Preharvest sodium selenite treatments affect the growth and enhance nutritional quality of purple leaf mustard with abundant anthocyanin.

Both selenium (Se) and anthocyanins are crucial for maintaining human health. Preharvest Se treatments could promote anthocyanin biosynthesis and augment Se levels in vegetables, helping to combat Se deficiencies in dietary intake. However, it remains unknown whether preharvest Se treatment could balance growth and anthocyanin biosynthesis in plants and what the appropriate treatment concentration is.

[Effects of penetration needling from "Zhibian" (BL54) to "Shuidao" (ST28) on SIRT1/PGC-1α/Nrf2 signaling pathway in rats with premature ovarian insufficiency].

Objectives: To observe the effect of penetration needling from "Zhibian" (BL54) to "Shuidao"(ST28) on silencing information regulator 1 (SIRT1) /peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ co-activator 1α (PGC-1α) /nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling in rats with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of POI.

Methods: A total of 48 female SD rats were equally and randomly allocated to blank control, POI model, shallow needling and penetration needling (from "Zhibian" ［BL54］ to "Shuidao" ［ST28］) groups. The POI model was established by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (50 mg·kg·d on the 1 day and 8 mg·kg·d from the 2 to 15 day, for a total of 15 days).

β-Catenin-treated peptides effectively inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer.

To verify the inhibitory mechanism of β-catenin-designed peptides in colorectal cancer(CRC) tumors, the following experiments were performed. In vitro colony formation, Transwell assays, and flow cytometry were performed to assess the biological effects of designed peptides (F18KD, F20A4-7k, F20A4-10k, and F20A3-9k + F20A4-10k + F20A5-9k) in HT-29 cells. In vivo xenograft experiments were performed and treated with peptides.

Synergistic deletion of RGS1 and COS1 may reduce the pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae.

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is a serious threat to global rice production. In recent years, many pathogenicity genes of M. oryzae have been identified, although most of their functions remain unknown.

Identification of microRNA-124 in regulation of Hepatocellular carcinoma through BIRC3 and the NF-κB pathway.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) being proved to be involved in the carcinogenesis of numerous tumors. MicroRNA-124 (miR-124), identified as a tumor suppressor, has been demonstrated to exert pivotal roles in multiple processes of tumorigenesis. The present study demonstrated that miR-124 was low-expressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cell lines.

Competitive sorption of heavy metals by water hyacinth roots.

Heavy metal pollution is a global issue severely constraining aquaculture practices, not only deteriorating the aquatic environment but also threatening the aquaculture production. One promising solution is adopting aquaponics systems where a synergy can be established between aquaculture and aquatic plants for metal sorption, but the interactions of multiple metals in such aquatic plants are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the absorption behaviors of Cu(II) and Cd(II) in water by water hyacinth roots in both single- and binary-metal systems.

Application of parallel stent placement in the treatment of unruptured vertebrobasilar fusiform aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE Large vertebrobasilar fusiform aneurysms (VFAs) represent a small subset of intracranial aneurysms and are often among the most difficult to treat. Current surgical and endovascular techniques fail to achieve a complete or acceptable result because of complications, including late-onset basilar artery thrombosis and perforator infarction. The parallel-stent placement technique was established in the authors' department, and this study reports the application of this technique in the treatment of unruptured VFAs.

Performance improvement of classifier fusion for batch samples based on upper integral.

The generalization ability of ELM can be improved by fusing a number of individual ELMs. This paper proposes a new scheme of fusing ELMs based on upper integrals, which differs from all the existing fuzzy integral models of classifier fusion. The new scheme uses the upper integral to reasonably assign tested samples to different ELMs for maximizing the classification efficiency.

A new approach to classifier fusion based on upper integral.

Fusing a number of classifiers can generally improve the performance of individual classifiers, and the fuzzy integral, which can clearly express the interaction among the individual classifiers, has been acknowledged as an effective tool of fusion. In order to make the best use of the individual classifiers and their combinations, we propose in this paper a new scheme of classifier fusion based on upper integrals, which differs from all the existing models. Instead of being a fusion operator, the upper integral is used to reasonably arrange the finite resources, and thus to maximize the classification efficiency.

The occurrence and distribution of pharmaceutical compounds in the effluents of a major sewage treatment plant in Northern Taiwan and the receiving coastal waters.

The pharmaceutical residues in waste water from the largest sewage treatment plant (STP) in Northern Taiwan and in seawater around the effluent discharged area were determined. An environmental risk assessment for the marine environment was conducted based on the environment risk quotient (ERQ). The concentrations of the analyzed compounds in STP influent and effluent were generally higher than those found in coastal seawater.

Photoassisted Fenton degradation of polystyrene.

Fenton and photoassisted Fenton degradation of ordinary hydrophobic cross-linked polystyrene microspheres and sulfonated polystyrene beads (DOWEX 50WX8) have been attempted. While the Fenton process was not able to degrade these polystyrene materials, photoassisted Fenton reaction (mediated by broad-band UV irradiation from a 250 W Hg(Xe) light source) was found to be efficient in mineralizing cross-linked sulfonated polystyrene materials. The optimal loadings of the Fe(III) catalyst and the H(2)O(2) oxidant for such a photoassisted Fenton degradation were found to be 42 μmol-Fe(III) and 14.

