Abstract The zebrafish is increasingly used as a vertebrate animal model for in vivo drug discovery and for assessing chemical toxicity and safety. Numerous studies have confirmed that zebrafish and ...mammals are similar in their physiology, development, metabolism and pathways, and that zebrafish responses to toxic substances are highly predictive of mammalian responses. Developmental and reproductive toxicity assessments are an important part of new drug safety profiling. A significant number of drug candidates have failed in preclinical tests due to their adverse effect on development and reproductivity. Compared to conventional mammal testing, zebrafish testing for assessing developmental and reproductive toxicity offers several compelling experimental advantages, including transparency of embryo and larva, higher throughput, shorter test period, lower cost, smaller amount of compound required, easier manipulation and direct compound delivery. Toxicity and safety assessments using zebrafish have also been accepted by the FDA and EMEA for investigative new drug (IND) approval.
Overgrazing significantly affects alpine meadows in ways similar to grasslands in other areas. Fencing to exclude grazers is one of the main management practices used to protect alpine meadows. ...However, it is not known if fencing can improve soil properties and soil organic carbon storage by restraining grazing in alpine meadows. We studied the long-term (nine-year) effects of fencing on soil properties, soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage compared with continued grazing in an alpine swamp meadow of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, NW China. Our results showed that fencing significantly improved vegetation cover and aboveground biomass. There were significant effects of fencing on pH value, soil bulk density, and soil moisture. Long-term fencing favored the increase of soil total nitrogen, soil organic matter, soil organic carbon, soil microbial biomass carbon and soil carbon storage compared with grazed meadows. Our study suggests that long-term fencing to prevent disturbance could greatly affect soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage with regard to grazed meadows. Therefore, it is apparent from this study that fencing is an effective restoration approach of with regard to the soil's storage ability for carbon and nitrogen in alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
Background
Obesity increases the risk of colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer. However, the obesity-related parameters that are best for assessing the risk of colorectal adenoma development ...remain unclear. We analyzed the parameters that may best describe the association between obesity and colorectal adenoma development.
Methods
In this retrospective cohort study, 3405 individuals underwent screening colonoscopy during routine health examinations. We measured body mass index; waist circumference; and metabolic parameters such as high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, glucose, triglyceride, and systolic blood pressure. We analyzed the risk of developing colorectal adenoma, relative to obesity-related parameters, over a mean interval of 5.8 years from baseline colonoscopy.
Results
In a multivariate analysis, waist circumference was the only obesity-related marker associated with an increased risk of metachronous colorectal adenoma. Men with waist circumferences ≥85 cm and women with waist circumference ≥82 cm had a 31% increased risk of metachronous colorectal adenoma compared to those with smaller waist circumferences odds ratio (OR) 1.31; 95% confidence interval (CI, 1.09–1.57). Other factors associated with metachronous colorectal adenoma were age (OR, 1.03; 95% CI 1.02–1.04), male sex (OR 1.49; 95% CI 1.17–1.88), alcohol consumption ≥3/week (OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.10–1.62), the number of adenoma at baseline (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.10–1.33), and the presence of advanced adenoma at baseline (OR 1.60; 95% CI 1.24–2.06).
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that central obesity, represented by waist circumference, is a significant predictor of metachronous colorectal adenoma, independent of body mass index and other metabolic variables.
A novel immobilized-phosphate zirconium-based nanoscale metal-organic framework composite, denoted as UiO-66-P, was synthesized through a post-synthetic approach using UiO-66 nanoparticles and Na3PO4 ...ligands. The negatively charged UiO-66-P composite framework exhibited high stability, excellent porosity, excellent activity in the charge-selective capture and separation of cationic organic dyes.
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•UiO-66-P composites were prepared using a post-synthetic approach.•UiO-66-P composites are negatively charged, and show improved electrostatic interaction with Methylene Blue.•UiO-66-P composites exhibit highly selective adsorption of Methylene Blue.•UiO-66 nanocrystals have high adsorptive capacity for Congo Red, Methyl Orange, and Acid Chrome Blue K.
