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Injection of total saponins from Panax notoginseng (ISPN) is a modern preparation derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is widely applied in the treatment of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, ophthalmology, and endocrine system diseases. With the increase in the clinical application of ISPN, its adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and related safety issues have attracted much attention. In the present study, a data-independent acquisition (DIA) strategy was proposed to comprehensively characterize the saponins contained in ISPN based on the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-Orbitrap MS (UHPLC/Q-Orbitrap MS) platform. As many as 276 saponins were detected, and 250 compounds were identified or tentatively identified based on the retention times and MS/MS data. Furthermore, a metabolomic strategy was utilized to discover the discriminative saponins between normal and ADR batches. The results showed that six saponins, including ginsenoside Rh4, ginsenoside Rk3, ginsenoside Rg5, ginsenoside Rk1, ginsenoside Rg6, and 20(S)-ginsenoside Rh2, were significantly different between the two groups. According to cytotoxicity analysis and degranulation detection of RBL-2H3 cells, ginsenoside Rg5, ginsenoside Rk1, and 20(S)-ginsenoside Rh2 were considered the potential compounds responsible for clinical ADRs, ultimately. In addition, the quantitative analysis showed that the content of these three compounds in ISPN samples with ADRs was generally higher than that in samples without ADRs. This study demonstrated that it is advisable to screen out potential markers related to ADRs for developing the quality standard of ISPN by the integration of untargeted metabolomic analysis and cell biology study, and thus reduce its ADRs in the clinic.

Obesity is a metabolic disease that is accompanied by oxidative stress. Mitochondrial dysfunction is closely associated with the occurrence and development of obesity. However, it is unclear if there are differences in mitochondrial redox homeostasis and energy metabolism between obesity‐prone (OP) and obesity‐resistant (OR) individuals and if these differences account for the different susceptibilities to developing obesity. The present study aimed to compare the regulation of energy metabolism between OP and OR rats during high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced oxidative stress. Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into the control group and the HFD group. The HFD group was further divided into the OP and OR groups based on body weight gain (upper 1/3 for OP; lower 1/3 for OR) after eight weeks on HFD. Rats were sacrificed at the 8th and 20th week, and serum and organs were collected. At 8 weeks, HFD decreased mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme activity and increased the production of ROS in the OP rats, which was accompanied by unusual mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and decreased ATP production. When the feeding period was extended beyond the 8 weeks, the energy expenditure of the OP rats reduced further, resulting in elevated blood lipids and glucose levels and increased body weight. In contrast, the OR rats had higher mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme activity and normal redox homeostasis throughout the period, which was beneficial in energy utilization and ATP production. Thus, the increase in energy expenditure in the OR rats reduced the HFD‐induced weight gain. Mitochondrial function and antioxidant defense might be involved in the different propensities for developing obesity. Consequently, the ability of OR rats to resist obesity may be attributed to their ability to maintain mitochondrial function and redox balance., Mitochondrial function and antioxidant defense might be involved in the different propensities for developing obesity. The ability of rats to resist obesity may be attributed to their ability to maintain mitochondrial function and redox balance.

Plants produce a number of biological active substances with healthy benefits. Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene), a polyphenol produced by plants has been associated with many health beneficial properties, including its ability to induce mitochondrial biogenesis and fight against health problems such as obesity, inflammation, heart diseases, cancers among others. Mitochondrial dysfunction is recognized as central to the pathogenesis and development of many diseases. Thus the present review describes how resveratrol (RSV) may counteract physiological and age-related diseases/disorders through its effect on mitochondrial biogenesis and function. In addition, we discuss the chemistry, main sources, and the doses of RSV shown in previous studies to be efficient for the prevention and treatment of different diseases. Through its ability to improve mitochondrial dysfunction, RSV can be used in the prevention and/or treatment of human physiological diseases. However, more research for optimal dose in a human scale is still relevant. This review brings new hope to the therapy of physiological diseases as it will provide useful future perspectives for the planning of clinical studies on RSV and mitochondrial dysfunction-related diseases.

Oxidized tyrosine products (OTP) have been detected in commercial foods with high protein content, such as meat and milk products. OTP intake induces tissue oxidative stress and affects the normal activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (HPT). This study aims to investigate the effects of OTP and their main product, dityrosine (Dityr), on mouse myocardial function and myocardial energy metabolism. Mice received daily intragastric administration of either tyrosine (Tyr; 420 μg/kg body weight), Dityr (420 μg/kg body weight), or OTP (1909 μg/kg body weight) for 35 days. Additionally, H9c2 cells were incubated with various concentrations of Dityr for 72 h. We found that OTP and pure Dityr induced oxidative stress in growing mice and in H9c2 cells, resulting in a redox state imbalance, myocardial injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, and energy metabolism disorder. Dityr interferes with T3 regulation of the myocardium via the PI3K/AKT/GSK3β pathway, leading to myocardial mitochondrial damage and energy metabolism disorders. Food-borne OTP, especially Dityr, can disrupt thyroid hormone function in mouse myocardia leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, energy metabolism disorder, and oxidative stress.

Fish fillet is heavily influenced by swimming exercise and other factors leading to a great change in fish physiology. During the present study, muscle cellularity, texture and composition, antioxidant activities and flavor characteristics were assessed and compared between non-exercised (N-EXF) and long-term exercised Largemouth bass. Exercised fish (EXF) showed improve in muscle cellularity and texture with high protein, hydroxyproline, collagen and low crude lipid compared to N-EXF. In addition, EXF showed Higher INOS, T-AOC, CAT and lower MDA, indicating high antioxidant activities in EXF compared to N-EXF. Furthermore, EXF showed lower hydrocarbons and alcohols content but higher in carboxylic acid, esters and aromatic compounds content compared N-EXF. EXF also showed lower TMAO, TMA, HX and high IMP content, indicating better freshness. Generally, EXF largemouth bass should be preferred depends on its high nutrition value, better flesh and freshness quality; and pleasant flavor.

