The application of chitosan quaternary ammonium salt to replace polymeric aluminum ferric chloride for sewage sludge dewatering.

Inorganic coagulants such as poly aluminum ferric chloride (Al/Fe) are applied conventionally to sewage sludge dewatering and can be retained in the sludge cake, causing its conductivity to increase and generate secondary pollution. To reduce these disadvantages, there is a need to develop alternative, more sustainable chemicals as substitutes for conventional inorganic coagulants. In the present investigation, the application of a polymeric chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (CQAS) is explored as a complete, or partial, replacement for Al/Fe in the context of sludge dewatering processes. Laboratory experiments using digested sewage sludge showed that CQAS could effectively substitute for over 80 % of the Al/Fe inorganic coagulant in the sludge dewatering process. This substitution resulted in a reduction of sludge cake conductivity by more than 50 %. Simulation of sludge dewatering curves and imaging of the sludge surface indicated that the addition of CQAS led to an increase in nanosized pores, and a decrease in the specific resistance of the sludge filter cake as the dosage of Al/Fe decreased to around 30 %. The variations of fluorescence emission, quantum yield and carboxylic and amino groups, suggested that the chelating of Al/Fe decreased due to the bridging effects of CQAS. The CQAS had different flocculation bridging effects on various EPS fractions, which varied the amount of protein chelated with Al/Fe in each fraction. This study provides new information about the benefits of replacing conventional inorganic coagulants with natural organic polymers for sewage sludge dewatering, in terms of reduced sludge cake conductivity and greater dry solids content.

Molecular-weight dependent promotion and competition effects of natural organic matter on dissolved black carbon removal by coagulation.

Dissolved black carbon (DBC) is the ubiquitous component of dissolved organic matter pools with the high reactivity for disinfection byproducts formation. However, it is unknown that the influence of molecular weight (MW) of natural organic matter (NOM) on the DBC removal from potable water sources. Therefore, it was studied that the DBC removal by coagulation in the presence of the NOM with various molecular weights. The DBC removal was promoted due to the presence of NOM and the promotion degree decreased with decreasing MW of NOM. Furthermore, the removal ratio of humic-like component increased as the MW of NOM decreased, suggesting that the competition between DBC and NOM increased with decreasing MW. The functional groups after coagulation were the same with that before coagulation as the MW of NOM varied, suggesting that the molecular structure was not the key factor of influencing the DBC removal. This study will give the deep insight into the prediction of the DBC removal ratio by coagulation based on the MW of NOM in water sources.

Discovery of potent PROTAC degraders of Pin1 for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

Peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (Pin1) is overexpressed and/or overactivated in many human cancers and has been shown to play a critical role during oncogenesis. Despite the potential of Pin1 as a drug target, its successful targeting has proved to be challenging. We speculate that only blocking the enzymatic function of Pin1 with inhibitors may not be sufficient to lead to a total loss-of-function. Here, we report the discovery of P1D-34, a first-in-class and potent PROTAC degrader of Pin1, which induced Pin1 degradation with a DC50 value of 177 nM and exhibited potent degradation-dependent anti-proliferative activities in a panel of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines. In contrast, Pin1 inhibitor Sulfopin did not show activity. More significantly, P1D-34 could sensitize Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-199 in Bcl-2 inhibitor-resistant AML cells, highlighting the potential therapeutic value of targeted Pin1 degradation for Bcl-2 inhibitor-resistant AML treatment. Further mechanism study revealed that P1D-34 led to the up-regulation of ROS pathway and down-regulation of UPR pathway to induce cell DNA damage and apoptosis. Notably, we further demonstrated that treatment with the combination formula of glucose metabolism inhibitor 2-DG and P1D-34 led to a notable synergistic anti-proliferative effect, further expanding its applicability. These data clearly reveal the practicality and importance of PROTAC as a preliminary tool compound suitable for assessment of Pin1-dependent pharmacology and a promising strategy for AML treatment.

Novel imidazo[1,2,4] triazole derivatives: Synthesis, fluorescence, bioactivity for SHP1.

