Removal of endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals by graphene oxide-based membranes in water: A review.

Membrane-based water treatment has emerged as a promising solution to address global water challenges. Graphene oxide (GO) has been successfully employed in membrane filtration processes owing to its reversible properties, large-scale production potential, layer-to-layer stacking, great oxygen-based functional groups, and unique physicochemical characteristics, including the creation of nano-channels. This review evaluates the separation performance of various GO-based membranes, manufactured by coating or interfacial polymerization with different support layers such as polymer, metal, and ceramic, for endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs). In most studies, the addition of GO significantly improved the removal efficiency, flux, porosity, hydrophilicity, stability, mechanical strength, and antifouling performance compared to pristine membranes. The key mechanisms involved in contaminant removal included size exclusion, electrostatic exclusion, and adsorption. These mechanisms could be ascribed to the physicochemical properties of compounds, such as molecular size and shape, hydrophilicity, and charge state. Therefore, understanding the removal mechanisms based on compound characteristics and appropriately adjusting the operational conditions are crucial keys to membrane separation. Future research directions should explore the characteristics of the combination of GO derivatives with various support layers, by tailoring diverse operating conditions and compounds for effective removal of EDCs and PhACs. This is expected to accelerate the development of surface modification strategies for enhanced contaminant removal.

Geometric Frustration and Long-Range Ordering Induced by Surface Pressure Oscillation in a Langmuir-Blodgett Monolayer of Magnetic Soft Spheres.

As a step toward the bottom-up construction of magnonic systems, this paper demonstrates the use of a large-amplitude surface-pressure annealing technique to generate 2-D order in a Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer of magnetic soft spheres comprising a surfactant-encapsulated polyoxometalate. The films show a distorted square lattice interpreted as due to geometric frustration caused by 2-D confinement between soft walls, one being the air interface and the other the aqueous subphase. Hysteresis and relaxation phenomena in the 2-D layers are suggested to be due to folding and time-dependent interpenetration of surfactant chains.

Computed Tomography-Determined Body Composition Abnormalities Usefully Predict Long-term Mortality in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the prognostic impacts of body composition components measured by computed tomography (CT) in patients with liver cirrhosis. METHODS: A total of 160 cirrhotic patients who underwent CT and hepatic venous pressure gradient measurements were retrospectively enrolled. Cross-sectional areas of skeletal muscle, visceral and subcutaneous fat, and mean CT attenuation of trabecular bone of the fourth lumbar vertebral level (L4HU) were measured. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed model for end-stage liver disease score [hazard ratio (HR), 1.086; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.020-1.156; P = 0.010], hepatic venous pressure gradient (HR, 1.076; 95% CI, 1.021-1.135; P = 0.006), sarcopenia (HR, 1.890; 95% CI, 1.032-3.462; P = 0.039), and L4HU (HR, 1.960 for L4HU <145 Hounsfield units; 95% CI, 1.094-3.512; P = 0.024) were independently associated with long-term mortality. In patients with decompensated cirrhosis, subcutaneous adipose tissue index was the only independent predictor (HR, 0.984; 95% CI, 0.969-0.999; P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: Body composition abnormalities determined by CT are associated with long-term prognosis in cirrhotic patients.

Quantitative and Qualitative QC of Next-Generation Sequencing for Detecting Somatic Variants: An Example of Detecting Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential.

