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Four Gram-stain-negative, catalase-positive, rod-shaped and motile strains (FT55W

Loliginidae includes many economically important species in trophic systems worldwide. Here, we investigated genetic relationships and diversity in this family. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analyses revealed considerable variations between mitochondrial 16 S rRNA gene and cytochrome coxidase subunit I gene among nine Loliginid species. We identified three similar non-coding regions in eight Loliginid species, but not in Sepioteuthislessoniana. We detected a single extended termination-associated sequence and three conserved sequence blocks among these eight species. Our results suggest that Loliginidae forms a major lineage, with S. lessoniana located at the most basal position and forming an individual clade as sister to the remaining species. Loligobeka, Loliolusjaponica, Loliolusuyii, Loligochinensis, Loligoedulis, Loligoduvauceli, Loligobleekeri, and Loligoopalescensare clustered into a monophyletic group. We identified repetitive elements and repeat numbers in the control regions.

Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been frequently detected in aquatic ecosystem and posed a huge risk to non-target organisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxic effects of three typical NSAIDs, diclofenac (DFC), acetaminophen (APAP) and ibuprofen (IBP), toward the water flea Daphnia magna. All three NSAIDs showed remarkable time-dependent and concentration-dependent effects on D. magna, with DFC the highest and APAP the lowest toxic. Survival, growth and reproduction data of D. magna from all bioassays were used to determine the LC10 and LC50 (10 % lethal and median lethal concentrations) values of NSAIDs, as well as the EC10 and EC50 (10 % effect and median effect concentrations) values. Concentrations for the lethal and sublethal toxicity endpoints were mainly in the low ppm-range, of which reproduction was the most sensitive one, indicating that non-target organisms might be adversely affected by relevant ambient low-level concentrations of NSAIDs after long-time exposures.

Background Intracellular calcium overload is a major contributing factor to diaphragmatic dysfunction triggered by sepsis. In this study, the possible role of dantrolene, a ryanodine receptor inhibitor, in preventing the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in diaphragmatic dysfunction and weakness was explored. Methods A middle-grade severity sepsis rat model was established for the effects of treatment with dantrolene, on diaphragm harvested 24 h after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and analyzed using functional, histologic, and biomarker assays. Results It was found that in septic rats, treatment with dantrolene significantly improved the contractility, relaxation, and fatigue index of the diaphragm in a dose-dependent manner. The benefits are associated with improvement in ultrastructural changes of Z band integrity and myofilament arrangements along with increases both in the ratio of slow-twitch type composition. Moreover, dantrolene effectively inhibits the overexpression of high-mobility group box 1 and reduces the calpain-1-caspase-3 proteolytic activity. Conclusions Dantrolene can effectively attenuate the dysfunction of diaphragm in septic rats; Furthermore, the beneficial effects were associated with downregulation of high-mobility group box 1 and calpain-1-caspase-3 proteolytic activity.

Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3), a pharmacologically active compound from red ginseng, has been reported to induce cell death in various cancer cell lines, although the specific mechanisms have not been well established. In the present study, Rg3 treatment to A549 human lung adenocarcinoma led to cell death via not only apoptotic pathways but also the downregulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We used cross-linker and cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to show that Rg3 inhibited EGFR dimerization by EGF stimulation and caused EGFR internalization from the cell membrane. Among several important phosphorylation sites in cytoplasmic EGFR, Rg3 increased the phosphorylation of tyrosine 1045 (pY1045) and serine 1046/1047 (pS1046/1047) for EGFR degradation and coincidently, attenuated pY1173 and pY1068 for mitogen-activated protein kinase activity. These effects were amplified under EGF-pretreated Rg3 stimulation. In vivo experiments showed that the average volume of the tumors treated with 30 mg/kg of Rg3 was significantly decreased by 40% compared with the control. Through immunohistochemistry, we detected the fragmentation of DNA, the accumulation of Rg3, and the reduction of EGFR expression in the Rg3-treated groups. Here, we provide the first description of the roles of Rg3 in the reduction of cell surface EGFR, the attenuation of EGFR signal transduction, and the eventual activation of apoptosis in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma.

The hard-shelled mussel (Mytilus coruscus) has considerably one of the most economically important marine shellfish worldwide and considered as a good invertebrate model for ecotoxicity study for a long time. In the present study, we used Illumina sequencing technology (HiSeq2000) to sequence, assemble and annotate the transcriptome of the hard-shelled mussel which challenged with copper pollution. A total of 21,723,913 paired-end clean reads (NCBI SRA database SRX1411195) were generated from HiSeq2000 sequencer and 96,403 contigs (with N50 = 1118 bp) were obtained after de novo assembling with Trinity software. Digital gene expression analysis reveals 1156 unigenes are upregulated and 1681 unigenes are downregulated when challenged with copper. By KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, we found that unigenes in four KEGG pathways (aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, apoptosis, DNA replication and mismatch repair) show significant differential expressed between control and copper treated groups. We hope that the gill transcriptome in copper treated hard-shelled mussel can give useful information to understand how mussel handles with heavy metal stress at molecular level. Keywords: Hard-shelled mussel, Heavy metal, Transcriptome, Ecotoxicity

Exoelectrogenic bacteria (EEB) can transfer electrons to extracellular electron acceptors and have wide applications in environmental bioremediation and bioenergy generation. Thus, methods for effectively probing the exoelectrogenic ability of EEB are highly desirable. In this work, a simple but efficient photometric assay based on the extracellular reduction of high polar dyes was developed to evaluate the microbial exoelectrogenic ability. Methyl orange were proven to be used as a probe for evaluating the exoelectrogenic ability of EEB. Through monitoring the extracellular dye decolorization under anaerobic conditions, this plate-based photometric assay could rapidly measure the exoelectrogenic ability of various EEB. This approach was also able to evaluate the exoelectrogenic capacity of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 wild-type strain and its Mtr mutants. Furthermore, the exoelectrogenic ability of mixed cultures in microbial fuel cells was correlated with the extracellular dye decolorization. Thus, this work is useful for the practical implementation of microbial exoelectrogenic ability evaluation.

Autophagy is a highly conserved pathway that permits recycling of nutrients within the cell and is rapidly upregulated during starvation or cell stress. Autophagy has been implicated in the pathophysiological process of warm ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat lung. Cold ischemia (CI) preservation for lung transplantation also exhibits cell stress and nutrient deprivation, however, little is known with regard to the involvement of autophagy in this process. In the present study, CI preservation-induced autophagy and apoptosis was investigated in the lungs of Sprague Dawley rats. Sprague Dawley rat lungs were flushed and preserved at 4°C (i.e. CI) for various durations (0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h). The levels of autophagy, autophagic cell death and apoptosis were measured at each time point following CI. The results revealed that autophagy was induced by CI preservation, which was initiated at 3 h, peaked at 6 h after CI and declined thereafter. Additionally, a coexistence of autophagic cell death and apoptosis was observed in rat lung tissues following prolonged CI. These findings demonstrate that autophagy is involved in the pathophysiological process of lung CI. Furthermore, autophagic cell death in addition to necrosis and apoptosis occurs following CI in the lung. CI preservation may therefore be a potential mechanism of lung injury during organ preservation prior to lung transplantation.

