Transcriptional regulation by NR5A2 links differentiation and inflammation in the pancreas.

Chronic inflammation increases the risk of developing one of several types of cancer. Inflammatory responses are currently thought to be controlled by mechanisms that rely on transcriptional networks that are distinct from those involved in cell differentiation. The orphan nuclear receptor NR5A2 participates in a wide variety of processes, including cholesterol and glucose metabolism in the liver, resolution of endoplasmic reticulum stress, intestinal glucocorticoid production, pancreatic development and acinar differentiation. In genome-wide association studies, single nucleotide polymorphisms in the vicinity of NR5A2 have previously been associated with the risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In mice, Nr5a2 heterozygosity sensitizes the pancreas to damage, impairs regeneration and cooperates with mutant Kras in tumour progression. Here, using a global transcriptomic analysis, we describe an epithelial-cell-autonomous basal pre-inflammatory state in the pancreas of Nr5a2+/- mice that is reminiscent of the early stages of pancreatitis-induced inflammation and is conserved in histologically normal human pancreases with reduced expression of NR5A2 mRNA. In Nr5a2+/-mice, NR5A2 undergoes a marked transcriptional switch, relocating from differentiation-specific to inflammatory genes and thereby promoting gene transcription that is dependent on the AP-1 transcription factor. Pancreatic deletion of Jun rescues the pre-inflammatory phenotype, as well as binding of NR5A2 to inflammatory gene promoters and the defective regenerative response to damage. These findings support the notion that, in the pancreas, the transcriptional networks involved in differentiation-specific functions also suppress inflammatory programmes. Under conditions of genetic or environmental constraint, these networks can be subverted to foster inflammation.

Nitrate reduction to nitrogen in wastewater using mesoporous carbon encapsulated Pd-Cu nanoparticles combined with in-situ electrochemical hydrogen evolution.

The conversion of NO3--N to N2 is of great significance for zero discharge of industrial wastewater. Pd-Cu hydrogenation catalysis has high application prospects for the reduction of NO3--N to N2, but the existing form of Pd-Cu, the Pd-Cu mass ratio and the H2 evolution rate can affect the coverage of active hydrogen (*H) on the surface of Pd, thereby affecting N2 selectivity. In this work, mesoporous carbon (MC) is used as support to disperse Pd-Cu catalyst and is applied in an in-situ electrocatalytic H2 evolution system for NO3--N removal. The Pd-Cu particles with the average size of 6 nm are uniformly encapsulated in the mesopores of MC. Electrochemical in-situ H2 evolution can not only reduce the amount of H2 used, but the H2 bubbles can also be efficiently dispersed when PPy coated nickel foam (PPy/NF) is used as cathode. Moreover, the mesoporous structure of MC can further split H2 bubbles, reducing the coverage of *H on Pd. The highest 77% N2 selectivity and a relatively faster NO3--N removal rate constant (0.10362 min-1) can be achieved under the optimal conditions, which is superior to most reported Pd-Cu catalytic systems. The prepared catalyst is further applied to the denitrification of actual deplating wastewater. NO3--N with the initial concentration of 650 mg L-1 can be completely removed after 180 min of treatment, and the TN removal can be maintained at 72%.

Constructing High-performance Cobalt-based Environmental Catalysts from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries: Unveiling Overlooked Roles of Copper and Aluminum from Current Collectors.

Converting spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) cathode materials into environmental catalysts has drawn more and more attention. Herein, we fabricated a Co3O4-based catalyst from spent LiCoO2 LIBs (Co3O4-LIBs) and found that the role of Al and Cu from current collectors on its performance is nonnegligible. The density functional theory calculations confirmed that the doping of Al and/or Cu upshifts the d-band center of Co. A Fenton-like reaction based on peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation was adopted to evaluate its activity. Interestingly, Al doping strengthened chemisorption for PMS (from -2.615 eV to -2.623 eV) and shortened Co-O bond length (from 2.540 Å to 2.344 Å) between them, whereas Cu doping reduced interfacial charge-transfer resistance (from 28.347 kΩ to 6.689 kΩ) excepting for the enhancement of the above characteristics. As expected, the degradation activity toward bisphenol A of Co3O4-LIBs (0.523 min-1) was superior to that of Co3O4 prepared from commercial CoC2O4 (0.287 min-1). Simultaneously, the reasons for improved activity were further verified by comparing activity with catalysts doped Al and/or Cu into Co3O4. This work reveals the role of elements from current collectors on the performance of functional materials from spent LIBs, which is beneficial to the sustainable utilization of spent LIBs.

