Imprinting Effect Research Articles

Assessing the Impact of Primary-Series Infection and Booster Vaccination on Protection against Omicron in Hong Kong: A Population-Based Observational Study.

This study aimed to assess the real-world effectiveness of vaccines and hybrid immunity in preventing infections during the Omicron prevalent period in Hong Kong. This study analyzed vaccination records and COVID-19 confirmed case records from 1 January 2022 to 28 January 2023 and included a total of 7,165,862 individuals with vaccination or infection records. This study found that an additional vaccine dose offered increased protection against Omicron BA.1/2 and BA.4 infections for individuals without prior infections in general. Hybrid immunity, acquired through vaccination and natural infection, was found to be significantly stronger than that provided by vaccines alone. The Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4/5 bivalent vaccine, introduced in December 2022, was associated with a lower risk of BA.4 infection when administered as a booster dose after three doses of CoronaVac. However, individuals with four doses of the CoronaVac vaccine did not exhibit a significantly lower risk of infection compared to those with three doses during the BA.4 dominant period. This study highlights the importance of promoting booster shot uptake and encouraging vaccination among those who have recovered from COVID-19 infections. The potential immune imprinting effect associated with the Comirnaty and CoronaVac vaccine underscores the need for continued surveillance and research to optimize vaccination strategies for emerging variants.

Characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody landscape in Norway in the late summer of 2022: high seroprevalence in all age groups with patterns of primary Omicron infection in children and hybrid immunity in adults

BackgroundAccording to Norwegian registries, 91% of individuals ≥ 16 years had received ≥ 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine by mid-July 2022, whereas less than 2% of children < 12 years were vaccinated. Confirmed COVID-19 was reported for 27% of the population, but relaxation of testing lead to substantial underreporting. We have characterized the humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in Norway in the late summer of 2022 by estimating the seroprevalence and identifying antibody profiles based on reactivity to Wuhan or Omicron-like viruses in a nationwide cross-sectional collection of residual sera, and validated our findings using cohort sera.Methods1,914 anonymized convenience sera and 243 NorFlu-cohort sera previously collected from the Oslo-area with reported infection and vaccination status were analyzed for antibodies against spike, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the ancestral Wuhan strain and Omicron BA.2 RBD, and nucleocapsid (N). Samples were also tested for antibodies inhibiting RBD-ACE2 interaction. Neutralization assays were performed on subsets of residual sera against B.1, BA.2, XBB.1.5 and BQ.1.1.ResultsThe national seroprevalence estimate from vaccination and/or infection was 99.1% (95% CrI 97.0-100.0%) based on Wuhan (spike_W and RBD_W) and RBD_BA2 antibodies. Sera from children < 12 years had 2.2 times higher levels of antibodies against RBD_BA2 than RBD_W and their seroprevalence estimate showed a 14.4 percentage points increase when also including anti-RBD_BA2 antibodies compared to Wuhan-antibodies alone. 50.3% (95% CI 45.0-55.5%) of residual sera from children and 38.1% (95% CI 36.0-40.4%) of all residual sera were positive for anti-N-antibodies. By combining measurements of binding- and ACE2-RBD-interaction-inhibiting antibodies, reactivity profiles indicative of infection and vaccination history were identified and validated using cohort sera. Residual sera with a profile indicative of hybrid immunity were able to neutralize newer Omicron variants XBB.1.5 and BQ.1.1.ConclusionsBy late summer of 2022, most of the Norwegian population had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, and almost all children had been infected. Antibody profiles indicated that children mostly had experienced a primary Omicron infection, while hybrid immunity was common among adults. The finding that sera displaying hybrid immunity could neutralize newer Omicron variants indicates that Wuhan-like priming of the immune response did not have a harmful imprinting effect and that infections induce cross-reacting antibodies against future variants.

Parent of origin genetic effects on milk production traits in a population of Iranian Holstein cows.

