Enhanced Dynamic Laterality Based on Functional Subnetworks in Patients with Bipolar Disorder.

An ocean of studies have pointed to abnormal brain laterality changes in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Determining the altered brain lateralization will help us to explore the pathogenesis of BD. Our study will fill the gap in the study of the dynamic changes of brain laterality in BD patients and thus provide new insights into BD research. In this work, we used fMRI data from 48 BD patients and 48 normal controls (NC). We constructed the dynamic laterality time series by extracting the dynamic laterality index (DLI) at each sliding window. We then used k-means clustering to partition the laterality states and the Arenas-Fernandez-Gomez (AFG) community detection algorithm to determine the number of states. We characterized subjects' laterality characteristics using the mean laterality index (MLI) and laterality fluctuation (LF). Compared with NC, in all windows and state 1, BD patients showed higher MLI in the attention network (AN) of the right hemisphere, and AN in the left hemisphere showed more frequent laterality fluctuations. AN in the left hemisphere of BD patients showed higher MLI in all windows and state 3 compared to NC. In addition, in the AN of the right hemisphere in state 1, higher MLI in BD patients was significantly associated with patient symptoms. Our study provides new insights into the understanding of BD neuropathology in terms of brain dynamic laterality.

Correction to the thermodynamic calculation using the Langmuir isotherm model by Saeed et al. (2022).

The thermodynamic parameters are usually used to analyze the spontaneity, thermal and random change of the adsorption process, therefore, it is important to obtain these parameters accurately. Recently, Saeed et al. (2022) published a high academic paper to reveal the adsorption properties and mechanism of dyes onto the chitosan composite of the iron metal-organic framework (CS/MOF-235). However, the thermodynamic parameters of ΔG and ΔS need to be corrected because their results affected the analyzed conclusions. In the present study, the thermodynamic parameters were recalculated by using the correct method through the Langmuir isotherm model. The recalculated thermodynamic parameters indicated that the change in free energy (ΔG) for the removal of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) onto CS/MOF-235 is negative but not positive, meaning that the adsorption of dyes (MB and MO) is spontaneous but not non-spontaneous. The change in entropy (ΔS) is positive but not negative, implying that the randomness increases but not decreases during the adsorption process. The enthalpy (ΔH) maintained negative value and the entropy (ΔS) obtained positive value indicate that both of them are the driving forces of the adsorption.

Comments on the calculation of the standard equilibrium constant using the Langmuir model in Journal of Hazardous Materials 422 (2022) 126863.

The calculation of equilibrium constant from the Langmuir model is widely used in the literature. However, the dimensional problem of the equilibrium constant has often been ignored. For example, a recent publication on the strong properties of the new adsorbent for tetracycline. Nevertheless, this used an improper calculation of the standard equilibrium constant, confusing solute and solution. This creates dimension for K0 obtained from Eq. (13). Unfortunately, K0 should be dimensionless. In this comment, the origin and background of this kind of error is analyzed and the method for correcting the error is presented. Specifically, we establish a clear relationship between the Langmuir constant (KL) and the standard equilibrium constant (K0). We hope this comment clarifies the essence of calculating the standard equilibrium constant by using the Langmuir model, so others avoid the propagation of this kind of error.

Selective light absorber-assisted single nickel atom catalysts for ambient sunlight-driven CO2 methanation.

Ambient sunlight-driven CO2 methanation cannot be realized due to the temperature being less than 80 °C upon irradiation with dispersed solar energy. In this work, a selective light absorber was used to construct a photothermal system to generate a high temperature (up to 288 °C) under weak solar irradiation (1 kW m-2), and this temperature is three times higher than that in traditional photothermal catalysis systems. Moreover, ultrathin amorphous Y2O3 nanosheets with confined single nickel atoms (SA Ni/Y2O3) were synthesized, and they exhibited superior CO2 methanation activity. As a result, 80% CO2 conversion efficiency and a CH4 production rate of 7.5 L m-2 h-1 were achieved through SA Ni/Y2O3 under solar irradiation (from 0.52 to 0.7 kW m-2) when assisted by a selective light absorber, demonstrating that this system can serve as a platform for directly harnessing dispersed solar energy to convert CO2 to valuable chemicals.

