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Traffic restriction policy (TRP) is common practice to alleviate urban congestion and air pollution. However, effects of TRP for non-local vehicles and elevated expressways on local and regional air quality are understudied. Using air pollutant data collected by ground-based national and roadside environmental monitoring stations and field measurements, comparative research design and regression discontinuity analysis were performed to investigate the local and regional variations in air pollutant concentrations with and without the TRP. Results indicate that traffic restriction significantly decreased the local and regional concentration levels of primary gaseous pollutants (e.g., NOX and CO), particularly under more stringent TRP during China International Import Expo, which also brought an ozone increase due to the reduced effect of NOX titration. However, the TRP only exhibited limited impacts on mitigating regional particulate pollution. These findings suggest that the air quality improvements due to the non-local TRP highly depend on the types of pollutants and the spatial locations.

Background Intramuscular fat content, an important meat quality trait, strongly affects flavor, juiciness, and tenderness. Sex hormones regulate lipid metabolism, and female hormones stimulate fat deposition, thereby making the female chickens always fatter than males. In this study, the effect of sex on IMF deposition was screened following transcriptomics in chickens. Methods and results Results confirmed significantly higher IMF content of 150-day female chickens as compared to the male chickens. The female chickens manifested higher serum TG, LDL-C, and VLDL, and significantly lower HDL-C contents than male chickens. Moreover, differential expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism were obtained in the muscle and liver between female and male chicken, which could partly interpret the possible reasons for the sex-mediated differences of IMF content. Cellular results revealed that inhibition of PLIN2 significantly inhibited chicken preadipocyte proliferation and induces apoptosis of preadipocytes, as well as promoted adipocyte differentiation. Conclusions According to our results, PLIN2 may be considered as a molecular marker for poultry meat quality and applying this gene in early breed selection.

Background: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) represent a group of important proteins which are produced by all kinds of organisms especially under stressful conditions. DnaK, an Hsp70 homolog in prokaryotes, has indispensable roles when microbes was confronted with stress conditions. However, few data on DnaK from Rhodococcus sp. were available in the literature. In a previous study, we reported that toluene and phenol stress gave rise to a 29.87-fold and 3.93-fold increase for the expression of DnaK from R. ruber SD3, respectively. Thus, we deduced DnaK was in correlation with the organic solvent tolerance of R. ruber SD3. Objective: To elucidate the role of DnaK in the organic solvent tolerance of R. ruber SD3, expression, purification and functional analysis of Dnak from R. ruber SD3 were performed in the present paper. Methods: In this article, DnaK from R. ruber SD3 was heterologously expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) and purified by affinity chromatography. Functional analysis of DnaK was performed using determination of kinetics, docking, assay of chaperone activity and microbial growth. Results: The recombinant DnaK was rapidly purified by affinity chromatography with the purification fold of 1.9 and the recovery rate of 57.9%. Km, Vmax and Kcat for Dnak from R. ruber SD3 were 80.8 μM, 58.1 nmol/min and 374.3 S-1, respectively. The recombinant protein formed trimer in vitro, with the calculated molecular weight of 214 kDa. According to in-silico analysis, DnaK interacted with other molecular chaperones and some important proteins in the metabolism. The specific activity of catalase in the presence of recombinant DnaK was 1.85 times or 2.00 times that in the presence of BSA or Tris-HCl buffer after exposure to 54 °C for 1h. E. coli transformant with pET28-dnak showed higher growth than E. coli transformant with pET28 at 43°C and in the presence of phenol, respectively. Conclusion: The biochemical properties and the interaction analysis of DnaK from R. ruber SD3 deepened our understanding of DnaK function. DnaK played an important role in microbial growth when R. ruber was subjected to various stress such as heating and organic solvent.

Qian Zhang,1,2 Zhiqiang Wang,1– 3 Jingying Wu,1,2 Zhen Zhou,3 Renpeng Zhou,1,2 Wei Hu1,2 1Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 2Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 3Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, AustraliaCorrespondence: Renpeng Zhou; Wei Hu Email zhourenpeng@ahmu.edu.cn; huwei@ahmu.edu.cnBackground: Regorafenib is an oral multi-kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of solid tumours, but the pharmacokinetic profile of regorafenib in the Chinese population is unclear.Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the pharmacokinetics, bioequivalence, and safety of two formulations of regorafenib 40 mg in healthy Chinese volunteers under fed and fasting conditions.Methods: A single-centre, randomised, open-label, two-period, two-way crossover phase 1 trial was conducted by randomising a single oral dose of test (T) or reference (R, Stivarga®) regorafenib (40 mg) to healthy Chinese volunteers under both fasting and fed conditions (high-fat and high-calorie diet). Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using non-compartmental methods. Adverse events were recorded to assess drug safety.Results: Sixty-six participants were enrolled for both fasting and fed treatments. The 90% CIs geometric least-square means of ratioT/R for regorafenib were completely contained within the equivalence margin of 80– 125% under both fasting and fed conditions. Both formulations displayed similar and generally good safety profiles.Conclusion: Single oral dose of the T (40 mg) and R (40 mg) regorafenib was bioequivalent under fasting and fed conditions and had similar favourable safety profiles among healthy Chinese volunteers.Keywords: regorafenib, phase 1, pharmacokinetic, bioequivalence, Chinese healthy volunteers

As Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are one of the precursors of ozone, their distribution and variable concentrations are highly related to local ozone pollution control. In this study, we obtained vertical profiles of VOCs in Shanghai’s Jinshan district on 8 September and 9 September in 2016 to investigate their distribution and impact on local atmospheric oxidation in the near surface layer. Vertical samples were collected from heights between 50 m and 400 m by summa canisters using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Concentrations of VOCs (VOCs refers to the 52 species measured in this study) varied minimally below 200 m, and decreased by 21.2% from 100 m to 400 m. The concentrations of VOCs above 200 m decreased significantly in comparison to those below 200 m. The proportions of alkanes and aromatics increased from 55.2% and 30.5% to 57.3% and 33.0%, respectively. Additionally, the proportion of alkenes decreased from 13.2% to 8.4%. Toluene and m/p-xylene were the key species in the formation of SOA and ozone. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the VOCs measured in this study mainly originated from industrial emissions.