The aim was to estimate the relative contribution of imprinting effects from both paternal and maternal sides to phenotypic variation in milk production traits including 305 days milk yield (MY), average daily milk production (ADM), fat percentage (F%), protein percentage (P%), 305 days fat yield (FY), 305 days protein yield (PY), ratio of fat percentage to protein percentage (F:P) and somatic cell score (SCS) in Iranian Holstein cows. To do this, each trait was analysed with a series of four animal models, which were identical for fixed and additive genetic effects but differed for combinations of paternal and maternal imprinting effects. The log-likelihood ratio test (LRT) and Akaike's information criteria (AIC) were used to select the best model for each trait. Correlations between traits due to additive and imprinting effects were estimated by bivariate analyses. For all traits studied, fitting the imprinting effect led to a better data fit. Also, it resulted in a noticeable decrease in additive genetic variance from 8% (SCS) to 28% (F:P). A significant maternal imprinting effect was detected on all traits studied. Estimates of maternal imprinting heritability ( ) were 0.07 ± 0.02, 0.04 ± 0.01, 0.06 ± 0.01, 0.05 ± 0.01, 0.5 ± 0.01, 0.09 ± 0.02, 0.07 ± 0.02 and 0.06 ± 0.01 for MY, ADM, F%, P%, FY, PY, F:P and SCS, respectively. For F:P, in addition to the maternal imprinting effect, a significant paternal imprinting component was also detected with a 7% contribution to phenotypic variance of F:P. Estimates of direct heritability ( ) were 0.29 ± 0.02, 0.17 ± 0.01, 0.22 ± 0.02, 0.11 ± 0.01, 0.18 ± 0.02, 0.22 ± 0.02, 0.15 ± 0.04 and 0.06 ± 0.01 for MY, ADM, F%, P%, FY, PY, F:P and SCS, respectively. Maternal imprinting correlations (rmi) were in a wide range between -0.75 ± 0.15 (P%-SCS) and 0.95 ± 0.11 (MY-ADM). Additive genetic correlations (ra) ranged between -0.54 ± 0.05 (MY-P%) and 0.99 ± 0.01 (MY-ADM) and phenotypic correlations (rp) ranged from -0.30 ± 0.01 (MY-F%) to 0.93 ± 0.01 (MY-ADM). The Spearman's correlation between additive breeding values including and excluding imprinting effects deviated from unity especially for top-ranked animals implying re-ranking of top animals following the inclusion of imprinting effects in the model. Since including imprinting effects in the model resulted in better data fit and re-ranking of top animals, including these effects in the genetic evaluation models for milk production traits was recommended.

Well Begun is Half Done? First Job Imprinting Effect on Novelty Performance in Emerging Industries

Well Begun is Half Done? First Job Imprinting Effect on Novelty Performance in Emerging Industries

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B exposed to pregnant rats inhibits the hedgehog signaling pathway in thymic T lymphocytes of the offspring

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is involved in T cell differentiation and development and plays a major regulatory part in different stages of T cell development. A previous study by us suggested that prenatal exposure to staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) changed the percentages of T cell subpopulation in the offspring thymus. However, it is unclear whether prenatal SEB exposure impacts the Hh signaling pathway in thymic T cells. In the present study, pregnant rats at gestational day 16 were intravenously injected once with 15 μg SEB, and the thymi of both neonatal and adult offspring rats were aseptically acquired to scrutinize the effects of SEB on the Hh signaling pathway. It firstly found that prenatal SEB exposure clearly caused the increased expression of Shh and Dhh ligands of the Hh signaling pathway in thymus tissue of both neonatal and adult offspring rats, but significantly decreased the expression levels of membrane receptors of Ptch1 and Smo, transcription factor Gli1, as well as target genes of CyclinD1, C-myc, and N-myc in Hh signaling pathway of thymic T cells. These data suggest that prenatal SEB exposure inhibits the Hh signaling pathway in thymic T lymphocytes of the neonatal offspring, and this effect can be maintained in adult offspring via the imprinting effect.

“Ion-imprinting” strategy towards metal sulfide scavenger enables the highly selective capture of radiocesium

Highly selective capture of radiocesium is an urgent need for environmental radioactive contamination remediation and spent fuel disposal. Herein, a strategy is proposed for construction of “inorganic ion-imprinted adsorbents” with ion recognition-separation capabilities, and a metal sulfide Cs2.33Ga2.33Sn1.67S8·H2O (FJSM-CGTS) with “imprinting effect” on Cs+ is prepared. We show that the K+ activation product of FJSM-CGTS, Cs0.51K1.82Ga2.33Sn1.67S8·H2O (FJMS-KCGTS), can reach adsorption equilibrium for Cs+ within 5 min, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 246.65 mg·g−1. FJMS-KCGTS overcomes the hindrance of Cs+ adsorption by competing ions and realizes highly selective capture of Cs+ in complex environments. It shows successful cleanup for actual 137Cs-liquid-wastes generated during industrial production with removal rates of over 99%. Ion-exchange column filled with FJMS-KCGTS can efficiently treat 540 mL Cs+-containing solutions (31.995 mg·L−1) and generates only 0.12 mL of solid waste, which enables waste solution volume reduction. Single-crystal structural analysis and density functional theory calculations are used to visualize the “ion-imprinting” process and confirm that the “imprinting effect” originates from the spatially confined effect of the framework. This work clearly reveals radiocesium capture mechanism and structure-function relationships that could inspire the development of efficient inorganic adsorbents for selective recognition and separation of key radionuclides.

