Experimental data and modeling of sulfadiazine adsorption onto raw and modified clays from Tunisia

In recent years, the increasing detection of emerging pollutants (particularly antibiotics, such as sulfonamides) in agricultural soils and water bodies has raised growing concern about related environmental and health problems. In the current research, sulfadiazine (SDZ) adsorption was studied for three raw and chemically modified clays. The experiments were carried out for increasing doses of the antibiotic (0, 1, 5, 10, 20, and 40 μmol L-1) at ambient temperature and natural pH with a contact time of 24 h. The eventual fitting to Freundlich, Langmuir and Linear adsorption models, as well as residual concentrations of antibiotics after adsorption, was assessed. The results obtained showed that one of the clays (HJ1) adsorbed more SDZ (reaching 99.9 % when 40 μmol L-1 of SDZ were added) than the other clay materials, followed by the acid-activated AM clay (which reached 99.4 % for the same SDZ concentration added). The adsorption of SDZ followed a linear adsorption isotherm, suggesting that hydrophobic interactions, rather than cation exchange, played a significant role in SDZ retention. Concerning the adsorption data, the best adjustment corresponded to the Freundlich model. The highest Freundlich KF scores were obtained for the AM acid-treated and raw HJ1 clays (606.051 and 312.969 Ln μmol1-n kg-1, respectively). The Freundlich n parameter ranged between 0.047 and 1.506. Regarding desorption, the highest value corresponded to the AM clay, being generally <10 % for raw clays, <8 % for base-activated clays, and <6 % for acid-activated clays. Chemical modifications contributed to improve the adsorption capacity of the AM clay, especially when the highest concentrations of the antibiotic were added. The results of this research can be considered relevant as regard environmental and public health assessment since they estimate the feasibility of three Tunisian clays in SDZ removal from aqueous solutions.

A novel alginate-embedded magnetic biochar-anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria composite microspheres for multipollutant removal: Mechanisms of photo-bioelectrochemical enhancement and excellent reusability performance

Existing wastewater treatment technologies face the key challenge of simultaneously removing emerging contaminants and nutrients from wastewater efficiently, with a simplified technological process and minimized operational costs. In this study, a novel alginate-embedded magnetic biochar-anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria composite microspheres (CA-MBC-PSB microspheres) was prepared for efficient, cost-effective and one-step removal of antibiotics and NH4+-N from wastewater. Our results demonstrated that the CA-MBC-PSB microspheres removed 97.23% of sulfadiazine (SDZ) within 7 h and 91% of NH4+-N within 12 h, which were 21.23% and 38% higher than those achieved by pure calcium alginate-Rhodopseudomonas palustris microspheres (53% and 45.7%), respectively. The enhanced SDZ and NH4+-N removal were attributed to the enhanced photoheterotrophic metabolism and excretion of extracellular photosensitive active substances from R. Palustris through the photo-bioelectrochemical interaction between R. Palustris and magnetic biochar. The long-term pollutants removal performance of the CA-MBC-PSB microspheres was not deteriorated but continuously improved with increasing ruse cycles with a simultaneous removal efficiency of 99% for SDZ and 92% for NH4+-N after three cycles. The excellent stability and reusability were due to the fact that calcium alginate acts as an encapsulating agent preventing the loss and contamination of R. palustris biomass. The CA-MBC-PSB microspheres also exhibited excellent performance for simultaneous removal of SDZ (89% in 7 h) and NH4+-N (90.7% in 12 h) from the secondary effluent of wastewater treatment plant, indicating the stable and efficient performance of CA-MBC-PSB microspheres in practical wastewater treatment.

Meeting the Challenge of Controlling Viral Immunopathology

The mission of this review is to identify immune-damaging participants involved in antiviral immunoinflammatory lesions. We argue these could be targeted and their activity changed selectively by maneuvers that, at the same time, may not diminish the impact of components that help resolve lesions. Ideally, we need to identify therapeutic approaches that can reverse ongoing lesions that lack unwanted side effects and are affordable to use. By understanding the delicate balance between immune responses that cause tissue damage and those that aid in resolution, novel strategies can be developed to target detrimental immune components while preserving the beneficial ones. Some strategies involve rebalancing the participation of immune components using various approaches, such as removing or blocking proinflammatory T cell products, expanding regulatory cells, restoring lost protective cell function, using monoclonal antibodies (moAb) to counteract inhibitory molecules, and exploiting metabolic differences between inflammatory and immuno-protective responses. These strategies can help reverse ongoing viral infections. We explain various approaches, from model studies and some clinical evidence, that achieve innate and adaptive immune rebalancing, offering insights into potential applications for controlling chronic viral-induced lesions.

Distinct toxic effects, gene expression profiles, and phytohormone responses of Polygonatum cyrtonema exposed to two different antibiotics

The excessive usage of veterinary antibiotics has raised significant concerns regarding their environmental hazard and agricultural impact when entering surface water and soil. Animal waste serves as a primary source of organic fertilizer for intensive large-scale agricultural cultivation, including the widely utilized medicinal and edible plant, Polygonatum cyrtonem. In this study, we employed a novel plant stress tissue culture technology to investigate the toxic effects of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and sulfadiazine (SDZ) on P. cyrtonema. TCH and SDZ exhibited varying degrees of influence on plant growth, photosynthesis, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging system. Flavonoid levels increased following exposure to TCH and SDZ. The biosynthesis and signaling pathways of the growth hormones auxin and gibberellic acid were suppressed by both antibiotics, while the salicylic acid-mediated plant stress response was specifically induced in the case of SDZ. Overall, the study unveiled both common and unique responses at physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels in P. cyrtonema following exposure to two distinct types of antibiotics, providing a foundational framework for comprehensively elucidating the precise toxic effects of antibiotics and the versatile adaptive mechanisms in plants.

Removal of sulfonamide antibiotics by non-free radical dominated peroxymonosulfate oxidation catalyzed by cobalt-doped sulfur-containing biochar from sludge

The reuse of activated sludge as a solid waste is severely underutilized due to the limitations of traditional treatment and disposal methods. Given that, the sulfur-containing activated sludge catalyst doped with cobalt (SK-Co(1.0)) was successfully prepared by one-step pyrolysis and calcinated at 850 ℃. The generation of CoSx was successfully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), indicating that the sulfur inside the sludge was the anchoring site for the externally doped cobalt. Cobalt (Ⅱ) (Co2+), as the main adsorption site for peroxymonosulfate(PMS), formed a complex (SK-Co(1.0)-PMS* ) and created the conditions for the generation of surface radicals. The SK-Co(1.0)/PMS system showed high degradation efficiency and apparent rate constants for Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) (91.56% and 0.187 min-1) and Sulfadiazine (SDZ) (90.73% and 0.047 min-1) within 10 min and 30 min, respectively. Three sites of generation of 1O2, which played a dominant role in the degradation of SMX and SDZ in the SK-Co(1.0)/PMS system, were summarized as：sulfur vacancies (SVs), the Co3+/Co2+ cycles promoted by sulfur(S) species, oxygen-containing functional groups (C-O). The degradation mechanisms and pathways had been thoroughly investigated using DFT calculations. In view of this, a new idea for the resource utilization of activated sludge solid waste was provided and a new strategy for wastewater remediation was proposed.

Aluminium fumarate biological metal-organic framework as an emerging tool for isolation and detection trace amounts of sulfadiazine in food and water samples

Owing to negative impacts of sulfadiazine (SDZ) as an important group of synthetic antibiotics on public health and ecological systems, it has been a serious concern in recent years. In this research, aluminium fumarate biological metal-organic framework (AlFum Bio-MOF) was synthesized and applied as the best option in terms of extraction performance for detection and quantification of SDZ in a variety of samples. The chemical/structural properties of as-prepared AlFum Bio-MOF were confirmed by spectroscopy techniques. The influence of pH, amount of adsorbent, ultrasonic time (adsorption time (and ionic strength as the main variables in the extraction process were optimized and inspected with central composite design (CCD). Linear dynamic range (LDR), the limit of detection (LOD), and precision value (expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD)) in selected conditions were 20-580, 5.67 ng mL-1, and 3.40 % (n = 3), respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of SDZ in different water and food samples at two spiked levels with recoveries between 84 and 104 %. Practically, the dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (Dμ-SPE) based on AlFum Bio-MOFs as sorbent could be used to quantify SDZ in complex matrices at trace amounts with acceptable recoveries.

