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Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the combination of abnormal systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) levels and hyperglycemia increased the risk of cognitive function decline and reduced survival rate in the United States. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database from 2011–2014 and enrolled 1,447 participants aged 60 years or older. Restricted cubic splines (RCS), linear regression and kaplan-meier(KM) curve were employed to explore the combined effects of abnormal SII and hyperglycemia on cognitive function and survival rate, and subgroup analysis was also conducted. Results: The RCS analysis revealed an inverted U-shaped relationship between lgSII levels and cognitive function. Linear regression analysis indicated that neither abnormal SII nor diabetes alone significantly contributed to the decline in cognitive function compared to participants with normal SII levels and blood glucose. However, when abnormal SII coexisted with diabetes (but not prediabetes), it resulted to a significant decline in cognitive function. After adjusting for various confounding factors, these results remained significant in Delayed Word Recall (β:-0.76, P<0.05) and Digit Symbol Substitution tests (β:-5.02, P<0.05). Nevertheless, these results showed marginal significance in Total Word Recall test as well as Animal Fluency test. Among all subgroup analyses performed, participants with both abnormal SII levels and diabetes exhibited the greatest decline in cognitive function compared to those with only diabetes. Furthermore, KM curve demonstrated that the combination of abnormal SII levels and diabetes decreased survival rate among participants. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the impact of diabetes on cognitive function/survival rate is correlated with SII levels, indicating that their combination enhances predictive power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and interstitial cystitis (IC) are two highly debilitating conditions that often coexist with reciprocal effect, significantly exacerbating patients' suffering. However, the molecular underpinnings linking these disorders remain poorly understood. Transcriptomic data from GEO datasets including those of MDD and IC patients was systematically analyzed to develop and validate our model. Following removal of batch effect, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between respective disease and control groups were identified. Shared DEGs of the conditions then underwent functional enrichment analyses. Additionally, immune infiltration analysis was quantified through ssGSEA. A diagnostic model for MDD was constructed by exploring 113 combinations of 12 machine learning algorithms with 10-fold cross-validation on the training sets following by external validation on test sets. Finally, the "Enrichr" platform was utilized to identify potential drugs for MDD. Totally, 21 key genes closely associated with both MDD and IC were identified, predominantly involved in immune processes based on enrichment analyses. Immune infiltration analysis revealed distinct profiles of immune cell infiltration in MDD and IC compared to healthy controls. From these genes, a robust 11-gene (ABCD2, ATP8B4, TNNT1, AKR1C3, SLC26A8, S100A12, PTX3, FAM3B, ITGA2B, OLFM4, BCL7A) diagnostic signature was constructed, which exhibited superior performance over existing MDD diagnostic models both in training and testing cohorts. Additionally, epigallocatechin gallate and 10 other drugs emerged as potential targets for MDD. Our work developed a diagnostic model for MDD employing a combination of bioinformatic techniques and machine learning methods, focusing on shared genes between MDD and IC. • Integrated bioinformatics analysis identified 21 common differentially expressed genes in interstitial cystitis (IC) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Functional enrichment showed associations with immune and inflammatory pathways. • Immune profiling using ssGSEA revealed differences in immune cell compositions between IC/MDD patients and controls, indicating dysregulation of inflammatory responses. • We developed a diagnostic model for predicting IC-related MDD risk using 11 key genes identified through machine learning algorithms. The model demonstrated excellent predictive performance in independent validation cohorts. • Comparison with other published biomarkers and clinical variables demonstrated the superior diagnostic capability of our 11-potential blood biomarker model. This highlights its potential clinical utility for early MDD screening. • In-silico analysis found epigallocatechin gallate in green tea as a potential agent for IC-MDD pathway, offering new therapeutic possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The primary health care (PHC) system plays an important role in China's health care system, but there are challenges such as irrational allocation of health resources and inefficient operation, which need to be improved. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of resource allocation on the efficiency of the PHC system in China. Methods: The data in 31 provinces were collected from the China Statistical Yearbook 2017–2021 and the China Health Statistical Yearbook 2017–2021. The comprehensive health resource density index (CHRDI) was constructed based on the entropy method and the health resource density index (HRDI), which was used to analyze the allocation of primary health resources in each province. The adjusted efficiency of the PHC system in each province was calculated by the bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA). Finally, the spatial Dubin model was used to explore the effect of the CHRDI on efficiency. Results: From 2016 to 2020, the allocation of primary health resources in 31 provinces showed an increasing trend, and the average efficiency after correction showed a decreasing state year by year. The spatial direct effect and spatial spillover effect coefficients of CHRDI were 0.820 and 1.471, which positively affect the efficiency. Per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP), urbanization rate, and the proportion of the elderly were the factors affecting the efficiency of the PHC system. Conclusions: The allocation of primary health resources in all provinces in China has improved each year, but there are still great differences, and efficiency must be further improved. Pay attention to the spatial spillover effect of the level of resource allocation and formulate differentiated measures for different regions. Attention should also be paid to the impact of population aging and economic development on the utilization of primary health resources by increasing health needs and choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary infection of Toxoplasma gondii can cause serious abnormal pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage and stillbirth. Inhibitory molecule B7-H4 is abundantly expressed in dendritic cells (DCs) and plays an important role in maintaining immune tolerance. However, the role of B7-H4 in decidual DCs (dDCs) in T. gondii-induced abnormal pregnancy outcomes is not clear. Methods: We established T. gondii-infected abnormal pregnancy model in wild-type (WT) and B7-H4 knockout (B7-H4−/−) pregnant mice in vivo and cultured primary human dDCs in vitro. The abnormal pregnancy outcomes were observed and the expression of B7-H4, functional molecules (CD80, CD86, and MHC-II or HLA-DR), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), cytokines (IL-10 and IL-12), and signaling molecules JAK2/STAT3 in dDCs was detected by flow cytometry and Western blot. Results: Our results showed that T. gondii infection