A separation method using counter current chromatography coupled with an evaporative light-scattering detection system was developed to purify five triterpenoid saponins from the roots of Bupleurum falcatum. The methanol extract was loaded onto a Diaion® HP20 column and fractionated by a methanol and water gradient elution. The saikosaponin-enriched fraction was obtained by elution with 100% methanol. The two-phase solvent systems used for separation were composed of chloroform/methanol/isopropanol/water at a volume ratio of 60:60:1:60 and 6:6:1:6. The relationship between the isopropanol ratio of each phase and the partition coefficients of the target compounds was investigated by calculating partition coefficient by high-performance liquid chromatography and measuring the accurate composition of each phase by (1) H NMR spectroscopy. Each fraction obtained was collected and dried, which yielded the following five saikosaponins from 700 mg of injected sample: saikosaponin B1 (8.7 mg), saikosaponin A (86 mg), saikosaponin B3 (17 mg), saikosaponin B2 (41 mg), and saikosaponin C (33 mg). Saikosaponin A showed the most potent cytotoxicity against human cancer cells (gastric cancer, AGS cells; breast cancer, MCF-7 cells; and hepatoma, HepG2 cells) after 24 h. The IC50 values for the above three cell types were 34.6, 33.3, and 23.4 μmol/L, respectively.

A new process of an up-flow bio-electrocatalyzed electrolysis reactor (UBER) connected with an aerobic bio-contact oxidation reactor (ABOR) was developed for treating azo dye wastewater. Alizarin Yellow R (AYR), used as a model dye, was efficiently decolorized in UBERs (97.5 ± 1.0%) and further mineralized in the subsequent aerobic bio-contact oxidation reactor (ABOR). Decolorization efficiency was improved with increasing cathode size in UBERs, but AYR removal rate and current density were not increased in proportion to cathode size, mainly due to the limitation of anodic reactions. AYR decolorization rate was optimized at a cathode size of 90 cm 3 in an UBER where the charge transfer resistance R ct (39.5 Ω) was minimal. We assessed the effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT: 6.5 h, 4.5 h, 3.5 h, 2.0 h) on the removal of residual by-products (p-phenylenediamine (PPD) and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) in the ABOR. The concentrations of PPD and 5-ASA decreased down to 0.28 ± 0.01 and 0.27 ± 0.03 mg L −1 , respectively, in an optimum HRT 3.5 h. Decolorization efficiency and COD removal efficiency was 93.8 ± 0.7% and 93.0 ± 0.5% in the combined process of UBER and ABOR in overall HRT 6 h (HRT 2.5 h in UBER + HRT 3.5 h in ABOR). The Chroma in ABOR effluent was 80 times.

Jujuboside B (1) is one of the saponins isolated from the seeds of Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa, which are used as a well-known traditional medicine for the treatment of insomnia and anxiety in East Asian countries. This is the first study to investigate the antitumor mechanism of 1 in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that 1 induced apoptosis and autophagy in AGS and HCT 116 human cancer cells and also effectively suppressed tumor growth in a nude mouse xenograft model bearing HCT 116 cells. The apoptosis-inducing effect of 1 was characterized by annexin V/propidium iodide staining, sub-G1 phase increase, and caspase-3 activation. Mechanistic studies showed that 1-induced apoptosis is associated with the extrinsic pathway through an increase in FasL and caspase-8 activation. Moreover, 1 activated p38/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and the extrinsic pathway-mediated apoptosis was attenuated by both SB202190 (a p38 inhibitor) and SP600125 (a JNK inhibitor). The autophagy-inducing effect was indicated by the formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain-3 II (LC3-II) conversion. The autophagy inhibitor bafilomycin A1 (BaF) decreased 1-induced cell viability and increased pp38, pJNK, FasL, caspase-8 activation, and caspase-3 activation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that 1 induced protective autophagy to retard extrinsic pathway-mediated apoptosis.

Background Multiple factors are involved in the mechanism of bone cancer pain. Treatment with a single drug is not adequate to target all of the different mechanisms. Objective To study the analgesic effect of a combination of low-dose dexmedetomidine (DEX) and tramadol (TRA) on bone cancer pain in rats. Design A randomised, controlled study. Setting Central Laboratory of Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai China, from July 2011 to June 2012. Animals Adult female Wistar rats weighing 180 to 200g. Interventions Rats with bone cancer were divided into five groups based on drug treatment (n=12 for each group): T5 group (TRA 5 mg kg), T10 group (TRA 10 mg kg), D1 group (DEX 1 μg kg), T5+D1 group (TRA 5 mg kg+DEX 1μg kg) and IS (isotonic saline 0.5 ml) group. Main outcome measures The mechanical threshold and spontaneous paw withdrawal were measured in all groups. Results Both the T5+D1 group and T10 group showed a significantly increased mechanical threshold and a lower incidence of spontaneous paw withdrawal compared with the IS group. Interestingly, there was no significant difference between the T5+D1 and T10 groups. Conclusion We found that a combination of DEX and TRA at low doses provided equal or superior analgesic effects on bone cancer pain compared to high-dose TRA alone. Our animal data might indicate the clinical administration of these two drugs in bone cancer pain therapy.

Background Lung injury induced by ischemia or reperfusion significantly accounts for the risk of early mortality of lung transplantation (LT). Recent studies have demonstrated that hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) and its endogenous synthase cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) confer protection against injury induced by ischemia or reperfusion in various organs. This prompted us to define the role of CSE/H 2 S pathway in transplantation-induced lung injury. Methods We performed single left LT in male Sprague–Dawley rats after 3 h of cold ischemia time. H 2 S donor NaHS (14 μmol/kg, intraperitoneally) or CSE inhibitor propargylglycine (37.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) was administered 15 min before the start of the LT. CSE protein expression, H 2 S generation, and the severity of pulmonary graft injuries were estimated at 24 h after reperfusion. Results Both CSE protein expression and H 2 S generation were markedly decreased in transplanted rat lungs compared with those in sham-operated lungs. In the lung-transplanted rats, NaHS administration significantly improved pulmonary function and decreased lipid peroxidation and myeloperoxidase activity. In addition, NaHS inhibited the production of interleukin 1β but increased interleukin 10 levels in graft lung tissues. In contrast, propargylglycine further exacerbated pulmonary function and lung injuries after experimental orthotopic LT. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study for the first time has demonstrated that the suppression of CSE expression and H 2 S production is associated with transplantation-induced lung injury. Both exogenous and endogenous H 2 S seem to have protective effects against acute LT injury by their multiple functions including antioxidation and anti-inflammation, suggesting that modulation of H 2 S levels may be considered a potential therapeutic approach in LT.

