Comprehensive Assessment of Reactive Bromine Species in Advanced Oxidation Processes: Differential Roles in Micropollutant Abatement in Bromide-Containing Water.

Reactive bromine species (RBS) are gaining increasing attention in natural and engineered aqueous systems containing bromide ions (Br-). However, their roles in the degradation of structurally diverse micropollutants by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) were not differentiated. In this study, the second-order rate constants (k) of Br•, Br2•-, BrO•, and ClBr•- were collected and evaluated. Br• is the most reactive RBS toward 21 examined micropollutants with k values of 108-1010 M-1 s-1. Br2•-, ClBr•-, and BrO• are selective for electron-rich micropollutants with k values of 106-108 M-1 s-1. The specific roles of RBS in aqueous micropollutant degradation in AOPs were revealed by using simplified models via sensitivity analysis. Generally, RBS play minimal roles in the UV/H2O2 process but are significant in the UV/peroxydisulfate (PDS) and UV/chlorine processes in the presence of trace Br-. In UV/PDS with ≥1 µM Br-, Br• emerges as the major RBS for removing electron-rich micropollutants. In UV/chlorine, BrO• contributes to the degradation of specific electron-rich micropollutants with removal percentages of ≥20% at 1 µM Br-, while the contributions of BrO• and Br• are comparable to those of reactive chlorine species as Br- concentration increases to several µM. In all AOPs, Br2•- and ClBr•- play minor roles at 1-10 µM Br-. Water matrix components such as HCO3-, Cl-, and natural organic matter (NOM) significantly inhibit Br•, while BrO• is less affected, only slightly scavenged by NOM with a k value of 2.1 (mgC/L)-1 s-1. This study sheds light on the differential roles of multiple RBS in micropollutant abatement by AOPs in Br--containing water.

Enhancing the Abatement of Permanganate-inert Micropollutants: Multiple Roles of Nascent Manganese Dioxide in Permanganate Oxidation.

Permanganate (Mn(VII)) is widely used as an oxidant in water treatment and usually reduced to nascent manganese dioxide (MnO2), which could promote Mn(VII) oxidation for the Mn(VII)-reactive compounds such as phenols and anilines. However, the removal of micropollutants containing diverse functional groups and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. This study reveals that Mn(VII)/nascent MnO2 was effective for the degradation of Mn(VII)-inert micropollutants, including sulfonamide antibiotics, ß-blockers and trimethoprim, with observed first-order rate constants (k'obs) of 0.126 ∼ 9 min-1 at pH 4.0. The synergetic effect of Mn(VII) and nascent MnO2 on the degradation of Mn(VII)-inert micropollutants decreased significantly when pH increased from 4.0 to 9.5. MnO2 played multiple roles in micropollutant degradation, which acted as a catalyst to promote the Mn(VII) oxidation of trimethoprim and propranolol, as well as an oxidant in propranolol degradation. Besides, Mn(III) oxidation accounted for 58% of the overall degradation of propranolol, but was not important for trimethoprim oxidation. Hydroxylated products were common products formed in Mn(VII)/MnO2. Differently, trimethoprim tended to form single-ring products via MnO2-catalyzed Mn(VII) oxidation, while propranolol preferentially formed dimers via in situ formed MnO2 oxidation. This study is the first to report that MnO2 enhances the abatement of Mn(VII)-inert micropollutants during Mn(VII)-based water treatment and unravels the multiple roles of MnO2 in micropollutant degradation by Mn(VII)/MnO2.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of intradermal needle therapy on the sleep quality of patients following laparoscopic hysterectomy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Sleep disorder is a commonly reported complication in patients who have undergone a hysterectomy, which increases perioperative complications and delays patient recovery. Several pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches have been employed to improve the quality of sleep of patients during the postoperative period, but these strategies have certain limitations. Intradermal needle therapy is now among the most common treatments for insomnia in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The present study was developed to explore the effects of intradermal needle therapy (as an adjunct to physiotherapy-based treatments for postoperative sleep impairment) on the postoperative sleep quality of patients who have undergone a laparoscopic hysterectomy. Methods: This is a prospective, single-center, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. In total, 80 eligible patients will be randomly allocated to the control and experimental groups at a 1:1 ratio. Random numbers and grouping schemes will be generated using the SPSS 25.0 software package. Following the completion of the laparoscopic hysterectomy procedure, the patients will be returned to the medical ward and undergo authentic or sham intradermal needle therapy as appropriate. For patients in the experimental group, following sterilization, intradermal needles will be inserted into the bilaterally "Shenmen" (HT36) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP6) acupoints; the needles will be replaced after 24 h. False intradermal needles that exhibit similar surface characteristics but lack needles will be employed in the control group. Patients will undergo a single 3-day treatment course. The primary outcome is the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The secondary outcomes are the 10-Item Short-Form Identity-Consequence Fatigue Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety, and postoperative pain scores, which will be rated using a visual analog scale. Time to postoperative defecation and the duration of hospitalization will also be recorded. Discussion: The present study seeks to examine the efficacy of the intradermal needle as a therapeutic tool for improving the sleep quality of patients after surgery who have undergone a laparoscopic hysterectomy to provide a foundation for future large-scale clinical studies. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (identifier: ChiCTR2200056890).

