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Cigarette smoke is a major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in regulating various biological processes. This study aimed to explore the role and molecular basis of hsa_circ_0006872 in cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced cell injury. HPMECs and BEAS-2B cells were treated with CSE to mimic COPD in vitro. The levels of hsa_circ_0006872 and miR-145-5p were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell proliferation was assessed via Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate apoptosis and cell cycle. The levels of inflammatory factors were assayed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of oxidative stress markers were determined via commercial kits. The interaction between hsa_circ_0006872 and miR-145-5p was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. Protein expression was measured using Western blot assay. Hsa_circ_0006872 level was elevated in COPD patients and was negatively correlated with miR-145-5p level. CSE exposure promoted apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress of HPMECs and BEAS-2B cells, while hsa_circ_0006872 down-regulation undermined the effects. In addition, hsa_circ_0006872 silencing inhibited CSE-induced cell injury via regulating miR-145-5p. Moreover, CSE contributed to the activation of NF-κB pathway through hsa_circ_0006872/miR-145-5p axis. Hsa_circ_0006872 facilitated CSE-triggered apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress in HPMECs and BEAS-2B cells by regulating miR-145-5p/NF-κB pathway.

The synthesis of carbon-based nanomaterials, ideally produced via facile, inexpensive approaches, using sustainable resources as precursors, with modulated structures, morphologies and functionalities is still challenging for energy applications. This work developed a mild one-step hydrothermal synthesis route for the fabrication of highly dispersed metallic nickel nanoparticles on hydrothermal carbons derived from waste biomass. The roles of precursor nickel ion concentration and calcination temperature in modulating the morphology, location and crystalline size of the nickel nanoparticles as well as the metal-support interactions have been delineated. The average grain size of the metallic nickel nanocrystals on the resultant Ni0.5@HCOp nanocatalysts could be tuned to 8–13 nm by varying the preparation conditions. The catalytic abilities of the Ni-based nanocatalysts towards hydrogen-rich syngas production and tar reduction were then tested in a two-stage reactor system using sewage sludge as biomass feedstock. The catalytic tests showed that the Ni0.5@HCOp catalyst calcined at 700 °C was shown to have stronger metal-support interactions compared to other Ni-based nanocomposites, which provided better suppression of coke deposition and resistance of nickel agglomeration during the catalytic gasification process. This highly active catalyst promoted formation of hydrogen-rich syngas, with up to 109.2 g H2/kg sludge, and tar yields as low as 2.12 mg g−1.

An unprecedented increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) is increasingly attractive in response to waste-to-energy. MSW pretreatment is an essential step due to the inherent properties of MSW. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) offers an efficient approach for converting MSW into carbonaceous hydrochars. In this chapter, the formation and transformation of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during HTC of MSW were determined. The results indicated that HTC can homogenize the density and size of MSW and also increase carbon content. Moreover, the concentrations of heavy metals in the leachates of the hydrochars were lower than the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) maximum limits. Compared to MSW, the concentrations of Cr, Cd, Hg, and Zn in the hydrochars were low and the concentrations of Pb, As, Ni, and Cu were high. The concentrations of PAHs in the hydrochars increased with increasing temperature in the range of 1298.71–177698.20 μg/kg, which were much higher than that in MSW, except for H-160. The dominant PAH rings in MSW and the hydrochars were four-ring PAHs and three-ring PAHs, respectively. These findings suggest that 180°C is an appropriate hydrothermal temperature to reduce heavy metals and the toxicity PAHs of MSW.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is of increasing importance to improve fuel quality and dewaterability of sewage sludge (SS). In this study, the effect of HTC of SS on the formation of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during pyrolysis, the primary stage of combustion, were investigated. The results showed that HTC improved fuel quality of SS while the PAHs were concentrated in the resultant hydrochar. Hydrochar pyrolysis generated less tar (3.49–8.82%) than SS pyrolysis (4.73–14.83%) while the PAHs yields in hydrochar pyrolytic tar were higher than the yields of SS pyrolytic tar, ranging from 104.93 mg/kg to 1199.07 mg/kg in the temperature range of 500–800 °C. In addition, the proportions of highly toxic middle molecular weight (MMW) and high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs in hydrochar tar were much higher than that for SS. As for the pyrolytic char, the PAHs in hydrochar char were also far higher than that in SS pyrolytic char at the temperature higher than 650 °C. These differences resulted in more total PAHs emissions and higher toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) from hydrochar pyrolysis than those from SS pyrolysis in the temperature range of 500–800 °C. This study indicated that more attention should be paid to control PAHs emission energy recovery from hydrothermally treated SS.

