Intraoperative hypotension is associated with decreased long-term survival in older patients after major noncardiac surgery: Secondary analysis of three randomized trials.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of intraoperative hypotension with long-term survivals in older patients after major noncardiac surgery mainly for cancer. DESIGN: A secondary analysis of databases from three randomized trials with long-term follow-up. SETTING: The underlying trials were conducted in 17 tertiary hospitals in China. PATIENTS: Patients aged 60 to 90 years who underwent major noncardiac thoracic or abdominal surgeries (≥ 2 h) in a single center were included in this analysis. EXPOSURES: Restricted cubic spline models were employed to determine the lowest mean arterial pressure (MAP) threshold that was potentially harmful for long-term survivals. Patients were arbitrarily divided into three groups according to the cumulative duration or area under the MAP threshold. The association between intraoperative hypotension exposure and long-term survivals were analyzed with the Cox proportional hazard regression models. MEASUREMENTS: Our primary endpoint was overall survival. Secondary endpoints included recurrence-free and event-free survivals. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 2664 patients (mean age 69.0 years, 34.9% female sex, 92.5% cancer surgery) were included in the final analysis. MAP < 60 mmHg was adopted as the threshold of intraoperative hypotension. Patients were divided into three groups according to duration under MAP < 60 mmHg (<1 min, 1-10 min, and > 10 min) or area under MAP <60 mmHg (< 1 mmHg⋅min, 1-30 mmHg⋅min, and > 30 mmHg⋅min). After adjusting confounders, duration under MAP < 60 mmHg for > 10 min was associated with a shortened overall survival when compared with the < 1 min patients (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09 to 1.57, P = 0.004); area under MAP < 60 mmHg for > 30 mmHg⋅min was associated with a shortened overall survival when compared with the < 1 mmHg⋅min patients (adjusted HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.68, P < 0.001). Similar associations exist between duration under MAP < 60 mmHg for > 10 min or area under MAP < 60 mmHg for > 30 mmHg⋅min and recurrence-free or event-free survivals. CONCLUSIONS: In older patients who underwent major noncardiac surgery mainly for cancer, intraoperative hypotension was associated with worse overall, recurrence-free, and event-free survivals.

Disease Progression and Multiparametric Imaging Characteristics of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 With Spastic Paraplegia.

Background and Objectives: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a hereditary ataxia that occurs worldwide. Clinical patterns were observed, including the one characterized by marked spastic paraplegia. This study investigated the clinical features, disease progression, and multiparametric imaging aspects of patients with SCA3. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 249 patients with SCA3 recruited from the Organization for Southeast China for cerebellar ataxia research between October 2014 and December 2020. Of the 249 patients, 145 were selected and assigned to 2 groups based on neurologic examination: SCA3 patients with spastic paraplegia (SCA3-SP) and SCA3 patients with nonspastic paraplegia (SCA3-NSP). Participants underwent 3.0-T brain MRI examinations, and voxel-wise and volume-of-interest-based approaches were used for the resulting images. A tract-based spatial statistical approach was used to investigate the white matter (WM) alterations using diffusion tensor imaging, neurite orientation dispersion, and density imaging metrics. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to compare the clinical and imaging parameters between the 2 groups. The longitudinal data were evaluated using a linear mixed-effects model. Results: Forty-three patients with SCA3-SP (mean age, 37.58years ± 11.72 [SD]; 18 women) and 102 patients with SCA3-NSP (mean age, 47.42years ± 12.50 [SD]; 39 women) were analyzed. Patients with SCA3-SP were younger and had a lower onset age but a larger cytosine-adenine-guanine repeat number, as well as higher clinical severity scores (all corrected p < 0.05). The estimated progression rates of the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) and International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale scores were higher in the SCA3-SP subgroup than in the SCA3-NSP subgroup (SARA, 2.136 vs 1.218 points; ICARS, 5.576 vs 3.480 points; both p < 0.001). In addition, patients with SCA3-SP showed gray matter volume loss in the precentral gyrus with a decreased neurite density index in the WM of the corticospinal tract and cerebellar peduncles compared with patients with SCA3-NSP. Discussion: SCA3-SP differs from SCA3-NSP in clinical features, multiparametric brain imaging findings, and longitudinal follow-up progression.

