15 research outputs found
Development of Efficient Photocatalyst MIL-68(Ga)_NH2 Metal-Organic Framework for the Removal of Cr(VI) and Cr(VI)/RhB from Wastewater under Visible Light
Severe environmental pollution is caused by the massive discharge of complex industrial wastewater. The photocatalytic technology has been proved as an effective way to solve the problem, while an efficient photocatalyst is the most critical factor. Herein, a new photocatalyst MIL-68(Ga)_NH2 was obtained by hydrothermal synthesis and were characterized by PXRD, FTIR, 1H NMR, and TGA systematically. The result demonstrates that MIL-68(Ga)_NH2 crystallized in orthorhombic system and Cmcm space group with the unit cell parameters: a = 36.699 Å, b = 21.223 Å, c = 6.75 Å, V = 5257.6 Å3, which sheds light on the maintenance of the crystal structure of the prototype material after amino modification. The conversion of Cr(VI) and binary pollutant Cr(VI)/RhB in wastewater under visible light stimulation was characterized by the UV-vis DRS. Complementary experimental results indicate that MIL-68(Ga)_NH2 exhibits remarkable photocatalytic activity for Cr(VI) and the degradation rate reaches as high as 98.5% when pH = 2 and ethanol as hole-trapping agent under visible light irradiation with good reusability and stability. Owing to the synergistic effect between Cr(VI) and RhB in the binary pollutant system, MIL-68(Ga)_NH2 exhibits excellent catalytic activity for both the pollutants, the degradation efficiency of Cr(VI) and RhB was up to 95.7% and 94.6% under visible light irradiation for 120 min, respectively. The possible removal mechanism of Cr(VI)/RhB based on MIL-68(Ga)_NH2 was explored. In addition, Ga-based MOF was applied in the field of photocatalytic treatment of wastewater for the first time, which broadened the application of MOF materials in the field of photocatalysis
Distribution and Phytoavailability of Potentially Toxic Metals in Different Fe/Mg Mine Tailings
The environmental risk of potentially toxic metals in tailing soils is of universal concern. We conducted a 3-month pot experiment to research the distribution and variations of potentially toxic metals (PTMs), and the translocation and accumulation capability of these metals (Cr, Ni, Mn, Cu, Zu) in natural plants for three Fe/Mg tailing soils (serpentine-type, olivine-type and magnetite-type) with growth of a grass plant-Imperata cylindrica. We used comparative analysis, regression analysis and correlation analysis to process relevant experimental data. Results showed the rhizosphere tailing soils decreased from 3.70% to 16.8%, compared to the bulk soils, after growth of Imperata cylindrica, and the acid soluble fraction of Mn, Cu and Zn increased significantly. Cu and Zn were more bioavailable than other PTMs, especially for serpentine-type tailing soils. Linear regression analysis indicated that non-residual fractions showed different effects on metal concentrations of Imperata cylindrica. The non-residual metal fractions of serpentine-type and olivine-type tailing soils showed better correlations with metal concentrations in grass plants than those of magnetite-type tailing soils. We found that the chemical compositions of tailing soils showed remarkable effects on Ni and Mn compared with other elements, especially Mg and Al. Overall, the grass plant can alter the metal distribution, enhance metal bioavailability and promote land use of Fe/Mg tailing soils
A pH-Mediated Highly Selective System Enabling Simultaneous Analysis of Circulating RNAs Carried by Extracellular Vesicles and Lipoproteins
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) and
lipoproteins (LPPs) serve as important
carriers of circulating miRNAs in peripheral blood, offering immense
potential for disease diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. Due
to their shared physicochemical attributes, EVs and LPPs are frequently
coisolated, potentially leading to misunderstandings regarding their
distinct functional roles in physiological and pathological processes.