The mild hydro-chemical process has been commercially demonstrated as an effective method to extract alumina from high alumina fly ash. This study investigated the formation mechanism of an undesirable aluminum-containing by-product, hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCA, 1.2Na2O·0.8CaO·Al2O3·2SiO2·H2O), produced during the mild hydro-chemical process and its mitigation strategy. The effects of reaction temperature, residence time and mole ratio of calcium to silicon on the alumina extraction and phase transformation of the leaching residues have been investigated, confirming the formation of HSCA phase being responsible for the decrease of alumina extraction efficiency. At the low Ca(OH)2 addition, the HSCA phase could be easily transformed from Na8Al6Si6O24(OH)2(H2O)2 combining with Ca(OH)2. On the other hand, when the addition of Ca(OH)2 was abundant, the existence of the NaCaHSiO4 product layer would insulate most of Ca(OH)2 from the Na8Al6Si6O24(OH)2(H2O)2 causing formation of HSCA. Based on the reaction mechanism and coating effect analysis, the mitigation strategy was also proposed. By increasing stirring speed to break the NaCaHSiO4 coating layer, HSCA phase could be completely avoided and a qualified alumina extraction efficiency of 90.84% could be achieved.

To recycle the solid waste coal fly ash (CFA), a new approach of adding Ni-coated coal fly ash (Ni-CFA) to waterborne inorganic zinc-rich coatings (ZRCs) was proposed. The effect of Ni-CFA on the corrosion resistance of ZRCs was investigated systematically using open-circuit potential (OCP) measurements, the DC polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that the addition of 6.6 wt% Ni-CFA noticeably improved the cathodic protection of the coating due to the electrical conductivity of the Ni layer and decreased the corrosion current when providing barrier protection. Meanwhile, the active SiO2 on the surface of CFA was found to increase the degree of cross-linking of the potassium silicate, resulting in better mechanical properties of the coating, as measured using a bending test. Three corrosion stages were observed, with equivalent circuits expressed by R(QR), R(Q(R(QR)))(QR) and R(Q(RW)).

The effect of graphene nanosheets on corrosion resistance of waterborne inorganic zinc-rich coatings was investigated in the paper. Coatings were applied on the carbon steel panels with different composition of zinc and graphene. The anticorrosion properties of the waterborne inorganic zinc-rich coatings were investigated by DC polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that the addition of graphene improved the effective zinc content and the cathodic protection of the coating due to the electrical conductivity of the graphene. The coating with 2 wt% graphene maintained cathodic protection for 40 days. XPS results showed that Zn5(OH)8Cl2 was the main corrosion products on the surface of the coating and graphene greatly improved the corrosion rate of the zinc particles.

Renin is a pepsin-like aspartyl protease and an important drug target for the treatment of hypertension; despite three decades’ research, its pH-dependent structure-function relationship remains poorly understood. Here we employed the continuous constant pH molecular dynamics (CpHMD) simulations to decipher the acid/base roles of renin’s catalytic dyad and the conformational dynamics of the flap, which is a common structural feature among aspartyl proteases. The calculated pKa’s suggest that the catalytic Asp38 and Asp226 serve as the general base and acid, respectively, in agreement with experiment and supporting the hypothesis that renin’s neutral optimum pH is due to the substrate-induced pKa shifts of the aspartic dyad. The CpHMD data confirmed our previous hypothesis that hydrogen bond formation is the major determinant of the dyad pKa order. Additionally, our simulations showed that renin’s flap remains open regardless of pH, although a Tyr-inhibited state is occasionally formed above pH 5. These findings are discussed in comparison to the related aspartyl proteases, including β-secretases 1 and 2, capthepsin D, and plasmepsin II. Our work represents a first step towards a systematic understanding of the pH-dependent structure-dynamics-function relationships of pepsin-like aspartyl proteases that play important roles in biology and human disease states.

Background Sodium butyrate (NaB) is obtained by fermenting dietary fiber via intestinal microflora and has recently been shown to improve some antioxidant enzymes in vivo. Methods In this study, we investigated the antioxidant effects of Sodium butyrate on obesity rats induced by high-fed diet. Results NaB intervention could effectively reduce the body weight of rats in the obesity-prone(OP) and obesity-resistant(OR)group, and reduce insulin resistance, plasma lipid, protect the gastrocnemius muscle and pancreas from oxidative stress induced by high fat diet, upregulate T-AOC, antioxidant enzyme activity and GSH/GSSG ratio, reduce ROS level and MDA content. NaB may increase Pi3k, Nrf2, Nqo-1, Ho-1 and inhibit Gsk-3β mRNA expression by regulating Nrf2 antioxidant pathway to enhance tissue antioxidant capacity. At the same time, NaB intervention could significantly increase the expression of Glut4 and Irs-1 mRNA in gastrocnemius muscle of OP and OR rats, suppress the expression of Bax and Caspase 3, increase the mRNA expression of Pdx1, MafA and Bcl-2, and increase insulin secretion and muscle insulin sensitivity. The regulatory effect of NaB was correlated with its significantly increased activity of mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes, mitochondrial membrane potential, NADH/NAD+ ratio, acetyl-CoA and ATP production, Tfam and Pgc-1α expression and mitochondrial DNA copy number. In addition, 6% NaB intervention in OP rats, 4%NaB intervention in OR rats were more significant, indicating that there were dose effects of NaB intervention in different obesity phenotypes. Conclusions NaB activates the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway, enhances the expression level of downstream antioxidant genes, improves the antioxidant capacity of obese rat tissues, and at the same time promotes muscle protein synthesis, improves insulin sensitivity, and promotes glucose metabolism.

