Cost-effective phosphorus removal from aqueous solution by a chitosan/lanthanum hydrogel bead: Material development, characterization of uptake process and investigation of mechanisms

Excessive phosphorus is one of the main reasons leading to eutrophication that causes severe ecosystem imbalance and negative human health impacts. In this study, several chitosan (CS)/lanthanum (La) hydrogel beads were first synthesized and tested for phosphorus removal. The stable cross-linked CS/La hydrogel bead prepared with the optimized conditions of 10 wt% La/CS and 1.5 mL of 5% glutaraldehyde demonstrated exceptional performance in the removal. It removed phosphate effectively from an aqueous solution in the pH range from 2 to 7. The complete phosphate uptake was achieved at contact time of 6 h under the completely mixing batch condition. The experimental maximum adsorption capacity of 107.7 mg g^-1 was observed at solution pH 4. The phosphate adsorption was well described by the Freundlich isotherm and the intraparticle surface diffusion model. Furthermore, the adsorbent was effectively regenerated and reused in a five-cycle adsorption-desorption operation. The removal of phosphate can be attributed to electrostatic attraction and ion exchange. Moreover, the bead was capable of removing heavy metals: copper, zinc and lead. This adsorbent may be served as a cost-effective material for the treatment of phosphorus-contaminated water so as to minimize the occurrence of eutrophication.

Direct Measurement of the Astrophysical ^{19}F(p,αγ)^{16}O Reaction in the Deepest Operational Underground Laboratory

Fluorine is one of the most interesting elements in nuclear astrophysics, where the ^{19}F(p,α)^{16}O reaction is of crucial importance for Galactic ^{19}F abundances and CNO cycle loss in first generation Population III stars. As a day-one campaign at the Jinping Underground Nuclear Astrophysics experimental facility, we report direct measurements of the essential ^{19}F(p,αγ)^{16}O reaction channel. The γ-ray yields were measured over E_{c.m.}=72.4-344  keV, covering the Gamow window; our energy of 72.4 keV is unprecedentedly low, reported here for the first time. The experiment was performed under the extremely low cosmic-ray-induced background environment of the China JinPing Underground Laboratory, one of the deepest underground laboratories in the world. The present low-energy S factors deviate significantly from previous theoretical predictions, and the uncertainties are significantly reduced. The thermonuclear ^{19}F(p,αγ)^{16}O reaction rate has been determined directly at the relevant astrophysical energies.

Microcystis aeruginosa removal by peroxides of hydrogen peroxide, peroxymonosulfate and peroxydisulfate without additional activators

Harmful algal bloom (HAB) is one of the most globally severe challenges in ecological system and water safety. Hydrogen peroxide has been commonly used in the management/treatment. Solid oxidants (e.g., peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peroxydisulfate (PDS)) may outperform liquid H₂O₂ due to ease in transportation, handling, and applications. However, the information on applications of PMS and PDS in algae treatment is limited. In this study, the two solid peroxides and H₂O₂ were investigated for the removal of the blue-green algae of Microcystis aeruginosa. H₂O₂ and PMS effectively removed algae in 2 d at pH 5.0, 7.0 and 9.0, while PDS was only effective at pH 5.0. The change in pH and the release of dissolved organic carbon were insignificant at 0.2 mM H₂O₂ and PMS. The PMS could degrade microcystin-LR and phycobiliproteins. The studies of phycobiliproteins degradation and scanning electron microscopy indicated that PMS might cause the cell inactivation mainly by damaging the chemical components in algae cell wall and membrane while H₂O₂ might mainly enter the cell to form oxidation pressure to kill algae. The scavenger experiments showed that radicals were not crucial in H₂O₂ and PDS applications. Similarly, the algae removal by PMS was obtained mainly by non-radical pathways; about 77% was direct PMS oxidation and no more than 3% was singlet oxygen-mediated process, while radical pathways of sulfate radical and hydroxyl radical accounted for 18% and 2%, respectively. For the realistic algae-contaminated natural water, the PMS effectively lasted for 60 d, while the H₂O₂ lasted for 12 d. This research work demonstrates that the PMS is promising in control of HAB. The findings can provide some useful design and application parameters of PMS technology for better management/treatment of algae-contaminated water.

