Hexabromocyclododecanes in soils, plants, and sediments from Svalbard, Arctic: Levels, isomer profiles, chiral signatures, and potential sources.

This study investigated the occurrence, stereoisomeric behavior, and potential sources of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in topsoil and terrestrial vegetation from Svalbard and ocean sediment samples from Kongsfjorden, an open fjord on the west coast of Spitsbergen. The mean levels of total concentrations (ΣHBCDs) were comparable to those in other remote regions and were lower than those in source regions. Elevated proportions of α-HBCD with an average of 41% in the terrestrial samples and 25% in ocean sediments compared to those in commercial products (10-13% for α-HBCD) were observed, implying isomerization from γ- to α-HBCD in the Arctic environment.

Physiological effects of combined NaCl and NaHCO stress on the seedlings of two maple species.

Salt stress impacts growth and physiological processes in plants, and some plants exposed to salt stress will produce physiological mechanisms to adapt to the new environment. However, the effects of combined NaCl and NaHCO3 stress on the seedlings of Acer species are understudied. In this study, we designed an experiment to measure physiological characteristics by establishing a range of NaCl and NaHCO concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mmol L) to estimate the compound salt tolerance of and .

Health risk assessment of trace elements exposure through the soil-plant (maize)-human contamination pathway near a petrochemical industry complex, Northeast China.

The trace elements contamination of agricultural soils near petrochemical industry complexes is a concern due to the risk of accumulating in food systems and subsequently affecting human health. We measured representative trace elements (Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb, Zn, Pb, Hg and As) through the soil-plant (maize)-human contamination pathway near a petrochemical industry complexes in an agricultural region from September 20 to 28, 2016. We found that the soil was mildly to moderately polluted by multiple trace elements, which was also confirmed by the contamination factor and enrichment factor values.

Color and genesis of californite from Pakistan: insights from μ-XRF mapping, optical spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Four californite samples from Pakistan with yellowish-green, green and reddish-brown colors were investigated by combining the methods of μ-XRF mapping, XRD, Raman spectra, optical spectra, EPMA and XPS. The results show that the californite is composed mainly of microcrystalline vesuvianite and smaller amounts of clinochlore. Based on the distribution of the clinochlore, the californite can be divided into three types.

Barium-promoted hydrothermal stability of monolithic Cu/BEA catalyst for NH-SCR.

As a promising candidate for NOx elimination from the emission of diesel engines, the enhancement effect of Ba on the hydrothermal stability of cordierite supported CuBa/BEA at 600 °C for 48 h was investigated by XRD, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR, XPS, EPR, TEM and in situ DRIFTS. Different properties and amounts of active species are significant factors contributing to the enhanced hydrothermal stability of CuBa/BEA-HT. CuBa/BEA-HT has more Cu2+/Cu+ redox-couples and stronger interactions than Cu/BEA-HT, indicating an excellent redox property of the active species in CuBa/BEA-HT.

Oncogenic retinoic acid receptor γ knockdown reverses multi-drug resistance of human colorectal cancer via Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Retinoic acid receptor γ (RARγ), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, plays an important role in the progression of several cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma, esophageal cancer, and cholangiocarcinoma. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanism of the RARγ expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. In the present study, we found that RARγ was frequently overexpressed in human CRC specimens and CRC cell lines, and it mainly resided in the cytoplasm in CRC specimens.

ESC-3 induces apoptosis of human ovarian carcinomas through Wnt/β-catenin and Notch signaling in vitro and in vivo.

Apoptosis, programmed cell death under physiological or pathological conditions, plays a critical role in the tissue homeostasis of eukaryotes. It is desirable to prevent the occurrence and metastasis of cancer through inducing apoptosis. Our previous study demonstrated that apoptosis could be induced by extract from crocodile in human cholangiocarcinoma.