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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires the continued development of safe, long-lasting, and efficacious vaccines for preventive responses to major outbreaks around the world, and especially in isolated and developing countries. To combat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), we characterize a temperature-stable vaccine candidate (TOH-Vac1) that uses a replication-competent, attenuated vaccinia virus as a vector to express a membrane-tethered spike receptor binding domain (RBD) antigen. We evaluate the effects of dose escalation and administration routes on vaccine safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity in animal models. Our vaccine induces high levels of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and favorable T cell responses, while maintaining an optimal safety profile in mice and cynomolgus macaques. We demonstrate robust immune responses and protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants after only a single dose. Together, these findings support further development of our novel and versatile vaccine platform as an alternative or complementary approach to current vaccines., Graphical abstract, To combat SARS-CoV-2, we characterize a novel vaccine candidate (TOH-Vac1) that uses a replication-competent, attenuated vaccinia virus as a vector to express a membrane-tethered spike receptor binding domain antigen. We evaluate the effects of dose escalation and administration routes on vaccine safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity in mice and cynomolgus macaques.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) based elastomers have witnessed increasing applications in various emerging fields, and the crystallization modification of the PET-based elastomers with functional nanoparticles is considered as the effective strategy for simultaneously improving their processing efficiency, mechanical properties as well as functionalities. Therefore, we herein have synthesized a range of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with different sizes using a high temperature resistance polymer as the surface capping agent. Furthermore, we found that the melt crystallization of a semi-crystallized PET-based elastomer, which was obtained by introducing the flexible polyethylene glycol (PEG1000) segment into PET backbone via condensation polymerization, can be effectively tuned by the synthesized Ag NPs with different sizes. The surface morphology, optical properties, crystallization behavior and mechanical properties of the Ag NPs modified PET-PEG elastomers have been systematically characterized using SEM, optical spectroscopy, DSC, XRD, polarized optical microscope and electromechanical analyzer. The results indicated that the Ag NPs with average size of ~ 60 nm serve as the optimized nucleating agent to not only accelerate the crystallization but also enhance the mechanical properties of PET-PEG elastomers (i.e., tensile strength and modulus were enhanced by 9.6% and 76.6%, respectively). Meanwhile, the intrinsic blue fluorescence emission of PET-PEG elastomers is well preserved after Ag NPs modification. Given the diverse functional properties of Ag NPs, the present work will open the new way for fabrication of multifunctional polyester elastomers with tunable mechanical properties.

The present study aimed to detect selenium (Se) levels in the blood of Enshi Prefecture residents in China and investigate the relationship between blood Se levels and glucose or lipid metabolism disorder. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 1876 subjects were selected through cluster random sampling from Enshi Prefecture using a questionnaire survey, physical examinations, and biochemical blood tests. The mean blood Se level in the overall population was 0.128 ± 0.178 μg/mL. Se exhibits a “U”-shaped curve on the serum fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of the total samples, that is, when the blood Se is more than 0.131 μg/mL or less than 0.062 μg/mL, the FPG increases significantly. A significant negative correlation was demonstrated between the FPG levels of the 4–17-year-old age group and different blood Se levels (P

Soybean provides essential protein and amino acids for humans and animals, while sulfur-containing amino acids (SAA), including methionine (Met) and cysteine (Cys), are very limited. In this study, we constructed a high-density bin-map with 3420 bin markers using 676 857 SNPs of a recombinant-inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between Kefeng no. 1 and Nannong 1138-2. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping was performed for Cys, Met, SAA, and the protein content using this high-density bin-map. Twenty-five QTLs linked to these four traits were identified, and four genomic regions located on chromosomes (Chr) 07, 08, 15, and 20 were overlapped by multiple QTLs. Among them, bin 115-124 located on Chr 15 was associated with all four traits and was a novel locus with a high LOD value. These findings will provide a basis for nutritional quality improvement using marker-assisted selection breeding and clarify the genetic mechanisms of SAA and protein in soybean.

In the N-head manner the interaction between the thiazole and the Cu surface is stronger compared to the S-head manner. Chemisorptive bond is formed in the N-head manner while for the S-head manner only physisorptive interaction is observed. In the N-head manner the HOMO-1 plays the most important role in the σ-type bonding between the thiazole and the Cu atom as compared to the weak interaction with both σ- and π-character in the S-head manner.

Two hydrogen titanate matrices, H2Ti4O9 (T1) and HxTi2-x/4□x/4O4 (T2), were prepared as the inhibitor reservoirs. In ethanol solutions the inhibitive molecules, dodecylamine (DA) and 2-aminomethyl benzimidazole (ABI), can be stored in the interlayer spaces of the two matrices, respectively, and in aqueous media they are extracted to function as effective inhibitors. In comparison to DA into T1, the intercalation of ABI into T2 is relatively more difficult and the extraction of ABI in aqueous media is also incomplete. The epoxy coatings containing the inhibitor-modified titanate matrices exhibit good self-repairing performance. Electrochemical tests show that the coating containing ABI-modified titanates works better in self-repairing performance than that containing DA-modified titanates.

Fabrication of luminescent soft nanostructures using non-conjugated polymers is still regarded as being a great challenge. In this work, we have synthesized, for the first time, a range of amphiphilic block copolymers of polyarylene ether nitrile (amPEN) containing pendent carboxylic and sulfonic groups in the hydrophilic segments, which were further self-assembled into nanospheres in an oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsion system. The size, as well as the morphology, of the generated nanospheres can be easily modulated by using the chemical structures of the amPEN. Interestingly, we have discovered that the initial amorphous amphiphilic aromatic block copolymer can be transformed into semi-crystallized polymeric nanospheres with obviously enhanced fluorescence emission when Pb2+ is introduced into the emulsion self-assembling process. On the basis of X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and fluorescence spectroscopy characterizations, we have confirmed that the enhanced emission of the semi-crystallized nanospheres can be attributed to the rigidification of macromolecular chains via the combination of the intermolecular hydrophobic interactions and the coordination of Pb2+ with the pendent carboxylic/sulfonic groups, which favors the radiative decay of the excited aromatic structures. Considering the facile synthesis, reliable self-assembly features and the enhanced fluorescence emission, the present work could open a pathway for the design of highly luminescent robust polymeric nanostructures using members of the non-conjugated polyarylene ethers family.

