Showing papers by "Jun Ma published in 2018"

A superior active and stable spinel sulfide for catalytic peroxymonosulfate oxidation of bisphenol S

Abstract: In this paper, for the first time the spinel sulfide carrollite (CuCo2S4) was applied to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the abatement of an endocrine disrupting compound (EDC) bisphenol S (BPS) in water. The hydrothermally synthesized CuCo2S4 outperformed conventional cobalt and copper oxides/sulfides in both catalytic activity and stability (i.e. metal leaching) in this oxidation process. The spinel sulfide was most active under neutral pH conditions, which is preferred for water/wastewater treatment. Sulfate radicals (SO4 −) which was proved to be the prominent oxidant species in this oxidation process, attacked on BPS producing multiple hydroxylated degradation intermediates. Cu(II)/Cu(I) and Co(III)/Co(II) synergetic surface redox couples are found responsible for the catalytic activation of PMS producing SO4 −; furthermore, the thermodynamically favorable reaction between surface Cu(I) and surface Co(III) guarantees the electron transfer between the surface metal sites. As confirmed by turnover frequency calculation, CuCo2S4 has higher catalytic effect per surface cobalt atom than the counterpart oxides for PMS activation, probably due to the lower electronegativity of S2− than O2−. CuCo2S4 could be a potentially useful catalyst for water/wastewater treatment.

Highly Efficient Electroreduction of CO2 to Methanol on Palladium-Copper Bimetallic Aerogels.

Abstract: Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CH3 OH is of great interest Aerogels have fine inorganic superstructure with high porosity and are known to be exceptional materials Now a Pd-Cu bimetallic aerogel electrocatalyst has been developed for conversion of CO2 into CH3 OH The current density and Faradaic efficiency of CH3 OH can be as high as 318 mA cm-2 and 800 % over the Pd83 Cu17 aerogel at a very low overpotential (024 V) The superior performance of the electrocatalyst results from efficient adsorption and stabilization of the CO2 radical anion, high Pd0 /PdII and CuI +Cu0 /CuII ratios, and sufficient Pd/Cu grain boundaries of aerogel nanochains

Prescribing Functional Additives for Treating the Poor Performances of High-Voltage (5 V-class) LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/MCMB Li-Ion Batteries

Abstract: In this paper, tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphite (TMSP) and 1,3-propanediolcyclic sulfate (PCS) are unprecedentedly prescribed as binary functional additives for treating the poor performances of high-voltage (5 V-class) LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/MCMB (graphitic mesocarbon microbeads) Li-ion batteries at both room temperature and 50 degrees C. The high-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/MCMB cell with binary functional additives shows a preponderant discharge capacity retention of 79.5% after 500 cycles at 0.5 C rate at room temperature. By increasing the current intensity from 0.2 to 5 C rate, the discharge capacity retention of the high-voltage cell with binary functional additives is approximate to 90%, while the counterpart is only approximate to 55%. By characterizations, it is rationally demonstrated that the binary functional additives decompose and participate in the modification of solid-electrolyte interface layers (both electrodes), which are more conductive, protective, and resistant to electrolyte oxidative/reductive decompositions (accompanying active-Li+ consuming parasitic reactions) due to synergistic effects. Specifically, the TMSP additive can stabilize LiPF6 salt and scavenge erosive hydrofluoric acid. More encouragingly, at 50 degrees C, the high-voltage cell with binary functional additives holds an ultrahigh discharge capacity retention of 79.5% after 200 cycles at 1 C rate. Moreover, a third designed self-extinguishing flame-retardant additive of (ethoxy)-pentafluoro-cyclo-triphosphazene (PFPN) is introduced for reducing the flammability of the aforementioned binary functional additives containing electrolyte.

Removal of Organoarsenic with Ferrate and Ferrate Resultant Nanoparticles: Oxidation and Adsorption.

Abstract: Many investigations focused on the capacity of ferrate for the oxidation of organic pollutant or adsorption of hazardous species, while little attention has been paid on the effect of ferrate resultant nanoparticles for the removal of organics. Removing organics could improve microbiological stability of treated water and control the formation of disinfection byproducts in following treatment procedures. Herein, we studied ferrate oxidation of p-arsanilic acid ( p-ASA), an extensively used organoarsenic feed additive. p-ASA was oxidized into As(V), p-aminophenol ( p-AP), and nitarsone in the reaction process. The released As(V) could be eliminated by in situ formed ferric (oxyhydr) oxides through surface adsorption, while p-AP can be further oxidized into 4,4'-(diazene-1,2-diyl) diphenol, p-nitrophenol, and NO3-. Nitarsone is resistant to ferrate oxidation, but mostly adsorbed (>85%) by ferrate resultant ferric (oxyhydr) oxides. Ferrate oxidation (ferrate/ p-ASA = 20:1) eliminated 18% of total organic carbon (TOC), while ferrate resultant particles removed 40% of TOC in the system. TOC removal efficiency is 1.6 to 38 times higher in ferrate treatment group than those in O3, HClO, and permanganate treatment groups. Besides ferrate oxidation, adsorption of organic pollutants with ferrate resultant nanoparticles could also be an effective method for water treatment and environmental remediation.