Highly Dispersed FeAg-MCM41 Catalyst for Medium-Temperature Hydrogen Sulfide Oxidation in Coke Oven Gas.

The traditional hydrolysis-cooling-adsorption process for coke oven gas (COG) desulfurization urgently needs to be improved because of its complex nature and high energy consumption. One promising alternative for replacing the last two steps is selective catalytic oxidation. However, most catalysts used in selective catalytic oxidation require a high temperature to achieve effective desulfurization. Herein, a robust 30Fe-MCM41 catalyst is developed for direct desulfurization at medium temperatures after hydrolysis. This catalyst exhibits excellent stability for over 300 h and a high breakthrough sulfur capacity (2327.6 mgS gcat-1). Introducing Ag into the 30Fe-MCM41 (30Fe5Ag-MCM41) catalyst further enhances the H2S removal efficiency and sulfur selectivity at 120 °C. Its outstanding performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect of Fe-Ag clusters. During H2S selective oxidation, Fe serves as the active site for H2S adsorption and dissociation, while Ag functions as the catalyst promoter, increasing Fe dispersion, reducing the oxidation capacity of the catalyst, improving the desorption capacity of sulfur, and facilitating the reaction between active oxygen species and [HS]. This process provides a potential route for enhancing COG desulfurization.

Environmental impacts and improvement potentials for copper mining and mineral processing operations in China.

There has been growing concern among the public over the environmental impacts of the copper (Cu) mining and mineral processing industries. As an effective tool enabling interactions of all energy and material flows with the environment, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used in many countries to identify environmental hotspots associated with operations, based on which improvements can be made. However, robust LCA research in this sector is lacking in China. This study aimed to fill this critical gap by investigating two typical Cu mining and mineral processing operations using different mining technologies, based on globally harmonized LCA methodologies. The results of the overall environmental impacts were obtained using a sensitivity analysis. Electricity (38%-74%), diesel (8%-24%) and explosives (4%-22%) were identified as the three main controlling factors. At the same time, the mineral processing stage was found to be the major production stage (60%-79%), followed by the mining stage (17%-39%) and the wastewater treatment (1%-13%). Global Warming Potential (GWP) was prioritized as the most important environmental issue (59%) across the selected impact categories. In addition, it was initially found that underground mining technology has better environmental performance than open-pit technology. Finally, the potential for improvement was estimated and discussed for the three identified controlling factors. Using GWP as an example, using green electricity can effectively reduce CO2 emissions by 47%-67%, whereas replacing diesel and explosives with cleaner fuels and explosives may contribute to lower CO2 emissions by 6% and 9%, respectively.

A fluorescent probe for monitoring Cys fluctuations in the oxidative stress environment simulated by Cu2+ or H2O2.

Redox balance is the core of holding the good physiological state of the body. Cysteine (Cys) is one of the important biomolecules, which plays an indispensable role in maintaining the body's redox homeostasis. The redox of organisms is mainly the result of the dynamic balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and biological reducing agents (such as Cys). Fluorescent probes have the advantages of simple operation, good specificity and high sensitivity, and have become a common tool for bio-sensing in complex systems. In this article, we designed a probe NF-O-SBD that can specifically detect Cys. The chlorine atom of NF-O-SBD was easily substituted by sulfhydryl as a reaction site. After the formation of sulfur substitution products, intramolecular rearrangement occurred and fluorescent signal was emitted in the yellow channel at 550 nm. It can be seen from the spectroscopy experiment that the content of Hcy in organisms (15 µM) basically did not cause significant fluorescence changes, Therefore, based on the practical application in biology, we further used NF-O-SBD to visualize endogenous and exogenous Cys in HepG-2 cells and zebrafish. Simultaneously, we used Cu2+ or H2O2 induction to simulate the oxidative stress environment of cells and zebrafish, under which the concentration variation of Cys was monitored.