Up-regulation of neprilysin mediates the protection of fructo-oligosaccharides against Alzheimer's disease.

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), an important prebiotic, have been proved to have a beneficial effect on Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the specific mechanism remains to be confirmed. Senile plaques are one of the main neuropathological features of AD and the core of senile plaques mainly consists of extracellular beta-amyloid (Aß). Reducing Aß accumulation in the brain is an important therapeutic strategy for AD. Neprilysin (NEP), a major Aß-degrading enzyme, has been found to be decreased in the AD brain. Evidence has shown that the expression of NEP is associated with histone acetylation levels. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are the key enzymes in the modulation of histone acetylation modification. Importantly, several metabolites of FOS have been demonstrated to be pan-HDAC inhibitors. In this study, we demonstrate that FOS ameliorate cognitive impairment and alleviate Aß accumulation in the brain of AD model mice. The regulation of HDAC2 on NEP plays an important role in the anti-AD effect of FOS.

How to kiss and make-up (or not!): Postconflict behavior and affective recovery from conflict.

We designed 3 studies to identify postconflict behaviors that aid or hinder couple partners' emotional recoveries from their conflicts. For Study 1, we created a codebook of 18 postconflict behaviors, derived from 230 participants' daily descriptions of reconciliation efforts over a 3-week period. In Study 2, 340 MTurk participants used a checklist to report which of the 18 behaviors they engaged in following their most recent conflict with their partner. An orthogonal factor analysis revealed four dimensions of postconflict behavior: avoidance (e.g., sulk/withdraw), active repair (e.g., apologize), gain a new perspective (e.g., seek help from friends), and let go (e.g., drop the conflict). In Study 3, 226 cohabiting couples completed a 2-week diary for which they reported on their postconflict reconciliation strategies. Results revealed that postconflict behavior dimensions active repair and gain a new perspective predicted better postconflict residual affective recovery on days with conflict. In contrast, avoidance predicted poorer affective recovery on days with conflict. These results suggest that couples' behavior after conflict can facilitate or inhibit them from reconnecting intimately. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Huyang yangkun formula protects against 4-Vinylcyclohexene diepoxide-induced premature ovarian insufficiency in rats via the Hippo-JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Huyang Yangkun Formula (HYF) has been prescribed for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) for decades in the clinical setting. Little is known regarding its underlying molecular mechanism. This study was conducted to elucidate the possible mechanism of the protective potential of HYF against POI induced by the industrial chemical 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) in rats. AIM OF THE STUDY: Quality control of HYF was conducted via HPLC and UPLC-MS. Female rats were injected with VCD (160 mg/kg) daily for 15 days. Then, 1.35 g/kg (low dose) or 0.235 g/kg (high dose) HYF was administered once/day for 25 days. Serum AMH, FSH, E2, ALT, AST, BUN and Cr levels were detected through ELISA and HE-stained follicles were counted in ovarian sections. Additionally, RNA-seq profiling analysis and functional assays were used to screen for differentially expressed genes and key regulators with potentially important roles associated with HYF. RESULTS: The ovaries of POI rats contained fewer antral and maturing follicles (p < 0.05) than those of control rats, whereas atretic follicles were increased significantly (p < 0.05), and AMH levels were significantly lower in the VCD group than in the control group (p < 0.05). These conditions showed some improvement after low- and high-dose HYF treatment. Low- and high-dose HYF increased AMH levels by 42.4% and 25.9% and decreased FSH levels by 17.5% and 24.1%, respectively, in comparison to the VCD group. The two HYF dosage groups showed significantly increased numbers of antral and maturing follicles but a reduced number of atretic follicles (p < 0.05). HYF down-regulation of JAK, Lats2 and YAP mRNA expression gene expression (p < 0.05) compared with the VCD group. HYF resulted in a strongly attenuated VCD-induced phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 (p < 0.01) and YAP (p < 0.001), but induced an increase in protein levels of LATS2 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated the treatment efficacy of HYF in POI rats and showed that HYF repairs the dysfunction and enhances the ovarian function of POI rats through the Hippo-JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

As a Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, γ-Aminobutyric Acid Upregulates GluR2 Expression: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study.

SCOPE: γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) possesses extensive physiological functions and can be directly obtained from foods. GABA-enriched functional foods have been developed and the commercial demands for GABA are increasing. GABA is widely recognized as a central nervous system inhibitory neurotransmitter and plays an important role in some diseases by binding to its receptors. However, some of the functions of GABA are not explained by neurotransmission or GABA receptor pathways. Therefore, this study investigates whether GABA has the potential to inhibit histone deacetylase (HDAC). METHODS AND RESULTS: It is found that GABA inhibits HDAC1/2/3 expression and upregulates histone acetylation levels (Ace-H3K9/Ace-H4K12) in SH-SY5Y cells (which express GABA receptors), 3T3-L1 cells (which do not express GABA receptors), and the cerebral cortex in mice. Glutamate receptor 2 (GluR2) is a subunit of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) receptor and is implicated in the pathogenesis of some neurological diseases. It is also found that GABA increases GluR2 expression by inhibiting HDAC1/2 but not HDAC3. CONCLUSION: A novel role for GABA is demonstrated in which it acts as an HDAC inhibitor. The present study expands the horizons for exploring the non-neurotransmitter functions of GABA.