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Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an emerging non-invasive technique that allows bedside measurement of blood oxygenation level-dependent hemodynamic signals. We aimed to examine the efficacy of resting-state fNIRS in detecting the residual functional networks in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). We performed resting-state fNIRS in 23 DOC patients of whom 12 were in minimally conscious state (MCS) and 11 were in unresponsive wakefulness state (UWS). Ten regions of interest (ROIs) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were selected: both sides of Brodmann area (BA) 9, BA10, BA44, BA45, and BA46. Graph-theoretical analysis and seed-based correlation analyses were used to investigate the network topology and the strength of pairwise connections between ROIs and channels. MCS and UWS exhibited varying degrees of the loss of topological architecture, and the regional nodal properties of BA10 were significantly different between them (Nodal degree, P

BACKGROUND Sinistral portal hypertension associated with pancreatic pseudocysts is rare, often caused by extrinsic compression of splenic vein, the follow-up examinations by ultrasonography for early diagnosis are quietly necessary since haematemesis, a life-threatening condition. Few studies have reported the ultrasonography findings of sinistral portal hypertension. CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old man presented with acute abdominal pain after drinking, steatorrhea, weight loss and accidentally melena in the past 2 mo. He underwent ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in other hospital and diagnosed with pancreatic pseudocysts. Ultrasonography imaging, in our department, appeared as cystic heterogeneous hypoechoic area with the size of 4.7 cm × 3.8 cm that located posterior to the body and tail of pancreas, adjacent to splenic vein associated with thrombosis resulted from compression. Spleen incrassated to approximately 7.3 cm, but no dilation of main portal vein was presented. Color Doppler Flow Imaging demonstrated the formation of splenic venous collateral, nevertheless no significantly flow signals was observed in splenic vein. Pulsed Doppler revealed that the peak velocity of splenic venous collateral was 18.4 cm/s with continuous waveform. Laparotomy confirmed sinistral portal hypertension associated with pancreatic pseudocysts, subsequently distal pancreatectomy combined with splenectomy and partial gastrectomy was performed. CONCLUSION It’s important clinically to know the ultrasound appearance of sinistral portal hypertension associated with pancreatic pseudocysts for sonographer and physician.

In order to assess the ecological risks of heavy metals and explore the pattern of heavy metal migration between farmland and corresponding crops in a typical and closed manganese mining area in Hunan province, farmland soils and crops surrounding the mining area (pollution area) and away from the mining area (control area) were collected, and then the contents of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb were analyzed. The sources and distribution of heavy metals in farmland soils were analyzed using Kriging spatial interpolation and principal component analysis, and the ecological risk was evaluated using the single factor index, comprehensive pollution index, and potential ecological risk index. The results showed that the surrounding farmland soils in the closed Manganese mining area presented serious pollution of Cd, Zn, As, and Mn, in which the average contents of the above heavy metals in the dry land soil in the polluted area were 6.22, 612.28, 37.72, and 1506.2 mg·kg

Calcium is a critical element in the global carbon cycle due to its role in carbon sequestration via silicate weathering and carbonate formation. Here we apply calcium (δ

Purpose Extended multi-organ resection for locally advanced (T4) gastric cancer remains controversial. Herein we aimed to evaluate the surgical outcomes and survival of patients with T4 gastric cancer extending to the transverse colon. Materials and Methods Between 2011 and 2015, forty patients had undergone curative resection for T4 gastric cancer extending to the transverse colon. Patient characteristics, related complications, long-term survival, and prognostic factors for T4 gastric cancer were analyzed. Results ost-operative morbidity occurred in 5 (12.5%) patients. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 75.0%, 49.2%, and 36.9%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that tumor size ( P =0.049), advanced T stage ( P =0.013), and lymph node metastasis ( P =0.006) are poor prognostic factors of overall survival. Based on multivariate analysis, advanced T stage and lymph node metastasis were identified as independent prognosis factors. Conclusions Patients with T4 gastric cancer extending to the transverse colon might benefit from curative resection with acceptable morbidity and mortality.