Effect of Regional Brain Activity Following Repeat Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in SCA3: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a noninvasive neuroregulatory technique used to treat neurodegenerative diseases, holds promise for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) treatment, although its efficacy and mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to observe the short-term impact of cerebellar rTMS on motor function in SCA3 patients and utilize resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) to assess potential therapeutic mechanisms. Twenty-two SCA3 patients were randomly assigned to receive actual rTMS (AC group, n = 11, three men and eight women; age 32-55 years) or sham rTMS (SH group, n = 11, three men and eight women; age 26-58 years). Both groups underwent cerebellar rTMS or sham rTMS daily for 15 days. The primary outcome measured was the ICARS scores and parameters for regional brain activity. Compared to baseline, ICARS scores decreased more significantly in the AC group than in the SH group after the 15-day intervention. Imaging indicators revealed increased Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuation (ALFF) values in the posterior cerebellar lobe and cerebellar tonsil following AC stimulation. This study suggests that rTMS enhances motor functions in SCA3 patients by modulating the excitability of specific brain regions and associated pathways, reinforcing the potential clinical utility of rTMS in SCA3 treatment. The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry identifier is ChiCTR1800020133.

Babao Dan decreases hepatocarcinogenesis by inhibiting hepatic progenitor cells malignant transformation via down-regulating toll-like receptor 4.

Background: Babao Dan (BBD) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely used as a complementary and alternative medicine to treat chronic liver diseases. In this study, we aimed to observe the effect of BBD on the incidence of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-initiated hepatocellular carcinoma formation in rats and explored its possible mechanism. Methods: To verify this hypothesis, BBD was administrated to rats at a dose of 0.5g/kg body weight per two days from the 9th to 12th week in HCC-induced by DEN. Liver injury biomarkers and hepatic inflammatory parameters were evaluated by histopathology as well as serum and hepatic content analysis. We applied immunohistochemical analysis to investigate the expression of CK-19 and SOX-9 in liver tissues. The expression of TLR4 was determined by immunohistochemical, RT-PCR, and western blot analysis. Furthermore, we also detected the efficacy of BBD against primary HPCs neoplastic transformation induced by LPS. Results: We observed that DEN could induce hepatocarcinogenesis, and BBD could obviously decrease the incidence. The biochemical and histopathological examination results confirmed that BBD could protect against liver injury and decrease inflammatory infiltration. Immunohistochemistry staining results showed that BBD could effectively inhibit the ductal reaction and the expression of TLR4. The results showed that BBD-serumcould obviously inhibit primary HPCs neoplastic transformation induced by regulating the TLR4/Ras/ERK signaling pathway. Conclusion: In summary, our results indicate that BBD has potential applications in the prevention and treatment of HCC, which may be related to its effect on hepatic progenitor cells malignant transformation via inhibiting the TLR4/Ras/ERK signaling pathway.

Ultrafine NiFe-Based (Oxy)Hydroxide Nanosheet Arrays with Rich Edge Planes and Superhydrophilic-Superaerophobic Characteristics for Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

NiFe-based (oxy)hydroxides are the benchmark catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline medium, however, it is still challenging to control their structures and compositions. Herein, molybdates (NiFe(MoO4 )x ) are applied as unique precursors to synthesize ultrafine Mo modified NiFeOx Hy (oxy)hydroxide nanosheet arrays. The electrochemical activation process enables the molybdate ions (MoO4 2- ) in the precursors gradually dissolve, and at the same time, hydroxide ions (OH- ) in the electrolyte diffuse into the precursor and react with Ni2+ and Fe3+ ions in confined space to produce ultrafine NiFeOx Hy (oxy)hydroxides nanosheets (<10 nm), which are densely arranged into microporous arrays and maintain the rod-like morphology of the precursor. Such dense ultrafine nanosheet arrays produce rich edge planes on the surface of NiFeOx Hy (oxy)hydroxides to expose more active sites. More importantly, the capillary phenomenon of microporous structures and hydrophilic hydroxyl groups induce the superhydrophilicity and the rough surface produces the superaerophobic characteristic for bubbles. With these advantages, the optimized catalyst exhibits excellent performance for OER, with a small overpotential of 182 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and long-term stability (200 h) at 200 mA cm-2 . Theoretical calculations show that the modification of Mo enhances the electron delocalization and optimizes the adsorption of intermediates.