Induction Chemotherapy plus Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Endemic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Individual Patient Data Pooled Analysis of Four Randomized Trials.

Abstract: Purpose: Because of the uneven geographic distribution and small number of randomized trials available, the value of additional induction chemotherapy (IC) to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains controversial. This study performed an individual patient data (IPD) pooled analysis to better assess the precise role of IC + CCRT in locoregionally advanced NPC.Experimental Design: Four randomized trials in endemic areas were identified, representing 1,193 patients; updated IPD were obtained. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were the primary and secondary endpoints, respectively.Results: Median follow-up was 5.0 years. The HR for PFS was 0.70 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.56-0.86; P = 0.0009; 9.3% absolute benefit at 5 years] in favor of IC + CCRT versus CCRT alone. IC + CCRT also improved OS (HR = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.57-0.99; P = 0.04) and reduced distant failure (HR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.51-0.90; P = 0.008). IC + CCRT had a tendency to improve locoregional control compared with CCRT alone (HR = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.48-1.01; P = 0.06). There was no heterogeneity between trials in any analysis. No interactions between patient characteristics and treatment effects on PFS or OS were found. After adding two supplementary trials to provide a more comprehensive overview, the conclusions remained valid and were strengthened. In a supplementary Bayesian network analysis, no statistically significant differences in survival between different IC regimens were detected.Conclusions: This IPD pooled analysis demonstrates the superiority of additional IC over CCRT alone in locoregionally advanced NPC, with the survival benefit mainly associated with improved distant control. Clin Cancer Res; 24(8); 1824-33. ©2018 AACR.

Oral arsenic plus retinoic acid versus intravenous arsenic plus retinoic acid for non-high-risk acute promyelocytic leukaemia: a non-inferiority, randomised phase 3 trial

