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To make full use of urban household balcony space, an urban aquaponics system for balconies was constructed to investigate the purification effects of four different substrates (volcanic stone, ceramic pellets, ceramic rings, and nanorods) and six plants (mung bean sprouts, hollow cabbage, water celery, lettuce, leek, and water chestnut) on fish culture wastewater. Through the determination of contaminants such as nitrogen and phosphorus and through the use of 16SrDNA sequencing technology, the substrate material and plant combinations with the best purification effects were screened. The results show that volcanic stone and nanorods have strong purification capacities. Compared to the other substrate types, there were more unique bacterial species on the surface of volcanic stone, among which amoeba species were the most dominant (92.42%). Among the six tested plant species, mung bean sprouts had the highest contribution to nitrogen uptake (94.96%), and water chestnut had the highest contribution to phosphorus uptake at 12.07%. Finally, the combination of nanorods and water celery was the best at purifying the wastewater. This study provides a theoretical basis and new ideas for the construction of urban aquaponics systems on balconies, which will help to achieve green farming and the efficient utilization of water resources.

To make full use of urban household balcony space, an urban aquaponics system for balconies was constructed to investigate the purification effects of four different substrates (volcanic stone, ceramic pellets, ceramic rings, and nanorods) and six plants (mung bean sprouts, hollow cabbage, water celery, lettuce, leek, and water chestnut) on fish culture wastewater. The substrate material and plant combinations with the best purification effects were screened, and the results showed that volcanic stone had the strongest purification ability for ammonia nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, phosphate, and total phosphorus, with removal rates of 88.8%, 63.1%, 95.1%, and 83.3%, respectively. Additionally, nanorods had a strong purification effect for ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen. Compared to the other substrate types, there were more unique bacterial species on the surface of volcanic stone, among which amoeba species were the most dominant (92.42%). Among the six tested plant species, mung bean sprouts had the highest contribution to nitrogen uptake (94.96%), and water chestnut had the highest contribution to phosphorus uptake at 12.07%. Finally, the combination of nanorods and water celery was the best at purifying the wastewater. This study provides a theoretical basis and new ideas for the construction of urban aquaponics systems on balconies, which will help to achieve green farming and the efficient utilization of water resources.C.I.C. Classification Number: S969.38

Purpose: This article investigated patient clinical data to establish a nomogram to predict the success rate of patients with small bowel obstruction relief by ileus tube.Methods: We identified 210 patients with small bowel obstruction treated with ileus tube (January 2014 to January 2020) from a prospectively collected database. Among them, 117 cases were successfully relieved (Successful group), and 93 cases failed (Failure group).Results: The Successful group had a higher age and body mass index, as well as a shorter time from obstruction to insertion than the failure group before insertion of the ileus tube. White blood cell, neutrophil, red blood cell distribution width and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were lower in the successful group after insertion of the ileus tube. In addition, white blood cell, neutrophil, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio decreased in the successful group after insertion. However, the result was the opposite in the Failure group. The success rate of paralytic ileus was the highest (79.4%). Patients with fecal stone ileus had the most rapid ventilation and defecation times. Multivariate analysis showed that the platelet-change, albumin after insertion, time from obstruction to insertion and obstruction factors were independent factors influencing the success rate of ileus tube insertion. In addition, we established nomograms to predict the success rate of patients with small bowel obstruction relief by ileus tube (C-index=0.753).Conclusion: This nomogram can effectively predict whether patients can successfully relieve obstruction by ileus tube, which provides convenience for clinical treatment.

Microhaplotypes have been highly regarded for forensic mixture DNA deconvolution because they do not experience interference from stutters in the same way as short tandem repeat markers, and they tend to be more polymorphic than single nucleotide polymorphism markers. However, forensic microhaplotype kits have not been reported. The MHSeqTyper47 kit genotypes 47 microhaplotype loci. In this study, MiSeq FGx sequencing metrics for MHSeqTyper47 were presented, and the genotyping accuracy of this kit was examined. The sensitivity of MHSeqTyper47 reached 62.5 pg, and full genotyping results were obtained from degraded DNA samples with degradation indexes ≤ 3.00. Full genotypes were obtained in the presence of 100 ng/μL tannin, 50 μM heme, 25 ng/μL humic acid, and 1.25 μg/μL indigo dye. In DNA mixture studies, a minimum of 31 loci of the minor contributor were correctly genotyped at 1:99 or 99:1 mixing ratios, with the cumulative random matching probability of these loci reaching 4.54 × 10

