Progress in the Management of Patients with Cholestatic Liver Disease: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?

Cholestatic liver disease is a group of diseases in which bile acid accumulates in the liver for various reasons, resulting in abnormal liver biochemical indicators and histological damage. Cholestasis can be divided into intrahepatic cholestasis and extrahepatic cholestasis, which will contribute to liver damage and progress to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis are the two most typical cholestatic liver diseases. Ursodeoxycholic acid is currently the first-line treatment for PBC, while obeticholic acid, budesonide and fibrates have also shown good potential in the treatment of PBC. There are currently no official drugs approved to treat primary sclerosing cholangitis, and the use of ursodeoxycholic acid may have certain clinical benefits. At present, progress has been made in new treatment directions for cholestatic liver disease, including fibroblast growth factor 19, cholestyramine, S-adenosyl-L-methionine, steroid drugs, farnesoid X receptor agonists, and more. Considerable progress has been made in the management of cholestatic liver disease but there are still many opportunities and challenges. In this review, we summarized the recommended guidelines for the management of cholestatic disease and the progress of new drug research and development, in order to provide an important reference for the clinical practice of cholestatic liver disease.

Prediction of Microvascular Invasion and Recurrence After Curative Resection of LI-RADS Category 5 Hepatocellular Carcinoma on Gd-BOPTA Enhanced MRI.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the predictive value of Gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA) enhanced MRI features on microvascular invasion (MVI) and recurrence in patients with Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) category 5 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A total of 132 patients with LI-RADS category 5 HCC who underwent curative resection and Gd-BOPTA enhanced MRI at our hospital between January 2016 and December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Qualitative evaluation based on LI-RADS v2018 imaging features was performed. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the predictive significance of these features for MVI, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify postoperative risk factors of recurrence. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) was analyzed by using the Kaplan-Meier curve and Log rank test. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that corona enhancement (odds ratio [OR] = 3.217; p < 0.001), internal arteries (OR = 4.147; p = 0.004), and peritumoral hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase (HBP) (OR = 5.165; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with MVI. Among the 132 patients with LR-5 HCC, 62 patients experienced postoperative recurrence. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that mosaic architecture (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.982; p = 0.014), corona enhancement (HR = 1.783; p = 0.039), and peritumoral hypointensity on HBP (HR = 2.130; p = 0.009) were risk factors for poor RFS. Conclusion: MRI features based on Gd-BOPTA can be noninvasively and effectively predict MVI and recurrence of LR-5 HCC patients.

Endoscopic ultrasound for the diagnosis and treatment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Chronic liver disease has emerged as a significant global concern, with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) representing a critical consequence of this disease. However, early detection of HCC remains challenging in clinical practice. Recently, there has been a growing interest in applying endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) as a diagnostic tool for gastrointestinal diseases. Nevertheless, using EUS to diagnose and treat HCC is uncommon. In this review we described the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of EUS in primary HCC and evaluated its clinical significance. The diagnostic procedures primarily involve EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy or aspiration, assessment of metastatic lymph nodes and portal vein thrombosis, portal pressure monitoring, and portal vein blood collection. Treatment mainly includes EUS-guided tumor ablation, brachytherapy, injectable chemotherapy, and managing variceal hemorrhage related to portal hypertension.

Revolutionizing Solid-State NASICON Sodium Batteries: Enhanced Ionic Conductivity Estimation through Multivariate Experimental Parameters Leveraging Machine Learning.

