Evaluation of the migration behaviour of microplastics as emerging pollutants in freshwater environments.

Microplastics, as an emerging pollutant, are widely distributed in freshwater environments such as rivers and lakes, posing immeasurable potential risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health. The migration behaviour of microplastics can exacerbate the degree or scope of risk. A complete understanding of the migration behaviour of microplastics in freshwater environments, such as rivers and lakes, can help assess the state of occurrence and environmental risk of microplastics and provide a theoretical basis for microplastic pollution control.

Comparative study of polystyrene microplastic transport behavior in three different filter media: Quartz sand, zeolite, and anthracite.

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants that are attracting increasing interest from researchers, and the safety of drinking water is greatly affected by their transportation during filtration. Polystyrene (PS) was selected as a representative MPs, and three filter media (quartz sand, zeolite, and anthracite) commonly found in water plants were used. The retention patterns of PS-MPs by various filter media under various background water quality conditions were methodically investigated with the aid of DLVO theory and colloidal filtration theory.

Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Information of Biofilms and Activated Sludge in Full-Scale MBBR-IFAS Systems.

This study extensively analyzed the bacterial information of biofilms and activated sludge in oxic reactors of full-scale moving bed biofilm reactor-integrated fixed-film activated sludge (MBBR-IFAS) systems. The bacterial communities of biofilms and activated sludge differed statistically (R = 0.624, < 0.

Construction of functionalized In-based metal organic framework/BiOClI Z-scheme heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline: Performance and mechanism.

The environmental implications of antibiotics have drawn widespread attention. Numerous monomer-based bismuth oxide halide catalysts have been extensively studied to remove tetracycline (TC) from aquatic environments. Integrating bismuth oxide halide composites with In-based metal organic framework (NH-MIL-68(In)) might potentially serve as a novel strategy.

Innovative inbuilt moving bed biofilm reactor for nitrogen removal applied in household aquarium.

An innovative inbuilt moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) was created to protect fish from nitrogen in a household aquarium. During the 90 experimental days, the ammonia nitrogen (NH-N) concentration in the aquarium with the inbuilt MBBR was always below 0.5 mg/L, which would not threaten the fish.

The effect of metformin on senescence of T lymphocytes.

Background: Immunosenescence occurs as people age, leading to an increased incidence of age-related diseases. The number of senescent T cells also rises with age. T cell senescence and immune response dysfunction can result in a decline in immune function, especially in anti-tumor immune responses.

Aquatic plant allelochemicals inhibit the growth of microalgae and cyanobacteria in aquatic environments.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in the aquatic environment result in the growth of algal cells and water eutrophication, which adversely affect the aquatic environment and human health. Therefore, discovering a safe and efficient algae suppression method is necessary to ensure the ecological safety of water. Recently, the allelopathic effects of aquatic plants on algae have attracted extensive attention from researchers.

Synthesis of metalla-dual-azulenes with fluoride ion recognition properties.

Azulene-based conjugated systems are of great interests due to their unusual structures and photophysical properties. Incorporation of a transition metal into azulene skeleton presents an intriguing opportunity to combine the d-p and p-p conjugated properties. No such metallaazulene skeleton however has been reported to date.

Synergistic Effects of Environmental Relative Humidity and Initial Water Content of Recycled Concrete Aggregate on the Improvement in Properties via Carbonation Reactions.

Moisture is the basis of CO transport and carbonation reactions in the internal pores of cement-based materials. Too much or too little moisture influences the effect of the carbonation modification of CO on recycled concrete aggregate (RCA). During the carbonation reaction process of RCA, moisture is mainly derived from the environmental relative humidity (RH) and the initial water content (IWC) of the RCA itself.

Essential role of bromodomain proteins in renal cell carcinoma (Review).

Histone alterations are a hallmark of kidney cancer. Histone acetylation modification mediated by bromodomain proteins (BRD) has been indicated to be related to a variety of cancer types and several targeted inhibitors have been proven to be promising modalities for cancer adjuvant therapy. As renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is not sensitive to radiotherapy or chemotherapy, the exploration of effective adjuvant therapies remains an important research direction for advanced RCC.

