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Na-ion batteries are becoming comparable to Li-ion batteries because of their similar chemical characteristics and abundant sources of sodium. However, the materials production should be cost-effective in order to meet the demand for large-scale application. Here, a series of nanosized high-performance cathode materials, Na3(VO1− xPO4)2F1+2 x (0≤ x≤1), has been synthesized by a solvothermal low-temperature (60-120 °C) strategy without the use of organic ligands or surfactants. The as-synthesized Na3(VOPO4)2F nanoparticles show the best Na-storage performance reported so far in terms of both high rate capability (up to 10 C rate) and long cycle stability over 1200 cycles. To the best of our knowledge, the current developed synthetic strategy for Na3(VO1− xPO4)2F1+2 x is by far one of the least expensive and energy-consuming methods, much superior to the conventional high-temperature solid-state method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate that a series of high-performance cathode materials, sodium vanadium polyanionic compounds, Na3(VO1−xPO4)2F1+2x (x = 0, 0.5 and 1), can be synthesized by a phase-transfer assisted solvo-thermal strategy at a rather low temperature (80–140 °C) in one simple step, exhibiting a high Na storage capacity of ca. 120 mA h g−1 and excellent cycling performance. This study makes a significant step to extend this strategy to the synthesis of functional materials from simple binary to complex multicomponent compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Adsorption is believed to be an effective and green technology for the removal and recovery of rare earths ( III) from dilute solution. RESULTS A novel hybrid gel, abbreviated as ALG-PGA, has been prepared through crosslinking calcium alginate ( ALG) and γ-poly glutamic acid ( PGA), and its adsorption behavior towards whole rare earths ( III) has been examined. Taking Nd( III) as a representative element, the adsorption capacity, kinetics, reusability, selectivity and mechanism have been investigated. Cation exchange is proposed as a possible adsorption mechanism. Doping PGA molecules into calcium alginate beads can significantly enhance the adsorption capacity and the selectivity of rare earths from non-rare earths. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained for Nd( III) was 1.65 mmol g−1. Reutilization of ALG-PGA gel was confirmed for up to eight consecutive sorption-desorption cycles with no damage to the gel. CONCLUSION The prepared biosorbent, ALG-PGA, was biocompatible and cost effective with a good adsorption ability for Nd( III), and provides a new approach to the recovery of rare earths ( III) from rare earths-containing wastewater. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The maximum β V/Cr by pure [C8mim][PF6] was 100.6 in case of pH 3.5. [•] The extraction mechanism could be the anion exchange between HV10O27 3− and PF6 −. [•] A novel approach to prepare ionic liquids with metal oxo-anions as counter anion. [•] Vanadate-loaded IL phase can be quantitatively stripped by KPF6 and NaOH. [•] Pure [C8mim][PF6] could be used to recover V(V) from Cr(VI)-containing solutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Neutralorganophosphates have been used for the extraction andseparation of rare earths, usually with the addition of an extra salting-outreagent to achieve the necessary high ionic strength. In this work,we propose a novel approach to extraction from rare earth solutionswith fairly high concentrations without an extra salting-out reagent.The distribution behaviors of La, Pr, and Nd in a nitrate solutionextracted with di-(2-ethylhexyl) 2-ethylhexyl phosphonate (DEHEHP)in kerosene under the action of a self-salting-out effect were investigated,including the extraction mechanism, extracted species, extractionisotherms, and effects of acidity and temperature. The obtained resultsshow that the extraction species probably is RE(NO3)3·1.5DEHEHP according to the slope analysis method andthe saturation extraction method. Considering the other coexistinglight rare earths, such as Ce and Sm, the separation factors werealso examined through a comparison of the two commercial extractantsP350 and TBP. The extraction selectivity for DEHEHP under the actionof the self-salting-out effect is much higher than that of TBP butjust slightly below that of P350. Finally, it can be concluded thatthe current system using DEHEHP as an extractant under the actionof the self-salting-out effect shows good prospects for the purificationof La from other light rare