The Src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP1) is a convergent node for oncogenic cell-signaling cascades. Consequently, SHP1 represents a potential target for drug development in cancer treatment. The development of efficient methods for rapidly tracing and modulating the SHP1 activity in complex biological systems is of considerable significance for advancing the integration of diagnosis and treatment of the related disease. Thus, we designed and synthesized a series of imidazo[1,2,4] triazole derivatives containing salicylic acid to explore novel scaffolds with inhibitory activities and good fluorescence properties for SHP1. The photophysical properties and inhibitory activities of these imidazo[1,2,4] triazole derivatives (5a-5y) against SHP1PTP were thoroughly studied from the theoretical simulation and experimental application aspects. The representative compound 5p exhibited remarkable fluorescence response (P: 0.002) with fluorescence quantum yield (QY) of 0.37 and inhibitory rate of 85.21 ± 5.17% against SHP1PTP at the concentration of 100 µM. Furthermore, compound 5p showed obvious aggregation caused quenching (ACQ) effect and had high selectivity for Fe3+ ions, good anti-interference and relatively low detection limit (5.55 µM). Finally, the cellular imaging test of compound 5p also exhibited good biocompatibility and certain potential biological imaging application. This study provides a potential way to develop molecules with fluorescent properties and bioactivities for SHP1.

Genome-wide analysis of respiratory burst oxidase homolog gene family in pea (Pisum sativum L.).

Plant respiratory burst oxidase homologs (RBOHs) are key enzymes regulating superoxide production, which is important for plant development and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. This study aimed to characterize the RBOH gene family in pea (Pisum sativum L.). Seven PsRBOH genes were identified in the pea genome and were phylogenetically clustered into five groups. Collinearity analyses of the RBOHs identified four pairs of orthologs between pea and soybean. The gene structure analysis showed that the number of exons ranged from 6 to 16. Amino acid sequence alignment, conserved domain, and conserved motif analyses showed that all seven PsRBOHs had typical features of plant RBOHs. The expression patterns of PsRBOH genes in different tissues provided suggested their roles in plant growth and organ development. In addition, the expression levels of PsRBOH genes under different abiotic stresses were analyzed via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The results demonstrated that PsRBOH genes exhibited unique stress-response characteristics, which allowed for functional diversity in response to different abiotic stresses. Furthermore, four PsRBOHs had a high probability of localization in the plasma membrane, and PsRBOH6 was localized to the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum. The results of this study provide valuable information for further functional analysis of pea RBOH genes and their role in plant adaptation to climate-driven environmental constraints.

Candidate regulators of drought stress in tomato revealed by comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses.

Drought is among the most common abiotic constraints of crop growth, development, and productivity. Integrating different omics approaches offers a possibility for deciphering the metabolic pathways and fundamental mechanisms involved in abiotic stress tolerance. Here, we explored the transcriptional and post-transcriptional changes in drought-stressed tomato plants using transcriptomic and proteomic profiles to determine the molecular dynamics of tomato drought stress responses. We identified 22467 genes and 5507 proteins, among which the expression of 3765 genes and 294 proteins was significantly changed under drought stress. Furthermore, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) showed a good correlation (0.743). The results indicated that integrating different omics approaches is promising in exploring the multilayered regulatory mechanisms of plant drought resistance. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis identified several GO terms and pathways related to stress resistance, including response to stress, abiotic stimulus, and oxidative stress. The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays pivotal roles in response to drought stress, ABA-response element binding factor (AREB) is a key positive regulator of ABA signaling. Moreover, our analysis indicated that drought stress increased the abscisic acid (ABA) content, which activated AREB1 expression to regulate the expression of TAS14, GSH-Px-1, and Hsp, ultimately improving tomato drought resistance. In addition, the yeast one-hybrid assay demonstrated that the AREB1 could bind the Hsp promoter to activate Hsp expression. Thus, this study involved a full-scale analysis of gene and protein expression in drought-stressed tomato, deepening the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of the essential drought-tolerance genes in tomato.