Simultaneous oxidation and removal of arsenite by Fe(III)/CaO2 Fenton-like technology

Arsenite contaminated water is one of severe global environmental problems. It is challenging to treat As(III) pollution by a one-step technology. In this study, we developed a Fe(III)/CaO₂ Fenton-like technology for the treatment of As(III). The simultaneous oxidation of arsenite and removal of arsenic were achieved with efficiencies of nearly 100% and 95.8% respectively, which outperforms conventional technologies. It worked well in pH 3 to 9, and in the presence of cationic heavy metals, anions and humic acid. Moreover, the PO₄^3- inhibited the removal of As(III). •OH and ¹O₂ played the important roles in the oxidation of As(III). The Ca(II) derived from CaO₂ made a significant contribution to the oxidation and removal of As(III). The SEM and XPS studies confirmed that the formation of Ca-Fe nascent colloid caused the effective removal of arsenic. Our study demonstrates that the one-step Fe(III)/CaO₂ technology has a great potential for purification of the As(III)-contaminated water.

Incorporation of lanthanum particles to polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane for specific phosphorus uptake: Method comparison and performance assessment

It is known that phosphorus is a major contributor to the occurrence of eutrophication. As such, it is of importance to remove it from water. Nanofiltration (NF) has low phosphorus selectivity and requires a relatively high pressure to achieve the separation, though it is capable of removing phosphorus. In this paper, we report our findings of method development on fabrication and application of a lanthanum (La)-incorporated polyethersulfone (PES)/sulfonated polyphenylenesulfone membrane for phosphorus treatment. The performances of membranes fabricated by the in situ and ex situ methods were examined in a series of batch adsorption and dead-end filtration experiments. The membrane fabricated by the in situ method demonstrated higher adsorption capacity (48.0 mg/g), faster kinetics (equilibrium in 6 h) and higher water permeance (>100 LMH/bar), which outperformed that by the ex situ method. Furthermore, the PES/La (in situ) membrane showed a comparable phosphate removal with a much higher permeance (about 20 times) than the NF90 (a nanofiltration commercial membrane). Moreover, the multiple cycles of filtration study showed that the membrane was reused satisfactorily in treating low-phosphate contaminated water and meeting the stringent phosphate standard limit of 0.15 mg/L. The removal of phosphate by the membranes was attributed to the mechanisms of ion exchange and electrostatic attraction/complexation. The study reported here provides a better approach in fabrication of functionalized membrane for water treatment, such as phosphate removal in either batch adsorption or membrane filtration process.

Modification of polyvinylidene fluoride membrane by silver nanoparticles-graphene oxide hybrid nanosheet for effective membrane biofouling mitigation

Membrane biofouling poses severe impacts on the membrane lifespan and performance. In this study, a silver nanoparticles-graphene oxide hybrid nanosheet (AgNPs-GO) was synthesized as a bactericidal agent for effective membrane biofouling mitigation. The surface polymerization between polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and AgNPs-GO nanosheet improved the stability of inorganic biocidal materials on the membrane surface and had a significant effect on the permeability and rejection performance of membranes. The PVA/AgNPs-GO modified hydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (H-PVDF) membrane exhibited an excellent anti-microbial activity in both static contact and filtration modes; nearly 100% inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in solution and 91% reduction in the membrane surface adhesion were found. The composite membrane with good stability and anti-microbial ability may offer an alternative to alleviate membrane biofouling problem.

Ruling out Color Transparency in Quasielastic ^{12}C(e,e^{'}p) up to Q^{2} of 14.2 (GeV/c)^{2}

Quasielastic ^{12}C(e,e^{'}p) scattering was measured at spacelike 4-momentum transfer squared Q^{2}=8, 9.4, 11.4, and 14.2  (GeV/c)^{2}, the highest ever achieved to date. Nuclear transparency for this reaction was extracted by comparing the measured yield to that expected from a plane-wave impulse approximation calculation without any final state interactions. The measured transparency was consistent with no Q^{2} dependence, up to proton momenta of 8.5  GeV/c, ruling out the quantum chromodynamics effect of color transparency at the measured Q^{2} scales in exclusive (e,e^{'}p) reactions. These results impose strict constraints on models of color transparency for protons.

