No abstract

The luminescence, excited-state absorption, and singlet oxygen generation measurements were performed on three kinds of halogenated corroles: monohydroxyl halogenated corroles (Corrole-F, Corrole-Cl, Corrole-I), peripherally fluorine-substituted corroles (F0, F5, F10, F15), and gallium complexes (F10-Ga, F15-Ga). The fluorescence intensities progressively decrease whereas the triplet quantum yields, oxygen quenching rates, and singlet oxygen quantum yields increase with the increasing of the monohydroxyl halogen atomic weight. Replacing hydrogen atoms of meso-phenyl groups with fluorine atoms induces the blue-shifts of the emission spectra, higher triplet quantum yield, and smaller oxygen quenching rates. Of all peripherally fluorine-substituted corroles, F10 exhibited the highest singlet oxygen quantum yield. In comparison with the free base corroles, both gallium corrole complexes display much stronger fluorescence with the large blue-shifts of emission peaks and slightly higher triplet quantum yields but smaller oxygen quenching rates and singlet oxygen quantum yields. The reasons for the different photophysical behaviors of these corroles are discussed.

For the first time, we demonstrate chromate (Cr(VI)) bioreduction using methane (CH4) as the sole electron donor in a membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR). The experiments were divided into five stages lasting a total of 90 days, and each stage achieved a steady state for at least 15 days. Due to continued acclimation of the microbial community, the Cr(VI)-reducing capacity of the biofilm kept increasing. Cr(VI) removal at the end of the 90-day test reached 95% at an influent Cr(VI) concentration of 3 mg Cr/L and a surface loading of 0.37g of Cr m(-2) day(-1). Meiothermus (Deinococci), a potential Cr(VI)-reducing bacterium, was negligible in the inoculum but dominated the MBfR biofilm after Cr(VI) was added to the reactor, while Methylosinus, a type II methanotrophs, represented 11%-21% of the total bacterial DNA in the biofilm. Synergy within a microbial consortia likely was responsible for Cr(VI) reduction based on CH4 oxidation. In the synergy, methanotrophs fermented CH4 to produce metabolic intermediates that were used by the Cr(VI)-reducing bacteria as electron donors. Solid Cr(III) was the main product, accounting for more than 88% of the reduced Cr in most cases. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) analysis showed that Cr(III) accumulated inside and outside of some bacterial cells, implying that different Cr(VI)-reducing mechanisms were involved.

Selenate (SeO4(2-)) bioreduction is possible with oxidation of a range of organic or inorganic electron donors, but it never has been reported with methane gas (CH4) as the electron donor. In this study, we achieved complete SeO4(2-) bioreduction in a membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) using CH4 as the sole added electron donor. The introduction of nitrate (NO3(-)) slightly inhibited SeO4(2-) reduction, but the two oxyanions were simultaneously reduced, even when the supply rate of CH4 was limited. The main SeO4(2-)-reduction product was nanospherical Se(0), which was identified by scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDS). Community analysis provided evidence for two mechanisms for SeO4(2-) bioreduction in the CH4-based MBfR: a single methanotrophic genus, such as Methylomonas, performed CH4 oxidation directly coupled to SeO4(2-) reduction, and a methanotroph oxidized CH4 to form organic metabolites that were electron donors for a synergistic SeO4(2-)-reducing bacterium.

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is a complex and dynamic process regulated by various pro- and anti-angiogenic molecules, which plays a crucial role in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. With the advances in molecular and cellular biology, various biomolecules such as growth factors, chemokines, and adhesion factors involved in tumor angiogenesis has gradually been elucidated. Targeted therapeutic research based on these molecules has driven anti-angiogenic treatment to become a promising strategy in anti-tumor therapy. The most widely used anti-angiogenic agents include monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. However, the clinical benefit of this modality has still been limited due to several defects such as adverse events, acquired drug resistance, tumor recurrence, and lack of validated biomarkers, which impel further research on mechanisms of tumor angiogenesis, the development of multiple drugs and the combination therapy to figure out how to improve the therapeutic efficacy. Here, we broadly summarize various signaling pathways in tumor angiogenesis and discuss the development and current challenges of anti-angiogenic therapy. We also propose several new promising approaches to improve anti-angiogenic efficacy and provide a perspective for the development and research of anti-angiogenic therapy.