significantly decreased B7-H4 expression in dDCs. In addition, B7-H4−/− infected pregnant mice showed much more severe abnormal pregnancy outcomes than their counterparts. Importantly, B7-H4−/− infection further regulated the expression of molecules (CD80, CD86, and MHC-II or HLA-DR), enzyme IDO, and cytokines (IL-10 and IL-12) in dDCs. We further discovered that B7-H4−/− infection impairs the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, contributing to dDC dysfunction. Conclusions: Taken together, the results show that reduction of B7-H4 by T. gondii infection significantly modulates the decrease in cytokine IL-10 and enzyme IDO and the increase in cytokine IL-12, contributing to dDC dysfunction. Moreover, the JAK2/STAT3 pathway is involved in the regulation of B7-H4 by T. gondii infection and in the subsequent IDO and cytokine production, which ultimately contributes to abnormal pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High-pressure pyrolysis behaviors of three C5 cyclic hydrocarbons were investigated. • A universal kinetic model for three C5 cyclic fuels was proposed and validated. • Differences among three fuels specific decomposition pathways were evaluated. • Effects of unsaturation on intrinsic reactivity and PAH formation were revealed. To further explore the decomposition behaviors of C5 cyclic hydrocarbons, important components in the transportation fuels and pivotal intermediates in high-density liquid fuels, the pyrolysis of cyclopentane, cyclopentene and cyclopentadiene with different unsaturation degrees were investigated. The experiments of cyclopentane and cyclopentene were performed at 1.0, 30.0 atm and 773–1173 K in a flow tube reactor. The mole fraction profiles of pyrolysis species, involving C1-C5 small hydrocarbons and monocyclic, bicyclic as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs, BAHs and PAHs), were provided. A universal kinetic model for three C5 cyclic fuels pyrolysis chemistry was proposed and reasonably predicted the speciation profiles newly reported in this work and literature, where rate coefficients of the crucial reactions were compared and upgraded. The differences among three fuels specific pathways were evaluated and the effects of unsaturation on the pyrolysis characteristics of intrinsic reactivity and aromatics formation were revealed. Cyclopentene has the highest pyrolysis reactivity, followed by cyclopentane and cyclopentadiene. Simultaneously formed fuel radicals and key intermediates in three C5 cyclic fuels influence the formation channels of small products, MAHs and BAHs. The saturated cyclopentane is easily occur the ring-opening reaction to generate more C2 and C3 species, whereas the increase in unsaturation promotes MAHs and BAHs formation in cyclopentene and cyclopentadiene pyrolysis, especially the toluene, styrene, indene and naphthalene. The rate of production analysis shows the formations of these MAHs and BAHs are strongly dependent on the concentration levels of cyclopentadienyl resonance stabilized radical (RSR). Differently, the dominated growth pathways of three- and four-ring PAHs are barely influenced by the specific fuel chemistry and indenyl plays a crucial role via the typical RSR chain reactions at high pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical property improvement of recyclable carbon fiber reinforced rigid-flexible polybenzoxazine/silica based polyhexahydrotriazine IPN. [Display omitted] • A series of recycle rigid-flexible polybenzoxaizne/silicon-based polyhexahydrotriazine interpenetrating network (IPN) carbon fiber reinforced composites were successful prepared. • The tensile strength, flexural strength and shear strength of these IPN carbon fiber reinforced composites were significantly improved, and the minimum values were 2393.98 MPa, 1204.90 MPa and 111.07 MPa, respectively, which were higher than those of reported carbon fiber reinforced composites. • These IPN matrix and carbon fibers can be easily recycled from the composites by degradation without damage. Thermosetting resin matrix composites are difficult to degrade due to their irreversible cross-linking structures, which makes carbon fiber composites difficult to recycle and imposes a huge burden on environment. Here we propose a series of recycle rigid-flexible polybenzoxaizne/silicon-based polyhexahydrotriazine interpenetrating network (IPN) resins through sequential controllable curing reaction, among them, polybenzoxazine and polyhexahydrotriazine are hard segments and soft segments, respectively, and these two crosslinked networks are interspersed with each other. The results showed char yields of these resins at 800 °C under N 2 are up to 47.6 %. These IPN resins are used as matrix to prepare carbon fiber-reinforced composites, mechanical test results show that these composites exhibit impressive increases in tensile strength, flexural strength and shearing strength, with minimums of 2393.98 MPa, 1204.90 MPa and 111.07 MPa respectively, which are higher than those of carbon fiber reinforced composites reported. Meanwhile, due to the intermolecular hydrogen bonding, the IPN composites showed maximum water drop angle reached 129.1°, which was nearly 15° higher than that of polybenzoxazine composites. Additionally, these IPN matrix and fibers can be easily recycled from the composites by degradation without damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, most common catalysts are faced with the problem of high cost and only visible light response. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) consists of elements C and N that are sufficiently abundant in the world and has visible light responses, but the electron-hole recombination rate of this photocatalyst is high. In this work, we directly prepare a series of g-C 3 N 4 -bismuth oxyhalides composites via facile in-situ deposition. Bismuth oxides with different chloro-iodine ratios (BiOCl x I 1-x) are prepared, followed by g-C 3 N 4 deposition, setting up interfaces and improving photogenic charge carriers transfer. By testing the compositions, Cl:I = 8:2 in BiOCl x I 1-x and 10% of g-C 3 N 4 doping amount enable the best photocatalytic performance of the samples. Under visible light irradiation, the degradation rate of rhodamine B (RhB) reaches 99% within 40 min. Through a variety of tests, the photogenerated hole (h+) and superoxide radical (•O 2 −) are found to play key roles in the degradation process. Cl element doping and heterojunction building improve the photocatalysis capacity of g-C 3 N 4 and broaden the visible-light response of pure BiOI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Toxoplasma gondii infection during pregnancy can result in spontaneous abortion, preterm labor, or congenital fetal defects. The decidual immune system plays a critical role in regulating the immune micro-environment and in the induction of immune tolerance. To better understand the factors that mediate the decidual immune response associated with the T. gondii infection, a large-scale study employing TMT proteomics was conducted to characterize the differential decidual immune proteomes from infected and uninfected human decidual immune cells samples. The decidual immune cells from 105 human voluntary abortion tissues were purified, and of the 5510 unique proteins identified, 181 proteins were found to be differentially abundant (>1.2-fold cutoff, p <  0.05) in the T. gondii -infected decidual immune cells. 11 proteins of 181 differentially expressed proteins associated with trophoblast invasion, placental development, intrauterine fetal growth, and immune tolerance were verified using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. This systematic analysis for the proteomics of decidual immune cells identified a broad range of immune factors in human decidual immune cells, shedding a new insight into the decidual immune molecular mechanism for abnormal pregnancy outcomes associated with T. gondii infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Lyc and Lyc∙HCl molecules were included in β-CD, HP-β-CD and SBE-β-CD. • SBE-β-CD had better encapsulation effect for Lyc and Lyc∙HCl than β-CD and HP-β-CD. • Electrostatic interaction between sulfopropyl and quaternary amino groups played a crucial role in inclusion behavior. • The inclusion complexes based on SBE-β-CD showed good blood compatibility and pH-sensitive drug release in vitro. Lycorine (Lyc) and its hydrochloride (Lyc∙HCl) as effective drugs can fight against many diseases including novel coronavirus (COVID-19) based on their antiviral and antitumor mechanism. Beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) is considered a promising carrier in improving its efficacy while minimizing cytotoxicity due to the good spatial compatibility with Lyc. However, the detailed mechanism of inclusion interaction still remains to be further evaluated. In this paper, six inclusion complexes based on β-CDs, Lyc and Lyc∙HCl were processed through ultrasound in the mixed solvent of ethanol and water, and their inclusion behavior was characterized after lyophilization. It was found that the inclusion complexes based on sulfobutyl-beta-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) and Lyc∙HCl had the best encapsulation effect among prepared inclusion complexes, which may be attributed to the electrostatic interaction between sulfonic group of SBE-β-CD and quaternary amino group of Lyc∙HCl. Moreover, the complexes based on SBE-β-CD displayed pH-sensitive drug release property, good solubilization, stability and blood compatibility, indicating their potential as suitable drug carriers for Lyc and Lyc∙HCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenoprotein K (SELENOK) is a major part of selenoprotein family. Selenoproteins have been proven playing vital roles in a variety of physiological processes. However, as a necessary supplement to the body of trace elements, how SELENOK regulates necroptosis in chicken liver has none clear claim. The purpose of this study was to cover the mechanism of SELENOK act in necroptosis of chicken liver. By feeding Se-deficiency diet for 1-day-old hyline chickens, we successfully built SELENOK-deficiency and discussed the regulation SELENOK have done. The test of liver function showed there has dysfunction appeared in the -Se groups. Results of TEM showed necroptosis occurred in the 35-Se group. After that western blot and qRT-PCR results prompted us SELENOK-deficiency caused large accumulation of ROS, enhanced endoplasmic reticulum stress, abnormally elevated HSPs family expression, and activated RIPK1-RIPK3 complex. In order to show the regulation of SELENOK in chicken liver, we artificially knocked off SELENOK gene in LMH cells. Through AO/EB staining we also found necroptosis in the siRNA-Se group. Furthermore, the results in LMH cells were coincided with those in chicken (Gallus gallus) liver. Our experiment clarified the molecular mechanism of SELENOK in the regulation and liver necroptosis, and provided reference for the healthy feeding mode of broilers. [Display omitted] • To elucidate the damage in chicken liver caused by Se-deficiency diet • SELENOK deficiency caused liver necroptosis. • SELENOK regulated the ROS/ERS/HSPs pathway to influence the hepatic dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway is an evolutionarily conserved regulator of cell death, which is essential for coordinating tissue homeostasis. In this study, we have characterized the Drosophila Ste20-like kinase Slik as a novel modulator of JNK pathway-mediated apoptotic cell death. Results: First, ectopic JNK signaling-triggered cell death is enhanced by slik depletion whereas suppressed by Slik overexpression. Second, loss of slik activates JNK signaling, which results in enhanced apoptosis and impaired tissue homeostasis. In addition, genetic epistasis analysis suggests that Slik acts upstream of or in parallel to Hep to regulate JNK-mediated apoptotic cell death. Moreover, Slik is necessary and sufficient for preventing physiologic JNK signaling-mediated cell death in development. Furthermore, introduction of STK10, the human ortholog of Slik, into Drosophila restores slik depletion-induced cell death and compromised tissue homeostasis. Lastly, knockdown of STK10 in human cancer cells also leads to JNK activation, which is cancelled by expression of Slik. Conclusions: This study has uncovered an evolutionarily conserved role of Slik/STK10 in blocking JNK signaling, which is required for cell death inhibition and tissue homeostasis maintenance in development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oily wastewater and light crude spills are great threats to the environment and human health, polymeric porous materials for oil/water separation is a very effective method to reduce environmental pollution and protect human health. Herein, we design recycle, super-hydrophobic, and mechanically flexible silicone-based polyhexahydrotriazine (Si-PHT) aerogel for efficient oil/water separation, hexanediamine-based polyhexahydrotriazine (HDA-PHT) is also designed for parallel comparison. The Si-PHT and HDA-PHT aerogels are obtained via the cross-linking reaction between diamine and formaldehyde, followed by the atmospheric drying without any additional post-processing. The as-prepared Si-PHT aerogel shows excellent hydrophobicity (water contact angle of 154.19°). Moreover, the adsorption capacity of Si-PHT aerogel for oil or organic solvent is 22.6–40.5 times of its own weight. More importantly, the Si-PHT aerogel could be compressed to 50% of its original size with outstanding high compress strain (554.3 kPa). The major raw material for synthesis of Si-PHT and HDA-PHT aerogels are readily recoverable and further recycle. This work provides a simple prepared and recyclable porous material for oil/water separation, and a rationally designed Si-PHT aerogel shows great potential for practical applications in the treatment of oily wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium deficiency can lead to multiple tissue and organ damage in the body and could coexist with chronic toxic exposures. Contamination from Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure can induce the occurrence of various injuries including pyroptosis. However, it is not clear whether selenium deficiency and BPA exposure affect tracheal tissue pyroptosis in chickens. To investigate whether selenium deficiency and BPA exposure induce chicken tracheal tissue pyroptosis via the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway and the effect of their combined exposure on tissue injury, we developed a model of relevant chicken tracheal injury. Sixty broilers were divided into four groups: the control group (C group), selenium-deficient group (SeD group), BPA-exposed group (BPA group) and combined exposure group (SeD + BPA group). The study examined the expression indicators of markers of pyroptosis (NLRP3&GSDMD), NF-κB pathway-related inflammatory factors (NF-κB, iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2), pyroptosis-related factors (ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18), and some heat shock proteins and interleukins (HSP60, HSP90, IL-6, IL-17) in the samples. The results showed that the expression of the above indicators was significantly upregulated in the different treatment groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the expression levels of the above related indicators were more significantly up-regulated in the combined selenium-deficient and BPA-exposed