Removal of chloramphenicol by sulfide-modified nanoscale zero-valent iron activated persulfate: Performance, salt resistance, and reaction mechanisms.

Herein, sulfide-modified nanoscale zero-valent iron (S-nZVI) was prepared by a liquid-phase reduction route and then applied to activate persulfate (PS) for the degradation of chloramphenicol (CAP). The effects of Fe/S molar ratio, catalyst dosage, PS concentration, initial pH, and co-existing ions (Cl-, SO42-, CO32-) on the catalytic performance of S-nZVI/PS system were investigated. Simultaneously, the fluctuations of solution pH, oxidation-reduction potential, dissolved oxygen, and Fe2+ concentration were also monitored during the reaction. Results shown that 98.8 % of CAP could be removed under the optimum reaction conditions (S-nZVI dosage = 0.1 g/L, PS concentration = 3 mM, initial pH = 6.86). Compared to the pristine nZVI, the sulfidation behavior could critically improve the removal efficiency of CAP, ascribe to the enhancements of hydrophobicity of nZVI, production of hydroxyl radicals, and salt resistance. Furthermore, possible degradation pathways of CAP in S-nZVI/PS system were inferred based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This study proves that the S-nZVI is a more promising catalyst for activating PS than nZVI, especially in the field of saline pharmaceutical wastewater treatment.

Low-temperature carbonization synthesis of carbon-based super-hydrophobic foam for efficient multi-state oil/water separation.

In view of the complexity and diversity of multi-state oils, the development of green and low-cost materials with high selectivity to oils has important ecological significance in the polluted water treatment. Herein, a simple method was proposed to develop large-scale production of superhydrophobic sponges (CPMF200 sponges) for high-efficiency oil/water separation under different complex environments. The as-prepared CPMF200 sponges possessed many superior properties, including high roughness, well-developed porosity, good thermal stability, excellent chemical stability, and superhydrophobic properties (water contact angle is 152°), which is conducive to high oil adsorption capacity (up to 70-179 times of its own weight) and oil-water separation. More importantly, the CPMF400 sponge has an excellent photothermal conversion capability to improve the fluidity of high viscosity oil for oil recovery. Based on a simple synthesis method, it exhibits high-efficiency absorption of multi-state oils and excellent oil-water separation performance and strongly proves their application prospects in treating oily wastewater.

Construction and validation of a prediction model of extrahepatic metastasis for hepatocellular carcinoma based on common clinically available data.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with extrahepatic metastases (EHM) and to establish an effective predictive nomogram. Methods: Clinical and pathological data from 607 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University between 1 January 2015 and 31 May 2018 were documented, as well as demographics, clinical pathological characteristics, and tumor-related parameters to clarify clinical risk factors for HCC EHM. These risks were selected to build an R-based clinical prediction model. The predictive accuracy and discriminating ability of the model were determined by the concordance index (C-index) and the calibration curve. The results were validated with a bootstrap resample and 151 patients from 1 June 2018 to 31 December 2019 at the same facility. Results: In multivariate analysis, independent factors for EHM were neutrophils, prothrombin time, tumor number, and size, all of which were selected in the model. The C-index in the EHM prediction model was 0.672 and in the validation cohort was 0.694. In the training cohort and the validation cohort, the calibration curve for the probability of EHM showed good agreement between the nomogram prediction and the actual observation. Conclusion: The extrahepatic metastasis prediction model of hepatocellular carcinoma constructed in this study has some evaluation capability.

Synergistic adjustment of water channels and light absorption pathways to co-generate salt collection and clean water production.

Solar-driven interface evaporation for clean water production has attracted significant concern due to its energy-saving and environmental protection. However, it is still challenging for the evaporator to continuously and efficiently produce clean water in practical applications because of salt particle deposits and insufficient water supply. Here, an improved and easy-to-manufacture solar evaporator device (Co-NCNT-GO system) enhances water supply and light absorption by introducing a water supply layer (melamine sponge) and bamboo-like structure carbon nanotubes embedded with metal cobalt particles (Co-NCNT). The salt accumulation on the edge of the Co-NCNT-GO film is achieved by controlling the concentration gradient of brine in the center area and the edge area of the film. This paper aims to study the photothermal mechanism of the Co-NCNT-GO system through a series of characterization and theoretical calculations (DFT) and discuss the influence of different water supply areas on the salt recovery capacity. The results show that Co-NCNT-GO significantly reduces the band (0.054 au) between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUNO) by graphite nitrogen-doped CNTs, which is beneficial to improve the light-to-heat conversion capability. Furthermore, the Co-NCNT-GO film has good water wettability due to the higher adsorption energy of pyridine nitrogen and water molecules in Co-NCNT (-9.33 kcal/mol). Simultaneously, it is found that the water evaporation capacity and water supply capacity significantly affect whether the salt can be continuously crystallized at the edge of the film. When the ratio of water supply area to light and heat area is 4:2.5, the salt recovery rate is 46.54 g m-2 h-1 during 108 h continuous desalination under one sun illumination. This rationally designed structure and adjustable water transport channel can simultaneously meet high-efficiency evaporation and salt recovery, which can have great potential in practical applications.

A dual-functional layer modified GO@SiO2 membrane with excellent anti-fouling performance for continuous separation of oil-in-water emulsion.

As the most significant target of membrane separation, the inadequacy of permeability and anti-fouling frequently constrain the application of the membrane in actual oily wastewater. Herein, a novel concept of membrane surface construction was proposed to mitigate this intractable problem, using SiO2 as the support layer and graphene oxide (GO) as the isolation layer. The best co-localization proportion of the support layer (56 mg/L) and isolation layer (3.5 mg/L) was determined by the separation performance of the modified membranes for the simulated emulsion. The thin GO layer could effectively prevent contaminants from entering the membrane pores without affecting its roughness. Based on the synergistic action of the isolation layer and support layer, the GO@SiO2 membrane could well implement emulsion purification with a stable permeability (654.11 LMHB) and high separation efficiency (99.41%). The superior anti-fouling performance of the membrane ensures its long-term cycling stability, with the permeability recovery rate of 89.75% (low-density oil) and 90.41% (high-density oil) after 10 repeated cycles. The storage stability also indirectly increases its value in practical applications. More importantly, the GO@SiO2 membrane also shows great potential for industrial emulsion treatment with excellent purification and cycling stability (permeability recovery rate of 84.01%).

VEGF Family Gene Expression as Prognostic Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease and Primary Liver Cancer.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cognitive impairment, explore the relationship between the expression of VEGF family genes and prognosis of patients with HCC, and evaluate the predictive ability of VEGF in cognitive impairment using computerized methods. METHODS: VEGF expression in liver cancer tissues and normal tissues was analyzed using bioinformatics methods. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis method was also used to analyze the relationship between VEGF expression and the prognosis of patients with HCC. Furthermore, immune infiltration assessment and gene set enrichment analysis were performed. Meanwhile, the differential expression of VEGF family genes between patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy controls was also checked. RESULTS: Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the VEGF family genes (VEFGA, VEGFB, VEGFC, and VEGFD) were highly expressed in cancer tissues and were significantly associated with poor prognosis in HCC. In HCC, the VEGF family genes showed significant heterogeneity in their functional and immune infiltration characteristics. Finally, VEGF family genes were identified as prognostic biomarkers in AD and risk prediction markers in HCC. CONCLUSIONS: VEGF is highly expressed in patients with HCC and lowly expressed in patients with AD. VEGF has opposite opposing roles in the treatment of tumors and cognitive impairment.