Modified zero-valent iron nanoparticles enhanced remediation of PCBs-contaminated soil.

The high toxicity and persistence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment require effective remediation of PCBs-contaminated soil. This study used polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG-4000) to modify zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) and conducted characterization analysis. It was found that when the addition amount of PLA was 2 %, the dispersion of modified nZVI was better. The initial pH and water to soil ratio were subjected to single factor experiments and fitted using RSM response surface methodology. The optimal reaction conditions were obtained as follows: the addition amount was 84 g·kg-1, the initial pH was 5.41, and the optimal removal rate was 74 % when the ratio of water to soil was 1.8:1. PLA and PEG-4000 were biodegradable substances that played crucial roles in enhancing the effectiveness of nZVI for PCBs-contaminated soil. By encapsulating nZVI with PLA, we significantly reduced its oxidation when exposed to air. Additionally, the inclusion of PEG-4000 helped prevent the particles from clumping together. The synergistic effect of them increased the effective reaction of nZVI and PCBs and ultimately leading to more efficient remediation. This study offered a new pathway for the efficient green remediation of PCBs-contaminated soil.

Prognostic factors and treatment responses among patients with gross residual disease in differentiated thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND: Various postoperative staging systems were developed to assess the outcome of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) from initial risk after surgery to dynamic changing prognosis during follow-up. The objective of our retrospective cohort study was to identify risk factors contributing to macroscopic positive surgical margin (R2 resection) and parameters in discriminating the treatment responses and prognosis among R2 patients. METHODS: In total, 242 DTC patients with extrathyroidal extension who underwent a thyroidectomy at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between January 2013 and July 2018, were included. The patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of gross residual disease (R2). The R2 patients were further classified into two categories according to their treatment response into excellent and non-excellent groups. The parameters and treatment outcomes were compared between these groups. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 45.3 months. 207 (85.5%) patients had either surgery-free or microscopic margins (R0/R1), while 35 (14.5%) had R2 resection. In the R2 group (n = 35), 15 (42.9%) patients achieved an excellent response, while 20 (57.1%) achieved a non-excellent response. Statistically significant differences were observed in the extent of neck dissection, TSH-Tg level, post-RAI Tg level, nodal status, and recurrence between the two groups. The Kaplan-Meier curves for 5-year local and distant recurrence-free survival (LRFS and DRFS) of R0/R1 vs. R2 patients were 90.0% vs. 66.3%, and 98.4% vs.90.7% respectively, (p <0.001). Among the R2 patients, the excellent responders had a higher LRFS than non-excellent responders (93.3% vs. 45.1%, p=0.008). CONCLUSION: There are significant disparities in RFS among R2 patients with different treatment responses. The nodal status of PTC and thyroglobulin level after thyroidectomy and RAI were factors contributing to difference in their treatment responses.

Identifying central symptom clusters and correlates in patients with lung cancer post-chemotherapy: A network analysis.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the network structures of symptoms and symptom clusters in patients with lung cancer post-chemotherapy, with a focus on identifying the central symptom cluster. Understanding the central cluster is crucial for targeted and effective symptom management. Methods: Symptom occurrence and severity were assessed using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to explore symptom clusters, while network analysis unveiled the network structure and pinpointed the central symptom cluster. Results: The study included 512 patients with lung cancer. Four distinct symptom clusters emerged: sickness behavior, psychological, lung cancer-specific, and epithelial. The sickness behavior symptom cluster was identified as the central symptom cluster. Conclusions: This research designates the sickness behavior symptom cluster as central in post-chemotherapy patients with lung cancer, offering valuable insights for clinical nurses in devising more effective symptom management strategies. Trial registration: ChiCTR2300070944 (Chinese Clinical Trial Register).

A gene signature linked to fibroblast differentiation for prognostic prediction of mesothelioma.

