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The ionic conductivities of argyrodite electrolytes are significantly affected by the concentrations of lithium vacancy. Herein, a facile and rapid synthesis route is proposed to systematically investigate Li6-xPS5-xCl1+x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.8) with different lithium vacancies by adjusting ratios of S/Cl. The highest ionic conductivity of the wet-milling synthesized Li5.4PS4.4Cl1.6 is 6.18 mS cm-1, which is attributed to higher lithium vacancy concentration and lower electrostatic interaction for ion migration. The Li/Li5.4PS4.4Cl1.6/Li symmetric cell cycles stably for 2000 h at 0.1 mA cm-2, showing excellent dendrite suppression capability. Moreover, the initial discharge capacity of LiCoO2/Li5.4PS4.4Cl1.6/Li all-solid-state battery is 126.0 mAh g-1 at 0.1C and the capacity retention is 83% after 50 cycles. The wet-milling method provides the possibility for rapid exploration and preparation of other argyrodite electrolytes in the future.

This study reports on the effect of the addition of Glycine to Hank’s solution on the in-vitro corrosion behavior of AZ31 magnesium (Mg) alloy at 37 ℃ and a pH of 7.4 studied by using potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), hydrogen collecting techniques and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in combination with surface characterization techniques such as optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis (XPS). The results reveal that adsorption of glycine initially subdues the dissolution of AZ31 Mg alloy while in long run it enhances the dissolution of the alloy due to the commencement of the chelation effect of glycine with Ca2+ released from hydroxyapatite. The chelation of glycine with Ca2+ induces the formation of cracks in the surface film which further promotes the dissolution of AZ31 Mg alloy thereby forming a porous corrosion products layer on the surface of the alloy. As a result, both the continuous dissolution of AZ31 magnesium alloy and the hydrogen evolution rate (HER) are enhanced with increasing the immersion time in Hank’s solution.

The nanosized Na11Sn2PS12 solid electrolyte with a particle size of around 200 nm is synthesized using the liquid-phase method using 1,2-dimethoxyethane. The sintering conditions for Na11Sn2PS12 cr...

Solid electrolytes are receiving great interest owing to their good mechanical properties and high lithium-ion transference number, which could potentially suppress lithium dendrites. However, lithium dendrites can still penetrate solid electrolytes even at low current densities. In this work, a flat-surface Li6PS5Cl nanorod pellet with high density is achieved, which exhibits an ionic conductivity as high as 6.11 mS cm-1 at 25 °C. The flat surface of the pellet is beneficial for the homogeneous lithium deposition, and the dense pellet microstructure can suppress the growth of lithium dendrites along the grain boundaries, leading to a significantly improved critical current density of 1.05 mA cm-2 at 25 °C. The resultant dense Li6PS5Cl pellet is further employed in a LiCoO2/Li6PS5Cl/Li all-solid-state lithium battery, showing an initial discharge capacity of 115.3 mAh g-1 at 1C (0.35 mA cm-2, 25 °C) with a capacity retention of 80.3% after 100 cycles.

Arsenic exposure could induce apoptosis and cause related cancer. It was reported that p38 signaling pathway played a key transcriptional regulatory factor in arsenic-induced apoptosis. However, there were certain disputable questions about this point of opinion. Therefore, the relationship between p38 signaling pathway and arsenic-induced apoptosis was systematically reviewed and analyzed by meta-analysis. Twelve essays were analyzed with StataSE15.0 and Review Manager 5.3. The regulatory variables, such as normal cells and cancer cells, arsenic exposure time and exposure dose were analyzed by the subgroup analysis. The comprehensive effects were compared and analyzed by SMD method. Publication bias, the monolithic impact and heterogeneity were inspected. Subgroup analysis showed, when arsenic exposure was ≥ 5 μmol/l, the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was down-regulated and the expression of p38 and Caspase-3 was up-regulated. When arsenic exposure was

Arsenic is a highly toxic and carcinogenic element, which poses a huge threat to millions of people. The toxicity of arsenic links to its solubility. Therefore, the immobilization of arsenic is of great significance. Among a series of arsenic immobilization materials (include arsenate, arsenite and arsenide), scorodite is the most suitable one due to its excellent stability. In this study, we propose a novel method to synthesize scorodite using ferrihydrite as an in situ iron donator. The process occurs via the dissolution of ferrihydrite followed by the coprecipitation of iron and arsenic ions on the surface of ferrihydrite. A series of experiments were carried out to investigate the optimal reaction conditions and applicable scope of initial arsenic concentration for this process. The results indicated that 99.9% of arsenic was removed from aqueous solution and immobilized as stable scorodite at reaction time of 6 h, pH 1.5, Fe/As molar ratio of 1.1 and reaction temperature of 90°C. This process is applicable to the solution with initial arsenic concentration ranging from 1 to 10 g/L, which shows great potential for practical applications.

By means of first-principles calculations, we have proposed an ab initio modeling to establish a formula between the hydrogen evolution rate and its overpotential of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), relating with three different rate determining mechanisms, when Volmer reaction, Tafel reaction and Heyrowsky reaction are the rate determining steps of the entire reaction, respectively. Within this modeling, the free energy ( Δ G H * ) of the adsorbed hydrogen atom and the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution have been correlated to the exchange current density. The hydrogen evolution modeling has been validated by available experimental results. Furthermore, by combining the previously proposed first-principles modeling of the anodic dissolution and this modeling of the HER in the electrochemical corrosion, the polarization curves of the 18 crystallographic surfaces of pure Mg have been theoretically derived. It has been found that in a neutral solution ( p H = 7 ) the corrosion current densities (icorr) of the 18 crystallographic surfaces range from 10 − 3.477 to 10 − 0.455 A/cm2 and their corresponding corrosion potentials (Ecorr) range from −1.36 to −0.892 VSHE, respectively. The base (0001) surface exhibits a lower corrosion rate of 10 − 3.345 A/cm2, whereas the crystal (21 3 ¯ 0) surface has a fast corrosion rate of 10 − 0.455 A/cm2. The calculations even reveal that except for Ag, all the other alloying elements considered here accelerate the rates of the cathodic HER. In agreement with theoretical results, the experimentally measured polarization curves of the Mg-1Zn and Mg-2Sn alloys verify that both Zn and Sn additions accelerate the rate of the HER of Mg.

Leaching liquid of smelting dust was used as the As(∨) source. Common octahedral-shaped scorodite and large spindle-shaped scorodite were synthesized. Through the analysis, the high concentration H+ can inhibit the forming and growth of (1 1 1) and (2 0 0) lattice planes. The particles aggregated together and assessed during the ageing process. The large high crystallinity spindle-shaped scorodite was formed at last. TCLP tests at pH 4.93 and leaching tests were carried out in alkaline solutions with pH of 9.30. Large spindle-shaped scorodite materials have better stability than the common octahedral-shaped scorodite.

TEER-decreasing protein (TDP) from Flammulina velutipes was antiviral resource against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). However, the resistance mechanisms have not been clarified. In this study, the fTDP (fusion teer-decreasing protein), obtained by prokaryotic fusion expression system, exhibited obvious protective efficacy against TMV and significantly suppressed the reproduction of TMV in tobacco. Transcriptomics and proteomics analysis showed that fTDP may interact with a receptor, activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and NB-ARC and increase the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and salicylic acid (SA), which promoted the hypersensitive response (HR) and system acquired resistance (SAR). SAR caused increased expression of catalase (CAT), pathogenesis-related protein 1 (PR1), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and other proteins involved in pathogen defense, such as chalcone-dihydroflavone isomerase (CHI) and cytochrome P450. In conclusion, SAR was induced by fTDP to protect tobacco from TMV infection and alleviate the symptoms caused by the virus. The study provided a theoretical basis for the application of the TDP protein, which may represent a potential biopesticide.

All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) employing Li-metal anode, sulfide solid electrolyte (SE) can deliver high energy density with high safety. The thick SE separator and its low ionic conductivity are two major challenges. Herein, a 30 μm sulfide SE membrane with ultrahigh room temperature conductivity of 8.4 mS cm-1 is realized by mechanized manufacturing technologies using highly conductive Li5.4PS4.4Cl1.6 SE powder. Moreover, a 400 nm magnetron sputtered Al2O3 interlayer is introduced into the SE/Li interface to improve the anodic stability, which suppresses the short circuit in Li/Li symmetric cells. Combining these merits, ASSLBs with LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 as the cathode exhibit a stable cyclic performance, delivering a discharge specific capacity of 135.3 mAh g-1 (1.4 mAh cm-2) with a retention of 80.2% after 150 cycles and an average Coulombic efficiency over 99.5%. The high ionic conductivity SE membrane and interface design principle show promising feasible strategies for practical high performance ASSLBs.

Platycodin D and platycoside E are two triterpenoid saponins in Platycodon grandiflorus, differing only by two glycosyl groups structurally. Studies have shown β-Glucosidase from bacteria can convert platycoside E to platycodin D, indicating the potential existence of similar enzymes in P. grandiflorus. An L9(34) orthogonal experiment was performed to establish a protocol for calli induction as follows: the optimal explant is stems with nodes and the optimum medium formula is MS + NAA 1.0 mg/L + 6-BA 0.5 mg/L to obtain callus for experimental use. The platycodin D, platycoside E and total polysaccharides content between callus and plant organs varied wildly. Platycodin D and total polysaccharide content of calli was found higher than that of leaves. While, platycoside E and total polysaccharide content of calli was found lower than that of leaves. Associating platycodin D and platycoside E content with the expression level of genes involved in triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis between calli and leaves, three contigs were screened as putative sequences of β-Glucosidase gene converting platycoside E to platycodin D. Besides, we inferred that some transcription factors can regulate the expression of key enzymes involved in triterpernoid saponins and polysaccharides biosynthesis pathway of P. grandiflorus. Totally, a candidate gene encoding enzyme involved in converting platycoside E to platycodin D, and putative genes involved in polysaccharide synthesis in P. grandiflorus had been identified. This study will help uncover the molecular mechanism of triterpenoid saponins biosynthesis in P. grandiflorus.

In order to enhance the storage performance and electrochemical reversibility of the Ni-rich LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode material at high cut-off voltage (4.6 V), the surface coating layer of lithium tungstate (Li2WO4) is successfully prepared via a one-step synthesis way followed with a high temperature calcination method. After 500 cycles at 2C in 2.8–4.6 V, the capacity retention of the modified material is improved from 26.95% to 60.62%, and the average discharge voltage can remain at 3.62 V, which is 0.32 V higher than that of the original sample. In addition, after stored in air for 60 days, the discharge capacity of the modified sample still maintains 146 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 1C, which has 36% increase than that of the pristine sample. These results are attributed to the fact that the Li2WO4 coating can reduce the interfacial polarization, and enhance Li-ion diffusion and surface stability by suppressing the decomposition of electrolyte on cathode materials with high oxidation surface at high cut-off voltage (4.6 V).

Cellulolytic enzymes from fungi are complex compound enzyme structures that generally include three kinds of hydrolytic enzymes, which are called endo-β-1,4-glucanases, exo-β-1,4-glucanases, and β-1,4-glucosidases (β-glucosidases). The fungus Mucor ardhlaengiktus isolated from field rice straw produced a β-glucosidase (MaBgl). Maximal MaBgl production occurred when M. ardhlaengiktus was incubated for 6 days in fermentation liquor at 30 °C and an initial pH of 6. Purified MaBgl was obtained from M. ardhlaengiktus fermentation broth by ammonium sulfate fractional precipitation and DEAE-Sepharose FF ion exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of MaBgl as determined by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was approximately 72 kDa. The kinetic parameters, Michaelis constant (Km) and maximum velocity (Vmax), of MaBgl were 78.2 μmol/L and 28.5 μmol/(L·min), respectively. Assays of MaBgl produced by M. ardhlaengiktus RSC1 under different conditions were investigated by the 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) assay for glucose. The pH and temperature optima for catalytic activity of MaBgl were pH 4.8 and 50 °C, respectively. MaBgl exhibited good thermal stability in the range of 20 to 30 °C, but the thermal stability of MaBgl decreased rapidly over 60 °C. MaBgl had better pH stability between pH 4.6 and 5.0, and the stability of MaBgl decreased when the pH value was lower or higher than this range.

AZ31 magnesium (Mg) alloy was potentiostatic polarized in 0.1 M deaerated KF solution with pH 7.5 from −0.4 V to −1.4 V with an interval of −0.2 V. The polarization process was described by the potentiostatic current decay. The resultant film was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results demonstrated that the deposited film included a Mg(OH)2/MgF2 containing inner layer and a Mg(OH)2/MgF2/KMgF3 comprising outer layer. The high polarized potential produced high content of MgF2 but low content of KMgF3 and thin film. Conversely, the low polarized potential produced small content of MgF2 but high content of KMgF3 and thick film. The optimal corrosion resistance of the deposited film was obtained at −1.4 V, which was closely related with the content of MgF2 and KMgF3 and the film thickness.

The main components in bio-oil behave differently during the thermal treatment in water or in methanol. Water cannot stabilize the aromatics in bio-oil. Consumption of the aromatics with mono-ring and two fused benzene rings and the formation of the aromatics with three or more fused benzene ring aromatics were observed during the thermal treatment in water. In methanol, the fluorescence intensities of the mono-ring, the aromatics with the two fused ring structures and three-ring aromatics increased. Methanol could stabilize the aromatics and retain them in the reaction medium. The conversion of mono-ring phenolics in thermal treatment of bio-oil in water and their formation in methanol was further confirmed with GC–MS measurement. In addition, it was found that the effects of acetic acid and formic acid on the conversion of the aromatics in bio-oil were negligible. This was probably due to the relative weak acidities of acetic acid and formic acid or the presence of the internal heavy carboxylic acids in bio-oil. However, the conversion of the aromatics in bio-oil was significantly promoted by the strong acids such as Amberlyst 70.

PI3Ks consist of p110 catalytic subunits and p85 regulatory subunits. PIK3CA, encoding p110α, is frequently mutated in human cancers. Most PIK3CA mutations are clustered in the helical domain or the kinase domain. Here, we report that p85β disassociates from p110α helical domain mutant protein and translocates into the nucleus through a nuclear localization sequence (NLS). Nuclear p85β recruits deubiquitinase USP7 to stabilize EZH1 and EZH2 and enhances H3K27 trimethylation. Knockout of p85β or p85β NLS mutant reduces the growth of tumors harboring a PIK3CA helical domain mutation. Our studies illuminate a novel mechanism by which PIK3CA helical domain mutations exert their oncogenic function. Finally, a combination of Alpelisib, a p110α-specific inhibitor, and an EZH inhibitor, Tazemetostat, induces regression of xenograft tumors harboring a PIK3CA helical domain mutation, but not tumors with either a WT PIK3CA or a PIK3CA kinase domain mutation, suggesting that the drug combination could be an effective therapeutic approach for PIK3CA helical domain mutant tumors.

A novel dsRNA virus was identified by high-throughput sequencing from tea oil trees in China. Its complete genome of 4714 bp contains two open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 encodes a putative coat protein (CP) of 702 amino acids (aa), and ORF2 codes for an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of 855 aa. The virus shares the highest aa sequence identity of 45.21% in RdRp with taro-associated totivirus L (MN_119621), a member of the genus Totivirus in the family Totiviridae. Phylogenetic analysis of the aa sequences of the RdRp places the new virus in a group with other totiviruses, suggesting that this virus, which is provisionally named "tea-oil camellia-associated totivirus 1", should be considered a member of the genus Totivirus.

Objective To investigate the effect of exosomes derived from colon cancer (CC) cells and plasma of CC patients on migration of SW480 cells. Methods The exosomes derived from culture medium of human colon epithelial cell line NCM460 and CC cell line SW620 were isolated by ultracentrifugation. The exosomes derived from plasma of CC patients and healthy controls were isolated by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The particle size and morphology of exosomes were identified by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) respectively, and exosomal markers were detected by Western blotting. The uptake of fluorescent DiI labeled exosomes by SW480 cells was observed by confocal microscopy. Transwell assay was used to detect the effect of exosomes on the migration of SW480 cells. The expression level of associated proteins in signaling pathway were analyzed by Western blotting. Rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, was used to study the role of mTOR signaling pathway on exosomes mediated migration of SW480 cells. Results The results of NTA and TEM showed that the particle size of the isolated exosomes was about 120 nm, which were small vesicles with membrane structure. The expressions of exosomal markers Alix, TSG101 and CD63 could be detected. The exosomes were evidenced by a red fluorescent signal inside the cytoplasm of SW480 recipient cells, and could promote the migration of SW480 cells, which is associated with Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Compared with the control group, plasma exosomes derived from CC patients could significantly promote the migration of SW480 cells. Inhibition the activity of mTOR signaling could attenuate the migration of SW480 cells. Conclusions Exosomes derived from CC cells and plasma of CC patients could promote the migration of SW480 cells, which is associated with Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Background: Dendrobium officinale, an endangered Chinese herb, has extensive therapeutic effects and contains bioactive ingredients including a large number of polysaccharides and alkaloids, and minimal flavonoids. Firstly, this study attempts to obtain the protocorm-like bodies of this plant through tissue culture to produce the main secondary metabolites whose distribution in each organelle and protocorm like bodies is analyzed. Then, analysis of the correlation between comparative transcriptome sequence and the metabolite content in different organs enables the discovery of putative genes encoding enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of polysaccharides and alkaloids, and flavonoids.Results: The optimum condition for protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) induction and propagation of D. officinale is established. For protocorm induction, we use the seed as the explant, and the optimum medium formula for PLBs propagation is 1/2 MS + α-NAA 0.5 mg·L-1 +6-BA 1.0 mg·L-1 + 2, 4-D 1.5-2.0 mg·L-1 + potato juice 100 g·L-1. The distribution of polysaccharides, alkaloids and flavonoids in D. officinale organs was clarified. Stems, PLBs and leaves have the highest content of polysaccharides, alkaloids and flavonoids, respectively. PLBs replace organs to produce alkaloids in D. officinale, and naringenin was only produced in stem. Hot water extraction (HWE) method was found outperforming the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method for polysaccharides from D. officinale. A comparative transcriptome analysis of the protocorm-like bodies and leaves of D. officinale showed genes encoding enzymes involved in polysaccharides, alkaloids and flavonoids biosynthetic pathway were differentially expressed. Putative genes encoding enzymes involved in polysaccharides, alkaloids and flavonoids synthetic pathway were identified. Notably, genes encoding enzymes of strictosidine beta-glucosidase, geissoschizine synthase and vinorine synthase in alkaloids biosynthesis of D. officinale are first reported.Conclusions: Our works, especially the identification of candidate genes encoding enzymes involved in metabolites biosynthesis will help to explore and protect the endangered genetic resources and will also facilitate further analysis of the molecular mechanism of secondary metabolites’ biosynthesis in D. officinale.

Background Dendrobium officinale, an endangered Chinese herb, possesses extensive therapeutic effects and contains bioactive ingredients such as major polysaccharides, alkaloids, and minimal flavonoids. We first obtained the protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of this plant through tissue culture in order to determine the distribution of the main secondary metabolites in each organelle and the PLBs. We then analyzed the correlation between gene expression level from comparative transcriptome sequencing and metabolite content in different organs to identify putative genes encoding enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of polysaccharides, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Results We used seeds as explants for protocorm induction and PLB propagation of D. officinale. The optimal medium formula for PLB propagation was 1/2 MS + α-NAA 0.5 mg·L− 1 + 6-BA 1.0 mg·L− 1 + 2, 4-D 1.5–2.0 mg·L− 1 + potato juice 100 g·L− 1. Stems, PLBs and leaves of D. officinale had the highest content of polysaccharides, alkaloids and flavonoids, respectively. Naringenin was only produced in stem; however, PLBs with high alkaloid content can replace other organs producing alkaloids. The hot water extraction method outperformed the ultrasound-assisted extraction method for extracting polysaccharides from D. officinale. A comparative transcriptome analysis of PLBs and leaves of D. officinale revealed differential expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in polysaccharide, alkaloid and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways. Putative genes encoding enzymes involved in these biosynthetic pathways were identified. Notably, we identified genes encoding the alkaloid biosynthesis enzymes strictosidine β-D-Glucosidase, geissoschizine synthase and vinorine synthase in D. officinale. Conclusions The identification of candidate genes encoding enzymes involved in metabolite biosynthesis will help to explore and protect this endangered species and facilitate further analysis of the molecular mechanism of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in D. officinale.

Graphene oxide (GO) has great potential in biomedical applications due to its excellent photothermal effect and drug loading. Herein, dual-functionalized reduced nano-GO (nrGO–PEG/PEI) has been developed as a synergistic system of drug delivery and an NIR-light-absorbing agent. Covalently PEGylated nanographene oxide (nGO–PEG) was simultaneously reduced and PEIylated by bathing with polyethylenimine (PEI 1.8 kDa) solution in water at 80 °C for 2 h to obtain nrGO–PEG/PEI. nrGO–PEG/PEI exhibited low cytotoxicity and excellent dispersibility in physiological environments. Furthermore, nrGO–PEG/PEI had ∼20-fold increment in NIR absorption at 808 nm and ∼2.7-fold increment in doxorubicin (DOX) loading over unreduced nGO–PEG. Loaded DOX could be efficiently released from nrGO–PEG/PEI/DOX in an acidic environment (pH 5.0) and by NIR irradiation. In addition, nrGO–PEG/PEI could be rapidly encapsulated into cells and targeted to the nucleus region. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated the remarkable anticancer effects of nrGO–PEG/PEI/DOX with NIR laser irradiation. These results suggest that nrGO–PEG/PEI may be a novel drug delivery platform for controlling chemo-photothermal synergistic cancer therapy.

Combretastatin A4 phosphate (CA4P), the water-soluble phosphate pro-drug of combretastatin A4 (CA4), acts as a novel vascular disrupting agent (VDA). It strongly inhibits tubulin polymerization and selectively exerts action against tumor blood vessels. However, its quite short half-life (∼30 min) results in a short action time and consequently limits its application. Therefore, it is beneficial to develop a sustained-release preparation of CA4P for relatively long action duration. On the other hand, conventional PLGA microspheres display poor encapsulation capability for water-soluble small molecules due to rapid diffusion outside. Hence, we developed CA4P-loaded microspheres (CA4P-MS) composed of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-polylactide (PELA) reverse micelles and PLGA with a nano-in-micro sea-island structure. The CA4P encapsulation efficiency of CA4P-MS reached 92.88%. More interestingly, sustained drug release was achieved, which contributed to the prolonged inhibition effect on S180 tumor during a 30-day period with one-time subcutaneous administration. In conclusion, our study established a biodegradable polymer based platform to construct microspheres for water-soluble small molecular compounds with sustained release and a long-lasting action.

Background: Sepsis is the leading cause of death in critically ill patients. Ulinastatin (UTI), a protease inhibitor, and rhubarb, used as a traditional Chinese medication, are proved to be effective in treating sepsis, but the effect of the combination therapy of these two drugs on sepsis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the combination treatment of UTI and rhubarb on sepsis patients. Methods: A total of 75 septic patients were randomly divided into control group, UTI group, Rhubarb group, and UTI plus Rhubarb group. Clinical data and score of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) were collected; lymphocyte subtypes in the peripheral blood were analyzed before and after the 5-day treatment in the Intensive Care Unit. Results: All the therapeutic interventions (UTI alone, rhubarb alone, or UTI plus rhubarb) significantly reduced the levels of C-Reactive protein, white blood cell density, lactic acid, and APACH II scores, and elevated the levels of CD4/CD8, but only UTI plus rhubarb treatment obviously decreased the level of procalcitonin. Conclusion: This study suggested that the combination of UTI and rhubarb may be a promising therapeutic scheme to ameliorate sepsis.

In this study, we propose a growth pathway of scorodite in an atmospheric scorodite synthesis. Scorodite is a non-direct product, which is derived from the transformation of its precursor. Different precursor speciation leads to different crystallinity and morphology of synthesized scorodite. At 10 and 20 g l −1 initial arsenic concentration, the precursor of scorodite is identified as ferrihydrite. At 10 g l −1 initial arsenic concentration, low arsenic concentration is unfavourable to the complex between arsenate and ferrihydrite, inhibiting the transformation of ferrihydrite into scorodite. The synthesized scorodite is 1–3 µm in size. At 20 g l −1 initial arsenic concentration, higher arsenic concentration favours the complex between arsenate and ferrihydrite. The transformation process is accessible. Large scorodite in the particle size of 5–20 µm with excellent crystallinity is obtained. However, the increasing initial arsenic concentration is not always a positive force for the growth of scorodite. When initial arsenic concentration increases to 30 g l −1 , Fe(O,OH) 6 octahedron preferentially connects to As(O,OH) 4 tetrahedron to form Fe H 2 As O 4 2 + or FeHAs O 4 + ion. Fe–As complex ions accumulate in solution. Once the supersaturation exceeds the critical value, the Fe–As complex ions deprotonate and form poorly crystalline ferric arsenate. Even poorly crystalline ferric arsenate can also transform to crystalline scorodite, its transformation process is much slower than ferrihydrite. Therefore, incomplete developed scorodite with poor crystallinity is obtained.

Magnesium alloys have been investigated as biodegradable implant materials since the last century. Non-uniform degradation caused by local corrosion limits their application, and no appropriate technology has been used in the research. In this study, electrochemical noise has been used to study the pit corrosion on magnesium alloy AZ31 in four types of simulated body solutions, and the data have been analyzed using wavelet analysis and stochastic theory. Combining these with the conventional polarization curves, mass loss tests and scanning electron microscopy, the electrochemical noise results implied that AZ31 alloy in normal saline has the fastest corrosion rate, a high pit initiation rate, and maximum pit growth probability. In Hanks’ balanced salt solution and phosphate-buffered saline, AZ31 alloy has a high pit initiation rate and larger pit growth probability, while in simulated body fluid, AZ31 alloy has the slowest corrosion rate, lowest pit initiation rate and smallest pit growth probability.

LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode materials coated with MoO3 were synthesized via drying coating process with low velocity ball milling. The crystal structure and particle morphology of the sample were examined and observed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the surface modification had a little change on the samples and illustrated that the components of the coating layer were MoO3/Li2MoO4. Electrochemical results demonstrated that the MoO3 coated samples exhibited preeminent electrochemical performance compared with the bare samples. Particularly for the 3 wt% MoO3 coated samples, its initial coulombic efficiencies increased from 83.3% to 89.0%. Furthermore, the 3 wt% MoO3 coated samples exhibited the highest capacity retention of 94.8% after 100 cycles at 1 C, and possessed the excellent rate discharge performance at a high current density. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetric results suggested that the layered MoO3 coating could suppress the augmenter of the charge transfer resistance and stabilize the active material structure during cyclic process.

The oxidative pyrolysis of mallee wood, cellulose and lignin was performed and the bio-oil products were analysed to understand how the externally added oxygen react with the pyrolysis products. Both wood cylinders of diameter 8 mm and fine particles (90–300 μm) were pyrolysed in this study to understand the combined effects of biomass particle size and the presence of oxygen. The results revealed that, at a low oxygen concentration, the gas-phase oxidation of volatiles would improve the yields of levoglucosan and syringaldehyde, as well as unsaturated hydroxyl ketones/aldehydes for small wood particles through the oxygen-induced radical reactions. Although oxygen could facilitate the production of some compounds in bio-oil through the gas-phase reactions, it did lead to decreases in the heavy bio-oil yield due to the over-oxidation of some pyrolysis products (e. g. aromatics, lactones, unconjugated alkyl aldehydes/esters and carboxylic acids). The effects of oxygen on the pyrolysis of wood cylinders were more complicated than mallee wood particles due to the secondary reactions of volatiles and the reactions involving the pyrolysing particle surface. The interactions between the polysaccharide-derived and lignin-derived products in gas phase might affect the oxidation of volatiles, changing the formation of pyrolytic products (e.g. levoglucosan and syringaldehyde).

The different catalytic behaviour of solid acid catalyst and mineral acid catalyst towards the acid-treatment of bio-oil was investigated. The hydrogen ions in the mineral acid catalyst such as sulfuric acid homogeneously dispersed in the reaction medium made the conversion of main components of bio-oil including carboxylic acids, sugars and phenolics more efficient. In comparison, there was a steric hindrance for these components of bio-oil to access the hydrogen located in the local surface of the solid acid catalyst such as Amberlyst 70. This negatively affected their conversions during the acid-treatment. However, the inhomogeneous distribution of hydrogen ions from Amberlyst 70 in the reaction medium created high concentration of hydrogen ions in the local vicinity of the solid catalyst surface of the catalyst, which is found to be crucial for the occurrence of the etherification reactions. Understanding how the dispersion of hydrogen ions of catalyst affect the esterification of bio-oil can provide useful information for the development of the effective catalysts for upgrading of bio-oil.

The effects of Cerium (Ce) were studied on the casting slab quality, microstructure, and inclusion evolution of cryogenic vessel steel. An optical metallographic microscope, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer, and Thermo-calc thermodynamic software were used for characterization and analysis. The results indicated that the central segregation was significantly improved after adding Ce and reached the lowest level when the content of Ce was 0.0009 wt.%. Meanwhile, the presence of Ce reduces the size of ferrite and improves pearlite morphology. Ce also enables the modification of Al2O3 and MnS + Ti4C2S2 inclusions into ellipsoid CeAlO3 and spherical Ce2O2S + Ti4C2S2 composite inclusions, respectively, which are easier to remove. The formed Ce2O2S inclusions are fine and can work as heterogeneous nucleation points to refine the microstructure of steel.

In the present work, the sub-micrometer containers were prepared using mesoporous silica particles (SBA-15) with parallel channels as reservoir and 8-hydroxyquinoline as corrosion inhibitor. Layer-by-layer assembling was used to construct a shell of polyelectrolytes around the silica particles. Release of 8-hydroxyquinoline from sub-micrometer containers was studied in response to acidic or alkaline pH values. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) show the improvement of corrosion resistance of epoxy coatings containing sub-micrometer containers. Self-healing ability of the epoxy coatings was provided by sub-micrometer containers, as evidenced by the results of scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET).

The microsphere of carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan immobilizing La3+ and Al3+ (CMKGM-La-Al) has been explored for sorption of U(VI). The maximum U(VI) sorption capacity of the microsphere is found to be 45.4 mg g−1 at pH 5. Experimental data are fitted well with the linear Langmuir and linear pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The sorption process is endothermic, spontaneous and favorable. The possible mechanism of CMKGM modification and sorption of U(VI) on CMKGM-La-Al involves ion exchange and coordination reaction. The comparison between CMKGM-La-Al and other sorbents suggests that CMKGM-La-Al can be considered as an effective sorbent for U(VI) sorption.

A novel electroless nickel-phosphorus (Ni P) process employing tetrasodium pyrophosphate and ammonium citrate as complexing agents and nickel hypophosphite as the nickel source which avoids the use of SO 4 2− and Cl − ions was developed to improve the anti-corrosion properties of AZ91D magnesium alloy. The dependence of the electroless deposition rate on experimental parameters, the morphologies of the electroless deposit and the corrosion resistance of the electroless deposit were studied by the weight-gain method, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), respectively. An empirical equation was formulated to predict the Ni P deposition rate. The results showed that tetrasodium pyrophosphate played a major role in the deposition process, followed by ammonium citrate, nickel hypophosphite, sodium hypophosphite and pH. The Ni P coating significantly enhances the corrosion resistance of AZ91D Mg alloy.

Direct conversion of biomass-derived xylose and furfural into levulinic acid, a platform molecule, via acid-catalysis has been accomplished for the first time in dimethoxymethane/methanol. Dimethoxymethane acted as an electrophile to transform furfural into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Methanol suppressed both the polymerisation of the sugars/furans and the Aldol condensation of levulinic acid/ester.

The provision of healthcare itself is associated with abundant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aims to determine the carbon footprints of peritoneal dialysis (PD) with the different modalities and treatment regimes. A total of 68 subjects performed with PD treatment were enrolled in this study. Emissions factors were applied to data that were collected for energy consumption, travel, and procurement. The carbon footprints generated by the provision of PD treatment for the individual patient were calculated and normalized to a 2-l PD dialysate volume. The fixed emissions were higher in patients who received PD therapy in center than at home, mostly attributing to the consumption of electricity. Conversely, PD treatment performed in center yielded less variable emissions than that of at home, which resulted from reduced constituent percentage of waste disposal and transportation. Collectively, packaging consumption mostly contributed to the total carbon footprints of PD. This study for the first time demonstrates the delivery of PD is associated with considerable GHG emissions, which is mainly attributed to packaging materials, transportation, electricity, and waste disposal. These results suggest that carbon reduction strategies focusing on packaging consumption in PD treatment are likely to yield the greatest benefits.

In this study, a physiologically stable dual-polymer-functionalized reduced nanographene oxide (nrGO) conjugate (PEG–nrGO–PEI, RGPP) with high efficiency of gene delivery is successfully synthesized through mixing PEGylated nanographene oxide (PEG–nGO, GP) and polyethylenimine (PEI, 25 kDa) solution under 80 °C for 2 h. This hydrothermal reduction of GP during PEIylation promotes the nucleophilic reaction between the amino moieties of PEI and the epoxy groups (or carboxylic groups) in GP and then forms C–NH– groups (or NH–CO groups) to covalently connect PEI and GP, which makes the RGPP nanocomposite more stable in physiological environments and has superior gene transfection efficiency compared with the nonhydrothermally reduced PEG–nGO/PEI conjugate (GPP) obtained by mixing GP and PEI under 20 °C for 2 h. Moreover, 808 nm laser irradiation (2 W/cm2) for 25 min increases ∼1.5-fold of gene transfection efficiency for RGPP but does not increase the gene transfection efficiency of GPP. Finally, RGPP is also...

High lithium ionic conductivity and stability against lithium metal of solid electrolytes are crucial to develop high energy density all-solid-state lithium batteries. Upon doping LiI in Li3PS4, the low temperature phase Li7P2S8I glass-ceramic electrolyte (LT-Li7P2S8I) can be synthesized by mechanical milling followed by heat treatment. Compared with Li3PS4, the obtained LT-Li7P2S8I shows a phase transition from low conductive thio-LISICON III analog to high conductive thio-LISICON II analog phase, exhibiting a favorable conductivity of 1.57 × 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature. In addition, the as-prepared LT-Li7P2S8I possesses excellent dendrite suppression capability and compatibility with lithium metal. The Li/LT-Li7P2S8I/Li symmetric cell demonstrates long cycling stability for 2400 h at 0.2 mA cm−2. As a result, LiCoO2/LT-Li7P2S8I/Li all-solid-state battery delivers an initial discharge capacity of 115 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and high capacity retention of 93% after 100 cycles at room temperature. Moreover, the obtained all-solid-state battery also shows improved rate capacity. This work provides a promising electrolyte with high ionic conductivity and stability against lithium for all-solid-state lithium batteries.

The corrosion evolution of pure magnesium implanted in femur bone of the rabbit was monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The surface and cross-section morphologies, chemical compositions, phases and elemental distributions of the corrosion products formed on the implanted pure Mg were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA), respectively. The results showed that the corrosion resistance of the implanted pure Mg decreased first and then increased with the implantation time. Magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2), dypingite (Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·5H2O), monohydrocalcite (CaCO3·H2O), kovdorskite (Mg2(PO4)(OH)·3H2O) and hydroxyapatite (Ca5(PO4)3(OH)) constituted the corrosion products in which magnesium hydroxide was enriched in the inner layer, and dypingite and kovdorskite as the principal phases were enriched in the middle layer, while monohydrocalcite and hydroxylapatite as the minor phases accumulated in the outside layer.

This paper presents an eco-friendly method for recovery of cadmium by solvent extraction and stabilization of arsenic through one-pool treatment on arsenic-rich flue dust. The morphology-controlled scorodite can be realized by adjusting reaction temperature. It is worth emphasizing that the arsenic-immobilized scorodite precipitates have superior crystallinity which exhibit excellent safety for long-term storage. In addition, the advantage brought about by taking hydrogen peroxide as leaching agent is that leachate is weakly acidic, which removes the need to add a large amount of neutralizing agent and facilitates the synthesis of scorodite. The results show that 97.3% of arsenic was leached from arsenic-rich flue dust and then 92.8% of the leached arsenic was transferred into scorodite with the recovery of 81.5% of cadmium under the optimal conditions. We hope that this work will provide a facile and environmentally friendly protocol for those interested in developing a new strategy for simultaneously recovering and stabilizing toxic heavy metal ions from industrial dust.

A novel dual functional microsphere adsorbent of alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose sodium composite loaded with calcium and aluminum (SA/CMC-Ca-Al) is prepared by an injection device to remove fluoride and uranium, respectively, from fluoro-uranium mixed aqueous solution. Batch experiments are performed at different conditions: pH, temperature, initial concentration and contact time. The results show that the maximum adsorption amount for fluoride is 35.98 mg/g at pH 2.0, 298.15 K concentration 100 mg/L, while that for uranium is 101.76 mg/g at pH 4.0, 298.15 K concentration 100 mg/L. Both of the adsorption process could be well described by Langmuir model. The adsorption kinetic data is fitted well with pseudo-first-order model for uranium and pseudo-second-order model for fluoride. Thermodynamic parameters are also evaluated, indicating that the adsorption of uranium on SA/CMC-Ca-Al is a spontaneous and exothermic process, while the removal of fluoride is non-spontaneous and endothermic process. The mechanism of modification and adsorption process on SA/CMC-Ca-Al is characterized by FT-IR, SEM, EDX and XPS. The results show that Ca (II) and Al (III) are loaded on SA/CMC through ion-exchange of sodium of SA/CMC. The coordination reaction and ion-exchange happen during the adsorption process between SA/CMC-Ca-Al and uranium, fluoride. Results suggest that the SA/CMC-Ca-Al adsorbent has a great potential in removing uranium and fluoride from aqueous solution.

The carboxymethyl cellulose microsphere loaded with Al(III) (CMC-Al) has been explored for removal of uranium(VI) from U-containing water. Various factors, including pH, adsorbent dosage and uranium(VI) concentration, were tested. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were applied to the adsorption data. The thermodynamic parameters such as ΔH°, ΔS° and ΔG° were also evaluated. The mechanism of modification and adsorption on CMC-Al were analyzed by SEM, EDX and XPS. Results show Al (III) was loaded on CMC through ion exchange of sodium ion of CMC. The coordination reaction happened during the adsorption process between CMC-Al and uranium(VI).

Synthesis and application of fluorescent and chiral nano-clusters have been concerned greatly nowadays. In this work, the silver nano-clusters (AgNCs) with fluorescence and chirality were synthesized with solid-phase synthesis method, using racemic glutathione (GSH) as ligand. The synthesis conditions were optimized. In the process of synthesis, we were surprised to discover the aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) and chiral flip of AgNCs. The mechanism of AIEE and chiral flip were studied with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), fluorescence (FL) and circular dichroism (CD) spectrometry. What we found was that the hydrogen bond between GSH molecules on the surface of AgNCs induced cross-coupling agglomeration of the clusters, resulting in AIEE and chiral flip. In this study, the proposed AgNCs are expected to be used as a chiral fluorescent probe for the chiral recognition of biological and pharmaceutical molecules, and the synthesis method of chiral fluorescent AgNCs and mechanism explained here play an important guiding role in the future development of metal nano-clusters.

A novel microsphere adsorbent of carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan immobilized with La3+ and Al3+ (CMKGM–La–Al) was prepared through the sol–gel method and used to adsorb F− from an aqueous solution. Batch experiments were performed on factors such as solution pH, adsorption temperature, initial fluoride concentration and contact time to evaluate the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent. The adsorption process of fluoride could be well described by the linear Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of CMKGM–La–Al for F− was 20.37 mg g−1 at a pH of 2.0, concentration of 40 mg L−1, and 298.15 K. The adsorption kinetic data fitted well with the linear pseudo-second-order model. The thermodynamic parameters of ΔH, ΔS and ΔG showed that the adsorption of F− on CMKGM–La–Al was a spontaneous and endothermic process. A comparison between CMKGM–La–Al and other adsorbents suggested that CMKGM–La–Al could be considered as a promising adsorbent for fluoride removal.

Coke formation during the esterification of bio-oil in alcohols and water over a solid acid catalyst Amberlyst 70 has been investigated. The amounts of coke formed from the acid-treatment of bio-oil in various alcohols are half of that in water. Alcohols stabilize the major components in bio-oil such as sugars, furans, aldehydes, carboxylic acids and phenolics. On the other hand, water promotes the polymerisation of these components. In addition, experimental parameters also affect the coke formation during acid-treatment of bio-oil in alcohols. The elevated reaction temperature, long residence time, and high dosage of catalyst significantly promoted coke formation. The soluble polymeric material and insoluble polymeric material was characterized with FI-IR and UV-florescence spectroscopies. The results show that the coke formed is highly aromatic. The aromatics in bio-oil have a significant contribution to the formation of coke during the esterification of bio-oil.

Background Aberrant expression of up-regulated long non-coding RNA [LncRNA highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC)] has been observed to play an important regulatory role in the development of multiple human diseases. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the role of HULC and miR-377-5p in HCC needs to be urgently explored. Methods The mRNA and protein expression levels of HULC were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line HB611, HepG2 and H22, respectively. HULC-shRNA was transfected into HepG-2 cells, which were randomly divided into the control, shRNA-NC, and sh-HULC groups. The correlation between HULC and miR-377-5p was analyzed by performing a luciferase reporter assay. The targeting relationship between miR-377-5p and hypoxia-inhibitory factor-1α (HIF-1α) was also investigated using a luciferase reporter assay. Sh-HULC and miR-377-5p inhibitors were transfected either alone or together into HepG2 cells, and which were divided into the control group, the sh-HULC group, the miR-377-5p inhibitor, and the sh-HULC + inhibitor group for subsequent experiments. HepG2 cell proliferation and invasion were measured by 5-Ethynyl-2-Deoxyuridine (EdU) staining and Transwell invasion assay, respectively. Western plot was carried out to detect the protein expression levels of Ki67, PCNA, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin. Tumor xenograft mouse models were established to confirm the effect of HULC down-regulation on the development of HCC in vivo. Results The mRNA and protein expression levels of HULC were markedly increased, whereas the mRNA expression levels of miR-377-5p were decreased in HCC cell lines. HepG2 cell proliferation and invasion were suppressed in the Sh-HULC group, while miR-377-5p showed the opposite. Further experiments exhibited that miR-377-5p was targeted by HULC, and an negative correlation between HULC and miR-377-5p was observed. Importantly, the in vivo experiments indicated that down-regulation of HULC could inhibit tumor growth. Taken together, our research demonstrated that down-regulation of HULC plays an anti-cancer role through restrainingHepG2 cell proliferation and invasion. Conclusions In summary, our in vitro and in vivo findings confirmed HULC to play a role in the progression of HCC, with the underlying mechanism possibly involving the miR-377-5p/HIF-1α pathway.

