Spatiotemporal variation in methylmercury and related water quality variables in a temperate river under highly dynamic hydrologic conditions.

The understanding of the essential environmental factors affecting the spatiotemporal variation in methylmercury (MeHg) in river water is limited to date, despite its importance for predicting the effect of ongoing climate change on MeHg accumulation in freshwater ecosystems. This study aimed to explore the variation in MeHg concentration and related environmental factors in the downstream zone of the Yeongsan River under highly dynamic hydrologic conditions by using water quality and hydrologic data collected from 1997 to 2022, and Hg and MeHg data collected from 2017 to 2022. The mean concentration of unfiltered MeHg was 35.7 ± 13.7 pg L-1 (n = 24) in summer and 26.7 ± 7.43 pg L-1 (n = 24) in fall. Dissolved oxygen (DO), conductivity, nitrate, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were determined to be the most influential variables in terms of MeHg variation based on the partial least squares regression model, and their effects on the MeHg concentration were negative, except for DOC. Heatmaps representing the similarity distances between temporal trends of hydrologic and water quality variables were constructed to determine fundamental factors related to the time-based variations in DO, conductivity, nitrate, and DOC using a dynamic time warping algorithm. The heatmap cluster analysis showed that the temporal trends of these variables were closely related to rainfall variation rather than irradiance or water temperature. Overall, biogeochemical factors directly related to in situ methylation rate of Hg(II)-rather than transport of Hg(II) and MeHg from external sources-mainly control the spatiotemporal variation of MeHg in the downstream zone of the Yeongsan River.

Effect of universal adhesive pretreatments on the bond strength durability of conventional and adhesive resin cements to zirconia ceramic.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pretreatment of three different universal adhesives (Single Bond Universal [SBU], All-Bond Universal [ABU], and Prime&Bond universal [PBU]) on the bonding durability of an adhesive (Panavia F 2.0, PF) and a conventional (Duo-Link, DL) resin cements to air-abraded zirconia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rectangular-shaped zirconia specimens were prepared. The chemical composition and surface energy parameters of the materials were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and contact angle measurement, respectively. To evaluate resin bonding to the zirconia, all the bonding specimens were immersed in water for 24 h and the specimens to be aged were additionally thermocycled 10000 times before the shear bond strength (SBS) test. RESULTS: The materials showed different surface energy parameters, including the degree of hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity. While the DL/CON (no pretreatment) showed the lowest SBS and a significant decrease in the value after thermocycling (P < .001), the PF/CON obtained a higher SBS value than the DL/CON (P < .001) and no decrease even after thermocycling (P = .839). When the universal adhesives were used with DL, their SBS values were higher than the CON (P < .05), but the trend was adhesive-specific. In conjunction with PF, the PF/SBU produced the highest SBS followed by the PF/ABU (P = .002), showing no significant decrease after thermocycling (P > .05). The initial SBS of the PF/PBU was similar to the PF/CON (P = .999), but the value decreased after thermocycling (P < .001). CONCLUSION: The universal adhesive pretreatment did not necessarily show a synergistic effect on the bonding performance of an adhesive resin cement, whereas the pretreatment was beneficial to bond strength and durability of a conventional resin cement.

Multimodal Transformer for Property Prediction in Polymers.

In this work, we designed a multimodal transformer that combines both the Simplified Molecular Input Line Entry System (SMILES) and molecular graph representations to enhance the prediction of polymer properties. Three models with different embeddings (SMILES, SMILES + monomer, and SMILES + dimer) were employed to assess the performance of incorporating multimodal features into transformer architectures. Fine-tuning results across five properties (i.e., density, glass-transition temperature (Tg), melting temperature (Tm), volume resistivity, and conductivity) demonstrated that the multimodal transformer with both the SMILES and the dimer configuration as inputs outperformed the transformer using only SMILES across all five properties. Furthermore, our model facilitates in-depth analysis by examining attention scores, providing deeper insights into the relationship between the deep learning model and the polymer attributes. We believe that our work, shedding light on the potential of multimodal transformers in predicting polymer properties, paves a new direction for understanding and refining polymer properties.