BACKGROUND: Because next-generation sequencing (NGS) for detecting somatic mutations has been adopted in clinical fields, both qualitative and quantitative QC of the somatic variants through whole coding regions detected by NGS is crucial. However, specific applications or guidelines, especially for quantitative QC, are currently insufficient. Our goal was to devise a practical approach for both quantitative and qualitative QC using an example of detecting clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP). METHODS: We applied the QC scheme using commercial reference materials and in-house QC materials (IQCM) composed of haplotype map and cancer cell lines for monitoring CHIP. RESULTS: This approach efficiently validated a customized CHIP NGS assay. Accuracy, analytical sensitivity, analytical specificity, qualitative precision (concordance), and limit of detection achieved were 99.87%, 98.53%, 100.00%, 100.00%, and 1.00%, respectively. The quantitative precision analysis also had a higher CV percentage at a lower alternative read depth (R2 = 0.749∼0.858). Use of IQCM ensured more than 100-fold reduction in the cost per run compared with that achieved using commercial reference materials. CONCLUSION: Our approach determined the general analytical performance of NGS for detecting CHIP and recognized limitations such as lower precision at a lower level of variant burden. This approach could also be theoretically expanded to a general NGS assay for detecting somatic variants. Considering the reliable NGS results and cost-effectiveness, we propose the use of IQCM for QC of NGS assays at clinical laboratories.

Two-Dimensional Materials Inserted at the Metal/Semiconductor Interface: Attractive Candidates for Semiconductor Device Contacts.

Metal-semiconductor junctions are indispensable in semiconductor devices, but they have recently become a major limiting factor precluding device performance improvement. Here, we report the modification of a metal/n-type Si Schottky contact barrier by the introduction of two-dimensional (2D) materials of either graphene or hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) at the interface. We realized the lowest specific contact resistivities (ρc) of 3.30 nΩ cm2 (lightly doped n-type Si, ∼ 1015/cm3) and 1.47 nΩ cm2 (heavily doped n-type Si, ∼ 1021/cm3) via 2D material insertion are approaching the theoretical limit of 1.3 nΩ cm2. We demonstrated the role of the 2D materials at the interface in achieving a low ρc value by the following mechanisms: (a) 2D materials effectively form dipoles at the metal-2D material (M/2D) interface, thereby reducing the metal work function and changing the pinning point, and (b) the fully metalized M/2D system shifts the pinning point toward the Si conduction band, thus decreasing the Schottky barrier. As a result, the fully metalized M/2D system using atomically thin and well-defined 2D materials shows a significantly reduced ρc. The proposed 2D material insertion technique can be used to obtain extremely low contact resistivities in metal/n-type Si systems and will help to achieve major performance improvements in semiconductor technologies.

Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting through Bismuth Vanadate with a Photon Upconversion Luminescent Reflector.

As the performance of photoanodes for solar water splitting steadily improves, the extension of the absorption wavelength in the photoanodes is highly necessary to substantially improve the water splitting. We use a luminescent back reflector (LBR) capable of photon upconversion (UC) to improve the light harvesting capabilities of Mo:BiVO4 photoelectrodes. The LBR is prepared by dispersing the organic dye pair meso-tetraphenyltetrabenzoporphine palladium and perylene capable of triplet-triplet annhilation-based UC in a polymer film. The LBR converts the wavelengths of 600-650 nm corresponding to the sub-band gap of Mo:BiVO4 and the wavelengths of 350-450 nm that are not sufficiently absorbed in Mo:BiVO4 to a wavelength that can be absorbed by a Mo:BiVO4 photoelectrode. The LBR improves the water splitting reaction of Mo:BiVO4 photoelectrodes by 17 %, and consequently, the Mo:BiVO4 /LBR exhibits a photocurrent density of 5.25 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode. The Mo:BiVO4 /LBR exhibits hydrogen/oxygen evolution corresponding to the increased photocurrent density and long-term operational stability for the water splitting reaction.

DeviCNV: detection and visualization of exon-level copy number variants in targeted next-generation sequencing data.