Background: Nasointestinal tubes (NITs) have been increasingly used in patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO); However, severe adverse events (SAEs) of NITs might threaten the lives of patients. The indications of NITs need to be identified. This study was designed to explore the indications for the insertion of NITs in patients with SBO and to suggest the optimal strategies for individuals based on the outcomes of SAEs.Methods: After propensity score matching, 68 pairs were included (Success group and failure group). The occurrence of SAEs and the clinical parameters were compared between the SAE group and the non-SAE group. Independent risk factors were evaluated among the subgroups. A novel scoring system was established to detect the subgroups that would benefit from NITs insertion.Results: Successful implementation of NITs could avoid hypochloremia (p=0.010), SAEs (p=0.001), pneumonia (p=0.006). SAEs occurred in 13 of 136 (9.6%) patients who accepted NITs insertion treatment. Risk factors for SAEs included tumors (p=0.002), reduced BMI (p=0.048), reduced hemoglobin (p=0.001), abnormal activated partial thromboplastin time (p=0.015) and elevated white blood cells (p=0.002). A novel risk scoring system consists of hemoglobin before NITs insertion (95% CI: 0.685, 0.893) and bowel obstruction symptoms relieved after NITs insertion (95% CI: 0.575, 0.900) had the highest area under curve (AUC) for predicting the occurrence of SAEs. We divided the risk score system into 3 grades, with the increasing grades, the rates of SAEs surged from 1.3% (1/74) to (6/11) 54.5%.Conclusion: NITs successfully insertion could avoid SAEs occurrence in SBO conservative treatment. SBO patients without anemia and could be relieved after NITs insertion could be the potential benefit group for this therapy.

BackgroundNasointestinal tubes (NITs) have been increasingly used in patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO); However, severe adverse events (SAEs) of NITs might threaten the lives of patients. The indications of NITs need to be identified. This study was designed to explore the indications for the insertion of NITs in patients with SBO and to suggest the optimal strategies for individuals based on the outcomes of SAEs.MethodsAfter propensity score matching, 68 pairs were included (Success group and failure group). The occurrence of SAEs and the clinical parameters were compared between the SAE group and the non-SAE group. Independent risk factors were evaluated among the subgroups. A novel scoring system was established to detect the subgroups that would benefit from NITs insertion.ResultsSuccessful implementation of NITs could avoid hypochloremia (p = 0.010), SAEs (p = 0.001), pneumonia (p = 0.006). SAEs occurred in 13 of 136 (9.6%) patients who accepted NITs insertion treatment. Risk factors for SAEs included tumors (p = 0.002), reduced BMI (p = 0.048), reduced hemoglobin (p = 0.001), abnormal activated partial thromboplastin time (p = 0.015) and elevated white blood cells (p = 0.002). A novel risk scoring system consists of hemoglobin before NITs insertion (95% CI 0.685, 0.893) and bowel obstruction symptoms relieved after NITs insertion (95% CI 0.575, 0.900) had the highest area under curve for predicting the occurrence of SAEs. We divided the risk score system into 3 grades, with the increasing grades, the rates of SAEs surged from 1.3% (1/74) to (6/11) 54.5%.ConclusionNITs successfully insertion could avoid SAEs occurrence in SBO conservative treatment. SBO patients without anemia and could be relieved after NITs insertion could be the potential benefit group for this therapy.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the anticancer effects and potential mechanisms of polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on breast cancer MCF-7 cells in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that EGCG significantly inhibited MCF-7 cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that EGCG induced apoptosis and disrupted cell cycle progression at G2/M phase. Moreover, EGCG inhibited miR-25 expression and increased PARP, pro-caspase-3 and pro-caspase-9 at protein levels. Restoration of miR-25 inhibited EGCG-induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, EGCG suppressed tumor growth in vivo by downregulating the expression of miR-25 and proteins associated with apoptosis, which was further confirmed by a reduction of Ki-67 and increase of pro-apoptotic PARP expression as determined by immunohistochemistry staining. These findings indicate that EGCG possesses chemopreventive potential in breast cancer which may serve as a promising anticancer agent for clinical applications.

Enhanced serum secreted clusterin (sCLU) protein was associated with progression, poor prognosis and chemotherapy sensitivity evaluation in malignant patients. However, the clinical significance of serum sCLU protein levels in patients with invasive breast cancer (IBC) is unknown. In this study, the serum sCLU protein in 2648 patients with IBC was detected. The diagnostic value and treatment responses of serum sCLU protein in patients with IBC were also performed. The results showed that the serum sCLU protein level was significantly higher in IBC patients compared to the healthy controls (P, Graphical abstract