Sensitive sensing of GLA and ISL based on highly conductivity nitrogen-doped carbon synergistic dual-template molecularly imprinted ratiometric electrochemical sensor

A novel ratiometric Molecularly Imprinted Electrochemical sensor for the specific marker of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. was developed in this work. To achieve simultaneous detection of two analytes on one sensor, we constructed a double template molecular imprinted electrochemical sensor with glabridin (GLA) and isoliquiritin (ISL) as templates. Further, Ferrocene/ZIF-8 (Fc/ZIF-8) composites were prepared via a one-pot solvothermal reaction and coated on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), and the oxidation of Fc was presented as the internal reference signal. Nitrogen-doped carbon (NOC) with high conductivity was further loaded on the modified GCE. Based on theoretical exploration and computer directional simulation of density functional theory (DFT), the optimal functional monomer and the best ratio of double template molecules to functional monomer were screened. Under optimal conditions, the sensor produced electrochemical curves when exposed to a solution containing GLA and ISL. As the concentration of GLA and ISL increased, the peak current intensity of GLA and ISL (IGLA and IISL) also increased, while the peak current intensity of Fc (as a reference signal) remained relatively constant. The values of IGLA/IFc and IISL/IFc showed excellent linear relationships with GLA and ISL concentrations in the range of 0.1–160 μM and 0.5–150 μM, respectively. The detection limits were 0.052 μM and 0.27 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. Due to the imprinting effect of MIP and the existence of a reference signal, the sensor exhibited excellent selectivity and anti-interference ability and was successfully applied to the quality evaluation of Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

Novel approach over template molecule elimination in molecularly imprinted polymers by using heat activated persulfate

This study proposes a new alternative for template removal from molecularly imprinted polymers by heat activated persulfate. It is known that trace amounts of template molecule remains in the polymer network after extraction by current methodologies leading to bleeding and incomplete removal of template which could compromise final determination of target analytes especially in trace analysis. A previously developed molecularly imprinted polymer specially designed for Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) extraction was employed as a model to test this template elimination approach. This polymer is based on methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate as monomers and Coenzyme Q0 as template. This coenzyme has the same quinone group as the CoQ10. Selectivity was analyzed comparing the recovery of CoQ10 and ubichromenol, a CoQ10 related substance. Chemical degradation using heat-activated persulfate allows the elimination of the template molecule with a high level of efficiency, being a simple and ecological methodology, yielding a polymer that exhibits comparable selectivity and imprinting effect with respect to traditional extraction methods.

Parent-of-origin effects for the number of oocytes and embryos in Gir cattle

Imprinting is a phenomenon that alters the expression of genes according to the parental origin of their alleles. A quantitative form to evaluate the imprinting effect is known as parent-of-origin effect. Our aim with this work is to identify parent-of-origin effects that influence the number of oocytes and embryos in Gir dairy cattle. A dataset with 17,526 Ovum Pick Up observations from 1641 Gir donors was used to estimate parent-of-origin effects for the traits number of total oocytes (TO), number of viable oocytes (VO) and number of embryos (EM). To identify parent-of-origin effects, dam and sire gametic effects were included, individually or together, in an animal model for TO, VO and EM traits. For TO, inclusion of paternal origin effects in the model was significant (P < 0.05), and explained 6 % of the total phenotypic variance. For VO and EM no significant parent-of-origin effects were found for either parental line. In conclusion, paternal effects appear to influence the total oocyte production in the Gir cattle breed.

