Optimizing soil tetrabromobisphenol A remediation through iron-based activation of persulfate: A comparative analysis of homogeneous and heterogeneous systems.

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) that widely exists in soil and poses a potential threat to ecological environment urgently needs economically efficient remediation techniques. This study utilized both homogeneous Fe2⁺ solution and heterogeneous iron-based nanomaterials (chemically synthesized nano zero-valence iron (nZVI) and green-synthesized iron nanoparticles (G-Fe NPs)) to activate persulfate (PS) and assess their efficacy in degrading TBBPA in soil. The results demonstrate the superior performance of heterogeneous catalytic systems (WG-Fe NPs/PS (82.07%) and WnZVI/PS (78.32%)) over homogeneous catalytic system (WFe2+/PS (71.69%)), In addition, G-Fe NPs and nZVI effectively controlled the slow release of Fe2+. The optimization analysis using response surface methodology (RSM) reveal the remarkable significance of the experimental model based on the box-behnken design. RSM show that G-Fe NPs/PS exhibited optimal process parameters and predicted the maximum soil TBBPA degradation efficiency reaching 98.77%. The results of density functional theory calculations suggest that C-Br are the primary targets for electrophilic substitution reactions. Based on the f0 value and △G, the degradation pathway of TBBPA is inferred to involve a sequential debromination process, followed by the cleavage of intermediate carbon-carbon bonds and subsequent oxidation reactions. Hence, G-Fe NPs/PS not only facilitate waste resource utilization but also hold significant application potential.

Study on brazing sealing and wave transmittance of single crystal Al2O3 microwave window.

Al2O3 is considered a promising material for high-power microwave windows due to its low dielectric loss, excellent mechanical properties, and outstanding corrosion resistance. However, the inherent brittleness and low thermal conductivity pose significant challenges in achieving a dependable metal seal. In this study, vacuum brazing technology was employed to achieve brazing sealing between copper and single crystal Al2O3. The interface structure, mechanical properties, and sealing properties of the brazing joint were focused on. The brazed joints exhibited outstanding mechanical properties with an average shear strength of 207 MPa. The sealing performance of the Al2O3 window was conclusively determined to be excellent, as evidenced by the helium leakage rate and X-ray testing results. The dielectric properties and standing wave coefficient of Al2O3 window were analyzed using a vector network analyzer in combination with a quasi-optical resonator and free space test system. The results indicate that the Al2O3 window exhibits an extremely low dielectric loss of 10-5 magnitude at 95-98 GHz, accompanied by a standing wave coefficient below 2, which satisfies the requirements of high-power microwave windows.

Nodulation Signaling Pathway 1 and 2 Modulate Vanadium Accumulation and Tolerance of Legumes.

Vanadium (V) pollution potentially threatens human health. Here, it is found that nsp1 and nsp2, Rhizobium symbiosis defective mutants of Medicago truncatula, are sensitive to V. Concentrations of phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and sulfur (S) with V are negatively correlated in the shoots of wild-type R108, but not in mutant nsp1 and nsp2 shoots. Mutations in the P transporter PHT1, PHO1, and VPT families, Fe transporter IRT1, and S transporter SULTR1/3/4 family confer varying degrees of V tolerance on plants. Among these gene families, MtPT1, MtZIP6, MtZIP9, and MtSULTR1; 1 in R108 roots are significantly inhibited by V stress, while MtPHO1; 2, MtVPT2, and MtVPT3 are significantly induced. Overexpression of Arabidopsis thaliana VPT1 or M. truncatula MtVPT3 increases plant V tolerance. However, the response of these genes to V is weakened in nsp1 or nsp2 and influenced by soil microorganisms. Mutations in NSPs reduce rhizobacterial diversity under V stress and simplify the V-responsive operational taxonomic unit modules in co-occurrence networks. Furthermore, R108 recruits more beneficial rhizobacteria related to V, P, Fe, and S than does nsp1 or nsp2. Thus, NSPs can modulate the accumulation and tolerance of legumes to V through P, Fe, and S transporters, ion homeostasis, and rhizobacterial community responses.

Simultaneous chelated heavy metals removal and sludge recovery through titanium coagulation: From waste to resource.

