In this study, a co-modification strategy utilizing the synergistic effects of ZnCl2 and FeCl3 under salt-assisted microwave heating is proposed as an ultrafast and efficient route for biochar preparation, with the entire heating process completed within 200 s. Among the prepared composites, BC-Fe0.5Zn1.0 exhibited the best overall performance, featuring a hierarchical micro-mesoporous structure and an ultrahigh surface area (872 m2 center dot g- 1). As a result, it achieved a maximum Cr (VI) adsorption capacity of 253 mg center dot g-1, far exceeding those of singlemetal-activated biochars. Mechanistic analyses revealed that Cr (VI) removal proceeded via a synergistic adsorption-reduction pathway involving electrostatic attraction, pore-assisted diffusion, Fe2+ mediated reduction, and surface complexation. ZnCl2 mainly promoted pore development and surface area enhancement, while Fe3O4 and ZnFe2O4 facilitated redox reactions and stabilized Cr (III) binding, enabling efficient Cr (VI)-to-Cr (III) transformation. The material retained over 45 % of its adsorption capacity after four regeneration cycles and exhibited good resistance to coexisting ions. Moreover, this microwave-assisted heating strategy has been successfully extended to other biomass raw materials, demonstrating good universality and scalability. This work provides an ultrafast, energy-efficient, and generalizable approach for producing high-performance biochar for heavy-metal-contaminated wastewater treatment. transformation. The material retained over 45 % of its adsorption capacity after four regeneration cycles and exhibited good resistance to coexisting ions. Moreover, this microwave-assisted heating strategy has been successfully extended to other biomass raw materials, demonstrating good universality and scalability. This work provides an ultrafast, energy-efficient, and generalizable approach for producing high-performance biochar for heavy-metal-contaminated wastewater treatment.

Phosphorus (P) recovery from wastewater using integrated techniques i.e., adsorption combined with advanced oxidation technologies is a novel approach for cleaning wastewater and preventing eutrophication. This approach, however, has not been extensively studied, particularly in the context of real wastewater applications. In this study, a green biomass-based sol-gel method was developed using potato starch (PS) and MgCl2·6H2O to synthesize MgO (PS-MgO). The unique synthesis method resulted in PS-MgO composed predominantly of spherical particles with an average size of about 103 nm and exhibited superior P adsorption performance compared to commercial MgO materials (GH-MgO and AD-MgO). The Langmuir maximum P adsorption capacity (mg/g) of the PS-MgO was 429.4, while that of the commercial GH-MgO and AD-MgO was 341.3 and 421.7, respectively, at the solution pH 7.0. The kinetic model fitting demonstrated that the adsorption rate of PS-MgO was faster than the two commercial MgOs. Importantly, PS-MgO can maintain a high P adsorption capacity across a wide pH range (425 mg/g at pH 5.0 and 369 mg/g at pH 11.0), whereas the P adsorption capacities of GH-MgO (153 at pH 5.0 and 297 at pH 11.0) and AD-MgO (422 at pH 5.0 and 200 at pH 11.0) were more pH-dependent. In addition, PS-MgO exhibits high selectivity for P capture in solutions containing coexisting ions, and the P-loaded PS-MgO can efficiently release P through acid or base treatment, highlighting its potential for reuse as a fertilizer. To enhance P recovery from real livestock wastewater, the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma technology was combined with MgO adsorption. The P recovery capacity of MgOs from livestock wastewater increased 1.4-1.7 times after DBD plasma treatment, attributed to the degradation of aromatic proteins and microbial metabolites. These findings provide new insights into the design of efficient and environmentally friendly materials for P recovery, while also demonstrating the potential of integrating advanced oxidation technologies with adsorption processes.

The present study presents a novel structurally modified ulvan for gelatin methacryloyl (GelMa) based advanced biofabrication applications. Although ulvan and GelMa exhibit considerable potential as bio-inks for 3D printing, a solution stability issue within the composite formulation was identified in our previous work, which adversely affect both storage and printing process. To address this issue, an effective deproteinization method was initially developed to purify the ulvan extract and the purified ulvan was then modified with adipic dihydrazide (AD) and methacryloyl chloride to produce a photo cross-linkable macromer (UAMa). Methacrylated Ulvan (UMa) only was prepared as control. The ink solution formulated with UAMa and GelMa presented an enhanced solution stability and the photo cross-linked UAMa-based hydrogels (UAMaG) exhibited greater mechanical strength compared to the UMa-based hydrogels (UMaG). The composite was 3D printed to form scaffolds that demonstrated high cytocompatibility with primary human dermal fibroblasts. The enhanced performance highlighted the contribution of the hydrazine groups in modified ulvan. The results suggested that UAMa and its composite structures hold great potential as candidates for tissue engineering applications.

