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Metal–organic framework (MOF) membranes are widely used in gas separation processes. However, the effect of solvents on the formation of large‐area MOF membranes, which directly influences separation performance, has rarely been investigated. In this study, three solvents (methanol, ethanol, and water) were selected to systematically investigate their effects on the zeolite imidazolium frameworks (ZIF) membrane formation via experimental validation and simulations. The results indicated that the solvent selection influenced crystallization rate, crystal size, and ZIF‐8 membrane formation ability. Particularly, when water was used as a solvent, slow nucleation and crystallization of the ZIF‐8 crystals were observed, resulting in a more complete crystal structure and a thinner ZIF‐8 membrane. Therefore, the ZIF‐8 membrane exhibited a gas permeance of 10,000 gas permeation unit and enhanced CO2/N2 selectivity. Furthermore, ZIF‐8 membrane with a surface area of 2400 cm2 and spiral‐wound membrane modules were developed, paving the way for large‐scale industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adsorptive removal of SO2 from its low‐concentrated gas mixtures is significant to the health and environment. However, the on‐demand discovery of such adsorbents remains a great challenge. Herein, a high‐throughput computational screening for SO2/CO2 separation is performed in an anion‐pillared metal–organic framework (MOF) database. As a proof‐of‐concept, SIFSIX‐7‐Cu, one of the computationally top‐ranked MOFs, is identified and experimentally synthesized for the verification. The high SO2 uptake (14.7 mmol g−1), IAST selectivity (120 for a mixture of 0.2/99.8 molar ratio), and excellent balance between the regenerability (63.5%) and adsorbent performance score (36.3) make it superior to the performance of most reported adsorbents. This work not only provides an excellent candidate for SO2/CO2 separation, but also will facilitate the development of theoretical prediction‐experimental verification methodology in the discovery of novel materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Built‐up land changes along slope gradients (BCSG) are widespread globally, driven by natural environmental and socio‐economic variations. This process has profound effects on vegetation cover and is closely related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, the mechanisms involved in the BCSG remain to be elucidated, and the impacts of BCSG on vegetation cover need to be quantified. The BCSG from 1990 to 2020 was described through slope spectrum analysis by taking the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) as an example. Then, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used as an indicator of vegetation cover, and its influence by BCSG was explored through a multiple linear regression model. The built‐up land in the TGRA from 1990 to 2020 was first dominated by slope climbing (SC) and then by horizontal expansion, and the intensity of built‐up land SC showed a general trend of weakening over time. During the 30 years, the intensity of built‐up land SC weakened and then strengthened in townships with mainly intermountain plains, while gradually decreasing in townships with mainly hills and townships with mainly mountains. Socio‐economic factors, natural factors, and regional special events drive the BCSG in TGRA. Built‐up land SC in the TGRA will have a negative impact on NDVI but to a progressively lesser degree from 1990 through 2020. The built‐up land SC in townships with mainly hills and mountains has a negative effect on NDVI. The built‐up land SC in townships with mainly intermountain plains has a positive impact on NDVI. These results can provide a scientific basis for formulating reasonable vertical management policies for built‐up land and help reduce the ecological risks caused by land development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Novel autoantibody specificities including anti‐CCAR1 were recently discovered in adult patients with anti‐transcriptional intermediary factor (TIF1)–positive dermatomyositis (DM) and were associated with attenuated cancer emergence. The aims of the present study were to examine whether these autoantibodies occur in patients with juvenile‐onset DM (JDM) and to determine their associated features. Methods: Sera from 150 patients with anti‐TIF1γ autoantibody‐positive JDM in a cross‐sectional cohort and 90 juvenile healthy controls were assayed for anti‐CCAR1, anti‐C1Z1, anti‐IMMT, anti‐TBL1XR1, and anti‐Sp4 autoantibodies. Demographics, myositis autoantibodies, clinical features, medications, outcomes, and HLA‐DRB1 and HLA‐DQA1 alleles were compared between those with and without these autoantibodies. Results: Any one of the anti‐TIF1γ‐associated autoantibodies was present in 44 patients (29%) overall, including 25 (17%) with anti‐Sp4, 22 (15%) with anti‐TBL1XR1, 14 (9%) with anti‐CCAR1, 2 (1%) with anti‐C1Z1, and 2 (1%) with anti‐IMMT autoantibodies. These anti‐TIF1γ‐associated autoantibodies frequently co‐occurred. Patients with any of the anti‐TIF1γ‐associated autoantibodies had less frequent falling (34% [15] vs. 53% [56], P = 0.032) and lower peak muscle enzymes. None of the patients had cancer. Among White patients, HLA‐DRB1*03 was protective against an anti‐TIF1γ‐associated autoantibody (odds ratio 0.20, 95% confidence interval 0.07–0.52). Conclusion: Autoantibodies associated with anti‐TIF1γ were found in isolation and in combination among a subset of patients with JDM. Patients with these autoantibodies had less severe muscle disease and were not enriched for HLA‐DRB1*03. Additional autoantibodies among patients with positive anti‐TIF1γ with JDM likely contribute to the heterogeneity of the anti‐TIF1γ serologic subgroup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most traditional D2/H2 separation techniques are energy‐intensive with low efficiency. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) provide a promising solution for D2/H2 separation due to their excellent chemical and structural characteristics. Here, machine learning‐assisted high‐throughput computational screening was employed to identify the high‐performance MOFs for the dynamic D2/H2 separation. Extensive data analysis reveals that there were two adsorption behaviors in the optimal MOFs, independent adsorption and competitive adsorption, and the independent adsorption was favorable for the preferential adsorption of D2. To quantify these two adsorption behaviors, we introduced and defined overlap degree (OD) and independence degree (ID), and developed a software for the rapid assessment of OD/ID. After batch simulation of the breakthrough curves of 2000 optimal MOFs, ~80% MOFs exhibited independent occupancy, confirming its contribution to good dynamic separation capabilities. This work provides a new idea for designing MOFs with independent adsorption behavior to improve the dynamic separation performance of hydrogen isotopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Current randomized trial evidence on the effect of physical activity (PA) intervention on cognitive function is scarce and mainly found in well‐educated populations, limiting its generalizability. Furthermore, the modification effect of education levels remains understudied. We conducted a cluster randomized trial to evaluate the effects of PA intervention on cognitive function in a general older population, and whether education modifies such effects. METHODS: Eight villages were randomized to the intervention (four villages, n = 240) or the control (four villages, n = 271). The intervention group received an 8‐week multilevel PA intervention based on a socio‐ecological model, while the control did not. The intervention has been condensed to three levels with activities occurring at the individual (telephone counseling, printed material, and training sessions), interpersonal (peer group), and community levels (group sharing and coaching). The primary outcome was changes in global cognition (overall cognitive function) measured by the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS‐10) at 12‐month follow‐up. Repeated measurements were modeled using the linear mixed model, which assumed that the missing values were missing at random. RESULTS: The mean age was 70.94 years (standard deviation 5.71) and 55.6% were women. Compared to the control, the orientation improved from baseline at 12‐month follow‐up (0.24 points [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.03 to 0.46 points; P = 0.03]). Stratified analysis showed that the global cognition and orientation improved at 12‐month follow‐up among illiterate participants in the intervention (for global cognition, mean difference, 0.57 points [95% CI, 0.03 to 1.10], P = 0.04; for orientation, mean difference, 0.31 points [95% CI, 0.04 to 0.58], P = 0.03). DISCUSSION: These results confirm the improvements in orientation in older adults, as well as in global cognition and orientation in the illiterate at 12‐month follow‐up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the small amount of CO2 as a contaminant in industrial gas mixtures, developing CO2‐selective adsorbents exhibit advantages in directly obtaining pure C2H2 in one‐step to reduce the energy consumption. However, it is still a great challenge due to the essential molecular feature of C2H2, including the triple bond and high polarizability. Herein, a simple but effective CO2‐facilitated transport strategy is presented to realize the overwhelming adsorption of CO2 over C2H2 by constructing core–shell composite structures using ionic liquid (IL) and metal‐organic framework (MOF). With the aid of excellent solubility of CO2 in IL and almost total exclusion of C2H2, the obtained materials boost molecular sieving‐based separation of CO2/C2H2. Density functional theory calculations combining molecular dynamic simulations revealed the solution‐diffusion mechanism for CO2, which is rarely reported in solid adsorbents. Ideal adsorbed solution theory selectivity for CO2/C2H2 with 1/1 and 1/3 volume ratios can reach over 104 and 4000 at 100 kPa with a high CO2 uptake of 40.3 cm3 g−1, superior to those of the reported materials so far. More importantly, this solution‐based separation strategy can avoid the difficulty for precise control of the regulation of adsorbent structure, which may be beneficial to practical production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selectively separating CH4 from N2 in natural gas purification is extremely important, but challenging. Herein, a copper‐based