A supplementary assessment system of AQI-V for comprehensive management and control of air quality in chemical industrial parks.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the dominant pollutants in industrial parks. However, they are not generally considered as part of the air quality index (AQI) system, which leads to a biased assessment of pollution in industrial parks. In this study, a supplementary assessment system of AQI-V was established by analyzing VOCs characteristics with vehicle-mounted PTR-TOFMS instrument, correlation analysis and the standards analysis. Three hourly and daily scenarios were considered, and the hierarchical parameter setting was further optimized by field application. The hourly and daily assessments revealed the evaluation factors for the discriminability of different air quality levels, practiced value for regional air quality improvement, and the reservation of general dominant pollutants. Finally, the universality testing in ZPIP successfully recognized most of the peaks, with 54.76%, 38.39% and 6.85% for O3, VOCs and NO2 as the dominant pollutant, and reflected the daily ambient air quality condition, together with the dominant pollutant. The AQI-V system with VOCs sub-index is essential for air quality evaluation in industrial parks, which can further provide scientific support to control the pollution of VOCs and the secondary pollutant, therefore significantly improve the air quality in local industrial parks.

A novel approach for VOC source apportionment combining characteristic factor and pattern recognition technology in a Chinese industrial area.

Volatile organic compound (VOC) emission control and source apportionment in small-scale industrial areas have become key topics of air pollution control in China. This study proposed a novel characteristic factor and pattern recognition (CF-PR) model for VOC source apportionment based on the similarity of characteristic factors between sources and receptors. A simulation was carried out in a typical industrial area with the CF-PR model involving simulated receptor samples. Refined and accurate source profiles were constructed through in situ sampling and analysis, covering rubber, chemicals, coating, electronics, plastics, printing, incubation and medical treatment industries. Characteristic factors of n-undecane, styrene, o-xylene and propane were identified. The source apportionment simulation results indicated that the predicted contribution rate was basically consistent with the real contribution rate. Compared to traditional receptor models, this method achieves notable advantages in terms of refinement and timeliness at similar accuracy, which is more suitable for VOC source identification and apportionment in small-scale industrial areas.

Protein post-translational modification in SARS-CoV-2 and host interaction.

SARS-CoV-2 can cause lung diseases, such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, and multi-system dysfunction. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) related to SARS-CoV-2 are conservative and pathogenic, and the common PTMs are glycosylation, phosphorylation, and acylation. The glycosylation of SARS-CoV-2 mainly occurs on spike (S) protein, which mediates the entry of the virus into cells through interaction with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. SARS-CoV-2 utilizes glycans to cover its epitopes and evade the immune response through glycosylation of S protein. Phosphorylation of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein improves its selective binding to viral RNA and promotes viral replication and transcription, thereby increasing the load of the virus in the host. Succinylated N and membrane(M) proteins of SARS-CoV-2 synergistically affect virus particle assembly. N protein regulates its affinity for other proteins and the viral genome through acetylation. The acetylated envelope (E) protein of SARS-CoV-2 interacts with bromodomain-containing protein 2/4 to influence the host immune response. Both palmitoylation and myristoylation sites on S protein can affect the virus infectivity. Papain-like protease is a domain of NSP3 that dysregulates host inflammation by deubiquitination and impinges host IFN-I antiviral immune responses by deISGylation. Ubiquitination of ORF7a inhibits host IFN-α signaling by blocking STAT2 phosphorylation. The methylation of N protein can inhibit the formation of host stress granules and promote the binding of N protein to viral RNA, thereby promoting the production of virus particles. NSP3 macrodomain can reverse the ADP-ribosylation of host proteins, and inhibit the cascade immune response with IFN as the core, thereby promoting the intracellular replication of SARS-CoV-2. On the whole, PTMs have fundamental roles in virus entry, replication, particle assembly, and host immune response. Mutations in various SARS-CoV-2 variants, which lead to changes in PTMs at corresponding sites, cause different biological effects. In this paper, we mainly reviewed the effects of PTMs on SARS-CoV-2 and host cells, whose application is to inform the strategies for inhibiting viral infection and facilitating antiviral treatment and vaccine development for COVID-19.

Process-based VOCs source profiles and contributions to ozone formation and carcinogenic risk in a typical chemical synthesis pharmaceutical industry in China.