Background Lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 and Rho/ROCK signaling is implicated in bone cancer pain development. However, it remains unknown whether the two signaling pathways function together in P2X3 receptor-mediated bone cancer pain. Results In this study, using a rat model of bone cancer, we examined the expression of P2X3 and lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons and further dissected whether lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 and Rho/ROCK-mediated pathways interacted in modulating rat pain behavior. Bone cancer was established by inoculating Walker 256 cells into the left tibia of female Wistar rats. We observed a gradual and yet significant decline in mean paw withdrawal threshold in rats with bone cancer, but not in control rats. Our immunohistochemical staining revealed that the number of P2X3- and lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1-positive dorsal root ganglion neurons was significantly greater in rats with bone cancer than control rats. Lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 blockade with VPC32183 significantly attenuated decline in mean paw withdrawal threshold. Flinching behavior test further showed that lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 inhibition with VPC32183 transiently but significantly attenuated α,β-meATP-induced increase in paw lift time per minute. Rho inhibition by intrathecal BoTXC3 caused a rapid reversal in decline in mean paw withdrawal threshold of rats with bone cancer. Flinching behavior test showed that BoTXC3 transiently and significantly attenuated α,β-meATP-induced increase in paw lift time per minute. Similar findings were observed with ROCK inhibition by intrathecal Y27632. Furthermore, VPC32183 and BoTXC3 effectively aborted the appearance of lysophosphatidic acid-induced calcium influx peak. Conclusions Lysophosphatidic acid and its receptor LPAR1, acting through the Rho-ROCK pathway, regulate P2X3 receptor in the development of both mechanical and spontaneous pain in bone cancer.

The trace element content and fatty acid composition of mussel were analyzed in the study. Mussel was rich in Fe, Mg, Se and Zn, with the contents of 221.44 ±1.64, 26.22±0.90, 24.21±0.27 and 4.27±0.04 mg/100g, which were the essential elements in human body. Saturated fatty acids were found at an average level of 64.30 % and unsaturated fatty acids were found at an average level of 35.70 %, and the content of n-3 PUFA + n-6 PUFA was 17.46 %. The highest content of saturated fatty acids in mussel was C22:6(n-3) (D HA), which accounted for 7.30 %. Therefore, the data on trace element and fatty acid composition of this study will form the basis for further research in this field of mussel chemistry for the benefits of human beings.

Three aniline-degrading bacteria, strains DN316T, DN316-1 and DN365, were isolated from activated sludge. According to 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phylogenetic analysis, the isolates belonged to the genusRhizobium, withRhizobium( = Agrobacterium)radiobacterLMG 140Tas the closest relative, with 96.5 % sequence similarity. Phylogenetic analysis of the representative strain DN316Tusing sequences of theglnA,thrCandrecAgenes and the 16S–23S intergenic spacer region confirmed the phylogenetic arrangement obtained from analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. DNA–DNA relatedness between DN316TandR. radiobacterLMG 140Twas 43.7 %, clearly indicating that the representative strain DN316Trepresents a novel species. Phenotypic and biochemical characterization of the isolates and insertion sequence-PCR fingerprinting patterns showed several distinctive features that differentiated them from closely related species. The major components of the cellular fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c(57.10 %), C16 : 0(11.31 %) and C19 : 0cyclo ω8c(10.13 %). Based on our taxonomic analysis, the three isolates from activated sludge represent a novel species of the genusRhizobium, for which the nameRhizobium borborisp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DN316T( = CICC 10378T = LMG 23925T).

Shewanella decolorationis S12 is capable of using azo compounds as terminal electron acceptors for respiration. However, knowledge about membrane proteins involved in this biochemical process is still limited. In addition, little is known about cell growth of this species in response to the increasing level of azo dye. In the present study, different culture methods were used to compare the biomass production rates of strain S12 in the presence of a high polarity azo dye, amaranth, as the sole terminal electron acceptor. The use of a fed-batch fermentor culture method allowed a much higher biomass accumulation in the presence of higher amounts of amaranth, compared to static serum bottle culture. Membrane proteome profiles were obtained by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF/MS) for cells grown with different amounts of amaranth under anaerobic conditions. Three proteins Ndk, ClpP, and ArgC were found in markedly increased abundance in response to the growth increases in the presence of amaranth. Bioinformatics analysis implicated that these three proteins may be involved in azo respiration and energy conservation in strain S12. These findings provide valuable information for better understanding the extracellular azo respiration of S. decolorationis S12.

Shewanella decolorationis S12 is capable of carrying out anaerobic respiration using azo dyes and Fe (III) citrate as electron acceptors. In the present study, proteomic techniques including two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to analyze the similarity and the dissimilarity of the membrane proteins isolated from strain S12 cells grown in amaranth or Fe (III) citrate with defined inorganic salt medium. The cells of strain S12 grown under a saturated dissolved oxygen condition served as controls. This is the first work that made the comparative analysis of cell membranous proteomics of strain S12 grown with azo compound or Fe (III) citrate as a sole terminal electron acceptor. The results showed that most of the membrane proteins of strain S12 under azo respiration are similar to those under Fe (III) respiration, but dissimilar from those of oxygen-grown cells. FdnH and FrdB were expressed specifically in azo respiration. NqrA-2, DctP, and hypothetical protein SO_4719 showed relative overexpression in azo respiration compared with Fe (III) respiration. OmpA family protein SO_3545 was detected to be specific to Fe (III) respiration. Furthermore, ArgF, SdhA, and HoxK were expressed markedly in both amaranth- and Fe (III) citrate-grown cultures compared with oxygen-grown cultures.

A new method for the determination of trace selenium based on solid substrate-room temperature phosphorimetry (SS-RTP) has been established. This method was based on the fact that in HCl-KCl buffer solution, potassium chlorate could oxidize phenyl hydrazine to form chloridize diazo-ion after being heated at 100 degrees C for 20 min, and then the diazo-ion reacted with 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonic acid to form red azo-compound which could emit strong room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) signal on filter paper. Selenium could catalyze potassium chlorate oxidizing the reaction between phenyl hydrazine and 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonic acid, which caused the sharp enhancement of SS-RTP. Under the optimum condition, the relationship between the phosphorescence emission intensity (DeltaIp) and the content of selenium obeyed Beer's law when the concentration of selenium is within the range of 1.60-320 fg spot-1 (or 0.0040-0.80 ng ml-1 with a sample volume of 0.4 microl). The regression equation of working curve can be expressed as DeltaIp=13.12+0.4839CSe(IV) (fg spot-1) (n=6), with correlation coefficient r=0.9991 and a detection limit of 0.28 fg spot-1 (corresponding to a concentration range of 7.0x10(-13) g ml-1 Se(IV), n=11). After 11-fold measurement, R.S.D. were 2.8 and 3.5% for the samples containing 0.0040 and 0.80 ng ml-1 of Se(IV), respectively. This accurate and sensitive method with good repeatability has been successfully applied to the determination of trace selenium in Chinese wolfberry and egg yolk with satisfactory results. The mechanism of the enhancement of phosphorescence was also discussed.