Effects of toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) on sorption of Pb (II) in red and black soils: equilibrium and kinetics aspects.

Bt crops have been widely commercialized for cultivation in the world, but as yet, the effects of Bt toxin on sorption of heavy metals in soils has not been reported. In this study, the effects of toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis on Pb (II) sorption by red (Ultisol) and black soil (Vertisol) were studied using the batch method. The results showed that Pb(II) sorption by both soil types decreased in the presence of Bt toxin from 0 to 10 mg/L, which was probably due to the sorptive sites competition and Pb-toxin complex formation. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were fitted well to the sorption data at different Bt toxin additions. The sorption capacity of black soil for Pb (II) was higher than that of red soil, however, the influential trends of Bt toxin to the maximum capacity of Pb (II) in both soils was reversed. Sorption of Pb (II) in both soils was rapid and reached equilibrium within 80 min, following the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Decreasing sorption of Pb (II) by red and black soils was observed in the presence of Bt toxin, suggesting that the environmental risk of Pb(II) may increase if Bt toxin is released by Bt crops.

Effect of carbonic anhydrase on silicate weathering and carbonate formation at present day CO2 concentrations compared to primordial values.

It is widely recognized that carbonic anhydrase (CA) participates in silicate weathering and carbonate formation. Nevertheless, it is still not known if the magnitude of the effect produced by CA on surface rock evolution changes or not. In this work, CA gene expression from Bacillus mucilaginosus and the effects of recombination protein on wollastonite dissolution and carbonate formation under different conditions are explored. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to explore the correlation between CA gene expression and sufficiency or deficiency in calcium and CO2 concentration. The results show that the expression of CA genes is negatively correlated with both CO2 concentration and ease of obtaining soluble calcium. A pure form of the protein of interest (CA) is obtained by cloning, heterologous expression, and purification. The results from tests of the recombination protein on wollastonite dissolution and carbonate formation at different levels of CO2 concentration show that the magnitudes of the effects of CA and CO2 concentration are negatively correlated. These results suggest that the effects of microbial CA in relation to silicate weathering and carbonate formation may have increased importance at the modern atmospheric CO2 concentration compared to 3 billion years ago.

Adsorption of hexavalent chromium onto organic bentonite modified by the use of iron(III) chloride.

The adsorption of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) was improved by using organic bentonite (OB) modified with iron(III) chloride. The adsorption mechanisms and characteristics of OB and organic bentonite modified by FeCl3 (FMOB) were studied by using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). It was found that hydroxyl-iron replaced some of the calcium and magnesium contained in the FMOB, but no significant change in its structure was shown even though the adsorption experiments proved that FMOB had a better Cr(VI) adsorption ability compared to OB. The coated material was prepared by mixing FMOB and 4A molecular sieves in a coated pot for the adsorption experiments in the test column. The relevant results showed that the adsorption of the coated material retained its high adsorption ability and maintained that ability after desorption and regeneration, which implied a potential for further application.

Iron and lead ion adsorption by microbial flocculants in synthetic wastewater and their related carbonate formation.

Although microbial treatments of heavy metal ions in wastewater have been studied, the removal of these metals through incorporation into carbonate minerals has rarely been reported. To investigate the removal of Fe3+ and Pb2+, two representative metals in wastewater, through the precipitation of carbonate minerals by a microbial flocculant (MBF) produced by Bacillus mucilaginosus. MBF was added to synthetic wastewater containing different Fe3+ and Pb2+ concentrations, and the extent of flocculation was analyzed. CO2 was bubbled into the mixture of MBF and Fe3+/Pb2+ to initiate the reaction. The solid substrates were analyzed via X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results showed that the removal efficiency decreased and the MBF adsorption capacity for metals increased with increasing heavy metal concentration. In the system containing MBF, metals (Fe3+ and Pb2+), and CO2, the concentrated metals adsorbed onto the MBF combined with the dissolved CO2, resulting in oversaturation of metal carbonate minerals to form iron carbonate and lead carbonates. These results may be used in designing a method in which microbes can be utilized to combine CO2 with wastewater heavy metals to form carbonates, with the aim of mitigating environmental problems.