Bio-Inspired Eco-Friendly Superhydrophilic/Underwater Superoleophobic Cotton for Oil-Water Separation and Removal of Heavy Metals

Effective integrated methods for oil-water separation and water remediation have signifi-cance in both energy and environment fields. Materials with both superlyophobic and superlyophilic properties toward water and oil have aroused great attention due to their energy-saving and high-efficient advantages in oil-water separation. However, in order to fulfill the superlyophobicity, low surface tension fluorinated components are always being introduced. These constituents are environmentally harmful, which may lead to additional contamination during the separating process. Moreover, the heavy metal ions, which are water-soluble and highly toxic, are always contained in the oil-water mixtures created during industrial production. Therefore, material that is integrated by both capacities of oil-water separation and removal of heavy metal contamination would be of significance in both industrial applications and environmental sustainability. Herein, inspired by the composition and wettability of the shrimp shell, an eco-friendly chitosan-coated (CTS) cotton was developed. The treated cotton exhibits the superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic property and is capable of separating both immiscible oil-water mixtures and stabilized oil-in-water emulsions. More significantly, various harmful water-soluble heavy metal ions can also be effectively removed during the separation of emulsions. The developed CTS coated cotton demonstrates an attractive perspective toward oil-water separation and wastewater treatment in various applications

Adsorption Characteristics of Phenol and Reactive Dyes from Aqueous Solution onto Ordered Mesoporous Carbons Prepared via a Template Synthesis Route

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) were prepared using SBA-15 as the template and sucrose as the precursor. Various different mesoporous materials (CMK-3-80, CMK-3-90, CMK-3-100 and CMK-Na 2 SiO 3 -3-90) were synthesized employing different conditions. The pore structures and characteristics of the OMC materials were evaluated using XRD, SEM and nitrogen adsorption studies, respectively, and their adsorption properties towards phenol and dyes were investigated. The results showed that the order of the pore diameter in the mesoporous materials followed the sequence: CMK-3-100 > CMK-3-90 > CMK-3-80 > CMK-Na 2 SiO 3 -3-90. Adsorption experiments revealed that the mesoporous carbons prepared possessed larger adsorption capacities towards phenol and the Reactive dyes Methylene Blue (MB) and Rhodamine Blue (RB) relative to commercial active carbon. Adsorption kinetics experiments showed that the rates of adsorption of MB and RB onto CMK-3 differed in line with the difference in pore size. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetics of MB and RB onto CMK-3 could be well described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The adsorption isotherms indicated that the equilibrium adsorption capacities of the two dyes onto CMK-3 were not the same and could not be correlated with either the relative magnitudes of the mesopore surface areas or the mesopore volumes

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Protects against Spinal Cord Ischemia Reperfusion Injury-Induced Apoptosis by Blocking Autophagy

The role of autophagy, neuroprotective mechanisms of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), and their relationship in spinal cord ischemic reperfusion injury (SCIR) was assessed. Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham, ischemia reperfusion (I/R), 10 mg/kg NAD+, and 75 mg/kg NAD+. Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess autophagy and apoptosis. Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scores were used to assess neurological function. Expression levels of Beclin-1, Atg12-Atg5, LC3B-II, cleaved caspase 3, and Bax were upregulated in the I/R group and downregulated in the 75 mg/kg NAD+ group; p-mTOR, p-AKT, p62, and Bcl-2 were downregulated in the I/R group and upregulated in the 75 mg/kg NAD+ group. Numbers of LC3B-positive, caspase 3-positive, Bax-positive, and TUNEL-positive cells were significantly increased in the I/R group and decreased in the 75 mg/kg NAD+ group. The mean integrated option density of Bax increased and that of Nissl decreased in the I/R group, and it decreased and increased, respectively, in the 75 mg/kg NAD+ group. BBB scores significantly increased in the 75 mg/kg NAD+ group relative to the I/R group. No difference was observed between I/R and 10 mg/kg NAD+ groups for these indicators. Therefore, excessive and sustained autophagy aggravates SCIR; administration of NAD+ alleviates injury