BACKGROUND Anterior mediastinal masses include a wide variety of diseases from benign lesions to extremely malignant tumors. Management strategies are highly diverse and depend strongly on the histological diagnosis as well as the extent of the disease. We reported a prospective study comparing the usefulness of core needle biopsy and mini-mediastinotomy under local anesthesia for histological diagnosis in anterior mediastinal masses. METHODS A total of 40 patients with masses of unknown histology and located either at or near the anterior mediastinum received biopsy prior to treatment. The diagnostic methods were core needle biopsy in 28 patients and biopsy through mini-mediastinotomy under local anesthesia in 15 patients (including 3 patients for whom core needle biopsy failed to yield a definite diagnosis). RESULTS Histological diagnosis was achieved in 18 of the 28 patients receiving core needle biopsy. Of them, all 4 patients with pleural fibromas and 9 of the 12 patients (75%) with pulmonary mass were diagnosed definitively. In the remaining 12 patients with mediastinal mass, histological diagnosis was achieved in only 5 patients (41.7%). In contrast, biopsy through a mini-mediastinotomy failed in only 3 patients. In the remaining 12 patients with huge mediastinal masses, who underwent mini-mediastinotomy, a definitive histological diagnosis was reached by pathological and/or immunohistochemical study (diagnostic yield 85.7% in 12 of 14 cases of mediastinal mass, P = 0.038 vs core needle biopsy). For the 9 patients with thymic epithelial tumors, the diagnostic yield was 40% (2 in 5 cases) for core needle biopsy and 83.3% (5 in 6 cases) for mini-mediastinotomy. There was no morbidity in patients receiving mini-mediastinotomy. In the 30 patients with biopsy-proven histological diagnosis, the results contributed to therapeutic decision making in 25 cases (83.3%). CONCLUSIONS Core needle biopsy is effective in the diagnosis of pulmonary and pleural diseases. Yet its diagnostic yield in mediastinal mass is rather low. Superior to core needle biopsy, biopsy through a mini-mediastinotomy under local anesthesia is highly effective in the histological diagnosis of anterior mediastinal mass, and has a satisfactory diagnostic yield. The method is safe, minimally invasive, cost-effective, and useful in therapeutic decision making for anterior mediastinal masses.

A pilot-scale biotrickling filter (BTF) was established in treating the waste gases that are intermittently produced from an automobile paint-manufacturing workshop. Results showed that the BTF required longer time to adapt to the aromatic compounds. The removal efficiencies (REs) for all aliphatic compounds reached more than 95% on day 80. Aromatic compounds were not easily removed by the BTF. The REs obtained by the BTF for toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, o-xylene and p-xylene on day 80 were 72.7%, 77.2%, 71.9%, 74.8% and 60.0%, respectively. A maximum elimination capacity (EC) of 13.8 g-C m(-3) h(-1) of the BTF was achieved at an inlet loading rate of 19.4 g-C m(-3) h(-1) with an RE of 72%. Glucose addition promoted the biomass accumulation despite the fact that temporal decrease of REs for aromatic compounds occurred. When the inlet loading rates exceed 11.1 g-C m(-3) h(-1), the REs of the aromatic compounds decreased by 10% to 15%. This negative effect of shock loads on the performance of the BTF can be attenuated by the pre-treatment of the photocatalytic reactor. Nearly all components were removed by the combined system with REs of 99%.

Odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from municipal manure treatment facilities are considered as a major nuisance issue for operators and nearby residents. In this study, up to 71 odorous VOCs were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry at the manure treatment plant. These compounds can be classified into five different categories, including alkanes, olefins, aromatics, volatile organosulphur compounds and terpenes. Toluene, dimethyl disulphide, dimethyl sulphide, xylene and ethylbenzene were the five most abundant pollutants. A pilot-scale biotrickling filter (BTF) was employed to treat the complex odorous gases. Correlation analysis showed that the removal efficiency (RE) of the BTF was related with the molecular weight and chemical structure of contaminants. Higher than 85% of REs could be reached for aromatic, terpenes and most alkanes compounds after 180 days of operation. Comparatively, most olefins and partial alkanes compounds with a molecular weight lower than 70 were not removed easily. The REs of these compounds ranged from 0% to 94%, and the average removal efficiency (RE) was only about 33.3%.

Glycyrol is a coumestan isolated from Glycyrrhiza uralensis and synthesized to use. In this study, the antitumor activity and the underlying mechanism of glycyrol were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. It was shown that glycyrol induced cell death associated with apoptosis and autophagy as evidenced by morphological changes in AGS and HCT 116 cells. The apoptosis-inducing effect was characterized by increase in ratio of sub-G1 phase, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) cleavage and caspase-3 activation. Mechanistic studies showed that glycyrol induced G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest as indicated by increase in p21. Furthermore, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activation induced caspase-dependent apoptosis accompanied by adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. Defective autophagy was triggered, which stopped the autophagic flux by the slowing of lysosomal degradation. In addition, glycyrol suppressed tumor growth in a nude mouse tumor xenograft model bearing HCT 116 cells. Taken together, glycyrol is demonstrated to have antitumor activity, and might potentially serve as potential candidate for cancer therapy.

Emission characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated in an automotive coating manufacturing enterprise. Air samples were taken from eight different manufacturing areas in three workshops, and the species of VOCs and their concentrations were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Safety evaluation was also conducted by comparing the concentration of VOCs with the permissible concentration-short term exposure limit (PC-STEL) regulated by the Ministry of Health. The results showed that fifteen VOCs were detected in the indoor air of the automotive coatings workshop, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, methyl isobutyl ketone, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, trimethylbenzene and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, Their concentrations widely ranged from 0.51 to 593.14 mg x m(-3). The concentrations of TVOCs were significantly different among different manufacturing processes. Even in the same manufacturing process, the concentrations of each component measured at different times were also greatly different. The predominant VOCs of indoor air in the workshop were identified to be ethylbenzene and butyl acetate. The concentrations of most VOCs exceeded the occupational exposure limits, so the corresponding control measures should be taken to protect the health of the workers.

The object of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of calcium nitrate-regulatory agent for the stabilization of heavy metals in tidal sediments. The pilot-scale treatment was deployed in a section of the urban river in Ronggui, Foshan, which was heavily contaminated with Cu, Zn, Pb and Cr. For the remediation of the contaminated sediment, chemical speciation and stability of four elements were studied. The results indicated that: a)the percentage of four elements associated with reducible fraction and oxidizable fraction was decreased with the treatment of regulatory agent; b) the regulatory agent could effectively promote Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cr in sediment distributing in the residual fraction, which were increased by 4% , 20% , 21% and 23% after being treated by dosing regulatory agent for 22 days, with lower bioavailability in environment; c) the concentration of acid soluble fraction of Cu, Pb and Cr was increased except Zn. In general, the effect of stabilization for heavy metals Cu, Zn, Pb and Cr by regulatory agent is not ideal except Zn which has a certain effect, but the effect is not obvious.

To review the methods involved in airway management of tracheal surgery and to consider the role of extracorporeal circulation.A total of 91 tracheal surgeries were performed from January 2008 to February 2012, including 60 cases of tumor, 8 cases of post-traumatic stenosis and 23 cases of post-tracheostomy stenosis. There were 76 male and 15 female patients, aged from 4 to 77 years. Anesthetic plans were made according to the severity and position of stenosis. Rapid sequent induction intubations were conducted on 56 patients, tracheostomy intubations on 25 patients, awake intubations on 3 patients, extracorporeal circulation on 6 patients and emergent sternotmy and tracheostomy on 1 patient. Miniature extracorporeal circulation systems were used in all extracorporeal circulation case.All patients discharged without major complications. There were 2 cases of massive bleeding during operations, 1 case of post-operative tracheal fistula and 1 case of post-operative incision infection. All these 4 cases were treated properly and got cured. One patient on whom extracorporeal circulation was unable to set up underwent 6 minutes of hypoxia before sterotomy and tracheostomy. All the extracorporeal circulation cases were hemodynamically stable during bypass and none of them need massive transfusion. The miniature extracorporeal circulation system was convenient to use and especially suitable for tracheal surgery.Various advanced anesthesia techniques can ensure a safe airway for most tracheal surgeries. However, extracorporeal circulation plays a major role in high risk cases. It is important to set up a miniature extracorporeal circulation circuit that is especially suitable for tracheal surgery.

A new approach that improved the dechlorination and mineralization of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) was demonstrated in a sequential biocathode-bioanode bioelectrochemical system (BES) with mixed photosynthetic bacteria (PSB). The biocathode with additional PSB inoculation showed higher 4-CP dechlorination efficiency (DE) and maximum current (81.8 ± 2.9%, 0.021 ± 0.002A) than that at abiotic cathode (45.3 ± 3.7%, 0.011 ± 0.002A) (P0.005). Light response in biocathode BES with or without PSB ascertained the important role of PSB played in the dechlorination and current generation. Dechlorination and mineralization of 4-CP was achieved in the sequential biocathode-bioanode BES, which could be further enhanced with PSB inoculation in both cathode chamber and anode chamber. 4-CP DE in the cathode chamber was improved from 55.0 ± 2.0% to 78.8 ± 4.9%, and the phenol degradation in the anode chamber was improved from 65.3 ± 2.1% to 71.3 ± 1.4%. This study directed a new way for improving dechlorination at biocathode and product degradation at bioanode with PSB inoculation in BES.

Biological toxicities of heavy metals (Hg2+, Cd2+, Cr6+ and Pb2+), phenolic compounds (2,4-DCP, 2-CP, 4-CP, 2-NP and 4-NP), surface water and wastewater were determined with the MTOXPlate based on 11 genetically diverse microorganisms and the analysis endpoint of dehydrogenase activity inhibition. The results showed that the MTOXPlate had good performance for toxicity analysis of heavy metals and phenolic compounds. The EC50 values of Hg2+, Cd2+, Cr6+, Pb2+, 2,4-DCP, 2-CP, 4-CP, 2-NP and 4-NP detected by the MTOXPlate were 0.617, 21.05, 35.21, 11.22, 27.26, 64.29, 44.19, 85.89 and 33.84 mg x L(-1), respectively. The dehydrogenase activity inhibition of surface water was less than 20%. Moreover, the EC50 values of sewage and dyeing wastewater were 62.19% and 16.42%, respectively. Thus, the biological toxicity testing technology MTOXPlate could reflect the actual toxicity of surface water, sewage and dyeing wastewater.

Pseudomonas sp. WYZ-2 was isolated from a biocathode which accelerating azo dye decolorization. When the electrode was polarized at -0.8 V (vs. SCE), WYZ-2 could exist on electrode, because the current of working electrode stabilized at -0.35 mA from -0.13 mA after inoculation. Moreover, cyclic voltammetry scanned an unidentified redox-active molecule which involved in the electron charge transfer potentially. On azo dye decolorization experiments by WYZ-2 modified electrode, electrochemical tests also indicated that the catalytic ability of WYZ-2 modified electrode was improved because charge transfer resistance decreased to 255 Ω from 720 Ω, azo dye reduction potential was shifted to -0.78 V from -0.89 V, and the maximum decolorization efficiency of azo dye was increased to 93.4% from 53.2%, comparing with unmodified electrode. Although numerous studies on azo dye decolorization employed biological agents, electrochemical activity bacteria accelerate the decolorization process using electrode as sole electron source has seldom been reported.

The strategy promoted pollutant degradation and transformation under the anaerobic circumstance by adding nitrate as an electron acceptor has been widely used in sediment bioremediation. However, few literature reports on organic removal characteristics and microbial community responses in the contaminated river sediment under the nitrate reduction condition. Methods including the polar and non-polar chemical fractionation, relative abundance detection of organic matters by GC-MS were combined and applied to investigate organic removals and PCR-DGGE analysis was used for microbial community structures in sediment incubation systems with or without calcium nitrate addition. The results indicated that the addition of calcium nitrate could significantly enhance removal efficiencies of organic pollutants. The removal efficiency of total organic carbon (TOC) and the total peak area of organic matters in GC-MS were 47.25% and 29.55% which were higher than those of the control. The effect descending order of organic pollutants was: silicon materialsalkanespolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsheterocyclic compoundsolefinsbenzene homologuespolar compoundsphthalatesaldehydes and ketonesalkyl esters. And removal rates of silicon materials, the persistent organic pollutants, benzene homologues and heterocyclic compounds were 46.73%, 36.25%, 23.19% and 35.92% which were higher than those of the control. The PCR-DGGE profile of bacterial 16S rDNA V3 fragments showed obviously different microbial community structures between the treatment and the control systems. Blastn analysis revealed that sequences of 10 predominant bands from DGGE profile were closely related to Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Clostridia, Chloroflexi, Caldiserica and uncultured bacterium. The research findings provide some helpful scientific information for promoting organic pollutant removal of river sediment by nitrate reduction.

Characteristics and optimal reaction conditions of anaerobic azoreduction by the Shewanella decolorationis S12 in the presence of zero-valent iron (ZVI) were evaluated in this study. The results showed that the presence of ZVI significantly enhanced the decolorization rate of azo dye. In the presence of 20 mmol x L(-1) ZVI, the decolorization rate of 1 mmol x L(-1) amaranth reached up to 100% by the Shewanella decolorationis S12 after 30 h incubation, which was significantly higher than 23.16% and 94.66% in the pure strain S12 and pure ZVI treatment systems, respectively. When 20 mmol x L(-1) of sodium formate was added in the medium, ZVI still improved the decolorization rate of amaranth by 20.54%. In addition, the presence of ZVI significantly increased the azo dye treatment amount in the ZVI plus S12 system. In the system with ZVI, 1 mmol x L(-1) amaranth was completely reduced 11 times in fed-batch process within 276 h, while the dye could only be completely reduced 3 times in the system without ZVI. The optimal pH and the Fe(0) dose for the ZVI plus S12 system was 9.0 and 60 mmol c L(-1), respectively. The microscale ZVI was more suitable for the decolorization than those with larger size and the nanoscale ZVI. This study may provide some useful information for improving the biodegradation of azo dye in the treatment system with ZVI.

Ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) after lung transplantation remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Lung IRI induces nitric oxide synthesis (iNOS) and reactive nitrogen species, decreasing nitric oxide bioavailability. We hypothesized that ischemia-induced iNOS intensifies with reperfusion and contributes to IRI-induced pulmonary arterial regulatory dysfunction, which may lead to early graft failure and cause pulmonary edema. The aim of this study was to determine whether ischemia–reperfusion alters inducible and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression, potentially affecting pulmonary perfusion. We further evaluated the role of iNOS in post-transplantation pulmonary arterial disorder. We randomized 32 Sprague–Dawley rats into two groups. The control group was given a sham operation whilst the experimental group received orthotropic lung transplants with a modified three-cuff technique. Changes in lung iNOS, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression were measured after lung transplantation by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Vasoconstriction in response to exogenous phenylephrine and vasodilation in response to exogenous acetylcholine of pulmonary arterial rings were measured in vitro as a measure of vascular dysfunction. To elucidate the roles of iNOS in regulating vascular function, an iNOS activity inhibitor (N6-(1-iminoethyl)-L-lysine, L-NIL) was used to treat isolated arterial rings. In order to test whether iNOS inhibition has a therapeutic effect, we further used L-NIL to pre-treat transplanted lungs and then measured post-transplantation arterial responses. Lung transplantation caused upregulation of iNOS expression. This was also accompanied by suppression of both vasoconstriction and vasodilation of arterial rings from transplanted lungs. Removal of endothelium did not interfere with the contraction of pulmonary arterial rings from transplanted lungs. In contrast, iNOS inhibition rescued the vasoconstriction response to exogenous phenylephrine of pulmonary arterial rings from transplanted lungs. In addition, lung transplantation led to suppression of PaO2/FiO2 ratio, increased intrapulmonary shunt (Q s/Q t), and increase of lung wet to dry ratio (W/D), malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase levels, all of which were reversed upon iNOS inhibition. Furthermore, inhibition of iNOS significantly rescued vascular function and alleviated edema and inflammatory cell infiltration in the transplanted lung. Our data suggest that lung transplantation causes upregulation of iNOS expression, and pulmonary vascular dysfunction. iNOS inhibition reverses the post-transplantational pulmonary vascular dysfunction.

Estrogen receptor (ER)-α is an important therapeutic target in the clinical treatment of breast cancer. A potential down-regulator of ER-α, diosgenyl α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)]-α-l-arabinopyranoside is a newly synthesized diosgenyl saponin named compound 22. This study evaluated the in vitro mechanism of compound 22 as an anticancer agent for breast cancer. Our results indicated that compound 22 selectively inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in ER-positive MCF-7 cells, compared with ER-negative MDA-MB-231 and MCF-10A cells. Western blot analysis showed that compound 22 decreased the expression of procaspase-3, procaspase-8, and survivin; and increased the expression of Fas ligand and cleaved PARP1 in MCF-7 cells, indicating that compound 22-induced apoptosis was mediated by the extrinsic pathway. This apoptosis was associated with the suppression of ER-α protein and mRNA expression and the inhibition of ER-DNA binding to the estrogen responsive element. Moreover, ER-α mediated gene expression such as c-Myc and cyclin D1 was reduced, and the activation of p38 and ERK 1/2 was significantly decreased after treatment with compound 22 in MCF-7 cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that compound 22 down-regulates ER-α expression and induces apoptosis through the extrinsic pathway, suggesting that compound 22 may be effective in the treatment of ER-positive breast cancer.

In order to investigate the contamination status of organic pollutants in a river of a typical electrical equipment industrial area, Ronggui, Foshan, the sediments were sampled for the composition, concentration and occurrence analysis of organic pollutants. The polar and non-polar fractionation methods were employed for the fingerprint establishment of organic pollutants. One hundred and seventy-one of organic chemicals including ten categories of alkanes, alkenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, heterocyclic compounds, phthalate esters, aldehydes, ketones, polar compounds, silicon-containing material as well as alkyl esters were examined. The number of different categories of the detected organic pollutants in a descending order was: alkanespolar compoundspolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsaldehydes and ketonesheterocyclic compoundsbenzene homologues, phthalate esteralkyl esterssilicon materialolefins. The abundance of detected organic pollutants in a descending order was: alkanespolar compoundsalkyl estersolefinspolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsphthalatessilicon materialaldehydes and ketonesheterocyclic compoundsbenzene homologues. Among the 51 kinds of alkanes detected, nonadecane accounted for 14.83%, and the persistent organic pollutants accounted for 2.33% of the total organic matter. Compared to similar studies, there were 51 kinds of alkanes and they accounted for 55.5% of the total organic chemicals, showing high diversity and abundance. In addition, some electronics industry-related organic pollutants such as silicone materials were also detected in high frequency.

In order to investigate the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination status in a river of a typical electrical equipment industrial area, Ronggui, Foshan, 8 sediments simples were collected. The results showed that 12 components of PAHs were detected in all sediment samples, and the other 4 components were also detected in different degree. The total 16 EPA priority PAHs contents in surface sediments varied from 343.5 microg x kg(-1) to 2 099 microg x kg(-1) (dry wt), with an average of 1215.9 microg x kg(-1), and no significant variation was found in vertical distribution. The 2 to 3 aromatic rings were the dominant PAHs, and they accounted for 50.69% to 82.5% of the total PAHs. Diagnostic ratios were used to identify the possible sources of PAHs, and the results indicated that PAHs were mainly pyrogenic origin. Sediments were polluted by PAHs heavily according to Maliszewska-Kordybach's standard, the very high risk level was also confirmed by the contamination factors assessment which was investigated by comparison with the background area (SO). The assessment by the method of sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and relative contamination factor (RCF) demonstrated that adverse biological toxicity effect might occasionally happen in a few sampling sites, and the ecological risk components included acenaphthene (Ace), fluorine (Flu), and phenanthrene (Phe).

