Optimization of PAHs oxidation from contaminated soil using modified nanoscale zero-valent iron combined with potassium permanganate.

A novel synergistic oxidation technology based on modified nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) and potassium permanganate (KMnO) was developed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) remediation in actual contaminated soil. In this study, three surfactants were used as dispersants to modify nZVI, including poly acrylic (PAA), sorbitan monolaurate (SPAN-20) and sugar esters (SE). The following parameters were studied to optimize the coupling oxidation process: dispersants/nZVI ratio, dosage of oxidant based on soil oxidation demand (SOD), amount of modified nanomaterials added in the coupling system.

Tuning Ligand-Coordinated Single Metal Atoms on TiO and their Dynamic Response during Hydrogenation Catalysis.

Ligand-coordinated supported catalysts (LCSCs) are of growing interest for heterogeneous single-atom catalysis. Here, the effect of the choice of organic ligand on the activity and stability of TiO -supported single-atom Pt-ligand catalysts was investigated for ethylene hydrogenation. The activity of these catalysts showed a significant dependence on the choice of ligand and also correlated with coordination number for Pt-ligand and Pt-Cl .

Targeting the Opening of Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pores Potentiates Nanoparticle Drug Delivery and Mitigates Cancer Metastasis.

Mitochondria are highly involved in the metastasis of cancer cells. However, low permeability of mitochondria impedes the entry of anti-cancer drugs. Here, a self-assembled nanoparticle platform is designed that not only targets the DNA-intercalating agent doxorubicin to mitochondria but also enhances the specific penetration by opening the mitochondrial permeability transition pores (MPTPs).

The performance of emerging materials derived from waste organism blood and saponified modified orange peel for immobilization of available Cd in soil.

Waste organism blood (WOB) and orange peel are emerging stabilization materials obtained as by-products from agricultural processes, which are quite suitable for heavy metal immobilization in soil. In this work, waste organism blood and chemically modified orange peel (SOP) were investigated as potential sorbents for immobilization of available Cd in soil. Application of 5% WOB and SOP effectively immobilized cadmium (Cd) with an associated regulation of soil pH, among which the pH of acidic soil increased most significantly.

Lamellar Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Superior to Micellar Solution for Proton Conduction in an Aqueous Solution of 1-Tetradecyl-3-methylimidazolium Hydrogen Sulfate.

Humidified perfluorosulfonic acid polymers with a nanoscopic phase-separated morphology are highly proton-conductive materials for fuel cells, yet morphology tuning of the acidic materials for enhanced conduction remains a challenge. Aqueous acidic lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) provide a powerful platform to construct well-defined nanostructures for proton conduction. We report an aqueous LLC formed by 1-tetradecyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate, exhibiting a proton conductivity of 210 mS cm at 25 °C, which surpasses that formed by alkylsulfonic acid, thus demonstrating that a mobile acidic anion is more efficient than constrained sulfonic acid functionality to transport protons in LLCs.

Topology-Matching Design of an Influenza-Neutralizing Spiky Nanoparticle-Based Inhibitor with a Dual Mode of Action.

In this study, we demonstrate the concept of "topology-matching design" for virus inhibitors. With the current knowledge of influenza A virus (IAV), we designed a nanoparticle-based inhibitor (nano-inhibitor) that has a matched nanotopology to IAV virions and shows heteromultivalent inhibitory effects on hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. The synthesized nano-inhibitor can neutralize the viral particle extracellularly and block its attachment and entry to the host cells.

LncRNA PVT1 epigenetically stabilizes and post-transcriptionally regulates FOXM1 by acting as a microRNA sponge and thus promotes malignant behaviors of ovarian cancer cells.

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) may be involved in the regulation of cancer biology. PVT1, which is overexpressed in tumor samples, acts as an oncogenic promoter in several kinds of cancers, including ovarian cancer. However, the mechanisms of its regulation of malignant behaviors in ovarian cancer remain largely unknown.

Microwave roasting of blast furnace slag for carbon dioxide mineralization and energy analysis.

