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Strains Rhodococcus qingshengii djl-6 and Rhodococcus jialingiae djl-6-2 both harbour the typical carbendazim degradation pathway with the hydrolysis of carbendazim to 2-aminobenzimidazole (2-AB) as the initial step. However, the enzymes involved in this process are still unknown. In this study, the previous reported carbendazim hydrolase MheI was found in strain djl-6, but not in strain djl-6-2, then another carbendazim hydrolase CbmA was obtained by a four-step purification strategy from strain djl-6-2. CbmA was classified as a member of the amidase signature superfamily with conserved catalytic site residues Ser157, Ser181, and Lys82, while MheI was classified as a member of the Abhydrolase superfamily with conserved catalytic site residues Ser77 and His224. The catalytic efficiency (k

Objective Healthcare agencies recommend limited use of aerosol‐generating procedures to mitigate disease (COVID‐19) transmission. However, total dispersion patterns of aerosols, particularly respirable droplets, via dental ultrasonic units is unclear. The purpose of this study was to characterize and map total spatter, droplet and aerosol dispersion during ultrasonic scaling in simulated and clinical contexts. Methods Ultrasonic scaling was performed on dental simulation units using methylene blue dye‐stained water. All resultant stain profiles were photoanalysed to calculate droplet size and travel distance/direction. Airborne particle concentrations were also documented 0–1.2 m (0–4ft.) and 1.2–2.4 m (4–8ft.) from patients during in vivo ultrasonic scaling with a saliva ejector. Results Stain profiles showed droplets between 25 and 50µm in diameter were most common, with smaller droplets closer to the mouth. In‐vivo particle concentrations were uniformly low. The smallest (10 µm, PM10+) particles were most common, especially within 1.2 m (4ft.) of the patient. Respirable particles (PM2.5) were uncommon. Conclusions Tests showed the highest concentration of small droplets in zones nearest the patient. While uncommon, particles were detected up to 2.4 m (8ft.) away. Furthermore, observed particle sizes were consistent with those that can carry infectious agents. Efforts to mitigate the spread of inhalable aerosols should emphasize proximate regions nearest the procedure, including personal protective equipment and the use of evacuation devices.

Degradation of the fungicide iprodione by the Paenarthrobacter sp. strain YJN-5 is initiated via hydrolysis of its N1 amide bond to form N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2,4-dioxoimidazolidine. In this study, another iprodione-degrading strain, Paenarthrobacter sp. YJN-D, which harbours the same metabolic pathway as strain YJN-5 was isolated and characterized. The genes that encode the conserved iprodione catabolic pathway were identified based on comparative analysis of the genomes of the two iprodione-degrading Paenarthrobacter sp. and subsequent experimental validation. These genes include an amidase gene, ipaH (previously reported in AEM e01150-18); a deacetylase gene, ddaH, which is responsible for hydantoin ring cleavage of N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2,4-dioxoimidazolidine, and a hydrolase gene, duaH, which is responsible for cleavage of the urea side chain of (3,5-dichlorophenylurea)acetic acid, thus yielding 3,5-dichloroaniline as the end product. These iprodione-catabolic genes are distributed on three plasmids in strain YJN-5 and are highly conserved between the two iprodione-degrading Paenarthrobacter strains. However, only the ipaH gene is flanked by a mobile genetic element. Two iprodione degradation cassettes bearing ipaH-ddaH-duaH were constructed and expressed in strains Pseudomonas putida KT2440 and Bacillus subtilis SCK6 respectively. Our findings enhance the current understanding of the microbial degradation mechanism of iprodione.

Introduction Standard bi-level non-invasive ventilation with fixed-level pressure support (PS) delivery may not maintain ventilation during the changes in pulmonary mechanics that occur throughout day and night, so average volume-assured pressure support (AVAPS) modes that target a preset volume by adjustment of PS may be effective. Objective Our meta-analysis wants to compare AVAPS and pressure support non-invasive ventilation (PS-NIV) regarding arterial blood gases (ABGs), sleep efficiency and compliance. Method Relevant publications indexed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and VIPI were identified. Appropriate articles identified from the reference lists of the above searches were also reviewed. We included randomized controlled trials involved the use of AVAPS and PS-NIV ventilation for chronic respiratory failure. Each included study weighted mean differences, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for continuous outcomes. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 value ≤ 50% were considered as no statistical heterogeneity and used fixed effects model. Otherwise, a random effects model was used. Results Eight trials were eligible. No significant difference was observed between AVAPS and PS-NIV groups to compare PaCO2 (OR -0.97, CI-2.54-0.61, P = 0.23) and PaO2 (OR -1.81, CI-4.29-0.67, P = 0.15) in ABGs. There was no significant difference between the two groups with sleep efficiency (OR -3.31, CI-7.58-0.95, P = 0.13) and visual analog scale (OR 0.32, CI-6.97-7.61, P = 0.93). Conclusions The evidence shows there is no significant difference in clinical outcomes when comparing AVAPS and PS-NIV used for chronic respiratory failure patients.

SummaryObjective Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) have been associated with adverse health outcomes for both mothers and children. Previous studies examining associations of maternal thyroid autoantibodies with HDP indicate conflicting results. The objective of this study was to examine associations of maternal thyroid autoantibodies positivity in the first and the second trimesters with the risk of HDP. Design, Participants and Measurements In the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort study, a population-based prospective study in China, a total of 3474 pregnant women were enrolled between May 2013 and September 2014. Thyroid autoantibodies, including anti-thyroperoxidase autoantibody (TPOAb) and anti-thyroglobulin autoantibody (TgAb), as well as thyroid function tests were measured in both the first and the second trimesters in 2893 pregnant women. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the associations between thyroid autoantibodies and HDP. Results Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that TPOAb positivity in the first trimester was associated with a 1.80 (95% CI=1.17-2.78) increased odds of HDP after adjustment for confounders, which was mainly due to an increased risk of gestational hypertension (OR=1.93, 95% CI=1.17-3.18). In addition, TgAb positivity in the first trimester was associated with a higher risk of HDP (OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.16-2.73) after adjustment for confounders, which was mainly due to an increased risk of gestational hypertension (OR=1.89, 95% CI=1.15-3.11). These associations were also seen among euthyroid women. Women with positive TPOAb in the second trimester seemed to have a higher risk of gestational hypertension (OR=1.87, 95% CI=1.02-3.43) after adjustment for confounders. However, among euthyroid women, TPOAb positivity in the second trimester was not associated with HDP. The TgAb status in the second trimester was not associated with HDP. Conclusions Our results show that TPOAb positivity and TgAb positivity in the first trimester are associated with an increased risk of HDP. These data demonstrate that these associations are even seen among euthyroid women. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

To reduce the fermentation cost for industrialization of chlorothalonil hydrolytic dehalogenase (Chd), agro-industrial wastewaters including molasses, corn steep liquor (CSL) and fermentation wastewater were used to substitute for expensive carbon and nitrogen sources and fresh water for lab preparation.; Results: The results showed that molasses and CSL could replace 5% carbon source and 100% organic nitrogen source respectively to maintain the same fermentation level. Re-fermentation from raffinate of ultra-filtered fermentation wastewater could achieve 61.03% of initial Chd activity and reach 96.39% activity when cultured in a mixture of raffinate and 50% of original medium constituent. Typical raw foods were chosen to evaluate the chlorothalonil removal ability of Chd. After Chd treatment for 2 h at room temperature, 97.40 and 75.55% of 30 mg kg-1 chlorothalonil on cherry tomato and strawberry respectively and 60.29% of 50 mg kg-1 chlorothalonil on Chinese cabbage were removed. Furthermore, the residual activity of the enzyme remained at 78-82% after treatment, suggesting its potential for reuse.; Conclusion: This study proved the cost-feasibility of large-scale production of Chd from agro-industrial wastewater and demonstrated the potential of Chd in raw food cleaning. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Aim To investigate the effects on hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia in gouty patients receiving uric acid-lowering therapy (UALT). Methods A retrospective study was performed from January 2015 to December 2017 in gouty patients receiving UALT. A total of 124 gouty patients with hypercholesterolemia or hypertriglyceridemia who were administered UALT were monitored. Of the 124 patients with gout, 52 were treated with febuxostat, 29 were treated with allopurinol, and 43 were treated with benzbromarone. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were recorded and analyzed following treatment for 8-10 weeks. Results We compared the efficacy of febuxostat, allopurinol, and benzbromarone. All therapies mildly influenced serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Febuxostat significantly decreased cholesterol and triglyceride levels in patients who did not receive lipid-lowering therapy. Allopurinol and benzbromarone modestly decreased triglyceride levels, but cholesterol levels were unaffected. Conclusion Uric acid-lowering therapy benefits hyperlipidemia in gouty patients. Febuxostat effectively improved serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to allopurinol and benzbromarone in patients with gout.

The worldwide use of the phenylurea herbicide, isoproturon (IPU), has resulted in considerable concern about its environmental fate. Although many microbial metabolites of IPU are known and IPU-mineralizing bacteria have been isolated, the molecular mechanism of IPU catabolism has not been elucidated yet. In this study, complete genes that encode the conserved IPU catabolic pathway were revealed, based on comparative analysis of the genomes of three IPU-mineralizing sphingomonads and subsequent experimental validation. The complete genes included a novel hydrolase gene ddhA, which is responsible for the cleavage of the urea side chain of the IPU demethylated products; a distinct aniline dioxygenase gene cluster adoQTA1A2BR, which has a broad substrate range; and an inducible catechol meta-cleavage pathway gene cluster adoXEGKLIJC. Furthermore, the initial mono-N-demethylation genes pdmAB were further confirmed to be involved in the successive N-demethylation of the IPU mono-N-demethylated product. These IPU-catabolic genes were organized into four transcription units and distributed on three plasmids. They were flanked by multiple mobile genetic elements and highly conserved among IPU-mineralizing sphingomonads. The elucidation of the molecular mechanism of IPU catabolism will enhance our understanding of the microbial mineralization of IPU and provide insights into the evolutionary scenario of the conserved IPU-catabolic pathway.

As-received sepiolite/epoxy systems and Fe3O4-doped sepiolite/epoxy systems were prepared, and the contents of sepiolite and Fe3O4-doped sepiolite were kept as 2 and 4 wt%, respectively. Compared with sepiolite, the effect of Fe3O4-doped sepiolite on the flame retardancy, combustion properties, thermal degradation, thermal degradation kinetics and thermomechanical properties of epoxy resin was investigated systematically by limiting oxygen index (LOI), cone calorimeter (Cone), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Some interesting results had been acquired. The addition of sepiolite decreased heat release rate, total smoke production and smoke production rate, and obviously improved LOI values of epoxy composites. Compared with sepiolite, the addition of Fe3O4-doped sepiolite further reduced parameters mentioned above of epoxy composites, and further enhanced LOI values and char residues after cone test. There might be a synergistic effect between sepiolite and Fe3O4 on flame retardant epoxy composite. TGA results indicated that the addition of sepiolite had a slight effect on the thermal degradation of epoxy composites; however, the addition of Fe3O4-doped sepiolite accelerated the thermal degradation of epoxy composites. DMA results showed that the addition of both sepiolite and Fe3O4-doped sepiolite increased the glass transition temperature (Tg) of epoxy composite. The results obtained in this paper supplied an effective solution for developing excellent flame retardant properties of polymeric materials. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Aims/Introduction The present study aimed to explore the incidence of type 2 diabetes, and to develop a risk-scoring model for predicting diabetes among the adult health check-up population in East China. Materials and Methods Participants from the Shanghai Baosteel Cohort (age ≥20 years) without diabetes at baseline were recruited in a 6-year follow-up study. In order to explore risk factors for diabetes, this cohort was categorized into two groups: new diabetes and no diabetes. Three models were developed by Cox regression analysis. The model accuracy was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results A total of 6,542 individuals were included in the Shanghai Baosteel Cohort Study. Of them, 368 (5.6%) developed type 2 diabetes at the end of the follow-up period. Cox regression analysis found a close association between incident type 2 diabetes and several risk factors including non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases at baseline. The Shanghai Baosteel Score including advanced age (2 points), hypertriglyceridemia (2 points), obesity (2 points), non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (2 points) and impaired fasting glucose (3 points) had a good diagnostic performance with estimated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.724), sensitivity (57.9%) and specificity (72.2%) at a cut-off point of >3. Conclusions A risk-scoring system including non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases can help identify individuals at a high risk of diabetes in the East Chinese population.

Efficient loading of immunoglobulin G in mixed-mode chromatography is often a serious bottleneck in the chromatographic purification of immunoglobulin G. In this work, a mixed-mode ligand, 4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl) aniline, was coupled to Sepharose Fast Flow to fabricate AN SepFF adsorbents with ligand densities of 15-64 mmol/L, and the chromatographic performances of these adsorbents were thoroughly investigated to identify a feasible approach to improve immunoglobulin G purification. The results indicate that a critical ligand density exists for immunoglobulin G on the AN SepFF adsorbents. Above the critical ligand density, the adsorbents showed superior selectivity to immunoglobulin G at high salt concentrations, and also exhibited much higher dynamic binding capacities. For immunoglobulin G purification, both the yield and binding capacity increased with adsorbent ligand density along with a decrease in purity. It is difficult to improve the binding capacity, purity, and yield of immunoglobulin G simultaneously in AN SepFF chromatography. By using tandem AN SepFF chromatography, a threefold increase in binding capacity as well as high purity and yield of immunoglobulin G were achieved. Therefore, the tandem chromatography demonstrates that AN SepFF adsorbent is a practical and feasible alternative to MEP HyperCel adsorbents for immunoglobulin G purification.

Efficient loading on a chromatographic column is the dilemma of the process development faced by engineers in plasmid DNA purification. In this research, novel arginine-affinity chromatographic beads were prepared to investigate the effect of spacer arm and ligand density to their chromatographic performance for the purification of plasmid. The result indicated that dynamic binding capacity for plasmid increased with an increasing ligand density and carbon number of spacer arm, and the highest binding capacity for plasmid of 6.32 mg/mL bead was observed in the column of arginine bead with a ligand density of 47 mmol/L and 10-atom carbon spacer. Furthermore, this arginine bead exhibited better selectivity to supercoiled (sc) plasmid. The evidence of a linear gradient elution suggested further that the binding of plasmid on arginine beads was driven by electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. Hence, sc plasmid could successfully be purified from clarified lysate by two-stepwise elution of salt concentration. By the refinement of the elution scheme and loading volume of clarified lysate, the column of arginine bead with a ligand density of 47 mmol/L exhibited the highest recovery yield and a much higher productivity among arginine-affinity columns. Therefore, reshaped arginine beads provided more feasible and practical application in the preparation of sc plasmid from clarified lysate.

Disseminated Rhizopus microsporus infections are uncommon in children and are resistant to echinocandin and azole antifungal agents. We describe a child with severe aplastic anemia who developed disseminated R. microsporus infection following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. R. microsporus was identified microscopically in the hepatic drain culture and was confirmed on the basis of 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA sequence analyses. The patient was treated successfully with hepatic drainage and amphotericin B deoxycholate.

In this study, a novel column design with a round cross-section was proposed to be suitable for a transverse electric field (EF). Additionally, two beads for entropic interaction chromatography (EIC) were prepared by grafting glycidyl methacrylate onto Toyopearl HW-65F (T65F) beads. Solute partitioning was then investigated to elucidate the role of graft polymerization with and without an EF. In a T65F column, solute partitioning was attributed to the distinct pore structure in the beads and was governed by pore flow. Under EF, partition coefficients (Kp) for solutes decreased with increasing EF strength. In the two EIC columns, a decrease of Kp was also observed without an EF while the fractionation windows were extended. It was more pronounced in the EIC column with a high grafting density (T65F-H). This was explained by the decrease in the effective pore size of solutes caused by the steric hindrance of polymer chains. Under an EF, the solutes showed different partitioning behaviours in the T65F-H column. With increasing EF strength, Kp for vitamin B12 and myoglobin was decreased. In contrast, Kp for large solutes increased as a result of concentration polarization on the bead surface. Both behaviors were related to the modulation of graft polymerization to residual charge on the matrix and the pore size of the solutes.

This study was designed to explore the effects of rotative stress on carbonic anhydrase II (CAII), TNF receptor superfamily member 6 (FAS), FAS ligand (FASL), osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR), and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) gene expression in osteoclasts. Osteoclasts were induced from RAW264.7 cells cultured in medium containing recombinant murine soluble receptor activator of NF-Kβ ligand (sRANKL). The mRNA and protein expression of CAII, FAS, FASL, OSCAR, and TRAP genes in osteoclasts was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively, after osteoclasts were loaded at various rotative stress strengths and times. No significant differences in mRNA and protein expression were observed between any of the control groups (P > 0.05). Importantly, rotative stress had a significant effect on the mRNA and protein expression of these genes (P

Simultaneous and sequential adsorption equilibria of single and binary adsorption of bovine serum albumin and bovine hemoglobin on Q Sepharose FF were investigated in different buffer constituents and initial conditions. The results in simultaneous adsorption showed that both proteins underwent competitive adsorption onto the adsorbent following greatly by protein-surface interaction. Preferentially adsorbed albumin complied with the universal rule of ion-exchange adsorption whereas buffer had no marked influence on hemoglobin adsorption. Moreover, an increase in initial ratios of proteins was benefit to a growth of adsorption density. In sequential adsorption, hemoglobin had the same adsorption densities as single-component adsorption. It was attributed to the displacement of preadsorbed albumin and multiple layer adsorption of hemoglobin. Three isothermal models (i.e. extended Langmuir, steric mass-action, and statistical thermodynamic (ST) models) were introduced to describe the ion-exchange adsorption of albumin and hemoglobin mixtures. The results suggested that extended Langmuir model gave the lowest deviation in describing preferential adsorption of albumin at a given salt concentration while steric mass-action model could very well describe the salt effect in albumin adsorption. For weaker adsorbed hemoglobin, ST model was the preferred choice. In concert with breakthrough data, the research further revealed the complexity in ion-exchange adsorption of proteins.

Background: Microalbuminuria is an indicator of kidney damage and a risk factor for the progression kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and so on. Therefore, accurate and precise measurement of urinary albumin is critical. However, there are no reference measurement procedures and reference materials for urinary albumin. Methods: Nephelometry, turbidimetry, colloidal gold method, radioimmunoassay, and chemiluminescence immunoassay were performed for methodological evaluation, based on imprecision test, recovery rate, linearity, haemoglobin interference rate, and verified reference interval. Then we tested 40 urine samples from diabetic patients by each method, and compared the result between assays. Results: The results indicate that nephelometry is the method with best analytical performance among the five methods, with an average intraassay coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.6%, an average interassay CV of 1.7%, a mean recovery of 99.6%, a linearity of R=1.00 from 2 to 250 mg/l, and an interference rate of

The gas-phase rearrangement reactions of compound 1, 2-dimethoxypyrimidinyloxybenzylaminoben- zenedipropylurea, were studied by ESI-MS/MS. The experimental results showed that introduction of dipropylurea moiety into the molecule initiated various interesting gas-phase chemistries and the mechanisms were proposed on the basis of hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange experiments and theoretical computations. Moreover, product 2, the solution-phase rearrangement product of compound 1, was synthesized and its gas-phase chemistries were also studied to support the propos gas-phase rearrangement reactions of compound 1.

A new series of ion-pair complexes [Mo(dtc)4] [Ln(dtc)4] (LnLa-Er, exp. Pm) were synthesized from MoCl5, LnCl3 and Nadtc in anhydrous methanol. The crystal structures of the four complexes, [Mo(dtc)4J[Ln(dtc)4] (LnNd, Sm, Ho and Er) have been determined by X-ray diffraction. Spectroscopic properties of all these complexes are also discussed here.

Redox and spectroscopic properties of the eight-coordination complexes of molybdenum and the rare-earth elements Eu or Er with N, N-diethyldithiocarbamate (dtc) were characterised by cyclic voltammetry and UV-visible absorption spectra. The complex cation [Mo(dtc)4]+ is more stable than the complex unions [Eu(dtc)4]− and [Er(dtc)4]− in redox processes, and possesses good redox reversibility. The electron transfer number, formal standard electrode potential in the redox process for the complex cation and its diffusion coefficients were obtained by in situ spectroelectro-chemistry.

In the lamellar liquid crystallization (LLC) phase of NaOL/ OLA/H2O system, the small angle X-ray diffraction measurements show that the oleic add is solubilized in the oil layer at first and men into the amphiphile layer. The octadiene added is also located partly in the oil layer and partly in the amphiphile layer in the LLC. With the addition of octadiene as cross-linking agent, roe LLC phase of NaOL/OLA/H2O system was polymerized under the initiation of AIBN with the protection of pure nitrogen at 60°C. Most of the double bond absorption of the monomers in IR spectra disappeared after polymerization. The polymerization takes place not only in the middle of the amphiphile layer between the double bonds of NaOL or OLA and those of octadiene, but also in the oil layer of LLC between the double bonds of OLA and those of octadiene. Interlayer spacing measurements on the copolymer proved d values decreased by about 1 - 2 nm compared with those of the corresponding system before the polymerization, indicating a disruption of the ordered structure by the polymerization. The copolymer still has superior surface activity with the critical micellar concentration (CMC) decreased almost to the half of the value for the system before the polymerization.

The test of fiber pullout from rubber was carried out under different conditions, at three temperatures. Based on the experiment and a nonlinear two-dimensional finite element (2D FE) modeling, the single fiber cord pullout from the rubber matrix at different temperatures was analyzed. The changes of interfacial shear stresses and failure mode at every stage of interface cracking forthe fiber cord/rubber composite were also investigated. It is shown that the simulation results of the pullout are in good agreement with the experiment. It is concluded that the 2D FE modeling can effectively predict the thermal interface cracking process for an axisymmetric structure of the fiber cord/rubber composite. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The ion-exchange equilibrium and the dependence of the parameters in the steric mass-action (SMA) model on salt concentration and buffer pH around the isoelectric point of protein were studied. Bovine serum albumin (BSA, isoelectric point = 5.4) was used as a model protein and DEAE Sepharose FF as an ion exchanger. Finite batch adsorption experiments and isocratic elution chromatography were performed for the determination of the model parameters (i.e., characteristic charge, equilibrium constant, and steric factor). The results showed that pH had significant effects on the parameters. With an increase of pH from 4.5 to 6.5, the characteristic charge increased from 0.9 to 3.0 and leveled off as a plateau at pH above 5.5. The charge groups in the contact region of protein surface were considered to play a crucial role on the characteristic charge. The decrease of pH and increase of salt concentration lowered the absolute value of the zeta potential of the protein surface and led to a decrease of the equilibrium constant. The steric factor remained unchanged at about 31 at pH 5.5 and 6.0 and increased to 44.5 at pH 5.0 and 96.8 at pH 4.5, mainly as a result of the lower adsorption capacity of BSA at pH

Isothermal crystallization kinetics, subsequent melting behavior, and the crystal morphology of short carbon fiber and poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) composites (SCF/PEN) were investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. The crystal morphology of the composites isothermally crystallized at Tc = 220°C is predominantly banded spherulites observed under polarizing micrographs, while the pattern of banded spherulites changed from ring to serration as the SCF content added into the PEN. Moreover, nonbanded spherulites formed at Tc = 210°C. The commonly used Avrami equation was used to fit the primary stage of the isothermal crystallization. The Avrami exponents n are evaluated to be 2.6–3.0 for the neat PEN and 3.7–4.0 for SCF/PEN composites, and the SCF acting as nucleation agents in composites accelerates the crystallization rate with decreasing the half-time of crystallization, and the sample with SCF component of 2% has the fastest crystallization rate. The crystallization activation energy calculated from the Arrhenius formula suggests that the adding SCF component improved the crystallization ability of the PEN matrix greatly, and the sample with of 2% SCF component has the most crystallization ability. Subsequent melting scans of the isothermally crystallized composites exhibited triple melting endotherms, in which the more the component of SCF, the lower temperature of the melting peak, indicating the less perfect crystallites formed in those composites. Furthermore, the melting peaks of the same sample are shifted to higher temperature with increasing Tc, suggesting the more perfect crystallites formed at higher Tc. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

Commercial formulations of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) consist of a mixture of four isomers, alpha, beta, gamma and delta. All these four isomers are toxic and recalcitrant pollutants. Sphingobium (formerly Sphingomonas) sp. strain BHC-A is able to degrade all four HCH isomers. Eight lin genes responsible for the degradation of gamma-HCH in BHC-A were cloned and analysed for their role in the degradation of delta-HCH, and the initial conversion steps in delta-HCH catabolism by LinA and LinB in BHC-A were found. LinA dehydrochlorinated delta-HCH to produce 1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-1,4-cyclohexadiene (1,4-TCDN) via delta-pentachlorocyclohexene (delta-PCCH). Subsequently, both 1,4-TCDN and delta-PCCH are catalysed by LinB via two successive rounds of hydrolytic dechlorinations to form 2,5-dichloro-2,5-cyclohexadiene-1,4-diol (2,5-DDOL) and 2,3,5-trichloro-5-cyclohexene-1,4-diol (2,3,5-TCDL) respectively. LinB could also catalyse the hydrolytic dechlorination of delta-HCH to 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-cyclohexanediol (TDOL) via 2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohexanol (PCHL).

Background and Aim: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered to be the liver component of metabolic syndrome. However, the impact of NAFLD on metabolic syndrome is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of NAFLD on the development of metabolic disorders. Methods: Patients with NAFLD and an age, sex, and occupation-matched control group were recruited from employees of Bao-Steel Group (Shanghai, China) who had received medical check-ups biennially between 1995 and 2002. Anthropometric and laboratory data, and incidence of metabolic disorders were assessed at baseline and at follow-up of at least 4 years. SPSS 11.5 was used for statistical analysis. Results: The study consisted of 358 patients (326 men and 32 women) and 788 matched controls (711 men and 77 women) with a similar mean age of 39.0 years and median follow-up of 6 years. At the end of follow-up, incidence of obesity (47.6% vs 19.5%), hypertension (69.6% vs 16.3%), hypertriglyceridemia (39.1% vs 16.3%), hypercholesterolemia (24.5% vs 17.3%), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (25.1% vs 11.6%), diabetes mellitus (20.3% vs 5.2%) and multiple metabolic disorders (MMD) (56.3% vs 16.3%) were significantly higher in the fatty liver group than the control group. Interestingly, the mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level in patients with fatty liver significantly decreased at follow-up compared with baseline (28.56 ± 18.86 vs 31.51 ± 18.34 U/L, P

There are two main sources of estimate uncertainty in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), i.e., initial-value-related uncertainty, model-related uncertainty. A 20-member mesoscale ensemble forecasting system including these two kinds of uncertainty is set up to simulate tropical cyclone Danny 1997. The track of ensemble means is the best compared with all 20 members after 12 h. The sensitivity of simulation result to the two kinds of uncertainty is studied. The result shows that both kinds of uncertainty make an important role in simulation, but they dominate in the different time period during the simulation. The initial value-related uncertainty dominates the simulation during 0~12 h of model integration. The model-related uncertainty grows steadily during model integration. High sensitive area of uncertainty is located where severe weather occurs around the center of cyclone.

Background and Aim: To evaluate changes in the prevalence rates of ultrasonographic fatty liver (FL) in a specific population. Methods: An analysis of the medical records of BaoSteel Group (Shanghai, China) employees was done to evaluate the prevalence of FL in this population, in which health examinations were performed biennially between 1995 and 2002. Results: The study reviewed a database of 59 131 employees, of which 27.1% received medical check-ups four times within the study period, 26.6% three times, and 24.0% twice. The prevalence rates of obesity and metabolic disorders were high at baseline and increased significantly with time. The prevalence of ultrasonographic FL increased from 3.87% to 14.04% in the overall population, while there was an increase from 4.44% to 14.64% in men and 1.56% to 11.37% in women over the 6-year study period. Increased rates of FL were also noted, from 25.88% to 51.39%, among patients with elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (>40 U/L). The highest overall prevalence rates of FL were found in individuals aged 50–60 years, with all age-associated prevalence significantly higher in males than females. Conclusion: The prevalence of FL increased rapidly over the study period with increased rates of obesity and metabolic disorders; FL is becoming a major cause of abnormal ALT levels in the specific population.