Heterogeneity of vulnerability and taste changes in older cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a latent class analysis.

PURPOSE: Taste changes and vulnerability are commonly co-occurring in oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy. However, few studies explored the association and the inter-individual variability of these two conditions. This study aimed to identify heterogeneous subtypes of vulnerability and taste changes in older cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and explore individuals' characteristics and risk factors. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify the heterogeneous subgroups of patients with distinct vulnerability and taste change profiles. Differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics among the subpopulation were evaluated using parametric and nonparametric tests. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to investigate predictors of taste change-vulnerability subgroup classification. RESULTS: Three subgroups of those older cancer survivors were identified from the LCA: Class 1 (27.5%)-"Moderate taste change and low vulnerability", Class 2 (29.0%)-"Low taste change and moderate vulnerability", Class 3 (43.5%)-"High taste change and high vulnerability". 98.9% of Class 3 reported taste changes and 54.0% reported vulnerability. Results from multinomial logistic regression indicated that patients in Class 3 were more likely to report experiencing mouth dryness and high blood pressure, and have received more than 3 cycles of chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The findings could provide new insights into the association between taste changes and vulnerability in older cancer adults receiving chemotherapy. Identifying different latent classes of taste changes and vulnerability would be helpful for developing interventions tailored to the heterogeneous survivors.

The aging of polyethylene mulch films in the presence of cadmium.

To determine the fates of the persistent pollutants cadmium (Cd) and micro-plastics in agricultural soils, an in-depth understanding of the interactions between Cd and mulching film is required. In the present work, pot experiments are conducted under natural conditions to study the influence of various Cd concentrations on the aging process of polyethylene mulching film in soil collected from Changzhi, Shanxi Province. The results indicate that during 150 days, the aging degree of the mulch film increases gradually as the increased Cd concentration in the soil. Further, the results of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrate that the average vinyl index (VI) of the aging mulch film increases from 1.29 to 1.82, while the oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratio of the mulch film decreases significantly from 0.344 to 0.045, as the Cd concentration is increased from 0 to 10 mg kg-1. When the aging time exceeds 90 days, the oxygen-containing functional groups (C-O and CO) generated consumed by the adsorbed Cd. In addition, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements indicate that Cd both enhances the formation of hydroxyl radical (·OH) on the surface of the mulch film and prevents the combination of ·OH and electrons, thereby accelerating the aging of the mulch. Hence, the present study indicates that the presence of Cd will hasten the decomposition of mulch, which will inevitably result in the faster release of micro-plastics from the mulch into the soil environment.

Assessment on the pollution level and risk of microplastics on bathing beaches: a case study of Liandao, China.

Microplastic pollution on bathing beaches threatens the health of human beings and coastal organisms. There is a lack of assessment on the level of microplastic pollution and the health risk associated with plastics. As one of the earliest open bathing beaches in China, Liandao is well known as the two high-quality beaches. However, little is known about the extent of microplastic pollution on these bathing beaches. Based on the analysis of microplastic pollution abundance, distribution, shape, size, color, and composition at the Liandao bathing beaches, this study puts forward a novel approach to comprehensively evaluate the microplastic pollution level and risk level by using the Nemerow pollution index (NPI) and polymer hazard index (PHI). The results show that the average abundance of microplastics on the Liandao bathing beaches is 135.42 ± 49.58 items/kg; the main shapes are fibers, fragments, and granules. Most of the microplastics are transparent, brown, and black, accounting for 71.54%, and they have an average particle size of 0.63 ± 0.43 mm. The main components are PE, PP, PS, PET, and nylon, of which nylon appears in the highest proportion (54.77%). The microplastic NPI and PHI values are 0.38 and 74.81, respectively, indicating that the pollution level and health risk index of microplastics on the Liandao bathing beaches are both low. With the increase in population and per capita consumption, plastic waste generated on land will continue to increase. Finally, this study puts forward some suggestions regarding microplastic monitoring, plastic waste management, and environmental attitudes and behavior.

Self-Assembled CMC/UiO-66-NH2 Membrane with Anti-Crude Oil Adhesion Property for Highly Efficient Oil-Water Separation.

