Effect of Thermal Hydrolysis on Rheological Behavior of Municipal Sludge

Properly understanding of sludge rheological properties is important for designing of pumping and translating. Effect of thermal hydrolysis on rheological properties of municipal sludge was studied using a rheometer (DHR-2) with concentric cylinder geometry. Test results indicated both raw and thermal treated sludge displayed non-Newtonian rheological behavior with shear thinning, exhibiting thixotropic properties and viscoelasticity. The Herschel–Bulkley model could represent their flow behavior more accurately than other models. However, for the raw sludge, as solid content reached 120 g/L, fluidity disappeared, and all the rheological models could not describe it accurately. After thermal hydrolysis, the consistency index (<i>k</i>) decreased significantly, while the flow index (<i>n</i>) increased, suggesting that thermal treated sludge was much closer to the Newtonian fluid compared to the raw sludge. Both raw and treated sludge exhibited strong dependence on solid content and temperature. Correlations between solid content, temperature, and viscosity were expressed by an exponential equation and an Arrhenius type equation, respectively. Analysis of thixotropic properties illustrated that evolution of viscosity over time could be expressed by a first-order (solid content lower than 100 g/L) and a second-order thixotropic kinetic equation (solid content higher than 100 g/L), respectively, for raw sludge. For treated sludge, it could be simulated by a first-order thixotropic kinetic equation. Furthermore, the dynamic test indicated viscoelasticity of treated sludge decreased remarkably. For treated sludge, as the solid content was larger than 120 g/L, viscoelastic parameters were linearly correlated with logarithm frequency

Metabolomics Reveals Novel Serum Metabolic Signatures in Gastric Cancer by a Mass Spectrometry Platform

Gastric cancer (GAS) is one of the malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal system. Alterations in metabolite composition can reflect pathological processes of GAS and constitute a basis for diagnosis and treatment improvements. In this study, a total of 301 serum samples from 150 GAS patients at different tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stages and 151 healthy controls were collected. Mass spectrometry platforms were performed to investigate the changes in GAS-related metabolites and explore the new potential serum biomarkers and the metabolic dysregulation associated with GAS progression. Twelve differential metabolites (ethyl 2,4-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane-2-acetate, D-urobilinogen, 14-HDoHE, 13-hydroxy-9-methoxy-10-oxo-11-octadecenoic acid, 5,6-dihydroxyprostaglandin F1a, 9′-carboxy-gamma-tocotrienol, glutaric acid, alanine, tyrosine, C18:2(FFA), adipic acid, and suberic acid) were identified to establish the diagnosis model for GAS. The defined biomarker panel was also statistically significant for GAS progression with different TNM stages. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment revealed the metabolic dysregulation associated with GAS progression. In conclusion, a diagnostic panel was established and validated, which could be used to further stage the early and advanced GAS patients from healthy controls. These findings may provide useful information for explaining the GAS metabolic alterations and try to facilitate the characterization of GAS patients in the early stage

Occurrence and Profiles of Phthalates in Foodstuffs from China and Their Implications for Human Exposure

Phthalate esters are used in a wide variety of consumer products, and human exposure to this class of compounds is widespread. Nevertheless, studies on dietary exposure of humans to phthalates are limited. In this study, nine phthalate esters were analyzed in eight categories of foodstuffs (<i>n</i> = 78) collected from Harbin and Shanghai, China, in 2011. Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BzBP), and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) were frequently detected in food samples. DEHP was the major compound found in most of the food samples, with concentrations that ranged from below the limit of quantification (LOQ) to 762 ng/g wet weight (wt). The concentrations of phthalates in food samples from China were comparable to concentrations reported for several other countries, but the profiles were different; DMP was found more frequently in Chinese foods than in foods from other countries. The estimated daily dietary intake of phthalates (EDI_diet) was calculated based on the concentrations measured and the daily ingestion rates of food items. The EDI_diet values for DMP, DEP, DIBP, DBP, BzBP, and DEHP (based on mean concentrations) were 0.092, 0.051, 0.505, 0.703, 0.022, and 1.60 μg/kg-bw/d, respectively, for Chinese adults. The EDI_diet values calculated for phthalates were below the reference doses suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Comparison of total daily intakes, reported previously based on a biomonitoring study, with the current dietary intake estimates suggests that diet is the main source of DEHP exposure in China. Nevertheless, diet accounted for only <10% of the total exposure to DMP, DEP, DBP, and DIBP, which suggested the existence of other sources of exposure to these phthalates

