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Unique nanostructures contribute to optimizing gas-sensitive properties, which has been widely acknowledged in the field of gas sensing. However, the construction of nanostructures by the in situ method is still challenging. In this work, nanorod-assembled SnWO4 was fabricated directly on interdigital electrodes by a one-step aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. The xylene gas sensor was developed, featuring low detection limits and fast response. Under the operating temperature of 350°C, the detection limit of the SnWO4 sensor for xylene reaches a minimal level of 10 ppb. Meanwhile, the sensor exhibits excellent performance in response time, providing a rapid response of 2 s to 100 ppm xylene. Apart from this, the sensor also exhibits good selectivity. Among various volatile organic compound gases of the same 100 ppm at 350°C, the sensor's response to xylene (484%) is 3.6 times that of toluene and 5.3 times that of benzene. The excellent gas-sensing performance is primarily due to the unique structural properties of nanorod-assembled SnWO4. This paper holds significant research potential in the field of gas sensing, particularly for the development of high-performance xylene sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollutants, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are associated with various diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD). However, despite numerous studies on AD, there is a lack of research on the impact of various environmental exposures on mothers and infants. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of maternal exposure to specific VOCs (toluene, xylene, and benzene) on the expression of AD-related genes in mothers and their infants. RNA expression levels and DNA methylation patterns were analyzed to examine the correlation between environmental exposures and AD. A multi-omics approach integrating gene expression and methylation data was additionally employed to gain a broader understanding of the genetic impact of VOC exposure. Network analysis revealed significant changes in gene expression associated with AD. For example, maternal exposure to toluene resulted in the upregulation of AQP10, which is linked to keratinocyte dysfunction, and in infants, the genes IL31RA and CCL20 were notably affected, both of which play critical roles in immune response and skin barrier function. In mothers exposed to xylene, the histamine receptor gene HRH1 was identified as a key player in influencing AD through its role in skin barrier recovery, while infants exhibited consistent network responses with upregulation of IL31RA and downregulation of TIGIT, reflecting a shared response across different xylene isomers. Interestingly, infants exposed to xylene isomers displayed nearly identical gene network patterns, suggesting developmental resistance to diverse environmental factors. No significant gene changes were identified in the benzene-exposed group. These findings suggest that exposure to specific VOCs may have different effects on gene expression related to AD, highlighting the complexity of how environmental factors contribute to disease development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality RNA is crucial in clinical diagnostics and precision medicine. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues pose a challenge due to nucleic acid fragmentation and crosslinking. In this pilot study, various commercially available techniques for extracting RNA from small FFPE samples were compared. We evaluated the KingFisher Duo automated system or the manual MagMAX FFPE DNA/RNA Ultra Kit as an RNA extraction method combined with either a xylene, d-limonene, or AutoLys M tubes deparaffinization method. Additionally, the automated Maxwell RSC RNA FFPE kit and the High Pure FFPET RNA Isolation Kit were examined using FFPE samples from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, as well as samples from ovarian, kidney, and breast cancer and the skin. The KingFisher Duo system gave a higher yield and more consistent RNA quantities, especially from small volumes of IBD samples, compared to manual extraction. The deparaffinization method also impacted results, with AutoLys M tubes proving effective in combination with the KingFisher Duo system. Conversely, the High Pure kit exhibited higher yields for larger FFPE samples. While RNA integrity is a critical factor, particularly for messenger RNA (mRNA) expression studies, its role is less prominent in microRNA (miRNA) analyses. Recognizing this, our study focused on RNA yield and purity (A260/A230) to evaluate RNA extraction methods for various sample types. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting appropriate RNA extraction methods based on sample characteristics and research goals, highlighting the performance of automated methods and the impact of deparaffinization choices. The findings contribute to refining RNA extraction for molecular biology analyses, suggesting avenues for further exploration, including cost-effectiveness under specific experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are hazardous toxic pollutants in the air, which are released from various industrial sources. Due to the adverse effects of xylene on health, the effective removal of VOCs from the air by nano sorbents is crucial. In this study, nanographene (NG) and nanographene oxide (NGO) were used as adsorbents to investigate the efficiency of xylene removal. Material and Methods: In this study, in order to investigate the absorption efficiency of nanographene and nanographene oxide after the synthesis of nano absorbents in a dynamic system, xylene vapor was produced in a chamber in pure air and stored in a Tedlar sampling bag and then transferred to the adsorbent. Subsequently, the effect of various parameters such as xylene concentration, inlet air flow rate, and absorbent mass values at 32% humidity and 25°C temperature on the absorption rate and performance of the desired absorbents was investigated. Finally, the gas chromatographic flame ion detector (GC-FID) determined the concentration of xylene in air after the adsorption-desorption process. Results: The average adsorption efficiencies for NG and NGO were found to be 96.8% and 17.5%, respectively. The characteristics of the NG and NGO adsorbents indicated that the particle size range was less than 100 nanometers. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the adsorption efficiency of NG for the removal of xylene from the air is higher than that of NGO. The GC-MS method validated the proposed approach in real air samples.

BackgroundA large body of cross-sectional studies have indicated a correlation between exposure to benzene series and increased rates of menstrual abnormalities in female workers, but these findings are confusing as evidence in the field of preventive medicine. ObjectiveTo provide a more rigorous scientific basis for early prevention of reproductive function impairment through systematic review of independent studies. MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted for scientific articles published between January 1987 and July 2022, encompassing databases such as PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, and CQVIP. A meta-analysis was conducted on literature that met the stringent criteria for case-control studies, featuring well-defined and consistent datasets. A meticulous investigation was executed to ascertain the collective odds ratio (OR) linked to menstrual abnormalities, encompassing diverse categories such as component, dosage, cumulative exposure dosage, and age groups. The prevalence and corresponding risk fractions were estimated by calculating frequency distributions and attributing risk percentages (AR). ResultsA total of 53 papers of case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis, involving 27068 benzene series-exposed female workers and 22857 control female workers. During inhalation exposure to benzene series, benzene, toluene, and xylene all increased the risk of female menstrual abnormalities (OR=3.46, 95%CI: 2.79, 4.30, AR=29.37%). The OR value elevated with the increase of joint exposure concentration (OR=2.57-4.33), the OR value of the low cumulative exposure group was lower than that of the high cumulative exposure group (OR=2.81 vs 3.86, P < 0.01), and the OR value of the group aged 18 to 36 years old was higher than that of the group aged 18 to 45 years old (OR=5.83 vs 2.93, P < 0.01). The OR value discrepancy was apparent among the groups with single and multi-components of benzene, toluene, and xylene at different concentrations (OR=2.39-6.42, 95%CI: 1.26, 9.06). The symptom dimensions of menstrual abnormalities with a higher AR were abnormal menstrual volume (AR=47.12%), followed by abnormal menstrual cycle (AR=38.68%). The symptoms that were greatly influenced by the exposures were: irregular menstrual cycle (OR=3.33, 95%CI: 2.94, 3.79, AR=51.25%, n=1103), menorrhagia (OR=3.02, 95%CI: 2.76, 3.30, AR=46.73%, n=2262), dysmenorrhea (OR=3.22, 95%CI: 2.69, 3.84, AR=44.18%, n=3183), and prolonged menstrual duration (OR=2.20, 95%CI: 1.99, 2.43, AR=37.02%, n=1452). Conclusion Through inhalation exposure to benzene series, a higher concentration of combined benzene, toluene, and xylenes may increase the risk of menstrual abnormalities in female workers of childbearing age. The OR value of menstrual abnormalities is varied by chemical composition, exposure dose, cumulative exposure dose, and age. Volume and cycle of menstruation are affected by the exposure, and the most common symptoms are dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, irregular cycle.