Vaginal Delivery and Breastfeeding Benefit Infant Immune Response to Hepatitis B Vaccine: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background and Aims: Natural vaginal delivery and breastfeeding favor the development of a strong immune system in infants, and the immune response of infants to vaccines is closely related to their immune system. This large prospective cohort study aimed to explore the effects of delivery and feeding mode on infant's immune response to hepatitis B vaccine (HepB). Methods: A total of 1,254 infants who completed the whole course of HepB immunization and whose parents were both HBsAg negative were enrolled from infants born in Jinchang City during 2018-2019 by cluster sampling method. Results: Twenty (1.59%) of the 1,254 infants were nonresponders to HepB. Among the other 1,234 infants, 10.05% (124/1,234), 81.69% (1,008/1,234) and 8.27% (102/1,234) of infants had low, medium, and high responses to HepB, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that cesarean section (OR: 8.58, 95% CI: 3.11-23.65, p<0.001) and birth weight <3.18 kg (OR: 5.58, 95% CI: 1.89-16.51, p=0.002) were independent risk factors for infant nonresponse to HepB, and cesarean section (OR: 7.63, 95% CI: 4.64-12.56, p<0.001), formula feeding (OR: 4.91, 95% CI: 1.47-16.45, p=0.001), maternal anti-HBs negativity (OR: 27.2, 95% CI: 10.67-69.35, p<0.001), paternal non-response history of HepB (OR: 7.86, 95% CI: 2.22-27.82, p=0.014) and birth weight <3.22 kg (OR: 4.00, 95% CI: 2.43-6.59, p<0.001) were independent risk factors for infant low response to HepB. In cases where birth weight and genetic factors are unmodifiable and maternal anti-HBs effects are controversial, it makes sense to enhance infant response by changing delivery and feeding patterns. Conclusions: Natural vaginal delivery and breastfeeding are beneficial to the infant's immune response to HepB.

Chloroquine enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs against acute myeloid leukemia by inactivating the autophagy pathway.

Current therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is largely hindered by the development of drug resistance of commonly used chemotherapy drugs, including cytarabine, daunorubicin, and idarubicin. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the chemotherapy drug resistance and potential strategy to improve the efficacy of these drugs against AML. By analyzing data from ex vivo drug-response and multi-omics profiling public data for AML, we identified autophagy activation as a potential target in chemotherapy-resistant patients. In THP-1 and MV-4-11 cell lines, knockdown of autophagy-regulated genes ATG5 or MAP1LC3B significantly enhanced AML cell sensitivity to the chemotherapy drugs cytarabine, daunorubicin, and idarubicin. In silico screening, we found that chloroquine phosphate mimicked autophagy inactivation. We showed that chloroquine phosphate dose-dependently down-regulated the autophagy pathway in MV-4-11 cells. Furthermore, chloroquine phosphate exerted a synergistic antitumor effect with the chemotherapy drugs in vitro and in vivo. These results highlight autophagy activation as a drug resistance mechanism and the combination therapy of chloroquine phosphate and chemotherapy drugs can enhance anti-AML efficacy.

Formate electrosynthesis from aqueous carbon dioxide over Pb-Zn catalysts with a core-shell structure.

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (ECR) has the potential to generate low-carbon fuels that can alleviate energy scarcity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, we prepared a range of Pb-Zn bimetallic catalysts with a core-shell structure using a simple chemical reduction technique based on the differing activity characteristics of the metals. The highest faradaic efficiency for formate (FEformate) was achieved using Pb3Zn1 as the catalyst, with a value of 95.3% at -1.26VRHE in an H-cell (0.5 M KHCO3) and a current density of 11.18 mA cm-2. Notably, in the flow-cell (1 M KOH), FEformate exceeded 90% across a wide potential window, with a maximum FEformate value of 98.4% being achieved. The excellent catalytic performance of the bimetallic catalyst is attributed to its larger specific surface area and faster ECR kinetics, and the synergistic interaction between Pb and Zn improves the selectivity for formate production.

Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Fluorescent Properties of Benzothiazole Derivatives.

Fluorescence imaging is conducive to establish a bridge between molecular biology and clinical medicine, and provides new tools for disease process research, early diagnosis, and efficacy evaluation, because of the advantages of rapid imaging and nondestructive detection. Herein, a series of fluorescent molecules with thiadiazole, or thiazole, or benzothiazole cores were designed and synthesized to develop more excellent fluorescent molecules in bio-imaging. According to theoretical and experimental methods, we found that benzothiazole derivative 14 B with conjugate expansion by (4-aminophenyl) ethynyl group was the most excellent fluorescent molecule among all the investigated compounds and exhibited low cytotoxicity and strong blue and green fluorescence by confocal cell imaging.

