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The ecological suitability of marine resources and environmental conditions for marine ranching in Guangdong, South China was evaluated. Niche theory was used to establish an ecological suitability evaluation model for marine ranching site selection, and suitability evaluation of marine ranching was conducted in. Results show that the ecological suitability index of marine ranching site selection was greater than 64.0 in 20 sites, including offshore Shantou Bay, offshore Zhanjiang Port, and Longdou Bay etc., which are the priority areas for marine ranching. In other 13 sites, the ecological suitability index ranged between 8.0 and 32.0, including Houjiang Bay, Haimen Bay, and Jieshi Bay etc., indicating the suitability for marine ranching. However, the ecological suitability index was 0 in Shantou Bay, Zhujiang (Pearl) River estuary, Huangmao Sea, Guanghai Bay, Zhanjiang Port, Qiongzhou Strait, and Anpu Port. These sites are thus unsuitable for marine ranching. This study provides a theoretical basis for site selection and planning of marine ranching in Guangdong Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological and ecological integrity of marine ecosystems in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) has been compromised due to overfishing and water pollution. Fishing moratorium and artificial reef construction have been implemented in Wanshan and Miaowan for resource protection and restoration. Therefore, food web structure and trophic pathways of Wanshan, Miaowan, and Wailingding in different temporal and spatial situation will be determined using the Ecopath model, as well as the keystone species affecting these ecosystems, which can provide a basis for fishery management. The results showed that the energy transfer efficiency of IV and V trophic levels (TL) was higher than that of II and III‐TL before and after fishing moratorium, and the energy transfer efficiency of artificial reefs II and III‐TL was only slightly higher than that of nonartificial reefs in Wanshan. In addition, the mean values of ecosystem property indicators (consumption, respiration flow, total system throughput, and total biomass) after the fishing moratorium were significantly higher than those before the fishing moratorium. The average value of the ecosystem attribute indicators (consumption, respiration flow, total system throughput, and total biomass) of artificial reefs is lower than those of nonartificial reef areas, which may be related to the differences in community composition between artificial reefs and non‐artificial reefs. Finally, Nemipterus japonicus and Gastrophysus spadiceus are keystone species that distinguish the Wanshan and Miaowan artificial reefs from other areas. Overall, the fishing moratorium has a positive effect on the short‐term restoration of fishery resources, mainly restoring short‐life cycle organisms. However, the construction of artificial reefs will be more conducive to the persistence of ecosystem restoration. In addition, reasonable proliferation, release and fishing of N. japonicus and G. spadiceus will be beneficial to the sustainable utilization of fishery resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue carbon can be transferred from primary producers to primary consumers through oyster filter feeding. Understanding the carbon (food) sources is crucial for understanding coastal food webs and management of oyster aquaculture ecosystems. In the present study, Bayesian stable isotope mixing models (MixSIAR) were used to identify and quantify food composition within a cultured oyster ecosystem at six sites along a salinity gradient in the estuarine bay of Zhenhai (ZHB). The carbon stable isotope (δ13C) signatures of oyster Crassostrea hongkongensis ranged from −22.06 to −27.27‰, with significant spatial differences (p < 0.001), indicating variations in food resources along the salinity gradient. The primary food source for cultured oysters was suspended particle organic matter across ZHB (55.7–90.6%), with sedimentary organic matter contributing more in the mid-estuary (28.9–44.3%). Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to explore the effects of habitat environment and human disturbance on spatial variation in oyster diets. The results indicated that dissolved oxygen, sediment particle size, elevation, and mangrove-related landscape indices were the main factors influencing oyster diet in ZHB. The findings provide insights into the dietary composition of cultured oysters and the underlying factors in a typical shallow bay in southern China, with particular emphasis on the role of terrestrial landscape features. In addition, the findings validate PLSR as a reasonable tool for predicting the food composition of consumers in estuarine bays. • Providing the carbon isotope data in a typical oyster culture region of South China. • The MixSIAR model was employed to quantify the spatial distribution of oyster diets. • Food resources of cultured oysters changed spatially along the salinity gradient. • Coastal land use patterns in aquaculture areas could influence oyster diets. • Managing oyster aquaculture production using partial least squares regression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replacing natural gas with the environmentally sustainable biogas is a promising way to reduce the usage of fossil fuels and promote organic waste utilization. Micro gas turbine (MGT), as a common power supply machine, is capable of adopting biogas as the fuel. Given the different intrinsic components between natural gas and biogas, combustion performance of biogas in MGT was studied in this work. The effects of fuel composition and excess air coefficient on combustion performance were analyzed through three-dimensional numerical simulation of the MGT combustor. RNG k-ε turbulent model, eddy-dissipation/finite rate model, and eight-step reaction mechanism were adopted in the simulation. The results showed that when the CO2 percentage in biogas increases, the NO and CO emissions decreases. However, the fuel rate and pressure drop of combustion chamber increases to maintain constant thermal input. The overall high velocity also increases the requirement for materials of combustion chamber. Furthermore, the average temperature of whole combustor decreases when the excess air coefficient increases. Accordingly, the CO2 mole fraction in biogas should be controlled below 30% and the optimal range of the excess air coefficient is 2–2.5 for the MGT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass ecosystems are among the most productive marine ecosystems, and diazotrophic communities play a crucial role in sustaining the productivity and stability of such ecosystems by introducing fixed nitrogen. However, information concerning both total and active diazotrophic groups existing in different compartments of seagrass is lacking. This study comprehensively investigated the diversity, structure, and abundance of diazotrophic communities in different parts of the seagrass Halophila ovalis at the DNA and RNA level from clone libraries and real-time quantitative PCR. Our results indicated that nearly one-third of existing nitrogen-fixing bacteria were active, and their abundance might be controlled by nitrogen to phosphorus ratio (N:P). Deltaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were dominant groups among the total and active diazotrophic communities in all samples. These two groups accounted for 82.21% and 70.96% at the DNA and RNA levels, respectively. The genus Pseudomonas and sulfate-reducing bacteria (genera: Desulfosarcina, Desulfobulbus, Desulfocapsa, and Desulfopila) constituted the significant fraction of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the seagrass ecosystem, playing an additional role in denitrification and sulfate reduction, respectively. Moreover, the abundance of the nitrogenase gene, nifH, was highest in seawater and lowest in rhizosphere sediments from all samples. This study highlighted the role of diazotropic communities in the subtropical seagrass ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass meadows are vital ecosystems with high productivity and biodiversity and often in the oligotrophic area. Nitrogen usually limits productivity in this ecosystem as the main nutrient factor. Biological nitrogen fixation by diazotrophs in the rhizosphere sediment can introduce "new" nitrogen into the ecosystem. Previous studies revealed that most sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) can also fix nitrogen like the nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB). Moreover, both sulfate reduction and nitrogen fixation were affected by the organic pollutant. However, rare information is available regarding the NFB and SRB community composition and their temporal response to the pollutant. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis have been used to analyze NFB and SRB communities' shifts under different PAHs concentrations. They both experienced a dramatic shift under PAHs stress but exhibited different patterns. SRB could use the low and high concentration PAHs at the early stage of the incubation, while only the low concentration of PAHs could stimulate the growth of NFB through the whole incubation period. The predominant species of NFB communities were Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Deltaproteobacteria; while for SRB communities were class Epsilonproteobacteria. Redundancy analysis indicated the significant environmental factors for the two communities were both ammonium and pH (P < 0.05). There existed nifH sequences related to known nitrogen fixing SRB Desulfatibacillum alkenivorans, which confirmed that microbial N2 fixation and sulfate reduction were coupled in the seagrass ecosystem by molecular technique. Our investigation provides new insight into the NFB and SRB community in the seagrass meadow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) inoculation is a crucial strategy for maintaining the sustainability of agriculture and presents a promising solution for seagrass ecological restoration in the face of disturbances. However, the possible roles and functions of PGPRs in the seagrass rhizosphere remain unclear. Here, we isolated rhizosphere bacterial strains from both reef and coastal regions and screened two PGPR isolates regarding their in vivo functional traits. Subsequently, we conducted microcosm experiments to elucidate how PGPR inoculation affected seagrass photosynthesis and shape within each rhizosphere microbiome. Both screened PGPR strains, Raoultella terrigena NXT28 and Bacillus aryabhattai XT37, excelled at expressing a specific subset of plant-beneficial functions and increased the photosynthetic rates of the seagrass host. PGPR inoculation not only decreased the abundance of sulfur-cycling bacteria, it also improved the abundance of putative iron-cycling bacteria in the seagrass rhizosphere. Strain XT37 successfully colonized the seagrass rhizosphere and displayed a leading role in microbial network structure. As a nitrogen-fixing bacteria, NXT28 showed potential to change the microbial nitrogen cycle with denitrification in the rhizosphere and alter dissimilatory and assimilatory nitrate reduction in bulk sediment. These findings have implications for the development of eco-friendly strategies aimed at exploiting microbial communities to confer sulfide tolerance in coastal seagrass ecosystem. • Two PGPR strains were screened from different seagrass species in both reef and coastal regions. • PGPR strains increased the photosynthetic rates of seagrass host. • PGPR inoculation inhibited and enriched the abundance of iron- and sulfur-cycling bacterial taxa, respectively. • The colonization of the seagrass rhizosphere by Bacillus aryabhattai XT37 played a leading role in the microbial network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite LaFeO3/ZSM-5 is synthesized via citrate route for H2S removal at high temperatures. It shows good thermal stability after heat treatment at 500–700∘C with respect to slight changes in crystallographic phase and textural property. It presents the optimal desulfurization performance at 600∘C with sulfur capacity of 1017 μ mol S/g and products of S, LaS2, and Fe7S8. Sulfidation at 500∘C yields the same products as sulfidation at 600∘C but displays the lowest sulfur capacity of 408 μ mol S/g. Sulfidation at 700∘C produces La2O2S, Fe3S4, and unreacted LaFeO3. The activation energy of the sulfidation reaction over LaFeO3/ZSM-5 is 109.6 kJ/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Green supported of silver nanoparticles silver nanoparticles over calcium lignosulfonate functionalized Fe3O4 nanocomposite mediated by green tea extract. • Green tea extract act as a reducing and stabilizing agent without any toxic regents. • Fe 3 O 4 @CLS/Ag nanocomposite was prepare and characterized. • Fe 3 O 4 @CLS/Ag nanocomposite shown good antioxidant and anti-gastrointestinal system cancers. Plant based biogenic synthesized nanocomposites have been the most featured materials these days, particularly in the medical arena. This particular report expresses a sustainable methodology for the in situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) adorned calcium lignosulfonate functionalized Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite mediated by green tea extract (Fe 3 O 4 @CLS/Ag) and its subsequent chemical and biological applications. Structural and physicochemical features of the novel material was evaluated through a number of analytical techniques like SEM, TEM, EDX, elemental mapping, VSM and ICP-OES. The nanocomposite material was a found to be proficient catalyst towards the O -acetylation of a range of alcohols and phenols using acetic anhydride under solvent-free conditions. The nanocatalyst was so robust that it could be recycled for 9 consecutive times without much decrease in reactivity. Towards the bioapplication, the material was explored in the determination of cytotoxicity against gastrointestinal system cancers like colon, pancreas and gastric. The Fe 3 O 4 @CLS/Ag nanocomposite could significantly restrict the proliferation of malignant cells like Ramos.2G6.4C10 (Colorectal cancer), HPAF-II (Pancreatic cancer) and GC1415 (Gastric cancer) cell lines, as determined by in vitro MTT assay. The corresponding IC 50 were found as 381, 277 and 340 µg/mL against the three cell lines. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of Fe 3 O 4 @CLS/Ag was determined by DPPH method which displayed a significant activity as per IC 50 value. The significant outputs obtained in the chemical and biological application of the material justifies its novelty and validates its large scale industrial competence and potent chemotherapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetic behavior of gas phase mercury sorption on ZSM-5 supported cerium- and lanthanum-based composite oxides in the temperature range of 120–240∘C is investigated. The Hg0 sorption abilities all first increase and then decrease with the elevation of the temperatures, the cerium-based composite oxides show better Hg0 sorption abilities than that of the lanthanum-based composite oxides. CeO2–Mn2O3/ZSM-5 performs the best Hg0 sorption ability with Hg0 removal efficiency of nearly 100% at 180∘C. Doping Cu or Mn into La2O3 lattice causes the decrease in the Hg0 removal efficiency of the lanthanum-based composite oxides due to the formation of perovskite or perovskite-like compounds. The sorption of elemental mercury over metal oxides is governed both by diffusion processes as well as chemical reactions, and the sorption of elemental mercury on the cerium- and lanthanum-based composite oxides are chemisorption processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor immunotherapy can not only eliminate the primary lesion, but also produce long-term immune memory, effectively inhibiting tumor metastasis and recurrence. However, immunotherapy also showed plenty of limitations in clinical practice. In recent years, the combination of nanomaterials and immunotherapy has brought new light for completely eliminating tumors with its fabulous anti-tumor effects and negligible side effects. Methods: The Core Collection of Web of Science (WOSCC) was used to retrieve and obtain relevant literatures on antitumor nano-immunotherapy since the establishment of the WOSCC. Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, GraphPad Prism, and Excel were adopted to perform statistical analysis and visualization. The annual output, active institutions, core journals, main authors, keywords, major countries, key documents, and impact factor of the included journals were evaluated. Results: A total of 443 related studies were enrolled from 2004 to 2022, and the annual growth rate of articles reached an astonishing 16.85%. The leading countries in terms of number of publications were China and the United States. Journal of Controlled Release, Biomaterials, Acta Biomaterialia, Theranostics, Advanced Materials, and ACS Nano were core journals publishing high-quality literature on the latest advances in the field. Articles focused on dendritic cells and drug delivery accounted for a large percentage in this field. Key words such as regulatory T cells, tumor microenvironment, immune checkpoint blockade, drug delivery, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, tumor-associated macrophages were among the hottest themes with high maturity. Dendritic cells, vaccine, and T cells tend to become the popular and emerging research topics in the future. Conclusions: The combined treatment of nanomaterials and antitumor immunotherapy, namely antitumor nano-immunotherapy has been paid increasing attention. Antitumor nano-immunotherapy is undergoing a transition from simple to complex, from phenotype to mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets of planar flake-like structures are fabricated by using a modified Hummers method. Fractal theory is introduced to characterize the topological surfaces and porous structures of the GO nanosheets, the fractal dimensions estimated by using box-counting method are close to 2, indicating that the GO nanosheets possess perfectly smooth surfaces, which agrees well with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images, and the higher porous fractal dimension of 2.74 determined by using Frenkel-Halsey-Hill (FHH) model suggests a wealth of microporous structures of the GO nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the statistical data, natural gas consumption of China from 1995 to 2011, Boltzmann model and a third-order polynomial curve model are employed to fit the historical data, which aim to explore the rule of the past variation tendency and find out the proper model for forecasting. Fitting results demonstrate that a combination model based on the Boltzmann model and a third-order polynomial curve model can show great fitting result and its residual sum of squares and mean absolute percentage error are remarkably less than those of any previous models. According to the combined model, the average annual growth rate of the consumption in the next 7 years is 16.27% from 2012 to 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuO-based and MnO x -based sorbents modified with Ce and La using sol-gel method, were employed for elemental mercury removal at 120–240 °C. The Hg 0 removal activity of Mn 2 O 3 /ZSM-5 can be significantly enhanced by doping 50 at.% Ce or 10 at.% La, the Hg 0 removal efficiency increased by 94% and 71%, respectively. The Hg 0 removal ability of CuO/ZSM-5 subtly improved by addition of 50 at.% Ce or 10 at.% La, the Hg 0 removal efficiency ascended only by 6% and 18%, respectively. The XPS results revealed that Hg 0 transformed to HgO, and CuO (or Mn 2 O 3 ) was reduced to Cu 2 O (or Mn 3 O 4 ), which is in agreement with Mars-Maessen mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-temperature H 2 S removal was conducted over x La y Cu/ZSM-5 sorbents prepared via citric acid method. The sorbents showed good desulphurization performance, the maximal sulfur capacity of 2240.5 μmol S/g over 5La5Cu/ZSM-5 was achieved at 700 °C. The presence of H 2 obviously shortened the breakthrough time and reduced the sulfur capacity. However, the presence of CO had little influence on the desulphurization behavior. The sulfidation activity of La 2 O 3 can be significantly enhanced by introduction of Cu due to the intimate mixing of La 2 O 3 and CuO, the formation of La 2 CuO 4 compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite LaMnO/ZSM-5 was used for reactive adsorption of hydrogen sulfide at 500-700 °C. The sorbents showed good desulphurization performance, the highest sulfur capacity of 1020 µmol S/g over 5La5Mn/ZSM-5 was obtained at 600 °C. The reducing gases (H and CO) can obviously shorten the breakthrough time and reduce the sulfur capacity. Incorporating Mn ions into LaO lattice improved the sulfidation activity due to the formation of perovskite LaMnO with good reducibility and structure stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

x Ce y Mn/ZSM-5 sorbents were prepared using sol–gel method and employed for H 2 S removal in the temperature range of 600–800 °C. The sorbents exhibited high performance in sulfur removal due to the cooperative effect of CeO 2 and MnO x . The presence of H 2 was unfavorable for sulfidation and obviously shortened the breakthrough time and reduced the sulfur capacity. However, the existence of CO had little impact on the sulfur-removal performance. The characterization results revealed that the ZSM-5 structure remained intact during preparation and sulfidation process. And active species, such as CeO 2 and Mn 2 O 3 , were well dispersed on ZSM-5, which would suppress the mechanical disintegration and improve the thermal stability of x Ce y Mn/ZSM-5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High connection between pelagic and benthic origin both in Wanshan Island and Wailingding Island with shallow waters. • Both fishes and macroinvertebrates are largely fueled by pelagic production in Wanshan Island. • Key environmental factors influencing the isotopic niches of fishes and macroinvertebrates were identified. Artificial reefs are frequently deployed in marine ecosystems to increase fishery yields and enhance the production of reef-associated fauna. However, information regarding trophic structures and pathways of faunal assemblages in artificial reef ecosystems in Pearl River Estuary were still in scare. To this end, we compared the abundances and isotopes of functional groups of fishes and macroinvertebrates in three offshore islands, including Wanshan Island with shallow artificial reefs, Miaowan Island with deep artificial reefs, and Wailingding Island with no reef. The results showed that high connection between pelagic and benthic origin in Wanshan and Wailingding Islands, with pelagic production dominating in Wanshan Island and benthic production dominating in Wailingding Island, respectively. The δ13C value of fishes was significantly lower in Wanshan Island compared to Miaowan Island and Wailingding Island, whilst the δ 15N value of macroinvertebrates was highest in Miaowan Island. Based on the trophic niches, Wanshan Island displayed higher trophic diversity and lower trophic redundancy in fish assemblages, while Miaowan Island was the same in macroinvertebrate assemblages. In addition, four key environmental indicators (i.e., salinity, pH, phosphate, and chemical oxygen demand) and five key environmental indicators (i.e., depth, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a , total phosphate, and transparency) were the best at explaining the niche variation of fishes and macroinvertebrates, respectively. Our findings provide an understanding of ecosystem functioning within and around the artificial reef systems