Total Iron Content Research Articles

Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Deficiency in cisd-1 Mutants is Linked to AMPK-Mediated Lipid Metabolism

BackgroundCISD-1 is a mitochondrial iron-sulfate [2Fe-2S] protein known to be associated with various human diseases, including cancer and diabetes. Previously, we demonstrated that CISD-1 deficiency in worms lowers glucose and ATP levels. In this study, we further explored how worms compensate for lower ATP levels by analyzing changes in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial iron content, AMPK activities, and total lipid profiles. Materials and MethodsExpression levels of CISD-1 and CISD-1::GFP fusion proteins in wild-type worms (N2), cisd-1-deletion mutants (tm4993 and syb923) and GFP insertion transgenic worms (PHX953 and SJL40) were examined by western blot. Fluorescence microscopy analyzed CISD-1::GFP pattern in PHX953 embryos and adults, and lipid droplet sizes in N2, cisd-1, aak-2 and aak-2;cisd-1 worms. Total and mitochondrial iron content, electron transport complex profiles, and AMPK activity were investigated in tm4993 and syb923 mutants. mRNA levels of mitochondrial β-oxidation genes, acs-2, cpt-5, and ech-1, were quantified by RT-qPCR in various genetic worm strains. Lipidomic analyses were performed in N2 and cisd-1(tm4993) worms. ResultsDefects in cisd-1 lead to an imbalance in iron transport and cause proton leak, resulting in lower ATP production by interrupting the mitochondrial electron transport chain. We identified a signaling pathway that links ATP deficiency-induced AMPK (AMP activated protein kinase) activation to the expression of genes that facilitate lipolysis via β-oxidation. ConclusionOur data provide a functional coordination between CISD-1 and AMPK constitutes a mitochondrial bioenergetics quality control mechanism that provides compensatory energy resources.

Synergistic effect of carbothermal reduction and sodium salts leaching in the process of iron recovery from copper slag

Copper slag is mostly considered a waste material and around 41wt% of total iron content present in it is lost. Iron is mostly present in copper slag as fayalite (Fe2SiO4). In this study, Iron was recovered by the decomposition of Fe2SiO4 using the synergistic effect of carbothermal reduction and sodium salts leaching for the first time. The results showed that 68.39% of iron was recovered from copper slag by carbothermal reduction at 1000oC for 1hr. The iron recovery increased to 83.45, 93.39 and 97.8%, respectively, after further 1hr leaching by 2M NaOH, 1M Na2CO3 and 2M NaOH+1M Na2CO3 at 100oC. The leaching results indicated that the increased NaOH concentration from 1 to 2M improved the removal of silica, which in turn led to higher iron recovery. The increase of Na2CO3 concentration from 1 to 2M showed a negative effect on iron recovery. The combination of 2M NaOH and 1M Na2CO3, however, led to the highest iron recovery of 97.8% because NaOH+Na2CO3 gives Na2O that is easier to react with SiO2 with only -194.3kJ energy requirement. Mass balance calculations indicated that before the leaching process, 345kg mass was lost, whereas, after the leaching process the amount of discarded waste was only 260.8g. Therefore, the present study not only provides 97.8% iron recovery but also reduces the discharge of secondary solid waste due to no addition of additives.

Managing Acidic Mine Water Pollution in Karst Regions Based on Hydrogeological Structures

Acidic mine drainage (AMD) is one of the primary pollutants from abandoned mines. This type of pollution is characterized by its extensive area, prolonged duration, and challenging detection process, especially in karst region with intricate hydrological systems, thereby posing a significant threat to the sustainable development of the economy. This paper focuses on the pollution of acidic mine water in the karst region of Southwest China and adopts a comprehensive watershed pollution management strategy. Considering the unique hydrogeological structure of the karst mines, the active water cycle, and the sensitivity and fragility of the ecological environment, this study proposes a set of acid mine drainage pollution control methods based on hydrogeological structures. These include “zonal management, one policy per mine; source control, pollution reduction; and end-of-pipe treatment, standard discharge.” This study applies coal mine water prevention and control techniques to environmental management, developing a series of source control methods including “filling, isolating, blocking, intercepting, draining, and controlling”. It also integrates physical, chemical, and biological methods for the end-of-pipe treatment of acidic mine water. This approach has been successfully applied to the management of acidic mine drainage in the Yudong River basin in Kaili, Guizhou. Long-term monitoring of the "three-fields and four-water” revealed that rainfall significantly influences mine water quality. The study identified a “U-tube effect” whereby mine water exacerbates the pollution of karst water, leading to the development of a comprehensive prevention and control strategy termed the “three blocking (obstruction) and one guarantee” project. A comparative analysis of total iron content in the basin before and after treatment demonstrated a marked reduction, from 97.8mg/L to less than 0.3mg/L. This study provides a typical example for the prevention, control, and management of acid water pollution in karst areas across the watershed, and can serve as a reference for similar pollution management efforts.

