A sustainability-oriented approach for performance assessment of existing buildings and a case study.

The practice of sustainable buildings has become a general trend in urban development. Yet, with the rapid development of urban renewal, the performance of existing buildings often fails to meet the actual needs of sustainable urban development. To improve the performance of existing buildings, it is urgently needed to transform the existing structures and upgrade their functions and facilities.

PRDX1 exerts a photoprotection effect by inhibiting oxidative stress and regulating MAPK signaling on retinal pigment epithelium.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the photoprotection effect of peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1) protein in ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation-induced damage of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and its possible molecular mechanism.

Methods: ARPE-19 cell viability and apoptosis were assessed by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the PRDX1 expression.

Performance and kinetics of benzo(a)pyrene biodegradation in contaminated water and soil and improvement of soil properties by biosurfactant amendment.

As a hydrophobic pollutant, benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is difficult to be degraded by microbes due to its poor water solubility. To improve its water solubility, this study harvested a biosurfactant from swine wastewater. The role of the biosurfactant in BaP biodegradation in contaminated water and soil were investigated.

Removal of benzo(a)pyrene in polluted aqueous solution and soil using persulfate activated by corn straw biochar.

An activator, corn straw biochar, was produced and applied in persulfate-based oxidation to remove benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) in polluted aqueous solution and soil. Polluted aqueous solution remediation results showed that at pH 7, approximately 88.4% of BaP was removed by 10 mM of persulfate activated by 1.

Performances and mechanisms of sludge dewatering by a biopolymer from piggery wastewater and application of the dewatered sludge in remediation of Cr(VI)-contaminated soil.

In this study, a biopolymer was harvested from piggery wastewater to treat biological sludge. Effectiveness of the combination of polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and this biopolymer in sludge dewatering was investigated and the dewatering mechanism was discussed. Results showed that as high as 3.

The influence of humic acids on the weathering of pyrite: Electrochemical mechanism and environmental implications.

Pyrite weathering often occurs in nature and causes heavy metal ion pollution and acid mine drainage during the process. Humic acid (HA) is a critical natural organic material that can bind metal ions, thus affecting metal transfer and transformation. In this work, in situ electrochemical techniques combined with spectroscopic analysis were adopted to investigate the interfacial processes involved in pyrite weathering with/without HA.

Curcumin inhibits high glucose‑induced inflammatory injury in human retinal pigment epithelial cells through the ROS‑PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a retinal disease caused by metabolic disorders of glucose tolerance that can lead to irreversible blindness if not adequately treated. Retinal pigment epithelial cell (RPEC) dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of DR. In the present study the anti‑inflammatory effect of curcumin (CUR) was investigated in RPECs damaged by high glucose levels.

[Efficacy and safety of Xiyanping injection combined with azithromycin in treating mycoplasma pneumonia of children: Meta-analysis].

To systemically evaluate the safety and efficacy of Xiyanping injection combined with azithromycin in the treatment of mycoplasmal pneumonia in children. PubMed, Wanfang Data, CNKI, VIP and CBM were used to search for the clinical randomized controlled trials on Xiyanping injection combined with azithromycin in the treatment of mycoplasmal pneumonia in children from database establishment to July, 2017. The papers were screened according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then the quality of the included studies was evaluated to extract valid data for Meta-analysis by using Revman 5.

Galena weathering under simulated acid rain conditions: electrochemical processes and environmental assessments.

Galena can be easily weathered under acid rain conditions and causes environmental issues. This process, in nature, is an electrochemical process. In situ electrochemical technology and surface analysis technology were combined to investigate this weathering process.

Pyrite oxidation under simulated acid rain weathering conditions.

We investigated the electrochemical corrosion behavior of pyrite in simulated acid rain with different acidities and at different temperatures. The cyclic voltammetry, polarization curve, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results showed that pyrite has the same electrochemical interaction mechanism under different simulated acid rain conditions, regardless of acidity or environmental temperature. Either stronger acid rain acidity or higher environmental temperature can accelerate pyrite corrosion.

Differential distribution patterns of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria in acidic soils of Nanling National Nature Reserve forests in subtropical China.

In addition to ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) the more recently discovered ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) can also oxidize ammonia, but little is known about AOA community structure and abundance in subtropical forest soils. In this study, both AOA and AOB were investigated with molecular techniques in eight types of forests at surface soils (0-2 cm) and deep layers (18-20 cm) in Nanling National Nature Reserve in subtropical China. The results showed that the forest soils, all acidic (pH 4.