Efficient Catalytic Elimination of Toxic Volatile Organic Compounds via Advanced Oxidation Process Wet Scrubbing with Bifunctional Cobalt Sulfide/Activated Carbon Catalysts.

Advanced oxidation process (AOP) wet scrubber is a powerful and clean technology for organic pollutant treatment but still presents great challenges in removing the highly toxic and hydrophobic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Herein, we elaborately designed a bifunctional cobalt sulfide (CoS2)/activated carbon (AC) catalyst to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for efficient toxic VOC removal in an AOP wet scrubber. By combining the excellent VOC adsorption capacity of AC with the highly efficient PMS activation activity of CoS2, CoS2/AC can rapidly capture VOCs from the gas phase to proceed with the SO4•- and HO• radical-induced oxidation reaction. More than 90% of aromatic VOCs were removed over a wide pH range (3-11) with low Co ion leaching (0.19 mg/L). The electron-rich sulfur vacancies and low-valence Co species were the main active sites for PMS activation. SO4•- was mainly responsible for the initial oxidation of VOCs, while HO• and O2 acted in the subsequent ring-opening and mineralization processes of intermediates. No gaseous intermediates from VOC oxidation were detected, and the highly toxic liquid intermediates like benzene were also greatly decreased, thus effectively reducing the health toxicity associated with byproduct emissions. This work provided a comprehensive understanding of the deep oxidation of VOCs via AOP wet scrubber, significantly accelerating its application in environmental remediation.

LPI-IBWA: Predicting lncRNA-protein interactions based on an improved Bi-Random walk algorithm.

Many studies have shown that long-chain noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in a variety of biological processes such as post-transcriptional gene regulation, splicing, and translation by combining with corresponding proteins. Predicting lncRNA-protein interactions is an effective approach to infer the functions of lncRNAs. The paper proposes a new computational model named LPI-IBWA. At first, LPI-IBWA uses similarity kernel fusion (SKF) to integrate various types of biological information to construct lncRNA and protein similarity networks. Then, a bounded matrix completion model and a weighted k-nearest known neighbors algorithm are utilized to update the initial sparse lncRNA-protein interaction matrix. Based on the updated lncRNA-protein interaction matrix, the lncRNA similarity network and the protein similarity network are integrated into a heterogeneous network. Finally, an improved Bi-Random walk algorithm is used to predict novel latent lncRNA-protein interactions. 5-fold cross-validation experiments on a benchmark dataset showed that the AUC and AUPR of LPI-IBWA reach 0.920 and 0.736, respectively, which are higher than those of other state-of-the-art methods. Furthermore, the experimental results of case studies on a novel dataset also illustrated that LPI-IBWA could efficiently predict potential lncRNA-protein interactions.

Association of weight-adjusted waist index with all-cause mortality among non-Asian individuals: a national population-based cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The Weight-Adjusted Waist Index (WWI) is a new indicator of obesity that is associated with all-cause mortality in Asian populations. Our study aimed to investigate the linear and non-linear associations between WWI and all-cause mortality in non-Asian populations in the United States, and whether WWI was superior to traditional obesity indicators as a predictor of all-cause mortality. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study using data from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), involving 18,592 participants. We utilized Cox proportional hazard models to assess the association between WWI, BMI, WC, and the risk of all-cause mortality, and performed subgroup analyses and interaction tests. We also employed a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve study to evaluate the effectiveness of WWI, BMI, and WC in predicting all-cause mortality. RESULTS: After adjusting for confounders, WWI, BMI, and WC were positively associated with all-cause mortality. The performance of WWI, BMI, and WC in predicting all-cause mortality yielded AUCs of 0.697, 0.524, and 0.562, respectively. The data also revealed a U-shaped relationship between WWI and all-cause mortality. Race and cancer modified the relationship between WWI and all-cause mortality, with the relationship being negatively correlated in African Americans and cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: In non-Asian populations in the United States, there is a U-shaped relationship between WWI and all-cause mortality, and WWI outperforms BMI and WC as a predictor of all-cause mortality. These findings may contribute to a better understanding and prediction of the relationship between obesity and mortality, and provide support for effective obesity management strategies.

