Display of Lignin Peroxidase on the Surface of Bacillus subtilis

Lignin peroxidase (LiP) has a good application prospect in lignin degradation, environmental treatment, straw feed, and other industries. However, its application is constrained by the high price and low stability of enzyme preparation. In this study, the Escherichia coli-Bacillus subtilis (E. coli-B. subtilis) shuttle expression vector pHS-cotG-lip was constructed and displayed on the surface of Bacillus subtilis spores. The analysis of enzymatic properties showed that the optimal catalytic temperature and pH of the immobilized LiP were 55 °C and 4.5, respectively. Compared with free LiP (42 °C and pH4.0), the optimal reaction temperature increased by 13 °C. After incubation at 70 °C for 1 h, its activity remained above 30%, while the free LiP completely lost its activity under the same conditions. Adding Mn2+, DL-lactic acid, and PEG-4000 increased the CotG-LiP enzyme activity to 313%, 146%, and 265%, respectively. The recyclability of spore display made the fusion protein CotG-LiP retain more than 50% enzyme activity after four cycles. The excellent recycling rate indicated that LiP displayed on the spore surface had a good application prospect in sewage treatment and other fields, and also provided a reference for the rapid and low-cost immobilized production of enzyme preparations.

[Discussion on the status quo and problems of health risk management of hand-transmitted vibration in the workplace]

The risk management in workplace is an important measure to effectively prevent and control the harm of hand-transmitted vibration. Based on the relevant developments at home and abroad, this paper expounds the risk of manual vibration operation in workplace by taking contact assessment and hazard assessment as an example. On this basis, the limit management and hierarchical management related to risk management are discussed, and the existing problems are analyzed.

Co-pyrolysis of medical protective clothing and oil palm wastes for biofuel: Experimental, techno-economic, and environmental analyses

The ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 has devastatingly influenced the environment, society, and economy around the world. Numerous medical resources are used to inhibit the infectious transmission of the virus, resulting in massive medical waste. This study proposes a sustainable and environment-friendly method to convert hazardous medical waste into valuable fuel products through pyrolysis. Medical protective clothing (MPC), a typical medical waste from COVID-19, was utilized for co-pyrolysis with oil palm wastes (OPWs). The utilization of MPC improved the bio-oil properties in OPWs pyrolysis. The addition of catalysts further ameliorated the bio-oil quality. HZSM-5 was more effective in producing hydrocarbons in bio-oil, and the relevant reaction pathway was proposed. Meanwhile, a project was simulated to co-produce bio-oil and electricity from the co-pyrolysis of OPWs and MPC from application perspectives. The techno-economic analysis indicated that the project was economically feasible, and the payback period was 6.30-8.75 years. Moreover, it was also environmentally benign as its global warming potential varied from -211.13 to -90.76 kg CO₂-eq/t. Therefore, converting MPC and OPWs into biofuel and electricity through co-pyrolysis is a green, economic, and sustainable method that can decrease waste, produce valuable fuel products, and achieve remarkable economic and environmental benefits.

Study on the detection of water status of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) by multimodal deep learning

Water plays a very important role in the growth of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and how to detect the water status of tomato is the key to precise irrigation. The objective of this study is to detect the water status of tomato by fusing RGB, NIR and depth image information through deep learning. Five irrigation levels were set to cultivate tomatoes in different water states, with irrigation amounts of 150%, 125%, 100%, 75%, and 50% of reference evapotranspiration calculated by a modified Penman-Monteith equation, respectively. The water status of tomatoes was divided into five categories: severely irrigated deficit, slightly irrigated deficit, moderately irrigated, slightly over-irrigated, and severely over-irrigated. RGB images, depth images and NIR images of the upper part of the tomato plant were taken as data sets. The data sets were used to train and test the tomato water status detection models built with single-mode and multimodal deep learning networks, respectively. In the single-mode deep learning network, two CNNs, VGG-16 and Resnet-50, were trained on a single RGB image, a depth image, or a NIR image for a total of six cases. In the multimodal deep learning network, two or more of the RGB images, depth images and NIR images were trained with VGG-16 or Resnet-50, respectively, for a total of 20 combinations. Results showed that the accuracy of tomato water status detection based on single-mode deep learning ranged from 88.97% to 93.09%, while the accuracy of tomato water status detection based on multimodal deep learning ranged from 93.09% to 99.18%. The multimodal deep learning significantly outperformed the single-modal deep learning. The tomato water status detection model built using a multimodal deep learning network with ResNet-50 for RGB images and VGG-16 for depth and NIR images was optimal. This study provides a novel method for non-destructive detection of water status of tomato and gives a reference for precise irrigation management.

Straw lignin degradation by lignin peroxidase from Irpex lacteus cooperated with enzymes and small molecules

OBJECTIVES

Maximizing the utility value of enzymes was achieved by exploring the effects of small molecules on the efficiency of lignin degradation by lignin peroxidase.

