Search

Brassinosteroids (BRs) play essential roles in regulating plant growth and development, however, gaps still remain in our understanding of the BR signaling network. We previously cloned a grain length quantitative trait locus qGL3, encoding a rice (Oryza sativa L.) protein phosphatase with Kelch-like repeat domain (OsPPKL1), that negatively regulates grain length and BR signaling. To further explore the BR signaling network, we performed phosphoproteomic analysis to screen qGL3-regulated downstream components. We selected a 14-3-3 protein OsGF14b from the phosphoproteomic data for further analysis. qGL3 promoted the phosphorylation of OsGF14b and induced the interaction intensity between OsGF14b and OsBZR1. In addition, phosphorylation of OsGF14b played an important role in regulating nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of OsBZR1. The serine acids (Ser258Ser259) residues of OsGF14b play an essential role in BR-mediated responses and plant development. Genetic and molecular analyses indicated that OsGF14b functions as a negative regulator in BR signaling and represses the transcriptional activation activity of OsBZR1. Collectively, these results demonstrate that qGL3 induces the phosphorylation of OsGF14b, which modulates nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and transcriptional activation activity of OsBZR1, to eventually negatively regulate BR signaling and grain length in rice.

To explore the mechanisms whereby dexmedetomidine reversed lung injury in rats with toxic shock via inhibiting inflammation and autophagy.Thirty-six specific pathogen-free male Sprague Dawley rats with were screened and randomly divided into three groups. Toxic shock was induced by intestinal leakage. The control group received no cecal ligation and the treatment group received dexmedetomidine hydrochloride. Lung tissue morphology was studied by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The expression levels of beclin l and LC3 were measured, and the expression levels of apoptosis gene Bax and Bcl-2 were determined. The autophagosomes in lung cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 expression was determined by Western blotting assays.The results showed that the W/D, total protein and myeloperoxidase (MPO) index in the toxic shock group were 5.45 ± 0.35, 3.21 ± 0.47 and 4.53 ± 0.36, respectively. The W/D (4.02 ± 0.67), total protein (2.01 ± 0.35) and MPO index (2.31 ± 0.59) were significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group (p0.05). Similarly, compared with the toxic shock group, the expression of p-ERK1/2 protein in the dexmedetomidine treatment group was significantly decreased (p0.05). The expression levels of autophagy proteins beclin1 and LC3 in the dexmedetomidine treatment group were not significantly different from those of the control group (p0.05). Transmission electron microscopy showed that the number of autophagic bodies in lung cells decreased. After induction with dexmedetomidine hydrochloride, the proapoptotic gene Bax was significantly downregulated in the cells. Bax expression levels in each group were 0.36 ± 0.12, 0.67 ± 0.06, and 0.32 ± 0.12, respectively. Compared with the control group, Bax expression in lung tissue significantly increased in the toxic shock group (p0.05).Dexmedetomidine attenuates lung injury in toxic shock rats by inhibiting inflammation and autophagy.

Resibufogenin (RB) has been used for cancer treatment, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of RB treatment on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, and to determine the underlying mechanisms. The cell counting kit-8 assay was used to determine cell viability. Cell morphology was observed under light microscopy, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay was employed to detect cell apoptosis. Intracellular ferrous iron (Fe2+ ), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and reactive oxygen species levels were detected by using commercial iron assay kit, MDA assay kit, GSH assay kit, and 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate probes, respectively. The protein expressions were determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. RB inhibited cell viability in the CRC cell lines (HT29 and SW480) in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and caused cytotoxicity to the normal colonic epithelial cell line (NCM460) at high dose. Similarly, RB induced morphological changes in CRC cells from normal to round shape, and promoted cell death. Of note, RB triggered oxidative stress and ferroptotic cell death in CRC cells, and only ferroptosis inhibitors (deferoxamine and ferrostatin-1), instead of inhibitors for other types of cell death (apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis), reversed the inhibitory effects of RB on CRC cell proliferation. Furthermore, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) was inactivated by RB treatment, and overexpression of GPX4 alleviated RB-induced oxidative cell death in CRC cells. Consistently, the in vivo experiments validated that RB also triggered oxidative stress, and inhibited CRC cells growth and tumorigenicity in mice models. RB can inhibit CRC cells growth and tumorigenesis by triggering ferroptotic cell death in a GPX4 inactivation-dependent manner.

