Recent progress in chromium removal from wastewater using covalent organic frameworks - A review.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) offer a pivotal solution to urgently address heavy metal removal from wastewater due to their exceptional attributes such as high adsorption capacity, tunable porosity, controllable energy band structures, superior photocatalytic performance, and high stability-reusability. Despite these advantages, COFs encounter certain challenges, including inefficient utilization of visible light, rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers, and limited access to active sites due to close stacking. To enhance the photocatalytic and adsorptive performance of COF-based catalysts, various modification strategies have been reported, with a particular focus on molecular design, structural regulation, and heterostructure engineering. This review comprehensively explores recent advancements in COF-based photocatalytic and adsorptive materials for chromium removal from wastewater, addressing kinetics, mechanisms, and key influencing factors. Additionally, it sheds light on the influence of chemical composition and functional groups of COFs on the efficiency of hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)] removal.

Conjugate of Enkephalin and Temporin Peptides as a Novel Therapeutic Agent for Sepsis.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibit a wide spectrum of actions, ranging from a direct bactericidal effect to multifunctional activities as immune effector molecules. The aim of this study was to examine the anti-inflammatory properties of a DAL-PEG-DK5 conjugate composed of a lysine-rich derivative of amphibian temporin-1CEb (DK5) and dalargin (DAL), the synthetic Leu-enkephalin analogue. Detailed study of the endotoxin-neutralizing activity of the peptide revealed that DAL-PEG-DK5 interacts with LPS and the LPS binding protein (LBP). Moreover, DAL-PEG-DK5 prevented dimerization of TLR4 at the macrophage surface upon LPS stimulation. This inhibited activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and markedly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Finally, we showed that aggregation of DAL-PEG-DK5 into amyloid-like structures induced by LPS neutralized the endotoxin proinflammatory activity. Consequently, DAL-PEG-DK5 reduced morbidity and mortality in vivo, in a mouse model of endotoxin-induced septic shock. Collectively, the data suggest that DAL-PEG-DK5 is a promising therapeutic compound for sepsis.

Evaluation of the visual prostate symptom score in a male population with great language diversity and limited education: a study from Namibia.

BACKGROUND: A visual prostate symptom score (VPSS) using pictograms was developed to assess the force of the urinary stream, urinary frequency, nocturia and quality of life (QoL). OBJECTIVE: To compare the VPSS with the international prostate symptom score (IPSS) and maximum (Qmax) and average (Qave) urinary flow rates in men from diverse language groups with limited schooling. METHODS: Men with lower urinary tract symptoms admitted to the urology ward at Windhoek Central Hospital, Namibia, were evaluated. Patients who were unable to complete the questionnaires alone were assisted by a doctor or nurse. Local ethics committee approval was obtained. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test and Spearman's rank correlation test. RESULTS: One hundred men (mean age 56.3 years, range 20.1 - 95.4) were evaluated over a period of one year. All the men understood one or more of 15 languages, and 30 were illiterate; 32 had <5 years of schooling, 34 had 5 - 9 years and 34 had >9 years. The VPSS took significantly less time to complete than the IPSS. There were statistically significant correlations between the total VPSS and IPSS scores, between the four VPSS questions and the corresponding IPSS questions, and between Qmax and Qave and the VPSS total and VPSS questions on the force of the urinary stream and QoL. CONCLUSION: The VPSS pictograms depicting the force of the urinary stream and QoL correlated significantly with Qmax and Qave, indicating that they can be used as single-item questions to rapidly assess bladder outflow obstruction in men with limited education.

Stress and withdrawal from d-amphetamine alter 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex.

