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Soil antimony (Sb) contamination occurs globally due to natural processes and human activities. Total Sb concentration in soils fails to assess its ecological risk, while determined by the concentration of available Sb, which is readily for biological uptake. Available Sb in different soils varied significantly according to soil properties. However, so far it is unknown how soil properties regulate Sb availability, and no model has been established to predict it through soil properties. In this study, 19 soils spiked with antimonite [Sb(III)] were used to identify the major factors controlling Sb availability and establish its predicting models. The results showed that available Sb in different soils varied largely depending on the contents of free aluminum (fAl), free iron (fFe) and electric conductivity (EC), which explained 33%, 27% and 24.9% of the total variation, respectively. During the first 42 days of soil aging, fAl and EC effectively predicted the concentrations of available Sb with R

The metastatic potential of malignant tumor has been shown to be correlated with the increased expression of tri- and tetra-antennary β1,6-N-acetylglucosamine (β1,6-GlcNAc) N-glycans. In this study, We found that GnT-V expression was negatively correlated with receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase type μ(RPTPμ) in human glioma tissues. To study whether RPTPμ is a novel substance of GnT-V which further affect RPTPμ′s downstream dephosphorylation function, we preform lentiviral infection with GnT-V gene to construct stably transfected GnT-V glial cell lines. We found RPTPμ undergone severer cleavage in GnT-V transfected glioma cells compare to Mock cells. RPTPμ intracellular domain fragments increased while β1,6-GlcNAc-branched N-glycans increased, in consistent with the decrease of RPTPμ′s catalytic activity. The results showed that abnormal glycosylation could decrease the phosphorylation activity of PTP μ, and affect PLCγ-PKC pathways. Both protease inhibitor Furin and N-glycan biosynthesis inhibitor swainsonine could decrease cell mobility in GnT-V-U87 transfectants and other glioma cell lines. All results above suggest increased post-translational modification of RPTPμ N-glycans by GnT-V attenuates its tyrosine phosphatase activity and promotes glioma cell migration through PLCγ-PKC pathways, and that the β1,6-GlcNAc-branched N-glycans of RPTPμ play a crucial role in glioma invasivity.

Resourceful TiO2 is a potential alternative as anode material for Li-Ion batteries, but the low electrochemical performance of commercial TiO2 (c-TiO2) is the obstacle for its practical application. Herein, appropriate amount of Ti9O17 was introduced by simply coating carbon at 900 °C employing pitch as carbon precursor. The carbon-coated c-TiO2 derived from 12 wt% pitch exhibited appreciable rate performance and cycling stability (retaining a reversible capacity of 155.8 mAh g−1 after cycling at 500 mA g−1 for 800 cycles). Combining the comparative experiments and systematic characterizations on the products, the appropriate amount of Ti9O17 introduced by controlling the pitch content during coating carbon contributes to meliorating the electronic and ionic conductivity of TiO2, resulting in the boosted electrochemical performance.

The intrinsically moderate Li-ion diffusion coefficient and poor electronic conductivity of Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) restricts the practical application in Li-ion batteries. In view of the rapid two-dimensional diffusion channels in ionic conductor of LiNaAl22O34 for Li-ions, the LTO modified by combining equivalent molar ratio of LiAl11O17 with NaAl11O17 (LNAO) was fabricated by a simple reaction between LiNO3, Na2CO3, Al(NO3)3⋅9H2O and LTO at various sintering temperatures. The product with a LNAO/LTO mass ratio of 0.0106 and calcined at 600 °C achieved reversible capacities of 163.8, 160.6, 156.5, 150.9, 132.9 and 163.4 mAh g−1 at the current rates of 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 100 mA g−1, respectively. Even cycled 800 times at 500 mA g−1, a capacity of 147.9 mAh g−1 was retained. The outstanding cycling and rate performance is attributable to the simultaneously formed LNAO coating on the LTO particles and superficial Al3+ doping in the LTO, achieving combined improvement in the ionic and electronic conductivities of LTO and thus boosting the comprehensive electrochemical performance of LTO.

Carbon capture and storage in deep subsurface oil reservoirs followed by subsequent microbial energy reconversion is a potentially new strategy for mitigating global warming and enhanced energy recovery simultaneously. However, our knowledge on the fate of CO2 and microbial community in response to CO2 injection is very limited. In the current study, microcosms containing both NaH13CO3-injected and n-hexadecane amended were established with inoculum of a long-term alkane-degrading microbial consortium. Enhanced and accelerated methane production was observed in the bicarbonate-injected treatments. The isotope data showed that injected bicarbonate was transformed to methane by hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. The composition of microbial community shifted in response to bicarbonate addition. Competitive Methanoculleus spp. and Methanobacterium spp. became dominant and potentially major contributors to methane production in response to bicarbonate injected and non-injected treatments. At the same time, injection of bicarbonate was associated with a decrease of Anaerolineaceae, but no obvious influence on Thermodesulfovibrio spp. known as the crucial players with potential role in the initial activation and intermediate metabolism, and thus inhibition on initial activation of alkane via fumarate addition mechanism characterized by the existence of assA genes by bicarbonate addition. The results present further promising insights into new technology to enhance microbial energy generation from carbon dioxide capture and storage.

Different adsorption behaviors of the collector on the mineral surface play a crucial part in the flotation separation of different minerals by selectively modifying the wettability of mineral surfaces. In this investigation, to effectively remove quartz from hematite via reverse flotation, decaethoxylated stearylamine (DEOSA) was first introduced as a high-performance collector for quartz. The selective collecting performance and differential adsorption mechanisms of DEOSA for both hematite and quartz were studied by flotation experiments and surface analysis. Flotation results suggested that DEOSA displayed excellent collecting capacity for quartz against hematite and the effective removal of quartz from hematite was achieved. Adsorption capacity measurements and surface wettability analysis demonstrated that much larger amounts of DEOSA adsorbed onto quartz than hematite significantly enhanced the quartz surface hydrophobic whether the depressant starch was present or not, which resulted in the excellent flotation performance of quartz. Surface electrical characterization and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis further proved that the combination of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attracting force enhanced the strong adsorption of DEOSA onto the quartz, achieving the efficient collection performance of DEOSA for quartz. Based on these findings, DEOSA can be used potentially as a strong-collection and high-performance quartz collector for recovering hematite from quartz via reverse flotation.

Burials provide valuable information to study social structures based on the assumption that burials and associated grave goods can represent social roles and relations in a society. To study social relationships, network analysis has been increasingly applied to archaeological data to infer interactions and relationships between entities. Statistical approaches to network analysis, such as exponential random graph models (ERGMs), provide a way to test hypotheses about dynamic processes of network formation. However, computational difficulties and sensitivity to uncertainties limit the application of ERGMs. In this paper, we introduce a Bayesian framework on ERGMs that enables an efficient computational process, effective quantification of uncertainty, and robust model evaluation of network properties. We tested a hypothesis of social change relative to the arrival of Europeans by studying burial data from Kiwulan, an Iron Age site in northeastern Taiwan. The results indicate a transition among the burials from network ties based on ritual objects to wealth objects, and a more centralized structure with increased social differentiation after the European presence was established in the 17th century. Our case study demonstrates the effectiveness of Bayesian network analysis for archaeological data, and expands the use of burials in understanding the impacts of colonial presence on Indigenous groups in a pericolonial context.

Despite the low price of commercial TiO 2 (c-TiO 2 ), the poor electrochemical performance restricts its practical application in Li-ion batteries, so clarifying the reasons and taking appropriate measures to improve the performance are of great significance. Herein, c-TiO 2 was coated with carbon at 600 and 750 °C using glucose as the carbon source. The product obtained at 750 °C exhibits markedly enhanced reversible capacities and outstanding rate performance compared to that obtained at 600 °C. In terms of the comparative experiments and detailed characterizations by several techniques, the SO 4 2− remained in the c-TiO 2 is the dominant impurity affecting the electrochemical performance mostly. The thorough decomposition of SO 4 2− at 750 °C and the formation of carbon coating give rise to the enhanced electronic and ionic conductivities of the c-TiO 2 , and thus are responsible for the significant improvement in the electrochemical performance. The easy fabrication and the low cost of the raw materials enable the carbon-coated c-TiO 2 to industrially apply in the LIBs.

Growth of bacterial and archaeal species capable of interspecies electron exchange was stimulated by addition of conductive materials (carbon cloth or granular activated carbon (GAC)) to anaerobic digesters treating dog food (a substitute for the dry-organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW)). Methane production (772-1428mmol vs

Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) is inherently a poor ionic and electronic conductor, and the modification methods available could solely meliorate either ionic or electronic conductivity. In order to simultaneously improve both the ionic and electronic conductivities, LTO was composited with Li 2 ZrO 3 accompanying with superficial Zr 4+ doping by the simple reaction between Zr(NO 3 ) 4 ·5H 2 O and LiNO 3 on the LTO surface. From the comparative experiments, the as-modified LTO with a Li 2 ZrO 3 /LTO mass ratio of 0.009 and sintered at 750 °C exhibits the most excellent rate performance (achieving capacities of 155.3, 149.6, 145.4, 139.6, 130.2 and 153.2 mAh g −1 at 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 100 mA g −1 , respectively) and long-term cyclability (retaining a capacity of 102 mAh g −1 after the 2000th cycle at 500 mA g −1 ). By the detailed structural characterization and electrochemical impedance spectra analysis, the formation of the tetragonal Li 2 ZrO 3 with good ionic conductivity and the superficial Zr 4+ doping with improved electronic conductivity is responsible for the markedly enhanced cycling and rate performance of LTO.

As a promising lithium-conducting solid electrolyte, LiAlO 2 has not gained deserved attention in the modification of lithium ion batteries anode material. In this paper, the LiAlO 2 /C nano-composites have been prepared by simply mixing with the appropriate proportion of Al(NO 3 ) 3 , LiNO 3 and graphite homogeneously and subsequent sintering. The successfully prepared LiAlO 2 nano-particles are investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical tests indicate that the LiAlO 2 /C composite exhibits outstanding circulation property at a current density of 0.1C and excellent rate performance. Both the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) test and the Raman spectra shows that sintering induces the increase of the disordered degree of the surface and the uniform distribution of the LiAlO 2 nano-particles, both of which are valuable for improvement of the battery performance. First-principles calculations are used to confirm the transfer pathway of the Li-ion which indicates a possibility of using inorganic compounds to improve the electrochemical performance of graphite. It is concluded that Li-ion can pass through the lattice via vacancies and the interstitial Li in the lattice.

Receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase alpha (RPTPα or PTPα), a type I transmembrane glycoprotein with complex N-glycans, executes multifunction roles on cell behaviors. However, its effect on tumorigenesis and metastasis remains controversial. In this study, PTPα is identified as a novel substrate of N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnT-V). Immunofluorescence results showed that addition of β1,6 GlcNAc branches on PTPα enhanced PTPα's cytomembrane assemble in GnT-V-MCF-7 compared with Mock-MCF-7 (MCF7 cells transfected with the vector pcDNA3). Then we found the alleviating degradation of PTPα was observed in GnT-V-MCF-7 while PTPα in Mock-MCF-7 was prone to quick degradation. Increased cell-surface retention subsequently enhanced PTPα's catalytic activity on the dephosphorylation of Src kinase at Tyr529 and promoted focal adhesion formation and mature. Therefore, our findings could provide an insight into the molecular mechanism of how GnT-V promoted cell migration, suggesting that PTPα could be one of factors regulating promote migration of breast cancer cell.

In this work, we developed multilayer bacterial cellulose (BC)-zein films based on the strong BC film as the outer layers and the electrospun zein fibers as the inner layer, to improve the water resistance properties of hydrophilic BC films. The water resistance properties were evaluated by dynamic water absorption measurement and mung beans storage test. The obtained results showed that the incorporation of electrospun zein fibers made the relatively thin and flexible multilayer films become stiffer, while the zein interlayer did not markedly affect the thermal stability and surface properties of films. Compared to pure BC films, the BC-zein films exhibited significantly better water resistance properties, especially under longer zein deposition time (90 and 120 min). This improvement could be mainly due to the inherent hydrophobicity of zein protein. These findings provide the possibility of adopting a multilayer film strategy for the development of BC packaging films with enhanced water resistance properties by incorporating a high barrier interlayer of electrospun zein fibers.

This paper reported that the peroxidase-like activity of DNA-Ag/Pt nanoclusters (NCs) can be inhibited significantly by l -cysteine. Based on this finding, a highly sensitive and selective colorimetric detection for l -cysteine was developed with a detection limit (LOD) of 2.0 nM and a linear range from 5.0 nM to 500 nM. This detection for l -cysteine was highly selectivity over other amino acids. The high sensitivity and selectivity of this method facilitated the detection of l -cysteine in biological samples. Moreover, this method developed here was low-cost and simple. These results indicated the excellent analytical application of Ag/Pt NCs as enzyme mimic.

Aromatic hydrocarbons are usually metabolized to the central intermediate benzoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) prior to ring cleavage. 6-Oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonyl-CoA hydrolase, a key enzyme involved in the reductive benzene ring cleavage, encoded by the bamA gene can serve as a functional biomarker for detecting anaerobic degradation of aromatic compounds in different environments. In the present study, we examined the diversity the bacterial bamA gene in oil field. We sequenced bamA fragments that were PCR amplified from the microbial biomass of two mesophilic oil producing reservoirs during a period of four months. The results showed the presence and a higher diversity of bamA gene than previous studies, indicating its potential involvement in degrading aromatic hydrocarbons through anaerobic biochemical pathways in oil fields. The bamA gene sequences were affiliated to bacteria that are known to degrade aromatics, including Azoarcus, Georgfuchsia, Sulfuritalea, Peptococcaceae and Syntrophus. Differences of composition and diversity of bamA gene sequences over a period of four months in these oil reservoirs showed that it is necessary to monitor functional genes over a period of time to fully establish their significance to any specific process at any site.

Commercial TiO 2 usually exhibits poor electrochemical performance for Li-ion batteries. In this work, we fabricated the carbon-coated commercial TiO 2 with soft carbon at 750 °C using pitch as the carbon source. The carbon-coated products reveal markedly enhanced capacity, excellent cyclability at a current density of 500 mA g −1 . The enhanced performance associates with the improved electronic and ionic conductivities results from the pitch-derived carbon with high graphitization degree as well as interfacial Li-ion storage.

In this work, we evaluated the potential of a novel combination of denatured soy protein (SPI) and biosurfactant stevioside (STE) as efficient and novel stabilizers for producing stable nanosuspensions using resveratrol (RES) as a model compound. The RES nanosuspensions (RESN) were prepared by the nanoprecipitation-ultrasonication method. Below the CMC of STE (0.25–0.5%), the RESN stabilized by the SPI-STE mixtures exhibited outstanding physicochemical characteristics, such as small particle size (below 200 nm) and high yield/entrapment efficiency (above 97%), which should be ascribed to the higher surface activity of mixtures due to SPI-STE complexation and hence faster adsorption on particle surfaces, thus contributing to the decrease in particle size. Meanwhile, the small molecule STE could function as a filler to fill the defects left by SPI, thus providing a more complete and compact coverage on particle surface. Accordingly, the RESN exhibited a remarkable storage stability and could maintain good redispersibility after direct freeze-drying even without any protectants. Nevertheless, at high STE concentrations (1–2%, above its CMC), the formation of RESN was hindered due to the decreased surface activity of mixtures and the presence of STE micelles, which could cause particle surfaces incompletely protected. As a result, the resultant RESN became very unstable and highly susceptible to particle aggregation during storage.

Long-lasting indirect impacts on Indigenous peoples in the periphery of colonial control are poorly understood, especially in East Asia. Trade ornaments from Kiwulan (1350–1850 CE) in northeastern Taiwan show indirect impacts of European colonial activities on local societies. The diversity of ornaments was greater during the period of European presence compared to previous periods, and their spatial distribution was more clustered in the residential area. The change reflects an increased use of ornaments and an uneven distribution of ornaments in a pericolonial context. This may hint at increased social inequality resulting from European colonial influence. Trade ornaments give insights into the increased social inequality stimulated by a European colonial presence, and show the agency of Indigenous people to incorporate ornaments into their social system.

We have successfully synthesized CuS nano-material by a mild and simple method and characterized by SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD and UV–Vis, confirmed that the obtained CuS was a granular, pure hexagonal phase. The possible formation process of CuS was deduced and the optical properties was also studied by using MB as target degradant, showed that the degradation rates reached 97.88% and CuS has efficient photocatalytic activity. The catalyst dosage, cyclic stability of catalysts, the effects of H2O2 and the photocatalytic mechanism were discussed.

Although exogenous nerve growth factor (NGF) demonstrated great potential for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment, its therapeutic effect and underlying cytological mechanism were not fully elucidated so far. We employed a controlled, prospectively designed modified single prolonged stress mice model to investigate the role of exogenous NGF on the modified single prolonged stress induced PTSD-like symptoms and hippocampal cytoarchitecture impairment, as well as the potential neuronal signaling modulation. We discovered that the modified single prolonged stress-exposure induced significant PTSD-like symptoms as well as mildly impaired hippocampal Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA1) subregion cytoarchitecture, but not dentate gyrus neurogenesis, together with a gradual inhibition of TrkA-CREB-ERK signalings in hippocampal CA1 subregion. NGF treatment dose-dependently ameliorated the modified single prolonged stress induced PTSD-like symptoms. NGF increased the cytoplasm/nucleus ratio and improved the neuronal plasticity, mainly via the TrkA-ERK-CREB pathway. Our study offered the translational evidence for the potential application of exogenous NGF for treating or early preventing PTSD after stress exposure.

Background The prognostic prediction of liver transplantation (LT) guides the donor organ allocation. However, there is currently no satisfactory model to predict the recipients’ outcome, especially for the patients with HBV cirrhosis-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study was to develop a quantitative assessment model for predicting the post-LT survival in HBV-related HCC patients. Methods Two hundred and thirty-eight LT recipients at the Liver Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine between 2008 and 2013 were included in this study. Their post-LT prognosis was recorded and multiple risk factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses in Cox regression. Results The score model was as follows: 0.114×(Child-Pugh score)-0.002×(positive HBV DNA detection time)+0.647x (number of tumor nodules)+0.055×(max diameter of tumor nodules)+0.231×lnAFP+0.437×(tumor differentiation grade). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of the scoring model for predicting the post-LT survival was 0.887. The cut-off value was 1.27, which was associated with a sensitivity of 72.5% and a specificity of 90.7%, respectively. Conclusion The quantitative score model for predicting post-LT survival proved to be sensitive and specific.

Aims To investigate the effect of locally slow-released rapamycin (RAPA) from bionic peripheral nerve stent to reduce the incidence of neuropathic pain or mitigate the degree of pain after nerve injury. Main methods We constructed a neural tissue engineering scaffold with sustained release of RAPA to repair 20 mm defects in rat sciatic nerves. Four presurgical and postsurgical time windows were selected to monitor the changes in the expression of pain-related dorsal root ganglion (DRG) voltage-gated sodium channels 1.3 (Nav1.3), 1.7 (Nav1.7), and 1.8 (Nav1.8) through immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western Blot, along with the observation of postsurgical pathological pain in rats by pain-related behavior approaches. Key findings Relatively small upregulation of DRG sodium channels was observed in the experimental group (RAPA + poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) + stent) after surgery, along with low degrees of neuropathic pain and anxiety, which were similar to those in the Autologous nerve graft group. Significance Autoimmune inflammatory response plays a leading role in the occurrence of post-traumatic neuropathic pain, and that RAPA significantly inhibits the abnormal upregulation of sodium channels to reduce pain by alleviating inflammatory response.

The dynamic interfacial tension and dilatational rheology of soy protein isolate (SPI) and stevioside (STE) mixtures at the oil–water interface were investigated to study the underlying stabilization mechanism for emulsions. The physical properties and long-term stability of emulsions prepared by SPI–STE mixtures were also evaluated. With bulk concentration of SPI fixed at 0.5%, the interfacial dilational properties and emulsion characteristics were markedly affected by the presence of low STE concentration (0.1%), although the interface was still dominated by SPI. With increasing STE concentrations to intermediate level (0.25–1%), synergistic effects in interfacial tension decays and a plateau in the elasticity for mixed SPI–STE interfaces were clearly observed. The effects should be mainly attributed to the formation of SPI–STE complex, enhancing interfacial protein–protein and protein–STE interactions, thus resulting in the presence of a plateau in the elastic behavior. These interfacial properties were positively reflected in the emulsions prepared by SPI–STE mixtures. The emulsions exhibited a fine formation ability and long-term stability after 120 days, which was believed to be due to their better response to external deformations. At high STE content (2%), STE dominated the formation of interface mainly by the preferential adsorption of STE molecules, as evidenced by the results of interfacial properties and surface protein load of emulsions. These findings would provide a potential strategy for designing emulsified foods with long-term stability.

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the world. HER family tyrosine kinases play a critical role in the development of gastric cancer. The HER family of receptor tyrosine kinases includes EGF receptor (EGFR), HER2, HER3, and HER4. Targeted drugs antineoplastic therapies such as EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors have application with confrontation of gastric cancer. However, less attention has been paid to the oncogenic functions of HER3 essepecially in the gastric cancer due to its lack of intrinsic kinase activity. Recent work, however, has placed the role of HER3 in gastric cancer in the spotlight as a key signaling hub in several contexts. First, HER3 overexpression may be associated with poor prognosis and unfavorable survival mediated by PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Second, a large amount of direct evidence has emerged the benefit of anti-HER3 agents in combination with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors as well as anti-HER2 agents in gastric cancer. Furthermore, we can further elucidate the relationship between HER3 and MET inhibitors in gastric cancer that the development of resistance to MET inhibitors may result from the overexpression of HER3. This review focuses on the current achievements of the relationship between HER3 and gastric cancer in vivo and in vitro, the development of HER3 molecule-targeted therapy, additionally, the challenge which we will meet in the future.

Most investigations of thermal transport in graphene focused on low heat fluxes when the Fourier heat conduction law is valid. Here thermal transport in armchair graphene nanoribbons was investigated at high heat flux by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. Besides the energy transported through the Fourier heat conduction, an anomalous wave-like kinetic energy transport was observed. By comparing the two energy transportation paths, we find that the latter constitutes a considerable amount of the total energy and efficiently transports the energy at high heat flux. It means that the heat transfer efficiency in graphene would be greatly improved through wave kinetics. The frequency of the wave (low frequency phonon) would decrease and the amplitude of vibration would increase when the length of the graphene increases. This finding would be useful for thermal analysis when is graphene used as a heat dissipation material.

Previous studies have demonstrated the important role of angiotension II (AngII) in promoting proliferation of myofibroblasts (myoFbs) and myocardial fibrosis. However, the underlying mechanisms and the role of oxygen free radicals in the proliferation of myofibroblasts induced by AngII are unclear. The present study was designed to shed light on this issue through exploration of AngII signaling pathways via in vitro experiments. Primary cultures of neonatal rat myoFbs were divided into five groups which were treated with AngII (10−8 to 10−6M), AngII with the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), or normal culture medium. We observed the proliferation of myoFbs as induced by AngII at different concentrations with MTT. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in myoFbs were detected by monitoring the fluorescence of 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein. The contents and levels of oxygen free radicals (OH) in the three groups were detected by spectrophotometer, immunocytochemical staining, and confocal fluorescence. Western blot and image analysis were used to measure membrane translocation and expression of phospho-protein kinase Cα. MyoFbs incubated with AngII (10−8 to 10−6M) for 24h increased their rate of proliferation, the content of OH, and expression of ROS (P

Microbial sulfate reduction, an important metabolic process in petroleum reservoirs, is widely known as a major contributor to microbial influenced corrosion and deterioration of oil quality. To better control oil field corrosion and oil degradation caused by the sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRBs), the community structure and composition of SRBs in four oil reservoirs were investigated in this study by comparing clone libraries of 16S rRNA and dissimilatory sulfate reductase ( dsrAB ) genes. In addition, canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was also employed to find relationship between biodata and physiochemical information. More information on SRB communities was obtained from nested-PCR-phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA genes and PCR primer sets amplifying six groups of SRBs frequently detected in oilfields all over the world were used. Amplified sequences belonging to Desulfotomaculum and Desulfobacter were the most dominant in all four reservoirs. The diversity of SRB communities increased while the temperature of the four oil reservoirs decreased from 63 to 21. Correlations between environmental variables and species distribution indicated that Desulfotomaculum was correlated with temperature, depth, and the concentration of acetate, propionate and sulphate. Desulfomicrobium , Desulfobacter and Desulfobulbus showed positive correlation with sulphur and salinity. Desulfobacterium was influenced by both salinity and the concentration of acetate. The results of this study provided important information on the microbial ecology of sulfate-reducing bacteria in different petroleum reservoirs.

Methanogenic, sulfate- and nitrate-reducing enrichment cultures amended with long-chain n-alkanes (C15–C20) were established with production water from Huabei oilfield in China in the present study. Chemical analyses indicated that degradation of n-alkanes was evident under all three conditions after 356 days of incubation. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene amplification indicated that α-, β-, γ-Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were detected in the nitrate-reducing enrichment; Actinobacteria, Nitrospira and δ-Proteobacteria were recovered from both the sulfate-reducing and methanogenic enrichments. Actinobacteria and Nitrospira were the most abundant in methanogenic and sulfate-reducing enrichment, respectively. The archaeal clone libraries showed that the order Methanomicrobiales within the phylum Euryarchaeota predominated methanogenic enrichment; whereas the unclassified class Thermoprotei within the phylum Crenarchaeota prevailed in sulfate-reducing enrichment. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences from genomic DNA extracted directly from the petroleum reservoir production water with those from the three active enrichments showed that the available electron acceptors had a strong influence on the microbial community composition. In addition, genes encoding the alkylsuccinate synthase (assA) and methyl coenzyme-M reductase (mcrA) were amplified from the methanogenic enrichment and the results suggested that fumarate addition was probably involved in the degradation of n-alkanes. These results shed light on the potential utilization of microbial metabolism in remediation of hydrocarbon contamination or in enhancing the recovery of residual oil for energy.

Background/purpose Early physical training is necessary for severely deconditioned patients undergoing prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV), because survivors often experience prolonged recovery. Long-term outcomes after physical training have not been measured; therefore, we investigated outcome during a 1-year period after physical training for the PMV patients. Methods We conducted a prospective randomized control trial in a respiratory care center. Thirty-four patients were randomly assigned to the rehabilitation group (n = 18) and the control group (n = 16). The rehabilitation group participated in supervised physical therapy training for 6 weeks, and continued in an unsupervised maintenance program for 6 more weeks. The functional independence measurement (FIM) was used to assess functional status. Survival status during the year after enrollment, the number of survivors discharged, and the number free from ventilator support were collected. These outcome parameters were assessed at entry, immediately after the 6 weeks physical therapy training period, after 6 weeks unsupervised maintenance exercise program, and 6 months and 12 months after study entry. Results The scores of total FIM, motor domain, cognitive domain, and some sub-items, except for the walking/wheelchair sub-item, increased significantly in the rehabilitation group at 6 months postenrollment, but remained unchanged for the control group. The eating, comprehension, expression, and social interaction subscales reached the 7-point complete independence level at 6 months in the rehabilitation group, but not in the control group. The 1-year survival rate for the rehabilitation group was 70%, which was significantly higher than that for the control group (25%), although the proportion of patients discharged and who were ventilator-free in the rehabilitation and control groups did not differ significantly. Conclusion Six weeks physical therapy training plus 6 weeks unsupervised maintenance exercise enhanced functional levels and increased survival for the PMV patients compared with those with no such intervention. Early physical therapy interventions are needed for the PMV patients in respiratory care centers. [J Formos Med Assoc 2011; 110(X):XX–XX]

Oil reservoirs represent special habitats for the activity of anaerobic microbial communities in the transformation of organic compounds. To understand the function of microbial communities in oil reservoirs under anaerobic conditions, an alkane-degrading methanogenic enrichment culture was established and analyzed. Results showed that a net 538 μmol of methane higher than the controls were produced over 274 days of incubation in microcosms amended with alkanes and a decrease in the alkanes profile was also observed. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences retrieved from the enrichment microcosms indicated that the archaeal phylotypes were mostly related to members of the orders Methanobacteriales and Methanosarcinales. The bacterial clone library was composed of sequences affiliated with the Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Deferribacteres, and Bacteroidetes. However, most of the bacterial clones retrieved from the enrichment cultures showed low similarity to 16S rRNA gene sequences of the cultured members, indicating that the enrichment cultures contained novel bacterial species. Though alkane-degrading methanogenic enrichment consortium has rarely been reported from petroleum reservoirs, our results indicated that oilfield production water harbors a microbial community capable of syntrophic conversion of n-alkanes to methane, which sheds light on the bio-utilization of marginal oil reservoirs for enhanced energy recovery.

Objective To reveal the potential time-sequential molecular mechanism in the hippocampus of ischemia-reperfusion mice, so as to provide pertinent evidence for differential treatment during different phases after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods Seventy-five male Kunming mice were randomly divided into four groups: sham, ischemia and reperfusion for 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h, respectively. A cDNA microarray involving 374 cDNA ischemia-related genes, selected from the Science STKE database, was performed to detect the gene expression profiles. All data analyses were performed in the FDA ArrayTrack system. Data were also uploaded to the KEGG database ( http://www.genome.jp/kegg/ ) to analyze the genetic pathways. Results Clustering and principal component analyses showed clear boundaries in the differentially expressed genes among the 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h groups. Although 56 overlapping up-regulated genes and 2 down-regulated genes were identified in 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h groups, the sequence variation of CA1 neurons and gene expression profiles also existed in all groups. Based on the total number of altered genes, the top 3 GO categories were metabolism, signal and cell cycle, which shared 8, 11 and 5 overlapping genes in 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h groups, respectively. As for metabolism, there were 2 specific altered genes in the 3 h group (casp8ap2 and mmp2), 6 in the 24 h group (daxx, gadd45a, adamts1, adcy8, cyp51, dusp16), but none in the 12 h group. Based on the KEGG database analysis, 18 overlapping pathways were detected in the three groups; and 1, 12 and 2 overlapping pathways were noted between the 3 h and 12 h, 12 h and 24 h, and 3 h and 24 h comparisons, respectively. The gene expressions of Caspase 2 and Rgs6 were identified by real-time RT-PCR, which was consistent with the results of microarray analysis. Conclusion Overlapping and variable genes and pathways demonstrate the time-sequential molecular mechanism in the hippocampus of ischemic mice, which may provide evidence for rational treatment during different phases after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Saturated hydrocarbons are quantitatively the most abundant fraction among all petroleum hydrocarbons. Significant advances have been made in the understanding of the anaerobic biodegradability of alkanes in terms of the microorganisms involved and the biochemical pathways over the past two decades. They can be used as carbon and energy sources by diverse physiological groups of microorganisms (isolates or consortia) grown under chlorate-reducing, nitrate-reducing, sufidogenic or methanogenic conditions. Two general biochemical mechanisms have been proposed for the initial activation of alkanes including addition of fumarate and carboxylation. However, glycyl radical enzymes dependent fumarate addition which yields alkyl-substituted succinate appear to be the most commonly shared mechanism for the anaerobic attack of alkanes under various redox conditions by phylogenetically diverse microorganisms. The genes encoding the candidate alkylsuccinate synthase have been recently described in alkane-degrading sulfate- and nitrate-reducers as well as in hydrocarbon-rich environments. Alternative mechanisms may also be available depending on the alkane-degrading microbial community and electron acceptors utilized.

A new ferrocenylphenyl butadiynyl compound Fc–C6H4–(C C)2–C6H5 (L) has been synthesized by the Glaser cross-coupling reaction and three new complexes with a 4-ferrocenylphenyl-μ-alkyne-dicobalt moiety, [Fc–C6H4–(C C)n–R][Co2(CO)6]n′ [Fc = C5H5FeC5H4, R = H, n = 1, n′ = 1 (1); R = C6H5, n = 2, n′ = 2 (2); R = Fc-C6H4, n = 2, n′ = 2 (3) ], were obtained in the reaction of p-ferrocenylphenylacetylene compounds with Co2(CO)8. Compounds L, 1, 2 and 3 were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H, 13C NMR and MS. The molecular and crystal structures of compounds L and 2 have been determined by X-ray single crystal analysis. There is a linear C5H4–C6H4–(C C)2–C6H5 linkage in compound L, and the terminal ferrocenylphenyl and phenyl groups in complex 2 are a cis arrangement.

We studied two different methods for the deposition of Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) onto the functionalized silica microspheres. One method was to mix the two kinds of particles together and react at room temperature overnight. The other one was to reduce hydrochloroauric acid to Au NPs with sodium citrate in the presence of the functionalized silica microspheres (one for the naked silica microspheres, the other for the Au-attached silica microspheres). We investigated the morphologies of SiO2@Au composite nanoparticles synthesized by these two methods, and found that the latter achieved a denser Au coverage on silica microspheres. Furthermore, we studied the effect of the pH values in a wide range, respectively, for the two methods. A possible mechanism was put forward to interpret the formation of SiO2@Au composite nanoparticles and the effects of the synthetic routes and pH values on the morphologies and optical properties.

Pd nanoparticles capped by thiol derivatives were prepared in AOT reverse micelles. Studies of UV–vis spectra have indicated that nitrogen purging plays an important role in the formation of Pd nanoparticles while without nitrogen purging results in the formation of Pd(II)–S complexes. Experimental results have also shown that thiolated poly(ethylene glycol) and tiopronin, which could be used to form water-soluble gold nanoparticles, did not favor the formation of isolated water-soluble Pd nanoparticles. However, tiopronin-capped Pd nanoparticles are found to be able to self-organize into nearly spherical aggregates.

The World Bank Loan Project, by far the largest effort in China for schistosomiasis control since control activities were initiated in the mid 1950s, was carried out for a 9-year period commencing in 1992 in the 8 provinces where Schistosoma japonicum remained endemic when the project started. To evaluate its impact, a retrospective economic evaluation was done in 2001. Six representative counties, i.e. Huarong in Hunan province, Qianjiang in Hubei province, Yugan in Jiangxi province, Tongling in Anhui province, Xichang in Sichuan province and Dali in Yunnan province, were selected for the study. The total financial input in these counties from 1992 to 2000 was RMB Yuan 90.334 million with the World Bank loan accounting for 40.9%. Control efforts resulted in reduction of human prevalence rates in the six counties from 0.7-9.0% in 1992 to 0.1-2.7% in 2000. With regard to S. japonicum infection in bovines, a high reduction was observed in Qianjiang, and smaller decreases were noted in four counties, while there was an increase in Dali. In general, the areas infested by the intermediate host snail fluctuated around the initial level. The net benefit-cost ratio was 6.20, which means that this project gained US$ 6.20 for every dollar spent. The correlation coefficients of the net benefit-cost ratio to the human and bovine infection rates at the beginning of the project were 0.55 and 0.66, respectively. It is conceivable that further progress in schistosomiasis control is an important feature for sustained growth of the local economy, particularly in areas where control of the disease has been most challenging.

The description of schistosomiasis in China dates back more than two millennia. The disease caused social and economic hardship, and the rates of morbidity and mortality were high. In the mid 1950s, when China's population was approximately 600 million, an estimated 11.6 million people were infected with Schistosoma japonicum. Hence, a national control programme was launched, with an emphasis on intermediate host snail control by means of environmental management. Over the past 50 years, the national control programme has made great progress and praziquantel-based morbidity control became the mainstay of control. In 2000, the number of infected people had been reduced to an estimated 694,788, the snail-infested area has been abridged by over 75%, and the disease had been eliminated in five of the 12 previously endemic provinces. Between the mid 1980s and 2003, the criteria of transmission interruption have been reached in 260 counties (60.0%), transmission control has been achieved in 63 counties (14.5%), but the disease was still endemic in the remaining 110 counties (25.4%). Comparison between the number of cases in 2000 and 2003 suggests that schistosomiasis has re-emerged; an estimated 843,011 people were infected with S. japonicum in 2003. Here, we provide a short historical account of the pubic health significance of schistosomiasis in China, highlight the progress made to date with the national control programme, and place particular emphasis on the most recent trends. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges for schistosomiasis control with the ultimate goal of disease elimination.

According to the protocol of the national surveillance project, longitudinal observation of the endemic situation of schistosomiasis japonica in China has been carried out at 20 sentinel surveillance sites, commencing in 2000. After four years of surveillance, the infection rate of Schistosoma japonicum gradually decreased in seven sentinel sites. In 10 sites, infection rates remained relatively stable over time, while there was a marked increase in one site. No clear trend became apparent in the remaining two sites. Significant reductions of densities of living intermediate host snails and infected snails were noted in only two sites. In turn, the endemic situation was not well controlled in most of the other sentinel sites. The infection cattle rate fluctuated yearly in the majority of the sites and maintained a high level. During the four years of surveillance, acute cases of schistosomiasis japonica among humans were found in each of the yearly cross-sectional surveys, and the number of patients with advanced schistosomiasis did not change significantly. The surveillance results obtained thus far indicate that current control strategies continue to reduce morbidity due to schistosomiasis. However, concerted control efforts must continue for a long time and the surveillance of intermediate host snail and animal reservoirs (e.g. cattle) should be strengthened.

Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is a potent growth inhibitor and apoptosis inducer for most normal cells. However, tumor cells are commonly nevertheless sensitive to the tumor-suppressing effects of TGF-beta1. In this paper, we focus on the effects of TGF-beta1 on two important anti-apoptotic protein kinases, protein kinase B (PKB), and focal adhesion kinase (FAK), in SMMC-7721 cells. We found that PKB-Ser-473 phosphorylation was apparently up-regulated by TGF-beta1. In the meantime, PKB-Thr-308 phosphorylation was slightly up-regulated by TGF-beta1. TGF-beta1 could also enhance FAK-Tyr phosphorylation. We observed that integrin-linked kinase (ILK) was also up-regulated by TGF-beta1 in good accordance with PKB-Ser-473 phosphorylation. We first found that TGF-beta1 could stimulate PKB-Ser-473 phosphorylation possibly via up-regulating ILK expression. Furthermore, we also failed to detect PKB-Ser-473 and FAK-Tyr phosphorylation with various concentrations of TGF-beta1 treatment when cells were kept in suspension. The above results indicate that PKB-Ser-473 and FAK-Tyr phosphorylation stimulated by TGF-beta1 are both dependent on cell adhesion.

Novel 2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-3(4H)-ones have been synthesized by condensation, reduction, O-alkylation and Smiles rearrangement using 3-bromo-4-hydroxy benzaldehyde, anilines, and chloroacetyl chloride as starting materials. All the synthesized compounds have been characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and HRMS, and tested for the inhibitory ability on platelet aggregation. The results have shown that the ADP (adenosine 5'-diphosphate)-induced platelet aggregation was inhibited by 7a-g with the IC(50) value at 10.14-18.83 μmol/L. Compound 7a exhibited the most potent inhibitory effect (IC(50)=10.14 μmol/L) among all the compounds, but less potent than the control drug ticlopidine (3.18 μmol/L) and aspirin (6.07 μmol/L). The preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) was initially investigated in the study.