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Exploring effective sensors for detecting possible hazards in a water system are greatly significant. This work proposed a strategy for stable and effective bifunctional sensors

Vascular endothelial cells and oxidation reduction system play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS). If these conditions are disordered, it will inevitably lead to plaque formation and even rupture. Astragaloside IV (AsIV) and salvianolic acid B (Sal B) are the main active ingredients of Astragalus membranaceus and Salvia miltiorrhiza, respectively, and found to ameliorate vascular endothelial dysfunction and protect against oxidative stress in recent studies. However, it is still unknown if the combination of AsIV and Sal B (AsIV + Sal B) can inhibit the development of plaque through amplifying the protective effect of vascular endothelial cells and anti-oxidative stress effect. To clarify the role of AsIV + Sal B in AS, we observed the efficacy of each group (Control, Model, AsIV, Sal B, and AsIV + Sal B) by biomolecular assays, such as observing the pathological morphology of the aorta by oil red O staining, evaluating the level of oxidative stress and endothelial cells in the serum by the Elisa test, and analyzing the changes of all small molecule metabolites in liver tissue by UPLC-QTOF-MS. Results showed that AsIV, Sal B and AsIV + Sal B decreased the deposition of lipid in the arterial wall, so as to exert the effect of anti-oxidant stress and vascular endothelial protection, where the inhibitory effect of AsIV + Sal B was the most obvious. Metabonomics analysis showed that Sal B regulated the metabolic pathways of arginine and proline. AsIV regulated glycerol metabolism and saturated fatty acid biosynthesis metabolism. AsIV + Sal B is mainly related to the regulation of the citrate cycle (TCA cycle), alanine, aspartic acid, and glutamate metabolism, cysteine, and methionine metabolism. Succinic acid and methionine are synergistic metabolites that exert an enhancing effect when AsIV and Sal B were used in combination. In conclusion, we demonstrated that AsIV acompanied with Sal B can be successfully used for anti-oxidative stress and vascular endothelial protection of AS, and succinic acid and methionine are the synergistic metabolites.

Litter decomposition is one of the most important ecosystem processes, which plays a critical role in regu-lating nutrient cycling and energy flow in terrestrial ecosystems. The influence of litter inputs on soil microbial community is helpful for understanding the relationship between soil microbial diversity and terrestrial ecosystem function. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine how litter inputs affect soil microbial activity (fungi, bacteria, actinomycetes) and microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen in China. The results showed that compared with non-litter input, soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were significantly increased by 3.9% and 4.4% respectively after litter inputs. Soil fungal PLFA, bacterial PLFA, and total microbial PLFA were increased by 4.0%, 3.1% and 2.4%, respectively. The effects of litter inputs differed significantly with climatic region, annual precipitation, vege-tation type, and soil pH. Under different climate conditions, the responses of soil microbe showed the trend of subtropical monsoon climatic regiontemperate monsoon climatic regiontemperate continental climatic region, which increased first and then decreased with increasing annual precipitation. Under different vegetation types, the responses of soil microbes showed the trend of broad-leaved forestgrassland ≈ mixed forestconiferous forest.枯落物分解在陆地生态系统物质循环能量流动中起着关键性作用,明确枯落物输入对土壤微生物群落的影响有助于理解土壤微生物生物多样性和陆地生态系统功能的相互关系。本文采用整合分析方法,以中国为研究区域,以不添加枯落物为对照组,探究土壤微生物(真菌、细菌、放线菌)及微生物生物量碳、生物量氮对枯落物输入的响应。结果表明:与不添加枯落物相比,添加枯落物后土壤微生物生物量碳、生物量氮分别显著增加3.9%和4.4%;土壤真菌PLFA、细菌PLFA及总微生物PLFA分别增加4.0%、3.1%和2.4%。枯落物输入对土壤微生物的影响受到气候条件、年降水量、植被类型及土壤酸碱度等因素的显著影响;不同气候类型下,土壤微生物对枯落物输入的响应呈现出亚热带季风气候区温带季风气候区温带大陆气候区的趋势,以及随着年降水量的增加呈现出先升高后降低的趋势;不同植被类型下,土壤微生物对枯落物输入的响应呈现出阔叶林草地≈混交林针叶林的趋势。.

A chemiluminescence (CL) sensor, using ochratoxin A (OTA) aptamer as the activation switch of the split DNAzyme, was established to achieve high-sensitivity detection of OTA in wine. A guanine-rich oligonucleotide can fold into a parallel G-quadruplex in K+ solution. Hemin as a ligand can bind to parallel G-quadruplexes precisely. Hemin-G-quadruplex complexes display peroxidase-like activity, named as DNAzyme. The activity of the DNAzyme can be measured by CL via the H2O2 mediated-oxidation with luminol. Guanine-rich oligonucleotide split into two fragments; when they were near each other, they could reform DNAzyme. OTA aptamer as a switch was inserted into the nucleic acid sequence of DNAzyme. In the absence of OTA, the unfolded OTA aptamer inhibited the split DNAzyme effective self-assemble to form a structure with enzymatic activity. In the presence of OTA, OTA induced the aptamer to form an antiparallel G-quadruplex and drew the tail of the aptamer closer so that the two fragments of split DNAzyme refolded and compound with hemin. The folding degree of the aptamer would directly affect the activity of DNAzyme and high-sensitivity detection of OTA could be obtained by monitoring the enhanced ratio of CL intensity. The linear range of this method was 0.10–2.00 nmol/L, and the limit of detection was 0.10 nmol/L.