Dynamic Sweep Experiments on a Heterogeneous Phase Composite System Based on Branched-Preformed Particle Gel in High Water-Cut Reservoirs after Polymer Flooding.

Heterogeneous phase composite (HPC) flooding technology that is based on branched-preformed particle gel (B-PPG) is an important technology for enhancing oil recovery in high water-cut reservoirs. In this paper, we conducted a series of visualization experiments under the condition of developed high-permeability channels after polymer flooding, with respect to well pattern densification and adjustment, and HPC flooding and its synergistic regulation. The experiments show that for polymer-flooded reservoirs, HPC flooding can significantly reduce the water cut and increase oil recovery, but that the injected HPC system mainly advances along the high-permeability channel with limited sweep expansion.

Tumor-Promoting ATAD2 and Its Preclinical Challenges.

has received extensive attention in recent years as one prospective oncogene with tumor-promoting features in many malignancies. ATAD2 is a highly conserved bromodomain family protein that exerts its biological functions by mainly AAA ATPase and bromodomain. ATAD2 acts as an epigenetic decoder and transcription factor or co-activator, which is engaged in cellular activities, such as transcriptional regulation, DNA replication, and protein modification.

β-Methyltryptamine Provoking the Crucial Role of Strictosidine Synthase Tyr151-OH for Its Stereoselective Pictet-Spengler Reactions to Tryptoline-type Alkaloids.

Strictosidine synthase (STR), the gate enzyme for monoterpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis, catalyzes the Pictet-Spengler reaction (PSR) of various tryptamine derivatives with secologanin assisted by "indole sandwich" stabilization. Continuous exploration with β-methyltryptamine (IPA) stereoselectively delivered the C6-methylstrictosidines and C6-methylvincosides by enzymatic and nonenzymatic PSR, respectively. Unexpectedly, the first "nonindole sandwich" binding mode was witnessed by the X-ray structures of STR1-ligand complexes.

[Preparation of AgPO/g-CN Composite Photocatalysts and Their Visible Light Photocatalytic Performance].

The visible light-driven photocatalyst AgPO/g-CN was synthesized by a simple in-situ precipitation method. The synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Compared with that of single AgPO and g-CN, the AgPO/g-CN composite had a higher catalytic efficiency for levofloxacin.

Selective construction of alkaloid scaffolds by alcohol-based direct and mild aerobic oxidative Pictet-Spengler reactions.

Employing TBN/TEMPO as the catalysts and oxygen as the oxidant, the biologically and pharmaceutically significant tetrahydro-β-carboline and β-carboline alkaloid scaffolds that used to be obtained by multi-step processes can now be selectively obtained in only one-step via direct aerobic oxidative Pictet-Spengler reactions of tryptamines with alcohols under mild conditions, with water generated as the byproduct. In this reaction, TBN/TEMPO was interestingly found to be able to facilitate the cyclization step of the whole reaction. This method tolerates a variety of C- and N-substituted tryptamines, and both the more reactive benzylic and allylic alcohols and the less reactive aliphatic alcohols.

Discovery of 3-Cinnamamido-N-Substituted Benzamides as Potential Antimalarial Agents.

Background: Malaria is one of the most devastating parasitic diseases, yet the discovery of antimalarial agents remains profoundly challenging. Very few new antimalarials have been developed in the past 50 years, while the emergence of drug-resistance continues to appear.

Objective: This study focuses on the discovery, design, synthesis, and antimalarial evaluation of 3- cinnamamido-N-substituted benzamides.

[Removal of Humic Acid from Water by Magnetic Chitosan-Grafted Polyacrylamide].