This study investigated the physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activities of cell-bound exopolysaccharides (c-EPS) from Lactobacillus fermentum S1 extracted using either phenol (CFP) or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (CFE). The extraction products, CFP and CFE, were homogeneous polysaccharides with molecular weights of 2.89 × 105 and 2.44 × 105 Da, respectively. Both CFP and CFE were composed of five kinds of monosaccharides. They had a main chain of β-D-Glcp-(1→2), α-L-Rhap-(1→2), β-D-Galp-(1→3), α-D-Glcp-(1→3), α-D-Galp-(1→3) and β-L-Rhap-(1→3,4) residues, and a tail of α-D-Manp-(1→) residue, but with different molar ratios. Trace amounts of D-Galp-(1→) and L-Araf-(1→2,5) residues were randomly distributed in the sugar chains. Although both CFP and CFE were in triple-helical conformation, they differed from each other in relation to surface morphology and thermal properties. The two c-EPS had different performances in radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays in vitro. The antioxidant capacity of both c-EPS extracts was confirmed in vivo using Caenorhabditis elegans, whose total antioxidant capacity and total superoxide dismutase activity increased after c-EPS treatment. Overall, the extraction method significantly affected the structure and biological activity of c-EPS. Moreover, the potent antioxidant activities of CFP and CFE support their use as natural antioxidants in dietary supplements or food additives.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops in the world, and grain size is a major component determining rice yield. Recent studies identified a number of grain size regulators, which are involved in the phytohormone signaling, G protein signaling, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, or transcriptional regulation. In previous study, we cloned qGL3/OsPPKL1 encoding a rice protein phosphatase that negatively modulates brassinosteroid (BR) signaling and grain length. Here, to further explore qGL3-mediated BR signaling network, we performed phosphoproteomic screenings using two pairs of rice materials: the indica rice cultivar 9311 and its near-isogenic line NILqgl3 and the japonica rice cultivar Dongjin and its qGL3 knockout mutant m-qgl3. Together with qGL3-interacting proteins, we constructed the qGL3-mediated network, which reveals the relationships between BR signaling and other critical signaling pathways. Transgenic plants of these network components showed BR-related alterations in plant architecture. From this network, we validated a qGL3-interacting protein, O. sativa VERNALIZATION INSENSITIVE3-LIKE1 (OsVIL1), and demonstrated that qGL3 dephosphorylates OsVIL1 to modulate BR signaling. The qGL3-dependent network uncovered in this study increases our understanding of BR signaling and provides a profound foundation for addressing how BR modulates plant architecture in rice.

Rifamycins have been clinically utilized against mycobacterial infections for more than 50 years; however, their biosynthesis has not been fully elucidated. Here, on the basis of in vivo gene deletions, in vitro enzyme assays, isotope labeling, and site-directed mutations, we found that a flavin-dependent monooxygenase encoded by a rifamycin biosynthetic gene cluster, Rif-Orf17, not only converted the naphthoquinone chromophore of rifamycin S into benzo-γ-pyrone but also linearized rifamycin SV through phenolic hydroxylation. Both oxidation routes lead to inactivation of rifamycins.

This paper was to probe into whether IL-6 improved insulin resistance by AMPK and p38MAPK signal pathway. The C2C12 cell lines were purchased from ATCC. The cells of control group were cultured in high-glucose DMEM culture medium. CaCl2 with different concentrations was respectively used to culture C2C12 cells; then, glucose concentrations in the nutrient solution following 24 h were measured in the preliminary experiment. Firstly, cells of A group (control group) were normally cultured C2C12 cells, cells of B, C, and D group were respectively cultured with palmitic acid 48 h, palmitic acid 24 h, and IL-6 24 h, and IL-6-shRNA 48 h, glucose concentrations, IL-6 mRNA and GLUT4 mRNA levels, p-p38MAPK, p-AMPK, p-IRS-1, and p-PI-3K protein contents of each group in the nutrient solution following 48 h were measured. Secondly, cells of A group (control group) were palmitic acid-cultured C2C12 cells, cells of B and C group were respectively cultured with palmitic acid 24 h and CaCl2 24 h, and palmitic acid 24 h CaCl2 24 h, and IL-6-shRNA 24 h, and the same indexes were measured with the first experiment. The preliminary experimental result showed that CaCl2 feed can induce C2C12 cell contraction, and CaCl2 with different concentrations was able to decrease significantly glucose concentrations in the nutrient solution following 24 h (p

One of the end-products of ROS-induced peroxidation, malondialdehyde (MDA), induces the cross-links in proteins, which leads to perturbation of the physiological functions of cells and contributes to abnormal biological regulation and various disorders. Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, Tau) aids in adjusting normal physiological functions to confer stress resistance. The protective effects of Tau against MDA stress in vitro or in vivo were reported previously. In this study, we had investigated the protective effects of taurine on viability, oxidative stress levels and mitochondrial biogenesis in mouse muscle C2C12 cells undergoing MDA induced stress. We show that the treatment with 100 μM MDA leads to increase in cell oxidative stress levels, inhibition of mitochondrial biogenesis and the reduction of the cell survival rates. The pretreatment with 0.1 μM taurine reduced MDA-induced death rate via inhibition of oxidative stress, restoration of mitochondrial functions of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ATP production. In MDA stress, the pre-treatment with 0.1 μM taurine leads to upregulation of the factors of mitochondrial biogenesis. These observations suggest that the cytoprotective effects of taurine may be due to an induction of mitochondrial biogenesis.

A high slime-producing Lactobacillus fermentum strain (named as L. fermentum S1) was isolated from traditional fermented Fuyuan pickle, which was made of white turnip and collected from Fuyuan county, Yunnan province, China. We extracted and purified the exopolysaccharides from L. fermentum S1, and investigated their preliminary structure characteristics and biological activities. Three purified exopolysaccharide fractions, designated as EPS1, EPS2 and EPS3, were obtained from the culture supernatant of L. fermentum S1 by ethanol precipitation, anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The EPS2 and EPS3 were homogeneous with molecular weights of 4.45 × 106 and 2.82 × 106 Da, respectively. All the purified EPS fractions were composed of glucose, galactose, mannose and arabinose, but with different molar ratios. EPS1, EPS2 and EPS3 presented different surface morphologies and their degradation temperatures were 302.7°C, 316.3°C and 316.9°C, respectively. Bioactivity research showed that L. fermentum S1 EPS elicited free radical scavenging capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power, and 1 mg/mL of EPS significantly improved the gastrointestinal transit tolerance of non EPS-producing strain L. fermentum LG1. Moreover, S1 EPS had a favorable anti-biofilm activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. These results indicated that S1 EPS could be explored as a promising functional adjunct for application in foods.

