The significant amount of ash content in agricultural biomass presents an enormous challenge for efficient conversion processes.In addressing this issue,various deashing treatments have been tested and established,inc...The significant amount of ash content in agricultural biomass presents an enormous challenge for efficient conversion processes.In addressing this issue,various deashing treatments have been tested and established,including simple leaching techniques,which can either be performed with or without the addition of chemical agents.These techniques hold promise for improving the deashing efficiency while potentially altering the structural and chemical composition of biomass,specifically lignin content,which is the key focus of this review.This review starts by exploring the presence of ash in agricultural residues and its impact on biomass properties.Next,this review examines deashing strategies aimed at reducing ash levels in biomass followed by analysis of the resulting changes in lignin physical and chemical properties as well as its thermal characteristics.The final part of this review is concluded by the discussion on the limitations of current approaches and the possible future directions to address the challenges covering the environmental impacts of the deashing treatments.A green process approach is emphasized as a sustainable solution with the aim to minimize negative environmental impacts associated with chemical usage during deashing.Finally,this review highlights the potential for ash recovery as a byproduct of the deashing processes,paving the way for an integrative,closed-loop approach within the biorefinery concept.展开更多
Production of glass-ceramics by sintering the molten slag obtained from electric arc furnace treatment of fly ash was investigated. The effect of washing pretreatment prior to melting the fly ash on the microstructure...Production of glass-ceramics by sintering the molten slag obtained from electric arc furnace treatment of fly ash was investigated. The effect of washing pretreatment prior to melting the fly ash on the microstructure and properties of the glass-ceramics was examined. The results show that washing pretreatment of fly ash can decrease alkali metal chloride and increase network former in fly ash, which results in the increase of peak crystallization temperature of parent glass and strengthening of properties of bending strength and chemical stability of the glass-ceramics. The optimal heat treatment temperature for parent glass of washed fly ash is 1 173 K, at which the crystalline phase of glass-ceramics is composed of gelignite （Ca2A12SiO7） and akermanite （Ca2MgSi207）. Glass-ceramics produced at optimal heat treatment temperature are excellent in term of the physical and chemical properties and leaching characteristics, indicating attractive potential as substitute of nature materials.展开更多
Dry ashing is an established method. Ashing whole blood samples are, however, often difficult to carry out with significant sample loss, and the procedure is not well documented. A new procedure has been devel- oped a...Dry ashing is an established method. Ashing whole blood samples are, however, often difficult to carry out with significant sample loss, and the procedure is not well documented. A new procedure has been devel- oped and optimized to dry-ash whole blood samples for trace metal analyses. The procedure reduces both the dry-ashing time by more than two thirds and sample loss. The ashed sample can be readily used in subse- quent, simultaneous or individual analysis of several metals by ICP-OES, as demonstrated in the analysis of a whole blood sample. The new procedure is simple, inexpensive, and faster than the established method.展开更多
The coal filter cake is a product of fine coal after floatation which has an ash content of 7-13%, water content of 30±2%, and a particle size of less than 1 mm. The ash content was measured by the intensity of t...The coal filter cake is a product of fine coal after floatation which has an ash content of 7-13%, water content of 30±2%, and a particle size of less than 1 mm. The ash content was measured by the intensity of the single backscattered gamma-ray, and its accuracy is mainly dependent on the energy of the gamma-ray. The 238Pu low energy photon source is selected in this work. The energy of its gamma-ray is 15 keV, which can result not only in the best sensitivity, but also in the lowest contribution to the environment radiation. The root mean square deviation of the ash measurement is±0.33% (±1σ).展开更多
Heavy metal stabilization and alkali neutralization are crucial for the management of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash(MSWI FA).In this study,the effects of oxalic acid(OA)and citric acid(CA)washing on heavy...Heavy metal stabilization and alkali neutralization are crucial for the management of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash(MSWI FA).In this study,the effects of oxalic acid(OA)and citric acid(CA)washing on heavy metal migration and alkali changes were investigated.Besides,three agents were selected to stabilize acid-washed fly ash(FA),and the effects of heavy metal stabilization under different disposal environments and the changes in their form distributions were comparatively analyzed.The experimental results demonstrated that with increasing organic acid concentration,the amount of Cd and Pb extracted from MSWI FA increased,whereas the amount of alkalis tended to decrease.Moreover,the leaching concentration of heavy metals and the percentage of unstable forms increased after acid washing.The alkalis content in the products decreased to 7.91-8.75 after stabilization,which met the standards of hazardous waste landfills.Compared with other agents,sodium diethyldithiocarbamate(DDTC)exhibited excellent heavy metal stabilization performance.After the addition of 1%DDTC,the leaching concentrations of Cd and Pb decreased to values lower than the national standard limit.Additionally,the curing rates of Cd and Pb were greater than 98%under the two leaching conditions.With the addition of DDTC,the percentage of stable forms increased,and the percentages of stable Cd and Pb forms increased to 87.68%and 99.03%,respectively,after treatment with 2%DDTC.The above results corroborated that CA coupled with DDTC stabilization can significantly reduce Cd and Pb toxicity and neutralize alkalinity in FA.展开更多
It is crucial to develop arsenic removal adsorbents with strong sulfur resistance under middle-low-temperature flue gas conditions(<400℃).In this work,five Fe-Ce-La oxides were prepared by co-precipitation method,...It is crucial to develop arsenic removal adsorbents with strong sulfur resistance under middle-low-temperature flue gas conditions(<400℃).In this work,five Fe-Ce-La oxides were prepared by co-precipitation method,and FeCeLaO/SiO_(2)-Al_(2)O_(3) composite adsorbents were prepared by coupling fly ash-based Si-Al carriers.The active components Fe-Ce-La oxides and Si-Al carriers were characterized by TPD,TG,XRF,BET and XPS,respectively.The effects of temperature,Si/Al ratio and FeCeLaO loading rate on the sulfur resistance were investigated.Results show that the SO_(2) promotes the arsenic removal of Fe_(2)O_(3),CeLaO and FeCeLaO.At 400℃,the arsenic removal efficiencies of the three oxides increase from 45.3%,72.5% and 81.3% without SO_(2) to 62.6%,80.5%and 91.0%,respectively.The SO_(2) inhibits the arsenic removal of La_(2)O_(2)CO_(3) and FeLaO,and the inhibition effect is pronounced at high temperatures.The sulfur poisoning resistance of Si-Al carriers increases with the increase of Si/Al ratio.When the Si/Al ratio is increased to 9.74,the arsenic removal efficiency in the SO_(2) environment is 13.9% higher than that in the absence of SO_(2).Introducing FeCeLaO active components is beneficial for enhancing the SO_(2) poisoning resistance of Si-Al carriers.The strong sulfur resistance of the FeCeLaO/SiO_(2)-Al_(2)O_(3) composite adsorbent results from multiple factors:protective effects of Ce on Fe,La and Al;sulfation-induced generation of Ce^(3+)and surface-adsorbed oxygen;and strong surface acidity of SiO_(2).展开更多