Carbon Neutral Hand Surgery: Simple Changes to Reduce Carbon Footprint.

Introduction: Rapid climate change poses a major challenge to healthcare. The operating room is especially responsible for carbon emission, with 20% to 70% of hospital waste traced back to the operating room. This literature review aims to suggest changes that can be made in hand surgery for a more sustainable practice. Methods: A literature search was conducted from PubMed, Medline, and other online search engines with the keywords "carbon footprint, environmental health, carbon neutral, plastic surgery, hand surgery, surgery." Results: "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Research, Rethink and Culture" was the framework used to recommend a more carbon neutral practice. In reduction, techniques such as cutting down oversupply of materials, adopting protocols to perform cases in ambulatory settings, and simple measures to reduce energy were identified as valuable methods. Modified sterilization techniques and reprocessing single-use devices were techniques identified for reuse and recycling involved single-stream recycling, staff training, and donation of basic surgical supplies. Research involved adopting data-driven programs for life cycle assessment of all equipment in the operating room, while the use of telemedicine and "green meetings' were suggested for rethinking. Finally, strategies to encourage a team approach to environmental responsibility were discussed. Conclusion: Carbon neutral practice must be implemented to safeguard sustainable and cost-effective operating rooms and healthcare systems. Hand surgery can pave the way for other specialties through the use of available resources to develop guidelines for carbon neutral practice. This requires active effort from hand surgeons to act as role models for other healthcare professionals.

Introduction : Les changements climatiques rapides constituent un défi majeur pour les soins de santé. La salle d'opération est particulièrement responsable de l'émission de carbone avec 20% à 70% des déchets hospitaliers rapportés aux salles d'opération. Cette revue de la littérature vise à suggérer les changements qui peuvent être apportés dans la chirurgie de la main pour une pratique plus durable. Méthodes : Une recherche bibliographique a été menée dans les bases de données PubMed, Medline et autres moteurs de recherche en ligne avec les mots-clés suivants : empreinte carbone, santé environnementale, carbone neutre, chirurgie plastique, chirurgie de la main et chirurgie. Résultats : « Réduire, Réutiliser, Recycler, Rechercher, Repenser et Culture ¼ a été le cadre utiliser pour recommander une pratique plus neutre en matière de carbone. Sous « réduction ¼, des techniques telles que des coupures dans l'excès d'approvisionnement en matériaux, l'adoption de protocoles permettant de traiter des cas en ambulatoire et des mesures simples pour réduire la consommation d'énergie sont des méthodes qui ont été jugées utiles. Des techniques de stérilisation modifiées et de retraitement de dispositifs à usage unique sont des techniques identifiées pour la réutilisation; le recyclage a impliqué une collecte en vrac, la formation du personnel et le don de fournitures chirurgicales de base. La recherche a nécessité d'adopter des programmes pilotés sur des données pour l'évaluation du cycle de vie de tout équipement de la salle de l'opération pendant que le recours à la télémédecine et aux réunions respectueuses de l'environnement était suggéré pour le thème « repenser ¼. Enfin, des stratégies visant à encourager une approche d'équipe envers la responsabilité environnementale ont été discutées. Conclusion : Une pratique carbone neutre doit être mise en œuvre pour protéger les salles d'opération durables et rentables ainsi que les systèmes de soins de santé. La chirurgie de la main peut ouvrir la voie à d'autres spécialités par l'utilisation des ressources disponibles afin d'élaborer des lignes directrices pour l'empreinte carbone de la pratique. Cela nécessite un effort de la part des chirurgiens de la main pour devenir des exemples pour les autres professionnels de santé.

Distribution of mercury in modern bottom sediments of the Beaufort Sea in relation to the processes of early diagenesis: Microbiological aspect.