A number of strategies have been developed to mine novel natural products based on biosynthetic gene clusters and there have been dozens of successful cases facilitated by the development of genomic sequencing. During our study on biosynthesis of the antitumor polyketide kosinostatin (KST), we found that the genome of Micromonospora sp. strain TP-A0468, the producer of KST, contains other potential polyketide gene clusters, with no encoded products detected. Deletion of kst cluster led to abolishment of KST and the enrichment of several new compounds, which were isolated and characterized as 16-demethylrifamycins (referred to here as compounds 3 to 6). Transcriptional analysis demonstrated that the expression of the essential genes related to the biosynthesis of compounds 3 to 6 was comparable to the level in the wild-type and in the kst cluster deletion strain. This indicates that the accumulation of these compounds was due to the redirection of metabolic flux rather than transcriptional activation. Genetic disruption, chemical complementation, and bioinformatic analysis revealed that the production of compounds 3 to 6 was accomplished by cross talk between the two distantly placed polyketide gene clusters pks3 and M-rif This finding not only enriches the analogue pool and the biosynthetic diversity of rifamycins but also provides an auxiliary strategy for natural product discovery through genome mining in polyketide-producing microorganisms.IMPORTANCE Natural products are essential in the development of novel clinically used drugs. Discovering new natural products and modifying known compounds are still the two main ways to generate new candidates. Here, we have discovered several rifamycins with varied skeleton structures by redirecting the metabolic flux from the predominant polyketide biosynthetic pathway to the rifamycin pathway in the marine actinomycetes species Micromonospora sp. strain TP-A0468. Rifamycins are indispensable chemotherapeutics in the treatment of various diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, and AIDS-related mycobacterial infections. This study exemplifies a useful method for the discovery of cryptic natural products in genome-sequenced microbes. Moreover, the 16-demethylrifamycins and their genetically manipulable producer provide a new opportunity in the construction of novel rifamycin derivates to aid in the defense against the ever-growing drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

With an intention to find more potent antibacterial agents, four halogen disubstituted thiazolineone derivatives (2a–d), five halogen monosubstituted thiazolineone derivatives (2e–i), and eleven 2-arylimino-3-pyridin-thiazolineone derivatives (2j–t) were synthesized and screened for their antibacterial activity, bactericidal activity, cytotoxicity, and erythrocyte hemolysis. Most of the synthesized derivatives showed antibacterial activity in inhibiting the growth of S. epidermidis and MRSA, and exhibited safety in the cytotoxicity study on the Vero cells and hemolytic activities test on healthy human erythrocytes. 2-Arylimino-3-pyridin-thiazolineone derivatives not only improved the clog P, but also showed potent antibacterial activity in inhibiting the growth of S. epidermidis and MRSA. In particularly, several compounds (2f, 2i, 2r and 2t) showed bactericidal activity, in which compound 2r displayed the best inhibitory capacity among the synthesized compounds, and further druggability research is on going.

To develop a new electrochemical DNA biosensor for determination of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, a highly sensitive and selective electrochemical biosensor for DNA detection was constructed based on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with gold nanoparticles (Au-nano). The Au-nano/GCE was characterized by scanning electromicroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The hybridization detection was measured by differential pulse voltammetry using methylene blue as the hybridization indicator. The dynamic range of detection of the sensor for the target DNA sequences was from 1 × 10–11 to 1 × 10–8 M, with an LOD of 1 × 10–12 M. The DNA biosensor had excellent specificity for distinguishing complementary DNA sequence in the presence of non-complementary and mismatched DNA sequence. The Au-nano/GCE showed significant improvement in electrochemical characteristics, and this biosensor was successfully applied for determination of K. pneumoniae.

Clarifying the association of differences in endosperm biochemical composition with nutrient and edible quality can guide rice breeding and cultivation. In this study, very-low-amylose-content (LAC), Japanese good-taste (JTC), Northeast China good-taste (CTC), and Northeast China high-yield (CHC) cultivars were milled to obtain four layers (L1-L4) from outside-in, and then analyzed for apparent amylose content (AAC), protein content (PC), amino acids, soluble sugars, and minerals. The association of these compositions and Rapid-Visco analysis values with taste was also examined. LAC had low AAC, high amino acid and mineral content, and the highest taste value. Taste was significantly affected by AAC and soluble sugar in L3, and by PC in the L2 layer. High levels of amino acid in L2 and L3 improved the taste, as did Mg, P, and Ca in L1. On the whole, starch factors had the highest contribution to taste, followed by minerals, amino acids, and PC.

Oxytetracycline and copper are the common residues in animal manures. Meanwhile, anaerobic digestion is considered as a clean biotechnology for the disposal of animal manures. In this paper, the performance of anaerobic digesters and the dynamics of bacterial communities under the different treatments of oxytetracycline and copper were discussed. The parameters of methane production and pH values were studied to reflect the performance of anaerobic digester. Results showed that the changes of methane production and pH values were not obvious compared with the control. This means that the treatments of oxytetracycline and copper almost have no effects on the performance of anaerobic digesters. This phenomenon might be due to the chelation reaction between oxytetracycline and copper. This chelation reaction might reduce the toxicity of oxytetracycline. The study on the dynamics of bacterial communities was based on the polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) method. Results indicated that the bacterial communities had significant differences under the different treatments of oxytetracycline and copper. UnculturedBacteroidetesbacterium (CU922272.1) and unculturedBacteroidetesbacterium (AB780945.1) showed adaptability to the different treatments of oxytetracycline and copper and were the dominant bacterial communities.