Multicomponent nickel–iron alloy nanoparticles supported on hydrochar were synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal strategy. Spinel nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) with a small crystalline size around 10 nm was uniformly dispersed on a bimetallic catalyst. The roles of the Ni/Fe doping concentration and calcination temperature in tailoring the phase, morphology and size of the Ni–Fe alloy nanoparticles were investigated. To probe the catalytic abilities of the prepared bimetallic catalysts, a two-stage reaction system was applied for steam gasification of sewage sludge. Compared to monometallic nickel nanoparticles, the synthesized bimetallic catalyst, especially Ni0.25Fe0.25/HC calcined at 700 °C, showed excellent dispersibility of the Ni–Fe alloy NPs and exhibited a strong metal–support interaction, which allowed for better suppression of carbon deposition and nanoparticle agglomeration in the reforming process. The best catalytic performance resulted in a promoted hydrogen selectivity of 113.7 g H2 per kg sludge with a low tar yield of 2.3 mg g−1 under mild gasification conditions. These shape- and size-modulated nanocatalysts harbor promising potential for their application as a highly efficient catalyst for hydrogen production via steam gasification of sewage sludge.

Black carbon (BC), an important component of atmospheric aerosols, has a great influence on regional and global radiation balance, climate and human health due to its small particle size, large specific surface area and radiation forcing. The long-term variation of atmospheric BC over China during 1980–2019 was investigated through MERRA-2 reanalysis data. MERRA-2 BC generally presented a good correlation (average R = 0.61) with 852 monthly samples from ground-based observations at 64 stations around China. In recent 40 years, the annual-averaged atmospheric BC concentration derived from MERRA-2 reanalysis data was 1.10 ± 0.22 μg/m3, with an average annual growth rate of 1.52%. The monthly BC concentrations showed a "U"-shaped trend. Based on the Mann-Kendall trend analysis, the BC concentration can be roughly divided into three stages: (1) the “low value” stage with slow growth rate (1.68%) (1980–1999, 0.91 ± 0.10 μg/m3), (2) the fluctuating “median value” stage with high growth rate (4.44%) (2000–2007, 1.28 ± 0.13 μg/m3), and (3) the “high value” stage with slow downtrend (−0.87%) (2008–2019, 1.32 ± 0.06 μg/m3). Peak times and multi-year average growth rates of BC concentration and emission were not synchronized. The spatial distribution, dividing by the Hu Line, a line dividing the population density and urbanization of China, formed three BC high-value areas in Sichuan Basin, Northern Henan area and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH). The altitude where the concentration of BC increased fastest at an average annual growth rate of 3.47% during 1980–2019 was between 0 and 500 m. The growth rate of BC concentration was close to zero as the altitude increased. During the past 40 years, significant overall uptrends were detected in MERRA-2 BC concentration with Mann-Kendall trend analysis at pixel scale, especially during 1980–1999 and 2000–2007. This increasing trend was more obvious in the eastern Hu Line. Whereas, a downward trend was appeared in the plains and basins of southeast China during 2008–2019.

Soil extracellular enzymes play an important role in the biochemical cycling in the coastal tidal wetland. Previous results revealed the factors affecting the soil extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) in the terrestrial ecosystems with acid soils, while it is still unknown what factors mainly affect the EEAs in the tidal wetland with neutral or alkaline soils. To reveal the factors affecting the variations of soil EEAs along the tidal wetland with mosaic distributions of vegetation types, the activities of nine types of soil enzymes, whose functions closely related to the cycling of soil C, N and P, respectively, were investigated in the Chongming Dongtan tidal wetland, East China. The soil samples with different layers were collected from the unvegetated area (S1), Spartina alterniflora area (S2), Scirpus mariqueter area (S3), and Phragmites australis area (S4), respectively, over the high tidal zone (HT), mid-tidal zone (MT) and low tidal zone (LT), respectively. The results showed that the soil EEA profiles were observably (p

Thinopyrum ponticum (Th. ponticum) (2n = 10x = 70) is an important breeding material with excellent resistance and stress tolerance. In this study, we characterized the derivative line CH1113-B13-1-1-2-1 (CH1113-B13) through cytological, morphological, genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), expressed sequence tag (EST), and PCR-based landmark unique gene (PLUG) marker analysis. The GISH analysis revealed that CH1113-B13 contained 20 pairs of common wheat chromosomes and one pair of JSt genomic chromosomes. Linkage analysis of Th. ponticum using seven EST and seven PLUG markers indicated that the pair of alien chromosomes belonged to the seventh homeologous group. Nulli-tetrasomic and FISH analysis revealed that wheat 7B chromosomes were absent in CH1113-B13; thus, CH1113-B13 was identified as a 7JSt (7B) substitution line. Finally, adult-stage CH1113-B13 exhibited immunity to wheat stripe rust. This substitution line is therefore a promising germplasm resource for wheat breeding.