Construction of a myoglobin scaffold-based biocatalyst for the biodegradation of sulfadiazine and sulfathiazole

Sulfonamide antibiotics, a family of broad-spectrum antibiotic drugs, are increasingly used in aquaculture and are frequently detected in aquatic environments. This poses a potential threat to organisms and may cause the evolution of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, it is important to develop an environmentally friendly and efficient biocatalyst to degrade sulfonamides (SAs) such as sulfadiazine (SD) and sulfathiazole (ST). Here, we realized the direct and efficient degradation of SD and ST using a hydrogen peroxide-dependent artificial catalytic system based on myoglobin (Mb). The arrangements of amino acids at positions 29, 43, 64, and 68 were found to influence catalytic activity. An L29H/H64D/V68I myoglobin mutant showed the best catalytic efficiency (i.e., kcat/Km = 720.42 M-1 s-1) against SD. Next, mutant H64D/V68I showed the best degradation rate against SD (i.e., 91.45 ± 0.16%). Moreover, L29H/H64D/V68I Mb was found to efficiently catalyze ST oxidation (kcat/Km = 670.08 M-1 s-1), while H64D/V68I had the best degradation rate against ST (i.e., 99.45 ± 0.23%). Our results demonstrate that SAs can be efficiently degraded by artificial peroxygenases constructed using a myoglobin scaffold. This therefore provides a simple and economical method for the biodegradation of SD and ST.

Sulfadiazine chlorination disinfection by-products in constructed wetlands: Identification of biodegradation products and inference of transformation pathways

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed from chlorination of antibiotics have greater toxicity than their parent compounds. Herein, this study investigated the biotransformation process of sulfadiazine Cl-DBPs in constructed wetlands (CWs). Results showed that, S atom on sulfonyl group, and N atoms on primary and secondary amine groups were the most reactive sites of sulfadiazine molecule. S1-N4 and S1-C8 of sulfadiazine are the most vulnerable bonds to cleave, followed by C14-N4 and C11-N5 bonds. In the chlorination process, sulfadiazine went through C-N bond cleavage, N-reductive alkylation, halogenation, and desulfonation to produce two aromatic Cl-DBPs. In the biodegradation process in CWs, sulfadiazine Cl-DBPs went through processes mainly including dechlorination, S-N bond cleavage, aniline-NH2 oxidation, desulfonation, phenol-OH oxidation, benzene ring cleavage, C-N bond cleavage, and β-oxidation of fatty acids under the action of a variety of oxidoreductases and hydrolases, during which a total of ten biodegradation products was identified. Moreover, sulfadiazine affected the biodegradation rather than the adsorption process in CWs. The two aromatic sulfadiazine Cl-DBPs had much higher bioaccumulation potentials than their parent sulfadiazine, but for the ten biodegradation products of sulfadiazine Cl-DBPs in CWs, 70% and almost 100% of them had lower bioaccumulation potentials than sulfadiazine and their parent sulfadiazine Cl-DBPs, respectively. The CWs were effective in reducing the environmental risk of sulfadiazine Cl-DBPs.

Mechanism and synergistic effect of sulfadiazine (SDZ) and cadmium toxicity in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and its alleviation through zinc fortification

Cadmium (Cd) and antibiotic's tendency to accumulate in edible plant parts and fertile land is a worldwide issue. The combined effect of antibiotics and heavy metals on crops was analyzed, but not mitigation of their toxicity. This study investigated the potential of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) to alleviate the SDZ and Cd toxicity (alone/combined) to promote spinach growth. Results revealed that the ZnO 200 mg L-1 spray decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) 14%, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) 13%, and electrolyte leakage (EL) 7%, and increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) 8%, peroxidase (POD) 25%, catalase (CAT) 39% and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) 12% in spinach leaves under combined SDZ+Cd (25 mg Kg-1 +50 mg Kg-1) stress compared to ZnO 100 mg L-1 spray. Likewise, ZnO NPs 200 mg L-1 spray enhanced the zinc (Zn) 97%, iron (Fe) 86%, magnesium (Mg) 35%, manganese (Mn) 8%, and potassium (K) 23% in shoots under combined SDZ+Cd (25 mg Kg-1 +50 mg Kg-1) stress compared to ZnO 100 mg L-1 spray. Further, ZnO 200 mg L-1 spray reduced Cd uptake in roots by 9% and shoots 15% under combined SDZ+Cd (25 mg Kg-1 +50 mg Kg-1) stress compared to ZnO 100 mg L-1. Overall, ZnO NPs alleviated the SDZ and Cd toxicity and enhanced spinach growth in all treatments.

A novel differential ratiometric molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor for determination of sulfadiazine in food samples

Herein, we report a novel differential ratiometric molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) electrochemical sensor for sulfadiazine (SDZ). An MIP membrane with double templates, SDZ and propyl gallate (PG), was fabricated on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified by CuInS2/ZnS nanocomposites. After adding PG in the samples as the reference, the current differences between MIP@CuInS2/ZnS/GCE and non-imprinted polymer@CuInS2/ZnS/GCE at the potentials of 0.18 V (ΔIPG) and 0.92 V (ΔISDZ) were measured. The ratio of ΔISDZ/ΔIPG was used for SDZ determination in the differential and ratiometric dual-mode. The influence of the variations in electrode modification and sample enrichment conditions on the determination of SDZ can be suppressed by 2.8 ∼ 13.2-fold, enhancing the reproducibility and stability of the MIP sensor. The interference level was reduced by one order of magnitude compared with the normal MIP mode. The proposed sensors were used to determine SDZ in food samples, with the detection limit of 2.1 nM.

Synergistic effects of trace sulfadiazine and corrosion scales on disinfection by-product formation in bulk water of cast iron pipe

The effects of trace sulfadiazine (SDZ) and cast-iron corrosion scales on the disinfection by-product (DBP) formation in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) were investigated. The results show that under the synergistic effect of trace SDZ (10 μg/L) and magnetite (Fe3O4), higher DBP concentration occurred in the bulk water with the transmission and distribution of the drinking water. Microbial metabolism-related substances, one of the important DBP precursors, increased under the SDZ/Fe3O4 condition. It was found that Fe3O4 induced a faster microbial extracellular electron transport (EET) pathway, resulting in a higher microbial regrowth activity. On the other hand, the rate of chlorine consumption was quite high, and the enhanced microbial EET based on Fe3O4 eliminated the need for microorganisms to secrete excessive extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). More importantly, EPS could be continuously secreted due to the higher microbial activity. Finally, high reactivity between EPS and chlorine disinfectant resulted in the continuous formation of DBPs, higher chlorine consumption, and lower EPS content. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the trace antibiotics polluted water sources and cast-iron corrosion scale composition in the future. This study reveals the synergistic effects of trace antibiotics and corrosion scales on the DBP formation in DWDSs, which has important theoretical significance for the DBP control of tap water.

Hemoadsorption and Coagulation Systemic Rebalance in Patients Undergoing Nonelective Cardiac Surgery and Treated with Antithrombotics

INTRODUCTION

Insufficient withdrawal duration of antithrombotics leads to excessive bleeding after major surgery. We hypothesize that intraoperative hemoadsorption (HA) can reduce postoperative allogeneic transfusion requirements and excessive bleeding events (EBE), without an increase in ischemic/thromboembolic events (ITE) in patients who have taken antithrombotics and undergone nonelective cardiac surgery.

METHODS

A total of 460 patients admitted to our hospital from 2018 to 2022 were included in this study and divided into two groups: HA and non-HA. Because of the risk of bias due to differences in antithrombotic type, withdrawal duration, or basic coagulation function, propensity score matching was used for analyses.

RESULTS

Out of 154 cases in the HA group, 144 pairs were successfully matched. No HA safety events such as hemolysis, hypotension, or device failure occurred. After matching, the two groups were found to be comparable in preoperative antithrombotic type, withdrawal duration, platelets and coagulation function, and demographic and perioperative characteristics. Although the HA group did not have a reduced incidence of EBE, this group exhibited significant decreases in the transfusion rate and volume, the incidence of ITE, acute kidney injury, and central nervous system injury.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients who have undergone nonelective cardiac surgery and taken antithrombotics, HA can simply and safely rebalance the postoperative coagulation system and have associations with reduced transfusion and postoperative ITE.

