Formaldehyde Oxidation of Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 Nanocatalysts for Room Temperature: Kinetics and Effect of pH Value.

Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 catalysts were prepared via the co-precipitation method under different pH conditions. The catalysts were characterized via TEM, XRD, XPS, BET, Raman, and FTIR. The oxidation performance of formaldehyde was tested. Precipitation pH affects the physicochemical properties and performance of the Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 catalyst. By controlling the precipitation pH at 10.5, the Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 catalyst with the largest specific surface area, the smallest grain size with the best formaldehyde removal rate (98.85%), abundant oxygen vacancies, and the best oxidation performance were obtained. Meanwhile, the kinetic parameters of the catalyst were experimentally investigated and the calculated activation energy was 12.6 kJ/mol and the number of reaction steps was 1.4 and 1.2.

Two Birds with One Stone: Copper-Based Adsorbents Used for Photocatalytic Oxidation of Hg0 (Gas) after Removal of PH3.

CuX/TiO2 adsorbents with CuO as the active component were prepared via a simple impregnation method for efficient purification of phosphine (PH3) under the conditions of low temperatures (90 °C) and low oxygen concentration (1%). The PH3 breakthrough capacity of optimal adsorbent (Cu30/TiO2) is 136.2 mg(PH3)·gsorbent-1, and the excellent dephosphorization performance is mainly attributed to its abundant sur face-active oxygen and alkaline sites, large specific surface area, and strong interaction between CuO and the support TiO2. Surprisingly, CuO is converted to Cu3P after the dephosphorization by CuX/TiO2. Since Cu3P is a P-type semiconductor with high added value, the deactivated adsorbent (Cu3P/TiO2) is an efficient heterostructure photocatalyst for photocatalytic removal of Hg0 (gas) with the Hg0 removal performance of 92.64% under visible light. This study provides a feasible strategy for the efficient removal and resource conversion of PH3 under low-temperature conditions and the alleviation of the environmental risk of secondary pollution.

Resource utilization of hazardous solid waste blast furnace dust: Efficient wet desulfurization and metal recovery.

Hazardous solid waste blast furnace dust (BFD) is rich in valuable metal components such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and its recycling or harmless treatment is a major challenge. This paper creatively proposes the strategy of "treating waste with waste" by using BFD for desulfurization. The experimental results show that BFD slurry can achieve high-efficiency desulfurization and recovery of Zn resources. The characterization results indicate that ZnO and Fe2O3 in BFD slurry are the main active components of desulfurization, and the consumption of active components is the main reason for the decline of BFD slurry activity. Further semi-continuous experimental research shows that Zn, Fe, and Mn ions in BFD slurry play a crucial role in the catalytic oxidation of sulfur dioxide (SO2). Additionally, the effects of reaction temperature, stirring speed, inlet SO2 concentration, and inlet gas flow rate on the leaching rate of Zn and Fe were investigated. Under optimal conditions (SO2 concentration = 3000 mg‧m-3, reaction temperature = 40 °C, inlet gas flow rate = 300 mL‧min-1, solid-liquid ratio = 0.5 g/300 mL, stirring speed = 600 rpm), the desulfurization rate reaches 100%, and the maximum leaching rate of Zn can reach 44.6%. Based on the experimental and characterization results, the possible mechanism of BFD slurry desulfurization was proposed. This study provides a reference for the application of BFD in the field of wet desulfurization.

Removal of SO2 from flue gas using blast furnace dust as an adsorbent.

To control the SO2 emission and achieve the target of "waste controlled by waste", a novel desulfurization method with blast furnace dust slurry was proposed. The effects of reaction temperature, oxygen concentration, and solid-liquid ratio on SO2 removal efficiency were investigated. The optimal conditions were reaction temperature of 35 ℃, oxygen concentration of 10 vol.%, and solid-liquid ratio of 0.5 g/300 mL. Under the optimal conditions, the desulfurization efficiency reached 100% for 4 h. Response surface methodology (RSM) results showed that oxygen concentration significantly influenced the SO2 removal efficiency. Finally, the possible desulfurization mechanism of blast furnace dust was proposed based on the EDX, XRD, SEM-EDS, ICP, and IC. The blast furnace dust (main components are CaZn8(SO4)2(OH)12Cl2·(H2O)9, Mn6.927Si6O15·(OH)8, ZnO, Fe2O3) reacted with H+ to form Zn2+, Fe3+, and Mn2+ which shows a key effect on the SO2 liquid catalytic oxidation. This study provides a promising, feasible, and low-cost desulfurization technology by reusing blast furnace dust.