Altered brain white matter structural motor network in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.

OBJECTIVES: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 is a disorder within the brain network. However, the relationship between the brain network and disease severity is still unclear. This study aims to investigate changes in the white matter (WM) structural motor network, both in preclinical and ataxic stages, and its relationship with disease severity. METHODS: For this study, 20 ataxic, 20 preclinical SCA3 patients, and 20 healthy controls were recruited and received MRI scans. Disease severity was quantified using the SARA and ICARS scores. The WM motor structural network was created using probabilistic fiber tracking and was analyzed using graph theory and network-based statistics at global, nodal, and edge levels. In addition, the correlations between network topological measures and disease duration or clinical scores were analyzed. RESULTS: Preclinical patients showed increasing assortativity of the motor network, altered subnetwork including 12 edges of 11 nodes, and 5 brain regions presenting reduced nodal strength. In ataxic patients assortativity of the motor network also increased, but global efficiency, global strength, and transitivity decreased. Ataxic patients showed a wider altered subnetwork and a higher number of reduced nodal strengths. A negative correlation between the transitivity of the motor network and SARA and ICARS scores was observed in ataxic patients. INTERPRETATION: Changes to the WM motor network in SCA3 start before ataxia onset, and WM motor network involvement increases with disease progression. Global network topological measures of the WM motor network appear to be a promising image biomarker for disease severity. This study provides new insights into the pathophysiology of disease in SCA3/MJD.

Comparison of adenoma detection in different colorectal segments between deep-sedated and unsedated colonoscopy.

To investigate if deep-sedated colonoscopy affects adenoma detection in certain colorectal segment. Review of colonoscopy reports, electronic images and medical records of individuals underwent screening colonoscopy with or without propofol sedation between October 2020 and March 2021 from seven hospitals in China. A total of 4500 individuals were analyzed. There was no significant difference in ADR between deep-sedated colonoscopy and unsedated colonoscopy [45.4% vs. 46.3%, P > 0.05]. The APP of deep-sedated colonoscopy was lower than unsedated colonoscopy (1.76 ± 0.81 vs. 2.00 ± 1.30, P < 0.05). Both average number of adenomas and luminal distention score of splenic flexure and descending colon were lower in deep-sedated colonoscopy (P < 0.05), and average number of adenomas was positively correlated with an improved distension score in splenic flexure and descending colon (splenic flexure r = 0.031, P < 0.05; descending colon r = 0.312, P < 0.05). Linear regression model showed deep-sedated colonoscopy significantly affected luminal distention of splenic flexure and descending colon as well as average number of adenomas detected in splenic flexure (P < 0.05). Deep-sedated colonoscopy decreased adenoma detection in splenic flexure and the luminal distention of splenic flexure and descending colon compared with unsedated colonoscopy.