Performance of toluene oxidation on different morphologies of α-MnO2 prepared using manganese-based compound high-selectively recovered from spent lithium-ion batteries.

The proper disposals of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) both have a significant impact on the environment and human health. In this work, different morphologies of α-MnO2 catalysts are synthesized using a manganese-based compound as the precursor which is high-selectively recovered from spent lithium-ion ternary batteries. Different synthesis methods including the co-precipitation method, hydrothermal method, and impregnation method are used to prepare different morphologies of α-MnO2 catalysts and their catalytic activities of toluene oxidation are investigated. Experimental results show that MnO2-HM-140 with stacked nanorods synthesized using the hydrothermal method exhibits the best catalytic performance of toluene oxidation (T90 of 226 °C under the WHSV of 60,000 mL g-1·h-1), which could be attributed to its better redox ability at low temperature and much more abundant adsorbed oxygen species at low temperature. The adsorption abilities of toluene and the replenish rate of surface lattice oxygen can be enhanced due to the increase of oxygen vacancies on the surface of MnO2-HM-140. Furthermore, the results of in-situ DRIFTS and TD/GC-MS imply that benzoate species are the main intermediate groups and then the reaction pathway of toluene oxidation on the surface of MnO2-HM-140 is proposed.

Highly selective electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate to nitrogen in a chloride ion-free system by promoting kinetic mass transfer of intermediate products in a novel Pd-Cu adsorption confined cathode.

The mass transfer on the catalyst surface has a great influence on the selectivity of electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to nitrogen. In this study, a Pd-Cu adsorption confined nickel foam cathode is designed in the absence of both proton exchange membranes and chloride ions. The repulsion of the cathode enables intermediate products such as nitrite to accumulate in the confined region, resulting in an increase in the possibility of a second-order reaction to form nitrogen. The system can obtain more than 92% continuous N2 selectivity when it is used to treat 200 mg L-1 NO3--N under a current density of 8 mA cm-2, which is not only higher than those of semiconfined and nonconfined systems but also significantly better than the results obtained by Pd-Cu directly modified cathodes prepared by electrodeposition or impregnation. It is found that a high initial nitrate concentration and low current density are more beneficial for the accumulation of intermediates on Pd-Cu catalysts, thus improving the formation of nitrogen. A mechanism study reveals that the intermediates can completely occupy the active sites on the surface of Pd, avoiding the generation of active hydrogen, and therefore inhibiting the first-order reaction to produce ammonia. Moreover, the reducibility of Pd-Cu can also be gradually improved under the function of the cathode so that the system exhibits good stability. This study demonstrates an environmentally friendly and promising method for total nitrogen removal from industrial wastewater with high conductivity.

CFD-assisted modeling of the hydrodynamic cavitation reactors for wastewater treatment - A review.

Hydrodynamic cavitation has been a promising method and technology in wastewater treatment, while the principles based on the design of cavitational reactors to optimize cavitation yield and performance remains lacking. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a supplementation of experimental optimization, has become an essential tool for this issue, owing to the merits of low investment and operating costs. Nevertheless, researchers with a non-engineering background or few CFD fundamentals used straightforward numerical strategies to treat cavitating flows, and this might result in many misinterpretations and consequently poor computations. This review paper presents the rationale behind hydrodynamic cavitation and application of cavitation modeling specific to the reactors in wastewater treatment. In particular, the mathematical models of multiphase flow simulation, including turbulence closures and cavitation models, are comprehensively described, whilst the advantages and shortcomings of each model are also identified and discussed. Examples and methods of the coupling of CFD technology, with experimental observations to investigate into the hydrodynamic behavior of cavitating devices that feature linear and swirling flows, are also critically summarized. Modeling issues, which remain unaddressed, i.e., the implementation strategies of numerical models, and the definition of cavitation numbers are identified and discussed. Finally, the advantages of CFD modeling are discussed and the future of CFD applications in this research area is also outlined. It is expected that the present paper would provide decision-making support for CFD beginners to efficiently perform CFD modeling and promote the advancement of cavitation simulation of reactors in the field of wastewater treatment.

