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The size effects of metal catalysts have been widely investigated to optimize their catalytic activity and selectivity. However, the size-controllable synthesis of uniform supported metal nanoparticles without surfactants and/or additives remains a great challenge. Herein, we developed a green, surfactant-free, and universal strategy to tailor the sizes of uniform Pd nanoparticles on metal oxides by an electroless chemical deposition method via defect engineering of supports. The nucleation and growth mechanism suggest a strong electrostatic interaction between the Pd precursor and low-defective CeO2 and a weak reducing capacity for low-defective CeO2, resulting in small Pd nanoparticles. Conversely, large Pd nanoparticles were formed on a highly defective CeO2 surface. Combined with various ex situ and in situ characterizations, a higher intrinsic activity of Pd for the CO2-to-CO hydrogenation was found on large Pd nanoparticles with higher electron density owing to their stronger H2 dissociation ability and H-spillover effects, as well as the larger number of oxygen vacancies generated in situ for CO2 activation under hydrogenation conditions.

Although accumulating evidence has revealed that metallothioneins (MTs) and its family member MT2A are strongly linked to the risk of various solid tumors, researches on the occurrence and development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have rarely been investigated. Here, we constructed a lentiviral vector with MT2A over-expression and the interfering plasmids with MT2A expression inhibition to study the influence of MT2A on the bioactivities of HL60 cells. After cells were infected with a lentiviral vector containing the MT2A gene, both transcription and translation levels of MT2A were significantly increased in the over-expressed group in comparison with control groups. In vitro experiments, all results demonstrated that cell reproductive capacity was inhibited, but cell apoptosis rate was significantly increased. Together, the expression of apoptosis-related protein Bcl2 was remarkably reduced, while a high expression level of Bax protein was detected. Further experiments revealed that up-regulation of MT2A induced cell apoptosis and promoted G2/M phase arrest. The mechanism may be associated with down-regulated p-IκB-α and cyclinD1 expression and up-regulated IκB-α expression in the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway. On the contrary, MT2A expression was down-regulated by interfering plasmids. We found that cell proliferative potential was notably increased in the interfering group compared with the negative and untreated group. What's more, MT2A may be closely related to AML cell proliferation and function via the NF-κB signal pathway.

By direct electrospinning poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/Si3N4 blend solution on the Na2Ni[Fe(CN)6] electrode, a flexible separator@electrode combination is obtained. This combination is closely cross-linked by the -CH2 CF2- chain of β-PVDF in the separator and electrode, which delivers unique advantages in flexibility, thermal stability, tensile strength and interfacial resistance. Meanwhile, the PVDF/Si3N4 separator has a higher porosity (84.2%) and ionic conductivity (4.1 × 10−3 S cm−1), making the combination display an excellent electrochemical performance with a high initial coulombic efficiency of 96.8%, capacity retention rate of 92.2% after 503 cycles and rate capability of 78 mAh g − 1 at 5 C.

The machinability of 7055 aluminum alloy with wide temperature range is examined, with focus on the three cutting forces, surface quality and work hardening of the material under low, medium, and high temperatures. The results demonstrate that, under low temperature, the work hardening depth of 7055 aluminum alloy is almost insensitive to the cutting speed, whereas at a higher cutting speed, the work hardening degree of the material first decreases and then increases; both the work hardening degree and hardening depth are significantly positively correlative to the cutting depth: the work hardening degree is positively correlative, though not so significantly, to the feed rate, while the work hardening depth is insensitive to the feed rate and remains at 100 μm in all cases. Under high temperature, the work hardening degree of 7055 aluminum alloy is positively correlative to the cutting speed; at depths smaller than 80 μm below the machined surface, the work hardening degree is negatively correlative to the cutting depth; at depths larger than 80 μm below the cutting surface, the work hardening degree of the material becomes significantly positively correlative to the cutting depth. A mathematical model of three cutting forces in dry cutting with wide temperature range is established based on wide temperature-range dynamic impact experimental results and the orthogonal cutting model, and modified using the LMSE (least mean square error) principle. The errors between the predicted and experimental three cutting forces, after modification, are all smaller than 10%, which is within the permissible limit of error. This verifies that the modified three cutting force prediction model can predict cutting forces accurately.

An improved precipitation method - electrostatic spray precipitation is proposed, which is characterized by introducing the electrostatic atomization effect into the precipitation process. The results display that electrostatic atomization can effectively reduce the size of reaction solution droplets under electrostatic force, the growth process of crystal nucleus is optimized, and then flake cluster MnCO3 is obtained, which further promotes the formation of homogeneous MnO nanoparticles. Compared with the agglomerated MnO without electrostatic action, homogeneous MnO nanoparticles exhibit better cycling stability (787 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 377.5 mA g−1) and rate capability (471 mAh g−1 at 3020 mA g−1).

Purpose Aurora kinase A (AURKA), which belongs to the serine/threonine protein kinase family, has been identified as a key driver of the genesis and progression of diverse tumors. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical significance of AURKA in patients with hepatoblastoma (HB) and the effect of inhibiting AURKA in the HB cell line HuH-6. Methods The expression of AURKA in HB tissue and adjacent normal liver tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. Then, statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the association between AURKA expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of HB. The effect of AURKA knockdown on cell viability was assessed by CCK-8 assay. EdU and CCK-8 assays, Western blotting, flow cytometry, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to examine the effect of alisertib (ALS), a selective AURKA small-molecule inhibitor, on the cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy in HuH-6 human hepatoblastoma cells. Results The expression of AURKA was significantly higher in HB tissue than in adjacent normal tissue. Furthermore, high AURKA expression was associated with advanced Children's Oncology Group (COG) stage and tumor metastasis of HB. In vitro, AURKA knockdown significantly reduced the viability of HuH-6 cells, while ALS treatment significantly suppressed HuH-6 cell proliferation and induced G1-phase cell cycle arrest by reducing cyclin-D1 expression. Moreover, ALS promoted apoptosis and autophagy by decreasing the activity of p38 MAPK in HuH-6 cells. Conclusion High expression of AURKA is a potential predictor of poor prognosis in HB patients. AURKA knockdown reduced the viability of HuH-6 cells, and ALS treatment inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis and autophagy via the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Our results suggest that AURKA may be a novel therapeutic target and ALS a potential therapeutic drug for the treatment of HB.

Triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) process includes two categories, a homogeneous TTA occurring between two triplet excited molecules of the same type such as the homogeneous TTA upconversion (TTA-UC) and a heterogeneous TTA occurring between two triplet excited molecules of different types such as the heterogeneous TTA-UC, or between a triplet excited state and a triplet ground state such as the sensitized singlet oxygen generation. To the other front, noble metal nanostructures are known to exhibit an extraordinary capability to manipulate light through the collective oscillations of their conduction-band electrons, the so-called localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR). Plasmonic nanostructures have been shown to be able to dramatically enhance the performances of many optical systems. In this book chapter, we will use a few examples to demonstrate that LSPR of noble metal nanoparticles can enhance the efficiency of both categories of TTA, and to discuss the conditions where such plasmonic enhancement would occur. The results shed light onto ways to improve the overall TTA efficiency, which would be relevant to the broad applications involving TTA-UC or sensitized singlet oxygen generation.

Ceria, zirconia, Ce0.9Zr0.1O2, Ce0.75Zr0.25O2, and Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 samples were synthesized via the two-step hydrothermal method by using Ce(NO3)3·6H2O and Zr(NO3)4·5H2O as the precursors, respectively. The oxides were applied as catalysts for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene by using carbon dioxide as a soft oxidant (CO2-ODEB) at 550 °C and 0.1 MPa. Reaction results indicate that ceria was the most active catalyst while the zirconia with a cubic structure was inactive for CO2-ODEB. In the cases of the oxides by inserting Zr into CeO2, the activity indexed by either the initial ethylbenzene (EB) conversion or the calculated turnover frequency (TOF) at a time on stream of 1 h was changed in the sequence of Ce0.9Zr0.1O2 >> Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 > Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 while the decreasing pattern of the stability was observed in the order of Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 ≈ Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 >> Ce0.9Zr0.1O2. As revealed from the characterization results of XRD and Raman, the pure cubic solid solution of Ce1-xZrxO2 without any phase separations was obtained irrespective of the compositions. By correlating the characterization results, the activity of Ce1-xZrxO2 for CO2-ODEB was determined by the amount of the Ce3+ oxidized by CO2 and the rate of Ce3+/Ce4+ redox cycles. Moreover, both the coking rate and the promoting effect of the deposited coke on CO2-ODEB were responsible for the stability of Ce1-xZrxO2.

An organocatalytic asymmetric arylmethylation/N-hemiacetalization of 2-indolyl methane derivatives and 2-enals was developed. Notably, the 2-methyl of indole was readily deprotonated to produce highly reactive nucleophilic species by introducing the nitro group at the C3 position of the indole ring. A spectrum of valuable chiral dihydropyrido[1,2-a]indoles were efficiently constructed with excellent enantioselectivity (up to >99% ee). Furthermore, the corresponding products could be easily functionalized via simple deprotonation and treatment with other electrophiles with excellent diastereoselectivities (>20:1 dr).

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the metabolites of oxygen that plays a significant role in cell signaling and homeostasis. Under normal conditions, ROS formation is stabilized by various antioxidant defense systems (ROS scavengers). Several studies in both in-vitro and in-vivo models, together with clinical data indicated that increased production ROS and oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the development and progression of endothelial dysfunction. The interactions between the main cellular sources of ROS, such as mitochondria and NADPH oxidases, however, remain unclear. The purpose of this review is to outline various sources of ROS and describe the crosstalk between NADPH oxidase and mitochondria. Further, we will discuss different antioxidants that lower ROS production and ROS-induced pathological conditions such as aging, atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, and degenerative neurological disorders. In this review, we have mainly focused on antioxidants that inhibit NADPH oxidase and mitochondrial sources of ROS. Moreover, the modification of antioxidants (targeted therapy) may be a significant approach for management of oxidative stress induced pathophysiological complications.

In this study, we constructed a three-chamber microbial fuel cell (TC-MFC) that avoided the adverse effects of H+ diffusion on anode microorganisms in the acidic catholyte and the precipitation of heavy metals in the soil near the cathode side (S4), while also achieving migration of copper from the soil and reduction of Cu2+ in the catholyte. The removal efficiency of acid-soluble Cu from the soil near the anode region reached 42.5% after 63 days of operation at an external resistance of 100 �� and electrode spacing of 10 cm, and Cu2+ in the catholyte was completely removed within 21 days. Heavy metal mobility index (MF) values indicated that the bioavailability and mobility of heavy metals were reduced by the TC-MFC. We found that changing the cathode potential and external circuit current in TC-MFC would affect the type (via XRD) and morphology (via SEM) of cathode deposits and the average removal rate of heavy metals. At the meantime, it should be noted that the interaction between the electric-field-dependent soil heavy metal migration and electron-dependent copper reduction in TC-MFC occurred, which was confirmed to have a relationship with the negative correlation between voltage and current during the test.

