Iron modified hydrogen-bonded organic framework as fluorescent sensor for ascorbic acid detection.

Herein, iron modified hydrogen-bonded organic framework (Fe-HOF) was successfully prepared by introducing the yellow-green fluorescent ligand 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid into HOF and then modifying Fe3+. A simple turn-on fluorescence strategy is proposed for the detection of ascorbic acid (AA) based on Fe-HOF. Fe3+ could effectively quench fluorescence emission of HOF. In the presence of AA, Fe3+ was reduced to Fe2+, which led to the fluorescence recovery of HOF, thus realizing the fluorescence quantitative detection of AA. These fluorescence responsive behaviors of Fe-HOF ensure fluorescence assay of AA within 0.5 - 8 µM, along with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.14 µM. The sensing platform could realize the rapid detection of ascorbic acid in vitamin C pills, tablets and beverages in the detection of ascorbic acid with good recoveries.

Expression and clinical significance of CA125, CA153 and CEA in nipple discharge of breast cancer patients.

Background: It is an important clinical means to identify benign and malignant breast diseases caused by nipple discharge through the detection and analysis of components in nipple discharge. This study was aimed to test the expression and clinical significance of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), carbohydrate antigen 153 (CA153) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in nipple discharge of breast cancer patients. Methods: From January 2017 to December 2018, 86 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with nipple discharge (breast cancer group) and 50 patients with ordinary breast duct hyperplasia with nipple discharge (benign control group) were selected, and the levels of CA125, CA153 and CEA in nipple discharge and serum were detected by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.

A novel endolysin from an Enterococcus faecalis phage and application.

Enterococcus faecalis is the primary species detected in cases of secondary persistent infection resulting from root canal therapy failure. Due to the overuse of antibacterial agents, E. faecalis has developed resistance to these drugs, making it challenging to treat clinical diseases caused by E. faecalis infection. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore new alternative drugs for treating E. faecalis infections. We aimed to clone and express the genes of phage endolysins, purify the recombinant proteins, and analyze their antibacterial activity, lysis profile, and ability to remove biofilm. The crude enzyme of phage endolysin pEF51 (0.715 mg/mL), derived from phage PEf771 infecting E. faecalis, exhibited superior bacterial inhibitory activity and a broader bactericidal spectrum than its parental phagePEf771. Furthermore, pEF51 demonstrated high efficacy in eliminating E. faecalis biofilm. Therapeutic results of the infected Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model indicated that among 10 SD rats, only one developed a thoracic peritoneal abscess and splenic peritoneal abscess after 72 hours of treatment with pEF51. This suggests that pEF51 could provide protection against E. faecalis infection in SD rats. Based on the 16S rDNA metagenomic data of the intestinal microbial community of SD rats, endolysin pEF51 exerted a certain influence on the diversity of intestinal microorganisms at the genus level. Thus, pEF51 may serve as a promising alternative to antibiotics in the management of E. faecalis infection.

Dual-Locked Fluorescent Probes Activated by Aminopeptidase N and the Tumor Redox Environment for High-Precision Imaging of Tumor Boundaries.

Clear delineation of tumor margins is essential for accurate resection and decreased recurrence rate in the clinic. Fluorescence imaging is emerging as a promising alternative to traditional visual inspection by surgeons for intraoperative imaging. However, traditional probes lack accuracy in tumor diagnosis, making it difficult to depict tumor boundaries accurately. Herein, we proposed an offensive and defensive integration (ODI) strategy based on the "attack systems (invasive peptidase) and defense systems (reductive microenvironment)" of multi-dimensional tumor characteristics to design activatable fluorescent probes for imaging tumor boundaries precisely. Screened out from a series of ODI strategy-based probes, ANQ performed better than traditional probes based on tumor unilateral correlation by distinguishing between tumor cells and normal cells and minimizing false-positive signals from living metabolic organs. To further improve the signal-to-background ratio in vivo, derivatized FANQ, was prepared and successfully applied to distinguish orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma tissues from adjacent tissues in mice models and clinical samples. This work highlights an innovative strategy to develop activatable probes for rapid diagnosis of tumors and high-precision imaging of tumor boundaries, providing more efficient tools for future clinical applications in intraoperative assisted resection.

