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N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are glutamate-gated Na+ and Ca2+-permeable ion channels involved in excitatory synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. NMDAR hypofunction has long been implicated in the pathophysiology including major depressive disorders (MDDs). Herein, we report a series of furan-2-carboxamide analogues as novel NMDAR-positive allosteric modulators (PAMs). Through structure-based virtual screen and electrophysiological tests, FS2921 was identified as a novel NMDAR PAM with potential antidepressant effects. Further structure-activity relationship studies led to the discovery of novel analogues with increased potentiation. Compound 32h caused a significant increase in NMDAR excitability in vitro and impressive activity in the forced swimming test. Moreover, compound 32h showed no significant inhibition of hERG or cell viability and possessed a favorable PK/PD profile. Our study presented a series of novel NMDAR PAMs and provided potential opportunities for discovering of new antidepressants.

Electrohydrodynamic jet printing (EJP) is a developing additive manufacture technology that enables the fabrication of fine scaffolds directly from polymer solutions or melt. Timely solidification of the polymer jet is the key factor for the success of EJP process. In conventional solution-based EJP methods, it is usually achieved by rapid solvent evaporation and producing a scaffold with smooth filaments. In current study, by combining solution-based EJP with a cryogenic workbench, a cryogenic electrohydrodynamic jet printing (CEJP) system was developed, in which the polymer jet was frozen and solidified quickly at the freezing temperature rather than solvent evaporation. The feasibility and versatility of the CEJP system were verified by successful printing of scaffolds with different hole shapes and pore sizes. Meanwhile, the resulting scaffolds not only had a resolution in the range of 50–80 μm but also possessed oriented “ridges” and “valleys” on surface of the filaments, which was conductive to cell orientation. Therefore, this work provides a novel method to print fine scaffolds with extra surface topography.

A new and precise control printing method was developed for preparing homogeneous microspheres. Hydroxyapatite-sodium alginate (HA-SA) mixed suspension was used as printing material and CaCl2 solution was used as solidifying liquid to prepared ceramic microspheres by pneumatic extrusion printing technology. By adjusting the positive pressure, dwell time, and hydroxyapatite concentration, the influence of each parameter on the shape of printed microspheres was studied, and the suitable preparation parameters were determined. Then, the microspheres with uniform particle size distribution were successfully prepared in large quantities by selecting appropriate printing parameters. Then, the microspheres were dried and sintered at different temperatures. During the drying and sintering process, the microspheres showed obvious shrinkage, but still keep good sphericity. The phases of sintered microspheres are hydroxyapatite and calcium oxide. The microstructure shows typical hydroxyapatite grain characteristics.

Photoactive nanomaterial-mediated photothermal therapy is a promising cancer treatment method. However, its development is hindered by the in vivo toxic potential of nanomaterials, which may stay in the body for a long time. One of the ideal strategies to overcome such a predicament is exploiting biodegradable photoactive substances for photothermal therapy. In this work, MoSi2 nanoparticles were found to be excellent materials for near-infrared (NIR) activation and showed a broad photoabsorption band in the NIR range and resultant NIR-triggered photothermal effect. On the basis of its unique photoactive properties, MoSi2 was applied as a phototherapeutic agent in this work for photothermal oncotherapy. The in vitro cell tests and in vivo antitumor studies on mice both manifested a prominent antitumor outcome, as evidenced by the efficient cancer cell killing and solid tumor removal. More importantly, MoSi2 has been proved as a body-clearable nanodrug that can be degraded in vivo and excreted via feces and urine, thus lowering the long-term toxic potential. In addition, MoSi2 has excellent biosafety, which has been proven by the low levels of cytotoxicity, hematotoxicity and tissue toxicity. Consequently, MoSi2 as a nanodrug is an ideal candidate for photothermal cancer treatment with adequate biosecurity.

We propose a method for low-concentration detection of sodium chloride based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR). A novel prism coupling structure is designed for the sodium chloride concentration sensor, where a TiO2–ZnO composite film and a MoS2–GO hybrid nanosheet are chosen to enhance the surface plasmon resonance based on an Au nanowire array because of their unique properties in metal nanowire arrays and two-dimensional nanomaterials. Using the finite element method, we analyze the thickness of each medium layer for the structure designed in order to obtain the optimum value, so that the sensitivity of the sodium chloride concentration sensor designed is substantially enhanced. The optimum thickness of each medium layer is given, and the sensitivity of the sodium chloride concentration sensor based on the surface plasmon resonance can reach 0.260°/ (g/100 ml) concentration in the detection range of the sodium chloride concentration from zero to 15 g/100 ml. We derive the relationship between the sodium chloride concentration and the surface plasmon resonance angle in the detection range of the sodium chloride concentration.

SS-31 is a kind of mitochondrion-targeted peptide. Recent studies indicated significant neuroprotective effects of SS-31. In this study, we investigated that SS-31 protected the murine cultured microglial cells (BV-2) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and oxidative stress through stabilizing mitochondrial morphology. The morphological study showed that SS-31 preserved LPS-induced mitochondrial ultrastructure by reducing the fission protein 1 (Fis1) expression. Flow cytometry and Western blot verified that SS-31 defended the BV-2 cells against LPS-stimulated inflammation and oxidative stress via suppressing Fis1. To sum up, our study represents that SS-31 preserves BV-2 cells from LPS-stimulated inflammation and oxidative stress by down-regulating the Fis1 expression.

Naringenin improves lipoprotein profile and protects against cardiovascular disease. ATF6 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress sensor with the same activation processes with sterol regulator SREBPs. Clinical data revealed that ATF6 expression was associated with plasma cholesterol level. Here, we investigated whether naringenin was involved in the regulation of cholesterol efflux and tested the role of ER stress-ATF6 in the naringenin function. Results showed that naringenin increased cholesterol efflux to both apoA-I and HDL and gene expressions in ABCA1, ABCG1 and LXRα in RAW264.7 macrophages. Naringenin inhibited the cleaved ATF6 nuclear translocation and its target GRP78 and XBP-1 expressions. Naringenin-induced cholesterol efflux was modulated by treatment with ER stress inhibitor 4-phenylbutyric acid, inducer tunicamycin and ATF6 overexpression in RAW264.7 and/or THP-1 cells, which suggested the naringenin functions were mediated through inhibiting ER stress-ATF6 pathway. Next, we found high-fat diet (HFD) supplemented with naringenin increased by >1.2-fold in cholesterol efflux capacity in primary peritoneal macrophage in apoE-/- mice compared to only HFD-fed mice. The increase was significantly reduced by tunicamycin treatment. Naringenin decreased GRP78, XBP-1 and nuclear ATF6 levels in peritoneal macrophage and aorta and reduced atherosclerotic lesion at aortic root, but reversed by tunicamycin. These confirmed participation of ER stress-ATF6 in naringenin efficacy. Finally, we found naringenin promoted AKT phosphorylation; PI3K inhibitor LY294002 treatment increased nuclear ATF6 and reduced naringenin-enhanced ABCA1 expression and cholesterol efflux. We concluded naringenin as a regulator for cholesterol efflux, and the regulation was mediated by ATF6 branch of ER stress and PI3K/AKT pathway.

