Demonstration of π-π Stacking at Interfaces: Synthesis of an Indole-Modified Monodisperse Silica Microsphere SiO2@IN.

In the present study, a novel silane coupling agent, designated INSi, was synthesized via a facile synthetic route, incorporating indole-functional moieties. This agent was further employed for the surface modification of homemade silica nanomicrospheres (SMPs). The ensuing nanomicrosphere composite, denoted as SiO2@IN, exemplified pronounced interfacial π-π interactions. Optimization of the reaction conditions was conducted using the response surface optimization technique. Subsequent validation of interfacial π-π interactions was accomplished through a synergistic approach, integrating theoretical calculations and comprehensive analyses of spectral and morphological attributes exhibited by the SiO2@IN.

Phenotype and genotype analysis for Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance in outpatients: a retrospective study.

To investigate the antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in outpatients and to explore the consistency between genotype and phenotype of H. pylori antibiotic resistance. A retrospective study on outpatients screened with urea breath test for H. pylori infection in Nanjing First Hospital from April 2018 to January 2022. Patients who tested positive underwent a consented upper endoscopy, and the H. pylori infection was confirmed by rapid urease test (RUT) and H. pylori culture. For antibiotic resistance phenotype analysis, the H. pylori strains isolated from gastric biopsy were tested for antibiotic resistance phenotype by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test. In addition, the antibiotic resistance genotype of isolated H. pylori was tested with a real-time polymerase chain reaction. A total of 4,399 patients underwent H. pylori infection screening, and 3,306 H. pylori strains were isolated. The antibiotic resistance phenotype test revealed that the resistance rates of metronidazole (MTZ), clarithromycin (CLR), levofloxacin (LEV), amoxicillin (AMX), furazolidone (FR), and tetracycline (TE) were 74.58%, 48.61%, 34.83%, 0.76%, 0.27%, and 0.09%, respectively. Additionally, the antibiotic resistance genotype test revealed that rdxA gene mutation A610G (92.96%), A91G (92.95%), C92A (93.00%), and G392A (95.07%) were predominant in H. pylori with MTZ resistance; 23S rRNA gene mutation A2143G (86.47%) occurred in most H. pylori with CLR resistance; and gyrA gene mutation 87Ile/Lys/Tyr/Arg (97.32%) and 91Asn/Gly/Tyr (90.61%) were the most popular mutations in strains with LEV resistance. The phenotypic resistance and genotypic resistance to CLR (kappa value = 0.824) and LEV (kappa value = 0.895) were in good agreement. The history of eradication with MTZ, CLR, LEV, and AMX was correlated with H. pylori resistance. In short, this study demonstrated that drug resistance of H. pylori was mainly to MTZ, CLR, and LEV in local outpatients. Three drugs can be selected for increased MICs (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) via single chromosomal mutations. In addition, the genotype could be used to predict the phenotypic H. pylori resistance to CLR and LEV. IMPORTANCE Helicobacter pylori is a key bacterium that causes stomach diseases. There was a high prevalence of H. pylori in the Chinese population. We analyzed the resistance phenotype and genotype characteristics of H. pylori in 4,399 outpatients at the First Hospital of Nanjing, China. We found a higher resistance rate to metronidazole (MTZ) , clarithromycin (CLR), and levofloxacin (LEV), and the genotype could be used to predict the phenotypic H. pylori resistance to CLR and LEV. This study provides information on H. pylori infection and also provides guidance for clinical doctors' drug treatment.

[Adsorption Characteristics of Fluoride in Low-Concentration Water by Aluminum and Zirconium-Modified Biochar].

