Organic Solvent Nanofiltration Membrane with In Situ Constructed Covalent Organic Frameworks as Separation Layer.

Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) technology is advantageous for separating mixtures of organic solutions owing to its low energy consumption and environmental friendliness. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are good candidates for enhancing the efficiency of solvent transport and ensuring precise molecular sieving of OSN membranes. In this study, p-phenylenediamine (Pa) and 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene (Tp) are used to construct, in situ, a TpPa COF skin layer via interfacial polymerization (IP) on a polyimide substrate surface.

Fate and potential ecological risk of rare earth elements in 3000-year reclaimed soil chronosequences.

The introduction of anthropogenic inputs into natural systems may lead to enduring alterations in the innate characteristics of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). Against this backdrop, the evolutionary processes and environmental drivers of REEs in soil remain uncertain. A 3000-year soil chronosequence with uniform parent material was established in reclaimed farmland along the Yangtze River, reconstructing, for the first time, the dynamic processes of REE accumulation and fractionation over a long-time scale.

A Selective Separation Mechanism for Mono/divalent Cations and Properties of a Hollow-Fiber Composite Nanofiltration Membrane Having a Positively Charged Surface.

Positively charged nanofiltration (NF) technology is considered a green and low-cost method for mono/divalent cation separation. Nevertheless, the separation rejection mechanisms of these NF membranes have yet to be extensively investigated. In this work, we fabricated a thin-film composite (TFC) hollow-fiber (HF) NF membrane with a positively charged surface via modification of the nascent interfacial polymerization layer using a branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI)/ethanol solution.

[Soil Carbon Pool Allocation Dynamics During Soil Development in the Lower Yangtze River Alluvial Plain].

The allocation dynamics of soil carbon pools during soil development and land use are the key to revealing the carbon cycle process. To clarify the distribution of the soil carbon pool and its change trend, a soil reclamation chronosequence (0 a, 60 a, 160 a, 280 a, 1 000 a, and 1 500 a reclamation) was established in a typical alluvial plain in the Lower Yangtze River, and the content and density of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil inorganic carbon (SIC), particulate organic carbon (POC), and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), along with carbon sequestration potential (CSP) indicators of topsoil under different land use types were measured and analyzed. The results showed that after approximately 1 500 a reclamation, the SOC content developed from the Yangtze River alluvial deposits generally increased by 4.

Soil bacterial succession with different land uses along a millennial chronosequence derived from the Yangtze River flood plain.

Wetlands reclamation has been a traditional and effective practice for obtaining new land to alleviate the pressure induced by population growth. However, the evolution of soil-dwelling microorganisms along with reclamation and the potential influence of land-use patterns on them remain unclear. In this study, a soil chronosequence derived from Yangtze River sediments was established, comprising of circa 0, 60, 160, 280, 2000, and 3000 years, to examine the succession of soil bacterial communities across different land uses.

Geochemical behavior and source analysis of rare earth elements in intensive agriculture soils through high-resolution sampling.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are crucial for a low-carbon economy but overuse pollutes ecosystems. Studying their behavior and source in agricultural soils provides vital insights for soil management. To address this, we collected an extensive dataset comprising 2901 topsoil and 733 subsoil samples from an agriculturally dominant region in eastern China, characterized by uniform parent material.

Hollow Fiber Membrane for Organic Solvent Nanofiltration: A Mini Review.

Organic solvents take up 80% of the total chemicals used in pharmaceutical and related industries, while their reuse rate is less than 50%. Traditional solvent treatment methods such as distillation and evaporation have many disadvantages such as high cost, environmental unfriendliness, and difficulty in recovering heat-sensitive, high-value molecules. Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) has been a prevalent research topic for the separation and purification of organic solvent systems since the beginning of this century with the benefits of no-phase change, high operational flexibility, low cost, as well as environmental friendliness.

Homeobox B5 suppression attenuates proliferation and elevates apoptosis in hepatoma cell lines through ERK/MDM2 signalling.