Great enhancement in phosphate uptake onto lanthanum carbonate grafted microfibrous composite under a low-voltage electrostatic field

Removal of phosphorus from water via cost-effective measures becomes important for water industry mainly due to eutrophication in waterbody. In our lab, a novel lanthanum carbonate-microfibrous composite (LC-MC) with good performance was previously synthesized for the removal of phosphorus. In this study, we further improved our technology by applying the electrostatic field (direct current, DC) to the adsorption system. It was showed that the applied DC can greatly improve the adsorption of phosphate in particular the adsorption capacity. Better removal was seen in the pH range of 5-9 at a higher temperature. The maximum adsorption capacity of 47.57 mg-PO₄^3- g^-1 was achieved, which was 1.4 times of that operated in the absence of applied DC. The adsorption equilibrium was established at the contact time of 240 min; the adsorption history was well described by the intraparticle surface diffusion model. The negative effect from oxygen-containing anions on the phosphate uptake followed the decreasing sequence of: humic acid > carbonate > nitrate > sulfate; on the other hand, the halogen anions had almost no influence on it. Finally, the mechanism study by XPS, XRD, and IR demonstrated that the ligand exchange played an important role in the electro-assisted phosphate uptake process.

Probing the Deuteron at Very Large Internal Momenta

We measure ^{2}H(e,e^{'}p)n cross sections at 4-momentum transfers of Q^{2}=4.5±0.5  (GeV/c)^{2} over a range of neutron recoil momenta p_{r}, reaching up to ∼1.0  GeV/c. We obtain data at fixed neutron recoil angles θ_{nq}=35°, 45°, and 75° with respect to the 3-momentum transfer q[over →]. The new data agree well with previous data, which reached p_{r}∼500  MeV/c. At θ_{nq}=35° and 45°, final state interactions, meson exchange currents, and isobar currents are suppressed and the plane wave impulse approximation provides the dominant cross section contribution. We compare the new data to recent theoretical calculations, where we observe a significant discrepancy for recoil momenta p_{r}>700  MeV/c.

[Effects of sleep quality and mood of patients with Parkinson's disease on their caregivers]

Objectve: To evaluate the relationship of Parkinson's disease(PD) patients' sleep quality and depression with burden, quality of life, and depression of their caregivers. Methods: A total of 120 PD patients (68 males and 52 females) and their caregivers (48 males and 72 females) from Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine between January 2017 and June 2019 were recruited. Patients' sleep quality, depression and quality of life was evaluated. Burden, quality of life, quality of sleep, and depression of caregivers were assessed by the Caregivers Burden Questionnaire (CBI), Health Survey Brief (SF-36), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PQS1) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), meanwhile, the correlation between relevant factors was analyzed. Results: The CBI of caregivers was positively correlated with the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS)-Ⅲ scores of PD patients (r=0.436, P<0.05). The CBI, SF-36GH, SF-36MH, HAMD and PSQI scores of caregivers were positively correlated with Parkinson's disease sleep scale (PDSS) scores of PD patients (r=0.546, 0.762, 0.528, 0.562 and 0.522, respectively, all P<0.01). The caregiver's CBI score was positively correlated with PD patients' Epworth sleepiness score (ESS) score (r=0.442, P<0.05), and caregiver's CBI, SF-36GH, SF-36MH, HAMD, PSQI scores were positively correlated with PD patients' HAMD scores (r=0.765, 0.813, 0.635, 0.884 and 0.601, respectively, all P<0.01). The caregiver's CBI score was positively correlated with the PDQ-39 score of PD patients (r=0.834, 0.452, 0.463, 0.421 and 0.387, respectively, all P<0.05). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the caregiver's CBI score was significantly correlated with the patient's PDQ-39, PDSS and HAMD scores (r=0.512, 0.645 and 0.635, respectively, all P<0.01), and the caregiver's SF-36GH score was significantly correlated with the patient's PDQ-39, PDSS and HAMD scores (r=0.452, 0.682 and 0.506, respectively, all P<0.01). The caregiver's SF-36MH score was significantly correlated with the patient's PDQ-39, PDSS and HAMD scores (r=0.426, 0.608 and 0.598, respectively, all P<0.01). There was significant correlations between the caregiver's HAMD score and the patient's PDSS and HAMD scores (r=0.568 and 0.496, both P<0.01), and the PSQI score of the caregiver was significantly correlated with the PDSS and HAMD scores of the patient (r=0.532 and 0.461, both P<0.01). Conclusions: This current study underscores the presence of a significant relationship of patient's sleep quality with caregiver's burden, quality of life, depression and sleep quality. Specifically, sleep quality and depression of the patients are independent predictors for burden, quality of life and sleep quality of the caregivers.