Developing the high-anti-fouling membrane has kept continuous attention in oil/water emulsion treatment. However, the majority of works on anti-fouling membranes mainly focused on low-viscosity oils, which greatly limited the development and application of a membrane to face the real crude oil wastewater. Inspired by the hydrophilicity of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and zirconium base metal-organic frame (Zr-MOF), an anti-oil-fouling CMC/UiO-66-NH2 composite membrane was constructed by a self-assembly method. Profiting from the hydrophilicity and micro-nanostructure of the CMC/UiO-66-NH2 layer, the obtained CMC/UiO-66-NH2 membranes displayed underwater superoleophobicity and desired oil resistance. It could display the effective separation capability with 1282 ± 62 to 6160 ± 81 L/(m2·h·bar) and above 99.08% toward the different light oil emulsions. More importantly, the CMC/UiO-66-NH2 membrane displayed ultralow crude oil adhesion behaviors toward the crude oil emulsions, which could achieve a considerably high flux (746 ± 60 to 5224 ± 87 L/(m2·h·bar)). Furthermore, electrostatic interaction and physical enwinding-wrapping between CMC and UiO-66-NH2 also endowed the composite membranes with outstanding stability. After immersing the as-prepared membranes into the harsh environments for 24 h, the membranes still maintained high underwater-oil contact angles (UWOCA > 155°) and separation ability (oil rejection was above 99.0%). Therefore, CMC/UiO-66-NH2 composite membranes could demonstrate promising prospects in real oily emulsion treatment.

Assembling Alkaline-Responsive Chitosan@Giant Liposomes through an Ultrasound-Integrated Microfluidic Approach.

This paper presents the fabrication of an alkaline-responsive drug carrier, chitosan@giant liposome (CS-GL), by using an ultrasound-integrated microfluidic approach. On the microfluidic chip, water/oil/water droplets are first prepared and then move through an area of ultrasonic radiation to improve the regional saturation of organic solvent and accelerate its removal. At the same time, phospholipid molecules in the oil phase of the droplets are efficiently self-assembled into giant liposomes (GLs). Subsequently, microfluidic channels combined with an up-down separated structure can help in the fabrication and purification of the GLs. Due to the electrostatic interaction between the amino group of chitosan and the phosphate group of phospholipids, the GLs and chitosan are assembled into CS-GLs. The change of ζ potential after this operation indicates that chitosan is coated on the surface of GLs. The formed CS-GLs are monodispersed with a 54.1 ± 0.7 µm diameter and high drug encapsulation efficiency (∼96%), and the structural integrity can be kept without leakage of contents for more than a week in an acid medium (pH = 1.2). When this structure is placed in an aqueous solution of pH = 7.8, chitosan precipitates gradually and detaches from the GL, causing its rupture. The drug encapsulated in a single CS-GL can be rapidly released within 4 s, and 99.6% of the CS-GL carriers can complete the release within 10 min.

Efficient Atmospheric Transport of Microplastics over Asia and Adjacent Oceans.

We developed a regional atmospheric transport model for microplastics (MPs, 10 µm to 5 mm in size) over Asia and the adjacent Pacific and Indian oceans, accounting for MPs' size- and shape-dependent aerodynamics. The model was driven by tuned atmospheric emissions of MPs from the land and the ocean, and the simulations were evaluated against coastal (n = 19) and marine (n = 56) observations. Our tuned atmospheric emissions of MPs from Asia and the adjacent oceans were 310 Gg y-1 (1 Gg = 1 kton) and 60 Gg y-1, respectively. MP lines and fragments may be transported in the atmosphere >1000 km; MP pellets in our model mostly deposited near-source. We estimated that 1.4% of the MP mass emitted into the Asian atmosphere deposited into the oceans via atmospheric transport; the rest deposited over land. The resulting net atmospheric transported MP flux from Asia into the oceans was 3.9 Gg y-1, twice as large as a previous estimate for the riverine-transported MP flux from Asia into the oceans. The uncertainty of our simulated atmospheric MP budget was between factors of 3 and 7. Our work highlighted the impacts of the size and morphology on the aerodynamics of MPs and the importance of atmospheric transport in the source-to-sink relationship of global MP pollution.