Homeobox B5 (HOXB5), a member of the HOX gene family, is an important gene in tumourigenesis. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell proliferation and apoptosis remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role and regulation mechanism of HOXB5 in HCC cell lines Hep3B and LM6.

Integrated Satellite, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Ground Inversion of the SPAD of Winter Wheat in the Reviving Stage.

Chlorophyll is the most important component of crop photosynthesis, and the reviving stage is an important period during the rapid growth of winter wheat. Therefore, rapid and precise monitoring of chlorophyll content in winter wheat during the reviving stage is of great significance. The satellite-UAV-ground integrated inversion method is an innovative solution.

Graphene Quantum Dots-Doped Thin Film Nanocomposite Polyimide Membranes with Enhanced Solvent Resistance for Solvent-Resistant Nanofiltration.

The core of the organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) technology is solvent-resistant nanofiltration (SRNF) membranes. Till now, relative poor performance of solvent resistance is still the bottleneck of industrial application of SRNF membranes. This work reports a novel polyimide (PI)-based thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane which was embedded with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and showed an improved solvent resistance for OSN application.

Spatiotemporal variability of soil nutrients and the responses of growth during growth stages of winter wheat in northern China.

Studying soil nutrient variability and its effect on the growth and development of crops under a traditional tillage mode is the foundation for comprehensively implementing precision agriculture policies at the field scale and ensuring excellent crop management. In this paper, a 28.5 hm2 winter wheat field under the traditional cultivation model in Tianzhuang town of Huantai County was selected as the research area.

CXCR5 CD8 T cells potently infiltrate pancreatic tumors and present high functionality.

Despite continued improvement in conventional therapy, pancreatic cancer continues to be one of the deadliest tumors worldwide with abysmal 5-year survival rate. New immunotherapeutic strategies that aim at improving antitumor cytotoxic CD8 T cell responses are being developed in solid tumors. To assist the development of immunotherapies, we investigated the CD8 T cells in pancreatic cancer patients.

Determination of two potential toxicity metabolites derived from the disruption of the pksCT gene in Monascus aurantiacus Li As3.4384.

Background: We previously demonstrated that disruption of the pksCT gene of Monascus led to a greater than 98% decrease in its citrinin production capacity in Monascus (PHDS26). Two potentially toxic compounds, monascopyridine A (MPA) and monascopyridine B (MPB), were found in the fermentation products of the pksCT gene-disrupted Monascus. Moreover, a rapid and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for the simultaneous determination of MPA and MPB.

Urchin-like gold nanoparticle-based immunochromatographic strip test for rapid detection of fumonisin B1 in grains.

An immunochromatographic strip (ICS) using urchin-like gold nanoparticles (UGNs) for sensitive detection of fumonisin B1 (FB1) was developed to meet the requirement for rapidly monitoring FB1 in grain samples. The sensitivity of the ICS was 5.0 ng/mL, which represents a fourfold increase in sensitivity over conventional strip preparation using colloidal gold as the antibody-labeled probe.

Generation of a tumor- and tissue-specific episomal non-viral vector system.

Background: A key issue for safe and reproducible gene therapy approaches is the autologous and tissue-specific expression of transgenes. Tissue-specific expression in vivo is either achieved by transfer vectors that deliver the gene of interest into a distinct cell type or by use of tissue-specific expression cassettes. Here we present the generation of non-viral, episomally replicating vectors that are able to replicate in a tissue specific manner thus allowing tissue specific transgene expression in combination with episomal replication.

Systemic TNFα gene therapy synergizes with liposomal doxorubicine in the treatment of metastatic cancer.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is a potent antitumoral cytokine, either killing tumor cells directly or affecting the tumor vasculature leading to enhanced accumulation of macromolecular drugs. Due to dose limiting side effects systemic administration of TNFα protein at therapeutically active doses is precluded. With gene vectors, tumor restricted TNFα expression can be achieved and in principle synergize with chemotherapy.

Sequential administration of cytokine genes to enhance cellular immune responses and CD4 (+) T memory cells during DNA vaccination.