BACKGROUND: Malignant mesothelioma is a type of infrequent tumor that is substantially related to asbestos exposure and has a terrible prognosis. We tried to produce a fibroblast differentiation-related gene set for creating a novel classification and prognostic prediction model of MESO. METHOD: Three databases, including NCBI-GEO, TCGA, and MET-500, separately provide single-cell RNA sequencing data, bulk RNA sequencing profiles of MESO, and RNA sequencing information on bone metastatic tumors. Dimensionality reduction and clustering analysis were leveraged to acquire fibroblast subtypes in the MESO microenvironment. The fibroblast differentiation-related genes (FDGs), which were associated with survival and subsequently utilized to generate the MESO categorization and prognostic prediction model, were selected in combination with pseudotime analysis and survival information from the TCGA database. Then, regulatory network was constructed for each MESO subtype, and candidate inhibitors were predicted. Clinical specimens were collected for further validation. RESULT: A total of six fibroblast subtypes, three differentiation states, and 39 FDGs were identified. Based on the expression level of FDGs, three MESO subtypes were distinguished in the fibroblast differentiation-based classification (FDBC). In the multivariate prognostic prediction model, the risk score that was dependent on the expression level of several important FDGs, was verified to be an independently effective prognostic factor and worked well in internal cohorts. Finally, we predicted 24 potential drugs for the treatment of MESO. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining and statistical analysis provided further validation. CONCLUSION: Fibroblast differentiation-related genes (FDGs), especially those in low-differentiation states, might participate in the proliferation and invasion of MESO. Hopefully, the raised clinical subtyping of MESO would provide references for clinical practitioners.

Protective effect of bioactive components from Rubi fructus against oxidative damage in human ovarian granulosa cells induced by 2,2-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride.

BACKGROUND: Diminished ovarian reserve has a serious impact on female reproduction with an increasing incidence every year. An important cause of this is oxidative stress. Rubi fructus, a traditional medicinal and edible plant, has shown therapeutic effects against gynecological diseases. Vanillic acid, isoquercitrin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-O-sophoroside, oleanolic acid, tormentic acid, tiliroside, and ellagic acid are the major bioactive components in R. fructus. However, studies involved in the effectiveness and mechanism of these components in oxidative stress-induced ovarian dysfunction are scarce. RESULTS: In this study, the protective mechanisms of the bioactive components were evaluated in human ovarian granulosa cells. Isoquercitrin was significantly superior to other bioactive components in relieving damage in human ovarian granulosa cells induced by 2,2-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride, considering enhanced cell viability, reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation, and improved mitochondrial membrane potential level. Isoquercitrin protected human ovarian granulosa cells from oxidative stress by regulating the enzyme activity of glutathione peroxidase, inhibiting cell apoptosis, improving the expression of genes related to oxidative stress, and ameliorating heme oxygenase 1 protein expression. CONCLUSION: Isoquercitrin, a bioactive component in R. fructus, has a significant protective effect on oxidative damage induced by 2,2-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride in human ovarian granulosa cells, providing evidence for its potential application in protecting ovarian function. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

miRNAs are involved in regulating the formation of recovery tissues in virus infected Nicotiana tabacum.

MiRNAs play an important role in regulating plant growth and immune response. Mosaic diseases are recognized as the most important plant diseases in the world, and mosaic symptoms are recovery tissues formed by plants against virus infection. However, the mechanism of the formation of mosaic symptoms remains elusive. In this study, two typical mosaic systems consisting of Nicotiana tabacum-cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and N. tabacum-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) were used to investigate the relevance of miRNAs to the appearance of mosaic symptoms. The results of miRNA-seq showed that there were significant differences in miRNA abundance between dark green tissues and chlorotic tissues in mosaic leaves caused by the infection of CMV or TMV. Compared with healthy tissues, miRNA expression was significantly increased in chlorotic tissues, but slightly increased in dark green tissues. Three miRNAs, namely miR1919, miR390a, and miR6157, were identified to be strongly up-regulated in chlorotic tissues of both mosaic systems. Results of overexpressing or silencing of the three miRNAs proved that they were related to chlorophyll synthesis, auxin response, and small GTPase-mediated immunity pathway, which were corresponding to the phenotype, physiological parameters and susceptibility of the chlorotic tissues in mosaic leaves. Besides, the newly identified novel-miRNA48, novel-miRNA96 and novel-miRNA103 may also be involved in this formation of mosaic symptoms. Taken together, our results demonstrated that miR1919, miR390a and miR6157 are involved in the formation of mosaic symptoms and plant antiviral responses, providing new insight into the role of miRNAs in the formation of recovery tissue and plant immunity.

