Search

Objective To investigate the expression of interleukin 33 (IL-33) in cancer and adjacent non-cancerous tissues from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Real-time quantitative PCR was performed to detect the mRNA expression of IL-33 in 61 pairs of cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous tissues. In addition, immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression and location of IL-33 on paraffin sections in selected 12 cases with different pathological types, to analyze the correlation of IL-33 expression with clinicopathological variables and overall survival. Results The expression of IL-33 mRNA in cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent non-cancerous tissues. The immunohistochemical results showed that IL-33 protein was mainly localized in the nucleus, and was obviously down-regulated in NSCLC. Besides, the expression of IL-33 was associated with histological type, but was not associated with age, gender, smoking history, differentiation status and pathological TNM stage. According to the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the expression of IL-33 mRNA was evidently associated with post-operative overall survival of patients suffering from NSCLC. Conclusion IL-33 may play an important role in the development of NSCLC and the targeted therapy.

To identify altered pathways in an individual with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) using accumulated normal sample data.Gene expression data of E-GEOD-40435 was downloaded from the ArrayExpress database. Gene-level statistics of genes in tumor and normal samples were computed. Then, the Average Z method was applied to calculate the individual pathway aberrance score (iPAS). Subsequently, the significantly altered pathways in a ccRCC sample were identified using T-test based on the pathway statistics values of normal and ccRCC samples. Moreover, the identified altered pathways were verified through two methods: one was assessing classification capability for microarray data samples, and the other was computing the changed percentage of each pathway in ccRCC samples.Based on the threshold, 886 altered pathways were identified in all samples. The most significant pathways were potassium transport channels, proton-coupled monocarboxylate transport, beta oxidation of octanoyl-CoA to hexanoyl-CoA, antigen presentation: folding, assembly and peptide loading of class I MHC, and so on. Additionally, iPAS separated ccRCC from normal controls with an accuracy of 0.980. Moreover, a total of 5 significant pathways with change in 100% ccRCC samples were extracted including proton-coupled monocarboxylate transport, antigen presentation: folding, assembly and peptide loading of class I MHC, and so on.iPAS is useful to predict marker pathways for ccRCC with a high accuracy. Pathways of proton-coupled monocarboxylate transport, and antigen presentation: folding, assembly and peptide loading of class I MHC might play crucial roles in ccRCC progression.

No-tillage (NT) is an alternative cropping system for saving costs and conserving soils relative to conventional tillage (CT). However, NT effects on paddy soil and rice growth are still controversial or not fully understood. A fixed field experiment was conducted to compare soil and crop properties between NT and CT wet-seeded flooded super hybrid rice in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. After 6 years of continuous cropping, NT had higher contents of active organic carbon, NaOH hydrolysable N and NH4OAc extractable K and higher activities of invertase, urease and acid phosphatase at 0–5 cm soil depth, higher bulk density at 5–10 cm soil depth, and higher contents of double acid P at 5–10 cm and 10–20 cm soil depths. NT or associated soil compaction caused an adverse root environment for NT rice at early growth stage, which resulted in a lower capacity of photosynthetic carbon metabolism and consequent reductions in number of tillers and aboveground biomass accumulation before heading. However, no reductions were observed in total aboveground biomass and grain yield in NT rice, because the negative effects of NT or associated soil compaction on aboveground biomass production before heading were compensated for by its positive effects on aboveground biomass accumulation after heading. On one hand, the reduction in growth before heading of NT rice made its population density lower but more suitable during heading to 20 days after heading, which led to a more appropriate leaf area index, a lower leaf senescence and a consequent increase in net assimilation rate. On the other hand, N uptake was delayed in NT rice, which was another critical factor in determining its low leaf senescence. Our study suggests that the negative effects of NT or associated soil compaction on crop growth at early growth stage do not necessarily become concerns in NT wet-seeded flooded rice production.