MgO-based adsorbents have been extensively utilized for phosphorus (P) resource recovery from wastewater. However, the microscopic interfacial adsorption mechanisms of P on different MgO crystal facets remain insufficiently understood. Elucidating interfacial mechanisms is crucial for the directional regulation of optimized-performance MgO-based adsorbent development. Herein, three MgO materials, octahedral MgO (OCMgO), cube MgO (CU-MgO) and hexagonal MgO (HE-MgO) were synthesized and tested for P adsorption and recovery from water. OC-MgO primarily exposes the (111) facet, CU-MgO exhibits the (100) facet, whereas HEMgO displays both the (111) and (110) facets, with exposure ratios of about 69.5 % and 30.5 %, respectively. Batch experiment results proved that P adsorption performance correlated with the exposed crystal surface. The saturated P uptake capacities are 403.44, 278.04, and 221.47 mg/g for OC-MgO, CU-MgO, and HE-MgO, respectively, at a solution pH of 7.0, as determined by Sips model fitting. However, CU-MgO shows a faster P capture rate and a stronger resistance to pH interference than the other two MgOs. The combination of model fitting, Zeta potential analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization demonstrated that the P adsorptive mechanism involved synergistic monolayer and multilayer adsorption, driven by surface complexation, ligand exchange, and electrostatic attraction. In addition, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations further provided mechanistic insights into facet-dependent stability and adsorption behaviors. The MgO (100) facet can stably exist in aqueous solutions, and its primary P adsorption mechanism involves chemisorption driven by monodentate-mononuclear, bidentate-mononuclear and bidentate-binuclear complexation and lattice oxygen replacement. In contrast, the MgO (111) and (110) facets required hydroxylation to maintain structural stabilization in water. On these hydroxylated surfaces, their P capture mechanisms are predominantly governed by electrostatic attraction and -OH group replacement. This study elucidates the fundamental structure-property relationships between MgO crystal facets and P adsorption behavior, revealing facet-dependent stabilization mechanisms in aqueous environments and their associated P capture pathways. These findings provide novel perspective of surface design for developing MgO-based adsorbents for P capture and recovery from water.

Phosphorus (P) recovery with MgO-based adsorbents (MBA) is an effective method for water management and eutrophication prevention. However, the function of MgO precursors on the adsorptive removal and recovery of water P has not yet been sufficiently studied. Therefore, five distinct precursors, namely MgCl2.6H2O, Mg (NO3)2.6H2O, Mg(CH3COO)2.4H2O, Mg(OH)2, and Mg5(OH)2(CO3)4.xH2O, were employed to synthesize MgOs, resulting in the formation of corresponding calcination products identified as CH-MgO, NI-MgO, AC-MgO, HYMgO, and BC-MgO, respectively. The surface morphology, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area (SBET), total pore volume (TPV) and average pore size (APS) of the MgOs were impacted by their precursors, which affected their ability for P recovery. The flower-like BC-MgO showed the highest adsorption capacity (mg P/g) for P (426.2), followed by AC-MgO (398.1), CH-MgO (329.5), HY-MgO (296.6), and then NI-MgO (274.9). BCMgO recovered 56.2 % of total P (TP) and 61.7 % orthophosphate (ortho-P) from livestock wastewater, and 56.3 % TP and 95.9 % ortho-P from sewage treatment effluent. P adsorption was pH dependent and positively correlated with the adsorbents SBET and TPV. Surface complexation and deposition, ligand exchange, and electrostatic attraction were the main processes involved in P adsorptive capture and its recovery. The leaching of Mg2+ into water was negligible from all studied MgOs, particularly BC-MgO and AC-MgO. The recovered P from the P-loaded BC-MgO enhanced seed germination and root growth and thus might be used in soil as an alternative P fertilizer. Based on those findings we can conclude that BC-MgO showed high potential applications for the removal and recovery of P from wastewater under wide range of water pH and therefore can be used for remediation of P-rich water. Those results are meaningful for MBA engineering application, preventing water eutrophication, producing alternative P fertilizers, and achieving sustainable development goals in future.