Conversion of sewage sludge into hydrogen-rich syngas is highly attractive but is frequently hampered by low hydrogen selectivity and low gasification efficiency. In the present study, a new strategy was developed that could greatly promote hydrogen production and markedly suppress the formation of undesired byproducts. A hydrochar (HC)-supported Ni nanoparticles (NPs) composite was initially synthesized via a facile, one-step hydrothermal carbonization of Ni-preloaded sewage sludge. A sorption-enhanced steam gasification process was then probed to shift the equilibrium of the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction toward hydrogen production using calcined eggshell as the natural CO2 sorbent. During the catalytic gasification process, uniformly dispersed NiO NPs were generated in situ and provided the active sites for the adsorption of tar molecules for catalytic conversion. The resulting Ni0.1@HC composite showed the highest catalytic activity in promoting hydrogen production and tar reduction under mild conditi...

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising thermochemical pretreatment to convert sewage sludge into the hydrochar prior to combustion or pyrolysis for energy generation. To investigate the effects of HTC on nitrogen transformation behaviors, pyrolysis of sewage sludge and the corresponding hydrochar were conducted. The results showed nitrogen in the hydrochar existed in more stable forms, making more nitrogen retained in the char for the hydrochar pyrolysis. Amine-N, heterocyclic-N and nitrile-N were detected in significant amounts for sewage sludge pyrolysis tar, which contributed to predominant (NH 3 + HCN)-N emission. Lower amine-N and heterocyclic-N content but higher alkyl nitrile-N content were observed in the hydrochar pyrolysis tar, which might explain the increase in HCN/NH 3 ratio. More importantly, the (NH 3 + HCN)-N yield from the hydrochar pyrolysis was considerably lower than that from sewage sludge pyrolysis, especially at temperatures higher than 650 °C. Taking account of the much lower nitrogen content, the total (NH 3 + HCN)-N emission from the hydrochar pyrolysis was only 35.6–48.2% of that from sewage sludge pyrolysis. The results suggested that HTC pretreatment of sewage sludge for energy production has the additional environmental benefit of mitigating nitrogenous pollutants emission.

Leymus mollis (Trin.) Pilg. (2n = 4x = 28, NsNsXmXm) possesses a number of valuable genes against biotic and abiotic stress, which could be transferred into common wheat background for wheat improvement. In the present study, we determined the karyotypic constitution of a wheat – L. mollis double disomic addition line, M11003-4-4-1-1, selected from the F5progeny of a stable wheat – L. mollis derivative M39 (2n = 56) × Triticum aestivum cultivar 7182, by morphological and cytogenetic identification, GISH (genomic in situ hybridization), FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization), molecular markers analysis, and stripe rust resistance evaluation. Cytological studies demonstrated that M11003-4-4-1-1 had a chromosome karyotype of 2n = 46 with 23 bivalents, while GISH and FISH analysis indicated that this line contained 42 common wheat chromosomes and two pairs of L. mollis chromosomes. DNA markers showed that the alien chromosomes from L. mollis belonged to homoeologous groups 5 and 6. Evaluation of the agronomic traits revealed that M11003-4-4-1-1 was resistant to stripe rust at the adult stage, while the plant height was reduced and the 1000-grain weight was increased significantly. Therefore, the new line M11003-4-4-1-1 could be exploited as an important bridge material in chromosome engineering and wheat breeding.

Iron-based nanocatalysts were synthesized by a green and facile one-pot hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process. Precursory iron salts with different concentrations were dissolved together with the lignocellulosic matrix (i.e., pinewood sawdust) in the solution, and the mixtures were heated to 200 °C for 1 h in a sealed autoclave. After hydrothermal treatment, carbon spheres were formed with the iron precursors tightly embedded in the microsphere/mesopheres of the amorphous carbon matrix. By contrast, the impregnation of the iron salts onto the hydrothermal carbons (hydrochars) derived from HTC of sawdust were conducted as a control method. The nanomaterials prepared by these two approaches were evaluated comparatively. Compared to the impregnation approach, a nanocatalyst with more uniformly dispersed Fe nanoparticles (NPs) immobilized on the hydrochars was produced by the one-pot synthesis. Furthermore, the particle size of the Fe NPs and surface area of the nanocatalysts via the one-pot synthesis can be manipulated. The catalytic abilities of the Fe-based nanomaterials prepared by the two approaches were then tested in a fixed bed tubular reactor for biomass tar using phenol as the model compound. The nanocatalysts prepared by the one-pot synthesis exhibited higher catalytic activity in the thermal decomposition of the phenol at mild temperatures and resistance to coke deposition. The present study showed that the simple and efficient one-pot synthesis assisted uniform dispersion of Fe NPs on the surface of hydrochar through a surface-mediated chemistry. In addition, such facile one-pot synthesis may be applied to synthesize other metal or metal oxide NPs embedded in the hydrochars with more complex structures and unique chemical/physical properties.

