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The C-reactive protein/albumin (CRP/Alb) ratio has been recently identified as a prognostic factor in various cancers, whereas its role remains unclear in metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The current study retrospectively analyzed 148 patients with metastatic NPC who underwent cisplatin-based chemotherapy and further evaluated the prognostic value of the CRP/Alb ratio and its association with clinical characteristics in these patients. The optimal cut-off value was 0.189 for the CRP/Alb ratio. The high CRP/Alb ratio was significantly associated with elevated NLR, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and EBV-DNA levels and decreased haemoglobin level (all p<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that the CRP/Alb ratio was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival. Patients with a high CRP/Alb ratio (≥0.189) had a 1.867 times (p=0.024, 95% CI=1.085–3.210) greater risk of mortality compared with those with a low CRP/Alb ratio (<0.189). In addition, combining the CRP/Alb ratio with GPS could accurately discriminate the prognosis of our patients. Our results suggested that the CRP/Alb ratio is a feasible and inexpensive tool for predicting survival outcomes and is a valuable coadjutant for the GPS to further identify differences in survivals of patients with metastatic NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mastitis in dairy cows affects milk quality and thereby constrains the development of the dairy industry. A clear understanding of the pathogenesis of mastitis can help its treatment. Mastitis is caused by the invasion of pathogenic bacteria into the mammary gland through the mammary ducts. However, recent studies suggested that an endogenous entero-mammary pathway in dairy cattle might also be playing an important role in regulating mastitis. Also, probiotic intervention regulating host gut microbes has become an interesting tool to control mastitis. This review discusses the association of gastrointestinal microbes with mastitis and the mechanism of action of probiotics in dairy cows to provide new ideas for the management of mastitis in large-scale dairy farms. • Mastitis in dairy cows affects milk quality and thereby constrains the development of the dairy industry. A clear understanding of the pathogenesis of mastitis can help its treatment. • GI microorganisms regulate the occurrence of mastitis in dairy cows. • Probiotics can be involved in mastitis control in dairy cows by rebalancing the gastrointestinal microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited access to the hydrophobic organic compounds by microorganisms impedes the improvement of performance of bioreactor processing contaminant degradation. Here, we assembled activated carbon in the anode chamber of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) to serve as a reservoir for toluene molecular and exoelectrogens. The adsorption of toluene by activated carbon facilitated the substrate accessible by exoelectrogens and was beneficial for toluene biodegradation. Rapid degradation of toluene was achieved by MFC assembled with active carbon anode (AC-MFC) in 36 h, which was shorter than that (∼60 h) for MFC with carbon felt anode (CF-MFC). In addition, significant decrease of gaseous toluene released from anolyte into headspace as the introduction of activated carbon. The model EABs Geobacter anodicances was enriched on activated carbon, which brought out the elevated performance of AC-MFC for toluene degradation and power generation. Polarized curves revealed that the maximum power density of AC-MFC was 3328 mW/m3, which was 2.6 times higher than that of CF-MFC (1267 mW/m3). Analysis of anolyte revealed that benzoic acid, dihydroxybenzoic acid and β-carboxy-cis-cis-muconate were the main intermediate products during toluene degradation. This work provides an effective strategy for improving biodegradation efficiency of hydrophobic organic compounds accompany with power generation. [Display omitted] • Toluene accessibility for exoelectrogens was improved in anode of MFC. • A significant amount of Geobacter anodireducens was enriched on activated carbon. • The adsorption of toluene impeded the escape of toluene from anolyte. • A high ability to electron delivery was obtained for the bioanode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Advancements of researches on Mn-based oxide catalysts were summarized. • Deactivated mechanisms of catalysts during catalytic oxidation of VOCs were reviewed. • The review proposes future challenge and opportunity for designing superior catalysts. Manganese-based (Mn-based) oxide have been attracted much attention by researchers whose aim on the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) controlling. Although the low cost, environment friendly and easy fabrication, the inferior catalytic activity of Mn-based oxide makes them unsuitable for practical application yet. In addition, the easy deactivation of Mn-based oxide catalysts to various conditions has been awarded in recent years. Summarizing the advancements of Mn-based oxide and different mechanisms of their deactivation are crucial for designing catalysts with superior catalytic active and stability for VOCs combustion. In this review, we summarize the developments of Mn-based oxide with elevated activity for catalytic oxidation of VOCs via morphology designing and vacancy engineering. Moreover, deactivation mechanisms with the presence of chloride-VOC, water vapor, NOx and SO 2 are reviewed. Existing challenges and opportunities are proposed for future research toward to the industrial application of Mn-based