A solar flow photo-reactor for antibiotic removal from aquaculture effluents using TiO2/carbon quantum dots

Effluents contaminated with antibiotics must be treated before reuse or even discharge into the aquatic environment, avoiding the increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) - a major public health problem of the 21st century. Little is known regarding the natural solar photodegradation of antibiotics in tubular reactors operated under flow mode and even less concerning the application of photocatalysts. The use of photocatalysts is considered a promising strategy for a sustainable solar-driven removal of antibiotics from effluents. In this work, the photodegradation of two antibiotics widely used in aquaculture, namely, sulfadiazine (SDZ) and oxolinic acid (OXA), was investigated under solar flow mode in the absence and presence of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) coupled with titanium dioxide (TiO2) (4% (w/w)). The obtained results showed that TiO2/CQDs (4% (w/w)) enhanced the photodegradation of both antibiotics, which is highly beneficial for their application in the treatment of aquaculture effluents. The accumulated UV energy needed for SDZ removal using the photocatalyst was less than 4 kJ L-1 in both simulated freshwater (phosphate buffer solution (PBS)) and simulated brackish water (sea salt solution (SSS)), while for OXA less than 5 kJ L-1 and around 15 kJ L-1 were needed for removal in PBS and in SSS, respectively. Moreover, results demonstrated that the proposed photocatalytic treatment was also efficient in the elimination of OXA and SDZ antibacterial activity, either in PBS or SSS. Therefore, photocatalysis under flow mode using TiO2/CQDs constitutes a promising and sustainable treatment for antibiotics' efficient removal from aquaculture effluents.

Accelerated removal of sulfadiazine by heterogeneous electro-Fenton system with Pt-FeOX/graphene single-atom alloy cathodes

Heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) process is emerging as an attractive treatment technology for removal of sulfadiazine (SDZ), in which in situ generation of H2O2 and Fe(II) are crucial steps. In this study, Pt-FeOX/G was synthesized as a heterogeneous EF catalyst by incorporating Pt single atoms into a FeOX nanocrystal. The optimized Pt1-FeOX/G cathode exhibited an SDZ conversion of >90% within 30 min over a broad pH range (3-11). The Pt1-FeOX/G cathode under a strong alkaline medium exhibited very prominent selectivity to H2O2 via 2e- oxygen reduction reaction with a maximum H2O2 concentration of 211.93 mg L-1. The hydroxyl radicals in the cathodic chamber were mainly derived from the in situ conversion of generated H2O2 in the heterogeneous EF system. The structure-activity results of Pt-FeOX/G suggested that the SDZ removal efficiency was closely related to the decentralized morphology and electronic configuration of the Pt-FeOX microcrystalline structure. Three possible SDZ degradation pathways, dominated by S-N bond cleavage, were proposed based on the stage products. The toxicity of the major products was determined using the ecological structure-activity relationship model in conjunction with trophic aquatic organisms. This study demonstrated the feasibility of enhancing heterogeneous EF catalysis for antibiotic-polluted water using multifunctional single-atom alloy cathodes.

A novel immobilized horseradish peroxidase platform driven by visible light for the complete mineralization of sulfadiazine in water

A novel immobilized enzyme driven by visible light was prepared and used for complete mineralization of antibiotics in water bodies. The immobilized enzyme was composed of carbon nitride modified by biochar (C/CN) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), establishing the photo-enzyme coupling system with synergistic effect. Among them, the introduction of biochar not only improves the stability and loading capacity of the enzyme, but also improves the light absorption capacity and carrier separation efficiency of the photocatalyst. After the optimization of immobilization process, the solid load of HRP could reach 251.03 mg/g, and 85.03 % enzyme activity was retained after 18 days of storage at 4 °C. In the sulfadiazine (SDZ) degradation experiment, the degradation rate of HRP/C3/CN reached 71.21 % within 60 min, which was much higher than that of HRP (2.33 %), CN (49.78 %) and C3/CN (58.85 %). In addition, under the degradation of HRP/C/CN, the total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate of SDZ reached 53.14 %, which was 6.47 and 1.74 times that of CN and C3/CN, respectively. This study shows that the introduction of biochar is of great significance to the photo-enzyme cascade coupling system and provides a new strategy for the application of HRP&g-C3N4 system in wastewater treatment.

Surfactant and antibiotic co-occurrence reshaped the acidogenic process for volatile fatty acids production during sludge anaerobic fermentation

The overuse of surfactants and antibiotics has led to their high concentration in waste activated sludge (WAS), and these exogenous pollutants have been shown to pose various influences on the subsequent anaerobic treatment process. Previous works have primarily concerned the impacts of individual pollutants on WAS anaerobic fermentation process. This work revealed the synergetic effects of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and sulfadiazine (SDZ) co-occurrence in WAS on the biosynthesis of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The addition of SDBS in the SDZ reactor significantly increased VFAs generation, and this increase was correlated with the concentration of SDZ. The VFAs production exhibited a 200.0-211.9 % and 5.9-20.4 % increase in comparison with the sole SDZ and SDBS reactor, respectively. The SDBS and SDZ co-occurrence facilitated the solubilization, hydrolysis, and acidification stages of WAS fermentation synchronously. SDBS was effectively to disintegrate the cemented structure of extracellular polymeric substances and meanwhile improve the SDZ solubilization, which increase the SDZ bioavailability as well as biotoxicity to the anaerobic species. Herein, the anaerobic consortia structure was evidently reshaped, and the keystone microbes Acetoanaerobium and Fususibacter, as well-tolerated hydrolytic-acidogenic bacteria, were greatly enriched. Furthermore, the functional microbial metabolic traits responsible for the substrate extracellular hydrolysis (e.g., glsA and MAN2C1), intracellular metabolism (e.g., ALDO and asdA), and fatty acid generation (e.g., aarC) were all upregulated in the SDBS/SDZ co-occurrence reactor.

Removal of sulfonamide antibiotics by a sonocatalytic Fenton-like reaction: Efficiency and mechanisms

With the widespread use of sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs), SAs are detected as residues in aquatic environments, posing a serious threat to human life and safety. Because of their high water solubility, fast transmission rate, and strong antibacterial properties, the safe disposal of SAs has become a key constraint for water quality assurance. Therefore, an ultrasound (US)-assisted zero-valent iron (ZVI)/persulfate (PS) system was proposed to explore the rapid and effective degradation of SAs. Comparative experiments were performed to study the removal of sulfadiazine (SDZ) by US, ZVI, PS, US/ZVI, US/PS, ZVI/PS, and US-ZVI/PS systems, respectively. Experimental results indicated that the highest removal efficiency of SDZ was ahieved in US-ZVI/PS system (97.4%), which were 2-44 times higher than that in other systems. Furthermore, the degradation efficiency of five typical SAs was achieved over 95%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the US ZVI/PS system for SAs removal. Also, quantum chemical computations for potential reactive sites of SAs and intermediate product detection by HPLC‒MS/MS were performed. The radical attack on active sites of SAs, such as N atom (number 7), was the main reason for SAs removal in US-ZVI/PS system. Besides, the common degradation pathways of six typical SAs were defined as S-N bond cleavage, C-N bond cleavage, benzene ring hydroxylation, aniline oxidation, and R substituent oxidation. Interestingly, the unique pathway of "SO2 group extraction" was observed in the degradation of six-membered ring SAs. Therefore, the US-ZVI/PS system is a promising and cost-effective method for the removal of SAs and other refractory pollutants.

Sulfadiazine removal efficiency with persulfate driven by electron-rich Cu-beta zeolites

Surface electron transport and transfer of catalysts have important consequences for persulfate (PS) activation in PS system. In this paper, an electron-rich Cu-beta zeolites catalyst was synthesized utilizing a straightforward solid-state ion exchange technique to efficiently degrade sulfadiazine. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results revealed that Cu element substitutes Al element and enters the beta molecular sieve framework smoothly. Furthermore, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements demonstrated that the Cu-beta catalyst is primarily Cu0. Cu-beta zeolites catalyst can exhibit excellent catalytic activity to degrade sulfadiazine with the oxidant of PS. The optimal sulfadiazine removal performance was explored by adjusting reaction parameters, including sulfadiazine concentration, catalyst dosage, oxidant dosage, and solution pH. The sulfadiazine removal efficiency in the Cu-beta zeolites/PS system could reach 90.5% at the optimal reaction condition ([PS]0 = 0.5 g/L, [Cu-beta zeolites]0 = 1.0 g/L, pH = 7.0) with 50 mg/L of sulfadiazine. Meanwhile, The degradation efficiency was less affected by anionic interference (Cl-, SO4-, HCO3-). The surface electron transport and transfer of the Cu-beta zeolites catalyst were significant causes for the remarkable degradation performance. According to electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and quenching studies, the Cu-beta zeolites/PS system was mostly dominated by SO4•- in the degradation of sulfadiazine. Furthermore, two possible pathways for sulfadiazine degradation were proposed according to the analysis of intermediate products detected by the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