Fabrication of molecularly imprinted polymers based on magnetic covalent organic framework for highly selective and sensitive analysis of genistein in F. Philippinensis

Flemingia philippinensisMerr.et Rolfe (F. philippinensis) is an important food ingredient as well as a traditional Chinese medicine with numerous pharmacological actions. Unfortunately, there was no defined method for monitoring the quality of F. philippinensis in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. In this study, a magnetic covalent organic framework molecularly imprinted polymers (MCOFs-MIPs) was prepared using MCOFs as a support material, genistein (Gen), which was abundant in F. philippinensis, as a template molecule, and acrylamide as a functional monomer. The preparation process of MCOFs-MIPs was optimized and their structures and adsorption characteristics were characterized. In the selectivity test, the imprinting factor of Gen was 1.93, demonstrating that the imprinting effect of MCOFs-MIPs could selectively enrich Gen in complex samples. Following that, a new and effective quality control method (Gen-MCOFs-MIPs-HPLC) was established to determine Gen content in F. philippinensis roots. The method showed good linearity (R2 = 0.9936) in the range of 0.12–80 µg mL−1. The recoveries of Gen in F. philippinensis high, medium and low samples were 90.5–91.0 %, 92.1–100.1 and 92.8–100.8, respectively. Stability and reproducibility tests revealed that this method was stable (RSD of 1.20 %) and reproducible (RSD of 0.70 %). Moreover, the calculation showed that the amount of Gen in the F. philippinensis powder was 0.4489 mg g−1. As a result, the approach was shown to be simple, repeatable, and stable, and it provided a sensitive and reliable method for the extraction and detection of Gen in natural products.

The technological imprinting of educational experiences on student startups

The literature suggests that the startups of de novo entrepreneurs are disadvantaged, but many of the world's leading firms have been founded by students and recent graduates. We hypothesize that academic and industry-based educational experiences shape the innovative activity of student startups and use patent data to measure technological proximity between the patent portfolios of influencers and startups. We find that indirect exposure to the research and development activities of the students' university departments and work term employers results in technological imprinting. Influencer and entrepreneur capabilities affect the magnitude of the imprinting effect: student ventures are technologically more proximate to highly ranked university departments and to more innovative work term employers, and the students' software skills impact their ability to invent in proximity to their work term employer. We also find that multiple layers of imprints are complements, not substitutes. Exposure to inventive activities, even when indirect and brief, results in multiple capabilities-moderated layers of imprints.

When the going gets tough, the entrepreneurs get less entrepreneurial?

We investigate how the 2008-2012 economic crisis relates to entrepreneurs' confidence ten years later and, in turn, their venture's entrepreneurial orientation. Conceptually, we introduce the new concept of 'hard times' to capture an entrepreneur's sense of their venture's hardship during the crisis. Theoretically, we extend ideas on imprinting, to build the argument that hard times cause a persistent reduction in an entrepreneur's entrepreneurial self-efficacy and sense of job security, both of which in turn cause a contemporaneous reduction in their venture's entrepreneurial orientation. We contrast the crisis imprinting hypothesis with a hypothesis from the more established behavioral theory of the firm. Strikingly, rich data of about 300 Flemish entrepreneurs and their ventures are in line with a small crisis imprinting effect.

Design of an histidine-based imprinted polymer as a selective receptor of copper(II) for its detection in seawater

A protein-inspired ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) was used as an additive in a carbon paste electrode for the selective determination of copper(II) in water samples. The imprinted polymer was synthesized by precipitation polymerization of a functional monomer, methacrylamido-L-histidine (MAH), based on an amino acid, L-histidine, with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinker. The corresponding non-imprinted polymer (NIP) and a copolymer containing EGDMA and methyl methacrylate (MMA) (in the same proportions as MAH in the NIP) were also prepared in similar conditions as the IIP. The polymer particles were first chemically characterized by 13C CP-MAS NMR and FT-IR and the presence of MAH was confirmed by the colorimetric Pauly's test. It was shown by SEM and adsorption/desorption of nitrogen that the IIP and the NIP present similar morphological properties. The copper(II) binding properties of the polymers were also studied in a batch adsorption experiment, and an imprinting effect was observed for the IIP. This polymer was shown to possess binding cavities selective towards copper(II) versus common interferents (iron(III), zinc(II) and lead(II)), when compared to the NIP and to the poly(EGDMA-co-MMA). A carbon paste working electrode was prepared with the IIP particles and a limit of detection of 59 nmol/L for copper(II) was determined in a potassium phosphate buffer (0.1 M, pH = 7). The determination of copper(II) was not affected by the presence of a 50-fold excess of iron(III), zinc(II) and lead(II). Finally, the copper concentration in a real seawater was estimated to be 0.12 μmol/L, in full agreement with a measurement by polarography which was used as a reference method.