METHODS

Using wheat straw as raw material and taking lignin degradation rate as index, it was found that laccase, glucose oxidase, malonic acid, citric acid, ZnSO₄, CaCl₂ could promote the lignin degradation by the lignin peroxidase from Irpex lacteus, respectively. Moreover, glucose oxidase, malonic acid and CaCl₂ had obvious synergy effects on lignin degradation by the lignin peroxidase.

RESULTS

The optimal conditions of lignin degradation were obtained by response surface experiment: 4% glucose oxidase, 0.74% malonic acid and 3.29% CaCl₂ were added for synergistic degradation at 37 ℃ with 50% of water content. After 72 h quickly enzymatic hydrolysis, the degradation rate of lignin was 45.84%.

CONCLUSIONS

A new green and efficient method for lignin removal from straw was obtained, which provided a reference for the efficient utilization of straw and lignin peroxidase.

AB0082 ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF TOTAL SAPONINS OF PANAX JAPONICUS ON RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease with inflammation[1]. Total saponins of Panax japonicus (TSPJs) are effective components extracted from Panax japonicus[2]. They are known to exhibit anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressoive properties, but their effect of anti-inflammation in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) remains unclear.

Objectives

To investigate the anti-inflammatory targets of TSPJ predicted by bioinformatics and the verification in CIA mice.

Methods

The targets of RA are obtained in the GeneCards database. we used Cytoscape 3.7.2 software to construct a protein-protein interactions (PPI) network and obtain the hub genes. There are four effective components of TSPJ: Araloside A, chikusetsusaponin IVa, ginsenoside Rg2, and ginsenoside Ro. Through molecular docking between the screened hub genes and the four effective components of TSPJ, the possibility of TSPJ treating CIA mice can be predicted. The collagen II (CII) and complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) were used to induce the CIA model. After establishing the model, 32 DBA1/J mice were divided into C group (n=8), M group (n=8), L group(n=8), and H group(n=8). The L and H groups were gavaged with TSPJ at 30 mg/kg or 150 mg/kg, and the C and M groups were gavaged with normal saline. The thickness of the hind paw, number of swollen joints, and arthritis index were evaluated. After 11 days of treatment, all the mice were sacrificed after anesthesia. Sera were collected to centrifuge tubes and the levels of inflammatory factor were determined by the ELISA kit following the instruction.

Results

A gene list that enriches 263 genes was obtained by searching RA from the GeneCards database. The hub genes of the top 3 obtained from Cytoscape 3.7.2 software were tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). In addition, interleukin-17A (IL-17A), a classical inflammatory index in the top 10, was selected and included in the predicted target. The results of molecular docking between the predicted target and the components of TSPJ showed that the combined pose has good stability. The numerical value of hind paw thickness, swollen joint counts, and arthritis index in the intervention groups were lower than those in the M group, suggesting TSPJ played a critical role in improving pathological changes. Compared to those of the C group, the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17A were increased in the M group. Compared to those of the M group, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17A in the L and H groups were decreased. Compared to those of the L group, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17A in the H group were decreased. The results suggested that TSPJ may decrease the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17A in CIA mice. These results suggest that TSPJ may inhibit the inflammatory effects of CIA mice.

Conclusion

Current study demonstrated a novel inhibitory effect of TSPJ on inflammation in CIA mice, and TSPJ can act on the targets predicted by bioinformatics of CIA mice, suggesting the potential of TSPJ as a therapeutic agent for RA and providing new ideas for the clinical treatment of RA.

References

[1]Scherer HU, Haupl T, Burmester GR. The etiology of rheumatoid arthritis. J Autoimmun[J]. 2020;110:102400

[2]Guo X, Ji J, Jose Kumar Sreena GS, et al. Computational Prediction of Antiangiogenesis Synergistic Mechanisms of Total Saponins of Panax japonicus Against Rheumatoid Arthritis. Front Pharmacol[J]. 2020;11:566129

Acknowledgements

Jingkai Zhang: Preparation, data presentation, and specifically writing the initial draft. Xiang Guo: Application of statistical, Verification. Qinpeng Bu and Xiaolan Shen: Conducting a research and investigation process, Provision of study materials. Zhitao Feng: Ideas, Design of methodology, and including mentorship external to the core team.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

The thermal stabilization behavior and mechanism of metal organic framework with high thermal stability towards PVC

Thermal stabilizer plays a crucial role in improving the thermal stability of PVC samples. However, the effect of thermal behavior of stabilizer itself on PVC sample has been rarely reported....

