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Biological Trace Element Research Jul 2024The increasing levels of heavy metals in aquatic environments, driven by human activities, pose a critical threat to ecosystems' overall health and sustainability. This...
The increasing levels of heavy metals in aquatic environments, driven by human activities, pose a critical threat to ecosystems' overall health and sustainability. This study investigates the bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cr, and Cd) in water, sediment, and three fish species (Catla catla, Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala) of different feeding zones within Chashma Barrage, located in the Mianwali district of Punjab, Pakistan, on the Indus River. A comprehensive analysis, including an assessment of associated human health risks, was conducted. Thirty samples from all three sites for each fish species, with an average body weight of 160 ± 32 g, were collected from Chashma Barrage. Water quality parameters indicated suitability for fish growth and health. Heavy metal concentrations were determined using an atomic absorption spectrometer. Results indicated elevated levels of Cd, Cr, and Cu in sediment and Pb and Cd in water, surpassing WHO standard limits. Among the fish species, bottom feeder (C. mrigala) exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) higher heavy metal levels in its tissues (gills, liver, and muscle) compared to column feeder (L. rohita) and surface feeder (C. catla). Liver tissues across all species showed higher heavy metal bioaccumulation, followed by gills. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed strong correlations among heavy metals in sediment, gills, muscle, and water in every fish species. However, the vector direction suggests that Cr was not correlated with other heavy metals in the system, indicating a different source. The human health risk analysis revealed lower EDI, THQ, and HI values (< 1) for the fish species, indicating no adverse health effects for the exposed population. The study emphasizes the bioaccumulation differences among fish species, underscoring the higher heavy metal concentrations in bottom feeder fish within Chashma Barrage.
PubMed: 38956009
DOI: 10.1007/s12011-024-04290-6 -
ChemPlusChem Jul 2024Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an innovative class of crystalline porous polymers composed of light elements such as C, N, O, etc., linked by covalent bonds. The...
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an innovative class of crystalline porous polymers composed of light elements such as C, N, O, etc., linked by covalent bonds. The distinctive properties of COFs, including designable building blocks, large specific surface area, tunable pore size, abundant active sites, and remarkable stability, have led their widespread applications in electrocatalysis. In recent years, COF-based electrocatalysts have made remarkable progress in various electrocatalytic fields, including the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, nitrogen reduction reaction, nitrate reduction reaction, and carbon dioxide reduction reaction. This review begins with an introduction to the design and synthesis strategies employed for COF-based electrocatalysts. These strategies include heteroatom doping, metalation of COF and building monomers, encapsulation of active sites within COF pores, and the development of COF-based derived materials. Subsequently, a systematic overview of the recent advancements in the application of COF-based catalysts in electrocatalysis is presented. Finally, the review discusses the main challenges and outlines possible avenues for the future development of COF-based electrocatalysts.
PubMed: 38955991
DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202400069 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Jul 2024In the search of novel photocatalysts to increase the effect of visible light in photocatalysis, g-CN (CN) has become a shining star. Rare earth metals have been used as...
In the search of novel photocatalysts to increase the effect of visible light in photocatalysis, g-CN (CN) has become a shining star. Rare earth metals have been used as dopant material to reinforce the photocatalytic activity of CN due to their unique electron configuration recently. In this present study, the pure and different amounts of Ho-doped g-CN (HoCN) photocatalysts were successfully synthesized using urea as a precursor by the one-pot method. Morphological, structural, optical, and vibrational properties of the synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by SEM, EDX, XRD, TGA, XPS, FTIR, PL, TRPL, Raman, DRS, and BET analyses. In addition, theoretical calculations using density functional theory (DFT) were meticulously carried out to delve the changes in the structural and electronic structure of CN with holmium doping. According to calculations, the chemical potential, electrophilicity, and chemical softness are higher for HoCN, while HOMO-LUMO gap, dipole moment, and the chemical hardness are lower for the pure one. Thus, holmium doping becomes desirable with low chemical hardness which indicates more effectivity and smaller HOMO-LUMO gap designate high chemical reactivity. To determine the photocatalytic efficiency of the pure and doped CN photocatalysts, the degradation of methylene blue (MB) was monitored under visible light. The results indicate that holmium doping has improved the photocatalytic activities of CN samples. Most strikingly, this improvement is noticeable for the 0.2 mmol doped CN sample that showed two times better photocatalytic activity than the pure one.
PubMed: 38955971
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34140-w -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Jul 2024Elemental doping is a promising way for enhancing the electrocatalytic activity of metal oxides. Herein, we fabricate Ti/ TiO-CB-Ce anode materials by the modification...