As a branch of intercalation type niobium-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries, Nb26Mo4O77 samples are synthesized by hydrothermal and solid-state method, respectively, while the structure and lithium-ion storage characteristics are studied in depth. Nb26Mo4O77 belongs to a monoclinic phase with ordered intergrowth ReO3 structure, which is constructed by a mixture of (Nb/Mo)O6 octahedra blocks of 3 × 4 × ∞ and 4 × 4 × ∞ occurring in alternate sequence and linked by MoO4 tetrahedra, favoring to the structural stability during the rapid lithium-ion deintercalation. Compared to agglomerated Nb26Mo4O77 microparticles synthesized via solid-state process, rod-like nanoparticles synthesized by hydrothermal method with the high specific surface area and reaction reactivity exhibit an improved initial coulombic efficiency (89.3%), notable cyclability (203 mAh g−1 after 503 cycles at 0.5 C), significant intercalation pseudocapacitive contribution (82.2% at 0.9 mV s−1) and increased rate capability (107 mAh g−1 at 10 C). These results provide some new supplements for the improvement of niobium-based anodes.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is commonly treated with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor/alpha blocker combination therapy or with alpha blocker monotherapy. However, in China, the characteristics of BPH patients receiving 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor/alpha blocker combination therapy or alpha blocker monotherapy remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study compared the characteristics of BPH patients receiving either the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor finasteride in combination with an alpha blocker or an alpha blocker as monotherapy in clinical practice in China. Data were obtained from a large electronic medical record database from four tertiary hospitals in major cities in China (2009–2016). BPH patients aged ≥ 50 years with ≥ 1 alpha blocker fill on/after the first BPH diagnosis were selected. Patients were further classified as receiving combination therapy (≥ 1 overlapping day of supply for finasteride and an alpha blocker) or alpha blocker monotherapy (did not receive any 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor). Patient characteristics, visit type (in- vs. outpatient) at treatment initiation, and comorbidities were evaluated during the 6-month baseline period and compared between the two groups using two sample t tests and chi-square tests/Fisher’s exact tests. A total of 2666 and 2738 patients received combination therapy and monotherapy, respectively. The combination group was older (70.3 vs. 67.3 years, p

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were embedded into constructed wetlands to form microbial fuel cell coupled constructed wetlands (CW-MFCs) and were used for simultaneous azo dye wastewater treatment and bioelectricity generation. For the first time, the effects of different substrate biomass on the performance of CW-MFCs were studied. Group A had the highest substrate biomass of 0.453 g VSS per L, followed in order by group D, group B and group C. CW-MFCs with more substrate biomass showed higher decolorization efficiencies but lower electrode performance. The decolorization efficiency and the maximal power density of group A were 92.7% and 0.117 W m−3, respectively, while the decolorization efficiency and the maximal power density of group C were 76.26% and 0.256 W m−3, respectively. The cathode performance had the greatest impact on the CW-MFC performance. This may be due to the high cathode activation resistance which may be caused by the lack of cathode microbes. The substrate biomass exerted significant effects on the electrode microbes. The CW-MFCs with more substrate biomass had fewer electrode microbes, which may reduce the electrode performance. This study highlights the applications of CW-MFCs and other MFCs that were built in a natural environment.

The anode configuration determined the performance of power generation and contaminant removal in microbial fuel cell (MFC). In this study, double anodes were constructed along an up-flow MFC for mitigating the suppression of refractory organic azo dye Reactive Brilliant Red X-3B and increasing the power output. Results revealed that high concentration of X-3B suppressed the power generation of MFC. The maximum power density decreased from 0.413 to 0.161 W/m3, and the inner resistance rose from 448 to 698 Ω. However, double anodes weakened the suppression of X-3B to the current generation. Compared with single anode, the attenuation of MFC current decreased from 48 to 40%. Meanwhile, the X-3B removal efficiency in double-anode MFC was 19.81% higher compared with a single-anode condition when the X-3B was 1000 mg/L. The degradation pathway analysis indicated that aromatic amines formation and further oxidation were achieved sequentially in the MFC. Furthermore, microbial communities in the lower and upper anodes were analyzed, revealing that the microorganisms in the lower anode were more inclined to degrade the pollutant, whereas those in the upper anode were more inclined to generate electricity. This double-anode structure showed the potential for large concentration range of azo dye removal and the current recovery in real textile wastewater.

A palladium-catalyzed conia-ene reaction of 1-alkynylindolin-3-ones has been developed. Three examples of pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoline derivatives were readily obtained with yields up to 82% utilizing this strategy. Importantly, this palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization process represents an important contribution to the application of indole-3-one derivatives.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can remove and recover metals in wastewater; however, there are relatively few studies of metal removal from soil by MFCs. In this study, we developed a three-chamber soil MFC consisting of an anode, contaminated soil, and cathode chamber to remove heavy metals from soil. The performance of the soil MFC was investigated by assessing the relationships among current, voltage, and Cu migration, and reduction. The developed soil MFC successfully reduced and removed Cu, and the Cu removal efficiency in the cathode surpassed 90% after only 7 days of operation. External resistance had a remarkable effect on the performance of the soil MFC which was depended on cathodic polarization. The pH in the cathode also depended on the external resistance. Lower external resistance were associated with lower pH values, higher Cu removal efficiencies, and greater amounts removed in the cathode. Based on sequential fractionation, the acid-extractable and reducible fractions were the main fractions that migrated within the three-chamber soil MFC. Enhancing the voltage output in the three-chamber soil MFC by increasing the external resistance promoted Cu migration, enriched Cu near the cathode, and facilitated Cu removal. Therefore, the developed three-chamber soil MFC not only supports heavy metal migration from soil towards the cathode, but can also realize reduction of heavy metals in the cathode by adjusting the current or voltage generated by the soil MFC.

Objective: To investigate associations between cardiovascular disease risk factors, including fasting glucose, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), LDL-c, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), C-peptide, creatinine kinase, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, C-reactive protein as well as homocysteine levels and cardiovascular events. Methods: Data from 1545 men aged ≥40 years, with testosterone deficiency (TD) (Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed positive associations between TD and BMI (≥35 vs. p = .016), HDL-c (p = .006) and diabetes (diabetes vs. non-diabetes: OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.14–1.92, p = .004) as well as negative associations between TD and metabolic equivalent scores (≥12 vs. p = .009) and smoking (Ever vs. never: OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.51–0.94, p = .018). Furthermore, total serum testosterone levels were lower in patients with heart failure (p = .04) and angina/angina pectoris (p = .001) compared with subjects without these cardiac problems. Conclusion: Low serum testosterone was associated with multiple risk factors for CHD.

