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Marine Chlorella vulgaris, an efficient hydrocarbon-degrading organism, is easily affected by light. In this study, we investigated the direct effects of different light conditions on crude oil degradation by C. vulgaris and its crude enzyme. Under 12 h illumination, the crude enzyme improved hydrocarbon removal by 39.36%, whereas the addition of the enzyme and C. vulgaris increased the degradation rate by 121.73%. Conversely, the addition of enzyme under heterotrophic condition was negatively related to oil degradation by C. vulgaris, and the degradation rate decreased from 74.32% to 48.65% and further reduced by 34.54%. The results of RNA sequencing analysis suggested that hydrocarbons removal was attributed to C. vulgaris metabolism in heterotrophic physiological state. While enhanced removal efficiency of hydrocarbons was achieved in mixotrophic physiological state due to the coupling of C. vulgaris metabolism with photocatalytic oxidation. Functional enzymes played key roles in photocatalysis and biodegradation processes.

Background Sjögren’s syndrome (SjS), one of the most common autoimmune diseases, impacts millions of people annually. SjS results from autoimmune attack on exocrine (salivary and lacrimal) glands, and women are nine times more likely to be affected than men. To date, no vaccine or therapeutic exists to treat SjS, and patients must rely on lifelong therapies to alleviate symptoms. Methods Oral treatment with the adhesin from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) fimbriae protects against several autoimmune diseases in an antigen (Ag)-independent manner. Lactococcus lactis, which was recently adapted to express CFA/I fimbriae (LL-CFA/I), effectively suppresses inflammation by the induction of infectious tolerance via Ag-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs), that produce IL-10 and TGF-β. To test the hypothesis that CFA/I fimbriae can offset the development of inflammatory T cells via Treg induction, oral treatments with LL-CFA/I were performed on the spontaneous, genetically defined model for SjS, C57BL/6.NOD-Aec1Aec2 mice to maintain salivary flow. Results Six-week (wk)-old C57BL/6.NOD-Aec1Aec2 mice were orally dosed with LL-CFA/I and treated every 3 wks; control groups were given L. lactis vector or PBS. LL-CFA/I-treated mice retained salivary flow up to 28 wks of age and showed significantly reduced incidence of inflammatory infiltration into the submandibular and lacrimal glands relative to PBS-treated mice. A significant increase in Foxp3+ and IL-10- and TGF-β-producing Tregs was observed. Moreover, LL-CFA/I significantly reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IL-17, GM-CSF, and IFN-γ. Adoptive transfer of CD4+ T cells from LL-CFA/I-treated, not LL vector-treated mice, restored salivary flow in diseased SjS mice. Conclusion These data demonstrate that oral LL-CFA/I reduce or halts SjS progression, and these studies will provide the basis for future testing in SjS patients.

Additional file 4. Uncropped Blots. Uncropped images for all immunoblots in figures and additional file figures.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. EVT is a general process for integral vacuolar membrane proteins. Figure S2. Testing the potential role of Atg proteins in EVT. Figure S3. EVT is distinct from PMN and VID. Figure S4. EVT does not require the VTC complex and the EGO complex. Figure S5. EVT is distinct from NPC-dependent lipophagy. Figure S6. The role of ESCRT proteins in EVT. Figure S7. Hfl1 interacts and functions together with Atg8. Figure S8. Relationship between Hfl1 and Atg8.

Ruditapes philippinarum conglutination mud (RPM) is a typical waste by-product from manila clam R. philippinarum aquaculture. However, RPM from the clam at an aquaculture farm in Zhoushan, China, has been newly reported as a promising natural bioflocculant resource that contains effective flocculating polysaccharides from the clam associated bacteria. With an intent to figure out whether RPM flocculation activity is ubiquitous to the manila clam across a wide geographical range or only the Zhoushan location, and to explore the flocculation production basis and ultimately widen its exploitation scope, in this study, an extensive survey of RPMs from four representative locations along the coast of China was performed to determine their flocculation activity, polysaccharide constitution and bacterial community composition. Frozen preserved RPM samples from Zhoushan, Dalian, Weihai and Zhanjiang exhibited comparable flocculation activities (FRs) ranging from 61.9±2.4% to 73.2±0.9% at dosage of 8 g·L-1; while fresh RPMs from Zhoushan exhibited a much higher flocculation activity of 91.34±1.18% than its frozen counterpart. Polysaccharide extracts from the four locations showed similar monosaccharide constitutions to some extent. The geographical distribution led to certain variation in bacterial community structures. The similarity clustering of the polysaccharide compositions coincided with that of bacterial community structures from RPMs, suggesting that polysaccharides and respective bacterial communities might be the foundation of the flocculation activity for all RPMs. The overlapping OTUs across all the RPMs accounted for 44.6–62.22% of the overall sequences in each sample and contained the vast majority of the most abundant OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units), forming a common "core microbiome" that is probably responsible for polysaccharide production and flocculation activity development.