We report on a simple and reliable method for the determination of trace cadmium ion using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with cupferron, s-naphthol and MWCNTs. The operational mechanism consists of several steps: first, the ligand cupferron on the modified electrode reacts with Cd2+ ion to form a chelate compound. Next, this chelate is adsorbed by the carrier s-naphthol following the principle of organic co-precipitation. Finally, the coprecipitated complex is detected by the GCE. This scheme is interesting because it combines preconcentration and electrochemical detection. Two linear responses are obtained, one in the concentration range of 5.0 × 10−11 to 1.6 × 10−8 M, the other in the range of 1.6 × 10−8 to 1.42 × 10−6 M, with a lower detection limit of 1.6 × 10−11 M. This modified GCE does not suffer from significant interferences by Cu(II), Hg(II), Ag(I), Fe(III), Pb(II), Cr(III), Zn(II), NO3−, Cl−, SO 4 2− ions and EDTA. The response of the electrode remained constant for at least 3 weeks of successive operation. The method presented here provides a new way for the simultaneous separation, enrichment, and electrochemical detection of trace cadmium ion.

Apolipoprotein M (apoM) is present predominantly in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in human plasma, thus possibly involved in the regulation of HDL metabolism and the process of atherosclerosis. Although estrogen replacement therapy increases serum levels of apoAl and HDL, it does not seem to reduce the cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women. Therefore, we investigated the effects of estrogen on apoM expression in vitro and in vivo. HepG2 cells were incubated with different concentrations of estrogen with or without the estrogen receptor antagonist, fulvestrant, and apoM expression in the cells was determined. Hepatic apoM expression and serum levels of apoM were also determined in normal and in ovariectomized rats treated with either placebo or estradiol benzoate, using sham operated rats as controls. Estrogen significantly increased mRNA levels of apoM and apoAl in HepG2 cell cultures in a dose- and time-dependent manner; the upregulation of both apolipoproteins was fully abolished by addition of estrogen receptor antagonist In normal rats, estrogen treatment led to an increase in plasma lipid levels including HDL cholesterol, a marked upregulation of apoM mRNA and a significant increase in serum levels of apoM. The same pattern of regulation was found in ovariectomized rats treated with estrogen. Thus, estrogen upregulates apoM expression both in vivo and in vitro by mechanism(s) involving the estrogen receptor. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A hydrothermal technique was used to synthesize nickel ferrite nanoparticles (NF-NPs) deposited on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, and X-ray powder diffraction which showed that the NF-NPs are located on the surface of the carboxylated MWCNTs. The material was used to modify a glassy carbon electrode which then was characterized via cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and amperometry. The electrode displays strong electrochemical response to hydrazine. A potential hydrazine sensing scheme is suggested.

No-tillage and direct seeding (NTDS) is an effective crop production method for reducing production costs and soil conservation. In order to understand performance of super hybrid rice under NTDS in rice–oilseed rape cropping system, a researcher-managed trail (2004–2010) and an on-farm research (2002–2005) were conducted to compare different tillage (conventional tillage or no-tillage) and rice establishment methods (transplanting or direct seeding) in super hybrid rice–oilseed rape cropping system. Under researcher-managed condition, grain yields of super hybrid rice under NTDS and conventional tillage and transplanting (CTTP) were equal. Compared with under CTTP, super hybrid rice under NTDS was characterized by more panicle number per m 2 but less spikelet number per panicle, and lower aboveground biomass production before heading but higher aboveground biomass accumulated during heading to maturity. Higher maximum tiller number per m 2 and lower spikelet production efficiency were responsible for the more panicle number per m 2 and less spikelet number per panicle under NTDS, respectively. Under farmer-managed condition, super hybrid rice under NTDS had more panicle number m 2 than under CTTP, which resulted in higher grain yield. Labor input under NTDS was lower than that under CTTP. Moreover, adoption of NTDS for super hybrid rice production had no significant impacts on seed yield and yield components of oilseed rape in rice–oilseed rape cropping system. Our study showed that CTTP could be replaced with NTDS to maintain yield and save labor for super hybrid rice production in rice–oilseed rape cropping system.

