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We meticulously designed a triflate porous layer on Zn anodes to enhance the overall performance of Zn-ion batteries. During battery operation, it stabilizes the surface pH of Zn anodes and facilitates the formation of a ZnF 2 -containing interphase. Therefore, both the reversibility and reaction kinetics of Zn anodes are effectively promoted.

Zinc metal is a promising anode candidate for aqueous zinc ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity, low cost, and high safety. However, its application is currently restricted by hydrogen evolution reactions (HER), by-product formation, and Zn dendrite growth. Herein, a "Zn 2+ in salt" (ZIS) interphase is in situ constructed on the surface of the anode (ZIS@Zn). Unlike the conventional "Zn 2+ in water" working environment of Zn anodes, the intrinsic hydrophobicity of the ZIS interphase isolates the anode from direct contact with the aqueous electrolyte, thereby protecting it from HER, and the accompanying side reactions. More importantly, it works as an ordered water-free ion-conducting medium, which guides uniform Zn deposition and facilitates rapid Zn 2+ migration at the interface. As a result, the symmetric cells assembled with ZIS@Zn exhibit dendrite-free plating/striping at 4500 h and a high critical current of 14 mA cm -2 . When matched with a vanadium-based (NVO) cathode, the full battery exhibits excellent long-term cycling stability, with 88% capacity retention after 1600 cycles. This work provides an effective strategy to promote the stability and reversibility of Zn anodes in aqueous electrolytes., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

A fluorinated quasi-solid electrolyte (QSE) with a high conductivity of 2.3 mS cm -1 is meticulously designed for Li metal batteries. It facilitates the formation of a LiF-rich solid electrolyte interface that effectively enhances the reversibility of Li anodes. The assembled Li|QSE|LiFePO 4 batteries exhibit 92.3% capacity retention after 1500 cycles and an impressive capacity of up to 45 mA h g -1 at 20C.