Heavy metal pollution is widespread in the environment. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is effective for heavy metal removal; however, the simultaneous variations of multiple parameters in an MFC make it difficult to fully elucidate the mechanism of heavy metal removal under microcurrent conditions. In this study, we used a potentiostat to control the fixed potential in a simulated MFC system. The effects of pH, potential, and heavy metal concentration on current, heavy metal removal rate, product type, and product morphology were studied through orthogonal testing. The mechanism and significance of each parameter in terms of copper reduction removal were analyzed using tests of between-subjects effects and correlation analysis. We found that: (1) potential did not affect the type of electron acceptor, and substances with high redox potentials preferentially received electrons; (2) copper concentration significantly affected the reduction rate and product particle size of copper by controlling the flux of electroactive substances transferred to the electrode surface; (3) the combined effects of higher pH and copper concentration limited the reduction of copper; (4) current was the most important factor controlling copper reduction, as current strength significantly affected the copper reduction rate and mechanism; and (5) pH and copper concentration significantly affected the current level by altering the ionic strength of the solution.

In order to explore how cutting parameters affect the evolution of subsurface defect of single crystal copper during nanocutting process, a nanocutting model is constructed based on LAMMPS; the nanocutting process of single crystal copper is investigated through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for different cutting speeds and cutting depths, using EAM potential between Cu atoms and Morse potential between Cu atoms and the tool atoms. The results show that at the same cutting depth, cutting speed does not make much difference to the subsurface dislocation form; at the same cutting speed, cutting depth makes a great difference to the subsurface dislocation form and it also affects the crystal structure type of the defect layer very significantly. Under any cutting parameters, the dislocation form of 1/6 is dominant. With the increase of cutting speed and cutting depth, the dislocation of 1/6 and 1/3 of subsurface layer increased obviously, and the length of dislocation line also increased.

In this study, two double-anode microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were connected in series for degradation of the azo dye reactive brilliant red X-3B. After the series connection, the electricity generation of one of the MFCs decreased, and the other was not affected too much. Due to the special structure in the double-anode MFC reduced the imbalanced performance between the MFC units, the occurrence of voltage reversal was limited. The removal efficiencies in two MFC reactors were not consistent after the series connection, the results showed that the MFC with the reduced electricity generation had the higher removal efficiencies, it was 12.90, 11.66, and 40.05% higher than in the MFC in which the power generation capacity was not affected after the series connection, the MFC without serial connection, and the control group, respectively. Meanwhile, the microbial communities related to the degradation of refractory organic compounds increased and related to electricity generation decreased in the MFC with the reduced electricity generation, the changes of the microbial communities were consistent with its electricity generation and the removal efficiencies. The degradation products in the effluent from two MFC units showed that had the products generated from the MFC with the reduced electricity generation had simpler structures comparing the other MFC unit.

The soil microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a promising biotechnology for the bioelectricity recovery as well as the remediation soil. Moreover, there were no studies on the heavy metal pollution in a soil MFC yet. A soil MFC was constructed to remediate the contaminated soil, and the electric field was generated from the oxidation of the acetate at the anode. We demonstrated the copper migration, the power generation, and the pH variation in the soil and the electrodes. The maximal voltage and the power density of 539 mV and 65.77 m W/m(2) were obtained in the soil MFC. The chemical fractionation of copper (Cu) was analyzed with a modified BCR sequential extraction method. The soluble Cu form and the total Cu contents from the anode to the cathode increased, and the difference between them kept growing over time. The Cu fractions in the soil and the electrodes were converted with the change of the dramatic pH from the anode to the cathode. There was a focusing effect leading to the change of the Cu forms, and the extractable acid form content increased in the three fifths where the acid and the alkali fronts met.

We report the development of a type of novel hybrid photosensitizers for photodynamic inactivation of broad-spectrum bacteria. A thiol-modified amphiphilic block copolymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-block-styrene), was synthesized and characterized. Subsequently, silver nanoparticles stabilized by poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-block-styrene) were synthesized and used to entrap hydrophobic photosensitizing molecules (such as hematoporphyrin). The resulting water-dispersible hybrid photosensitizers demonstrated enhanced singlet oxygen generation with a broadened excitation profile, as compared to the pristine hematoporphyrin molecules. Photodynamic inactivation of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli by the hybrid photosensitizer showed significantly enhanced killing efficacy, up to ∼5 orders of magnitude, under both white light and red/near-infrared light illuminations. The hybrid photosensitizers at the concentration used in the photodynamic inactivation assays displayed low cytotoxicity to Hela cells under ambient light conditions. These results demonstrate the great potential of such hybrid photosensitizers for photodynamic inactivation and photodynamic therapy applications.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is widely used to remediate heavy metal pollution of soil, and the applicability of soils with different physical and chemical properties under micro-electric field has not been studied. In this study, copper was effectively removed in four typical soil-filled MFCs. The removal efficiencies of copper from closed-circuit MFCs filled with paddy, red, black and alluvial soils were 2.9, 1.50, 3.48 and 3.40 times higher than those in the open-circuit control group, respectively. However, the contributions of electromigration and diffusion mechanisms were different under different soil types. The greatest copper removal (19.3 ± 0.8%) was achieved based on electromigration of the electric field inside the paddy soil MFC in 63 days, while the greatest copper removal (25 ± 2%) was achieved under the action of diffusion mechanism inside the red soil MFC. According to redundancy analysis, the removal of copper by electromigration was positively correlated with electricity generation performance and acid extractable Cu content, whereas copper removal based on diffusion was positively related to soil pore volume and acid extractable Cu content. The cation exchange capacity and total organic carbon of soil were negatively correlated with the acid extractable Cu content, and electrical conductivity of soil was positively correlated with the MFC electricity generation performance. Furthermore, the directional movement of protons under an electric field alleviated the issue of soil acidification caused by citric acid.

