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•Lithium in underground brine was recovered by centrifugal extraction.•A novel extraction system and technical process were developed.•The recycling of Fe3+ was successfully ...solved.•Without any washing steps were required.
The recovery of lithium from brine is a focus of worldwide due to the increasing demand of lithium in modern energy industry. Multistage centrifugal extraction was used in this work to recover lithium from underground brine. It was found that the centrifugal extraction rate of lithium is low by conventional methods, during which a multimolecular reaction with slow equilibrium time is involved. This problem was successfully solved by using an extraction system containing 80% tri-isobutyl phosphate (TIBP) and 20% sulfonated kerosene in combination with a novel operating method. The recycling of co-extractant (Fe3+) which is one of the bottleneck problems to limit the application of solvent extraction was also solved based on an innovative technical process. The recovery rate of lithium in underground brine reached to 90.05% by five-stage centrifugal extraction at optimized conditions. The stripping rate of lithium in organic phase was almost 100% using a solution containing 1.0 mol/L HCl at R(O/A) = 2:1. Lithium was not only separated from brine but also fourfold concentrated without any washing of the organic phase. This developed method is simple and thus is promising to be applied for the industrialized recovery of lithium from underground brine.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A motor-based autonomous microsensor is proposed for in situ visualization immunoassay of cancer biomarkers through motion readout or tag counting. The microsensor is prepared by functionalizing a ...newly designed gold-nanoparticle-modified self-propelled polyaniline/Pt (AuNP/PANI/Pt) micromotor with capture antibody. The autonomous movement of the microsensor in the fuel-enhanced sample mixture results in the fast and selective recognition of the protein target and subsequent loading of the secondary-antibody-modified glycidyl methacrylate microspheres (GMA), which slows down the movement of the sensing microengine. The velocity of the microsensor and the number of GMA conjugated on the microsensor can be conveniently visualized using optical microscopy. They are negatively and positively correlated with the target concentration, respectively. Therefore, the microsensor can conveniently distinguish the concentration of carcinoembryonic antigen in a range of 1–1000 ng/mL. The motor-based microsensor can be easily prepared in batch using AuNP/PANI/Pt. The whole detection procedure for protein target can be completed in 5 min without any washing and separation step. This method shows considerable promise for diverse clinical and diagnostic applications.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
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•Lithium in geothermal water was recovered by ion sieve adsorption.•Three kinds of LMOs were synthesized and compared.•Powdery Li4Mn5O12 was granulated and then cross-linked.•The ...stability of CTS/LMO was improved by cross-linking with EGDE.
As a new-type liquid lithium resource, the recovery of lithium from geothermal water is of great significance due to the increasing importance of lithium in modern industry. In this work, different lithium manganese oxides (LMOs), including LiMn2O4, Li1.66Mn1.66O4, and Li4Mn5O12, were synthesized and applied for selective recovery of lithium from geothermal water. It was found that the powdery Li4Mn5O12 exhibits high performances for low concentrations of Li+ and was then successfully granulated using chitosan (CTS) at a mass ratio of CTS/LMO = 3:2. The hydrophily of CTS leaded to a serious dissolution loss of CTS/LMO under acidic conditions, but it was successfully solved by direct cross-link of the spherical material using ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE), by which the dissolution loss in 0.25 mol/L HCl was decreased from 27.65% to no more than 0.6%. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of Li+ in geothermal water reached 8.98 mg/g at 303.15 K, while the attenuation of adsorption capacity was no more than 1.1% after five times adsorption-desorption cycles. The separation factors between Li+ and other ions were all higher than 51 with a distribution coefficient of Li+ reaching up to 1113.27 mL/g. All these properties demonstrate that the developed material has high selectivity and stability, and can be used as a candidate for selective recovery of lithium from geothermal water or other solutions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Wound healing, especially impaired chronic wound healing, poses a tremendous challenge for modern medicine. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying wound healing is essential to the ...development of novel therapeutic strategies. A wound-healing mouse model was established to analyze histopathological alterations during wound healing, and the expression of SRY-box transcription factor 17 (SOX17), DNA methyltransferase 3 alpha (DNMT3A), and a specific fibroblast marker S100 calcium-binding protein A4 (S100A4) in wound skin tissues was tested by immunofluorescence (IF) assay. Cell proliferation and migration were evaluated using 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) and Transwell migration assays. RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to measure RNA and protein expression. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the secretion of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by qPCR (ChIP-qPCR) and DNA pull-down assays were performed to confirm the interaction between DNMT3A and the CpG island of the SOX17 promoter. Promoter methylation was examined by pyrosequencing. SOX17 and DNMT3A expression were regularly regulated during the different phases of wound healing. SOX17 knockdown promoted HUVEC migration and the production and release of TGF-beta. Through establishing an endothelial cells-fibroblasts co-culture model, we found that SOX17 knockdown in HUVECs activated HFF-1 fibroblasts, which expressed alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and type I collagen (COL1). DNMT3A overexpression reduces SOX17 mRNA levels. ChIP-qPCR and DNA pull-down assays verified the interaction between DNMT3A and CpG island in the SOX17 promoter region. Pyrosequencing confirmed that DNMT3A overexpression increased the methylation level of the SOX17 promoter. DNMT3A-mediated downregulation of SOX17 facilitates wound healing by promoting endothelial cell migration and fibroblast activation.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
In order to obtain a well understanding of the toxicity and ecological effects of trace elements in the environment, it is necessary to determine not only the total amount, but also their existing ...species. Speciation analysis has become increasingly important in making risk assessments of toxic elements since the toxicity and bioavailability strongly depend on their chemical forms. Effective separation of different species in combination with highly sensitive detectors to quantify these particular species is indispensable to meet this requirement. In this paper, we present the recent progresses on the speciation analysis of trace arsenic, mercury, selenium and antimony in environmental and biological samples with an emphasis on the separation and detection techniques, especially the recent applications of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) hyphenated to atomic spectrometry or mass spectrometry.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
The incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) are rapidly increasing worldwide. Recently, there has been significant attention given to N
6
-methyladenosine (m
6
A), the most common ...mRNA modification, especially for its effects on CRC development. It is important to note that the progression of CRC would be greatly hindered without the tumor microenvironment (TME). The interaction between CRC cells and their surroundings can activate and influence complex signaling mechanisms of epigenetic changes to affect the survival of tumor cells with a malignant phenotype. Additionally, the TME is influenced by m
6
A regulatory factors, impacting the progression and prognosis of CRC. In this review, we describe the interactions and specific mechanisms between m
6
A modification and the metabolic, hypoxia, inflammatory, and immune microenvironments of CRC. Furthermore, we summarize the therapeutic role that m
6
A modification can play in the CRC microenvironment, and discuss the current status, limitations, and potential future directions in this field. This review aims to provide new insights into the molecular targets and theoretical foundations for the treatment of CRC.
Diabetes has become a global public health problem. Diabetic foot is one of the most severe complications of diabetes, which often places a heavy economic burden on patients and seriously affects ...their quality of life. The current conventional treatment for the diabetic foot can only relieve the symptoms or delay the progression of the disease but cannot repair damaged blood vessels and nerves. An increasing number of studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can promote angiogenesis and re-epithelialization, participate in immune regulation, reduce inflammation, and finally repair diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), rendering it an effective means of treating diabetic foot disease. Currently, stem cells used in the treatment of diabetic foot are divided into two categories: autologous and allogeneic. They are mainly derived from the bone marrow, umbilical cord, adipose tissue, and placenta. MSCs from different sources have similar characteristics and subtle differences. Mastering their features to better select and use MSCs is the premise of improving the therapeutic effect of DFU. This article reviews the types and characteristics of MSCs and their molecular mechanisms and functions in treating DFU to provide innovative ideas for using MSCs to treat diabetic foot and promote wound healing.