Visualization of the relationship between macrophage and wound healing from the perspective of bibliometric analysis.

Macrophages play a crucial role in aiding all phases of the wound-healing process and has garnered increasing attention recently. Although a substantial body of related studies has been published, there remains a lack of comprehensive bibliometric analysis. In this study, we collected 4296 papers from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Three tools including CiteSpace, VOSviewer and one online analytical platform were employed to conduct bibliometric analysis and data visualization. Our results revealed that the annual number of publications related to macrophage and wound healing has increased exponentially with the year. The United States and China stand as the primary driving forces within this field, collectively constituting 58.2% of the total publication output. The application of biomaterials was one of the most concerned research areas in this field. According to references analysis, the current research focus has shifted to diabetic wound healing and regulating macrophage polarization. Based on the keywords analysis, we identified the following research frontiers in the future: exosomes and other extracellular vesicles; bio-derived materials and drug delivery methods such as nanoparticles, scaffolds and hydrogels; immunomodulation and macrophage polarization in the M2-state; chronic wounds, particularly those associated with diabetes; antimicrobial peptides; and antioxidant. Additionally, TNF, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-ß1 and VEGF ranked as the five genes that have garnered the most research attention in the intersection of macrophage and wound healing. All in all, our findings offered researchers a holistic view of the ongoing progress in the field of macrophages and wound healing, serving as a valuable reference for scholars and policymakers in this domain.

Exceptional Ozone Decomposition over δ-MnO2/AC under an Entire Humidity Environment.

Ozone (O3) pollution is highly detrimental to human health and the ecosystem due to it being ubiquitous in ambient air and industrial processes. Catalytic decomposition is the most efficient technology for O3 elimination, while the moisture-induced low stability represents the major challenge for its practical applications. Here, activated carbon (AC) supported δ-MnO2 (Mn/AC-A) was facilely synthesized via mild redox in an oxidizing atmosphere to obtain exceptional O3 decomposition capacity. The optimal 5Mn/AC-A achieved nearly 100% of O3 decomposition at a high space velocity (1200 L g-1 h-1) and remained extremely stable under entire humidity conditions. The functionalized AC provided well-designed protection sites to inhibit the accumulation of water on δ-MnO2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the abundant oxygen vacancies and a low desorption energy of intermediate peroxide (O22-) can significantly boost O3 decomposition activity. Moreover, a kilo-scale 5Mn/AC-A with low cost (∼1.5 $/kg) was used for the O3 decomposition in practical applications, which could quickly decompose O3 pollution to a safety level below 100 µg m-3. This work offers a simple strategy for the development of moisture-resistant and inexpensive catalysts and greatly promotes the practical application of ambient O3 elimination.

Boosting Ozone Catalytic Oxidation of Toluene at Room Temperature by Using Hydroxyl-Mediated MnOx/Al2O3 Catalysts.

Ozone catalytic oxidation (OZCO) has gained great interest in environmental remediation while it still faces a big challenge during the deep degradation of refractory volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at room temperature. Hydroxylation of the catalytic surface provides a new strategy for regulating the catalytic activity to boost VOC degradation. Herein, OZCO of toluene at room temperature over hydroxyl-mediated MnOx/Al2O3 catalysts was originally demonstrated. Specifically, a novel hydroxyl-mediated MnOx/Al2O3 catalyst was developed via the in situ AlOOH reconstruction method and used for toluene OZCO. The toluene degradation performance of MnOx/Al2O3 was significantly superior to those of most of the state-of-the-art catalysts, and 100% toluene was removed with an excellent mineralization rate (82.3%) and catalytic stability during OZCO. ESR and in situ DRIFTs results demonstrated that surface hydroxyl groups (HGs) greatly improved the reactive oxygen species generation, thus dramatically accelerating the benzene ring breakage and deep mineralization. Furthermore, HGs provided anchoring sites for uniformly dispersing MnOx and greatly enhanced toluene adsorption and ozone activation. This work paves a way for deep decomposition of aromatic VOCs at room temperature.