Phase change memory （PCM） has been regarded as a promising candidate for the next generation of nonvolatile memory. To decrease the power required to reset the PCM cell, titanium nitride （TIN） is preferred to be u...Phase change memory （PCM） has been regarded as a promising candidate for the next generation of nonvolatile memory. To decrease the power required to reset the PCM cell, titanium nitride （TIN） is preferred to be used as the bottom electrode of PCM due to its low thermal and suitable electrical conductivity. However, during the manufacture of PCM cell in 40 nm process node, abnormally high and discrete distribution of the resistance of TiN bottom electrode was found, which might be induced by the surface oxidation of TiN bottom electrode during the photoresist ashing process by oxygen plasma. In this work, we have studied the oxidation of TiN and found that with the increasing oxygen plasma ashing time, the thickness of the TiO2 layer became thicker and the state of the TiO2 layer changed from amorphous to crystalline, respectively. The resistance of TiN electrode contact chain with 4-5 nm TiO2 layer was confirmed to be almost three-orders of magnitude higher than that of pure TiN electrode, which led to the failure issue of PCM cell. We efficiently removed the oxidation TiO2 layer by a chemical mechanical polishing （CMP） process, and we eventually recovered the resistance of TiN bottom electrode from 1×10^5Ω/via back to 6×10^2 Ωvia and successfully achieved a uniform resistance distribution of the TiN bottom electrode.展开更多
The vertical heterogeneity of the pore structure in deep coal seams with varying ash yields is a key control for coalbed methane storage and producibility;however,its specific impact on gas adsorption is not clearly d...The vertical heterogeneity of the pore structure in deep coal seams with varying ash yields is a key control for coalbed methane storage and producibility;however,its specific impact on gas adsorption is not clearly defined.The focus of this study is the No.8 coal seam of the Carboniferous Benxi Formation in the Central-Eastern Ordos Basin.By integrating microscopic identification,proximate analysis,gas adsorption(CO_(2),N_(2),and CH_(4)),and the multifractal theory,we quantitatively characterized the nanopore structure(micropores<2 nm and mesopores 2 nm-100 nm)of coal reservoirs with varying ash yields.The results indicate that(1)ash yield is the primary factor that controls the vertical evolution of pore structures in coal seams.In low-ash yield coal seams,the extent of thermal evolution and ash yield jointly constrain the heterogeneity of pore size distribution.In mediumto high-ash yield coal seams,the heterogeneity of pore structure and pore size distribution are predominantly constrained by ash yield.(2)As the ash yield vertically increases,the mesoporous pore volume and specific surface area initially decrease and subsequently increase,while the contribution of micropores to both pore volume and specific surface area continuously diminishes.Consequently,the total pore volume and specific surface area of the coal samples exhibit a two-stage reduction close to an ash yield threshold of approximately 20%.(3)Further,the Langmuir volume for CH_(4)adsorption sharply declines below the 20%threshold,followed by a gradual decrease;in contrast,the Langmuir pressure initially decreases and subsequently increases.Hence,the vertical increase in ash yield constrains the development of pore systems and diminishes pore connectivity,thereby reducing methane adsorption capacity and adversely affecting coalbed methane productivity.(4)Low-ash yield coal reservoirs are characterized by a rapid gas breakthrough and high productivity,whereas medium-ash yield coal reservoirs generally require prolonged depressurization to achieve peak gas production.These findings reveal that in medium-high rank coal,ash yield―and not thermal evolution―is the main factor that controls vertical pore evolution and methane adsorption efficiency.The quantitative ash yield threshold(20%)established in this study provides a practical criterion for evaluating reservoir quality and predicting vertical variations in gas storage potential in the Ordos Basin.展开更多
This study aims to develop an accurate and robust machine learning model to predict the carbonation depth of fly ash concrete,overcoming the limitations of traditional predictive methods.Five ensemble-based models,suc...This study aims to develop an accurate and robust machine learning model to predict the carbonation depth of fly ash concrete,overcoming the limitations of traditional predictive methods.Five ensemble-based models,such as adaptive boosting(AdaBoost),categorical boosting(CatBoost),gradient boosting regressor(GBR),hist gradient boosting regressor(HistGBR),and extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost),were developed and optimized using 729 high-quality dataset points incorporating seven input parameters,including cement,CO_(2),exposure time,water-binder ratio,fly ash,curing time,and compressive strength.Several performance evaluation metrics were used to compare the models.The GBR model emerged as the best-performing model,based on high coefficient of determination(R^(2))values and balanced error metrics across both validation and testing datasets.While all models performed exceptionally well on the training data,GBR demonstrated superior generalization capability,with R^(2) values of 0.9438 on the validation set and 0.9310 on the testing set.Furthermore,its low mean squared error(MSE),root mean square error(RMSE),mean absolute error(MAE),and median absolute error(MdAE)confirmed its robustness and accuracy.Moreover,shapley additive explanations(SHAP)analysis enhanced the interpretability of predictions,highlighting the curing time and exposure time as the most critical drivers of carbonation depth.展开更多
In order to realize the comprehensive utilization of industrial solid waste rice husk ash and heavy metal cadmium contaminated soil,rice husk ash-based geopolymer prepared by alkaline activator was used to modify cadm...In order to realize the comprehensive utilization of industrial solid waste rice husk ash and heavy metal cadmium contaminated soil,rice husk ash-based geopolymer prepared by alkaline activator was used to modify cadmium contaminated soil.The main physical and chemical properties of rice husk ash were clarified by SEM,XRF and X-ray diffraction.The unconfined compressive strength test and toxicity leaching test were carried out on the modified soil.Combined with FTIR and TG micro-level,the solidification mechanism of rice husk ash-based geopolymer solidified cadmium contaminated soil was discussed.The results show that the strength of geopolymer modified soil is significantly higher than that of plain soil,and the unconfined compressive strength at 7 d age is 4.2 times that of plain soil.The strength of modified soil with different dosage of geopolymer at 28 d age is about 36% to 40% higher than that of modified soil at 7 d age.Geopolymer has a significant effect on the leaching of heavy metals in contaminated soil.When the cadmium content is 100 mg/kg,it meets the standard limit.In the process of complex depolymerization-condensation reaction,on the one hand,geopolymers are cemented and agglomerated to form a complex spatial structure,which affects the macro and micro characteristics of soil.On the other hand,it has significant adsorption,precipitation and replacement effects on heavy metal ions in soil,showing good strength and low heavy metal leaching toxicity.展开更多