A series of Fe-modified bimetallic Fex–Ni1−x-MOFs catalysts were successfully synthesized by solvent thermal method for CO-SCR. A significant activity improvement was found over bimetallic MOFs with the highest NOx conversion of 100% achieved on Fe0.33–Ni0.67-MOFs at 230 °C. The promoted low-temperature SCR activity was attributed to large surface area, directional growth of rod structure and greater surface oxygen mobility. The enhanced adsorption and transformation ability of CO and NO were further found due to relatively high concentration of Fe3+/Fe2+ formed due to redox cycle (Fe2+ + Ni3+ ↔ Fe3+ + Ni2+). Fe sites were found to be strong storing sites for NOx species helping to anchor more nitrates. A special Fe–Ov–Ni structure was formed between Fe and Ni, which can weaken N–O bond and generate more bridging nitrate, especially key intermediates trans-N2O2− species at low temperature. These features played a crucial role at low temperature and therefore achieved a superior activity.

Low-valent aluminum Al(i) chemistry has attracted extensive research interest due to its unique chemical and catalytic properties but is limited by its low stability. Herein, a hourglass phosphomolybdate cluster with a metal-center sandwiched by two benzene-like planar subunits and large steric-hindrance is used as a scaffold to stabilize low-valent Al(i) species. Two hybrid structures, (H3O)2(H2bpe)11[AlIII(H2O)2]3{[AlI(P4MoV6O31H6)2]3·7H2O (abbr. Al6{P4Mo6}6) and (H3O)3(H2bpe)3[AlI(P4MoV6O31H7)2]·3.5H2O (abbr. Al{P4Mo6}2) (bpe = trans-1,2-di-(4-pyridyl)-ethylene) were successfully synthesized with Al(i)-sandwiched polyoxoanionic clusters as the first inorganic-ferrocene analogues of a monovalent group 13 element with dual Lewis and Brønsted acid sites. As dual-acid catalysts, these hourglass structures efficiently catalyze a solvent-free four-component domino reaction to synthesize 1,5-benzodiazepines. This work provides a new strategy to stabilize low-valent Al(i) species using a polyoxometalate scaffold., Monovalent aluminum(i) species was successfully stabilized using a reduced phosphomolybdate scaffold as a dual-acid catalyst for a four-component domino reaction.

Multiple studies on textiles have shown that significant numbers of microparticulate fibres are released daily during washing and are discharged to sewer and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). These fibres can enter the environment and potentially cause adverse impacts on ecosystems. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the biodegradability (mineralization) of microplastic fibres compared to natural (cellulose), regenerated (viscose), polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/cotton blend and oxo-degradable PET fibres under laboratory conditions using a 60-day ready biodegradability test and an inoculum from a WWTP. Moreover, the influence of different textile finishes on the biodegradability of fibres was investigated using viscose fibres treated with two different types of reactive dyes (two- and three-anchor compounds), a cationic silicone based softener and a cationic quaternary amonium compound based antimicrobial agent. High mineralization of cotton as well as viscose was observed (reaching 70%), while PET fibres were not degraded (approx. 1.6%). Viscose fibres impregnated with certain finishing agents exhibited a lower degradation level (around 75%) than untreated fibres (reaching up to 85%), which indicates that textile finishing might also prolong the environmental half-lives of shed fibres. The addition of softener to the dyed fibres affected slightly their biodegradability, while the addition of antimicrobial agent significantly reduced the biodegradation level to 3–5%. The recalcitrance of treated fibres against biodegradation might be dependent on the durability and type of the finish. This is an important fact when aiming and chemically designing for more sustainable textile products.

Three new Krebs-type polyoxometalate-based crystalline materials (H2en)4{[M(Hen)(H2O)]2(WO2)2(B-β-SbW9O33)2}·12H2O (M = Ni2+ in 1, M = Co2+ in 2, M = Mn2+ in 3) (en = ethylenediamine) have been synthesized via hydrothermal method and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. Compounds 1-3 display isomorphic structures and contain similar disubstituted Krebs-type {[M(Hen)(H2O)]2(WO2)2(B-β-SbW9O33)2}8- polyoxoanions, in which sandwich-type {(WO2)2(B-β-SbW9O33)2} subunits are linked by [M(Hen)(H2O)]3+ fragments to form two-dimensional layer structures. By employing K3[Fe(CN)6]-Na2S2O3 reaction as the redox model, the influence of metal linkers on the catalytic electron transfer properties of POMs have also been investigated. A series of control experiments demonstrated that the Co-disubstituted compound 2 had better catalytic performance for reducing K3[Fe(CN)6] into K4[Fe(CN)6] among 1-3. While Ni- or Mn-disubstituted compounds 1 and 3 only presented weak effect. Such differences in catalytic properties may arise from their different φѳ of linked heterometal atoms. The current work may provide guidance for the design of Krebs-type polyoxometalate-based heterogeneous catalysts and the exploration of catalytic redox reaction mechanism at the molecular level.

The nature of the synergistic effect in bimetallic catalysts remains a challenging issue, due to the difficulty in understanding the adjacent interaction between dual metals at the atomic level. Herein, a CuFe-N/C catalyst featuring diatomic metal-nitrogen sites was prepared through a sequential ion exchange strategy and applied for NO selective catalytic reduction by CO (CO-SCR). The bimetallic CuFe-N/C catalyst exhibits high N2 selectivity with a NO conversion efficiency of nearly 100% over a wide temperature range from 225 to 400 °C, significantly higher than that of its single-component counterparts. The synergistic effect of bimetallic Cu-Fe sites is well revealed using the combined in situ FTIR technique and DFT calculations. Bifunctional Cu-Fe sites are demonstrated not only to provide two different preferential adsorption centers for the CO molecule and ONNO intermediate but also to achieve a complete electron cycle for efficient interfacial electron transfer upon ONNO uptake. The unique electron transfer mechanism stemmed from 4s-3d-type electron coupling, and different 3d shell fillings of Cu (3d10) and Fe (3d6) atoms are presented. These fundamental insights pave the way for the understanding of N-coordinated bimetallic site synergy and rational design of highly active atomic-scale metal catalysts for SCR applications.

Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) are an energy system that can be used to store and transport hydrogen under standard temperature and pressure chemically bound to a carrier. The LOHC systems show advantages over conventional energy systems (recyclability, higher sustainability and lower emissions) and other hydrogen-based systems (lower loses, ease of handling and higher safety), and are applied in stationary and mobile applications worldwide. The scale and type of use indicate that the release of LOHCs to the environment can be expected. Yet, their behaviour and fate have not been investigated especially with regard to assessment of exposure, mobility and possibility to reach surface water, groundwater or drinking water sources. To investigate that we studied the mobility of thirteen technologically promising LOHC candidates including indole, quinaldine, carbazole derivatives, benzyltoluene and dibenzyltoluene, and their (partially) saturated forms in soil, for the first time. The substances were classified into mobility classes based on their organic carbon–water partition coefficients (Koc) determined via in silico models and HPLC screening. The log Koc values increased in the order indoles < quinaldines < carbazole derivatives < benzyltoluenes < dibenzyltoluenes covering a full spectrum of mobility scale (from highly mobile to immobile). The behaviour of exemplary LOHC system – quinaldine including H2-unsaturated, partially and fully saturated forms – was further assessed by investigating the soil-water partition coefficients (Kd) via adsorption batch equilibrium and column leaching test. The study showed that some LOHCs can be expected to be very mobile in soils and have the potential to reach groundwater.

The visible-light-driven simultaneous conversion of toxic Cr(VI) and organic dyes is a promising approach to alleviate environmental pollution, in which the key point is developing efficient photocatalysts. Here, a series of reduced MoV-contained hourglass-type polyoxometalate crystalline materials with a formula (H2bpp)2[{Na4(H2O)5}{Co0.8Cd0.2(H2O)2}{Cd[Mo6O12(OH)3(H2PO4)(HPO4)(PO4)2]2}]·2H2O (1), (H2bpp)3[Zn2{Cd[Mo6O12(OH)3–(HPO4)3(PO4)]2}]·6H2O (2), and [(H2bpp)3(bpp)2][{Al2(H2O)4}{Cd[Mo6O12(OH)3(H2PO4)2(HPO4)(PO4)]2}2]·9H2O (3) (bpp = 1,3-bi(4-pyridyl)propane) were prepared as synergetic photocatalysts for Cr(VI) reduction and methylene blue (MB) oxidation under visible-light irradiation. The three assemblies display wide visible-light absorption ranges, suitable energy-level structures and excellent redox activity. When used as photocatalysts, assemblies 1–3 exhibited excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity. Under the original pH conditions, the removal ratios of Cr(VI) can reach 74%, 68%, and 55%, and the degradation ratios of MB are 96%, 87%, and 88% for 1–3 with 3 hours irradiation, respectively. These results were higher than those of the separate half reactions, suggesting that the synergistic effect between Cr(VI) reduction and MB oxidative degradation accelerates the separation and utilization of photogenerated electrons and holes. The possible reaction mechanism has also been provided. This work provides some guidance for reduced polyoxometalate-based materials as potential candidates for environmental restoration.

Graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) have drawn much attention for their modulated bandgap rendering their application in optoelectronic devices. In this study, we present comprehensive photoluminescence properties of GOQDs and its related optical transitions, which agree with recent theoretical predications. In particular, ormosil gel glasses doped GOQDs was synthesized to achieve tunable photoluminescence. We also report the third-order nonlinear optical properties of the quantum dots, which were studied by using Z-scan technique. The evaluated one-photon and two-photon figures of merit demonstrate that GOQDs could be a promising candidate for the optical switching applications in a broad wavelength region.

Visible-light driven photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction is a promising pathway to moderate environmental pollution, in which the development of photocatalysts is pivotal. Herein, three hourglass-type phosphomolybdate-based hybrids with the formula of: (H2bpe)3[Zn(H2PO4)][Zn(bpe)(H2O)2]H{Zn[P4Mo6O31H6]2}·6H2O (1) Na6[H2bz]2[ZnNa4(H2O)5]{Zn [P4Mo6O31H3]2}·2H2O (2) and (H2mbpy) {[Zn(mbpy)(H2O)]2[Zn(H2O)]2}{Zn[P4Mo6O31H6]2}·10H2O (3) (bpe = trans-1,2-bi(4-pyridyl)-ethylene; bz = 4,4'-diaminobiphenyl; mbpy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'bipyridine) were synthesized under the guidance of the functional organic moiety modification strategy. Structural analysis showed that hybrids 1-3 have similar 2-D layer-like spatial arrangements constructed by {Zn[P4Mo6]2} clusters and organic components with different conjugated degree. With excellent redox properties and wide visible-light absorption capacities, hybrids 1-3 display favourable photocatalytic activity for Cr(VI) reduction with 79%, 70% and 64% reduction rates, which are superior to that of only inorganic {Zn[P4Mo6]2} itself (21%). The investigation of organic components on photocatalytic performance of hybrids 1-3 suggested that the organic counter cations (bpe, bz and mbpy) can effectively affect the visible-light absorption, as well as the recombination of photogenerated carriers stemmed from {Zn[P4Mo6]2} clusters, further promoting their photocatalytic performances towards Cr(VI) reduction. This work provides an experimental basis for the design of functionalized photocatalysts via the modification of organic species.

The quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) state is a two-dimensional topological insulating state that has quantized Hall resistance of h/Ce2 and vanishing longitudinal resistance under zero magnetic field, where C is called the Chern number. The QAH effect has been realized in magnetic topological insulators (TIs) and magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene. Despite considerable experimental efforts, the zero magnetic field QAH effect has so far been realized only for C = 1. Here we used molecular beam epitaxy to fabricate magnetic TI multilayers and realized the QAH effect with tunable Chern number C up to 5. The Chern number of these QAH insulators is tuned by varying the magnetic doping concentration or the thickness of the interior magnetic TI layers in the multilayer samples. A theoretical model is developed to understand our experimental observations and establish phase diagrams for QAH insulators with tunable Chern numbers. The realization of QAH insulators with high tunable Chern numbers facilitates the potential applications of dissipationless chiral edge currents in energy-efficient electronic devices and opens opportunities for developing multi-channel quantum computing and higher-capacity chiral circuit interconnects., Comment: Accepted version (27 pages, 4 figures). Comments are welcome

Due to the finite nature and scarcity of crude oil-based fuels, increasing attention is being directed towards various forms of renewable energy. To obtain a fully functional renewable energy system, some compensation for the spatiotemporal fluctuations in renewable energy sources is necessary. In this context, the so-called liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) systems are promising from a technological perspective, although their impact on the environment and on animal/human health has not been considered in great detail. Hence, we present a proactive, comparative environmental hazard assessment of LOHC systems based on three alkylcarbazoles and quinaldine, including H2-rich, H2-lean and intermediate (i.e., partially hydrogenated) forms as well as on benzene and toluene, also including H2-rich forms (cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane, respectively). Specifically, the present study reports on the enzyme inhibitory (acetylcholinesterase), mutagenic (Ames test) and cytotoxic (IPC-81 cell line) activities of the above-mentioned compounds. Furthermore, the aquatic toxicity of the test compounds to marine bacteria (Vibrio fischeri), green algae (Raphidocelis subcapitata), aquatic plants (Lemna minor) and water fleas (Daphnia magna) was assessed in addition to their biodegradability, using inocula from a wastewater treatment plant. To complete the picture, we compared the effects of the LOHCs investigated herein with those of diesel oil. In this context, our results suggest that the quinaldine-based LOHC system is comparable with diesel oil in terms of ecotoxicity but is less biodegradable. The alkylcarbazoles appear to be more toxic and poorly biodegradable. Lastly, the benzene and toluene-based LOHC systems give serious reasons for concern in terms of human and aquatic toxicity. Nevertheless, due to their less complex composition, the assessment of the LOHC systems carries much lower levels of uncertainty regarding adverse effects. Additionally, because of more favourable physicochemical properties (e.g., higher boiling points), some LOHCs are safer for handling and transportation. Finally, the possibility of storing and using renewable energy offers a significant environmental and economic benefit.

Microplastic (MP) pollution has become a global concern in terms of its environmental abundance and potential detrimental effects. Fibrous microplastics (FMPs) released from synthetic textiles are believed to contribute significantly to environmental MP pollution. This review provides an overview of current knowledge relating to the environmental impact of FMPs through a summary and discussion of (1) the concentrations in different environmental compartments including water, soil and air, (2) emission from wastewater treatment plants: via effluent discharges to waters and via sludge to land, (3) environmental transport and fate, and (4) toxicity and associated effects. How the properties of FMPs influence these aspects is discussed and their behaviour is compared to MPs of other shapes. We have summarised the Environmental Concentrations and derived Predicted No-Effect Concentrations for a preliminary risk assessment of FMPs by extrapolating the risk quotient for each respective environmental compartment. The uncertainties surrounding current assessment methods are discussed. In particular we address the need to improve determination of exposure levels and to better characterise the effects of FMPs. We conclude by presenting topics for future studies to address, which will improve our still limited understanding of the interactions between FMPs and the environment.

To investigate whether the presence of micropapillary and solid patterns are associated with nodal upstaging and survival patterns in patients with cT1N0M0 lung adenocarcinoma. We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathologic data of 2571 patients undergoing lobectomy and lymph node dissection or sampling. Logistic and Cox regression analysis were applied to determine the association between histological patterns and nodal upstaging and survival. Nodal upstaging was detected in 115 patients (4.5%) through postoperative pathologic examination. Tumors absent of lepidic pattern, and present with acinar, micropapillary and solid patterns had significantly higher nodal upstaging rate (all P

The study aims to establish a preliminary environmental assessment of a quinaldine-based LOHC system composed of hydrogen-lean, partially hydrogenated, and fully hydrogenated forms. We examined their toxicity toward the soil bacteria Arthrobacter globiformis and the Collembola Folsomia candida in two exposure scenarios, with and without soil, to address differences in the bioavailability of the compounds. In both scenarios, no or only slight toxicity toward soil bacteria was observed at the highest test concentration (EC50 > 3397 μmol L–1 and >4892 μmol kg–1 dry weight soil). The effects of the three quinaldines on F. candida in soil were similar, with EC50 values ranging from 2119 to 2559 μmol kg–1 dry weight soil based on nominal concentrations. Additionally, corrected pore-water-concentration-based EC50 values were calculated by equilibrium partitioning using soil/pore-water distribution coefficients. The tests without soil (simulating pore-water exposure) revealed higher toxicity, with LC50 values bet...

