A karst-inspired hierarchical Mg/Al layered double hydroxide with a high entropy-driven process for interception and storage.

Karstification plays a crucial role in forming magnificent scenery, and storing oil, natural gas, mineral resources, and water. Through the inspiration of karstification, a hierarchical layered double hydroxide (LDH) with funnel-like and cave-like structures (called Karst-LDH) is formed by the dissolution of acrylic acid/water solution. Meanwhile, the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) show that Karst-LDH has complicated and interconnected internal pipe networks. The actual maximum phosphate adsorption capacity of Karst-LDH reaches 126.38 mg g-1 due to the unique structures, protonation, ligand exchange, ion exchange, and hydrogen bonding, which is over ten times that of general LDH with a regular hexagonal structure. The results of isotherms and thermodynamics also indicate that Karst-LDH conforms to more heterogeneous and multilayer adsorption with a higher entropy-driven process. Karst-LDH exhibits good selectivity for chloride and nitrate ions. The change in the frontier orbital interaction between phosphate and different LDHs is a significant reason for quick macropore transmission, mesopore interception, and finally, phosphate storage in Karst-LDH. This work provides an efficient way for the design and fabrication of high adsorption performance materials with unique karst-type structures, which can be used for multiple fields potentially.

Construction of Landscape Ecological Security Pattern in the Zhundong Region, Xinjiang, NW China.

The Xinjiang Zhundong Economic and Technological Development Zone, which contains the largest coalfield in China, is a mega energy base for west-east gas transmission and outbound electricity transmission in China; however, resource exploitation and the region's arid climate have led to the region's ecological environment being increasingly vulnerable. The morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) method and landscape connectivity were used in this study to identify the ecological sources and extract the ecological corridors and ecological nodes based on the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model, used to construct the landscape ecological security pattern in the Zhundong region from 2016 to 2021. The results show that (a) from 2016 to 2021, the area of ecological sources increased by 117.86 ha and the distribution density of which decreased from the southern-central region to the northern and northwestern regions. (b) From 2016 to 2021, the number of ecological corridors and ecological nodes decreased, and the ecological corridors with dense distributions in the south gradually moved to the north and west. The length of the ecological corridors in the south gradually became longer, and the number of ecological corridors connecting the east and west in the north increased. (c) The landscape ecological security pattern of the Zhundong region was constructed by "a network and multiple points" using the model of ecological sources-ecological corridors-ecological nodes. The findings of this study provide a scientific foundation for the construction of an ecological security development plan and the ecologically protective development of coal resources in Zhundong.

Combined Triple Transcatheter Aortic Procedure in a Patient With Aortic Stenosis, Coarctation, and Aneurysm.

We present the case of a 71-year-old man admitted because of chest tightness, palpitations, and progressive shortness of breath. The diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis, coarctation, and aneurysm was established, as well as severely depressed left ventricular ejection fraction. Three consecutive transcatheter procedures were successfully performed in a single session. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Algae-derived polysaccharides supplementation ameliorates heat stress-induced impairment of bursa of Fabricius via modulating NF-κB signaling pathway in broilers.