Detailed individual tree crown segmentation is highly relevant for the detection and monitoring of Fraxinus excelsior L.trees affected by ash dieback,a major threat to common ash populations across Europe.In this stud...Detailed individual tree crown segmentation is highly relevant for the detection and monitoring of Fraxinus excelsior L.trees affected by ash dieback,a major threat to common ash populations across Europe.In this study,both fine and coarse crown segmentation methods were applied to close-range multispectral UAV imagery.The fine tree crown segmentation method utilized a novel unsupervised machine learning approach based on a blended NIR-NDVI image,whereas the coarse segmentation relied on the segment anything model(SAM).Both methods successfully delineated tree crown outlines,however,only the fine segmentation accurately captured internal canopy gaps.Despite these structural differences,mean NDVI values calculated per tree crown revealed no significant differences between the two approaches,indicating that coarse segmentation is sufficient for mean vegetation index assessments.Nevertheless,the fine segmentation revealed increased heterogeneity in NDVI values in more severely damaged trees,underscoring its value for detailed structural and health analyses.Furthermore,the fine segmentation workflow proved transferable to both individual UAV images and orthophotos from broader UAV surveys.For applications focused on structural integrity and spatial variation in canopy health,the fine segmentation approach is recommended.展开更多
High ground temperature and unloading disturbance have emerged as critical factors impacting the property of cemented gauge-fly ash backfill(CGFB).The characteristics of energy and damage in CGFB were analyzed under c...High ground temperature and unloading disturbance have emerged as critical factors impacting the property of cemented gauge-fly ash backfill(CGFB).The characteristics of energy and damage in CGFB were analyzed under conditions of high ground temperature and unloading by conducting triaxial unloading tests with different initial confining pressures on CGFB that had been cured at various temperatures.Based on dissipative energy,triaxial unloading confining pressure damage constitutive model of CGFB was constructed.It has been demonstrated that the ratio of elastic strain energy in CGFB decreases and the ratio of dissipated energy increases at the end of unloading increases under higher curing temperature.The change in the elastic energy consumption ratio curve of CGFB,which shifts from a gradual increase to a swift rise at a certain"inflection point",can be utilized as a criterion for evaluating the failure of the unloading strength of CGFB.The triaxial unloading damage constitutive model for CGFB divides the damage progression into three distinct phases:initial damage stage,accelerated damage development stage,and rapid damage growth stage.The research findings offer a theoretical foundation for evaluating the extent of damage to CGFB caused by the combined influences of elevated ground temperature and unloading.展开更多
Fly ash,as a byproduct of municipal solid waste incineration,contains several kinds of pollutants,especially dissolvable salts that cause a severe challenge for fly ash disposal.Washing combined with cement kiln co-pr...Fly ash,as a byproduct of municipal solid waste incineration,contains several kinds of pollutants,especially dissolvable salts that cause a severe challenge for fly ash disposal.Washing combined with cement kiln co-processing for fly ash disposal has been applied in China.After washing,the wastewater was evaporated to produce fly ash salt(FAS).In this study,FAS was mixed the KCl and LiCl to be used as molten chloride salt for energy storage material.Twenty-three types of molten salts with various ratios of FAS-KCl-LiCl were evaluated.Thermophysical properties(melting point and latent heat)and thermal stability of these salts were characterized.The increase in FAS fraction decreased the latent heat of molten salts.Among the tested samples,the best compatibility ratio of FAS:KCl:LiCl was 10:50:40(%,in weight),with latent heat of 108.7 J/g and melting point of 333℃.This molten salt also showed good thermal stability after 1–13 h of thermal experiments,and the mass loss was less than 2%after 5 heating cycles at 600℃.By corrosion test,FAS-KCl-LiCl(10:50:40,%in weight)could be more safely used in vessels made of nickel-based alloy,but it might cause corrosion risk for stainless steel.展开更多
Recycling rare earth elements(REEs)from waste is necessary for an environmentally sustainable reuse and wastewater management approach.Na-A zeolite was synthesized from coal fly ash(CFA)and applied for Ce^(3+)adsorpti...Recycling rare earth elements(REEs)from waste is necessary for an environmentally sustainable reuse and wastewater management approach.Na-A zeolite was synthesized from coal fly ash(CFA)and applied for Ce^(3+)adsorption.Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectra show peaks at 790,500 and 467 cm^(-1),which are bond vibrations of Si-O-Si,Si with Al-O and Si-O-.The surface area is 15.88 m^(2)/g,with a pore size of 2.14 nm.SEM images show a cubic shape,which indicates the formation of zeolite.Field emission and energy disperse spectroscopy(EDS)shows the formation of Si,Al,Na,and O.Na-A zeolite was applied for Ce^(3+)adsorption.The optimum conditions for Ce^(3+)adsorption are 50 ppm concentration,360 min,and pH 6.The maximum adsorption capacity is 176.49 mg/g.Based on the results,it is found that the adsorption of Ce^(3+)by Na-A zeolite is pseudo-second-order.The desorption test using HNO_(3) is more effective than using HCl and H_(2)SO_(4).A desorption efficiency of 97.22%is obtained at 4 cycles.Adsorption test using real sample wastewater demonstrates an adsorption efficiency of 83.35%.展开更多
Volcanic ashes are posing increasingly severer threats to the aviation safety.As the operation temperature of the turbine engine elevates,molten volcanic ash leads to the degradation of the thermal barrier coatings(TB...Volcanic ashes are posing increasingly severer threats to the aviation safety.As the operation temperature of the turbine engine elevates,molten volcanic ash leads to the degradation of the thermal barrier coatings(TBCs)and eventually catastrophic engine failure.However,the physical and chemical properties of volcanic ashes vary due to the distinct chemical compositions,rendering it extremely challenging to evaluate the effects of each ash material on the failure of TBC.Here,we proposed a new metric termed Basicity to investigate the influence of chemical composition on the melting temperature and viscosity of volcanic ashes.Artificial CaO-MgO-Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2) materials(CMAS)were synthesized to simulate the wetting,spreading and corrosion behavior of volcanic ashes at 1300 ℃ on(Gd_(0.9)Yb_(0.1))2Zr_(2)O_(7)(GYbZ),a model TBC material.Our results reveal that the synthetic CMAS does not fully capture the damage caused by volcanic ash due to the difference in compositions.The viscosity and characteristic temperatures decrease as the Basicity value increases,indicating its significant impact on the fusion properties of ashes.Notably,distinct from CMAS,the unexpected presence of Fe_(2)O_(3) in volcanic ashes promotes the formation of garnet phase,conversely impedes the formation of apatite dense layer.These findings provide valuable insights into the corrosion mechanisms caused by TBC and strategies for TBC protection against volcanic ashes.展开更多