Site U1489 was drilled during the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 363 and is located on the western slope of the southern Eauripik Rise (2.12°N, 141.03°E, 3421 m water depth). We collected 183 samples from the upper ∼84 m of Site U1489 with an average sampling interval of ~50 cm, and performed the analyses of sediment washing and sieving, benthic foraminifera stable carbon and oxygen isotopes, and the relative abundance of selected benthic foraminifera. The data of these analyses are discussed in "Possible linkage between the long-eccentricity marine carbon cycle and the deep-Pacific circulation: Western equatorial Pacific benthic foraminifera evidences of the last 4Ma" [1], which provide a series of Plio-Pleistocene records of the western equatorial Pacific serving for regional and global comparisons of changes in the deep Pacific water mass properties and circulation.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an effective pretreatment technology for converting municipal solid waste (MSW) into homogenized, energy-dense, and carbon-rich hydrochars with low energy consumption. In this study, heavy metals and free polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in MSW and corresponding hydrochars were investigated. The results showed that the hydrochar yield decreased with an increasing temperature from 160 to 260 °C. Heavy metal contents, including Cr, Cd, Hg, and Zn, in the hydrochars were lower than those in MSW, while Pb, As, Ni, and Cu showed an accumulation in the hydrochars at most temperatures. In addition, the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure test showed that the contents of heavy metals in leachates were all lower than the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) limits. With regard to PAHs, total free PAH contents in the hydrochars were higher than those of MSW, except for the hydrochar obtained at 160 °C. The total PAHs in the hydrochar increased wi...

Hydrothermal treatment (HT) is one of the efficient approaches for upgrading municipal solid waste (MSW). In the present study, emission characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from hydrothermally treated municipal solid waste (H-MSW) combustion alone and H-MSW/coal co-combustion were investigated at different temperatures. The results showed that for all fuel combustion, the majority of PAHs were 3- or 4-ring PAHs. In addition, flue gas had the highest yields of PAHs followed by fly ash and bottom ash, while the ring number of dominated PAHs in fly ash was higher than those in flue gas and bottom ash. Compared to MSW, H-MSW combustion generated less PAHs at the value of 1131.95–7649.24 μg/g. The blending of H-MSW and coal reduced total PAH emissions and positive interactions were observed between H-MSW and coal during co-combustion. The toxicity equivalent quantity (TEQ) values of the PAHs from combustion were in the order MSW > H-MSW > H-MSW/coal, which was consistent with the total PAH emissions. The present study illustrated that significant reduction of PAH emissions and toxicity from combustion could be achieved by HT and the blending of H-MSW and coal.

Two types of the biochars, pyrochar and hydrochar derived from low temperature pyrolysis (LTP) and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of sewage sludge were prepared and characterized. Their gasification properties were further experimentally evaluated. The results showed that the hydrochar was more hydrophobic than the pyrochar. The hydrochar was rich in nitrogen-containing functional groups and increased nickel, iron, alkali and alkaline earth metallic species compared to the raw sludge and pyrochar. It enhanced the interactions between the carbon surface and hydrogen bonding as well as gasification reactivity of the hydrochar, thus resulting in a higher hydrogen concentration and yield than the pyrochar under identical conditions. Additionally, the hydrochar had a more porous structure on the surface, facilitating the pores better accessible for condensable hydrocarbon molecules and thus improved the gas production and gasification efficiency. Although the energy recovery efficiency of LTP-gasification method was higher than that of HTC-gasification approach, the total energy consumption during the HTC pretreatment combined with subsequent gasification was lower than the energy evolved in the corresponding product gas in most gasification conditions. This study demonstrates that the integration of HTC pretreatment and subsequent gasification has promising potential for hydrogen-rich syngas production from sewage sludge.

Herein, we have developed a simple and effective strategy for in situ preparation of nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) supported on porous carbon (PC) using renewable hydrochar as the carbon precursor. Physicochemical properties of the resultant NZVI/PC composites were characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, TEM, and BET, and the effectiveness of these composites was evaluated for the remediation of PCB-contaminated water. Results showed that the iron ions were uniformly dispersed within the hydrochar matrix and serve as an activation agent for the hydrochar during a subsequent pyrolysis process. The iron is reduced in situ to NZVI with diameters of 8.5–10 nm, without requiring an additional reducing agent. At temperatures of 600–800 °C, the well-dispersed NZVI catalyzes the transformation from amorphous carbon to graphitic carbon. The NZVI/PC composite prepared at 800 °C exhibited high efficiency for adsorption and dechlorination of PCBs in aqueous solution. This is attributed to the composites’ high surface area,...