BACKGROUND: Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly being adopted in clinical laboratories for genomic diagnostic tests. RESULTS: We developed a new computational method, DeviCNV, intended for the detection of exon-level copy number variants (CNVs) in targeted NGS data. DeviCNV builds linear regression models with bootstrapping for every probe to capture the relationship between read depth of an individual probe and the median of read depth values of all probes in the sample. From the regression models, it estimates the read depth ratio of the observed and predicted read depth with confidence interval for each probe which is applied to a circular binary segmentation (CBS) algorithm to obtain CNV candidates. Then, it assigns confidence scores to those candidates based on the reliability and strength of the CNV signals inferred from the read depth ratios of the probes within them. Finally, it also provides gene-centric plots with confidence levels of CNV candidates for visual inspection. We applied DeviCNV to targeted NGS data generated for newborn screening and demonstrated its ability to detect novel pathogenic CNVs from clinical samples. CONCLUSIONS: We propose a new pragmatic method for detecting CNVs in targeted NGS data with an intuitive visualization and a systematic method to assign confidence scores for candidate CNVs. Since DeviCNV was developed for use in clinical diagnosis, sensitivity is increased by the detection of exon-level CNVs.

Mutations in DDX58, which encodes RIG-I, cause atypical Singleton-Merten syndrome.

Singleton-Merten syndrome (SMS) is an autosomal-dominant multi-system disorder characterized by dental dysplasia, aortic calcification, skeletal abnormalities, glaucoma, psoriasis, and other conditions. Despite an apparent autosomal-dominant pattern of inheritance, the genetic background of SMS and information about its phenotypic heterogeneity remain unknown. Recently, we found a family affected by glaucoma, aortic calcification, and skeletal abnormalities. Unlike subjects with classic SMS, affected individuals showed normal dentition, suggesting atypical SMS. To identify genetic causes of the disease, we performed exome sequencing in this family and identified a variant (c.1118A>C [p.Glu373Ala]) of DDX58, whose protein product is also known as RIG-I. Further analysis of DDX58 in 100 individuals with congenital glaucoma identified another variant (c.803G>T [p.Cys268Phe]) in a family who harbored neither dental anomalies nor aortic calcification but who suffered from glaucoma and skeletal abnormalities. Cys268 and Glu373 residues of DDX58 belong to ATP-binding motifs I and II, respectively, and these residues are predicted to be located closer to the ADP and RNA molecules than other nonpathogenic missense variants by protein structure analysis. Functional assays revealed that DDX58 alterations confer constitutive activation and thus lead to increased interferon (IFN) activity and IFN-stimulated gene expression. In addition, when we transduced primary human trabecular meshwork cells with c.803G>T (p.Cys268Phe) and c.1118A>C (p.Glu373Ala) mutants, cytopathic effects and a significant decrease in cell number were observed. Taken together, our results demonstrate that DDX58 mutations cause atypical SMS manifesting with variable expression of glaucoma, aortic calcification, and skeletal abnormalities without dental anomalies.

Campestarenes: new building blocks with 5-fold symmetry.

Campestarene is a planar, shape-persistent macrocycle with 5-fold symmetry. A range of derivatives bearing peripheral functional groups suitable for generating supramolecular interactions has been designed and synthesised for potential applications in creating 2D quasicrystal molecular assemblies. The new campestarene derivatives bear ester, carboxylic acid, methoxy, bromo, 4-pyridyl, 4-cyanophenyl and 4-phenyl carboxylic acid groups, including further derivatives of the latter two bearing alkyl chains on the phenyl groups to improve solubility. The campestarene derivatives were prepared by reductive condensation of phenol precursors bearing nitro and formyl groups using Na2S2O4. The target functional groups were installed either by pre-cyclisation derivatisation or by synthesis of methoxy-substituted campestarene and subsequent derivatisation. The cyclisation reaction is tolerant of the functional groups introduced. The ten new campestarene derivatives were characterised by NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF MS, although the poor solubility of some examples precluded their detailed characterisation.

A rapid plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin assay for diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis in infants with acute febrile urinary tract infections: a preliminary study.

