Internalization, physiological responses and molecular mechanisms of lettuce to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes: Validation of simulated soilless culture.

Microplastics (MPs) exists widely in the environment, and the resulting pollution of MPs has become a global environmental problem. Plants can absorb MPs through their roots. However, studies on the mechanism of the effect of root exposure to different size MPs on vegetables are limited. Here, we use Polystyrene (PS) MPs with different particle sizes to investigate the internalization, physiological response and molecular mechanism of lettuce to MPs. MPs may accumulate in large amounts in lettuce roots and migrate to the aboveground part through the vascular bundle, while small particle size MPs (SMPs, 100 nm) have stronger translocation ability than large particle size MPs (LMPs, 500 nm). MPs can cause physiological and biochemical responses and transcriptome changes in lettuce. SMPs and LMPs resulted in reduced biomass (38.27 % and 48.22 % reduction in fresh weight); caused oxidative stress (59.33 % and 47.74 % upregulation of SOD activity in roots) and differential gene expression (605 and 907 DEGs). Signal transduction, membrane transport and alteration of synthetic and metabolic pathways may be the main causes of physiological toxicity of lettuce. Our study provides important information for understanding the behavior and fate of MPs in edible vegetables, especially the physiological toxicity of MPs to edible vegetables, in order to assess the potential threat of MPs to food safety and agricultural sustainable development.

In Situ and Individual-Based Analysis of the Influence of Polystyrene Microplastics on Escherichia coli Conjugative Gene Transfer at the Single-Cell Level.

The impact of microplastic particles of micro- and nanometer sizes on microbial horizontal gene transfer (HGT) remains a controversial topic. Existing studies rely on traditional approaches, which analyze population behavior, leading to conflicting conclusions and a limited understanding. The present study addressed these limitations by employing a novel microfluidic chamber system for in situ visualization and precise quantification of the effects of different concentrations of polystyrene (PS) microbeads on microbial HGT at the single-cell level. The statistical analysis indicated no significant difference in the division times of both the donor and recipient bacteria across different PS microbead concentrations. However, as the concentration of PS microbeads increased from 0 to 2000 mg L-1, the average conjugation frequency of Escherichia coli decreased from 0.028 ± 0.015 to 0.004 ± 0.003. Our observations from the microfluidic experiments revealed that 500 nm PS microbeads created a barrier effect on bacterial conjugative transfer. The presence of microbeads resulted in reduced contact and interaction between the donor and recipient strains, thereby causing a decrease in the conjugation transfer frequency. These findings were validated by an individual-based modeling framework parameterized by the data from the individual-level microfluidic experiments. Overall, this study offers a fresh perspective and strategy for investigating the risks associated with the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes related to microplastics.

Different microbial assemblage colonized on microplastics and clay particles in aerobic sludge treatment.

In this study, a combination of property analysis and high-throughput sequencing was used to investigate the microbial colonization ability and their community structures and functions in polypropylene microplastics (PPMPs), polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs) and montmorillonite (MMT), respectively as the representatives of artificial and natural substrates in aerobic sludge treatment. After 45 d of incubation, the surface properties of substrates were altered with the increased oxygen functional groups and surface roughness, indicating microbial settlement. Moreover, MPs had different microbial structures from that of MMT, and PSMPs exhibited higher microbial diversity and abundance than PPMPs and MMT. Also, these substrates changed the inherent ecological niche in sludge. Especially, the abundance of some pathogens (e.g., Pseudomonas, Klebsiella and Flavobacterium) was increased in MPs, and the disease risk of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes metabolic pathway (e.g., Infectious diseases: Bacterial, Infectious diseases: Parasitic and Immune diseases) was higher. Also, the presence of MPs inhibited the decomposition of organic matter including soluble chemical oxygen demand and protein compared to natural substrates. The findings revealed the crucial vector role of MPs for microbes and the effect on aerobic sludge treatment, highlighting the necessity of MP removal in sludge.

Which factors mainly drive the photoaging of microplastics in freshwater?

