Incorporation of In Situ Synthesized Nano-Copper Modified Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin to Improve the Mechanical Properties of Chinese Fir: A Preliminary Study.

Phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin, modified using nano-copper with varying contents (0 wt%, 1 wt%, 3 wt%), was manufactured to improve the mechanical properties of Chinese fir. The morphology, chemical, micromechanical and micromechanical properties of the samples were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nanoindentation (NI) and traditional mechanical testing. The TEM and AFM results indicated that the in situ synthesized nano-copper particles were well-dispersed, and spherical, with a diameter of about 70 nm in PF resin. From the FTIR chemical changes detected by FTIR inferred that the nano-copper modified PF resin penetrated into the Chinese fir cell walls and interacted with the acetyl groups of hemicellulose by forming a crosslinked structure. Accordingly, the micro-mechanical properties of the Chinese fir cell walls were enhanced after treatment with nano-copper modified PF resin. The filling of the PF-1-Cu resin (1 wt% nano-copper) in the wood resulted in 13.7% and 22.2% increases in the elastic modulus (MOE) and hardness, respectively, of the cell walls. Besides, the impact toughness and compressive strength of the Chinese fir impregnated with PF-1-Cu resin were 21.8% and 8.2% higher than that of the PF-0-Cu resin. Therefore, in situ synthesized nano-copper-modified PF resin is a powerful treatment method for Chinese fir due to improved diffusive properties and reinforcement of the mechanical properties.

A facile preparation of superhydrophobic L-CNC-coated meshes for oil-water separation.

A superhydrophobic stainless steel mesh (called "mesh" in short) is an ideal device to solve oil pollution accidents by oil-water separation. However, its widespread application is prevented by complicated preparation, weak durability, and particularly poor mechanical strength. It is well known that the used adhesives play a key role in the mechanical strength of superhydrophobic coatings. In this study, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMSs) were respectively used as adhesives and lignin-nanocellulose crystal (L-CNC) particles as main structure materials to prepare L-CNC coated superhydrophobic meshes. Moreover, the meshes coated with L-CNC/PVDF and L-CNC/PDMS were compared with respect to the properties of wettability, sandpaper abrasion, oil-water separation, etc. The results showed that the L-CNC/PVDF-coated mesh had a higher water contact angle (WCA = 154.2°) than the L-CNC/PDMS-coated one (WCA = 152.6°), but worse abrasion resistance. Both of them showed high-efficiency oil/water separation with collection rates above 94.5% and stable reusable ability as the oil collection rates for toluene was still above 93.8% after reusing thirty times, meanwhile showing good heat, UV, acid and alkaline resistance properties.

Thiostrepton and miR-216b synergistically promote osteosarcoma cell cytotoxicity and apoptosis by targeting FoxM1.

Osteosarcoma is a common primary bone cancer that there are currently no effective treatment strategies for. Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) is key in the development of osteosarcoma, and microRNA (miR)-216b serves an antitumor role by targeting FoxM1. Moreover, thiostrepton (TST), a natural thiazole antibiotic, induces antitumor effects and specifically targets FoxM1. Therefore, the present study investigated whether thiostrepton and miR-216b synergistically inhibited osteosarcoma cells by targeting FoxM1. The MTT assay, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, a dual-luciferase reporter assay and flow cytometry were performed. Compared with the human osteoblast cell line hFOB1.19, miR-216b expression was significantly downregulated in the osteosarcoma cell lines U2OS, MG63 and Saos-2. By contrast, FoxM1 expression was significantly upregulated in osteosarcoma cell lines compared with the hFOB1.19 cell line. The results indicated that miR-216b targeted the 3'-untranslated region of FoxM1. Moreover, the results suggested that miR-216b cooperated with TST to decrease cell cytotoxicity and increase cell apoptosis. In addition, miR-216b cooperated with TST to increase Bax expression and decrease Bcl-2 expression. In conclusion, the combination of TST and miR-216b synergistically promoted osteosarcoma cell cytotoxicity and apoptosis by targeting FoxM1. Therefore, the present study suggested that the combination of TST and miR-216b may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma.

Effects of One-Step Hot Oil Treatment on the Physical, Mechanical, and Surface Properties of Bamboo Scrimber.

Bamboo scrimber is a new type of bamboo-based panel that is prone to be affected by biological and service environments under outdoor conditions. In this paper, the physical and mechanical performance and the microchemical and surface properties of untreated and hot-oil-treated bamboo scrimber were analyzed to illustrate the processing mechanism of scrimber. Methyl silicone oil treatment was carried out at 120, 140, and 160 °C for 2, 4, and 6 h. The density, mechanical properties, air-dried moisture content, surface morphology, chemical structure, swelling properties, color, and contact angle of the bamboo scrimber were analyzed to evaluate the treatment effectiveness. Observation of the environmental-scanning electron microscope indicated that the glue layer of the bamboo scrimber was not significantly damaged after hot oil treatment. At low temperatures, the mechanical properties did not change significantly. Infrared-spectrum analysis showed a significant decrease in mechanical properties at higher temperatures and longer treatment time for the degradation of hemicellulose. The contact angle test and swelling properties test showed that the hot oil treatment improved the dimensional stability and reduced the wettability on the surface of the bamboo scrimber. The above analysis results show that the treatment at 140 °C for 2 h is most effective.