Psychostimulant withdrawal results in emotional, behavioral, and cognitive impairments, which may be exacerbated by stress. However, little is known about the neurochemical changes that occur when these two conditions are experienced concomitantly. 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR) mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is diminished following withdrawal from d-amphetamine (AMPH) and may underlie the emotional and cognitive impairments observed in psychostimulant withdrawal, but whether stress affects 5-HT2AR mRNA expression during psychostimulant withdrawal is unknown. The goal of this study was to examine the impact of forced swim test (FST) exposure during AMPH withdrawal on 5-HT2AR mRNA expression in PFC. Animals were treated 3 times a day for 4 days with escalating doses of AMPH (1-10mg/kg) and 24h or 4 days after the final injection, animals were subjected to FST. At 24h of withdrawal, AMPH-treated animals showed greater immobility in FST and at 4 days of withdrawal, AMPH-treated animals did not show immobility. At 24h of withdrawal, animals showed lower 5-HT2AR mRNA expression in the PFC relative to saline-treated animals, and exposure to FST did not further decrease expression in these animals. At 4 days of withdrawal, AMPH-treated animals showed greater 5-HT2AR mRNA expression relative to saline-treated animals in the PFC, an effect that was diminished by exposure to FST. These data indicate that stress and short-term AMPH withdrawal affect prefrontal 5-HT2AR mRNA expression to a similar degree, and stress experienced during long-term AMPH withdrawal can diminish the recovery of 5-HT2AR mRNA expression. Together, these data suggest that exposure to stress during extended AMPH withdrawal could prolong withdrawal-induced, 5-HT2AR mRNA expression which could be related to 5-HT2AR mediated deficits.

Activation of mu opioid receptors in the striatum differentially augments methamphetamine-induced gene expression and enhances stereotypic behavior.

Mu opioid receptors are densely expressed in the patch compartment of striatum and contribute to methamphetamine-induced patch-enhanced gene expression and stereotypy. To further elucidate the role of mu opioid receptor activation in these phenomena, we examined whether activation of mu opioid receptors would enhance methamphetamine-induced stereotypy and prodynorphin, c-fos, arc and zif/268 expression in the patch and/or matrix compartments of striatum, as well as the impact of mu opioid receptor activation on the relationship between patch-enhanced gene expression and stereotypy. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were intrastriatally infused with d-Ala(2)-N-Me-Phe(4),Gly(5)-ol]enkephalin (DAMGO; 1 µg/µL), treated with methamphetamine (0.5 mg/kg) and killed at 45 min or 2 h later. DAMGO augmented methamphetamine-induced zif/268 mRNA expression in the patch and matrix compartments, while prodynorphin expression was increased in the dorsolateral patch compartment. DAMGO pre-treatment did not affect methamphetamine-induced arc and c-fos expression. DAMGO enhanced methamphetamine-induced stereotypy and resulted in greater patch versus matrix expression of prodynorphin in the dorsolateral striatum, leading to a negative correlation between the two. These findings indicate that mu opioid receptors contribute to methamphetamine-induced stereotypy, but can differentially influence the genomic responses to methamphetamine. These data also suggest that prodynorphin may offset the overstimulation of striatal neurons by methamphetamine.

Activation of endocannabinoid transmission induces antidepressant-like effects in rats.

Recent reports indicate that endocannabinoid (eCB) system may be involved in depression and in the antidepressant-like activity demonstrated in experimental models. The present study examined the effects of the eCB uptake inhibitor 4-hydroxyphenyl-5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenamide (AM404; 0.1-3 mg/kg), the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3-carbamoylbiphenyl-3-yl ester (URB597; 0.03-0.3 mg/kg), the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor agonist (-)-cis-3-[2-hydroxy-4-(1,1-dimethylheptyl) phenyl]-trans-4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-cyclohexanol (CP55,940; 0.03-0.3 mg/kg) and the CB(1) receptor antagonist rimonabant (0.3-3 mg/kg) on immobility time in the forced swim test (FST) in rats. Moreover, the effects of AM404, CP55,940 and URB597 on the antidepressant-like activity of imipramine and citalopram in the FST were also examined. We found that AM404 (0.3-3 mg/kg), CP55,940 (0.1 mg/kg) and URB597 (0.1-0.3 mg/kg) reduced the immobility time of rats, while rimonabant (0.3-3 mg/kg) was inactive in this respect. We also observed that the anti-immobility effects of AM404 (1 mg/kg), CP55,940 (0.1 mg/kg) and URB597 (0.3 mg/kg), but not of imipramine (30 mg/kg), were blocked by rimonabant (3 mg/kg). In another set of experiments we showed that the inactive dose of AM404 (0.1 mg/kg) potentiated the effects of the inactive doses of imipramine (15 mg/kg) or citalopram (30 mg/kg), while CP55,940 (0.03 mg/kg) and URB597 (0.03 mg/kg) enhanced the effect of imipramine only. None of the drugs studied, given alone or in combination, increased the basal locomotor activity of rats. Our results indicate that activation of the eCB system induces antidepressant-like effects in the FST in rats, and that these effects are mediated by CB(1) receptors. Moreover, they also indicate that agents activating eCB transmission enhance the anti-immobility responses to antidepressant drugs.

