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Yao B, Kuznetsov VL, Xiao T, Jie X, Gonzalez-Cortes S, Dilworth JR, Al-Megren HA, Alshihri SM, Edwards PP. Fuels, power and chemical periodicity. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2020; 378:20190308. [PMID: 32811361 PMCID: PMC7435144 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The insatiable-and ever-growing-demand of both the developed and the developing countries for power continues to be met largely by the carbonaceous fuels comprising coal, and the hydrocarbons natural gas and liquid petroleum. We review the properties of the chemical elements, overlaid with trends in the periodic table, which can help explain the historical-and present-dominance of hydrocarbons as fuels for power generation. However, the continued use of hydrocarbons as fuel/power sources to meet our economic and social needs is now recognized as a major driver of dangerous global environmental changes, including climate change, acid deposition, urban smog and the release of many toxic materials. This has resulted in an unprecedented interest in and focus on alternative, renewable or sustainable energy sources. A major area of interest to emerge is in hydrogen energy as a sustainable vector for our future energy needs. In that vision, the issue of hydrogen storage is now a key challenge in support of hydrogen-fuelled transportation using fuel cells. The chemistry of hydrogen is itself beautifully diverse through a variety of different types of chemical interactions and bonds forming compounds with most other elements in the periodic table. In terms of their hydrogen storage and production properties, we outline various relationships among hydride compounds and materials of the chemical elements to provide some qualitative and quantitative insights. These encompass thermodynamic and polarizing strength properties to provide such background information. We provide an overview of the fundamental nature of hydrides particularly in relation to the key operating parameters of hydrogen gravimetric storage density and the desorption/operating temperature at which the requisite amount of hydrogen is released for use in the fuel cell. While we await the global transition to a completely renewable and sustainable future, it is also necessary to seek CO2 mitigation technologies applied to the use of fossil fuels. We review recent advances in the strategy of using hydrocarbon fossil fuels themselves as compounds for the high capacity storage and production of hydrogen without any CO2 emissions. Based on these advances, the world may end up with a hydrogen economy completely different from the one it had expected to develop; remarkably, with 'Green hydrogen' being derived directly from the hydrogen-stripping of fossil fuels. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mendeleev and the periodic table'.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Yao
- KACST-Oxford Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QR, UK
| | - V. L. Kuznetsov
- KACST-Oxford Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QR, UK
| | - T. Xiao
- KACST-Oxford Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QR, UK
| | - X. Jie
- KACST-Oxford Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QR, UK
| | - S. Gonzalez-Cortes
- KACST-Oxford Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QR, UK
| | - J. R. Dilworth
- KACST-Oxford Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QR, UK
| | - H. A. Al-Megren
- Materials Division, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 11442, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - S. M. Alshihri
- Materials Division, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 11442, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - P. P. Edwards
- KACST-Oxford Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QR, UK
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Jie X, Xiao T, Yao B, Gonzalez-Cortes S, Wang J, Fang Y, Miller N, AlMegren H, Dilworth J, Edwards P. On the performance optimisation of Fe catalysts in the microwave - assisted H2 production by the dehydrogenation of hexadecane. Catal Today 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2018.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Jie Y, Houjin H, Xun M, Kebin L, Xuesong Y, Jie X. Relationship between pulmonary function and indoor air pollution from coal combustion among adult residents in an inner-city area of southwest China. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 47:982-9. [PMID: 25296361 PMCID: PMC4230289 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x20144084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Few studies evaluate the amount of particulate matter less than 2.5 mm in diameter
(PM2.5) in relation to a change in lung function among adults in a
population. The aim of this study was to assess the association of coal as a domestic
energy source to pulmonary function in an adult population in inner-city areas of
Zunyi city in China where coal use is common. In a cross-sectional study of 104
households, pulmonary function measurements were assessed and compared in 110 coal
users and 121 non-coal users (≥18 years old) who were all nonsmokers. Several
sociodemographic factors were assessed by questionnaire, and ventilatory function
measurements including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s
(FEV1), the FEV1/FVC ratio, and peak expiratory flow rate
(PEFR) were compared between the 2 groups. The amount of PM2.5 was also
measured in all residences. There was a significant increase in the relative
concentration of PM2.5 in the indoor kitchens and living rooms of the
coal-exposed group compared to the non-coal-exposed group. In multivariate analysis,
current exposure to coal smoke was associated with a 31.7% decrease in FVC, a 42.0%
decrease in FEV1, a 7.46% decrease in the FEV1/FVC ratio, and a
23.1% decrease in PEFR in adult residents. The slope of lung function decrease for
Chinese adults is approximately a 2-L decrease in FVC, a 3-L decrease in
FEV1, and an 8 L/s decrease in PEFR per count per minute of
PM2.5 exposure. These results demonstrate the harmful effects of indoor
air pollution from coal smoke on the lung function of adult residents and emphasize
the need for public health efforts to decrease exposure to coal smoke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Jie
- School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - H Houjin