Fates of extracellular and intracellular antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge and plastisphere under sulfadiazine pressure

Microplastics, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) represent prominent emerging contaminants that can potentially hinder the efficacy of biological wastewater treatment and pose health risks. Plastisphere as a distinct ecological niche for microorganisms, acts as a repository for ARGs and potential pathogenic bacteria. Nonetheless, the spread pattern of extracellular ARGs (eARGs) and intracellular ARGs (iARGs) in plastisphere under antibiotic exposure was not yet known. This study aimed to investigate disparities in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production, extracellular and intracellular microbial community structures, as well as the transmission of eARGs and iARGs between activated sludge and plastisphere in an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic system under sulfadiazine (SDZ) exposure. SDZ was found to enhance EPS production in activated sludge and plastisphere. Interestingly, as SDZ removal efficiency increased, EPS content decreased in activated sludge and plastisphere collected from oxic zone, and continued to increase in plastisphere samples collected from anaerobic and anoxic zones. There were significant differences in microbial community structure between activated sludge and plastisphere, and the DNA fragments of potential pathogenic bacteria were detected in extracellular samples. SDZ exhibited a promoting effect on the propagation of eARGs, which were more abundant in the plastisphere than in activated sludge, thus heightening the risk of ARGs dissemination. Extracellular mobile genetic elements played a pivotal role in driving the spread of eARGs, while the microbial community induced the changes of iARGs. Potential pathogenic bacteria emerged as potential hosts for ARGs and mobile genetic elements within activated sludge and plastisphere, leading to more serious environmental threats.

Rebalancing polyamine levels to treat Snyder-Robinson syndrome

Snyder-Robinson syndrome (SRS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability and delayed development beginning early in childhood. It was first described in a single family in 1969 as a sex-linked disorder (Snyder & Robinson, 1969) and has since been only identified in less than 100 individuals worldwide. Inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern, SRS has only been identified in males thus far. Snyder-Robinson syndrome primarily affects the nervous system and skeletal tissues and is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding spermine synthase (SMS), a polyamine biosynthesis enzyme. Affected males display a collection of clinical features including intellectual disability ranging from mild to profound, speech and vision impairment, osteoporosis, hypotonia, and increasing loss of muscle tissue with age, kyphoscoliosis, seizures, and distinctive facial features including a prominent lower lip and facial asymmetry. Currently, there is no cure or treatment for this debilitating disorder aside from symptom management.

Multistage utilization of soybean straw-derived P-doped biochar for aquatic pollutant removal and biofuel usage

Biochar is of great importance to realizing solid biowastes reduction and environmental remediation. Modifying biochar for better performance is also of great concern to achieve property improvement. P-doped biochar from soybean straw is prepared for multistage utilization to realize water pollutant removal and biofuel usage. The results suggest that the prepared biochar is adequate for sulfadiazine adsorption and has stable performance under coexisting ions and aquatic pH. Furthermore, the higher heating value of the biochar is close to coal and thus can be an alternative to fossil fuel. The maximum sulfadiazine adsorption amount of P-doped biochar is 252.24 mg·g-1, and the P-doped biochar HHV is 24 MJ·kg-1 which can be an alternative to coal. The greenhouse gas and pollutant emission potential are also considered to explore the environmental impact of P-doped biochar production and usage. Overall, the optimal ratio of soybean straw: K3PO4 is 3:1.

From micro to macro: The role of seawater in maintaining structural integrity and bioactivity of granules in treating antibiotic-laden mariculture wastewater

Granular sludge (GS) has superior antibiotic removal ability to flocs, due to GS's layered structure and rich extracellular polymeric substances. However, prolonged exposure to antibiotics degrades the performance and stability of GS. This study investigated how a seawater matrix might help maintain the structural integrity and bioactivity of granules. The results demonstrated that GS had better sulfadiazine (SDZ) removal efficiency in a seawater matrix (85.6 %) than in a freshwater matrix (57.6 %); the multiple ions in seawater enhanced boundary layer diffusion (kiR1 = 0.0805 mg·g-1·min-1/2 and kiR2 = 0.1112 mg·g-1·min-1/2) and improved adsorption performance by 15 % (0.123 mg/g-SS freshwater vs. 0.141 mg/g-SS seawater). Moreover, multiple hydrogen bonds (1-3) formed between each SDZ and lipid bilayer fortified the adsorption. Beyond S-N and S-C bond hydrolyses that took place in freshwater systems, there was an additional biodegradation pathway for GS to be cultivated in a saltwater system that involved sulfur dioxide extrusion. This additional pathway was attributable to the greater microbial diversity and larger presence of sulfadiazine-degrading bacteria containing SadAC genes, such as Leucobacter and Arthrobacter, in saltwater wastewater. The findings of this study elucidate how seawater influences GS properties and antibiotic removal ability.

Crash injury severity prediction considering data imbalance: A Wasserstein generative adversarial network with gradient penalty approach

For each road crash event, it is necessary to predict its injury severity. However, predicting crash injury severity with the imbalanced data frequently results in ineffective classifier. Due to the rarity of severe injuries in road traffic crashes, the crash data is extremely imbalanced among injury severity classes, making it challenging to the training of prediction models. To achieve interclass balance, it is possible to generate certain minority class samples using data augmentation techniques. Aiming to address the imbalance issue of crash injury severity data, this study applies a novel deep learning method, the Wasserstein generative adversarial network with gradient penalty (WGAN-GP), to investigate a massive amount of crash data, which can generate synthetic injury severity data linked to traffic crashes to rebalance the dataset. To evaluate the effectiveness of the WGAN-GP model, we systematically compare performances of various commonly-used sampling techniques (random under-sampling, random over-sampling, synthetic minority over-sampling technique and adaptive synthetic sampling) with respect to dataset balance and crash injury severity prediction. After rebalancing the dataset, this study categorizes the crash injury severity using logistic regression, multilayer perceptron, random forest, AdaBoost and XGBoost. The AUC, specificity and sensitivity are employed as evaluation indicators to compare the prediction performances. Results demonstrate that sampling techniques can considerably improve the prediction performance of minority classes in an imbalanced dataset, and the combination of XGBoost and WGAN-GP performs best with an AUC of 0.794 and a sensitivity of 0.698. Finally, the interpretability of the model is improved by the explainable machine learning technique SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanation), allowing for a deeper understanding of the effects of each variable on crash injury severity. Findings of this study shed light on the prediction of crash injury severity with data imbalance using data-driven approaches.

A SERS Responsive DGT Sensing Device for On-Site Determination of Organic Contaminants Underwater

Although diffusion gradient in the thin-film technique (DGT) is highly regarded in environmental analysis, the traditional DGT devices cannot serve as sensing devices but in situ sampling devices. Here we report a surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) responsive DGT sensing device (SERS-DGT Sensor) capable of on-site determination of organic contaminants underwater. This is achieved by innovatively utilizing a SERS responsive liquid suspension of Au nanoparticles supported on graphene oxide (AuNPs@GO) as the DGT binding phase. Liquid suspension is synthesized via a combined secondary growth and molecular welding approach and used as DGT binding phase AuNPs@GO exhibit good SERS activity, aqueous stability, and adsorption performance. Based on the development time range of 24-144 h, the measurement of sulfadiazine (SMT) by SERS-DGT Sensor is evaluated in the concentration range of 0.3289-2631 ng mL-1. The SERS-DGT sampler is valid for measuring SMT under a wide range of environmental conditions (i.e, pH 5-9, ionic strength 0.0001-0.05 mol L-1 NaCl, DOM concentrations 0-100 mg L-1, the values of TC: SMT ≤ 20 and MNZ: SMT ≤ 20). SERS-DGT Sensor is applied to the practical test of SMT content in pig breeding wastewater, and compared with the grab sampling method, the results confirm that this novel hyphenated technique exhibits good accuracy and precision. The platform proves to be versatile by extending the method to the monitoring of rhodamine 6G, metronidazole, fluoxetine, and enrofloxacin. In this article, SERS-DGT Sensor, a platform for directly on-site sensing of organic DGT, holds great potential for in situ sampling and on-site sensing for a wide range of organics and provides a new idea for environmental monitoring.

