Chlorination-induced spread of antibiotic resistance genes in drinking water systems.

Chlorine, the most widely utilized disinfectant for drinking water globally, has recently been implicated in facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), raising concerns about its underestimated environmental and ecological risks. However, given the current fragmented research focus and results, a comprehensive understanding of the potential mechanisms and influencing factors behind chlorination-promoted ARGs transmission in drinking water systems is crucial. This work is the first to systematically review the variations in abundance, transmission mechanisms, influencing factors, and mitigation strategies related to ARGs during the chlorination process.

Taraxasterol extracted from Ixeridium gramineum (Fisch.) Tzvel. Attenuated D-GalN/LPS-induced fulminant hepatitis by modulating the JAK/STAT and TNF signalling pathways.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Taraxasterol (TAR), a compound highly abundant and easily obtainable from Tibetan medicine Ixeridium gramineum (Fisch.) Tzvel., exhibits a variety of biological effects, including hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities.

Fate of wastewater trace organic chemicals in vegetated biofiltration systems.

Vegetated biofiltration system (VBS) is an effective green technology for urban stormwater and greywater treatment. However, VBS is yet to be optimised for effective treatment of wastewater, particularly if it contains trace organic chemicals (TrOCs). The effect of plant species has not been addressed under TrOC wastewater loading.

Enhanced removal of fluoride ions using lanthanum-doped coconut shell biochar in PVDF ultrafiltration membranes.

Fluoride contamination in surface and ground water poses significant health risks, necessitating a low-energy, cost-effective removal method. Herein, an ultrafiltration (UF) adsorptive membrane doped with lanthanum (La)-based coconut shell biochar was synthesized to effectively remove fluoride ions. Based on the results of adsorption and membrane separation performance, it was found that La-based biochar showed a significantly higher adsorption capacity (126.

A framework supporting green stormwater management for urban designers.

Multi-objective Urban Green Space (UGS) design is essential for optimizing limited resources amid diverse urban development challenges. This study introduces a new design support tool that overcomes the data-intensive and expert-reliant limitations faced by urban designers. The tool integrates stormwater management analysis within the Rhinoceros + Grasshopper platform, offering three key features: (1) quantifying stormwater volume in the 3D model, (2) estimating the space required for stormwater management in UGS, and (3) providing options for stormwater management facilities for UGS design.

Polysaccharide of Dicliptera chinensis (L.) Juss. alleviated cholestatic liver disease by modulating the FXR pathway.

Dicliptera chinensis (L.) Juss., is an herb known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

Bergenin inhibits hepatic fat deposition by activating the AMPK signaling pathway, thereby attenuating alcoholic liver disease.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a prevalent liver condition that arises from prolonged and excessive alcohol intake. Bergenin (BER) is an effective phytotherapeutic agent that exhibits pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. To establish an in vivo model of ALD, C57BL/6 mice were continuously fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and administered alcohol gavage for 8 weeks, while concurrently administering BER and evaluated for therapeutic effects.

Polygala fallax Hemsl polysaccharides alleviated alcoholic fatty liver disease by modifying lipid metabolism via AMPK.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) is characterized by excessive lipid accumulation in the liver. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of Polygala fallax Hemsl polysaccharides (PFPs) on AFLD. PFPs were purified and structurally characterized.

Real time control of stormwater biofilters improves the removal of organic chemicals.

Biofilters are among the most popular nature-based systems for treating stormwater and delivering multiple environmental benefits. However, as a passive system, their performance tends to be inconsistent in removing emerging organic contaminants produced by anthropogenic activities that can be persistent, mobile, and toxic. Thus, in this study, real time control (RTC) of stormwater biofilters is introduced to enhance the removal of a diverse range of organic chemicals.

Double cross-linked chitosan sponge encapsulated with ZrO/soy protein isolate amyloid fibrils nanoparticles for the fluoride ion removal from water.

Fluoride ion pollution in water has become a serious threat to the water environment and human health. Adsorption is a promising means of fluoride removal, but it also faces challenges such as the difficult separation and recovery of powdered particles, the leaching of modified coatings from adsorbents, and the structural disintegration of macroscopic adsorbents. For addressing the above challenges, glutaraldehyde/polyvinyl alcohol co-crosslinked ZrSAF/chitosan spongy composites (ZrS/GPCS) were prepared by utilizing encapsulation strategies and cross-linking.

A machine learning approach for rapid early detection of Campylobacter spp. using absorbance spectra collected from enrichment cultures.

Enumeration of Campylobacter from environmental waters can be difficult due to its low concentrations, which can still pose a significant health risk. Spectrophotometry is an approach commonly used for fast detection of water-borne pollutants in water samples, but it has not been used for pathogen detection, which is commonly done through a laborious and time-consuming culture or qPCR Most Probable Number enumeration methods (i.e.

Review of trace organic chemicals in urban stormwater: Concentrations, distributions, risks, and drivers.

Urban stormwater, increasingly seen as a potential water resource for cities and towns, contains various trace organic chemicals (TrOCs). This study, conducted through a comprehensive literature review of 116 publications, provides a detailed report on the occurrence, concentration distribution, health, and ecological risks of TrOCs, as well as the impact of land use and rainfall characteristics on their concentrations. The review uncovers a total of 629 TrOCs detected at least once in urban stormwater, including 228 pesticides, 132 pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), 29 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 30 per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), 28 flame retardants, 24 plasticizers, 22 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), nine corrosion inhibitors, and 127 other industrial chemicals/intermediates/solvents.