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of dietary algae-derived polysaccharides (ADP) from Enteromorpha prolifera against heat stress (HS)-induced bursa of Fabricius injure in broilers, and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effect. A total of 144 8-week-old male yellow-feathered broilers were randomly allocated into 3 treatments of 6 replicates each (8 broilers per replicate): thermoneutral zone group (TN, fed basal diet); heat stress group (HS, fed basal diet); heat stress + ADP group (HSA, basal diet supplemented with 1,000 mg/kg ADP). Broilers in TN group were raised at 23.6 ± 1.8°C during the whole study. Broilers in HS and HSA groups were exposed to 33.2 ± 1.5°C for 10 h/day. The experimental period lasted for four weeks. The results showed that HS and dietary ADP had no significant effects on bursa of Fabricius index (P > 0.05). HS exposure increased the apoptosis rate of bursa of Fabricius (P < 0.05), and the apoptosis rate was reduced by dietary ADP (P < 0.05). Besides, broilers in HS and HSA groups had a lower glutathione-S transferase (GST) activity and total anti-oxidation capacity (T-AOC), whereas had a higher malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of bursa of Fabricius than those in TN group (P < 0.05). HS exposure elevated the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-4, and IL-6, while decreased the concentration of interferon-γ (INF-γ) and IL-2 (P < 0.05), and dietary inclusion of ADP reduced the IL-1ß level and increased the IL-2 level of bursa of Fabricius (P < 0.05). Compared with TN group, broilers in HS and HSA groups had lower relative mRNA expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and GSTT1 in bursa of Fabricius (P < 0.05). Additionally, HS exposure down-regulated the mRNA expression of inhibitor kappa B alpha (IκBα), IFN-γ, and IL-2, while up-regulated the mRNA expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in bursa of Fabricius (P < 0.05). However, dietary inclusion of ADP up-regulated the mRNA expression of IκBα and down-regulated the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65, TNF-α, and IL-6 in bursa of Fabricius (P < 0.05). Furthermore, HS exposure increased the relative protein expression levels of total and nuclear NF-κB p65 (P < 0.05), but dietary ADP supplementation reduced the relative protein expression levels of total and nuclear NF-κB p65 in bursa of Fabricius (P < 0.05). Collectively, dietary ADP ameliorated the impairment of histology, cell apoptosis and immune balance in bursa of Fabricius of heat stressed broilers, which is involved in modulation of NF-κB signaling pathway.

Transcatheter closure for the treatment of pseudoventricular aneurysm after acute myocardial infarction: a case report.

Left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR) is a rare but lethal complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Urgent surgery is essential but associated with high postoperative mortality. Even worse, LVFWR patients may experience sudden death without a chance for surgery. In this article, we report our successful transcatheter closure of a patient with the most extensive pseudoventricular aneurysm after AMI reported thus far. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a giant pseudoventricular aneurysm located in the inferior and lateral walls of the left ventricle; the rupture diameter was 28 mm, and the maximum tumor diameter was 90.2 mm. We used transcarotid approach (TCA) and atrial septal defect closure umbrella to complete the operation, which solved the lack of special interventional instruments to treat pseudoventricular aneurysm after AMI. In addition, we still needed to treat liver and kidney failure caused by hemolysis after operation, and undergone strict follow-up. In conclusion, transcatheter closure is practical and feasible for the treatment of pseudoventricular aneurysm after AMI, although hemolysis and decline of cardiac pumping function after the successful interventional treatment deserve special attention. Future multicenter studies are required to identify patients best suited for interventional treatment timing. And further developments in devices and delivery techniques are required in order to optimize interventional outcomes.

Reuse of PANI wastewater treated by anodic oxidation/electro-Fenton for the preparation of PANI.

The present work investigated the treatment of the polyaniline (PANI) wastewater by anodic oxidation/electro-Fenton and reusing the treated PANI wastewater for the preparation of PANI. Organics were degraded by hydroxyl radical (OH) and sulfate radical (SO4-) formed simultaneously in the wastewater from electro-Fenton reaction and the anode surface. Under the conditions of 160 mL min-1 oxygen flow rate, constant current density 14 mA cm-2 and Fe2+ concentration 0.2 mM, 89% COD can be removed from the PANI wastewater after 360 min treatment. The energy consumption was 50 kWh (kg COD)-1 and the current efficiency was 27.8%. After the PANI wastewater treatment, the aniline, aniline derivatives and aniline oligomers were removed from the wastewater. The PANI obtained using fresh solution, treated PANI wastewater and untreated PANI wastewater were recorded PANI-F, PANI-T and PANI-U, respectively. In the preparation of PANI-U, the reaction of p-benzoquinone with aniline or aniline oligomers could change the nucleation and growth, leading to the production of aggregated nanoparticles and low specific capacitance. However, the morphology and specific capacitance of PANI-T were similar to that of PANI-F. The PANI-T is three-dimensional sphere of nanofibers with high specific capacitance about 446.7 F g-1. The yield of PANI-T using treated PANI wastewater could reach to 92.1%. These results demonstrate that the PANI wastewater treatment approach is efficient and environmentally friendly.

