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Tensile tests were carried out at ambient temperature on one kind of near α titanium alloy named Ti-600 before and after being exposed at 600°C for 100 h. Fractography morphologies were investigated and fracture mechanisms were analysed. The results indicate that, compared with the sample without thermal exposure, the strength of the sample without oxidising layers increases by 1% or so, while the elongation decreases by about 20·4% for the alloy after thermal exposure. For the sample with oxidising layers, the ultimate strength decreases somewhat and the elongation decreases by 48·9%, indicating that the plasticity decreases abruptly during the thermal exposure process. For the solutioned plus aged samples, cracks originated from the centre of the fracture, and dimple-type fractures could be found. After long thermal exposure, for the samples without oxidising layers, hybrid fractures (both dimples and cleavage facets) can be seen. However, for the samples with oxidising layers, only cleavage fac...

Nucleotide and codon usage are typically examined to investigate viral evolution. In this study, we analyzed the genetic information of 46 strains of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) RNA, nucleotide usage in the internal ribosome entry site (IRES), the nucleotide context surrounding the initiation codon, and synonymous codon usage in the translation initiation region. Phylogenetic analysis of the IRES element indicated that the genetic diversity of this element is generally similar to the phylogenetic clusters of CSFV genotypes. Nucleotides surrounding the initiation codon of CSFV RNA were generally more stable (ACAUGGCACAUGGAGUUG) compared to the internal AUG in the CSFV coding sequence. The second codon position after the initiation codon was generally selected to be GAG, which has lower tRNA abundance in pigs than its synonymous member (GAA). Regarding the synonymous codon usage bias in the CSFV translation initiation region, some codons showing low tRNA abundance in pigs are more frequently located in the translation initiation region than in the open reading frame of CSFV. Although CSFV, similarly to other RNA viruses, has a high mutation rate in nature, the regulatory features of nucleotide and synonymous codon usage of the IRES element, the nucleotide context surrounding the initiation codon and the translation initiation region in CSFV RNA have been 'branded' in the system of translation initiation to accommodate gene expression mediated by the cap-independent translation mechanism.

Adaptation in the overall codon usage pattern of West Nile virus (WNV) to that of two hosts was estimated based on the synonymous codon usage value (RSCU). Synonymous codon usage biases for the beginning coding sequence of this virus were also analyzed by calculating the usage fluctuation for each synonymous codon along the target region (the first 270 codon sites of the whole coding sequence of WNV). Adaptation of WNV to Anopheles gambiae regarding the overall codon usage revealed a mixture of synonymous codon usage patterns between this virus and its vector. Regarding the adaptation of WNV to its dead-end host and codon usage, although a mixture of overall codon usage patterns exists, the number of codons with reversed tendency codon usage is lower than that between the virus and its vector. In addition, some codons with low RSCU values for this virus are highly selected in the beginning translation region of WNV, while codons with low RSCU values in this region tend to pair with tRNAs present in low abundance in the host, suggesting that highly selected codons in a specific region in the beginning region of WNV are, to some degree, influenced by the corresponding low tRNA abundance of hosts to regulate the translation speed of the WNV polyprotein.

Introduction – White grape pomace is not subject to maceration, keeping nearly all polyphenols of grapes, so they represent important sources of bioactive compounds such as proanthocyanidins. Preparation of plant polyphenol extracts is usually performed using raw material powder. However, the fine particles make the further extraction procedure steps more difficult. Objective – To study the effect of mechanical treatments on extraction yields and anti-oxidant activity from different parts of white grape pomace. Methods – Skins, stems and seeds were isolated from the pomace of white winemaking process. Sequential solvent extraction of polyphenols, first using 80% methanol in water followed by 75% acetone in water, was carried out on both entire and milled (< 1 mm) grape solids; extraction on seed polyphenols was also performed in its squashed form. The phenolic content of each extract was verified by spectrometric and HPLC methods and its anti-oxidant activity was evaluated by the 1,1diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl test. Results – More total polyphenols can be extracted from each milled tissue than from its entire form. Seeds present the highest total phenol, oligomeric and polymeric proanthocyanidin content, and similar extraction yield was found between milled and squashed tissues. The HPLC analysis showed no difference in extraction yield of low-molecular-weight proanthocyanidins between milled and entire stems. Anti-oxidant activity showed a positive correlation with total phenol content, galloyled oligomers and polymeric proanthocyanidins. Conclusion – The use of entire stems and squashed seeds for solvent extraction of polyphenols makes manipulation simpler and more cost-efficient, providing similar extraction yields to using their powdery forms. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) is an important property of soil, but directly measuring methods are costly and time-consuming. Many attempts have been made to predict the water characteristic curve indirectly from soil particle size distribution (PSD) and basic physical properties. In this study, the Arya-Paris (A-P) model and Non-similar midia concept (NSMC) model were applied to predict the SWCC indirectly with six soil samples in arid regions. The objective of this study was to compare the two physico-empirical methods and assess the applicability of them under different particle size of soil. The results showed that the A-P model was superior to NSMC model on prediction precision, and more suited to predict silty sand and silt, those soils with medium texture. While using Arya-Paris method, the scaling parameter, α (parameter used to scale pore lengths based on spherical particles to natural soil pore lengths), was estimated by non-linear fitting, linear fitting and as a constant. It was found that the A-P model with non-linear α that used improved logistic growth equation was the best method to estimate SWCC, which had a maximum coefficient of determination (R2) and minimum root mean square error (RMSE).