The chemical synthesis pharmaceutical industry plays an important role in VOCs emissions from industrial sources, which has caused increasing concern. In this study, the process-based pollution characteristics of VOCs from the chemical synthesis pharmaceutical industry were investigated in the Yangtze River Delta, China. A total of 16 samples were collected from 12 process units (including 5 production lines and 2 postprocessing units) and 2 factory boundary sites. 116 VOCs species were analyzed and sorted into 6 classes, including alkanes, alkenes, acetylene, aromatics, halocarbons and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs). The concentration of stack VOCs was 3.37 × 104 µg·m-3, while the concentration of fugitive VOCs from other process units ranged from 827 µg·m-3 to 2.11 × 104 µg·m-3. Aromatics, halocarbons and OVOCs accounted for a relatively high proportion in all process units. Process-based source profiles of each process unit were compiled. Generally, toluene, dichloromethane, ethanol, methanol and acetone were the most abundant species in all process units. Furthermore, the process-based ozone formation potentials (OFPs) and carcinogenic risk potentials (CRPs) were calculated, suggesting that toluene, methanol, ethanol and m/p-xylene should be preferentially controlled to reduce the OFPs, while acetaldehyde and chloroform were the priority control species to reduce the CRPs. Further discussion showed that ambient VOCs pollution at the factory boundary was affected by both stack and fugitive sources from the production process. The source profiles built in this study are necessary addition to the current profiles and are a good reference to study VOCs emission characteristics from the perspective of the process procedure. The results obtained from this work provide a guidance for effective VOCs abatement strategies and further lay a foundation for related research on VOCs in the chemical synthesis pharmaceutical industry.

An integrated chemical mass balance and source emission inventory model for the source apportionment of PM2.5 in typical coastal areas.

The source apportionment of PM2.5 is essential for pollution prevention. In view of the weaknesses of individual models, we proposed an integrated chemical mass balance-source emission inventory (CMB-SEI) model to acquire more accurate results. First, the SEI of secondary component precursors (SO2, NOx, NH3, and VOCs) was compiled to acquire the emission ratios of these sources for the precursors. Then, a regular CMB simulation was executed to obtain the contributions of primary particle sources and secondary components (SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, and SOC). Afterwards, the contributions of secondary components were apportioned into primary sources according to the source emission ratios. The final source apportionment results combined the contributions of primary sources by CMB and SEI. This integrated approach was carried out via a case study of three coastal cities (Zhoushan, Taizhou, and Wenzhou; abbreviated WZ, TZ, and ZS) in Zhejiang Province, China. The regular CMB simulation results showed that PM2.5 pollution was mainly affected by secondary components and mobile sources. The SEI results indicated that electricity, industrial production and mobile sources were the largest contributors to the emission of PM2.5 gaseous precursors. The simulation results of the CMB-SEI model showed that PM2.5 pollution in the coastal areas of Zhejiang Province presented complex pollution characteristics dominated by mobile sources, electricity production sources and industrial production sources. Compared to the results of the CMB and SEI models alone, the CMB-SEI model completely apportioned PM2.5 to primary sources and simultaneously made the results more accurate and reliable in accordance with local industrial characteristics.

Down-regulation of USP8 Inhibits Cholangiocarcinoma Cell Proliferation and Invasion.

OBJECTIVE: Cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common primary hepatobiliary malignancy with high incidence and recurrence rate. Ubiquitin-specific protease 8 (USP8) is recently reported to be involved in tumor progression. Herein, we aimed to investigate the effects of USP8 on the growth and metastasis abilities of cholangiocarcinoma cells. METHODS: The siRNA interference was used to knock down USP8 in cholangiocarcinoma cell lines QBC939 and RBE; Hucct-1 cells were transfected with pcDNA3.1-USP8 to up-regulate its expression. The effects of USP8 on cholangiocarcinoma were detected by cell function assays. We analyzed the expressions of USP8, Bcl2, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, Akt, p-Akt, Cyclin D1 and P70S6K by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: We demonstrated that knockdown of USP8 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of QBC939 and RBE cells in vitro, while USP8 overexpression showed significant promoting effects on Hucct-1 cells. Moreover, silencing of USP8 also promoted apoptosis in cholangiocarcinoma cells by regulating the Bcl-2/Bax axis and Caspase cascade; up-regulation of USP8 decreased apoptosis in Hucct-1 cells. Importantly, knockdown of USP8 inhibited activation of the Akt signaling pathway by decreasing the phosphorylation level of Akt and up-regulated p53 expression, while USP8 overexpression increased activation of the Akt signaling pathway in Hucct-1 cells. Further, IGF-1 could reverse the inhibitory effects of USP8 knockdown on the Akt signaling pathway and the proliferation of QBC939 and RBE cells. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings suggest that USP8 exerts an oncogenic role in the progression of cholangiocarcinoma and may be a potential therapeutic target for cholangiocarcinoma treatment.