Fiber morphological characteristics of bamboo Ferrocalamus strictus culms from different geographical distribution regions

The fiber index including fiber length, width, wall thickness and lumen diameter of Ferrocalamus strictus culms (1, 2, and ≥ 3 years) from Jinping, Mojiang and Lvchun counties of Yunnan Province was determined and the elemental content of the soil was also determined to analyze the fiber characteristics. The average relative fiber index measured for F. strictus culms were fiber length (1.30 mm), width (21.57 μm), slenderness ratio (60.79 μm), wall thickness (4.21 μm), lumen diameter (7.22 μm), and runkel ratio (1.22 μm), which belonged to the range of middle and long fibers. The fiber length increased with the culm age. The proportion of long fiber increased while short fibers decreased along with culm maturing. The fiber morphology did not show a specific trend with the culm height. Fiber length reached the maximum in the bottom portions of the culms. There is a correlation between fiber morphology and soil elements, the content of organic matter, total potassium, total sulfur, total aluminum, total zinc, total iron, total boron, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen and available silicon in the soil affects fiber morphology. The content of organic matter, total boron and alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen in the soil from Mojiang County was largest. Comparatively, the culm fiber in Mojiang County had the best fiber index performance for utilization, since the greatest proportion of medium and long fibers and the optimal distribution of fiber length frequency was obtained from the culms in Mojiang County. This study can provide a theoretical basis for large-scale bamboo forest cultivation and the development and utilization of bamboo culm fiber.

Biophysical contrast sources for magnetic susceptibility and R2* mapping: A combined 7 Tesla, mass spectrometry and electron paramagnetic resonance study

Iron is the most abundant trace metal in the human brain and consistently shown elevated in prevalent neurological disorders. Because of its paramagnetism, brain iron can be assessed in vivo by quantitative MRI techniques such as R2* mapping and Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM). While Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) has demonstrated good correlations of the total iron content to MRI parameters in gray matter, the relationship to ferritin levels as assessed by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) has not been systematically analyzed. Therefore, we included 15 postmortem subjects (age: 26–91 years) which underwent quantitative in-situ MRI at 7 Tesla within a post-mortem interval of 24 h after death. ICP-MS and EPR were used to measure the total iron and ferritin content in 8 selected gray matter (GM) structures and the correlations to R2* and QSM were calculated. We found that R2* and QSM in the iron rich basal ganglia and the red nucleus were highly correlated with iron (R² > 0.7) and ferritin (R² > 0.6), whereas those correlations were lost in cortical regions and the hippocampus. The neuromelanin-rich substantia nigra showed a different behavior with a correlation with total iron only (R² > 0.5) but not with ferritin. Although qualitative results were similar for both qMRI techniques the observed correlation was always stronger for QSM than R2*. This study demonstrated the quantitative correlations between R2*, QSM, total iron and ferritin levels in an in-situ MRI setup and therefore aids to understand how molecular forms of iron are responsible for MRI contrast generation.

Exploring soil pedogenesis through frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility in varied lithological environments