Elemental doping is a promising way for enhancing the electrocatalytic activity of metal oxides. Herein, we fabricate Ti/ TiO-CB-Ce anode materials by the modification means of carbon black and cerium co-doped TiO, and this shift effectively improves the interfacial charge transfer rate of TiO and •OH yield in the electrocatalytic process. Remarkably, the TiO-CB-Ce anode exhibits excellent efficiency of minocycline (MNC) wastewater treatment (100% removal within 20 min), and the removal rate reduces from 100 to 98.5% after five cycles, which is comparable to BDD electrode. •OH and O are identified as the active species in the reaction. Meanwhile, it is discovered that Ti/ TiO-CB-Ce anodes can effectively improve the biochemical properties of the non-biodegradable pharmaceutical wastewater (B/C values from 0.25 to 0.44) and significantly reduce the toxicity of the wastewater (luminescent bacteria inhibition rate from 100 to 26.6%). This work paves an effective strategy for designing superior metal oxides electrocatalysts.
PubMed: 38955967
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33674-3 -
Current Microbiology Jul 2024Pantoea agglomerans inhabit diverse ecological niches, ranging from epiphytes and endophytes in plants, body of animals, and occasionally in the human system. This... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Pantoea agglomerans inhabit diverse ecological niches, ranging from epiphytes and endophytes in plants, body of animals, and occasionally in the human system. This multifaceted bacterium contributes substantially to plant growth promotion, stress resilience, and biocontrol but can also act as a pathogen to its host. The genetic determinants underlying these diverse functions remain largely unfathomed and to uncover this phenomenon, nineteen strains of Pantoea agglomerans were selected and analyzed. Genome-to-Genome Distance Calculator (GGDC) which uses the Genome Blast Distance Phylogeny (GBDP) technique to calculate digital DDH values. Phylogenetic analysis via Genome-to-Genome distance, Average Nucleotide Identity, and Amino Acid Identity calculation revealed that all strains belonged to the genus Pantoea. However, strain 33.1 had a lower value than the threshold for the same species delineation. Bacterial Pan Genome Analysis (BPGA) Pipeline and MinPath analysis revealed genetic traits associated with environmental resilience, such as oxidative stress, UV radiation, temperature extremes, and metabolism of distinct host-specific carbohydrates. Protein-protein interactome analysis illustrated osmotic stress proteins closely linked with core proteins, while heavy metal tolerance, nitrogen metabolism, and Type III and VI secretion systems proteins generally associated with pathogenicity formed a separate network, indicating strain-specific characteristics. These findings shed new light on the intricate genetic architecture of Pantoea agglomerans, revealing its adaptability to inhabit diverse niches and thrive in varied environments.
Topics: Pantoea; Genome, Bacterial; Phylogeny; Genomics; Adaptation, Physiological; Humans; Animals; Plants; Bacterial Proteins
PubMed: 38955887
DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03763-0 -
Mikrochimica Acta Jul 2024CoFe@C was first prepared by calcining the precursor of CoFe-metal-organic framework-74 (CoFe-MOF-74), then an electrochemical sensor for the determination of...
CoFe@C was first prepared by calcining the precursor of CoFe-metal-organic framework-74 (CoFe-MOF-74), then an electrochemical sensor for the determination of neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC) was constructed, which was stemmed from the novel CoFe@C/Nafion composite film modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The CoFe@C/Nafion composite was verified by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to evaluate its electrical properties as a modified material for an electrochemical sensor. Compared with CoFe-MOF-74 precursor modified electrode, CoFe@C/Nafion electrode exhibited a great synergic catalytic effect and extremely increased the oxidation peak signal of NHDC. The effects of various experimental conditions on the oxidation of NHDC were investigated and the calibration plot was tested. The results bespoken that CoFe@C/Nafion GCE has good reproducibility and anti-interference under the optimal experimental conditions. In addition, the differential pulse current response of NHDC was linear with its concentration within the range 0.08 ~ 20 µmol/L, and the linear regression coefficient was 0.9957. The detection limit was as low as 14.2 nmol/L (S/N = 3). In order to further verify the feasibility of the method, it was successfully used to determine the content of NHDC in Chinese medicine, with a satisfactory result, good in accordance with that of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Topics: Electrodes; Cobalt; Metal-Organic Frameworks; Limit of Detection; Chalcones; Electrochemical Techniques; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Hesperidin; Fluorocarbon Polymers; Oxidation-Reduction; Carbon; Reproducibility of Results; Iron
PubMed: 38955844
DOI: 10.1007/s00604-024-06525-8 -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Jul 2024Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), owing to their abundant resources and cost-effectiveness, have garnered considerable interest in the realm of large-scale energy storage....
Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), owing to their abundant resources and cost-effectiveness, have garnered considerable interest in the realm of large-scale energy storage. The properties of cathode materials profoundly affect the cycle stability and specific capacity of batteries. Herein, a series of Cu-doped spherical P2-type NaFeCuMnO ( = 0, 0.05, 0.09, and 0.14, -NFCMO) was fabricated using a convenient hydrothermal method. The successful doping of Cu efficaciously mitigated the Jahn-Teller effect, augmented the electrical conductivity of the material, and diminished the resistance to charge transfer. The distinctive spherical structure remained stable and withstood considerable volumetric strain, thereby improving the cyclic stability of the material. The optimized 0.09-NFCMO cathode exhibited a high specific capacity of 168.6 mAh g at 100 mA g, a superior rate capability (90.9 mAh g at 2000 mA g), and a good cycling stability. This unique structure design and doping approach provides new insights into the design of advanced electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries.