BackgroundWorkers engaged in benzene-exposed or benzene-containing solvent-exposed operations in China are predominantly subjected to a low concentration of benzene series compounds, and prolonged exposure to low concentrations of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) may have implications for blood pressure. ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of low-concentration BTX exposure on the blood pressure of workers, aiming to provide a basis for enterprises to devise associated health management strategies to mitigate the occurrence of hypertension among workers exposed to low concentrations of BTX. MethodsUsing a cross-sectional design, 884 workers from a petroleum refining enterprise in Hainan who participated in an occupational health examination in 2022 were selected as the study population, and were divided into an exposure group of 649 workers and a control group of 235 workers based on their reporting of BTX exposure or not. Data on workplace BTX concentrations and health examinations of the study subjects were collected and questionnaires were administered. In addition, S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA), hippuric acid (HA), and methyl hippuric acid (MHA, including the three isomers 2-MHA, 3-MHA, and 4-MHA) were measured in the urine of the workers using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry to assess internal BTX burden. The effects of low-concentration BTX exposure on blood pressure were analyzed. ResultsIn 2022, the concentrations of benzene, toluene, and xylene of all monitoring points did not exceeded the national limits by either time-weighted average (TWA) or short-term exposure limit (STEL), indicating low-concentration BTX exposure. Regarding the internal burden of BTX, the concentrations of benzene metabolite S-PMA, toluene metabolite HA, and xylene metabolites 3-MHA and 4-MHA in the urine samples in the exposure group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between urinary S-PMA concentration and diastolic blood pressure in the workers (r=0.265, P < 0.05). Differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure distributions were statistically significant among workers grouped by sex, age, work years, educational levels, monthly income, body mass index (BMI), alcohol use, dietary oil, and types of residential address (P < 0.05). Significant differences in systolic blood pressure distribution were observed among workers by smoking status and levels of labor intensity (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the workers in the exposure group exhibited a significant increase in diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05). The results of multiple linear regression showed that age, sex, and BMI had statistically significant effects on systolic blood pressure (P < 0.05), while age, work years, and BMI had statistically significant effects on diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05). The systolic blood pressure of age > 35 years, male, overweight and obese workers was significantly higher than that of age ≤ 35 years, female, and underweight workers, and the diastolic blood pressure of age > 35 years, work years > 5 years, and obese workers was higher than age ≤35 years, ≤5 years of service, and underweight workers. Low-concentration BTX exposure was one of the main influencing factors for elevated diastolic blood pressure, and the exposed workers showed a 1.337 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure compared to the control group (P < 0.05). ConclusionLow-concentration BTX exposure, work years > 5 years, and obesity may elevate blood pressure among petroleum refininig workers. Regular blood pressure monitoring and enhanced health interventions for this occupational group are warranted.

The rapid and skillful detection of toxic gases is a crucial requirement for the advancement of gas sensors. In this study, we fabricated undoped and In-doped (1 %, 3 %, and 5 % by weight) ZnO films using a two-step modified SILAR deposition technique. The ethanol gas sensing properties of both undoped and In-doped ZnO films were examined across a range of operating temperatures (from room temperature, 27 °C–200 °C) and concentrations (1 ppm–50 ppm). Of all the films, those doped with 5 % Indium exhibited the most stable, reproducible, and highest response, achieving 86.27 % at 50 ppm ethanol at an operating temperature of 100 °C. Compared to the undoped ZnO films, all Indium-doped ZnO films demonstrated significantly shorter response times (17 s) and recovery times (19 s). The response of all the deposited films to various gases such as acetone, methanol, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde was lower than their response to ethanol. The mechanism behind the enhanced sensing characteristics of the Indium-doped ZnO films is explored. Additionally, the impact of humidity on sensor performance was investigated. This study reveals that 5 % In-doped ZnO films hold great potential as materials for ethanol gas sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to characterize previously isolated lactic acid bacteria Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LG138 from primate feces for its probiotic potential. The ability of the isolate to withstand different in vitro gastrointestinal stresses was assessed over a period of time i.e. at pH 2.0 and 3.0, bile salts (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 %) and lysozyme (50,100, 150 mg/ml). Further the L. plantarum LG138 was tested for hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation and co-aggregation abilities, coexistence, exopolysaccharide production and hemolytic activity. The isolate demonstrated significant growth in the presence of different types of artificial digestive conditions (low pH, bile and lysozyme).Furthermore, oxbiledid not affect the viability of L. plantarum LG 138 cells compared to the control. The isolate L. plantarumLG138 exhibited 65.7 ± 0.32 % auto-aggregation after 24 h incubation. The hydrophobicity test found the culture moderately hydrophobic (35 to 69 %) for hexadecane and highly hydrophobic (70 to 100 %) for toluene and xylene. Moreover, it was observed to co-aggregate (66.13 ± 0.18 %) with a pathogen, Shigellaflexneri, without antagonizing other probiotic bacteria. L. plantarumLG138 was found to be able to produce exopolysaccharide and found to be non-hemolytic. These findings highlight the potential of L. plantarum LG138 as a promising probiotic candidate, suitable for incorporation into pelleted orgranulated animal feed formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) from air was investigated in two similar biotrickling filters (BTFs) packed with polyurethane (PU) foam, differing in terms of inoculation procedure (BTF A was packed with pre-incubated PU discs, and BTF B was inoculated via the continuous recirculation of a liquid inoculum). The effects of white rot fungi enzyme extract addition and system responses to variable VOC loading, liquid trickling patterns, and pH were studied. Positive effects of both packing incubation and enzyme addition on biotrickling filtration performance were identified. BFF A exhibited a shorter start-up period (approximately 20 days) and lower pressure drop (75 ± 6 mm H2O) than BTF B (30 days; 86 ± 5 mm H2O), indicating the superior effects of packing incubation over inoculum circulation during the biotrickling filter start-up. The novel approach of using white rot fungi extracts resulted in fast system recovery and enhanced process performance after the BTF acidification episode. Average BTEX elimination capacities of 28.8 ± 0.4 g/(m3 h) and 23.1 ± 0.4 g/(m3 h) were reached for BTF A and BTF B, respectively. This study presents new strategies for controlling and improving the abatement of BTEX in biotrickling filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Xylene, a common solvent in painting, printing, and shoemaking, enters the body through inhalation of vapors. Methods This observational analytic study aimed to examine the relationship between xylene concentration, xylene RQ, and liver function in industrial workers in Surabaya, especially in shoe industries. The