In this work, magnetic maize straw was prepared by the amidation process using renewable maize straw as starting material. After magnetic succinylated maize straw (Mag-S-MS) was mixed with cupric ions aqueous solution, Cu (II) could be captured by the amino and carboxylate groups. Then, the bonded Cu (II) was converted to valuable Cu nanoparticles (Cu NPS). It was characterized by SEM-EDS, XRD, XPS, and TGA, which indicated Cu NPS were formed successfully on Mag-S-MS without self-aggregation and oxidation. The above nanocomposites could be employed as a catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). The effect of the dosage of Cu NPS loaded-Mag-S-MS, the initial concentrations of NaBH4 and 4-NP were investigated, and a possible mechanism was discussed. The catalyst maintained relatively high catalytic activity after five cycle tests. Due to its superparamagnetic nature, it could be quickly collected from the aqueous solution under a magnetic field. These results could provide a method for using agricultural waste in nano catalytic reaction.

Uric acid is the final product of purine metabolism, and excessive serum uric acid can cause gouty arthritis and uric acid nephropathy. Therefore, lowering the uric acid level and alleviating inflammation in the body are the key points to treating these diseases. A stable nanosuspension of peptide BmK9 was prepared by the precipitation-ultrasonication method. By combining uricase on the surface of a positively charged carrier, a complex consisting of neutral rod-shaped BmK9 and uricase nanoparticles (Nplex) was formed to achieve the delivery of BmK9 and uricase, respectively. The formulation of Nplex has a diameter of 180 nm and drug loading up to 200%, which releases BmK9 and uricase slowly and steadily in drug release tests in vitro. There was significantly improved pharmacokinetic behavior of the two drugs because Nplex prolonged the half-life and increased tissue accumulation. Histological assessments showed that the dual drug Nplex can reduce the inflammation response in acute gouty arthritis and chronic uric acid nephropathy in vivo. In the macrophage system, there was lower toxicity and increased beneficial effect on inflammation with Nplex than free BmK9 or uricase. Collectively, this novel formulation provides a dual drug delivery system that can treat gouty arthritis and uric acid nephropathy.

In this work, the polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold with specific surface morphology was prepared by cryogenic printing technique. Biocompatible hydroxyapatite (HA) was added to the PCL matrix to enhance the surface properties and bioactivity of the scaffolds. The effects of HA on the mechanical strength and surface morphology were studied systematically. It was found that the extra surface morphology of filament enhanced the exposure of the HA particles, which induced a positive synergistic effect on surface properties. The wettability and bio-mineralization were significantly improved, and the protein adsorption capacity was 4.5 and 3.9 times than the ones of sample with 20%HA and smooth surface, respectively. Rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) were used as the cell model to evaluate the cellular response to the specific surface of the scaffolds. The results showed that the scaffolds with 20–40% HA and extra surface had better proliferation ratio. The ALP assay also demonstrated that the synergistic effect was beneficial to cell osteogenic differentiation, and the ALP level was significantly higher than that of pure PCL and smooth PCL/HA composite scaffold samples at the 14th day. Therefore, the PCL/HA composite scaffold with extra surface morphology had better potential for bone tissue engineering.

Here, we describe the identification of PARP1/2 as direct binding proteins of andrographolide (Andro) using protein microarray, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and enzyme activity assays. We then evaluated the proliferation inhibition, apoptosis, and cell migration effects of Andro on the MDA-MB-436 cell line in vitro. The final biological evaluation confirmed that Andro was a highly effective single agent in the MDA-MB-436 xenograft model and had a low hERG-mediated cardiac toxicity. Therefore, Andro represents the first natural product, non-amide member of a novel nanomolar-potency PARP1/2 inhibitor family.

Five new ent-pimarane diterpenoids ent-16-nor-2-oxopimar-8(14)-ene-15,19-dial (1), ent-16-nor-2α,19-dihydroxypimar-8-en-15-al (2), 3-O-acetyldarutigenol (3), 19-O-acetylkirenol (4), ent-16-nor-3β,1...

Porous fibers had better performance in many application fields for their larger surface area or extra nano topography than smooth ones. However, high vapor pressure solvents or selective removal of one phase from fastidious blended fibers were mostly used to fabricate porous fibers in electrospinning process, which made the process unfriendly and inconveniently. Here, a facial process on fabrication of porous fibers was developed by integrating the principles of thermally induced phase separation with the self-made cryogenic electrospinning system (CES) which can provisional solidify the polymer jet on the freezing collector. For demonstration, the polymer solution of Polycaprolactone (PCL) with solvent of glacial acetic acid was chosen. The PCL porous fibers with diameter of 3.29 ± 0.42 μm were successfully prepared at the height of 90 mm and freezing temperature of −3.6 ± 0.3℃ on collector in room environment. Furthermore, the pores on the surface of fibers exhibited two types: pits and polygon concaves. The pits were induced by phase separation at freezing temperature and the polygon concaves were due to the interaction of residual solvent with ice crystals on surface of silicon wafer or metal collector recruited from the air moisture. Generally, this process was suitable to polymer solutions with solvents of low vapor pressure but high freezing point.

Reuse of biogas slurry (BGS) could reduce fertilizer application rate because this material is an alternative source of nutrients and irrigation that could replace some of applied fertilizer. However, the environmental impacts of BGS irrigation, such as greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are poorly understood. We investigated the global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) of BGS irrigation by quantifying the nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions under different BGS irrigation rates in a two-year wheat-maize rotation field in the North China Plain. We found BGS irrigation did not change the patterns and fluxes of CO2 and N2O emission during the entire wheat-maize cropping cycle. In addition, there were no significant difference between BGS treatments (BSL, BSM, and BSH) and conventional fertilizer treatment (CF) in GWP. Further, no significant difference occurred in GHGI between BSM (33% BGS and 67% groundwater were mixed and irrigated during the wintering period and joining stage of wheat and after maize sowing, 315 kg·N·hm−1), BSH (50% BGS and 50% groundwater were mixed and irrigated during the wintering period and joining stage of wheat and after maize sowing, 477 kg·N·hm−1) and CF (conventional NPK fertilizer, 420 kg·N·ha−1), despite a higher value BSL (33% BGS and 67% groundwater were mixed and irrigated during the wintering period of wheat and after maize sowing, 210 kg·N·hm−1).The BSL and BSM treatments significantly increased the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) compared to the CF treatment (11.3% for BSL and 15.3% for BSM). Despite the lower NUE in the BSH treatment relative to CF, it was not statistically significant. Therefore, BGS reuse can increase NUE and does not cause environmental impacts. According to the results of GHGI and NUE, it can be concluded that BSM should be recommended as an improved recycling management practice for the wheat-maize rotation systems.

Osteoarthritis (OA) has been recognized as the most common chronic age-related disease. Cartilage degeneration influences OA therapy. Here we report that hematopoietic pre-B cell leukemia transcription factor-interacting protein (HPIP) is essential for OA development. Elevated HPIP levels are found in OA patients. Col2a1-CreERT2/HPIPf/f mice exhibit obvious skeletal abnormalities compared with their HPIPf/f littermates. HPIP deficiency in mice protects against developing OA. Moreover, intra-articular injection of adeno-associated virus carrying HPIP-specific short hairpin RNA in vivo attenuates OA histological signs. Notably, in vitro RNA-sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing profiles identify that HPIP modulates OA cartilage degeneration through transcriptional activation of Wnt target genes. Mechanistically, HPIP promotes the transcription of Wnt targets by interacting with lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1). Furthermore, HPIP potentiates the transcriptional activity of LEF1 and acetylates histone H3 lysine 56 in the promoters of Wnt targets, suggesting that HPIP is an attractive target in OA regulatory network., Osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with cartilage degeneration, and no effective therapy exists. Here, the authors show that the HPIP protein modulates OA progression by regulating Wnt signaling, and that its knockdown in joints via AAV-mediated gene silencing attentuates pathology.

Transformation of organic phosphorus (P) is directly related to a range of environmental factors, therefore exploring their relationships is vital to understanding the biogeochemical cycling of P and its significance in eutrophication of lake waters. In this study, a series of experiments were conducted to simulate the organic P transformation in the water under the influence of dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature and phytoplankton growth. Results showed that the transformation rate of total organic P increased with temperature, ranging from 0.02 to 0.25 mg L−1 day−1 at 5 °C, and from 0.04 to 0.72 mg L−1 day−1at 30 °C. The transformation rate of total organic P was significantly higher under anaerobic conditions than that under aerobic conditions at 20 °C and 30 °C, indicating that DO is a more important factor for the transformation of total organic P at the high temperature. However, different compounds of organic P responded differently to environmental factors. The change of orthophosphate monoester (Mono-P) content was consistent with that of total organic P when the temperature and DO were the same, but the transformation rates of phosphonate and DNA in the water were less affected by changes of temperature and DO. Additionally, the transformation rate of Mono-P was increased by the growth of phytoplankton when it was used as a P source. Although the relationships between alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and organic P are complex, ALP may be the main factor affecting the transformation of organic P at lower temperatures.

Background: The causal evidence of the triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index, as well as the joint exposure of higher glucose and triglyceride on the risk of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases (CVD), was lacking.Methods: A comprehensive factorial Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed in the UK Biobank cohort involving 273,368 individuals with European ancestry to assess and quantify these effects. The factorial MR, MR-PRESSO, MR-Egger, meta-regression, sensitivity analysis, positive control, and external verification were utilized. Outcomes include major outcomes [overall CVD, ischemic heart diseases (IHD), and cerebrovascular diseases (CED)] and minor outcomes [angina pectoris (AP), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), chronic IHD (CIHD), heart failure (HF), hemorrhagic stroke (HS), and ischemic stroke (IS)].Results: The TyG index significantly increased the risk of overall CVD [OR (95% CI): 1.20 (1.14–1.25)], IHD [OR (95% CI): 1.22 (1.15–1.29)], CED [OR (95% CI): 1.14 (1.05–1.23)], AP [OR (95% CI): 1.29 (1.20–1.39)], AMI [OR (95% CI): 1.27 (1.16–1.39)], CIHD [OR (95% CI): 1.21 (1.13–1.29)], and IS [OR (95% CI): 1.22 (1.06–1.40)]. Joint exposure to genetically higher GLU and TG was significantly associated with a higher risk of overall CVD [OR (95% CI): 1.17 (1.12–1.23)] and IHD [OR (95% CI): 1.22 (1.16–1.29)], but not with CED. The effect of GLU and TG was independent of each other genetically and presented dose–response effects in bivariate meta-regression analysis.Conclusions: Lifelong genetic exposure to higher GLU and TG was jointly associated with higher cardiac metabolic risk while the TyG index additionally associated with several cerebrovascular diseases. The TyG index could serve as a more sensitive pre-diagnostic indicator for CVD while the joint GLU and TG could offer a quantitative risk for cardiac metabolic outcomes.

Causal evidence of circulating lipids especially the remnant cholesterol with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is lacking. This research aimed to explore the causal roles of extensive lipid traits especially the remnant lipids in CVD.Two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis was performed based on large-scale meta-analysis datasets in European ancestry. The causal effect of 15 circulating lipid profiles including 6 conventional lipids and 9 remnant lipids on coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke (IS), as well as the subtypes, was assessed.Apolipoprotein B (Apo B), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) were still important risk factors for CHD and myocardial infarction (MI) but not for IS. Apo B is the strongest which increased the CHD and MI risk by 44% and 41%, respectively. The odds ratios (ORs) of total TG on CHD and MI were 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.38) and 1.24 (95% CI, 1.11-1.38), respectively. A one standard deviation difference increased TG in medium very-low-density lipoproteins (M.VLDL.TG), TG in small VLDL (S.VLDL.TG), TG in very small VLDL (XS.VLDL.TG), TG in intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDL.TG), TG in very large HDL (XL.HDL.TG), and TG in small HDL (S.HDL.TG) particles also robustly increased the risk of CHD and MI by 9-28% and 9-27%, respectively. TG in very/extremely large VLDL (XXL.VLDL.TG and XL.VLDL.TG) were insignificant or even negatively associated with CHD (in multivariable TSMR), and negatively associated with IS as well.The remnant lipids presented heterogeneity and two-sided effects for the risk of CHD and IS that may partially rely on the particle size. The findings suggested that the remnant lipids were required to be intervened according to specific components. This research confirms the importance of remnant lipids and provides causal evidence for potential targets for intervention.