Mechanism of intestinal flora in process of knee osteoarthritis in mice alleviated by Jiawei Duhuo Jisheng Mixture / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the potential mechanism of Jiawei Duhuo Jisheng Mixture regulating intestinal flora in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis(KOA)by 16S rRNA sequencing.Methods Eight-week-old male C57 mice were randomly divided into three groups:sham group,DMM group,and model+Jiawei Duhuo Jisheng Mixture group(Mixture group),6 mice per group.KOA model was induced by destabilization of medial meniscus surgery.16.25 mL·kg-1 dose mixture was given daily to the mixture group,and normal saline was given to the sham and DMM group.After eight weeks,the knee joints and colons of mice were collected,and the knee joints were prepared into paraffin sections,and the cartilage changes were observed with Safranin O-Fast Green and immunohistochemistry staining.16S rRNA sequencing of intestinal contents was performed to observe the changes of intestinal flora.Results Compared with model group,Jiawei Duhuo Jisheng Mixture could significantly reduce cartilage wear and OARSI score(P=0.033 5,P=0.029 5).16S rRNA sequencing showed that Jiawei Duhuo Jisheng Mixtrue could change the intestinal flora richness of KOA model mice,and improve the Alpha diversity(Chao1,Simpson)and Beta diversity(PCoA,NMDS).LefSe analysis showed that there were species with significant difference in abundance among the three groups(P=0.001),mainly including Lactobacillus,Firmicutes,Proteobacteria and other species.MetaCyc analysis indicated that Jiawei Duhuo Jisheng Mixture had effects on various metabolic pathways such as fatty acid,sugar and amino acid of intestinal flora(P<0.05).Conclusions Jiawei Duhuo Jisheng Mixtrue can effectively protect the articular cartilage and delay the progression of KOA.The mechanism may be through regulating the intestinal flora structure,protecting the intestinal barrier and reducing the inflammatory response.

[Spatial distribution of human activity intensity in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau Wetland scenic area: A case study of Lashihai watershed in Yunnan Province, China]. / 云贵高原湿地景区人类活动强度的空间分布­­ä»¥äº‘南省拉市海流域为例.

Human activity intensity is mostly used to quantify the degree of human influence on natural systems, with obvious spatial variability. With Lashihai watershed in Yunnan Province as an example, we used SPOT remote sensing images to update land use data, and obtained a comprehensive index of land use intensity after gridding by assigning weights to different land types, which was considered as the basic human activity intensity. The local tourism activities (horseback riding and boating) were also included. The horseback riding and boating were spatially quantified according to the location of horse farms and the abundance of horses and boats which were superimposed with the basic human activity intensity on the spatial scale of 100 m×100 m to obtain a more accurate comprehensive human activity intensity and to analyze the spatial variations. The results showed that the gridding and the kernel density analysis improved the accuracy of spatial analysis and reflected the spatial superposition and diffusion effects. In the comprehensive human activity intensity map of Lashihai watershed, the highest intensity value of water area was at the mouth of the sea, the lowest intensity value was at the center of the sea, and the overall trend of intensity gradually decreased from the surrounding to the middle. The land settlement had the highest intensity, the intensity value of the agricultural land gathering area was at the middle level, and the intensity of human activities in the forestry area of higher altitude was lower. The comprehensive human activity intensity in the water area of the Lashihai watershed varied most obviously, and differed greatly from the basic human activity intensity. Although there were many local characteristic tourism activities in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau Wetland scenic area, but their land use types did not change. We need to take them into account when quantifying the intensity of human activities.

[Estimation of the SOA Formation Potential of the National Trunk Highway in Central Plains Urban Agglomeration].

Secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) are among the main components of air pollution. Accurately estimating SOAs formed from automobile exhaust is crucial for controlling and mitigating traffic air pollution. Sufficient monitoring data is difficult for regional analysis owing to limited monitoring data over a small area or few observation stations. Indirect methods may be used to estimate SOA using data on the number and types of vehicles. A linear reference system of Central Plains urban agglomeration was built from the national trunk line network system and the traffic survey data of transportation. The numbers of different types of vehicles were assigned to road segments as the traffic flow according to the represented length between monitoring stations. Then, VOCs emissions were calculated through the emission coefficient method based on the previous traffic flow data. Moreover, further estimations of the SOA formation potential were made by the fractional aerosol coefficient approach. Through kernel density analysis, discrete point data of the observer station were transformed into line segments and expanded to a continuous spatial distribution for quantitative and spatial variation analysis of the SOA in the study area. The results show that ① toluene has the highest SOA generation potential, 1,4-diethylbenzene has the strongest ability to form SOA, and aromatic hydrocarbons exhibit higher SOA formation capacity than alkanes; ② small and medium gasoline passenger cars generate the most SOA and account for about 1/3 of the total SOA, but small gasoline trucks exhibit the strongest capacity for SOA formation; ③ regarding the capacity of SOA formation for vehicles using different fuel types, gasoline vehicles have a higher capacity than diesel vehicles, and passenger cars have a slightly higher capacity than trucks; ④ in Central Plains urban agglomeration, the spatial distribution of SOA intensity data shows a trend of convergence to the center of Zhengzhou city. Gasoline vehicles exhibit a similar pattern overall, but diesel vehicles exhibit a weaker trend that decreases distinctly. SOA intensity along the north-south direction is much higher than that of the east-west direction around the center of Zhengzhou crossing.