Super hybrid rice Liangyoupeijiu was grown by transplanting (TP) at a spacing of 20 cm×20 cm with one seedling per hill and by direct-seeding (DS) at a seeding rate of 22.5 kg ha-1 (about 120 seeds m-2) in Changsha, Hunan Province, China in 2004 – 2010. Grain yield and yield components were measured each year, and some physiological factors were determined in 2009. There was no significant difference in mean grain yield across years between DS and TP. DS produced more panicles per m2 but less spikelets per panicle than TP. The differences in number of spikelets per m2, spikelet filling percentage and grain weight between DS and TP were not significant. A large number of panicles per m2 in DS was derived from the increased number of tillers per m2 rather than increased rate of panicle-bearing tillers, and the number of tillers per m2 was mainly determined by the number of hills per m2 because the number of tillers per hill was small in DS plants. Tillering rate, tillering duration as well as carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism were critical to the reduced number of tillers per hill in DS. In DS plants with fewer spikelets per panicle, the numbers of primary branches and secondary branches per panicle, spikelets per primary and secondary branches, and also panicle length and spikelets per unit panicle length were smaller. These differences were attributed to the smaller source leaf size as well as lower root activity and the nutritional status at panicle initiation.

An electrode sensitive to uric acid was prepared by electrodeposition of nickel(II) hexacyanoferrate(III) on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The morphology of the material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The modified electrode were characterized via cyclic voltammetry and amperometry (i - t). It exhibited efficient electron transfer ability and a strong and fast (< 3 s) response towards uric acid which is linear in the range from 0.1 μM to 18 μM, with a lower detection limit of 50 nM (at an S/N ratio of 3). In addition, the electrode exhibited good reproducibility and long-term stability.

A good route (electrodeposition) for the fabrication of gold nanoparticles (nano-Au) attached on ZnO-MWCNTs films modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) was proposed. ZnO-MWCNTs films are favored for functioning as the biomimic membrane to immobilize nano-Au. The morphological characterization of nano-Au/ZnO-MWCNTs was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The performances of the nano-Au/ZnO-MWCNTs/GCE were characterized with cyclic voltammetry (CV), Nyquist plot (EIS) and typical amperometric response ( i – t ). The potential utility of electrodes constructed was demonstrated by applying them to the analytical determination of hydrazine concentration. The catalytic oxidation of hydrazine has a better result on the nano-Au/ZnO-MWCNTs/GCE because of the synergistic effect of nano-Au and ZnO-MWCNTs films. An optimized limit of detection of 0.15 μM was obtained at a signal to noise ratio of 3 and with a fast response time (within 3 s). Additionally, the nano-Au/ZnO-MWCNTs/GCE exhibited a wide linear range from 0.5 to 1800 μM and higher sensitivity. The ease of fabrication and high stability of the modified electrode are the promising features of the proposed sensor.

Objective Lung cancer is one of the deadliest malignancies. The immune checkpoint-blockade (ICB) tumor therapy has led to striking improvement of long-term survival for some lung cancer patients. However, the response rate of immunotherapy is still low for lung cancer. Studying the tumor microenvironment (TME) should shed light on improvement of immunotherapy of lung cancer. Interleukin-33 (IL-33), an “alarmin” cytokine, has been implicated in tumor associated immune responses and inflammatory diseases of the lung. The role of IL-33 in lung cancer progression, however, remains elusive. This study is designed to characterize IL-33 expression in lung tumor tissues and establish the clinical significance of IL-33 in non-small cell lung cancer lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and methods Tumor tissue specimens from patients suffering from NSCLC were analyzed for expression of IL-33 protein by immunohistochemistry and expression of IL-33 and ST2 mRNA by RT-quantitative PCR (RT-QPCR). The expression data were analyzed for their association with clinical and pathological parameters of NSCLC. In addition, the association between expression levels of IL-33 mRNA and patient survival was determined using 5 independent expression profiling datasets of human lung cancer. Results and conclusion The expression levels of IL-33 and ST2 were significantly down-regulated in both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung when compared to adjacent normal lung tissues. In addition, the level of IL-33 protein was inversely correlated with tumor grade and size. Moreover, analysis of TCGA and GEO lung cancer expression datasets revealed that higher expression levels of IL-33 mRNA were correlated with longer overall survival of patients suffering from adenocarcinoma of the lung. These data indicate that the expression levels of IL-33 are inversely associated with lung cancer progression, consistent with the hypothesis that IL-33 is involved in immune surveillance of NSCLC.

A novel route (electrodeposition) for the fabrication of porous ZnO nanofilms attached multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) was proposed. The morphological characterization of ZnO/MWCNT films was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The performances of the ZnO/MWCNTs/GCE were characterized with cyclic voltammetry (CV), Nyquist plot (EIS) and typical amperometric response (i–t). The potential utility of electrodes constructed was demonstrated by applying them to the analytical determination of hydroxylamine concentration. An optimized limit of detection of 0.12 μM was obtained at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 and with a fast response time (within 3 s). Additionally, the ZnO/MWCNTs/GCE exhibited a wide linear range from 0.4 to 1.9 × 104 μM and higher sensitivity. The ease of fabrication, high stability, and low cost of the modified electrode are the promising features of the proposed sensor.

We are presenting a sensor for hydroxylamine that is based on an glassy carbon electrode modified with nanoparticles of Prussian Blue and with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The sensing material was synthesized using a mixture of ferric chloride and potassium ferricyanide solution in the presence of MWCNTs under ambient conditions. Characterization was done by scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared absorption spectrum and cyclic voltammetry. The modified electrode showed two well-defined pairs of redox peaks and dramatic catalytic activity towards the electro-oxidation of hydroxylamine with a linear response ranging from 1.5 µM to 2.0 mM. In addition, tests show the sensor exhibited outstanding stability and reproducibility.

Because of increasing competition for water, water-saving technologies such as alternate wetting and drying and aerobic rice are being developed to reduce water use while maintaining a high yield of rice. The components of the water balance of these systems need to be disentangled to extrapolate water savings at the field scale to the irrigation system scale. In this study, simulation modelling was used to quantify yield, water productivity, and water balance components of alternate wetting and drying and aerobic rice in the conjunctive surface-groundwater Liuyuankou Irrigation System, Henan, China. The study on aerobic rice was supported by on-farm testing. In the lowland rice area, where groundwater tables are within the root zone of the crop, irrigation water savings of 200–900 mm can be realized by adopting alternate wetting and drying or rainfed cultivation, while maintaining yields at 6400–9200 kg ha −1 . Most of the water savings are caused by reduced percolation rates, which will reduce groundwater recharge and may lead to decreased opportunities for groundwater irrigation. Evaporation losses can be reduced by a maximum of 60–100 mm by adopting rainfed cultivation. In the transition zone between lowland rice and upland crops, groundwater tables vary from 10 cm to more than 200 cm depth, and aerobic rice yields of 3800–5600 kg ha −1 are feasible with as little as two to three supplementary irrigations (totaling 150–225 mm of water). Depending on groundwater depth and amount of rainfall, either groundwater recharge or net extraction of water from the soil or the groundwater takes place.

China's grain basket in the North China Plain is threatened by increasing water scarcity and there is an urgent need to develop water-saving irrigation strategies. Water savings in rice can be realized by alternate wetting and drying (AWD) under lowland conditions, or by aerobic rice in which the crop is grown under nonflooded conditions with supplemental irrigation. Field experimentation and simulation modelling are a powerful combination to understand complex crop-water interactions and to extrapolate site-specific empirical results to other environments and conditions. In this paper, we present results from 4 years of field experiments on AWD and aerobic rice in 2001–2004 near Kaifeng, Henan Province, China. The experimental data were used to parameterize and evaluate the rice growth model ORYZA2000. A subsequent paper reports on the extrapolation of the experimental results using ORYZA2000 and on farmer-participatory testing of aerobic rice. In the lowland area of the study site, rice yields under flooded conditions were around 8000 kg ha−1 with 900 mm total (rain, irrigation) water input. Irrigation water savings were 40–70% without any yield loss by applying AWD. In the upland area of the study site, aerobic rice yielded 2400–3600 kg ha−1, using 750–1100 mm total water input. ORYZA2000 satisfactorily reproduced the dynamics in measured crop variables (biomass, leaf area, N uptake) and soil water variables (ponded water depth, soil water tension). The root mean square error of predicted yield was 11% for lowland rice and 19% for aerobic rice, which was only one and a half times the error in the measured values. We concluded that ORYZA2000 is sufficiently accurate to extrapolate our results on AWD and aerobic rice to different management and environmental conditions in our study area.