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bar-reinforced unsaturated polyester resin concrete (UPC) can solve the problem of rebar corrosion in ordinary reinforced concrete members. However, it has not been widely used in engineering practice because there have been few studies conducted on the bond behaviors of FRP bar and UPC, and the interaction mechanisms between FRP bar and UPC have not been well understood. A series of pull-out tests are conducted on FRP bar-UPC specimens to study the bond behaviors between these two materials. Parametric studies are also carried out to investigate the effects of FRP bar diameter, fiber type, type of surface treatment, concrete cover thickness, and interfacial bond length between the two. Three failure modes of the specimens are observed from pull-out tests, i.e., FRP bar pull-out, tensile failure of FRP bar, and UPC split. A new constitutive model is, therefore, proposed to predict the bond stress of FRP bar and UPC in the residual stage, and the proposed model is finally verified by test data reported in this study.

In this study, the strain Streptomyces diastatochromogenes 6#-7, which efficiently synthesizes e-Poly-L-lysine, was studied and the effects of 18 amino acids and overexpression of dapA gene on the fermentation efficiency of e-PL by S. diastatochromogenes were investigated. It was shown that L-proline, L-lysine, L-isoleucine, and L-threonine could promote the production of e-PL. Moreover, the overexpression of the dihydrodipicolinate synthase gene (dapA) helped improve the fermentation performance of S. diastatochromogenes. The maximum e-PL yield of the overexpressing strain (S. diastatochromogenes 12#-2) increased by 17.5% compared with the original strain in 500 mL shake flask. When the fermentation was conducted in a 5-L fermenter, the fermentation duration was extended by 48 h, and e-PL yield reached 30.54 g/L, which was a 19.8% increase compared to the original strain. The results of this study offered a promising approach to augment the production of e-PL from Streptomyces, thus paving the way to reduce the cost of product e-PL and enhance the fermentation efficiency of e-PL production.

China has conducted a long-term low-carbon technology innovation (LCTI), but there was a faster increase of CO2 emission in 2017 and 2018 than in 2016, which has lead scholars to doubt the effect of LCTI on CO2 emission. This paper builds a spatial auto regression (SAR) model with provincial panel data from 2011 to 2017 to calculate the spatial spillover effect of China's LCTI on regional CO2 emission. The results show that regional LCTI can reduce the local CO2 emission, but will increase the CO2 emission of adjacent regions due to spatial spillover effect. This produces the uncertainty of the promotion effect of LCTI on China's low-carbon transformation. Therefore, this paper suggests innovation resources should be appropriately and evenly distributed among regions to avoid their agglomeration in few regions.

A highly efficient single atom Fe-dispersed g-C3N4 catalyst with a Fe-N4 coordination structure for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) photocatalytic activation and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation was synthesized. The dominant role of Fe single atoms in the activation of PMS and SMX removal was revealed, and the contribution of photo-generated electrons (e−) and holes (h+) to the enhanced catalytic performance of the catalyst in PMS activation was elucidated. Under visible light irradiation, 98.7% of the SMX with the initial concentration of 10 mg/L was quickly degraded within 6 min using 50 mg/L catalyst. The turnover efficiency (TOF) of the catalyst is as high as 5.27 min−1, which is 2–6 orders of magnitude higher than normal Fe-containing catalysts for SMX degradation. Moreover, this catalyst exhibits excellent stability and reusability. The dominating reaction active species involved in the degradation of SMX were identified, and the possible SMX degradation mechanism was proposed based on the detected degradation intermediates. This work provide a highly efficient visible light response single atom Fe catalyst for the sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation process.

Interleukin 27 (IL-27) plays diverse immune regulatory roles in autoimmune disorders and promotes the generation of IL-10 producing CD4+ T cells characterized by producing the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10. However, whether IL-27 participates in pathological progress of Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) through regulating CD4+IL-10+ T cells remains unknown. Here we aimed to explore the potential role of IL-27 and CD4+IL-10+ T cells in the pathogenesis of SS. The IL-27 gene knockout non-obese diabetic (Il-27-/-NOD) mice were generated and injected with exogenous IL-27. Exogenous injection of IL-27 and neutralization of IL-27 with anti-IL27 antibody in NOD mice were performed. The histopathological changes in submandibular glands, lacrimal glands and lung, salivary flow rate and percentages of CD4+IL-10+ T cells were determined. And, ovalbumin (OVA) immunized C57L/B6 mice were injected with IL-27 to detect the percentage of CD4+IL-10+ T cells. In vitro, splenic naive T cells from C57L/B6 mice were cultured with IL-27 for 4 days to induce the differentiation of CD4+IL-10+ T cells. In addition, IL-27, IL-10 and CD4+IL-10+ T cells were determined in health control (HC) and SS patients. The results showed that Il-27-/-NOD mice had more severe disease and lower level of CD4+IL-10+ T cells than control mice. And IL-27 promoted the generation and differentiation of CD4+IL-10+ T cells in vivo and in vitro significantly. In agree with the findings in the SS-like mice, patients with SS showed lower levels of IL-27, IL-10 and CD4+IL-10+ T cells. Our findings indicated that IL-27 deficiency aggravated SS by regulating CD4+IL-10+ T cells. Targeting IL-27 and CD4+IL-10+ T cells may be a novel therapy for patients with SS.