This study investigated the contents of total mercury (THg), trace metals, and CH4 and determined the signature microbes involved in various biogeochemical processes in the sediment of the Canadian Beaufort Sea. The THg ranged between 32 and 63 µg/kg and the trace metals such as Fe, Al, Mn, and Zn were significant in distributions. The pH, SO42-, Fe2+, and redox proxy metals were crucial factors in the spatial and vertical heterogeneity of geochemical distributions. CH4 was detected only at the mud volcano site. Microbial analyses identified Clostridium, Desulfosporosinus, Desulfofustis, and Desulftiglans as the predominant Hg methylators and sulfate reducers; Nitrosopumilus and Hyphomicrobium as the major nitrifiers and denitrifiers; Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta as keystone methanogens; and Methyloceanibacter and Methyloprofundus as signature methanotrophs. Altogether, this study expands the current understanding of the microbiological and geochemical features and could be helpful in predicting ecosystem functions in the Canadian Beaufort Sea.

Identifying the external N and Hg inputs to the estuary ecosystem based on the triple isotopic information (δ15NNO3, Δ17ONO3 and δ18ONO3).

The supply and sources of N and Hg in the Geum estuary of the western coast of Korea were evaluated. Triple isotope proxies (δ15NNO3, Δ17ONO3 and δ18ONO3) of NO3- combined with conservative mixing between river and ocean waters were used to improve isotope finger-printing methods. The N pool in the Geum estuary was primarily influenced by the Yellow Sea water, followed by riverine discharge (821 × 106 mol yr-1) and atmospheric deposition (51 × 106 mol yr-1). The influence of the river was found to be greater for Hg than that of the atmosphere. The triple isotope proxies revealed that the riverine and atmospheric inputs of N have been affected by septic wastes and fossil fuel burning, respectively. From the inner estuary towards offshore region, the influence of the river diminishes, thus increasing the relative impact of the atmosphere. Moreover, the isotope proxies showed a significant influence of N assimilation in February and nitrification in May.

Cross-shelf processes of terrigenous organic matter drive mercury speciation on the east siberian shelf in the Arctic Ocean.

The cross-shelf distributions of total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg) and organic and inorganic matter, as well as the presence of the hgcA gene were investigated on the East Siberian Shelf (ESS) to understand the processes underlying the speciation of sedimentary Hg. Samples were collected from 12 stations grouped into four zones based on water depth: inner shelf (5 stations), mid-shelf (3 stations), outer shelf (2 stations), and slope (2 stations). The THg concentration in the surface sediment increased from the inner shelf (0.25 ± 0.023 nmol g-1) toward the slope (0.52 nmol g-1), and, when normalized to total organic carbon content, the THg showed a positive correlation with the clay-to-sand ratio (r2 = 0.48, p = 0.012) and degree of chemical weathering (r2 = 0.79, p = 0.0001). The highest MeHg concentrations (3.0 ± 1.8 pmol g-1), as well as peaks in the S/C ratio (0.012 ± 0.002) of sediment-leached organic matter, were found on the mid-shelf, suggesting that the activities of sulfate reducers control the net Hg(II) methylation rates in the sediment. This was supported by results from a principal component analysis (PCA) performed with Hg species concentrations and sediment-leached organic matter compositions. The site-specific variation in MeHg showed the highest similarity with that of CHONS compounds in the PCA, where Deltaproteobacteria were projected to be putative Hg(II) methylators in the gene analysis. In summary, the hydrodynamic sorting of lithogenic particles appears to govern the cross-shelf distribution of THg, and in situ methylation is considered a major source of MeHg in the ESS sediment.