Construction of H4x K2x Sn2-x S4+x /TiO2 nanocomposites with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance.

In this paper, a new photocatalyst with TiO2 nanospheres decorated on ultrathin layered thiostannate H4x K2x Sn2-x S4+x (X = 0.5-0.6, HKTS) nanosheets was successfully synthesized by a facile solvothermal method combined with the hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate and it was denoted as HKTS/TiO2. By adjusting the content of tetrabutyl titanate, composites with different Sn/Ti molar ratios were prepared. The composites were applied for RhB degradation under visible light irradiation, and the optimum proportion of HKTS/TiO2 was obtained. The results of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that TiO2 was successfully decorated on HKTS nanosheets. The combination of TiO2 and HKTS extended the absorption wavelength of TiO2 from UV to visible light range, and the separation efficiency of photoexcited electron-hole pairs was also enhanced. The photocatalytic degradation rate of RhB over HKTS/TiO2-1.0 was almost 97.9% after 60 min illumination, which was higher than those of HKTS and pure TiO2. The photocatalyst exhibited excellent reusability and stability as the degradation rate of RhB was 95.7% even after three cycles. The photocatalytic mechanism experiment indicated that ·O2 - and h+ played a dominant role in the photocatalytic process. All these results indicate that the newly fabricated HKTS/TiO2 composites provide a high-performance photocatalyst for waste water treatment, and the application of thiostannate can be extended to the field of photocatalytic materials.

Effects of miR-503-5p on apoptosis of human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells in simulated microgravity.

Recent studies have shown that microRNA (miRNAs) can play important roles in the regulation of endothelial cell (EC) function. However, the expression profile of miRNAs and their effects on the apoptosis of ECs under microgravity conditions remains unclear. In this study, the apoptosis of human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) under simulated microgravity was identified by Annexin V and propidium iodide double staining and transmission electron microscopy. miRNA microarray assay was used to screen the differentially expressed miRNAs in HPMECs under simulated microgravity, and eight differentially expressed miRNAs were identified. Specifically, miR-503-5p, which was found to be most significantly upregulated in both microarray and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays, was selected for further functional investigation. Overexpression of miR-503-5p induced apoptosis of HPMECs under normal gravity and aggravated the negative effects of simulated microgravity on HPMECs. Furthermore, silencing of miR-503-5p expression effectively attenuated the negative effects of simulated microgravity on HPMECs. Further experiments showed that the mRNA and protein expression of anti-apoptotic factor B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), which has been confirmed as a direct target of miR-503-5p, was inhibited by the upregulation of miR-503-5p and increased by the downregulation of miR-503-5p. Taken together, our findings demonstrate, for the first time, that miR-503-5p can induce apoptosis of HPMECs under simulated microgravity through, at least in part, inhibiting the expression of Bcl-2.

Sodium hypophosphite induced a simultaneous P doping and hollowing process of TiO2 spherical nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Sodium hypophosphite induced a simultaneous P doping and hollowing process of TiO2 spherical nanostructures and produced P-doped hollow spherical nanostructures via a simple one-step hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized P-doped hollow spherical nanostructures demonstrated significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for MB degradation compared to the undoped TiO2 and P25 under sunlight irradiation.

Synthesis of magnetic orderly mesoporous α-Fe2O3 nanocluster derived from MIL-100(Fe) for rapid and efficient arsenic(III,V) removal.