Rab1A-Mediated Exosomal Sorting of miR-200c Enhances Breast Cancer Lung Metastasis.

Background: Recent therapeutic approaches have improved survival rate for women with breast cancer, but the survival rate for metastatic breast cancer is still low. Exosomes released by various cells are involved in all steps of breast cancer development. Methods: We established the multimodal imaging report expression in breast cancer cells with lentivirus vectors pGluc and pBirA to investigate the secreted exosomes. Comparative microRNA (miRNA) analysis was performed with miRNA qPCR array in mice with breast cancer lung metastasis. The co-immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to identify the mechanism of miRNA sorting to exosomes. The potential therapeutic strategy using an anti-sorting antibody was used to investigate breast cancer lung metastasis. Results: We identified 26 high- and 32 low-expression level miRNAs in exosomes from metastasis compared to those from primary tumors and normal tissues. The tumor suppressors, including miR-200c and let-7a, were reduced in tumor tissues and metastasis but increased in the respective exosomes compared to normal tissues. Furthermore, the Ras-related protein (Rab1A) facilitated miR-200c sorting to exosomes circumventing the influence of tumor suppressor miR-200c on tumor cells, while the metastatic exosome cargo miR-200c inhibited F4/80+ macrophage immune response. Administration of anti-Rab1A antibody significantly repressed the trafficking of miR-200c to exosomes and breast cancer lung metastasis. Conclusion: Our study has identified a novel molecular mechanism for breast cancer lung metastasis mediated by exosome cargo miRNAs and provided a new therapeutic strategy for cancer immunotherapy.

Regulating Cardiolipin Biosynthesis for Efficient Production of Colanic Acid in Escherichia coli.

Colanic acid has broad application prospects in the food and healthcare market due to its excellent physical properties and biological activities. In this study, we discovered that colonic acid production in Escherichia coli could be enhanced by regulating cardiolipin biosynthesis. Single deletion of clsA, clsB, or clsC related to cardiolipin biosynthesis in E. coli MG1655 only slightly increased colonic acid production, but double or triple deletion of these three genes in E. coli MG1655 increased colonic acid production up to 2.48-fold. Previously, we have discovered that truncating lipopolysaccharide by deletion of the waaLUZYROBSPGQ gene cluster and enhancing RcsA by deletion of genes lon and hns can increase colonic acid production in E. coli. Therefore, these genes together with clsA, clsB, or/and clsC were deleted in E. coli, and all the resulting mutants showed increased colonic acid production. The best colonic acid production was observed in the mutant WWM16, which is 126-fold higher than in the control MG1655. To further improve colonic acid production, the genes rcsA and rcsD1-466 were overexpressed in WWM16, and the resulting recombinant E. coli WWM16/pWADT could produce 44.9 g/L colonic acid, which is the highest titer reported to date.

Targeting C/EBPα overcomes primary resistance and improves the efficacy of FLT3 inhibitors in acute myeloid leukaemia.

The outcomes of FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) have been improved since the approval of FLT3 inhibitors (FLT3i). However, approximately 30-50% of patients exhibit primary resistance (PR) to FLT3i with poorly defined mechanisms, posing a pressing clinical unmet need. Here, we identify C/EBPα activation as a top PR feature by analyzing data from primary AML patient samples in Vizome. C/EBPα activation limit FLT3i efficacy, while its inactivation synergistically enhances FLT3i action in cellular and female animal models. We then perform an in silico screen and identify that guanfacine, an antihypertensive medication, mimics C/EBPα inactivation. Furthermore, guanfacine exerts a synergistic effect with FLT3i in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we ascertain the role of C/EBPα activation in PR in an independent cohort of FLT3-ITD patients. These findings highlight C/EBPα activation as a targetable PR mechanism and support clinical studies aimed at testing the combination of guanfacine with FLT3i in overcoming PR and enhancing the efficacy of FLT3i therapy.

DNA strand asymmetry generated by CpG hemimethylation has opposing effects on CTCF binding.