Identification and Biological Evaluation of a Potent and Selective JAK1 Inhibitor for the Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) plays a pivotal role in regulating inflammation and fibrosis via the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, making it a promising target for associated diseases. In this study, we explored the modification of an N-methyl 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine-5-carboxylate core, leading to the identification of 4-(((2S,4S)-1-(4-trifluoromethyl)-2-methylpiperidin-4-yl)amino)-N-methyl-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine-5-carboxamide (36b) as a highly potent and selective JAK1 inhibitor. Compound 36b exhibited an impressive IC50 value of 0.044 nM for JAK1 and demonstrated remarkable selectivity of 382-fold, 210-fold, and 1325-fold specificity over JAK2, JAK3, and TYK2, respectively. The kinase panel assays further confirmed its specificity, and cell-based experiments established its efficacy in inhibiting JAK1-STAT phosphorylation in human L-132 or SK-MES-1 cells. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that compound 36b boasts an oral bioavailability exceeding 36%. In a bleomycin-induced fibrosis mouse model, compound 36b significantly reduced STAT3 phosphorylation, resulting in improvement in body weight and reduced collagen deposition, all achieved without significant side effects.

Mercury concentrations in sediments and oysters in a temperate coastal zone: a comparison of farmed and wild varieties.

Oyster aquaculture has progressively increased to meet growing demands for seafood worldwide; however, its effects on methylmercury (MeHg) production in sediment and accumulation in oysters are largely unknown. In this study, total Hg (THg) and MeHg in sediments collected from aquaculture and reference sites and in farmed and wild oysters were measured and compared to explore potential factors that regulate MeHg production and bioaccumulation at the aquaculture sites. The results showed that the mean concentrations of THg and MeHg in varying sediment depths at the aquaculture site were 34 ± 4.1 ng g-1 and 16 ± 12 pg g-1, respectively. In comparison, the mean concentrations of THg and MeHg in sediments at the reference site were 25 ± 2.5 ng g-1 and 63 ± 28 pg g-1, respectively. While the MeHg/THg in the aquaculture sediments increased with organic carbon content, the slope of MeHg/THg versus organic carbon content was suppressed by high concentrations of dissolved sulfide in the pore water. Multiple parameters (total sulfur, total nitrogen and acid volatile sulfide in sediment, and dissolved sulfide in pore water) showed significant negative relationships with MeHg/THg in the sediment, and the total sulfur content in the sediment showed the highest inverse correlation factor with MeHg/THg (r = - 0.83). The mean concentrations of THg and MeHg in farmed oysters (mean weight 3.2 ± 1.5 g) were 36 ± 10 ng g-1 and 15 ± 6.7 ng g-1, respectively, while those in wild oysters (mean weight 0.92 ± 0.32 g) were 47 ± 9.9 ng g-1 and 15 ± 6.7 ng g-1, respectively. Concerning oysters of the same size range, THg and MeHg levels were higher in farmed oysters than in wild oysters despite the faster growth rate of farmed oysters, suggesting that the Hg content of food sources is more important than growth dilution rates in the control of Hg levels. The mean hazardous quotient for MeHg in farmed oyster was calculated as 0.044 ± 0.020, suggesting no expected health risk from farmed oyster consumption.

Outcomes of Composite Grafts for Pediatric Fingertip Amputations: A Systematic Review.

Introduction The aim of this study was to explore the outcomes of composite grafts in fingertip amputations in children as well as the contributing factors that may affect outcomes. Methods Literature search was conducted across six databases in March 2022 to select studies on the use of composite grafts on fingertip amputations in the pediatric population. Results Twelve articles with 735 composite grafts were identified for review. Most fingertip injuries occurred in the less than 5-year age group and were due to crush type injuries. In studies that reported "complete" graft take as a separate outcome measure, 17.3% of fingertips with this result were observed. In the studies that reported "complete" and "partial" graft take together as an outcome measure, 81.6% of fingertips achieved this outcome. A lower proportion of failed graft take was observed in more distal fingertip amputations. Infection (3.8%) and nail abnormalities (3.4%) were the most common complications following composite grafting. Conclusion Composite grafting can be considered as a useful method of treatment in this population. Clinicians should be aware of the potential complications following this method of treatment such as infection and nail abnormalities. More proximal fingertip amputations may warrant other surgical interventions (beyond Level II on the modified Ishikawa/Ishikawa classification). Significant heterogeneity was observed within the studies, mainly due to lack of standardization in assessment and reporting of outcomes.

Design of New Inorganic Crystals with the Desired Composition Using Deep Learning.