Na superionic conductor (NASICON) materials hold promise as solid-state electrolytes due to their wide electrochemical stability and chemical durability. However, their limited ionic conductivity hinders their integration into sodium-ion batteries. The conventional approach to electrolyte design struggles with comprehending the intricate interactions of factors impacting conductivity, encompassing synthesis parameters, structural characteristics, and electronic descriptors. Herein, we explored the potential of machine learning in predicting ionic conductivity in NASICON. We compile a database of 211 datasets, covering 160 NASICON materials, and employ facile descriptors, including synthesis parameters, test conditions, molecular and structural attributes, and electronic properties. Random forest (RF) and neural network (NN) models were developed and optimized, with NN performing notably better, particularly with limited data (R2=0.820). Our analysis spotlighted the pivotal role of Na stoichiometric count in ionic conductivity. Furthermore, the NN algorithm highlighted the comparable significance of synthesis parameters to structural factors in determining conductivity. In contrast, the impact of electronegativity on doped elements appears less significant, underscoring the importance of dopant size and quantity. This work underscores the potential of machine learning in advancing NASICON electrolyte design for sodium-ion batteries, offering insights into conductivity drivers and a more efficient path to optimizing materials.

Insight into the interaction of tetrabromobisphenol A with sediment-derived dissolved organic carbon in a multiphase system by direct immersion solid phase microextraction.

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a ubiquitously used commercial brominated flame retardant (BFR), has been widely detected in aquatic environments, and has aroused much attention due to its potential adverse effects on aquatic organisms. However, current research on the environmental fate and transport of TBBPA in the sediment-dissolved organic carbon (DOC)-water polyphase system is lacking. In this study, the sorption behavior of TBBPA in a water-DOC-sediment system was investigated using the direct-immersion solid-phase microextraction (DI-SPME) method, and the free dissolved concentration (Cw-SPME) and DOC adsorption concentration (CDOC) of TBBPA in water were measured by applying this DI-SPME approach. In addition, the effects of pH, ionic strength, and soluble organic concentration on the adsorption of TBBPA in the multiphase system were evaluated. The adsorption kinetics experimental results show that the adsorption behavior of TBBPA on sediments conforms to a linear model, suggesting that it could be mainly absorbed by sediments. The solid-water partition coefficient (Kd) of TBBPA was artificially reduced 1.54 times using the traditional liquid-liquid extraction method because the sorption behavior of the DOC was ignored, which could be accurately corrected using the DI-SPME method. The logKd and logKOC of TBBPA in the multiphase system were 4.12 ± 0.25 and 6.48 ± 0.25, respectively. Finally, the interference experiment revealed that the sorption behavior of TBBPA was affected by the pH, ionic strength (calcium ion), and humic acid concentration, apart from the lead ion concentration itself.

Clinical and DCE-CT signs in predicting microvascular invasion in cHCC-ICC.

BACKGROUND: To predict the microvascular invasion (MVI) in patients with cHCC-ICC. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 119 patients who underwent CT enhancement scanning (from September 2006 to August 2022). They were divided into MVI-positive and MVI-negative groups. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with CEA elevation was higher in the MVI-positive group than in the MVI-negative group, with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.02). The MVI-positive group had a higher rate of peritumoral enhancement in the arterial phase (P = 0.01) whereas the MVI-negative group had more oval and lobulated masses (P = 0.04). According to the multivariate analysis, the increase in CEA (OR = 10.15, 95% CI: 1.11, 92.48, p = 0.04), hepatic capsular withdrawal (OR = 4.55, 95% CI: 1.44, 14.34, p = 0.01) and peritumoral enhancement (OR = 6.34, 95% CI: 2.18, 18.40, p < 0.01) are independent risk factors for predicting MVI. When these three imaging signs are combined, the specificity of MVI prediction was 70.59% (series connection), and the sensitivity was 100% (parallel connection). CONCLUSIONS: Our multivariate analysis found that CEA elevation, liver capsule depression, and arterial phase peritumoral enhancement were independent risk factors for predicting MVI in cHCC-ICC.

