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Background: Piperaquine (PQ) and its pharmacologically active metabolite PQ N-oxide (PM1) can be metabolically interconverted via hepatic cytochrome P450 and FMO enzymes. Objectives: The reductive metabolism of PM1 and its further N-oxidation metabolite (PM2) by intestinal microflora was evaluated, and its role in PQ elimination was also investigated. Methods: The hepatic and microbial reduction metabolism of PM1 and PM2 was studied in vitro. The reaction phenotyping experiments were performed using correlation analysis, selective chemical inhibition, and human recombinant CYP/FMO enzymes. The role of microbial reduction metabolism in PQ elimination was evaluated in mice pretreated with antibiotics. The effect of the reduction metabolism on PQ exposures in humans was predicted using a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model. Results: Both hepatic P450/FMOs enzymes and microbial nitroreductases (NTRs) contributed to the reduction metabolism of two PQ N-oxide metabolites. In vitro physiologic and enzyme kinetic studies of both N-oxides showed a comparable intrinsic clearance by the liver and intestinal microflora. Pretreatment with antibiotics did not lead to a significant (P > 0.05) change in PQ pharmacokinetics in mice after an oral dose. The predicted pharmacokinetic profiles of PQ in humans did not show an effect of metabolic recycling. Conclusions: Microbial NTRs and hepatic P450/FMO enzymes contributed to the reduction metabolism of PQ Noxide metabolites. The reduction metabolism by intestinal microflora did not affect PQ clearance, and the medical warning in patients with NTRs-related disease (e.g., hyperlipidemia) will not be clinically meaningful.

Background The threat posed by sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS/HIV and HBV, to the elderly Chinese population remains unclear. Methods National surveillance data, including case numbers, numbers of deaths, incidence and mortality, on 4 STDs from 2004–2018 was collated. Subjects were divided into two groups of older (aged ≥ 60) and younger (aged＜60) participants. The older group subdivided into those aged 60+ (ages 60–69), 70+ (ages 70–79) and 80+ (≥ 80). Time periods, 2004–2008, 2009–2013 and 2014–2018 were examined. Comparison of epidemiological characteristics between older and younger groups, the 3 sub-divisions of the older groups and incidence trends of the 4 diseases among older participants were analyzed using the χ2 test. Results STDs incidence was significantly different between older and younger participants. Incidences of syphilis, AIDS/HIV and HBV among older were higher than younger subjects following the years 2006, 2010 and 2015, Besides, the incidences of syphilis, AIDS/HIV and HBV showed increasing trends in 2004–2018. Mortality from all 4 diseases was also higher among older than younger subject. Moreover, mortality from AIDS/HIV increased between 2004 and 2018. Analysis of the 3 sub-divisions of the older group showed that 60 + participants had the highest incidence of gonorrhea, AIDS/HIV and HBV; 70 + participants had the highest mortality from AIDS/HIV and the fastest growth rate of AIDS/HIV incidence and mortality. Conclusion Syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS/HIV and HBV constituted a threat to the health of older people in China in the time period 2004–2018.

Increasing Green Total Factor Productivity (GTFP) is the strategy to overcome resource and environmental limitations and achieve green and sustainable regional economic development. This study introduces the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) theoretical framework and the Fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method into the study of GTFP. We use the fsQCA method to empirically explore the linkage matching patterns of multiple conditions such as technology, organization, and environment in the TOE framework for influencing GTFP from a configurational perspective using 30 Chinese provinces and cities as case studies. This study provides new concepts and methodologies for GTFP-related research. The study’s findings indicate that: (1) There are two paths to generating high GTFP: the type of organizational management and the type of technical support. The two paths produce non-high GTFP, namely, a type of organizational management deficit and environmental support deficiency and a type of organizational management imbalance and technological support deficiency, respectively. This research verifies the existence of causal asymmetry in the GTFP phenomena. (2) In addition, there are substitutes between combinations of organizational conditions and technical conditions and between technical conditions and environmental conditions under specific circumstances. This discovery broadens the scope of how the TOE framework can be used to explain “causal complexity” and, in some ways, resolves the theoretical conundrum it now faces. (3) According to the sub-regional study, GTFP improvement tactics have substantial spatial distribution characteristics, with China’s eastern and central regions achieving them through organizational management and technical support strategies. Only the organizational management type is prevalent in the western region. This study is useful for the local planning of GTFP enhancement paths in each Chinese province to achieve a win–win situation between economic development and environmental conservation, as well as to provide empirical evidence for nations in a similar situation to China.