Although soft micro/nanoreactors obtained from amphiphilic block co-polyolefin are intensively used for metallic nanoparticle synthesis, the intricate crosslinking after self-assembling of copolymers is an indispensable step. In this work, an amphiphilic block copolymer made of aromatic macromolecular with rigid backbone structures (i.e. polyarylene ether nitrile, PEN) is explored to formulate a robust micro/nano-reactor for direct silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) synthesis without any crosslinking step. We show that the polymeric micro/nanoreactors can be fabricated in both microemulsion and reverse microemulsion system. More importantly, Ag NPs with modulated morphology and optical properties can be in-situ synthesized using these PEN micro/nanoreactors, which is due to the coordination between Ag+ and pendant cyano/sulfonate groups of PEN. Interestingly, the anisotropic polygonal plate-like hybrid nanostructures are obtained via the optimization of nucleation and growth kinetics of Ag NPs using PEN nanoreactor in the water-in-oil W/O reverse microemulsion. Based on these results, the present work would open the way for the facile fabrication of soft micro/nanoreactors for plasmonic nanostructures synthesis using amphiphilic block-copolymers with rigid molecular structures.

The emergence of carbapenem resistance (CR) caused by hydrolytic enzymes called carbapenemases has become a major concern worldwide. So far, CR genes have been widely detected in various bacteria. However, there is no report of CR gene harboring Comamonas thiooxydans. We first isolated a strain of an IMP-8-producing C. thiooxydans from a patient with urinary tract infection in China. Species identity was determined using MALDI-TOF MS analysis and carbapenemase-encoding genes were detected using PCR. The complete genomic sequence of C. thiooxydans was identified using Illumina Novaseq and Oxford Nanopore PromethION. Antimicrobial susceptibility analysis indicated that the C. thiooxydans strain ZDHYF418 was susceptible to imipenem, intermediate to meropenem, and was resistant to aztreonam, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. The blaIMP–8 gene was chromosomally located, and was part of a Tn402-like class 1 integron characterized by the following structure: DDE-type integrase/transposase/recombinase-tniB-tniQ-recombinase family protein-aac(6′)-Ib-cr-blaIMP–8-intI1. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the closest relative of ZDHYF418 is C. thiooxydans QYY (accession number: CP053920.1). We detected 330 SNP differences between ZDHYF418 and C. thiooxydans QYY. Strain QYY was isolated from activated sludge in Jilin province, China in 2015. In summary, we isolated a strain of C. thiooxydans that is able to produce IMP-8 and a novel blaOXA. This is the first time that a CR gene has been identified in C. thiooxydans. The occurrence of the strain needs to be closely monitored.

Leachates and landfill gas (LFG) are the major problems for closed landfills (CL) and cause significant threats to receiving waterbody and ambient air quality. In this study, a field pilot-scale CL with ex situ nitritation/in situ denitritation process was constructed and operated continuously under wide temperature variations. The effect of low temperature on leachate treatment, and LFG content was studied. Results showed that the combined process can efficiently remove nitrogen and organic matters from leachate, and change LFG content under low-temperature condition. In the ex situ nitritaion, maximum removal efficiencies of ammonia and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were over 99% and 85%, respectively. The loading rate of nitrogen and COD reached 0.5 kg N m−3 d−1 and 0.7 kg COD m−3 d−1, respectively. The inhibitions of free ammonia (FA) and free nitrous acid (FNA), and low temperature were the key factors affecting nitritation. With recirculating nitrified leachate, total oxidized nitrogen (TON) was completely reduced, and the refuse decomposition was accelerated. Denitritation was the main reaction responsible in the CL. Additionally, methane content was observed lowly at non-inhibitory TON loading rate of 5.8 ± 3.7 g N ton−1 TS d−1. This decrease was not caused by the increased of TON loading, but a carbon source competition by denitrificans. The estimated COD consumption and methane reduction were 55.0 kg d−1 by TON reduction, and 20 m3 d−1, respectively. Hence, this study served a potential strategy for postclosure care of landfills under low temperature variation.

The formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FADH) activity in plants is essential to the removal of airborne formaldehyde (FA) by plants. A rapid and efficient method was established to assess the FADH activity in plants by analyzing the efficiencies of the extracts of fresh and enzyme-inactivated leaves to degrade FA, with the enzyme-inactivated leaves prepared by freezing with liquid nitrogen. The efficiencies of airborne FA dissipated by different plants were evaluated through the FA fumigation experiments using four selected plants, with the results analyzed against the calculated leaf FADH activities. Fresh and enzyme-inactivated leaf extracts degraded FA to different extents. The degradative efficiencies of leaf extracts were positively related to the initial FA test levels at 6–18 mg l−1. The relative plant-leaf FADH activities formed the order of Chenopodium album L. > Atenia cordifolia > Plantain > Aloe, which was in line with the observed FA dissipating efficiencies of the plants exposed to 0.72 mg m−3 airborne FA for 24 h. Other dominant degrading mechanisms in plant leaves resulted in higher dissipating efficiencies of Plantain over that of Atenia cordifolia when exposed to 1.56 mg m−3 FA for 24 h. The established method could be applied to estimate the FADH activity in plants for assessment of the plant remediation efficiency of FA in air at lower concentrations.

In order to study the change of the properties of petroleum contaminated soil, the samples of diesel contaminated soil with different degrees of pollution were prepared manually, and their basic physical properties were tested through the particle test, specific gravity test and liquid plastic limit test. The results show that the diesel oil has a great influence on the particle size composition of soil, and the diesel oil makes the content of silt decrease, while the clay increase obviously; the specific gravity of soil sample decreases with the increase of oil content, and it is smaller than the proportion of unpolluted soil sample; the influence of diesel oil on the liquid-plastic limit of soil is different, the plastic limit of soil decreases with the increase of oil content, and the liquid limit increases first at a certain oil content, it reaches a peak value and then decreases.

Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) has been considered as one of the most hazardous heavy metals because of its strong and persistent toxicity to the ecosystem and human beings. Herein, we have synthesized a double hydrophilic block co-polyarylene ether nitriles (abbreviated as dhPEN) bearing aromatic backbone as well as pendent carboxyl and sulfonate groups. Afterward, the synthesized dhPEN has been co-assembled with the lanthanide Tb3+ via a one-step solvent exchange protocol, leading to generation of Tb3+ coordinated dhPEN (Tb-dhPEN) micro/nano-structures that exhibit good adsorption capacity and detection sensitivity towards Cr(VI). More specifically, the direct self-assembly of dhPEN and Tb3+ in mixed H2O/DMF solvents resulted to Tb-dhPEN microparticles with lamellar structures, which exhibited a high Cr(VI) adsorption capacity approaching to 402 mg/g. The detailed characterization confirm that Cr(VI) is adsorbed and partially reduced to Cr(III) by the Tb-dhPEN microparticles via chemical interaction. Furthermore, the self-assembly of dhPEN with Tb3+ in the H2O/DMF mixed solvents containing NaOH contributed to the generation of spherical nanoparticles showing green emission at 545 nm, which can be selectively quenched by the Cr(VI), leading to the specific detection of trace concentration of Cr(VI) down to 0.12 nM as well as reliable determination of Cr(VI) presented in real environmental samples.

Polyarylene ether-based polymer, a thermoplastic with photoluminescence, can be further functionalized as a thermal resistant, tough and flexible optical material. We synthesized three different average molecular weights of cyan fluorescent polyarylene ether nitriles (PEN) end-capped with tetraphenylethene (TPE). All obtained polymers (P(1-3)-TPE) exhibited typical aggregation-induced emission (AIE) features under aggregation states in solvent-nonsolvent mixtures with a high absolute quantum yield of fluorescence (ФF) (0.301–0.395). Moreover, end-capping synthesis strategy preserved the intrinsic and satisfactory processability of PEN while introducing the conjugated TPE. The obtained polymers were processed into flexible casting films with ФF range from 0.154 to 0.182. P3-TPE with largest molecular weights exhibited the strongest AIE effect, excellent thermal resistance with a 5% weight loss at a temperature of 511 °C, and tensile strength of 80.9 MPa. In addition, end-capped PENs were fabricated as electrospun membranes, which exhibited more efficient emission (ФF at 0.465–0.490) may mainly due to oriented and aligned chains than that of the casting films. The findings provide an operable approach for combining conjugated fluorophore and intrinsic performance of PEN. These features make the end-capped AIE-active PEN has potential applications in various optical fields, including flexible display, fluorescent sensing, and anti-counterfeiting.

A series of water-soluble carboxylated zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc-COOH) were obtained from a facile hydrolyzation of terminating nitriles groups of zinc phthalocyanine synthesized via bisphthalonitrile based precursor. After the gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with positively charged surfactant CTAB was added to as-prepared ZnPc-COOH solution, the electronic interaction between them would contribute to the tunable conjugate of Au NPs/ZnPc-COOH and lead to a red-shifted absorption peak in UV–Vis spectrum. Specially, both of the amount of phthalocyanine rings and concentrations of ZnPc-COOH would make a big difference in the interaction with Au NPs. In the presence of different metal ions, the ZnPc-COOH/Au NPs aqueous solution revealed selective response to Ca2+, leading to an increased aggregation extent and the naked eye visualized color change. The further experiment revealed that the red-shift was accessible in a wide concentration range of Ca2+, and the red-shift degree was proportional to the concentration of Ca2+ in the range of 2–8 µM with a limit of detection defined as 1 µM. Combing the photosensitivity of ZnPc-COOH and localized surface resonance plasmon of Au NPs, this label-free probe would provide a potential application in colorimetric detection and photosensitization under physiological environment.

In this work, a novel amphiphilic copolymer named polyarylene ether nitrile (amPEN) was synthesized and further employed to encapsulate oleic acid (OA) capped CdSe@CdS QD via one-step microemulsion self-assembling, which contributed to the facile fabrication of water dispersible QD/amPEN core-shell superparticles (SP) showing dual emissive feature. It was found that the obtained QD/amPEN core-shell SP can be employed as the sensitive and selective fluorescent probe for determination of trace concentration of Ag+ down to 1 nM via the photo-induced electron transfer. More interestingly, the obtained QD/amPEN core-shell SP can be integrated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to fabricate robust luminescent solid state films that still demonstrated sensitive detection of Ag+ even after placing in water for six days. Furthermore, the QD/amPEN core-shell SP doped PDMS film exhibited the stretching dependent luminescent emission, which implied the composite materials could be also developed as flexible optical strain sensors. Given the facile fabrication and competitive sensing performance both in solution phase and solid state, the present work basically provides a universal strategy for the construction of versatile multifunctional luminescent sensors using QD and polyarylene ethers as building blocks.

Self-assembling of amphiphilic copolymers via microemulsion technique provides versatile platform for physical encapsulation of various sensitive functional molecules. In this work, a novel amphiphilic block poly(arylene ether nitriles) (b-PEN) has been firstly synthesized through the step-growth nucleophilic substitution polycondensation of bisphenol A (BPA) modified hydrophobic oligomer and the hydrophilic oligomer containing pendant sulfonate groups. Due to the incompatibility between the two segments, the isotropic b-PEN superparticles were prepared by a facile microemulsion self-assembly technique, which meanwhile allowed encapsulation of the hydrophobic photosensitizer of ZnPc into the polymeric superparticles. Finally, the stable aqueous solution containing b-PEN@ZnPc hybrid superparticles is obtained and demonstrates singlet oxygen generation ability, which ensures desirable photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). Based on the intrinsically chemical resistance, high mechanical strength and facile fabrication of b-PEN superparticles, the present work will open the way for the construction of robust PEN nanostructures, which could act as the template to assemble with various organic or inorganic functional particles to expand its environmental remediation application.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) are built up on gold substrate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests show that the NHC-based SAMs exhibit high stability under ultrasonic circumstance, over 90% of NHC molecules being retained at gold surfaces after ultrasonic treatment of 10 min in water. Computations of density functional theory (DFT) demonstrate the preferential adsorption of NHC molecules at atop sites of Au (1 1 1) plane, and the strong interaction between NHC molecules and Au surfaces is attributed to the bonding between 2-position C atoms and Au atoms by the hybridization of the C 2p orbitals with the Au 5d and 6s orbitals.