Associations between weight-adjusted waist index and bone mineral density: results of a nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND: The weight-adjusted waist circumference index (WWI) is a novel obesity indicator that offers improved accuracy in assessing both muscle and fat mass compared to traditional measures. This study aimed to investigate the association between WWI and bone mineral density (BMD) in adults. METHODS: Weighted multivariate logistic regression, subgroup analysis, interaction tests and restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves were used to explore the relationship between WWI and BMD based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). RESULTS: This study had 40,568 individuals in total. At all four measurement sites, we detected a negative linear correlation between WWI and BMD. Even when quartile factors for WWI were created, this unfavorable connection maintained. In comparison to those in the lowest quartile, those in the highest percentile of WWI showed declines in lumbar BMD of 0.08 g/cm2 and femoral neck BMD of 0.03 g/cm2, respectively. This adverse correlation, nevertheless, differed among several categories. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest an adverse correlation between WWI and BMD among US adults. Employing WWI as a tool for osteoporosis prevention in the general population may enhance interventions.

Associations between dietary flavonoid intake with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis quantified by VCTE: Evidence from NHANES and FNDDS.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Flavonoids are natural products of plant origin and have been shown to be beneficial for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in animal studies. However, relevant epidemiological evidence is still lacking, and the relationship between flavonoid and subclass intake with quantified hepatic steatosis and fibrosis has not been investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study was based on the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) expanded flavonoid intake database and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 and included a total of 4113 participants with vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) data. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess linear relationships between flavonoids and hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. Smoothed curve fit and a generalized additive model were used to investigate the non-linear relationship, and a two-tailed linear regression model was used to find potential inflection points. Of the 4113 participants, 1045 (25.41%) were diagnosed with NAFLD. After adjusting for energy and major non-dietary covariates, significant linear negative correlations were observed between total flavonoids and CAP [-1.53 (-2.59, -0.47)] and LSM [-0.17 (-0.27, -0.07)]. After adjusting for all covariates, flavones had the strongest and most significant negative association with hepatic steatosis [-1.98 (-3.79, -0.17)]. The results of smooth curve fitting and subgroup analysis demonstrated gender differences, and threshold effect analysis further identified a U-shaped relationship and inflection point between flavonoid intake and hepatic steatosis (infection point: 287.25 mg/d). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest negative associations between flavonoid and subclass intake with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis.

Associations between systemic immune-inflammation index and abdominal aortic calcification: Results of a nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) is a novel index of inflammation assessment that appears to be superior to the common single blood index in the assessment of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between SII and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) in adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression, sensitivity analysis, and smoothing curve fitting were used to investigate the relationship between SII and AAC based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014. Subgroup analysis and interaction tests were used to investigate whether this association was stable across populations. There was a positive association between SII and ACC in 3036 participants >40 years of age. In the fully adjusted model, each 100-unit increase in SII was associated with a 4% increase in the risk of developing severe AAC [1.04 (1.02, 1.07)]. Participants in the highest quartile of SII had a 47% higher risk of developing severe AAC than those in the lowest quartile [1.47 (1.10, 1.99)]. This positive association was more pronounced in older adults >60 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: SII is positively associated with AAC in US adults. Our findings imply that SII has the potential to improve AAC prevention in the general population.

Associations between cadmium exposure and whole-body aging: mediation analysis in the NHANES.

INTRODUCTION: Even though cadmium (Cd) exposure and cellular senescence (telomere length) have been linked in previous studies, composite molecular aging biomarkers are more significant and reliable factors to consider when examining the connection between metal exposure and health outcomes. The purpose of this research was to assess the association between urinary cadmium (U-Cd) and whole-body aging (phenotypic age). METHODS: Phenotypic age was calculated from chronological age and 9 molecular biomarkers. Multivariate linear regression models, subgroup analysis, and smoothing curve fitting were used to explore the linear and nonlinear relationship between U-Cd and phenotypic age. Mediation analysis was performed to explore the mediating effect of U-Cd on the association between smoking and phenotypic age. RESULTS: This study included 10,083 participants with a mean chronological age and a mean phenotypic age of 42.24 years and 42.34 years, respectively. In the fully adjusted model, there was a positive relationship between U-Cd and phenotypic age [2.13 years per 1 ng/g U-Cd, (1.67, 2.58)]. This association differed by sex, age, and smoking subgroups (P for interaction < 0.05). U-Cd mediated a positive association between serum cotinine and phenotypic age, mediating a proportion of 23.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that high levels of Cd exposure are associated with whole-body aging.

