[Photobleaching of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from confluence of two rivers under natural solar radiation: a case study of Fujiang River-Jialingjiang River].

Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy combined with ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra was used to investigate the photobleaching process of dissolved organic matter (DOM) sampled from Fujiang River (FJ), Jialingjiang River (JLJ) and the confluence (FJ-JLJ) under natural solar radiation. The results indicated that obvious photochemical degradation of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) concentration [ α(280) ] and all fluorescence peaks intensity (A, C, M and T) occurred under natural solar radiation, and the degradation degree was in order of JLJ > FJ-JLJ > FJ. Photobleaching properties of DOM samples from different locations showed significant differences, which could be partially explained by the sampling sites surroundings including various landuse types, and dilution effect of river confluence.

Fault-Tolerant Consensus of Multi-Agent System With Distributed Adaptive Protocol.

In this paper, fault-tolerant consensus in multi-agent system using distributed adaptive protocol is investigated. Firstly, distributed adaptive online updating strategies for some parameters are proposed based on local information of the network structure. Then, under the online updating parameters, a distributed adaptive protocol is developed to compensate the fault effects and the uncertainty effects in the leaderless multi-agent system.

Flat mirror tilt and piston measurement based on structured light reflection.

This paper presents a simple method for flat mirror tilt and piston measurement. The method only needs an LCD screen and a CCD camera. LCD screen displays structured light pattern, and camera takes the pattern's virtual image (VI) reflected by the mirror.

HIF-1α polymorphism in the susceptibility of cervical spondylotic myelopathy and its outcome after anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion treatment.

Background: To investigate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of hypoxia-inducible factor1 α (HIF-1α) and the susceptibility to cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) and its outcome after surgical treatment.

Method: A total of 230 CSM patients and 284 healthy controls were recruited. All patients received anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACF) and were followed for 12 months.

Icariin ameliorates cigarette smoke induced inflammatory responses via suppression of NF-κB and modulation of GR in vivo and in vitro.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of icariin, a major constituent of flavonoids isolated from the herb Epimedium, on cigarette smoke (CS) induced inflammatory responses in vivo and in vitro.

Methods: In vivo, BALB/c mice were exposed to smoke of 15 cigarettes for 1 h/day, 6 days/week for 3 months and dosed with icariin (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (1 mg/kg). In vitro, A549 cells were incubated with icariin (10, 50 and 100 µM) followed by treatments with CSE (2.

Kinetic modeling of antimony(V) adsorption-desorption and transport in soils.

Antimonate [Sb(V)] adsorption-desorption and transport in an acidic red soil (Yingtan) and a calcareous soil (Huanjiang) was investigated using kinetic batch and miscible displacement experiments. Different formulations of a multi-reaction model (MRM) were evaluated for their capabilities of describing the retention and transport mechanisms of Sb(V) in soils. The experimental results showed that adsorption of Sb(V) by two soils was kinetically controlled and largely irreversible.

Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on chylomicron and VLDL synthesis and secretion in Caco-2 cells.

The present research was undertaken to determine the effects of EPA (20 : 5 n-3) and DHA (22 : 6 n-3) on chylomicron and VLDL synthesis and secretion by Caco-2 cells. Cells were incubated for 12 to 36 h with 400  μM OA, EPA, and DHA; then 36 h was chosen for further study because EPA and DHA decreased de novo triglycerides synthesis in a longer incubation compared with OA  (P < 0.01).

[Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in soils and sediments of typical water-level fluctuation zones of Three Gorges Reservoir areas].

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a very important component in terrestrial ecosystem, which also plays a key role in geo-environmental chemistry. A number of DOM samples were extracted from soils and sediments samples obtained from typical water-level fluctuation zones of Three Gorges reservoir areas. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra were recorded for unveiling the geochemical characteristics of DOM based on specific absorption parameters and fitting models.

Error removal in microchip-synthesized DNA using immobilized MutS.

The development of economical de novo gene synthesis methods using microchip-synthesized oligonucleotides has been limited by their high error rates. In this study, a low-cost, effective and improved-throughput (up to 32 oligos per run) error-removal method using an immobilized cellulose column containing the mismatch binding protein MutS was produced to generate high-quality DNA from oligos, particularly microchip-synthesized oligonucleotides. Error-containing DNA in the initial material was specifically retained on the MutS-immobilized cellulose column (MICC), and error-depleted DNA in the eluate was collected for downstream gene assembly.

The identification, typing, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from mink with hemorrhagic pneumonia.

The biological characteristics and molecular epidemiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated with mink hemorrhagic pneumonia from Shandong province of eastern China were determined in this study. From 2010 to 2011, 30 mink P. aeruginosa isolates were identified from lung, fecal and feed samples of clinical cases and subjected to serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using SpeI.

Autophagy and hippocampal neuronal injury.

Background: Autophagy is a specific universal biological phenomenon in eukaryotic cells, which is characterized by cytoplasmic vacuoles in the process of degrading cellular contents in lysosomes. The hippocampus plays an important role in higher nervous activities such as emotional integration, cognition, and memory. As an area closely related to learning and memory functions of the brain, the hippocampus is particularly sensitive to injuries caused by various reasons.

Directly obtaining pristine magnetic silk fibers from silkworm.

By feeding the silkworms with the nano Fe3O4 powder together with mulberry leaves, we directly obtained silkworm spun pristine magnetic silk fiber, MSF. To compare with the normal SF found that this MSF not only has expected magnetic properties, but also has enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties, e.g.