Removal of Cu(II) in aqueous media by biosorption using water hyacinth roots as a biosorbent material.

Water hyacinth roots were employed as a biosorbent to remove Cu(II) in aqueous media. Nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis revealed that the biosorbent was mesoporous with a relatively small surface area. Equilibrium biosorption isotherms showed that the water hyacinth roots possessed a high affinity and sorption capacity for Cu(II) with a monolayer sorption capacity of 22.

Distribution and contamination of trace metals in surface sediments of the East China Sea.

The distributions, contamination status and annual sedimentation flux of trace metals in surface sediments of the East China Sea (ECS) were studied. Higher concentrations of the studied metals were generally found in the inner shelf and the concentrations decreased seaward. The sequences of the enrichment factor (EF) of the studied metals are Cu>Mn>Ni>Zn>Pb>Fe.

[Microbial degradation of acetochlor in mollisol and the effects of acetochlor on the characteristics of soil phospholipid fatty acids].

An incubation test was conducted with mollisol applied with recommended amount of acetochlor under the conditions of sterilization, microbial inhibitor addition, and non-sterilization. During incubation, the residual amount of acetochlor and the dynamics of soil phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were determined to study the relative contribution of soil microbes on the degradation of applied acetochlor, and the effects of acetochlor on the soil microbial community structure. The results showed that acetochlor was easy to be degraded by soil microbes, and bacteria contributed more than fungi.

Structure evolution and optimization in the fabrication of PVA-based activated carbon fibers.

The structure and composition evolution of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers during the fabrication of activated carbon fibers (ACF) by a newly developed method were systematically elucidated. The pore structure of the fibers was significantly influenced by the carbonization and activation conditions. The elemental composition and chemical structure evolution of the fibers during the heat treatment processes were evaluated by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Rickettsiae-stimulated dendritic cells mediate protection against lethal rickettsial challenge in an animal model of spotted fever rickettsiosis.

The role played by dendritic cells (DCs), initiators and orchestrators of the immune response, remains unclear in rickettsial infections. To investigate their importance in rickettsioses, we analyzed the responses of murine bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) after rickettsial stimulation in vitro and their protective role in vivo. Rickettsia conorii stimulation of BMDCs caused significant maturation and production of proinflammatory cytokines.

Removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol from aqueous solution by static-air-activated carbon fibers.

Static-air-activated carbon fibers (ACFs) with lotus-root-like axially porous structure were used to adsorb 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) from aqueous solution. The adsorption isotherm was evaluated in the pH range 3.0-11.

Analysis of adsorption characteristics of 2,4-dichlorophenol from aqueous solutions by activated carbon fiber.

In this study experiments were conducted to investigate the adsorption of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) by activated carbon fiber (ACF) activated by static air. With the results of batch experiments at various temperatures, the adsorption isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamics of this adsorption process were evaluated. Four adsorption isotherm models, Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson and Toth equations, were used to fit the experimental data and the results reveal that the adsorption isotherm models fitted the data in the order of: Langmuir>Redlich-Peterson>Toth>Freundlich isotherms.

Ehrlichia chaffeensis: a prevalent, life-threatening, emerging pathogen.

Ehrlichia chaffeensis are small, obligately intracellular, endosomal bacteria with tropism for macrophages. Persistent infection in reservoir white-tailed deer is transmitted by lone star ticks. Flu-like illness can progress to severe multisystem disease with toxic shock-like syndrome, meningitis, or ARDS.

Analysis of ehrlichial p28 gene expression in a murine model of persistent infection.

Historically, ehrlichioses were tick-borne diseases of veterinary medical importance and are now important emerging infectious diseases in humans. p28s are encoded by multigene families with ORFs tandemly arranged with intergenic spaces of variable lengths. We reported initial sequencing of the Ehrlichia muris p28 locus.

Histologic, serologic, and molecular analysis of persistent ehrlichiosis in a murine model.

Human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis was reported in 1987. An animal model to study acute fatal ehrlichiosis in mice that has been developed closely resembles the fatal form of human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis. However, animal models for persistent infection in the genus Ehrlichia in immunocompetent mice have not been characterized.

Effect of antibody on the rickettsia-host cell interaction.

A recent study demonstrated that polyclonal antibodies to Rickettsia conorii and monoclonal antibodies to outer membrane proteins A (OmpA) and B (OmpB) provided effective, Fc-dependent, passive immunity, even in severe combined immunodeficient mice with an established infection. In order to determine the mechanism of protection, mouse endothelial and macrophage-like cell lines were infected with R. conorii that had been exposed to polyclonal antibodies, monoclonal antibodies to OmpA or OmpB, Fab fragments of the polyclonal antibodies, or normal serum or that were left untreated.

Fc-dependent polyclonal antibodies and antibodies to outer membrane proteins A and B, but not to lipopolysaccharide, protect SCID mice against fatal Rickettsia conorii infection.

An emphasis on cellular immunity against Rickettsia has led to neglect of analysis of the role of antibody. The availability of an excellent mouse model of spotted fever rickettsiosis enabled investigation of a potential role of antibody in immunity to Rickettsia conorii. C3H severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice were passively transfused with monoclonal antibodies against rickettsial outer membrane protein A (OmpA), OmpB, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), polyclonal anti-R.