Green methods for chelated heavy metals treatment and recovery are essential for coordinated development of resources and environment. Herein, a simple and competent method, titanium salt (TiCl4) coagulation was developed to remove and recycle chelated heavy metals. Our results revealed that this method proved to be effective for metals-citrate [Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II) and Cr(VI)], achieving removal efficiencies of 95 %, 92 %, 99 %, and 99 % within 30 min, surpassing direct alkaline precipitation and well-used Fe(III) coagulation. Whereafter, the copper-containing sludge was successfully transformed into copper-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysts by facile calcination. Through comprehensively investigating physicochemical properties by a suite of characterization techniques, we confirmed that doping of Cu induced bandgap narrowing, high specific surface area as well as the formation of oxygen vacancy. Accordingly, the recycling photocatalysts showed remarkable enhanced photocatalytic performance than the pristine TiO2, achieving improvement in the degradation efficiency of 82 %, 61 % and 67 % for carbamazepine(CBZ), bisphenol A (BPA) and methyl orange (MO). In addition, both radical (OH and O2-) and non-radical (1O2 and h+) pathways synergistically contributed to the removal of organic pollutants during photocatalysis. Ultimately, based on economic feasibility assessment and life cycle assessment (LCA), the copper-containing titanium coagulation sludge reuse for photocatalyst could bring lower carbon emissions, reduced environmental risks and higher economic benefits. The elucidation of this study provides new insights into the removal and recycle of chelated heavy metals from wastewater by using an environment-friendly and cost-effective method.

Site Engineering of Covalent Organic Frameworks for Regulating Peroxymonosulfate Activation to Generate Singlet Oxygen with 100 % Selectivity.

Singlet oxygen (1 O2 ) is an excellent reactive oxygen species (ROSs) for the selective conversion of organic matter, especially in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). However, due to the huge dilemma in synthesizing single-site type catalysts, the control and regulation of 1 O2 generation in AOPs is still challenging and the underlying mechanism remains largely obscure. Here, taking advantage of the well-defined and flexibly tunable sites of covalent organic frameworks (COFs), we report the first achievement in precisely regulating ROSs generation in peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-based AOPs by site engineering of COFs. Remarkably, COFs with bipyridine units (BPY-COFs) facilitate PMS activation via a nonradical pathway with 100 % 1 O2 , whereas biphenyl-based COFs (BPD-COFs) with almost identical structures activate PMS to produce radicals (⋅OH and SO4 .- ). The BPY-COFs/PMS system delivers boosted performance for selective degradation of target pollutants from water, which is ca. 9.4 times that of its BPD-COFs counterpart, surpassing most reported PMS-based AOPs systems. Mechanism analysis indicated that highly electronegative pyridine-N atoms on BPY-COFs provide extra sites to adsorb the terminal H atoms of PMS, resulting in simultaneous adsorption of O and H atoms of PMS on one pyridine ring, which facilitates the cleavage of its S-O bond to generate 1 O2 .

Donor-acceptor engineered g-C3N4 enabling peroxymonosulfate photocatalytic conversion to 1O2 with nearly 100% selectivity.

Singlet oxygen (1O2) is a thrilling active species for selectively oxidating organic substances. However, the efficient and selective generation of 1O2 maintains a great challenge. Here, we develop a donor-acceptor structured g-C3N4 by covalently engineering benzenetricarboxaldehyde (BTA) onto the fringe of g-C3N4. The g-C3N4-BTA exerts high-efficiency 1O2 generation with nearly 100% selectivity via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) photocatalytic activation upon visible light illumination, exhibiting obviously boosted efficiency for selective elimination of atrazine (ATZ). The consequences of experiments and theoretical calculations demonstrate that BTA units serve as electron-withdrawing sites to trap photogenerated electrons and facilitate the adsorption of PMS on the electron-deficient heptazine rings of g-C3N4. As such, PMS can be in-situ oxidated by the photogenerated holes to selectively produce 1O2. Besides, the g-C3N4-BTA/PMS system delivers high stability and strong resistance to the coexisting organic ions and natural organic matter, demonstrating great potential for selectively removing targeted organic contaminants with high efficiency.

[Effects of Extracellular Vesicles on the Drug Resistance of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells by Modulating the ATP Binding Cassette Transporter G2].

