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Objective To identify the relationship between expression of serum microRNA (miR)-181b, miR-27a and the severity of carotid atherosclerosis (CAS). Methods Totally 102 patients with dyslipidemia were selected and 100 healthy people as controls.RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of serum miR-181b and miR-27a. The expression of miR-181b and miR-27a of patients with dyslipidemia was compared with that of the control group. The influencing factors of the occurrence of CAS in patients with dyslipidemia and the correlation between serum miR-181b, miR-27a levels and the degree of CAS lesions were investigated. Results The relative expression of miR-181b in dyslipidemia patients was lower than that of the control group, while the relative expression of miR-27a was higher than that of the control group (P＜0.05). The expression of miR-181b in the cirrhosis group was lower than that in the non-cirrhotic group, and the relative expression of miR-27a, hs-CRP, LDL-C levels, and the proportion of hypertension were higher than those in the non-cirrhotic group (P＜0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the above indicators were independent factors influencing the occurrence of CAS in patients with dyslipidemia(P＜0.05). ROC showed that the sensitivity of relative expression of miR-181b and miR-27a in serum was 84.75% and 81.36% in the predicting the occurrence of CAS in patients with dyslipidemia, the specificity was 76.74% and 74.42%, and the accuracy was 81.37% and 78.43%, respectively, AUC was 0.791, 0.750 respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the relative expression of serum miR-181b was negatively correlated with Crouse score(P＜0.05), and the relative expression of miR-27a was positively correlated with Crouse score(P＜ 0.05). Conclusions The expression of miR-181b and miR-27a in serum is abnormal in patients with dyslipidemia, and both of them are independent influencing factors of CAS, and their expression level is positively related to the severity of the disease.

In this paper, we report on the fabrication of planar waveguides in z-cut Nd:SGG crystals, using 500 keV He ion implantation with fluences of 3 x [10.sup.16] ions/[cm.sup.2] at 77 K 1 x [10.sup.16] ions/[cm.sup.2] at room temperature, annealed at 260[degrees]C for 30 min. The guiding modes of the planar waveguides were measured by the prism-coupling method at 633 nm. The near-field intensity distribution and propagation loss of the light in the waveguides were measured by the end-fire coupling method. The absorption spectra were also measured. The refractive index profile was reconstructed using the intensity calculation method, and the light propagation mode was simulated with the finite-difference beam propagation method. The calculated results were in good agreement with the measured waveguide modes, indicating the feasibility of these designable devices. OCIS codes: 230.7390, 160.5690, 190.4400, 300.1030.

