McKendree University

This study investigates the synthesis, characterization, and performance of nanoscale zero-valent iron/reduced graphene oxide (nZVI/rGO) nanohybrids for the efficient removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The magnetic nanohybrids were fabricated using an innovative thermal co-reduction method, enabling scalable production under inert conditions. Comprehensive characterization confirmed successful integration of nZVI onto rGO sheets, and nanohybrids exhibited high surface area, strong magnetic properties, and effective adsorption and photocatalytic degradation capabilities for PFAS. PFAS removal was explored through sequential adsorption followed by photocatalytic degradation under UVC irradiation. Batch experiments demonstrated rapid adsorption equilibrium within 3 h, removing 98.2 % of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 97.6 % of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) under dark conditions. Subsequent oxygen-free UVC treatment with nZVI/rGO significantly degraded PFOS and PFOA, reducing their concentrations from 1 mg/L to 0.78 and 1.01 μg/L, respectively, with the formation of short-chain PFAS. Defluorination reached 64.2 % for PFOA and 57.8 % for PFOS after 72 h, demonstrating effective PFAS degradation by nZVI/rGO. Desorption studies confirmed the potential for nanohybrid regeneration and reuse, while iron release analysis demonstrated minimal leaching. These results indicate that thermally reduced nZVI/rGO nanohybrids offer a scalable, efficient material for PFAS remediation, particularly through adsorption followed by degradation under oxygen-free UVC irradiation.

Catch-and-release angling is an oft-practiced conservation tool involving the release of captured game fish either due to harvest regulations or conservation ethic on the part of the angler. Central to this practice is the assumption that released fish survive; however, a large body of work has shown that postrelease mortality can occur, especially if fish are injured during the capture process. In this study, we examined hooking location, bleeding, injury rates, and postcapture physiology in Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus, a popular game fish species.

A total of 83 Channel Catfish were angled from a lake in southern Illinois using conventional rod-and-reel techniques with one of four hook types (J-hook, shiner, circle, and octopus). Captured fish were then assessed for hooking depth, bleeding, and injury. Subsequently, a subset of 40 fish were additionally held for 4 h in submerged totes before being tested for reflex responsiveness and undergoing a blood biopsy for glucose and lactate levels.

Circle and octopus hooks reduced hooking depth in Channel Catfish compared with J-hooks and tended to reduce postcapture bleeding as well. Postholding physiological results showed no effect of hook type on blood lactate or glucose levels, and reflex impairment was very rare (only a single fish was impaired for any reflexes 4 h postcapture).

Overall, the results of this study suggest that the use of circle hooks reduce the likelihood of deep hooking and injury in Channel Catfish, though Channel Catfish, at least in the short term, were physiologically resilient to the effects of capture.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) has historically been one of the most controversial topics in the study of psychopathology. Building on a previous review of empirical research on DID from 2000 to 2010, the present review examined DID research from 2011 to 2021. The research output included 56 case studies and 104 empirical studies. Within the empirical studies, approximately 1354 new cases of DID emerged, which resulted in an average samples of approximately 20. Reanalysis of previous samples was standard in the literature with only 40% of reported cases being new. Studies emerged from dozens of countries across the world, but the majority of cases were from Western counties, especially the United States. Diagnosis primarily relied upon validated measures, but 74% of all new cases came from six research groups. Overall, research on DID is steady but methodologically limited in ways that make generalization, especially about etiology, difficult.