Lipoxin A4 alleviates lung injury in sepsis rats through p38/MAPK signaling pathway

The aim of the study was to explore the effect of lipoxin A4 (LXA4) on lung injury in sepsis rats through the p38/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the study. The rat model of sepsis-induced acute lung injury was established via cecal ligation (Sepsis group, n=20). LXA4 (0.1 mg/kg) was injected at 6 h after modeling (Treatment group, n=20), and a The Control group (n=20) was also set up. The 7-day survival rate was 100% in The Control group, and LXA4 raised the survival rate of rats in the Sepsis group from 40% to 60% (P<0.01). Alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) significantly declined and the wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio of lung tissues rose remarkably in the Sepsis group compared with those in the Control group, while LXA4 restored AFC and reduced the W/D ratio of lung tissues (P<0.05), suggesting that LXA4 treatment reduces lung fluids and partially enhances AFC, thus lowering the W/D ratio of lung. The total cell count, polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) percentage and concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were obviously increased in the Sepsis group compared with those in the Control group, while they were markedly decreased in the Treatment group (P<0.05). The activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in lung tissue homogenate was evidently higher in the Sepsis group than that in The Control group, while it was notably lower in the Treatment group than that in the Sepsis group after LXA4 treatment (P<0.05). Moreover, it was observed microscopically that the morphology of lung tissues was intact in the Control group. Finally, the results of Western blotting manifested that the p-p38/ MAPK protein expression was remarkably increased in the Sepsis group, indicating the activation of the p38/MAPK pathway, while it was remarkably decreased in the Treatment group, indicating the inhibited activity of the pathway (P<0.05). LXA4 has an anti-inflammatory effect on sepsis rats with lung injury, and such effect is related to the p38/MAPK signaling pathway.

[Effect of fragmented sleep on postoperative cognitive function and central neuroinflammation]

Objective: To investigate the effect of sleep fragmentation on perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) and central neuroinflammation by simulating sleep patterns of postoperative patients with sleep fragmentation in aged mice. Methods: Thirty-two elderly ICR mice were randomly divided into four groups (n=8): normal group (C), surgery group (S), fragmented sleep group (F), and surgery+fragmented sleep group (D). Fragmented sleep was conducted after internal fixation of tibia fractures, cognitive function was evaluated by novel object recognition (NOR) and fear conditioning (FC) test, and changes in expression of inflammatory cytokines in hippocampus were detected by ELISA. Results: NOR test: the recognition index (RI) of mice in group C, group S, group F and group D was 0.69±0.07, 0.48±0.07, 0.54±0.10 and 0.50±0.12, respectively. The RI of mice in group S, group F and group D was significantly lower than that in group C (t=4.885, 3.521 and 4.433, all P<0.01). There was no significant difference in RI between group S and group D (t=0.967 1, P>0.05). Contextual FC test: the freezing time of mice in group C, group S, group F and group D was(21.34±6.48), (13.83±4.26), (11.50±6.25) and (6.17±4.77) s, respectively. The freezing time of mice in group S, group F and group D was significantly lower than that in group C (t=2.722, 3.566, 5.496, P<0.05 or P<0.01). The freezing time of mice in group D was significantly lower than that in group S (t=2.774, P<0.05). Cue FC test: the freezing time of mice in group C, group S, group F and group D was (74.36±17.09), (43.91±9.71), (46.34±13.43) and (24.90±14.21) s, respectively. The freezing time of mice in group S, group F and group D was significantly lower than that in group C (t=4.393, 4.043 and 7.136, all P<0.01). The freezing time of mice in group D was significantly lower than that in group S (t=2.743, P<0.05). The levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in hippocampus of mice in group S, F and D were significantly higher than those in group C, while the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in hippocampus of mice in group D were significantly higher than those in group S, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion: Postoperative fragmented sleep aggravates postoperative cognitive impairment and increases the hippocampal neuroinflammation in aged mice.