It is challenging to forecast high-resolution spatial-temporal patterns of intra-urban air pollution and identify impacting factors at the regional scale. Studies have attempted to capture features of air pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) using land use regression models, but this method overlooks the multi-collinearity of factors, non-linear correlations between factors and air pollutants, and it fails to perform well when processing daily data. However, machine learning is a feasible approach for establishing persuasive intra-urban air pollution daily variation models. In this article, random forest is utilised to establish intra-urban PM2.5 and NO2 spatial-temporal variation models and is compared to the traditional land use regression method. Taking the city of Shanghai, China as the case area, 36 station-measured daily records in two and a half years of PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations were collected. And over 80 different predictors associated with meteorological and geographical conditions, transportation, community population density, land use and points of interest are used to construct the land use regression and random forest models. Results from the two methods are compared and impacting factors identified. Explained variance ( R2) is used to quantify and compare model performance. The final land use regression model explains 49.3% and 42.2% of the spatial variation in ambient PM2.5 and NO2, respectively, whereas the random forest model explains 78.1% and 60.5% of the variance. Regression mappings for unsampled sites on a grid pattern of 1 km × 1 km are also implemented. The random forest model is shown to perform much better than the land use regression model. In general, the findings suggest that the random forest approach offers a robust improvement in predicting performance compared to the land use regression model in estimating daily spatial variations in ambient PM2.5 and NO2.

Vertical observations of ozone (O3) and fine aerosol particles (PM2.5) below 3000 m above ground level were made by an O3 lidar and two hexacopter unmanned aerial system (UAS) platforms to investigate vertical distributions of the boundary-layer O3 and PM2.5 and their effects on surface air quality. Field observations were conducted in Shanghai, China before, during, and after the G20 Summit (Hangzhou) from 23 August to 13 September 2016, when stringent emission control measures were implemented over the Yangtze River Delta region. The results show that surface O3 and PM2.5 concentrations increased evidently during the emission control period due to the significant contribution of transport. Different transport types including regional transport, recirculation transport, and long-range transport were captured in the three stages of the emission control period. Regional transport mainly occurred in the middle and upper boundary layer, leading to positive altitude dependence of the boundary-layer O3 and PM2.5. Recirculation transport mainly occurred in the lower boundary layer, leading to negative altitude dependence of the boundary-layer O3 and PM2.5. Long-range transport of O3 mainly occurred in the lower free troposphere, leading to positive altitude dependence of the boundary-layer O3. Under the influence of northeasterly winds, Shanghai exhibited considerable transport potential of pollutants to Hangzhou during the emission control period. The findings in this study could help to understand complex interactions between different transport types and variations in surface air pollutant concentrations, as well as provide important implications in making regional emission control measures in the future.

Chemical potassium (K) fertilizer is commonly used in apple (Malus domestica L. Borkh) production but K is easily fixed by soil, resulting in reduced K fertilizer utilization and wasted resources. K-solubilizing bacteria (KSB) can cost-effectively increase the soluble K content in rhizosphere soil. Therefore, the objectives were to select high-efficiency KSB from apple orchards under various soil management models and evaluate their effects on apple seedling growth. Maize (Zea mays L.) straw mulching (MSM) increased the total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN) and available potassium (AK) in the rhizosphere and improved fruit quality. The number of KSB in the rhizosphere soil of MSM was 9.5×104 CFU g−1 soil, which was considerably higher than that in the other mulching models. Fourteen KSB strains were isolated with relative K solubilizing ability ranging from 17 to 30%, and five strains increased the dry weight per apple seedling. The most efficient strain was identified as Paenibacillus mucilaginosus through morphological observation and sequence analysis of 16S rDNA, named JGK. After inoculation, the colonization of JGK in soil decreased from 4.0 to 1.5×109 CFU g−1 soil within 28 d. The growth of the apple seedlings and the K accumulation in apple plants were promoted by irrigation with 50 mL JGK bacterial solution (1×109 CFU mL−1), but there was no significant increase in the AK content of rhizosphere soil. High-performance liquid phase analysis (HPLC) data showed that the JGK metabolites contained phytohormones and organic acids. Hence, the JGK strain promoted the growth of two-month-old apple seedlings by stimulating function of the produced phytohormones and enhanced K solubility by acidification for apple seedling uptake. This study enriches the understanding of KSB and provides an effective means to increase the K utilization efficiency of apple production.

Vertical observations of ozone play vital roles in understanding various atmospheric chemical processes in the boundary layer, particularly in winter. In this study, we attempted to measure vertical profiles of boundary layer ozone in the winter of 2018 over the Yangtze River Delta region of China, using a hexacopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform. A commercial portable ozone monitor mounted in a thermal insulation box was attached to the UAV platform to conduct vertical ozone measurements. The results showed that the UAV platform could effectively capture the vertical variations of boundary layer ozone in wintertime. During the field campaign, surface ozone was in relatively low levels due to weak photochemical production. In the daytime, the ozone was well mixed within the boundary layer. At nighttime, uniform vertical distribution patterns and stratified distribution patterns were frequently obtained in ozone profiles below 500 m. Backward trajectories and wind profiles were used to investigate the horizontal and vertical transport of ozone. The stratified distribution patterns of ozone were closely associated with strong contemporary advection transport of ozone that was accompanied by enhanced winds aloft. Besides, strong wind shear enhanced the downward transport of ozone from the free troposphere into the boundary layer, leading to uniform vertical distribution patterns of boundary layer ozone and the elevated nocturnal surface ozone levels. The results of this study could provide insights into the understanding of the spatial variations and evolution patterns of boundary layer ozone in wintertime and constructing suitable boundary layer schemes in atmospheric chemical models.

The development of smart and sustainable photocatalysts is in high priority for the synthesis of H2O2 because the global demand for H2O2 is sharply rising. Currently, the global market share for H2O2 is around 4 billion US$ and is expected to grow by about 5.2 billion US$ by 2026. Traditional synthesis of H2O2 via the anthraquinone method is associated with the generation of substantial chemical waste as well as the requirement of a high energy input. In this respect, the oxidative transformation of pure water is a sustainable solution to meet the global demand. In fact, several photocatalysts have been developed to achieve this chemistry. However, 97% of the water on our planet is seawater, and it contains 3.0-5.0% of salts. The presence of salts in water deactivates the existing photocatalysts, and therefore, the existing photocatalysts have rarely shown reactivity toward seawater. Considering this, a sustainable heterogeneous photocatalyst, derived from hydrolysis lignin, has been developed, showing an excellent reactivity toward generating H2O2 directly from seawater under air. In fact, in the presence of this catalyst, we have been able to achieve 4085 mu M of H2O2. Expediently, the catalyst has shown longer durability and can be recycled more than five times to generate H2O2 from seawater. Finally, full characterizations of this smart photocatalyst and a detailed mechanism have been proposed on the basis of the experimental evidence and multiscale/level calculations.