Polymeric microparticles obtained via the emulsion confinement self-assembly of block copolymers have been used as the effective scaffold for construction of bioactive agents for various biomedicine applications, however the used block copolymers are normally synthesize via the controlled/living polymerization that involves tedious workload. Herein, we have discovered that a homo-polyarylene ether nitrile (abbreviated as homo-PEN), obtained via the industrially scalable step-growth nucleophilic substitution polycondensation, can be transformed into sub-micrometer sized polymeric microparticles via emulsion confined self-assembly. We found that the size of obtained microparticles was dependent on the molecular weight of homo-PEN or added ethanol content during self-assembly. More interestingly, the surface cyano of as-obtained polymeric microparticles can be partially converted into carboxyl groups after hydrolysis in alkaline aqueous solution without any morphology destruction. Consequently, the protein A was further covalently grafted on the carboxylated PEN microparticles to obtain the so-called AP beads that showed comparable antibody enrichment as that of commercial beads. Meanwhile, the co-assembly of homo-PEN with red-emitting fluorescent quantum dots (QD) leads to generation of the Q-beads exhibiting stable fluorescence both in aqueous solution and after internalized into macrophage cells, which can be explored for quantitative evaluation of macrophage phagocytosis activity via flow cytometry. In short, this work opens new way for fabrication of multifunctional bioactive microparticles using easily synthesized polyarylene ethers.

(1-Benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-yl)methanol (BTM) and (1-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-1H-1,2,3- triazole-4-yl)methanol (PTM) were prepared and investigated as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in 1.0 M HCl. It is found that PTM functions as more effective inhibitor than BTM in the concentration range of 0.2 −1.0 mM. Computational chemistry studies show that the triazole derivatives can adsorb on the mild steel surface by sharing the lone pair electrons of N atoms with iron atoms or by accepting electrons from iron surfaces. Due to its strong interaction with the mild steel surface in aqueous system, the pyridine segment should be responsible for the higher inhibition efficiency of PTM.

Lanthanide coordinating polymeric microparticles are considered as versatile building blocks for construction of various advanced functional materials and devices, but the research involving the modulation of their fine morphology, luminescence properties and processability is still limited. Herein, we have synthesized an amphiphilic aromatic multi-block copolymer (abbreviated as amPENS) showing intrinsic blue fluorescence emission, which was further employed as a coordination ligand to sensitize the intrinsic fluorescence emission of Tb3+ and Eu3+. Specifically, the three dimensional (3D) emulsion confinement self-assembly of amPENS with lanthanide ions was explored to fabricate sub-micron sized Ln-PENS microparticles, whose fluorescence emission and surface morphology can be readily tuned via the concentration of amPENS and lanthanide ions, as well as stirring speed during emulsion self-assembly. More importantly, we further proved that the Ln-PENS doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution can be processed into multi-band emissive fluorescent nanofibers coatings via electrospinning. Basically, the current work reveals a new strategy to design lanthanide coordination polymeric superparticles with tunable morphology and fluorescence, which would open the way for fabrication of advanced lanthanide based materials for various applications such as sensing, anti-counterfeiting, information recording and optoelectric devices.

Hydrotalcite inorganic fillers with different metal ratios were synthesized by coprecipitation method and hydrothermal method. The hydrotalcite inorganic fillers/polylactic acid composites (HT/PLA) were prepared by melt blending method. The mechanical properties, flame retardancy and thermal properties of the composites were investigated. The results show that HT inorganic filler was successfully prepared by coprecipitation method and it had typical HT structure. Compared with pure PLA, the impact strength and bending strength of HT/PLA composites decreased. The tensile strength, elongation at break, bending strength and tensile modulus of elasticity of the self-made M-Mg/Al-HT/PLA composite were better than those of the purchased C-Mg/Al-HT/PLA composite. The oxygen index of HT/PLA composites increased obviously, and the oxygen index of HT/PLA composites increased with the increase of the amount of HT. Different kinds of HT/PLA composites have different flame retardancy, and the order is Cu/Mg/Al-HT/PLA>Co/Mg/Al-HT/PLA>Ni/Mg/Al-HT/PLA>Mg/AlHT/PLA>Zn/Mg/Al-HT/PLA. The plasticity of HT/PLA composite is higher than that of pure PLA, and its thermal stability is better.

Dual functional separation membranes that enable the adsorption and subsequent degradation of organic dyes are highly demanded in the environmental remediation. In this study, the hybrid porous membrane has been fabricate via the phase inversion of an amphiphilic polymer (sulfonated polyarylene ether nitrile, abbreviated as SPEN) by using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and titanium dioxide TiO2 as sacrificial pore-forming agent and photocatalyst, respectively. Furthermore, we found that the loading content of PEG-TiO2 played the decisive role in modulation of the fine morphology and surface wettability of obtained hybrid porous membrane, which in turn determined their adsorption and photocatalytic degradation capacities towards organic dye of methyl blue (MB). More specifically, as the increasing of loading content of PEG-TiO2, the obtained hybrid porous membrane exhibited firstly increased and then decreased equilibrium water content (EWC) and porosity, leading to their similar variation of adsorption capacities towards MB. On the contrary, the increased loading content of PEG-TiO2 renders the obtained hybrid porous membrane with larger pore size and more hydrophilic surface, which contributed to the enhanced in-situ photocatalytic degradation of adsorbed MB, and as high as 99.9% adsorbed MB by hybrid porous membrane can be in-situ photo-catalytically degraded under optimized condition. Meanwhile, the MB adsorption and photocatalytic degradation capacities of the optimized hybrid porous membrane can be well preserved after re-generation for three times. Based on these results, the current work basically opens new ways to fabricate multifunctional re-useable porous membrane for environmental remediation application.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides have taken a central role in AD research, the aggregation of Aβ peptide is involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The 35th amino acid was methionine (Met) in Aβ peptides and it's redox state is critical in determining the biological activity of Aβ. It has been suggested that oxidation of Met35 (Met35O) plays a key role in the formation of paranuclei and in the control of oligomerization pathway choice. As an antioxidative selenoenzyme, Selenoprotein R (SelR) plays important roles in reducing the R-form of MetO to Met to maintain intracellular redox balance. However, the relationship between SelR and Aβ was little investigated. Here, we found that SelR can directly interact with Aβ42, and the interaction between SelR and Aβ42 was verified by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), and pull-down assays. SelR is closely related to AD, its biological functions in human brain become a research focus. This work implies that SelR makes it capable of modulating Aβ42 aggregation and provides a novel avenue for further study on the mechanism of SelR in AD prevention.

