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• MOF-303 filled chitosan membrane for separation of methanol/MTBE mixtures. • MOF-303 showed good interfacial compatibility with polymer. • Incorporating MOF-303 enhanced both flux and separation factor of chitosan membrane. The membrane-based pervaporation process presents substantial promise for the challenging separation of azeotropic mixtures. However, the efficiency of conventional polymeric membranes in achieving this remains suboptimal. To tackle this issue, there has been notable attention directed towards the amalgamation of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with polymer matrices, giving rise to the creation of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). In this study, for the first time, we integrated MOF-303 crystals into a chitosan (CS) matrix, thereby pioneering the development of MOF-303/CS MMMs designed for the separation of azeotropic mixtures of methanol/methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE). By employing the spin-coating method, a thin and defect-free MOF-303/CS membrane layer was effectively deposited onto a porous substrate. The morphology and physiochemical attributes of the synthesized MOF-303 crystals and the subsequent MOF-303/CS MMMs were analyzed using techniques such as SEM, XRD, TGS, and FTIR. The separation data revealed a marked enhancement in flux and methanol permeance upon the introduction of MOF-303 crystals into the CS membrane, whereas the increase in MTBE flux and permeance was relatively few, resulting in an augmented methanol/MTBE separation factor and selectivity. The optimized MOF-303/CS MMM demonstrated outstanding and enduring separation efficacy, demonstrating a total flux of 173 g/m2·h and a methanol/MTBE separation factor of 209 at 40 °C for 10 wt% methanol-MTBE mixtures. Notably, this performance surpassed that of the pure CS membrane by nearly 1.6 times in total flux and 3.68 times in separation factor, respectively, underscoring its substantial potential in the efficient separation of azeotropic mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate whether geniposide, a main component extracted from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit, could exert neuroprotective functions against traumatic brain injury (TBI). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for detection of plasma cytokines. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was employed for measurements of mRNA levels of cytokines. Neurological outcomes were evaluated by modified neurological severity score (mNSS) and Rota-Rod. Blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity and brain edema were assessed. Protein expression was tested by Western blot. The plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 were all elevated in patients with TBI compared to those of healthy controls. TBI rats treated with geniposide showed lower mNSS and longer fall latency time than untreated TBI rats. BBB integrity was maintained and brain edema was reduced by geniposide treatment in TBI rats. Plasma levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly repressed by geniposide treatment in TBI rats, whereas IL-10 level was upregulated. mRNA expression levels of these cytokines in the brain tissues of TBI rats exhibited the same trends of changes. By testing p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and NF-κB p65 activities, it was observed that phosphorylated (p)-p38 and p-p65 were dramatically inhibited by geniposide. In conclusion, geniposide exerts neuroprotective functions against TBI by inhibiting p-p38 and p-p65. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Development of a new coupled fluid flow and geomechanics permeability model. • Use discrete fracture model to describe natural fractures and hydraulic fractures. • The flow mechanisms such as stress sensitivity, Knudsen diffusion are considered. • The study conducted a sensitivity analysis of the parameters in the thermal recovery. Recently, shale gas is a hot spot of research as an unconventional resource. Advances in horizontal well drilling technology and fracturing technology have contributed to increased shale gas recovery. Different from conventional gas reservoirs, the adsorption gas content is as high as 85%, so the amount of adsorbed gas liberated from the matrix surface is very helpful for ultimately improving the recovery of shale gas. Recently, some progress has been made in the process of hydraulic fracture heating technology. The event that temperature variation promotes the release of adsorbed gas and thus enhances oil recovery has not been fully studied. In addition, during shale gas production, stress sensitivity, adsorption desorption and temperature will all have a significant effect on rock deformation, which will change