CpG methylation generally occurs on both DNA strands and is essential for mammalian development and differentiation. Until recently, hemimethylation, in which only one strand is methylated, was considered to be simply a transitory state generated during DNA synthesis. The discovery that a subset of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) binding sites is heritably hemimethylated suggests that hemimethylation might have an unknown biological function. Here we show that the binding of CTCF is profoundly altered by which DNA strand is methylated and by the specific CTCF binding motif. CpG methylation on the motif strand can inhibit CTCF binding by up to 7-fold, whereas methylation on the opposite strand can stimulate binding by up to 4-fold. Thus, hemimethylation can alter binding by up to 28-fold in a strand-specific manner. The mechanism for sensing methylation on the opposite strand requires two critical residues, V454 and S364, within CTCF zinc fingers 7 and 4. Similar to methylation, CpG hydroxymethylation on the motif strand can inhibit CTCF binding by up to 4-fold. However, hydroxymethylation on the opposite strand removes the stimulatory effect. Strand-specific methylation states may therefore provide a mechanism to explain the transient and dynamic nature of CTCF-mediated chromatin interactions.

Identification and functional characterization of AcMYB113 in anthocyanin metabolism of Aesculus chinensis Bunge var. chinensis leaves.

Anthocyanins can be induced by environmental factors such as low-temperature and play essential roles in plant color formation. In this study, leaves of Aesculus chinensis Bunge var. chinensis with different colors under natural low-temperature in autumn were collected and grouped into green leaf (GL) and red leaf (RL). To reveal the underlying mechanism of color formation in RL, a combined analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome was conducted with GL and RL. Metabolic analyses revealed that total anthocyanin content and primary anthocyanin components were increased RL relative to GL and cyanidin was the main anthocyanin compound in RL. Transcriptome analysis provided a total of 18720 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 9150 DEGs were upregulated and 9570 DEGs were downregulated in RL relative to GL. KEGG analysis showed that DEGs were mainly enriched in flavonoid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Furthermore, co-expression network analysis indicated that 56 AcMYB transcription factors were highly expressed in RL compared with GL, among which AcMYB113 (an R2R3-MYB TF) had a strong correlation with anthocyanins. Overexpression of AcMYB113 in apple resulted in dark-purple transgenic calluses. In addition, the transient expression experiment showed that AcMYB113 enhanced anthocyanin synthesis by activating pathways of anthocyanin biosynthesis in leaves of Aesculus chinensis Bunge var. chinensis. Taken together, our findings reveal new insights into the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation in RL and provide candidate genes for the breeding of anthocyanin-rich cultivars.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG alleviates colitis caused by chemotherapy via biofilm formation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Severe colitis is a common side effect of chemotherapy in cancer patients. In this study, we attempted to enhance the viability of probiotics in a gastric acid environment and improve the colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and docetaxel. METHODS: We purified Lactobacillus from yogurt and estimated their growth at pH 6.8 and pH 2.0. In the further investigation, the bacterial biofilm formation was used to define the mechanism by which administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG) via oral gavage alleviates the colitis and intestine permeability of the mice induced by DSS and docetaxel. The potential benefit of probiotics on the treatment of breast cancer metastasis has been assessed as well. RESULTS: Lactobacillus from yogurt growth was unexpectedly faster in the pH 2.0 than in the neutral pH medium during the first hour. LGG administered in the fasting state via oral gavage significantly improved the preventive effect in the colitis caused by DSS and docetaxel. LGG reduced the permeability of the intestine and decreased the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6, in colitis by biofilm formation. Increasing the docetaxel dose may reduce breast tumor growth and metastasis in the lung but did not benefit survival due to severe colitis. However, the LGG supplement significantly improved the survival of tumor-bearing mice following a high dose of docetaxel treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide new insights into the potential mechanism of probiotic protection of the intestine and provide a novel therapeutic strategy to augment the chemotherapeutic treatment of tumors.

Vein-Like Ni-BTC@Ni3S4 with Sulfur Vacancy and Ni3+ Fabricated In Situ Etching Vulcanization Strategy for an Electrochemical Sensor of Dopamine.

