Engineered hydrochar from waste reed straw for peroxymonosulfate activation to degrade quinclorac and improve solanaceae plants growth.

Hydrochar from agricultural wastes is regarded as a prospective and low-cost material to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for degrading pollutants. Herein, a novel in-situ N-doped hydrochar composite (RHCM4) was synthesized using montmorillonite and waste reed straw rich in nitrogen as pyrolysis catalyst and carbon source, respectively. The fabricated RHCM4 possessed excellent PMS activation performance for decomposing quinclorac (QC), a refractory herbicide, with a high removal efficiency of 100.0% and mineralization efficiency of 75.1%. The quenching experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) detection disclosed free radicals (•OH, •SO4-, and •O2-) and non-radicals (1O2) took part in the QC degradation process. Additionally, the catalytic mechanisms were analyzed in depth with the aid of various characterizations. Moreover, the QC degradation intermediates and pathways were clarified by density functional theory calculations and HPLC-MS. Importantly, phytotoxicity experiments showed that RHCM4/PMS could efficaciously mitigate the injury of QC to Solanaceae crops (pepper, tomato, and tobacco). These findings give a new idea for enhancing the catalytic activity of hydrochar from agricultural wastes and broaden its application in the field of agricultural environment.

Cloning and functional characterization of a tau class glutathione transferase associated with haloxyfop-P-methyl resistance in Digitaria sanguinalis.

BACKGROUND: Haloxyfop-P-methyl, an acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicide, has been extensively used to control grass weeds. Widespread use of haloxyfop-P-methyl in cotton fields in China has led to the development of glutathione transferase (GST)-mediated resistance in Digitaria sanguinalis. An RNA-seq analysis identified DsGSTU1, a tau class glutathione transferase from the D. sanguinalis transcriptome as a potential candidate. Here, we cloned DsGSTU1 from D. sanguinalis young leaf tissues and subsequently characterized DsGSTU1 by a combination of sequence analysis, as well as functional heterologous expression in rice. RESULTS: The full-length coding DNA sequence (CDS) of DsGSTU1 is 717 bp in length. Higher DsGSTU1 expression was observed in haloxyfop-P-methyl-resistant (HR) D. sanguinalis than in haloxyfop-P-methyl-susceptible (HS) plants. Overexpression of the DsGSTU1 gene was confirmed by transformation into the wild-type (WT) Nipponbare rice with pBWA(V)HS, a recombinant expression vector. GST activity in transgenic rice seedlings was 1.18-1.40-fold higher than the WT rice seedlings before and after haloxyfop-P-methyl treatment, respectively. Additionally, transgenic rice seedlings overexpressing DsGSTU1 were less sensitive to haloxyfop-P-methyl. CONCLUSION: Our combined findings suggest that DsGSTU1 is involved in metabolic resistance to haloxyfop-P-methyl in D. sanguinalis. A better understanding of the major genes contributing to herbicide-resistant D. sanguinalis facilitates the development of resistance management strategies for this global invasive grass weed. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

A real-world study of the efficacy and safety of furmonertinib for patients with non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations.

BACKGROUND: Furmonertinib is a novel third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). A phase Ib study (FAVOUR, NCT04858958) initially demonstrated the efficacy of furmonertinib in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR exon 20 insertion (ex20ins). This study aimed to investigate the real-world efficacy and safety of furmonertinib in patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR ex20ins. METHODS: We retrospectively examined patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR ex20ins having complete follow-up data, who were treated with furmonertinib from April 14, 2021, to March 15, 2022, at our institution and multiple hospitals in China. Objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rates and treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) were assessed. RESULTS: This study included 53 patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR ex20ins. A767_V769dup (28.3%) and S768_D770dup (11.3%) are the major variants. The ORR and DCR were 37.7% (20/53) and 92.5% (49/53), respectively. The 6-month PFS rate was 69.4% (95% CI 53.7-85.1%). The ORR of patients in the 240 mg once-daily dosage group was higher (42.9%) than that of patients in the 80 mg once-daily (25.0%) and 160 mg once-daily (39.5%) groups, but with no statistically significant difference (P = 0.816). The ORR of furmonertinib is not dependent on insertion location (P = 0.893). Patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastases at baseline responded similarly to those without CNS metastases (ORR: 33.3% vs. 40.6%, P = 0.773). The most common AEs were diarrhea (26.4%) and rash (26.4%). No grade ≥ 3 TRAEs were observed. No statistically significant difference was observed in the incidence of TRAEs between dosage groups (P = 0.271). CONCLUSIONS: Furmonertinib has shown encouraging antitumor activity and CNS activity in patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR ex20ins. Moreover, furmonertinib had a good safety profile and no dose-dependent toxicity.

