Study on an eco‐design method of industrial solid waste reused products: a case study of mullite produced from fly ash

With the increasing growth of solid waste used as raw materials, it is essential to focus on eco-design of the solid waste reused products to reduce environmental impacts and ensure safe use. In this research, an eco-design and evaluation method is established for the industrial solid waste reused products, with the characteristic of the reuse technology and process of industrial solid waste. This method is established based on the existing eco-design method for general products and life cycle assessment, considering the quality problems as well as the environmental risks in heavy metal, remaining acid and alkali and so on in the recycling products. This method is employed in the fly ash reuse process of producing mullite products. The process is optimized and evaluated by the method with the steps of raw material applicability analysis, process control, products application and safety analysis of final disposition. The results indicate that the process design basically accords with the eco-design purpose of industrial solid waste reused products and it is feasible to implement. References [1] M. Ahmaruzzaman. A review on the utilization of fly ash [J]. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 2010, 36: 327-363. [2] Jesus Barragan Ferrer, Stéphane Negny, Guillermo Cortes Robles, Jean Marc Le Lann. Eco-innovative design method for process engineering [J]. Computers and Chemical Engineering, 2012, 45: 137-151. [3] E. Sobiecka. Investigating the chemical stabilization of hazardous waste material (fly ash) encapsulated in Portland cement [J]. International journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 2013, 10: 1219-1224. [4] James W. Levis, Morton A. Barlaz, Joseph F. DeCarolis, S. Ranji Ranjithan. A generalized multistage optimization modeling framework for life cycle assessment-based integrated solid waste management [J]. Environmental Modelling & Software, 2013, 50: 51-65

Analysis on solid waste emission and management in the development of Beijing City

Beijing, as a typical large city of China, is experiencing a transformational development that huge change occurs in the industrial structure and the city infrastructure. It will have an impact on the resources consumption and solid waste management of Beijing. Based on the data of city development and resources utilization in 2010-2014, this research analyzes the relationship among the different solid waste types, resources consumption and industry development on the premise of sustainable industrial structure adjustment by the methods of the material flow analysis and scenarios analysis. The results show that: firstly, Beijing city has become a typical city relying on resources consumption, with a slow growth of the waste solid emission. Secondly, construction and demolition waste has become the major solid waste in total amount, while municipal solid waste is still the major solid waste in the central urban. Thirdly, a larger reduction of solid waste landfill would be obtained by adjusting the mode of resources recycle, utilization and disposition. The potential reduction of solid waste landfill is estimated to be above 10 million tons in 2020. References [1] Jinglan Hong, Xiangzhi Li, Cui Zhaojie. Life cycle assessment of four municipal solid waste management scenarios in China [J]. Waste Management, 2010, 30: 2362-2369. [2] Dong QingZhang, Soon Keat Tan, Richard M.Gersberg. Municipal solid waste management in China: Status, problems and challenges [J]. Journal of Environmental Management, 2010, 91: 1623-1633. [3] Yan Zhao, Thomas H. Christensen, Wenjing L, et al. Environmental impact assessment of solid waste management in Beijing City, China [J]. Waste Management, 2011, 31: 793-799. [4] Lilliana Abarca Guerrero, Ger Maas, William Hogland. Solid waste management challenges for cities in developing countries [J]. Waste Management, 2013, 33: 220-231

Uptake and transport of a novel anticancer drug-delivery system: lactosyl-norcantharidin-associated N-trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles across intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers

In this paper, novel liver-targeting nanoparticles (NPs), lactosyl-norcantharidin (Lac-NCTD)-associated N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) NPs (Lac-NCTD-TMC-NPs), were prepared using ionic cross-linkage. The physical properties, particle size, and encapsulation efficiency of the nanoparticles were then investigated. The continuous line of heterogeneous human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2) cell monolayer model was used to study the transport mechanism of Lac-NCTD, and the effects of factors such as time, temperature, pH level, drug concentration, enhancers, and inhibitors. This model was also used to indicate the differences among Lac-NCTD, Lac-NCTD-associated chitosan NPs (Lac-NCTD-CS-NPs), and Lac-NCTD-TMC- NPs in the absorption and transportation of membranes. Drug concentration levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Active transport and paracellular transport were suggested to be both the primary and secondary mechanisms for Lac-NCTD absorption, respectively. Lac-NCTD uptake and absorption were not controlled by pH levels, but were positively correlated to uptake time, and negatively correlated to temperature. The basolateral to apical apparent permeability coefficients (Papps) were higher than those of the apical to basolateral values. The inhibitor of P-glycoprotein and the multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 significantly enhanced the uptake amount of Lac-NCTD. Compared with Lac-NCTD, Lac-NCTD-CS-NPs and Lac-NCTD-TMC-NPs significantly enhanced drug absorption. Additionally, the latter exhibited stronger action. Lac-NCTD-NPs could penetrate the plasma membrane of Caco-2 cells and translocate into the cytoplasm and even into the nucleus. Nanoparticles were uptaken into Caco-2 cells through the endocytosis pathway