To evaluate anti-melanoma effect of ethanol extract of Ilex hainanensis Merr. (IME) and elucidate its underlying mechanism. Thirty-six tumor-bearing mice were randomized into 6 groups (n=6) as follows: model group, IME 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg groups and dacarbazine (DTIC) 70 mg/kg group. The mice in the IME treatment groups were intragastrically administered with IME 25, 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg per day, respectively. The mice in the DTIC group were intraperitoneally injected with DTIC 70 mg/kg every 2 days. The drug administration was lasting for 14 days. The cell viability was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dime-thylthylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Flow cytometry was employed to detect cell cycle and apoptosis. The gene and protein expressions of nuclear factor κB-p65 (NF-κB-p65), Bcl-2, B-cell lymphomaextra large (Bcl-xL) and Bax were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses. Caspases-3, -8, and -9 activities were detected using the colorimetric method. In addition, a B16-F10 melanoma xenograft mouse model was used to evaluate the anti-cancer activity of IME in vivo. Furthermore, a survival experiment of tumor-bearing mice was also performed to evaluate the possible toxicity of IME. IME significantly inhibited the proliferation of B16-F10 cells (P

Hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury (HIRI) is a clinical condition which may lead to cellular injury and organ dysfunction. The role of nitric oxide (NO) in HIRI is complicated and inconclusive. NO produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation plays a protective role during early HIRI. But eNOS overexpression and the resulting excessive NO bioavailability can aggravate liver injury. NO induced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) may have either a protective or a deleterious effect during the early phase of HIRI, but it may protect the liver during late HIRI. Here, we reviewed the latest findings on the role of NO during HIRI: (1) NO exerts a protective effect against HIRI by increasing NO bioavailability, downregulating p53 gene expression, decreasing inflammatory chemokines, reducing ROS via inhibiting the mitochondrial respiratory chain, activating sGC-GTP-cGMP signal pathway to reduce liver cell apoptosis, and regulating hepatic immune functions; (2) eNOS protects against HIRI by increasing NO levels, several eNOS/NO signal pathways (such as Akt-eNOS/NO, AMPK-eNOS/NO and HIF-1α-eNOS/NO) participating in the anti-HIRI process, and inhibiting over-expression of eNOS also protects against HIRI; and (3) the inhibition of iNOS prevents HIRI. Thus, the adverse effects of NO should be avoided, but its positive effect in the clinical treatment of diseases associated with HIRI should be recognized.

Photocatalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a promising technology approach to highly efficiently and environmentally tackle the problem of Cr(VI) pollution, in which the key challenge is in the development of effective photocatalysts. In this work, highly reduced hourglass-type molybdophosphate hybrids with the formulas [Zn(mbpy)(H

The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is an economically important fish species, but disease caused by Aeromonas hydrophila has led to the high mortality of this fish in farming environments. However, few studies have focused on the differences in the responses of largemouth bass to infection and immunization with A. hydrophila. In the present study, we found high fish mortality after A. hydrophila infection but not after immunization. Then, the immune response difference of largemouth bass in early infection and immunization with A. hydrophila was analyzed using transcriptome profiling and 16S rRNA sequencing. The results from the transcriptome analysis revealed that many upregulated genes were enriched in metabolic pathways after infection and immunization, but the number of upregulated genes associated with metabolic pathways and the magnitude of their upregulated expression in the infection group were much greater than they were in the immunization group, suggesting that A. hydrophila infection might cause metabolic disorders in largemouth bass. Increases in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and reduced expression of genes associated with adaptive immunity were also observed in the infection group. Moreover, the results of the 16S rRNA analysis revealed that the intestinal microbiota homeostasis of the largemouth bass was severely disrupted by A. hydrophila infection but not by immunization. These results collectively demonstrated that metabolic disorders, higher inflammation, a reduced adaptive immune response and disrupted microbiota homeostasis in early infection might be important factors for the high mortality of largemouth bass caused by A. hydrophila infection.

Ilexgenin A (IA) is a novel pentacyclic triterpenoid, which extracted from leaves of Ilex hainanensis Merr. In the present study, we aim to explore anti-inflammatory activity of IA on LPS-induced peritonitis and its underlying molecular mechanism. The results determined that IA was capable of suppressing peritonitis in mice induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of lipopolysaccaride (LPS). Furthermore, the results showed that IA dramatically inhibited levels of inflammatory cells infiltration in peritoneal cavity and serum in LPS-induced mice peritonitis model. Besides, IA could dramatically inhibit levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) in peritoneal cavity in LPS-induced mice peritonitis model. In vitro study, the results showed that IA inhibited production of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α at transcriptional and translational levels in RAW 264.7 cells induced by LPS. Furthermore, IA could suppress the LPS-induced activation of Akt and downstream degradation and phosphorylation of kappa B-α (IκB-α). Moreover, IA could significantly inhibit ERK 1/2 phosphorylation in RAW 264.7 cells induced by LPS. These results were concurrent with molecular docking which revealed ERK1/2 inhibition. These results demonstrated that IA might as an anti-inflammatory agent candidate for inflammatory disease therapy.

This article investigated the major air pollutants and its spatial and seasonal distribution in 74 Chinese cities. Factor analysis and Cluster analysis are employed to indentify major factors of air pollutants. The following results are obtained (1) major factors are obtained in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The first factor in spring includes NO2, PM10, CO, and PM2.5; the first factor in summer and autumn includes PM10, PM2.5, CO and SO2; in winter, the first factor includes NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and SO2. (2) In spring, cities of cluster 5 are the severest polluted by emission sources of SO2, CO, PM10, and PM2.5; the emission sources of O3 would significantly influence the air quality in cities of cluster 2; the emission sources of NO2 could significantly influence the air quality in cities of cluster 3 and cluster 5. (3) In summer, cities of cluster 5 are the severest polluted by automotive emissions and coal flue gas. Cities of cluster 1 are the lightest polluted. Cities of cluster 3 and cluster 2 are polluted by emission sources of SO2 and O3. (4) In Autumn, cities of cluster 3 and 4 are the severest polluted by the emission sources of SO2, CO, PM10, and PM2.5; the emission sources of NO2 would significantly influence the air quality in cities of cluster 5; the emission sources of O3 could significantly influence the air quality in cities of cluster 1 and cluster 4. (5) In winter, cities of cluster 5 are the severest polluted by the emission sources of SO2, CO, PM10, PM2.5, and CO; the emission sources of O3 could significantly influence the air quality in cities of cluster 1 and cluster 5.