Steam gasification behavior and kinetics of hydrothermally treated low-lipid microalgae Nannochloropsis sp. were probed in this work. The roles of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) parameters (HTC temperature, HTC reaction time) as well as gasification conditions (gasification temperature, S/B mass ratio) in modulating the properties of hydrothermal carbons (HCs) as well as gasification performance were elucidated. Experimental results indicated that the aromaticity of the HCs derived from Nannochloropsis sp. was promoted, whereas the polarity was lowered by the increased HTC temperature and reaction time. At optimum HTC conditions (HTC temperature of 180 °C, residence time of 12 h) and gasification conditions (gasification temperature of 900 °C, S/B mass ratio of 2), the total maximum energy recovery efficiency was as high as 1.59. Kinetic parameters for the major gaseous products during the steam gasification of raw microalgae and the two typical HCs (HC–180C-12 h and HC-220C-12 h) were further determined. Kinetic results verified that the gasification reactivity of HC-180C-12 h was greatly higher than other two feedstock, and H2 formation was greatly promoted compared to the other two gaseous products. Overall, combining hydrothermal pretreatment and steam gasification in one step is a promising technology that could greatly promote hydrogen-rich syngas production and energy recovery efficiency from low-lipid microalgae.

The ~400-kyr period of marine carbon isotope records, in concert with the long eccentricity cycle, is a meaningful signature of the global carbon cycle, and this period was prolonged to ~500 kyr in the last ~1.6 Ma. The cause of the elongation of the long-eccentricity carbon cycle at ~1.6 Ma has not been fully understood, partly due to the conundrum of its relationship to changes in the circulation of deep-water masses. In this study, we present the benthic foraminifera δ13C and δ18O and the relative abundances of selected benthic foraminifera, from the upper ~80 m of Site U1489 of IODP Expedition 363. First, we established an age model for our samples, covering the last 4 Ma, based on the correlation of benthic foraminifera δ18O to the LR04 global stack as well as ship-board magneto-stratigraphy. Then we compared the δ18O and δ13C between Cibicidoides and Uvigerina to reconfirm the inter-genus isotopic adjustments. The coarse fraction, benthic foraminifera δ13C and the abundances of selected benthic species/genera show detectable 400–500 kyr cycles, with minimal coarse fraction and maximal δ13C around eccentricity minima. The variations in the relative abundances of selected benthic foraminifera, especially Favocassidulina favus, and the comparisons among deep-Pacific δ13C records, reveal a shift to a more sluggish mode of Pacific deep-water circulation occurring coincidently at ~1.6 Ma. Therefore, it may be implied that the lengthening of the long-term δ13C cycle at ~1.6 Ma is linked to a deep Pacific circulation change that prolonged the cycling of carbon in the ocean.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have enormous potential hazards. It is necessary for China to propose more internationally stricter standards for PAHs, in order to improve the country’s pollutant prevention and control policy system, and ultimately, provide institutional guarantees for implementing PAH emissions prevention and control. In this study, phenanthrene, a typical PAHs generated during municipal solid waste (MSW) to energy system, was applied as a model compound to study the thermal degradation mechanism during the combustion process. Combustion kinetics for the three major gaseous products, including hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide, were determined. Experimental results indicated that hydrogen was promoted compared to methane and carbon dioxide during the combustion of phenanthrene, especially in high oxygen concentrations. The apparent activation energy (Ea) of 8.299–11.51, 13.10–23.07, and 9.368–15.29 kJ/mol, pre-exponential factor (A) of 0.219–1.579, 5.034–10.12, and 6.553–15.51 s−1, and the reaction order (n) of 1.160–1.234, 1.059–1.305, and 1.636–1.774 were obtained for hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide, respectively. Research on combustion behavior of phenanthrene and reaction kinetics provides the theoretical basis for the high-temperature removal of PAHs as byproducts during the combustion of MSW in oxygen-rich atmosphere.

Hydrothermal carbonization is an effective pretreatment for further thermal conversion of high moisture biomass without a high cost of a dehydration process. The current paper concerns the properties of hydrochar derived from hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge, and the feasibility of steam gasification of hydrochar for hydrogen-rich gas production was investigated. Sewage sludge derived hydrochar was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy to evaluate its feasibility for gasification application. The effect of reaction temperature, steam to biomass mass ratio, and addition of alkali catalysts on steam gasification characteristics of raw sewage sludge and corresponding hydrochar were evaluated, in terms of major composition of the produced gas, gas yield, gasification efficiency and energy density. The results showed that sewage sludge derived hydrochar was rich in hydrophilic functional groups and increased Fe, Ni, alkali and alkaline earth metals (i.e. K, Na, Ca, Mg), resulting in a higher hydrogen yield and energy efficiency than direct steam gasification of sewage sludge under identical conditions. In addition, hydrogen-rich gas production was also favored with the presence of alkali catalysts, especially for the hydrochar. The present study demonstrates that hydrothermal carbonization provides an effective pretreatment of sewage sludge for production of hydrogen-rich gas via steam gasification.