PubMed: 38955841
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c05516 -
Mikrochimica Acta Jul 2024Transferrin (TRF), recognized as a glycoprotein clinical biomarker and therapeutic target, has its concentration applicable for disease diagnosis and treatment...
A double boronic acid affinity "sandwich" SERS biosensor based on magnetic boronic acid controllable-oriented imprinting for high-affinity biomimetic specific recognition and rapid detection of target glycoproteins.
Transferrin (TRF), recognized as a glycoprotein clinical biomarker and therapeutic target, has its concentration applicable for disease diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Consequently, this study developed boronic acid affinity magnetic surface molecularly imprinted polymers (B-MMIPs) with pH-responsitivity as the "capture probe" for TRF, which have high affinity similar to antibodies, with a dissociation constant of (3.82 ± 0.24) × 10 M, showing 7 times of reusability. The self-copolymerized imprinted layer synthesized with dopamine (DA) and 3-Aminophenylboronic acid (APBA) as double monomers avoided nonspecific binding sites and produced excellent adsorption properties. Taking the gold nanostar (AuNS) with a branch tip "hot spot" structure as the core, the silver-coated AuNS functionalized with the biorecognition element 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (MPBA) was employed as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanotag (AuNS@Ag-MPBA) to label TRF, thereby constructing a double boronic acid affinity "sandwich" SERS biosensor (B-MMIPs-TRF-SERS nanotag) for the highly sensitive detection of TRF. The SERS biosensor exhibited a detection limit for TRF of 0.004 ng/mL, and its application to spiked serum samples confirmed its reliability and feasibility, demonstrating significant potential for clinical TRF detection. Moreover, the SERS biosensor designed in this study offers advantages in stability, detection speed (40 min), and cost efficiency. The portable Raman instrument for SERS detection fulfills the requirements for point-of-care testing.
Topics: Boronic Acids; Biosensing Techniques; Gold; Humans; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Silver; Metal Nanoparticles; Limit of Detection; Transferrin; Molecular Imprinting; Molecularly Imprinted Polymers; Glycoproteins; Biomimetic Materials; Dopamine; Sulfhydryl Compounds
PubMed: 38955823
DOI: 10.1007/s00604-024-06522-x -
International Journal of Biometeorology Jul 2024Urban street dust (UStD) is a vital issue for human health and is crucial for urban sustainability. This study aims to enhance the creation of safe, affordable, and...
Urban street dust (UStD) is a vital issue for human health and is crucial for urban sustainability. This study aims to enhance the creation of safe, affordable, and resilient cities by examining environmental contamination and health risks in urban residential areas. Specifically, it investigates the concentrations and spatial distribution of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in UStD in Yenimahalle, Ankara. The mean concentrations of Zn, Cr, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu in UStD were 97.98, 66.88, 55.22, 52.45, 38.37, and 3.81 mg/kg, respectively. The geoaccumulation pollution index (Igeo) values for these elements were: Cd (5.12), Ni (1.61), Cr (1.21), Pb (1.13), Cu (0.78), and Zn (0.24). These indices indicate that the area is moderately polluted with Cr, Pb, and Ni, uncontaminated to moderately contaminated with Cu and Zn, and extremely polluted with Cd. The hazard index (HI) values for Cr, Cd, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn were below the non-carcinogenic risk threshold for adults, indicating no significant risk. However, for children, the HI values for Pb, Ni, Cd, and Zn were 3.37, 1.80, 1.25, and 1.25, respectively, suggesting a higher risk. Carcinogenic risk (RI) of Cd, Ni, and Pb was significant for both children and adults, indicating that exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact is hazardous. The findings highlight the need for strategic mitigation measures for both natural and anthropogenic activities, providing essential insights for residents, policymakers, stakeholders, and urban planners.
PubMed: 38955818
DOI: 10.1007/s00484-024-02729-y -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Jul 2024In the development of back electrodes for perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the major challenges are stability and cost. To address this, we present an innovative approach:...
In the development of back electrodes for perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the major challenges are stability and cost. To address this, we present an innovative approach: Simultaneous evaporation of two independently controlled sources of metal materials was performed to achieve a uniform distribution of the alloy electrodes. In this study, Ag-Cu alloys (the molar ratio of Ag/Cu is 7/3) with a high-index crystal face (111) and a work function matching perovskite were prepared using a codeposition technique. These properties mitigate nonradiative carrier recombination at the interface and reduce the energy barrier for carrier migration. Consequently, compared to Ag based PSCs (22.77%), the implementation of Ag-Cu alloy (Ag/Cu is 7/3)-based PSCs resulted in a power conversion efficiency of 23.72%. In a 1500 h tracking test in ambient air, the Ag-Cu alloy (Ag/Cu is 7/3)-based PSCs maintained their initial efficiency of 86%. This can be attributed to almost no migration of elements from the Ag-Cu alloy electrode to the perovskite layer. Our work presents a vital strategy for improving the stability of PSCs and reducing the costs associated with the back electrode in PSCs.
PubMed: 38955805
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c07144