Three types of activators such as sodium hydroxide,calcium oxide and triethanolamine(TEA)are used to establish different activation environments to address the problems associated with the process of activating fly as...Three types of activators such as sodium hydroxide,calcium oxide and triethanolamine(TEA)are used to establish different activation environments to address the problems associated with the process of activating fly ash paste.We conducted mechanical tests and numerical simulations to understand the evolution of microstructure,and used environmental scanning electron microscopy(ESEM)and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS)techniques to analyze the microenvironments of the samples.The mechanical properties of fly ash paste under different activation conditions and the changes in the microstructure and composition were investigated.The results revealed that under conditions of low NaOH content(1%-3%),the strength of the sample increased significantly.When the content exceeded 4%,the rate of increase in strength decreased.Based on the results,the optimal NaOH content was identified,which was about 4%.A good activation effect,especially for short-term activation(3-7 d),was achieved using TEA under high doping conditions.The activation effect was poor for long-term strength after 28 days.The CaO content did not significantly affect the degree of activation achieved.The maximum effect was exerted when the content of CaO was 2%.The virtual cement and concrete testing laboratory(VCCTL)was used to simulate the hydration process,and the results revealed that the use of the three types of activators accelerated the formation of Ca(OH)_(2) in the system.The activators also corroded the surface of the fly ash particles,resulting in a pozzolanic reaction.The active substances in fly ash were released efficiently,and hydration was realized.The pores were filled with hydration products,and the microstructure changed to form a new frame of paste filling that helped improve the strength of fly ash paste.展开更多
In order to study the characteristics of pure fly ash-based geopolymer concrete(PFGC)conveniently,we used a machine learning method that can quantify the perception of characteristics to predict its compressive streng...In order to study the characteristics of pure fly ash-based geopolymer concrete(PFGC)conveniently,we used a machine learning method that can quantify the perception of characteristics to predict its compressive strength.In this study,505 groups of data were collected,and a new database of compressive strength of PFGC was constructed.In order to establish an accurate prediction model of compressive strength,five different types of machine learning networks were used for comparative analysis.The five machine learning models all showed good compressive strength prediction performance on PFGC.Among them,R2,MSE,RMSE and MAE of decision tree model(DT)are 0.99,1.58,1.25,and 0.25,respectively.While R2,MSE,RMSE and MAE of random forest model(RF)are 0.97,5.17,2.27 and 1.38,respectively.The two models have high prediction accuracy and outstanding generalization ability.In order to enhance the interpretability of model decision-making,we used importance ranking to obtain the perception of machine learning model to 13 variables.These 13 variables include chemical composition of fly ash(SiO_(2)/Al_(2)O_(3),Si/Al),the ratio of alkaline liquid to the binder,curing temperature,curing durations inside oven,fly ash dosage,fine aggregate dosage,coarse aggregate dosage,extra water dosage and sodium hydroxide dosage.Curing temperature,specimen ages and curing durations inside oven have the greatest influence on the prediction results,indicating that curing conditions have more prominent influence on the compressive strength of PFGC than ordinary Portland cement concrete.The importance of curing conditions of PFGC even exceeds that of the concrete mix proportion,due to the low reactivity of pure fly ash.展开更多
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has been a pervasive malignancy throughout the world with elevated mortality.Efficient therapeutic targets are beneficial to treat and predict the disease.Currently,the exact mo...BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has been a pervasive malignancy throughout the world with elevated mortality.Efficient therapeutic targets are beneficial to treat and predict the disease.Currently,the exact molecular mechanisms leading to the progression of HCC are still unclear.Research has shown that the microRNA-142-3p level decreases in HCC,whereas bioinformatics analysis of the cancer genome atlas database shows the ASH1L expression increased among liver tumor tissues.In this paper,we will explore the effects and mechanisms of microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L affect the prognosis of HCC patients and HCC cell bioactivity,and the association between them.AIM To investigate the effects and mechanisms of microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L on the HCC cell bioactivity and prognosis of HCC patients.METHODS In this study,we grouped HCC patients according to their immunohistochemistry results of ASH1L with pathological tissues,and retrospectively analyzed the prognosis of HCC patients.Furthermore,explored the roles and mechanisms of microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L by cellular and animal experiments,which involved the following experimental methods:Immunohistochemical staining,western blot,quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction,flow cytometric analysis,tumor xenografts in nude mice,etc.The statistical methods involved in this study contained t-test,one-way analysis of variance,theχ^(2)test,the Kaplan-Meier approach and the log-rank test.RESULTS In this study,we found that HCC patients with high expression of ASH1L possess a more recurrence rate as well as a decreased overall survival rate.ASH1L promotes the tumorigenicity of HCC and microRNA-142-3p exhibits reduced expression in HCC tissues and interacts with ASH1L through targeting the ASH1L 3′untranslated region.Furthermore,microRNA-142-3p promotes apoptosis and inhibits proliferation,invasion,and migration of HCC cell lines in vitro via ASH1L.For the exploration mechanism,we found ASH1L may promote an immunosuppressive microenvironment in HCC and ASH1L affects the expression of the cell junction protein zonula occludens-1,which is potentially relevant to the immune system.CONCLUSION Loss function of microRNA-142-3p induces cancer progression and immune evasion through upregulation of ASH1L in HCC.Both microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L can feature as new biomarker for HCC in the future.展开更多
基金funded by the joint research collaboration of the Research Organization of Nanotechnology and Material,National Research and Innovation Agency(BRIN)(Grant number:8/HK/II/2024)with the title Organosolv Lignin-Based Hydrogels from Sugarcane Leaves and Their Potential as Wound Dressings with Widya Fatriasari as the Principal Investigatorthe Degree by Research(DBR)program of BRIN with scheme number:20/III.10/HK/2024 and scholarship number 4637/II.5.4/SI.06.01/7/2024 for Eko Budi Santoso。
文摘The significant amount of ash content in agricultural biomass presents an enormous challenge for efficient conversion processes.In addressing this issue,various deashing treatments have been tested and established,including simple leaching techniques,which can either be performed with or without the addition of chemical agents.These techniques hold promise for improving the deashing efficiency while potentially altering the structural and chemical composition of biomass,specifically lignin content,which is the key focus of this review.This review starts by exploring the presence of ash in agricultural residues and its impact on biomass properties.Next,this review examines deashing strategies aimed at reducing ash levels in biomass followed by analysis of the resulting changes in lignin physical and chemical properties as well as its thermal characteristics.The final part of this review is concluded by the discussion on the limitations of current approaches and the possible future directions to address the challenges covering the environmental impacts of the deashing treatments.A green process approach is emphasized as a sustainable solution with the aim to minimize negative environmental impacts associated with chemical usage during deashing.Finally,this review highlights the potential for ash recovery as a byproduct of the deashing processes,paving the way for an integrative,closed-loop approach within the biorefinery concept.