Light irradiation is considered as most important process for the aging of microplastics (MPs); however, which factors drive the process is still unknown. This study investigated the role of typical environmental factors including ultraviolet (UV), oxygen, temperature and physical abrasion in the photoaging of polystyrene (PS) in freshwater. Results showed that UV irradiation and abrasion were dominant factors for affecting photoaging of PS based on dynamic analysis in the property of MP itself and leachate. Especially, when both factors worked together on MPs, they caused more destructive effect. Mechanical exploration revealed that photoaging of MPs was mainly controlled by reactive oxygen species (ROS, 1O2) generated from the reaction of dissolved oxygen/water molecules with polymer radicals initiated by UV energy. As an attacker on MPs, ROS formation was significantly linked with UV intensity, highlighting the important role of UV. The fragmentation was correlated to abrasion intensity, where a higher abrasion generated stronger physical force to tear MPs into fragments. The low roles of oxygen and temperature were presumably related to multiple effects of ROS formation and UV absorption. The findings firstly clarify the drivers in the photoaging of MPs, and contribute our effort to assess their fate and pollution risk in the environment.

Expert consensus on late stage of critical care management / 中华内科杂志

We wished to establish an expert consensus on late stage of critical care (CC) management. The panel comprised 13 experts in CC medicine. Each statement was assessed based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) principle. Then, the Delphi method was adopted by 17 experts to reassess the following 28 statements. (1) ESCAPE has evolved from a strategy of delirium management to a strategy of late stage of CC management. (2) The new version of ESCAPE is a strategy for optimizing treatment and comprehensive care of critically ill patients (CIPs) after the rescue period, including early mobilization, early rehabilitation, nutritional support, sleep management, mental assessment, cognitive-function training, emotional support, and optimizing sedation and analgesia. (3) Disease assessment to determine the starting point of early mobilization, early rehabilitation, and early enteral nutrition. (4) Early mobilization has synergistic effects upon the recovery of organ function. (5) Early functional exercise and rehabilitation are important means to promote CIP recovery, and gives them a sense of future prospects. (6) Timely start of enteral nutrition is conducive to early mobilization and early rehabilitation. (7) The spontaneous breathing test should be started as soon as possible, and a weaning plan should be selected step-by-step. (8) The waking process of CIPs should be realized in a planned and purposeful way. (9) Establishment of a sleep-wake rhythm is the key to sleep management in post-CC management. (10) The spontaneous awakening trial, spontaneous breathing trial, and sleep management should be carried out together. (11) The depth of sedation should be adjusted dynamically in the late stage of CC period. (12) Standardized sedation assessment is the premise of rational sedation. (13) Appropriate sedative drugs should be selected according to the objectives of sedation and drug characteristics. (14) A goal-directed minimization strategy for sedation should be implemented. (15) The principle of analgesia must be mastered first. (16) Subjective assessment is preferred for analgesia assessment. (17) Opioid-based analgesic strategies should be selected step-by-step according to the characteristics of different drugs. (18) There must be rational use of non-opioid analgesics and non-drug-based analgesic measures. (19) Pay attention to evaluation of the psychological status of CIPs. (20) Cognitive function in CIPs cannot be ignored. (21) Delirium management should be based on non-drug-based measures and rational use of drugs. (22) Reset treatment can be considered for severe delirium. (23) Psychological assessment should be conducted as early as possible to screen-out high-risk groups with post-traumatic stress disorder. (24) Emotional support, flexible visiting, and environment management are important components of humanistic management in the intensive care unit (ICU). (25) Emotional support from medical teams and families should be promoted through"ICU diaries"and other forms. (26) Environmental management should be carried out by enriching environmental content, limiting environmental interference, and optimizing the environmental atmosphere. (27) Reasonable promotion of flexible visitation should be done on the basis of prevention of nosocomial infection. (28) ESCAPE is an excellent project for late stage of CC management.

Epidemiological Features, Risk Factors, and Disease Burden of Respiratory Viruses among Hospitalized Children with Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Xiamen, China.

Well-established surveillance and monitoring systems for respiratory viruses need to be improved, and epidemiological data on respiratory viruses in China are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of respiratory viruses among hospitalized children aged ≤2 years with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in Xiamen, China, from October 2014 to September 2017. The clinical records of 7,248 children hospitalized for ARTIs were retrospectively analyzed. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (22.3%) was the most common virus among hospitalized children aged ≤2 years, followed by parainfluenza (5.0%), adenovirus (3.5%), and influenza (1.7%). RSV-infected children had a higher disease burden, including a higher intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate (12.7%) and higher hospital charges ($635.36). Particularly, infants aged <6 months had the highest risk of RSV infection (odds ratio = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.9-2.9) and a higher ICU admission rate (12.1% vs. 4.5%, 4.6%) and hospital cost ($923.3 vs. $785.5, $811.7) than the other age groups. Therefore, infants aged 0-6 months, particularly premature infants and children with congenital diseases, should receive more attention. There is an urgent need to develop effective immunization strategies to protect these infants during the first 6 months of life and in the RSV season.