Diagnostic value of FibroTouch in identifying hepatic steatosis in NAFLD with MRI-PDFF as the reference standard.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the performance of the FibroTouch-based ultrasound attenuation parameter (UAP) for assessing hepatic steatosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) as the reference standard. METHODS: This prospective, cross-sectional study included 275 individuals in the training group and 110 individuals in the validation group, all of whom completed a standardized research visit, laboratory tests, MRI-PDFF, and UAP measurements over 1 month. Pearson correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman analysis were used to assess the agreement between UAP and MRI-PDFF for the detection of hepatic steatosis. The diagnostic value of UAP was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUROC). Confounding factors to UAP performance were identified by ROC curves and regression analyses. RESULTS: The AUROC of UAP for detecting MRI-PDFF at ≥5%, ≥10%, and ≥20% were 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-0.97), 0.86 (95% CI 0.81-0.90), and 0.90 (95% CI 0.86-0.93), respectively, and their optimal thresholds were 259, 274, and 295 dB/m, respectively. The UAP measurements had higher diagnostic accuracy in participants with lower waist circumference (≤90 cm for men and ≤80 cm for women) compared to those with higher waist circumference (AUROC values: 0.97 vs 0.84, P < 0.05). Bland-Altman analysis showed good agreement between UAP and MRI-PDFF (bias 0.00021). According to established regression analyses, hepatic steatosis could be accurately diagnosed using UAP estimation. CONCLUSIONS: FibroTouch-UAP has a high diagnostic potential for hepatic steatosis in NAFLD patients and helps clinical assessment and monitoring.

Favorable impact of a novel endoscopic auxiliary system (NEAS) on fluoroscopy-guided lithotripsy for difficult bile duct stones: A pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: Laser lithotripsy under fluoroscopic guidance is difficult to perform and risky due to its invisibility. In this study we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of a novel endoscopic auxiliary system (NEAS)-assisted lithotripsy under fluoroscopy for treating difficult common bile duct (CBD) stones. METHODS: Patients with difficult CBD stones who were treated with NEAS-assisted laser lithotripsy (NEAS group) or conventional mechanical lithotripsy (ML) under fluoroscopy (ML group) were retrospectively evaluated. The primary outcome was the complete stone clearance rate and the secondary outcomes included operation time, complications, and medical cost. RESULTS: Seventeen patients were treated with NEAS-assisted laser lithotripsy and 144 patients underwent ML. Using the propensity score matching analysis, 17 pairs of cases treated with NEAS-assisted lithotripsy and ML were included. Patients in the NEAS group showed a higher stone clearance rate than the ML group (94.1% vs 58.8%, P = 0.039), as well as shorter operation time (41.9 min vs 49.4 min, P < 0.001) and lower medical cost (USD 4607 vs USD 5014, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the complication rate between the two groups (5.9% vs 17.6%, P = 0.601). CONCLUSION: NEAS-assisted fluoroscopy-guided laser lithotripsy is feasible and safe, which may be a promising technique in fluoroscopy-guided laser lithotripsy for difficult CBD stones.

Can vitamin B6 alleviate the adverse reactions of quadruple anti-Helicobacter pylori regimen? : randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin B6 is an essential water-soluble vitamin for humans. It is often used to prevent a variety of neuropathies, relieve vomiting, and relieve symptoms such as hand and foot neuritis. AIM: To evaluate whether vitamin B6 can alleviate the adverse reactions caused by the quadruple anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment regimen containing minocycline and metronidazole. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 280 patients with H. pylori infection were randomly placed into one of two treatment groups-the conventional treatment group and the vitamin B6 supplement treatment group-for 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was the total incidence of adverse reactions up to 2 weeks after treatment initiation. The study was designed according to CONSORT Medicinal Interventions. And it was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry under the number ChiCTR2100053833. RESULTS: In terms of efficacy, vitamin B6 does not affect the efficacy of conventional regimen. In the vitamin B6 supplement treatment group, the incidence of adverse reactions was 56.92%, which was significantly lower than the 74.62% observed in the conventional treatment group. In addition, the severity of adverse reactions was also significantly reduced. The proportion of moderate to severe central nervous system symptoms decreased from 58.7 to 14.63%. And, the proportion of moderate to severe gastrointestinal reactions decreased from 33.33 to 0%. We speculate that the mechanism of vitamin B6 of reducing adverse reaction may be related to the production of GABA in the brain. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin B6 can alleviate adverse reactions of the quadruple anti-H. pylori regimen containing minocycline and metronidazole.