Microhaplotypes are an emerging type of forensic genetic marker that are expected to support multiple forensic applications. Here, we developed a 124-plex panel for microhaplotype genotyping based on next-generation sequencing (NGS). The panel yielded intralocus and interlocus balanced sequencing data with a high percentage of effective reads. A full genotype was determined with as little as 0.1 ng of input DNA. Parallel mixture experiments and in-depth comparative analyses were performed with capillary-electrophoresis-based short tandem repeat (STR) and NGS-based microhaplotype genotyping, and demonstrated that microhaplotypes are far superior to STRs for mixture deconvolution. DNA from Han Chinese individuals (n = 256) was sequenced with the 124-plex panel. In total, 514 alleles were observed, and the forensic genetic parameters were calculated. A comparison of the forensic parameters for the 20 microhaplotypes with the top Ae values in the 124-plex panel and 20 commonly used forensic STRs showed that these microhaplotypes were as effective as STRs in identifying individuals. A linkage disequilibrium analysis showed that 106 of the 124 microhaplotypes were independently hereditary, and the combined match probability for these 106 microhaplotypes was 5.23 × 10−66. We conclude that this 124-plex microhaplotype panel is a powerful tool for forensic applications.

BACKGROUND The relationship between non-cholestatic liver disease and total bile acid (TBA) remains obscure. The present study aimed to verify this relationship in patients with non-cholestatic chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. METHODS A total of 922 consecutive chronic HBV infected patients with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ≤ 1.5 upper limit of normal (ULN) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) ≤ 3 ULN were rigorously included in this cross-sectional study. Liver biopsy was performed in 53 patients and Scheuer scoring system was used to evaluate inflammation grade. G3/G4 or Child-Pugh B/C were considered to be significant liver injury. RESULTS Compared to Child-Pugh A, TBA, total bilirubin (TBIL), ALP, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and AST to ALT ratio (AST/ALT) were significantly higher in Child-Pugh B/C, while TBIL to TBA ratio (TBIL/TBA) was significantly lower (all p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, TBA and AST/ALT were independently correlated with Child-Pugh B/C [odds ratio (OR) = 1.04, p < 0.001; OR = 1.79, p < 0.001, respectively]. The area under the curve (AUC) of TBA (0.82) was significantly higher than that of AST (0.73, p < 0.001) and ALT (0.63, p < 0.001). Furthermore, in patients with liver biopsy, TBA was also significantly higher in G3/G4 while TBIL/TBA was significantly lower (p < 0.05). After adjusting the factors related to bile excretion, TBIL/TBA was independently associated with G3/G4 (OR = 0.89, p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Serum TBA shows a close relationship with significant liver injury in chronic HBV infected patients without cholestasis. Assessment of TBA, especially in combination with TBIL/TBA, may serve as a non-invasive marker for the diagnosis of non-cholestatic hepatic damage.

Real-time analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air is useful both for source identification and emissions compliance applications. In this work, two complementary triple quadrupole mass spectrometers, fitted with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and a low pressure chemical ionization (LPCI) source, respectively, were deployed simultaneously to investigate emissions of VOCs associated with an Ontario-based chemical waste disposal facility. Mobile measurements performed upwind and downwind of the facility enabled selection of the best locations for stationary sampling. Seven separate field studies were undertaken between 2000 and 2016 to assess how emissions of VOCs have changed at the site as a function of time. Up to twenty-nine VOCs were successfully identified and quantified using MS/MS in each study. Simultaneous deployment of the two mass spectrometers enabled the detection of polar VOCs including alcohols, esters, amines and ketones as well as non-polar aromatic VOCs including benzene and naphthalene in real time. Concentrations of VOCs were found to decrease significantly in the vicinity of the facility over the sixteen year period, in particular since 2007. Concentration values for each year are compared with odour thresholds and provincial guidelines and implications of future expansion of on-site solid waste landfill volumes are also discussed.

The therapy for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) has changed significantly since the use of imatinib mesylate (IM). However, the appropriate duration of receiving adjuvant IM for patients with high-risk GIST who underwent R0 resection is still controversial.From January 2005 to December 2014, 234 patients who underwent R0 resection and were treated with adjuvant imatinib at our institution were identified from a prospectively collected database. The effect of the medication duration on the long-term outcomes was analyzed.In this study, 140 cases were male and 94 cases were female, and the mean age was 57.5 ± 11.4 years. The most common site was the stomach (103 cases, 44%), followed by the small intestine (81 cases, 34.6%). The 5 year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate and overall survival (OS) rate in the whole groups were 76.2 and 83.4%, respectively. The patient's prognosis was improved due to the prolongation of the time of receiving the imatinib treatment (P 0.05). According to the results of the risk stratification analysis, the outcomes of the moderate-risk patients who received IM adjuvant therapy for 1-year group, 1-3 years group and more than 3 years group showed improvement, but the difference was not statistically significant (P 0.05). However, in the high-risk patients, the RFS rates of the 1-year group, 1-3-years group, 3-5-years group and more than 5 years group were 36.5, 68.7, 71.2 and 90.8%, respectively, and the OS rates were 36.7, 76.6, 84.0 and 97.4%, respectively (P 0.001). In addition, linear regression analysis showed that the long-term outcomes of patients with high-risk GIST significantly improved due to prolonged adjuvant IM treatment durations (P 0.05). The RFS rate of patients receiving IM for more than 5 years was significantly better than those receiving it for less than 5 years. Multivariate COX regression analysis in the patients with high-risk GIST showed that tumor located in small intestine was an independent risk factor, while receiving IM treatment was an independent protective factor for prognosis.The long-term outcomes of patients with high risk GIST improved due to the prolongation of the IM treatment. To reduce the recurrence and improve the long-term survival, we suggest that patients with high-risk GIST receive imatinib treatment for at least 5 years.