The accumulation of lead and cadmium in water bodies is a serious threat to environmental safety and human health, and they must be removed from wastewater. Based on this this study, a novel sulfhydryl-modified chitosan derivative (SHCS) was prepared by grafting method using chitosan as a substrate for the removal of Pb(II) and Cd(II) from polluted water bodies. The results showed that the SHCS derivative was a mesoporous biosorbent with a specific surface area of 0.0505 cm3/g. The adsorption kinetics of the adsorbent on the pollutants conformed to the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models (R2 > 0.99). The adsorption isotherms all followed the Langmuir model (Pb(II): R2 = 0.9388, Cd(II): R2 = 0.9592). The maximum adsorption capacities of SHCS were 209.27 mg/g and 64.19 mg/g for Pb(II) and Cd(II), respectively. The free energy of adsorption ΔGθ < 0 indicates that the adsorption process is a spontaneous reaction, in which the adsorption of lead is an adsorptive process (ΔHθ > 0) and the adsorption of cadmium is an exothermic process (ΔHθ < 0). The addition of NaNO3 and cations (K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) did not affect the adsorption process of Pb(II) and Cd(II). The surface complexation and electrostatic attraction mechanisms controlled the decontamination of Pb(II) and Cd(II) by SHCS in water. Most importantly, the SHCS derivative was effective in removing low concentrations of Pb(II) and Cd(II) from three real wastewater samples as well as a simulated electroplating wastewater.

Removal of nutrients and pollutants from water using structured adsorbents is of great interest. Lanthanum (La) oxide/hydroxides and their derivative composites are promising platforms for phosphate (P) removal from wastewater. However, various key factors including crystal structure, specific surface area (S-BET) and crystallinity restrict their P removal performance. In this study, LaOCl, a novel adsorbent with tetragonal crystal, and La2O3, a traditional adsorbent with hexagonal crystal, were prepared at different calcination temperatures and tested as P adsorbents. Due to different crystal structures, LaOCl and La2O3 exhibit significant differences in P adsorption. LaOCl crystal is more stable than La2O3 in solution. The main LaOCl crystal phase is not changed after P adsorption, while La2O3 transformed into La(OH)(3) due to proton capturing form H2O. The Cl- on LaOCl can be used as a ligand for P ions exchange. It is different from OH- exchange which increases the pH sharply. The isoelectric points (IEP) of LaOCl is slightly higher than La2O3. All of these factors, caused by the different structures of LaOCl, keep its P adsorption capacity and rate high in acidic conditions. The Langmuir maximum P adsorption capacity of LaOCl is 164.52 mg/g, which is 2.3 times greater than La2O3. The LaOCl adsorbent exhibited a faster adsorption rate than La2O3. It is able to reduce the H2PO4- concentration from 50 mg/L (pH similar to 5.0) to < 0.002 mgP/L in 180 min, while the residual P concentration is about 11.27 mgP/g by La2O3 in the same time. The P adsorption capacity was found positively correlated with crystallinity at pH 3.0 but with S-BET only in pH 5.0 similar to 9.0 range for LaOCl. However, S-BET and crystallinity are not the main factors influencing the P adsorption capacity of La2O3. Following P adsorption, both adsorbents were verified for P desorption. The results showed the amount of P desorbed was small, thus the adsorbents have the ability to lock P in natural water. Overall, this study provides essential perspectives on the effects of crystal structure, surface area, and crystallinity on P adsorption and the scientific basis for developing new and functionalized La-based adsorbents.

A batch experiment was carried out in order to remove Hg2+ from the aqueous solution as well as the polluted water using modified chitosan (CS) with polyamine compounds (triethylenetetramine (TETA), tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA)), and melamine. The obtained polyamine-co-melamine crosslinked CS derivatives (MCS-4N and MCS-5N) were characterized and used as adsorbents. In comparison to the raw CS, the modification significantly promoted the adsorption of Hg2+ ions. The results of the pseudo-second-order kinetic model revealed that pH-dependent derivatives adsorbents achieved the equilibrium state within 12 h. The Langmuir model was best fitted with the Hg2+ adsorption isotherm and showed the highest adsorption capacities of 140.3 and 109.7 mg/g for MCS-4N and MCS-5N, respectively. A slight decrease in the adsorption efficiency of Hg2+ was noticed with the increment of the ionic strength of the solution. However, the studied adsorbents were easily regenerated and presented adequate reusability. The Hg2+ adsorption was regulated by the combined process of coordination reaction and electrostatic attraction as well. The as-prepared polyamine-co-melamine crosslinked CS derivatives were found potential adsorbents for the adsorptive capture of Hg2+ ions from aqueous solutions and polluted waters.

In the present study, 2, 6-diaminopyridine (PD) and polyamine compounds (ethylenediamine (EDA), triethylenetetramine (TETA), and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA)) were used to modify chitosan (CS). The obtained derivatives (PD-CS, PD-EDA-CS, PD-TETA-CS, and PD-TEPA-CS) were identified and employed as adsorbents in batch experiments for the removal of Hg(II) from aqueous solutions. The results confirmed that successful modification improves the Hg(II) adsorption significantly compared to pristine CS. The adsorbed amounts of Hg(II) increased gradually and reached maxima at pH values above 4.0 for all derivatives. The Hg(II) adsorption equilibrium state was achieved within 12 h, with the process driven by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Langmuir model effectively interpreted the Hg(II) adsorption isotherms; the maximum adsorption capacities for Hg(II) ions at 295 K were 172.7, 303.6, 276.0, and 230.6 mg/g for PD-CS, PD-EDA-CS, PD-TETA-CS, and PD-TEPA-CS, respectively. High temperature and low ionic strength favored Hg(II) adsorption. The Hg(II)-loaded CS derivative was easily regenerated and showed acceptable reusability. The further FT-IR and XPS analyses indicate that the Hg(II) adsorption is governed by a process combining electrostatic attraction and a coordination reaction. The CS derivatives produced from polyamine-co-2, 6-diaminopyridine covalently bonded onto CS are promising adsorbents for the adsorptive removal of Hg(II) from an aqueous solution.

Ethylenediamine (EDA), triethylenetetramine (TETA) and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) had been successfully introduced into the structure of thiourea (TC) modified chitosan (CS) by using formaldehyde as linkage, respectively. The resulted materials, TC-CS, TC-EDA-CS, TC-TETA-CS, and TC-TEPA-CS were characterized and employed as adsorbents in batch experiment for the Hg(II) removal. We have found the modification enhanced the Hg(II) adsorption significantly in comparison with raw CS. Hg(II) adsorption amounts for all adsorbents increased gradually and reached maxima at pH≥4.0. The adsorption of Hg(II) achieved an equilibrium state within 12h with the process drove by the pseudo-second-order model. The ionic strength had no remarkable inhibition effect on Hg(II) adsorption. While the Hg(II) adsorption capacities of the adsorbents were strongly related with the modifier types and the length of the incorporating amino ligands. Langmuir model described Hg(II) adsorption well with the maximum adsorption capacities of prepared adsorbents in order of TC-EDA-CS (217.1mg/g)>TC-CS (164.8mg/g)>TC-TETA-CS (149.7mg/g)>TC-TEPA-CS (140.6mg/g) at room temperature. The FT-IR and XPS investigations implied that Hg(II) ion adsorption mechanism was characterized by a complexation reaction process. Adsorbents could be readily regenerated and had great reusability potential in Hg(II) ions capture from aqueous solution.

ABSTRACTAn aminothiourea chitosan modified magnetic biochar composite (TMBC) was prepared for the efficient removal of Cd(II) from wastewater. The synthesized materials were characterized, and the detailed adsorption mechanisms and thermodynamics were studied. The adsorption experiments revealed that TMBC had a higher affinity for Cd(II) than the magnetic biochar composite, raw biochar, and other carbon‐based adsorbents did. The Cd(II) adsorption process fit the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model, and the maximum adsorption capacities on the basis of the Langmuir model were 93.72, 121.9, and 137.3 mg/g at 298, 308, and 318 K, respectively. The practical efficacy of the adsorbent was also tested with a real mine water. The metal‐ion‐loaded TMBC could be conveniently collected by a magnet and could be easily regenerated with adsorption efficiencies up to 84% after five adsorption–desorption cycles. The as‐prepared TMBC might be a promising adsorbent for the treatment of heavy‐metal‐ion‐contaminated water or highly mineralized mine water. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46239.