chi-square method was utilized for data analysis. To ensure the validity and reliability of the study results, air and blood sampling procedures were implemented. Air sampling was conducted to measure xylene concentrations in the workplace environment, while blood samples were collected from workers to assess Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT) and Serum Glutamic Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT) levels. The study was conducted in five regions in Surabaya, namely Kalijudan, Ketintang, Jemursari, AUP, and Romokalisari. The population includes a total of 90 workers with 77 of them taken as samples using the accidental sampling method. Results The results show that there is a relationship between xylene concentration and Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT) levels (p> 0.05); (r = 0,65) and there is no relationship between xylene concentrations and Serum Glutamic Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT) levels (p> 0.05); (r = -0,12). There was no relationship between RQ and SGOT levels (p> 0.05) and there was no relationship between RQ and SGPT levels (p> 0.05). However, from the calculation of the prevalence ratio, workers with unsafe RQ (RQ>1) have a 7.09x greater chance of experiencing damage to SGOT levels and a 1.06x greater chance of experiencing damage to SGPT levels. Conclusions Xylene exposure (concentration & RQ) affects liver enzyme levels (SGOT/SGPT) in workers. Industries should consider providing nutritious food to aid xylene removal and stricter safety policies are needed. This study highlights the importance of a holistic approach to worker health and safety when dealing with hazardous chemicals.

In order to evaluate the beneficiation plant environment in a more scientific and reasonable way, this paper took the workshop environment of the beneficiation plant as the research object. This paper divided the beneficiation plant into 7 evaluation units according to its functions. The evaluation indices are dust, noise, light environment, microclimate, benzene, toluene and xylene. This paper combines the G1 method and the entropy weight method to evaluate the weight of each evaluation index, the element extension model of the concentrator working environment is established by the element analysis method, and the matter element analysis method is used to establish an evaluation index system of a beneficiation plant in East China. The results show that the evaluation level of the breaking workshop and the auxiliary facilities are unqualified, the auxiliary facility is qualified, the culling workshop, culled yard and accessory building are medium, the screening workshop and grinding workshop are good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the artificial neural network (ANN) modeling of simultaneous biofiltration of methane (CH4) with two volatile organic compounds (VOCs): xylene and ethylbenzene, using an inorganic packed bed biofilter at an empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 4.5 min. Results showed that the removal efficiency (RE) of CH4 was in the range of 50 to 60% for concentrations of 1000 to 10,000 ppmv (0.6 to 6.5 g m−3), while the VOCs-REs were between 70 and 90% for X and EB concentrations in the range of 200 to 500 ppmv (0.9 to 2.2 g m−3). Artificial neural networks were used to predict and simulate the performances of the biofilter, based on a database containing previous biofiltration works. The ANN1 (architecture of 3 (input layer)-18 (hidden layer)-1 (output layer)) accurately predicted CH4 conversion at the pseudo-steadystate condition, while the ANN2 (4 (input layer)-18 (hidden layer)-2 (output layer)) predicted the simultaneous conversion of CH4 and VOCs with slightly lower accuracy than ANN1. The ANN3 (4 (input layer)-30 (hidden layer)-1 (output layer)) successfully predicted the acclimation period and final phase (CH4 concentration of 10,000 ppmv) of the biofilter but could not accurately predict the transient phases and showed differences (up to 20%) from experimental results once the CH4 concentration was changed. This study developed a decision support and prediction tool to anticipate the performance of biofilters in treating residual gases containing CH4 and VOCs, avoiding costs and delays associated with experimentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in developing portable and personal devices for measuring air quality and surrounding pollutants, partly due to the need for ventilation in the aftermath of COVID-19 situation. Moreover, the monitoring of hazardous chemical agents is a focus for ensuring compliance with safety standards and is an indispensable component in safeguarding human welfare. Air quality measurement is conducted by public institutions with high precision but costly equipment, which requires constant calibration and maintenance by highly qualified personnel for its proper operation. Such devices, used as reference stations, have a low spatial resolution since, due to their high cost, they are usually located in a few fixed places in the city or region to be studied. However, they also have a low temporal resolution, providing few samples per hour. To overcome these drawbacks and to provide people with personalized and up-to-date air quality information, a personal device (smartwatch) based on MEMS gas sensors has been developed. The methodology followed to validate the performance of the prototype was as follows: firstly, the detection capability was tested by measuring carbon dioxide and methane at different concentrations, resulting in low detection limits; secondly, several experiments were performed to test the discrimination capability against gases such as toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene. principal component analysis of the data showed good separation and discrimination between the gases measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of decreasing the entanglement density of macromolecules on the crystallization of the β-form of polypropylene was investigated. Polypropylene with seven times less entanglement was obtained from a solution in xylene, and its properties were compared with those of fully entangled polypropylene. To obtain a high β-phase content, the polymer was nucleated using calcium pimelate. In non-isothermal crystallization studies, accelerated growth of β-crystals was found, increasing the crystallization temperature. Also, the isothermal crystallization was fastest in the nucleated, partially disentangled polypropylene. Increased growth rate of spherulites and enhanced nucleation activity in the presence of more mobile macromolecules were responsible for the high rate of melt conversion to crystals in the disentangled polypropylene. It was also observed that the equilibrium melting temperature of β-crystals is lower after disentangling macromolecules. Better conditions for crystal building after reduction of entanglements resulted in enhanced crystallization according to regime II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modifying with rare earth elements has been proven to be an effective means of enhancing the gas-sensing properties of oxides. In this work, Gd-In2O3 based sensor was developed, which showed high response to 100 ppm xylene gas ( = 17.8) fast response time (11 s) at 350 °C, this response value was 5.4 times higher compared to the unmodified In2O3 sensor ( =3.3). The introduction of the rare earth element not only improves the electrical properties of the sensitive material to provide a more suitable resistance but also strengthens the gas adsorption ability and the catalytic effect on the surface of the sensitive material, leading to enhanced sensing performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to the lack of cadavers, anatomists across the nation are facing trouble in teaching. Plastinated specimens can be used to get around this deficiency and reliance. Aim: To assess the change in weight during plastination using melamine. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional cadaveric study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy at GMC Kota, Rajasthan, India, using nine specimens from cadavers obtained between June 2016 and June 2017. Freshly dissected specimens from a fresh cadaver were used for plastination. The weight reduction after dehydration using acetone (three changes of seven days each), degreasing using xylene (three changes of seven days each), impregnation with a melamine-xylene mixture (10 days in a vacuum), and curing was recorded. Weight was measured using a digital weighing balance and recorded after each step. All statistical analyses were performed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in MedCalc software version 22.009. Results: There was a gradual weight loss after each step except for impregnation. The percentage of mean weight after dehydration was 58.59±4.03%, after degreasing was 56.21±2.55%, after impregnation was 66.06±4.69%, and after curing was 48.26±5.39% and p-value was highly significant (

