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Phosphate-activation sequence has vital influence on the performance and mechanism of Cd(II) removal by biochar. Hence, the difference activation sequences (pyrolysis-impregnation, impregnation-pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis) were employed to produce K 3 PO 4 activated sludge biochar to investigate the differences of Cd(II) sorption behavior and mechanism from aqueous solution. Compared to pristine sludge biochar (SBC) and pyrolysis-impregnation activated biochar (SBC-IB), the surface of impregnation-pyrolysis activated sludge biochar (SBC-IS) and co-pyrolysis activated sludge biochar (SBC-CS) exhibited rougher, more porous and higher graphitized. Compared to SBC (66.53 mg/g), SBC-IB (141.89 mg/g) and SBC-IS (175.34 mg/g), SBC-CS (262.39 mg/g) possessed the largest Cd(II) adsorption capacity at 303 K. The sorption mechanism could include complexation, precipitation, Cd(II)-π interaction and cation exchange. By quantifying the mechanism contribution, pyrolysis-impregnation mainly improved complexation capacity, whereas impregnation-pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis primarily enhanced the contribution of precipitation and ion exchange. This work could provide a comprehensive guide for phosphate-activated biochar. • Investigating characteristic differences in phosphate activated sludge biochar. • Comparing Cd(II) adsorption performance on phosphate activated biochar. • Uncovering relationships between adsorption performance and activation sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injection of urethral bulking agents is a low-risk, minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI). In this study, we developed a promising injectable bulking agent comprising extracellular matrix fragments of adipose-derived stem cell sheets (ADSC ECM) and investigated its effectiveness in urethral bulking therapy. The structural integrity and proteins of ADSC sheet ECM were well retained in decellularized ADSC ECM fragments. To locate transplanted ADSC ECM fragments, they were labeled with ultrasmall super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, which enabled in vivo monitoring after implantation in a SUI rat model for up to 4 weeks. When ADSC ECM fragments were injected into the rat urethra, they became fully integrated with the surrounding tissue within 1 week. Four weeks after transplantation, host cells had regenerated within the ADSC ECM fragment injection area. Moreover, new smooth muscle tissue had formed around the ADSC ECM fragments, as confirmed by positive staining of myosin. These results indicate that injection of ECM fragments may be a promising minimally invasive approach for treating SUI. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Cell-seeded scaffolds are a common route of cell transplantation for bladder repair and reconstruction. However, when cell suspensions are harvested, proteolytic enzymes often cause extracellular matrix damage and loss of intercellular junctions. To overcome this problem, we developed a bioengineered three-dimensional bladder patch comprising porous scaffolds and multilayered adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) sheets, and evaluated its feasibility for bladder regeneration in a rat model. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were labeled with ultrasmall super-paramagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles. ASC patches were constructed using multilayered USPIO-labeled ASC sheets and porous polyglycolic acid scaffolds. To monitor the distribution and localization of bioengineered bladder patches in live animals, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after transplantation. The bladder regenerative potential of ASC patches was further evaluated by urodynamic and histological analysis. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that cell sheets adhered tightly to the scaffold. MRI showed hypointense signals that lasted up to 8 weeks at the site of USPIO-labeled ASC sheet transplants. Immunofluorescence demonstrated that these tissue-engineered bladder patches promoted regeneration of urothelium, smooth muscle, neural cells and blood vessels. Urodynamic testing revealed that the ASC patch restored bladder function with augmented capacity. The USPIO-labeled ASC patch provides a promising perspective on image-guided tissue engineering and holds great promise as a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for bladder regeneration. Statement of Significance Adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) sheets avoid enzymatic dissociation and preserve the cell-to-cell interactions and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which exhibit great potential for tissue regeneration. In this study, we developed a bioengineered three-dimensional bladder patch comprising porous scaffolds and multilayered ASC sheets, and evaluated its feasibility for bladder regeneration in a rat model. Tissue-engineered bladder patches restored bladder function and promoted regeneration of urothelium, smooth muscle, neural cells and blood vessels. Moreover, ultrasmall super-paramagnetic iron oxide (USPIO)-labeled bladder patches can be dynamically monitored in vivo by noninvasive MRI for long periods of time. Therefore, The USPIO-labeled bladder patch provides a promising image-guided therapeutic strategy for bladder regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe a new technique for harvesting the long lingual mucosal graft (LMG) to repair the long-segment urethral strictures.Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study of patients from whom LMGs were harvested from the lateral lining of the tongue for the long-segment anterior urethral strictures repair from 2012 to 2014 at the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital. Patients who had 12 months minimum follow-up were included. Patients with incomplete clinical records were excluded. The LMG was applied on the urethra according to the dorsal onlay technique.Results: The primary outcome of the study was the postoperative failure-free survival rate. The secondary outcome was the rate of early and late complications at the harvesting site. Success was defined as Qmax >12 ml/s and no postoperative procedures. One hundred and one patients were included. Median stricture length was 7.1 ± 3.6 cm; median LMG length was 7.2 ± 3.6 cm. The success rate was 81.2% with a median follow-up of 23 months. Complications at the donor site had occurred in 41 patients at 6-months follow-up, and persisted in 18 patients at the 12-months follow-up. A bilateral harvest and harvest length were the main factors influencing complication rate (P = .0038 for 6 months and P = .1112 for 12 months). Almost half of donor site complications subsided within 12 months (P = .0018).Conclusion: In patients requiring long oral grafts >7 cm to repair anterior strictures, a valid option is to harvest the graft from the lateral lining of the tongue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The C-CN-NS500 nanocomposite as a photocatalyst was prepared successfully. • The quantum confinement effect of C-CN-NS500 was discussed. • The mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic degradation of SDZ by C-CN-NS500 was schematically proposed. • C-CN-NS500 has high biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity for A549 cells. A metal-free environmentally-friendly and highly efficient photocatalyst is always desirable for photocatalytic remediation of antibiotic contamination. Herein, we firstly reported a novel g-C 3 N 4 /carbon dots nanosheets (C-CN-NS) nanocomposite photocatalyst which was prepared through a simple thermal oxidation etching process to remove a representative antibiotic sulfadiazine (SDZ). The degradation rate of SDZ by C-CN-NS500 (calcination temperature at 500 °C) was around 2.4 times larger than that of g-C 3 N 4 /carbon dots (C-CN) under visible light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation. The valence band of C-CN-NS500 increased by 0.42 eV under the quantum confinement effect, which promoted the oxidation potential, in favor of the degradation of SDZ. Increased specific surface area, improved separation efficiency and prolonged contact time for C-CN-NS500 can also facilitate the degradation of SDZ. Experiments demonstrated that photo-induced hole (h+) has the strongest effect in photocatalytic degradation process, followed by O 2 −, and OH. The toxicity assessment showed that C-CN-NS500 nanocomposite has high biocompatibility and low toxicity. This work may provide a promising green photocatalyst for photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic contaminant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell-based injectable therapy utilizing stem cells is a promising approach for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Applying a magnetically controlled cell delivery approach has enormous potential to enhance cell retention capability within the specified site. To assess the therapeutic efficacy of cellular magnetic targeting, we applied an external magnetic force to target an adipose-derived stem cell based therapy in a rat model of SUI. The results revealed that magnetic attraction of transplanted cells under the magnetic field was generated by cell uptake of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in vitro. More importantly, magnetic targeting improved the retention rate of transplanted cells and facilitated the restoration of sphincter structure and function in a rat SUI model according to the results of histological examination and urodynamic testing. Therefore, magnetically guided targeting strategy might be a potential therapy method for treatment of SUI. Schematic illustration of the magnetically targeted cell delivery in a rat model of SUI. In vitro, the magnetically labeled cells could be organized via magnetic force to accumulate at the edge of toroidal permanent magnet. As the magnetically labeled cells are injected in the urethral sphincter area, they can be attracted and accumulated at the target site with the application of magnetic field. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaching of uranium in uranium soil will pose great risks to human health and the ecological environment. The immobilization of uranium by coal gangue geopolymers (CGG) and Nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAP)-based composite geopolymers were investigated in this study. The ability of geopolymers to immobilize uranium was evaluated in terms of the static and dynamic leaching concentration. The experimental results confirmed that the lowest static leaching concentration of composite uranium soil solidified body and uranium soil solidified body was 15.94 mg/kg and 21.27 mg/kg after 28 days of immobilization, respectively. During the 28-d dynamic leaching experiment, the highest leaching concentration was 155.38 mg/kg and 166.63 mg/kg, respectively. The composite uranium soil solidified body shows better overall leaching resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]