The leaching kinetics of niobium-bearing mineralisation in KOH hydrothermal system was investigated. Particle size analyzer, XRD and SEM were used for studying the influences of mechanical activation on particle size, surface area, crystal structure and surface morphology of niobium-bearing mineralisation. The results showed that mechanical activation decreased the mineral particle size, increased the surface area and the degree of lattice distortion or disorder. Kinetics of alkali leaching of niobium is modeled and explained. The activation energy of niobium leaching from unactivated niobium-bearing mineralisation was 45.6 kJ/mol. When the mineralisation was activated for 10 min and 30 min, the activation energy decreased to 32.2 kJ/mol and 21.9 kJ/mol respectively. Compared with the non-mechanical activation method, mechanical activation greatly improved the activity of niobium-bearing mineralisation and decreased the activation energy, so that the reaction speed was accelerated remarkably.

Highly crystalline, high-purity β-SiC whiskers were successfully synthesised from a mixed sol of coal fly ash (CFA) and water glass (a silicon resource), and activated carbon (a carbon source) in a carbothermic reduction. The efficiency of the process is over 70%. The alkali activation effects of the water glass on CFA were characterised by FTIR and MAS-NMR. In the activation reaction, silicate frameworks of water glass and CFA became connected to form a large network, producing a stable, uniform sol system. Experiments and thermodynamic analyses were used to study the effects of Na 2 O, Al 2 O 3 , and Fe 2 O 3 on the synthesis of β-SiC whiskers, revealing that Na 2 O does not affect the synthesis process while Al 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 promote the elongation of the SiC whiskers. The results of this study may not only help to reduce the production cost of SiC whiskers but also allow value to be extracted from waste.

Extraction of alumina from high-alumina fly ash (HAFA) enhances the value-added utilization of HAFA. However, this industrial application has been restricted by the high silica content of HAFA. Thus, alumina enrichment via the separation of silica is a key technique for HAFA utilization. In this study, a novel method of alumina enrichment by ammonium fluoride activation was proposed. The influence of the ammonium fluoride to silica in HAFA molar ratio (F/Si), the calcination temperature, and calcination time on the alumina to silica mass ratio (Al/Si) of the calcined product were investigated. The results showed that the Al/Si ratio reached 8.83 when HAFA with a F/Si ratio of 5.0 was calcined at 850 °C for 60 min. Silica in HAFA was transformed into gaseous ammonium fluosilicate, which was separated from the calcined product by condensation, thereby increasing the Al/Si ratio. However, impurities in HAFA inhibited further improvement of the Al/Si ratio. Subsequently, dissolution of ammonium fluosilicate with a surfactant produced silica nanoparticles with a surface area of 454.2 m 2 /g and a recyclable ammonium fluoride solution through an ammonification process. Thus, this work provides a novel strategy for the high-value utilization of HAFA.

Compared with lentic freshwater systems, lotic systems support swimming and metabolic activities that improve the quality of fish raised for food. This study evaluated the quality and flavor of black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) fish fillets produced by long-term farming in lotic and lentic freshwater systems. Physiochemical variables, flavor characteristics, freshness indicators, and meat texture were compared. Specimens were cooked at 105 °C at normal atmospheric pressure in order to evaluate the fish samples after heating process. The lotic population (LOP) had significantly greater growth, protein content, better textural traits, and lower total fat content compared with the lentic population (LEP). LOP fish were rich in C20:1n-9 fatty acids and total amino acids. LOP were rich in volatile compounds including esters, alcohols, and aldehydes but poor in alkanes and acids. Raw (R)-LEP fish were higher in trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) than R-LOP fish. Cooked (C)-LOP fish were high in TMAO and low in trimethylamine (TMA) compared with C-LEP fish. R-LOP and C-LOP fish were both high in adenosine monophosphate (AMP) compared with R-LEP and C-LEP fish. Inosine (HxR) content was higher in C-LOP than in C-LEP fish. LOP-raised black carp are preferred because of the nutritional value, pleasant flavor, and related health benefits.

A novel method for the recovery of sodium from alumina-extracted fly ash (AEFA) using concentrated Na2CO3 solution is presented. Sodium was efficiently extracted from AEFA, which was mainly composed of NaCaHSiO4. The factors influencing the process were systematically investigated, and the optimal conditions were determined to be: reaction temperature = 180?C, Na2CO3 concentration = 170 g/L, liquid-to-solid ratio = 10 mL/g, and reaction time = 2 h. Under optimal conditions, a low Na2O content of 1.02 wt% of the products, with Na2O extraction rate of 93.79% was achieved. The results indicated that this process was more effective than the recovery of sodium from AEFA using a dilute NaOH solution. Furthermore, this process avoided the production of a dilute NaOH solution, therefore lowering the energy consumption during the concentration and recycling of sodium, when compared with the NaOH-based route. Therefore, the recovery of sodium from AEFA using concentrated Na2CO3 solution is more suitable for use in industrial applications.

Red mud (RM) is a solid waste produced in the process of alumina extraction from bauxite and causes serious environmental problem. The recycle of alumina and alkali from RM by hydro-chemical process is believed to be an effective method for the utilization of RM. However, this industrial application has been limited for its difficulty in the solid-liquid separation of leached slurry and the low alumina extraction efficiency. In this paper, a novel process for the combined treatment of RM and coal fly ash (CFA) was proposed, and the effect of the mass ratio of CFA to RM, the Fe2O3 content and A/S (mass ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2) of the CFA on the extraction alumina efficiency and the filtration rate of leached slurry were investigated. When the CFA with A/S of 1.35 was used and the mass ratio CFA to RM was 1:1, the alumina extraction efficiency can be elevated from 72.14% to 91.70%. Especially, the filtration rate of leached slurry increased from 0.308 m3/(m2·h) to 1.264 m3/(m2·h). In addition, by decreasing the Fe2O3 content and increasing the A/S of CFA, the filtration rate of leached slurry could be enhanced obviously and the alumina in the mixture of RM and CFA could be extracted effectively. The results of phases and morphology of the residues showed that the increase of alumina extraction efficiency is attributed to two chemical processes, one is the complete transformation from Na8(Al6Si6O24)(OH)2.04(H2O)2.66 to NaCaHSiO4, and the other is the reduction of the generation of Ca3(Fe0.87Al0.13)2(SiO4)1.65(OH)5.4 with the increase of mass ratio CFA to RM. Furthermore, the growing number and length-diameter ratio of the rod-like structure of NaCaHSiO4 particles resulted in the increase in the filtration rate of leached slurry.

