[Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline and Copper Complex by Bi2MoO6/Bi2S3 Heterojunction].

Bi2MoO6/Bi2S3 heterojunctions were synthesized by the solvothermal method. The morphology, chemical composition, and photoelectric properties of the heterojunction materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, UV-Vis, XPS, and I-T. Tetracycline (TC) and tetracycline-copper (TC-Cu) composites were degraded by the as-prepared heterojunctions under visible light. The effects of pH, initial concentration of TC, and molar ratio of TC to Cu2+ on the degradation deficiency of TC were investigated. Additionally, the main active radicals, intermediates, and mechanisms were ascertained by in situ capture experiments and the identification of intermediates. The toxicities of TC and TC-Cu before and after degradation were evaluated by chlorella growth inhibition experiments. The results showed that the prepared Bi2MoO6/Bi2S3 heterojunction was a uniform nanosheet and its band gap was 1.76 eV. Bi2MoO6 and Bi2S3 with a mass ratio of 3:1 (MS-0.3) exhibited a composite ratio of TC and Cu2+ was 2:1 and had the best photocatalytic performance. When the concentration of TC was 10 mg·L-1 with neutral solutions, after reacting for 60 min, the degradation rate of TC and mineralization rate of the solution for TC-Cu were 85.63% and 52.94%, respectively. The results of active group capture experiments showed that the main active group of the heterojunction was the·O2- radical in visible light. In addition, the results of growth inhibition experiments showed that the presence of Cu2+ reduces the toxicity of TC photocatalytic degradation products in the TC-Cu complex, and the antibiotics can be effectively removed in the TC-Cu complex by photocatalytic oxidation.

The role of real-time shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and evaluation of the curative effect.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) in the assessment of renal elasticity and the efficacy of steroid treatment in adult idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). METHODS: This study included 120 patients with INS. Patients were divided into steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant groups. Renal biopsy was performed. Thirty healthy subjects were recruited as controls. Young's modulus (YM) of the renal parenchyma was measured by SWE. The YM values in each group were compared using glomerular sclerosis index (GI) and renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF). RESULTS: The YM values were significantly different between the INS and control groups, as well as between the steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant groups (P < 0.05). Higher YM values were associated with steroid sensitivity. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the YM value in the INS group vs. control group was 0.871 (95% CI 0.815-0.927) and in the steroid-resistant group vs. control, and steroid-sensitive groups was 0.836 (95% CI 0.765-0.908). The corresponding cut-off values were 7.96 and 10.73 m/s, with 81.7% and 86.0% sensitivities, 93.3% and 77.9% specificities, and Youden index 0.750 and 0.639, respectively. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the YM value in the renal parenchyma was positively correlated with GI (r = 0.631, P < 0.05) and RIF (r = 0.606, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SWE technology is a potential method for non-invasive quantitative measurement of renal parenchyma stiffness to determine the pathological changes of INS renal parenchyma and evaluate the effectiveness of steroid therapy.

[Ammonium Adsorption Characteristics in Aqueous Solution by Titanate Nanotubes].

Titanate nanotubes (TNTs) were synthesized via a hydrothermal method using P25 and NaOH as the raw materials. The composition and morphology of the nanotubes were characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption characteristics and the rules of ammonium in aqueous solutions were tested in the static system. The results showed that when the alkali concentration was 10 mol·L-1, titanate nanotubes with a length of approximately 120 nm and a diameter of approximately 8 nm were obtained. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of ammonium was 10.67 mg·g-1. When the pH ranged between 3 and 8, TNTs effectively adsorbed ammonium. The equilibrium adsorption time was 1 h, and this followed the pseudo second-order model. The results from the intra-particle model also showed that the adsorption process of ammonium by TNTs was controlled by surface adsorption and inter-particle diffusion. The Temkin model gave the best fit for the adsorption of ammonium onto TNTs. The thermodynamic experiments showed that the adsorption of titanate nanotubes on ammonium was a spontaneous endothermic process. Coexisting anions and cations had an inhibitory effect on the adsorption of ammonium. The order of influence was SO42- > Cl- > H2PO4- and K+ > Na+ > Ca2+, respectively. The adsorption effect of ammonium by regenerated TNTs remained more than 88.64% after five repeat usages. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the ammonium adsorption mechanism of titanate nanotubes was ion-exchange between NH4+ and Na+ in the TNTs. Titanate nanotubes can effectively remove ammonium from water because of their good recycling capacity and large adsorption capacity.