Bioinspired Pd-Cu Alloy Nanoparticles as Accept Agent for Dye Degradation Performances.

Dye degradation is a key reaction in organic decomposition production through electron donor transferring. Palladium (Pd) is the best-known element for synthesis Pd-based catalyst, the surface status determines the scope of relative applications. Here we first prepare Pd-Cu alloy nanoparticles (NPs) by co-reduction of Cu(acac)2 (acac = acetylacetonate) and Pd(C5HF6O2)2 in the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and glutathione (GSH). The obtained Pd-Cu is about ~10 nm with super-hydrophilicity in aqueous mediums. The structural analysis clearly demonstrated the uniform distribution of Pd and Cu element. The colloidal solution keeps stability even during 30 days. Bimetallic Pd-Cu NPs shows biocompatibility in form of cell lines (IMEF, HACAT, and 239 T) exposed to colloidal solution (50 µg mL-1) for 2 days. It shows the catalytic multi-performance for dye degradation such as methyl orange (MO), rhodamine B (RhB), and methylene blue (MB), respectively. The as-synthesized nanoparticles showed one of the best multiple catalytic activities in the industrially important (electro)-catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to corresponding amines with noticeable reduced reaction time and increased rate constant without the use of any large area support. In addition, it exhibits peroxidase-like activity in the 3, 3', 5, 5'-Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) color test and exhibit obvious difference with previous individual metal materials. By treated with high intensity focused ultrasound filed (HIFU), Pd-Cu NPs might be recrystallized and decreased the diameters than before. The enhancement in catalytic performance is observed obviously. This work expedites rational design and synthesis of the high-hierarchy alloy catalyst for biological and environment-friendly agents.

New Insight into Assembled Fe3O4@PEI@Ag Structure as Acceptable Agent with Enzymatic and Photothermal Properties.

Metal-based enzyme mimics are considered to be acceptable agents in terms of their biomedical and biological properties; among them, iron oxides (Fe3O4) are treated as basement in fabricating heterogeneous composites through variable valency integrations. In this work, we have established a facile approach for constructing Fe3O4@Ag composite through assembling Fe3O4 and Ag together via polyethyleneimine ethylenediamine (PEI) linkages. The obtained Fe3O4@PEI@Ag structure conveys several hundred nanometers (~150 nm). The absorption peak at 652 nm is utilized for confirming the peroxidase-like activity of Fe3O4@PEI@Ag structure by catalyzing 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2. The Michaelis-Menten parameters (Km) of 1.192 mM and 0.302 mM show the higher catalytic activity and strong affinity toward H2O2 and TMB, respectively. The maximum velocity (Vmax) value of 1.299 × 10-7 M·s-1 and 1.163 × 10-7 M·s-1 confirm the efficiency of Fe3O4@PEI@Ag structure. The biocompatibility illustrates almost 100% cell viability. Being treated as one simple colorimetric sensor, it shows relative selectivity and sensitivity toward the detection of glucose based on glucose oxidase. By using indocyanine green (ICG) molecule as an additional factor, a remarkable temperature elevation is observed in Fe3O4@PEI@Ag@ICG with increments of 21.6 ∘C, and the absorption peak is nearby 870 nm. This implies that the multifunctional Fe3O4@PEI@Ag structure could be an alternative substrate for formatting acceptable agents in biomedicine and biotechnology with enzymatic and photothermal properties.

The production of bacterial cellulose in Gluconacetobacter xylinus regulated by luxR overexpression of quorum sensing system.