A calcination time regulation method has been unprecedentedly used to adjust the orderly meso-structure of novel α-Fe2O3 nanoclusters derived from MIL-100(Fe) (MIL: Materials of Institute Lavoisier). The as-synthesized magnetic orderly mesoporous α-Fe2O3 nanoclusters were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, VSM, Zeta potential, FTIR and XPS. The 6h calcinated α-Fe2O3 nanocluster exhibited the optimal properties, including the high specific surface area and the orderly mesoporous properties, which facilitate the arsenic(III,V) adsorption capacity. The maximum adsorption capacities of As(III) and As(V) were 109.89 and 181.82mgg-1, respectively, and adsorption equilibrium can be reached just within 30min. The kinetics intra-particle diffusion model and adsorption isotherms reveal that the adsorption rate is controlled by pore diffusion and the adsorption process belongs to Langmuir monolayer adsorption. These results indicate that the orderly mesoporous structure of α-Fe2O3 nanoclusters plays a key role in rapid and efficient adsorption for arsenic(III,V). Meanwhile, adsorption mechanism verifies that arsenic can react with active sites (Fe-OH) to form complexes by Fe-O-As bond. Moreover, α-Fe2O3 nanocluster can be separated easily due to its excellent magnetism. Above all, the magnetism orderly mesoporous α-Fe2O3 nanocluster is a promising adsorbent for emergent treatment of arsenic in practice.

Establishment of orthotopic implantation model of human U87-MG brain glioma cell line in nude mice / 中国药理学通报

Aim To establish human U87-MG glioma model in nude mice brain and to observe the characteristics of the tumor growth. Methods Human U87-MG glioma cells were cultured in vitro. 5 μL of cell suspension containing 3.0 ×1010·L-1, 4.0×1010·L-1and 5.0×1010·L-1respectively was inocula-ted into the right caudate nucleus of 18 male nude mice brain un-der the guidance of stereotaxic apparatus, separately, whereas another 6 nude mice as the control group, were inoculated into the same volume of Hanks solution. The moving and survival state of rats with gliomas were observed. The examinations of the tumors formation, volumes, metastasis and histopathology were performed and the obtained brain samples were stained with HE and immunohistochemistry. Results All the tested rats of dif-ferent inoculation doses developed brain tumors without extracra-nial metastasis. The mean survival time of three groups was (46.50 ± 3.27) d,(38.50 ± 3.28) d and (30.67 ± 3.51) d,respectively. The tumors showed the similar morphological fea-tures and immunophenotype to human glioma. There was positive expression of GFAP and S-100 in the tumors. Conclusions The orthotopic implantation model of human U87-MG glioma, by in-oculating quantitative U87-MG cells stereotaxically into the brains of the nude mice, is successfully established with 100 yield of intracranial tumor and no extracranial growth extension. It resembles the histopathological and morphological features of human glioma,which can be used as a reliable animal model for the study of the tumorigenesis, pathogenesis, biological charac-teristics and therapy of glioma.

Endpoints for evaluating drug-induced liver injury in vitro and their application in detection systems / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major cause of acute liver failure in clinic.Numerous emerging cell-based models and high-throughput screening technologies are being applied to hepato?toxicity evaluation in vitro.Before applying these emerging technologies and approaches,it is important to determine which endpoints should be included in the testing system to improve the predictive power of DILI. Based on the important mechanisms of DILI, this review introduces the endpoints that can be used for in vitro evaluation of DILI,such as hepatotoxicity,mitochondrial toxicity,cholestatic,liver injury caused by active metabolites,and immune-based liver injury.The application of these endpoints in DILI detection systems and the challenges in the application process are summarized so as to provide refer?ence for in vitro evaluation of hepatotoxicity in the early stage of new drug development.

Near-UV photooxidation of As(III) by iron species in the presence of fulvic acid.