Cellular oxidative stress promotes lipid accumulation in macrophages during atherogenesis. Puerarin is a natural isoflavone with beneficial effects against oxidation and atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the effects of puerarin on lipid uptake and explored the underlying molecular regulation. We found puerarin up-regulated thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) and Trx reductase-1 (TrxR1) expression; it increased TrxR1 activity, cellular thiols contents and decreased oxidized form of Trx1, thus inhibiting cellular ROS generation. Confocal microscope and flow cytometry analysis showed fluorescence labeled Dil-oxLDL uptake was dramatically inhibited by puerarin in RAW264.7 cells as well as in primary bone marrow derived macrophages and peritoneal macrophages. The effects were reversed when Trx1 was inhibited by treatment with Trx1 inhibitor PX-12 or Trx1 siRNA. We also found scavenger receptors such as SR-A and Lox-1, but not CD36 were involved in the Trx1-mediated lipid uptake inhibition. Moreover, measurements of foam cell accumulation and ROS production in sections of aortic roots showed those were reduced by puerarin but raised when additional treatment with PX-12 or Trx1 siRNA in apoE−/− mice, which demonstrates the lipid uptake reduction by puerarin requires Trx1 inhibition in vivo. In addition, we analyzed the upstream regulation and found puerarin induced Nrf2 activity; cooperation between Nrf2 and ATF4 facilitated the puerarin effects. PERK phosphorylation was detected to be increased by puerarin, while PERK inhibition reduced cellular Trx1, TrxR1, nuclear Nrf2 and ATF4. Altogether, puerarin modulates PERK/Nrf2 that coordinates with ATF4 to active Trx1, which causes SR-A and Lox-1 reduction and lipid uptake inhibition in macrophages. This suggests Trx1 could be an effective target by puerarin in the prevention of atherosclerosis.

Zearalenone (ZEA) has been proved to be toxic, particularly to the reproductive system of gilts. The effect of ZEA on gilts during embryo implantation window period is of particular interests. Here, we observed window stage dysontogenesis of gilts treated with ZEA. In endometrial tissues and cells, autophagosomes increased significantly and mitochondria were damaged with increasing ZEA concentration. Addition of autophagy inhibitor confirmed that ZEA blocks the autophagic flow in the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. In conclusion, ZEA exposure during embryo implantation results in endometrium inflammation by activating autophagy while blocking autophagy flow at the same time, leading to the significant accumulation of autophagosomes. The aforementioned effects of ZEA induce the apoptosis of primary endometrial cells through the caspase3 pathway, which would break the uterus environment balance and finally lead to embryo implantation failure and dysontogenesis in gilts.

Micro-RNA125b (miR-125b) and tumor protein p53 (p53) are involved in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics; however, the mechanism of their possible interaction during oxidative stress remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role and mechanism of miR-125b and p53 in oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial damage in immortalized mouse hippocampal HT22 cells. Following stimulation with H2O2, we observed downregulation of miR-125b expression, upregulation of p53 expression, mitochondria were damaged and increased cell death. Overexpression of miR-125b alleviated mitochondrial damage and inhibited p53 expression. Furthermore, confocal and electron microscopy showed that overexpression of p53 eliminated the protective effect of miR-125b on the mitochondria. Thus, miR-125b alleviates abnormal mitochondrial homeostasis in H2O2-treated HT22 cells by suppressing p53 expression. Our data reveal a new model by which miR-125b influences mitochondrial dynamics.

Background Available data about the effects of circulating polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on ischemic stroke (IS) and its main risk factors remains limited and conflicting. Therefore, we conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess whether genetically predicted PUFA affected IS, lipids and blood pressure (BP). Methods Genetic instruments associated with IS were derived from ISGC Consortium (n = 29,633), with lipids were derived from GLGC(n = 188,577), with BP were derived from Neale Lab(n = 337,000). The inverse-variance weighted method was the main analysis to estimate the effect of exposure on outcome. Sensitivity analyses included principal components analysis, MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode. Results Per SD increases in serum α-linolenic acid (ALA) were associated with lower IS risk, with odd ratio (OR) of 0.867(0.782,0.961), arachidonic acid (AA) were associated with higher IS risk (OR: 1.053(1.014,1.094)). Likewise, Per SD increases in ALA were associated with the lower-level low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) (β:-0.122(− 0.144, − 0.101), − 0.159(− 0.182, − 0.135), − 0.148(− 0.171, − 0.126), respectively), AA were associated with the higher-level of LDL-C, HDL-C and TC (β:0.045(0.034,0.056), 0.059(0.050,0.067), 0.055(0.046,0.063), respectively). Linoleic acid (LA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) had little or no association with IS, lipids or BP at Bonferroni-corrected significance. Different analytic methods supported these findings. The intercept test of MR-Egger implied no pleiotropy. Conclusions High-level plasma ALA was protective for IS but AA was the opposite. LA, EPA, DHA, and DPA had no effects on IS.

Sepsis is among the most devastating events in intensive care units. As a complication of sepsis, acute lung injury (ALI) is common and highly associated with poor outcome. The present study demonstrated that abnormal mitochondrial dynamics play a pivotal role in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI. Inhibiting the mitochondrial fission with the specific inhibitor-1 (Mdivi-1) ameliorated ALI as assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and wet/dry ratio. Furthermore, Mdivi-1 reduced mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activation, oxidative stress and apoptosis in the lungs. Plasma pro-inflammation cytokines were also reduced significantly in Mdivi-1-treated mice. In vitro study revealed that Mdivi-1 protected the macrophages from LPS-induced MAPKs activation, oxidative stress and cell apoptosis. Mdivi-1 also inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Morphological analysis showed that Mdivi-1 rescued the macrophages from LPS-induced mitochondrial fragmentation. Moreover, LPS treatment induced significant phosphorylation of Drp1 at Ser616, dephosphorylation at Ser637 and translocation of Drp1 from the cytoplasm to mitochondria, while Mdivi-1 inhibited those effects. Thus, modification of fission to rebuild mitochondrial homeostasis may offer an innovative opportunity for developing therapeutic strategies against ALI.

In this study, borosilicate bio-glass (BG) was incorporated into magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) for the purpose of developing an injectable and bioactive composite cement with suitable physicochemical and biocompatible performance. Results show that the BG-incorporated MPC possesses an excellent injectability, and can be used to fill in different 3D printed defect models using a syringe with a moderate setting time. Meanwhile, BG can retard the setting time and adjust the exothermic temperature of MPC. When the MPC/BG ratio was 3:1 (MPC3-BG), its corresponding setting time, peak temperature, anti-washout ratio and compressive strength were 9.9 ± 0.7 min, 45.8 ± 1.6 °C, 87%-90% and 13.5 MPa, respectively, which were suitable for injection and bone reparation. Characterizations of MPC3-BG showed that it had a faster degradation rate than MPC and the functional ions of boron and silicon could be released from the dissolution of the composite cement. In vitro and in vivo experiments also demonstrated that MPC3-BG had a stimulatory effect on the cell proliferation and new bone regeneration.