Niobium tungsten oxide Nb16W5O55 is a competitive anode for lithium-ion batteries, while seldom research on low-temperature electrochemical properties. In this paper, Nb16W5O55 is synthesized by solid phase reaction and the effects of operation temperature (25, 0 and −20 °C) on the coulombic efficiency, cycling stability, rate capacity and crystal structure are studied in detail. At 25 °C, Nb16W5O55 electrode can give good cycling stability of 184 mAh g−1 after 404 cycles and rate capacity of 101 mAh g−1 at 4000 mA g−1. By contrast, the electrochemical properties decrease obviously at subambient temperatures. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveal that the sharp increase of the charge-transfer impedance and the decrease of the solid-phase Li+ diffusion coefficient are the essential factors leading to the deterioration of low temperature performances. However, the low temperature mainly affects specific capacities and rate performances, but has little effect on cyclic stability and crystal structure of Nb16W5O55 electrode, indicated by ex-situ X-ray diffraction analysis. These results provide some new insights for the practical application of Nb16W5O55 anode.

Foraging selection of mammalian herbivores is thought to be not only governed by nutrients, but also influenced by plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) in their diets. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are well-known bamboo specialists and little is known about the effects of PSMs in bamboos on their foraging selection. Flavonoids are the most famous bioactive PSMs in bamboo leaves. Here, the spatiotemporal variation of total flavonoids (TF) and four typical carbon glycosides flavonoids (CGFs) (orientin, isoorientin, vitexin and isovitexin) in Bashania fargesii bamboo leaves in a vertical aspect and the association with altitudinal movement pattern of wild giant pandas were investigated. We found: (1) Both the TF and four CGFs in leaves of B. fargesii varied seasonally over elevations. Bamboo leaves in winter at higher elevation range were of the highest content. (2) Evident propensity of giant pandas for habitat selection exhibited in vertical direction. At the whole range of elevations B. fargesii distributed, giant pandas preferred to stay at 1600–1800 m. (3) The altitudinal preference of giant pandas and flavonoids in leaves of B. fargesii had significant positive correlations. The bamboo flavonoids at higher-elevation sites which were preferred by giant pandas were significantly higher than in lower-elevation area. (4) Validation in captive giant pandas showed those bamboo leaves unused in wild were of lower flavonoids especially the (iso)orientin compared to higher-elevation, which showed no differences with those unselected leaves in captivity. Our results indicate that the dietary flavonoids may be one of the driving factors shaping the altitudinal preference and diet selection of giant pandas which may be of significant physiological importance such as being playing key roles in the reproduction of such a dietary specialized species.

As an environmentally sustainable bioelectrochemical technology, the microbial fuel cell (MFC) has attracted great attention. In this study, a three-chamber MFC (TC-MFC) was enhanced with different auxiliary reagents to remove heavy metals from soil. The results showed that the removal efficiency of heavy metals from soil increased with increasing auxiliary reagent concentration. When 1 mol/L citric acid, HCl, or acetic acid were used as an auxiliary reagent, the total copper (500 mg/kg) removal efficiency after 74 days of TC-MFC treatment was 3.89, 5.01 and 2.01 times that of the control group, respectively. The highest soil electrical conductivity (15.29 ms/cm), ionic heavy metal content (94.78%), electricity generation performance (363.04 mW h), and desorption stability of heavy metals were obtained when using 1 mol/L HCl as an auxiliary reagent, indicating that HCl was more suitable for the remediation of heavy metals in soil using a TC-MFC. Correlation analysis showed that the electricity generation of the TC-MFC was linearly related to the removal efficiency of heavy metals from soil (R2 = 0.9296). At the same time, higher content of ionic heavy metals in the soil led to better migration of heavy metals under the internal electric field of the TC-MFC.

The niobium tungsten oxide Nb12W11O63 is synthesized by a simple solid-state method and studied as an anode for lithium-ion batteries. By comparing with graphite anode, Nb12W11O63 with orthorhombic structure has higher safe working voltage (˃1.70 V) and tap density (∼2.57 g cm−3). The effect of cut-off voltage on the electrochemical property is also analyzed in detail. X-ray diffraction results reveal the mechanism of performance deterioration in Nb12W11O63 under deep discharge, which is caused by the collapse of crystal structure due to the transformation of pentagonal bipyramid to octahedron induced by excessive Nb3+. At the cut-off voltage of 1.3 V, Nb12W11O63 electrode delivers excellent electrochemical performances with high initial coulombic efficiency of 94.7%, improved cycling stability of 146 mAh g−1 after 404 cycles at 113 mA g−1 (78.8% of capacity retention) and good rate capacity of 100 mAh g−1 at 4520 mA g−1. These results indicate that Nb12W11O63 is a promising anode for lithium-ion batteries, and also provide the insight into the performance optimization of such materials.

The aim of this work was to study sulfadiazine (SDZ) biodegradation efficiency, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) development and shift of microbial communities under conditions of limited methanogens activity in Microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The results indicated that the removal performance of SDZ was decreased with the suppression of methanogens in both MFCs and open-circuit controls. The relative abundances of ARGs were even enhanced by the inhibition of methanogens. The biodegradation mechanism of SDZ was obtained, in which SDZ was initially divided into aniline and pyrimidin-2ylsulfamic acid, then converted into small molecules. Geobacter was found as the dominant microorganism, indicating its potential to degrade SDZ in the MFCs. These findings suggest there is a trade-off between electricity production and SDZ removal and ARG development by the mean of methanogen inhibition in MFCs.

In general, refractory organics were hardly used as co-substrate in bioelectrochemical system. This study established a coupled bioelectrochemical system composed of a biofilm electrode reactor and a microbial fuel cell for using the azo dye X-3B as part of co-substrate. The two units degraded the azo dye X-3B stepwise while using it as part of co-substrate. Our results indicated that the removal efficiency of X-3B increased 28.5% using the coupled system compared with a control system. Moreover, the addition of the co-substrate glucose, which was necessary for MFC electricity generation, was reduced on the premise of stable removal efficiency in the coupled system to prevent resource waste due to using X-3B as part of co-substrate. The intermediate products of X-3B degradation were further explored using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and a X-3B degradation pathway was proposed at the same time. Microbial communities were analyzed, illustrating that the mechanism of X-3B degradation was dependent on bioelectrochemistry rather than on microbial degradation.