基金Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.20806051)the Key Laboratory of Education Ministry for Solid Waste Management and Environment Safety(No.SWMES-2010-07)the Science and Technology Project of Housing and Urban-Rural Ministry(No.2010-K4-2)
文摘Production of glass-ceramics by sintering the molten slag obtained from electric arc furnace treatment of fly ash was investigated. The effect of washing pretreatment prior to melting the fly ash on the microstructure and properties of the glass-ceramics was examined. The results show that washing pretreatment of fly ash can decrease alkali metal chloride and increase network former in fly ash, which results in the increase of peak crystallization temperature of parent glass and strengthening of properties of bending strength and chemical stability of the glass-ceramics. The optimal heat treatment temperature for parent glass of washed fly ash is 1 173 K, at which the crystalline phase of glass-ceramics is composed of gelignite （Ca2A12SiO7） and akermanite （Ca2MgSi207）. Glass-ceramics produced at optimal heat treatment temperature are excellent in term of the physical and chemical properties and leaching characteristics, indicating attractive potential as substitute of nature materials.
文摘Dry ashing is an established method. Ashing whole blood samples are, however, often difficult to carry out with significant sample loss, and the procedure is not well documented. A new procedure has been devel- oped and optimized to dry-ash whole blood samples for trace metal analyses. The procedure reduces both the dry-ashing time by more than two thirds and sample loss. The ashed sample can be readily used in subse- quent, simultaneous or individual analysis of several metals by ICP-OES, as demonstrated in the analysis of a whole blood sample. The new procedure is simple, inexpensive, and faster than the established method.
文摘The coal filter cake is a product of fine coal after floatation which has an ash content of 7-13%, water content of 30±2%, and a particle size of less than 1 mm. The ash content was measured by the intensity of the single backscattered gamma-ray, and its accuracy is mainly dependent on the energy of the gamma-ray. The 238Pu low energy photon source is selected in this work. The energy of its gamma-ray is 15 keV, which can result not only in the best sensitivity, but also in the lowest contribution to the environment radiation. The root mean square deviation of the ash measurement is±0.33% (±1σ).
基金sponsored by Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Program Project(Nos.BE2022604 and BE2021701).
文摘Heavy metal stabilization and alkali neutralization are crucial for the management of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash(MSWI FA).In this study,the effects of oxalic acid(OA)and citric acid(CA)washing on heavy metal migration and alkali changes were investigated.Besides,three agents were selected to stabilize acid-washed fly ash(FA),and the effects of heavy metal stabilization under different disposal environments and the changes in their form distributions were comparatively analyzed.The experimental results demonstrated that with increasing organic acid concentration,the amount of Cd and Pb extracted from MSWI FA increased,whereas the amount of alkalis tended to decrease.Moreover,the leaching concentration of heavy metals and the percentage of unstable forms increased after acid washing.The alkalis content in the products decreased to 7.91-8.75 after stabilization,which met the standards of hazardous waste landfills.Compared with other agents,sodium diethyldithiocarbamate(DDTC)exhibited excellent heavy metal stabilization performance.After the addition of 1%DDTC,the leaching concentrations of Cd and Pb decreased to values lower than the national standard limit.Additionally,the curing rates of Cd and Pb were greater than 98%under the two leaching conditions.With the addition of DDTC,the percentage of stable forms increased,and the percentages of stable Cd and Pb forms increased to 87.68%and 99.03%,respectively,after treatment with 2%DDTC.The above results corroborated that CA coupled with DDTC stabilization can significantly reduce Cd and Pb toxicity and neutralize alkalinity in FA.
文摘It is crucial to develop arsenic removal adsorbents with strong sulfur resistance under middle-low-temperature flue gas conditions(<400℃).In this work,five Fe-Ce-La oxides were prepared by co-precipitation method,and FeCeLaO/SiO_(2)-Al_(2)O_(3) composite adsorbents were prepared by coupling fly ash-based Si-Al carriers.The active components Fe-Ce-La oxides and Si-Al carriers were characterized by TPD,TG,XRF,BET and XPS,respectively.The effects of temperature,Si/Al ratio and FeCeLaO loading rate on the sulfur resistance were investigated.Results show that the SO_(2) promotes the arsenic removal of Fe_(2)O_(3),CeLaO and FeCeLaO.At 400℃,the arsenic removal efficiencies of the three oxides increase from 45.3%,72.5% and 81.3% without SO_(2) to 62.6%,80.5%and 91.0%,respectively.The SO_(2) inhibits the arsenic removal of La_(2)O_(2)CO_(3) and FeLaO,and the inhibition effect is pronounced at high temperatures.The sulfur poisoning resistance of Si-Al carriers increases with the increase of Si/Al ratio.When the Si/Al ratio is increased to 9.74,the arsenic removal efficiency in the SO_(2) environment is 13.9% higher than that in the absence of SO_(2).Introducing FeCeLaO active components is beneficial for enhancing the SO_(2) poisoning resistance of Si-Al carriers.The strong sulfur resistance of the FeCeLaO/SiO_(2)-Al_(2)O_(3) composite adsorbent results from multiple factors:protective effects of Ce on Fe,La and Al;sulfation-induced generation of Ce^(3+)and surface-adsorbed oxygen;and strong surface acidity of SiO_(2).