Recovery of cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries and their application in preparing multi-metal oxides for the removal of oxygenated VOCs: Effect of synthetic methods.

Due to the sustainable use of wastes, cathode materials of spent lithium-ion batteries are recovered and used as transition metal precursors to prepare metal oxides catalysts for the oxidation of VOCs. In this work, a series of manganese-based and cobalt-based metal oxides are synthesized via different preparation methods. Catalytic activities of the catalysts prepared are investigated through complete oxidation of oxygenated VOCs and the physicochemical properties of optimum samples are characterized. Evaluation results indicate that MnOx (SY) (HT) sample prepared via hydrothermal method and CoOx (GS) (CP) synthesized via co-precipitation method had better performance, because they have higher specific surface area, higher concentration of active oxygen species and high-valence metal ion, as well as better low-temperature reducibility compared to the other multi-metal oxides used in the study. In addition, TD/GC-MS results imply that further oxidation of by-products requires high reaction temperature during VOCs oxidation.

Correlation of Homocysteine, AHSG, CRP with Insulin Resistance, 25-(OH)2-VitD, Blood Lipids in Gestational Diabetes Patients.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the correlations of serum homocysteine (Hcy), α2-Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein (AHSG), and C-reactive protein (CRP) with insulin resistance (IR), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-VD), and blood lipids in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) by detecting their levels. METHODS: A total of 72 GDM patients (GDM group) and 72 healthy pregnant women (control group) delivered in our hospital from February 2017 to January 2019 were randomly selected. The basic data, somatological parameters [height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), blood pressure, and body fat content], and biochemical indexes (glucose metabolism indexes, lipid metabolism indexes, Hcy, AHSG, CRP, and 25-OH-VD) were compared between the two groups. Additionally, Pearson's correlation analysis was employed to analyze the correlations among indicators. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group, the GDM group had a higher average rate of family history of DM (p < 0.05), larger waist circumference and WHR, and higher body fat content (p < 0.05). Besides, the fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 1-hour plasma glucose (1hPG) and 2-hour plasma glucose (2hPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-IR, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were higher in the GDM group than those in the control group (p < 0.05), while the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was lower in the GDM group than that in the control group (p < 0.05). Compared with those in the control group, the serum Hcy, AHSG, and CRP levels rose, while the serum 25-OH-VD level declined in the GDM group (p < 0.05). The results of Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that HOMA-IR had positive correlations with FPG, FINS, TC, TG, Hcy, AHSG, and CRP (r = 0.591, 0.825, 0.312, 0.234, 0.458, 0.647, 0.487, p < 0.05) and negative correlation with 25-OH-VD (r = -0.323, p < 0.05). CRP was positively correlated with HOMA-IR, TC, and AHSG (r = 0.485, 0.331, 0.226, p < 0.05), negatively associated with 25-OH-VD (r = -0.443, p < 0.05), and had no correlation to TG and Hcy (r = 0.019, 0.058, p > 0.05). AHSG displayed positive correlations with HOMA-IR, TC, TG, and CRP (r = 0.647, 0.321, 0.314, 0.226, p < 0.05) and no association with Hcy and 25-OH-VD (r = 0.058, -0.034, p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: GDM patients have increased serum Hcy, AHSG, and CRP levels and a decreased serum 25-OH-VD level, indicating that serum Hcy, AHSG, CRP, and 25-OH-VD are correlated with glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in GDM patients.

