Preparation of Microporous Carbon from Sargassum horneri by Hydrothermal Carbonization and KOH Activation for CO2 Capture

High-performance microporous activated carbon (AHC) for CO2 capture was prepared from an emerging marine pollutant, Sargassum horneri, via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and KOH activation. The as-synthesized carbon material was characterized by N2 sorption-desorption measurement, TGA, SEM, XRD, FTIR, and elemental analysis. Impressively, the activated carbon exhibited high specific surface area (1221 m2/g), narrow distributed micropores (∼0.50 nm), and a relatively high nitrogen content (3.56 wt.%), which endowed this carbon material high CO2 uptake of 101.7 mg/g at 30°C and 1 bar. Moreover, the carbon material showed highly stable CO2 adsorption capacity and easy regeneration over four adsorption-desorption cycles. Two kinetic models were employed in this work and found that the pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.99) provided the best description. In addition, the high CO2 uptake is mainly attributed to the presence of abundant narrow microporous. The macroporous structure of hydrochar (HC) played an important role in the production of microporous carbon with high adsorption properties. This work provides an efficient strategy for preparing microporous activated carbon from Sargassum horneri, and AHC is a promising candidate acting as an efficient CO2 adsorbent for further industrial application

Cholesterol accumulation in macrophages drives NETosis in atherosclerotic plaques via IL-1β secretion

OBJECTIVE: Neutrophil extracellular trap formation (NETosis) increases atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability and athero-thrombosis. However, mechanisms promoting NETosis during atherogenesis are poorly understood. We have shown that cholesterol accumulation due to myeloid cell deficiency of the cholesterol transporters ATP Binding Cassette A1 and G1 (ABCA1/G1) promotes NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages and neutrophils and induces prominent NETosis in atherosclerotic plaques. We investigated whether NETosis is a cell intrinsic effect in neutrophils or is mediated indirectly by cellular crosstalk from macrophages to neutrophils involving IL-1β.METHODS AND RESULTS: We generated mice with neutrophil or macrophage-specific Abca1/g1 deficiency (S100A8CreAbca1fl/flAbcg1fl/fl or CX3CR1CreAbca1fl/flAbcg1fl/fl mice, respectively), and transplanted their bone marrow into low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice. We then fed the mice a cholesterol-rich diet. Macrophage, but not neutrophil Abca1/g1 deficiency activated inflammasomes in macrophages and neutrophils, reflected by caspase-1 cleavage, and induced NETosis in plaques. NETosis was suppressed by administering an interleukin (IL)-1β neutralizing antibody. The extent of NETosis in plaques correlated strongly with the degree of neutrophil accumulation, irrespective of blood neutrophil counts, and neutrophil accumulation was decreased by IL-1β antagonism. In vitro, IL-1β or media transferred from Abca1/g1 deficient macrophages increased NETosis in both control and Abca1/Abcg1 deficient neutrophils. This cell-extrinsic effect of IL-1β on NETosis was blocked by an NLRP3 inhibitor.CONCLUSIONS: These studies establish a new link between inflammasome mediated IL-1β production in macrophages and NETosis in atherosclerotic plaques. Macrophage-derived IL-1β appears to increase NETosis both by increasing neutrophil recruitment to plaques and by promoting neutrophil NLRP3 inflammasome activation.</p

Increased degradation of MYPT1 contributes to the development of tolerance to nitric oxide in porcine pulmonary artery

Myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1) is the regulatory subunit of myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP). It plays a critical role in vasodilatation induced by cGMP-elevating agents such as nitric oxide (NO). The present study was performed to determine the role of MYPT1 in the development of tolerance of the pulmonary artery to NO. Incubation of isolated porcine pulmonary arteries for 24 or 48 h with DETA NONOate (DETA NO) significantly reduced protein levels of MYPT1 and the leucine zipper-positive (LZ+) isoform of MYPT1 but not that of PP1cδ. The extent of reduction in total MYPT1 protein level was comparable to that of MYPT1 (LZ+). The decrease in MYPT1 protein caused by 48-h DETA NO incubation was prevented by ODQ, an inhibitor of guanylyl cyclase, and by inhibitors of proteasomes (MG-132 and lactacystin) but was not affected by the inhibitor of protein synthesis, cycloheximide. A reduction in MYPT1 protein was also obtained with 8-bromo-cGMP, but this was prevented by Rp-8-bromo-PET-cGMP [inhibitor of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG)]. Incubation for 48 h with DETA NO also reduced dephosphorylation of myosin light chain and relaxation of the artery in response to DETA NO, which was prevented by MG-132. These results suggest that the reduction in MYPT1 protein contributes to the development of tolerance of pulmonary arteries to NO. This may result from increased degradation of MYPT1 after prolonged PKG activation

Optimal MODIS data processing for accurate multi-year paddy rice area mapping in China

Researchers, policy makers, and farmers currently rely on remote sensing technology to monitor crops. Although data processing methods can be different among different remote sensing methods, little work has been done on studying these differences. In order for potential users to have confidence in remote sensing products, an analysis of mapping accuracies and their associated uncertainties with different data processing methods is required. This study used the MOD09A1 and MYD09A1 products of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite, from which the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and the two-band EVI (EVI2) images were obtained. The objective of this study was to analyze the accuracy of different data processing combinations for multi-year rice area mapping. Sixteen combinations of EVI and EVI2 with two cloudy pixel removal methods (QA/BLUE) and four pixel replacement methods (MO/MY/MOY/MYO) were investigated over the Jiangsu Province of southeast China from 2006 to 2016. Different accuracy results were obtained with different data processing combinations for multi-year rice field mapping. Based on a comparison of the relative performance of different MODIS products and processing method combinations, EVI2_BLUE_MYO was proposed to be the optimal processing method, and was applied to forecasting the rice-planted area of 2017. Study results from 2006 to 2017 were validated against reference data and showed accuracies of rice area extraction of greater than 95%. The mean absolute error of transplanting, heading, and maturity dates were 11.55, 8.10, and 7.78 days, respectively. In 2017, two sample regions (A and B) were selected from places where rice fractional cover was greater than 75%. Rice area extraction accuracies of 85.0% (A) and 92.3% (B) were obtained. These results demonstrated the complementarity of MOD09A1 and MYD09A1 datasets in enhancing pixel spatial coverage and improving rice area mapping when atmospheric influences are significant. The optimal data processing combination indentified in this study is promising for accurate multi-year and large-area paddy rice information extraction and forecasting

Child injury in an urban Australian indigenous community: the safe koori kids intervention

Objective To design and evaluate an intervention targeting urban indigenous Australian children in order to increase their self-effi cacy, knowledge and attitudes towards safety. Methods The Safe Koori Kids intervention was developed and delivered to 790 children primary school aged children (13% indigenous) in 24 middle and upper primary classes across fi ve schools in Sydney, Australia. The intervention, consisting of fi ve safety modules, was evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. A pre-test post-test research design was applied to evaluate changes in key outcomes namely child self-effi cacy, knowledge and attitudes towards safety. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from teachers. Findings There was a signifi cant increase (p\u3c0.05) in self-effi cacy among children from pre- to post-intervention for both Indigenous (6%) and non-Indigenous children (2%). Safety knowledge among Indigenous children increased from pre- to post intervention by 17% (p\u3c0.01) and non-Indigenous children by 15%, (p\u3c0.01). However, there were no signifi cant improvements in attitudes towards safety (indigenous children 2%, p=0.288, non-Indigenous children 1%, p=0.0721). Overall, Indigenous children scored lower than non-Indigenous children post intervention on self-effi cacy (75%:77%), knowledge (56%:63%) and attitudes towards safety (79%:84%). Teacher focus groups provided further evidence of the programs impact on children\u27s safety knowledge and attitudes. Conclusions The study contributes to our limited knowledge about effective child injury prevention for disadvantaged Indigenous minorities in high income countries. This is the fi rst intervention of its type in an urban indigenous setting in Australia which has positively contributed to the resilience of indigenous children and families with respect to safety and their environment

ADP-Ribosylation Factors Modulate the Cell Surface Transport of G Protein-Coupled ReceptorsS⃞

ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) regulate vesicular traffic through recruiting coat proteins. However, their functions in the anterograde transport of nascent G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane remain poorly explored. Here we show that treatment with brefeldin A, an inhibitor of guanine nucleotide exchange on ARFs, markedly attenuated the cell surface numbers of α2B-adrenergic receptor (AR), β2-AR, angiotensin II type 1 receptor, and chemokine (CXC motif) receptor 4. Functional inhibition of individual ARF GTPases by transient expression of the GDP-bound, GTP-bound, and guanine nucleotide-deficient mutants showed that the five human ARFs differentially modulated receptor cell surface expression and that the ARF1 mutants produced the most profound inhibitory effect. Furthermore, expression of the ARF1 GTPase-activating protein (GAP) ARFGAP1 significantly blocked receptor transport. Interestingly, the GDP- and GTP-bound ARF1 mutants arrested the receptors in distinct intracellular compartments. Consistent with the reduced receptor cell surface expression, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 activation by receptor agonists was significantly attenuated by the GDP-bound mutant ARF1T31N. Moreover, coimmunoprecipitation showed that α2B-AR associated with ARF1 and glutathione transferase pull-down assay indicated that the α2B-AR C terminus directly interacted with ARF1. These data show that ARF1 GTPase is involved in the regulation of cell surface expression of GPCRs at multiple transport steps

Wearable Contact Lens Sensor for Non-Invasive Continuous Monitoring of Intraocular Pressure

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is an essential indicator of the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. IOP has an apparent physiological rhythm, and it often reaches its peak value at night. To avoid missing the peak value at night and sample the entire rhythm cycle, the continuous monitoring of IOP is urgently needed. A wearable contact lens IOP sensor based on a platinum (Pt) strain gauge is fabricated by the micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) process. The structure and parameters of the strain gauge are optimized to improve the sensitivity and temperature stability. Tests on an eyeball model indicate that the IOP sensor has a high sensitivity of 289.5 μV/mmHg and excellent dynamic cycling performance at different speeds of IOP variation. The temperature drift coefficient of the sensor is 33.4 μV/°C. The non-invasive IOP sensor proposed in this report exhibits high sensitivity and satisfactory stability, promising a potential in continuous IOP monitoring

Wearable Contact Lens Sensor for Non-Invasive Continuous Monitoring of Intraocular Pressure

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is an essential indicator of the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. IOP has an apparent physiological rhythm, and it often reaches its peak value at night. To avoid missing the peak value at night and sample the entire rhythm cycle, the continuous monitoring of IOP is urgently needed. A wearable contact lens IOP sensor based on a platinum (Pt) strain gauge is fabricated by the micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) process. The structure and parameters of the strain gauge are optimized to improve the sensitivity and temperature stability. Tests on an eyeball model indicate that the IOP sensor has a high sensitivity of 289.5 &mu;V/mmHg and excellent dynamic cycling performance at different speeds of IOP variation. The temperature drift coefficient of the sensor is 33.4 &mu;V/&deg;C. The non-invasive IOP sensor proposed in this report exhibits high sensitivity and satisfactory stability, promising a potential in continuous IOP monitoring

Phospho-mimetic Mps1^8D impairs the kinetochore recruitment of BubR1 and Mad2.

<p>(A) Representative immunofluorescence images of prometaphase cells co-transfected with Mps1 shRNA and GFP vector at a 3∶1 ratio. Cells were fixed and co-stained for BubR1 (red) and DNA (blue). Scale bar represents 10 µm. (B) and (C) Representative immunofluorescence images of prometaphase cells expressing different LAP-tagged Mps1 constructs. At 36 hours after co-transfection with the Mps1 shRNA and indicated plasmids, cells were fixed and co-stained for BubR1 (red) (B) or Mad2 (C), and DNA (blue). Scale bar represents 10 µm. (D) Bar graph showing quantification of kinetochore signal of BubR1 and Mad2 in cells expressing different Mps1 constructs as indicated. Bars indicate mean ±SE from 3 independent experiments. In each experiment, 5 cells were measured (>60 kinetochores per cell). * <i>P</i><0.001 versus shMock or Mps1^WT and Mps1^8A rescue groups.</p

Autophosphorylation of Thr12 and Ser15 is dispensable for Mps1 kinetochore localization and SAC function.

<p>(A) Representative immunofluorescence images of prometaphase cells expressing different LAP-tagged Mps1 constructs. At 36 hours after co-transfection with the Mps1 shRNA and indicated plasmids, cells were fixed and co-stained for ACA (red), DNA (blue) and Mad2 (shown as gray scale images). (B) Bar graph showing quantification of the relative Mad2 kinetochore signal intensity in LAP-Mps1^WT or Mps1^KD expressing cells. Bars indicate mean ±SE from 5 cells measured (at least 20 kinetochores per cell). (C) and (E) Representative immunofluorescence images of prometaphase cells expressing different LAP-tagged Mps1 constructs. At 36 hours after co-transfection with the Mps1 shRNA and indicated plasmids, cells were fixed and co-stained for ACA (red), DNA (blue) and Mad1 (C, shown as gray scale images) or Mad2 (E, showing as gray scale images). Scale bar represents 10 µm. (D) and (F) Bar graph showing quantification of the Mad1 (D) or Mad2 (F) kinetochore signal in cells treated as in (C) or (E). Bars indicate mean ±SE from 5 cells measured (at least 20 kinetochores per cell). A.U. means arbitrary unit. (G) Representative immunofluorescence images of prometaphase cells expressing different GFP-tagged Mps1 truncations. At 36 hours after co-transfection with the Mps1 shRNA and indicated plasmids, cells were fixed and co-stained for ACA (red) and DNA (blue). Scale bar represents 10 µm. (H) Bar graph showing quantification of the kinetochore signal of indicated Mps1 truncation protein as in (G). Bars indicate mean ±SE from 5 cells measured (at least 20 kinetochores per cell).</p