Recent studies have demonstrated that neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally downregulated 9 (NEDD9) is highly expressed in various tumor tissues and cell lines. However, research on the role of NEDD9 in gastric cancer (GC) is rare, and the potential mechanism in tumor progression has not yet been explored. In this study, we investigated the role and mechanism of NEDD9 in GC. The expression of NEDD9 in GC tissues and cell lines was measured by immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, and Western blot, respectively. Inhibiting NEDD9 expression was carried out by siRNA transfection, and upregulating of NEDD9 was via NEDD9 overexpression plasmid. The ability of proliferation, migration, and invasion was detected by MTT assay, scratch wound assay, and transwell assay, respectively. The expression of vimentin, E-cadherin, Zeb1, and Zeb2 was measured by Western blot and qRT-PCR. We found that NEDD9 expression was dramatically increased both in GC tissues and cell lines, and the expression was significantly related to GC development. Knockdown of NEDD9 in SGC-7901 strongly inhibited its malignant capacity in vitro. Meanwhile, upregulation of NEDD9 in GES-1 increased the malignant capacity. In addition, the expression of vimentin, Zeb1, and Zeb2 was positively correlated with NEDD9, while E-cadherin was opposite. Collectively, our findings suggest that NEDD9 acts as an oncogene and promotes GC metastasis via EMT.

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein M (ApoM) is a constituent of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). It plays a crucial role in HDL-mediated reverse cholesterol transport. Insulin resistance is associated with decreased ApoM levels. AIMS: To assess the effects of increased free fatty acids (FFAs) levels after short-term Intralipid infusion on insulin sensitivity and hepatic ApoM gene expression. METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats infused with 20% Intralipid solution for 6 h. Glucose infusion rates (GIR) were determined by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp during Intralipid infusion and plasma FFA levels were measured by colorimetry. Rats were sacrificed after Intralipid treatment and livers were sampled. Human embryonic kidney 293T cells were transfected with a lentivirus mediated human apoM overexpression system. Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats were injected with the lentiviral vector and insulin tolerance was assessed. Gene expression was assessed by real-time RT-PCR and PCR array. RESULTS: Intralipid increased FFAs by 17.6 folds and GIR was decreased by 27.1% compared to the control group. ApoM gene expression was decreased by 40.4% after Intralipid infusion. PPARβ/δ expression was not changed by Intralipid. Whereas the mRNA levels of Acaca, Acox1, Akt1, V-raf murine sarcoma 3611 viral oncogene homolog, G6pc, Irs2, Ldlr, Map2k1, pyruvate kinase and RBC were significantly increased in rat liver after Intralipid infusion. The Mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 (MAPK8) was significantly down-regulated in 293T cells overexpressing ApoM. Overexpression of human ApoM in GK rats could enhance the glucose-lowering effect of exogenous insulin. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that Intralipid could decrease hepatic ApoM levels. ApoM overexpression may have a potential role in improving insulin resistance in vivo and modulating apoM expression might be a future therapeutic strategy against insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes.

Apolipoprotein M (APOM) has been suggested as a vasculoprotective constituent of high density lipoprotein (HDL), which plays a crucial role behind the mechanism of HDL-mediated anti-atherosclerosis. Previous studies demonstrated that insulin resistance could associate with decreased APOM expressions. In agreement with our previous reports, here, we further confirmed that the insulin sensitivity was also reduced in rats treated with high concentrations of glucose; such effect could be reversed by administration of rosiglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ). The present study shows that Apom expression is significantly affected by either rosiglitazone or hyperglycemia alone without cross interaction with each other, which indicates that the pathway of Apom expression regulating by hyperglycemia might be differed from that by rosiglitazone. Further study indicated that hyperglycemia could significantly inhibit mRNA levels of Lxrb (P=0.0002), small heterodimer partner 1 (Shp1) (P

It has been demonstrated that apolipoprotein M (APOM) is a vasculoprotective constituent of high density lipoprotein (HDL), which could be related to the anti-atherosclerotic property of HDL. Investigation of regulation of APOM expression is of important for further exploring its pathophysiological function in vivo. Our previous studies indicated that expression of APOM could be regulated by platelet activating factor (PAF), transforming growth factors (TGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), leptin, hyperglycemia and etc., in vivo and/or in vitro. In the present study, we demonstrated that palmitic acid could significantly inhibit APOM gene expression in HepG2 cells. Further study indicated neither PI-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 nor protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GFX could abolish palmitic acid induced down-regulation of APOM expression. In contrast, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor beta/delta (PPARβ/δ) antagonist GSK3787 could totally reverse the palmitic acid-induced down-regulation of APOM expression, which clearly demonstrates that down-regulation of APOM expression induced by palmitic acid is mediated via the PPARβ/δ pathway.

This report shows that no–till direct seeding of super hybrid rice reduced energy use by 21%. Modern agriculture depends heavily on the use of fossil energy. The energy use in agriculture has attracted more and more attention because the increased emissions of greenhouse gases has risen the global mean temperature over the past century, and future impacts on the climate are uncertain. Adoption of no–till farming for crop production, such as corn, wheat or maize, is considered as a possibility to save energy. However, limited information is currently available on the no–till effect on energy use in rice production. In China, significant progress has been made in super hybrid rice breeding, and simplified rice establishment methods have become increasingly attractive because of their labor–saving benefits. No–till direct seeding is a relatively new simplified rice establishment method. We compared yield performance and energy input between transplanted (traditional) and no–till direct seeded super hybrid rice production systems by using data from field experiments and production survey. The results showed that no–till direct seeded system for super hybrid rice production did not reduce grain yield but reduced total energy use by 21% compared to the transplanted system. The reduced total energy use in no–till direct seeded system was attributed to lower energy use in both field operations and producing external inputs. For field operations, no–till direct seeded system had lower energy use by labor and machinery, which contributed about 6% and 38% of the reduced total energy use, respectively. For producing external inputs, energy use in N fertilizer remained the highest contributor to total energy use in both no–till direct seeded and transplanted systems, and the lower energy use in no–till direct seeded system was mainly due to reduced N fertilizer application. Our study suggests that great attention needs to be paid to establish knowledge–based N management practices for no–till direct seeded super hybrid rice in future studies to achieve further energy saving.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between human zinc finger 23 (ZNF23) expression and clinico-pathological characteristics in patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to investigate ZNF23 expression in relation to cell apoptosis.Thirty-seven HCC samples were collected and ZFP23 mRNA levels were determined by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Correlation between ZNF23 expression and patients' clinical characteristics was analyzed. For determining the effect of ZNF23 on cell apoptosis, HepG2 cells were exposed to cisplatin at different concentrations and ZNF23 mRNA assayed.Median relative mRNA levels of ZNF23 mRNA in HCC tissues and adjacent tissues were 8.84 (3.59-15.05) and 22.20 (13.85-42.90), respectively (U=259.5, p0.01). Median mRNA levels of ZNF23 in patients with Edmondson stage I+II disease [12.80 (4.80-19.50)] were much higher than those of patients with stage III+IV disease [5.01 (2.88-11.68), U=99.00, p0.05]. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay demonstrated that cisplatin significantly inhibited cell proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was positively correlated to cell apoptosis (F=27.89, p0.01), and in response to increasing cisplatin concentrations, ZNF23 mRNA levels increased in the cells.Cisplatin-induced apoptotic effect in HepG2 cells may be mediated via the up-regulation of ZNF23, which suggests that the ZNF23 gene could play an important role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury occurs in both native and transplanted kidneys. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) has been shown to prevent I/R injury in different tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of HBO on renal I/R injury in rats.Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups. The sham group (n = 8) received right nephrectomy. The I/R (n = 8) and HBO + I/R groups (n = 8) received 45 min left renal ischemia followed by 24 h of reperfusion after right nephrectomy. The HBO + I/R group (n = 8) received 100% oxygen at 2.5 atmosphere absolute (ATA), for 1 h at every 12 h interval for 2 d. Reperfusion was performed 24 h later after the last HBO exposure.In HBO + I/R group, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels decreased significantly compared with the sham and I/R groups (P0.01). Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were increased in renal tissue in the HBO + I/R groups. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) were decreased in the HBO + I/R groups. Kidney samples from HBO + I/R group rats revealed markedly reduced histological damage under histopathological examination. The animals treated with HBO showed significantly elevated heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein and mRNA levels expression compared with I/R group (P0.05).Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning (HBO-PC) can protect renal I/R injury against oxidative stress, and the up-regulation of HO-1 expression plays an essential role in HBO induced preconditioning effect.

The characteristics of the urban heat island effect were often examined using urban heat island intensity (UHII). We collected daily mean, maximum and minimum temperature data from the Kaifeng Weather Station in the Kaifeng City and Huibei Station in the surrounding rural area for 2004–2008. Daily UHIIs calculated from daily mean, maximum and minimum temperature were regarded as components of vectors in a 3-D space and they clustered using the k-means algorithm. Clustering results showed that there was usually a slight UHI for most days, while sometimes nocturnal UHI effect was significant. There were very few cases with extremely obvious UHI effect and cooling effect was unignorable. The clustering results confirmed the graphical interpretations. The clustering method presented in this paper provides an alternative way for analysis of UHI effect.

Ag(2)O nanowalls consisting of densely packed nanoplates based on a Cu substrate were synthesized through a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. A new enzymeless glucose sensor of Cu-Ag(2)O nanowalls was fabricated. The Cu-Ag(2)O nanowalls showed higher catalysis on glucose oxidation than traditional Ag(2)O nanoflowers and Cu-Ag(2)O nanospindles. At an applied potential of 0.4 V, the sensor produced an ultrahigh sensitivity to glucose (GO) of 298.2 microA mM(-1). Linear response was obtained over a concentration range from 0.2 mM to 3.2 mM with a detection limit of 0.01 mM (S/N = 3). Satisfyingly, the Cu-Ag(2)O nanowalls modified electrode was not only successfully employed to eliminate the interferences from uric acid (UA) acid ascorbic (AA) and also fructose (FO) during the catalytic oxidation of glucose. The Cu-Ag(2)O nanowalls modified electrode allows highly sensitive, excellently selective, stable, and fast amperometric sensing of glucose and thus is promising for the future development of nonenzymatic glucose sensors.

Through adsorption-desorption experiment and incubation test, this paper studied the phosphate adsorption and desorption characteristics of several fly ashes. The test fly ashes contained 0.545 - 4.540 g x kg(-1) of total P and 19.55 - 163.0 mg x kg(-1) of available P, which were significantly higher than those in soils. The P adsorption capacity of fly ashes increased with increasing added P, while their P adsorption rate was in adverse. Fly ashes had a higher P adsorption rate but a lower P desorption rate than soils, mainly because fly ashes had more P adsorption sites and stronger bound energy. In this study, Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin equations were fit to the measured data, and the MBC value in Langmuir equation, a value in Freundlich equation, and k2 value in Temkin equation could be used as a comprehensive index to characterize the potential phosphate adsorptivity of fly ashes. The larger these values were, the stronger the P adsorptivity was. The MBC, a and k2 value of 5 fly ashes collected from different locations was in order of Xiangtan power factory (5 167.7, 4 056.2 and 831.5)Yueyang paper factory (1 650.7, 2803.4 and 711.9)Huaneng power factory (303.0, 1677.6 and 368.7)Zhuzhou power factory (34.7,413.48 and 213.8)Dongting nitrogen fertilizer factory (34.7, 413.48 and 213.8). The P fixation by fly ashes generally increased with their increasing water content, and their phosphate adsorption was mainly specific adsorption and chemical precipitation, suggesting that the P fixation and the water content of fly ashes should be considered when fly ash was used as soil amendment or as compound fertilizer filling substance.

