Novelty three stages for humification of sewage sludge during hyperthermophilic aerobic fermentation.

Compared with conventional aerobic fermentation (CAF), there is limited knowledge of how hyperthermophilic aerobic fermentation (HAF) enhances the humification of sewage sludge. This study compared three novel stages of organic degradation, precursors, functional groups, bacterial community, and humus synthesis mechanism in HAF with CAF. The results showed that organic matter (OM) degraded rapidly, and 68% of the degradation could be completed of stage I in HAF. Compared with the initial stage, ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), water-soluble organic carbon, and water-soluble total nitrogen increased by 2.83 times, 40.5 times, and 33.5 times, respectively. Cellulose and hemicellulose decreased by 29.22% and 21.85%, respectively. These results suggested that temperature (>80 °C) and Bacillus dominated accelerate the humification process by rapidly improving OM degradation. Compared with the initial value of HAF, the maximum increment of reducing sugar at stage II was 297%, and the degradation rate of cellulose was effectively increased by 21.03% compared with that of CAF. The precursors such as reducing sugars and amino acids formed humus at stage II. The content of Aryl C increased significantly during the HAF process, the degree of polymerization of humus and the aromatization degree of HA and FA increased significantly, and complex organic macromolecular material polymers were formed at stage III. The sugar-amine condensation was the mechanism of humification in the sludge HAF process. This investigation provided three new stages of insights into the synthesis of humification during the HAF process and extended the current mechanism of humification in the HAF process.

Ultrasound Technique Based on Liposome Nanovesicles in the Evaluation of Abnormal Pregnancy Outcomes in Diabetic Women.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) refers to the first occurrence or detection of glucose tolerance abnormalities during pregnancy, including cases that may have existed before pregnancy but have not been detected. It is one of the common complications during pregnancy. In recent years, the incidence of GDM is on the rise. The most common complication of GDM is macrosomia, which often causes dystocia, neonatal asphyxia, birth injury and postpartum bleached blood. Early diagnosis, appropriate treatment and maintenance of reasonable and stable blood glucose concentration can significantly reduce the incidence of complications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of ultrasound technique based on liposome nano-vesicles in the assessment of abnormal pregnancy outcomes in diabetic pregnant women. Objective: To investigate the value of ultrasound in the examination of fetal growth in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus. Methods a total of 100 pregnant women with gestational diabetes admitted to the hospital were selected as the research objects, and the clinical data of ultrasound examination were retrospectively analyzed. According to the newborn weight, they were divided into control group (normal fetus group) and observation group (giant fetus group). The growth of fetuses in the two groups was compared, and the predictive value of each measurement index to the weight of giant fetus was analyzed.Multiple regression analysis showed that LL, AC and FL played a decisive role in fetal weight, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Conclusion Ultrasonography is of great value in predicting fetal growth in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus and can be widely used.

Effect of ventilation quantity on electron transfer capacity and spectral characteristics of humic substances during sludge composting.

Humic substances (HSs) can ameliorate soil pollution by mediating electron transfer between microorganisms and contaminants. This capability depends on the redox-active functional structure and electron transfer capacity (ETC) of HS. This study mainly aimed to analyze the effects of different ventilation quantities on the ETC and spectral characteristics of HS (including humic acids (HAs) and fulvic acids (FAs)) during sludge composting. HS was extracted from compost with different ventilation quantities (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 L kg-1 dry matter min-1, denoted as VQ1, VQ2, and VQ3, respectively). The ETC of HS was measured by electrochemical method. Excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy, ultraviolet and visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were conducted to understand the evolution of HS composition during composting. Results indicated that the ETC of HA and FA increased during composting, and VQ2 had stronger ETC and electron recycling rate than VQ1 and VQ3 at the end of composting. UV-Vis analysis revealed that the humification degree, aromatization degree, and molecular weight of HA and FA increased during composting, while the content of lignin decreased. EEM-PARAFAC results suggested that VQ2 accelerated the degradation of protein-like substances. FT-IR revealed a decrease trend in polysaccharide and aliphatic, and the carboxyl content increased in VQ2 and VQ3 while decreased in VQ1. Correlation analysis was used to study the relationship between HS components and ETC. The results advance our further understanding of the pollution remediation mechanism of HS.