Although the platelet count may provide clues regarding the severity of liver disease, there are currently no available data supporting the utility of the platelet count to evaluate the degree of liver injury in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The present study aimed to determine the association between the platelet count and the severity of liver injury in patients with chronic HBV infection. A total of 941 patients were included and were stratified into a Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class A group and a CTP class B/C group using the CTP scoring system. A total of 53 patients underwent liver biopsy. The pathological stage F4 was defined as cirrhosis based on the METAVIR scoring system. Compared with that in patients with CTP class A, the platelet count in patients with CTP class B/C was lower (P

Short tandem repeat (STR) profiling is routinely used in forensic genetics. At present, STR analysis is mainly performed by capillary electrophoresis (CE). However, due to limitations associated with the CE method, STR genotyping has been limited to length polymorphisms only. Because next generation sequencing (NGS) is capable of providing full resolution STR data at the sequence variation level, the individual identification capability of forensic STR loci could be significantly improved. Here we present sequence-based STR data for the Beijing Han population in which 291 individuals were screened for 23 commonly used forensic STRs using the SeqTypeR24 CASE kit on an Ion PGM platform. In total, 234 length-based alleles and 356 sequence-based alleles, which included 22 novel core repeat sequences, were observed. The sequence-based matching probability and power of discrimination were superior to the length-based numbers for 16 loci bearing micro-variant alleles. Combined matching probability reached 8.2 × 10-29 for 23 STR loci at the sequence level. This was two orders of magnitude higher than the parameters at length level and provides a data base for sequence-based STR casework applications.

Phragmites australis and Chloris virgata are native, dominant, salt-tolerant grass species that grow in the Yellow River Delta, China, and have potential applications in the phytoremediation of petroleum-polluted saline soil. The characteristics of endophytic bacterial communities of Phragmites australis and Chloris virgata and their functions in hydrocarbon degradation and plant growth promotion have been studied using both high-throughput sequencing and conventional microbial techniques. Through 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we found five bacterial phyla that were dominant among the endophytic bacterial communities of the two grass species, including Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Tenericutes. The phylum Proteobacteria was common among the endophytic bacterial communities of the two grass species. The diversity in the endophytic bacterial community of Chloris virgata was generally higher than that in the community of Phragmites australis. Thirty-eight hydrocarbon-degrading endophytic bacteria were isolated from the two grasses via culturing techniques. Based on phylogenetic analyses, the bacterial isolates were classified into the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. The majority of strains belonged to the genera Bacillus and Pseudomonas. More than 70% of the isolates of hydrocarbon-degrading endophytes exhibited the ability to stimulate plant growth. These isolates mainly belonged to Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Beijerinckia sp., Serratia sp., Acinetobacter sp., Microbacterium sp., and Rhizobium sp. Altogether, the present study revealed that Phragmites australis and Chloris virgata growing on petroleum-polluted saline soil in the Yellow River Delta harbor several diverse species of endophytic bacteria and serve as novel sources of beneficial bacteria and hydrocarbon degradation.

Loofah sponge and activated carbon (AC) made from it were used to adsorb rhodamine B (RhB) onto aqueous solutions. Scanning electron microscopy of the two materials revealed they possessed rough surfaces; loofah sponge featured a high surface area of 132.6 m2/g, which increased to 842.3 m2/g for AC. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that the surface of both materials was abundant in O–H, C–H, and C=O groups, which may increase their adsorption capacities. The kinetics, isotherms, and optimum conditions for RhB removal were studied. RhB adsorption by the adsorbents was consistent with pseudo-second-order equations. The adsorption isotherms revealed that the adsorption process of loofah sponge involved multilayer adsorption, while that of AC was monolayer adsorption. The optimal performance of AC (removal ratio of 99.20% and equilibrium adsorption of 191.43 mg/g) was achieved using a temperature of 313 K, AC content of 0.6 mg/L, and initial RhB concentration of 120 mg/L. AC displayed...