Synergistic effects of tung oil and heat treatment on physicochemical properties of bamboo materials.

The search for green and sustainable modification method to produce durable bamboo materials remains a challenge in industry. Here, heat treatment in tung oil at 100-200 °C was employed to modify bamboo materials. Oil permeation and distribution in the structure of bamboo samples during heat treatment were explored. The synergistic effects of tung oil and heat treatment on the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of bamboo materials, and their mutual relationships were also investigated in detail. Results showed that the tung oil heat treated bamboo not only had an enhanced hydrophobic property and dimensional stability, improved fungi resistance, but also displayed good mechanical performance. Compared with the untreated sample, the water-saturated swelling reduced from 3.17% to 2.42% for the sample after oil heat treatment at 200 °C, and the contact angles of the sample after oil heat treatment at 200 °C can keep >100° after 300 s in radial direction. Such improvement can be attributed to changes of chemical components, increased crystallinity structure, and the formation of oily films inside or over the bamboo surface. Therefore, tung oil heat treatment can be a highly promising technology for bamboo modification in the industry.

Nitrogen Self-Doped Activated Carbons Derived from Bamboo Shoots as Adsorbent for Methylene Blue Adsorption.

Bamboo shoots, a promising renewable biomass, mainly consist of carbohydrates and other nitrogen-related compounds, such as proteins, amino acids and nucleotides. In this work, nitrogen self-doped activated carbons derived from bamboo shoots were prepared via a simultaneous carbonization and activation process. The adsorption properties of the prepared samples were evaluated by removing methylene blue from waste water. The factors that affect the adsorption process were examined, including initial concentration, contact time and pH of methylene blue solution. The resulting that BSNC-800-4 performed better in methylene blue removal from waste water, due to its high specific surface area (2270.9 m2 g-1), proper pore size (2.19 nm) and relatively high nitrogen content (1.06%). Its equilibrium data were well fitted to Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 458 mg g-1 and a removal efficiency of 91.7% at methylene blue concentration of 500 mg L-1. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model could be used to accurately estimate the carbon material's (BSNC-800-4) adsorption process. The adsorption mechanism between methylene blue solution and BSNC-800-4 was controlled by film diffusion. This study provides an alternative way to develop nitrogen self-doped activated carbons to better meet the needs of the adsorption applications.

Research on the Physico-Mechanical Properties of Moso Bamboo with Thermal Treatment in Tung Oil and Its Influencing Factors.

In this study, the effects of tung oil heat treatment on the physico-mechanical properties of moso bamboo were investigated. Here, heat treatment in tung oil at 100⁻200 °C was used to modify natural bamboo materials. The changes in the nanostructures of cell walls in bamboo caused by oil heat treatment, like density, chemical compositions, and cellulose crystalline, were evaluated to study their correlation with mechanical properties. Results showed that the mechanical performance of bamboo, such as ultimate stress, modulus of elasticity (MOE), and modulus of rupture (MOR), didn't reduce after heat treatment below 200 °C, compared with the untreated bamboo, which was mainly due to the tung oil uptake, stable cellulose content, and the increment of cellulose crystalline. No remarkable change in the ultimate strain occurred for bamboo materials thermally treated below 140 °C, but it decreased obviously at the heating temperature over 180 °C, mainly due to the degradation of hemicellulose resulting in a decrease in the viscoelasticity of cell wall.

piRNA-3878 targets P450 (CpCYP307B1) to regulate pyrethroid resistance in Culex pipiens pallens.

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a novel class of noncoding single-strand RNAs. They play an important role in the germ cell maintenance, brain development, epigenetic regulation of cancer, and antiviral function. However, little is known about the relationship between the piRNAs and insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. In this study, we reported that piRNA-3878 was related with pyrethroid resistance in Culex pipiens pallens. The expression level of piRNA-3878 was lower in both laboratory and field-collected deltamethrin-resistant (DR) strains. Overexpression of piRNA-3878 increased the susceptibility of the DR strain, while inhibiting the expression of piRNA-3878 in DS strain made the mosquitoes more resistant to deltamethrin. Furthermore, we identified that CpCYP307B1 was the target of piRNA-3878. The mosquito mortality rate was increased after downregulating the expression of CpCYP307B1. These findings revealed that piRNA-3878 could target CpCYP307B1 to regulate pyrethroid resistance.

piRNA-3312: A Putative Role for Pyrethroid Resistance in Culex pipiens pallens (Diptera: Culicidae).

