Flow pattern maps of double emulsions transporting through bifurcation microchannels.

The transportation behaviors of compound droplets in confined channels are widespread phenomena while the physical mechanisms are far from being completely unraveled. In this work, behaviors of double emulsions flowing through bifurcation microchannels are experimentally studied with the aim of building universal flow pattern maps. Three flow patterns are categorized according to different features of daughter droplets in terms of size, uniformity, and shell thickness. A detailed analysis of the dynamics of interfacial evolutions in different patterns is carried out and the coupling interaction between interfaces is found to affect the minimum tail distance during transportation. It is feasible to obtain the threshold of the occurrence of the coupling interaction, due to the different variation tendencies in the two states, which relies on three dimensionless parameters, i.e. droplet length, length ratio, and capillary number. Furthermore, a novel physical model is proposed to build the flow pattern map, with the two transition boundaries being expressed as different relationships in terms of the three identified parameters. The physical mechanisms are summarized with the aid of force analysis. An excellent agreement is shown between the model and experimental results in different liquid systems and bifurcation structures, indicating the generality of the proposed model.

Evaluation of compost quality and the environmental effects of semipermeable membrane composting with poultry manure using sawdust or mushroom residue as the bulking agent.

Herein, the effects of different bulking agents (sawdust and mushroom residue), on compost quality and the environmental benefits of semipermeable film composting with poultry manure were investigated. The results show that composting with sawdust as the bulking agent resulted in greater efficiency and more cost benefits than composting with mushroom residue, and the cost of sawdust for treating an equal volume of manure was only 1/6 of that of mushroom residue. Additionally, lignin degradation and potential carbon emission reduction in the sawdust group were better than those in the mushroom residue group, and the lignin degradation efficiency of the bottom sample in the sawdust group was 48.57 %. Coupling between lignin degradation and potential carbon emission reduction was also closer in sawdust piles than in mushroom residue piles, and sawdust is more environmentally friendly. The abundance of key functional genes was higher at the bottom of each pile relative to the top and middle. Limnochordaceae, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus were the core microorganisms involved in coupling between lignin degradation and potential carbon emission reduction, and the coupled relationship was influenced by electric conductivity, ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen in the compost piles. This study provides important data for supporting bulking agent selection in semipermeable film composting and for improving the composting process. The results have high value for compost production and process application.

Bacteria-based drug delivery for treating non-oncological diseases.

Bacteria inhabit all over the human body, especially the skin, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, urogenital tract, as well as specific lesion sites, such as wound and tumor. By leveraging their distinctive attributes including rapid proliferation, inherent abilities to colonize various biointerfaces in vivo and produce diverse biomolecules, and the flexibility to be functionalized via genetic engineering or surface modification, bacteria have been widely developed as living therapeutic agents, showing promising potential to make a great impact on the exploration of advanced drug delivery systems. In this review, we present an overview of bacteria-based drug delivery and its applications in treating non-oncological diseases. We systematically summarize the physiological positions where living bacterial therapeutic agents can be delivered to, including the skin, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, and female genital tract. We discuss the success of using bacteria-based drug delivery systems in the treatment of diseases that occur in specific locations, such as skin wound healing/infection, inflammatory bowel disease, respiratory diseases, and vaginitis. We also discuss the advantages as well as the limitations of these living therapeutics and bacteria-based drug delivery, highlighting the key points that need to be considered for further translation. This review article may provide unique insights for designing next-generation bacteria-based therapeutics and developing advanced drug delivery systems.

Is reoperation required for patients presenting with hepatic portal venous gas after gastrointestinal surgery: a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hepatic portal venous gas(HPVG) represents a rare radiographic phenomenon frequently linked to intestinal necrosis, historically deemed to need immediate surgical intervention. The pivotal query arises about the imperative of urgent surgery when a patient manifests HPVG after gastrointestinal surgery. This inquiry seeks to elucidate whether emergent surgical measures remain a requisite in such cases. METHODS: The investigation into 14 cases of HPVG after gastrointestinal procedures was conducted through a comprehensive review of relevant literature. This methodological approach contributes to a nuanced understanding of HPVG occurrences following gastrointestinal surgery, informing clinical considerations and potential therapeutic strategies. RESULTS: Among the 14 patients, 12 recovered and 2 died. 6 patients underwent surgical exploration, 4 with negative findings and recovered. 8 cases received conservative treatment, resulting in improvement for 5, and 1 initially treated conservatively, revealed perforation during later surgical exploration, leading to improvement, 1 case ended in mortality. CONCLUSION: After gastrointestinal surgery, in Computed Tomography (CT) imaging, the coexistence of HPVG and gastrointestinal dilatation, without signs of peritoneal irritation on abdominal examination, may suggest HPVG due to acute gastrointestinal injury, intestinal gas, and displacement of gas-producing bacteria. These patients can be managed conservatively under close supervision. In cases where HPVG coexists with gastrointestinal dilatation and Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) without signs of peritoneal irritation, conservative treatment may be continued under close supervision. However, if progressive exacerbation occurs despite close monitoring and the aforementioned treatments, timely surgical exploration is deemed necessary. When HPVG is combined with signs of peritoneal irritation, prompt laparotomy and exploration are preferred.