Microwave-assisted liquefaction of carbohydrates for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural using tungstophosphoric acid encapsulated dendritic fibrous mesoporous silica as a catalyst

Tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) encapsulated dendritic fibrous silica KCC-1 was prepared via a microemulsion system with the simple reflux method using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a structure-directing agent. The TPA impregnated on KCC-1 (ITPA-KCC-1) was also prepared for comparative. Various physicochemical techniques were used to characterize the synthesized materials and their activity evaluated in the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) formation from carbohydrates derivatives of fructose, glucose and cellulose. The effect of various factors such as catalyst to substrate ratio, different solvents and temperature were investigated on the formation of HMF. The resultant encapsulated catalyst was very active in fructose dehydration with the yield of 92% HMF and full conversion of fructose at 120 °C for 30 min under the microwave heating condition without any salt additive in the THF solvent system as well as 95% in MIBK solvent. The HMF yield was achieved by 58% and 16.2% from glucose and cellulose in the DMSO solvent, respectively. The TPA-KCC-1 can be separated easily after reaction from the reaction mixture and reused atleast five times without substantial loss in catalytic activity. This study provides an easy encapsulation method for TPA in dendritic fibrous silica KCC-1 as a heterogeneous catalyst, and it should have great application potential in other biomass valorization processes.

The effect of torrefaction and ZSM-5 catalyst for hydrocarbon rich bio-oil production from co-pyrolysis of cellulose and low density polyethylene via microwave-assisted heating

This study aims to investigate the effect of microwave torrefaction and ZSM-5 catalyst for hydrocarbon rich bio-oil production from microwave co-pyrolysis of cellulose and low density polyethylene (LDPE). FTIR analysis displayed remarkable reductions of active hydroxyl and ether groups in microwave torrefied cellulose (MTC), demonstrating that cellulose was less stable than MTC. GC/MS analysis indicated that the hydrocarbons content was ranged from 18.36% to 54.94% in the obtained bio-oils under different conditions, and the maximum hydrocarbons content (54.94%) which also contained the highest aromatic hydrocarbons (19.49%) was obtained from MTC catalytic co-pyrolysis. Microwave-assisted Thermogravimetric analyzer (MW-TGA) analysis showed that MTC catalytic co-pyrolysis apparently shifted the major thermal degradation to a lower temperature area, an evident synergistic effect was observed during MTC catalytic co-pyrolysis. Kinetics study revealed that the activation energy was significantly reduced from 97.87 kJ/mol to 63.86 kJ/mol for co-pyrolysis and MTC catalytic co-pyrolysis, respectively.

Construction of enhanced self-plasticized PVC via grafting with a bio-derived Mannich base

Self-plasticized PVC materials (PVC-ML-g) were successfully prepared via grafting with a lauraldehyde-derived Mannich base and presented improved thermal stability and outstanding anti-migration ability.

[Effect of bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation on miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 expression in mice with ulcerative colitis]

Objective: To investigate the effect of bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation on the expression of miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 in mice with ulcerative colitis(UC). Methods: Healthy and clean KM mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into transplantation group, model group and normal control group with 15 mice in each group. In the transplantation group and model group, dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) was used to establish the model for 24 h. The mice in the transplantation group were injected with 0.4 ml of 4 ', 6-diaminol-2-phenylindole (DAPI) -labeled P3-BM-MNCs cell suspension (3.2×10(6) cells/ml), and the mice in the model group and the normal control group were injected with 0.4 ml phosphate buffer (PBS).UC disease activity index (DAI) was used to test the general condition of mice; HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of colon tissue; Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 mRNA. Results: DAI scores of normal control group, model group and transplantation group were 0 (0,1), 3.1 (2.8,3.3) and 2.7 (2.4,3.1),respectively. Compared with normal control group, the DAI score of model group and transplantation group was higher (P<0.05), and the DAI score of transplantation group was lower than that of model group (P<0.05). The gross scores of tissue injury in normal control group, model group and transplantation group were 0 (0, 1), 3 (3, 4) and 1 (1, 2), respectively,and the pathological scores of tissue injury were 0 (0, 1), 16 (12, 16) and 6 (6, 8), respectively,compared with the normal control group. The tissue injury score of the model group and the transplantation group was higher (P<0.05), and the tissue injury score of the transplantation group was lower than that of the model group (P<0.05). The expression levels of miRNA-21 mRNA in normal control group, model group and transplantation group were 0.87±0.15, 2.38±0.29 and 1.59±0.32, respectively, and the expression levels of miRNA-155 mRNA were 1.87±0.46, 7.38±1.97 and 3.92±0.84, respectively, compared with the normal control group, the expression of miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 mRNA in the model group and transplantation group was higher (P<0.01), the expression of miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 mRNA in the transplantation group was lower than that of the model group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation can improve the histopathological and DAI scores of mice with UC, which may be related to the down-regulation of miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 mRNA expression.