Microalgal cultivation coupled with urban wastewater treatment can promote the large-scale production of algal biodiesel. However, most studies conducted to date have focused on effects of the nitrogen lipid production and nutrient removal, while ignoring the effects of dilution levels on the growth and biochemical properties. In this study, synthetic urban wastewater (SUW) was adopted to cultivate Scenedesmus sp. to explore the effects of dilution levels on the growth and biochemical properties, especially the lipid and protein properties. Microalgae reached maximum cell density (4.12 × 106 cell/mL) at 100% dilution, maximum specific growth rate (0.5815 d−1) at 100% dilution, maximum total lipid content (25.4%) at 25% dilution, and maximum protein content (49.97%) at 75% dilution after 5 d of cultivation. The maximum removal rate was COD 69.5 mg/L/d (100% dilution), NH3-N 7.33 mg/L/d (100% dilution) and TP 0.325 mg/L/d (75% dilution). Overall, SUW is a feasible medium for Scenedesmus sp. and 100%...

Although serum bile acids and total cholesterol (TC) are closely related to liver cirrhosis, the potential diagnostic value of total bile acid-to-cholesterol ratio (TBA/TC) for liver fibrosis is unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the value of TBA/TC in the diagnosis of cirrhosis and the relationship between TBA/TC and significant liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected patients without cholestasis. 667 patients with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ≤ 1.5 upper limit of normal (ULN) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) ≤ 3 ULN were rigorously included in this cross-sectional study. Liver biopsy was performed in 32 patients and METAVIR scoring system was used to evaluate liver fibrosis stage. Liver ultrasound elastography was performed in 138 patients, significant fibrosis was defined as fibrosis ≥ F2. Multiple logistic regression as well as receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analyses were performed. Compared to patients with non-cirrhosis, TBA and TBA/TC were significantly higher in cirrhosis while TC was significantly lower (all P

Objective: To investigate the short-term efficacy of laparoscopic assisted Total Extraperitoneal Repair (TEP) with small incision for large inguinal hernia in adults, so as to guide the treatment of patients. Methods: A total of 32 adults with large inguinal hernia treated with laparoscopic assisted TEP from September 2015 to March 2017 were enrolled as the observation group, and from January 2013 to June 2015, 34 cases with large inguinal hernia treated with TEP were enrolled as the control group. The efficacy of operation and recovery, White Blood Count (WBC), C Reactive Protein (CRP) and Visual Analogue Score (VAS), the recurrence rate within 6 months and quality of life between two groups were compared. Results: Compared with the control group, the operation time in observation group was longer, intraoperative bleeding volume was less, postoperative ambulation time and hospital stays were shorter, the WBC, CRP and VAS at 3 d after operation were less, the differences were statistically significant (P 0.05). Within 6 months after surgery, quality of life in two groups improved significantly (P 0.05). Conclusion: Laparoscopic assisted TEP with small incision is effective in treatment of large inguinal hernia in adult patients. Compared with the traditional TEP, intraoperative bleeding volume in laparoscopic assisted TEP with small incision is less, postoperative recovery is faster, pain and physiological stress are less.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are considered to be a potential therapy for end-stage liver disease. However, the therapeutic mechanism of BM-MSCs remains unclear. The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of paracrine signaling in BM-MSCs in liver cirrhosis in vitro. Human BM-MSCs and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were cultured using a vertical double cell co-culture system. Groups were divided into HSCs alone (control group) and the co-culture system of BM-MSCs with HSCs (experimental group). HSC morphology was observed by inverted phase contrast microscopy. The proliferative capacity of HSCs was measured with the MTT assay and flow cytometry. Hoechst staining was performed to examine the apoptosis of HSCs. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and Smad7 mRNA expression were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. BM-MSCs did not inhibit the proliferation of HSCs at 24 h, however significantly inhibited the proliferation of HSCs at 48 and 72 h. BM-MSCs additionally induced the apoptosis of HSCs at 48 h. The concentration of TGF-β1 in the supernatant at 24 h and 48 h in the co-cultured system was observed to be significantly lower than in the control group (P

The Yellow River Delta Wetland is one of the youngest wetlands, and also the most complete, extensive wetlands in China. The wetland in this delta is ecologically important due to their hydrologic attributes and their roles as ecotones between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In the study, the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of CH4 and CO2 emission flux under five kinds of land use types in the wetland were investigated. The results indicated that the greenhouse gas emission flux, especially the CO2 and CH4, showed distinctly spatial and temporal variation under different land use types in the wetland. In the spring, the emission flux of CO2 was higher than that of CO2 in the autumn, and appeared negative in HW3 and HW4 in the autumn. CH4 emission flux of HW4 and HW5 was negative in the spring and autumn, which indicated that the CH4 emission process was net absorption. Among the five kinds of land use types, the CO2 emission flux of HW4 discharged the largest emission flux reaching 29.3 mg.m-2.h-1, but the CH4 emission flux of HW2 discharged the largest emission flux reaching 0.15 mg.m-2.h-1. From the estuary to the inland, the emission flux of CO2 was decreased at first and then appeared increasing trend, but the emission flux of CH4 was contrary to CO2.

