Deposition and transport of functionalized carbon nanotubes in water-saturated sand columns

Knowledge of the fate and transport of functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in porous media is crucial to understand their environmental impacts. In this study, laboratory column and modeling experiments were conducted to mechanistically compare the retention and transport of two types of functionalized CNTs (i.e., single-walled nanotubes and multi-walled nanotubes) in acid-cleaned, baked, and natural sand under unfavorable conditions. The CNTs were highly mobile in the acid-cleaned sand columns but showed little transport in the both natural and baked sand columns. In addition, the retention of the CNTs in the both baked and natural sand was strong and almost irreversible even after reverse, high-velocity, or surfactant flow flushing. Both experimental and modeling results showed that pH is one of the factors dominating CNT retention and transport in natural and baked sand. Retention of the functionalized CNTs in the natural and baked sand columns reduced dramatically when the system pH increased. Our results suggest that the retention and transport of the functionalized CNTs in natural sand porous media were mainly controlled by strong surface deposition through the electrostatic and/or hydrogen-bonding attractions between surface function groups of the CNTs and metal oxyhydroxide impurities on the sand surfaces

Bibliometric analysis of the inflammation in diabetic cardiomyopathy

BackgroundMaladaptive inflammation is implicated in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). This study aimed to visually analyze the global scientific output over the past two decades regarding research on inflammation associated with DCM.MethodsAll relevant articles and reviews were retrieved in the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection (limited to SCIE) using “inflammation” and “diabetic cardiomyopathy” as search terms. Articles and reviews published from 1 January 2001 to 28 February 2021 were collected. Visualization analysis and statistical analysis were conducted by Microsoft 365 Excel and VOSviewer 1.6.18.ResultsA total of 578 documents were finally selected for further analysis. The publications regarding inflammation and DCM increased gradually over approximately 20 years. The most prolific country was China, with 296 documents and the most citations (9,366). The most influential author groups were Lu Cai and Yihui Tan who were from the United States. The bibliometric analysis of co-occurrence keywords showed that inflammation in DCM is composed of numerous molecules (NF-κB, NLRP3 inflammasome, Nrf-2, TNF-α, protein kinase C, PPARα, TLR4, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, TGF-β, Sirt1, and AKT), a variety of cardiac cell types (stem cell, fibroblast, and cardiomyocyte), physiological processes (apoptosis, oxidative stress, autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress, hypertrophy, mitochondrion dysfunction, and proliferation), and drugs (sulforaphane, metformin, empagliflozin, and rosuvastatin).ConclusionOur bibliometric analysis presents the characteristics and trends of inflammation in DCM and shows that research on inflammation in DCM will continue to be a hotspot

Methods of using carbon nanotubes as filter media to remove aqueous heavy metals

Although carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are well known to have a strong affinity to various heavy metals in aqueous solution, little research has been dedicated to exploit their use in fixed-bed water treatment systems (e.g., trickling filters). In this work, batch sorption and fixed-bed experiments were conducted to examine the ability of functionalized multi-walled CNTs as filter media to remove two heavy metal ions (Pb2+ and Cu2+) from infiltrating water. Batch sorption experiments confirmed the strong sorption affinity of the CNTs for Pb2+ and Cu2+ in both single and dual metal solution systems. In addition, sonication-promoted dispersion of the CNT particles enhanced their heavy metal sorption capacity by 23.9–32.2%. For column experiments, laboratory-scale fixed-bed columns were packed with CNTs and natural quartz sand by three different packing: layered, mixed, and deposited. While all the three packing methods enhanced the fixed-bed filtering efficiency of Pb2+ and Cu2+ from single and dual metal systems, the CNT-deposited packing method was superior. Although the amount of the CNTs added into the fixed-bed columns was only 0.006% (w/w) of the sand, they significantly improved the fixed-bed’s filtering efficiency of Pb2+ and Cu2+ by 55–75% and 31–57%, respectively. Findings from this study demonstrate that functionalized multi-walled CNTs, together with natural sand, can be used to effectively and safely remove heavy metals from water