Owing to the depletion of bauxite and increasing demand for alumina, calcination methods for extracting alumina from coal fly ash (CFA) were developed. However, these methods have disadvantages such as the need for high temperatures and the emission of toxic gases. Hence, in this study, Al2O3 was extracted from CFA via low-temperature potassium bisulfate calcination technology. Effects of the potassium bisulfate amount, calcination temperature, and calcination time on the alumina extraction efficiency were investigated using X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetry, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. It was found that this technique could recover alumina efficiently, and potassium bisulfate significantly contributed to the degradation of mullite and corundum phases. Al2O3 in CFA was converted into soluble K3Al(SO4)3. With a KHSO4/Al2O3 molar ratio of 7:1, calcining temperature of 230 &deg, C, and calcining time of 3 h, the alumina extraction efficiency reached a maximum of 92.8%. The Avrami&ndash, Erofeev equation showed the best fit with the kinetic data for the low-temperature calcination of CFA with KHSO4. The activation energy was 28.36 kJ/mol.

A novel fiber-reinforced calcium silicate board was prepared from fly ash. The effects of compression pressure, pulp fiber content, and cement content on the flexural strength and thermal c...

Ephedrine abuse has spread in many parts of the world, severely threatening human health. The mechanism of ephedrine toxicity is still unclear. To explore the possible neural mechanisms of ephedrine toxicity, this study established a non-human primate model of ephedrine exposure, analyzed the functional connectivity changes in its prefrontal cortex through resting state BOLD-fMRI, and then inspected the pathophysiological changes as well as the expression of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB), phosphorylated CREB (P-CREB), and CREB target proteins (c-fos and fosB) in the prefrontal cortex. After ephedrine toxicity, we found that the prefrontal cortex of monkeys strengthened its functional connectivity with the brain regions that perform motivation, drive, reward, and learning and memory functions and weakened its functional connectivity with the brain regions that perform cognitive control. These results suggest that ephedrine toxicity causes abnormal neural circuits that lead to the amplification and enhancement of drug-related cues and the weakening and damage of cognitive control function. Histology showed that the neurocytotoxicity of ephedrine can cause neuronal degeneration and apoptosis. Real-time PCR and Western blot showed increased expression of CREB mRNA and CREB/P-CREB/c-fos/fosB protein in the prefrontal cortex after ephedrine toxicity. Collectively, the present study indicates that the enhancement of drug-related cues and the weakening of cognitive control caused by abnormal neural circuits after drug exposure may be a major mechanism of brain function changes caused by ephedrine. These histological and molecular changes may be the pathophysiological basis of brain function changes caused by ephedrine.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases worldwide. Although dopamine replacement therapy mitigates motor dysfunction in PD patients, there are no therapeutics that are currently available to reverse neuronal cell death in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), which is the main region for dopamine loss in PD patients. The protein concentration of the Pilose antler extracts (PAEs) was estimated using the Bradford Protein Assay Kit. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate the protective effect of PAEs on 6-OHDA induced cell death in PD model rats. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neuronal cell in SNc. HPLC-MS was used to detect dopamine (DA), 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and glutamate (Glu) levels in the striatum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The amino acid level in the striatum and CSF was measured by HPLC-FLD. Protein expression of growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and neurofilament heavy polypeptide (NF-H) was measured using western blotting. The components of PAEs through blood vessels were detected by HPLC/MS/MS. In this study, PAEs with proteins ranging from 10 kDa to 250 kDa molecular weight was administered to 6-OHDA-induced PD rats. We found that PAEs inhibited 6-OHDA-induced neuronal cell death and TH-positive neuronal loss in SNc. PAEs administration also increased the levels of DA, DOPAC, and 5-HT, in addition to DOPAC/DA and HVA/DA indexes in the CSF and Striatum of 6-OHDA induced rats. Conversely, PAEs decreased the levels of Glu and GABA. Treatment with PAEs and Madopar increased GAP-43 and NF-H expression in the SNc and striatum. Proteomic analysis using LC/MS/MS indicated that 11 components of PAEs may have neuropharmacological effects. These results demonstrate that PAEs protects against 6-OHDA induced toxic effects in the PD rat models. Intragastric administration of PAEs may be a novel therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative disorders like PD.

Calcium silicate hydrate and its Al-substituted form synthesized by a hydrothermal process were investigated by X-ray diffraction, compositional analysis, and magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectroscopy, in order to determine the mechanism of Al and Na incorporation in the tobermorite structure with varying molar ratios of Ca/Si and Al/Si. At a high molar ratio of Ca/Si, the silicate chains of tobermorite are ruptured, the degree of polymerization of the silicate chains is lowered, and the high calcium concentration lowers the content of Na2O in the structure. Solid-state 29Si and 27Al MAS NMR spectroscopy confirm that all Al atoms were incorporated in the silicate chains of tobermorite. The tetrahedrally coordinated Al (Al(IV)) could either act as the bridging tetrahedron (QB2) for the dreierketten chain of tobermorite, or be present in Q3 sites that link two dreierketten chains together. Therefore, the degree of polymerization of the silicate chains of tobermorite is increased at high molar ratio of Al/Si. Furthermore, the greater charge deficit due to the replacement of Si4+ by Al3+ ions is compensated by increased adsorption or binding of Na+.