Efficiency Recycling and Utilization of Phosphate from Wastewater Using LDHs-Modified Biochar.

The excessive application of phosphate fertilizers easily causes water eutrophication. Phosphorus recovery by adsorption is regarded as an effective and simple intervention to control water bodies' eutrophication. In this work, a series of new adsorbents, layered double hydroxides (LDHs)-modified biochar (BC) with different molar ratios of Mg2+ and Fe3+, were synthesized based on waste jute stalk and used for recycling phosphate from wastewater. The prepared LDHs-BC4 (the molar ratio of Mg/Fe is 4:1) has significantly high adsorption performance, and the recovery rate of phosphate is about 10 times higher than that of the pristine jute stalk BC. The maximum adsorption capacity of LDHs-BC4 for phosphate was 10.64 mg-P/g. The main mechanism of phosphate adsorption mainly includes electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, ligand exchange, and intragranular diffusion. Moreover, the phosphate-adsorbed LDHs-BC4 could promote mung bean growth, which indicated the recovery phosphate from wastewater could be used as a fertilizer.

Environmental-friendly hydrochar-montmorillonite composite for efficient catalytic degradation of dicamba and alleviating its damage to crops.

In recent years, carbon-based materials catalyzing peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for green degradation of persistent organic pollutants have attracted increasing attention. However, PMS activation by hydrochar composite (e.g. hydrochar-montomorillonite) has rarely been investigated. Herein, a simple preparation, low-cost and eco-friendly catalyst of hydrochar-montmorillonite composite (HC-Mt) was prepared to firstly catalyze PMS for the degradation of dicamba (DIC). The as-prepared HC-Mt showed a remarkably better catalyzing performance for PMS than pure hydrochar (HC) due to its good physicochemical characteristics and abundant oxygen-containing groups. Furthermore, the electron spin resonance (ESR) and quenching tests revealed that active species such as SO4-, OH and O2- all participated in the degradation process. DIC sites on C6, Cl 10, and O15 exhibited higher reactivity according to the density functional theory (DFT) calculation, which were easily attacked by active species. The DIC degradation mainly occurred via hydroxyl substitution, decarboxylation, oxidation and ring-cleavage and finally most of the intermediates were mineralized into CO2 and H2O. Finally, the phytotoxicity assessment was measured by the germination growth situation of tobacco and mung beans in the presence of DIC (with or without treatment by HC-Mt/PMS). The result showed that HC-Mt/PMS could significantly reduce the phytotoxicity of DIC to crops, suggesting that catalyzing PMS using HC-Mt was environmentally friendly. Therefore, this work did not only provide a novel catalyzing PMS strategy using hydrochar composite for wastewater treatment, but also give a new idea for herbicide phytotoxicity management.

Association between p73 RS2273953 to RS1801173 polymorphism and risk of lung cancer: a meta-analysis of 2,897 cases and 3,317 controls.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the most common and deadly cancers in humans. P73, a member of the p53 family, is a vital gene for the carcinogenesis of lung cancer. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of P73 gene may affect the risk of lung cancer. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of p73 SNP and lung cancer risk using the most recent data. METHODS: A total of 1407 articles from EMBASE, Web of science, PubMed and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were identified initially from the search. A meta-analysis of the association between P73 polymorphism and lung cancer risk was performed based on various genetic models and by type of lung cancer and race. RESULTS: Seven articles published in either English or Chinese with English abstract were eventually selected for final analysis. The total pooled population included 6214 subjects (2,897 cases and 3,317 controls). The results showed that p73 RS2273953 to RS1801173 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of lung cancer in Caucasians but not in Asians. Within Asians, those with p73 GC/GC may have an increased risk for squamous carcinoma compared to those with GC/AT+AT/AT polymorphism. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggested a lack of association between p73 RS2273953 to RS1801173 polymorphism and risk of lung cancer overall. However, patients with GC/GC polymorphism showed an increased risk for squamous carcinoma in the lung compared to those with GC/AT+AT/AT in Asians.

Low-Temperature Reduction Synthesis of γ-Fe2O3-x@biochar Catalysts and Their Combining with Peroxymonosulfate for Quinclorac Degradation.