Thrombin immobilized polydopamine-diatom biosilica for effective hemorrhage control.

In this study, an efficient composite hemostatic material (DA-diatom-T) was prepared, using a polydopamine layer as a linker to immobilize thrombin on the surface of diatom biosilica. DA-diatom-T retained the porous structure of the diatom with high water absorption capacity, which can absorb 31 times its own weight of water. The thrombin activity of DA-diatom-T was as high as 5.81 U mg-1 that could be maintained at 67% after 30 days at room temperature. DA-diatom-T exhibited non-toxicity to mouse fibroblast cell lines, favorable hemocompatibility and fast procoagulant ability. DA-diatom-T could promote the initiation of the coagulation process and increase platelet activity and blood clot strength to form a physical barrier at the wound. In an in vivo study, DA-diatom-T could significantly reduce the clotting time and reduce the bleeding volume. The above results showed that DA-diatom-T had potential as a new hemostatic material.

Ionic liquid-bonded polysiloxane as stationary phase for capillary gas chromatography.

Ionic liquid (IL) stationary phase is especially suitable for separation of complex samples, owing to the "dual nature" of IL. In this study, a synthetic method of ionic liquid-bonded polysiloxane (PSOIL) as stationary phase of GC was proposed. Then, the PSOIL was used to prepare an 8 m capillary column by static method. The column efficiency was measured to be about 4000 plates/m (k=3.55, naphthalene) after the column had been conditioned at 210°C. The durability of PSOIL column was better than that of the mixed stationary phase of IL and OV-1. Moreover, the Abraham solvation parameter model was employed to characterize the PSOIL. The result revealed that the PSOIL had stronger dispersion force (l) than neat IL and stronger hydrogen bond basicity (a) than DB-1. That meant the PSOIL might offer good selectivity for both polar and non-polar analytes. The column exhibited unique selectivity for various organic substances, such as the homologous compounds of alkanes, esters, alcohols and aromatic compounds. It was also found that some aromatic positional isomers could be separated better on the PSOIL column than on the DB-1 column. Furthermore, the stationary phase was suitable for separation of high-boiling point compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalic esters, etc. All of these demonstrated that the PSOIL offered good selectivity and high separation efficiency for a wide range of analytes.

Suspect screening of 200 hazardous substances in plastic toys using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

There is an urgent need for the development of efficient and comprehensive analytical methods for organic chemical compounds due to their increasing number and diversity in children's toy products. The presence of these chemicals in toys poses an extreme risk for the health and development of children. In this study, an analytical methodology has been developed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS). This hybrid instrumentation together with an in-house accurate-mass database and a mass spectral library, allows for wide-scope screening and identification of hazardous substances in plastic toys. A total number of 200 compounds belonging to eight chemical families were investigated, such as coloring agents, plasticizers, fragrance allergens, nitrosamines, primary aromatic amines, flame retardants, perfluorinated compounds, and endocrine disruptors. Following a straightforward and efficient dissolution/precipitation method for sample preparation, chemical screening and confirmation were conducted by comparing the experimentally measured exact mass, retention time, and isotopic pattern with the accurate-mass database and by matching the acquired MS/MS spectra against the mass spectral library. The matrix effect, linearity, sensitivity, precision, and recovery of the proposed method were properly evaluated. The obtained limits of detection (LODs) and quantitation (LOQs) were in the range of 0.01-0.98 mg kg-1 and 0.03-2.99 mg kg-1, respectively. The applicability of the developed protocol was verified through the analysis of 55 real plastic toy products.

Polystyrene microplastics increase uptake, elimination and cytotoxicity of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in the marine scallop Chlamys farreri.