Assessment of Quinidine-Induced Torsades de Pointes Risks Using a Whole-Body Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model Linked to Cardiac Ionic Current Inhibition.

The lethality of torsades de pointes (TdP) by drugs is one of main reasons that some drugs were withdrawn from the market. In order to assess drug-induced TdP risks, a model of cardiac ionic current suppression in human ventricular myocytes (ToR-ORd model), combined with the maximum effective free therapeutic plasma concentration or the maximum effective free therapeutic myocyte concentration was often used, with the latter proved to be more relevant and more accurate. We aimed to develop a whole-body physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model, incorporated with a human cardiomyocyte pharmacodynamic (PD) model, to provide a comprehensive assessment of drug-induced TdP risks in normal and specific scenarios. Quinidine served as an example to validate the PBPK-PD model via predicting plasma quinidine concentrations and quinidine-induced changes in QT interval (ΔQTc). The predicted plasma quinidine concentrations and ΔQTc values following oral administration or intravenous administration of quinidine were comparable to clinic observations. Visual predictive checks showed that most of the observed plasma concentrations and ΔQTc values fell within the 5th and 95th percentiles of simulations. The validated PBPK-PD model was further applied to assess the TdP risks using frequencies of early afterdepolarization and long-QT syndrome occurrence in 4 scenarios, such as therapeutic dose, supra-therapeutic dose, alkalosis, and hyperkalemia in 200 human subjects. In conclusion, the developed PBPK-PD model may be applied to predict the quinidine pharmacokinetics and quinidine-induced TdP risks in healthy subjects, but also simulate quinidine-induced TdP risks under disease conditions, such as hypokalemia and alkalosis.

The association between inflammation-related biomarkers and the subtypes of cancer-related cognitive impairment in colorectal cancer patients: A latent profile analysis.

PURPOSE: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) has garnered considerable attention, yet limited research has delved into nuanced distinctions among varying degrees of CRCI in colorectal cancer survivors. This study aimed to identify distinct subgroups based on the patterns of CRCI, assess the heterogeneity among different subgroups, and investigate the potential correlations between the subgroups of CRCI and inflammation-related biomarkers. METHODS: 268 colorectal cancer patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study, followed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function. The determination of CRCI subgroups was accomplished by the latent profile analysis (LPA). The effects of inflammation-related biomarkers on CRCI were examined using the binary logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves assessed the diagnostic efficacy of inflammation-related biomarkers. RESULTS: Two latent profiles were identified: CRCI (n = 64, 23.88%) and non-CRCI (n = 204, 76.12%). Independent factors for CRCI in colorectal cancer patients were SIRI (OR = 3.248, 95%CI [1.197-8.807], P = 0.021) and ALI (OR = 0.962, 95%CI [0.937-0.989], P = 0.005). The areas under the curve (AUCs) for SIRI and ALI in predicting CRCI were 0.781 and 0.774, with the optimal cut-off values being 0.70 and 37.04, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal cancer patients exhibited divergent cognitive performance profiles, categorized into two subgroups based on LPA. SIRI and ALI were identified as independent factors for CRCI, demonstrating strong diagnostic accuracy. These two inflammation-related biomarkers may potentially be novel indicators to identify and manage the development of CRCI among colorectal cancer patients.

