Ion Exchange of Selected Group II Metals and Lead by Crystalline Silicotitanate and Competition for Cs Exchange Sites

ABSTRACT

A series of batch contact tests were conducted to evaluate the exchange behavior of Ba, Ca, Pb, and Sr onto crystalline silicotitanate (CST) in support of an expedited Cs removal and pretreatment system at the Hanford site. Binary Na/M²⁺ and ternary Na/Cs/M²⁺ isotherms were generated to understand selectivity, capacity, and competitive impact of each analyte on Cs uptake from a simple 1 M NaOH/4.6 M NaNO₃ simulant. Analyte loading from a 0.1 M NaOH/5.5 M NaNO₃ simulant was assessed to determine the effect of hydroxide concentration on binary Na/M²⁺ isotherms. Results from binary and ternary isotherms indicated that Group II metals Ca, Sr, and Ba (and Pb) do not impact CST performance toward Cs removal at concentrations expected in Hanford tank-waste supernate.     

A Potent,Selective CBX2 Chromodomain Ligand and Its Cellular Activity During Prostate Cancer Neuroendocrine Differentiation

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are epigenetic regulators that facilitate both embryonic development and cancer progression. PcG proteins form Polycomb repressive complexes 1 and 2 (PRC1 and PRC2). PRC2 trimethylates histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3), a histone mark recognized by the N-terminal chromodomain (ChD) of the CBX subunit of canonical PRC1. There are five PcG CBX paralogs in humans. CBX2 in particular is upregulated in a variety of cancers, particularly in advanced prostate cancers. Using CBX2 inhibitors to understand and target CBX2 in prostate cancer is highly desirable; however, high structural similarity among the CBX ChDs has been challenging for developing selective CBX ChD inhibitors. Here, we utilize selections of focused DNA encoded libraries (DELs) for the discovery of a selective CBX2 chromodomain probe, SW2_152F. SW2_152F binds to CBX2 ChD with a K_d of 80 nM and displays 24-1000-fold selectivity for CBX2 ChD over other CBX paralogs in vitro. SW2_152F is cell permeable, selectively inhibits CBX2 chromatin binding in cells, and blocks neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer cell lines in response to androgen deprivation.     

Photon Upconversion Hydrogels for 3D Optogenetics

The ability to optically induce biological responses in 3D has been dwarfed by the physical limitations of visible light penetration to trigger photochemical processes. However, many biological systems are relatively transparent to low-energy light, which does not provide sufficient energy to induce photochemistry in 3D. To overcome this challenge, hydrogels that are capable of converting red or near-IR (NIR) light into blue light within the cell-laden 3D scaffolds are developed. The upconverted light can then excite optically active proteins in cells to trigger a photochemical response. The hydrogels operate by triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion. As proof-of-principle, it is found that the hydrogels trigger an optogenetic response by red/NIR irradiation of HeLa cells that have been engineered to express the blue-light sensitive protein Cry2olig. While it is remarkable to photoinduce the clustering of Cry2olig with blanket NIR irradiation in 3D, it is also demonstrated how the hydrogels trigger clustering within a single cell with great specificity and spatiotemporal control. In principle, these hydrogels may allow for photochemical control of cell function within 3D scaffolds, which can lead to a wealth of fundamental studies and biochemical applications.     

Occupational exposure and health risks of volatile organic compounds of hotel housekeepers: Field measurements of exposure and health risks

Hotel housekeepers represent a large, low-income, predominantly minority, and high-risk workforce. Little is known about their exposure to chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study evaluates VOC exposures of housekeepers, sources and factors affecting VOC levels, and provides preliminary estimates of VOC-related health risks. We utilized indoor and personal sampling at two hotels, assessed ventilation, and characterized the VOC composition of cleaning agents. Personal sampling of hotel staff showed a total target VOC concentration of 57 ± 36 µg/m³ (mean ± SD), about twice that of indoor samples. VOCs of greatest health significance included chloroform and formaldehyde. Several workers had exposure to alkanes that could cause non-cancer effects. VOC levels were negatively correlated with estimated air change rates. The composition and concentrations of the tested products and air samples helped identify possible emission sources, which included building sources (for formaldehyde), disinfection by-products in the laundry room, and cleaning products. VOC levels and the derived health risks in this study were at the lower range found in the US buildings. The excess lifetime cancer risk (average of 4.1 × 10⁻⁵) still indicates a need to lower exposure by reducing or removing toxic constituents, especially formaldehyde, or by increasing ventilation rates.     