基金Project supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China(Nos.2010CB934300,2013CBA01900,2011CBA00607,2011CB932804)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDA09020402)+2 种基金the National Integrate Circuit Research Program of China(No.2009ZX02023-003)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.61176122,61106001,61261160500,61376006)the Science and Technology Council of Shanghai(Nos.12nm0503701,13DZ2295700,12QA1403900,13ZR 1447200)
文摘Phase change memory （PCM） has been regarded as a promising candidate for the next generation of nonvolatile memory. To decrease the power required to reset the PCM cell, titanium nitride （TIN） is preferred to be used as the bottom electrode of PCM due to its low thermal and suitable electrical conductivity. However, during the manufacture of PCM cell in 40 nm process node, abnormally high and discrete distribution of the resistance of TiN bottom electrode was found, which might be induced by the surface oxidation of TiN bottom electrode during the photoresist ashing process by oxygen plasma. In this work, we have studied the oxidation of TiN and found that with the increasing oxygen plasma ashing time, the thickness of the TiO2 layer became thicker and the state of the TiO2 layer changed from amorphous to crystalline, respectively. The resistance of TiN electrode contact chain with 4-5 nm TiO2 layer was confirmed to be almost three-orders of magnitude higher than that of pure TiN electrode, which led to the failure issue of PCM cell. We efficiently removed the oxidation TiO2 layer by a chemical mechanical polishing （CMP） process, and we eventually recovered the resistance of TiN bottom electrode from 1×10^5Ω/via back to 6×10^2 Ωvia and successfully achieved a uniform resistance distribution of the TiN bottom electrode.
基金sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42202205)Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province,China(Grant No.ZR2021QD072).-。
文摘The vertical heterogeneity of the pore structure in deep coal seams with varying ash yields is a key control for coalbed methane storage and producibility;however,its specific impact on gas adsorption is not clearly defined.The focus of this study is the No.8 coal seam of the Carboniferous Benxi Formation in the Central-Eastern Ordos Basin.By integrating microscopic identification,proximate analysis,gas adsorption(CO_(2),N_(2),and CH_(4)),and the multifractal theory,we quantitatively characterized the nanopore structure(micropores<2 nm and mesopores 2 nm-100 nm)of coal reservoirs with varying ash yields.The results indicate that(1)ash yield is the primary factor that controls the vertical evolution of pore structures in coal seams.In low-ash yield coal seams,the extent of thermal evolution and ash yield jointly constrain the heterogeneity of pore size distribution.In mediumto high-ash yield coal seams,the heterogeneity of pore structure and pore size distribution are predominantly constrained by ash yield.(2)As the ash yield vertically increases,the mesoporous pore volume and specific surface area initially decrease and subsequently increase,while the contribution of micropores to both pore volume and specific surface area continuously diminishes.Consequently,the total pore volume and specific surface area of the coal samples exhibit a two-stage reduction close to an ash yield threshold of approximately 20%.(3)Further,the Langmuir volume for CH_(4)adsorption sharply declines below the 20%threshold,followed by a gradual decrease;in contrast,the Langmuir pressure initially decreases and subsequently increases.Hence,the vertical increase in ash yield constrains the development of pore systems and diminishes pore connectivity,thereby reducing methane adsorption capacity and adversely affecting coalbed methane productivity.(4)Low-ash yield coal reservoirs are characterized by a rapid gas breakthrough and high productivity,whereas medium-ash yield coal reservoirs generally require prolonged depressurization to achieve peak gas production.These findings reveal that in medium-high rank coal,ash yield―and not thermal evolution―is the main factor that controls vertical pore evolution and methane adsorption efficiency.The quantitative ash yield threshold(20%)established in this study provides a practical criterion for evaluating reservoir quality and predicting vertical variations in gas storage potential in the Ordos Basin.
文摘This study aims to develop an accurate and robust machine learning model to predict the carbonation depth of fly ash concrete,overcoming the limitations of traditional predictive methods.Five ensemble-based models,such as adaptive boosting(AdaBoost),categorical boosting(CatBoost),gradient boosting regressor(GBR),hist gradient boosting regressor(HistGBR),and extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost),were developed and optimized using 729 high-quality dataset points incorporating seven input parameters,including cement,CO_(2),exposure time,water-binder ratio,fly ash,curing time,and compressive strength.Several performance evaluation metrics were used to compare the models.The GBR model emerged as the best-performing model,based on high coefficient of determination(R^(2))values and balanced error metrics across both validation and testing datasets.While all models performed exceptionally well on the training data,GBR demonstrated superior generalization capability,with R^(2) values of 0.9438 on the validation set and 0.9310 on the testing set.Furthermore,its low mean squared error(MSE),root mean square error(RMSE),mean absolute error(MAE),and median absolute error(MdAE)confirmed its robustness and accuracy.Moreover,shapley additive explanations(SHAP)analysis enhanced the interpretability of predictions,highlighting the curing time and exposure time as the most critical drivers of carbonation depth.
基金Funded by Central Guiding Local Science and Technology Development Special Fund Project(No.ZYYD2023B02)Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for College Students in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(No.S202410994015)+2 种基金China University of Mining and Technology Coal Fine Exploration and Intelligent Development National Key Laboratory Xinjiang Engineering College Joint Fund(No.SKLCRSM-XJIE24KF001)Basic Research Funds for Autonomous Region Universities(No.XJEDU2024P082)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41662017)。
文摘In order to realize the comprehensive utilization of industrial solid waste rice husk ash and heavy metal cadmium contaminated soil,rice husk ash-based geopolymer prepared by alkaline activator was used to modify cadmium contaminated soil.The main physical and chemical properties of rice husk ash were clarified by SEM,XRF and X-ray diffraction.The unconfined compressive strength test and toxicity leaching test were carried out on the modified soil.Combined with FTIR and TG micro-level,the solidification mechanism of rice husk ash-based geopolymer solidified cadmium contaminated soil was discussed.The results show that the strength of geopolymer modified soil is significantly higher than that of plain soil,and the unconfined compressive strength at 7 d age is 4.2 times that of plain soil.The strength of modified soil with different dosage of geopolymer at 28 d age is about 36% to 40% higher than that of modified soil at 7 d age.Geopolymer has a significant effect on the leaching of heavy metals in contaminated soil.When the cadmium content is 100 mg/kg,it meets the standard limit.In the process of complex depolymerization-condensation reaction,on the one hand,geopolymers are cemented and agglomerated to form a complex spatial structure,which affects the macro and micro characteristics of soil.On the other hand,it has significant adsorption,precipitation and replacement effects on heavy metal ions in soil,showing good strength and low heavy metal leaching toxicity.