the permeability of the matrix and fractures. To study the effect of thermal recovery based on coupled geomechanical effects and fluid flow. A numerical model of shale gas thermal recovery considering Knudsen diffusion, adsorption desorption and stress sensitivity was established to reflect the production process of shale gas. Moreover, discrete fracture is employed to describe hydraulic fractures and natural fractures. The influence of thermal expansion on rock deformation is considered in the geomechanical effect, and the permeability formula suitable for shale gas thermal recovery is developed. Finally, the effects of different parameters on thermal recovery were studied separately. It is obvious that heating hydraulic fractures improves the recovery of shale gas by promoting the liberate of adsorbed gas. A large amount of adsorbed gas is produced as the stimulation temperature increases. Considering the stress-sensitive permeability can more accurately reflect the change of permeability in the shale gas thermal recovery process, so as to more accurately predict the production of shale gas. The increase in recovery rate of shale gas thermal recovery depends on the stimulation temperature, bottom hole pressure, matrix heat capacity, thermal conductivity, Langmuir volume and matrix permeability. The larger the Langmuir volume and the higher the bottom hole pressure, the better the thermal recovery effect for improving shale gas recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • TiO 2 filled PEBA mixed-matrix membranes were fabricated. • TiO 2 fillers were grafted with dopamine and polyethyleneimine. • Enhanced CO 2 /N 2 separation were achieved by incorporating these TiO 2 fillers. Abstract Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated by incorporating synthesized titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanoparticles into polyether block amide (PEBA) matrix to fabricate TiO 2 /PBEA MMMs for CO 2 /N 2 separation. The mesoporous channels of TiO 2 increased the density of active sites with high accessibility and also facilitate the diffusion of CO 2 in the gas separation process. Furthermore, amine groups are grafted onto the TiO 2 fillers via one step reaction with dopamine (DA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI). The modified TiO 2 fillers with abundant amine groups are conductive to transfer CO 2 owing to the reversible reaction occurred between CO 2 and amine groups. The effects of TiO 2 loading, DA/PEI modification on the morphology and CO 2 /N 2 separation performance of the resulting TiO 2 /PBEA MMMs were systematically studied. The results showed that the MMMs filled with 3 wt% DA-PEI-TiO 2 synthesized with DA/PEI mass ratio of 1/1 and PEI molecular weight of 1800 exhibited optimal separation performance with CO 2 permeability of 67 Barrer and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 101, surpassing the 2008 Robeson upper-bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Membrane technology is an energy-efficient approach for purification of wastewater. In this work, for the first time, a novel pure zeolite imidazolate framework-300 (ZIF-300) MOF membrane was fabricated and applied for removing heavy metal ions from wastewater. The fine structure of ZIF-300 layer was characterized by positron annihilation spectroscopy technique. Cross-flow and long-term operation test was also carried out to investigate the membrane stability. The obtained ZIF-300 membrane exhibited a high and stable performance with the water permeance of 39.2 L/m2 h bar and rejection rate of 99.21% for CuSO 4. This high separation performance combined the extraordinary stability demonstrated that the as-prepared pure ZIF-300 MOF membrane could be a potential candidate for the water treatment. Highlights • A novel pure ZIF-300 MOF membrane is synthesized. • Positron annihilation spectroscopy is used to probe the membrane pore structure. • ZIF-300 membrane exhibited an excellent performance for removing heavy metal ions from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is still a great challenge to prepare high performance mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) because of the difficulty in finely tuning the compatibility between filler and organic phases. In this work, ZIF-8 nanoparticles hydrophobically functionalized by 5, 6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMBIM) via shell ligand exchange (SLE) reaction were incorporated into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix to fabricate defect-free MMMs. Organic--inorganic interface compatibility was realized because of more abundant organic ligands from DMBIM. The effects of different loadings on membrane microstructure and gas separation performance were investigated systematically. A significantly enhanced C3H8/N2 separation