Evaluation on the removal performance of dichloromethane and toluene from waste gases using an airlift packing reactor.

Biological removal of dichloromethane (DCM) from pharmaceutical industry is limited by its recalcitrance. In this study, an airlift packing reactor (ALPR), which combined the suspended and fixed-film microbial growth system, was set up to remove DCM and co-existed toluene. The removal performance of the ALPR for DCM was greater than traditional airlift reactor (ALR). The maximum elimination capacity (ECmax) of the ALPR for DCM reached 108 g m-3 h-1 with removal efficiency (RE) of 41%, increased by 145% if compared to the ALR. The ECmax for toluene was 172 g m-3 h-1 with RE of 70%, decreased by 25% if compared to the ALR, which was mainly due to the higher liquid-phase biomass in the ALR. The results of high-throughput sequencing showed that the microbial composition on the packings of the ALPR had a large difference from its liquid-phase or the liquid-phase of the ALR. Gemmobacter, Rhizomicrobium, Chitinophaga, Vampirovibrio, and Fodinicurvata were genera with great abundance fixed on the packings and Rhizomicrobium, Chitinophaga, Vampirovibrio, and Fodinicurvata are first to be reported in VOCs biological removal. This study indicated that the ALPR can augment the microbial community and effectively improve the removal of recalcitrant VOCs.

ZnCr2S4: Highly effective photocatalyst converting nitrate into N2 without over-reduction under both UV and pure visible light.

We propose several superiorities of applying some particular metal sulfides to the photocatalytic nitrate reduction in aqueous solution, including the high density of photogenerated excitons, high N2 selectivity (without over-reduction to ammonia). Indeed, ZnCr2S4 behaved as a highly efficient photocatalyst, and with the assistance of 1 wt% cocatalysts (RuOx, Ag, Au, Pd, or Pt), the efficiency was greatly improved. The simultaneous loading of Pt and Pd led to a synergistic effect. It offered the highest nitrate conversion rate of ~45 mg N/h together with the N2 selectivity of ~89%. Such a high activity remained steady after 5 cycles. The optimal apparent quantum yield at 380 nm was 15.46%. More importantly, with the assistance of the surface plasma resonance effect of Au, the visible light activity achieved 1.352 mg N/h under full arc Xe-lamp, and 0.452 mg N/h under pure visible light (λ > 400 nm). Comparing to the previous achievements in photocatalytic nitrate removal, our work on ZnCr2S4 eliminates the over-reduction problem, and possesses an extremely high and steady activity under UV-light, as well as a decent conversion rate under pure visible light.

Expression of mep50 in adult and embryos of medaka fish (Oryzias latipes).

Protein arginine methylation is important for gene regulation and biological processes. Methylosome protein 50 (Mep50) is identified as a partner of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (Prmt5), a major enzyme capable of symmetric dimethylation, in mammals and Xenopus. The isolation and characterization of medaka mep50 were reported in this paper. Medaka Mep50 is a homolog of human MEP50 with six WD40 domains. Medaka mep50 was ubiquitously expressed in the adult tissues and had maternal origin with continuous and dynamical expression during embryonic development detected by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. A strong interaction of medaka Mep50 and Prmt5 was shown by yeast two hybridization. The expression pattern of mep50 is similar to that of prmt5 in medaka. The results suggested that medaka Mep50 could be a partner of Prmt5 and might play major roles in a variety of tissues in medaka.

Identification and expression profiles of prdm1 in medaka Oryzias latipes.