Objective: To investigate the regulatory role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) carrying ATP binding cassette transporter G2 (ABCG2) on the drug resistance of lung adenocarcinoma cells and the relevant molecular mechanisms. Methods: A549 cells, human lung adenocarcinoma cells, were used to form cisplatin (or cis-Diaminedichloroplatinum, CDDP)-resistant lung adenocarcinoma cells, i.e., A549/CDDP cells. EVs from A549 and A549/CDDP cells were extracted by gradient centrifugation method and were hence named EVs 1 and EVs 2, respectively. The A549 cells were treated with EVs 1 and EVs 2 for 48 hours, and the cells were named A549-EVs 1 and A549-EVs 2 cells, respectively. A549/ ABCG2 cells were established by transfecting A549 cells with pCDNA3.1- ABCG2 recombinant plasmids. On the other hand, A549 cells transfected with empty vectors were named A549/pCDNA3.1 cells. MTT assay was conducted to calculate the 24-hour cell drug resistance index for CDDP. The ABCG2 gene expression in cells and EVs were assessed with real-time PCR. A549 and A549-EVs 2 cells were transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice, which were labeled the control group and the experimental group accordingly. After tumor formation, 3 mg/kg CDDP was intraperitoneally injected once a week for two times. The ABCG2 gene expression of subcutaneous transplanted tumor cells was examined by real-time PCR. The cell apoptosis rate of subcutaneous transplanted tumor cells was examined by flow cytometry. Results: Using the parental A549 cells as reference, the 24-h CDDP-resistance indexes of 549/CDDP, A549/ ABCG 2, A549/pCDNA3.1, A549-EVs 1, A549-EVs 2 cells were 7.17, 10.06, 1.02, 1.19 and 5.40, respectively. When comparing the ABCG2 gene expression levels in all cells and EVs, the findings were higher in A549/CDDP cells than those inA549 cells, higher in A549/ ABCG2 cells than those in A549/pCDNA3.1 or A549 cells, higher in EVs 2 than those in EVs 1, and higher in A549-EVs 2 than those in A549-EVs 1 cells ( P<0.01) . The volume of transplanted tumor and the ABCG2 gene expression level in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group, while the apoptosis rate was lower than that in the control group ( P<0.01). Conclusion: EVs carrying ABCG2 gene can regulate the drug resistance of lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Structural characterization and antioxidant activity of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides.

Polysaccharide is one of the main active components of Polygonatum sibiricum. For this study, P. sibiricum polysaccharides (PSP) were obtained through purification using DEAE-Cellulose52 and Sephacryl G-150 column chromatography. The obtained samples were named PSP1, PSP2 and PSP3. The PSP1 sample was found to have the highest content and the best solubility, and a subsequent. So, its structure and characterization were analyzed. The main sugar residue linkages were found to be â†’ 1)-ß-D-Fruf-(2 â†’ 1)-ß-D-Fruf-(2 â†’ 1), 1 â†’ -ß-D-Fruf-(2 â†’ 6)α-D-Glcp (1→, →4)-ß-D-Manp-(1 â†’ 4)-ß-D-Manp-(1→ and →6)-ß-D-Glcp-(1 â†’ 4)-ß-D-Manp-(1→ link existed. Branch chain analysis indicated →1,6)-ß-D-Fruf-(2→, ß-D-Fruf-(2→, →1,6)-ß-D-Fruf-(2→, →6)-ß-D- Fruf-(2→ link existed, and the link site was at position C-6. In vitro antioxidant activity tests showed that PSP1 had a certain scavenging effect on DPPH, hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion radical and a particular effect on the chelating ability of ferrous. This suggested that P. sibiricum polysaccharides may be a potential antioxidant.

Metabolomics Study of Different Germplasm Resources for Three Polygonatum Species Using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS.

Rhizomes of the Polygonatum species are well-known in traditional Chinese medicine. The 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia includes three different species that possess different pharmacological effects. Due to the lack of standardized discriminant compounds there has often been inadvertently incorrect prescriptions given for these medicines, resulting in serious consequences. Therefore, it is critical to accurately distinguish these herbal Polygonatum species. For this study, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS based metabolomics was employed for the first time to discriminate between three Polygonatum species. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) models were utilized to select the potential candidate discriminant compounds, after which MS/MS fragmentation patterns were used to identify them. Meanwhile, metabolic correlations were identified using the R language package corrplot, and the distribution of various metabolites was analyzed by box plot and the Z-score graph. As a result, we found that adenosine, sucrose, and pyroglutamic acid were suitable for the identification of different Polygonatum species. In conclusion, this study articulates how various herbal Polygonatum species might be more accurately and efficiently distinguished.

Predicting potential distribution of Ziziphus spinosa (Bunge) H.H. Hu ex F.H. Chen in China under climate change scenarios.

Ziziphus spinosa (Bunge) H.H. Hu ex F.H. Chen is a woody plant species of the family Rhamnaceae (order Rhamnales) that possesses high nutritional and medicinal value. Predicting the effects of climate change on the distribution of Z. spinosa is of great significance for the investigation, protection, and exploitation of this germplasm resource. For this study, optimized maximum entropy models were employed to predict the distribution patterns and changes of its present (1970-2000) and future (2050s, 2070s, and 2090s) potential suitable regions in China under multiple climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 & SSP5-8.5). The results revealed that the total area of the present potential suitable region for Z. spinosa is 162.60 × 104 km2, which accounts for 16.94% of China's territory. Within this area, the regions having low, medium, and high suitability were 80.14 × 104 km2, 81.50 × 104 km2, and 0.96 × 104 km2, respectively, with the high suitability regions being distributed primarily in Shanxi, Hebei, and Beijing Provinces. Except for SSP-1-2.6-2070s, SSP-5-8.5-2070s, and SSP-5-8.5-2090s, the suitable areas for Z. spinosa in the future increased to different degrees. Meanwhile, considering the distribution of Z. spinosa during different periods and under different climate scenarios, our study predicted that the low impact areas of Z. spinosa were mainly restricted to Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, and Jilin Provinces. The results of core distributional shifts showed that, except for SSP1-2.6, the center of the potential suitable region of Z. spinosa exhibited a trend of gradually shifting to the northwest.

