Cinnamic Acid: A Low-Toxicity Natural Bidentate Ligand for Uranium Decorporation.

Uranium accumulation in the kidneys and bones following internal contamination results in severe damage, emphasizing the pressing need for the discovery of actinide decorporation agents with efficient removal of uranium and low toxicity. In this work, cinnamic acid (3-phenyl-2-propenoic acid, CD), a natural aromatic carboxylic acid, is investigated as a potential uranium decorporation ligand. CD demonstrates markedly lower cytotoxicity than that of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), an actinide decorporation agent approved by the FDA, and effectively removes approximately 44.5% of uranyl from NRK-52E cells. More importantly, the results of the prompt administration of the CD solution remove 48.2 and 27.3% of uranyl from the kidneys and femurs of mice, respectively. Assessments of serum renal function reveal the potential of CD to ameliorate uranyl-induced renal injury. Furthermore, the single crystal of CD and uranyl compound (C9H7O2)2·UO2 (denoted as UO2-CD) reveals the formation of uranyl dimers as secondary building units. Thermodynamic analysis of the solution shows that CD coordinates with uranyl to form a 2:1 molar ratio complex at a physiological pH of 7.4. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further show that CD exhibits a significant 7-fold heightened affinity for uranyl binding in comparison to DTPA.

Perilla frutescens: A new strategy for uranium decorporation.

Radionuclide uranium is a great threat to human health, due to its high chemical toxicity and radioactivity. Finding suitable uranium decorporation to reduce damage caused by uranium internal contamination is an important aspect of nuclear emergency response. However, the poor selectivity and/or high toxicity of the only excretory promoter approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an obvious disadvantage. Herein, we choose an edible natural product, the traditional Chinese medicine called Perilla frutescens (PF), which has wide sources and can be used as an excellent and effective uranyl decorporation. In vivo uranium decorporation assays illustrate the removal efficiency of uranium in kidney were 68.87% and 43.26%, in femur were 56.66% and 54.53%, by the test of prophylactic and immediate administration, respectively. Cell level experiments confirmed that it had better biocompatibility than CaNa3-DTPA (CaNa3-diethylenetriamine pentaacetate, a commercial actinide excretion agent). In vitro static adsorption experiments exhibited that its excellent selectivity sorption for uranyl. All those results findings would provide new research insights about natural product for uranyl decorporation.

EEG and ECG Power Spectrum Analysis of Sedative Effects on Propofol-Anesthetized Rats with Electroacupuncture.

Background: In previous studies, electroacupuncture (EA) with 2/15 Hz has been shown to enhance the sedative effects in general anesthesia patients. Central lateral thalamic stimulation of 50 Hz showed an arousal effect in macaques. Therefore, it is worth studying the sedative effect of EA at peripheral acupoints with different frequencies, especially the frequency of around 50 Hz. Methods: Rats were anesthetized under the constant infusion of propofol and EA at Zusanli (ST36) and Neiguan (PC6) locations. Electroencephalography (EEG) and heart rate were continuously recorded before and after the intervention by EA in the C group (control), LEA group (low-frequency group, 2/15 Hz diffuse/dense wave EA stimulation), and HEA group (high-frequency group, 50 Hz stimulation). Results: In the LEA group, a significant increase in the power of the delta component with a decrease in the alpha component (p < 0.05) was observed after EA stimulation. In the HEA group, significant increases in the powers of alpha and beta components of EEG (p < 0.05) and a decrease in the delta component of EEG were observed (p < 0.05). The phenomenon is also shown in full-frequency waves. In addition, a significant decrease in the low-frequency/high-frequency ratio parameter was observed in the LEA group. Conclusions: EA at bilateral ST36 and PC6 can enhance the sedative effects of propofol anesthesia in low-frequency stimulation but lighten the sedative effects in high-frequency (50 Hz) stimulation. The sympathetic-vagal balance was affected due to low-frequency EA.

Hydrolytically Stable Zr-Based Metal-Organic Framework as a Highly Sensitive and Selective Luminescent Sensor of Radionuclides.

Effective detections of radionuclides including uranium and its predominant fission products, for example, iodine, are highly desired owing to their radiotoxicity and potential threat to human health. However, traditional analytical techniques of radionuclides are instrument-demanding, and chemosensors targeted for sensitization of radionuclides remain limited. In this regard, we report a sensitive and selective sensor of UO22+ and I- based on the unique quenching behavior of a luminescent Zr-based metal-organic framework, Zr6O4(OH)4(OH)6(H2O)6(TCPE)1.5·(H2O)24(C3H7NO)9 (Zr-TCPE). Immobilization of the luminescent tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)ethylene (TCPE4-) linkers by Zr6 nodes enhances the photoluminescence quantum yield of Zr-TCPE, which facilitates the effective sensing of radionuclides in a "turn-off" manner. Moreover, Zr-TCPE can sensitively and selectively recognize UO22+ and I- ions with the lowest limits of detection of 0.67 and 0.87 µg/kg, respectively, of which the former one is much lower than the permissible value (30 µg/L) defined by the U.S. EPA. In addition, Zr-TCPE features excellent hydrolytic stability and can withstand pH conditions ranging from 3 to 11. To facilitate real-world applications, we have further fabricated polyvinylidene fluoride-integrating Zr-TCPE as luminescence-based sensor membranes for on-site sensing of UO22+ and I-.

Amidoximated wooden solar evaporator for high-efficiency nuclear wastewater treatment.

The efficient removal of uranium (VI) (UO22+) is of great significance to the ecological environment. However, there is still a lack of efficient adsorption materials to remove UO22+ in wastewater economically. Because natural basswood has high porosity, natural hydrophilicity, and abundant surface functional groups, wood as a support material has a good application prospect in water treatment. In the present work, the amidoxime functional group (AO) is grafted to the hydroxyl group of the wood fiber (AO-wood). A carbon layer is formed on the surface of the basswood by heating, and some Ag nanoparticles with good optothermal effect are added to the wood tunnel (Ag-C-AO-wood). Ag-C-AO-wood is used for efficient wastewater treatment under light conditions. The adsorption kinetic of Ag-C-AO-wood is 4.6 h under one irradiation, which is 7 times faster than AO-wood. It has approached or even surpassed some traditional carbon materials with stirring. This method is expected to break the traditional stirring method. Ag-C-AO-wood can not only remove uranium up to 82% but also have a good removal efficiency (27%) on iodide ions. More importantly, due to basswood characteristics, it is possible to large-scale preparation and explore its potential application value in wastewater.