Effect of Tetracycline Antibiotics on Anaerobic Digestion of Chicken Manure Based on Data Mining.

Although anaerobic bioengineering treatment of chicken manure has the advantages of low energy consumption, less pollution, and recyclable biomass energy, antibiotics are usually added in the process of modern intensive farming. And antibiotics still exist in feces and pose a threat to human health. Therefore, this study aimed to deeply understand the role of TC in the anaerobic digestion of chicken manure and to analyze the effect of tetracycline antibiotics on the anaerobic digestion of chicken manure based on data mining. In this study, chicken manure was used as raw material for anaerobic fermentation, and the effects of tetracycline (TC) on anaerobic and anaerobic fermentation of chicken manure were compared through batch and sequence experiments. Also, this study analyzes the fermentative transformation to elucidate the effect of TC on anaerobic manure conversion in chicken manure, which further studies the effect of TC on the anaerobic fermentation of chicken manure. The experimental results in this study show that when the TC concentration is 50-150 mg/L, the content of tryptophan and tyrosine proteins in the treatment group is also higher than that in the control group. It shows that at low concentrations (10, 25 mg/L), TC mainly promotes the degradation of LEPS by promoting the dissolution of intracellular substances in the sludge. With the increase of TC concentration (50-300 mg/L), TC mainly promotes the breakdown of the sludge cell membrane by promoting the rupture of the sludge cell membrane, thereby promoting the degradation of LEPS.

Control strategy and performance of simultaneous removal of nitrogen and organic matter in treating swine manure digestate using one reactor with airlift and micro-granule.

A simultaneous partial nitritation, anammox, denitrification, and COD oxidation (SNADCO) process was used to evaluate the nitrogen and biodegradable organic matter removal of swine manure digestate based on a nitrite limitation and ammonium surplus strategy. As influent ammonium concentration increased from 500 mg/L to 2100 mg/L, the 5 day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) maintained at a high removal efficiency of 95.4%. However, nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) decreased from 90.9% to 68.2% due to the inhibition of AnAOB caused by an ammonium concentration of 2100 mg/L. The contribution of AnAOB to nitrogen removal was 75.6-86.5%, while that of denitrifying bacteria was 4.6-7.0%. In the case of COD removal, the contributions were from ordinary heterotrophic organisms and denitrifying bacteria, at 27.1-64.9% and 11.2-22.1%, respectively. The results of specific bacteria activity tests and microbial analysis showed that a highly efficient synergism between functional microorganisms is essential for the stability of the SNADCO process.

Molecular Evolution of Attachment Glycoprotein (G) and Fusion Protein (F) Genes of Respiratory Syncytial Virus ON1 and BA9 Strains in Xiamen, China.

Monitoring viral transmission and analyzing the genetic diversity of a virus are imperative to better understand its evolutionary history and the mechanism driving its evolution and spread. Especially, effective monitoring of key antigenic mutations and immune escape variants caused by these mutations has great scientific importance. Thus, to further understand the molecular evolutionary dynamics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) circulating in China, we analyzed nasopharyngeal swab specimens derived from hospitalized children ≤5 years old with acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) in Xiamen during 2016 to 2019. We found that infants under 6 months of age (52.0%) were the main population with RSV infection. The prevalent pattern "BBAA" of RSV was observed during the epidemic seasons. RSV ON1 and BA9 genotypes were the dominant circulating strains in Xiamen. Interestingly, we observed four Xiamen-specific amino acid substitution combinations in the G protein and several amino acid mutations primarily occurring at antigenic sites Ø and V in the F protein. Our analyses suggest that introduction of new viruses and local evolution are shaping the diversification of RSV strains in Xiamen. This study provides new insights on the evolution and spread of the ON1 and BA9 genotypes at local and global scales. IMPORTANCE Monitoring the amino acid diversity of the RSV G and F genes helps us to find the novel genotypes, key antigenic mutations affecting antigenicity, or neutralizing antibody-resistant variants produced by natural evolution. In this study, we analyzed the molecular evolution of G and F genes from RSV strains circulating in Xiamen, China. These data provide new insights on local and global transmission and could inform the development of control measures for RSV infections.