Finite element modeling and analysis of effect of preexisting cervical degenerative disease on the spinal cord during flexion and extension.

Recent studies have emphasized the importance of dynamic activity in the development of myelopathy. However, current knowledge of how degenerative factors affect the spinal cord during motion is still limited. This study aimed to investigate the effect of various types of preexisting herniated cervical disc and the ligamentum flavum ossification on the spinal cord during cervical flexion and extension. A detailed dynamic fluid-structure interaction finite element model of the cervical spine with the spinal cord was developed and validated. The changes of von Mises stress and maximum principal strain within the spinal cord in the period of normal, hyperflexion, and hyperextension were investigated, considering various types and grades of disc herniation and ossification of the ligamentum flavum. The flexion and extension of the cervical spine with spinal canal encroachment induced high stress and strain inside the spinal cord, and this effect was also amplified by increased canal encroachments and cervical hypermobility. The spinal cord might evade lateral encroachment, leading to a reduction in the maximum stress and principal strain within the spinal cord in local-type herniation. Although the impact was limited in the case of diffuse type, the maximum stress tended to appear in the white matter near the encroachment site while compression from both ventral and dorsal was essential to make maximum stress appear in the grey matter. The existence of canal encroachment can reduce the safe range for spinal cord activities, and hypermobility activities may induce spinal cord injury. Besides, the ligamentum flavum plays an important role in the development of central canal syndrome.Significance. This model will enable researchers to have a better understanding of the influence of cervical degenerative diseases on the spinal cord during extension and flexion.

The Protective Effect of Auricularia cornea var. Li. Polysaccharide on Alcoholic Liver Disease and Its Effect on Intestinal Microbiota.

This study's objective was to examine the protective effect and mechanism of a novel polysaccharide (AYP) from Auricularia cornea var. Li. on alcoholic liver disease in mice. AYP was extracted from the fruiting bodies of Auricularia cornea var. Li. by enzymatic extraction and purified by DEAE-52 and Sephacryl S-400. Structural features were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography, ion exchange chromatography and Fourier-transform infrared analysis. Additionally, alcoholic liver disease (ALD) mice were established to explore the hepatoprotective activity of AYP (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/d). Here, our results showed that AYP presented high purity with a molecular weight of 4.64 × 105 Da. AYP was composed of galacturonic acid, galactose, glucose, arabinose, mannose, xylose, rhamnose, ribos, glucuronic acid and fucose (molar ratio: 39.5:32.9:23.6:18.3:6.5:5.8:5.8:3.3:2:1.1). Notably, AYP remarkably reduced liver function impairment (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC)), nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) of the liver and enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione (gGSH)) in mice with ALD. Meanwhile, the serum level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) were reduced in ALD mice treated by AYP. Furthermore, the AYPH group was the most effective and was therefore chosen to further investigate its effect on the intestinal microbiota (bacteria and fungi) of ALD mice. Based on 16s rRNA and ITS-1 sequencing data, AYP influenced the homeostasis of intestinal microbiota to mitigate the damage of ALD mice, possibly by raising the abundance of favorable microbiota (Muribaculaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Kazachstania) and diminishing the abundance of detrimental microbiota (Lactobacillus, Mortierella and Candida). This discovery opens new possibilities for investigating physiological activity in A. cornea var. Li. and provides theoretical references for natural liver-protecting medication research.

The biomechanical effect of different types of ossification of the ligamentum flavum on the spinal cord during cervical dynamic activities.

Ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) is thought to be an influential etiology of myelopathy, as thickened ligamentum flavum causes the stenosis of the vertebral canal, which could subsequently compress the spinal cord. Unfortunately, there was little information available on the effects of cervical OLF on spinal cord compression, such as the relationship between the progression of cervical OLF and nervous system symptoms during dynamic cervical spine activities. In this research, a finite element model of C1-C7 including the spinal cord featured by dynamic fluid-structure interaction was reconstructed and utilized to analyze how different types of cervical OLF affect principal strain and stress distribution in spinal cord during spinal activities towards six directions. For patients with cervical OLF, cervical extension induces higher stress within the spinal cord among all directions. From the perspective of biomechanics, extension leads to stress concentration in the lateral corticospinal tracts or the posterior of gray matter. Low energy damage to the spinal cord would be caused by the high and fluctuating stresses during cervical movements to the affected side for patients with unilateral OLF at lower grades.

Catalases mediate tobacco resistance to virus infection through crosstalk between salicylic acid and auxin signaling pathways.

Catalases (CATs) play important roles in plant growth, development and defense responses. Previous studies have shown that CATs exhibit different or even opposite effects on plant immunity in different plant-pathogen interactions, but little is known about the mechanisms. In this study, Nicotiana tabacum plants with overexpression or knockout of CAT genes, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were employed to investigate the role of CAT in compatible plant-virus interactions. The results showed that there were dynamic changes in the effect of CAT on N. tabacum defense responses. Overexpression of catalase 1 (CAT1) and catalase 3 (CAT3) improved N. tabacum resistance in the early stage of virus infection but depressed it during the late stages of pathogenesis, especially in CAT3 overexpressing plants. The lower level of electrolyte leakage, lower contents of malonaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), higher activities of antioxidant enzymes and improved functions of photosystem II corresponded to the milder symptoms and higher resistance of infected tobacco plants. In addition, the infection of TMV and CMV resulted in expression changes of CATs in tobacco plants, and pretreatment with H2 O2 facilitated TMV and CMV infection. Further experiments showed that the content of salicylic acid (SA) and the expression of genes related to SA signaling pathway were positively correlated with plant resistance, whereas auxin and its related signaling pathway were related to the viral susceptibility of plants. Taken together, our results demonstrated that CAT1 and CAT3 mediated tobacco resistance to virus infection through crosstalk between SA and auxin signaling pathways.

miRNAs derived from cobra venom exosomes contribute to the cobra envenomation.

Currently, there is an increasing amount of evidence indicating that exosomes and the miRNAs they contain are crucial players in various biological processes. However, the role of exosomes and miRNAs in snake venom during the envenomation process remains largely unknown. In this study, fresh venom from Naja atra of different ages (2-month-old, 1-year-old, and 5-year-old) was collected, and exosomes were isolated through ultracentrifugation. The study found that exosomes with inactivated proteins and enzymes can still cause symptoms similar to cobra envenomation, indicating that substances other than proteins and enzymes in exosomes may also play an essential role in cobra envenomation. Furthermore, the expression profiles of isolated exosome miRNAs were analyzed. The study showed that a large number of miRNAs were co-expressed and abundant in cobra venom exosomes (CV-exosomes) of different ages, including miR-2904, which had high expression abundance and specific sequences. The specific miR-2094 derived from CV-exosomes (CV-exo-miR-2904) was overexpressed both in vitro and in vivo. As a result, CV-exo-miR-2904 induced symptoms similar to cobra envenomation in mice and caused liver damage, demonstrating that it plays a crucial role in cobra envenomation. These results reveal that CV-exosomes and the miRNAs they contain play a significant regulatory role in cobra envenomation. Our findings provide new insights for the treatment of cobra bites and the development of snake venom-based medicines.