In this paper, a grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance concentration sensor employing a gold and indium tin oxide (Au/ITO) nanoparticle composite instead of metal is proposed. The structure and material parameters of the sensor are discussed and analyzed. Taking the ethylene glycol concentration as an example, the influence of the nanocomposite on the wave vector matching, the influence of the refractive index of the medium to be tested and the influence of the concentration on the refractive index were analyzed in detail. The experimental results show that when the sensor is used for the measurement of ethylene glycol concentration, the correlation coefficient between the concentration and the refractive index is as high as 0.999995. The fitting curve and data correlation are good, and the sensitivity has a good linear relationship with the sensitivity. Therefore, the sensor structure proposed in this paper can be used to accurately measure the trace concentration of liquid, and its sensing mode has certain reference value for the measurement of general trace fluid concentration.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a unique group of emerging and nonpersistent contaminants. In this study, 27 PPCPs in various water samples were extracted by solid phase extraction (SPE), and determined by isotope dilution method using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem triple quadruple mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). A total of 27 isotopically labeled standards (ILSs) were applied to correct the concentration of PPCPs in spiked ultrapure water, drinking water, river, effluent and influent sewage. The corrected recoveries were 73%–122% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) < 16%, except for acetaminophen. The matrix effect for all kinds of water samples was < 22% and the method quantitation limits (MQLs) were 0.45–8.6 ng/L. The developed method was successfully applied on environmental water samples. The SPE extracts of spiked ultrapure water, drinking water, river and wastewater effluent were stored for 70 days, and the ILSs-corrected recoveries of 27 PPCPs were obtained to evaluate the correction ability of ILSs in the presence of variety interferences. The recoveries of 27 PPCPs over 70 days were within the scope of 72%–140% with the recovery variation < 37% in all cases. The isotope dilution method seems to be of benefit when the extract has to be stored for long time before the instrument analysis.

Although demanding, the development of multifunctional theranostic nanoplatforms is attracting considerable worldwide interest. Herein, a theranostic nanoplatform with multifunctions based on polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles (NPs) was developed, owning dual-imaging and dual-therapy functions for cancer theranostic applications. PDA NPs were generated using a facile polymerization method under alkaline conditions, followed by poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) modification. Then, the obtained NPs were loaded with IR820 and Fe3+ ions to produce the final PEGylated PDA/IR820/Fe3+ (PPIF) NPs. The PPIF NPs thus generated displayed increasingly brighter photoacoustic and magnetic resonance signals with increasing NP concentration and were demonstrated to be cytocompatible and effectively taken up and internalized into HeLa cells. Under near-infrared light irradiation, PPIF NPs can produce heat and reactive oxygen species for photothermal/photodynamic combined cancer therapy. In this study, the versatility of PDA NPs was demonstrated to be promising as a multifunctional nanoplatform for potential cancer theranostic applications.

Earlier reports of fabricating 3D porous PCL scaffolds for tissue engineering applications were overshadowed by several limitations such as additional molds cost, relatively low efficiency, and lacking process control. In present study, combined extrusion-based cryogenic 3D printing (ECP) (−20 °C) and subsequent freeze-drying approaches were employed to facilely fabricate polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds, with high porosity and fidelity. Freeze-drying caused shrinkage of the scaffolds along X, Y, and Z-axes to some extent. The porosities of CP600, CP800, and CP1000 were found to be 64.0 ± 1.2%, 70.1 ± 1.3%, and 74.3 ± 0.6%, respectively. The fabricated scaffolds were characterized for various structural features and compared with the ones fabricated through traditional extrusion-based melt 3D printing (EMP). The crystallinity of PCL in ECP scaffolds was lower (57.1 ± 2.2%) than EMP scaffolds (69.8 ± 1.3%). The ECP scaffolds showed high alkaline degradation, but low compression properties. The ECP scaffolds promoted the adhesion and proliferation of MCT3T-E1 cells with well-spread morphology on the porous filaments. Together, these features justify the suitability of printed PCL scaffolds for potential TE applications. Keywords: Extrusion-based cryogenic 3D printing, Polycaprolactone, Glacial acetic acid, 3D scaffold, Tissue engineering

Sluggish water dissociation kinetics on nonprecious metal electrocatalysts limits the development of economical hydrogen production from water–alkali electrolyzers. Here, using Co3N electrocatalyst as a prototype, we find that during water splitting in alkaline electrolyte a cobalt-containing hydroxide formed on the surface of Co3N, which greatly decreased the activation energy of water dissociation (Volmer step, a main rate-determining step for water splitting in alkaline electrolytes). Combining the cobalt ion poisoning test and theoretical calculations, the efficient hydrogen production on Co3N electrocatalysts would benefit from favorable water dissociation on in-situ formed cobalt-containing hydroxide and low hydrogen production barrier on the nitrogen sites of Co3N. As a result, the Co3N catalyst exhibits a low water-splitting activation energy (26.57 kJ mol–1) that approaches the value of platinum electrodes (11.69 kJ mol–1). Our findings offer new insight into understanding the catalytic mechanism...

The Polycaprolactone (PCL) fibrous scaffolds in nano to micro scale have been considered as excellent templates for cell culture and tissue growth. The hydrophobic nature of the PCL, however, yields low initial cell seeding density, heterogeneous cell spreading and slow cell growth rate. Therefore, in this study the surface hydrophilic fibrous scaffolds were directly fabricated by the electrospinning of PCL solutions with small quantities (0.5–5%) of Pluronic F127 (PEO100-PPO65-PEO100) dissolved in benign solvent of glacial acetic acid. The clear and miscible solutions were achieved by controlling the proper F127 content in the blend solutions. The continuous and smooth fibers with average diameters from 0.71 to 1.43 μm made up the fibrous scaffolds in non-woven mode. Then the water wetting angle of the scaffolds could be adjusted from 126° to 0° by varying F127 content owing to its hydrophilic PEO chains presented on surface the blended fibers. Finally, it was demonstrated that the blended fibrous scaffolds with the F127 content less than 1% exhibited better cell attachment, proliferation and spreading performance than those of pure PCL scaffolds.

