Green Fabrication of Superhydrophilic/Underwater Superoleophobic Composite Membrane for High-Efficiency Oil/Water Separation in Harsh Environments.

Due to the high oil spill incidence and industrial wastewater discharge including oil and emulsified oil, designing and synthesizing oil-water separation materials which can maintain stability under harsh environmental conditions with high separation efficiencies remains a great challenge. The present work developed an easy, green, cost-effective, and easily scaled-up approach for fabricating cellulose-based membranes. First, we coated polydopamine (PDA) onto fibers of filter membrane (FM). Then, the PDA-FM membrane was immersed into the mixed solution of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid) (PVA/PAA) and further thermally cross-linked at 150 °C to create a superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic membrane (PVA/PAA@PDA-FM) to separate oil/water mixtures. The simple thermally cross-linking process promotes multiple covalent chemical bonds generation between cellulose filter membrane, PAA, PDA, and PVA, endowing membranes with excellent stability and resistance to acidity, alkalinity, and salinity. The PVA/PAA@PDA-FM membrane not only demonstrates great separation performance (>99.8%) and great flux (>1000 L m-2 h-1) in oil-water immiscible mixtures but also maintains high separation efficiency under conditions of high acidity, alkalinity, and salinity. Additionally, the PVA/PAA@PDA-FM membrane exhibits excellent separation capacity in oil-water emulsions, which can maintain the >99.6% separation efficiency even after 40 cycles in harsh environments, showing outstanding reusability. Thus, due to the multiple cross-linked networks in the membrane, the excellent performance makes the PVA/PAA@PDA-FM membrane a good application prospect in water purification and oily wastewater treatment.

Political factors, carbon footprints, and fertility of women in sub-Saharan Africa.

The study aims to investigate how political factors such as government policies and economic development impact carbon emissions and subsequently affect the fertility rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study made use of the data sourced from the World Development Indicators (WDI) and World Governance Indications (WGI) covering 45 SSA countries for the period 2000 -2021. The study applied the Pooled Ordinary Least Squares, and control for endogeneity, and the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). The results show that carbon footprints have the potential of reducing fertility rate in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This impact in the full sample was also reflected in most of the subregions. With respect to governance, the result shows that regulatory quality has the potential of improving fertility rate in SSA. On the other hand, government effectiveness has a reduction impact on fertility rate. The research highlights the need for sustainable development policies that take into consideration the impact of carbon footprints on fertility rates in SSA.

L'étude vise à étudier comment des facteurs politiques tels que les politiques gouvernementales et le développement économique ont un impact sur les émissions de carbone et affectent par la suite les taux de fécondité en Afrique subsaharienne (ASS). L'étude a utilisé les données provenant des Indicateurs de développement dans le monde (WDI) et des Indications de la gouvernance mondiale (WGI) couvrant 45 pays d'ASS pour la période 2000-2021. L'étude a appliqué la méthode des moindres carrés ordinaires groupés, le contrôle de l'endogénéité et la méthode des moments généralisés (GMM). Les résultats montrent que les empreintes carbone ont le potentiel de réduire le taux de fécondité en Afrique subsaharienne (ASS). Cet impact sur l'échantillon complet s'est également reflété dans la plupart des sous-régions. En ce qui concerne la gouvernance, le résultat montre que la qualité de la réglementation a le potentiel d'améliorer le taux de fécondité en ASS. D'un autre côté, l'efficacité du gouvernement a un impact réducteur sur le taux de fécondité. La recherche souligne la nécessité de politiques de développement durable qui prennent en compte l'impact de l'empreinte carbone sur les taux de fécondité en ASS.

S100A4 Knockout Sensitizes Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Cells Harboring BRAFV600E/Mt to Vemurafenib.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), with 25% BRAFV600E mutation, is one of the most lethal human malignancies that currently has no effective therapy. Vemurafenib, a BRAFV600E inhibitor, has shown promise in clinical trials, including ATC patients, but is being hampered by the acquisition of drug resistance. Therefore, combination therapy that includes BRAFV600E inhibition and avoids resistance is a clinical need. METHODS: ATC cell lines 8505C (BRAFV600E/mt), SW1736 (BRAFV600E/mt), KAT18 (BRAFV600E/wt) and Cal-62(BRAFV600E/wt) cells were used in the study. The ability of S100A knockout or /and in combination with the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib on growth, apoptosis, invasion and apoptosis in ATC cells in vitro was demonstrated by MTT and BrdUrd incorporation assay, Annexin-V-FITC staining analyzed by flow cytometry, Transwell migration and Matrigel invasion assay. S100A4,pERK1/2, pAKT and pROCK1/2 protein was detected by western blot assay; Small molecule inhibitors of Y27632, U0126, MK-2206 and constitutively active forms of pCDNA-Myc-pERK, pCMV6-HA-Akt, pCMV-RhoA were employed, and the mechanistic studies were performed. We assessed the efficiency of in vivo combination treatment with S100A4 knockout and Vemurafenib on tumors. RESULTS: S100A4 knockout induced apoptosis and reduced proliferation by inactivation of pAKT and pERK signals, and inhibited invasion and migration by inactivation of pAKT and RhoA/ROCK1/2 signals in 8505C or Cal-62 cells in vitro, and vice versa in SW1736 and KAT18 cells. Vemurafenib did not affect apoptosis of both 8505C and SW1736 cells, but reduced proliferation via arresting cell cycle, and promoted cell migration and invasion in vitro. Combination treatment with S100A4 knockdown and vemurafenib reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro compared to the S100A4 knockdown or Vemurafenib alone. Vemurafenib treatment resulted in a transient inhibition of pERK expression and gradually activation of pAKT expression, but quickly recovery from ERK1/2 activation inhibition by vemurafenib treatment in 4 h for SW1736 and 8505C cells. Combined treatment completely inhibited ERK1/2 and AKT activation during 48 h. In an in vivo mouse model of SW1736 and 8505C, vemurafenib treatment alone did not significantly inhibit tumor growth in both of the tumors, but inhibited tumor growth in combined groups. CONCLUSION: Our results show S100A4 knockout alone inhibits ATC cells (rich endogenous S100A4) survival and invasion, regardless of the BRAFV600E status, and potentiates the effect of vemurafenib on tumor regression in vitro and in vivo. In addition, S100A4 knockout potently inhibits the recovery from ERK1/2 activation inhibition and the AKT activation following vemurafenib treatment and reversed the vemurafenib resistance. This therapeutic combination may be of benefit in patients with ATC.