In this work, a transparent thermoplastic elastomer, showing blue emission upon UV light excitation, has been synthesized via the block copolymerization of an amorphous polyester oligomer and flexible polyethylene glycol (PEG) on an industrial scale. Specifically, an alicyclic glycol named 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) was introduced into the esterification of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and ethylene glycol (EG) to synthesize the oligomer of glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), which was subsequently copolymerized with PEG to finally obtain the transparent thermoplastic elastomer. It should be noted that CHDM is found to break macromolecular regularity, which leads to the amorphous nature of the obtained copolyester. The flexible PEG not only contributes to the elasticity of the copolyester, but also in situ decomposes it into fluorescent carbon nanodots during polymerization, which finally endows the obtained elastomer with fluorescence that can be modulated by different mechanical stress (i.e. stretching and relaxing). Therefore, we have fabricated a prototype of a reusable strain sensor using the developed elastomer owing to its reversible mechanoluminescence.

Metallopolymeric superstructures (MPS) are hybrid functional materials that find wide applications in environmental, energy, catalytic and biomedical-related scenarios, while their fabrication usually suffers from the complicated polymerization between monomeric ligands and metal ions. In this work, we have developed a facile one-step protocol to fabricate metallopolymeric superstructures with different morphology including nanospheres, nanocubes, nanorods, and nanostars for environmental remediation application. Specifically, we have firstly synthesized the amphiphilic block copolymers (BCP) bearing hydrophobic aromatic backbone and hydrophilic pendent carboxylic/sulfonic groups, which have been subsequently transformed into MPS via the metal ions mediated self-assembly in mixed solution of dimethylformamide (DMF) and H2O. Based on SEM, FTIR, XRD and XPS characterization, we have revealed that the fine morphology and condensed structures of MPS can be modulated via the metal ions and BCP concentration, and the obtained MPS can be employed as efficient adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue with maximum adsorption capacity approaching 936.13 mg/g.

Current research suggests that synovial phagocytic cells remove excessive amounts of free oxygen radicals (reactive oxygen species [ROS]), thereby preventing damage to synovial tissues. Moreover, ROS may affect the expression of growth arrest and DNA damage inducible α (GADD45A), thus further promoting the activation of synovial fibroblasts. Male adult rats were assessed for progression of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) using a macroscopic arthritis scoring system of the hind paws and by measuring the changes in the rat's body weight, and activity level before and after diagnosis of CIA. Rats were intraperitoneally injected twice daily with edaravone at doses of 3, 6, and 9 mL/kg. Samples were taken at 2, 4, and 6 weeks, respectively. Edaravone was found to significantly reduce macroscopic arthritis and microscopic pathology scores in CIA rats. The concentration of endothelial nitric oxide synthase-6, glutathione, and heme oxygenase-1 in the serum of rats decreased, as was the production of ROS around the synovium and inflammatory factors. Moreover, ROS-1 increased the expression of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 protein by altering the expression level of GADD45A, causing aggravation of tissue damage. Edaravone also significantly improved the physiological condition of CIA rats, including appetite, weight changes, and loss of fur, as well as limb mobility. We believe that edaravone acts to reduce the expression of NF-ĸB p65 by clearing ROS, which causes reduced expression of GADD45A, and subsequently reduces the level of apoptosis and inflammatory response proteins, thereby reducing the symptoms of CIA. We, therefore, propose that edaravone is an effective option for clinical treatment of rheumatic arthritis.

A series of AIEE and carboxyl difunctional polyarylene ether nitrile (PEN) were synthesized via stepwise polymerization. Their structure-property and bioimaging application were studied. The synthesized PEN exhibited excellent thermal resistance with thermal decomposition temperature beyond 380 °C and glass transition temperature over 192 °C. Incorporation of AIEgen imparted PEN with a higher quantum yield (36%), and emission peak redshift from weak blue to bright cyan region under solid state. The soluble polymer also can be processed into flexible films by casting method with good mechanical property and strong fluorescent emitting. Under the synergistic action of difunctional segments, PEN was endowed with the assembled fluorescent polymeric nanoparticles (FPNs) though the coordination effect between metal ions and carboxyl group with much higher emission efficiently. Finally, based on the well biocompatible and hydrophilia of difunctional PEN, the obtained FPNs revealed the cellular bioimaging application. The current work lays the foundation for PEN perform as a high-performance engineering polymer with fluorescent perform in the development of optical applications.

A novel cyano-terminated zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc-CN) exhibiting visible near infrared (vis-NIR) emitting around 690 nm in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent has been synthesized. Furthermore, the peripheral cyano groups of newly synthesized zinc phthalocyanine were hydrolyzed in strong basic solution, leading to water soluble carboxylated zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc-COOH) with completely quenched fluorescence in aqueous solution. Interestingly, we found that the NIR fluorescence of aqueous ZnPc-COOH was dramatically recovered in the presence of gold nanorods (Au NR), which was due to the alternation of ZnPc-COOH molecules self-assembling via electrostatic interaction between cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on the surface of Au NR and peripheral carboxyl of ZnPc-COOH. In addition, ZnPc-COOH/Au NR conjugates demonstrated an improved singlet oxygen generation, which could be served as potential bioimaging probe and photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy.

In this work, fluorescent co-polyester was prepared by incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG) segment into backbone of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The crystalline structures and fluorescence properties of obtained PET-PEG copolymers were systematically studied. It was found that the crystalline behaviour of PET was significantly alternated after incorporation of flexible PEG segment, meanwhile the ultrasmall sized carbon dots with blue emitting luminescence can be obtained from incorporated PEG segment, which contributed to the fluorescence property of resultant PET-PEG co-polyester solution and fiber.

