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Nanotechnology Jun 2024In this research, we report an enhanced sensing response ethanol gas sensing device based on a ternary nanocomposite of molybdenum diselenide-zinc oxide heterojunctions...
In this research, we report an enhanced sensing response ethanol gas sensing device based on a ternary nanocomposite of molybdenum diselenide-zinc oxide heterojunctions decorated rGO (MoSe2/ZnO/rGO) at room temperature. The sensing performance of the ternary nanocomposite sensing device has been analysed for various concentrations of ethanol gas (1-500 ppm). The gas-sensing results have revealed that for 500 ppm ethanol gas concentration, the sensing device has exhibited an enhanced response value (Rg/Ra) of 50.2. Significantly, the sensing device has displayed a quick response and recovery time of 6.2 s and 12.9 s respectively. In addition to this, the sensing device has shown a great prospect for long-term detection of ethanol gas (45 days). The sensing device has demonstrated the ability to detect ethanol at remarkably low concentrations of 1 ppm. The enhanced sensing performance of the ternary nanocomposite sensing device has highlighted the effective synergistic effect between MoSe2 nanosheets, ZnO nanorods, and rGO nanosheets. This has been attributed to the formation of two heterojunctions in the ternary nanocomposite sensor: a p-n heterojunction between MoSe2 and ZnO and a p-p heterojunction between MoSe2 and rGO. The analysis of the results has suggested that the proposed MoSe2/ZnO/rGO nanocomposite sensing device could be considered a promising candidate for the real-time detection of ethanol gas.
PubMed: 38941983
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad5cf9 -
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science Jun 2024This paper develops a new measurement method to answer the question: How does one measure the interfacial tension of adsorbed droplets?
HYPOTHESIS
This paper develops a new measurement method to answer the question: How does one measure the interfacial tension of adsorbed droplets?
EXPERIMENTS
This measurement is based on the placement of a bubble at a water|organic interface. To prove the concept, a bubble was formed by pipetting gas below the water|1,2-dichloroethane interface. Our values agree well with previous reports. We then extended the measurement modality to a more difficult system: quantifying interfacial tension of 1,2-dichloroethane droplets adsorbed onto conductors. Carbon dioxide was generated in the aqueous phase from the electro-oxidation of oxalate. Given carbon dioxide's solubility in 1,2-dichloroethane, it partitions, a bubble nucleates, and the bubble can be seen by microscopy when driving the simultaneous oxidation of tris(bipyridine)ruthenium (II), a molecule that will interact with CO and provide light through electrochemiluminescence. We can quantify the interfacial tension of adsorbed droplets, a measurement very difficult performed with more usual techniques, by tracking the growth of the bubble and quantifying the bubble size at the time the bubble breaks through the aqueous|1,2-dichloroethane interface.
FINDINGS
We found that the interfacial tension of nanoliter 1,2-dichloroethane droplets adsorbed to an electrified interface in water, which was previously immeasurable with current techniques, was one order of magnitude less than the bulk system.
PubMed: 38941939
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.06.141 -
Food Chemistry Jun 2024The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism by which 6-shogaol ameliorates hepatic steatosis via miRNA-mRNA interaction analysis. C57BL/6 J mice were fed...
The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism by which 6-shogaol ameliorates hepatic steatosis via miRNA-mRNA interaction analysis. C57BL/6 J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks, during which 6-shogaol was administered orally. The liver lipid level, liver function and oxidative damage in mice were evaluated. mRNA sequencing, miRNA sequencing, and RT-qPCR were employed to compare the expression profiles between the HFD group and the 6-shogaol-treated group. High-throughput sequencing was used to construct the mRNA and miRNA libraries. Target prediction and integration analysis identified eight potential miRNA-mRNA pairs involved in hepatic steatosis, which were subsequently validated in liver tissues and AML12 cells. The findings revealed that 6-shogaol modulates the miR-3066-5p/Grem2 pathway, thereby improving hepatic steatosis. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms through which 6-shogaol alleviates hepatic steatosis, establishing a foundation for future research on natural active compounds for the treatment of metabolic diseases.