Effects of 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline on the behavioral effects of cocaine in rats.

The efficacy of 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1MeTIQ), a member of endogenous tetrahydroisoquinolines, in cocaine- and food-maintained responding in self-administration procedures under a fixed ratio 5 schedule of reinforcement as well as in cocaine and food seeking behaviors in male Wistar rats was examined. The effects of 1MeTIQ on cocaine discrimination and on basal locomotor activity were also assessed. In rats trained to self-administered either cocaine (0.5 mg/kg/injection) paired with the cue (light+tone) or food under a fixed ratio 5 schedule of reinforcement, 1MeTIQ (25 - 50 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased the cocaine-maintained responding, but did not alter the food-maintained responding. 1MeTIQ (25 - 50 mg/kg) decreased the cocaine seeking behavior reinstated by a noncontingent presentation of cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), but altered neither behavior reinstated by a discrete cue (tone+light) nor food-induced reinstatement. In rats trained to discriminate cocaine (10 mg/kg) from saline in water-reinforced fixed ratio 20 task, pretreatment with 1MeTIQ resulted in neither substitution nor significant alterations in the cocaine (1.25 - 10 mg/kg)-induced discriminative stimulus effects. 1MeTIQ (25 - 50 mg/kg) did not produce also a significant changes in basal horizontal activity. In conclusion, our present results outline a significance of exogenously applied 1MeTIQ in attenuating drug-evoked relapses to cocaine as well as the direct rewarding properties of cocaine (that model the cocaine-induced "high"), but not cocaine subjective effects. Moreover, a dissociation between effects of 1MeTIQ on cocaine vs. food-maintained responding was demonstrated.

Local perivascular application of low amounts of a plasmid encoding for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165) is efficient for therapeutic angiogenesis in pigs.

Clinical trials have demonstrated therapeutic benefit in inducing angiogenesis in chronic occlusive arterial disease. The route of application mostly used was the intramuscular injection of high dosages of plasmid. Therefore, a local perivascular application of low amounts of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plasmid was used in an interventional occlusion model, and the effect of VEGF on coronary and peripheral occlusions compared in the same animal model. Coronary and peripheral arteries were chronically occluded in Pietrain pigs using a non-surgical, interventional approach. Adventitial delivery of the DNA for VEGF was performed with a needle injection catheter. The DNA was applied as lipoplexes using the novel cationic liposomes DOCSPER. Optimized transfer conditions were used. Angiography, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were undertaken within a follow-up period of 6 months. Expression of the transfected VEGF gene was observed at 1 and 3 weeks following application. The DNA was detected up to 5 months following application. Around occluded coronary arteries, there was formation of new collaterals and arterial prolongation, whereas surrounding occluded peripheral arteries there was no collateralization but development of new arterial branches was seen. Results demonstrate that the response to VEGF is also sufficient, when minimal amounts of plasmid encoding for VEGF are applied locally into the perivasculature allowing for more safety of this therapy. Comparison of treatment of chronic coronary and peripheral arterial disease revealed differences in angiogenesis following VEGF application during a total follow-up period of almost 6 months which may be related to their different developmental origins. This may have important implications for developing future therapeutic strategies using VEGF in different vessels.