Biochar loading mixed-phase iron oxide shows great advantages as a promising catalyst owing to its eco-friendliness and low cost. Here, γ-Fe2O3-x@biochar (E/Fe-N-BC) composite was successfully prepared by the sol-gel method combined with low-temperature (280 °C) reduction. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) result indicated that γ-Fe2O3-x particles with the size of approximately 200 nm were well-dispersed on the surface of biochar. The CO derived from biomass pyrolysis is the main reducing component for the generation of Fe (II). The high content of Fe (II) contributed to the excellent catalytic performance of E/Fe-N-BC for quinclorac (QNC) degradation in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The removal efficiency of 10 mg/L of QNC was 100% within 30 min using 0.3 g/L γ-Fe2O3-x@biochar catalyst and 0.8 mM PMS. The radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis confirmed that •OH and SO4•- were the main radicals during the degradation of QNC. The facile and easily mass-production of γ-Fe2O3-x@biochar with high catalytic activity make it a promising catalyst to activate PMS for the removal of organic pollutants.

Integrated Transcriptomic and Epigenetic Study of PCOS: Impact of Map3k1 and Map1lc3a Promoter Methylation on Autophagy.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent heterogeneous endocrine and metabolic disorder in women of reproductive age. Epigenetic mechanisms contribute to the development of PCOS. Nevertheless, the role of DNA methylation in the development of PCOS remains unclear. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the hyperandrogenic phenotype of PCOS, dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced prenatally androgenized (PNA) mice were used to mimic this phenotype. Ovarian samples from PNA and control mice were subjected to methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD)-seq and RNA-seq, and validation was conducted using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Immunohistochemical analysis (using anti-LC3II antibody) and transmission electron microscopy were conducted using ovarian tissue sections (which included granulosa cells) from PNA and control mice. There were 857 genes with differentially methylated promoter regions and 3,317 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the PNA mice compared to the control mice. Downregulation of Dnmt1 (which encodes DNA methyltransferase 1), accompanied by global hypomethylation, was observed in the PNA mice compared to the control mice. The promoter regions of Map3k1 (which encodes MEKK1) and Map1lc3a (which encodes LC3II) were hypomethylated, accompanied by upregulation of Map3k1 and Map1lc3a mRNA expression. The autophagy profiling results showed that LC3II protein expression and autophagosomes were significantly increased in the granulosa cells of PNA mice. Additionally, the mRNA expression of genes related to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/p53 pathway (Mapk14, Mapkapk3, and Trp53) and the autophagy-related gene Becn1 were significantly increased. DHT could change the DNA methylation and transcription level of Map3k1 and lead to an activation of autophagy in granulosa cells. These observations indicated that the change in autophagy may be driven by MAPK/p53 pathway activation, which may have been caused by DHT-induced transcriptional, and the methylation level changed of the key upstream gene Map3k1. Our study provides a novel genetic basis and new insights regarding the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Montmorillonite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron for thiamethoxam removal: response surface optimization and degradation pathway.

As a highly efficient insecticide, thiamethoxam was widely used in the world. However, it was bioaccumulative and toxic to aquatic organisms that must be removed from water. In this work, nanoscale zero-valent iron particles loaded on montmorillonite (nZVI/Mt) were successfully synthesized for effective removal of thiamethoxam. The properties of nZVI/Mt for the removal of thiamethoxam were investigated, and the reaction conditions were optimized through response surface methodology. Furthermore, the degradation products were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The results demonstrated that the reaction activity of nZVI was enhanced because the agglomeration and oxidation of nZVI particles were effectively inhibited by using montmorillonite as a support. The significance of the effects of each factor on the removal of thiamethoxam was determined to be in the order of pH Ëƒ temperature Ëƒ reaction time Ëƒ nZVI/Mt dosage. The optimal conditions were as follows: a dosage of nZVI/Mt of 2 g/L, a reaction time of 2 h, a reaction temperature of 35 °C, and a solution pH of 3. The removal efficiency of thiamethoxam (C0 = 20 mg/L) was observed to be as high as 94.29% under the optimal conditions, which was close to the value of 94.47% that was predicted using the mathematical model, indicating that the model could accurately predict the removal efficiency of thiamethoxam. The degradation mechanism involved the -NO2 group on the thiamethoxam molecule was reduced and eliminated by nZVI/Mt.