PubMed: 38941907
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140197 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jun 2024Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive impairment, loss of learning and memory, and abnormal behaviors. Scopolamine (SCOP) is a non-selective antagonist...
Ameliorative effect of vanillic acid against scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairment in rat via attenuation of oxidative stress and dysfunctional synaptic plasticity.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive impairment, loss of learning and memory, and abnormal behaviors. Scopolamine (SCOP) is a non-selective antagonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors that exhibits the behavioral and molecular hallmarks of AD. Vanillic acid (VA), a phenolic compound, is obtained from the roots of a traditional plant called Angelica sinensis, and has several pharmacologic effects, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, anti-metastatic, and antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, VA's neuroprotective potential associated with the memory has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study investigated whether VA treatment has an ameliorative effect on the learning and memory impairment induced by SCOP in rats. Behavioral experiments were utilized to assess the learning and memory performance associated with the hippocampus. Using western blotting analysis and assay kits, the neuronal damage, oxidative stress, and acetylcholinesterase activity responses of hippocampus were evaluated. Additionally, the measurement of long-term potentiation was used to determine the function of synaptic plasticity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. In addition, the synaptic vesicles' density and the length and width of the postsynaptic density were evaluated using electron microscopy. Consequently, the behavioral, biochemical, electrophysiological, and ultrastructural analyses revealed that VA treatment prevents learning and memory impairments caused by SCOP in rats. The study's findings suggest that VA has a neuroprotective effect on SCOP-induced learning and memory impairment linked to the hippocampal cholinergic system, oxidative damage, and synaptic plasticity. Therefore, VA may be a prospective therapeutic agent for treating AD.
PubMed: 38941895
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117000 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jun 2024In cell-based bone augmentation, transplanted cell dysfunction and apoptosis can occur due to oxidative stress caused by the overproduction of reactive oxygen species...
In cell-based bone augmentation, transplanted cell dysfunction and apoptosis can occur due to oxidative stress caused by the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Edaravone (EDA) is a potent free radical scavenger with potential medical applications. This study aimed to investigate the effect of controlling oxidative stress on bone regeneration using EDA. Bone marrow-derived cells were collected from 4-week-old rats, and EDA effects on cell viability and osteogenic differentiation were evaluated. Collagen gels containing PKH26-prelabeled cells were implanted into the calvarial defects of 12-week-old rats, followed by daily subcutaneous injections of normal saline or 500 μM EDA for 4 d. Bone formation was examined using micro-computed tomography and histological staining. Immunofluorescence staining was performed for markers of oxidative stress, macrophages, osteogenesis, and angiogenesis. EDA suppressed ROS production and hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis, recovering cell viability and osteoblast differentiation. EDA treatment in vivo increased new bone formation. EDA induced the transition of the macrophage population toward the M2 phenotype. The EDA group also exhibited stronger immunofluorescence for vascular endothelial growth factor and CD31. In addition, more PKH26-positive and PKH26-osteocalcin-double-positive cells were observed in the EDA group, indicating that transplanted cell survival was prolonged, and they differentiated into bone-forming cells. This could be attributed to oxidative stress suppression at the transplantation site by EDA. Collectively, local administration using EDA facilitates bone regeneration by improving the local environment and angiogenesis, prolonging survival, and enhancing the osteogenic capabilities of transplanted cells.
PubMed: 38941894
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117032 -
Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Jun 2024Glutaric aciduria type II (GAII) is a heterogeneous genetic disorder affecting mitochondrial fatty acid, amino acid and choline oxidation. Clinical manifestations vary...