oxide for VOCs combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zuotais regarded as the king of Tibetan medicine. However, the major starting material ofZuotais mercury, which is one very toxic heavy metal. This has aroused serious doubts on the biosafety ofZuotacontaining drugs. In this study, we quantified the Hg contents in fourZuotasamples, monitored the release of Hg in simulated gastric/intestinal juice and evaluated their cytotoxicity to Caco-2 cells. Our results showed that the Hg contents inZuotasamples were in the range of 566–676 mg/g. Fortunately, the release of Hg fromZuotasamples was very low in simulated gastric juice, and much lower in simulated intestinal juice. Direct contact ofZuotawith Caco-2 cells led to dose-dependent cytotoxicity, including activity loss and membrane leakage. The toxicity was closely related to apoptosis, because the caspase 3/7 levels of Caco-2 cells increased after the exposure toZuota. Interestingly,Zuotasamples inhibited the oxidative stress at low concentrations, but the toxicity could be relived by antioxidants. The possible toxicity should be attributed to the cellular uptake ofZuotaparticulates. Beyond the cytotoxicity, significant differences amongZuotasamples from different institutions were observed, suggesting that the preparation process ofZuotahad meaningful influence of its biosafety. The implications to the safety and clinical applications ofZuotaare discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As a perennial forage crop broadly distributed in eastern Eurasia, sheepgrass ( Leymus chinensis ( Trin.) Tzvel) is highly tolerant to low-temperature stress. Previous report indicates that sheepgrass is able to endure as low as −47.5 °C,allowing it to survive through the cold winter season. However, due to the lack of sufficient studies, the underlying mechanism towards the extraordinary low-temperature tolerance is unclear. Although the transcription profiling has provided insight into the transcriptome response to cold stress, more detailed studies are required to dissect the molecular mechanism regarding the excellent abiotic stress tolerance. In this work, we report a novel transcript factor Lc FIN1 ( L. chinensis freezing-induced 1) from sheepgrass. Lc FIN1 showed no homology with other known genes and was rapidly and highly induced by cold stress, suggesting that Lc FIN1 participates in the early response to cold stress. Consistently, ectopic expression of Lc FIN1 significantly increased cold stress tolerance in the transgenic plants, as indicated by the higher survival rate, fresh weight and other stress-related indexes after a freezing treatment. Transcriptome analysis showed that numerous stress-related genes were differentially expressed in Lc FIN1-overexpressing plants, suggesting that Lc FIN1 may enhance plant abiotic stress tolerance by transcriptional regulation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and CHIP- qPCR showed that Lc CBF1 can bind to the CRT/ DRE cis-element located in the promoter region of Lc FIN1, suggesting that Lc FIN1 is directly regulated by Lc CBF1. Taken together, our results suggest that Lc FIN1 positively regulates plant adaptation response to cold stress and is a promising candidate gene to improve crop cold tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For patients with meningioma, surgical procedures are different because of the status of sinus invasion. However, there is still no suitable technique to identify the status of sinus invasion in patients with meningiomas. We aimed to build a deep learning radiomics model to identify sinus invasion before surgery.Methods: A total of 1048 patients with meningiomas were retrospectively enrolled from two hospitals. T1 enhanced-weighted (T1c) and T2-weighted MRI data for each patient were collected. Tumors and their corresponding peritumors were analyzed. Four ResNet50 models were built with different types of regions of interest (ROIs) (tumor and peritumor) and different modal images (T1c and T2) to predict the status of sinus invasion. Several data enhancement methods were applied before ResNet50 model building. The final model was generated by combining four ResNet50 models.Results: The models with a combination of tumors and peritumors using multimodal images achieved the highest predictive performance (AUC = 0.884, ACC = 78.1%) in the independent test cohort. The Delong test proved that the model built with combination ROIs achieved significantly higher performance than the model built only with tumors. The net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement tests both proved that including peritumor ROIs in the tumor ROIs could significantly improve the prediction ability.Conclusion: In the current study, the deep learning model showed potential for identifying sinus invasion before surgery in patients with meningioma. Including peritumors could significantly improve predictive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full-scale test programme for reinforced single-coped beams with slender web (RSCBSW) connections is reported in this paper. The test matrix included reinforcement types and coping details. The adequacy of the two reinforcement strategies was confirmed by the test results, and it was found that all specimens failed by buckling of the plate girder section away from the coped region. The test results also showed that for the reinforcement strategy with double full-depth transverse stiffeners, the decrease in the strength of the specimen in the post-ultimate stage was comparatively less significant compared with the specimens strengthened by a single full-depth transverse stiffener, and this phenomenon was more