Ti3C2 2D MXene: Recent Progress and Perspectives in Photocatalysis.

In 2011, with the successful isolation of Ti3C2, a door of 2D layered MXene has been opened and received growing attention from researchers. MXene refers to a family of two-dimensional (2D) materials made up of atomic layers of the transition metal, carbide, nitrides, or carbonitrides. Given the large surface area, adjustable surface terminal groups, and excellent conductivity of MXene, it has shown exciting potential in photocatalysis, energy conversion, and many other fields. Among many 2D MXene, Ti3C2 was the most studied for its availability, low cost, facile modification procedure, and outstanding electronic properties. In previous investigations, Ti3C2 has shown huge potential in the photocatalysis area. Ti3C2 in a photocatalysis system can enhance the separation of photoinduced electrons and holes, reduce charge recombination, and thus improve the photocatalysis performance in many systems. To adjust the performance of Ti3C2 in different applications, the properties of Ti3C2 including morphology, structures, and stability are tunable by different post-processing method in the hybridized materials. In this review, an all-around understanding of the fabrication and modification methods of Ti3C2 and their connection to photocatalytic applications of Ti3C2 MXene based materials are presented. Moreover, a summary and our perspectives of Ti3C2 are given for further investigation.

Cobalt (0/II) incorporated N-doped porous carbon as effective heterogeneous peroxymonosulfate catalyst for quinclorac degradation.

A cobalt(0/II)-incorporated N-doped porous carbon (Co/NC) catalyst was prepared via one-step thermal decomposition of ethylene-diamine tetra-acetic acid and a Co salt. Fine Co nanoparticles composed of metallic and oxidized Co species were formed and well dispersed in the graphene-like film-type N-doped carbon support. The Co species played a dominant role in peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to generate sulfate and hydroxyl radicals. The N-doped porous carbon synergistically affected the catalytic performance by enhancing electronic transfer. The resulting Co/NC was a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for PMS activation and enabled considerably enhanced quinclorac (QNC) degradation. Typically, 93% QNC (50 mg L-1) removal was achieved with 0.08 g L-1 Co/NC and 20 mmol L-1 PMS. The QNC degradation kinetic data fitted a pseudo-first-order kinetic model well, with a correlation coefficient (R2) higher than 0.99. Investigation of the reaction mechanism suggested that hydroxyl (HO) and sulfate (SO4-) radicals were the predominant active species in the Co/NCPMS system and QNC degradation mainly involved dehydroxylation and substitution of OH for COOH. This Co/NC catalyst is promising for use in advanced oxidation processes for the removal of persistent organic pollutants.

Aqueous Dual-Ion Battery Based on a Hematite Anode with Exposed {1 0 4} Facets.

The aqueous rechargeable lithium battery (ARLB) is one of the most promising devices for large-scale grid applications. Currently, a key issue for ARLBs is to develop promising anode materials with favorable electrochemical performances. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate an aqueous battery that utilizes the reversible redox reaction with hydroxide ions (OH- ) in the hematite (Fe2 O3 ) anode and a commercial Li ion intercalation compound in neutral solution as the cathode. The fabricated aqueous battery displays a reversible capacity of 92 mAh g-1 . The morphology of the used Fe2 O3 anode with exposed {1 0 4} facets for this aqueous battery is unique and attractive. Importantly, with the dual-pH neutral-alkaline hybrid electrolyte, many excellent anode materials that previously could only work in alkaline electrolytes can now be successfully combined with commercial cathodes in neutral solutions, which may significantly enrich the range of anode materials for ARLBs. In addition, the reported battery configuration can be extended to other aqueous batteries beyond Li-ion ones with lower cost.

Electrochemical behavior and voltammetric determination of vanillin based on an acetylene black paste electrode modified with graphene-polyvinylpyrrolidone composite film.

The graphene-polyvinylpyrrolidone composite film modified acetylene black paste electrode (GR-PVP/ABPE) was fabricated and used to determine vanillin. In 0.1M H3PO4 solution, the oxidation peak current of vanillin increased significantly at GR-PVP/ABPE compared with bare ABPE, PVP/ABPE and GR/ABPE. The oxidation mechanism was discussed. The experimental conditions that exert influence on the voltammetric determination of vanillin, such as supporting electrolytes, pH values, accumulation potential and accumulation time, were optimized. Besides, the interference, repeatability, reproducibility and stability measurements were also evaluated. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the oxidation peak current was proportional to vanillin concentration in the range of 0.02-2.0 µM, 2.0-40 µM and 40-100 µM. The detection limit was 10nM. This sensor was used successfully for vanillin determination in various food samples.