Effects of four different metal oxide nanoparticles (nMgO,nAl2O3,nTiO2 and nFe2O3) on phosphate adsorption were compared in the batch experiment.The influences of solution pH,contact time and coexist ions on phosphate adsorbed by nMgO were examined.Further,the phosphate adsorption mechanism onto nMgO was evaluated by XRD and XPS analysis.And the potential of recovered phosphate by nMgO from pig breeding wastewater on fertilzer was assessed by pot experiment.The results showed that nMgO had higher phosphate adsorption ability than nA12O3,nTiO2 and nFe2O3.The phosphate amount reached 40、31.77、15.93 and 13.08mg/g in the range ofpH 3.0 to 8.0 for nMgO,nAl2O3,nTiO2 and nFe2O3,respectively.The phosphate adsorption was a inreversible process.The phosphate sorption onto nMgO could reach equilibrium within 0.5h,the adsorption process fitted the pseudo-second order kinetic model.The equal content of coexisted F-,Cl-,NO3-,SO42-,Na+,K+ and NH4+ ions had no negative influence on phosphate adsorbed onto nMgO,while the existence of Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions could promote the phosphate adsorption.Langmuir model could be used to describe the adsorption isotherm,by which the maximum phosphate adsorption capacity was around 139.3mg/g.Based on the results of XRD and XPS analysis,it can be concluded that phosphate adsorption was dominated by chemical precipitation reaction combined with electrostatic attraction process.nMgO particles effectively recovered phosphate from piggery wastewater,in turn the phosphate loaded nMgO nanoparticle could be used as a potential substitute for phosphate-based fertilizer,which significantly improved the cabbage dry biomass from 0.31 to 0.96g/kg soil.

Biochar shows promise as a potential low–cost sorbent for removing oxyanions from wastewater. However, this generic material exhibits a very wide range in porosity, surface area and surface chemical properties that depend on the starting biomass composition and the conditions under which it is converted to char. Without dosing either reactant biomass or product biochar with certain metals (in elemental, oxide/hydroxide or layered double hydroxide form), the capacity of biochar to remove oxyanions is usually low. This review compiles the recent research on modifications of biochar to produce metal-biochar composites that exhibit high oxyanion removal capacities. The general effect of the added metal is first established and then an overview of the several syntheses used to make metal–biochar composites is presented. Effects of chemical activation and of the addition of single metallic elements, single and binary oxides/hydroxides, and layered double hydroxides on removal of AsO43–, AsO33–, CrO42–, NO3− and PO43– are next summarized. The effects of metal dosing and pyrolysis conditions on the surface chemistry and environmental stability of the composite are discussed. Finally, a summary of the research needed to maximize and/or target removal of specific oxyanions, address issues of long–term ecotoxicity of metal–biochar composites, and verify performance with field-testing is presented.

A highly cross-linked Thiocarbohydrazide-modified chitosan (TCCS) gel was synthesized by using formaldehyde as linkage, and was used in removal of Cd(II) and Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. The results showed that TCCS could be used in a wider pH range and had higher adsorption abilities than raw chitosan for Cd(II) and Cr(VI) ions. The maximum adsorption capacities of the synthetic TCCS for two ions reached 81.26 and 144.68mg/g at 298K, respectively. The endothermic adsorption exhibited pseudo-second-order kinetic behavior and the adsorption isotherm could be well described by Langmuir model. The Cd(II) ion adsorption mechanism was dominated by a complexation reaction process, while the Cr(VI) adsorption was governed by a multiple mechanism including electrostatic attraction, reduction and complexation process. TCCS was easy to be regenerated and had great reusability potential in Cd(II) and Cr(VI) ions capture from aqueous solution.