For both the waste treatment of large quantities of blast furnace (BF) slag and carbon dioxide (CO) that are discharged in ironworks, mineral carbonation by BF slag was proposed in this decade. However, it has not been widely used due to its high energy consumption and low production efficiency. In this study, a microwave roasting method was employed to mineralize CO with BF slag, and the process parameters for the sulfation and energy consumption were investigated.

Sarcopenia, Obesity and Sarcopenia Obesity in Comparison: Prevalence, Metabolic Profile, and Key Differences: Results from WCHAT Study.

Objective: To identify the prevalence, lifestyle factors, chronic disease status, and assessing the metabolic profile, comparing key differences in a cohort of subjects with non-sarcopenia/non-obesity (H), sarcopenia/non-obesity (S), non-sarcopenia/obesity (O) and sarcopenia obesity (SO) in a multi-ethnic population in west China.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Setting: The communities in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Xinjiang provinces.

An electroless-plating-like solution approach for the preparation of PS@TiO@Ag core-shell spheres.

PS@TiO@Ag spheres with triple-level core-shell nanostructures were prepared a versatile coating procedure based on an electroless-plating-like solution deposition (EPLSD) method. A peroxo-titanium-complex (PTC) aqueous solution was used as the precursor to react with an aniline monomer in the EPLSD preparation. Aniline plays an important role in the TiO layer anchoring process through the swollen effects of the PS cores.

Transcription-Related Dynamics from Immune Disability into Endogenous Innovation.

So far, thymus involution in adults is believed to be irreversible, and endogenous innovation for thymus-related immunodeficiency remains to be an intractable puzzle. With the expectation of addressing this dilemma, human ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) has been reengineered as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-tridimensional-spheroid biologics (ETSB) using a dynamic EMT-3D-floating system along with 160 Gy X-ray-amelioration, which inoculates subcutaneously into aging rhesus and athymic Balb/c mice. Herein, it is bioinformatically validated that ETSB can reset Clock/Arntl-Per3/Tim molecule rhythm dynamics to re-prime thymus residual (parathyroid or fatty-like invalid vesicles yet no thymic architecture) to evolutionary transcription with overall cortex-medulla endogenized by TECs undergoing MET/EMT reversion.

TiO-Au composite nanofibers for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

TiO-based materials for photocatalytic hydrogen (H) evolution have attracted much interest as a renewable approach for clean energy applications. TiO-Au composite nanofibers (NFs) with an average fiber diameter of ∼160 nm have been fabricated by electrospinning combined with calcination treatment. reduced gold nanoparticles (NPs) with uniform size (∼10 nm) are found to disperse homogenously in the TiO NF matrix.

CircPOMT1 and circMCM3AP inhibit osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells by targeting miR-6881-3p.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), novel endogenous non-coding RNAs with the special circular structure, have been found to play critical roles in various development of tissues and diseases. However, few studies have focused on the functions and mechanisms of circRNAs in the osteogenesis of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). Here, we performed the circRNAs sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to investigate the expression profiles of hASCs during osteogenic differentiation.

Polyacrylamide crosslinked by bis-vinylimidazolium bromide for high elastic and stable hydrogels.

A series of ionic compounds 1,-dialkyl-3,3'-bis-l-vinylimidazolium bromide (C VIM) are prepared and employed to crosslink acrylamide for polyacrylamide (PAAM) hydrogel preparation solution polymerization. The swelling behavior, mechanical properties and thermal stability of the prepared C VIM crosslinked PAAM hydrogels are investigated. C VIM effectively crosslink the PAAM networks to form porous structures in the hydrogel, which could stably absorb water as much as 75.

Analysis of serum metabolomics among biopsy-proven diabetic nephropathy, type 2 diabetes mellitus and healthy controls.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (TDM) has a rising prevalence and diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major complication of TDM. Metabolomics could provide novel insights into the pathogenesis, so we aimed to explore serum metabolomic profiles from DN to TDM. Serum samples were collected from 14 biopsy-proven DNs, 14 age/gender-matched TDMs without renal diseases (DM), 14 age/gender-matched healthy controls (CTRL) and household contacts of DM group (HH).

Preparation and characterization of peptide modified ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxides used as tumor targeting MRI contrast agent.