The Role of the Orexin System in Craniocerebral Trauma-Induced Epilepsy in Mice.

Background: Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), an imbalance arises in the central nervous system within the hippocampus region, resulting in the proliferation of mossy cell fibers, causing abnormal membrane discharge. Moreover, disruptions in cellular neurotransmitter secretion induce post-traumatic epilepsy. Extensive experimental and clinical data indicate that the orexin system plays a regulatory role in the hippocampal central nervous system, but the specific regulatory effects are unclear.

Mechanistic studies on the alleviation of ANIT-induced cholestatic liver injury by Polygala fallax Hemsl. polysaccharides.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Polygala fallax Hemsl. is a traditional folk medicine commonly used by ethnic minorities in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and has a traditional application in the treatment of liver disease. Polygala fallax Hemsl.

Controlling Symmetry-Breaking Charge Separation in Pyrene Bichromophores.

So far, symmetry-breaking charge separation (SB-CS) has been observed with a limited number of chromophores and is usually inhibited by the formation of an excimer. We show here that thanks to fine-tuning of the interchromophore coupling via structural control, SB-CS can be operative with pyrene, despite its high propensity to form an excimer. This is realized with a bichromophoric system consisting of two pyrenes attached to a crown ether macrocycle, which can bind cations of different sizes.

An economical and simple method for preparing highly permeable and chlorine-resistant reverse osmosis membranes with potential commercial applications.

The improvement in the overall efficiency of thin-film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes is limited by their low permeability and sensitivity to degradation by chlorine. In the present study, polypiperazine (PIP), the commonly used amine monomer in preparing commercial TFC nanofiltration (NF) membranes, was used to regulate the -phenylenediamine (MPD) based interfacial polymerization (IP) process. The results showed that addition of PIP optimized the micro-structure and surface properties of the polyamide (PA) layer.

Adhesive injectable cellulose-based hydrogels with rapid self-healing and sustained drug release capability for promoting wound healing.

Injectable biocompatible hydrogels with multiple functions, including self-healing, adhesion, antibacterial activity, and suitable mechanical properties, are highly desirable for enhancing wound healing. In this study, a new class of multi-functional injectable self-healing cellulose-based hydrogels was synthesised using dynamic covalent acylhydrazone linkages for wound dressing. The carboxymethyl cellulose-graft-adipic dihydrazide (CMC-ADH)/4-Formylbenzoic acid-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-FBA) (CMC-ADH/PEG-FBA) hydrogels have adjustable gelation time and excellent self-healing ability.

The efficacy and mechanism of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels root aqueous extract based on RNA sequencing and 16S rDNA sequencing in alleviating polycystic ovary syndrome.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) leads to persistent anovulation, hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and polycystic ovary, and is mainly characterized by menstrual disorders, and reproductive dysfunction. Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels root has been used in many classical formulas of traditional Chinese medicine, and is commonly used to treat various gynecological diseases.

Photo-electrochemical oxidation flow system for stormwater herbicides removal: Operational conditions and energy consumption analysis.

Photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO) is a promising advanced technology for treating micropollutants in stormwater. However, it is important to understand its operation prior to practical validation. In this study, we introduced a flow PECO system designed to evaluate its potential for full-scale applications in herbicides degradation, providing valuable insights for future large-scale implementations.

Ethanolic extract of Pereskia aculeata induces Anti-Inflammatory Responses through P38/MK2/TTP-mediated signaling pathway.

Pereskia aculeata Miller, a member of the Cactaceae family, is a plant with pharmacological potential due to its containing compounds with various biological activities, which include anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and analgesic activities. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of an ethanolic extract of P. aculeata Miller (EEPA) and the signalling pathways by which it exerts these effects.

The Effect of Bergenin on Isonicotinic Acid Hydrazide and Rifampicin-Induced Liver Injury Revealed by RNA Sequencing.

Bergenin (BER), a natural component of polyphenols, has a variety of pharmacological activities, especially in improving drug metabolism, reducing cholestasis, anti-oxidative stress and inhibiting inflammatory responses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of BER on liver injury induced by isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH) and rifampicin (RIF) in mice. The mice model of liver injury was established with INH (100 mg/kg)+RIF (100 mg/kg), and then different doses of BER were used to intervene.

Multistate Aggregation-Induced Chiroptical Properties of Enantiopure Disulfide-Mediated Bispyrene Macrocycles.

A chiral bispyrene macrocycle designed for exclusive intermolecular excimer fluorescence upon aggregation was synthesized by a double hydrothiolation of a bis-enol ether macrocycle followed by intramolecular oxidation of free thiols. Unusually high stereoselectivity was achieved for the thiol-ene additions under templated conditions and Et B/O radical initiation. After enantiomer separation (chiral stationary phase HPLC), aqueous conditions provoked aggregation.

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Spatial Prioritisation through Global Sensitivity Analysis for Effective Urban Pluvial Flood Mitigation.

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) has attracted growing attention as a sustainable approach for mitigating pluvial flooding (also known as flash flooding), which is expected to increase in frequency and intensity under the impacts of climate change and urbanisation. However, spatial planning of WSUD is not an easy task, not only due to the complex urban environment, but also the fact that not all locations in the catchment are equally effective for flood mitigation. In this study, we developed a new WSUD spatial prioritisation framework that applies global sensitivity analysis (GSA) to identify priority subcatchments where WSUD implementation will be most effective for flood mitigation.