Delphinidin, one of the main anthocyanidins, has potent anti‐cancer properties. In this study, we investigated the effect of delphinidin on 1‐methyl‐1‐nitrosourea (MNU)‐induced breast carcinogenesis ...on rats and the mechanism of delphinidin via negative regulation of the HOTAIR/microRNA‐34a axis. We found administration of delphinidin could effectively suppress MNU‐induced mammal breast carcinogenesis. Delphinidin downregulated the level of HOTAIR and upregulated miR‐34a in breast carcinogenesis. Western blot analysis confirmed that delphinidin treatment can significantly decrease the expression of β‐catenin, glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (Gsk3β), c‐Myc, cyclin‐D1, and matrix metalloproteinase‐7(MMP‐7) expression in breast cancer cells, and inhibition of miR‐34a significantly reduced the effect of delphinidin on c‐Myc, cyclin‐D1, and MMP‐7. HOTAIR overexpression also blocked the effect of delphinidin on miR‐34a and the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway in MDA‐MB‐231 cells. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay results showed that delphinidin upregulated miR‐34a by inhibiting HOTAIR, coupled with enhancement of the zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and histone H3 Lys27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). This study indicated that delphinidin may potentially suppress breast carcinogenesis and exert its anti‐cancer effect through the HOTAIR/miR‐34a axis. These findings provided new evidence for the use of delphinidin in preventing breast carcinogenesis.
This study indicated that delphinidin may potentially suppress breast carcinogenesis and delphinidin exerts its anti‐cancer effect through the HOTAIR/miR‐34a axis. These findings provided new evidence for the use of delphinidin in preventing breast carcinogenesis.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is one of the most important rice pests in Asia rice regions. BPH has monophagy, migration, rapid reproduction and strong environmental ...adaptability, and its control is a major problem in pest management. Adult BPH exhibit wing dimorphism, and the symbiotic microbiota enriched in the gut can provide energy for wing flight muscles as a source of nutrition. In order to study the diversity of symbiotic microbiota in different winged BPHs, this paper takes female BPH as the research object. It was found that the number of symbiotic microbiota of different winged BPHs would change at different development stages. Then, based on the 16S rRNA and ITS sequences, a metagenomic library was constructed, combined with fluorescent quantitative PCR and high-throughput sequencing, the dominant symbiotic microbiota flora in the gut of different winged BPHs was found, and the community structure and composition of symbiotic microbiota in different winged BPHs were further determined. Together, our results preliminarily revealed that symbiotic microbiota in the gut of BPHs have certain effects on wing morphology, and understanding the mechanisms underlying wing morph differentiation will clarify how nutritional factors or environmental cues alter or regulate physiological and metabolic pathways. These findings also establish a theoretical basis for subsequent explorations into BPH-symbiont interplay.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Anthocyanins widely present in human diet and have a variety of health effects. This study investigates the anticancer effects of an anthocyanin-rich extract from black rice (AEBR) on breast cancer ...cells in vitro and in vivo. AEBR reduced the viability of breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 (ER+, HER2/neu-), MDA-MB-231 (ER-, HER2/neu-), and MDA-MB-453 (ER-, HER2/neu+) and induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-453 cells via the intrinsic pathway in vitro by activating caspase cascade, cleaving poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), depolarizing mitochondrial membrane potential, and releasing cytochrome C. Oral administration of AEBR (100 mg/kg/day) to BALB/c nude mice bearing MDA-MB-453 cell xenografts significantly suppressed tumor growth and angiogenesis by suppressing the expression of angiogenesis factors MMP-9, MMP-2, and uPA in tumor tissue. Altogether, this study suggests the anticancer effects of AEBR against human breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo by inducing apoptosis and suppressing angiogenesis.
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DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