Mobile Point-of-Care Device Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Chemosensors Targeting Interleukin-1β Biomarker.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have garnered significant attention as a promising material for engineering specific biological receptors with superior chemical complementarity to target molecules. In this study, we present an electrochemical biosensing platform incorporating MIP films for the selective detection of the interleukin-1β (IL-1β) biomarker, particularly suitable for mobile point-of-care testing (POCT) applications. The IL-1β-imprinted biosensors were composed of poly(eriochrome black T (EBT)), including an interlayer of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) and a 4-aminothiophenol monolayer, which were electrochemically polymerized simultaneously with template proteins (i.e., IL-1β) on custom flexible screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs). The architecture of the MIP films was designed to enhance the sensor sensitivity and signal stability. This approach involved a straightforward sequential-electropolymerization process and extraction for leaving behind cavities (i.e., rebinding sites), resulting in the efficient production of MIP-based biosensors capable of molecular recognition for selective IL-1β detection. The electrochemical behaviors were comprehensively investigated using cyclic voltammograms and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy responses to assess the imprinting effect on the MIP films formed on the SPCEs. In line with the current trend in in vitro diagnostic medical devices, our simple and effective MIP-based analytical system integrated with mobile POCT devices offers a promising route to the rapid detection of biomarkers, with particular potential for periodontitis screening.

Layer-by-layer assembled magnetic molecularly imprinted nanoparticles for highly specific separation of adenosine 5′-monophosphate: Relations between adsorption properties and imprinted layers

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are an effective method to accurately recognize and isolate targets. Adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMPs) are typical nucleoside compounds widely used as intermediates and raw materials in the pharmaceutical field with high medicinal potential. In this work, molecularly imprinted adsorbents with fast magnetic response recovery were obtained for the selective separation of AMP by covering MIPs with AcrU and AM as functional monomers and AMP as a template molecule on the surfaces of Fe3O4 NPs, and then by layer-by-layer (LBL) assembling of the MIPs realized through glutaraldehyde (GA) mediation. Static adsorption experiments have been utilized to explore the adsorption effects of different numbers of imprinted layers. The experimental results showed that the Fe3O4@MIPs-LBL2 covered with two layers of MIPs had the best imprinting effect (IF = 2.50), and the adsorption of AMP by Fe3O4@MIPs-LBL2 was dominated by chemisorption, with the saturation adsorption capacity reaching 105.72 μmol g−1, it could adsorb and separate AMP efficiently from the actual sample (human urine). The magnetic responsiveness solves the problem of difficult recovery and high recovery loss of nano-imprinted adsorbents. Notably, this work not only proposes a magnetic imprinted adsorbent for selective separation of AMP, but also explores the structure-effect relationship between the number of layers of MIPs and adsorption performance, which provides a new inspiration for improving the performance of molecular imprinting techniques.

GNAS locus: bone related diseases and mouse models.

GNASis a complex locus characterized by multiple transcripts and an imprinting effect. It orchestrates a variety of physiological processes via numerous signaling pathways. Human diseases associated with the GNAS gene encompass fibrous dysplasia (FD), Albright's Hereditary Osteodystrophy (AHO), parathyroid hormone(PTH) resistance, and Progressive Osseous Heteroplasia (POH), among others. To facilitate the study of the GNAS locus and its associated diseases, researchers have developed a range of mouse models. In this review, we will systematically explore the GNAS locus, its related signaling pathways, the bone diseases associated with it, and the mouse models pertinent to these bone diseases.

Forged at Workforce Entry? CEO Imprinting, Information Uncertainty and Merger Wave Timing

AbstractWe examine the imprinting effect of labour market conditions on a CEO's merger wave timing decisions. Based on a sample of 720 CEOs of US‐based firms in merger waves between 1995 and 2018, we found that CEOs who started their careers during periods of poor labour market conditions tend to delay merger wave entry, while those who began under better conditions act earlier. We also found that the market uncertainty at the beginning of the merger wave decays this effect on CEOs whose workforce entry coincided with poor labour market conditions. This study contributes to the M&amp;A literature by highlighting the long‐term impact of early career experiences on CEO merger wave timing decisions and how those preferences may decay when faced with different conditions later in their careers.

