Study on mechanical properties and microstructure of steel-polypropylene fiber coal gangue concrete

Incorporating coal gangue into the concrete matrix can realize the utilization of solid waste and reduce the use of natural aggregate. To improve the mechanical properties of coal gangue concrete, this paper designs four-level and four-factor orthogonal tests with coal gangue ceramide substitution rate, coal gangue ceramide sand substitution rate, steel fiber content, and polypropylene fiber content as independent variables. Through multidimensional data analysis of the test results, The main and secondary factors of compressive strength of hybrid fiber coal gangue concrete from strong to weak are the replacement rate of coal gangue ceramic sand, the replacement rate of coal gangue ceramic grain, the content of steel fiber and the content of polypropylene fiber. The optimal content is 30% coal gangue ceramic particle, 25∼30% coal gangue ceramic sand, 0.75∼1% steel fiber, and 0.2% polypropylene fiber. The grey prediction model GM (1, 5) is obtained, which can predict the concrete strength well within the range selected in this paper. The influence of fiber and coal gangue on the microstructure was studied by scanning electron microscopy, and the influence law of interfacial transition zone on the strength of concrete was explored, which provided a theoretical basis for the study of solid waste utilization of coal gangue

Coniferyl ferulate alleviate xylene-caused hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell toxicity by Mgst2

Xylene exposure is known to induce toxicity in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), leading to bone marrow suppression and potential leukemogenesis. However, research on the gene expression profiles associated with xylene-induced toxicity in HSPCs, and effective therapeutic interventions, remains scarce. In our study, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to capture the transcriptomic shifts within bone marrow HSPCs both prior to and following treatment with coniferyl ferulate (CF) in a mouse model of xylene-induced hematotoxicity. Subsequently, we pinpointed CF as a targeted agent using SPR-LC/MS analysis. This enabled us to confirm the link between the gene Mgst2 and specific cellular subtypes. Our data revealed that CF significantly countered the reduction of both monocyte and neutrophil progenitor cells, which are commonly affected by xylene toxicity. Through targeted analysis, we identified Mgst2 as a direct molecular target of CF. Notably, Mgst2 is preferentially expressed in neutrophil progenitor cells and is implicated in mitochondrial metabolic processes. By selectively inhibiting Mgst2 in bone marrow, we observed amelioration of xylene-induced hematotoxic effects. In summary, our findings suggest that coniferyl ferulate can mitigate the detrimental impact of xylene on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells by targeting Mgst2, particularly within subpopulations of neutrophil progenitors. This discovery not only advances our comprehension of the cellular response of HSPCs to xenobiotic stressors like xylene but also identifies CF and Mgst2 as potential therapeutic targets for alleviating xylene-induced hematotoxicity

miR-122-5p Inhibits the Proliferation, Invasion and Growth of Bile Duct Carcinoma Cells by Targeting ALDOA

Background/Aims: Bile duct cancer, although not among the most common tumors, still accounts for more and more worldwide deaths each year. By attempting to verify an overexpression of ALDOA in cholangiocarcinoma tissues and cells and explore the underlying molecular mechanism regulated by miR-122-5p, this study was designed to provide a potential molecular target in bile duct cancer treatment. Methods: Western blot and immunohistochemistry were performed to detect the ALDOA protein level in duct carcinoma tissues. The transfection efficiency was confirmed by western blot and/or RT-qPCR assay. The proliferation of bile duct carcinoma cells was determined by MTT and colony formation assay. The invasion ability of bile duct carcinoma cells was evaluated with Transwell invasion assay. Flow cytometry detected cell apoptosis of bile duct carcinoma cells. The miRNAs which modulate ALDOA were filtrated from bioinformatics software and clinical specimens. The target relationship was confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, a xenograft model was completed to verify the impact of miRNA on inhibition growth of bile duct carcinoma cells. Results: ALDOA was found up-regulated in bile duct carcinoma tissues and cells. Knockdown of ALDOA promoted the apoptosis of cells and inhibited the proliferation and invasion of bile duct carcinoma cells. Bioinformatics and clinical specimens indicated the negative correlation and targeted regulation between miR-122-5p and ALDOA. By down-regulating ALDOA, overexpression of miR-122-5p appeared to promote cell apoptosis and significantly inhibit cell proliferation, invasion in vitro and suppress the tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion: miR-122-5p inhibited proliferation and invasion of bile duct carcinoma cells and promoted cell apoptosis by targeting ALDOA expression