Mouse Prdm1, also known as Blimp1, plays important roles in maturation and survival of lymphoid cells, as well as in organogenesis of muscle, limb, sensor organs and primordial germ cells. The homologues of mouse prdm1 have been identified in a diverse of animals including zebrafish and fugu. Here, we report the identification and expression profiles of two homologues of prdm1, namely prdm1a and prdm1b in medaka, Oryzias latipes. The transcripts of prdm1a and prdm1b were detectable in all the tissues including immune organs such as gill, spleen, kidney, liver and intestine that we have checked on. The transcripts of prdm1a could be detected in the embryonic shield at mid-gastrula stage and later in the somite, eye, otic vesicle, branchial arches, fin, intestine and cloaca during embryogenesis using in situ hybridization. Moreover, the expression of prdm1a in the liver of both medaka and zebrafish could be up-regulated by the immune stimuli including lipopolysaccharide, polyI:C and the grass carp reovirus, similarly to the up-regulation of IL1B. These results indicate that Prdm1a may play important roles in embryogenesis and also in immune response in fish.

Ol4E-T, a eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein of medaka fish (Oryzias latipes), can interact with nanos3 and vasa in vitro.

Maternal factors have essential roles in the specification and development of germ cells in metazoans. In Drosophila, a number of genes such as oskar, vasa, nanos, and tudor are required for specific steps in pole cell formation and further germline development. Drosophila cup, another maternal factor, is confirmed as a main factor in normal oogenesis, maintenance, and survival of female germ-line stem cells by interaction with Nanos. Through searching for the homolog of Drosophila cup in the medaka, the homolog of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E)-transporter, named Ol4E-T, was identified. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization revealed that Ol4E-T is maternally deposited in the embryo and Ol4E-T expression is maintained throughout embryogenesis. Ol4E-T is predominantly expressed in the adult gonads. In the testes, Ol4E-T is expressed in the same regions where medaka vasa, named olvas is expressed. In the ovary, expression of Ol4E-T conforms to that of nanos3 and olvas. Ol4E-T harbors a well-conserved eIF4E-binding motif, YTKEELL, by which Ol4E-T interacts with eIF4E in medaka. Additionally, Ol4E-T can interact with medaka Nanos3 and Olvas, as shown by yeast two hybridization. The spatial expression and interactions between Ol4E-T with germ cell markers Olvas and Nanos3 suggest a role for Ol4E-T in germ-line development in medaka.

Sexually dimorphic and ontogenetic expression of dmrt1, cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b in Gobiocypris rarus.

Fish have diverse sex determination and differentiation. DMRT1 and aromatase are conserved in the phyla and play pivotal roles in sex development. Gobiocypris rarus is a small fish used as a model in aquatic toxicology in China and has been used to study the effects of environmental endocrine disruptors on gene expression, but its sexual development remains elusive. Here, we report the full-length cDNA of G. rarus dmrt1 and its expression along with the expression of cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b, two genes encoding gonad and brain type aromatases, in adults and during ontogenesis. Both cyp19a1a and dmrt1 are expressed in the ovary and testis but show sexual dimorphism. Expression of cyp19a1a in the ovary is higher than in testes and dmrt1 follows the opposite pattern. Juvenile gonad histology changes at 15 days after hatching. The dimorphic expression of dmrt1 and cyp19a1a appears from 5 days after hatching, which is earlier than histological change. cyp19a1b is expressed coordinately with cyp19a1a until 15 days after hatching. These results show that dmrt1 and cyp19a1a play important roles in sex determination and sex differentiation in G. rarus.

Germ cell specific expression of Vasa in rare minnow, Gobiocypris rarus.

Germ cells are set aside early with somatic cells and take roles for reproduction of species from one generation to the next generation. Vasa, a member of DEAD family is well documented as germ cell marker in the animal kingdom. Rare minnow, Gobiocypris rarus, is an emerging model fish in China to study development and toxicology, etc. A suitable germ cell marker will benefit the studies of the factors that may influence germ cell development. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of G. rarus vasa named Grvas whose protein product has the typical characteristics of Vasa proteins. RT-PCR results showed that Grvas is expressed specifically in the gonads of male and female, it is maternally deposited into the eggs for embryos and is continuously expressed in the embryos from the zygote to larvae and adult. Grvas mRNA and/or protein is restricted to the germ cells of ovary and testis. Temporal expression of Grvas mRNA is similar to that of zebrafish vasa during embryogenesis. Grvas signals are coincident with primordial germ cells. These results mean that a germ cell marker, Grvas is isolated from rare minnow and its expression is exclusively in germ cells.