Alumina extraction from high-alumina pulverized coal (PC) fly ash by a mild hydro-chemical process characterized by a high alkaline sodium aluminate solution was studied. A high alumina extraction efficiency of 96.03% has been achieved. The effects of temperature and reaction time on alumina extraction ratio, the phase transformation and the morphology change of the extraction residues have been investigated. The alumina extracting process involves two steps: transformation from mullite and corundum to an intermediate product aluminasilicate, Na 8 Al 6 Si 6 O 24 (OH) 2 (H 2 O) 2 , and then from the aluminasilicate to calcium sodium hydrate silicate (NaCaHSiO 4 ). The reaction temperature has been found to be critical for the alumina extraction and especially for the decomposition of the intermediate product Na 8 Al 6 Si 6 O 24 (OH) 2 (H 2 O) 2 at high temperatures (> 250 °C). With the aid of a specially designed rapid real-time sampling device, the kinetics of the decomposition of Na 8 Al 6 Si 6 O 24 (OH) 2 (H 2 O) 2 at high temperatures has also been studied and fitted by the Avrami–Erofeev equation. Furthermore, some engineering suggestions about the reactors design and prevention of pipe scaling have been proposed based on the kinetic results.

A new two-step process was developed for the synthesis of tobermorite fiber from high alumina fly ash. The results reveal that high alumina extraction efficiency from the fly ash can be achieved In the first step and tobermorite fiber with excellent properties can be produced from the dealuminatton slag in the second step. FETEM images show that typical single crystal fibers with a length of 5-10 mu m and a length-to-diameter ratio of 50-100 have been synthesized successfully. The strength tests after compression molding demonstrate that the compressive and flexural strengths of the products are greater than 0.34 MPa and 0.85 MPa, respectively, with a low bulk density of 218 kg/m(3) and a thermal conductivity of 0.059 W/(m.k). It fully complies with China's national standards for calcium silicate insulation materials. Therefore, the fibers production is very promising to be used in the building external wall thermal insulation application. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

To investigate the distribution characteristics of typical toxic elements in different mineralogical phases of fly ash is of significance when fly ash is comprehensively utilized. In this study, lignite fly ash can be preliminarily separated into three mineralogical phases: unburned lignite, iron microbeads and aluminate-silicate microbeads by two methods namely screening and dry magnetic separation. Then, the aluminate-silicate microbeads were subjected to two-step leaching. The first step was to investigate whether toxic elements migrated easily in the environment by column leaching test. In the second step, the aluminate-silicate microbeads were stripped from the surface of the particles to the internal by the acid-base combined leaching method, then the structural characteristics of the product and the trend of toxic elements content were explored. The results showed that there were few toxic elements in unburned lignite and the toxic elements Cr, Ni, Mo and Cd had a relatively high proportion in the iron microbeads. Column leaching results showed that the toxic elements V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Hg and Pb had higher leaching rates, which proved that these elements were significantly enriched on the surface of the particles and easily migrated in the environment. Cr, Mo, Cd and W were highly enriched in the quartz-mullite mixture. Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and As were highly enriched in the amorphous component. The toxic elements exhibited different leaching rules during the acid-base combined leaching process revealing the complex embedded relationship with constant elements.

Accumulation of high-arsenic fly ash (HAFA) poses a serious environmental threat due to the toxicity of As and release of other heavy metals especially Cr. In this work, a novel graphite felt (GF) cathode modified with the nanoscale MoS2/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) heterojunction is prepared by blending with PTFE emulsion for efficient synergistic oxidative dissolution of As(III) and Cr(III) in HAFA. By taking advantage of the p-n junction characteristics of the heterojunction and appropriate hydrophobicity of the PTFE coating, the modified GF efficiently utilizes both dissolved O2 and gaseous O2 in the 2e− oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Our theoretical assessment indicates that gaseous O2 adsorbs stably on sulfur vacancies and is reduced by electrons transmitted from rGO. Experimentally, the modified GF shows superior ORR catalytic activity as exemplified by a high peak current density of 8.41 mA cm−2 and onset potential of 0.53 V vs. RHE. OH generated by the Cr and Fe-triggered autocatalysis mechanism promotes oxidization of As(III) and Cr(III) in detoxification of HAFA resulting in 96.1% As removal as well as 70.74% Cr removal in 135 min. The modified GF with excellent stability and durability has immense industrial prospect in detoxification of HAFA and treatment of other types of As-containing hazardous wastes.

Background Combining conventional drugs and traditional medicine may represent a useful approach to combating antibiotic resistance, which has become a serious threat to global public health. This study aimed to evaluate the potential synergistic interactions between Tanreqing (TRQ) injection, a commercial traditional Chinese medicine formula used for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infection, and selected antibiotics used against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Methods The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of TRQ, vancomycin and linezolid against planktonic MRSA strain were determined by the broth microdilution method. The combined effects of TRQ and antibiotics were studied by the checkerboard method and the time-kill curve assay. The 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) reduction assay was employed to determine the inhibitory effect of the test compounds alone and in combination against MRSA embedded in biofilms. Results MRSA strain was found to be susceptible to TRQ formula with MIC value 4125 μg/ml, while the MIC values for antibiotics, vancomycin and linezolid, were 2.5 μg/ml. The checkerboard analysis revealed that TRQ markedly enhanced activities of the tested antibiotics by reducing their MICs. In the time-kill analysis, TRQ at 1/2 × MIC in combination with vancomycin at 1/2 × MIC, as well as TRQ at 1/8 × MIC in combination with linezolid at 1/2 × MIC decreased the viable colonies by ≥2log10 CFU/ml, resulting in a potent synergistic effect against planktonic MRSA. In contrast to the tested antibiotics, which did not affect mature MRSA biofilms at subinhibitory concentrations, TRQ alone showed strong ability to disrupt preformed biofilms and induce biofilm cell death. The combination of TRQ with vancomycin or linezolid at sub-MIC concentrations resulted in a synergistic antibiofilm effect significantly higher than for each single agent. Conclusions This study provides the first in vitro evidence on the synergistic effects of TRQ and vancomycin or linezolid against planktonic and biofilm MRSA, and revealed their optimal combination doses, thereby providing a rational basis for the combination therapies against MRSA.