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of ultrasonic tip with and without solvent in removing gutta-perca and bioceramic sealer from the middle and apical third of the root canals. Methods: This is a true experimental study with randomized pretest-posttest control group design. Eighteen freshly extracted straight single-rooted mandibular first premolars were confirmed by CBCT and selected. The teeth were decoronated until a length of 16 ± 0.5mm. The teeth were prepared and obturated using gutta-percha and bioceramic sealer with a hydraulic condensation technique. Pre-instrumentation CBCT imaging of all teeth was carried out to obtain the initial volume of the obturation material. After incubating for 30 days, the treated teeth were randomly divided into three groups (n = 6): ultrasonic and xylene, ultrasonic and orange oil, and ultrasonic only. Post-instrumentation CBCT was carried out and the amount of obturation material removed was calculated using CT Analyser. The two-way ANOVA was used to determine the solvent and location interaction. Results: The results showed that there was no significant difference among the groups based on the treatment and location (p > 0.05). In addition, no significant interaction was found in relation to the cleanliness of the root canal (p > 0.05). Conclusion: There was no difference in the effectiveness of ultrasonic obturation material cleaning with and without endodontic solvents. Based on the results, the obturation material with the most residue is a sealer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to the lack of cadavers, anatomists across the nation are facing trouble in teaching. Plastinated specimens can be used to get around this deficiency and reliance. Aim: To assess the change in weight during plastination using melamine. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional cadaveric study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy at GMC Kota, Rajasthan, India, using nine specimens from cadavers obtained between June 2016 and June 2017. Freshly dissected specimens from a fresh cadaver were used for plastination. The weight reduction after dehydration using acetone (three changes of seven days each), degreasing using xylene (three changes of seven days each), impregnation with a melamine-xylene mixture (10 days in a vacuum), and curing was recorded. Weight was measured using a digital weighing balance and recorded after each step. All statistical analyses were performed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in MedCalc software version 22.009. Results: There was a gradual weight loss after each step except for impregnation. The percentage of mean weight after dehydration was 58.59±4.03%, after degreasing was 56.21±2.55%, after impregnation was 66.06±4.69%, and after curing was 48.26±5.39% and p-value was highly significant (<0.05). Conclusion: Continuous reduction in weight without distortion of anatomy resulted in lightweight plastinates which were odorfree and aesthetically pleasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the first example of the utilization of polar ester group functionalized pillar[6]arene (P6A-C10-OAc) as a stationary phase for capillary gas chromatographic (GC) separations. The statically coated P6A-C10-OAc column showed a high column efficiency of 5393 plates/m and moderate polar nature. Its resolving capability and retention behaviors were investigated for a mixture of 20 analytes and more than a dozen isomers from apolar to polar in nature. As evidenced, the P6A-C10-OAc column achieved high-resolution separations of all the analytes and good inertness. Importantly, it exhibited distinctly advantageous performance for high resolution of the challenging isomers of xylenes, diethylbenzenes, ethyltoluenes, and halobenzenes over the commercial HP-5 (5% phenyl dimethyl polysiloxane), HP-35 (25% phenyl dimethyl polysiloxane), and PEG-20M (polyethylene glycol) columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylene exposure is known to induce toxicity in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), leading to bone marrow suppression and potential leukemogenesis. However, research on the gene expression profiles associated with xylene-induced toxicity in HSPCs, and effective therapeutic interventions, remains scarce. In our study, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to capture the transcriptomic shifts within bone marrow HSPCs both prior to and following treatment with coniferyl ferulate (CF) in a mouse model of xylene-induced hematotoxicity. Subsequently, we pinpointed CF as a targeted agent using SPR-LC/MS analysis. This enabled us to confirm the link between the gene Mgst2 and specific cellular subtypes. Our data revealed that CF significantly countered the reduction of both monocyte and neutrophil progenitor cells, which are commonly affected by xylene toxicity. Through targeted analysis, we identified Mgst2 as a direct molecular target of CF. Notably, Mgst2 is preferentially expressed in neutrophil progenitor cells and is implicated in mitochondrial metabolic processes. By selectively inhibiting Mgst2 in bone marrow, we observed amelioration of xylene-induced hematotoxic effects. In summary, our findings suggest that coniferyl ferulate can mitigate the detrimental impact of xylene on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells by targeting Mgst2, particularly within subpopulations of neutrophil progenitors. This discovery not only advances our comprehension of the cellular response of HSPCs to xenobiotic stressors like xylene but also identifies CF and Mgst2 as potential therapeutic targets for alleviating xylene-induced hematotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microscopic observation of lung tissue is challenging due to its fragile nature. Xylene and isopropanol are common tissue-clearing reagents used before paraffin embedding, yet no studies have compared these two reagents in lung tissue processing. Due to the well-known health risks xylene could introduce to operators, as well as its environmental hazards, it has long been desired that a less harmful alternative to xylene with the same staining effects be introduced. Thus, we systematically assessed the efficacy of isopropanol as a substitution for xylene. Lung tissue obtained from diseased donors and explanted lungs from recipients were processed simultaneously using either xylene or isopropanol prior to paraffin embedding. Scoring of the overall staining quality after H&E staining, along with the ease of sectioning, was compared systematically. Fluorescent staining was performed to explore alveolar morphology and the overall lectin fluorescence signal between groups. To understand differences in antibody staining, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of smooth muscle actin (SMA) and elastin was examined. No difference was observed with regard to ease of sectioning, staining quality, alveolar circularity, alveolar wall thickness or the SNR between slides processed with xylene or isopropanol. This study demonstrated comparable outcomes of isopropanol and xylene in lung tissue processing, suggesting isopropanol as a more favorable, operator- and environment-friendly substitute for xylene with regards to tissue processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Inferior diffusion capacity