Strain BEY10T was isolated from an old fermentation pit, which had been used for the production of Chinese strong-flavoured liquor for over 20 years. The strain was strictly anaerobic, Gram-stain positive, rod-shaped, non-motile and spore-forming. Strain BEY10T grew at temperatures of 22–47 °C (optimum 37 °C), at pH 5.5–9.0 (optimum pH 7.5–8.5) and with NaCl concentrations of 0–4 % (w/v) (optimum 0 %). The isolate was able to utilize glucose, mannitol, lactose, xylose, maltose, glycerol, cellobiose and trehalose as carbon sources for growth. The major end-products from glucose fermentation were ethanol and butyric acid. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phospholipids, a glycolipid and an aminolipid. The predominant fatty acids (>10 %) were C20 : 0, C18 : 0, C16 : 0, C12 : 0 and C14 : 0. The DNA G+C content was 34.4 mol%. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that strain BEY10T belongs to the genus Clostridium in the family Clostridiaceae. The closest phylogenetic neighbour is Clostridium lundense DSM 17049T, showing 97.6 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with strain BEY10T. DNA–DNA relatedness values of strain BEY10T with Clostridium lundense DSM 17049T, Clostridium tetanomorphum DSM 4474T and Clostridium pascui DSM 10365T were 58.8 %, 57.9 % and 42.2 %, respectively. This characterization based on phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic evidence demonstrated that strain BEY10T represents a novel species of the genus Clostridium, for which the name Clostridium liquoris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BEY10T ( = ACCC 00785T = DSM 100320T).

Hierarchical anisotropic superparticles derived from the controlled assembly of individual plasmonic nanoparticles have been recognized as promising building blocks for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) nanosensors. Thus, the protocols that precisely control the near-field coupling of individual plasmonic nanoparticles and the diffusion of highly diluted analytes to the plasmonic surface are of great interests. Herein, we have synthesized a series of aromatic amphiphilic block copolymers named as polyarylene ether nitrile (amPEN in short), containing a hydrophobic backbone of aromatic moieties with hydrophilic sulfonate/carboxyl and cyano groups in the side chain. Next, the surfactant stabilized water-in-oil (W/O) reverse emulsion is constructed to induce the confined self-assembly of amPEN, leading to the formation of functional micro-reactors for the in-situ synthesis and organization of silver nanoparticles, which finally contribute to the generation of sub-micrometer cube-like plasmonic superparticles (PSPs). Furthermore, the SERS nanosensors are created by drop-casting of synthesized PSPs on silicon substrate followed by depositing an additional thin layer of silver. Finally, the optimized SERS nanosensors with a Raman enhancement factor of 108 are able to detect chlorpyrifos pesticide down to 10-10 M thanks to the presence of abundant Raman hot-spots on the synthesized PSPs and the effective analyte enrichment derived from π-π interaction between pesticide molecules and aromatic backbone of amPEN.

From 2012 to 2019, the risk monitoring of food chemical contaminants and harmful factors in Enshi Prefecture found that the sulfur dioxide residues in food exceeded the standard seriously, and the sample exceeded the standard rate of 8.16%-17.7%, including pickled vegetables, edible starch, and dried vegetables. Among them, the sulfur dioxide content exceeded the standard rate of 63.64%, 48.00%, 30.09%, and the risk quotient (HQ) was 0.464, 0.075, and 0.527, respectively. Due to the low consumption of dried vegetables, pickled vegetables, edible starch and edible fungus products, they are still at a safe level, but the cumulative effect of sulfur dioxide residues in the diet may pose health risks to consumers.

Self-assembly of block copolymer is a well-known methodology to fabricate soft functional nanostructures. Herein, the block copolymers containing both rigid aromatic moieties and flexible ether groups in the backbone, named of co-polyarylene ether nitriles, have been synthesized and further transformed into metal coordination polymeric microspheres (MCPMS) via the Pb2+ mediated self-assembly occurring in confined emulsion droplet. Based on the systematic characterization of SEM, TEM, SAED, XRD and XPS, it is found that the size, morphology, aggregate structure as well as fluorescent properties of obtained MCPMS can be readily modulated by tuning of block copolymer backbone structures and self-assembly parameters. More interestingly, the obtained MCPMS can be further employed as robust templates for in-situ immobilization of silver nanoparticles. Therefore, the metal ions assisted self-assembly of aromatic block copolymer in emulsion droplets reported in this work basically open a new way for fabrication of functional hybrid nanomaterials.

Aims: Noninvasive tools for the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) are in urgent need. Lipids and proteins have been studied in CRC several years, thus a prognostic indicator based on preoperative serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and serum albumin (ALB) levels (HA score) in CRC patients and to compare the correlation with survival to that of the Glasgow prognostic score. Patient and methods: In the present study, the patient characteristics, clinicopathological factors, and the level of pre-treatment serum markers (HDL-C, ALB, CEA and CA19-9) were analyzed retrospectively in 248 patients with CRC. Results: In HA score, patients with reduced HDL-C and decreased ALB levels were allocated a score of 2, those with only one of these abnormalities were assign as score 1, and those with neither of these abnormalities were allocated a score of 0. The cut-off value of HDL-C and ALB were defined as median. Among these, the distribution of the HA score were 66 patients of score 2 (26.61%), 112 patients of score 1 (45.16%), and 70 patients of score 0(28.23%). The prognostic significance of the HA score was then determined by Univariate and multivariate cox hazards in CRC. Univariate analysis revealed that tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, metastasis, TNM stage, CEA, CA19-9, HA score and GPS had a significant association with the OS and DFS of CRC, furthermore HA score (P

Heavy metal pollution, especially lead pollution in water, has been a growing concern due to the toxicity of lead to human and other beings. According to previous reports, bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) showed significant advantages in heavy metal ions removal, but have not been considered for Pb2+ removal. In this study, a novel BES with stainless steel cathode distinguished with traditional BESs was employed with mixed culture as biocatalyst for removing Pb2+ from solution. The results indicated Pb2+ could be effectively removed and hydrocerussite as the final product confirmed by X-ray diffraction was deposited on the stainless steel cathode. Furthermore, the principle of Pb2+ removal was deduced based on the experiment of the reduction of ferricyanide in the stainless steel tube-type BES. In brief, we suggested a novel low-cost approach to remove and recover Pb2+ from Pb2+-containing wastewater.