Quorum sensing is a mechanism that facilitates cell-to-cell communication. Through signal molecular density for signal recognition, which leads to the regulation of some physiological and biochemical functions. Gluconacetobacter xylinus CGMCC 2955, which produces bacterial cellulose (BC), synthesizes the LuxR protein belonging to the LuxI/LuxR type QS system. Here, a luxR overexpression vector was transformed into G. xylinus CGMCC 2955. The overexpression of luxR increased the yield of BC by 15.6% after 16 days static culture and reduced the cell density by 15.5% after 120-h-agitated culture. The glucose was used up by G. xylinus-pMV24-luxR at 72-h-agitated fermentation, which 12 h earlier than the wild-type (WT). The total N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHL) content of the luxR-overexpressing strain and the WT strain attained 1367.9 ± 57.86 mg/L and 842.9 ± 54.22 mg/L, respectively. The C12-HSL and C14-HSL contents of G. xylinus-pMV24-luxR were 202 ± 21.66 mg/L and 409.6 ± 0.91 mg/L, which were significantly lower than that of WT. In contrast, C6-HSL showed opposite results. The difference of AHL content proved that overexpression of luxR improved the binding of AHL and showed preference for some specific AHL. The metabolic results demonstrated that upon glucose exhaustion, the consumption of gluconic acid was promoted by luxR overexpression, and the content of D- ( +)-trehalose, an antiretrograde metabolite, increased significantly. KEY POINTS: • The overexpression of luxR increased the yield of bacterial cellulose • The content of signal molecules was significantly different • Differential metabolites were involved in multiple metabolic pathways.

Structural Reorganization of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids Induced by Pressure-Enhanced Ionic Liquid-Polyethylene Oxide Interactions.

Mixtures of polyethylene oxide (PEO, M.W.~900,000) and imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) are studied using high-pressure Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. At ambient pressure, the spectral features in the C-H stretching region reveal that PEO can disturb the local structures of the imidazolium rings of [BMIM]+ and [HMIM]+. The pressure-induced phase transition of pure 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([BMIM]Br) is observed at a pressure of 0.4 GPa. Pressure-enhanced [BMIM]Br-PEO interactions may assist PEO in dividing [BMIM]Br clusters to hinder the aggregation of [BMIM]Br under high pressures. The C-H absorptions of pure 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide [HMIM]Br do not show band narrowing under high pressures, as observed for pure [BMIM]Br. The band narrowing of C-H peaks is observed at 1.5 GPa for the [HMIM]Br-PEO mixture containing 80 wt% of [HMIM]Br. The presence of PEO may reorganize [HMIM]Br clusters into a semi-crystalline network under high pressures. The differences in aggregation states for ambient-pressure phase and high-pressure phase may suggest the potential of [HMIM]Br-PEO (M.W.~900,000) for serving as optical or electronic switches.

Sub-ppt Mass Spectrometric Detection of Therapeutic Drugs in Complex Biological Matrixes Using Polystyrene-Microsphere-Coated Paper Spray.

Polystyrene (PS) is a class of polymer materials that offers great potential for various applications. However, the applications of PS microspheres in paper spray mass spectrometry are largely underexplored. Herein we prepared a series of PS microspheres via a simple dispersion polymerization and then used them as coating materials for paper spray mass spectrometry (MS) in high-sensitivity analysis of various therapeutic drugs in complex biological matrixes. In the preparation of PS-coated papers, the coating method was found playing a key role in determining the performance of the resulting paper substrate in addition to other parameters (e.g., starch type and amount, PS coating amount, and spray solvent). We also found that as a solvent was applied on PS-coated paper for paper spray, the analytes of interest would be first extracted out and then moved to the tip of paper triangle for spray along with the applied solvent. In the process, the surface energy of PS particles had a strong impact on the desorption performance of analytes from PS-coated paper substrate, and the PS with a high surface energy favored the elution of analytes to allow a high MS sensitivity. When the prepared PS coated paper was used as a substrate for paper spray, it gave high sensitivity in analysis of therapeutic drugs in various biological matrixes such as whole blood, serum, and urine with excellent repeatability and reproducibility. In contrast to uncoated filter paper, an improvement of 10-546-fold in sensitivity was achieved using PS-coated paper for paper spray, and an estimated lower limit of quantitation (LLOQs) in the range of 0.004-0.084 ng mL-1 was obtained. The present study is significant in exploring the potential of PS for high-sensitivity MS analysis, and it provides a promising platform in the translation of the MS technique to clinical applications.