Ten sweetpotato viruses were surveyed in 3 major sweetpotato planting region (covering 11 provinces) in China from 2006 to 2010 to understand the distribution of sweetpotato viral diseases. Nine out of the 10 viruses were found in every major planting region. The most frequently detected virus in the Northern and the Yangtze River region was SPMSV. In the Southern region, SPVG was the most frequently detected virus. Compared to the results of the survey done in 1989, the incidences of all the viral diseases increased.

Osteosarcoma represents an aggressive type of bone malignancy that poses a significant health threat. The objective of the current study was to analyze the effect and mechanism of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on the proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis of human osteosarcoma cells. A gradient concentration of DHA (15, 25 and 35 μmol.L-1) was used to stimulate the cells, along with control and Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The phenotypic outcomes were characterized using MTT assay, clone formation assay, Hoechst 33258 staining assay, luciferase reporter plasmid assay, Western blot and wound healing assay. In addition, IBM SPSS Statistics 18.0 software was applied for statistical analysis and all experimental data were expressed as mean ± s.d. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to compare the differences among multiple groups. Our results demonstrated that DHA inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells and promoted the apoptosis in the cytomorphosis.

The modification of acicular alpha of TC21 titanium alloy during hot rolling was investigated for finer grains under the condition of optimized preheating time. Two different preheating schedules were used to roll TC21 alloy plates at strains of 0.36, 0.69, and 1.2. The results show that preheating time has a great effect on microstructure evolution. By and large, under a given set of deformation conditions, the materials with shorter preheating time more rapidly formed finer equiaxed grains compared to the materials with longer preheating time. The nature of the modification of acicular alpha to equiaxed morphology was identified to be a two-step process: the formation of the necklace-like structure by geometric dynamic recrystallization, and then the separation of alpha lamellae by boundary splitting along subboundaries and the subsequent globularization by migration of interfaces.

Hydrogen can be used as a temporary element to refine microstructure and improve workability of titanium alloys. In this article, the influence of hydrogen on the microstructure evolution and tensile properties of TC21 alloy is investigated. The microstructure observation reveals that the FCC hydrides δ precipitate firstly at the grainboundaries of primary α phases in TC21 alloy with hydrogen contents above 0·319 wt-%. These hydrides which block the grains deformation reduce both the strength and ductility at room temperature. With increasing hydrogen contents, the elevated temperature strength decreases first and then increases, while the ductility behaves the contrary. These are resulted from the interaction of hydrogen induced softening and hardening.

The effect of process variables on flow response and microstructure evolution during hot working of Ti-17 (Ti–5Al–2Sn–2Zr–4Mo–4Cr) alloy with lamellar microstructure was established using isothermal hot compression tests at strain rates of 0·001–10 s−1, test temperature between 780 and 860°C, and height reductions of 15–75%. All of the flow curves exhibited a peak stress followed by noticeable flow softening, and tended to exhibit a noticeably lower rate of flow softening at the strain of the order of 0·7. The peak flow stress decreased with increasing temperature and decreasing strain rate. Flow softening of the Ti-17 alloy was caused by kinking, break-up and globularisation of lamellas during deformation and, to a small extent, by deformation heating. At high strain rate, adiabatic shear bands and flow localisation were observed to play a role in flow softening. In α+β phase region discontinuous yielding was discovered at higher temperature (⩾820°C) and 10 s−1. According to the deformation micro...