In this study, a novel 27-locus system (now known as the SureID PanGlobal system), including 24 autosomal STRs (D3S1358, TH01, D21S11, D18S51, Penta E, D12S391, D6S1043, D2S1338, D1S1656, D2S441, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D19S433, CSF1PO, Penta D, vWA, D8S1179, TPOX, FGA, D16S539, D22S1045, SE33, D10S1248), two Y-chromosome markers (DYS391 and Y-indel) and the sex determining marker, Amelogenin was developed with six fluorescent dyes labeling. The included STR loci belonged to the core loci in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and the European Standard Set (ESS) as well as some additional loci commonly used in commercial kits and national DNA databases. This paper describes the validation studies conducted with the SureID PanGlobal system using Applied Biosystems 3500 XL Genetic Analyzer for fragment length detection that included the analysis of the following parameters and aspects: PCR conditions, sensitivity, species specificity, inhibition, precision, stutter, DNA mixtures, and stability studies with crime scene samples. The studies demonstrated that the SureID PanGlobal system is reproducible, accurate, sensitive and robust for forensic application and databasing. Additionally, the whole cycling time of the system can finish within 65 minutes, which was developed specifically for rapid and reliable generation of DNA profiles obtained from blood, buccal swabs and forensic stains.

Hydride abstraction reactions from 1′,2′,3′,4′,5′-pentamethylazaferrocene–boranes (PMAF-boranes, where borane = BH3, 9-bora[3.3.1]bicyclononane) using trityl cation in CH2Cl2 yielded the corresponding borenium cations, whose stability depends on the counteranion of the trityl salt. If the [BF4]− salt was employed, then fluoride abstraction from the anion occurred immediately, yielding PMAF-BF3 and other identifiable byproducts. If the [B(C6F5)4]− salt was employed, then the borenium ions were stable in solution at room temperature and could be characterized by 1H, 13C, and 11B NMR spectroscopy. Double hydroboration of [PMAF-BH2]+ with 1,5-cycloooctadiene yields the borenium ion of PMAF-9-bora[3.3.1]-bicyclononane, [PMAF-9BBN]+. Reaction of [PMAF-BH2]+ with excess PMAF yields the boronium cation [(PMAF)2BH2]+, which was isolated and crystallographically characterized as its [B(C6F5)4]− salt. Reaction of [PMAF-9BBN]+ with 2 equiv of N-methylimidazole leads to the boronium cation [(N-methylimidazole)2(BBN)]+...

Mast cells are major effector cells in both IgE-mediated immune responses and anaphylactoid reactions. During the process of anaphylaxis, mast cells synthesize and release inflammatory mediators from granules that induce anaphylactic symptoms. Currently, in vitro detection methods for mast cell degranulation include the colorimetric assay and morphological observations. These conventional methods are stable but have their own limitations in dynamic biological information being lost, cumbersome to operate and result with judgmental bias. To overcome these disadvantages, we developed a new approach to observe the dynamic process of degranulation in anaphylaxis. In brief, a RBL-2H3 cell line transfected with CD63-GFP (RBL-GFP) on secretory granules was established. After activated by compound 48/80 (C48/80), the degranulation process was observed by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) within 10 min, CD63-GFP-labeled granules were traced and the maximum velocity was calculated by Imaris image processing and analysis software. Conventional colorimetric assay (β-HEX assay) and the morphological imaging method (Scanning Electron Microscopy, SEM) were selected as control methods. The results showed that the granules in RBL-2H3 cells moved faster towards the plasma membrane and the number of intracellular granules significantly reduced (P < 0.05) after the addition of C48/80. The maximum velocity of granules was about 0.17 μm s−1. Furthermore, morphological changes were observed in cell and nuclear volume and pseudopodia protrusion in comparison with before treatment. Therefore, this approach is a sensitive, easy to handle and low cost method, which could be applied to visualize the dynamic process of mast cell degranulation in vitro.

Three-dimensional hierarchical boehmite hollow microspheres with a very high yield at low cost were successfully synthesized via a one-pot template-free solvothermal route using aluminum chloride hexahydrate as precursor in a mixed ethanol-water solution with assistance of trisodium citrate. The as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption techniques. The results show that Cl- and addition amount of trisodium citrate have significant effect on the morphologies of the resultant products, and 6-8 mmol of trisodium citrate is optimal for the synthesis of boehmite hollow microspheres assembled from randomly interconnecting and aligned nanorods with solvothermal time no less than 15 h. A synergistic mediation mechanism of citrate ions and Cl- to form boehmite hollow spheres via self-assembly morphology evolution was proposed based on the experimental results. Interestingly, the typical boehmite hollow microspheres with a surface area of 102 m(2) g(-1), pore volume of 0.37 cm(3) g(-1), and the average pore size of 14.6 nm show superb adsorption properties for Congo red with maximum capacity of 114.7 mg g(-1) which is higher than that of a commercial boehmite. This simple synthetic route is a very promising way for the design and synthesis of new functional hierarchical nanostructured materials with desired adsorptive properties. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the M20 loop conformational dynamics of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is severely restricted at the transition state of the hydride transfer as a result of the M42W/G121V double mutation. Consequently, the double-mutant enzyme has a reduced entropy of activation, i.e., increased entropic barrier, and altered temperature dependence of kinetic isotope effects in comparison with those of wild-type DHFR. Interestingly, in both wild-type DHFR and the double mutant, the average donor-acceptor distances are essentially the same in the Michaelis complex state (~3.5 Å) and the transition state (2.7 Å). It was found that an additional hydrogen bond is formed to stabilize the M20 loop in the closed conformation in the M42W/G121V double mutant. The computational results reflect a similar aim designed to knock out precisely the dynamic flexibility of the M20 loop in a different double mutant, N23PP/S148A.

