Kinetics of ester-105 degradation by La/TiO2 photocatalysis.

Lanthanum-doped titanium (La/TiO2) nano-photocatalysts were prepared using the sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption analyses. Ester-105, a flotation collector from beneficiation wastewater, was chosen as the target pollutant. The influence of the initial ester-105 concentration, pH, and photocatalyst dosage on the photocatalytic degradation of ester-105 was investigated. To examine the kinetics of the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of ester-105, a Langmuir adsorption model and Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic models were established and discussed. The synthesized photocatalyst comprised anatase-phase TiO2, with an isoelectric point of pH = 6.5, specific surface area of 56.1626 m2·g-1, and average pore size of 7.78 nm. The maximum adsorption and the adsorption equilibrium constant of La/TiO2 for ester-105 were determined as 0.338 mg·g-1 and 1.008 L·mg-1, respectively. The first-order kinetic reaction rate constant (k) exhibited a linear relationship with the initial ester-105 concentration. The optimal pH for ester degradation was theoretically determined to be 6.95, and the optimum photocatalyst dosage was found to be 0.2739 g·L-1. Experiments confirmed that the photocatalytic degradation of ester-105 using La/TiO2 followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics model, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for the photocatalytic degradation of ester-105 for industrial application.

Carbonate-rich crust subduction drives the deep carbon and chlorine cycles.

The flux balances of carbon and chlorine between subduction into the deep mantle and volcanic emissions into the atmosphere are crucial for the habitability of our planet1,2. However, pervasive loss of fluids from subducting slabs has been thought to cut off the delivery of both carbon and chlorine to the deep mantle owing to their high mobility under hydrous conditions3,4. Our new high-pressure experiments show that most carbonates (>75 wt%) in carbonate-rich crustal rocks-one of the main subducting carbon reservoirs-survive devolatilization and hydrous melting in cold and warm subduction zones, indicating that their subduction has driven the deep carbon cycle since the Mesoproterozoic. We found that KCl and NaCl, respectively, become stable phases crystallizing from hydrous carbonatite melts with low chlorine solubility in warm and hot subduction zones, resulting in the sequestration of chlorine in the solid residue in downwelling slabs. Accordingly, the subduction of carbonate-rich rocks facilitated highly effective recycling of both chlorine and carbon into the deep mantle at intermediate stages of Earth's history and led to declining atmospheric pCO2 and the formation of carbon-rich and chlorine-rich mantle reservoirs since the Mesoproterozoic. This period of optimal carbon and chlorine subduction may explain the ages of eclogitic diamonds and the formation of the HIMU mantle source.

Identification of Novel Bile Salt-Tolerant Genes in Lactobacillus Using Comparative Genomics and Its Application in the Rapid Screening of Tolerant Strains.

Under bile salt treatment, strains display significant differences in their tolerance ability, suggesting the existence of diverse resistance mechanisms in Lactobacillus; however, the genes involved in this protective process are not fully understood. In this study, novel target genes associated with bile salt tolerance in Lactobacillus were identified using comparative genomics for PCR detection and the rapid screening of tolerant strains. The bile salt tolerance of 107 lactobacilli isolated from different origins was assessed, and 26 strains with comparatively large differences were selected for further comparative genomic analysis. Tolerant strains had 112 specific genes that were enriched in the phosphotransferase system, the two-component system, carbohydrate metabolism, and the ATP-binding cassette transporter. Six genes from Lactobacillus were cloned into the inducible lactobacillal expression vector pSIP403. Overexpression in the host strain increased its tolerance ability by 11.86-18.08%. The novel genes identified here can be used as targets to design primers for the rapid screening of bile salt-tolerant lactobacilli. Altogether, these results deepen our understanding of bile salt tolerance mechanisms in Lactobacillus and provide a basis for further rapid assessments of tolerant strains.

Massive carbon storage in convergent margins initiated by subduction of limestone.