Chilli veinal mottle virus (ChiVMV) belongs to the genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae, infects mostly Capsicum sp. and is aphid-transmitted in a non-persistent manner in the field. This virus is widespread and has been reported in Hainan Province (Wang et al. 2006), Yunnan Province (Ding et al. 2011), and Sichuan Province (Zhao et al. 2014) in China. In June 2016, virus-like symptoms such as mottling, mosaic, and narrowing were observed on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plants in Yangzhou city, Jiangsu Province, east China. Five leaf samples were collected from symptomatic tomato plants. All samples were assayed by western blotting using polyclonal antiserum to ChiVMV. The results suggest that two of five samples were positive for ChiVMV. Total RNA was extracted from 5 symptomatic tomato plants of leaf samples using Trizol reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA), according to the manufacturer’s protocol. The first-strand cDNA was prepared using M-MLV Reverse Transcriptase (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA). PCR was...

The hot workability and microstructural evolution of a highly β stabilised Ti–25V–15Cr–0·3Si alloy have been studied using constant strain rate isothermal compression tests in the temperature range 900–1100°C and strain rate range 0·01–10 s−1. It was found that all the flow stress curves were characterised by a sharp initial discontinuous yielding followed by either a steady state or continuous flow softening with strain. This alloy showed dynamic recovery at temperatures less than 950°C but dynamic recrystallisation at temperatures higher than 1000°C. At higher strain rates (>1 s−1), 'necklace' recrystallisation, in which grain boundaries were decorated by finely recrystallised grains, was operative. At lower strain rates (

The microstructure variations in the heat affected zone (HAZ) of cast hot working die (CHWD) steels initiated by pulse electric current stimulation were investigated by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. Under the function of pulse electric current stimulation, some carbide particles segregating on the boundaries of neighboring lathing martensite in the original steel, were diffused as solid solution phases to the inner of martensite matrix. Compared with carbide agglomeration precipitating with irregular shape in the fatigued steel after 500 thermal fatigue cycles, the globularity of carbide was enhanced by degree and the interface between carbide and matrix was much improved in the corresponding electrostimulated steel. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the dislocation density was obviously increased in the HAZ when the application of pulse electric current through the original steel, especially for the stimulated specimen after thermal fatigue for 500 cycles. The reason was regarded as that the dislocation motion and multiplication were enhanced by the electro-dislocation interaction, Joule heating effect and thermal compressive stress under the function of pulse electric current stimulation. By the coexisting action of strengthening mechanisms by refining grain, increasing dislocation density and dispersively distributing nanosized carbide particles, the ultra tensile strength (UTS) of the HAZ was improved from 1738 MPa in original state to 2420 MPa by the stimulation of pulse electric current. Especially for the stimulated steel after thermal fatigue for 500 cycles, the UTS even reached 2687 MPa. Pulse electric current stimulation played a strengthening role on CHWD steel material and inevitably improved the thermal fatigue behavior and prolonged the service lifetime of die material.

The fatigue crack propagation behaviors of cast-hot-working die (CHWD) steel untreated and treated by electropulsing stimulation with different current densities were investigated in the present study. The elliptical heat affected zone (HAZ) was formed ahead of specimen notch tip due to the concentrating heat release induced by current bypassing and concentrating effect. The acreages of specimen HAZs were gradually enlarged because of the more heat energy input by elevating current density of electropulsing stimulation. The grain refinement and dislocation density increase in the specimen HAZs were enhanced by elevating the current density of electropulsing stimulation, which inevitably resulted in the improvement on the HAZ mechanical properties and the enhance of fatigue resistance. In addition, the induced compressive stress by electropulsing stimulation could decrease the peak value of tensile stress forming in the thermal fatigue process, which also enhanced the thermal fatigue resistance. Consequently, the resistance to thermal fatigue of CHWD steel was enhanced by grain refinement, dislocation density increase and induced compressive stress after electropulsing stimulation with high current density.

Steel drill rods are employed in the mining industry to drill blast holes in rock, for them a high-quality metal surface and accurate geometrical parameters are essential. Drill steel is a special material exclusively designed for drill rods. To estimate the microstructure and dimensional stability of drill steel, a rigid plastic finite element method (FEM) was applied in examining the Mannesmann piercing in the drill steel manufacture. The three-dimensional thermal-force coupling FEM models were computer-generated with different plug positions. Стальные буровые штанги используются в горной промышленности для бурения взрывных скважин в породе, для них высокое качество металлической поверхности и точные геометрические параметры являются непременным условием. Буровая сталь особый материал, разработанный специально для буровых штанг. Для оценки микроструктуры и устойчивости размеров буровой стали был использован метод конечных элементов для жесткопластического анализа прошивки Маннесмана в производстве буровой стали. Трехмерные конечноэлементные модели термосилового взаимодействия разрабатывали на компьютере, используя различные положения оправки.

In the high temperature superconducting (HTS) cable system, liquid nitrogen is usually chosen to be the coolant because of its low saturation temperature and large latent heat of vaporization. Thus, it is very important for superconducting cables that the liquid nitrogen temperature field keeps stable. However, the cryostat is usually made of flexible corrugated pipes and multi-layer insulation materials. The characteristics (e.g. wave pitch and wave depth) of corrugated pipes may have an effect on the heat exchange between cable and liquid nitrogen, even the whole temperature field of liquid nitrogen. In this paper, a two-dimensional model for 30 m long HTS cable has been modified to analyze the effect of corrugated characteristics on the temperature field of liquid nitrogen. The liquid nitrogen temperature difference between the outlet and the inlet of passage gradually increases as the wave pitch of the corrugated tube decreases and the wave depth increases.

The paper describes two test procedures for gaining insight into the optimum polymer dose for conditioning an alum sludge prior to dewatering. The first method centres on a development of theory used to estimate the specific resistance to filtration (SRF) using the standard Buchner funnel test. The second is an ad hoc test (termed the ‘CML30 test’) which provides a simple means for treatment works operatives to gauge the optimum dose; it focuses on a particular type of alum sludge and there are no claims concerning its wider utility. Standard filtration theory has been developed to take account of the hydraulic resistance of the filter medium arising from clogging phenomena in overdose conditions. The modified theory yields an adjusted filtration resistance, namely SRF adj , which refers solely to the filtration behaviour of the cake. The CML30 test is based on 30 min settlement in a 100 ml measuring cylinder. With increasing dose, there exists a minimum interfacial height at a dose which coincides with the minimum in the SRF adj trend; this is regarded as an optimum and shows proportionality with the solids concentration. Simplified theory is presented to explain the settling behaviour.

To analyze the synonymous codon usage patterns of sequence regions flanking cleavage sites in the hepatitis A virus (HAV) polyprotein, the codon usage bias at codon positions and the synonymous codon usage in the target contexts of 30 virus strains were estimated by two simple methods that were based on the values for relative synonymous codon usage. In addition, the pattern of synonymous codon usage was compared between the genomic sequences in HAV and those of its human host. Our results indicated that HAV adopts a combination of coincidence and antagonism with the synonymous codon usage in humans. This characteristic may help HAV to efficiently use the translational machinery in its human host. We also observed that codon usage exhibited a strong bias in some specific positions in these contexts, and that the underrepresented synonymous codons, CUA for Leu, ACG for Thr, GUA for Val, and UCG for Ser, are preferentially used in these positions. These underrepresented synonymous codons likely play roles in regulating the rate of protein translation and influencing the secondary structure of the sequence regions flanking the cleavage sites.

Even to date, Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, is still a major public health problem. The cellular mechanisms underlying development of OSCC are poorly understood. Lipid rafts-associated proteins not only serve as a docking platform for protein sorting and membrane trafficking, but also coordinate signaling molecules at cell membrane to mediate intracellular responses, which makes them susceptible to be subverted by cancer cells. Although Flotillin-1 has been discovered for decades, its potential role in OSCC development is largely unknown. In current study, we demonstrate that Flotillin-1 is highly expressed in OSCC cell lines compared to normal oral epithelial cells. Modulation of Flotillin-1 expression via transfection with Flotillin-1 expression vector or shRNA showed that Flotillin-1 has a clearly positive impact on cell growth and motility in KB and/or Tca8113 cell lines. These observations were further supported by using mice or zebrafish tumor xenograft models. Mechanistic study indicated that Flotillin-1 expression activates NF-κB signaling pathway by enhancing phosphorylation of p65 and IκBα, and translocation of p65 into nucleus. Furthermore, inhibition of EGFR by AG1478 markedly repressed Flotillin-1-induced activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Our studies suggested that Flotillin-1 plays an important role in OSCC development, and might be a potential therapeutic target for OSCC.

To date, many studies conducted in the Chinese population have determined the correlation between the tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-238G/A, -308G/A, -857C/T and -863C/A polymorphisms and persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, their results remain inconclusive. With the aim of confirming this correlation, we performed a meta-analysis of 19 studies. The dichotomous data are presented as the OR with a 95% CI. The results of our study indicate that carriers of the TNF-a-857T allele among the pooled Chinese population were more likely to show spontaneous clearance of HBV (T vs C: OR = 0.824, 95% CI = 0.713–0.953, p 0.009; TT vs CC: OR = 0.701, 95% CI = 0.507–0.970, p 0.032; TC vs CC: OR = 0.804, 95% CI = 0.683–0.947, p 0.009; TT + TC vs CC: OR = 0.835, 95% CI = 0.716–0.974, p 0.021). The TNF-a-308A allele was associated with significantly reduced persistent HBV infection risk in the Chinese (A vs G: OR = 0.585, 95% CI = 0.456–0.751, p 0.002; AG vs GG: OR = 0.519, 95% CI = 0.341–0.789, p

Effect ofN-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) administration on cysteine and glutathione (GSH) contents in rat liver and kidney was studied using intact and diethyl maleate (DEM)-treated rats and perfused rat liver. Cysteine contents increased rapidly, reaching peak at 10 min after intraperitoneal NAC administration. In liver mitochondria it increased slowly, reaching peak at 60 min. GSH content did not change significantly in these tissues. However, in liver and kidney depleted of GSH with DEM, NAC administration restored GSH contents in 60 and 120 min, respectively. Perfusion with 10 mM NAC resulted in 76% increase in liver cysteine content, but not in GSH content. Liver perfusion of DEM-injected rats with 10 mM NAC restored GSH content by 15%. Present findings indicate that NAC is an effective precursor of cysteine in the intact liver and kidney and in the perfused rat liver, and that NAC stimulated GSH synthesis in GSH-depleted tissues.

Endogenous cannabinoids and peripheral cannabinoid CB2 receptors (CB2Rs) are involved in the antinociceptive effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on inflammatory pain. However, it is not clear how CB2R activation contributes to the antinociceptive effect of EA. The major proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6, are involved in inflammatory pain. Here we determined the effects of CB2R activation and EA on the expression level of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in inflamed skin tissues. Inflammatory pain was induced by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant into the left hindpaw of rats. Thermal hyperalgesia was tested with a radiant heat stimulus, and mechanical allodynia was quantified using von Frey filaments. The mRNA and protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in inflamed skin tissues were measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. Local injection of the selective CB2R agonist AM1241 or EA applied to GB30 and GB34 significantly reduced thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia induced by tissue inflammation. The specific CB2R antagonist AM630 significantly attenuated the antinociceptive effect of EA. Furthermore, EA or AM1241 treatment significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in inflamed skin tissues. In addition, pretreatment with AM630 significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of EA on these cytokine levels in inflamed skin tissues. Our results suggest that EA reduces inflammatory pain and proinflammatory cytokines in inflamed skin tissues through activation of CB2Rs.

We report fabrication of silicon nanohole radial p-n junction solar cells (SCs) using thermal annealing of silver films with metal-catalyzed electroless etching (MCEE). A balanced approach between the cost and controllability of the nanostructure fabrication is used to manufacture the silicon SCs. Based on our experimental results, the size and distribution of the nanoholes can be controlled by varying the thickness of the Ag films and the temperature for thermal annealing. In this work, we performed investigations on the dependencies of the device properties on the nanohole size. Detailed structural information for the silicon nanohole SCs was provided by TEM measurement. Our experimental results indicate substantial improvements in the cell efficiency for our devices compared to reported values for random nanostructure SCs.

We report fabrication of random nanometer-scale radial p-n junction solar cells (SCs). Nanoholes were fabricated on the Si wafer by combining silver film annealing and metal catalyzed electrochemical etching (MECC) of the material. The dimension of the holes can be adjusted by varying the annealing conditions and the thickness of the Ag film. Systematic investigations on the effects of the nanohole size and the doping conditions on the cell efficiency were performed.

The electron capture in O{sup 6+}-H collisions is studied by the two-center atomic orbital close-coupling (TC-AOCC) method when the interactions of charged particles are screened and have a Yukawa form. Atomic orbitals and eigenenergies of n {

The magnetic substate-selective single-electron-capture cross sections in collisions of N5+ with He and H-2 are calculated using the two-center atomic orbital close-coupling method, and the polarization of emitted radiation from the excited state of N4+ is investigated for projectile energies between 1.2 and 7 keV/u. The polarization degrees for the 3p(2)P(3/2)-3s(2)S(1/2) transition of N4+(3p(2)P(3/2)) produced in N5+ + He and N5+ + H-2 electroncapture collisions are in general agreement with the experimental measurements. It is found both experimentally and theoretically that there exists a large difference between the polarization degrees of this radiation resulting from the N5+ + He and N5+ + H-2 electron-capture collisions, namely, similar to 0.25 and similar to 0, respectively. By studying the time evolution of electron-capture dynamics in the two systems we have found that this difference is caused mainly by the difference in the interactions in the two systems at relatively small internuclear distances, consistent with the molecular picture of the collision dynamics.

In some systems, running after a period of time, agents form cooperation partnership. However, there are two problems in the bidding strategy of double auction between cooperative agents. Firstly, the auctioneer or bidder can't make an effective response to the pricing program while the opposite changes itself strategy. Secondly, because of incomplete information, the bargain efficiency is low in equilibrium. Aimed at these problems, a conception of favor degree is presented from the views of both auctioneer and bidder, and it is used to simulate the stimulation of nerve cells. This paper brings forward a novel bidding strategy of double auction based on the favor degree, which makes the two agents call for the long-term interests rather than immediate interests. So this strategy enlarges the trading range and improves the trading efficiency. Finally, the validity of the model is proved by a case.

Waterworks sludge continues to be an inescapable by-product of the potable water treatment process. Accordingly, final disposal of the sludge remains one of the most significant pressing problems for the potable water treatment industry. The possibility of reusing the sludge as a main substrate in a novel constructed wetland system was investigated in this study. Results show that significant phosphorus (P) and other pollutants removal were achieved in the system. With a mean influent BOD5 (5-day biochemical oxygen demand) and COD (chemical oxygen demand) levels of 392.7 mg/l and 579.8 mg/l, respectively, a removal efficiency of 90.6 % and 71.8 %, respectively, was obtained. P removal was however exceptionally high despite the high influent mean P level of 45.3 mg-P/l, which is about 2-3 times the level of P commonly found in sewage. This is attributable to the P adsorption capacity of the alum sludge and this highlights the benefits of its reuse in the system. The paper presents and discusses the findings from a laboratory scale research, which has potential for further large scale implementation. Other funder Environmental Protection Agency

The application of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) to the treatment of an effluent contaminated with hydrocarbon oils was investigated. The AOPs conducted were Fe2+/H2O2 (Fenton’s reagent), Fe2+/H2O2/UV (Photo-Fenton’s reagent) and UV-photolysis. These technologies utilize the very strong oxidizing power of hydroxyl radicals to oxidize organic compounds to harmless end products such as CO2 and H2O. A synthetic wastewater generated by emulsifying diesel oil and water was used. This wastewater might simulate, for example, a waste resulting from a hydrocarbon oil spill, onto which detergent was sprayed. The experiments utilising the Photo-Fenton treatment method with an artificial UV source, coupled with Fenton’s reagent, suggest that the hydrocarbon oil is readily degradable, but that the emulsifying agent is much more resistant to degradation. The results showed that the COD (chemical oxygen demand) removal rate was affected by the Photo-Fenton parameters (Fe2+, H2O2 concentrations and the initial pH) of the aqueous solution. In addition, the applicability of the treatment method to a ‘real’ wastewater contaminated with hydrocarbon oil is demonstrated. The ‘real’ wastewater was sourced at a nearby car-wash facility located at a petroleum filling station and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment method in this case. A statistical analysis of the experimental data using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) and the response surface methodology (RSM) based on the experimental design was applied to optimize the Photo-Fenton parameters (concentrations of Fe2+, H2O2 and initial pH) and to maximize the COD removal rate (more than 70%). Not applicable