Limitations of conventional approaches to identify photochemically produced reactive intermediates involved in contaminant indirect photodegradation

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) mediated indirect photodegradation can play an important role in the degradation of aquatic contaminants. Predicting the rate of this process requires knowledge of the photochemically produced reactive intermediates (PPRI) that react with the compound of interest, as well as the ability of individual DOM samples to produce PPRI. Key PPRI are typically identified using quencher studies, yet this approach often leads to results that are difficult to interpret. In this work, we analyze the indirect photodegradation of atorvastatin, carbamazepine, sulfadiazine, and benzotriazole using a diverse set of 48 waters from natural and engineered aquatic systems. We use this large data set to evaluate relationships between PPRI formation and indirect photodegradation rate constants, which are directly compared to results using standard quenching experiments. These data demonstrate that triplet state DOM (3DOM) and singlet oxygen (1O2) are critical PPRI for atorvastatin, carbamazepine, and sulfadiazine, while hydroxyl radical (˙OH) contributes to the indirect photodegradation of benzotriazole. We caution against relying on quenching studies because quenching of 3DOM limits the formation of 1O2 and all studied quenchers react with ˙OH. Furthermore, we show that DOM composition directly influences indirect photodegradation and that low molecular weight, microbial-like DOM is positively correlated with the indirect photodegradation rates of carbamazepine, sulfadiazine, and benzotriazole.

Rebalancing Controlled Substance Regulations in Telemedicine

This Viewpoint elucidates major components of the proposed rules about controlled substance prescribing in telehealth, highlights evolving considerations with the US Drug Enforcement Agency’s approach, and offers potential improvements before finalization of the rules.

In vitro multitarget activity of sulfadiazine substituted triazenes as antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and larvicidal agents

Multidrug resistance (MDR) causes difficulties in the treatment of infections and cancer. Research and development studies have become increasingly important for the strategy of preventing MDR. There is a need for new multitarget drug research and advancement to reduce the development of drug resistance in drug-drug interactions and reduce cost and toxic effects. This study aimed to determine the effects of multi-target triazene compounds on antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, cytotoxic, and larvicidal activities were investigated in vitro. A series of 12 novel of 1,3-diaryltriazene-substituted sulfadiazine (SDZ) derivatives were synthesized, and the obtained pure products characterized in detail by spectroscopic and analytic methods (FT-IR, 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, and melting points). The antibacterial and antifungal activities of these derivatives (AH1-12) were determined by broth microdilution method. All derivatives have been evaluated in cell-based assays for cytotoxic and antiviral activities against Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara. The larvicidal efficacy of these chemical compounds was also investigated by using Lucilia sericata (L. sericata) larvae. Twelve 1,3-diaryltriazene-substituted SDZ derivatives (AH1-12) were designed and developed as potent multitargeted compounds. Among them, the AH1 derivative showed the most antibacterial and antifungal activity. Besides, synthesized derivatives AH2, AH3, AH5, and AH7 showed higher antiviral activity than SDZ. All synthesized derivatives showed higher cytotoxic activity than SDZ. Also, they showed larvicidal activity at 72 h of the experiment. As a result, these compounds might be great leads for the development of next-generation multitargeted agents.

Enhanced removal of antibiotic and antibiotic resistance genes by coupling biofilm electrode reactor and manganese ore substrate up-flow microbial fuel cell constructed wetland system

Manganese ore substrate up-flow microbial fuel cell constructed wetland (UCW-MFC(Mn)) as an innovative wastewater treatment technology for purifying antibiotics and electricity generation with few antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) generation has attracted attention. However, antibiotic purifying effects should be further enhanced. In this study, a biofilm electrode reactor (BER) that needs direct current driving was powered by a Mn ore anode (UCW-MFC(Mn)) to form a coupled system without requiring direct-current source. Removal efficiencies of sulfadiazine (SDZ), ciprofloxacin (CIP) and the corresponding ARGs in the coupled system were compared with composite (BER was powered by direct-current source) and anaerobic systems (both of BER and UCW-MFC were in open circuit mode). The result showed that higher antibiotic removal efficiency (94% for SDZ and 99.1% for CIP) in the coupled system was achieved than the anaerobic system (88.5% for SDZ and 98.2% for CIP). Moreover, electrical stimulation reduced antibiotic selective pressure and horizontal gene transfer potential in BER, and UCW-MFC further reduced ARG abundances by strengthening the electro-adsorption of ARG hosts determined by Network analysis. Bacterial community diversity continuously decreased in BER while it increased in UCW-MFC, indicating that BER mitigated the toxicity of antibiotic. Degree of modularity, some functional bacteria (antibiotic degrading bacteria, fermentative bacteria and EAB), and P450 enzyme related to antibiotic and xenobiotics biodegradation genes were enriched in electric field existing UCW-MFC, accounting for the higher degradation efficiency. In conclusion, this study provided an effective strategy for removing antibiotics and ARGs in wastewater by operating a BER-UCW-MFC coupled system.

Toxicity evolution and control for the UV/H2O2 degradation of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds: SDZ and PMM

This study aimed to achieve toxicity control of sulfadiazine (SDZ) and pirimiphos-methyl (PMM) via the UV/H2O2 process by optimizing the reaction parameters. The results show that both drugs had a good degradation effect under the following parameters: a H2O2 molar ratio of 1:200, and neutral conditions. SDZ and PMM could be degraded by more than 99% within 3 min, respectively. In the Daphnia magna acute toxicity assay and Vibrio fischeri inhibition assay, both SDZ and PMM exhibited a phenomenon of increasing toxicity. Additionally, through the use of density functional theory (DFT) calculation and HPLC-QTOF-MS, 21 transformation products (TPs) were identified, and the principal degradation pathways were proposed. The toxicity of the TPs was determined by comparing the QSAR prediction results with toxicity test data. As a result, under the higher UV light intensity (2300 μW/cm2) and neutral conditions, SDZ showed highest toxicity, whereas PMM showed lowest toxicity under the lowest UV light intensity (450 μW/cm2) and neutral conditions. Four main toxic TPs were identified, and their yields could be reduced by adjusting the reaction parameters. Therefore, the selection of appropriate reaction parameters could reduce the production of toxic TPs and ensure the safety of water environment.

Extending the Omega model with momentum and reversal strategies to intraday trading

This study develops the Omega model integrated with momentum and reversal strategies using high-frequency data on the component stocks of the S&P 500 Index and the NASDAQ 100. The Omega model based on the momentum strategy (M_Omega), the reversal strategy (R_Omega), and both strategies (M_R_Omega) are designed to simulate trading over three periods. The portfolio is rebalanced every transaction day to optimize asset allocation by incorporating intraday winners or losers' information and trading cost. The study finds that the proposed models generate positive returns (net of trading costs), in spite of fact that intraday trading frequently erodes profits. The M_Omega and R_Omega models produce a higher return than that of the S&P 500 index or NASDAQ 100 index, considering the intraday trading cost. The performance of the Omega model integrated with the momentum or reversal strategy is more profitable in a volatile market or period. The M_Omega and R_Omega reach the highest final market value from 2020 to 2021, when COVID 19 pandemic emerged. The rebalancing of the momentum or reversal strategy is suitable for the short term but not recommended in the long term for intraday trading as the trading costs become increasingly significant over time.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Coated CdTe Quantum Dots for Fluorometric Detection of Sulfonamide Antibiotics in Food Samples

This work reports the development and application of a highly selective core@shell-based quantum dot-molecularly imprinted polymer (QD@MIP) sensor for the detection of sulfadiazine (SDZ)-an antibiotic which belongs to the sulfonamide family. The synthesis of the smart material or MIP (molecularly imprinted polymer) was carried out by a precipitation method directly on the quantum dot surface, which played the role of a fluorescent probe in the optical sensor. The synthesized polymer was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Fluorescence experiments were performed in order to evaluate the effects of pH, interaction time of the QD@MIP with the analyte and SDZ concentration in different matrices. Under optimized conditions, a linear concentration range of 10.0-60.0 ppm and a limit of detection of 3.33 ppm were obtained. The repeatability and reproducibility of the proposed QD@MIP were evaluated in terms of the RSD, where RSD values of less than 5% were obtained in both tests. Selectivity studies were carried out in the presence of four possible interfering substances with quenching properties, and the signals obtained for these interferents confirmed the excellent selectivity of the proposed sensor; the imprinting factor value obtained for SDZ was 1.64. Finally, the proposed sensor was applied in real animal-based food samples using a spiked concentration of SDZ, where the recovery values obtained were above 90% (experiments were performed in triplicate).