The Effect of Mirror Visual Feedback on Spatial Neglect for Patients after Stroke: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial.

We investigated the effects of mirror visual feedback (MVF), with reference to using a glass wall or a covered mirror, on the reduction of spatial neglect for patients with stroke. A total of 21 subacute patients with left spatial neglect after right-hemispheric stroke were randomly assigned to 3 groups: MVF, sham 1 (viewing the hemiparetic arm through the transparent glass during bilateral arm movement) and sham 2 (using a covered mirror). The 3-week treatment program for all groups consisted of 12 sessions of movement tasks for the hemiparetic arm graded according to the severity of arm impairments. Blinded assessments were administered at pre/post and a three-week follow-up. The results showed that there was no significant advantage for MVF than sham 1; however, MVF was more beneficial than sham 2, as shown by the line crossing (p = 0.022). Improvement in discriminating the left-gap figures on the left and right side of the page in the Gap Detection Test was greater in MVF than using the covered mirror (p = 0.013; p = 0.010), showing a slight advantage of MVF in alleviating allocentric symptoms. Our study confirms that MVF was superior to using a covered mirror as a method for reducing spatial neglect and in alleviating its allocentric symptoms, but no significant advantage over bilateral arm movement through transparent glass was found. Further research in comparing their therapeutic effects is warranted.

[Temporal and Spatial Variations in Water Quality of Hanjiang River and Its Influencing Factors in Recent Years].

Hanjiang River is the main water source and influence area of the Middle Route of the South to North Water Transfer Project. In recent years, the water quality and ecological environment in the middle and lower reaches of the Hanjiang River has become seriously degraded and water blooms occur frequently. Scientific identification of the temporal and spatial variations in water environment quality (and the main driving factors) has become an important management requirement for optimizing the upstream water transfer project. The temporal and spatial variations and influencing factors of water quality in the Hanjiang River basin were systematically analyzed, based on multi-source data and using the Daniel trend test, Mann Kendall test, K-means cluster analysis, dissimilarity analysis, and redundancy analysis. Results showed that: ① in recent years, the main stream of the Hanjiang River had generally good water quality, which was generally classified as class Ⅱ of GB 3838-2002, while the water quality of some sections in the middle and lower reaches was classified as class Ⅲ. However, the total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) load was relatively high, with 10 stations in the Hanjiang River basin showing averaged concentrations of 0.028-0.263 mg·L-1 and 0.630-1.852 mg·L-1, respectively, during 2014-2018. ② From 2004 to 2018, TP and TN at Zongguan station did not show significant variation, and other water quality indexes did not exhibit any regular patterns. The concentrations of TN, NH4+-N, and BOD5 in the dry season were higher than those in the wet season. In the wet season. the permanganate index showed different variation patterns, while TP concentration did not decrease significantly. ③ Different sections showed obvious differences in the variation of water quality indexes. However, the ten stations can be clustered into three categories: the upstream stations showed the best water quality, followed by the middle reaches, and the downstream stations showed the worst. The water quality at Xiaohe station improved significantly over the study period, which may be related to protection measures implemented in recent years, such as source control, emission reduction, and removal of aquaculture. ④ Water discharge and temperature were important factors affecting the water quality of the three regions in Hanjiang River. According to redundancy analysis, the contribution of discharge to water quality in the upstream and downstream areas was much larger, while the contribution of water temperature was greatest in the middle reaches of the river.

Silicalite-1 zeolite membrane: Synthesis by seed method and application in organics removal.

Silicalite-1 (S-1) zeolite membrane synthesized by seed method with superior features attracts intensive attentions, while the influences of key parameters during synthesis process and its applications for organics removal require further investigation. This study revealed the morphology and the structure of the prepared membranes under different crystallization temperatures and seed concentrations by using a suite of characterization methods. The as-prepared membrane under optimal condition (crystallization temperature of 175 °C and seed concentration of 1.0 wt. %) possessed high membrane integrity, with ideal separation factor of 4.0. It also exhibited outstanding performance for organics removal, with dyes retention of 99.9% and 99.2% for 500 mg L-1 neutral red and 500 mg L-1 methyl blue, respectively. Excellent antifouling property of the synthesized membrane was also proved. Results of this work can guide the characteristic improvement of the S-1 zeolite membrane by adjusting key parameters and broaden its applications in dye wastewater treatment.