- School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - M Xun
- Department of Medicine Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - L Kebin
- School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Y Xuesong
- School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - X Jie
- School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
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Jie Y, Houjin H, Mengxue Y, Wei Q, Jie X. A time series analysis of meteorological factors and hospital outpatient admissions for cardiovascular disease in the Northern district of Guizhou Province, China. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 47:689-96. [PMID: 25003542 PMCID: PMC4165296 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x2014424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Findings on the effects of weather on health, especially the effects of ambient
temperature on overall morbidity, remain inconsistent. We conducted a time series
study to examine the acute effects of meteorological factors (mainly air temperature)
on daily hospital outpatient admissions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Zunyi
City, China, from January 1, 2007 to November 30, 2009. We used the generalized
additive model with penalized splines to analyze hospital outpatient admissions,
climatic parameters, and covariate data. Results show that, in Zunyi, air temperature
was associated with hospital outpatient admission for CVD. When air temperature was
less than 10°C, hospital outpatient admissions for CVD increased 1.07-fold with each
increase of 1°C, and when air temperature was more than 10°C, an increase in air
temperature by 1°C was associated with a 0.99-fold decrease in hospital outpatient
admissions for CVD over the previous year. Our analyses provided statistically
significant evidence that in China meteorological factors have adverse effects on the
health of the general population. Further research with consistent methodology is
needed to clarify the magnitude of these effects and to show which populations and
individuals are vulnerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Jie
- School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - H Houjin
- School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Y Mengxue
- Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Q Wei
- Department of Physiology, Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - X Jie
- School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
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Jie X, Weiquan L, Minghao F, Sufang H, Hui W, Xiuyun L. Application value of ICU nursing scoring system in nurse allocation. Minerva Med 2013; 104:325-332. [PMID: 23748286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
AIM The aim of this paper was to investigate the application value of the intensive care nursing scoring system (ICNSS) in intensive care unit (ICU) nursing resources allocation. METHODS The English version of ICNSS scale was translated into Chinese by nursing experts, and was consistently revised and improved based on China's actual conditions. A total of 105 cases were randomly divided into the observation group (N.=55) and the control group (N.=50). In the observation group, the nursing workload was estimated and the nurses were allocated using ICNSS; in the control group, the sickbeds were equally distributed to the nurses and each nurse was equally in charge of managing patients. The ICU duration, medical charge, incidence of complications, nursing quality control scoring and nurses' satisfaction to their resource allocations were compared between the two groups. RESULTS The ICU duration, medical charge and incidence of complications in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P=0.032, P=0.024, P=0.006 respectively); while quality control scoring and nurses' satisfaction to their resources allocation in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P=0.045, P=0.004 respectively). CONCLUSION The nursing quality and the nurses' satisfaction could be improved using ICNSS to evaluate ICU nursing workload and allocate resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Jie
- Emergency Department, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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Corrias A, Jie X, Romero L, Bishop MJ, Bernabeu M, Pueyo E, Rodriguez B. Arrhythmic risk biomarkers for the assessment of drug cardiotoxicity: from experiments to computer simulations. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2010; 368:3001-25. [PMID: 20478918 PMCID: PMC2944395 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2010.0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we illustrate how advanced computational modelling and simulation can be used to investigate drug-induced effects on cardiac electrophysiology and on specific biomarkers of pro-arrhythmic risk. To do so, we first perform a thorough literature review of proposed arrhythmic risk biomarkers from the ionic to the electrocardiogram levels. The review highlights the variety of proposed biomarkers, the complexity of the mechanisms of drug-induced pro-arrhythmia and the existence of significant animal species differences in drug-induced effects on cardiac electrophysiology. Predicting drug-induced pro-arrhythmic risk solely using experiments is challenging both preclinically and clinically, as attested by the rise in the cost of releasing new compounds to the market. Computational modelling and simulation has significantly contributed to the understanding of cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias over the last 40 years. In the second part of this paper, we illustrate how state-of-the-art open source computational modelling and simulation tools can be used to simulate multi-scale effects of drug-induced ion channel block in ventricular electrophysiology at the cellular, tissue and whole ventricular levels for different animal species. We believe that the use of computational modelling and simulation in combination with experimental techniques could be a powerful tool for the assessment of drug safety pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Corrias
- Oxford University Computing Laboratory, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK
| | - X. Jie
- Oxford University Computing Laboratory, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK
| | - L. Romero