A new perylenebisimide–tetraphenylethene dyad (1) linked by imidazolium/amide anion binding sites at the imide position of the PBI core, has been designed and characterized. The recognition ability of 1 toward anions has been investigated in detail by UV–vis and emission spectroscopy. In CH3CN solution, this probe shows a specific fluorescence quenching response toward H2PO4− (Pi) and HP2O73− (PPi) over other test anions (F−, Cl−, Br−, I−, AcO− and HSO4−). The UV–vis titration, emission titration, 1H NMR titration, Tyndall and DLS experimental results reveal that the binding of Pi or PPi leads to an anion-induced aggregation of the probe with a fluorescence quenching. The probe has been successfully applied to the detection of Pi and PPi in a form of test paper. Furthermore, probe 1 still shows a good fluorescence response toward PPi even in competitive H2O–CH3CN mixtures which can discriminate PPi from Pi and other anions.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease with a poor prognosis. Pyroptosis is a type of proinflammatory programmed cell death that is characterised by the activation of caspase-1 and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β/18. Previous reports have shown that pyroptosis is closely related to the development of some autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. The decrease in the pH of joint fluid is a main pathogenic feature of RA and leads to excessive apoptosis in chondrocytes. Acid-sensitive ion channels (ASICs) are extracellular H+-activated cation channels that mainly influence Na+ and Ca2+ permeability. In this study, we investigated the role of Ca2+ in acid-sensing ion channel 1a-mediated chondrocyte pyroptosis in an adjuvant arthritis rat model. The expression of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein, NLRP3, caspase-1, ASIC 1a, IL-1β and IL-18 was upregulated in the joints of rats compared with that in normal rats, but the expression of Col2a in cartilage was decreased. However, these changes were reversed by amiloride, which is an inhibitor of ASIC1a. Extracellular acidosis significantly increased the expression of ASIC1a, IL-1β, IL-18, ASC, NLRP3 and caspase-1 and promoted the release of lactate dehydrogenase. Interestingly, Psalmotoxin-1 (Pctx-1) and BAPTA-AM inhibited these effects. These results indicate that ASIC1a mediates pyroptosis in chondrocytes from AA rats. The underlying mechanism may be associated with the ability of ASIC1a to promote [Ca2+]i and upregulate the expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

While the tumor suppressor protein p53 regulates the cell cycle to prevent cell damage, it also triggers apoptosis and prevents cancer. These inhibitory functions may disappear once the p53 gene is mutated. Under these circumstances, the detection of p53 protein concentrations can have significant clinical applications. In this study, nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) was coated on a gold electrode to produce a modified Au/NiPc electrode. p53 antibodies were bonded to the Au/NiPc electrode by the Ni+2 ion in NiPc, which can be self-assembled with the imidazole group of the p53 protein. The Au/NiPc/anti-p53 electrode was subsequently dripped with a buffer solution of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to form the Au/NiPc/anti-p53/BSA electrode, which was used for the detection of p53 antigen under 10 mM potassium ferricyanide/potassium ferrocyanide (K3Fe(CN)6/K4Fe(CN)6) solution by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry analyses. The linear detection range and the sensitivity for the p53 antigen were 0.1&ndash, 500 pg/mL and 60.65 &mu, A/Log (pg/mL)-cm2, respectively, with a detection time of 90&ndash, 150 s. In addition, Au/NiPc/anti-p53 (100 ng/mL)/BSA electrodes were tested for specificity using glucose, bovine serum albumin, histidine, ascorbic acid, uric acid, prostate-specific antigen, human serum albumin, and human immunoglobulin G. All p-values were &lt, 0.0005, indicating an outstanding specificity.

Myrcene (MC), an organic hydrocarbon, was found to exert anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimutagenic and antioxidant properties. However, the protective role of MC has not been reported against neonatal asthma. Wistar rats induced with asthma were administered with MC; while asthma control and vehicle control were maintained without MC administration. At the end of the experimental period, lung histology, inflammatory cell counts, cytokine analysis, matrix protein expressions were elucidated. Rats administered with MC exerted significant ( P

The pyroptosis is a causative agent of rheumatoid arthritis, a systemic autoimmune disease merged with degenerative articular cartilage. Nevertheless, the precise mechanism of extracellular acidosis on chondrocyte pyroptosis is largely unclear. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) belong to an extracellular H+ -activated cation channel family. Accumulating evidence has highlighted activation of ASICs induced by extracellular acidosis upregulate calpain and calcineurin expression in arthritis. In the present study, to investigate the expression and the role of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a), calpain, calcineurin, and NLRP3 inflammasome proteins in regulating acid-induced articular chondrocyte pyroptosis, primary rat articular chondrocytes were subjected to different pH, different time, and different treatments with or without ASIC1a, calpain-2, and calcineurin, respectively. Initially, the research results showed that extracellular acidosis-induced the protein expression of ASIC1a in a pH- and time-dependent manner, and the messenger RNA and protein expressions of calpain, calcineurin, NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein, and caspase-1 were significantly increased in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, the inhibition of ASIC1a, calpain-2, or calcineurin, respectively, could decrease the cell death accompanied with the decreased interleukin-1β level, and the decreased expression of ASIC1a, calpain-2, calcineurin, and NLRP3 inflammasome proteins. Taken together, these results indicated the activation of ASIC1a induced by extracellular acidosis could trigger pyroptosis of rat articular chondrocytes, the mechanism of which might partly be involved with the activation of calpain-2/calcineurin pathway.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of treating complex diseases, especially for the conditioning of systemic diseases. It has been reported that BaiXianFeng (BXF) decoction used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be due to its systemic regulatory effect, but the specific mechanism still remains to be elucidated. The research philosophy and methods of systemic pharmacology were used to explore the mechanism of BXF decoction in treating RA in this study. TCMSP database was used to search the ingredients of BXF decoction and screen the ADME parameters. The parameter index was set as OB ≥ 30%, DL ≥ 0.18, HL ≥ 4h. The targets of the screened compounds were searched and predicted by TCMSP and Target-Prediction platforms. The disease targets of RA were obtained through the DisGeNET, OMIM and PharmGkb databases. A series of network construction and analysis relied on Cytoscape 3.2.1 software, and the DAVID database was used for pathway enrichment. The adjuvant arthritis rat model was used for the verification of animal experiments to verify the predicted pathway results in terms of pathological phenotype, inflammatory factors and pathway protein expression. The results showed that the related targets of 81 active ingredients in the drug crossed 56 targets of RA, and these common targets were enriched in 83 significant pathways, among which the TNF signaling pathway had research significance. Animal experiments have proved that BXF decoction was effective in treating adjuvant arthritis rats. The drug relieved the pathological phenotype of rats in dose-dependent. It reduced the serum content of TNF-α and IL-1β, and reduced the gene expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in spleen tissue. In the cartilage tissue protein of rats, it inhibited the degradation of collagen Ⅱ protein. Further, BXF decoction reduced the activation of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-P65 protein, and decreased the overexpression of apoptotic proteins such as cleaved-caspase8 and cleaved-caspase3 in cartilage tissue. Meanwhile, it inhibited the protein expression of MMP9, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. In conclusion, this study successfully practiced the combination of systemic pharmacology and experimental verification, and clarified that BXF decoction inhibited the progression of adjuvant arthritis rats through the TNF-PI3K-Akt-NF-κB signal axis. It provides new evidence for the study of the mechanism of BXF decoction in treating RA.

Rhodococcus ruber with organic tolerance has potential applications in biotransformation and bioremediation. To explore the possible organic tolerance mechanism, the response of R. ruber SD3 to toluene and phenol was investigated using a quantitative proteomics approach with isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 362 and 488 differentially expressed proteins were identified in the toluene treatment group and the phenol treatment group as compared to the control group, respectively. Functional annotation and metabolic pathway enrichment showed that transporter, degradation pathway and two-component system were closely related to organic solvent tolerance of R. ruber SD3. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction experiment indicated the mRNA levels of stress proteins with an increased expression of 3.23 times upon toluene stress as compared to the control. The expression of 4-nitrophenol 2-monooxygenase in the phenol treatment group was ∼123 times higher than the counterpart in the control group. The study revealed the possible tolerance mechanism of R. ruber SD3 to organic solvents stress and provided some potential targets for the engineering of R. ruber SD3 to improve its organic solvent tolerance.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophic factor that is thought to have a broad role in the nervous system and tumors, and has recently been described as a mediator of inflammation. It is not clear whether or not NGF participates in apoptosis of articular chondrocytes. In this study, we determined if NGF affects ASIC1a expression and NF-κB P65 activation in rat chondrocytes, and measured the effectiveness of NGF on apoptotic protein expression in acid-induced chondrocytes. NGF was shown to up-regulate the level of ASIC1a in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Simultaneously, NGF activated NF-κB P65 in chondrocytes. Additionally, the elevated ASIC1a expression induced by NGF was eliminated by the NF-κB inhibitor (PDTC) in chondrocytes. Moreover, NGF reduced cell viability and induced LDH release under the premise of acid-induced articular chondrocytes. Furthermore, NGF could enhance cleaved-caspase 9 and cleaved-PARP expression in acid-pretreated chondrocytes, and which could be inhibited by using psalmotoxin 1(PcTX1) or PDTC. Together, these results indicated that NGF may up-regulate ASIC1a expression through the NF-κB signaling pathway, and further promote acid-induced apoptosis of chondrocytes.

A lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a tethered balloon platform were jointly used to investigate three-dimensional distributions of ozone and PM2.5 concentrations within the lower troposphere (1000 m) at a localized coastal area in Shanghai, China. Eight tethered balloon soundings and three UAV flights were conducted on May 25, 2016. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to quantitatively describe the relationships between air pollutants and other obtained parameters. Field observations showed that large variations were captured both in the vertical and horizontal distributions of ozone and PM2.5 concentrations. Significant stratified layers of ozone and PM2.5 concentrations as well as wind directions were observed throughout the day. Estimated bulk Richardson numbers indicate that the vertical mixing of air masses within the lower troposphere were heavily suppressed throughout the day, leading to much higher concentrations of ozone and PM2.5 in the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The NO and NO2 concentrations in the experimental field were much lower than that in the urban area of Shanghai and demonstrated totally different vertical distribution patterns from that of ozone and PM2.5. This indicates that aged air masses of different sources were transported to the experimental field at different heights. Results derived from the GAMs showed that the aggregate impact of the selected variables for the vertical variations can explain 94.3% of the variance in ozone and 94.5% in PM2.5. Air temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure had the strongest effects on the variations of ozone and PM2.5. As for the horizontal variations, the GAMs can explain 56.3% of the variance in ozone and 57.6% in PM2.5. The strongest effect on ozone was related to air temperature, while PM2.5 was related to relative humidity. The output of GAMs also implied that fine aerosol particles were in the stage of growth in the experimental field, which is different from ozone (aged air parcels of ozone). Geographical parameters influenced the horizontal variations of ozone and PM2.5 concentrations by changing underlying surface types. The differences of thermodynamic properties between land and sea resulted in quick changes of PBL height, air temperature and dew point over the coastal area, which was linked to the extent of vertical mixing at different locations. The results of GAMs can be used to analyze the sources and formation mechanisms of ozone and PM2.5 pollutions at a localized area.

The acute-phase proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) demonstrate high-level expression and pleiotropic biological effects, and contribute to the progression and persistence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Acid hydrarthrosis is also an important pathological characteristic of RA, and the acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) plays a critical role in acidosis-induced chondrocyte cytotoxicity. However, the roles of IL-1β and TNF-α in acid-induced apoptosis of chondrocytes remain unclear. Rat adjuvant arthritis and primary articular chondrocytes were used as in vivo and in vitro model systems, respectively. ASIC1a expression in articular cartilage was increased and highly colocalized with nuclear factor (NF)-κB expression in vivo. IL-1β and TNF-α could upregulate ASIC1a expression. These cytokines activated mitogen-activated protein kinase and NF-κB pathways in chondrocytes, while the respective inhibitors of these signaling pathways could partially reverse the ASIC1a upregulation induced by IL-1β and TNF-α. Dual luciferase and gel-shift assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that IL-1β and TNF-α enhanced ASIC1a promoter activity in chondrocytes by increasing NF-κB DNA-binding activities, which was in turn prevented by the NF-κB inhibitor ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate. IL-1β and TNF-α also decreased cell viability but enhanced LDH release, intracellular Ca2+ concentration elevation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase-3/9 expression, and apoptosis in acid-stimulated chondrocytes, which effects could be abrogated by the specific ASIC1a inhibitor psalmotoxin-1 (PcTX-1), ASIC1a-short hairpin RNA or calcium chelating agent BAPTA-AM. These results indicate that IL-1β and TNF-α can augment acidosis-induced cytotoxicity through NF-κB-dependent up-regulation of ASIC1a channel expression in primary articular chondrocytes.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a degenerative joint disease that is caused by multiple pathogenic factors. However, the precise etiology of RA is still unknown. Our previous studies demonstrated that acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a)-mediated articular chondrocyte apoptosis played a key role in the progression of RA. In this study, we aim to explore whether ASIC1a mediates autophagy or not and the effect of autophagy on ASIC1a-mediated apoptosis. Primary articular chondrocytes, extracted from rat knee joints, were exposed to different concentrations of concentrated hydrochloric acid for different time intervals in vitro. The results indicated that extracellular acid treatment induced autophagy of rat articular chondrocytes. Moreover, inhibition of ASIC1a with either psalmotoxin 1 or ASIC1a short hairpin RNA reduced the autophagy flux. The results suggested that ASIC1a mediated acid-induced autophagy. Pretreatment with autophagy antagonist 3-methyladenine decreased the autophagy, but increased the apoptosis mediated by ASIC1a. Furthermore, knockdown of Beclin 1 by small interfering RNA attenuated autophagy but potentiated ASIC1a-mediated apoptosis of rat articular chondrocytes. Taken together, these findings suggested that both inhibition and silencing of autophagy could enhance ASIC1a-mediated apoptosis in rat articular chondrocytes, and therefore, autophagy is likely to be a new mechanism involved in ASIC1a-mediated apoptosis of articular chondrocytes during the pathogenesis of RA.

As a classic differentiation agent, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been widely used in treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, clinical application of ATRA has limitations. Our previous studies suggested that 4-Amino-2-Trifluoromethyl-Phenyl Retinate (ATPR), a novel all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) derivative designed and synthesized by our team, could induce differentiation of APL cells in vivo and in vitro. To explore the underlying mechanism of ATPR, the effect of ATPR on autophagy of APL cells was observed in the present study. The results showed that the differentiation effect of ATPR on APL cells was accompanied with autophagy induction and PML-RARα degradation via activating Notch1 signaling pathway. Moreover, inhibition of autophagy using 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or small interfering RNA (siRNA) that targets essential autophagy gene ATG5 abrogated the ATPR-induced cell differentiation. Furthermore, when pretreated with DAPT, a γ-secretase inhibitor, the Notch1 signaling pathway was blocked in APL cells, followed by the reduction of ATPR-induced autophagy and differentiation. Taken together, these results suggested that autophagy play an important role in ATPR-induced cell differentiation, which may provide a novel approach to cure APL patients.

The minute-scale variations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations near a road intersection in Shanghai, China were investigated to identify the influencing factors at three traffic periods. Measurement results demonstrate a synchronous variation of pollutant concentrations at the roadside and setbacks, and the average concentration of PM2.5 at the roadside is 7% (44% for CO) higher than that of setbacks within 500 m of the intersection. The pollution level at traffic peak periods is found to be higher than that of off-peak periods, and the morning peak period is found to be the most polluted due to a large amount of diesel vehicles and unfavorable dispersion conditions. Partial least square regressions were constructed for influencing factors and setback pollutant concentrations, and results indicate that meteorological factors are the most significant, followed by setback distance from the intersection and traffic factors. CO is found to be sensitive to distance from the traffic source and vehicle type, and highly dependent on local traffic conditions, whereas PM2.5 originates more from other sources and background levels. These findings demonstrate the importance of localized factors in understanding spatiotemporal patterns of air pollution at intersections, and support decision makers in roadside pollution management and control.

Mitigating carbon emission efforts in urban planning and design phase have become increasingly popular due to climate change. However, it is difficult to verify whether the carbon mitigation target could be achieved for a new city in the absence of quantitative analysis methods. About 100 new cities have emerged every year in the past decades, yet few of them employed low carbon strategies within proper prediction methods. In response, this paper offers an integrated analysis method of assessment and mitigation for urban carbon dioxide (CO2) of new cities. Building sector, transportation sector, and green land sector are considered as urban CO2 sources and sink. Life cycle analysis was employed in building sector to estimate its emissions. Based on the current and predicted emission data, a mitigation goal was then set and allocated efficiently through different sectors. To elaborate on this process, a case study of Shanghai Lingang New City was presented. The urban low carbon roadmap was planned and a variety of recommendations concerning policy were offered to assist the local government and policy makers in order to achieve the low carbon development goal as well.

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive and mostly incurable hematological malignancy with frequent relapses after an initial response to standard chemotherapy. Therefore, novel therapies are urgently required to improve AML clinical outcomes. 4-Amino-2-trifluoromethyl-phenyl retinate (ATPR), a novel all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) derivative designed and synthesized by our team, has been proven to show biological anti-tumor characteristics in our previous studies. However, its potential effect on leukemia remains unknown. The present research aims to investigate the underlying mechanism of treating leukemia with ATPR in vitro. Methods: In this study, the AML cell lines NB4 and THP-1 were treated with ATPR. Cell proliferation was analyzed by the CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry was used to measure the cell cycle distribution and cell differentiation. The expression levels of cell cycle and differentiation-related proteins were detected by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. The NBT reduction assay was used to detect cell differentiation. Results: ATPR inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell differentiation and arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. Moreover, ATPR treatment induced a time-dependent release of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway was downregulated 24 h after ATPR treatment, which might account for the anti-AML effects of ATPR that result from the ROS-mediated regulation of the PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Conclusions: Our observations could help to develop new drugs targeting the ROS/PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway for the treatment of AML.

In this study, graphene oxide reinforced regenerated cellulose/polyvinyl alcohol (GO-RCE/PVA) ternary hydrogels were successfully prepared via a repeated freezing and thawing method in NaOH/urea aqueous solution. The effect of GO content on the mechanical properties, swelling behavior, water content of composite hydrogels was investigated. It was found that the mechanical properties of GO-RCE/PVA ternary hydrogels were largely enhanced relative to RCE/PVA hydrogels. With the addition of 1.0wt% GO, the tensile strength was increased by 40.4% from 0.52MPa to 0.73MPa, accompanied by the increase of the elongation at break (from 103% to 238%). Meanwhile, GO-RCE/PVA ternary hydrogels performed the excellent pH-sensitivity, and the higher pH leaded to higher swelling ratio. With 0.8wt% GO loading, the swelling ratio of GO-RCE/PVA ternary hydrogel was improved from 150% (pH=2) to 310% (pH=14). In addition, a slight increase in the water content of the ternary hydrogel was achieved with increasing concentrations of GO. It is believed that this novel ternary hydrogels is a promising material in the application of biomedical engineering and intelligent devices.