Diversity and functional traits of seed endophytes of Dysphania ambrosioides from heavy metal contaminated and non-contaminated areas.

Seed endophytes played a crucial role on host plants stress tolerance and heavy metal (HM) accumulation. Dysphania ambrosioides is a hyperaccumulator and showed strong tolerance and extraordinary accumulation capacities of multiple HMs. However, little is known about its seed endophytes response to field HM-contamination, and its role on host plants HM tolerance and accumulation. In this study, the seed endophytic community of D. ambrosioides from HM-contaminated area (H) and non-contaminated area (N) were investigated by both culture-dependent and independent methods. Moreover, Cd tolerance and the plant growth promoting (PGP) traits of dominant endophytes from site H and N were evaluated. The results showed that in both studies, HM-contamination reduced the diversity and richness of endophytic community and changed the most dominant endophyte, but increased resistant species abundance. By functional trait assessments, a great number of dominant endophytes displayed multiple PGP traits and Cd tolerance. Interestingly, soil HM-contamination significantly increased the percentage of Cd tolerance isolates of Agrobacterium and Epicoccum, but significantly decreased the ration of Agrobacterium with the siderophore production ability. However, the other PGP traits of isolates from site H and N showed no significant difference. Therefore, it was suggested that D. ambrosioides might improve its HM tolerance and accumulation through harboring more HM-resistant endophytes rather than PGP endophytes, but to prove this, more work need to be conducted in the future.

Secofumitremorgins C and D, a pair of atropisomers from saltern-derived fungus Aspergillus fumigatus GXIMD00544.

A pair of atropisomers secofumitremorgins C (1a) and D (1b), together with fifteen known alkaloids (2-16), were isolated from a saltern-derived fungus Aspergillus fumigatus GXIMD00544. The structures of atropisomers 1a and 1b were elucidated by the detailed spectroscopic data, chemical reaction and quantum chemical calculations. Compounds 1 and 8 displayed antifungal spore germination effects against plant pathogenic fungus associated with sugarcane Fusarium sp. with inhibitory rates of 53% and 77% at the concentration of 100 µM, repectively. Atropisomers 1 also exhibited antifouling potential against Balanus amphitrite larval settlement with an inhibitory rate of 96% at the concentration of 100 µM.

Concentration-QTc Modeling of the DPP-4 Inhibitor HSK7653 in a First-in-Human Study of Chinese Healthy Volunteers.

Cofrogliptin (HSK7653) is a long-acting dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with a twice-monthly dosing regimen. This study included 62 participants (48 without food effect, 14 with food effect) receiving single doses of HSK7653 (5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 mg) or placebo. Pharmacokinetic samples were collected over 24 hours postdosing and sampling times are aligned with 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) which were derived from continuous ECG recordings. For the concentration-QT interval corrected for heart rate (C-QTc) analysis, we used linear mixed-effects modeling to characterize the correlation between plasma concentrations of HSK7653 and the change from baseline in the QT interval which was corrected by Fridericia's formula (ΔQTcF). The result showed that a placebo-corrected Fridericia corrected QT interval (ΔΔQTcF) prolongation higher than 10 milliseconds is unlikely at the mean maximum observed concentration (Cmax) (411 ng/mL) associated with the recommended therapeutic doses (25 mg twice-monthly), even at the highest supratherapeutic concentration (2425 ng/mL). Thus, HSK7653 does not significantly affect QT prolongation at either recommended doses or the highest supratherapeutic concentration.

The Carthamus tinctorius L. genome sequence provides insights into synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids.