and insufficient acid density hinder the practical application of ZSM-48 zeolite. Finding a simple and practical strategy to simultaneously address these two defects remains a challenge. In response to this dilemma, we developed an unconventional seed-assisted synthesis strategy for Al-rich hierarchical ZSM-48 zeolite. This approach allows for achieving a broader range of silica to alumina ratio and accelerates the entire crystallization process through the selection of unconventional seeds. The synergy between the seed and organic template was demonstrated to play a pivotal role in facilitating nucleation. Direct evidence from 1H-29Si CP MAS NMR, TG, and IR results demonstrates that hexamethonium ions (HM2+) electrostatically adsorb at the defect sites on the seed, thereby promoting nucleation sites formation. Smaller seed crystals undergo more etching during the induction period, resulting in additional defects and enhanced nucleation ability. The obtained catalyst exhibits a diffusion time constant (Deff/L2) nine times that of conventional ZSM-48 zeolite when using p -xylene as a probe molecule. In m -xylene isomerization reaction, Al-rich hierarchical ZSM-48 demonstrates excellent stability along with higher selectivity and yield for p -xylene compared to typical ZSM-5 catalysts. Remarkably, long-term testing of 1000 h yields over 22.5 % of p -xylene, indicating the potential of this catalyst as an alternative for xylene isomerization reaction. This work not only advances the practical application process of ZSM-48 catalyst but also provides valuable insights for optimizing other zeolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The preparation of biopsy specimens for sectioning needs to be processed by being exposed to various chemicals at varying concentrations. Rapid tissue processing (RaPT) is used to reduce the processing time by using methyl salicylate as a clearing agent instead of Xylene used in Routine Processing Technique (RoPT). The study was done to create a quick tissue processing method employing methyl salicylate as a clearing agent and to compare it to a Routine tissue processing method in terms of cost, shrinkage, duration of processing, and staining quality. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 tissue specimens were considered for this study. Both the routine processing technique (RoPT) and the rapid processing technique (RaPT) were used to process the tissue bit split into two halves. To assess for shrinking, tissue bit dimensions were measured before and after processing using both methods. On each specimen, the five most typical fields were picked, and pictures were taken and subjected to morphometric analysis to evaluate the cellular details. Results: The duration, cost, tissue shrinkage and staining quality were comparatively beneficial when using Rapid processing technique with methyl salicylate when compared to Routine processing technique with Xylene. Conclusion: This study can prove to be beneficial to pathology laboratories by reducing the waiting period for the delivery of the report and benefits the patients with early diagnosis and early treatment. We conclude that we can utilise methyl salicylate as an alternative to Xylene in tissue processing as a clearing agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylene is a significant material in histopatholoy staining, however, it poses health risks to people and therefore, the histopathologist requires a substitute which could be less costly with zero or to minimal health risk if ingested, inhaled or in direct contact with eyes or skin. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to evaluate the comparative performance of xylene and fresh lemon fruits extract as dewaxing agent in histopathology staining for liver, kidney, and lung in sectioned Wistar rats using appropriate standard techniques. Data obtained from both lemon water and using Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and a photomicrograph revealed that concentrated lemon water could serve as a bio-safe substitute for xylene in deparaffinization process during sectioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Styrene, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (SBTEX) are established neurotoxicants. SBTEX contains hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) that are released from the petrochemical industry, combustion process, transport emission, and solvent usage sources. Although several SBTEX toxic assessment studies have been conducted, they have mainly relied on ambient measurements to estimate exposure and limit their scope to specific locations and observational periods. To overcome these spatiotemporal limitations, an air quality modeling system over the US Gulf region was created, predicting the spatially and temporally enhanced SBTEX modeling concentrations from May to September 2012. Due to the incompleteness of SBTEX in the official US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Emission Inventory (NEI), the Hazardous Air Pollutions Imputation (HAPI) program was used to identify and estimate the missing HAP emissions. The improved emission data were processed to generate the chemically speciated hourly gridded emission inputs for the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) chemical transport model to simulate the SBTEX concentrations over the Gulf modeling region. SBTEX pollutants were modeled using the Reactive Tracer feature in CAMx that accounts for their chemical and physical processes in the atmosphere. The data show that the major SBTEX emissions in this region are contributed by mobile emissions (45 %), wildfire (30 %), and industry (26 %). Most SBTEX emissions are emitted during daytime hours (local time 14:00–17:00), and the emission rate in the model domain is about 20–40 t h -1 , which is about 4 times higher than that in the nighttime (local time 24:00–04:00, about 4–10 t h -1). High concentrations of SBTEX (above 1 ppb) occurred near the cities close to the I-10 interstate highway (Houston, Beaumont, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Mobile) and other metropolitan cities (Shreveport and Dallas). High styrene concentrations were co-located with industrial sources, which contribute the most to the styrene emissions. The HAPI program successfully estimated missing emissions of styrene from the chemical industry. The change increased total styrene emissions by 22 %, resulting in maximum ambient concentrations increasing from 0.035 to 1.75 ppb across the model domain. The predicted SBTEX concentrations with imputed emissions present good agreement with observational data, with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.75 (0.46 to 0.77 for individual SBTEX species) and a normalized mean bias (NMB) of -5.6 % (-24.9 % to 32.1 % for the individual SBTEX species), suggesting their value for supporting any SBTEX-related human health studies in the Gulf region. The SBTEX data were published at Zenodo (10.5281/zenodo.7967541) (Wang et al., 2023), and the HAPI tool was also published at Zenodo (10.5281/zenodo.7987106) (Wang and Baek, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports a novel Ni(OH)2/Co3O4 heterostructured nanomaterial synthesized through a simple two-step hydrothermal method combined with subsequent heat treatment. The Ni(OH)2/Co3O4 heterostructured nanomaterial showed excellent performance in the detection of xylene gas. XRD, SEM, and EDS characterized the crystal structure, microstructure, and composition elements of Co3O4 and Ni(OH)2/Co3O4, and the gas sensing properties of the Co3O4 sensor and Ni(OH)2/Co3O4 sensor were systematically tested. The test results indicate the Ni(OH)2/Co3O4 sensor has an optimal operating temperature of 175 °C, which is 10 °C lower than that of the Co3O4 sensor; has a response of 14.1 to 100 ppm xylene, which is 7-fold higher than that of the Co3O4 sensor; reduces the detection limit of xylene from 2 ppm to 100 ppb; and has at least a 4-fold higher response to xylene than other gases. The Ni(OH)2/Co3O4 nanocomposite exerts the excellent catalytic performance of two-dimensional nanomaterial Ni(OH)2, solves the deficiency in the electrical conductivity of