Maternal age at first cesarean delivery related to adverse pregnancy outcomes in a second cesarean delivery: a multicenter, historical, cross-sectional cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To determine the effects of maternal age at first cesarean on maternal complications and adverse outcomes of pregnancy with the second cesarean. METHODS: This was a multicenter, historical, cross-sectional cohort study involving singleton pregnancies ≥28 gestational weeks, with a history of 1 cesarean delivery, and who underwent a second cesarean between January and December 2017 at 11 public tertiary hospitals in 7 provinces of China. We analyzed the effects of maternal age at first cesarean on adverse outcomes of pregnancy in the second cesarean using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The study consisted of 10,206 singleton pregnancies. Women were at first cesarean between 18 and 24, 25-29, 30-34, and ≥ 35 years of age; and numbered 2711, 5524, 1751, and 220 cases, respectively. Maternal age between 18 and 24 years at first cesarean increased the risk of placenta accreta spectrum (aOR, 1.499; 95% CI, 1.12-2.01), placenta previa (aOR, 1.349; 95% CI, 1.07-1.70), intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (aOR, 1.947; 95% CI, 1.24-3.07), postpartum hemorrhage (aOR, 1.505; 95% CI, 1.05-2.16), and blood transfusion (aOR, 1.517; 95% CI, 1.21-1.91) in the second cesarean compared with the reference group (aged 25-29 years). In addition, maternal age ≥ 35 years at first cesarean was a risk factor for premature rupture of membranes (aOR, 1.556; 95% CI, 1.08-2.24), placental abruption (aOR, 6.464, 95% CI, 1.33-31.51), uterine rupture (aOR, 7.952; 95% CI, 1.43-44.10), puerperal infection (aOR, 6.864; 95% CI, 1.95-24.22), neonatal mild asphyxia (aOR, 4.339; 95% CI, 1.53-12.32), severe asphyxia (aOR, 18.439; 95% CI, 1.54-220.95), and admission to a neonatal intensive care unit (aOR, 2.825; 95% CI, 1.54-5.17) compared with the reference group (aged 25-29 years). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal age between 18 and 24 years or advanced maternal age at first cesarean was an independent risk factor for adverse maternal outcomes with the second cesarean. Advanced maternal age at the first cesarean specifically increased adverse neonatal outcomes with the second. Therefore, decisions as to whether to perform a first cesarean at a young or advanced maternal age must be critically evaluated.

Evaluation of Injury Degree of Adriamycin-Induced Nephropathy in Rats Based on Serum Metabolomics Combined with Proline Marker.

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal failure. Unfortunately, reliable surrogate markers for early diagnosing and monitoring the entire progression of NS are as yet absent. A method using UPLC-Q exactive HR-MS was established for the serum metabolomic study of adriamycin-induced nephropathy in rats. Two rat nephropathy models induced by adriamycin were adopted to reflect different degrees of renal damage of early and advanced stages. Then two MPC5 cell models were used to verify the role of proline in the progression of kidney injury. The results showed that seven metabolites such as 14S-HDHA, DPA, and DHA were associated with early renal injury, while 12 metabolites such as tryptophan, linoleyl carnitine, and LysoPC (18:3) reflected the advanced renal disease. At the same time, metabolites including LPE (22:6), LysoPC (22:5), and proline that changed during the whole process of NS were defined as progressive markers. Pathway analysis results showed that fatty acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and amino acids metabolism participated in the occurrence and development of NS. In addition, the change trend of intracellular proline content was consistent with that in serum, and the results were further supported by the detection of the crucial gene PYCRL. This study provides an important basis for searching for diagnostic markers of NS and also provides a methodological reference for early diagnosing and monitoring the pathogenesis of other progressive diseases.

Binderless and Oxygen Vacancies Rich FeNi/Graphitized Mesoporous Carbon/Ni Foam for Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrate.

Energy consumption and long-term stability of a cathode are two important aspects of great concern in electrocatalytic nitrate reduction. This work studied a binderless FeNi/graphitized mesoporous carbon directly formed on Ni Foam (FeNi/g-mesoC/NF, 7.3 wt % of Fe) and evaluated its electrocatalytic nitrate reduction performance. We proposed a unique structure model of FeNi/g-mesoC/NF cathode in which FeNi alloy nanoparticles were uniformly embedded in mesoporous carbon and graphitized carbon shells were coated on isolated alloy nanoparticles. Oxygen vacancies (OVs) in FeNi oxide passivating layer facilitate the conversion of NO3--N anions on cathode. Toxic NO2--N was almost undetected due to the synergetic effects of FeNi electrocatalysis, and the NO3--N conversion was high in comparation with ever reported iron-based cathode. The NO3--N conversion showed ultrahigh electrocatalytic stability during one-month-recycling test while the physiochemical properties showed negligible change for FeNi/g-mesoC/NF except the increase of OVs. The energy consumption to treat simulated underground water (50% of NO3--N conversion) was low (0.7 kWh mol-1) for 50 mg L-1 NO3--N. This binderless composite cathode shows great potential in electrocatalytic NO3--N removal in underground water.