Modulation of radical and nonradical pathways via modified carbon nanotubes toward efficient oxidation of binary pollutants in water.

In order to minimize the knowledge gap between single and binary pollutants degradation by persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PS-AOPs), iron-loaded N-doped carbon nanotubes (Fe-NCNT) and its acid-washing sample (Fe-NCNT-W) were synthesized as peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator for simultaneous oxidation of acid orange 7 (AO7) and electron-rich (phenol/ibuprofen) or electron-deficient pollutants (nitrobenzene/benzoic acid). Mechanistic studies revealed that both radical (HO•, SO4•-) and nonradical (electron-transfer, high-valent iron) pathways involved for organic oxidation in Fe-NCNT/PMS system, while electron-transfer pathway (ETP) and high-valent iron-oxo species accounted for pollutant degradation at the surface and inner space of Fe-NCNT-W, respectively. The oxidation performances in single or binary systems were systematically investigated. In comparison to benchmark radical-based (Fe2+/PMS), nonradical ETP (NCNT/PMS) and mixed (Fe-NCNT/PMS) systems, Fe-NCNT-W/PMS outperformed superior performance toward oxidation of binary pollutants with little inference from solution pH or background substances, which could also be fabricated into membrane reactor for actual dyeing sewage treatment. Such superiorities should be mainly ascribed to the particular selectivity and intensive treatment of nonradical pathways in Fe-NCNT-W/PMS system with nanoconfinement effect. This work affords novel insights into the treatment of combined pollution via PMS activation by engineered nanomaterials.

Membrane-catalysis integrated system for contaminants degradation and membrane fouling mitigation: A review.

The integration of catalytic degradation and membrane separation processes not only enables continuous degradation of contaminants but also effectively alleviates inevitable membrane fouling, demonstrating fascinating practical value for efficient water purification. Such membrane-catalysis integrated system (MCIS) has attracted tremendous research interest from scientists in chemical engineering and environmental science recently. In this review, the advantages of MCIS are discussed, including the membrane structure regulation, stable catalyst loading, nano-confinement effect, and efficient natural organic matter (NOM) exclusion, highlighting the synergistic effect between membrane separation and catalytic process. Subsequently, the design considerations for the fabrication of catalytic membranes, including substrate membrane, catalytic material, and fabrication method, are comprehensively summarized. Afterward, the mechanisms and performance of MCIS based on different catalytic types, including liquid-phase oxidants/reductants involved MCIS, gas involved MCIS, photocatalysis involved MCIS, and electrocatalysis involved MCIS are reviewed in detail. Finally, the research direction and future perspectives of catalytic membranes for water purification are proposed. The current review provides an in-depth understanding of the design of catalytic membranes and facilitates their further development for practical applications in efficient water purification.

Highly efficient nanocomposite of Y2O3@biochar for oxytetracycline removal from solution: Adsorption characteristics and mechanisms.

Nano Y2O3-modified biochar composites (Y2O3@BC600) were fabricated successfully and exhibited great adsorption toward oxytetracycline (OTC). The Langmuir adsorption capacity of Y2O3@BC600-1:4 for OTC reached 223.46 mg/g, 10.52 times greater than that of BC600. The higher dispersion of Y2O3 nanoparticles, increased surface area of 175.65 m2/g and expanded porosity of 0.27 cm3/g accounted for higher OTC adsorption by Y2O3@BC600-1:4. Y2O3@BC600-1:4 could resist the interference of co-existing cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) and anions (Cl-, NO3-, SO42-) on OTC removal. Y2O3 coating changed surface charge property of BC600, favoring the contribution of electrostatic interaction. Synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy detected obvious peak shift and intensity change of surface -OH when OTC adsorption occurred. Accordingly, stronger H-bonding (charge-assisted hydrogen bond, OTC-H2N+···HO-Y2O3@BC600-1:4) was proposed for OTC adsorption. Y2O3@BC600 exhibited renewability and stability in the adsorptive removal of OTC. Therefore, Y2O3@BC600 may be a novel and suitable adsorbent for antibiotic removal.

