Efficient rural sewage treatment with manganese sand-pyrite soil infiltration systems: Performance, mechanisms, and emissions reduction.

The application of soil infiltration systems (SISs) in rural domestic sewage (RDS) is limited due to suboptimal denitrification resulting from factors such as low C/N (<5). This study introduced filler-enhanced SISs and investigated parameter impacts on pollutant removal efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction. The results showed that Mn sand-pyrite SISs, with hydraulic load ratios of 0.003 m3/m2·h and dry-wet ratios of 3:1, achieved excellent removal efficiency of COD (92.7 %), NH4+-N (95.8 %), and TN (76.4 %). Moreover, N2O and CH4 emission flux were 0.046 and 0.019 mg/m2·d, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the relative concentrations of Mn(Ⅱ) in Mn sand and Fe(Ⅲ) and SO42- in pyrite increased after the experiment. High-throughput sequencing indicated that denitrification was mainly performed by Thiobacillus. This study demonstrated that RDS treatment using the enhanced SIS resulted in efficient denitrification and GHG reduction.

Sonochemical Synthesis of Hydrophilic Drug Loaded Multifunctional Bovine Serum Albumin Nanocapsules.

A facile sonochemical approach is designed to fabricate protein nanocapsules for hydrophilic drugs (HDs), and HD-loaded multifunctional bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanocapsules (MBNCs) have been prepared for the first time. The as-synthesized HD-loaded MBNCs have a satisfying size range and an excellent magnetic responsive ability. Moreover, high-dose hydrophilic drugs could be loaded into the MBNCs. As carriers, HD-loaded MBNCs also show attractive redox-responsive controlled release ability for hydrophilic drugs and could be internalized selectively by the tumor cells through the folate-mediated endocytosis.

Radio-sensitization by Piper longumine of human breast adenoma MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro.

BACKGROUND: The current study investigated the effects of Piper longumine on radio-sensitization of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured in vitro and those in logarithmic growth phase were selected for experiments divided into four groups: control, X-ray exposed, Piper longumine, and Piper longumine combined with X-rays. Conogenic assays were performed to determine the radio-sensitizing effects. Cell survival curves were fitted by single-hit multi-target model and then the survival fraction (SF), average lethal dose (D0), quasi-threshold dose (Dq) and sensitive enhancement ratio (SER) were calculated. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM).Western blot assays were employed for expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bc1-2 and Bax) after treatment with Piper longumine and/or X-ray radiation. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was detected by FCM with a DCFH-DA probe. RESULTS: The cloning formation capacity was decreased in the group of piperlongumine plus radiation, which displayed the values of SF2, D0, Dq significantly lower than those of radiation alone group and the sensitive enhancement ratio (SER) of D0 was1.22 and 1.29, respectively. The cell apoptosis rate was increased by the combination treatment of Piper longumine and radiation. Piper longumine increased the radiation-induced intracellular levels of ROS. Compared with the control group and individual group, the combination group demonstrated significantly decreased expression of Bcl-2 with increased Bax. CONCLUSIONS: Piper longumine at a non-cytotoxic concentration can enhance the radio-sensitivity of MDA- MB-231cells, which may be related to its regulation of apoptosis-related protein expression and the increase of intracellular ROS level, thus increasing radiation-induced apoptosis.