In this study, the degradation pathway of the azo dye X-3B was explored in biofilm electrode reactors (BERs). The X-3B and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies were evaluated under different voltages, salinities, and temperatures. The removal efficiencies increased with increasing voltage. Additionally, the BER achieved maximum X-3B removal efficiencies of 66.26% and 75.27% at a NaCl concentration of 0.33 g L−1 and temperature of 32 °C, respectively; it achieved a COD removal efficiency of 75.64% at a NaCl concentration of 0.330 g L−1. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis indicated that the X-3B biodegradation process first involved the interruption of the conjugated double-bond, resulting in aniline, benzodiazepine substance, triazine, and naphthalene ring formation. These compounds were further degraded into lower-molecular-weight products. From this, the degradation pathway of the azo dye X-3B was proposed in BERs. The relative abundances of the microbial community at the phylum and genus levels were affected by temperature, the presence of electrons, and an anaerobic environment in the BERs. To achieve better removal efficiencies, further studies on the functions of the microorganisms are needed.

Transferrin receptor (TfR1) and divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) are important proteins for cellular iron uptake, and both are regulated transcriptionally through the binding of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) to hypoxia-responsive elements (HREs) under hypoxic conditions. These proteins are also regulated post-transcriptionally through the binding of iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1) to iron-responsive elements (IREs) located in the mRNA untranslated region (UTR) to control cellular iron homeostasis. In iron-deficient cells, IRP1-IRE interactions stabilize TfR1 and DMT1 mRNAs, enhancing iron uptake. However, little is known about the impact of IRP1 on the regulation of cellular iron homeostasis under hypoxia. Thus, to investigate the role of IRP1 in hypoxic condition, overexpression and knockdown assays were performed using HepG2 cells. The overexpression of IRP1 suppressed the hypoxia-induced increase in TfR1 and DMT1 (+IRE) expression and reduced the stability of TfR1 and DMT1 (+IRE) mRNAs under hypoxia, whereas IRP1 knockdown further increased the hypoxia-induced expression of both proteins, preventing the decrease in IRE-dependent luciferase activity induced by hypoxia. Under hypoxic conditions, ferrous iron uptake, the labile iron pool (LIP), and total intracellular iron reduced when IRP1 was overexpressed and further increased when IRP1 was knocked down. IRP1 expression declined and TfR1/DMT1 (+IRE) expression increased with the time of hypoxia prolonged, whereas the binding of IRP1 to the IRE of TfR1/DMT1 mRNA maintained. In summary, IRP1 suppressed TfR1/DMT1 (+IRE) expression, limited the cellular iron content and decreased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release induced by hypoxia.

We report an investigation of triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) based on polymeric emitters with tunable inter-chromophore distances. Poly[(9-anthrylmethyl methacrylate)-co-(methyl methacrylate)] (poly(AnMMA-co-MMA)) with different percentages of AnMMA was synthesized using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and used as an emitter in association with platinum octaethylporphyrin as a sensitizer to form TTA-UC systems. It is observed that the TTA-UC intensity first increases with increasing AnMMA percentage in the polymers then decreases, and ultimately disappears, upon further increasing the AnMMA percentage. The results shed light on the key factors affecting TTA-UC in polymers, and have implications for the design of polymer-based TTA-UC systems.

Aldehyde and ketone photoproducts were observed in the aqueous phase under oil exposed to simulated sunlight by using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) derivatization and electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Oil samples were spread over seawater in a jacketed beaker held at 27.0 °C and exposed to simulated sunlight. The aqueous phase was collected after irradiation and derivatized with DNPH, which selectively reacts with aldehydes and ketones. The derivatized hydrazones (aldehyde- and ketone-DNPH derivatives) were washed and enriched with a solid-phase extraction cartridge prior to analysis by ESI-MS/MS in negative ion mode. Over 80 aldehyde and ketone photoproducts were observed from scan range 200-1000 atomic mass units (amu) in the aqueous phase after irradiation but were absent in dark controls. Based on the MS/MS fragmentation of the aldehyde- and ketone-DNPH derivatives, most of the aldehyde and ketone photoproduct mass spectra observed from the aqueous phase were determined to be consistent with dicarbonyls, hydroxycarbonyls, and oxo-carboxylic acids. The formation of the photoproducts can be attributed to photoinduced oxidation of oil. The approach in this study allows the easy identification of molar mass and other structural features of aldehyde and ketone photoproducts without interference from the many tens of thousands of parent compounds in the oil. These results will provide insight into the impact of photochemistry on the fate of oil in environmental systems and will have implications for oil-spill response decisions.

Atrazine degradation in soil microbial fuel cells (MFCs) under different anode depths and initial concentrations is investigated for different redox soil conditions, and the microbial communities in the anode and different layers are evaluated. Atrazine degradation is fastest in the upper layer (aerobiotic), followed by the lower layer (anaerobic). A removal efficiency and a half-life of 91.69% and 40 days, respectively, are reported for an anode depth of 4 cm. The degradation rate is found to be dependent on current generation in the soil MFCs rather than on electrode spacing. Furthermore, the degradation rate is inhibited when the initial atrazine concentration is increased from 100 to 750 mg/kg. Meanwhile, the exoelectrogenic bacteria, Deltaproteobacteria and Geobacter, are enriched on the anode and the lower layer in the soil MFCs, while atrazine-degrading Pseudomonas is only observed in very low proportions. In particular, the relative abundances of Deltaproteobacteria and Geobacter are higher for lower initial atrazine concentrations. These results demonstrate that the mechanism of atrazine degradation in soil MFCs is dependent on bioelectrochemistry rather than on microbial degradation.