For high-efficiency removal of humic acid (HA), a natural organic matter in the water source, an adsorbent named magnetically modified chitosan-grafted polyacrylamide (MC-g-PAM) was developed by using an coprecipitation method. Analytical instruments, such as a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and specific surface area tester (BET), were used to characterize and analyze this material. With the aid of batch tests, the removal efficiency and mechanism of humic acid in water samples were investigated.

Preoperative and postoperative medical therapies for chronic rhinosinusitis: National surveys among Chinese otolaryngologists.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical practice patterns of preoperative and postoperative medical therapies immediately surrounding sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) by Chinese otolaryngologists.

Methods: Two anonymous web-based surveys of preoperative and postoperative medical therapies were performed. These surveys assessed the frequency of prescription of oral corticosteroids, intranasal corticosteroid sprays, oral antibiotics, nasal saline irrigation, oral antihistamines, nasal antihistamines, anti-leukotriene agents, topical decongestants and oral mucolytics.

DMSO-Triggered Complete Oxygen Transfer Leading to Accelerated Aqueous Hydrolysis of Organohalides under Mild Conditions.

Addition of DMSO is found to greatly accelerate the aqueous hydrolysis of organohalides to alcohols, providing a neutral, more efficient, milder and more economic process. Mechanistic studies using O-DMSO and O-H O showed that, contrary to the opinion that DMSO works as a dipolar solvent to enhance water's nucleophilicity, the accelerating effect comes from a complete oxygen transfer from DMSO to organohalides through generation of ROS Me ⋅X salts through C-O bond formation, followed by O-S bond disassociative hydrolysis of ROS Me ⋅X with water. This method is applicable to a wide range of organohalides and thus may have potential for practical industrial application, owing to easy recovery of DMSO from the H O/DMSO mixture by regular vacuum rectification.

Synthesis and antitumor activity of novel 4-(2-fluorophenoxy)quinoline derivatives bearing the 4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxamide moiety.

A series of 4-(2-fluorophenoxy)quinoline derivatives bearing the 4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxamide moiety were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro antitumor activity against the H460, HT-29, MKN-45, U87MG, and SMMC-7721 cancer cell lines. Most of the tested compounds showed potent activity and high selectivity toward the HT-29 and MKN-45 cell lines. Furthermore, compounds 21b, 21c, and 21i were further examined for their c-Met kinase activity and exhibited strong efficacy with IC50 values in the single-digit nanomolar range, which was comparable with the positive control foretinib.

The orthographic sensitivity to written Chinese in the occipital-temporal cortex.

Previous studies have identified an area in the left lateral fusiform cortex that is highly responsive to written words and has been named the visual word form area (VWFA). However, there is disagreement on the specific functional role of this area in word recognition. Chinese characters, which are dramatically different from Roman alphabets in the visual form and in the form to phonological mapping, provide a unique opportunity to investigate the properties of the VWFA.

Robust and task-independent spatial profile of the visual word form activation in fusiform cortex.

Written language represents a special category of visual information. There is strong evidence for the existence of a cortical region in ventral occipitotemporal cortex for processing the visual form of written words. However, due to inconsistent findings obtained with different tasks, the level of specialization and selectivity of this so called visual word form area (VWFA) remains debated.

Poly[diaqua-bis(μ(2)-5-carb-oxy-2-propyl-1H-imidazole-4-carboxyl-ato-κN,O:O)lead(II)].

In the title complex, [Pb(C(8)H(9)N(2)O(4))(2)(H(2)O)(2)](n), the eight-coordinate Pb(II) atom lies on a twofold rotation axis and adopts a slightly distorted square-anti-prismatic N(2)O(6) coordination geometry. The ligand donor atoms are the tertiary N atoms of the imidazole rings and the carboxyl-ate O atoms of two chelating 5-carb-oxy-2-propyl-1H-imidazole-4-carboxyl-ate ligands, the carb-oxy O atoms of two additional imidazole ligands and two water O atoms. The carb-oxy O and the N,O-chelate systems also link adjacent Pb(II) atoms, forming a two-dimensional layer structure, with four individual Pb(II) atoms located at the corners of a square.