The effects of quercetin-loaded PLGA-TPGS nanoparticles on ultraviolet B-induced skin damages in vivo.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has deleterious effects on living organisms, and functions as a tumor initiator and promoter. Multiple natural compounds, like quercetin, have been shown the protective effects on UV-induced damage. However, quercetin is extremely hydrophobic and limited by its poor percutaneous permeation and skin deposition. Here, we show that quercetin-loaded PLGA-TPGS nanoparticles could overcome low hydrophilicity of quercetin and improve its anti-UVB effect. Quercetin-loaded NPs can significantly block UVB irradiation induced COX-2 up-expression and NF-kB activation in Hacat cell line. Moreover, PLGA-TPGS NPs could efficiently get through epidermis and reach dermis. Treatment of mice with quercetin-loaded NPs also attenuates UVB irradiation-associated macroscopic and histopathological changes in mice skin. These results demonstrated that copolymer PLGA-TPGS could be used as drug nanocarriers against skin damage and disease. The findings provide an external use of PLGA-TPGS nanocarriers for application in the treatment of skin diseases. FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR: Skin is the largest organ in the body and is subjected to ultraviolet (UV) radiation damage daily from the sun. Excessive exposure has been linked to the development of skin cancer. Hence, topically applied agents can play a major role in skin protection. In this article, the authors developed quercetin-loaded PLGA-TPGS nanoparticles and showed their anti-UVB effect.

Synergistic effects of bioactive ions and micro/nano-topography on the attachment, proliferation and differentiation of murine osteoblasts (MC3T3).

Surface topography and chemical nature of biological materials play an important role in regulating cell behaviors. For the intention of improving the biological performance of Ti6Al4V, the hierarchical micro/nano-topographies containing bioactive ions (Ca(2+) and Mg(2+)) were fabricated in this study. Briefly, the hierarchical micro/nano-topography was constructed on Ti6Al4V surface via sandblasting, acid etching and alkali-hydrothermal treatment. Then Na(+) existing in the nano-topography was replaced by Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) through hydrothermal reaction. The surface topographies and chemical nature of native and treated samples were characterized using laser scanning microscope, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy with the energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Surface wettability was measured with a contact angle goniometer. A series of biological tests were carried out to evaluate the synergistic effects of bioactive ions and micro/nano-topography on the attachment, proliferation and differentiation of murine osteoblastic MC3T3 cells. The results of in vitro tests indicated that Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) in the titanium alloy surface had an affirmative effect on cells attachment, proliferation and differentiation. Cells grown onto micro/nano-structured surface with Ca(2+) implantation exhibited significantly higher differentiation levels of alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization compared to that on micro/nano-structured surface with Mg(2+) implantation. This study provided a novel method to construct a favorable biological environment between tissues and implants.

Biocompatibility of artificial bone based on vancomycin loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles and calcium sulfate composites.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility of artificial bone based on vancomycin loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles and calcium sulfate composites. In vitro cytotoxicity tests by cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) assay showed that the 5%Van-MSN-CaSO4 and Van-CaSO4 bone cements were cytocompatible for mouse osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1. The microscopic observation confirmed that MC3T3-E1cells incubated with Van-CaSO4 group and 5%Van-MSN-CaSO4 group exhibited clear spindle-shaped changes, volume increase and maturation, showing that these cements supported adhesion of osteoblastic cells on their surfaces. In addition, the measurement of alkaline phosphatase activity revealed the osteoconductive property of these biomaterials. In order to assess in vivo biocompatibility, synthesized cements were implanted into the distal femur of twelve adult male and female New Zealand rabbits. After implantation in artificial defects of the distal femur, 5%Van-MSN-CaSO4 and Van-CaSO4 bone cements did not damage the function of main organs of rabbits. In addition, the Van-MSN-CaSO4 composite allowed complete repair of bone defects with new bone formation 3 months after implantation. These results show potential application of Van-MSN-CaSO4 composites as bone graft materials for the treatment of open fracture in human due to its mechanical, osteoconductive and potential sustained drug release characteristics and the absence of adverse effects on the body.

Doxorubicin-loaded star-shaped copolymer PLGA-vitamin E TPGS nanoparticles for lung cancer therapy.