The “adult inactivity triad” in patients with chronic kidney disease: A review

BackgroundThe “pediatric inactivity triad” framework consists of three complex, interrelated conditions influencing physical inactivity and associated health risks. Evidence on the beneficial effects of physical activity in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to grow, but few studies have explored the complex interactions behind inactivity in this population.ResultsBased on the “pediatric inactivity triad” framework and prior research, we would like to propose a new concept, the “adult inactivity triad” in CKD, including (1) exercise deficit disorder, (2) sarcopenia, and (3) physical illiteracy. Individuals can shift from “adult inactivity triad” to “adult activity triad” and move at different rates and directions along the arrows in each of the three components.ConclusionThis review explores and summarizes previous research on the three main adult inactivity triad components in the chronic kidney disease population

Effects of plastic debris on the biofilm bacterial communities in lake water

Increasing discharge of plastic debris into aquatic ecosystems and the worsening ecological risks have received growing attention. Once released, plastic debris could serve as a new substrate for microbes in waters. The complex relationship between plastics and biofilms has aroused great interest. To confirm the hypothesis that the presence of plastic in water affects the composition of biofilm in natural state, in situ biofilm culture experiments were conducted in a lake for 40 days. The diversity of biofilm attached on natural (cobble stones (CS) and wood) and plastic substrates (Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)) were compared, and the community structure and composition were also analyzed. Results from high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA showed that the diversity and species richness of biofilm bacterial communities on natural substrate (observed species of 1353~1945, Simpson index of 0.977~0.989 and Shannon–Wiener diversity index of 7.42~8.60) were much higher than those on plastic substrates (observed species of 900~1146, Simpson index of 0.914~0.975 and Shannon–Wiener diversity index of 5.47~6.99). The NMDS analyses were used to confirm the taxonomic significance between different samples, and Anosim (p = 0.001, R = 0.892) and Adonis (p = 0.001, R = 808, F = 11.19) demonstrated that this classification was statistically rigorous. Different dominant bacterial communities were found on plastic and natural substrates. Alphaproteobacterial, Betaproteobacteria and Synechococcophycideae dominated on the plastic substrate, while Gammaproteobacteria, Phycisphaerae and Planctomycetia played the main role on the natural substrates. The bacterial community structure of the two substrates also showed significant difference which is consistent with previous studies using other polymer types. Our results shed light on the fact that plastic debris can serve as a new habitat for biofilm colonization, unlike natural substrates, pathogens and plastic-degrading microorganisms selectively attached to plastic substrates, which affected the bacterial community structure and composition in aquatic environment. This study provided a new insight into understanding the potential impacts of plastics serving as a new habitat for microbial communities in freshwater environments. Future research should focus on the potential impacts of plastic-attached biofilms in various aquatic environments and the whole life cycle of plastics (i.e., from plastic fragments to microplastics) and also microbial flock characteristics using microbial plastics in the natural environment should also be addressed

Probiotics are beneficial for liver cirrhosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials

IntroductionGut dysbiosis may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis and the severity of complications. Numerous studies have investigated the probiotics as treatments for cirrhosis. However, there is still a lack of definitive evidence confirming the beneficial effects of probiotics on cirrhosis.MethodsDatabases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials that compared the effects of probiotic intervention and control treatments, including placebo, no treatment, and active control, on cirrhosis, published from inception to February 2024. Outcomes included hepatic encephalopathy (HE) reversal, safety and tolerability of probiotics, liver function, quality of life, and other cirrhotic-related outcomes. A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize evidence.ResultsThirty studies were included. The quantitative synthesis results showed that compared with the control group, probiotics significantly reverse minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) (risk ratio [RR] 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03 to 2.32) and improve HE (RR 1.94, 95% CI 1.24 to 3.06). Additionally, probiotics demonstrated higher safety and tolerability by causing a lower incidence of serious adverse events (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.87). Probiotics could potentially improve liver function by reducing the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.57, 95% CI -0.85 to −0.30), and displayed favorable changes in quality of life (SMD 0.51, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.75) and gut flora (SMD 1.67, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.06).ConclusionThis systematic review and meta-analysis offers compelling evidence that probiotics are beneficial for cirrhosis by demonstrating reversal of HE, potential for liver function improvements, enhancements in quality of life, and regulation of gut dysbiosis. Furthermore, the apparent safety profile suggests that probiotics are a promising intervention for treating cirrhosis.Clinical trial registration numberCRD42023478380