A novel immobilized-phosphate zirconium-based metal-organic framework composite, denoted as UiO-66-P, was synthesized by a solvothermal method using UiO-66 nanoparticles and Na3PO4 ligands. The products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectrometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential analysis, and gas adsorption measurements. The UiO-66-P nanocrystals, which comprised negatively charged frameworks, exhibited high stability, excellent porosity, and efficient charge-selective capture and separation of the cationic dye Methylene Blue (MB). An uptake capacity of 91.1mgg−1 was achieved at room temperature over 24h when 5mg of UiO-66-P was immersed in 40mL of a 500mgL−1MB solution. This capacity is much higher than that of UiO-66 (24.5mgg−1). The adsorption capability of UiO-66-P for MB was improved by 272% compared to that of pristine UiO-66. The effects of variables such as initial pH, MB concentration, and contact time were investigated. In addition, the as-obtained UiO-66 nanocrystals exhibited excellent adsorption capability for the anionic dyes Congo Red, Acid Chrome Blue K, and Methyl Orange.
Increasing energy consumption worldwide and environmental concerns about global warming have attracted great interest in the development of renewable and eco-friendly energy technologies. ...Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted considerable attention over the last 25 years since they offer possible low-cost conversion of photovoltaic energy. The sensitizer is the most important component of a DSSC, as it is largely responsible for light harvesting and charge separation, as well as the dye regeneration process. As a result, there have been tremendous research efforts in developing sensitizers. However, many challenges remain, and a deeper understanding of the design rules of DSSC sensitizers is required to obtain efficient and long-term stable DSSCs. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent progress and the rational design criteria used in the structural design of organic dyes and porphyrin photosensitizers for use in DSSCs. The effects of molecular structural engineering on the photophysical and electrochemical properties, photovoltaic parameters, and efficiency of DSSCs are presented.
Background
This study examines the predictive value of a novel systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII, platelet × neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients.
Methods
A ...total of 5602 CAD patients who had undergone a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were enrolled. They were divided into two groups by baseline SII score (high SII vs low SII) to analyse the relationship between SII groups and the long‐term outcome. The primary outcomes were major cardiovascular events (MACE) which includes nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke and cardiac death. Secondary outcomes included a composite of MACE and hospitalization for congestive heart failure.
Results
An optimal SII cut‐off point of 694.3 × 109 was identified for MACE in the CAD training cohort (n = 373) and then verified in the second larger CAD cohort (n = 5602). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that a higher SII score (≥694.3) was independently associated with increased risk of developing cardiac death (HR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.43‐2.86), nonfatal MI (HR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.09‐1.85), nonfatal stroke (HR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.28‐2.99), MACE (HR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.36‐2.01) and total major events (HR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.32‐1.77). In addition, the SII significantly improved risk stratification of MI, cardiac death, heart failure, MACE and total major events than conventional risk factors in CAD patients by the significant increase in the C‐index (P < .001) and reclassification risk categories by significant NRI (P < .05) and IDI (P < .05).
Conclusions
SII had a better prediction of major cardiovascular events than traditional risk factors in CAD patients after coronary intervention.
Dye wastewater pollution is a pervasive problem that hinders sustainable development. Adsorption is a particularly important technique for treating dye wastewater because of its low cost, high ...efficiency, and operational ease. Moreover, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered promising materials for the removal of toxic dyes from industrial wastewater because of their exceptionally high porosity, abundant active sites, and receptiveness to functional modification. This review highlights recent advancements in functionally modified MOFs (FM-MOFs) fabricated as adsorbents for effective organic dye removal, and classifies the FM-MOFs based on various modification strategies. In particular, the effects of these functional modification strategies on the adsorption driving forces between the FM-MOF adsorbents and organic dyes are systematically examined.
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