A doxorubicin-loaded mannitol-functionalized poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-b-D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate nanoparticles (DOX-loaded M-PLGA-b-TPGS NPs) were prepared by a modified nanoprecipitation method. The NPs were characterized by the particle size, surface morphology, particle stability, in vitro drug release and cellular uptake efficiency. The NPs were near-spherical with narrow size distribution. The size of M-PLGA-b-TPGS NPs was ~110.9 nm (much smaller than ~143.7 nm of PLGA NPs) and the zeta potential was -35.8 mV (higher than -42.6 mV of PLGA NPs). The NPs exhibited a good redispersion since the particle size and surface charge hardly changed during 3-month storage period. In the release medium (phosphate buffer solution vs. fetal bovine serum), the cumulative drug release of DOX-loaded M-PLGA-b-TPGS, PLGA-b-TPGS, and PLGA NPs were 76.41 versus 83.11 %, 58.94 versus 73.44 % and 45.14 versus 53.12 %, respectively. Compared with PLGA-b-TPGS NPs and PLGA NPs, the M-PLGA-b-TPGS NPs possessed the highest cellular uptake efficiency in A549 and H1975 cells (lung cancer cells). Ultimately, both in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities were evaluated. The results showed that M-PLGA-b-TPGS NPs could achieve a significantly higher level of cytotoxicity in cancer cells and a better antitumor efficiency on xenograft BALB/c nude mice tumor model than free DOX. In conclusion, the DOX-loaded M-PLGA-b-TPGS could be used as a potential DOX-loaded nanoformulation in lung cancer chemotherapy.

Manufacturing non-sintered ceramsite from dredged sediment, steel slag, and fly ash for lightweight aggregate: production and characterization.

Green and low-carbon materialization for dredged sediment (DS) is limited due to its low pozzolanic activity. In this study, a novel DS-based non-sintered lightweight aggregate (LWA) is developed by steel slag (SS) and fly ash (FA) activation. Process optimization is performed by the response surfaces, and the basic properties and characterization of the optimal product are investigated. Results indicated that the optimized design ceramic aggregate (ODCA) was prepared as follows: raw pellets comprising of 59.2% DS, 5% SS, 35.8% FA, 5% MK, 5% H2O2, and 2‰ foam stabilizer were activated by alkali activator (1.5 weight ratio of 14 M NaOH to water glass) and then cured at 80 °C and 95% humidity for 24 h. The basic and environmental performances of ODCA were in accordance with standards, whose bulk density was as low as 665.8 kg/m3, the high cylinder compressive strength was 6.143 MPa, and leaching concentrations of heavy metals were controllable. The regulation mechanism of LWA performances could be summarized as follows. SS and FA additives played the role for the mechanical strength enhancement and passivation of heavy metals, which promoted the formation of sillimanite, chabazite, and C-S-H / C-S-A-H gels in ODCA. The bulk density of ODCA was greatly reduced by H2O2 addition, where ODCA had an open-pore structure with a median pore size of 4969.75 nm. Note that C-S-H/C-S-A-H were the key hydration products to give ODCA light density and high mechanical strength, simultaneously.

Transparent, thermal stable, water resistant and high gas barrier films from cellulose nanocrystals prepared by reactive deep eutectic solvents.

Nanocellulose-based film, as a novel new type of film mainly made of nanosized cellulose, has demonstrated an ideal combination of renewability and enhanced or novel properties. Considerable efforts have been made to enhance its intrinsic properties or create new functions to expand its applications, such as in food packaging, water treatment or flexible electronics. In this paper, two different types of deep eutectic solvents (guanidine sulfamate-glycerol and guanidine sulfamate-choline chloride) were formulated and applied to prepare cellulose nanocrystals with dialdehyde cellulose (DAC). The effects of reaction conditions including time, temperature and cellulose-DES ratio on the grafting degree and yield were studied. After ultrasonication, two types of CNCs, with an average diameter of 3-5 nm and an average length of 140.7-204.2 nm, were obtained. The synthesized CNCs displayed an enhanced thermal stability compared to pristine cellulose. Moreover, highly transparent (light transmittance higher than 90 %) and water stable nanocellulose based films (a wet tensile strength of higher than 30 MPa after immersing in water for 24 h) were fabricated. Besides, the obtained films exhibited low oxygen transmission rate, showing a good potential application in food packaging.

Sedimentary record of microplastics in coastal wetland, eastern China.