Abstract: Summary Background Intravenous arsenic trioxide plus all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) without chemotherapy is the standard of care for non-high-risk acute promyelocytic leukaemia (white blood cell count ≤10 × 10 9 per L), resulting in cure in more than 95% of cases. However, a pilot study of treatment with oral arsenic realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF) plus ATRA without chemotherapy, which has a more convenient route of administration than the standard intravenous regimen, showed high efficacy. In this study, we compare an oral RIF plus ATRA treatment regimen with the standard intravenous arsenic trioxide plus ATRA treatment regimen in patients with non-high-risk acute promyelocytic leukaemia. Methods We did a multicentre, non-inferiority, open-label, randomised, controlled phase 3 trial at 14 centres in China. Patients aged 18–70 years with newly diagnosed (within 7 days) non-high-risk acute promyelocytic leukaemia, and a WHO performance status of 2 or less were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive treatment with RIF-ATRA or arsenic trioxide-ATRA as the induction and consolidation therapy. Randomisation was done centrally with permuted blocks and stratification according to trial centre and was implemented through an interactive web response system. RIF (60 mg/kg bodyweight daily in an oral divided dose) or arsenic trioxide (0·15 mg/kg daily in an intravenous dose) and ATRA (25 mg/m 2 daily in an oral divided dose) were used until complete remission was achieved. The home-based consolidation therapy was RIF (60 mg/kg daily in an oral divided dose) or intravenous arsenic trioxide (0·15 mg/kg daily in an intravenous dose) in a 4-week on 4-week off regimen for four cycles and ATRA (25 mg/m 2 daily in an oral divided dose) in a 2-week on 2-week off regimen for seven cycles. Patients and treating physicians were not masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was event-free survival at 2 years. A non-inferiority margin of −10% was used to assess non-inferiority. Primary analyses were done in a modified intention-to-treat population of all patients who received at least one dose of their assigned treatment and the per-protocol population. This study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-TRC-13004054), and the trial is complete. Findings Between Feb 13, 2014, and Aug 31, 2015, 109 patients were enrolled and assigned to RIF-ATRA (n=72) or arsenic trioxide-ATRA (n=37). Three patients in the RIF-ATRA and one in the arsenic trioxide-ATRA did not receive their assigned treatment. After a median follow-up of 32 months (IQR 27–36), 67 (97%) of 69 patients in the RIF-ATRA group and 34 (94%) of 36 in the arsenic trioxide-ATRA group had achieved 2-year event-free survival in the modified intention-to-treat population. The percentage difference in event-free survival was 2·7% (95% CI, −5·8 to 11·1). The lower limit of the 95% CI for the difference in event-free survival was greater than the −10% non-inferiority margin, confirming non-inferiority (p=0·0017). Non-inferiority was also confirmed in the per-protocol population. During induction therapy, grade 3–4 hepatic toxic effects (ie, increased liver aspartate aminotransferase or alanine transaminase concentrations) were reported in six (9%) of 69 patients in the RIF-ATRA group versus five (14%) of 36 patients in the arsenic trioxide-ATRA group; grade 3–4 infection was reported in 15 (23%) of 64 versus 15 (42%) of 36 patients. Two patients in the arsenic trioxide-ATRA group died during induction therapy (one from haemorrhage and one from thrombocytopenia). Interpretation Oral RIF plus ATRA is not inferior to intravenous arsenic trioxide plus ATRA for the treatment of patients with non-high-risk acute promyelocytic leukaemia. This study suggests that a completely oral, chemotherapy-free model might be an alternative to the standard intravenous treatment for patients with non-high-risk acute promyelocytic leukaemia. Funding Foundation for innovative research group of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, the National Key R&D Program of China, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Integrated Interface Strategy toward Room Temperature Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Abstract: Solid-state lithium batteries have drawn wide attention to address the safety issues of power batteries. However, the development of solid-state lithium batteries is substantially limited by the poor electrochemical performances originating from the rigid interface between solid electrodes and solid-state electrolytes. In this work, a composite of poly(vinyl carbonate) and Li10SnP2S12 solid-state electrolyte is fabricated successfully via in situ polymerization to improve the rigid interface issues. The composite electrolyte presents a considerable room temperature conductivity of 0.2 mS cm–1, an electrochemical window exceeding 4.5 V, and a Li+ transport number of 0.6. It is demonstrated that solid-state lithium metal battery of LiFe0.2Mn0.8PO4 (LFMP)/composite electrolyte/Li can deliver a high capacity of 130 mA h g–1 with considerable capacity retention of 88% and Coulombic efficiency of exceeding 99% after 140 cycles at the rate of 0.5 C at room temperature. The superior electrochemical performance ca...

Long non-coding RNA DANCR stabilizes HIF-1α and promotes metastasis by interacting with NF90/NF45 complex in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Abstract: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the development and progression of cancers. However, the clinical significances of lncRNAs and their functions and mechanisms in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain largely unclear. Methods: Quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine DANCR expression and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to evaluate its prognostic value. RNA sequencing followed by bioinformatic analysis was performed to determine the potential function of DANCR. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to investigate its biological effects. DANCR-interacting proteins were identified by RNA pull-down assay followed by mass spectrometry and western blotting, and then confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Results: Our previous microarray analysis identified a metastasis-associated lncRNA DANCR. Here, we found that DANCR was upregulated in NPC, especially in those with lymph lode metastasis, and its upregulation could predict poor survival. We then constructed a prognostic predictive model. RNA sequencing followed by bioinformatic analysis revealed that DANCR was responsible for NPC metastasis and hypoxia phenotype. Functional studies showed that DANCR promoted NPC cell invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Further investigation suggested that DANCR could increase HIF-1α mRNA stability through interacting with the NF90/NF45 complex. Additionally, overexpression of HIF-1α in DANCR knockdown cells restored its suppressive effects on NPC cell migration and invasion. Conclusions: Taken together, our results suggest that DANCR acts as a prognostic biomarker and increases HIF-1α mRNA stability by interacting with NF90/NF45, leading to metastasis and disease progression of NPC.

Impact of Phosphate on Ferrate Oxidation of Organic Compounds: An Underestimated Oxidant.

Abstract: Ferrate (K2FeO4) is a powerful oxidant and up to 3 mol of electrons could be captured by 1 mol of ferrate in the theoretical conversion of Fe(VI)–Fe(V)–Fe(IV)–Fe(III). However, it is reported that ...