In order to provide theoretical and scientific basis for the application of artificial aquatic plants in the black-odor river, parameters optimization experiment was undertaken to remediate artificial wastewater using artificial aquatic plants. After 25 days’ experiment, the results showed that the optimum operating parameters of dissolved oxygen was in 3.0-5.0mg/L, and that of pH was in the range of 8.0 to 8.5 in the low concentration of wastewater. And the removal rates of COD and NH4 +-N were 95.92% and 19.67% in low concentration of wastewater, 88.00% and 41.96% in the dissolved oxygen content of 3.0-5.0mg/l, 84.10% and 39.42% in pH 8.0-8.5, respectively.

Hydraulic loading rate (HLR) is an important operational parameter for constructed wetland to purify wastewater. In this paper, it is the main objective to select the optimal parameter of HLR. During the four HLRs (i.e., 6 cm/d, 12 cm/d, 24 cm/d and 48 cm/d) operation period, six days were used as one stage. The experimental results showed that the best average removal rates of CODcr (59.7%) and NH3-N (89.4%) were at the HLR of 6 cm/d. In the meantime, the best average removal rate of total phosphorus (TP, 50.0%) was at the HLR of 24 cm/d. According to the low influent TP concentration, it is suggested that the HLR of 6 cm/d should be used in the multi-stage constructed wetland.

An organic modified poly-polyacrylamide-Al-Zn-Fe (PPAZF) coagulant was prepared by adding polyacrylamide (PAM) as additives in poly-Al-Zn-Fe (PAZF). The coagulation performance of PPAZF was investigated compared to that of PAZF and polyaluminium chloride (PAC) in treating domestic sewage and pharmaceutical wastewater. The results showed that PPAZF not only had better removal of turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (CODCr) than PZAF and PAC at the optimal dosages of 148 mg·L-1, but also produced large and dense flocs. Compared to PAZF and PAC, the removal of CODCr by PPAZF was greatly improved at lower dosage. In addition, experimental results indicated the main mechanism of PPAZF is a comprehensive coagulation effect and chemical reaction.

The Yellow River Delta wetland is the most integrated, broadest, youngest wetland ecological system in China. Due to the affection by human activities, the wetland is under a degraded risk and urgently require for ecological restoration. Moreover, the wetland is an influenced and responsive region of global change because of its unique water-heat effect and greenhouse gas metabolic process. In this study, five typical salt marsh plant communities were selected to study the characteristics of greenhouse gas emission of the wetland. The results indicated that the greenhouse gas emission, especially for the CO 2 and CH 4 , showed a distinctly spatial variation. The sample site (HW4) discharged the maximum emissions concentration of CH 4 and CO 2 , reaching 691.6 and 1.32 mg/m 3 in the static opaque chamber, respectively. The total annual emissions of CH 4 and CO 2 were approximately 1.20 × 10 4 t a −1 and 18.4 × 10 4 t a −1 in the five plant communities. It was also found that the relationship of the soil moisture to CH 4 emissions was positive correlation, but that to CO 2 emissions was negative correlation. In addition, there was a linear correlation ( y = 0.0196x + 0.0252, R 2 = 0.9872) between the content of Fe and Mn in the soil.

Five different lengths artificial aquatic plants were used to purify wastewater. The artificial aquatic strings of 10cm diameter cylinder were divided into five groups, such as 0cm (A, CK), 50cm (B),100cm (C),150cm (D) and 200cm (E), respectively. The experimental results showed that the best removal efficiency was 78.3% and 73.5% for COD and ammonina nitrogen in the C group, and for the total phosphorus (TP), the best removal efficiency was 61.3% in the B group. Therefore, it is suggested that the best length is 100cm at 22°C to 26°C in the water according to the comprehensive removal efficiency.

The mining coal in the front of long wall face consists of elastic zone, plastic zone and fracture zone. Based on the research of zonaldisintegration of surrounding rock mass in deep tunnel, the zonal disintegration phenomenon of deep coal mine was analyzed by using the theoretical analysis method. On the basis of the Griffith theory, the internal and external boundary formulas of fracture zone and the mechanical criteria of zonal disintegration were obtained. The research shows that the essence of zonal disintegration is the tensile failure and brittle tension crack failure under the abutment pressure, the main influence factors of the width variation of fracture zone are original rock stress and un-axial tensile strength of coal.