Itaconic acid production from undetoxified enzymatic hydrolysate of bamboo residues using Aspergillus terreus

Itaconic acid (IA) production by fermentation of undetoxified hydrolysate of bamboo residues by Aspergillus terreus was demonstrated. Monosaccharides were obtained by pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of bamboo residues. A. terreus could not grow and synthesize IA in the hydrolysate. The buffer was confirmed to be an inhibitor, and was successfully replaced by deionized water as the suspension, to release equivalent sugar and eliminate the inhibition. Corn steep liquor significantly improved the adaptability of A. terreus to the hydrolysate at 2.0 g/L. The IA titer obtained (19.35 g/L IA) was the highest to be reported for IA production from lignocellulose without detoxification. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation and fed-batch fermentation increased the titer to 22.43 g/L and 41.54 g/L, respectively. Meanwhile, economic assessment proved that bamboo residues were potential substrates for IA production with economic effectiveness.

Study on reaction mechanism of superior bamboo biochar catalyst production by molten alkali carbonates pyrolysis and its application for cellulose hydrolysis

Biochar has attracted wide interest due to its important role in the synthesis of functionalized carbon materials. Molten alkali carbonates (MC) pyrolysis as a novel mean was explored to obtain superior bamboo biochar compared with alkali impregnation pretreating bamboo powder associated with pyrolysis. The properties of biochar produced by MC pyrolysis were enhanced, suggesting an increase in BET surface area of 43.59 m²/g compared with non-pretreat biochar of 5.76 m²/g, and possessed preferable pore structure than the alkali impregnation one of 39.82 m²/g and 16.98 nm for catalyst support. Besides, pyrolysis temperature reinforced the porosity and the degree of carbonization as it rising, however, the optimized temperature for top-grade biochar materials was 450 °C. The MC weakened the hydrogen bonds network in bamboo powder acting a similar role just as alkaline pretreated, meanwhile neutralized the acid produced during pyrolysis process supported by the analysis of FTIR and TGA. The potential pathways of biomass pyrolysis with MC had also been proposed. In addition, the biochar obtained was utilized as a catalyst support of biochar-bearing sulfonic acid groups, which achieved the remarkable yields of TRS and glucose (52.8% and 43.5%) in hydrolysis of cellulose.

Hydrocarbon rich bio-oil production, thermal behavior analysis and kinetic study of microwave-assisted co-pyrolysis of microwave-torrefied lignin with low density polyethylene

This study aims to enhance the quality of biofuel through microwave torrefaction pretreatment for lignin. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) was added as a hydrogen source during microwave co-pyrolysis along with the microwave-torrefied lignin (MTL). The thermal degradation behavior and kinetic study of MTL co-pyrolysis with LDPE by microwave-assisted heating was investigated as well. The results indicated that the hydrocarbon content in the bio-oil obtained from microwave co-pyrolysis of MTL and LDPE increased significantly (about 80%). It was also noticed that the aromatic hydrocarbon content increased from 1.94% to 22.83% with the addition of LDPE. Thermal behavior analysis and reaction kinetic study showed that the addition of LDPE into MTL had the effect of promoting thermal degradation and improving reaction rate during microwave-assisted pyrolysis.

Integrated process for the coproduction of fermentable sugars and lignin adsorbents from hardwood

This work proposed an integrated process based on alkali-sulfite (AlkSul) pretreatment to coproduce fermentable sugars and lignin adsorbents from hardwood. Different from conventional liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatment, this pretreatment improved cellulose accessibility through selective lignin removal and modification, resulting in significantly enhanced biomass saccharification. Over 75% of the original cellulose and hemicellulose was released and could be recovered as fermentable sugars after pretreatment and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. Meanwhile, lignin residues from pretreatment hydrolysate and enzymatic hydrolysate showed lead ions adsorption capacities of 156.25 and 68.49 mg/g, respectively, indicating both streams of lignin residues were favorable adsorbents for heavy metal ions. The improved adsorption capacity of lignin residues was primarily due to the lignin modification as sulfur-containing functional groups incorporation during the integrated pretreatment. Results demonstrated the integrated alkali-sulfite pretreatment improved biomass saccharification, while coproducing lignin adsorbents for wastewater treatment, which can promote the sustainability of lignocellulosic biorefinery.

Two-stage alkali-oxygen pretreatment capable of improving biomass saccharification for bioethanol production and enabling lignin valorization via adsorbents for heavy metal ions under the biorefinery concept

Converting lignin into value-added products in current lignocellulosic biorefineries has been challenging, which in turn restricts the commercialization of many lignocellulosic biorefineries. In this work, a two-stage alkali-oxygen assisted liquid hot water pretreatment (AlkOx) was proposed as the first step of biorefinery. This alkali-oxygen pretreatment facilitated biomass fractionation by solubilizing majority of lignin in water-soluble fraction, while remaining most of cellulose and hemicellulose in water-insoluble fraction. As a result, biomass saccharification was significantly improved by selective removal and oxidative modification of lignin through alkali-oxygen pretreatment. Moreover, lignin residues from both pretreatment hydrolysate and enzymatic hydrolysate were shown to be favorable adsorbents for Pb(II) ions, with adsorption capacity of 263.16 and 90.91 mg/g, respectively. Results demonstrated that this integrated process could not only improve biomass saccharification but also enable lignin valorization, which encouraged the holistic utilization of lignin residues as part of an integrated biorefinery.