An innovative lanthanum carbonate grafted microfibrous composite for phosphate adsorption in wastewater

Excessive presence of phosphorus in waters can cause eutrophication, a global unsolved environmental problem that has caused harmful effects to our eco-system and the source of our drinking water. In the study presented in this paper, a novel lanthanum carbonate grafted microfibrous composite (LC-MC) adsorbent was synthesized aiming at removing large amount of phosphate in wastewater efficiently. An optimized LC-MC was firstly prepared. The most suitable pH for the phosphate uptake was pH 7 to 9. The adsorption showed similar behavior in a wide range of ionic strength. The presence of co-existing anions was proved to have a less significant effect on the removal. The adsorption isotherm data were better fitted by the Freundlich isotherm than the Langmuir isotherm. The equilibrium was reached at about 300 min of contact time. 80 % of original adsorption capacity can be achieved even after 5 cycles of adsorption- desorption operations, indicating great regenerative performance of the adsorbent. The adsorption mechanism study showed that the ligand exchange played a key role during the phosphate adsorption.

[Effect of standardized surgical treatment and multidisciplinary treatment strategy on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients: report of a single-center cohort study]

Objective: To explore the effect of standardized surgical treatment and multidisciplinary treatment strategy on the treatment outcomes of gastric cancer patients. Methods: A single-center cohort study was carried out. Clinicopathological and long-term follow up data of primary gastric cancer patients were retrieved from the database of Surgical Gastric Cancer Patient Registry (SGCPR) in West China Hospital of Sichuan University. Finally, 4516 gastric cancer patients were included and were divided into three groups according to time periods (period 1 group: exploration stage of standardized surgical treatment, 2000 to 2006, 967 cases; period 2 group: application stage of standardized surgical treatment, 2007 to 2012, 1962 cases; period 3 group: optimization stage of standardized surgical treatment and application stage of multidisciplinary treatment strategy, 2013 to 2016, 1587 cases). Differences in clinical data, pathologic features, and prognosis were compared among 3 period groups. Follow-up information was updated to January 1, 2020. The overall follow-up rate was 88.9% (4016/4516) and median follow-up duration was 51.58 months. Survival curve was drawn by Kaplan-Meire method and compared with log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed by Cox proportional hazards model. Results: There were significant differences among period 1, period 2 and period 3 groups in the rates of D2/D2+ lymphadenectomy [14.4%(139/967) vs. 47.2%(927/1962) vs. 75.4%(1197/1587), χ(2)=907.210, P<0.001], in the ratio of proximal gastrectomy [19.8%(191/967) vs. 16.6%(325/1962) vs. 8.2%(130/1587), χ(2)=100.020, P<0.001], and in the median intraoperative blood loss (300 ml vs. 100 ml vs. 100 ml, H=1126.500, P<0.001). Besides, the increasing trend and significant difference were also observed in the median number of examined lymph nodes among period 1, period 2 and period 3 groups (14 vs. 26 vs. 30, H=987.100, P<0.001). Survival analysis showed that the 5-year overall survival rate was 55.3% in period 1, 55.2% in period 2 and 62.8% in period 3, and significant difference existed between period 3 and period 1 (P=0.004). The Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed that treatment period (period 3, HR=0.820, 95%CI: 0.708 to 0.950, P=0.008), postoperative chemotherapy (HR=0.696, 95%CI: 0.631 to 0.768, P<0.001) and mid-low gastric cancer (HR=0.884, 95%CI: 0.804 to 0.973, P=0.011) were good prognostic factors. Whereas old age (≥65 years, HR=1.189, 95%CI: 1.084 to 1.303, P<0.001), palliative resection (R1/R2, HR=1.538,95%CI: 1.333 to 1.776, P<0.001), large tumor size (≥5 cm, HR=1.377, 95%CI: 1.239 to 1.529, P<0.001), macroscopic type III to IV (HR=1.165, 95%CI: 1.063 to 1.277, P<0.001) and TNM stage II to IV(II/I:HR=1.801,95%CI:1.500~2.162,P<0.001;III/I:HR=3.588, 95%CI: 3.028~4.251, P<0.001; IV/I: HR=6.114, 95%CI: 4.973~7.516, P<0.001) were independent prognostic risk factors. Conclusion: Through the implementation of standardized surgical treatment technology and multidisciplinary treatment model, the quality of surgery treatment and overall survival increase, and prognosis of gastric cancer patients has been improved.