Soil microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a sustainable technology that degrades organic pollutants while generating electricity. However, there have been no detailed studies of the mechanisms of pollutant degradation in soil MFCs. In this study, the effects of external resistance and electrode effectiveness on atrazine and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) degradation were evaluated, the performance of soil MFCs in the degradation of these pollutants under different soil redox conditions was assessed, and the associated microorganisms in the anode were investigated. With an external resistance of 20Ω, the degradation efficiencies of atrazine and HCB were 95% and 78%, respectively. The degradation efficiency, degradation rate increased with decreasing external resistance, while the half-life decreased. There were different degradation trends for different pollutants under different soil redox conditions. The fastest degradation rate of atrazine was in the upper MFC section (aerobic), whereas that of HCB was in the lower MFC section (anaerobic). The results showed that electrode effectiveness played a significant role in pollution degradation. In addition, the microbial community analysis demonstrated that Proteobacteria, especially Deltaproteobacteria involved in current generation was extremely abundant (27.49%) on soil MFC anodes, although the percentage abundances of atrazine degrading Rhodocyclaceae (8.77%), Desulfitobacterium (0.64%), and HCB degrading Desulfuromonas (0.73%), were considerably lower. The results of the study suggested that soil MFCs can enhance the degradation of atrazine and HCB, and bioelectrochemical reduction was the main mechanism for the pollutants degradation.

Serum urate levels are reported to be significantly lowered in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and inversely correlated to the risk and progression of PD. However, the mechanism by which urate affects PD is poorly understood. Here we showed that treatment with uric acid (UA) resulted in an autophagy activity enhancement in PC12 cells in dose- and time-dependent manners, as indicated by LC3-II increase and P62 decrease. Moreover, UA was still able to increase the LC3-II level and the number of LC3 puncta in the presence of Bafilomycin A1, a lysosomal inhibitor. These changes of autophagic markers were preceded by mTOR inhibition and ULK1 activation. Co-treatment with 3-benzyl-5-((2-nitrophenoxy) methyl)-dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one (3BDO), an mTOR activator, abolished the UA-induced LC3-II increase. More importantly, UA reduced SNCA/α-synuclein accumulation in PC12 cells that overexpress wildtype or A53T mutant SNCA, and this was blocked by Bafilomycin A1 co-treatment. The in vivo study showed that UA administration was able to modulate the levels of autophagy markers, increase the autophagosome/autolysosome formation, and reduce SNCA accumulation in the midbrain of SNCAA53T transgenic mice. Taken together, our findings suggest that UA could induce autophagy activation via an mTOR-dependent signaling and ameliorate SNCA accumulation. This implicates that urate-elevating agent may become a potential strategy for PD therapy.

BACKGROUND The concentration of Zn and phytic acid in wheat grain has important implications for human health. We conducted field and greenhouse experiments to compare the efficacy of soil and foliar Zn fertilisation in improving grain Zn concentration and bioavailability in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain grown on potentially Zn-deficient calcareous soil. RESULTS Results from the 2-year field experiment indicated that soil Zn application increased soil DTPA-Zn by an average of 174%, but had no significant effect on grain Zn concentration. In contrast, foliar Zn application increased grain Zn concentration by an average of 61%, and Zn bioavailability by an average of 36%. Soil DTPA-Zn concentrations varied depending on wheat cultivars. There were also significant differences in grain phytic acid concentration among the cultivars. A laboratory experiment indicated that Zn (from ZnSO4) had a low diffusion coefficient in this calcareous soil. CONCLUSION Compared to soil Zn application, foliar Zn application is more effective in improving grain Zn content of wheat grown in potentially Zn-deficient calcareous soils. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry

Singlet oxygen plays a critical role in a great number of applications including photodynamic therapy of cancers, photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms, photooxidation, and photodegradation of polymers. Herein we demonstrate a general platform to improve singlet oxygen production via resonance coupling between surface plasmon and photosensitizers. By loading photosensitizers into mesoporous silica containing silver nanoparticles, strong resonance coupling between the photosensitizers and the silver core markedly increases the singlet oxygen production, by up to three orders of magnitude in some cases. It is observed that the more spectral overlap between the surface plasmon resonance spectrum of the silver core and the photosensitizers' absorption spectra, the greater the singlet oxygen production. The as-synthesized hybrids have shown exceptionally high photoinactivation efficiency against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This work establishes a general platform to improve singlet oxygen production and to develop more effective and efficient hybrid photosensitizers for broad-spectrum photodynamic inactivation of bacteria.

The application of metal electrodes in microbial fuel cell (MFC) anodes is limited by their poor biocompatibility. In this study, needle-like Fe3O4/Fe2O3 nanorods were produced on 304 stainless steel plates by simple cyclic voltammetry (CV) treatment after anodization to enhance the current output. A maximum current of 7.11 ± 0.24 A/m2 was achieved after CV, twice as high as that without CV. The higher current output of the anode resulted from active redox substances involved in electron transfer. Analysis of the contact angle and laser scanning confocal microscopy showed that hydrophilicity promoted the enrichment of bacteria on the stainless steel. Therefore, this is a simple method for preparing high-performance electrodes.

Dissipation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils at initial concentrations ranging from 20.04 to 322.06 mg·kg-1 was investigated when planting single or mixed species, and enhancing mechanisms were analyzed. Results showed removal of PAHs in soils growing Brassica campestris and Medicago sativa significantly exceeded those vegetating single species. During 70-day experiment, about 75.06% of phenanthrene (Phe) and 68.22% of pyrene (Pyr) was removed from soils under mixed cropping; while only 31.8% and 64.03% of Phe and 27.84% and 51.93 of Pyr were removed under single rape or alfalfa cropping, respectively. Of all pathways enforcing PAHs removal, plant-microbial interactions is the most predominant. These results suggested a feasibility of the establishment of multi-species phytoremediation for improvement of remediation efficiencies of PAHs, which may decrease accumulations of PAHs in crops and thus reduce their risks.

The potentials of three plant species, rape, alfalfa and white clover, separately or jointly on the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils were estimated by pots experiments. Results showed that the presence of vegetation apparently enhanced the dissipation of PAHs at initial concentrations ranging from 20.05 to 322.06 mg·kg-1, but the efficacy enhanced varied greatly among plant species and cropping patterns. Within 70-day experiment, alfalfa and white clover showed higher efficiencies for the removal of PAHs than those of rape, and mixed cropping greatly enhanced the dissipation of PAHs as compared to single cropping. On average 74.87% of phenanthrene or 62.81% of pyrene were removed from soils with mixed cropping of rape and alfalfa, and 72.01% of phenanthren or 68.44% of pyrene removed by mixed cropping of rape and white clover. Under similar pollution level, PAHs accumulated in plant, irrespective of root and shoot, was much lower in mutli-planted treatments than in mono-planted ones. Results suggested a feasibility of the establishment of multispecies remediation for enforcing the dissipation of PAHs, which may also decrease the accumulations of PAHs in plant and thus reduce their risks to humans.