Stages of psychological change among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in China: a national cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. However, treatment of NAFLD is potentially influenced by psychological conditions. Using the simplified version of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA-SV) scale, this study aimed to evaluate the stage of psychological change as a prerequisite to refining implementation strategies for psychological change. DESIGN: A multicentre cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Ninety hospitals in China. PARTICIPANTS: 5181 patients with NAFLD were included in this study. OUTCOME MEASURES: All patients completed the URICA-SV questionnaire and were assigned to one of the three stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation or action) according to their readiness scores. A stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with the stage of psychological change. RESULTS: A total of 4832 (93.3%) patients were included in the precontemplation stage and only 349 (6.7%) considered making a change or preparing to make one. There were significant differences in gender (Cohen's d=0.039, p=0.005), age (Cohen's d=-0.327, p<0.001), waist circumference (Cohen's d=0.143, p=0.003), alanine transaminase (Cohen's d=0.347, p=0.001), triglyceride (Cohen's d=0.351, p=0.002), body mass index (BMI; Cohen's d=0.056, p<0.001), proportion of hyperlipidaemia (Cohen's d=0.068, p<0.001) and cardiovascular disease (Cohen's d=0.032, p=0.029), therapeutic regimen (Cohen's d=0.136, p<0.001), and Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire-Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease overall score (Cohen's d=-0.420, p<0.001) between patients with NAFLD in the precontemplation stage and those in the contemplation/action stage. Logistic regression identified BMI (HR 0.659, 95% CI 0.469 to 0.928, p=0.017), cardiovascular disease (HR 2.161, 95% CI 1.089 to 4.287, p=0.027) and triglyceride (HR 0.751, 95% CI 0.591 to 0.955, p=0.020) as independent factors predicting psychological change. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that very few patients with NAFLD presented psychological condition in the stage of action. Psychological condition was found to be significantly related to BMI, cardiovascular disease and triglyceride factors. Integrated diversity considerations for evaluating psychological change are necessary.

Removal of organophosphorus flame retardant by biochar-coated nZVI activating persulfate: Synergistic mechanism of adsorption and catalytic degradation.

Triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) is a typical aromatic-based non-chlorinated organophosphorus flame retardant, which has been widely detected in a variety of environments and poses high environmental and human health risks. In this study, biochar coated nano-zero-valent iron (nZVI) was fabricated to activate persulfate (PS) to degrade TPhP from water. A range of biochars (BC400, BC500, BC600, BC700, and BC800) was prepared as potential support to coat nZVI by pyrolyzing corn stalk at 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800 °C. As outperformed other biochars in adsorption rate, adsorption capacity, and less reluctant to be influenced by environmental factors (pH, humic acid (HA), coexistence of anions), BC800 was to act as support to coat nZVI (labeled as BC800@nZVI). SEM, TEM, XRD and XPS characterization showed that nZVI was successfully supported on the BC800. Removal efficiency of 10 mg L-1 TPhP by BC800@nZVI/PS could reach to 96.9% with a high catalytic degradation kinetic rate of 0.0484 min-1 under optimal condition. The removal efficiency remained stable in a wide pH range (3-9) and moderate concentration of HA and coexistence of anions, demonstrated the promising of using BC800@nZVI/PS system to eliminate TPhP contamination. Results from the radical scavenging and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments demonstrated radical pathway (i.e. SO4·- and HO·) and non-radical pathway via 1O2 both play important role in TPhP degradation. The TPhP degradation pathway was proposed based on the six degradation intermediates analyzed by LC-MS. This study illustrated the synergistic mechanism of adsorption and catalytic oxidation removal of TPhP by BC800@nZVI/PS system, and provided a cost-efficient approach for TPhP remediation.

Asymmetric Alternative Current Electrochemical Method Coupled with Amidoxime-Functionalized Carbon Felt Electrode for Fast and Efficient Removal of Hexavalent Chromium from Wastewater.