A highly efficient cathode based on modified graphite felt for aniline degradation by electro-Fenton.

The graphite felt (GF) was modified through the concentrated sulfuric acid, potassium permanganate and ammonia activation with the aim of improving the specific surface area, hydrophilicity and the electrocatalytic activity for the electrogeneration of hydrogen peroxide and its application in the electro-Fenton (EF). The modified graphite felt (M-GF) was characterized by contact angle, scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectrum, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The surface physic-chemical characteristics and morphology of the M-GF were considerably changed after the modification. The current efficiency for H2O2 generation was explored at an optimized current density of 10 mA cm-2 and the value of H2O2 generation for the M-GF was 478.6 mg L-1, while the GF was 276.5 mg L-1 after 360 min of electrolysis. Finally, the M-GF was used for the mineralization of aniline (100 mg L-1), reaching a mineralization percentage of 97% with EF process. The M-GF demonstrated good stability as the aniline mineralization percentage was above 90% after 10 cycles' degradation, indicating that the M-GF is a promising cathode material for improving the degradation and mineralization of others organic pollutants by the EF process.

Some Important Issues of the Commercial Production of 1-D Nano-PANI.

One-dimensional polyaniline nano-materials (1-D nano-PANI) have great promise applications in supercapacitors, sensors and actuators, electrochromic devices, anticorrosive coatings, and other nanometer devices. Consequently, commercial production of 1-D nano-PANI at large-scale needs to be quickly developed to ensure widespread usage of this material. Until now, approaches-including hard template methods, soft template methods, interfacial polymerization, rapid mixing polymerization, dilute polymerization, and electrochemical polymerization-have been reported to be used to preparation of this material. Herein, some important issues dealing with commercial production of 1-D nano-PANI are proposed based on the complexity of the synthetic process, its characters, and the aspects of waste production and treatment in particular. In addition, potential solutions to these important issues are also proposed.

Electrochemical Preparation of Polyaniline Nanowires with the Used Electrolyte Solution Treated with the Extraction Process and Their Electrochemical Performance.

Electrochemical polymerization of aniline is one of the most promising methods to prepare polyaniline (PANI) materials. However, during this process, the electrolyte solution must be replaced after electropolymerization of a certain time because of the generation and the accumulation of the by-products, which have significant effects on the morphology, purity and properties of PANI products. Treatment and recycling of the used electrolyte solution are worthwhile to study to reduce the high treatment cost of the used electrolyte solution containing aniline and its polymerization by-products. Here, the composition of the used electrolyte solution was separated and determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) in the range of ultraviolet and visible (UV-Vis) light. The analysis results revealed that the used electrolyte solution consisted of aniline, p-hydroquinone (HQ), p-benzoquinone (BQ), co-oligomers of aniline and p-benzoquinone (CAB) and acid. Then, n-octanol and 2-octanone were selected as extracts to remove HQ, BQ and CAB from the used electrolyte solution. Following that, the recycled electrolyte solution was prepared by adjusting the concentration of aniline and acid of the aqueous phase, and the electrochemical polymerization process was conducted. Finally, the obtained PANI was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electrochemical methods. The experimental results clearly demonstrate that the morphology and specific capacitance of PANI produced from the recycled electrolyte solution can be recovered completely. This research paves the way for reusing the used electrolyte solution for aniline electrochemical polymerization.

The Arabidopsis Mediator subunit MED16 regulates iron homeostasis by associating with EIN3/EIL1 through subunit MED25.

Iron is an essential micronutrient for plants and animals, and plants are a major source of iron for humans. Therefore, understanding the regulation of iron homeostasis in plants is critical. We identified a T-DNA insertion mutant, yellow and sensitive to iron-deficiency 1 (yid1), that was hypersensitive to iron deficiency, containing a reduced amount of iron. YID1 encodes the Arabidopsis Mediator complex subunit MED16. We demonstrated that YID1/MED16 interacted with another subunit, MED25. MED25 played an important role in regulation of iron homeostasis by interacting with EIN3 and EIL1, two transcription factors in ethylene signaling associated with regulation of iron homeostasis. We found that the transcriptome in yid1 and med25 mutants was significantly affected by iron deficiency. In particular, the transcription levels of FIT, IRT1 and FRO2 were reduced in the yid1 and med25 mutants under iron-deficient conditions. The finding that YID1/MED16 and MED25 positively regulate iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis increases our understanding of the complex transcriptional regulation of iron homeostasis in plants.