Photooxidation of As(III) in ternary As(III) - Fe(III) - Fulvic acid system at pH 4 was investigated by optical spectroscopy, steady-state photolysis (365 nm) and atomic-emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma techniques. It was found that at all values of [FA]/[Fe] ratio the main photoactive species is OH radical formed by photolysis of Fe(III) hydroxocomplexes. Addition of fulvic acid leads to mainly negative effect on As(III) photooxidation due to the following reasons: (i) slow dark reduction of photoactive Fe(III) species with formation of scattering particles and photoinert Fe(II) species; (ii) formation of photoreductive Fe(III)-FA complexes incapable to oxidize As(III), (iii) competition of both FA and Fe(III)-FA complexes for UVA quanta with FeOH2+ complex and for OH radicals with As(III). Aging of ternary system is also very important parameter leading to one order decrease of quantum yields of both Fe(II) formation and As(III) photooxidation.

Synthesis of a novel adamantyl nitroxide derivative with potent anti-hepatoma activity in vitro and in vivo.

In this study, a novel adamantyl nitroxide derivative was synthesized and its antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo were investigated. The adamantyl nitroxide derivative 4 displayed a potent anticancer activity against all the tested human hepatoma cells, especially with IC50 of 68.1 µM in Bel-7404 cells, compared to the positive control 5-FU (IC50=607.7 µM). The significant inhibition of cell growth was also observed in xenograft mouse model, with low toxicity. Compound 4 suppressed the cell migration and invasion, induced the G2/M phase arrest. Further mechanistic studies revealed that compound 4 induced cell death, which was accompanied with damaging mitochondria, increasing the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, cleavages of caspase-9 and caspase-3, as well as activations of Bax and Bcl-2. These results confirmed that adamantyl nitroxide derivative exhibited selective antitumor activities via mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in Bel-7404 cells, and would be a potential anticancer agent for liver cancer.

One-pot synthesis of Mn-doped TiO2 grown on graphene and the mechanism for removal of Cr(VI) and Cr(III).

Mn-doped TiO2 grown on reduced graphene oxide(rGO) was synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal method and the photocatalytic removal of Cr by the material was investigated under sunlight. The materials were characterized by a combination of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra, photoluminescence spectra, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Cr(total) removal efficiency of the material is 97.32% in 30min and 99.02% in 60min under sunlight irradiation, as the initial concentration of Cr(VI) is 20mg/L. The high photocatalytic activity under visible light is considered mainly due to the Mn-doping, and rGO plays an important role in the synergetic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis to sustain the high efficient removal of Cr(VI) and Cr(III). Cr(VI) adsorbed on the surface of rGO is reduced to Cr(III) by photo electrons which are transported through rGO, and the reaction product Cr(III) continues to be adsorbed. The process contributes to the release of abundant photocatalytic sites of Mn-TiO2 and improves photocatalytic efficiency. The excellent adsorption and photocatalytic effect with the explanation of the synergetic mechanism are very useful not only for fundamental research but also for the potential practical applications.

Efficient removal of radioactive iodide ions from water by three-dimensional Ag2O-Ag/TiO2 composites under visible light irradiation.

Three-dimensional Ag2O and Ag co-loaded TiO2 (3D Ag2O-Ag/TiO2) composites have been synthesized through a facile method, characterized using SEM, EDX, TEM, XRD, XPS, UV-vis DRS, BET techniques, and applied to remove radioactive iodide ions (I(-)). The photocatalytic adsorption capacity (207.6 mg/g) of the 3D Ag2O-Ag/TiO2 spheres under visible light is four times higher than that in the dark, which is barely affected by other ions, even in simulated salt lake water where the concentration of Cl(-) is up to 590 times that of I(-). The capability of the composites to remove even trace amounts of I(-) from different types of water, e.g., deionized or salt lake water, is demonstrated. The composites also feature good reusability, as they were separated after photocatalytic adsorption and still performed well after a simple regeneration. Furthermore, a mechanism explaining the highly efficient removal of radioactive I(-) has been proposed according to characterization analyses of the composites after adsorption and subsequently been verified by adsorption and desorption experiments. The proposed cooperative effects mechanism considers the interplay of three different phenomena, namely, the adsorption performance of Ag2O for I(-), the photocatalytic ability of Ag/TiO2 for oxidation of I(-), and the readsorption performance of AgI for I2.