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In recent years, the biological functions of human milk oligosaccharides and the potential toxic effects of red meat on human health have attracted considerable attention. Sialic acid is an important carbohydrate in milk and red meat, corresponding to sialylated oligosaccharides and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc, one type of sialic acid). Herein, we reviewed the metabolic fate of dietary sialic acid in the body and their effects on gut and oral microbes. In summary, dietary NeuAc monomer is directly excreted through urine after being assimilated through the intestines and is not utilized by the human body; in contrast, dietary NeuGc from red meat is easily utilized by the human body and can be incorporated into the brain and other organs. Sialoglycans can be partially utilized by the human body, but they do not affect the cognitive development and growth of children. Dietary sialic acid may mainly regulate the growth and metabolism of gastrointestinal microbiota and human health and development through the gut–brain axis.

ABSTRACTA double in situ process, combination of injection chemical vapour deposition and biomineralisation, was used to fabricate carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-reinforced apatite composite coatings on carbon/carbon composite. The SEM images and XPS spectra showed that CNTs were wrapped in apatite and the apatite layer became dense with prolonging the immersion time. The results of the corrosion resistance of the apatite composite coatings, which was evaluated by electrochemical techniques, showed a trend that the longer biomineralisation time contributed to the more stable coating in simulated body fluid. The dense apatite layer is not beneficial for the conduction of electrons, which leads to the low value of polarisation current and high value of polarisation impedance.

A double in situ process, combination of injection chemical vapour deposition and biomineralisation, was used to fabricate carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-reinforced apatite composite coatings on carbon/carbon composite. The SEM images and XPS spectra showed that CNTs were wrapped in apatite and the apatite layer became dense with prolonging the immersion time. The results of the corrosion resistance of the apatite composite coatings, which was evaluated by electrochemical techniques, showed a trend that the longer biomineralisation time contributed to the more stable coating in simulated body fluid. The dense apatite layer is not beneficial for the conduction of electrons, which leads to the low value of polarisation current and high value of polarisation impedance.

ABSTRACTHydroxyapatite (HA) coatings were synthesised on carbon/carbon composites (C/C) with a graphene oxide (GO) interlayer. The morphology and microstructure of the GO interlayer and the HA coating were researched. The effect of applying GO interlayer on the morphology and microstructure of HA coating was investigated. The in vitrobioactivity of HA coating for C/C with GO interlayer was investigated. The results indicated that the GO interlayer was spread on the surface of C/C substrate uniformly. The morphology of the HA coating on original C/C was uneven composed of HA grains with a length 10–50 μm and nanoplate structure HA grains. The morphology of the HA coating with GO interlayer was uniform composed of single nanoplate structure HA grains. The formation process of the HA coating on C/C with GO interlayer was discussed. In addition, the simulated body fluid immersion tests showed that the HA coating with GO interlayer exhibited good bioactivity.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings were synthesised on carbon/carbon composites (C/C) with a graphene oxide (GO) interlayer. The morphology and microstructure of the GO interlayer and the HA coating were researched. The effect of applying GO interlayer on the morphology and microstructure of HA coating was investigated. The in vitrobioactivity of HA coating for C/C with GO interlayer was investigated. The results indicated that the GO interlayer was spread on the surface of C/C substrate uniformly. The morphology of the HA coating on original C/C was uneven composed of HA grains with a length 10–50 µm and nanoplate structure HA grains. The morphology of the HA coating with GO interlayer was uniform composed of single nanoplate structure HA grains. The formation process of the HA coating on C/C with GO interlayer was discussed. In addition, the simulated body fluid immersion tests showed that the HA coating with GO interlayer exhibited good bioactivity.

Groundwater treatment sludge is an industrial waste that is massively produced from groundwater treatment plants. Conventional methods for treatment of this sludge, such as discharge into deep wells or the sea, or disposal at landfills, are not environmentally sustainable. Here, we demonstrate an alternative strategy to recycle the sludge by preparing a magnetic maghemite adsorbent via a one-step hydrothermal method with NaOH solution as the only solvent. With this method, the weakly magnetized sludge, which contained 33.2% iron (Fe) and other impurities (e.g., silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), and manganese (Mn)), was converted to magnetic adsorbent (MA) with the dissolution of Si/Al oxides (e.g., quartz and albite) into the liquid fraction. At a NaOH concentration of 2 mol·L-1, approximately 18.1% of the ferrihydrite in the Fe oxides of the sludge was converted into 11.2% maghemite and 6.9% hematite after the hydrothermal treatment. MA2 (i.e., MA produced by a 2 mol·L-1 NaOH concentration) exhibited a good magnetic response of 8.2 emu·g-1 (1 emu = 10-3 A·m²), and a desirable surface site concentration of 0.75 mmol·g-1. The synthesized MA2 was used to adsorb the cationic pollutant tetracycline (TC). The adsorption kinetics of TC onto MA2 fitted well with a pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption isotherms complied well with the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacity of MA2 for TC was 362.3 mg·g-1, and the main mechanism for TC adsorption was cationic exchange. This study is the first to demonstrate the preparation of an MA from recycled sludge without a reductant and/or exogenous Fe source. The prepared adsorbent can be used as a low-cost adsorbent with high capacity for TC sorption in the treatment of TC-containing wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a cytokine belonging to the chemokine family. It plays a key role in the differentiation, development, and maturation of T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes, which is pivotal to adaptive immunity. In addition to its role in lymphocyte development, recent studies have indicated the antitumor functions of IL-7 in the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we discuss the role of IL-7 in tumors and summarize its antitumor potential and clinical application in lymphoma, leukemia, breast cancer, colon cancer, and so on. Furthermore, the combinational strategies of IL-7 and other antitumor drugs have been also discussed.