Additional file 2: Table S1. Plasmids Set I. Table S2. Plasmids Set II. Table S3. Plasmids Set III. Table S4. Primers for gene knockout and tagging. Table S5. Strains used in this study.

In order to solve the problem of slow tuning speed and easy misalignment of peak scan matching method of Overhauser magnetometer, a fast tuning method based on multiple self-correlation algorithm is proposed in this paper. First, according to the characteristic that the Free Induction Decay(FID) signal has an exponential attenuation and constant frequency, the signal is subjected to multiple self-correlation de-noising processing, and the frequency of the FID signal is obtained by using the FFT. Then the simulation of MATLAB is carried out, and the result shows that the multiple self-correlation algorithm has better processing effect on the FID signal detection in the strong noise background, so the FID signal frequency is accurately obtained. Finally, tuning circuit structure and tuning work-flow is designed. The tuning capacitance value is obtained according to the FID signal frequency and the resonance formula. The capacitance is selected by multi-channel switch to realize fast tuning.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Corpora cavernosa vascular endothelium injury is an important cause of erectile dysfunction (ED). Targeted repair of penile vascular endothelium is a vital way for ED tre...

Four types of cytokines are found to be related to the pathogenesis and treatment of ED. The cytokines capable of promoting angiogenesis can improve vascular endothelial function, promote endothelial regeneration and thus improve erectile function, those capable of promoting nerve regeneration can improve erectile function by protecting cavernous nerves, those capable of protecting the smooth muscle function can improve erectile function by promoting the smooth muscle expression and inhibiting penile fibrosis, and those inflammation-related cytokines can induce penile erection by acting on the corresponding receptor relaxing smooth muscle. Compared with PDE-5 inhibitors, cytokines are more targeted for the treatment of ED. However, current studies are mostly dependent on rat models and lack of large sample sizes, which has restricted further clinical application of cytokines. Although VEGF, IGF-1, BDNF and NGF can significantly improve the erectile function of ED rats, experiments with larger samples and larger animals are needed to further confirm their efficacy and safety.

In order to explore the performance, kinetics characteristics and enhancement mechanisms in anammox process under ferrous iron enhanced conditions, a laboratory-scale UASB anammox reactor has been built up and operated for 534 days. Experimental results showed that the Anammox process was successfully started up in a short operation period and the TNRE reached 83.34 ± 2.96% with a maximum total nitrogen removal rate of 14.4 kg m−3 d−1 after long-term operated under influent Fe(II) concentration of 5.3 mg L−1. Simulation results using different kinetic models showed that the Stover–Kincannon model and the Grau second-order model were useful for describing the anammox performance under Fe(II) enhanced conditions. Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) act a pivotal part in the granulation of Anammox sludge and the improvement of anammox activity. Iron improved the hydrophobicity of the sludge by reducing the PN/PS ratios, and also increased the Anammox granular diameter. The granular diameter of higher than 2.00 accounted for 58.3% of the total sludge. At the same time, the presence of iron decreased EPS levels, and also decreased the iron adsorption ability to sludge. More iron was transported into Anammox, which improved the nitrogen removal ability in the Anammox reactor.