基金This study was conducted within the project FraxVir“Detection,characterisation and analyses of the occurrence of viruses and ash dieback in special stands of Fraxinus excelsior-a supplementary study to the FraxForFuture demonstration project”and receives funding via the Waldklimafonds(WKF)funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture(BMEL)and Federal Ministry for the Environment,Nature Conservation,Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection(BMUV)administrated by the Agency for Renewable Resources(FNR)under grant agreement 2220WK40A4.
文摘Detailed individual tree crown segmentation is highly relevant for the detection and monitoring of Fraxinus excelsior L.trees affected by ash dieback,a major threat to common ash populations across Europe.In this study,both fine and coarse crown segmentation methods were applied to close-range multispectral UAV imagery.The fine tree crown segmentation method utilized a novel unsupervised machine learning approach based on a blended NIR-NDVI image,whereas the coarse segmentation relied on the segment anything model(SAM).Both methods successfully delineated tree crown outlines,however,only the fine segmentation accurately captured internal canopy gaps.Despite these structural differences,mean NDVI values calculated per tree crown revealed no significant differences between the two approaches,indicating that coarse segmentation is sufficient for mean vegetation index assessments.Nevertheless,the fine segmentation revealed increased heterogeneity in NDVI values in more severely damaged trees,underscoring its value for detailed structural and health analyses.Furthermore,the fine segmentation workflow proved transferable to both individual UAV images and orthophotos from broader UAV surveys.For applications focused on structural integrity and spatial variation in canopy health,the fine segmentation approach is recommended.
基金Project(2024YFC2911000)supported by the National Key Research and Development Program Young Scientist Project,ChinaProject(2022HWYQ-078)supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China+1 种基金Project(tsqn202103074)supported by the"Taishan Scholars Young Expert Program"of Shandong Province,ChinaProject(2023GX051)supported by the Tai'an Science and Technology Innovation Development Project(Policy Guidance),China。
文摘High ground temperature and unloading disturbance have emerged as critical factors impacting the property of cemented gauge-fly ash backfill(CGFB).The characteristics of energy and damage in CGFB were analyzed under conditions of high ground temperature and unloading by conducting triaxial unloading tests with different initial confining pressures on CGFB that had been cured at various temperatures.Based on dissipative energy,triaxial unloading confining pressure damage constitutive model of CGFB was constructed.It has been demonstrated that the ratio of elastic strain energy in CGFB decreases and the ratio of dissipated energy increases at the end of unloading increases under higher curing temperature.The change in the elastic energy consumption ratio curve of CGFB,which shifts from a gradual increase to a swift rise at a certain"inflection point",can be utilized as a criterion for evaluating the failure of the unloading strength of CGFB.The triaxial unloading damage constitutive model for CGFB divides the damage progression into three distinct phases:initial damage stage,accelerated damage development stage,and rapid damage growth stage.The research findings offer a theoretical foundation for evaluating the extent of damage to CGFB caused by the combined influences of elevated ground temperature and unloading.
基金support from the International Cooperation Project of Zhejiang Province(No.2019C04026)National Natural Science Foundation,China(No.51976196).
文摘Fly ash,as a byproduct of municipal solid waste incineration,contains several kinds of pollutants,especially dissolvable salts that cause a severe challenge for fly ash disposal.Washing combined with cement kiln co-processing for fly ash disposal has been applied in China.After washing,the wastewater was evaporated to produce fly ash salt(FAS).In this study,FAS was mixed the KCl and LiCl to be used as molten chloride salt for energy storage material.Twenty-three types of molten salts with various ratios of FAS-KCl-LiCl were evaluated.Thermophysical properties(melting point and latent heat)and thermal stability of these salts were characterized.The increase in FAS fraction decreased the latent heat of molten salts.Among the tested samples,the best compatibility ratio of FAS:KCl:LiCl was 10:50:40(%,in weight),with latent heat of 108.7 J/g and melting point of 333℃.This molten salt also showed good thermal stability after 1–13 h of thermal experiments,and the mass loss was less than 2%after 5 heating cycles at 600℃.By corrosion test,FAS-KCl-LiCl(10:50:40,%in weight)could be more safely used in vessels made of nickel-based alloy,but it might cause corrosion risk for stainless steel.
基金Project supported by Rumah Program 2023 and Net Zero Emission Program(1507/Ⅱ.7/HK.01.00/6/2023)a research facility from the National Research and Innovation Agency of Republic of Indonesia。
文摘Recycling rare earth elements(REEs)from waste is necessary for an environmentally sustainable reuse and wastewater management approach.Na-A zeolite was synthesized from coal fly ash(CFA)and applied for Ce^(3+)adsorption.Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectra show peaks at 790,500 and 467 cm^(-1),which are bond vibrations of Si-O-Si,Si with Al-O and Si-O-.The surface area is 15.88 m^(2)/g,with a pore size of 2.14 nm.SEM images show a cubic shape,which indicates the formation of zeolite.Field emission and energy disperse spectroscopy(EDS)shows the formation of Si,Al,Na,and O.Na-A zeolite was applied for Ce^(3+)adsorption.The optimum conditions for Ce^(3+)adsorption are 50 ppm concentration,360 min,and pH 6.The maximum adsorption capacity is 176.49 mg/g.Based on the results,it is found that the adsorption of Ce^(3+)by Na-A zeolite is pseudo-second-order.The desorption test using HNO_(3) is more effective than using HCl and H_(2)SO_(4).A desorption efficiency of 97.22%is obtained at 4 cycles.Adsorption test using real sample wastewater demonstrates an adsorption efficiency of 83.35%.
基金financially supported by the Nature Science Foun-dations of China(NSFC)(Nos.52401071 andU21B2052)China National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents(No.BX20240459).