Microplastics are a growing problem in marine environments due to their ubiquitous occurrence and affinity for chemical pollutants. However, the influence of microplastics on the uptake, depuration and toxicity of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in marine organisms is unclear. We exposed the marine scallop Chlamys farreri to polystyrene microplastics (PS; 125 µg/L) combined with BDE-209 (10 and 100 µg/L) to determine their toxicokinetics, cellular toxicity and histopathological effects. The results showed that PS acted as both a carrier and a scavenger for the bioaccumulation of BDE-209. Importantly, the carrier role of PS was greater than scavenger one. PS increased the negative effect of BDE-209 (100 µg/L) on hemocyte phagocytosis, and ultrastructural changes in gills and digestive gland of scallops due to their carrier role for the bioaccumulation of BDE-209. However, PS did not increase the DNA damage of BDE-209 on the hemocytes. These findings are evidence of microplastics transferring adsorbed pollutants to marine organisms, and increasing their toxicity.

Hydroxybutyl chitosan/diatom-biosilica composite sponge for hemorrhage control.

Effective bleeding control is critical first step in current civilian and military trauma treatment, however commercially available hemostatic materials are difficult to achieve expected effects. In this study, a composite sponge (H-D) based on hydroxybutyl chitosan (HBC) and diatom-biosilica (DB) was designed for hemorrhage control. H-D exhibited hierarchical porous structure, favorable biocompatibility (hemolysis ratio < 5 %, no cytotoxicity), along with high and fast fluid absorbability (11-16 times than that of weight), given effective hemostasis effect (clotting time shortened by 70 % than that of control). In vitro coagulation tests demonstrated that H-D could provide strong interface effect to induce erythrocyte absorption and aggregation, as well as activating the intrinsic coagulation pathway and thus accelerated blood coagulation. These results proved that H-D composite sponge has great potential for hemorrhage control.

High temperature and highly selective stationary phases of ionic liquid bonded polysiloxanes for gas chromatography.

Due to the special performance of "dual nature" and synthetic flexibility, ionic liquids (ILs) have been an attractive research subject of stationary phases for gas chromatography (GC). In this work, a novel ionic liquid (IL) bonded polysiloxane ([PSOMIM][NTf2]) with anion of bis-trifluoromethanesulfonylimide (NTf2⁻) was synthesized, and another one with chloride anion ([PSOMIM][Cl]) was also prepared for the purpose of comparison. The thermo-stability of the product was evaluated by thermogravimetric (TG) test and the result indicated that [PSOMIM][NTf2] did not decompose slightly until 380 °C. Then the solvation behaviors of the ILs were characterized using solvation parameter model. Subsequently, [PSOMIM][NTf2] and [PSOMIM][Cl] were used as stationary phases to prepare capillary columns for GC, respectively. The column efficiency of [PSOMIM][NTf2] column was 4776 plates/m (k=3.64 ± 0.08, naphthalene), and that of the other one was 3170 plates/m (k=2.84 ± 0.11, naphthalene). The selectivity of the novel stationary phases for analytes, including Grob reagent, aromatic positional isomers was further evaluated. Furthermore, the chromatograms of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on [PSOMIM][NTf2] column were compared with that on [PSOMIM][Cl] column. [PSOMIM][NTf2] stationary phase also exerted good selectivity for fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and aromatic amines.

High-performance liquid-chromatographic separation of ofloxacin using a chiral stationary phase.

A new chiral liquid-chromatographic method was developed for the enantiomeric separation of ofloxacin with a fluorescence detector. The enantiomers of ofloxacin were baseline resolved on a Chiralcel OD-H (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) column using a mobile-phase system containing hexane-ethanol-methanol-acetic acid-diethylamine (70/20/10/0.45/0.05, v/v/v/v/v). The presence of diethylamine in the mobile phase has played an important role in enhancing the chromatographic efficiency and resolution between enantiomers.