Quantized octupole acoustic topological insulator

The Berry phase associated with energy bands in crystals can lead to quantized quantities, such as the quantization of electric dipole polarization in an insulator, known as a one-dimensional (1D) topological insulator (TI) phase. Recent theories have generalized such quantization from dipole to higher multipole moments, giving rise to the discovery of multipole TIs, which exhibit a cascade hierarchy of multipole topology at boundaries of boundaries: A quantized octupole moment in the three-dimensional (3D) bulk can induce quantized quadrupole moments on its two-dimensional (2D) surfaces, which then produce quantized dipole moments along 1D hinges. The model of 2D quadrupole TI has been realized in various classical structures, exhibiting zero-dimensional (0D) in-gap corner states. Here we report on the realization of a quantized octupole TI on the platform of a 3D acoustic metamaterial. By direct acoustic measurement, we observe 0D corner states, 1D hinge states, 2D surface states, and 3D bulk states, as a consequence of the topological hierarchy from octupole moment to quadrupole and dipole moment. The critical conditions of forming a nontrivial octupole moment are further demonstrated by comparing with another two samples possessing a trivial octupole moment. Our work thus establishes the multipole topology and its full cascade hierarchy in 3D geometries

PI3K/Akt pathway: a potential therapeutic target for chronic pain

Chronic pain is among the most disabling and costly disorders, with prevalence ranging from 10% to 55%. However, current therapeutic strategies for chronic pain are unsatisfactory due to our poor understanding of its mechanisms. Thus, novel therapeutic targets need to be found in order to improve these patients' quality of life. PI3K and its downstream Akt are widely expressed in the spinal cord, particularly in the laminae I-IV of the dorsal horn, where nociceptive C and Aδ fibers of primary afferents principally terminate. Recent studies have demonstrated their critical roles in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. In this review, we summarized the roles and mechanisms of PI3K/Akt pathway in the progression of chronic pain through sciatic nerve injury, diabetic neuropathy, spinal cord injury, bone cancer, opioid tolerance, or opioid-induced hyperalgesia

Targeting USP1-dependent KDM4A protein stability as a potential prostate cancer therapy

The histone demethylase lysine-specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A) is reported to be overexpressed and plays a vital in multiple cancers through controlling gene expression by epigenetic regulation of H3K9 or H3K36 methylation marks. However, the biological role and mechanism of KDM4A in prostate cancer (PC) remain unclear. Herein, we reported KDM4A expression was upregulation in phosphatase and tensin homolog knockout mouse prostate tissue. Depletion of KDM4A in PC cells inhibited their proliferation and survival in vivo and vitro. Further studies reveal that USP1 is a deubiquitinase that regulates KDM4A K48-linked deubiquitin and stability. Interestingly, we found c-Myc was a key downstream effector of the USP1-KDM4A/androgen receptor axis in driving PC cell proliferation. Notably, upregulation of KDM4A expression with high USP1 expression was observed in most prostate tumors and inhibition of USP1 promotes PC cells response to therapeutic agent enzalutamide. Our studies propose USP1 could be an anticancer therapeutic target in PC

Cross-Regulations among NRFs and KEAP1 and Effects of their Silencing on Arsenic-Induced Antioxidant Response and Cytotoxicity in Human Keratinocytes

Background: Nuclear factor E2-related factors (NRFs), including NRF2 and NRF1, play critical roles in mediating the cellular adaptive response to oxidative stress. Human exposure to inorganic arsenic, a potent oxidative stressor, causes various dermal disorders, including hyperkeratosis and skin cancer

Significant contributions of combustion-related sources to ammonia emissions

Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+) can substantially influence air quality, ecosystems, and climate. NH3 volatilization from fertilizers and wastes (v-NH3) has long been assumed to be the primary NH3 source, but the contribution of combustion-related NH3 (c-NH3, mainly fossil fuels and biomass burning) remains unconstrained. Here, we collated nitrogen isotopes of atmospheric NH3 and NH4+ and established a robust method to differentiate v-NH3 and c-NH3. We found that the relative contribution of the c-NH3 in the total NH3 emissions reached up to 40 ± 21% (6.6 ± 3.4 Tg N yr−1), 49 ± 16% (2.8 ± 0.9 Tg N yr−1), and 44 ± 19% (2.8 ± 1.3 Tg N yr−1) in East Asia, North America, and Europe, respectively, though its fractions and amounts in these regions generally decreased over the past decades. Given its importance, c-NH3 emission should be considered in making emission inventories, dispersion modeling, mitigation strategies, budgeting deposition fluxes, and evaluating the ecological effects of atmospheric NH3 loading