文摘Volcanic ashes are posing increasingly severer threats to the aviation safety.As the operation temperature of the turbine engine elevates,molten volcanic ash leads to the degradation of the thermal barrier coatings(TBCs)and eventually catastrophic engine failure.However,the physical and chemical properties of volcanic ashes vary due to the distinct chemical compositions,rendering it extremely challenging to evaluate the effects of each ash material on the failure of TBC.Here,we proposed a new metric termed Basicity to investigate the influence of chemical composition on the melting temperature and viscosity of volcanic ashes.Artificial CaO-MgO-Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2) materials(CMAS)were synthesized to simulate the wetting,spreading and corrosion behavior of volcanic ashes at 1300 ℃ on(Gd_(0.9)Yb_(0.1))2Zr_(2)O_(7)(GYbZ),a model TBC material.Our results reveal that the synthetic CMAS does not fully capture the damage caused by volcanic ash due to the difference in compositions.The viscosity and characteristic temperatures decrease as the Basicity value increases,indicating its significant impact on the fusion properties of ashes.Notably,distinct from CMAS,the unexpected presence of Fe_(2)O_(3) in volcanic ashes promotes the formation of garnet phase,conversely impedes the formation of apatite dense layer.These findings provide valuable insights into the corrosion mechanisms caused by TBC and strategies for TBC protection against volcanic ashes.
基金Supported by Yunnan Major Scientific and Technological Projects(No.202403AA080001)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52074137)Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects(No.202201AT070151)。
文摘Three types of activators such as sodium hydroxide,calcium oxide and triethanolamine(TEA)are used to establish different activation environments to address the problems associated with the process of activating fly ash paste.We conducted mechanical tests and numerical simulations to understand the evolution of microstructure,and used environmental scanning electron microscopy(ESEM)and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS)techniques to analyze the microenvironments of the samples.The mechanical properties of fly ash paste under different activation conditions and the changes in the microstructure and composition were investigated.The results revealed that under conditions of low NaOH content(1%-3%),the strength of the sample increased significantly.When the content exceeded 4%,the rate of increase in strength decreased.Based on the results,the optimal NaOH content was identified,which was about 4%.A good activation effect,especially for short-term activation(3-7 d),was achieved using TEA under high doping conditions.The activation effect was poor for long-term strength after 28 days.The CaO content did not significantly affect the degree of activation achieved.The maximum effect was exerted when the content of CaO was 2%.The virtual cement and concrete testing laboratory(VCCTL)was used to simulate the hydration process,and the results revealed that the use of the three types of activators accelerated the formation of Ca(OH)_(2) in the system.The activators also corroded the surface of the fly ash particles,resulting in a pozzolanic reaction.The active substances in fly ash were released efficiently,and hydration was realized.The pores were filled with hydration products,and the microstructure changed to form a new frame of paste filling that helped improve the strength of fly ash paste.
基金Funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52109168)。
文摘In order to study the characteristics of pure fly ash-based geopolymer concrete(PFGC)conveniently,we used a machine learning method that can quantify the perception of characteristics to predict its compressive strength.In this study,505 groups of data were collected,and a new database of compressive strength of PFGC was constructed.In order to establish an accurate prediction model of compressive strength,five different types of machine learning networks were used for comparative analysis.The five machine learning models all showed good compressive strength prediction performance on PFGC.Among them,R2,MSE,RMSE and MAE of decision tree model(DT)are 0.99,1.58,1.25,and 0.25,respectively.While R2,MSE,RMSE and MAE of random forest model(RF)are 0.97,5.17,2.27 and 1.38,respectively.The two models have high prediction accuracy and outstanding generalization ability.In order to enhance the interpretability of model decision-making,we used importance ranking to obtain the perception of machine learning model to 13 variables.These 13 variables include chemical composition of fly ash(SiO_(2)/Al_(2)O_(3),Si/Al),the ratio of alkaline liquid to the binder,curing temperature,curing durations inside oven,fly ash dosage,fine aggregate dosage,coarse aggregate dosage,extra water dosage and sodium hydroxide dosage.Curing temperature,specimen ages and curing durations inside oven have the greatest influence on the prediction results,indicating that curing conditions have more prominent influence on the compressive strength of PFGC than ordinary Portland cement concrete.The importance of curing conditions of PFGC even exceeds that of the concrete mix proportion,due to the low reactivity of pure fly ash.
基金Supported by the Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem Innovation Fund,No.22HHXBJC00001the Key Discipline Special Project of Tianjin Municipal Health Commission,No.TJWJ2022XK016.
文摘BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has been a pervasive malignancy throughout the world with elevated mortality.Efficient therapeutic targets are beneficial to treat and predict the disease.Currently,the exact molecular mechanisms leading to the progression of HCC are still unclear.Research has shown that the microRNA-142-3p level decreases in HCC,whereas bioinformatics analysis of the cancer genome atlas database shows the ASH1L expression increased among liver tumor tissues.In this paper,we will explore the effects and mechanisms of microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L affect the prognosis of HCC patients and HCC cell bioactivity,and the association between them.AIM To investigate the effects and mechanisms of microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L on the HCC cell bioactivity and prognosis of HCC patients.METHODS In this study,we grouped HCC patients according to their immunohistochemistry results of ASH1L with pathological tissues,and retrospectively analyzed the prognosis of HCC patients.Furthermore,explored the roles and mechanisms of microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L by cellular and animal experiments,which involved the following experimental methods:Immunohistochemical staining,western blot,quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction,flow cytometric analysis,tumor xenografts in nude mice,etc.The statistical methods involved in this study contained t-test,one-way analysis of variance,theχ^(2)test,the Kaplan-Meier approach and the log-rank test.RESULTS In this study,we found that HCC patients with high expression of ASH1L possess a more recurrence rate as well as a decreased overall survival rate.ASH1L promotes the tumorigenicity of HCC and microRNA-142-3p exhibits reduced expression in HCC tissues and interacts with ASH1L through targeting the ASH1L 3′untranslated region.Furthermore,microRNA-142-3p promotes apoptosis and inhibits proliferation,invasion,and migration of HCC cell lines in vitro via ASH1L.For the exploration mechanism,we found ASH1L may promote an immunosuppressive microenvironment in HCC and ASH1L affects the expression of the cell junction protein zonula occludens-1,which is potentially relevant to the immune system.CONCLUSION Loss function of microRNA-142-3p induces cancer progression and immune evasion through upregulation of ASH1L in HCC.Both microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L can feature as new biomarker for HCC in the future.