The operation of Taiwan’s first geothermal power plant from 1981 to 1993 affected the chemistry of hot fluids in the Chingshui geothermal field. Long-term chemical and isotope data from the production wells have been analyzed since 1973, and the rising steam ratio and enthalpy indicate that shortages of recharging fluids lead to a serious boiling and scaling of carbonates within the first few years of production. Furthermore, the progressively depleted hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios and the high chloride concentrations in the southern part of the reservoir after discharge indicate that the hot fluids may have been derived from high altitudes and circulated through a deep layer during the discharge period. Decreasing chloride concentrations, lowered silica temperatures, and enriched hydrogen isotope values in the northern part of the reservoir indicate that there is a shallower meteoric fluid circulation from another fractured system that has seeped into and discharged the reservoir when the pressure of the main conduit dropped. After a long non-discharging period, the isotope values are enriched, the concentration of chloride is halved, and silica temperatures are lower than initially state. These observations indicate that the reservoir after the pressure drop was recharged by a shallower meteoric fluid, but the residence time is too short for heating to the initial condition.

Ozone is one of the most important greenhouse gases and air pollutants in urban areas, and has significantly negative impacts both on the climate change and human health. In addition to alert the public for health concerns, accurate ozone prediction is also crucial to understand the formation mechanisms of surface ozone episodes, and has significant implications for making emission control strategies of ozone precursors such as methane, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds. However, existing methods of ozone concentration prediction could not effectively capture temporal dependency, and most neglect spatial correlations. In this study, a hybrid sequence to sequence model embedded with the attention mechanism is proposed for predicting regional ground-level ozone concentration. In the proposed model, the inherent spatiotemporal correlations in air quality monitoring network are simultaneously extracted, learned and incorporated, and auxiliary air pollution and meteorological information are adaptively involved. The hourly data collected from 35 air quality monitoring stations and 651 meteorological girds in Beijing, China are used to validate the present model. The results demonstrate that the spatiotemporal correlations in the monitoring network present enormous advantages for the regional ozone prediction. Auxiliary data and time lags matching day-of-week or diurnal periods of ozone are confirmed to benefit the improvement of prediction accuracy. Monitoring stations in urban areas exhibit better prediction performances than stations in remote areas. The addressed model outperforms the baseline models, and is proven to have excellent performance in all monitoring station categories of Beijing and different months with significant disparity of ozone concentrations.

Portable air pollutant monitors onboard unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are increasingly being used to make vertical observations within the lower part of the troposphere. An overall evaluation of the UAS platform is critical before its wide application. To our knowledge, these evaluations have rarely been reported. This study is aimed at evaluating the performance of a fixed-wing UAS platform that is deployed with portable ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) monitors. A tethered airship platform deployed with conventional O3 and PM2.5 monitors was used as a reference method to evaluate the UAS platform. To obtain custom calibration factors, the portable monitors were evaluated primarily with respect to corresponding conventional monitors at the ground level in three atmospheric environments. Then, the UAS assessment experiment was conducted over a coastal area in Shanghai, China. Seven statistical metrics were used to assess the performance of the portable monitors on the UAS platform. The results revealed that the portable monitors were capable of accurately capturing temporal variations in air pollutant concentrations after custom calibrations. The UAS platform could also accurately capture the vertical variations in O3 and PM2.5 concentrations within the lower troposphere. However, significant discrepancies between the UAS and airship platforms were observed for both O3 and PM2.5 measurements within the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The relative humidity (RH) values measured in this layer demonstrated significantly larger vertical variations and were substantially larger than those above the PBL. The discrepancies between the two platforms were associated mainly with horizontal variations in the UAS measurements over the experimental area, as well as large vertical variations in ambient temperature and RH within the lower troposphere.

Necroptosis, a necrotic cell death pathway regulated by receptor interacting protein (RIP) 1 and 3, plays a key role in pathophysiological processes, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, whether necroptosis is involved in RA articular cartilage damage processes remain unclear. The aim of present study was to investigate the dynamic changes in arthritic chondrocyte necroptosis and the effect of RIP1 inhibitor necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) and acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) inhibitor amiloride on arthritic cartilage injury and acid-induced chondrocyte necroptosis. Our results demonstrated that the expression of RIP1, RIP3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein phosphorylation (p-MLKL) were increased in adjuvant arthritis (AA) rat articular cartilage in vivo and acid-induced chondrocytes in vitro. High co-expression of ASIC1a and RIP1 showed in AA rat articular cartilage. Moreover, Nec-1 and amiloride could reduce articular cartilage damage and necroinflammation in AA rats. In addition, acid-induced increase in necroptosis markers RIP1/RIP3 were inhibited by Nec-1, ASIC1a-specific blocker psalmotoxin-1 (PcTx-1) or ASIC1a-short hairpin RNA respectively, which revealed that necroptosis is triggered in acid-induced chondrocytes and mediated by ASIC1a. These findings indicated that blocking ASIC1a-mediated chondrocyte necroptosis may provide potential therapeutic strategies for RA treatment.

The corrosive sulfur phenomenon has decades of history and currently adding passivators to the transformer oil is the most effective way to suppress the corrosive sulfur problem. However, it has not been reported how to choose the passivator concentration with different kinds of corrosive sulfur or different aging degree. In this paper, dibenzyl disulfide (DBDS) and dodecyl mercaptan (DDM) were added to the non-corrosive 25# transformer new oil, also with different concentrations of Irgamet 39, T571 and TTA. The accelerated thermal aging test was carried out at $150 ^{\circ}\mathrm {C}$ temperature, and the corrosive extent of copper surface were observed to obtain the best concentration of passivators for different sulfurs. The accelerated thermal aging test were also carried out at a temperature of $130 ^{\circ}\mathrm {C}$ for different aging degree. The passivators were added to the oil and the corrosion extent of copper surface were observed to get the best passivator concentration for oil with different aging degree. Results show that three passivators have different protective effects for different corrosive sulfurs. Irgamet 39 has a better protective effect than others at low concentration. However, both three kinds of passivators have poor protective effect on dodecyl mercaptan, and a new kind of passivator need to be developed. For different aging degree oil, the passivators also have different protective effect. For the transformer oil of higher aging degree, the passivators in low concentration have poor protective effect, thus the passivator content need to be concerned to make it sure at high concentration level. The research work can provide some reference for guiding the addition of passivator in practical engineering and preventing the occurrence of sulfur corrosion failure.