In infants with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI), the accurate rapid diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN) would be valuable because early aggressive treatment reduces the risk of renal scarring. The objective of the study was to evaluate whether rapid plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) assay could be used as a diagnostic biomarker of renal parenchymal injury in infants with acute febrile UTI to distinguish APN at the bedside. This prospective observational study included 47 infants, who were admitted with a first episode of acute febrile UTI. Total UTI group was divided into the Cortical defect (UTI-CD, n = 24) group and Non-cortical defect (UTI-ND, n = 23) group, according to the result of renal scan. For the Control group, 15 infants who presented a febrile episode without any focus of bacterial infection were included. On admission, the median NGAL level (106.5 [60-476] ng/mL) in the UTI-CD group was significantly higher than that (60 [60-196] ng/mL) in the UTI-ND group and that (60 [60-197] ng/mL) in the Control group and was significantly decreased to 60 [60-306] ng/mL after an antibiotic treatment. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves was 0.748 (95 % CI, 0.610-0.887; P = 0.003) for NGAL levels and 0.724 (95 % CI, 0.579-0.868; P = 0.009) for CRP levels. The best cutoff of NGAL level for detection of APN was founded to be 61.0 ng/mL (sensitivity, 75.0 %; specificity, 78.3 %). Although not a stand-alone test, the rapid determination of plasma NGAL level provides valuable information quickly, concerning the distinction of APN, for determining the clinical course of acute febrile UTI.

Photocatalytic boron nitride-based nanomaterials for the removal of selected organic and inorganic contaminants in aqueous solution: A review.

Boron nitride (BN) coupled with various conventional and advanced photocatalysts has been demonstrated to exhibit extraordinary activity for photocatalytic degradation because of its unique properties, including a high surface area, constant wide-bandgap semiconducting property, high thermal-oxidation resistance, good hydrogen-adsorption performance, and high chemical/mechanical stability. However, only limited reviews have discussed the application of BN or BN-based nanomaterials as innovative photocatalysts, and it does not cover the recent results and the developments on the application of BN-based nanomaterials for water purification. Herein, we present a complete review of the present findings on the photocatalytic degradation of different contaminants by various BN-based nanomaterials. This review includes the following: (i) the degradation behavior of different BN-based photocatalysts for various contaminants, such as selected dye compounds, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, and inorganics; (ii) the stability/reusability of BN-based photocatalysts; and (iii) brief discussion for research areas/future studies on BN-based photocatalysts.

Ultrasonic treatment of endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products in water: An updated review.

Pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs), and endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) have seen a recent sustained increase in usage, leading to increasing discharge and accumulation in wastewater. Conventional water treatment and disinfection processes are somewhat limited in effectively addressing this micropollutant issue. Ultrasonication (US), which serves as an advanced oxidation process, is based on the principle of ultrasound irradiation, exposing water to high-frequency waves, inducing thermal decomposition of H2O while using the produced radicals to oxidize and break down dissolved contaminants. This review evaluates research over the past five years on US-based technologies for the effective degradation of EDCs and PPCPs in water and assesses various factors that can influence the removal rate: solution pH, temperature of water, presence of background common ions, natural organic matter, species that serve as promoters and scavengers, and variations in US conditions (e.g., frequency, power density, and reaction type). This review also discusses various types of carbon/non-carbon catalysts, O3 and ultraviolet processes that can further enhance the degradation efficiency of EDCs and PPCPs in combination with US processes. Furthermore, numerous types of EDCs and PPCPs and recent research trends for these organic contaminants are considered.

Ultrasonic treatment of dye chemicals in wastewater: A review.

The existence of pollutants, such as toxic organic dye chemicals, in water and wastewater raises concerns as they are inadequately eliminated through conventional water and wastewater treatment methods, including physicochemical and biological processes. Ultrasonic treatment has emerged as an advanced treatment process that has been widely applied to the decomposition of recalcitrant organic contaminants. Ultrasonic treatment has several advantages, including easy operation, sustainability, non-secondary pollutant production, and saving energy. This review examines the elimination of dye chemicals and categorizes them into cationic and anionic dyes based on the existing literature. The objectives include (i) analyzing the primary factors (water quality and ultrasonic conditions) that influence the sonodegradation of dye chemicals and their byproducts during ultrasonication, (ii) assessing the impact of the different sonocatalysts and combined systems (with ozone and ultraviolet) on sonodegradation, and (iii) exploring the characteristics-based removal mechanisms of dyes. In addition, this review proposes areas for future research on ultrasonic treatment of dye chemicals in water and wastewater.