Removal of SO2 and NOx from flue gas using mud-phosphorus slurry.

In this study, the mud-phosphorus slurry was used to simultaneously remove SO2 and NOx. The technology proposed new avenues for the purification and utilization of remove SO2 and NOx in flue gas. The effects of reaction temperature, solid-liquid ratio, and oxygen content on the efficiency of desulfurization and denitrification were studied experimentally. Results show that the parameters were solid-liquid ratio of 5.0 g/40 mL, T = 60 °C, φ (O2) = 20%, Q = 300 mL/min under the best experimental conditions. The maximum amount of ozone generated was 563.8 mg/m3. The reaction time with desulfurization rate ≥ 99% was 340 min; the reaction time with denitrification rate ≥ 99% was 160 min. Response surface analysis method was used to perform a three-factor three-level response surface experiment. Results show that the oxygen content had a highly significant effect on the desulfurization and denitrification efficiency, and the relationship between the desulfurization and denitrification efficiency was oxygen content > mud-phosphorus slurry liquid-solid ratio > reaction temperature. The process is simple, the solid waste is used to treat the flue gas, and the removal effect is good, which is convenient for popularization.

MicroRNA 615-3p Inhibits the Tumor Growth and Metastasis of NSCLC via Inhibiting IGF2.

MicroRNAs are essential regulators of cancer-associated genes at the posttranscriptional level, and their expression is altered in cancer tissues. Herein we sought to identify the regulation of miR-615-3p in NSCLC progression and its mechanism. miR-615-3p expression was significantly downregulated in NSCLC tissue compared to control normal tissue. Exogenous overexpression of miR-615-3p inhibited the growth and metastasis of NSCLC cells. In addition, the in vivo mouse xenograft model showed that overexpression of miR-615-3p inhibited NSCLC growth and lung metastasis, whereas decreased expression of miR-615-3p caused an opposite outcome. Furthermore, we revealed that insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) expression was negatively correlated with the miR-615-3p level in NSCLC specimens, and IGF2 knockdown mimicked the effect of miR-615-3p inhibition on NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, overexpression of IGF2 rescued the inhibition of miR-615-3p in NSCLC cells. Together, our results indicated that miR-615-3p played important roles in the regulation of NSCLC growth and metastasis by targeting IGF2.

Oestrogen regulates the expression of cathepsin E-A-like gene through ERΒ in liver of chicken (Gallus gallus).

The cathepsin E-A-like, also known as 'similar to nothepsin', is a new member of the aspartic protease family, which may take part in processing of egg yolk macromolecules, due to it was identified in the chicken egg-yolk. Previously, studies have suggested that the expression of cathepsin E-A-like increased gradually during sexual maturation of pullets, but the exact regulation mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, to gain insight into the function and regulation mechanism of the gene in egg-laying hen, we cloned the cathepsin E-A-like gene and evaluated its evolutionary origin by using both phylogenetic and syntenic methods. The mode of the gene expression regulation was analysed through stimulating juvenile hens with 17ß-estradiol and chicken embryo hepatocytes with 17ß-estradiol combined with oestrogen receptor antagonists including MPP, ICI 182,780 and tamoxifen. Our results showed that cathepsin E-A-like was an orthologoues gene with nothepsin, which is present in birds but not in mammals. The expression of cathepsin E-A-like significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner after the juvenile hens were treated with 17ß-estradiol (P < 0.05). Compared with the 17ß-estradiol treatment group, the expression of cathepsin E-A-like was not significantly changed when the hepatocytes were treated with 17ß-estradiol combined with MPP (P < 0.05). In contrast, compared with the 17ß-estradiol combined with MPP treatment group, the expression of cathepsin E-A-like was significantly downregulated when the hepatocytes were treated with 17ß-estradiol combined with tamoxifen or ICI 182,780 (P < 0.05). These results demonstrated that cathepsin E-A-like shared the same evolutionary origin with nothepsin. The expression of cathepsin E-A-like was regulated by oestrogen, and the regulative effect was predominantly mediated through ER-Β in liver of chicken.

MicroRNA-101-2-5p targets the ApoB gene in the liver of chicken (Gallus Gallus).

Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) is a major protein component of plasma lipoproteins. It is involved in many important biological processes such as lipid transportation, enzyme activity regulation, and receptor recognition. Extensive studies have shown that the expression of ApoB is regulated at multiple levels. However, the regulation of ApoB expression by microRNAs (miRNAs) still remains unknown. In the present study, identified are miRNAs that are predicted to interact with ApoB in chicken. The predicted relationship between the identified miRNAs and ApoB was verified through dual luciferase reporter assay in chicken DF1 cells, and the effect of miRNAs on ApoB expression was analyzed in chicken embryo hepatocytes stimulated by 17ß-estradiol. The results show that miR-101-2-5p was predicted to interact with ApoB. Dual luciferase reporter assay together with the miR-101-2-5p mimics study demostrate that ApoB is the target of miR-101-2-5p, which suppresses the expression of ApoB through binding with the 3'UTR of ApoB. Our experiments suggest that miR-101-2-5p might be involved in lipid metabolism through binding to the 3'UTR of ApoB in the liver of egg-laying chickens.

[Recombinant Legionella pneumophila flagella protein A (rflaA) induces the secretion of IL-6 and IL-1ß in RAW264.7 cells in vitro].

Objective To investigate the effect of recombinant Legionella pneumophila flagella protein A (rflaA) on the secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) by RAW264.7 macrophage and the possible mechanism. Methods RAW264.7 cells were treated with 0.000, 0.125, 0.250, 0.500, 1.000, 2.000, 4.000 and 8.000 µg/mL rflaA to determine the EC50 of rflaA using CCK-8 assay. Secretion of IL-6 and IL-1ß were measured by ELISA at 24, 36 and 48 hours after treatment of the cells with 0.04, 0.08 and 0.16 µg/mL rflaA. At 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours after treatment of the cells with 0.04, 0.08 and 0.16 µg/mL rflaA, the expressions of IL-6, IL-1ß, NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) and caspase-1 mRNAs were detected by quantitative real-time PCR, and the expressions of NLRP3 and caspase-1 proteins were tested by Western blotting. Results RflaA enhanced the expressions of IL-6 and IL-1ß, and the higher concentration of rflaA was more potential. The expressions of IL-6 and IL-1ß reached peak when the cells were treated with 0.16 µg/mL rflaA for 36 hours. Treatment of RAW264.7 cells with rflaA promoted the expressions of IL-6 and IL-1ß, NLRP3 and caspase-1 mRNA, and 0.16 µg/mL rflaA was the most potential at 12 hours after treatment. Expressions of NLRP3 and caspase-1 protein increased after treatment with rflaA, and 0.16 µg/mL rflaA induced the highest expression of both proteins at 24 hours after treatment. Conclusion RflaA could enhance the secretion of IL-6 and IL-1ß by promoting the expressions of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in RAW264.7 cells.

Prediction of Adsorption Equilibrium of VOCs onto Hyper-Cross-Linked Polymeric Resin at Environmentally Relevant Temperatures and Concentrations Using Inverse Gas Chromatography.

Hyper-cross-linked polymeric resin (HPR) represents a class of predominantly microporous adsorbents and has good adsorption performance toward VOCs. However, adsorption equilibrium of VOCs onto HPR are limited. In this research, a novel method for predicting adsorption capacities of VOCs on HPR at environmentally relevant temperatures and concentrations using inverse gas chromatography data was proposed. Adsorption equilibrium of six VOCs (n-pentane, n-hexane, dichloromethane, acetone, benzene, 1, 2-dichloroethane) onto HPR in the temperature range of 403-443 K were measured by inverse gas chromatography (IGC). Adsorption capacities at environmentally relevant temperatures (293-328 K) and concentrations (P/Ps = 0.1-0.7) were predicted using Dubinin-Radushkevich (DR) equation based on Polany's theory. Taking consideration of the swelling properties of HPR, the volume swelling ratio (r) was introduced and r·Vmicro was used instead of Vmicro determined by N2 adsorption data at 77 K as the parameter q0 (limiting micropore volume) of the DR equation. The results showed that the adsorption capacities of VOCs at environmentally relevant temperatures and concentrations can be predicted effectively using IGC data, the root-mean-square errors between the predicted and experimental data was below 9.63%. The results are meaningful because they allow accurate prediction of adsorption capacities of adsorbents more quickly and conveniently using IGC data.

The efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy in localized primary soft tissue sarcoma treated with conservative surgery.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) on local failure-free survival (LFFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with localized primary soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and to identify prognostic factors. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between January 2000 and July 2010, 220 consecutive patients with localized primary STS, who received conservative surgery with or without postoperative RT, were enrolled in the study. Survival curves were constructed by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test was used to assess statistical significance. Multivariate analysis was applied to identify the prognostic factors. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 68 months (range, 5-127 months), the 5-year LFFS, DMFS and OS were 70.0, 78.2 and 71.2 %, respectively. Tumor size, histological subtypes, margin status and postoperative RT were independent predictors for OS. Postoperative RT was associated with a significant reduced local recurrence risk versus surgery alone (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.408, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.235-0.707, P = 0.001), with 5-year LFFS of 81.1 and 63.6 %, respectively (log-rank, P = 0.004). The log-rank test showed that postoperative RT had a tendency of improving OS compared with surgery alone, with 5-year OS of 74.8 and 65.0 %, respectively (P = 0.089). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that postoperative RT significantly reduced mortality rate compared with surgery alone (HR = 0.512, 95 % CI 0.296-0.886, p = 0.017), especially in patients with liposarcoma (p = 0.034). CONCLUSION: Postoperative radiotherapy reduce both local recurrence and STS mortality in patients with localized primary STS. The efficacy of RT on survival warrants further prospective study.

Recombinant adenovirus expressing hIFN-λ1 inhibits gastric adenocarcinoma cell line SGC-7901 proliferation.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of a recombinant plasmid adenovirus (pAd) expressing human interferon-λ1 (hIFN-λ1) on the proliferation of the gastric adenocarcinoma cell line SGC-7901. For this purpose, human gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells were infected with recombinant pAd-hIFN-λ1, pAd-LacZ and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), respectively, and the subsequent effects on the proliferation of the infected cells were compared. Cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay, while mRNA and protein expression of hIFN-λ1 were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis and immunofluorescence assay, respectively. In addition, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling assay and flow cytometry were conducted to analyze the rate of cell apoptosis. The results indicated that the proliferation of gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells was significantly inhibited by pAd-hIFN-λ1. Furthermore, the apoptosis rate and the mRNA and protein expression levels of hIFN-λ1 were higher in pAd-hIFN-λ1-transfected cells, compared with the pAd-LacZ and PBS control groups. In conclusion, recombinant pAd-hIFN-λ1 induced the expression of hIFN-λ1 in gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells, and significantly inhibited cell proliferation by promoting apoptosis in these cancer cells.

Avian leukosis virus subgroup J triggers caspase-1-mediated inflammatory response in chick livers.

Many pathogens trigger caspase-1-mediated innate immune responses. Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) causes serious immunosuppression and diverse tumors in chicks. The caspase-1 inflammasome mechanism of response to ALV-J invading remains unclear. Here we investigated the expression of caspase-1, the inflammasome adaptor NLRP3, IL-1ß and IL-18 in response to ALV-J infection in the liver of chick. We found caspase-1 mRNA expression was elevated at 5 dpi and peaked at 7 dpi in ALV-J infected animals. Corresponding to this, the expressions of NLRP3 and proinflammatory cytokines IL-1ß and IL-18 were significantly increased at 5 or 7 dpi. In addition, caspase-1 protein expression and inflammatory cell infiltration were induced after virus infection. These results indicated that ALV-J infection could trigger the caspase-1- mediated inflammatory response in chicks. Thus, an understanding of the inflammatory responses can provide a better insight into the pathogenicity of ALV-J and a possible anti-virus target for ALV-J infection.

Effect of recombinant Newcastle disease virus transfection on lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells in vivo.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has been reported to selectively duplicate in and then destroy tumor cells, whilst sparing normal cells. However, the effect of NDV on lung cancer has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, recombinant NDV (rl-RVG) was applied to lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell tumor-bearing mice to explore its effect on the proliferation of the cells and the immune response of the mice. Following rl-RVG transfection, RVG and NDV gene expression, decreased tumor growth, subcutaneous tumor necrosis, tumor apoptosis and an increased number of cluster of differentiation (CD)3-/CD49+ natural killer cells were more evident in the rl-RVG group. The present study demonstrated that rl-RVG transfection effectively restrained lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell growth in vivo, which may have been accomplish by inducing tumor cell apoptosis and regulating the cell immune response.