Ni(OH)2 materials, and realizes the outstanding sensing performance of xylene, while the construction of the p–n heterojunction between Ni(OH)2 and Co3O4 also improves the sensing performance of the material. This study provides a strategy for designing high-performance xylene gas sensors using two-dimensional Ni(OH)2 materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a notable group of indoor air pollutants released by household products. These substances are commonly employed as solvents in industrial operations, and some of them are recognized or suspected to be cancer-causing or mutagenic agents. Due to their high volatility, VOCs are typically present in surface waters at concentrations below a few micrograms per liter. However, in groundwater, their concentrations can reach levels up to thousands of times higher. This study analyses the applicability of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing of VOCs in aqueous medium. Tungsten oxide and bismuth vanadate photoanodes were tested for PEC sensing of xylene, toluene, and methanol in sodium chloride and sodium sulfate electrolytes. The crystalline structure and morphology of coatings were analyzed using XRD and SEM analyses. Photoelectrochemical properties were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results of the study show that aromatic compounds tend to block the surface of the photoelectrode and interfere with the PEC sensing of other substances. WO3 photoanode is found to be suitable for the PEC sensing of methanol under the mild conditions in aqueous electrolytes; however, electrode engineering and assay optimization are required to achieve better detection limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study described the synthesis of H-ZSM-5 zeolites with hierarchical micro-meso- porosity (HM-ZSM-5- x) via the soft-templating route, employing organosilane surfactant, 3-[(trimethoxysilyl) propyl]octyldimethylammonium chloride, as the mesoporous template. The catalytic performance was examined in the isomerization of o-xylene in a fixed-bed reactor at atmospheric pressure. Many techniques were conducted to characterize the catalysts. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) results affirmed that all mesoporous zeolites possess the characteristic MFI structure, as well as good crystallinity. The N2 physisorption measurements signified that all HM-ZSM-5-x samples have higher surface areas and pore volumes than the micro-ZSM-5 sample, with the mesopores accounting for the vast majority of the total surface areas and pore volumes of HMZSM-5-x samples. Moreover, the mesoporosity of the obtained HM-ZSM-5-x zeolites can be simply tuned via the variation of the amount of TPOAC used. Compared with classical micro-ZSM-5, the HM-ZSM-5-0.15 sample possessed a higher o-xylene conversion and p-xylene yield that was attributed to its remarkable textural characteristics in terms of higher surface area and prevailing mesoporous character that led to a reduced diffusion limitation. Importantly, the catalyst manifested superb operational stability within 50 h, indicating high resistance against deactivation through coke deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of xylene charge-transfer complexes with fluorine-substituted tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) acceptors were studied experimentally and theoretically in order to reveal the role of various intermolecular interactions on stoichiometry and the crystal structure. It was shown that o-xylene face-to-face donor–donor interactions became significant enough to result in the formation of 2:1 cocrystals with F1TCNQ and F4TCNQ irrespective of growth conditions. The supramolecular arrangement in these cocrystals is mainly determined by the number of fluorine atoms in the acceptor. Comparative DFT and MP2 calculations of the pairwise intermolecular interactions revealed the overestimation of the dispersion energy for these systems by the DFT-wB97XD approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alkylation of benzene with methanol can effectively generate high-value-added toluene and xylene out of surplus benzene, which is now achieved primarily using solid acids like H-ZSM-5 zeolites as catalysts. In this work, two H-ZSM-5 samples with distinct framework aluminum (AlF) distributions, but otherwise quite similar textural and acidic properties, have been prepared by employing tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) and n-butylamine (NBA) as organic structure-directing agents (OSDAs). Systematical investigations demonstrate that AlF is preferentially located at the intersections in MFI topology when TPAOH is adopted. In contrast, less AlF is positioned therein as NBA is utilized. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the transition-state complexes cannot be formed in the straight and sinusoidal channels due to their much smaller sizes than the dynamic diameters of transition states, whereas there are adequate spaces for the formation of transition states at the intersections. Benefitting from abundant AlF at the intersections, which provides more acid sites therein, H-ZSM-5 synthesized from TPAOH is more active relative to the counterpart obtained from NBA. At a WHSV of 4 h−1 and 400 °C, the former catalyst gives a 52.8% conversion, while the latter one affords a 45.9% conversion. Both catalysts display close total selectivity towards toluene and xylene (ca. 84%). This study provides an efficient way to regulate the distribution of acid sites, thereby enhancing the catalytic performance of H-ZSM-5 zeolite in the titled reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-organization properties of C70 fullerene molecules in a xylene/tetrahydrofuran binary mixture were studied for the first time by optical absorption, refractometry, and dynamic light scattering. A correlation has been established between the change in the refractive index of the C70/xylene/tetrahydrofuran solution and the degree of self-organization of C70 molecules in the medium at various concentrations and storage periods of the solution. It is shown that the features of the optical absorption spectrum of C70/xylene/tetrahydrofuran at a fixed low concentration of fullerene are sensitive to its storage time. It was determined that the beginning time of the formation of C70 nanoclusters and their final size depend on the degree of concentration of fullerene and the time spent keeping the solution. The observed nature of the C70 fullerene solution in a binary mixture may help to elucidate its mechanism of self-organization in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Xylene is an organic solvent that is often used by industrial workers. Some industries that require xylene include the painting, printing, and shoe industries. In general, this enters the body through the inhalation pathway, namely the inhalation of xylene vapors while working. Methods Observational analytic research is conducted by looking at the relationship test with calculations using the chi-square method. The study was conducted in five regions in Surabaya, namely Kalijudan, Ketintang, Jemursari, AUP, and Romokalisari. The population includes a total of 90 workers with 77 of them taken as samples using the accidental sampling method. Results The results show that there is a relationship between xylene concentration and Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT) levels (p> 0.05) and there is no relationship between xylene concentrations and Serum Glutamic Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT) levels (p> 0.05). There was no relationship between RQ and SGOT levels (p> 0.05) and there was no relationship between RQ and SGPT levels (p> 0.05). However, from the calculation of the prevalence ratio, workers with unsafe RQ (RQ>1) have a 7.09x greater chance of experiencing damage to SGOT levels and a 1.06x greater chance to experience damage to SGPT levels. Conclusions Based on these results, the industry is encouraged to provide nutritious food intake that can help excrete xylene from the body of the worker. Xylene concentration and RQ may play a role in the potential damage to SGOT and SGPT levels in workers.