Oral insulin delivery by epithelium microenvironment-adaptive nanoparticles.

Oral protein drug delivery using nano-based systems remains challenging, as contradictory surface properties are required for efficient navigation through the intestinal mucus and epithelium barriers. Therefore, new nanoplatforms with tunable surface properties in vivo are urgently needed. Inspired by the slightly acidic microclimate of the jejunal epithelial surface, we report a novel epithelium microenvironment-adaptive nanoplatform that undergoes a hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity transition at the epithelial surface. First, we synthesized and characterized a biodegradable copolymer consisting of PEG and PLGA building blocks linked by a hydrazone bond (PLGA-Hyd-PEG) to fabricate the pH-sensitive core-shell architecture of an oral insulin system. Then we loaded the system as a freeze-dried powder into enteric-coated capsules. PLGA-Hyd-PEG nanoparticles showed excellent drug protection and rapid mucus penetration owing to the high stability of the PEG coating in jejunal fluid. In the acidic microenvironment of the jejunal epithelial surface (pH ~5.5), PEG was rapidly cleaved and the hydrazone bond was hydrolyzed, converting the nanoparticle surface from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, thereby facilitating internalization into cells. Pharmacodynamic studies showed that PLGA-Hyd-PEG nanoparticles resulted in significant decrease in blood glucose level after intrajejunal administration in both normal and diabetic rats relative to control nanoparticles. In addition, enteric-coated capsules containing PLGA-Hyd-PEG nanoparticles reduced blood glucose by 35% for up to 10 h after oral administration to diabetic rats. Our findings provide a new strategy for regulating the surface properties of nanoparticles for efficient oral drug delivery.

Molecular epidemiological investigation on Theileria in yellow cattle from Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the prevalence and genetic variation of Theileria in yellow cattle in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province. Methods A total of 184 blood specimens were collected from Fenghuang, Huanyuan and Baojing counties of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture during the period from August 2018 through August 2019, and were detect using PCR assay with the specific 18S ribosomal rRNA (18S rRNA) gene targeting Theileria. The gene sequences of positive specimens were aligned with the sequences recorded in GenBank, and a phylogenetic tree was created with Plasmodium ovale 18S rRNA as an outgroup. Results A total of 143 blood samples were positive for Theileria, with a mean detection rate of 77.7%. Theileria was prevalent in the blood samples from yellow cattle in all three counties, with detection rates of 85.0% in Fenghuang County, 88.3% in Huayuan County and 61.0% in Baojing County, respectively. There was no significant difference in the detection rate of Theileria between Xiangxi yellow cattle and normal yellow cattle (77.2% vs. 79.5%; χ2 = 0.08, P > 0.05), while the detection of Theileria was significantly lower in the housed yellow cattle than in free-range cattle (68.9% vs. 89.7%; χ2 = 22.36, P < 0.01). A total of 18 PCR positive samples were randomly selected for sequencing and analysis, and all samples showed more than 99.0% homology with T. luwenshuni isolates. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 18 positive samples were clustered into the same branch with T. luwenshuni, but were far away from other isolates. Conclusions The prevalence of Theileria is high in yellow cattle from Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province, and T. luwenshuni may be the dominant parasite species.

Rational formulation engineering of fraxinellone utilizing 6-O-α-D-maltosyl-ß-cyclodextrin for enhanced oral bioavailability and hepatic fibrosis therapy.

Although Fraxinellone (Frax) isolated from Dictamnus albus L. possessed excellent anti-hepatic fibrosis activity, oral administration of Frax suffered from the inefficient therapeutic outcome in vivo due to negligible oral absorption. At present, the oral formulation of Frax is rarely exploited. For rational formulation design, we evaluated preabsorption risks of Frax and found that Frax was rather stable while poorly dissolved in the gastrointestinal tract (78.88 µg/mL), which predominantly limited its oral absorption. Further solubility test revealed the outstanding capacity of cyclodextrin derivatives (CDs) to solubilize Frax (6.8-12.8 mg/mL). This led us to study the inclusion complexes of Frax with a series of CDs and holistically explore their drug delivery performance. Characterization techniques involving 1H-NMR, FT-IR, DSC, PXRD, and molecular docking confirmed the most stable binding interactions when Frax complexed with 6-O-α-D-maltosyl-ß-cyclodextrin (G2-ß-CD-Frax). Notably, G2-ß-CD-Frax exhibited the highest solubilizing capacity, fast dissolution rate, and superior Caco-2 cell internalization with no obvious toxicity. Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated markedly higher oral bioavailability of G2-ß-CD-Frax (5.8-fold that of free drug) than other Frax-CDs. Further, long-term administration of G2-ß-CD-Frax (5 mg/kg) efficiently inhibited CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in the mouse without inducing any toxicity. Our results will inspire the continued advancement of optimal oral Frax formulations for anti-fibrotic therapy.