to further enhance effective management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrasses are an important part of the coral reef ecosystem, and their rhizosphere microbes are of great ecological importance. However, variations in diversity, composition, and potential functions of bacterial communities in the seagrass rhizosphere of coral reef ecosystems remain unclear. This study employed the high-throughput sequencing based on 16S rDNA gene sequences and functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa (FAPROTAX) analysis to investigate these variations based on seagrass species and sampling locations, respectively. Results demonstrated that the seagrass rhizosphere microbial community was mainly dominated by phylum Proteobacteria (33.47%), Bacteroidetes (23.33%), and Planctomycetes (12.47%), while functional groups were mainly composed of sulfate respiration (14.09%), respiration of sulfur compounds (14.24%), aerobic chemoheterotrophy (20.87%), and chemoheterotrophy (26.85%). Significant differences were evident in alpha diversity, taxonomical composition and putative functional groups based on seagrass species and sampling locations. Moreover, the core microbial community of all investigated samples was identified, accounting for 63.22% of all obtained sequences. Network analysis indicated that most microbes had a positive correlation (82.41%), and two module hubs (phylum Proteobacteria) were investigated. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between the OTUs numbers obtained and the functional groups assigned for seagrass rhizosphere microbial communities (p < 0.01). Our result would facilitate future investigation of the function of seagrass rhizosphere microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The three-dimensional mathematical model of temperature and thermal stress field of cast steel cooling stave in a blast furnace has been modeled. Kinds of the parameters optimization of cast steel cooling stave in a blast furnace are proposed based on the heat transfer analysis. The results indicate that the values of the parameters optimization for a cast steel cooling stave are 200mm for cooling channels interdistance, 25mm for inner radius of the water channel, 180mm for thickness of the cooling stave body, 70mm for thickness of inlaid brick and 1.5m/s for speed of cooling water. Reducing the water temperature would be uneconomical. The water temperature can be chosen according to the local conditions. The best choice for lining material is silicon nitrogen bond silicon carbide brick or silicon carbide brick. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The three-dimensional heat transfer and thermal stress of a steel cooling stave in a blast furnace at Maanshan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. are built. The temperature and thermal stress fields of cooling stave are calculated by using finite element method software ANSYS. The results show the rise in maximum temperature and thermal stress of the stave hot surface is not high when cooling pipe is replaced by cooling elliptical tube. Because of the decrease in the cross-sectional area for cooling elliptical tube, the thickness of the cooling stave is reduced and cooling water flow is saved. As a result, the iron-making cost can be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the isolation and characterization of a potential transposable element from Wolbachia, a group of Rickettsia-like bacteria. Nucleotide structure of the transposable element; Genomic difference between Wolbachia and different cytoplasmic incompatibility phenotype.

Examines the possible mechanisms by which interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) affects beta-adrenergic responsiveness of L-type calcium current (I...). Effects of IL-1beta on cardiac B-adrenergic responsiveness; Cyclic aminomonophosphate-dependent activation of I...

Presents information on a study which examined the acute effect of interleukin-1 Beta on beta-adrenergic receptor binding and on intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (camp) content in rat ventricular myocytes. Methodology; Results and discussion.

Provides information on a study of the purification of Wolbachia pipientis proteins from infected Drosophilla eggs and the subsequent cloning and characterization of the gene that encodes it. Methodology and materials used to conduct the study; Results of the study.

Mangrove ecosystems play curial roles in providing many ecological services and alleviating global climate change. However, they are in decline globally, mainly threatened by human activities and global warming, and organic pollutants, especially PAHs, are among the crucial reasons. Microbial remediation is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way of alleviating PAH contamination. Therefore, understanding the effects of environmental and nutritional parameters on the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is significant for the bioremediation of PAH contamination. In the present study, five bacterial strains, designated as Bp1 (Genus Rhodococcus), Sp8 (Genus Nitratireductor), Sp13 (Genus Marinobacter), Sp23 (Genus Pseudonocardia), and Sp24 (Genus Mycolicibacterium), have been isolated from mangrove sediment and their ring hydroxylating dioxygenase (RHD) genes have been successfully amplified. Afterward, their degradation abilities were comprehensively evaluated under normal cultural (monoculture and co-culture) and different nutritional (tryptone, yeast extract, peptone, glucose, sucrose, and NPK fertilizer) and environmental (cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)) parameters, as well with different co-contaminants (phenanthrene and naphthalene) and heavy metals (Cd2+, Cu2+, Fe3+, Ni2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, and Co2+). The results showed that strain Sp24 had the highest pyrene degradation rate (85%) in the monoculture experiment after being cultured for 15 days. Adding nitrogen- and carbon-rich sources, including tryptone, peptone, and yeast extract, generally endorsed pyrene degradation. In contrast, the effects of carbon sources (glucose and sucrose) on pyrene degradation were distinct for different bacterial strains. Furthermore, the addition of NPK fertilizer, SDS, Tween-80, phenanthrene, and naphthalene enhanced the bacterial abilities of pyrene removal significantly (p < 0.05). Heavy metals significantly reduced all bacterial isolates' degradation potentials (p < 0.05). The bacterial consortia containing high bio-surfactant-producing strains showed substantially higher pyrene degradation. Moreover, the consortia of three and five bacterial strains showed more degradation efficiency than those of two bacterial strains. These results provide helpful microbial resources for mangrove ecological remediation and insight into optimized culture strategies for the microbial degradation of PAHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion is a promising technology for the treatment of high strength organic wastes, since it produces renewable energy (biogas) and valuable digestate as fertilizer. The emphasis of this paper lies in demonstrating the net energy characteristics of a small-scale biogas self-supply anaerobic digestion system under three operation modes, considering the digestion temperatures varying from the psychrophilic to thermophilic and dry matter concentrations from 4 to 10%. The system mainly includes the reactor and biogas boiler at Mode 1, which is added slurry waste heat recovery at Mode 2 and further incorporated a thermal pretreatment process at Mode 3. In addition, a numerical energy balance model and an evaluation framework are developed for net energy feature exploration and contrastive analysis between different modes. The results show that the required digestion conditions (the highest digestion temperature, the lowest dry matter concentration) to guarantee the benchmark at Mode 1, are (25 °C, 4%), (35 °C, 6%), (40 °C, 8%), and (55 °C, 10%), and become more lenient at Mode 2. The maximum net energy production occurs at approximately 25 °C or 50 °C, depending on the concentration and operation mode. Moreover, thermal pretreatment for sterilization would not reduce much net energy. Therefore, it should consider net energy production, operation mode, digestion temperature, concentration as well as other related factors for optimal operation parameter determination of anaerobic digestion system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scleractinian corals are the main framework-building groups in tropical coral reefs. In the coral holobiont, nitrogen-cycling mediated by microbes is fundamental for sustaining the coral reef ecosystems. However, little direct evidence characterizing the activities of microbial nitrogen removal via complete denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in stony corals has been presented. In this study, multiple incubation experiments using 15N-tracer were conducted to identify and characterize N 2 production by denitrification and anammox in the stony coral Pocillopora damicornis. The rates of denitrification and anammox were recorded up to 0.765 ± 0.162 and 0.078 ± 0.009 nmol N 2 cm−2 h−1 respectively. Denitrification contributed the majority (∼90%) of N 2 production by microbial nitrogen removal in stony corals. The microbial nitrogen removal activities showed diel rhythms, which might correspond to photosynthetic oxygen production. The N 2 production rates of anammox and denitrification increased with incubation time. To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to confirm and characterize the activities of complete denitrification and anammox in stony corals via stable isotope techniques. This study extends the understanding on nitrogen-cycling in coral reefs and how it participates in corals' resilience to environmental stressors. [Display omitted] • Anammox activity in stony corals is proved by isotope tracer for the first time. • Denitrification contributed ∼90% of N 2 production in stony corals. • Variations in anammox and denitrification in corals are significantly consistent. • Microbial nitrogen removal activity in stony corals shows diel rhythms. • Microbial nitrogen removal is influenced by coral photosynthetic oxygen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass meadows constitute a prestigious ecosystem in the marine environment, providing valuable ecological and commercial services. Among the various causes, pollutions are considered one of the significant reasons for seagrass decline globally. This study investigates the impacts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons mixture (pyrene, phenanthrene, and fluorene) on bacterial communities in Halophila ovalis sediments. The seagrass sediment bacterial microbiome was evaluated in a batch culture experiment by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Culture-able bacterial strains were isolated and characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results demonstrated an excellent alpha diversity in the original sediments with a Shannon index of (8.078) compared to the subsequent control group (5.908) and PAH-treated group (PAH-T) (4.916). Three phyla, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes, were detected in high abundance in the control and PAH-T groups. However, a significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed at the genus level between control and PAH-T group bacterial consortia. Pseudomonas, Mycobacterium, Idiomarina, Hydrogenophaga, Alteromonas, Sphingobacterium, and several others were highly abundant in PAH-T groups. Most of the culture-able isolates recovered in this study showed the closest resemblance to previously identified hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. Among the three strains, Mix-16 (Citricoccus yambaruensis) and Mix-20 (Gordonia rubripertincta) showed a higher degradation of PAHs than Mix-19 (Isoptericola halotolerans) in the monoculture experiment. The most increased degradation of PAHs was recorded in the co-culture experiment. The present work revealed that PAHs could act as environmental stress and can influence bacterial community succession. Moreover, the co-culture strategy significantly enhanced the biodegradation of PAHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: With the development of distributed generation (DG) technologies and the implementation of policies to encourage their applications, building combined heat and power (BCHP) is expected to play a greater role in the commercial buildings in the future. BCHP is a promising efficiency improvement and carbon mitigation strategy, but careful selection of technology and operation mode is required to achieve a reasonable system performance according to energy consumption characteristics of buildings and technical features of equipments. This paper analyzed energy consumption characteristics of four typical commercial buildings in Japan and simulated the energy system performances of four mostly widely adopted DG technologies under different operation mode conditions for the four buildings studied. Various scenarios were evaluated and compared regarding energy utilization efficiency, energy saving and environmental effects, as well as economic efficiency. Results show that the hotels and hospitals are more attractive for BCHP because of their stable thermal load demands and a favorable heat-to-power ratio, which is the most compatible match with available DG technologies. Furthermore, some DG technologies are more suitable for a certain type of building than others because of their technical features more matching with the building’s energy consumption characteristics, as well as the user’s motivation of selecting BCHP. In Japan, during selecting DG technologies, the prior order is gas turbines (GT), gas engines (GE), diesel engines (DE) and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC) for the hotels, PAFC, GE and GT, DE for the hospitals, PAFC, DE, GE and GT for the stores, as well as DE, PAFC, GE and GT for the offices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With the start up of West–East Natural Gas Transmission Project, the construction of natural gas-pipeline will enter on a new era in China. The development tendency will be towards large-diameter, high-pressure and long-distance for natural gas-pipelines. Correspondingly, the life cycle cost of natural gas-pipeline networks is increasing gradually. The mainline system is a vital part of natural gas network systems. The investment required for the mainline system is enormous, usually accounting for 80% of the total investment for this system. In general, the investment required for a gas-pipeline depends on its operating parameters. Therefore, based on the characteristics of gas networks, optimization for investment becomes indispensable to gas networks design. A comprehensive and optimal mathematic model of a gas networks system is established in this paper which considers all the factors influencing the total investment of a gas networks system (e.g. pipe diameter, thickness, pressure, length, compression ratio, etc). From the standpoint of the characteristics of a model comprising both continuous and discrete variables, a new methodology, rank-optimization, is presented. On the basis of this model, a simple and visual high-pressure networks optimization program has been compiled. Furthermore, the developed optimization program has been applied to a practical project and the effects of operating parameters on the total investment have been analyzed. The simulation model in this paper is shown to be an effective method to solve optimization on mainline system in high-pressure gas networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The three-dimensional mathematical model of temperature and thermal stress field of the blast furnace stave is built. The radiation heat transmitted from solid materials (coke and ore) to inner surface of the stave, which has been neglected by other studies, is taken into account. The cast steel stave is studied and the finite element method is used to perform the computational analysis with soft ANSYS. Numerical calculations show very good agreement with the results of experiment. Heat transfer analysis is made of the effect of the cooling water velocity and temperature, the cooling channel inter-distance and diameter, the lining material, the cooling water scale, the coating layer on the external surface of the cooling water pipe as well as the gas clearance on the maximum temperature and thermal stress of the stave hot surface. It is found that reducing the water temperature and increasing the water velocity would be uneconomical. The heat transfer and hence the maximum temperature and thermal stress in the stave can be controlled by properly adjusting operating conditions of the blast furnace, such as the gas flow, cooling channel inter-distance and diameter, lining material, coating layer and gas clearance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), originating from anthropogenic and natural sources, are highly concerned environmental pollutants. This study investigated the impact of two model PAHs (pyrene and phenanthrene) on bacterial community succession in the seagrass meadows sediment in a lab-scale microcosm. Halophila ovalis sediment slurry microcosms were established, one group was placed as a control, and the other two were treated with pyrene and phenanthrene. Bacterial community succession in response to respective PAHs was investigated by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results demonstrated that bacterial diversity decrease in each microcosm during the incubation process; however, the composition of bacterial communities in each microcosm was significantly different. Proteobacteria (37–89%), Firmicutes (9–41%), and Bacteroides (7–21%) were the predominant group at the phylum levels. Their abundance varies during the incubation process. Several previously reported hydrocarbon-degrading genera, such as Pseudomonas, Spinghobium, Sphingobacterium, Mycobacterium, Pseudoxanthomonas, Idiomarina, Stenotrophomonas, were detected in higher abundance in pyrene- and phenanthrene-treated microcosms. However, these genera were distinctly distributed in the pyrene and phenanthrene treatments, suggesting that certain bacterial groups favorably degrade different PAHs. Statistical analyses, such as ANOSIM and PERMANOVA, also revealed that significant differences existed among the treatments' bacterial consortia (P < 0.05). This work showed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon significantly affects bacterial community succession, and different PAHs might influence the bacterial community succession differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the association of serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase (SGK) and 14-3-3 theta protein in serine/threonine phosphorylation mechanism for thrombopoietin/MPl signal transduction. Administration of yeast two-hybrid screening; Isolation of positive clones from independent transformants; Interaction between SGK and 14-3-3 protein.

Naked carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii) is a migratory fish endemic to the Qinghai Lake, the largest inland saline-alkaline lake in China. Based on our previous results of comparative transcriptome sequencing, we found that pathways related to regulation of actin cytoskeleton, plasma membrane damage, and inflammation-related signaling were significantly enriched during saline-alkaline stress, suggesting involvement of annexin (ANN) family proteins in stress adaption in naked carp. Herein, to explore the role of annexin family in naked carp under saline-alkaline stress, twenty GpANNs family members were identified at the genome-wide scale, and bioinformatics and expression analysis under saline-alkaline stress were performed. The predicted subcellular localization showed that most members of GpANNs were distributed in the cytoplasm, and the rest were localized in the cytoskeleton, nucleus, or mitochondria, respectively. GpANNs family proteins contained specific type II Ca2+-binding motifs, actin-binding motifs, GTP-binding motifs, etc. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the annexin homologues from naked carp, carp (Cyprinus carpio), zebrafish (Danio rerio), and chinese cavefish (Sinocyclocheilus rhinocerous) were divided into eight groups, i.e. ANN1 ∼ 6, ANN11 and ANN13. But homologues of ANN7 ∼ 10 groups were not found in these three fish species. Twenty-eight, nineteen and twenty-nine orthologous gene pairs were identified between naked carp and carp, zebrafish and chinese cavefish, respectively. Six paralogous gene pairs were identified in naked carp, all of which had a Ka/Ks ratio less than one, suggesting that the GpANNs family may have undergone purifying selection pressure during evolution. Expression of GpANN3 was significantly up-regulated in the kidney tissue under saline-alkaline stress, while GpANN2 was significantly down-regulated. Similar trends of protein expression were also observed by Western blot, suggesting involvement of GpANN3 and GpANN2 in stress response. Confocal microscopy revealed that GpANN2 was localized in both cytoplasm and nucleus, but GpANN3 was preferentially localized in the cytoplasm. Our study demonstrated the role of annexins in stress adaption, and provided the basic information required for further function analyses in naked carp. • The annexin family were comprehensively analyzed in G. przewalskii for the first time, but ANN7 ∼ 10 memebers were lacked. • GpANNs contain a variety of motifs which may be important sites for protein function under saline-alkaline conditions. • GpANNs exhibited differential expression patterns in 12 different tissues under saline-alkaline stress. • In kidney, GpANN2 and GpANN3 significantly responded to saline-alkaline stress at both mRNA and protein levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass meadows play vital ecological roles in the marine ecosystem. Global climate change poses considerable threats to seagrass survival. However, it is unclear how seagrass and its associated bacteria will respond under future complex climate change scenarios. This study explored the effects of ocean warming (+2 °C) and ocean acidification (−0.4 units) on seagrass physiological indexes and bacterial communities (sediment and rhizosphere bacteria) of the seagrass Thalassia hemprichii during an experimental exposure of 30 days. Results demonstrated that the synergistic effect of ocean warming and ocean acidification differed from that of one single factor on seagrass and the associated bacterial community. The seagrass showed a weak resistance to ocean warming and ocean acidification, which manifested through the increase in the activity of typical oxidoreductase enzymes. Moreover, the synergistic effect of ocean warming and ocean acidification caused a significant decrease in seagrass's chlorophyll content. Although the bacterial community diversity exhibited higher resistance to ocean warming and ocean acidification, further bacterial functional analysis revealed the synergistic effect of ocean warming and ocean acidification led to significant increases in SOX-related genes abundance which potentially supported the seagrass in resisting climate stress by producing sulfates and oxidizing hydrogen sulfide. More stable bacterial communities were detected in the seagrass rhizosphere under combined ocean warming and ocean acidification. While for one single environmental stress, simpler networks were detected in the rhizosphere. In addition, the observed significant correlations between several modules of the bacterial community and the physiological indexes of the seagrass indicate the possible intimate interaction between seagrass and bacteria under ocean warming and ocean acidification. This study extends our understanding regarding the role of seagrass associated bacterial communities and sheds light on both the prediction and preservation of the seagrass meadow ecosystems in response to global climate change. • The combined stress of warming and acidification significantly decreased seagrass chlorophyll content. • Warming and acidification together led to higher seagrass associated bacterial community stability and elevated SOX-related gene abundance. • Seagrass and its rhizosphere bacteria potentially co-response to the synergistic effect of warming and acidification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deployment of artificial reefs (ARs) has become popular technique to create new hard-bottom habitats, increase biodiversity and richness for fisheries. We compared the faunal community structure and food web structure associated with before and after fishing moratorium between ARs and non-ARs in Wanshan Island, Pearl River Estuary using stable isotope techniques. Community composition showed higher differences between ARs and non-ARs. The range of δ13C and δ15N of different functional groups can distinguish the pelagic and benthic trophic pathways of the food web in reef-or-not area before and after fishing moratorium. The isotopic niches of entire faunal, as well as individual functional groups, overlapped less between ARs and non-ARs in Wanshan Island, which makes the isotopic functional indices non-equivalent. The total convex hull area (TA) of ARs was larger than that of non-ARs, indicating that nutrient pathways of ARs were more diverse. Overall, however, these results suggest that trophic structure was convergence between ARs and non-ARs, and differences before and after fishing moratorium, possibly due to seasonal differences. Finally, it was shown that the construction of ARs had a weak effect on the restoration of fishery resources in this area, which might be related to lack of further management, or even similar community composition to non-ARs areas. • The differences in community composition between artificial reef and non-artificial reef. • The value of niche overlap for artificial reef or not (16.14%) was greater than that before and after fishing moratorium (11.73%), indicating that the differentiation of niches was more obvious before and after fishing moratorium. • The analysis of the nutritional contribution of baseline consumers to high trophic consumers revealed that artificial reefs had no significant effect on the acquisition of high trophic prey. However, the implementation of the fishing moratorium resulted in a slight change in the feeding strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tributyltin (TBT) caused energy metabolic disturbance in the L. haematocheila 's livers. • TBT disrupted antioxidant system and caused oxidative stress in livers. • TBT induced apoptosis after 48 h exposure. Tributyltin (TBT), a highly toxic and persistent organic pollutant, is widely distributed in coastal waters. Liza haematocheila (L. haematocheila) is one of bony fish distributing coincident with TBT, and exposure risk of TBT to this fish is unknown. In this study, L. haematocheila was exposed to TBT of 0, 3.4, 6.8, and 17.2 μg/L for 48 h to explore hepatic response mechanism. Our results showed that Sn content in livers increased after 48 h of exposure. HSI and histological changes indicated that TBT suppressed liver development of L. haematocheila. TBT reduced ATPase activities. The increased RB in blood and the reduced TBC were measured after exposure to TBT. T-AOC and antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT, and GPx activities were inhibited while MDA content was increased. Liver cells showed apoptosis characteristics after TBT exposure. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis of livers was performed and the results showed energy metabolism-related GO term (such as ATPase complex and ATPase dependent transmembrance transport complex), oxidative stress-related GO term (such as Celllular response to oxidative stress and Antioxidant activity), and apoptosis-related GO term (such as Regulation of cysteine-type endopeptidase activity involved in apoptosic signaling pathway). Moreover, we found six energy metabolism-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including three up-regulated DEGs (atnb233, cftr , and prkag2) and three down-regulated DEGs (acss1, abcd2 , and smarcb1); five oxidative stress-related DEGs including one up-regulated DEG (mmp9) and four down-regulated DEG (prdx5, hsp90, hsp98 , and gstf9); as well as six apoptosis-related DEGs including five up-regulated DEGs (casp8, cyc, apaf1, hccs , and dapk3) and one down-regulated DEG (bcl2l1). Our transcriptome data above further confirmed that acute stress of TBT led energy metabolic disturbance, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in L. haematocheila livers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although geography education researchers in both China and Korea acknowledge that the education of spatial thinking and the development of teachers’ dispositions toward teaching spatial thinking are important, very few studies are available on the topic. This article examines the dispositions of Chinese and Korean geography preservice teachers’ dispositions toward teaching spatial thinking through geography, and it identifies the similarities and differences between the two countries. A survey was conducted with 979 Chinese and 323 Korean geography preservice teachers using the TeachingSpatialThinking throughGeographyDispositionInventory. Overall, both Chinese and Korean preservice teachers showed low-to-moderate dispositions toward teaching spatial thinking in their future classrooms. Chinese participants exhibited more positive dispositions in all five subcategories of the disposition inventory than did their Korean counterparts. Participants from both countries expressed low confidence in utilizing geospatial technologies. No specific score differences were observed by gender, grade level, and overall geography course experiences. The results reveal the current conditions of spatial thinking education in China and Korea and will help to establish strategies for successful spatial thinking education in geography in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although rear-fanged snakes are often considered as non-threatening to humans, some species are lethal or medically hazardous. The toxin components and bioactivities of front-fanged snakes have been extensively studied; however, only limited research has explored the venoms of rear-fanged snakes. The false viper, Macropisthodon rudis , is widespread in southern China, but little is known about the toxins that this snake produces. Here, we analyzed the transcriptome of the venom gland of M. rudis using high-throughput sequencing with an illumina HiSeq 2000. The raw data were assembled and annotated using public databases. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways and gene ontology (GO) were analyzed. Using sequence comparisons, snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) and a phosphodiesterase (PDE) were discovered in the venom gland of M. rudis . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SSCC) and nasal inverted papilloma (NIP) represent the predominant type of malignant and benign tumors in sinonasal tract, respectively. CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ natural regulatory T (Treg) cells might play critical role(s) in the suppression of anti-tumor immune response and thus shed light on tumor progression from benign to malignant. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and suppressive capacity of Treg cells in SSCC compared to NIP and further to explore the underlying mechanisms. Patients and Methods: Frequencies of Treg, Th1 and Th2 cells were evaluated by flow cytometry in tissue homogenate and peripheral blood from 31 SSCC patients, 32 NIP patients and 35 normal controls. Treg cells were tested for regulatory function by co-culture with effector T cells. CCR4 and its ligands, CCL22 and CCL17, were analyzed by flow cytometry and Luminex, respectively. The chemoattractant properties of CCR4/CCL22 and CCR4/CCL17 for Treg cells were assessed using the Boyden chamber technique, to elucidate the potential mechanisms of Treg recruitment in tumor microenvironment. Treg cells induction via TGF-β was assessed with transwells after local CD4+Foxp3+ T cells were assessed by immunohistochemistry and TGF-β concentration was measured by Luminex. Results: Tumor-infiltrating Treg cells increased significantly from normal to NIP to SSCC (P ≤ 0.001 for normal vs. NIP and P = 0.004 for NIP vs. SSCC). Significantly elevated frequency and enhanced suppression capacity of circulating Treg cells in SSCC were detected compared to NIP and healthy controls, concomitant with Th1 decrease and Th2 increase. Apparently increased CCL22 attracted CCR4-expressing Treg cells to tumor microenvironment in SSCC, compared to NIP. SSCC produced significantly more TGF-β than NIP and thus possessed greater potential for Treg cell induction. Conclusion: Frequency and suppressive capacity of Treg cells enhanced with progression of malignancy from NIP to SSCC. Circulating Treg cells were recruited to tumor tissue via CCR4/CCL22 signalling, whereas tumor-synthesised TGF-β contributed to induction of peripheral Treg cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Lates calcarifer effectively eliminated polyethylene fibers after ingestion. • Fibers exposure induced oxidative stress. • Fibers ingestion caused intestinal microbiome dysbiosis. • Lactobacillus reuteri and L. intestinalis were sensitive to fibers exposure. • Slight intestinal histological damage was found. Microplastic fibers originating from fishing ropes and nets are persistent and ubiquitous marine environmental pollutants that pose potentially threat to the health of aquatic species. Therefore, assessing their potential effects on marine biota has become an urgent research topic. In this study, the fate of fibers ingested by L. calcarifer and its consequence on intestine health were analyzed. A total of 150 fish was fed with polyethylene (PE) fibers at 1% concentration for 56 days. Retention of fibers, oxidative stress indicator malondialdehyde (MDA), intestinal permeability indicator diamine oxidase (DAO), intestine microbiome modulation and histological damage were evaluated. The results indicated that the consumption of fibers-contained food did not influence the growth of the fish. Low retention of fibers was observed, indicating effective elimination of fibers from the body of the fish and no significant accumulation after successive exposure. However, intestine oxidative stress was observed, indicated by an up regulation of MDA level. Whereases, DAO level was not influenced by the treatment. Fiber exposure induced intestine microbiome dysbiosis by decreasing alpha diversity especially community richness and inhibiting the growth of Lactobacillus and short-chain fatty acid producing bacteria. Lactobacillus reuteri and L. intestinalis were inhibited significantly, we suggested they can be sensitive indicators for fibers toxicity evaluation in future studies. Slight intestinal damage was observed after the feeding period. We concluded that dietary exposure to PE fibers did not induce acute harm to L. calcarifer. However, chronic effects were observed after the feeding period, including oxidative stress, intestine microbiome alterations, and intestinal damage. These findings provide valuable data for ecological risks assessment of fishing rope fiber in the marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine whether functional polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme genes affect the risk of developing larynx and hypopharynx squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We investigated CYP1A1, CYP1B1, CYP2E1, and CYP3A4 polymorphisms in 278 patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal SCC and 278 control subjects by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Subjects with the CYP1A1 3798CC or TC genotype had an odds ratio (OR) of 3.26 (95% confidence interval CI=1.76−6.03) or 1.56 (95% CI=1.06−2.31), compared with those with the TT genotype. An increased risk was also associated with the CYP1A1 462Val/Val genotype (OR=2.39, 95% CI=1.11−5.16), compared with the TT genotype. Haplotype analysis suggested a synergistic effect of these two polymorphisms. A multiplicative joint effect between the CYP1A1 3798T>C polymorphism and smoking was observed. The OR (95% CI) of the TC or CC genotype for nonsmokers and smokers of >20 pack-years were 1.85 (0.99−3.44) or 8.15 (4.35−15.26), respectively (P trend <0.05). The CYP1A1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with an increased risk of developing smoking-related laryngeal and hypopharyngeal SCC in a Han Chinese population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on Wlbachia, a maternally inherited intracellular bacterium, which can infect arthropods. Association with a risk for cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), parthenogenesis, the feminization of genetic males, and male-killing in different hosts; Investigation into the molecular mechanisms by which this bacterium causes reproductive abnormalities; Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding phage-related tail protein (PrTP) from Wolbachia in Drosophila melanogaster Cantons (wMelCS) and from Wolbachia in Drosophila melanogaster yw67c23 (wMel); Use of representational difference analysis (RDA) and ligation-mediated PCR (LM-PCR); Testing of the functionality of a bipartite nuclear localization signal sequence (NLS) in Drosophila S2 cells; Examination of PrTP expression in various strains of Wolbachia; Suggestion that PrTP has an indirect role in inducing CI; Assertion that the existence of prtp shows direct evidence of phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer (HGT) that might be linked to a variety of reproductive abnormalities of Wolbachia.

• The initial bacterial community composition and diversity shaped bacterial community succession. • Variations in the PAHs types affected bacterial community composition and structure significantly. • Benzo (a) pyrene and benzo (a) fluoranthene posed similar effects on bacterial community. • Gram-negative bacterial community may contribute more in PAHs degradation. Understanding the microbial community succession to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and identification of important degrading microbial groups are crucial for the designing of appropriate bioremediation strategies. In the present study, two distinct phenanthrene enriched bacterial consortia were treated against high molecular weight (Pyrene, Benzo (a) pyrene and Benzo (a) fluoranthene) and the response was studied in term of taxonomic variations by using High Throughput Illumina sequencing and qPCR analysis. Overall, the type of PAHs significantly affected the composition and the relative abundance of bacterial communities while no obvious difference was detected between bacterial communities of benzo (a) pyrene and benzo (a) fluoranthene treatments. Genera, Novosphingobium , Pseudomonas , Flavobacterium , Mycobacterium, Hoeflae, and Algoriphagus dominated all PAHs treatment groups indicating that they could be the key PAHs degrading phylotypes. Due to the higher abundance of gram-negative PAH-ring hydroxylating dioxygenase gene than that of gram-positive bacteria in all treated groups, we speculated that gram-negative bacteria may contribute more in the PAH degradation. The studied sediments harbored rich PAHs degrading bacterial assemblages involved in both low and high molecular weight PAHs and these findings provided new insight into the perspective of microbial PAHs bioremediation in the mangrove ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]