Directly obtaining high strength silk fiber from silkworm by feeding carbon nanotubes.

By feeding silkworm with the carbon nanotube, CNT, we directly obtained high strength silk fiber, SF, from silkworm. The CNT-based SF, SF/CNT, has a stress at 1.69GPa and a strain at about 24% both higher than those of the SF and are capable to compare with the super SF and even the spider fiber.

[Preparation technology of total coumarins from Laportea bulbifera].

Objective: To investigate the preparation process of total coumarins from Laportea bulbifera.

Methods: The optimum condition for the extraction of total coumarins was studied using the orthogonal test, and the extracts was purled with different kinds of macroporous resins. The content of total coumarins was detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry.

The effect of the polymorphisms of 5-HTTLPR on new onset of depression in patients who underwent pacemaker implantation.

Aim: To study the role of serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms in the incidence of depression in a Chinese cohort who underwent pacemaker (PM) implantation.

Methods: A total of 294 patients treated with PMs were enrolled. The 5-HTTLPR gene polymorphism was determined.

Microdevice integrating innate and adaptive immune responses associated with antigen presentation by dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells are the principal antigen presenting cells that are responsible for acquiring and transporting antigen from the peripheral tissue to the secondary lymphoid tissue. There they present it to T cells which ultimately initiate an antigen specific immune response. , the migration of dendritic cells (DCs) and T cell activation are intimately linked.

The application of hyaluronic acid-derivatized carbon nanotubes in hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether-based photodynamic therapy for in vivo and in vitro cancer treatment.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown great potential in both photothermal therapy and drug delivery. In this study, a CNT derivative, hyaluronic acid-derivatized CNTs (HA-CNTs) with high aqueous solubility, neutral pH, and tumor-targeting activity, were synthesized and characterized, and then a new photodynamic therapy agent, hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME), was adsorbed onto the functionalized CNTs to develop HMME-HA-CNTs. Tumor growth inhibition was investigated both in vivo and in vitro by a combination of photothermal therapy and photodynamic therapy using HMME-HA-CNTs.

NIR-/pH-Responsive drug delivery of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes for potential application in cancer chemo-photothermal therapy.

Purpose: To establish a NIR (near infrared)-/pH-responsive and sustained-release tumor-targeting drug delivery system (SWNT-PEI/DOX/NGR).

Methods: Functionalized SWNTs with polymerised polymeric poly(ethylene imine) was linked NGR (Asn-Gly-Arg) tumor-targeting peptide by DSPE-PEG2000-Maleimide via the maleimide group and sulfhydryl group of cysteine, in the end, doxorubicin (DOX) was attached to SWNT-PEI to obtain a SWNT-PEI/DOX/NGR delivery system.

Results: The SWNT-PEI/DOX/NGR delivery system has significantly sustained-release effect and the slow release of DOX in normal tissues contribute to reduced systemic toxicity, while under 808 nm NIR laser irradiation or under lower pH environment the release of DOX can be accelerated.

Spread of oqxAB in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium predominantly by IncHI2 plasmids.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and genetic environment of the multiresistance gene oqxAB in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium isolated from food-producing animals.

Methods: In this study, 63 Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium isolates were analysed for the presence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants and mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region by molecular methods (PCR/sequencing). The oqxAB-positive isolates were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Novel synthetic acridine derivatives as potent DNA-binding and apoptosis-inducing antitumor agents.

Acridine derivatives have been explored as DNA-binding anticancer agents. Some derivatives show undesired pharmacokinetic properties and new derivatives need to be explored. In this work, a series of novel acridine analogues were synthesized by modifying previously unexplored linkers between the acridine and benzene groups and their antiproliferative activity and the DNA-binding ability were evaluated.

Improved xylose fermentation of Kluyveromyces marxianus at elevated temperature through construction of a xylose isomerase pathway.

To improve the xylose fermentation ability of Kluyveromyces marxianus, a xylose assimilation pathway through xylose isomerase was constructed. The genes encoding xylose reductase (KmXyl1) and xylitol dehydrogenase (KmXyl2) were disrupted in K. marxianus YHJ010 and the resultant strain was named YRL002.

Photodynamic therapy of a 2-methoxyestradiol tumor-targeting drug delivery system mediated by Asn-Gly-Arg in breast cancer.

Fullerene (C60) has shown great potential in drug delivery. In this study we exploited modified fullerene (diadduct malonic acid-fullerene-Asn-Gly-Arg peptide [DMA-C60-NGR]) as an antitumor drug carrier in order to build a new tumor-targeting drug delivery system. We also investigated the synergistic enhancement of cancer therapy using photodynamic therapy (PDT) induced by DMA-C60-NGR and 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME).

Improving ethanol and xylitol fermentation at elevated temperature through substitution of xylose reductase in Kluyveromyces marxianus.

Thermo-tolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus is able to utilize a wide range of substrates, including xylose; however, the xylose fermentation ability is weak because of the redox imbalance under oxygen-limited conditions. Alleviating the intracellular redox imbalance through engineering the coenzyme specificity of NADPH-preferring xylose reductase (XR) and improving the expression of XR should promote xylose consumption and fermentation. In this study, the native xylose reductase gene (Kmxyl1) of the K.

Effects of baicalin on airway remodeling in asthmatic mice.

Airway remodeling is an important characteristic of asthma, linking inflammation with airway hyperresponsiveness. Baicalin, a major active component, was isolated from Radix Scutellariae. Many studies show that baicalin has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-allergic effects.