New solid-state materials have been discovered using various approaches from atom substitution in density functional theory (DFT) to generative models in machine learning. Recently, generative models have shown promising performance in finding new materials. Crystal generation with deep learning has been applied in various methods to discover new crystals. However, most generative models can only be applied to materials with specific elements or generate structures with random compositions. In this work, we developed a model that can generate crystals with desired compositions based on a crystal diffusion variational autoencoder. We generated crystal structures for 14 compositions of three types of materials in different applications. The generated structures were further stabilized using DFT calculations. We found the most stable structures in the existing database for all but one composition, even though eight compositions among them were not in the data set trained in a crystal diffusion variational autoencoder. This substantiates the prospect of the generation of an extensive range of compositions. Finally, 205 unique new crystal materials with energy above hull <100 meV/atom were generated. Moreover, we compared the average formation energy of the crystals generated from five compositions, two of which were hypothetical, with that of traditional methods like atom substitution and a generative model. The generated structures had lower formation energy than those of other models, except for one composition. These results demonstrate that our approach can be applied stably in various fields to design stable inorganic materials based on machine learning.

Depth-dependent microbial communities potentially mediating mercury methylation and various geochemical processes in anthropogenically affected sediments.

Metal contamination and other geochemical alterations affect microbial composition and functional activities, disturbing natural biogeochemical cycles. Therefore, it is essential to understand the influences of multi-metal and geochemical interactions on microbial communities. This work investigated the distributions of total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and trace metals in the anthropogenically affected sediment. The microbial communities and functional genes profiles were further determined to explore their association with Hg-methylation and geochemical features. The levels of THg and MeHg in sediment cores ranged between 10 and 40 mg/kg and 0.01-0.16 mg/kg, respectively, with an increasing trend toward bottom horizons. The major metals present at all depths were Al, Fe, Mn, and Zn. The enrichment and contamination indices confirmed that the trace metals were highly enriched in the anthropogenically affected sediment. Various functional genes were detected in all strata, indicating the presence of active microbial metabolic processes. The microbial community profiles revealed that the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Bathyarchaeota, and Euryarchaeota, and the genera Thauera, Woeseia, Methanomethylovorans, and Methanosarcina were the dominant microbes. Correlating major taxa with geochemical variables inferred that sediment geochemistry substantially affects microbial community and biogeochemical cycles. Furthermore, archaeal methanogens and the bacterial phyla Chloroflexi and Firmicutes may play crucial roles in enhancing MeHg levels. Overall, these findings shed new light on the microbial communities potentially involved in Hg-methylation process and other biogeochemical cycles.

Marine crime scene investigation using Balanus sp. fouling patterns.

Marine biofouling occurs when microorganisms, plants, algae, or animals gather on any surface of a man-made object or natural structure. Biofouling organisms are important components of marine ecosystems and vary seasonally and regionally, with environmental factors such as temperature, amount of light, and nutrient availability. Since marine organisms have unique growth patterns, they can be used in marine forensic investigations to estimate time and environment. As few such studies have been done, this study analyzed the growth rates of Balanus on 100 × 100 mm panels of PVC, stainless steel, wood, and cloth and compared these with environmental factors such as temperature. Sets of panels were immersed in Sokcho Harbor, South Korea, each month, and observed monthly after immersion using American Society for Testing and Materials methods. The Balanus on the test panels grew to 1-20 mm and showed different growth patterns depending on when the panels were first immersed.

Pathway-dependent toxic interaction between polystyrene microbeads and methylmercury on the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis: Based on mercury bioaccumulation, cytotoxicity, and transcriptomic analysis.

Given their worldwide distribution and toxicity to aquatic organisms, methylmercury (MeHg) and microplastics (MP) are major pollutants in marine ecosystems. Although they commonly co-exist in the ocean, information on their toxicological interactions is limited. Therefore, to understand the toxicological interactions between MeHg and MP (6-µm polystyrene), we investigated the bioaccumulation of MeHg, its cytotoxicity, and transcriptomic modulation in the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis following single and combined exposure to MeHg and MP. After single exposure to MeHg for 48-h, D. celebensis showed high Hg accumulation (34.83 ± 0.40 µg/g dw biota) and cytotoxicity, which was reduced upon co-exposure to MP. After transcriptomic analysis, 2, 253, and 159 differentially expressed genes were detected in the groups exposed to MP, MeHg, and MeHg+MP, respectively. Genes related to metabolic pathways and the immune system were significantly affected after MeHg exposure, but the effect of MeHg on these pathways was alleviated by MP co-exposure. However, MeHg and MP exhibited synergistic effects on the expression of gene related to DNA replication. These findings suggest that MP can reduce the toxicity of MeHg but that their toxicological interactions differ depending on the molecular pathway.

Super Proton Conductivity Through Control of Hydrogen-Bonding Networks in Flexible Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have received much attention as a solid-state electrolyte in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The introduction of proton carriers and functional groups into MOFs can improve the proton conductivity attributed to the formation of hydrogen-bonding networks, while the underlying synergistic mechanism is still unclear. Here, a series of flexible MOFs (MIL-88B, [Fe3 O(OH)(H2 O)2 (O2 C-C6 H4 -CO2 )3 ] with imidazole) is designed to modify the hydrogen-bonding networks and investigate the resulting proton-conducting characteristics by controlling the breathing behaviors. The breathing behavior is tuned by varying the amount of adsorbed imidazole into pore (small breathing (SB) and large breathing (LB)) and introducing functional groups onto ligands (-NH2 , -SO3 H), resulting in four kinds of imidazole-loaded MOFs-Im@MIL-88B-SB, Im@MIL-88B-LB, Im@MIL-88B-NH2 , and Im@MIL-88B-SO3 H. Im@MIL-88B-LB without functional groups exhibits the highest proton conductivity of 8.93 × 10-2  S cm-1 at 60 °C and 95% relative humidity among imidazole-loaded proton conductors despite the mild condition, indicating that functional groups may not be always required to enhance proton conductivity. The elaborately controlled pore size and host-guest interaction in flexible MOFs through imidazole-dependent structural transformation are translated into the high proton concentration without the limitation of proton mobility, contributing to the formation of effective hydrogen-bonding networks in imidazole conducting media.

Physicochemical Profiling of Macrophage Heterogeneity Using Deep Learning Integrated Nanosensor Cytometry.

Label-free single-cell analytics have been developed for understanding the collective immune response mechanism of immune cells. However, it remains difficult to analyze the physicochemical properties of a single cell in high spatiotemporal resolution for an immune cell having dynamic morphological changes and significant molecular heterogeneities. It is deemed due to the absence of a sensitive molecular sensing construct and single-cell imaging analytic program. In this study, we developed a deep learning integrated nanosensor chemical cytometry (DI-NCC) platform, which combines a fluorescent nanosensor array in microfluidics and a deep learning model for cell feature analysis. The DI-NCC platform possesses the capability to collect rich, multivariate data sets for each individual immune cell (e.g., macrophage) within the population. We obtained LPS+ (n = 25) and LPS- (n = 61) near-infrared images and analyzed 250 cells/mm2 in 1 µm spatial resolution and 0 to 1.0 confidence level even with overlapped or adhered cell configurations. This enables automatic quantification of the activation and nonactivation levels of a single macrophage upon instantaneous immune stimulations. Furthermore, we support the activation level quantified by deep learning with heterogeneities analysis of both biophysical (cell size) and biochemical (nitric oxide efflux) properties. The DI-NCC platform can be promising for activation profiling of dynamic heterogeneity variations of cell populations.

Development of a comfort suit-type soft-wearable robot with flexible artificial muscles for walking assistance.

