Enhancement of Fe-C micro-electrolysis in water by magnetic field: Mechanism, influential factors and application effectiveness.

Fe-C micro-electrolysis system has been widely used in filters, or as an advanced treatment process in some water treatment plants to treat various wastewater. In this study, Fe-C micro-electrolysis process was enhanced by an economical and environmentally friendly method, applied magnetic field. Batch kinetic experiments and scanning electron micrographs demonstrated a more effective micro-electrolysis and more severely corroded on the surface of Fe-C after applying a magnetic field at pH 3.0. An applied magnetic field reduced the charge-transfer resistance and increased the current density in micro-electrolysis system and Fe-C became more prone to electrochemical corrosion. Corrosion products were proved to be Fe2+, Fe3O4, and C-O, moreover, the formation of them were also increased in the presence of a magnetic field. Base on that, some influential factors like magnetic field flux intensity, Fe-C particle size, pH, Fe-C dosage and its reusability were investigated in this paper. Since Fe2+ release was accelerated in micro-electrolysis system by an applied magnetic field, combination of various advanced oxidation processes were designed to explore the application effectiveness of the system. The degradation rate of target contaminant was significantly improved in the presence of a magnetic field, suggesting it could be a reliable method for wastewater treatment.

Roles of TGF-ß signaling pathway in tumor microenvirionment and cancer therapy.

Transforming growth factor ß (TGF- ß) signaling pathway has pleiotropic effects on cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, senescence, and apoptosis. TGF-ß can be widely produced by various immune or non-immune cells and regulate cell behaviors through autocrine and paracrine. It plays essential roles in biological processes including embryological development, immune response, and tumor progression. Few cell signalings can contribute to so many pleiotropic functions as the TGF- ß signaling pathway in mammals. The significant function of TGF-ß signaling in tumor progression and evasion leading it to draw great attention in scientific and clinical research. Understanding the mechanism of TGF- ß signaling provides us with chances to potentiate the effectiveness and selectivity of this therapeutic method. Herein, we review the molecular and cellular mechanisms of TGF-ß signaling in carcinomas and tumor microenvironment. Then, we enumerate main achievements of TGF-ß blockades used or being evaluated in cancer therapy, providing us opportunities to improve therapeutical approaches in the tumor which thrive in a TGF-ß-rich environment.

Weak magnetic field enhances the activation of peroxymonosulfate by ZnO@Fe3O4.

The effect of weak magnetic field (WMF) on Acid Orange 7 (AO7) removal by ZnO@Fe3O4/peroxymonosulphate (PMS) was investigated. The results showed that the AO7 sequestration rate enhanced progressively to 0.14183 min-1 in the presence of WMF, approximately 3 times the 0.04966 min-1 in the absence of WMF. SO4˙-/SO5˙- and O2˙- radicals were generated from the decomposition of PMS catalyzed by ZnO@Fe3O4 causing the degradation of AO7. In addition, a weak magnetic field promoted the production of O2˙- radicals and transition of Fe3+ to Fe2+. Radical-pair theory was used in this study to describe the role of WMF and a possible reaction mechanism was derived. Based on that, the influence of magnetic field flux intensity, pH and the reusability of ZnO@Fe3O4 were investigated in this paper.