Here, we report a highly selective magnetic system based on the pH-mediated
affinity displayed by cibacron blue (CB) toward EVs and LPPs, enabling
successful separation and collection of these two nanoparticles without
cross-contamination for subsequent circulating RNA analysis. First,
we found that CB-modified magnetic beads (CBMBs) exhibit a strong
affinity toward LPP particles while displaying little interaction
with EVs in standard samples under physiological pH conditions. We
further demonstrate that the affinity between CB molecules and bionanoparticles
in plasma samples is highly pH-dependent. Specifically, CBMBs show
affinities for both LPP and EV particles under neutral and acidic
conditions. However, at basic pH levels, CB molecules selectively
bind only to LPP particles. Consequently, the remaining EV particles
present in plasma are subsequently isolated by using titanium dioxide-modified
beads (TiMBs) through phospholipid affinity. The simultaneous analysis
of the transcriptomic contents of EV and LPP reveals clear differences
in their small RNA profiles, with the differentially expressed RNAs
reflecting distinct biological processes. Significantly, in a proof-of-concept
study, we successfully demonstrated a strong correlation between miRNAs
carried by both EV and LPP particles with the occurrence of ocular
neovascularization during the progression of diabetic retinopathy.
The involved miRNAs may serve as potential biomarkers for DR diagnostics
and severity classification. To sum up, this pH-mediated separation
system is not only user-friendly but also highly compatible, rendering
it a potent tool for probing the molecular compositions, biomarkers,
and underlying biological mechanisms of EVs and LPPs
A pH-Mediated Highly Selective System Enabling Simultaneous Analysis of Circulating RNAs Carried by Extracellular Vesicles and Lipoproteins
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) and
lipoproteins (LPPs) serve as important
carriers of circulating miRNAs in peripheral blood, offering immense
potential for disease diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. Due
to their shared physicochemical attributes, EVs and LPPs are frequently
coisolated, potentially leading to misunderstandings regarding their
distinct functional roles in physiological and pathological processes.
Here, we report a highly selective magnetic system based on the pH-mediated
affinity displayed by cibacron blue (CB) toward EVs and LPPs, enabling
successful separation and collection of these two nanoparticles without
cross-contamination for subsequent circulating RNA analysis. First,
we found that CB-modified magnetic beads (CBMBs) exhibit a strong
affinity toward LPP particles while displaying little interaction
with EVs in standard samples under physiological pH conditions. We
further demonstrate that the affinity between CB molecules and bionanoparticles
in plasma samples is highly pH-dependent. Specifically, CBMBs show
affinities for both LPP and EV particles under neutral and acidic
conditions. However, at basic pH levels, CB molecules selectively
bind only to LPP particles. Consequently, the remaining EV particles
present in plasma are subsequently isolated by using titanium dioxide-modified
beads (TiMBs) through phospholipid affinity. The simultaneous analysis
of the transcriptomic contents of EV and LPP reveals clear differences
in their small RNA profiles, with the differentially expressed RNAs
reflecting distinct biological processes. Significantly, in a proof-of-concept
study, we successfully demonstrated a strong correlation between miRNAs
carried by both EV and LPP particles with the occurrence of ocular
neovascularization during the progression of diabetic retinopathy.
The involved miRNAs may serve as potential biomarkers for DR diagnostics
and severity classification. To sum up, this pH-mediated separation
system is not only user-friendly but also highly compatible, rendering
it a potent tool for probing the molecular compositions, biomarkers,
and underlying biological mechanisms of EVs and LPPs
The Potential of Glycyrrhiza from “Medicine Food Homology” in the Fight against Digestive System Tumors
Glycyrrhiza has a long history of applications and a wide range of pharmacological effects. It is known as the “king of all herbs”. Glycyrrhiza is effective in clearing heat, detoxifying, relieving cough, and tonifying qi and has good bioactivity in multiple inflammatory, immune, and tumor diseases. This review aims to summarize the origin, distribution, and anti-digestive system tumor mechanism of glycyrrhiza and its homologous applications in medicine and food. The active compounds include triterpenoids, flavonoids, and coumarins, which are widely used in clinical treatments, disease prevention, and daily foods because of their “enhancement of efficacy” and “reduction of toxicity” against digestive system tumors. This paper reviews the use of glycyrrhiza in digestive system tumors and provides an outlook on future research and clinical applications