Improvement of Ultrafiltration for Treatment of Phosphorus-Containing Water by a Lanthanum-Modified Aminated Polyacrylonitrile Membrane

Phosphorus contamination in fresh water has posed a great risk to aquatic ecosystems and human health due to extensive eutrophication. In this paper, we are reporting a lanthanum (La)-modified aminated polyacrylonitrile (PAN) adsorptive membrane for effective decontamination of phosphorus from the simulated water. The PAN membrane was first aminated to introduce the amine group as an active site for La and then followed by the in situ precipitation of La particles. The kinetics study showed that the rapid adsorption occurred within the initial 4 h with the equilibrium established at 8 h. The membrane worked well in the acidic pH region, with optimal pH 4 and 5 without and with the pH control, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities were 50 and 44.64 mg/g at pH 5 and 7, respectively. The adsorption of phosphorus was not affected by the existence of commonly existing anions except fluorides in water. In the filtration study, it was observed that the removal of phosphorus remained the optimum, although the operating pressure was increased from 1 to 3 bar. The modified membrane was able to treat 0.32 L of a 10 mg/L phosphate solution to meet the maximum allowable limit of 0.15 mg/L for the trade effluent. The mechanism study revealed that the removal was primarily associated with the ion exchange between a phosphorus ion and a hydroxyl group from the La particles.

[Clinical analysis of carotid artery stenting with severe stenosis and extracranial distortion under proximal protection technique]

Objective: To investigate the feasibility, efficacy and safety of endovascular reconstruction of the carotid artery with severe stenosis and extracranial distortion under proximal protection. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 21 patients with severe carotid stenosis and extracranial distortion who were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between January 2011 and August 2017, of which 16 patients were symptomatic stenosis with acute ischemic stroke. All the patients were treated with carotid artery stenting under (CAS) proximal protection technique, and assessed with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) before the treatment and hospital discharge. The clinical outcome and vascular morphology were followed-up regularly after the treatment. Results: Twenty-one patients were successfully completed the CAS procedure under the proximal protection technique, the average blocking time was 241.0 (232.5-261.0) seconds. Nine patients received 1block attempt, 6 patients received 2 block attempts, and the other 6 patients received 3 block attempts. Three patients experienced transient ischemic attack (TIA) during the procedure, the maximum duration of TIA was 10 minutes. In 16 patients with symptomatic stenosis, there were no significant differences in NIHSS score before CAS procedure and hospital discharge (P>0.05). The residual stenosis rate of the carotid artery after stenting was(13±6)%, compared with preoperative (87±16)%, which appeared a significant difference (t=19.948, P<0.05). All the patients had no adverse events such as myocardial infarction, recurrent ischemic stroke and death in the follow-up period. Restenosis was assessed in 6 patients by DSA or CTA and no restenosis was found. Conclusion: Endovascular reconstruction of the carotid artery with severe stenosis and extracranial distortion under proximal protection technique has been proven as a safe and effective therapy.

[Modified memory sub-test of Syndrom Kurz test in middle-aged and elderly Chinese]