Adsorption of uranyl ion on hexagonal boron nitride for remediation of real U-contaminated soil and its interpretation using random forest.

Acid leaching has been widely applied to treat contaminated soil, however, it contains several inorganic pollutants. The decommissioning of nuclear power plants introduces radioactive and soluble U(VI), a substance posing chemical toxicity to humans. Our investigation sought to ascertain the efficacy of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), an highly efficient adsorbent, in treating U(VI) in wastewater. The adsorption equilibrium of U(VI) by h-BN reached saturation within a mere 2 h. The adsorption of U(VI) by h-BN appears to be facilitated through electrostatic attraction, as evidenced by the observed impact of pH variations, acidic agents (i.e., HCl or H2SO4), and the presence of background ions on the adsorption performance. A reusability test demonstrated the successful completion of five cycles of adsorption/desorption, relying on the surface characteristics of h-BN as influenced by solution pH. Based on the experimental variables of initial U(VI) concentration, exposure time, temperature, pH, and the presence of background ions/organic matter, a feature importance analysis using random forest (RF) was carried out to evaluate the correlation between performances and conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to conduct the adsorption of U(VI) generated from real contaminated soil by h-BN, followed by interpretation of the correlation between performance and conditions using RF. Lastly, a. plausible adsorption mechanism between U(VI) and h-BN was explained based on the experimental results, characterizations, and a. comparison with previous adsorption studies on the removal of heavy metals by h-BN.

Photocatalytic and electrocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A in the presence of graphene/graphene oxide-based nanocatalysts: A review.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a widely recognized endocrine disrupting compound, has been discovered in drinking water sources/finished water and domestic wastewater influent/effluent. Numerous studies have shown photocatalytic and electrocatalytic oxidation to be very effective for the removal of BPA, particularly in the addition of graphene/graphene oxide (GO)-based nanocatalysts. Nevertheless, the photocatalytic and electrocatalytic degradation of BPA in aqueous solutions has not been reviewed. Therefore, this review gives a comprehensive understanding of BPA degradation during photo-/electro-catalytic activity in the presence of graphene/GO-based nanocatalysts. Herein, this review evaluated the main photo-/electro-catalytic degradation mechanisms and pathways for BPA removal under various water quality/chemistry conditions (pH, background ions, natural organic matter, promotors, and scavengers), the physicochemical characteristics of various graphene/GO-based nanocatalysts, and various operating conditions (voltage and current). Additionally, the reusability/stability of graphene/GO-based nanocatalysts, hybrid systems combined with ozone/ultrasonic/Fenton oxidation, and prospective research areas are briefly described.

Dielectrophoresis in a slanted microchannel for separation of microparticles and bacteria.

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is an effective method to trap, manipulate and separate various dielectric particles. To generate a DEP force, a spatially nonuniform electrical field has been generated by an array of electrodes, while electrodeless DEP has been accomplished by placing an insulating material between two electrodes. Here, we describe a new DEP method for generating a nonuniform electrical field using a slanted microchannel. The electric field gradient is induced due to a slope in the channel and can be used to move and separate particles. Based on the gradual electric field induced by three dimensional structure of the microchannel, our method enables particles of different sizes to be separated solely by DEP force without flow. The slanted microchannel was easily fabricated by a replica molding technique using a commercial UV-cured photopolymer (NOA 63) and bonded as an insulating layer between two indium-tin-oxide films. By applying the electrical field, polystyrene beads of different sizes (6-45 microm in diameter) were trapped and separated depending on the applied electric strength and frequency. Using this method, the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa attached to antibody-conjugated microbeads was successfully separated from Escherichia coli in a slanted microchannel.

CACG: a database for comparative analysis of conjoined genes.