Anchoring components are added to wearable robots to ensure a stable interaction between the suits and the human body and to minimize the displacement of the suits. However, these components can apply pressure to the body and can cause user dissatisfaction, which can decrease willingness to use the suits. Therefore, this study aims to develop a suit-type soft-wearable robot platform for walking assistance by providing comfortable garment pressure to ensure user satisfaction. The first prototype of a wearable robot suit was developed with anchoring components on the shoulders, waist, and thighs based on previous research results. Wear tests were conducted to measure garment pressure depending on posture using pressure sensors, and satisfaction surveys were conducted. The second prototype design was then developed, and performance tests with flexible artificial muscles and a satisfaction survey were conducted. Regarding the first prototype, the participants felt more than normal pressure in the shoulders and relatively less pressure in the thighs and calves. Thus, compared to the first design, the second design ensured a decreased garment pressure and resulted in an improvement of overall user satisfaction. These results can help provide guidance in the development of wearable robots by taking pressure comfort and user satisfaction into consideration.

Sulfonated graphene oxide-based pervaporation membranes inspired by a tortuous brick and mortar structure for enhanced resilience against silica scaling and organic fouling.

A novel tortuous brick-and-mortar structure utilizing intercalation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) on sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) membranes was specifically tailored for brine treatment by pervaporation to ensure excessive resistance to silica scaling and organic fouling, as well as ultrafast water transport without compromising salt rejection. The synthesized SGO membrane showed a smoother surface morphology, improved zeta potential, and a higher hydration capacity than the graphene oxide (GO) membrane. Further intercalation of PVA through glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinking, confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, conferred increased cohesiveness, and the SGO-PVA-GA membrane was therefore able to withstand ultrasonication tests without any erosion of the coating layer. According to a pervaporative desalination test, the SGO-PVA-GA membrane exhibited 62 kg m-2 h-1 of permeate flux, with an extraordinary salt rejection of 99.99% for a 10 wt% NaCl feed solution at 65 °C. The 72 h organic fouling, silica scaling, and combined fouling and scaling tests proved that the SGO-PVA-GA membrane sustains a stable flux with less scaling and fouling than the GO-PVA-GA membrane, attributable to dense surface negative charges and great hydration capacities caused by sulfonic acid. Thus, the SGO-PVA-GA membrane offers superlative advantages for long-term brine treatment by pervaporation, related to its ability to withstand silica scaling and organic fouling.

Design and Screening of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Ethane/Ethylene Separation.

Separation of ethane and ethylene is considered to be industrially important for various chemical processes, but their similarities make the process expensive. In this study, we integrated computational screening with machine learning to find optimal metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high ethane/ethylene selectivity. Using our algorithm, a hypothetical MOF structure with an ideal adsorption solution theory selectivity of 3.6 at 298 K and 1 bar was discovered. Furthermore, structural analysis was implemented, and the full adsorption isotherm of some of the top structures was obtained.

Impacts of the invasive Spartina anglica on C-S-Hg cycles and Hg(II) methylating microbial communities revealed by hgcA gene analysis in intertidal sediment of the Han River estuary, Yellow Sea.

We investigated the impact of invasive vegetation on mercury cycles, and identified microorganisms directly related to Hg(II) methylation using hgcA gene in vegetated mud flats (VMF) inhabited by native Suaeda japonica (SJ) and invasive Spartina anglica (SA), and unvegetated mud flats (UMF) in Ganghwa intertidal sediments. Sulfate reduction rate (SRR) and rate constants of Hg(II) methylation (Km) and methyl-Hg demethylation (Kd) were consistently greater in VMF than in UMF, specifically 1.5, 2 and 11.7 times higher, respectively, for SA. Both Km and Kd were significantly correlated with SRR and the abundance of sulfate-reducing bacteria. These results indicate that the rhizosphere of invasive SA provides a hotspot for Hg dynamics coupled with sulfate reduction. HgcA gene analysis revealed that Hg(II)-methylators were dominated by Deltaproteobacteria, Chloroflexi and Euryarchaeota, comprising 37.9%, 35.8%, and 6.5% of total hgcA gene sequences, respectively, which implies that coastal sediments harbor diverse Hg(II)-methylating microorganisms that previously underrepresented.