Four novel lanthanide complexes [Ln(3,4-DMOBA) 3 (H 2 O) 2 ]·H 2 O·C 2 H 5 OH (Ln = Sm(1), Tb(2), Dy(3), Ho(4); 3,4-DMOBA = 3, 4-dimethoxybenzoate) have been hydrothermal synthesized and characterized. Structural analyses reveal that adjacent lanthanide ions are connected by 3,4-DMOBA ligands adopting bridging bidentate mode to generate one-dimensional (1-D) structure with the uncoordinated water and ethanol molecules. 1-D structures are linked by hydrogen bonds to form a three-dimensional (3-D) structure, which is rarely observed in lanthanide carboxylic acids complexes. Under the radiation of UV light, complex 2 exhibits the characteristic emission of Tb 3+ ion ( 5 D 4 → 7 F 6-3 ). The thermal decomposition mechanism is investigated by TG-FTIR technology. IR spectra of the evolved gases show that the uncoordinated water and ethanol molecules lose in the first step. And then 3,4-DMOBA ligand is decomposed into H 2 O, CO 2 and other gaseous molecules as well as the gaseous organic fragments.

The crystal structures of complexes [Tb(3-Br-4-MBA)3phen]2(1), [Ho(3-Br-4-MBA)3(phen)H2O]2(2) and [Er(3-Br-4-MBA)3(phen)H2O]2(3) (3-Br-4-MBA=3-bromine-4-methylbenzoate, phen=1,10-phenanthroline) have been solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. All obtained products were examined and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, IR, UV and XRD techniques. The thermogravimetric analysis of 1 to 3 was studied, indicating that the decomposition processes of 2 and 3 are different from 1. The mass loss of the first step for 2 and 3 is attributed to the H2O molecules. The three-dimensional IR accumulation spectra of gaseous of 1 to 3 were also recorded. Complex 1 emits strong and bright green fluorescence under UV light at the room temperature. The bacteriostatic activities of the three complexes against bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and fungus (Candida albicans) were tested.

A new heterometallic supramolecular complex, consisting of an iridium carbene-based unit appended to a platinum terpyridine acetylide unit, representing a new Ir(III) -Pt(II) structural motif, was designed and developed to act as an active species for photocatalytic hydrogen production. The results also suggested that a light-harvesting process is essential to realize the solar-to-fuel conversion in an artificial system as illustrated in the natural photosynthetic system.

A new lithographic approach for the fabrication of an enticing optical diffuser with concave microlens array (MLA) is reported. A flexible photopolymerizable polymer mold is employed as an intermediate transferring template from nickel stamp and directly adopted to fabricate concave MLA diffuser films. The influence of the parameters (such as diameter, fill factor etc.) of concave MLA is analyzed experimentally and theoretically. The results verify that the optical gain can be reached as high as 53%, which has a similar fascinating diffusion effect compared with that of conventional convex MLA diffuser films. Additionally, it is found that diffusion angle could be manipulated by the profile of the concave elliptical MLA, leading to luminance increase in long axis larger than that in short axis. The approach demonstrated here affords the intriguing opportunity to large scale industrial processing for high-quality diffusers with low manufacturing and materials cost.

Three novel lanthanide complexes [Ln(3,4,5-TEOBA)3phen]2 (Ln = La(1), Pr(2), Eu(3); 3,4,5-TEOBA = 3,4,5-triethoxybenzoate; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) were synthesized and characterized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction showed that the complexes are isostructural. Each complex has two center metals and each center is coordinated with seven oxygen atoms and two nitrogen atoms to form a distorted monocapped square antiprism geometry. A carboxylic group adopts three modes coordinated with center metal: bidentate chelate, bridging bidentate and bridging tridentate. The luminescence of complex 3 showed the characteristic emission of Eu3+ (5D0 → 7F0–3). The thermal decomposition mechanism of title complexes was studied by TG/DSC-FTIR technology. The heat capacities of complexes 1–3 were measured by DSC over the temperature range from 263.15 to 463.15 K. In the temperature range from 280 to 350 K, there was a solid-to-solid phase transition for each complex, which was further evidenced by four thermal circulating processes with the scanning rate of 10 K min−1. A study of the phase transition of four thermal circulating processes under different heating rates revealed a fine linear relationship between the activation energy (E) and the percent conversion (α). In the heating and cooling runs, supercooling was observed and the endothermic and exothermic enthalpies behaved differently.

A carbon ceramic electrode was modified with a thin film composed of overoxidized polypyrrole, CuO and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The surface morphology, electrochemical properties and electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of glucose of the modified electrode were studied in detail. Benefiting from the high electrocatalytic activity of CuO, the selectivity of OPpy film, and the fast electron transfer rate promoted by MWCNTs, this modified electrode displays good stability, selectivity, high electrocatalytic activity and a low detection limit for the determination of glucose in pH 13 solution. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range for the determination of glucose by cyclic voltammetry is from 20 μM to 10 mM, and the detection limit is 4.0 μM (at an SNR of 3). The amperometric calibration plot covers the 0.20 μM to 2.0 mM concentration range, and the detection limit is 50 nM. The highest sensitivity for the determination of glucose is 3922.6 μA mM−1 cm2.

An efficient three-component catalytic system for visible-light-induced production of hydrogen from water was developed based on new dinuclear iridium photosensitizers (PSs), [Ir(tfdpyb)Cl]2(BiBzIm) (P1) and [Ir(tfmppy)2]2BiBzIm (P2) [tfdpyb = 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)-4,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzene, tfmppy = 2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-pyridine, BiBzIm = 2,2′-bibenzimidazole]. These iridium complexes were fully characterized by 1H NMR and ESI-MS, and their photophysical properties and electrochemical behaviors were also investigated. To compare with this new type of iridium compounds, the mononuclear analogues Ir(tfdpyb)(BiBzImH)Cl (P3), Ir(tfmppy)2(BiBzImH) (P4), and Ir(dpyx)(BiBzImH)Cl (P5) (dpyx = 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)-4,6-dimethylbenzene) were also synthesized. The absorption spectra of dinuclear and mononuclear complexes are similar mainly in terms of their shape in the visible-light region, but as expected, the dinuclear species are more intense (approximately twice) compared with the corresponding mononucl...

The Tessiers five-stage sequential extraction procedure for extractable heavy metals determination was applied to sludge samples collected from wastewater treatment plant of Yanan city, Shaanxi province, China. According to the Tessiers guidelines, Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Nickel (Ni), Cadmium (Cd) and Chromium (Cr) were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The heavy metal concentrations from high to low are Cu > Zn > Ni > Cr > Cd, which are lower than maximum permitted levels for agricultural use in relation to current international legislation. As shown in the speciation experiment, Cu mainly exists in organic form and sulfides, which is relatively stable. Zn with potentially hazards mainly exists in iron/manganese form. Ni mainly exists in insoluble form, which is stable and not easy to migrate to the environment. Cd with potential biological effectiveness mainly exists in acid soluble form and is easy to migrate to the environment.

The hybrid cobalt–iron hexacyanoferrate nanoparticles modified electrode has been fabricated by electrochemical methods using MWCNT as a template. The electrochemical properties as well as the kinetic parameters such as the electron transfer coefficient α , rate constant k s of the electrode reaction and the catalytic rate constant k cat of the catalytic reaction are determined. Isoniazid was chosen as a model compound to elucidate the electrocatalytic activity of the resulting modified electrode. The results showed that this modified electrodes exhibited good stability and high electrocatalytic activity to the oxidation of isoniazid. Hydrodynamic amperometry was applied for the determination of isoniazid with linear range of 2.0 × 10 −7 to 1.0 × 10 −4 mol L −1 , The detection limit and sensitivity was 8.0 × 10 −8 mol L −1 and 114.9 μA mM −1 , respectively.

In general, the sulfate isotope was used of the researching for the horizontal inflow groundwater, and discussed the source of the source of groundwater. This paper discusses the different depth and different area groundwater, the results indicate that, at the same groundwater flowing system, the different area and different depth, the sulfate isotope characteristics of groundwater have lots of differences, these differences indicate that the two area groundwater have the different source and the different process of minerals dissolve, and the hydraulic power between the two area groundwater is very weak.

The cobalt hexacyanoferrate nanocrystals (Nano-CoHCF) with uniform shape and size were electrochemical deposited on the electrode surface modified with the overoxidized polypyrrole (OPyox) film in the presence of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). The conceivable effect of EDTA and OPyox film was studied using SEM and electrochemical techniques. The experiment results showed that the nucleation and deposition rate of CoHCF on the electrode surface were controlled by the synergic action of EDTA and OPyox film, which resulted in the formation of uniform Nano-CoHCF. Moreover, some electrodeposition conditions for Nano-CoHCF film had been optimized such as pH, concentration of EDTA, as well as deposition cycles. The resulting modified electrode exhibited excellent catalytic activity and improved stability for the oxidation of hydrazine. Hydrodynamic amperometry was applied for the determination of hydrazine with a linear range of 2.0 × 10−7 to 1.1 × 10−5 mol L−1 and 1.1 × 10−5 to 4.1 × 10−4 mol L−1 with the maximum sensitivity of 2719.5 μA mM−1 cm−2.

Being compared with traditional wear resistant materials, the corrosion resistance of high boron iron-based alloy at 25°Cand at 60°Care researched respectively. The results show that the corrosion resistance of wear-resistant alloys decline at high temperature. At 25°C and at 60°C, though the corrosion resistance of high chromium cast iron is a little higher than that of high boron iron-based alloy in acid medium (PH=3), high boron iron-based alloy’s corrosion resistance is the best among these three materials in neutral medium (PH=7) and in alkaline medium (PH=12).

Two new charge-neutral iridium complexes, [Ir(tfm-ppy)(2)(N,N'-diisopropyl-benzamidinate)] (1) and [Ir(tfm-ppy)(2)(N,N'-diisopropyl-4-diethylamino-3,5-dimethyl-benzamidinate)] (2) (tfm-ppy=4-trifluoromethyl-2-phenylpyridine) containing an amidinate ligand and two phenylpyridine ligands were designed and characterised. The photophysical properties, electrochemical behaviours and emission quenching properties of these species were investigated. In concert with the cobalt catalyst [Co(bpy)(3)](2+), members of this new class of iridium complexes enable the photocatalytic generation of hydrogen from mixed aqueous solutions via an oxidative quenching pathway and display long-term photostability under constant illumination over 72 h; one of these species achieved a relatively high turnover number of 1880 during this time period. In the case of complex 1, the three-component homogeneous photocatalytic system proved to be more efficient than a related system containing a charged complex, [Ir(tfm-ppy)(2)(dtb-bpy)](+) (3, dtb-bpy=4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-dipyridyl). In combination with a rhodium complex as a water reduction catalyst, the performances of the systems using both complexes were also evaluated, and these systems exhibited a more efficient catalytic propensity for water splitting than did the cobalt-based systems that have been studied previously.

In this study, waste drilling fluid was remediated by both biostimulation with the inorganic nutrient addition and bioaugmentation with the inoculation of a selected and well-adapted microbial consortium. The results showed that, compared to the non-bioaugmented system, the bioaugmented system exhibited considerably stronger pollution disposal abilities, with 95.2% total organic carbon degradation (TOC) and 91.2% total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal within 120 h. In contrast, in the non-bioaugmented system, the corresponding TOC and TPH removal efficiencies were 82.9% and 58.3%, respectively, within 120 h. The active role of the microbial inoculum in pushing the entire community towards an effective bioremediation has been proven through hydrocarbons analysis and metabolic profi ling at community level (Biologsystem).

To reveal the basic characteristics and controlling factors of water quality change in the project Wenyu to Chaobai reclaimed water diversion, the water quality in the study area was monitored for one year at seven monitoring sites. Inverse geochemical models of the statistical groups were developed using PHREEQC to elucidate the hydrochemistry characteristics of reclaimed water and the factors. The monitoring results indicated that nitrogen and phosphorus contents were significantly reduced along the river mainly caused by seasonal and location variation. The pH ranged from 7.44 to 9.81. Photosynthesis of algae and denitrification in anaerobic microenvironment ultimately led to a sudden pH increase after the Jian River and the Chaobai River confluence. Mg2+ and SO42- levels dropped obviously in the summer and increased in winter seasons after intersection. Na+ and Cl- are relatively stable, and marked drop in the concentration only after the two rivers meet. And there is a decrease of Ca2+ and HCO3- and increase in CO32- during monitoring period. As a whole, the primary ions and nutrient components, including nitrogen and phosphorus, had high levels in winter. Algae's photosynthesis and respiration were observed to have an impact on the river water quality; there was precipitation-dissolution of minerals and denitrification from upstream to downstream. Inverse geochemical PHREEQC modeling confirmed that there was precipitation of aragonite or calcite, and gypsum or anhydrite in summer, and dissolution in winter; as well as precipitation of dolomite in winter, and cationic exchange and denitrification along the river.

A quick method was developed for diagnosis of nitrogen (N) in apple trees based on multiple linear regressions to establish the relationship between near-infrared reflectance spectra (NIRS) and the N contents of fresh and dry tissue. Spectral pretreatment methods such as derivatives, smoothing, and normalization were used. The derivatives appeared to be the most effective. The best calibration for fresh leaf gave 0.842 for the correlation coefficient of validation (Rv), 1.119 g kg−1 for the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), and 8.311 for the ratio of the range in reference data from the validation samples to the root mean square error of prediction (RER). The best calibration for dried ground samples was obtained with Rv = 0.952, RMSEP = 0.633 g kg−1, the ratio performance deviation (RPD) = 3.27, and RER = 13.728. The results showed that calibrations of dry-apple leaf are robust enough for an accurate prediction of N.

Taurine (Tau) was widely used in adjusting body normal physiological function and enhancing the ability of resisting all kinds of stress in clinical medicine and sports nutrition. This article collected the literatures of recent 20 years about the application of taurine in animal and human being. According to the chemical structure, amino acids in taurine’s molecular structure played a main role in regulating physiological function. Amino was the key and even the only functional group in biochemical reaction. Schiff’s Reaction between amino and carbonyl in reactive carbonyl compounds was that taurine played a variety biological function of molecular basis in cells.

Compound condensing heat pump combines the advantages of heat pump technology and condensing heat recovery technology. It takes full account of the common infrastructure in the cooling and heat source system and greatly increases equipment utilization ratio. It also recycles condensing heat to produce sanitary hot water efficiently while ensuring cooling and heating of heat pump to achieve the same effect. The distinctive technical features of the compound condensation / evaporation of four functional heat pump ensure its efficient and reliable operation. This heat pump system runs in several models throughout the year,which include the refrigeration mode, refrigeration&domestic hot water mode, domestic hot water mode and heating mode. The performance in refrigeration mode and refrigeration&domestic hot water mode is studied by a designed experiment is done and the an explicit analysis is made. By comparing the results of simlation and experiment,an agreement can be shown clearly. Therefore,the final conclusion is drawn:the performance of compound condensation / evaporation of four functional heat pump is improved over the traditional heat pump.It is worthy to further promote for the sake of energy saving.

An indoor simulation experiment has been carried out to study the effects of Roxarsone on the soil neutral phosphatase, catalase and urease activity. The result showed that the enzyme activities were reduced by the Roxarsone, and the effect degree was aggravated with the increasing consistency. It also showed that inhibition of various enzymes on the rise - decrease trend during the whole incubation period reached its peak on the tenth day as 54.71%,33.92% and 13.81% sorting the phosphatase, the catalase and the urease in a descending order consulting the enzyme sensitivity to Roxarsone. Taking the ED10 as an example, which is 18.83, 48.31 and 185.2 mg.kg-1 on the tenth day: Negative exponential growth model were used to fit the regression rate of enzyme activities with time indicating that the time of Roxarsone toxic effects on soil enzyme extended with the consistency being increased.

The most important etiologic agent in the pathogenesis of cervical cancers (CCs) is human papillomavirus (HPV), while the mechanisms underlying are still not well known. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is reported to elevate in various tumor cells. However, no available references elucidated the correlation between the levels of G6PD and HPV-infected CC until now. In the present study, we explored the possible role of G6PD in the pathology of CC induced by HPV infection. Totally 48 patients with HPV + CC and another 63 healthy women enrolled in the clinical were employed in the present study. Overall, prevalence of cervical infection with high-risk-HPV (HR-HPV) type examined was HPV-16, followed by HPV-18. The expressions of G6PD in CC samples were also detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), qRT-PCR, and Western blot. Regression analysis showed elevated G6PD level was positively correlated with the CC development in 30–40 aged patients with HR-HPV-16/18 infection. The HPV16 + Siha, HPV18 + Hela, and HPV-C33A cell lines were employed and transfected with G6PD deficient vectors developed in vitro. MTT and flow cytometry were also employed to determine the survival and apoptosis of CC cells after G6PD expressional inhibition. Our data revealed that G6PD down-regulation induced poor proliferation and more apoptosis of HPV18 + Hela cells, when compared with that of HPV16 + Siha and HPV-C33A cells. These findings suggest that G6PD expressions in the HR-HPV + human CC tissues and cell lines play an important role in tumor growth and proliferation.

A Detailed Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Study Has Been Made of the Ageing Hardening Behavior of the γ1-Ti4Nb3Al9Precipitation Phase in the γ-TiAl Matrix in Ti-Al-Nb System. it Is Revealed that the γ1-Ti4Nb3Al9Precipitate, which Is Formed by a Normal Quench at 1473k and Ageing Treatment at 1073K, Takes Needle-Like Morphology with a Growing Axis Parallel to [001] Direction of the Matrix. the Needle-Like Precipitates Act as Barrier Grid to Inhibit Dislocation Moving on the Slipping Plane {111} of the γ-TiAl Matrix, which Helps to Improve the Strength of the Alloy. the Effects of the Third Element Niobium to the Strengthen of High Nb Containing TiAl Alloys Lie in Not only Solid Solution, but Also Ageing Hardening. the Interfaces between Precipitate and Matrix Are Also Investigated.

The mechanical properties and microstructure of high boron alloy (HBA) with different content of boron and carbon were investigated using Taguchi method for obtaining the optimized composition. In addition, the effect of modification with different RE content and the effect of heat treatment on the alloy were studied as well. Results show that the optimized chemical compositions of the HBA are as follows: 0.5% C、3.0% B、1.0% Si、1.0% Mn、1.0% Cu、1.5% Cr、0.5% V and the rest is Fe, and the best content of the RE are 0.8%-1.0%. After the modification and the heat treatment, the mechanical properties of alloy improve significantly. This is because that the matrix of alloy is changed from pearlite to martensite, and the network of boride is broken up and distributed more evenly to form an isolated and discontinuous distribution. The alloy with this composition has been successfully used for anode claw in aluminum smelter, which greatly improves the wear resistance.

The effect of copper addition on microstructures and mechanical properties of in situ TiC particulates reinforced Fe-based composites was investigated. The results demonstrated that copper was an expanding austenite element which could move eutectoid point to the left in Fe–C equilibrium diagram and result in the refinement of pearlite interlamelar spacing. Copper could effectively prevent the transition and deposition from carbon to graphite and also improve the activity of Ti and C element which was beneficial to synthesize more of TiC particulates. The Fe-based composites with a copper content of 1.5 wt% resulted in the best mechanical properties.

Degradation of rhodamine B by Fe(0)-based Fenton process with H(2)O(2) was investigated. The effects of H(2)O(2) dose, Fe(0) dose, initial concentration of rhodamine B and initial pH value on the degradation of rhodamine B were examined. The results showed that the degradation and mineralization of rhodamine B occurred with low dose of H(2)O(2) and Fe(0). The intermediates of rhodamine B were analyzed with UV-Vis spectrophotometry and ion chromatography and the mechanism of oxidative degradation of rhodamine B was also discussed. The reactive oxygen species (·OH) produced in Fe(0)-based Fenton process with H(2)O(2) is the key to the degradation of rhodamine B by ways of N-de-ethylation, chromophore cleavage, ring-opening and mineralization.

Early detection of bacteria in water treatment is desired to mitigate system biofouling and potential human health impacts. This research involved the development of an antibody-based sensor, which was attached to a hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) modified cellulose acetate ultrafiltration membrane surface, to target bacteria. HPC was chosen because it collapses above and expands below a lower critical solution temperature (43 °C), thus allowing temperature modulation. The membrane had a high target recovery efficiency (10–18%) in both single bacterium and complex samples (simulated by adding organics and competitive organisms). Sensor recovery was decreased (to 5–7%) following temperature activation (above 50 °C) due to adverse impacts of temperature on the antibody. The membrane was able to be regenerated (with 0.1 M NaOH) and reused three consecutive times. The thermally responsive sensing membrane developed from this work was specifically developed to detect biofoulants in membrane-based water treatment processes. However, it could be adapted to address a range of environmental detection concerns, such as pathogen detection.

A convenient method for electrochemical deposition of compact and uniform CuHCF nanoparticles was proposed. The size and the deposition rate of CuHCF nanoparticles could be easily controlled with the synergic action of EDTA and HAuCl 4 in the deposition solution. The possible mechanism was investigated by using electrochemical and SEM techniques. Moreover, electrodeposition conditions such as pH, concentrations of HAuCl 4 and EDTA as well as the initial concentration of ferricyanide had also been optimized. The resulting modified electrode exhibited excellent catalytic activity and improved stability for the oxidation of hydrazine. Hydrodynamic amperometry was applied for the determination of hydrazine with a linear range of 5.0 × 10 −7 –2.0 × 10 −3 mol L −1 and the sensitivity was 194.0 μA mM −1 .

For studying the effect between short laser pulse and red blood cell (RBC) in a more accurate and powerful way, the light beam characters of a focused femtosecond pulse are studied with a simulation method, and then, a mixed wave-propagating model (MWP) is put forward after analyzing these characters, in which, light beam is thought as propagating in a Gaussian focused shape. In addition, a mathematical processing and linear absorption model in the focused irradiated region of RBC is built based on analyzing its physical mechanism. Finally, the temperature distribution within the RBC is gotten by data simulating calculation, which shows that the temperature variety caused by linear absorption in the focal region is rather small.

With the aim of understanding the relationships between organic small molecule field-effect transistors (FETs) and organic conjugated polymer FETs, we investigate the thickness dependence of surface morphology and charge carrier mobility in pentacene and regioregular poly (3-hexylthiophene) (RR-P3HT) field-effect transistors. On the basis of the results of surface morphologies and electrical properties, we presume that the charge carrier mobility is largely related to the morphology of the organic active layer. We observe that the change trends of the surface morphologies (average size and average roughness) of pentacene and RR-P3HT thin films are mutually opposite, as the thickness of the organic layer increases. Further, we demonstrate that the change trends of the field-effect mobilities of pentacene and RR-P3HT FETs are also opposite to each other, as the thickness of the organic layer increases within its limit.

Three novel Cd(II)/Zn(II) compounds, [Cd 2 (poda) 2 (phen) 3 (H 2 O)] n · n EtOH·3 n H 2 O (1) , [Zn(poda) 2 (bpy)(H 2 O)] n (2) and [Zn(Hpoda) 2 (bpy)] (3) (H 2 poda = 1,2-phenylenediacetic acid, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridyl), have been synthesized and characterized by IR, TG, fluorescent spectrum and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. In 1, poda 2− anions link the adjacent Cd(II) centers to generate a 1D zigzag chain. Furthermore, an unprecedented four-footed “8-shaped” mixed water–ethanol (H 2 O) 6 (C 2 H 5 OH) 2 cluster connects four double chains based on 1D zigzag chain into 3D supramolecular architecture. By bis(chelate–monodentate) fashion of poda 2− ligand, compound 2 exhibits 1D zigzag chains, which forming a dense zipper-like 2D structure via strong π–π stacking interactions. Differed from 1 and 2 , compound 3 has a mononuclear motif, and displays a 3D 6-connected α-Po net hydrogen-bonded topology. The structure-related solid-state fluorescence spectra of compounds 1 and 2 have been determined.

This paper investigates the morphology and crystallization properties of the two crystalline phases of pentacene grown by thermal evaporation on p+-Si substrates at room temperature by the methods of atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction. This kind of substrate induces a thin film phase and a triclinic phase which are formed directly onto p+-Si substrates and constitute a layer consisting of faceted grains with a step height between terraces of 15.8 A (1 A=0.1 nm) and 14.9 A, respectively. Above the critical thickness of the thin film phase, lamellar structures are found with an increasing fraction with the increase of the film thickness. When the film thickness is fixed, the fraction of lamellar structures increases with the increase of annealing temperature. These lamellar structures are identified as the second phase with a interplanar distance of 14.9 A corresponding to the pentacene triclinic phase. Furthermore, the thin film phase consisting of several micrometre sized uniformly oriented grains at an annealing temperature of less than 80°C and a deposition rate of 0.6 A/s is observed.

The effects of various toxic carbonyls such as malondialdehyde (MDA), a secondary product of lipid peroxidation, and other aldehydes on rheological parameters and their relationship with aging-associated alterations were studied. Both MDA and glutaraldehyde (Glu) in different concentrations significantly increase viscosity, plastic viscosity and yield stress of human plasma and erythrocyte suspensions. MDA (20 mmol/L) reduces sharply the typical fluorescence of proteins (excitation 280 nm/emission 350 nm), and produces age pigment-like fluorescence with a strong emission peak at 460 nm when excites at 395 nm by only being incubated for some hours. In contrast, Glu decreases merely the fluorescence of proteins without producing age pigment-like fluorescence. These data suggest interestingly that the MDA-induced gradual protein cross linking seems to form from different mechanisms compared to the fast rheological changes of blood materials which may take place either in acute and chronic diseases or during aging. On the other hand, MDA induces various deleterious alterations of erythrocytes whereas glutathione (GSH) inhibits the MDA-related carbonyl stress in a concentration-dependent manner. The results indicate that carbonyl-amino reaction exists in the blood widely and GSH has the ability to interrupt or reverse this reaction in a certain way. It implies that carbonyl stress may be one of the important factors in blood stasis and suggests a theoretical and practical approach in anti-stresses and anti-aging.