AbstractThe use of percent frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility (χfd%) is well-established for detecting superparamagnetic (SP) components in fine-grained soils and sediments. This study employs χfd% as a direct indicator of pedogenetic processes in soils from the Moroccan Rif region. Three soil transects (T1, T2, and T3), each comprising four soil cores with depths reaching 100 to 120 cm, were sampled from distinct lithological formations within an area subject to moderate to intense erosion. A total of 272 soil samples were collected and analyzed using MS2 Bartington Instruments, providing values to calculate χfd% and identify ultrafine ferrimagnetic minerals (SP, < 0.03 μm). In Quaternary fluvial terraces (T1) soils, approximately 60% of the samples indicate a mixture of SP, multidomain (MD), and Single Stable Domain (SSD) magnetic grains, while 30% contained coarser MD grains. Only 10% of the samples exhibit predominantly superparamagnetic (SP) grains. Soils on marly substrates (T2) showed 90% of samples with a combination of SP, MD, and SSD, and just 10% had SP grains. In contrast, soils from Villafranchian sandy deposits displayed χfd% values exceeding 10% in over 50% of samples, indicating that almost all iron components consist of SP grains. Physico-chemical analyses of the soils in profiles T1, T2, and T3 reveal distinct characteristics, including variations in clay content, organic matter, nutrient levels, and proportions of free and total iron. These results are important for understanding soil evolution and pedogenesis, with profiles T1 and T3 showing advanced development marked by high mineral iron, clay, and organic matter content. In contrast, profile T2 reflects a weak stage, influencing nutrient availability and contributing to overall soil dynamics in the respective profiles. The results of this study suggest that magnetic susceptibilities in these samples primarily originate from pedogenetic sources, revealing significantly advanced pedogenesis compared to T1 and T2 soils. The findings of this study align with previous research on soil erosion and degradation in the region, demonstrating that soils developed on terraces and marly substrates are more degraded and less stable than those on sandy substrates. This study underscores the utility of magnetic susceptibility as a rapid and effective indicator for initial soil assessment and gauging the degree of pedogenesis.

Animal breeding and feeding tools may close human nutrition gaps

The last century has witnessed many innovations in agriculture and food technologies that have ensured the production of sufficient quantities of good hygienic food. Animal scientists have contributed substantially to efficient breeding and feeding practices by adapting animals for faster growth and improving feed efficiency and utilization. Breeding goals and feeding recommendations have been proposed with a primary focus on profitability to promote significant changes in the macronutrient content, i.e., animal body protein and fat reduction. However, improving the nutritional quality of meat was not included in the profit assessment. Increasing the lean meat fraction is consistent with the goal of public dietary guidelines for human nutrition proposed in 1980, emphasizing the importance of reducing the consumption of animal fat, particularly saturated fat. The application of breeding and feeding tools to modify and improve the fatty acid composition has been partly implemented in pigs and broiler chickens to supplement the dietary recommendations for humans. The health benefits of lean “red meat” have been questioned in recent years, with dietary guidelines and upper limits being introduced for human intake. Animal breeding indirectly reduces the total and heme iron (the redness generator) content in meat, due to covariation with priority breeding goals. Two micronutrients play important roles in the human diet and are derived largely from meat (selenium) and milk (iodine) if the amount provided and absorbed is sufficient and predictable. The iodine content can be highly dependent on the use of novel (more sustainable) feeds. The micronutrients discussed in this study (Fe, Se, I, and vitamin D) highlight opportunities for the utilization of breeding and feeding knowledge to adjust their levels to procure meat with a high nutrient density. The gaps in micronutrient levels in humans must be addressed by navigating within approved animal feeding levels. Animal scientists must recognize the nutritional impact of breeding and feeding and advertise them. In addition, human nutritionists must acknowledge the existing and potential changes in animal production to meet the dietary guidelines. Sustainable food production within the “One Health” concept can only be achieved through cooperation.

Nutritional properties of pilot-scale manufactured single-cell proteins from a Corynebacterium glutamicum

ABSTRACT Single-cell proteins (SCPs) derived from microorganisms are sustainable and standard-manufacturable protein sources. Corynebacterium glutamicum is one of the prospective bacteria for SCP production. To evaluate nutritional properties of C. glutamicum-SCP, pilot-scale fermentation (3,000 L) was performed under standard conditions, resulting in 23 kg of SCP in dry weight. This C. glutamicum-SCP had high protein and low-fat contents (22.4% carbohydrates, 60.9% crude protein, and 3.3% crude fat). Its fatty acid profile comprised 0.25% saturated fatty acids, 0.16% unsaturated fatty acids, no trans fatty acids, and no cholesterol. Its total iron content was 9.78 mg/100 g, of which approximately 14.8% was heme iron (1.45 mg/100 g). The Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) of C. glutamicum-SCP was 102, higher than that of soy protein isolate (90), pea protein concentrate (82), house cricket (89), or yellow mealworm (64). In conclusion, C. glutamicum-SCP can be a promising alternative protein source to replace red meat.