apparent in the case of a deep cope. Subsequently, finite element (FE) models of test specimens were developed to replicate the behaviour of the RSCBSW connections, based on which a parametric study covering a wider range of factors was conducted. The numerical results further confirmed the effectiveness of the reinforcement strategy, and no models experienced local web buckling in the vicinity of the cope. The available design equations to quantify the buckling resistance of the plate girders were applied to the test specimens and the numerical database. It was found that for cases with double full-depth transverse stiffeners, the design predictions were generally conservative. In contrast, unsafe predictions were obtained for several cases with a deep cope which was enhanced by a single full-depth transverse stiffener. [Display omitted] • Reinforcement strategies for enhancing single-coped beam with slender web connections were experimentally examined. • A parametric study covering a wider range of factors was conducted. • The effect of the longitudinal stiffener was confirmed. • The design equations for quantifying the resistance of the specimens were revisited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] To research on the changes of total polysaccharides content and plant morphology in the 1- to 5-year-old stems of Panax quinquefolius L., which were harvested from May to September in Canada. [Methods] Plant morphological characteristics (length, diameter, dry weight and fresh weight) of the stems of P. quinquefolius with different growth years in different collection months were detected; and the dry rate was calculated. Total polysaccharides content in the stems of P. quinquefolius was detected by UV spectrophotometry; and DPS2000 was used for data analysis. [Results] Plant morphological characteristics of the stems of P. quinquefolius showed a increasing trend as the growth years and harvest period prolonged, dry rates of P. quinquefolius stems with different growth years had significant differences (P-0.013 1 <0.05), which were in the order of one-year-old stems (0.348) > two-year-old stems(0.296) > five-year-old stems(0.202) > four -year-old stems(0. 174) > three-year-old stems(0.164). dry rates of P. quinquefolius stems in different harvest periods showed extremely significant differences (P -0.005 8 <0.01), which were in the order of July > May > June > August > September. Total polysaccharides contents of P. quinquefolius stems had extremely significant changes in different growth years (P - 0. 000 0 < 0.01), which were in the order of two-year-old stems (30.818 mg/g) > one-year-old stems(28.172 mg/g) > three-year-old stems(26.642 mg/g) > four-year-old stems (24.89 mg/g) > five-year-old stems(19.492 mg/g). Total polysaccharides contents of P. quinquefolius stems also had extremely significant changes in different harvest periods (P - 0. 000 0 < 0. 01), which were in the order of June > July > August > May > September. Content of total polysaccharides had little correlation with the dry rate. Therefore, the content of total polysaccharides could not be judged by the dry rate of the stems of P. quinquefolius. [Conclusions] The stem yield and polysaccharides content of P. quinquefolius were both at a relatively high level. Therefore, it was suggested that the stems of P. quinquefolius could be used as the extraction raw materials of total polysaccharides, considering from the angle of comprehensive utilization of P. quinquefolius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified Othmer still was usedto measure the vapor–liquidequilibrium data for the ternary system chloroform + methanol + 1,3-dimethylimidazoliumdimethylphosphate ([MMIM]+[DMP]−) at101.3 kPa. The measured data were correlated with the NRTL model proposedby Renon and Prausnitz (1968), with the mean absolute deviations betweencalculated and measured gas-mole fractions of chloroform equalingto 0.004. The results showed that [MMIM]+[DMP]−brought about an obvious salting-out effect, and the NRTL modelpredicted that the azeotropy would be eliminated with the mole fractionof [MMIM]+[DMP]−up to 0.028 at 101.3kPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of biosensors is critical to reducing potential risks associated with contamination accidents. However, the application of microbial electrochemical sensors for water biotoxicity monitoring is hampered by the lack of an indicator with high response magnitudes. In this study, microbial electrochemical sensors were fabricated with interdigitated electrode arrays (IDAs), and indicators from various electrochemical analyses were comprehensively investigated. Only the peak of cyclic voltammetry (CV) was highly linearly correlated with the commonly used current indicator during the enrichment of the electroactive biofilm. The resistance fitted from the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data provided a comparable and even higher inhibition ratio (IR) than the current during toxicity assessments. The differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) did not exhibit a higher sensitivity than the CV peak. However, no clear response was observed in the real-time impedance analysis for use in water biotoxicity monitoring. Most of the microbes were in the propidium iodide (PI)-permeable state after the toxicity assessments, although the current was fully recovered. This study demonstrates the potential to use EIS data as indicators of water biotoxicity using microbial electrochemical sensors. [Display omitted] • Sensors were constructed with interdigitated electrode arrays. • Only cyclic voltammetry peak was linearly correlated with the current. • Only electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was comparable to current. • No clear response to formaldehyde injection during real-time impedance analysis. • Most microbes were propidium iodide-permeable with a fully recovered current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chidamide + ChT brought PFS benefit to R/R PTCL patients with good tolerability. • Chidamide-contained regimens prolonged PFS of patients with high second-line IPI. • Young patients may benefit more from the combination of chemotherapy and chidamide. • Chemotherapy combined with chidamide brought PFS benefit to CD30-negative patients. Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is characterized by an aggressive clinical behavior. Chidamide has been approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) PTCL in China. We compared the efficacy of chidamide-contained regimens with chemotherapy (ChT) in R/R PTCL. Based on the second-line treatments, patients were divided into three groups, including ChT, ChT combined with chidamide (chidamide + ChT) and chidamide combined with or without other targeted agents (targeted therapy) group. Chidamide + ChT group had a better progression-free survival (PFS) compared with targeted therapy group (p = 0.013), and showed a trend towards superior PFS compared with ChT group (p = 0.079). Among patients with high second-line International Prognostic Index (IPI) (3-5), chidamide+ChT group had a longer PFS than ChT group(p = 0.018), and PFS in targeted therapy group was not inferior to that in chidamide+ChT group (p = 0.200). Among patients younger than 60 years, chidamide+ChT group demonstrated a PFS benefit over targeted therapy group (p = 0.010). Among CD30-negative patients, PFS was superior in the chidamide+ChT group compared with ChT group (p < 0.001). Conversely, results observed above were absent in patients with low second-line IPI or patients older than 60 years or CD30-positive patients. Overall, the combination of chidamide and ChT may be an effective treatment strategy for R/R PTCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the effect of hot roller (HR) drying and hot air (HA) drying on the sensory evaluation, chemical quality, antioxidant activity, and metabolic profile of Yihong Congou black tea processed from E'cha NO1. The Yihong Congou black tea dried with HA obtained higher sensory scores and better chemical qualities such as the hue of tea brew color (a and b), content of theaflavins, thearubigins, water extract, free amino acids, tea polyphenol, and the ratio of polyphenol to amino acids as well as higher antioxidant capacities compared to that dried with HR. The HA drying tea increased the contents of volatile compounds that had positive correlation with sweet and flowery flavor, while the HR drying tea increased the contents of volatile compounds related to fruity flavor. Moreover, non-targeted metabolomics data indicated that the levels of most free amino acids significantly increased, while the levels of most soluble sugars reduced in the HA drying method compared to the HR drying method. The metabolic analysis was also consistent with the above results and revealed that D-ribose and gallic acid were the main characteristic metabolites of HA drying. Our results could provide a technical reference and theoretical guide to processing a high quality of Yihong Congou black tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vapor–liquidequilibria for the binary system ethyl acetate+ acetonitrile and for the ternary system ethyl acetate + acetonitrile+ 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM]+[PF6]−) at 101.3 kPa have been obtainedwith a modified Othmer still. The experimental vapor–liquidequilibrium data were correlated using the NRTL model proposed byRenon and Prausnitz, and the parameters were obtained. The resultsshowed that [BMIM]+[PF6]−produceda consistent salting-out effect of ethyl acetate over the whole rangeof the liquid concentrations, which increased the relative volatilityof ethyl acetate to acetonitrile and even eliminated the azeotropicphenomenon when the mole fraction of [BMIM]+[PF6]−was up to 0.05. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demographic events such as migration, and evolutionary events like mutation and recombination, have contributed to the genetic variations that are found in the human genome. During the evolution and differentiation of human populations, different functional genes and pathways (a group of genes that act together to perform specific biological tasks) would have displayed different degrees of genetic diversity or evolutionary conservatism. To query the genetic differences of functional genes or pathways in populations, we have developed the human gene population genetic difference (HGPGD) database. Currently, 11 common population genetic features, 18,158 single human genes, 220 KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) human pathways and 4,639 Gene Ontology (GO) categories (3,269 in biological process; 862 in molecular function; and 508 in cellular component) are available in the HGPGD database. The 11 population genetic features are related mainly to three aspects: allele frequency, linkage disequilibrium pattern, and transferability of tagSNPs. By entering a list of Gene IDs, KEGG pathway IDs or GO category IDs and selecting a population genetic feature, users can search the genetic differences between pairwise HapMap populations. We hope that, when the researchers carry out gene-based, KEGG pathway-based or GO category-based research, they can take full account of the genetic differences between populations. The HGPGD database (V1.0) is available at