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a newly identified class of small noncoding RNAs. They are associated with chromatin organization, messenger RNA stability, and genome structure. Although the overexpression of piRNA-3312 in deltamethrin-susceptible (DS) strain of Culex pipiens pallens (L.) was observed in our previous large-scale transcriptome data, the roles of piRNA in insecticide resistance have not been clearly defined. The aim of the present study was to investigate how piRNA-3312 is involved in insecticide resistance. The lower expression level of piRNA-3312 in deltamethrin-resistant (DR) strain of Cx. pipiens pallens was confirmed by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Overexpression of piRNA-3312 in the DR strain made the mosquitoes more sensitive to deltamethrin, whereas inhibiting the expression of piRNA-3312 in the DS strain made the mosquitoes more resistant to deltamethrin. Piwi-interacting RNA-3312 was also found to bind 3' UTR (Untranslated Regions) of gut esterase 1 gene and could induce its degradation. In addition, knockdown of gut esterase 1 gene increased the sensitivity of DR strain to deltamethrin. In conclusion, we found that piRNA-3312 targeted the gut esterase 1 gene to negatively regulate the insecticide resistance. This finding facilitates the understanding of various functions of piRNAs and their association with insecticide resistance.

MiR-285 targets P450 (CYP6N23) to regulate pyrethroid resistance in Culex pipiens pallens.

MicroRNAs play critical roles in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, which participate in the modulation of almost all of the cellular processes. Although emerging evidence indicates that microRNAs are related with antineoplastic drugs resistance, whether microRNAs are responsible for insecticide resistance in mosquitos is poorly understood. In this paper, we found that miR-285 was significantly upregulated in the deltamethrin-resistant strain of Culex pipiens pallens, and overexpression miR-285 through microinjection increased mosquito survival rate against deltamethrin treatement. Using bioinformatic software, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, luciferase reporter assay and microinjection approaches, we conformed that CYP6N23 was the target of miR-285. Lower expression of CYP6N23 was observed in the deltamethrin-resistant strain. While, mosquito mortality rate was decreased after downregulating expression of CYP6N23 by dsRNA against CYP6N23 or miR-285 mimic microinjection. These findings revealed that miR-285 could target CYP6N23 to regulate pyrethroid resistance, providing new insights into mosquito insecticide resistance surveillance and control.

Genomic Analysis of Detoxification Supergene Families in the Mosquito Anopheles sinensis.

Anopheles sinensis is an important malaria vector in China and other Southeast Asian countries, and the emergence of insecticide resistance in this mosquito poses a serious threat to the efficacy of malaria control programs. The recently published An. sinensis genome and transcriptome provide an opportunity to understand the molecular mechanisms of insecticide resistance. Analysis of the An. sinensis genome revealed 174 detoxification genes, including 93 cytochrome P450s (P450s), 31 glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs), and 50 choline/carboxylesterases (CCEs). The gene number was similar to that in An. gambiae, but represented a decrease of 29% and 42% compared with Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, respectively. The considerable contraction in gene number in Anopheles mosquitoes mainly occurred in two detoxification supergene families, P450s and CCEs. The available An. sinensis transcriptome was also re-analyzed to further identify key resistance-associated detoxification genes. Among 174 detoxification genes, 124 (71%) were detected. Several candidate genes overexpressed in a deltamethrin-resistant strain (DR-strain) were identified as belonging to the CYP4 or CYP6 family of P450s and the Delta GST class. These generated data provide a basis for identifying the resistance-associated genes of An. sinensis at the molecular level.

MiR-278-3p regulates pyrethroid resistance in Culex pipiens pallens.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and biological processes including embryonic development, innate immunity, and infection in many species. Emerging evidence indicates that miRNAs are involved in drug resistance. However, little is known about the relationship between the miRNAs and insecticide resistance in mosquitos. Here, we reported that conserved miR-278-3p and its target gene are critical for pyrethroid resistance in Culex pipiens pallens. We found that CYP6AG11 is the target of miR-278-3p, through bioinformatic analysis and experimental verification. The expression level of miR-278-3p was lower, whereas the level of CYP6AG11 was higher in deltamethrin-resistant strain, which were detected using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). We also found that CYP6AG11 was regulated by miR-278-3p via a specific target site with the 3' untranslated region (UTR) by luciferase reporter assay. In addition, overexpression of CYP6AG11 in the mosquito C6/36 cells showed better proliferation than the cells with empty vector when treated by deltamethrin at different concentrations. Moreover, the overexpression of miR-278-3p through microinjection led to a significant reduction in the survival rate, and the level of CYP6AG11 was simultaneously reduced. These results indicated that miR-278-3p could regulate the pyrethroid resistance through CYP6AG11.

[Determination of metal elements in paper sludges by ICP-AES].

Metal elements, especially the heavy metal element, need to be considered for resource utilization of paper sludge. Seventeen kinds of metal elements were determined by ICP-AES method, which were form two kinds of paper sludge from Anhui Shanying paper mill, one kind of paper sludge from Fujian Qingshan paper mill, and one kind of paper sludge from Fujian Zhongzhu paper mill. The results show that there are different amounts of metal elements in the 4 kinds of paper sludge including poisonous metal elements, such as Cr, etc, metal element which is poisonous when excessive, such as Fe, etc, and P and K which are beneficial for plant growth Al and Ca contents are maximal. The recovery ratio for Fujian Zhongzhu paper mill obtained by standard addition method is 94.4%-107.3%. Heavy metal elements content lower than the national standard GB/4284-84 "Control standards for pollutions in sludge form agricultural use". The order of heavy metal elements content is paper sludge from Fujian Zhongzhu paper mill