Microplastic (MP) dynamics can reflect history of plastic production and waste management in nearby areas. However, the stratigraphy of MPs in coastal wetlands and their link to policy and economic pattern changes are currently unclear. Here, MP stratigraphic records in sediment core from coastal wetlands in Yancheng, China, were used to reconstruct plastic pollution history. Neural network models simulated how policy intervention and economic development affected MP accumulation over time. We showed that MP abundance curves with boundaries from 1920 to 2019 had four stages. MP growth slowed or even decreased in the mid-to-late 1980s due to improved waste management and wastewater treatment since the late 1980s. Human activities were the primary factor affecting MP abundance and shape, followed by sediment properties. We predict that the environmental impact of MPs will continue to increase in the next decade. Current plastic policy measures focus on predictable waste emissions, but hidden sources like clothing fibers and tire wear that significantly contribute to MP pollution require further attention.

Insight into the bacterial community composition of the plastisphere in diverse environments of a coastal salt marsh.

The microbial community colonized on microplastics (MPs), known as the 'plastisphere', has attracted extensive concern owing to its environmental implications. Coastal salt marshes, which are crucial ecological assets, are considered sinks for MPs. Despite their strong spatial heterogeneity, there is limited information on plastisphere across diverse environments in coastal salt marshes. Herein, a 1-year field experiment was conducted at three sites in the Yancheng salt marsh in China. This included two sites in the intertidal zone, bare flat (BF) and Spartina alterniflora vegetation area (SA), and one site in the supratidal zone, Phragmites australis vegetation area (PA). Petroleum-based MPs (polyethylene and expanded polystyrene) and bio-based MPs (polylactic acid and polybutylene succinate) were employed. The results revealed significant differences in bacterial community composition between the plastisphere and sediment at all three sites examined, and the species enriched in the plastisphere exhibited location-specific characteristics. Overall, the largest difference was observed at the SA site, whereas the smallest difference was observed at the BF site. Furthermore, the MP polymer types influenced the composition of the bacterial communities in the plastisphere, also exhibiting location-specific characteristics, with the most pronounced impact observed at the PA site and the least at the BF site. The polybutylene succinate plastisphere bacterial communities at the SA and PA sites were quite different from the plastispheres from the other three MP polymer types. Co-occurrence network analyses suggested that the bacterial community network in the BF plastisphere exhibited the highest complexity, whereas the network in the SA plastisphere showed relatively sparse interactions. Null model analyses underscored the predominant role of deterministic processes in shaping the assembly of plastisphere bacterial communities across all three sites, with a more pronounced influence observed in the intertidal zone than in the supratidal zone. This study enriches our understanding of the plastisphere in coastal salt marshes.

Simulation of seasonal transport of microplastics and influencing factors in the China Seas based on the ROMS model.

Elucidating the mechanisms governing microplastic transport and spatial distribution in offshore waters is essential to microplastic control. However, current research on microplastic transport in the China Seas is largely restricted to small-scale investigations, which do not provide a comprehensive result. Therefore, in this study, we used the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) combined with the Lagrangian Transport (LTRANS v.2) model to investigate how microplastics are transported around the China Seas during different seasons and under climatological river discharge. Our findings showed that the microplastic pathways and spatial distributions exhibit marked seasonal variations controlled by circulation patterns in the China Seas, river discharge values, and the characteristics of the microplastic materials. Floating microplastics exhibited the longest transport distance in summer, when microplastics from the Pearl River could be transported up to 1375.8 km through the Tokara and Tsushima straits. The heavy pollution areas in summer were located in the South Yellow Sea and East China Sea, mainly resulting from the contribution of the Yangtze River (>66%). In autumn and winter, more than three-quarters of the microplastics beached off the south-central Chinese coast. In addition, simulating the vertical velocity of the water prolonged the time required for microplastics to reach the open ocean, thereby reducing the amount of microplastics entering the Pacific Ocean by 6% compared to the simulation without the vertical velocity of the water in summer. Microplastics with higher densities were generally transported shorter distances. The transmission distances of PET and PS were two orders of magnitude smaller than that of PE. This study enhances knowledge of the sources and fates of offshore microplastics and provides scientific support for offshore microplastic control.