Female reproductive fluid and male seminal fluid: a non-gametic conflict for post-mating control

Growing evidence shows that non-gametic components released by both males and females can significantly drive sperm competition outcomes. Seminal fluid (SF) was shown to influence paternity success by affecting rival males' sperm performance, and, in some species with male alternative reproductive tactics, to selectively decrease the fertilization success of males of the opposite tactic. Female reproductive fluid (FRF) has been proven to differentially influence ejaculates of different males and bias fertilization towards specific partners. Whether, and with what outcome, these two processes can intersect to influence sperm competition is still unknown. Here we explore this scenario in the grass goby (Zosterisessor ophiocephalus), a fish with territorial-sneaker reproductive tactics, where sneaker males can exploit the territorials' SF while penalizing territorial sperm performance with their own fluid. To test whether FRF can rebalance the ejaculate competition in favour of territorial males, we used in vitro fertilization with a SF mixture (territorial + sneaker), using increasing concentrations of FRF, to simulate the natural conditions that ejaculates encounter towards the eggs. Our findings revealed a differential effect of FRF on the different tactics' fertilization success, favouring territorial ejaculates, possibly through an attenuation of the detrimental effects of sneaker SF, and enabling females to regain control over the fertilization process.

Photodegradation performance and mechanism of sulfadiazine in Fe(III)-EDDS-activated persulfate system

In order to overcome the shortcomings in the traditional Fenton process, Fe(III)-EDDS-activated persulfate advanced oxidation process under irradiation is carried out as a promising technology. The photodegradation of sulfadiazine (SD) in Fe(III)-EDDS-activated persulfate system was investigated in this paper. The results showed that SD could be effectively degraded in Fe(III)-EDDS/S 2 O 8 2 - /hv system. The effects of Fe(III):EDDS molar ratio, the concentration of Fe(III)-EDDS, and the concentration of S 2 O 8 2 - on SD degradation were explored. At neutral pH, when Fe(III):EDDS = 1:1, Fe(III)-EDDS = 0.1 mM, S 2 O 8 2 -  = 1.5 mM, the best SD degradation was achieved. The experiment of external influence factors showed that the degradation of SD could be obviously inhibited by the presence of C O 3 2 - , S O 4 2 - , whereas the degradation of SD was almost unaffected by the addition ofCl-. The degradation of SD could be slightly inhibited by the presence of humic acid and NO3-. The effect of pH on SD degradation was investigated, and SD could be degraded effectively in the pH range of 3-9. ESR proved that 1O2, ·OH, S O 4 - , and O2- were produced in the process. S O 4 - and ·OH were identified as the main radicals while O2·- also played non-ignorable role. Eleven intermediate products of SD were analysed. The C = N, S-N, and S-C bonds of SD were attacked by radicals firstly, leading to a series of reactions that eventually resulted in the destruction of SD molecules and the formation of small organic molecules.

Polymorphs of a 1:1 salt of sulfadiazine and piperazine-relative stability, dissolution studies, pharmacokinetics and anti-meningitis efficiency

Two new salt forms of sulfadiazine (SDZ) and piperazine (PIP) were synthesized and characterized. Out of the two polymorphs (SDZ-PIP Ⅰ and SDZ-PIP II), SDZ-PIP Ⅱ is the more stable form at low temperature, room temperature and high temperature. The solution-mediated phase transformation result shows that SDZ-PIP II can transform into pure SDZ within 15 s in phosphate buffer at 37 °C, which leads to a loss in solubility advantage. The addition of 2 mg/mL PVP K30, a polymeric crystallization inhibitor, maintains the solubility advantage and permits supersaturation for a longer period of time. SDZ-PIP II showed 2.5 times the solubility of SDZ alone. The area under the curve (AUC) of SDZ-PIP II with 2 mg/mL PVP K30 was approximately 165% of that of SDZ alone. Moreover, SDZ-PIP II with PVP K30 was more effective than SDZ alone in treating meningitis. Therefore, the SDZ-PIP II salt improves the solubility, bioavailability, and anti-meningitis activity of SDZ.

Pupil-linked arousal modulates network-level EEG signatures of attention reorienting during immersive multitasking

Objective. When multitasking, we must dynamically reorient our attention between different tasks. Attention reorienting is thought to arise through interactions of physiological arousal and brain-wide network dynamics. In this study, we investigated the relationship between pupil-linked arousal and electroencephalography (EEG) brain dynamics in a multitask driving paradigm conducted in virtual reality. We hypothesized that there would be an interaction between arousal and EEG dynamics and that this interaction would correlate with multitasking performance.Approach. We collected EEG and eye tracking data while subjects drove a motorcycle through a simulated city environment, with the instructions to count the number of target images they observed while avoiding crashing into a lead vehicle. The paradigm required the subjects to continuously reorient their attention between the two tasks. Subjects performed the paradigm under two conditions, one more difficult than the other.Main results. We found that task difficulty did not strongly correlate with pupil-linked arousal, and overall task performance increased as arousal level increased. A single-trial analysis revealed several interesting relationships between pupil-linked arousal and task-relevant EEG dynamics. Employing exact low-resolution electromagnetic tomography, we found that higher pupil-linked arousal led to greater EEG oscillatory activity, especially in regions associated with the dorsal attention network and ventral attention network (VAN). Consistent with our hypothesis, we found a relationship between EEG functional connectivity and pupil-linked arousal as a function of multitasking performance. Specifically, we found decreased functional connectivity between regions in the salience network (SN) and the VAN as pupil-linked arousal increased, suggesting that improved multitasking performance at high arousal levels may be due to a down-regulation in coupling between the VAN and the SN. Our results suggest that when multitasking, our brain rebalances arousal-based reorienting so that individual task demands can be met without prematurely reorienting to competing tasks.

Controlling viral inflammatory lesions by rebalancing immune response patterns

In this review, we discuss a variety of immune modulating approaches that could be used to counteract tissue-damaging viral immunoinflammatory lesions which typify many chronic viral infections. We make the point that in several viral infections the lesions can be largely the result of one or more aspects of the host response mediating the cell and tissue damage rather than the virus itself being directly responsible. However, within the reactive inflammatory lesions along with the pro-inflammatory participants there are also other aspects of the host response that may be acting to constrain the activity of the damaging components and are contributing to resolution. This scenario should provide the prospect of rebalancing the contributions of different host responses and hence diminish or even fully control the virus-induced lesions. We identify several aspects of the host reactions that influence the pattern of immune responsiveness and describe approaches that have been used successfully, mainly in model systems, to modulate the activity of damaging participants and which has led to lesion control. We emphasize examples where such therapies are, or could be, translated for practical use in the clinic to control inflammatory lesions caused by viral infections.

Biodegradation of trace sulfonamide antibiotics accelerated by substrates across oxic to anoxic conditions during column infiltration experiments

Frequent occurrence of trace organic contaminants in aquatic environments, such as sulfonamide antibiotics in rivers receiving reclaimed water, is concerning. Natural attenuation by soil and sediment is increasingly relied upon. In the case of riverbank filtration for water purification, the reliability of antibiotic attenuation has been called into question due to incomplete understanding of their degradation processes. This study investigated influence of substrates and redox evolution along infiltration path on biotransformation of sulfonamides. Eight sand columns (length: 28 cm) with a riverbed sediment layer at 3-8 cm were fed by groundwater-sourced tap water spiked with 1 μg/L of sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamethazine (SMZ), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) each, with or without amendments of dissolved organic carbon (5 mg-C/L of 1:1 yeast and humics) or ammonium (5 mg-N/L). Two flow rates were tested over 120 days (0.5 mL/min and 0.1 mL/min). Iron-reducing conditions persisted in all columns for 27 days during the initial high flow period due to respiration of sediment organics, evolving to less reducing conditions until the subsequent low flow period to resume more reducing conditions. With surplus substrates, the spatial and temporal patterns of redox conditions differentiated among columns. The removal of SDZ and SMZ in effluents was usually low (15 ± 11%) even with carbon addition (14 ± 9%), increasing to 33 ± 23% with ammonium addition. By contrast, SMX removal was higher and more consistent among columns (46 ± 21%), with the maximum of 64 ± 9% under iron-reducing conditions. When sulfonamide removal was compared between columns for the same redox zones during infiltration, their enhancements were always associated with the availability of dissolved or particulate substrates, suggesting co-metabolism. Manipulation of the exposure time to optimal redox conditions with substrate amendments, rather than to simply prolong the overall residence time, is recommended for nature-based solutions to tackle target antibiotics.

Cortical Reorganization After Optical Alignment in Strabismic Patients Outside of Critical Period

PURPOSE

To measure visual crowding, an essential bottleneck on object recognition and reliable psychophysical index of cortex organization, in older children and adults with horizontal concomitant strabismus before and after strabismus surgery.