Domesticated safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a widely cultivated edible oil crop. However, despite its economic importance, the genetic basis underlying key traits such as oil content, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and flowering time remains poorly understood. Here, we present the genome assembly for C. tinctorius variety Jihong01, which was obtained by integrating Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) and BGI-SEQ500 sequencing results. The assembled genome was 1,061.1 Mb, and consisted of 32,379 protein-coding genes, 97.71% of which were functionally annotated. Safflower had a recent whole genome duplication (WGD) event in evolution history and diverged from sunflower approximately 37.3 million years ago. Through comparative genomic analysis at five seed development stages, we unveiled the pivotal roles of fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) and fatty acid desaturase 6 (FAD6) in linoleic acid (LA) biosynthesis. Similarly, the differential gene expression analysis further reinforced the significance of these genes in regulating LA accumulation. Moreover, our investigation of seed fatty acid composition at different seed developmental stages unveiled the crucial roles of FAD2 and FAD6 in LA biosynthesis. These findings offer important insights into enhancing breeding programs for the improvement of quality traits and provide reference resource for further research on the natural properties of safflower.

Identification and functional analysis of lactic acid metabolism-related differentially expressed genes in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality rate that seriously threatens human health. We aimed to investigate the expression, prognostic value, and immune cell infiltration of lactic acid metabolism-related genes (LAMRGs) in HCC using bioinformatics. Methods: The HCC database (The Cancer Genome Atlas-Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma) was downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal and tumor groups were identified. The LAMRGs were obtained from literature and GeneCards and MSigDB databases. Lactic acid metabolism-related differentially expressed genes (LAMRDEGs) in HCC were screened from the DEGs and LAMRGs. Functional enrichment analyses of the screened LAMRDEGs were further conducted using Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). The genes were used in multivariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses to construct a prognostic model. Then, a protein-protein interaction network was constructed using STRING and CTD databases. Furthermore, the CIBERSORTx online database was used to assess the relationship between immune cell infiltration and hub genes. Results: Twenty-eight lactic acid metabolism-related differentially expressed genes (LAMRDEGs) were identified. The GO and KEGG analyses showed that the LAMRDEGs were related to the prognosis of HCC. The GSEA indicated that the LAMRDEGs were significantly enriched in tumor related pathways. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, 14 key genes (E2F1, SERPINE1, GYS2, SPP1, PCK1, CCNB1, CYP2C9, IGFBP3, KDM8, RCAN1, ALPL, FBP1, NQO1, and LCAT) were found to be independent prognostic factors of HCC. Finally, the LASSO and Cox regression analyses showed that six key genes (SERPINE1, SPP1, CCNB1, CYP2C9, NQO1, and LCAT) were associated with HCC prognosis. Moreover, the correlation analyses revealed that the expression of the six key genes were associated with immune infiltrates of HCC. Conclusion: The LAMRDEGs can predict the prognosis and may be associated with immune cells infiltration in patients with HCC. These genes might be the promising biomarkers for the prognosis and treatment of HCC.

Investigation of the regulatory effects of water and nitrogen supply on nitrogen transport and distribution in wolfberry fields.