Inhibition of STAT3 signaling pathway is proposed to be a promising strategy for cancer treatment. In this study, a series of 4-carbonyl-2,6-dibenzylidenecyclohexanone derivatives were prepared and evaluated as anticancer agents. The most potent compound 13r was discovered to exhibit antiproliferative activity against a broad rang of cancer cell lines and relatively low cytotoxicity against normal human cells. Besides, 13r effectively suppressed STAT3 expression as well as phosphorylation, and surface plasmon resonance analysis confirmed the direct interaction of 13r with STAT3. Docking simulation showed that 13r could inhibit STAT3 by targeting SH2 domain. This study provided evidence for these compounds to be further developed as antitumor agents through inhibition of the STAT3 pathway.

BACKGROUND Hormonal effects on the gubernaculum can affect testicular descent. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a nonsteroidal synthetic estrogen that disrupts the outgrowth of gubernaculums, leading to testis maldescent. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. MATERIAL AND METHODS The gubernaculum were removed from 3-day-old mice and cultured. The subcultured cells were randomly divided into a normal control group and experimental groups. The DES groups were administered 10 μg/ml, 1 μg/ml, 0.1 μg/ml, 0.01 μg/ml of diethylstilbestrol dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) respectively. The cell morphology was observed under an inverted microscope, and leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 8 (LGR8) was localized by immunofluorescence. The expressions of LGR8 gene and protein in gubernaculum cells were quantified by RT-PCR and Flow Cytometer respectively. RESULTS DES treatment converted cells from a normal fibroblast-like morphology into a more refractile, spindle-shaped morphology or irregular elliptical shapes along with cytoplasmic shrinkage. LGR8 was expressed in the cytoplasmic membrane, DES dose-dependently downregulated LGR8 expression at low doses (≤1.0 μg/ml), but upregulated LGR8 at high doses (10 μg/ml) at both the mRNA and protein levels. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that DES causes testicular maldescent by altering the LGR8 pathway in mouse gubernaculum testis cells.

Titanocene bis(catecholborane), [Cp2Ti(HBcat)2] (1), catalyzes the room-temperature hydroboration of carbonyl compounds by pinacolborane (HBpin) rapidly, cleanly, and chemoselectively. Aryl aldehydes and ketones produced alkoxypinacolboronate esters in moderate to high yields in 2 h, and facile hydrolysis of alkoxypinacolboronate esters over silica occurred cleanly to afford alcohols in good yields. Complex 1 demonstrated a preference for C═O bonds over C═C bonds in both conjugated and nonconjugated enones. Kinetic studies of the catalytic hydroboration of a series of acetophenones showed that electron-poor substrates undergo the reaction more quickly than electron-rich substrates. This result is consistent with the proposed mechanism, in which stronger π-acids should undergo C═O bond cleavage more readily. Computational studies using benzophenone and benzaldehyde showed that the hydroboration is spontaneous and likely proceeds via intermediates that are best described as Ti metallacycles whose structures...

A series of novel rhodanine-based acylsulfonamide derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as small-molecule inhibitors of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein. These compounds exhibit potent antiproliferative activity in three human tumor cell lines (Hep G2, PC-3 and B16-F10). Among them, the most potent compounds 10 and 11 bind to Bcl-2 with a K(i) of 20 and 25 nM, respectively. Docking studies demonstrated that these two compounds orient similarly at the binding site of Bcl-2, and the calculated binding affinities (Glide XP score) of compound 10 is more negative than that of compound 11. The binding interactions of compounds with high binding affinity to Bcl-2 protein were analyzed.

Summary Acid rain remains an important environmental problem. The Chinese steel industry is becoming a key domestic emitter of sulfur dioxide (SO2), the central molecular component of acid rain. In this study SO2 emission potential is assessed by developing a material flow analysis (MFA) model and generating four different SO2 industry emission scenarios from 2006 to 2030, with each scenario representing a possible development path for the industry. When SO2 emission factors in every unit of steel production are presumed to remain constant through 2030, scenario analysis results show that under a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario SO2 emissions will experience sustained growth to a peak value of 1.73 million metric tons (megatons, Mt) through 2020, approximately 52% higher than that in 2006, and that this trend is unlikely to be reversed. The high scenario and medium scenario demonstrate that it is difficult to control SO2 emissions to an acceptable level by only upgrading technology and making industrial structural adjustments. Yet through the incorporation of sintering gas desulfurization, the low scenario can smoothly bridge the gap between the simulative SO2 emissions and the envisioned value, since sintering is the biggest emitter in this industry. Once the desulfurization rate of sintering gas reaches 60%, SO2 emissions will be less than the level of 0.60 Mt in 2030 and will also meet the reduction goals. Moreover, scenario analysis suggests that single terminal control cannot solve the problem of high SO2 emissions. Therefore, in order to control the total SO2 emissions of the steel industry it is imperative that two or more measures be combined.