A Realistic and Integrated Model for Evaluating Offshore Oil Development

With the rising consumption of oil resources, major oil companies around the world have increasingly engaged in offshore oil exploration and development, and offshore oil resources have accounted for an increasing proportion. Offshore oil engineering projects are capital intensive, and the development of offshore oil fields faces a tough battle, especially in a period of low oil prices. Thus, a comprehensive evaluation model is highly needed to help assess economic benefits and provide meaningful and valuable information for operators and investors to make sensible decisions. This study firstly proposed a realistic and integrated evaluation model for offshore oil development based on actual historical project data. This evaluation model incorporated modules from the underwater system to the platform system and processes from oil reservoir extraction to oil, gas and water treatment. The uncertain parameters in the evaluation process are dealt with by sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed model is applied to a typical offshore oil development project in Bohai Bay, China. The results reveal that the recovery factor and oil price have the greatest impact on the economic benefits. In the case of deterministic analysis, the breakeven oil price of the project is 40.59 USD/bbl. After considering the uncertainty of project parameters, the higher the oil price, the greater the probability of NPV > 0. When the oil price is higher than 70 USD/bbl, even with uncertain project parameters, the probability of NPV > 0 can still be as high as 97.39%

Adsorption Characteristics of Cu(II) and Pb(II) Ions onto Natural Manganese Ore from Aqueous Solution

The adsorption of heavy metal cations, i.e. Pb(II) and Cu(II), from aqueous solution by a natural manganese mineral (rhodochrosite) was investigated. The properties of the ore were studied using SEM, FT-IR, XRD and BET methods. The value of pH pzc was determined using an equilibrium technique to give a value of 7.8 ± 0.1 which was not affected by the presence of added electrolyte. Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the adsorption processes. Kinetic experiments indicated that the processes could be simulated by a pseudo-second-order model and the Elovich equation, suggesting that the process may be chemisorption in nature. The adsorption capacity increased with increasing initial concentration of metal cations. The resulting isotherms could be described by the Langmuir relationship, with the adsorbent showing a higher affinity towards Pb(II) ions than Cu(II) ions. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process was endothermic and possibly chemical in nature with positive values of ΔH 0 . Positive ΔS 0 values suggested that a dissociative process was involved. The small positive ΔG 0 values indicated that the adsorption processes required a small amount of energy. The adsorption processes were only slightly influenced by the concentration of added electrolyte but were strongly dependent on the pH value. It is proposed that the most possible mechanism for the adsorption processes involves inner-sphere complexation

A Realistic and Integrated Model for Evaluating Offshore Oil Development

With the rising consumption of oil resources, major oil companies around the world have increasingly engaged in offshore oil exploration and development, and offshore oil resources have accounted for an increasing proportion. Offshore oil engineering projects are capital intensive, and the development of offshore oil fields faces a tough battle, especially in a period of low oil prices. Thus, a comprehensive evaluation model is highly needed to help assess economic benefits and provide meaningful and valuable information for operators and investors to make sensible decisions. This study firstly proposed a realistic and integrated evaluation model for offshore oil development based on actual historical project data. This evaluation model incorporated modules from the underwater system to the platform system and processes from oil reservoir extraction to oil, gas and water treatment. The uncertain parameters in the evaluation process are dealt with by sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed model is applied to a typical offshore oil development project in Bohai Bay, China. The results reveal that the recovery factor and oil price have the greatest impact on the economic benefits. In the case of deterministic analysis, the breakeven oil price of the project is 40.59 USD/bbl. After considering the uncertainty of project parameters, the higher the oil price, the greater the probability of NPV > 0. When the oil price is higher than 70 USD/bbl, even with uncertain project parameters, the probability of NPV > 0 can still be as high as 97.39%

Microarray expression profile of circular RNAs in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a common and deadly cancer. Despite numerous efforts, no reliable biomarker is available for daily clinical practice. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are an abundant, stable and conserved class of RNA molecules that exhibit tissue/developmental-stage-specific expression (Salzman et al., 2012; Jeck et al., 2013; Memczak et al., 2013). CircRNAs play a crucial role in disease, especially in cancer, and provide new potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for disease (Hansen et al., 2013; Qu et al., 2015).This research was designed to explore the expression profile of circRNAs in PDAC to serve as new diagnosis and treatment strategies for PDAC. Microarray and sample annotation data were deposited in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) under accession number GSE69362

Review of the types, formation mechanisms, effects, and elimination methods of binder jetting 3D-printing defects