Transcriptional profiling of rice early response to Magnaporthe oryzae identified OsWRKYs as important regulators in rice blast resistance.

Rice blast disease is a major threat to rice production worldwide, but the mechanisms underlying rice resistance to the causal agent Magnaporthe oryzae remain elusive. Therefore, we carried out a transcriptome study on rice early defense response to M. oryzae. We found that the transcriptional profiles of rice compatible and incompatible interactions with M. oryzae were mostly similar, with genes regulated more prominently in the incompatible interactions. The functional analysis showed that the genes involved in signaling and secondary metabolism were extensively up-regulated. In particular, WRKY transcription factor genes were significantly enriched among the up-regulated genes. Overexpressing one of these WRKY genes, OsWRKY47, in transgenic rice plants conferred enhanced resistance against rice blast fungus. Our results revealed the sophisticated transcriptional reprogramming of signaling and metabolic pathways during rice early response to M. oryzae and demonstrated the critical roles of WRKY transcription factors in rice blast resistance.

Effects of danqidihuang granules on glucolipid metabolism in insulin-resistant rats.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether the insulin resistance (IR) model could be established through feeding Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats high-sugar and high-fat diets and to further observe the preventive and treatment effects of different doses of Danqidihuang Granules in rats. METHODS: Thirty-two SD rats were divided randomly into control group A (given regular feed), model group B (food high in sugar and fat), intervention group C (food high in sugar and fat as well as regular doses of Danqidihuang Granules), and intervention group D (food high in sugar and fat as well as double doses of Danqidihuang Granules). The interventions were for 8 weeks. Motion, change in color, body weight, and food intake, as well as plasma lipids (including low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG), fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINs) levels, insulin sensitivity index (ISI), and insulin resistance index (HOMO-IR) were observed. RESULTS: At the end of the second week of the experiment, the appetite and activities of rats in groups B, C and D decreased significantly compared with group A. The fur of the rats in those three groups was curly. After the fourth week, the activities, food intake and color of rats in group B were worse than those in groups C and D, but there were no significant differences in weight (P > 0.05). Compared with group A, LDL-C, TC, FBG and HOMO-IR in model group B were increased significantly (P < 0.05), whereas the FINs and ISI increased obviously (P < 0.05). The levels of LDL-C and TC in group D was decreased obviously compared with those in group C, and HOMO-IR in group D was less than that in group B (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Danqidihuang Granules helped to prevent and improved the insulin resistance of rats.

A high-throughput screening system for Arabidopsis transcription factors and its application to Med25-dependent transcriptional regulation.

The activities of transcription factors (TFs) require interactions with specific DNA sequences and other regulatory proteins. To detect such interactions in Arabidopsis, we developed a high-throughput screening system with a Gateway-compatible Gal4-AD-TF library of 1589 Arabidopsis TFs, which can be easily screened by mating-based yeast-one-hybrid (Y1H) and yeast-two-hybrid (Y2H) methods. The efficiency of the system was validated by examining two well-characterized TF-DNA and TF-protein interactions: the CHE-CCA1 promoter interaction by Y1H and NPR1-TGAs interactions by Y2H. We used this system to identify eight TFs that interact with a Mediator subunit, Med25, a key regulator in JA signaling. We identified five TFs that interacted with the GCC-box cis-element in the promoter of PDF1.2, a downstream gene of Med25. We found that three of these TFs, all from the AP2-EREBP family, interact directly both with Med25 and the GCC-box of PDF1.2, suggesting that Med25 regulates PDF1.2 expression through these three TFs. These results demonstrate that this high-throughput Y1H/Y2H screening system is an efficient tool for studying transcriptional regulation networks in Arabidopsis. This system will be available for other Arabidopsis researchers, and thus it provides a vital resource for the Arabidopsis community.