Role of multidrug resistance-associated proteins in cancer therapeutics: past,present, and future perspectives

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Cancer, a major public health problem, is one of the world’s top leading causes of death. Common treatments for cancer include cytotoxic...     

Trichloroethylene degradation by PVA-coated calcium peroxide nanoparticles in Fe(II)-based catalytic systems: enhanced performance by citric acid and nanoscale iron sulfide

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, the enhanced trichloroethylene (TCE) degradation performance was investigated by polyvinyl alcohol coated calcium peroxide...     

Nexus between green logistic operations and triple bottom line: evidence from infrastructure-led Chinese outward foreign direct investment in Belt and Road host countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The Belt and Road initiative (BRI) mainly relies on the traditional and underdeveloped logistical trade routes including the terrestrial and oceanic...     

Arsenic and lead in the indoor residential settings of different socio-economic status; assessment of human health risk via dust exposure

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the present study, occurrence of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) is reported in rural and urban household dust (floor and AC filter dust) of the Kingdom...     

Chemical aspects of mass spawning in corals. II. (-)-Epi-thunbergol,the sperm attractant in the eggs of the soft coral Lobophytum crassum (Cnidaria: Octocorallia)

Sea turtles migrate between feeding and nesting areas that are often geographically separated by hundreds or thousands of kilometers. Observations of their aggregations at sea and at nesting beaches have led to the hypothesis that sea turtles migrate in socially structured groups. While this migratory strategy is common to many marine vertebrates, socially facilitated behavior is not well documented in testudines. In 1990 and 1991, we attached satellite transmitters to olive ridleys (Lepidochelys olivacea Eschscholtz) found ovipositing together during a mass nesting at Nancite Beach, Costa Rica, to determine whether they migrate independently or in groups after they leave the nesting beach. Results showed that the turtles were not spatially associated during the internesting period, were capable of re-establishing themselves as a group during a subsequent nesting emergence, and were not spatially associated during their postnesting migrations to oceanic feeding areas. We suggested that what appear to be socially structured groups of L. olivacea are in fact individual turtles simultaneously using the same habitat.     

Sampling household waste at source: lessons learnt in Gaborone.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) quantity and composition analysis is fundamental for the planning of municipal waste management services. The purpose of this paper is to report the results and experiences of sampling household waste at the source of generation in Gaborone, Botswana. The average generation rate, in kg capita(-1) day(-1), and percentages of various components of waste in Gaborone were determined using a statistically designed household sampling survey. The survey covered 47 households with different socio-economic characteristics over 21 days with 893 samples obtained. The results showed that the average waste generation rate for Gaborone was 0.33 kg capita(-1) day(-1). Contrary to common belief, the waste generation rate measured as in weight units was found not be directly related to household income. However, the packaging fractions of plastic and paper measured as volume had a direct relationship with household income. Across all income groups, the putrescible waste fraction constituted the highest proportion of the waste stream at approximately 68%. The main general conclusion is on the importance of practical considerations. As much as statistically designed sampling procedures provide a useful means of estimating the quantity and composition of household waste at source of generation, there are some practical issues that should be carefully considered during sampling to improve the accuracy and relevance of the results.     

Silver recovery as Ag0 nanoparticles from ion-exchange regenerant solution using electrolysis

Many silver(Ag)containing consumer-products(e.g.textiles)release Ag into the environment,posing ecotoxicological risks.Ag recovery mitigates environmental hazards,recycles Ag,and leads to sustainability.In the present work,Ag has been recovered as Ag~0nanoparticles from the spent solution(thiourea(TU)～0.5 mol/L pH～1.1–1.2,and Ag～550 mg/L)obtained from the regeneration of an Ag-loaded resin using a simple undivided electrolytic cell.The reclaimed regenerant solution has been recycled and reused in a closed-loop scheme over multiple cycles.The process parameters,i.e.,current(0.05 A)and stirring speed(600 r/min),have been optimized for Ag recovery of～94%and TU loss of～2%.The reclaimed regenerant solution has been shown to regenerate Ag-loaded resin samples with90%regeneration efficiency over 4 cycles of consecutive extraction and regeneration.The recovered Ag~0nanoparticles are monodisperse,consistently spherical in shape,and have a mean diameter of～6 nm with standard deviation of the Gaussian fit as～2.66 nm.     