Biochar derived from rice husk was modified by microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa as a natural nitrogen-rich precursor in a hydrothermal environment for copper ion (Cu(II)) adsorption. Pristine biochar derived from hydrothermal carbonization of individual rice husks was included as a control. FTIR, SEM and BET analyses indicated that the modified biochar is more hydrophobic and basic than the pristine biochar due to the anchoring of surface nitrogenous functionalities. The adsorption of copper ions onto the pristine and modified biochar was investigated with respect to pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, temperature, kinetics and isotherms. The results showed that modification of the biochar by nitrogen significantly increased the copper adsorption capacity from 13.12 mg g−1 for the pristine biochar to 29.11 mg g−1 for the modified biochar. Adsorption of copper ions by the modified biochar was dominated by surface complexation rather than through the electrostatic attractions that dominated adsorption for the pristine biochar.

Thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis were employed to investigate combustion characteristics of two low-lipid microalgae, Chlorella pyrenoidosa (CP) and Spirulina platensis (SP) and iso-conversional Starink approach was used to calculate the kinetic parameters in the present study. The results showed that three stages of mass loss, including dehydration, devolatilization and char oxidation, were observed during combustion of both of two low-lipid microalgae. The whole weight loss of combustion of two microalgae was both shifted to higher temperature zones with increased heating rates from 10 to 40 K/min. In the 0.1-0.9 conversion range, the apparent activation energy of CP increased first from 51.96 to 79.53 kJ/mol, then decreased to 55.59 kJ/mol. Finally, it slightly increased to 67.27 kJ/mol. In the case of SP, the apparent activation energy gradually increased from 68.51 to 91.06 kJ/mol. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The heavy metals distribution during hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of sewage sludge, and pyrolysis of the resultant hydrochar was investigated and compared with raw sludge pyrolysis. The results showed that HTC reduced exchangeable/acid-soluble and reducible fraction of heavy metals and lowered the potential risk of heavy metals in sewage sludge. The pyrolysis favored the transformation of extracted/mobile fraction of heavy metals to residual form especially at high temperature, immobilizing heavy metals in the chars. Compared to the chars from raw sludge pyrolysis, the chars derived from hydrochar pyrolysis was more alkaline and had lower risk and less leachable heavy metals, indicating that pyrolysis imposed more positive effect on immobilization of heavy metals for the hydrochar than for sewage sludge. The present study demonstrated that HTC is a promising pretreatment prior to pyrolysis from the perspective of immobilization of heavy metals in sewage sludge.

The heteroatoms (N and S) doped porous carbons (HAPCs) were prepared from sewage sludge by hydrothermal carbonization and chemical activation for the first time. The porous structures and surface properties of HAPCs were characterized by multiple techniques including SEM-EDS, TEM, BET, XRD, Raman spectroscopy and Boehm's titration. The resultant materials were showed to be naturally N and S dual-doped porous carbons (HAPCs), especially for HAPC HCl+HF obtained by HCl-HF-washing, which was typical 3D hierarchically porous structure with abundant mesopores as well as big pore diameter. Then the performance of HAPC HCl+HF on AO7 removal was determined through Response surface methodology. The results showed the adsorption behavior obeyed Langmuir isotherm model and the maximum adsorption capacity was up to 440.53 mg g −1 at 25 °C. Kinetics study revealed that the adsorption followed pseudo second-order kinetic and intra-particle diffusion was the main control step. The high removal rate of AO7 was ascribed to the unique properties of HAPC HCl+HF . The great V mes and big pore diameter facilitated the diffusion of AO7 into the intra surface of particle. Meanwhile, the basic groups and doping of N and S made HAPC HCl+HF surface had positive charges, then strong π-π stacking interaction and electrostatic attraction contributed to the highly effective adsorption. This study indicated hydrothermal carbonization coupled with chemical activation was a cost-effective approach to prepare efficient heteroatoms doped porous carbon from sewage sludge towards azo dye contaminated wastewater treatment.

A highly graphitized and heteroatom doped porous carbon was prepared from fish waste in the present study. The morphology and chemical composition of the resultant porous carbon were characterized by SEM-EDS, TEM, BET, XRD and Raman measurement. The prepared porous carbon was employed as an adsorbent for acid orange 7, a typical azo dye, removal from aqueous solution. The results showed that the porous carbon had ultrahigh surface area of 2146 m(2)/g, a high degree of graphitization structure and naturally doped with nitrogen and phosphorous. The maximum adsorption capacity of acid orange 7 reached 285.71 mg/g due to unique property of the prepared porous carbon. In addition, acid orange 7 adsorption onto the porous carbon well followed pseudo-second-order kinetics model and acid orange 7 diffusion in micropores was the potential rate controlling step.

