In recent decades, water shortage has become a grave problem faced by countries all over the world. Seawater desalination, regarded as an alternative complement to water resources, has gained the ...attention of governments and scholars. China, particularly its coastal provinces, suffers from water shortage and has devoted considerable energy to promoting the seawater desalination industry. Nevertheless, the fact that residents in coastal regions are unwilling to use desalinated water restricts the large-scale development of desalination. By reviewing policy evolution and the status quo of desalination in China, this paper offers a new perspective for researchers on desalination, in which the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is adopted to investigate residents’ acceptance towards the utilisation of desalinated water. We find that attitude, subjective norm and perceived behaviour control have significant positive effects on behavioural intention and further impact the use of desalinated water. Moreover, an interrelationship between subjective norm and attitude exists as well. In combination with a realistic situation, we further provide a series of corresponding implications for practice. This study is the first to investigate China’s desalination development under a micro perspective, aimed at providing reference and guidance for policymakers.
Naringenin, one of the most abundant flavonoids in citrus, grapefruits and tomatoes, has been used as a traditional anti-inflammatory agent for centuries. However, the molecular mechanism of ...naringenin in intestinal inflammation remains unknown so far. The present study investigated a molecular basis for the protective effect of naringenin in dextran sulphate sodium-induced murine colitis. Pre-administration of naringenin significantly reduced the severity of colitis and resulted in down-regulation of pro-inflammatory mediators (inducible NO synthase (iNOS), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), cyclo-oxygenase-2 (Cox2), TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA) in the colon mucosa. The decline in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, specifically TNF-α and IL-6, correlated with a decrease in mucosal Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA and protein. Phospho-NF-κB p65 protein was significantly decreased, which correlated with a similar decrease in phospho-IκBα protein. Consistent with the in vivo results, naringenin exposure blocked lipopolysaccharide-stimulated nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 in mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. In addition, in vitro NF-κB reporter assays performed on human colonic HT-29 cells exposed to naringenin demonstrated a significant inhibition of TNF-α-induced NF-κB luciferase expression. Thus, for the first time, the present study indicates that targeted inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signalling pathway might be an important mechanism for naringenin in abrogating experimental colitis.
The spontaneous combustion of coal is a disaster associated with coal mining. In this study, the authors investigated the characteristics of spontaneous combustion of coal at different temperatures ...(room temperature, 50–500 °C with 50 °C interval) using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), etc. The results showed the aromatic structure was mainly naphthalene. The aliphatic hydrocarbons were long chain. Oxygen, nitrogen, and sulphur existed as C-O, pyridine, pyrrole nitrogen, aliphatic sulphur, and sulfone. The molecular structural formula is C142H112N2O22. The stable 3D structural was obtained through optimization. Thermogravimetric analysis results showed the critical and dry-cracking temperatures of coal samples showed downward trends overall, whereas the acceleration and thermal-decomposition temperatures varied greatly with increase in oxidation temperature. The activation energy change pattern of 4 stages is not obvious. The FTIR results showed the contents of self-associated OH changed greatly. The aliphatic hydrocarbons changed greatly at 30–150 °C and 300–500 °C. The C-O showed increasing trends, whereas the C=O decreased consistently. The HRTEM results showed the aromatic fringes in coal samples were dominated by 1 × 1 and 2 × 2, the contents of which accounted for more than 80% of the total fringes.
Idiopathic gingival fibromatosis (IGF), a rare fibroproliferative disease of unknown etiology, affects gingival tissue and has substantial adverse effects on patients. Therefore, the pathogenesis of ...IGF requires more extensive and in-depth research. In this case, a patient with confirmed IGF underwent initial nonsurgical periodontal therapy and gingivectomy, and the prognosis was good. The patient had no loss of periodontal attachment but had a history of swelling and bleeding of the gingiva prior to fibrous enlargement, which prompted further investigation. We explored the patient’s subgingival microbiome and found a high abundance of periodontal pathogens. Gingival tissue biopsy revealed abundant fibrous tissue containing multiple inflammatory cell infiltrates. These results suggest that gingival inflammation secondary to periodontal pathogens can contribute to IGF onset.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito plays an important role in the spread of diseases, including epidemic ones, such as dengue fever, Zika virus disease, yellow fever, and chikungunya disease. To control the ...population of Ae.aegypti, we transferred an HR3 RNAi fragment into the microalgae Chlamydomonas, which serves as food for Ae.aegypti larvae. Results showed that the HR3 RNAi transgenic algal strains were lethal to Ae.aegypti. The integumentary system of larvae fed with HR3 RNAi transgenic algal strains was severely damaged. Muscles of the larvae were unevenly distributed and disordered, and their midgut showed disintegration of the intestinal cavity. RNA-Seq results demonstrated that on the 4th day of inoculation with the transgenic algae, the abundance of early expressed genes in the 20E signal transduction pathway of larvae fed with the HR3 RNAi transgenic algal strain significantly reduced. These genes include E74, E75, E93, and 20E receptor complex EcR/USP and FTZ-F1 gene regulated by HR3. In later experiments, a scale test of 300 Ae.aegypti eggs per group was carried out for 30 days, and the survival rate of Ae.aegypti fed with the HR3 RNAi transgenic strain was only 1.3%. These results indicate that the HR3 RNAi transgenic strain exerts obvious insecticidal effect.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Obesity and its major co-morbidity, type 2 diabetes, have reached an alarming epidemic prevalence without an effective treatment available. It has been demonstrated that inhibition of SREBP pathway ...may be a useful strategy to treat obesity with type 2 diabetes. Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are major transcription factors regulating the expression of genes involved in biosynthesis of cholesterol, fatty acid and triglyceride. In current study, we identified a small molecule, curcumin, inhibited the SREBP expression in vitro. The inhibition of SREBP by curcumin decreased the biosynthesis of cholesterol and fatty acid. In vivo, curcumin ameliorated HFD-induced body weight gain and fat accumulation in liver or adipose tissues, and improved serum lipid levels and insulin sensitivity in HFD-induced obese mice. Consistently, curcumin regulates SREBPs target genes and metabolism associated genes in liver or adipose tissues, which may directly contribute to the lower lipid level and improvement of insulin resistance. Take together, curcumin, a major active component of Curcuma longa could be a potential leading compound for development of drugs for the prevention of obesity and insulin resistance.