Silicate nanoparticles(nSiO2) are a kind of widely used engineering material. In order to improve the Cd2+ adsorption ability, the EDTA-modified nSiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by grafting method and characterized by TEM, N2 adsorption-desorption, FTIR, and TGA. The effects of solution pH, contact time, temperature and ionic strength were examined. The adsorption mechanism was further investigated by XPS. The results showed that the EDTA-nSiO2 nanoparticles possessed excellent stability, and were successfully prepared. Cd2+ adsorption was mainly controlled by solution pH. The raw nSiO2 had limited Cd2+ adsorption ability, while the EDTA-modified nSiO2 particles had significantly improved adsorption performance. At high pH, the Cd2+ adsorption rate increased and kept balance above pH 4.0. The Cd2+ adsorption was an endothermic spontaneous process which could be finished within 1 h. Langmuir model could be used to describe the adsorption isotherm. The temperature ranged from 293-313 K during the process, while the maximum adsorption was observed at higher temperature. Higher ionic strength could inhibit the Cd2+ adsorption. The Cd2+ adsorption decreased from 0.433 to 0.294 mmol·g-1, when NaCl concentration varied from 0 to 100 mmol·L-1. The desorption of Cd2+ from the EDTA-nSiO2 nanoparticles was carried out with distilled water, 0.1 mol·L-1 NaCl and 0.1 mol·L-1 HCl. The maximum Cd2+ desorption of 94.36% was obtained at 0.1 mol·L-1 HCl. Based on the results of thermodynamics, pH, ionic strength, and XPS analysis, it could be concluded that Cd2+ adsorption was a multiple process dominated by chemical chelating reaction, physical adsorption and ion exchange. This study indicated that the EDTA-nSiO2 is an effective engineering nanomaterial that could be used in Cd2+ adsorption.

为了较好的实现有机化学课程在农林院校生物类专业学生进行后续专业课程中的基础和桥梁作用,文章在现行教学大纲之下,尝试在动医专业有机化学教学中引入PBL模式,通过设计一系列衔接性拓展性的“问题”,明确学习的目的,激发学生的学习兴趣.结果表明,采用该教学模式可有效提高学生的学习主动性,为专业课程学习打下基础.

The removal of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions from aqueous solution by thiosemicarbazide modified chitosan (TCS) was studied in this article. The synthesized TCS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), element analysis, N2 adsorption-desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer (XPS). Moreover, the influence of solution pH, contact time, initial heavy metal concentration, and solution temperature on the adsorption process was examined, and the adsorbent reusability and adsorption mechanisms were also studied. The results showed that TCS adsorbed greater amount of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions than the raw chitosan. The adsorption amounts of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions were affected by increasing solution pH and temperature. The maximum adsorption capacities of the TCS for Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions were found to be 325.2 and 257.2 mg/g, respectively. The endothermic adsorption fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetics equation and the adsorption isotherms could be well described by Langmuir model. The metal ions adsorption mechanism was concluded to be mainly dominated by complexation reaction process. The desorption study indicated that the target adsorbent was easy to be regenerated.

BACKGROUND:The knowledge base-driven pathway analysis is becoming the first choice for many investigators, in that it not only can reduce the complexity of functional analysis by grouping thousands of genes into just several hundred pathways, but also can increase the explanatory power for the experiment by identifying active pathways in different conditions. However, current approaches are designed to analyze a biological system assuming that each pathway is independent of the other pathways.RESULTS:A decision analysis model is developed in this article that accounts for dependence among pathways in time-course experiments and multiple treatments experiments. This model introduces a decision coefficient-a designed index, to identify the most relevant pathways in a given experiment by taking into account not only the direct determination factor of each Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway itself, but also the indirect determination factors from its related pathways. Meanwhile, the direct and indirect determination factors of each pathway are employed to demonstrate the regulation mechanisms among KEGG pathways, and the sign of decision coefficient can be used to preliminarily estimate the impact direction of each KEGG pathway. The simulation study of decision analysis demonstrated the application of decision analysis model for KEGG pathway analysis.CONCLUSIONS:A microarray dataset from bovine mammary tissue over entire lactation cycle was used to further illustrate our strategy. The results showed that the decision analysis model can provide the promising and more biologically meaningful results. Therefore, the decision analysis model is an initial attempt of optimizing pathway analysis methodology.