Production of upgraded biogas is required to remove as much carbon dioxide as possible. It was found that by coupling microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) and anaerobic digestion (AD) in a single-chamber, barrel-shape stainless steel reactor, compared with common anaerobic digestion (control), CH4 content in excess of 98% was achieved and CH4 yield was increased 2.3 times. Meanwhile, the COD removal rate was tripled and carbon recovery was increased by 56.2%. In this new process, unwanted CO2 was in situ converted into CH4 on anode by the dominant microbes, hydrogenotrophic electromethanogens (e.g. Methanospirillum). These microbes could utilize hydrogen gas generated at the inner surface of stainless steel reactor, which itself served as cathode of MEC through small voltage addition (1.0 V). The overall energy efficiency was 66.7%. Keywords: Upgraded biogas, Carbon dioxide, MEC–AD coupling system, Stainless steel reactor

In this study, ammonia was used as an anode substrate for cathode hydrogen generation by controlling the anode potential in two compartment bioelectrochemical systems. During batch experiments, the total quantity of electric charge increased from 129 C at 10 mM ammonia to 185 C at 20 mM ammonia, and it reached 281 C at 30 mM ammonia. Besides, the nitrogen removal efficiency reached 41%, 56% and 48% at 10, 20 and 30 mM ammonia respectively. Correspondingly, the productions of nitrogen were respectively 5.1 ml, 13.3 ml and 14.3 ml, and the productions of hydrogen were respectively 7.2 ml, 13.4 ml and 14.6 ml. However, there were no nitrogen and hydrogen production, as well as only a little electric charge of 10 C when there was no ammonia addition. The coulombic efficiency was higher than 50% during 5 days operation, which demonstrated that the bacteria growing on the anode were able to utilize most of the available ammonia for current generation. In addition, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and ammonia-assimilating bacteria were detected by microbial community analysis of 16S rRNA genes based on high throughput sequencing, but anammox bacteria were not found at the anode biofilms, which suggested that there were two different pathways for anodic ammonia transformation. Copyright (C) 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The first tuber mustard calmodulin-like (CML) gene BjAAR1 (Brassica juncea var. tumida Tsen et Lee Abiotic stress and Abscisic acid (ABA) Responsive gene 1) was cloned and characterized. The protein encoded by BjAAR1 contains four predicted Ca2+ binding sites (EF-hand motif) and its recombinant protein can bind Ca2+ in vitro. qRT-PCR showed that the expression level of BjAAR1 was rather high in non-swollen stem of tuber mustard and largely reduced in swollen stem. Expression of BjAAR1 enhanced ABA- and stress-induced gene expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Transgenic plants also exhibited hypersensitivity to NaCl, mannitol, and ABA during the seed germination and post-germination stages. ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, norflurazon (NF), rescued hypersensitivity phenotype of transgenic plants to NaCl and mannitol, indicating that BjAAR1 functions in multiple abiotic stresses response through ABA-dependent process.

Cottonseed protein is underutilized due to the presence of pigment gland containing a toxic compound called gossypol. Cotton produces gossypol and related compounds in various tissues to protect itself against microbial, insect, and rodent attacks. Understanding the mechanism of cotton pigment gland formation and regulation of gossypol biosynthesis will greatly facilitate the research efforts in developing a cotton variety with a gossypol free seed and normally glanded foliage. In this study we make use of near-isogenic lines of cotton pigment gland to screen the genes related to gland morphogenesis applying both GeneChip and suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) methods.We identified 880 differentially expressed genes associated with gland morphogenesis in cotton by comparing transcriptome profiles of cotton from glandless and glanded near-isogenic lines using a GeneChip. Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that 880 genes were distributed mainly among the following GO categories: cellular process (14.45%), physiological process (14.23%), catalytic activity (9.21%), metabolism (8.99%), and cell parts (5.24%). Molecular pathway analysis revealed that these differentially expressed genes were involved in 58 KEGG pathways. Differentially expressed genes were also identified and isolated using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) with the same near-isogenic lines. A total of 147 ESTs were identified whose expression was either up- or down-regulated. Sequencing and BLAST analysis indicated that some of these genes were novel, while others were related to energy metabolism, transcription factors, and biotic responses. 13 genes were found to be differentially expressed both in SSH and GeneChip analysis. The expression pattern of these genes was verified by real-time PCR. The gene expression profiles produced in this study provide useful information on the molecular mechanism and regulation of gland formation and the related process in cotton. Of particular interest for future study are the genes identified by both SSH and GeneChip analysis. The outcomes are helping for our understanding of the development of specialised structures such as trichomes in plant species, from an applied and basic science perspective and promoting the application in molecular breeding.

Batch partitioning and column experiments were conducted to assess the effect of ethanol on the enhancement of BTX (benzene, toluene, and xylenes) concentrations in groundwater near existing sources of NAPL (nonaqueous phase liquid, i.e., gasoline) contamination. The experiments were conducted to approximate a possible worst case scenario in which highly concentrated ethanol (e.g., fuel-grade ethanol) becomes in direct contact with pre-existing gasoline in water-saturated conditions such as near the ground water table. The enhancements of BTX, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (TMB), and n-octane concentrations in the aqueous phase by ethanol were investigated. Significant enhancements in the BTX and TMB concentrations occurred with injections of highly concentrated ethanol. For example, when a pulse of 97% ethanol, equivalent to one source pore volume, passed through the source region containing trapped NAPL, the enhancements in the effluent peak concentrations over the solvent-free water concentrations ranged from factors of 1.7 (for benzene) to 3.0 (for m-xylene). When the ethanol pulse size was doubled, the enhancements in peak effluent concentrations increased by factors of 10 (for benzene) to 125 (for m-xylene). Experimental results were consistent with equilibrium dissolution model simulations.

Chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters can provide qualitative and quantitative information about photosynthetic processes in chloroplasts. JIP-test and modulated fluorescence (MF) parameters are commonly used chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters. This study was conducted to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with JIP-test parameters, MF parameters, and photosynthetic rate (P(N)), and to examine the relationships among them in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Pot and field experiments were performed to evaluate 184 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) for five JIP-test parameters (ABS/RC, TR(O)/ABS, ET(O)/TR(O), RE(O)/ET(O), and PI(ABS)), four MF parameters (Fv/Fm, Fv'/Fm', PhiPSII, and qP), and P(N).Significant correlations were commonly observed among JIP-test parameters, MF parameters, and P(N). QTL mapping analysis identified 13, 9, and 4 QTLs for JIP-test parameters, MF parameters, and P(N), respectively, of which 13 were stable. Four major genomic regions were detected: LG A2 (19.81 cM) for JIP-test parameters, LG C1 (94.31 and 97.61 cM) for P(N) and MF parameters, LG M (100.51 cM) for JIP-test and MF parameters, and LG O (30.61-49.91 cM) for P(N), JIP-test, and MF parameters. These results indicate that chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, especially PHIPSII and qP, could play an important role in regulating P(N), and that JIP-test and MF parameters could be controlled by the same or different genes. The QTLs identified in this study will help in the understanding of the genetic basis of photosynthetic processes in plants. They will also contribute to the development of marker-assisted selection breeding programs for photosynthetic capacity in soybean.

Ex situ nitrification and sequential in situ denitrification represents a novel approach to nitrogen management at landfills. Simultaneous ammonia and organics removal was achieved in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The results showed that the maximum nitrogen loading rate (NLR) and the maximum organic loading rate (OLR) was 0.65gNl(-1)d(-1) and 3.84gCODl(-1)d(-1), respectively. The ammonia and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was over 99% and 57%, respectively. In the run of the CSTR, free ammonia (FA) inhibition and low dissolved oxygen (DO) were found to be key factors affecting nitrite accumulation. In situ denitrification was studied in a municipal solid waste (MSW) column by recalculating nitrified leachate from CSTR. The decomposition of MSW was accelerated by the recirculation of nitrified leachate. Complete reduction of total oxidized nitrogen (TON) was obtained with maximum TON loading of 28.6gNt(-1)TSd(-1) and denitrification was the main reaction responsible. Additionally, methanogenesis inhibition was observed while TON loading was over 11.4gNt(-1)TSd(-1) and the inhibition was enhanced with the increase of TON loading.

The effects of organic carbon/inorganic nitrogen (C/N) ratio on the nitrification processes and the community shifts of nitrifying biofilms were investigated by kinetic comparison and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. The results showed that the nitrification rate decreased with an increasing organic concentration. However, the effect became weak when the carbon concentration reached a sufficiently high level. Denitrification was detected after organic carbon was added. The 12 h ammonium removal rate ranged from 85% to 30% at C/N = 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16, as compared to the control (C/N = 0). The loss of nitrogen after 24 h at C/N = 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 was 31%, 18%, 24%, 65%, 59%, and 62%, respectively. The sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments revealed that the dominant populations changed from nitrifying bacteria (Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrobacter sp.) to denitrifying bacteria (Pseudomonas sp., Acidovorax sp. and Comamonas sp.) with an increasing C/N ratio. Although at high C/N ratio the denitrifying bacteria were the dominant populations, nitrifying bacteria grew simultaneously. Consequently, nitrification process coexisted with denitrification.

The anaerobic digestion (AD) and microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) coupled system has been proved to be a promising process for biomethane production. In this paper, it was found that by co-cultivating Geobacter with Methanosarcina in an AD-MEC coupled system, methane yield was further increased by 24.1%, achieving to 360.2 mL/g-COD, which was comparable to the theoretical methane yield of an anaerobic digester. With the presence of Geobacter, the maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate (216.8 mg COD/(L·hr)) and current density (304.3A/m(3)) were both increased by 1.3 and 1.8 fold compared to the previous study without Geobacter, resulting in overall energy efficiency reaching up to 74.6%. Community analysis demonstrated that Geobacter and Methanosarcina could coexist together in the biofilm, and the electrochemical activities of both were confirmed by cyclic voltammetry. Our study observed that the carbon dioxide content in total gas generated from the AD reactor with Geobacter was only half of that generated from the same reactor without Geobacter, suggesting that Methanosarcina may obtain the electron transferred from Geobacter for the reduction of carbon dioxide to methane. Taken together, Geobacter not only can improve the performance of the MEC system, but also can enhance methane production.

The sulfate-reducing bioprocess is a promising technology for the treatment of heavy metal-containing wastewater. This work was conducted to investigate the possibility of promoting heavy metal removal by the addition of citrate to mask Ni2+ toxicity to sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in batch reactors. SRB growth was completely inhibited in Ni2+-containing medium (1 mM) when lactate served as the sole carbon resource, leading to no sulfate reduction and Ni2+ removal. However, after the addition of citrate, SRB grew well, and sulfate was quickly reduced to sulfide. Simultaneously, the Ni-citrate complex was biodegraded to Ni2+ and acetate. The NiS precipitate was then formed, and Ni2+ was completely removed from the solution. It was suggested that the addition of citrate greatly alleviates Ni2+ toxicity to SRB and improves the removal of Ni2+, which was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR targeting dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsrAB) genes. Analysis of the carbon metabolism indicated that lactate instead of acetate served as the electron donor for sulfate reduction. This study offers a potential approach to increase the removal of heavy metals from wastewater in the single stage SRB-based bioprocess.

Myostatin is a transforming growth factor-β family member that normally acts to limit skeletal muscle growth. Myostatin gene (MSTN) knockout (KO) mice show possible effects for the prevention or treatment of metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. We applied chromatography and mass spectrometry based metabonomics to assess system-wide metabolic response of heterozygous MSTN KO (MSTN+/-) swine. Most of the metabolic data for MSTN+/- swine were similar to the data for wild type (WT) control swine. There were, however, metabolic changes related to fatty acid metabolism, glucose utilization, lipid metabolism, as well as BCAA catabolism caused by monoallelic MSTN depletion.The statistical analyses suggested that: (1) most metabolic changes were not significant in MSTN+/- swine compared to WT swine; (2) only a few metabolic properties were significantly different between KO and WT swine, especially for lipid metabolism. Significantly, these minor changes were most evident in female KO swine and suggested differences in gender sensitivity to myostatin.