Conversion of the bronchial tree into a conforming electrode to ablate the lung nodule in a porcine model.

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the treatment options for lung nodules. However, the need for exact delivery of the rigid metal electrode into the center of the target mass often leads to complications or suboptimal results. To overcome these limitations, a concept of conforming electrodes using a flexible material has been tested in this study. METHODS: A bronchoscopy-guided RFA (CAROL) under a temperature-controlled mode was tested in in-vivo and ex-vivo porcine lungs. Gallium-based liquid metal was used for turning the bronchial tree into temporary RF electrodes. A customized bronchoscopy-guided balloon-tipped guiding catheter (CAROL catheter) was used to make the procedure feasible under fluoroscopy imaging guidance. The computer simulation was also performed to gain further insight into the ablation results. Safety was also assessed including the liquid metal remaining in the body. RESULTS: The bronchial electrode injected from the CAROL catheter was able to turn the target site bronchial air pipe into a temporally multi-tined RF electrode. The mean volume of Gallium for each effective CAROL was 0.46 ± 0.47 ml. The ablation results showed highly efficacious and consistent results, especially in the peripheral lung. Most bronchial electrodes were also retrieved by either bronchoscopic suction immediately after the procedure or by natural expectoration thereafter. The liquid metal used in these experiments did not have any significant safety issues. Computer simulation also supports these results. CONCLUSION: The CAROL ablation was very effective and safe in porcine lungs showing encouraging potential to overcome the conventional approaches.

Lung cancer can be treated by inserting a metal device into the lung via the throat and using this to send radio waves into the cancer. However, using a rigid metal device can cause damage to other areas of the lung and can only treat small cancers. Here, we describe an alternative method to treat lung cancers in which liquid metal is used to fill the spaces within the lung closest to the cancer. We demonstrate that this method can be used to treat cancer in a swine model of lung cancer. Given the positive results we obtained, we think this approach should be tested in a clinical trial in human patients with lung cancer, as it might improve cancer treatment.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) disposal during COVID-19: An emerging source of microplastic and microfiber pollution in the environment.

Waste generated by healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic has become a new source of pollution, particularly with the widespread use of single-use personal protective equipment (PPE). Releasing microplastics (MPs) and microfibers (MFs) from discarded PPE becomes an emerging threat to environmental sustainability. MPs/MFs have recently been reported in a variety of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, including water, deep-sea sediments, air, and soil. As COVID-19 spreads, the use of plastic-made PPE in healthcare facilities has increased significantly worldwide, resulting in massive amounts of plastic waste entering the terrestrial and marine environments. High loads of MPs/MFs emitted into the environment due to excessive PPE consumption are easily consumed by aquatic organisms, disrupting the food chain, and potentially causing chronic health problems in humans. Thus, proper management of PPE waste is critical for ensuring a post-COVID sustainable environment, which has recently attracted the attention of the scientific community. The current study aims to review the global consumption and sustainable management of discarded PPE in the context of COVID-19. The severe impacts of PPE-emitted MPs/MFs on human health and other environmental segments are briefly addressed. Despite extensive research progress in the area, many questions about MP/MF contamination in the context of COVID-19 remain unanswered. Therefore, in response to the post-COVID environmental remediation concerns, future research directions and recommendations are highlighted considering the current MP/MF research progress from COVID-related PPE waste.

Nanocomposite membranes for organic solvent nanofiltration: Recent advances, challenges, and prospects.

Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) is an emerging technology for the separation of organic solvents that are relevant to the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food and fine chemical industries. The separation performance of OSN membranes has continued to push the boundary up through advanced membrane fabrication techniques and novel materials for fabricating the membranes. Despite the many advantages, OSN membranes still face such challenges as low solvent permeability and durability in harsh organic solvent conditions. To overcome these limitations, attempts have been made to incorporate nanomaterial fillers into OSN membranes to improve their overall performance. This review analyzes the potential and use of nanomaterials for OSN membranes, including covalent organic frameworks (COFs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), metal oxides (MOs) and carbon-based materials (CBMs). Recent advances in the state-of-the-art nano-based OSN membranes, in the form of thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes and mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), are reviewed. Moreover, the separation mechanisms of OSN with nano-based membranes are discussed. The challenges faced by these OSN membranes are also elaborated, and recommendations for further research in this field are provided.

Effects of water matrix on the rejection of neutral pharmaceutically active compound by thin-film composite nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes.

Thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes have been widely used to remove pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) from water and wastewater. However, limited information is available to present the rejection of neutral PhACs under complex water matrices. In this study, we used acetaminophen (AAP) as a representative neutral pollutant to study the effects of feedwater matrices on the rejection of neutral PhACs by NF and RO membranes. The results showed that the permeation of solutes and water through NF and RO membranes followed the classical solution-diffusion model. The corresponding permeability coefficients of AAP for the RO membrane showed good consistency, with average values ranging between (6.19-7.56) × 10-6 µm s-1 in fresh and brackish feedwater. Meanwhile, the NF membrane exhibited stable AAP and NaCl fluxes as the applied pressure increased from 4.8 to 7.6 bar, suggesting an insignificant influence of convection on solute transport. In addition, a 10-fold increase in NaCl concentration reduced the average AAP permeability coefficient of the NF membrane by 57% (i.e. from 2.8 × 10-5 m s-1 to 1.2 × 10-5 m s-1), highlighting the relevance of co-existing ions to AAP transport. Furthermore, organic fouling resulted in enhanced AAP rejection by both NF and RO membranes at neutral pH level and medium applied pressure (i.e. 5.8 bar). Overall, this study provided important insights into the separation mechanism of TFC membranes for neutral PhACs, as well as the complex effects of the water matrix on the solute permeation processes.

Modeling the fecal contamination (fecal coliform bacteria) in transboundary waters using the scenario matrix approach: a case study of Sutlej River, Pakistan.

Surface water quality is among the significant challenges in the Sutlej River basin, passing through Pakistan's most densely populated province. Currently, the overall surface water quality is grossly polluted, mainly due to the direct discharge of wastewater from the urban areas to the Sutlej River directly or through stream networks. Escherichia coli concentrations vary under extreme weather events like floods and droughts and socioeconomic circumstances like urbanization, population growth, and treatment options. This paper assesses the future E. coli load and concentrations using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) along with scenarios based on Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). E. coli concentrations according to a more polluted scenario disclose a near and mid future increase by 108% and 173%, and far future increases up to 251% compared to the reference period (baseline) concentrations. The E. coli concentration is reduced by - 54%, - 68%, and - 81% for all the projected time steps compared to the baseline concentrations. While highly improved sewerage and manure management options are adapted, the concentration is further reduced by - 96%, - 101%, and - 105%, respectively, compared to the baseline. Our modeling and scenario matrix study shows that reducing microbiological concentrations in the surface water is possible. Still, it requires rigorous sanitation and treatment options, and socioeconomic variables play an essential role besides climate change to determine the microbiological concentration of water resources and be included in future studies whenever water quality and health risks are considered.

Contamination, exposure, and health risk assessment of Hg in Pakistan: A review.

Mercury is a highly toxic and highly mobile heavy metal. It has been regarded as more toxic than other nonessential and toxic nonradioactive heavy metals. Moreover, it has a high tendency of bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the ecosystem. This study aimed to assess the environmental and health risks related to Hg. Seventy studies related to Hg in environmental media, aquatic biota, and food stuffs across Pakistan were reviewed, and their concentrations were used for ecological and human health risk assessments. High concentrations of Hg were reported in the environment, with maximum concentrations of 72 mg L-1, 144 mg kg-1, 887 mg kg-1, and 49,807 ng m-3 in surface water, surface soil, surface sediments, and urban atmosphere, respectively. The possible non-carcinogenic health risk (hazard quotient) of Hg was assessed in soil, water, and fish. High risks were calculated for seafood and vegetable consumption, while low risks were estimated for soils and groundwater ingestion and exposure. Overall, children showed higher risks than adults. Last, the risk quotient analysis (RQ) revealed significant risks for aquatic species. RQs showed that multiple species, especially those with smaller resilience, could face long-term detrimental impacts. High, medium, and low risks were calculated from 66.66, 16.17, and 16.17% of the reported Hg concentrations.

Synthesis and evaluation of Ca-doped ferrihydrite as a novel adsorbent for the efficient removal of fluoride.

Ferric hydrate has been extensively applied for the removal of various types of pollutants from wastewater because of its low cost and high efficiency. However, its wide-scale application has been greatly restricted by high-dose and low-adsorption capacity. Therefore, a novel Ca-doped ferrihydrite adsorbent has been synthesized and used for the enhanced removal of fluoride from wastewater in the presence of other co-existing ions. At 5 mg/L initial fluoride concentration and pH 5, the removal efficiency of fluoride approached to 97.5% and remained stable. Similarly, with the increase of dose from 100 to 300 mg/L, the fluoride removal linearly increased to 98% and remained plateau at neutral pH. Also, the presence of co-existing ions such as NO3-, SO42-, Cl-, and natural organic matter has not significantly influenced the removal performance of the adsorbent. Fluoride removal best fit the pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model. The prepared adsorbent exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 53.21 mg/g for fluoride uptake from water. The SEM-EDX confirmed the doping of Ca onto the ferrihydrite where the elemental peaks of Ca and Fe emerged at the energy value of about 3.6 Kev and 7.1 Kev respectively in EDX analysis. In addition, SEM results of Ca-doped ferrihydrite adsorbent illustrated that a large microplates type of products was acquired after synthesis. The regeneration results confirmed that adsorbent could retain their original adsorption capacity after five regeneration cycles. The current study suggested that Ca-doped ferrihydrite has the application potential for the enhanced adsorption of fluoride from the water phase.