The source, quantity and quality of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) were investigated in the surface sediments of Lake Fuxian, a deep oligotrophic lacustrine system in China. Granulometry, biochemical organic composition, bulk organic proxies and their stable isotopes were determined in the surface sediments (0–4 cm). The values of δ13C, δ15N and atomic ratio of total organic carbon to total nitrogen (TOC/TN) indicated that the sediments in the large partial lake were influenced by autochthonous organic matter. The concentrations of TOC, protein (PRT) and total hydrolysable amino acids may be mainly modulated by phytodetritus sinking from euphotic zones since they correlated significantly with chlorins. Otherwise, the lack of correlation between chlorins concentrations and carbohydrate (CHO) and lipid (LIP) indicated that the latter may have an additional terrestrial source. The highest sediment quantity was found in the deepest station NC owing to its fine sediment. Stations near northwestern shore accumulated more SOM than other littoral stations, which was in accordance with sewage discharge strength. Degradation quality indices, such as chlorin index, degradation index, PRT/CHO, and LIP/CHO, were in general agreement in showing the degraded status of SOM in Lake Fuxian. No clear spatial patterns were found in sediment degradation quality, which may be influenced by bottom oxygen concentration in the deep stations.

The control of interfacial interaction between polymers and fillers is essential for the fabrication of high-performance polymer composites. In this work, poly(ether-ether-ketone)/silica (PEEK/SiO2) and PEEK/SiO2/graphene oxide (GO) composite were prepared by ball milling-ultrasonic dispersion combined with melt extrusion injection molding. GO nanosheets were introduced as the interfacial enhancer to improve interfacial binding between SiO2 and PEEK. Mechanical tests showed that the incorporation of SiO2 and GO greatly optimized the modulus, strength, and fracture toughness of the composites. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the PEEK/SiO2 composites increases with the increase of SiO2 content. The maximum tensile strength and Young's modulus of the PEEK/SiO2 composites are approximate 95.9 ± 0.6 MPa and 4.007 ± 0.005 GPa at 30 wt% of SiO2, an increase of 6.4% and 21.2% than that of pure PEEK. The maximum tensile strength and Young's modulus of the PEEK/SiO2/GO composite are further improved to approximate 101.5 ± 0.7 MPa and 4.62 ± 0.08 GPa at a GO content of 1.5% wt, which is 12.6% and 39.4% higher than that of pure PEEK. In addition, SEM images show that numerous HA formed on the surface of the PEEK/SiO2/GO composite after immersion in SBF for 7 days, and the HA layer becomes gradually thicker after 14 days, implying the good osteogenic activity of PEEK/SiO2/GO composites. Therefore, these results suggest that the use of GO as a novel filler surface modifier for the preparation of high-performance composites may become a novel interfacial design strategy for the development of high-performance composites.

A novel actinomycete strain, designated NEAU-C2T, was isolated from rhizosphere soil of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Morphological and chemotaxonomic properties of this strain were consistent with the description of the genus Glycomyces. Growth was found to occur at a temperature range of 15–40 °C, pH 6–10 and NaCl concentrations of 0–4%. The cell wall was found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid and the whole cell sugars were identified as galactose, xylose and ribose. The predominant menaquinones were identified as MK-10(H6) and MK-10(H2). The polar lipids were found to consist of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphoglycolipids and an unidentified glycolipid. The major fatty acids were identified as anteiso-C15:0, iso-C16:0, anteiso-C17:0 and iso-C15:0. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity studies showed that strain NEAU-C2T belongs to the genus Glycomyces with high sequence similarity to Glycomyces algeriensis NRRL B-16327T (99.0% sequence similarity). Some physiological and biochemical properties and low DNA–DNA relatedness values enabled the strain to be differentiated from closely related species of the genus Glycomyces. It is concluded that the isolate can be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Glycomyces, for which the name Glycomyces tritici is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-C2T (= DSM 104644T = CGMCC 4.7410T).

Imperatorin (IMT) is a furanocoumarin from the root of Phlomis younghusbandii (Lamiaceae) with various activities. In the present study, the anti‑inflammatory effects of IMT were evaluated by examining dimethylbenzene‑induced ear edema, acetic acid‑induced vascular permeability and by performing cotton pellet granuloma assessments in mice. In addition, the expression of pro‑inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α, interleukin (IL)‑6 and IL‑1β, were detected using enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay kits in mice and using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis in RAW 264.7 cells. The expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase‑2 (COX‑2), nuclear p65, cytosolic p65 and inhibitor of nuclear factor (NF)‑κB (IκB) in RAW 264.7 cells were determined using western blot analysis. The results showed that the oral administration of IMT significantly inhibited the inflammatory reactions and reduced the release of TNF‑α, IL‑6 and IL‑1β reactions and reduced and suppressed the mRNA expression of TNF‑A expressionact1o, and the protein expression of iNOS and COX‑2 in the RAW 264.7 cells. The results also indicated that IMT suppressed the activity of NF‑κB via upregulating p65 and IκB in the cytoplasm and downregulating p65 in the nucleus. In conclusion, IMT possessed notable anti‑inflammatory activities in vitro and in vivo through inhibiting the NF‑κB pathway.

Chlorine bleaching technology (C process, CEH process, H process and theirs combination), which was identified as a primary formation source of PCDD/Fs, is still widely used by the vast majority of Chinese non-wood pulp and paper mills (non-wood PMs). The purpose of this study was to provide information and data support for further eliminating dioxin for non-wood PMs in China, and especially to evaluate the PCDD/Fs release reduction for those mills converting their pulp bleaching processes from CEH to ECF. The PCDD/Fs concentrations of the bleached pulp and bleaching wastewater with ECF bleaching were in the ranges of 0.13–0.8 ng TEQ kg −1 , and 0.15–1.9 pg TEQ L −1 , respectively, which were far lower than those with CEH process, indicating that the ECF process is an effective alternative bleaching technology to replace CEH in Chinese non-wood PMs to reduce dioxin release. The release factor via flue gas of the alkali recovery boiler in Chinese non-wood PMs was first reported to be 0.092 μg TEQ Ad t −1 in this study. On the assumption that pulp bleaching processes of all Chinese non-wood PMs were converted from CEH to ECF, the annual release of PCDD/Fs via the bleaching wastewater and bleached pulp would be reduced by 79.1%, with a total of 1.60 g TEQ.