Objective: To investigate the applicability of the modified memory sub-test of syndrom kurz test (SKT-M) in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Methods: Between March 1, 2017, and October 31, 2017, at HwaMei Hospital, 132 patients receiving elective great saphenous vein high ligation and stripping operation and 96 their accompanying dependents, 55-75 years old, were randomly divided into the SKT-M group (n=121) and auditory verbal learning test -huashan version (AVLT-H) group (n=107) using random numeral method. The two groups underwent two corresponding neuropsychological tests respectively on the day before surgery and the second day after surgery. Results: There was no significant difference in the baseline characteristics and all the neuropsychological indices at the two time points between patients and dependents (P>0.05). As a consequence, the data of the patients and dependents were integrated to compare the applicability of SKT-M and AVLT-H. The "low-score" ratio of SKT-M immediate recall (2.4%) was lower than that of AVLT-H test (12.1%) (χ(2)=8.138, P<0.01). Besides, the "low-score" ratio of SKT-M delayed recall (5.7%) was also lower than that of AVLT-H test (20.5%) (χ(2)=11.167, P<0.01). The influence factors of SKT-M were less than that of AVLT-H test. However, the learning effect of SKT-M immediate recall was more significant, for its first testing sore (23.1±5.4) was significantly higher than the second one (21.9±5.1) (t=-3.971, P<0.001). Conclusion: The SKT-M has better applicability to 55-75 years old Chinese than AVLT-H test, but its learning effect should be noted.

[Application of digital mandibular movement record and masticatory muscle electromyography in the evaluation of stomatognathic function in patients with mandibular tumor]

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical characteristics of mandibular movement and masticatory muscle function in preoperative and postoperative patients with unilateral mandibular tumors in the region of mandibular body and ramus by combining digital mandibular movement records with electromyography, and to preliminarily explore the relationship and mechanism between movement and masticatory muscle function.

METHODS

Six preoperative patients with tumor in unilateral body and ramus of mandible were included, and three postoperative patients with unilateral segmental resection and reconstruction of mandibular bone were included. The mandibular movement recording system and surface electromyography system were used to collect the movement trajectory of the patients' mandibular marginal movement and chewing movement, and the surface electromyography of bilateral masseter and temporalis was recorded concurrently. The surface electromyography of bilateral masseter and temporalis was collected when the patients were at relaxation and at maximal voluntary clenching (MVC). The motion trajectory was observed on the digital virtual model, and the motion amplitude and direction of mandibular marginal movements were analyzed. The characteristics of masticatory electromyogram (EMG) activity in affected and unaffected sides at relaxation, MVC and bilateral mastication were analyzed, and the asymmetry indexes and activity indexes were calculated.

RESULTS

The preoperative mean maximum opening of the patients was (35.20±6.87) mm. Three patients had mild mouth opening limitation, and all the patients' mouth opening trajectory was skewed to the affected side. During lateral movements, the mean range of motion of the affected side [(10.34±1.27) mm] and that of the healthy side [(6.94±2.41) mm] were significantly different. The maximum opening of the postoperative patients was (30.65±17.32) mm, and the mandibular marginal movement characteristics were consistent with those of the patients before surgery. During MVC in the preoperative patients, the median EMG activities of the masseter muscle [44.20 (5.70, 197.90) μV] and the temporalis muscle [42.15 (22.90, 155.00) μV] on the affected side were slightly lower than those of the masseter [45.60 (7.50, 235.40) μV] and the temporalis muscle [63.30 (44.10, 126.70) μV] on the healthy side. In the postoperative patients, individualized changes occurred. Some patients suffered from weakened electromyographic activity on the affected side, while some other ones showed hyperelectromyographic activity on the affected side.

CONCLUSION

Both benign and malignant tumors as well as their surgery can cause abnormal mandibular movements and change of electromyographic activity of bilateral masseter and temporalis muscles.

Electrospun spongy zero-valent iron as excellent electro-Fenton catalyst for enhanced sulfathiazole removal by a combination of adsorption and electro-catalytic oxidation

In this study, a highly active electro-Fenton catalyst, spongy zero-valent iron (ZVI), has been developed at first via in-situ synthesis of ZVI nanoparticles (NPs) on an electrospun three-dimensional (3D) nanofiber network. The spongy ZVI effectively overcame the defects of easy aggregation of ZVI NPs and ferric sludge accumulation during the electro-catalytic process. Then, a three-dimensional electro-Fenton (3D-EF) system using the as-fabricated spongy ZVI as particle catalytic electrodes was designed, which presented a significant synergistic effect of adsorption and electro-catalytic oxidation on the enhanced removal of a widely used antibiotic, sulfathiazole (STZ) from water. Adsorption experiments demonstrated that the spongy ZVI had a relative high adsorption affinity towards STZ with about 50% of the total removal within 240 min, and the adsorption equilibrium was reached in 570 min. Hydroxyl radical (OH) was produced in the 3D-EF system with spongy ZVI catalyst, and almost 100% STZ was removed within 5 min. Reactive oxygen species analysis verified that OH was mainly responsible for the STZ degradation. Based on intermediates identified by a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), three pathways for the electro-Fenton oxidative degradation of STZ were proposed.