metal–organic framework (MOF) NKMOF‐8‐Me with inert pore environment was reported for efficient CH4/N2 separation. Adsorption results show that this material owns the highest CH4 uptake (1.76 mmol/g) and initial adsorption heat (Qst0) of CH4 (28.0 kJ/mol) as well as difference in Qst0 (9.1 kJ/mol) among all materials with good water stability. Breakthrough experiments confirm that this MOF can completely separate the CH4/N2 mixture with the highest CH4/N2 breakthrough selectivity (7.8) reported so far. Theoretical calculations reveal the separation mechanism is the short average distance between CH4 and pore wall, resulting in a stronger adsorption affinity for CH4. In addition, this MOF exhibits highly structural stability and regeneration. These results guarantee this MOF as a promising adsorbent for the recovery of CH4 from coalbed methane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the adaptability of a Southern Ocean predator, which is dependent on Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), to potential changes in food availability. Muscle fatty acids (FAs) of the spiny icefish Chaenodraco wilsoni collected from three areas in the Bransfield Strait (BS), northern Antarctic Peninsula during February–April 2016 give a good representation of their feeding variability. The compositions of 22:6n3 (DHA) and 20:5n3 (EPA) were both higher in the Transitional Zonal Water with Bellingshausen influence (TBW)‐controlled C. wilsoni than in the Transitional Zonal Water with Weddell Sea influence (TWW)‐controlled fish. This was positively correlated with photoadaptation and carbon sequestration in TBW‐controlled phytoplankton. Results for the FAs 16:1n7, 16:0, DHA and EPA indicate the presence of dinoflagellates in all three areas, suggesting that during late summer and early fall, there is a seasonal phytoplankton succession, where small phytoplankton become dominant, in the BS. In addition, the compositions of some long‐chain FAs (>20, such as 20:0, 20:1, 22:0 and 22:1n9) and ∑18 indicated that the food chain based on flagellates and copepods was more apparent in TWW‐controlled C. wilsoni, especially the effect of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the variation of prey communities in TWW‐controlled areas. FA markers such as SFA/(PUFA+MUFA), ∑15 + ∑17 and ARA were more pronounced in TWW‐controlled C. wilsoni, indicating a more strongly carnivorous and benthic food source. In the TBW–TWW confluence, the complex hydrological structure, including the presence of a large number of mesoscale eddies, allows rich nutrients and krill larvae to remain in it, providing a rich food source for the C. wilsoni. Overall, the FA data of this study show that the diet of C. wilsoni varies in different marine environments, aiding their survivability at the face of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular structure generation is a critical problem for materials science and has attracted growing attention. The problem is challenging since it requires to generate chemically valid molecular structures. Inspired by the recent work in deep generative models, we propose a graph recurrent neural network model for drug molecular structure generation, briefly called MGRNN (Molecular Graph Recurrent Neural Networks). MGRNN combines the advantages of both iterative molecular generation algorithm and the efficiency of the training strategies. Moreover, MGRNN shows: (i) efficient computation for training; (ii) high model robustness for data; and (iii) an iterative sampling process, which allows to use chemical domain expertise for valency checking. Experimental results show that MGRNN is able to generate 69 % chemically valid molecules even without chemical knowledge and 100 % valid molecules with chemical rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long noncoding RNA antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) plays a critical role in the development of atherosclerosis. However, the precise effect of ANRIL on endothelial dysfunction remains unclear. In this study, we investigated ANRIL expression in patients with coronary artery disease and elucidated the molecular mechanism underlying its effect. ANRIL expression was detected in the blood plasma of 111 patients. We analysed the correlation between ANRIL and endothelial dysfunction markers. We also examined the effect of ANRIL on the regulation of endothelial dysfunction. ANRIL levels were increased in patients with acute coronary syndrome. The expression of ANRIL is associated with the inflammatory cytokines monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 and interleukin‐10, which are secreted in response to endothelial dysfunction. Knockdown of ANRIL significantly promoted cell proliferation and tubule formation and inhibited inflammatory activation and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). ANRIL‐mediated inhibition of let‐7b regulates HUVEC dysfunction by targeting the TGF‐βR1/Smad signalling pathway. This study highlights a new therapeutic strategy for preventing endothelial dysfunction associated with cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe 4 of the most common autoantibodies against components of the Th/To complex: human POP1 (hPOP1), RPP25, RPP30, and RPP40. We report their prevalence and clinical characteristics in a systemic sclerosis (SSc) population, and determine whether these specificities are associated with cancer. Methods: A case–control study was performed using data from the Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center Cohort. A total of 804 adult patients with SSc were included; 401 SSc patients with no history of cancer after at least 5 years of disease were compared to 403 SSc patients who ever had a history of cancer. Antibodies against hPOP1, RPP25, RPP30, and RPP40 were assayed by immunoprecipitation of 35S‐methionine–labeled proteins generated by in vitro transcription/translation. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between groups. Results: Of 804 patients, 67 (8.3%) had antibodies against any component of the Th/To complex. Patients with antibodies to any component were significantly more likely to have limited cutaneous disease, less likely to have tendon friction rubs, and more likely to have findings consistent with interstitial lung disease or pulmonary hypertension. Patients with antibodies against hPOP1, RPP25, RPP30, and/or RPP40 were significantly less likely to develop cancer within 2 years of SSc onset (0% versus 11% of antibody‐negative patients; P = 0.009). Conclusion: SSc patients who produce autoantibodies to components of the Th/To complex have a clinical phenotype characterized by limited cutaneous disease and pulmonary involvement. Our findings show that the presence of any Th/To autoantibody may have a protective effect against contemporaneous cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A D‐A‐D′ type pure organic molecule, named ODFRCZ, has unique triple‐emission character covering fluorescence, phosphorescence, and delayed fluorescence (DF). The phosphorescence of ODFRCZ has a rather long lifetime of about 350 ms at room temperature. One dimer of ODFRCZ with enhanced parallel molecular packing acts more effectively to prompt ISC processes, which further generates room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP), owing to the larger transition dipole moment and closer energy level between S1 and Tn. ODFRCZ is a rare example of an organic RTP molecule that shows dual‐stimuli responsiveness of dual‐mode mechanochromism (fluorescence red‐shift and RTP/DF on‐off switch) and reversible crystal‐state photochromism. This work may broaden the knowledge for stimuli‐responsive RTP organic molecules and lay the foundation for their wide‐scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CH4/N2 separation is one of the great challenges in gas separation, which is of scientific and practical importance, such as in the upgrading of unconventional natural gas. Unfortunately, the separation performance is still quite low so far mainly due to their very close physical properties. In this work, a high‐throughput computational screening method was performed to develop metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for efficient CH4/N2 separation. General designing rules as well as the correlation between selectivity and our proposed adsorbility (AD) parameter were obtained by carrying out systematic GCMC simulations of the existing 5109 CoRE MOFs. With the aid of this information, five virtual MOFs were screened out from the large database with 303 991 generated MOFs constructed in our previous work, exhibiting much higher selectivities than all the reported values. Among them, the selectivity of Zn‐PYZ‐BPY‐1 can reach over 29.0, about 2.4 times of the highest value reported in the literature. These results may not only suggest promising candidates for CH4/N2 separation but also provide useful information for large screening of MOFs for other specific separation mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective separation of acetylene (C2H2) from carbon dioxide (CO2) remains one of the most challenging industrial processes because of their very similar molecular sizes and physical properties. Considering the low compression limit of C2H2, it is highly desirable to seek porous materials with specific adsorption sites for efficiently discriminating the two gases under ambient conditions. With accurate force fields derived at the ab‐initio level, a large‐scale computational screening was performed in this work to explore the performances of a library of MOFs with open Cu sites for C2H2/CO2 separation. Out of about 800 existing materials retrieved in our database, 3 MOFs were identified that outperform the current adsorbents in terms of C2H2/CO2 selectivity and C2H2 uptake. This prediction paves the ways towards the revisit of such MOFs for this targeted application. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 4089–4096, 2018 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Long Valley volcanic region, eastern California, has been characterized by recurrent and generally explosive eruptions in the past 180,000 years, originating from a N/S elongated area ~50 km in extent, including the Mammoth Mountain lava dome complex, the Mono‐Inyo volcanic chain, and their peripheries. Several temporal clusters of activity have been observed in a relatively well‐preserved time‐stratigraphic record, which is nevertheless affected by uncertainties. This study has two main objectives: (1) to fully describe the past eruption record by using a stochastic model capable of combining radiometric ages and stratigraphic constraints and, (2) based on the uncertainty assessment, to develop a doubly stochastic, long‐term temporal model based on the current situation. Multiple approaches are described and compared, and multimodel forecasts are also presented. Our findings provide fundamental information for hazard assessment and forecasting of the next eruption in the Long Valley volcanic region, of which the mean probability of occurrence is estimated to be ~2.5% in the next 10 years and ~22.5% in the next 100 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovering high‐performance metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) with open metal sites has become an increasingly hot research topic in the field of safe storage and transportation of acetylene. Following the concept of Materials Genomics proposed recently, a database of 502 experimental MOFs was built by searching the structures deposited in the CSD with the dicopper paddle‐wheel node Cu2(COO)4 as the characteristic materials gene. On the basis of the developed ab initio force field, a high‐throughput computational screening was conducted to examine the property‐performance relationships of MOFs containing Cu‐OMS for C2H2 storage at ambient conditions. The optimal ranges of the structural and energetic features for the design of such MOFs were suggested. From our computational screening, three potentially promising MOFs were identified which exhibit a performance outperforming those MOFs reported experimentally so far with record high gravimetric C2H2 uptakes, both in the total and deliverable adsorption capacities. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 1389–1398, 2018 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of defect-free and optimized thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes is an effective way to enhance the process of organic solvent nanofiltration. However, it still remains a great challenge due to poor filler particle dispersibility in organic phase and compatible issue between fillers and polymers. Aiming at these difficulties, UiO-66-NH2 nanoparticles were surface modified with long alkyl chains and used in the preparation of TFN membranes. As a result, defect-free TFN membranes with ultrathin MOF@polyamide layer were successfully prepared benefited from the improved particle dispersibility in n-hexane. Significant enhancement was found in methanol permeance after nanoparticle incorporation, without comprising the tetracycline rejection evidently. Especially, the novel TFN membrane prepared with organic phase solution containing 0.15% (w/v) modified UiO-66-NH2 nanoparticles showed a superior methanol permeance of 20 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1 and a tetracycline rejection of about 99%, which is appealing to the application in pharmaceutical industry for example. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 1303-1312, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF) emerges as an advanced functional material for small-molecule delivery due to its unique features such as high loading and pH-sensitive degradation, there are extreme short of knowledge regarding its biological functions. To qualify this category of delivery vehicle, ZIF-8 nanoparticles (ZIF-NPs) with or without cargo are engineered and comprehensively investigated in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, ZIF-NPs demonstrate strong bioadhesion but with limited internalization themselves, which enhance the membrane-mediated ROS and are different from that of inorganic ZnO inducing mitochondria-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) without biomembrane damage. Unexpected high concentration is found in lung, probably due to the particle size and distribution of the nanocarriers; however, the drug levels drop dramatically with time, revealing the fast degradation and elimination. At the given doses, ZIF-NPs exhibit reasonably biosafety in animal tests as evidenced by their acceptable system and blood biocompatibilities, and minimal impacts on the liver and renal functions, immune cells, inflammatory factors, etc. ZIF-NPs with fluorouracil loading (5F@ZIF-NPs) significantly improve the therapeutic outcome of lung metastasis tumor in a nude mice model. Generally, ZIF-NPs demonstrate unique biological functions in terms of bio-nano interaction, pulmonary accumulation, biocompatibility, and antitumor therapy, which endow them potential as the delivery vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine-tuning of effective pore size of microporous materials is necessary to achieve precise molecular sieving properties. Herein, we demonstrate that room temperature ionic liquids can be used as cavity occupants for modification of the microenvironment of MOF nanocages. Targeting CO2 capture applications, we tailored the effective cage size of ZIF- 8 to be between CO2 and N2 by confining an imidazoliumbased ionic liquid [bmim][Tf2N] into ZIF-8's SOD cages by in-situ ionothermal synthesis. Mixed matrix membranes derived from ionic liquid-modified ZIF-8 exhibited remarkable combinations of permeability and selectivity that transcend the upper bound of polymer membranes for CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 separation. We observed an unusual response of the membranes to varying pressure, that is, an increase in the CO2/CH4 separation factor with pressure, which is highly desirable for practical applications in natural gas upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular retinoic acid binding protein 2 ( CRABP2) is essential for myoblast differentiation, however, little is known about its role in osteogenic differentiation. This study mainly aims to explore the biological functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms of CRABP2 in osteogenesis. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot assays, we found that the expression of CRABP2 at both mRNA and protein levels were downregulated during osteogenesis. Furthermore, CRABP2 knockdown displayed significant changes in the cell phenotype and the actin filaments (F-actin) polymerization in C2C12 cells treated with BMP2. Moreover, the western blotting of osteogenic differentiation biomarkers, alkaline phosphatase ( ALP) staining and Alizarin red staining showed that CRABP2 dramatically inhibited osteogenic differentiation. The following investigation of molecular mechanisms implicated that CARBP2 specifically interacted with LIMK1, a key factor in acin cytoskeletal rearrangements in osteogenesis, to interrupt its activity and stability in an ubiquitin-proteasome pathway to prevent C2C12 cells from osteogenic differentiation in response to BMP2. Above all, our data suggest a novel function of CRABP2 in regulating actin remodeling and osteogenic differentiation via LIMK1, thus presenting a possible molecular target for promoting the osteogenic differentiation in bone degenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which demonstrated that a new Zr-based metal-organic framework (MOF), containing two carboxylic functions grafted on the organic linkers, which shows great promises for carbon dioxide-nitrogen gas mixture separation with good selectivity and relatively high working capacity. This material can be used as an alternative to conventional porous solids involved in the physiorption-based processes.

Molecular simulations were performed to study a diverse collection of 105 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for their ability to remove CH4 from CH4/H2 mixture. To investigate the practical industrial application in a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process, working capacity was also considered in addition to selectivity. The results show that MOFs are promising candidate for this separation, which give higher adsorption selectivity with similar working capacity and higher working capacity with similar selectivity than the traditional nanoporous materials such as carbonaceous materials and zeolites. To quantitatively describe the structure-property relationship for CH4/H2 mixture separation in MOFs, a new concept named 'adsorbility' was defined, which shows strong correlation with limiting selectivity, with a correlation coefficient ( r2) of 0.86. This work shows that although MOFs are promising materials for CH4/H2 mixture separation, more investigations that consider both selectivity and working capacity are necessary to screen MOFs in practical PSA application. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies identified several single-point mutants of the prion protein that displayed dominant-negative effects on prion replication. The dominant-negative effect was assumed to be mediated by protein X, an as-yet-unknown cellular cofactor that is believed to be essential for prion replication. To gain insight into the mechanism that underlies the dominant-negative phenomena, we evaluated the effect of the Q218K variant of full-length recombinant prion protein (Q218K rPrP), one of the dominant-negative mutants, on cell-free polymerization of wild-type rPrP into amyloid fibrils. We found that both Q218K and wild-type (WT) rPrPs were incorporated into fibrils when incubated as a mixture; however, the yield of polymerization was substantially decreased in the presence of Q218K rPrP. Furthermore, in contrast to fibrils produced from WT rPrP, the fibrils generated in the mixture of WT and Q218K rPrPs did not acquire the proteinase K-resistant core of 16 kDa that was shown previously to encompass residues 97-230 and was similar to that of PrPSc. Our studies demonstrate that the Q218K variant exhibits the dominant-negative effect in cell-free conversion in the absence of protein X, and that this effect is, presumably, mediated by physical interaction between Q218K and WT rPrP during the polymerization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rolling oil sludge (ROS) is a type of solid waste produced during steel rolling; this waste contains not only a high iron content but also many harmful organic components and is a very attractive secondary resource. This paper introduces the sources and hazards of ROS, summarizes the recycling methods integrated with steel production, classifies traditional treatment technologies, and analyzes their advantages and disadvantages. Combined treatment is the main direction of ROS treatment methods in the future. The ROS recycling techniques applied in different industries are summarized. Finally, existing problems and future work are described to promote the remediation and resource utilization of ROS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]