In this study, a novel Ni-BTC@Ni3S4 composite was fabricated by solvothermal reaction using an in situ etching vulcanization strategy and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analyses. The existence of a sulfur vacancy and Ni3+ in the as-prepared vein-like Ni-BTC@Ni3S4 greatly promoted the electrochemical sensing activity of the materials. Herein, a simple electrochemical sensor (Ni-BTC@Ni3S4/CPE) has been fabricated and used for the detection of dopamine (DA). The current signal of the Ni-BTC@Ni3S4/CPE-modified electrode was linear with the concentration of DA in the range of 0.05-750 µM (R2 = 0.9995) with a sensitivity of 560.27 µA·mM-1·cm-2 and a detection limit of 0.016 µM. At the same time, the sensor has good stability and anti-interference ability. This study could provide a new idea and strategy for the structural regulation of composite electrode-modified materials and sensitive sensing detection of small biological molecules.

C2729T mutation associated with HBV mother-to-child transmission reduces HBV production via suppressing LHBs expression.

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is still the main route of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, the virological factors affecting HBV MTCT have not been fully elucidated. In this study, based on a prospective cohort of mother-infant pairs with positive maternal hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), we found that the average nucleotide mutation rate of HBV preS1 promoter (SPI) region in the immunoprophylaxis success group was significantly higher than that in the immunoprophylaxis failure group. Among the nucleotide mutations of the HBV SPI region, the C2729T mutation had the highest frequency. Next, we found that the C2729T mutation promoted HBsAg release but reduced HBV production by suppressing the expression of large hepatitis B surface antigen (LHBs), and overexpressing LHBs could rescue this phenomenon. Based on the fact that the C2729T mutation could alter the binding site of hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 (HNF1) in the HBV SPI region, we uncovered that such an alteration could downregulate the transcriptional activity of SPI by attenuating the binding ability of HNF1 and HBV SPI region. This study suggests that HBV C2729T mutation may contribute to the immunoprophylaxis success of HBV MTCT by reducing HBV production, which supplements the virological factors affecting HBV MTCT.

The improvement of heavy metals removal by wood membrane in drinking water treatment: Comparison with polymer membrane and associated mechanism.

The application of commercial membranes is limited by the secondary pollution such as the usage of toxic chemicals for the membrane preparation and the disposal of aged membranes. Therefore, the green and environmentally friendly membranes are extremely promising for the sustainable development of membrane filtration in water treatment. In this study, the comparison of wood membrane with the pore size of tens microns (µm) and polymer membrane with the pore size of 0.45 µm was made to study the heavy metals removal in drinking water treatment by gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration system, and there was an improvement in the removal of Fe, Cu and Mn by wood membrane. The sponge-like structure of fouling layer for wood membrane made the retention time of heavy metals prolonged in contrast to the cobweb-like structure of polymer membrane. The carboxylic group (-COOH) content of fouling layer for wood membrane was greater than that for polymer membrane. Additionally, the population abundance of heavy metal-capturing microbes on the surface of wood membrane was higher compared with polymer membrane. The wood membrane provides a promising route to producing facile, biodegradable and sustainable membrane as a green alternative to polymer membranes in heavy metal removal from drinking water.

Booster Vaccination in Infancy Reduces the Incidence of Occult HBV Infection in Maternal HBsAg-positive Children.

Background and Aims: Occult HBV infection (OBI) in children has proven to be associated with their immune response to hepatitis B vaccine (HepB). This study aimed to investigate the effect of a booster HepB on OBI, which is rarely investigated. Methods: This study enrolled 236 maternal HBsAg-positive children who were followed up annually until 8 years of age and were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative. Of those 100 received a booster HepB between 1 and 3 years of age (booster group), and 136 were never boosted (non-booster group). Serial follow-up data of children and baseline data of their mothers were collected and between-group differences were analyzed. Results: The incidence of OBI varied dynamically during follow-up, with 37.14% (78/210), 19.09% (42/220), 20.85% (44/211), 31.61% (61/193), 8.65% (18/208) and 12.71% (30/236) at 7 months, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 years of age. At 8 years of age, the negative conversion rate of HBV DNA in the booster group was significantly higher than that in non-booster group [57.89% (11/19) vs. 30.51% (18/59), p=0.032]. For children without OBI at 7 months old, the incidence of OBI in booster group was significantly lower than that in non-booster group [25.64% (10/39) vs. 67.74% (63/93), p<0.001]. Conclusions: The incidence of OBI in maternal HBsAg-positive children was high, serum HBV DNA in children with OBI was intermittently positive at low levels, and a booster HepB in infancy reduced the incidence of OBI in children with HBsAg-positive mothers.