The antiviral protein Y3 produced by the edible mushroom Coprinus comatus disrupts the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and inhibits the multiplication of TMV in Nicotiana tabacum; however, the detailed mechanism of its activity remains unclear. In this study, Y3 was demonstrated to interact with TMV coat protein (TMV-CP) in vitro as well as in tobacco plants by using a yeast two-hybrid system and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC). To explore the interaction site between Y3 and TMV-CP, the phenylalanine (Phe) at the 43rd and arginine (Arg) at the 55th amino acid of Y3 were individually converted to cysteine (Cys) and serine (Ser), named Y3T1 and Y3T2, respectively, and were then used in BiFC assays. Based on the information obtained about disulfide bonds in the protein structure, the two mutations were predicted to change the protein's disulfide bonds. The results showed Y3T1 lost the ability to interact with TMV-CP, suggesting that a specific Phe of Y3 is critical for the interaction between Y3 and CP in plants. Furthermore, a prokaryotic expression system was used to test the antiviral activities of protein Y3 (PY3) and two other mutated proteins (P-Y3T1, P-Y3T2). The results showed that recombinant protein P-Y3 had a slightly lower inhibitory effect against TMV than Y3 extracted directly from mushrooms; further, P-Y3T1 decreased antiviral activity in the tobacco plant significantly compared with P-Y3, suggesting that the anti-TMV effect of Y3 was directly related to the Y3-CP interaction. In contrast, P-Y3T2 was able to still interact with TMV-CP in the tobacco plant, and it increased the ability of the plant to resist TMV compared with PY3, indicating that PY3-T2 could be a candidate peptide for plant protection against TMV and that Y3 may have other inhibitory mechanisms against TMV in addition to its interaction with TMV-CP.

This manuscript introduces a simple and facile strategy to greatly upgrade the electrochemical reversibility of the cathode material by doping trace quantity of Ga3+ to partially replace Mn4+ in LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results reveal that the engaging of Ga3+ in the lattice inhibits the oxygen release and reduces the cation disorder, consequently increasing structural stability of the LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 sample. Electrochemical results show that rate capability and cycling stability of Ga-doped samples are remarkably improved. In particular, the LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.07Ga0.03O2 material exhibits the optimized electrochemical performance with a capacity retention of 91.2%, and the average discharge voltage kept at 3.69 V that is 0.27 V higher than that of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 after 100 cycles at 1 C in voltage of 2.8–4.3 V. Surprisingly, its capacity retention even increases from 63.6% to 89.5% after 100 cycles at 1 C in 2.8–4.5 V, indicating that the Ga-doped cathode exhibits cycle stability and reduces the polarization of electrochemistry during charge-discharge process. This results from improving the stability of crystal structure by the support of gallium ion to defend layered structures against collapsing during the oxidation-reduction of Ni.

Arsenic as a highly toxic substance must be stabilized and immobilized to avoid environmental pollution. The natural scorodite ore (FeAsO4·2H2O) is stable that originated from the arsenic oxide are encapsulated by iron oxide layer in the crystal structure of scorodite, form the similar core-shell structure. The special core-shell structure can successfully improve the stability of arsenide. In this study, the scorodite@FeOOH materials with core-shell structure were designed and synthesized by soaking the scorodite in alkaline solution. The core-shell structure was formed in 6 h with the pH range of 10.00–13.00. By analyzing the formation pathway, the arsenical ferrihydrite was formed in soaking process, meanwhile the Fe(OH)3 particles were produced, then both of them continue to grow, thus form the core-shell structure. After ageing treatment, the scorodite@FeOOH core-shell structures were formed. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure measurements were performed to evaluate the safety of this scorodite@FeOOH material in acid or alkaline solutions. The results indicated that the scorodite@FeOOH material had high stability under acid and alkaline condition. Within 10 days, the concentrations of arsenic in leaching liquid were below 0.01 mg·L−1. This stabilization result indicates the treatment way from arsenide to the stable core-shell structure is an effective strategy for arsenic immobilization.

Three‑dimensional printed (3DP) scaffolds have become an excellent resource in alveolar bone regeneration. However, selecting suitable printable materials remains a challenge. In the present study, 3DP scaffolds were fabricated using three different ratios of poly (ε‑caprolactone) (PCL) and poly‑lactic‑co‑glycolic acid (PLGA), which were 0.1PCL/0.9PLGA, 0.5PCL/0.5PLGA and 0.9PCL/0.1PLGA. The surface characteristics and degradative properties of the scaffolds, and the response of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) on the scaffolds, were assessed to examine the preferable ratio of PCL and PLGA for alveolar bone regeneration. The results demonstrated that the increased proportion of PLGA markedly accelerated the degradation, smoothed the surface and increased the wettability of the hybrid scaffold. Furthermore, the flow cytometry and Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay revealed that the adhesion and proliferation of hPDLSCs were markedlyincreased on the 0.5PCL/0.5PLGA and 0.1PCL/0.9PLGA scaffolds. Additionally, the alkaline phosphatase activity detection and reverse‑transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that the hPDLSCs on the 0.5PCL/0.5PLGA scaffold exhibited the best osteogenic capacity. Consequently, PCL/PLGA composite scaffolds may represent a candidate focus for future bone regeneration studies, and the 0.5PCL/0.5PLGA scaffold demonstrated the best bio‑response from the hPDLSCs.