Remobilization of sedimentary carbonate in subduction zones modulates arc volcanism emissions and thus Earth's climate over geological timescales. Although limestones (or chalk) are thought to be the major carbon reservoir subducted to subarc depths, their fate is still unclear. Here we present high-pressure reaction experiments between impure limestone (7.4 wt.% clay) and dunite at 1.3-2.7 GPa to constrain the melting behaviour of subducted natural limestone in contact with peridotite. The results show that although clay impurities significantly depress the solidus of limestone, melting will not occur whilst limestones are still part of the subducting slab. Buoyancy calculations suggest that most of these limestones would form solid-state diapirs intruding into the mantle wedge, resulting in limited carbon flux to the deep mantle (< ~10 Mt C y-1). Less than 20% melting within the mantle wedge indicates that most limestones remain stable and are stored in subarc lithosphere, resulting in massive carbon storage in convergent margins considering their high carbon flux (~21.4 Mt C y-1). Assimilation and outgassing of these carbonates during arc magma ascent may dominate the carbon flux in volcanic arcs.

The largest negative carbon isotope excursions in Neoproterozoic carbonates caused by recycled carbonatite volcanic ash.

The late Ediacaran Shuram Excursion (SE) records the most prominent negative δ13C excursions (δ13C = -12‰) during Earth's history. It has been hypothesized to have resulted from oxidation of dissolved organic matter, diagenetic or authigenic precipitates. However, the origin of the SE remains enigmatic; current models face challenges regarding the significant amount of atmospheric oxygen needed to balance such extensive oxidation and sustained inputs of light carbon with extremely negative C isotope compositions. Here, we show that the Doushantuo Formation at the Jiulongwan section in South China, a key stratum recording the SE event, contains mineralogical and geochemical signatures related to igneous processes. Both the occurrence of ankerite, feldspar, moissanite and euhedral quartz in the SE samples and the relatively consistent Ce anomalies of carbonate and O isotopes of quartz indicate a contribution from an igneous source. In particular, the SE samples have trace element and C isotope compositions similar to those of recycled carbonatites formed by decarbonation and melting of sedimentary carbonate rocks. These observations suggest that the deep cycle of ancient carbonate rocks, which were subjected to decarbonation during subduction, melting and eruption related to the breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent, contributed to the SE. This igneous model for the SE may provide a connection between the deep and shallow carbon cycles of the Earth.

Effects of an Active Music Therapy Program on Functional Fitness in Community Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Health problems common among older adults living in community settings include a lack of functional fitness. Many studies have confirmed that exercises and static music therapy improve physical and psychological health problems. Exercise programs involving music have a higher frequency of attendance and motivation than other exercise programs. Active participation in active group music therapy results in better therapeutic effects. PURPOSE: This study was designed to test the effectiveness of a 3-month active group music therapy program on the functional fitness of community older adults in Taiwan. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design with repeated measures was applied. A convenience cluster sample of older adults was drawn from seven senior-citizen activity centers in southern Taiwan. All participants were assigned to either an experimental group (n = 77) or a comparison group (n = 69) based on the requests of each senior center. The experimental group participated in the active group music therapy program for 3 months (twice per week and 60 minutes per session). The comparison group maintained their daily activities. Each participant's level of functional fitness was measured at baseline and at 1 and 3 months after the start of the intervention. RESULTS: Seventy-one participants in the experimental group and 62 participants in the comparison group completed the 3-month study. At the 1-month measurement, the experimental group had greater improvements in cardiopulmonary fitness, upper body flexibility, lower body flexibility, upper limb muscle power, lower limb muscle endurance, and balance than the comparison group (all ps < .05). These significant improvements persisted through the 3-month intervention (all ps < .05). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Active group music therapy is an effective complementary and alternative therapy for improving six items of functional fitness in community-dwelling older adults. Healthcare professionals may incorporate this active group music therapy program as a health promotion activity for older adults living in community settings.