Based on the emission coefficient method, this paper constructs the carbon emission calculation model of construction machinery during the construction period of the expressway, and carries out an example analysis of the concrete expressway according to the highway Engineering budget Quota and the bill of quantities. Under the background of green development, it provides a theoretical basis for highway construction to adopt corresponding energy-saving and emission reduction strategies, so as to achieve a win-win situation between economic and social development and ecological environment protection.

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) have gained growing attention in recent years for their promising applications in medical treatment and environmental remediation. Among the IONP, dimercaptosuccinic acid coated-IONP (DMSA-IONP) have great potential because of their rapid uptake into cells and their potential to effectively adsorb heavy metals. The widespread use and potential release of IONP into the environment raises concern about their environmental impact. To date, little is known about the consequences of the exposure of aquatic organisms to such particles. In this context we investigated the colloidal stability of DMSA-IONP in different test media as well as their effects on green algae (Raphidocelis subcapitata), duckweed (Lemna minor) and water fleas (Daphnia magna). Moreover, a comparative analysis of stability and ecotoxicity data of DMSA-IONP with freshly prepared and aged uncoated IONP dispersions was performed, considering the importance of stability of particles in determining their toxicity. The green algae were the most sensitive organism with EC50 values (72 h) ranging between 0.86–2.27 μM Fe (i.e. 0.05 to 0.13 mg Fe L−1) for the three types of IONP. The observed flocculation and (co-)sedimentation of algae with IONP are assumed to reduce the access of cells to nutrients and light. Lemna was not affected by any of the IONP due to the low availability of IONP induced by fast aggregation of IONP in the medium. Minor toxic effects on Daphnia were found for uncoated IONP (EC50 between 374–1181 μM Fe, i.e. 21–66 mg Fe L−1) after 72 h. However, the ingestion and accumulation of coated and uncoated IONP in the gastrointestinal tract of daphnids was observed. Our evaluation of IONP has revealed a certain hazard potential to aquatic organisms. In this light it appears important to prevent the release of large amounts of IONP into the environment, which might limit their applicability.

Based on the log-exponential function, a sample average approximation (SAA) regularization method is proposed for solving a stochastic mathematical program with general vertical complementarity constraints (SMPVCC) considered by Birbil et al. (2006). Detailed convergence analysis of this method is investigated. It is demonstrated that under some regularity conditions, any accumulation point of the sequence of optimal solutions of SAA regularized problem is almost surely an optimal solution of the SMPVCC as the parameter tends to zero and the sample size tends to infinity. Furthermore, the optimal value sequence of SAA regularized problem converges to the optimal value of SMPVCC with exponential convergence rate with probability one and a sequence of stationary points of regularized SAA problem converges almost surely to a stationary point of SMPVCC. Finally, we show that a stochastic Stackelberg game can be formulated as a SMPVCC problem and an equilibrium solution can be obtained by the method proposed.

BACKGROUND Wheat germ, one of the byproducts of flour milling, contains abundant physiologically active components. Globulins in wheat germ are a class of high-quality functional proteins and have received widespread attention. However, the composition of wheat germ globulin（ WGG）and the structure of the typical proteins have not yet been proved. The immunological activities and immune mechanisms of the WGG have not yet been revealed in vivo. OBJECTIVES The proteomic analysis of WGG and the structure simulation of typical proteins were studied. The immunoregulatory effects of WGG on immunosuppressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide were investigated, and the immunological activities of WGG were explored. METHODS The main components, functions, and metabolic signaling pathways of WGG were analyzed through a combination of LC-MS method and bioinformatics. The structure of WGG was predicted via the Phyre2 tool. Immunosuppression in mice was induced by cyclophosphamide. After an intraperitoneal injection of WGG for 10 days, organ indexes and pathological changes of mice were detected. The T-cell subgroups in peripheral blood were analyzed via flow cytometry. Levels of IL-2, IL-4, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were evaluated through ELISA. The mRNA expression levels of T-Bet and GATA-3 were measured using real-time PCR. RESULTS The results indicated that the main functional components of WGG were wheat germ globulins, histones, heat shock proteins (HSPs), and other functional proteins. Wheat germ globulins and HSPs were the major immune components of WGG. WGG significantly reduced immunosuppression in the spleen and thymus indexes (P

In this paper, we study the production of isolated-photon plus a jet in $pp$ and $PbPb$ collisions, which can be used as an important probe to the jet transport property in quark gluon plasma created in heavy ion collisions. Normally, there are two types of observables associated with the production of isolated-photon plus a jet, namely, the azimuthal angular correlation and the transverse momentum imbalance. To understand both observables in the full kinematical region, we need to employ the perturbative QCD calculation, which takes into account the hard splitting of partons, together with the Sudakov resummation formalism, which resums soft gluon splittings. Furthermore, by introducing energy-loss into the system, we calculate the enhancement of the momentum imbalance distribution for $AA$ as compared to $pp$ collisions and make predictions for future unfolded experimental data. In addition, in order to extract the jet transport coefficient more precisely in our numerical calculation, we also distinguish quark jets from gluon jets, since they interact with quark gluon plasma with different strengths. This work provides a reliable theoretical tool for the calculation of the gamma-jet correlation, which can lead us to a more precise extraction of the jet transport coefficient in relativistic heavy-ion collisions., 11 pages, 6 figures

Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) systems offer a very attractive way to store and transport hydrogen, a technical feature that is highly desirable to link unsteady energy production from renewables with the vision of a sustainable, CO2-free, hydrogen-based energy system. LOHCs can be charged and discharged with considerable amounts of hydrogen in cyclic, catalytic hydrogenation and dehydrogenation processes. As their physico-chemical properties are very similar to diesel, today's infrastructure for liquid fuels can be used for their handling thus greatly facilitating the step-wise transition from today's fossil system to a CO2 emission free energy supply for both, stationary and mobile applications. However, for a broader application of these liquids it is mandatory to study in addition to their technical performance also their potential impact on the environment and human health. This paper presents the first account on the toxicological profile of some potential LOHC structures. Moreover, it documents the importance of an early integration of hazard assessment in technology development and reveals for the specific case of LOHC structures the need for additional research in order to overcome some challenges in the hazard assessment for these liquids.

In order to solve the deficiency of existing rehabilitation robot a novel upper limb rehabilitation robot structure is designed. Kinematics model is established by the method of Denavit-Hartenberg. The robot is driven by pneumatic muscle. Simulation on the robot movement is carried out by the simmechanics of matlab. When the joint is driven, the angle、angular velocity and working space of robot are all obtained. Feasibility of the robot design is confirmed by the simulation results.

In order to meet the demand of hydraulic experiment teaching in universities, base on the analysis of the function of virtual hydraulic experimental system, the main research contents、 system scheme and key technology are determined. Three-dimensional model of the hydraulic components are established. Working principle of hydraulic component is displayed. The action process and the performance of the hydraulic circuit are simulated. A virtual hydraulic experimental system with its own characteristics is built. The virtual experiment system is not only suitable for classroom teaching but also suitable for the experimental teaching and learning activeness of students is enhanced by using the system.

Well control safe is the prerequisite of safety drilling, especially for high temperature and high pressure horizontal wells. However, there are few papers about well control of horizontal well drilling, which mostly learn from vertical well control process. By means of analysis of the theory of gas kick, we conclude that underbalance, the bottom hole pressure is less than the formation pressure is the main means of gas invasion. During balance period, the gas also intrudes into wellbore through the way of direct invasion, diffusion invasion and replacement invasion, but the amount of gas kick is less, so the risk of well control is small. This paper also anlyses the kick tolerance, the kick tolerance decreases with the increasing of drilling fluid density when the formation pressure and drilling equipment is constant.

Purpose To compare radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with or without transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients and Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 189 patients with HCC less than 7 cm at a single tertiary referral center between October 2006 and June 2009. Patients were randomly asssigned to receive TACE combined with RFA (TACE-RFA; n = 94) or RFA alone (n = 95). The primary end point was overall survival. The secondary end point was recurrence-free survival, and the tertiary end point was adverse effects. Results At a follow-up of 7 to 62 months, 34 patients in the TACE-RFA group and 48 patients in the RFA group had died. Thirty-three patients and 52 patients had developed recurrence in the TACE-RFA group and RFA group, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 4-year overall survivals for the TACE-RFA group and the RFA group were 92.6%, 66.6%, and 61.8% and 85.3%, 59%, and 45.0%, respectively. The corresponding recurrence-free survivals were 79.4%, 60.6%, and 54.8% and 66.7%, 44.2%, and 38.9%, respectively. Patients in the TACE-RFA group had better overall survival and recurrence-free survival than patients in the RFA group (hazard ratio, 0.525; 95% CI, 0.335 to 0.822; P = .002; hazard ratio, 0.575; 95% CI, 0.374 to 0.897; P = .009, respectively). There were no treatment-related deaths. On logistic regression analyses, treatment allocation, tumor size, and tumor number were significant prognostic factors for overall survival, whereas treatment allocation and tumor number were significant prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival. Conclusion TACE-RFA was superior to RFA alone in improving survival for patients with HCC less than 7 cm.

Recently, we reported that Ilexgenin A exhibits anti-cancer activities and induces cell arrest. Here, we investigated the effect of Ilexgenin A on the inflammation, angiogenesis and tumor growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our current study revealed that Ilexgenin A significantly inhibited the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 levels and downregulated pro-angiogenic factor VEGF production and transcription in HepG2 cells. The underlying mechanism for Ilexgenin A effects appears to be through inhibiting STAT3 and PI3K pathways. Furthermore, we found that not only Ilexgenin A inhibited STAT3 and PI3K pathways in HepG2 cells but also blocked these signaling pathways in HUVECs. Most importantly, by employing two HCC xenografts models - HepG2 and H22, we showed that Ilexgenin A reduced tumor growth and exhibited synergy effect with Sorafenib. ELISA assay, histological analysis and immunohistochemistry examination revealed that the expression of VEGF and MVD was significantly decreased after the treatment with Ilexgenin A and the combination. Moreover, Ilexgenin A could enhance caspase-3/7 activity in vitro and transmission electron microscope indicated that the combination induced evident apoptosis of tumor cells and caused the structural changes of mitochondria in vivo. Although no apparent adverse effects occurred during the treatment period, Sorafenib monotherapy elicited hepatotoxicity for specific expression in the increased level of AST and the ratio of AST/ALT. However, the combination could remedy this adverse effect. In conclusion, the results described in the present study identifies Ilexgenin A as a promising therapeutic candidate that modulates inflammation, angiogenesis, and HCC growth.