earths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The recovery of neodymium from dilute solutions has become important because of its wide application in industry. This work reports the preparation of novel carboxymethyl chitosan adsorbents entrapped by silica (SiO2/CMCH) and their application for adsorption of neodymium(III) ions from aqueous solution. RESULTS: The effect of the CMCH content, equilibrium pH (pHe), contact time, initial concentrations of Nd(III) and temperature on the adsorption was investigated. The amount of Nd(III) adsorption increases with increasing pHe, which can be explained by the pH-titration curve of CMCH. Temperature has a positive effect on Nd(III) adsorption, and the amount adsorbed is 53.04 mg g−1 dry adsorbent or 434.75 mg g−1 CMCH at 328 K. Adsorption kinetics and isotherm can be described by the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir equation. Both complexation and ion exchange mechanisms are believed to play an important role in Nd(III) adsorption, and possible coordination between CMCH and Nd(III) is speculated. Complete desorption can be reached when the concentration of HCl is more than 0.1 mol L−1. CONCLUSION: A novel method was developed to prepare SiO2/CMCH adsorbents through a one-step sol-gel strategy. The prepared adsorbents were biocompatible and non-toxic with a good adsorption ability for Nd(III), and could be used for adsorptive recovery of Nd(III) from aqueous solutions. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a general protocol for transferring mineral acidsfrom an aqueoussolution to an organic phase, mineral acids are extracted with secondarycarbon primary amine (C9–11)2CHNH2(commercial code: N1923) into an organic phase (e.g., heptaneor benzene) because of the complexation reaction and the formationof typical reversed micelles. Based on this principle, a novel approachfor a large-scale synthesis of highly nanoporous iron phosphate particlesis developed via the formed RNH3+/H2PO4–(H2O)/oil reversed micellesystem and ethanol–Fe3+solutions. Synthetic conditions,such as H3PO4concentration in reversed micellesand Fe3+concentration in ethanol–Fe3+solution are investigated and optimized. The product is characterizedusing transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emett–Teller,thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transforminfrared spectroscopy. The as-obtained iron phosphate is flocculentand highly porous, exhibiting a high reported surface area of 144m2/g. The synthetic procedure is relatively simple andis suitable for large-scale fabrication, and the used organic aminescan be recycled. The power of this approach is demonstrated usingother kinds of organic amines, such as tri-n-octylamine (TOA) andtri-C8–10-alkylmethyl ammonium chloride (N263),as phase-transfer reagents exhibiting promising application in thesynthesis of highly nanoporous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the effects of vitamin C supplementation on performance, iron status and immune function of pigs during the post-weaning period. Materials and methods; Results; Discussion of findings.

Sodium vanadium fluorophosphate, Na3(VO1−xPO4)2F1+2x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), is proved to be a series of very promising cathode materials for Na‐ion batteries, owing to the high operating voltage and structural stability. However, the selective preparation of phase‐pure Na3(VO1−xPO4)2F1+2x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) with outstanding electrochemical performance still remains a big challenge. Moreover, there are lots of discrepancies concerning the Na‐storage properties, including a diversity of voltage profiles and capacities reported, based on the variety of synthetic methods. Herein, a comprehensive investigation is conducted about the fabrication of phase‐pure Na3(VO1−xPO4)2F1+2x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) by employing different starting materials and corresponding synthetic conditions, based on a facile low‐temperature hydrothermal strategy. Results show that the pH in the reaction system may be of vital importance for the successful preparation of Na3(VO1−xPO4)2F1+2x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) with special microarchitecture. Furthermore, it is found that NaH2PO4·2H2O is the most appropriate phosphorus source, while VCl3, VOSO4·xH2O, and NH4VO3 are the best choices of vanadium sources to prepare Na3(VO1−xPO4)2F1+2x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) with superior Na‐storage performance. This is the first time that the underlying correlations between