The decomposition of NaCaHSiO4 is an important step in the hydro-chemical process to recover sodium when treating red mud. In this study, the phase transformation during the NaCaHSiO4 decomposition and the key influential factors, including sodium concentration, reaction temperature, CaO addition and particle size were investigated. In addition, the sodium content in the residue, where NaCaHSiO4 had completely exhausted, was also studied. Finally, the kinetic data were fitted by the Avrami-Erofeev equation and the activation energy of the reaction was calculated. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Double-stranded DNA bacteriophages and their eukaryotic virus counterparts have 12-fold head–tail connector assemblages embedded at a unique capsid vertex. This vertex is the site of assembly of the DNA packaging motor, and the connector has a central channel through which viral DNA passes during genome packaging and subsequent host infection. Crystal structures of connectors from different phages reveal either disordered residues or structured loops that project into the connector channel. Given the proximity to the translocating DNA substrate, these loops have been proposed to play a role in DNA packaging. Previous models have proposed structural motions in either the packaging ATPase or the connector channel loops as the driving force that translocates the DNA into the prohead. Here, we mutate the channel loops of the Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage φ29 connector and show that these loops have no active role in translocation of DNA. Instead, they appear to have an essential function near the end of packaging, acting to retain the packaged DNA in the head in preparation for motor detachment and subsequent tail assembly and virion completion.

Bayer red mud (RM) is an alumina refinery waste product rich in aluminum oxides and alkalis which are present primarily in the form of sodium hydro-aluminosilicate desilication product (DSP). A hydrothermal process was employed to recover alumina and alkali from "Fe-rich" and "Fe-lean" RM, the two representative species of RM produced in China. The hydrothermal process objective phase is andradite-grossular hydrogarnet characterized by the isomorphic substitution of Al and Fe. Batch experiments were used to evaluate the main factors influencing the recovery process, namely reaction temperature, caustic ratio (molar ratio of Na2O to Al2O3 in sodium solution), sodium concentration and residence time. The results revealed that the Na2O content of 0.5 wt% and A/S of 0.3 (mass ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2) in leached residue could be achieved with Fe-rich RM under optimal conditions. However, the hydrothermal treatment of Fe-lean RM proved less successful unless the reaction system was enriched with iron. Subsequent experiments examined the effects of the ferric compound's content and type on the substitution ratio. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new environmentally friendly design for low-grade diasporic-bauxite processing which is different from the Bayer and sintering processes was proposed in this paper. In the redesign of alumina production technology, a mixture of bauxite ore and sodium hydroxide solution was heated at a higher temperature for the purpose of complete decomposition of bauxite. The products were then extracted by water; the resulting sodium aluminate solution was further purified and used for the gibbsite precipitation, the residue being reacted with a caustic liquor to recover sodium oxide and alumina. The experimental results show that during the new process bauxite decomposition rates approach 100% and the residues can be easily recovered. When diasporic ores with mass ratio of alumina to silica of approximately 5:1 are treated, total alumina recovery efficiency of 86% and a sodium oxide presence below 1.5% in the final red mud will be achieved. This new design surpasses previous approaches in terms of high resource efficiency and low environmental impact.

The compatibility of bismuth compounds as a sintering aid for (ZrO2)0.89(ScO1.5)0.1(CeO2)0.01 (ScSZ) electrolyte in intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) has been discussed. Addition of 3 mol% BiO1.5 considerably decreased the sintering temperature of ScSZ of approximately 200°C and achieved the densification with a relative density above 95% at 1200°C. The solid solubility limit of BiO1.5 in ScSZ was less than 2 mol%. Dispersion of Bi2O3 at the grain boundaries correspondingly accelerated the growth of ScSZ grains and increased the grain boundary resistance at temperatures below 450°C. At elevated temperatures of 450–750°C, the electrical conductivity of the ScSZ after doping remained almost unchangeable in air and under reducing atmospheres. The results suggested that bismuth addition is promising to be applicable to a low-temperature co-firing fabrication of ScSZ based components for IT-SOFCs.

Induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs) helps cells to survive severe hyperthermal stress and removes toxic unfolded proteins. At the same time, the cap-dependent translation of global cellular mRNA is inhibited, due to the loss of function of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)4F complex. It has been previously reported that, following heat shock, HSP27 binds to the insoluble granules of eIF4G and impedes its association with cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) 1 and eIF4E. In the studies reported here, in addition to heat shock, we have included results of our investigation on the association between eIF4G, PABP1 and HSP27 during recovery from heat shock, when cap-dependent mRNA translation resumes. We showed here that in the heat-shocked cells, the PABP1-eIF4G complex dissociated, and both polypeptides translocated with the HSP27 to the nucleus. During recovery after heat shock, PABP1 and eIF4G were redistributed into the cytoplasm and colocalized with each other. In addition, PABP1 expression was upregulated and its translation efficiency was increased during the recovery period, possibly to meet additional demands on the translation machinery. HSP27 remained associated with the eIF4G-PABP1 complex during recovery from heat shock. Therefore, our results raise the possibility that the association of HSP27 with eIF4G may not be sufficient to suppress cap-dependent translation during heat shock. In addition, we provide evidence that the terminal oligopyrimidine cis-element of PABP1 mRNA is responsible for the preferential increase of PABP1 mRNA translation in cells undergoing recovery from heat shock.

The effective removal of alkali in the alumina-extracted reside (AER) obtained by extracting alumina from high-alumina fly ash is the premise for realizing the utilization of the silicon component in the fly ash. Sodium was removed from the AER by a decomposition reaction. The effects of the particle size and reactant coating on the decomposition reaction of AER were studied, and the results showed that by decreasing the particle size, the decomposition reaction rate of AER could be enhanced obviously and the Na2O content of the products could be decreased effectively. In addition, the process and mechanism of the decomposition reaction of AER and the reaction kinetics were investigated. The results revealed that the decomposition reaction of AER started from the outer surface of the AER particles. The reaction kinetics corresponded with shrinking unreacted core models. Furthermore, the decomposition reaction rate of AER could be enhanced obviously by decreasing the particle size because the effect of product layer diffusion was weakened when the particle size of AER was decreased.