Dietary inflammatory potential and biological aging among US adults: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: The rate of biological aging is influenced by various factors such as genetics, environment, and diet. The dietary inflammatory index (DII) is strongly associated with various chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between DII and biological aging in US adults using quantitative indicators. METHODS: Based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2018, weighted multiple linear regression models, generalized weighted models, and smoothed fitted curves were used to investigate the linear and nonlinear relationships of DII with four biological markers of aging (biological age, phenotypic age, telomere length, and serum klotho concentration). RESULTS: A total of 35,575 adult participants with complete data were included in the study. After adjusting for all confounders, significant positive correlations were found between DII with biological age [0.070 (0.045, 0.095)] and phenotypic age [0.421 (0.371, 0.471)], with an increase of 0.07 and 0.42 years in biological age and phenotypic age, respectively, for each increase in DII score. The negative correlations between DII with telomere length [ - 0.005 ( - 0.008, - 0.002)] and klotho [ - 3.874 ( - 7.409, - 0.338)] were significant only in partially adjusted models and differed across subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, higher DII scores (greater pro-inflammatory dietary potential) were associated with biological aging. These findings may contribute to the development of aging prevention strategies through dietary interventions.

A Wireless Infrared Thermometry Device for Postoperative Flap Monitoring: Proof of Concept in Patients.

BACKGROUND/NEED: Postoperative flap perfusion assessment methods still rely on the evaluation of traditional clinical indicators, which have the disadvantage of being subjective and burdensome. METHODOLOGY: This study describes a self-designed infrared wireless thermometer for flap blood supply monitoring and evaluates its efficacy in the postoperative monitoring of 40 free flaps. DEVICE DESCRIPTION: The device consists of multiple temperature and humidity modules as well as a wireless module, which has the advantages of low cost and continuous remote monitoring. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: The alarm time of the wireless infrared thermometer was 30.5 ± 3.1 hours, and the clinical observation reported 41.7 ± 13.6 hours. CURRENT STATUS: In future studies, the device will be tested on different types of flaps in a porcine model.

A wireless infrared thermometry device for postoperative flap monitoring: Proof of concept in a porcine flap model.

The application of flap surgery is becoming more and more widespread with the development of microsurgical techniques. Currently, postoperative blood flow monitoring of flaps is still mainly assessed by medical staff for traditional clinical parameters, which has the disadvantage of being subjective and unable to monitor in real-time. This study describes a self-contained infrared wireless infrared thermometry device for flap blood supply monitoring and evaluates its effectiveness on eight porcine flap models. A scapular muscle flap model was established using eight small pigs, and the vessels were ligated at irregular intervals using a lumir ligature to simulate arterial crisis and venous crisis. Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), the wireless infrared thermometry device, and traditional clinical observation methods were applied to monitor the blood supply of the flap and evaluate the effect. The time to the determination of blood supply disturbance by wireless infrared thermography (IRT) was 28.75 ± 3.30 min and 96.5 ± 27.09 min for the arterial and venous groups, respectively; by LDF was 6.00 ± 1.41 min and 52.75 ± 15.76 min; by clinical observation was 42.00 ± 8.60 min and 156.50 ± 40.91 min, respectively. Paired t-tests were performed between the wireless IRT device and clinical observations, and the statistical results were significantly different in the arterial group and not significantly different in the venous group. Paired t-testing of the wireless infrared thermometry device with the LDF also showed significant differences in the arterial group and non-significant differences in the venous group. This wireless infrared thermometry device outperforms traditional clinical observation methods in monitoring blood supply in a porcine skin flap model. Because of its low cost, real-time monitoring, simple operation, and non-invasive features, it has the potential to be used in clinical practice as a routine means of postoperative blood supply monitoring in flap surgery.

Accelerated oxidation of VOCs via vacuum ultraviolet photolysis coupled with wet scrubbing process.