Multi-media distribution and risk assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the Huai River Basin, China.

The widespread existence, environmental persistence, and risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have attracted widespread attention. Herein, the distribution and risk assessment of PFASs were investigated from the Huai River Basin. The ranges in different media were 29.83-217.96 (average of 75.82 ± 35.64 ng/L) in water, 0.17-9.55 ng/g (2.56 ± 2.83 ng/g) in sediments, and 0.21-9.76 ng/g (3.43 ± 3.07 ng/g) in biota. Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) was the most prevalent PFAS in surface water, followed by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), accounted for 42.62 %, 22.23 % and 17.72 % of the total concentrations of the PFASs analyzed, respectively. PFBA was dominant in sediments, accounting for 60.37 % of the total concentrations of the PFASs analyzed. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the main pollutant in biota, and the highest concentration (5.09 ng/g) was found in Channa argus. Considering the measured concentrations in water, sediments and biota, the sediment-water partition coefficients (log Kd) and bioaccumulation factors (BAF) of PFASs were determined. The log Kd of the PFASs differed among those with a different carbon chain length, C7-C11 PFASs were more likely to be adsorbed onto sediments as the carbon chain length increases, and PFUnDA and PFDA showed the higher BAF value in Channa argus. PFASs in the Huai River Basin posed an acceptable ecological risk, and long-chain PFAS contamination provided green algae with a higher potential ecological risk. Compared to drinking water, aquatic products constituted a higher PFASs threat to human health, especially for children. The highest HQ was found in PFOS, with an HQmax of 0.97-4.32. Residents in the Huai River Basin should reduce their intake of Channa argus, Coilia nasus, and Carassius auratus, children aged 2 to 4 are limited to consuming no more than 6.9 g/d, 9.7 g/d, and 16.6 g/d, respectively.

Controlling factors of heavy metal(loid) accumulation in rice: Main and interactive effects.

Identifying the key determinants of heavy metal(loid) accumulation in rice and quantifying their contributions are critical for precise prediction of heavy metal(loid) concentrations in rice and the formulation of effective pollution control strategies. The accumulation of heavy metal(loid)s in rice can be influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors, which may interact with each other. However, distinguishing the independent roles (main effects) from interactive effects and quantifying their impacts separately pose challenges. To address this knowledge gap, we employed TreeExplainer-based SHAP and random forest algorithms in this study to quantitatively estimate the primary influencing factors and their main and interactive effects on heavy metal(loid)s in rice. Our findings reveal that soil cadmium (SCd) and rice cultivation time (C_TIME) were the primary contributors to rice cadmium (RCd) and rice arsenic (RAs), respectively. Soil lead (SPb) and sampling distances from roads significantly contributed to rice lead (RPb). Additionally, we identified significant interactive effects of SCd and C_TIME, C_TIME and RCd, and RCd and rice variety on RCd, RAs, and RPb, respectively, emphasizing their significance. These insights are pivotal in improving the accuracy of heavy metal(loid) concentration predictions in rice and offering theoretical guidance for the formulation of pollution control measures.

Generating dual structurally and functionally skin-mimicking hydrogels by crosslinking cell-membrane compartments.

The skin is intrinsically a cell-membrane-compartmentalized hydrogel with high mechanical strength, potent antimicrobial ability, and robust immunological competence, which provide multiple protective effects to the body. Methods capable of preparing hydrogels that can simultaneously mimic the structure and function of the skin are highly desirable but have been proven to be a challenge. Here, dual structurally and functionally skin-mimicking hydrogels are generated by crosslinking cell-membrane compartments. The crosslinked network is formed via free radical polymerization using olefinic double bond-functionalized extracellular vesicles as a crosslinker. Due to the dissipation of stretching energy mediated by vesicular deformation, the obtained compartment-crosslinked network shows enhanced mechanical strength compared to hydrogels crosslinked by regular divinyl monomers. Biomimetic hydrogels also exhibit specific antibacterial activity and adequate ability to promote the maturation and activation of dendritic cells given the existence of numerous extracellular vesicle-associated bioactive substances. In addition, the versatility of this approach to tune both the structure and function of the resulting hydrogels is demonstrated through introducing a second network by catalyst-free click reaction-mediated crosslinking between alkyne-double-ended polymers and azido-decorated extracellular vesicles. This study provides a platform to develop dual structure- and function-controllable skin-inspired biomaterials.

Seasonal dynamics of the microbiota and nutritional composition in bee bread from Apis cerana and Apis mellifera colonies.

Bee bread is a product of honeybees, which collect and ferment pollen, that contains highly nutritious and easily digestible active substances. However, its nutritional composition varies significantly with fermentation strains and seasonal changes. To unveil the patterns of microbial community and nutritional component changes in bee bread across seasons, we employed high-throughput techniques to assess the diversity of bacteria and fungi in bee bread. The results indicated that the compositions of bacteria and fungi in bee bread undergo significant seasonal variation, with noticeable changes in the microbial diversity of bee bread from different bee species. Subsequently, metabolomic analysis revealed high activity of glycerophospholipid metabolism in bee bread. Furthermore, our analysis identifaied noteworthy differences in nutritional components, including pH values, sugar content, and free amino acid levels, in bee bread across different seasons.