Removal efficiency, kinetic, and behavior of antibiotics from sewage treatment plant effluent in a hybrid constructed wetland and a layered biological filter.

Sewage treatment plant (STP) is the major point source of antibiotic contamination, yet the advanced treatment of antibiotic polluted STP effluent has not been given necessary attention. This study is conducted to evaluate the removal efficiency, kinetic, and behavior of sulfonamides, quinolones, tetracyclines, and macrolides antibiotics from STP effluent in a hybrid constructed wetland (HCW) and a layered biological filter (LBF) at different hydraulic loading rates (HLRs). The results showed that the removal efficiency of antibiotics in all the HLRs was ranked as follow: quinolones of HCW (70-95%) > macrolides of HCW (58-77%) > tetracyclines of both systems (59-67%) > quinolones of LBF (28-64%) > macrolides of LBF (13-25%) > sulfonamides of both systems (<0%).

Synergistic oxidation of Bisphenol A in a heterogeneous ultrasound-enhanced sludge biochar catalyst/persulfate process: Reactivity and mechanism.

Recently, clean-up of resistant organic compounds has attracted growing attention. In this study, a novel heterogeneous ultrasound-enhanced sludge biochar catalyst/persulfate (BC/PS/US) process was firstly developed for the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in water. The results revealed that BC/PS/US process could successfully achieve a positively synergistic effect between sonochemistry and catalytic chemistry on the degradation of BPA compared to its corresponding comparative process.

LTBP2 knockdown by siRNA reverses myocardial oxidative stress injury, fibrosis and remodelling during dilated cardiomyopathy.

Aim: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterised by left ventricular dilation and associated with systolic dysfunction. Recent evidence has reported the high expression of latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein 2 (LTBP2) in heart diseases, which may play a role in regulating multiple biological functions of myocardial cells. Thus, this study set out to investigate the molecular mechanism and effects of LTBP2 in myocardial oxidative stress injury, fibrosis and remodelling in a rat model of DCM, with the involvement of NF-κB signalling pathway.

Photocatalytic removal of phenanthrene and algae by a novel Ca-AgPO composite under visible light: Reactivity and coexisting effect.

In this study, the feasibility of a novel Ca-AgPO composite with visible light irradiation for the phenanthrene (PHE) degradation and algae inactivation in artificial seawater was firstly investigated. The experimental findings revealed that AgPO phase was sucessfully formed on the Ca-based material, and the presence of Ca-based material could effectively keep AgPO particles stable. An excellent performance on PHE degradation or algae inactivation was observed from Ca-AgPO composite under visible light irradiation.

Insights on the nitrate reduction and norfloxacin oxidation over a novel nanoscale zero valent iron particle: Reactivity, products, and mechanism.

Herein, the application of a novel acid mine drainage-based nanoscale zero valent iron (AMD-based nZVI) for the remediation of nitrate and norfloxacin (NOR) was studied. Experimental results indicated that the catalytic reactivity of AMD-based nZVI toward nitrate reduction was superior to that of iron salt-based nanoscale zero valent iron (Iron salt-based nZVI). The presence of ultrasound irradiation could significantly enhance the reactivity toward both the nitrate reduction and NOR oxidation processes.

Energy transport pathway in proteins: Insights from non-equilibrium molecular dynamics with elastic network model.

Intra-molecular energy transport between distant functional sites plays important roles in allosterically regulating the biochemical activity of proteins. How to identify the specific intra-molecular signaling pathway from protein tertiary structure remains a challenging problem. In the present work, a non-equilibrium dynamics method based on the elastic network model (ENM) was proposed to simulate the energy propagation process and identify the specific signaling pathways within proteins.

Insights into the simultaneous removal of Cr and Pb by a novel sewage sludge-derived biochar immobilized nanoscale zero valent iron: Coexistence effect and mechanism.

Cr and Pb are both highly toxic pollutants and commonly co-exist in some industrial effluents and contaminated waters. In this study, simultaneous removal of Cr and Pb by a novel sewage sludge-derived biochar immobilized nanoscale zero-valent iron (SSB-nZVI) was systematically investigated. It was well demonstrated that a porous structure was successfully formed on the SSB-nZVI when the starch was used as an additive.

Simultaneous removal of Cu and bisphenol A by a novel biochar-supported zero valent iron from aqueous solution: Synthesis, reactivity and mechanism.

In this study, a novel biochar-supported zero valent iron (BC-nZVI) was synthesized through a green method. A high performance on the simultaneous removal of Cu and bisphenol A (BPA) by a combination of BC-nZVI with persulfate (BC-nZVI/PS) system was successfully achieved. The simultaneous efficiencies of Cu and BPA could reach 96 and 98% within 60 min, respectively.

[Effects of caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk on the expressions of calumenin, caspase-3, GRP78 and GRP94 in adriamycin-injured cardiomyocytes].

Objective: To study the effects of Caspase broad spectrum inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK on the expressions of calumenin,caspase-3, GRP78 and GRP94 in adriamycin-injured cardiomyocytes and to discuss whether there is a regulation relationship between calumenin and endo-plasmic reticulum stress and myocardial apoptosis.

Methods: The primary cultured suckling mouse myocardium were randomly divided into control group (cardiomyocyte), adriamycin group (3 mg/L adriamycin + cardiomyocyte) and z-VAD-fm group (3 mg/L adriamycin + 0.1 mol/L Z-VAD-fmk + cardiomyocyte), each group of cardiomyocytes were cultured in CO incubator at 37℃ for 24 h (=3).

[Technique of intracorporeal gastrointestinal anastomosis after total laparoscopic gastrectomy].

Malignant or benign diseases of stomach are very common in China. The application of laparoscopy surgery in gastric diseases is a remarkable symbol of current gastric surgery. Laparoscopic assisted radical gastrectomy has gained widespread acceptance for the treatment of gastric cancer.

[Intracorporeal hand-sewn technique used in totally laparoscopic colectomy].

Objective: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of hand-sewn anastomosis in totally laparoscopic colectomy.

Methods: Clinical data of 19 consecutive patients with benign(n=5) or malignant colonic diseases(n=14, 4 ascending colon cancers, 2 transverse colon cancers, and 8 sigmoid colon cancers) treated with totally laparoscopic colectomy with a hand-sewn anastomosis were reviewed. All the procedures were performed by the same surgeon team including totally laparoscopic resection and hand-sewn anastomosis, ileocolic anastomosis after right hemicolectomy, and hand-sewn purse-string sutures in the colon.

[Totally laparoscopic Billroth II( gastrectomy without intracorporeal hand-sewn sutures].

Objective: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of a novel totally laparoscopic Billroth II gastrectomy.

Methods: Twelve gastric cancer patients underwent totally laparoscopic D2 dissection without intracorporeal hand-sewn sutures in the Xijing Hospital of Fourth Military Medical University between May 2011 and July 2011. In this technique, circular stapling device was used for gastrojejunostomy, and an Endo GIA was used to close the incision at the greater curvature of the stomach.

In silico analysis and verification of S100 gene expression in gastric cancer.

Background: The S100 protein family comprises 22 members whose protein sequences encompass at least one EF-hand Ca2+ binding motif. They were involved in the regulation of a number of cellular processes such as cell cycle progression and differentiation. However, the expression status of S100 family members in gastric cancer was not known yet.

[Laparoscopy-assisted D2 total gastrectomy in advanced gastric cancer].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and advantages of laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy (LATG) with D2 dissection of lymph nodes versus conventional open D2 total gastrectomy (OTG) in advanced gastric cancer.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-five patients with advanced gastric cancer in the middle or upper third of the stomach were operated on from July 2005 to March 2007. Of the patients, 59 cases received LATG and 66 OTG with D2 lymph nodes dissection.

[Construction of rat bowel transforming growth factor beta1 recombinant adenovirus vector].

Objective: To construct a recombinant adenovirus vector which regulates the expression of rat transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta1).

Methods: Total RNA was extracted from F344/N rat small intestine pre-treated with Con A to clone TGF-beta1. pTRE-shuttle vector was used as mediator to ligate TGF-beta1 gene and backbone of replication-incompetent adenoviral vector.

[Management of chylous leakage after radical operation of gastric cancer].

Objective: To investigate the management of chylous leakage after radical operation of gastric carcinoma.

Methods: 161 patients with gastric carcinoma underwent D2-D4 dissection. A double catheterization cannula was employed in each patient around the abdominal aorta above the celiac trunk and crus of diaphragm.

[Isolation of a down-regulated novel gene with lower abundance in gastric cancer].

Objective: To clone novel gene from suppression subtraction library established for screening down-regulated genes in gastric carcinoma, and the effects of novel gene on gastric tumorigenicity were analyzed.

Methods: Sequencing results of 860 positive colonies chosen randomly were compared by Blast program in GenBank. Novel gene fragment was amplified by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE).

From medical images to finite grids system.

The development techniques of implementation of converting the medical slice images to 3-D finite element grids are discussed, and an integrated system based on ITK and VTK is built. The system can provide a series of functions including image reading, reduction, segmentation, reconstruction and finite element grids generation with flexible user's graphics interface. At same time, this system can also provide a powerful tool for the design, choice or assessment of image segmentation and reconstruction algorithm.

[Surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma originating from caudate lobe].

Objective: To explore the significance of surgical treatment of HCC originating from caudate lobe.

Methods: From 1995 to 2003, caudate lobectomy, including 19 cases of isolated lobectomy and 20 cases of combined lobectomy, were performed in 39 patients with HCC originating from caudate lobe, and the factors that might influence postoperative liver function were compared between the two groups.

Results: All tumors were resected successfully.

[Study on novel gene GDDR related to gastric cancer].

Objective: To confirm the GDDR cDNA property of novel down-regulated full-length gene in gastric cancer, structure of genomic GDDR DNA and its promotor region. To predict its transcription factors and transcription factor binding sites. To explore function of GDDR gene in vitro.

Identification of LZP gene from Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus coding for a novel liver-specific ZP domain-containing secretory protein.

Zona pellucida (ZP) domain has been recognized in a number of receptor-like eukaryotic glycoproteins, which involved in many important biological processes, such as signal transduction, development, differentiation and so on. Here we report the identification of Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus orthologues of Homo sapiens LZP gene which codes for a novel ZP domain-containing protein. Sequence analysis revealed that human, rat and mouse LZP proteins are highly conserved.

A novel liver-specific zona pellucida domain containing protein that is expressed rarely in hepatocellular carcinoma.

We currently identified a liver-specific gene that encodes a novel zona pellucida (ZP) domain-containing protein named liver-specific ZP domain-containing protein (LZP). The full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) of human LZP has 2,255 bp with a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 1,635 bp. The gene is localized on chromosome 10q21.