Revealing intrinsic domains and fluctuations of moir\'e magnetism by a wide-field quantum microscope

Moir\'e magnetism featured by stacking engineered atomic registry and lattice interactions has recently emerged as an appealing quantum state of matter at the forefront condensed matter physics research. Nanoscale imaging of moir\'e magnets is highly desirable and serves as a prerequisite to investigate a broad range of intriguing physics underlying the interplay between topology, electronic correlations, and unconventional nanomagnetism. Here we report spin defect-based wide-field imaging of magnetic domains and spin fluctuations in twisted double trilayer (tDT) chromium triiodide CrI3. We explicitly show that intrinsic moir\'e domains of opposite magnetizations appear over arrays of moir\'e supercells in low-twist-angle tDT CrI3. In contrast, spin fluctuations measured in tDT CrI3 manifest little spatial variations on the same mesoscopic length scale due to the dominant driving force of intralayer exchange interaction. Our results enrich the current understanding of exotic magnetic phases sustained by moir\'e magnetism and highlight the opportunities provided by quantum spin sensors in probing microscopic spin related phenomena on two-dimensional flatland

Alterations of the gut microbiota associated with the occurrence and progression of viral hepatitis

BackgroundGut microbiota is the largest population of microorganisms and is closely related to health. Many studies have explored changes in gut microbiota in viral hepatitis. However, the correlation between gut microbiota and the occurrence and progression of viral hepatitis has not been fully clarified.MethodsPubMed and BioProject databases were searched for studies about viral hepatitis disease and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of gut microbiota up to January 2023. With bioinformatics analyses, we explored changes in microbial diversity of viral hepatitis, screened out crucial bacteria and microbial functions related to viral hepatitis, and identified the potential microbial markers for predicting risks for the occurrence and progression of viral hepatitis based on ROC analysis.ResultsOf the 1389 records identified, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 950 individuals including 656 patient samples (HBV, n = 546; HCV, n = 86; HEV, n = 24) and 294 healthy controls. Gut microbial diversity is significantly decreased as the infection and progression of viral hepatitis. Alpha diversity and microbiota including Butyricimonas, Escherichia-Shigella, Lactobacillus, and Veillonella were identified as the potential microbial markers for predicting the risk of development of viral hepatitis (AUC>0.7). Microbial functions including tryptophan metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, and lipid metabolism related to the microbial community increased significantly as the development of viral hepatitis.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated comprehensively the gut microbiota characteristics in viral hepatitis, screened out crucial microbial functions related to viral hepatitis, and identified the potential microbial markers for predicting the risk of viral hepatitis

The Future of the Correlated Electron Problem

The understanding of material systems with strong electron-electron interactions is the central problem in modern condensed matter physics. Despite this, the essential physics of many of these materials is still not understood and we have no overall perspective on their properties. Moreover, we have very little ability to make predictions in this class of systems. In this manuscript we share our personal views of what the major open problems are in correlated electron systems and we discuss some possible routes to make progress in this rich and fascinating field. This manuscript is the result of the vigorous discussions and deliberations that took place at Johns Hopkins University during a three-day workshop January 27, 28, and 29, 2020 that brought together six senior scientists and 46 more junior scientists. Our hope, is that the topics we have presented will provide inspiration for others working in this field and motivation for the idea that significant progress can be made on very hard problems if we focus our collective energies.Comment: 55 pages, 19 figure

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat