A new technology (called here, spray-and-scattered-bubble technology) based on preozonation was designed and tested for simultaneous removal of SO 2 and NOx from power plant flue gas. It combines the advantages of the common spray tower and the jet bubble reactor, in which the flue gas experiences an initial SO 2 /NOx removal in the spray zone and then undergoes further removal in the bubble zone. Factors that affect the simultaneous removal of SO 2 /NOx were investigated through lab-scale experiments, by varying the O 3 /NO molar ratio, liquid/gas ratio and the immersion depth. The results showed the removal of SO 2 and NOx can be significantly improved as compared to a separate spray column or bubble reactor, by as much as 17%, for the spray column and 18% for the bubble reactor for NOx and 11% for the spray column, and 13% for the bubble reactor for SO 2 , for liquid/gas ratio of 4 dm 3 /m 3 or immersion depth of 100 mm. The O 3 /NO molar ratio had little effect on the SO 2 removal, but it strongly affected the removal efficiency of NOx especially when it was less than 1.0. Both the liquid/gas ratio and immersion depth demonstrated a positive correlation with the removal efficiency. However, a balance must be maintained between efficiency and economics, since the liquid/gas ratio directly influences the performance and number of the circulating pumps, and the depth is closely related to the flue gas pressure drop, and both factors affect energy requirements. To further confirm its industrial feasibility, a 30 h test using real coal-fired flue gas was conducted in a pilot-scale experimental facility (flue gas volume of 5000 Nm 3 /h). Increasing SO 2 concentration in flue gas can promote the removal efficiency of NOx, but the SO 2 removal was almost complete under all conditions tested. Finally, taking a 300 MW unit as an example, the total energy cost of this new technology is estimated as being 10% lower than that of the common spray tower technology, based on an analysis using Aspen Plus™, with the largest difference reflected in the energy requirements of the circulating pumps and the ozonizer. Over all, the new technology offers the joint advantages of reducing emissions and saving energy.

Vitamin D (VD) and vitamin C (VC) have been recognized as essential elements for human health.  Animal models, especially mouse models, have been widely used in the study of VD and VC. This study is to investigate how VD and VC interact at molecular level using whole genome expression profiles from spleens of 111 mouse strains and livers from 40 mouse strains. We first identified the genes that are closely correlated to vitamin D receptor (Vdr) and gulonolactone oxidase (Lgo). We next analyzed the potential molecular pathways of Vdrand Lgo correlated genes and examined how these two sets of pathways are connected in liver and spleen. Our results indicated that Vdrand Lgo associate to distinct groups of genes. While most of genes are not the same, a few of them are associated to both Vdrand Lgo.  Our gene network construction suggests that there are interactions between Vdrand Lgopathways.  Our work laid down the foundation for future study of the interactions between VD and VC and revealed the potential bias when using animals for the study of VD or VC, as humans do not produce VC.