Abstract Background Terminalia superba is a well-known medicinal plant used in folk medicine for the management of various diseases and swelling. Validation of its efficacy in standardized scientific models is lacking. This gap needs to be filled as a way of enhancing modern drug discovery. The aim is to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of T. superba in known and established models. Also, to establish and possibly correlate the established activity with the phytochemicals identified using GC/MS and qualitative methods. Results The result showed a dose-dependent percentage inhibition of DPPH, HO•, and Fe3+ reducing activity. The antibacterial activity showed dose-dependent significant (p

The standard method to evaluate human exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is in general performed by sampling the air on sorbents followed by liquid extraction and detection using laboratory gas chromatograph (GC). The conventional method is time and labor intensive and employs a toxic solvent which adds a risk factor as well as waste. Hence, there have been increasing demands for portable GC instruments which allow near real-time, in-situ analysis. In this study, the potential use of a prototype, dual column portable GC (protoGC) with flame ionization detector (FID) was examined by comparing its performance with a conventional GC laboratory method. Four target concentration levels (1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x; x = 1.12 ± 0.01 ppm) of toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-, m-, and p-xylene were generated in an exposure chamber (24 ± 1 °C and 50 ± 5% RH). The challenge atmosphere was directly sampled and analyzed with protoGC while for the conventional method it was sampled on a sorbent tube and analyzed with a laboratory GC/FID. The results of protoGC correlated well with the conventional method (r = 0.991–0.999), indicating that protoGC has comparable performance with the conventional method within the test conditions. Although two-way ANOVA showed significant differences in mean concentrations between the methods, the differences were small. protoGC would be useful to monitor VOCs in air with high temporal resolution or to quickly determine the safety of the environment of interest due to the substantial time savings in sampling and analysis. Further examinations at various environmental conditions and other analytes will be necessary to thoroughly evaluate its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a series of clinoptilolite composites decorated with carbon quantum dots (CQDs/clinoptilolite) with hierarchical pore structures was demonstrated that exhibits good photocatalytic performance for the removal of xylene. The technique for the attachment of carbon quantum dots to clinoptilolite was prepared by a hydrothermal method in this study. The structural features were confirmed by SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, BET, XPS, and solid diffuse reflection measurements, while the degradation mechanism was investigated by adding a trapping agent into the nanocomposites. The introduction of CQDs promoted the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes as well as the generation of reactive radicals, which effectively improved the light utilization and even increased the degradation rate of xylene by 73% at the optimal state. The photocatalytic test was conducted under a different dwell time, catalyst dosage, initial concentration, and illumination intensity. The results showed that the degradation rate of xylene by the CQDs/clinoptilolite catalyst reached 97.4% under the optimal reaction conditions (the catalyst was Catalyst No. 2, the residence time was 90 s, the initial concentration was 2.5 g/m3, the light intensity was three lamps for irradiation, and the catalyst dosage was 0.05 g). In addition, the degradation efficiency of the CQDs/clinoptilolite photocatalyst still reached 78% after eight consecutive catalytic regeneration cycles. This work sheds new light on the degradation of xylene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the influence of different phosphorus sources and the modification of zinc and phosphorus on the performance of the conversion of methanol to aromatics (MTA) was investigated. The results showed that the phosphorus source had a significant impact on the selectivity of para-xylene (PX) in xylene and catalyst stability. The introduction of P resulted in the covering of the active acid sites and the narrowing of the pore of the ZSM-5 zeolite, which improved the shape-selectivity for PX in the methanol conversion reaction. Compared with the modifiers of H3PO4 and (NH4)3PO4, the ZSM-5 zeolite modified by (NH4)2HPO4 exhibited better catalyst stability and PX-selectivity due to its larger specific surface area, pore volume and suitable acidity. When the ZSM-5 zeolite was modified by Zn and P, the effect of Zn and P on the selectivity to aromatics and PX in xylene was almost opposite. With the increase in P-loading, the selectivity of PX in xylene gradually increased but at the cost of decreasing the aromatic-selectivity. On the other hand, the loading of Zn introduced Zn-Lewis acid sites to provide aromatization active centers and improved the aromatic-selectivity. However, excessive Zn reduced the selectivity of PX in xylene. The catalyst activity and aromatic-selectivity could be improved to some extent with an appropriate ratio of Zn and P, while maintaining or increasing the para-selectivity of xylene. Compared with 5% P/ZSM-5 catalyst modified with only (NH4)2HPO4, the PX selectivity in xylene over the Zn-P/ZSM-5 catalyst modified with 5% Zn and 1% P improved from 86.6% to 90.1%, and the PX yield increased by 59%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extractive distillation was used to separate ethylbenzene and m-xylene. After the solvent screening, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene was chosen as the extractive solvent. The vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) of binary mixtures of m-xylene, ethylbenzene, and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene was measured at 101.33 kPa. The measurements were taken with a modified Rose equilibrium still. The Wisniak's test was used to assess the thermodynamic consistency of the VLE experimental results. To obtain the binary interaction parameters, the binary VLE experimental data were correlated with the NRTL, Wilson, and UNIQUAC activity coefficient models. The results showed that three models all fit the experimental values of three binary systems well, and the ternary VLE data of m-xylene + ethylbenzene + 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene were estimated using Aspen Plus V11 based on these model parameters. The experimental data agree well with the estimation values generated from three models. Finally, the effect of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene as an extractant was analyzed, and it is proved to have a good influence on the separation of ethylbenzene from mixed xylenes by extractive distillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Advancing the practical application of catalytic oxidation technology demands for illustrating the synchronous conversion behavior of various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) over catalysts. Here, the mutual effects of benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) were examined for their synchronous conversion on the surface of the MnO 2 nanowire. Competitive adsorption of xylene (absorption energy (E ads): −0.889 eV) facilitated its prior conversion and impeded the oxidization of toluene and benzene over the catalyst. The turnover frequencies were 0.52 min−1 (benzene), 0.90 min−1 (toluene) and 2.42 min−1 (xylene) for mixed BTX conversion over the MnO 2. Doping MnO 2 with K+, Na+ and Ca2+ could enhance its ability to oxidize the individual VOCs but did not alter the conversion mechanism of mixed BTX over the catalyst. When reducing the competitive effects in the adsorption of BTX, the oxidation performance of catalysts would depend on their ability to oxidize toluene and benzene. K-MnO 2 showed superior