Additive Manufacturing (AM), commonly referred to as 3D printing, has ushered in a transformative era in the realm of material fabrication. Due to its innovative layer-adhesive methodology, Binder Jetting (BJ) is anticipated to ascend as the method of choice for synthesizing a vast array of materials. Presently, the defects inherent in BJ technique have precipitated considerable detriments to the quality of resultant components. In response, this exhaustive review delineates the foundational principles of the BJ methodology firstly and endeavors to compile a comprehensive inventory of potential defects encountered during printing. Based on formation mechanism, for the first time, the defects associated with BJ are methodically categorized into quintuple classifications, including slicing defect, powder spreading defect, single-layer printing defect, multi-layer accumulation defect and depowdering defect. Particular heed is devoted to the anomalies precipitated by the binder's interaction with the powder bed, which fundamentally sets BJ apart from conventional AM methodologies. An amalgamation of numerical algorithms and physical paradigms is introduced in each corresponding classification to arm researchers with a profound comprehension of the mechanism behind these defects. Moreover, a variety of mitigation strategies for these corresponding defects, encompassing binder selection, procedural parameter refinement, post-processual interventions and the integration of hybridized techniques are further explored and summarized. Finally, it concludes by pinpointing existing lacunae within the domain of BJ research and projects their future directions. This manuscript, by offering a comprehensive review of defects, aspires to serve as a scholarly compendium for the impending scientific and technological advancements in BJ technology

Theoretical Perspectives on the Gas-Phase Oxidation Mechanism and Kinetics of Carbazole Initiated by OH Radical in the Atmosphere

Carbazole is one of the typical heterocyclic aromatic compounds (NSO-HETs) observed in polluted urban atmosphere, which has become a serious environmental concern. The most important atmospheric loss process of carbazole is the reaction with OH radical. The present work investigated the mechanism of OH-initiated atmospheric oxidation degradation of carbazole by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the M06-2X/6-311++G(3df,2p)//M06-2X/6-311+G(d,p) level. The rate constants were determined by the Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (RRKM) theory. The lifetime of carbazole determined by OH was compared with other typical NSO-HETs. The theoretical results show that the degradation of carbazole initiated by OH radical includes four types of reactions: OH additions to “bend” C atoms, OH additions to “benzene ring” C atoms, H abstractions from C-H bonds and the H abstraction from N-H bond. The OH addition to C1 atom and the H abstraction from N-H bond are energetically favorable. The main oxidation products are hydroxycarbazole, dialdehyde, carbazolequinone, carbazole-ol, hydroxy-carbazole-one and hydroperoxyl-carbazole-one. The calculated overall rate constant of carbazole oxidation by OH radical is 6.52 × 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 and the atmospheric lifetime is 37.70 h under the condition of 298 K and 1 atm. The rate constant of carbazole determined by OH radical is similar with that of dibenzothiophene oxidation but lower than those of pyrrole, indole, dibenzofuran and fluorene. This work provides a theoretical investigation of the oxygenated mechanism of NSO-HETs in the atmosphere and should help to clarify their potential health risk for determining the reaction pathways and environmental influence of carbazole

Nomogram-Based New Recurrence Predicting System in Early-Stage Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Background and Objectives. The clinicopathological risk factors to predict recurrence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients remain controversial. Methods. PTC patients treated with thyroidectomy between January 1997 and December 2011 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University (Zhejiang cohort) were included. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify independent recurrence predictors. Then, the nomogram model for predicting probability of recurrence was built. Results. According to Zhejiang cohort (N = 1,697), we found that the 10-year event-free survival (EFS) rates of PTC patients with early-stage (TNM stages I, II, and III) were not well discriminated (91.6%, 89.0%, and 90.7%; P=0.768). The multivariate Cox model identified age, bilaterality, tumor size, and nodal status as independent risk factors for tumor recurrence in PTC patients with TNM stages I–III. We then developed a nomogram with the C-index 0.70 (95% CI, 0.64 to 0.76), which was significantly higher (P<0.0001) than the AJCC staging system (0.52). In the validation group, the C-index remained at a similar level. Conclusions. In this study, we build up a new recurrence predicting system and establish a nomogram for early-stage PTC patients. This prognostic model may better predict individualized outcomes and conduct personalized treatments