The diversity, composition and performance of microbial communities within constructed wetlands (CW) were markedly influenced by spatio-temporal variations. A pilot-scale integrated vertical-flow constructed wetland (IVCW) as the biological purification unit within a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) was established and monitored in this study. The investigation aimed to elucidate the responses of community structure, co-occurrence networks, and assembly mechanisms of the microbial community to spatial and temporal changes. Spatially, all a-diversity indices and microbial networks complexity were significantly higher in the upstream pool of the IVCW than in the downstream pool. Temporally, the richness increased over time, while the evenness showed a decreasing trend. The number of nodes and edges of microbial networks increased over time. Notably, the stable pollutant removal efficiencies were observed during IVCW operations, despite a-diversity and bacterial community networks exhibited significant variations across time. Functional redundancy emerged as a likely mechanism contributing to the stability of microbial ecosystem functions. Null model and neutral model analyses revealed the dominance of deterministic processes shaping microbial communities over time, with deterministic influences being more pronounced at lower a-diversity levels. DO and inorganic nitrogen emerged as the principal environmental factor influencing microbial community dynamics. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the regulation of microbial communities and environmental factors within the context of IVCW., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To address the problems associated with Li metal anodes, a fluoride-rich solid-like electrolyte (SLE) that combines the benefits of solid-state and liquid electrolytes is presented. Its unique triflate-group-enhanced frame channels facilitate the formation of a functional inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), which not only improves the reversibility and interfacial charge transfer of Li anodes but also ensures uniform and compact Li deposition. Furthermore, these triflate groups contribute to the decoupling of Li + and provide hopping sites for rapid Li + transport, enabling a high room-temperature ionic conductivity of 1.1 mS cm -1 and a low activation energy of 0.17 eV, making it comparable to conventional liquid electrolytes. Consequently, Li symmetric cells using such SLE achieve extremely stable plating/stripping cycling over 3500 h at 0.5 mA cm -2 and support a high critical current up to 2 mA cm -2 . The assembled Li||LiFePO 4 solid-like batteries exhibit exceptional cyclability for over 1 year and a half, even outperforming liquid cells. Additionally, high-voltage cylindrical cells and high-capacity pouch cells are demonstrated, corroborating much simpler processibility in battery assembly compared to all-solid-state batteries., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Many countries and regions in the world have obtained industrial oil flow in the Meso-Neoproterozoic sedimentary strata and formed commercial exploitation in recent years. The development horizon of high-quality source rocks in the Proterozoic in North China can be compared with the international, indicating that the Meso-Neoproterozoic in North China has great exploration potential. The sedimentary characteristics of typical aulacogen in multiple cratons in the Meso-Neoproterozoic North China Craton are compared and studied by using field outcrop data, drilling data and analysis and test data, aiming to provide sedimentary support for the prediction of oil and gas distribution and evaluation of exploration field in the Meso-Neoproterozoic in this area. The results show that there are four sedimentary systems in the study area, including Marine clastic rock sedimentary system, Marine carbonate sedimentary system, Marine-continental transitional facies sedimentary system and glacial sedimentary system. They are divided into seven sedimentary facies types: barrier coastal facies, non-barrier coast facies, shallow shelf facies, carbonate platform facies, reef facies, fan delta facies and glacial facies, and further divided into 15 subfacies and 21 microfacies. On this basis, the Meso-Neoproterozoic sedimentary filling sequences of two typical aulacogens, Yanliao and Xiong 'er, in the study area are clarified, showing that the formation time of each sedimentary filling sequence stage of different aulacogens is different, and the rock characteristics, lithology combination, lithologic structure, contact relationship, vertical sequence and sedimentary facies assemblage of the same sedimentary filling sequence stage are obviously different. The filling characteristics of the two aulacogens completely record the geological events related to the breakup of the Colombian supercontinent., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary tryptophan (Trp) supplementation on serum biochemical indices, antioxidant indices, cytokine levels, mitochondrial biosynthesis, and mitochondrial morphology of heat-stressed broilers. A total of 180 female Arbor Acres broilers (18-day-old) were randomly allocated into three groups with six replicates of 10 broilers each. Broilers in thermoneutral (TN) (23 ± 1 °C) group were fed a basal diet; the other two groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0 or 0.18% Trp under heat stress (HS) (34 ± 1 °C for 8 h/day (h/day) and 23 ± 1°C for the remaining time) condition. The heat stress lasted for 21 days (days 21 to 42). The results indicated that heat stress reduced serum total protein content (TP) and decreased the activities of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), but increased the levels of serum uric acid (UA), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-18 (P < 0.05) compared to the TN group. However, dietary supplementation with 0.18% Trp enhanced serum TP content, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), SOD, catalase (CAT) activities, and T-AOC; decreased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities (P < 0.05); and lowered serum IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18 contents (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, heat stress exposure downregulated the mRNA expression of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1), and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5A (COX5A) in ileum (P < 0.05) as compared to the TN group. Dietary Trp supplementation enhanced the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the mRNA expression of TFAM, COX1 in ileum mucosa (P < 0.05) and ameliorated the damage of mitochondrial structure. Collectively, dietary supplementation with Trp could improve antioxidant capacity and mitochondrial structure and regulate mitochondrial function-related genes and decrease inflammatory response in heat-stressed broilers. Dietary Trp supplementation might be an effective nutritional strategy to protect against heat stress impairment., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

This trial aimed to determine the effects of tryptophan (Trp) on the rectal temperature, hormone, humoral immunity, and cecal microflora composition in broiler chickens under heat stress (HS). One hundred and eighty 18 days-old female Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into three treatment groups, with six replicates of ten birds in each replicate. The broilers were either raised under thermoneutral conditions (TN, 23 ± 1°C) or subjected to heat stress (34 ± 1°C for 8 h daily). The TN group received a basal diet, and another two heat-stressed groups were fed the basal diet (HS) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.18% Trp (HS + 0.18% Trp) for 21 consecutive days. The basal diet contained 0.18% Trp. Results revealed that HS increased the rectal temperature, serum epinephrine (EPI), and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) concentrations ( p  < 0.05), reduced the bursal index, the levels of serum immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG, IgM, and serotonin (5-HT) as well as the relative abundance of Actinobacteria in cecum ( p  < 0.05) compared with the TN group. Dietary supplementation of Trp decreased the rectal temperature, serum dopamine (DA), EPI, and the levels of CRH and L-kynurenine ( p  < 0.05), increased the bursal index, the levels of serum IgA, IgM, and 5-HT as well as the relative abundance of Ruminococcus torques group in cecum of heat-stressed broilers ( p  < 0.05) compared to HS group. In conclusion, dietary Trp supplementation decreased rectal temperature, improved cecal microbiota community and Trp metabolism, and enhanced humoral immunity of heat-stressed broilers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Li, Ouyang, Deng, Zhou, You and Li.)

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of tryptophan (Trp) supplementation on rectal temperature, hormone, and cytokine levels in broilers subjected to acute heat stress. A total of 300 18-day-old female Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated to five dietary treatment groups with six replicates per treatment group and ten birds per replicate. Broilers were fed a basal diet and in the thermoneutral conditions (TN, 23 ± 1 °C) was considered as the TN group. Broilers were fed a basal diet and exposed to acute heat stress (HS, 34 ± 1 °C) was regarded as the HS group, and other broilers exposed to acute heat stress (34 ± 1°C) were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0.09%, 0.18%, and 0.27% Trp. Results indicated that acute heat stress increased the rectal temperature (P < 0.05), enhanced the concentrations of corticosterone (CORT), dopamine (DA), adrenaline (Adr), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in serum (P < 0.05), and elevated the levels of serum tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH)1, tryptophan 2, 3-dioxygenase (TDO), indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO), and kynurenic acid (P < 0.05), compared with the TN group. Meanwhile, acute heat stress increased the levels of serum Trp, hypothalamic Trp, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HT), and interleukin-22 (P < 0.05) relative to the TN group. However, compared with the heat stress group, Trp supplementation decreased the rectal temperature of heat-stressed broilers and dietary 0.09% Trp supplementation decreased the levels of serum CRH and TDO (P < 0.05), increased the levels of serum Trp and IL-22 (P < 0.05) in heat-stressed broilers. In addition, dietary supplemented with 0.18% Trp reduced the levels of serum DA, Adr, noradrenaline (NA), CRH, TDO, IDO, kynurenic acid, IL-1β, and hypothalamic 5-HIAA/5-HT (P < 0.05), increased the levels of serum Trp, 5-HT, and IL-22, and upregulated the concentrations of hypothalamic Trp and 5-HT in heat-stressed broilers (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary 0.27% Trp supplementation decreased the levels of serum DA, CRH, TDO, and hypothalamic 5-HIAA/5-HT (P < 0.05), and upregulated the levels of serum Trp, 5-HT, IL-22, hypothalamic Trp and 5-HT in heat-stressed broilers (P < 0.05). Taken together, dietary 0.18% Trp supplementation may be the optimal level for broilers reared under acute heat stress., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Heat stress has been considered as a critical risk factor for decreasing performance and causing oxidative stress in broilers. The tryptophan (TRP) derivative 5-hydroxytryptophan has been reported to protect membrane fluidity in broilers suffering from oxidative stress. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary TRP supplementation on antioxidant status and mitochondrial function-related genes expressions in broilers exposed to acute heat stress (34 ± 1°C, 24 h). Female Arbor Acres broilers (19-d-old, n = 180) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments. Broilers were fed a basal diet and in the thermoneutral conditions (TN, 23 ± 1°C) was considered as the TN group. Broilers were fed a basal diet and exposed to acute heat stress (HS, 34 ± 1°C) was regarded as the HS group. Broilers were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0.18% L-tryptophan and under HS conditions was treated as the HS + TRP groups. Heat stress led to increased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration ( P < 0.05), while it elevated catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant capacity activities (T-AOC) ( P < 0.05) compared with the TN group. Nevertheless, compared with the HS group, TRP supplementation increased SOD activity ( P < 0.05). The effects of acute heat stress were associated with increased mRNA abundance for redox-related genes ( P < 0.05), and reduced mRNA levels for mitochondrial function-related genes ( P < 0.05). Notably, the effects of acute heat stress on mitochondrial function-related genes expressions were reversed by TRP treatment. Collectively, dietary 0.18% TRP supplementation beneficially protects against acute heat stress-induced oxidation stress and mitochondrial dysfunction by regulating antioxidant states and increasing mitochondrial function-related genes expressions in broilers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ouyang, Zhou, Li, Zheng, Chen, Guo, You and Li.)

This study investigated the effects of probiotic on intestinal innate immunity-associated gene expression and cecal microbiota in heat-stressed broilers. A total of 180 21-day-old male broilers were randomly assigned to three treatment groups with four replicates per group. The thermoneutral group (TN) (23 ± 1°C) received a basal diet, and another two heat-stressed groups (28-35-28°C for 12 h daily) were fed the basal diet (HS) or the basal diet supplemented with probiotic at a dose of 1.5 × 10 8  CFU/kg (HS&#95;Pro) for 21 consecutive days. Compared with the TN group, the abundance of beneficial bacteria was decreased (p < 0.05) in the caecum of heat-stressed broilers. Heat stress downregulated (p < 0.05) the expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 and upregulated (p < 0.05) the expressions of TLR5, TLR15, avian β-defensin (AvBD)4, AvBD8, and AvBD14 in the ileum as compared with the TN group. Dietary supplementation of probiotic upregulated (p < 0.05) the occludin expression in the ileum, improved the microbiota balance in the caecum, and decreased (p < 0.05) the gene expressions of TLR5 and TLR15 in the ileum of heat-stressed broilers. Collectively, dietary probiotic supplementation could promote intestinal barrier function via improving gut microbiota community and regulating innate immunity-associated gene expressions in heat-stressed broilers., (© 2022 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

Currently, the clinical treatment of preterm birth, mainly using uterine contraction inhibitors, does not fundamentally reduce the incidence of premature birth (PTB). Premature cervical ripening is an important factor in PTB. We previously found that nicotine-treated pregnant murine had significant cervical resistance to stretch and higher collagen cross-links compared to the control animals, and nicotine prolonged gestation and inhibited cervical ripening. However, the regulatory effects of nicotine on premature cervical ripening and its role in PTB remain unclear. To investigate the effects of nicotine on cervical TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway and fibroblast-myofibroblast differentiation regulated by this pathway in PTB-like models. Intraperitoneal injection with 15 μg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in 200 μl PBS into pregnant mice was used to induce the PTB-like model. Mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group, LPS-treated group, LPS + Nicotine co-treated group and LPS + Nicotine+α-BGT co-treated group. Pregnancy outcomes were monitored. The collagen content was assessed by Picrosirius red staining. Expressions of genes and proteins in the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway were detected by double immunofluorescence staining and quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). myofibroblast differentiation were investigated by double immunofluorescence staining and qRT-PCR. Ultrastructures were analyzed by conventional transmission electron microscopy. The rate of PTB and neonatal mortality at birth was significantly higher in the LPS-treated group than in the control group; collagen content also decreased remarkably; the expression of TGF-β1 in macrophages and p-Smad3 in fibroblasts were reduced; the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA, markers for activated fibroblasts) was down-regulated while the expression of calponin and smoothelin (markers for fibroblasts at rest) was up-regulated. Nicotine improved pregnancy outcomes and inhibited collagen degradation, activated the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway and promoted cervical fibroblast-myofibroblast differentiation in PTB-like mice; such effects could be reversed by α-bungarotoxin (α-BGT). Nicotine inhibited premature cervical ripening in PTB-like models in relation with up-regulating the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway and promoting fibroblast to differentiate into myofibroblasts., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Defensins are critical components of the innate immune system and play an important role in the integration of innate and adaptive immune responses. Although information on the immunomodulatory properties of peptidoglycan from bacteria is abundant, little is known about the β-defensin induction effect of peptidoglycan from the probiotic Lactobacillus . This study investigated the effect of intact peptidoglycan from L. rhamnosus MLGA on the induction of avian β-defensin 9 in chicken immune cells and intestinal explants. Peptidoglycan from Lactobacillus rhamnosus MLGA dose dependently promoted avian β-defensin 9 mRNA expression in chicken PBMCs, splenocytes, thymocytes, hepatocytes, and chicken embryo jejunum, ileum, and cecum explants and increased the capacity of PBMC or splenocyte lysates to inhibit the growth of Salmonella Enteritidis. In contrast to the effect of L. rhamnosus MLGA-derived peptidoglycan, peptidoglycan derived from pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus reduced avian β-defensin 9 mRNA expression in chicken PBMCs and splenocytes. The inducible effect of peptidoglycan from L. rhamnosus MLGA on avian β-defensin 9 expression in PBMCs and splenocytes was observed without activation of the expression of associated pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-8, and IL-12p40, whereas these cytokine expressions were suppressed by peptidoglycan hydrolysate obtained by lysozyme digestion. The results of the present study show the capability of peptidoglycan derived from L. rhamnosus MLGA to induce the antimicrobial peptide defensin while simultaneously avoiding the deleterious risks of an inflammatory response.

Microplastics (MPs) pollution in the marine environment has attracted considerable global attention. However, the colonization of microorganisms on mariculture-derived MPs and their effects on mariculture remain poorly understood. In this study, the MPs (fishing nets, foams and floats) and a natural substrate, within size ranges (1-4 mm), were then incubated for 21 days in Sungo Bay (China), and the composition and diversity of bacterial communities attached on all substrates were investigated. Results showed that bacterial communities on MPs mainly originated from their surrounding seawater and sediment, with an average contribution on total MPs adherent population of 47.91% and 37.33%, respectively. Principle coordinate analysis showed that community similarity between MPs and surrounding seawater decreased with exposure time. In addition, lower average bacterial community diversity and higher relative abundances of bacteria from the genera Vibrio, Pseudoalteromonas and Alteromonas on MPs than those in their surrounding seawater and sediments indicated that MPs might enrich potential pathogens and bacteria related with carbohydrate metabolism. They are responsible for the significant differences in KEGG Orthology pathways (infectious disease and carbohydrate metabolism) between MPs and seawater. The KO pathway (Infectious Diseases) associated with MPs was also significantly higher than those with feathers in the nearshore area. MPs might be vectors for enrichment of potentially pathogenic Vibrio, and enhance the ecological risk of MPs to mariculture industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest to this work. We declare that we do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the protective effects of probiotic on heat stress-induced intestinal injury and inflammatory response in broilers. A total of 180 male broilers were randomly allocated to three treatments with four replicates each from 22 to 42 days of age. The broilers were either raised under thermoneutral (TN) conditions (23 ± 1°C) or subjected to cyclic heat stress (28-35-28°C for 12 hr daily). The broilers kept at TN conditions were fed a basal diet, and those exposed to heat stress were fed basal diets supplemented with or without probiotic at a dose of 1.5 × 10 8  cfu/kg. Compared with the TN group, heat stress decreased (p < .05) the growth performance, reduced (p < .05) villus height and villus height: crypt depth ratio in intestinal mucosa, increased (p < .05) serum levels of D-lactic acid on day 28 and endotoxin, TNF-α and IL-6 on day 42, and decreased (p < .05) serum IL-10 content on day 42. Dietary supplementation of probiotic reversed (p < .05) all these changes except for the growth performance in heat-stressed broilers. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of probiotic could improve intestinal morphology and barrier function, alleviate inflammatory response, but exert no ameliorative effect on growth performance of broilers under cyclic heat stress., (© 2020 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

Nano- and microplastics have been shown to cause negative effects on marine organisms. However, the toxicities of nano- and microplastics toward marine bacteria are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the toxic effects of polystyrene nano- and microplastics on the marine bacterium Halomonas alkaliphila by determining growth inhibition, chemical composition, inorganic nitrogen conversion efficiencies and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The results showed that both nano- and microplastics inhibited the growth of H. alkaliphila in high concentrations, while nanoplastics rather than microplastics influenced the growth inhibition, chemical composition and ammonia conversion efficiencies of H. alkaliphila at concentration of 80 mg/L. The ROS generation indicated oxidative stress induced by nano- but not microplastics, and the oxidative stress induced by nanoplastics may provide a significant effect on bacteria. Furthermore, the positively charged nanoplastics (amine-modified 50 nm) induced higher oxidative stress toward bacteria than that induced by negatively charged nanoplastics (non-modified 55 nm). The increased extracellular polymeric substances as evidenced by transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation suggested the possible bacterial protective mechanisms. The present study illustrates for the first time the impact of plastics debris on the inorganic nitrogen conversion efficiencies of marine bacteria. Our findings highlight the effects of microplastics on the ecological function of marine organisms., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recently, Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) has been identified to play important roles in human cancers. However, the clinical significance and biological role of FOXC1 in cervical cancer remains unclear. Here, we showed that FOXC1 was frequently overexpressed in cervical cancer versus adjacent non-tumor tissues. Overexpression of FOXC1 was significantly correlated with tumor stage (P=0.011), tumor size (P=0.034), stromal invasion (P=0.001), and lymph nodes metastasis (P=0.008). Survival analysis further suggested that high FOXC1 expression was significantly correlated with poor overall survival (P=0.007) and recurrence-free survival (P=0.003) in cervical cancer patients. Moreover, we found that knock-down of FOXC1 by short hairpin RNAi significantly suppressed cervical cancer cells proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Mechanistic studies showed that the FOXC1 requires PI3K/AKT signaling for its regulation of cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Our findings indicate that FOXC1 plays an important oncogenic role in cervical cancer progression.

The aim of this study is to investigate efficacy of a traditional Chinese medicine formula (named Xian-Jia-Tang, XJT) on bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in rats and explore its mechanisms. Total 80 BOO model rats were established and randomly divided into 4 groups: physiological saline, XJT, Cesium Chloride (CC), and XJT and CC groups. Meanwhile, 12 rats were used as normal control. Bladder weight and urodynamics were measured. Oxidative stress level and mRNA expressions of potassium channels gene were detected in detrusor. The mRNA and protein levels of hypoxia inducible factor- α (HIF- α ) in detrusor were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. BOO model rats showed significantly higher bladder weight and abnormal urodynamics. XJT significantly improved the abnormal urodynamics and inhibited the oxidative stress and changes of mRNA levels of potassium channels genes in detrusor of BOO model rats. Moreover, KATP and SK2/3 mRNA were overexpressed in BOO model rats treated by XJT. Besides, the significantly increased levels of HIF- α mRNA and protein were also inhibited by XJT. However, these inhibition effects of XJT were weakened by CC. XJT could effectively improve the urodynamics and inhibit the oxidative stress caused by hypoxia through suppressing the role of potassium channels in BOO model rats.

Integrating loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C(4)D), we have developed an electrical sensor for the simultaneous amplification and detection of specific sequence DNA. Using the O26-wzy gene as a model, the amount of initial target gene could be determined via the threshold time obtained by monitoring the progression of the LAMP reaction in real time. Using the optimal conditions, a detection limit of 12.5 copy/μL can be obtained within 30 min. Monitoring the LAMP reaction by C(4)D has not only all the advantages that existing electrochemical methods have, but also additional attractive features including being completely free of carryover contamination risk, high simplicity and extremely low cost. These benefits all arise from the fact that the electrodes are separated from the reaction solution, that is C(4)D is a contactless method. Hence in proof of principle, the new strategy promises a robust, simple, cost-effective and sensitive method for quantitative determination of a target gene, that is applicable either to specialized labs or at point-of-care.

Objective: Overexpression of MicroRNA-196a (miR-196a) has recently been reported in different types of human cancers. However, the prognostic value of miR-196a in ovarian carcinoma remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the expression of miR-196a in ovarian carcinoma and its relationship with tumor progression and clinical prognosis., Methods: The expression level of miR-196a was examined by quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in surgically removed ovarian cancer tissues and ovarian cancer cell lines. The correlation between miR-196a expression and clinical features and prognosis were statistically analyzed., Results: The results showed that the miR-196a expression was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues and ovarian cancer cell lines compared with that in normal ovarian surface tissues and normal ovarian epithelial cells. Moreover, miR-196a expression was positively correlated with FIGO stage (P<0.001), tumor size (P=0.020), and lymph nodes metastasis (P=0.019). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that high levels of miR-196a expression was associated with poorer overall survival (P<0.001) and recurrent-free survival (P=0.003), especially in patients with advanced disease (P=0.002). Multivariate analysis suggested that miR-196a expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival of patients with ovarian carcinoma., Conclusions: In conclusion, miR-196a may play an important role in the progression of ovarian carcinoma, and could be used as an independent prognostic biomarker for patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) yields a large amount of DNA, as well as magnesium pyrophosphate precipitate, causing a decrease in ionic strength that can be measured with a conductivity meter. There is a clear relationship between the conductivity of the LAMP mixture solution and the duration of biochemical reaction. Moreover, there is also a clear relationship between the change in conductivity and the amount of initial template DNA over the range of 0.08 to 3.2 ng. These results demonstrate the feasibility not only for detecting the LAMP product qualitatively but also for real-time monitoring the biochemical reaction progression quantitatively using conductivity measurements., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Qi She Pill (QSP) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription that has been used in treating cervical spondylosis radiculopathy for many years. In this study, a simple and sensitive method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) on a reverse-phase C18 column was developed for the simultaneous determination of the 19 major components in QSP. We found that the optimum mobile phase for gradient elution was 0.1% formic acid and methanol. The correlation coefficients of all calibration curves were greater than 0.99. Recoveries measured at three concentration levels varied from 95.43% to 102.35%. Relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 4.45%. After successfully validating our method, we then applied it to the quantification of 19 components in QSP products to show that this method provides a new standard in quality assessment of TCM prescriptions containing multiple bioactive components.

Objective: We determined the phylogenetic position of a heterotrophic nitrifying-aerobic denitrifying bacterium X3, and detected its nitrogen removal characteristics for providing evidence to explain the principle of heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification and to improve the process in purification of marine-culture wastewater., Methods: The evolutionary position of the strain was determined based on its morphological, physiological, biochemical characteristics and 16SrRNA gene sequence. The nitrification-denitrification ability of this strain was detected by detecting its nitrogen removal efficiency and growth on different inorganic nitrogen source., Results: Strain X3 was identified as Halomonas sp. It grew optimally at salinity 3%, pH 8.5, C:N 10:1 at 28 degrees C, and it could still survive at 15% salinity. The removal of NH4+ -N, NO2(-) -N and NO3(-) -N was 98.29%, 99.07%, 96.48% respectively within 24 h. When three inorganic nitrogen existed simultaneously, it always utilized ammonia firstly, and the total inorganic nitrogen removal was higher than with only one nitrogen, suggesting that strain X3 has the ability of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification and completing the whole nitrogen removing process., Conclusion: Strain X3 belonged to the genus of Halomonas. It had strong simultaneous nitrification and denitrification capability and could live in high-salinity environment.

The impact of intensive land-based fish culture in Qingdao, China, on the bacterial communities in surrounding marine environment was analyzed. Culture-based studies showed that the highest counts of heterotrophic, ammonium-oxidizing, nitrifying, and nitrate-reducing bacteria were found in fish ponds and the effluent channel, with lower counts in the adjacent marine area and the lowest counts in the samples taken from 500 m off the effluent channel. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis was used to assess total bacterial diversity. Fewer bands were observed from the samples taken from near the effluent channel compared with more distant sediment samples, suggesting that excess nutrients from the aquaculture facility may be reducing the diversity of bacterial communities in nearby sediments. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequenced DGGE bands indicated that the bacteria community of fish-culture-associated environments was mainly composed of Flavobacteriaceae, gamma- and deltaproteobacteria, including genera Gelidibacter, Psychroserpen, Lacinutrix, and Croceimarina.

The study on variation of bacteria numbers in Penaeus chinensis-fish mix-culturing ecosystem in 1997. Indicated that at the beginning of culturing season, total number of heterotrophic bacteria and that of nitrate-reducing bacteria in mix-culturing ponds was low, but it was higher than that in mono-culturing shrimp pond. With time going on, the number of bacteria in mono-culturing pond increased rapidly and remained at a high level in August and September, an that in mix-culturing ponds also increased. But the latter increased slowly, and it was never over 10(4) cells.ml-1 and dropped in September. Number of bacteria in bottom of the ponds varied with the similar regulation, but the numbers was 10-100 times higher. The numbers of vibrio in mix-culturing ponds was always lower than that in contrastive pond at the same time. So, in fish-shrimp mix-culturing ponds, the contents of organic matter were lower and the total amount and variability of phytoplankton were higher than corresponding items in mono-culturing pond. It was concluded that mix-culture could stimulate and control the growth of heterotrophic bacteria, accelerate the degradation of organic pollutants, consequently fasten and stabilize the circulation of mater in ecosystem of ponds in culturing season.