Continuous air purification by aqueous interface filtration and absorption.

The adverse impact of particulate air pollution on human health1,2 has prompted the development of purification systems that filter particulates out of air3-5. To maintain performance, the filter units must inevitably be replaced at some point, which requires maintenance, involves costs and generates solid waste6,7. Here we show that an ion-doped conjugated polymer-coated matrix infiltrated with a selected functional liquid enables efficient, continuous and maintenance-free air purification. As the air to be purified moves through the system in the form of bubbles, the functional fluid provides interfaces for filtration and for removal of particulate matter and pollutant molecules from air. Theoretical modelling and experimental results demonstrate that the system exhibits high efficiency and robustness: its one-time air purification efficiency can reach 99.6%, and its dust-holding capacity can reach 950 g m-2. The system is durable and resistant to fouling and corrosion, and the liquid acting as filter can be reused and adjusted to also enable removal of bacteria or odours. We anticipate that our purification approach will be useful for the development of specialist air purifiers that might prove useful in a settings such as hospitals, factories and mines.

The role of the ATM/Chk/P53 pathway in mediating DNA damage in hand-foot syndrome induced by PLD.

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) has been approved to treat patients with various types of cancers because it rarely caused side effects, such as cardiotoxicity, in comparison to doxorubicin, but it frequently results in hand-foot syndrome (HFS). This may affect the quality of life and require a reduction in the PLD dose. The pathophysiology of HFS was not well understood. This study was aimed at exploring the mechanism of HFS induced by PLD. We compared the effects of different doses of PLD on the proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in vitro in HaCaT cells and analyzed the skin changes and skin cell DNA damage in vivo using a zebrafish model. The results suggested that very low doses of PLD show a proliferation inhibition (cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase) and an apoptosis phenotype characterized by the ATM/Chk/P53 pathway that mediates DNA damage in vitro in HaCaT cells. In addition, PLD enhanced zebrafish skin pigmentation from the head to the trunk and induced DNA damage (phospho-H2AX staining) and cell death in the skin of zebrafish. The results of the present study suggested potential applications to provide a better understanding of the apoptosis of PLD-treated skin cells and described a simple methodology for detecting a PLD-induced DNA damage response in zebrafish, which may be helpful in preventing and treating HFS.