Glutaric aciduria type II (GAII) is a heterogeneous genetic disorder affecting mitochondrial fatty acid, amino acid and choline oxidation. Clinical manifestations vary across the lifespan and onset may occur at any time from the early neonatal period to advanced adulthood. Historically, some patients, in particular those with late onset disease, have experienced significant benefit from riboflavin supplementation. GAII has been considered an autosomal recessive condition caused by pathogenic variants in the gene encoding electron-transfer flavoprotein ubiquinone-oxidoreductase (ETFDH) or in the genes encoding electron-transfer flavoprotein subunits A and B (ETFA and ETFB respectively). Variants in genes involved in riboflavin metabolism have also been reported. However, in some patients, molecular analysis has failed to reveal diagnostic molecular results. In this study, we report the outcome of molecular analysis in 28 Australian patients across the lifespan, 10 paediatric and 18 adult, who had a diagnosis of glutaric aciduria type II based on both clinical and biochemical parameters. Whole genome sequencing was performed on 26 of the patients and two neonatal onset patients had targeted sequencing of candidate genes. The two patients who had targeted sequencing had biallelic pathogenic variants (in ETFA and ETFDH). None of the 26 patients whose whole genome was sequenced had biallelic variants in any of the primary candidate genes. Interestingly, nine of these patients (34.6%) had a monoallelic pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in a single primary candidate gene and one patient (3.9%) had a monoallelic pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in two separate genes within the same pathway. The frequencies of the damaging variants within ETFDH and FAD transporter gene SLC25A32 were significantly higher than expected when compared to the corresponding allele frequencies in the general population. The remaining 16 patients (61.5%) had no pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in the candidate genes. Ten (56%) of the 18 adult patients were taking the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant sertraline, which has been shown to produce a GAII phenotype, and another two adults (11%) were taking a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor antidepressant, venlafaxine or duloxetine, which have a mechanism of action overlapping that of sertraline. Riboflavin deficiency can also mimic both the clinical and biochemical phenotype of GAII. Several patients on these antidepressants showed an initial response to riboflavin but then that response waned. These results suggest that the GAII phenotype can result from a complex interaction between monoallelic variants and the cellular environment. Whole genome or targeted gene panel analysis may not provide a clear molecular diagnosis.
PubMed: 38941880
DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2024.108516 -
Water Research Jun 2024Dissolved black carbon (DBC) released from biochar, is an essential group in the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool and is widely distributed in aquatic environments....
Dissolved black carbon (DBC) released from biochar, is an essential group in the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool and is widely distributed in aquatic environments. In various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), DBC exhibits enhanced free radical scavenging compared to typical DOM, attributed to its smaller molecular weight and more compacted aromatic structure; however, the molecular-level transformations of DBC in different AOPs, such as UV/HO, UV/PDS, and UV/Chlorine, remain unclear. This study employed a DBC derived from wheat biochar for experimentation. Characterization involved ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and fluorescence excitation-emission-matrix (EEM) spectroscopy, revealing the transformation of DBC through diminished SUVA values and reduced intensity of three-dimensional fluorescence peaks. Further insights into the transformation were gained through Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). After each UV-AOP treatment, a conspicuous augmentation in the oxygen content of DBC was observed. The detailed oxygenation processes were elucidated through mass difference analysis, based on 23 types of typical reactions. Results indicated that oxygenation reactions were most frequently detected in all three UV-AOP treatments. Specifically, the hydroxylation (+O) predominated in UV/HO, while the di-hydroxylation (+2O) prevailed in UV/PDS. UV/Chlorine treatments commonly exhibited tri-hydroxylation (+3O), with the identification of 1194 Cl-BPs of unknown structures. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the molecular transformations of DBC induced by various free radicals in different UV-AOP processes, leading to a better understanding of the different fates of DBC in UV-AOP processes. In addition, the identification of DBC as a precursor of by-products will also contribute to the understanding of how to inhibit the generation of by-products.
PubMed: 38941867
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121962 -
Comparative Biochemistry and... Jun 2024Cipangopaludina chinensis, as a financially significant species in China, represents a gastropod in nature which frequently encounters starvation stress owing to its...
Comparative physiological, biochemical and transcriptomic analyses to reveal potential regulatory mechanisms in response to starvation stress in Cipangopaludina chinensis.