Mouse ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) is a single layer of cubodial epithelial cells that covers the ovary surface and is involved in regulating the secretion and transport of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Recently, OSE cells have attracted particular interest as a major source of ovarian cancer. Death-associated protein DAXX along with PML (promyelocytic leukemia protein) nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) reportedly play roles in transcriptional regulation and apoptosis. However, little is known regarding a role for DAXX in mOSE cells. In this study, we both over-expressed DAXX and depleted DAXX in primary mOSE cells. We found that Daxx deletion accelerated senescence in a p53/p21-dependent manner and promoted DNA damage by interacting with PML bodies without affecting cell cycle progression. These results suggest that DAXX may transform mOSE cells to an ovarian oncogenic phenotype and may be an anti-cancer target.

This study, conducted with the dynamic simulation equipment under constant conditions of water temperature 30°C and flow rate 0.4 m.s-1, is intended to simulate dynamically the fouling process on stainless steel tube heat exchanger of three types of fouling microorganisms, iron bacteria (IB), sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and slime forming bacteria (HB), which are isolated from the slime in the bottom of circulating cooling tower. This experiment was tested through the on-line monitoring of fouling resistant and analysis of the characteristics of heat transfer ,the results indicate that induction period for the formation of biofouling in the stainless steel tube by slime-forming bacteria is 56 h, Iron bacteria is 25h, and sulfate-reducing bacteria is 22h. Among these bacteria, the greatest impact on the heat transfer is taken by the iron bacteria, and the sulfate-reducing bacteria are next.

We report the observation of very high triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA) upconversion efficiency in single-sensitizer/multiacceptor systems. A hetero-TTA process between triplet acceptors of different types is believed to account for the synergistic effect leading to the high upconversion efficiency. The upconversion quantum yield of the dual-acceptor system is much higher than the sum of the two single-acceptor systems.

Nanoparticles are known to self-assemble into large aggregates through interparticle and external forces. Understanding how interparticle interaction forces affect the construction and organization of nanomaterials is of growing importance to the development of the self-assembly technique. Current studies tend to focus on the individual factors and lack the collective effects from multiple forces as virus, lipid, or peptide does. The dual control on the self-assembly process of citrate-capped Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) mediated by the interparticle forces is reported. This self-assembly process is governed by the collective effects of both thiol-containing biomolecules and the ionic strength of dielectric medium. Thiol-containing biomolecules can effectively replace surface citrate molecules on AuNPs forming stable AuS bonds, leading to the lowering of surface potential or charge. Ionic strength of the solution can decrease the ion binding and the screening length of the double-layer repulsion. When these two factors are in play simultaneously, they collectively affect the AuNPs self-assembly process through the interparticle interactions by contributions from both factors, which have been interrogated based on the classical Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek theory. It is interesting to observe the existence of a quasi-stable state existed between two aggregated states, where two factors cancel each other and the AuNPs remain well dispersed, indicating that their concurrent effects are not simply additive. The results provide new insight to the assembly process of metal nanoparticles, and may open up new avenues to manipulate process.

Chemical genetic studies on acetyl-CoA carboxylases (ACCs), rate-limiting enzymes in long chain fatty acid biosynthesis, have greatly advanced the understanding of their biochemistry and molecular biology and promoted the use of ACCs as targets for herbicides in agriculture and for development of drugs for diabetes, obesity and cancers. In mammals, ACCs have both biotin carboxylase (BC) and carboxyltransferase (CT) activity, catalyzing carboxylation of acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA. Several classes of small chemicals modulate ACC activity, including cellular metabolites, natural compounds, and chemically synthesized products. This article reviews chemical genetic studies of ACCs and the use of ACCs for targeted therapy of cancers.

In this study, the soil microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were constructed based on sandy soil to remove the refractory organic pesticide hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in topsoil by a simple method. The construction of membraneless single-chamber soil MFCs by setting up the cathode- and the anode-activated carbon, inoculating the sludge and adding the co-substrates can promote HCB removal significantly. The results showed that HCB removal efficiencies in the soils contaminated with 40, 80 and 200 mg/kg were 71.14%, 62.15% and 50.06%, respectively, which were 18.65%, 18.46% and 19.17% higher than the control, respectively. The electricity generation of soil MFCs in different HCB concentrations was analyzed. The highest power density reached was 70.8 mW/m2, and an internal resistance of approximately 960 Ω was obtained when an external resistance loading of 1000 Ω was connected. Meanwhile, the influences of temperature, substrate species and substrate concentrations on soil MFCs initial electricity production ...

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a very promising way to remove organic pollutants. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is a widely used agricultural pesticide. In this study, single-chamber and membrane-less soil MFCs were constructed. The HCB was degraded to pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), tetrachlorobenzene (TeCB), and trichlorobenzene (TCB) in sequence by a reductive dechlorination process in soil MFCs. The influences of the external resistance, concentration of phosphate buffer, and electrode spacing in soil MFCs on the degradation rate and removal efficiency of HCB were analyzed. The results showed that the degradation rate and removal efficiency of HCB were increased when the external resistance decreased from 2000 to 20Ω, and also when the concentration of phosphate buffer increased. The anode area played a significant role in dechlorination of HCB. Altering the spacing of the reducing electrode resulted in a lower ohmic resistance in the soil MFCs. The ohmic resistance was negatively correlated with the removal efficiency and degradation rate (P0.05). In conclusion, HCB removal efficiency could be enhanced by soil MFCs, the performance of which was improved by a decrease in external resistance and internal resistance, and an increase in phosphate buffer concentration, rather than just by shortening the electrode spacing.