Thermal Degradation and Fire Properties of Fungal Mycelium and Mycelium - Biomass Composite Materials

Abstract: Mycelium and mycelium-biomass composites are emerging as new sustainable materials with useful flame-retardant potentials. Here we report a detailed characterisation of the thermal degradation and fire properties of fungal mycelium and mycelium-biomass composites. Measurements and analyses are carried out on key parameters such as decomposition temperatures, residual char, and gases evolved during pyrolysis. Pyrolysis flow combustion calorimetry (PCFC) evaluations reveal that the corresponding combustion propensity of mycelium is significantly lower compared to poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polylactic acid (PLA), indicating that they are noticeably less prone to ignition and flaming combustion, and therefore safer to use. The hyphal diameters of mycelium decrease following pyrolysis. Cone calorimetry testing results show that the presence of mycelium has a positive influence on the fire reaction properties of wheat grains. This improvement is attributable to the relatively higher charring tendency of mycelium compared to wheat grain, which reduces the heat release rate (HRR) by acting as a thermal insulator and by limiting the supply of combustible gases to the flame front. The mycelium growth time has been found to yield no significant improvements in the fire properties of mycelium-wheat grain composites.

m 6 A-mediated ZNF750 repression facilitates nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression.

Abstract: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) progression is regulated by genetic, epigenetic, and epitranscript modulation. As one of the epitranscript modifications, the role of N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) has not been elucidated in NPC. In the present study, we found that the poorly methylated gene ZNF750 (encoding zinc finger protein 750) was downregulated in NPC tumor tissues and cell lines. Ectopic expression of ZNF750 blocked NPC growth in vitro and in vivo. Further studies revealed that m6A modifications maintained the low expression level of ZNF750 in NPC. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing identified that ZNF750 directly regulated FGF14 (encoding fibroblast growth factor 14), ablation of which reversed ZNF750's tumor repressor effect. Moreover, the ZNF750-FGF14 signaling axis inhibited NPC growth by promoting cell apoptosis. These findings uncovered the critical role of m6A in NPC, and stressed the regulatory function of the ZNF750-FGF14 signaling axis in modulating NPC progression, which provides theoretical guidance for the clinical treatment of NPC.

Proteomics and Phosphoproteomics of Heat Stress-Responsive Mechanisms in Spinach.

Abstract: Elevated temperatures limit plant growth and reproduction and pose a growing threat to agriculture. Plant heat stress response is highly conserved and fine-tuned in multiple pathways. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is a cold tolerant but heat sensitive green leafy vegetable. In this study, heat adaptation mechanisms in a spinach sibling inbred heat-tolerant line Sp75 were investigated using physiological, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic approaches. The abundance patterns of 911 heat stress-responsive proteins, and phosphorylation level changes of 45 phosphoproteins indicated heat-induced calcium-mediated signaling, ROS homeostasis, endomembrane trafficking, and cross-membrane transport pathways, as well as more than 15 transcription regulation factors. Although photosynthesis was inhibited, diverse primary and secondary metabolic pathways were employed for defense against heat stress, such as glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, vitamin metabolism, and isoprenoid biosynthesis. These data constitute a heat stress-responsive metabolic atlas in spinach, which will springboard further investigations into the sophisticated molecular mechanisms of plant heat adaptation and inform spinach molecular breeding initiatives.

Self‐Established Rapid Magnesiation/De‐Magnesiation Pathways in Binary Selenium–Copper Mixtures with Significantly Enhanced Mg‐Ion Storage Reversibility

Abstract: Rechargeable magnesium/sulfur (Mg/S) and magnesium/selenium (Mg/Se) batteries are characterized by high energy density, inherent safety, and economical effectiveness, and therefore, are of great scientific and technological interest. However, elusive challenges, including the limited charge storage capacity, low Coulombic efficiency, and short cycle life, have been encountered due to the sluggish electrochemical kinetics and severe shuttles of ploysulfides (polyselenide). Taking selenium as model paradigm, a new and reliable Mg-Se chemistry is proposed through designing binary selenium-copper (Se-Cu) cathodes. An intriguing effect of Cu powders on the electrochemical reaction pathways of the active Se microparticles is revealed in a way of forming Cu3Se2 intermediates, which induces an unconventional yet reversible two-stage magnesiation mechanism: Mg-ions first insert into Cu3Se2 phases; in a second step Cu-ions in the Mg2xCu3Se2 lattice exchange with Mg-ions. As expected, binary Se-Cu electrodes show significantly improved reversibility and elongated cycle life. More bracingly, Se/C nanostructures fabricated by facile blade coating Se nanorodes onto copper foils exhibit high output power and capacity (696.0 mAh g(-1) at 67.9 mA g(-1)), which outperforms all previously reported Mg/Se batteries. This work envisions a facile and reliable strategy to achieve better reversibility and long-term durability of selenium (sulfur) electrodes.