Transformation and Migration of Heavy Metals by Aquatic Worms in Wastewater Treatment

L. hoffmeisteri was inoculated <span class="hit">in</span> reactor to investigate the effects on waste sludge and wastewater to reduce excess sludge and reduce the environmental risk <span class="hit">of</span> <span class="hit">heavy</span> <span class="hit">metals</span> <span class="hit">in</span> sludge and effluent <span class="hit">in</span> this study. The result showed a gravimetric sludge reduction <span class="hit">of</span> 53.8% and modification <span class="hit">in</span> the texture <span class="hit">of</span> the sludge. The residual form <span class="hit">of</span> <span class="hit">heavy</span> <span class="hit">metals</span> (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) was increased, which reduced the risk <span class="hit">of</span> the phytoaccumulation. An evident concentration <span class="hit">of</span> <span class="hit">heavy</span> <span class="hit">metals</span> <span class="hit">in</span> <span class="hit">worm</span> faece and a bioaccumulation <span class="hit">of</span> <span class="hit">heavy</span> <span class="hit">metals</span> <span class="hit">in</span> <span class="hit">aquatic</span> <span class="hit">worms</span> were also observed. Activated sludge is reduced significantly, sludge settleability is improved and the bioavailability <span class="hit">of</span> <span class="hit">heavy</span> <span class="hit">metals</span> <span class="hit">in</span> waste sludge is minimized, which are beneficial to wastewater treatment and safe disposal <span class="hit">of</span> waste sludge. &copy; (2012) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland

Synthesis of ordered lamellar supermicroporous silica with rigid neutral and long-chain cationic composite templating route.

Using a mixture of neutral primary amine dehydroabietylamine (DHAA) and long-chain cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as the template, ordered lamellar supermicroporous silicas were synthesized with NaOH as the base source and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as the silica source. The concentrations of DHAA, CTAB, and NaOH in the synthesis system had great effects on the structural properties of the samples. When the molar ratio of components was nTEOS:nCTAB:nDHAA:nNaOH:nH2O = 1:0.114:0.00457:0.5:60, the material showed a lamellar phase with the highest ordering degree. By adding only a trace amount of DHAA into the synthesis system, the structure of the samples could be transformed from cubic phase to lamellar phase, since the added DHAA solubilized in CTAB micelles to change the effective surfactant ion pair packing parameter. The dosage of CTAB should be moderate; too high or too low will decay the ordering degree of the lamellar structure.A much higher concentration of NaOH resulted in an ethanol-rich solvent in which the DHAA did not solubilize in the micelles of CTAB, but adsorbed at the hydrophilic headgroup-solvent interface. Accordingly, a structural transformation from lamellar phase to hexagonal phase occurred

The Role Played by Ferroptosis in Osteoarthritis: Evidence Based on Iron Dyshomeostasis and Lipid Peroxidation

Ferroptosis, a recently discovered regulated cell death modality, is characterised by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides, which can reach lethal levels but can be specifically reversed by ferroptosis inhibitors. Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common degenerative joint disease, is characterised by a complex pathogenesis involving mechanical overload, increased inflammatory mediator levels, metabolic alterations, and cell senescence and death. Since iron accumulation and oxidative stress are the universal pathological features of OA, the role played by ferroptosis in OA has been extensively explored. Increasing evidence has shown that iron dyshomeostasis and lipid peroxidation are closely associated with OA pathogenesis. Therefore, in this review, we summarize recent evidence by focusing on ferroptotic mechanisms and the role played by ferroptosis in OA pathogenesis from the perspectives of clinical findings, animal models, and cell research. By summarizing recent research advances that characterize the relationship between ferroptosis and OA, we highlight avenues for further research and potential therapeutic targets

Synthesis and anticancer activity of (+)-nopinone-based 2-amino-3-cyanopyridines

Twelve (+)-nopinone-based 2-amino-3-cyanopyridines 4a—l were synthesized from (—)-&#x003b2;-pinene. The structures of these compounds were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, and ESI-MS. All the compounds were tested for their anticancer activity against lung cancer cell line A549, gastric cancer cell line MKN45 and breast cancer cell line MCF7 by MTT method, respectively. The results showed that compounds 4f, 4j and 4k had promising anticancer activity against these cancer cell lines, in particular, compound 4f exhibited broad-spectrum and highly efficient anticancer activity against cell lines A549, MKN45 and MCF7 with IC50 of 23.78, 67.61 and 53.87 μmol&#x000b7;L-1, respectively. The preliminary analysis of the structure activity relationship implied that the Br or Cl substituted group of the benzene ring in these derivatives significantly contributed to the anticancer activity

Hydronopylformamides: Modification of the Naturally Occurring Compound (-)-β-Pinene to Produce Insect Repellent Candidates against Blattella germanica