The distribution,density, and biomass of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) on natural substrates in Lake Winnipeg 2017–2019

The distribution, density, biomass and size-structure of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) population in Lake Winnipeg were examined between 2017 and 2019. Zebra mussels have colonized most of the available hard substrate in the south basin and Narrows region, but colonization of the north basin remains low at present, even on suitable substrate. Numerical densities and shell free biomass peaked at 5530 ± 953 m^?2 and 64.7 ± 57.9 g shell free dry mass m^?2 respectively. The distribution appeared to be strongly limited by substrate type and availability, with further limitations on the distribution imposed by physical disturbance in shallow waters and unsuitable substrate in deeper areas of the lake. Zebra mussels <1 year old dominated the populations, and individuals >18 mm were exceedingly rare. Poor recruitment was observed at sites along the eastern side of the south basin compared to elsewhere in the lake. The proximate causes of these differences in colonization success and recruitment are not clear, but may be in part due to heterogeneous patterns of key physico-chemical environmental conditions such as calcium concentrations required for successful development of juvenile mussels and colder water temperatures in the north basin. This study provides a baseline of information on which to track further expansion of zebra mussels in Lake Winnipeg and assist efforts to develop an understanding of how zebra mussels may affect the ecology of Lake Winnipeg.     

Characteristics of and selection criteria for support materials for cell immobilization in wastewater treatment

For treatment of wastewater with immobilized cells, support materials need to meet the following criteria: insoluble, not biodegradable, high mechanical stability, high diffusivity, simple immobilization procedure, high biomass retention, minimal attachment of other organisms and preferably a low cost price. In order to compare which support materials are the most suitable, characteristics of several natural and synthetic materials have been determined. For this, both literature and experimental data were used. The immobilization procedures of natural gel materials, like alginate and carrageenan, are mild and cells grow well in these supports. Furthermore, the effective diffusion coefficients of substrates are close to those in water. These supports, however, appeared to be soluble, biodegradable and liable to abrasion. Synthetic gels, on the contrary, have better mechanical properties, but mostly lower substrate diffusion coefficients. Immobilization conditions are less mild resulting in low biomass retention. For application of entrapped nitrifying cells in wastewater-treatment systems synthetic gels, however, are promising.     

‘Baltimore does not condone profiteering in squalor’: the Baltimore Plan and the problem of housing-code enforcement in an American city

In 1941, the Baltimore City Council passed a law, the Ordinance on the Hygiene of Housing, declaring that all property in the city should be ‘maintained in good repair by the owner or agent, and fit for human habitation’. The campaign of housing-code enforcement that followed, known as the Baltimore Plan, made the city famous. When historians write about American housing-reform efforts during the mid-20th century, they tend to focus on big-ticket federal policies; by contrast, the Baltimore Plan seems too small to be significant. But it is more than a curiosity. First in Baltimore and then across the country, the neat cause-and-effect it posited between good stewardship and good housing crowded out more challenging ways of thinking about the problem. Eventually, the Baltimore Plan turned into a policy tool that reinforced the interests of the real estate industry at the expense of poor people. In that regard, the Baltimore Plan laid the foundations for federal disinvestment in the provision of decent housing and the midcentury tragedy of urban renewal.     

Transect Planning

This article outlines a new approach to the implementation of New Urbanist and smart growth principles. The approach is termed transect planning and is based on the creation of a set of human habitats that vary by their level and intensity of urban character. In transect planning, this range of environments, from rural to urban, is the basis for organizing the components of the built world: building, lot, land use, street, and all of the other physical elements of the human habitat. Transect planning seeks to create immersive environments, created to preserve the integrity of each location along the rural-to-urban continuum. This is a matter of finding an appropriate spatial allocation of the elements that make up the human habitat. Rural elements must find their place in rural locations, while urban elements must find their place in more urban locations—not unlike natural ecological systems where plant and animal species coexist within habitats that best support them. The transect is designed to strengthen the integrity of each immersive environment and can be used as a new, alternative approach to conventional zoning systems.     

Glass with hydration-induced compressive stress profiles

A novel potassium phospho-aluminosilicate composition is described that can be strengthened by water vapor to achieve deep compressive stress (CS) profiles. Water vapor treatment at (A) 85°C and 85% relative humidity for 40 days results in a CS of 389 ± 20 MPa and a compressive depth of layer (DOL) of 18 ± 2 μm. When treated at (B) 160°C and 0.1 MPa for 7 days, a CS of 245 ± 20 MPa and a DOL of 40 ± 2 μm is achieved. Glasses with hydration-induced stress profiles can provide high retained strength following flaw introduction compared with ion-exchanged soda-lime silicate glass. Sample treatment B also has an exemplary Vickers indentation cracking threshold value greater than 20 kgf. The hydration profile determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is shown to closely match the stress profile for these samples. SIMS analysis also shows that the depth of water enrichment correlates well with the depletion depth of phosphorus. The high tendency towards water-induced strengthening for this new type of glass even enables self-strengthening by the generation of a near-surface CS profile following exposure to ambient conditions.