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in sediment collected from a river in a typical electrical equipment industrial area, Ronggui, Foshan. Eight samples were collected from river sediment. The results indicated that PBDEs were presented in all samples. Spatial trends showed that the concentrations of PBDEs in all sediment samples were ranged from 62 ng x g(-1) to 349 ng x g(-1), with an average of 178 ng x g(-1). The predominant congener was BDE-209 (90% - 99%), which ranged from 56-337 ng x g(-1), with an average of 171 ng x g(-1). Some of congeners such as BDE-196, 197 and 203 may be were the degradation product of BDE-209. Vertically, the concentrations of PBDEs were increased with the depth, whereas the concentrations were 147 ng x g(-1) in layer 0-10 cm and 260 ng x g(-1) in layer 30-40 cm, respectively. Distribution profile of PBDEs in vertical direction was similar in different depths. The commercial deca-BDE (94%), which contained BDE-209, 208, 207 and 206, was the dominate pollutant with minor contributions from penta-and octa-BDEs. The results suggested that this area was polluted by PBDEs and BDE-209 was the most dominate congener, which is related with the manufacturing activities for electrical equipment.

A sulfate reducing bacterium, designated strain 'SR3', was isolated from sludge of a sulfate-reducing up-flow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor for treating high concentration sulfate wastewater. It was identified as Citrobacter sp. based upon the phenotypic-characteristics and physiological properties as well as the analysis of the sequence of 16S rDNA. The strain could reduce sulfate under anaerobic and micro-aerobic conditions. The dissimilatory sulphite reductase gene (dsr) was also amplified from this strain's genomic DNA using specific dsr gene primers. In aerobic conditions, the strain couldn't reduce sulfate, but exhibited a highest growth rate. In anaerobic conditions, the optimal growth conditions for this stain were temperature 37 degrees C and initial pH 8.0. Under this conditions,the strain could reduced both SO4(2-) and Cr(VI) at initial Cr(VI) concentrations of 0.4-0.8 mmol synchronously. Its tolerance ability to Cr(VI) concentrations reaches 1.0 mmol. This is the first report about an facultative anaerobe with sulfate reducing function and dissimilatory sulphite reductase gene (dsr).

The effects of soluble and insoluble Fe(III) on anaerobic azoreduction by Shewanella decolorationis S12 were examined in a series of experiments. Results showed that the effects of iron on anaerobic azoreduction depended on the solubility and concentration of the compounds. Azoreduction was inhibited by insoluble Fe(III) and 0.05-2 mmol/L Fe2 O3 all decelerated the azoreduction activity of 0.2 mmol/L amaranth, but the increase in the concentrations of Fe2O3 did not cause an increasing inhibition. Soluble Fe(III) of which concentration less than 0.4 mmol/L enhanced azoreduction activity of 0.2 mmol/L amaranth but there was no linear relationship between the concentration of soluble Fe(III) and azoreduction activity. Soluble Fe(III) of which concentration more than 1 mmol/L inhibited azoreduction activity of 0.2 mmol/L amaranth and an increasing concentration resulted in an increased inhibition. The inhibition was strengthened under the conditions of limited electron donor. On the other hand, soluble Fe(III) and Fe(II) could relieve the inhibition of azoreduction by dicumarol which blocked quinone cycle. It suggests that in addition to quinone cycle, there is a Fe(III)--Fe(II) cycle shuttling electrons in cytoplasmic and periplasmic environment. That is the reason why low concentration of soluble Fe(III) or Fe (II) can enhance azoreduction of S. decolorationis S12. It also indicates that insoluble Fe(III) and high concentration of soluble Fe(III) do compete with azo dye for electrons once it acts as electron acceptor. Thus, when iron and azo dye coexisted, iron could serve as an electron transfer agent or electron competitive inhibitor for anaerobic azoreduction under different conditions. High efficiency of azoreduction can be achieved through controlling the solubility and concentration of irons.

An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for determination of the contents of 8 trace elements in mantle muscle and cuttlebone of Sepiella maindroni after microwave digestion of the sample has been developed. Satisfactory linearity of working curves for the 8 elements was obtained, giving all their correlation coefficients over 0.997 3. The precision of measurement ranges from 2.4% to 8.7% in terms of relative standard deviation. The recoveries and the limits of detection are in the range of 96.5%-106.3% and 0.002-0.032 microg x L(-1), respectively. It was indicated that the proposed method had the advantages of simplicity, speediness and sensitivity. The results showed that the mantle muscle and cuttlebone of Sepiella maindroni contained rich trace elements Zn and Cu, but the contents of Cd and As are higher than the limits of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Green Trade Standard for Importing and Exporting Medicinal Plant and Preparation and U.S. Food and Drug Standard. Furthermore, our study provides new scientific foundation for the quality control, culture, general application, resource utilization and exporting of Sepiella maindroni.

Changes of sludge characters in a sulfate-reducing UASB reactor during the 243 day of domestication process were tracking comparison. Results showed the average diameter of granular sludge in initial domestication stages decreased to 0.99 mm compared with 1.82 mm of incubating sludge, but which was found to be increasing along with the enhance of the loading rate of reactor, the shorten of HRT, and the acceleration of hydraulic up-flow velocity. N2 stripping was used to remove H2S produced in the reactor, and the average diameter of granular sludge increased to 1.51 mm quickly when N2 stripping with the flux of 60 mL x min(-1) was used, but it decreased when the flux of N2 improved to 100 mL x min(-1). Differences in average diameter among granular sludges in different height of the reactor became unconspicuous through continuous stripping. Changes in the MLVSS and the ratio of (MLVSS/MLSS) displayed similar trends, for which firstly decreased in the earlier period then increased to 33.59 g x L(-1) and went up to 49.72 g x L(-1) steadily in the later stage, and then raised from 0.36 to 0.50 subsequently. Sulfate reduction efficiency improved from 30% to 95%, which was strongly correlated with the MLVSS (r = 0.918, p = 0.003). Scanning electron microscope analysis showed inoculating sludge was coarse and incompact, and with the dominant species of filamentous bacteria, bacillus, cocci, but granular sludge with dense microorganism community structure were observed, and in which vibrio and bacillus were the dominant species.

To optimize perioperative respiratory and circulatory management so as to improve the surgical results of thoracotomy in elderly patients.Respiratory and circulatory status was prospectively monitored and postoperative complications were documented in 58 elderly patients aged over 65 years underwent thoracotomy. The results were compared with those from 56 young patients aged under 65 years in the same time period. Based on the study results, the original perioperative management model was modified and prospectively studied in the following 179 elderly patients. Again the results were compared with 477 younger patients concomitantly treated.Through optimized perioperative management, the in-hospital mortality (4.9% vs. 1.1%, P = 0.033) and overall morbidity (58.6% vs. 21.8%, P0.01) were significantly decreased. This was most significant in the decrease of functional complications (51.7% vs. 14.5%, P0.01), especially the cardiovascular (22.4% vs. 7.3%, P = 0.001) and respiratory complications (20.7% vs. 7.3%, P = 0.004). There was no difference in technical complications between the two time periods. Comparing with the original model, the optimized perioperative management strategy resulted in significant decrease in acute lung injury (17.2% vs. 6.7%, P = 0.016), respiratory failure (6.9% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.041), as well as cardiac arrhythmia (20.7% vs. 7.3%, P = 0.004) in the early postoperative period.Optimization of perioperative management through careful preoperative functional evaluation, intraoperative protective ventilation, postoperative close monitoring of water balance, and timely intervention, may help improve surgical results in the elderly.

The potential for humic substances to serve as terminal electron acceptors in microbial respiration and the effects of humic substances on microbial azoreduction were investigated. The dissimilatory azoreducing microorganism Shewanella decolorationis S12 was able to conserve energy to support growth from electron transport to humics coupled to the oxidation of various organic substances or H2. Batch experiments suggested that when the concentration of anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQS), a humics analog, was lower than 3 mmol/l, azoreduction of strain S12 was accelerated under anaerobic condition. However, there was obvious inhibition to azoreduction when the concentration of the AQS was higher than 5 mmol/l. Another humics analog, anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQDS), could still prominently accelerate azoreduction, even when the concentration was up to 12 mmol/l, but the rate of acceleration gradually decreased with the increasing concentration of the AQDS. Toxic experiments revealed that AQS can inhibit growth of strain S12 if the concentration past a critical one, but AQDS had no effect on the metabolism and growth of strain S12 although the concentration was up to 20 mmol/l. These results demonstrated that a low concentration of humic substances not only could serve as the terminal electron acceptors for conserving energy for growth, but also act as redox mediator shuttling electrons for the anaerobic azoreduction by S. decolorationis S12. However, a high concentration of humic substances could inhibit the bacterial azoreduction, resulting on the one hand from the toxic effect on cell metabolism and growth, and on the other hand from competion with azo dyes for electrons as electron acceptor.

A broad-spectrum azo-reducing bacterial strain, AzoR-2, was isolated from a active-sludge of textile-printing wastewater treatment plant and the strain was identified and characterized. This strain was identified as Citrobacter sp. according to its morphological, physiobiochemical characteristics and analysis of its 16S rDNA and beta-lactamase gene sequence. Studies showed that strain AzoR-2 was able to reduce various azo dyes with several organic substances and H2 as electron donor and the electrons for azoreduction came from primary electron donor. The azoreduction by strain AzoR-2 was inhibited strongly by O2. The enzyme system for azoreduction of strain AzoR-2 was located on cellular membrane, suggesting that the microbial azoreduction is linked to electron transport chain. Azoreduction by strain AzoR-2 was occurred in the range of alkaline pH at the temperature range 20 - 40 degrees C with optimum pH 7.5 and 35 degrees C. Azo-reducing Citrobacter bacterium may play important roles in bioremediation of the environment contaminated by azo dyes and in the decolorization of textile-printing wastewater.

In order to improve the treatment efficiency of the high concentration of ammonium nitrogen in landfill leachate, anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) and hybrid biofilm reactor (HBR) were introduced to the full-scale treatment of Datianshang landfill leachate. The efficiencies of nitrogen removal and the status of microorganism of the two biological treatment processes were analyzed. To achieve ANAMMOX and partial nitritation process, the concentration of dissolved oxygen in HBR was controlled and the effluent of HBR was recycled to the inlet of the ABR in a large proportion. The full-scale operation results showed that when the concentration of influent ammonium nitrogen was at 336.24 - 685.09 mg/L, the anaerobic granule sludge and the ANAMMOX bacteria were observed and the average ammonium nitrogen removal rate reached 34.9% in ABR after the start-up period of 60 days. The population of ammonium oxidizing bacteria and the average ammonium nitrogen removal rate in HBR reached 6.4 x 10(7) cells/mL and 95.1%, respectively, after 30 days of ABR stable running process. The final effluent ammonium nitrogen concentration was under 25 mg/L and the removal rate of total nitrogen was above 80% after the ABR-HBR combined processes treatment. It was suggested that using of advance environmental biotechnology to improve the capacity of the conventional leachate treatment plant was advisable, especially for those low efficiency facilities working improperly.

Experimental results suggested Shewanella cinica D14T is capable of humus respiration utilizing various organic acids and some important environmental pollutants (e.g., toluene. etc) as electron donors and AQS or AQDS as a sole terminal electron acceptor under anaerobic condition. The dissimilatory reduction of 1mmol/L AQDS can couple to the production of enough ATP to support cell growth about 60 generations; The oxidization of electron donors was coupled to the reduction of humus, as reduced humus increased corresponding with increasing of electron donor; The typical inhibitors such as Cu2+ which inhibited Fe-S center, Stigmatellin which was methyl-naphthoquinone model, Dicumarol which inhibited oxidized methyl-naphthoquinone transform to reduced one, Metyrapone which was specific inhibitor for P450 enzyme blocked the humus respiration seriously. These were powerful evidences for humus-respiration by D14.

Under anaerobic conditions, Shewanella cinicaD14(T), Shewanella baltica and Shewane-lla putrefaciens are capable of high-rate azoreduction and humus reduction. The results indicated that at low concentration (2 mmol/L) AQS was a accelerator for bacterial azoreduction. However, when the concentration of AQS was more than 5 mmol/L a strong inhibition was occurred. On the other hand, the concentration of AQDS as high as 12 mmol/L the inhibition of azoreduction was still not exhibited, but the effect of acceleration was gradually decreased with the concentration of AQDS increasing (1 mmol/L to 12 mmol/L). 6 azo dyes (Table 1) were tested, all of which had a similar results. These results indicated that the humic substances were not only as a redox mediator during the azoreduction, but also as the competitor for electron from respiration chain. Because the humic substances could be act as the terminal electron acceptor for bacterial anaerobic respiration. AQS and AQDS exhibiting different behaviour on the azoreduction were determined by their standard redox potentials.

Bacterial Fe(III) reduction is an important pathway of bioenergy metabolism in the process of life evolution. Many kinds of archaebacteria and eubacteria are capable of reducing Fe(III) to conserve energy. Anaerobic Fe(III) respiration pathway involves many membranous proteins and regulating factors, especially the muti-haem c-type cytochromes are very important in the course of electron transportation. In addition, bacterial Fe(III) reduction play important roles in the biological geochemistry circulation and environmental remediation, therefore has vital environmental significance.