Study on the synergistic effects of siderophore bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the improvement of iron nutrition in Cinnamomum camphor

Iron, an essential micronutrient for plant growth, is often found in insoluble forms in alkaline soils, leading to inadequate absorption, poor plant growth, and iron deficiency chlorosis. This study explores the effects of co-inoculation with the siderophore bacteria Lysinibacillus fusiformis (S5) and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the iron uptake and growth of Cinnamomum camphora seedlings. The experiment included four treatment groups: a control with plain water, AMF only, S5 only, and a combined AMF+S5 group, over a three-month pot experiment. Compared to the control, the combined AMF+S5 treatment significantly enhanced root mycorrhizal colonization and spore density by 15.6% and 31.8%, respectively. Additionally, there were increases in stem thickness, plant height, and root length by 34.7%, 15.6%, and 80.3%, respectively. In terms of photosynthetic physiology, the combined treatment improved the net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance by 37.5% and 46.7%, respectively, while reducing intercellular CO2 concentration by 8.7%. Furthermore, total iron content in Cinnamomum camphora increased by 11%, and root-available iron content (FCR) by 26.6%. These results demonstrate that co-inoculation with AMF and siderophore bacteria significantly promotes growth and iron absorption in seedlings, effectively mitigating symptoms of iron deficiency chlorosis, providing a scientific basis for developing efficient microbial co-inoculation techniques.

Se-Methylselenocysteine Ameliorates DEHP-Induced Ferroptosis in Testicular Sertoli Cells via the Nrf2/GPX4 Axis.

Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is an important plasticizer in industrial production, and its toxic effects on testes are widely recognized. Se-methylselenocysteine (SMC) is a major selenium compound found in selenium-rich plants, which possesses unique biological properties such as antioxidants. However, the effect of SMC on DEHP-induced testicular injury and the specific mechanism remains unknown. In this study, 50 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups and were given corn oil (Control), DEHP, low-dose SMC (L-SMC), moderate-dose SMC (M-SMC), or high-dose SMC (H-SMC). The sperm quality of the mice in each group was determined, and HE staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied to observe testicular morphology, and testicular tissues were collected for the subsequent molecular biological analyses. The TM4 cell line was applied in vitro for mechanism validation. Our results showed that DEHP could lead to decreased sperm quality and blood-testis barrier damage in mice, which could be alleviated by SMC. Mitochondrial damage accompanied by accumulation of total iron content, MDA, and 4-HNE, as well as downregulation of antioxidants SOD, GSH, and GSH-Px were observed after DEHP treatment, which exhibited a typical ferroptosis feature. In vitro experiments confirmed that SMC promoted upregulation of GPX4 in TM4 cells and was able to alleviate DEHP metabolite MEHP-induced ferroptosis and promote the expression of cell junction key proteins ZO-1, Occludin, and Connexin 43, which could be inhibited by the GPX4 inhibitor RSL3 or the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385. Overall, the above results suggest that SMC ameliorates the DEHP-induced ferroptosis in testicular Sertoli cells, protects the blood-testis barrier, and prevents sperm aberrations via the Nrf2/GPX4 axis.

High-concentrated synthesis of surface modified iron oxide nanoparticles using ethanol-enhanced supercritical CO2 media

In the synthesis of surface modified metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), supercritical CO2 is an attractive medium to achieve a simple and green chemistry approach without waster liquor. However, the mass production of surface-modified NPs is still a serious challenge for their industrial utilization. In this work, we aimed to demonstrate the high-concentrated synthesis of surface-modified iron oxide NPs in ethanol-enhanced supercritical CO2. The synthesis and phase observation were performed at 30.0 ± 0.8 MPa of CO2, 100 °C and 18 h, while changing the total concentration of iron(Ⅲ) acetylacetonate, water and oleic acid and ethanol ratio. As a result, lower total concentration gave single nano-sized α-Fe2O3 nanocrystal under uniform phase while higher one gave aggregated α-FeOOH under ununiform phase. However, ethanol entrainer successfully homogenized the reaction field by drastically raising the solubilities of components, allowing the high-concentrated synthesis of single nano-sized α-Fe2O3 nanocrystal. Furthermore, synthesized nanocrystal had chemically and densely modified surface, showing the unimodal size distribution in cyclohexane. These results conclusively show that supercritical CO2 with ethanol entrainer is a promising medium to allow the mass production of densely modified nanocrystal and subsequent their industrial utilization in thin film fabrication and drug delivery system.

A combination of XGBoost and neural network in LIBS spectrum processing for precise determination of critical elements in 620 iron ore samples of various origins

China is the worldwide largest importer of iron ores for supplying its iron and steel industries. The necessary inspections of iron ores not only concern total iron content but also involve minor elements, such as silicium, aluminum, magnesium, and calcium. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) promises in situ and on-site detection and analysis capabilities, which is required for efficient, reliable, and large-scale impartation inspections. Such opportunity represents at the same time, a challenge for the technique in terms of the quantitative analysis ability. A fundamental issue corresponds to the matrix effect in LIBS analysis due to a large diversity of iron ores in terms of mineralogical and chemical compositions. Demonstrated as effective to deal with the matrix effect in LIBS analyses of geological materials, the machine learning approach needs to be implemented within an optimized data processing pipeline, combining algorithms carefully chosen and tested. In this work, we developed a sequentially connected combination of an extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model and a back propagation neural network (BPNN) model, to effectively fit the functional relation between the concentrations and the spectra. The specificity of the approach consists in fitting the linear, low-order nonlinear, and high-order nonlinear terms in a sequential way to substantially improve the model prediction performances. The method has been developed and tested with a significant set of 620 collected iron ore samples of eight production countries and 35 different commercial brands, with a wide range of matrices in terms of mineralogical and chemical compositions. The samples underwent prior characterization using conventional laboratory analysis methods to establish the reference elemental concentrations. The results from this necessary step of laboratory investigation, with root mean square error for prediction (RMSEP) of 0.407 wt%, 0.372 wt%, 0.085 wt%, 0.131 wt%, and 0.114 wt%, respectively for total iron (TFe), SiO2, Al2O3, MgO, and CaO, show the potential for on-site inspections.

The experience of iron determination in technogenic materials with a high copper content by the redox titration method: case study of the waelz slag

Redox titration is one of the most common classical methods widely used in practice for the determination of total iron. A well-known procedure ISO 2597-1 (GOST 32517) includes the decomposition of a sample with dissolution, the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ using a SnCl2 solution and its titration with a K2Cr2O7 solution in the presence of sodium or barium diphenylaminosulfonate as an indicator. We propose to use potassium tetrahydroborate KBH4 as a reducing agent for Fe3+ to Fe2+ instead of SnCl2 to modify a titrimetric method of total iron determination. The features of the well-known and considered methods are studied when using sintering for sample decomposition during the analysis of a large number of samples. Application of the developed method for the analysis of standard samples and technogenic materials with a high copper content, namely, Waelz slag showed a satisfactory accuracy and reproducibility of the obtained values of the total iron content. The results obtained indicate the possibility of the application of this method to the iron determination in the samples with a high copper content without an additional step of the iron separation from copper. A high productivity of the analysis (apart from the absence of the separation stage) is achieved due to the simplicity of the reduction process occurred at room temperature, no need for the control of the added amount of the reducing agent, and the possibility of holding the solutions for a long time before the titration. These advantages along with the no need for using toxic mercury compounds during the analysis make the method attractive for the analysis of a large number of samples.

Use of carbon-encapsulated zero-valent iron nanoparticles from waste biomass to hydrogen sulphide wet removal.

This study evaluates the use of carbon-encapsulated zero-valent iron nanoparticles for biogas upgrading in wet systems. The nanoparticles were produced by hydrothermal carbonization, using olive mill waste (OMW) or microalgae as carbon sources. The solids were characterized to investigate the specific surface area, total and zero-valent iron content, pHPZC and chemical and crystalline composition. Their adsorption performance towards hydrogen sulphide (H2S) was tested by treating two types of synthetic biogas with and without CO2. In both cases, the starting H2S concentration was approximately 60 ppm and the experiments lasted until the complete saturation of the nanoparticles. Optimal Fe/C ratios of 0.05 for OMW nanoparticles and 0.2 for microalgae nanoparticles demonstrated H2S-specific adsorption capacities of 9.66 and 9.55 , respectively, in a synthetic biogas without CO2. The addition of CO2 in biogas reduced adsorption, possibly due to system acidification. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed surface compounds on the surface of the spent nanoparticles, including disulphides, polysulphides and sulphate. The saturated adsorbents were effectively regenerated with air, leading to the oxidation of sulphur species and desorption. The regeneration allowed a total adsorption capacity of 53.25 and 34.14 , after 10 consecutive cycles of adsorption/regeneration with a single batch of olive mill and microalgae nanoparticles, respectively.