METHODS

Using real-time eye tracking to ensure gaze-contingent display, we examined the peripheral visual crowding effects in older children and adults with horizontal concomitant strabismus but without amblyopia before and after strabismus surgery. Patients were asked to discriminate the orientation of the central tumbling E target letter with flankers arranged along the radial or tangential axis in the nasal or temporal hemifield at different eccentricities (5° or 10°). The critical spacing value, which is the minimum space between the target and the flankers required for correct discrimination, was obtained for comparisons before and after strabismus surgery.

RESULTS

Twelve individuals with exotropia (6 males, 21.75 ± 7.29 years, mean ± SD) and 15 individuals with esotropia (6 males, 24.13 ± 5.96 years) participated in this study. We found that strabismic individuals showed significantly larger critical spacing with nasotemporal asymmetry along the radial axis that related to the strabismus pattern, with exotropes exhibiting stronger temporal field crowding and esotropes exhibiting stronger nasal field crowding before surgical alignment. After surgery, the critical spacing was reduced and rebalanced between the nasal and temporal hemifields. Furthermore, the postoperative recovery of stereopsis was associated with the extent of nasotemporal balance of critical spacing.

CONCLUSIONS

We find that optical realignment (i.e., strabismus surgery) can normalize the enlarged visual crowding effects, a reliable psychophysical index of cortical organization, in the peripheral visual field of older children and adults with strabismus and rebalance the nasotemporal asymmetry of crowding, promoting the recovery of postoperative stereopsis. Our results indicated a potential of experience-dependent cortical organization after axial alignment even for individuals who are out of the critical period of visual development, illuminating the capacity and limitations of optics on sensory plasticity and emphasizing the importance of ocular correction for clinical practice.

Effects on the growth performance, blood parameters, gut histomorphometry, and Salmonella excretion of broiler chickens orally challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis

The poultry industry has not been spared from the prevalent incidence of diseases caused by invasive pathogens, especially Salmonella. Due to the pressing need to identify a suitable antibiotic alternative for use in poultry production, this study investigated the efficacy of red osier dogwood (ROD) extract on the growth, blood parameters, gut morphology, and Salmonella excretion in broiler chickens orally challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). A 4 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted based on 2 main factors, namely dietary treatments, and SE challenge. A total of 404, one-day-old male Ross broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments; 1) Negative control (NC), 2) NC + 0.075 ppm of Trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (TMP/SDZ)/kg of diet, 3) NC + 0.3% ROD extract, and 4) NC + 0.5% ROD extract. The absence of SE in the fecal samples obtained from chick delivery boxes was confirmed on d 0. On d 1, half of the birds were orally gavaged with 0.5 mL of phosphate-buffered saline each (noninfected group) and the remaining with 0.5 mL of 3.1 × 105 CFU/mL SE (infected group) in all treatment groups. Dietary treatments were randomly assigned to 8 replicate cages at 6 birds/cage. On 1-, 5-, 12-, and 18-day postinfection (DPI), cloacal fecal samples were collected on the 6 birds/cage to assess SE excretion. Average weight gain (AWG), average feed intake (AFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and mortality were determined weekly. On d 21, 10 chickens/treatment were euthanized to perform hematology, gut histomorphometry, serum immunoglobulins G and M (IgG and IgM), and superoxide dismutase measurements. Both ROD extract levels did not affect (P > 0.05) growth performance; however, the SE-infected birds showed increased (P < 0.05) AFI and FCR throughout the experimental period. Regardless of the SE-infection, both ROD extract levels improved (P < 0.05) duodenal villus height: crypt depth compared to other treatments. 0.5% ROD extract improved (P < 0.05) ileal villus width (VW) of noninfected birds and ileal crypt depth of infected birds, but it decreased (P < 0.05) the ileal VW of infected birds, compared to other treatments. The SE-infected birds showed lower (P < 0.05) lymphocytes (L) but increased (P < 0.05) heterophils (H), H:L, and monocytes (MON). Both ROD extract levels did not affect (P > 0.05) white blood cell differential, while dietary 0.3% ROD extract increased (P < 0.05) MON of the birds, regardless of infection model. Regardless of infection model, both TMP/SDZ and 0.5% ROD extract reduced the concentration of IgM in the serum, compared to the control and 0.3% ROD (P = 0.006). Conclusively, both ROD extract levels improved duodenal histomorphology and body defense against SE infection in broiler chickens; however, the 0.3% ROD extract was better.

Enhanced removal of sulfonamide antibiotics from water by phosphogypsum modified biochar composite

Antibiotic pollution has become a global eco-environmental issue. To reduce sulfonamide antibiotics in water and improve resource utilization of solid wastes, phosphogypsum modified biochar composite (PMBC) was prepared via facile one-step from distillers grains, wood chips, and phosphogypsum. The physicochemical properties of PMBC were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD), etc. The influencing factors, adsorption behaviors, and mechanisms of sulfadiazine (SD) and sulfamethazine (SMT) onto PMBC were studied by batch and fixed bed column adsorption experiments. The results showed that the removal rates of SD and SMT increased with the increase of phosphogypsum proportion, while decreased with the increase of solution pH. The maximum adsorption capacities of modified distillers grain and wood chips biochars for SD were 2.98 and 4.18 mg/g, and for SMT were 4.40 and 8.91 mg/g, respectively, which was 9.0-22.3 times that of pristine biochar. Fixed bed column results demonstrated that PMBC had good adsorption capacities for SD and SMT. When the solution flow rate was 2.0 mL/min and the dosage of PMBC was 5.0 g, the removal rates of SD and SMT by modified wood chips biochar were both higher than 50% in 4 hr. The main mechanisms of SD and SMT removal by PMBC are hydrogen bonding, π-π donor-acceptor, electrostatic interaction, and hydrophobic interaction. This study provides an effective method for the removal of antibiotics in water and the resource utilization of phosphogypsum.

Simultaneous degradation of sulfadiazine and dissolved organic matter based on low-impact development facilities

Sulfadiazine (SD) is a common antibiotic administered to treat bacterial infections in livestock, and its fate and migration are greatly affected by dissolved organic matter (DOM). The soil infiltration system [a typical low-impact development (LID) facility] can significantly alter DOM properties during runoff pollution, thus affecting the complexation of SD with DOM. Here, the binding characteristics of different DOM components and SD in the soil infiltration system were explored using spectroscopic techniques (excitation-emission matrices, parallel factor analysis, and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy). Combined with the weakening of DOM fluorescence intensity and 78.63% reduction in mean SD concentration following treatment, synchronous degradation may have occurred. The binding sequence of SD and DOM fluorophores was further explored using two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy. Effluent DOM showed greater sensitivity to SD and more binding sites than influent DOM. Moreover, hydrophobic protein-like substances exhibited higher log K_M values than other fluorescent components, indicating that protein-like components play significant roles in SD complexation. The soil percolation system improved the complexation stability and binding sequence of fulvic-like substances. Thus, SD-DOM can be intercepted and degraded using LID facilities to reduce the risk of SD in aquatic environments.

Effective photodegradation of antibiotics by guest-host synergy between photosensitizer and bismuth vanadate: Underlying mechanism and toxicity assessment

The removal of antibiotics in wastewater has attracted increasing attention. Herein, a superior photosensitized photocatalytic system was developed with acetophenone (ACP) as the guest photosensitizer, bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) as the host catalyst and poly dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (PDDA) as the bridging complex, and used for the removal of sulfamerazine (SMR), sulfadiazine (SDZ) and sulfamethazine (SMZ) in water under simulated visible light (λ > 420 nm). The obtained ACP-PDDA-BiVO₄ nanoplates attained a removal efficiency of 88.9%-98.2% for SMR, SDZ and SMZ after 60 min reaction and achieved kinetic rate constant approximately 10, 4.7 and 13 times of BiVO₄, PDDA-BiVO₄ and ACP-BiVO₄, respectively, for SMZ degradation. In the guest-host photocatalytic system, ACP photosensitizer was found to have a great superiority in enhancing the light absorption, promoting the surface charge separation-transfer and efficient generation of holes (h⁺) and superoxide radical (·O₂^-), greatly contributing to the photoactivity. The SMZ degradation pathways were proposed based on the identified degradation intermediates, involving three main pathways of rearrangement, desulfonation and oxidation. The toxicity of intermediates was evaluated and the results demonstrated that the overall toxicity was reduced compared with parent SMZ. This catalyst maintained 92% photocatalytic oxidation performance after five cyclic experiments and displayed a co-photodegradation ability to others antibiotics (e.g., roxithromycin, ciprofloxacin et al.) in effluent water. Therefore, this work provides a facile photosensitized strategy for developing guest-host photocatalysts, which enabling the simultaneous antibiotics removal and effectively reduce the ecological risks in wastewater.