Efficacy of topical vs intravenous tranexamic acid in reducing blood loss and promoting wound healing in bone surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been used as an anti-fibrinolytic drug for over half a century and has received much attention in recent decades. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of topical vs intravenous TXA in reducing blood loss and promoting wound healing in bone surgery. METHODS: From the electronic resources, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, ISI, and Scopus were used to perform a literature search over the last 10 years between 2010 and 2020. EndNote™ X8 was used for managing the electronic resource. Searches were performed with mesh terms. The data were retracted blindly by two independent reviewers. Random effects were used to deal with potential heterogeneity and I 2 showed heterogeneity. Chi-square (I 2) tests were used to quantify the extent of heterogeneity (P < 0.01 was considered statistically significant). The efficacy of topical TXA in reducing blood loss and promoting wound healing in bone surgery was compared with intravenous TXA and placebo. RESULTS: According to the research design, 1360 potentially important research abstracts and titles were discovered in our electronic searches, and 18 papers remained in agreement with our inclusion criteria. It was found that TXA reduced 277.51 mL of blood loss compared to placebo, and there was no significant difference between topical TXA and IV TXA in reducing blood loss in bone surgery. Our analyses also showed that TXA significantly reduced blood transfusion compared to placebo and there was no significant difference between topical TXA and IV TXA. CONCLUSION: The use of both topical and intravenous TXA are equally effective in reducing blood loss in bone surgery, which might be beneficial for wound healing after surgery.

Distribution of systemically administered nanoparticles during acute pancreatitis: effects of particle size and disease severity.

Nanoparticles (NPs) promise to address current limitations for treating acute pancreatitis (AP) via inflammatory cell-mediated sequestration. However, very few studies have explored the influence of NP size on their behavior in different stages of AP. The present work investigated the biodistribution of IR780 loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with sizes of 60, 150 or 300 nm after intravenous administration to rats of mild AP (MAP) or severe AP (SAP). Four hours after administration, MSN150 was present to a much greater extent in the pancreas than MSN60 or MSN300, irrespective of disease severity. MSN150 was present to a lower extent in pancreas, intestine and ascites in SAP than MAP rats, indicating weaker passive targeting in SAP rats. This may reflect greater blood loss and slower blood flow in SAP. These findings may guide the rational engineering of NPs with respect to particle size and disease severity for AP therapy.

Human adipose-derived stem cells promote seawater-immersed wound healing via proangiogenic effects.

Seawater immersion can increase the damage to skin wounds and produce chronic wounds, and the application of human adipose-derived stem cells can significantly promote healing. However, the mechanism underlying angiogenesis is currently unclear. In this study, we investigated the vascularization effect of human adipose-derived stem cells on the repair of seawater-treated skin wounds and explored the underlying mechanisms using bioinformatics. The results showed that human adipose-derived stem cells differentiated into vascular endothelial cells and promoted seawater-immersed wound vascularization by promoting vascular endothelial cell proliferation and migration. The differentially expressed genes between human adipose-derived stem cells and fibroblasts were identified and analyzed (including via gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment, protein-protein interaction network, and correlation analyses). The genes may promote wound healing by regulating the mechanisms of extracellular matrix remodeling, programmed cell death, inflammation, and vascularization. In conclusion, this study provides novel insights into the use of human adipose-derived stem cells in the regeneration of seawater-immersed skin wounds and chronic wounds.

Enhanced removal of acid orange II from aqueous solution by V and N co-doping TiO2-MWCNTs/γ-Al2O3 composite photocatalyst induced by pulsed discharge plasma.