group compared to the group in which they were individually exposed. It was concluded that selenium deficiency and BPA exposure induced tracheal tissue pyroptosis in chickens through NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway, and BPA exposure exacerbated selenium deficiency-induced tracheal pyroptosis. The present study provides new ideas into studies related to the co-exposure of organismal micronutrient deficiency and chronic toxicants. [Display omitted] • Selenium deficiency and BPA exposure caused pyroptosis of the chicken trachea. • There was synergistic effect between selenium deficiency and BPA exposure on trachea injury in chickens. • BPA exacerbates selenium deficiency-induced pyroptosis via the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway in chicken trachea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) are new environmental pollutants that attracted increased attention. At present, the effects and underlying mechanisms of action of combined exposure of DEHP and PS-MPs on the kidney have not been elucidated. To investigate the renal toxicity of DEHP and PS-MPs exposure, we established single and combined DEHP and PS-MPs exposure models in mice and HEK293 cells, respectively. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, transmission electron microscopy, monodansylcadaverine staining, immunofluorescence, real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot analysis and other methods were used to detect relevant indicators. The results showed that the expression levels of ROS/AMPK/ULK1 and Ppargc1α/Mfn2 signaling pathway-related genes were significantly increased in the DEHP and PS-MPs exposure models. The mRNA and protein expression levels of autophagy markers were also upregulated. In addition, we found that the expression levels of mRNAs and proteins in the combined exposure group were more significantly increased than those in the single exposure group. In conclusion, combined exposure to DEHP and PS-MPs caused oxidative stress and activated the AMPK/ULK1 pathway, thereby inducing renal autophagy. Our results enhance the field of nephrotoxicity studies of plasticizers and microplastics and provide new light on combined toxicity studies of DEHP and PS-MPs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, specific tube-plate structure and controllable Bi 5 O 7 I/BiOCl 0.8 I 0.2 n-n type heterojunction with broad spectrum response was prepared by PVP guided orientation. The test of photodegradation confirms that the catalytic degradation effect in sewage treatment of composite is superb whose best degradation for RhB can reach above 99%. Compared with the unmodified BiOCl 0.8 I 0.2 nanosheets, the catalytic efficiency is more than several times higher and TC and reduction of Cr(Ⅵ) are equally efficient. Moreover, the reaction area is increased and the light response range is broadened after composite. The internal electric field formed after the heterojunction between Bi 5 O 7 I and BiOCl 0.8 I 0.2 provides certain driving force for the migration of the photoelectric charge vector. This work provides some insights into the interface charge flow direction after heterojunction formation. • The n-n type heterojunction with tube-plate structure improves the transport of photogenerated carriers and offers more adsorption and catalytic sites for the photocatalyst. • The coupling of Bi 5 O 7 I nanosheets reduces the recombination rate of electron-hole pairs and expands the light absorption range. • The internal electric field formed after the heterojunction provides certain driving force for the migration of the photoelectric charge vector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel p-n heterojunction polyimide aerogel/BiOBr (PI/BOB) photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by combining supercritical drying and in-situ precipitation method, to degrade organic pollutants in visible light. The synthesized PI/BOB photocatalysts exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity by establishing p-n heterojunction with improved charge separation and transfer performance. Moreover, the combination of BiOBr and PI can effectively reduce the hydrophobicity of PI and help to improve its application in water pollution treatment. After a comprehensive study of the microstructure and optical properties of PI/BiOBr heterojunction, it is found that the combination of PI and BiOBr nanosheets can expand the light absorption range, and the porous PI can greatly increase the specific surface area of PI/BiOBr heterojunctions. Furthermore, XPS results showed that the electron in PI transferred to BiOBr through the concentration differences, thus generating an internal electric field (IEF) between PI and BiOBr. Under the effect of IEF, photogenerated carriers can be separated between PI and BiOBr more efficiently, which can effectively improve the photocatalytic efficiency. Photocatalytic degradation experiments showed that PI/BOB has excellent photocatalytic degradation effect on RhB, and the degradation rate of 50 mg RhB was 99% in 60 min for 20 mg catalyst. Charge transfer mechanism in heterojunction under different light conditions [Display omitted] • Successfully prepared porous polyimide aerogel with high specific surface. • Combination of organic and inorganic semiconductors by hydrothermal method. • Construction of p-n type heterojunctions facilitates electron-hole separation. • xPI/BOB has a significantly higher degradation efficiency for RhB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Bi 4 O 5 I 2 -Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 -BiOCl 0.8 I 0.2 n-p-n heterojunction was synthesized by in-situ growth method. Different types of BiOX (X = Br, Cl and I) materials were combined to optimize the charge separation of prepared heterogeneous junction so as to improve the photocatalytic performance. It had been proved by various characterization methods that the charge carrier recombination would be greatly suppressed under the action of internal electric field at the interface when n-p-n heterojunction was formed. Specially, 20-Bi 4 O 5 I 2 -Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 -BiOCl 0.8 I 0.2 presented the best photocatalytic performance, which could degrade 99% of Rhodamine B (RhB) in 60 min under 500 W Xe lamp source. BiOCl 0.8 I 0.2 improves the performance of photocatalytic and broaden the light absorption range of pure BiOI. This work provides a new perspective to design ternary structures that enhance photocatalytic performance. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone marrow lesion (BML) volume is a potential biomarker of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) as it is associated with cartilage degeneration and pain. However, segmenting and quantifying the BML volume is challenging due to the small size, low contrast, and various positions where the BML may occur. It is also time-consuming to delineate BMLs manually. In this paper, we proposed a fully automatic segmentation method for BMLs without requiring human intervention. The model takes intermediate weighted fat-suppressed (IWFS) magnetic resonance (MR) images as input, and the output BML masks are evaluated using both regular 2D Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of the slice-level area metric and 3D DSC of the subject-level volume metric. On a dataset with 300 subjects, each subject has a sequence of 36 IWFS MR images approximately. We randomly separated the dataset into training, validation, and testing sets with a 70%/15%/15% split at the subject level. Since not every subject or image has a BML, we excluded the images without a BML in each subset. The ground truth of the BML was labeled by trained medical staff using a semi-automatic