Influence of matured compost inoculation on sewage sludge composting: Enzyme activity, bacterial and fungal community succession.

The influence of matured compost inoculation during sewage sludge with sawdust composting was assessed. Mature compost reduced the heating rate, thermophilic phase, peak temperature, and volatile solid degradation rate, with no significant effect on pH and germination index. Matured compost addition also increased the cellulase, peroxidase, arylsulfatase, and urease contents during the mesophilic phase, and increased the urease content but decreased the cellulase, peroxidase, protease, and arylsulfatase contents during the cooling phase, with no significant effect on enzyme activities at the thermophilic phase.

Direct evidence of lead contamination in wheat tissues from atmospheric deposition based on atmospheric deposition exposure contrast tests.

A field experiment was conducted to assess the atmospheric deposition effects on lead (Pb) contamination in wheat by two contrasting treatments: wheat exposed or not to atmospheric deposition. Plants were housed in a shed during wheat greening for the non-exposed treatment. The Pb contents of wheat during different growth stages, of soil and of atmospheric deposits were analysed and combined with Pb stable isotope data to quantify the contribution of atmospheric deposition and soil to Pb in wheat tissue.

[QSAR/QSPR for predicting the toxicity of imidazolium ionic liquids].

Ionic liquids have received lots of attention due to their physical and chemical characteristics. They are honoured the sustainable "Green Solvent". In this paper, the QSPR/QSAR (quantitative structure-property/activity relationships) method was used to study the quantitative relationship between the toxicity and structure of 43 kinds of imidazolium ionic liquids, 10 kinds of substances were used to carry out the external test.

[Prevalence of food allergy in children under 2 years of age in three cities in China].

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and clinical features of food allergy in children aged 0 - 2 years.

Method: From January to February, 2009 and January to May, 2010, all well-infants and young children between the age of 0 and 2 years attending routine health visits at the Department of Primary Child Care, in Chongqing, Zhuhai and Hangzhou were invited to participate in the study. Parents completed questionnaires and all children were skin prick tested (SPT) to a panel of 10 foods (egg white, egg yolk, cow's milk, soybean, peanut, wheat, fish, shrimp, orange and carrot).

[Comparative evaluation of Hebei HIV-1 p24 kit for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus].

Objective: To probe into the feasibility of screening anti-HIV compounds by using HIV-1 p24 detection kit made by Hebei Medical University.

Methods: The sensitivity, reproducibility and efficacy of the Hebei p24 kit were evaluated compared with the commercially available Vironostika HIV-1 Antigen Microelisa System (Biomerieux).

Results: Hebei p24 kit had high sensitivity and good reproducibility.

[Study on the application of absorption spectrum to the treatment of landfill leachate by membrane technology].

Molecular weight (MW) distributions of organics in the Bei Shenshu landfill leachate and their permeation from membranes were determined and studied by absorption spectrum, and the removal rates of organics with various molecular weight were measured. A new FTIR preparation method of wastewater sample used in the determination of landfill leachate was proposed in the present paper. The results showed that the aromatics in landfill leachate were mainly related to the organics with MW < 2 500, whereas the distribution of total organics was dispersal comparatively.

Characterization of a human rhomboid homolog, p100hRho/RHBDF1, which interacts with TGF-alpha family ligands.

The activity of the TGF-alpha-like ligand Spitz in Drosophila depends on Rhomboid, a seven-transmembrane spanning protein that resides in the Golgi and acts as a serine protease to cleave Spitz, thereby releasing the soluble ligand. Several rhomboids in Drosophila have been implicated in the processing of TGF-alpha-like ligands, and consequent EGF receptor activation. The larger number of TGF-alpha-like ligands in vertebrates raises the possibility that they too might be subject to regulation by rhomboid-like proteins.

[Preparation of bispecific monoclonal antibody against HIV p24 and human group A erythrocytes].

Aim: To prepare bispecific monoclonal antibody (bsmAb) against HIV p24 and human group A erythrocytes, and set up an indirect hemagglutination test for detecting HIV p24.

Methods: Hybridoma cells 2-E(4) secreting anti-HIV p24 mAb and hybridoma cells S(2) secreting anti-human group A erythrocyte mAb were naturalized with 8-Ag and 5-BrdU respectively, making them sensitive to HAT. Then the two hybridoma cells sensitive to HAT were fused by routine method and hybrid-hybridoma cells secreting the bsmAb against HIV p24 and human group A erythrocytes were screened.

Crystal structures of the Apo and penicillin-acylated forms of the BlaR1 beta-lactam sensor of Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is among the most prevalent and antibiotic-resistant of pathogenic bacteria. The resistance of S. aureus to prototypal beta-lactam antibiotics is conferred by two mechanisms: (i) secretion of hydrolytic beta-lactamase enzymes and (ii) production of beta-lactam-insensitive penicillin-binding proteins (PBP2a).

Effect of disruption of Staphylococcus aureus PBP4 gene on resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics.

Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) mediate susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics. PBP 4, although not essential for survival, has been associated with low-level resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. To determine its contribution to survival of Staphylococcus aureus cells exposed to beta-lactams, the PBP 4 gene (pbp4) was disrupted and then complemented in the methicillin-susceptible strain RN4220 and the homogeneous methicillin-resistant strain COL.

PBP 2a mutations producing very-high-level resistance to beta-lactams.

Resistance to the beta-lactam class of antibiotics in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is mediated by PBP 2a, a synthetic bacterial cell wall penicillin-binding protein with a low affinity of binding to beta-lactams that is encoded by mecA. Beta-lactams that bind to PBP 2a with a high affinity and that are highly active against MRSA are under development. The potential for the emergence of resistance to such compounds was investigated by passage of homogeneous MRSA strain COL in L-695,256, an investigational carbapenem.

Jumping the barrier to beta-lactam resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.

Although the staphylococcal methicillin resistance determinant, mecA, resides on a mobile genetic element, staphylococcus cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), its distribution in nature is limited to as few as five clusters of related methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clones. To investigate the potential role of the host chromosome in clonal restriction of the methicillin resistance determinant, we constructed plasmid pYK20, carrying intact mecA, and introduced it into several methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains, five of which were naive hosts (i.e.