Aims Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is one of the most common complications of sepsis, and it might lead to long-term cognitive dysfunction and disability. This study aimed to explore the role of S100 calcium binding protein B (S100B)/RAGE/ceramide signaling pathway in SAE. Main methods FPS-ZM1 (an inhibitor of RAGE), myriocin and GW4869 (an inhibitor of ceramide) were used to explore the role of S100B/RAGE/ceramide in acute brain injury and long-term cognitive impairment in sepsis. In addition, Mdivi-1 (inhibitor of Drp1) and Drp1 siRNA were utilized to assess the effects of C2-ceramide on neuronal mitochondria, and to explore the specific underlying mechanism in C2 ceramide-induced death of HT22 mouse hippocampal neuronal cells. Key findings Western blot analysis showed that sepsis significantly up-regulated S100B and RAGE. Nissl staining and Morris water maze (MWM) test revealed that inhibition of RAGE with FPS-ZM1 markedly attenuated cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced brain damage and cognitive dysfunction. Furthermore, FPS-ZM1 relieved sepsis-induced C2-ceramide accumulation and abnormal mitochondrial dynamics. Moreover, inhibition of ceramide also showed similar protective effects both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, Mdivi-1 and Drp1 siRNA significantly reduced C2-ceramide-induced neuronal mitochondrial fragmentation and cell apoptosis in vitro. Significance This study confirmed that S100B regulates mitochondrial dynamics through RAGE/ceramide pathway, in addition to the role of this pathway in acute brain injury and long-term cognitive impairment during sepsis.

Pyrolysis of supramolecular assembly precursor is a promising method to prepare graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4), and the topological structure of the precursor assemblies largely determine the morphology and photoelectric properties of g-C3N4. In this paper, uniformly and highly porous g-C3N4 nanotubes were synthesized under the assistance of 1,5-naphthalene disulfonic acid (NA) through the melamine (MA)-cyanuric acid (CA) precursor self-assembly strategy. The as-synthesized g-C3N4 nanotubes in the presence of 75 mg/L NA (MNCA-75) exhibited the highest BET surface area (SBET) of 100.40 m2/g, and the smallest band gap (Eg) of 2.31 eV. 10 mg/L of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) was completely degraded within 120 min with the MNCA-75, and the degradation reaction conformed to pseudo-first-order kinetics. This paper reported a facile but effective method to prepare highly porous g-C3N4 nanotubes with large surface area and excellent photocatalytic performance.

Developing highly efficient, reusable, non-toxic and low-cost catalysts is of great importance for persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). In this work, ferrocene was mixed into paraffin to prepare a candle, and the iron-containing candle soots were collected and heated at 500 °C~900 °C under N2 atmosphere for 1 h to prepare magnetically recyclable Fe0/Fe3O4@porous carbon (Fe0/Fe3O4@PC) catalysts. The Fe0/Fe3O4@PC-700 obtained after pyrolysis at 700 °C exhibited the best catalytic activity for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation. 10 mg/L SMX could be completely degraded within 10 min by 0.2 g/L of Fe0/Fe3O4@PC-700 and 0.5 mM PMS at pH 5.0. The carbon shell effectively inhibited the Fe leaching of Fe0/Fe3O4@PC-700, and 99.73% of Fe was retained after five consecutive cycles. In the Fe0/Fe3O4@PC-700/PMS system, SMX was degraded through the sulfate radical (SO4·¯), hydroxyl radical (·OH), superoxide radical (O2·¯) dominated radical pathway, and the singlet oxygen (1O2) dominated non-radical pathway. The coexisting inorganic ions and natural organic matters (NOM) in actual water inhibited the degradation of SMX. Finally, four possible degradation pathways were proposed based on the degradation intermediates of SMX. This work provides a facile heat treatment of iron-containing candle soots strategy to prepare the metal@carbon catalysts for PMS-based AOP.

Background:Micronutrient deficiencies are still highly prevalent in countries undergoing the nutrition transition, but nationally representative data documenting their burden in children are exceedingly rare.Objective:To examine the distribution and recent trends in micronutrient status biomarkers of Colombian children.Methods:We compared the distributions of plasma ferritin, serum zinc, and vitamin A in Colombian children between 2005 and 2010 using 2 cross-sectional, nationally representative surveys overall and by categories of sociodemographic variables. Analysis for ferritin included boys and nonpregnant girls aged 1 to 17 years. Analyses for zinc and vitamin A included children aged 1 to 4 years.Results:The mean 2010 to 2005 differences in ferritin, zinc, and vitamin A were 2.5 µg/L (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3 to 3.7), −34.9 µg/dL (95% CI: −39.6 to −30.2), and −11.5 µg/dL (95% CI: −12.3 to −10.7), respectively, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. These differences varied significantly by region of residence. In 2010, region of residence was a significant correlate for all 3 micronutrients. Other important correlates included age and maternal education for ferritin and body mass index-for-age Z score, maternal education, wealth index, food insecurity, and urbanicity for vitamin A.Conclusions:Plasma ferritin was slightly higher in 2010 than in 2005, whereas serum zinc and vitamin A were substantially lower in 2010. In the absence of obvious causal explanations, it is uncertain whether this decline represents a worsening of micronutrient status in Colombian children or an artifact due to systematic laboratory or data management errors incurred in the surveys.

Organofluorinated surfactants are widely employed in textile finishing agents (TFAs) to achieve oil, water, and stain repellency. This has been regarded as an important emission source of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) to the environment. China is the biggest manufacturer of clothes, and thus TFA production is also a relevant industrial activity. Nevertheless, to date, no survey has been conducted on PFAS contents in commercially available TFAs. In the present study, TFA products were investigated by the Kendrick mass defect method. The quantification results demonstrated a significant presence of perfluorooctane sulfonate (0.37 mg/L) in TFAs manufactured by electrochemical fluorination technology. The products obtained by short-chain PFAS-based telomerization were dominated by perfluorooctanoic acid (mean concentration: 0.29 mg/L), whose values exceeded the limits stated in the European Chemical Agency guidelines (0.025 mg/L). Moreover, the total oxidizable precursor assay indicated high levels of indirectly quantified precursors with long alkyl chains (C7-C9). Together, these results suggest that there is currently a certain of environmental and health risks in China that originates from the utilization of TFAs, and a better manufacturing processes are required to reduce such risks.