Development and Validation of Predictive Models for Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Delivery in China.

BACKGROUND The rate of delivery by cesarean section is rising in China, where vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is in its early stages. There are no validated screening tools to predict VBAC success in China. The objective of this study was to identify the variables predicting the likelihood of successful VBAC to create a predictive model. MATERIAL AND METHODS This multicenter, retrospective study included 1013 women at ≥28 gestational weeks with a vertex singleton gestation and 1 prior low-transverse cesarean from January 2017 to December 2017 in 11 public tertiary hospitals within 7 provinces of China. Two multivariable logistic regression models were developed: (1) at a first-trimester visit and (2) at the pre-labor admission to hospital. The models were evaluated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and internally validated using k-fold cross-validation. The pre-labor model was calibrated and a graphic nomogram and clinical impact curve were created. RESULTS A total of 87.3% (884/1013) of women had successful VBAC, and 12.7% (129/1013) underwent unplanned cesarean delivery after a failed trial of labor. The AUC of the first-trimester model was 0.661 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61-0.712), which increased to 0.758 (95% CI: 0.715-0.801) in the pre-labor model. The pre-labor model showed good internal validity, with AUC 0.743 (95% CI: 0.694-0.785), and was well calibrated. CONCLUSIONS VBAC provides women the chance to experience a vaginal delivery. Using a pre-labor model to predict successful VBAC is feasible and may help choose mode of birth and contribute to a reduction in cesarean delivery rate.

Comprehensive investigation of mechanism and effective ingredients of Fangji Huangqi Tang by serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology.

Fangji Huangqi Tang (FHT), has been reported to show effects on nephrotic syndrome, but its mechanism of action and bioactive components have not yet been determined. In this study, a method using UPLC-HRMS/MS was established for the detection and identification of the chemical constituents and metabolites absorbed into the blood. Absorbed components in serum were then used for the network pharmacology analysis to deduce the mechanism and effective components. A total of 86 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized. Based on the same instrumental conditions, 85 compounds were found in rat serum after oral administration of FHT, including 22 prototypes and 63 metabolites. Network pharmacology analysis showed that absorbed components, such as (3R)-2',3',4',7-tetrahydroxyisoflavan, astrapterocarpan, cycloastragenol, 7,2'-dihydroxy-3',4'-dimethoxyisoflavan, astragaloside IV, astrapterocarpan glucoside and glycyrrhetinic acid, could be responsible for the pharmacological activity of nephrotic syndrome by regulating the VEGF signaling pathway, focal adhesion and MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, the pathway-target network showed that the MAPK1, AKT2 and CDC42 were involved in the signal pathways above. This study provides a scientific basis for the mechanism and effective ingredients of FHT.

Metabolic profiling of RB-2 and RB-4, two analogs of polyacetylene from Bupleurum.

RB-2 and RB-4 are two structural analogs of polyacetylene from Radix Bupleuri that show antidepressant effects. However, no metabolic data are available to elucidate their systemic homeostasis. Mass spectrometry combined with liver microsomes and recombinant drug-metabolizing enzymes were performed to profile the biotransformations of RB-2/RB-4 in vitro and in vivo. Oxidation should be the major metabolic pathways for them in phase I, while CYP2C9 and CYP2E1 was the major contributor. In phase II, conjugational groups usually combined with the metabolites from phase I. This study provides an important reference basis for the safety evaluation and rational application of RB-2/RB-4.

Highly Active Mn3-xFexO4 Spinel with Defects for Toluene Mineralization: Insights into Regulation of the Oxygen Vacancy and Active Metals.