Resource-based water shortages, uncoordinated irrigation, and fertilization are prevalent challenges in agricultural production. The scientific selection of appropriate water and fertilizer management methods is important for improving the utilization efficiency of agricultural resources and alleviating agricultural non-point source pollution. This study focused on wolfberry and compared the effects of four irrigation levels [full irrigation (W0, 75%-85% θf), slight water deficit (W1, 65%-75% θf), moderate water deficit (W2, 55%-65% θf), and severe water deficit (W3, 45%-55% θf)] and four nitrogen application levels [no nitrogen application (N0, 0 kg·ha-1), low nitrogen application (N1, 150 kg·ha-1), medium nitrogen application (N2, 300 kg·ha-1), and high nitrogen application (N3, 450 kg·ha-1)] on soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3 --N) transport, plant nitrogen allocation, and soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions during the harvest period of wolfberry. And this study used CRITIC-entropy weights-TOPSIS model to evaluate 16 water and nitrogen regulation models comprehensively. The results revealed the following: (1) The NO3 --N content of the soil decreased with increasing horizontal distance from the wolfberry. It initially decreased, then increased, and finally decreased with an increase in soil depth. The average NO3 --N content in the 0-100 cm soil layer ranged from 3.95-13.29 mg·kg-1, indicating that W0 > W1, W2, W3, and N3 > N2 > N1 > N0. (2) The soil NO3 --N accumulation ranged from 64.45-215.27 kg·ha-1 under varying water and nitrogen levels, demonstrating a decreasing trend with increasing horizontal distance. The NO3 --N accumulation at each horizontal distance increased with increasing irrigation and nitrogen application. The NO3 --N accumulation of W0N3 treatment increased by 5.55%-57.60% compared with the other treatments. (3) The total nitrogen content and nitrogen uptake in all wolfberry organs were W1 > W0 > W2 > W3, and N2 > N3 > N1 > N0. The maximum total nitrogen content and nitrogen uptake in W1N2 treatment were 3.25% and 27.82 kg·ha-1 in the roots, 3.30% and 57.19 kg·ha-1 in the stems, 3.91% and 11.88 kg·ha-1 in the leaves, and 2.42% and 63.56 kg·ha-1 in the fruits, respectively. (4) The emission flux and total emission of N2O increased with increasing irrigation and nitrogen application. The emission flux exhibited a transient peak (116.39-177.91 ug·m-2·h-1) after irrigation. The intensity of N2O emissions initially decreased and then increased with an increase in the irrigation amount. It also initially increased with increasing nitrogen application amount, then decreased, and finally increased again. The maximum emission intensity was observed under the W3N3 treatment (0.23 kg·kg-1). The N2O emission coefficients ranged from 0.17%-0.39%, in the order of W0 > W1 > W2 > W3 (except for N1) and N1 > N2 > N3. (5) Under varying water and nitrogen concentrations, N2O emission flux showed a positive linear correlation with soil pore water content and NO3 --N content and a negative linear correlation with soil temperature. The comprehensive evaluation revealed that a slight water deficit (65%-75% θf) combined with medium nitrogen application (300 kg·ha-1) decreased soil NO3 --N leaching, increased nitrogen uptake, and reduced N2O emission. These findings can serve as a reference for improving the efficiency and reducing emissions of wolfberry in the Yellow River irrigation region of Gansu Province and in similar climate zones.

The NeuroProtect Formula: A Preventive Approach to AD Targeting the HIF-1/PI3K-AKT Signaling Pathway Evaluated through In Vivo, In Vitro, and Network Pharmacology Approaches.

OBJECTIVE: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with limited options for reversing its middle-to-late stages. Early intervention is crucial to slow down disease progression. This study aimed to investigate the potential of the NeuroProtect (NP) formula, a combination of geniposide and Panax notoginseng saponins, in preventing AD. We evaluated the effects of the NP formula on amyloid plaque accumulation, neuronal degeneration, and molecular signaling pathways using in vivo and in vitro models. METHODS: To predict functional pathways and potential downstream targets of NP intervention, we employed network pharmacology. The preventative impact of the NP formula was assessed using APP/PS1 mice. We conducted HE staining, ELISA assay, Golgi staining, and immunohistochemistry to detect the protective effect of NP. Additionally, cell experiments were performed to assess cell activity and target protein expression. RESULTS: Network pharmacology analysis revealed 145 drug-disease interactions and identified 5 core active targets associated with AD. Molecular docking results demonstrated strong binding affinity between the components of the NP formula (GP, GN-Rb1, GN-Rg1, NS-R1) and target proteins (STAT3, HIF1A, TLR4, mTOR, VEGFA). Notably, the binding energy between NS-R1 and mTOR was -11.4kcal/mol. Among the top 10 enriched KEGG pathways, the HIF-1 and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways were highlighted. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the NP formula significantly ameliorated pathological changes, decreased the Aß42/Aß40 ratio in the hippocampus and cortex, and increased dendritic spine density in the CA1 region during the early stage of AD. In vitro experiments further illustrated the NP formula's ability to reverse the inhibitory effects of Aß25-35 on cell viability and regulate the expression of Tlr4, Mtor, Hif1a, Stat3, and Vegfa. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that NP exhibits neuroprotective effects during the early stages of AD, positioning it as a potential candidate for AD prevention. The NP formula may exert its preventive effects through the HIF-1/PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, with mTOR identified as a key target.

Near-infrared imaging for visualizing the synergistic relationship between autophagy and NFS1 protein during multidrug resistance using an ICT-TICT integrated platform.