tool. Compared with the ground truth, the proposed segmentation method achieved a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.98 between the manually measured volumes and automatically segmented volumes, a 2D DSC of 0.68, and a 3D DSC of 0.60 on the testing set. Although the DSC result is not high, the high correlation of 0.98 indicates that the automatically measured BML volume is strongly correlated with the manually measured BML volume, which shows the potential to use the proposed method as an automatic measurement tool for the BML biomarker to facilitate the assessment of knee OA progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CCL11, a chemokine known for recruiting immune cells to the tumor microenvironment (TME), has an unclear role in the context of its expression, patient prognosis, and the presence of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TILs) in breast cancer. Methods: The expression of CCL11 in invasive breast cancer (BRCA) was analyzed using TCGA database. Survival curve and Cox regression analysis determined the potential of CCL11 as an independent prognostic indicator. GSEA performed functional analysis on genes related to CCL11. CIBERSORT algorithm quantified the infiltration level of immune cells with varying CCL11 expression. Lastly, the correlation between CCL11 expression and anticancer drug sensitivity was examined. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR confirmed CCL11 expression in clinical tissue samples. The anti-tumor efficacy of CCL11 was investigated using CCK-8, plate formation, transwell assay, and Western blot. Results: CCL11 expression was elevated in BRCA tumor tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was longer in patients with high expression of CCL11. Enrichment and co-expression analyses revealed CCL11's association with numerous immune-related signaling pathways and genes. Validation studies confirmed high CCL11 expression in breast cancer tissues. In vitro experiments substantiated CCL11's anticancer effects in BRCA. Conclusion: CCL11 expression correlates with immune cell infiltration in breast cancer, indicating its potential as a prognostic biomarker for BRCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate electroencephalography (EEG) microstate differences between patients with migraine with aura (MWA), patients with migraine without aura (MWoA), and healthy controls (HC). Background: Previous research employing microstate analysis found unique microstate alterations in patients with MWoA; however, it is uncertain how microstates appear in patients with MWA. Methods: This study was conducted at the Headache Clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. In total, 30 patients with MWA, 30 with MWoA, and 30 HC were enrolled in this cross‐sectional study. An EEG was recorded for all participants under resting state. The microstate parameters of four widely recognized microstate classes A–D were calculated and compared across the three groups. Results: The occurrence of microstate B (MsB) in the MWoA group was significantly higher than in the HC (p = 0.006, Cohen's d = 0.72) and MWA (p = 0.016, Cohen's d = 0.57) groups, while the contribution of MsB was significantly increased in the MWoA group compared to the HC group (p = 0.016, Cohen's d = 0.64). Microstate A (MsA) displayed a longer duration in the MWA group compared to the MWoA group (p = 0.007, Cohen's d = 0.69). Furthermore, the transition probability between MsB and microstate D was significantly increased in the MWoA group compared to the HC group (p = 0.009, Cohen's d = 0.68 for B to D; p = 0.007, Cohen's d = 0.71 for D to B). Finally, the occurrence and contribution of MsB were positively related to headache characteristics in the MWoA group but negatively in the MWA group, whereas the duration of MsA was positively related to the visual analog scale in the MWA group (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Patients with MWA and MWoA have altered microstate dynamics, indicating that resting‐state brain network disorders may play a role in migraine pathogenesis. Microstate parameters may have the potential to aid clinical management, which needs to be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion‐sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) sensor is a hot topic these years, playing the combined roles of signal recognizer and converter for (bio)chemical analytes. In this review article, the basic concept, origination, and history of the ISFET sensor are presented. In addition, the common fabrication processes, the most‐used working principle (potentiometric, amperometric, and impedancemetric), and the techniques of gate functionality (physical, chemical, and biological) are discussed introducing the afterward signal transfer processes from ISFET to the terminals through different types of circuits. At last, the development and recent progress (until 2021) of ions and biomolecules (DNA molecules, antibodies, enzymatic substrates, and cell‐related secretions or metabolism) were introduced together with the outlook and facing obstacles (Debye screening, the wearability of ISFET, the multiplexed detections) before the commercialization of ISFET. This review article emphasizes the advantages of the developed ISFET sensors as miniaturization, low‐cost, all‐solid, highly sensitive, and easy operation for portable and multiplexed detections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pneumocephalus is rare in vaginal deliveries. Pneumocephalus may be asymptomatic or present with signs of increased intracranial pressure. However, parturients who received epidural anesthesia with air in their brains may experience low intracranial pressure headaches after giving birth, causing the diagnosis of pneumocephalus to be delayed. We report a case of a parturient who developed post-dural puncture headache combined with pneumocephalus secondary to vaginal delivery following epidural anesthesia. Case presentation: A 24-year-old G1P0 Chinese woman at 38 weeks gestation was in labor and received epidural anesthesia using the loss of resistance to air technique and had a negative prior medical history. She presented with postural headache, neck stiffness and auditory changes 2 h after vaginal delivery. The head non-contrast computed tomography revealed distributed gas density shadows in the brain, indicating pneumocephalus. Her headache was relieved by bed rest, rehydration, analgesia, and oxygen therapy and completely disappeared after 2 weeks of postpartum bed rest. Conclusions: This is the first report that positional headaches after epidural anesthesia may not indicate low intracranial pressure alone; it may combine with pneumocephalus, particularly when using the loss of resistance to air technique. At this moment, head computed tomography is essential to discover other conditions like pneumocephalus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amyloid‐β (Aβ) peptide, produced from amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β and γ‐secretases, has been implicated in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the precise intracellular trafficking pathway of APP and its subcellular locations to produce Aβ have remained unclear. To address these issues, we established fly AD models that recapitulated multiple AD‐like symptoms by expressing human APP in the Drosophila nerve system. The ESCRT (endosomal sorting complexes required for transport) machinery regulates the sorting and trafficking of endocytosed proteins, yet its role in AD pathogenesis has not been explored in vivo. We found that knockdown of distinct ESCRT components ameliorated APP‐induced morphological and behavioral defects, including impaired wing expansion, eye degeneration, dopamine neuron