapid growth of research on targeting ferroptosis for tumor suppression in recent years. METHODS: We summarize the currently known characteristics and major regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis and present the role of ferroptosis in cellular stress responses, including ER stress and autophagy. Furthermore, we elucidate the potential applications of ferroptosis in radiotherapy and immunotherapy, which will be beneficial in exploring new strategies for clinical tumor treatment. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: Based on specific biomarkers and precise patient-specific assessment, targeting ferroptosis has great potential to be translated into practical new approaches for clinical cancer therapy, significantly contributing to the prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer.

Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticles Reinforce the Fractionated Radiotherapy-Induced Immune Response in Tri-Negative Breast Cancer via cGAS-STING Pathway.

Introduction: Radiotherapy is a widely recognized first-line clinical treatment for cancer, but its efficacy may be impeded by the radioresistance of advanced tumors. It is urgent to improve the sensitivity of radioresistant tumors to radiotherapy. In this work, gadolinium oxide nanocrystals (GONs) were utilized as radiosensitizers to enhance the killing effect and reinforce the immune activation of X-ray irradiation on 4T1 breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Methods: 1.0 T small animal MR imaging (MRI) system was employed to trace GONs in vivo, while 225 kVp X-ray irradiation equipment was utilized for investigating the radiosensitization of GONs in 4T1 breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Western blot, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, clonal survival assay, flow cytometry and reactive oxygen species assay were used to explore the biological mechanism of GON sensitization. Results: GONs exhibited exceptional utility as contrast agents for both in vivo and in vitro MRI imaging. Interestingly, a single dose of 8.0 Gy X-rays together with GONs failed to confer superior therapeutic effects in tumor-bearing mice, while only 3.0 Gy × 3 fractions X-rays combined with GONs exhibited effective tumor growth inhibition. Moreover, fractionated X-ray irradiation with GONs demonstrated a superior capacity to activate the cGAS-STING pathway. Discussion: Fractionated X-ray irradiation in the presence of GONs has demonstrated the most significant activation of the anti-tumor immune response by boosting the cGAS-STING pathway.

Introducing a Novel Chemotherapeutic Drug for the Treatment of Lung Adenocarcinoma: Silver Nanoparticles Green-formulated by Cinnamomum verum.

In this study we report the green synthesis of nontoxic, stable, and small size silver nanoparticle by Cinnamomum verum with reducing/capping ability without any toxic reducing agents. The in situ prepared AgNPs were characterized by advanced physicochemical techniques like FE-SEM, TEM, and UV-Vis study. It has been established that AgNPs have a spherical shape with a mean diameter from 10 to 45 nm. In the antioxidant test, the IC50 of AgNPs and BHT against DPPH free radicals were 191 and 242 µg/mL, respectively. In the cellular and molecular part of the recent study, the treated cells with AgNPs were assessed by MTT assay for 48 h about the cytotoxicity and anti-human lung adenocarcinoma properties on normal (HUVEC) and lung adenocarcinoma cell lines i.e. PC-14, LC-2/ad, and HLC-1. The IC50 of AgNPs were 259, 291, and 395 µg/mL against PC-14, LC-2/ad, and HLC-1 cell lines, respectively. The viability of malignant lung cell line reduced dose-dependently in the presence of AgNPs.

PERK Regulates the Sensitivity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells to High-LET Carbon Ions via either Apoptosis or Ferroptosis.