Drug resistance is a major challenge for cancer treatment, and its identification is crucial for medical research. However, since drug resistance is a multi-faceted phenomenon, it is important to simultaneously evaluate multiple target fluctuations. Recently developed fluorescence-based probes that can simultaneously respond to multiple targets offer many advantages for real-time and in situ monitoring of cellular metabolism, including ease of operation, rapid reporting, and their non-invasive nature. As such we developed a dual-response platform (Vis-H2S) with integrated ICT-TICT to image H2S and viscosity in mitochondria, which could simultaneously track fluctuations in cysteine desulfurase (NFS1 protein and H2S inducer) and autophagy during chemotherapy-induced multidrug resistance. This platform could monitor multiple endogenous metabolites and the synergistic relationship between autophagy and NFS1 protein during multidrug resistance induced by chemotherapy. The results indicated that chemotherapeutic drugs simultaneously up-regulate the levels of NFS1 protein and autophagy. It was also found that the NFS1 protein was linked with autophagy, which eventually led to multidrug resistance. As such, this platform could serve as an effective tool for the in-depth exploration of drug resistance mechanisms.

More applicable quantification of non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment plants by on-site plant-integrated measurements.

Wastewater treatment is an important source of non-CO2 greenhouse gases (GHGs). However, current quantification of these GHG emissions mainly employs unit-based measurements, where emissions from individual process units are identified, leading to large uncertainties of overall emissions. Here we introduce plant-integrated measurements, where emissions from the whole plant are measured through the off-gas pipelines of the enclosed facility, to quantify methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from an underground municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in southern China. Our results show that the primary oxic tank contributes the largest in total CH4 and N2O emissions, with an average fraction of over 80 % and over 90 %, respectively. This can be attributed to the vigorous aeration process, which facilitates the transfer of dissolved CH4 and N2O from the liquid phase to the atmosphere through intensive air stripping. The plant-integrated measurements yield around 3-9 times higher emission factors of CH4 and N2O than the unit-based measurements. This difference in emission accounting is attributed to both varying survey durations of the two approaches and the omission of uncertain emission sources during unit-based measurements. The comparison between these two approaches indicates that plant-integrated measurements are more applicable for emission quantification of the whole plant whereas unit-based measurements provide insights into the emission characteristics of individual process units. More plant-integrated measurements are needed in the future for more accurate emission accounting of WWTPs.

A systematic toxicologic study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on aquatic organisms via food-web bioaccumulation.

Pollution-induced declines in fishery resources restrict the sustainable development of fishery. As a kind of typical environmental pollutant, the mechanism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) facilitating fishery resources declines needs to be fully illustrated. To determine how PAHs have led to declines in fishery resources, a systematic toxicologic analysis of the effects of PAHs on aquatic organisms via food-web bioaccumulation was performed in the Pearl River and its estuary. Overall, PAH bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms was correlated with the trophic levels along food-web, exhibiting as significant positive correlations were observed between PAHs concentration and the trophic levels of fishes in the Pearl River Estuary. Additionally, waterborne PAHs exerted significant direct effects on dietary organisms (P < 0.05), and diet-borne PAHs subsequently exhibited significant direct effects on fish (P < 0.05). However, an apparent block effect was found in dietary organisms (e.g., zooplankton) where 33.49 % of the total system throughput (TST) was retained at trophic level II, exhibiting as the highest PAHs concentration, bioaccumulation factor (BAF), and biomagnification factor (BMF) of ∑15PAHs in zooplankton were at least eight-fold greater than those in fishes in both the Pearl River and its estuary, thereby waterborne PAHs exerted either direct or indirect effects on fishes that ultimately led to food-web simplification. Regardless of the block effect of dietary organisms, a general toxic effect of PAHs on aquatic organisms was observed, e.g., Phe and BaP exerted lethal effects on phytoplankton Chlorella pyrenoidosa and zooplankton Daphnia magna, and decreased reproduction in fishes Danio rerio and Megalobrama hoffmanni via activating the NOD-like receptors (NLRs) signaling pathway. Consequently, an assembled aggregate exposure pathway for PAHs revealed that increases in waterborne PAHs led to bioaccumulation of PAHs in aquatic organisms along food-web, and this in turn decreased the reproductive ability of fishes, thus causing decline in fishery resources.

Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of Anaprazole, a Novel Proton Pump Inhibitor, in Healthy Chinese Subjects.

Anaprazole, a newly developed oral proton pump inhibitor, was evaluated for safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics in healthy Chinese subjects. This study involved administering either anaprazole sodium enteric-coated tablet or placebo, followed by monitoring the incidence and severity of any adverse events (AEs). The pharmacokinetic parameters of anaprazole, its isomer, and main metabolisms were determined. The results showed that both single-dose (2.5-120 mg) and multiple-dose (20 mg once daily, 40 mg once daily, or 20 mg twice daily) oral administration of anaprazole sodium enteric-coated tablet were safe and well tolerated. Following single-dose administration, the median time to reach maximum plasma concentration of anaprazole was between 3.50 and 5.25 hours, with mean elimination half-life of 1.22-3.79 hours. The absorption and elimination of anaprazole in the human body appeared to basically follow linear kinetics. After repeated dosing, steady-state concentrations of anaprazole, its isomer, and primary metabolites were achieved, with a median time to reach maximum plasma concentration of 3-3.75 hours and a mean elimination half-life of 1.61-2.27 hours for anaprazole. There was no significant drug accumulation after multiple-dose oral administration. In conclusion, anaprazole sodium enteric-coated tablets were found to be safe and well tolerated in healthy Chinese individuals. Anaprazole is absorbed and metabolized consistently in the human body without any accumulation.

Effects of different treatment frequencies of electromagnetic stimulation for urinary incontinence in women: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence is highly prevalent in women while pelvic floor muscle training is recommended as the first-line therapy. However, the exact treatment regimen is poorly understood. Also, patients with pelvic floor muscle damage may have decreased muscle proprioception and cannot contract their muscles properly. Other conservative treatments including electromagnetic stimulation are suggested by several guidelines. Thus, the present study aims to compare the effectiveness of electromagnetic stimulation combined with pelvic floor muscle training as a conjunct treatment for urinary incontinence and different treatment frequencies will be investigated. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a randomized, controlled clinical trial. We will include 165 patients with urinary incontinence from the outpatient center. Participants who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to three groups: the pelvic floor muscle training group (active control group), the low-frequency electromagnetic stimulation group (group 1), and the high-frequency electromagnetic stimulation group (group 2). Both group 1 and group 2 will receive ten sessions of electromagnetic stimulation. Group 1 will be treated twice per week for 5 weeks while group 2 will receive 10 days of continuous treatment. The primary outcome is the change in International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form cores after the ten sessions of the treatment, while the secondary outcomes include a 3-day bladder diary, pelvic floor muscle function, pelvic organ prolapse quantification, and quality of life assessed by SF-12. All the measurements will be assessed at baseline, after the intervention, and after 3 months of follow-up. DISCUSSION: The present trial is designed to investigate the effects of a conjunct physiotherapy program for urinary incontinence in women. We hypothesize that this strategy is more effective than pelvic floor muscle training alone, and high-frequency electromagnetic stimulation will be superior to the low-frequency magnetic stimulation group.

Simultaneous removal of phenanthrene and Pb using novel PPG-CNTs-nZVI beads.

PPG-CNTs-nZVI bead was synthesized by polyvinyl alcohol, pumice, carbon nanotube, and guar gum-nanoscale zero-valent iron to be applied on simultaneously removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; phenanthrene) and heavy metals (Pb2+) via adsorption. The individual and simultaneous removal efficiency of phenanthrene and Pb2+ using the PPG-CNTs-nZVI beads was evaluated with a range of initial concentrations of these two pollutants. The kinetics and isotherms of phenanthrene and Pb2+ adsorption by the PPG-CNTs-nZVI beads were also determined. The PPG-CNTs-nZVI beads show reasonably high phenanthrene adsorption capacities (up to 0.16 mg/g), and they absorbed 85% of the phenanthrene (initial concentration 0.5 mg/L) in 30 min. High Pb2+ adsorption capabilities were also demonstrated by the PPG-CNTs-nZVI beads (up to 11.6 mg/g). The adsorption fits the Langmuir model better than the Freundlich model. The adsorption still remained stable with various ionic strength circumstances and a wide pH range (2-5). Additionally, the co-adsorption of phenanthrene and Pb2+ by the PPG-CNTs-nZVI beads resulted in synergistic effects. Particularly, phenanthrene-Pb2+ complex formation via π-cation interactions demonstrated a greater affinity than phenanthrene or Pb2+ alone. The present findings suggest that PPG-CNTs-nZVI beads may be effective sorbents for the simultaneous removal of PAHs and heavy metals from contaminated waters.

