[Lipid metabolism in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis]

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease of unknown etiology, which was characterized by irreversible lung function decrease and high mortality. Up till now, only two drugs, i.e. Pirfenidone and Nintedanib,have been approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for therapy of IPF, and the treatment is less effective. Therefore, it is urgent to develop new therapeutic drugs. In recent years, studies had paid attention to lipid metabolism in IPF. In this review, we discussed recent major advances of lipid metabolism, biomarkers and clinical trials in IPF.

Synthesis of hierarchical nanocrystalline β zeolite as efficient catalyst for alkylation of benzene with benzyl alcohol

To develop an efficient solid acid catalysts for the Friedel–Crafts alkylation reaction, especially for involving bulky molecules, the direct synthesis of hierarchical nanocrystalline β zeolites were achieved by using amphiphilic organosilane ([(CH₃O)₃SiC₃H₆N(CH₃)₂C₁₈H₃₇]Cl, TPOAC) as collaborative structure-directing agent (SDA). The growth evolution of β crystals and the influence of TPOAC/SiO₂ molar ratio on the mesoporous structure, crystal size, and acidic properties of β zeolites were investigated and discussed in detail. The characterization results reveal that intracrystalline mesopores and intercrystalline mesopores/macropores via the stacking of β nanocrystals were generated over the hierarchical β zeolites. Moreover, most of the strong acid sites were well remained compared with the conventional microporous β zeolite. Consequently, the hierarchical nanocrystalline β zeolite synthesized under the optimized synthesis conditions shows improved specific catalytic activity of acid sites (turnover number, TON) in alkylation of benzene with benzyl alcohol, which can be attributed to the integrated balance of considerable mesoporosity, accessibility of the acid sites, and well-remained strong acid sites in the hierarchical β zeolite.

Hierarchical β zeolite with enhanced transport and specific catalytic activity of acid sites in Friedel–Crafts alkylation was achieved by using amphiphilic organosilane surfactant as mesopores-directing agent and crystal growth inhibitor.

Organosilane surfactant-directed synthesis of hierarchical mordenite with enhanced catalytic performance in the alkylation of benzene with 1-dodecene

Facile synthesis of mesoporous mordenite with excellent catalytic performance for alkylation of benzene with 1-dodecene was achieved by using an organosilane surfactant as an assistant directing agent.

Catalytic function of VOx/Al2O3 for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane: support microstructure-dependent mass transfer and diffusion

The intrinsic effect of the support microstructure on the catalytic function of VO_x/Al₂O₃ in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODHP) was studied.

Estimation of nitrification rates in flooded soils

Three techniques for estimating nitrification rates in flooded soils were evaluated in short-term incubation experiments using three soils. The techniques were based on inhibition of either ammonium or nitrite oxidation and (13)N isotope dilution. Of four inhibitors of ammonium oxidation evaluated, one (allylthiourea) was ineffective and two (2-ethynylpyridine or phenyl acetylene dissolved in ethanol) promoted immobilization of ammonium. Emulsified 2-ethynylpyridine and acetylene were equally effective inhibitors of ammonium oxidation and had little or no effect on gross rates of N mineralization and immobilization. Four inhibitors of nitrite oxidation were evaluated, but this approach was compromised by the nonspecificity of three of the compounds-potassium cyanide, 2-ethylamino-4-isopropylamino-6-methylthio-s-triazine (ametryne) and 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methylurea (DMU)-and by the partial effectiveness of another (potassium chlorate). Two methods based on isotope dilution gave similar estimates of nitrification rates. These rates were similar to those estimated by inhibition of ammonium oxidation in one soil but were lower in the other two soils. In the latter two soils, nitrification of labeled ammonium derived from dissimilatory nitrate reduction resulted in underestimation of nitrification rates by isotope dilution.