β2-adrenoreceptor Signaling Increases Therapy Resistance in Prostate Cancer by Upregulating MCL1

There is accumulating evidence that continuous activation of the sympathetic nervous system due to psychosocial stress increases resistance to therapy and accelerates tumor growth via β2-adrenoreceptor signaling (ADRB2). However, the effector mechanisms appear to be specific to tumor type. Here we show that activation of ADRB2 by epinephrine, increased in response to immobilization stress, delays the loss of MCL1 apoptosis regulator (MCL1) protein expression induced by cytotoxic drugs in prostate cancer cells; and thus, increases resistance of prostate cancer xenografts to cytotoxic therapies. The effect of epinephrine on MCL1 protein depended on protein kinase A (PKA) activity, but was independent from androgen receptor expression. Furthermore, elevated blood epinephrine levels correlated positively with an increased MCL1 protein expression in human prostate biopsies. In summary, we demonstrate that stress triggers an androgen-independent antiapoptotic signaling via the ADRB2/PKA/MCL1 pathway in prostate cancer cells. IMPLICATIONS: Presented results justify clinical studies of ADRB2 blockers as therapeutics and of MCL1 protein expression as potential biomarker predicting efficacy of apoptosis-targeting drugs in prostate cancer

Chemical and morphological transformation of ilmenite during modification roasting with chlorine in fluidized bed

The modification roasting of ilmenite with gaseous chlorine in fluidized bed at 650 degrees C -750 degrees C was conducted, prior to hydrochloric leaching for preparation of synthetic rutile. The modification effects were characterized by redox titration, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy analysis. During the modified roasting, one third of reacted ferrous iron in ilmenite was chlorinated to form gaseous FeCl3 while the remaining part was oxidized to ferric state. The oxidation rate was found quite fast which was controlled by chemical reaction mechanism. At 650 degrees C, Fe2Ti3O9 crystallographic shear phase was the major solid product of roasting, as temperature rose, rutile and hematite phases became the main products. Morphologically, the Fe2Ti3O9 product caused no effect on the morphology of oxidized ilmenite, as gaseous FeCl3 generated and volatilized, submicron cracks were extended in the particles. When roasting at 750 degrees C, rutile phase emerged and nucleated quickly throughout the particles, and the formed rutile grains became the skeleton while volatilization removal of FeCl3, the roasted ilmenite kept their stability and formed target phase with porous structure. Besides, the silicate gangue of mineral was modified from smooth glass morphology to porous structure with more than 50% of calcium in silicate rapidly chloridized. After hydrochloric leaching, the acquired synthetic rutile from modified ilmenite reached a grade of 85.26 wt.% TiO2, and the harmful MgO and CaO contents were reduced to 0.55 wt.% and 0.19 wt.% respectively. The new process of chlorine modification-hydrochloric leaching shows a great applied prospect for synthetic rutile from low-grade ilmenite. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

Selective extraction of vanadium from pre-oxidized vanadium slag by carbochlorination in fluidized bed reactor

Most of the vanadium (V) is industrially extracted from vanadium slag, a byproduct in steelmaking, via the sodium roasting-water leaching or calcification roasting-acid leaching process, which usually suffers from environment pollution or decrease in product purity. In this paper, a novel process of vanadium extraction featuring carbochlorination of pre-oxidized vanadium slag with chlorine (Cl-2) and nitrogen (N-2) mixture in a fluidized bed reactor was proposed. And the selectivity between vanadium and iron (Fe) in the slag was primarily concerned, due to the high content of the latter in vanadium slag. The thermodynamic analysis reveals that there exists a favorable zone for selective chlorination of V from Fe compounds. Subsequently, carbochlorination experiments were conducted to investigate the influences of chlorination temperature and time, addition amount of petroleum coke and pressure fraction of chlorine on extraction of V and Fe. And 87.47% of V together with 18.79% of Fe can be extracted from the pre-oxidized vanadium slag by chlorination at 650 degrees C for 120 min with chlorine pressure fraction [P(Cl-2)/ P(Cl-2+N-2)] = 0.5 and petroleum coke mass fraction in raw materials for chlorination Rc = 10%. The results demonstrate that the selective chlorination process has good potential to recover vanadium from vanadium slags in efficient and clean ways. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved