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Clarifying the role of mountain-building processes in the filling history of large hinterland basins is an essential aspect of basin-mountain system research. We consider the case of the Triassic South Ordos Basin (SOB) to clarify these points. Located in the south-western North China Block (NCB), the SOB which preserves the most complete Triassic deposition on the north of the Qinling Orogenic Belt (QB) is crucial for understanding the detailed tectonic processes of the QB. Sedimentological, petrological and zircon U-Pb geochronological signatures from the three parts (eastern, central and western) in the SOB indicate that the sediment source migrated both temporally and spatially. Stratigraphic correlation identified two fluvial progradational episodes from south to north in the fluvial-deltaic-lacustrine sedimentary system, one in the eastern SOB and the other in the central SOB. The Late Triassic detrital zircons in the central SOB with distinguishing Neoproterozoic ages were derived from the southern margin of the NCB and the QB. The western SOB exhibited the sediment source shifted from pre-Triassic North Qilian Belt sedimentary cover to basement from the Middleto-Late Triassic based on a zircon age transition from ca. 2000 to ca. 430 Ma. Late Triassic sediment sources also included the southern margin of the NCB and the QB. Differing provenances from east to west were also confirmed using thin section and heavy mineral analyses. Regional comparisons of zircon age distributions in the eastern SOB with published data indicate that detritus from the QB was first transported to the eastern SOB and then to the central and western SOB. Spatiotemporal changes in the sediment source and sedimentary filling transitions in the three parts of the SOB suggest that the QB underwent asynchronous uplift that began in the east during the Early Triassic and propagated westward, reaching its maximum extent in the early Late Triassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) poses a severe threat to human and animal health. Countries worldwide have invested considerable manpower and material resources in degrading aflatoxins. Enzyme degradation is the most efficient and environmentally friendly approach for modifying aflatoxin into less toxic molecules. Catalase is commonly used as a detoxification agent to decrease the contamination levels of aflatoxins in animal feeds. This study aimed to obtain recombinant catalase via gene engineering and determined whether a recombinant catalase could degrade AFB1. RESULTS: The catalase gene (KatA) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the expression conditions of this recombinant catalase were optimized. The recombinant catalase was isolated and purified using Ni‐chelating affinity chromatography, and its ability to degrade AFB1 was evaluated. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the expressed of catalase was approximately 55.6 kDa, which was subsequently purified using Ni‐chelating affinity chromatography. The degradation rate of AFB1 by recombinant catalase in the presence of syringaldehyde was 38.79%. CONCLUSION: The degradation of AFB1 by a recombinant catalase has been reported for the first time. This study provides a new paradigm for the use of recombinant catalases in degrading AFB1 in food and feed. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the container handling process for a newly designed container terminal, known as the Frame Bridge based Automated Container Terminal (FB-ACT). The system was shown to be an effective solution to the next generation container terminal, but its efficiency depends on the dispatching of frame trolleys (FTs), which transport containers along the apron. We address the FT dispatching problem to ensure conflict-free movements, while considering the handshakes with other devices in the system. A mixed-integer programming (MIP)model is formulated to minimize the make span considering FT conflicts and handshakes. An algorithm based on filtered beam search is developed to solve the problem. In this algorithm, two filtering approaches are used to guide the search for beam nodes at each level. The first approach uses a surrogate model to effectively screen out the less promising nodes. Then, the second approach uses a reduced MIP model to further identify the beam nodes for the next level. Numerical experiments show that our proposed algorithm yields near-optimal solutions in small-scale problems. In large-scale problems, our algorithm significantly outperforms two other algorithms based on first come, first served (FCFS) or FCFS with dedicated vehicle assignment. Some interesting insights about the FB-ACT system are also shown in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinity limits agricultural production and is a major obstacle for increasing crop yield. Common wheat is one of the most important crops with allohexaploid characteristic and a highly complex genome. QTL mapping is a useful way to identify genes for quantitative traits such as salinity tolerance in hexaploid wheat. In the present study, a hydroponic trial was carried out to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with salinity tolerance of wheat under 150mM NaCl concentration using a recombinant inbred line population (Xiaoyan 54xJing 411). Values of wheat seedling traits including maximum root length (MRL), root dry weight (RDW), shoot dry weight (SDW), total dry weight (TDW) and the ratio of TDW of wheat plants between salt stress and control (TDWR) were evaluated or calculated. A total of 19QTLs for five traits were detected through composite interval mapping method by using QTL Cartographer version 2.5 under normal and salt stress conditions. These QTLs distributed on 12 chromosomes explained the percentage of phenotypic variation by individual QTL varying from 7.9% to 19.0%. Among them, 11 and six QTLs were detected under normal and salt stress conditions, respectively and two QTLs were detected for TDWR. Some salt tolerance related loci may be pleiotropic. Chromosome 1A, 3A and 7A may harbor crucial candidate genes associated with wheat salt tolerance. Our results would be helpful for the marker assisted selection to breed wheat varieties with improved salt tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The link between alterations in circadian rhythms and depression are well established, but the underlying mechanisms are far less elucidated. We investigated the circadian characteristics of immobility behavior in wild type (WT) mice and mice with mutations in core Clock genes. Methods: All mice were tested with forced swim test (FST) at 4 h intervals. Results: These experiments revealed significant diurnal rhythms associated with immobility behavior in both male and female WT mice with sex-different circadian properties. In addition, male mice showed significantly less immobility during the night phase in comparison to female mice. Female Per1Brdm1 mice also showed significant rhythmicity. However, the timing of rhythmicity was very different from that observed in female wild type mice. Male Per1Brdm1 mice showed a pattern of rhythmicity similar to that of wild type mice. Furthermore, female Per1Brdm1 mice showed higher duration of immobility in comparison to male Per1Brdm1 mice in both daytime and early night phases. Neither Per2Brdm1 nor ClockÎ"19 mice showed significant rhythmicity, but both female Per2Brdm1 and ClockÎ"19 mice had lower levels of immobility, compared to males. Conclusions: This study highlights the differences in the circadian characteristics of immobility induced by FST in WT, ClockÎ"19, Per1, and Per2 deficient mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of triglyceride (TG) integrates with plasma major components of apolipoproteins in HDL subclasses distribution and further elicited the TG-apolipoproteins (apos) interaction in the processes of high density lipoprotein (HDL) mature metabolic and atherosclerosis related diseases. Methods: Contents of plasma HDL subclasses were quantities by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis associated with immunodetection in 500 Chinese subjects. Results: Contents of preβ1-HDL, HDL3a, and apoB-100 level along with apoB-100/A-I ratio were significantly increased, whereas there was a significant reduction in the contents of HDL2, apoA-I level as well as apoC-III/C-II ratio with increased TG concentration. Moreover, preβ1-HDL contents is elevated about 9 mg/L and HDL2b contents can be reduced 21 mg/L for 0.5 mmol/L increment in TG concentration. Moreover, with increase of apoA-I levels, HDL2b contents were marginally elevated in any TG concentration group. Furthermore, despite of in the apoB-100/A-I < 0.9 group, the contents of preα 1-HDL increased, and those of HDL2b decreased significantly for subjects in both high and very high TG levels compared to that in normal TG levels. Similarly, in the apoB-100/A-I ≥0.9 group, the distribution of HDL subclasses also showed abnormality for subjects with normal TG levels. Conclusions: The particle size of HDL subclasses tend to small with TG levels increased which indicated that HDL maturation might be impeded and efficiency of reverse cholesterol transport(RCT) might be weakened. These data suggest that TG levels were not only significantly associated with but liner with the contents of preβ1-HDL and HDL2b. They also raise the possibility that the TG levels effect on HDL maturation metabolism are subjected to plasma apolipoproteins and apolipoproteins ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Haemophilus parasuis, and Pasteurelle multocida are common pathogens of respiratory diseases in the pig industry, and they may cause secondary infections and serious economic losses to the pig industry. The clinical symptoms caused by these three pathogens are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, and mix infections bring difficulties to the diagnosis of diseases. In this study, specific primers were designed on the basis of A. pleuropneumoniae Apx IV, H. parasuis Omp P2 and P. multocida PlpE gene. The expected amplified products of A. pleuropneumoniae, H. parasuis, and P. multocida were 157, 120 and 305 bp, respectively. After the amplified fragment was cloned into a vector, a standard plasmid was constructed. By using the standard plasmid as template, a fluorescence quantitative PCR method for simultaneous detection of A. pleuropneumoniae, H. parasuis, and P. multocida multiple SYBR Green I was established. Combined with melting curve analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability were also evaluated. The results showed that the sensitivity of the method for detecting the three pathogens were 147, 145, and 61 copies/µL. On the same melting curve that produced three specific Tm peaks, no cross reaction with other bacteria was observed, and the method demonstrated good specificity and repeatability. This method could be used for the simultaneous detection of the three pathogens, thus providing an effective detection tool for disease prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a duplex SYBR Green real-time PCR assay was developed in order to indentify Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and Haemophilus parasuis infection in one reaction, through a melting curve analysis. This method utilized two pairs of specific primers that allowed the amplification of highly conserved regions of A. pleuropneumoniae Apx IV and H. parasuis omp P2 gene. Reconstitution experiments were conducted by using PMD - 19T plasmid in order to determine the sensitivity of the assay. The results showed that the Tm values of the melting curves of A. pleuropneumoniae and H. parasuis were 83.36±0.09ºC and 76.48±0.17ºC, respectively that could accurately distinguish these two pathogens. And no cross reaction were observed between other respiratory pathogens, which suggested a high specificity of two primers. The detection sensitivity of the assay was 127 and 96 copies/μL which was higher than that of the ordinary PCR detection methods. This rapid technique may present a simple, useful option for simultaneous detection of A. pleuropneumoniae and H. parasuis, which would be feasible and attractive for clinical samples diagnosis and epidemiological investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inca (induced in neural crest by AP2) is a novel protein discovered in a microarray screen for genes that are upregulated in Xenopus embryos by the transcriptional activator protein Tfap2a. It has no significant similarity to any known protein, but is conserved among vertebrates. In Xenopus, zebrafish and mouse embryos, Inca is expressed predominantly in the premigratory and migrating neural crest (NC). Knockdown experiments in frog and fish using antisense morpholinos reveal essential functions for Inca in a subset of NC cells that form craniofacial cartilage. Cells lacking Inca migrate successfully but fail to condense into skeletal primordia. Overexpression of Inca disrupts cortical actin and prevents formation of actin 'purse strings', which are required for wound healing in Xenopus embryos. We show that Inca physically interacts with p21-activated kinase 5 (PAK5), a known regulator of the actin cytoskeleton that is co-expressed with Inca in embryonic ectoderm, including in the NC. These results suggest that Inca and PAK5 cooperate in restructuring cytoskeletal organization and in the regulation of cell adhesion in the early embryo and in NC cells during craniofacial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study converted sewage sludge into a carbonaceous catalyst via pyrolysis and employed it in the ozonation of hydroquinone. The catalyst was characterized by Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature programmed desorption, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Intermediate products were detected by gas chromatography--mass spectrometry, and a pathway for hydroquinone degradation was proposed. The results showed that sludge pyrolyzed at 700 °C promoted hydroquinone degradation, compared with commercial activated carbon derived from coal. When the catalyst dose was 0.5 g/L, the hydroquinone (200 mg/L) removal rate reached 97.86% after exposure to ozone (the ozone concentration was 17 mg/L and the flow rate was 50 mL/min) for 60 min. The results indicated that basic groups contributed to the catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China is now under a period of social transition, and inequity is evident in the field of health care. We aimed to investigate regional health-care inequalities in children's survival in Zhejiang Province, China. Methods: In our study, monitoring data of Zhejiang Province from 2005 to 2014 was collected. The flow of data collection of community-district-city for urban areas or village-township-county rural areas was followed. The factors affecting equity was analyzed including regional economical level and household registry. We adopted standard measures of concentration curve and concentration index to evaluate degree of income-related inequity and the trend of mortality changes. Results: From 2005 to 2014, overall mortality rate in children under five decreased, and regional disparity reduced markedly, and with a reduced disparity of mortality rate among children from urban and rural areas. In 2014, the mortality rate in children from urban and rural areas was similar. In contrast, the mortality rate in the children from migrant population was more than two folds of that in the children from native residency (7.82‰vs. 3.89‰). The mortality rates of newborns (rs = -0.396, P < 0.001), infants (rs = -0.553, P < 0.001) and children under five (rs = -0.568, P < 0.001) were all negatively correlated with per capita GDP in different regions. CI in the newborns, infants and children under 5 years was -0.105, -0.107 and -0.118, respectively. The concentration curve was near to equity curve. The concentration curve was near to equity curve. The mortality rate of children was negatively related with economical level in this study. Conclusions: The survival status was near to equity. Regional economical development can improve children's survival but it was not the only social determinant. Migrant population will be the future monitor focus for reducing disparity on healthcare and increase equity in children's survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, acrylamide and [2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride were grafted onto CS by UV initiation to obtain an environmentally friendly graft copolymer, CS-g-poly(acrylamide-acryloyloxyethyl) trimethylammonium chloride (CS-g-PAD). Poly(acrylamide-acryloyloxyethyl) trimethylammonium chloride was named as PAD. Nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy (¹H NMR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TG-DSC) were used to characterize CS-g-PAD. Results confirmed the synthesis of CS-g-PAD. SEM results showed that CS-g-PAD exhibited a porous structure with numerous 2-6 μm micropores. The enhanced CaCl2-aided flocculation tests of wastewater contaminated by zinc phosphate coating indicated that CS-g-PAD had better flocculation performance than PAD and the commercially available cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM). The removal rates of zinc concentration, total phosphorus concentration, and chemical oxygen demand were 99.3, 98.8, and 72.5%, respectively, at 6 mg·L-1 CS-g-PAD and pH 10. The precipitated flocs were mainly in crystalline form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that copper-containing metal-organic nanoparticles (MONPs) are readily synthesized via Cu(II)-mediated intramolecular cross-linking of aspartate-containing polyolefins in water. In situ reduction with sodium ascorbate yields Cu(I)-containing MONPs that serve as highly efficient supramolecular catalysts for alkyne-azide "click chemistry" reactions, yielding the desired 1,4-adducts at low parts per million catalyst levels. The nanoparticles have low toxicity and low metal loadings, making them convenient, green catalysts for alkyne-azide "click" reactions in water. The Cu-MONPs enter cells and perform efficient, biocompatible click chemistry, thus acting as intracellular nanoscale molecular synthesizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal cancer is the most common gastrointestinal cancer. Psoralidin exhibits antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects, which result in the inhibition of cancer formation. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of psoralidin on esophageal carcinoma proliferation and growth, and to elucidate its underlying mechanism of action. The effect of psoralidin on cell proliferation was investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Using an annexin V-f luorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide apoptosis detection kit and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining assay, the present study demonstrated that psoralidin significantly enhanced apoptosis of human esophageal carcinoma Eca9706 cells. In addition, caspase-3 activity was analyzed with a caspase-3 colorimetric assay kit, while nuclear factor (NF)-κB activity and protein phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt expression were measured with an NF-κB enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit and western blot analysis, respectively. Eca9706 cells were treated with a PI3K agonist in order to investigate the mechanism of action of psoralidin. It was observed that psoralidin was able to decrease the proliferation and promote the cellular apoptosis of Eca9706 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, psoralidin was also able to inhibit the caspase-3 activity of Eca9706 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, psoralidin inhibited NF-κB activity and reduced PI3K and Akt protein expression in Eca9706 cells. Notably, the PI3K agonist was able to reverse the effect of psoralidin on Eca9706 cells. The results of the present study demonstrated that psoralidin was able to inhibit proliferation and enhance apoptosis of human esophageal carcinoma cells via the NF-κB and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, colon cancer is the third most common cancer in terms of incidence, following lung and breast cancer. Resistance to psoralidin frequently occurs following its use as an anticancer treatment. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of psoralidin on colon cancer, remain to be elucidated. Hence, the present study investigated the anticancer effects and potential mechanism of action of psoralidin on SW480 human colon cancer cells. In the present study, an MTT assay was performed to measure the viability of SW480 cells. Additionally, an Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide apoptosis detection kit, DAPI staining assay and caspase-3 colorimetric assay kits were used to analyze the cellular apoptosis of SW480 cells. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 activity and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) protein expression of SW480 cells was detected using NF-κB colorimetric assay kits and western blot analysis, respectively. Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-737 was added to SW480 cells and the subsequent effects and mechanism of action of psoralidin on SW480 colon cancer cells was studied. In the present study, psoralidin reduced SW480 cell viability and enhanced the cellular apoptosis of SW480 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Caspase-3 activity of SW480 cells was increased following treatment with psoralidin. Additionally, psoralidin was able to reduce the NF-κB p65 activity of SW480 cells. Furthermore, psoralidin was able to reduce Bcl-2 protein expression and increase Bax protein expression in SW480 cells. Notably, Bcl-2 inhibitor was observed to enhance the effects of psoralidin on SW480 cells. The results of the present study suggest that psoralidin may be a candidate drug for the treatment of colon cancer by inhibition of the NF-κB and Bcl-2/Bax signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] This study aimed to compare the effects of three absorbing medium on microwave degradation of chlordane in contaminated soil under alkaline condition. [Method] Soil samples were collected from the original site of a relocated pesticide production enterprise as experimental materials, to investigate the effects of Cu2O, MnO2 and activated carbon powder as absorbing medium on soil warming and removal rate of chlordane under alkaline condition with 20% moisture content. In addition, the effects of activated carbon as the optimal absorbing media on the removal rate of chlordane in contaminated soil were analyzed, and the effects on the removal rate of chlordane in different weights of soil samples were investigated. [Result] The effects of three different absorbing medium on the removal rates of chlordane demonstrated a descending order of activated carbon > MnO2 > CuO2. Under the same microwave condition, the removal rate of chlordane decreased with the increase of soil weights, but the utilization efficiency of microwave was improved continuously and tended to be stabilized with the increase of soil weights. [Conclusion] This study provided a theoretical basis for further large-scale application in soil remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms of morphogenesis are not well understood, yet shaping structures during development is essential for establishing correct organismal form and function. Here, we examine mechanisms that help to shape the developing face during the crucial period of facial primordia fusion. This period of development is a time when the faces of amniote embryos exhibit the greatest degree of similarity, and it probably results from the necessity for fusion to occur to establish the primary palate. Our results show that hierarchical induction mechanisms, consisting of iterative signaling by Sonic hedgehog (SHH) followed by Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), regulate a dynamic expression pattern of Shh in the ectoderm covering the frontonasal (FNP) and maxillary (MxP) processes. Furthermore, this Shh expression domain contributes to the morphogenetic processes that drive the directional growth of the globular process of the FNP toward the lateral nasal process and MxP, in part by regulating cell proliferation in the facial mesenchyme. The nature of the induction mechanism that we discovered suggests that the process of fusion of the facial primordia is intrinsically buffered against producing maladaptive morphologies, such as clefts of the primary palate, because there appears to be little opportunity for variation to occur during expansion of the Shh expression domain in the ectoderm of the facial primordia. Ultimately, these results might explain why this period of development constitutes a phylotypic stage of facial development among amniotes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate alteration of high density lipoproteins (HDL) subclasses distribution in different total cholesterol (TC) levels, mainly the characteristics of HDL subclasses distribution in desirable TC levels and analyze the related mechanisms. Methods: ApoA-I contents of plasma HDL subclasses were determined by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with immunodetection. 486 Chinese Adults subjects were assigned to different TC groups according to the third Report of NCEP (ATP- III) guidelines. Results: The increase in contents of small preβ1-HDL, HDL3c, HDL3b, and HDL3a particles clustered and reduce in HDL2b with increased of TC. The distribution of HDL subclasses have shown abnormality characterized by the lower HDL2b (324.2 mg/L) contents and the higher preb1-HDL (90.4 mg/L) contents for desirable TC Chinese subjects. Among 176 desirable TC subjects, 58.6% subjects with triglyceride (TG) < 2.26 mmol/L, 61.2% subjects with HDL-C ≥1.03 mmol/L and 88.6% subjects with low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) < 3.34 mmol/L, and the profile of HDL subclasses distribution for above these subjects was reasonable. Conclusions: The particles size of HDL subclasses shifted towards smaller with increased TC levels. The TC was liner with HDL2b contents and those can be reduced 17 mg/L for 0.5 mmol/L increment in TC levels. The HDL subclasses distribution phenotype was not expectation for Chinese Population with desirable TC levels. Thus, from the HDL subclasses distribution point, when assessing the coronary heart disease(CHD) risk not only rely on the TC levels, but also the concentrations of TG, HDL-C and LDL-C must considered in case the potential risk for desirable TC subjects with other plasma lipids metabolism disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deposition rate of μc-Si films was investigated for four excitation frequencies 30, 40, 60, 70 and 80 MHz with other deposition parameters fixed. Deposition rate increases with the increasing of excitation frequency, while Raman crystallinity behaves more complicated. With the optimization of deposition parameters, p-i-n solar cells at an initial efficiency of 5.41% were fabricated. With the increasing of plasma excitation frequency, the non-uniformity of these thin films increases. To better understand the cause of the non-uniformity of these films, a numerical simulation was carried out. The numerical results generally followed the experimental data. It turned out that the standing waves and the evanescent wave guide modes on the electrode surface played an important role. In order to achieve highly uniform thin films, a triode-electrode was employed together with a pulsed power source. We found that with a proper choice of pulse frequency and DC voltage applied to the mesh, non-uniformity is less than 8% for films deposited on 10×10 cm2 substrates. Simulations were also applied to analyze the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) have shown great potential for use in environmental bioremediation. In this study, the TTHB128 and TTHB127 genes, which encode the small and large subunits of arsentie oxidase in Thermus thermophilus HB8, respectively, were cloned into the broad-host-range vector pBBR1MCS-5 to produce the recombinant plasmid, TTHB127-pBBR1MCS-5-TTHB128. This resulted in successful construction of a GEM with high tolerance to arsenite and strong arsenite oxidative ability. Culture of the GEM in media containing arsenite for 28 h resulted in 87.6% of the arsenite being oxidized. Overall, the oxidative ability of the GEM was much stronger than that of the wild type host strain. Gentamicin was necessary to maintain the stability of the recombinant plasmid, TTHB127-pBBR1MCS-5-TTHB128, in the GEM. The oxidative ability of the GEM remained unchanged when it was grown in medium containing gentamicin (60 mg/L) for 30 growth cycles, after which its activity gradually decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the relationship between the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and HDL subclass distribution and to further examine and discuss the potential impact of LDL-C and HDL-C together with TG on HDL subclass metabolism. Results: Small-sized preβ1-HDL, HDL3b and HDL3a increased significantly while large-sized HDL2a and HDL2b decreased significantly as the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio increased. The subjects in low HDL-C level (< 1.03 mmol/L) who had an elevation of the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and a reduction of HDL2b/preβ1-HDL regardless of an undesirable or high LDL-C level. At desirable LDL-C levels (< 3.34 mmol/L), the HDL2b/preβ1-HDL ratio was 5.4 for the subjects with a high HDL-C concentration (≥ 1.55 mmol/L); however, at high LDL-C levels (≥ 3.36 mmol/L), the ratio of LDL-C/HDL-C was 2.8 in subjects, and an extremely low HDL2b/preβ1-HDL value although with high HDL-C concentration. Conclusion: With increase of the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, there was a general shift toward smaller-sized HDL particles, which implied that the maturation process of HDL was blocked. High HDL-C concentrations can regulate the HDL subclass distribution at desirable and borderline LDL-C levels but cannot counteract the influence of high LDL-C levels on HDL subclass distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]