- Instituto de Investigación Interuniversitario en Bioingeniería y Tecnología Orientada al Ser Humano, 6 Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (I3BH ), Valencia, Spain
| | - M. J. Bishop
- Oxford University Computing Laboratory, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK
| | - M. Bernabeu
- Oxford University Computing Laboratory, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK
| | - E. Pueyo
- Oxford University Computing Laboratory, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK
- Instituto de Investigación en Ingeniería de Aragón (I3A), Universidad de Zaragoza, Saragossa, Spain
| | - B. Rodriguez
- Oxford University Computing Laboratory, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK
- Author for correspondence ()
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Jie X, Lang C, Jian Q, Chaoqun L, Dehua Y, Yi S, Yanping J, Luokun X, Qiuping Z, Hui W, Feili G, Boquan J, Youxin J, Jinquan T. Androgen activates PEG10 to promote carcinogenesis in hepatic cancer cells. Oncogene 2007; 26:5741-51. [PMID: 17369855 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1210362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanism of striking higher prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in male subjects has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we report that androgen receptor (AR) is differentially expressed in different HCC cell lines. AR agonist dihydrotestosterone (DHT) enhances HCC cell growth and apoptotic resistance. Antagonist flutamide (FLU) blocks the effects of DHT on the HCC cell lines. Paternally expressed gene 10 (PEG10) is expressed in HCC cell lines at substantial high level. Using small interfering RNAs against AR and PEG10 in AR- and PEG10-expressing BEL-7404 hepatoma cells and HuH7 hepatoma cells (HuH7) cells, and AR-transfection technique in AR-lacking and PEG10-expressing HepG2 cells, we have confirmed that through upregulation and activation of PEG10, DHT enhances HCC cell growth and apoptotic resistance. We have further demonstrated that DHT upregulates expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) in HCC cell lines in a PEG10-dependent manner. Moreover, AR directly interacts in vivo with androgen-responsive elements in the regions of promoter and exon 2 of PEG10 gene in HCC cell lines. DHT promotes the hepatoma formation in vivo nude mice through PEG10 activation. AR antagonists (FLU and valproate) inhibit the hepatoma formation. These findings suggest that PEG10 plays an essential role in hepatocarcinogenesis. The PEG10 inhibition can be a novel approach for therapy of HCC.
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MESH Headings
- Androgen Antagonists/pharmacology
- Animals
- Apoptosis
- Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
- Blotting, Northern
- Blotting, Western
- Carcinogens/pharmacology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Cell Proliferation
- Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
- DNA-Binding Proteins
- Dihydrotestosterone/pharmacology
- Flow Cytometry
- Flutamide/pharmacology
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Humans
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/metabolism
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Mice
- Mice, Nude
- Proteins/genetics
- RNA, Small Interfering/pharmacology
- RNA-Binding Proteins
- Receptors, Androgen/metabolism
- Response Elements/genetics
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Telomerase/metabolism
- Transfection
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
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Affiliation(s)
- X Jie
- Department of Immunology, and Laboratory of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Institute of Allergy and Immune-related Diseases and Medical Research Center, Wuhan University School of Medicine, Wuhan, China
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Abstract
AIMS To investigate the contribution of regulatory T cells and co-stimulatory molecules in CD4(+) T cells to the development of Type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS Twelve patients with T1D, nine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 12 age-matched healthy control subjects participated. We analysed the proportions of CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells and natural killer T cells (NKT cells), and the expression levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD28, ICOS, PD-1 and BTLA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and purified CD4(+) T cells. RESULTS There were no significant differences in the proportions of CD25(+) CD4(+) T cells or NKT cells among the three groups. PD-1 expression levels of peripheral CD4(+) T cells from T1D patients were significantly lower than those from healthy control subjects (P = 0.00066). In contrast, PD-1 expression levels were similar in SLE patients and healthy control subjects. The expression levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD28, ICOS and BTLA were similar in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS Decreased expression of the PD-1 gene in CD4(+) T cells may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of autoimmune T1D. As the population studied was small and heterogeneous, further studies are required to confirm the findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Tsutsumi
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Abstract
This survey analyses data from nine Chinese burn units with respect to age, causes, severity of burn injury, and survival or death of patients admitted to hospital during the past 10 years (from January 1980 to December 1989). Of 12,606 burned patients treated, 3391 were children (26.9 per cent) and over half the children (52.3 per cent) were up to 4 years old. Almost 60 per cent of the 12,606 patients treated were in the young adult group (15-44 years), and 86.9 per cent of 12,606 patients sustained thermal injuries mainly from fire flames followed by scald injuries (40.7 per cent). About 93 per cent of the patients had burns covering less than 50 per cent of the body surface area. The overall mortality rate was 1.24 per cent. The LD50 for the 12,112 patients less than 60 years old was a burned surface area exceeding 80 per cent of the total body surface area.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Jie
- Burn Center of 205 Hospital, Jin Zhou, Liao Ning, China
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