the starting materials and the Na‐storage performance, are investigated and further that guidance for the selective synthesis of phase‐pure Na3(VO1−xPO4)2F1+2x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) with superior performance is provided. The pH value is of vital importance for the successful preparation and micro‐texture of sodium vanadium fluorophosphate. Moreover, its electrochemical performance is closely related to the pH values. The discharge capacity significantly decreases following the sequence of H3PO4, NaH2PO4•2H2O, Na2HPO4•12H2O, Na3PO4. Samples obtained using NaH2PO4•2H2O show excellent cycling performance and rate capability for any vanadium sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three-liquid-phase partitioning of Pd(II), Pt(IV) and Rh(III) in systems of S201(diisoamyl sulfide)/nonane–EOPO(polyethylene oxide–polypropylene oxide random block copolymer)–Na2SO4–H2O was investigated. Experimental results indicated that the selective enrichment of Pd(II), Pt(IV) and Rh(III) respectively into the S201 organic top phase, EOPO-based middle phase and Na2SO4 bottom phase was achieved by control over the phase behavior of the three-liquid-phase systems (TLPS). The microphase mass transfer behavior of Pt(IV), Pd(II) and Rh(III) was closely related to the micellization of EOPO molecules. A suggested micro-mechanism model and a mass transfer model describe the micellization of EOPO molecules and the effect on mass transfer of platinum ions across the microphase interfaces. The salting-out induced continuous dehydration and ordered arrangement of the hydrophilic PEO segments in amphiphilic EOPO micelle, and these are the main driving forces for mass transfer of platinum metal ions onto the exposed activity sites of the dehydrated PEO segments. The differences in microphase interfacial structure of EOPO micelles are crucial for the efficient separation between Pt(IV), Pd(II) and Rh(III). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Air sensitivity remains a substantial barrier to the commercialization of sodium (Na)-layered oxides (NLOs). This problem has puzzled the community for decades because of the complexity of interactions between air components and their impact on both bulk and surfaces of NLOs. We show here that water vapor plays a pivotal role in initiating destructive acid and oxidative degradations of NLOs only when coupled with carbon dioxide or oxygen, respectively. Quantification analysis revealed that reducing the defined cation competition coefficient (η), which integrates the effects of ionic potential and sodium content, and increasing the particle size can enhance the resistance to acid attack, whereas using high-potential redox couples can eliminate oxidative degradation. These findings elucidate the underlying air deterioration mechanisms and rationalize the design of air-stable NLOs.

The low-cost and profusion of sodium reserves make Na-ion batteries (NIBs) a potential candidate to lithium-ion batteries for grid-scale energy storage applications. NaVOPO 4 has been recognized as one of the most promising cathodes for high-energy NIBs, owing to their high theoretical capacity and energy density. However, their further application is hindered by the multiphase transition and conductivity confinement. Herein, we proposed a feasible, one-step hydrothermal synthesis to regulate the synthesis of α-NaVOPO 4 with controlled morphologies. The electrochemical properties of the NaVOPO 4 electrode can be significantly enhanced taking Ketjen black (KB) as the optimized conductive carbon. Besides, combining with the nanocrystallization and construction of the conductive framework via high-energy ball milling, taking KB as the conductive carbon, the as-prepared NaVOPO 4 /5%KB exhibits superior Na-storage performance (140.2 mA h g -1 at 0.1 C and a capacity retention of 84.8% over 1000 cycles at 10 C) to the original NaVOPO 4 (128.5 mA h g -1 at 0.1 C and a capacity retention of 83.1% over 1000 cycles at 10 C). Moreover, the aqueous full cell with NaTi 2 (PO 4 ) 3 as the anode delivers a capacity of 114.7 mA h g -1 at 0.2 C (141 W h kg -1 energy density) and 80.6% capacity retention over 300 cycles at 5 C. The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the nanosized structural and enhanced interfacial effect, which could be rewarding to construct electron transportation tunnels, thus speeding up the Na + -diffusion kinetics. The modified strategy provides an efficient approach to intensify the electrochemical performance, which exhibits potential application of the NaVOPO 4 cathode for NIBs.