A techno-economic evaluation of anaerobic biogas producing systems in developing countries

Biogas production has been the focus of many individuals in the developing world; there have been several investigations that focus on improving the production process and product quality. In the developing world the lack of advanced technology and capital has hindered the development of energy production. Renewable energy has the potential to improve the standard of living for most of the 196 countries which are classified as developing economies. One of the easiest renewable energy compounds that can be produced is biogas (bio-methane). Biogas can be produced from almost any source of biomass through the anaerobic respiration of micro-organisms. Low budget energy systems are reviewed in this article along with various feedstock sources. Adapted gas purification and storage systems are also reviewed, along with the possible economic, social, health and environmental benefits of its implementation.

Thermal behavior and kinetic study for co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass with polyethylene over Cobalt modified ZSM-5 catalyst by thermogravimetric analysis

The thermal behavior and kinetic study of lignocellulosic biomass (rice straw (RS)) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) pyrolysis over modified ZSM-5 catalyst were investigated using thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Cellulose and lignin were used as model compounds of biomass in order to investigate the reaction mechanism of lignocellulosic biomass and polyethylene co-pyrolysis. Results showed that RS&LLDPE co-pyrolysis was more complicated than that of the individual components. The activation energy (E) of RS, and RS&LLDPE pyrolysis were 79.61kJ/mol and 59.70kJ/mol respectively, suggesting that there was a positive synergistic interaction between RS and LLDPE. The addition of LLDPE with lignin co-pyrolysis obtained a lower apparent activation energy (33.39kJ/mol) compared to raw lignin pyrolysis (53.10kJ/mol). Results indicated that the Cobalt modified ZSM-5 catalyst was able to improve the reaction rate of RS and LLDPE co-pyrolysis; also the addition of Co/ZSM-5 catalyst resulted in a lower apparent activation energy during cellulose and LLDPE co-pyrolysis.

Thermal decomposition behavior and kinetics for pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis of Douglas fir

In this study, the thermal decomposition behavior and kinetics of pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis of Douglas fir (DF) were investigated using thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. It was found that the heating rate was an important factor during the biomass pyrolysis process, it affected the pyrolysis though heat transfer and mass transfer through the biomass particles. The differential thermogravimetric (DTG) curves demonstrated that the role of the catalyst was to slightly reduce the temperature of biomass thermal degradation. We obtained the thermal data including the activation energy, frequency factor and reaction order by Coats–Redfern and Friedman methods. For the Coats–Redfern method, we found that the activation energy of the catalytic pyrolysis was lower than that of the non-catalytic pyrolysis. It means that the ZSM-5 catalyst increased the rate of reaction and reduced the energy required for the decomposition process. Meanwhile, the result from the Friedman method demonstrated that the reaction could be divided into two steps, which were reaction rate between 0.2 and 0.7 and a reaction rate of 0.8 based on parallelism. Addition of the ZSM-5 catalyst reduced the activation energy in the first region then increased it in the second region due to the secondary cracking of intermediate compounds which was highly affected by shape-selective catalysis. Simulation of pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis of DF using the obtained kinetic parameters was in good agreement with the experimental data. Py-GC/MS analysis was also carried out and indicated that the ZSM-5 catalyst had a highly positive effect on aromatic hydrocarbon production by significantly reducing oxygen-containing compounds (i.e. acids, esters, ketones/aldehydes and guaiacols) during the catalytic pyrolysis of DF.

Investigation of non-catalytic and catalytic pyrolysis of DF by thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the application of ZSM-5 reduced the activation energy.

A review of catalytic microwave pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass for value-added fuel and chemicals

Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant renewable resource and can be efficiently converted into bio-energy by a bio-refinery. From the various techniques available for biomass thermo-chemical conversion; microwave assisted pyrolysis (MAP) seems to be the very promising. The principles of microwave technology were reviewed and the parameters for the efficient production of bio-oil using microwave technology were summarized. Microwave technology by itself cannot efficiently produce high quality bio-oil products, catalysts are used to improve the reaction conditions and selectivity for valued products during MAP. The catalysts used to optimize MAP are revised in the development of this article. The origins for bio-oils that are phenol rich or hydrocarbon rich are reviewed and their experimental results were summarized. The kinetics of MAP is discussed briefly in the development of the article. Future prospects and scientific development of MAP are also considered in the development of this article.