Associations of prenatal exposure to multiple metals with testicular volume and anogenital distance in infant boys: A longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Human are widely exposed to multiple metals, some of which have suspected reproductive toxicity, but no human studies have investigated the developmental effects of prenatal metal exposure. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the associations between prenatal multiple metal exposure and reproductive development in boys at 2-3 years using multi-pollutant approach. METHODS: This prospective study used data of 564 mother-child pairs recruited from the Guangxi Birth Cohort Study. Twenty serum metal concentrations were measured. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized regression was used to identify independent associations between prenatal multiple metal exposure and testicular volume (TV), and anogenital distance (AGD). Adjusted estimates were then obtained using multiple linear regression analysis, and the regression tree method was used to explore the interactions. RESULTS: Boys in the highest quartile of prenatal lead exposure had a 0.064 mL (95% CI: -0.124, -0.004) smaller ln-transformed TV, 0.060 cm (95% CI: -0.110, -0.011) shorter ln-transformed anopenile distance (AGDap), and 0.115 cm (95% CI: -0.190, -0.039) shorter ln-transformed anoscrotal distance (AGDas) than boys in the lowest quartile (all Ptrend < 0.05). Chromium was inversely with ln-transformed AGDap (ß = -0.078, 95% CI: -0.127, -0.030) and ln-transformed AGDas (ß = -0.113, 95% CI: -0.188, -0.038), while stibium was positivity associated with ln-transformed AGDap (ß = 0.091, 95% CI: 0.046, 0.136) and strontium was positivity associated with ln-transformed AGDas (ß = 0.120, 95% CI: 0.051, 0.189) (all Ptrend < 0.05). And the critical window of vulnerability may be the late pregnancy (the second and third trimester). Moreover, we detected interaction effects between lead, chromium and stibium on AGDap; lead, chromium and strontium on AGDas. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that prenatal exposure to lead, chromium, stibium and strontium may affect TV and/or AGD in infant boys. Potential mechanisms for the complex metal interactive effects during vulnerable periods are worthy of further investigation.

Maternal Caregiving for Children Newly Diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Traditional Chinese Mothering as the Double-Edged Sword.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the meaning of maternal caregiving in the Chinese culture for children newly diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). BACKGROUND: Recurrence of and death associated with ALL remain the main concerns for mothers. Mothers experience guilt and anxiety towards their child's cancer. DESIGN: Descriptive phenomenological study. METHODS: Twelve mothers were recruited from a medical centre in Central Taiwan. The mothers were primary caregivers for their child diagnosed as having ALL in the past 3 months to 1 year. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using Colaizzi's method. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged: feeling this world crashing by knowing the diagnosis, feeling the double-edged sword of mothering, worrying about potential risks for their vulnerable child, and passing through difficulties with power of support. CONCLUSIONS: Most mothers felt this world crashing due to potential loss of their child and seeing their child's suffering. The mother was blamed for her child's cancer but was also required to shoulder all caregiving for their child. The mothers needed to compromise their lives to protect their child from potential infection. Perceived power of support helped the mothers overcome difficulties. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Findings support that nurses encouraging mothers to tell their stories, regardless of culture, will facilitate healing. Establishing trust and providing support from nurses, physicians, psychologists and social workers will lead mothers' readiness to deal with care of their sick child. Increasing visiting time for parental support for children hospitalized in the PICU is suggested as well.

Aggregation-enhanced emission enables phenothiazine coumarin as a robust ratiometric fluorescent for rapid and selective detection of HClO.

By taking advantage of phenothiazine moiety as an electron-donating group, a novel donor-acceptor (D-A) type coumarin dye, PTZ-Et, was developed. The introduction of phenothiazine moiety not only caused emission red-shifting and Stokes shift enlarging, but also endowed PTZ-Et with significant aggregation-enhanced emission (AEE) features, thereby enabled PTZ-Et as a robust ratiometric fluorescent probe for HClO detection. Upon oxidation of the sulfur atom on phenothiazine into sulfoxide, PTZ-Et displayed remarkable ratiometric fluorescence response (over 150 folds variations of F534/F626) toward HClO with rapid response time (<30 s) and ultra-sensitivity (LOD = 15 nM). Additionally, the corresponding sensing mechanism of PTZ-Et for HClO was fully elucidated through the successful purification and well characterization (1H NMR, 13C NMR, HRMS, and single crystal data) of the corresponding reaction product between PTZ-Et and HClO. Significantly, PTZ-Et was capable of monitoring both exogenous and endogenous HClO in living RAW 264.7 cells by ratiometric fluorescence imaging.

Unexpected reaction patterns enable simultaneous differentiation of H2S, H2Sn and biothiols.

A robust fluorescent probe, MCP1, was developed for triple-detection of H2S, H2Sn and biothiols for the first time. Introduction of H2S, H2Sn and biothiols to MCP1 lead to distinct emission peaks at 508, 576 and 469 nm, respectively, enabling simultaneous detection of H2S, H2Sn and biothiols from distinct emission channels.

Rapid screening and quantification of multi-class antibiotic pollutants in water using a planar waveguide immunosensor.