Na-ion batteries (NIBs) have been considered as potential candidates for large-scale energy storage, where O3-type Na-based layered oxide cathodes have attracted great attention due to their high capacity and low cost. However, O3-Na x TMO 2 materials still suffer from insufficient air stability, which could lead to deteriorative electrochemical properties and thus hinder their practical application. In this work, a series of Al-doped O3-NaFe (1/3- x ) Ni 1/3 Mn 1/3 Al x O 2 cathodes prepared by a co-precipitation method were investigated to enhance their electrochemical performance and air stability through stabilizing their structural and interface chemical properties. The Al-doped O3 - NaFe (1/3-0.01) Ni 1/3 Mn 1/3 Al 0.01 O 2 (NFNMA 0.01 ) cathode delivers a comparable capacity of 138 mAh g -1 and keeps a capacity retention of 85.88% after 50 cycles at 0.2 C, while the undoped O3 - NaFe 1/3 Ni 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 (NFNM) can only keep a capacity retention of 71.02%, although with an initial capacity of 141 mAh g -1 at 0.2 C. For the air stability, the capacity decay rates are 58.87 and 5.07% for the undoped NFNM and Al-doped NFNMA 0.01 after the air exposure for 30 days, respectively. The greatly decaying electrochemical performance could be due to the formation of carbonates during air exposure, which can be efficiently suppressed by Al doping. The doped Al 3+ has been confirmed to be inserted into the NFNM crystal lattice, inducing the reduced values of lattice parameters a and c due to the smaller ionic radius of Al 3+ (53.5 pm) vs Fe 3+ (55.0 pm). This study demonstrates that Al doping plays an important role in the air stability and cycling stability for layered cathode materials, which offers an efficient strategy to optimize the material design for their practical application in NIBs.

Tetragonal NaVPO 4 F has been regarded as an ideal cathode for sodium-ion batteries because of its high average plateau (3.8 V) and theoretical specific capacity (143 mA h g -1 ). However, the Na-storage performance is still hindered by unsatisfying thermal stability and poor conductivity. Herein, a stable tetragonal NaVPO 4 F has been synthesized by a novel solvent thermal method using a carbon coating precursor. The as-prepared NaVPO 4 F@C nanocomposite delivers a capacity of 133 mA h g -1 at 0.2 C, corresponding to an excellent energy density of 509 W h kg -1 ; when coupled with an HC anode, the full cell still displays an outstanding performance of 124 mA h g -1 at 0.05 C. Fast Na + diffusion kinetics ( D Na + = 10 -12 to 10 -10 cm 2 s -1 ) and small volume change (4.4%) are exploited, which ensures good rate trait and cycling stability of tetragonal NaVPO 4 F. Further, the Na + extraction-insertion mechanism has been explored by analyzing the crystal structure change during in situ X-ray powder diffraction cycles.

Background: Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway that protects the body and is essential for cell survival and differentiation. Mucins (MUCs) are important components of secreted mucus, mucin (MUC)5 AC is the major MUC secreted in the normal airway., Objective: Investigated the role of autophagy in pathogenic mucin (MUC)5 AC production during chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS)., Methods: The expression of human neutrophil elastase (HNE) and the autophagic proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain (LC)3B-II, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), c-Jun, and MUC5AC were analyzed in the sinonasal mucosa and human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) using immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Autophagic vacuoles were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Primary HNECs were treated with HNE, bafilomycin A1, and SP600125. In some experiments, cultured primary HNECs were transfected with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to target Beclin-1 (BECN1; BECN1-siRNA), autophagy-related gene 5 (Atg5; Atg5-siRNA), and c-Jun (c-Jun-siRNA). Cultured cells were analyzed using western blotting, qRT-PCR, and ELISA., Results: In CRS patients, both with and without nasal polyps, the expression levels of HNE, LC3B, JNK, c-Jun, and MUC5AC were upregulated. Bafilomycin A1 upregulated LC3B-II expression and inhibited MUC secretion in