loss, locomotor disability, lifespan shortening, and cognitive deficits. Mechanistically, we showed that impaired ESCRT impeded APP's intracellular transportation from early endosomes to late endosomes, resulting in reduced Aβ production and amyloid deposit load. These data suggest that APP undergoes ESCRT‐mediated endocytic trafficking, and Aβ is generated mainly in late endosomes. Our data provide the first in vivo evidence to support a physiological role of ESCRT in AD pathogenesis, suggesting that interfering with ESCRT machinery might be an alternative therapeutic strategy for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the widespread use of plastics, microplastics (MPs) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) have become emerging environmental pollutants. The combined toxicity of MPs and DEHP on the mouse pancreas and the specific mechanism of toxicity remain unclear. To establish in vitro and in vivo models to address these questions, mice were continuously exposed to 200 mg/kg/d DEHP and 10 mg/L MPs for 4 weeks. In vitro, MIN-6 cells were treated with 200 μg/mL MPs and 200 μM DEHP for 24 h. Based on toxicity assessed using CCK8 of the equivalent TU binary mixture, the IC50 of the TU-mix of DEHP and MPs 0.692 < 0.8, indicating a synergistic effect of the two toxicants. Meanwhile, our data revealed that compared to the control group, MPs and DEHP combined treatment increased ROS levels, inhibited the activity, and enhanced the expression of GRP78, and CHOP. Simultaneously, activated CHOP decreased the expression of Bcl-2, and increased the expression of Bax. In conclusion, DEHP and MPs synergistically induce oxidative stress, and activate the GRP78/CHOP/Bcl-2 pathway to induce pancreatic apoptosis in mice. Our finding provides a new direction for the research on the specific mechanism of MPs and DEHP combined toxicity. [Display omitted] • Microplastics (MPs) and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) induce apoptosis. • TU and MTI calculation clarifies that MPs and DEHP have a synergistic effect. • MPs and DEHP induce oxidative stress in mouse pancreas and MIN-6 cells. • MPs and DEHP induces GRP78/CHOP/Bcl-2 dependent apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plastic decomposition product microplastics (MPs) and the plastic additive Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in the environment can damage various organs of the organism by inducing oxidative stress. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway participate in toxin-induced apoptosis and necroptosis. However, the effects of DEHP/MPs alone and combined exposure on skeletal muscle cell injury in mice and the role of PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis remain unclear. To investigate the effect of DEHP or/and MPs on skeletal muscle in mice and its possible toxicological mechanism, 60 mice were randomly divided into control group, DEHP group (DEHP 200 mg/kg dissolved in 50 mL corn oil mixed with 2.5 kg diet), MPs group (10 mg/L MPs in drinking water) and combined exposure group. In vitro, C2C12 cells were exposed to DEHP 600 μM/MPs 800 μM alone or in combination for 24 h. The results showed that DEHP/MPs exposure alone or in combination increased MDA content, decreased activities of CAT, T-AOC, SOD and GSH-Px, increased mRNA and protein expressions of Caspase-3, BAX, RIPK1, RIPK3 and MLKL, and decreased BCL-2 expression. The expression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was significantly down-regulated. All the above results showed that the combined exposure group was more toxic, and similar experimental results were obtained by DEHP/MPs exposure test of C2C12 cells in vitro. It is suggested that DEHP/MPs can induce apoptosis and necroptosis by activating oxidative stress and down-regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. This study provides new evidence for clarifying the possible mechanism of toxicity of DEHP and MPs to skeletal muscle of mice. [Display omitted] • DEHP/MPs exposure induces apoptosis and necroptosis in mouse skeletal muscle. • DEHP/MPs exposure activated oxidative stress and decreased the expression of PI3K / AKT / mTOR pathway. • DEHP combined with MPs exposure aggravates skeletal muscle injury in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi 4 O 5 I 2 /Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 p-n heterojunction photocatalysts were synthesized by utilizing different ratios of solvent via a one-pot solvothermal method in the process of synthesizing Bi 4 O 5 I 2 and Bi 5 O 7 I. The structure, morphology and photoelectric properties of the prepared samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, XPS and DRS. Through the estimated photocatalytic degradation of pollutants such as tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) and rhodamine B (RhB), it was found that the Bi 4 O 5 I 2 /Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 (the ratio of ethylene glycol and distilled water in the solvent was 3/5) heterojunction photocatalyst had the highest degradation, with the removal of up to 80.6% from all prepared samples within 30 min under visible light irradiation; this heterojunction also showed better RhB degradation performance. The presence of an internal electrostatic field between the p-type semiconductor Bi 4 O 5 I 2 and n-type semiconductor Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 effectively suppressed the recombination of photoinduced electron–hole pairs. Moreover, a feasible mechanism was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Production tax credit (PTC) affects the merchant's trading decisions and rewards function. • Construct the corresponding new models incorporating PTC rates under two subsidy policies. • Achieve the optimal analytical state of charge (SOC) reference points using dynamic programming. • Determine the boundary conditions that how PTC rates affect optimal SOC reference points. • Develop new optimal economics dispatch policies structure of energy storage. The production tax credit (PTC) promotes wind energy development, reduces power generation costs, and can affect merchants' joint economic dispatch, particularly for electricity merchants with both energy storage and wind farms. Two common PTC policies are studied – in the first policy, a wind farm receives PTC by selling wind generation to the market and its storage can be used to store energy from the wind generation and energy purchased from the grid but the energy released from the storage cannot receive PTC; in the second policy, the energy released from the storage can also qualify for PTC but purchasing energy from the grid is not allowed. We then employ dynamic programming to study merchants' optimal decision-making while considering PTC and the physical characteristics of storage systems. We analytically show that the state of charge (SOC) range can be segmented into different regions by SOC reference points under two PTC policies. The merchant's optimal action can be conveniently and uniquely determined based on the region within which the current SOC falls. Moreover, this study illustrates that PTC could substantially alter the optimal scheduling policy structures by affecting reference points and their relationships. The results showed that the frequencies for charging and discharging storage decisions decreased with an increase in PTC subsidy. Last, we confirm that, although the first policy allows merchants to buy electricity from the market, the second policy can bring more profits when the PTC is large at the current PTC rates. The findings can provide multistage decision-making guidance to electricity merchants in the wholesale power market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this review was