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis is a facile method for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) elimination, but is greatly limited by the relatively low removal efficiency and the possible secondary pollution. To overcome above drawbacks, we developed an efficient method for VOCs elimination via VUV photolysis coupled with wet scrubbing process. In this coupled process, volatile toluene, a representative of VOCs, was oxidized by the gas-phase VUV photolysis, and then scrubbed into water for further oxidation by the liquid-phase VUV photolysis. More than 96% of toluene was efficiently removed by this coupled process, which was 2 times higher than that in the gas-phase VUV photolysis. This improvement was attributed to the synergistic effect between gas-phase and liquid-phase VUV photolysis. O3 and HO• are the predomination reactive species for the toluene degradation in this coupled process, and the generation of O3 in gas-phase VUV photolysis can efficiently enhance the HO• production in liquid-phase VUV photolysis. The result from in-situ proton transfer reaction ionization with mass analyzer (PTR-MS) further suggested that most intermediates were trapped by the wet scrubbing process and efficiently oxidized by the liquid-phase VUV photolysis, showing a high performance for controlling the secondary pollution. Furthermore, the result of stability test and the reuse of solution demonstrated that this coupled process has a highly stable and sustainable performance for toluene degradation. This study presents an environmentally benign and highly efficient VUV photolysis for gaseous VOCs removal in the wet scrubbing process.

Photocatalytic Oxidation for Volatile Organic Compounds Elimination: From Fundamental Research to Practical Applications.

Photocatalysis is regarded as one of the most promising technologies for indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) elimination due to its low cost, safe operation, energy efficiency, and high mineralization efficiency under ambient conditions. However, the practical applications of this technology are limited, despite considerable research efforts in recent decades. Until now, most of the works were carried out in the laboratory and focused on exploring new catalytic materials. Only a few works involved the immobilization of catalysts and the design of reactors for practical applications. Therefore, this review systematically summarizes the research and development on photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of VOCs, with emphasis on recent catalyst's immobilization and reactor designs in detail. First, different types of photocatalytic materials and the mechanisms for PCO of VOCs are briefly discussed. Then, both the catalyst's immobilization techniques and reactor designs are reviewed in detail. Finally, the existing challenges and future perspectives for PCO of VOCs are proposed. This work aims to provide updated information and research inspirations for the commercialization of this technology in the future.

A U-shaped association between serum albumin with total triiodothyronine in adults.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid dysfunction is a common thyroid disorder in our life and its symptoms are non-specific, therefore the diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction is important for patients. Albumin (ALB) can carry thyroid hormones to their sites of action as a way to achieve rapid delivery of thyroid hormones to the tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum ALB levels and total triiodothyronine (TT3) in adults. METHODS: Data from the 2007-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to examine the association between ALB and TT3 using multivariate logistic regression models. Fitting smoothed curves and generalized weighted models were also used. RESULTS: The analysis included a total of 7933 participants that we found an independent positive relationship between ALB and TT3 among participants [0.006 (0.003, 0.009)]. In men, there was a significant positive correlation between ALB and TT3, whereas in women ALB and TT3 suggested a significant negative correlation. Moreover, our study revealed that the independent association between the levels of ALB and TT3 was significant in Non-Hispanic White, but not in Non-Hispanic Black. Notably, we found a U-shaped association between ALB and serum TT3 in total participants (inflection point for ALB: 41 g/L) and females after adjusted covariates (inflection point for ALB: 46 g/L). CONCLUSIONS: We found a U-shaped relationship between serum ALB and TT3 with infection point at 41 g/L for ALB, which may provide a reference for future screening in adults with thyroid dysfunction.

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Metal Ion Precursors for the Synthesis of Nanocomposites for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising materials with fascinating properties. Their widespread applications are sometimes hindered by the intrinsic instability of frameworks. However, this instability of MOFs can also be exploited for useful purposes. Herein, we report the use of MOFs as metal ion precursors for constructing functional nanocomposites by utilizing the instability of MOFs. The heterogeneous growth process of nanostructures on substrates involves the release of metal ions, nucleation on substrates, and formation of a covering structure. Specifically, the synthesized CoS with carbon nanotubes as substrates display enhanced performance in a lithium-ion battery. Such strategy not only presents a new way for exploiting the instability of MOFs but also supplies a prospect for designing versatile functional nanocomposites.