Antibiotics are commonly used in livestock-related agriculture and aquaculture, but they also remain in water and potentially threaten human health. Immunosensors are attractive tools for the rapid detection of antibiotics in water due to their high sensitivity and low costs. However, the simultaneous detection of multi-class antibiotics remains a challenge due to the limited number of detection sites on the immunochip. Also, matrix effects hinder the practical application of these sensors. This paper presents a method for multi-class antibiotic detection in real water using a planar waveguide immunosensor (PWI). We integrate the screening and quantitive detection sites on the same immunochip, and a single screening detection site could detect multi-class antibiotics from the same family, increasing the detection types of analytes. In addition, to eliminate the matrix effects, we develop a testing buffer for real water detection, so that complex pretreatments of the samples can be omitted. Using our sensor and testing buffer, we detect 14 different antibiotics in real water. Lincomycin can be detected with a detection limit of 0.01 µg L-1, and 13 quinolones can be screened in a single assay. These results demonstrate that this planar waveguide immunosensor is capable of simultaneous screening and quantification of multi-class antibiotic pollutants and is expected to be applied for practical environmental monitoring.

Characterization of La/Fe/TiO2 and Its Photocatalytic Performance in Ammonia Nitrogen Wastewater.

La/Fe/TiO2 composite photocatalysts were synthesized by Sol-Gel method and well characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen-physical adsorption, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-Vis DRS). It is interesting that the doped catalysts were in anatase phase while the pure TiO2 was in rutile phase. In addition, the composites possessed better physical chemical properties in photocatalytic activity than pure TiO2: stronger visible-light-response ability, larger specific surface area, and more regular shape in morphology. The photodegradation results of ammonia nitrogen indicate that: the La/Fe/TiO2 had higher catalytic activity to ammonia nitrogen waste water compared pure TiO2 and the other single metal-doped TiO2. pH 10 and 2 mmol/L H2O2 were all beneficial to the removal of ammonia nitrogen by La/Fe/TiO2. However, the common inorganic ions of Cl(-), NO3(-), SO4(2-), HCO3(-)/CO3²(-), Na⁺, K⁺, Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) in water all inhibited the degradation of ammonia nitrogen. By balance calculation, at least 20% of ammonia nitrogen was converted to N2 during the 64.6% removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen.

A Hg(2+)-mediated label-free fluorescent sensing strategy based on G-quadruplex formation for selective detection of glutathione and cysteine.

A novel label-free fluorescent strategy for the detection of glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys) is presented. The system consists of two single stranded DNA (ssDNA) with thymine-thymine (T-T) mismatches and used Hg(2+) as a mediator, and N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM) as the signal reporter. The assay is based on the competitive reaction of Hg(2+) with GSH/Cys and T-T mismatched double stranded DNA (dsDNA). In the absence of the target, two ssDNA containing T-T mismatches react with Hg(2+) to form a T-Hg(2+)-T dsDNA structure in the solution, which hampers the formation of a G-quadruplex structure. However, in the presence of the target, GSH/Cys reacts with Hg(2+) to keep DNA probes in a free single state, resulting in the effective formation of a G-quadruplex structure of the DNA probe (GP). Subsequently, due to the strong interaction between the G-quadruplex structure and NMM, fluorescence was greatly enhanced. This fluorescence strategy does not require any chemical modification, making the assay convenient and cost-effective. This method exhibited a linear relationship between peak fluorescence intensity and concentration of GSH in the range of 10-400 nM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 9.6 nM. A linear range for Cys detection was obtained in the concentration range of 10-500 nM with an LOD of 10 nM. Moreover, the proposed method worked well for the analysis of complex biological samples.

A novel exonuclease III-aided amplification assay for lysozyme based on graphene oxide platform.

Based on exonuclease III (Exo III) aided amplification and graphene oxide (GO) platform for fluorescence quenching, a novel, turn-on fluorescent aptasensor for lysozyme (Lys) protein was constructed. The system contains a hairpin probe (HP) and a signal probe (SP) labeled with carboxyfluorescein (FAM) at its 5' end. HP, which consists of the aptamer sequence of Lys, is partially complementary to SP. Lys could bind with the aptamer region of the HP and facilitate the opening of the hairpin structure of HP, exposing a single-stranded sequence to hybridize with SP. This triggered the Exo III aided amplification and caused the degradation of SP, which liberated the free fluorophore labels. Upon the addition of GO, the released fluorophore could not be adsorbed and no fluorescence quenching occured, while the intact SPs could be adsorbed on GO surface with the fluorescence substantially quenched. The results revealed that the proposed method displayed fluorescence responses in a linear correlation to the concentrations of Lys within the range from 0.125 µg/ml to 1 µg/ml and the detection limit is 0.08 µg/ml. Besides such sensitivity, the proposed strategy is also low-cost and simple due to its homogeneous and fluorescence-based detection format.