Exogenous ascorbic acid and glutathione alleviate oxidative stress induced by salt stress in the chloroplasts of Oryza sativa L.

The effects of exogenous ascorbic acid (AsA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) on antioxidant enzyme activities [superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR)] and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2, as well as of endogenous AsA and GSH, in the chloroplasts of two rice cultivars, the salt-tolerant cultivar Pokkali and the salt-sensitive cultivar Peta, were investigated. Exogenous AsA and GSH enhanced SOD, APX, and GR activities, increased endogenous AsA and GSH contents, and reduced those of H2O2 and MDA in the chloroplasts of both cultivars under salt stress (200 mM NaCl), but the effects were significantly more pronounced in cv. Pokkali. GSH acted more strongly than AsA on the plastidial reactive oxygen scavenging systems. These results indicated that exogenous AsA and GSH differentially enhanced salinity tolerance and alleviated salinity-induced damage in the two rice cultivars.

[Simultaneous determination of bensulfuron-methyl and mefenacet residues in paddy field using high performance liquid chromatography].

An analytical method of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was established for the simultaneous determination of bensulfuron-methyl and mefenacet residues in paddy field (paddy water, soil and rice plant). The residues in the paddy water was extracted with methylene chloride, and the soil with alkaline mixed solution of acetonitrile-methylene chloride (1:1, v/v). The rice plant was extracted with alkaline methylene chloride which was cleaned up by a Florisil column. The separation was performed on a stainless steel C18 column (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) at 30 degrees C by HPLC with an ultraviolet detector (UVD) at 238 nm, and water-methanol (30:70, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The quantification was performed by external standard. The calibration curves were linear between the peak area and the concentration in the range of 0.05-5.00 mg/L for bensulfuron-methyl and mefenacet, and the correlation coefficients were more than 0.999 9. The average recoveries of the two herbicides spiked in the paddy water, soil and rice plant at the three concentration levels of 0.05, 0.10 and 1.00 mg/kg ranged from 85.39% to 113.33% with the relative standard deviations of 0.91%-10.24%. The method is characterized by simplicity, sensitivity and accuracy.

[An experimental study on cardiopulmonary resuscitation by cardiac massage under diaphragmatic muscle for rabbit with cardiac arrest].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the hemodynamic effect of standard-cardiopulmonary resuscitation (S-CPR) and of CPR by cardiac massage under the diaphragmatic muscle (D-CPR), and to evaluate the feasibility of D-CPR. METHODS: Twenty healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: one group receiving S-CPR (n=10) and the other group receiving D-CPR (n=10). Cardiac arrest was induced by asphyxiation at the end expiration for 8 minutes. After the hemodynamic situation was stable for 5 minutes before asphyxiation, the readings of ascending aorta systolic pressure (AOS) and diastolic pressure (AOD), transcutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO(2)), right atrial systolic pressure (RASP), right atrial diastolic pressure (RADP), and electrocardiogram were recorded consecutively to the end of the experiment . The mean arterial pressure (MAP) of ascending aorta and coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) were calculated. The rate of restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and the survival rate in a short duration of 6 hours were observed. RESULTS: Five rabbits in S-CPR group and 8 in D-CPR group were successfully resuscitated and obtained ROSC (50%, 80%, P=20.05). Six hours survival rate was 40% in S-CRP group and 50% in D-CPR group. The comparisons between the two groups on AOS, AOD, MAP and CPP respectively showed that at 1 minute and 5 minutes during resuscitation the respective variables were higher in the D-CPR group than that in the S-CPR group (all P<0.05). Compared to the hemodynamics before asphyxiation, the MAP and CPP in the D-CPR group increased 54.1% and 33.4% of basic value at 1 minute, and they were 60.0% and 41.8% at 5 minutes, while the AOS and AOD in the S-CPR group only increased by an average of 37.3% and 16.5% at 1 minute, and they were 38.5% and 17.1% at 5 minutes, respectively. After ROSC, the hemodynamic variations of the D-CPR rabbits were more stable than those of S-CPR rabbits. CONCLUSION: D-CPR can provide higher arterial pressure, cardiac output, rate of ROSC and survival rate in a short period than S-CPR can induce, so that D-CPR is superior to S-CPR.