Background Our study aims to investigate the effect of colon cancer-associated transcript-1 (CCAT-1) on colon cancer cells' activity and metabolism under different glucose environments in vitro and in vivo. Methods The levels of proliferation, migration, glucose, lactic acid, glucose metabolism-related enzymes, apoptosis genes, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker proteins, and PI3K/Akt/C-MYC pathway in CCAT-1-silenced SW620 cells cultured with different glucose levels were tested. Twenty BALB/C nude mice with hyperglycemia or normal blood sugar were transplanted with CCAT-1-silenced SW620 cells, blood glucose levels, lactic acid, insulin, and volume of transplanted tumor cells, the expression of EMT marker proteins, and PI3K/Akt/C-MYC pathway was detected. Results The levels of proliferation, migration, glucose, lactic acid, LDH-A, PKM2, and HK2 decreased, apoptosis increased in SW620 cells cultured with low glucose or silenced CCAT-1 (P

CD8+ T cells play multiple and complex immunological roles including antiviral, regulatory, and exhaustive effects in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. Some CD8+ T-cell subsets were confirmed to be closely related to HCV infection such as TCM , TEM , TEM RA, Tc17, and CD8+ Treg. Herein, we report a new subset of interleukin (IL)-17/interferon (IFN)-γ producing CD8+ T (Tc17/IFN-γ) cells that markedly correlate with CD28+ CD244+ cells, IL-17 levels, and HCV RNA in HCV patients. During early treatment with peg-IFN-a2a plus ribavirin, the imbalance of these Tc17/IFN-γ cells could be partially restored, together with normalized serum alanine aminotransferase but not aspartate transaminase. Also, we analyzed the dynamic change of the percentage of this T cells subset in patients with different outcome after 4-week course of treatment with peg-IFN-a2a plus ribavirin and found that the percentage of CD8+ CD28+ CD244+ T cells significantly decreased in recovered patients but not in nonrecovered patients. In vitro, CD28+ CD244+ T cells were the only CD8+ T-cell group that secreted both IL-17 and IFN-γ in this axis and blockade with anti-CD244 antibodies significantly reduced cytokine production. Taken together, this study demonstrates that the frequency and regulatory functions of CD28+ CD244+ Tc17/IFN-γ cells may play an important role in persistent HCV infection.

Macrophages can change their physiology in response to microenvironmental signals. This differentiation into classically activated M1 or alternatively activated M2 macrophages is known as polarization. In this study, we isolated bone marrow-derived macrophages from β2m-deficient (deficient in both MHC class Ia and Ib) and KbDb-deficient (deficient only in MHC class Ia) mice and found that β2m-deficient macrophages showed a significantly lower M2b polarization efficiency. In addition, the absence of constitutive MHC class Ib expression decreased the stability of the Notch-1 intracellular domain. Finally, we found that β2m-deficient mice exposed to irradiation showed reduced bacterial translocation and sepsis severity. Overall, our study demonstrates that MHC class Ib molecules are essential for M2b macrophage polarization and suggests that MHC class Ib molecules play an important role during infection-induced innate immunity.

N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-induced antioxidation is a significant cause of neuronal injury after ischemic stroke. In a previous work, we verified the neuroprotective roles of geniposide during tMCAO in vivo. However, it remains unknown whether geniposide ameliorates injury to hippocampal neurons during Ischemic Long Term Potentiation (iLTP) induction in vitro. After induction of cells oxygen-glucose deprivation or hydrogen peroxide, the protection of geniposide evaluated by MTT assay and electrophysiological tests. In this study, we suggested neuronal cell apoptosis was attenuated by geniposide. Furthermore, field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSCs) following postischemic LTP were assessed by electrophysiological tests. Finally, we determined that medium and high doses of geniposide attenuated oxidative stress insult and improved iLTP. Importantly, these effects were abolished by cotreatment with geniposide and the GluN2A antagonist NVP. In contrast, the GluN2B inhibitor ifenprodil failed to have an effect. In conclusion, we suggest for the first time that treatment with geniposide can attenuate postischemic LTP induction in a concentration-dependent manner. We infer that GluN2A-containing NMDARs are involved in the neuroprotection induced by geniposide treatment in ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Our study aims to investigate the effect of colon cancer-associated transcript-1 (CCAT-1) on colon cancer cells’ activity and metabolism under different glucose environments in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The levels of proliferation, migration, glucose, lactic acid, glucose metabolism-related enzymes, apoptosis genes, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker proteins, and PI3K/Akt/C-MYC pathway in CCAT-1-silenced SW620 cells cultured with different glucose levels were tested. Twenty BALB/C nude mice with hyperglycemia or normal blood sugar were transplanted with CCAT-1-silenced SW620 cells, blood glucose levels, lactic acid, insulin, and volume of transplanted tumor cells, the expression of EMT marker proteins, and PI3K/Akt/C-MYC pathway was detected. RESULTS: The levels of proliferation, migration, glucose, lactic acid, LDH-A, PKM2, and HK2 decreased, apoptosis increased in SW620 cells cultured with low glucose or silenced CCAT-1 (P

BackgroundSmall non-coding RNAs play critical regulatory roles in post-transcription. However, their characteristics in Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis), the causative agent of human sexually transmitted trichomoniasis, still remain to be unveiled. MethodsSmall RNA transcriptomes from Trichomonas trophozoites were deeply sequenced through Illumina NextSeq 500 system and comprehensively analyzed to identify Trichomonas miRNAs and tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs). The tsRNAs candidates were confirmed by stem-loop RT-PCR and motifs to guide the cleavage of tsRNAs were predicted by performing GLAM2 algorithm. ResultsThe miRNAs were found at extremely low abundance (0.0046%) in T. vaginalis. Three categories of endogenous Trichomonas tsRNAs were identified as 5'tritsRNAs, mid-tritsRNAs and 3'tritsRNAs, with 5'tritsRNAs dominating (67.63%) in tsRNAs. Interestingly, the cleavage site analysis verified both conventional classes of tRFs and tRNA-halves in tritsRNAs, indicating the expression of tRNA-halves in non-stress condition. A total of 25 tritsRNAs were experimentally confirmed, accounting for 78.1% of all tested candidates. Three motifs were predicted to guide the production of tritsRNAs. This proved the expression of tRFs and tRNA-halves in T. vaginalis transcriptome. ConclusionsThis is the first report of genome-wide investigation of small RNAs, particularly tsRNAs and miRNAs, from Trichomonas parasites. Our findings demonstrate the expression profile of tsRNAs in T. vaginalis, while miRNA was hardly discovered. These results might promote the further research to better understand the evolution of small non-coding RNA in T. vaginalis and their functions in pathogenesis of trichomoniasis.

As a dual-acting neurotransmitter, glycine plays critical roles in cerebral ischemia by activating both glycine receptors (GlyRs) and N-methyl-D-aspartate acid receptors (NMDARs). However, the involvement of glycine receptor alpha 2 (GlyRa2) in cerebral ischemia has not been explored. The objective of this study was to determine the mechanism of action of GlyRa2 in cerebrovascular remodeling. After induction of rat tMCAO, levels of the GLRA2 gene and GlyRa2 protein were examined using q-PCR, western blot, and immunohistochemical analyses. Blood-brain barrier permeability, and the presence of hemorrhage and arteriosclerosis were also analyzed. The underlying mechanism of vascular remodeling was examined using immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analyses. Both the GLRA2 gene and GlyRa2 protein were altered sharply after stroke. GlyRa2 of vascular origin appears to play a protective role after glycine treatment for ischemia. Blockade of GlyRa2 by the addition of cyclothiazide was found to abolish previous improvements in cerebrovascular survival after glycine treatment for tMCAO in rats. GlyRa2-dependent neurovascular remodeling was found to be correlated with the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) pathways. These results suggest that vascular-derived GlyRa2 protects against post-ischemic injury. Vascular protection via GlyRa2 is due to VEGFR2/pSTAT3 signaling.

Telomerase, which is overexpressed in approximately 90% of liver cancer cells, is an ideal target for anti-liver cancer therapy. LPTS, a putative liver tumor suppressor, is the only human-derived protein that can bind telomerase directly and inhibit the extension of telomere activity. Our previous studies demonstrated that TAT-LPTS-LC (TLC), a recombinant protein fused by the C-terminal 133–328 fragment of LPTS and TAT peptides, could be delivered into cells to inhibit telomerase-positive hepatoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo with very low toxicity. In the present study, E. coli strains which expressed TLC in abundance were screened and cultured in a laboratory bioreactor. A reproducible protein separation process was built, and this process was suitable for industrial amplification. The yields of TLC protein were up to 184 mg in one batch with a purity of approximately 95%. The purified TLC protein had a similar inhibitory effect on telomerase activity in vitro compared with those purified by Ni-affinity chromatography. Furthermore, TLC protein could be delivered into the cell nucleus to increase the doubling time of the cell and suppress cell growth in telomerase-positive liver cancer cell lines. Cell growth inhibition was negatively correlated with telomere length, suggesting that TLC is a highly targeted telomerase-telomere anticancer agent. These results will contribute to future preclinical studies of the TLC protein.

CD8+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in regulating peripheral immune tolerance. However, difficulties in the characterization of CD8+ Tregs that lack suitable markers have a considerably limited research in this area. Moreover, the induction and effector mechanisms of CD8+ Tregs remain unclear. Herein, we demonstrate the suitability of Ly49 and CD44 as markers for CD8+ Tregs. Our data also show that MHC class II restricted peptides induce CD8+CD44+Ly49+ Tregs via CD4+ T cell activation. Furthermore, we also found cross-suppressive activity of these CD8+ Tregs on responding CD4+ T cells in a cytotoxicity dependent manner. Our data provide new insights into the induction and function of CD8+ Tregs.

CD8

To explore decision control preferences and decisional conflicts and to analyse their association among the surrogate decision makers in the intensive care unit.The study carried out a cross-sectional survey among the surrogates.The participants were 115 surrogate decision makers of critical patients, from August to September 2019. A Chi-squared test and logistic regression were used to assess decision control preferences and decisional conflicts, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was employed to examine their association.Of the 115 surrogate decision makers, 51.3% preferred a collaborative role, and 63.48% were somewhat unsure about making decisions. Logistic regression analysis identified decision control preferences was associated with surrogates' age, education level, and personality traits, while decisional conflicts was associated with surrogates' age, education level, character, medical expense burden, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II score. Cohen's kappa statistics showed a bad concordance of decision-making expectations and actuality, with kappa values of 0.158 (p .05). Wherein surrogates who experienced discordance between their preferred and actual roles, have relatively higher decisional conflicts.This study identified individual differences of surrogate decision makers in decision control preferences and decisional conflicts. These results imply that incorporation of the individual decision preferences and communication styles into care plans is an important first step to develop high quality decision support.This research is a contribution to the limited study on decision control preferences and decisional conflicts among surrogate decision makers of critically ill patients. Moreover based on the investigation of understanding the status and related factors of decision preferences and decisional conflicts set the stage for developing effective decision support interventions.目的: 旨在探讨决策控制偏好和决策冲突,并分析决策控制偏好和决策冲突在重症监护室替代决策者中的关联性。 设计: 该研究对替代者进行了横断面调查。 方法: 参与者为2019年8月至9月期间115名危重患者的替代决策者。采用卡方检验和逻辑回归来评估决策控制偏好和决策冲突,并采用斯皮尔曼等级相关系数考察其关联性。 结果: 在这115名替代决策者中,51.3%的人更倾向于合作角色,而63.48%的人则对决策不太确定。逻辑回归分析发现,决策控制偏好与替代决策者的年龄、教育水平、性格特征相关,而决策冲突与替代决策者的年龄、教育水平、性格、医疗费用负担、急性生理和慢性健康评价-II评分相关。Cohen的kappa统计量显示,决策期望与实际值不太一致,kappa值为0.158(p.05)。其中经历过偏好角色和实际角色不协调的替代决策者,其决策冲突相对更高。 结论: 该研究确定了替代决策者在决策控制偏好和决策冲突方面的个体差异。这些结果意味着,将个人决策偏好和沟通方式纳入护理计划是制定高质量决策支持措施的重要的第一步。 影响: 该研究对危重患者替代决策者决策控制偏好和决策冲突的有限研究作出了一定贡献。此外,基于对决策偏好和决策冲突的现状及相关因素的调查了解,为制定有效的决策支持干预措施奠定了基础。.

The Plasmodium falciparum cysteine protease falcipain-2 (FP-2) is an attractive antimalarial target. Here, we discovered that the natural compound NP1024 is a nonpeptidic inhibitor of FP-2 with an IC50 value of 0.44 μmol L–1. The most exciting finding is that both in vitro and in vivo , NP1024 directly targets FP-2 in malaria parasite-infected erythrocytes as a natural fluorescent probe, thereby paving the way for an integration of malaria diagnosis and treatment.

The anti-aging activity of marine macroalgae Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide (GP) on Caenorhabditis elegans was evaluated by observing the lifespan, reproduction, pharyngeal pumping and stress response of worms. Moreover, quantitative fluorescence of polyglutamic acid and nuclear localization of DAF-16 were observed. The results showed that GP treatment enhanced the mean lifespan by over 16.47% and significantly increased the reproduction duration of worm in the high dose group (1000 μg/mL). GP exhibited little potent effects under the thermotolerance and oxidative stress. The number of polyglutamic acid aggregates in three dosage groups decreased by 24.82%, 32.08% and 30.93% (p 0.05) compared to the control. The middle dose group strongly induced DAF-16 nuclear translocation over intermediate and cytosolic localizations compared to the control (p 0.001). It was inferred that GP extended the adult lifespan of wild-type and polyQ nematodes through the insulin pathway DAF-16.

As a partner antimalarial for artemisinin drug-based combination therapy (ACT), piperaquine (PQ) can be metabolized into two major metabolites, including piperaquine N-oxide (M1) and piperaquine N,N-dioxide (M2). To better understand the antimalarial potency of PQ, the antimalarial activity of the PQ metabolites (M1 and M2) was studied in vitro (in Plasmodium falciparum strains Pf3D7 and PfDd2) and in vivo (in the murine species Plasmodium yoelii) in this study. The recrudescence and survival time of infected mice were also recorded after drug treatment. The pharmacokinetic profiles of PQ and its two metabolites (M1 and M2) were investigated in healthy subjects after oral doses of two widely used ACT regimens, i.e., dihydroartemisinin plus piperaquine phosphate (Duo-Cotecxin) and artemisinin plus piperaquine (Artequick). Remarkable antiplasmodial activity was found for PQ (50% growth-inhibitory concentration [IC50], 4.5 nM against Pf3D7 and 6.9 nM against PfDd2; 90% effective dose [ED90], 1.3 mg/kg of body weight), M1 (IC50, 25.5 nM against Pf3D7 and 38.7 nM against PfDd2; ED90, 1.3 mg/kg), and M2 (IC50, 31.2 nM against Pf3D7 and 33.8 nM against PfDd2; ED90, 2.9 mg/kg). Compared with PQ, M1 showed comparable efficacy in terms of recrudescence and survival time and M2 had relatively weaker antimalarial potency. PQ and its two metabolites displayed a long elimination half-life (∼11 days for PQ, ∼9 days for M1, and ∼4 days for M2), and they accumulated after repeated administrations. The contribution of the two PQ metabolites to the efficacy of piperaquine as a partner drug of ACT for the treatment of malaria should be considered for PQ dose optimization.

The inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH) potentially represents a new treatment option for malaria, as P. falciparum relies entirely on a de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway for survival. Herein, we report a series of pyrimidone derivatives as novel inhibitors of PfDHODH. The most potent compound, 26, showed high inhibition activity against PfDHODH (IC50 = 23 nM), with >400-fold species selectivity over human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (hDHODH). The brand-new inhibitor scaffold targeting PfDHODH reported in this work may lead to the discovery of new antimalarial agents.

The inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH) potentially represents a new treatment option for malaria, as P. falciparum relies entirely on a de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway for survival. Herein, we report a series of pyrimidone derivatives as novel inhibitors of PfDHODH. The most potent compound, 26, showed high inhibition activity against PfDHODH (IC50 = 23 nM), with >400-fold species selectivity over human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (hDHODH). The brand-new inhibitor scaffold targeting PfDHODH reported in this work may lead to the discovery of new antimalarial agents.

Taking the emergence of drug resistance and lack of effective antimalarial vaccines into consideration, it is of significant importance to develop novel antimalarial agents for the treatment of malaria. Herein, we elucidated the discovery and structure-activity relationships of a series of dihydrothiophenone derivatives as novel specific inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH). The most promising compound, 50, selectively inhibited PfDHODH (IC50 = 6 nM, with >14,000-fold species-selectivity over hDHODH) and parasite growth in vitro (IC50 = 15 and 18 nM against 3D7 and Dd2 cells, respectively). Moreover, an oral bioavailability of 40% for compound 50 was determined from in vivo pharmacokinetic studies. These results further indicate that PfDHODH is an effective target for antimalarial chemotherapy, and the novel scaffolds reported in this work might lead to the discovery of new antimalarial agents.

Adaptation to changes in the environment is crucial for the viability of all organisms. Although the importance of calcineurin in the stress response has been highlighted in filamentous fungi, little is known about the involvement of ion-responsive genes and pathways in conferring salt tolerance without calcium signaling. In this study, high-throughput RNA-seq was used to investigate salt stress-induced genes in the parent, ΔcnaB, and ΔcnaBΔcchAstrains ofAspergillus nidulans, which differ greatly in salt adaption. In total, 2,884 differentially expressed genes including 1,382 up- and 1,502 downregulated genes were identified. Secondary transporters, which were upregulated to a greater extent in ΔcnaBΔcchAthan in the parent or ΔcnaBstrains, are likely to play important roles in response to salt stress. Furthermore, 36 genes were exclusively upregulated in the ΔcnaBΔcchAunder salt stress. Functional analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed that genes involved in transport, heat shock protein binding, and cell division processes were exclusively activated in ΔcnaBΔcchA. Overall, our findings reveal that secondary transporters and stress-responsive genes may play crucial roles in salt tolerance to bypass the requirement for the CchA-calcineurin pathway, contributing to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that influence fungal salt stress adaption inAspergillus.

With the decline of oil reserves and production, the gas-to-liquids (GTL) part of Fischer–Tropsch (F-T) synthesis technology has become increasing important. Synthesis gas (H2 + CO) with a stoichiometric ratio (H2/CO) at 2 or ranging from 1 to 2 is generally used in major synthesis-gas-based chemicals production. There are growing interests in the development of an alternative technology, other than the expensive natural-gas-based catalytic process, for cost-effective production of synthesis gas with a flexible hydrogen/carbon monoxide (H2/CO) ratio. Direct production of synthesis gas using coal as a cheap feedstock is attractive but challenging due to its low H2/CO ratio of generated synthesis gas. Three typical U.S. coals of different ranks were tested in a 2.5 in. coal gasifier to investigate their gasification reactivity and adjustability on H2/CO ratio of generated synthesis gas with or without the addition of methane. Tests indicated that lower-rank coals (lignite and sub-bituminous) have higher gas...

To explore the feasibility of induction of neutralization antibodies against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by HCV envelope 2 protein (E2) DNA vaccines immunization.Two kinds of expression plasmids of HCV envelope 2 protein, plasmid pCI-1b661 Delta encoding hydrophobic carboxyl terminal truncated E2 and pCI-1b661 Delta encoding E2 with deletion of hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) and carboxyl terminal, were constructed and respectively transfeted 293T cells, and truncated E2 protein in whole cell lysate and supernatant of 293T cells were analyzed by Western blot. After BALB/c mouse were intramuscularly immunized by the plasmids, sera antibodies against HVR1 were detected by ELISA and the neutralization activity of the antibodies were assayed with HCV pseudotype particle (HCVpp).Both plasmids could express secretary truncated E2 protein. All the mice immunized with plasmid pCI-1b661 produced HVR1 antibodies,while no HVR1 antibodies were detected in pCI-1b661 Delta immunized mice. The sera neutralization percentages against HCVpp in pCI1lb661 Delta and pCI-lb661 Delta immunized mice were (78.5 +/- 13.8)% and (38.7 +/- 6.5)%, respectively (P0.01). Sera neutralization activity against HCVpp was positive correlated with the level of HVR1 antibodies in pCI-1b661 immunized mice (r = 0.967, P0.01).DNA vaccines expressing truncated E2 protein could induce neutralization antibodies against HCV, and neutralization antibodies mainly was consisted of the antibodies against HVR1.

