An integrative analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression in the brains of Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice after real-world PM2.5 exposure

Fine particulatematter (PM2.5) is associated with increased risks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD),yet the toxicologicalmechanisms of PM2.5 promoting AD remain unclear. In this study,wildtype and APP/PS1 transgenic mice (AD mice) were exposed to either filtered air (FA) or PM2.5 for eight weeks with a real-world exposure system in Taiyuan, China (mean PM2.5 concentration in the cage was 61 μg/m3). We found that PM2.5 exposure could remarkably aggravate AD mice’s ethological and brain ultrastructural damage, along with the elevation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α), Aβ-42 and AChE levels and the decline of ChAT levels in the brains. Based on high-throughput sequencing results, some differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs and DE miRNAs in the brains of AD mice after PM2.5 exposure were screened.Using RT-qPCR, seven DEmiRNAs (mmu-miR-193b-5p, 122b-5p, 466h-3p, 10b-5p, 1895, 384–5p, and 6412) and six genes (Pcdhgb8, Unc13b, Robo3, Prph, Pter, and Tbata) were evidenced the and verified. Two miRNA-target gene pairs (miR-125b-Pcdhgb8 pair and miR-466h-3p-IL-17Rα/TGF-βR2/Aβ-42/AChE pairs) were demonstrated that they were more related to PM2.5-induced brain injury. Results of Gene Ontology (GO) pathways and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways predicted that synaptic and postsynaptic regulation, axon guidance, Wnt, MAPK, and mTOR pathways might be the possible regulatory mechanisms associated with pathological response. These revealed that PM2.5- elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and PM2.5-altered neurotransmitter levels in AD mice could be the important causes of brain damage and proposed the promising miRNA andmRNA biomarkers and potentialmiRNA-mRNA interaction networks of PM2.5-promoted AD.     

Recovery of Cu and Fe from Printed Circuit Board waste sludge by ultrasound: Evaluation of industrial application

The paper presents a novel cleaner process for metal recovery from the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) waste sludge by assistance of ultrasound. The process can effectively recover heavy metals at low cost with high separation and recovery efficiency, produce high quality products and also achieve zero waste discharge with operation at industrial scale. With the PCB waste sludge containing (wet content) 3.14–4.85% copper and 3.71–4.23% iron, copper recovery efficiency of 95.2–97.5% and iron recovery efficiency of 97.1–98.5% were achieved, while the purity of copper sulfate produced by the process was 98.0% and the produced ferric chloride had a satisfied quality for using as a coagulant material for the plant on-site wastewater treatment. The process had been successfully scaled up to the industrial scaled applications in a heavy metal recovery plant in city of Huizhou, China for more than two years. The novel cleaner heavy metal recovery process has a great prospect on the applications of resources recovery and environmental protection practices.     

清江流域自然旅游资源调查与评价方法

根据清江流域自然旅游资源的特色，首先提出了一套对其进行详细系统的调查方法：（１）利用遥感数字图象处理技术及航、卫片解译结果，圈出潜在景区及潜在景点；（２）详细调查、收集及整理清江流域各市、镇已有资料，填写旅游资源调查登记卡片；（３）在（１），（２）基础上，对主要潜在景区及景点进行野外现场调研。然后，以调查结果为前提，提出了采用综合评分法，模糊数学评价方法，信息量评价方法，神经网络评价方法及地理信息     

中国石灰生产和能源消耗分析

基于全国涉及石灰生产的企业全口径统计数据,分析中国2007年石灰生产的基本特征,探讨了石灰产量统计的不确定性和来源。2007年,中国石灰生产的企业共6 154家,涉及9 327座石灰窑。总产能为2.27亿t,共生产石灰1.06亿t,企业平均产量为4 000 t/a,企业生产每吨石灰平均能耗水平为163 kg标准煤。中国约有两千八百多万吨的石灰生产很难通过正规渠道统计上来,也意味着这些产量很可能是基于非常简易和高能耗的石灰土窑生产的。     