This paper presents a study of V and N co-doping TiO2 embedding multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) supported on γ-Al2O3 pellet (V/N-TiO2-MWCNTs/γ-Al2O3) composite photocatalyst induced by pulsed discharge plasma to enhance the removal of acid orange II (AO7) from aqueous solution. The photocatalytic activity of the V/N-TiO2-MWCNTs/γ-Al2O3 composite to AO7 removal induced by the pulsed discharge plasma was evaluated. The results indicate that the V/N-TiO2-MWCNTs/γ-Al2O3 composite possesses enhanced photocatalytic activity that facilitates the removal of AO7 compared with the TiO2-MWCNTs/γ-Al2O3 and TiO2/γ-Al2O3 composites. Almost 100% of AO7 is removed after 10 min under optimal conditions. The V0.10/N0.05-TiO2-MWCNTs/γ-Al2O3 photocatalyst exhibits the best removal effect for AO7. Analysis of the removal mechanism indicates that the enhancement of the removal of AO7 resulting from V and N co-doping causes TiO2 lattice distortion and introduces a new impurity energy level, which not only reduces the band gap of TiO2 but also inhibits the recombination of the ecb-/hvb+ pairs.

Investigation and Analysis of Non-ABO Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the serological detection characteristics and antibody specific distribution of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) caused by irregular antibodies through retrospective case analysis.@*METHODS@#A total of 3 047 suspected cases of HDN were submitted by the Neonatal Department of our hospital from January 2014 to December 2019. Non ABO-HDN cases confirmed in our laboratory were taken as the research objects, while some cases of ABO-HDN were randomly selected as control. Disease-causing antibody specificity, serological detection characteristics, total bilirubin change trend and gender ratio of non ABO-HDN patients were explored.@*RESULTS@#Sixty-seven cases of non ABO-HDN were confirmed from the suspected cases of HDN, Among which 45 males and 22 females were detected with the positive rate 1.48% and 0.72%, respectively. The mothers of 65 cases had two or more pregnancies. The detected irregular antibodies were mainly involved with Rh system, MNS system, Kidd system and Lewis system, among which Rh system accounted for 88.07% of the total antibody detection rate. Compared with that of ABO-HDN patients, the total bilirubin of non ABO-HDN patients developed more rapidly with a higher peak and a longer duration (P<0.001). In terms of serological detection, the positive rate of non ABO-HDN direct antibody test was 97.01%, which was higher than 47.00% of ABO-HDN (P<0.001), and the agglutination strength was often ≥ 2+, but there were still weak positive or negative cases of direct antibody test.@*CONCLUSION@#Non ABO-HDN caused by irregular antibodies mostly occurs in fetuses whose mothers experience multiple pregnancies, and the number of males is more than females. The irregular antibodies detected are mainly attributed to Rh system. The peak value of bilirubin in non ABO-HDN patients is higher and lasts longer than that in ABO-HDN patients. Direct antiglobulin test may be used to roughly distinguish ABO-HDN from non ABO-HDN.

Simultaneous removal of chromium(VI) and tetracycline hydrochloride from simulated wastewater by nanoscale zero-valent iron/copper-activated persulfate.

In this paper, metallic copper (Cu) was supported on nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) to form a nanoscale bimetallic composite (nZVI-Cu), which was used to activate persulfate (PS) to simultaneously remove the compound contaminants Cr(VI) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) in simulated wastewater. nZVI, nZVI-Cu, and nZVI-Cu-activated PS (nZVI-Cu/PS) were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS. The effects of the bimetallic composite on Cr(VI) and TCH removal were compared in the nZVI, nZVI-activated PS (nZVI/PS), nZVI-Cu, and nZVI-Cu/PS systems. The results showed that nZVI and Cu can form a nanobimetallic system, which can create galvanic cells; thus, the galvanic corrosion of nZVI and the transfer of electrons are accelerated. For a single contaminant, the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) and TCH is the highest when nZVI is loaded with 3 wt% and 1 wt% Cu, respectively. The ratio of nZVI-Cu with 3 wt% Cu to PS is 7:1, and the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) and TCH compound contaminants is ~ 100% after 60 min under acidic conditions, which indicates that the Cr(VI) reduction and TCH oxidation were complete in the nZVI-Cu/PS system. The mechanisms of simultaneous removal of Cr(VI) and TCH in the nZVI-Cu/PS system are proposed. The removal of Cr is because of the adsorption-reduction effects of the nZVI-Cu bimetallic material. The degradation of TCH is mainly due to the action of oxidative free radicals generated by Fe2+-activated PS. The free radical capture experiments showed that SO- 4· plays a major role in the process of TCH degradation.