RNA has received more attention in the field of forensic medicine and the development of the new biological markers based on RNA shows great significance in the analysis of complex cases. circular RNA (circRNA) is a kind of non-coding RNA which is widely reported recently. Although the regulatory mechanisms of generation and expression are not fully clear, the existing research indicates that circRNA has important biological functions. CircRNA has a cell-type-specific expression with great stability and a high expression level, which makes it meaningful in forensic applications potentially. In this paper, the research progress, the generation and regulation of circRNA as well as its biological characteristics and functions are summarized, which will provide references for related studies and forensic applications.

In order to reduce the chance of wellflow and prevent well blowout accident that gets out of control in Xinjiang oilfield, considering the statistical data of the factors that influence the drilling blowout, a model of evaluating drilling blowout risk to Xinjiang oilfield drilling and geological environment based on fuzzy mathematics is established. The drilling blowout risk of each oilfield area in Xinjiang oilfield area has been ranked, and the result indicates that both the nanyuan piedmont tectonic exploratory development area and the kelameili gas field are the highest drilling blowout risk areas. This paper suggests that the well control ranking management should be implemented in the Xinjiang Oilfield. Various well control measures should be made according to different drilling blowout risk, and the risk ranking of drilling blowout should be included in well control design.

BackgroundThe aim of our study was to compare the efficacy and safety of: 1) transarterial chemolipiodolization with gelatin sponge embolization vs chemolipiodolization without embolization, and 2) chemolipiodolization with triple chemotherapeutic agents vs epirubicin alone.MethodsA single-blind, three parallel arm, randomized trial was conducted at three clinical centers with patients with biopsy-confirmed unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Arm 1 received triple-drug chemolipiodolization and sponge embolization, whereas Arm 2 received triple-drug chemolipiodolization only. Patients in arm 3 were treated with single-drug chemolipiodolization and sponge embolization. We compared overall survival and time to progression. Event-time distributions were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. All statistical tests were two-sided.ResultsFrom July 2007 to November 2009, 365 patients (Arm 1: n = 122; Arm 2: n = 121; Arm 3: n = 122) were recruited. The median tumor size was 10.9cm (range = 7-22cm), and 34.5% had macrovascular invasion. The median survivals and time to progression in Arm 1, Arm 2, and Arm 3 were 10.5 and 3.6 months, 10.1 and 3.1 months, and 5.9 and 3.1 months, respectively. Survival was statistically significantly better in Arm 1 than in Arm 3 (P < .001), whereas there was no statistically significant difference between Arm 1 and Arm 2 (P = .20). Objective response rates were 45.9%, 29.7%, and 18.9% for Arm 1, Arm 2, and Arm 3, respectively.ConclusionsChemolipiodolization played an important role in transarterial chemoembolization, and the choice of chemotherapy regimen may largely affect survival outcomes. However, the removal of embolization from chemoembolization might not statistically significantly decrease survival.

Whether percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) is as effective as repeat hepatectomy for recurrent small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the long-term remains unknown.We included 110 patients into this study. Each patient had fewer than three recurrent HCCs, with the largest tumor less than 5 cm in diameter. Sixty-six patients with 88 tumors were treated by PRFA and 44 patients with 55 tumors were treated by repeat hepatectomy.The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year overall survival rates after repeat hepatectomy and PRFA were 78.6%, 56.8%, 44.5%, 30.7%, and 27.6%, and 76.6%, 48.6%, 48.6%, 39.9%, and 39.9%, respectively (P = 0.79). The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year overall survival rates after the initial hepatectomy for the two groups were 95.4%, 79.1%, 65.0%, 50.4%, and 42.9%, and 98.5%, 85.0%, 70.8%, 58.7%, and 55.6%, respectively, (P = 0.18). Subgroup analyses showed that there was no significant difference between the overall survivals of the two groups of patients when the interval of tumor recurrence from the initial hepatectomy wasor=1 year (P = 0.74) or1 year (P = 0.69), and for recurrent tumoror=3 cm (P = 0.62) or3 cm (P = 0.57). Major complications happened significantly more often after repeat hepatectomy than PRFA (30 of 44 versus 2 of 66, P0.05). The interval of recurrence from the initial hepatectomy, the diameter of the recurrent tumor and the serum albumin level were significant prognostic factors for overall survival.PRFA was as effective as repeat hepatectomy in the treatment of recurrent small HCC. PRFA had the advantage over repeat hepatectomy in being less invasive.

Summary Aims This study aimed to determine the risk factors of survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA). Patients and methods Between August 1999 and May 2005, 281 patients (250 males and 31 females) who were 33–80 years old (mean 65.3 years) received PRFA only or PRFA in combination with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in our center. Patients were treated with PRFA or PEI by a percutaneous approach with ultrasound (US) guidance and were evaluated at regular intervals to determine disease recurrence and survival. The survival curves were constructed by the Kaplan–Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. The relative significance of the variables in the risk factors of overall survival was assessed by multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results At the end of the study, 189 patients were alive, and 92 were dead. Median survival was 48.7 months. The overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 89%, 54%, and 43%, respectively. The overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for small tumor (size ⩽3cm) were 97.8%, 65.7%, 58.6%, respectively, for medium tumor (size 3.1–5cm) 94.1%, 57.1%, 37.1%, respectively, and for large tumor (size >5cm) 62.8%, 40.3%, 0%, respectively. Survival of patients treated with PRFA was dependent on tumor size ( p p =0.003; RR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2–2.0), combination with PEI ( p =0.01; RR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4–0.9), Child-Pugh class ( p =0.002; RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3–3.0) and safety margin ( p =0.0026; RR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4–0.9). Conclusions PRFA is an effective treatment for HCC. This study showed after PRFA, tumor size, number of tumors, combination with PEI, safety margin, and Child-Pugh class were independent risk factors of survival.