Molecular cloning, characterization, and gene expression behavior of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors from the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis).

The Chinese alligator is an endemic crocodilian species in China. We isolated and obtained the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptor genes coding from the kidney of Alligator sinensis by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene has 2343 base pairs encoding 780 amino acids, while the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) gene is 2958 bp in length encoding 985 amino acids. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the distribution of messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. The maximum mRNA expressions were observed in the ovary and kidney, suggesting that these receptors may be involved in basic cellular functions or stress response of alligators. Besides this, RT-qPCR was performed to analyze the abundance of GR and MR mRNA transcripts in early embryonic development of the Chinese alligator in the kidney, liver, and heart. The mRNA levels of GR and MR at earlier stages in kidney, liver, and heart indicates that they might involve in the transcriptional regulation of early embryos and activate many precise developmental effects in fetal tissues. We also measured the protein expression in the liver embryonic developmental stages and found that the GR and MR proteins were restricted to both the nuclei and cytoplasm. The protein expression levels in the liver at different embryonic developmental stages have extremely prominent differences. Taken together, our results showed the full coding regions of GR and MR, their characteristics, and embryonic developmental mRNA and protein expressions of both genes in A. sinensis. This study could provide the necessary information for further investigating the diverse functions of GR and MR in A. sinensis.

Molecular mechanism of Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) adapting to hibernation.

Hibernation is a physiological state for Chinese alligators to cope with cold weather. In mammals, gene expression changes during hibernation and their regulatory mechanisms have been extensively studied, however, these studies in reptiles are still rare. Here, integrated analysis of messenger RNA (mRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) reveals the molecular mechanisms of the hypothalamus, liver, and skeletal muscle in hibernating and active individuals. During hibernation, the number of genes increased in the hypothalamus, liver, and skeletal muscle was 585, 282, and 297, while the number of genes decreased was 215, 561, and 627, respectively, as compared with active individuals. Through Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, the differential expressed genes were mainly enriched in DNA damage repair, biological rhythm, energy metabolism, myoprotein degradation, and other related items and pathways. Besides, 4740 miRNAs were identified in three tissues. Through the comprehensive analysis of miRNA and mRNA abundance profiles, 12,291, 6997, and 8232 miRNA-mRNA pairs all showed a negative correlation in the hypothalamus, liver, and skeletal muscle, respectively. Some miRNA target genes were related tobiological rhythm and energy metabolism, suggesting that miRNA may play an important role in the physiological metabolism of the hibernating adaptability of Chinese alligators. Moreover, 402, 230, and 130 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified in the hypothalamus, liver, and skeletal muscle, respectively. The targeting relationship of four lncRNA-mRNA pairs were predicted, with the main function of target genes involved in the amino acid transportation. These results are helpful to further understand the molecular regulatory basis of the hibernation adaptation in Chinese alligators.

Cloning, characterisation and expression profile of kisspeptin1 and the kisspeptin1 receptor in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis of Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis during the reproductive cycle.

Kisspeptin1 (Kiss1), a product of the Kiss1 gene, plays an important role in the regulation of reproduction in vertebrates by activating the Kiss1 receptor (Kiss1R) and its coexpression with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in GnRH neurons. The purpose of this study was to clone the Kiss1 and Kiss1R genes found in the brain of Alligator sinensis and to explore their relationship with reproduction. The full-length cDNA of Kiss1 is 816bp, the open reading frame (ORF) is 417bp and the gene encodes a 138-amino acid precursor protein. The full-length cDNA of Kiss1R is 2348bp, the ORF is 1086bp and the gene encodes a 361-amino acid protein. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that, except for Kiss1R expression in the hypothalamus, the expression of Kiss1 and Kiss1Rduring the reproductive period of A. sinensis was higher than that in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovary during the hibernation period. The changes in GnRH2 mRNA in the hypothalamus were similar to those of GnRH1 and peaked during the reproductive period. This study confirms the existence of Kiss1 and Kiss1R in A. sinensis and the findings strongly suggest that Kiss1 and Kiss1R may participate in the regulation of GnRH secretion in the hypothalamus of alligators during the reproductive period. Furthermore, this is the first report of the full-length cDNA sequences of Kiss1 and Kiss1R in reptiles.

Molecular cloning, characterization, mRNA expression changes and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling during kidney embryonic development of SOX9 in Alligator sinensis.