Preparation of Metallized Pellets for Steelmaking by Hydrogen Cooling Reduction with Different Cooling Rates.

To utilize the sensible heat of hot roasted iron ore pellets with no CO2 emission in the production of metallized pellets for direct steelmaking, the pellets were reduced in H2 during their cooling process with variable cooling rates. When the cooling rate decreased from 5.2 °C/min to 2.0 °C/min, the total iron content, reduction degree, and iron metallization degree of the pellets increased continuously from 74.0 wt%, 52%, and 31.1% to 84.9 wt%, 93.4%, and 89.2%, respectively. However, the compressive strength of the pellets increased initially from 2100 N/p to 2436 N/p and then decreased considerably to 841 N/p. As the cooling rate decreased, more Fe2O3 was reduced to Fe with diminishing FeO and Fe2SiO4. The porosity of the pellets increased from 23.9% to 54.3%, with higher distribution uniformity of pores. The morphology of metallic iron particles also transited from a layered form to a spherical form and lastly to a porous reticular form. Meanwhile, the metallic iron particles in the pellets grew evidently with more uniform distributions. When the cooling rate was 3.7 °C/min, the resulting metallized pellets had the reduction degree of 74.2%, iron metallization degree of 66.9%, and the highest compressive strength of 2436 N/p, in association with the spherical morphology and relatively large size of metallic iron particles.

Transcriptome and proteomic analysis reveal the protective mechanism of acupuncture on reproductive function in mice with asthenospermia

Acupuncture is an integral component of complementary and alternative medicine that has been reported to enhance sperm motility, improve semen quality, and consequently augment male fertility. However, the precise mechanisms of action and the underlying molecular pathways remain unclear. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the potential mechanisms through which acupuncture improves reproductive function in a mouse model of cyclophosphamide-induced asthenozoospermia. We collected sperm from the epididymis for semen analysis, collected serum to determine gonadotropin and oxidative stress marker levels, conducted histological examination of testicular tissue using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and observed mitochondrial morphology using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We also assessed oxidative stress levels and total iron content in testicular tissue and validated the proteomic and transcriptomic analysis results of testicular tissue using real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), protein imprinting analysis, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Our results indicate that acupuncture enhances sperm quality in asthenozoospermic mice; increases serum testosterone (T), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels; and attenuates oxidative damage, iron accumulation, and mitochondrial injury in mouse testicular tissues. Through protein and transcriptomic analyses, we identified 21 key genes, of which cytochrome b-245 heavy chain (CYBB), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 1 (ACSL1), and ferritin mitochondria (FTMT) were closely associated with ferroptosis. RT-qPCR, protein imprinting, and immunofluorescence (IF) analyses collectively indicated that acupuncture reduced ACSL1 and CYBB expression, and increased GPX4 and FTMT expression. Overall, the ferroptosis pathway associated with ACSL1/CYBB/FTMT/GPX4 represents a potential strategy through which acupuncture can improve the reproductive function in asthenozoospermic mice.

Microalgal-based carbon encapsulated iron nanoparticles for the removal of pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater

This study evaluates the effectiveness of microalgal-based carbon-encapsulated iron nanoparticles (ME-nFe) in the removal of pharmaceutical compounds (PhACs) from water solutions and real municipal effluent at a laboratory scale. The investigated PhACs were chosen to represent different classes of synthetic drugs: antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antihypertensives, antiepileptics, neuroprotectors, and antidepressants. The adsorbent material was produced through hydrothermal carbonization (225 °C for 3 h), using microalgae grown on wastewater as the carbon source. ME-nFe showed heterogeneity in terms of porosity (with both abundance of macro and mesopores), a total pore volume of 0.65 mL g−1, a specific surface area of 117 m2 g−1 and a total iron content of 40%. Laboratory scale adsorption tests (1 g L−1 of nanoparticles with 2 min contact time) showed high removal for the most hydrophobic compounds. Removal efficiencies were high (over 98%) for Irbesartan, Ofloxacin and Diclofenac, promising (over 65–80%) for Clarithromycin, Fluoxetine, Lamotrigine and Metoprolol, but low for Gabapentin-Lactam and Propyphenazone (<20%). Electrostatic interactions between the drugs and the surface of the nanoparticles may account for the observed data, although additional removal mechanisms cannot be ruled out.