A novel sensing platform using aptamer and RNA polymerase-based amplification for detection of cancer cells.

Cancer is one of the most serious and lethal diseases around the world. Its early detection has become a challenging goal. To address this challenge, we developed a novel sensing platform using aptamer and RNA polymerase-based amplification for the detection of cancer cells. The assay uses the aptamer as a capture probe to recognize and bind the tumor marker on the surface of the cancer cells, forming an aptamer-based sandwich structure for collection of the cells in the microplate wells, and uses SYBR Green II dye as a tracer to produce strong fluorescence signal. The tumor marker interacts first with the recognition probes which were composed of the aptamer and single-stranded T7 RNA polymerase promoter. Then, the recognition probe hybridized with template probes to form a double-stranded T7 RNA polymerase promoter. This dsDNA region is extensively transcribed by T7 RNA polymerase to produce large amounts of RNAs, which are easily monitored using the SYBR Green II dye and a standard fluorometer, resulting in the amplification of the fluorescence signal. Using MCF-7 breast cancer cell as the model cell, the present sensing platform showed a linear range from 5.0×10(2) to 5.0×10(6) cells mL(-1) with a detection limit of 5.0×10(2) cells mL(-1). This work suggested a strategy to use RNA signal amplification combining aptamer recognition to develop a highly sensitive and selective method for cancer cells detection.

An electrochemical aptasensor based on hybridization chain reaction with enzyme-signal amplification for interferon-gamma detection.

A novel electrochemical aptasensor based on hybridization chain reaction (HCR) with enzyme-signal amplification was constructed for the detection of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). In this aptasensor, the recognition probes which contained the sequence of IFN-γ aptamer were initially binded to IFN-γ, and the unbound recognition probes were captured on the electrode as an initiator to trigger the HCR. The two DNA hairpins bio-H1 and bio-H2 were opened by the recognition probe, and bound one by one on the electrode. The biotin was used as a tracer in the hairpins and streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase (SA-ALP) as a reporter molecule. Then, SA-ALP converted its electro-inactive substrate 1-naphthyl phosphate into an electroactive derivative 1-naphthol generating amplified electrochemical signal by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The activity of the immobilized enzyme was voltammetrically determined by measuring the amount of 1-naphthol generated for enzymatic dephosphorylation of 1-naphthyl phosphate. The electrochemical signal observed was inversely related to the concentration of IFN-γ. The proposed approach showed a high sensitivity for IFN-γ in a concentration range of 0.5-300 nM with a detection limit of 0.3 nM. The sensing system also provided satisfactory results for the detection of IFN-γ in the cell media.

Association between a novel 11-base pair deletion mutation in the promoter region of the scavenger receptor class B type I gene and plasma HDL cholesterol levels in Taiwanese Chinese.

OBJECTIVE: Scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) is a multiligand cell-surface receptor that mediates the selective uptake of lipid from HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) into cells. This study hypothesized an association between functional variants in the promoter region of SR-BI gene and HDL-C levels. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified 2 novel mutations in the SR-BI gene promoter region by using single-strand conformation polymorphism. One mutation was an 11-bp CCCCGCCCCGT deletion mutation from positions -140 to -150 relative to the transcription start site, corresponding to an Sp1 binding site; the other was a C-->T substitution at position -142. Twenty-six of 690 unrelated subjects were heterozygous for the -140 to -150 deletion mutation, and the allele frequency in this population was 0.02. This study showed that the deletion variant prevented binding of Sp1 to this region of the SR-BI promoter and effectively reduced transcriptional activities in HepG2 cells. Notably, the -140 to -150 deletion mutation was significantly associated with increased HDL-C levels and explained approximately 0.5% of the variation in HDL-C levels in this population. CONCLUSIONS: A genetic variant at the SR-BI gene promoter region might explain a significant proportion of individual differences in HDL-C levels among Taiwanese Chinese. Our results require further replication in an independent population.