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The design and development of new large-capacity and selective materials for extracting rare precious metals via electronic waste is practically essential. In this paper, a new efficient UiO-66-NCS has been obtained as a consequence of the modification of the classical Zr-MOF (UiO-66-NH2), and its ability to recover gold has been investigated. These batch results adequately illustrated that UiO-66-NCS exhibited good adsorption capacity (675.5 mg g−1) and exceptional selectivity. In addition, UiO-66-NCS achieved faster adsorption equilibrium times of about 120 min. Adsorption kinetics and isotherms demonstrated that the pseudo-second-order adsorption scheme and a Langmuir-type procedure were shown by the adsorption of Au(III) on UiO-66-NCS. Characterized by pH effect experiments, TEM, XRD, and XPS, the adsorption of UiO-66-NCS with Au(III) relies on coordination, which further results in reduction, and the generated Au(0) is uniformly dispersed in the MOF. The adsorbent has considerable advantages for cyclic regeneration. Finally, DFT fitting results showed that the adsorption binding energy of UiO-66-NCS with [AuCl4]− was −8.63 kcal mol−1 for the adsorption process. UiO-66-NCS is likely to be an ideal substance for gold recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been an exponential growth in the higher education worldwide that has consequently triggered new challenges for educators and students. The relationship between student-faculty partnership, student engagement, academic performance, sense of belongingness and satisfaction in Chinese higher education institutes are examined by this study. The study examines the effect of student-faculty partnerships on educational results and fills gaps in understanding this relationship. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) and with quantitative data gathered from surveys of Chinese university students. After an exhaustive search of the relevant literature, we find considerable shortfalls in knowledge about student-faculty partnerships and their results. The results show that student-faculty cooperation has a positive impact on student participation, grades, sense of belonging and satisfaction with higher education. Furthermore, student involvement and feeling connected are important in negotiating the relationships between student-faculty interactions and academic success, and satisfaction. The present research implications offer a novel and more diverse perspectives of higher education in China aimed at advanced learning opportunities through student-faculty partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous group of immature cells derived from bone marrow that play critical immunosuppressive functions in the tumor microenvironment (TME), promoting cancer progression. According to base length, Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are mainly divided into: microRNAs (miRNAs), lncRNAs, snRNAs and CircRNAs. Both miRNA and lncRNA are transcribed by RNA polymerase II, and they play an important role in gene expression under both physiological and pathological conditions. The increasing data have shown that MiRNAs/LncRNAs regulate MDSCs within TME, becoming one of potential breakthrough points at the investigation and treatment of cancer. Therefore, we summarize how miRNAs/lncRNAs mediate the differentiation, expansion and immunosuppressive function of tumor MDSCs in TME. We will then focus on the regulatory mechanisms of exosomal MicroRNAs/LncRNAs on tumor MDSCs. Finally, we will discuss how the interaction of miRNAs/lncRNAs modulates tumor MDSCs.

BACKGROUND The portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (p-XRF) can detect chromium in soil rapidly, but its detection accuracy is low because of the complexity of soil composition and the unknown matrix effect. As the main element in soil matrix, iron content varies widely in different types of soil, which is one of the main elements affecting the accuracy of p-XRF determination of chromium. OBJECTIVES To improve the accuracy of p-XRF in the determination of chromium in soil. METHODS The relationship between the fluorescence intensity of chromium and the content of chromium and iron was studied by using artificial soil samples with added chromium and iron. A calibration model was established based on research results. RESULTS When the content of iron in the soil sample was fixed, the content of chromium changed linearly with its corresponding characteristic X-ray fluorescence intensity, and the correlation coefficients were all above 0.9990. Moreover, the growth rate of the fluorescence intensity of chromium increased with the increase of iron content in the soil. In addition, through the study of soil samples with the same chromium content and different iron content, the fluorescence enhancement effect of iron on chromium was verified, and it was found that the enhancement effect was also related to the interaction of iron and chromium. CONCLUSIONS Combining the research results of matrix effects of chromium and iron, the correction equation of effect of iron on p-XRF determination of chromium has been established. Compared with ordinary linear regression, the correlation coefficient of this method increased from 0.9011 to 0.9986. The average relative error for p-XRF analysis of diatomite samples decreased from 21.94% to 2.52%, and the average relative error of p-XRF analysis of actual soil samples decreased from 51.02% to 5.21%.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells that accumulate in tumor-bearing hosts to reduce T cells activity and promote tumor immune escape in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The immune system in the TME can be stimulated to elicit an anti-tumor immune response through immunotherapy. The main theory of immunotherapy resides on the plasticity of the immune system and its capacity to be re-educated into a potent anti-tumor response. Thus, MDSCs within the TME became one of the major targets to improve the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy, and therapeutic strategies for tumor MDSCs were developed in the last few years. In the article, we analyzed the function of tumor MDSCs and the regulatory mechanisms of agents targeting MDSCs in tumor immunotherapy, and reviewed their therapeutic effects in MDSCs within the TME. Those data focused on discussing how to promote the differentiation and maturation of MDSCs, reduce the accumulation and expansion of MDSCs, and inhibit the function, migration and recruitment of MDSCs, further preventing the growth, invasion and metastasis of tumor. Those investigations may provide new directions for cancer therapy.

The authors and journal retract the article, “Biomaterial-Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles γ-Fe2O3, Fe3O4 Used to Improve the Efficiency of Hyperthermia of Tumors in HepG2 Model” [...]