FSH promotes immature porcine Sertoli cell proliferation by activating the CCR7/Ras-ERK signaling axis.

In brief: The appropriate growth and functions of Sertoli cells are crucial to testis development and spermatogenesis in mammals. This study reveals a novel mechanism of follicle-stimulating hormone in immature porcine Sertoli cell proliferation. Abstract: Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a major Sertoli cell mitogen that binds to the FSH receptor. Sertoli cells are indispensable for testis development and spermatogenesis. However, the regulatory mechanisms of FSH in immature Sertoli cell proliferation have not been determined, particularly in domestic animals. In the present study, we identified the regulatory mechanisms of FSH during immature porcine Sertoli cell proliferation. Transcriptome analysis revealed 114 differentially expressed genes that were induced by FSH treatment, which contains 68 upregulated and 46 downregulated genes. These differentially expressed genes were enriched in multiple pathways, including the Ras signaling pathway. Knockdown of the CC-chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) gene, which was upregulated by FSH, inhibited cell cycle progression by arresting cells in the G1 phase and reduced the cell proliferation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. In addition, Kobe0065 inhibited Ras signaling in a similar manner as CCR7 knockdown. Furthermore, FSH abolished the effects of Ras signaling pathway inhibition and CCR7 knockdown. Collectively, FSH promotes immature porcine Sertoli cell proliferation by activating the CCR7/Ras-ERK signaling axis. Our results provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanism of FSH in porcine testis development and spermatogenesis by deciding the fate of immature porcine Sertoli cells.

Hybrid model for the prediction of municipal solid waste generation in Hangzhou, China.

Accurate prediction of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation is necessary for choosing appropriate waste treatment methods and for planning the distribution of disposal facilities. In this study, a hybrid model was established to forecast MSW generation through the combination of the ridge regression and GM(1,N) models. The hybrid model is multivariate and involves total urban population, total retail sales of social consumer goods, per capita consumption expenditure of urban areas, tourism, and college graduation. Compared with the constituent models alone, the hybrid model yields higher accuracy, with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of only 2.59%. Through weight allocation and optimal treatment of residuals, the hybrid model also balances the growth trends of the individual models, making the prediction curve smoother. The model coefficients and correlation analysis show that population, economics, and educational factors are influential for waste generation. MSW output in Hangzhou will gradually increase in the future, and is expected to reach 5.12 million tons in 2021. Results can help decision makers to develop the measures and policies of waste management in the future.

Influence of effective stress and dry density on the permeability of municipal solid waste.

A landfill is one of the main sites for disposal of municipal solid waste and the current landfill disposal system faces several problems. For instance, excessive leachate water is an important factor leading to landfill instability. Understanding the permeability characteristics of municipal solid waste is a relevant topic in the field of environmental geotechnical engineering. In this paper, the current research progress on permeability characteristics of municipal solid waste is discussed. A review of recent studies indicates that the research in this field is divided into two categories based on the experimental method employed: field tests and laboratory tests. This paper summarizes test methods, landfill locations, waste ages, dry densities and permeability coefficients across different studies that focus on permeability characteristics. Additionally, an experimental study on compressibility and permeability characteristics of fresh municipal solid waste under different effective stresses and compression times was carried out. Moreover, the relationships between the permeability coefficient and effective stress as well as dry density were obtained and a permeability prediction model was established. Finally, the experimental results from the existing literature and this paper were compared and the effects of effective stress and dry density on the permeability characteristics of municipal solid waste were summarized. This study provides the basis for analysis of leachate production in a landfill.

Performance Optimization of FA-GGBS Geopolymer Based on Response Surface Methodology.

Many scholars have focused on the workability and mechanical properties of fly ash (FA)- ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) geopolymer. To enhance the compressive strength of geopolymer, zeolite powder was added in the present study. A series of experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of using zeolite powder as an external admixture on the per-formance of FA-GGBS geopolymer, 17 sets of experiments were designed and tested to deter-mine the unconfined compressive strength based on the response surface methodology, and then, the optimal parameters were obtained via modeling of 3 factors (zeolite powder dosage, alkali exciter dosage, and alkali exciter modulus) and 2 levels of compressive strength (3 d and 28 d). The experimental results showed that the strength of the geopolymer was the highest when the three factors were 13.3%, 40.3%, and 1.2. Finally, a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis was used to conduct micromechanical analysis and explain the reaction mechanism from a microscopic perspective. The SEM and XRD analysis revealed that the microstructure of the geopolymer was the densest when the zeolite powder was doped at 13.3%, and the strength increased accordingly. The NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses revealed that the absorption peak wave number band shifted toward the lower wave number band under the optimal ratio, and the silica-oxygen bond was replaced by an aluminum-oxygen bond, which generated more aluminosilicate structures.

Resistance of blended alkali-activated fly ash-OPC mortar to mild-concentration sulfuric and acetic acid attack.

The traditional cementitious product is prone to suffer from a high degree of deterioration in the case of exposure to acid solutions because of the decomposition of the binder network. However, the degradation of concrete structures in service by mild concentrations of acid under conditions involving sewage, industrial waters, and acid rain is more common and results in a significant environmental problem. The utilization of alkali-activated materials has been seen to potentially offer an attractive option with regard to acceptable durability and a low carbon footprint. With the aid of visual observation, mass loss, compressive strength tests, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, the acid resistance of alkali-activated fly ash mortars in which the precursor was partially replaced (0-30% by mass proportion) with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was evaluated after 180 days of exposure to mild-concentration sulfuric and acetic solutions (pH = 3). A conventional cement mortar (100% OPC) was used as a reference group. The results demonstrate that the addition of OPC into the alkali-activated system causes a significant increase in compressive strength (around 16.08-36.61%) while showing an opposite influence on durability after acid attack. Based on a linear mean value and nonlinear artificial neural network model simulation, the mass losses of the specimens were evaluated, and the alkali-activated pure-fly ash mortar demonstrated the lowest value (i.e., a maximum of 5.61%) together with the best behavior in the aspect of discreteness at 180 days. The results from microstructure analysis show that the coexistence of the N-A-S-H and C-S-H networks in the blend system occurred by both OPC hydration and FA. However, the formation of the gypsum deposition within the fly ash-OPC blend systems at sulfuric acid was found to impose internal disintegrating stresses, causing a significant area of delamination and cracks. In addition, alkali metal ion leaching, dealumination, as well as the disappearance of some crystalline phases occurred in specimens immersed in both types of acids.