HNE-treated normal primary HNECs. Autophagosomes were observed in HNE-treated primary HNECs using TEM. HNE-induced secretion of MUC5AC was suppressed in normal primary HNECs by BECN1-siRNA, Atg5-siRNA, c-Jun-siRNA, and SP600125., Conclusions: In HNE-induced CRS, autophagy increases the secretion of MUC5AC by promoting the phosphorylation of JNK and c-Jun., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This study is to investigate the effect of metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGluR7) on the proliferation of human embryonic neural stem cells (NSCs) and its molecular mechanism.Human embryonic NSCs were isolated. The pCMV2-GV146-GFP-mGluR7 plasmid was transfected to over-express mGluR7 while mGluR7 siRNA was transfected to knockdown mGluR7. MTT assay was used to analyze cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle and apoptosis. Protein and mRNA levels were analyzed by Western blot and RT-qPCR, respectively.The viability of human NSCs and the diameter of neurospheres after 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours of transfection significantly increased by mGluR7 overexpression whereas significantly decreased by mGluR7 knockdown. Ki-67 expression was up-regulated by mGluR7 overexpression whereas down-regulated by mGluR7 siRNA, indicating a promotive effect of mGluR7 on NSC proliferation. After mGluR7 overexpression, G1/G0 phase cell ratio dropped significantly compared with control group, while the S phase cell ratio increased. mGluR7 silencing arrested human NSCs at G1/G0 phase. After 48 hours of transfection, there was a decrease of apoptosis by mGluR7 overexpression, while mGluR7 silencing induced apoptosis of human NSCs. Additionally, overexpression of mGluR7 up-regulated the expression of p-serine/threonine kinase (AKT), cyclin D1, and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2). The mGluR7 knockdown had opposite effects. Similarly, mGluR7 down-regulated the expression of Caspase-3/9, while the mGluR7 knockdown promoted this.mGluR7 can promote the proliferation of human embryonic cortical NSCs in vitro. This effect may be mediated by promoting cell cycle progression, inhibiting cell apoptosis, activating the AKT signaling pathway, and inhibiting the Caspase-3/9 signaling pathway.

Objective: To explore the material basis of conduction along meridian., Methods: Sixty SD rats(30 males,30 females) were randomly assigned into a normal group,an acupuncture group,a verapamil blocking group and a 0.9%NaCl blocking group(control group),15 rats in each one. Fluo 3-AM(calcium fluorescence probe) was injected at the observation part in femoral stomach meridian of foot- yangming (meridian part) and the approaching femoral meridian part(non-meridian part) in the normal group and the acupuncture group,and then incubation was applied. In the verapamil blocking group,verapamil was injected at local meridian part and non-meridian part,and in the control group 0.9%NaCl was injected. Then Fluo 3-AM was injected at the meridian part and non-meridian part in the two groups,and incubation was implemented. Ca 2+ imaging changes in cells were recorded for more than 20 min after injection of every part in each group respectively. After the above operations in the last three groups,acupuncture was used at "Zusanli"(ST 36) immediately,with electroacupuncture for one min,then Ca 2+ imaging changes in cells at the meridian and non-meridian parts were recorded for more than 20 min., Results: In the normal group, Ca 2+ fluorescence intensity at the meridian part was higher than that at the non-meridian part. In the acupuncture group,after acupuncture Ca 2+ fluorescence intensity at the meridian part was obviously higher than before,but the change before and after acupuncture was not apparent at the non-meridian part. After verapamil blocking local calcium channel and acupuncture,the Ca 2+ fluorescence of the meridian part did not strengthen,and the change of that before and after acupuncture at the non-meridian part was not obvious. In the control group,after injecting 0.9%NaCl at local part,Ca 2+ fluorescence intensities of the meridian and non-meridian parts showed no obvious change,so was that before and after acupuncture., Conclusions: The voltage-gated calcium channel at the meridian part is highly correlated with its tissue cells exciting conduction.