As desirable contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxides (USPIOs) are required to exhibit both low cytotoxicity and specific targetability besides superparamagnetism to achieve better imaging contrast at lower dose, and cladding with biocompatible polymers and modification with targeting ligands are considered to be the most effective strategies. In this study, novel dextran wrapped and peptide WSGPGVWGASVK (peptide-WSG) grafted USPIOs were meticulously prepared and systematically characterized. Firstly, dextran (Dex) cladded USPIOs (USPIOs@Dex) were synthesized with a well-designed co-precipitation procedure in which the biocompatible dextran played dual roles of grain inhibitor and cladding agent.

Improving Quality of Life in Patients at Risk for Post-Intensive Care Syndrome.

Objective: To improve quality of life (QOL) in patients at risk for post-intensive care syndrome (PICS).

Patients And Methods: We conducted a mixed-method, prospective, observational, pre-post interventional study in an adult medical and mixed medical/surgical/transplant intensive care unit (ICU) at a tertiary academic hospital. Preintervention included patients admitted from October 1 through October 31, 2016, and postintervention included patients admitted from January 15 through February 14, 2017.

Enhanced Melanoma-Targeted Therapy by "Fru-Blocked" Phenyboronic Acid-Modified Multiphase Antimetastatic Micellar Nanoparticles.

Metastasis remains the main driver of mortality in patients suffering from cancer because of the refractoriness resulting from the multi-phase metastatic cascade. Herein, a multifunctional self-delivering PBA-LMWH-TOS nanoparticle (PLT NP) is established that acts as both nanocarrier and anti-metastatic agent with effects on most hematogenous metastases of cancers. The hydrophilic segment (low molecular weight heparin, LMWH) inhibits the interactions between tumor cells and platelets.

Visible colorimetric fluoride and hydroxide sensing by asymmetric tris-urea receptors: combined experimental and theoretical studies.

A series of asymmetric tris-urea receptors with electron withdrawing group (EWG) or electron donating group (EDG), L1-L4, were synthesized and characterized by high resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Receptors with EWG substituent showed different visible colorimetric response to fluoride and hydroxide anions. Binding studies toward various monovalent anions were performed by UV-Vis and NMR titration experiments.

Enhanced Tumor Retention Effect by Click Chemistry for Improved Cancer Immunochemotherapy.

Because of the limited drug concentration in tumor tissues and inappropriate treatment strategies, tumor recurrence and metastasis are critical challenges for effectively treating malignancies. A key challenge for effective delivery of nanoparticles is to reduce uptake by reticuloendothelial system and to enhance the permeability and retention effect. Herein, we demonstrated Cu(I)-catalyzed click chemistry triggered the aggregation of azide/alkyne-modified micelles, enhancing micelles accumulation in tumor tissues.

Effects of PEMFs on Osx, Ocn, TRAP, and CTSK gene expression in postmenopausal osteoporosis model mice.

Ovariectomized mice were used to simulate the symptoms of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, and observe the effects of PEMF treatment on expression of Osx, Ocn, TRAP, and CTSK in ovariectomized mice. Thirty-week-old wild-type C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups (=10, each group): sham operation group, ovariectomy (OVX) group, and PEMF group. Mice in the sham group underwent sham ovariectomy, while mice in the remaining two groups were ovariectomized.

SKLB023 hinders renal interstitial fibrosis in obstructive nephropathy by interfering TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling.

Renal fibrosis is the principal process underlying the progression of chronic kidney disease to end-stage renal disease. It is a relatively uniform response involving glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial fibrosis and changes in renal vasculature. A considerable number of studies have confirmed that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was highly expressed in renal interstitial fibrosis and the overexpression of iNOS played a negative role in kidney disease progression.

Turning the Old Adjuvant from Gel to Nanoparticles to Amplify CD8 T Cell Responses.

Due to its safety and efficacy, aluminum hydroxide is used as an immune adjuvant in human vaccines for over 80 years. Being a Th2 stimulator, the classical gel-like adjuvant, however, fails to generate CD8 T cell responses, which are important for cancer vaccines. Here, aluminum hydroxide is turned from gel into nano-sized vaccine carriers AlO(OH)-polymer nanoparticles (APNs) to promote their lymphatic migration.