Molecularly imprinted polymer based on magnetic porous cellulose for specific adsorption of tetracyclines: Preparation, characterization, property evaluation, and application

A magnetic porous cellulose molecularly imprinted polymer (MPCMIP) based on tetracyclines was prepared with Fe3O4 as the magnetic core and porous cellulose as the carrier. The appearance, characteristic chemical bonds, crystal structure, thermal stability, and magnetism of MPCMIP were systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The adsorption performance of MPCMIP to tetracycline, demeclocycline, and minocycline were comprehensively investigated by static adsorption, dynamic adsorption, and adsorption experiments under different temperature and pH conditions. MPCMIP performed good adsorption performance and fast adsorption rate for tetracyclines, and adsorption quantity and efficiency of MPCMIP were four times and twice that of traditional molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), respectively. It can be seen that the introduction of magnetic porous cellulose effectively improved the adsorption performance of the MIP. Moreover, MPCMIP showed good adsorption stability under different temperature. The adsorption properties of MPCMIP under neutral and alkaline conditions were better than those under acidic conditions. Selective experiment was conducted with the amoxicillin and levofloxacin as the coexisting interfering compounds for the three tetracyclines. The results showed that MPCMIP possessed good imprinting effect with the impact factor values for tetracycline, demeclocycline, and minocycline of 1.49, 1.66, and 3.14, respectively. Compared with interfering compounds, MPCMIP showed excellent selectivity to tetracyclines with the selectivity factor up to 36.9. Moreover, MPCMIP exhibited better selectivity towards tetracyclines than traditional MIP according to the higher imprinting and selectivity factors of MPCMIP. The simulation of hydrogen bonding interaction and electrostatic potential analysis determined that MPCMIP mainly adsorbed TCs through the hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. The results of adsorption/desorption cycling experiments indicated that MPCMIP had good reusability with 95.5% of adsorption performance after four cycles. Finally, MPCMIP combined with high-performance liquid chromatography were triumphantly used to adsorb and detect the tetracycline, demeclocycline, and minocycline in river, beef, and milk samples. Furthermore, the MPCMIP method exhibited higher sensitivity, accuracy, and selectivity than the traditional method.

Construction of Highly Active and Selective Molecular Imprinting Catalyst for Hydrogenation.

Surface molecular imprinting (MI) is one of the most efficient techniques to improve selectivity in a catalytic reaction. Heretofore, a prerequisite to fabricating selective catalysts by MI strategies is to sacrifice the number of surface-active sites, leading to a remarkable decrease of activity. Thus, it is highly desirable to design molecular imprinting catalysts (MICs) in which both the catalytic activity and selectivity are significantly enhanced. Herein, a series of MICs are prepared by sequentially adsorbing imprinting molecules (nitro compounds, N) and imprinting ligand (1,10-phenanthroline, L) over the copper surface of Cu/Al2O3. The resulting Cu/Al2O3-N-L MICs not only offer promoted catalytic selectivity but also enhance catalytic activity for nitro compounds hydrogenation by an creating imprinting cavity derived from the presorption of N and forming new active Cu-N sites at the interface of the copper sites and L. Characterizations by means of various experimental investigations and DFT calculations disclose that the molecular imprinting effect (promoted activity and selectivity) originates from the formation of new active Cu-N sites and precise imprinting cavities, endowing promoted catalytic selectivity and activity on the hydrogenation of nitro compounds.

Selective adsorption and special recognition of roxarsone (ROX) from water by utilizing novel core-shell magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers

To eliminate environmental risk that induced from organoarsenic feed additive ROX, and enhance special selectivity and recognizability of this micro-polluted aromatic organoarsenicals compound in complex aqueous as well. Novel core-shell magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) were successfully synthesized through the surface imprinting technology, which circumvented the drawbacks of traditional method such as the deep embedding of the imprinting sites and incomplete elution of the target molecule. Owing to its imprinting effect, the obtained MMIPs displayed excellent behavior and performance for ROX removal compared with magnetic non-imprinted polymers (MNIPs), the binding isotherms of ROX for both MMIPs and MNIPs were better fitted by Langmuir model, and two types of binding sites (specific and non-specific adsorption sites) existed on the surface of MMIPs. The removal efficiency of ROX by MMIPs remained unchanged along with a broad pH range (3.0–10.0), whereas pH seriously affected the ROX removal efficiency of MNIPs. The better uptake of ROX by MMIPs co-existed with competitive substances and two other organic/inorganic arsenic compounds (p-ASA/As(V)) confirmed the high binding selectivity and special recognizability for its target pollutant. Finally, the application in different spiked real water samples and continuous flow tests further demonstrated MMIPs were the promising candidates and of the potential application future to selectively remove this trace pollutant in different water bodies.