properties, i.e. specific surface area, highly low-valent Mn species, high lattice oxygen content, and abundant oxygen vacancy, and then exhibited superior performance during long-term operation (90% conversion in 800 min). The present study uncovered the co-conversion mechanism of multiple VOCs and significantly leveraged the catalytic oxidization technology for VOCs removal in practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chicken cartilage was used for the first time as a raw material for the microwave-assisted synthesis of biochar and activated carbon. Various microwave absorbers, i.e., commercial active carbon, scrap tyres, silicon carbide, and chicken bone-derived biochar, as well as various microwave powers, were tested for their effect on the rate of pyrolysis and the type of products formed. Biochars synthesised under 400 W in the presence of scrap tyres and chicken bone-derived biochar were activated with KOH and K2CO3 with detergent to produce activated carbon with a highly developed porous structure that would be able to effectively adsorb xylene vapours. All carbons were thoroughly characterised (infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Raman spectroscopy, proximate and ultimate analysis) and tested as xylene sorbents in dynamic systems. It was found that the activation causes an increase of up to 1042 m2·g−1 in the specific surface area, which ensures the sorption capacity of xylene about 300 mg·g−1. Studies of the composition of biogas emitted during pyrolysis revealed that particularly valuable gaseous products are formed when pyrolysis is carried out in the presence of silicon carbide as a microwave absorber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its excellent properties, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) foam has recently attracted significant academic and industrial attention. In this study, a facile and green method was developed for PDMS foam synthesis. The PDMS foam was prepared by using the gas foaming method with eco-friendly materials, namely NaHCO3 as a blowing agent and acetic acid as the catalyst. By changing the ratios of the reactants and the curing temperature, foams with varying properties were obtained. The water contact angle of the obtained PDMS foams ranged from 110° to 139°. We found that the PDMS foams can be compressed to a maximum strain of 95% and retain their original size, showing excellent mechanical properties. The synthesized PDMS foams were tested as an absorbent to remove benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) from the water. It exhibited good selectivity, outstanding reusability, and absorption capacity. Its capability to remove a large amount of organic solvent from the water surface suggests the great promise of PDMS foam in recovering spilled organic compounds from water, with excellent separation performance for continuous treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The process of decoverslipping is often required in a laboratory to review or examine an older slide which tends to fade over time, making it almost impossible to use it for research or study purposes. The sections then need to be re-stained which can only be done after removing the coverslip. The traditional method of decoverslipping using xylene is a time-consuming process. Various methods have been used in the past; however, none were found to be completely effective. Dry ice, the solid form of carbon dioxide, is an easily available, cheap cooling agent with a low freezing temperature (-78.5℃) which was evaluated for its efficacy in decoverslipping process, as an alternative to xylene. Materials and Method: 64 faded haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained histopathology slides were randomly selected and segregated, according to duration of year, into eight major groups. Each group was further divided into four subgroups according to the time that the slides were subjected for decoverslipping. The slides were placed on dry ice and the time was set. Once the coverslip was removed, the slides were placed in xylene to remove any residual mountant. The tissue sections were evaluated for physical disfigurement followed by re-staining with H&E to check for any change in tissue morphology. Result: The mean time taken for removal of coverslip using dry ice was 35 seconds. Conclusion: This technique is easy, fast, and effective, with no tissue loss or compromise in staining quality, thereby preventing xylene toxicity and its effect on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylene has the potential to cause nervous system disturbances since it is a lipophilic substance with high affinity for lipid-rich tissue, such as the brain. Involvement in the spinal cord, especially long segmental spinal cord lesions that permeate almost the entire cervical and thoracic spinal cord, is extremely rare. We report two cases of occupational exposure to excessive xylene, both of which presented with severe and rapidly progressive numbness and weakness in the limbs that, more importantly, led to poor outcomes: one died and the other was left severely disabled. In both, spinal magnetic resonance imaging showed long segmental lesions in the cervicothoracic spinal cord. These findings may provide some insights into the effects of xylene as an isolated agent on the spinal cord injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Styrene, Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylenes (SBTEX) are established neurotoxicants. These SBTEX are hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and released from the petrochemical industry, combustion process, transport emission, and solvent usage sources. Although several SBTEX toxic assessment studies have been conducted, they have mainly relied on ambient measurements to estimate exposure and limiting their scope to specific locations and observational periods. To overcome these spatiotemporal limitations, an air quality modeling system over the U.S. Gulf region was created predicting the the spatially and temporally enhanced SBTEX modeling concentrations from May to September 2012. Due to the incompleteness of SBTEX in the official US EPA National Emission Inventory (NEI), Hazardous Air Pollutions Imputation (HAPI) program was used to identify and estimate the missing HAPs emissions. The improved emission data was processed to generate the chemically-speciated hourly gridded emission inputs for the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) chemical transport model to simulate the SBTEX concentrations over the Gulf modeling region. SBTEX pollutants were modeled using a "Reactive Tracer" feature in CAMx that accounts for their chemical and physical processes in the atmosphere. The data shows that the major SBTEX emissions in this region are contributed by mobile emission (45%), wildfire (30%), and industry (26%). Most SBTEX emissions are emitted during daytime hours (local time 14:00 -17:00), and the emission rate in the model domain is about 20 - 40 t hr-1, which is about 4 times higher than that in the night-time (local time 24:00 - 4:00, about 4 - 10 t hr-1). High concentrations of SBTEX (above 1 ppb) occurred near the cities close to the I-10 interstate highway (Houston, Beaumont, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Mobile) and other metropolitan cities (Shreveport and Dallas). High Styrene concentrations were co-located with industrial sources, which contribute the most to the Styrene emissions. The HAPI program successfully estimated missing emissions of Styrene from the chemical industry. The change increased total Styrene emissions was increased by 22% resulting in maximum ambient concentrations increasing from 0.035 ppb to 1.75 ppb across the model domain. The predicted SBTEX concentrations with imputed emissions present good agreement with observational data, with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.75 (0.46 to 0.77 for individual SBTEX species) and normalized mean bias (NMB) of -5.6% (-24.9% to 32.1% for individual SBTEX species), suggesting their value for supporting any SBTEX-related human health studies in the Gulf region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]