The Effectiveness of hCG and LHRH in Boys with Cryptorchidism: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

To systematically review the efficacy of hCG and LHRH on testicular descent in boys with cryptorchidism, comprehensive search was performed to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Wanfang Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) up to March 2014. Outcomes included testicular complete descent rate (TCDR) and cure rate of patients. Study quality was evaluated using the Jadad scale. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager software. Finally, 13 studies were included. hCG and LHRH increased TCDR comparing with control group. The success rate of hCG and LHRH was 24 and 19%, respectively. Further, hCG and LHRH had significant effect on bilateral cryptorchidism, but not on unilateral cryptorchidism. All side effects were transitory and not severe, but if they have long-term harms were not clear. hCG and LHRH can effectively increase TCDR and there was no significant difference between them. However, the hormones cannot be recommended for everyone because of their low success rates and potential long-term harms. Further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of hormonal treatment for subtypes of cryptorchidism.

Highly efficient conversion of carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural using the bi-functional CrPO4 catalyst

The highly efficient synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from carbohydrates was achieved using the inexpensive and bi-functional CrPO₄ catalyst in a biphasic system.

A thermal behavior and kinetics study of the catalytic pyrolysis of lignin

Depolymerization of lignin for phenols rich bio-oil via microwave-assisted heating.

Development of a catalytically green route from diverse lignocellulosic biomasses to high-density cycloalkanes for jet fuels

A novel pathway for producing high-density cycloalkanes for jet fuels from diverse lignocellulosic biomasses and determining the optimal biomass source via catalytic microwave-induced pyrolysis and hydrogenation processes.

Bio-based phenols and fuel production from catalytic microwave pyrolysis of lignin by activated carbons

The aim of this study is to explore catalytic microwave pyrolysis of lignin for renewable phenols and fuels using activated carbon (AC) as a catalyst. A central composite experimental design (CCD) was used to optimize the reaction condition. The effects of reaction temperature and weight hourly space velocity (WHSV, h(-1)) on product yields were investigated. GC/MS analysis showed that the main chemical compounds of bio-oils were phenols, guaiacols, hydrocarbons and esters, most of which were ranged from 71% to 87% of the bio-oils depending on different reaction conditions. Bio-oils with high concentrations of phenol (45% in the bio-oil) were obtained. The calorific value analysis revealed that the high heating values (HHV) of the lignin-derived biochars were from 20.4 to 24.5 MJ/kg in comparison with raw lignin (19 MJ/kg). The reaction mechanism of this process was analyzed.

Hydrocarbon and hydrogen-rich syngas production by biomass catalytic pyrolysis and bio-oil upgrading over biochar catalysts

A renewable biochar catalyst was developed with high porosity, high surface area, high minerals and surface functional groups. It enhanced hydrogen (27.02 vol% in syngas) and hydrocarbons (42.56 area% in upgraded bio-oil) production in biomass catalytic pyrolysis and bio-oil upgrading. The biochar catalysts had good thermal stability and durability with less coking according to the thermal gravimetric (TG) analysis.

Renewable phenols production by catalytic microwave pyrolysis of Douglas fir sawdust pellets with activated carbon catalysts

The effects of different activated carbon (AC) catalysts based on various carbon sources on products yield and chemical compositions of upgraded pyrolysis oils were investigated using microwave pyrolysis of Douglas fir sawdust pellets. Results showed that high amounts of phenols were obtained (74.61% and 74.77% in the upgraded bio-oils by DARCO MRX (wood based) and DARCO 830 (lignite coal based) activated carbons, respectively). The catalysts recycling test of the selected catalysts indicated that the carbon catalysts can be reused for at least 3-4 times and produced high concentrations of phenol and phenolic compounds. The chemical reaction mechanism for phenolics production during microwave pyrolysis of biomass was analyzed.

The effects of torrefaction on compositions of bio-oil and syngas from biomass pyrolysis by microwave heating

Microwave pyrolysis of torrefied Douglas fir sawdust pellet was investigated to determine the effects of torrefaction on the biofuel production. Compared to the pyrolysis of raw biomass, the increased concentrations of phenols and sugars and reduced concentrations of guaiacols and furans were obtained from pyrolysis of torrefied biomass, indicating that torrefaction as a pretreatment favored the phenols and sugars production. Additionally, about 3.21-7.50 area% hydrocarbons and the reduced concentration of organic acids were obtained from pyrolysis of torrefied biomass. Torrefaction also altered the compositions of syngas by reducing CO2 and increasing H2 and CH4. The syngas was rich in H2, CH4, and CO implying that the syngas quality was significantly improved by torrefaction process.

A review of catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived phenols from biomass pyrolysis

Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin-derived phenols which are the lowest reactive chemical compounds in biomass pyrolysis oils has been reviewed. The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) catalysts have been discussed including traditional HDO catalysts such as CoMo/Al(2)O(3) and NiMo/Al(2)O(3) catalysts and transition metal catalysts (noble metals). The mechanism of HDO of lignin-derived phenols was analyzed on the basis of different model compounds. The kinetics of HDO of different lignin-derived model compounds has been investigated. The diversity of bio-oils leads to the complexities of HDO kinetics. The techno-economic analysis indicates that a series of major technical and economical efforts still have to be investigated in details before scaling up the HDO of lignin-derived phenols in existed refinery infrastructure. Examples of future investigation of HDO include significant challenges of improving catalysts and optimum operation conditions, further understanding of kinetics of complex bio-oils, and the availability of sustainable and cost-effective hydrogen source.