Na-ion batteries are becoming comparable to Li-ion batteries because of their similar chemical characteristics and abundant sources of sodium. However, the materials production should be cost-effective in order to meet the demand for large-scale application. Here, a series of nanosized high-performance cathode materials, Na3(VO(1-x)PO4)2F(1+2x) (0≤x≤1), has been synthesized by a solvothermal low-temperature (60-120 °C) strategy without the use of organic ligands or surfactants. The as-synthesized Na3(VOPO4)2F nanoparticles show the best Na-storage performance reported so far in terms of both high rate capability (up to 10 C rate) and long cycle stability over 1200 cycles. To the best of our knowledge, the current developed synthetic strategy for Na3(VO(1-x)PO4)2F(1+2x) is by far one of the least expensive and energy-consuming methods, much superior to the conventional high-temperature solid-state method., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Nine pretreated patients aged >19 years with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were treated with a combination of bortezomib plus chemotherapy before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Eight (88.9%) patients, including two Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL patients, achieved a complete remission. Furthermore, the evaluable patients have benefited from allo-HSCT after response to this reinduction treatment. We conclude that bortezomib-based chemotherapy was highly effective for adults with refractory/relapsed ALL before allo-HSCT. Therefore, this regimen deserves a larger series within prospective trials to confirm these results.

We demonstrate that a series of high-performance cathode materials, sodium vanadium polyanionic compounds, Na3(VO1-xPO4)2F1+2x (x = 0, 0.5 and 1), can be synthesized by a phase-transfer assisted solvo-thermal strategy at a rather low temperature (80-140 °C) in one simple step, exhibiting a high Na storage capacity of ca. 120 mA h g(-1) and excellent cycling performance. This study makes a significant step to extend this strategy to the synthesis of functional materials from simple binary to complex multicomponent compounds.

Monodisperse orthorhombic-phase rare earth fluorides nano-/microcrystals with a special shape of disk-stacked cylinder have been synthesized via a facile phase transfer assisted solvo-thermal route, where an acid-base-coupled extractant has been employed to transfer hydrofluoric acid into an oil phase as a fluoride source. The synthetic parameters have been optimized and a possible formation mechanism has also been proposed. More importantly, the adopted acid-base-coupled extractant in this route can be recycled. Surveying all of the lanthanides from La to Lu, most of the heavy rare earths, such as Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb, can form LnF3 nanocrystals with the similar morphologies. Furthermore, Ln(3+)-doped YF3 (Ln=Tb, Yb/Er) nanocrystals have also been synthesized, and their down-conversion and up-conversion (980 nm) luminescent properties were examined. The current approach could be extended to synthesize other metal fluorides nanoparticles., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hexavalent chromate reductase was characterized and was found to be localized in the cytoplasmic fraction of a chromium-resistant bacterium Pannonibacter phragmitetus LSSE-09. The Cr(VI) reductase activity of cell-free extract (S₁₂) was significantly improved by external electron donors, such as NADH, glucose, acetate, formate, citrate, pyruvate, and lactate. The reductase activity was optimal at pH 7.0 with NADH as the electron donor. The aerobic and anaerobic Cr(VI)-reduction enhanced by 0.1 mM NADH were respectively 3.5 and 3.4 times as high as that without adding NADH. The Cr(VI) reductase activity was inhibited by Mn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Fe³⁺, and Hg²⁺, whereas Cu²⁺ enhanced the chromate reductase activity by 29% aerobically and 33% anaerobically. The aerobic and anaerobic specific Michaelis-Menten constant K(m) of S₁₂ fraction was estimated to be 64.95 and 47.65 μmol L⁻¹, respectively. The soluble S₁₅₀ fractions showed similar activity to S₁₂ and could reduce 39.7% and 53.4% of Cr(VI) after 1 h of incubation aerobically and anaerobically while the periplasmic contents showed no obvious reduction activity, suggesting an effective enzymatic mechanism of Cr(VI) reduction in the cytoplasmic fractions of the bacterium. Results suggest that the enzymatic reduction of Cr(VI) could be useful for Cr(VI) detoxification in wastewater.