Emission and distribution characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated during municipal solid waste (MSW) and coal combustion alone and MSW/coal blend (MSW weight fraction of 25%) co-combustion within a temperature range of 500°C-900°C. The results showed that for all combustion experiments, flue gas occupied the highest proportion of total PAHs and fly ash contained more high-ring PAHs. Moreover, the 3- and 4-ring PAHs accounted for the majority of total PAHs and Ant or Phe had the highest concentrations. Compared to coal, MSW combustion generated high levels of total PAHs with the range of 111.28μg/g-10,047.22μg/g and had high toxicity equivalent value (TEQ). MSW/coal co-combustion generated the smallest amounts of total PAHs and had the lowest TEQ than MSW and coal combustion alone. Significant synergistic interactions occurred between MSW and coal during co-combustion and the interactions suppressed the formation of PAHs, especially hazardous high-ring PAHs and decreased the TEQ. The present study indicated that the reduction of the yield and toxicity of PAHs can be achieved by co-combustion of MSW and coal.

Aegilops geniculata Roth is an important germplasm resource for the transfer of beneficial genes into common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A new disomic addition line NA0973-5-4-1-2-9-1 was developed from the BC1F6 progeny of the cross wheat cv. Chinese Spring (CS)/Ae. geniculata SY159//CS. We characterized this new line by morphological and cytogenetic identification, analysis of functional molecular markers, genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and disease resistance evaluation. Cytological observations suggested that NA0973-5-4-1-2-9-1 contained 44 chromosomes and formed 22 bivalents at meiotic metaphase I. The GISH investigations showed that the line contained 42 wheat chromosomes and a pair of Ae. geniculata chromosomes. EST-STS multiple loci markers and PLUG (PCR-based landmark unique gene) markers confirmed that the introduced Ae. geniculata chromosomes belonged to homoeologous group 7. FISH identification suggested that NA0973-5-4-1-2-9-1 possessed an additional pair of 7Mg chromosomes, and at the same time, there were structural differences in a pair of 6D chromosomes between NA0973-5-4-1-2-9-1 and TA7661 (CS-AEGEN DA 7Mg). After inoculation with powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, Bgt) isolates E09, NA0973-5-4-1-2-9-1 exhibited a powdery mildew resistance infection type different from that of TA7661, and we conclude that the powdery mildew resistance of NA0973-5-4-1-2-9-1 originated from its parent Ae. geniculata SY159. Therefore, NA0973-5-4-1-2-9-1 can be used as a donor source for introducing novel disease resistance genes into wheat during breeding programs with the assistance of molecular and cytogenetic markers.

The compound bioflocculant (CBF)-aluminum sulfate (AS) dual-coagulant and AS were comparatively studied for the coagulation of kaolin-humic acid solution. Floc properties including floc growth rate, size, strength, recoverability and fractal dimension under different pH conditions were investigated by Mastersizer 2000. Results indicated that, the flocs formed by AS-CBF (AS dosed first) showed the largest size and the best recoverability across the pH range investigated. While flocs formed by CBF-AS gave the most compact structure. The three coagulants exhibited similar floc growth rate and strength. Moreover, flocs formed in acidic conditions were stronger and more recoverable but showed lower growth rate, smaller size and looser structure compared to those formed at pH>6 regardless of the coagulant used. Charge neutralization was the dominant mechanism for AS at low pH, while the coagulation mechanism transformed to enmeshment as the pH increased. There was an additional adsorption bridging effect for AS-CBF and CBF-AS.

The coagulation performance and floc properties of compound bioflocculant (CBF)-aluminum sulfate (AS) dual-coagulant were compared with that of AS in the treatment of synthetic kaolin-humic (HA) water. Results showed that AS-CBF dual coagulant was more efficient for HA removal. The floc formation, breakage and reformation were investigated under different dosages and shear rates. Increasing coagulant dosage resulted in the increase of floc growth rate and size. But the floc recoverability was found to decrease with increasing coagulant dosage. Furthermore, flocs formed by AS-CBF (AS dosed firstly) had faster growth rate, larger size and better recoverability than AS and CBF-AS (CBF dosed firstly) in the dosage range investigated. Similar results were obtained when the shear force was changed. Precipitate charge neutralization was a dominant mechanism of AS, and CBF had good adsorption bridging effect. Due to the combination of two advantages, coagulation efficiency could be enhanced significantly.

Background: To explore the relationship between the occurrence of no/slow reflow phenomenon in acute myocardial infarction patients after undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and inflammatory response. Objective: Prospective study was conducted on 519 acute myocardial infarction patients undergoing PCI, in which 509 patients were followed up for one year. Method: The 76 cases with no/slow reflow phenomenon after PCI was the adverse reflow group. One hundred patients were randomly selected from the remaining 443 patients with the Excel random function table as the control group to avoid statistical deviation. Result: The inflammatory indicators, such as the total numbers of white blood cells and neutrophils, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, mortality, adverse cardiac event. Conclusion: Inflammatory response is related to the occurrence of no/slow reflow phenomenon in acute myocardial infarction patients after PCI, and seriously affects their prognosis.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Methods: 216 patients with AMI complicated by MODS hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology of our hospital from January 2011 to March 2013 were divided into a PCI group (n=98) and a drug treatment group (n=118). The basic clinical data, the incidence rate of each dysfunction organ, the number of dysfunction organs and the mortality were compared between the two groups. Results: The rate of patients with ST-segment elevation AMI in the PCI group was higher than in the drug treatment group, and the rate of patients with non-ST-segment elevation AMI was lower than in the drug treatment group (P 0.05). The recanalization rate in PCI group was much higher than that in the drug treatment group (P