to explore the research foci and emerging trends of application of natural products in AD from 1990 to 2019 and evaluated publications qualitatively and quantitatively. CiteSpace V. 4.0 was used to identify top authors, journals, institutions, countries, keywords, co-cited articles, and trends and obtain the visual knowledge maps. Results revealed that the USA, People's Republic of China and India were the major research countries in this field, while the Western Europe and North America were the areas with frequent international cooperation. Moreover, there was a close collaboration between universities and research institutes. The J Alzheimers Dis was the most productive journal. Alzheimers disease, natural product, brain, central nervous system, disease, and oxidative stress are some of the high centrality and high frequency keywords in the co-occurrence analysis; Indicating Alzheimers disease and its pathogenesis and natural product remain the hotspots in the field. This paper provides an insight into the application of natural products in AD, and provides useful information for AD researchers to find potential collaborators and cooperative institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduced the synthesis of a novel phosphorus-containing ionic liquid flame retardant called DOPA-MZ, which was used to develop epoxy resin (EP) composites with transparency, exceptional mechanical properties, and flame retardancy. Results indicate that adding 3% DOPA-MZ to the EP composite increases the Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) to 30.3%, achieving a UL-94 V-0 rating. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) tests showed that DOPA-MZ promotes curing reactions, significantly raising the EP composite's glass transition temperature (Tg). Additionally, compared to pure EP, EP/8% DOPA-MZ reduced total smoke production (TSP) and total heat release (THR) by 23.8% and 5.9%, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to analyze the flame-retardant mechanisms. These analyses revealed that DOPA-MZ primarily inhibits flames in the gas phase and enhanced flame retardation in the condensed phase. Furthermore, DOPA-MZ contains tertiary amine groups, which participated in the curing reactions between epoxy resin and curing agents. This tightens the integration of DOPA-MZ molecules with the cross-linked network formed during the epoxy resin curing process, leading to a 22.0% increase in tensile strength and a 17.0% increase in bending strength in EP/3% DOPA-MZ composite materials. [Display omitted] • Synthesized ionic liquid DOPA-MZ through the neutralization reaction of DOPO-derived acid and 1-MZ. • DOPA-MZ flame retardant exhibits excellent compatibility with epoxy resin and accelerates epoxy resin curing. • DOPA-MZ significantly enhances the fire safety of EP with only 0.13 wt% of phosphorus. • EP composites enhances mechanical and thermal properties while maintaining transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ZIF-8 MOFs were used to load high amount of antibiotics (LEVO) showing pH responsiveness to bacterial infection. • The negatively charged ZIF-8@LEVO@HA nano drug carrier was combined onto CL after amination treatment. • The antibacterial CL has a high drug loading capacity (0.65 mg/cm2) owing to the surface bound ZIF-8. • The ZLHP-CL showed excellent bactericidal effect with inhibitory zone diameter 34 mm. • In infectious keratitis animal, ZLHP-CL efficiently killed bacteria, reduced the inflammation reaction in corneal tissue repair. Eye trauma, ophthalmic surgery and contact lens (CL) wearing cause corneal infection and bacterial biofilms formation, which further lead to corneal ulcer and perforation. In view of the low bioavailability of antibiotic eye drops and the clinical problems that cause bacterial resistance, we used pH sensitive zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 metal–organic frameworks (ZIF-8 MOFs) to load broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs levofloxacin (LEVO). After the surface modification by hyaluronic acid (HA), the nanomaterial surface was negatively charged. A simple amination treatment was used to endow CL surface with amino groups to combine the negatively charged nano drug loading system through electrostatic forces. The bacteriostatic ring of ZIF-8@LEVO@HA-PEI modified CL (ZLHP-CL) was 34 mm, which could be owing to the high drug loading capacity of ZIF-8 (0.65 mg/cm2). The bactericidal function was further confirmed by shake flask method and live/dead bacterial staining assay against S. aureus , S. epidermidis and E. coli. It is worth mentioning that ZLHP-CL showed significant pH sensitivity to the bacterial infection, which released drug rapidly at pH 5.5 and hardly released drug at pH 7.4. In the bacterial biofilm's formation experiment, it was found that ZLHP-CL obviously inhibited bacterial adhesion and biofilms formation. Furthermore, it was proved in infectious keratitis animal that ZLHP-CL could kill the bacteria and reduce the inflammation reaction, which showed advantages in corneal tissue repair and light transmittance maintenance. In this work, based on nanotechnology, a facile CL drug loading technology is developed, which can be used to sustained release of various drugs for ophthalmic diseases treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trafficking of α‐Amino‐3–hydroxy‐5–methylisoxazole‐4–propionic acid (AMPA) receptors (AMPARs), mediated by AMPAR interacting proteins, enabled neurons to maintain tuning capabilities at rest or active state. α/β-Hydrolase domain-containing 6 (ABHD6), an endocannabinoid hydrolase, was an AMPAR auxiliary subunit found to negatively regulate the surface delivery of AMPARs. While ABHD6 was found to prevent AMPAR tetramerization in endoplasmic reticulum, ABHD6 was also reported to localize at postsynaptic site. Yet, the role of ABHD6 interacting with AMPAR at postsynaptic site, and the physiological significance of ABHD6 regulating AMPAR trafficking remains elusive. Here, we generated the ABHD6 knockout (ABHD6KO) mice and found that deletion of ABHD6 selectively enhanced AMPAR-mediated basal synaptic responses and the surface expression of postsynaptic AMPARs. Furthermore, we found that loss of ABHD6 impaired hippocampal long-term depression (LTD) and synaptic downscaling in hippocampal synapses. AMPAR internalization assays revealed that ABHD6 was essential for neuronal activity-dependent endocytosis of surface AMPARs, which is independent of ABHD6's hydrolase activity. The defects of AMPAR endocytosis and LTD are expressed as deficits in learning flexibility in ABHD6KO mice. Collectively, we demonstrated that ABHD6 is an endocytic accessory protein promoting AMPAR endocytosis, thereby contributes to the formation of LTD, synaptic downscaling and reversal learning. • Deletion of ABHD6 increases AMPAR-mediated basal synaptic responses in hippocampal CA1 neurons. • Deletion of ABHD6 impairs long-term depression in hippocampal Schaffer collateral pathway. • ABHD6 is required for homeostatic synaptic downscaling in cultured hippocampal neurons. • ABHD6 is essential for activity-dependent endocytosis of surface AMPARs. • ABHD6KO mice show deficits in reversal learning tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MoS 2 /TiO 2 based nanocomposites exhibit great prospect in the area of photocatalysis and rechargeable batteries. However, many efforts have to be made to avoid the agglomeration of MoS 2 on TiO 2 nanobelts, to increase the interfacial bonding between MoS 2 and TiO 2 , and to utilize the inert basal surface of 2H–MoS 2. Herein, we report the TiO 2 /Ag/MoS 2 /Ag nanocomposites with double Ag loadings by hydrothermal method combined with the Tollen reaction. The as-obtained nanocomposites possess excellent photocatalytic performance to Cr (Ⅵ) and RhB, which is ascribed to the fast transfer and effective separation of charge carriers due to the formation of heterojunction between TiO 2 /Ag/MoS 2 and MoS 2 /Ag. The present study illustrates the potential application of these analogous multiphase nanocomposites for water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1- x)(K 0.44 Na 0.52 Li 0.04)(Nb 0.86 Ta 0.10 Sb 0.04)O 3 - x BaTiO 3 (labeled as (1- x)KNLNTS- x BT, x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10) lead-free ceramics were prepared by a solid-state sintering method. As the BT content increased, the phase of ceramics changed from orthorhombic (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.02) to orthorhombic-tetragonal (0.02 < x < 0.06) structure, and finally turned into tetragonal (0.06 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) structure. The Curie-Weiss law and modified Curie-Weiss law were applied to analyzing dielectric properties. With the increase of BT content, the relaxation degree increased, which indicated that the ceramics shown a excellent relaxation behavior. For 0.9 KNLNTS- 0. 