The protective effect of Nostoc commune Vauch. polysaccharide on alcohol-induced acute alcoholic liver disease and gut microbiota disturbance in mice.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the incidence of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) has gradually increased, the development of ALD is attached great attentions. Nostoc commune Vauch. polysaccharide (NCVP) is beneficial to maintain the gut health, but the protective effect of NCVP on the liver has not been reported yet. PURPOSE: To study the protective effect and the underlying mechanisms of NCVP on ALD, a mouse model of acute ALD was established. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We built an acute ALD mouse model and explored the protective effect of NCVP through the detection of cytokines, histological examination, determination of short chain fatty acids, and 16S rRNA analysis of gut microbiota. RESULTS: NCVP had hepatoprotective effects on acute alcohol-induced mice by improving antioxidant capacity, reducing oxidative stress and the serum cytokine levels (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α). Simultaneously, histopathological changes in liver indicated that NCVP could inhibit local hepatocyte necrosis, cytoplasmic vacuolation and inflammatory cell infiltration induced by alcohol. NCVP also increased the level of total short-chain fatty acids of acute ALD mice. In addition, NCVP could significantly decrease the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and the abundance of Patescibacteria, Helicobacter, and Actinomycetes and increase the abundance of Lachospiraceae, Prevotellaceae-UCG-003, Lactobacillaceae, and Desulfovibrio. CONCLUSION: Our study proved that NCVP had in vivo hepatoprotective effect on acute ALD mice and provided scientific evidences that NCVP might be a promising drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of ALD.

Effect of Different Types of Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament on the Dynamic Biomechanical Response of the Spinal Cord: A Finite Element Analysis.

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) has been identified as an important cause of cervical myelopathy. However, the biomechanical mechanism between the OPLL type and the clinical characteristics of myelopathy remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different types of OPLL on the dynamic biomechanical response of the spinal cord. A three-dimensional finite element model of the fluid-structure interaction of the cervical spine with spinal cord was established and validated. The spinal cord stress and strain, cervical range of motion (ROM) in different types of OPLL models were predicted during dynamic flexion and extension activity. Different types of OPLL models showed varying degrees of increase in stress and strain under the process of flexion and extension, and there was a surge toward the end of extension. Larger spinal cord stress was observed in segmental OPLL. For continuous and mixed types of OPLL, the adjacent segments of OPLL showed a dramatic increase in ROM, while the ROM of affected segments was limited. As a dynamic factor, flexion and extension of the cervical spine play an amplifying role in OPLL-related myelopathy, while appropriate spine motion is safe and permitted. Segmental OPLL patients are more concerned about the spinal cord injury induced by large stress, and patients with continuous OPLL should be noted to progressive injuries of adjacent level.

Estimation of genetic parameters of pig reproductive traits.

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to estimate the genetic parameters of the reproductive traits in three popular commercial pig breeds: Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire. Additionally, we evaluated the factors that influence these traits. Method: We collected data from a large number of litters, including 1,887 Duroc, 21,787 Landrace, and 74,796 Yorkshire litters. Using the ASReml-R software to analyze 11 traits, which included: total number of pigs born (TNB); number of piglets born alive (NBA); number of piglets born healthy (NBH); number of piglets born weak (NBW); number of new stillborn piglets (NS); number of old stillborn piglets (OS); number of piglets born with malformation (NBM); number of mummified piglets (NM); total litter birthweight (LBW); litter average weight (LAW); duration of gestational period (GP). We investigated the effects of 4 fixed factors on the genetic parameters of these traits. Results: Among the 11 reproductive-related traits, the gestational period belonged to the medium heritability traits (0.251-0.430), while remaining traits showed low heritability, ranging from 0.005 to 0.159. TNB, NBA, NBH, LBW had positive genetic correlation (0.737 ~ 0.981) and phenotype correlation (0.711 ~ 0.951). There was a negative genetic correlation between NBW and LAW (-0.452 ~ -0.978) and phenotypic correlation (-0.380 ~ -0.873). LBW was considered one of the most reasonable reproductive traits that could be used for breeding improvement. Repeatability of the three varieties was within the range of 0.000-0.097. In addition, the fixed effect selected in this study had a significant effect on Landrace and Yorkshire (p < 0.05). Discussion: We found a positive correlation between LBW and TNB, NBA, and NBH, suggesting the potential for multi-trait association breeding. Factors such as farm, farrowing year, breeding season, and parity should be taken into consideration in practical production, as they may impact the reproductive performance of breeding pigs.