[Brain derived neurotrophic factor enhances the role of mesenchymal stem cells in inhibiting follicular helper T cells]

目的

探讨脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）增强间充质干细胞（MSC）抑制滤泡辅助性T细胞（Tfh细胞）的作用及机制。

方法

ELISA法检测MSC培养上清中吲哚胺2,3-二加氧酶（IDO）、IL-10、TGF-β和IL-21的含量；采集健康志愿者的外周血标本，采用人淋巴细胞分离液分离外周血中的淋巴细胞；采用Transwell小室进行MSC和淋巴细胞共培养，流式细胞术检测CD4⁺CXCR5⁺ Tfh细胞及其亚群的比例。

结果

①BDNF组（BDNF刺激的MSC）培养上清IL-10、TGF-β、IDO浓度均高于对照组（加入等体积磷酸盐缓冲液）[IL-10：（42.1±4.4）ng/ml对（19.3±2.1）ng/ml，t=4.761，P=0.009；TGF-β：（13.9±1.7）ng/ml对（5.3±0.6）ng/ml，t=5.129，P=0.008；IDO：（441.3±56.9）ng/ml对（226.7±37.6）ng/ml，t=3.130，P=0.035]；②BDNF组（淋巴细胞与BDNF刺激的MSC共培养）与MSC组（淋巴细胞与MSC共培养）比较：CD4⁺CXCR5⁺Tfh细胞比例降低[（3.37±0.21）%对（6.51±0.27）%，t=9.353，P<0.001]，CD4⁺ CXCR5⁺ CXCR3⁺ CCR6⁻Tfh1细胞比例升高[（41.14±2.04）%对（26.72±2.57）%，t=4.383，P=0.012]，CD4⁺CXCR5⁺CXCR3⁻CCR6⁻Tfh2细胞和CD4⁺CXCR5⁺CXCR3⁻CCR6⁺Tfh17细胞比例降低[Tfh2：（30.16±5.38）%对（43.26±4.11）%，t=4.426，P=0.012；Tfh17：（15.61±1.52）%对（22.32±0.72）%，t=4.202，P=0.014]，CD4⁺CXCR5⁺Foxp3⁺ Tfr细胞比例升高[（4.95±0.22）%对（2.32±0.16）%，t=10.241，P<0.001]，淋巴细胞培养上清中IL-21浓度降低[（0.28±0.03）ng/ml对（0.85±0.08）ng/ml，t=6.675，P=0.003]。

结论

BDNF能够增强MSC抑制Tfh细胞的作用，机制是抑制淋巴细胞中Tfh细胞比例升高及其向Tfh2和Tfh17亚群的分化。

Development and characterization of yttrium-ferric binary composite for treatment of highly concentrated arsenate wastewater

Highly concentrated arsenic generated from industrial operation processes has posted a great thrust to humans. In this study, yttrium-ferric binary composite prepared through a simple co-precipitation method and applied for removing highly concentrated arsenic from the simulated arsenic-containing water. An optimal molar ratio of Y/Fe was determined as 8:1, which had a point of zero charge of around 7.0. The yttrium-ferric binary composite was aggregated by the nano-sized particles. The chemical state of yttrium and iron in the adsorbent was + III. The maximum adsorption capacities of the adsorbent towards arsenate (As(V)) were 401.8 mg-As/g at pH 4 and 288.7 mg-As/g at pH 7, respectively. A contact time of 8 h was sufficient to achieve 80% of the ultimate removal, faster than many reported/commercial water treatment materials. The existence of fluoride and phosphate ions significantly retarded the uptake of arsenic, indicating that likely the adsorbent was capable of adsorbing both contaminants. The mechanism study with several tools such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that such functional groups as hydroxyl and carbonate groups participated in the As(V) adsorption process via ligand exchange followed by the inner-sphere complexation.