The traditional water treatment technologies mainly include physical reparation technology, chemical remediation technology and biological-ecological restoration technology. However, there are many limitations in practical application, especially for heavy polluted river. For this reason, it is extremely urgent to explore new technology and method on river ecosystem restoration. The materials of artificial plants are limited to the factors of water transparency, possesses acid and alkali-resistant, resistance to staining and flexibility. The characteristics of artificial plants are low in investment, effective and no secondary pollution. Therefore, it has a broad prospect of application in water treatment. In this paper, the detailed review and application of artificial plants were involved in order to provide theoretical basis for more widely used of artificial aquatic plants.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a chlorinated liquid that is commonly used for metal degreasing, household and industrial dry cleaning, and in paints and glues. Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene (PCE), is an excellent solvent for organic materials. PCE is volatile, highly stable, non-flammable and widely used in dry cleaning. A new method has been developed for measuring TCE and PCE in ambient air in real-time. Based upon the chemical fingerprinting and concentration levels, the method was able to isolate the source of the emissions to the responsible facility. Real-time monitoring was accomplished by utilizing a low pressure chemical ionization source (LPCI) interfaced to a tandem mass spectrometer (TAGA). Monitoring the response of specific parent/daughter ion pairs, the TAGA was used to measure concentrations of TCE and PCE. By optimizing various TAGA parameters, detection limits (DL) as low as 0.5 μg/m3 was achieved for TCE and PCE. Unlike methods using cartridge sampling and GC/MS analysis, this new method provides a real time measurement for a wide range of TCE and PCE concentrations. This unique method was applied in 2000 and 2002 to measure TCE emitted from a manufacturer of stainless steel tubing in Eastern Ontario. The maximum half-hour average concentration of TCE measured downwind of the facility was 1300 μg/m3 and the maximum instantaneous level was measured at 115,000 μg/m3. The information collected by the TAGA unit was used by the Standard Development Branch of Ontario Ministry of the Environment to adopt the half-hour Point of Impingement (POI) standard of TCE to be 36 μg/m3 in 2010. This method successfully identified and simultaneously measured TCE and PCE during a 2011 air monitoring survey of a hazardous waste disposal and treatment facility in Southern Ontario.

Published reports on laparoscopic resection of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) were limited to small experiences and selection bias. Two hundred fourteen patients who underwent primary gastric GIST resection at our institution (January 2006–December 2012) were identified from a prospectively collected database. Laparoscopic resections (LAP) were performed in 133 patients, and open resections (OPEN) were performed in 81 patients. The short- and long-term outcomes were analyzed using propensity-score matching (PSM) by comparing the clinicopathological factors between these groups. The tumor resection method and tumor size were significantly different between the LAP and OPEN groups. After PSM, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in these clinicopathological factors. The LAP group had less blood loss and shorter operation time, time to first flatus, time to first fluid diet, time to gastric tube removal, and postoperative stay before PSM. In addition, there were no differences regarding the time of drainage tube removal or hospitalization expense. Other than the time of gastric tube removal, which was similar in these 2 groups, the short-term outcomes were similar before and after PSM. The rates of postoperative complications in the LAP and OPEN groups were 6.8% and 22.8%, respectively, before PSM (P = 0.001) and 5.6% and 22.5%, respectively, after PSM (P = 0.004). The multivariate analyses for complications showed that tumors were located in the middle of the stomach, and the operation method and proximal gastrectomy were independent risk factors before and after PSM. The 5-year cumulative survival rates in the LAP and OPEN groups were 95.4% and 85.9%, respectively, (P = 0.07) before PSM and 93.1% and 91.9%, respectively, (P = 0.69) after PSM (not significantly different). Laparoscopic resection for gastric GISTs had better short-term outcomes and similar long-term outcomes compared with open surgery. Localized gastric GISTs can be treated with laparoscopic surgery.

The multi-pass compression deformation of low carbon bainitie steel was carried out on a thermal simulator between a temperature range of 1050~800°Cwith accumulated 60.7% deformation and a deformation rate of 2s-1. The recrystallization behavior of the tested steel during high temperature deformation was discussed after comparatively analyzing the stress-stain curves and austenite deformation structures under different deformation conditions. The results show that with the same strain rate and total deformation, the grain size of recrystallized austenite is mainly determined by pass temperature and pass deformation, especially the latter, while has little relation with quantity of pass. The ultimate deformation stress is determined by ultimate deformation temperature and improved by the increasing quantity of pass.

A failure investigation has been conducted on high carbon microalloyed steel used in engine fracture splitting con-rods. The fracture occurred when the as-rolled bars are cut down. The study involved the in-depth examination of the chemical composition, microstructures, mechanical properties and fracture morphologies of specimens from failed bars. Results indicated that the chemical composition of the as-rolled material, microstructure, and mechanical properties are within the range of the technical specification. Microstructure is ferrite-pearlite with dominance of pearlite due to the relatively high carbon content. SEM of fracture surfaces of failed as-rolled bars illustrates that the fractography is cleavage steps and river line pattern. It indicates that failure mode is brittle and the mechanism of fracture is cleavage. Microfracturography shows sulphur inclusions and oxides are the fracture initiation. The continuous network proeutectoid ferrite at the edge of fracture bar will prodigiously improve the brittleness and quickly bring stress concentration under dynamic loading conditions. Furthermore, coarseness and narrowband shape ferrite will induce to decrease toughness.

The effect of cooling rates after finish rolling on microstructure and properties of high strength medium carbon microalloyed steels used for fracture splitting con-rods was investigated using the methods of optical microscopy, SEM and TEM, etc. The results show that high cooling rate after finish rolling can increase the percentage of pearlite, reduce the grain size of ferrite and lamellar spacing of pearlite. The precipitations in the steel are composite phases of (V,Ti)(C,N), etc. Their granularity are about 30-170nm, and they will decrease with the speeding up cooling. The yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) are improved with increasing the cooling rate. The impact fracture surface shows distinct brittle fracture character.

The fracture splitting method is being increasingly used for manufacturing connecting rods that are made of the powder forging material, high-carbon steel, etc., which are comparatively easy to fracture, in order to improve the accuracy and productivity. In this paper, a microalloyed high carbon steel used for fracture splitting connecting rod is developed by the process “EAF-EBT-LF-CC-CR”. The steel microstructure, nonmetallic inclusions, precipitated phases, mechanical property and fracture surfaces are investigated by microscope, SEM and TEM. The results show that the steel is constituted of pearlite and a small mount of ferrite, the nonmetallic inclusions in the steel include MnS, Al-rich (taken to be Al2O3) and Al-Ca-rich (taken to be CaO-Al2O3) particles. The precipitations mainly are VC, VN, (Mn, Cu)S, etc. these precipitations are beneficial to fine the pearlite group, short lamellar spacing of pearlite and improve the strengthening of the microalloyed high carbon steel. The tensile tests indicate that the microalloyed high carbon steel has high yield strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), but low elongation and contraction of area. It is required for heavier loads, higher performance of automobile engine and less distortion on fracture splitting. The fracture surface of connecting rod shows distinct brittle fracture character and it is beneficial to improve fracture splitting performance.

In this paper, solid-phase extraction (SPE) in combination with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) has been developed as a sample pretreatment method with high enrichment factors for the sensitive determination of amide herbicides in water samples. In SPE-DLLME, amide herbicides were adsorbed quantitatively from a large volume of aqueous samples (100 mL) onto a multiwalled carbon nanotube adsorbent (100 mg). After elution of the target compounds from the adsorbent with acetone, the DLLME technique was performed on the resulting solution. Finally, the analytes in the extraction solvent were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Some important extraction parameters, such as flow rate of sample, breakthrough volume, sample pH, type and volume of the elution solvent, as well as salt addition, were studied and optimized in detail. Under optimum conditions, high enrichment factors ranging from 6593 to 7873 were achieved in less than 10 min. There was linearity over the range of 0.01-10 microg/L with relative standard deviations of 2.6-8.7%. The limits of detection ranged from 0.002 to 0.006 microg/L. The proposed method was used for the analysis of water samples, and satisfactory results were achieved.

The effect of tempering process on the microstructure of ultra low carbon bainitic (ULCB) steel produced by relaxation precipitation controlled phase transformation (RPC) has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The results showed that the final microstructure mainly contained lath-like bainitic ferrite, granular bainite and martensite-austenite (MA) constituent in ULCB steels. On tempering at 650°C a slight increase was detected in the effective grain size as the strain-induced precipitates pinned up the dislocation walls and subgrains. After tempering at 700°C, bainitic ferrite laths started to coarsen and polygonal ferrite occurred. The effective grain size of ULCB steels in as-rolled condition was 1.5 μm at the tolerance of 10o~15o measured by EBSD technique.

Pollution in urban zoos arises from diffuse and small point sources. However, its control has received little attention in past decades. Online and offline modes of ecological engineering technology were designed to control pollution from small point and diffuse sources in Wuhan City Zoo, China. Their characteristics and performances were investigated in sixteen runoff events from 2003 to 2005. The results showed that the two modes both improved runoff water quality and had high retention rates for water and pollutants. In the outflows, the event mean concentrations (EMCs) of total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were reduced by 88%, 59%, 46% and 71% for the online mode, and those were 77%, 42%, 50% and 66% for the offline mode. The annual retention rates of pollutant loads for the online mode were 94.9%-98.5% in the three study years; those for the offline mode were 70.5%-86.4%. Based on calculation, the online mode was able to store the runoff of 66.7 mm rainfall completely, and the offline mode could store that of 31.3 mm rainfall. In addition, the online mode can provide an effective way for rainwater utilization and good habitats for aquatic wildlives, and has an excellent aesthetics value for recreationsal pastimes. The offline mode can save land resources and may be an effective and economical measure for diffuse pollution control in urban areas.