This study aims to clarify the relationship between chemical weathering of rocks and the carbon budget of rivers and better understand the weathering mechanisms of plateau watersheds. We chose to study the Jinsha River, which originates from the Tibetan Plateau and also is in the upper reaches of the Changjiang River. Analysis of hydrochemistry, radiogenic strontium isotope and stable calcium isotopes were conducted of the Jinsha River water samples, which were collected along its mainstream and main tributaries in the summer. The results show that the water chemistry of the mainstream waters is dominated by evaporite weathering, which have low 87Sr/86Sr values (0.7098–0.7108) and wide range of Sr contents (2.70–9.35 μmol/L). In contrast, tributaries of the Jinsha River have higher 87Sr/86Sr (0.7090–0.7157) and lower Sr contents (∼1 μmol/L). Moreover, the Ca isotopic compositions in the mainstream (0.87–1.11‰) are heavier than the tributaries (0.68–0.88‰) and could not be fully explained by the conventional mixing of different sources. We suggest that secondary carbonate precipitation fractionates Ca isotopes in the Jinsha River, and fractionation factors are between 0.99935 and 0.99963. At least 66% of Ca was removed in the mainstream of the Jinsha River through secondary mineral precipitation, and the average value is ∼35% in the tributaries. The results highlight that evaporite weathering results in more carbonate precipitation influencing Ca transportation and cycling in the riverine system constrained by stable Ca isotopic compositions and water chemistry.

To investigate whether Li isotopic fractionation occurred during high temperature partial melting in the mantle, major and trace element, and Li isotopes were measured in minerals (olivine, Opx, and Cpx) from lherzolite xenoliths entrained in the Jiande Cenozoic basalts in the Cathaysia block. These lherzolites show correlations between Al 2 O 3 and Mg# in Opx and between Fo and Cr# in spinel, indicating they experienced variable degrees of partial melting. Most of them show LREE-depleted patterns in Cpx, indicating little imprint from subsequent incipient metasomatism. The minerals in these lherzolites have narrow Li concentrations (olivine: 1.81–2.82 ppm; Cpx: 0.85–1.85 ppm; Opx: 0.45–1.44 ppm) but variable Li isotopic compositions (olivine: 2.06–10.00‰; Cpx: − 5.05–3.58‰; Opx: − 4.11–9.18‰). The relative concentrations among the different mineral phases in the Jiande lherzolites (Li Ol > Li Cpx ≥ Li Opx ) are similar to those found in “equilibrated” mantle peridotites. The Li concentrations of olivine are a bit higher than the range of normal mantle (1.0–2.2 ppm). The negative correlations between indices of partial melting (Fo content and Cr# in spinel) and Li concentrations of olivine also implies that partial melting was the main process controlling the variations of olivine Li concentration and it generated depletion in Li concentration of 7 Li values in olivine also occur. Thus, the observed variable δ 7 Li values in olivine could not have been produced by recent diffusive-driven isotopic fractionation, but potentially be explained through variable degree of partial melting of their source. Therefore, partial melting process could account for small but systematic Li isotopic fractionation in the mantle. In contrast to olivine, δ 7 Li values of Cpx and Opx in the Jiande lherzolites are a bit variable. They display isotopically heavy cores and light rims, suggesting a recent diffusive ingress of Li into a crystal from the entraining magma or during related intrusive magmatism. The restricted Li concentration in pyroxenes relative to isotope zonation may suggest faster isotopic self-diffusion relative to elemental diffusion.

Green finance focuses on the coherence and sustainability of finance. This chapter studies the influence of financial scale, financial efficiency, and financial competition on enterprise R&D investment, which includes the different side effects of financial quantity and quality, and to some extent reflects the coherence and sustainability of financial development. The authors use manufacturing company data, regional financial quantity, and quality indicators from 2005 to 2007. The results reveal that (1) less developed area enterprises, or low- and medium-technology enterprises, a large amount of financial quantity expansion cannot support the R&D activities of high innovation efficiency, and (2) financial efficiency and financial competition have a nonlinear effect on firm R&D. Low financial efficiency leads to a lack of efficient firm R&D financial development. The results of the chapter reveal a crucial approach to improve the effect of financial inefficiency on firm R&D by changing from merely expanding financial quantity to improving quality instead.

