Search

The adsorption behavior of Zn2+ in four different biological sludge systems, i.e. activated sludge, denitrification sludge, short-cut nitrification sludge, and anammox granules, was investigated. The results indicated that all sludge samples possessed considerable potential for Zn2+ adsorption. Short-cut nitrification sludge possessed the highest Zn2+ maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of 36.4 mg g SS−1, which was much higher than other sludges applied (12.8-14.7 mg g SS−1). Besides, the adsorption rate for short-cut nitrification sludge was fastest among the four types of sludge after fitting with a pseudo-second-order rate equation. Comparing with the physicochemical properties of the four sludges, the soluble extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), especially soluble polysaccharide (PS), played a prior role in binding metal cations (i.e., Zn). The present study also showed that with less than 30% of Zn2+ trapped by EPS, 61.6-71.9% of Zn2+could be harvested directly by cells, indicating that the protecting capability by EPS was limited. Therefore, it is important to remove metal ions as early as possible if the activated sludge processes encountered high stress of heavy metal.ᅟ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Copper-ammonia-containing wastewater is widely generated in various industrial sectors, such as semiconductor production, printed circuit board ( PCB) manufacturing, surface finishing, and electroplating processes. Three chemical precipitation methods, i.e. hydroxide precipitation, sulfide precipitation and struvite formation for treatment of chelated copper-ammonia wastewater have been comparatively evaluated. RESULTS The conventional hydroxide precipitation method possessed the highest copper and ammonia removal at 60.5% and 9.7%, respectively. Although sulfide precipitation decomposed the copper-ammonia complex with the high copper removal of 98.5%, the ammonia removal was just 14.0%. The struvite formation method was demonstrated to be effective for enhanced simultaneous copper and ammonia removal with efficiencies of 99.9% and 98.8%, respectively. UV-vis analysis indicated that the struvite formation method also decomposed the copper-ammonia complex ion. Using XPS and XRD spectra, struvite and cupric hydroxide were shown to be formed after the addition of magnesium and phosphate (with molar ratio n(Mg:P):n( NH3-N) ranging from 1.0-1.2:1). The larger particle size of the precipitates in the struvite forming process and the enhanced settling property indicated the binding interaction between Cu( OH)2 and struvite which enhanced the sedimentation and finally contributed to the simultaneous and highly efficient removal of copper and ammonia from the recalcitrant chelated wastewater. CONCLUSION The struvite formation method performs far better than hydroxide precipitation and sulfide precipitation methods. Binding interaction between cupric hydroxide and struvite enhanced the performance. This study provides some guidance on application of the struvite formation method for the simultaneous removal of heavy metal and ammonia from polluted water. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the relationship between frozen embryo transfer (FET) clinical outcomes and serum level of progesterone on the sixth day in those FET cycles combined with hormone replacement. Methods: Those 261 FET cycles combined with hormone replacement were retrospectively analyzed. Those cycles were divided into three groups by serum level of progesterone (P) on the sixth day after FET. Serum level of progesterone was <20 µg/L in the group A, 20 µg/L ≤ P<30 µg/L in the group B, and ≥30 µg/L in the group C. Clinical features, the pregnancy rate and abortion rate were analyzed. After that, those 261 cycles were divided into three groups by clinical outcomes of FET. The group D had intrauterine fetus, the group E had bad pregnancy outcomes, and the group F had not pregnancy. Then the serum levels of progesterone and estrogen on the sixth day after FET were compared. Results: The pregnancy rate of the group C (50%) was significantly higher than that of the group B (28.5%), and the pregnancy rate of the group B was significantly higher than that of the group A (11.1%) (P<0.05). The abortion rate of the group A (60%) was significantly higher than that of the group C (18%) (P<0.05). The serum levels of progesterone on the sixth day after FET in the group D and the group E were significantly higher than that of the group F (P<0.05). Conclusions: The serum level of progesterone on the sixth day after FET combined with hormone replacement can be reasonably used as a marker to predict the clinical outcomes of FET. The higher level of progesterone could mean the better pregnancy outcomes, and the lower abortion rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To observe the changes of electrocardiogram (ECG) and pregnancy outcome of the late pregnancy women., Methods: Late pregnancy women were divided into two groups by age: over 35 group and under 35 group. The incidence of abnormal electrocardiogram was recorded when the patients were subjected to routine ECG examination. Then the pregnancy, delivery outcome and if there's low birth weight newborn were recorded later., Results: The incidence of abnormal ECG in over 35 group was significantly higher than that in under 35 group (P < 0.05). And the incidence of ST segment changes, arrhythmia in the group of former was higher than that in the group of latter (P < 0.05). Among the different type of arrhythmia, the incidence of sinus bradycardia and ventricular premature beat in the group of former were higher than those in the group of latter (P < 0.05). But the incidence of sinus tachycardia in the former group was obviously lower than that in the latter group (P < 0.05). The incidence of pregnancy loss in over 35 with abnormal ECG group was significantly higher than that in under 35 with normal or abnormal ECG groups (P < 0.05). The incidence of premature birth in over 35 with abnormal ECG group was significantly higher than that in over 35 with normal ECG group (P < 0.05). The incidence of low body weight in over 35 with abnormal ECG group was significantly higher than that in under 35 with normal ECG group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The late pregnancy women with the age of over 35 are more likely to have ECG abnormalities, such as arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia and so on. The older pregnant women with abnormal ECG easily suffer from pregnancy losing, premature birth and having a low birth weight baby.

Objective: To study the effect of different plant growth regulators on the transplanting survival ratio of Haloxylon ammodendron seedlings and parasitic ratio of Cistanche deserticola., Methods: Different combinations of PDJ and rooting powder were used for rooting soaking with Haloxylon ammodendron seedlings, then the survival ratio of Haloxylon ammodendron and parasitic conditions of Cistanche deserticola were statistical analyzed by SAS software., Results: PDJ had promotable effect on the inoculating survival ratio of Haloxylon ammodendron and the parasitic ratio, parasitic number and size of Cistanche deserticola, but had no significant effect on the transplanting survival ratio. High concentration of PDJ (1 x 10(-5) mol/L) and rooting powder treatment improved the inoculation survival ratio, and low concentration of PDJ (1 x 10(6) mol/L) treatment improved the parasitic ratio of Cistanche deserticola, but PDJ with rooting powder treatment had inhibitive effect on the parasitism of Cistanche deserticola. Principal component analysis showed that the transplanting survival ratio, inoculating survival ratio, parasitic ratio and the parasited number of Cistanche deserticola could be taken to evaluate the effect of different plant growth regulators, and the comprehensive effect was the best with PDJ treatment., Conclusion: Rooting soaking with PDJ can be used to improve the survival ratio of Haloxylon ammodendron seedling and parasitic ratio of Cistanche deserticola.

We used potassium antimonate to precipitate "exchangeable cellular Ca2+"-calcium that is sufficiently loosely bound to combine with antimonite, to investigate the feature of calcium distribution during anther development of Lycium barbarurn L. Before the stage of microspore mother cell, few calcium-induced precipitates were found in sporogenous cells and the somatic cells of anther wall. When microspore mother cell (MMC) preparing meiosis, calcium precipitates appeared in the cytoplasm of tapetal cells and callus wall surrounding MMC. After the meiosis of MMC,abundant calcium precipitates were accumulated in the cytoplasm of early microspores,and then in pollen wall, especially in the part of germ-pores. During the late microspore stage,a big vacuole formed and the nucleus was forced to move to peripheral region. Calcium precipitates decreased sharply and might dissolve in the large vacuole. After microspore mitosis, calcium precipitates appeared in the big vacuole of 2-cellular pollen,and then the vacuole disappeared. After that, the calcium precipitates again appeared in the cytoplasm of 2-cellular pollen, and the cytoplasm became densely and storage materials like starches accumulated inside the pollen grains. When pollen maturating,many small calcium precipitates distributed in its cytoplasm,especially in nucleus. The feature of calcium distribution in the anther of Lycium barbarurn L. means that it plays some biological roles during microspore development.

Dehydration-Responsive Element Binding ( DREB) transcription factors, specifically binding with dehydration reponsive element (DRE), activate a variety of stress-responsive genes in plants under abiotic stresses (dehydration, high salt and low temperature). Using PCR and homologous EST search, we isolated a DREB-like gene from Yinxin poplar (Populus alba x P. alba var. pyramidalis) named PaDREB2. Yeast One-hybrid experiment demonstrated that PaDREB2 protein could function as a DREB transcription factor activating target gene expression by specifically binding to DRE cis-element. To study the expression pattern of PaDREB2, RT-PCR was carried out. And the results showed that PaDREB2 is induced by low temperature, drought and high salt.