Three paddy soils with higher content of fixed ammonium in Hunan Province were used as test soils in pot experiment to study the seasonal variation of their fixed ammonium content and its bioavailability during rice growth period. The results showed that the fixed ammonium content in the paddy soils changed constantly during rice growth. Applying N fertilizer and organic manure increased the fixed ammonium content, which was decreased through the N uptake by rice plants. The recently fixed ammonium was almost fully available to rice, while the native fixed ammonium was partly available. The release of fixed ammonium during rice growth was newly alluvial sandy soilpurple clayey soilalluvial sandy soil, and was greater a early growth stage than at later growth stage.

A novel, simple and highly reliable method for the determination of trace amounts of mercury on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a compound of crystal violet and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CV+I−/MWCNTs) is reported. The principle of organic co-precipitation in solution was applied to the application of electrochemical analysis. First, the CV+/MWNTs modified electrode was immersed in solution with I−, CV+ and I− to form an ion association complex (CV+I−) as the carrier by the following reaction. Hg2+ was added into solution, where it reacted with I− to form HgI42−, then in the presence of CV+ an organic coprecipitator formed HgI42−·2CV+ by electrostatic adsorption. Finally, the HgI42−·2CV+ was adsorbed by the carrier CV+I− onto the surface of the modified electrode by the principle of organic co-precipitation. Meanwhile, trace mercury could be detected on the CV+I− and MWCNTs modified electrode (CV+I−/MWCNTs/GCE) by an electrochemical method. Therefore, preconcentration, separation and electrochemical detection of trace mercury were simultaneously and synchronously carried out. After optimization of the method, a linear response was obtained in the concentration range from 5.0 × 10−9 – 1.9 × 10−6 M, with a detection limit of 1.0 × 10−10 M. The modified electrode shows high selectivity, sensitivity and stability. This modified GCE does not present any significant interference from Cd2+, Cu2+, Ag+, Fe3+, Pb2+, Cr3+, Zn2+. No deterioration was observed in the electrode response during at least 3 weeks of successive measurements. The proposed method enables the separation, enrichment and electrochemical detection of trace mercury in aqueous solutions.

A novel, simple and reliable method for the determination of trace copper on glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) modified with co-poly(cupferron and β-naphthol)/gold nanoparticles (GNPs) is reported. The present work realized the application of principle of organic co-precipitation in solution into electrochemical analysis. First, the co-poly(cupferron and β-naphthol) was electrochemically deposited on the prepared GNPs/GCE by CV scanning in order to obtain co-poly(cupferron and β-naphthol)/GNPs/GCE. Then, the chelating ligand cupferron on the surface of the modified electrode and copper ion in the solution form the chelate complex (Cu(II)-Cpf), at the same time, the Cu(II)-Cpf was induced to be adsorbed by the carrier β-naphthol on the surface of the modified electrode by the principle of organic co-precipitation. Thus, the Cu2+ of the coprecipitated complexation can be detected at the co-poly(cupferron and β-naphthol)/GNPs/GCE. Therefore, preconcentration-separation and electrochemical detection of trace copper were simultaneously and synchronously carried through. After optimization, two linear responses were obtained in the concentration range from 9.0 × 10−10 to 4.5 × 10−8 M and 5.0 × 10−8 to 1.5 × 10−6 M, with a low detection limit of 5.0 × 10−11 M. This modified GCE does not present any significant interference from Cd2+, Ag+, Fe3+, Pb2+, Cr3+, Zn2+, NO3−, Cl−, SO42− and EDTA. No deterioration was observed in the electrode response during at least 3 weeks of successive measurements. And the modified electrode shows high selectivity, sensitivity and stability. The proposed method provides a new way for the separation, enrichment and electrochemical detection of trace copper ion.