SOX9 plays a crucial, extensive and conservative role in the process of somatic tissue development and adult regeneration through the positive self-regulation mediated by SOM across all vertebrates. In this study, we have cloned SOX9 from the kidney of hatchling Alligator sinensis. The full-length of SOX9 cDNA is 3878 bp with an open reading frame encoding 494 amino acids. Amino acid alignment analyses indicated that the SOX9 exhibit highly conserved functional domains. Using the droplet digital PCR, the mRNA abundances of SOX9 during nephrogenesis in A. sinensis showed prominent changes in the embryonic development, suggesting that SOX9 might combines a vital role in the regulation of complex renal development. Interestingly, we detected the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of SOX9 protein using immunofluorescence, implying that nucleocytoplasmic shuttling is critical to the regulation of SOX9 in the renal embryonic development. Collectively, these data provide an important foundation for further studies on renal developmental biology and molecular biology of non-mammalian SOX9. Furthermore, it provides new insights into the phenomenon of SOX9 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling in Alligator sinensis, which is probably of great significance to the development of kidney metanephros embryo.

Efficient removal of zinc from water and wastewater effluents by hydroxylated and carboxylated carbon nanotube membranes: Behaviors and mechanisms of dynamic filtration.

In this work, a bench scale study was designed to investigate the removal of zinc (Zn2+) and regeneration efficiencies of functionalized-MWCNT (f-MWCNT) membranes. The f-MWCNTs were incorporated into polyvinylchloride (PVC) hollow fiber membranes (HFMs), which acted as a substrate and a barrier for MWCNTs leaching to water. The results revealed that the removal capacity of Zn2+ through f-CNT membranes were above 98% for the synthetic water and over 70% for real wastewater effluents; predominantly involved surface complexation reaction. The acquired removal efficiency of CNT membrane is attributed to high absolute zeta potential followed by the hydrophilicity of the nanotubes coated the inside surface of HFMs and high concentration of oxygen functional groups on CNT surfaces. Later on, different regenerating solutions were used to desorb Zn2+ ions repeatedly from the inner surface of membranes and to recycle the CNT membranes for continuous removal of Zn2+ from water. The XPS analysis revealed that, Zn2+ ions were completely recovered owing to the ion exchange interactions. The results further confirmed that f-CNT membranes retained their original removal capacity after several successive cycles. Therefore, we recommend that, f-CNTs-based membranes have the potential to be used for large-scale removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from water or wastewater.

Ar/O2 plasma treatment of carbon nanotube membranes for enhanced removal of zinc from water and wastewater: A dynamic sorption-filtration process.

In this study, pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized by using Ar/O2 plasma treatment technique, which enhanced adsorptive membrane filtration of zinc ions from water and wastewater. The XPS analysis showed that plasma treatment largely increased the surface oxygen groups content of MWCNTs from 2.78% to 6.79%. This change increased the surface negative charged, dispersion and adsorption properties of MWCNTs without causing any damages to the integrity of the nanotube pattern. Pressure-driven filtration of plasma-treated MWCNT (P-CNT) dispersion formed a stable layer inside the lumen of a hollow fiber membrane. The contact angle analysis demonstrated that after incorporation of P-CNT into the HF membrane increased membrane hydrophilicity. The P-CNT membrane effectively removed almost 100% of zinc from synthetic waters and approximately 80% of zinc from a wastewater effluent by surface complexation reaction. A follow-up regeneration study demonstrated that the adsorptive removal of zinc by the CNT membrane was reversible under selected conditions, thus making it possible to repeatedly use the membrane for long-term zinc filtration. This study suggests that HF membranes modified with P-CNTs possess superb adsorption properties for metal ions, allowing the operation of CNT membranes for water treatment.

Molecular cloning of androgen receptor and gene expression of sex steroid hormone receptors in the brain of newborn Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis).

Sex steroid hormones play an important role in mediating physiological responses and developmental processes through their receptors across all vertebrates. Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is a critically endangered reptile species unique to China. In this study, we have cloned one of the sex steroid hormone receptor genes, androgen receptor (AR) from the brain of Chinese alligator for the first time. The full-length AR cDNA is 2717 bp in length with an open reading frame (ORF) encoding 722 amino acids. Amino acid alignment analyses indicated that the ARs exhibit highly conserved functional domains. Especially, the P-box and D-box, which are essential to ensure that receptor binding to the androgen response elements, are completely conserved in selected species. Using the quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), the spatial expression of four receptor mRNAs in all newborn brain tissues and temporal expression of them in the cerebrum during the embryonic development in Chinese alligators were investigated. The results of qPCR showed ubiquitous expression of the four receptor mRNAs in all newborn brain tissues examined and significant changes in the expression levels of these receptor mRNAs in the embryonic development. These results suggest that sex steroid hormones might play an important role in the regulation of complex neuroendocrine activities in newborn Chinese alligator. Furthermore, these data provide an important foundation for further studies on endocrinology and molecular biology of non-mammalian sex steroid hormone receptors.