Understanding the removal of heavy metals from stormwater runoff in permeable pavement system.

Understanding the removal of heavy metals (HMs) in permeable pavement systems is of great significance for controlling urban runoff pollution and optimizing structural design. However, few studies have systematically investigated the mechanism of permeable pavement systems in removing HMs from stormwater runoff. In this study, we adopted a hierarchical strategy to understand the efficiency of individual structural layers on HMs removal in a permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) system. Experimental results illuminated that the surface layer exhibited the highest uptakes of HMs, which can remove up to 64 % of Pb2+, 50 % of Cu2+, 28 % of Cd2+ and 13 % of Zn2+. Meanwhile, as the rainfall return period increased, the removal rates of HMs in PICP was gradually decreased. In addition, batch experiments were conducted and the adsorption results were in accordance with the rainfall filtration experiments. More importantly, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and leaching results were investigated to understand the HMs removal mechanism, which found that the ion exchange is the main mechanism in the surface layer to remove HMs, whereas the chemical adsorption play a crucial role in the base and sub-base layers. Overall, these findings provided new insights into the transport patterns of HMs in the internal structural layers of the PICP.

Recognizing Functional Groups of MES/APG Mixed Surfactants for Enhanced Solubilization toward Benzo[a]pyrene.

Benzo[a]pyrene is difficult to remove from soil due to its high octanol/water partition coefficient. The use of mixed surfactants can increase solubility but with the risk of secondary soil contamination, and the compounding mechanism is still unclear. This study introduced a new approach using environmentally friendly fatty acid methyl ester sulfonate (MES) and alkyl polyglucoside (APG) to solubilize benzo[a]pyrene. The best result was obtained when the ratio of MES/APG was 7:1 under 6 g/L total concentration, with an apparent solubility (Sw) of 8.58 mg/L and a molar solubilization ratio (MSR) of 1.31 for benzo[a]pyrene, which is comparable to that of Tween 80 (MSR, 0.95). The mechanism indicates that the hydroxyl groups (-OH) in APG form "O-H···OSO2-" hydrogen bonding with the sulfonic acid group (-SO3-) of MES, which reduces the electrostatic repulsion between MES molecules, thus facilitating the formation of large and stable micelles. Moreover, the strong solubilizing effect on benzo[a]pyrene should be ascribed to the low polarity of ester groups (-COOCH3) in MES. Functional groups capable of forming hydrogen bonds and having low polarity are responsible for the enhanced solubilization of benzo[a]pyrene. This understanding helps choose suitable surfactants for the remediation of PAH-contaminated soils.

[Research advances of biomedical polymeric microneedles for non-transdermal local drug delivery].

Microneedles have emerged as the new class of local drug delivery system that has broad potential for development. Considering that the microneedles can penetrate tissue barriers quickly, and provide localized and targeted drug delivery, their applications have gradually expanded to non-transdermal drug delivery recently, which are capable of providing rapid and effective treatment for injuries and diseases of organs or tissues. However, a literature search revealed that there is a lack of summaries of the latest developments in non-transdermal drug delivery research by using biomedical polymeric microneedles. The review first described the materials and fabrication methods for the polymeric microneedles, and then reviewed a representative application of microneedles for non-transdermal drug delivery, with the primary focus being on treating and repairing the tissues or organs such as oral cavity, ocular tissues, blood vessels and heart. At the end of the article, the opportunities and challenges associated with microneedles for non-transdermal drug delivery were discussed, along with its future development, in order to provide reference for researchers in the relevant field.