¹H NMR-based metabonomics in brain nucleus accumbens and striatum following repeated cocaine treatment in rats

Studies have shown a few cerebral metabolites modified by cocaine in brain regions; however, endogenous metabolic profiling has been lacking. Ex vivo (1)H NMR (hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy-based metabonomic approach coupled with partial least squares was applied to investigate the changes of cerebral metabolites in nucleus accumbens (NAc) and striatum of rats subjected to cocaine treatment. Our results showed that both single and repeated cocaine treatment can induce significant changes in a couple of cerebral metabolites. The increase of neurotransmitters glutamate and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) were observed in NAc and striatum from the rats repeatedly treated with cocaine. Creatine and taurine increased in NAc whereas taurine increased and creatine decreased in striatum after repeated cocaine treatment. Elevation of N-acetylaspartate in NAc and striatum and decrease of lactate in striatum were observed, which may reflect the mitochondria dysregulation caused by cocaine; moreover, alterations of choline, phosphocholine and glycerol in NAc and striatum could be related to membrane disruption. Moreover, groups of rats with and without conditioned place preference (CPP) apparatus are presenting difference in metabolites. Collectively, our results provide the first evidence of metabonomic profiling of NAc and striatum in response to cocaine, exhibiting a regionally-specific alteration patterns. We find that repeated cocaine administration leads to significant metabolite alterations, which are involved in neurotransmitter disturbance, oxidative stress, mitochondria dysregulation and membrane disruption in brain.

The expression and clinical significance of GTP-binding RAS-like 3 (ARHI) and microRNA 221 and 222 in prostate cancer

Globally, prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among men and there is no biomarker for defining tumour invasion and progression. Guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP)-binding RAS-like 3 (ARHI) is a tumour suppressor gene that has been found to be downregulated in the prostate cancer cell line PC-3. MicroRNA 221 and 222 have been shown to regulate ARHI expression negatively. This study evaluated tissue samples from patients with prostate cancer (n = 35) that were designated as aggressive or non-aggressive according to their Gleason grade. Expression of ARHI and microRNA 221 and 222 was measured by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The level of ARHI mRNA was significantly lower in aggressive compared with non-aggressive prostate cancer tissue samples. In contrast, microRNA 221 and 222 levels were significantly higher in aggressive compared with non-aggressive prostate cancer tissue samples. Whether ARHI and microRNA 221 and 222 could be considered as biomarkers for disease progression in prostate cancer requires further investigation.

Production of phenols and biofuels by catalytic microwave pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass

Catalytic microwave pyrolysis of biomass using activated carbon (AC) was investigated to determine the effects of pyrolytic conditions on the yields of phenol and phenolics. Bio-oils with high concentrations of phenol (38.9%) and phenolics (66.9%) were obtained. These levels were higher than those obtained by pyrolysis without AC addition and were closely related to the decomposition of lignin. A high concentration of esters (42.2% in the upgraded bio-oil) was obtained in the presence of Zn powder as catalyst and formic acid/ethanol as reaction medium. Most of the esters identified by GC-MS were long chain fatty acid esters. The high content of phenols and esters obtained in this study can be used as partial replacement of petroleum fuels after separation of oxygenates or as feedstock for organic syntheses in the chemical industry after purification.

Potential risk of zoonotic transmission from young swine to human: seroepidemiological and genetic characterization of hepatitis E virus in human and various animals in Beijing, China

The aim of this study was to further investigate the prevalence of infection and genotype of hepatitis E virus (HEV) among different species of animals, people whose works are related to pigs and the general population in the suburb of Beijing, China. Serum and faecal samples were collected from 10 animal species and humans. Anti-HEV was detected by enzyme immunoassays (EIA); HEV RNA was amplified by reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR) method. PCR products were cloned and sequenced. The isolated swine HEV sequences were analysed phylogenetically. The positive rates of serum anti-HEV in swine, cattle, milk cow, horse, sheep, donkey, dog, duck, chicken, pig farm workers and slaughterhouse workers, and general population were 81.17% (802/988), 25.29% (66/261), 14.87% (40/269), 14.29% (40/280), 9.30% (53/514), 0 (0/25), 0 (0/20), 2.53% (8/316), 3.03% (7/231), 58.73% (37/63), 35.87% (66/184) and 20.06% (538/2682), respectively. The anti-HEV prevalence in adult swine (≥ 6 months) and younger swine (≤ 3 months) was 91.49% (591/646) and 61.7% (211/342), respectively. The positive rate of HEV RNA in young swine faeces was 47.94% (93/194). All 93 isolates from the younger swine shared 87.8-100% nucleotide homology with each other and had identities of 75.6-78.9%, 73.9-76.1%, 76.4-80.6% and 83.1-95.0% with the corresponding regions of genotypes 1-4 HEV, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all HEV isolates belong to genotype 4, subgenotype 4d. These results suggest a potential risk of zoonotic transmission of HEV from younger swine to farmers who rear pigs.