Effect of human interferon-λ1 recombinant adenovirus on a gastric cancer orthotopic transplantation model.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of human interferon-λ1 recombinant adenovirus (r-Ad-hIFN-λ1) on gastric carcinoma. Human SGC-7901 cells were utilized to create an orthotopic implantation model of gastric cancer in nude mice through sterile surgery. The mice were randomly divided into three groups: Phosphate-buffered saline control (blank), adenovirus encoding bacterial ß-galactosidase (Ad-Lac Z) empty vector and r-Ad-hIFN-λ1. Tumor size was measured every seven days. After three weeks of treatment, the tumors in the mice were detected by abdominal B ultrasound. The cDNA of IFN-λ1 expression in skeletal muscle was detected by a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and IFN-λ1 protein expression in the tumors was detected by western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Flow cytometry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays were conducted to analyze the proportion of natural killer (NK) cells in the spleen and the rate of cell apoptosis in tumor paraffin sections. Prior to sacrifice, the size of the tumors in the r-Ad-hIFN-λ1, Ad-Lac Z and blank groups was 184.29±10.84 mm3, 234.62±10.59 mm3 and 253.18±7.69 mm3, respectively (P<0.001). The lymph node metastasis in the abdominal cavity was 0% in the r-Ad-hIFN-λ1 group, 50% in the Ad-Lac Z group and 80% in the blank group (P<0.005). Furthermore, IFN-λ1 mRNA and protein were highly expressed in the r-Ad-hIFN-λ1 group, and the apoptosis rate in the r-Ad-hIFN-λ1 group was higher than that in the Ad-Lac Z and blank groups. The proportion of NK cells in the spleens of nude mice in the r-Ad-hIFN-λ1, Ad-Lac Z and blank groups was 26.53±1.54, 17.70±1.09 and 16.35±1.43%, respectively (P<0.001). The TUNEL results showed there was significantly more severe apoptosis in the r-Ad-hIFN-λ1 group than that in the two other groups. The apoptosis indices in the r-Ad-hIFN-λ1, Ad-Lac Z and blank groups were 0.772±0.075, 0.329±0.169 and 0.265±0.049, respectively. In conclusion, the r-Ad-hIFN-λ1 significantly inhibited human gastric cancer, possibly by promoting apoptosis of the tumors and stimulating immunological function.

[RL-RVG inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of lung cancer cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To infect lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells with recombinant LaSota strain Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine expressing the rabies virus glycoprotein (rL-RVG), and explore the effect of rL-RVG on proliferation and apoptosis of lung cancer cells. METHODS: A549 cells were infected with the rL-RVG and then detected for the expressions of RVG and NDV proteins by Western blotting. The cell proliferation was examined by MTT assay and apoptosis index and cell early apoptosis were respectively detected by TUNEL and annexin V-FITC/PI staining combined with flow cytometry. The expression of pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3 was observed by Western blotting. The LaSota strain of NDV was used as control group and PBS was the blank control. RESULTS: Both RVG and NDV proteins were stably expressed in A549 cells infected with rL-RVG. MTT assay results showed that cell proliferation was significantly inhibited, and the inhibition rate of the rL-RVG group was higher than that of LaSota group. The apoptosis of A549 cells were promoted by rL-RVG infection. Flow cytometry revealed that the early apoptotic cells of the rL-RVG group increased as compared with the other two groups (P<0.05). Consistently, TUNEL assay showed the apoptotic index increased in the rL-RVG group as compared with the other two groups (P<0.05). Western blotting demonstrated that the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3 was up-regulated. However, when we added specific broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK, the expression of the caspase-3 protein was obviously reduced. CONCLUSION: The rL-RVG is stably expressed in the infected A549 cells. The rL-RVG inhibits lung cancer cell growth and promote cell apoptosis, and the effect of rL-RVG is better than the wild LaSota strain.

[Determination of organochlorine pesticides in soils using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

A method was developed for the determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in soils using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE, Florisil cleanup in the extraction cell) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) on-line concentration prior to the determination by ga chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). And then 20 agricultural soil samples in Shanghai suburbs were determined. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was applied to qualify and quantify the target compounds. In the different linear ranges (included in 0.001 - 0.2 mg/L) of each pesticide, the correlation coefficients were higher than 0.995. The average recoveries in spiked soils were 65.9% - 140.0% with the relative standard deviations of 1.5% - 20.3% (n = 5). The limits of detection (LOD) (S/N = 3) for these pesticides were from 0.1 to 3.0 microg/kg and the limits of quantification (LOQ) (S/N = 10)were from 0.3 to 8.0 microg/kg. Among these soils, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCHs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were detected little with a content ranges of 1.82 - 3.70 and 0.94 -9.8 microg/kg, respectively. DDTs (including 2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-chloropenyl) -1,1,1-trichloroethane (p, p'-DDT), 2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloro-ethylene (p,p'-DDE), 2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethane (p,p'-DDD)) were found widely with a range of 1.08 - 308.76 microg/kg and mean value of 53.28 microg/kg. The content ratio of DDT/( DDE + DDD) were less than 1.0 in 85% soil samples, indicating that DDT might come from the early days.