Assessing and Forecasting Atmospheric Outflow of α-HCH from China on Intra-, Inter-, and Decadal Time Scales

Atmospheric outflow of α-HCH from China from 1952 to 2009 was investigated using Chinese Gridded Pesticide Emission and Residue Model (ChnGPERM). The model results show that the outflows via the northeast boundary (NEB, longitude 115–135 °E along 55 °N and latitude 37–55 °N along 135 °E) and the mid-south boundary (MSB, longitude 100–120 °E along 17 °N) of China account for 47% and 35% of the total outflow, respectively. Two climate indices based on the statistical association between the time series of modeled α-HCH outflow and atmospheric sea-level pressure were developed to predict the outflow on different time scales. The first index explains 70/83% and 10/46% of the intra-annual variability of the outflow via the NEB and MSB during the periods of 1952–1984 and 1985–2009, respectively. The second index explains 16% and 19% of the interannual and longer time scale variability in the outflow through the NEB during June–August and via the MSB during October–December for 1991–2009, respectively. Results also revealed that climate warming may potentially result in stronger outflow via the NEB than the MSB. The linkage between the outflow with large scale atmospheric circulation patterns and climate warming trend over China was also discussed

Supplementary_table – Supplemental material for Genetic variants in miRNA machinery genes associated with clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of gastric cancer patients

<p>Supplemental material, Supplementary_table for Genetic variants in miRNA machinery genes associated with clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of gastric cancer patients by Yuqian Liao, Yulu Liao, Jun Li, Liyan Liu, Junyu Li, Yiye Wan and Lixiang Peng in The International Journal of Biological Markers</p

Effects of mangiferin on the proteins expression of FFA metabolism including AMPK, CD36, CPT1, ACC and DGAT2 in liver of hyperlipidemic rats.

<p>Wistar rats were divided randomly into five groups (n = 10 per group): control group (fed an AIN-93G diet); hyperlipidemia group (fed a high-fat diet); mangiferin-supplemented groups, fed the high-fat diet and different doses of mangiferin (50, 100, 150 mg/kg BW/d). The experiment lasted for 6 weeks, and the liver was taken for western blot analysis. (A) AMPK phosphorylation level. (B) CD36 expression on cell membrane. (C) CPT1 expression in mitochondrion. (D) ACC level and activity. (E) DGAT2 expression. * P<0.05 compared with hyperlipidemic group.</p

Flow diagram showing patient selection at baseline.

<p>Flow diagram showing patient selection at baseline.</p

Effects of mangiferin on the ratio of AMP to ATP and LKB1 protein expression in HepG2 cells.

<p>HepG2 cells were incubated to 0.2 mmol/L oleic acid only or with different concentrations of mangiferin (12.5, 25, 50, 100 µmol/L) simultaneously for 24 h. The ratio of AMP to ATP was detected by HPLC (A). The LKB1 protein expression was carried out by western blot analysis (B). The experiments were repeated 3 times. Data are presented as means ± SD (n = 3). ^*<i>P</i><0.05 compared with only OA stimulation group.</p

HepG2 cells were incubated with 0.2 mmol/L OA only or with different concentrations of mangiferin (12.5, 25, 50, 100 µmol/L) simultaneously for 24 h.

<p>Proteins were isolated from the cell lysates and analyzed by western blot analysis for AMPK (A), CD36 (B), CPT1 (C), ACC (D) and DGAT (E) expressions. The experiments were repeated 3 times. Data are presented as means ± SD (n = 3). ^*<i>P</i><0.05 compared with only OA stimulation group.</p

Effects of compound C on mangiferin induced FFA uptake, intracellular FFA, TG and FFA metabolism proteins expression in HepG2 cells.

<p>HepG2 cells were pretreated 1 h with compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, and then treated with 100 µmol/L mangiferin and 0.2 mmol/L OA for 24 h. OA in medium (To assess the uptake of OA) (A), intracellular OA (A), intracellular TG (A) and proteins expression of FFA metabolism including AMPK (B), ACC (B), CD36 (B), CPT1 (B) and DGAT2 (B) were determined by western blot method. The experiments were repeated 3 times. Data are presented as means ± SD (n = 3). ^*<i>P</i><0.05 and ^**<i>P</i><0.01 compared with only OA stimulation group.</p