Four CoII/NiII coordination polymers, namely, [ M(H3L)2(H2O)2] n ( 1, 2) and [ M(H2L)(H2O)3] n ( 3, 4), ( M = Co for 1 and 3, M = Ni for 2 and 4, H4L = terphenyl-2,2′,4,4′-tetracarboxylic acid) were synthesized through hydrothermal reactions at different pH values and structurally characterized. Single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis reveals that compounds 1 and 2 are isostructural and exhibit a 1D [ M2(H3L)2] n loop-like infinite chain, whereas compounds 3 and 4 are also isostructural and show a 1D pendant H2L attached [ M(H2O)] n chain motif. Additionally, variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurement shows weak antiferromagnetic coupling among the adjacent central CoII atoms in 1 and 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proton-exchanged LiNbO3 crystal was subjected to 70-MeV argon-ion irradiation. The lattice damage was investigated by the Rutherford backscattering and channeling technique. It was found that the lattice disorder induced by the proton exchange process was partially recovered and the proton-exchanged layer was broadened. It indicated that the lithium ions underneath the initial proton-exchanged layer migrated to the surface during the swift argon-ion irradiation and supplemented the lack of lithium ions in the initial proton-exchanged layer. This effect was ascribed to the great electronic energy deposition and relaxation. The swift argon-ion irradiation induced an increase in extraordinary refractive index and formed another waveguide structure beneath the proton-exchanged waveguide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A z-cut LiNbO3 crystal was immersed in a molten benzoic acid for 10min and then was implanted with 6-MeV oxygen ions at a fluence of 6×1014 ions/cm2. Lattice damage in this crystal was measured by a Rutherford backscattering and channeling technique and was compared with lattice damage in a proton-exchanged LiNbO3 crystal and an oxygen-ion-implanted LiNbO3 crystal. A totally amorphous layer was formed at the crystal’s surface after both proton exchange and oxygen-ion implantation processes were performed, even though either process alone never led to a relative disorder of the lattice up to 0.2. It indicates that the crystal lattice in the proton-exchanged layer is unstable and can be easily damaged by ion implantation subsequently. The waveguide structure formed by proton exchange was destroyed by oxygen-ion implantation. Oxygen-ion implantation induced an increase in extraordinary refractive index and formed another waveguide structure underneath the amorphous surface layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Z-cut LiNbO3 crystals were implanted at room temperature with 3.0MeV O ions with a fluence of 6×1014 ions/cm2. The effective refractive index of the guided mode was obtained by the prism coupling technique combined with mechanical stripping (ion beam etching) at room temperature. Surface layers, with thicknesses of 300, 630, 880, 1100, and 1500nm, were removed. The channel spectra of LiNbO3 waveguides with different etching depths were measured by the RBS technique. The damage profile of the LiNbO3 waveguide was studied by dechannelling analysis with a multiple scattering function based on the channel spectrum. The refractive index profile was calculated based on the lattice damage ratio. The effective refractive index of the guided mode simulated by BPM showed good agreement with the experiment value. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The feasibility of heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria applied in shortcut nitrification system was studied. Four heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification strains mixed with halotolerant activated sludge was added into SBR in order to test their bioaugmentation ability for shortcut nitrification system, which was treating for sewage containing sea water, and the difference between bioaugmentation system and original system was compared. The results showed that the maximum accumulation of NO2(-) -N in bioaugmentation system was 34.92% lower than that in original system, and the time of maximum accumulation of NO2(-) -N was 2 hours earlier than that in original system. The TN and COD was continuously decreasing in the later phase of nitrification in bioaugmentation system, and finally the removal rate of TN and COD were 15.24% and 5.39% higher than that in original system respectively, as well as the removal rate of NH4(+) -N and the nitrosation rate were 6.85% and 14.47% higher than that in original system. And the pH was 0.46 higher than that in original system, whereas the ORP was 25.84 mV lower. It was considered that the function of heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria should strengthen the performance of bioaugmentation system. When the seawater content raised to 70%, the stability of bioaugmentation system was better than that in original system, and the current that transforming shortcut nitrification to complete nitrification was restrained by heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria effectively. The number of heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria was changed when bioaugmentation system and original system ran in different phase and the bacteria had a great loss with the discharge of activated sludge. These results may provide a theoretical reference about the feasibility that the heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria applied in shortcut nitrification system.

The characterization in nitrogen removal of a heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria (qy37) was studied. A strain coded as qy37 which had simultaneous heterotrophic nitrifying and aerobic denitrifying ability was screened. In the light of its morphological and physiological characters as well as their sequence analysis of the 16S rDNA, strain qy37 was identified as Pseudomonas sp.. In heterotrophic nitrifying system utilized ammonium chloride as nitrogen source, the concentration of NH4+ -N reduced from 138.52 mg/L to 7.88 mg/L and COD reduced from 2408.39 to 1177.49 mg/L by strain qy37 in 32 hours, the maximum accumulation of NH2OH and NO2- -N were 9.42 mg/L and 0.02 mg/L respectively, it was speculated that NH2OH was transformed to N2O and N2 directly by strain qy37. In aerobic denitrifying system utilized sodium nitrite as nitrogen source, the concentration of NO2- -N reduced from 109.25 mg/L to 2.59 mg/L by strain qy37 in 24 hours, and the maximum accumulation of NH2OH was 3.28 mg/L. Compared with heterotrophic nitrifying system, aerobic denitrifying system had a higher bacterial growth whereas the lower removal rate of TN and COD, as well as the accumulation of NH2OH. NO3- -N was also detected in aerobic denitrifying system. It is considered that the upgrowth of bacterium and utilization of energy in aerobic denitrifying system were more efficient than that in heterotrophic nitrifying system. In heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification system, the removal rate of NH4+ -N improved 37.31% in 16 hours than that in heterotrophic nitrifying system, the accumulation of NH2OH was less but N2O was higher than that in both heterotrophic nitrifying system and aerobic denitrifying system.