The development of a novel repellent plays an important role in the integrated control of Blattella germanica. A series of novel hydronopylformamides derivatives were synthesized from a naturally occurring compound (-)-β-pinene. The structures of these hydronopylformamides derivatives were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR and 13C-NMR), and electron impact mass spectrometry (EI-MS). Repellency of these hydronopylformamides derivatives against Blattella germanica was evaluated by the using petri dish arena method. The results showed that four derivatives (compounds 8a, 8b, 8c and 8e) exhibited repellency against Blattella germanica at a concentration of 20 mg/mL. Compound 8a was the most active compound among these derivatives, where the repelling ratios of compound 8a against Blattella germanica were 66.10%, 50.46%, 48.26%, at concentrations of 20 mg/mL, 10 mg/mL, and 5 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, compound 8a showed better repellency than the traditional insect repellent N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), which indicated that compound 8a had a good application prospect in the prevention of Blattella germanica. This research hopes to promote the value-added utilization of (-)-β-pinene and the development of novel German cockroach repellents

Derivatization of Natural Compound β-Pinene Enhances Its In Vitro Antifungal Activity against Plant Pathogens

Background: The development of new antifungal agents has always been a hot research topic in pesticide development. In this study, a series of derivatives of natural compound &beta;-pinene were prepared, and the antifungal activities of these derivatives were evaluated. The purpose of this work is to develop some novel molecules as promising new fungicides. Methods: Through a variety of chemical reactions, &beta;-pinene was transformed into a series of &beta;-pinene-based derivatives containing amide moieties and acylthiourea moieties. The antifungal activities of these derivatives against five plant pathogens including Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium proliferatum, Alternaria kikuchiana, Phomopsis sp. and Phytophthora capsici were tested; preliminary structure&ndash;activity relationship was discussed. Results: Some derivatives exhibited moderate or significant antifungal activity due to the fusion of the amide moiety or the acylthiourea moiety with the pinane skeleton. The structure&ndash;activity relationship analysis showed that the fluorine atom and the strong electron withdrawing nitro group, or trifluoromethyl group on the benzene ring of the derivatives had a significant effect on the improvement of the antifungal activity against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium proliferatum, Alternaria kikuchiana and Phomopsis sp. Meanwhile, the introduction of an ethyl group at the meta-position on the benzene ring of the derivatives could improve the antifungal activity against Phytophthora capsici. Compounds 4e, 4h, 4q, 4r exhibited broad-spectrum antifungal activity against the tested strains. Compound 4o had significant antifungal activity against Phytophthora capsici (IC50 = 0.18 &mu;mol/L). These derivatives were expected to be used as precursor molecules for novel pesticide development in further research

Antibiotic resistance of Riemerella anatipestifer and comparative analysis of antibiotic-resistance gene detection methods

Riemerella anatipestifer is an important pathogen in waterfowl, and is generally multidrug resistant. This study assessed the current status of Riemerella anatipestifer antibiotic resistance and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), compared the results of different detection methods, and evaluated a new method of studying the association between antibiotic resistance and ARGs in Riemerella anatipestifer. In this study, 51 strains of Riemerella anatipestifer were isolated from ducks on several farms, their resistance to 28 antibiotics was assessed, and the isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. The number of ARGs carried by Riemerella anatipestifer was predicted, compared, and analyzed, and the consistency between ARGs and antibiotic-resistance phenotypes was assessed. The potential for loss of resistance genes during the sequencing and assembly of genome-wide framework map was assessed, and a new ARG detection method was pilot tested. The 51 strains of Riemerella anatipestifer were multidrug resistant (MDR) and had high level of resistance to aminoglycosides, trimethoprim, lincosamides, polypeptides, and macrolides. Based on the genome-wide framework map of the 51 strains, 3 local databases of ABRicate software and 1 online database of CARD website were used to detect ARGs, and a mean of 4 to 5 ARGs were identified per isolate. Although the detection results differed according to the database used, the general performance was consistent. The online website detected more types of ARGs than the ABRicate software. The association between ARGs and antibiotic-resistance phenotypes was assessed, and the ermF gene was identified as a possible key ARGs regulating macrolide resistance of Riemerella anatipestifer. The method used to investigate and detect Riemerella anatipestifer ARGs was convenient and rapid, and had strong accuracy and pertinence. The ARGs detection method reported here combined the advantages of PCR and genome detection, and could greatly reduce workload and detect ARGs more precisely

Synthesis, Antifungal Activity, Cytotoxicity and QSAR Study of Camphor Derivatives

Control of fungal phytopathogens affecting crops and woodlands is an important goal in environmental management and the maintenance of food security. This work describes the synthesis of 37 camphor derivatives, of which 27 were new compounds. Their antifungal effects on six fungi were evaluated in vitro. Compounds 3a, 4a and 5k showed strong antifungal activity against Trametes versicolor, with EC50 values of 0.43, 6.80 and 4.86 mg/L, respectively, which were better than that of tricyclazole (EC50 118.20 mg/L) and close to or better than that of carbendazim (EC50 1.20 mg/L). The most potent compound, 3a, exhibited broad-spectrum antifungal activity towards six fungi with EC50 values within the range of 0.43–40.18 mg/L. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that compounds 3a, 4a and 5k gave irregular growth and shriveling of the mycelia. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation revealed that the tested camphor derivatives had mild or no cytotoxicity for LO2 and HEK293T cell lines. Quantitative structure−activity relationship (QSAR) analysis revealed that the number of F atoms, relative molecular weight, the atomic orbital electronic population and total charge on the positively charged surfaces of the molecules of camphor derivatives have effects on antifungal activity. The present study may provide a theoretical basis for a high-value use of camphor and could be helpful for the development of novel potential antifungals