performance with C3H8 permeability over 2.10 × 104 Barrer (91 % higher than that of pure PDMS membrane) and C3H8/N2 selectivity of 99.5 (116 % higher than that of pure PDMS membrane) were achieved. Additionally, the as-prepared membrane also exhibited excellent stability during long term operation. © 2016 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ZIF-301 MOF was incorporated into 6FDA-DAM polyimide membrane. • Solvent exchange approach was used to remove high-boiling-point solvent in membrane. • Incorporating ZIF-301 enhanced CO 2 permeability and CO 2 /CH 4 selectivity of 6FDA-DAM. Compared with traditional separation methods, membrane-based technology shows advantages in energy efficiency for natural gas purification. To overcome the performance trade-off of conventional polymeric membranes, in this study, ZIF-301 MOF was employed as novel filler to fabricate 6FDA-DAM polyimide mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) for CO 2 /CH 4 separation. A solvent exchange approach was proposed to remove the high-boiling-point solvent used for fabricating the MMMs. The microstructures and physico-chemical properties of the ZIF-301 fillers and ZIF-301/6FDA-DAM MMMs were characterized by SEM, EDX, XRD, IR, TGA, DSC and high-pressure sorption isotherms. The CO 2 /CH 4 transport properties through the MMMs were evaluated by permeation measurement at various feed pressures and analyzed by solution-diffusion model. The results showed that the incorporation of ZIF-301 into 6FDA-DAM enhanced both the CO 2 permeability and CO 2 /CH 4 selectivity, attributing to the preferential CO 2 sorption and aperture molecular sieving effect of the ZIF-301 filler. The MMM with optimal ZIF-301 loading of 20 wt% exhibited CO 2 permeability of 891 barrer and CO 2 /CH 4 of 29.3 that surpassed the 2008 Robeson upper-bound, suggesting that ZIF-301 based membrane could be a potential candidate for natural gas purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scrap is one of the main raw materials in converter steelmaking. Due to the wide variety of scrap and the significant differences in its prices, the proportioning of scrap presents a challenge in converter steelmaking. This paper explores the optimal proportioning method of scrap for converters using an optimization mathematical model. Initially, the melting characteristics of scrap after being added to the converter's molten iron were investigated using finite element numerical simulations. The study found that when the weight of the scrap is fixed, both the shape and type of the scrap significantly influence the melting time. Subsequently, employing mathematical optimization methods and considering comprehensive process parameters of the 210t converter smelting, including the composition and unit price of the scrap, as well as the requirements of the converter steelmaking process for scrap, an optimization model for the proportioning of scrap in converters was established. The model was solved using computer programming languages. Through this optimization model, it is possible to obtain the lowest cost per ton of molten steel in the converter smelting process by determining the optimal proportions of various types of scrap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blocking cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) at the time of immunisation enhances vaccine induced T cell responses and improves control of tumour cell growth in vivo. However, the effect of an IL-10 blockade on the biological function of macrophages has not been explored. In the current paper, a macrophage precursor cell line, U937 cells, was selected to investigate the differential expression of proteins and relevant cell signalling pathway changes, when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence of antibodies to IL-10 or IL-10 receptor. We used a quantitative proteomic strategy to investigate variations in protein profiles of U937 cells following the treatments with LPS, LPS plus human anti-IL10 antibody and anti-IL10R antibody in 24hrs, respectively. The LPS treatment significantly activated actin-related cell matrix formation and immune response pathways. The addition of anti-IL10 and anti-IL10R antibody further promoted the immune response and potentially effect macrophage survival through PI3K/AKT signalling; however, the latter appeared to also upregulated oncogene XRCC5 and Cajal body associated processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to explore predictors of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) in adults and develop a nomogram predictive model in order to identify high-risk patients early. We retrospectively analysed the clinical data of a total of 337 adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and divided them into MPP and non-MPP groups according to whether they were infected with MP. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to screen independent predictors of MPP in adults and to developed a nomogram model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, concordance index (C-index), and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used for the validation of the evaluation model. Finally, the nomogram was further evaluated by internal verification. Age, body temperature, dry cough, dizziness, CRP and tree-in-bud sign were independent predictors of MPP in adults (P < 0.05). The nomogram showed high accuracy with C-index of 0.836 and well-fitted calibration curves in both the training and validation sets. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) was 0.829 (95% CI 0.774–0.883) for the training set and 0.847 (95% CI 0.768–0.925) for the validation set. This nomogram prediction model can accurately predict the risk of MPP occurrence in adults, which helps clinicians identify high-risk patients at an early stage and make drug selection and clinical decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a rare salivary gland malignancy, clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is easily misdiagnosed. This study identified the features that allow better recognition of the clinicopathological and molecular characteristics and the prognosis of CCC, focusing on high-grade transformation (HGT) in this tumor and cases arising in uncommon sites. Methods: Clinicopathological and follow-up data for 10 CCC samples were retrieved. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect EWSR1 gene rearrangements, EWSR1–ATF1 gene fusions, and MAML2 gene rearrangements. Results: Histologically, typical CCCs comprised bland polygonal or round cells with clear cytoplasm. In contrast with typical CCCs, HGT tumor cells exhibited nuclear pleomorphism, high nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratios, high mitotic activity, and necrosis. Rare morphologic features such as pseudopapillae, gland-like spaces, and entrapped ducts were also observed. Occasionally, tumors involving the oral cavity might arise from the overlying epithelium of the mucosal surface. Immunohistochemically, all the cases expressed p63, p40, and CK5/6, while myoepithelial-related markers were uniformly negative in all cases. HGT exhibited a wild type p53 expression pattern. FISH demonstrated EWSR1 rearrangement (10/10) and EWSR1–ATF1 fusion (4/5); however, MAML2 remained intact (0/3). Conclusions: CCCs with HGT or occurring in uncommon sites are extremely rare. Combining morphology based IHC and molecular detection provided reliable evidence that the HGT component represented a transformation of CCC rather than the coexistence of another tumor and helped differentiating CCCs in uncommon sites from their mimics, avoiding potential misdiagnosis and inappropriate therapy. The overall prognosis for CCCs is good, except for the HGT cases, which needed continued treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid cancer. While many patients survive, a portion of PTC cases display high aggressiveness and even develop into refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma. This may be alleviated by developing a novel model to predict the risk of recurrence. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death (RCD) driven by lethal accumulation of lipid peroxides, is regulated by a set of genes and shows a variety of metabolic changes. To elucidate whether ferroptosis occurs in PTC, we analyse the gene expression profiles of the disease and established a new model for the correlation. Methods: The thyroid carcinoma (THCA) datasets were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), UCSC Xena and MisgDB, and included 502 tumour samples and 56 normal samples. A total of 60 ferroptosis related genes were summarised from MisgDB database. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were used to analyse pathways potentially involving PTC subtypes. Single sample GSEA (ssGSEA) algorithm was used to analyse the proportion of 28 types of immune cells in the tumour immune infiltration microenvironment in THCA and the hclust algorithm was used to conduct immune typing according to the proportion of immune cells. Spearman correlation analysis was performed on the ferroptosis gene expression and the correlation between immune infiltrating cells proportion. We established the WGCNA to identify genes modules that are highly correlated with the microenvironment of immune invasion. DEseq2 algorithm was further used for differential analysis of sequencing data to analyse the functions and pathways potentially involving hub genes. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed using Clusterprofiler to explore the clinical efficacy of hub genes. Univariate Cox analysis was performed for hub genes combined with clinical prognostic data, and the results was included for lasso regression and constructed the risk regression model. ROC curve and survival curve were used for evaluating the model. Univariate Cox analysis and multivariate Cox analysis were performed in combination with the clinical data of THCA and the risk score value, the clinical efficacy of the model was further evaluated. Results: We identify two subtypes in PTC based on the expression of ferroptosis related genes, with the proportion of cluster 1 significantly higher than cluster 2 in ferroptosis signature genes that are positively associated. The mutations of Braf and Nras are detected as the major mutations of cluster 1 and 2, respectively. Subsequent analyses of TME immune cells infiltration indicated cluster 1 is remarkably richer than cluster 2. The risk score of THCA is in good performance evaluated by ROC curve and survival curve, in conjunction with univariate Cox analysis and multivariate Cox analysis results based on the clinical data shows that the risk score of the proposed model could be used as an independent prognostic indicator to predict the prognosis of patients with papillary thyroid cancer. Conclusions: Our study finds seven crucial genes, including Ac008063.2, Apoe, Bcl3, Acap3, Alox5ap, Atxn2l and B2m, and regulation of apoptosis by parathyroid hormone-related proteins significantly associated with ferroptosis and immune cells in PTC, and we construct the risk score model which can be used as an independent prognostic index to predict the prognosis of patients with PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PDMS membrane is used for in-situ removal of butanol from glycerol fermentation. • Integration of pervaporation improves the yield and productivity of fermentation. • PDMS membrane exhibit high flux and separation factor for butanol removal. Pervaporation (PV) membranes have been attracted increasing attention in biofuels recovery owing to the higher separation efficiency and less harmful effect on microbes. Herein, we reported polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane coated on the inner surface of ceramic tube to in-situ recover bio-butanol from glycerol fermentation through PV process. The effects of butanol concentration, intermediates, raw material, inorganic salts and microbes on PV separation property of the PDMS/ceramic composite membranes were systematically discussed. After integrating with the membrane, bio-butanol was successively extracted from the fermentor, thereby remarkably reducing the butanol inhibition effect on microbial growth and thus greatly enhancing the yield and productivity of bio-butanol, from 0.35 to 0.40 g g−1 and 0.09 to 0.17 g L−1 h−1, respectively. Meanwhile, the PDMS composite membrane presented an excellent separation property during the coupled process with 509 g/m2 h for average total flux and 24.7 for butanol/water separation factor. In addition, the membrane fouling behavior was studied by characterizing the membrane microstructure and chemical property before and after using in the coupled process. Compared with the-state-of-the-arts, the PDMS composite membrane coupled with the process of glycerol fermentation presented here shows great potential in application of bio-butanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) related tumours account for a significant proportion of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) in developed countries. They respond better to chemo- and radio-therapy, and have a better stage specific prognosis. To establish their prevalence in China, we assessed a series of histology confirmed HNSCCs collected in Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces by PCR for HPV DNA and by immunohistochemistry for p16 protein status. Among 303 HNSCCs, HPV DNA was detected in 26.4%, with HPV16 DNA in 71% of these. Of HNSCC located in the oropharynx, 38.55% (32/83) were HPV+ve. In this series, p16 status was a relatively poor predictor of HPV status as detected by PCR. The stage specific survival time of HPV+ HNSCCs was significantly longer than for HPV- HNSCC. HPV status should be assessed for oropharyngeal cancers in China to assist with appropriate management, and prophylaxis against HPV infection should be considered to reduce the incidence of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the therapeutic effects of 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD) 2 on TE-1 esophageal cancer cell xenografts. (1) The in vitro antitumor effects of the polypeptides caerin 1.1 and c(RGD) 2 were verified by MTT and clonogenic assays. 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD) 2 were prepared by chloramine-T (Ch-T) direct labeling, and their basic properties were measured. The binding and elution of 131I-caerin 1.1, 131I-c(RGD) 2 , and Na131I (control group) in esophageal cancer TE-1 cells were studied through cell binding and elution assays. (2) The antiproliferative effect and cytotoxicity of 131I-caerin 1.1, 131I-c(RGD) 2 , Na131I, caerin 1.1 and c(RGD) 2 on TE-1 cells were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. (3) A nude mouse esophageal cancer (TE-1) xenograft model was established to study and compare the efficacy of 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD) 2 in internal radiation therapy for esophageal cancer. (1) Caerin 1.1 inhibited the in vitro proliferation of TE-1 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC 50 of 13.00 µg/mL. The polypeptide c(RGD) 2 had no evident inhibitory effect on the in vitro proliferation of TE-1 cells. Therefore, the antiproliferative effects of caerin 1.1 and c(RGD) 2 on esophageal cancer cells were significantly different (P < 0.05). The clonogenic assay showed that the clonal proliferation of TE-1 cells decreased as the concentration of caerin 1.1 increased. Compared with the control group (drug concentration of 0 µg/mL), the caerin 1.1 group showed significantly lower clonal proliferation of TE-1 cells (P < 0.05). (2) The CCK-8 assay showed that 131I-caerin 1.1 inhibited the in vitro proliferation of TE-1 cells, while 131I-c(RGD) 2 had no evident inhibitory effect on proliferation. The two polypeptides showed significantly different antiproliferative effects on esophageal cancer cells at higher concentrations (P < 0.05). Cell binding and elution assays showed that 131I-caerin 1.1 stably bound to TE-1 cells. The cell binding rate of 131I-caerin 1.1 was 15.8 % ± 1.09 % at 24 h and 6.95 % ± 0.22 % after 24 h of incubation and elution. The cell binding rate of 131I-c(RGD) 2 was 0.06 % ± 0.02 % at 24 h and 0. 2 3 % ± 0.11 % after 24 h of incubation and elution. (3) In the in vivo experiment, 3 days after the last treatment, the tumor sizes of the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) group, caerin 1.1 group, c(RGD) 2 group, 131I group, 131I-caerin 1.1 group, and 131I-c(RGD) 2 group were 68.29 ± 2.67 mm3, 61.78 ± 3.58 mm3, 56.67 ± 5.65 mm3, 58.88 ± 1.71 mm3, 14.40 ± 1.38 mm3, and 60.14 ± 0.47 mm3, respectively. Compared with the other treatment groups, the 131I-caerin 1.1 group had significantly smaller tumor sizes (P < 0.001). After treatment, the tumors were isolated and weighed. The tumor weights in the PBS group, caerin 1.1 group, c(RGD) 2 group, 131I group, 131I-caerin 1.1 group, and 131I-c(RGD) 2 group were 39.50 ± 9.54 mg, 38.25 ± 5.38 mg, 38.35 ± 9.53 mg, 28.25 ± 8.50 mg, 9.50 ± 4.43 mg, and 34.75 ± 8.06 mg, respectively. The tumor weights in the 131I-caerin 1.1 group were significantly lighter than those in the other groups (P < 0.01). 131I-caerin 1.1 has tumor-targeting properties, is capable of targeted binding to TE-1 esophageal cancer cells, can be stably retained in tumor cells, and has an evident cytotoxic killing effect, while 131I-c(RGD) 2 has no evident cytotoxic effect. 131I-caerin 1.1 better suppressed tumor cell proliferation and tumor growth than pure caerin 1.1, 131I-c(RGD) 2 , and pure c(RGD) 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Anaerobic Clostridial spores (CG) cause significant oncolysis in hypoxic tumour microenvironment and result in tumour regression in both animal models and clinical trials. The immune mediated response plays a critical role in the antitumour effect by the anaerobic spore treatment. Method. Human papillomavirus 16 E6/E7 transformed TC-1 tumour bearing mice were intravenously administered with low (1 × 108 CFU/kg) or high dosage (3 × 108 CFU/kg) of Derivative Clostridial spore (DCG). Results. Intravenous administration of the derivative of Clostridial ghonii (DCG) spores leads to both tumour and systemic inflammatory responses characterized by increased IFNγ/IL-9 secreting T cells in the spleen and the tumour. Low numbers of antigen specific T cells (<20/106 spleen cells) in the spleen of the tumour bearing mice are also detected after intravenous DCG delivery. Interestingly, our results showed that a mixed IL-9/IFNγ secreting T cell response was induced when the tumour bearing mice received a low dose of DCG spore (1 × 108 CFU/kg), while a strong IFNγ response was elicited with a high dosage of DCG spore (3 × 108 CFU/kg). Conclusion. The dosage of DCG spore will determine the types of the DCG induced immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caerin is a family of peptides isolated from the glandular secretion of Australian tree frogs, the genus Litoria, and has been previously shown to have anticancer activity against several cancer cells. In this work, we used two host-defence peptides, caerin 1.1 and caerin 1.9, to investigate their ability to inhibit a murine derived TC-1 cell transformed with human papillomavirus 16 E6 and E7 growth in vitro. Caerin 1.9 inhibits TC-1 cell proliferation, although inhibition is more pronounced when applied in conjunction with caerin 1.1. To gain further insights into the antiproliferative mechanisms of caerin 1.9 and its additive effect with caerin 1.1, we used a proteomics strategy to quantitatively examine (i) the changes in the protein profiles of TC-1 cells and (ii) the excretory-secretory products of TC-1 cells following caerin peptides treatment. Caerin 1.9 treatment significantly altered the abundance of several immune-related proteins and related pathways, such as the Tec kinase and ILK signalling pathways, as well as the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. In conclusion, caerin peptides inhibit TC-1 cell proliferation, associated with modification in signalling pathways that would change the tumour microenvironment which is normally immune suppressive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy-efficientcapture of CO2from power-plant fluegas is one of the grand challenges to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions. Current CO2-capture technologies are limitedby parasitic energy loss, inefficient capture, and unfavorable processeconomics. We present a novel electrochemical method for CO2capture from coal-fired power-plant flue gas. The method utilizesin-situ electrochemical pH control with a resin wafer electrodeionization(RW-EDI) device that continuously shifts the pH of the process fluidbetween basic and acidic in sequential chambers (pH swing). This pHswing enables capture of CO2from flue gas in the basicchamber followed by release (recovery) of the captured CO2(purified) in the acidic chamber of the same device. The approachis based on the sensitivity of the thermodynamic equilibrium of CO2hydration/dehydration reactions over a narrow pH range. Themethod enables simultaneous absorption (capture) of CO2from flue gas and desorption (release) at atmospheric pressure withoutheating, vacuum, or consumptive chemical usage. In other words, themethod concentrates CO2from ∼15% in flue gas to>98% in the recovery stream. To the best of our knowledge, thisisthe first experimental study focusing on simultaneous capture andrelease (recovery) of CO2using an electrochemical method.We describe the method, the role of operating parameters on CO2recovery, and advancements in process design and engineeringfor improved efficiency. We report on a method to enhance gas/liquidmixing inside the RW-EDI, which significantly increased CO2capture rates. We also discuss the importance of using an enzyme/catalystin enhancing the reaction kinetics. CO2capture was observedto be a strong function of gas and liquid flow rates and applied electricalfield. Up to 80% of the CO2was captured from a simulatedflue gas stream with >98% purity. The results indicate that a narrowpH swing from 8 to 6 (near-neutral pH) could offer a viable pathwayfor energy-efficient CO2capture if the reaction kineticsare enhanced. Carbonic anhydrase enzyme enhances the reaction kineticsat near-neutral pH; however, the enzyme lost activity due to the instabilityat the operating conditions. This observation highlighted the necessityof robust enzymes/catalysts to enhance kinetics of CO2recoverynear-neutral pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It is difficult for an air source heat pump (ASHP) system to provide enough heat for heating buildings with high working efficiency when it runs at low ambient temperature. An advanced ASHP system that, in the paper, composes a main refrigerant circle and a bypass circle would supply a lot of heat for the buildings in Beijing at same working condition. In the system, the bypass refrigerant can be used to increase the density of refrigerant at the inlet of the hermetic compressor employed in refrigeration cycle, and so, the advanced ASHP could appear relative high efficiency even when it runs at low ambient temperature. The assistant throttle apparatus in the bypass circle is a part of capillary that was enlaced tightly around to the compressor. The capillary can be used to reuse the heat from surface of the compressor. Compared with a traditional system, the advanced ASHP system could provide three times heat capacity and more than 35% of efficiency at the working condition −10°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The receptor-binding domain (RBD) on spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is the main region interacting with the viral receptor-ACE2 and is a useful target for induction of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV infection. Here we generated two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), targeting RBD, with marked virus neutralizing activity. The mAbs recognize a new conformational epitope which consists of several discontinuous peptides (aa. 343–367, 373–390 and 411–428) and is spatially located neighboring the receptor-binding motif (RPM) region of the RBD. Importantly, W423 and N424 residues are essential for mAb recognition and are highly conserved among 107 different strains of SARS, indicating that the residues are the most critical in the epitope which is a novel potential target for therapeutic mAbs. A human–mouse chimeric antibody, based upon the original murine mAb, was also constructed and shown to possess good neutralizing activity and high affinity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We reported the periodic poling (PP) MgO-doped (6.5 mol%) congruent LiNbO3 (MgO:LN) and its operation in a femtosecond second-harmonic generation at room temperature. Because the switching field of MgO:LN is ∼5 kV/mm, which is approximately one fourth that of the congruent LN field, PP of thicker MgO:LN wafer was performed by means of applying external field at room temperature. The performance of quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation (SHG) with a 1-mm thick PP MgO:LN was compared with that of the second-harmonic generation with the PP congruent LiNbO3 (CLN) at room temperature. The PP MgO:LN exhibited better performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There is growing evidence showing that the oil phase seepage in tight matrix obeys the low-velocity Pre-Darcy flow because of the boundary effect between pore wall and fluid. However, most Pre-Darcy flow model may cause inaccuracy in simulating the reduction of non-linear degree, because of oil properties improvement caused by CO 2 injection. In this paper, we propose a newly Pre-Darcy model with dynamic non-Darcy parameter c 1 to characterize the tight-oil non-linear flow behavior in CO 2 Huff-n-Puff process. Firstly, based on the high accurate experimental data in flow velocity testing with representative cores in Fuyu reservoir, non-linear parameter c 1 is modified as a two-parameter function of tight oil flow capability. Then, the validated self-developed compositional simulator with embedded-discrete-fracture model (EDFM) and unstructured perpendicular bisection (PEBI) grid system is applied in field-scale cases to compare this proposed newly Pre-Darcy flow model with other previously presented flow models. Based on the comprehensive simulation comparison, the results show when the oil properties improvement occurs in injected-CO 2 swept and diffusion area, the proposed Pre-Darcy flow model can properly describe the reduction of non-linear degree, leading to additional 0.45% oil recovery in three-cycle Huff-Puff operation. Additionally, in this newly dynamic flow model, capillary pressure in nanopores could degrade the non-linear degree of oil phase, which exhibits typical advantages on production well performance. Finally, this Pre-Darcy flow model is successfully applied in history matching of Fuyu Oilfield to validate its reliability. • A newly dynamic Pre-Darcy flow model is proposed to characterize the non-linear degree reduction of oil flow in CO 2 Huff-n-Puff tight oil development. • Considering this newly dynamic Pre-Darcy flow model, self-developed compositional simulator is programmed. • The proposed dynamic Pre-Darcy flow model is successfully applied in history matching of actual field production data of Fuyu tight reservoir in self-developed simulator with PEBI grid system and EDFM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by fast and selective water transport in natural Aquaporin (AQP), imidazole-quartet water channels (IQWC) constructed by imidazole-ureido (IU) molecular scaffolds, are excellent candidates to design membranes with fast and selective water transport properties. In this work, a water binding IU bola-amphiphile-imidazole compound was embedded with the hydrophilic and laminated graphene oxide (GO) to prepare IU-GO membrane. H NMR, TG, XRD, SEM, AFM and FTIR were conducted to characterize physicochemical properties of IU and IU-GO membrane. It was demonstrated that IU could well interact with GO to generate a robust membrane structure. The resulting IU-GO membranes were applied for pervaporation dehydration of n -butanol-water. The total flux and the separation factor of the optimized IU-GO membrane were 3506 g·m-2·h-1 and 4454 respectively when the membrane was measured at 343 K with butanol content of 80 wt%. Furthermore, the membrane exhibited good stability and separation performance during 120 h continuous operation test, showing great potential in application of solvent dehydration. • Imidazole-ureido (IU) was embedded into graphene oxide (GO) laminate. • IU-GO membrane was applied for n -butanol dehydration via pervaporation. • The membrane exhibited high flux and separation factor for n -butanol dehydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]