To deal with problems such as the difficult treatment of low-concentration fluoride-containing water and water pollution caused by excessive fluoride (F-) discharge, aluminum and zirconium-modified biochar (AZBC) was prepared and its adsorption characteristics and adsorption mechanism for low-concentration fluoride in water were studied. The results showed that AZBC was a mesoporous biochar with uniform pore structure. It could rapidly adsorb F- from water and reach adsorption equilibrium within 20 min. When the initial ρ(F-) was 10 mg·L-1and the AZBC dosage was 30 g·L-1, the removal rate was 90.7%, and the effluent concentration was lower than 1 mg·L-1. The pHpzc of AZBC was 8.9, and the recommended pH in practical application was 3.2-8.9. The adsorption kinetics accorded with pseudo-second order kinetics, and the adsorption process accorded with the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacities at 25, 35, and 45℃ were 8.91, 11.40, and 13.76 mg·g-1, respectively. Fluoride could be desorbed by 1 mol·L-1 NaOH. The adsorption capacity of AZBC decreased by approximately 15.9% after 5 cycles. The adsorption mechanisms of AZBC were the combination of electrostatic adsorption and ion exchange.Taking actual sewage as theexperimental object, when the AZBC dosage was 10 g·L-1, the ρ(F-) was reduced to below 1 mg·L-1.

Phosphate removal from aqueous solutions with a zirconium-loaded magnetic biochar composite: performance, recyclability, and mechanism.

Phosphate (P) removal is significant for water pollution control. In this paper, a novel penicillin biochar modified with zirconium (ZMBC) was synthesized and used to adsorb P in water. The results showed that ZMBC had a porous structure and magnetic properties, and the zirconium (Zr) was mainly present in the form of an amorphous oxide. P adsorption displayed strong pH dependence. The Freundlich model described the adsorption process well, and the saturated adsorption capacity was 27.97 mg/g (25 ℃, pH = 7). The adsorption kinetics were consistent with the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption rates were jointly controlled by the surface adsorption stage and intraparticle diffusion stage. Coexisting anion experiments showed that CO32- inhibited P adsorption, reducing the adsorption capacity by 62.63%. The adsorbed P was easily desorbed by washing with a 1 M NaOH solution, and after 5 cycles, the adsorbent had almost the same capacity. The mechanism for P adsorption was inner-sphere complexation and electrostatic adsorption.

Efficient removal of tetracycline from aqueous solution by K2CO3 activated penicillin fermentation residue biochar.

In this study, biochar was prepared using penicillin fermentation residue (PR) as the raw material by different methods. The adsorption behavior and adsorption mechanism of biochar on tetracycline (TC) in an aqueous environment were investigated. The results showed that K2CO3 as an activator could effectively make porous structures, and that biochar with mesoporous or microporous could be prepared in a controlled manner with two kinds of different activation methods, the dry mixing method and the impregnation method. The dry mixing method could create more mesopores, while the impregnation method could prepare more micropores. Microporous biochar (IKBCH) with a high specific surface area could be prepared by the impregnation method combined with HCl soaking, which has an excellent adsorption effect on tetracycline. When the concentration of tetracycline was 200 mg/L, the removal rate of 99.91% could be achieved with the dosage of microporous biochar at 1 g/L. The adsorption process was in accordance with the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order model, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of IKBCH was 268.55 mg/g (25°C). The adsorption mechanisms were pore filling, π-π interaction, electrostatic adsorption, and hydrogen bond. Its stable and wide applicability adsorption process does not cause ecological pollution in the aqueous environment, and it is a promising biochar adsorbent.

Fiber-crafted biofuel cell bracelet for wearable electronics.

Wearable devices that generate power using sweat have garnered much attention in the field of skin electronics. These devices require high performance with a small volume and low production rate of sweat by living organisms. Here we demonstrate a high-power biofuel cell bracelet based on the lactate in human sweat. The biofuel cell was developed by using a lactate oxidase/osmium-based mediator/carbon nanotube fiber for lactate oxidation and a bilirubin oxidase/carbon nanotube fiber for oxygen reduction; the fibers were woven into a hydrophilic supportive textile for sweat storage. The storage textile was sandwiched between a hydrophobic textile for sweat absorption from the skin and a hydrophilic textile for water evaporation to improve sweat collection. The performance of the layered cell was 74 µW at 0.39 V in 20 mM artificial sweat lactate, and its performance was maintained at over 80% for 12 h. Furthermore, we demonstrated a series-connection between anode/cathode fibers by tying them up to wrap the bracelet-type biofuel cell on the wrist. The booster six-cell bracelet generated power at 2.0 V that is sufficient for operating digital wrist watches.