PERK is one of the transmembrane sensors of unfolded protein response (UPR) triggered by ER stress. In this study, we evaluated the role of PERK in the sensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells to high linear energy transfer (LET) carbon ions (CI). We found that CI irradiation could induce ER stress in HCC cells. On the one hand, PERK promoted autophagy via regulating ATF4 expression; on the other hand, PERK regulated p53 expression, and the latter either induced autophagy through up-regulating DRAM, or directly promoting apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway or facilitating ferroptosis via down-regulating SLC7A11 (the extrinsic pathway), but independent of GPX4 (the intrinsic pathway). These factors jointly determined the sensitivity of HCC cells to high-LET CI radiation. Inhibiting TP53 directly increased cellular radioresistance definitely. Moreover, the death of HepG2 (TP53 wild type) cells induced by high-LET CI irradiation combined with sorafenib treatment might be caused by a mixed-type regulated cell death (RCD) including both apoptosis and ferroptosis, suggesting that apoptosis and ferroptosis are synergetic cell death modes regulated by TP53, which is one of the reasons why the sensitivity of HepG2 cells is higher than that of Hep3B (TP53 null type) and PLC/PRF5 (TP53 mutated type) cells. Therefore, our work might shed light on the potential therapeutic implication of CI radiotherapy combined with PERK targeted clinical drugs to implement personalized and precise treatment of HCCs.

The Relationship between Time to Surgery (TTS) and Survival in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Curative operation is the practical and primary therapy for masses of breast cancers. In contrast, the correlation between the time interval from breast cancer diagnosis to curative surgery and survival is still uncertain. METHODS: An electronic literature search was conducted on PubMed/Medline and EMBASE (between Jan 2000 and Jan 2020). Primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) or Disease-Free Survival (DFS). The HR with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a random-effects or fixed-effects model. RESULTS: The combined HR for OS was 1. 10 (95% CI 1. 08-1. 11; P=0. 000) by fixed-effects model, no statistically significant heterogeneity was found (P=1. 000; I2=0%), and this difference was statistically significant (Z=11. 99; P=0. 000). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis showed a significant adverse association between more prolonged time to surgery (TTS) and lower overall survival in patients with breast cancer. It is reasonable to minimize that interval between diagnosis and curative surgery.

Flower-like Bi2S3-In2S3 heterojunction for efficient solar light induced photoreduction of Cr(VI).

To develop Bi2S3-based heterojunction for efficient solar light induced photoreduction of Cr(VI), flower-like Bi2S3-In2S3 composites consisted of nanorods were prepared via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal route. In contrast with pure Bi2S3, Bi2S3-In2S3 composites exhibited the enhanced photoreduction activity while the decreased adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) removal. The best removal efficiency of 70 mg L-1 Cr(VI) solution (99.86%) was achieved by the optimal 3-Bi2S3-In2S3 with a Bi/In molar ratio of 4:1 within 140 min. It's ascribed to the narrow band gap for strengthened visible-light response, the tight interface between Bi2S3 and In2S3 for rapid transfer and separation of charge carriers, and the enough S vacancies for highly-efficient active sites of adsorption-photoreduction. However, the long-term photo-corrosion resulted in the slightly inferior reusability of 3-Bi2S3-In2S3 under solar light irradiation after five cycles.

Efficient adsorption of ciprofloxacin using Ga2S3/S-modified biochar via the high-temperature sulfurization.

Ga2S3 and sulfur co-modified biochar (Ga/S-BC) composites were prepared for enhancing the adsorption of ciprofloxacin from sugarcane bagasse via the high-temperature sulfurization. In contrast with sulfur-modified biochar, Ga/S-BC exhibited the better adsorption capacity for ciprofloxacin removal. The increasing Ga content induced to the climbing and then declining adsorption activity of Ga/S-BC. Among these obtained Ga/S-BC composites, optimal 3-Ga/S-BC with a Ga content of 7.40% and surface area of 681.67 m2 g-1 exhibited the superior capacity of 330.21 mg g-1. The adsorption capacity of 3-Ga/S-BC declined to 301.66 mg g-1 after nine cycles. pH and inorganic salts also affected the adsorption capacity of 3-Ga/S-BC for ciprofloxacin removal. The adsorption isotherms of obtained Ga/S-BC composites were well described by Langmuir isotherm, and their adsorption kinetics were well estimated via second-order model. The adsorption performance of 3-Ga/S-BC in ciprofloxacin removal was a physisorption and spontaneous process.