The temperature dependent synthesis and plasmonic optical properties of Ag coated Au nanocubes have been investigated experimentally. It has been found that the Au nanocubes with more uniform morphology and higher yield could be obtained by decreasing the growth temperature. Because of the non-spherical symmetry of the particles shape and the plasmon coupling between Au–Ag interface and outer Ag surface, four absorption peaks at most have been observed. As the Ag coating thickness is increased, the absorbance intensity of these plasmon peaks gets intense greatly, and the absorption peak at longest wavelength blue shifts firstly and then red shifts. The non-monotonous plasmonic shift has been attributed to the competition between the increase of Ag composition and the enlargement of the particle size. What's more, the wavelength region of both blue shift and red shift could also be enhanced by decreasing the temperature.

TiO2 coated hollow fiber (HF) was prepared by sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The adsorption performance of the self-prepared TiO2 coated HF for interest metal ions was explored and a series of affecting factors including sample pH, extraction time, stirring rate and desorption condition were investigated and optimized. On basis of this, a method combining TiO2 coated HF micro-solid phase extraction with electrothermal vaporization (ETV)-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was developed for the determination of trace metal ions in environmental water samples. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection obtained by the proposed method were 0.039, 0.021, 0.009 and 0.018 ng mL−1 for Cr(III), Cu(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) with enrichment factors of 12.5, 11.7, 10.3 and 18.6, respectively. The preparation reproducibility of self-prepared TiO2 coated HF ranged from 4.5% to 6.8% (n = 9) in one batch, and from 7.7% to 9.6% (n = 7) in batch-to-batch. The developed method was validated by analyzing a certified reference material (GSBZ50009-88 200925) and also applied to the analysis of target metal ions in East Lake water and snow water successfully. Meanwhile, TiO2 coated HF stir bar was prepared for a comparison and it was demonstrated that TiO2 coated HF displayed higher extraction efficiency and adsorption capacity for the target ions.

To investigate the difference in clinical efficacy and safety of different meropenem regimens on patients with serious infection in ICU. Then, 228 patients with serious infection in ICU were divided by random into control group (intermittent administration in 1000mg/30min single dose) and research group (continuous administration in 200mg/10min +800mg/180min), respectively. The blood concentration of meropenem were recorded in two groups at different time points, and difference in treatment effectiveness, iconographic effectiveness, bacterial eradication rate, 28-day survival rate and many other clinical scoring indices (SOFA, APACHEII, CPIS, and SIRS) were compared between two groups. There were 212 patients completing the whole research, including 104 patients in research group and 108 patients in control group. The difference in treatment effectiveness (77.8% vs 53.7%), iconographic effectiveness (51.0% vs 18.5%), and 28-day survival rate (86.5% vs 64.8%) between two groups performed statistical significance (P0.05). However, the difference in bacterial eradication rate (48.0% vs 46.3%) performed no statistical significance. Eight hours later, the difference in average blood concentration between two groups (9.61±3.63μg/ml vs 1.5±0.51μg/ml) showed statistical significance. Moreover, the difference in clinical scoring indices except APACHE II score between two groups performed statistical significance. It was helpful to maintain the blood concentration of meropenem by extending the transfusion time. Therefore, it could increase the clinical cure rate and 28-day survival of patients with serious infection in ICU, improve clinical indices, and reduce the usage amount of antibiotics.

Hydrophilic magnetic N-doped porous carbon composites (MNPCs) with high special surface areas and rich nitrogen content was prepared via simple one-step carbonization of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), 2-methylimidazole (HmIm), and Fe

Land subsidence in Cangzhou of the North China Plain, has been an ongoing problem for the past four decades (since the later 1970s). With the development of new synthetic aperture radar(SAR)sensors and interferometric synthetic aperture radar(InSAR) techniques, the application of satellite Radar data have enhanced capabilities to detect and monitor ground displacements with centimeter to millimeter precision at greater spatial detail and higher temporal resolution. We use Permanent Scatterers interferometric synthetic aperture radar（PS-InSAR）technology (Hooper, A.2004) to detect and measure ground movement in this area（from2004 to 2007）. Results of the cangzhou region study are reported and the utility of the InSAR methodology is discussed.

The aim of this study was to investigate the predicting value of miR-146a/b for acute exacerbation chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and COPD, and to explore their associations with inflammatory cytokines in AECOPD and stable COPD patients. One hundred six AECOPD, 122 stable COPD patients, and 110 health volunteers with age and sex matched to total COPD patients (AECOPD and stable COPD) were enrolled. Blood samples were collected from all participants. Relative expression of miR-146a/b was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), leukotriene B4 (LTB-4) expression in serum from AECOPD and stable COPD patients were assessed using commercial ELISA kit. Serum levels of miR-146a and miR-146b were down regulated in AECOPD patients compared with stable COPD patients and HCs. miR-146a and miR-146b are of good values for predicting the risk of AECOPD in HCs with AUC of 0.702 and 0.715. Additionally, miR-146a and miR-146b could distinguish AECOPD from stable COPD patients with AUC of 0.670 and 0.643. In AECOPD patients, levels of miR-146a in AECOPD patients were negatively associated with TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and LTE-4 expression. In stable COPD patients, miR-146a expressions were negatively correlated with TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and LTE-4 levels. And, the expressions of miR-146b in AECOPD patients were negatively associated with IL-1β and LTB-4 expression. While in stable COPD patients, miR-146b expressions were only negatively correlated with TNF-α level. In conclusion, miR-146a and miR-146b were negatively correlated with inflammatory cytokines, and could be promising biomarkers for predicting the risk of AECOPD in stable COPD patients and healthy individuals.

To investigate the correlation of miR-125a/b expression with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) patients and inflammatory cytokines. Eighty-seven AECOPD patients, 93 stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and 100 health volunteers (HCs) were recruited. Plasma samples were collected from AECOPD patients at the day 1, day 7, day 14, and day 28 of admission and from stable COPD patients as well as HCs. Total RNA was extracted from plasma, and miR-125a/b relative expressions were determined by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction. MiR-125b had a great capacity for distinguishing AECOPD from stable COPD (AUC = 0.926, 95% CI: 0.884–0.967) and HCs (AUC = 0.923, 95% CI: 0.880–0.966), while miR-125a did not. There were associations between miR-125b expression with TNF-α, IL-8, and LTB-4 in AECOPD patients (P = .012, P = .032, and P = .047, respectively), while no correlation of miR-125a with inflammatory cytokines was found. MiR-125b expression gradually decreased at day 7, day 14, and day 28 compared with day 1 (all P

Objective To study the role of microRNA–126 in the development of lung cancer. Methods The biological function of microRNA–126 was detected using EdU assay and CCK–8 assay; the target gene of microRNA–126 was analyzed using real time RT–PCR and Western blot assay. Results In A549 cell line, overexpression of microRNA–126 inhibits the proliferation rate; VEGF is the target gene of microRNA–126; microRNA–126 exerts its function via regulating VEGF protein level. Conclusions microRNA–126 inhibits the proliferation in A549 cell line.

The present paper adopts permanent scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar(PS-InSAR) technique to obtain land subsidence information in Beijing plain area. Then, combined with the time series of meteorological data, groundwater dynamic monitoring data, interferometric data and geological structure data, the formation and evolution mechanism of land subsidence were revealed. The results show that (1) Beijing regional land subsidence characteristics are obvious, more land subsidence funnel areas are interconnected, the settlement is influenced by rainfall recharge and exhibits seasonal fluctuation characteristics; (2) The land subsidence center and groundwater drawdown funnel centre are not fully consistent, unconfined aquifer and shallow confined aquifer are the major contribution factors and have greater impact on the land subsidence; (3) Land subsidence mainly occurred in the clay layer with a thickness of 50-70 m; (4) Land subsidence caused by tectonic controls is significant and the deformation gradient is great on both sides of the fault.

To investigate the effect of 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC) on TIP30 gene expression and the relationship between TIP30 expression and the sensitivity to 5-fluouracil (5-Fu) in colorectal cancer cells.The methylation profile of TIP30 gene in HCT116 colorectal cancer cells was determined by methylation-specific PCR. The levels of TIP30 mRNA and protein were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot after the 5-Aza-dC treatment. MTT assay was used to detect the chemosensitivity of HCT116 cells to 5-Fu.TIP30 gene displayed complete DNA methylation in the HCT116 cells without 5-Aza-dC pretreatment. After the 5-Aza-dC treatment for 3 days, only demethylating PCR amplification product was detected and TIP30 gene showed DNA demethylation. With the prolongation of the time of removal of 5-Aza-dC treatment, methylated and demethylated PCR amplification products were observed and TIP30 gene displayed both DNA methylation and DNA demethylation in the colorectal cancer cells. At the day 10 after removal of 5-Aza-dC, methylating PCR amplification product appeared and TIP30 gene showed DNA methylation. No expressions of TIP30 mRNA and protein were detected in the HCT116 cells untreated with 5-Aza-dC. After the treatment of 5-Aza-dC for 3 d and then removed the 5-Aza-dC, the expressions of TIP30 mRNA and protein were increased obviously. With the prolonged time after 5-Aza-dC removal, the expressions of TIP30 mRNA and protein decreased and reached the lowest level on day 10. The IC50 values of 5-Fu were 41.62, 33.17 and 4.96 µg/ml in the HCT116 cells pretreated with 5-Aza-dC, d0 and d10 with the drug removal after drug treatment for 3 d, respectively.The results of this study show that the expression of TIP30 gene may be associated with its DNA methylation status and may affect the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to 5-Fu.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Plus disease is the primary indication for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treatment, but in borderline cases ophthalmologists may struggle to judge whether it is present. ROPtool is a semi-automated computer program that objectively assesses plus disease by measuring retinal vascular tortuosity and width. This study determined ROPtool’s bedside diagnostic accuracy concurrent with ROP screening. PATIENTS AND METHODS: ROP screening examinations were recorded using Keeler video indirect ophthalmoscopy. A masked operator traced images in ROPtool at the bedside, comparing ROPtool’s plus diagnosis to the examiner’s clinical judgment. RESULTS: Four hundred sixty-four examinations (129 eyes of 65 infants) were performed. ROPtool’s sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for plus diagnosis was 71% (CI: 38%–100%), 93% (CI: 89%–98%) and 0.87, and for pre-plus or worse was 68% (CI: 51%–85%), 82% (CI: 77%–86%) and 0.81, respectively. CONCLUSION: ROPtool can provide a real-time second opinion of plus disease at the bedside. Image enhancement technologies may further improve ROPtool’s diagnostic accuracy. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina . 2014;45:542–548.]

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum CMCC P0001, a standard probiotic strain in China, has been widely used in clinical medicine for more than 20 years. Here we report the genome features of B. longum strain CMCC P0001.

The excessive mining for underground water is the main reason inducing the land subsidence in Beijing, while, increasing of load brought by the urban construction aggravate the local land subsidence in a certain degree. As an international metropolis, the problems of land subsidence that caused by urban construction are becoming increasingly highlights, so revealing the relationship between regional load increase and the response of land subsidence also becomes one of the key problems in the land subsidence research field. In order to analyze the relationship between the load changes in construction and the land subsidence quantitatively, the present study selected the TM remote sensing image covering Beijing plain and used Erdas Modeler tool to invert the index based on building site (IBI), acquired the spatial and temporal change information in research area further; Based on results monitored by PS-InSAR (permanent scatterer interferometry) and IBI index method, and combined with the GIS spatial analysis method in the view of pixels in different scales, this paper analyzes the correlation between typical area load change and land subsidence, The conclusions show that there is a positive correlation between the density of load and the homogeneity of subsidence, especially in area which has a high sedimentation rate. Owing to such characteristics as the complexity and hysteretic nature of soil and geological structure, it is not obvious that the land subsidence caused by the increase of load in a short period. But with the increasing of local land load made by high density buildings and additional settlement of each monomer building superposed with each other, regional land subsidence is still a question that cannot be ignored and needs long-term systematic research and discussion.

Purpose To evaluate the longitudinal reproducibility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements in normal and glaucomatous eyes of children. Methods In this 2-setting prospective study, OCT-3 was used to obtain fast retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular thickness scans. In the first study setting, the normal eyes of healthy children were scanned on presentation, at 2 weeks, and 3 years, with axial length measured at the first and last examinations. In the second setting, OCT scans of patients in the pediatric glaucoma clinic were performed over 4 years as clinically indicated. Eyes were classified as “normal” (normal eyes and those with physiologic cupping but normal intraocular pressure [IOP]); “mild glaucoma” (increased IOP and a normal optic nerve appearance); or “advanced glaucoma” (severe cupping or progressive glaucoma). Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the reproducibility of measurements on the same day and over time. Results In the first setting, 8 normal eyes were included. Axial length increased 0.11 ± 0.04 mm/year over an average of 3.3 years (P = 0.03); there was no statistically significant change in RNFL thickness (P = 0.30). In our second setting, 27 normal eyes and 37 eyes with glaucoma were included. Intraclass correlation coefficients across the 3 visits for total macular volume were 0.80-0.91 and for average RNFL were 0.73-0.95. Conclusions Global OCT measurements in children were reproducible over years and were not affected by normal increase in axial length. OCT shows promise as an objective tool for longitudinal assessment of children.

Purpose To report retinal findings for healthy newborn infants imaged with handheld spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT). Design Prospective, observational case series. Methods Thirty-nine full-term newborn infants underwent dilated retinal examinations by indirect ophthalmoscopy and retinal imaging by handheld SD OCT, without sedation, at the Duke Birthing Center. Results Of the 39 infants imaged, 44% (17/39) were male. Race and ethnicity composition was 56% white, 38% black, 3% Asian, and 3% Hispanic. Median gestational age was 39 weeks (range, 36 to 41 weeks). Six (15%) of the 39 infants had bilateral subfoveal fluid on SD OCT not seen by indirect ophthalmoscopy. Eight infants (21%) had retinal hemorrhages noted on dilated retinal examination, 1 of which had subretinal fluid on SD OCT. Subretinal fluid was noted on follow-up examination to have resolved on SD OCT 1 to 4 months later. Infants with bilateral subretinal fluid had an older gestational age compared with infants without subretinal fluid (median, 40.4 vs 39.1 weeks, respectively; P = .03) and were more likely to have had mothers with diabetes (2/6 vs 0/33, respectively; P = .02). Vaginal versus Caesarian section delivery was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Conclusions Some healthy full-term infants have bilateral subfoveal fluid not obvious on dilated retinal examination. This fluid resolves within several months. The visual significance of this finding is unknown, but clinicians should be aware that it is common when evaluating newborn infants for retinal pathologic features using SD OCT.