4-Amino-2-Trifluoromethyl-Phenyl Retinate (ATPR), an all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) derivative, possesses the ability to relief several carcinoma. Here, we explored the potential molecular mechanism of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 6 (eIF6) in ATPR-induced leukemia cell differentiation. Our research showed that ATPR could inhibit cell proliferation and promote cell differentiation in several leukemia cell lines. Besides, ATPR remarkably reduced the expression of eIF6 in vitro. Interestingly, the reduction of eIF6 contributed to restraining proliferation of K562 cells by inhibiting CyclinD1, C-myc and blocking cell cycle, as well as promoting differentiation of K562 cells by increasing the expression of C/EBPe, cell surface antigen CD11b and inducing renal-shrinkage of nuclear. Furthermore, the over-expression of eIF6 restrained the effects of ATPR on cell proliferation and maturation in K562 cells. In Addition, Notch1/CBF-1 signal activated by Chrysin could increase expression of eIF6 and restrain the differentiation in ATPR-induced K562 cells. Taken together, all above results indicated that ATPR induced differentiation of leukemia cells by decreasing eIF6 through Notch1/CBF-1 signal, which might exert an innovative treatment for leukemia.

Carboxyl-functionalized polymer microspheres with a rosin moiety were prepared through dispersion polymerization using styrene, disproportionated rosin ester, and methylacrylic acid as raw materials. The effects of dispersion medium (ethanol/water) ratio, monomer mass proportion and initiator concentration on the polymer microspheres were studied. Scanning electron microscopy, laser particle size analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the microspheres, and their carboxyl contents were determined by the conductance titration method. The adsorption of methylene blue of the microspheres was also investigated. The results showed that rosin-based carboxyl-functionalized polymer microspheres were successfully synthesized. The microspheres exhibited smooth, spherical shapes with good monodispersity and high thermal stability. The carboxyl content of the microspheres prepared under optimum conditions was 0.089 mmol·g−1, with the average particle size approximately 950 nm. With increasing carboxyl contents of the polymer microspheres, their methylene blue adsorption capacities increased. The maximum methylene blue adsorption capacity of the microspheres was 59.55 mg·g−1 in the highest carboxyl content.

Tissue acidosis is a common feature of brain ischemia which causes neuronal injury. Activation of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) plays an important role in acidosis-mediated neurotoxicity. Acute ethanol administration has been shown to provide neuroprotective effects during ischemic stroke, but the precise mechanisms have yet to be determined. In this study, we investigated the effect of ethanol on the activity/expression of ASIC1a channels and acidosis-induced neurotoxicity. We showed that acute treatment of neuronal cells with ethanol for more than 3 h could reduce ASIC1a protein expression, ASIC currents, and acid-induced [Ca(2+)](i) elevation. We further demonstrated that ethanol-induced reduction of ASIC1a expression is mediated by autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP) dependent protein degradation. Finally, we showed that ethanol protected neuronal cells against acidosis-induced cytotoxicity, which effect was mimicked by autophagy activator rapamycin and abolished by autophagy inhibitor CQ. Together, these results indicate that moderate acute ethanol exposure can promote autophagylysosome pathway-dependent ASIC1a protein degradation and protect against acidosis-induced neurotoxicity.

This study is to develop an isotopic catchment-effect index (CEI) connecting the physiographic characteristics of stream catchments. A CEI, describing the extent of difference in stable water isotopic compositions (δ values) between stream water and local precipitation at any given sampling site, can help in judging whether water resource management should be focused on upstream regions of streams or local hydrology issues. To establish the isotopic CEI, this study measured δ values of stream water and derived δ18 O of local precipitation based on regional isotopic altitude gradient at montane catchments of various sizes. Results indicate that the CEI is strongly related to catchment physiographic characteristics, such as length of main stream, mean area, mean elevation, perimeter, and slope. These characteristics are considered important indices of streamflow. Based on mathematical regression modeling describing the relationships between CEI and respective physiographic factors, CEI values can predict respective physiographic factors and vice versa. Moreover, according to the multiple equations derived in this study, catchments of larger size and steeper slope give elevated CEI values while greater stream length reduces the CEI's value. A greater CEI value indicates that local stream water is principally sourced from upstream reaches rather than contributions from local precipitation. In addition, CEI values are greater in winter than in summer resulting from monsoon effect. Consequently, this study establishes CEI as a useful descriptor of the physiographic characteristics of catchments.

Bacillus licheniformisHDYM-03 was isolated from flax-retting water. In this research, the production of flax-degumming enzymes by this strain was investigated in four medium, whose sole carbon source was beef extract peptone (BP), pectin (PEC), konjac powder (KGM) and carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC), respectively. In PEC medium, the production of pectinase (455.06 U/mL) and polygalacturonase (540.32 U/mL) is higher than that in other medium. In KGM medium, the mannanase reach the highest activity 193.33 U/mL. The production of xylanase and cellulase is extremely lower and could be ignored in all of the four medium. The results show that the production of flax-degumming enzymes by this strain could be significantly induced by flax colloid.B.licheniformisHDYM-03 suggest an applicable potential in flax-retting industry.

A novel lanthanide–organic framework (Eu–HODA), consisting of 2,2′,3,3′-oxidiphthalic acids as efficient sensitizing units, is assembled and characterized. Eu–HODA features rare chiral helical channels despite the achiral nature of H4ODA. It is found that this MOF shows a unique luminescent response to methanol, in contrast to n-propanol and ethanol. Eu–HODA reveals a turn-off luminescence switching initiated by acetone molecules with an EC50 of 0.03 vol %, which is below the occupational exposure limit of acetone stipulated by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Furthermore, it also exhibits high sensitivity (Stern–Volmer constant KSV = 2.09 × 104 L/mol) and low detection limit (6.4 ppb) for Fe3+ ions in pure water because of the existence of uncoordinated carboxyl groups within open frameworks. Eu–HODA-based test paper provides a simple and reliable detection method for Fe3+ in practical applications.

Diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) were responsible for the synthesis of second messenger cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), which were involved in various physiological activities of bacterial species. Here, a full-length DGC from Rhodococcus ruber SD3 fused with glutathione-S-transferase (GST) was expressed in E. coli and purified by glutathione agarose resin. The apparent molecular mass of one subunit of the purified diguanylate cyclase with GST tag (GST-DGC) was estimated to be 71.9 kDa by SDS-PAGE, which was approximately in accordance with the theoretical value of 73.0 kDa. The sequence of GST-DGC was confirmed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The blue native PAGE indicated that GST-DGC formed octamer. The optimum pH and temperature for GST-DGC activity were 8.0 and 47 °C, respectively. The fusion protein exhibited high thermostability, and 94% of activity was retained when the protein was incubated at 87 °C for 1 h. Moreover, the fusion protein showed pH stability. The K m, V max and K cat values for GST-DGC enzyme were 9.8 μM, 0.7 μM/min and 1.3 S -1 . Some ions such as Zn 2+ , Mn 2+ , Fe 2+ , Ni 2+ and Co 2+ had inhibitory effects on the activity of the protein, while other ions such as Mg 2+ , K + and Na + slightly activated the protein. The fusion protein also showed rather high stability in the presence of toluene, cyclohexane and n-hexane.