•Curcumin decreases biosynthesis of cholesterol and fatty acid in vitro.•Curcumin as a SREBP inhibitor ameliorates HFD-induced obesity.•Curcumin as a SREBP inhibitor improves insulin resistance.
Chemical precipitation is a useful technology to remove ammonium (NH
4
+) from landfill leachate. In this paper, the removal of ammonium from landfill leachate was studied. The objective of this ...study was to investigate optimum pH, optimum molar ratio, and different kinds of chemicals combinations for magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) precipitation. Furthermore, the kinetics of MAP formation and surface characterization were analyzed. The results indicated that ammonium in landfill leachate could be removed with the optimum pH of 9.5. The Mg
2+:NH
4
+:PO
4
3− molar ratio was practically controlled at 1.15:1:1 to remove ammonium effectively and avoid higher concentration of PO
4
3− in the effluent. Highest salt concentration was generated by using MgCl
2·6H
2O plus Na
2HPO
4·12H
2O. Compare to MgCl
2·6H
2O and Na
2HPO
4·12H
2O, adding MgO and 85% H
3PO
4 could significantly minimize the salt concentration, although ammonium removal ratio was 9 percents lower. The lowest ammonium removal ratio was generated by adding Ca(H
2PO
4)
2·H
2O and MgSO
4·7H
2O. Moreover, the kinetics experiment shown that the rate of reaction was closer to the first-order kinetic model. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that MAP was the main composition of the precipitates. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM–EDX) analysis indicated that the unshaped crystal was coarse and its size was irregular, the surface composition of the precipitates contains a great deal of O, P, Mg and trace of C, K, Na, Cl.
Conductive polymer, one of the most attractive electrode materials, has been applied to coat anode of MFC to improve its performance recently. In this paper, two conductive polymer materials, ...polyaniline (PANI) and poly(aniline-co-o-aminophenol) (PAOA) were used to modify carbon felt anode and physical and chemical properties of the modified anodes were studied. The power output and biodiversity of modified anodes, along with unmodified carbon anode were compared in two-chamber MFCs. Results showed that the maximum power density of PANI and PAOA MFC could reach 27.4
mW/m
2 and 23.8
mW/m
2, comparing with unmodified MFC, increased by 35% and 18% separately. Low temperature caused greatly decrease of the maximum voltage by 70% and reduced the sorts of bacteria on anodes in the three MFCs. Anode biofilm analysis showed different bacteria enrichment: a larger mount of bacteria and higher biodiversity were found on the two modified anodes than on the unmodified one. For PANI anode, the two predominant bacteria were phylogenetically closely related to
Hippea maritima and an uncultured clone MEC_Bicarb_Ac-008; for PAOA,
Clostridiales showed more enrichment. Compare PAOA with PANI, the former introduced phenolic hydroxyl group by copolymerization o-aminophenol with aniline, which led to a different microbial community and the mechanism of group effect was proposed.
The relationship between hepatoprotection and hepatotoxicity caused by Rhubarb administration. When Rhubarb are prepared and administered into human body, its active compounds will play the role of ...liver protection, while unreasonable dosage control, transformation of metabolites, and even individual differences can finally trigger the occurrence of hepatotoxicity.
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•The Chinese herb Rhubarb has both protective and toxic effects on human liver.•Multiple signal pathways contribute to Rhubarb’ hepatoprotective effects.•Compounds in Rhubarb and some external factors, can trigger the hepatotoxicity.•Some clinical guiding proposals are put forward for better application of Rhubarb.
Chinese herb Rhubarb (Dahuang), one of the most widely used traditional Chinese medicine in clinical application for over a thousand years and known as the “General (Jiang Jun)” in Chinese medical herb, currently used clinically for long-term treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and chronic liver diseases. Through previous researches, it has been identified that Rhubarb possessed a good hepatoprotective effect, which primarily protected liver from oxidation, fibrosis and cirrhosis, liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma and various types of hepatitis. Meanwhile, it has been recently reported that long-term administration of Rhubarb preparation may undertake the risk of liver damage, which has aroused worldwide doubts about the safety of Rhubarb. Therefore, how to correctly understand the "two-way" effect of Rhubarb on liver protection and liver toxicity provides a basis for scientific evaluation of Rhubarb's efficacy on liver and side effects, as well as guiding clinical rational drug use. In this review, the mechanisms of Rhubarb how to play a role in hepatoprotection and why it causes hepatotoxic potential will be elaborated in detail and critically. In addition, some positive clinical guidances are also advised on how to reduce its hepatotoxicity in medical treatment.
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