Cipangopaludina chinensis, as a financially significant species in China, represents a gastropod in nature which frequently encounters starvation stress owing to its limited prey options. However, the underlying response mechanisms to combat starvation have not been investigated in depth. We collected C. chinensis under several times of starvation stress (0, 7, 30, and 60 days) for nutrient, biochemical characteristics and transcriptome analyses. The results showed that prolonged starvation stress (> 30 days) caused obvious fluctuations in the nutrient composition of snails, with dramatic reductions in body weight, survival and digestive enzyme activity (amylase, protease, and lipase), and markedly enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activities of the snails. Comparative transcriptome analyses revealed 3538 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which were significantly associated with specific starvation stress-responsive pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. Then, we identified 40 candidate genes (e.g., HACD2, Cp1, CYP1A2, and GPX1) response to starvation stress through STEM and WGCNA analyses. RT-qPCR verified the accuracy and reliability of the high-throughput sequencing results. This study provides insights into snail overwintering survival and the potential regulatory mechanisms of snail adaptation to starvation stress.
PubMed: 38941864
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2024.101279 -
Journal of Environmental Management Jun 2024Some studies have reported the removal of As (As) and fluoride (F) using different sacrificial anodes; however, they have been tested with a synthetic solution in a...
Some studies have reported the removal of As (As) and fluoride (F) using different sacrificial anodes; however, they have been tested with a synthetic solution in a batch system without hydrated silica (SiO) interaction. Due to the above, concurrent removal of As, F, and SiO from natural deep well water was evaluated (initial concentration: 35.5 μg L As, 1.1 mg LF, 147 mg L SiO, pH 8.6, and conductivity 1024 μS cm), by electrocoagulation (EC) process in continuous mode comparing three different configurations of sacrificial anodes (Al, Fe, and Al-Fe). EC was performed in a new reactor equipped with a small flow distributor and turbulence promoter at the entrance of the first channel to homogenize the flow. The best removal was found at j = 5 mA cm and u = 1.3 cm s, obtaining arsenic residual concentrations (C) of 1.33, 0.45, and 0.77 μg L, fluoride residual concentration ( [Formula: see text] ) of 0.221, 0.495, and 0.622 mg L and hydrated silica residual concentration ( [Formula: see text] ) of 21, 34, and 56 mg L, with costs of approximately 0.304, 0.198, and 0.228 USD m for the Al, Fe and Al-Fe anodes, respectively. Al anode outperforms Fe and Al-Fe anodes in concurrently removing As, F and SiO. The residual concentrations of As and F complied with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) (As < 10 μg L and F < 1 mg L). The spectroscopic analyses of the Al, Fe, and Al-Fe aggregates showed the formation of aluminosilicates, iron oxyhydroxides and oxides, and calcium and sodium silicates involved in removing As, F, and SiO. It is concluded that Al would serve as the most suitable sacrificial anode.
PubMed: 38941855
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121597 -
Journal of Environmental Management Jun 2024The development of a natural pyrite/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system for the removal of antibiotic contamination from water represented an economic and green sustainable...
The development of a natural pyrite/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system for the removal of antibiotic contamination from water represented an economic and green sustainable strategy. Yet, a noteworthy knowledge gap remained considering the underlying reaction mechanism of the system, particularly in relation to its pH sensitivity. Herein, this paper investigated the impacts of critical reaction parameters and initial pH levels on the degradation of sulfadiazine (SDZ, 3 mg/L) in the pyrite/PMS system, and elucidated the pH dependence of the reaction mechanism. Results showed that under optimal conditions, SDZ could be completely degraded within 5 min at a broad pH range of 3.0-9.0, with a pseudo-first-order reaction rate of >1.0 min. The low or high PMS doses could lower degradation rates of SDZ through the decreased levels of active species, while the amount of pyrite was positively correlated with the removal rate of SDZ. The diminutive concentrations of anions exerted minor impacts on the decomposition of SDZ within the pyrite PMS system. Mechanistic results demonstrated that the augmentation of pH levels facilitated the transition from the non-radical to the radical pathway within the natural pyrite/PMS system, while concurrently amplifying the role of •OH in the degradation process of SDZ. This could be attributed to the change in interface electrostatic repulsion induced by pH fluctuations, as well as the mutual transformation between active species. The stable presence of the relative content of Fe(II) in the used pyrite was ensured owing to the reduced sulfur species acting as electron donors, providing the pyrite/PMS system excellent reusability. This paper sheds light on the mechanism regulation of efficient removal of organic pollutants through pyrite PMS systems, contributing to practical application.
PubMed: 38941847
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121607