Efficient removal of Hg0 from cement kiln flue gas using CexFeyOz composite catalyst.

In this study, a kind of CexFeyOz composite with oxygen vacancy structure and strong oxygen storage capacity was prepared by coprecipitation method. Under the condition of no HCl of flue gas, the Hg0 in the flue gas of cement kiln was efficiently and economically removed by using 6-8% oxygen. The results showed that the optimum preparation conditions of the catalyst were Ce-Fe molar ratio of 1-11 and calcination temperature of 550 °C. In addition, the reaction temperature, space velocity, the concentration of O2, SO2, and NO had significant effects on the removal efficiency of Hg0 at different rates. More precisely, at the reaction temperature of 350 °C, low airspeed, high concentration of O2, and low concentration of SO2 and NO, the efficiency reached the highest value. According to XPS results, the elemental valence of the CexFeyOz composite changed after the reaction. The redox pairs of Ce3+-Ce4+ and Fe3+-Fe2+ had the ability to transfer electrons, which enabled more oxygen adsorbed on the catalyst surface to be converted into O2-, leading to the improvement of the oxidation efficiency of Hg0.

Comparative study on the treatment of swine wastewater by VFCW-MFC and VFCW: Pollutants removal, electricity generation, microorganism community.

Swine wastewater, characterized by high organic and nutrient content, poses significant environmental challenges. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of two treatment technologies, namely Vertical Flow Constructed Wetland-Microbial Fuel Cell (VFCW-MFC) and Vertical Flow Constructed Wetland (VFCW), in terms of pollutant removal, electricity generation, and microorganism community dynamics. The results showed that the average removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and sulfadiazine antibiotics (SDZ) by VFCW-MFC were as high as 94.15%, 95.01%, 42.24%, 97.16% and 82.88%, respectively, which were all higher than that by VFCW. Both VFCW-MFC and VFCW have good tolerance to SDZ. In addition, VFCW-MFC has excellent electrical performance, with output voltage, power density, coulombic efficiency and net energy recovery up to 443.59 mV, 51.2 mW/m3, 52.91% and 2.04 W/(g·s), respectively, during stable operation. Moreover, the microbial community diversity of VFCW-MFC was more abundant, and the species abundance distribution in cathode region was more rich and even than in anode region. At phylum level, the dominant microorganisms in VFCW-MFC included Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota, which showed good degradation effect on SDZ. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes are also involved in electricity production. Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota play a major role in nitrogen reduction.

Metal- and additive-free radical-triggered nitration/cyclization to construct indolo[2,1-α]isoquinoline and benzimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinolin-6(5H)-one derivatives using t-BuONO as nitro reagents.

An efficient metal- and additive-free nitro radical-triggered addition/cyclization of 2-aryl-N-acryloyl indoles/2-arylbenzimidazoles for the synthesis of nitro-substituted indolo[2,1-α]isoquinoline and benzimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinolin-6(5H)-one derivatives has been developed. The commercially available and low-cost t-BuONO was used as a nitro reagent. Due to mild reaction conditions, a variety of functional groups could be tolerated to give the corresponding products in moderate to good yields. Moreover, this nitration process could be scaled-up and the nitro group could be readily converted into the amino group, which may find applications in synthetic and medicinal chemistry.

A SiO2 Hybrid Enzyme-Based Biosensor with Enhanced Electrochemical Stability for Accuracy Detection of Glucose.

A novel enzyme-based biosensor for glucose detection is successfully developed using layer-by-layer assembly technology. The introduction of commercially available SiO2 was found to be a facile way to improve overall electrochemical stability. After 30 CV cycles, the proposed biosensor could retain 95% of its original current. The biosensor presents good detection stability and reproducibility with the detection concentration range of 1.96 × 10-9 to 7.24 × 10-7 M. This study demonstrated that the hybridization of cheap inorganic nanoparticles was a useful method in preparing high-performance biosensors with a much lower cost.