Specific expression of Olpiwi1 and Olpiwi2 in medaka (Oryzias latipes) germ cells.

Piwi is necessary for germ stem cell survival in Drosophila and homologues have been identified in a diverse range of organisms. Here, we identify and characterize two homologous genes of piwi, Olpiwi1 and Olpiwi2, in the model fish medaka (Oryzias latipes). Olpiwi1 is similar to Ziwi in zebrafish or Miwi in the mouse, and Olpiwi2 is similar to Zili in zebrafish or Mili in the mouse. Moreover, Olpiwi2 mRNA is produced from two different chromosomes. RT-PCR showed expression of Olpiwi1 and Olpiwi2 predominantly in the gonads. In situ hybridization revealed germ cell-specific expression of Olpiwi1 and Olpiwi2 throughout the development of oocytes from oogonia to mature oocytes in the ovary, and from spermatogonia to spermatocytes in the testes of adults. RT-PCR and whole mount in situ hybridization showed that both Olpiwi1 and Olpiwi2 were maternally deposited in the embryo. Olpiwi1 and Olpiwi2 were detected in primordial germ cells during embryonic development. These results suggest that both Olpiwi1 and Olpiwi2 are germ cell specific, and may play important roles in germ cell development and gametogenesis in this model species.

Control of mouse graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation by blocking the CD28/B7 signaling pathway with lentiviral vector-mediated RNA interference.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is an effective way to cure hematological malignancies. However, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following transplantation limits the clinical application to some extent. The donor T lymphocytes play a central role in the occurrence and development of GVHD. Control of GVHD by inhibition of T cell proliferation by blocking the CD28/B7 signaling pathway with RNA interference has not been examined. In this study, we constructed a lentiviral vector carrying CD28 shRNA and generated genetically engineered splenocytes through transduction in a murine allogeneic bone marrow transplantation model. The survival and the occurrence of GVHD in transplanted mice were monitored every day. Liver, intestine, skin, and other tissues from the mice in each group were used for histological examination. We also determined plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, and interferon gamma (IFN-γ). Recipient bone marrow from mice that had survived for an extended period was examined to detect chimerism. We succeeded in suppressing the expression of CD28 gene and controlling mouse GVHD following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in the engineered spleen cell group. These suggest that blocking the CD28/B7 signal transduction pathway with lentiviral vector-mediated RNA interference effectively controlled the occurrence of mouse GVHD following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Its mechanism could be due to the inhibition of T cell proliferation and, simultaneously, the promotion of the differentiation of TH0 to TH2 cells, thereby reducing GVHD in the mouse transplantation model.

[Effect of phospholipid composition on characteristics of liposomes containing zedoary turmeric oil].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of phospholipids composition on pharmaceutical characteristics of liposomes containing zedoary turmeric oil (ZTO). METHODS: The ZTO was extracted supersonically by solvent and then colored by sulfuric acid-vanillin reagent. The ZTO liposomes were prepared by ethanol injection method. To determine the entrapment efficiency of the ZTO liposomes, we passed the liposome suspension through a Sephadex G-50 column equilibrated with PBS. Pharmaceutical characteristics of different liposomes such as size, zata potential, entrapment efficiency, stablility were determined and compared. RESULTS: The ZTO liposomes and free drug could be separated completely by the Sephadex G-50 chromatography, and the column recovery was (100.09+/-3.375)% (n=5). The ZTO liposomes composed of hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) possessed the worst entrapment efficiency and sedimentation stability. The entrapment efficiency of the ZTO liposomes composed of soybean phosphatidylcholine (SPC) was equal to that of liposomes composed of both HSPC and SPC. However, The sedimentation and leakage stabilities of the latter were significantly higher than those of SPC liposomes. CONCLUSION: As the carrier of the ZTO liposomes, the composition of both HSPC and SPC can improve its stability.