Study on prevalence and genotype of hepatitis E virus isolated from Rex Rabbits in Beijing, China

A novel genotype of hepatitis E virus (HEV) isolated from rabbits is reported. The aim of this study was to confirm and further investigate the prevalence of the novel HEV genotype in rabbits in China. Sera and faecal samples were collected from farmed rex rabbits in Beijing, China. All serum samples were tested for anti-HEV antibody by EIA. Both the serum and the faecal samples were evaluated for detection of HEV RNA using a nested RT-PCR assay. The nucleotide sequences of rabbit HEV were then analysed, and sequence homology of rabbit HEV compared against human HEV genotypes 1-4, and avian HEV.

RESULTS

The prevalence of positive serum anti-HEV from rex rabbits was 54.62% (65/119). The detection rate of HEV RNA using ORF2 primers was 6.96% (8/115) amongst rabbit faecal samples. All eight amplicons shared 98.3-100% nucleotide homology with each other and had identities of 75.8-78.6%, 73.9-75.0%, 77.5-81.0%, 74.2-78.6% and 54.8-57.6% with the corresponding regions of genotypes 1-4 and avian HEV, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the eight sequences formed one individual branch and were on the same branch with GDC9 and GDC46, both of which were reported to be a novel genotype of HEV isolated from rabbits. The conclusion is that this study provides further information about HEV infecting rabbits, which may be a new animal host of HEV, as well as genetical evidence of a new mammalian genotype of HEV.

Phenol and phenolics from lignocellulosic biomass by catalytic microwave pyrolysis

Catalytic microwave pyrolysis of biomass using activated carbon was investigated to determine the effects of pyrolytic conditions on the yields of phenol and phenolics. The high concentrations of phenol (38.9%) and phenolics (66.9%) were obtained at the temperature of 589 K, catalyst-to-biomass ratio of 3:1 and retention time of 8 min. The increase of phenol and its derivatives compared to pyrolysis without catalysts has a close relationship with the decomposition of lignin under the performance of activated carbon. The concentration of esters was also increased using activated carbon as a catalyst. The high content of phenols obtained in this study can be used either directly as fuel after upgrading or as feedstock of bio-based phenols for chemical industry.

Microwave pyrolysis of distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS) for biofuel production

Microwave pyrolysis of distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS) was investigated to determine the effects of pyrolytic conditions on the yields of bio-oil, syngas, and biochar. Pyrolysis process variables included reaction temperature, time, and power input. Microwave pyrolysis of DDGS was analyzed using response surface methodology to find out the effect of process variables on the biofuel (bio-oil and syngas) conversion yield and establish prediction models. Bio-oil recovery was in the range of 26.5-50.3 wt.% of the biomass. Biochar yields were 23.5-62.2% depending on the pyrolysis conditions. The energy content of DDGS bio-oils was 28 MJ/kg obtained at the 650°C and 8 min, which was about 66.7% of the heating value of gasoline. GC/MS analysis indicated that the biooil contained a series of important and useful chemical compounds: aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. At least 13% of DDGS bio-oil was the same hydrocarbon compounds found in regular unleaded gasoline.

[Epidemiological study on drowning in Wujin, Jiangsu, 1997]

Questionnaires were sent through mail to study the epidemiology of drowning in 56 towns and townships in Wujin. Results showed that the prevalence of drowning in Wujin reached 11.14 per 10(5) of which the males out-numbered females. Children aged 1-9 years and people above 60 years old were more than the other age groups. The main causes were due to accidental falls in elderly, children swimming in waters, followed by falling into the river as the result of disease fulmination and suicidal among adults. Measures should be taken to strengthen the care of children, people with mental diseases and the elderly.

The biochemical mechanisms of the excitotoxicity of kainic acid. Free radical formation

Kainic acid (KA) is a known potent neuroexcitotoxin, although the biochemical mechanism producing its underlying neurotoxic effect is not quite clear. Histopathological examination of gerbil brains 24 h after systemic injection of KA revealed severe neuronal lesions in different regions of the brain, especially the cerebellar and hippocampal areas. We have detected free radical formation in the brain 1 h after KA administration by using an in vivo spin trapping technique. We have also observed increased lipid peroxidation in the brain after KA-treatment by analyzing thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and conjugated diene formation. Diminished brain specific (Na+, K+)-ATPase activity was also found 2 h after KA injection and persisted to 24 h. It is possible that the free radical reaction is a primary cause of neuronal degeneration after KA administration.