Based on the conventional water treatment processes widely used in China, a pilot scale study was performed to investigate emergent treatment for arsenite pollution in water source. The results show that As removal efficiency can only reach to 71.85% by conventional water treatment process. The removal efficiencies of dissolved arsenic and total arsenic by mixing, first flocculation, second flocculation, sedimentation, filtration units were 36.00%, 5.42%, 9.30%, 14.95%, 7.88% and 9.10%, -3.62%, 2.74%, 55.12%, 8.51% respectively, when the concentration of As(III) in raw water was 150 microg/L. The arsenic concentration in treated water can not be effectively controlled below 10 microg/L. Hence, the pre-oxidation is necessary. The pre-chlorination-enhanced coagulation process can effectively deal with the sudden As(III) pollution. But for lower chlorine dosage, both ammonia concentration and different pre-chlorination sites have significant effects on arsenic removal, which should be taken into account. Potassium permanganate pre-oxidation-enhanced coagulation process can be more effectively deal with the sudden As(III) pollution than pre-chlorination. Moreover the different pre-oxidation sites have no obvious effect on arsenic removal. As a result, potassium permanganate is recommended as an oxidant for As(III).

The pilot and bench scale studies on pentavalent arsenic removal by coagulation and the strengthening effect of flocs recycling were performed. The results show that above 95% As (V) in the raw water exists in the form of dissolved As (V). Furthermore, the removal efficiencies of dissolved arsenic and total arsenic by mixing, first flocculation, second flocculation, sedimentation, filtration units were 87.92%, 6.18%, 2.38%, 1.55%, 1.23% and 1.10%, 1.83%, 2.20%, 86.42%, 7.38% respectively. Therefore, conversion rate of dissolved As(V) into particulate As(V) and the settlement performance of flocs were strongly dependent on the coagulation effect, which determined the As(V) removal efficiency in the whole system. Flocs have a strong adsorption capacity for As(V) and the adsorption obeys a second order reaction kinetics and well fits the modified Freundlich model. Flocs recycling can obviously promoted the As(V) removal by enhanced coagulation and reduce the dosage of coagulant with recycling point set at rapid mixed site and recycling ratio at 50%.

Emergent treatment of source water polluted by representative chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) and Di-ethyl phthalate (DEP) was researched. The results indicate that activated carbon adsorption could achieve high efficiencies to remove the two chemicals. The pseudo second-order adsorption kinetic model and Elovich kinetic model can be used to describe the powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption process of BPA and DEP in raw water. In pilot test, 50 mg/L PAC dosage can get the pollution concentration of 500 microg/L BPA or 3.3 mg/L DEP comply with the requirement of water quality standard. The dynamic adsorption of carbon-sand filter was also studied, and removal efficiencies of BPA and DEP were hardly influenced by their original concentrations and the filtering velocity among 5.1-15.3 m/h of carbon-sand filter. When PAC adsorption was combined with carbon-sand filter, PAC adsorption contributes most to removing pollution, and carbon-sand filter as the supplement of PAC can strengthen safety. DEP can't be oxidized by KMnO4 or Cl2, but 850 microg/L BPA can be almost completely oxidized by 3 mg/L KMnO4 and 1.5 mg/L Cl2. The oxidation products of BPA as well as their toxicity need further study. PAC adsorption combined with 1.5 mg/L KMnO4 preoxidation can't improve the removal efficiency of DEP, but can improve BPA removal efficiency.

Emergent treatment of source water polluted by representative herbicide molinate and ametryn was researched. The results indicate that activated carbon adsorption and prechlorination could achieve high efficiencies to remove the herbicides. The pseudo second-order adsorption kinetic model and Freundlich adsorption isotherm model can be used to describe the adsorption process and the adsorption equilibrium of molinate and ametryn adsorbed by powdered activated carbon (PAC) in raw water respectively. Either molinate or ametryn of about 200 microg/L in water could be completely removed by 40 mg/L PAC. The best PAC adding point was 20 min before coagulation. The two herbicides were easily removed by granular activated carbon (GAC) column (20 cm high) which can be the available supplement of PAC treatment to strengthen safety. The Cl2 dosage of 2.5 mg/L could oxidize the two herbicides completely, but the chlorination products as well as their toxicity need further study. PAC adsorption combined with 1 mg/L KMnO4 preoxidation didn't improve the removal efficiencies of molinate and ametryn. The effect of PAC adsorption combined with 1.5 mg/L prechlorination depends on their adding sequence. When source water was simultaneously contaminated by the two herbicides both about 200 microg/L, the PAC and Cl2 dosage have to be increased to 50 mg/L and 3 mg/L respectively, then both herbicides can be removed or oxidized fully.