The aim of this study is to investigate the plasticity of human epithelial ovarian cancer cell SKOV3ip and formation of vasculogenic mimicry (VM) in vivo. SKOV3ip was transfected with lentiviral vector carrying green fluorescence protein (GFP). Female nude mice were implanted intraperitoneally with GFP-labled SKOV3ip. When the transplanted tumor reached a volume of approximately 1 cm3, paraffin-embedded, formaldehyde-fixed tissue was prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H & E). Tumor tissues were also studied by electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. The results of H & E staining, electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy indicated SKOV3ip formed patterned networks with erythrocytes in them, in the absence of vascular epithelial cells, which was a sign that SKOV3ip engaged in VM in vivo. Expression of vascular epithelium marker CD31 was investigated by immunohistochemical staining, immunofluorescence assay, semiquantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and flow cytometric analysis (FACS). Factor VIII and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were also analyzed by FACS. Weak and focal CD31 immunohistochemical staining was found along the channels of tumor cells. Immunofluorescence assay and RT-PCR demonstrated that CD31 was expressed in primary-cultured SKOV3ip. CD31 and Factor VIII, but not VEGF were detected in primary-cultured SKOV3ip by FACS. The present study has shown that human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3ip may be able to express some specific markers of vascular epithelial cells and has plasticity to form VM in vivo. In the following study, we indicated that hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α inhibitor, rapamycin, could possibly prevent VM and phenotype transformation of SKOV3ip, reflected by down-regulating expression of CD31 and Factor VIII. HIF-1α protein expression correlated with CD31 and Factor VIII protein expression in SKOV3ip. These results indicated that VM might be associated with HIF-1α.

An 11-year-old girl presented to a central California children's hospital with a 3-day history of erythematous lesions on her forehead, neck, and trunk, abdominal pain, persistent emesis, and decreased urinary output. One day prior to admission she had a mild bout of diarrhea with a small amount of blood in her stool. Upon admission her condition rapidly worsened with acute renal failure, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. One of the possible causes of this condition included hemolytic uremic syndrome. Stool cultures of this patient tested at the children's hospital and at a state reference laboratory were repeatedly negative for Escherichia coli O157:H7. However, the state reference laboratory detected a toxigenic strain of Hafnia alvei active on Vero cells from two consecutive stool cultures during the acute phase of her illness.

A gravel-based tidal flow reed bed system was operated with three different strategies in order to investigate its optimal performance for the treatment of a high strength agricultural wastewater. According to the three strategies, individual reed beds were saturated and unsaturated with the wastewater for different periods while reasonably stable hydraulic and organic loadings were maintained. Experimental results demonstrated that the system produced the highest pollutant removal efficiencies with a relatively short saturated period and long unsaturated period, highlighting the importance of oxygen transfer into reed bed matrices during the treatment. Significant removals of some major organic and inorganic pollutants were achieved under all three operational conditions. Nitrification was not the major route of ammoniacal-nitrogen removal when the system was under high organic loading. Due to the filtration of suspended solids and the accumulation of biomass, gradual clogging of the reed bed matrices took place, which caused concerns over the long-term efficiency of the tidal flow system.

The paper outlines the effects of polymer conditioning on alum sludge properties, such as floc size, density, fractal dimension (DF) and rheological properties. Experimental results demonstrate that polymer conditioning of alum sludge leads to: larger floc size with a plateau reached in higher doses; higher densities associated with higher doses; increased degree of compactness; and an initial decrease followed by an increase of supernatant viscosity with continued increase in polymer dose. The secondary focus of this paper dwells on a comparison of the estimates of optimum dose using different criteria that emanate from established dewatering tests such as CST, SRF, liquid phase viscosity and modified SRF as well as a simple settlement test in terms of CML30. Alum sludge was derived from a water works treating coloured, low-turbidity raw waters.

This paper reports results of a data collection and analysis project investigating electric power quality of two relatively small, isolated electric utility systems in Alaska. In this paper, second generation instrumentation is described and comprehensive data and data analyses are presented. In addition to power quality measurements, average power demand is also given for each of the two sites. Data described in this paper are compared with those data reported in an earlier study of remote Alaskan power systems and in a comprehensive report of power quality data obtained in the contiguous 48 states. The results described in this paper are potentially applicable to geographic regions world-wide having widely scattered population centers of modest size with isolated utility systems.