http://www.bioapp.org/hgpgd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PLA2G7 gene product is a secreted enzyme whose activity is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). The goal of our study is to investigate the contribution of PLA2G7 promoter DNA methylation to the risk of CHD. Using the bisulphite pyrosequencing technology, PLA2G7 methylation was measured among 36 CHD cases and 36 well-matched controls. Our results indicated that there was a significant association between PLA2G7 methylation and CHD (adjusted P = 0.025). Significant gender-specific correlation was observed between age and PLA2G7 methylation (males: adjusted r = −0.365, adjusted P = 0.037; females: adjusted r = 0.373, adjusted P = 0.035). A breakdown analysis by gender showed that PLA2G7 methylation was significantly associated with CHD in females (adjusted P = 0.003) but not in males. A further two-way ANOVA analysis showed there was a significant interaction between gender and status of CHD for PLA2G7 methylation (gender*CHD: P = 6.04E−7). Moreover, PLA2G7 methylation is associated with the levels of total cholesterols (TC, r = 0.462, P = 0.009), triglyceride (TG, r = 0.414, P = 0.02) and Apolipoprotein B (ApoB, r = 0.396, P = 0.028) in females but not in males (adjusted P>0.4). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that PLA2G7 methylation could predict the risk of CHD in females (area under curve (AUC) = 0.912, P = 2.40E−5). Our results suggest that PLA2G7 methylation changes with aging in a gender-specific pattern. The correlation between PLA2G7 methylation and CHD risk in females is independent of other parameters including age, smoking, diabetes and hypertension. PLA2G7 methylation might exert its effects on the risk of CHD by regulating the levels of TC, TG, and ApoB in females. The gender disparities in the PLA2G7 methylation may play a role in the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers believe that adding conductive mediums in electrochemically active biofilms (EABs) would improve the sensitivity of EAB-based biosensor for real-time water quality early-warning through facilitating the extracellular electron transfer (EET), which has been hardly evidenced mostly because naturally formed EABs employed in previous biosensor studies were recognized distinct and incapable of delivering comparable electrical signals. By preparing artificial EABs where Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was encapsulated in sodium alginate (SA), this study solved how polypyrrole (PPy) as conductive medium would affect the sensitivity of EAB-based biosensor, as well as mass transfer of toxicant during this process. Different mass ratios (0.125:1, 0.25:1 and 1:1) of PPy over SA were tested, and the sensitivity promoted by 20%, 15% and 6%, respectively. Results indicated that a small amount of PPy addition (PPy: SA = 0.125: 1 in mass ratio) was more effective to increase the biosensor's sensitivity compared to larger amount of PPy employed in EAB. This was when improved conductivity introduced by PPy would dominate in affecting the sensitivity over contrarily weakened mass transfer in the meantime. • Artificial electroactive biofilms containing polypyrrole were prepared. • Polypyrrole increases conductivity as well as decreases mass transfer. • Small amount of polypyrrole better increased biosensor's sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Few studies have examined the impact of primary tumor location on clinical outcome in patients with early-stage nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The objective of this study was to identify the association between primary tumor location and early-stage nodal DLBCL patient prognosis using a large population-based cohort and make an effort to uncover its underlying molecular mechanism using a public database. Our result shows that the prognosis of early-stage nodal DLBCL patients with tumors growing under the diaphragm is poorer. After screening DEGs and carrying out enrichment analysis, we found early-stage nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma located in different sites having different genetic characteristics. These results emphasize the importance of the primary tumor site on clinical decision-making and prognosis of patients with early-stage nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The prognostic role of primary tumor location for clinical outcomes of patients with early-stage nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains uncertain. We evaluated the relationship between primary tumor site and overall survival (OS) in 9738 early-stage nodal DLBCL patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The primary site of the tumors was characterized as supradiaphragm and subdiaphragm according to the definition of lymph node distribution in the Ann Arbor staging. The OS was significantly better for patients of the supradiaphragm group (n = 6038) compared to the ones from the subdiaphragm group (n = 3655) (hazard ratio (HR) 1.24; 95%CI: 1.16–1.33; P < 0.001), and it was preserved after propensity score matching (PSM) (HR 1.15; 95% CI: 1.07–1.24; P < 0.001). Gene enrichment analyses demonstrated that the subdiaphragm group has an upregulated extracellular matrix (ECM)-related signaling, which reportedly can promote growth, invasion, and metastasis of the cancer, and downregulated interferon response, which is considered to have anti-tumor function. Our results indicate the two tumor locations (supradiaphragm and subdiaphragm) presented different prognostic implications for the overall survival, suggesting that the tumor's location could serve as a prognostic biomarker for early-stage nodal DLBCL patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Artificial EAB shortens startup time of biosensor. • High repeatability of biosensor can be obtained by using artificial EAB. • Low concentration of electroactive bacteria improves biosensor's sensitivity. • 1% of sodium alginate was optimum for sensitivity of artificial EAB. • Artificial EAB realizes real-time online water quality early-warning. A major challenge for devising an electrochemically active biofilm (EAB)-based biosensor for real-time water quality early-warning is the formation of EAB that requires several days to weeks. Besides the onerous and time-consuming preparation process, the naturally formed EABs are intensively concerned as they can hardly deliver repeatable electrical signals even at identical experimental conditions. To address these concerns, this study employed sodium alginate as immobilization agent to encapsulate Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and prepared EAB for devising a biosensor in a short period of less than 1 h. The artificial EAB were found capable of delivering highly consistent electrical signals with each other when fed with the same samples. Morphology and bioelectrochemical properties of the artificial EAB were investigated to provide interpretations for these findings. Different concentrations of bacteria and alginate in forming the EAB were investigated for their effects on the biosensor's sensitivity. Results suggested that lower concentration of bacteria would be beneficial until it increased to 0.06 (OD 660). Concentration of sodium alginate affected the sensitivity as well and 1% was found an optimum amount to serve in the formation of EAB. A long-term operation of the biosensor with artificial EAB for 110 h was performed. Clear warning signals for incoming toxicants were observed over random signal fluctuations. All results suggested that the artificial EAB electrode would support a rapid devised and highly sensitivity biosensor. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical metamaterials with tunable thermal expansion are of increasing interest due to their capability for matching the thermal expansion of surrounding components to maintain high-level thermal-mechanical stability upon a temperature change and show their promising applications in the fields of flexible electronics, aerospace, MEMS, and precision instruments. Though numerous of studies on metamaterials with zero thermal expansion of coefficient (CTE) has been developed to access these demands, the experimentally demonstrated designs with a remarkable zero CTE value (e.g. <0.5 ppm/K) still remain a challenge. In this paper, a design concept of metamaterial capable of offering a tailorable CTE, especially the excellent thermal-mechanical stability, is systematically studied, whose underlying mechanism is the conversion of thermal-induced deflection of bilayer beams (in Al and Ti) into unusual, effective thermal expansion or shrinkage of metamaterials. Notably, the experimentally demonstrated CTE of this metamaterial is 0.42 ppm/K, which is the unprecedented zero CTE result as compared to the previously reported studies. The theoretical model for CTE and elastic modulus of this design, which is verified by FEA and experiments, provides a clear understanding of relationships between configuration parameters and effective thermal and mechanical performances. Combined theoretical predictions, FEA, and experimental studies demonstrate the capability of this metamaterial to serve as a design platform for devices or components that require excellent thermal-mechanical stability. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• S0-based CWs amended with GAC was proposed for high-rate N removal from carbon limited wastewater. • CSC-CW performed better on N removal with no NH 4 +-N and NO 2 −-N accumulation. • SND in rhizosphere and mixotrophic denitrification in sulfur layer contribute to 98 % of N removed. • GAC addition promoted Iris growth and increased N retention in plant tissues. To investigate the role of granular activated carbon (GAC) on nitrogen removal performance of elemental sulfur-based constructed wetlands (S0-based CWs), three systems were constructed according to the different configurations in the functional layer, namely S-CW (S0 added in the functional layer), CSC-CW (GAC, S0 and GAC placed in layers in the functional layer) and SC-CW (S0 and GAC mixed evenly in the functional layer). In CSC-CW and SC-CW, the volumetric ratio of S0:GAC was 9:1. Three CWs were operated under four different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) ranged from 48 h to 6 h. Over the experiment, total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removal rates of the three CWs were 3.1 – 23.6 g m−2 d−1, 3.5 – 24.1 g m−2 d−1 and 3.4 – 11.5 g m−2 d−1, respectively; CSC-CW remained high TIN removal efficiency (from 74.7 ± 20.2 % to 93.4 ± 1.9 %) while SC-CW had significant lower values when HRT = 6 h (29.8 ± 30.1 %). Mass balance and high-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that mixotrophic denitrification at the sulfur layer and simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) at the rhizosphere played the major role in N removal from CSC-CW (> 95 %). GAC addition facilitated the growth of Iris pseudacorus with the final fresh weight increased from 33.9 g FW ind−1 to 82.3 g FW ind−1 in CSC-CW and 82.7 g FW ind−1 in SC-CW. This study optimizes the practical application of S0-based CWs amended with GAC for N removal from carbon-limited wastewater. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: ZnO/reduced graphene oxide composites were fabricated by coassembly between honeycomb-like ZnO particles and reduced graphene oxide sheets via electrostatic interaction, in which the ZnO particles acted as spacers to keep the neighboring graphene sheets separate. The composite was characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, and was used for investigation of electrochemical capacitive behaviors. The hybrid material showed enhanced capacitive performance (231.3F/g at 0.1A/g), and remained 86% of the initial capacity after 300 cycle, which predicted its potential application in energy storage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel 3D prickly ball-like Co–La oxides/reduced graphene oxide composite (Co–La oxides/rGO) has been successfully synthesized by a facile thermal evaporation method. Co–La oxides were hierarchical spiny globular structure made up of numerous radially-grown nanowires with the size of about 50 nm in width. Some of the nanowires grow vertically on the surface of rGO nanosheets. GO was thermally reduced to rGO. XPS data showed that the Co3+, Co2+ and La3+ existed in the prepared samples. The possible growth mechanism was tentatively proposed. The application of the 3D prickly ball-like Co–La oxides/rGO as electrode-modified material for electrochemical oxidation of l -cysteine was studied. The prepared prickly ball-like Co–La oxides/rGO modified electrode expressed prominent electrocatalytic ability for the electrochemical oxidation of l -cysteine. Under optimum experimental conditions, the current response of l -cysteine were linear with its concentration in the range of 1.0–888.0 μM with a low detection limit of 0.1 μM (S/N = 3). The sensor was used to evaluate its application for the detection of l -cysteine in the real samples. • A prickly ball-like Co-La oxides/reduced graphene oxide were synthesized. • The composites exhibited excellently electrocatalytic activity toward L-cysteine. • The synthesis and electrocatalytic mechanism were clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although nanoporous shape-stabilized composite phase change materials (PCMs) could efficiently address the leakage issue of pure PCMs during the solid-liquid phase transition process, numerous experiments have verified that the thermophysical parameters of the nanoporous shape-stabilized composite PCMs are significantly different from those of macroscopic bulk PCMs due to the nanoconfinement effects. However, macroscopic experimental data cannot directly reflect the microscopic interaction mechanisms in composite PCMs. Herein, to systematically understand the molecular motion mechanisms of PCMs with different functional groups (octadecane, octadecylamine, octadecanol and stearic acid) confined in the mesoporous MCM-41, we utilize molecular dynamics to simulate the spatial distribution and motion states of surface adsorbed PCMs molecules. This study aims to systematically reveal the interaction mechanisms between mesoporous MCM-41 and surface adsorbed PCMs at the molecular and atomic levels, thus providing constructive theoretical guidance and reference data for the targeted design and preparation of high-performance MCM-41-based composite PCMs. Image 1 • Molecular dynamics method is utilized to study thermal motion states of PCMs in mesoporous MCM-41. • The interaction mechanisms between MCM-41 and PCMs are systematically revealed at the molecular level. • It provides constructive guidance for the preparation of MCM-41-based composite PCMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur autotrophic denitrification utilizes elemental sulfur as the electron donor for nitrate removal from aquatic environments. Organic carbon could stimulate the conversion of sulfur and facilitates the S0-based denitrification process in the mix-trophic. In this study, the co-cultured system of sulfur reducer (Geobacter sulfurreducens) and Thiobacillus denitrificans was used to investigate that how organic carbon could boost the S0-based denitrification. The results showed that the rate of S0-based denitrification was improved with C/N ratio of 0.13 and this improvement continued even after the acetate was exhausted. Sulfur probe test and Raman analysis suggested that reduced sulfur species (S x 2−) were formed with the addition of organic carbon. The S x 2− could recombine with element sulfur and the bioavailability of S0 would be improved, as a result, the rate of S0-based denitrification increased as well. Nitrate reduction rate could further increase with the C/N ratio of 0.88, but it would decrease significantly when the C/N ratio increased to 1.50 as the high concentration of generated S2−. Our results provided explanations that why organic carbon addition would improve the bioavailability of S0 which could further promote the S0-dominant denitrification process. Unlabelled Image • Organic carbon can boost the S0-based denitrification of co-culture system. • Geobacter sulfurreducens could convert S0 to reduced sulfur species (S x 2−). • Sulfur bioavailability could be improved by the sulfur conversion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the application of sulfur-based constructed wetlands (CWs) for effective nitrogen (N) removal from wastewater. Two solid sulfur sources namely elemental sulfur (S0) and pyrite (FeS 2) were used as substrates in two CWs, i.e. S-CW and P-CW, respectively. The CWs were vegetated with a common wetland plant Iris pseudacorus , and were operated to investigate the effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and temperature on N removal. The use of S0 resulted in the highest denitrification rate (19.0 ± 7.5 g m−2 d−1), whereas up to 20 times slower total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removal was observed with FeS 2. Different sulfur