1BT ceramics, the dispersion coefficient γ reached the maximum of 1.73, which is hugely attractive for lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics. From its variation of impedance spectroscopy with temperature, it was found that the relaxation and conduction behavior were associated with the thermal activation, and the oxygen vacancies were the potential ionic carriers. Moreover, through Arrhenius fitting, the activation energy of 0.9 KNLNTS- 0. 1BT ceramic was 0.82(6) eV, indicating that the oxygen vacancy concentration for the ceramics was high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The gas phase flame-retardant mechanism of diamine based polybenzoxazine /polyhexahydrotriazine interpenetrating polymer network was studied. • Poly(PH-ddm)/PHT IPN would release self-extinguishing gases, such as NH 3 and CO 2 , and these gases could effectively decrease the heat release. It is an important research direction to improve the flame retardant properties of polymers. Benzoxazine resins have attracted a great deal of interest due to their good thermal property, but the brittleness hindered their further application. A high-toughness diamine-based polybenzoxazine/polyhexahydrotriazine interpenetrating polymer network (poly(PH-ddm)/PHT IPN) have been prepared successfully in our group. In this paper, the flame-retardant mechanism of the poly(PH-ddm)/PHT IPN was discussed. Its flammability property and the thermal decomposition mechanism were measured and analyzed with Cone Calorimeter, Thermogravimetric Analysis-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR), and Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The results illustrated that little heat was released during the ignition process of the cured resin. The main gas including NH 3 and CO 2 were generated during the thermal decomposition. With the release of these self-extinguishing gas that insulate the materials from oxygen and take away the burning heat, the poly(PH-ddm)/PHT IPN with the hexahydrotriazine structure exhibits good gas phase flame retardance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The visible light corresponding BiOBr nanosheets were prepared by one-step water bath heating method. • The combination of diatomic doping and nanosheet construction can promote the photocatalytic performance of BiOBr. • The BiOBr nanosheets can rapidly degrade Tetracycline hydrochloride and high concentration RhB. Designing efficient photocatalysts is essential for improving photocatalytic performance. Separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers is one of the key factors affecting photocatalytic performance. Combining the construction of two-dimensional materials with elemental doping can further improve the separation of photogenerated carriers. As expected, the performance of the samples produced by Fe and Cu co-doping was superior to that of pure BiOBr and mono-doped samples, with significant improvements in the photocatalytic degradation of both rhodamine B and tetracycline. The dopant of excess metal element atoms can form impurity energy levels in the forbidden band that effectively facilitate the separation and migration of photogenerated carriers. Meanwhile, the thin-layer two-dimensional structure can effectively shorten the bulk charge carrier transmission distance and improve the transmission efficiency. This study not only provides a simple, green and low-cost method for combining iron and copper into composites materials at same time but also confirmed that the photocatalytic performance of BiOBr was strongly influenced by different Fe and Cu contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of cow hair solid waste is produced in leather production, and a reasonable treatment should be developed to reduce the pollution. In this study, cow hair waste was utilized as the carbon precursor, and N2 was determined to be the most appropriate atmosphere for biochar preparation. We performed a comparison of the properties of biochars that were prepared with different methods, including direct pyrolysis, KOH activation, and the MgO template method. The characterization results show that the highest specific surface area reaches 1753.075 m2/g. Subsequently, the keratin that was extracted from cow hair and purified was used to prepare a biochar with the MgO template method, obtaining an orderly sponge structure. The biochar from cow hair waste was further used to absorb direct blue dye wastewater, and its adsorption capacity reached 1477 mg/g after 10 h with a high efficiency of regeneration. This study successfully utilized keratin-containing hair waste and provides a new source for synthesizing carbon materials for dye wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A photocatalyst was constructed by combining direct Z-scheme and isotype heterojunction. • A ternary Δ(Z + H)-scheme g-C 3 N 4 /g-C 3 N 4 /BiOBr photocatalyst is prepared by an effective combination of thermal decomposition and solvothermal method. • Solar light utilization can be enhanced in ternary Δ(Z + H)-scheme g-C 3 N 4 /g-C 3 N 4 /BiOBr. • The composites is wide application in the degradation of organic pollutants (RhB, FITC and TC), which potential to be applied as a photocatalyst for wastewater treatment. A novel ternary direct Z-scheme + isotype heterojunction, Δ(Z + H)-scheme photocatalyst CN-TU/BiOBr was fabricated by an effective combination of thermal decomposition and solvothermal method. The samples of g-C 3 N 4 prepared using urea, thiourea and thiourea-urea complexes as precursors were named CN-U, CN-T and CN-TU, respectively. In addition, CN-M was prepared by physically mixing CN-U and CN-T. The structure, morphology, optical and electronic properties of the prepared samples were characterized by XRD, FTIR spectra, SEM-EDS, BET, XPS and DRS. The photocatalytic activities of the synthesized samples were estimated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and antibiotic tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) in the presence of visible light. Compared with other as-prepared samples, the ternary 1%CN-TU/BiOBr photocatalyst exhibited an excellent activity, which is attributed to the construction of the ternary Δ(Z + H)-scheme not only benefit to maintain outstanding redox capability of the electrons, but also facilitates the separation of photo-generated carrier. Furthermore, the stability of the sample is tested by cyclic experiments. This work will provided a new insight into optimizing the structure and designing similar Z-scheme photocatalytic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]