This study investigated co-liquefaction of microalgae (Chlorella pyrenoidosa, CP) and lignocellulosic biomass (Rice husk, RH) in subcritical water for bio-oil production. The effects of liquefaction temperature (200-350 degrees C), residence time (10-90 min), solid concentration (10-30 wt.%) and mass ratio of CP/RH on product distribution were investigated. The results showed that the highest yield of bio-crude oils at the combination of 50% CP with 50% RH was obtained at 300 degrees C temperature, 60 min residence time and 20 wt.% solid concentration. The oil yields increased gradually with the increased mass ratio of CP/RH. The major compounds identified in bio-crude oils from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of RH were cyclic oxygenates (20.62%), followed by esters, ketones and alcohols (17.19%). As for CP, the main components were straight & branched amides (28.38%). A synergistic interaction was observed between CP and RH during co-liquefaction, resulting in decreased acidity and nitrogen content of bio-crude oils. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is an important regulator of ECM proteolysis, cell-ECM interactions and cell signaling. uPAR and heat shock proteins HSP70 and MRJ (DNAJB6) have been implicated in tumor growth and metastasis. We have reported recently that MRJ (DNAJB6, a heat shock protein) can interact with uPAR and enhance cell adhesion. Here, we identified another heat shock protein HSP70 as a novel uPAR-interacting protein. Methods We performed co-immunoprecipitation in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 and colon cancer HCT116 cells as well as immunofluorence assays in HEK293 cells stably transfected with uPAR to investigate the association of suPAR with HSP70/MRJ. To understand the biological functions of the triple complex of suPAR/HSP70/MRJ, we determined whether HSP70 and/or MRJ regulated uPAR-mediated cell invasion, migration, adhesion to vitronectin and MAPK pathway in two pair of human tumor cells (uPAR negative HEK293 cells vs HEK293 cells stably transfected with uPAR and HCT116 cells stably transfected with antisense-uPAR vs HCT116 mock cells transfected with vector only) using transwell assay, wound healing assay, quantitative RT-PCR analyzing mmp2 and mmp9 transcription levels, cell adhesion assay and Western blotting assay. Results HSP70 and MRJ formed a triple complex with uPAR and over-expression of MRJ enhanced the interaction between HSP70 and uPAR, while knockdown of MRJ decreased soluble uPAR in HCT116 cells (P Conclusions These findings may offer a novel insight into the interactions between uPAR and HSP70/MRJ and their functions in cell adhesion and migration may provide more understanding of the roles in regulating cancer metastasis.

Background Urokinase (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) play an important role in tumour growth and metastasis, and overexpression of these molecules is strongly correlated with poor prognosis in a variety of malignant tumours. Targeting the excessive activation of this system as well as the proliferation of the tumour vascular endothelial cell would be expected to prevent tumour neovasculature and halt tumour development. The amino terminal fragment (ATF) of urokinase has been confirmed effective to inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasiveness of cancer cells via interrupting the interaction of uPA and uPAR. Triptolide (TPL) is a purified diterpenoid isolated from the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F that has shown antitumor activities in various cancer cell types. However, its therapeutic application is limited by its toxicity in normal tissues and complications caused in patients. In this study, we attempted to investigate the synergistic anticancer activity of TPL and ATF in various solid tumour cells. Methods Using in vitro and in vivo experiments, we investigated the combined effect of TPL and ATF at a low dosage on cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, cell migration, signalling pathways, xenograft tumour growth and angiogenesis. Results Our data showed that the sensitivity of a combined therapy using TPL and ATF was higher than that of TPL or ATF alone. Suppression of NF-κB transcriptional activity, activation of caspase-9/caspase-3, cell cycle arrest, and inhibition of uPAR-mediated signalling pathway contributed to the synergistic effects of this combination therapy. Furthermore, using a mouse xenograft model, we demonstrated that the combined treatment completely suppressed tumour growth by inhibiting angiogenesis as compared with ATF or TPL treatment alone. Conclusions Our study suggests that lower concentration of ATF and TPL used in combination may produce a synergistic anticancer efficacy that warrants further investigation for its potential clinical applications.

Coma stimulation program (CSP) is a treatment in which a health care professional or a patient's family member systematically applies stimulation to patients' five senses, for the purpose of increasing patient responsiveness. In this study, we developed a CSP system in which the sensory stimulus was generated by a virtual reality (VR) technique to improve the therapeutic process. The article also pays focus on the effectiveness and obstacles of VR based CSP system