硅藻土负载纳米铁对Cd2+的吸附性能与机制研究

为了提高硅藻土(CDt)的吸附能力,采用NaBH_4液相还原二价铁法合成负载纳米铁的硅藻土颗粒(nZVI-CDt),运用扫描电镜(SEM)、傅里叶红外光谱(FTIR)、X射线衍射(XRD)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)对nZVI-CDt进行表征,采用静态吸附法研究不同吸附条件对CDt和nZVI-CDt吸附Cd~(2+)的影响,并结合等温吸附属性、吸附过程控制步骤以及吸附动力学、热力学属性分析探讨了CDt和nZVI-CDt对Cd~(2+)的吸附机制.结果表明,负载纳米铁后,硅藻土的团聚现象得到改善,分散性更好,表面活性基团向有利于吸附方向发生变化,吸附能力得到显著提升,相对于CDt,nZVI-CDt对Cd~(2+)的吸附量提升了3.9倍;nZVI-CDt对Cd~(2+)的吸附较为迅速,20 min左右就可达到吸附平衡;随着投加量的增加,nZVI-CDt对Cd~(2+)的吸附量呈下降趋势,而初始浓度对Cd~(2+)的吸附影响则正好相反;相对于CDt,溶液初始pH值对nZVI-CDt吸附Cd~(2+)的影响明显减弱;nZVI-CDt对Cd~(2+)的吸附能力受温度影响不大;nZVI-CDt对Cd~(2+)的吸附符合Temkin等温吸附模型和拟二级动力学模型.吸附反应容易进行,且以物理吸附为主,吸附过程控制步骤为发生在微孔内的吸附反应.吸附热力学参数表明CDt和nZVI-CDt对Cd~(2+)的吸附是自发的吸热过程,且系统的无序性增加.     

湖北省湖泊水环境化学特征及其与人类活动的关系

通过对湖北省近３０个湖泊水环境化学的分析，探讨了湖北省湖泊水质状况和湖水的化学稳定性，指出远离工业区和居民生活区的湖泊水质一般较好，城区或城效型湖泊在不同程度上受到了工业废水和生活污水的影响。控制，消除湖泊污染是今后经济、社会和环境建设不可忽视的重要工作。     

锌对增强玉米耐涝抗渍的作用及其机理初探

在缺锌的砂姜黑土上研究锌对玉米增产效应的田间试验中发现，在严重渍涝高温时，锌有显著的增强玉米耐涝抗渍的作用。其机理与锌能明显降低植株体内氮磷含量，提高钾素含量，从而增强玉米的抗渍涝与高温的能力有关。统计结果表明，玉米秸杆中氮磷含量占整株氮磷含量的百分数与死亡率呈显著的正相关，而秸杆中的含钾量与死亡率呈一定的负相关。     

Determination of gas phase adsorption isotherms--a simple constant volume method

Single and ternary solute gas phase adsorption isotherms were conducted in this study to evaluate the effectiveness of a simple constant volume method, which was utilized by using Tedlar gas sampling bags as a constant volume batch reactor. For this purpose, gas phase adsorption of toluene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) on two types of activated carbons, BPL-bituminous base and OVC--coconut base, were investigated. For the single solute adsorption, the experimental adsorption data were found to be well correlated with Freundlich and Myers adsorption equations. The pore size distribution of adsorbents was found to affect their adsorption capacities; its effect was dependant on the solute concentration. The ternary adsorption experimental isotherms were accurately predicted by using the well-known model, i.e., ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST).     

Methods for the preparation of a biodesulfurization biocatalyst using Rhodococcus sp

Several methods to prepare a biodesulfurization (BDS) biocatalyst were investigated in this study using a strain of Rhodococcus sp. 1awq. This bacterium could selectively remove sulfur from dibenzothiophene (DBT) via the "4S" pathway. DBT, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), sodium sulphate and mixed sulfur sources were used to study their influence on cell density, desulfurization activity, desulfurization ability, and the cost of biocatalyst production. In contrast to that observed from bacteria cultured in DBT, only partial desulfurization activity of strain 1awq was induced by DBT after cultivation in a medium containing inorganic sulfur as the sole sulfur source. The biocatalyst, prepared from culture with mixed sulfur sources, was found to possess desulfurization activity. With DMSO as the sole sulfur source, the desulfurization activity was shown to be similar to that of bacteria incubated in medium with DBT as the sole sulfur source. The biocatalyst prepared by this method with the least cost could remove sulfur from hydrodesulfurization (HDS)-treated diesel oil efficiently, providing a total desulfurization percent of 78% and suggesting its cost-effective advantage.