A needle-type biofuel cell using enzyme/mediator/carbon nanotube composite fibers for wearable electronics.

To realize direct power generation from biofuels in natural organisms, we demonstrate a needle-type biofuel cell (BFC) using enzyme/mediator/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite fibers with the structure Osmium-based polymer/CNT/glucose oxidase/Os-based polymer/CNT. The composite fibers performed a high current density (10 mA/cm2) in 5 mM artificial blood glucose. Owing to their hydrophilicity, they also provided sufficient ionic conductivity between the needle-type anode and the gas-diffusion cathode. When the tip of the anodic needle was inserted into natural specimens of grape, kiwifruit, and apple, the assembled BFC generated powers of 55, 44, and 33 µW from glucose, respectively. In addition, the power generated from the blood glucose in mouse heart was 16.3 µW at 0.29 V. The lifetime of the BFC was improved by coating an anti-fouling polymer 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) on the anodic electrode, and sealing the cathodic hydrogel chamber with medical tape to minimize the water evaporation without compromising the oxygen permeability.

Wearable high-powered biofuel cells using enzyme/carbon nanotube composite fibers on textile cloth.

Wearable biofuel cells with flexible enzyme/carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers were designed on a cotton textile cloth by integrating two components: bioanode fibers for glucose oxidation and O2-diffusion biocathode fibers for oxygen reduction. The anode and cathode fibers were prepared through modification with glucose dehydrogenase and bilirubin oxidase, respectively, on multi-walled carbon nanotube-coated carbon fibers. Both biofibers woven on the cloth generated a power density of 48 µW/cm2 at 0.24 V from 0.1 mM glucose (human sweat amount), and of 216 µW/cm2 at 0.36 V, when glucose was supplied from a hydrogel tank containing 200 mM glucose. Our fiber-based biofuel cell deformed to an S-shape without a significant loss in cell performance. Furthermore, we demonstrated a series-connection involving the tying of biofibers on a cloth with batik-based ionic isolation. The booster four cells generate power at 1.9 V that illuminated an LED on the cloth.

[Effects of electroacupuncture on insulin resistance in patients with knee arthroplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of electroacupuncture on the improvement of insulin resistance after knee joint replacement based on the combined spinal and epidural anesthesia and postoperative epidural analgesia. METHODS: Eighty patients with insulin resistance but normal blood glucose were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group, 40 cases in each group.Both groups of patients underwent combined spinal and epidural anesthesia and postoperative epidural analgesia for knee arthroplasty. On the basis of the treatment,electroacupuncture (EA) was applied during the operation and within 1 month after the operation in the observation group, and EA was used at Hegu (LI 4), Qihai (CV 6), Zhongwan (CV 12), Pishu (BL 20), Shenshu (BL 23), etc. once every other day. The control group was not treated with electroacupuncture. Fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin were recorded 30 min before surgery (T0), immediately (T1), 1 d (T2), 3 d (T3), 7 d (T4) and 1 month (T5) after surgery, and the insulin resistance (IR) index was calculated. RESULTS: Compared with those at T0 time point, the IR index of the control group at T1, T3, T4 and T5 time points and the observation group at T1, T4, T5 time points were lower (all P<0.05). Compared with the control group at the same time point, the IR index of the T1 and T5 time points in the observation group was significantly lower (both P<0.05), and it was lower than the insulin resistance standard. CONCLUSION: Combined spinal and epidural anesthesia and postoperative epidural analgesia can improve short-term insulin resistance. Combined with EA, the improvement of insulin resistance is more obviously and longer.