A large amount of Cr (VI)-polluted wastewater produced in electroplating, dyeing and tanning industries seriously threatens water ecological security and human health. Due to the lack of high-performance electrodes and the coulomb repulsion between hexavalent chromium anion and cathode, the traditional DC-mediated electrochemical remediation technology possesses low Cr (VI) removal efficiency. Herein, by modifying commercial carbon felt (O-CF) with amidoxime groups, amidoxime-functionalized carbon felt electrodes (Ami-CF) with high adsorption affinity for Cr (VI) were prepared. Based on Ami-CF, an electrochemical flow-through system powered by asymmetric AC was constructed. The mechanism and influencing factors of efficient removal of Cr (VI) contaminated wastewater by an asymmetric AC electrochemical method coupling Ami-CF were studied. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization results showed that Ami-CF was successfully and uniformly loaded with amidoxime functional groups, and the adsorption capacity of Cr (VI) was more than 100 times higher than that of O-CF. In particular, the Coulomb repulsion effect and the side reaction of electrolytic water splitting were inhibited by the high-frequency anode and cathode switching (asymmetric AC), the mass transfer rate of Cr (VI) from electrode solution was increased, the reduction efficiency of Cr (VI) to Cr (III) was significantly promoted and a highly efficient removal of Cr (VI) was achieved. Under optimal operating conditions (positive bias 1 V, negative bias 2.5 V, duty ratio 20%, frequency 400 Hz, solution pH = 2), the asymmetric AC electrochemistry based on Ami-CF can achieve fast (30 s) and efficient removal (>99.11%) for 0.5-100 mg·L-1 Cr (VI) with a high flux of 300 L h-1 m-2. At the same time, the durability test verified the sustainability of the AC electrochemical method. For Cr (VI)-polluted wastewater with an initial concentration of 50 mg·L-1, the effluent concentration could still reach drinking water grade (<0.05 mg·L-1) after 10 cycling experiments. This study provides an innovative approach for the rapid, green and efficient removal of Cr (VI) containing wastewater at low and medium concentrations.

Shifts in composition and function of bacterial communities reveal the effect of small barriers on nitrous oxide and methane accumulation in fragmented rivers.

Rivers are often blocked by barriers to form different habitats, but it is not clear whether this change will affect the accumulation of N2O and CH4 in rivers. Here, low barriers (less than 2 m, LB) increased N2O concentration by 1.13 times and CH4 decreased by 0.118 times, while high barriers (higher than 2 m, less than 5 m high, HB) increased N2O concentration by 1.19 times and CH4 by 2.76 times. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated LB and HB can promote the enrichment of Cyanobium and Chloroflexi, further limiting complete denitrification and increasing N2O accumulation. The LB promotes methanotrophs (Methylocystis, Methylophilus, and Methylotenera) to compete with denitrifiers (Pseudomonas) in water, and reduce CH4 accumulation. While the HB can promote the methanotrophs to compete with nitrifiers (Nitrosospira) in sediment, thus reducing the consumption of CH4. LB and HB reduce river velocity, increase water depth, and reduce dissolved oxygen (DO), leading to enrichment of nirS-type denitrifiers and the increase of N2O concentration in water. Moreover, the HB reduces DO concentration and pmoA gene abundance in water, which can increase the accumulation of CH4. In light of the changes in the microbial community and variation in N2O and CH4 accumulation, the impact of fragmented rivers on global greenhouse gas emissions merits further study.

Efficient removal of Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate by biochar derived from shrimp shell: Adsorption performance and mechanism study.

Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) has been detected all over the world as a typical refractory organic phosphate, especially in groundwater. This work applied a calcium-rich biochar derived from shrimp shell as a low-cost adsorbent for TCEP removal. Based on the kinetics and isotherm studies, the adsorption of TCEP on biochar was monolayer adsorbed on a uniform surface, with SS1000 (the biochar was prepared at the carbonization temperature of 1000 °C) achieving the maximum adsorption capacity of 264.11 mg·g-1. The prepared biochar demonstrated stable TCEP removal ability throughout a wide pH range, in the presence of co-existing anions, and in diverse water bodies. A rapid removal rate of TCEP was observed during the adsorption process. When the dosage of SS1000 was 0.2 g·L-1, 95% of TCEP could be removed within the first 30 min. The mechanism analysis indicated that the calcium species and basic functional groups on the SS1000 surface were highly involved in the TCEP adsorption process.