Purpose: Long-term results of total hip arthroplasty (THA) using highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) and metal femoral head with more than 10 years of follow-up have already been reported. However, most studies included results with a head size of 28 mm that could affect wear rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of 36-mm metallic femoral heads on first-generation HXLPE in patients less than 60 years of age with a minimum follow-up of 10 years. Methods: Retrospective analysis included 54 cases from 47 patients. The mean age at the time of surgery was 47.22 years and the mean follow-up period was 131.04 months. Porous-coated cementless acetabular cups (Trilolgy®; Zimmer Inc., Warsaw, Indiana, USA) and HXLPE acetabular liners (Longevity®; Zimmer Inc.) were used for all cases. Acetabular cup abduction angles, anteversion angles, and wear rates of liner were measured using polyWare pro 3D distal version 5.10. Results: The average modified Harris hip score at the final follow-up was 88.48 (range 80–96). Average Merle d’Aubigne and Postel score was 15.57 (range 14–18). There was no acetabular cup or femoral stem failing due to aseptic loosening. The average steady-state wear rate determined using radiographs taken at 1 year postoperatively and at the latest follow-up was 0.053 ± 0.025 mm/year. There were no statistically significant differences in liner wear rate with respect to age, variety of the femoral stem, or liner thickness. Conclusion: Results of THA with 36-mm metallic femoral heads on first-generation HXLPE in patients less than 60 years of age were satisfactory.

Although silicon (Si) is ubiquitous in soil and plant, evidence is still lacking that Si is essential for higher plants. However, it has been well documented that Si is beneficial for healthy growth of many plant species. Si can promote plant mechanical strength, light interception, as well as resistance to various forms of abiotic and biotic stress, thus improving both yield and quality. Indeed, application of Si fertilizer is a rather common agricultural practice in many countries and regions. As the beneficial effects provided by Si are closely correlated with Si accumulation level in plant, elucidating the possible mechanisms of Si uptake and transport in plants is extremely important to utilize the Si-induced beneficial effects in plants. Recently, rapid progress has been made in unveiling molecular mechanisms of Si uptake and transport in plants. Based on the cooperation of Si influx channels and efflux transporters, a model to decipher Si uptake, transport and distribution system in higher plants has been developed, which involves uptake and radial transport in root, xylem and inter-vascular transport and xylem unloading and deposition in leaf. In this paper, we overviewed the updated knowledge concerning Si uptake, transport and accumulation and its significance for the major crops of agricultural importance and highlighted the further research needs as well.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of signal transducer and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation on the function of decidual regulatory T (Treg) cells in unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) patients and to explore the mechanism of STAT3 in URSA. Treg cells were sorted out from the decidual tissue by magnetic beads. The inhibitor Stattic was utilized to alter the phosphorylation status of STAT3 (pSTAT3) in Treg cells. The proliferation and suppression of Treg cell were detected by flow cytometry, real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR and ELISA. The factors that caused the hyperphosphorylation of Treg cells were detected. Our results showed that the proportion of pSTAT3 cells in the decidual Treg cells of URSA patients was significantly increased. pSTAT3 inhibited the proliferation of Treg cells by downregulating the expression of STAT5 and Foxp3 and increased the number of responder T cells. pSTAT3 decreased the secretion of TGF-β1 and IL-10 in Treg cells. Overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-23 stimulated STAT3 phosphorylation in Treg cells. This study suggests that hyperphosphorylation of STAT3 impairs the proliferation, suppression and cytokine secretion of Treg cells, while inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT3 restores these functions. These findings clarify the role of STAT3 in the pathogenesis of URSA and provide new ideas for the treatment of URSA.

Samples were pretreated by ultrasound at 300 W and 28 kHz in three different solutions. The thermal degradation characteristics of the samples were then characterized via thermogravimetric, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared analysis in a nitrogen environment. The characteristic of gas product release, the formation mechanisms of the main products, and the mechanistic basis for the effects of ultrasound on wood components were studied. The results showed that the gaseous products are the same with ultrasound pretreatment but the amounts are changed. The gaseous products mainly constitute of CO, H2O, CO2, CH4, and CH3COOH, and more gaseous products were produced at 361 °C than at 308 °C. The reaction rates for specimens pretreated in aqueous soda solution proceeded faster than specimens pretreated in aqueous acetic acid solution and distilled water. Moreover, the maximum FTIR spectra absorbance appeared around 341 °C for specimens pretreated in aqueous soda solution but appeared around 369 °C for the control sample and samples pretreated in distilled water or acetic acid solution. The heat flows for specimens pretreated in aqueous soda solution, compared to control group, was much lower. Additionally, hydroxyl and hydroperoxy radicals provided by ultrasound cavitation in alkaline conditions act to intensify the overall rates of reactions.

Natural fiber-reinforced geopolymer has attracted wide attention in construction and building materials due to its low cost, low density, and excellent mechanical properties. Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are the three basic components of natural fibres, and were investigated to reveal their influence on the metakaolin-based geopolymer. Comparative evaluations were investigated via morphology analysis and mechanical strength analysis. The results showed distinct microstructures and mechanical properties of the geopolymer-based materials with cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, respectively. A low content (5 wt%) of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose enhanced the flexural and compressive strength of pure geopolymer. Higher lignin and hemicellulose led to the porous morphology, lower density, and brittle fractures of geopolymer-based composites, which reduced the flexural and compressive strength in these geopolymer-based composites. It was noted that the degree of geopolymerization was clearly lowered by the alkaline degradation of hemicellulose. With the increase in cellulose content, in contrast, the denser structure and fewer pores of the geopolymer matrix were detected, as well as ductile failures of geopolymer-based composites. Good bonding was also shown between the geopolymer matrix and cellulose fibres without remarkable degradation. The results of this study will facilitate a better understanding of the effect of lignocellulosic biomass in natural fibre-reinforced geopolymers and should serve as the basis for further research and applications.

The liver is a major organ in lipid metabolism, and its malfunction leads to various diseases. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, the most common chronic liver disorder in developed countries, is characterized by the abnormal retention of excess lipid within hepatocytes and predisposes individuals to liver cancer. We previously reported that the levels of Lissencephaly 1 (LIS1, also known as PAFAH1B1) are down-regulated in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Following up on this observation, we found that genetic deletion of Lis1 in the mouse liver increases lipid accumulation and inflammation in this organ. Further analysis revealed that loss of Lis1 triggers endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and reduces triglyceride secretion. Attenuation of ER stress by addition of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) diminished lipid accumulation in the Lis1-deficient hepatocytes. Moreover, the Golgi stacks were disorganized in Lis1-deficient liver cells. Of note, the Lis1 liver-knockout mice exhibited increased hepatocyte ploidy and accelerated development of liver cancer after exposure to the liver carcinogen diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Taken together, these findings suggest that reduced Lis1 levels can spur the development of liver diseases from steatosis to liver cancer and provide a useful model for delineating the molecular pathways that lead to these diseases.

A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile, yellow-pigmented and non-spore-forming bacterial strain, designated PM5-8T, was isolated from a culture of a marine toxigenic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum mexicanum PM01. Strain PM5-8T grew at 15–35 °C (optimum, 25–30 °C) and pH 6–11 (optimum, 7.5–8). Cells required at least 1.5% (w/v) NaCl for growth, and can tolerate up to 7.0% with the optimum of 4%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the strain PM5-8T is closely related to members of the genus Hoeflea, with high sequence similarities with Hoeflea halophila JG120-1T (97.06%) and Hoeflea alexandrii AM1V30T (97.01%). DNA–DNA hybridization values between the isolate and other type strains of recognized species of the genus Hoeflea were between 11.8 and 25.2%, which is far below the value of 70% threshold for species delineation. The DNA G + C content was 50.3 mol%. The predominant cellular fatty acids of the strain were identified as summed feature 8 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c; 51.5%), C18:1 ω7c 11-methyl (20.7%), C16:0 (17.2%) and C18:0 (5.7%). The major respiratory quinone was Q-10. Polar lipids profiles contained phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol, phosphatidylmono- methylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine and four unidentified lipids. On the basis of the polyphasic taxonomic data presented, strain PM5-8T (= CCTCC AB 2016294T = KCTC 62490T) represents a novel species of the genus Hoeflea, for which the name Hoeflea prorocentri sp. nov. is proposed.

In order to evaluate the enhancement mechanisms of enhanced startup performance in biofilm systems for polluted source water pretreatment, three lab-scale reactors with elastic stereo media (ESM) were operated under different enhanced sediment and hydraulic agitation conditions. It is interesting to found the previously underestimated or overlooked effects of sediment on the enhancement of pollutants removal performance and enrichment of functional bacteria in biofilm systems. The maximum NH4 +–N removal rate of 0.35 mg L−1 h−1 in sediment enhanced condition was 2.19 times of that in control reactor. Sediment contributed to 42.0–56.5% of NH4 +–N removal and 15.4–41.2% of total nitrogen removal in different reactors under different operation conditions. The enhanced hydraulic agitation with sediment further improved the operation performance and accumulation of functional bacteria. Generally, Proteobacteria (48.9–52.1%), Bacteroidetes (18.9–20.8%) and Actinobacteria (15.7–18.5%) were dominant in both sediment and ESM bioiflm at phylum level. The potentially functional bacteria found in sediment and ESM biofilm samples with some functional bacteria mainly presented in sediment samples only (e.g., Genera Bacillus and Lactococcus of Firmicutes phylum) may commonly contribute to the removal of nitrogen and organics.

Wenxi He,1 Yanjiao Xu,1 Chengliang Zhang,1 Jingli Lu,2 Juan Li,1 Dong Xiang,1 Jinyu Yang,1 Mujun Chang,3 Dong Liu1 1Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; 2Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; 3Center for Translational Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China Abstract: Calculus bovis (CB, niu-huang) is a high-class therapeutic drug that is often used in traditional Chinese medicine. CB helps to eliminate heat and toxic components, and prevents the accumulation of phlegm and blood stasis in the liver. In Asian countries, CB Sativus (CBS), an ideal substitute for natural CB, is presently extensively used for long-term treatment of chronic liver diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects and potential mechanism(s) of action of CBS on mice with fructose-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The NAFLD model was established in C57BL/6 mice by exclusively feeding fluids containing 30% fructose for 8 consecutive weeks. After these 8 weeks, mice were given CBS (50 mg/kg/day or 100 mg/kg/day) for 2 consecutive weeks. Treatment with CBS reversed the fructose-induced impaired glucose tolerance. Compared with the model group, in which mice received 8 weeks of high-fructose diet and 2 weeks of 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, CBS treatment significantly decreased the levels of fasting serum glucose, fasting insulin, triglyceride, and total cholesterol, and increased levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. CBS treatment also significantly decreased the levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and free fatty acid in the liver. The activity of superoxide dismutase in the liver was increased after treatment with CBS, however, levels of malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species decreased. Histopathological examination showed that liver steatosis and injury were significantly reduced in CBS-treated mice. The expression of fatty acid synthase, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, Cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3, and synonyms B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 gene-associated X protein were downregulated after treatment with CBS, whereas the expression of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 was upregulated. In conclusion, CBS treatment exerted therapeutic effects in the liver of mice with NAFLD, which may be associated with amelioration of metabolic disorders, enhanced antioxidant effects, and alleviation of apoptosis. Keywords: antioxidant, fructose, lipid metabolism, liver

Background Detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) underactivity may lead to urinary retention (UR). Electroacupuncture (EA) at BL33 may be effective in improving DSM contractions. Objectives This study aimed to investigate: (1) the effect of EA at BL33; and (2) the effect of different manipulation methods at BL33 on the modulation of DSM contractions in UR rats. Methods 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats were anaesthetised with urethane and modelled by urethral outlet obstruction. First, 2 Hz EA at BL33, SP6 and LI4 wasrandomly applied to the UR rats for 5 min to observe the immediate effects (n=10); second, manual acupuncture (MA) (n=10) and 100 Hz EA (n=10) were applied with the same programme. DSM electromyography (EMG) and cystometrogram data were evaluated. Results (1) 2 Hz EA at BL33 and SP6 significantly increased DSM discharging frequency (0.80±0.10 Hz, P0.05). Compared with SP6, EA at BL33 had greater positive effects on DSM discharging frequency, duration of discharging, and duration of voiding (all PConclusions EA at BL33 improved DSM contractions to a greater degree than EA at SP6 or LI4. There were no differences in effect when stimulating using 2 Hz EA, 100 Hz EA and MA.

Development of simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) is a promising approach for nitrogen-rich water purification. Coupling biofilm reactors with novel biodegradable carrier of Pumelo Peel (PP) and various conventional plastic fillers (polyurethane filler, SPR-1 suspension filler, TA-II elastic filler and sphere filler) were examined to achieve SND in this study. Results represented that partially coupled with PP could achieve highly efficient SND. Optimal performance appealed in a bioreactor of coupling PP and SPR-1filler with ammonia and total nitrogen removal efficiencies of 96.8 ± 4.0% and 78.9 ± 9.5%, respectively, as well as low effluent COD Mn of 1.85 ± 0.86 mg L −1 . Notably, PP and conventional plastic filler played obviously different roles in combined bioreactor system. Microbial analysis suggested that dominant genera were Thiothrix , Gemmata , unclassified comanonadaceae , unclassified Rhizobiales , Salipiger , Chloronema and Klebsiella in optimal combined bioreactor, which indicated novel co-existence of heterotrophic nitrification, solid-phase, non-solid-phase heterotrophic and sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification for achieving efficient SND.