It has been shown that melatonin has a direct inhibitory effect on the proliferation of H22 mouse hepatoma cells in our research. This study was designed to investigate its molecular mechanism.(1) Animal models were established by transplanting H22 cells and treated with melatonin, and then the p53 and cyclin E of the tumor tissue were determined by immunohistochemical analysis. (2) After treatment of H22 cells with melatonin in vitro, the percentage of cells in each cell cycle phase and apoptosis rate were analyzed by flow cytometry. p53 and cyclin E were determined again by immunohistochemical analysis. The level of Fas mRNA was examined by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).(1) After treated with melatonin (1 x 10(-6) mol/L), the number of the H22 cells in phase G(0)/G(1) were elevated from 75.24% to 85.46%, while which in phase S almost decreased from 10.32% to 0, and at the same time, the number of apoptotic cells increased from 5.07% to 12.77%. (2) Compared with the control, the level of p53 elevated 42.5% (in vitro) and 19.5% (in vivo), however, the level of cyclin E decreased 31.7% (in vitro) and 39.9% (in vivo). (3) Fas mRNA increased about 44.2% after melatonin treatment (P0.01).Melatonin inhibits the proliferation of H22 cells by arrest and apoptosis, and the mechanism perhaps interferes with increasing p53 that results in down-regulation of cyclin E indirectly and stimulates the expression of Fas gene.

Whether melatonin not only inhibits the growth of H22 hepatocarcinoma cells but also induces apoptosis in vitro was assessed. The anti-proliferative effects of melatonin on tumor cells was observed by MTT assay and tumor cells growth curve assay. And the apoptosis of the cells was studied by acridine orange fluorescence assay and flow cytometry. The cell cycle of the tumor cells was also observed by flow cytometry. It was found that melatonin could significantly inhibit the growth of H22 hepatocarcinoma cells. Incubated with melatonin, chromatin condensation of the tumor cells was observed by fluorescence microscopy. Compared with control, the percentage of apoptotic cells was increased, and the proportion of G0/S increased but that of G2/M decreased. It was suggested that melatonin could directly inhibit the growth of H22 hepatocarcinoma cells by inducing apoptosis and extending the length of cell cycle of the tumor cells.

PURPOSE To assess the relationship between the pupillary light reflex (PLR) and visual field (VF) mean deviation (MD) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. METHODS A total of 148 patients with glaucoma (mean age 67 ± 11, 49% female) and 71 controls (mean age 60 ± 10, 69% female) were included in this study. Using a pupillometer, we recorded and analyzed pupillary responses at varied stimulus patterns (full field, superonasal and inferonasal quadrant arcs). We compared the responses between the two eyes, compared responses to stimuli in the superonasal and inferonasal fields within each eye, and calculated the absolute PLR value of each individual eye. We assessed the relationship among PLR, MD, and RNFL thickness using the Pearson correlation coefficient. For analyses performed at the level of individual eyes, we used multilevel modeling to account for between-eye correlations within individuals. RESULTS For every 0.3 log unit difference in between-eye asymmetry of PLR, there was an average 2.6-dB difference in visual field MD (correlation coefficient R = 0.83, P < 0.001) and a 3.2-μm difference in RNFL thickness between the two eyes (R = 0.67, P < 0.001). Greater VF damage and thinner RNFL for each individual eye were associated with smaller response amplitude, slower velocity, and longer time to peak constriction and dilation after adjusting for age and sex (all P < 0.001). However, within-eye asymmetry of PLR between superonasal and inferonasal stimulation was not associated with corresponding within-eye differences in VF or RNFL. CONCLUSIONS As measured by this particular device, the PLR is strongly correlated with VF functional testing and measurements of RNFL thickness.