This dissertation employs the method of direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering on the reverse side of the high power LED aluminum substrate to deposit the AlN thin film. And then, we paste the high power LED beads to the front of the substrate, testing and studying the heat dissipation influences of the AlN thin film on the high-power LED beads. In order to compare easily, some parts of the reverse of aluminum substrate should be overlaid thermally conductive silicone. The result indicates that depositing the AIN thin film or the overlay thermally conductive silicone on the back side of the aluminum substrate can improve the heat dissipation capability of high power LED, the AIN thin film especially.

In this study, with phenol as sole source of carbon, a phenol-degrading strain was isolated from rotting wood and polluted sludge. The strain was identified as Rhodococcus ruber SD3 according to their morphological features and 16S rDNA sequence. Rhodococcus ruber SD3 almost completely degraded 1.0g L-1 phenol in 72 hours. Rhodococcus ruber SD3 was also capable of growing in a medium containing isooctane, cyclohexane, benzene, n-heptane, toluene, acetonitrile, chlorobenzene, naphthalene, n-hexane, 1-naphthol and dimethylbenzene as sole carbon source, respectively. Rhodococcus ruber SD3 was mutated using LiCl as a chemical mutagen. The optimal concentration of LiCl for mutagenesis was 0.3 %. The mutant M1 could degrade 99.8 % of 1.5 g L-1 phenol within 72h. The optimum pH and temperature for the degradation of phenol with mutant M1 were 7.5 and 35°C.

A simulated model consists of chip-on-board (COB) packaged light emitting diode (LED) array with silicon resin based optical component was built. The principle of the simulation was to investigate the roles of optical component feature play in light extraction efficiency (LEE) by adjusting shape and size of the component to obtain maximum optical output power. Since cylinder resin based optical component is commonly seen in COB packaged LED product, such geometry was chosen and optimized in the simulation. In addition, micro lens array was applied to further improve the performance and it has been found that such design is an effective approach to improve LEE of LED.

A novel fungus which produced lipase extracellularly was isolated from soil. The strain was named after Candida tropicalis SD7 based on morphological f eatures and ITS1-5.8S-ITS4 region sequences of ribosomal RNA. The fermentation conditions were optimized in order to improve lipase production of the strain. The maximum lipase activity was achieved at 72h. The optimum lipase production was observed in the medium with glycerol as carbon source and peptone as nitrogen source through submerged fermentation at 30° C and initial pH 7.0. The lipase showed stability in the presence of hydrophobic organic solvents such as methylbenzene, petroleum ether, isooctane and n-hexane. It was moderately stable in polar solvents, including DMSO, acetone, acetonitrile and methanol.

Summary Environmental isotopes including stable hydrogen and oxygen, and radioactive tritium isotopes are employed to assess groundwater sources in the Taoyuan–Chungli Tableland (TCT), northwestern Taiwan. We evaluate the contribution to groundwater resources of copious ponds distributed throughout the TCT. Results indicate that both precipitation and pond water are the end sources of proximal shallow groundwater (P-SGw) in the TCT. Recharge of P-SGw to deep groundwater in the proximal-fan region (P-DGw) is obvious, because δ values of P-DGw are similar to those of P-SGw and no barrier restricts P-SGw entering P-DGw. However, the infiltration of precipitation or pond water to shallow groundwater in the mid- and distal-fan regions (MD-SGw) is restricted somewhere because of impermeable confining layers overlying the MD-SGw. In addition, apart from the upstream recharge of the P-SGw, MD-SGw overlying the deep groundwater in the mid/distal-fan regions (MD-DGw) contributes to MD-DGw through barrier-layer leakage between MD-SGw and MD-DGw. Overall, δ values indicate that pond-sourced moisture accounts for about 6% of precipitation in the studied tableland. This contribution fraction is larger than that in the western plains or reservoir catchments of Taiwan. The calculations also indicate that precipitation and pond water respectively contribute 51% and 49% to P-SGw. Among the 49% contribution from pond water to P-SGw, 46% is from direct infiltration and the remaining 3% is via the evaporation–precipitation process. The fractional results clearly indicate that pond water is a vital source of both local precipitation and groundwater.

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films are prepared by sulfurizing the precursors deposited by vacuum evaporation methods. The samples sulfurized at 500°C for 3h shows the strong (112) diffraction peak at 28.45˚, suggesting the successful synthesis of CZTS thin films. The X-ray diffraction shows that CZTS thin film prepared in Sn-poor condition have the best crystallinity. The Sn-dependent crystallite size was calculated to be 19.53-21.03 nm. In addition, we found that the optical band gap with various Sn contents can be modulated at 1.48-1.85 eV

Nitrate export in small subtropical watersheds is rarely observed and the estimation of individual land use nitrate yield from a mixed combination within catchments has scarcely been studied. In this study the nitrate concentrations at 16 nested catchments in the Chi-Chia-Wan watershed in Central Taiwan were measured during 2007–2008. A 3-layer TOPMODEL was applied to estimate daily discharge for ungauged sub-catchments. The observed nitrate concentrations and the simulated discharges were used for nitrate flux estimations through four flux methods. Meanwhile, a new deconvolution computation was developed to resolve the nitrate yield of each land use from within the mixed combinations. The results showed that the observed mean NO3-N concentration in relatively pristine catchments was approximately 0.145 ± 0.103 mg l−1, which is comparable with other forestry catchments around the world. However, the higher rainfall/runoff, substantial N deposition, and other nitrogen sources resulted in significantly higher annual export of approximately 238–1018 kg-N km−2 yr−1. Our deconvolution computation showed that the background yield of natural forestry was ~351 ±62 kg-N km−2 yr−1. On the other hand, the extremely high nitrate yield of active farmland was ~308, 170 ± 19 241 kg-N km−2 yr−1 due to over-fertilization. The deconvolution computation technique is capable of tracing the mixed signals at the outlet back to the nitrate productions from varied land use patterns. It advances the application of river monitoring network. The typical values of nitrate yields can serve as a guideline for land management. Comparing the nitrogen input and output, we found some nitrogen missing in the cycling which may indicate certain removal processes and we therefore suggest further study to be carried out to fully understand nitrogen cycling in subtropics.