Antigen specific memory T cells (Tm) have shown to be an important factor in protecting hosts against subsequent infection by previously encountered pathogens. During T-cell activation, several cytokines including IL-6, IL-7 and IL-15, play crucial roles in the development of T cells into memory T cells. With the aim of generating specific Tm, we examined a strategy of sequential administration of molecular adjuvants.

Expression and subcellular localization of menin in human cancer cells.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the expression and localization of menin, a protein encoded by the multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN1) gene, in 13 human cancer cell lines. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to determine the expression of the menin gene. The localization of the menin protein was detected by immunofluorescence microscopy.

NanoPARCEL: a method for controlling cellular behavior with external light.

We developed a simple preparation procedure for the protein encapsulated nanoparticle and used the nanoparticle for spatiotemporal activity control of various proteins. We succeeded in the local protein activation within cells by light using the nanoparticle.

Cimetidine augments Th1/Th2 dual polarized immune responses to recombinant HBV antigens.

Cimetidine (CIM) is a histamine H2 receptor inverse agonist used primarily as an anti-stomach acids drug, but recent studies showed that it may also modulate immune responses. To evaluate its potential usefulness as an adjuvant, we determined its immune modulating effects on subunit immunization using an HBV-derived recombinant protein antigen rHBsAg. CIM activated the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway in DCs.

PyNTTTTGT prototype oligonucleotide IMT504, a novel effective adjuvant of the FMDV DNA vaccine.

Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) such as CpG can stimulate B and plasmacytoid dendritic cells in vertebrate immune systems. Several studies showed that non-CpG ODNs could also induce strong stimulation of B and T cells. PyNTTTTGT ODNs, non-CpG ODNs, can activate and cause immunoglobulin secretion by B cells and proliferation of T cells in vivo.

Cimetidine enhances immune response of HBV DNA vaccination via impairment of the regulatory function of regulatory T cells.

Cimetidine (CIM), a histamine 2-receptor antagonist, is postulated to enhance immune responses owing to its inhibitory effects on suppressor T cells. In this report, we evaluated effects of cimetidine on the potency of antigen-specific immunity generated by DNA vaccine encoding hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg, pcD-S2). Our data demonstrate that CIM as adjuvant significantly increased HBsAg-specific cell-mediated and humoral immunities that were characterized by higher Ig2a/IgG1 ratio.

Interleukin-15 enhance DNA vaccine elicited mucosal and systemic immunity against foot and mouth disease virus.

Aerosol transmission of foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) is believed to be an important route of infection. Induction of mucosal response is thought to be effective way against such infection. Various approaches have been developed including the use of molecules adjuvant and polymers delivery for the mucosal delivery of DNA vaccine.

The effects of IL-6 and TNF-alpha as molecular adjuvants on immune responses to FMDV and maturation of dendritic cells by DNA vaccination.

Various approaches have been developed to improve efficacy of DNA vaccination, such as the use of plasmid expressing cytokine as a molecular adjuvant. In this study, we investigated whether co-inoculation of a construct expressing either IL-6 or TNF-alpha as the molecular adjuvant with FMDV DNA vaccine, pcD-VP1, can increase immune responses. Compared to the group immunized with pcD-VP1 alone, the co-inoculation with either molecular adjuvant induced a higher ratio of IgG2a/IgG1, higher levels of expression of IFN-gamma in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, IL-4 in CD4+ T cells, and in vivo antigen-specific cytotoxic response.

The protective efficacy against Schistosoma japonicum infection by immunization with DNA vaccine and levamisole as adjuvant in mice.

Levamisole (LMS) as an adjuvant enhances cell-mediated immunity in DNA vaccination; we investigated the efficacy and liver immunopathology alleviation of a DNA vaccine, VR1012-SjGST-32, in a LMS formulation in the murine challenge model. Compared to controls, the VR1012-SjGST-32 plus LMS can reduce worm and egg burdens, as well as, immunopathological complications associated chronic inflammation significantly in liver, which were apparently associated with Th1-type response. Together, these results suggest that the LMS as a potential Schistosome DNA vaccine adjuvant can enhance both worm killing and disease prevention, which is possibly mediated through the induction of a strong Th1-dominant environment in immunized mice.