Toward Metallized Pellets for Steelmaking by Hydrogen Cooling Reduction: Effect of Gas Flow Rate.

This study proposed a strategy to prepare metalized pellets for direct steelmaking by hydrogen cooling reduction (HCR) of iron ore pellets with a focus on the effect of H2 flow rate on the process. It was demonstrated that increasing H2 flow rate could effectively enhance the reduction performance of iron ore pellets. However, due to the influence of the countercurrent diffusion resistance of gas molecules, too high H2 flow rate no longer promoted the reduction of the pellets when the maximum reduction rate was reached. The reduction swelling index (RSI) of the pellets initially increased and then decreased with increasing H2 flow rate. This change was associated with the decreased content of Fe2SiO4 in the metalized pellets and the changes in porosity and iron particle size. The compressive strength (CS) decreased continuously, showing a sharp decline when the H2 flow rate reached 0.6 L/min. It was attributed to the significant increases in porosity and average pore size of the metalized pellets, with the presence of surface cracks. When the H2 flow rate was 0.8 L/min, the metalized pellets had the optimal performance, namely, reduction degree of 91.45%, metallization degree of 84.07%, total iron content of 80.67 wt%, RSI of 4.66%, and CS of 1265 N/p. The findings demonstrated the importance of controlling the H2 flow rate in the preparation of metallized pellets by HCR.

The use of block modeling to predict the variability of the bulk weight of titanomagnetite ore

The article presents the results of the performed studies using block modeling technologies to determine the volume weight of the titanium magnetite ore of the Northern deposit of the Gusevogorsky deposit, developed by EVRAZ KGOK OJSC. The methods used for laboratory studies of samples of titanium magnetite ore from exploration wells are described. The results of statistical processing of the obtained data are presented. The relationship between the bulk weight of the ore and the iron content in it has been established. Based on block modeling of the massif, a forecast was made for the deep horizons of the Northern Quarry of JSC EVRAZ KGOK on changes in the volume weight of ore and the total iron content in it, which will allow the company's specialists to use the obtained data in geological and technological calculations.

Essential minerals and anti-nutritional compounds in plant-based burgers using the infogest in vitro digestion protocol

Plant-based burgers (PBB) are becoming a worldwide popular alternative to meat-based burgers (MBB). Still, their mineral composition can differ significantly depending on the ingredients used, the effect of the matrix, and the chemical form of the elements that influence solubility in the digestive tract. Thus, the study evaluated the total content and bioaccessibility of calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) in commercial samples of PBB and MBB. Tests used acid mineralization in an analytical microwave, following INMETRO for method validation. Results, in mg/100 g, of Ca (22.2–144), Fe (3.52–12.9), Mg (21.6–120), Mn (<LOQ-2.26), and Zn (0.91–3.47) observed for PBB indicated extensive variation; and for MBB composition of Ca (<LOQ-8.15), Fe (1.79–2.06), Mg (18.2–20.1), Mn (<LOQ), and Zn (5.42–6.86) presented low variation. The percentage of bioaccessibility, was significant in chickpea PBB for Ca (31.5 %), Fe (51.2 %), Mg (81.0 %), Mn (61.7 %), and Zn (48.0 %). MBB also showed bioaccessibility for Ca (92.4 %), Fe (60.0 %), and Mg (83.6 %). Anti-nutritional compounds such as myo-inositol phosphates and total dietary fiber did not affect negatively mineral bioaccessibility in PBB evaluated. To date, this study is the first to carry out in vitro digestion simulation assays using the INFOGEST 2.0 protocol to evaluate the bioaccessibility of essential minerals in PBB and anti-nutritional compounds. In addition, the data presented can help manufacturing companies develop more nutritious and competitive plant-based meat analogs (PBMA) as PBB. They can also influence dietary recommendations and public health policies by identifying foods nutritionally more suitable, which has a positive impact on public health. With this information, consumers can make more informed and responsible food choices, based on nutritional needs.