Surfactant aggravated the antibiotic's stress on antibiotic resistance genes proliferation by altering antibiotic solubilization and microbial traits in sludge anaerobic fermentation

The excessive application of antibiotics and surfactants resulted in their massive accumulation in waste activated sludge (WAS), but the co-occurrent impacts of antibiotics and surfactants on the antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) fates have seldom reported. This work mainly revealed the roles and critical mechanisms of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) on the sulfadiazine (SDZ) stressing for ARGs distribution during WAS anaerobic fermentation. High-throughput qPCR and metagenomic analysis revealed that SDBS aggravated the SDZ selective pressure, and accelerated the proliferation of ARGs. The total abundance of ARGs was increased from 8.81 × 10¹⁰ in SDZ to 1.17 × 10¹¹ copies/g TSS in the SDBS/SDZ co-occurrence system. Specifically, the absolute abundances of ermF (MLSB), mefA (MLSB), tetM-01 (tetracycline), tetX (tetracycline), sul2 (sulfonamide) and strB (aminoglycoside) were risen from 4.60 × 10⁸-7.44 × 10⁹ copies/g TSS in the SDZ reactor to 1.02 × 10⁹-4.63 × 10¹⁰ copies/g TSS in SDBS/SDZ reactor. SDBS was contributed to the SDZ solubilization and simultaneously effective in disintegrating extracellular polymeric substances and improving cell membrane permeability, which would facilitate the SDZ transport and its interactions with ARGs hosts. Consequently, the microbial community structure was evidently altered, and the typical ARGs hosts (i.e., Saccharimonadales and Ahniella) were greatly enriched. Also, the cell signal transduction systems (i.e., glnL, glrK and pilG), oxidative stress response (i.e., frmA and recA) and bacterial secretion systems (i.e., VirB4), which were related with ARGs propagation, were all provoked in the co-occurred SDBS/SDZ reactor compared with that of sole SDZ. PLS-PM analysis suggested that the bacterial community was the predominant factor that determined the ARGs fates, followed by mobile genetic elements and metabolic pathway. This work demonstrated the interactive effects of surfactants and antibiotics on the ARGs fates in WAS fermentation systems and gave insightful implications on the ecological risks of different exogenous pollutants.

Elevated CO2 alleviated the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in sulfadiazine-contaminated soil: A free-air CO2 enrichment study

Climate change affects soil microbial communities and their genetic exchange, and subsequently modifies the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among bacteria. However, how elevated CO₂ impacts soil antibiotic resistome remains poorly characterized. Here, a free-air CO₂ enrichment system was used in the field to investigate the responses of ARGs profiles and bacterial communities to elevated CO₂ (+200 ppm) in soils amended with sulfadiazine (SDZ) at 0, 0.5 and 5 mg kg^-1. Results showed that SDZ exposure induced the co-occurrence of beta-lactamase and tetracycline resistance genes, and SDZ at 5 mg kg^-1 enhanced the abundance of aminoglycoside, sulfonamide and multidrug resistance genes. However, elevated CO₂ weakened the effects of SDZ at 0.5 mg kg^-1 following an observed reduction in the total abundance of ARGs and mobile genetic elements. Additionally, elevated CO₂ significantly decreased the abundance of vancomycin resistance genes and alleviated the stimulation of SDZ on the dissemination of aminoglycoside resistance genes. Correlation analysis and structural equation models revealed that elevated CO₂ could directly influence the spread of ARGs or impose indirect effects on ARGs by affecting soil properties and bacterial communities. Overall, our results furthered the knowledge of the dissemination risks of ARGs under future climate scenarios.

Novel ZIF-67-derived Co@CNTs nanocomposites as effective adsorbents for removal of tetracycline and sulfadiazine antibiotics

Tetracycline (TCC) and sulfadiazine (SDZ) are two of the most consumed antibiotics for human therapies and bacterial infection treatments in aquafarming fields, but their accumulative residues can result in negative effects on water and aquatic microorganisms. Removal techniques are therefore required to purify water before use. Herein, we concentrate on adsorptive removal of TCC and SDZ using cobalt@carbon nanotubes (Co@CNTs) derived from Co-ZIF-67. The presence of CNTs on the edge of nanocomposites was observed. Taguchi orthogonal array was designed with four variables including initial concentration (5-20 mg L^-1), dosage (0.05-0.2 g L^-1), time (60-240 min), and pH (2-10). Concentration and pH were found to be main contributors to adsorption of tetracycline and sulfadiazine, respectively. The optimum condition was found at concentration 5 mg L^-1, dosage 0.2 g L^-1, contact time 240 min, and pH 7 for both TCC and SDZ removals. Confirmation tests showed that Co@CNTs-700 removed 99.6% of TCC and 97.3% of SDZ with small errors (3-5.5%). Moreover, the kinetic and isotherm were studied, which kinetic and isotherm data were best fitted with pseudo second-order model and Langmuir. Maximum adsorption capacity values for TCC and SDZ were determined at 118.4-174.1 mg g^-1 for 180 min. We also proposed the main role of interactions such as hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and electrostatic attraction in the adsorption of antibiotics. With high adsorption performance, Co@CNTs-700 is expected to remove antibiotics efficiently from wastewater.

2D defect-engineered Ag-doped γ-Fe2O3/BiVO4: The effect of noble metal doping and oxygen vacancies on exciton-triggering photocatalysis production of singlet oxygen

The selectivity of singlet oxygen (1O2) holds promising applications in complex environmental systems due to its ability to preferentially oxidize target pollutants. Usually, 1O2 in photocatalytic systems is generated via the electron transfer pathway and •O2- plays an important role as an intermediate, while the exciton-based energy transfer pathway for 1O2 generation has been less studied. Here, a 2D Ag-γ-Fe2O3/BiVO4 with oxygen vacancies was designed which was capable of generating 1O2 by an exciton-based energy transfer-dominated approach, as strongly demonstrated by the results of steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy and phosphorescence spectroscopy. In the Z-type heterojunction photocatalyst system, Ag acted as an electron mediator to promote not only the generation of free carriers but also the generation of singlet excitons, while the appropriate concentration of oxygen vacancies further promotes the exciton-triggering photocatalysis production of 1O2. The Ag-γ-Fe2O3/BiVO4 could degrade 99.4% of sulfadiazine within 90 min, and 1O2 played an important role in the degradation of sulfadiazine, as shown by EPR and active species capture experiments. Ecotoxicity predictions indicated that the main byproducts of sulfadiazine degradation by Ag-γ-Fe2O3/BiVO4 were low in toxicity. The prepared photocatalysts provide a new idea for obtaining 1O2 and designing photocatalysts with selectivity.

Perioperative anaphylactic reactions to central venous and pulmonary artery catheters containing chlorhexidine, sulfadiazine, or latex: a historical cohort study

PURPOSE

Central venous catheters (CVCs) and pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) containing chlorhexidine, silver sulfadiazine, or latex can cause perioperative anaphylaxis. We examined the incidence of and outcomes associated with anaphylaxis caused by CVCs/PACs.

METHODS

In a historical cohort study, we retrospectively identified adult patients fitted with CVCs/PACs at the Mayo Clinics in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida from 1 January 2008 to 1 March 2018. Potential and confirmed cases of perioperative anaphylactic reactions were individually reviewed and classified.

RESULTS

During the study period, 39,505 procedures were performed during which CVCs/PACs were inserted. Of these, 2,937 patients with pre-existing chlorhexidine, sulfonamide (sulfa), and/or latex allergies had CVCs/PACs inserted that contained these substances. Perioperative anaphylaxis, in which CVCs/PACs were the confirmed or potential causative agent, occurred during 53 procedures. Seven patients had a preoperatively reported sulfa or latex allergy; no patients had a preoperative chlorhexidine allergy. Six of the seven patients with reported allergies to sulfa or latex had a CVC/PAC inserted that contained these substances. Twenty-four patients with anaphylaxis had postoperative allergic disease consultation; ten of these (42%) underwent skin testing.

CONCLUSION

Perioperative anaphylactic reactions related to CVCs/PACs containing chlorhexidine, silver sulfadiazine, or latex were rare in this large historical cohort study. We identified 2,937 patients with pre-existing chlorhexidine, sulfa, and/or latex allergies and had CVCs/PACs inserted that contained these substances. Although few cases of perioperative anaphylaxis attributable to these substances were observed in patients with corresponding allergies, the potential for substantial complication exists. Providers should be aware of the potential for these hidden exposures.