黄土区沟道泥沙微生物群落变化特征及其影响因素

在黄土高原沟壑区,通过16S rRNA基因片段和ITS高通量测序,研究沟道泥沙中细菌和真菌群落在上-中-下游的变化特征.结果表明：与沟头相比,把口站的细菌群落中拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）与厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）的相对丰度分别增加6.6%和10.5%,而变形菌门（Proteobacteria）的相对丰度降低15.1%;真菌群落中担子菌门（Basidiomycota）的相对丰度增加7.7%,而子囊菌门（Ascomycota）降低30.2%;泥沙中黏粒含量与细菌丰富度（Chao1指数）和多样性（Shannon指数）之间显著负相关（P<0.05）,与真菌的丰富度和多样性无显著相关性;细菌和真菌群落多样性和丰富度的空间差异与SOC、Olsen-P的变化有关（P<0.05）.因此,泥沙中颗粒组成物和养分含量可能是影响沟道微生物群落变化的主要因素.     

Elemental analysis of total suspended particulate matter in the ambient air of Baghdad

Samples of atmospheric particulate matter obtained from representative areas of the city of Baghdad were collected on glass fiber filters using a high-volume sampler. Atomic absorption techniques were used to analyze the total suspended particulates (TSP) for the following trace metals; Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cr, Cd, Co, and Hg. Sulfates were measured by turbidemetric method. Ion-selective electrodes was used for chloride analysis. It is concluded that the major components of TSP in the ambient air of Baghdad consist of mineral dust. Pb and Cd gave high enrichment factor values, which implies enrichment of these two metals from anthropogenic sources. High enrichment factors were also obtained for Zn and Cu. It is also concluded that in this arid area, the black smoke reflectance method is not suitable for measuring total suspended matter gravimetrically.     

Pd/silicalite-1: An highly active catalyst for the oxidative removal of toluene

Catalytic combustion is thought as an efficient and economic pathway to remove volatile organic compounds, and its critical issue is the development of high-performance catalytic materials. In this work, we used the in situ synthesis method to prepare the silicalite-1 (S-1)-supported Pd nanoparticles (NPs). It is found that the as-prepared catalysts displayed a hexagonal prism morphology and a surface area of 390−440 m²/g. The sample (0.28Pd/S-1-H) derived after reduction at 500°C in 10 vol% H₂ showed the best catalytic activity for toluene combustion (T_50% = 180°C and T_90% = 189°C at a space velocity of 40,000 mL/(g·hr), turnover frequency (TOF_Pd) at 160°C = 3.46 × 10⁻³ sec⁻¹, and specific reaction rate at 160°C = 63.8 µmol/(g_Pd·sec)), with the apparent activation energy (41 kJ/mol) obtained over the best-performing 0.28Pd/S-1-H sample being much lower than those (51−70 kJ/mol) obtained over the other samples (0.28Pd/S-1-A derived from calcination at 500°C in air, 0.26Pd/S-1-im derived from the impregnation route, and 0.27Pd/ZSM-5-H prepared after reduction at 500°C in 10 vol% H₂). Furthermore, the 0.28Pd/S-1-H sample possessed good thermal stability and its partial deactivation due to CO₂ or H₂O introduction was reversible, but SO₂ addition resulted in an irreversible deactivation. The possible pathways of toluene oxidation over 0.28Pd/S-1-H was toluene → p-methylbenzoquinone → maleic anhydride, benzoic acid, benzaldehyde → carbon dioxide and water. We conclude that the good dispersion of Pd NPs, high adsorption oxygen species concentration, large toluene adsorption capacity, strong acidity, and more Pd⁰ species were responsible for the good catalytic performance of 0.28Pd/S-1-H.