sources had negligible effects on the growth of I. pseudacorus , but the element contents (e.g., N, S, and P) within the plant tissues were different. Iris roots in S-CW had higher S content compared with those in P-CW, which resulted in the difference in shoots colors. The characteristics of rhizospheric microbial communities were closely related to the sulfur and nitrogen sources. Briefly, denitrifying and sulfur-oxidizing genera (e.g., Denitratisoma , Sulfurimonas , Thiobacillus) were dominating in the S-CW, suggesting the occurrence of both autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification processes in the wetland. On the other hand, nitrifying bacteria were more abundant (e.g. Nitrospira , Piscinibacter) in the P-CW. S0 layer and rhizosphere accounted for 99.3% of nitrogen removal and the former part most likely played important roles with a decrease in HRT. Low temperature strongly affected the rate and efficiency of denitrification but recovered to 49.2 ± 25.8% when added with 30 mg L−1 sodium acetate. This study broadens the applications of sulfur-based CWs and provides a promising management strategy for denitrification at low temperatures. Unlabelled Image • N removal was better in S-CW (3.4–19.0 g m−2 d−1) than P-CW (0–1.0 g m−2 d−1). • S0/FeS 2 affected element distributions in Iris pseudacorus and shaped rhizospheric microbes accordingly. • Short HRT (6–12 h) is recommended for S-CW operation in case of NH 4 +-N accumulation. • S0 layer and rhizosphere accounted for 99.3% of N removal in S-CW. • NaAC addition recovered N removal of S-CW which was restricted by low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel 3D straw-bundle-like Mn-La oxides/reduced graphene oxide composite (Mn-La oxides/rGO) has been successfully synthesized by a facile thermal evaporation method. The products were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical method. The possible growth mechanism was tentatively proposed. The application of the 3D straw-bundle-like Mn-La oxides/rGO as electrode-modified material for electrochemical oxidation of L-cysteine was studied. The prepared Mn-La oxides/rGO modified electrode expressed prominent electrocatalytic ability for the electrochemical oxidation of L-cysteine. Under optimum experimental conditions, the current response of L-cysteine were linear with its concentration in the range of 0.5–832.5 μM with a low detection limit of 0.1 μM (S/N = 3). The proposed sensor was used to evaluate its application for the detection of L-cysteine in the real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Highly flexible CNTs based monolithic support was constructed via a directional freezing method. • Monolithic CNTs based composite PCM exhibits superior mechanical and thermal properties. • Flexible mechanism of monolithic CNTs based composite PCM is proposed. • This design strategy provides a new direction for future wearable fitting-skin temperature-controlled materials. Currently, most reported composite phase change materials (PCMs) are powdery shape, which require secondary processing for practical applications. Although some monolithic composite PCMs have been developed, their flexibility usually undergoes a remarkable reduction or even complete disappearance when supporting material s are infiltrated with PCMs. To solve this problem, we fabricated a flexible supporting material with a folded layer-bridge network structure by dispersing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in acetic acid solution of chitosan (CS) with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) using a directional freezing method. Then CS/PVA/CNTs (CPC) scaffold was infiltrated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to prepare PEG@CPC composite PCM. The resulting flexible composite PCM displays excellent mechanical properties, such as high tensile strength of 2.42 MPa and bending resistance of >100 cycles. Moreover, it displays outstanding thermal properties, such as high crystallinity of close to 100% and encapsulation ratio of 92.6 wt%. This work provides a simple method for preparation of flexible monolithic composite PCMs for many potential applications, such as wearable fitting-skin temperature-controlled materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent study suggests that auranofin (AF), a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, has selective anticancer activity in various experimental models. Its clinical applications in cancer treatment, however, have been hampered due in part to its relatively moderate activity as a single agent. In this study, we performed a high-throughput screening of the FDA-approved drug library for clinical compounds that potentiate the anticancer activity auranofin, and unexpectedly identified an anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib (CE) that potently enhanced the therapeutic activity of AF in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, AF/CE combination induced severe oxidative stress that caused ROS-mediated inhibition of hexokinase (HK) and a disturbance of mitochondrial redox homeostasis, resulting in a significant decrease of ATP generation. The CE-induced ROS increase together with AF-medicated inhibition of thioredoxin reductase cause a shift of Trx2 to an oxidized state, leading to degradation of MTCO2 and dysfunction of the electron transport chain. Our study has identified a novel drug combination that effectively eliminates cancer cells in vivo. Since AF and CE are FDA-approved drugs that are currently used in the clinic, it is feasible to translate the findings of this study into clinical applications for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]