A series of highly defected Mn3-xFexO4 spinels with different amounts of oxygen vacancies and active metals were successfully synthesized by regulating the insertion of Fe ions into the crystal structure of Mn3O4 via self-polymerizable monomer adjustment of the molten Mn-Fe salt dispersion. The characterization of X-ray diffraction, Raman, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption-desorption showed that the doping of Fe increased the lattice defects, oxygen vacancy concentration, specific surface area, mesoporosity, and catalytic properties compared to Cu ions doping. Temperature-programmed reduction with hydrogen and oxygen pulse chemisorption tests determined that the doping level of Fe ions had an important influence on the oxygen vacancy content and the dispersion of active metals on the catalysts' surfaces. For the best Mn-dispersed and most active Mn2.4Fe0.6O4 catalyst, a long-term toluene oxidation measurement running for 120 h of uninterrupted reaction, at the low temperature of 240 °C, high humidity (relative humidity = 100%), and high weight hourly space velocity of 60000 mL·g-1·h-1, was also carried out, which indicated that the catalyst possessed high stability and endurability. Moreover, the continuous oxidation route and internal principle for toluene oxidation were also revealed by the in situ diffuse-reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques and deep dynamics study.

Catalytic Oxidation of VOCs over SmMnO3 Perovskites: Catalyst Synthesis, Change Mechanism of Active Species, and Degradation Path of Toluene.

Highly active samarium manganese perovskite oxides were successfully prepared by employing self-molten-polymerization, coprecipitation, sol-gel, and impregnation methods. The physicochemical properties of perovskite oxides were investigated by XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, XPS, and H2-TPR. Their catalytic performances were compared via the catalytic oxidation of toluene. The perovskite prepared by self-molten-polymerization possessed the highest catalytic capacity, which can be ascribed to its higher oxygen adspecies concentration (Olatt/Oads = 0.53), higher surface Mn4+/Mn3+ ratio (Mn4+/Mn3+ = 0.95), and best low-temperature reducibility (H2 consumption = 0.27; below 350 °C). The most active catalyst also exhibited good cycling and long-term stability for toluene oxidation. After a multistep cycle reaction and a long-term reaction of 42 h, the toluene conversion maintained above 99.9% at 270 °C. Mechanistic study hinted that lattice oxygen was involved in toluene oxidation. The oxidation reaction was dependent on the synergism of lattice oxygen, adsorbed oxygen, and oxygen vacancies. The degradation pathway of toluene, researched by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and online mass spectrometry technologies, demonstrated that a series of organic byproducts existed at a relatively low temperature. This work provides an efficient and practical method for selecting highly active catalysts and for exploring the catalytic mechanism for the removal of atmospheric environmental pollution.

Combination of Pd-Cu Catalysis and Electrolytic H2 Evolution for Selective Nitrate Reduction Using Protonated Polypyrrole as a Cathode.

Pd-Cu catalysis is combined with in situ electrolytic H2 evolution for NO3- reduction with protonated polypyrrole (PPy) as a cathode. The surface of PPy is not only beneficial for H2 evolution, but exclusive for NO3- adsorption, and thus inhibits NO3- reduction. Meanwhile, the in situ H2 generation exhibits a much higher utilization efficiency because of the smaller bubble size and higher dispersion. The Pd-Cu catalysts with the ratios of 6:1 and 4:1 exhibit the highest NO3--N removal (100%) and N2 selectivity (93-95%) after 90 min. In comparison with the results obtained with other cathode materials (Ti, Cu, Co3O4, and Fe2O3) and obtained by other researchers, the new process shows a faster NO3--N reduction rate and much higher N2 selectivity. However, the O2 generated on the anode can oxidize Cu to Cu2O that may work as the catalyst for NO3--N reduction to NH4+-N by H2, resulting in more than 60% NH4+-N generated without a proton exchange membrane. Both the PPy film and Pd-Cu catalyst exhibit good stability and there is no Cu2+ or Pd2+ in solution after reaction. Real industrial wastewater is further treated in this system, the NO3--N is reduced from 670 mg L-1 to less than 100 mg L-1 in 90 min, and only little amount of NH4+-N is generated.