This paper presents experimental study of fluidized absorption process for flue gas purification of co-combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) and coal in a circulating fluidized bed Combustor (CFBC) test rig. The test rig is composed of a CFBC, coal/MSW feeding subsystem, ash cycle subsystem and flue gas purification subsystem. In the circulating fluidized bed, section area of fluidized bed is 230mm × 230mm and the freeboard is 460mm × 395mm. The total height of the test facility is 8m; height of bed and freeboard are 1.5m and 6m respectively. The preheated air enters the bed as primary air passing through distributor and provides oxygen for combustion. Six movable tubes immerged within the bed are used in adjusting the bed temperature. The cyclone separator is fixed up at the exit of chamber. The separated ashes return to chamber through the recycling feeder for decreasing the carbon content in fly ash and promoting the combustion efficiency. The flue gas from the exit of cyclone separator enters the air preheater to preheat the cold air at first, then enters the flue gas purification facility, finally be discharged into air by induced drafted fan passing through the stack. Coal is carried to a positive pressure feeding entrance by screw feeder and enters the bed. Secondary air is injected into a sealed end feeding pipe under MSW feeder, for enhancing the mixture in furnace, providing the oxygen for combustion and preventing from MSW remaining in the feeding pipe. The material of bed is silicon sand. Fluidized absorption facility for flue gas purification in MSW incineration is mainly composed of humidification system, absorption tower, flue gas reheater, fabric filter, slurry making pool, sediment pool and measurement subsystem. The temperature of flue gas from boiler by induced draft fan reduces to 120°C when flue gas enters the humidification region, which can increase the ability of acid gas absorption and prevent the slurry evaporation. When flue gas and limestone slurry enter the absorption tower, the three-phase material of gas, liquid and solid generates intense mixing and forms bubbling layer. The acid gases in flue gas are absorbed by limestone slurry, and a large amount of dusts are collected in reaction tank. Feeding oxidation air into slurry and agitating slurry simultaneously so as to promote the inner circulation of slurry and oxygenization of calcium sulphite. Flue gas passes through undulate demister which has high efficiency and low resistance, then enters fabric filter after reheating, finally be discharged into the stack by induced draft fan. The mixture of slurry and gypsum is emitted into the sediment pool through bottom and clear liquid in sediment pool returns to slurry making pool or absorption tower. The test results are as follows: the combustion efficiency is greater than 95%, the carbon content of fly ash is lower than 8%, and the loss of slag combustion is lower than 5%. When sorbent is limestone slurry, the concentration of slurry is 1%, the circulating ratio is 3, the jet rate is 5∼15m/s. The immerged depth of bubbling pipe under the slurry is 140mm. In the fluidized absorption facility for flue gas purification of MSW incineration, the desulfurization efficiency is >90%, the de-nitrification efficiency is 20∼30%, the de-chlorination efficiency is >80%, the removal efficiency of dust, heavy metal and dioxins are >99%, >98.6% and 99.35% respectively. After passing through fluidized absorption facility for flue gas purification of MSW incineration, when the concentration of O2 is 11%, the emission concentration of every components in flue gas are: SO2 is 20∼50mg/Nm3, NOx is 130∼270 mg/Nm3, HCl is 7∼12 mg/Nm3, HF is ∼8 mg/Nm3, CO2 is7∼8%, dust is 23∼67 mg/Nm3, Cr is 0.2172 mg/Nm3, Cu is 0.0454 mg/Nm3, Pb is 0.2963 mg/Nm3, Zn is 0.2074 mg/Nm3, Fe is 2.834 mg/Nm3, As is 1.112 × 10−3 mg/Nm3, Hg is 2.38 × 10−4 mg/Nm3 and dioxins is 0.1573 ng/Nm3. These emission concentrations are all lower than the Chinese emission standards. Some of them come close to the emission standards of developed country.

Air pollution at many types of intersections and other roadside “hot spots” is not accurately characterized by state-of-the-practice models. In this study, data were collected on traffic flows, second-by-second CO and NO2 ambient concentrations in Shanghai, China. The sampled data were compared with CAL3QHC modeling results. We found that: (1) intersection hot spot emission concentrations were explained primarily by queuing activities of motor vehicles; (2) air quality concentrations are difficult to predict because of complex dispersion processes near high-rise buildings; and (3) screening models such as CAL3QHC are prone to large errors in dense cities with mixed traffic and high-rising buildings. Suggestions are made for improved models relevant to dense developing cities.