Influence of microplastics on the transport of antibiotics in sand filtration investigated by AFM force spectroscopy.

Microplastics and antibiotics were frequently detected in the effluent of sand filtration, while the presence of microplastics may change the interactions between the antibiotics and the quartz sands. However, the influence of microplastics on the transport of antibiotics in sand filtration has not been revealed. In this study, ciprofloxacin (CIP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) were respectively grafted on AFM probes to determine the adhesion forces to the representative microplastics (PS and PE) and the quartz sand. CIP and SMX exhibited low and high mobilities in the quartz sands, respectively. Compositional analysis of the adhesion forces indicated that the lower mobility of CIP in sand filtration columns could be attributed to the electrostatic attraction between the quartz sand and CIP compared with repulsion for SMX. Moreover, the significant hydrophobic interaction between the microplastics and the antibiotics could be responsible for the competitive adsorption of the antibiotics to the microplastics from the quartz sands; meanwhile, the π-π interaction further enhanced the adsorption of PS to the antibiotics. As a result of the high mobility of microplastics in the quartz sands, the carrying effect of microplastics enhanced the transport of antibiotics in the sand filtration columns regardless of their original mobilities. This study provided insights into the mechanism of the microplastics on enhancing the transport of antibiotics in sand filtration systems from the perspective of the molecular interaction.

Insights into dual effect of missing linker-cluster domain defects for photocatalytic 2e- ORR: Radical reaction and electron behavior.

Photocatalytic 2e- ORR paves a promising avenue for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production. However, the obscure structure-activity relationship between a specific structure and photocatalytic 2e- ORR restricts the understanding of its intrinsic mechanism. In this work, Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) with missing linker-cluster domain (MLCD) defects were employed as a model to shed new light on the effect of MLCD defect on photocatalytic 2e- ORR, which mainly focused on the radical reaction and electron behavior. Experiments and theoretical calculations revealed that incorporating MLCD defects significantly lowered the contribution rate of reactive superoxide radical (·O2-). Meanwhile, the retarded interfacial charge transfer via "Ti-O″ bridge was caused by the undesirable electron dissipation and augmented orbital-limited resistance induced by electron spin polarization. Therefore, the photocatalytic 2e- ORR activity was decreased to 30% of its origin by construction MLCD defects. This study provides insights into the internal mechanism of photocatalytic 2e- ORR for designing and optimizing excellent defective nanomaterials.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of chronic liver disease questionnaire-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a multicenter cross-sectional survey in China.

PURPOSE: The Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ)-Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a disease-specific instrument to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients with NAFLD. In order to provide further evidence for the cross-cultural utility of this instrument in the Chinese population, we translated the CLDQ-NAFLD into Chinese and examined its reliability and validity. METHODS: Patients with NAFLD in 90 hospitals across China were enrolled in this multicenter cross-sectional survey. Eligible patients completed the Chinese version of CLDQ-NAFLD at enrollment to assess HRQL. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and split-half reliability. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed using Spearman correlation coefficient. Factor analysis was used to test the construct validity. RESULTS: Between March and August 2019, 5181 patients with a mean age of 43.8 ± 13.3 years were enrolled. All domains exhibited good internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha and split-half reliability greater than 0.70. The scaling success rate of all domains was 100% for convergent validity and 99.4% (179/180) for discriminant validity. The inter-scale correlations indicated a significant correlation between all CLDQ-NAFLD domains (r = 0.608 to 0.832, all p < 0.001). Factor analysis of 36 items extracted 6 factors, which explained 69.14% of the total variance. CONCLUSION: The Chinese version of CLDQ-NAFLD is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the HRQL of Chinese patients with NAFLD.