A conjoined gene is defined as one formed at the time of transcription by combining at least part of one exon from each of two or more distinct genes that lie on the same chromosome, in the same or opposite orientation, which translate independently into different proteins. We comparatively studied the extent of conjoined genes in thirteen genomes by analyzing the public databases of expressed sequence tags and mRNA sequences using a set of computational tools designed to identify conjoined genes on the same DNA strand or opposite DNA strands of the same genomic locus. The CACG database, available at http://cgc.kribb.re.kr/map/, includes a number of conjoined genes (7131-human, 2-chimpanzee, 5-orangutan, 57-chicken, 4-rhesus monkey, 651-cow, 27-dog, 2512-mouse, 263-rat, 1482-zebrafish, 5-horse, 29-sheep, and 8-medaka) and is very effective and easy to use to analyze the evolutionary process of conjoined genes when comparing different species.

Enhancing groundwater management using aggregated-data analysis and segmented robust regression: A case study on spatiotemporal changes in water quality.

Groundwater quality management, crucial for ensuring sustainable water resources and public health, is the scope of this study. Our objective is to demonstrate the significance of secondary data analysis for the spatiotemporal characterization of groundwater quality. To this end, we develop and employ a robust trend analysis method, in tandem with a spatiotemporal data aggregation method, to accurately identify shifts in groundwater quality over time, even in the face of inflection points or breakpoints. The methods and results reveal diverse trends and characteristics in water quality over space and time across the entire dataset from selected regions in South Korea, emphasizing the importance of analyzing aggregated data beyond individual business locations. The conclusions indicate that this study contributes to the development of more reliable and effective groundwater quality management strategies by addressing gaps in traditional monitoring methods and the challenges of limited monitoring resources and uneven data quality. Future research directions include the application of the developed methods to other regions and data sources, opening avenues for further advances in groundwater quality management.

Hydrogel-Encased Photonic Microspheres with Enhanced Color Saturation and High Suspension Stability.

Regular arrays of colloidal particles can produce striking structural colors without the need for any chemical pigments. Regular arrays of colloidal particles can be processed into microparticles via emulsion templates for use as structural colorants. Photonic microparticles, however, suffer from intense incoherent scattering and lack of suspension stability. We propose a microfluidic technique to generate hydrogel-shelled photonic microspheres that display enhanced color saturation and suspension stability. We created these microspheres using oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) double-emulsion droplets with well-defined dimensions with a capillary microfluidic device. The inner oil droplet contains silica particles in a photocurable monomer, while the middle water droplet carries the hydrogel precursor. Within the inner oil droplet, silica particles arrange into crystalline arrays due to solvation-layer-induced interparticle repulsion. UV irradiation solidifies the inner photonic core and the outer hydrogel shell. The hydrogel shell reduces white scattering and enhances the suspension stability in water. Notably, the hydrogel precursor in the water droplet aids in maintaining the solvation layer, resulting in enhanced crystallinity and richer colors compared with microspheres from O/W single-emulsion droplets. These hydrogel-encased photonic microspheres show promise as structural colorants in water-based inks and polymer composites.

Nanostructure-free crescent-shaped microparticles as full-color reflective pigments.

Structural colors provide a promising visualization with high color saturation, iridescent characteristics, and fade resistance. However, pragmatic uses are frequently impeded by complex manufacturing processes for sophisticated nanostructures. Here, we report a facile emulsion-templating strategy to produce crescent-shaped microparticles as structural color pigments. The micro-crescents exhibit brilliant colors under directional light originating from total internal reflections and optical interferences in the absence of periodic nanostructures while being transparent under ambient light. The colors are finely tunable by adjusting the size of the micro-crescents, which can be further mixed to enrich the variety. Importantly, the pre-defined convex surface secures high stability of colors and enables structural coloration on target surfaces through direct deposition as inks. We anticipate this class of nanostructure-free structural colorants is pragmatic as invisible inks in particular for anti-counterfeiting patches and color cosmetics with distinctive impressions due to low-cost, scalable manufacturing, unique optical properties, and versatility.