Three-liquid-phase partitioning of Pd(II), Pt(IV) and Rh(III) in systems of S201(diisoamyl sulfide)/nonane-EOPO(polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide random block copolymer)-Na(2)SO(4)-H(2)O was investigated. Experimental results indicated that the selective enrichment of Pd(II), Pt(IV) and Rh(III) respectively into the S201 organic top phase, EOPO-based middle phase and Na(2)SO(4) bottom phase was achieved by control over the phase behavior of the three-liquid-phase systems (TLPS). The microphase mass transfer behavior of Pt(IV), Pd(II) and Rh(III) was closely related to the micellization of EOPO molecules. A suggested micro-mechanism model and a mass transfer model describe the micellization of EOPO molecules and the effect on mass transfer of platinum ions across the microphase interfaces. The salting-out induced continuous dehydration and ordered arrangement of the hydrophilic PEO segments in amphiphilic EOPO micelle, and these are the main driving forces for mass transfer of platinum metal ions onto the exposed activity sites of the dehydrated PEO segments. The differences in microphase interfacial structure of EOPO micelles are crucial for the efficient separation between Pt(IV), Pd(II) and Rh(III)., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A novel cell separation and immobilization method for Cr (VI)-reduction under alkaline conditions was developed by using superparamagnetic Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (NPs). The Fe(3)O(4) NPs were synthesized by coprecipitation followed by modification with sodium citrate and polyethyleneimine (PEI). The surface-modified NPs were monodispersed and the particle size was about 15 nm with a saturation magnetization of 62.3 emu/g and an isoelectric point (pI) of 11.5 at room temperature. PEI-modified Fe(3)O(4) NPs possess positive zeta potential at pH below 11.5, presumable because of the high density of amine groups in the long chains of PEI molecules on the surface. At initial pH 9.0, Pannonibacter phragmitetus LSSE-09 cells were immobilized by PEI-modified NPs via electrostatic attraction and then separated with an external magnetic field. Compared to free cells, the coated cells not only had the same Cr (VI)-reduction activity but could also be easily separated from reaction mixtures by magnetic force. In addition, the magnetically immobilized cells retained high specific Cr (VI)-reduction activity over six batch cycles. The results suggest that the magnetic cell separation technology has potential application for Cr (VI) detoxification in alkaline wastewater., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mammalian intestinal epithelium undergoes continuous cell turn over, with cell proliferation in the crypts and apoptosis in the villus. Both transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) are involved in the regulation of intestinal epithelial cells for division, differentiation, adhesion, migration and death. Previously, we have shown that TGF-beta and bombesin (BBS) synergistically induce cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and subsequent prostaglandin E(2) (PGE2) production through p38(MAPK) in rat intestinal epithelial cell line stably transfected with GRP receptor (RIE/GRPR), suggesting the interaction between TGF-beta signaling pathway and GRPR. The current study examined the biological responses of RIE/GRPR cells to TGF-beta and BBS. Treatment with TGF-beta1 (40 pM) and BBS (100 nM) together synergistically inhibited RIE/GRPR growth and induced apoptosis. Pretreatment with SB203580 (10 microM), a specific inhibitor of p38(MAPK), partially blocked the synergistic effect of TGF-beta and BBS on apoptosis. In conclusion, BBS enhanced TGF-beta growth inhibitory effect through apoptosis induction, which is at least partially mediated by p38(MAPK).

The effects of diluents, temperature, acidity, and ionic strength of the aqueous phase on the interfacial properties of DEHEHP have been extensively investigated using the Du Nouy ring method. In addition, the effect of cerium(IV) concentration loaded in the organic phase on the interfacial tension has also been studied. With the increase of DEHEHP concentration, the value of interfacial tension (gamma) decreases in the studied system, which shows that DEHEHP has interfacial activity as a kind of surfactant. The surface excess at the saturated interface (Gamma(max)) and the minimum bulk concentration of the extractant necessary to saturate the interface (C(min)) under the different conditions are calculated according to two adsorption equations such as the Gibbs and Szyszkowski functions to be presented in comprehensive tables and figures. The relationship between the interfacial activity of DEHEHP and cerium(IV) extraction kinetics by DEHEHP has been discussed by considering different factors such as the effects of diluents and temperature. However, the interfacial activity parameter of extractant only is a qualitative parameter, but cannot provide strong enough evidence to quantitatively explain the relationship between extraction kinetics and interfacial properties of an extractant.