Poly(A)(+) mRNA isolated from the striatum of normal rats and heat injured rats by RNAgents Total RNA Isolation System and PolyTract mRNA RNAgents Isolation Systems was microinjected into Xenopus laevis oocytes to express functional neurotransmitter receptors. Membrane currents were recorded by the conventional patch clamp technique for measuring the relative amounts of mRNA encoding dopamine receptor in order to study the change in dopamine receptors in heat injured rat striatum. There was no change in resting membrane potentials of the oocytes before and after mRNA injection. Dopamine induced membrane currents were shown to be mediated through Cl( ). The oocytes injected with mRNA from heat injured rat striatum were less sensitive to dopamine than those injected with mRNA from normal rats ( P0.05). The above result showed that heat injury affected gene expression and signal transduction of dopamine receptors in rat striatum.

Objective. To study the effects of heat stress on dopamine (DA) and related phosphatidylinositol (PI) signal transduction system members: PLA2, PI, Ca2+ in rat striatum. Method. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group and heat stressed group. Heat stressed rats were placed in small hot chambers and taken out as soon as their rectal temperatures (Tr) reached the preset temperature. Then the animals were killed and their striatums were taken out. Fluorospectrophotometry, HPLC, Fura-2/AM fluoresence labelled method and acidalkaline titration were used to measure the content of DA, PI, [Ca2+]i and the enzyme activity of PLA2. Result. During heat stress, when rats' Tr reached 41.0 degrees C or higher, with increase of Tr, DA content increased continuously. When Tr = 43.0 degrees C, DA content was significantly higher than control. When Tr = 41.0 degrees C PLA2 activity was higher than control significantly, PI content of heat stressed group decreased significantly than control. [Ca2+]i increased significantly when Tr = 42.0 degrees C as compared with control. But if DA receptor2 (D2R) antagonist was given an hour before heat stress, [Ca2+]i decreased and Tr took a longer time to get to 42.0 degrees C. Conclusion. During heat stress, DA mediated PI signal transduction system was activated. The increase of [Ca 2+]i might be mediated by D2R, and D2R antagonist may improve thermotolerance.

To study the kinetics of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukine-1 (IL-1 beta), and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) gene expression in rat lung after i.p. lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and the effect of dexamethasone (Dex) and ibuprofen (Ibu) on the cytokines gene expression.The amount of Evans blue in lung was measured by fluorescence method. The mRNA levels of TNF alpha, IL-1 beta, and MIP-1 alpha in rat lung were assessed by slot blot analysis.The mRNA levels of TNF alpha, IL-1 beta, and MIP-1 alpha in rat lung after i.p. LPS increased in a dose-dependent manner, and peaked at 2, 6, and 12 h, respectively. Both Dex 50 mg.kg-1 and Ibu 90 mg.kg-1 injected at 1 h before i.p. LPS markedly decreased the content of Evans blue in lung at 1 h after i.p. LPS. After Dex or Ibu pretreatment, the peak levels of TNF alpha, IL-1 beta, and MIP-1 alpha mRNA decreased markedly compared with LPS alone.The gene expression of TNF alpha, IL-1 beta, and MIP-1 alpha in rat lung increased after i.p. LPS. Dex and Ibu prevented LPS-induced lung injury through inhibiting the cytokines gene expression.

To study the influence of dexamethasone (Dex), ibuprofen (Ibu), and ligustrazini (Lig) on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) gene expression (both mRNA and protein).TNF alpha in supernatants of human whole blood was measured by ELISA; The TNF alpha mRNA was assessed by slot blot analysis.LPS-induced TNF alpha production was in a dose-dependent manner. TNF alpha levels in the whole blood increased markedly at 3 h and peaked at 6 h. The induction of TNF alpha mRNA was very rapid, peaking at 2 h after LPS challenge. Dex exerted inhibitory effects on TNF alpha production in a dose-dependent manner. Ibu and Lig had 2-phase effects on TNF alpha release.Dex, Ibu, and Lig affected TNF alpha gene expression, so they may be new approaches of anti-TNF alpha for treatment of sepsis.